《The Duke’s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military》


 Chapter 1 Good Work. This was a Beta Test!

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(1)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>0</i></b><i> Good Work. This was a Beta Test!</i>


    Blood slowly dripped down from the clouds that covered the sky. Just like a song, the eerie screams and shrieks rang loudly all over the ce. A dying man shrieked next to him while a monster rushed in front of him with its horrendous mouth wide open.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sick of these bastards!¡±


    One man stepped hard on the ground as he mustered enough strength to slice the rushing monster in half. After the man cut off the monster, he quickly turned around and ran. He looked like he was running away from this gruesome battlefield as hisrades died one after another. However, everyone knew that this line of defense had long been lost.


    ¡°Retreat! Everyone retreat! Make sure to survive! Abandon the castle!¡±


    The man shouted his order loudly. He screamed as best as he could hoping that they would all make a safe retreat. At the same time, he felt devastated and sorry that this was all that he could do for his subordinates. He was also saddened by the fact that this would be thest moments of his life.


    It was disheartening that the ducal family that once fought for the position of the Empire¡¯s strongest was now on the verge of extinction. But what was more frustrating was the possibility that the entirety of the North would be upied by monsters.


    ¡°I worked like a dog just for you to abandon me? You fucking trashes.¡±


    The problem was that hecked talent. However, he disregarded that fact as he forcefully took the seat of the master of the ducal house. Even though he tried so hard to cover up hiscking talents with his personal connections, he was still used by those smart and tricky people. And in the end, he ended up like this.


    ¡°In the first ce, I shouldn¡¯t have believed in reincarnation.¡±


    The memory of the bastard that led him here shed in his head for a moment. However, it was only for a brief moment. He quickly erased the thought from his head. In a ce like this where he couldn¡¯t even see an inch ahead of him, having misceneous thoughts was a surefire shortcut to his grave. Normally, something like this wouldn¡¯t even cross his mind but for some reason, there were lots of thoughts running in his head today.


    ¡°Will this ce be my grave?¡±


    The man smiled bitterly as he looked at the monsters surrounding him.


    The walls of the castle were strong just like their title, the strongest family in the North. But the walls were useless from the monsters that rushed in like crazy dogs. Even thest bastion of the castle was not safe from their plundering.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i> This isn¡¯t my style.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t his style to sacrifice himself for the sake of others but he knew that his body had already been long spent. If that was the case, then he could just buy some time for his subordinates to run away. He thought that it was more than enough if he could at least bring them to safety.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    <i>Let¡¯s look cool for thest time.</i>


    This was the thought that ran through the man¡¯s head as he held his sword tightly. The man shouted loudly at the monsters to get their attention. Seeing a prey that did not run away, the monsters all rushed towards him.


    ¡°So they¡¯re giving me something since I¡¯m dying.¡±


    The man clicked his tongue. However, he couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly at the immediate effect of his first ever useful and unique title.


    He could feel that his body was suddenly overflowing with energy. Even his strength was growing tremendously. He knew that this huge show of strength was something that he could never dream of having before.


    They sent them here saying that it was God¡¯s Game but there weren¡¯t any status windows or skills. The only thing that made them different from the people here were the titles and their innate abilities. However, even if they miraculously got a title, they would still not be able to jump to a Sword Master as long as they only have measly abilities.


    As if to prove those words, the man easily flew away after being hit by a monster. He was even embedded deep into the walls of the fortress.


    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±


    His body was crushed and all of his organs were ruptured. And due to the strong impact from the blow, his consciousness had already begun to blur.


    ¡°Tastes like shit.¡±


    The man murmured to himself as he squinted through the blood flowing from his head. Through his blurry view, he could see the monsters feasting on the soldiers¡¯ dead bodies. There were even monsters snooping around trying to see if there were any bodies left to feast on.


    After gauging his body¡¯s state, he knew that he would die as soon as his consciousness faded away. But when he saw the monsters running in his direction, he thought that it would be better if he could die right then and there. He definitely preferred having a decent death than being mauled to death by those monsters¡¯ gruesome fangs.


    Then, suddenly¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡±


    He looked around in shock. The monsters that were dashing towards him suddenly stopped in their tracks. Even the flowing blood and the dying people stopped moving. It was as if the whole world had stopped at that very moment.


    Then, a ball of light was suddenly created in the air above him.


    ¡°Beta tester?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but blink owlishly at the words <i>beta tester</i>.


    As if to answer his question, the mechanical sound once again rang from the ball of light.


    The mechanical sound stopped as the bright light illuminated Jaiden¡¯s body.


    Then, Jaiden¡¯s soul was slowly lifted out of his body and absorbed into the light. His body started to turn into a powder and disappear the moment his soul was sucked out of his body.


    These were thest words that he had heard the mechanical sound say before his soul got sucked into the whirlpool of light.


    That was when Lee Junghoo or Jaiden, who started and yed as a beta tester, woke up once again to this world.


    <strong><em>TL¡¯s corner!</em></strong>


    Hello! CC here. Will be doing this series. Yayy!


    Update Schedule will be: 3 chapters per week. Uploaded on Sundays around 9/10 AM (GMT+8).


    I hope you support this and make sure to drop by our server for a chat.

 Chapter 2 Preparing to Run Away from Home (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(2)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>1</i></b><i> Preparing to Run Away from Home (1)</i>


    Bombarded by the notifications, Lee Junghoo couldn¡¯t help but panic for a while after waking up once again in Jaiden¡¯s body. All he could do was stare nkly at the ceiling for two straight days. The fact that everything that he had done so far was just a beta test for this God-made game was quite shocking.


    The maid that took care of him all his childhood brought him his meal with concern in her eyes. However, Jaiden couldn¡¯t care less about her. But thanks to the meal that she had brought him, he could barely calm down and pull himself together.


    This ducal family was one of the Empire¡¯s strongest families. However, they would eventually copse under the onught of monsters which would then lead to the destruction of the North. With that in mind, it was safe to say that the Empire¡¯s destruction was only a matter of time.


    Compared to the beta test, there might be plenty of other people who woulde to this ce. However, regardless of their number they would still not be able to stop the destruction of the continent.


    There was only one thought that shed in Jaiden¡¯s head when his thoughts had gone towards this direction.


    <i>I need to endure and survive until I¡¯m 35 years old.</i>


    Rather than preventing the destruction of the continent, he believed that the only choice that he could take was toe up with strategies to survive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s throw away the main quest.¡±


    He tried to break the main quest during the beta test but he was smashed and ground to powder so he was sure that this was not his way back home.


    After deciding to throw away the main quest, the gears in his head turned as he immediately thought of ways on how he could survive.


    A ball of light had approached him when he was just about to die from a car ident in the real world. So perhaps, all the other beta testers had their own stories too. But even though those people were also desperate for the promised rewards, they were still swept away by the horrendous flow of the battle and failed to stop the destruction of the continent.


    ¡°I was 31 years old when I died¡­¡±


    He had tost four years longer than the beta test. But if it went the same way as the beta test, then he would still die in the Empire¡¯s capital within two years even if he held his breath and pushed forward to fight.


    He also couldn¡¯t ensure his safety and survival if he went and moved to another continent early on in the game. Just like in the North, a Void Gate might also open in that continent too.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold out like that.¡±


    Jaiden sighed deeply as he abandoned the idea of hiding in a safe ce.


    When he became the head of the family, he tried all the means that he could get a hold of just to stop the crazy flow of monsters. However, he was only able tost two years in that arduous fight. He was already fortunate enough to block the monsters from entering the Empire¡¯s capital for 1~2 years even though they were swarming like crazy.


    He had heard before that the rest of the continent would be able tost a bit longer. But he was sure that the difference would only be slight. But regardless of that fact, surviving a bit longer meant living longer.


    ¡°Then, that means that I should evacuate to the south of the Empire¡­¡±


    In order for him to do that, Auzria Continent needed to be able to endure the monster flow to a certain extent. Only in that way, would he be able to survive in the South until he was 35 years old.


    For that to happen, a prerequisite was needed. This meant that the Empire¡¯s frontlines, the North as well as thend of the barbarians needed to have the capacity and the ability to endure against the beings that came out of the Void Gate.


    ¡®You can¡¯t be swept away all at once just like you did back then.¡¯


    After thinking so far, Jaiden also looked back and took into consideration this family that was hailed as the strongest in the North.


    This family was created by the ancient divine beast, the White Lion. This was a family that strictly believed and held lions as their deity. They even moved on their instincts and followed the path of the lion. This barbaric family worshipped and believed only in brute force and strength. They even had fraudulent skills and abilities that matched their crazy mentalities.


    And Jaiden, the eldest born son of this family, only had an ordinary talent and an iplete bloodline. It was hard for him to survive in this family since his abilities were only normal even in the outside world.


    Back then, in order to survive in this ce, he dragged his connections and made use of the pce to be the master of this ce. And in the end, he was given the title.


    ¡°I messed up right away but¡­¡±


    Jaiden smiled bitterly as he recalled the past.


    After the death of his father, he was able to grab the seat as the head of the family with the help of the Imperial Pce. However, even though he became the head of the family, he was only able to survive and hold on for two years. In the end, the long lineage of his family ended with his generation.


    He thought that something would be different if hepleted each of the main quests but no miracle happened. He did not receive any rewards and his mediocre and unchanging talent eventually led to the demise and copse of his family.


    They might have called it God Game but there were no status windows nor skills. It was just another reality in another person¡¯s body. The innate ability was a power that could only be obtained from one¡¯s own bloodline so the only way that they could borrow the power of the game was to obtain a title. However, it was something that was extremely hard to obtain. In other words, there were no other game elements except for the title.


    In order to survive in this kind of ce, the only thing that he could do was to work hard and build up his strength.


    ¡°My talent is at the bottom so I have no choice but to borrow and make use of my brothers¡¯ hands¡­¡±


    In order for the Leonhardt Family to work out properly and survive, one of his younger brothers needed to take control and be the head of the family. But if any of his bastard brothers became the head of the family, then they would definitely kill him, a person who was worse than a pest.


    However, he was determined. He would definitely not be the head of the family again.


    <i>First of all, the family needs to return to normal so they can take their stand longer in the future.</i>


    ¡°Maybe the answer is running away from home?¡±


    It was best for him to run away from home at his young age so he could avoid his younger brothers. However, there was no way for him to escape from his family¡¯s eyes.


    Then, he suddenly remembered a special ce in the North. It was a ce where murder weapons were raised to join the special troops that would prevent countless monsters. And if one had the talent for swordsmanship, magic or tactics, they would be able to develop and nurture them.


    <i>Northern Military Training Camp.</i>


    At the age of nine, most people would go to academies to learn basic numbers and letters. But in this ce, instead of teaching basic materials, they would be taught how to wield a sword and kill their enemies. This was also a ce where they only recognized talent, not one¡¯s identity. It was a ce wheremoners and noble families that were on the brink of extinction were given an opportunity to revive themselves. The same was true for those who failed to be the head of the family of ordinary noble families.


    Nevertheless, their applicant numbers remained low. It was because their requirements for application and volunteering were quite difficult. First of all, one needed to serve at least 20 years once they volunteered. Second, one needed to serve in the northern frontlines.


    Just these two things were enough to drive one crazy but they even had to discard their names and use aliases.


    Once a person volunteered, they would be assigned a number by the military and would only be called by that number regardless of their family background. And once the person was deployed in the military after their training period, they would need to serve in the frontlines under the name that the military had given them. In other words, their identities would be erased from this world until they were discharged from the military.


    <i>Is there anyone who would be delighted at bing a murder weapon without receiving the honor that they deserve?</i>


    ¡°I have no other choice.¡±


    He had to take some risk just so he could avoid the bad end from his shitty talent. He felt bad about the 20 years of service period but there was nothing he could do.


    However, this much was not enough. He needed to have at least one family member that favored him to ensure his safety.


    The twins that were two years younger than him wereplete and utter scoundrels so he needed to find someone that could keep them in check. These punks that were two years younger than him had already awakened their mana and had proceeded to beat their servants. To keep such crazy bastards in check, the person had to be both talented and kind-hearted.


    The only problem was that this was the lion¡¯s family. Everyone had tremendous talent but the biggest problem was that they had a few loose screws somewhere in their heads.


    ¡°<i>Haa¡­ </i>I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    The Leonhardts regarded the white lion as their deity and because of this, they tried to resemble the white lion¡¯s characteristics. One of them was to have many children in a short period of time. And to do that, they needed to have plenty of wives. It was also their custom to leave the family in the hands of the most superior among the children. This was what had been going on so far.


    Just like the epitome of the lion family, his father had seven wives. He also had several children of the same age. He was only eight years old but there were already kids born after him. There was one who was seven years old, two six year olds and another one was four years old. The only reason this happened was because the head of the family made a pledge that he would only sire one child per wife. Otherwise, there would have been more than 30 children already just like what the other heads of the family did before.


    Unlike the children, it was not that strange that only two of the head¡¯s women survived. This was because the Leonhardts believed that protecting their young descendants was only natural but protecting their wives who came from the outside was not. His mother had died because of this. And even the two surviving wives were in bad shape after surviving a bout with poison.


    ¡®In other words, this ce is a mess.¡¯


    The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to get out of this family. He wanted to leave this ce as soon as possible since no solution woulde to him from staying in this messy ce.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>It seems like the youngest is the most normal¡­¡±


    He did not remember much about the youngest. It was because he died before he got synchronized in this body. However, he thought that he would definitely be better than the others.


    After he got synchronized, he dug deep and found out things about the youngest. From what he had heard, the youngest was weak and left behind. Unfortunately, he had no backing so he died pitifully.


    <i>Perhaps one of my brothers killed him.</i>


    The second bastard tended to be like a berserker while the third was a psychopath. Even the twins were bastards who were perverted enough to like killing and murder. While the sixth bastard was a treacherous punk.


    <i>One of these lunatics must have killed the youngest.</i>


    Back then, rumors about the youngest¡¯s tremendous talents were widely spread so it was most likely that someone had killed him out of spite and jealousy.


    He actually remembered having goosebumps when he heard the rumors that surrounded the youngest when he just synched up with this body. He couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the thought that this talentless body was still left alive.


    The reason why he was kept alive was revealed to him not long after. It was because he had the privilege of being born as the eldest son. No matter how strong the members of the Leonhardt Family shouted at his lowly talents, the eldest son remained and enjoyed considerable authority. In a sense, they were quite simr to other noble families.


    That was the only thing that kept him alive. And eventually, he was able to take the head¡¯s seat with the help of the Imperial Pce.


    At this point, Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but shed tears as he remembered how hard he rolled around during the beta test.


    ¡°<i>Hoo! </i>Let¡¯s see if the rumors about the youngest are true!¡±


    Thanks to his eldest son¡¯s privileges, he was able to learn Leonhardt¡¯s esoteric swordsmanship from a young age. He even memorized everything that he had learned from the past including the swordsmanship that only the head of the family could learn. If the rumors proved to be true, and the youngest¡¯s talent was monstrous enough to wipe the crazy guys out, then he would teach him everything that he knew.


    In the meantime, he believed that it would be better for his future if the person who would lead this family was a good man rather than a lunatic.


    If he piled this debt on the youngest, then it was highly likely that he would note after him to kill him in the future. In addition, once he became a master, he would be of great help in the North¡¯s protection in the future.


    ¡°<i>Ah!</i>¡±


    Jaiden immediately checked his physical condition before leaving his room. He needed to have some skills first before he could check his brother¡¯s talents.


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but frown when he checked his physical condition through squats and stretches.


    ¡°This body is trash.¡±


    He had felt this ever since he had confirmed in the beta test that this body had no talent. But regardless of this body¡¯s talent, it seemed like the original owner had no motivation at all. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for this body tock the muscles needed to move and practice swordsmanship.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have talent then you have to work hard. <i>Tch! </i>Youck effort.¡±


    There was nothing wrong with what the elders said.


    <i>If you¡¯re not good at it then work hard. If working hard is still not enough, then you have to wooooooooooooork harder.</i>


    Of course, it would be impossible to keep up with the geniuses especially with their monstrous talents but after 10 or 20 years of hard work, a trashy talent would still be able to catch up and graze the periphery of the area where the talented people y around.


    He had proven it himself during the beta test.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t awakened my mana and my body is a mess.¡±


    Even if his body was a mess, he was sure that he still had room for improvement once he had awakened his mana. However, this body was still not at that point yet.


    The first time this body had awakened was when he was 13 years old. This body awakened a bit faster than a shitty talent but the fact that he needed the support of an elixir meant that he was a dunce.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I first need to build up my body.¡±


    Jaiden sighed deeply as he started to do some simple warm ups in his room.

 Chapter 3 Preparing to Run Away from Home (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(3)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>1</i></b><i> Preparing to Run Away from Home (2)</i>


    After realizing that his body was truly trash, he immediately headed straight towards his private training hall after doing a simple warm up. Although small, since it was only meant for a child to use, the fact that the training hall was private was more important.


    ¡°The young master went to the training hall!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Everyone goes there, you know.¡±


    A maid with freckles on her face replied to the shouting maid nonchntly. It was not something new to them after all. But the other maid spoke hurriedly in frustration. She knew that the freckled maid did not understand her words at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the first young master.¡±


    ¡°For real?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The freckled girl looked at the other maid in surprise when she answered with great resolution.


    Although all of the young masters with the exception of the youngest master had awakened their mana, the oldest son was not able to achieve his mana awakening. Even though he trained and breathed mana while he drank elixirs regrly, he was still not able to awaken his mana yet. This meant that he was not fit to be a Leonhardt. So why was he still allowed to stay in the mansion? The reason was simple. It was the head¡¯s warning to others to not be such trash. Whenever everyone saw the eldest son, they would say that they should work hard if they did not want to be like that. And all of the smart and cunning young masters knew this fact.


    The first young master had noticed this. So he fell into a slump as he locked himself in his room and withered away.


    ¡°D¡­ did he awaken his mana?¡±


    ¡°Everyone thought so, so I decided to take a peek too. But he did not.¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°One of the knights secretly checked it out.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>¡­¡±


    The freckled girl looked sad when she heard the maid¡¯s words. Then, the maid that was just chatting beside her disappeared as she continued to chatter with the other maids.


    Rumors about Leonhardt¡¯s eldest son rapidly spread in the mansion. They said that the eldest son began to train again. However, these rumors waned and died down just as fast as it spread. He was not someone that they needed to pay attention to since his mana still did not awaken yet.


    Just as the servants spread gossip about the dunce and went back to their work, Jaiden was also working hard in the training hall. He was currently swinging his wooden sword inside. His wooden sword was a special sword with an iron embedded deep inside.


    ¡°As expected, the Lion Sword Technique does not suit me at all.¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s thoughts were all tangled up at the moment. He wiped his sweaty furrowed brows as he stopped training in the Lion Sword Technique.


    ¡°Maybe the elder¡¯s advice was really correct?¡±


    Before he became the head of the family, an elderly man looked at him with regret. He wasn¡¯t a great master or something like that. He was just your run-of-the-mill retired mercenary. However, he left these words to Jaiden.


    ¡°The young master is wielding a sword that does not fit you. You would have been a lot better than you are now if you had just continued training with the Basic Swordsmanship¡±


    Back then, Jaiden looked at the old man incredulously. He couldn¡¯t understand why his tone was somentable. He was so dumbfounded that he investigated the old man¡¯s identityter.


    <i>Steel Mercenary.</i>


    He was once a popr mercenary but his talents remainedmon in the entire Empire. He was able to enter the 5th Stage in hister years but in the end, he just amounted to that much. The 5th Stage was not thatmon in Leonhardt but there were quite a few people who were on different stages.


    Nevertheless, his words continued to remain in his mind.


    ¡°Basic¡­¡±


    He picked his sword again as he continued to ponder on the old man¡¯s words. The Basic Swordsmanship was a swordsmanship that was learned by all the soldiers.


    A wide sh.


    A horizontal sh going from one side to the other.


    A diagonal sh going from one side to the other.


    A strike going up.


    A stab.


    A block.


    These were the eight basic movements in Basic Swordsmanship. This was the first thing that he had learned when he joined the military back then. This swordsmanship would be the Basic Imperial Swordsmanship once mana and steps were added to its movements.


    <i>Vwoong!</i>


    He lifted his sword up as he stabbed straight forward. Hepletely erased the Lion Sword Technique and other advanced andplicated swordsmanship from his head as he focused on simply repeating the basic movements of the sword. He continued to sh, stab and lower his sword. He removed all of the tricky swordsmanship that he learned for his survival as a talentless person. Right now, his head was filled with only this set of sword strokes.


    Even without a status window or skills, he still gained plenty of experiences during that time. And all of the experiences and hardships that he had umted were slowly being melted into this Basic Swordsmanship.


    Although he forcefully and artificially created the stepping stone to the 5th stage with the fragments of the heart of the fire dragon and the Imperial Family¡¯s elixirs, all of his hands-on experiences remained in his head. So even though this body was left alone for quite a long time, his movements still came out pretty well.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i>¡±


    Jaiden wiped his sweat as he tilted his head up.


    ¡°I felt something¡­¡±


    Jaden couldn¡¯t help but frown when he felt something familiar so he continued to swing his sword.


    He was still young so he needed to take plenty of breaks in between. Objectively evaluating his performance in this child¡¯s body, he could still give it a pass. He knew that the simple repetition of these movements was already meaningful enough.


    <i>Let¡¯s do some stretching.</i>


    <i>Running.</i>


    <i>And sword swinging. </i>


    <i>Then eat.</i>


    <i>And sleep.</i>


    Just repeating these five things alone gave him apletely different feeling than when he was practicing the Lion Sword Technique. Somehow, he could feel that the sword that he was holding was attached to his hand. It was a different feeling from when he was training in theplex movements of the Lion Sword Technique. Although it was just a simple swing of the sword, for some reason, he feltfortable and in ce.


    It was a bit ironic that someone like him, someone who had seen plenty ofplicated and high level sword techniques ever since he became the head, was only fit for Basic Swordsmanship.


    However, he felt that it was better for him to be simple. It was because he did not need to think too much about it. Besides he also felt that the more he swung his sword, the more he felt the movements being imprinted on his body.


    ¡°This feeling?¡±


    It was the same wide sh butpared to before, he felt like the quality of his swordsmanship had gone up by quite a bit.


    Jaiden focused on his entire body as he continued to wield his sword. He did not just repeat the movements but he also tried to grasp the subtle feeling that flowed in his body. As he continued to do this, he felt like he was getting better at grasping and holding his sword.


    Although the feeling was subtle, he tried his hardest to grasp it so he swung his sword like crazy. He continuously and obsessively swung his sword like a drug addict exposed to strong drugs.


    He also made sure to exercise to improve his stamina just so he could swing his sword more.


    A month had passed since he started this routine. His body, which had been stuck in his room for quite a long time, had almostpletely recovered. And since he was training so hard, his physical recovery progressed faster.


    With this quick progress, he finally confirmed that Jaiden¡¯s body should be trained on Basic Swordsmanship. And as if to drive the nail further, he could feel a flow of mana running through his body. This was something that would have never been there if he continued to train in the Lion Sword Technique.


    ¡°The elder¡¯s words were right.¡±


    Jaiden smiled bitterly when he was finally convinced that the old man¡¯s words were right. In fact, Jaiden would have been hailed as a genius if he just took the time to swing a few basic swordsmanship movements but unfortunately, he did not do something like that.


    He didn¡¯t even do anything special to awaken his mana. The only thing that he did was find the right swordsmanship for this body.


    The lump of mana that he had umted in his body remained unresponsive because he stubbornly used the Lion Sword Technique in the past. However, the mana finally reacted when he found the right sword art. In the end, it led to his mana awakening.


    ¡°It seems like there are more reasons for me to leave this family.¡±


    There was no more reason for him to stay here especially since he did not fit the Lion Sword Technique. This also proved that his choice to go to the Northern Military Training Camp was correct. He knew that the Northern Military Training Camp was a training camp that taught Basic Imperial Swordsmanship in the most systematic way.


    The Basic Imperial Swordsmanship was a swordsmanship developed from Basic Swordsmanship. It was a swordsmanship that was divided into Beginner¨DIntermediate¨DAdvanced levels and as the swordsmanship progressed further, it would be asplex and asplicated as other advanced swordsmanship from noble families. However, it¡¯s form had always been based on Basic Swordsmanship.


    Perhaps this was the reason why it fit him.


    <i>If I follow this simple form of swordsmanship then I will probably be able to have my own sword art someday.</i>


    It was a stage that he could never reach in his past life. A stage that he could only touch in his dreams.


    ¡°Can I challenge it this time?¡±


    The only way for his mana to gain special characteristics was to have his unique sword art after the 5th Stage before moving towards the 6th stage. Even in his dreams, he couldn¡¯t dare to challenge the 7th Stage or the master level. But right now, he thought that perhaps he could challenge it if he included the experiences of his past life.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know yet but perhaps it¡¯s possible in this life.¡¯


    Jaiden checked his physical condition as this thought shed in his head.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I think this is enough for the moment.¡±


    Now that he had built up his body to some extent and awakened his mana, he thought that he could slowly go and meet with his youngest brother.


    Jaiden changed out of his sweaty clothes as he made his way to the room where his youngest brother would be in. He needed to find out if the rumors about his talents were real as well as find out about the extent of his potential.


    ¡°Yo¡­ young master?¡±


    The maid that was cleaning the youngest¡¯s room was shocked to see him enter.


    ¡°Where is the youngest?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°I asked you where he is.¡±


    The maid was startled when he heard Jaiden¡¯s firm tone. She hurriedly led him to where his youngest brother was.


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Here?¡±


    Jaiden red at the maid when she told him that his brother was inside a small closet. No matter how much the others treated him like a fool in this mansion, the maid was still not in a position where she could make fun of him.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not lying. He really is here.¡±


    ¡°So you guys are treating the youngest like this, huh?¡±


    The maid was suddenly scared when she saw the look on Jaiden¡¯s face. She hurriedly shook her head to prove her innocence.


    ¡°No, not at all! The youngest master wanted this by himself.¡±


    ¡°What kind of ridiculous nonsense?¡±


    Jaiden red at the maid as he opened the door to the closest. When the door opened, he could see his youngest brother crouching inside. He looked at his brother incredulously as he asked him¡­


    ¡°What are you doing there?¡±


    ¡°Hyu¡­ hyung-nim?¡±


    His youngest brother was startled at the sight of light pouring in the small space. He was shocked to see Jaiden outside the closet. Jaiden looked at his brother with disapproval as he signaled for the maid to go out of the room.


    Then, he closed the door of the closet. Once the door closed, the light went out. This meant that Jaiden could not see his brother at all.


    ¡°What are you doing in a ce like this?¡±


    The youngest did not answer Jaiden¡¯s question.


    ¡°I asked you what you¡¯re doing here.¡±


    Jaiden should not have awakened his mana at this point in time but right now, his mana was well and fully awakened. This body could now let his vitality flow out of his body and express it outside, an achievement that he couldn¡¯t do back then. Mimicking his past experiences, he let a thick and strong force of vitality spread out in the room.


    ¡°Come out.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    Jaiden opened the door as he tried to drag his brother out of the closet. However, when he was already halfway out of the closet, his brother fiercely resisted and struggled against his hold. Jaiden looked at his brother strangely. Then, he tried to drag him away again. But the youngest resisted again, showing a great power that no ordinary boy could have.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    He realized that his youngest brother had his mana awakening. Jaden couldn¡¯t help but look at his brother incredulously. But the brat just struggled free of his hold as he crouched down in the corner of the closet with a frightened look on his face.


    Jaiden noticed his strange behavior so he closed the door again before asking him calmly.


    ¡°You have already awakened your mana so what are you doing in a ce like this?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re scared of something, you can just tell the knight to protect you. Or you can also build up your own strength. What are you staying here for?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can hear ghosts.¡±


    Jaiden tilted his head in thought when he heard the youngest¡¯s tearful voice.


    ¡°Is it some kind of spirit¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Jaiden was shocked when the youngest firmly shouted <i>¡®No!¡¯. </i>He couldn¡¯t help but ask him curiously.


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°I asked the Spirit Ahjussi. I also checked it with a book. It¡¯s also not a divine beast.¡±


    Jaiden looked at the door of the closet with a frown. He thought that it was a mental problem but based on his words, it did not seem to be the case. If it wasn¡¯t a divine beast or a spirit talking to him and it was simply a ghost or a spectre monster, then it did not make sense at all. He knew that the family would not allow any ghosts or spectre monsters to roam around in the heart of the Leonhardts.


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me!¡¯


    Jaiden looked at the closet where the youngest, Aiden, was with an unbelievable expression on his face.


    ¡°Aiden.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Come out. I need to check something.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to. If I get out of here then I will hear them again¡­¡±


    When Aiden refused to leave the confines of the closet, Jaiden spoke to him with a firm and confident voice.


    ¡°If you¡¯re good and youe out then I think I will be able to fix your problem.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Jaiden¡¯s words. He was trying to determine if he was telling him the truth or not.


    ¡°I have a hunch soe out. If you don¡¯t then you¡¯ll be haunted for the rest of your life.¡±


    Tears welled up in Aiden¡¯s eyes when he heard his words but the brat still slowly rose from his seat.

 Chapter 4 Preparing to Run Away from Home (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(4)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>1</i></b><i> Preparing to Run Away from Home (3)</i>


    Perhaps the youngest brat thought that it was hisst hope so he walked out on his own and followed Jaiden to his private training hall. When they arrived at the training hall, Aiden looked at him curiously.


    ¡°Why here¡­?¡±


    ¡°Take the sword.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Aiden tilted his head at him. He was wondering why he was suddenly asked to take the wooden sword with an iron core that Jaiden threw at him.


    ¡°Swing it.¡±


    Aiden hesitated as he looked at Jaiden in puzzlement. He couldn¡¯t understand why Jaiden suddenly threw the smallest wooden sword in his own private training hall to him. He couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered. After all, he was suddenly asked toe to this training hall to swing a sword.


    ¡°Quick.¡±


    A frown formed on Aiden¡¯s brows as Jaiden urged him to swing the sword. However, he still followed what his brother asked him to do. But when he swung his sword, Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but frown at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it roughly. Do it properly. Swing it like you mean it.¡±


    When Aiden heard his brother¡¯s words, he adjusted his posture properly as he swung his sword out. It seemed like there was nothing else that he could do but follow what his brother told him to do.


    Although he was just six years old, his posture and movements as he wielded the sword showed that he had already mastered the basic swordsmanship.


    When Jaiden saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but murmur quietly.


    ¡°What about the voices?¡±


    ¡°It got worse.¡±


    Jaiden nodded as Aiden spoke tearfully.


    ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to show you a sword technique. Make sure to follow what I do.¡±


    Aiden looked at Jaiden quietly. All he could do was look at him tearfully. Then, Jaiden slowly breathed out as he slowly swung his sword.


    He was now going to show him the true form of the Lion Sword Technique that he had learned during the beta test.


    He slowly moved the sword as he showed the White Lion Sword Technique. A swordsmanship that could only be essed and learned by the head of family. It was a far-fetched sword art that he couldn¡¯t dare to imitate the essence of but at the very least, he could still imitate its form.


    When Aiden saw his movements, the light in his eyes began to change. He looked at the swordsmanship Jaiden was showing him as he began to mutter something under his breath. His eyes slowly turned nk as he followed and imitated the White Lion Sword Technique that Jaiden was showing him.


    ¡°Is this the assimtion phenomenon?¡±


    Jaiden looked at Aiden and guessed that his thoughts were right. After all, Aiden looked like something was assimted in him. Even though he stopped the White Lion Sword Technique at the first half, Aiden was still continuing the sword technique. He was even able to show the second half of the technique without copying Jaiden¡¯s movements.


    ¡°It seems like I was right. This is the spirit of the divine beast that signed a contract with the first head.¡±


    The soul of the fallen King of the White Lions was waiting for another soul that was worthy enough for him to bond with just like the first family head. And that soul was now being assimted into Aiden¡¯s body as he reproduced the swordsmanship of the first head of the family.


    Perhaps, the soul was so advanced and high quality that it escaped the spells ced in the mansion. And since it had been waiting for quite a long time, it seemed like the soul had already started to fade. Being a faded soul meant that it was hard to be detected even if the opponent was a master level being, so it was not caught by the current head of the family.


    And right now, this soul waspletely being assimted with Aiden thanks to the White Lion Sword Technique. Aiden¡¯s genius talents and the White Lion King¡¯s assimted soul made Jaiden feel that he was now seeing the perfect form of the White Lion Sword Technique¡­


    ¡°A talented punk that has no luck.¡±


    He sighed as he watched Aiden move while being assimted with the soul. All Jaiden could do now was to swing his sword.


    When he saw Aiden¡¯s incredible talent, he knew that he couldn¡¯tpare himself with him. Even the thought of being jealous only briefly crossed his head.


    However, he knew that the others would have been different. In this family, or perhaps the entire continent, those who were close to the genius level must be extremely jealous of someone with real talent. If the dunces could feel jealous of someone with talent then the others would definitely feel infinitely more jealous of someone like Aiden. He could easily guess that the frustration and jealousy for a real genius had driven Aiden towards his death.


    However, Jaiden was different. He already knew that this body had no talent at all. Regardless of talent, as long as he could still imagine and dream of his real body from the real world then he would be fine.


    ¡°<i>Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!</i>¡±


    But he still swung his sword to remove the remaining jealousy whenever he raised his head and saw Aiden from afar. Basic Swordsmanship was the perfect sword art for getting rid of useless thoughts. It was just a simple repetition of sword movements to create a perfect line but the more simple his action was, the more perfect his posture felt.


    The plenty of experiences that he had in his past life, especially his experience of watching the swordsmanship of the master level people melted into his sword.


    ¡®Like this?¡¯


    Jaiden recalled the swordsmanship of one of the masters that fought with him in the battlefield. As he continued to swing his sword, he unconsciously examined and re-examined the master¡¯s movements as well as his movements.


    In fact, even monstrously talented individuals like Aiden still needed to swing their swords countless times before the movements could be imprinted on their bodies. Even a genius needed to do something like that so there was no other way but to do the same.


    However, the fact that he was training with Basic Swordsmanship while being able to catch up with Aiden¡¯s speed was something surprising.


    He was simply imprinting his swordsmanship on his body. And unlike the imprinting of the White Lion Sword Technique, a technique that was a league beyond the Lion Sword Technique in terms of difficulty, the imprinting of Basic Swordsmanship in his body was extremely easy for him.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i> Are you done?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°There are no ghosts, right?¡±


    Aiden nodded at his words. Jaiden smirked when he saw his figure before asking him again.


    ¡°Are you going to continue to train?¡±


    ¡°I think I should.¡±


    ¡°Thene here to train.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°Can I do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But you¡¯ll have to receive some training from me.¡±


    ¡°Training?¡±


    Aiden tilted his head at him. Aiden looked like he was asking him what he was going to teach him. He was looking at Jaiden innocently but Jaiden was only barely able to contain his urge to punch him. Then, he opened his mouth¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. All you need to do is have a simple fight with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes? But¡­¡±


    ¡°Your private training hall is being used by the knights anyway.¡±


    Originally, it would be impossible for knights to use the descendant¡¯s private training hall. But the fact that he was the youngest who was always stuck in his room and did not have any connections gave the knights the gall to do something so daring with the Leonhardt family¡¯s private training hall.


    ¡°You¡¯re feeling better, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, grab your sword.¡±


    Jaidenughed wickedly as he gave him that order.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only need a few days. In just those few days, I will change that fragile personality of yours down to your very bones.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ What do you mean¡­?¡±


    Aiden¡¯s eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Jaiden. However, he still rushed forward after he got into position. Jaiden looked at him in a daze as he reflexively blocked his sword attacks.


    Even though he was reborn, his experiences of being rolled and fucked over in the battlefield still remained in his head. And even though he just forced his way through, he was still someone who climbed the 5th stage. So ying with a rookie genius was still something that he could easily do. He pushed Aiden back with his unexpected dirty tricks, surprise attacks and killing that had been strengthened by his hands-on experience.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got? Maybe this is the reason why your mother died?¡±


    ¡°<i>Kghk! </i>Hyung-nim!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pathetic. Your mother will be crying even in the afterlife.¡±


    He deliberately spoke harshly and provoked the exhausted boy in front of him to make him stand up once again. He knew that what this brat needed right now was a venomous tongue. Right now, his sole job was to throw away that fragile personality that was gnawing on Aiden¡¯s talents. This was something necessary even if he turned into monster as a result.


    ¡®He will be a monster by then anyway.¡¯


    When countless monsters came in here like rabid dogs, they were forced to be cruel just to survive. He would rather let him bear poison from the very beginning so he could be stronger quickly.


    ¡°Come at me then.¡±


    He moved forward with Jaiden¡¯s provocation but in the end, he was still caught by the heavily experienced Jaiden. Jaiden had hundreds of moves that he had learned on the battlefield so he would not be hit at the same ce. At the very least, Jaiden wanted to grill him and roll him until next year, before he left the mansion.


    In fact, Jaiden¡¯s skills were still much better than Aiden¡¯s skills. But he knew that eventually his expertise would not be enough.


    In the end, Jaiden stretched himself as he spoke to the boy.


    ¡°Come here every morning at seven. It will be self-training in the mornings and there will be mock battles like this in the afternoons.¡±


    Jaiden went back to his room without hearing his answer.


    The next day, when he came to the training hall, his youngest brother was already there. It seemed like he came earlier than him to train.


    ¡°You came early?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, shall we begin our training?¡±


    Jaiden practiced his Basic Swordsmanship with a refreshing smile on his face. Aiden also began training the first half of the Lion Sword Technique.


    From time to time, Aiden would approach him and ask him if his posture was correct or not. Jaiden would then show him the correct posture and movements of the Lion Sword Technique from beginning to end before going back to his Basic Swordsmanship.


    And in the afternoon, it¡¯s battle time. Jaiden was not a big fan of showing mercy to him¡­ No, he had a satisfying time training his brother. He even allowed him to experience things that he could only experience in real life.


    He also did the same thing the next day.


    Then, Aiden asked him about something that he was curious about.


    ¡°Hyung-nim, why aren¡¯t you training in the Lion Sword Technique?¡±


    His eyes were wide open as he asked him curiously. After all, he only saw Jaiden training in Basic Swordsmanship every day.


    Jaiden just smiled bitterly as he answered him.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Aiden tilted his head in confusion. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t understand his words.


    ¡°The Lion Sword Technique does not suit me.¡±


    Aiden couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe what Jaiden had just said. For someone like Aiden, the Basic Swordsmanship was just something basic. However, for others, it could be a difficult and high-leveled technique. However, he still couldn¡¯t understand this fact since he was still young.


    ¡°I may be a dunce but the Lion Sword Technique is a technique that did not suit me in the first ce. That¡¯s why I¡¯m training in Basic Swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Looking at hyung-nim¡¯s swordsmanship¡­¡±


    Aiden mumbled the end of his words as he looked at Jaiden¡¯s sword. His neat and tidy moves were so smooth that Aiden had made it into his current goal. Even the lion that was right next to him told him that his swordsmanship was not bad at all.


    However, it was something that was only alright for his age. In the end, the limits that had been set by his talents were already made clear. However, the lion couldn¡¯t tell this to Aiden since he still was not aware that Jaiden¡¯s increasing proficiency was bound to decrease over time.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what it is. Anyway, I¡¯m just doing this training since I¡¯m not suited for the Lion Sword Technique so don¡¯t pay it any mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    When Aiden answered him reluctantly as if he still did not understand his words, Jaiden spoke up and deliberately provoked him to change the subject.


    ¡°By the way, do you think you can win today?¡±


    ¡°I must win today!¡±


    Jaiden grinned wolfishly while he swung his sword. He found Aiden to be a bit cute with his fists clenched tightly as he burned his determination to win today.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    With that said, Jaiden went back to his Basic Swordsmanship training. Aiden also picked up his sword again. The two of them began their repetitive training.


    Just like that, their simple and repetitive routine of doing self training in the mornings while fighting against each other in the afternoons continued on.


    The days became a month. And a month became two months.


    Two months after Jaiden and Aiden started their training, it seemed like others had already believed that he had recovered to some extent. He did not know if it was based on the head¡¯s judgment or not but they were now allowed to continue having their personal private education in the morning, something that had been stopped before.


    Because of this, their self training and battle were pushed back to the afternoon and evening respectively. Right now, they were working on a fairly tight schedule. Nevertheless, Jaiden and Aiden still perfectly maintained their schedule without wasting any time and effort.


    And just like that weeks and months passed by in a sh.


    <b><i>TL¡¯s corner!</i></b>


    I will be using technique, skill and swords(weapon)manship interchangeably for the skills that they use.

 Chapter 5 Running Away From Home (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(5)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>2</i></b><i> Running Away From Home (1)</i>


    A few months had passed since then and Jaiden was now finally nine years old. He had been extremely absorbed in his training while he taught his youngest brother.


    But as soon as he turned nine years old, his schedule became even busier. There were many reasons for his busy schedule but the biggest reason was the changes rted to his force and strength.


    First of all, he started to focus on his training since he was already approaching the 2nd Stage. Perhaps some would wonder how he was able to reach the 2nd stage not long after awakening his mana but as far as he was concerned it was all thanks to the simple path that he chose in his swordsmanship.


    Since he was training in Basic Swordsmanship, he was able to build up mana in his muscles and bones which began to resonate with his mana heart. It was helping him to grow stronger at a rapid pace. In other words, the imprinting of swordsmanship that he was doing before had helped him promote his growth.


    He wondered if he could continue to focus on Basic Swordsmanship. After all, the restrictions of Basic Swordsmanship were as clear as day. And as his stage continued to increase, the limitations of this swordsmanship would continue to be revealed. However, he believed that even if this path was difficult and arduous, nothing would be more difficult than imprinting a high-level swordsmanship that was not suited to him from the very beginning.


    Second, he had already secretly passed an application to join the military behind the eyes of his family.


    The Northern Military Training Camp, although epting recruits at a tender age of nine, did not need the children¡¯s parental consent for children joining them. Their only reason for this was the fact that there weren¡¯t enough applicants for the Northern Army. Because of this, they were willing to ept people who had stories and secrets that they wanted to keep.


    In fact, there were more than enough people who wanted to apply. However, there were also a lot of people who died every time. As a result, the Northern Army always cried out that theycked people.


    Third, he already knew what his iplete talent was all about. Finding out about this was just a coincidence, but it all started when he was teaching the youngest and he asked him about the divine beast.


    ¡°How does it feel to have a divine beast? I heard that having spirits also has a weird sense of feeling¡­¡±


    This was a question that he asked when he felt a bit ashamed. After all, the more he taught him, the more he felt that he was running out of things to teach.


    But the brat answered him as if he was also unsure of how to describe it.


    ¡°I think it feels like you¡¯remunicating with nature? But I feel like I¡¯ve also gotten a lot closer with animals?¡±


    When Jaiden looked at him with an expression that screamed ¡®What the hell are you on about?¡¯. Aiden just shrugged his shoulders saying that it was hard to exin it in words. Then, he suddenly found out when he asked the White Lion if he did not have any talent with divine beasts.


    The iplete family aptitude meant a talent with regards to divine beasts.


    ¡°I also have a talent with divine beasts!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just that the predatory beasts do not like the weak¡­¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m weak, then what do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ But¡­¡±


    Aiden was left speechless that even the White Lion materialized for a bit as he growled at Jaiden. Apparently, the White Lion was trying to say that Aiden was much stronger than him.


    ¡°A¡­ Anyway, since hyung-nim also has a talent with divine beasts then you should go and look it up.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I don¡¯t even know what kind of talent this is, do you think I can just find out about it? I¡¯ll just continue to do what I am doing.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ It will be a waste.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look it up when I have the time.¡±


    His memory ended at that. Of course, he had also looked up some animals ever since then. To be honest, he had searched quite a lot. Squirrels, rats, pigs, cows, dogs, cats and plenty of other animals. But the strange thing was that he felt a strange sense of familiarity when he went and looked for a chicken. By that time, he had already given up since he couldn¡¯t find anything anymore but¡­ He thought that perhaps his talent might be rted to birds. However, he couldn¡¯t be sure since he did not have the time to check it outpletely.


    Anyway, after running around busily for days, the date of his enlistment was finally announced.


    ¡®Enlisting at the age of nine¡­¡¯


    He even joined the military where he was scheduled to serve for 20 years in the frontlines. Of course, he still needed to attend a military academy for six years after leaving the training camp but it was a ce that waspletely different from other academies. After all, it was a ce where everything was so simr to the military that they even called it the children¡¯s military.


    Anyway, it was fortunate that his six years in the academy was also counted in his 20 years of service. If it wasn¡¯t for that then he would have erased it from his options since he would take 26 years there.


    ¡°The path of the Lions¡­¡±


    Jaiden muttered to himself as he rested under the shade of a tree.


    At first, he thought that it would be better for him to stay in the family than to serve in the frontlines for 20 years but he immediately erased the thought from his head when he remembered the crazy thing that would happen soon in the Leonhardt Family.


    Taking the path of the Lions meant leaving their young children in the forest filled with predators to survive on their own for more than a week. After that, they would assign missions to them as they continuously sent the children to the forest for longer periods of time.


    The Leonhardts were inspired by the story of the lions dropping their young off of a cliff so they could be strong when they grew up.


    <i>I think this way of nurturing their young is too crazy, bute to think of it, are there any descendants of this bloodline that¡¯s normal?</i>


    Since many people became stronger with this method of nurturing, some other families also followed them believing that it was a good way of raising their children.


    In fact, the current head endured three months in the forest filled with predators at the age of 13. He even brought 100 orc heads back. The craze came not long after that. But perhaps it was because he had long reached the 4th Stage so this method did not work for the head anymore so he did not participate any longer.


    But regardless of that, it was still crazy to let children die just so they could follow the lion¡¯s path.


    ¡°As expected, this ce is really crazy.¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more he thought that this ce was crazy.


    <i>I think staying in the army will be morefortable.</i>


    Right now, he was still young and he was still free from the image of trash. But once the Lion¡¯s path began, then his family would show their true colors. By then, the ferocious natures of his brothers would also be revealed.


    <i>I had already been through that once in my past life so going through that again is¡­</i>


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at the mere thought of it.


    ¡°Hyung-nim, how about a fight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a break.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you resting all along?¡±


    Aiden had been feeling confident about himself these days so he had been pestering him for a fight. He even pointed his sword at him to provoke him. So Jaiden stood up to fight in answer to his brother¡¯s provocation.


    And just like before, it was still his victory.


    ¡°Baby, you¡¯re still a long way off.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmph! </i>But I thought it was possible this time¡­¡±


    Aiden looked sad since he lost again today. He had been trying to dig into his cracks to find a hole that he could target but since Jaiden was the one who created that gap, he was able to easily secure his victory by blocking his attacks leisurely.


    ¡®We have quite a gap since I lived a few years in my previous life. But if we continued on and he caught up to me in a few months then I won¡¯t be able to live. I think that it will be unfair.¡¯


    It would be a bit embarrassing if he, a man who had reached the 5th Stage, lost to a boy who had yet to reach the 2nd Stage.


    Anyway, Jaiden just lightly pressed against Aiden as he went back and sat on a wooden post to meditate. He needed to fill the mana that he had consumed through mana breathing. In the past, even if he did a lot of sword training, his body would still be filled with mana. But right now, he consumed quite a lot of mana in just a short spar.


    This meant that his body was gradually gearing towards and aligning with his swordsmanship. He would use his entire body whenever he used his swordsmanship which in turn would move his mana along his body. As a result, his mana consumption would also increase. If this phenomenon reached the extreme, then he would be able to release his mana as an extension of his body. Once this happened, it would mean that he had already reached the 3rd Stage.


    In other words, his mana consumption increases the more he trained and got stronger.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i>¡±


    After finishing his mana breathing technique, Jaiden continued to sit on the wooden post as he took some sunflower seeds from his pockets. Dried seeds, a perfect snack, were good for supplementing his stamina when consumed with water.


    At some point, Aiden had also started copying him. It was because his training style was the most efficient.


    ¡°Brat¡­¡±


    He grinned as he saw Aiden cutely copying him from a distance. But just as he was about to take the seeds to his mouth¡­ A cute <i>baepsae</i> suddenly flew in from the side.


    He felt that it was a bit strange that a cute baepsae suddenly approached him. It even flew close to him as if it was not afraid of humans.


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The baepsae gentlynded on his closed palm. It tilted its head cutely before pecking his fist gently. It looked like it was urging him to open his palm quickly.


    Jaiden had been watching the baepsae for a while because he thought that it was cute. So when he saw it pecking his fist gently, he slowly opened his clenched palm and made it easier for the bird to eat. Then, the baepsae started to peck on the seeds as it ate them deliciously.


    ¡°Ah, this is healing.¡±


    For Jaiden whose thoughts were running wildly, just looking at the cute baepsae felt so healing that the thoughts in his head disappeared. The moment he met the Magical Baepsae-nim that could clear his head of messy thoughts, he made sure to remember the scene of Baepsae-nim eating to the point that he even forgot to continue his training.


    When he watched the baepsae finish eating, the thought of ¡®How can such a small body eat so much?¡¯ shed in his head. But before the thought could form fully, the baepsae had already flown over his nose.


    The baepsae nestled on his nose as it stared at him before pecking his forehead with it¡¯s tiny beak.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He suddenly felt his senses and his surroundings became strange when the baepsae¡¯s beak touched his forehead. He could feel the wind, which he only felt was cool and refreshing, moving along a flow. He could also feel the treemunicating with the wind. At the same time, he could also feel the earth¡¯s energy responding to the sun¡¯s light. But the most shocking of them all was when he felt the will of the birds that were flying around the area.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this is¡­?¡±


    Jaiden looked at the baepsae in shock. When his eyes met with the figure of the tiny bird, he saw its feathers taking on a bluish hue. The bluish hue covered the baepsae¡¯s reddish plumes and turned them blue.


    At that moment, Jaiden felt like the baepsae and him were the only ones left in the world as they both stared at each other¡¯s eyes. He suddenly felt strange when he realized that he just felt that they were the only ones left in the entirety of time and space.


    Jaiden was only able to escape from the world where only the two of them existed when a bond was formed between them and their souls had intertwined together.


    Returning back to his current reality, he couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly as he felt the senses that the baepsae was also feeling. Jaiden couldn¡¯t pull himself together after feeling the baepsae¡¯s own senses in his head.


    Jaiden kept on staring nkly at the blue letters that were floating in front of him that were apanied by a mechanical voice. He only came back to his senses when the letters were already slowly disappearing.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look foolishly at Baepsae. He did not expect that his talent for divine beasts would bloom so suddenly.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Baepsae, who unknowingly enlightened his ability, tilted its head at him cutely. All the things that he wanted to ask were suddenly erased from his head. It seemed like he was no match for the cuteness of his tiny Baepsae-nim. All he could do was stroke Baepsae¡¯s tiny head carefully with the pad of his finger.


    ¡°Right. What¡¯s more important than this? We already have our cute and beautiful Baepsae¡­¡±


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Baepsae] ?? ¨C Korean Crow Tit. It¡¯s a tiny tit that¡¯s white and cute. If you search for it you will realize why Jaiden thought that watching it eat is so healing. I also used the romanization of the hangul since it¡¯s weird to call it Korean Crow Tit-nim when Jaiden is not even in Korea.

 Chapter 6 Running Away From Home (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(6)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>2</i></b><i> Running Away From Home (2)</i>


    Jaiden was still stroking Baepsae¡¯s head when Aiden approached him with a bright smile on his face. It seemed like he had just finished his training and he immediately went to Jaiden.


    ¡°Hyung-nim! Congrattions. Looks like you finally found it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It just happened but I guess I found it.¡±


    This divine beast ability was something that he had learned from Aiden identally. And thanks to this ability developing and blooming by chance, his view of the world hadpletely changed.


    Meanwhile, Aiden was smiling at him strangely. He looked like he knew what was going on in his heart. The expression that he used to look at Jaiden seemed to say ¡®I¡¯m your senior in this field!¡¯


    ¡°<i>Hmm, hmm</i>¡­ Looks like I haven¡¯t adapted yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡±


    Aiden answered him with a nod but it seemed like Jaiden did not like his attitude. So Jaiden stood up as he clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and fight.¡±


    ¡°<i>Eyy! </i>You have just signed a contract with a divine beast, you should learn from me!¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh~</i>¡±


    Jaiden groaned when he heard Aiden¡¯s words. He sank down and sat back again, defeated. Aiden couldn¡¯t help but let out a smile in satisfaction before he began to exin the information he had heard from the White Lion and the senses that he had felt one by one.


    There were times when Jaiden would ask and he would get excited and exin things in more details saying that it wasn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s harder than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Right? I didn¡¯t have to do much since White Lion has lived for a long time but he said that it was going to be hard for hyung-nim. Baepsae is still young so it still doesn¡¯t not know much and you have to lead it slowly.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°But hyung-nim will probably do better than me. I still have to find the right body for the White Lion.¡±


    Aiden still had to find a suitable body for the White Lion King whose body had long disappeared. It was a given that a divine beast¡¯s characteristics and abilities would be much more powerful when they had a body. So his future ns would definitely include hunting lions and lion shaped monsters to find a body that was suitable for the White Lion to live in.


    ¡°But will Baepsae continue on like this?¡±


    ¡°Nope. When it grows a bit bigger, it will go into the subspace that hyung-nim will generate. Of course, that is only possible if hyung-nim also grows together.¡±


    ¡°Is there something like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re too sloppy. Your space is probably only small enough to fit a tiny mouse.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Was what White Lion said. <i>Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­</i>¡±


    Jaiden sighed when he heard Aiden¡¯s words. Then, he gestured for his brother toe near him.


    ¡°You might have known this too but once you reach a certain age, you¡¯ll be required to follow the Lion¡¯s path.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­ </i>I heard about that. They said that it¡¯s very dangerous training¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a training where they leave you to spend days, weeks or months in a forest filled with beasts and monsters. There¡¯s a possibility that you can die there but this goddamn family will not care about that at all.¡±


    Aiden nodded seriously when he heard Jaiden¡¯s words.


    The Leonhardt family was a family who would say that their children were weak when they died. However, if they were able to survive the training, then they would be treated with great care.


    <i>Strong Man¡¯s Zone.</i>


    There was no other ce in the continent that could suit that term more than this ce.


    ¡°In the next few days, I will fight you like it¡¯s a real life and death situation. This is so you can prepare for the Lion¡¯s path.¡±


    ¡°<i>Oh</i>¡­¡±


    Aiden couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head in confusion. He faintly felt that there was something wrong with what he had said when Jaiden spoke as if those things did not matter to him at all. But Jaiden just continued to speak regardless of that strange sense of incongruity and ipatibility that Aiden felt.


    ¡°And there¡¯s also something that you should always keep in mind.¡±


    ¡°Please speak.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to investigate the vegetation of the Predator¡¯s Forest. Study how many monsters are distributed in the area as well as where they are located. Learn how to distinguish edible nts from non-edible ones. And make sure to thoroughly remember each monster¡¯s weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how dangerous it is.¡±


    There was a great deal of difference between entering while knowing exactly how dangerous it was and entering while only vaguely aware of the dangers inside. These bastards and lunatics would randomly leave them in the Predator¡¯s Forest so it would be hard to prepare properly making it more dangerous for them to survive.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it more dangerous for you, hyung-nim? After all, you¡¯ll be the first one to go.¡±


    ¡°I have no intentions of doing the Lion¡¯s path.¡±


    ¡°W¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of leaving the family.¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes trembled when he told him his honest thoughts after Aiden asked him innocently. He felt a bit disturbed and worried when he said that he would leave the family. After all, he was the sole backing that this child had. He couldn¡¯t help but grab the hand of this child as he exined it to him calmly.


    ¡°You asked me before, remember? About why I was only training in Basic Swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Because it suits me well. However, you have the talent for the Lion Sword Technique.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the perfect ce for you to be strong. But this ce is not the one for me.¡±


    Aiden looked confusedly at Jaiden.


    ¡°Then hyung, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°The military. To be exact, I will be going to the Northern Military Training Camp.¡±


    ¡°There¡­ Isn¡¯t that a dangerous ce too?¡±


    All of the children that enlisted and joined the Northern Military Training Camp were bound to serve in the frontlines. And if one was unlucky enough, then they would be sent to the Northeast. The Northeast was a ce that was extremely dangerous. It was even dangerous enough to be ced in the top three most dangerous ces in the continent. In other words, they would be deployed to fight in the frontlines. If they were lucky, then they would serve in the North but if they were unlucky, then they would serve in the Northeast.


    ¡°Hyung-nim¡­¡±


    Jaiden stroked Aiden¡¯s hair when he saw him looking at him worriedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re already done with the basics. If you train ording to the White Lion¡¯s teachings your skills will definitely improve at a rapid pace. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll surpass me in no time at all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Jaiden smiled when he saw his brother pouting his lips sulkily.


    ¡°Then, shall we train like it¡¯s a real fight?¡±


    Aiden trembled slightly when he saw the evil look on Jaiden¡¯s face. And in just a short while, he finally realized what hell was like for the first time in his life. He fell down and got hit countless times under Jaiden¡¯s unconventional attacks. However, even though he tasted hell, Aiden¡¯s skills still continued to grow rapidly.


    Jaiden also realized how frightening a talented genius was when he saw him learn how to counter and respond to his unconventional attacks using the Lion¡¯s Sword Technique. Before he used dirty tricks but now he was using the unconventional attacks that even knights used in fights so it was quite surprising to see him responding to some of them especially since this was his first time seeing those moves. It seemed like his tremendous talent was really blooming now.


    ¡°Monster.¡±


    ¡°Hyung-nim shouldn¡¯t be the one to say that.¡±


    In Aiden¡¯s point of view, this was something extremely unfair. After all, he was the one who was beating him like crazy yet he was still calling him a monster.


    When Jaiden saw the expression on his youngest brother¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but grin as he ruffled his hair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go and get beaten up by anyone.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    Aiden realized that his oldest brother was saying goodbye to him. He looked at him sadly as he continued to speak.


    ¡°Will I be able to see you again?¡±


    ¡°Maybe around 20 yearster?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Just kidding. I¡¯ll stop by whenever I¡¯m on a vacation.¡±


    Aiden nodded heavily at Jaiden¡¯s words. He wanted to cry in disappointment and ask him why he was leaving him alone but he held back his tears.


    Jaiden looked at him proudly as he turned around and returned to the mansion. For the first time, the two of them spent more time talking instead of training. He even went back early. After all, he had already prepared everything. All he needed to do now was leave. He moved in a hustle as he packed for his imminent departure. He finally fell asleep into theforts of his bed after he finished all of his final preparations.


    The next morning, he headed to his own private training hall.


    ¡°You¡¯re working hard.¡±


    ¡°Hyung-nim.¡±


    Jaiden was not wearing his usual training outfit when he went and visited the training hall early in the morning.


    ¡°Are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Aiden nodded his head and shook his hands with his brother when he heard his words. Aiden grabbed Jaiden¡¯s hand with both of his and did not let go for a while.


    ¡°Please have a safe trip.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You have to keep safe too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Aiden tried his hardest to answer him. Then, Jaiden handed a letter to him.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°I left one in my room but¡­ If they find you and ask you, then tell them for me. This is a copy of my application to the military.¡±


    Aiden opened the letter as he looked at Jaiden in shock. This was because the application letter was filled with warnings and legal provisions. It seemed like they were even warning against someone joining them.


    ¡°It might look strange but that¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Aiden looked down at the strange military application letter. He nodded his head quietly as he said his goodbyes once again. He also made sure to urge him toe back home and visit him. Jaiden turned away from him after telling him once again to ¡®Keep yourself safe¡¯.


    It had been a long time since he walked in the halls of the Leonhardt¡¯s mansion. After all, he had only been staying at his private training hall. However, walking down these halls made him fall into a strange sense of nostalgia.


    Since he left early in the morning, the grass around the mansion was still covered with dew. Even the dim view of the mansion felt strangely nice. He thought that this view would be extremely popr in the real world if he took a photo and posted it on social media.


    But this scene was not something that he could enjoy for a long time. So he left behind this wonderful scene as he walked straight towards the main entrance. This was the first time that he came here since he spent all his time training with his youngest brother in his private training hall. This was even his first time going out of the mansion.


    ¡°Who¡­ <i>Ah. </i>By any chance, are you the first young master?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The knight who felt wary of a child walking out of the mansion hurriedly bowed his head when he realized who was in front of him. He might not have seen Jaiden or Aiden before so he was not that sure of their faces but he immediately bowed when he noticed his good posture and his noble air.


    ¡°Where will you be going this early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a ce to stop by¡­ I¡¯m also going to look at weapons and go sightseeing.¡±


    ¡°I see. Did you happen to bring your noble que?¡±


    When he heard the knight¡¯s question, Jaiden pulled out his small noble que from his chest and showed it to him. The knight nodded gently when he saw it.


    ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous for you to go out alone. Someone should go and apany you. Or perhaps you should go once dawn has passed¡­¡±


    ¡°But I heard that cksmiths have good concentration in the morning. Right?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Well, that¡¯s right. But it¡¯s still dangerous for you to go alone.¡±


    The knight called two soldiers over as he spoke these words.


    ¡°Please let these two escort you. They¡¯re quick witted so they won¡¯t get in the way of whatever you do.¡±


    Jaiden nodded lightly at the end of the knight¡¯s spiel.


    Although the knight called them escorts, they were actually watchmen. However, if he did not ept this much then he would be misunderstood. Anyway, it did not matter whether they followed him or not. After all, everything would be over once he entered the military training camp.


    After getting Jaiden¡¯s consent, the knight opened the gates. He was finally able to get out of the mansion.


    ¡°Please tell me the destination and I will bring you there.¡±


    ¡°First, go to the Artisans¡¯ Street.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The soldier responded enthusiastically as he walked slowly and matched Jaiden¡¯s pace. When they got to the street, Jaiden looked around and saw the Mercenary Street. He quickly entered the street. Then, he walked past the Merchant¡¯s street. After going around one street after another, he finally arrived at his destination.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. You guys can go back now.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Jaiden smiled broadly when they asked him in a dumb voice. The soldiers then looked at him foolishly as they dug their fingers in their ears. Perhaps they were thinking that they had misheard him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enlist so tell him that when you get back. Thank you for escorting me all the way here.¡±


    ¡°<i>Huh</i>¡­ Young master?¡±


    ¡°Young master? If you go there then how can we¡­¡±


    Jaiden waved at them enthusiastically as he went inside alone. The soldiers just stared at his disappearing back owlishly.


    The two soldiers stood there for a long time without knowing what to do. They couldn¡¯t help but think for a long time. From the fact that the Duke¡¯s eldest son volunteered to join the army to the fact that this was their reality and that they did not know what to do. In the end, they concluded that there was nothing that they could do right now. The first thing that they decided to do was to quickly return. They thought that they should report to the top as soon as possible.


    A grin curled up on his lips when Jaiden saw them hurriedly running back from one of the windows in the building. Then, he quickly went further inside the building where the hopefuls were standing in line.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Noble que] ??? so ? is like an ID card during the feudal times. It¡¯s basically the equivalent of a jade que. It¡¯s a wooden que that shows the owner¡¯s identity and ?? is something that shows one¡¯s status. So Ibined it together and tranted it as a noble que. Basically it¡¯s Jaiden¡¯s ID.

 Chapter 7 Enlistment (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(7)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>3</i></b><i> Enlistment (1)</i>


    The first thing that they would do upon joining the military training camp was to make sure that the person that arrived was the right person. In the past, identity verification took a long time but it has be quite fast and easy nowadays. This was because they could now check and verify their identities through their blood and mana. The reason why blood was added as part of the application process for the military training camp was so they could check if the mana and the blood matched. Only when they matched could they be sent to the next location which was the physical examination site.


    After lining up for a long time, Jaiden was also able to undergo this simple examination before going to the physical examination site.


    In the physical examination site, they would judge the applicant¡¯s vision, disability and other bodily functions. Some would think that this was too simple for a physical examination but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. This was because the real and arduous physical tests would happen in the training camp.


    During this preliminary physical examination, they would test one¡¯s mana as well as the person¡¯s specific physical conditions. At the same time, they were also trying to determine whether the applicant was capable of enduring their tough and extreme training conditions.


    Once through this step, they would still need to undergo harsh training. There would also be plenty of applicants that were eliminated in the long process because the training and other schedules were extremely difficult. But if that was all there was to them, then the Northern Army¡¯s notoriety would not be that high.


    ¡°Your physical exam has finished. You¡¯re at the peak of the 1st Stage.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jaiden nodded his head at him. Once his physical examination had ended, another guide immediately came out to take his noble que as well as the other belongings that he had.


    He would only be able to officially enter the Northern Military Training Camp after he finished all of the process of the application. He received a number ticket, an item that would rece his name throughout the entirety of the training camp, as soon as he handed over his identity que and belongings.


    ¡°You have been given the number 1223. This number will rece your name in the future. Do you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your verification process has beenpleted. Your belongings will be transferred to the Northern Command and you will only be able to receive them on the day of your discharge.¡±


    The guide ced his identity que and other belongings in a small box before pushing it to the side. Jaiden was then led by another guide when a different child was called in.


    After finishing everything that they needed to do in the management office, the numbered trainees began to gather in the training area outside. There were around 200 trainees gathered but all of them were children numbered after the thousands. Perhaps they were granted these numbers in the Leonhardt Command since they were selected after 1,000 applicants before them.


    ¡®There¡¯s a lot of variety.¡¯


    There were a variety of children. They ranged from children that were kicked out of the orphanage, illegitimate children, and children of prostitutes and beggars. Each and every one of them applied to the Northern Military Training Camp for a shot to live.


    <i>At least, if you apply here, then you¡¯ll be able to make a living.</i>


    No matter how hard or dangerous it was, the children did not care as long as they were able to get food and some money that they could use to live in the future.


    Most of the children who applied were those whose eyes were filled with poison. However, there were also a few children from nobility. These children looked neat and tidypared to the other children. Even though these children all learned mana breathing as well as their family¡¯s swordsmanship, they were still children who were pushed back and trampled on in their families so they came here to find a way to live on their own.


    ¡°All of you will be moving to the Northern Command from now on. Does anyone have any questions?¡±


    Everyone stared nkly at the man who was ring daggers at them. The man nodded lightly when no one answered him. Then, he turned around and led the way. Some children felt fed up with the heavy atmosphere while some were terrified. Although they all made up their minds when they decided toe here. But when they were already here, fear suddenly started to engulf their bodies.


    The children rode arge horse-drawn carriage to get to the mana powered train that would bring them to the Northern Military Training Camp.


    ¡°Mana train¡­¡±


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but mutter under his breath when he saw the huge mana powered train from afar.


    The technology that wasrgely spread in this society was closely simr to that of the 1800s or the 1900s. However, strangely enough, there were objects that were simr to objects from the 2000s. The existence of mana was at the center of this phenomena. This was also the main reason why families used swords and magic instead of guns.


    ¡°Everyone, get on the train.¡±


    The sharply ring man brought the children to the train without letting them say a word.


    Once they got on the train, they could see some guides equipped with guns wandering here and there.


    It seemed like they were using the guns as some sort of safety measure. However, once someone awakened their mana, guns would not hurt them that much. Although they would not be able to stop the bullets they would still be able to avoid it thanks to their increased reflexes after awakening. Even someone who was only at the 2nd stage, the physical reinforcement, would be able to dodge the iing bullets perfectly. This was also the reason why guns were not an absolute threat to anyone like in the real world.


    There was also another decisive reason why guns have lost their power in this world and they were none other than the monsters. Monsters were creatures that were born with some mana. Their skin were also too thick for them to be considered as beasts so it was difficult for a gun to exert its full potential against them.


    However, these guns still exert power and fear against normal and ordinary people. And as if to prove this fact, they were using this single weapon, the gun, to scare and frighten the children that boarded the train.


    The terrified children were transferred to the Northern Command by the guides who deliberately moved threateningly in the train. They were given food and they even helped them get enough sleep but each and everyone of them felt that this would be thest happiness that they would experience in this world.


    Perhaps it was because those thoughts shed in their heads that the guides¡¯ expressions all turned fierce as soon as they arrived at the Northern Command. They looked threatening over the course of their travel but their expressions right now were the epitome of fierce and scary.


    ¡°Get out quickly!¡±


    ¡°Thest one to get out will be smashed to pieces!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?! Are you guys rebelling?! Huh?!¡±


    ¡°Run! You XXXXXX!¡±


    They deliberately spouted harsh words at the children. So the children¡¯s faces were all stained with fear as they got off and ran. After they came out, the man with the sharp re shouted at them.


    ¡°Stand in four rows! Go!¡±


    ¡°Are you dilly-dallying?¡±


    ¡°Do you guys want to die?!¡±


    ¡°Do you not have a head? You should stand over here!¡±


    ¡°Wake up! You sons of bitches!¡±


    As soon as the order was given, the guides began to shout and teach the children who did not even know what four rows were.


    ¡°From now on, we will be heading to the training camp. For those bastards who aregging behind, I¡¯ll make sure to show you what hell is.¡±


    The man with the sharp re said that before going on ahead. The guides led the children as they walked on both sides. They also looked at them nastily as they continued to shout abuse at them.


    Countless thoughts shed in Jaiden¡¯s head. However, he felt like he had just returned to the army back in his real world. Although he had served in the military in his real world and he had also fought against monsters in his previous life here, he still thought that being stepped on and rolled in the bottom felt like shit. They were all instilled with fear and forced to panic from the heavy atmosphere created by the guides.


    Then, they were herded to arge horse-drawn carriage that was bound to the Northern Command¡¯s training camp. It did not take a long time for them to arrive at their destination.


    ¡°<i>Ack!</i>¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something that you can even afford!¡±


    ¡°<i>Ack!</i>¡±


    ¡°You bastard! You¡¯re a weak shit! Get down!¡±


    They could see children being rolled around by instructors. It looked like the adults were giving the nine year old children a difficult training. Of course, they were letting the children do this for a reason. Letting them sit down and stand back up countless times was making the children work over and gain the basic foundation.


    However, the children who couldn¡¯t keep up were being rolled hard. And no matter how physically challenged or how normal they were, they were expected to follow when they were being rolled hard since they were filtered among countless applicants and were brought in here.


    As if trying to prove themselves, the children that were deprived of enough privileges and had venom in their eyes, immediately joined them and worked harder than anybody else.


    ¡°Well then! Attention.¡±


    The frightened children quickly turned to look at the sharply ring man after seeing their contemporaries being rolled here and there.


    ¡°We¡¯ll only be together up until this point. From now on, I will introduce the instructors that will train you. Everyone, attention!¡±


    The fear reflected in the children¡¯s eyes grew exponentially as they watched their guide greet the instructor and disappear in front of them. It seemed like they were frightened more deeply after someone familiar disappeared from their sight.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m your Head Instructor, Instructor Salmosa. I¡¯m delighted to have you in this training camp. Let us all train happily in the future.¡±


    The children¡¯s expression all hardened before crumpling when they heard Instructor Salmosa say that he was delighted to have them here.


    ¡°These will be the junior instructors that will help the head instructor. I hope that you get along well. If you listen well to them in the future, then they will be your kind instructors.¡±


    After saying those words, he introduced the instructors one by one. Starting from the one beside Salmosa, the instructors introduced themselves as Yellow, Red, Blue, Green and ck. Then, they stepped back when Instructor Salmosa opened his mouth again.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what life you lived in the past. From this point on, you will only be one of the trainees in this training camp. If you¡¯re able to hold out and endure here then you will be our great juniors! And if you don¡¯t, then you will be kicked out of this training camp as a loser.¡±


    After saying those words, Salmosa ced his hands on his waist as he looked coldly at them. He looked like he was talking to sinners with how piercingly cold his re was.


    ¡°This head instructor promises to turn you into great soldiers. Even if you¡¯re not good at it, as long as you don¡¯t give up on the training and follow and trust his head instructor then you will definitely be a great soldier. Understand?!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jaiden answered quickly. However, the children who were staring in a daze just looked at him nkly wondering why he was answering so suddenly.


    ¡°Everyone, except trainee 1223, get down!¡±


    ¡°Get down! You bastards!¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is your house?!¡±


    ¡°Get your shits together!¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s expression tightened as he stared at Instructor Salmosa while the rest of the children got down and was bombarded crazily with curses by the instructors.


    Jaiden did not know if he was seen favorably since Salmosa nodded slightly at him. However, regardless of Jaiden¡¯s thoughts, he just continued to exin.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to divide you into groups. All of you will be divided into 25 groups of tens. From now on, you can think of this group as one and a whole. If one of you does something wrong, then your entire group will be punished. So if you don¡¯t want to be a nuisance to your team then you have to move quickly.¡±


    When Salmosa ended his words, Jaiden was the first one to go down to find his spot. The other instructors also nodded their heads at Jaiden. It seemed like they found him favorable since he was so quick witted. Then, they all began to screw the other children over.


    ¡°It seems like you think the army is your home turf!¡±


    ¡°Get down you bastards!¡±


    Although the instructors were all hurling abuses and curses at them, there were still children who were staring dumbly at everything. Perhaps Salmosa also felt that he needed to roll those children harder so he spoke in a deep and low voice.


    ¡°Except for 1223, everyone should go to the g over there beforeing back here. Run based on the order of your arrival. The first one hundred people! Run!¡±


    The children began to run like crazy after hearing Instructor Salmosa¡¯s words. The only two people left behind were Salmosa and Jaiden. However, the instructor did not say anything to him.


    The children were all pressed hard by the instructors on their very first day. After pressing them, the instructors began to teach them the basics. Of course, there were some children who couldn¡¯t understand quickly. One of them was in Jaiden¡¯s group.


    ¡°Shout ¡®<i>We are¡¯ </i>when you sit down and shout ¡®<i>one¡¯ </i>when you stand up. Sit down!¡±


    ¡°We are!¡±


    ¡°Stand up!¡±


    ¡°One!¡±


    ¡°Sit down!¡±


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth when he was dragged by some of his teammates that did not understand the basics no matter how hard they were told. By the end of the day, he finally finished the entrance ceremony¨Dit was called the entrance ceremony but it was really just a rolling ceremony¨Din the training camp.


    <i>Notes:</i>


    [Contemporary] ?? ¨C people who entered a school,pany, training camp or club at the same time.

 Chapter 8 Enlistment (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(8)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>3</i></b><i> Enlistment (2)</i>


    He did not know if it was because they were rolled hard when they entered the training camp but there were no more dumb and foolish idiots. Perhaps it was because they got rolled at even the slightest of mistakes that each and every child was tense and alert once the training started.


    But were they easily going to let them go once they were done with training? The answer to that was no. The children¡¯s expression would always turn dark when they kept onshing out at them for their supposedck of military discipline.


    ¡°Get it straight!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s crooked! Do it again!¡±


    ¡°Get up you bastards!¡±


    It was because they were woken up very early by their instructors that the children all had to fall asleep in nervousness. They were slowly epting the reality that they needed to keep their heads straight as they fixed their beddings perfectly under the harsh res of their instructors. This was one of the most important factors that made them realize that they were staying in the military.


    However, they weren¡¯t being blindly pushed around. The instructors were all sly. They would even motivate and tempt the children with the sweetest reward that they could get, rest.


    ¡°If you¡¯re able to climb over the upation forces and take their g, you¡¯ll have a day off tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°<i>Woooooooah!</i>¡±


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    ¡°Grab the g!¡±


    ¡°If you block this then we¡¯ll be able to get a day off tomorrow! Block! Stop them no matter what!¡±


    The children were divided into the upation forces as well as the opposing forces. They were asked to fight over each other¡¯s gs. This exercise would give them the basic sense ofbat as well as a deeper understanding of the mountainous terrain.


    During the course of the training, Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed at the Northern Army¡¯s well-organized drills. It was even better organized than the modern military training in some ways. After all, they were controlling the pace and difficulty of the training while watching and setting the correct limits for the children.


    ¡°Since the upation forces have sessfully captured the g, the upation forces will have a day off tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°<i>Woooooooah!</i>¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our break tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep all day!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    Each child belonging to the upation forces had a smile on their faces as they excitedly talked about what they would do tomorrow. Jaiden also felt extremely happy about the break that they were given tomorrow. He was even seriously considering the schedule that he would do tomorrow.


    ¡°1223!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­ I haven¡¯t decided yet? Do you want to y chess with me?¡±


    ¡°Can you teach us two?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Jaiden nodded his head as if what the child said was reasonable. Then, the child next to him spoke to him with shining eyes.


    ¡°I want to know too!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    With their words, the children that were listening nearby all approached Jaiden. They said that they also wanted to learn and y chess with him.


    The things that they could do in the training camp were limited. However, someone was able to cut down a tree and make a chessboard as well as its corresponding pieces clumsily so the children all used it to y chess.


    The instructors were aware of this old chessboard that had been passed down from one generation to another but they did not move to put a restriction on them. They all knew that children would not get tired and bored if there was something small like this that could pique their interest every once in a while.


    The next day, the instructors came to wake them up and let them have their meals. The children were all happy to have a day when they weren¡¯t rolled hard on the floor. After eating their meals, Jaiden had a rxing andfortable day as he taught his teammates how to y chess.


    ¡®It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t do some swordsmanship training though.¡¯


    It was something inevitable. After all, it was impossible for him to set up a swordsmanship training alone since he was living and doing everything together with his team in this militarymunity life.


    In fact, doing the training at this training camp did not help much for Jaiden¡¯s advancement. He was already almost in the 2nd Stage so rolling around this much was not that big of a deal for him. Even the hard training that the children were enduring was not that hard for Jaiden¡¯s body. After all, his body had already awakened mana. However, this was only true most of the time.


    The instructors were also aware of this fact. However, the reason why this training was conducted was so they could instill a sense ofmunity and camaraderie among the children. They would only be creating a wall between the trainees if they gave special treatment to those who had awakened their mana. If they did that then those who had awakened their mana would also be soaked in a sense of privilege and would probably act arrogantly over others. That was the reason why they forced all of the children to do the same thing together during their basic training.


    After about a month of necessary military drills that trained theirmon knowledge, uniformity and physicality, they were finally trained on night patrol and basic night watch and surveince.


    ¡®There¡¯s no camping and march, is this their kind consideration?¡¯


    Perhaps it was because they were still children that they were exempted from doing the 30km march and the excessive camping in the mountain. It seemed like they were trying to let them train in the training grounds as much as possible.


    Of course, that did not mean that the training would be easy just because they removed those two from the list.


    Even if they made sure to let the children sleep and eat regrly to ensure they grow up normally, the training in and of itself was extremely difficult.


    They did not know if it was because they were training hard but it seemed like the instructors had deemed them to be fit and physically capable so they gradually decreased their physical training to the point that they could even rest for a day.


    The next morning, all the children were gathered at the training grounds. The huge training ground looked packed after more than a thousand trainees gathered together.


    ¡°Today is the day that we determine if you have awakened your mana or not. Those who have already awakened their mana, raise your hands ande forward.¡±


    Among the thousand trainees gathered in the field, they began to pick out those who had their mana awakened. Jaiden also raised his hand and moved forward.


    ¡®There¡¯s not even fifty people.¡¯


    Among the 1,500 children gathered in the field, there were only less than fifty who had awakened their mana at the age of nine. After all, awakening mana at such a young age was also some kind of talent.


    Even if their families spent efforts to determine if their child had talent for mana awakening and supported them, it was stillmon for people to only awaken their mana after attending the academy for 2~3 years. And even that was still a matter of luck. In addition, there were only around two out of ten people who could awaken their mana. With this probability, it was inevitable that having one¡¯s mana awakened was regarded as a talent by itself.


    ¡°You guys, follow me.¡±


    One of the instructors took the children that had their mana awakened, including Jaiden, to a special building.


    ¡°This is where we will judge if you have really awakened your mana or not. If anyone had lied, I will still forgive them now. So raise your hands up honestly.¡±


    None of the children raised their hands. The instructor nodded silently as he headed towards the device that could read whether their bodies had mana or not.


    ¡°You have to get in here.¡±


    The instructor asked the children to enter a small ss tube. The children followed the order and entered one by one.


    This device could determine if they really had mana or not. A red light would sh on the device if they still did not awaken their mana. While a yellow light would sh if their mana did not meet the standards set by the military and a blue light would sh if their mana awakening was normal.


    Fortunately, none of the children turned the red lights on. However, the problem was that there were more than a dozen children who turned on the yellow lights.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be disappointed by turning on the yellow light. You guys have enough talent as it is.¡±


    The instructor encouraged the disappointed children before turning to speak to the children who turned on the blue lights. This group of children included Jaiden.


    ¡°You guys need to undergo additional tests. Follow me.¡±


    More than thirty children followed the instructor to a specially devised training room.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot more than I thought.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Then, I hope the examination goes well.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The instructor bid the knight goodbye and left the children under the knight¡¯s care. When the instructor stepped down, the knight lifted a heavy steel sword.


    ¡°From now on, you will fight me one by one using that steel sword. The one in the front wille up first.¡±


    At the knight¡¯s words, the child standing in front nervously walked forward with the steel sword modified to suit a child. The child wielded the sword with a strength and a speed that was unimaginable for such a young age. The child even showcased a surprising stamina and sword skill that he had learned but the knight just struck his sword lightly.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Well done. Level 4.¡±


    ¡°H¡­ how many levels are there?¡±


    ¡°Four.¡±


    The child couldn¡¯t help but bow his head in disappointment after hearing the knight¡¯s answer. But the knight did not pay much attention to the child even though he left dispiritedly. He just continued to call the next child.


