Chapter 26 Frontline

"Huh? Are you heading to the front lines?"

Early in the morning at the Silvermane Guard training camp, Yelena, the training officer, put on her helmet and struck her usual commanding pose. Seeing her in her full armor made Orion think back to how beautiful she looked without it.

"Is this a new trend?" Orion recalled how heavy the spear felt when Yelena wielded it in her armor.

"Is there a problem if I go?" Orion crossed his arms. He wanted to go to the front lines to better understand the situation at the border.

"I admit you're a skilled fighter, but..." Yelena hesitated. "But the front lines are much tougher than anyone in the city can imagine."

"The cold wind can cut through any armor; monsters keep attacking non-stop; and getting supplies is incredibly hard." The pressure out there is more than most people can handle."

"Really?" Orion thought. He believed his own strength could help him face harsh conditions, though he lacked experience dealing with large groups of monsters.

"In that case, I'm still going."

Seeing Orion's determination, Yelena knew she couldn't stop him. She shook her head and offered one last piece of advice.

"I've been on the front lines before, and this scar on my face is from there."

"You're trusted by the Supreme Guardian, so I won't interfere. But as a retired soldier, my advice is to be cautious of those around you during the most dangerous times."

Orion nodded. "I understand."

As Orion walked away, Yelena sighed. Many soldiers leave for the front lines, but only a few make it back. The chances are slim.

The front lines of the Silvermane Guard are now in the restricted area outside the city.

After seeing the training of the Silvermane Guards, Orion felt he understood Belobog better.

The Guards are more skilled compared to the defense members at Herta's space station. Their fighting abilities are impressive.

"If every soldier on the front lines were as skilled as the female officer in training, the battles would be even tougher than expected."

"Arriving."

The area in front looked similar to the city, with soldiers on patrol and defensive fences and cannons everywhere.

When the guard saw Orion, he didn't joke around. Instead, he stepped forward with a friendly smile after confirming Orion's identity.

"Your Excellency Orion, the Supreme Guardian, has sent word about you. You can move around the restricted area, but please stay away from the front lines. The battle isn't too intense now, but with strange tides approaching, we don't have enough troops to ensure your safety.

Orion thanked the soldier and patted him on the shoulder.

"Thank you for your hard work."

The soldier was surprised by Orion's politeness, as he had never seen such respect from someone of higher rank.

With that, Orion walked into the restricted area. Inside, there were even more soldiers, and they seemed more focused and capable than those at the gate.

As he walked through a long passage, he came upon a huge mechanical project. It had gears in the shape of a cross, and the wide passage could fit five vehicles side by side.

At the entrances and exits of the four passages, there were mechanical devices to control it. In one part of the bridge, it was suspended in the air over a bottomless abyss.

"If you know how to use this device well, only flying monsters might be a problem."

Orion Astra looked at the device in front of him and sighed. The people of Belobog had used every method to keep their city safe, and this was one of their defense devices.

As he walked, a soldier on patrol spotted him. The soldier gave Orion a curious look but then moved on, showing good military habits.

Even though it wasn't wartime, the soldiers were always alert. They held their spears tightly and were ready to fight at any moment.

Orion continued and saw more defense tools and cannons. He even noticed some familiar automatic soldiers standing beside the soldiers.

Orion's muscles tensed a bit. He had seen many of these robots in the underworld. They were tough, and the only way to stop them was to destroy their power sources completely. It left a strong impression on him.

Around the corner, some leftover crystals caught Orion's eye.

"What's this? A piece of a monster?"

He picked it up and noticed a crack forming on the crystal when he pressed it.

"The strength is greater than the monsters in the underworld. As expected, monsters near the stellaron are stronger."

Orion looked ahead. Outside the city, the cold wind made it hard for anyone to get close. His target was right there.

"Stellaron."

Besides Cocolia and a few scientists, not many people knew about the stellaron.

"I hope this works," Orion whispered.

As he thought about sealing the stellaron, a sharp alarm blared throughout the area.

"Enemy attack!"