    ¡°Level 4.¡±


    ¡°Level 3.¡±


    ¡°Level 4.¡±


    ¡°Level 3.¡±


    As the evaluation continued, only levels 3~4 appeared among the children. However, the knight did not look too disappointed. Perhaps it was because this was something that he had already expected from the beginning.


    Jaiden was almost at thest of the line so he was able to see how the examination was held properly. From what he had seen, it seemed like those who had just awakened their mana were the ones tagged as level 4 while those who knew how to wield and use their mana a bit were tagged as level 3.


    ¡®Will you be at level 2 if you can incorporate your mana in your swordsmanship? I wonder what¡¯s the criteria for being level 1?¡¯


    He pondered over this for a moment as he watched the previous children be thoroughly yed with by the knight. And finally, it was Jaiden¡¯s turn.


    ¡°Give your all in your attacks.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The knight looked at Jaiden in admiration when he saw him grab the steel sword. It was because his posture and movements looked very good. The knight even wanted to give some plus points to Jaiden when he saw his basic swordsmanship posture.


    So far, each and every child has used the swordsmanship that they had learned from their family or their teacher. But Jaiden looked like he used the basic swordsmanship as his foundation.


    Wondering why using the basic swordsmanship would give one plus points? It was because the very first swordsmanship that the trainees would learn in this ce was none other than the basic swordsmanship. All of the trainees that he had tested before would also be required to abandon the swordsmanship that they had learned before to learn the basic swordsmanship. Once that happened, Jaiden would be the first one to grow and develop.


    ¡°Here I go.¡±


    ¡°Come.¡±


    Jaiden rushed forward with a shocking speed as soon as the knight¡¯s word fell.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°<i>Heup!</i>¡±


    The force that struck the knight was much stronger than what he had expected. The knight was only able to endure the blow and push him away thanks to his strength. After being pushed back by the knight, Jaiden targeted the lower half of his body.


    The knight was just straightening his posture when he saw the fierce attacking straight at him. All the knight could do was reflexively take a step back and avoid his onught. Then, Jaiden gathered all the mana in his body. Thanks to climbing the 2nd Stage, Jaiden¡¯s physical ability had long gone beyond the realms of what a normal human being could aplish.


    ¡°The 2nd Stage? No¡­ I think you¡¯re still a little short of it? But that¡¯s still amazing.¡±


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    It seemed like Jaiden was stillcking in quite a few ces but it was only a matter of time before a faint light would starting out of his body to signify his advancement in stage. However, what was so great about Jaiden was the fact that he was showing the aura of an experienced swordsman. An image that did not fit his age at all.


    This was definitely just a basic examination but for Jaiden, someone who had experienced the real world, his past experiences remained intricately woven in his body. This meant that his experiences and skills from before were easily applied and incorporated to his attacks. His movements were the movements of a person who had fully experienced a gruesome war.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The knight was lost in thought for a moment. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from being shocked with Jaiden¡¯s movements. However, it was only a brief moment, the knight had already quickly swung his sword to counter when he saw Jaiden gearing up for another attack.


    There had been a handful of trainees that passed by his hands but Jaiden easily went beyond what those children were capable of. The knight couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered and embarrassed.


    While the knight was busy admiring Jaiden¡¯s movements and attacks during their fight, a senior knight watching from the sides signaled for him to finish things quickly. When the knight saw the signal, he pushed Jaiden away strongly before speaking.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    The knight was the first to stop. Jaiden also stopped when he saw the knight stop. It seemed like Jaiden¡¯s body was exhausted since he was already gasping for breath.


    ¡°Splendid. Have you ever thought of joining the army ever since you were young?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Good attitude. You¡¯ll be level 2. I¡¯d like to give you level 1 if I could but¡­ you fell a bit short.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    The knight nodded his head when he heard Jaiden¡¯s answer. Then, he looked at the next trainee.


    When the knight saw that Jaiden went down without any disappointment, the knight also gave him a good score for his strong mindset. It would only be natural for someone talented to feel disappointed for not getting level 1 but in fact it was only normal for them to not receive the level 1 grade. After all, this was something that was reserved for the real ¡®geniuses¡¯, someone that the training camp had yet to receive ever since its establishment.


    ¡°The next one.¡±


    The knight spoke up as he called for the next one in line.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Military upation, upation forces ???] ¨C also known as belligerent upation. A provisional control by a ruling power over a territory. Basically, they did not have a formal im of sovereignty on the territory. But since they were the ruling force then they will be the ruling power of the territory that they are upying. So the kids were being asked to go and conquer the upation/ruling forces and get their g. It¡¯s like a military drill to catch the g.

 Chapter 9 Northeast Military Academy… (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(9)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>4</i></b><i> Northeast Military Academy¡­ (1)</i>


    After the examination for those who had awakened their mana had finished, Jaiden and the rest of the trainees immediately followed the knight and went straight to the Northern Command.


    They saw countless soldiers passing by as soon as they entered the huge building. But they just continued to walk past them. They followed the briskly walking knight as they climbed up the stairs before stopping in front of a door.


    ¡°Loyalty! I have brought the trainees.¡±


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    The knight opened the door carefully.


    There was a 2-clover inside. The namete on the table also showed ¡®Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee¡¯.


    ¡°Are they the new recruits?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°I see. You can go out now.¡±


    After the man¡¯s words, the knight handed over a report before giving a respectful salute and turning around. The knight closed the door silently and left the children with the man.


    The man scanned the documents briefly before turning to look at Jaiden and the other trainees.


    ¡°Since everyone applied for the Northern Army, this means that you are all willing to take some risks. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    As if proving that they had done a good job in the training camp, all of the children answered the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s question quickly and loudly.


    ¡°Good. Things are easier said than done. If you havee all the way here then you definitely have some talents. That¡¯s why I believe I should give each and every single one of you a choice.¡±


    The Lieutenant Colonel ced a paper on the table.


    ¡°This is a military academy admission application. Once you get out of there, you will basically begin as amissioned officer.¡±


    The man then took the paper and shook it in front of the children as if it was something that was extremely amazing.


    ¡°It looks like you guys still don¡¯t have any idea about this yet. I¡¯ll exin to you what kind of rewards you will get once you enter this school. First off¡­ Your military life will be reduced by at least 2 years.¡±


    The pupils of the children that were listening to Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee¡¯s words started to shake and tremble. However, Jaiden remained calm. This was information that he had learned about before albeit not everything. Besides, he knew that he had to serve day and night on the front lines just to get that 2 years of reduced service. It seemed like he was not the only one who knew about this since there were a few other children who did not look very interested in the Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s words.


    Then, Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee continued to speak.


    ¡°There is a way for you to reduce your military life right here and now. It¡¯s none other than sending your application to the Northeast Military Academy. If you do that, we can reduce your military life by 2 more years.¡±


    This time, Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee¡¯s words extinguished the interest and excitement in the eyes of the children. There was no one among the children present here who had not heard about the Northeast¡¯s notoriety. Even if they were not yet trained and had just awakened their mana to some extent, as long as they were from a wealthy family they would have definitely heard enough basic information about that ce.


    ¡°In addition, if you do well in the Northeast Military Academy then you will be able to graduate 2 years earlier. That means that you can shorten another 2 years off of your military service.¡±


    An opportunity was presented to the children to reduce their military service for six entire years. It was a great opportunity that would reduce their required 20 year service to only 14 years. In other words, one would only serve 10 years after they finished their military academy life.


    Given these conditions, one might think that it was something that was worth a try. However, this was the Northeast. A ce that was known as the most dangerous ce among the entire northern frontlines. And since it was one of the three most dangerous areas in the continent, almost everyone tried to avoid agreeing to such a condition.


    ¡°Are there any other rewards?¡±


    When Jaiden raised this question, all the other children looked at him strangely. They looked at him as if they were wondering if he had never heard of the Northeast¡¯s notoriety.


    Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee couldn¡¯t help but grin. After all, the best child from the report that he had received showed enough interest in the Northeast.


    ¡°First, I¡¯m assuming that you are aware that the North¡¯s basic sry is twice that of the other militaries. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The Northeast¡¯s sry is three times that of the North¡¯smissioned officer¡¯s sry. In addition, the promotion in the Northeast is the fastest among all of the militaries. The Northeast is the only ce in the Empire where you can be promoted even if you are still in the military academy.¡±


    To be honest, Jaiden was not really that interested in what Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee had just said. The discharged soldiers from the North would generally be treated well in the entire continent. Considered to be the elites, they could easily gain and collect money by doing mercenary activities or they could also apply to be a personal knight for a noble family or for a merchant family if they decided to stay in the capital. So it was only natural that he was not that much interested in money.


    ¡°And they will basically give you any weapon that you want. I¡¯m talking about a weapon with 10% mythril incorporated in it. You can even take it with you even after you are discharged from service.¡±


    The children¡¯s expression changed when they heard that they could take a weapon with mythril even after they left the military. Mythrils and rare metals were not generally circted in the market. And even if they were found in the market, albeit rarely, they would have a sky-high price attached to them.


    ¡°But I think there are also disadvantages.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. First of all, the Northeast is notoriously known for its dangers. This is a well-known fact in the entire continent. In fact, the death rate in the Northeast is overwhelmingly high whenpared to the rest of the armies in the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Are there more?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The high sry that I had mentioned before won¡¯t be avable right away. You will only be able to get it once you¡¯re discharged. They will instead keep it for you until your discharge and pay you a 5% annual interest. And you will also not be able to spend any vacation.¡±


    Jaiden nodded his head to show him that he had understood his words.


    One would need to spend at least a month of travel just so you could go out of the Northeast to spend a vacation. There was no point in doing such a long trip just so you could visit your home for a few days.


    ¡°However, you can spend 6 months of vacation just before your discharge. In other words, you can reduce your stay in the military for at most 6 years and 6 months. If you take on special missions, they will pay you the special mission fees separately from your sry. You¡¯re free to use those fees whether you collect those fees to buy weapons or alcohol. Everything¡¯s up to you.¡±


    When Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee finished speaking, he turned to look at Jaiden.


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you decide to apply to the Northeast but it¡¯s quite hard for me to rmend it to you personally. After all, it¡¯s a very dangerous ce. But! I hope that you remember this one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, therades that you will have there will definitely not abandon you.¡±


    Jaiden felt troubled for a moment.


    He knew that the Northeast was a dangerous ce. But for someone like Jaiden who had experienced the crazy monster wave in his previous life, he did not consider that ce to be that dangerous. In addition, he could still be able to shorten his military service by six years at most.


    ¡®Six years¡­¡¯


    He fell silent as he pondered about things deeply. He thought that he should be able to prepare for everything by that time.


    ¡®Let¡¯s endure there.¡¯


    After making that decision, Jaiden raised his head and looked at Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee.


    ¡°I will apply.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Are you really sure that you want to apply to the Northeast Academy?¡±


    The Lieutenant Colonel gave him this final chance to take back his words. But Jaiden only bowed his head as he answered firmly.


    ¡°Yes. I will apply.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, sign here.¡±


    Following Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee¡¯s words, Jaiden signed the form before taking a step back.


    In fact, Jaiden also wanted to avoid dangerous ces. The main reason why he left the Leonhardt Family was because he thought that it would be hard for him to survive in such a crazy and dangerous family. But after further consideration, he realized that although there were plenty of shorings and disadvantages, there were still some silver lining waiting for him.


    First, since the Northeast was emphasized as a dangerous area, it was only natural that it was also home to several special creatures. There was a possibility that he could find another divine beast there and sign a contract with it. Furthermore, the Northeastern Army waspletely hidden. So this was a ce where even the strongest family in the North, the Leonhardt Family, would not be able to extend its surveincework. In other words, they would only know his existence once he was discharged. That meant that his location was safe and sound as long as he was staying in that ce.


    ¡°You guys might have been upset since I did not ask you if you want to join the Northeast Academy. But on the contrary, I would like to remind you that it¡¯s a very dangerous ce.¡±


    Just like Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee had just said, the other children¡¯s faces were all disappointed and upset. However, their faces hardened when he reminded them of the dangers of that ce. There was nothing more unfair in this world than a talentless person going to the Northeast and dying for nothing.


    It would be a bit problematic if the North, a ce that was alreadycking in troops, forced them to the Northeast just to die. And although the Northeast was also a ce that was suffering from severe shortage of manpower, they were a ce that did not ept just anyone.


    ¡°If you really want to go to the Northeast, then go to one of the Northern Military Academies and get some results. That¡¯s how the Northeast Academy works too.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about 1223, sir?¡±


    ¡°This guy is just talented. Didn¡¯t you see him too?¡±


    All of the children that were protesting shut up when they heard Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee¡¯s words. After all, all of the children present in this room had seen Jaiden¡¯s fight with the knight. Jaiden had already shown them his greatness to the point that the children were left in wonder as they asked this question: ¡®Can I do something like that in 2~3 years?¡¯ to themselves.


    ¡°This guy is not a genius either. He¡¯s just at the level where he can endure the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°At the level where he can endure, sir?¡±


    The child immediately added ¡®sir¡¯ to be polite when he realized that he had rudely asked the question. Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee did not me the child much. He just nodded his head at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Only those who are considered to be monsters will be going to the Northeast Academy. If you really want to go there, then be a monster.¡±


    After that, Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee had a consultation with each and every child. He rmended an academy for them before getting their signatures on their respective application forms.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the end just because you entered the Northern Military Academy. I hope you can survive well here and be amissioned officer in the Northern Army.¡±


    Lieutenant Milwaukee opened the door. Then, a knight came in and led Jaiden and the other trainees again. Everyone seemed to be lost in thought so the knight did not rush them. Especially Jaiden, the sole applicant to the Northeast. The knight did not even dare to touch him after seeing him lost in his thoughts. The Northeast was a very dangerous ce that just being an applicant there was worthy enough for them to be praised.


    ¡°<i>Oh</i>! He¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°Herees the pride of our group!¡±


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but smile when his teammates weed and cheered for him. He was the only one who awakened his mana in the team so they were all cheering for him.


    ¡°1223! Are you going to the Military Academy?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Where will you be attending?¡±


    ¡°Northeast.¡±


    The child who asked him with sparkling eyes suddenly turned silent. Everyone suddenly turned to look at Jaiden with sad faces. There was no one here who was unaware of the notoriety of the Northeast.


    ¡°Why are you going there? Just go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a crazy ce.¡±


    ¡°I also heard that everyone who came out from there had lost their minds. You know?¡±


    ¡°They say that more than half of the people who go there die.¡±


    The children spoke to him worriedly but Jaiden said that it was fine. He even asked about his other teammates.


    ¡°What happened to everyone?¡±


    ¡°They said that 1225 and 1221 can go to the military academy if they did well.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°Me too! They said that if I do well then I can be a nonmissioned officer even if I¡¯m sick! They said that the rest would also pass!¡±


    It seemed like all the other children underwent the mana awakening test after he left. In the North, it was unusual for someone who was suffering from an illness to be elected as a nonmissioned officer since the nonmissioned officers were well aware of how a soldier lived. Since the ssification, the nonmissioned officers were more closely rted to soldiers than tomissioned officers.


    ¡°They said that 1230 will be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>That¡¯s right.¡±


    The person that they called 1230 was sitting depressed in one corner. Jaiden slowly approached him.


    ¡°Why are you so depressed?¡±


    ¡°If I get kicked out of here then I¡¯ll have to live a beggar¡¯s life again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Even if you fail to awaken, there are still ways for them to force you to awaken.¡±


    ¡°They said that doing that would be difficult too.¡±


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the depressed 1230.


    ¡°You won¡¯t know until you try. That¡¯s why you¡¯re still here. If it¡¯s still too difficult then they¡¯ll transnt a mana stone and force a circuit on you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The North never abandons the talented.¡±


    As long as one had talent even if they were only those whose talents were at the very bottom, the Northern Army would find a use for them. Those who did not have any talents had already been screened out in the huge training grounds.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The fact that you¡¯re here means that you¡¯re fully capable.¡±


    ¡°But I took a peek and the other groups had already left?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I heard that more than half of the people in some groups had left.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s words began to bring back life to the depressed child¡¯s eyes. The children all began to talk like normal children as they cheered each other on. They wished each other a good life as well as to live well in the ces that they would go to.


    Jaiden watched the scene and cheered for his team members. He spent hisst days in this training camp wishing hisrades a good future as he organized everything that he needed to prepare for his departure.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [2-clover] 2?? ??? ¨C [Badge IMG] A badge that shows the rank of the officer you can search for ?? to look at the patch/badge if you can¡¯t see the image I have attached.. If you¡¯re under the Army, Air Force or Marine, you will be called a Lieutenant Colonel. You will be called Commander if you¡¯re under the Navy and the Coast Guard.


    [Commissioned Officer] ?? ¨C A rank inmand of the nonmissioned officers and soldiers. They are usually selected from students or graduates of the military academy or the general university. They are military officers who have achieved a rank before officially assuming their roles.

 Chapter 10 Northeast Military Academy… (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(10)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>4</i></b><i> Northeast Military Academy¡­ (2)</i>


    With the mana awakening test being finished, the formal training in the training camp had finally drawn to a close. After that, each child went on and left for their second training camp.


    Those who did not have a single shred of talent for mana awakening were sent back to where they had been while most of them decided to head for the army¡¯s training camp. They would train there for another 3~4 years before moving to the frontlines to support the troops at the rear. The children who lit up a blue light, just like Jaiden, were sent to the military academy.


    Fortunately, Jaiden¡¯s academy opening ceremony was just right around the corner so he was able to go there right away. Otherwise, he would just be like the other children who would stay at the training camp for additional training. The children would train as they waited for the academy¡¯s opening and would only be picked up when it was time.


    ¡°Bye. See youter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Jaiden sat in his room alone. He felt a bit lonely after sending off thest remaining child of his team. Since he was being sent to the farthest ce, he was left waiting alone. After a few more days of waiting, he was also ready to leave for the Northeast.


    There were about thirty children that were waiting when Jaiden arrived but there was not a single person that was the same age as him. All of the kids waiting were older than Jaiden. However, they were still around 13 years old. None of the children went beyond that age.


    ¡®Are you saying that one has to reach the 2nd Stage by the age of 13?¡¯


    Remembering the words of Lieutenant Colonel Milwaukee, Jaiden was able to draw his own conclusions. It seemed like the requirements for eligibility to apply to the Northeast was determined by talent again. In other words, even if one had awakened their mana, they still needed to raise their level to join the Northeast Academy. Because of that, only those who had reached the 2nd Stage by the age of 13 were qualified for application.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit young?¡±


    ¡°Wow, you got picked right away?¡±


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    A knight came in just as everyone was murmuring about Jaiden. As soon as the blue-haired knight came in, themissioned officers immediately sensed that the man was going to assess the children¡¯s level. His aura was usually sharp but he looked like he was deliberately keeping his momentum and hiding his aura.


    ¡°More than 30 people¡­ there are quite a lot of people gathered here. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Sky Renz. I belong to the 2nd Knights Division under the Northeast Command. I volunteered for the job since I want to personally greet my juniors.¡±


    ¡®Sky Renz!¡¯


    In his previous life, Sky Renz was someone who had made it to the master level. One of the few people who had survived in the Northeast in his previous life was now standing in front of him. He was called an elite at this point in time but his talent would still explodeter.


    ¡®He¡¯s someone who can easily go over the 5th Stage at this point so why¡­?¡¯


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t understand why he did something like this but he still remained calm. He knew that he was someone who was as talented as his youngest brother so he did not need to be a poor errand boy.


    ¡°In fact, I¡¯m already nning on going to the frontlines but I was also assigned to this mission. I know that everyone is a bit nervous but I hope that everyone doesn¡¯t get scared too much. After all, the Northeast is still a ce where people still live.¡±


    Sky Renz spoke with a happy expression on his face as he took the trainees and headed straight towards the Drake Tower. Unlike other ces that used warp gates or carriages to move from one ce to another, the Northeast traveled by riding drakes.


    ¡°<i>Uwooooo</i>¡­¡±


    Some of the children were scared to tears while others were stunned by the strong wind as they rode the drake. Even though they could use their mana, they were all lost and out of their minds from the aerial monsters that popped out and attacked from time to time. What was worse was that it was not even small monsters that popped out but scarily huge monsters.


    Sky Renz grinned when he saw the children¡¯s frightened state afternding on the Northeast¡¯s Drake Tower. Then, he spoke to them.


    ¡°Let me formally introduce myself. I am Sky Renz. I will guide you to the Academy. I am also the examiner that will determine whether you¡¯re eligible to enter the Academy or not.¡±


    All of their eyes widened when they heard Sky Renz¡¯s words. Jaiden was not that surprised since he had heard some information beforehand. But the rest of the kids couldn¡¯t adjust when Sky Renz¡¯s eyes turned sharp. After all, he looked like he was a good and amiable person when he first picked them up.


    ¡°Your test is easy. Starting from the Drake Tower, you need to get to the Academy located over the ridge. I¡¯ll take care of the dangerous monsters myself but I won¡¯t stop the rest.¡±


    The pupils of the kids shook wildly after hearing Sky Renz¡¯s words.


    <i>It seems like there aren¡¯t that many people who have an actual experience. The oldest is around 13 years old, I think?</i>


    But he needed to test the children¡¯s levels. However, the kid¡¯s eyes were shaking at the thought of going through an actual battle.


    ¡°Make it to the Academy alive. That¡¯s the test that you will be taking.¡±


    Sky Renz left those words as he took the lead and went down the tower.


    They could see some soldiers giving a salute from time to time.


    ¡°Just like you, all of the soldiers that have been deployed here have been trained at the training camp. All of them are talented and could be considered to be as good as a knight. Right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Sky Renz grinned when Jaiden answered.


    ¡°By the time they get discharged from the military, all of them will be elite nonmissioned officers. So I hope that you don¡¯t be too arrogant and ignore the nonmissioned officers and soldiers after you be amissioned officer. What I¡¯m saying is that they¡¯re not beginners but veterans.¡±


    Sky Renz spoke about his experience. He willingly gave pieces of advice that were worth their weight in gold to his juniors that would definitely make mistakester in life. Perhaps they were still unaware of the importance of his words since they were walking with their heads in the clouds but these pieces of advice would be a great help to themter when they were living the life of amissioned officer.


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s the same for the others too but there are many people who choose rangers over knights in the Northeast Academy. After all, you won¡¯t need to actively swing a de since you can support with high-quality weapons from the back. Thanks to that, it¡¯s quite hard to recruit knights every time.¡±


    Sky Renz expressed his regrets to the kids that were following him.


    ¡°It would be good if there were aspiring knights among my juniors but just think of it as my passing words.¡±


    Sky Renz increased his pace as he mumbled under his breath.


    Just like that, they easily left the vicinity of the tower as they entered the mountainous terrain. He just walked through the forest in a straight line. If there wasn¡¯t a path in front of him then, he would just create a path. With just a light swing of his sword, the tall grasses that blocked their way were easily cut off. This created a path in front of them in just an instant.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ hoo¡­</i>¡±


    All of the kids were breathing heavily as they used their mana to support them.


    ¡®But it will be harder if I¡¯m going to use my mana this early¡­¡¯


    Jaiden was also struggling but he could still bear this much so he just endured with his body instead of using mana. He could see that those who were around three or four years older than him were also refraining from using their mana as much as possible. They looked like they had a bit of experience so they were trying their best to endure.


    And it seemed like Jaiden¡¯s judgement was correct.


    ¨D<i>Kyaack!</i>


    ¡°A lynx? No, why is it so big?!¡±


    ¡°Where did the knight go?!¡±


    ¡°Are we supposed to deal with that?¡±


    It was not just one or two but there were quite a few that jumped after the children. Sky Renz had already slipped away from them as he observed how the children would cope with his <i>Hawk¡¯s Eyes.</i>


    Under the observation of such an examiner, Jaiden silently pulled out his steel sword. The sword was dull but if it was just based on his physical strength then it was more than enough for him to beat them to death. Following Jaiden¡¯s lead, the rest of the kids also started pulling out their steel swords.


    Although the creature in front of them was a mutant lynx, all of them were still people who had awakened their mana. There were too many of them to be intimidated by just a few lynxes.


    Jaiden was the first to run out. He immediately went after the lynx that targeted one of the scared children.


    Then, when the others finally found theirposure, they immediately ran out in fear that their thunder would be stolen. Since this was a test, they realized that everything that they did here would be reflected on their scores. After realizing this fact, the children, who were just cowering in fear, began to move. It seemed like the thought of getting a better score had helped them ovee the fear, even if it was just for a bit. The people who had been gathered here were too talented to be frightened by just a few wild animals.


    However, this was just the beginning. From here on out, monsters and mutant creatures at the same level as the children would be waiting for them.


    As this thought crossed Jaiden¡¯s head, he quickly stepped back to conserve his strength after he killed the first mutant.


    When Jaiden stepped up first, the rest of the children overcame their fear as they pulled out their steel swords and beat up the wild animals that blocked their path. After getting beaten up from all sides, the lynxes started to die one by one.


    Sky Renz appeared once again when he confirmed that the few lynxes that appeared had died.


    ¡°Pretty good, juniors.¡±


    Sky Renz nced briefly at Jaiden before moving ahead. Another mutant appeared after they had walked for a while but they easily dealt with it. After experiencing it once, the children began to ease into their roles.


    But this time, Sky Renz did not wait for them. He continued to walk slowly. If they did not take care of things quickly then they might get left behind by Sky Renz. Jaiden continued to follow Sky Renz while dealing roughly with the wild animals that rushed to him. He did not know if the others had noticed this but the kids started to focus on following theirrades instead of dealing with the wild animalspletely.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo! Hoo!</i>¡±


    It did not matter if their mana had awakened, they were still children whose bodies were still undeveloped. Unlike Sky Renz who was walking leisurely at a slow pace, the children began to get tired. After all, they were walking while dealing with the wild animals that attacked them. Furthermore, the situation began to get worse. Small monsters started to attack the children.


    When a flock of mutant birds started to attack them, Jaiden was the first to jump in the air and stepped on a tree to attack them. Several birds fell down after being attacked by Jaiden. The other kids followed him and attacked the birds instead of just swinging their swords blindly from below. Some of the kids also gathered together as they threw stones at the flocking birds. But doing that clearly had a lot of restrictions. Eventually, some of them suffered from minor injuries.


    Since they were beginning to get injured on top of being still weak and small, the children found it difficult to keep up with Sky Renz even though he was walking slowly.


    ¡®Are you trying to look at our spirit and will?¡¯


    It seemed like he was testing whether they could move forward and endure the test just like they did during their training in the training camp so Jaiden had to grit his teeth and move even though he was also starting to get physically tired. However, he felt like it was not that difficult since he went through the same kind of hardship in his previous life.


    The amount of wild animals that attacked them


    As they continued to climb the mountain, more and more of the animals attacked them. Even the intensity of their attacks had increased significantly. Thanks to the mana fog in the area, the skins and hides of the mutated animals had grown tough. It was as tough as that of a monster¡¯s so it got harder for the kids to kill them.


    And finally, a creature that could be called a real and legit monster had appeared in front of them.


    ¡°Is that¡­ a gnoll?¡±


    The gruesome monster had the head of a dog but it was walking on two legs. Calling it a gnoll seemed to be correct. And thanks to its nature, there was no way that such a monster was walking around on its own.


    When dozens of such monsters appeared in front of them, Jaiden¡¯s hold on his sword tightened. Even the other children that were frightened from their appearance grabbed their swords tightly.


    An extremely tough battle was ahead of them.


    <em>Notes:</em>


    [Gnoll] ¨C feral humanoid monsters. They have the head of a hyena and would attack without any warning. Thanks to the nature of hyenas, they tend to move in packs.

 Chapter 11 Northeast Military Academy… (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(11)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>4</i></b><i> Northeast Military Academy¡­ (3)</i>


    There was only one criterion that separated monsters from beasts. It was whether they could utilize mana or not. Those beasts and animals that could not handle the overflowing mana in their bodies underwent mutations and became mutant animals and mutant beasts. On the other hand, those that were able to instinctively use and build up their mana while utilizing it somehow became monsters.


    The monsters¡¯ bodies had also started to evolve and suit the flow of mana thanks to their instinctive build up. And because of that, they developed a unique characteristic: blue blood. The blood of the mutant beasts were still red but the monsters¡¯ blood was blue. And it was not just somepletely useless nonsense.


    Even though the gnolls were weakpared to other monsters, they still had blue blood. Having blue blood meant that there was a mana build up in their bodies. As a result, their movements far exceeded the normal range of movements for normal beasts and animals.


    ¡°<i>Keoheok!</i>¡±


    ¡°F¡­ Fall back!¡±


    A few people failed to respond properly. They began to fall back after failing to hit the monsters properly. Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue when he saw this scene. He shook his head as he stabbed a gnoll straight in the neck. The gnoll was distracted by the screams of the frightened children so it died easily under Jaiden¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall back! If you back down then they¡¯ll see you as pushovers and attack more!¡±


    When Jaiden shouted at them, the frightened children all followed him forward. It seemed like they were moving along in response to his remarks.


    When they fought against the mutant animals, there were some children that quickly pulled themselves from the quagmire of fear that encroached upon them at the thought of a real life battle. These children also quickly pulled themselves together as they pulled their swords out once again.


    But there were also children who couldn¡¯t adapt to the presence of the monsters. In the end, these children failed to pull themselves up and were engulfed in fear. They couldn¡¯t move from their spots at all.


    ¨D<i>Kkaekaeng!</i>


    ¨D<i>Kkiing~ Kking!</i>


    Most of them advanced to try and beat the child at the forefront while some of them avoided Jaiden to target the other children. Just like experienced dog-like monsters, they had been trying to avoid him and the 13-year-old children. It seemed like they could instinctively tell that they were the strong ones. They easily targeted the weak-looking children.


    Finally noticing that they were being targeted by the monsters, the frightened children also started to pull out their steel swords to fight back.


    Even though these monsters were considered to be weak, injuries as well as bleeding began to bloom in the children¡¯s bodies. But perhaps it was because of the adrenaline that was pumping in their bodies, the children did not stop fighting until all of their opponents had died.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Those who can¡¯t go on anymore, wait here. The people who will escort the wounded will arrive here soon.¡±


    Sky Renz only appeared after all of the fighting had ended. All he did was leave those words before turning around and walking once again. Jaiden and the other kids followed him slowly with stiff expressions on their faces. But this time, the number of children that were following Sky Renz had decreased by a lot. Jaiden estimated that more than half of them had given up during their fight with the gnolls.


    Although there weren¡¯t any other mutant beasts and monsters that appeared after their fight with the gnolls, the children still looked like they were going to die. They still had to climb a steep mountain after all of their stamina and mana had been used up. In addition, they were filled with nervousness and anxiety fearing that there would be another surprise attack.


    Exhausted stamina and near exhausted mental strength. It seemed like they were testing for their mental prowess and endurance on this mountainous trek towards the Academy.


    Based on the Northeast¡¯s perspective, the students who could not stand and endure this much would eventually be left behind even if they passed and entered the Academy. It seemed like the purpose of making the test as strict and strenuous as this was to discourage those who had half-hearted and clumsy thoughts in taking the test for their academy.


    They were an academy that stayed rooted in the Northeast, one of the most dangerous ces in the continent, so all those who wanted to enter their doors had to be as strong as a weapon of war. They needed to have both the physical strength and the mental strength to endure and survive in this harsh environment. And because of that, those who were weak-willed would be reluctant to endure in this ce. They expected that they would skip this ce from the very beginning if they found out how difficult it was just to enter.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    Jaiden continued to follow behind Sky Renz even though his breathing had started to bebored and heavy. His legs were already shaking and his breath had started to run out but he persevered and followed Sky Renz.


    Aside from Jaiden, there were still other people that followed behind Sky Renz. However, their numbers had already dwindled to less than ten. Their eyes were already shaking but they still gritted their teeth as they followed Sky Renz.


    But regardless of their will, there was still a limit to a child¡¯s physical and mental strength. They started to stumble and fall one by one. Even Jaiden stumbled too.


    Finally, Sky Renz¡¯s footsteps stopped.


    ¡°Good work, everyone.¡±


    Sky Renz smiled broadly at Jaiden and the other kids.


    ¡°You have passed your first test magnificently.¡±


    Both Jaiden and the other exhausted kids looked at Sky Renz iprehensibly. They couldn¡¯t understand his words. They still haven¡¯t arrived at the military academy yet but he was telling them that they had passed the test.


    ¡°In the first ce, this was a test to test your will. In other words, this was not a test that needed you to really arrive at the military academy.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>¡­¡±


    Jaiden stared nkly at Sky Renz.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough to determine your will. Perhaps you can expect a good score from me.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ does that mean that those who had given up earlier also passed?¡±


    ¡°Most of the time, yes? But those who got scared and gave up earlier will probably have a hard time getting epted.¡±


    After saying that, Renz pointed his finger up in the sky. There, they could see a bird sping an activated crystal ball tightly with its ws as it watched them.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll use that for our judgements. But one thing is for sure, you guys are on top.¡±


    ¡°Were there other people who took the test besides us?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You guys are thest batch.¡±


    Jaiden nodded at Renz¡¯s words.


    ¡°If you stay here, then you can look forward to an early graduation. So work hard. It would also be good if you volunteer as a knight.¡±


    Jaiden and the other kids copsed after hearing Sky Renz¡¯sid back and carefree words. It was as if the tight string of tension in their bodies had snapped. Renz looked at the children with a smile on his face.


    He let them take a short break before continuing their journey. This time, they had started the climb to the mountain with the people that wereing from behind. Unlike earlier where they were climbing recklessly, they were now climbing the steep mountain with a good pace and making sure to take proper rests in between.


    After walking for quite a long time, they had finally arrived at the Northeast Military Academy.


    Located deep in the mountains, the academy was not a sight to behold. Not only were their facilities old, their buildings were also covered in vines and moss.


    ¡°The buildings might look old but the interior will be much morefortable and usable than what you think.¡±


    Listening to Renz¡¯s words, the children entered the building where they would be trained with wonder and curiosity. When they entered inside, they could see that the interior waspletely different from the outside. The interior was neat and tidy with all sorts of tools and weapons lined up on each side. Even the walls were made of marble that gave off an antique and vintage feel.


    ¡°Surprised? To be honest, those who have only seen the Northeast Academy from the outside think that we¡¯re beggars but that¡¯s not the case at all. They left it like that on purpose. It¡¯s like a tradition, you know?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>¡­¡±


    It seemed like they had created thisndscape so they could not forget the past while they tried to capture new innovations inside the building.


    The other children looked at the interior nkly as they admired the scene in front of them. After they passed through the building neatly, they finally arrived at their destination, the auditorium. There, they found children that were dressed simrly to them. They all went and sat on their respective seats.


    Once seated, an old man stood on the podium and looked at the more than 300 children, including Jaiden, sitting inside the auditorium.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, everyone. I¡¯m Crimson Halo, the man in charge of the Northeast.¡±


    Some of the children couldn¡¯t help but exim when they heard the name Crimson Halo. After all, Crimson Halo was known as the man who once served as the North¡¯s Commander. Although he had handed over his position to Jayden Wicks, the current Northern Commander and a master level being, he was still one of the 13 masters in the Empire. He had served the North for a long time and was considered to be one of its skillful veterans.


    ¡°You all look tired aftering all the way here so I¡¯ll make things short.¡±


    Crimson Halo turned to look around the audience.


    ¡°This ce is a ce that is far more dangerous than any other areas in the Empire. So don¡¯t let your guard down for even a second. Carelessness will take your lives sooner orter. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    As if in reflex, the children all cried loudly when they heard Crimson Halo¡¯s words. Looking at the children in satisfaction, Crimson Halo turned to look at the side as he nodded to indicate the end of his words.


    ¡°Everyone, a round of apuse for the Northeast¡¯s Commander!¡±


    <i>p, p, p, p, p!</i>


    All of them pped their hands as curiosity shed on the children¡¯s faces. They were wondering why the man called Crimson Halo as the Northeast¡¯s Commander even though there were only fivemanders in the Empire. Although it was true that Crimson was once the North¡¯s Commander, he had long been retired now.


    Jaiden thought that it was just a slip of the tongue but from the looks of it, Halo and the rest of the people did not think that it was a slip of the tongue.


    ¡®Unofficialmander.¡¯


    He had heard of it in his previous life. Special areas like the Northeast had unofficial positions including themander¡¯s position. The Empire had deep forests and jungles in the Northeast and the South so it was hard to maintain it without anyonemanding their soldiers. Hence, a need for an unofficialmander. Simr systems could also be found in the Southern and Eastern kingdoms. All of these countries had an unofficialmander as well as a special force to deal with the three most dangerous ces in their territories.


    With curiosity gleaming on the children¡¯s faces, the dean of the Academy finally stood on the podium.


    ¡°I¡¯m Dean Randon. Let¡¯s keep things short since everyone is tired.¡±


    The dean paused as he looked at the students in front of him. Even though they looked like they were all wretched and poor beggars, he could feel that their spirits were burning brightly. The dean nodded his head after seeing them before continuing his speech.


    ¡°This ce is different from the other academies. You will never be able to endure it here if you¡¯re weak-willed and half-hearted. This Academy will turn all of you into weapons of war. During the process, you need to endure countless pains and grievances. And even if you seeded in enduring those, there will still be a greater hell waiting for you. So make sure to pull yourselves together.¡±


    Dean Randon went down after giving them this warning. Then, the children were all guided to their amodations one by one. There were also girls in the military academy so their lodgings were divided into the girls dormitory and the boys dormitory. But it was not only divided like that. Based on the reports written about them, their dormitories were temporarily assigned based on their characteristics. At the same time, they were assigned new numbers based on the number listed on the beddings in their dormitory room.


    Jaiden¡¯s new number was 13.


    ¡®Does this mean I¡¯m 13th?¡¯


    It seemed like there were 12 more people in front of him but he felt that this was more than enough. With the thought of graduating early, Jaiden finally took a refreshing shower before falling asleep on his assigned bed.


    But the very next morning, he finally realized why this ce was known to be crazily difficult.


    ¡°Wake up! All students should fully arm yourselves. I¡¯ll say it again. All students should fully arm yourselves.¡±


    A siren rang loudly after the wake up call was broadcasted with the magic speaker.


    ¡°Our current situation is an actual battle. Make sure to arm yourselves to your teeth.¡±


    The early morning wake up call had called for them to gather while being fully armed. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but look on in a daze as they prepared themselves. On the other hand, Jaiden had prepared himself as quickly as possible before heading straight towards the training area.


    In fact, while he was getting ready, Jaiden thought that they were just trying to scare the kids. But all of the academy professors were running out with weapons. Even the soldiers that guarded the Academy were already fighting.


    ¡®Crazy shit. An actual battle on the very first day?¡¯


    The children were literally on the verge of a mental breakdown. They couldn¡¯t help but think that facing an actual battle on their first day in the academy was something ridiculous. Although they all rushed forward, they remained clueless about what they would do during the actual battle.


    Meanwhile, Jaiden was looking calmly at the situation around him.


    ¡°Since the freshmen still have yet to undergo training, all of you will have to wait here.¡±


    From the words of the professor, this situation was something unexpected. So the professor only left these words before quickly disappearing from their sights. In that sense, both the children and the academy were flustered by this sudden and unexpected situation.


    And this unexpected situation was enough to turn someone into a hero. In the heart of this chaotic situation was Jaiden. Jaiden who was armed with years of experience and knowledge.

 Chapter 12 Jjampbap Doesnt Go Anywhere (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(12)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>5</i></b><i> Jjampbap Doesn¡¯t Go Anywhere (1)</i>


    No matter how notoriously hard it was to survive and endure in the Northeast Academy, they were still not that cold-blooded to ask the students that they had not yet taught to fight in this absurd situation.


    Thanks to the location of the Northeast Academy, they were facing the problem of having monsters scattered all over the ce. So even if the professors wanted to teach the kids nicely, the surrounding conditions did not give them any leeway. All they could do was to teach the kids strictly so they could survive longer. Since the academy was intentionally ced in this area teeming with monsters for real-life training, they naturally would encounter some problems along the way.


    Everytime something unexpected like this happened, the students had to cooperate and fight against the monsters. But if something like that happened during the period where they were still focusing on the basic training, the professors had no choice but to fight against the monsters since their students were not yet equipped with the capabilities to fight those monsters alone.


    But the new students had just arrived yesterday. This meant that they had not even undergone any training yet and were still people unustomed in fighting against monsters. However, the bigger problem was the fact that the current monster invasion was twice the size of the normal monster invasion that attacked the academy.


    ¡°How about the support troops?!¡±


    ¡°It will take three hours for them to arrive!¡±


    ¡°Goddamnit!¡±


    Hearing the words of the old professor, the younger professor lifted his weapon to fight. Although the professors and the soldiers could stop and kill the monsters, their numbers were still too high. Even the clever monsters were trying to scatter in all directions as they vied for the young and tender food that were gathered in the training area.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set up the barrier earlier! They¡¯re creating a real and actual battle! <i>Awoo!</i>¡±


    One of the professors shouted loudly in anger as he wielded his weapon against the monsters. However, the sly and sneaky monsters kept on entering the academy.


    ¡°Block them as best as you can! Don¡¯t let them get to the freshmen!¡±


    ¡°Take care of the freshmen first!¡±


    There were so many monsters flocking around them that they had no choice but to select which area they should deal with first.


    Meanwhile, the wall blocking their way fell and the monsters finally reached the area where the children were gathered.


    ¡°They got through?¡±


    Although the monsters that broke through were of the lowest rank, Jaiden still prepared himself to move right away as he muttered under his breath.


    Even though they were asked toe fully armed, the other children just wore some light gloves while bringing their main weapons. However, Jaiden was different. He made sure to bring everything that he needed to bring. He brought the dagger for basic military training, the gun that could shoot magic bullets, and his sword.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°As expected, jjambap doesn¡¯t really go anywhere.¡±


    He immediately grabbed the small gun that was adapted to suit a child when he swiped his hand on his shoulder and fired it against the monster. However, he felt that it was a pity that he couldn¡¯t control the uracy at a longer range so he had to fire it at a much closer range.


    ¡°Gun?¡±


    ¡°Did that guy fire the gun?¡±


    ¡°Is that a magic bullet? Can it even prate through the monsters?¡±


    Jaiden had already moved again while everyone was still busy making a fuss. Seeing him move, some of the children began to pull out their weapons to move with him.


    The children that were holding guns like him also began to shoot at the monsters. But they weren¡¯t as good as Jaiden. No matter how talented these children were, they would not be able to shoot at those slick and slippery monsters in one shot. In addition, it was difficult for them since they weren¡¯t aware of the monsters¡¯ characteristics.


    ¡°Shoot at the goblin¡¯s body. You won¡¯t be able to get them if you continue to aim for their heads. Their arms and legs are extremely thin so all you have to do is shoot them in their bodies.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re wearing some mana-infused armors?¡±


    Jaiden gave a piece of advice when he passed by a student that was flustered by the goblin¡¯s agile movements. The student looked at him with teary eyes when he found things to be extremely difficult even after receiving his advice.


    As long as they had their heads, the Goblin would know what their weaknesses were. They were considered to be one of the top ten most clever monsters so it was only natural for them to have at least one piece of equipment that could protect their weakness.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if the magic bullet can¡¯t pierce through it, it can still shock and stun them.¡±


    Jaiden even demonstrated it to him. Jaiden fired a magic bullet and shocked the goblin from the impact of the shot. Then, he quickly pulled out his sword and easily cut the disoriented goblin with a single sh. Although his sword was not a sword infused with mana, the goblin still copsed after receiving a powerful sh to its body.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you should do it. If it¡¯s hard for you to use a dagger then use your gun and shoot it in the head until it¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Y¡­ yeah.¡±


    Jaiden wasn¡¯t sure if he could do what he said but he still moved again leaving behind the student who was nodding his head and saying that he would try his best.


    This time, he met with a group of gnolls. The monsters that he had met during his exam.


    ¡°Killing mutts is the easiest.¡±


    Although dozens of gnolls wereing at him, Jaiden still smiled. After all, he was armed down to the teeth. Jaiden quickly checked the remaining bullets with him before loading them in his gun and rushing towards the group of gnolls.


    Then, he immediately fired a couple of shots straight at the gnolls¡¯ heads. The gnolls that were shot immediately stopped when he fired at them. Although the sword with him was the sword that was just a student¡¯s sword and not a sword fit for training, it was still more than enough to blow away the gnolls¡¯ heads.


    After that, he saw some kobolds sniffing around and running crazily like dogs. Kobolds were creatures that only lived in mines. He did not even know where they came from but there were also giant rabbits here and there. However even if other creatures appeared, he was still able to target their weaknesses.


    He was literally flying around the battlefield. He could fight easily since he did not need to use his stamina to the limit to climb the mountain while fighting consecutive battles like he did on the exam a day prior.


    As a result of that, the children began to flock around Jaiden. They fought while imitating his fighting style. In fact, just following Jaiden¡¯s movements could guarantee that they would be able to easily handle the monsters.


    ¡°Now, I feel like my body is starting to warm up.¡±


    His body was slowly starting to react to the practice and training that he hadn¡¯t done in quite a long time. He could feel that the mana in his body that had long been sluggish started to move and imprint all over his body.


    Encouraged by the condition of his body, Jaiden began to move even more. He was thinking that adding a bit more aggressiveness to his attacks might bring his body to the perfect 2nd Stage. He even hoped for more monsters toe in while he chopped the low ranked monsters like crazy. He even borrowed magic bullets from the children next to him as he went on a rampage and killed the monsters in front of him.


    As the monsters in front began to get killed in front of them, they moved more violently just like specialists trained to kill monsters. They looked like they did not want to lose as they started to rampage. More than 300 students ignited their fighting spirit as they fought against the monsters. They had built their momentum making them feel that they had won the battlefield already.


    Meanwhile, the professors, who went to them while worrying whether they were in danger, watched nkly as their students fought fiercely. Especially Jaiden. Their eyes couldn¡¯t be helped but be drawn to his figure that was running wild. He looked just like a fish in the water with how swift and suave his movements were.


    ¡°He¡¯s just like a veteran who has fought on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I know. He¡¯s killing those monsters so easily too.¡±


    Number 13 was excellent. However, it was normal for them not to know his excellence. After all, those within the 20s had inferior skills and talents. Numbers 1~10 were students who hadpleted and climbed the 2nd Stage. In fact, students 1, 2 and 3 were all preparing to ascend to the next stage. Especially number 3. Number 3 was the most monstrous among the top three students. Number 1 and 2 were both 13 years old but number 3 was just 9 years old. Looking at this, it seemed like number 13 was the most underappreciated talent among all of these monsters.


    ¡°He¡¯s experienced.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It shows. Especially when he gives pieces of advice to those students who weregging behind and having a hard time. I can see the qualities of amander in him.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to be a knight. His talents in being amander are more than enough.¡±


    ¡°It will be good if hees to our academy as a professorter. He looks like he will teach well.¡±


    Jaiden had received countless positive evaluations from the professors. However, he was not aware of this since he was focused on achieving the perfect 2nd Stage by cutting and shooting the monsters dead.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­ </i>No more?


    Perhaps it was because of his hard work but when he stopped to take a breather, he saw that there were no more monsters loitering around in the training grounds. Jaiden was not the only one who moved to kill the monsters, there were more than 300 students that shed and shot at the monsters so it was only natural that there weren¡¯t any more monsters left in the surrounding area.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Upon hearing the mechanical voice, Jaiden immediately raised his head. And in front of him was a translucent window. The window popped out together with the mechanical voice.


    After the mechanical sound faded, his body that he felt wascking in some ways began to changepletely. At the same time, the mana¡¯s gentle light started to flow all throughout his body.


    Thanks to the bonus of mana imprinting, he was able to ascend to the perfect 2nd Stage in one fell swoop.


    ¡°Monster¡­¡±


    Jaiden looked at the child who had called him monster. The child had the number 140 on his chest. Jaiden looked at this child as well as the other children around him that had blood on their gloves. All of them had worked hard.


    Perhaps it was because they felt a sense of urgency when seeing Jaiden fight so numbers 1~3 also showed a crazy performance during the second half of the fight. They looked like they were trying to cover up theirck of experience with their overwhelming skills and talents.


    This actual battle had confirmed the gap between Jaiden and numbers 1~3 and the rest of the students in the Academy.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡±


    He thought that the other children were looking at him because he had jumped too high. But the problem was they were looking at him when there was 1~3 near him. In fact, he truly couldn¡¯t understand the situation at all. In terms of skills and abilities, even the children numbered 4~20 were far above him. But since he showed them the strength of his jjambap that overwhelmed 1~3, they had no other choice but to stare at him to keep him in check.


    The children believed that they could still catch up with 1~3 but Jaiden had shown them apletely different kind of strength. It was something that they couldn¡¯t easily catch up with so the children had no choice but to keep him in check.


    ¡®How do I catch up with that?¡¯


    ¡®How can I train to be like that?¡¯


    ¡®Where did that guy learn to fight that well?¡¯


    Because of these kinds of thoughts, Jaiden was recognized as the academy¡¯s strongest recruit. However, from Jaiden¡¯s point of view, the real monsters were 1~3. Especially number 3, number 3 was extremely monstrous. Even though she was a girl and she did not have enough muscles on her body, she was catching up quickly with 1~2 just with her pure talent for mana alone.


    ¡®The real monster is number 3. If she survived, will she be among the ranks of heroes?¡¯


    Receiving the title Hero meant that they had be the best among the masters, in other words, they had be grand masters. Her talents were so brilliant that Jaiden thought that she had the potential to climb to that stage.


    ¡®I think she¡¯s like the youngest¡­¡¯


    Jaiden thought that the person with the greatest talent was his youngest brother but he felt that he would be changing his mind by today.


    While Jaiden was busy looking at number 3 with envy, the other children were looking at him with the same eyes. He had an overwhelming experience that no one at the age of nine could ever have. And it was something that those kids were envious of.


    However, Jaiden remained oblivious to this fact. He just strode back to the Academy building, leaving numbers 1~3 behind while mumbling that he did not understand why they were doing that to him.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Jjambap] ?? ¨C It¡¯s a ng to indicate seniority among the conscripts. It is also used to express how many years someone has worked in that field. This word originated in the military that literally means military meal or army rations. Eating a lot of jjambap/military meals meant that your stay in the military is long so you have a lot of experience. The same was true if your rank is higher, it means that you have eaten a lot of jjambap and are now more experienced than those who have eaten less jjambap.


    <b><i>TL¡¯s corner!</i></b>


    I will continue to use jjambap in the future since it¡¯s a ng that I hope to preserve in the trantion. It¡¯s something that we don¡¯t have in the Englishnguage (or do we have a simr ng or expression?).

 Chapter 13 Jjampbap Doesnt Go Anywhere (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(13)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>5</i></b><i> Jjampbap Doesn¡¯t Go Anywhere (2)</i>


    The children couldn¡¯t calm down so easily after experiencing a shocking actual battle during their first day at their academy. In particr, Jaiden¡¯s appearance was so shocking that it was deeply ingrained in everyone¡¯s minds.


    While everybody else was staring at him, Jaiden just released a sigh when he felt that his body had started to tremble and shake. Perhaps it was because he was still too young that his muscles went into shock. It seemed like his body was not working smoothly since this was his first actual battle with this body. The toll that it took on his body was quiterge after doing something so violent and shy.


    ¡®I think I need at least three days of recuperation?¡¯


    He needed at least three days of recuperation so he needed to pay attention to himself. He nned to avoid practicing too hard so he would only do some light warm ups in the meantime.


    It would have been perfect if Baepsae was here at times like these but he had rarely seen Baepsae ever since he left the duchy. With how things were going, he was wondering if the next time that he would see Baepsae was when he returned to the duchy.


    Of course, his youngest brother had told him before he left that their own divine beast would always stay next to their owner so he thought that he woulde back one day. However, he still felt a bit disappointed since Baepsae did not show up at all.


    ¡®Baepsae, that punk. I¡¯m going to give you a hard time when you get back.¡¯


    He thought about Baepsae busily pecking at its prey somewhere without knowing about it¡¯s master¡¯s mind.


    Jaiden waited for the professors toe back.


    Not long after he came back to the building, the supporting troops started to arrive at the Academy. As the troops arrived, the professors returned to their posts one by one.


    ¡°You did well, everyone. It must have been hard for everyone because it¡¯s your first time so have a good rest today.¡±


    The first professor that came in saw them and left those words to them. When the children heard the professor¡¯s words, they immediately ran towards their dormitories with their blood-soaked armor.


    Jaiden also dragged his exhausted body back to his dormitory. The first thing that he did was wash away the filth on his body. After washing away the ufortable and filthy monster blood, he quickly changed into his new clothes before trudging back out to look at the Academy¡¯sndscape.


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ we¡¯re not the only students here¡­ how is this ce structured?¡±


    He walked around but the only thing that he saw was the building housing the new students and the professors. Then, his eyes were attracted to the map on one of the walls.


    ¡°What the hell. Why does the Academy look like this?¡±


    Jaiden looked at the map with confusion.


    With the freshman academy at the center, academy buildings corresponding to each grade were located on mountain peaks with fortresses in between. Looking at the map, he could see some sort of defensive line somewhere before the mountain peaks housing every academy grade. The structure of the academy that connected and built a line of defense across the mountain range created an ideal structure that could deal with monsters with only a minimal number of people. It was a smart structure that brought the students of the academy at the forefront of the line of defense which hereby solved the Northeast¡¯s chronic problem, the shortage of troops.


    Still, the freshman academy was still located at the farthest point from the line of defense. They were pretty much located at the periphery but once their school year finished and they moved up in grade, they would get closer and closer to the frontlines.


    The area where the 6th years were located was just right behind the frontlines. It seemed like it was strategically ced there so they could easily be deployed in case of an emergency.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t thispletely smart?¡¯


    On a closer inspection, the structure and arrangement of the academy was notpletely strange. Since Jaiden was still a freshman, he was located in an area where the weakest of monsters were located. But it would change as his year and grade went up.


    It seemed like they would deal with the low-leveled monsters until their 3rd year. However, the only difference from their freshman year and their third year was the number of monsters that they fought against.


    Meanwhile, the older students were located in an area where higher-leveled monsters were teeming. To be specific, the 4th years were located where the simple and crude giant species were and the 5th years were located where the drakes and the airborne monsters were located at.


    In other words, they were teaching the students what monsters were located in a specific terrain and how they should respond against them every school year.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You can easily develop your strength and military power once you graduate.¡±


    ¡°Did you realize it all at once?¡±


    A female professor approached him from the side just as Jaiden spoke out after he determined the purpose of the academy being built like this. Jaiden only bowed his head in greeting since he did not know the name of his professor.


    ¡°I¡¯m Selina, I teach basic beast theories.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m number 13.¡±


    ¡°Your fight earlier was quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jaiden bowed his head at Selina¡¯s words. Then, he bid her goodbye. But just as he was about to leave, Selina grinned and spoke to him.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Jaiden was left in confusion after hearing Selina¡¯s question that did not pertain to any subject at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about this arrangement. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a problem?¡±


    Hearing Selina¡¯s question, Jaiden stood still as he turned to look at the map once again.


    He could tell that the structure of the academy was quite impressive in terms of fostering and nurturing talent. Even the line of defense was quite unique too. All in all, it was an ideal structure for constant and continuous monster hunting.


    In fact, this was also the same structure that the Northeast used. They would be the ones in the frontlines while they sent the monsters¡¯ body to the Center while the Center supported them with heavy munitions. However, this was a structure that did not consider arge monster wave.


    Looking at the facts in front of him, it seemed like this was the reason why the Northeast was doomed even before the monster wave began. The Northeast had been swamped byrge scale monster riots even before the signs of the monster wave started to appear.


    ¡®Just having a five-fold increase in the number of monsters will pose a problem to the Northeast.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Jaiden had noticed but he did not bother to give an answer. After all, it was not that the Northeast Command did not know of this. But something like this could not be fixed even if he noticed it all at once. It was a problem that could not be fixed due to variousplex problems entangling their situation. There were plenty of ways to solve the problem. But it was something unrealistic at this point in time.


    There was a paper that suggested a futuristic ideal saying that the Northeast could have endured more if they had done it but it was just treated as an unrealistic ideal. He was of the same mind back then. Although he wanted to use it and stop the monster waves when he was the head of the Leonhardt Family it was something that was impossible. Especially if the interests of the Imperial Family as well as other special interests were linked and put at risk.


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­</i>¡±


    Selina¡¯s eyes narrowed when she heard Jaiden¡¯s answers. She looked at him suspiciously. However, when she couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with him, all she could do was ponder deeply before making a proposal.


    ¡°If you give me a satisfactory answer then I¡¯ll give you extra points. If you¡¯re aiming for an early graduation, then this is a very important opportunity for you.¡±


    Jaiden tilted his head at her when he heard Selina¡¯s proposal. When Selina saw that Jaiden¡¯s mouth remained shut, she grinned as she added things to her proposal.


    ¡°If you give me a satisfactory answer then I¡¯ll try to convince the military science professor too. How about it?¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but shake when she gave out an attractive offer, offering not only herself but also other professors. Then he let out a sigh.


    He organized his thoughts for a moment before carefully opening his mouth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you a definite answer since I don¡¯t know the exact number and monster distribution in the area right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take that into ount.¡±


    Jaiden avoided Selina¡¯s eyes that were twinkling with anticipation as he stared at the map.


    ¡°Right now, the biggest problem in this line of defense is the Northeast Command. The central point is weak. During an emergency, we won¡¯t have the strength to gather and fight back until reinforcements from the rear arrive.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°At first nce, the front line and the rear looks like it¡¯s well established but it¡¯s just a forced arrangement due to the severeck of troops. If therees a time that the number of monsters that we can face right now increases or if arge number of monsterses down from the North, then both lines of defense will blow up in no time at all.¡±


    Selina tilted her head at Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°The size of our troops right now is more than enough to stop and deal with twice the current size of monsters that attack us.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But based on history, the usual monster wave is around 5 to 10 timesrger than the current level of monsters that we deal with. It¡¯s more than 3x the abnormal monster activity that we deal with asionally.¡±


    Selina nodded her head when Jaiden mentioned the records in history. Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he saw her nodding her head at him as if to encourage him to continue.


    ¡°It looks like the Northeast is aware of this and they have already taken quite a number of steps so they can ensure to get the reinforcements from the rear quickly but¡­¡±


    Jaiden stared at the points that indicated the air base as well as therge warp gate. Although they could be easily opened and closed and were located at the rear, he knew that it would be useless if that time ever came.


    If the monsters were toe down and wreak havoc on arge scale then the mana fog would also engulf the air base. Flight would also be difficult since it would be hard to prate through the tremendous amount of flying monsters in the area. It would be ideal if the ground forces and the air forces would be able to move together and help each other properly but the problem was that they wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it until that time came.


    ¡°When a monster wave urs, the Northeast will be wiped out.¡±


    ¡°So, is the answer recruitment? Troops recruitment?¡±


    ¡°I think that is the most basic solution, yes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something else?¡±


    ¡°Build our own strength in the Northeast and be self-sufficient.¡±


    Selina was surprised by Jaiden¡¯s answer. She couldn¡¯t help but tilt her head in thought. The answer that she expected from him was building a base at the rear to foster additional troops so they could have rapid and fast support from the rear.


    Selina¡¯s eyes glistened when she heard a different answer from him.


    ¡°Self-sufficient?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Currently, the Northeast is heavily relying on the Center so we¡¯re doing something like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the military supplies? But we can¡¯t farm here, we don¡¯t have any people here?¡±


    ¡°Business is possible.¡±


    ¡°Selling the monsters¡¯ bodies? Will the merchants evene all the way here for that?¡±


    Jaiden thought for a moment after hearing Selina¡¯s words. Then, he opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have a river in the Northeast that runs to the East?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s teeming with monsters too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s not that far from the East.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t have any sailors.¡±


    Jaiden nodded at Selina.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to make a connection with the Eastern Navy. I heard that the Northeastern part of the Eastern Navy receives the least support from the center.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. There aren¡¯t as many naval troops in therepared to the Southeast and it¡¯s not as developed as the major cities in the East. There¡¯s also a lot of monsters there too.¡±


    ¡°Then, there¡¯s a possibility. If we can ce the Eastern Navy¡¯s power into the river together with some of our forces and clean up the river of the monsters, then we will both have security.¡±


    Jaiden thought about what he had nned back then in the North. It was something that came to mind while he was trying his hardest to somehow rebuild the North that was devastated by the monsters.


    With Leonhardt¡¯s strong fortress as the center of the frontline he dreamt of deploying troops around the river while dealing with the monsters. Then, he would create a factory-likeplex that would export the monsters¡¯ bodies to the center. He also wanted to build castles and strongholds around the river in case of emergencies. With that, he would be able to gradually expand the scale of his operations.


    But the center couldn¡¯t just leave him alone. There was no way for him to undermine their interests. In addition, the Imperial Family was so shitty and trashy that they were only preupied with strengthening their Imperial Power even at the expense of the Northerners.


    He failed back then, but he thought that it should be possible here in the Northeast. Unlike the North, the Northeast¡¯s location was quite far from the center. In addition, their military was also independent from them so his dream of achievingplete independence might be possible.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°If our strength, the monsters¡¯ bodies, and the Eastern Navy are linked together then there¡¯s a possibility that the Northeast will develop its trading and be able to trade with other continents.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>They¡¯re good. But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be that much. Maybe just about the same amount as the amount that we deliver to the Center?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to rely on the Center.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Selina¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Jaiden curiously.


    ¡°Rare herbs, animal skins and other items that only grow here are items that are popr with the high-ranking people. To be honest,pared to the value of what the Northeast gives, the munitions from the Center seem to be too poor.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that¡­ we should stop giving the monsters¡¯ bodies to the center?¡±


    ¡°We have to give them some. I think we can just give them a portion, enough to pay off the tax. Then, we can move the rest to another area.¡±


    ¡°That sounds unrealistic, right? Isn¡¯t it better to just leave it in the Center?¡±


    Jaiden nodded at Selina¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard at first. That¡¯s why, based on the various problems that we¡¯re experiencing right now, we should continue toy the groundwork and make requests for support troops. If it¡¯s difficult to provide arge-scale troop in the fastest time, we should at least request an increase in the amount of munitions that they give us for support. If we do that, then we can buy some time until we can make secret contact with the Eastern Navy and upy the Northeast¡¯s river basin.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Good. So what if we start being self-sufficient with that? Are we supposed to wage war with the Center?¡±


    ¡°Then, we can prepare for the Northeast¡¯s independence in conjunction with the North. That way, we will gain more freedom from the Center.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 14 Jjampbap Doesnt Go Anywhere (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(14)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>5</i></b><i> Jjampbap Doesn¡¯t Go Anywhere (3)</i>


    Selina asked Jaiden foolishly. It seemed like the answer that Jaiden gave her was truly something that was unexpected.


    ¡°Do you think that even makes sense?¡±


    Hearing her skeptical words, Jaiden just calmly spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that can¡¯t be done. The North has also developed a lot. They also have a lot ofints with the Center. Besides most of the Northerners are gathered around the Leonhardts so if we can convince them, then everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>Even if we can persuade those beasts, wouldn¡¯t we be isted once the North falls?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s not only the North that hasints about the Center. Isn¡¯t there one more ce that¡¯s pissed off by theck of support from the Center?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­ </i>The West.¡±


    The West was a ce that faced numerous borders and countries. It was a ce where disputes and skirmishes always happened. Although it made huge money through trade, it was like a money sinkhole due to the money that they poured out to resolve the conflicts that they always experienced.


    However, the current Central Politics did not have any political settlement with other countries. How could they even achieve a settlement with other countries when they themselves were in a political dispute. This situation was something that the West found frustrating. After all, conflicts would continue to rise in their area if the Center did not settle with the other countries.


    ¡°As long as we can achieve cooperation with the West with the backing of the forces from the North¡­¡±


    ¡°The East and the West can be reconnected through the North?¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not only the West. There are definitely some Lords in the East and the South that are unhappy with the Center. To be specific, the Eastern Merchant Union. They pay huge amounts of taxes to the Center every time but the Center¡¯s response to pirates has always been lukewarm. They might be unhappy with them too.¡±


    Selina looked at Jaiden as if she was asking if he knew something like that too. After pondering over his answer, she couldn¡¯t help but just nod heavily. She was just trying to listen to Jaiden¡¯s thoughts with a light heart but she heard a lot more things than what she initially thought she would hear. If she were able to write a paper based on what Jaiden had said, then she could get it to the Northern Command for a review.


    ¡®Although it¡¯s like a shot to the moon, there are still a few things that are worth examining.¡¯


    Selina easily figured out the possibility so she continued to ponder deeply before speaking to Jaiden.


    ¡°What you said today¡­ Can I talk about it with other people?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Right. I understand. I¡¯ve heard your thoughts on this well. I¡¯ll make sure to tell the military science professor too! Thanks!¡±


    He did not know what passed through her head but all Jaiden could do was shake his head as he watched her disappear from his sight. Then, he finally left the spot where he was standing.


    At this point, Jaiden had no idea what awaited him. All that passed through his head was the fact that he could collect additional points after answering her question. He was happy that he could already start collecting points for his early graduation.


    In fact, the thoughts that he told her was something that he had thought about in his previous life. However, he failed to put them into action. He did not even think that it would be done here since his words couldn¡¯t change the situation in the Northeast. It was literally just a dream within a dream. After all, the Northeast would not be able to escape from the Center¡¯s tight grip.


    ¡°I wonder where our Baepsae is¡­¡±


    Jaiden was left with nothing to do since all of their sses for the day had been cancelled due to the sudden monster invasion. So he went under the shade of a tree andid down.


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    For a moment, he thought that he misheard so he looked around for a moment. However, there was no sign of Baepsae at all.


    ¡°Am I hallucinating?¡±


    Perhaps he hallucinated and thought that he heard Baepsae because he missed the tiny bird very much.


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    Jaiden hurriedly raised his head when he heard the sound of Baepsae from above him. Looking above him he finally saw the figure that he had missed so much. Baepsae¡¯s body was a cacophony of colors with the dominant rare blue feathers covering all over its body mixed with some yellows and reds.


    His face lit up when he saw that the punk had finally appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Baepsae-yah!¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    Baepsae pped its small wings as itnded gently on Jaiden¡¯s head after hearing his call. Then, as if knowing how hard things were for Jaiden, Baepsae immediately tweeted and chirped, singing a song that only it knew. Jaiden¡¯s eyes slipped close after listening to Baepsae¡¯s song. He only opened his eyes after its chirping had finished.


    ¡°Punk¡­¡±


    The song was not that long but he could feel that his body was filled with energy. Even his consumed mana had been recovered as it started to spin and run in his mana circuit.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    He stroked its cute and tiny head, when Jaiden saw the small bird nodding. It looked like it was telling him that what it did was nothing at all. Then, he asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere else are you?¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet!</i>


    ¡°<i>Hmm? </i>You got a new friend? You like that friend more than me?¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet! Tweet!</i>


    Jaiden felt jealous so he tapped his fingers on its small wings.


    ¨D<i>Tweet! Tweet!</i>


    ¡°Your friend is around here? <i>Hmm¡­</i>¡±


    Jaiden looked disappointed when he saw Baepsae¡¯s gaze. It seemed like the cute bird was telling him that it woulde to him whenever he was having a hard time so he should train hard.


    ¡°Our Baepsae have a severe wanderlust.¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    Jaiden watched the bird nkly as Baepsae kicked him hard and flew away from him.


    <i>Our Baepsae is heartless.</i>


    However, thanks to Baepsae, he felt a bit refreshed. Since the fatigue that he had felt due to the battle earlier had disappeared to some extent, he turned to return to his dormitory after taking onest look around the academy.


    The next day, they were all officially seated in the ssroom.


    Even though they were attending a military academy, they still needed to study the necessary and basic curriculum to learn some basicmon sense. Thanks to this, they were required to study military science and basic beast theories as their basic courses. Unlike other academies where they were allowed to find things that they wanted to learn, onlypulsory subjects were given to them to learn.


    The ss was also divided. They even added thepetition system to their curriculum so the 1st ss were those from 1~30 and will be cut off after that. The other sses would also be cut off every 30th student. The rankings and the ss would also change every four months. And for the students who had to maintain or raise their current rankings, hell had finally begun.


    Since they were in a military academy, their main focus stilly on military science and basic beast theories. And this was where the problem began.


    ¡°Number 13?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I heard from Selina. I will give you extra points.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    There was no problem with calling him out with everyone around him but as soon as they heard that he was being given extra points, the rest of the children began to look at them questioningly.


    They were all wondering what Jaiden did to get those extra points. However, they soon knew the reason. It was because the military science professor kept on asking Jaiden questions to confirm if what Selina had told him was true.


    Although it was the most basic questions about military science, it still felt a bit problematic since he was answering those questions without any difficulties at all.


    And whenever Jaiden answered his question perfectly, the military science professor would throw a more difficult question. The problem was that the professor thought that he could not answer it but Jaiden had a lot of jjambap so he answered the question without thinking about it.


    ¡°Well done. I look forward to more next time.¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Jaiden felt embarrassed when the professor finished their first ss after he asked him those questions. Still, even though he had a lot of jjambap, he still made a lot of progress after being asked those questions by the professor continuously.


    And the next subject was basic beast theories¡­


    Selina must have heard the news too since she had a strange expression on her face. But it seemed like she just went along with the flow as she asked Jaiden one question after another.


    Unlike military science, basic beast theories was a subject that had a lot of questions that couldn¡¯t be answered without any real knowledge. So when Jaiden answered all of her questions, both Selina and the rest of the students looked at him dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°<i>Uhm¡­</i>¡±


    Since he was tired from the military science professor¡¯s barrage of questions, he thought that he should just roughly answer Selina¡¯s questions. He knew that he should pretend that he did not know but he just answered everything unknowingly because he was exhausted.


    ¡°A¡­ A goblin¡¯s habit?¡±


    This was the first time that Selina had even heard of a goblin¡¯s habit.


    The goblin¡¯s unusual habit was something that should be known 10 yearster. It was their weakness to be exact. Smelling too much rotten milk or rotten fruit would make them feel like they were drunk.


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but pause when he realized that he unknowingly blurted out those words.


    ¡®Did I mess up?¡¯


    It was a weakness that was not yet known at this time. He only knew of it back when the northern part of the country had fallen and was devastated and everyone was fleeing. They identally found this weakness while they watched the goblins that upied a vige that was filled with rotten food.


    Jaiden avoided Selina¡¯s gaze as his back got drenched with cold sweat.


    And just like that, the basic beast theories lesson had ended. Jaiden had to be bombarded with questions from all of the professors in the theoretical sses.


    In fact, the basics were not something that difficult for Jaiden so he could easily answer their questions. However, when he tried to refuse to pay any more attention to the professor¡¯s questions, the professor threatened him that he would give him penalty points if he hesitated to answer him. So he had no choice but to continue answering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think number 13 is suited to be a freshman.¡±


    ¡°Is it because their level is too different?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>But it isn¡¯t customary to bypass the first year, you know? We have no choice but to leave him here for a year or so.¡±


    ¡°But at this point, there¡¯s no point in having that student listen to our lectures. Right?¡±


    The professors had gathered to discuss Jaiden. During their time teaching in the academy, they had experienced some students that did not need to learn the basics. However, they did not have a problem with them since they usually had a hard time studying once they entered their 2nd~3rd years. The problem was that Jaiden¡¯s level was far beyond that. The theory and basics that they were teaching here in the academy waspletely meaningless to Jaiden.


    In the first ce, he came here to turn himself into a war weapon. After all, he knew that this ce was the weakest in terms of the theories and the basics.


    ¡°Thesis.¡±


    Selina suddenly spoke about a thesis after listening quietly to the others. The other professors turned to look at her in unison.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test number 13¡¯smon sense and basic theories at the level of the 6th years. Then, let¡¯s get him to write a thesis in military science and basic beast theories.¡±


    ¡°From a nine year old?¡±


    The military science professor looked at her absurdly. However, all she could do was show him a helpless face.


    ¡°I understand the test. But it takes time to prepare for a thesis. Right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So don¡¯t you think that number 13 should prepare his personal thesis in military science and basic beast theories sses?¡±


    The military science professor nodded his head heavily at her words.


    ¡°Above all, we should keep it a secret that number 13 is a genius.¡±


    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it better if rumors spread?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically speaking, if his genius is to be highlighted then other local academies will take him from us!¡±


    Selina red at the bald professor who just spoke nonsense earlier.


    ¡°But he¡¯s a soldier?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. There are a lot of military academies here so if the Center gives out their orders then he could easily be taken away from us.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I see.¡±


    Everyone nodded their heads at Selina¡¯s words.


    Just like that, all of the professors gave Jaiden a special test and a thesis assignment following Selina¡¯s words. Everyone felt jealous with the special treatment that Jaiden was receiving but they did not make any move. Perhaps they were blinded by Jaiden¡¯s spectacr moves during the battle before.


    Then, after Jaiden received a perfect score on his tests, he finally wrote a thesis in military science and basic beast theories.


    Jaiden thought that he should justpletely end all of these tedious theoretical sses so he wrote a thesis on everything that he knew. And when he thought that he wascking something, he would study rted materials and books from the academy which added flesh to the knowledge in his head.


    However, since he was preparing two papers at once, they were written almost simrly. But that was something that he did not need to care about. He wasn¡¯t even a professor. Besides, he was just nine years old right now so he gave up thinking that this was more than enough.


    And the next day¡­


    ¡°Number 13.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The military science professor called out to Jaiden with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re now out of the theoretical ss.¡±


    <i>Notes:</i>


    [Adding flesh to the knowledge] ¨C means adding details to an idea, n or argument. Making it moreplete and better.

 Chapter 15 Id Rather Take Theoretical Classes… (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(15)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>6</i></b><i> I¡¯d Rather Take Theoretical sses¡­ (1)</i>


    Jaiden suddenly had time to spare after he stopped taking theoretical sses. But just leaving Jaiden alone was not giving respect to their reputation as the worst academy in the Empire. So the professors wanted to figure out how good he was by knowing how Jaiden would respond to certain actions. They also wanted to figure out how skillful he was.


    ¡°Number 13.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll move with us from now on.¡±


    Several men with military uniforms moved with Jaiden. These men looked nothing like knights. The guns and several other weapons strapped on their bodies seemed to be a great indication of this.


    ¡°Are you rangers?¡±


    ¡°It seems like you have a good eye there, huh? I heard that you have been active since day one.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? I heard that you¡¯re good at weapons too? You shoulde to us and be a rangerter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll treat you nicely. There¡¯s no one better than rangers when ites to gaining hands-on experiences.¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s single sentence made all of the men happy. They began to chatter and babble about how proud they were to be rangers. Perhaps it was also because of their pride as rangers that they treated Jaiden nicely whenever he answered them with a bit of wit and knowledge here and there.


    At first, they wanted to scare Jaiden and figure out how good he was but when they left the academy, they were all singing praises to Jaiden as if he was their child that grew up well.


    When they heard that he had already ughtered the lowest-ranked monsters, the goblins, they immediately passed over their area and went straight to the level above the goblin¡¯s area.


    ¡°This is a safe area with only low-leveled monsters but you know that there are mutants too. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°From now on, we will be going to the area where the hobgoblins and the goblin warriors are.¡±


    ¡°We have to be careful since we¡¯re at the border of the goblin and the gremlin-infested areas.¡±


    Jaiden nodded his head at the rangers¡¯ warnings. He also made sure to check the weapons that he had brought.


    There were guns that were simr to the guns in the real world here too but there were also a variety of weapons that were created and developed with this world¡¯s unique technology. There were even weapons here that did not fit the times. These items that did not fit the times were due to magic alone.


    From what he had heard, the people here had been living like in the middle ages just 200 years ago. In other words, rapid progress had been made ever since that time. There was an incident that happened 200 years ago that led to the appearance of dungeons. Ever since then, the scientific system of this world has long be mixed.


    However, there was no historical data left about that time. So he was still not sure of the authenticity of the rumors that he had heard. He was so busy looking into the monsters back then so he did not have the time to check about the authenticity. In addition, he was also not interested enough to dig deep and look into the history of this world.


    Anyway, thanks to the mixture of magic, science and technology, grenades and other modern-like weapons were dangling all over Jaiden¡¯s body. He was equipped with sh bombs, smoke bombs and bombs of various types. There were even two cartridges filled with magical bullets loaded on the outside of thepartment on his shoulders. His armor was also fortified and was much stronger than a modern bulletproof vest from the special forces. It even hadpartments and pouches that allowed him to carry ammunition, daggers, waters, maps andnterns.


    Normally, they wouldn¡¯t need to carry water and food since there was a subspace pouch. However, these pouches sometimes tend to fail in the presence of mana fog so it was necessary for them to carry around a small amount in case of emergencies.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    There were only four people moving out together. However, the three men that apanied Jaiden were all veterans. In addition, Jaiden had umted a lot of experience in his previous life. This was a line-up that was heavily experienced in battle so they could easily deal with the monsters that they expected to face.


    ¡°Shall we see what our junior can do?¡±


    After spotting a few goblins from a distance, the rangers turned to Jaiden. Jaiden just nodded his head as he pulled his dagger out. He moved quickly and assassinated the goblin all at once.


    During the beta test, he trained to assassinate in order to cover his poor talents and performance so doing something this simple was easy for him.


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing that I haven¡¯t done because Icked the talent.¡¯


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but tough bitterly when he remembered his past. His past where he learned all kinds of killing techniques and movements just so he could survive.


    ¡°<i>Ho¡­ </i>Is that an assassination technique?¡±


    Jaiden just smiled bitterly when he heard the ranger¡¯s words. The ranger next to him shook his head when he saw the other man talking. It was customary in the Northeast to never ask about a person¡¯s past. After all, some people came to the Northeast to enlist and hide from their past.


    ¡°This¡­ Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Jaiden nodded his head showing that he was alright as they continued their operations.


    This time, their goal was to check whether there was a mana core or not. In case of a formal military operation, the first thing that they needed to check was the presence of a dimensional crack. But since he was only nine years old, he was only tasked to look for mana cores for teaching purposes.


    asionally, dimensional cracks would appear and spread out contaminated energy in the surrounding area. Even if the dimensional crack was removed, the surrounding area would already be contaminated with the dimensional mana. Therge quantity of dimensional mana would then cause an abnormal surge of mana. This was how a mana core was created.


    Mana would turn into a mana stone if it continuously piled up in one area. And if the mana stone continued to absorb mana, then a mana core would be created. A mana core was an item that could create mana by itself.


    One would believe that having more mana was not a problem but even though mana is helpful to humans, it was also a great factor in the strengthening of monsters. This meant that mana was both beneficial and harmful to humans.


    Mana cores could amplify mana by itself so there would be problems if this was left behind. For example, if a mana core was left in a goblin stronghold then the goblins would be stronger. Strong enough to be on par with ogres.


    Therefore, it was more important than anything else to search and collect the mana cores for their defense.


    If Jaidenpared it to his real world, then it was no different from the intensive management of an area for decades due to excessive radiation. The northeastern part of the country was also managed intensively for more than 100 years due to the fact that it was an area whererge-scaled cracks had urred before. It was just like an area where a nuclear power nt ident had urred.


    ¡°We found a group of goblins 30 meters ahead. We estimate that there are more than twenty in the group.¡±


    ¡°We found three gnoll warriors 1 kilometer to the left.¡±


    ¡°There are gremlins 700 meters to the right. The area is estimated to be close to the gremlin area.¡±


    The rangers kept on checking what monsters were around them through the magic tool <i>Hawkeye</i>. At the same time, they continued to kill monsters that were not stimted easily as they searched the terrain for the area where a mana core might be located.


    During this process, Jaiden was also asked to kill monsters or go to a search point so they could test him. It was like a jjam, but the task was too easy for the rangers that it was a bit vague to call it jjam.


    The problem was that it was now going on for one day, two days and three days. So Jaiden was already starting to get tired. No matter how much mana he had in his body, he was still just a child so he was bound to lose stamina.


    ¡°This¡­ It seems like we don¡¯t have much to teach you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It looks like you know most of the things about survival. Right?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>I think we¡¯ll have to teach him more of the rangers¡¯ skills to say that we have taught him¡­¡±


    The rangers looked at him in embarrassment.


    The basic thing about survival was moving like the skills were engraved in your flesh. He knew how to distinguish between grass and edible nts. He also knew how to determine his location. He even marked the trees so he wouldn¡¯t get lost. He also knew how to look at maps and how to deal surprise attacks. Even his stealth and observation skills were excellent. Especially with monsters. It seemed like he knew how to distinguish where the monsters had passed by to some extent. His handling and use of weapons were also superb. In a nutshell, one could say that he had already mastered the basic skills of a ranger.


    ¡°How are you so good at using guns, let alone swordsmanship? Where did you learn?¡±


    ¡°I studied a bit.¡±


    Jaiden smiled bitterly at the ranger¡¯s question. In fact, Jaiden was actually most familiar with a gun. He used guns when he served in the military in his real world and he always carried a gun duringrge-scaled wars in his previous life here.


    He had seen other people wield only a sword with their mana. They looked like they could easily swing them and sh at their opponents. In fact, they looked like they were just scoring a goal with how easy it looked. He had seen them so often with other people and other users of the game but they still died one by one.


    There were a lot of ways to be strong. They could use magic spells, swords, spirits, magical engineering, druid charm and many other methods. Many users who had obtained them had quickly be strong. But it was him and not them who survived until the very end.


    He survived thanks to all the knowledge that he had learned. From killing monsters to survival methods. All of these had helped him to survive, albeit desperately.


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>He can¡¯t take the test like this.¡±


    It was necessary for them to push Jaiden to his limits so they could know the way to teach Jaiden in the future more clearly. So they did something crazy.


    The ranger suddenly showed his true skills. He shot and killed the monsters around him. In an instant, the surrounding area was engulfed with the scent of blood.


    ¡°What did you do¡­¡±


    Jaiden looked at the ranger in surprise. However, the ranger just smiled as he spoke to him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be two kilometers ahead of you. Follow us there.¡±


    ¡°If you do that, then we¡¯ll finish this test immediately.¡±


    After leaving those words, the rangers moved forward first. Then, the monsters that smelled the blood started to appear one by one.


    ¡°This crazy¡­¡±


    Jaiden hurriedly tried to catch up to the rangers while muttering abusivenguage against their crazy actions.


    First and foremost, he needed to get out of this area that was reeking with blood. He quickly detonated a smoke bomb when he saw a variety of wolves gathering in the surrounding area. He also threw another bomb as he bounced off another on another side. Then, a group of goblins suddenly attacked Jaiden. They shot their poisonous saliva over at Jaiden. There were also dozens of gremlins that were roaming around in the air. They looked like they were hunting for prey as they swooped in and aimed for Jaiden and the goblins.


    Jaiden quickly scanned the terrain before throwing a sh bomb and jumping down. If it was just about surviving and not killing monsters, then using sh bombs and smoke bombs were already effective enough. Jaiden actually used those bombs so he could widen the path that he was going to take.


    He couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth as he followed the rangers¡¯ tracks. He fired bullets and threw his daggers to keep the monsters that he encountered in check while he moved to find the traces of the rangers.


    When he finally arrived where the rangers were, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked when he realized that there was only one person standing in front of him.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­ </i>Is¡­ it the end?¡±


    There was only one ranger that stood in front of him while the other two watched from a distance in case Jaiden was attacked by a monster. However, the rangers¡¯ expression stiffened when he really broke through the monsters and reached the ce where they were.


    The training that they asked Jaiden to do was actually a test for those who wanted to apply to be rangers. This was one of the tests included in one of the worst training that the soldiers underwent. It was one of the tests conducted during Hell Survival.


    He was not even a graduate yet so they did not expect much from him. They did not even expect him to pass this test since he just entered the school. And although the real test for rangers was much brutal and harder than this, his performance for his age was already more than surprising enough.


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°This is a bit difficult.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    The rangers looked at Jaiden with a difficult expression on their faces.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, would you like to get a Ranger¡¯s Certificate before you graduate from the academy?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Jaiden stared nkly at the rangers. He couldn¡¯t help but look wearily at the rangers that wereughing wickedly.


    ¡°Shall we have the youngest ranger ever?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we just let him go like this then he might get taken in by the knights. Then all that we did was for nothing. Shall we roll him for a bit longer?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a monster ranger!¡±


    The rangers that apanied him all reached a consensus. They stayed in the forest far longer than their scheduled outing so they could make Jaiden into a proper ranger.


    Of course, there was an added bonus in the process of rolling hard in the forest with the rangers. Unlike the first time when they were only trying to teach Jaiden the basic skills in survival, they were now teaching him skills that he should learn in the ranger¡¯s formal training. After all, Jaiden already knew most of the basic things about survival.


    Later, Jaiden took off his polite mask as he cursed at them. He was rolled so hard to the point that he even begged them to let him go.


    Jaiden was only able to return after being rolled hard in the forest for 15 days due to the greed of the rangers. However, this was not the end. This time, the knights were the ones toe to Jaiden. They must have heard about the rangers¡¯ greed for Jaiden so they came here to try and drag Jaiden to them.


    All Jaiden could do was stare at the bright blue sky with hazy eyes as he mumbled to himself¡­


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­ </i>I just want it all to end.¡±


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Jjam] ? ¨C from jjambap. Jjam means experienced or gaining experience. So they¡¯re basically saying that Jaiden was gaining jjam/experience.

 Chapter 16 Id Rather Take Theoretical Classes… (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(16)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>6</i></b><i> I¡¯d Rather Take Theoretical sses¡­ (2)</i>


    While Jaiden was busy regretting the fact that he worked hard on his theoretical sses, the knights came to him. Their eyes were all zing with a sense of duty. They were trying to prevent others from taking a talented seedling away from their grasp.


    This time, Jaiden was being rolled hard in a corner of the training grounds. Another kind of hell began for him when the knights recognized that he had great skills in swordsmanship.


    The knights, in the name of testing his physical strength, trained him with the soldiers to hone his discipline and basic swordsmanship.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°You got a pretty solid foundation there. We can even start with the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship right now.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Your sword skills are good, number 13.¡±


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­ </i>Yes.¡±


    ¡°You told us that you did not learn any other swordsmanship, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    After hearing Jaiden¡¯s answer, the knights looked at him in satisfaction. Then they began to teach him Imperial Basic Swordsmanship.


    There were two great forces in the Northeast Army. One was the Great Monster Special Response Corps, who worked with swordsmanship and directbat to deal with monsters, while the other was the Special Reconnaissance Unit that specialized in exploring special terrains and responding to monsters.


    They were generally called Monster Knights and Monster Rangers and were the two key forces of the Northeast. They were a group of people with strong self-esteem and pride so they always put a check on each other. Never wanting the other to one up them.


    As a result of this rivalry, the Knights had moved to try and take away Jaiden, the person that the rangers had been eyeing.


    It did not matter if he did not have any talent but when they came to him, they found out that Jaiden¡¯s foundation on basic swordsmanship was extremely solid. This meant that Jaiden had a talent to be a knight. And once the knights realized this, they could not sit still anymore as they began to roll him like crazy.


    The Imperial Basic Swordsmanship as well as the proper use of magic for monster hunting and warfare were only taught once the student reached the upper years in the academy but Jaiden was learning them all right now. The problem was that learning all of them at once was not an easy feat.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    After finally realizing that they had rolled him too hard, the knights gave Jaiden a break with a slightly apologetic look on their faces. Once the knights stepped back to give him space, Baepsae, who had been away on a trip, came back and settled on Jaiden¡¯s head.


    ¡°Baepsae-yah. I think I¡¯m going to die.¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    Baepsae patted Jaiden¡¯s head with its tiny wings to tell him that he had worked hard. The bird also made sure to sing a song for him to recover his mana and stamina.


    After Jaiden had recovered his strength, the knights started his hellish training once more.


    When the rangers heard about this, they became furious. So they began to take him on training sessions outside. The knights couldn¡¯t help but burst in rage when this happened.


    But it wasn¡¯t just the knights who were furious. Even the academy professors were furious. After all, they also had their eyes on Jaiden.


    If they lost a genius like Jaiden to the knights and the rangers, then it would not be a very pleasant experience for them. They thought that it was good for Jaiden to grow stronger but they had hoped that he would grow up more on the intellectual side and do something big as a schr. If that did not work, then they wanted him to at least be amissioned officer that made big achievements with his strategy and tactics.


    From this point on, a more zing hell began for Jaiden. It was because Jaiden was also asked to help the professor of the basic beast theories from time to time.


    But contrary to what was expected, Jaiden was not the only one who was undergoing such a hell.


    At first, the children looked at Jaiden enviously. But when they saw how hard Jaiden was being rolled, they started to look at him with pity. But then, something happened. After around two months of Jaiden¡¯s hellish training, something began to change in him. And the kids all saw this change.


    It was a fact that he was being rolled hard by the knights and the rangers. Whenever Jaiden trained and went out with the knights, he would asionally engage in practical battles against them. The children still looked at him with pity when they saw this but suddenly, his movements began to change.


    Knowing the technique with your head and moving around using the technique was not the same thing. It was also true for experience. Even if one had a lot of experience, their movements would still differ once the technique was engraved in their bodies.


    During the past months, Jaiden always went out to gain hands-on experience with the rangers while he trained hard on his swordsmanship with the knights. He had been working hard for so long that the experience and swordsmanship that he had achieved in his past life was already starting to fuse with his basic swordsmanship.


    As a result, his Imperial Basic Swordsmanship, a swordsmanship that was derived from the basic swordsmanship, was also affected.


    ¡°Are we going to be left behind like this?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Two boys, the first and second on the military academy ranking, were looking at the corner of the training field with serious looks on their faces. They could see that number 13 was still being rolled hard.


    However, there was something different from before. Right now, number 3 was also being guided by the knights on one side.


    Number 3 had put aside her sword training for a while to focus on studying hard on their theoretical sses. She made sure to finish all of the homework, exams and studying that she needed for the semester before going to the training field. And right now, she was already focusing on building her strength on one side of the training field.


    Numbers 1 and 2 looked at the scene with a solemn expression on their faces. However, they weren¡¯t the only ones staring at the training field. All of the other top ranking students were staring at the scene with envy.


    On this day, the day when number 3 was formally epted by the knights for training, the students¡¯ minds were filled with zing determination as they began to study like crazy.


    In the first ce, the military academy was a ce that put more importance on practical skills than theoretical skills so the students would be able to finish their studies anytime if they put their minds into it.


    So when the professors saw this, they helped increase the pace of the sses so the students could add the rest of their free time and ss time for training. After sessfullypleting their studies for the semester, all of the academy freshmen asked the knights and the rangers for permission to train with Jaiden.


    When Jaiden saw this, he wanted to tell his stupid ssmates to turn back instead of walking down this hellish path on their own volition. But the knights and rangers were already weing them with open arms.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Is it hard? Look to your side.¡±


    The students who willingly walked to hell on their own looked to their side as per the knight¡¯s instruction. There they saw Jaiden being rolled hard by the other knights.


    ¡°He did this a few months earlier than you, punks. That just shows how much stronger he is than you right now.¡±


    The students¡¯ eyes that had been dimmed with exhaustion began toe back to life after hearing the knight¡¯s words. The moment the knight saw this, a ghost of a smile appeared in his mouth before walking away from them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of swordsmanship you have learned so far. Throw away all of those swordsmanship from your mind starting today. Swordsmanship like that is a luxury for your age.¡±


    ¡°Build your foundation first. Or else, everything that you have built so far will eventually copse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to learn the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship. You can be strong in any way you want. But! Your foundation must be solid.¡±


    ¡°You can only do this much? But there¡¯s a kid that¡¯s much younger than you that¡¯s being rolled harder?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a monster? What about number 3? They¡¯re both nine years old. So what about you? What about you who¡¯s much older than them?¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re both monsters then what are you? Didn¡¯t youe here in the first ce to be hailed as a genius?¡±


    Even if the children were all exhausted and on the verge of copse, they still trained desperately after hearing the knights¡¯ words.


    One might think that rolling these children too hard would be hurting them, but the knights were all professionals. They would only roll them to a level where they could grow before giving them ample time to rest. They would never exceed this limit. Thanks to this, even though their training was like hell, they still experienced a very fulfilling and effective growth in terms of physical strength.


    Afterying their foundation while being rolled hard like dogs, the children started to show that their foundations were being built solidly. From that point on, the knights began to teach them through joint training.


    Originally, the academy professors would teach them the basics while the knights would roll them hard. So it was only natural that the professors in charge of military science and basic swordsmanship would not let this pass by them. They joined together to devise a more systematic training method for the children.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the end of the children¡¯s so-called hell.


    The professors in charge of basic beast theories as well as basic ranger skills had also joined together to design a more realistic training system.


    Because of this, their hell became longer. However, their growth grew exponentially the longer they endured this pain.


    And just like that, rumors had started to spread in the academy¡¯s upper years. The rumors about the freshmen being crazy bastards as well as the rumors about them growing monstrously through a hell-like training started to spread in the academy.


    Number 13 and number 3 were at the forefront of these rumors. Rumor has it that number 3, with her monstrous swordsmanship, and number 13, with his monstrous skills and experiences, were leading the entire freshmen year. There were also rumors that numbers 1 and 2 were leading the rest of the students to the point that they became as powerful as the 2nd~3rd grades.


    Naturally, the 2nd and 3rd years began to protest.


    When they came here, they were hailed as geniuses. Because of that, they endured the strict training system in this ce. So they found it unpleasant that the new students were rubbing against them even though those kids were being hailed as monsters.


    Sometimes, there were one or two monsters that would be rubbed against them forparison. Something like that could be easily smacked down. However, a whole grade trying to rub against them was something that they could not let go.


    In the end, the representatives of the 2nd year, the top 10 rankers, asked for a military academy tour in the first year¡¯s area.


    And the academy professors who wanted to show off their new students agreed to their requests.


    Even though the military academy was extremely simr to the military and something like this was usually not allowed, the Northern Command just closed one eye and ignored this. After all, the upper years still had their pride that they needed to protect.


    In fact, more than taking issue with this, they were also curious about the rumors. They were wondering whether the new students were really ahead of the other grades in terms of strength.


    ¡°Nice to see you. I¡¯m 2nd year¡¯s number 1.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    The professor of military science nodded his head when the kid that he had not seen in a while greeted him as the number 1 of the 2nd years. Since the military science professor was one of the oldest professors in the military academy he knew most of them and his credibility was high. So 2nd year¡¯s number 1 immediately asked him about the matters that they were curious about.


    ¡°So¡­ Where are our cute juniors?¡±


    ¡°They should be at the training grounds around this time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The representatives, 2nd year¡¯s number 1 as well as the rest of the top rankers, immediately headed to the training grounds after saying their greetings to the professor.


    When they arrived, they saw more than 300 students rolling hard under the guidance of the knights. Some of the knights were even ying tricks on some students. The freshmen just gritted their teeth as they tried to hit the knights that were ying around with them.


    The problem was that this was not the normal sparring that the upper years knew of. The knights were really hitting and threatening the children like they were in a real fight. It looked like the knights found it amusing so they joined together and cracked the young students happily.


    They also trained like it was the real thing in their 2nd year but they were not like this when they were still freshmen. So he couldn¡¯t help but admit it.


    ¡°This is a lot more violent than the training that we did before.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The professors weren¡¯t talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°They have already overtaken us in terms of training.¡±


    Although it was just the first quarter, they had also gone on missions. No matter how much the rangers took them out to train like it was the real deal, training and performing on a mission was still something different. So they still stubbornly held their pride.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m 2nd year¡¯s number 1.¡±


    When the representatives of the 2nd year approached and greeted them, the knights stopped the training to greet them back.


    ¡°We came here after hearing the rumors. It seems like our juniors in the first year are starting to get ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°<i>Uhm</i>¡­ So there¡¯s a rumor like that. But still, they¡¯re rookies that have only just started learning.¡±


    The number 1 of the 2nd year spoke firmly after hearing what the knight said.


    ¡°The more we watch, the more certain we are. Just like the military values hierarchy, I think the military academy should do too. We want to take this opportunity to prove that the rumors are not true.¡±


    A first year student came forward when the knights, who were looking at them in confusion, declined to speak.


    ¡°I think it would be a problem if we did not listen to what our seniors say. We will ept that.¡±


    ¡°Can this be done?¡±


    The knights sighed and nodded when they heard the words of the 2nd year representative. They had already foreseen something like this from the moment they heard that they had requested for a tour. The senior professors had secretly created this situation in fear that the hierarchy would copse so the knights had no choice but to ept this.


    A simple and small sparring area was created after swords and light gloves were prepared for the spar.


    ¡°Go and wipe them out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t need toe out.¡±


    When the 2nd year¡¯s number 10 came out, the freshmen¡¯s number 11 stepped forward. Then, student number 10 asked student number 11 curiously.


    ¡°But I thought it was going to be number 13?¡±


    ¡°Numbers 13 and 3 are excluded from the ss hierarchy. I came out since the 10th from the seniors came out.¡±


    Number 10¡¯s face started to be distorted after hearing number 11¡¯s answer.


    ¡°You bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk, is there?¡±


    Number 10 couldn¡¯t help but raise his sword stiffly when he heard number 11¡¯s words. Then, number 11 also held up his sword. His posture was the basic swordsmanship that he had learned after being rolled hard.


    The knight raised his hand and looked at both sides before swinging his hand down to signal the start of the spar. The two students quickly shed against each other when the signal was given. Since both were swordsmen who had reached the 2nd Stage, their swords shed at a speed that was much faster than any ordinary person¡¯s movement.


    Unfortunately, it was number 11¡¯s defeat.


    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll win after that.¡±


    Then, the next student stepped forward. At first, 2nd year¡¯s number 10 wanted to wipe them out but he ended up retiring since his stamina was depleted. Starting with Number 11 and 2nd year¡¯s number 10, they began topete one by one.


    The result of the spar, however, was something unexpected.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°2nd year¡¯s number 1¡¯s victory.¡±


    Even though the knight had dered his victory, 2nd year¡¯s number 1¡¯s face did not look bright. Although he won, he could tell that their difference was only separated by a thin sheet of paper. Above all, the result was 5 to 5. This fact alone had hurt his pride. However, number 13 and number 3 who were rumored to be geniuses still had note out. If the two of them came out, then they would have been defeated.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not the best in your year?¡±


    ¡°¡­Unfortunately, I¡¯m not.¡±


    Number 1 looked at numbers 13 and 3 with a bitter smile on his face. Then, 2nd year¡¯s number 1 asked the knights curiously.


    ¡°Are numbers 13 and 3 really stronger than these guys?¡±


    Hearing the 2nd year¡¯s number 1¡¯s question, the knight beckoned to the two. The knight told numbers 13 and 3 to have a spar against a knight. And with his words, the two fought against their opponents fiercely. As soon as he saw them fighting, 2nd year¡¯s number 1 had no choice but to admit it.


    ¡°They¡¯re monsters. Those two will butcher those in the third grade.¡±


    <strong><em>TL¡¯s Corner!</em></strong>


    Surprise! Lol.

 Chapter 17 Lower Years Ranking Battle (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(17)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>7</i></b><i> Lower Years¡¯ Ranking Battle (1)</i>


    The atmosphere in the academy became even more heated after the 2nd years, who were angry about the professors¡¯ evaluation, returned.


    ¡®So I was really that bad!¡¯


    The 2nd years who did not know that they would be defeated felt regret as this thought shed in their heads.


    Meanwhile, the freshmen kids trained even harder after tasting the bitter taste of defeat. This was also true for the children who only stood by and watched the fight. Their desire to fight and stand on that ce grew. So they gritted their teeth and clench their fists as they trained more.


    With the situation developing like this, the intensity of their training was bound to increase a bit more than before. After all, the strong will that theycked before was now burning brightly in their eyes.


    They even started to do individual training by themselves. However, if they got injured and hurt, then they would lose their ground against the talented individuals. So the knights had no choice but to increase the intensity of the training. This way, they could be rest assured since they would still be able to monitor them and prevent mishaps from happening to these determined children.


    While the 1st year academy was burning like hell, the 2nd years were still left in shock. Even the professors were left dumbfounded when they heard the report from the 2nd year representatives.


    The professors mored loudly. In the end, their words entered the ears of the people from the other academies. By the end of it all, they had already revealed the facts about the 1st years.


    ¡°Is it really to that degree?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the professors¡¯ farts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. After all, the 2nd year representatives said so themselves. Those prideful kids described their juniors as ¡®monsters¡¯.¡±


    The most shocked and frightened about this when they found out the truth about the freshmen were the rest of the 2nd years.


    It was only natural that they would experience great shock since the top rankers of their grade said something ridiculous like that aftering back from the freshmen area. They couldn¡¯t believe the words that described what the top rankers had experienced first hand.


    Some of them even went to the 2nd year top rankers and asked directly. It seemed like they wanted to deny the reality in front of them but the answer that they received was enough to put them into shock.


    ¡°I barely won when Ipeted against the freshmen¡¯s number 1. In fact the difference between us isparable to a thin sheet of paper.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. So the rumors¡­¡±


    ¡°Numbers 13 and 3 did note out. They said that they¡¯re not included in their hierarchy.¡±


    ¡°So how did you know that they¡¯re strong?¡±


    ¡°I saw them myself. I saw number 3 fighting against a knight. It was terrifying. Even if she fights against our 3rd year seniors, she will definitely have a chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°What about number 13? There are a lot of rumors saying that he¡¯s stronger.¡±


    When asked this question, number 1 pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.


    ¡°He¡¯s experienced.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°His strength seemed to be a bit less than mine. But he¡¯s extremely experienced. He especially knows that hecks enough strength so he uses his skills well. He has a different strengthpared to number 3.¡±


    After finally confirming the truth from the sophomore top rankers, the rest of the student body¡¯s faces turned for the worse.


    ¡®What if the freshmen push us back and we get held back?¡¯


    Horror dawned on them when this thought shed in their heads. And just like that, the academy where the sophomores were staying was engulfed in terror and shock.


    But they were also once hailed as geniuses so their wills started to burn brightly as they tried to struggle against the tides. The thought that they shouldn¡¯t be pushed back by the freshmen made them try even harder.


    Then, it was the time for the third years to feel their desperateness. Even though they did not pay attention to the rumors about the freshmen, they began to feel the tension when the sophomores started to work hard to increase their strength.


    Their sharp increase in strength brought trepidation to the 3rd years¡¯ minds. The 3rd years started to feel the rush. After all, there was not much difference between them and the sophomores.


    But contrary to the hell-like scene of the lower years, the 4th years were all rxed andposed. It seemed like they did not care about the entire fiasco in the lower years.


    Thanks to the sophomores¡¯ top rankers and the words that they had spoken. Everyone in the lower years finally felt a keen sense of danger. The greenhorns that they thought were nothing were evaluated by the prideful sophomores as monsters. The possibility that the freshmen would be able to catch up to them was lingering in their heads. After all, this was a possibility that was most likely to happen considering the training that the freshmen were undergoing.


    The academy¡¯s lower years started to embody ¡®effort and diligence¡¯ in a frightening manner. Rather than settling down and feelingfortable in their positions, they began to work harder.


    This was also the reason why the Northeast Military Academy¡¯s grades were ced on each mountain peak. They wanted to tell them to not becent after reaching a certain level. They wanted them to always be vignt as they continued to experience a variety of situations.


    However, once a few months went by and they got used to the rote and repetitive learning, they would turnzy. They would start to makepromises in their training and would settle down.


    But this time, it waspletely different. And it was all thanks to the freshmen¡¯s crazy speed of growth.


    Then, the professors began to act crazy too. They suddenly felt determined. Their aspirations and ambitions started to burn brightly. It seemed like they wanted to create the strongest graduates in the history of the academy.


    As a result, the professors went to the dean as a group for a talk. After the meeting with the dean, they sessfully achieved one thing. And it was none other than the lower years¡¯ ranking battle.


    Originally, the Northeast Military Academy had a ranking battle. However, their system was like this:


    Only the top 30 elites from each grade, starting from the 1st to the 3rd years, would be able to join the ranking battles. These elite students wouldpete against the lowest ranked students from the grade above them.


    If they won against their seniors, they would be able to skip their grade and shorten their stay in the academy. They could even shorten their stay by up to two years.


    On the other hand, if the seniors lost against their juniors, they would face enough consequences. At the very least, they would be held back for a year. But if they continued to lose in the ranking battles, they would face the danger of getting kicked out of the academy.


    Because of this, the lowest ranked students always felt nervous whenever the ranking battle season arrived.


    However, the professors had expanded the ranking battle this time. Instead of only including the elites of the juniors and the lowest ranked students of the seniors, they included the entire grade. All of the students were now required to participate in the ranking battle.


    And since the range of the ranking battle had expanded to the entire year, all of them had to train like dogs now. Everyone, starting from the freshmen up to the 3rd years were currently experiencing hell.


    Meanwhile, the 4th and 5th years just sat back and watched this chaotic scene happily. Since they knew that their juniors would not be able to catch up to them in any way, they just sat and watched the fighting next door with mirth and interest.


    Some would pretend to be passing by while others tantly watched their neighboring residents. They would often use their hell-like scene as side dishes, making sure to chew and enjoy them to their heart¡¯s content. They felt that it was quite fun to watch the almost 900 students training like crazy to fight for bloodter on.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun. Freshmen¡¯s number 3 and 13? Geh, do you think they¡¯ll really be able to rub against the 3rd years?¡±


    ¡°It will be worth watching if they can break through the 3rd year top rankers.¡±


    ¡°<i>Eyy~</i> there¡¯s definitely a difference there¡­ They¡¯ll probably only be able to beat the bottom of the 3rd years.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? The 2nd year top rankers saw them.¡±


    The 4th years talked happily about the ranking battles. They even betted against each other wondering who would be able to push through and who would fail.


    ¡°It seems like you guys are rxed?¡±


    ¡°<i>Heok! </i>Pr¡­ professor!¡±


    ¡°Your juniors are training like dogs but you guys are ying around?¡±


    When the 4th year professors heard the news about the lower years, they red fiercely at their students and made them train harder. However, they were only able to do it once. In the first ce, there was no one in the 1st~3rd years that was strong enough to motivate them to work harder.


    The same was true for the 5th years. Although they were staying in an area infested with flying monsters, the training that they did was much less than the training that they experienced when they were in their lower years.


    However, the 6th years were different. Even though they were their seniors, they went around and trained like dogs. They would onlye back when they achieved great results and achievements.


    This was something that they thought was inevitable. After all, they were staying in a military academy.


    Just like any other military academies, they would not be able to graduate so easily. They weren¡¯t like normal academies where they could graduate as long as they fulfilled their stay in school.


    Military academies required them to reach a certain level before graduating. If they were not able to meet this criterion, then they might not be able to graduate with their peers. This was true no matter how senior they werepared to their colleagues.


    The least they could experience for failing to reach that level was to be held back for a year. And if they still failed to graduate after that year they would face expulsion from the academy.


    Those that were able to graduate two years earlier than their contemporaries were given plenty of opportunities. This was the heaven that they wanted to go to.


    However, hell would be awaiting for them if they did not show any ster results. They could be held back for a year or worse, be expelled.


    And if they faced their inevitable expulsion and were kicked out from this top military academy, the only thing that they could do was to enter another military academy¡¯s senior year. However, such a military academy was nothingpared to this academy. Their prestige was far lower than the Northeast Academy and their notorious graduates.


    As far as the 6th years were concerned, their juniors could waste their time all they wanted. But they would not partake in such trivialities. Wasting time meant that they were losing time to achieve and reach the criterion for graduating. If they did this, their chances of graduating in a top military academy would easily be blown away to dust.


    So the 6th years did not turn their heads to watch the lower years¡¯ bloody fight. They had far more important things to do than leisurely watching kids fight.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Is this really alright?¡±


    ¡°They have no choice but to survive here.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re still children¡­¡±


    Both the military science professor and the basic beast theories professor were looking at the training grounds with worried looks on their faces.


    In the field in front of them, there were more than 300 students rushing crazily towards the knights.


    However, these children still did not reach the threshold of the 3rd Stage. Fighting against these Northeastern Knights that were basically at 4th Stage was something futile. No matter how hard these children striked at them, their 2nd Stage power was no match against the knights¡¯ overwhelming strength.


    ¡°So you¡¯re only this much! You can¡¯t even beat me!¡±


    ¡°It would take more effort to sink your seniors¡¯ ships!¡±


    ¡°You said that you wanted to grow with number 13! Then add more effort! More! More!¡±


    ¡°Are you going to waste the opportunity that your professors have given you?!¡±


    All the children could do was to squeeze their strength and continue to attack. The knights¡¯ stinging words were enough motivation for them to move.


    Since they were fighting like they were in a real battle, the children suffered from minor injuries. However, even though their bodies were covered with grime, dirt and injuries, they still continued to rush forward. And at the heart of this craziness was Jaiden and number 3.


    Jaiden even took the lead. He rushed forward to attack and break the knights¡¯ phnx. He wanted to break this formation that they were boasting about.


    The students, starting from number 1 to number 30, supported Jaiden on the sidelines. While the rest of the student body stabbed here and there in hopes of putting a chink in their formation.


    The knights only totaled to 30 but the phnx that they had created was still extremely powerful and well-organized. It was even made particrly stronger after they weaved their mana into it making it into a solid wall of defense that the children could not break into.


    However, the difficulties that they faced did not end there. Even the rangers started to train them with extreme brutality. The rangers would draw the monsters with their experienced movements and bring them towards the children. The children were then taught how to fight and cope with them.


    After experiencing this kind of hell for quite a long time, poison started to fill the children¡¯s eyes. They were rolled so hard that they even started to scream in desperation. That was when they started to learn the true meaning of life.


    But the children¡¯s desire was so great that they were willing to experience this hell over and over again. They would even use the only spare time that they had in between their theoretical sses to train. The freshmen¡¯s desire to ruin the proud and sneering mugs of their upperssmen were so high. They wanted to make sure that they could bring them down since they were so confident that the children would not be able to eat them up and push them back. So the freshmen kids endured hell and persevered in their training.


    Right now, the 2nd and 3rd years were also training harder. After all, they were feeling a keen sense of danger from the 1st years that were slowly but surely gaining a foothold to fight against them. But even though they were already training hard, their efforts were still iparable to the effort that the 1st years were giving to their training.


    As if to prove that they were working harder than anyone else, the freshmen still underwent individual training on top of their hellish rolling.


    This was actually Jaiden¡¯s favorite time, especially after learning the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship from the knights. During this time period, Jaiden would repeatedly swing his sword to engrave the movements in his body. The more he trained, the more he felt that his strength was growing. He even felt that the speed that he was growing wasparable to the speed of growth that his youngest brother was experiencing.


    In addition, his title also covered up the gaps that were created by his insufficient talents. Baepsae would also sing and recover his mana and stamina. When these two factors partnered together, they created a synergistic effect that helped create a foothold for Jaiden¡¯s advancement in this monster den.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°You really only train in the basic swordsmanship.¡±


    Number 3 had always watched him from the sidelines. This was actually the first time that she had approached and talked to Jaiden.


    In fact, they hadn¡¯t really talked with each other despite being ssmates for months. Jaiden actually thought that number 3 hated him since she still talked with the other children but she never approached him. So Jaiden thought that he should not talk to her in the meantime so he would not aggravate whatever situation was in between them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were a bit reluctant and you were hiding something since you¡¯re just practicing the basic swordsmanship everytime.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡±


    Jaiden shook his head when he heard number 3¡¯s words. It was true that he was still hiding some things, like the fact that he had a divine beast and the fact that he knew a lot more about strategies, theories and tactics. But one thing was for sure. He did not hide anything in terms of swordsmanship.


    ¡°I know. I saw everything.¡±


    Number 3 pointed her sword at Jaiden as she continued to speak.


    ¡°Let¡¯s spar.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I know that you want to do it too.¡±


    Jaiden hesitated for a moment before nodding at number 3.


    The eyes of the children who were listening in on their conversation began to change.


    This was a breakthrough match to determine who was the strongest in their grade. Of course, everyone believed that it was number 3. Her swordsmanship and mana were all ahead of them. Even the professors said so. But number 13 had the experience, the know-hows and the skills that they did not have.


    However, one person believed otherwise. Number 1 thought that number 13 was the one in the dominant position.


    ¡®Compared to number 13¡¯s abnormal growth rate¡­¡¯


    Number 1 looked at number 3 before shaking his head softly.


    He had alwayse here to watch number 13¡¯s training. He had been watching closely while he built a rtionship and friendship with him.


    At first, he followed his training and techniques. But over a certain period of time, he found out that he could not follow along. Even though he copied his movements and techniques, he was still not able to catch up to him. When this idea dawned on him, he realized that it would be more advantageous for him to just practice his own swordsmanship. He would not gain anything in trying to catch up with number 13 and his monstrous skills.


    And he knew that this would be the truth for a short period of time. So number 1 was the person who knew best about how fast number 13 had truly grown.


    ¡°Ready¡­ start!¡±


    Number 1 stood in the center to referee the match. And as soon as he lowered his arm, number 3 rushed towards Jaiden at a frightening speed. But Jaiden just simply swung his sword in answer to her attack.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Phnx] ¨C a body of troops standing and moving in a close formation.


    <strong><em>TL¡¯s corner!</em></strong>


    I¡¯m dying. I wish I would get to the part where they get names again. Because this number system is killing me now.

 Chapter 18 Lower Years Ranking Battle (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(18)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>7</i></b><i> Lower Years¡¯ Ranking Battle (2)</i>


    Number 3¡¯s sword strike had reached Jaiden in such an instant. But although her strike was extremely fast, Jaiden was still able to block it with a simple swing of his sword.


    Jaiden¡¯s parry was just a simple downward swing but a huge shockwave burst out from the impact when their swords collided.


    The 2nd Stage of a swordsman was a level that transcended the realm of ordinary humans. However, no matter how strong they were, no shockwave would be generated from the collision of swords between two 2nd Stage beings.


    ¡°Crazy¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already at that stage?¡±


    Although faint, there was a dim blue haze that rose and surrounded the swords of Jaiden and number 3. The haze was iplete and imperfect but it was an indication of their strength. This haze meant that they were now able to extend their mana out of their bodies.


    The mana that they extended out of their bodies was dim and pitifully weakpared to someone who had stepped on the 3rd Stage and had fully expressed their mana but the mana was still there. This was no different from saying that their mana had already umted in their entire bodies.


    ¡°As expected¡­ You have already formed it too.¡±


    This phenomenon was something that could only be achieved by those who had reached the pinnacle of the 2nd Stage.


    ¡°We only have a few months left¡­ I have to break through to the 3rd year.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right.¡±


    Number 3 nodded her head to agree with Jaiden¡¯s words. Then she took a stance and continued to attack him.


    There were dozens of sword lights flying all over the ce. But the onlookers could only glimpse at the trajectory of the sword. Their strikes were so fast that the children in the area could only see their attacks briefly.


    They were still not capable of producing afterimages of their swords with their simple strikes since they haven¡¯t reached the 3rd Stage yet. However, they were still able to mimic this phenomenon to some extent thanks to their monstrous speed and hazy mana.


    ¡®Gctic Meteor Swordsmanship?¡¯


    Jaiden¡¯s expression turned stiff as he continued to parry his opponent¡¯s sword. But even if he was distracted and thinking about the Godly Swordsmanship family¡¯s Gctic Meteor Swordsmanship he still continued to swing his sword.


    He had been practicing the basic swordsmanship for quite a long time so his simple and basic swings had already achieved its most perfect form.


    Each and every strike that he let out could parry and block number 3¡¯s wild and strong attacks.


    ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for Baepsae then doing something like this today will be hard.¡¯


    His mana circuit had expanded greatly thanks to Baepsae. The bird had always helped him recover his stamina and mana during his long and arduous training. And as a result, the amount of mana that he could build and store in his body had also increased greatly. Thanks to this, he was able to withstand the strikes that he was currently receiving from number 3.


    However, he could feel that the bundle of mana that he had stored in his body was slowly being broken apart and depleted with every strike, swing and stab that he unleashed to parry the attacksing his way. It seemed like receiving those attacks continuously had already depleted his mana by a considerable amount. Continuing to be passive would definitely exhaust him of his mana sooner orter.


    ¡°But you won¡¯t be able to win if you just block my strikes, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already thinking of attacking you.¡±


    Jaiden had already thought of attacking. He was only waiting for the right moment to strike at number 3.


    Jaiden parried number 3¡¯s frontal attack. However, this time, he twisted his sword out and immediately sent an attack of his own.


    ¡°<i>Keuk!</i>¡±


    Number 3 did not expect that Jaiden would preempt an attack on her so quickly. She was in a bit of a fluster but she was still able to increase the distance between them by unleashing a powerful burst of mana down her feet.


    But Jaiden did not miss this gap. He did not let up with his attacks as he continued to stab and sh at her.


    ¡°He¡¯s really experienced.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? He¡¯s stabbing through the cracks and gaps of number 3¡¯s monstrous swordsmanship.¡±


    The children that were watching the battle between the two analyzed their swordsmanship techniques based on their own understanding.


    They could see that number 3¡¯s swordsmanship was a great swordsmanship technique while number 13¡¯s swordsmanship was just the basic swordsmanship.


    However, number 13 was able to ovee the limitations of his swordsmanship and fill in the gaps of the technique with his excellent skills and experience.


    Furthermore, the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship, something that they had learned from the knights training, slowly appeared as number 13 continued to attack. It was only natural. After all, the basics of all swordsmanship techniques began with the basic swordsmanship.


    So when Jaiden¡¯s well-developed and perfected basic swordsmanship pressed against her, number 3 had no choice but to fight back and struggle with all her might.


    <i>Bang, bang, bang!</i>


    ¡°Monster.¡±


    ¡°Crazy.¡±


    The children in the area were clear about their own strength. They knew that they would have definitely surrendered under Jaiden¡¯s pressure if they were the ones fighting against him. But number 3 was still able to shake off the pressure by stabbing her sword and attacking him dozens of times. Number 3¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but shine brightly when she sessfully pushed back Jaiden with her strikes and escaped from his tremendous pressure.


    However, Jaiden did not roll around desperately on the battlefield to gain jjambap for nothing. He was still able to parry and defend against number 3¡¯s fast-paced attacks. Although his mana was continuously being depleted, the pressure that he had been putting on number 3 had finally borne fruit. Number 3¡¯s spirit finally dampened as she staggered and faltered in her movements. After all, number 3 was still just forcefully using her sword technique in this fight.


    ording to records, high-leveled sword techniques were miraculously strong and were considered to be part of the mysterious and strange techniques in this world. And being a high-leveled technique meant that it would give the user tremendous power. However, it also had its own setbacks. Although it could give a great amount of strength, it was a power that waspletely overwhelming and taxing for users at the lower stages.


    As if on cue, number 3¡¯s arms began to tremble. No matter how monstrously talented she was, she was still someone who had not reached the 3rd Stage yet. The power of her swordsmanship was not something that her body could withstand. So she began to lose her momentum.


    And after unleashing an onught of attack, Jaiden finally disarmed number 3 of her sword.


    ¡°I lost.¡±


    Jaiden nodded his head when number 3 conceded and admitted her defeat.


    She looked extremely angry and frustrated as she bit her lips tightly. However, she just asked for another bout the next time they got one before hurriedly leaving the area.


    ¡®Who the hell¡­ was there such a talent here?¡¯


    Jaiden had yed around wildly in the battlefield in his previous life. Climbing high and surviving until the end was something that he couldn¡¯t achieve if he just sat by and did nothing. He had his fair share of battles. And he also made sure to participate and fulfill his duties and responsibilities in the battlefield. And because of that, he was able to see dozens of sword techniques that belonged to masters and geniuses. Having scoured the battlefield until the very end of his life, he was sure that there was no one who closely resembled number 3 in his memories.


    ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s rted to the Godly Swordsmanship technique¡­¡¯


    The Godly Swordsmanship technique was a sword technique that he had seen countless times in his previous life. He was confident that he would be able to tell the basics of the Gctic Meteor Swordsmanship even if he had gone blind. After all, it was a swordsmanship of the highest level that wasparable to the Lion Sword Technique.


    He was sure that the basics of the Gctic Meteor Swordsmanship could be learned by the general public in the military. However, after seeing number 3¡¯s movements, he was sure that it was something that she could not have learned in this ce.


    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡¯


    Anyway, it did not mean anything to him. There were much more pressing things on his list that he needed to do. Like graduating early from the academy. However, even after doing that, he was sure that it would still not be that helpful in achieving his goal. Jaiden¡¯s top priority right now was to gain enough strength to survive the hell that would befall this continent. So Jaiden quickly cleared his mind of stray thoughts as he started to swing his sword again.


    Meanwhile, the children were all looking at Jaiden strangely.


    The unofficial match to determine who was the strongest in their year, the fight between number 3 and number 13, had finally drawn to a close. But contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations it was number 13 who won the fight.


    ¡®Number 3 is a monster but¡­¡¯


    They had already felt it when they were fighting against the monsters but this match had driven the point deeper in their heads. It was now extremely clear to them that number 13 had the skills and experience that a child their age shouldn¡¯t have.


    In addition, the impression of the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship in their minds, something that they had ignored and did not practice, had changedpletely. After witnessing Jaiden only using this basic and simple swordsmanship to pressure and crush number 3¡¯s spectacr and marvelous swordsmanship the children finally admitted that the swordsmanship was also something that could disy a fearsome strength that could defeat their foes.


    They had ignored it before since they thought that the impressive and fearsome pressure that they received from the knights when they used the sword technique was due to the difference in their level. But seeing Jaiden wield his perfected basic swordsmanship to press and defeat someone with a shy and strong swordsmanship had made their minds change.


    After the fight on that eventful day, the children would often challenge and fight against each other. They used this opportunity to rank themselves since the academy did not allow them to have an official ranking battle amongst themselves. They made use of their individual training sessions to fight. They then used the results of the fights to secretly decide their ranking.


    With the exception of the monsters, number 13 and number 3, the rest of the children started to sort out their ranks through spars. The professors were also aware of what they were doing but they just closed one eye and tried to ignore them.


    After a few months of fighting, the freshmen were finally able to sort out some sort of hierarchy among them. There would always be some changes and reversals but overall, there was not that much difference from their previous rankings. Of course, that was with the exception of numbers 13, 3, 1 and 2.


    There would be slight changes in the rankings up to number 30 but it was almost negligible. The changes would only be within the 30s, none of the students in that range fell down beyond that point. The same was also true for those until 100. However, it was different starting from 100~300. All of the students in this range were bursting with vigor as they fought against each other. So the rankings below 100 tend to change and fluctuate frequently.


    ¡°Number 180, you fought 102st time. Right? Are you going to fight against 100 today?¡±


    ¡°I dropped. It¡¯s 137.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Is that so? I¡¯m getting confused now since the rankings change every time.¡±


    Jaiden looked apologetically at number 180. In fact, 300 was a huge number so it was not that easy to memorize their rankings and the frequent change of rankings made it even harder for him to remember correctly.


    The only reason why he remembered a few of the students¡¯ numbers was because some of them had approached him and asked him to teach them some of the know-hows. Thanks to this he was able to be close with some of the students including number 180 and number 1.


    The students had actually created factions among themselves. In fact, number 2 acted as some sort of leader and has created a faction of his own. And the children that had asked him for pieces of advice had also gone and grouped together.


    But what Jaiden found surprising was the fact that number 3 was quite close with the other girls in their year. She looked like she was going to continue roaming around alone but it seemed like her social abilities were not that bad.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the lower years¡¯ ranking battle, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I heard it¡¯s going to start with the 2nd year students.¡±


    One of the nearby students told Jaiden what he had learned from others after he heard his question.


    The ranking system would work like this: the 2nd year students and the 3rd year students would first fight against each other and determine their rankings. Once they had determined their ranks, the remaining 2nd years and the 3rd years who fell and were held back would fight against the 1st years.


    Their first opponent would be the person with the same number as them. Losing meant that their number would go down and winning meant that their number would go up. This would gradually determine their rankings.


    Whether they won or lost, there would definitely be great fluctuations. The professors had estimated that the fluctuation would be at least 50 steps. But once the matches exceeded ten, the steps would definitely decrease by 10. This would take a long time but it was a system that aimed to reduce the range of fluctuation as the matches continued on. However, regardless of the length of the ranking battle being extended, this was a process that they had deemed to be important. This was so they could prevent any unfairness while helping them urately identify the strengths of the students.


    A tense atmosphere loomed over the first year students¡¯ training area. They were all feeling nervous since the ranking battles were just right around the corner. They all felt nervous since they knew that there were people that were bound to lose. And once they lost, they knew that they would fall down and remain where they were. That meant that they would have to break up with their friends and colleagues.


    Their average level wasparable to the sophomores but they knew that there were some students among them who were on the weaker side. Being weaker meant that they had the highest chance of being defeated and breaking away from their ssmates¡¯ line. This line was a line that only the brightest and strongest elites could take so they knew that they would be stronger if they were able to stick to this line.


    The students wanted to grasp this one chance for them to be stronger so they started to train more diligently. While everyone was running and rolling hard to achieve their best form, the ranking battles between the 2nd and 3rd year students finally began.


    Thanks to the freshmen¡¯s mad pursuit of strength, the 2nd year students felt a sense of crisis. So they trained like crazy as they prepared to fight against them. Since everyone had trained well, they felt confident about their strength. However, this confidence was not long-lived.


    The sophomores¡¯ confidence began to break and crash as soon as the ranking battles began.


    After all, they weren¡¯t the only ones who had prepared like crazy. The 3rd year students had also trained as hard as the 2nd year students.


    If the sophomores worked hard because of the freshmen, then the 3rd year students worked hard because of the sophomores. And because of this, the gap between the two years did not diminish at all.


    Narrowing the gap between them was not an easy feat for children at their age. In addition, the 3rd year students had the advantage in terms of experience. This gap was something that they couldn¡¯t easily narrow down just because they were extremely talented.


    And just like that, the sophomores began to kneel down under the 3rd year students¡¯ strengths. Even the sophomores¡¯ top rankers failed to climb over their 3rd year counterparts. They were also forced to kneel down.


    ¡°You¡¯re just this much.¡±


    The number 1 student in the 3rd year stared at the sophomores¡¯ top ranker dully. He looked like he was unimpressed with his junior¡¯s performance. 3rd year¡¯s number 1 was someone who had devoured and climbed over the sophomores when he was a freshman. So the sophomores¡¯ top ranker had suffered a defeat once from him. Facing another defeat from his hands, the sophomores¡¯ top ranker couldn¡¯t help but bow his head in shame.


    ¡®He¡¯s quite amazing.¡¯


    Although he had been defeated, he had no choice but to admit that the person before him was monstrously talented. It just went to show that surpassing a genius was quite a hard feat. In fact, the other 3rd year top rankers had failed to advance by 2 steps even after training hard and rolling around like crazy.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Are the freshmen that you saw really strong?¡±


    Although they were the same age, 2nd year¡¯s number 1 had no choice but to answer him. After all he was someone from a year above him. 2nd year¡¯s number 1 just nodded bitterly in answer to his question.


    ¡°Interesting. I can¡¯t wait to have a spar with them. I hope they climb up quickly.¡±


    He smiled wickedly as if he found everything fun. He had been one of the freshmen elites in the past but he was now the 3rd year¡¯s number 1 so he was confident in his strength. Even the others weren¡¯t able to defeat him so he thought that sparring with those freshmen was just something that he would do to pass the time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the fight to be as boring as the fight with you so¡­ are they better than you?¡±


    Sophomore¡¯s number 1 smiled bitterly when he heard the words of the 3rd year¡¯s number 1.


    ¡°Well¡­ It will be enough to call them a genius if they can get rid of trash like you.¡±


    However, 2nd year¡¯s number 1 thought about something when he heard 3rd year¡¯s number 1¡¯s mocking words.


    ¡®You¡¯ll be kicked down too.¡¯


    After that thought passed through his head, he immediately stood up to prepare for his next battle. He knew that those guys had be much strongerpared to thest time that he had seen them so he was sure that they would be able to make the punk that mocked him kneel down.

 Chapter 19 Lower Years Ranking Battle (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(19)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>7</i></b><i> Lower Years¡¯ Ranking Battle (3)</i>


    The sophomore¡¯s top ranker eventually got defeated under the hands of anotherrade. After that, there were some changes that happened between the 2nd and 3rd years. However, it was not that much different from the previous years.


    Even if they were talented, it was only natural that they couldn¡¯t go beyond their own grade since there was a difference with experiences. However, in the eyes of the professors, the real thing had not yet begun. After all, the 1st years were still not included in this ranking battle.


    ¡°Did all of you prepare well?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Each and every freshman student answered the knight¡¯s question with a loud and energetic voice.


    The freshmen even trained much harder after the ranking battles had begun. It seemed like they had been stimted by the sight of the 2nd years being pushed back by the 3rd years so as a result, they trained even harder.


    The knights knew that the children were doing their very best in their training so they also gave their all to help them prepare before the ranking battles. They did not even nitpick at the kids like they usually did. Instead, the knights helped the children further by informing them of their know-hows. After all, they wanted the children to have a more satisfying battle against their peers.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go our separate ways soon. What a pity.¡±


    The other freshmen looked at Jaiden pitifully. They knew that Jaiden nned on getting a two step promotion so they had no choice but to let him go and fly freely.


    If they were being realistic, they knew that their best oue would be reaching the 3rd year. They knew that the only people with the highest chance of moving up to the 4th year were numbers 13, 3, 1 and 2 as well as half of the students in the top 30. It wasn¡¯t their turn yet.


    ¡°Well¡­ We¡¯ll only know once we¡¯re there.¡±


    Jaiden grinned at them as he said those words. However, he was actually feeling quite confident. A feeling that was contrary to his self-deprecating words.


    From what he had heard, the 2nd year top rankers were able to beat the 3rd years and climb up to their ranks. Although their rankings were lower than expected, it was already unofficially confirmed that they had climbed to be 3rd years.


    Based on his observations, numbers 1 and 2 were simr in strength to the sophomores¡¯ number 1 so their chances of climbing to the 3rd year were high. The only problem was the other kids. From what he could see, there would be no problem for the first 30 students to rub against the 3rd year students if they tried their hardest. But the rest would probably have a harder time.


    However, he was sure that the rest of the kids would still be able to advance at least once with their current strength. He had seen the unofficial ranking battles in their year and they had grown stronger. Each of their battles were so intense that their rankings had mixed up constantly. So he was sure that their hard work would definitely pay off.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Can I do it?¡±


    ¡°You have to do it.¡±


    ¡°I can do it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    The freshmen wrapped up their final training session for the day as they walked back to their dormitories. Each of their steps were filled with some sort of nervous excitement for the uing battles that they would take.


    In fact, they had already stopped training hellishly since a few days ago to prevent over exhaustion. The only training that they did were light exercises and stretching so their bodies were brimming with energy. From the looks of it, every single one of them were now truly prepared for the battles that they would fight.


    The next day, the children woke up energetically. Their bodies were filled with both excitement and tension as they moved about to go to the training grounds. By the time that the sun had gone up in the sky, all of the children had already gathered in the training grounds with faces that were stained with excitement and trepidation. Gathering in the training grounds early in the morning had already be their daily routine but somehow, it felt a bit strange that the more than 300 students of the freshman year had gathered together here.


    ¡°All of you will be going to the 2nd year academy today to fight in the ranking battle. I know that all of you have been preparing hard for this day so don¡¯t be nervous and fight your match without leaving any regrets.¡±


    The freshmen¡¯s professors¡¯ representative, the military science professor, gave the children an encouraging speech before turning around. When the professor left, the other professors approached the students to guide them to the 2nd year academy.


    When the more than 300 freshmen students arrived in the 2nd year academy, they were greeted by the students that had already fought in the ranking battles. The gathering of people here included those who had been defeated and had their rankings lowered as well as those who had been held back.


    The nervousness that they had suppressed with their excitement suddenly burst out once again. The freshmen students¡¯ faces were suddenly stained with nervousness and anxiety once again. After all, the sight of the students gathered in front of them was not only a gathering of sophomores. There were also some 3rd year students that got held back in the 2nd year academy after losing to their peers.


    ¡°Number 13.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jaiden tilted his head in confusion when his number was called first.


    ¡°As evaluated by the freshmen¡¯s professors, you are the current number 1. Go out there.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jaiden stepped forward after hearing the words of one of the young professors. Then, a student with a 3rd year name tag on him also stepped forward.


    ¡°3rd year, number 278. 15 years old.¡±


    ¡°1st year, number 13. 9 years old.¡±


    Jaiden and the 3rd year student both bowed to each other as they introduced themselves.


    The boy that stood in front of Jaiden was quite tall with bulging muscles. His appearance looked extremely sturdy and intimidating. However, it did not matter how intimidating he was, he was still someone who lost against someone else.


    From what Jaiden could tell, the sophomores¡¯ top rankers were clearly a cut above this student in terms of strength. If that was the case, then Jaiden thought that this fight wouldn¡¯t be that difficult.


    ¡°Start.¡±


    When the professor gave them the signal to start, the 3rd year student immediately lowered his body as he dashed forward with his thick and heavy steel sword. Seeing this scene, Jaiden felt like he was under the illusion of a bull charging straight at him.


    The 3rd year student even raised his mana to the limit increasing the pressure in the area and making the air turn heavy. However, this charging momentum was something that Jaiden could easily ignore. Compared to the tense atmosphere in the battlefield, this was nothing like a child¡¯s prank in his eyes.


    Jaiden easily parried the iing attack beforeunching a quick counterattack. The 3rd year student fell into a fluster. He did not expect that Jaiden would be this quick in his movements. He quickly changed directions as he tried tounch an attack of his own. However, after a minute of continuously attacking and parrying, the 3rd year student was left in a position where he could only defend against Jaiden¡¯s assault. The fight ended not long after that.


    ¡°I lost.¡±


    ¡°Number 13, win. Go over there.¡±


    Jaiden won in a sh as he went to a corner and took a rxing break.


    While taking his break, number 3 had finished her match. And just like expected, her fight ended with her victory. Numbers 1 and 2 were also able to win against their 3rd year opponents after a hard-fought match. There were also a considerable number of freshmen students from the top 30 that won against their opponents.


    However, losing did not mean that the defeated had no more chance to turn things around. As long as the ranking battles were still ongoing, they would still have their opportunities. They still had the opportunity to get a two step promotion as long as the matches did not end.


    So the students gave their all as they fought desperately. Perhaps it was because they had gone closer or perhaps there were some other reasons, but for some reason, the other students wanted to at least go to where Jaiden would be going. But a dream was only a dream.


    Most of the freshmen students were not able to cross the wall and climb over their seniors. After all, the students that remained in this ce were all elites despite losing to others in the ranking battles. Just like the freshmen students, they were also doing their best to gain victory and trump over their opponents.


    And just like that, the ranking battles began to fall into chaos. Everyone did their best for their own personal reasons. They each fought fiercely not wanting to get pushed back and lose in the ranking battles. Each battle was intense and nerve-wracking making the rankings more chaotic.


    It was only after a few days that a vague outline of their rankings started to emerge.


    ¡°We have confirmed those that will be going to the 3rd year academy.¡±


    The ranking battles were not over yet. There was still another ranking battle that would begin once the freshman and the other eligible students went to the 3rd year academy. So right now, the confirmed students were being led to the 3rd year academy.


    Usually, they would only walk to the other mountain peak. But the professor that would take them to the 3rd year academy had a problem with his schedule. He needed to take the confirmed students there as fast as he could. So instead of walking, he opted to take a drake and fly with the students. The distance between each peak was considerable so it would take some time if they walked but flying would take significantly less time than that.


    Just like that, the students and the professor rode on the drake and arrived at their destination quickly.


    ¡°<i>Ayaa~ </i>Our juniors are finally here.¡±


    A student that looked like he had been waiting for them stepped forward. He weed Jaiden and the other freshmen with open arms. But the professor stopped the student.


    ¡°Stop. Provocations are only allowed once the ranking battles have started.¡±


    The 3rd year student obediently stepped down after hearing the professor¡¯s words. The professor was sure that this student was confident about himself so he did not understand why he went there to do this. However, the professor understood one thing, provoking these students would definitely put them at a disadvantage.


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes sank when he watched the scene in front of him. The 3rd year student¡¯s arrogant and mocking smile as he provoked them for no reason at all brought forth a scene from his past life.


    The scene of the nobles that argued and made fun of him saying that he was Leonhardt¡¯s iplete family head. Mocking andughing at him just because he took the seat despite not being the legitimate heir. He remembered enduring their mocking words just because the Emperor warned him not to make trouble for no reason.


    ¡°You¡¯re all tired so we¡¯ll start the ranking battles in the afternoon.¡±


    The freshmen gathered under the shade of arge tree when they heard the professor¡¯s words. They could see that the 3rd year students were gathered together and giggling as they openly looked at them.


    Meanwhile, the 2nd year students who had finished their decisive ranking battles couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads at the 3rd year students¡¯ childish behavior. Of course, the 2nd year¡¯s top ranker was also included in the people that shook their heads at their questionable behavior.


    ¡°The 3rd year students do not have good attitudes.¡±


    The freshmen¡¯s expressions hardened when they heard Jaiden¡¯s words. They already felt that they were being mocked andughed at together with the defeated 3rd year and 2nd year students.


    ¡°Because of that guy?¡±


    Number 3 talked about the incident with Jaiden earlier. Jaiden nodded lightly in answer as he looked at the 3rd year students that were sitting not far from them.


    It was clear that the person who created this atmosphere was none other than 3rd year¡¯s number 1. He had slipped far away from them but he was sure that he was alsoughing at them. After all, some of the 3rd year students were looking at the direction that he was in.


    ¡°It¡¯s our bad luck.¡±


    Number 3 frowned when she saw the 3rd year studentsughing and mocking them. Then, she looked at the 3rd year student that had the number 1 name tag on his chest before looking back at Jaiden.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose.¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes widened when he heard her words. It was quite a shocking encouragement. He couldn¡¯t help but grin at her. Even the other students including number 1 and number 2 were looking at him and telling him that he shouldn¡¯t lose.


    Looking at these children, all Jaiden could do was nod his head in agreement as he chuckled at them.


    <i>Such a cheeky child. He desperately needs to be caned severely.</i>


    He did not grow close with anyone back in his previous life since the heroes that fought in the battlefield despised him. So Jaiden had already seen enough of this behavior. Enough to know how to crush those egotistical bastards¡¯ heads.


    ¡®How do you deal with these people again¡­¡¯


    Usually, to deal with these prideful bastards, the best course of action was to nip the bud and easily defeat them. However, there were a few rare cases that were so hateful that they needed to be beaten up like crazy to the point that they would not be able to scream their surrender. However, both things were only possible if he had an overwhelming strength.


    He knew that he and 3rd year¡¯s number 1 were most likely equal in strength. There was even a good chance that his opponent was ahead of him in terms of strength and skill. If that was the case, then Jaiden had to defeat him and make him kneel with his experience.


    ¡®They said that he¡¯s still not yet at Stage 3¡­ then, it¡¯s more than enough.¡¯


    Aside from their age, the only advantages that his seniors had over him were the amount of mana and the physical stamina that they had umted. The other things like experience, skill and solid foundation were things that he had the upper hand on.


    In a way, they were quite simr. However, there was one thing that he was sure about. That was the fact that he was confident enough.


    <i>He¡¯ll lose¡­</i>


    ¡°1st year, number 13. 3rd year, number 1. Step forward.¡±


    Hearing the professor¡¯s call, the two of them stepped forward and faced each other. 3rd year¡¯s number 1 was even looking at Jaiden mockingly.


    ¡°1st year, number 13. 9 years old.¡±


    ¡°3rd year, number 1. 10 years old.¡±


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    At the professor¡¯s signal, Jaiden took his posture. But 3rd year¡¯s number 1 just stood leisurely as he talked to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous. I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡±


    Jaiden just stared at 3rd year¡¯s number 1 when he heard his provocation. They hadn¡¯t even started yet but he was alreadyying on the provocations thickly. Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but smirk at him.


    ¡°Me? Why?¡±


    The 3rd year¡¯s number 1¡¯s expression stiffened when he saw Jaiden shrugging his shoulders nonchntly.


    ¡°Junior. You¡¯re quite cheeky.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking and get ready. Talking a lot doesn¡¯t mean that you have the skills.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s words, 3rd year¡¯s number 1 stared at him with an unreadable expression. Even the professor listening to the side had his eyes widened. It seemed like the Jaiden in front of him was quite different from the Jaiden that he had heard about.


    ¡°It seems like the loser has been a king for quite a long time that he can¡¯t see properly.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    A murderous aura wafted out of 3rd year¡¯s number 1¡¯s body when he heard his words. However, Jaiden just ignored it.


    Although 3rd year¡¯s number 1 was called a genius, he still failed to get a two step promotion. Knowing this, he was definitely no match against Jaiden or number 3. From what Jaiden had heard, he was the youngest student to be admitted to this school so the professors had called him a genius. But it seemed like the title had gone to his head too much that he had already be arrogant.


    Jaiden knew that his provocations had worked well. It definitely looked like he had scratched his pride properly so he couldn¡¯t help but smirk. And the professor, who had been watching the fight between these prideful beings, finally lowered his arm.


    ¡°Start.¡±


    ¡°Bend down! You bastard!¡±


    Number 1¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he unleashed a powerful strike towards Jaiden. However, Jaiden just calmly sidestepped and avoided Number 1¡¯s crazed attacks.


    ¡°It looks like your attacks aren¡¯t that muchpared to your words.¡±


    Jaiden provoked him as he fought back and attacked the gaps in number 1¡¯s movements. Seeing that his attacks were easily parried easily, number 1¡¯s expression stiffened visibly. Then, Jaiden unleashed an onught of attacks on him and all he could do was to back away and avoid himpletely.


    In that short amount of time, Jaiden had been able to cut off a part of number 1¡¯s clothes. So Jaiden swung his sword leisurely as he stared at his opponent with a calm and rxed expression.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    After having his pride pricked, number 1 finally took on a proper stance. The mocking and leisurely look that he took on at the start of the match had disappeared in just a blink of an eye. A hazy light slowly covered and engulfed his sword as he pumped it with mana. The light that was spreading quickly like smoke indicated that he had also reached the peak of the 2nd Stage.


    Then, the smile that number 1 had lost after being led around by the nose by Jaiden hade back once again. It seemed like his confidence had been restored after pumping his mana on his sword. After all, he was sure that his mana and level was in a dominant position.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have an enjoyable time training my cheeky junior.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re running your mouth again.¡±


    Jaiden clicked his tongue.


    This time, he was the first to make a move. However, number 1 just swung his sword leisurely and sloppily. Seeing this, Jaiden realized that he was nning to trap him. So instead of dashing forward quickly, Jaiden dragged his steps longer while pretending to attack.


    He knew better than anyone else that there were people who wanted to drag their opponent to the bottom with a huge show of strength. However, if that was the case, then dragging the time would give him more advantage.


    Number 1 noticed that Jaiden had been dragging his steps so he started to pressure him harder. He shed his sword down to force Jaiden to block his attack. He believed that Jaiden would be forced to block him since a sword that was infused with mana was extremely strong and could not be avoided so easily.


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes shone brightly at the moment of his attack.


    He had not loaded his sword with mana on purpose because he was waiting for the right opportunity. And the opportunity had already presented itself to him.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°<i>Keuk! </i>You¡­¡±


    ¡°Your foundation is poor.¡±


    Jaiden snickered at number 1 as he swung his sword continuously.


    Both their swords had the same blue haze surrounding it. However, the one at an advantage was Jaiden. Their strengths were simr so Jaiden with his superior experience and foundation definitely trumped over number 1. In addition, Jaiden was the one who got the upperhand in their psychological warfare earlier. And adding his unusual tricks and movements, Jaiden had now be number 1¡¯s formidable foe. In the end, number 1 was cornered.


    ¡°Your bottom is open.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to block your upper body?¡±


    ¡°Your nks are open.¡±


    ¡°Your movements are too big.¡±


    Jaiden stabbed at number 1¡¯s openings as he gave pieces of advice. They looked like they were master and student doing a spar for guidance with how they were fighting.


    In the end, number 1 stumbled and fell down with a thud after getting kicked by Jaiden. His exhaustion had reached its peak after being toyed around by Jaiden so he was unable to get up at all.


    ¡°1st year, number 13. Win.¡±


    Jaiden nodded at the professor as he approached 3rd year¡¯s number 1.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t live like this in the future.¡±


    Jaiden kindly gave him a piece of advice on how he should live in the future before leaving the area.


    The rest of the 3rd year students¡¯ expressions turned stiff as they watched him step down from the stage. However, instead of rxing, their expressions distorted further when number 3 came out on stage.


    Number 3 defeated 3rd year¡¯s number 2 with her overwhelming strength. Even the rest of the freshmen fought stably and settled down in their positions. Although they weren¡¯t at the top, they were still able to grab a victory against some of the 3rd year students.


    Ever since then, 3rd year¡¯s number 1 had repeatedly requested for a spar against Jaiden. However, with Jaiden¡¯s overwhelming experience and solid foundation, 3rd year¡¯s number 1 always ended up losing.


    It wasn¡¯t that long after when number 3 issued a challenge against him. And the 3rd year¡¯s mocking and stubborn mentality started to falter when their number 1 experienced a defeat under number 3¡¯s hands.


    Because of this, the 2nd year and 1st year students were able to gain their momentum as they settled in a ranking that was far higher than their original skill.


    ¡°This concludes the ranking battles.¡±


    The professors couldn¡¯t help but look at the students with tired faces after the most confusing and most chaotic ranking battle in the history of the Northeast Academy had ended.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>The 4th year professors must be quite worn out. Huh?¡±


    Because of the factions created during the ranking battles, the amount of sparring requests had exceeded their expectations. This resulted in a lot of work for the professors. When this happened, the only thing that the head professor could do was shake his head hoping that these students would just move up as soon as possible.

 Chapter 20 Jaidens Worth (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(20)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>8</i></b><i> Jaiden¡¯s Worth (1)</i>


    Because of Jaiden and the freshmen¡¯s ster performances, the Northeast Military Academy was left in turmoil.


    For the first time in the long history of the academy, they had ushered in thergest number of promotions and demotions. They were even scheduled to release at least 30 people. In addition, there were also a lot of people who sessfully achieved a two-step promotion so the confusion had been quite significant. This was the first time that the entire academy, including the professors and the students, were left in a ball of confusion.


    However, they slowly began to ept this strange situation over the course of time. There were even professors that advocated and insisted on continuing this system in the Northeast Military Academy saying that their previous system was quite restricting for their students. This was because they had seen vast improvements in the students who participated in these chaotic ranking battles.


    It seemed like the Northeast Military Academy graduates, which had already beenbeled as war weapons, would be even more of a monster in the near future.


    They had also started to abandon the idea of selecting only the high-leveled elites in each grade. They had seen Jaiden and the rest of the freshmen students grow stronger together. But what was surprising was the fact that there was not that much difference in their strength. Seeing this, the professors decided to ride this momentum and continue this system to foster and nurture stronger students in the future.


    Even the training methods that they had limited and restricted because they were children began to change dramatically.


    Usually, the children would be given free time that they could spend indoors. This was a time that they had given them in consideration of their human rights. However, the professors decided to take this back in exchange for spending time outdoors.


    The professors had called it camping activities. It was an activity where they would allow the students to experience the unique and refreshing outdoors. But if one looked closely, it was not that much different from gaining hands-on experience.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­ </i>Did the seniors really do all this?¡±


    ¡°From what I recalled, they rolled three times harder than youst year.¡±


    ¡°I see. Considering those lunatics¡¯ training sessions, they must have really rolled that much.¡±


    The rangers nodded their heads at the student¡¯s question. They were recalling the kids and the training that they had undergone back then. Especially number 13. He was the pioneer of his ss. The children followed his example and trained harder, even willingly surrendering themselves to the hellish training. Number 13 was also a person that was capable of hunting monsters on his own.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a punk that we did not need to teach. He did everything on his own¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that. He¡¯s a monster. He¡¯s the 4th year¡¯s top ranker now, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are rumors that the cheeky bastards are under his control too.¡±


    Just like what the rangers were talking about, number 13 had sessfully climbed to the 4th year. They were recalling the moments that they had spent rolling number 13, now 4th year¡¯s number 1, during his training.


    Then, one of the students that were listening to the rangers chatter asked.


    ¡°Is that senior really like a monster?¡±


    ¡°Number 13?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>I¡¯m not sure about his talent. But his skills grow and improve quickly by the day¡­¡±


    The student tilted his head in confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand what the ranger meant.


    The rangers saw that his skills improved by the day as he continued to train in the basic swordsmanship. However, there was something that they could not pinpoint that made it harder for them to say if he was a genius or not. But one thing was for sure. He was a monster.


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about pure and raw talent, then number 3¡¯s talents are insane.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But number 13¡¯sbat sense, vision, and experiences are over and beyond. They¡¯re both monsters.¡±


    The rangers continued to exin to the freshmen about the two monsters that they had trained before. The freshmen who were listening to their spectacr descriptions wondered if they were really true.


    The average age of new students that sessfully arrived at this ce was around 10 years old. Considering the rigid selection, it was quite hard to believe that a nine year old child would be able to arrive intact. But what was interesting was the fact that two of these children were currently standing at the first and second rank of the 4th year.


    ¡°You guys are actually trainingfortably. Last year, all of the children were rolling like crazy just to chase those two.¡±


    ¡°Because of that, most of the kids in their batch had skipped a grade. The rest were also able to skip grades, although a bitter than the others.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s true.¡±


    There were many children that failed to break through and win against their seniors duringst year¡¯s ranking battles. But the students¡¯ determination burned brighter and brighter as if they wanted to chase after their two monstrous ssmates. In the end, the rest of the children trained harder which allowed them to break through their ranks and climb up on the top of their grade. They were also able to skip a grade, albeit a bitter than their peers.


    They knew that numbers 13 and 3 sessfully did a two step promotion so they were now both in their 4th year. They also knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with them since the 4th year students needed to undergo some required training. However, thest year¡¯s freshmen still worked harder and more frantically. They felt that they would be able to be a bit closer to them if they did something like this.


    ¡°The problem is that he¡¯s making the 4th year¡¯s lessons harder.¡±


    ¡°I know. <i>Ah! </i>Did you hear? I heard that he recently suggested a new way to huntrge monsters so the professors have no choice but to work hard everyday.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>I heard that. That¡¯s why the 4th year rangers were in a mess. They said that they were actually going to try it.¡±


    The rangersughed loudly as they chatted. They couldn¡¯t help butugh at the thought of the 4th year professors and instructors moving frantically and having a hard time thinking about the direction of their lessons every day. They knew that they couldughfortably since it wasn¡¯t their job. After all, they were only in charge of instructing the freshmen.


    But the professors and instructors that were involved were already going crazy.


    At first, the professors thought that it was just an unexpected change. A freshman being able to get the top rank in the ranking battles was quite unusual but in the end, they believed that it was just due to the student¡¯s luck.


    However, the problem came afterwards.


    The Northeast Military Academy would begin teaching special subjects starting in the students¡¯ 4th year. The subjects that they were going to teach included tactics andbat methods that could be used in a special terrain. They would also teach the 4th year students how to cope and fight against medium torge sized monsters.


    Usually, they would teach them the basics and theories in the first half of the year while building their practical experience. Then, the students would be given practical training against medium andrge sized monsters that were already weakened by the rangers and the knights.


    But since Jaiden was now the 4th year¡¯s top problems started to arise in their lessons.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>What¡¯s this guy doing?¡±


    The general beast theory professor and therge monster tactics professor sighed as they looked at each other. Then, they both turned to look at Jaiden¡¯s test paper.


    The test paper that Jaiden submitted to therge monster tactics professor was extremely strange.


    The question that he needed to answer was about the methods on dealing with trolls.


    The first part of his answer was quite generic. His answers included the use of magic or fire to burn the injuries dealt on the trolls¡¯ body to prevent regeneration. Or they could destroy its heart or slit its throat. He also stated that slitting its throat was quite an arduous task since its neck was surrounded by a thickyer of skin.


    That was the perfect answer. It should have ended there. However, the problem was what he had written after.


    ¡ð <i>Normal Method</i>


    <b><i>1 </i></b><i>Dy the advance of the troll by digging a trap.</i>


    <b><i>2 </i></b><i>Detonate explosives to break the ground and trap the trolls inside.</i>


    <b><i>3</i></b><i> Continuously aim and fire at areas near the armpits, testicles and inner thighs.</i>


    ¡ð <i>Special Method</i>


    <b><i>1 </i></b><i>Inflict wounds through explosives then fire Ciarnea Acid on the injury.</i>


    <i>If you do this, the injury will not be able to recover for a day or two.</i>


    <b><i>2</i></b><i> Use Arachne poison.</i>


    <i>If you do this, the troll will not be able to prevent its body from rotting unless it cuts off the poisoned part.</i>


    ¡ð <i>If there is one knight among the soldiers. </i>


    <i>Things will be different if there is even just one knight present among the soldiers. If you use the methods listed above and you dy and restrict the troll¡¯s movement, the knight will be able to easily kill the troll.</i>


    <i>The methods listed above will be helpful to the knight and can be used by both the ordinary soldiers and the child soldiers.</i>


    <i>The child soldiers can use the bombs to detonate and dig traps. They can also use magic bullets in the distance to stall the time.</i>


    <i>If there¡¯s an unavoidable circumstance that would conscript a child soldier, the methods listed above can be used effectively. </i>


    But this was not the end of it all.


    The student even wrote down the advantages and disadvantages of using child soldiers with a knight. He even highlighted the strengths.


    The answers that he had written in this test paper already posed a great importance to them.


    Their current method of using only knights to fight off the trolls would be efficient if the trolls that they were fighting against were only a select few. However, in the case of a massive war, the methods that he had listed were definitely tactics that they could use and mobilize.


    The Northeast was not able to think about these methods because they only deployed the elites to beat the crap out of the monsters.


    Then, were these methods discussed in the Center? The answer was no. The things that they discussed in the capital of the Empire were wars with other kingdoms. In other words, they only discussed in-depth methods to deal with other humans.


    Simply put, discussion aboutrge-scale wars against monsters was only discussed in the Northeast. Even then, they would only do in-depth research about tactics that would let the elites sweep the monsters away.


    ¡°What should we do about this?¡±


    ¡°First, he got all the answers that I wanted to see. But¡­ the problem is that I also don¡¯t know the answer to that question.¡±


    ¡°We should let the rangers try and see if this is real. We can¡¯t stay this carefree forever.¡±


    The old professor sighed deeply when he heard the answer of the general beast theory professor.


    ¡°Actually, I asked the student today if he really thinks that these methods are possible.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He gave me this.¡±


    ¡°Application of Modern Weapons¡­¡±


    The general beast theory professor sighed when he read the words.


    ¡°Everything in here is his idea, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But his words are not nonsense. It¡¯s actually a description about tactics and methods that use magic bullets and bombs to target the monster¡¯s weaknesses. The rangers said that they also use it sometimes.¡±


    The professor sighed when recalled the conversation that he had with the rangers.


    The methods that Jaiden hade up with were too realistic to be dubbed as a child¡¯s wild imagination. The information that detailed the monsters¡¯ weaknesses as well as the methods to target them were so urate that even the veteran rangers were moring to do an experiment with it.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet with the basic beast theory professor and the tactical professor and discuss this with them first.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to end.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent it to Northeast Command. They said that they¡¯re experimenting on their own.¡±


    Hearing the words of therge monster tactics professor, the general beast theory professor couldn¡¯t help but let out another sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard work to have a monstrous student too. Huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure though. If what this student has written works, then it will be a great help to the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. <i>Hoo¡­ </i>Perhaps this is the birth of the youngest general ever.¡±


    After saying that, the general beast theory professor looked at Jaiden¡¯s test papers again.


    Jaiden¡¯s answers were a step ahead of the times. And it brought shock and surprise to the professors. After all, they knew that the recent movements of the monsters in the Northeast had been quite unusual.


    Based on the archeologists finding, the monsters¡¯ unusual movements seemed to be a harbinger of death. They believed that it was the tell-tale signs of an uing monster wave.


    On the other hand, the beast theorists were saying that it was an indication of something powerful waking up.


    If either of those warnings came true, then the Northeast might just have to face a massive all-out war against monsters.


    If that was the case, then Jaiden was like a lucky ball that rolled himself to the Northeast. He was like the warm coal that came during the cold winter.


    However, it did not matter even if there were no massive monster waves that would happen. Just by being able to think about these tactical ideas by himself had made Jaiden¡¯s value reach an all time high.


    They believed that as long as they raised him well during these 10 years, no, 6~7 years, then he would be able to do his part well. After all, he was a talented person that would bloom if they raised him well.


    This idea did not waver in their heads. In fact, all of the professors believed that Jaiden would be a key talent in the Northeast.


    However, some of the professors¡¯ ideas began to change little by little.


    It was because it was not the future Jaiden but the present Jaiden who had be aplete and perfect talent in one field¡­


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Cordon] ¨C a line of soldiers, police or guards that prevents ess to or from an area.

 Chapter 21 Jaidens Worth (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(21)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>8</i></b><i> Jaiden¡¯s Worth (2)</i>


    The professors realized that the current Jaiden was useful to the Northeast right now. The only problem was that he was still both young and a student.


    No matter how mystical and superhuman he was, a child would still be a child. So it bothered the professors, the rangers, and the knights to ask a child to do things that should only be done by someone in the general army.


    However, those sitting at the top thought differently. It seemed like they wanted to confirm if the person who hade up with the idea had the capability.


    Since he was the one who proposed methods that could be used by child soldiers it meant that he should be fully capable of using those said methods. So those at the top wanted him to prove the effectiveness of the methods by himself.


    At first, they might think that it was a bit too much but if they looked at things closely, this might be an opportunity for him to prove himself and his worth.


    Higher risks meant higher rewards. And if all of the 4th year students were able to sessfully do this then they would all be rewarded handsomely. Jaiden might even be entitled to a medal once this became a sess.


    ¡°Starting today, we will be going out to train and practice huntingrge monsters. The only difference is that this practice exercise is just like an actual battle.¡±


    The professor looked at the children¡¯s confused looks when they did not react to his words.


    ¡°Prepare yourself just like you¡¯re fighting with a realrge monster.¡±


    After the professor stepped down, the knights and rangers came forward.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Originally, it is our custom to only let you practice after we have half-killed the monsters but this time we¡¯re all going directly to the trolls¡¯ habitat. This is an order from above. You have to be more careful since your colleagues may lose their lives in this exercise. Remain vignt.¡±


    The ranger who did not usually agree with the knight¡¯s words had given his agreement this time. He even solemnly added some of his own warnings.


    ¡°What you need to put first in this training is your survival, not the execution of the operation. Please keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    All the students answered the ranger loudly. There was a bit of trepidation coloring their faces now.


    ¡°Number 1.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Will this really work?¡±


    Some of the nervous students turned to ask Jaiden on their way to the trolls¡¯ habitat with the rangers and the knights.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. And they won¡¯t make us do anything that¡¯s too dangerous anyway.¡±


    Jaiden answered confidently tofort his nervous contemporaries.


    In fact, only those who had reached the 3rd Stage could participate and fight against medium torge troll ss monsters.


    ording to schrs, even knight-level figures could still have a risk of losing their lives if they faced trolls. They had evaluated that only those who had reached the 5th Stage would be able to fightfortably and safely against them.


    Whenever someone heard about trolls, the first and only thing that they would think about was their strong regenerative powers. However, in addition to their monstrous regeneration, they also had an unbelievably thick skin and an unexpectedly good grasp on sorcery. Their grasp on sorcery was the reason why they were able to gain a foothold among the otherrge monsters like ogres that were good at spections and cyclops that had good physical abilities.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Trolls are nothing.¡±


    Jaiden had seen them several times in his previous life and he knew that their current setup was more than enough to kill them. They did not need to be intimidated at all. After all, no matter how clever and sly they were they would still be monsters in the end. As long as they guided them well in their trap then they would be able to kill them without much effort.


    ¡®Besides, there¡¯s a reason why we need to kill them.¡¯


    Jaiden clenched his fists tightly.


    This happened back when he was writing his answer to the test that the tactics professor had given him.


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes shook when he saw that he would be able to gain a new title so he immediately filled up his test paper with all of the knowledge and experiences that he had gained in his previous life.


    And this was the result of that.


    He did not know what kind of title woulde out but since the Northeast Command had asked them to do this he could assume that the title leaned on the positive side. And since the effects of the title could be superimposed, there was no harm in gaining more. After all, the more titles that he got, the more effects would be stacked together, the stronger he would be.


    Whatever the title was, he was sure that it would definitely result in his gain.


    ¡°Everyone, stay focused. From this point forward, we will be in the danger zone.¡±


    The children started to be nervous when they heard the words of the rangers guiding them. His words meant that they had now exited the academy¡¯s safe zone.


    As if to prove the fact that they had entered another zone, living, breathing beings began to emerge from the forest one by one.


    The knights immediately responded. They created a huge phnx that epassed and covered all sides of the students. It seemed like they were extremely nervous. Even the rangers had rare nervous expressions on their faces. They were veterans so they weren¡¯t scared of the trolls. However, they felt nervous since they did not know what would happen with all of the children here.


    ¡°Halt.¡±


    When the rangers signalled, all of the students stopped their movements and settled down. Their formation naturally formed some sort of defense. It was something that had been long ingrained in their bodies after hundreds of repetitive training sessions. Some of the students even started climbing trees as they pointed their guns forward while some of the students started to pull their shields out.


    ¡°We will begin setting up the traps. Everyone, get to work!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to bring as few trolls as possible, but don¡¯t let your guards down. You have to be prepared for whatever happens.¡±


    The rangers all disappeared after leaving a warning. Then, the knights began to order the students to team up and begin setting traps all over the ce. Just like what Jaiden had written, dozens of students teamed up with knights as they continued to dig traps here and there.


    ¡°Number 1.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you think it will work out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know if the trolls that wille are the regr ones or not. After all, aren¡¯t the trolls in this area rumored to be clever? They¡¯re probably already thinking of raiding us from the moment that we had stepped foot in this ce¡­ Perhaps there¡¯s even a chance of failure.¡±


    The knight sighed when Jaiden spoke frankly. The knights already thought of this possibility too.


    The knights had also looked at Jaiden¡¯s test paper and they thought that it was generally possible. However, they weren¡¯t sure if it was truly possible in the Northeast.


    The monsters residing in the Northeast were far more ferocious than the monsters that resided in other ces in the world. The monsters here had fought against humans countless times so they were mostly aware of the tactics that they usually used.


    ¡°Do you know the reason why the Northeast Command went this far?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess they¡¯re just that desperate.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. There are a lot of people who die in the Northeast. So they are now desperately grabbing at a straw. Even if they have to put their ¡®future¡¯ at risk.¡±


    Jaiden smiled sadly when he saw the bitterness coloring the knight¡¯s expression.


    This was the face of someone who had lost one too manyrades. But no matter how many they lost in every battle, they would still feel the pain if they lost another of theirrades. The pain was something that could never go away especially in war.


    Jaiden understood his bitterness. He, too, could rte to what he was feeling. He had felt his heart break each time he saw the death of the people that he had considered to be hisrade back in his previous life.


    He had tried to convince himself by shouting in his head that this was not his reality just so he could escape from the pain and agony that those deaths brought to him. However, no matter how much he shouted and convinced himself, his heartbreak over hisrades¡¯ deaths did not disappear. Up to this day, he still carried those heavy feelings deep down in his heart.


    The children saw the knights¡¯ bitter expressions so they quietly threaded around them. After quite a while, the long awaited signal finally came.


    <i>Ppiiiiiiiii!</i>


    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±


    The knight pulled his sword out as he quickly stepped forward.


    This was a ce where people risked losing their lives. Missing just a fraction of a second meant death in a fight against these monsters so they had to be well and fully prepared.


    The knights quietly and instinctively raised their aura to make sure that they could release it any time.


    Seeing the knights preparing, the children also began to go to their stations as they also prepared for the uing fight.


    Jaiden also stood in position as he gripped his gun tightly. He was getting ready to keep the trolls in check.


    <i>Baaang!</i>


    <i>¨DGuwoooo!</i>


    A huge explosion rang followed by the trolls¡¯ crazed roar.


    Not long after, the rangers appeared as they ran past Jaiden.


    ¡°There are three trolls. Can you keep them in check?¡±


    ¡°Three¡­ It should be possible.¡±


    One of the rangers slowed down and asked Jaiden a question. He then patted him on his shoulder when he saw him nod his head. Then, he disappeared in an instant.


    The three trolls that had been aggravated from the rangers¡¯ bombing suddenly appeared chasing after the rangers like crazy.


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    The students all stood in position when they heard Jaiden¡¯s shout.


    Unlike the other groups, the knight had given the rights tomand this group to Jaiden. From what he had heard, this was also a direct order from the Northeast Command. Perhaps, it was because they wanted to make sure that Jaiden could really show his abilities in real life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go out until I tell you to do so.¡±


    The knight nodded heavily at Jaiden¡¯s words.


    Then, a ranger somersaulted and grabbed a branch of the tree before passing by their position.


    The trolls that were chasing after the ranger were stomping towards them with a frightening aura as they turned their eyes to look for their prey.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Jaiden immediately gave his order.


    The explosives that they had nted exploded loudly and the area near the vicinity of their dug trap started to copse.


    The trolls panicked after realizing that they couldn¡¯t stop their momentum. The only thing that they could do was fall down inside the trap after being shaken and taken by surprise by the explosion around them.


    The groups were in a very urgent situation so the ce that they had dug was shallow. The pit was only deep enough to let the trolls fall up to their necks. However, it did not matter at all.


    ¡°Fire! Shoot at their eyes, groins, and armpits!¡±


    As Jaiden¡¯s voice fell, the children fired their guns in unison.


    A blue trail flew straight towards the trolls¡¯ weaknesses as they continuously fired their blue magic bullets at them.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Jaiden shook his head when he saw the knight trying to move to assist the students that were firing at the trolls. These guys were clever so they would definitely curl up if the knight appeared right now.


    It wouldn¡¯t take long for these trolls to realize that there were only children attacking them. By that time, they would have already underestimated them. Only at that time should that knighte out. That was the only time when they would be free of risks while being given the chance to easily defeat their opponents.


    <i>¨DGruwooo!</i>


    <i>¨DGruwooooo!</i>


    And finally, that time hase.


    The clever trolls looked around while protecting their eyes and armpits. When they saw the people surrounding them, they couldn¡¯t help but grin and reveal their ferocious and vicious teeth. As soon as they confirmed that only small fries were around them and the ranger that they were chasing was nowhere in sight, they threw one of their colleagues as bait while they tried to get out of the trap.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    The knight ran out as soon as Jaiden spoke while Jaiden immediately assisted the knight with his precise shooting.


    Since trolls belonged to the medium torge sized monsters, they wouldn¡¯t receive any significant damage even if they got hit by a magic bullet on their arms or back. They would only be affected by the magic bullets if they could target their armpits. Their armpits had a thinner skin than the rest of their bodies so the bullet could easily inflict pain on that part. In addition, the bullet could also damage their veins through their skin which could result in a dyed and slow regeneration and recovery.


    However, even if they weren¡¯t able to kill them, doing that much was already enough.


    Their resilient body had already been damaged once by the explosion earlier, so if Jaiden¡¯s precise shooting was added on top of that then their regeneration speed would be degraded once more.


    By then, they would just be easy meals for the knights. They would be easy to deal with since their greatest weapon, their ridiculous regeneration speed and resiliency, had been sealed.


    At the same time, the wounds that they had gained during the chaotic situation earlier would be extremely painful which would make it harder for them to use sorcery, something that required high mental strength and concentration.


    In the end, they would just be simr to arge, thick-skinned and dumb beast.


    ¨D<i>Kghhk¡­</i>


    The knight was a veteran knight so he could make quick work of the troll with a simple sh of his mana infused sword.


    Destroying the heart of the troll would be the most efficient way of dealing with trolls. But to make sure that they would not have a chance of regenerating any part of their body, the safest choice was to cut off their neck.


    After all, there would be a few indistinguishable variant trolls that could make their way to them. These variant trolls were so fraudulent that they could even regenerate their crushed hearts. So to make sure, they had to cut off the neck while also destroying the heart.


    ¨D<i>Guwoo!</i>


    <i>Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!</i>


    One of the trolls got agitated after seeing itsrade die. However, as soon as it raised its hand to swing its club, its armpits were bombarded by magic bullets.


    The knight easily dealt with this agitated troll that ran wild by stabbing its heart. Then, he moved towards the final troll. The mana infused in the veteran knight¡¯s sword erupted violently as it cut thest troll¡¯s final breath away.


    ¨D<i>Kghhk¡­</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s the 4th Stage.¡±


    ¡°So cool¡­¡±


    The children looked at the knight¡¯s sword in a daze. The full-on attack of a 4th Stage master had left them in awe.


    ¡°Get a grip. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s words, the children woke up from their stupor as they immediately focused. They slowly and nervously approached the fallen troll.


    Since the troll was a highly-regenerative species, it was impossible for anyone to feel safe until they had confirmed that it had truly died. They still needed to pelt them with their bullets to make sure that it wouldn¡¯t stand up once again.


    The knight also flitted back and forth as he repeatedly stabbed and cut all three trolls, making sure that they werepletely and entirely dead.


    However, despite the slight exhaustion, the knight continued to be vignt as he looked around the area. This was a forest that was teeming with monsters. He did not know when and where they would pop out to attack them.


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Jaiden turned around when he heard a familiar sound. Then, he saw the blue Baepsae sitting on a small branch of a tree.


    ¡°You¡­ Why are you here¡­?¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet!</i>


    While Baepsae was trying hard to exin something to Jaiden with its small beak, a ranger hurriedly ran towards the knight.


    ¡°Emergency!¡±

 Chapter 22 Jaidens Worth (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(22)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>8</i></b><i> Jaiden¡¯s Worth (3)</i>


    The ranger hurriedly and briefly described the situation to the knight.


    ¡°There¡¯s a huge disturbance in the troll¡¯s habitat right now!¡±


    ¡°So suddenly? But there weren¡¯t any special problems when we got here, right?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>My unit said that some things seemed to have moved into the trolls¡¯ territory so there¡¯s quite a lot of confusion over there right now.¡±


    The knight looked both shocked and perplexed when he heard the ranger¡¯s words.


    ¡°Where did theye from?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re presumed to havee from the ck Forest. It seems like the monsters came over from that ce and are now causing a stir in the troll¡¯s territory.¡±


    The knight felt flustered when he heard their assumption. As soon as the word ¡®ck Forest¡¯ came out, he immediately realized that the situation was much more serious than what he had initially thought.


    ¡°Then¡­ are you still investigating the cause?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I think we¡¯ll be dispatched as soon as we send the children back.¡±


    ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll prepare to retreat right away.¡±


    The knight immediately agreed with the ranger as he beckoned to the children.


    ¡°Speaking of the ck Forest¡­ Did that guy die or something?¡±


    The ranger shook his head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened. But we¡¯re sure that it¡¯s still alive. That divine beast is ranked at the top so he¡¯s not going to be killed by just a few monsters, right?¡±


    ¡°That might be true but¡­¡±


    The ck Forest upied the smallest area in the vicinity of the academy. However, no high-leveled monster could invade that ce easily because of the divine beast that nested there.


    The moniker ¡®Two Moons¡¯ had been given to the divine beast that rested there after someone witnessed monsters dying when two round lights shone brightly in the darkness of the ck Forest. Even a master level figure had admitted that he couldn¡¯t movefortably and safely in its territory.


    So monsters fleeing from its territory meant that the divine beast had encountered some problems. This was a phenomenon that suggested a possibility of a massive monster war over the ck Forest.


    ¡°Where¡¯s number 1?¡±


    ¡°He left in a hurry. He said that he was going somewhere for a while.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The knight was shocked and freaked out when he heard the answer of one of the students. He quickly turned to run and find Jaiden. Even the ranger next to him turned to move. But then, the bushes suddenly rustled.


    ¡°You, where¡­!¡±


    Just as he was about to let out a barrage of words in a fit of temper, the knight saw a wounded owl in Jaiden¡¯s arms. But what was stranger was the little bird sitting on top of Jaiden¡¯s head.


    ¡°You¡­ what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin itter.¡±


    Jaiden was aware of the urgency of the situation so he dismissed the exnation forter. The knight just sighed as he continued to gather the rest of the children together.


    ¡°The mission has ended. We¡¯re going back to the academy right now.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to throw away the trolls¡¯ bodies?¡±


    The knight nodded resolutely.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Move out.¡±


    The rangers immediately moved forward to clear the way after the knight¡¯s signal for retreat. More than 300 students moved back towards the academy with the knights and the rangers.


    Perhaps it was because of the urgency of the situation, but they were able to move quickly and arrive at the academy¡¯s safe zone.


    ¡°From here on out, please lead the way. I think we need to move out right now.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The senior knight bade farewell to the officer leading the rangers as he led the children on a familiar path back to the academy.


    ¡°Go back to your dormitories and prepare. The 4th year ¡®cadets¡¯ will gather here again in full armor.¡±


    As soon as the children arrived, the professors took them over from the knights and asked them to gather again the soonest time possible.


    Gathering them as ¡®cadets¡¯ and not as students of the military academy meant that they were asked to engage in actualbat.


    Some of the students immediately noticed the meaning of their words so their faces hardened. As the atmosphere surrounding them turned tense.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I have finished giving first aid, take care of it first for me.¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    Baepsae pped its tiny wings as it patted its chest proudly. The bird looked like it was telling Jaiden not to worry about a thing. Jaiden patted Baepsae¡¯s tiny head with his finger as he fully armed himself before running down to the training grounds.


    Not long after, the professors arrived in front of the more than 300 fully armed students.


    ¡°From now on, we will be assigning you to groups that will defend the academy. There¡¯s a high possibility that medium andrge sized monsters wille out, so you will be in charge of dying them and keeping them in check. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your vignce down and keep your heads up. This is an actual battle. That¡¯s all.¡±


    As soon as the professor¡¯s words ended, the children were swiftly divided into groups and assigned a knight before going to the region that they were assigned to. Just like they did during their practical training earlier.


    Jaiden also moved in the academy with the knight assigned to apany him and his group.


    As they walked forward, they suddenly heard the loud thumping of drum beats from somewhere near the academy¡¯s safe zone.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom! </i>


    ¡°This¡­ no way¡­¡±


    Jaiden and the knight looked at each other. Both of their faces were colored in shock and horror. The knight immediately informed the children of the seriousness of the situation.


    ¡°Fall back! This is not something you can handle!¡±


    ¡°If we fall back from here then everything will be over.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. This drumming sound is the sound that the trolls will make if they¡¯re preparing for a massive war! If you try to stop them here then you¡¯ll be exterminated.¡±


    Jaiden agreed with the knight¡¯s assessment but it was also true that they did not have any chance of holding out before the support troops came if they decided to retreat from this ce.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to stop it here if we know that themand will send us support troops?¡±


    ¡°If the ck Forest had been breached¡­ The time that it would take for themand to send support troops will take around 30 minutes to 1 hour. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to hold out and stay here for that amount of time?¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s face turned solemn as he looked down at the knight¡¯s question. It seemed like the conversation between the knight and Jaiden during their training had nowe to reality.


    ¡°You guys need to retreat first.¡±


    Hearing the knight¡¯s words, Jaiden had no choice but to step back. If there really wererge trollsing, then they would be nothing more than a distraction. They might have stood a chance if the tactical method that he had proposed had been perfectly trained by the students but as it stood now, they were nothing more than a distraction.


    Aware of the situation, the children hurriedly ran back to the academy with fear staining their faces. Once all of the children had entered the academy, a defensive line was formed. However, it was not only the knights that stood to defend the academy, even the professors took arms.


    ¡°Did they think that we can¡¯t protect this ce?¡±


    ¡°Do you think we have any other choice right now?¡±


    One of the students burst out in anger. However, 3rd year¡¯s number 1, who was now 4th year¡¯s number 3, spoke with a frown.


    They needed to be at least at the 3rd Stage to deal proper damage to a troll. However, even then, they would only be considered lucky if they sessfullynded a blow.


    One¡¯s breath could easily be taken away in a fight against a troll. And if they wanted to at least stand a chance to fight, then they needed to have that much power. But even with that power they still had to be prepared to lose their lives.


    The problem was that none of them had reached the 3rd Stage yet.


    ¡°There¡¯s something we can do.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There is.¡±


    Jaiden answered number 3¡¯s question firmly. It seemed like he had a definite answer to his question. Number 3¡¯s expression distorted as he red at him.


    ¡°As long as we set up bombs and keep them in check with our guns, then we can buy some time just like before.¡±


    ¡°There will be more problems if we go out and die for nothing! This is the time for us to stay still!¡±


    Number 3¡¯s words made sense. However, that was only possible if the support troops from the Northeast Command came quickly.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. However¡­ ifrge trolls reallye in droves, then all the professors and the knights standing on that defense line will die and get exterminated even before the support troops arrive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening right now.¡±


    ¡°Trolls will only drum if they¡¯re going in a massive war.¡±


    Number 3¡¯s expression hardened when he heard Jaiden¡¯s words. Even the other students¡¯ faces stiffened. They all knew this fact.


    ¡°Even the rangers that monitored the situation every month felt flustered and baffled. I¡¯m pretty sure the Command is also in a frenzy by this sudden situation too. And if we add on the probability of the ck Forest being breached, then our situation is much more than special¡­ It¡¯s dangerous. And it seems to be much more dangerous than what we had initially thought.¡±


    ¡°So? What do we have to do now?¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s words, number 2 asked him firmly. She looked like she had already made up her mind. The severity of the situation had all dawned on them and it was time for them to step up so they could survive. Even number 3 was biting his lips as he looked at Jaiden.


    ¡°Just like I said before, we should concentrate on buying time. Fortunately, all of us are in the 2nd Stage.¡±


    They were the 4th year students that rose through the toughest ranking battle in the history of the academy so all of the students had reached or almost reached the peak of the 2nd Stage.


    In other words, they would be able to temporarily strengthen their bodies and move quickly even with their eyes closed. Especially the elites at the top 30. All of them were able to infuse their swords with a bit of mana even if it was just hazy.


    Although the power that would go to waste wasrge since they have still yet to reach the 3rd Stage, the strength of those at the top of their year was more than enough to target the weaknesses of the trolls if they timed their attacks well.


    ¡°Is that all? Just shooting and running away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way for us to attack and kill the trolls by ourselves.¡±


    Number 2 couldn¡¯t help but shake her head when she heard Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°How can we even attack the trolls when we¡¯re not yet in the 3rd Stage?¡±


    ¡°In fact, the armpits and groin area had thick skin so it¡¯s quite hard for us to inflict fatal injuries with our strength. But there¡¯s one and only one ce where we could inflict damage with our strength. From me to number 30, that is.¡±


    The students looked at him curiously, waiting for the end of Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°The anus.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The tissues surrounding the troll¡¯s anus are weak and fragile. It might be covered by their thick butt but if we can make the troll fall down on the ground, then we can just stick our sword straight through their anus. And the effect will be greater if we coat our swords with poison.¡±


    Some of the students frowned when they heard Jaiden¡¯s words. They looked like they were a bit upset at the thought of having to target a troll¡¯s anus. However, they would be stupid if they cared about something like this when they were already on the verge of death.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom! </i>


    Jaiden looked at the children and asked them as soon as a huge explosion and the loud banging of the trolls¡¯ drums rang loudly in the area.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s question, the children began to check their armor. They had checked the bombs, guns and weapons strapped on their bodies. They deemed themselves to be well and fully armed. In addition, there were emergency supplies and boxes filled with ammunition and bombs in one corner of the training grounds.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it. Just like you said, we¡¯ll either wait for our deaths or fight to our deaths.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s do it! I think we can kill at least a few trolls.¡±


    The children pumped their fists in confidence after hearing Jaiden¡¯s confident words. While the children were cheering themselves up, Jaiden heard number 2 mumbling softly beside him.


    ¡°Anus¡­ Anus¡­¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>Number 2?¡±


    Jaiden looked at number 2 worriedly since she was acting a bit strange. Seeing his worried expression, she hurriedly came back to her senses as she ran after the other children who went to the main entrance of the academy.


    When they got there, they saw the knights and the professors fighting all over the ce. Wizards were rare in the Northeast so they only had one in their ranks. But even that was a huge boost to their strengths.


    The beast theory professor kept the trolls in check with his magic while the knights and the other professors dealt a killing blow.


    However, the trolls were also using sorcery so the defense line was gradually falling behind and being pushed back.


    ¡°Listen well. From now on, all you guys have to do is install enough bombs to blow up the academy¡¯s main gate.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we maintain the main gate?¡±


    Jaiden shook his head firmly at number 127¡¯s question.


    The main gate was quiterge so it could keep the trolls at bay for a while. However, Jaiden believed that the main gate would only hold out against them for a few minutes. If that was the case, then he¡¯d rather maximize its use and turn it into a trap.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re done installing the traps, gather back here. We have to buy time for the professors and the knights toe inside and retreat.¡±


    The children nodded their heads and dispersed to follow his orders.


    ¡®The Northeast¡¯s destruction¡­ Was it at this time of the year?¡¯


    Jaiden watched the children scampering around to fulfil their missions. Then, he looked at the trolls that were flocking like dogs with a solemn look.


    He believed that protecting the academy was important for the Northeast to remain standing and not get destroyed like his previous life. That was the only way that he would be safe until his military life was over.


    In order for him to live and guarantee his safety, he must protect this academy. And to do that, he would do everything that he could right here and now.


    Jaiden sucked in a breath when the mechanical voice suddenly rang loudly in his head.


    It seemed like there was no reason for him to ck off after receiving such a wonderful boost to his cause.


    With high expectations about the new title that he would receive and the second divine beast that he could contract, Jaiden immediately used his brain to the limit as he thought of ways topletely prevent the monsters¡¯ attack.

 Chapter 23 Jaidens Worth (4)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(23)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>8</i></b><i> Jaiden¡¯s Worth (4)</i>


    Jaiden watched the trolls advancing from far away. He was also the first person to fire a shot when the whistle that signaled the retreat sounded.


    When the other students saw him firing a shot, they also started firing magic bullets rapidly at an area not further away from the professors and the knights.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep on firing aimlessly! We have to shoot as urately and as precisely as we can!¡±


    Jaiden roared at the children when they tried to continuously fire at the trolls.


    Even if the guns that they were holding were modified and had lesser recoil and power than a normal gun to fit the children¡¯s body structure, their power would bepromised and their aim would be ruined if they continued firing like that with their measly arm strength.


    If that happened, then they would not be able to aim and hit properly at the trolls¡¯ weaknesses. Rather than doing something so useless, it would be better if they could just focus on shooting a single shot while precisely aiming for the trolls¡¯ weaknesses.


    As if proving that his thoughts were correct, the trolls that were unlucky to be hit on their vital shots screamed in pain.


    In fact, it did not matter if they were only able to shoot their bodies. Even though their skins were thick and leathery, they would still feel a tingling pain if they got hit. Of course, it was a given that they could recover easily but just like when humans got hit, the tiny and insignificant tingling and stinging on their bodies would definitely escte and give them severe pain if they were hit continuously.


    The charging trolls shrunk and cowered from the pain of the magic bullets. When the knights and professors saw this, they quickly took this chance to stage their retreat in response to the retreat signal.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    ¨D<i>Guwoo!</i>


    One of the trolls roared as it banged on their drums.


    A blue mana rose and swept around the field along with the beating of the drums. The mana slowly crept and seeped through the bodies of the trolls in the area.


    After the mana entered their bodies, the trolls¡¯ eyes started to turn blue as their bodies took on a reddish tint. Then, blue mes suddenly erupted from their bodies as they started to turn enraged.


    Once the changes were done taking ce in their bodies, the trolls charged forward. Since the trolls were quite clever, they instinctively felt that they would be faced with an annoying situation if they let the fleeing knights and professors.


    ¡°They went berserk!¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    The professors shouted loudly at their students when they passed through the academy¡¯s main gate. However, contrary to the professors¡¯ concerns, the students remained calm as they continued to fire on the trolls.


    Berserk trolls had increased regenerative powers. Even their skin and muscles would be temporarily strengthened making the bulletspletely ineffective against them.


    However, even if the students did not deal any significant damage to the trolls, they would still be able to leave a tingling and ticklish feeling on their bodies.


    But the more the bullets struck and grazed the trolls¡¯ bodies, the more violent they became.


    ¡°Did the support troops arrive?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Jaiden shook his head at the tactical professor¡¯s question.


    ¡°But how can¡­¡±


    ¡°Go inside for now.¡±


    Jaiden immediately cut off the tactical professor¡¯s reproach.


    The professor looked around. He couldn¡¯t help but flinch when he saw the countless explosives buried in the area near the academy¡¯s main gate. However, the only thing that he could do was sigh as he went inside. Even the knights were looking worriedly at the students as they rushed inside the building.


    But the trolls just continued to charge at them.


    ¡°Close the gate!¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s roar, the students quickly moved together to close the huge and heavy gate.


    When the gates closed, trolls rushed forward while they roared and banged at the gate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s retreat.¡±


    The children immediately retreated from the gate when they heard Jaiden¡¯s orders.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Only a few seconds had passed but the gates were already creaking from their banging on the gates. It seemed like they were dead set on breaking it down with brute force.


    Not far from the scene, Jaiden and the other children watched as the trolls began to gather and push in the gap that they had sessfully created.


    Only after confirming that there were dozens of them that were stuck on the gate did Jaiden nod his head.


    Seeing his nod, the children began to detonate the bombs one after the other.


    <i>Baaaang!</i>


    The copse of the main gate and the walls surrounding it apanied the loud bang that rang loudly in the area.


    The trolls that were stuck banging on the gate as well as the trolls that were trying to climb over the walls were caught up in the huge explosion.


    The explosion was so loud that it made the ground shake and tremble. However, no matter how loud the explosion was, they believed that the trolls would not die just like that. After all, they were monsters that were known for their strong regenerative abilities.


    The trolls that were in the center of the st would have died but the trolls that were only standing in the vicinity were guaranteed to survive. Their monstrous regeneration could allow them to restore cut off limbs so something like this was just a trifling matter to them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The students only temporarily remained in the training grounds to st the bomb so they immediately fled deeper in the academy once they heard Jaiden¡¯s orders.


    Once they entered the building, they were greeted by the exhausted professors that stood there waiting for Jaiden.


    ¡°What the hell were you thinking?! The explosion was much bigger than we thought but you know damn well that a troll wouldn¡¯t be killed by something like that!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It will only injure them. The strengthened regenerative abilities of the trolls will allow them to endure a st like that.¡±


    Therge monster tactics professor agreed with the words of the general beast theory professor.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A huge explosion apanied Jaiden¡¯s answer. And as if to prove that it was not really over yet, a series of explosions rang loudly in the area.


    ¡°Those guys have to break through our bomb field to get here. By the time they arrive here, even the troll with the world¡¯s greatest regeneration will be on the brink of death. Their regeneration can only do so much if they continue to get sted like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Even if the trolls were able to hold out against the first st, their regenerative abilities would definitely face a decline once they suffered from injuries over and over again. If that happened, then their recovery time would lengthen which would allow them to deal significant injuries on them.


    In addition, they still had to face the limits of their berserk state.


    ¡°The berserk state has a weakness. They will suffer from powerlessness and will be helpless against others for a short period of time. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    The general beast theory professor answered Jaiden nkly.


    ¡°When those guys get here, they will either be covered in blood or weak from being released from their berserk state. If that¡¯s the case, then we¡¯ll be able to finish them even with the professors and knights being injured.¡±


    Jaiden smiled as he exined to the professors.


    ¡°Of course, that was only if they got here on time.¡±


    The students nearby smiled at Jaiden¡¯s words too.


    Except for Jaiden and the students that buried the bombs in the main gate where the professors and knights were located, the rest of them went all over the area and buried a lot of things here and there. Although their traps and devices were a bit crude, they were still able to bury a lot.


    They mainly did this to stall for time so the support troops could still arrive with them alive. At the same time, it also served as a deterrence that blocked the trolls¡¯ charging advance.


    Of course, the distance between the main gate and the academy building was not that long so the trolls eventually reached the ce where the students and the professors were gathered.


    <i>Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!</i>


    <i>¨DGuwooo!</i>


    The students fired rapidly at the bloodied trolls that were rushing towards them while the knights jumped forward and cut off their necks to finish them off.


    It was an easy task for the knights to finish off the trolls since their berserk state had already been released. Even the professors were able to kill several trolls one after the other.


    The nasty and disgusting trolls grabbed their necks as they tried to drag their exhausted bodies to where the children were gathered. However, they were no match to the knights¡¯ attacks with their already exhausted.


    ¨D<i>Guwooo!</i>


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    One of the trolls roared loudly. It was wearing a ne and a cane decorated by bones. It seemed like those items symbolized its position as chief of the tribe.


    When the berserk trolls heard the roar, they immediately regained their senses and stopped their reckless charge. Then, they gathered around the Troll Chief.


    Jaiden hurriedly shouted to his professors when he saw the scene.


    ¡°Professor! We need to disperse!¡±


    ¡°A sorcerer?¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s frantic voice pulled the professors¡¯ concentration away from their frantic battles. They quickly turned to look at the location where the Troll Chief was located.


    ¡°Everyone, disperse!¡±


    The students and the knights began to disperse when they heard the professor¡¯s orders.


    They could see that the gathered trolls created the balls of blue fire that were now flying directly towards the academy.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    ¡°Those crazy bastards! They didn¡¯t even care that their colleagues were still here!¡±


    ¡°They can regenerate so it doesn¡¯t matter to them!¡±


    The knights hurled curses at the trolls¡¯ reckless attacks. They mocked and cursed at the trolls that gave up theirrades while they continued to evade and block the attacks with their swords.


    Meanwhile, the students evacuated deeper inside the building. The building was sturdy enough to withstand such attacks since it was engraved with an old and tattered defense magic. The beams of the building were also enforced with thick steel so it wouldn¡¯t copse so easily. They built it this way as an insurance. After all, they were located in an area that was teeming with monsters.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastards!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Troll Chief really crazy?!¡±


    After running to safety, the kids tried to catch their breath as they watched the scene outside. They couldn¡¯t help but click their tongues when they saw the trolls attacking recklessly and abandoning their colleagues just to deal with their enemies. It was quite an atrocious behavior.


    However, in Jaiden¡¯s perspective, this was something natural. He was aware of how shrewd and clever the trolls were after plenty of encounters with them in his previous life.


    He stared at the agitated children before speaking.


    ¡°Those bastards know. They know that they¡¯ll lose if the fight gets dragged longer.¡±


    ¡°The trolls¡¯ brain can think that much?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Unlike ogres, the trolls are clever. They¡¯re quick witted monsters. What more if those guys have a lot of experience fighting against humans? You can expect them to do this much.¡±


    Jaiden also could not believe this back in his previous life. However it was the truth. The trolls were truly quite clever, shrewd and scheming, something that waspletely contrary to their dumb and ignorant appearance.


    In fact, from his experience fighting in the Northern War in his previous life, he thought that fighting against the clever goblins and trolls was much more troublesome than fighting against droves of ogres.


    ¡°Then, if things continue on like this, will they be able to breach the academy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯ll still be able to do that after all that we did?¡±


    The students looked outside with tears glistening in their eyes.


    They could see that the professors and the knights were being pushed back even though they were fighting so hard against their enemies.


    The trolls had already stopped their bombing and had long rushed in. But what made matters worse were the trolls that had survived the magical attacks and the bomb field earlier. They had now stood up and made things more difficult for their instructors.


    ¡°From now on, we have to do one thing.¡±


    ¡°Starting from now, there¡¯s one thing that we have to do.¡±


    Jaiden spoke firmly to the crying students.


    ¡°We have to confirm that the bombed trolls are dead. If they¡¯re not, then we have to kill them.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Stab them in their anus.¡±


    ¡°Anus¡­¡±


    Number 2 mumbled unconsciously when she heard Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°Those until number 30 can express their mana a bit, right?¡±


    The students nodded their heads at Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then, we will split into groups of ten. Numbers 1 to 20 will lead a group on their own. While the groups that numbers 21 to 30 will lead have to pair up and fight together. The rest of the students will fill up the groups and cover for us.¡±


    After listening to Jaiden¡¯s instructions, the students quickly picked the elites that they would follow as they formed groups one by one.


    Jaiden confirmed that there were nine students behind him before giving them a final instruction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all survive.¡±


    All of the students nodded firmly and looked at him with determination.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s words, the group of students moved out of the building one by one.


    Based on the students¡¯ skills, it would be too far-fetched for them to fight and kill the charging trolls. But if it was just finishing off a dying troll, then their skills were more than enough.


    The elites stabbed the anuses of the dying trolls while the rest of the students in their groups supported them with their guns. But they did not end there. Their swords were actually coated with poison that they had sneaked out of the professors¡¯ office so the trolls¡¯ anuses were made into aplete mess by their stabs.


    <i>¨DKuwooo! Kuwooo!</i>


    The trolls were roaring in pain from the torment that the students¡¯ swords had brought them. However, they just continued on. They even became crueler. After all, they were not in a position to leisurely care about their methods and look at the circumstances of their opponents.


    They did all that they could to try and slow down the advance of the trolls, even just for a little bit, by killing off the dying trolls and keeping the iing trolls in check. But even then, the cordon that they had barely maintained started to copse when the knights and the professors started to get injured heavily one by one.


    But before they couldpletely fall, mes suddenly burst out from the sky.


    ¡°Drakes?¡±


    Jaiden looked at the green mes that were zing in the sky with a nk look on his face.


    There, he saw knights riding on drakes as they painted a giant magic circle in the sky. The magic circle started to rain down lightning bolts on the trolls. The trolls responded with their sorcery but their defense instantly copsed when the veteran knights started to jump off and deal with them.


    Perhaps it was because of their exhaustion, but the students¡¯ legs started to turn into jelly as they copsed one by one while watching the scene in front of them.


    ¡°We¡­ We survived!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡±


    ¡°<i>Waaah! </i>We did it!¡±


    The students couldn¡¯t help but cheer loudly when they realized that they had sessfully survived this ordeal.


    While they were busy cheering, a mechanical sound rang in Jaiden¡¯s head.


    Jaiden was in a daze as he listened to the continuous barrage of the mechanical sound. Then, his most anticipated notification finally came.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    Jaiden was confused. He couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly into space.


    He did his best and worked hard to clear this difficult mission because he was looking forward to this reward but all that he received was a short and absurd sentence.


    While he was busy trying to make sense of the absurd clue that he had received, the knights sent by the Command finished their massacre of the trolls. The crisis that their academy faced had finally ended.

 Chapter 24 Jaidens Worth (5)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(24)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>8</i></b><i> Jaiden¡¯s Worth (5)</i>


    After fighting in the Great Troll Defense, the 4th years still had to fight a few more battles.


    The trolls¡¯ raid had breached the safety zone leaving their academy wide open. This meant that monsters would push in andunch an attack from time to time.


    The Command¡¯s knights had been fighting crazily but their defense was still breached. The medium monsters were still able to get past their defense and attack the area where the 3rd year academy was located.


    But this time, the situation was unlike that of the fight againstrge monsters. This time, the 4th year students were able to support the knights. Their strength was more than helpful enough to deal with the medium monsters.


    The students suffered from some casualties during the process but fortunately there were no deaths among them. This was in fact the result of the professors and the knights¡¯ hard work. They did their best and did whatever they had to do just so no student would die under their watch. Even if they had to die in the process.


    ¡°Everyone, salute!¡±


    Everyone saluted under the roar of the Command¡¯s Knight Ordermander.


    They were all saluting the coffins that contained the bodies of those who sacrificed andid victim to the fierce battle that they had fought.


    Many of the knights, rangers and soldiers that were dispatched from Command either suffered from heavy injuries or worse died. And right now, they were paying their respects to those who had sacrificed themselves for them.


    This was also the reason why they couldn¡¯t celebrate and be happy even though they had sessfully stopped the monsters¡¯ invasion.


    War would always leave a bitter feeling. And the same was true for the battles that he fought and would fight in this life.


    Those that were left behind would always be saddened by the death of theirrades. But they would forget about them. They couldn¡¯t afford to be tied to their past forever. After all, monsters continued to flock endlessly and the battles that they needed to fight were still a lot.


    And the situation that they were facing right now was the embodiment of this. For them to stop the endless flock of monsters, they had to hide the sadness brought about by theirrades¡¯ death deep in their hearts to fight and stop these monsters from killing more.


    ¡°You can now disperse.¡±


    One of the professors ordered the dispersion of the students as he personally brought the coffins of his fallenrades in the transport carrier that would be carried away by the drakes.


    However, the students remained to send off the dead instead of dispersing right away.


    Experiencing the death of someone dear and close to them for the first time brought shock to the children. They had warned them that it would be dangerous in this ce but this was the first time for them to witness so many people dying. The situation was still slowly sinking in on them.


    And to these students who nkly sent their dear ones away, therge monster tactics professor spoke solemnly.


    ¡°The things that you will experience in the future will be worse than this. You¡¯ll definitely see the deaths of countless colleagues and you will most likely lose your lives too. After all that¡­ I hope that you can climb as high as them.¡±


    The professor turned to look at the knights that continued to work silently despite theirrades¡¯ deaths. Perhaps it was because they had seen theirrades die over and over again that their eyes had long gone dry, unable to shed tears anymore.


    ¡°Sometimes, heroes will be born in war.¡±


    The professor nced at Jaiden before turning his head away as he continued to speak.


    ¡°But never forget that before someone can be a hero, he will have to endure the pain of watching countless of hisrades sacrificing themselves¡­¡±


    The professor looked bitterly at the Drake Unit that carried the bodies of the dead. He continued to stare at them until they became dots and disappeared from their sight. Then, he gestured for the students to disperse and go back to the half-destroyed building.


    After all of the fighting had ended and they had done the proper courtesy and treatment to send off the dead, their next job was to restore the copsed buildings and walls of the academy. At the same time, the troops sent from Northeastmand moved quickly and dealt with the post-war processes that needed to be dealt with.


    While all of these happened, Jaiden and the rest of the 4th year students prepared to move up to the next grade. There were no ranking battles nor any risk of being held back but the students remained as busy as ever. After all, they needed to be stronger since the danger that surrounded them had increased as the forests that surrounded the Northeast started to fall into chaos.


    The area where the 4th year academy was located, the area whererge monsters were located, had been sorted out to some extent due to the incident before. But the problem was the area where the 5th years and the lower years were located.


    Since the divine beast, the owner of the ck Forest, as well as several high-leveled monsters disappeared for unknown reasons, monsters began to wage war to im their own territories.


    Confusion and turmoil spread not only in a part but in the entire Northeastern Front.


    Fortunately, the region where the 4th year academy was located had stabilized so they were able to build a temporary base and set up a front once again.


    If the 4th year academy had fallen, the situation would have definitely grown out of control since therge monsters would definitely push forward and devour the area where the lower years were located. So they were fortunate that the 4th year academy remained standing.


    A month had passed by with everyone spending their every waking hour protecting and restoring the academy.


    After finishing part of the restoration, themander in charge of the Northeast Command personally visited the 4th year academy grounds to give them the rewards that they had postponed due to their busy schedule.


    ¡°Gather at the training grounds, everyone!¡±


    Hearing the professor¡¯s words, the students dropped what they were doing as they all gathered in the training grounds.


    After the war against the trolls, the students started to train like crazy. Perhaps it was because they had realized how weak they were so they devoted their all to training.


    The professors did not nitpick on them for being so frantic. They wanted them to be the ones to ovee the trauma that they received from their first battle. Only then would they be able to leave the shadow of death and suffering that apanied every battle and war.


    But this time, themander and the academy dean came personally, so they needed to at least look a bit orderly and uniform.


    ¡°You there! Stand up straight!¡±


    ¡°Stand in lines.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t break the ranks!¡±


    The professors shouted as they sorted out the ranks and lines of the students.


    Not long after, the dean came up and stood on the podium that they had set up in the training grounds.


    ¡°Nice to see you all. This is my first time seeing you since your freshman days.¡±


    The professors and the students all stood still as they stared at Dean Randon, the person in charge of the Northeast Academy, on the podium.


    ¡°As a dean, what happened here at the academy is extremely unfortunate and heartbreaking but I¡¯m also d that you are able to make it through ande out alive. I¡¯m not here just to praise you for your determination and bravery.¡±


    The dean then looked around the people gathered in the audience.


    ¡°You have fully demonstrated the mindset that one should have in the military. As your dean, I would like to repay you.¡±


    The dean paused, took a deep breath, and continued on with his speech.


    ¡°Themander had given me the permission to do so, so to repay your bravery I am offering you an early promotion. You will be immediatelymissioned as an ensign and will be promoted after your senior year. Upon graduation, you will all be promoted to lieutenant.¡±


    The students¡¯ eyes widened when they heard the dean¡¯s words. One might think that it was just only receiving a promotion after their senior year but this was an extremely big deal for them. It was a great honor for them since no one had ever graduated as a lieutenant in the entire history of the academy.


    ¡°I hope that you will prepare well for the rest of the year so that we won¡¯t have any shortage of ensigns.¡±


    The students cheered as the dean stepped down from the podium. They were bound to be happy after getting a huge surprise. After all, being promoted and skipping an entire school year was something that called for a celebration.


    The Northeastern Commander stepped up on the podium under the cheers and hoots of the overjoyed children. The students immediately quieted down when themander stood in front of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m Crimson Halo, the person in charge of the Northeast. I¡¯m very d to see some memorable faces among the crowd today.¡±


    Crimson smiled as he gazed at the students. He wanted to give all the children present today a medal for achieving something unbelievable but unfortunately he couldn¡¯t award that many medals. However, he was sure that most of the current 4th year students would be able to receive medals once they made a few more contributions and grew up safely during their academic year.


    ¡°Just like what the dean had said earlier, you have all shown incredible bravery. Everyone did a great job in protecting the academy. But I heard that there was a person who had made a special contribution. Number 1?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Step forward.¡±


    Jaiden stepped forward nervously when Crimson called out his number. But the faces of the students behind him were showing envy.


    ¡°You have made unbelievable contributions during your academic career. As a student, you have introduced new tactics to deal with the trolls and even did a great job in saving the professors and the knights in the war against the trolls. By my authority as themander of the Northeast, I hereby award you with the Iron Cross.¡±


    The students¡¯ eyes all widened when they heard Crimson¡¯s words. Even some of the professors had their eyes widened as they watched the scene in front of them.


    Some of the professors who had connections in the Command seemed to be aware of this already but most of the professors were still shocked to the point that they asked those next to them if what they were hearing was correct.


    ¡°In recognition of your impressive contributions, I award you the Yellow Iron Cross. I hope that you will grow up to be a man that will make the Empire shine.¡±


    Jaiden gave his salute to Crimson as he epted the small ne that he had hung for him.


    The iron cross with a yellow jewel iid on it was a medal that was unique to the Northeast. Unlike in the other parts of the Empire where they wore their medals on their chest, the Northeast made their medals smaller in the form of nes. There would usually be a mark engraved on the medal. In Jaiden¡¯s case, the insignia of the academy was engraved on the yellow jewel iid on his medal.


    The Northeast¡¯s medal was also unique in the way that they awarded different jewels based on their officers¡¯ contributions. They would start with a yellow jewel and each time a certain amount of merit had been achieved, additional jewels would be iid on their iron cross. The jewels were iid in the order: yellow, green, red and blue.


    Because of that, they would only be able to receive the Yellow Iron Cross once in their entire life.


    ¡°I actually wanted to engrave the Silver Eagle in the center of this iron cross.¡±


    Crimson patted Jaiden on his shoulders before taking a step back. Then, Jaiden gave him another salute before turning around and returning to his position. Themander stepped down after giving him his award.


    Both themander and the dean left the training grounds after telling them that they did a good job. They still had more things to do so they only briefly passed by here to award their students¡¯ ster work.


    ¡°Everyone did a great job. Today is a day for celebrations so I will be giving all of you a break today. Have a good rest!¡±


    After saying those words, therge monster tactics professor turned around and disappeared. Once he disappeared, the children excitedly approached Jaiden.


    ¡°Wow¡­ So this is the iron cross.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you received this already¡­ so crazy!¡±


    ¡°What we received is also crazy in the eyes of others. We became ensigns and we will even get promoted once we graduate!¡±


    ¡°I know. If we do well, won¡¯t we be able to get a medal at the graduation ceremony too?¡±


    The students were filled with excitement as they stared at Jaiden¡¯s medal.


    However, number 3 looked ufortable while number 2 looked at him disinterestedly as she picked her sword up again. Number 2 was not interested in anything else aside from being strong while number 3 was considered as a quasi-genius so they weren¡¯t that much interested in Jaiden¡¯s medal. It was just a yellow medal and they could receive it in a few years if they tried hard enough.


    But the students were excited because this was the first appearance of a medal that they had never seen and had only heard of before. And they weren¡¯t the only ones excited about Jaiden¡¯s medal. Even the professors were excited that Jaiden¡¯s worth was finally recognized. The entire Northeast was also buzzing wondering what Jaiden, the person who received a medal, was like.


    As rumors about Jaiden slowly spread in the Northeast, the title ¡®4th year¡¯s number 1¡¯ slowly became known not only in the Command but also in the frontlines.


    ¡°Ten years old¡­ Will he turn eleven soon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    A middle-aged man smirked when he saw Sky Renz, an elite and a genius that was recognized by the Northeast, speaking firmly.


    ¡°Interesting. Bring him in, he will be useful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right to work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Get him here before the Command snatches him from our hands.¡±


    Sky Renz saluted before turning around and leaving. Then, the man turned and looked at the report that Sky Renz had given him.


    ¡°It will be good if I can raise him¡­¡±


    The eyes of Caeden Wall, themander of the 1st Army hailed as the strongest before the Shield of the Northeast Crimson Halo came, shone like a beast that found its prey.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Front / Military Front] ¨C the line of contact between two opposing forces. The front line can be a local or tactical front. It can also mean to be ateral space upied by a military unit.


    [Ensign] ¨C amissioned officer of the lowest rank. Ranks above chief warrant officer but below a lieutenant.


    [Lieutenant / First Lieutenant ] ¨C Rank above lieutenant junior grade / 2nd Lieutenant but ranks below lieutenantmander.


    [Iron Cross] ¨C a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia and waster on used by the German Empire and the Nazi Germany. This cross symbolized the courage of the old Prussian warriors that brought victory. It also symbolized the valor of the German soldiers of the first world war. However, thanks to this cross being a part of the symbol of the Nazis, although the swastika that was ced in the middle had been removed back in 1957, it has been connotated with negative emotions.


    <b><i>TL¡¯s corner!</i></b>


    Tbh, I don¡¯t know which military ranking the author is following. I think the author is following the US Army Officer Ranks though. So putting that into perspective, they have jumped over the 2nd lieutenant to be 1st lieutenants.

 Chapter 25 High-nosed Owl (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(25)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>9</i></b><i> High-nosed Owl (1)</i>


    Jaiden finally finished his 4th year, after making an incredible achievement, and stepped into his 5th year in the academy.


    The ce where they were going was located in the aerial monsters¡¯ habitat. It was clear that just one slight misstep could bring forth tumultuous dangers.


    Well, to be honest, the 4th year academy was also dangerous considering that they were in the vicinity of the medium andrge monsters¡¯ habitat. They even fought for their lives at their young age during the war against the trolls.


    However, contrary to what they had expected, their lives in the 5th year academy were quitex. They werepletely void of any tense and nervous atmosphere.


    All the 5th year students had to do was take their theoretical sses and learn about what the aerial monsters looked like, what their characteristics were and where they lived. After all, most aerial monsters were high-ranked so it was nigh impossible for the children to fight against them.


    Perhaps this was also the reason why they were all rxed. Especially Jaiden. Jaiden had lived an eventful and busy life during his 4th year but he was now living a fairly enjoyable andfortable student life.


    In fact, they really had the chance to live afortable student life during their 4th year. But thanks to Jaiden, they had to toil and work hard. And by the end of it all, they had realized that they had already lived a dog-like life.


    The 4th year students were only generally required to do practical training and battle againstrge monsters a few times. And they would only fight against half-dead monsters that had already been beaten by the rangers and the knights.


    But during that time, they were tasked to test the effectiveness of Jaiden¡¯s proposed methods so they ended up facing trolls that were very much alive and kicking. In addition, they were forced to risk their lives and fight against those monsters thanks to the chaos brought about by the changes in the ck Forest.


    So, being presented with afortable student life, all of the 5th year students were basking and enjoying their current life. However, it did not take that long. They only lived easily for three months.


    ¡°Number 1 is training on the basic swordsmanship like his life is on the line.¡±


    ¡°I know right.¡±


    The other students stared at Jaiden with confusion as he trained desperately in the basic swordsmanship.


    Once they became 5th year students, they were no longer required to learn and train in the basic and Imperial Basic swordsmanship techniques. Instead, they were given a lot of free time to improve their individual skills.


    If you look at their curriculum, they would be required to learn subjects that were based on the basics during their 1st~4th year.


    During their 1st year, they were required to learn the basicmon sense andbat methods. In their 2nd~3rd year, they were taught advanced strategies and tactics that they could use inbat and warfare. In their 4th year, they were taught methods on how to fight against medium andrge monsters. All of the subjects that they took including cooperation, military mindset, strategies and tactics were centered around the basics and the basic swordsmanship.


    However, things would change starting in their 5th year.


    Since they were going to be apprentices and learn under someone in their 6th year, their senior year, they were now allowed to have all the time that they could to polish their skills. Except for the time that they used to learn theoretical and hands-on subjects about aerial monsters, the rest of their time was free for them to use. They could use this time to boost and strengthen their individual skills that they would need during their final year in the academy.


    And as if to prove the fact that they were considerate to the students, they filled the 5th year academy library with high-leveled sword techniques from the main families of the Empire. There were even books about magic, spirits, high sorcery, as well as information about the great divine beasts and monster tricks. The library was well equipped with a variety of resources to supplement whatever path their student wanted to choose. Giving them enough resources was one way for them to make sure that they would grow safely and a lot stronger while they still remained in the academy.


    In fact, the Northeast Academy was actually famous for its fearsome specialty library. They even had the Leonhardt Family¡¯s sword techniques starting from the Basic Lion Sword Technique until the high-leveled sword technique that appeared around a century ago in their collection.


    Although they were not sure if they have any of these families¡¯ ¡®futures¡¯ with them, they still made sure to have everything in store so the children would grow up well-informed and prepared in their care.


    However, Jaiden looked away and dumped all of these techniques away. He just continued to train in the basic and Imperial Basic Swordsmanship. This was the reason why the students were all looking at him in wonder.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i>¡±


    After Jaiden had finished his training on basic swordsmanship, he moved on to the familiar Imperial Basic Swordsmanship.


    The students watching him all shook their heads before turning around and training in their new sword technique and martial arts.


    ¡®It seems like no one is training in Imperial Basic Swordsmanship anymore.¡¯


    Jaiden smiled bitterly when he saw the other students training on the famous sword techniques and martial arts in the Empire. Only a handful of people, including him, continued to train on the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship.


    Even the children who followed him stopped training in the basic swordsmanship. They already moved on and chose their new sword techniques. They were doing the same as number 2. She was currently training hard, harder than when she trained on the basic swordsmanship, on her new sword technique. Even number 3 had started training on a sword technique that was famous for its use of heavy swords.


    Because of this, Jaiden, someone who only trained the most basic swordsmanship of the Empire, had be rare.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure each of us has our own path.¡±


    Jaiden looked enviously at number 2 and number 3¡¯s sword techniques for a moment before looking back at his own.


    <i>The Imperial Basic Swordsmanship that¡¯s based on the basic swordsmanship.</i>


    Even though it was a simple sword technique, he liked it since it fitted him perfectly. It was a simple sword technique that could easily be parried and defended. Even the Imperial Swordsmanship could easily be destroyed by all sorts of faking movements. But even if this simple sword was something that could easily be defeated, he knew that training with this sword technique was the only way that he could adapt and trump over this world with his poor talents.


    His current life was the proof of this theory. In his previous life, he was only barely able to grow. He needed to overload his mana circuits with mana stones just so he could advance back then. But in this life, he could easily chase and even stand on top of the monsters of this generation.


    ¡°This is a sword technique that¡¯s made for the talentless.¡±


    Jaiden gripped his sword tightly.


    The sword technique that he was training in was a great sword technique that could even let talentless people like him be able to fight toe to toe with monstrous geniuses.


    And so, today too, he wielded his sword like crazy. He worked harder than anyone else just so he could gain the upperhand on these monsters that surrounded him.


    After training until he <i>became green onion kimchi, </i>Jaiden went back to his dormitory. Inside, he saw Baepsae ying with the owl and singing a song.


    ¡°Hey, how long are you going to be here?¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot?</i>


    The owl tilted its head and looked at Jaiden with its big and wide eyes.


    It might look innocent with its two big eyes but after months of staying together, Jaiden knew better. This owl was a rude little son of a bitch.


    Jaiden had tried to take care of it meticulously before since it might be his second divine beast. But when he brought it some soup to eat, it rudely told him to get lost. After that, he told it to just shut up and go away.


    ¡°Go away now. You¡¯re all better.¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot! Hoot~ hoot~</i>


    Jaiden looked at it grimly when the owl told him to stop speaking nonsense and just bring it ¡®that¡¯.


    ¡°Am I your servant, huh? <i>Ha? </i>You go and eat by yourself.¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot!</i>


    Jaiden brought out some smoked meat. Seeing the meat, the owl¡¯s eyes suddenly shone bright. It was already scary since its eyes were big but it became even scarier when its eyes gleamed brightly.


    ¡°<i>Hey, hey! </i>Stop it!¡±


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    Baepsae suddenly flew up and pped the owl¡¯s head with its wings. Only then did the owl behave as it urged Jaiden to give it a piece of the meat.


    ¨D<i>Hoot!</i>


    ¡°<i>Haa¡­ </i>Here.¡±


    The owl looked in satisfaction as it flew up and gulped down the meat that Jaiden threw up in the air.


    Watching this scene, Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Instead of being delighted with raw meat, the owl had a strange preference for smoked meat.


    When he first fed the owl, it ate everything well. But after identally giving it some smoked meat, it did not eat anything anymore. All it did was whine for more smoked meat. Thanks to this, Jaiden had to scour the academy for smoked meat every day.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going? If you¡¯re not going then make a contract with me.¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot? Huhuhuhu~</i>


    The owlughed crazily as it gave him an incredulous look. It looked like it was telling him that he was dreaming if he thought that he could make a contract with its majestic self. But Baepsae just poked the owl with its beak when it started mocking Jaiden.


    ¨D<i>Hoot¡­</i>


    ¨D<i>Tweet!</i>


    ¨D<i>Hoot, hoot</i>


    Jaidenid down happily while stretching his body. He looked at the arrogant owl in satisfaction as it got scolded by Baepsae.


    He knew that he couldn¡¯t keep the owl forever. At first, he thought that he would be able to sign a second contract with the owl. If he did that , then his divine power might be able to increase and he might just be able to open up a subspace. But looking at the high-nosed owl, he was sure that signing a contract was just a shot to the moon.


    ¡°<i>Tch! </i>I can only keep the owl until the end of my 5th year.¡±


    He had said that the owl was already healed. But in fact, it was not yet fully recovered. From the looks of it, only the minor and surface injuries that he had sustained before had been healed during its stay with Jaiden. He could see that it still had a lot of internal injuries since he had seen it twitch and squint in pain whenever it identally used too much strength.


    Wondering how he figured that out? It was because the owl was helping Jaiden train at night.


    ¨D<i>Hoot!</i>


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot!</i>


    Jaiden sighed as he pulled himself up. The owl had hurriedly told him to hurry up ande outside.


    By the end of their regr training hours and individual free time, some of the children would take the remaining time of the day to study or rest. However, most of them remained at the training grounds and trained their swordsmanship. The same was true for Jaiden.


    ¡°Shall we start?¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot!</i>


    The owl hooted loudly in agreement as its eyes gleamed sharply. Mana surged around its body as the owl¡¯s feathers slowly turned ck. Then, it flew straight towards Jaiden andunched its attack.


    The owl¡¯s movement speed was not that fast. But the ck fog that surrounded and floated around its body interfered with Jaiden¡¯s mana which made it hard for him to detect the trajectory of its attacks.


    <i>ng!</i>


    ¡°I blocked it this time.¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot? Huhuhuhu!</i>


    The owlughed mockingly when it saw Jaiden celebrating even though it just blocked one of its attacks.


    Then, the owl immediately flew towards him. It¡¯s speed noticeably became faster as it aimed at the gaps that Jaiden had shown around his upper body and head.


    <i>ng! ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Jaiden¡¯s hands shook as he received dozens of attacks in an instant. The owl looked like it was just ying around but the impact that Jaiden felt from the collision made him tremble despite his strengthened body and stamina.


    ¡°I¡¯m not yet done!¡±


    ¨D<i>Huhuhu~</i>


    The owl flew up again as it squinted at him mockingly. Jaiden turned towards the owl and used his Imperial Basic Swordsmanship.


    The children in the area were all looking at him with jealousy. After all, the training that he was doing looked like he was fighting an actual battle. If they also trained like that, they were sure that their swordsmanship would definitely grow quickly.


    But it was Jaiden, and not them, who had saved the owl back in their 4th year. So it was not that strange that the owl would only help Jaiden train.


    At first, they thought that it was helping him because he had signed a contract with it. But when one of them asked, Jaiden had told the student that he had not signed any contract with the owl. Confused, they turned to ask their professors. The professors told them that what Jaiden was doing was quite an amazing feat. After all, it was rare for beasts, like that owl, to stay with people and even help them train without any contract.


    However, by the end of it all, they knew that it would definitely sign a contract with Jaiden. So the students and the professors did not get close to the owl nor did they initiate contact for no reason. After all, if they suddenly interfered, Jaiden might lose themunication that he had with the owl. Thanks to the kind consideration of his colleagues, Jaiden¡¯s rtionship with the owl grew closer recently. It was still as rude and as high-nosed as ever but it was undeniable that the two of them had grown significantly closer.


    Of course, that was what the people around him thought. Jaiden actually thought that he was unlucky to be stuck with this owl.


    ¡°<i>Haa¡­ ha¡­ </i>Stop! I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¨D<i>Huhuhu!</i>


    The owlughed at him saying that he was a weakling before fluttering towards where Baepsae was. All Jaiden could do was shake his head helplessly at this smug owl.


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Jaiden thanked the child who walked up to him and handed him a water bottle.


    ¡°It seems like the wall blocking the 3rd Stage is quite high seeing that you and 2 and 3 still haven¡¯t climbed over. <i>Hoo¡­ </i>When will I even get to Stage 3?¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­ I don¡¯t think it would make a big difference.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You know that there¡¯s <i>that</i> in the 5th year, right?¡±


    The student shivered when he heard Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­ I heard that it hurts.¡±


    ¡°I heard that too.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±


    The student trembled and shivered once again when he heard Jaiden¡¯s affirmation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°We have to. It¡¯s better than being held back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. <i>Haa¡­ </i>We just have to hang in there, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The child nodded with determination, it seemed like Jaiden had given him the courage to do it.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before we¡¯re supposed to do it so let¡¯s work hard on our body before then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The two nodded at each other before heading back to their dormitories to stretch and rest their tired bodies.


    Jaiden was already trying his best, but there were still some students who remained in the training grounds for their individual training evente into the night. Everyone knew that day would being soon so they were doing their best to keep their bodies in the best condition possible.


    Days passed by with the children working hard and diligently. And the most important day for all of the students finally came.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [High-nosed] ?? ?? ¨C Literally high-nosed, meaning snobbish, sniffish, prideful, stuck-up or stubborn. I kept it as it is since it¡¯s an idiom.


    [Became green onion kimchi] ???? ??? ¨C figuratively means being so tired that the only thing that they could do is lie downnguidly and listlessly. Worn out, exhausted, dead tired.

 Chapter 26 High-nosed Owl (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(26)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>9</i></b><i> High-nosed Owl (2)</i>


    ¡°Starting today, you will all take a break from taking sses for a while.¡±


    The students gulped when they heard the words of the High Beast Theory professor.


    ¡°At the same time, we will be ending the basic martial arts that we have asked you to practice and train diligently.¡±


    The professor looked at the students gently before continuing his words.


    ¡°Today, we will be helping you reach the 3rd Stage faster. The process is extremely dangerous and painful so it will only be rmended to those who are willing to take this chance. Please raise your hands if you want to participate.¡±


    The professor nodded heavily when he saw that all of the students, without any exception, raised their hands to participate.


    ¡°Your mana circuit will be forcefully stimted today. This process is extremely painful. So, those who want to quit halfway can always speak out. You also have to tell us if you feel like your body is rejecting the mana stone. This is a matter of life and death. Not speaking out might end with you losing your life so you have to speak the truth. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The professor nodded his head in satisfaction after hearing the students¡¯ agreement.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s move on to the special room now. It will be painful but you won¡¯t die so you don¡¯t have to be too nervous.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The professor took the lead after giving the students sufficient warnings.


    However, even if the children were told not to be nervous, their faces were still covered with fear. It seemed like they were well aware of the pain that they would soon go through.


    Rumors about this process were circting around the academy. However, the information mainly came from the writings on the furniture in the children¡¯s dormitories. The pieces of furniture in their dormitories were littered with desperate words that retold the painful experience that they went through during this process. This was the reason why all of them felt fear.


    The writings could be found on the inside of their closets or on the headboards of their beds. They were densely-packed as they informed their sessors about every detail of the process. With such grotesque and highly descriptive exnation, it was only natural that fear started to brew among the students. And this brewing fear has reached its peak right now.


    However, there was one person among them who knew better about the pain of this process. And it was none other than Jaiden.


    Thanks to his dunce body, undergoing this process was an unconditional necessity for him. Back then, he needed to do this process just to be able to reach the 3rd and 4th Stage. If he actually remained still, he would not be able to break the walls of the 3rd Stage at all. He assumed that he would only be able to reach that level by the time he reached 40~50.


    Back then, he had done a lot of crazy things just so he could increase a bit of his strength. From inserting mana stones to injecting high-ranking monsters¡¯ refined blood into his body. He did everything. He even went as far as cing a fragment of a dragon¡¯s heart, an item that he received from the Imperial Family, in his body.


    So if hepared the pain of this simple mana circuit stimtion to the pain that he went through back in his previous life, he could estimate and rank it at the level of a child¡¯s prank.


    ¡°First, number 1.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Go in.¡±


    Jaiden entered the special room.


    Upon entering the room, he saw a huge magic circle as well as other hideous devices that were used for mana circuit stimtion.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. <i>Uhm¡­ </i>Don¡¯t be too scared. I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    If he was just like the other children, he was sure that he would definitely not be able to hide his fear once he saw those devices. However, Jaiden was not like them. He was already used to these things so he just looked around nonchntly.


    ¡°You¡¯re calmer than I thought?¡±


    The question was not made to be answered so he just waited for the doctor to continue his words.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stimte your mana circuit today. There are also other choices like iying mana stones and another procedure but those need your careful consideration and explicit approval. Please pick one among these.¡±


    There were three options listed on the paper that the doctor had given him. The first option was simple. One would only need to stand on top of the magic circle to get their mana circuit stimted. Then, there was the second option. This was a more painful procedure. In this procedure, they would forcefully inject mana into your body to induce a stronger stimtion in your mana circuit. And finally, there was the third option. This one was considered to be the most painful among all of the procedures. In this procedure, they would temporarily insert small mana stones all over your body. The mana stones would then act as a trigger and explode almost half of the mana in your body. Your mana would continue to explode as long as the mana stone was still on your body. This procedure had the strongest stimtion but it was also apanied by a great risk. Basically, the higher the level of stimtion, the greater the pain they would experience and the higher the probability of dying.


    Because of these factors, most people would choose the first option. Those who were aware of theircking talents would try to choose the third option but plenty of them would hesitate. The risk of dying was so high that the others would decide to choose other methods instead of this one. There was no use for this once they died. So for those who were desperate, they would normally choose the second option and never the third.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with the third option.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s just written to fill in the options. If it¡¯s you, then the second¡­ No, I think the first one is enough?¡±


    The doctor believed that Jaiden was a genius so he tried to persuade him to choose the first option. But Jaiden just shook his head firmly.


    ¡°The third option. I¡¯ll take that.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>You know what kind of procedure it is, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°This will be terribly painful. The procedure that you chose is practically a dead technology. It¡¯s only for those who desperately need it.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The doctor could no longer stop him after seeing that Jaiden remained steadfast in his decision even though he was fully aware of the consequences and pain of the procedure.


    ¡°Go out for now, I will start with the other kids first.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Number 2 looked at Jaiden, who came out with his head down, wondering why he came out so fast. But number 2 was already being called inside so she had no choice but to just look at him for a while before hurrying inside. Then, number 3 approached him and asked him quietly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do it yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll do it after all of you have finished.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Are you going to do a procedure?¡±


    Jaiden did not answer number 3¡¯s question.


    In fact, those procedures were not very good for those who were talented. Any kind of procedure done on the body would definitely have an effect on their future. This was the reason why the doctor and the professors only encouraged them to simply stimte their mana circuit. Even if the stimtion was light, it was more than enough for them to create the foothold that they needed to grow quickly. In addition, such a simple procedure would have little to no impact on their future.


    However, things were different when it came to the 2nd and 3rd options.


    ¡°Why did you¡­¡±


    Number 3 stared at him as if he couldn¡¯t understand his choice. The other students standing behind also couldn¡¯t understand why he made such a choice. Even the professor that was supervising them was frowning.


    But no matter what their reaction was, Jaiden just silently waited until the end.


    Since most of the children chose the simplest mana circuit stimtion procedure, they were able to finish quickly. Even those in the lower half of the ss chose the first procedure. Out of the 300 students in their year, there were only about 10 who chose the second procedure.


    ¡°Number 178. Come in.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me first?¡±


    He looked like he couldn¡¯t understand why he was entering first when Jaiden was still there. But 178 just looked curiously before going inside. Then, screams of pain rang loudly from the inside.


    ¡°<i>Keuaaaaaaack!</i>¡±


    The remaining students¡¯ faces were filled with fear after hearing the painful struggle of number 178 inside. However, all of them were desperate for strength, what was fear when they could gain enough strength? Determination slowly filled their eyes.


    ¡°As expected¡­ Rumors about someone dying after taking this procedure were not false.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°But we still have to do it.¡±


    Regardless, fear and anxiety remained in their system as they continued to listen to the painful screams while waiting for their turn. They had chosen the 2nd option so the pain that they would experience was no joke. It was not just a stimulus, they would be forcefully injected with mana to stimte their circuits strongly.


    If the first procedure was painful enough to make people scream then one can only imagine how painful the second one was from the howls of the students who chose this option. It was painful enough to make them faint. Those who were weak in mind and body would not be able to endure this pain. Some were even forced to retire after turning dumb from the pain and trauma of the procedure.


    This was also the reason why only those who were desperate and resolute could take this procedure. Fortunately, those dozens of students that chose the 2nd option were all strong-willed and desperate enough. They were able to grit through the pain and stumble out of the room intact.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Number 1.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jaiden went inside after hearing the doctor¡¯s call.


    ¡°Are you really sure that you want to do the third option?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why would a kid like you do something that dangerous? It will be good for the future of talented people like you to go easy on things rted to the body.¡±


    ¡°I have no talent.¡±


    Jaiden replied firmly to the doctor¡¯s statement. The doctor faltered before asking him again.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    When the doctor saw Jaiden smiling bitterly, he shut his mouth and stopped asking.


    The doctor knew that this child had a story. There were only a few people who came here without any secret so this was something that was normal.


    ¡°I understand. Since this is your choice, then I have to respect it. Just remember¡­ This is a high-risk procedure that can kill you. You have to tell me to stop when you can¡¯t endure the pain anymore.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The doctor stopped dissuading him and just prepared for the procedure.


    Jaiden stepped on top of the magic circle while the doctor started to apply special fluids all over his skin. The liquid contained concentrated mana that would stimte the mana in his body. As soon as the liquid was applied, huge amounts of mana poured inside Jaiden¡¯s body.


    The doctor looked in awe when he saw Jaiden standing still and not groaning despite the stabbing pain from the liquid. Then, he prepared for the next step.


    ¡°I will be inserting the mana stones on your body to stimte your mana circuits. I¡¯m telling this to you again. Please tell me if you can¡¯t endure the pain any more.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Jaiden replied to the doctor as he waited for the mana stones to be embedded on his body. The small bluish pieces of refined mana stones slowly got embedded on his body and stimted his mana circuit. After embedding the stones, the liquid containing concentrated mana was then injected into Jaiden¡¯s body.


    ¡°<i>Keuk!</i>¡±


    Jaiden couldn¡¯t help but groan when pain suddenly broke on his entire body. The doctor hurriedly tried to stop the mana injection when he heard him groan but Jaiden shook his head at him. Jaiden¡¯s will was strong, he wanted to finish this. So the doctor carefully injected the remaining fluid in his body.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. You have an hour to absorb the mana in this ce. But¡­ remember to tell me if you¡¯re in pain. No. Please tell me.¡±


    However, Jaiden couldn¡¯t answer the doctor since all of his attention was focused on controlling the mana that entered his body.


    ¡®This much pain is just like a joke to me.¡¯


    This was no big deal whenpared to inserting a fragment of a dragon¡¯s heart in his body in his previous life.


    The doctor watched Jaiden clench his teeth to endure the pain. He could see that the pain was too much to the point that his teeth were cking together. But Jaiden endured it. The doctor stared in awe at his determined expression. He could tell that Jaiden¡¯s mental strength had already gone beyond what a human should have. That was just how monstrous his will was.


    Jaiden did not moan or groan in pain for the remaining hour. Exhaustion washed over him after the hour was up. He couldn¡¯t help but stagger on his way out.


    ¡°You can stay longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡±


    Jaiden had no reason to stay in this ce any longer. After all, he had already absorbed all the mana that he could in this ce. It would be better for him to return to his room and have Baepsae help him recover.


    The doctor kindly helped him out of the room when he saw his unsteady gait. When the professor saw his exhausted body, he quietly held his arm and supported him. The two couldn¡¯t help but look at him in surprise. After all, it was rare for them to see someone survive this extremely painful process, but Jaiden just looked tired.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Jaiden managed to blurt out an answer to his professor. He even thanked him for helping him reach his dormitory safely.


    ¨D<i>Tweet? Tweet, tweet!</i>


    Baepsae looked at him in surprise when he saw Jaiden lying down with a painful look on his face. The owl also flew around him and looked at him curiously.


    ¡°Baepsae-yah¡­ help me a bit.¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s request, Baepsae immediately checked the condition of his body. Then, the bird helped him recover by pecking all over his body. After feeling the pain get relieved, Jaiden immediately went back to work. He worked hard to stabilize and control his mana.


    Jaiden barely opened his eyes after working hard to stabilize his mana for three hours. He looked blearily at the owl that was perched in front of him.


    ¡°You should pay for your meals.¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot?</i>


    The owl tilted its head. It looked like it was asking him about what kind of ridiculous nonsense he was talking about. But he just forced the owl to go to the training grounds.


    ¡°Please do it like it¡¯s real.¡±


    ¨D<i>Hoot¡­ Huhuhu!</i>


    Jaiden grinned when he heard the owl tell him ¡®Your body¡¯s like a tattered rag, are you crazy?¡¯ but he just lifted his sword.


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and juste at me.¡±


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s provocation, the owl immediately turned it¡¯s feathers ck and looked at him angrily. Then, it immediately dived forward and attacked Jaiden as if it wanted him dead.


    <i>ng!</i>


    ¨D<i>Hoot?</i>


    The owl stared at Jaiden with wide eyes as if asking him ¡®You blocked this?¡¯. Then, for the first time since they started training together, Jaiden started tounch a counterattack.

 Chapter 27 High-nosed Owl (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(27)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>9</i></b><i> High-nosed Owl (3)</i>


    The owl¡¯s eyes widened in shock when Jaiden¡¯s sword blocked its beak. It quickly pumped mana in its wings as it bounced up and flew up to escape Jaiden¡¯s reach.


    Jaiden pumped mana in his legs as he jumped up to strike at the owl. He looked like he was having a lot of fun.


    <i>ng!</i>


    ¨D<i>Hoo!</i>


    The owl hooted loudly in anger as it deflected Jaiden¡¯s attack. It seemed like allowing Jaiden to parry its attacks had hurt its pride. So it increased its movement speed and attacked Jaiden faster.


    But Jaiden had expected the owl to do this.


    He quickly straightened his posture and deflected all of the owl¡¯s attacks. But the more he stood firm, the fiercer the owl attacked him.


    Jaiden swung his sword like he was in a trance. His stabilized mana started to run wild and overflow. Perhaps it was because he was fighting as if he was in a real battle with the owl so his mana was easily agitated.


    Starting from the mana stones, his mana circuit began to get overloaded. The overflowing mana eventually overloaded the mana stones and caused a mana explosion in his body. Jaiden could feel his body heating up and turning red from the sudden influx of mana. However, instead of stopping in his movements, he used that power to fend off the owl¡¯s overbearing attacks.


    After sessfully blocking dozens to hundreds of attacks, the owl paused for a moment and stared at Jaiden. It seemed like it was asking him if he dared to block his next attack.


    The ck fog that enshrouded its body started to dye the owl¡¯s beak. After being tainted ck, a bluish light twinkled and shone on its tip. Then, the owl dived straight towards Jaiden. It was so fast that it left a ck after image that was immediately followed by a loud sonic boom.


    The owl¡¯s attack looked like it would be impossible to be blocked or withstood especially if the person at the other end was just at the 2nd Stage. However, Jaiden was smiling brightly.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    Thanks to his mana exploding, mana was temporarily overflowing from his body. With his body in this state, he felt like he could imitate the state that he had achieved in his past life.


    Even if he underwent countless procedures and drank hundreds of elixirs to get to the 5th Stage, the jjambap that he had eaten would never leave him. He could still easily recall the state that he was in and reproduce the feeling that he had back then.


    After a few seconds, Jaiden was able to sessfully reproduce the feeling that he had experienced back in his previous life. Then, the scattered and hazy mana that surrounded his sword started to solidify and emit a bluish light.


    <i>Baang!</i>


    ¨D<i>Hoo?</i>


    ¡°You thought this would be the end? Work a bit more. I already got the feeling.¡±


    He felt like the reason why he couldn¡¯t reproduce the feeling before was because his bodycked mana. But now, he could feel his body burning from the huge amounts of mana coursing violently through his mana circuit so he was able to sessfully reproduce the feeling back then.


    Then, he guided his mana into both his arms before letting it flow down to his sword.


    The owl¡¯s eyes widened even further when he saw what Jaiden was doing. Its beak dropped open to the point that it looked like it would drop.


    Jaiden immediately grabbed his sword tightly and followed the posture in the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship. Jaiden grinned up at the owl.


    The owl felt provoked when it saw Jaiden¡¯s grin. It immediately increased its speed as it rained down fiercer attacks on him.


    It had been a long time since he had grasped this feeling so he took his time in warming up. He even went so far as to use the godly techniques that he had learned before just so he could push his senses to the limits and grab tightly on to that feeling.


    The owl pped its wings hard as it unleashed ck mana towards Jaiden. Then, both of its eyes started to shine as it watched its attack cut down whatever was on its path.


    Jaiden shuddered when he realized what the owl was trying to do. He had recalled what happened whenever the owl¡¯s eyes started to look like that. Fearing what would happen next, Jaiden immediately braced himself and held his sword more firmly.


    Then, the owl¡¯s eyes began to emit a blue light.


    <i>Shiiiing!</i>


    Two blue lights were fired from the owl¡¯s eyes. Strangely enough, it sounded and looked like the owl had fired aser gun at him.


    Fortunately, Jaiden was able to block the two lights. However, the impact was so strong that his body mmed into a tree a few feet away from his original position.


    ¨D<i>Hoot!</i>


    The owl pped its wings and perched on one of the branches of the tree where Jaiden was currently embedded. It hooted and told Jaiden that they should stop for the day.


    Jaiden looked a bit disappointed when he heard the owl¡¯s words but when he saw his red body, he realized that he couldn¡¯t strain his body any further. All he could do was sigh and nod in agreement.


    ¨D<i>Tweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet!</i>


    ¡°<i>Keuk!</i>¡±


    Before Jaiden knew it, Baepsae was already perched on his head and pecking him harshly.


    The small bird was scolding him saying that what he did was too much. The owl watched to the side as Baepsae kept on scolding Jaiden for overdoing things before hooting happily mocking him for being stupid.


    <i>It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll get better if you push yourself too hard. This is retribution. It¡¯s because you¡¯re a fool. Hmph. Telling me to pay for my meals and lose weight.</i>


    Jaiden smiled bitterly when both of the divine beasts around him kept on chattering. One was teasing him for being stupid while the other one was severely scolding him.


    All he could do was sigh while he stabilized his rampant mana.


    His mana would continue to explode as long as there were mana stones embedded in his body. The mana in his body would need constant stabilization until all of the mana stones had meltedpletely.


    ¡°<i>Uhmm¡­</i>¡±


    Jaiden groaned lightly from the pain caused by the mana explosion. He slowly leaned against the tree and rested until his mana slowly settled down.


    ¡°It already melted a bit.¡±


    Jaiden looked at one of the small pieces of mana stone embedded on his arm. He could see that part of the mana stone, a lump of refined mana, had already melted and seeped through his body after the fierce rotation of his burning red mana earlier.


    Usually, the embedded mana stones would be removed at ater date or be left until it cracked. Once removed, they would be crushed before letting the person absorb them. This process was extremely painful and one needed to undergo this a lot of times. It was so painful that the people who failed to endure the entire process often ended up dead.


    However, there was another way to absorb the mana stonespletely without doing something so dangerously painful. Although it was painful, it wasn¡¯t to the point that they would die.


    One could intentionally explode their mana and overload their circuit, just like what Jaiden did earlier. The mana stones would then melt bit by bit under the intense heat of their overloaded mana circuit and get absorbed by the body. In other words, crazy. This was a crazy method. Aside from the terrible pain brought about by the mana explosion, they still had to worry about stabilizing their overflowing mana.


    However, Jaiden was doing this crazy method right now.


    This was a method that would be discovered by a madman, ten years into the future. It was a method that would be known for increasing the mana absorption efficiency by ten times. However, it was literally a crazy method that not just anyone could do. In all those years, there was only one man who seeded inpleting this method.


    ¡®A crazy bastard did something reckless!¡¯ might cross one¡¯s mind upon seeing this method but if the madman that discovered it and sessfully used it waster known as Bloody Berserker and climbed the ranks of Masters, then it would be a different story.


    Jaiden had seen the great possibility in this method so he tried the madman¡¯s technique.


    He was not a dunce, but a talentless fool who could almost be considered trash. However, his will was strong and he wanted to reach the ranks of Masters with his measly talents. So he explored and followed this method.


    Even learning all those skills and techniques back then was also because he was influenced by the madman.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡±


    He had experienced this kind of pain countless times in his previous life so he was already used to it. But since it was his first time experiencing it in this life, it felt like he was about to die from the pain.


    Baepsae had also been helping him recover and heal but the pain was coursing through his entire body so he couldn¡¯t escape the pain at all. Jaiden returned to the dormitory in that state and fell asleep after copsing on his bed. He had no energy to even wash his body up so he just stretched his body out on his bed.


    Perhaps it was because he overworked his body that he fell ill for nearly three days. After all, he fought fiercely against the owl while he was still suffering from the after-effects of the procedure so he was bound to get ill.


    However, as soon as his body recovered, Jaiden repeatedly fought a fierce battle against the owl. His mana circuit would also continuously heat up and get overloaded during those fights.


    The students in the area looked at Jaiden as if he was crazy.


    Number 3 was also looking at him as if he couldn¡¯t understand him. In fact, he truly couldn¡¯t understand why Jaiden was crazily putting his life on the line just to be stronger. They were already getting stronger quickly since they were staying in this dangerous ce but Jaiden still continued with his crazy training. He continued to walk on the tightrope of life and risked his all to get stronger as if he was unaware of the word satisfaction.


    Meanwhile, number 2 was feeling rmed. When the other students called Jaiden crazy for training like that, number 2 thought that she was probably living toofortably. Even Jaiden, someone who was much stronger than her, was training desperately. She wondered if it was truly alright for her to live like this just because she could be strong in a short period of time.


    So from that day onwards, number 2, who had been training fiercely, also started to train like it was a real battle. She even went as far as to ask the knight to fight her as if it was a real battle. Even though her sword was already fast enough, it began to elerate even further. And as if to reward her firm resolution, number 2¡¯s sword also began to have a swarm of lights after months of hard work.


    ¡°Monsters¡­¡±


    Number 3 clenched his teeth as he stared at the two monsters who broke the wall of the 3rd Stage. He had also endured the pain of his mana circuit being stimted and trained like crazy for months. But after number 1 trained like crazy to the point that he would risk his life, number 2 got stimted and went crazy too. In the end, she was able to ovee the barriers and created a simr situation to number 1.


    Number 3 finally felt a deep sense of crisis. He had always lived believing that he was a genius. And the same was true here. He only came here to prove his talent as a genius and he thought that he had already proven that to some extent. But after seeing these two monsters, for the first time in his life, he felt like his arrogance waspletely crushed.


    Back then, when he lost to number 1, he thought that he was still standing firmly on the realm of geniuses. After all, he was the only one who was able topete with a monster like that. But after watching those two monsters train like that for months, thest handful of pride and self-esteem that he tried so hard to protect had easily been crushed and destroyed.


    Even if number 3 stood above the masses, he was also no different from the other students. After realizing that he couldn¡¯t go after those two monsters who willingly risked their lives to train, he stopped and just trained like crazy on his own. At the very least, if he did something like this, then he would not be left behind even if it was just for the title of motivation.


    The other children also felt a sense of crisis when the children who took the second procedure used their desperation as their weapon and followed those at the top closely. It seemed like they would be left behind if they did not train too. So they also began to train like crazy once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡±


    On a chilly autumn day, all of the mana stones that had been embedded on Jaiden¡¯s body had finally disappeared and melted into his body.


    Jaiden stared at the owl in satisfaction. The time that it took for him to finish this had shortened greatly thanks to the help of the owl beside him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hurt anymore¡­ and you¡¯re in good physical condition.¡±


    The owl flew in disapproval when it saw Jaiden looking at it with a smile.


    Realizing the owl¡¯s meaning, Jaiden quickly grasped the sword with both of his hands and prepared for a fight.


    When he reached the 3rd Stage, Jaiden wondered where his jjambap would take him. He had used his past experiences to easily master the intermediate level of the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship. So he wondered how far he could go.


    In fact, he was currently training on the final installment of the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship. Once he sessfully learnt that, he was sure that he would be infinitely close to the 4th Stage.


    There was a stage before the 4th Stage where one needed to apply their mana in their various skills. It was in fact much moreplicatedpared to just simply infusing one¡¯s mana in their weapons. In this stage, they would need to connect the flow of their mana from their body to their weapon.


    However, thanks to the countless experiences that he had received in his past life, Jaiden was able to reach this stage earlier. The problem was that it was only him and the owl who knew the current state and stage of his body.


    ¡®My target is the Steel Mercenary.¡¯


    This thought shed in Jaiden¡¯s head as he lifted his sword solemnly.


    The Steel Mercenary, who gave him a piece of advice in his previous life, had a sword that would not break in front of anything.


    There were a lot of sword techniques in this world. There was a crazy sword that broke through the limits. An all-epassing sword that could take on any form. A storm sword that had powerful rotational and destructive force. A beast de that was savage and wild. And even a sword of destruction that could destroy everything in its path. Each of the high-leveled swordsmanship that existed in this world had their own unique characteristics. They also have their ownplications and difficulties.


    But imprinting theirplex and difficult moves was too much for this body¡¯s dull talent. So he decided that he would simplypress all of his mana into his sword and turn it into a sword that could not be broken. This was what Jaiden was aiming for and it seemed like he was already on the verge of achieving it.


    In fact, Jaiden was actually going to test some of his sword movements against the owl today.


    <i>¨DHoot!</i>


    However, for some reason, the owl felt several times more dangerous than usual. So Jaiden was a bit tense as he swung his sword with all his might.


    When their attacks collided, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked at the shocking impact that reverberated through his body. Just parrying one attack made his wrist ache and his body tremble.


    Receiving the attacks with all his strength, Jaiden instinctively felt that the owl was testing him. Realizing this, he raised his mana to the limit with the determination to endure all of the attacks that the owl wouldy on him.


    And just like that, the two of them fought like they were in a real battle for more than two hours.


    Despite the owl¡¯s overbearing and ferocious attacks, Jaiden still stood tall. He continued to stand and defend even if his body was bleeding all over. He was even able to aim his sword at the owl for another attack. He fiercely resisted the owl¡¯s overwhelming power. His eyes were burning with determination, as if he was telling the owl that this was his one and only talent.


    The owl finally nodded its head softly after seeing his look.


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    Jaiden eximed when he heard the mechanical sound.


    As if prompted by the notifications, the owl flew forward. It patted Jaiden¡¯s head as if saying that he worked hard before disappearing into the ck hole that appeared beside Jaiden. Baepsae, who was perched nearby, also flew into the ck hole.


    <i>¨DTweet!</i>


    Baepsae chirped. It seemed like it was telling Jaiden that it would see himter.


    Jaiden¡¯s tired body sank on the ground after the ck hole shrunk and disappeared from his sight.

 Chapter 28 Recruitment War (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(28)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>10 </i></b><i>Recruitment War (1)</i>


    Jaiden finally stopped his crazy training after the two birds that apanied him disappeared into his subspace. Instead of training crazily, he spent most of his days holding his sword and staring at it seriously.


    The other students looked over in curiosity but they immediately dismissed him and ced him at the back of their heads to continue their own training. This was not the first time that Jaiden had done something crazy so they were already used to his antics. Besides, Jaiden would just continue on with what he was doing and would not care about what the others thought of him.


    However, Jaiden¡¯s movements were truly too strange. It aroused the curiosity of a lot of people. There were even several professors who pretended to pass by just to see what he was doing seriously with his sword.


    One of the knights passed by and looked at him with an expression that screamed ¡®What the hell are you doing?¡¯. But his expression quickly changed when he got a good look at what Jaiden was truly doing.


    ¡°Manapression?¡±


    Jaiden was actually inserting andpressing small amounts of his mana into his sword. He knew that it was impossible for him to make apressed mana sword at the drop of a hat so he was trying to increase his proficiency by continuing topress small amounts of mana in his sword.


    ¡°You have already set a direction for the 4th Stage?¡±


    The 4th Stage was the stage when one needed to apply mana in their own way on the swordsmanship or path that they had chosen. However, finding the correct path through various practices would need countless repeated hard training. So it was surprising that Jaiden had already found his own path.


    ¡°What in the world¡­¡±


    The knight was left dumbfounded as he stared nkly at Jaiden. But Jaiden just continued topress his mana in this snowy weather.


    When the knights had seen him train in the basic swordsmanship, they thought that he was just strengthening his basics. This was usually the case even for people who had only learned the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship.


    However, it seemed like he had already chosen his path. And the path that he had chosen was extremely simple. He would continue topress andpress his mana until he could create a harder, stronger and unbreakable swordpared to any other sword.


    His path might sound simple but it was extremely difficult to achieve.


    For others, repeating something simple over and over again was something easy. However, repeating it over time would be difficult. Once they reached a certain level, they would start to feel conceited. They would think that they had already achieved perfection for these moves. This meant that they had already been bored of doing it again and again. By that time, they would have already stopped practicing these simple moves instead of staying in pursuit of a much more perfect form. This was the reason why there were a lot ofplex sword techniques and mana utilizations that had been created over time. Creatingplex techniques would breed stronger swordsmanship so the basics would long be forgotten.


    But there were so many people living in this world that it was not strange for unusual people to appear. In the long history of the continent, there was also a being who had reached the grand master level with just the basic swordsmanship. The steel sword, what Jaiden was trying to achieve right now, was a technique that this person had created.


    With a deeper nce, the knight could clearly tell that this was what Jaiden was aiming for.


    ¡°Steel¡­¡±


    The knight smiled when he saw Jaiden holding his sword like that. He felt like he was staring at the real steel sword.


    ¡°I hope you aplish it.¡±


    As a person and his senior who walked on the same sword path, he hoped that Jaiden would be able to achieve his goal.


    Jaiden¡¯s training, something that made the knight shocked, continued on until the end of his 5th year. Finally, Jaiden and his contemporaries finished their 5th year and went on to enter their senior and final year.


    All of the students that entered the Northeast Academy were extremely afraid of their senior year. After all, this was the year when they would finally be evaluated and determined whether they would go to elite units or be held back and stay in this ce. In addition, they would be sent out to the frontlines and would be recruited as apprentices and not as official officers. Usually, the ordinary soldiers would often ignore them even during real battle. They would often be treated as extra baggage too. All of thatbined together were the things that they needed to endure before they could sessfully graduate from the notorious Northeast Academy.


    However, it seemed like those things weren¡¯t a problem for this year¡¯s senior students.


    <i>ng! ng! ng! ng!</i>


    ¡°Dire wolves!¡±


    A huge pack of gigantic wolves rushed towards the ramparts.


    The dire wolves still posed a great threat despite the thick and high walls that surrounded them. The dire wolves were monsters that were influenced by mana so they have abnormal jumping abilities as well as steel-like ws. This made it harder for the soldiers and the army to kill them. They had to be careful whenever they were fighting against dire wolves. Just one wrong step and a dire wolf might identally climb over the walls. If that happened, then the front would copse.


    ¡°Ensign! Be careful!¡±


    One of the soldiers shouted out a warning to a boy. The boy skillfully threw a bomb down at the dire wolf that clung strongly on the walls below him.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>¨DKaeng!</i>


    The dire wolf that dared to cling on the wall was suddenly hit with a bomb and fell down with a yelp. With just a single bomb, the boy was able to easily send a dire wolf back down on the ground. Although it wouldn¡¯t die from such a small explosion, it was more than enough for them. Just making them fall down and lose their foothold on the walls was more than enough to stop their advances. In addition, the dire wolf would definitely suffer from serious injuries after falling down from such a height.


    ¡°Th¡­ there¡¯s a breach! Block them!¡±


    ¡°Where the hell did the breache from?!¡±


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    The soldiers grabbed their spears as they stopped the fierce ascent of the dire wolves. They were able to hold out against the werewolves since they were able to awaken their mana, albeit forcefully. However, because of the difference in their size and mana, they were starting to get pushed back.


    ¡°<i>Waaaah! </i>We¡­ We are getting pushed back!¡±


    One of the soldiers¡¯ legs almost gave way in fear when he saw the front being pushed back. But before he could lose his mind in fear, a child approached him from the other end of the wall.


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Before the soldier realized it the child had already fired magic bullets on the dire wolves.


    <i>Bang, bang, bang!</i>


    <i>¨DGrrrrr¡­</i>


    The dire wolves instinctively knew that the bullets were aiming for their eyes so they immediately raised their front paws to cover their faces. Because of this, they lost their grip on the walls and fell down.


    Having received a breather, the soldier quickly pulled up hisrades that were hanging precariously on the walls. Then, they all pulled out their swords to fight another arduous battle.


    <i>¨DGrraaaawr!</i>


    One of the dire wolves broke through their spears and rushed toward the child with a loud roar.


    ¡°En¡­ Ensign!¡±


    It was not strange if the child got torn apart by the huge dire wolf. But the child was able to swiftly dodge its huge maws and cut its belly open. The boy¡¯s sword that was covered with blue mana easily tore through the dire wolf¡¯s thick skin and dealt a fatal injury.


    However, dire wolves were monsters that ranked safely in the middle to high level. Receiving such an injury was not enough to cause it¡¯s death. The dire wolf swung its tail and fended off the soldiers that were approaching it. Then, it quickly pounced on the boy that injured its belly.


    But the boy easily dodged its bites and swipes. The child moved at an incredible speed as heunched his own counterattack. He was able to sh the dire wolf¡¯s back, neck, waist and stomach one after the other.


    <i>¨DGrrrrr¡­</i>


    ¡°Good job!¡±


    <i>Stab!</i>


    The boy finished off the dire wolf with a final stab on its forehead. He praised the soldiers for their hard work before moving on to his next prey.


    There were plenty of dire wolves that tried to climb over the ramparts but the boy was able to stop them with the most minimal movements. The boy would either shoot magic bullets and target the dire wolves¡¯ eyes or drop bombs to make them fall. Although his attacks were simple, he was able to make the dire wolves retreat with his precise and urate timing. He was also able to help the soldiers easily kill the dire wolves which helped in minimizing their physical exhaustion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too agitated. Throw bombs at those that look more likely to jump over.¡±


    ¡°This side is going to reach us soon.¡±


    ¡°Keep them in check with your spear. I¡¯m going now.¡±


    The boy moved busily flitting back and forth as he assisted the soldiers that looked to be in danger.


    The soldiers watched the boy, number 1, flutter around and show his excellent and rational judgements. They could see that he was guiding them like a soldier that rolled around in the battlefield for decades. Because of this, the soldiers started to regard him as a real ¡®Ensign¡¯.


    But that wasn¡¯t the end of it all.


    They had acknowledged that Ensign 1 had overwhelming judgement and skills. But even the other ensigns like numbers 2 and 3 were also showing incredible performances on the battlefield.


    ¡°So it¡¯s over.¡±


    The soldiers just nodded nkly as they stared at the boy that was wiping his sweat in front of them. They couldn¡¯t believe that those things just happened.


    Thanks to the ster performance of the more than 300 ensigns, they were able to stop the dire wolves with only a few minor injuries.


    The soldiers were all left in shock. Even themissioned officers who rushed over to help deal with the situation were all surprised to see the rookies¡¯ crazy performance.


    ¡°They really stopped it.¡±


    When the Corps Commander in charge of the frontlines received a report from the academy asking him to leave an entire area under the jurisdiction of the senior year, all of themissioned officers protested. They mored saying that they shouldn¡¯t gamble on something like that when they were all in the frontlines. But despite their protests, those at the top pushed the n forward.


    In the end, more than 300 ensigns and soldiers were dispatched to a rtively safer area in the frontlines. There were nomissioned officers or knights apanying them. Only the children and the soldiers were left to fend off monsters and protect the area.


    However, despite the area being rtively safe, the clever dire wolves were able to see the opportunity andunched an attack on them. After all, only children were protecting that area and they would be able to easily defeat them.


    When the knights saw this, they couldn¡¯t help but flinch. They immediately geared up and prepared to help them at any given moment. However, the children did not give them any time to move. They were able to finish things up on their own. And at the center of it all was the boy with the number 1 stuck on his helmet.


    ¡°Crazy.¡±


    ¡°I know right? Are all of the ensigns this year monsters?¡±


    ¡°I thought they were veterans.¡±


    All the soldiers could do was stare at the more than 300 children with wide eyes. They truly couldn¡¯t believe that they were able to fend off the dire wolves¡¯ attacks.


    When the soldiers first heard that they would need to protect this ce with only around 300 rookies, theyined and mored loudly. They argued that there should at least be one veteran officer dispatched with them.


    They couldn¡¯t help but burst intoints when they heard that they would be apanying new recruits in this deployment. All of them felt frustrated. They felt like they were being given a baby-sitting task when they were asked to take along these ensign apprentices. No matter how safe the area was, they were still stationed in the frontlines. There was truly no safe area in this ce. Regardless of who was stationed in the area, the monsters would still continue toe.


    As if to prove this, the dire wolves immediatelyunched an attack on them. The veteran soldiers tried to fend them off fiercely. They believed that rather than looking at the trembling children, they¡¯d rather prevent this attack by themselves.


    However, the more than 300 children proved their judgement wrong.


    ¡°Loyalty! Military Academy¡¯s Ensign 1 haspleted his mission!¡±


    ¡°Loyalty. All of you have done well. It might be a bit difficult since this is your first time, but this is a process that you have to get used to since you have to live here for the next three months. So you can¡¯tin. Get used to this ce as soon as possible. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Good. Everyone must be tired so you should all get some rest for today.¡±


    The children rxed only after hearing the words of their direct superior. Each of them leaned on the wall and chatted.


    ¡°Wow¡­ The dire wolves were so big.¡±


    ¡°I know. By the way, number 1. You were really no joke, huh?¡±


    ¡°Number 168 also led the soldiers and killed a dire wolf, right?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hehe~ </i>You saw?¡±


    Number 168 scratched his head shyly. Then, everyone began to brag about how they fended off the dire wolves.


    ¡°But after experiencing all of this¡­ I definitely have to go up and reach the 3rd Stage. No matter what.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think we have much time left¡­ <i>Ah. </i>I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±


    The students felt impatient. They wanted to directly climb to the 3rd Stage that was almost within their grasps. They were already dying to reach the stage, but their thirst was ignited even further after fighting with the dire wolves today.


    Currently, there were only three people who had reached the 3rd Stage in their ss.


    Numbers 1 and 2¡¯s performance were already off the charts so they weren¡¯t included in theirparisons. But even number 3, who was only barely able to break through the 3rd Stage after struggling to chase the two, showed a tremendously amazing performance today. Number 3 had only broken through to the 3rd Stage but in just less than a month, he was able to cut through the dire wolf¡¯s thick skin with just a bit of mana infused in his sword.


    The students knew that he had also received help from the soldiers but there was a huge difference between being able to directly injure and kill the dire wolves than just pushing around and dragging the time until someone could kill them.


    Because of this incident, the students¡¯ desire and longing for the 3rd Stage grew deeper.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Loyalty] ?? (Chungseong). You might hear this word usually in military dramas when soldiers/police salute their superiors. It literally means, loyalty, fidelity and faithfulness. It is because they are showing their loyalty to their superiors so they are greeting them with chungseong.

 Chapter 29 Recruitment War (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(29)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>10 </i></b><i>Recruitment War (2)</i>


    As the students¡¯ desire for the 3rd Stage deepened, so was their gratitude for number 1. They were extremely grateful to him especially after experiencing repeated battles together.


    Whenever monstrous geniuses appeared in the military academy, they would either look down on others or fall out and pursue their own path all on their own.


    Number 2 was a prime example of this. She might seem close to others but once they started on training, she would leave them all behind and thread her path on her own. Even number 3 was the same. He was even more arrogant than number 2.


    But number 1 was different.


    He would train like numbers 2 and 3,but he would also try to grow together with everyone else. He willingly shared his practical and tactical knowledge with his peers and helped them grow stronger.


    And this small gesture of his had stolen all the hearts of the children that surrounded him. Their sole desire to chase after and stay beside him had be the children¡¯s reason to do their very best. And as a result, their hard work became their strength.


    ¡°Number 1, there¡¯s no way we can respond to the gremlins¡¯ acid saliva. Right?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s really nothing else except for holding a shield.¡±


    ¡°<i>Haaaa¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°But you can use a rifle instead. Monsters like that have terribly weak defenses so they can easily be killed with just a rifle.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>But it¡¯s hard to hit it with a rifle since it¡¯s too fast¡­¡±


    Jaiden smiled bitterly. He knew that fact too well.


    Those monsters only had a slight grasp on magic but they used their acid saliva as their main weapon. Adding that to their obnoxiously fast flight speed, they could easily harass the soldiers.


    In fact, strong monsters like harpies and dire wolves were easier to deal with. They might be clever but they were only clever to the point that they would attack their enemies¡¯ ring weak spot.


    But there were monsters that were much more clever than that. Just like goblins and gremlins.These monsters were ranked in the top 3 for their slyness, shrewdness and intelligence. This was also the reason why these monsters could also use their own alchemy and magic.


    ¡°If you use a lot of bombs then you can deal with them in one go¡­¡±


    ¡°Bombs?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When the gremlins appear, throw a few me bombs and cast amplifying magic on them to increase the area that will be swept away by the mes. That way, they can be cleaned up in one go. Even wizards won¡¯t be burdened by just a simple amplifying magic.¡±


    ¡°Sounds okay.¡±


    ¡°The only disadvantage is it¡¯s shitty cost-effectiveness.¡±


    The student sitting next to Jaiden nodded his head in agreement.


    Bombs were currently expensive. It¡¯s price was not as expensive as the price that it had during the monster war in his previous life but it wasn¡¯t that cheap either. Since the bombs were mass produced during the war, their initial expenses had been reduced a lot which in turn lowered the prices. However, they were currently not experiencing any massive war so the current price was still a bit expensive to push through with that method.


    The gremlins certainly posed a problem to the soldiers but the iron bulls, cows that wore thick armor, posed a bigger threat to them.


    Thanks to their bullish strength, cracks had started to appear on the walls as they rammed against it. They had tried to deal with them with magic and bombs but it was extremely hard to deal a single scratch on their tough bodies. They could easily bepared to tanks with how monstrously tough their skin were.


    In the end, the knights had toe forward and deal with them since they weren¡¯t easy to kill with the students¡¯ strengths.


    ¡®In modern times, those guys will definitely be ttened into a paste once they get bombed from the air but¡­¡¯


    Jaiden felt that it was a shame that he couldn¡¯t experience tanks running away from a single attack from a helicopter.


    He heard that the other yers tried to make something simr back in his previous life. But from what he had heard, they had died even before theypleted the project.


    ¡°This ce is strange.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    When one of his contemporaries looked at him in confusion, Jaiden just shook his head bitterly.


    For him, this ce waspletely different to his real world. It looked like it had developed to some extent but there were a lot of parts where the scientific advancement and development couldn¡¯t keep up with. Even areas like the political, financial and industrial system were showing ring signs of inexperience and underdevelopment. For some reason, he felt like someone had forcefully ced the things that were needed in this world. It was like they did not advance methodically and built their foundations from the ground up. Something that waspletely contrary to his real world.


    ¡®If the overall engineering system had risen systematically together with scientific development then the weapon system of this world would have advanced well. If that was what happened, then I would probably be able to kill these monsters in more diverse ways. But, it¡¯s a pity¡­¡¯


    ¡°Northeast¡­¡±


    Jaiden stood on top of the walls that had been covered by blood from the fierce battle that they had just finished and looked over the horizon. He could see countless monsters prowling around the nearby mountain range.


    Mana was rampant in this area since this was a ce where a dimensional crack had appeared. This meant that there were plenty of mutated monsters that roamed around the area making this ce extremely dangerouspared to other areas. As a result, the people that lived and fought in this ce had be tight-knit. They were amiable and lived with a sense of camaraderie. They had no choice but to do so. After all, they were at risk of dying each time they fought a battle. And if they died, one of their colleagues would definitely fill the empty spot that they had left behind. But thanks to the camaraderie andpanionship that these people had built after fighting for decades together, this ce had be much stronger than in his previous life.


    Jaiden was even unknowingly influenced as he continued to watch and fight with them.


    When he first stepped foot on this ce, he mainly wanted to get discharged as soon as possible. However, the longer he stayed here, the more he realized that he wanted to do something that would be helpful to the Northeast. He was even willing to stay in the military just to do so. Perhaps it was because the Northeast was instrumental for his future and safety, he wanted to make them stronger so they could hold out just a bit longer in the future.


    ¡°Should I share with them all of my future knowledge?¡±


    If he gave the Northeast all of his future knowledge, then they would probably have an easier time dealing with monsters. He believed that this was the best that he could do as of the moment.


    While Jaiden was busy thinking about the things that he would do in the Northeast, the military units in the Northeast were all busy fighting a fierce struggle behind the scenes as they tried to take the graduating students¡¯ to their camp.


    ¡°You take 128. We¡¯ll take 131.¡±


    ¡°Hey. You dog, he¡¯s going to be a knight.¡±


    ¡°So you want to take both of them? Do you not have any conscience at all?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll give 140 to the rangers wholeheartedly.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. We¡¯ll take one from 128 and 131 no matter what.¡±


    The knights and rangers stationed in the ck Mountain Corps located at the end of the Northeast frontlines were busy fighting against each other to take the graduates that they wanted in their troops.


    If the new students that they wanted were the same, they usually settled it through a lottery. But they heard rumors that the level of the graduates this time was good so they were trying their very best to wrestle one more student away from the other¡¯s grasp.


    Thanks to the students¡¯ ster performances, the entire Northern Corps of the Northeast Army was submerged in deep and turbid water as they waged a war of recruitment against each other. It was a bit untimely since the children were yet to graduate but the fighting was already extremely fierce. The biggest fight for recruitment was for number 1 and number 2.


    ¡°He wants 1 in the frontlines?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll take 2 too. He¡¯ll use her strength right away¡­¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s not going to leave a person with the Command?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s willing to give you 3 and 7¡­¡±


    Themander of the Northeast Army, Crimson, couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard the officer¡¯s report.


    ¡°This punk. Did he get too greedy after seeing my good temper? Hey. Bring those kids here. Don¡¯t give that bastard a single one. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡±


    Number 1 could immediately give them a sense of power while number 2 could cover herck of experience with her overwhelming skills. Both of them were talented individuals who could <i>pay for their meals</i>. If he considered their pace of growth, he was sure that they were likely going to be their unit¡¯s heroes in ten years time.


    The Command found it annoying. They knew that it would be a waste to bring those two to the frontlines.


    Although people often deemed the Command as an organization or group that only shared tactics and strategies while ying the role ofmander, they were actually the ones in charge of dispatching special personnel to the most dangerous areas. They were also the ones involved in sending out teams that would investigate and identify all the causes of problems in the most dangerous areas in the Northeast thereby preventingrge-scale risks from happening.


    And because of that, themand was also suffering from a shortage of talented personnel. So the appearance of numbers 1 and 2 were like a wee sprinkle of rain during a drought for the Command. Number 3 was also a great talent but his talent was something that could easily appear every two or three years in the gathering of monsters at the Northeast Academy. But numbers 1 and 2 were different. So, themander stationed at Command found it unpleasant to hear that they would like to take numbers 1 and 2 in exchange for 3 and 7.


    ¡°Tell Caeden that I will show him what happens when a bastard who hasn¡¯t eaten much jjambap bes greedy.¡±


    ¡°Yes! General!¡±


    When Caeden Wall, themander of the army located at the Northeast¡¯s forefront, a ce where only the elites had gathered and Crimson Halo, themander of the entire Northeast collided to recruit the geniuses of this batch, the atmosphere surrounding the Northeast Army also started to heat up.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>I also want to take 1¡­ he¡¯s just too perfect for our unit¡­¡±


    ¡°Me, I want 2.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, 3 is also not that bad. We can roll him in our unit and make him into one of us. <i>Ah! </i>I¡¯m just greedy for all three people.¡±


    The three division leaders all gathered at Command for the first time in a long time because of their great desire to get these talents.


    They were the leaders to the three divisions under the direct control of Command. Their divisions were famous for being the units that faced the hardest and most dangerous situations in the Northeast. Of course, the frontline was not included in their repertoire. The three divisions were as follows:


    The Ranger Division that housed the elites among the elites of all rangers.


    The Knight Division that nurtured the best knights in the Northeast.


    And the Iron Wall Division that was in charge of guarding the Northeast¡¯s final bastion, the Command.


    These three divisions were as famous as the Vanguard Corps for their elites. Even the level of the division leaders was high. All of the leaders were at the 6th Stage and were veterans who had rolled around in the Northeast for decades.


    The three of them were also thinking of taking a shot at recruiting 1 and 2 even though themander and the second highest inmand, the leader of the frontline army, were fighting for them. After all, anyone would be greedy for these talents.


    But they weren¡¯t only paying attention to numbers 1 and 2. They were also paying attention to the other students in the graduating ss. After hearing that the students wereparable to the elites in quality, all of them hoped that they could bring as many students as they could to their units.


    Even the Mountain Corps and the Fog Corps, the two other corps aside from the Vanguard Corps that protected the frontlines, were greedy for them. Just being able to thrive and grow in the Northeast meant that they were elite groups. Sophisticated and strong people gathered together to fight against monsters. However, all of these elite groups were fighting to get new recruits.


    Even the leaders of the troops under the jurisdiction of Command were also drooling to recruit at least one student. They were even willing to get one from the rest of the 300 students since they realized that the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me was already out of the options.


    Since all the superiors of the units showed interest in the graduating students of the military academy, plenty of members of the Northeast started to pay attention to them too.


    Meanwhile, some of the troops at the frontline started to spread rumors.


    ¡°I heard that the graduating students have a lot of hands-on experience?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re hunting more monsters than us veterans. Is it because we¡¯re only at the 2nd Stage?¡±


    ¡°I know. We also awakened our mana but¡­¡±


    The elite soldiers in the frontline chatted and talked about the children¡¯s performance on the battlefield.


    Usually, these graduating students would often make mistakes in the frontlines when they fought for the first time. Some mistakes were due to nervousness while some were due to their arrogance. Some would even look down on the soldiers and turn the atmosphere dull and ugly.


    But the graduating students this time were different.


    The soldiers and the nonmissioned officers shared the same fear and illusion that these students would step on them since they would bemissioned officers. At the same time, they also thought that these students would cower in fear even though they were hunting in a safer ce since they did not have much practical experience.


    But they did not do any of these two.


    Rather, there were a lot of students who asked the soldiers about what they should do to hunt the monsters well. At first, the soldiers looked at the children wondering if there was something wrong with them. But they could immediately see the reason why they were doing this after experiencing an actual battle with them.


    The person involved in the students¡¯ strange behavior was number 1.


    ¡°Number 1, that friend¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say about him.¡±


    ¡°I know. Doesn¡¯t he look like he¡¯s outshining the sergeant?¡±


    Hearing the soldier¡¯s words, another soldier approached him and spoke out. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that way.


    ¡°What about number 2? In fact, I¡¯m really scared of that girl. She cuts monsters like a piece of cake. What kind of 3rd Stage is that? Even the knights can¡¯t do that much.¡±


    ¡°Number 3 is also an elite.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s because he¡¯s beingpared to the two. But his skills are more than good enough.¡±


    Due to the soldiers¡¯ testimonies, the expectations for the graduating students started to rise.


    Then, something happened that raised their interests and expectations to the peak.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Pay for their meals] ¨C ??, someone who earns their keep. Basically, they could do well

 Chapter 30 Recruitment War (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(30)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>10 </i></b><i>Recruitment War (3)</i>


    During the height of the recruitment war between the troops in the Northeast, Jaiden and the rest of the graduating students were busy growing rapidly while they fought in actual battles at the frontlines.


    Wherever it was, the first time was always bound to be difficult. Although they were said to be joining the troops in the ramparts in a safer area of the frontlines, monsters that came up to such structures were all simr. So once they got used to it, the performance of the graduating students began to grow exponentially.


    The biggest reason for this change was the graduating students¡¯ talents. Most of them were talented people who were between the 2nd and the 3rd Stage. Usually, skilled and talented people like them would be knight apprentices,missioned officers, soldiers or be appointed as nonmissioned officers.


    Either way, the more than 300 talented students that were gathered here to take charge of a single ce were bound to receive goodwill and praise wherever they went.


    Because of this, the frontlines, after a very long time, weed their graduating ss like they were treasures instead of nuisances.


    ¡°Ensign 1, you worked hard today too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Jaiden gulped down the water that he had received from one of the soldiers before looking at the paper in his hand once more. The soldier pushed his face forward in curiosity and asked him what he was reading.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°This? <i>Ah. </i>I¡¯m just doing my own investigations.¡±


    ¡°Investigation?¡±


    The soldier tilted his head as he looked at Jaiden strangely.


    ¡°Want to see?¡±


    ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible in this world.¡±


    Jaiden handed over the paper to the soldier as if it was just a simple matter. The soldier immediately read the contents of the paper once it got on his hands.


    ¡°<i>Huh</i>? This¡­¡±


    The soldier¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Jaiden.


    ¡°Not bad, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Yes, I think so.¡±


    Jaiden received the paper again as the soldier hurriedly nodded his head in agreement. After nodding hurriedly, the soldier couldn¡¯t help but stare at Jaiden and the paper in his hands.


    Written on the paper was how the monsters¡¯ weaknesses were attacked, how efficient the weapons they used were as well as what happened in today¡¯s battle.


    It was important for them to organize what had happened in the chaos of the battle and make proper countermeasures. But what Jaiden had written was beyond that. His writings were well-written and organized and it went beyond simply writing the ways to target the monsters¡¯ weaknesses. There were even tactical methods and movements that they could use to maximize their strength against the monsters.


    Anything after that, the soldier, who had only learned a bit, couldn¡¯t understand anymore. So, he immediately handed it back. But all that he had seen and understood were great so he was sure that the rest of the paper also had great importance and impact.


    In fact, after getting used to life in the frontlines, Jaiden¡¯s performance in tactics andmand whenever hemanded the soldiers stood out. His performance in those aspects was much more remarkable whenpared to his own skills and techniques.


    He waspletely contrary to people like number 2 who showed great performance with her overwhelming strength. Number 3 was also closely following her in terms of performance but it was not as overwhelming as hers.


    With her overwhelming talent, sword skills and practical experience, she began to fly like crazy. But there was actually a reason why number 2 was extremely overwhelming.


    Usually, knight-level talents would be ced in more dangerous areas. There were also knight-level officers assigned in each troop to facilitatemunications and give out orders but there was only one person and it would be hard for them to do a one-shot kill for monsters whilemanding the rest of the troops. So number 2, with her knight-level talent, who could single-handedly kill monsters was quite overwhelming especially to the eyes of the soldiers.


    In addition, the performances of the single-digit students, with number 3 at the lead, started to stand out.


    So, number 1¡¯s performance, who stopped showing off his personal skills to lead the soldiers and help them from time to time, was gradually buried. Although the soldiers who had received direct help from him had argued that number 1 was extremely active it was still difficult for other soldiers to believe their words right away.


    Meanwhile, the soldier, who handed the water to Jaiden and read his paper, started to spread rumors about what he was currently doing. Hearing this, almost everyone on the frontlines went abuzz. They even went forward and approached Jaiden to check on the truth of the matter. Jaiden willingly showed his findings to anyone who came to ask, he did not hide anything at all. And with that simple act the rumors were effectively proven to be true.


    In a short while, the rumors spread in the frontlines. It eventually passed through the ears of the Corps Commander who was in charge of the frontline fortress. In the end, Jaiden was summoned to prove the truth of the rumors.


    Sky Renz guided Jaiden, just like he did during his first day at school, in the fortressmand. There were a lot of people waiting for his arrival in the fortress. By the looks on their faces, it seemed like they had heard of the rumors so they were eagerly waiting for his arrival with interest coloring their faces.


    Sky Renz knocked carefully on the Corps Commander¡¯s door while Jaiden silently endured the overwhelming gazes of the people along the way.


    ¡°Corps Commander, number 1 has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    ¡°Loyalty! Northea¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind that, take a seat.¡±


    The strongest Vanguard Corps Commander protecting the frontlines of the Northeast, Caeden Wall, made Jaiden sit in front of him.


    ¡°I wanted to see your face for so long so I¡¯m lucky to have this opportunity.¡±


    Once Sky Renz left the room, Caeden stared at him with deep interest.


    ¡°You must have realized why I called for you. I want to hear your exnation about the rumors spreading in the frontlines. I will listen to you no matter how long it takes.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to tell you?¡±


    ¡°All of it.¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that Caeden wanted to listen to everything. He did not expect that Caeden, someone famous for being busy, would spend so much time on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine even if it takes a long time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Jaiden took a deep breath and opened his mouth to exin after hearing that the Corps Commander was willing to listen to him no matter how long it took.


    He exined the following:


    First, he emphasized on making active use of guns and other firearms to have a wider range of tactical methods.


    Second, he spoke about the tactics and strategies that they could use against the monsters based on thebination of the evidence that he had gathered as well as his future knowledge of their weaknesses.


    Third, he exined in detail his n of receiving and gettingrge-scale ammunition.


    And fourth, he spoke about his nned development of weapons that he had seen in the future, all the while exining that it was something that he had imagined to hide the fact that he had seen it from the future.


    After hearing Jaiden¡¯s exnation, the corpsmander fell into deep thought. He understood how realistic his words were after listening to it carefully.


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>It¡¯s alright to make active use of guns to target the monsters¡¯ weaknesses. It¡¯s good enough to propose to the Northeast Command and officially ask for a unit to be established.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°The problem starts with your third point¡­ Did you improve the thesis that you had made back in your 1st year?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Caeden once again fell in deep thought after hearing Jaiden¡¯s confident answer.


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more than possible. For the first and second point to be possible, there needs to be arge quantity of ammunition and gunpowder. But the amount that we¡¯re currently being supplied with will not be able to support those points.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that¡­ essential?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think.¡±


    Caeden smiled like he was having fun when Jaiden spoke his honest thoughts. Then, he stood up from his seat and opened a drawer on his desk. He took out a thick pile of documents and ced it in front of Jaiden.


    ¡°Read this.¡±


    Jaiden quickly picked up the pile of documents and read it. After reading for a while, his eyes started to widen.


    ¡°This¡­?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it simr?¡±


    Caeden grinned while Jaiden stared nkly into the paper.


    ¡°I wrote that myself.¡±


    ¡°This is really¡­¡±


    Jaiden stared nkly at Caeden. Caeden stared at him too. It seemed like he found his nk stare interesting.


    The things that Caeden wrote also included a draft for the unity of the North. First, he wanted to unite the forces of the northeast and the north. Then, he would attract merchants to the Northeast and make his own merchant association thereby forming a force that was entirely unique to the North.


    The content of the papers mainly wanted to attract people who had the same interests as them. For example, they would make an alliance with the west and the northern barbarians to make a military force that was strong enough to not be ignored by the Center.


    ¡°You and I have the same thoughts. To develop the Northeast, we should attract the attention of the merchants from the North before attracting the attention of the West. Once we¡¯re able to do this, we will be able to remove the entire Northern region from the central power of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Amazing. It seems like you have been preparing this for a long time, this does not look like it has just been prepared for only a year or two.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have revised and supplemented those documents during my stay here. So I think it has been more than a decade?¡±


    Caeden smiled when he heard Jaiden¡¯s assumption.


    ¡°By the way¡­ I have one question. Nobles andmissioned officers usually do not think this way. The Imperial power will definitely fall to the bottom once this is implemented. So why?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    He had acted like he did not think that far but Caeden just smiled at Jaiden¡¯sughable acting.


    ¡°At first, I thought it was because you were just young. But after hearing your n, I am now convinced. You definitely haveints against the current Imperial Family.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not at all. My loyalty to the Empire is absolute¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. Although you did not tell me the end of your ns, your thesis includes stimting the Western Merchant Federation and taking advantage of the disputes in the South. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know? It¡¯s easy to understand once you put the pieces together.¡±


    Caeden looked straight at Jaiden¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You want to iste the Center. This is an idea that will drag the Imperial power down to the very bottom. Right?¡±


    Caeden took out a cigarette after speaking his mind. Jaiden was at a loss of words. He did not speak even until the cigarette in Caeden¡¯s hands had been lit.


    He knew that someone would notice it sooner orter. However, he had unknowingly engraved his personal feelings into his ns since he thought that they would just think of this as a childish whim. He never thought that someone would read the thesis that he had made during his 1st year and scrutinize it in every detail.


    ¡°My ideas¡­ Those ideas did note out because I haveints about the current Imperial family. It¡¯s simply because they had neglected the North. <i>Hoo¡­ </i>Something like that.¡±


    Caeden said so and spat out smoke from his cigarette. He looked at Jaiden seriously as if he knew that he also had the same thoughts.


    Jaiden frowned when he saw Caeden¡¯s gaze. It seemed like his gaze was digging through all of the thoughts that he had hidden deep inside his heart.


    ¡°In the past, I took the elite course in the capital. But that road copsed thanks to the Imperial Family¡¯s crab mentality. So I was demoted to the North and old man Crimson sent me here. That¡¯s already more than a decade ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Caeden stubbed his cigarette off and continued to talk about his past while looking at Jaiden¡¯s silent figure.


    ¡°To be frank, I don¡¯t have anyints. But it¡¯s because I was beaten like a fool. But when I came here, I realized that I was not the only one. You know? I was bound to be suspicious since there were dozens of people who were demoted in the same way as me.¡±


    ¡°Exceeded¡­ dozens?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Dozens of elites get demoted to the Northeast in the same way that I was demoted every year. So, I thought that it was weird and made investigations of my own. And I reached only one conclusion.¡±


    ¡®They¡¯re demoting them and branching them out to solidify the Imperial Family¡¯s power in the Center.¡¯


    Caeden smiled strangely when he heard Jaiden¡¯s solemn mumble.


    ¡°The Imperial Family is pruning.¡±


    Then, Caeden looked at Jaiden firmly.


    ¡°Did you know this?¡±

 Chapter 31 Recruitment War (4)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(31)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>10 </i></b><i>Recruitment War (4)</i>


    Jaiden maintained his silence even though Caeden had already tantly asked him. He knew that everything that he had hidden would be caught if he answered hastily.


    ¡°Fine. Everyone has their own circumstances. However¡­ One thing is certain. You are hostile towards the Imperial Family.¡±


    However, if he continued to remain silent, then he would be tagged as the Empire¡¯s traitor. Left with no other choice, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°My reason is not simply because of hostility.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean that you have a different reason?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Caeden quickly spoke to try and get more out of Jaiden.


    ¡°Ever since I was young, I had been thinking why the North failed to develop properly. I got curious so I began to investigate. I realized that what we have been given from the Center was not satisfactory whenpared to the value of the North¡¯s specialties.¡±


    ¡°So the report wasn¡¯t just about the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I also found out that it was because of the distribution rights of the Merchant Federation.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to tell me that you have noticed this at such a young age? The fact that the Center has been ying tricks?¡±


    Jaiden remained silent. He had no choice but to let him think that he was a genius since he couldn¡¯t exin what he had experienced in his past life.


    ¡°Interesting. Aside from that genius head of yours, this proves that you are a noble considering that you had the environment that allowed you to learn these things. If you know enough information to infer these, then you must be from a leading family in the North.¡±


    Jaiden remained silent despite Caeden¡¯s own assumptions. But regardless of his silence, Caeden just continued to speak. He looked like he had realized something.


    ¡°The families representing the North are Temphet, Winstell and Leonhardt¡­ I can exclude Winstell since they believe that their hands are precious. Temphet¡¯s two sons are now all grown-up so they¡¯re also excluded. That leaves us with Leonhardt¡­ Are you the eldest son that ran away from home?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°When Leonhardt¡¯s eldest son ran away, I heard that he was still nine years old.¡±


    Jaiden still maintained his silence.


    ¡°Interesting. You abandoned the lions and chose steel¡­¡±


    Caeden smiled in amusement as he stared at Jaiden.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve already shown you enough of me¡­ so why don¡¯t you reveal your true feelings?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Your final n. And tell me what else you know.¡±


    Jaiden pondered for a moment after hearing Caeden¡¯s demands.


    <i>Will he believe me if I tell him that there will be a monster wave here? Will they willingly break up with the Center if I told them this? Will the Northeast be able to withstand it?</i>


    Numerous thoughts ran rampant in his head. He turned to look at the Corps Commander that waited for his words while he was immersed in hisplicated thoughts.


    Only after clearing his thoughts did Jaiden open his mouth.


    ¡°The biggest reason why I came here is because this is the right environment for me.¡±


    ¡°Right environment¡­ That¡¯s true.¡±


    Jaiden nodded when he heard the Corps Commander¡¯s agreement.


    Caeden knew that there was no better environment for someone who found their path with the basics. After all, the Corps Commander himself was one of the people who found their path with the basic swordsmanship. Caeden was someone who had turned his sword into an impregnable wall so he knew better than anyone what kind of path Jaiden had taken.


    ¡°And there¡¯s also one thing that I wanted to check.¡±


    ¡°Check?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Caeden tilted his head in confusion. He felt strange that Jaiden wanted to check something in the Northeast.


    If he wanted to take over the Northeast Army as Leonhardt¡¯s sessor then he should not have abandoned the Lion Sword Technique. As a family that was well-known for worshipping lions, they had strong attachment to the Lion Sword Technique. To use another sword technique, he needed to at least sign a contract with a lion divine beast. But Jaiden did neither of the two.


    Just as he was wondering what Jaiden wanted to check in the Northeast, Jaiden finally spoke up.


    ¡°I wanted to check if there were signs that signalled a monster wave.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Jaiden¡¯s words were enough to send the Corps Commander in a frenzy.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Corps Commander sighed deeply upon hearing Jaiden¡¯s confident answer.


    He knew that all of the events that happened in the Northeast during the past few years had all been unusual. cing those pieces together, they found out that there were many events that ovepped and corresponded to the previous records about the precursor to a monster wave.


    However, it was a bit too much to conclude that a monster wave would happen just because a few cases ovepped together. After all,rge-scale power battles between monsters also exhibit simr phenomena to the precursor of a monster wave. It was also for this reason that the historians and monster schrs were at odds. There were thousands of papers that have detailed exnations discussing whether the current events were truly the precursor to a monster wave.


    ¡°The current phenomena that the Northeast is experiencing is simr to that of a monster wave.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous to assume that this is a monster wave just because the monsters¡¯ sphere of influence had changed.¡±


    ¡°We also need to investigate the monsters¡¯ abnormal movements and status quo.¡±


    ¡°That also happens from time to time.¡±


    ¡°I heard that there¡¯s an area in the Northeast where the mana fog has thinned significantly. There¡¯s a high probability that they¡¯re gathering somewhere.¡±


    ¡°The range of fluctuation is a bit too small to say that.¡±


    Jaiden sighed when he saw the Corps Commander refuting everything that he was saying.


    Just like what the Corps Commander had said, it was truly unreasonable to associate theserge-scale changes between the monsters¡¯ forces to a monster wave. However, the other phenomena listed in previous records that signalled the precursor to a monster wave was just as ridiculous.


    The most reliable evidence like ck mana stone, contaminated mana stone, and dimensional cracks were things that couldn¡¯t be found right now. It would take a few more years before they woulde out.


    ¡®It probably appeared around the time when the other guys came over to this world.¡¯


    Based on his experiences in his past life, the dimensional cracks appeared simultaneously only after some time had passed. And by that time, everything was already toote. In other words, it would take at least a few more years to prove what Jaiden had said. But Jaiden still had a thing up his sleeve.


    ¡°May I have a piece of paper?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The Corps Commander replied readily and stood up to give him a piece of paper and pen. Then, Jaiden began to draw something on the paper as he continued to speak.


    ¡°The most convincing evidence based on the previous precursors to monster waves are the monsters¡¯ power struggle, ck mana stones and contaminated mana stones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°The only thing that has been confirmed is the power struggle. And that evidence is definitely not enough. But there¡¯s something we can infer from these things.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hearing the question of the Corps Commander, Jaiden drew the entire Northeast terrain before circling the monster forces. At the same time, he drew a triangle on the sphere of influences that had changed over the past few years. His drawing had shown the phenomenon that was currently happening in the Northeast.


    ¡°The most dangerous area in the Northeast is the crater where the dimensional crack had previously appeared.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°This area still has a lot of lingering contaminated mana due to the aftermath of the crack closing. But from what I heard, the monsters had gone in there.¡±


    The Corps Commander nodded his head to confirm the information that Jaiden had heard.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s something that we should definitely be suspicious about. However, mutants often go there to be stronger. And that alone is not enough to prove that a monster wave is upon us.¡±


    ¡°Of course. But please look over here.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like they¡¯re avoiding something? You¡¯ve seen monsters go to the crater. But what if they¡¯re hurriedly running away from something dangerous to the point that they would take the risk to go to such a dangerous ce?¡±


    The Corps Commander¡¯s expression turned strange the more he looked at the topographic map that Jaiden had drawn. Looking closely at the triangles and circles that were drawn on the topographic map, he could see that there were traces of movements from the Northeast to the Southwest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already confirmed this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­ck Drake. This guy has undergone an awful lot of mutations. Its force is assumed to be closer to that of a dragon.¡±


    Jaiden pondered for a moment when he heard Caeden¡¯s words. This was a situation where they could assume that the monsters had moved away because of that single drake.


    <i>It¡¯s not a dragon but a drake? That doesn¡¯t even make sense. </i>


    Even if it was a dragon, it was not enough to assume that therge-scale movements of the monsters from the Northeast was because of this.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other monsters?¡±


    ¡°There is. We found traces of a frost giant.¡±


    ¡°Are there more?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t confirmed it yet but a manticore¡­¡±


    Caeden continued to speak but his attention was already floating somewhere.


    ¡®The monsters¡¯ sphere of influence in the Northeast is currently changing rapidly because of the existence of high-ranked monsters like the mutated drake, frost giant and manticore.¡¯


    That was what he thought at first. This was because this usually happened in the Northeast. However,pared to before, the changes in the monsters¡¯ sphere of influences had been very huge and urgent. This was also the first time that high-leveled monsters had moved this much. This meant that the thought ¡®There must be something more dangerous and stronger that the high-leveled monsters needed to avoid so they¡¯re moving like this!¡¯ might be possible.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Caeden looked at Jaiden with doubt shing through his face. He had missed this part because he had been too used to the situation in the Northeast. He had also felt relieved since highly valuable evidence like ck mana stones, contaminated mana stones and dimensional cracks were still not found. In addition, they had missed a lot of evidence since there were only small traces left so they feltcent.


    If he looked at these pieces of evidence one by one, he could say that they were just small unexpected variables. But if he ced them together, then it was something simr to the precursor to a monster wave.


    ¡°The ck mana stones and contaminated mana stones will only appear just before a crack in the dimension opens. So it¡¯s hard to confirm. But by the time you have confirmed it, it will be toote.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we have no other choice but to infer from other things. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a coincidence but most of the phenomenon that happened in the current years point to a monster wave. At the very least¡­ shouldn¡¯t we investigate it?¡±


    Caeden began to ponder about the possibility after hearing Jaiden¡¯s persuasive words.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Right. We can definitely do some investigation. I¡¯ll send a formal proposal to Command.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The Corps Commander nodded when he saw Jaiden thanking him with a bow. Then, he paused before reflecting on the words that Jaiden had just said.


    ¡°Wait¡­ You¡­¡±


    Caeden¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Jaiden after getting his senses back together.


    <i>He wants to make the Northeast independent while connecting the North, the coasts of the Northeast and the West to establish a strong line. At the same time, he¡¯s preparing for a battle against monsters.</i>


    ¡°Monster wave¡­¡±


    When he ced the monster wave in retrospect with everything Jaiden said, it looked like he was preparing to prevent a huge catastrophe from falling on them. With this in mind, the things that Jaiden wanted to convey to him were slowly getting connected one by one.


    ¡®Did he notice?¡¯


    Jaiden smiled bitterly when he saw that Caeden had noticed his ns.


    ¡®But these results are not that bad.¡¯


    It was a good thing if Caeden, the second strongest after the Northeast¡¯s Commander, began his preparations to receive a monster wave.


    It would also be more than enough if he would help make his n to make the Northeast independent. If that happened, then he would probably be able to stop the copse of the Northeast.


    Jaiden smiled confidently. It seemed like he did not want to hide any of his thoughts any longer. Seeing his smile, Caeden felt confident about his assumptions. Then, he asked him in surprise.


    ¡°Are you going to turn the entirety of the continent¡¯s Northern area into a base that will prevent monster waves?¡±


    ***

 Chapter 32 Recruitment War (5)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(32)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>10 </i></b><i>Recruitment War (5)</i>


    Jaiden did not answer Caeden¡¯s question. But this did not mean that Caeden would not notice his affirmation.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>You dream big.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Caeden chuckled at Jaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°So¡­ When do you think this will happen?¡±


    ¡°I think we still have some time left before the monster wave. But, I believe we have a little less than seven years before a full-on dimensional crack descends upon us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re much more precise than what I initially thought, huh?¡±


    Jaiden could only smile bitterly at Caeden.


    ¡°Why are you hiding so many things¡­ <i>Tch! </i>I get it.¡±


    Caeden gritted his teeth so hard that the end of his cigarette broke off. He just stared at Jaiden in frustration. He couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue when he saw that he had more things to hide than being the Duke¡¯s eldest son.


    ¡°So, are there any solutions? Just like you said, what we have is not enough to deal with a catastrophe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we continue to be like this and only prepare as much as we have, then it will be hard for us tost even for three years.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean three years¡­ just holding on for a year will be tough.¡±


    Countless historical records have proven how tough it was to face such a catastrophe.


    It was a war where all of the countries in the continent had worked together just to barely maintain the front and prevent a huge disaster. It was a war that only ended after countless humans had died. In addition, the dimensional crack remained for hundreds of years and resulted in the birth of countless monsters.


    That was how the monster wave was described in the records.


    ¡°If a monster wave urs, then the Northeast will definitely not survive. As soon as it happens, we must retreat.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no way the center will allow that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    Caeden replied bitterly.


    Those bloody Imperial Family bastards would definitely leave them behind. They would prioritize buying themselves time while letting them sacrifice themselves ¡®For the Empire¡¯.


    This was something that he and the young ensign knew.


    ¡°So, what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll open a path.¡±


    ¡°Are you dumping them there? Are you telling me that we should abandon the Empire?¡±


    Jaiden shook his head when he heard Caeden¡¯s words.


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it literally. ¡®Open a path¡¯.¡±


    ¡°A path?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The entirety of the North will create a path for the monsters to get to the center.¡±


    Caeden looked like he still couldn¡¯t understand Jaiden¡¯s words.


    <i>That¡¯s understandable.</i>


    This method only came out long after the monster wave had begun back in his previous life. It was a trick that one of the centralmissioned officers had thought of in fear that therge monsters woulde to the Center once the North was devastated. The method would allow them to create a path from the North to the Center by making ramparts and fortresses. With this method, the Center was able to deal with small numbers of monsters while the North continued to suffer from enormous damages. However this method had sessfully allowed them to buy more time until they were fully prepared.


    In his past life, Jaiden was also thrown away by the Center and died while fighting. Remembering the experiences that he had back then, Jaiden began to draw on the paper to help Caeden understand what he was talking about.


    ¡°Monster waves are especially known for their berserkers and their hostility against humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s interesting is that when a monster wave begins, the monsters will instinctively move to where there are more humans.¡±


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is how we should create ramparts and fortresses in between areas to create a path for the monsters to move towards the Center. Anyway, the number of monsters that can attack a fortress will be limited so the monsters from behind will move elsewhere. If we can make that path well, the entirety of the North will not need to deal with all of the monsters.¡±


    Unlike the monsters who would attack the fortresses for their greed, the monsters from behind were more likely going to move elsewhere to find other prey. The number of monsters that will leave would definitely be higher than the number of monsters that attacked the fortresses. And this number would continue to decline the further they move from the North to the Center.


    However, it was not called a monster wave for no reason at all. The number of monsters might be reduced but considering the scale of the monster wave, they would still be considerably high once they arrived at the Center. The only thing that he was unsure of was whether the corrupt Central Army would be able to block that flow of monsters especially if they were under huge political disputes.


    Of course, there were elites in the Center. The problem was that most of the elites, especially those with good family lineage and good skills, preferred to stay in the capital. What about the Central Command? Most of the people seated in the Command were people who stayed there by giving money to people. And it wasn¡¯t only themissioned officers. Even soldiers willingly gave bribes to stay in the Central Army and not be dispatched to other regions. They just make up for the damage from their pockets by taking money from the merchants that were below them. As a result, most of the Center¡¯s forces were corrupted.


    Of course, the Central Army had the best firearms and weapons system in the entire Empire but what was the meaning of cing quality weapons in the hands of corrupt officers?


    ¡®But regardless, they¡¯ll still be able to hold out.¡¯


    Jaiden believed that the Center would still be able to hold out. After all, there was a political system that created a lot ofws in the past. And no matter how corrupt they became, there would still be a minimum condition that they needed to meet for them to stay seated in their positions.


    To be an elite soldier, they needed to achieve mana awakening. Otherwise, they would just be regr soldiers. For knights, it did not matter if they borrowed the power of magical tools or used elixirs, they had to exert the power of a 3rd Stage powerhouse no matter what. In other words, they could use any means necessary regardless of their nature. They could use illegal or legal means as long as they met the minimum condition and achieved the required strength. That was the only way for them to be a part of the Central Elites.


    ¡®I should have survived to personally see the copse of the Center¡¯s forces but¡­ what a pity.¡¯


    Caeden was still struggling to understand even though Jaiden was already busy thinking about his previous life.


    ¡°This makes sense but¡­ We don¡¯t have any supplies to prepare for this. And even if we have prepared everything¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sure whether we¡¯ll be able to withstand the monster wave.¡±


    Jaiden spoke bluntly about the facts. All Caeden could do was nod heavily. Even though they could prepare for everything perfectly, it was impossible to expect that things would happen the way they expected it to be.


    Monster waves always had varying scales in terms of the disaster and catastrophe that it would bring. If a powerful disaster came this time, then whatever the Northeast had prepared would be pushed away and broken.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I understand. I¡¯ve heard all of your exnations. You can get going now.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Loyalty!¡±


    Jaiden saluted upon hearing Caeden¡¯s dismissal before turning around to leave.


    Caeden sighed as he watched Jaiden leave.


    He had realized to some extent how disastrous the future of the Northeast was after hearing the words of a 12 year old child.


    Jaiden was still young but he already had everything sorted out in his head including the way he would move the Northeast to amodate his ns. All he could do was sigh afterparing himself to the child. He had realized that he had been trying to deny everything even though the answer was already in front of him.


    ¡°Monster wave¡­¡±


    Caeden smiled bitterly.


    Hearing Jaiden¡¯s exnation, he was convinced that the precursor to the monster wave was already nipping at their ankles. Once he ced the monster wave as the answer, all of the strange situations that they were currently experiencing could already be easily exined.


    ¡°A huge catastrophe is about to happen but the Center is rotten and the nobles are all crazy for their battle for power.¡±


    Caeden shook his head as he thought about the Empire¡¯s current situation.


    The Empire had already started to rot even before he was born. However, their scale and level had been getting a bit too severe in recent years. But now that a huge catastrophe was upon them, he was sure that the current Empire¡¯s power would never be able to prevent the oing disaster.


    ¡°Adjutant!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve called for me sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to Command right now.¡±


    Sky Renz bowed after hearing Caeden¡¯s orders. He immediately went out to prepare for their trip to Command. After a while, the two of them rode on a drake and headed towards Command.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came here personally?¡±


    Commander Crimson stood up as he weed Caeden.


    ¡°I heard that you called for number 1¡­ How was it?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I came here because of that.¡±


    ¡°No way. I¡¯ll give you number 2 so give up on number 1. He¡¯s a guy that¡¯s more useful here in Command.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem.¡±


    Caeden sighed when he saw Crimson¡¯s unyielding expression. Then, he pulled out the card that proved his position as the Corps Commander.


    ¡°As the head of the Vanguard Corps, I¡¯m requesting to gather all of the Corps Commanders in the Northeast immediately.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Crimson¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at Caeden¡¯s serious expression. This meeting that he was requesting at Northeast Command was something that could only be held when there was an emergency.


    ¡°Your reason?¡±


    ¡°The investigation into the precursor to the monster wave.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Crimson looked at Caeden as if he was talking nonsense. But when he saw Caeden¡¯s serious expression, he immediately calmed down and summoned all of the Corps Commanders.


    Even though there were only two more peopleing, the entire Command was brought to a frenzy. After all, the Army Commander had summoned all of the Corps Commander at the Command.


    Not long after, the two other Corps Commander arrived at Command.


    ¡°Caeden, you¡¯re the one who asked for it?¡±


    ¡°Monster wave? If you don¡¯t give a good reason, you¡¯ll definitely get a good beating from me.¡±


    As the door opened, a pair of men and women entered the Commander¡¯s office speaking brusquely to Caeden. They were Caeden¡¯s seniors. Oz Tereivo, themander of the Mountain Corps, and Fogg Coshway, themander of the Fog Corps.


    The two sat down after greeting the Commander. Then, Caeden took out the paper that Jaiden drew, ced it on the desk and began exining.


    The longer he exined what Jaiden had told him, the stiffer the smiles of the three other people listening to him became. Just like what Caeden thought earlier, they also thought that he was saying something ridiculous. But the more they listened, the more they realized how simr the events were to the precursor of the monster wave.


    Silence enveloped the entiremander¡¯s office when he finished his exnations.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that a 12-year-old kid said all of these?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Leonhardt¡¯s eldest son?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing Caeden¡¯s honest answer, Crimson as well as the other two Corps Commanders looked at him dumbfounded.


    No matter how much of a genius he was, there would always be a limit. It was already surprising for a 12-year-old to think of this but they were shocked and dumbfounded when he took out pieces of evidence out of his head and made it easier for them to understand.


    ¡°I think I really should bring number 1 to Command.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. I have to bring him to the frontlines and investigate with him myself.¡±


    ¡°If you put it like that, then our Mountain Corps is closer? It will be better if we take him.¡±


    Caeden immediately refuted the Commander¡¯s words. Even the Mountain Corps¡¯mander, Oz Tereivo, was greedy for Jaiden. All Fogg Coshway could do was curse at them and call them stupid.


    ¡°Think about his age! It will be better for him if we can take him and nurture him! On that note, why don¡¯t the Fog Corps take all the graduates? We¡¯ll nurture them and share them with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too greedy! Grandma, do you even have the ability to nurture number 1?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to because you¡¯re both old. I¡¯ll be able to handle such a genius because I¡¯m young!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re young but you¡¯re already bleeding in the head.¡±


    ¡°How dare a youngster like you interfere?¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m much better than you, two oldies, who are just waiting for retirement day!¡±


    While the three of them were arguing fiercely, Crimson was lost in thought.


    ¡°Ghost.¡±


    When Crimson uttered the name ¡®Ghost¡¯ after a long silence, all three of the Corps Commanders shut their mouths and turned to look at him.


    ¡°I have never used my first Ghost appointment. And there are no conditions to enter Ghost.¡±


    Caeden refuted and told him that he was speaking nonsense. Even the other two Corps Commanders nodded their heads and agreed with Caeden.


    The Northeast¡¯s hidden unit. The unit that had the elites among the elites. The unit that was always sent in the most dangerous of areas. It was none other than Ghost.


    Because of that, it was a unit that was extremely difficult to enter. They had plenty of conditions. At the very least, one needed to be at the 5th Stage. The person also needed to have umted a lot of merits in each unit as well as have high proficiency inmanding.


    ¡°I heard that number 1 has a contract with a divine beast?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right but¡­ he said that he can¡¯t see them right now.¡±


    ¡°But his abilities won¡¯t go anywhere, right?¡±


    Crimson continued to speak firmly to answer Caeden¡¯s incredulity earlier.


    ¡°There are areas in the Northeast where events with unknown causes have urred, right? I heard that it was near the area where the divine beast was assumed to be staying.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­ are you going to send him there?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ha! </i>Commander, are you finally going insane?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you give him to me.¡±


    The Corps Commanders all protested loudly upon hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    There was a guard post located in the frontlines and he intended to ce him there. It was a ce that was several times more dangerous than the Northeast¡¯s frontlines that was well-known for its dangers.


    But he was trying to deploy an almost 13-year-old boy to that ce.


    ¡°The Command will give up on all the other graduates this time on the condition that number 1 be ced in Ghost.¡±


    The Corps Commanders all shut their protesting mouths when they heard Crimson¡¯s conditions.


    ¡°But it¡¯s still too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I intend to appoint Captain Ghost as the Special Reconnaissance Leader. I¡¯ll also send Ghosts to a few nearby guard posts.¡±


    Caeden eventually sighed and nodded his head in agreement. The other two Corps Commanders also nodded their heads as if there was nothing that they could do.


    And with the consent of all the Corps Commanders, Jaiden¡¯s first unit was finally decided.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Adjutant] Aide de camp ¨C high rank officers that act as aides to chiefs of states ormanders.

 Chapter 33 First Post: Winter Mountains (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(33)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>11 </i></b><i>First Post: Winter Mountains (1)</i>


    After the Commander and the other Corps Commanders had agreed on where Jaiden should be deployed, the rest of the graduating students¡¯ destinations and assessments also proceeded rapidly.


    Perhaps it was because Command took over number 1 that was why there were more units moring for number 2. Even the Corps Commanders were fighting fiercely for number 2. They also fought fiercely for the rest of the graduating students. In fact, Command also wanted to take number 2 before letting them take the rest of the students but it wasn¡¯t an easy task since the other corps were blocking their way. This was mainly the reason why number 2 floated around for a while without any unit.


    The others even tried to take <i>chicken instead of pheasant </i>and take number 3 but it was still an arduous task since he was also very talented.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯ll renounce my im on 1, 2 and 3¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a disaster.¡±


    The Corps Commanders of the Mountain and Fog Corps looked despondent. The same was true for the Vanguard Corps Commander. They wanted to bring one of the three to their ces somehow but it was not an easy choice to make for them.


    If they wanted to bring in one of the three, they would have no choice but to give up on arge number of new recruits. But their corps were all severelycking in terms of manpower. What they needed the most was more people and not just a single elite. So, in the end, all of them gave up on 1, 2 and 3 to bring in arger number of people to their troops.


    After the three big shots gave up on 2 and 3, the only ones left fighting were the elite groups. Although they were elite groups they still fought fiercely for these two. And only after fighting a long and dark fight did it end. After almost a month of arguing, the Knight Division and Iron Wall division sessfully won the bid.


    They had no choice but to yield Number 2, who had skills that were close to a knight, to the Knight Division under the strong insistence of the knights. On the other hand, number 3 was sessfully won by the Iron Wall Division. They wanted to roll him hard under their guidance to erase his arrogance and useless pride.


    Since they had finished dividing up the elites, the remaining students also began to get divided into the Northeast¡¯s units.


    ¡°All of the numbers are graduating this time.¡±


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The 6th year professors had all gathered in the 6th year academy building to talk about the graduating ss. They couldn¡¯t help but smile happily at the thought that all of their students were graduating. Their smiles were so wide as they thought of the birds that would fly out of their nests soon.


    Generally, the graduating ss¡¯ academy building was rarely used. After all, the students were sent to the frontlines most of the time so they did not have much time to spend here. Most of the students wanted to stay at the frontlines and focus on increasing their merits from actual battles to increase their evaluation and graduate sessfully. However, this time, the amount of times that the academy building was used was close to nil. The only time that it was used was during their first few days of their senior year. The entirety of their time was spent in the frontline.


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    Everyone stared up at the sky upon hearing the professor¡¯s words. There, they could see the students carried by dozens of drakes. When the drakes arrived and started to descend, the graduating students began to jump one by one.


    ¡°All of the 6th year graduating students have returned.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well. You should all head inside and change into your parade dress uniform.¡±


    The students moved towards the dormitories upon hearing the professor¡¯s words. When they entered the building they saw their dress uniforms hanging one by one on the doors of their living quarters. Seeing the uniform, they quickly headed inside their rooms to change. Once they had changed, the professors guided them one by one.


    Everyone felt embarrassed from their professors¡¯ sudden kindness. They were not used to this scene at all. After all, they had always looked at them with fire in their eyes as if they wanted to eat them up. Being presented with this kindness immediately brought embarrassment to the students¡¯ faces.


    However, this was something that the professors always did for the graduating students. It was some sort of tradition for them. They wanted to at least show them kindness at least once in their academy years. It was some kind of respect and heartfelt consideration for their students who suffered greatly during their academy life. So just this once, during their discharge, they would guide them kindly. This was especially true for this year. They felt even greater respect for all of their students. After all, all of their students would be graduating this time. It was a miracle within a miracle. So they became much kinder to this batch of students.


    Jaiden also headed to the auditorium under the guidance of the professor. There, he saw simple structures with several partitions. They looked to be rooms where secret conversations would take ce.


    ¡°Go inside.¡±


    Jaiden slightly bowed to his professor before going inside.


    Once he went inside, he saw a man wearing a military uniform sitting rigidly on a chair in front of a desk.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    Jaiden could see three diamonds embedded on the man¡¯s shoulders.


    As soon as he sat down, the man handed a piece of paper over to him.


    Listed on the paper were several names, there were even names that Jaiden knew.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°In this paper are the names of the Northeast heroes that are allowed for you to use. These names are the candidates for thest name that you will use in your alias. As long as you¡¯re staying in the military, you need to have your name reced temporarily.¡±


    ¡°Last name¡­¡±


    ¡°Thisst name is a name that you can use even if you get discharged from the military so choose carefully.¡±


    One could choose their first name leisurely but they had to choose theirst name well. Thisst name would be able to follow them for the rest of their lives so they had to choose carefully. With that said, Jaiden looked at the names carefully.


    Then, he saw a hero¡¯s name that was the same as his own.


    <i>Jaiden Carter.</i>


    <i>198 battles. 26 wins. 172 losses.</i>


    This person could be called the worstmander with his battle record. One would even wonder why he was called a Northeast Hero. But when he saw the exnation written below the hero¡¯s name, he understood everything.


    Even in the worst battlefields, he was amander who prioritized his subordinates¡¯ survival. He was well-known for having 60% of his troops survive during the battle in the Arest Mountains. This was a battle where everyone believed that all of them would be wiped away but he still brought back most of his troops. Ever since then, he had gained the moniker ¡®Survival King¡¯. And all of the soldiers wanted to go under hismand.


    Just looking at the exnation alone would breed thoughts that he was just someone who was in a hurry to run away. However, the situation back then was extremely dire. What he had aplished was enough to call him a hero. This hero fought in a monster wave battlefield. He was the only person to survive with his soldiers and sessfully retreat to the Center despite the entire Northern region falling on the verge of extinction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with this gentleman¡¯s surname.¡±


    ¡°Survival King¡­ It¡¯s a bit unusual and unique but I will respect your decision if that¡¯s what you choose. How about your name? You can use your existing name.¡±


    Whether it was for revenge or for something else, they would usually use the name that reminded them of their promise. This was so they would not forget their oath and continue on in their path. But it has only be a custom now. Now, most of the students preferred using their existing names.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use Iron.¡±


    ¡°Steel¡­ I see. From now on, you will be named Iron Carter. This name will remain with you until you get discharged from the military. Do you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jaiden¡­ No, he was Iron now, answered loudly. The officer nodded his head as he pushed a paper towards this graduating ss¡¯ number 1.


    ¡°Your name is now officially listed under the Northeastern Army. Just like what themander had promised, as soon as the graduation ceremony is over, you will be promoted to Lieutenant. You will also be assigned your unit. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Good. From now on, I will exin the unit that you will be deployed in and what kind of missions you will receive.¡±


    Jaiden tilted his head upon hearing the officer¡¯s words. This was the first time that he had heard about someone being given the exnation about the unit that they would be joining.


    ¡°You have been assigned to the Special Operations Dispatch Unit directly under the Northeast Command. Our unit is called Ghost. Your mission site is in the frontlines in a search unit called Winter Hawk Unit.¡±


    ¡°Gho¡­ st? Right now, did you just say that I was assigned to Ghost?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I assume that you haven¡¯t heard it. Those who know our existence are limited tomanders above the division level plus a select few. Of course, your affiliation is temporarily filled in on the documents as Winter Hawk Unit.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Jaiden nodded slightly when he saw the man look at him as if he was asking if he understood his words.


    ¡°Good. There are matters rting to our security written on this paper so you should discard it as soon as you finish reading it.¡±


    Jaiden held the paper tightly and bowed his head to read the contents when he heard that he couldn¡¯t take the paper out casually.


    His first mission was roughly divided into threerge tasks:


    <b><i>1 </i></b><i>There¡¯s a problem with the existence that they had assumed to be a divine beast. Because of this, there¡¯s a problem with the Winter Mountains. Find out the cause of the problem.</i>


    <b><i>2 </i></b><i>Find out if this is rted to the monster wave. </i>


    <b><i>3 </i></b><i>Identify the characteristics of the monsters in the Winter Mountains and send them in your reports.</i>


    Usually, when someone was assigned to a unit that was in charge of surveince and reconnaissance, the mission assigned to them would be an extension of a previous mission. But it seemed like his mission was quite unique.


    ¡°Our unit¡¯s missions are a bit unique.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    The man also smiled bitterly as he acknowledged the fact that the mission this time was truly too unique.


    ¡°Have you read everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll dispose of this myself.¡±


    The man tore the paper into pieces, ignited a me beside him and burned the mission before standing up.


    Then, Iron asked him with a strange look on his face.


    ¡°You won¡¯t do it with the other students?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I¡¯m in charge of.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s meet after your graduation.¡±


    The man left those words and went outside first. There was only a small card left in his ce. Jaiden did not know when he had left it there. There were dots embedded on the card in the form of a hawk.


    ¡°Is this a winter hawk?¡±


    Looking at the card, Iron realized that this was the symbol of the Winter Hawk Unit, the unit where he was going. Iron ced the card in his pockets and stood up from his seat before going out of the room slowly.


    He did not know whether he was thest one but he was the only one left in the auditorium. When he came out, he saw his ssmates busily calling each other¡¯s names. It seemed like they were happy to receive their names.


    Unexpectedly, the first person to approach Iron was number 2.


    ¡°Did you receive your name?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Iron? An alias?¡±


    Iron nodded lightly upon hearing the girl¡¯s question.


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>I see.¡±


    The girl looked slightly disappointed when she saw Iron¡¯s agreement. It seemed like she wanted him to ask her name.


    ¡°Yours?¡±


    ¡°Ariel Favrice.¡±


    Iron nodded upon hearing Ariel¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ariel¡­ Is that your real name?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. <i>Ah. </i>By the way, where did you get assigned to?¡±


    ¡°Winter Hawk Unit. It¡¯s a search unit in the frontline.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes widened when she heard Iron¡¯s unit.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to a ce like that right away?¡±


    ¡°¡­Seems to be the case.¡±


    Iron just smiled bitterly. He did not know if it was because he did well in the academy that it wasn¡¯t enough for them to deploy him, he even became a Ghost.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Knight.¡±


    ¡°They took you, huh? I feel a bit jealous.¡±


    Iron looked a bit envious. Unlike him, who was only going to be given a hard time, it seemed like Ariel would still have enough time to pursue what she liked.


    ¡°How about number 3?¡±


    ¡°Curious?¡±


    Iron turned around in surprise when number 3 suddenly popped out from behind him.


    ¡°Number 3. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Cardro Giovanni. Me¡­ I think I¡¯m going to the Iron Wall.¡±


    ¡°Iron Wall?¡±


    Iron looked at Cardro in shock. He thought that he would either go to the Knights or to the frontlines but it seemed like he went to a ce that waspletely out of the ballpark. However, he soon realized the reason for this.


    ¡°<i>Haha~ </i>I know the reason.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The boy, number 73, smiled widely as he looked at Cardro¡¯s angry face. But number 73 just continued to speak, not minding his anger. It seemed like he was no longer scared of him.


    ¡°That guy¡­ He has long been marked by the higher-ups and the professors because of his arrogance. So they assigned him to the Iron Wall Division. They¡¯re probably going to roll him hard in there.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°If you make a fuss here then you¡¯ll have a harder time there.¡±


    The boy just smiled with his twinkling eyes as he looked at the ring Cardro.


    ¡°Where are you assigned?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ahem, ahem~ </i>I¡¯m in the rear. We¡¯re in charge of the military supplies! <i>Hahahahahaha~</i>¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    Iron looked extremely envious when he heard number 73¡¯s words. Even Cardro, who was going to the Iron Wall Division, was looking at him enviously. The other boys who overheard him also surrounded him with envious gazes.


    ¡°<i>Hahaha~ </i>Everyone, you should praise this Carl Stein-nim!¡±


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Chicken instead of pheasant] ? ?? ? ¨C Pheasant is a more luxurious meat while chicken is much moremon. Hence, the proverb means that when the best choice is not avable, they¡¯ll go for the next avable choice. Like something is better than nothing. Something a bit subpar but can still be used in recement. In this case, since they can¡¯t take the overwhelmingly strong students like number 1 and 2, they at least wanted to take 3 for themselves. BUT, they still couldn¡¯t do so since no matter how weaker 3 waspared to the two, he was still a cut above the rest.


    [Parade Dress Uniform] ?? ¨C Dress Uniform, Full dress uniform or parade dress uniform. Most formal type of uniform worn by military, police and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies and receptions (including private gatherings like marriage and funerals).


    [Regarding Iron and Steel] ¨C Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, hence steel is mostly iron. That¡¯s why Jaiden chose the name Iron. Well, pure iron is technically not that strong and is prone to rust but steel is much stronger thanks to the addition of carbon.

 Chapter 34 First Post: Winter Mountains (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(34)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>11 </i></b><i>First Post: Winter Mountains (2)</i>


    He became the focus of everyone¡¯s envy for a short moment. However, it was only for that short moment. The other kids began to ask about the units and squadrons that they would be going to. In the end, Carl Stein, who was in charge of the military supplies, was left behind.


    The students asked their professors and instructors about the amount of training, the level of monsters, how tight the military discipline was, and a lot more information about their assigned units. The knights and professors answered them to the best of their abilities. However, it was impossible for them to know anything with certainty. They would only know what it really was like once they went there in person.


    If one was unlucky, they would probably live in a ce with strict military discipline. But if one was lucky, they could probably live afortable life. But, thankfully, they wouldn¡¯t really live in hell every day since they would not be living in shared dormitories like the soldiers. There was a huge difference betweening to the unit as amissioned officer anding to the unit as a soldier. But regardless of that, they still couldn¡¯t help but find things a bit too ufortable.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>Why did Ie here?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­ </i>Crazy.¡±


    ¡°I regret all of my choices in the past!¡±


    They had long epted the fact that they would experience hell in the future as long as they stayed in the Northeast. However, they wanted to at least find a semnce offort in this hell.


    At first, the students badly wanted to get assigned to the elite units. But when they really got deployed to those units, they couldn¡¯t help but begin pulling on their hairs. They felt frustrated as they regretted the choices that they had made in the past.


    Including Carl Stein, there were about 21 students who came to the rear. In fact, most people believed that being assigned to the units in the rear would make their livesfortable. However, this was the Northeast. And there was no perfect rear in the Northeast.


    Even if they were in charge of the military supplies, they would still need to block the monsters once they appeared in their vicinity. They would even go on dangerous missions to procure military supplies for the units in directbat.


    In short, there was no unit in the Northeast that was exempt from dangerous situations. Everyone would have to work diligently regardless of the unit that they were assigned to as long as they remained in the Northeast.


    However, being assigned further from the frontlines meant that these dangers and risks to their lives would still be reduced even for a bit. So the students prayed that they would be assigned further away. But, their hopes and dreams were brutally broken. Most of them had been assigned to units that were stationed in the frontlines.


    ¡°Anyway, Iron is really unlucky. Why was he assigned there?¡±


    ¡°I know. Isn¡¯t that a ce where you go in 2~3 years if you¡¯re really unlucky?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, when I heard that I was assigned to a guard post on the east of the frontlines, I wondered if I ever sold the country in my past life for me to be this unlucky. You know? But it seems like it was Iron who really sold the country.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­ </i>I want to cry. That¡¯s the Winter Mountains!¡±


    Many of Iron¡¯s contemporaries looked at him in pity.


    They believed that they would still be alright if they were assigned to those dangerous ces since they had undergone a lot of special training before. And even if they do get assigned to the frontlines, they believed that they could do well since they got used to it during their senior year. As long as the environment was not harsh, they believed that they would be able to push through.


    However, the search and reconnaissance unit in the frontlines was rumored to be a ce with an environment that was far worse than the most dangerous ce, the frontlines.


    First off, the environment was unfamiliar. After all, they would only go there for the first time. Second, they would constantly be in tension from all of the danger that could possibly attack them. The students even heard that the people there had to live with dry food because their supply and demand couldn¡¯t be smoothly fulfilled.


    Those things were already annoying. But from what the students heard, Iron was going to the Winter Mountains. This meant that on top of those annoying things, he also had to endure the extreme cold.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­</i>¡±


    Iron sighed deeply as hemented the conditions that he had to endure.


    He just tried to reduce his military life even for a bit. At one point, he even wanted to advance the knowledge in the academy. He thought that since he was already here, he should graduate safely with his colleagues. So he studied tactics together with them and conveyed his thoughts to boost their overall power.


    He even ran around to leave good impressions on the soldiers. He thought that he should leave good impressions so they would treat him amiably if he ever was assigned to the frontlines.


    The problem was he jumped too much to the point that he caught the eyes of those at the top.


    ¡°Is it because of the monster tactics? No. Then, was it the ns for the Northeast? No¡­ I think it was still fine up to that point. So where did it go wrong? <i>Aaaack! </i>Maybe I should have just done it moderately? Would it have been better if I stayed and served in the military for two more years?¡±


    Some students patted Iron on the soldier as he continued to pull his hair out thinking about his imminent deployment to Winter Mountains. However, their pats were no more than teasing. After all, the pats came from the students who were assigned to the rear to take charge of the military supplies.


    ¡°Work hard for a few years. Anyway, we¡¯ll rotate our arrangements.¡±


    ¡°The next ce will definitely be a safe ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that the people who suffered first will be able to soak themselves in honeyter.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have a hard timeter.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be better soon. Why don¡¯t you just continue to grow there? It won¡¯t be dangerous for youter if you do that.¡±


    Iron clenched his fist when he saw the other kids smirking as they said those words. Just like the children said, they would be rotatedter. But would he even be able to go to a safe ce after being assigned to Ghost? The answer was a definite no. He was even more likely to be dispatched to more dangerous ces.


    <i>The higher your level the safer you¡¯ll be?</i>


    There was never a thing like that. First of all, Ghost was a ce where only those at the 5th Stage gathered. They were apletely elite group. So no matter what he did, he would not be able to escape from danger.


    The 5th Stage was a stage that he was only able to climb ipletely after cing a fragment of the dragon¡¯s heart in his body. It was the iplete stage that he had climbed only after doing countless things to his body. Ranging from body remodeling to iying mana stones to injecting elixirs.


    Considering that his goal in this life was the 5th Stage, it was safe to assume that his safety would never be guaranteed until he got discharged.


    With those thoughts running through his mind, Iron felt depressed. The only thing that he could do was enjoy the remaining days of his freedom in the academy.


    Thanks to their hard work in the frontlines, the professors and the instructors did not really touch the graduating students. Originally, it was their custom not to touch the graduating students to give them a bit of freedom before their graduation but since they spent almost their entire year at the frontlines, the professors did not appear in the academy as much as possible. In other words, they were givenplete freedom.


    With a few days left for their freedom, he was able to establish his friendship with his colleagues firmly.


    ¡°Today¡¯s main event! Thest confrontation between number 1, Iron, and number 2, Ariel!¡±


    ¡°<i>Uwaaaaaa!</i>¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see the final rankings!¡±


    ¡°This is Ariel¡¯s only time to break him!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and bring down the dirty Iron who uses cheap tricks!¡±


    ¡°Ice princess! Please break that dirty steel!¡±


    The students did their own final ranking battles ahead of their graduation ceremony.


    Cardro, the current number 3, also challenged Iron and Ariel but the result was as disastrous as before. He rolled around for a year but it was still not enough topete with Iron¡¯s experience. And Ariel was just Ariel. The rest of the students also tried to challenge Iron but they were blocked by the frustrated Cardro. So in the end, only the two of them were left.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do it this time.¡±


    ¡°<i>Haha¡­ </i>Let¡­ Let¡¯s go easy.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but sweat when he saw Ariel caressing her sword with a wicked look on her face.


    ¡°I should at least beat you with my sword.¡±


    Ariel was determined to beat Iron in terms of swordsmanship. After all, Iron was someone who was proficient and talented in all the other aspects. So she wanted to show him that she trumped him with her sword.


    She quickly increased her momentum.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ haha¡­ hahaha¡­</i>¡±


    Ariel looked sharply at him as she pointed her sword at his face. Iron immediately calmed down even though he was flustered just a bit earlier.


    Iron was the only one who trained with the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship until the end of their numbered days. Up to the middle, there were a few people who continued to follow him and trained with it. But in the end, they transferred to a new sword technique that they could use during actual battles.


    ¡°This time, I will pierce that defense.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Try it then.¡±


    Ariel flew in the moment Iron took a firm defensive posture. Dozens of afterimages containing blue mana appeared within seconds of her attack and dug into various points in Iron¡¯s body. However, Iron easily parried them with his sword as he sidestepped using the footwork from the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship.


    This was something that could only be done if he had a lot of room to y with. Ariel¡¯s swordsmanship was beyond imagination but her swordsmanship was stillpletely under the grasp of his steel-like defense. In addition, Iron¡¯s stance remained steadfast and unchanging. He lookedpletely contrary to Ariel who was already panting in exhaustion.


    His work ofpressing his mana into his sword to get a grasp of the 4th Stage ever since his 5th year was not without merit. Right now, even though Ariel was attacking him with her overwhelming strength, the mana that lighted his sword did not waver even the slightest.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa¡­ </i>That¡¯s crazy. Is that really possible at our age?¡±


    ¡°Iron is also amazing. He can receive those attacks easily. He might look like he¡¯s being pushed back but he¡¯s able to block everything seamlessly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more, Ariel is the one who¡¯s getting tired. Look. The mana in Iron¡¯s sword remains steady.¡±


    The children¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as they watched the confrontation between Iron and Ariel. However, regardless of Ariel¡¯s strength, she remained at a disadvantage. The result was so ring that the children could notice it at once.


    Just like the children had said, Ariel was really exhausted. Unlike her overwhelming attacks earlier, her attacks had already started to slow down.


    ¡®It¡¯s not your turn yet. I did not live my previous life in vain just to get defeated by a child who hasn¡¯t reached the 4th Stage yet.¡¯


    Just as that thought crossed his mind, Iron¡¯s posture changed from defensive to offensive.


    This was the time for him toy down the pressure on Ariel. He used the simplest and most solid sword to put pressure on Ariel.


    His sword was something that anyone could stop. But as soon as it was blocked, a shockwave burst forth. This was because the more steel-like sturdy mana filled his sword, the more shock his opponent would feel upon impact. In addition, since his sword was as hard as steel, there was bound to be less impact on his side than on his opponent¡¯s side.


    This was the difference that would give him his win. His sword might look simple, straightforward and even unsophisticated, but this sword was the most efficient on the battlefield.


    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±


    Ariel couldn¡¯t help but groan from the impact she received from blocking Iron¡¯s sword. The shock was so strong that she staggered back for a few steps.


    Her expression changed. It was as if she thought that she couldn¡¯t be like this. So, she immediately pulled up her sword and became serious.


    ¡®Is this the Meteor Shower?¡¯


    Meteor Shower was one of the techniques in the Gctic Meteor Swordsmanship. Countless blue streams flew in like a meteor shower that was pouring down from the sky. This was a technique that cloaked the real attack through the dozens of blue streams. The only thing that was different was that her sword was continuously stabbing even though there shouldn¡¯t be any motion from her sword.


    If she was in the 4th Stage, she would be able to show the full power of this skill through the mana that was contained in her sword but she was forcefully applying the technique by continuously stabbing her sword that contained the mana. In this way, she was able to mimic the dozens of flying blue streams and send an attack to him.


    In other words! All of the blue light that was flying towards Iron presently existed as afterimages of a real stab. However, it was possible for him to distinguish where her attack would be real and with enough substance to cause him damage since her mana was scattered in the middle. After all, she hasn¡¯t reached the 4th Stage yet.


    ¡°<i>Heup!</i>¡±


    Iron breathed harshly before he began to break down and crush Ariel¡¯s sword one by one. This was actually a simple and naive way but this was the only thing that he could do. With his steel-like momentum, he literally cut off the dozens of sword lights that flew towards him all the while moving forward towards Ariel, who was busy preparing for the real attack.


    Then, a sword containing enormous mana, that looked like there were dozens of swords merged together, flew straight towards Iron. At the same time, Iron attacked Ariel with the wide sh that he was most confident in.


    <i>Baaang!</i>


    Their victory or defeat would be determined once the dust from the huge impact between their sh settled down.


    Once everything was clearly seen, everyone could see that Iron¡¯s sword was still overflowing with mana while the mana in Ariel¡¯s sword scattered helplessly. Although Iron had stopped in the middle since this was not a battle of life and death, it was still obvious to the people around them on who was the victor. If they had done it until the end, she might have died already.


    ¡°I lost.¡±


    ¡°I would have lost if you still had one more year.¡±


    Iron said bitterly but Ariel just shook her head.


    ¡°It will probably be the same. It has always been the same¡­ <i>Hoo¡­ </i>I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see you again but¡­ if we see each other again I hope we can cross swords once more.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I hope you go easy on me by that time.¡±


    ¡°You exaggerate¡­¡±


    Ariel stood up, patted her pants and asked for a handshake. Iron smiled before shaking hands with her. Then, they both joined the small party that they held in the academy before their graduation.


    The next day, the dean, who appeared after a long time, congratted the students and gave them hisst congrattory speech.


    ¡°To the students of the 127th batch of the Northeast Academy, I¡¯m proud of you. I hope each and every one of you will shine brightly in the Northeast.¡±


    The graduation ceremony ended after the dean¡¯s words. All of the students said their farewells to the people that they grew close with. Even the professors came to say goodbye to their students.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>We¡¯re now sending thest numbers from the old Northeast Academy.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but ask dumbly when he heard the professor¡¯s words from the side. Even the other students stared wide-eyed at the professor.


    ¡°What do you mean¡­st numbers?¡±


    ¡°Literally. Command said that they were going into investigation not too long ago. They have received reports that made them suspect that a monster wave ising. If they find solid evidence, the Northeast Academy will either be closed or transferred to another ce. If that¡¯s the case, then it will be the new academy. By that time, the existing numbers will be meaningless.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ho¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ Then what about our juniors?¡±


    ¡°What the hell!¡±


    The students panicked as they asked about their juniors. But before they could even inquire further, the officers responsible for each unit began to calmly take the panic-stricken students and disappear one by one.


    Finally, the Ghost that Iron saw the other day came to find him today.


    ¡°You will now be appointed as the 4th toon Leader of the Winter Hawk Unit. You have already seen the mission book so you know about this already. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. You can use 1~2 years to adapt. You don¡¯t need to overdo it. Themander said that you just need to focus on adapting during that period of time.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re already ready¡­ Shall we head out right away?¡±


    Iron nodded heavily upon hearing the Ghost¡¯s words. Then, he climbed on top of the drake with his head filled with both worry and fear.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [toon] ¨C Consists of 3~4 squads. Around 15-40 soldiers. Those at the rank of Lieutenant can be appointed as a toon leader.

 Chapter 35 Young Outpost Leader (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(35)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>12 </i></b><i>Young Outpost Leader (1)</i>


    Since the 6th year academy was located near the frontlines, it did not take long for Iron and the Ghost, who were riding on a drake, to cross the huge ramparts that protected the frontlines. Cold wind blew strongly as the white and frozen scenery greeted Iron from across the walls. Even though he had prepared thicker clothes to battle the cold, the bitter wind still prated through the thick leather of his clothes.


    ¡°<i>Huh? </i>Aren¡¯t we going too fast?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but blurt out when he saw the Ghost increase the speed of their flight. Then, after a while, he couldn¡¯t help but look suspiciously at the man beside him. He finally realized that they were passing through most of the guard posts in the Winter Mountains.


    But the Ghost just smirked as he continued to guide the drake forward.


    ¡°These are the guard posts of the Vanguard Corps. The ce we¡¯re going to is under the jurisdiction of Command.¡±


    ¡°Is it far from here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s located in the heart of the Winter Mountains, not at the entrance.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but distort. Based on the words of the Ghost beside him, he could infer that he was going to a far more dangerous ce than what he had initially thought of.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a ce where people live so you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The soldiers can endure it. So, there¡¯s nothing that the executives can¡¯t endure. Right?¡±


    Iron thought that everything would be alright since the Ghost had told him that there was nothing that he should be afraid of. But that thought did notst long.


    The bitter wind blew stronger together with the cold energy. It was as if the Winter Mountains were showing its prestige to him. Even the snow that piled up high was stirred by the wind as it pped Iron on the face.


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>There¡¯s one thing that I should tell you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a little differentpared to the other Search and Reconnaissance Unit.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The man smiled when he saw Iron asking him dumbly.


    ¡°We¡¯re a special search unit under the direct control of Command. That¡¯s the real name of the ce where you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    Iron vaguely felt the risk increasing drastically as soon as the word ¡®special¡¯ came out of the Ghost¡¯s mouth.


    He ran away from Leonhardt Family to escape from danger but it seemed like he was being driven to a more dangerous ce. He did not feel that it was that dangerous here when he was still in the academy. But right now, he felt like he was forcefully being pushed to an extremely dangerous environment.


    ¡°You said that there were soldiers earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°There are. They¡¯re all elite soldiers but¡­¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re elite soldiers then¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re guys who are ted to be executives.¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the Ghost after hearing his words.


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll have a hard time managing them since their pride is through the roof.¡±


    The Ghost gave him a sneak peek of what had happened in most elite units. Perhaps it was because he had seen this happen quite a few times so he was willing to disclose this fact to his young junior. Usually, soldiers from elite units ignored the ensigns when they came. They would even ignore weakmissioned officers as if they were nothing.


    Of course, most of the people who came to such units would raise objections. After all, they were still wet behind their ears and they had been criticized for no reason at all. The soldiers who had gained jjambap would even pull their ranks and order them around. However, most of their objections were ignored. The military was a ce where those who looked weak would be eaten. If they couldn¡¯t tame their unit, then the military would not care for a weak leader like them.


    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I can endure it.¡±


    ¡°You better get used to this as soon as possible. It¡¯s fine even if you operate your mana. It¡¯s better for your body to get used to this quickly.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Iron immediately operated his mana. The cold slowly went away for a bit and his trembling lips started to settle down. However, the strong wind continued to blow on his face until they arrived at the ce that was said to be the headquarters of the special search unit under the direct control of Command.


    ¡°Loyalty!¡±


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    The Ghost took Iron inside after lightly greeting the guard outside.


    ¡°Loyalty. This is Lintel Verner. I have brought Lieutenant Iron under the orders of the Search Unit Captain.¡±


    ¡°Good work. Lieutenant Iron should stay behind, you can now leave.¡±


    Lintel Verner saluted the captain before turning around to leave. After the door was closed, the captain asked Iron to sit on a chair.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m the Search Unit¡¯s Captain, Carl Gustav.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It was hard on your way here, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Carl Gustav smiled at Iron¡¯s reddened cheeks. He poured some tea for him to warm him up.


    ¡°Have a sip first and we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The tea melted away the cold that settled in his body. Iron could feel his body warming up with just a single sip. Then, the captain handed over the mission letter to him.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Wondering why I have it?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Carl Gustav spoke in a murmur while looking at the rigid Iron.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a Ghost. I¡¯m Captain Ghost who oversees all of the Ghosts.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah!</i> It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s honored. I even get the chance to see the youngest Ghost like this. Well, generally this should be impossible but it seems like your opinions and ideas were proven to have great significance¡­ I don¡¯t have anyints.¡±


    Even though Ghosts only epted those at the 5th Stage and above, Carl Gustav told him that he had noints with Iron¡¯s addition to their group. That was to say that he willingly allowed the addition of a young man with only peak 3rd Stage strength, someone who was yet to reach the 4th Stage, to join them without any dissatisfaction.


    ¡°It must be tough for you since your first mission site is in such a rough ce but that¡¯s because they could see how important you are so don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°<i>Haha~</i> Did I make the mood too somber? <i>Ahem, ahem! </i>Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now. We better talk about your mission first. You have received your mission from Lintel Verner, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then, this will be easy.¡±


    Carl Gustav took a sip of his tea before looking at Iron and continuing his words.


    ¡°The Command has conducted an investigation based on your opinions about the monster wave. The results of the investigations came out not too long ago.¡±


    Iron gulped as he stared at Carl Gustav.


    ¡°Based on the results, the probability exceeds 70%¡­¡±


    ¡°70%¡­¡±


    ¡°The level is not certain yet but¡­¡±


    ¡°10 years. Something will definitelye out within that time frame.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That was what happened in the past so it¡¯s probably the same this time too. So the Northeast Command decided to ept your ideas.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head in confusion when he heard Carl Gustav¡¯s words. He truly couldn¡¯t understand what he meant by those words.


    ¡°The Northeast Independence n as well as the Fortification n in preparation for the monster wave that you mentioned before. They have to review and revise the finer details but the Command had already decided to actively pursue it.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a secret so they can¡¯t give you a medal or a promotion but¡­ the Commander had personally decided to give this to you.¡±


    Iron¡¯s pupils started to tremble when he saw a long box being ced in front of him. He instinctively knew that a sword was inside of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sword that¡¯s made out of 50% mythril. They wanted to make it into aplete mythril sword but the purity of the metal was too low so they decided to turn it into an alloy. As recement, they decided to add a bit of adamantium in it. The sword itself is better than mine.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ This sword¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes continued to shake as he stared at the incredibly crazy sword in front of him. A winter hawk was engraved at the connecting point between the hilt and the de while a small <b>x </b>mark was engraved right below it.


    ¡°The <b>x </b>is a letter symbolizing our Ghost. It means we exist everywhere and nowhere.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°In the future, a pattern will be engraved on your sword depending on the unit where you will be deployed to. Well¡­ Due to the nature of our missions, you will only be given difficult missions so you probably won¡¯t be able to be deployed to many ces like the others¡­¡±


    Iron was listening to Carl Gustav¡¯s words. But it seemed like his mind was flying. He was just staring nkly at the sword that was bestowed upon him.


    ¡°Can I really get a sword like this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Ghost too, you know. Well¡­ adding the adamantium is because we¡¯re grateful to you for telling us about the monster wave. Take it as our good will and don¡¯t be too burdened.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Carl Gustav spoke again and briefly restrained the excited Iron who reached out for the sword.


    ¡°This sword is strictly for Ghosts only. It means that you should only use this sword when it¡¯s really necessary.¡±


    Iron tilted his head in confusion. He looked like he was urging Gustav to exin what he meant. Gustav just smiled as he handed over a bracelet to him.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Inject your mana and ce a drop of your blood into this. In your sword too.¡±


    The moment Iron dropped his blood and injected his mana into the sword, the bracelet and the sword began to react. Then, the sword went inside the bracelet.


    ¡°Your trigger word is ¡®steel¡¯. There¡¯s also a Ghost-only armor inside so if you say your trigger word, the armor will be automatically equipped on your body together with your sword. This is the sword that you will be using on the outside.¡±


    Iron stared at the other sword that Gustav handed over to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sword with 10% mythril. This is the sword that you will get as amissioned officer after graduating and being assigned to your unit. I didn¡¯t put any magic in it since I heard that you want to achieve steel.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    One could receive a magic sword but once the sword had been imbued with magic, its durability would suffer and there would be problems with mana conductivity. So, for Iron, who was targeting the steel sword, they did not add any magic to prevent those problems from happening.


    When Iron looked at the sword that he would be using as a front, it seemed like it also had a winter hawk engraved on it.


    ¡°Congrattions. This officiallypletes your transfer to the Special Search Unit.¡±


    Gustav stood up for a handshake as he congratted Iron.


    ¡°Once again, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Iron hurriedly stood up from his seat and shook Gustav¡¯s thick hands while bowing his head in thanks.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°<i>Haha! </i>Then, shall I exin where you¡¯re going now? Can you see that over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s the 4th Outpost. That¡¯s the ce that you¡¯re in charge of. There are a total of eight outposts connected together. You¡¯re in charge of one sector. You have to report on the monsters¡¯ territorial wars and activities in a certain radius from the center of your outpost. Of course, this is your job as the search squadron¡¯s leader. Your job as a Ghost is to investigate this ce.¡±


    Iron asked quietly when he saw where Gustav was pointing at.


    ¡°Is that where the divine beast was?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But it¡¯s gone now. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s dead or asleep somewhere. The problem is that it¡¯s getting a lot colder in this ce.¡±


    ¡°What kind of divine beast was it?¡±


    ¡°Phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard an unexpected answer.


    ¡°In the past, this ce used to be a volcano. Although it¡¯s a dormant volcano the Phoenix was still often found inside it since there was stillva deep inside. Thanks to that, the monsters in the Winter Mountains dare not act carelessly. At least not in the area where the Phoenix was usually found.¡±


    ¡°When did it disappear?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few years. However, ever since the start of the monsters¡¯rge-scale movements in the Northeast, the situation in the Winter Mountains also started to be serious. Because of that, the Commander thinks that this ce is also influenced by the monster wave.¡±


    Hearing Gustav¡¯s words, Iron¡¯s face turned solemn. Now, he understood the reason why the Command had assigned him to this ce.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Outpost] ?? ¨C a facility where small number of personnels are dispatched in units like GOP (Guard Outpost) and are stationed there for quick response. They aremonly confused with watchtowers.


    [Regarding Volcanoes] ¨C Volcanoes can be ssified as active, dormant or extinct. They¡¯re active if they have recently erupted. Dormant if they haven¡¯t eruptedtely but there¡¯s still arge chance that they will erupt in the future. Extinct if they¡¯re never likely to erupt in the future. It will only be ssified as extinct if it did not have any eruption for more than 10,000 years. Any less than that without any eruption will make the volcano fall under the dormant ssification.

 Chapter 36 Young Outpost Leader (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(36)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>12 </i></b><i>Young Outpost Leader (2)</i>


    There were a lot ofplex reasons why the Northeast Army Commander, Crimson, brought Iron to this ce. It was mainly because of the divine beast but he also wanted him to take a look if there were signs of a monster wave in this ce. He also wanted to use whatever Iron would report to find if the suspicious phenomenon currently urring in the entire Northeast had something or someone behind it. He was looking beyond the monster wave.


    ¡°First of all, we¡¯re not sure when this mission will end. But I hope this ends before the monster wave begins but¡­ it¡¯s hard to assume.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly when he heard Gustav¡¯s words. He was speaking knowing full well that their situation was dire.


    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware that the difficulty of this mission is high. Don¡¯t overdo it and just focus first on getting used to your unit for now. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, finish moving into the special search unit and move right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Loyalty.¡±


    Iron gave his salute and went outside. Gustav stared at the door for a while before mumbling to himself.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Is this the right thing¡­¡±


    Gustav sighed deeply.


    Hemented the fact that he did not have a divine beast or the abilities equipped with someone who made a contract with such a beast. The fact that a new recruit with the power of a divine beast came to them was something that he weed. After all, his existence was much more precious than someone who only had spiritual powers. However, it bothered him that they needed to appoint someone so young to such a tough ce and even give him a difficult mission.


    ¡°If I just look at the report, I think he¡¯ll do well but¡­¡±


    He was worried for the young outpost leader. He did not know if the extremely proud elite soldiers would receive the boy well.


    Gustav had experienced difficult missions as a Ghost but he couldn¡¯t help but feel heavy when this young officer was assigned to a rough spot with a difficult mission.


    Iron moved to his post and left behind the captain of Ghost and the special search team unit behind.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Jack Doyle, the vice outpost leader of the 4th Outpost.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Iron Carter. This time, I will be the person in charge of this outpost.¡±


    Iron smiled and shook hands with the vice outpost leader who came and greeted him.


    ¡°Are we going to ride the drake to get to the outpost?¡±


    ¡°No. There¡¯s not that much drake so that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Then, a gryphon?¡±


    ¡°<i>Haha~ </i>Isn¡¯t that more precious than a drake?¡±


    Jackughed at Iron¡¯s words before pointing to one side. There he could see a hot-air balloon anchored.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to take that to reach the vicinity.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ho¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a temporary space near the outpost that¡¯s safe enough for a balloon tond on. Once wend there, we will have to move on foot.¡±


    Since the distance was not that long, they had to use a non-drake flying instrument to move the short distance then walk on foot to cover the remaining distance. However, the balloon was so slow that Iron became bored. He even opened the door just to ease his boredom.


    ¡°There must be a lot of dangers.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t help it.¡±


    The vice outpost leader smiled bitterly.


    ¡°The 1st corps under the Vanguard Corps had a hard time receiving supplies in this ce so they gave up. In the end, this ce came under the direct jurisdiction of the Command. That¡¯s why everyone is determined. They¡¯re willing to take risks to some extent.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Iron nodded. He seemed to understand what Jack was saying. He was certain that it was really hard to send supplies in this ce.


    ¡°Then, what happens if the supplies do not arrive at the right time due to the changes in the weather?¡±


    ¡°We endure with dry rations until the supplies arrive. If we¡¯re in a hurry, then we¡¯ll hunt monsters.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ho¡­ </i>You must have a hard time.¡±


    Iron shook his head as he stared at Jack¡¯s bitter smile.


    ¡°But since it¡¯s a ce where people live, it¡¯s still worth staying at.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s a relief. More than that¡­ Seeing that I¡¯m the one who came to the outpost, you look like you¡¯re not as surprised at all.¡±


    Jack¡¯s bitter smile remained on his face when he realized Iron¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the soldiers, but I¡¯m not a part of that. I don¡¯t have the authority to do that.¡±


    Iron looked at him suspiciously but he couldn¡¯t ask anymore. Jack just smiled bitterly before continuing his words.


    ¡°At the very least, it¡¯s not just me. So don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    Jack nodded at Iron¡¯s question.


    Jack knew that the Northeast Academy was a ce that trained murder weapons. It was a ce that only created and gathered monsters. From he rumors that he has heard, the graduates this time were all beyond the average level. The two diamonds attached on the shoulder of the young Iron was ring proof of these rumors.


    ¡°We have to move on foot starting at this point.¡±


    ¡°It looks better than I thought.¡±


    Iron looked around and saw the wooden stairs set up in several ces. Jack couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly when he heard his words.


    ¡°Our military life¡­ isn¡¯t it just 70% work?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Work¡­¡±


    Iron was well aware of what his words meant. After all, he had served in the military during the modern times. Back then, he had to clean things up when it snowed, repair things when they copsed and even weed the path when the weeds grew.


    ¡°You must be tired.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. After all, I¡¯m a soldier.¡±


    Jack smiled bitterly once more when he heard Iron¡¯s words. They couldn¡¯t help it, work was something that was inseparable from <i>soldiers</i>. Especially for them, who were staying in this closed-off ce. All avable personnel had to be unconditionally put to work.


    ¡°The guys in the outpost will be a bit aggressive. Please take this into ount before you go in there.¡±


    ¡°Aggressive¡­ They would still do that even if the vice outpost leader is here?¡±


    ¡°<i>Uhm¡­</i>¡±


    Iron frowned when he saw the vice outpost leader¡¯s expression. It seemed like there was a situation in the outpost.


    They quickly arrived at a well-made outpost after the vice outpost leader gave his own warning. Contrary to the almost copsing building that he imagined in his head, the building itself looked alright. It seemed like the supply of the mana stone was also good since he could feel the warmth from the building.


    ¡°The outpost leader has arrived!¡±


    The soldiers began to run at once when the door opened and the vice outpost leader roared. Iron looked at them strangely when the soldiers looked at him in nervousness. He couldn¡¯t help but recall the warning that the vice outpost leader had given him.


    ¡°Not all of them are out yet.¡±


    Shortly after the vice outpost leader¡¯s words, a group consisting of a sergeant and plenty of corporals approached slowly. The moment he saw this group, Iron¡¯s expression turned incredulous.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We have a bit of work to do so we came outte.¡±


    The sergeant¡¯s expression as he spoke to the vice outpost leader did not show any bit of remorse. Iron frowned and called out to him.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The sergeant asked dumbly at Iron¡¯s cold voice. It seemed like he was thinking about how he should answer a child¡¯s cold voice.


    ¡°Say your full name and your rank. Do it again.¡±


    ¡°Ser¡­ Sergeant Sean Wicks.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯rete, you have to move quickly and line up. Are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll do it properly.¡±


    Sean quickly lined up in confusion after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Although the new outpost leader was young, there seemed to be something unusual from him. He had eaten a lot of jjambap throughout the years so he could tell that there was something unusual there.


    Unaware of the prestige and strength of the person in front of him, Sergeant Sean followed his orders for now. Seeing that the person they were following also lined up, the ill-attitude corporals also began to line up.


    They thought that they should just put up with Iron for once since they could just beat him upter. They first had to listen to what the vice outpost leader had to say as to why this kid hade here.


    ¡°Nice to see you all. I¡¯m Iron Carter and I came here this time as your outpost leader. I¡¯m embarrassed to havee here straight after my graduation but I believe everything will go well if the soldiers help me properly. It¡¯s cold so I will not say anything more. Let¡¯s end our greeting here. Disperse.¡±


    ¡°Disperse!¡±


    Iron dispersed the soldiers. He signalled to Jack before heading over to the outpost leader¡¯s office. Jack followed Iron with a bitter smile on his face.


    ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Jack smiled bitterly when he heard Iron¡¯s straightforward question.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not good enough.¡±


    Jack bowed down as he replied to Iron¡¯s question. However, this was not the answer that Iron wanted so he asked again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason? How dare a soldier act up in front of his superior? And howe you¡¯re acting like a dog in front of these soldiers?¡±


    Jack fell silent for a while. The answer came out of his mouth with much difficulty.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the unique characteristics of this ce.¡±


    ¡°Unique characteristics?¡±


    Jack nodded his head while Iron¡¯s brows furrowed deeper.


    ¡°Yes. Unless you don¡¯t have any backings, the soldiers will ignore you.¡±


    ¡°Ignore¡­ Can¡¯t you report it to the top?¡±


    ¡°The moment you do that, you will be bullied by the entire unit.¡±


    ¡°Bully? How dare a soldier do that?¡±


    Iron looked at him as if he was crazy. All Jack could do was sigh as he exined.


    ¡°The soldiers will receive punishment but¡­ The other soldiers will eventually be hostile to the executives. Once the rumors spread, even the other executives will be given bad attitudes.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re scared of that¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone had been silent about it. It did not happen for just a day or two¡­ so it hardened and turned into a custom.¡±


    ¡°What a dog shit mess.¡±


    Jack could only bow after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is the sergeant¡¯s skill much better than the vice outpost leader?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not it. But there¡¯s not much difference between us¡­¡±


    Iron frowned when he heard Jack¡¯s words.


    ¡°How good is the sergeant?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at the beginning of the 2nd Stage.¡±


    ¡°The vice outpost leader is also at that level?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Jack opened his mouth with a bit of difficulty when he saw that Iron¡¯s expression was asking him for a more detailed exnation.


    In fact, Jack¡¯s skills were not that good. He was even younger than the sergeant from before. He had also jumped to the sergeant position quickly. After bing a sergeant in the shortest amount of time, he came here to take the elite course and became the staff sergeant. But unfortunately, his skills were a bit simr to the sergeant from before.


    Staff sergeant Jack who was 18 years old and Sergeant Sean who was 20 years old. The two had simr skills but Sean was older. So, Sean had a lot of dissatisfaction with this arrangement.


    In that time, Sean had eaten a lot of jjambap so he had taken control of the soldiers and tried to naturally get along with the executives of the special search unit. He was also scheduled to be a staff sergeant by next year so he was only waiting for the day when his and Jack¡¯s level were simr to show him who was boss.


    However, the person that he expected toe this time and appoint him as the vice outpost leader was suddenly changed. His ns went wrong and the position was given to Jack. As a result, Sean¡¯s dissatisfaction had reached its peak. Without anyone realizing it, Sean had started to make a big fuss in the outpost to beat Jack. And since things repeated frequently, Jack¡¯s voice had started to weaken in the unit.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°Crazy shit.¡±


    He was not one of the executives from before but seeing the soldiers acting like this in front of the staff sergeant, all that he could think of were that these bastards were crazy.


    ¡°Is that everything? No matter how dissatisfied he is with this, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough for him to do something this big.¡±


    ¡°I heard rumors that someone is backing him up.¡±


    ¡°Backing¡­ A higher up? Amissioned officer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s amissioned officer.¡±


    It would be a problem if his backing was amissioned officer but if it wasn¡¯t then things would be solved easily. However, even if his backing was amissioned officer, the problem would be solved once Iron reported to the Search Unit Captain himself as part of Ghost.


    ¡®First, the problem about the backing is cleared.¡¯


    The soldiers were also only at the beginning of the 2nd Stage so Iron did not have much problem in terms of skills.


    ¡®Strength and force is cleared too. The only thing left is the discord between the soldiers and the executives, right?¡¯


    If the soldier standing at the center of all the other soldiers was wrongly touched, then it could lead to a huge discord between the executives and the soldiers. This was the worst option in such a closed-off ce. That¡¯s why justification for his actions was extremely important.


    ¡®Is this why he told me that it¡¯s going to be hard at first?¡¯


    Iron finally realized what the warning that Lintel Verner had given him on the drake ride meant. It seemed like he was not just telling him about his difficult military service.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but chew his lips for a moment.


    In fact, a mutiny like this was not something special. It wasn¡¯t something that only happened in this ce. The cases in the capital were even worse than this. It wasmon for soldiers that were affiliated with noble families to confront superiors without any backings.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know that it would be like this in the Northeast too¡­ This will be fun.¡¯


    Iron read the report that the vice outpost leader had handed over to him coldly. He pondered about how he would roll and kill the useless arrogance of his sergeant and corporals.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Work is inseparable from <b><i>soldiers</i></b>] ¨C This is highlighted because the author used the term ???. This word is a derogatory ng for soldiers. They would feel offended if others called them this. However, they usually use it as a joke amongst themselves.


    [Regarding Iron¡¯s view on the attitudes of the soldiers] ¨C Basically, military is strict on positions. I think it¡¯s especially strict in KR military. So some soldiers acting all high and mighty against one¡¯s superior warrants punishment, hence why Jaiden thinks they¡¯re crazy. I think seniority only matters if they¡¯re on the same rank.

 Chapter 37 Young Outpost Leader (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(37)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>12 </i></b><i>Young Outpost Leader (3)</i>


    Sergeants of the modern era military would be extremely afraid of their superiors to the point that they would hold their breaths in front of them just so they could get out ande back to the society intact. However, this ce was different. Unlike modern day sergeants, who needed to be careful and be scared even of falling leaves, the people here treat the position of the sergeant as the threshold that they needed to climb to be an executive.


    Perhaps this could be attributed to the crazy requirements that they needed to endure. After all, they were required to serve 20 years in the Northern Military so something unexpected, like soldiers bing executives, would happen upon their discharge. In this case, as long as the soldier had the ability, they would be able to be executives. They would even be able to climb that position faster than the soldiers that ate a lot of jjambap.


    As a result, all kinds of conflicts erupted all over the ce. In this situation, it would be strange if there wasn¡¯t any conflict at all. And just like that, conflicts between soldiers who had eaten jjambap for 5~6 years and soldiers who became executives in just a few years arose. The problem was that the conflicts did not end even if one became an executive. Conflicts between elite executives that rose to their position quickly and executives that ate a lot of jjambap before climbing on this position also ran rampant.


    This was already a big problem in and of itself. However, the corrupt government, perhaps not happy with such small conflicts, decided to pour oil to the fire to make all of the conflicts burn brighter. The fire burned all of the areas that it could burn.


    Conflicts arose from all over the Empire. There were conflicts between those of noble birth and those ofmon birth. There were conflicts between poor families and prestigious and wealthy families. There were even conflicts between natives and immigrants.


    All of these things put together made it difficult for them to touch a ce immediately and hastily. So, rather than taking time to solve thisplicated problem, they just tried to suture the wound whenever a problem urred in their ranks.


    And it seemed like the Northeast was not free from this issue that spread out in the entire Empire. Even if this ce was under the direct jurisdiction of the Command, it seemed like they were still in a situation where the soldiers could freely cozy up to the executives and move up in ranks.


    At first nce, it seemed to be an uncontroble problem. But for Iron, this was the opposite. Iron knew that this problem that was running rampant in the outpost could be solved with his skills alone.


    As a member of Ghost, his skills were sufficient enough to be called the elite among the elites. He also gained the trust of the Commander so his connections were more than enough. And although he was hiding it, his lineage was also good. Compared to the sergeant in question, Iron was superior in all of the aspects that the sergeant was confident in.


    However, the problem was that Sergeant Sean and the corporals were unaware of this.


    They had only heard the rumors that the academy¡¯s new graduates were extremely amazing. When a child came to this outpost, they thought ¡®<i>Oh! </i>One of them came here!¡¯ but that was all. However, because of the nature of Ghost, Iron, the top of the graduates, and his credentials in the academy was somewhat hidden as soon as he stepped foot in this ce.


    Perhaps this was also the reason why Sean and the other soldiers had begun to gain back their momentum after seeing that Ironid low for a few days. It seemed like they believed that his momentum was only because he came here for the first time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that big of a deal?¡±


    Charles, someone who was ted to be a sergeant, answered Sean¡¯s question.


    ¡°That¡¯s right but¡­ you still have to be careful. Just like the rumors said, the graduates this time are extremely dangerous.¡±


    Even at the words of Corporal Charles, Sergeant Sean still smacked his lips believing that Iron was nothing because of his young age.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s worth trying? As long as he¡¯s not in the top 30, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Sergeant Sean¡¯s power might be a bit behind him but his experience is overwhelming!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°<i>Haha~ </i>Since he¡¯s still young, Sergeant Sean will definitely win against him in terms of experience!¡±


    The other corporals immediately took Sean¡¯s side as if they wanted to butter him up and curry favor with him. The corporals even called for the privates as they began to nder the outpost leader just to elevate Sergeant Sean¡¯s mood.


    ¡°He¡¯s young but he has no manners.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anything because he hasn¡¯t stayed long in the army yet.¡±


    ¡°Once Sergeant Sean bes the vice outpost leader, he¡¯ll be able to eat him up quickly.¡±


    <i>Murmur, murmur.</i>


    In his absence, the emperor would be cursed. Just like that, the dormitory had turned into a ce where they cursed and swore on the outpost leader. The only person who remained quiet in such a situation was Corporal Charles.


    Perhaps it was because Corporal Charles was a soldier with a good head and quick wittedness so he remained quiet. But even if he stayed quiet and did not tter him, Sergeant Sean did not touch him.


    ¡°Charles.¡±


    ¡°Corporal Charles.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the outpost leader is also a baby?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Sean looked pleased when Charles agreed with the words of the other corporals. It seemed like they were all pleased despite him answering them ndly.


    Charles couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he stared at Sean and his group. He couldn¡¯t help but remember the young outpost leader.


    The child, Iron, that they saw on that day definitely had something that could overwhelm them.


    <i>But he¡¯s so calm right now?</i>


    There was a strange sense of confusion from his contradictory actions.


    ¡®I feel like he¡¯s clearly hiding something but¡­¡¯


    Charles was the only one who thought of this. He tried to gauge the time when the young outpost leader would move. He thought that if he was really hiding something, then he would be aiming for the time when they had crossed the line.


    Charles was currently 17 years old, he was promoted quickly so he was expecting that he would be a nonmissioned officer by the time he turned 20. He had a good head on his shoulders and he was extremely quick witted so he was able to get into the special search unit and be a part of the elite course despite having no connections.


    With the experience that he gained from his previous unit, he could easily infer the true position of the outpost leader.


    ¡®He does not have any dispute with the vice outpost leader and he has a lot of room to grow. Looking at him, he looks like he¡¯s young despite being one of the graduates. If he was dispatched here in the special search unit, then he¡¯s highly likely from the elites. In that case¡­¡¯


    After thinking this far, cold sweat rained down on Charles¡¯ back.


    ¡®I have to cling to a good rope well.¡¯


    This thought immediately filled his head.


    There wasn¡¯t just one or two people who grasped on the wrong rope and twisted their military life. Once he did something wrong, he would be experiencing a hellish military life for years. He believed that it was best if he could livefortably without knowing that hell in his military life before being discharged safely.


    Thinking this far, Charles thought that he should just lie low as he read the room. However, after 15 days, he couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head in confusion. He thought that he was probably just thinking too much.


    He had already thought of changing lines. However, it seemed like Sean had vaguely noticed his ns so he had been targeting him recently.


    ¡®Will I fail to switch lines and stay with Sean? <i>Ha¡­ </i>He¡¯s not even an executive yet but he¡¯s already acting like this. I¡¯m so tired of wagging my tail at that bastard of a sergeant.¡¯


    Charles agonized as he pondered what he should do. He couldn¡¯t decide on which line he should take.


    Most of the work in the outpost had been left to the vice outpost leader while the outpost leader stayed in his room and focused on his personal training. However, regardless of the outpost leader¡¯s absence, Charles decided to trust his instincts wholly.


    He had already chosen the wrong line before and had been bullied and picked at when he became an executive in his previous unit. But this time, no matter the oue, Corporal Charles would lie his loyalty closer to the young outpost leader. At the very least, he was sure that the outpost leader and the vice outpost leader here in the Northeast would be different.


    Corporal Charles did not know this yet but this line of thought had be his life saving grace.


    ¡°Corporal Charles.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Charles quickly stood up upon hearing the call of the vice outpost leader.


    The sergeants, corporals and the soldiers that were lying around immediately turned to look at the vice outpost leader who mostly left them alone. But despite their gazes, the vice outpost leader just spoke coldly with an emotionless look on his face.


    ¡°The outpost leader is calling for you.¡±


    All of the soldiers turned to look at Charles after hearing the vice outpost leader¡¯s words. However, Charles himself was unaware of the reason why he was called. So all he could do was follow Jack, the vice outpost leader, to the ce where the outpost leader was.


    ¡°Loyalty! Corporal Charles¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Sit down.¡±


    Charles, who was saluting Iron, immediately dropped on the floor. Then, Iron pped the work journal on the floor in front of Charles.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°If you look at that, it says that Sergeant Sean is on duty. But he¡¯s not even there?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ That¡­¡±


    Charles looked up at Iron in cold sweat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching all of you all this time. But the sergeant never came on duty. Well, I can understand to some extent why he can leave you out and exclude you from the group since he¡¯s the soldier who ate the most jjambap. But you know¡­ in this work journal that you are using to report to your superiors you wrote that he went out the most.¡±


    Charles bowed at the end of Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right, is it? I understand you being left out but stealing someone else¡¯s bowl?¡±


    Iron looked at Charles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why he can calmly do this despite the vice outpost leader and the other corporals having the strength to rebel against a single sergeant. Even if he went overboard, this is something that¡¯s beyond that.¡±


    Iron looked at Charles with an expression that showed that he couldn¡¯t understand what they were doing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask you bluntly. Who¡¯s behind the bastard?¡±


    Charles was conflicted when he heard Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°The vice outpost leader does not know, right? Probably because he hasn¡¯t been here for a long time? But you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Charles hesitated. He couldn¡¯t answer Iron¡¯s question immediately.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t answer me right away, then that means that his backing holds quite a considerable amount of power¡­¡±


    Iron smiled when Charles¡¯ affirmed his guesses with his silence.


    ¡°Good. But know this. You think Sean is something here, right? Even if you climb a bit higher up, you will see a lot of people like that. A backing? I don¡¯t know how far his backing can go but they¡¯re nothing.¡±


    Charles bowed his head and finally opened his mouth after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Sergeant Sean currently has Sergeant First ss Maldini as his backer¡­¡±


    ¡°Maldini? Wait¡­¡±


    Iron stopped Charles when he heard the name Maldini.


    ¡°Is the Sergeant First ss Maldini we are talking about rted to the Center¡¯s former Marquess Maldini?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, he¡¯s from the indirect line.¡±


    Iron did not expect that someone would use the Marquess¡¯st name so he asked just to be sure. But he was dumbfounded when the answer came back to him.


    ¡°Can he do that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s from the indirect family line so he can¡¯t use the family name as hisst name but I heard that he used it as his alias so he was not viting any militaryw.¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastards.¡±


    Regardless of their rtion, it did not make sense for him to use the Marquess¡¯st name in his name.


    ¡®It seems like Marquess Maldini epted it. Is he an agent nted here in the Northeast? Surprisingly those prideful Center Noble bastards approved of something like this?¡¯


    A thought shed in his head, but it seemed like Iron still couldn¡¯t understand their reasonings.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Fine. Still, this is not enough for him to go crazy, you know? Is there anyone else? Is it rted to amissioned officer?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Sergeant First ss Maldini and Captain Paulo seem to be close with each other.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not telling me that Captain Paulo is a noble son under the direct line of Marquess Maldini, are you?¡±


    Corporal Charles just bent his head down silently when he heard Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°<i>Ha! </i>It¡¯s going to be a lot more fun than I thought. Even if the captain was from the direct line of the Marquess¡¯ household he still can¡¯t afford to act frivolously in the Northeast. There must be someone behind him, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Major General Mnio, the chief of staff of the Northern Command.¡±


    Iron looked at Charles in surprise when the rank suddenly jumped from captain to major general. Not long after, he looked at the man in curiosity. He was wondering how he knew this much information.


    ¡°Chief of staff¡­ How do you know this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from a merchant¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°In the North?¡±


    ¡°In the East.¡±


    Iron¡¯s lips widened into a smile when he heard Charles¡¯ words. He realized that the soldier in front of him was also not an ordinary guy. ording to the Northeast¡¯s customs, it was impolite to ask of a person¡¯s past. So, Iron just stayed silent and did not ask him any further.


    Aside from the arduous and difficult environment, unexpectedly there were also a lot of political elements that had been digging through the cracks of the Northeast.


    ¡°Interesting. They¡¯re going around like this. If he¡¯s the chief of staff of the Northern Command then, he must be close with some influential people in the Northeast, right?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Major General is close to the person in charge of distributing the supplies in the rear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Now, it makes sense why that sergeant dares to act frivolously here. It¡¯splicated so we can¡¯t touch him carelessly, right?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he organized his thoughts.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Sergeant First ss] ¨C a nonmissioned officer in the army. Ranks above a staff sergeant and ranks below a master sergeant.


    [Captain] ¨C a rank above the 1st lieutenant and below major


    [Chief of Staff] ¨C ranking officer of the army that serves as the principal adviser to themander.

 Chapter 38 Unraveling the Thread (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(38)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>13 </i></b><i>Unraveling the Thread (1)</i>


    The current rtionship between the people in the Winter Mountains was asplicated as tangled spools of thread.


    Iron did not want to be hit with some bacsh so he did not touch him carelessly. He first sent out Corporal Charles while he gathered some information. The first people that Iron targeted were the soldiers that brought supplies to them.


    ¡°Loyalty!¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Is this all for today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Command is trying to send as much as they can but there seems to be a limit to how much we can move at once.¡±


    He deliberately approached the soldier and chatted with him. There were quite a lot of things that he could pick up from these soldiers since they supplied food from ce to ce via the balloon.


    He was not aware about who among the executives were affiliated with Sergeant Sean but he thought that it would be a bit difficult if he recklessly moved against a person under amissioned officer.


    Iron was currently only a lieutenant so gathering information from the executives was a bit hard. He couldn¡¯t just pretend to be close to them since he had only eaten a little jjambap and there would beplications if he recklessly tried to get close for information. So, he went ahead and targeted the soldiers. And it seemed like this decision was effective.


    Iron always mobilized his soldiers to help the supply soldiers whenever they delivered their supplies. This led to their stay here, albeit short, to be more leisurely and carefree. Because of this, he naturally became close with them to the point that they could chat freely.


    ¡°<i>Ho~</i> So, Captain Franco and Captain Paulo are rivals?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Captain Deross who¡¯s in charge of the 7th~9th outposts is said to be neutral, but he¡¯s just a coward.¡±


    ¡°Even though he¡¯s the captain of one of the special search teams?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because he did not have any backing? But I believe it¡¯s just because he¡¯s just not good enough to break through them.¡±


    Iron nodded upon hearing the soldier¡¯s words.


    After hearing the supply soldier talking behind Captain Deross¡¯ back despite being his subordinate, Iron could now roughly organize the current situation.


    The information that he had received from the supply soldiers was now more than enough for him to gauge the situation of this ce.


    ¡®So, this is a face-off between Captain Paulo and Captain Franco? <i>Hmm¡­ </i>Then, that means that Captain Franco also has someone behind him.¡¯


    When Iron thought of this, he opened his mouth and asked the supply soldier.


    ¡°The Search Unit Commander must be having a hard time?¡±


    ¡°The former Search Unit Commander said that he had lost a lot of hair because of this.¡±


    ¡°<i>Aigoo! </i>He must have worked so hard.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s now in Command so he¡¯s probably livingfortably now. Actually, he wanted to be the logistics unitmander but¡­ what a pity.¡±


    The previous unitmander was promoted to colonel so he directly climbed to the Command. And since the colonel¡¯s role in Command was like that of a section chief, Iron could easily infer that he had quite a lot of connections there.


    However, what was clear was the fact that the former search unitmander had a good rtionship with his soldiers. After all, the supply soldier in front of Iron was currently cursing about the incumbent logistics department leader.


    ¡®Letting go of such a person¡­¡¯


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    He realized that the distrust and conflict between the executives and the soldiers was much greater than what he had imagined. At first, he thought that the former search unitmander was ipetent because he sat on the sidelines and did not choose any lines. But it seemed like that was not the case at all.


    Currently, Captain Paulo¡¯s line and Captain Franco¡¯s line were fighting against each other in the Winter Mountains.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how far Captain Franco¡¯s line is connected.¡¯


    For Iron, it was a bit troublesome to think about Captain Franco. After all, Captain Franco was his immediate superior so he couldn¡¯t just carelessly move against him.


    In addition, there weren¡¯t any executives that would help him since he was still young and had no experience in the new unit that he was deployed in. The nature of this ce made it so only the strong were respected. So if an executive like him could not control his soldiers then he would have no other choice but to copse.


    ¡°Did they send me here on purpose?¡±


    The more he listened to the soldiers, the more Iron realized that he was ced in a messy situation.


    Captain Paulo, a Major (<i>Jin</i>), was thepanymander in charge of the 1st~3rd outposts. Meanwhile, Captain Franco was the one in charge of the 4th~6th outposts. However, Captain Paulo was currently trying to take over the 4th outpost by bringing in Sergeant Sean to his side. If Captain Franco loses his influence here, then Captain Deross, who was neutral as of the moment, would begin to lean towards Captain Paulo.


    Captain Paulo was a Major (<i>Jin</i>) so he was a Major that was ted for promotion. If the 4th outpost was taken over by Captain Paulo through Sergeant Sean¡¯s domination then Captain Franco¡¯s power will drop sharply.


    The former search unitmander had dispatched apletely new personnel and promoted Jack Doyle as the current vice outpost leader to prevent this from happening but there was nothing he could do since he was aplete novice in this ce. Perhaps this was the reason why Carl Gustav, the currentmander of the search unit and the captain of Ghost, dispatched Iron in this outpost.


    They told him that the reason why he was dispatched here was because the location was close to the previous location of the divine beast. But it seemed like they were trying to close the fierce fight between the two captains by dispatching apletely new talent that did not belong to any faction.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>I hate political fights.¡±


    He thought that he wouldn¡¯t deal with any political fights since he was in the military. But Iron¡¯s face hardened the longer he listened to the situation in this ce. It seemed like he was being caught in a deeper and moreplicated political fight than he had expected.


    Iron had suffered from political fights and was rolled around until the end of his previous life. This was one of the reasons why he left the North and fled further to the Northeast. He had hoped against hope that this ce wouldn¡¯t be caught in any political fight since this ce was busy dealing with monsters. But it seemed like all of his hopes were dashed.


    However, even if he had the means, Iron was still young and still could not openly contribute in this political fight. So, he continued to gather information from the supply soldiers.


    But before he could even finish gathering information, Corporal Charles and the vice outpost leader met trouble.


    ¡°Outpost leader.¡±


    Sergeant Sean visited Iron and stared at him. Sergeant Sean only came to find him when he was reviewing his documents and was already long done with his training.


    ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Sergeant Sean couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit nervous when Iron looked at him after giving him permission to talk.


    ¡°The soldiers have a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Suggestions?¡±


    When Iron tilted his head and asked him, Sergeant Sean nodded his head and continued to exin.


    ¡°The stairs between the guard posts are currently covered with ice and are extremely dangerous. Someone needs to work on it.¡±


    ¡°Work? The soldiers need to work?¡±


    <i>The soldiers needed to work because the stairs are dangerous.</i>


    Iron looked at him as if what he was saying was absurd. He had served in the military in the modern times and he knew full well that soldiers were people who would never suggest increasing their work uselessly. Of course, they would readily suggest it if it directly affected the supply route. But as far as Iron knew, the supply route was periodically paved.


    ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I think we need to break the ice.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s slippery, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    He felt that what Sergeant Sean had suggested was usible. After all, once the ice that was stuck in the stairs remained there, someone would slip and their life would probably fall in danger.


    ¡°So, which side is the most urgent?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the 4-1 outpost.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the bottom. Isn¡¯t that connected to the 3-8 outpost? But the supply route is also a part of the 3-8 outpost so we don¡¯t need to take care of that. Right?¡±


    Sergeant Sean¡¯s lips shut for a moment upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°We¡¯re suggesting that we should coborate and do it together with the guard posts next to us.¡±


    ¡°So, you want to do it together?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The 3rd outpost leader said that it would be good to work together with us.¡±


    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t you suggest that to thepanymander? If it¡¯s something that has to do with thepany next to us, then a line would be crossed. You know that, right?¡±


    Even if Iron was the outpost leader, he still needed to listen to thepanymander since he belonged to hispany. Although the outpost leaders were given some autonomy, they still needed to inform thepanymander of the things that they would do, especially if it was a work that dealt with an outpost belonging to the otherpany.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to discuss this with thepanymander first. Do you have anything else to say?¡±


    ¡°¡­None.¡±


    ¡°Then, you can go out.¡±


    Sergeant Sean saluted Iron with an expression that looked like he ate some shit. When Iron saw Sergeant Sean¡¯s expression, his expression started to turn cold.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to reach your hands out to me? <i>Hmm¡­</i>¡±


    As soon as he saw him try to move and bring the outpost to that line, Iron immediately called for the vice outpost leader.


    ¡°Did Sergeant Sean suggest that you, the vice outpost leader, join his line?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Even indirectly?¡±


    ¡°<i>Uhm¡­</i>¡±


    It seemed like there were no direct proposals but there were plenty of indirect ones. But since the vice outpost leader refused to do so it all came to this.


    Upon knowing this fact, everything started to turn clear for Iron.


    ¡°First of all, please send this to thepanymander, vice outpost leader.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to Captain Franco¡¯s line?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really intend to get on any line. I don¡¯t need that kind of thing.¡±


    Iron stared at the vice outpost leader as he continued to speat.


    ¡°Vice outpost leader, do you feel a bit of pity for Captain Paulo¡¯s line?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly feel like that.¡±


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s what all that matters. I¡¯ll report this to thepanymander and take care of the rest myself so that I don¡¯t get caught in any of their webs.¡±


    The vice outpost leader stared at Iron with a bit of trepidation. He felt like Iron was now going to make his move.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ are you going to make your move now?¡±


    ¡°Well, I learned about a lot of things already. And thepany next to us is trying to eat our outpost. Isn¡¯t it weirder if I stayed still?¡±


    Jack Doyle nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s words.


    He was still unaware of Iron¡¯s skills, connections and lineage but he knew that his confidence was not groundless. This conclusion was based on his intuition. Besides, he was a young graduate that would remain in the history of the Northeast Academy forever. All of these things served as his basis for trusting him.


    ¡°If you need my help in anything, I will do my best to help you.¡±


    Iron pondered for a moment after hearing the words of the vice outpost leader. Since he was going to move by himself, there was no need for the vice outpost leader to move.


    Then, he suddenly remembered the outpost that would be empty once he moved.


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>Well, there¡¯s something that you can do to help. Please take good care of the outpost while I¡¯m away.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Jack Doyle stared at Iron in confusion. Iron couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw his expected reaction from the vice outpost leader.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s high time that I punish the cheeky bastard of a sergeant.¡±


    Jack Doyle¡¯s expression hardened when he heard Iron¡¯s deration.


    ¡°Outpost leader, Sergeant Sean¡­¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>I investigated everything. It¡¯s fine to touch him.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you say¡­¡±


    It would be strange if he tried to dissuade his outpost leader after he had said these things. So all Jack Doyle could do was nod his head in agreement.


    Iron smiled when he saw him nodding like that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll screw up the sergeant bastard personally. The vice outpost leader can take care of the rest of the punks. You can do that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>Just so you know, I will be taking all of the corporals except for Charles. So there won¡¯t be any particr problem in the outpost. Just manage it properly.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What do you¡­ Where are you going?¡±


    Iron smiled wickedly as he stared at the vice outpost leader who still couldn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the most annoying thing in the military? It¡¯s when an old sergeant drags you to take on the work of a supply officer.¡±


    The vice outpost leader still looked lost.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s something like that. Everythinges from experience so just trust me and leave things up to me.¡±


    With that said, Iron began to prepare to move. He wanted to bring them along and experience the bloody hell that he had experienced back in the modern times.


    The first thing that he did was to search through the documents. He wanted to find the worst work that one could do in an outpost. Then, he looked at the ces that they could go before deciding their first destination. To be honest, Iron was not doing this just to screw them around. He was actually concerned for their health. He wanted to help the sergeant who had grown fat after skipping all of the night duties and patrols to get back in shape. This was the reason why he was looking for the hardest ce to work at so he could work them properly to the bones.


    ¡°Oh my! I didn¡¯t know that there was a ce like this?¡±


    Iron¡¯s face was painted with an evil smile after he found the perfect ce in the pile of documents in front of him.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [(Jin)] (?) ¨C In KR military, they add the (?) after the rank of the person once they are confirmed for promotion. (?) literally means change or alter in this case. They add this to show that the person was ted for promotion. This was implemented since the time for promotion and thepletion of the promotion exams were different. For normal people, their rank would remain the same unless they truly get a promotion, but for those in the military having this (?) means a lot. Rankings are very important in the military and they don¡¯t really know when they are ted for promotion so once this (?) is attached to their ranks, it means that they¡¯re definitely going to be promoted, it¡¯s just a matter of time.


    [Search Unit Commander] ¨C I think I previously used Captain for this, but any leadership position could either be called captain ormander. I usedmander here to avoid getting mistaken for the other captains. The Search Unit Commander is Carl Gustav.

 Chapter 39 Unraveling the Thread (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(39)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>13 </i></b><i>Unraveling the Thread (2)</i>


    The ce that Iron had identally discovered was in the vicinity of the 8th guard post. It was a ce where the stairs, the walls and part of the guard post had already copsed. It was probably broken due to the movements of some monsters in the area. Even the other guard posts in the vicinity were also in extremely bad conditions.


    The vice outpost leader only arrived here recently and he did not have enough time to do repairs. The other executives were also reced so the guard posts remained in a state of disrepair for quite a long period of time.


    However, considering that this was written like this in the work journal, there was a high possibility that the actual condition of the area and the guard post was much worse than what was already described.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to fix all of this but¡­¡±


    Looking carefully at the words written on the work journal, it seemed like all of the guard posts were left in a mess. The ce was already hard to work at since supplies hardly came by but it seemed like it had been neglected to this point because the previous executives did not put in work for repairs at all.


    ¡°I should roll them harder in the morning.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but smile wickedly. He couldn¡¯t wait to roll the sergeant and the corporals hard.


    Since the 8th guard post was located in the middle of the mountains, he intended to repair the other guard posts. They were already going to pass by the guard posts on their way to the 8th one so he wanted to repair all those that needed minor repairs.


    And since this was a work that couldn¡¯t be finished in just a single day, he would ask them to carry a tent and go up in full military gear. And since this ce was dangerous by nature, the others also had to bring their weapons to protect themselves in case a monster appeared.


    ¡°I should make it a bit safer this time around.¡±


    Iron began to prepare the documents needed for the guard posts¡¯ maintenance and repair work with a wicked smile still hung on his face.


    Iron wrote a report that he would send to hispanymander based on the writings in the work journal and Sergeant Sean¡¯s suggestions. He also made sure to add his own opinions in the report. He wrote about the high probability of a problem uring if things remained as is. He also attached a report about the current monster trends. He did all of this to make sure that thepanymander would ept his proposal.


    ording to his report, signs of the monster wave had appeared in the Northeast. He also wrote that the army had seen the monsters¡¯ abnormal behavior all over the Winter Mountains and eventually brought fear and anxiety to the soldiers. If this continued on their anxiety would get worse and their efficiency would drop. So to relieve the anxiety of the soldiers and to prevent their morale from dropping, he proposed the strengthening of the guard posts. He also made sure to add a report asking for materials for the reinforcement procedures.


    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­ </i>So tired.¡±


    Iron was filled with enthusiasm at the thought of beating Sergeant Sean so he worked hard to write the report. He did not even realize the time passing by quickly. By the time he finished the report, it was already midnight. Only then did he realize the fatigue that umted in him.


    Iron just roughly slept on his chair. After sleeping for a while, he came out rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°Is it time to take the trash out?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw the snow falling down from the sky. However, the frown was immediately reced by a smile. It looked like he suddenly got a good idea. Then, he rushed straight to the meadow.


    ¡°Wake up! Wake up!¡±


    The soldier standing on night duty was shocked to hear Iron¡¯s roar. He immediately rushed forward and saluted.


    ¡°Are you getting out of work?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°It snowed so we helped carry the supplies.¡±


    Whenever it snowed like this, it would be hard for the supply soldiers to carry the supplies up to their outposts so some of the soldiers would go out and help carry them. It seemed like most of the dormitories were empty because of that.


    ¡°It seems like the vice outpost leader led the way?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Iron stared at the 2nd and 3rd dormitories. They were empty since the soldiers went out to do some work. Then, he stared at the final dormitory.


    ¡°This is where Sergeant Sean is?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The soldier answered nervously. But Iron just smiled as he nodded slightly before entering the dormitory.


    ¡°Wake up!¡±


    The first to react to Iron¡¯s roar were the privates. They jumped up from shock and stood up in salute when they saw Iron. Then, the next to react were the private first sses. They stood up and straightened themselves quickly. They were a bitte but they were still able to wake up quicker than the rest. The problem was the sergeant and the corporals.


    ¡°Which bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°<i>Heok!</i>¡±


    The corporal who was about to spit out some curses realized that Iron was in front of him and stood up quickly.


    ¡°The outpost leader came here but there are still punks like you who are sleeping in?¡±


    The corporal started to wake up the others when he realized the dire situation that they were in.


    ¡°Sergeant Sean, Sergeant Sean.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>Why are you so noisy?!¡±


    ¡°I think you need to wake up quickly.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>Why!¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Iron saw Sergeant Sean frowning at the words of the corporal. Seeing this, he signaled for the corporal to step back before approaching Sean himself. The corporal hesitated for a moment but he still stepped back. The moment the corporal stepped back, Iron raised his leg and kicked Sean in the stomach.


    ¡°<i>Keok! </i>Which bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me?¡±


    ¡°Out¡­ Outpost leader?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still not getting up?¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s cold words, Sergeant Sean¡¯s drowsiness flew out of the window.


    ¡°I came here to wake you up, but you¡¯re all still sleeping? Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°S¡­ Sorry.¡±


    Iron smiled brightly when he saw Sergeant Sean hurriedly bowing his head in apology.


    ¡°Perhaps you think I¡¯m easy?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all, sir.¡±


    ¡°You say no, but why are you doing that?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re sorry? Just that?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°You say no, so howe you¡¯re still like that?¡±


    The soldiers standing in the area stood stiffly as their expressions slowly hardened. They were now sitting on a first ss seat and watching Iron¡¯s infinite fussing towards Sergeant Sean.


    The person that received his nagging only lowered his head in apology. Iron received some sorry as a bonus so he only grated his ears for about five minutes. After doing that, he turned around and left the dormitory in a refreshing mood.


    ¡°Hurry up ande out.¡±


    Iron left those words behind as he exited the dormitory. He stood by the meadow and waited for them toe outside. Not long after, the entire poption of the final dormitory was out in the meadows.


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing but you¡¯re all still sleeping? Those who went out to bring us supplies might be in danger but you¡¯re still sleeping? Will you continue sleeping?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    The people that were still remaining in the outpost answered Iron¡¯s words loudly. All of them looked nervous. Perhaps it was because Iron had been nitpicking on them since earlier.


    ¡°You¡¯re not aware of your colleagues? Are you promoting individualism?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still here doing nothing? Shouldn¡¯t you run around and clear the snow away? Am I wrong?¡±


    The soldiers gathered outside began to run and grab brooms upon hearing the words of the outpost leader. Of course, Sergeant Sean also ran a little at first. However, his steps gradually slowed down. He looked like he was still a bit sleepy.


    On the other hand, the corporals quickly ran and took the brooms from the privates.


    ¡°What are you doing? Sweep!¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s orders, the sergeant and corporals began sweeping the snow with their brooms.


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>Are you guys kidding me? When will you even finish that? Are you not going to do things properly?¡±


    Iron red at the sergeant and the corporals as he grabbed a broom himself and swept the snow to the side.


    The soldiers in front of him weren¡¯t people who ate jjambap for nothing. Two of the corporals quickly got the gist of it and swept the snow to the sides. Seeing this, Iron felt happy.


    Then, after he finished demonstrating several times, Iron approached Sean with the broom in his hands.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to keep on doing this?¡±


    ¡°N¡­ no, sir.¡±


    Sean hastily rushed forward and started doing what Iron was doing before. He was able to skillfully sweep the snow to the sides thanks to years of eating enough jjambap.


    When the other soldiers saw the sergeant taking his own initiative and working hard, they also started to move diligently.


    ¡°Hey! Why are you doing worse than me? Are you kidding me?!¡±


    ¡°This bastard. Do you think you can do this as a sergeant just because you ate a lot of jjambap?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ha! </i>What are you doing? You¡¯re resting already?¡±


    ¡°Are you b¡Áing around with your military life? Huh? Do you think the army is a joke?¡±


    However, whenever Sean showed signs of stopping the movements of his broom, Iron opened his mouth and grilled him on the spot. He couldn¡¯t even show any sign of fatigue as he did his best on the job. It seemed like he was bound to do this job from beginning to end.


    When the other soldiers saw that Sean was being targeted firmly whenever he tried to ck off, they did not even dare to change with someone else. So, all they could do was continue working hard as they swept the snow.


    Realizing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from the work, Sergeant Sean used his mana to sweep the snow like crazy. He was so fast and skillful that he could bepared to a machine. Since mana had strengthened his body he was able to easily sweep the snow like the crazy machine that he was.


    The rest of the soldiers also started to utilize their mana as they continued to sweep.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Veterans shouldn¡¯t get easily tired, right? You almost disappointed me there.¡±


    Iron smiled as he nodded his head. He looked at Sean answering him with sweat dripping down his face in satisfaction.


    ¡°You said that you¡¯re going to be an executive soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Iron smiled when Sean answered him with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°But do you think this is good enough? You should do better. Your mana efficiency is a mess. It will be hard for you to survive here in the Northeast.¡±


    Sean¡¯s expression stiffened when he heard Iron¡¯s mocking words.


    Iron could see that he was clearly offended. He looked like he was asking him if he was good enough to speak to him like that.


    ¡°Why? You think I shouldn¡¯t have pointed that out?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, sir.¡±


    ¡°Look carefully.¡±


    Seeing Sean reluctant to answer him, Iron grabbed the broom and demonstrated it properly.


    Iron raised his mana as he started moving the broom in his hands. Just like when he was training the basic swordsmanship, his broom also moved strictly and with discipline. His movements were extremely clean. There were no wasted movements at all. After he finished sweeping, no snow could be seen left on the road. It lookedpletely different from what Sean did earlier.


    They thought that ¡®It will be over soon¡¯, but Iron continued to sweep with the broom in his hands. The soldiers that were watching in a daze couldn¡¯t help but jump up in surprise. Then, they brought up their mana and chased Iron.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>that¡¯s a good warm up.¡±


    Sergeant Sean¡¯s expression hardened as he watched Iron wipe the sweat off of his face. There was nothing he could say to nitpick on him. Even he could tell that Iron¡¯s movements were perfect. On top of that, his mana efficiency was iparably high despite the bluish light from the mana covering his body being light and a bit faint.


    ¡°The soldiers trusted you and followed you so I was looking forward to your show of skill but it seems like you¡¯re not that big of a deal, huh? You¡¯ll be an executive like this?¡±


    After leaving these words, Iron waved to the soldiers that were carrying the supplies from afar.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard even though it¡¯s still early in the morning.¡±


    Iron greeted Jack, who was leading the soldiers carrying the supplies.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. But¡­ Did you remove all of the snow already?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the sergeant and the corporals¡¯ hard work, everything ended quickly.¡±


    Iron smiled broadly as he stared at the sergeant.


    ¡°It must have been hard on everyone, but please continue working and help with carrying the supplies.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The privates and the private first sses, those who haven¡¯t eaten much jjambap, stepped up and helped carry the supply boxes upon hearing Iron¡¯s orders. Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers together with Sergeant Sean and the corporals worked their way around the outpost with their brooms and cleared the snow under Iron¡¯s cold re.


    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t know when this snow will stop.¡±


    Iron¡¯s brows furrowed deeply as the snow continued to pile up.


    Even though they had swept the road diligently, snow still continued to cover and pile up on top of it once again.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about this, right? Let¡¯s stop for now and work on itter once the snow stops falling.¡±


    ¡°<i>Sigh¡­ </i>We can¡¯t do it today since the snow is falling.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron smiled wickedly when Jack asked him nkly.


    ¡°I did my own research yesterday after hearing Sergeant Sean¡¯s suggestion. It seems like the guard posts are in a mess. So I¡¯m thinking of reinforcing and strengthening all of the guard posts.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    Iron deliberately increased the volume of his words.


    He smiled wickedly as he nced at Sean. He was currently openly informing the soldiers within hearing range that the iing hell that they would experience all began because of Sergeant Sean¡¯s suggestions.


    Sean¡¯s expression immediately distorted when he heard this. He stared down on the ground not daring to look at Iron at all. However, Iron was sure that Sean was cursing him under his breath.


    ¡°Well¡­ The guard posts are dangerous so we can¡¯t bring the privates and the private first sses along. Especially in this horrible weather, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m only going to take the sergeant and the corporals. The 8th guard post is in too much of a mess, so I think we¡¯ll have to work there for about two days. We¡¯ll take care of our own meals and amodations there. But there are a lot of monsters so we have to go in our full military gear.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, the corporals¡¯ expressions began to distort one by one. They nced at the downcast Sergeant Sean as they began to murmur to each other.


    ¡®There is no better stratagem than <i>sowing discord</i> among your adversaries¡¯ group. You will probably spend the rest of your military life being picked on by others.¡¯


    Iron smiled as this thought shed through his head.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Sowing Discord] ¨C this is the 33rd strategy from the 36 stratagems used in politics, wars, and civil interactions. It came from a CN essay.

 Chapter 40 Unraveling the Thread (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(40)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>13 </i></b><i>Unraveling the Thread (3)</i>


    After the trash, no¡­ the snow that piled up from dawn had been cleaned up, the atmosphere surrounding the outpost had fallen down to the depths of the abyss.


    The corporals thought that they would only be asked to clear up the snow but now they were being told that they had to do more work in the near future. Once they heard that they would be reinforcing and strengthening the guard posts, their expressions distorted one by one. And since the expressions of the corporals were gloomy, the atmosphere surrounding the privates and the private first sses had also started to change for the worse.


    Sergeant Sean even added to the tense atmosphere as he turned the dormitory in a mess. As soon as the soldiers returned to their dormitories, Sergeant Sean went hysterical. He looked like he turned into a rabid dog. The privates avoided him and stood to the sides in cold sweat while the private first sses tactfully cleaned up the things that Sean threw out.


    Normally, the corporals would turn obedient as they tried to stop him, calm him or praise him to the heavens. But no corporals could be seen this time. They went somewhere to avoid Sean chewing them hard.


    ¡®Are you going to leave Sergeant Sean¡¯s line? He¡¯s clearly being targeted by the outpost leader.¡¯


    Talks like that began to spread from the morning. If Sergeant Sean did not have any backing, he would have already been beaten and bullied by the rest of the toon.


    ¡°<i>Ah.</i> I think the food tastes extremely good today?¡±


    ¡°I think so too?¡±


    Iron was currently eating with the vice outpost leader. Today, both of them felt like the meals that they were eating were extremely fragrant.


    The soldiers came in the mess hallte. Each and every single one of them looked like they ate shit as they sat down to eat their food.


    ¡°Sergeant Sean?¡±


    ¡°He said he did not have an appetite.¡±


    Iron red at the corporal when he heard his words.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing whatever he wants and not eating without my permission?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Bring the bastard over.¡±


    The corporal immediately realized that Sergeant Sean was screwed when he saw Iron¡¯s re. He immediately ran to fetch Sean else he became the target of the outpost leader. After a while, Sergeant Sean came into the mess hall with trepidation clear on his face.


    ¡°Sergeant Sean.¡±


    ¡°Sergeant, Sean Wicks!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re tired?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    ¡°So, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    Sean¡¯s expression was servile and obedient when he answered Iron.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ My body is not feeling well¡­¡±


    ¡°But you were quite energetic earlier, were you not?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. I think I caught a cold.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, I¡¯ll report that.¡±


    Iron¡¯s tone was amiable. However, the more friendly Iron¡¯s tone became, the more nervous Sean became. He was wondering if something wrong would happen to him.


    ¡°Your cold¡­ It will get better in around two or three days, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°I have some dried lemon in my room, right? Let¡¯s have you drink that. Rest for three days so we can work once the snow stops falling.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    Sergeant Sean¡¯s expression remained gloomy while Iron¡¯s expression turned happy and refreshed. Iron sat back down as Sean went back to the dormitory.


    The corporals who saw this scene became gloomier. Today marked the day when they ate the most ufortable meal in their lives. All of them felt frustrated. They finally realized that none of them could escape from the work that was already nned for them in the near future.


    Iron enjoyed a delicious meal after giving the sergeant and the corporals a sufficient and fair warning. Then, he returned to his office.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you sleptst night, why don¡¯t you go and get some rest?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m on duty today so the vice outpost leader should be the one to take a rest.¡±


    Before the vice outpost leader could retort, Iron had already pushed him out of his office and closed the door. Making sure that he wouldn¡¯t force him to rest while he rested instead.


    Once he was all alone, Iron walked towards a small bookshelf and pushed it to the side. A wooden board filled with papers appeared into view as soon as the shelf was pushed away.


    Iron was lost in thought as he stared at these papers.


    The board was filled with pieces of information that were vital to him at this point in time. On the left side of the board were papers with information about the monster wave while on the right were information about the divine beast. These were all information rted to his mission as a Ghost. Meanwhile, the center of the board was filled with information and missions rted to his special search unit. There was also information about the two captains that were at odds with each other as well as problems rted to the outpost.


    Looking at the missions from his two units, he could see that there weren¡¯t that many difficult missions unlike his missions from Ghost. However, since this ce was the special search unit and not the regr search unit, there were still a variety of missions that came in.


    One of the missions given to him in the special search unit was searching and investigating the Winter Mountains. If his mission as a Ghost was to find the rtionship between the monster wave and the divine beast, then his mission as a part of the special search unit was to investigate and detect the monsters¡¯ and the problems rted to them early on. So their main mission in this ce was to search and investigate the areas in the Winter Mountains that surrounded the guard posts under hismand.


    If one was assigned to the special search unit, they would find that they weren¡¯t given any training period. Instead of this, they would be asked to roll around andplete various missions. So during the army¡¯s training season, their unit would be given plenty of special missions to hone their strength and know-hows.


    ¡°We have a lot to do.¡±


    Seeing that his missions ovepped, Iron realized that he wouldn¡¯t need to do his mission as a Ghost alone. As long as he could tie it up well together, he could probably be able to do his mission as a Ghost while doing the special search unit¡¯s missions. This would improve his efficiency inpleting the missions and would help lessen the time it took for him to finish them all. And since the mission season would be arriving in 2~3 months, he thought that he could also use the excuse of doing missions to roll his soldiers hard. There were several missions that they could do including toon missions,pany missions and battalion missions. This meant that he had plenty of ways to roll his soldiers hard.


    They had as much as 10 missions allotted to them per year under the easiest missions, the toon missions. In addition, they were only allowed to do these missions during the season so the whens, wheres and hows were all left under the sole discretion of the outpost leader. In other words, everything was up to Iron. Whether they would do all the missions at once or just do it roughly and pass it on to others, all of it was under his jurisdiction. And Iron had no intention of passing any of the missions to others at all.


    ¡°I also want to live afortable military life but¡­¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply after mumbling those words to himself.


    He had served in the modern military and had also participated in hundreds ofrge-scale battles as amander in his previous life so he wanted to at least live afortable life this time. However, if he did that in his ce then he was sure that his life would definitely be miserable. And since the soldiers under him tried to climb over his head he wanted to show them that he was not an easy prey. So, he would beat their arrogance down and watch them rolling hard in relish.


    Iron continued to ponder as he stared at all of the information that he had gathered. He sighed deeply before returning the bookshelf back to where it was.


    On that very day, Sergeant Sean was reported as someone who tried to get out of work under the pretext of being sick.


    When he said that he would report that Sergeant Sean had a cold, the corporals thought that the outpost leader would use that as an excuse to call for him and reprimand him harshly. However, Iron did not do that. He did not touch him at all during the duration of his so-called sickness. It seemed like he was telling him to rest up while he still could. Anyway, it did not matter to Iron whether they got rxed during this time or not. Once they worked with him, they would realize that they wouldn¡¯t have any time left to rest.


    And although they weren¡¯t aware of it yet, things wouldn¡¯t end with just the repair works. The army was a ce where there were a lot of things to do. Iron thought that he should take Sean Wicks and these corporals to roll harder under the pretext of doing missions after he finished rolling them hard with work.


    ¡°Come to think of it, doing this will further reduce my training time.¡±


    He had long set the path for the 4th Stage but he was still yet to make a lot of progress. But since his training time was currently much less than the training time before he graduated so his growth was extremely slow. He felt that it was a pity however there was no helping it since doing these things were also extremely important.


    ¡°Ariel is still growing, right? I don¡¯t know if Cardro will catch up to me soon either.¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself before shaking his head and staring at the document in front of him.


    There was a lot of fake information written on the document so everything was a mess. However, he could easily see the difference afterparing some of the documents together. When he finished looking through it, he could see that the things that they had done wrong had umted and had be enormous.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to be the devil but¡­¡±


    In modern times, his life¡¯s motto was to live properly. He was also able to get discharged from the military safely after following this motto. But when he came here, he felt like he would be the perfect target to get killed if he continued to live like that. So, he had to roll hard to live a bit longer.


    Besides, this was the military. This was a ce where rolling around alone did not make any sense. So, he would drag around his soldiers to roll around with him too. After all, he was amissioned officer, and amissioned officer would only be able to survive if he rolled his subordinates around. However instead of just rolling them perfunctorily, he nned on rolling them even harder to make sure that those who had been ticking himself off from the very beginning would receive proper education.


    Iron quickly made up his mind and waited for the day that they would go to work.


    Finally, Sergeant Sean had recovered from his cold and the weather had turned sunny.


    ¡°Are all of you here?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The sergeant and corporals answered Iron firmly. All of them were wearing and carrying theirplete military gear as well as all of the necessary items that they needed for work. However, although the things that they carried looked a bit heavy, it was still an easy burden for them since their bodies had mana and they were extremely healthy.


    Compared to their heavy and fully loaded gear, the things that Iron brought looked a lot simpler. He had also packed a portable tent, enough rations and the weapons that he would use. But the things that he carried looked extremely light whenpared to what the soldiers brought.


    ¡°Shall we go then?¡±


    ¡°Where will we be going first?¡±


    ¡°We will start with the first outpost.¡±


    Iron left those words and walked forward. The soldiers followed suit and began to climb the Winter Mountains with their luggage.


    The faces of the corporals and Sergeant Sean began to distort and harden the more guard posts they passed by. And the corporals¡¯ints about Sergeant Sean began to pile up.


    They knew that all of the things that they were experiencing right now were because of Sergeant Sean. None of them said anything to him but they all thought that they should keep a certain distance from Sergeant Sean. After all, nothing good woulde out of associating with someone who was being targeted by the outpost leader.


    All of the soldiers present thought that he would immediately touch him as soon as they started. But contrary to their thoughts, Iron did not act hastily.


    Iron was still wary of Sean¡¯s backings. Marquess Maldini¡¯s indirect line as well as Captain Paulo were both very dangerous people. Captain Paulo acted openly in the Northeast to the point that he was willing to break the custom of not revealing their family.


    Iron did not know how far he would go for Sean but it wouldn¡¯t hurt if he became more careful.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t making a move, the corporals just continued toin deep inside while they watched the situation. However, their anger couldn¡¯t be quenched that easily so they nned to rebel the moment he made his move.


    Meanwhile, Sean was also busy grinding his teeth as he thought of ways to bring down the young outpost leader. It had already been a long time since he abandoned the idea of bringing the outpost leader to his own line so it did not matter to him what method he would use to deal with the boy. His head was currently filled with thoughts about how he would curry favor with Sergeant First ss Maldini to drop the young outpost leader to the abyss.


    The sergeant and corporals¡¯ heads were all filled with different thoughts as they followed Iron.


    Then, Iron stopped walking.


    ¡°We will start from here.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Sergeant Sean asked foolishly when he heard Iron¡¯s words. Iron just smiled as he answered him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Sergeant suggest this? You said that the stairs are dangerous because it¡¯s frozen. So, we will start by breaking them.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Start.¡±


    Brian, one of the corporals who had eaten less jjambap than the rest, ced his bag down after hearing Iron¡¯s orders. Iron grinned when he saw him do this.


    ¡°What are the rest of you doing? You¡¯re not going to do it together? <i>Ah. </i>Is it because the amount of work is too small? Don¡¯t worry. Can you see that?¡±


    ¡°¡­All the way over there¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You have to do them all. So, leave your bags here and grab your pickaxes.¡±


    The expressions of all the corporals changed once again when they heard Iron¡¯s cheerful words.


    Everyone was grumbling deep inside. But theirints were all directed to Sergeant Sean and not to Iron, their young outpost leader. After all, this was something that Sean had suggested in the first ce.


    <i>Making such a suggestion and giving us more work like this.</i>


    However, there was another reason why theirints about Sean were increasing. This was because Sean, the one who suggested this tiring work, was the one who was working the slowest among them.


    They knew that Sean was trying to do it in moderation while he read the atmosphere. After all, the corporals also had eyes. But they still couldn¡¯t speak up because they were afraid of his backings.


    This time, Iron spoke up. His words directly expressed the feelings that the corporals were keeping deep in their hearts. They were like a refreshing cider to their irritated hearts.


    ¡°Sean, what are you doing? You should take the lead. Go to the first guard post. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re the one who will do the best since you have eaten the most jjambap, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good! Then, move quickly!¡±


    Sean answered Iron¡¯s words half-heartedly as he walked towards the first guard post.


    Seeing that he was finally moving properly, Iron also began to work as he directed the corporals.


    ¡®The first move to untangle the thread has started¡­ I wonder how those highborn bastards would react once they heard the news?¡¯


    This thought shed through Iron¡¯s head as his expectations on how the threads would be untangled increased.


    He had already thought of all the countermeasures so he was confident that he would be able to respond properly especially if the outpost next to them tried to find mistakes with him. Sergeant Sean might have a hard time during the process. But Iron believed that he needed to be rolled harder. After all, he had been licking honey for a long time so it was high time that he paid for that luxury.


    ¡°Very well! Let¡¯s all work hard for our sessors!¡±


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Highborn bastards] ?? ¨C Yangban, literally means nobleman, gentleman. It¡¯s a derogatory term they use to call noblemen from what I saw so I will use highborn bastards as the TL for this.


    <b><i>TL¡¯s corner!</i></b>


    I sawments about recing jjambap. And no. I won¡¯t do that. I had exined this before. It¡¯s a ng that I did not want to get lost in trantion. Yes, I can use experience/inexperience but it wouldn¡¯t sound alright to directly trante it like that and leave it lost in trantion. Besides, it doesn¡¯t mean just experience or inexperience. It¡¯s a form of respect for thenguage. Besides, I have already exined the meaning so I¡¯m pretty sure all of you would know the meaning by now. If not, please refer to Chapter 12: Jjambap Doesn¡¯t Go Anywhere (1) and read the <i>Notes </i>to know of its meaning.

 Chapter 41 The Winter Mountains Working Environment is Special (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(41)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>14 </i></b><i>The Winter Mountains¡¯ Working Environment is Special (1)</i>


    The corporals felt that they had received enough validation and encouragement after Iron reprimanded Sean in their stead. Because of this, they all diligently started to break the ice and carry out the repair works.


    To be honest, the 1st guard post did not really need to be repaired that much since it was a guard post that was located near a critical guard post. This meant that the area was rtively safepared to the other guard posts. Some even viewed this guard post as a ce where they could rest at before continuing on to the next guard post.


    However, despite knowing this fact, Iron still made them repair the 1st guard post perfectly. The first reason was because this ce was the easiest ce to repair. After all, it was easy to carry supplies and materials to this ce which made it easier for them to repair the guard post. The other reason was because this was a ce that they usually supervised whenever superiors came to check on the outpost. The higher-ups would often check the 1st~3rd guard post and assess the situation in the outpost through this. And since Iron was also a human being he was not rid of the desire to be seen in a good light by his superiors.


    Because of those reasons, the 1st guard post was perfectly andpletely repaired. They even gone beyond and added some devices and instruments for additional protection before moving on to the 2nd guard post.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Tired?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    Iron asked Sergeant Sean. He looked like he was exhausted since he had been breaking the ice with all his might but he still shook his head firmly to answer Iron.


    Sean was not some soft tofu. If Iron was ying around while targeting him, he would definitely blow the matter up. However, he couldn¡¯tin at all since the boy was also working hard to break the ice with them. So all he could do was endure and work hard.


    Despite working the entire morning, the distance that they had covered was only barely half of the total distance to the 2nd guard post. In fact, this speed of working was actually understandable. Since they had been breaking the ice and doing the needed repair along the way, their speed had been impacted tremendously.


    The work that they had been doing was exhausting and hard. For normal people they should have taken several breaks in between but they did not do so. Fortunately, their bodies were strengthened from their mana awakening so they could push through, if it weren¡¯t for that then they would have definitely fallen from exhaustion.


    ¡°Out¡­ Outpost leader.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have to save some of our energy? If a monsteres then¡­¡±


    ¡°In here? Hey, I know that it¡¯s safe until the 3rd guard post. Are you telling me this because you feel tired?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    Sean immediately shook his head and answered loudly after seeing Iron¡¯s re.


    ¡°Then, we don¡¯t need to rest. Break the ice diligently. We have to arrive at the 2nd guard post before meal time.¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡±


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s nice to see you acting so disciplined.¡±


    Iron smiled broadly when he saw Sean breaking the ice diligently. He was so diligent and disciplined that one would think that he was a new private that had just joined the army.


    This oue was actually not that surprising. After the soldiers had seen Iron step up and kill a giant snow rabbit that wandered in front of them, they had be meek and disciplined.


    Iron was fast and efficient when he dealt with the giant snow rabbit. He also made sure to show his strength and prestige to the soldiers, especially to Sean, as he blew the limbs of the giant snow rabbit off before stabbing it on the neck and skinning it right on the spot. Sean and the soldiers were intimidated by his actions to the point that their attitudes had turned an immediate 180. Right now, they were acting theplete opposite of their attitudes from the beginning.


    In fact, all of them were just speaking objectively when they said that the path until the 3rd guard post was safe. This ce was the Winter Mountains and no path was truly safe enough. Monsters would continue to appear. As if to prove this, a giant snow rabbit suddenly appeared in front of them again.


    The corporals started to worry about their safety when it suddenly appeared in front of them but Iron easily dealt with it. He dealt with it as easily as he dealt with the one from before. This time, he was using the pickaxe as his weapon.


    <i>Crack! Crack! Crack!</i>


    <i>¨DKiwooo¡­</i>


    Fear started to color the faces of the corporals that watched Iron poke holes through the giant snow rabbit¡¯s body.


    They had finally realized something after being witness to these two events.


    ¡®Our outpost leader is beyond the category of a normal human being.¡¯


    Even the gaze that he used to look at Sean while he killed the giant snow rabbit was creepy and scary.


    ¡°Shall we have rabbit meat today?¡±


    All of the people present forced themselves tough as they watched Iron talk like that while staring at the poisonous monster corpse. They could neutralize the poison with mana but monster meat was something that they wouldn¡¯t want to eat if they had food so they thought that Iron was just humoring them. So, the soldiers forced themselves tough at his dry humor.


    ¡°<i>Tchaap.</i>¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but smack his lips in disappointment when he saw the soldiers take his words as a joke. He was dead serious about his question but none of them thought so. He felt that it was a pity that the soldiers in front of him did not know what kind of a delicacy monster meat was. It was a high ss delicacy that could never be imitated by any other meat as long as it was cooked properly.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to properly cook some monster meat and feed it to them in the near future.¡¯


    Iron called for Charles when this thought shed by his head.


    ¡°Charles.¡±


    ¡°Corporal Charles!¡±


    ¡°Go down and take this corpse as well as the corpse of the one that I took care of earlier. Tell them to take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The rest of the group looked at Charles in envy when they heard Iron¡¯s orders.


    ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to continue working?¡±


    Iron red at his soldiers that were staring at him in a daze as he walked forward with his pickaxe.


    ¡°There¡¯s somethinging.¡±


    Iron suddenly stopped in his tracks. He suddenly felt that something was watching him from afar.


    Iron only instinctively felt a searching gaze so he turned to look over the snow-covered hills from afar. However, the gaze and energy that spied on him immediately disappeared when he turned to look at its general direction. It seemed like it had felt his gaze and retreated in advance.


    Iron had quickly gathered and concentrated his mana on his eyes but he still failed to follow its tracks. It had disappeared without leaving any tracks at all. He was wondering if it was because it was extremely far from him so he couldn¡¯t find any tracks. Despite failing to uncover its tracks, Iron was still sure of one thing. The being that spied on him was extremely unusual.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Iron quietly mumbled to himself as he raised the mana in his body. He was preparing for whatever mighte at him from the shadows.


    It would be dangerous if an assassin came and attacked him since his owl was currently asleep. If an assassination happened, then he would not have any trump card that would save him from death. It would have been alright if he had reached the 4th Stage but it was something that he has yet to achieve.


    Right now, the only thing that he could do was to increase his awareness and buy as much time as possible to ensure his and his subordinates¡¯ safety.


    ¡°Is it a monster? An assassin? Or a person from the otherpany?¡±


    Nothing good would happen if the other party was hostile to them.


    However, no matter how hard he tried to search he couldn¡¯t track the presence at all. He couldn¡¯t even sense its form.


    It would have been easy for him to gauge his survival if he could sense the other party¡¯s form. But the problem was that there was nothing at all.


    However, the strange feeling that he got from the vicinity kept on bothering Iron.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting annoyed.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown at the strange ticklish energy that asionally flickered and pricked the back of his neck.


    When Iron kept on looking at one ce with a frown, the soldiers next to him also started to frown.


    ¡°Did you find something, sir?¡±


    Iron slowly straightened the frown on his forehead as he answered Sean Wicks.


    ¡°Something has been staring at us. I don¡¯t know who or what it is but¡­ considering that it¡¯s watching us from that distance then its talents must be considerable, right?¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ expressions darkened after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Where did you see it, sir?¡±


    Iron pointed to the ce where hest felt the gaze in answer to Sean¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡°Me either¡­¡±


    Iron just nodded his head when everyone said that they did not see anything. He looked as if he did not expect anything from them. He clearly knew that it would be difficult for the soldiers to see something at that distance since he himself could not see something.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a monster¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stop working?¡±


    Sean trembled as he spoke to Iron. Everyone was risking themselves but they believed that they should at least be prepared. After all, their lives were extremely precious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop working for now. And, Corporal Brian?¡±


    ¡°Corporal! Brian.¡±


    Corporal Brian immediately answered Iron¡¯s call and stood at attention.


    ¡°Go to the 8th guard post and gather all of the troops working there. Once you have gathered everyone, go to the 3rd guard post. The rest of you, gather at the 3rd guard post, finish the repair work and wait there. Sergeant Sean.¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Sean Wicks!¡±


    ¡°Themand of the 3rd guard post will be temporarily handed over to you until Ie back. In case of an emergency, you can lead the gathered troops. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Sean saluted and epted Iron¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Arm yourselves to the fullest and wait on standby. If the situation turns for the worse, do you know how to act?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Iron nodded and immediately flew down.


    The sergeant and the other corporals trembled when they saw him disappear from their sights in an instant.


    ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s probably a lot stronger than what we thought?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already seen it, haven¡¯t you? He has probably reached the peak of the 3rd Stage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That level of mana maniption is something that the sergeant can¡¯t deal with.¡±


    With the sergeant asparison, the corporals tried to estimate Iron¡¯s level from the disy that he had shown them earlier.


    Sean also nodded in agreement. He had finally realized that Iron was a person that one couldn¡¯t ovee andpare with. If he had crossed the line just a bit further, he was sure that Iron would have already dealt with him using his own hand. If that happened, then hell would definitely wee him until the day of his discharge.


    He felt fortunate that he had realized this now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s first gather the kids and do what the outpost leader has ordered. We¡¯ll get tired if he picks on us for no reason at all.¡±


    The corporals moved as they answered Sean¡¯s words with agreement. However, they still grumbled whenever Sean was not looking. In the first ce, all of this happened because of Sergeant Sean¡¯s suggestions. If they had lived in moderation from the moment the outpost leader arrived, they would not have experienced something like this. When they looked back at the outpost leader¡¯s behavior when he first arrived here, they realized that he was a reasonable person.


    So, the corporals kept onining about Sergeant Sean. And Sergeant Sean just desperately hoped that Sergeant First ss Maldini would be able to do something about his wrong judgement since he was his backer.


    While the corporals and Sergeant Sean were busy fulfilling Iron¡¯s orders all the while buried deep in their thoughts, Iron had already gone down to the outpost and gathered the troops.


    ¡°Everyone! Stop whatever you¡¯re doing and gather at the 3rd guard post in full gear.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I saw something suspicious.¡±


    The expression of the vice outpost leader turned serious when he heard Iron¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Is it a monster?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. The moment I tried to find out more, it disappeared.¡±


    The vice outpost leader¡¯s expression turned gloomier. If the strongest in their outpost failed to grasp the opponent¡¯s tail then it meant that it was something dangerous. At the very least, he was sure that him and the other soldiers would not be able topete and fight against it.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Vice outpost leader, please report this to thepanymander right away.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if the outpost leader went there personally?¡±


    Iron firmly shook his head when he heard Jack¡¯s question.


    ¡°I have to stay and lead the soldiers to investigate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°If it was going to attack, then it would have attacked us right away. Don¡¯t worry, we will just go up to the guard posts and investigate the vicinity. We still have to finish all of the constructions that have been put off for a long time too.¡±


    All the vice outpost leader could do was nod in agreement when he saw Iron smiling at him like that. He looked like he had given up dissuading Iron. He knew that nothing woulde out of it even if all of his saliva dried out.


    ¡° I understand. Please be careful.¡±


    After getting his agreement, Iron immediately gathered the soldiers in the outpost and led them to the 3rd guard post.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Iron immediately looked up when he heard a loud explosion.


    It seemed like the sound came from the direction of the 3rd guard post. However, he couldn¡¯t see the situation since the 2nd guard post covered his sight. But the intermittent explosions that rang in their ears were telling him that the situation up there was extremely dangerous.


    Then, the emergency bell from the 3rd guard post rang loudly.


    Now, he was sure that the men that he left there were now engaged in battle. Iron hurriedly looked behind him.


    ¡°Corporal Charles.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go up first. Lead the troops and join us as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron headed for the 3rd guard post right after Corporal Charles¡¯ agreement.


    His speed was so fast that he was able to see the battle in just a few jumps. Even the gunshots that rang faintly just earlier were now ringing loudly in his ears.


    ¡°Giant snow rabbits? But why are there a lot?¡±


    From his position, he could easily identify the monsters that his men were currently battling against. He knew that their level was not that dangerous. However, the problem was that there were a lot of them.


    Iron hurriedly jumped forward. He bypassed several sets of stairs beforending near the vicinity of the 3rd guard post.


    As soon as he stabilized his footing, he immediately took out his gun and fired at the monsters. His top priority was to draw away some of the monsters that were attacking the 3rd guard post away from them and towards himself.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Iron fired his gun.


    Just like a signal, his first shot was followed by several gunshots. The gunshots came from above the 3rd guard post.


    Fortunately, the soldiers that Corporal Brian had gathered from the 8th guard post hade down and began to help the soldiers at the 3rd guard post.


    Gunshots continued to ring as they started their battle against the giant snow rabbits.


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Rank + Name when greeting or answering Iron] ¨C Just like Loyalty! It was a form of greeting to their superior. If you have watched D.P. you would be able to see this form of greeting in the military. This is like another version of Loyalty.

 Chapter 42 The Winter Mountains Working Environment is Special (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(42)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>14 </i></b><i>The Winter Mountains¡¯ Working Environment is Special (2)</i>


    The giant snow rabbits started to get flustered as they tried to evade the bullets that were raining on them from all sides.


    Iron took advantage of this gap. He quickly rushed forward to the 3rd guard post to check on his men. He felt relieved when he saw that there were no casualties among his men.


    Perhaps this lucky oue was because the battle had just started but he knew that the situation would have been dire if he waster by just a second. He saw that the giant snow rabbits were rushing in quickly and with the skills of his men, they would have definitely been overwhelmed by their numbers if he and the troops from above did not arrive in time.


    <i>Ppiiiiiiiiii¨D</i>


    Iron quickly stepped foot on the 3rd guard post. His gun never stopped firing amidst the continuous loud ringing of the emergency horn. He kept on firing to help the others who were desperately fighting against the snow rabbits.


    However, their bullets and bullet reserves started to get exhausted. Even the bullets that Iron had with him were disappearing quickly.


    ¡°Everyone! Prepare for closebat!¡±


    The corporals quickly wielded their swords and spears after hearing Iron¡¯s shouts.


    All of the weapons that they carried had been processed with mana so they were weapons that could kill the monsters a bit easierpared to just firing magic bullets. Although the magic bullets were useful in battle for their long range, they were not efficient in terms of killing monsters. Magic bullets did not have enough prative power to dig through the monsters¡¯ thick skin and mana strengthened bodies. Because of this, they were harder to use during battles like this. The giant snow rabbits were a prime example of this. Despite being hit by countless magic bullets, they were still able to jump up and run around to cause havoc. Because of this, rifles were only often used to keep the monsters in check.


    ¡°Private first sses, keep the giant snow rabbits in check with your rifles and make sure that they don¡¯t get too close!¡±


    Iron shouted loudly over the chaotic sounds of battle. The private first sses and the corporals understood what he wanted to do. They cocked their rifles up and immediately fired to block the snow rabbits froming too close to the guard post.


    Iron nodded his head when he saw that the soldiers immediately created a defensive circle around the guard post. He smiled in satisfaction when he saw Sean fighting fiercely and preventing casualties among their ranks. Perhaps, it was because Sean had been working hard so there were no casualties in their ranks.


    Seeing that his men were fighting well, Iron lifted his sword as he pumped mana into his legs.


    <i>Dash!</i>


    Iron lightly kicked the ground as he dashed in front of a giant snow rabbit. He swung his sword down as soon as he approached a target. When his blue mana tainted sword fell down, the giant snow rabbit¡¯s neck fell down together with it.


    When he saw the scene of the giant snow rabbit dying with just one blow from Iron, Sergeant Sean¡¯s pupil couldn¡¯t help but tremble wildly. However, he quickly gathered his senses together. He was still in the middle of a fight so he turned and fought against the giant snow rabbit in front of him.


    ¨D<i>Kyuung!</i>


    Even if the giant snow rabbit¡¯sbat effectiveness had been lowered from the raining magic bullets, it was impossible to kill such a huge monster with just a single blow. This could only be possible if the person who did this had enough skills.


    The giant snow rabbits had realized this fact. So to deal with Iron, the biggest one among them, the one that looked like it was the leader of the herd, stepped forward. The giant snow rabbit leader gathered strength on its huge hind legs and jumped towards Iron with overwhelming momentum. Seeing this scene, Iron immediately concentrated the mana on his sword.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Gravity¡¯s pull on its tremendous body increased the downward momentum of the giant snow rabbits. Its sharp ws gleamed brightly under the light. However, Iron was still able to receive its attack. His sword and its ws collided loudly in the air.


    Shock waves burst forth from the point of collision between the young boy and the giant snow rabbit that was several timesrger than any ordinary human being.


    Based onmon sense, the young boy should already be bloody after receiving the impact and being thrown away from the shockwave. However, the result was theplete opposite. Iron¡¯s sword, which was made up of hispressed mana, not only blocked the giant snow rabbit¡¯s attack, it even cut off its sharp ws.


    The giant snow rabbit leader tried to pull away from Iron but it was already toote. Iron continued to dig through its gaps. He did not let up as if he was telling everyone around him that he would not let go of his prey once he already had it in his grasp.


    In fact, snow rabbits were clever monsters. The leader thought that Iron¡¯s sword was just a regr sword that was infused with mana. It did not expect that the sword of the young boy that fought against it was stronger and sharper than any of the other swords that it fought against before. Seeing this, all the giant snow rabbit could do was to try and pull away from Iron¡¯s ensnarement.


    ¡®The steel sword is sturdy and firm but this is quite a big surprise.¡¯


    Simply put, the steel sword was actually just a sword that had manapressed to the limit. Iron was able to create an extreme mana sword by continuing topress his mana into his sword. However, if one had just seen his sword for the first time, they would probably mistake it for a regr mana infused sword. There would also be cases where his opponents would fail to see through his sword and just assume that it was a simple sword. Just like the case right now where his sword was mistaken as a simple mana sword.


    ¨D<i>Kyu¡­ kyukyuung!</i>


    The giant snow rabbit leader was flustered. It kept on swinging its huge front foot to attack Iron but Iron easily evaded all of its attacks. He was even able to aim for the rabbit¡¯s injured foot.


    The giant snow rabbit felt annoyed when it saw that Iron was moving around nimbly with his small body, easily evading his attacks and attacking its body with his sword. The snow rabbit thought that Iron was like a small mouse scampering around and biting its body.


    However, Iron¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t as significant as a mouse¡¯s small bites. It was only then that the giant snow rabbit leader had realized that Iron¡¯s attacks werepletely iparable to the officers that it had dealt with before. Iron¡¯s mana sword was real and tangible.


    The giant snow rabbit was not a greenhorn in this area. It was a veteran that had lived and survived in the harsh Winter Mountains for quite a long time. It had even dealt with quite a few talented people during its stay here in the mountains. However, this was the first time that it had felt such a tremendous sense of death.


    The very first human that it had fought against was just a beginner. The human had only barely grasped the use of mana when it fought against him. Ever since then, it has fought with quite a lot of talented people. And the most dangerous among them was a human who had perfectly created a bluish mana sword, just like the small being in front of it right now.


    However, that human¡¯s sword did not have the sharpness that Iron¡¯s sword had. It tried to avoid the stinging sharp sword that dug into its skin and bones in every strike but Iron was not a magnanimous person. No matter what the snow rabbit did, Iron did not let up.


    ¨D<i>Kyung!</i>


    The sly and clever rabbit pretended to be flustered as it stepped back. Then, it immediatelyunched an attack against Iron.


    However, Iron¡¯s jjambap did not go anywhere. He could easily deal with the giant snow rabbit¡¯s surprise attack head on. Iron even took this chance to cut off the injured legpletely. With its injured leg cut off, the snow rabbit staggered. This pause gave Iron the chance to sh its neck off and remove its head from its body.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    After Iron cut off its head, the gigantic body of the snow rabbit fell down on the ground.


    Cold energy started to seep into Iron¡¯s sword as soon as the numerous transparent windows appeared in front of Iron.


    Thanks to the title effects, the cold energy that was escaping the giant snow rabbit¡¯s body also started to seep through Iron¡¯s body and sword. It wasn¡¯t that long before his sword started emitting the same cold energy.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Cold attribute mana¡­¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself before staring at the giant snow rabbits that stared at him wide-eyed.


    He smiled broadly at the snow rabbits. The snow rabbits, that were difficult enemies earlier, had now be easy prey.


    The soldiers began to shake and tremble on their ces when they saw Iron smiling broadly as he started his crazy ughter. They had been shocked when they saw him deal with the giant snow rabbit earlier but now they were trembling as they fought against their opponents. The soldiers couldn¡¯t help but feel fear as they watched Iron smile while ughtering the monsters in front of him.


    However, despite his frightening figure, the soldiers felt infinitely relieved that he was on their side. This meant that they would remain safe as long as they stayed on the same side as Iron. Despite his slight mental problem(?), his fearsome strength in battle meant that he was someone worth trusting and following.


    Because of this, the morale of the soldiers started to rise. Ignoring the fact that their fear against their direct superior was increasing, just the fact that they were winning against their enemies had boosted the soldiers¡¯ morale. They even valiantly rushed forward and fought against the remaining giant snow rabbits.


    On the other hand, the giant snow rabbits had lost their leader and experienced a gradual copse in morale. The remaining ones quickly ran away under the sacrifice of most of their colleagues.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>That¡¯s pretty good?¡±


    Iron smiled widely when he saw that he had umted quite a bit of cold attribute mana from his one-sided ughter. He felt pleased when he finally received a satisfactory title after a long time.


    However, the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but flinch when they saw Iron¡¯s pleasant smile as he made his way to the 3rd guard post. Their bodies reacted automatically when Iron, who acted like a crazy man earlier, approached them.


    ¡°Everyone worked hard. Except for those who will stand on guard in the 3rd guard post, everyone can now retreat and return.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of the troops that gathered in the 3rd guard post retreated after hearing Iron¡¯s orders.


    Iron led the troops back to the outpost with the injured being supported by their contemporaries.


    As soon as they arrived at the outpost, they saw several nonmissioned officers descending from drakes with thepanymander.


    ¡°Is the battle over?¡±


    Captain Franco, his direct superior, asked Iron anxiously.


    ¡°Lieutenant Iron Carter. The battle has ended safely. There were no casualties except for a few minor injuries here and there.¡±


    ¡°The monster?¡±


    ¡°They were giant snow rabbits. We did not encounter any big problems. Except for one of the snow rabbits. It led the herd and was quite tricky to deal with.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, Captain Franco asked him incredulously.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ was there a scar around the rabbit monster¡¯s eyes?¡±


    ¡°There was. Did you know the monster?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°The corpses are over there. You can check it out for yourself.¡±


    Captain Franco nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s words before heading with the officers to check the monster¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Crazy shit. This is really the Human Hunter.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ He hunted a named at that age?¡±


    ¡°This is shocking. Is the new outpost leader the rumored top graduate? Amazing.¡±


    ¡°Most definitely¡­ It makes sense if he¡¯s the top graduate but¡­ didn¡¯t the rumors say that his talents are crazy?¡±


    Captain Franco, the other outpost leaders and the nonmissioned officers looked at Iron after they had checked the corpses.


    ¡°Although there weren¡¯t any significant damages, there were still quite a lot of injuries. You should take a break from the mission for a while. The 5th and 6th outpost should stand on alert for a few days. 5th and 6th outpost leaders?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Just like that, it seemed like the 4th outpost was given a small break. But at that moment, Iron said something that no one had seening.


    ¡°Then, we will continue with the repair works.¡±


    ¡°Repair works?¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ expressions started to crumple and dete one by one when they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    It was already annoying that he was talking about repair works right after they had finished a battle. But despite their unwillingness, the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but explode deep inside when they heard Iron go against thepanymander¡¯s words as he insisted on continuing with the repair works.


    ¡°<i>Hmmm¡­ </i>Will it be alright? Your troops look a bit tired¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s enough for them to rest for today.¡±


    Captain Franco nodded at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Good. Tell me if you need anything and I¡¯ll support you in any way I can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°From what I heard, the outpost leader almost came toote. But there were no casualties?¡±


    Hearing thepanymander¡¯s words, Iron nced at Sergeant Sean unexpectedly.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s thanks to Sergeant Sean¡¯s goodmand. Theyid out bombs and kept the monsters in check with their rifles. Thanks to his good tactics, they were able to buy time until I got there.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah! </i>Is that so?¡±


    Thepanymander smiled when he heard Iron¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°It seems like he applied the tactics of a student that was active in the academy. He sessfully applied the tactics detailed by the top numbered student in the academy that had been spread to all the units in the Northeast. And it seemed to have worked effectively.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    When Captain Franco said this with a smile on his face, Iron just bowed awkwardly without giving him a proper answer. Captain Franco couldn¡¯t help butugh. He found Iron¡¯s current appearance to be interesting and funny as he patted him on the shoulder.

 Chapter 43 The Winter Mountains Working Environment is Special (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(43)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>14 </i></b><i>The Winter Mountains¡¯ Working Environment is Special (3)</i>


    When the other outpost leaders saw Captain Franco praising Iron for being a reliable subordinate, they immediately approached with broad smiles on their faces as they heaped on their own praises. It seemed like they did not want to get left behind in terms of praises. After all, the very firstmissioned officer that had been assigned to theirpany had done a superb job of hunting a named.


    Theirpany had been suffering for a long time since the neighboringpany had been pushing them back. So, a good thing like this happening in Captain Franco¡¯spany was bound to bring them happiness for a while. All of them couldn¡¯t stand still. They were all itching to go back and tell theirrades this happy fact. Even Captain Franco wanted to hurry back and annoy his so-called rival, Captain Paulo. So, Captain Franco quickly led his men away after leaving praises and a promise of a massive support whenever the young man needed help.


    ¡°Everyone worked hard today. Take a good rest today and prepare for tomorrow. Just so you know, the work will still be focused on the sergeant and corporals so the rest of you can still take a good rest and focus on the work assigned to you.¡±


    Iron dragged his exhausted body to the outpost leader¡¯s office as he told his subordinates to take a rest for today.


    Watching their outpost leader leave, the corporals and Sergeant Sean¡¯s faces began to twist. Especially the corporals. After seeing the battle at the 3rd guard post, they were now fully aware of their outpost leader¡¯s strength. This meant that they tried to go against someone that strong under the instigation of Sergeant Sean.


    However, after hearing that they still had to shoulder all the work after that exhausting battle, the eyes of the corporals started to turn brutal as they openly red at Sean. Sergeant Sean felt ufortable from their gazes but he couldn¡¯t even use his jjambap and backing to suppress them. After all, he was the one who brought this upon them.


    ¡®<i>Ha¡­ </i>Did I mess up?¡¯


    Sean was not able to contact Sergeant First ss Maldini ever since then. He was also being half-supervised by Captain Franco since he openly allowed the outpost leader to do whatever he wanted to him. If he so much as ced a toe out of line in this situation, then the outpost leader would take this chance topletely target him. If that happened, the kids below him would definitely ignore him instead of lending a helping hand.


    What was worse was the fact that he was already on the verge of being overtaken by Charles. Charles was the corporal who had stayed the longest in this outpostpared among all the other corporals. There was also the vice outpost leader. He knew that the vice outpost leader did not view him in a good light. Although he was currently ignoring him, he was sure that he would definitely grind him down and use his authority openly once he fell down to the bottom.


    However, despite all of those ring facts, Sergeant Sean still did not believe that the outpost leader would continue taking him to work. He knew that no matter how crazy the young outpost leader was, he wouldn¡¯t possibly have the authority to carry a single sergeant to do work. If that happened, then the othermissioned officers in the unit would ask him to do it in moderation while threatening him with military discipline.


    But Sergeant Sean¡¯s wishful thinking disappeared without a trace after a few days.


    ¡°<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing? Are you trying to take a break already?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, sir.¡±


    Sergeant Sean¡¯s slow movements returned to normal after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Iron smiled in satisfaction when he saw this. Then, he turned to the corporals that were working hard.


    ¡°The mission season ising up, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Charles answered Iron¡¯s question as he continued to shovel diligently. Then, Iron smiled as he cheerfully told them his ns.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bring in the maximum number of people that cane here. We¡¯re going to finish all of the work here as best as we could before the mission season starts.¡±


    Sergeant Sean and the corporals¡¯ faces brightened upon hearing his words. They thought that they could finally take things easy now. No, at the very least they thought that things would be over since they wouldn¡¯t be the only ones to suffer. Everyone¡¯s eyes started to bend in happiness at the thought that their bloody and hell-like working time would be reduced.


    Then, at that moment, Iron opened his mouth once again.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard working like this, right?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    All of the soldiers present answered loudly.


    ¡°I know everything. I know that it¡¯s hard since I¡¯m doing the work with you. So, I thought about things and came up with some things that you will like. The one who works the most diligently during this period will be taken out of the mission and will only do guard duty during the mission season.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ah¡­</i>¡±


    The sergeant and the corporals¡¯ eyes began to sparkle when they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°One corporal teams up with five privates and private first sses and takes turns, right? Well, it¡¯s the mission season so you don¡¯t have to work hard and just patrol and guard leisurely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The corners of Iron¡¯s mouth quirked when he saw the corporals answering right away.


    ¡°Everyone should work hard. Just so you know, the missions this time will be extremely difficult.¡±


    The corporals¡¯ eyes shook wildly as thoughts churned in their heads.


    They did not need to care about the sergeant above them since he was now fully suppressed by their outpost leader. With that thought in mind, each and every single one of them started shoveling faster. The thought of being able to escape the mission that was most likely more difficult than the work they were currently doing had fired up their determination. Their shovelling techniques were so brilliant that they looked like they were sergeants who had enough experience in the field.


    So, with the quick and urate shovelling and repair work that was as good as Sergeant Sean¡¯s skills, the messy and broken area started to get filled and be repaired. Iron nodded in satisfaction when all of this happened. After creating a goal for the sergeant and corporals, Iron brought in arge number of privates and private first sses to speed up their work progress.


    All of them were wearing full military gear while working to make sure that they would be prepared just in case a monster suddenly appeared in front of them. This condition added more burden to their extremely difficult work. However, despite the struggle and strain of their work, there was no dissatisfaction in the eyes of the corporals.


    Even Sergeant Sean was working hard together with them. If it was before, he would have definitely just done the bare minimum but he was not doing that right now. No one knew if it was because he was feeling a deep sense of crisis but nevertheless it was good for them. In fact, he was even showing a surprisingly fast speed of work right now. It seemed like he did not want to lose against the corporal so he was working hard and showing skills that he did not show before.


    Thanks to them working hard, the privates and the private first sses were able to workfortably. And their work was being done faster than ever.


    There was always a small event that started before the mission season. This event was for the privates.


    It was the final bastion for the tired, exhausted and bullied privates.


    In this event, amunication channel would be open to listen to the pleas andints of the tired and struggling soldiers.


    It was none other than the Sound of Heart season.


    Usually, the sergeant and corporals would be indifferent to this event. After all, they had lived together in the same ce for a long time and had already created a close bond with the executives. Since they were close with the executives, the executives would definitely sift through the soldiers¡¯ints and turn a blind eye to their excessive movements.


    However, this time, it was different.


    The outpost leader was keeping a close eye on the sergeant while the vice outpost leader had been ignored by the sergeant and the corporals for quite a long time. These two factors were already disturbing enough for them. However, what was more disturbing was the fact that the search unitmander had openly dered that he would investigate the irregrities and irrationalities in the unit during this Sound of Heart season.


    Since this Sound of Heart season was special, it was not only the soldiers and the sergeants who were all over the ce. Even the executives were busy tidying up their loose ends.


    However, all units in the Winter Mountains had their eyes on the 4th outpost. Everyone had heard rumors that Sergeant Sean had made a mess. Since they were well aware of his atrocious behavior, they were watching them and waiting for a good show when the soldiers stabbed him in the back. But contrary to their expectations, Sergeant Sean was not given any special disciplinary action.


    At first, those who were watching the scene thought that the search unitmander was afraid of Captain Paulo so he did not make a move against Sergeant Sean. However, they heard news that Captain Paulo and the executives standing on his line had received severe disciplinary actions one after the other. When this happened, they realized that their assumption was just a misunderstanding.


    Almost all of the units in the Winter Mountains had soldiers, corporals, sergeants and executives being called in by the search unitmander. All of them had received disciplinary actions and had been reprimanded seriously by themander.


    But amidst the chaos in the Winter Mountains, the 4th outpost remained calm. They had thought that the 4th outpost would be the hottest outpost during the Sound of Heart season but they were surprisingly the calmes of all the units.


    ¡°There should be something special. Right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    When Carl Gustav, the search unitmander, asked about the situation in the 4th outpost, themissioned officer next to him answered.


    All of them had expected that the letters from the 4th outpost would be filled withints and grievances but all of the letters from the privates werepletely normal. No. Rather thanints, the letters were filled with praises andpliments.


    <i>Hello, Commander, sir.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m George, a private stationed at the 4th outpost.</i>


    <i>Our 4th outpost does not have any particrly problematic executives. Rather thanints, I have been always grateful that they have been taking care of us, privates.</i>


    <i>We used to be scared of the sergeant and the corporals since they were unreasonable before. But these days, they have been working quite diligently. If you¡¯re reading this letter, you might probably think that I¡¯m being threatened but I can assure you that I¡¯m definitely not.</i>


    <i>The working environment in our 4th outpost is very special. I don¡¯t know the reason why but our seniors are working really hard. </i>


    <i>Our 4th outpost is currently in the midst of maintenance work until our 8th guard post but the sergeant and corporals are working more diligently, efficiently and skillfully than us. Also, when monsterse out, they would take the lead and move forward by themselves. </i>


    <i>Of course, there are times when our seniors pass their work to us because it¡¯s very hard but every time our outpost leader nces at them, our seniors would all start to work like crazy again. </i>


    <i>You might not believe this but every time our outpost leader is here, they really work crazily like a dog. At this point, you might think that there will be a problem if our outpost leader is not present but his schedule is mostly aligned when the sergeant and the corporals are on duty so there¡¯s no problem at all. Thanks to this, Sergeant Sean, who used to be violent, is now working hard like a gentle cow. </i>


    <i>So, I will be very sad if you punish Sergeant Sean and the corporals. If our seniors who work like dogs get disciplined our work will increase. </i>


    <i>Respected Search Unit Commander, sir. Please leave our 4th outpost just the way it is.</i>


    <i>I beg you.</i>


    The search unitmander looked dumbfounded when he saw the private¡¯s letter that was begging him not to punish his seniors. The same was true for the officers that were staring at the letter from over his shoulders.


    However, their reasoning was sound. If the sergeant and the corporals, who were skilled in their work, were really working crazily like a dog then there was no need for him to mete out disciplinary actions and make things difficult for the 4th outpost. But they still needed to confirm the authenticity of his words.


    If George¡¯s letter was the only one like this, then they would probably think that he was lying. But all of the privates¡¯ letters were the same. Even the private first sses insisted that they would be in a pinch if their seniors were summoned from their outpost. All of them insisted that no disciplinary actions should be given to their seniors.


    At first, the officer who delivered the letters thought that everyone in the 4th outpost was crazy. But there was sufficient evidence that backed up their ims. Their basis was the speed of their work.


    ¡°What about the 4th outpost¡¯s guard posts?¡±


    ¡°All of the work needed to be done to repair the damage from the battle has been dealt with.¡±


    ¡°In all eight of the posts?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The officer nodded in answer to Carl Gustav¡¯s question.


    ¡°<i>Ho¡­</i>¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s not all. ording to the 4th outpost leader¡¯s report, he said that things that they have done weren¡¯t enough so they were requesting to do additional work on the guard posts.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Here¡¯s the report.¡±


    <i>Large number of bombs will be buried in front of each guard post and a path will be set and memorized by all of the soldiers in the outpost. </i>


    In addition to that, the ns for the additional work like setting up traps and other devices that could help the guard postst a bit longer had been written in full detail.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to do all of this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. They¡¯re also going to demonstrate the effectiveness by working on trials.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. I will agree to this. I¡¯ll report this to themander myself and get the supplies for them.¡±


    Carl Gustav beckoned to the officer to leave after saying those words.


    ¡°Is this also part of his ns?¡±


    Carl Gustav mumbled to himself as he looked at the confidential report that Iron had sent to him. Right now, there was a first ss confidential report that Iron had written to him as a Ghost and not as an outpost leader.


    This sentence by itself sounded like a big deal but it seemed like it wasn¡¯t a problem yet.


    Gustav felt extremely surprised when he first saw the second sentence. It was not enough for Iron to hunt a named, he was even already starting to perform the Ghost¡¯s mission early. It seemed like he was really crazy enough.


    Those were just his thoughts, but after seeing the requirements that were written on the back of the paper, he was now fully convinced that everything had been nned by Iron.


    Gustav examined and re-examined Iron¡¯s reports carefully. After doing so, all he could do was sigh deeply.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>It seems like I have a lot of things to report to the Commander.¡±


    <b><i>TL¡¯s corner</i></b>


    Again. For those who have a problem with jjambap, and from what I saw <i>rolling</i> too, the author uses these words as is. These words are used<b><i> separately</i></b> from <i>experience </i>and <i>working hard</i>. I have already taken enough liberties by reducing them as much as I can.

 Chapter 44 Platoon Mission (1)

    <strong><em>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </em></strong><em>(44)</em>


    <em>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</em>


    <strong><em>15 </em></strong><em>toon Mission (1)</em>


    Iron felt satisfied as he watched his sergeant and corporals work like crazy dogs. It seemed like having a clear goal was the answer to increasing their determination.


    However, he soon needed to deal with another troublesome problem right after this one.


    After the massive attack of teh giant snow rabbits, norge-scale monster attacks happened anymore. However, there were still some asional monsters that appeared to attack them. And each time these monsters appeared, the being that pricked Iron¡¯s senses always appeared from afar.


    At first, he thought that someone was watching him. However, after repeatedly sensing the gaze and the energy that this being emitted, he realized that it felt somehow familiar. It seemed like it was even warning him whenever monsters appeared. Iron was left in thought as he recalled the familiar energy that appeared without fail whenever danger approached him. After thinking long and hard, he finally realized why he felt the energy was familiar.


    ¡®This is the same energy that I felt when Bapsae first appeared in front of me.¡¯


    The energy that always pricked his senses felt infinitely close to the energy from nature and the surroundings. It was quite simr to the energy that a spirit or a divine beast emitted. And since the energy was extremely close to nature, it could easily assimte to the surroundings and hide itself from others. Perhaps this was the reason why Iron had mistaken the being for a high-leveled assassin before.


    Anyway, thanks to that, Iron¡¯s senses were honed further.


    In order to detect its presence, Iron sharpened and raised his senses to the limits. This helped him further increase his grasp on his mana. Because of this, he was able to take a step closer to taking full control of his mana application. In other words, he was able to take a step closer to reaching the perfect 4th Stage. Iron felt that he was lucky enough to grab the foothold to the perfect 4th Stage while doing his mission as a Ghost.


    ¡°The divine beast¡­ is it really missing?¡±


    From what he could see, it seemed like the phoenix did not really disappear or die. It seemed like it was still here in the Winter Mountains.


    Iron quickly spread out the map as he stared at the topography surrounding the 4th outpost. The 4th outpost was the ce nearest to the area where the Phoenix wasst seen.


    He could investigate it further but once he tried to go further than the highest ce, the 8th guard post, and went to the exact area where it was said to have disappeared, he would face a high possibility of being frozen to death. In fact, the chance of this was almost next to none since he could have possibly died already after meeting a high-leveled monster on the way there.


    So, to prevent this risk, it was necessary for him to slowly expand the search area and build a forward base at that exact point.


    ¡°We need to make it up until this point but¡­¡±


    Iron wrote an <strong>X </strong>on top of an area that was located near the 8th guard post. He licked his lips as he stared at the ce where he decided to create a forward base at.


    Out of all the ces where he could make a forward base, Iron marked the ce nearest to the 3rd outpost. This outpost was the outpost under the direct jurisdiction of the oppositepany. Sergeant Sean¡¯s backer, Sergeant First ss Maldini, was also the vice outpost leader of this outpost. So, if he built a forward base in that area for no reason at all, there was a high possibility of a quarrel breaking out between the two outposts. Just one wrong move and there would be a fight between the 3rd and 4th outpost.


    This was also the reason why Iron was hoping that the missions that he proposed would be created. He wanted to make the mission as an excuse to prevent a fight.


    ¡°If I push for it as apany mission then it will obviously look like I¡¯m picking a fight. It seems like I have to try and push it under the toon missions¡­¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he stared at the terrain of the area that he had decided on for the forward base. In the end, he concluded that there was no other answer except to just push through with the missions.


    He needed to show thepany next to him some overwhelming results so they wouldn¡¯t be able to refute him. Fortunately, there were plenty of monsters living near that area. If he dried up the monsters and their seeds in the vicinity then thepany next to them would be difficult to handle.


    ¡°In the end, I still have to roll my soldiers a bit more¡­¡±


    <em>Just in time, our work is almost over.</em>


    Iron rubbed his chin in thought as he looked at the work board. Based on the status written on the work board, it seemed like they would be finished in a week.


    Since this was the special search unit, the level of the soldiers were all high. Their levels far exceeded the level of the ordinary soldiers in the Northeast, a level that was already far beyond the rest of the Empire. Besides, only the elites among the soldiers came here since they wanted to be promoted faster and be an executive. There were even soldiers with a slightly higher level than the soldiers in the frontlines who were specialized inbat.


    ¡°That means that they¡¯re talented, right?¡±


    When this thought shed through Iron¡¯s head, he quickly sifted through the documents and looked through the soldiers¡¯ personal information one by one. From what he had gathered, the level of the soldiers in the 4th outpost was a bit higher than what he had expected.


    But it was neither Corporal Charles or Sergeant Sean that he paid attention to.


    ¡°Johnson¡­¡±


    He was someone that he did not expect especially since he was a bit transparentpared to the other soldiers of the 4th outpost.


    Iron recalled that it was also Johnson who had seen the divine beast a couple of times. He said that the figure was blurry but him being able to see the figure of the divine beast was more than enough evidence for Iron to assume that Johnson had the talent for either the divine beasts or the spirits.


    Grasping the characteristics of the spirits and the divine beasts were extremely difficult in the first ce so no one would easily assume this. If it weren¡¯t for the incident where he saw the blurry figure of the divine beast, Iron would never associate his talent with them. In other words, Johnson was extremely lucky that Iron was the one who arrived in the 4th outpost.


    ¡®Our toon will be the strongest in 1~2 years as long as someone has the talent for spirits.¡¯


    The talent of his vice outpost leader was slightly lowerpared to the other outposts but that was something that Iron, the outpost leader, could easily cover. Besides, the level of his soldiers was higherpared to the other outposts. Even Sergeant Sean, who was ted to be an executive, and Corporal Charles were not that bad in terms of talent. And with Johnson¡¯s addition, IRon was sure that they would be able to be the strongest among all of the outposts in the special search unit.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then we will have the strongest voice.¡¯


    It was important that he was strong since he was the leader of the outpost but it was also important that his entire toon was strong. If all of them were strong, then the overall level of their toon would increase.


    And in this ce, the stronger the overall strength of the toon, the stronger their speaking rights became. They could even im priority in receiving supplies if they were the strongest. After all, no one would dare argue with them since they were the strongest. And if they were the strongest, they could preupy the most advantageous position during missions.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but think about the date when they would carry out the toon mission. Perhaps it was because the soldiers were working faster than when they started that they ended up having a total of 15 days of free time before the missions started.


    ¡°I have to train them for a bit.¡±


    Iron¡¯s smile was tainted with a bit of evil when he thought about training his men.


    After nning the soldiers¡¯ training, Iron also made ns to train himself. He wanted to make the perfect 4th Stagepletely his own once he stepped foot on that level.


    And the day after he finished his ns, Iron announced to the soldiers who were still working diligently.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s tired after working like this, right?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    Sergeant Sean replied in a loud voice. Even the other soldiers responded with firm and determined expressions on their faces.


    ¡°As you all know, toon missions will be given to us soon.¡±


    The faces of the corporals and the sergeant hardened when they heard Iron¡¯s words. They wondered if he was finally deciding who worked the hardest and who would be left out from the missions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who spread the rumors but the one who worked the hardest among the sergeant and the corporals will be on guard duty. But they weren¡¯t working all on their own, right? Of course, I also have to pick a private and a private first ss who will go on guard duty too.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, the eyes of the privates and the private first sses started to tremble. Iron smiled wickedly when he saw this happen.


    ¡°So, I want you to make a list of your own. Those who will be written on the list will focus here and finish all of the work that¡¯s left. The rest will be excluded from the work until the mission begins.¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ eyes widened when they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°If you want to get excluded from the work, write your name on the paper and tell me now.¡±


    Iron handed the list after leaving those words. Seeing the list, the soldiers began to struggle. They were deeply contemting on whether they should choosefort in the present orfort in the future.


    Iron watched them struggle with a wicked smile on his face.


    ¡®Is this how a fisherman feels?¡¯


    He only said that they would be excluded from working, he never told them that they would be resting. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as he walked back inside and waited for their decision.


    Seeing that he gave them a break tofortably discuss their choices, the soldiers began to intensely discuss their choices.


    The first ones that came out were the sergeant and corporals. Sean said that it would be better for him to continue working since it was obvious that he would be dragged and dumped if he went on missions together with them after taking that rest. The corporals on the other hand chose to take the offered break since they were in a much better situation than the sergeant.


    Then, the next ones to discuss were the privates and the private first sses.


    They had been tasked to do a lot of missions before. However, there was now that stated that the outpost leader would not do that this time. And considering their outpost leader, it was safe to say that this mission season would be their hardest mission season ever. After all, he had already done a lot of weird things over the course of his stay here.


    Because of this, most of the soldiers chose to remain working and finish everything here. Especially the soldiers who had poor skills, all of them chose to continue to work. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t be able to be dragged around during the mission if they continued working here.


    So in the end, the soldiers that were confident in their own skills and those who have had experience doing missions all chose to take a rest. Their list was finalized after this.


    ¡®What a relief.¡¯


    Iron smiled deep inside when he confirmed that Johnson was not on the list. After all, he was the talent that he had his eyes on. Then, he turned to look at the soldiers.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start from today. Those on the list should focus on their work. The rest, return to the outpost.¡±


    ¡°<em>Uwoooooo!</em>¡±


    The soldiers cheered loudly as they hurriedly packed their things. Meanwhile, the soldiers who chose to continue working had distorted faces as they looked at them in envy. They felt extremely jealous right now. Even Sergeant Sean looked at them in envy, however he couldn¡¯t voice any words ofint at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the work here to the vice outpost leader.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Iron made sure to leave the vice outpost leader so Sergeant Sean wouldn¡¯t pick on the kids. Then, he returned to the outpost with the rest of the soldiers to fulfill and perform his duties.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time so you can rest for today. Everyone, except for those who need to go on patrol, can restfortably.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±


    Charles answered Iron as the representative of the soldiers present.


    Not long after, cheers rang loudly in the dormitory as they enjoyed their sweet free time. However, their freedom was much shorter than what they had expected.


    One day.


    That was the time it took for their fierce belief, which was having a long and rxing rest before the mission began, to fall apart.


    ¡°Everyone knows that the mission season is just right around the corner. However, I¡¯m extremely disappointed that you¡¯recking in terms of skills even before our mission started.¡±


    Anxiety sprouted in their hearts as they listened to the outpost leader¡¯s words after being asked to gather early morning the next day.


    Iron¡¯s smile as he looked at the anxious and uneasy soldiers was brutal.


    ¡°So, as your outpost leader, I thought that I should turn everyone into a man that is worthy of taking that mission.¡±


    ¡°<em>Ah</em>¡­¡±


    He could hear someone sighing deeply. However, Iron ignored it and pretended that he couldn¡¯t hear as he continued his words.


    ¡°I, as your outpost leader, will be your head trainer. Atten¡­ tion! I will wholeheartedly guide you and turn you into a soldier worthy of the special search unit. As your outpost leader, I worked hard to make a training schedule for all of you yesterday.¡±


    <em>Shwak!</em>


    Iron spread open a paper and fixed it on a board so that all of the soldiers could see.


    Looking at the paper, the soldiers had to rub their eyes thinking that they had seen things wrongly. After all, the paper that contained their training schedule was packed tightly with letters from the top to the bottom. However, no matter how hard they rubbed their eyes, Iron¡¯s training schedule for them remained the same.


    Seeing that his soldiers were trying to deny the reality in front of them, Iron quickly opened his mouth to deliver the killing blow.


    ¡°I have nned training schedules for you from the morning, the afternoon, until the night. It will also be tiring for me to train you, the soldiers, from morning to night. However, I can¡¯t just turn a blind eye to the path of the strong. I can¡¯t just leave you be just so I can amodate myself and live infort.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, the soldiers almost blurted out ¡®Can¡¯t you just do that?¡¯. However, the words couldn¡¯te out of their throats.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t need to thank me for doing this. It¡¯s always a pleasure to have a strong military force.¡±


    All of the soldiers present wanted to punch Iron¡¯s shameless face but they endured it with all their might.


    Seeing the soldiers¡¯ expression, Iron¡¯s smile turned evil.


    ¡°Training starts today. Go ande back here fully armed.¡±


    <em>Notes</em>


    [Forward Base] Forward Operating Base (FOB) ¨C a secured forward operational level military position. Often a military base. It is used as a support to strategic goals and tactical objectives.

 Chapter 45 - Platoon Mission (2)

    <strong>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </strong>(45)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <strong>15 </strong>toon Mission (2)


    Iron grinned as he watched the soldiers¡¯ expression distort while grumbling on their way back inside the outpost dormitory.


    ¡°They don¡¯t even know that this is all for them¡­¡±


    Iron clicked his tongue.


    He was fully aware of the thoughts that were currently running inside the soldiers¡¯ heads. He had also served in the military back in his real world so he knew how annoying it was to train when you were expecting rest.


    He wanted to give them as much rest as possible too but with the future that was clearly drawn in front of him, he couldn¡¯t just tell them to go ahead and rest so they could die on the battlefieldter on.


    There were a lot of things that he needed to do to save the Northeast so he needed to finish all of the work that he needed to do in the Winter Mountains and get promoted as quickly as possible. But for him to be able to do that, he needed to make sure that the men that served under him would be stronger before he left.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Why did I evene to the Northeast?¡±


    He had already felt regret while he was still studying at the academy. But for some reason, he felt even more regret now that he had be the outpost leader.


    He wanted to let go of the Northeast and just let things go with the flow but if the Northeast failed to hold out, then he was sure that he would not be able to prevent the copse of the entire continent. So, there was nothing else that he could do.


    ¡®It¡¯s because I don¡¯t have a choice.¡¯


    Iron smiled bitterly as he stared around the outpost.


    No one would be happy if they received undeserved criticism from the people around them. However, Iron just decided to own it and enjoy their harsh criticism. Since he was going to be criticized and scolded anyway, he decided to just go all out and do it properly. Besides, after doing this, he felt like he finally realized what the officers felt when he served in the military back then.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡±


    Heughed to himself as he imagined the changing expressions of the soldiers that he had fished as they trained and rolled around in front of him. They were already showing a variety of colorful expressions earlier that he wondered if he was also like that back then.


    He giggled as he recalled the many changes in their expressions when he spoke about their training earlier. He was looking forward to the plenty of other expressions that they would show him during this short training period that he imposed upon them.


    While Iron was busily thinking about how he would properly answer their criticism during his wait, the soldiers were all grinding their teeth and chewing out their outpost leader.


    There was a saying that someone would still look like the devil even if they were close to you as long as they were shameless and cheeky. The soldiers believed that their outpost leader was the epitome of that saying right now.


    Up until yesterday, their young and vigorous outpost leader still looked like an angel to them. He was still their valiant and wonderful leader that punished and dominated their evil sergeant. But in a blink of an eye, his wonderful image had changed. He had nowpletely turned into a devil.


    ¡°You need to develop your basic stamina and physical strength first. Right? So let¡¯s first start with running. Run until the 8th guard post.¡±


    With the devil¡¯s wicked smile shining on them, the soldiers had no choice but to run together.


    Did their outpost leader run with them? No. However, even if he ran with them, they would not dare to swear out at him in dissatisfaction. But, their devilish outpost leader¡­


    ¡°This is nice.¡±


    Was currently riding the balloon used for transporting supplies as he watched them run.


    The corners of Iron¡¯s mouth were raised as he watched them run and climb the steep mountain.


    ¡°Pretty good. Since the living conditions are basically hard, their level is still pretty good even if they tried to lick honey.¡±


    There was always a limit to trying to curry favor and living afortable life in this difficult ce. Since living alone was hard, they were bound to have a bit of skill in their arsenal. Perhaps this was the reason why Iron was able to give them a passing score in this basic physical strength test.


    When he saw them like this, he realized that he did not need to waste time developing their physical strength. If they were at this level, he was sure that they could easily move on to the tactical training right away.


    The only regret that he had for these sentry soldiers was the amount of training that they received. Even in modern times, these soldiers would not receive more training. Training was focused more on the troops stationed in the frontlines and not in ces like this. The same was true in this ce.


    ¡°Winter Mountains¡­¡±


    Iron was lost in thought as he watched the surroundings from the balloon flying above the sky.


    The eight guard posts that he was managing was only a fraction of the area of the entire Winter Mountains. Even if he expanded the area to the entire special search unit, it was still just a small part of the Winter Mountains.


    The biggest reason why the unit could settle here was because the area was near the ce where the divine beast was originally located. This was a safe area that was created from the ovep of the divine beast and the high-leveled monsters¡¯ realm of influence.


    Just as two Empires in an ongoing war set up an area where they would both agree to a ceasefire, so did the monsters. It was a bit difficult for humans to settle in this demarcation area in the beginning since they were surrounded by monsters. However, over the long course of time, it seemed like the monsters had finally recognized this area as the area where humans dwell so they did not bother them too much. Of course this might be because they would note out of their territories that often but regardless, they still did not bother the humans too much. And because of that, bnce was created and they lived a bit peacefully together.


    The problem was that this peace was breaking bit by bit.


    ¡°Is this also caused by the monster wave?¡±


    Standing in the balloon, he could see a wider area that one could not see easily if they just looked from the guard posts. And from this view, he could see a lot of monster corpses lying around here and there. The corpses looked intact so he assumed that this was caused by a territorial war. This meant that danger was just right around the corner.


    The area where the guard posts were located was on the border between the monsters¡¯ realm of influence. It was a very dangerous area. However, the asional missions that his soldiers underwent were only search and reconnaissance missions. Because of this, Iron had judged that their training was absolutelycking.


    Iron was nning to do something far more than a simple search and reconnaissance mission. He wanted to subdue the nearby monsters while advancing to the area where the divine beast was presumed to have disappeared from.


    ¡®The monsters¡¯ movements are also unusual.¡¯


    ording to the calction that Iron had made based on the work journal of the previous outpost leader, the monsters¡¯ attacks had started to increase in frequency just like in the other units in the Northeast. However, what he found curious was the fact that a problem had already urred here even before the incident at the ck Forest had urred.


    But everyone thought little of the matter since it was only increasing little by little and was not enough to be raised as a concern. In addition, the army was a ce that always tried to cover up the problem that appeared in front of them. Those at his position tended to cover these small things in fear of being reprimanded and stripped of their position once a problem urred in their unit. Some even feared that they would be used of working nonchntly if they tried to raise concerns of this scale up to the higher ups.


    ¡°Do you think so too?¡±


    Iron asked as he stared at the faint figure that was looking at him from afar.


    Then, he lowered his gaze as he slowly went down the rope that anchored the balloon. The soldiers that sweated like crazy watched hime down.


    ¡°Attention!¡±


    ¡°Cor¡­ Corporal Charles!¡±


    Charles cut through dozens of people as he lined up first.


    So, what about the rest?


    ¡°What are you doing? Run again.¡±


    Seeing Iron smiling wickedly, the soldiers that reached this cete turned around and ran back slowly. Iron smiled broadly when he saw them like this.


    ¡°Thest person to arrive will have a one-on-one face-off with me. You can look forward to it.¡±


    When the soldiers, who were running slowly because of exhaustion, heard Iron¡¯s words, their speed increased. Watching them like this, the soldiers that stood in two rows trembled in nervousness.


    ¡°You guys came in quite fast. You¡¯re cutting it pretty close but you¡¯re still up to my standards.¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ expression brightened when he heard his words.


    ¡°Well then, shall we officially start our training?¡±


    The soldiers staggered. They were expecting that they would be given time to rest but when they saw Iron¡¯s bright smile and hearing him say that it was just the beginning, their faces crumpled once more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you thought that the training would be over just because you ran?¡±


    ¡°N¡­ No, sir!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It would be a problem if you mistook warming up for training.¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ faces hardened.


    ¡°From now on, we will start with our tactical training. All of you should stand as I say.¡±


    After Iron said this, he began to tell them the basic tactical formation.


    Thankfully, they had been trained sufficiently in the training center specialized in training those that would be deployed in the special search unit so the soldiers immediately understood what he meant.


    ¡°This is literally the basic tactical formation.¡±


    This was a method where several soldiers would act as tankers and stand in line with their shields while the rest of the soldiers used their guns to check the opponents.


    However, the method that Iron would teach them from this point on was something that was far from the basic method.


    ¡°This basic formation will be the foundation. If all of you fight against the monsters using this basic formation even ten lives are not enough for you. So, you guys have to fight inbination with the formation that I will tell you from now on. Then, are you wondering why I¡¯m teaching you this formation again?¡±


    Iron¡¯s question birthed questions in the eyes of the soldiers.


    ¡°After a battle, you always have to maintain this basic formation.¡±


    Iron looked solemnly at the soldiers who looked like they couldn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    ¡°The toon mission this time is not some kind of joke. I¡¯m sure some of you already know that I have been doing strange research and investigationstely.¡±


    Some corporals flinched when they heard Iron¡¯s words. They thought that it was important so they kept their mouths shut and did not tell the other soldiers. However, Iron knew that they were curious.


    ¡°I will be honest with you. In my opinion, the current Winter Mountains is a very dangerous ce.¡±


    Iron shook his head as he thought about how he should go about to exin these things to his soldiers. He was going to exin it to them but since he couldn¡¯t reveal his mission as a Ghost, there was bound to be a hole in his exnation. In the end, they would definitely fail to understand. So, instead of exining things shoddily, he just decided to omit the exnation and just push ahead.


    ¡°You might be curious but don¡¯t ask. Just follow me. If you do that, then you can get out of the Winter Mountains alive.¡±


    The soldiers flinched upon hearing his words. They could see that Iron was extremely serious. They couldn¡¯t help but feel confused at the sudden solemn atmosphere thatnded upon them.


    ¡°Think of this asmon knowledge.¡±


    Iron pulled out his sword and pumped it with his mana.


    ¡°I feel embarrassed to say this myself but¡­¡±


    Iron cleared his throat several times before continuing his words.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem! You¡¯re probably wondering why I came here with just this level of skill?¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ expressions wrinkled but Iron just continued to speak regardless of their expressions.


    ¡°It might seem like I¡¯m bragging but it¡¯s all because of my tactical skills. My skills in this area are good enough and I also received good grades for it in the academy.¡±


    Several soldiers ground their teeth as they watched their outpost leader shamelessly boast about himself. Iron just smiled when he saw them like that.


    ¡°Think about it. The reason why I came here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about knowing more from me. Even if you notice something, keep it to yourself.¡±


    Iron immediately blocked the smart and quick-witted Charles from saying anything more.


    ¡°If you want to live and survive then follow me. Of course, it goes without saying that I¡¯ll save you. Promotion is just a bonus.¡±


    Iron smiled deeply after saying those words.


    ¡°The mission this time is not like a child¡¯s y. You¡¯ll have to risk your life here. So, if you want to live you have to bear with me and follow me. Even if you haveints.¡±


    After saying that, he began to exin the tactical formation.


    ¡®Is there really something?¡¯


    This thought shed through the soldiers¡¯ heads as they began to do what Iron asked them to do. They weren¡¯t sure why Iron was stationed here. Some of the corporals thought that he was bullied by someone from above that was why he was stationed here. But when they heard what he said, their thoughts changed.


    While everyone endured their doubts,ints and annoyance during the tactical training that Iron made them do, the soldiers who were working hard on the 8th guard post also began to join their tactical formation one by one.


    They continued to repeat the several tactical formations that they had been taught untilte at night. However, despite the constant repetition, everyone thought that this training was alright. It might be annoying but the training itself was not that hard.


    However, just as this thought bloomed in their heads, it disappeared like bubbles as soon as the new dawn arrived.


    After they had finished learning the tactical formation, they immediately ventured to a dangerous area near the 8th guard post.


    ¡°There¡¯s no better training than participating in an actual battle. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±


    The figure of their outpost leader as he smiled brightly at them made the soldiers explode deep inside.


    I want to kill him. If I ever get that chance, I definitely will¡­


    However, they couldn¡¯t ovee the difference in their level so they just clenched their fists and endured everything.


    ***

 Chapter 46

    toon Mission (3)


    Under the promise of a free period, Iron sessfully caught his soldiers and rolled them under the pretext of training for the mission. At the same time, he also made them clean the area around the 4th outpost.


    From that point on, the patrol on the border started to exclude the 8th guard post. Why? It was because the soldiers that trained upied the 8th guard post every day. Because of their training, dozens of soldiers took turns staying at the most dangerous area in the 4th outpost, the 8th guard post, so there was no need for the patrol team to work in that area.


    And because Outpost Leader Iron Carter lived by the words ¡®There¡¯s no better training than participating in actual battle!¡¯ all of the soldiers that stayed in the 8th guard post everyday were fully armed and ready to fight in battle at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Hey! That formation is toocking. Are you not going to do it properly?¡±


    ¡°Morons! Look. Hold and shoot. Was I shaking? I wasn¡¯t shaking, right? So why are you shaking? You¡¯re inferior to someone young? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Who holds a sword like that?¡±


    ¡°Hey. Did I tell you to shoot like that? I already told you so many times. Are you still human if you can¡¯t understand my words no matter how many times I¡¯ve said it?¡±


    ¡°From now on, you lot are dog shits. I will treat you like dog shit until you properly do what I told you to do. Understand?¡±


    After returning from fighting an actual battle, they were without a doubt bombarded with Iron¡¯s criticism.


    Even though the sound of gunshots and bombardment from their fierce battles rang loudly in the area, none of them came back with any fatal injuries. Iron had always stepped forward and dealt with the monsters whenever it became too dangerous. The only problem was that whenever that happened, hell would begin for them. This was especially true if they made a mistake during the training that always came after fighting an actual battle. If they made a mistake, they would end up training the entire day without any ounce of sleep.


    Because of this, the soldiers from the 3rd outpost began to protest. They wereining that the sound of guns and bombs going off every night until the break of dawn was stopping them from having a good night¡¯s sleep. But when a soldier came to protest, their cool outpost leader just brushed it off and chewed them hard. And the soldier that came to protest¡­


    ¡°Instead of twisting and squirming here, why don¡¯t you do it too?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you don¡¯t like the sound of bombs and guns? Then, do it too. Isn¡¯t the mission season looming over you too?¡±


    ¡°Ye¡­ Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Then, train over there too. Why do you have so manyints when you don¡¯t train despite staying in the military?¡±


    ¡­had his mentality broken with just a few refreshing and cool words before being sent back to his own outpost. Then, he turned around with a refreshed smile asking ¡®Are you all done?¡¯ before continuing the soldiers¡¯ training.


    The next person who came to them was the 3rd outpost leader himself. Iron, who was hoping that the vice outpost leader woulde to him, weed the 3rd outpost leader with a bit of regret painted on his face.


    ¡°4th outpost leader.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant McCaron.¡±


    The 3rd outpost leader stared at Iron after saying that.


    ¡°I heard that you told the soldier that I sent here to do it too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    He was dumbfounded when Iron answered him like he did not know where the problem was.


    ¡°I sent him in my stead but if you respond like that what would be left of me, huh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re training so we can¡¯t stop the noises though?¡±


    ¡°You can do it in moderation.¡±


    ¡°In moderation?¡±


    When Iron asked him nkly, the 3rd outpost leaderughed before speaking.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why are you so agitated? I don¡¯t know if you have no eyes or if you have no sense but¡­ The thing about military life is that you have to do things in moderation. Even if you run around like that, all you will get is exhaustion. These are all advice from experience, so you should listen well.¡±


    Iron grinned as he watched the 3rd outpost leader act like an immature child.


    ¡°Do you mean to tell us that we should stop training?¡±


    ¡°Tch! Don¡¯t stop, just do things roughly. The toon missions will only be reconnaissance missions around here anyway. It¡¯s not even a battalion mission, why are you working so hard? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because you¡¯re a rookie but it will be good for soldiers if you do the toon missions in moderation.¡±


    He spoke as if he was the one standing on high ground. He sounded like he was teaching Iron the ropes but he made sure to tell him that this should be in secret. However, Iron replied firmly at the 3rd outpost leader who was talking as if he owned the 4th outpost.


    ¡°I will take care of my own outpost. Only if I get aint from the 2ndpanymander and receive disciplinary actions will I fix this.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m telling you? Can¡¯t this get into that head of yours because I¡¯m speaking amiably? Is what your senior saying funny to you? Huh? You bastard, are you acting like this because I¡¯m from the oppositepany?¡±


    McCaron, the 3rd outpost leader, showed off his force as he grabbed Iron¡¯s shoulders roughly. But Iron just smiled nonchntly when he saw him trying to raise his mana to suppress him.


    Iron gauged his skills and realized that this man¡¯s experience paid off since he could still easily draw out his mana with ease.


    McCaron was a lieutenant who had eaten enough jjambap for 4 years. He was also a talented person who had reached the 3rd Stage after gaining a lot of experience on the field. But to Iron, his show of skill was just in ridiculous.


    ¡°Why do you even trust Captain Franco? Are you on that line? Huh? But what can you do? Ourpanymander is a Major(Jin). Besides, if you¡¯re a rookie, you have to act like a rookie. What are you doing trying to rebel against your senior? Do you want to receive training from me, huh?¡±


    McCaron tried to stop Iron from resisting by speaking about hispanymander. But Iron just grinned when Iron saw him act like that. In McCaron¡¯s point of view, Iron¡¯s smile looked like he was mocking him.


    ¡°But no matter what you do, you can¡¯t threaten the oppositepany¡¯s important outpost leader. And what rebellion are you trying to say when we¡¯re both at the same rank?¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­¡±


    Grab!


    Even before McCaron could finish his words, Iron grabbed the hand that he had ced earlier on his shoulder and forcibly removed it from his body. He looked like he was not afraid of him at all.


    ¡°And if you want to threaten me, you should develop your skills first. This is a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°You fucking bastard¡­¡±


    McCaron¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at Iron who continued to speak with a grin on his face.


    ¡°Lastly. If you want to argue andin, then you should go and argue with the search unitmander.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    McCaron couldn¡¯t help but ask nkly when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Go and tell your Major(Jin)panymander that he shouldin to the search unitmander to stop my training. I¡¯ll stop the training when I receive a formal order.¡±


    McCaron did not know if Iron was a noble bastard but he still couldn¡¯t help but tremble when he realized something from Iron¡¯s words. He seemed to have realized that what he was doing was not for a normal toon mission.


    However, Iron was no ordinary noble bastard. He had experience in politics, military and even had the right connections in this ce.


    ¡°If you want to test if Captain Paulo is better than the search unitmander or not, go ahead and file aint.¡±


    Iron raised his momentum as he spoke those words. McCaron couldn¡¯t help but shrink and take a step back when he felt a force that was a stage higher than his. Iron slowly approached him. But when he tried to step back, Iron pulled his clothes which in turn pulled his head down as he softly spoke in his ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how far Company Commander Paulo¡¯s backing is but¡­ If you just believe in that and go around recklessly like this, you will most definitely die. Shall we test it if you don¡¯t believe my words?¡±


    Iron let go of his clothes and patted his chest to straighten them when he finished what he wanted to say. He was smiling happily. McCaron realized that he had been expecting this from the very beginning. Iron bowed his head and stepped back before looking at him with an innocent expression on his face.


    However, even if Iron stepped back willingly, McCaron still couldn¡¯t say anything. He instinctively realized that Iron and the search unitmander were in on something. And there was something huge that backed them up. He felt frightened when he finally realized that there was a huge fight happening under the table but he did not dare to ask to know more. All McCaron could do was return to his outpost without doing anything. He knew that he was in a situation where he could not open his mouth nor could he let go of the rope that he held.


    The soldiers who watched the scene unfold couldn¡¯t help but stiffen. They thought that their outpost leader would take a step back and listen to McCaron since he was one of the few lieutenants who had gained a lot of experience on the field. But he was even able to put pressure on such a person without blinking his eyes.


    ¡°Did you all enjoy the sight?¡±


    The soldiers felt nervous when Iron turned to them with a smile.


    ¡°Since you have rested enough, you can start training again. Right? I think we can now slowly ease our way to the advanced course.¡±


    Then, he gathered the soldiers in front of him.


    ¡°You must have been bored trying to kill giant rabbits all the time, right? It¡¯s about time we move on to the next monster area.¡±


    ¡°Not¡­ yet the mission¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t worry. We will just investigate. Even if we¡¯re in the other areas, we¡¯re still near the 8th guard post so you don¡¯t have to be too scared.¡±


    Charles tried to resist, albeit his efforts being a bit too timid, but it did not work on their outpost leader at all. The soldiers¡¯ faces turned pale when their outpost leader easily blocked the words of theirrade.


    It seemed like the price for leisurely watching the fight between their outpost leader and McCaron was a more advanced course of training. They even went deeper into more dangerous areas for practical training under the guidance of Iron.


    The soldiers felt like training was just a guise and they were really doing a dangerous reconnaissance mission whenever they went deep in those dangerous areas. The intensity of the training was so difficult that it felt like it was something that they would only do during serious missions.


    However, noints were heard from them. It was only a short training period but they felt that there was a huge difference in them. Unlike before, where only the corporals did most of the work during the hunt, the privates and the private first sses were now able to help them and do their own parts so everyone felt a bitfortable with their training.


    And as they continued to sweep the area around the 8th guard post, the monsters started to take a step back as if they could feel a sense of crisis from them.


    Iron would have originally felt very confident in everything since the monsters that engaged in an all out war against the humans calmly stepped down. But he just felt that it was strange.


    ¡°Is there a crack in the Winter Mountains?¡±


    Iron tried to infer the situation based on the facts and information that he had experienced in his previous life. But the more he thought about it, the more serious his expression became.


    Right now, he was thinking if he should report what he had inferred or not.


    The fact that the monsters¡¯ territories had narrowed rapidly as they started to get out of their sights meant that they either moved somewhere to live or they began to unite. The only reason why monsters would show this phenomenon was when a powerful being settled down or a small crack opened in the area.


    ¡°There¡¯s so little information about the Northeast at this point in time.¡±


    Iron had gathered a lot of information in his previous life because he had been sitting in a high position. However, even if he had a lot of information, he stillcked information about the Northeast. This was because the Northeast had already been destroyed way before he started gathering information.


    In the end, Iron had no choice but to scratch his head and try to make his original n more detailed while speeding up the process. He also sent a report to the search unitmander just to be safe.


    ¡°toon mission¡­ I have to be a captain quickly. I don¡¯t want to eat shit just because I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    After his bout with McCaron, Iron was surprised that he dared to send a letter of protest saying that he was disrespectful to his senior. Even Captain Franco told him to be a little cautious. So, to avoid such tiring situations, he had no choice but to speed things up and make the most of all of his efforts to get promoted quickly.


    There were some limitations and restrictions when it came to promotion in the modern times, but there was no such restriction here. As long as someone made a contribution that couldn¡¯t be ignored, they would be awarded with a medal. So, as long as he properly umted enough merits in the Winter Mountains as an outpost leader, being a captain was not a pipe dream.


    ¡°It¡¯s too filthy so let¡¯s be a captain!¡±


    Iron dered before going to sleep. He needed all the rest that he could have since the missions would start tomorrow.


    He fell asleep after grinding his teeth in determination and woke up at dawn.He gave his soldiers some free time after a long time and was surprised to see them already waiting in full gear when he walked out of his office.


    ¡°The mission starts today.¡±


    The soldiers felt nervous when they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    He had warned them several times that it would be dangerous to the point that they were trained hard and put into actual battle before it started. If their training was already that hard, then it just went to show that their mission would be extremely dangerous.


    When the soldiers finally felt the danger, they couldn¡¯t help but gulp as they stared at Iron.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t fight in real battles just for nothing so don¡¯t be too scared.¡±


    Iron joked as he spread and fixed the paper containing their mission on the wooden board. He would now begin to exin the mission that he had been hiding the information of for quite some time.


    ¡°This is our mission.¡±


    Iron pointed to the ce that he had circled and marked with an X.


    ¡°From today onwards, we will be wiping out the monsters in this area. Once we¡¯re done with that, I will suggest to thepanymander that we build a forward base here.¡±


    The soldiers began to panic when they heard the mission description.


    There were several monster territories located in the circle and the X mark was the center of it all. Although the center that was marked with X was empty, it just showed that it was a ce that was extremely dangerous to the point that all of the monsters avoided it.


    And that ce was where they were supposed to go.


    ***

 Chapter 47

    15 toon Mission (4)


    While everyone was busy panicking, Iron opened his mouth and spoke solemnly.


    ¡°Just so you know, I have already reported this to the search unitmander. He didn¡¯t say anything much and just gave me his support.¡±


    Iron smiled as the soldiers bowed their heads in obedience.


    There was nothing else that they could do after being threatened with the search unitmander. Rebelling against their superior would bring nothing good to them so all that they could do was to work hard and survive.


    They were fully aware that Iron did not care whether they rebelled or not. But when they heard the name of the search unitmandering out of his mouth, the final shred of their feisty will that they kept at the corner of their hearts silently disappeared.


    After seeing that the soldiers¡¯ will to resist had disappeared, Iron led them to climb the mountain once again.


    On their way up, they encountered the soldiers working on patrol and guard duty. The soldiers that they passed by saluted Iron and the people who would take on the mission with him. Iron silently epted their salute before moving forward. However, the soldiers did not put their hands down.


    These soldiers stopped whatever they were doing and raised their hands in salute as a form of respect for theirrades who would go on these dangerous missions. They kept their hands raised in salute and only ced their hands down once all of the soldiers passed by.


    After passing through one guard post after another, they finally arrived in the area where they killed the monsters during their training.


    ¡°From here on out, we will be stepping on a dangerous area. This ce is closer to the 3rd outpost but this is a ce that they do not venture into since it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    This was the territory of the ice goblins. These monsters were one of the dangerous monsters in the Northeast. However, these monsters were weak enough that they could easily be hunted by the academy students.


    However, that was not the case here in the Winter Mountains. The ice goblins in this ce knew how to use ice magic. There were even some of them who knew how to use sorcery just like the snow golems. This was the reason why they could firmly hold out here in the Winter Mountains. They also had the poisonous needle, a weapon characteristic to goblins, and they could also ski so their movement speed in the snow was extremely quick. In other words, the goblins in the Winter Mountains were extremely difficult to deal with.


    ¡°Ice goblins are monsters that specialize in gueri warfare. I believe any corporal who had experienced the ice goblins¡¯ gueri warfare would know of their dangers.¡±


    The corporals nodded solemnly upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    One might say that they did not attack in arge-scale battle since they were protecting their territory. But despite their small numbers, they would let their enemies suffer irreparable damage whenever they attacked. This was because they were beings who knew how to use their tactics properly. Compared to other monsters¡¯ whose greatest threat was their overwhelming power, the ice goblins and their clever heads were the biggest threat to anyone going against them.


    There were various threats that they needed to face whenever they fought with ice goblins. This included magic, sorcery, poisonous saliva and many others. But fortunately, the soldiers could handle their mana so getting hit by their attacks would not mean an instant death.


    However, the ice goblin, who weren¡¯t picky on the timing of their attacks, would attack them anytime regardless if it was day or night. And after staging a surprise attack, they would then go and run away quickly.


    The soldiers, who experienced this constantly, were bound to get annoyed eventually. Even if they chased them down in their anger, the only thing that they would get was exhaustion. After all, these monsters were extremely quick on their feet.


    What was worse was the fact that they would attack the empty outpost to steal their supplies while the soldiers were busy chasing them down.


    That was how tricky and clever these monsters were.


    ¡°We will fight them here.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Are you saying, right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. After that, we will quickly move on to the territory next to them.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the next territory the territory of the silver wolves?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    On top of dealing with tricky monsters, they would also start to encroach on the silver wolves¡¯ territory. Knowing this, fear started to color the faces of the soldiers.


    ¡°The name of our tactic is EEJ. This is also a tactic that we will use in the future. We will break into the monsters¡¯ territories and induce a fight among them. It¡¯s dangerous so you should never go in too deep. You have to get out as quickly as I say.¡±


    The soldiers gulped dryly. Their nervousness that had been dampened earlier was now ring up wildly again. It was to be expected. After all, the mission in front of them was far more dangerous than what they could imagine.


    Iron smiled as he watched his soldiers sweat in trepidation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We will never induce arge-scale battle anyway. At most, we will only scratch a bit on the surface. However, just that small scratch alone would be able to create discord among the monsters. That¡¯s our mission.¡±


    Iron spoke as he stared at the soldiers.


    ¡°This is a very important mission. If it seeds¡­ and the results are good, it will be developed into a mission for the entire special search unit. In other words, we are now serving as the vanguard and pioneer of this mission.¡±


    When they heard Iron¡¯s words, the fear in the eyes slowly started to change. Their gazes were now shining in anticipation.


    They were now a vanguard and a pioneer of a mission that will be performed by the entire special search unit. This meant that if they survived, they would gain tremendous honor and be promoted quickly.


    ¡°I believe all of you know the importance of being a pioneer.¡±


    The soldiers nodded as they showed him their new found determination.


    ¡°Once you survive and you go back alive, you will be promoted.¡±


    When Iron spoke out to affirm their guesses, the soldiers¡¯ eyespletely changed. Iron smiled when he saw that their morale had increased.


    ¡°Just do what you did during the training and you will be able toe back alive. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s start moving. Make sure to stay concealed.¡±


    Iron and his soldiers moved slowly and stealthily as they entered the ice goblins¡¯ territory.


    Their goal was to move to the neutral zone between the ice goblins and the silver wolves. Iron carefully moved, making sure that he watched the topography while ordering his men to get into position. He moved with the most reliable Corporal Charles and three other corporals.


    ¡°An ambush?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll do an ambush.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Shoveling.¡±


    The corporals looked strangely at Iron after hearing his words.


    ¡°Set up a trap.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about a trap¡­ are we trying to lure them to the other side, Outpost Leader?¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Iron smiled when he heard the worry in Charles¡¯ voice.


    ¡°Just worry about yourself.¡±


    He continued to smile as he turned away from Charles.


    ¡°But will the goblins be fooled?¡±


    Charles¡¯ expression that screamed ¡®Those clever bastards?¡¯ but Iron just grinned at him.


    He knew what he was worried about. They specialized in gueri warfare so they would first doubt you if they were provoked unnecessarily. However, their evil and wicked outpost leader was just grinning at them.


    ¡°Who knows¡­ Well, they have no choice but to be fooled.¡±


    Iron left those words as he moved out by himself to personally draw the aggro of the ice goblins. He left the corporals with several orders. Hearing his n, the corporals were left with no choice but to just shovel in silence.


    Meanwhile, Iron moved quickly to where the goblins were located.


    Just as what had been repeatedly mentioned before, ice goblins were goblins trained in gueri warfare. And since they were exposed and could basically use mana, their danger level wasparable to monsters at the medium-range in size. They were clever monsters that were suspicious of everything that approached them.


    ¨DKiiik?


    The goblin turned around when it felt something move from behind him.


    There, it saw Iron smiling brightly while waving his hand at him. The goblin immediately ced a poisonous needle in its mouth as soon as it spotted a human. But it realized that the young human in front of them was quite strange.


    The goblin wondered if the human that was waving and smiling brightly was hostile to them. Perhaps this was the reason why it stopped its movements. It even looked at the goblin beside it as if to ask about this matter. But the goblin next to it was also tilting its head in confusion after seeing the crazy human. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t understand its actions so they called for their superior.


    ¨DKiiik, kiik, kiik, kiik!


    ¨DKiiik?


    The ice goblin walked towards the boy after hearing the briefing of its subordinates.


    Although the opponent was a young boy, the ice goblin still dragged all of its subordinates to approach the enemy. It firmly believed that it should never underestimate the opponent especially if the opponent was fully armed. One should never let their guard down since humans sometimes exhibit crazy skills despite being young.


    ¨DKiik¡­ Human!


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¨DWhy are you here? Are you trying to invade our territory?


    Iron did not answer the ice goblin right away, but in the end he still nodded his head in agreement.


    ¨DIs that so?


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¨DIs this a deration of war?


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    The ice goblin stared at Iron nkly. It looked like it was at a loss for words after having that conversation with him. While the ice goblin was staring in a daze, Iron quickly pulled up his gun.


    ¡°Bye!¡±


    ¨DCrazy human!


    The ice goblin swung its sword at the crazy human that dared attack it. However, Iron immediately took a back step as he fired his gun at it. The ice goblin was able to instinctively create a wall of ice from its mana. The ice was able to bounce off or reduce the power of Iron¡¯s bullet which helped minimize the wounds that it received.


    ¨DKiikiikiik!


    Light slowly started to emit from the ice goblin¡¯s body as it watched Iron attack them. When Iron saw this, he quickly raised the mana in his body as best as he could to pull himself away from them.


    At the same time, he continued to fire his gun to incite and stimte the ice goblins. The ice goblins felt annoyed so they ran forward to chase him.


    ¨DKiikiik!


    The goblin leader tried to calm down its subordinates when it realized that something was wrong. No matter how it looked at it, it felt like they were being led to a trap. But it was already toote when it realized that fact.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang!


    With Corporal Charles at the forefront, the corporals began shooting at them.


    The goblins used their ice magic to block the bullets but when bombs started to get thrown at them, they had no choice but to retreat.


    However, despite retreating, the humans continued to follow them all the while nting bombs on the path that they took. Faced with a situation where they were unaware of the number of their enemies and their path being surrounded by bombs, the goblins had no choice but to retreat somewhere else.


    The ice goblins were only able to find a single path where they could pierce through. So, they concentrated their firepower over there and tried to break through.


    If they were given the time to think things a bit more thoroughly, they would have probably realized that this was also a trap. But the goblins were not given any time to think. Their rationality had almost been blown away from the anger, agitation and the urgent situation that appeared in front of them.


    They finally came back to their senses when disaster befell them.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Some of the goblins were caught in the explosion of the trap that they had dug in advance. The damage that they received increased further as their defenseless back was showered with a rain of bullets.


    ¨DHuman!


    The goblin red at Iron angrily but all it could see was Iron¡¯sugh.


    ¨DFilthy human bastard!


    The ice goblin let out a bloody roar as it struggled to survive at the expense of its subordinate. It knew better than anyone else that they would be wiped out if it stayed still like this. So it tried to live. It knew that its skills were insufficient to save its subordinates. But someone had to survive, pass on this information and wage a war against the humans for revenge.


    In the end, plenty of goblins died filled with hatred for the humans that attacked them.


    ¡°Is¡­ Is this right?¡±


    Corporal Charles spoke heavily as he watched the goblins roar desperately for revenge. Even the other corporals looked bitterly at the scene.


    ¡°Do you think I was too much?¡±


    The corporals couldn¡¯t say anything when Iron asked them. One might think that his methods were too much but the result was a sess and no matter what they did, they were their enemies.


    ¡°Think carefully. You can say that it¡¯s a creature before it was a monster and think that what I did was too much. But before all of that, they are our enemies. Furthermore, they are the bastards who bothered and pndered us with their gueri warfare. Can you even say that in front of your deadrades?¡±


    The corporals shut their mouths when they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°War is basically us carrying out and applying cruelty upon one another. We started a war in the Winter Mountains and we must win.¡±


    Iron looked up at the sky as he continued speaking.


    ¡°We must be willing to do anything to survive. The situation is already getting worse. If we stay still, annihtion will be greeting us in the future. We¡¯re not in a position where we can measure the morality of our each and every move.¡±


    Before they knew it, Iron¡¯s face that looked up at the sky was also filled with infinite bitterness.


    ¡°Even if we have to do all the underhanded and dirty tricks, we need to survive.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Charles wanted to ask Iron what future was waiting for them but when he saw the deep depression and bitterness that colored Iron¡¯s face, all that he could do was shut his mouth. The same was true for the other corporals.


    ***


    Notes


    [Gueri Warfare] ¨C a form of irregr warfare where a small group ofbatants attack using military tactics like ambushes, raids etc.


    [EEJ] ???? (ÒÔÒÄÖÆÒÄ) ¨C An idiom meaning control [defeat] the barbarians with barbarians. Basically, it means making use of the contradictions between factions to induce conflict and reduce each other¡¯s power. By reducing their power, you would be able to control/rule/defeat them. Idk if there¡¯s an english counterpart but from what I heard, the intemunity used EEJ as an abbreviation for the word. It¡¯s a bit simr to using poison to defeat poison ig.


    [Stay Concealed] ¨C The exact term that they used is ???? (kidobinic) which means to move secretly without leaving a trace or sound. ?? means attempt, invoke etc. The ?? is an abbreviation of ?? (secret) + ?? (concealed). It is often seen as an operational term in the military that they use during covert operations, ambushes etc. However, the term was added to the list of words that were selected for removal to eliminate the remnants of CN and JPN in their military vocab back in 2012.

 Chapter 48 - Turning The Winter Mountains Into A Mess (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(48)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>16 </b>Turning the Winter Mountains into a Mess (1)


    Shortly after Iron led the brutal ughter of the goblins, the ice goblins began to flock to the ce where they had just been earlier.


    ¨DKiiiik¡­


    The eyes of the white-skinned goblins were filled with anger when they saw the bodies of their tribesmen that had been cruelly killed. Just like what its subordinate had reported, the goblins had died brutally. It seemed like it was the truth. The nasty human pretended to be ordinary and lured them to their deaths.


    These clever monsters also had a bottom line. Even if they were enemies, they swore to not touch their enemies¡¯ children. But the nasty humans used this against them and killed them off.


    ¨DKiiiik¡­


    The ice goblin leader also wanted to use those nasty methods to kill the humans that crossed their bottom lines. At the same time, they would show these filthy humans that they did not use gueri warfare because they were weak.


    The leader vowed to take revenge as he shouted at itsrades.


    ¨DLet¡¯s get revenge for ourrades!


    ¨DLet¡¯s give those nasty and filthy humans the same pain they gave to us!


    ¨DLet¡¯s show them our greatness!


    Hearing their leader¡¯s cry, the fire in the eyes of the ice goblins started to ignite.


    The goblins used sorcery to share their emotions with one another. The anger that filled their bodies intertwined and got woven together with their mana which resulted in their power increasing twice.


    This sorcery could only be used under special conditions. It was something that could only be triggered if they suffered an injustice or their colleagues were killed outside thews that they had set in the Winter Mountains. They would burn the souls and the bodies of their deadrades and use their lingering desire for revenge to temporarily amplify their current strengths.


    As the sorcery took effect, the goblins¡¯ eyes started to turn red while their rationality slowly faded away. Only the leader maintained its sanity as it led the group of goblins forward.


    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±


    Corporal Charles reported as he watched the agitated goblin herd furiously rushing towards their location.


    ¡°Get ready.¡±


    The soldiers quickly ran to their positions upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    They had settled on one of the hills in the Winter Mountains and dug a pit there. The soil dug up had been ced in bags that they used to surround their makeshift camp. They even buried some bombs near the vicinity for added protection. Maintaining this position was essential for them to be able to counter the goblins¡¯ gueri warfare.


    ¡°Try to stop them from approaching as much as possible. We will have the advantage as long as we can establish this stronghold and keep it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s orders, Corporal Charles immediately bowed his head and ryed it to the other soldiers and corporals.


    The goblins, who were adept at hit-and-run tactics, were now fully agitated. And they were now going into an all-out war against them. However, even if this was the case, Iron and the soldiers made sure to upy the most advantageous terrain.


    Despite the records saying that goblins were weak, they were essentially monsters so receiving a few bullets would not kill them at all. So fighting an all-out war against them with their difficult gueri warfare for no reason at all would definitely turn the situation bad for the nearest guard post.


    However, everything would change if they had an overwhelming advantage. Just upying the most advantageous terrain would change the pattern of war and would give an added boost to their fire power. Even if they wouldn¡¯t die under the barrage of their bullets, they would still be stopped in their tracks if some of them died from getting hit by bombs.


    But if they were talking about variables in this war, then the ice goblins¡¯ ice magic was a huge variable.


    ¡°It¡¯s ice magic!¡±


    Corporal Charles hurriedly reported therge chunks of ice that started to fly towards their direction.


    Iron stepped forward in annoyance as he stared at the iing chunks of ice.


    Crack!


    As soon as he pulled out his sword, thergest chunk of ice had been cut down.


    The ice that flew towards them was not ordinary ice but ice created with mana. This meant that the ice would be more sturdy and durablepared to ordinary ice. If his soldiers got hit by such a huge block of ice, he was sure that they would most definitely die.


    ¨DSo¡­ it¡¯s you.


    When one of the goblins stared at Iron and spoke those words in humannguage, the ice goblins all turned their heads and red at him. The goblin leader¡¯s eyes even started to turn red bit by bit as it realized that Iron was the human who underhandedly killed its men.


    ¡°Maybe I should have gone for the snow goblins first?¡±


    Iron felt annoyed as he saw the chunks of iceing towards them on all sides.


    Snow goblins also used snow magic but they would just be like snow golems, who only threw snowballs, at best. Of course, their mobility was much better than the ice goblins. It was a bit harder to fight against snow goblins that also used gueri warfare while skiing all over the ce but in their current situation where they were stationed in a fixed ce, Iron felt that it was much morefortable to deal with snow goblins than ice goblins.


    ¡°Outpost leader!¡±


    Corporal Charles ran to help as he saw the goblins rushing straight towards Iron.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and do what you have to do!¡±


    Iron shouted as he concentrated the mana on his sword.


    A simple swing of his sword was able to cut down the goblins that rushed crazily towards him. He sent the head of the leading goblin flying with a sh as he continued to parry the attacks of the other goblins.


    The goblin that was right behind the leading goblin stopped in a daze as it looked incredulously at the boy in front. It couldn¡¯t believe that the boy¡¯s light mana sword could easily sh through their ice magic sword.


    However, the goblins, who were all elites of their tribe, quickly got back to their senses. They firmly believed that they would be able to easily kill such a young and inexperienced boy.


    sh, sh, sh!


    Unfortunately, the ice swords that they were proud of had been easily cut into two along with their heads.


    ¨DBastard, your sword¡­ has manapressed in it?


    Iron just smiled when the goblin leader asked him if he was already in the 4th Stage.


    ¨DUntil the very end, you¡¯re still deceiving us! Filthy human!


    The ice goblin leader roared as it created dozens of ice shards around its body. Seeing the dozens of ice shards that aimed at him, Iron raised his sword.


    ¡°You say it¡¯s filthy¡­ but didn¡¯t you bastards use this method together with your gueri warfare too?¡±


    ¨D¡­human.


    ¡°You just got caught because you guys are morons and you¡¯re being beaten right now because you don¡¯t understand. Isn¡¯t the one who suffers an attack in a war the foolish ones?¡±


    The ice goblin leader fired the ice shards when it heard Iron¡¯s questions. But Iron just cut them one by one while he moved forward and approached the ice goblin leader. However, even though the leader was not a full-fledged wizard, it was still able to create a strong and sturdy ice sword to fight against Iron.


    Baaaang!


    ¨DBaaaang!


    However, its sword was all for naught.


    When the goblin leader saw how easily Iron cut off the ice sword in its hands, it immediately stepped back and created an ice wall. It also created dozens of ice shards that aimed and shot at Iron.


    ¡°Clumsy.¡±


    ¨DKeuk!


    Iron swung his sword as he directly approached the dozens of ice shards that were firing straight at him. He alsounched his own sword attacks towards the ice goblin leader.


    The ice goblin leader couldn¡¯t avoid the dozens of sharp swords that attacked it. After all, Iron¡¯s sword had been swung to perfection thousands if not tens of thousands of times. In the end, it failed to protect itself as it sustained an injury on its shoulder. The ice goblin leader hurriedlyunched ice magic towards Iron as it cradled the arm that received the sh from Iron¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Toote.¡±


    ¨DCough!


    Iron opened his mouth as he watched the ice goblin leader vomit out blue blood after being stabbed straight through its stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset. I will send you yourrades soon.¡±


    ¨D¡­hu¡­man¡­


    ¡°I do have one question though.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, the ice goblin leader quickly shut its mouth. It stared at him with hateful eyes. It looked like it was determined to not divulge any important information to this nasty human.


    Iron stared at the ice goblin leader.


    He did not know about the other goblins but he was sure that this one would know something.


    Considering that the ice goblins were at the lowest level of the higher-ranked monsters and this one was the leader of this group of monsters, he assumed that it might know something about the current situation in the Winter Mountains.


    ¡°Do you know something about the disappearance of the divine beast?¡±


    The ice goblin leader smiled at Iron¡¯s question but it did not open its mouth to answer.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he saw the figure of the ice goblin leader. It seemed like it was telling him to find out about it by himself.


    These monsters would never tell humans anything. Even the monsters that he had dealt with and killed in his previous life kept their mouths tightly sealed and did not tell him anything important.


    ¡°Is it rted to a¡­ dimensional crack?¡±


    ¨DWho knows¡­


    The dying ice goblin leaderughed merrily at the clueless Iron.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly rted to the disappearance of the divine beast. And it must also be rted to a dimensional crack. Am I right?¡±


    ¨DFor a young human being, you¡¯re quite¡­


    Iron¡¯s expression stiffened when the ice goblin leader smiled at him with a look that was clearly telling him that his deductions were definitely usible.


    ¨DIf you¡¯re curious then catch our chief.


    Iron¡¯s expression turnedplicated as he watched the ice goblin leader take itsst breath after leaving those words behind.


    Now, he was sure that there was something going on in the Winter Mountains that they were still unaware of. And it seemed like it was also rted to what was happening in the entire Northeast.


    ¡®Something that I did not know of in my past life is happening right now.¡¯


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened when he thought that the monster wave in his previous life was not just a simple event.


    ¡°Do I have no choice but to torture the monsters to know more?¡±


    Iron mumbled these words to himself as he began to kill the ice goblins one after the other. The other soldiers also shot and cut off the heads of the ice goblins as they fought in closebat.


    When the ice goblins saw their leader die, they realized that the situation was not in their favor so they quickly retreated. Iron let go of the retreating ice goblins since they had already suffered enormous damage. Then, he quickly ordered his men to examine the bodies that were left behind.


    ¡°There¡¯s none.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The soldier next to him asked dumbly as if he had just mistaken Iron¡¯s words for something else.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Iron beckoned the soldier to continue what he was doing as they continued to examine the other bodies.


    However, there were no traces of contamination that was indicative of a monster wave. In other words, there were no traces of a dimensional crack. However, despite there being no traces of evidence of a dimensional crack, Iron still felt uneasy.


    The ice goblins showed a more diverse and extensive ice magic than normal. So, he decided to examine the bodies since he thought that their amplified power had been caused by contamination of polluted mana, a phenomenon that was usually caused by a dimensional crack.


    But even after examining all the bodies, there were still no traces of contamination even in their skin and flesh. However, he was sure that they had exhibited the characteristic of a monster wave, albeit only being expressed briefly, just like what was in the records from before.


    ¡°What is it¡­¡±


    Iron looked through the corpses of the ice goblins seriously.


    At first nce, one might think that their enhanced magic powers were thanks to their mana circuit widening from the natural flow of mana but there was some sort of strange energy that he had felt from their amplified ice magic. Especially when he fought the ice goblin leader earlier. He was sure that he felt that strange energy despite it being a bit weak. If he did not have the experience that he had gained in his previous life, he would have definitely ignored it. However, thanks to that experience, he was able to grasp this faint and weak energy.


    His uneasiness was even heightened further after hearing the words that the ice goblin leader had left him before its death.


    ¡°Is it possible that it¡¯s not a regr dimensional crack?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked at the peak of the Winter Mountains.


    It was obvious that the water under the bridge was murky and turbid but Iron was feeling annoyed and restless since he did not know anything about it. For him, there was nothing more annoying than being the only one unaware of the things that were happening around him.


    ¡°If Ib through the Winter Mountains, then I¡¯ll be able to find out about it.¡±


    After they had finished their first battle in the dangerous Winter Mountains, Iron gave his soldiers a break before beginning the reconnaissance and scouting work around the area. At the same time, they also started infiltrating the snow goblin¡¯s territory.


    The silver wolves would not be agitated with just a few ice goblins so they needed to lure in more. They had to draw out various goblin tribes including the ice goblins, the snow goblins and the white goblins. And it wasn¡¯t limited to them alone, even the other monsters in the area had to be stimted and agitated.


    ¡°I have to find out about it even if I have to make a mess out of the Winter Mountains.¡±


    Iron clenched his fists as he mumbled to himself.


    A faint figure could be seen appearing from afar. The figure could be seen nodding its head as if it was in approval of the direction that Iron was taking right now.


    ***


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 Chapter 49 - Turning The Winter Mountains Into A Mess (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(49)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>16 </b>Turning the Winter Mountains into a Mess (2)


    After dealing with the ice goblins, Iron moved hurriedly. He did not even give his soldiers time to rest. He knew that the battle must have been very exhausting but he still ordered his soldiers to move quickly. The soldiers also hadints in their hearts but they did not voice it out. They just moved silently under Iron¡¯s guidance. They knew full well that staying in this ce would make them a prime target for ice goblinster. It wasn¡¯t a ce that they could stay in any longer so they had to move regardless of their tiredness.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll first go to the snow goblins¡¯ territory.¡±


    ¡°Are we doing it just like we did earlier?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll have to do this crazy method for at least a week. That¡¯s the only way that we can find a gap to move.¡±


    Corporal Charles looked at Iron in doubt. He had an inkling that agitating and inducing a fight between the monsters were not their main task.


    ¡°Do we have another mission?¡±


    Iron nced at him for a moment. He was surprised at how quick-witted Charles was. He pondered for a while. He was thinking if he should exin it or not. In the end, all Iron could do was sigh as he opened his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The conflict between the monsters is not our main purpose.¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ Are we looking for something?¡±


    ¡°Something simr.¡±


    Iron stopped walking as he turned around and stared at the soldiers.


    ¡°Curious?¡±


    Everyone gulped when they heard Iron¡¯s question. They admit that they were all curious but for some reason they felt like they shouldn¡¯t ask for more and dig any more deeper.


    Iron grinned when he saw them with conflicting expressions.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for traces of dimensional cracks.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Literally what I said. We are confirming if there is a sign of a monster wave. That¡¯s our real purpose foring here.¡±


    Corporal Charles looked dumbfounded, from all of the answers that he was hoping to hear, he did not expect that something like that woulde out of Iron¡¯s mouth. Even the other corproals were shocked dumb at the words that they heard.


    Fear, trepidation and tension started to appear on the soldiers¡¯ faces when they heard the words monster waveing out of Iron¡¯s mouth. It was just the other day when they were wondering if there was something wrong about this mission that they were supposed to pioneer. But it seemed like they had been moving at the forefront of a mission that was both extremely important and extremely dangerous. A level of difficulty that was far higher than what they had initially expected.


    Just the other day, they felt like something was wrong when they heard that they would pioneer a new mission. But it seemed like they were at the forefront of a far more dangerous and extremely important mission than what they had initially expected.


    ¡°What we¡¯re looking for are monsters that have just the tiniest bit of contamination from dimensional cracks.¡±


    ¡°Then, does this mean that our toon is in danger?¡±


    The other corporals also nodded their heads when they heard Corporal Charles¡¯ question.


    Generally, monsters that have been contaminated by polluted mana from dimensional cracks would be strengthened and would show a force that was several times higher than their usual power. And if the monsters had been exposed longer, their mutations would develop and progress further giving them far stronger powers.


    The normal monsters in the Winter Mountains were already dangerous enough. And if they were going to deal with contaminated monsters, then they were sure that more than half of their toon would be seriously injured if not dead.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to search for the monsters that are generally in the outskirts of their territories. We can¡¯t go to the center anyway. Doing that will provoke an all-out war between humans and monsters.¡±


    Iron continued to speak as he stared at his soldiers.


    ¡°We might just be going through the outskirts but it¡¯s necessary that we stir up trouble and agitate the monsters. Only when they are in conflict with each other will we be able to find the contaminated monsters. Compared to what you have experienced so far, everything will be extremely difficult. Be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The soldiers answered Iron loudly with a determined look on their faces. Iron looked at his men with satisfaction when he saw their firm will.


    And from that day, Iron, who was covered with the blood of the monsters, stimted and agitated the monsters in the Winter Mountains¡¯ dangerous areas by ughtering the goblins and other monsters like a madman.


    ***


    The dangerous areas of the Winter Mountains was a ce that even the special search unit was reluctant to enter. In fact, the military wanted to maintain the status quo but the high-ranking people did not want to cause problems by themselves by poking the ho¡¯s nest for no reason at all. Perhaps this was the reason why they were all so reluctant to enter the dangerous areas of the Winter Mountains.


    toon missions. Company missions. Battalion missions. Even with all these missions, none of them dared to touch that ce unless something big happened. But right now, an outpost leader was poking the ho¡¯s nest. They assumed that since this was the outpost leader¡¯s first outing to eat jjambap, he unintentionally touched the ho¡¯s nest.


    Naturally, all the other outpost leaders wereining. However, the 2ndpanymander kept his mouth shut even though the 4th outpost leader was an officer under hismand. But, even though he kept his mouth shut, he still couldn¡¯t understand what was going through the young outpost leader¡¯s head.


    At first he thought that he was overdoing it to make his merits and deeds stand out but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. This was because he had seen that they were thoroughly going through the boundary of the outskirts of the dangerous area while stimting the monsters. But what was even crazier was the fact that the search unitmander had approved this missionpletely.


    ¡°What does this mean? Isn¡¯t he stimting the monsters for no reason at all?¡±


    ¡°This is the reason why our troops are being affected, right?¡±


    ¡°Someone file aint to the search unitmander!¡±


    ¡°A few days have already passed!¡±


    The other officers were also in support of stopping Iron¡¯s crazy operations through their connections. At first, only the 1stpanymander was dissatisfied. It was only natural since the monsters that had been stimted had been making things difficult for theirpany. However, the dissatisfaction slowly spread towards the other outpost leaders.


    This was because they were causing trouble not only in the ice goblins¡¯ territory but even the other goblin territories including the snow goblins and the white goblins. They kept on poking one ce after the other. But the cherry on top that made them explode in anger was when they also stirred up the anger of the frost bears. As a result, the nearby silver wolves had been stimted to fight too. And now, the dangerous areas had been turned into an open field of mayhem.


    And because of this, the other outpost leaders became dissatisfied. It was not only the 1stpanymander¡¯s outposts that were ced in danger. Even the other outposts had been ced in danger.


    Naturally, the 1stpanymander wouldn¡¯t sit still as he watched this unfold. He immediately sent a letter of protest to the 2ndpanymander. But the 2ndpanymander avoided responsibility and said that this was under the directmand of the search unitmander.


    Receiving this reply from the 2ndpanymander, the 1stpanymander was given a justification to visit the special search unitmander. He confidently moved forward. After all, even the 2ndpanymander was openly showing his dissatisfaction with the 4th outpost leader¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Captain Paulo saluted stiffly when Special Search Unit Commander Carl Gustav greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Sit down. Bring two cups of tea over here.¡±


    An officer quietly went outside and closed the door after hearing the special search unitmander¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alright. Why did youe to find me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the 4th outpost leader.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Gustav frowned when he heard 1st Company Commander Paulo¡¯s words.


    ¡°Because of the toon mission?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The 4th outpost leader is stimting the monsters under the pretext of the toon mission. That¡¯s why the 1stpany¡¯s outpost leaders are dissatisfied.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the reason why the 4th outpost leader had to exin? I could have sworn that you already know?¡±


    Captain Paulo¡¯s face hardened when he heard Gustav¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Yes. But that doesn¡¯t make sense at all. They said that they were stimting the monsters to investigate their numbers and the changes in the areas for any monster invasion. But there wasn¡¯t any sufficient evidence.¡±


    ¡°That might be the case as of now, but it¡¯s true that the monsters have been showing abnormal behaviors in recent years. We need to investigate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s at a level that can happen asionally. If you look at it on a yearly basis, you can see that there isn¡¯t that much difference from the previous years. The entire search battalion cannot take any risks just because of those small changes.¡±


    Hearing Captain Paulo¡¯s words, Gustav remained silent. However, he looked at him firmly as he raised the teacup that the officer had brought over.


    Captain Paulo thought that the special search unitmander was struggling with his thoughts since he remained silent. So he opened his mouth again to bring him back to the topic at hand.


    ¡°I know that there¡¯s an abnormality in the Northeast but I think that this response is too much for that small change.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes! You have to call for the 4th outpost leader right now!¡±


    Gustav rubbed his chin as he thought for a moment when he heard Captain Paulo¡¯s words.


    ¡°You should wait for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes? But¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The special search unitmander made Captain Paulo shut up with just a word as he looked at the clock with his chin on his hands. He looked like he was waiting for something.


    Seeing this, Captain Paulo couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head in confusion. It was because he did not know what the hell they were waiting for. He knew that he would have been sent out already if this was something personal or it was unrted to him but he was sure that this was rted to the situation at hand since he was allowed to stay here.


    After experiencing about 10~30 minutes of ufortable silence¡­


    ¡°Special Search Unit Commander!¡±


    ¡°Is it the 2nd Company Commander?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. There was a red re!¡±


    Hearing the officer¡¯s report, Gustav removed his hand from his chin as he stared at the 1stpanymander.


    ¡°Is it¡­ the 4th outpost leader¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a request for help.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I knew it! The 4th outpost leader has driven the soldiers to a fire pit!¡±


    When Captain Paulo spoke foul words, Gustav frowned and gave the 1stpany an order.


    ¡°The 1st Company Commander should gather all of hispany members right now to dispatch to the dangerous areas. We willmence the battalion missions from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Captain Paulo stared at Gustav with a dumbfounded look when he heard his orders. He felt strange when the battalion missions wereunched instead of a support mission for the 4th outpost leader.


    ¡°The operation name is Winter Mountains Search. The 2ndpany will take the lead while the 1st and 3rdpanies will act as support.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ What do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I meant what I said. The 4th outpost leader had done a great job in doing the order that I gave him. So I will beunching the battalion mission as the battalionmander.¡±


    ¡°B¡­ But the dangerous areas¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you disobeying my orders?¡±


    Captain Paulo¡¯s body stiffened when Carl Gustav gave him a hard and cold look. This result was inevitable since Gustav¡¯s momentum was beyond the 5th Stage. His force could easily tie him up and make him choke on his seat.


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    ¡°Then follow my orders right away!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Captain Paulo immediately went outside when he saw Carl Gustav¡¯s cold expression.


    ¡°Operations¡¯ officer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Battalion Commander!¡±


    ¡°Is there no news from the 2ndpany?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s none sir!¡±


    The special search unitmander nodded lightly as an answer to the officer and beckoned him to leave. Gustav sat on his chair with his legs crossed as soon as the door closed.


    ¡°Did I expect too much?¡±


    Carl Gustav looked disappointed.


    This achievement was already a huge one but this could only be considered as huge at the level of an outpost leader. He had hoped that his mission as a Ghost would pay off tremendously but it seemed like he was thinking too much.


    ¡°Well. if we search then we¡¯ll find it. My pride is probably hurt because I put too much trust into a young officer¡­¡±


    Carl Gustav gulped down his tea before standing up and preparing for battle.


    While the special search unitmanderunched the battalion mission to answer the support request that was fired by the 4th outpost leader, Iron, the person who requested the support, was still busy looking for something in the dangerous area.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ My goodness, it¡¯s so hard to find.¡±


    Corporal Charles approached the mumbling Iron, who was looking at the snow-covered peak.


    ¡°Are you looking for something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°But if it¡¯s about the traces of the dimensional crack, didn¡¯t we find it already?¡±


    ¡°Not that one. I¡¯m talking about something else.¡±


    Iron said this as he looked at the distant scenery in the Winter Mountains. There, he could see the figure, which was much clearer now than before, staring back at him. The figure, which resembled a bird, continued to stare at him as it guided the way forward.


    He had followed and chased the goddamn bird and ended up all the way here. Unfortunately, a lot of his soldiers received injuries ranging from light to fatal during the process.


    Of course, their sacrifices weren¡¯t in vain. They had finally secured enough evidence to prove that there were signs of a monster wave in this ce. They were able to sessfully find traces of deterioration caused by contaminated mana from the monster corpses that they have gathered after dealing with the snow goblins, white goblins, snow foxes, giant white bears and ice trolls countless times.


    At first nce, one would assume that these traces were nothing significant. However, Iron was convinced that the dimensional crack was the reason why he felt that strange energy. Considering the fact that this energy that he felt always apanied misfortune in his previous life, he was sure that this was truly caused by a dimensional crack that would cause a monster wave. Especially when he clearly felt the energy from the monster corpses.


    ¡°I think we need to split from here?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Charles was flustered when Iron suddenly talked about splitting ways.


    ***


    Notes


    [Operations¡¯ officer] ¨C officers that manages the operations of a militarymand and looks after the mission operations. Afaik, they¡¯re in charge of nning.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 50 - Turning The Winter Mountains Into A Mess (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(50)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>16 </b>Turning the Winter Mountains into a Mess (3)


    ¡°Outpost leader?¡±


    Iron smiled when he saw how dumbfounded Charles was.


    ¡°Corporal Charles, stay here and wait for the arrival of the vice outpost leader. And when thepanymanderes, make sure to report the things that I have said earlier.¡±


    ¡°Where will you be going, outpost leader?¡±


    Iron nodded subtly at Charles¡¯ question.


    ¡°I have to do another mission.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you will be doing it alone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron did not mind Charles¡¯ incredulous look as he started packing immediately.


    ¡°Give the troops a break and don¡¯t move from here. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Outpost leader! Please take some corporals with you!¡±


    ¡°They will only get in my way. Besides, you need all of the corporals with you to manage and help the injured.¡±


    Iron nced at the injured soldiers while he continued to pack. They had suffered tremendously as they followed him. He dared not bring them along especially when he knew how dangerous the areas thaty ahead were.


    Charles also looked at the soldiers. He could see that all of them suffered from exhaustion and injuries from the battles that they continuously fought. Their situation was so dangerous that they would not be able to prepare for an emergency if just one corporal went out ofmission. Charles also couldn¡¯t refute Iron¡¯s words. After witnessing his strength, he was fully aware that all of them would truly just get in his way.


    ¡®The 4th Stage¡­¡¯


    Iron¡¯s mana sword might look weak on the outside but it was a sword that could easily cut through a goblin¡¯s ice sword and a giant white bear¡¯s thick skin in just one strike.


    At first they strongly insisted that he was still at the 3rd Stage but when he saw him slicing through the ice troll¡¯s thick neck, they were forced to admit that his power was already beyond that level His proficiency in handling mana was also leagues beyond theirs. Even if he wanted to insist that he brought someone with him, he was forced to admit that he and the rest of the corporals were just a thorn in his way. How could they help if they weren¡¯t anywhere near his level? This was also the reason why the knights and the rangers preferred to move by themselves.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I understand. Please take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Our mission is now over so don¡¯t be reckless and make sure to wait here. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡° Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron nodded his head when he saw Charles giving him an answer straight away. He also gave him additional orders like an <b>overly worried mother hen</b>.


    ¡°Good. Keep the monster corpses contaminated by the dimensional crack safe and make it your top priority. Remember that this is the most important thing in our current mission.¡±


    ¡°I will always keep it in mind!¡±


    ¡°Good. I will trust you, Corporal Charles.¡±


    Iron immediately left after he entrusted the security of the corpses of the goblins and the corpse of the giant white bear to Corporal Charles.


    He ventured deeper into the dangerous areas after leaving the injured soldiers behind. However, Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw that the translucent bird was still urging him to move forward despite him already going beyond the silver wolves¡¯ territory. He was fully aware that he couldn¡¯t move forward with just his skills alone.


    The territory in front of him was home to the white wyverns, one of the most dangerous monsters in the entire Winter Mountains. This was something that was already beyond his level. Even the territory next to it was even more troublesome. It was the territory of the cold wings, a monster that was impossible to hunt even if one was at the 6th Stage.


    ¡°¡­Should I call for them?¡±


    Iron contemted for a while before firing a blue re to the sky. It seemed like there was nothing else he could do but call for support.


    And just like that, a color opposite to the red re earlier soared in the sky.


    Iron turned to look at the blurry figure of the bird that stared at him from afar after shooting the blue re in the sky. The closer he approached the area, the clearer the image of the bird that was looking at him from the sky.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re beyond this point, right?¡±


    The translucent bird nodded its head. It seemed like it had heard Iron¡¯s mumbles. All Iron could do was sigh when he saw the bird agreeing to him.


    His intuition was telling him that whatever was happening was definitely rted to the missing phoenix. The problem was that his intuition was also telling him that he should never go beyond this point. In the end, all Iron could do was sigh as he set up a tent and waited for support toe.


    However, Iron felt a suspicious energy charging towards him from afar. He instinctively stopped his movements and pulled out his sword to defend.


    Baaaang!


    His sword blocked the attack but he was easily pushed back. It was just a single hit but it had already sent him flying and spitting out blood.


    When he stood up, he saw a being covered in a ck robe and holding a huge scythe.


    Iron frowned when he saw the state of his sword. It was a sword that contained mythril but there were already cracks after receiving a single blow from his opponent. Even his firm andpressed mana sword was dispersed in that one hit. This meant only one thing¡­ The opponent in front of him was not someone that he could fight on his own.


    His expression distorted as he stared at the ck robed being. He could sense a strange energying off of the being. It was something that he had not felt when he was fighting against the monsters before. He felt a bad feeling from this energy. It was different from the energy the mysterious bird was emitting but it was also an energy that he had felt in his previous life.


    ¡°The energy from a dimensional crack?¡±


    The moment he realized that the energy that he was feeling was from contaminated mana, notifications began to ring in Iron¡¯s ears.


    ¨D For the first time, a user has faced a creature from the void. You will receive special rewards as a privilege for being the first to discover such an entity.


    ¨D The rewards will be withheld. You will only receive the rewards once you cleared the Winter Mountains Quest.


    [ Identify the unknown danger lurking in the Winter Mountains and solve it. ]


    <b>Rewards</b>: Unknown.


    Iron frowned and lifted his sword as the notifications rang one after another in his ears.


    Bang!


    Like the reaper of death, the ck robed being appeared right in front of him while swinging the scythe in its arms.


    Iron was able to sessfully block the attack but the power difference was so big that he was thrown back from the impact of the collision. The force was so strong that he ended up being stuck on one of the trees.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±


    Iron threw away his half-broken sword while coughing up blood.


    He quickly rolled around and evaded the huge scythe that flew towards him.


    sh!


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the scythe cutting down the gigantic rock covered with ice in a single strike.


    ¡°Where did such a monster¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression was distorted even further. He realized that the being in front of him was not a monster. However, he was sure that he had not seen this being in his previous life.


    He quickly pulled out his Ghost-only sword as he hurriedly rolled around and dodged the scythe that was in close pursuit.


    ¡°Of all things¡­¡±


    Iron gritted his teeth as he red at the scythe-wielding ck robed being. He felt so mad and frustrated at the thought of gambling with his own life on the line once again. He was already sick of it after experiencing it countless times in his previous life.


    He knew that even if the Ghosts moved fast, it would still take them at least 10 minutes to get here. However, he had already gauged his chances. With the huge difference in skills, it was extremely difficult for him to hold out even for just a few minutes.


    Thwack!


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Iron immediately pped a mana stone on his chest. This method should only be used in emergencies and Iron deemed this situation to be that dire. Cold energy red up as soon as the mana stone was pped on his chest. The energy floated and covered his entire body as it agitated and made his mana boil. The mana stones that he used to dope himself up was the purified mana stone that he got from hunting the goblins and the giant white bears.


    He quickly infused andpressed the mana that boiled over in his sword.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Cold wind began to blow around him as cold breath left his mouth.


    The huge scythe spun and flew straight towards Iron¡¯s neck.


    Iron quickly swung hispressed mana sword and redirected the scythe¡¯s orbit. However, his move was something that would not work on his opponent. After all, his opponent had a much higher level than himself. Although the scythe¡¯s orbit was momentarily redirected, it still spun and turned around again. However, instead of aiming for Iron¡¯s neck, it was now aiming to cut him into two.


    Bang!


    ¡°Ughh¡­¡±


    Iron clenched his teeth. He sessfully blocked the attack while barely managing to hold his position. He quickly took a step back and escaped from the orbit of the scythe.


    Crack¡­


    Iron dumped all of his overflowing mana into hispressed sword. There was an overabundance of mana that the sword hovered while frost covered its surface.


    However, no matter how much mana he had now, he would still hit a limit. The opponent he was facing off against was a being that was several levels above him. In the end, Iron reached his limits. His body staggered and swayed after he barely evaded the scythe¡¯s attack. He eventually fell down in front of the ck robed being as he faltered in his steps.


    The ck robed being slowly raised the scythe to finish him off.


    Baang!


    Iron raised his mana sword as he received the scythe directly. Fortunately, a miracle had happened. He was able to avoid a death crisis thanks to all of his overflowing mana being pushed into his sword.


    The cold attributed mana that filled his sword to the brim held out strongly just like the strong steel that he had envisioned from the very beginning. It even encroached upon the scythe that mmed straight onto his sword. His mana sword expressed the hardness and the coldness of a thousand year cold iron, something that could only be seen in modern martial arts texts, and finally deflected the scythe.


    However, miracles would only happen once.


    The scythe immediately flew back towards Iron.


    But since he had already blocked the scythe once using all of his strength, there was no way that Iron could stop the scythe¡¯s attack anymore. Despair filled him as he watched the scytheing straight towards him.


    At that moment, space suddenly distorted and cracked in front of Iron. Then, two beams of light flew towards the ck robed being.


    Shiiiiiiing!


    Perhaps it was because the ck robed being was caught off guard that it flew back after receiving those two beams of light that suddenly attacked him.


    ¨DTweet!


    Tiny Baepsae flew and perched on top of the bloody Iron¡¯s head as it quickly pecked his head with its small beak to begin the healing and recovery of his battered body.


    Owl also flew right next to him and looked at him as if he was pathetic.


    ¨DHoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot!


    Owl started scolding Iron. Owl hooted loudly as it asked him if he neglected his training since he was too weak. It scolded him saying that he was too weak that it couldn¡¯t stop just one being and even forced them toe out when its own body was still not yet fully recovered.


    Baepsae even joined in and scolded him for not taking care of his body properly and rolling around recklessly.


    ¨DTweet!


    ¨DHoot!


    All Iron could do was smile bitterly as he epted the angry scolding of his two divine beasts. Thanks to them, he was able to stand on his own two feet again albeit with the support of his sword.


    Owl was speaking with a rxed tone but it had told him that their odds of winning were still low. It knew full well that they couldn¡¯t win against that being since it hade out with its strength not yet fully recovered.


    However, the three of them knew that they needed to fight. So they fought. Anyway, Iron could still support Owl with his divine power since they had already signed a contract. However, even if Iron supplied Owl with his divine power, it was still not enough. Even if Owl had rested for months, there would still be some restrictions and limitations on its body since it was still not yet fully recovered.


    Because of this, Owl was not able to exert its full power as they fought against the ck robed being.


    ¨DHoot!


    When Iron saw that Owl received an injury, he immediately tried to move his mana to help. But before he could start, Baepsae smacked him on the head and blocked him from doing anything.


    ¨DTweet!


    ¡°But Owl¡­¡±


    ¨DTweet, tweet!


    Iron quickly broadened his senses and increased the range of his detection after hearing Baepsae¡¯s words.


    Then, someone flew past Iron and attacked the ck robed being. A huge shockwave erupted from the collision. But just as the shockwave was about to hit Iron, a familiar figure appeared and cut it off with his sword.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Lintel Verner, the person who brought him here, smiled as he stood in front of Iron.


    ¡°He¡¯ll probably have a hard time dealing with it alone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if he looks like that, he¡¯s still 2nd among all of the Ghosts.¡±


    Lintel smiled and told Iron to not worry about it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look around like that. If something shows up, I¡¯ll deal with it. Drink this and focus on your recovery.¡±


    Lintel handed a potion to Iron as he looked around sharply.


    ¡°That guy¡­ You must catch him.¡±


    ¡°I know. I can tell that he¡¯s suspicious so we can¡¯t let him escape.¡±


    Lintel grinned as he answered Iron.


    ¡°That bastard is not going to survive.¡±


    Shadows of figures began to appear one by one as soon as those words left Lintel¡¯s mouth. When all of them appeared, Iron saw the figure of a familiar man smoking a cigarette standing in the center of the group.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    The person who appeared and said the same thing as Lintel said earlier, was the special search unitmander, Carl Gustav.


    ¡°You¡¯ve discovered a big shot.¡±


    ¡°That guy told me.¡±


    Carl frowned.


    Iron was looking at the figure of the bird that was still staring at him from afar. However, the figure waspletely invisible in Carl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Is it over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°That means we have to drill through that ce.¡±


    Iron nodded solemnly when he heard Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    Carl smiled as he looked at the other Ghosts. There were five Ghosts, including Lintel, and they were all staring at Iron.


    ¡°Did you hear that? It seems like we need to break through that ce?¡±


    The Ghosts smiled upon hearing Carl¡¯s words. All of them looked rxed.


    No matter how strong they were at the 5th Stage, those were still ces where the white wyverns and the cold wings stayed at. It was still an area where they could possibly face annihtion with just this small number of people.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to kill the monsters?¡±


    Iron nodded at one of the Ghosts¡¯ question.


    ¡°All we have to do is pass through. But¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a high probability that more of those guys would be there, right?¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    There was a high probability that someone who was at a level where the 2nd in the Ghosts couldn¡¯t handle would appear.


    ¡°I think we should fire up a green re.¡±


    Carl stared at the Ghosts as he said those words.


    ¡°Do you agree to fire up the green re?¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    However, Iron, who did not know what they were talking about, just watched the situation unfold while staring at them nkly.


    Then, all of the Ghosts turned to look at Iron.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t exin to him what the green re meant?¡±


    Carl red at Lintel but Lintel just asked back. Both of them thought that the situation was absurd.


    ¡°But I thought that the captain would exin it?¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    After Carl criticized Lintel for not exining things while they were on their way here before, he turned to Iron and exined.


    ¡°It is the Ghost¡¯s authority that we can use whenever there¡¯s something that we can¡¯t solve with our own strength and power.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the authority that is only given to us. It is used when there is a need for a power that can sweep the entire area. I don¡¯t know about the others but maybe there¡¯s also a simr authority in other regions with secret forces like us.¡±


    ¡°Is it¡­ like a bomb?¡±


    Carl Gustav shook his head when Iron spoke about something that was familiar to him.


    ¡°It varies from region to region. From what I heard, the West has dozens ofrge ships, the East has an area that was filled with bombs and the South could call for great wizards that can userge-scale magic.¡±


    ¡°The Center¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a ce with a lot of secrets¡­¡±


    Iron nodded heavily. He firmly agreed with Carl Gustav¡¯s words about the Center. This was a bone-deep fact that he had felt in his previous life. The Center, where the Imperial Pce was located, was a ce that had plenty of secrets hidden behind the dark.


    Then, Iron gulped as he asked¡­


    ¡°What about¡­ the Northeast?¡±


    ¡°Calling a master.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s like a 1-day license for the Northern Commander.¡±


    ¡°Not the Northeastern Commander¡­ but the Northern Commander?¡±


    Carl Gustav nodded.


    ¡°The Northeastern Commander is busy so we need to call the leisurely Northern Commander.¡±


    The power to wipe out an area. Although they were called with a simple title like Master, this feat was possible with their strength. Carl smiled when he saw Iron¡¯s nk stare.


    ¡°So¡­ Do you agree?¡±


    Iron nodded nkly when he heard Carl¡¯s question.


    After seeing him nod, Carl took out a magic tool from the belt on his waist and fired up a green re.


    ***


    Notes


    [overly worried mother hen] ¨C The exact term was ???. It means excessive solicitude. A state where they would feel overly worried and anxious about other¡¯s business. It seemed like they use it as an idiom for deeply worried.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 51 - Phoenix Rescue Operation (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(51)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>17 </b>Phoenix Rescue Operation (1)


    The Ghosts started to move in earnest once they had confirmed that the green re had been fired to the sky.


    Since they were all powerhouses that sat firmly on the 5th Stage, they could easily overpower the ck robed beings that stopped them once they went all out.


    The 2nd among the Ghosts easily let out dozens of sword attacks and tied up their ck robed enemy. Coupled by Lintel¡¯s extremely fast swordsmanship and the Ghosts¡¯ pressure, the ck robed being that wielded a scythe was forced into a dead end.


    Iron watched as faint sword lights from their swords aimed for the gap in the reaper¡¯s movements. Their attacks resulted in the opponent¡¯s robe being torn off while receiving plenty of injuries.


    As he watched them fight, he could see that the Ghosts¡¯ swordsmanship was different from one another. Each of their swords had fully shown their individuality. One used a brilliant and shy swordsmanship that blocked the enemy¡¯s vision while the other used a dark sword that came down heavily from the sky.


    ¡®Is this the power of a 5th Stage powerhouse?¡¯


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself as he stared at their swords that contained their individual characteristics. He looked like he was really envious of them.


    This was a stage that he had achieved in his previous life. However, even if he had reached this stage back then he was still envious of these people. After all, they were people who had tremendous power after fully awakening to the 5th Stage. At the very least, they had a power that waspletely different to someone who had ipletely climbed to that stage after embedding the fragment of the heart of a fire dragon in their bodies, someone like him.


    ¡°Jealous?¡±


    Iron nodded bitterly when he heard Carl Gustav¡¯s question.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. As long as you live as a Ghost you¡¯re bound to climb up on that stage sooner orter.¡±


    Carl Gustav reminded him not to be too hasty as he continued to check the situation of the surroundings and the gradually ending battle.


    Around 10 minutester¡­


    ¡°Right. I thought something would definitely pop out.¡±


    Carl¡¯s sword left its sheathe as soon as he finished speaking. A powerful sword strike flew out with just a simple swing of his sword in the air. Surprisingly, it hit something that seemed to be stealthily approaching them.


    Bang!


    ¡°Quite good.¡±


    Carl Gustav just lightly swung his sword to test the waters but when he realized that he did not hurt his opponent at all, he realized that his opponent was quite strong. So, he began to move earnestly.


    Twin swords appeared and flew in to answer his attacks. Carl Gustav quickly raised his sword and deflected the iing attack. A powerful shockwave burst forth as soon as their swords collided.


    When Iron saw Carl¡¯s movements he could see that they were seamless and natural. It was as if his body was one with his sword. In addition, there were powerful shockwaves that exploded whenever his sword collided with his enemy.


    ¡°6th Stage?¡±


    Iron mumbled nkly.


    But the longer he watched, the more his eyes could see that Carl had still not achieved the perfect 6th Stage. However, his strength at this level was already more than enough.


    The ck robed being that wielded the twin swords was starting to get pushed back by Carl¡¯s offense. Thanks to the shockwaves produced by their collision, the robe that covered the mysterious being was slowly being torn to shreds.


    ¨DTweet!


    Iron wanted to move and try something to see clearly. But Baepsae had already pecked him strongly on his head and stopped him from moving before he could do so. Even Owl pped its wings and settled on his shoulder while hooting loudly to criticize Iron for his stupidity.


    ¨DHoot, hoot, hoot, hoot!


    Iron had no choice but to sit down and calmly scan his surroundings when Owl began his tirade of rebuke. He listened quietly as it told him that it did not have the intention of using its ability to help him out.


    By that time, Lintel had already fallen back and approached Iron.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°With that body? I think even your divine beast got hurt though?¡±


    Iron shut his mouth when he heard Lintel¡¯s words. Lintel ruffled Iron¡¯s hair when he saw him acting so stubbornly.


    ¡°At times like this, you should just sit back and trust your seniors. You¡¯re already a new junior who has made a great contribution so we have to do this. Look at it from your seniors¡¯ point of view.¡±


    Lintel turned to look at the battle that was graduallying to an end.


    They could see that the being that wielded the scythe while covered with a ck robe was a being that had pointed ears. The mysterious being was none other than a dark elf. Even the being that Captain Ghost Carl fought was also a dark elf.


    ¡°Dark elf¡­¡±


    Iron and Lintel both had somber expressions as they mumbled to themselves.


    He had heard in his past life that dark elves had also appeared at some point but he had little to no information about them.


    ¡®Dark elves appearing in this situation?¡¯


    The two of them looked like they had extraordinary skills. But the longer Iron stared at them, the stronger his doubt became. He wondered why these two beings did not appear during the monster wave back then.


    ¡®Why is that so? With that level of skill¡­¡¯


    In his previous life, those who stood at the 5th Stage and above were great forces. People achieving the 4th Stage were toomon but climbing to the 5th Stage was extremely difficult to the point that they could already be considered as rare powerhouses.


    The rarest beings, the masters and those at the 6th Stage were strong powerhouses. Once someone became a master, they would immediately be amander while those who reached the 6th Stage would either be generals or special unitmanders.


    So, how about the 5th Stage? If those at the 5th Stage ate just a bit more jjambap, they would immediately be given a sweet promotion and be a colonel. But if they tried hard enough, they could even get discharged with some stars.


    These just show how incredibly important those at the 5th Stage and above were to the military and to an area¡¯s force. So, knowing that these two dark elves were absent during the monster wave made Iron doubtful.


    Iron continued to ponder solemnly as he watched the fight end.


    Fortunately, the Ghosts were able to suppress the dark elf that wielded a scythe. They even went and helped Carl to suppress the other dark elf.


    In fact, they would have already finished earlier if they had killed them. But their mission was keeping them alive and only overpowering them so it took a longer time. After all, they had to suppress their power so they would not kill them identally.


    ¡°We¡¯vepleted our mission.¡±


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    Carl nodded his head and praised the Ghosts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take those guys for interrogation¡­¡±


    But before he could finish his words, Carl felt something. He immediately swung his sword to parry what wasing their way.


    Bang!


    The huge shockwave blew Iron and the other Ghosts away. They all received some damage from the impact. However, the problem was not with Iron and the Ghosts who got pushed back.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Lintel shouted out in shock when he saw Carl vomiting out a mouthful of blood. The rest of the Ghosts looked horrified. They were shocked to see Carl getting injured with just one attack.


    Carl hurriedly gave out his order to the Ghosts.


    ¡°All of you, disperse!¡±


    All of the Ghosts scattered when Carl shouted his orders. Iron also grabbed the owl¡¯s foot and flew up in the air to avoid getting tangled with the being that attacked Carl.


    When he turned to look at the ground, he saw that the elves that the Ghosts had captured earlier had already staged a suicide and killed themselves.


    ¡°This crazy shit! Shit! Shit!¡±


    Lintel also ran away as he swore up and down at the situation that they were suddenly put in.


    When all of the Ghosts, including Carl, scattered and dispersed from the area, something quickly flew in and dropped before exploding like a bomb. It seemed like whoever was staging these attacks had already nned to crush the dark elves¡¯ bodies to make sure that they wouldn¡¯t find anything.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¡°Where the hell¡­¡±


    Even with the help of the owl who flew up quickly, Iron still failed to see the thing that flew in. However, what was certain was that it was a being that had enough destructive power to injure someone at the beginning stage of the 6th Stage like Carl Gustav.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they appear from the very start?¡±


    With that level of skill, it would have been better if they appeared right when the Ghosts were putting pressure on the dark elves. But they only appeared when the two were suffering and on the brink of being interrogated. Although the Ghosts had fully restricted their movements to prevent them from running away they were still able to stage a suicide. It seemed like the attack on Carl was just a pretext so the dark elves could have the time to kill themselves.


    No matter how hard he thought, he still found this situation to be strange.


    ¡°Think. Think.¡±


    The gears in Iron¡¯s head started to turn like crazy as he felt the pressure of this desperate and urgent situation.


    Why did a powerful being only emerge now? Because they think their subordinates are trivial? But it seems like their movement was made to protect their honor.


    ¡°Or they¡¯re hiding something.¡±


    The first and only other thing that Iron could think of was that they were hiding a huge secret. If that was the case, then it made sense that they only have enough time to buy their subordinates time tomit suicide.


    ¡°What if they were forced to move because they¡¯re in the middle of doing something important?¡±


    Were they trying to do something urgent and have to finish it as soon as possible but they were interrupted because of what I did?


    First, they tried to remove Iron as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, they failed to do so. Then, hisrades, the Ghosts, came and caught them because they did not expect their skill level. In such a situation, the dark elves that were captured were only given enough time to kill themselves and hide the information about the situation by the strong being instead of being saved. This meant that they were either hiding something or they were preparing for something that they couldn¡¯t be interrupted.


    What are they preparing?


    ¡°Are they trying to do something because they haven¡¯t prepared enough?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he hid behind a rock. It was difficult for Owl to fly for a long time since it had injured its wings and its mana was still not yet fully recovered so he had no choice but tond in a safe space.


    He lowered his body as his mind kept on turning.


    ¡°The dimensional crack? No way¡­¡±


    Iron raised his face as he looked at the white wyverns¡¯ territory incredulously. There, he looked at the blurry figure of the bird that was still staring at him.


    ¡°The dark elves are rted to the dimensional crack? What about the phoenix?¡±


    Iron continued to mumble as he worked the gears of his head once again. Then, a thought suddenly shed in his head.


    ¡°Is there any connection between the divine beast and the dimensional crack?¡±


    Iron turned to look at Owl and Baepsae to confirm this train of thought. The two of them nodded their heads silently.


    ¡°Ha! This crazy shit¡­ seriously?¡±


    When he finished his deductions, Iron¡¯s face was painted with absurdity.


    Meanwhile, Owl stroked Iron¡¯s head with its wings as if it was telling him that he had deduced things well. Baepsae also chirped and pecked his head to praise him for being smart.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at the sky as the two divine beasts praised him. The shock of the information was too great that he couldn¡¯te back to his senses at that moment.


    But he was forced toe back to his senses when Owl pinched his ears with its wings.


    ¨DHoot!


    Iron hurriedly gathered his senses when he heard Owl telling him to get his grip together. Baepsae also chirped in agreement before pecking his head to help him recover.


    ¡°Can you tell me more details?¡±


    Baepsae shook its head firmly when it heard Iron¡¯s question. Even Owl shook its head. They looked like they could not tell him anything more than this.


    In the end, he still needed to find things out by himself.


    ¡°Ha¡­ You¡¯re telling me that the monster wave is not everything. Right?¡±


    It seemed like the monster wave, which drove the continent to its destruction in his previous life, was just a huge fragment of the entire situation. There was a huge danger that was lurking on this continent that was far beyond the monster wave in intensity.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown when he realized the thing that he needed to block to survive had somehow grownrger and more dangerous.


    ¡°It¡¯s already so hard to block a monster wave, do I have to do something more than what I¡¯m doing now?¡±


    Iron was left speechless as frustration engulfed his being for a moment.


    He realized that this was a problem that could not be solved just by raising and nurturing the entirety of the North¡¯s power and avoiding the danger somewhere after.


    Even if he blocked the monster wave, if there was something that was far beyond that, then he would not be able to survive until his targeted end.


    ¡°Let me ask you onest thing. Is the dimensional crack that will cause the monster wave rted to the divine beasts?¡±


    Owl shook its head at Iron¡¯s question. It seemed like the connection between the divine beasts and the dimensional crack was only limited to the Winter Mountains.


    ¡°Then, what was the problem when I was at the academy? Was it rted to you?¡±


    This time Owl nodded its head.


    Iron was lost in thought when it saw Owl agreeing.


    ¡°Dimensional cracks appeared in the Northeast because the dark elves caused problems with the divine beasts.¡±


    As that thought brewed in his head, Iron slowly got up from his sitting position.


    ¡°Did you finish your conversation well?¡±


    Before he knew it, Carl Gustav and the rest of Ghosts appeared in front of him one by one.


    ¡°¡­Yes. Is your body alright?¡±


    ¡°We encounter something like this on a daily basis.¡±


    Iron looked relieved when he heard Carl tell him that everything was fine.


    ¡°More than that, I think we need to retreat.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to do that.¡±


    ¡°The opponents¡­¡±


    ¡°Are strong.¡±


    Carl nodded in agreement to Iron¡¯s words. He was admitting that he could not handle it on his own.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we called for a monster¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Please look over there.¡±


    Carl pointed at somewhere. Then, something fell down from above as a huge storm appeared and easily swept away the white wyverns¡¯ territory.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 52 - Phoenix Rescue Operation (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(52)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>17 </b>Phoenix Rescue Operation (2)


    Iron unknowingly let out a gasp of exmation. He couldn¡¯t help but be in awe at the shocking sight of a single sword strike creating a storm and sweeping the surrounding area.


    He had felt this in his previous life too, but at that time he believed that the existence of masters was already beyond the human realm.


    However, despite their unusually monstrous strength, these masters were also not some kind of superhumans. The schrs had concluded that the true superhuman were existences that went beyond that level and stood firmly on the grand master level.


    ¡®Looking at this¡­ it¡¯s obvious that a sound like that wille out from my mouth, right?¡¯


    Iron¡¯s head was nk as he stared at the scene.


    Masters were usually referred to as monsters. They were existences that stood at the peak of the human race. A one man army. Thest stage that a human could reach. The realm of monsters thaty beyond that of the realm of geniuses. All of these were words that described what a master was.


    And today, Iron had no choice but to agree that these words speak of the truth.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it still dangerous?¡±


    Iron turned to Carl Gustav.


    As soon as he asked, a strong and powerful ck beam of light, the same power that aimed for Carl Gustav, aimed for the master that was wreaking havoc with his storm sword.


    As a master, that person could easily deflect the attack of the dark elf that aimed at him. However, that wasn¡¯t all there was to it. Not only were the dark elves that hid deep within the Winter Mountains had indecipherable strength, there were also high-ranking monsters that lurked in all corners waiting for the right moment to pounce on him.


    Even though the master had an extremely powerful sword storm to the point that he could wreak havoc in the white wyverns¡¯ territory and even damage the cold wings¡¯ territory, it would still be too much for him to deal with both monsters and the dark elves lurking by the shadows all by himself. If that was possible, then Crimson Halo, the Northeastern Commander, would have already wiped them all out before.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why we called him?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t understand Carl Gustav. Carl smiled when he saw Iron¡¯s dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°Ghosts always pursue the perfectpletion of our operations. Do you think we¡¯ll only put all of our trust in one master in our strategy?¡±


    When Lintel saw that Iron still couldn¡¯t understand Carl¡¯s words, he spoke up to exin.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the Northern Commander.¡±


    Skeptical, Iron turned to look at the master that was causing a huge storm before him. Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he felt a familiar energy from within the storm.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s themander of the Northeast. And the person we called for is the Northern Commander.¡±


    Iron¡¯s gaze turned nk once again as he watched Crimson, a person who had reached the master level for quite a long time, unleash his power. He was unaware of the extent of Crimson¡¯s power since he had never seen him in his previous life. And there was no chance for him to see his power even after he came to the Northeast. Perhaps that was the reason why he was in awe at the sight in front of him.


    ¡°Storm Sword¡­¡±


    Lintel thought that Iron was cute when he saw him mumbling the name of the sword technique that the Northeastern Commander was using.


    ¡°The person that we called for is nowing over.¡±


    A drake appeared from the distant sky.


    Rays of light suddenly erupted from the sky and divided the storm that Crimson had created. Even Crimson added to the chaos and plunged his sword down. All of these created a huge shockwave that brought forth a massive avnche that swallowed the monsters in the vicinity.


    All of the people present couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at the masters¡¯ majesty. They were in awe at these strong people who could bring forth natural disasters with just a single move.


    ¡°Are all masters monsters?¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°The all high and mighty Billie Brandt agrees with me?¡±


    Billie Brandt, the 2nd in the rankings, nodded his head in agreement to Lintel¡¯s words.


    The two of them were usually at odds. But right at this very moment, they had no choice but to stand in agreement while staring awestruck at the masters.


    ¨DTweet!


    While everyone was staring at the two masters in a daze, Baepsae hurriedly tweeted and pecked Iron¡¯s head. It even pped its wings and flew to block Iron¡¯s view. Seeing Baepsae in front of him, Iron hurriedly gathered his hands and provided a ce where Baepsae could perch on.


    ¨DTweet, tweet, tweet!


    ¨DHoot.


    Baepsae told Iron that this was not the time for him to stare up in a daze. Owl even hooted and agreed with Baepsae.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¨DTweet!


    Baepsae used its tiny wings to point at the blurry figure of the bird from afar.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¨DTweet!


    Only then did Iron realize what Baepsae was trying to tell him. Remembering the reason why they were here, he tried to call out to Carl Gustav. However, the scene in front of him made him pause once again.


    ¡®Can I also reach that ce?¡¯


    When he had seen the masters¡¯ easily causing natural disasters, that thought shed in Iron¡¯s head. The scene in front of him was so spectacr that his mind flew away once again.


    Lightning fell and struck the white wyverns. The white wyverns roared and let out their breath while the cold wings appeared and hovered in the air above them. Even the dark elves tried to stay standing on the ground to resist and attack their enemies with their own power.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Carl asked the absent-minded Iron. Thanks to Carl¡¯s words, Iron finally woke up from his trance.


    ¡°Ah. Baepsae¡­ No, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Iron took a deep breath to untangle his twisted thoughts and regain his senses.


    ¡°I think we need to find the divine beast which is presumed to be the phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Find¡­¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t confirmed it yet but there seems to be a connection between the divine beast and the dimensional crack.¡±


    The Ghosts looked at Iron in confusion. Gustav had secretly listened to his conversation with his divine beasts earlier but it seemed like he did not hear everything since he was urging him to tell them more.


    ¡°I pondered about it earlier while we were running away.¡±


    Iron began to tell them the thoughts and pieces of evidence that he had considered while he was flying with Owl all the way here.


    The first thing that he exined was the reason why the dark elves were here. Then, he told them their association with the dimensional crack based on what he had inferred when theymitted suicide earlier. He also told them that he was confident that the divine beast and the dimensional crack was rted because he had received confirmation from Baepsae and Owl.


    ¡°Connection between the divine beast and the dimensional crack¡­ Interesting.¡±


    The other Ghosts also looked interested. They nodded their heads in agreement to Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    ¡°The divine beast contractor is truly more precious than a spiritualist.¡±


    Lintel smiled and expressed his interest while all the other Ghosts agreed.


    Although they did not explicitly show it, there were some Ghosts who were dissatisfied with Iron. He was someone who had not reached the 5th Stage yet, but he was brazen enough toe knocking on their door just because he was a rare divine beast contractor. Even if he was active in the academy and he had plenty of tactics and proposals that the Command had approved and disseminated, the Ghosts still believe that him joining them was extremely ridiculous.


    All of the members of Ghost were proud individuals. They were people who were next to none and had umted a lot of merits. They did not want someone so weak to join their ranks just because he had some rare power.


    However their prideful ideas werepletely overturned today. They had no choice but to admit his strengths. This young child in front of them had found clues about a dimensional crack, something that would cause a monster wave in the future, as well as its connection with the divine beast. These were achievements that none of the Ghosts could make even if they were strong.


    ¡°Hurry up and reach the 5th Stage.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Billie Brandt, the second among the Ghosts and the person that he had seen for the first time today, gave Iron a threatening re.


    Iron looked flustered when he was suddenly threatened like that. Lintel couldn¡¯t help but giggle as he exined Billie¡¯s inexplicable behavior.


    ¡°He¡¯s saying that he likes you. He wanted to tell you that people will stop saying useless things about your assignment to Ghost if you get to the 5th Stage. So, you should hurry up and climb quickly.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°In fact, he had just admitted that your skills and abilities are suitable for Ghost.¡±


    The other Ghosts also smiled faintly when they heard Lintel¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well then! Let¡¯s stop chatting¡­ From now on, follow my orders as Captain Ghost. Our operation name is ¡®Phoenix Rescue¡¯.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Carl Gustav.


    ¡°Where is the phoenix¡­ will the cute divine beast tell us the way?¡±


    Hearing Carl¡¯s question, Iron turned to look at Baepsae. Baepsae just tilted its head and pointed to the translucent bird that was staring at them from afar.


    ¡°I think that guy over there will tell us.¡±


    Carl frowned when he heard Iron¡¯s words. It was because he couldn¡¯t see what he was pointing at with his own eyes. Even the other Ghosts only saw air.


    So, all of them stared back at Iron in doubt.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ does that mean that we just have to follow the being that you suspect as the phoenix?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Iron was only barely able to hold back hisughter as he replied to Carl who was pointing his finger at nothing in particr while coughing in embarrassment.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start the phoenix rescue operation.¡±


    Carl began to draw on the ground as he started to exin the details of their operation.


    First off, they would go to the ce where the phoenix was believed to be located while avoiding the masters¡¯ fight. To do this, they needed to go up in the sky, a process which needed the help of drakes.


    When Carl blew a special whistle, the drake that carried the Northern Commander slowly descended to where they were.


    After they entered the ce where the phoenix was assumed to be, Iron would then guide them to where the phoenix was.


    The main focus of their n was to find the phoenix with only a small number of people. This was so they could still leave some Ghost behind to defend against attacks that would probablye their way.


    ¡°Group 1 would be me, Iron and Lintel. The rest would be in Group 2. You guys will focus on blocking the enemies.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The Ghosts answered Carl in unison.


    ¡°Good. Then, this is thest one.¡±


    Carl continued to exin the final part of their n.


    ¡°If a dangerous situation happens when we go to where the phoenix is, Iron will focus on escaping to the outside.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ all by myself?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Carl immediately answered Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. But as a Ghost, you have to prioritize your mission above all else.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Even if this operation kills all of us and you¡¯re the sole survivor. There wouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    ¡°There was also a time when I¡¯m the only survivor in an operation. However, the operation was sessful and there were numerous lives that had been saved because of it. And this operation is far more important than that operation.¡±


    Carl Gustav ced his hand on Iron¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°You have to keep in mind that the operationes first. Understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±


    Carl nodded in satisfaction when he received an affirmative from Iron.


    ¡°We¡¯ll carry out the operation now. It could prove to be an extremely difficult operation so make sure that your determination is at its fullest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of them answered immediately.


    Then, the drake knight, who was watching them from above, slowly lowered the drake.


    ¡°Please take care of us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    The drake knight knew that Carl was a Ghost so he couldn¡¯t help but gulp in nervousness.


    It was a bit too much for the drake to carry all of the Ghosts present today but when the drake knight considered that this was a very important mission, he did his best and forced the drake to carry all of the Ghosts. There were even Ghosts hanging on the drake¡¯s feet just so they could all move through the air.


    ¡°Is your body alright?¡±


    Carl turned to ask Iron, who was standing behind him.


    ¡°I can endure it.¡±


    Carl was asking worriedly. He knew that Iron had suffered from severe internal injuries earlier. However, there were no big problems so far because Baepsae had helped him recover. And thanks to Baepsae, he was still currently being healed. Perhaps, it was also thanks to Baepsae¡¯s song that Carl¡¯s injuries were also recovering little by little.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    ¨DTweet, tweet, tweet!


    Carl looked at the diligently singing Baepsae in awe. Even the other Ghosts were staring at Baepsae nkly. They felt that their bodies were slowly being energized the longer they listened to Baepsae¡¯s singing.


    While all of them were listening to Baepsae¡¯s singing in satisfaction, the drake had already entered the aerial territory where the stormy fight was happening. Fortunately, no monsters cared about the drake that was flying over their heads thanks to the two masters upying their attention.


    However, the situation changed once they went deeper.


    Bang!


    Carl Gustav immediately raised his sword and blocked the ck arrow that flew at them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit dangerous but please go a bit further inside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The drake knight nodded his head upon hearing Carl¡¯s request. He took the risk and flew them further inside the dangerous areas.


    ¡°We will start to descend now. Since the beings, which we assume to be dark elves, are targeting us, we will conduct a two-stage operation as soon as wend.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of the Ghosts jumped down from the drake upon hearing Carl¡¯s orders.


    ¡°I pray for your sess.¡±


    Iron bowed his head to the drake knight before finally jumping down from the drake.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on announcements and updates and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 53 - Phoenix Rescue Operation (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(53)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>17 </b>Phoenix Rescue Operation (3)


    ck lights started to target the Ghosts that descended from the drake. However,pared to before, it was not that strong enough to injure Carl Gustav. Carl was even able to deflect the ck lights that flew from every direction with just a swing of his sword.


    ¡°Arrows?¡±


    One of the Ghosts mumbled when he saw the ck lights falling down after getting ravaged by Carl¡¯s sword technique.


    ¡°Does that mean dark elves are also elves?¡±


    Iron looked at the Ghost who caught a falling arrow and spoke up after hended on the ground.


    Just like the elves who were well known for their bow and arrow mastery, it seemed like the dark elves also knew how to handle their arrows well. However, it was only something that he had seen in an ancient record so he couldn¡¯t attest if this was true. After all, the modern records had stated that dark elves was a race that specialized in abnormal weapons.


    ¡°Iron.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Come closer.¡±


    Iron immediately ran and stuck behind Carl.


    Countless arrows began to fly and target him from all directions. It seemed like the dark elves had already figured out that Iron was the most important person in their group.


    ¡°The direction?¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    Iron pointed at the direction where the blurry figure of the bird was staring at him. Carl also hurriedly gave an order to Lintel before they started to move.


    ¡°Focus on protecting Iron.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After Carl Gustav had confirmed that Lintel was closely attached to Iron, he began to raise his mana before moving forward.


    Suddenly, the powerful arrow that pushed Carl Gustav away before flew and aimed at him once again. However, this time, a storm blew in and blocked the arrow.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Crimson nodded from afar when he heard Carl¡¯s thanks before swinging his sword again. Unlike the Ghosts¡¯ swords, his sword was a vivid blue. It was the perfect sword shaped entirely from pure mana. Since Crimson had a long experience in the military, he realized that the Ghosts were doing something important that they did not have the chance to report to him. However, considering its importance, he immediately sent them some help.


    ¡°We received the master¡¯s protection. Are you happy with such a luxury?¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly when Lintel joked with him.


    He was not sure whether he liked the feeling or not. The fact that a master protected them meant that the current situation was extremely dangerous and unprecedented so he couldn¡¯t really rejoice at the fact that he had been protected.


    Even with Crimson sweeping away the surrounding area and blocking the attack of the dark elves, the resistance that they faced continued to grow. The Northern Commander was busy sweeping the monsters away while Crimson was busy blocking the dark elves¡¯ offensive. With this delicate bnce between their confrontation, Iron and the Ghosts moved forward without taking any break.


    They continued to move forward until the shape of the bird began to get clearer and more visible. Just when the bird took on a reddish hue and a familiar shape¡­


    ¡°Do you know what this barrier is?¡±


    ¡°This is my first time seeing this too. What in the world¡­¡±


    Carl Gustav, who was pushed back, couldn¡¯t help but be flustered when he saw a barrier that he had not seen in his life before.


    The barrier was something that they did not know existed even after countless reconnaissance from before. However, the closer they approached the barrier, the stronger it pushed them away.


    They did not know what it was or how it was made but there was one thing that they were sure of. It was a barrier created to look exactly like the surrounding area that was powerful enough to avoid detection through a visual and mana inspection.


    They only realized that it existed when they felt a strange and mysterious force pushing them away.


    While Carl Gustav was approaching the barrier, a fierce battle broke out as the strong arrows that made him vomit out blood flew and targeted Crimson.


    Because of this, Crimson had lost the leeway that he had making it so that he did not have enough time to care about the Ghosts. His entire attention was now focused solely on dealing with the dark elves as he swung his sword high up in the sky.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to let themander know this first.¡±


    Carl immediately ced a whistle on his mouth.


    Ppiiiiiiii!


    Despite the thunderous sound of the storm and their fierce battle, the sound of the whistle floated clearly over the noise. Regardless of how chaotic the sounds in the surrounding were, it still spread clearly all over the ce.


    When Crimson heard the sound, he tried to swing his sword and help out Iron¡¯s party.


    Bang!


    ¡°Master level¡­ or just a power equivalent to that?¡±


    Carl¡¯s expression hardened when he saw a ck arrow blocking Crimson¡¯s attempt to help them.


    Carl realized that the dark elf that stopped master Crimson alone had a force that was far stronger than what they had imagined. It seemed like they were extremely skilled. Considering that fact and the fact that most of the dark elves that blocked them were also at the 5th Stage or probably even beyond that, he was sure that some of their military units would be wiped out easily under their hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    Carl Gustav frowned as he ruffled his head in annoyance.


    The barrier in front of them was something that couldn¡¯t be easily destroyed with just their power. They would not be able to break it unless they knew what kind of barrier it was. They could probably break it through sheer force but ording to Carl¡¯s estimate, one needed to have the power of a master to break this down.


    While Carl stopped in ce not knowing what to do, a ray of light fell from the sky and destroyed the intangible power that stopped the Ghosts from moving forward. Although it did not break in one strike, it still started to copse after receiving a second and third hit from the sh of light.


    ¡°You can¡¯t ignore amander¡¯s jjambap.¡±


    Lintel mumbled to himself as he watched the Northern Commander swing his sword like crazy.


    The power of the Ghosts was not enough and Crimson was being tied up and blocked by the being that they presumed to be at master level so the Northern Commander forcibly created a gap and broke the barrier.


    Thanks to the Northern Commander¡¯s efforts, the barrier that mimicked the surroundingndscape and blocked Carl, Iron and Lintel started to gradually fade away.


    ¡°That ce?¡±


    Iron nodded his head upon hearing Carl¡¯s question.


    When the barrier disappeared, they saw a huge cave on top of the snowy mountain. The problem was that it was an unknown structure. It was something that they did not know how the dark elves had created and ced here undetected.


    ¡°There was¡­ a ce like this?¡±


    No matter how much the surrounding area was blocked by a barrier, they couldn¡¯t believe that a structure that was almost as big as a mountain was hidden behind it. The three of them couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly for a moment.


    ¡°Get a grip.¡±


    Iron and Lintel hurriedly came back to their senses when they heard Carl¡¯s voice. Before they knew it, dark elves were already approaching them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this ce¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop them.¡±


    Billie Brandt cut off Carl¡¯s words. He and the rest of the Ghosts swung their swords and dealt with the approaching dark elves.


    Carl immediately pulled out his sword and created a huge shockwave.


    ¡°Go inside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Lintel answered Carl loudly as he tried to enter the cave with Iron.


    Then, the dark elves started to attack once again.


    The Northeastern Commander was currently preupied with the presumed master level dark elf while the Northern Commander was dealing with the monsters and dark elves. Even the Ghosts were fighting against the dark elves.


    ¡°Go and pierce through them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Carl turned around when Iron remained silent.


    ¡°I told you this before, right? What¡¯s Ghost motto?¡±


    ¡°The missiones first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Soplete your mission.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at Carl¡¯s orders. Carl smiled at him as he poured mana in his sword. At that moment, a huge shockwaveing from inside the cave spread around.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Carl took the attention of the dark elves away while Lintel took the lead and protected Iron.


    ¡°Where do we go?¡±


    ¡°To the left.¡±


    ¡°Next?¡±


    ¡°The right.¡±


    They ran quickly along the cave¡¯splex passages under the guidance of the red bird. The bird, which seemed to know where the dark elves wereing from, guided them to passages that were rid of them. However, that was the best that it could do in that situation.


    In the end, the dark elves caught up to them. They rushed forward and aimed at Iron.


    Even if they were corrupted by polluted mana, they still quickly determined that Iron was a divine beast contractor. After all, they were still beings that had once interacted with the spirits and the divine beasts. Determining something like this would only be a matter of time for them.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Lintel was already starting to feel the exhaustion as he continuously blocked the rushing dark elves.


    They were fortunate that the dark elves that attacked Iron were not as skilled as the ones from before. However, Lintel gauged that their skill had surpassed those at the general knight level. This meant that it was still difficult and exhausting for him, someone who was at the 5th Stage, to deal with them alone.


    ¡°Go on ahead.¡±


    Lintel smiled as he spoke to Iron. Iron remained silent for a moment before nodding heavily. If he stayed here, then they would both be caught and their mission would fail.


    ¡°Owl!¡±


    ¨DHoot!


    Owl recognized the seriousness of the situation, so it allowed Iron to grab its feet as it broke through quickly with its mana.


    Some dark elves tried to follow him but Lintel did not let them be.


    Thanks to Lintel¡¯s efforts, Iron was able to move forward and go to the ce where the phoenix was. There were still dark elves that chased after him along the way but they were able to avoid them.


    After a lot of twists and turns, they finally arrived at a huge opening in the cave.


    There, he saw a huge phoenix tied down by ck chains that were connected to the four huge ck towers in every direction. These towers were sucking the power of the phoenix dry.


    Then, he saw the swaying and swirling space behind the phoenix.


    ¡°They artificially created a dimensional crack?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but curse when he saw this.


    ¡°These fucking bastards!¡±


    When he realized that the reason why he suffered so much in his past life was all because of the dark elves, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from cursing. He already knew it to some extent but when he actually saw it with his own eyes, he couldn¡¯t help staring at the dark elves as if they were his bitter lifelong enemies.


    ¡°These dog bastards!¡±


    ¨DTweet!


    Baepsae urged him to move. It told him that he had no time to swear at them.


    Iron went back to his senses and quickly approached the phoenix with Owl. He thought that the giant phoenix would be released if he went near but it seemed like he had to work first before that could happen.


    Ping!


    An arrow suddenly flew in while Iron was quickly approaching phoenix. Iron instinctively avoided the arrow by jumping off of Owl. He had already quickly rolled on the floor but he was still unable topletely avoid the arrow as it grazed his arm.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    He did not know if it was because the arrow was from a surprise attack or because the power contained in it was too much, but a bone-chilling pain passed through his body upon contact.


    When he looked at the approaching dark elves, he saw that a ck thunderbolt was wound around their arrows.


    Iron hurriedly pumped mana into his legs. His body was still wrought with internal injuries and he still hadn¡¯t recovered from the aftereffects of the doping from earlier, but he still forced himself to move.


    This is not the time for me to think about useless things.


    This was the opportunity that the Ghosts had created for him so he had to make full use of it.


    Iron ran like crazy fueled by the thought of taking full advantage of the opportunity that was given to him. Owl knew what was running through his head so it fired two beams of light from its eyes to help him block the approaching dark elves.


    Iron squeezed out all of the mana that he could squeeze out as the number of the approaching dark elves continued to grow. He avoided all sorts of weapons that flew all over the ce with every step that he took. Various weapons like arrows, daggers and spears continued to fly towards Iron. But Iron just ran and avoided all of them, albeit only barely.


    However, the problem was exhaustion had caught him faster than their weapons.


    ¡°Heok¡­ heok¡­¡±


    ¨DTweet!


    Baepsae quickly recovered Iron¡¯s energy while shouting at him to quickly make contact with the phoenix.


    He felt energized from the temporary overflowing energy in his body. He felt the same when he doped himself with the mana stone earlier.


    With this energy coursing through his body, Iron squeezed out thest of his strength as he ran forward once again.


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaa!¡±


    Dodging the iing weapons that flew at him from all over the ce, Iron finally touched the beak of the phoenix that was lying on the ground. As soon as his palm touched the beak, the phoenix¡¯s closed eyes opened as a strong shockwave spread all over the ce.


    ***


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 Chapter 54 - Winter Mountains’ Hero (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(54)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>18 </b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero (1)


    The shockwave rippled across the area as the phoenix¡¯s eyes opened to look at Iron, who was touching its beak.


    At that moment, Iron felt like the whole world stopped and only he and the phoenix were the only beings that remained in this red world.


    The anger, pain, sadness and despair that the phoenix felt from the torture that it suffered under the hands of the dark elves flowed into Iron. On the other hand, the pain and anger that Iron had felt from the harsh and gruesome experiences that he went through in his previous life also flowed into the phoenix.


    Their anger and fury resonated with each other creating a strange sense of feeling that spread in their hearts.


    ¨DYou have temporarily assimted with the retrieved Phoenix.


    ¨DWith the temporary contract created between the Divine Beast Phoenix and the temporary contractor, all of the strength and energy that entered the dimensional crack had been retrieved and recovered.


    ¨DThe Phoenix can exert its full power for 20 minutes.


    ¨DPpiyooooo!


    Red energy broke out from the phoenix¡¯s body as it spread its wings and stood up in anger. The phoenix¡¯s angry cry threw back the approaching dark elves.


    The phoenix¡¯s simple show of strength through its single cry was more than enough to throw the hostile dark elves away. A feat worthy for someone hailed as a phantom species.


    However, despite throwing the dark elves and creating a sea of fire, the phoenix still couldn¡¯t hold back its anger. It continued to wreak havoc as it vented out all of the anger and frustration that it had hidden deep inside. Iron, who could feel the extent of the phoenix¡¯s anger, resentment, frustration and pain, knew that it was breathing out all of this mes to show them the sufferings that it had been through.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    Tears dripped from the phoenix¡¯s huge eyes when it heard Iron¡¯s words.


    Then, it turned to stare at the four ck towers that constrained itself. These towers sucked its powers dry to forcibly open the crack behind its body. The phoenix looked at it hatefully as it destroyed each and every single one of the towers. It even breathed out mes to turn it into powder as if just a single debris was aplete affront to its existence.


    With the four towers breaking, the crack gradually began to fade away as the ck force slowly dispersed.


    ¨DThe dimensional crack in the Winter Mountains has been stopped. Seal itpletely to remove the danger from the Winter Mountains.


    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s done!¡±


    Iron smiled brightly when he saw that the dimensional crack had been stopped. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it all.


    Crack, crack, crack, crack!


    ¨DPpiyooooo!


    The cave¡¯s ceiling shook while cracks began to appear on the walls. It seemed like the cave was about to copse.


    Seeing this, the phoenix began to melt the ck chain that tied it down with its mes. Only then did Iron realize that it was not only the dark elves that threatened the phoenix.


    ¡°Go! I can endure it!¡±


    Knowing what it felt, Iron gritted his teeth. He looked like he would copse right away but he endured as much as he could to give the phoenix the entire 20 minutes to vent its fury and unleash its powers on its enemies. He endured to the point that his gums and lips bled just so he could help the phoenix take its revenge.


    The phoenix nodded its head in gratitude before breaking out of the cave and flying into the air.


    Iron was only barely able to clutch onto his senses as he watched the phoenix break through the cave with its mes.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    He looked up at the open ceiling as pain wracked his entire being. It seemed like the pain was telling him that his mana had long been depleted.


    After a while, he saw the phoenix fighting against some ck dragons that were wrapped in the same ck chains that bound the phoenix earlier. Their fight was so violent that almost half of the mountain had already copsed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a real ck dragon.¡±


    Iron had seen a ck dragon from a distance back in his previous life. Justparing their sizes was enough for him to judge that they weren¡¯t legitimate ck dragons.


    ¡°Half-dragons?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he stared at the half-dragons.


    Even though they were only half-dragons, their power was still overwhelming. They could easily overpower dozens of knights and wizards altogether. However, despite the existence of the four half-dragons, the wrathful phoenix couldn¡¯t be stopped. It easily overwhelmed the half-dragons as it breathed out mes. No matter how strong the half-dragons were they still wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee a single wrathful phantom species.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    It was as if the phoenix was showing off the reason why it was a creature categorized under the phantom species. Phantom species were beings that exerted an overwhelming strength and dignity that exceeded any master¡¯s level. And the phoenix was this kind of creature.


    For the first time, he saw and felt how powerful masters were here in the Winter Mountains. He even witnessed how strong a phantom species was.


    ¡°Is the power of the Leonhardt family head also at this level?¡±


    He knew that the family head was a master that was already approaching the grand master level. He was a monster that could divide the Empire with his godly sword.


    Seeing the phoenix¡¯s show of strength, he thought that perhaps the Leonhardt family head was also at this level.


    While Iron was busy watching the fight with those small thoughts running through his head, he felt something approaching him.


    When he turned to look, he saw that the dark elves that had been thrown back earlier were now gathering together once more. Seeing this scene, Iron prepared himself for his eventual death.


    ¨DHoot!


    ¨DTweet!


    His divine beasts flew towards him to protect him too.


    However, contrary to their expectations, the dark elves did not touch Iron. They only stood there staring at the dimensional crack while murmuring to themselves.


    ¡°What are they¡­?¡±


    Even the dark elves that he was sure was injured by the Ghosts started to join their group while they continued to mumble to themselves.


    That was when Iron felt that something was wrong.


    Before he could discern where this strange sense of incongruity wasing from, the strange energy from before blew him away.


    ¡°Cough! Co¡­ contaminated energy?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he staggered to his feet. The dimensional crack, which was almost closed thanks to the phoenix¡¯s awakening, was now beginning to open once again.


    ¡°Howe?¡±


    When he saw the crack growing rapidly once more, Iron turned to look around to find where the ck energy wasing from. That was when he saw the dark elves turning into dust one after the other.


    ¡°These fucking crazy bastards!¡±


    Iron was now witness to the dark elves¡¯ craziness.


    They gave up their vitality and turned to dust with only their clothes left behind just to reopen the dimensional crack. They willingly sacrificed themselves to open the dimensional crack once again. And because it was not just one or two sacrifices, the crack began to widen once again.


    The dark elves squeezed everything that they had down to the veryst drop. And since their vitality and energy was simr to the energy in the dimensional cracks, a synergy was created that sped up the process.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Watching this scene helplessly, Iron realized that this might be the reason why he was not able to encounter any dark elves in his previous life.


    Even if the Northeasterns were fools that did not investigate their turf, they were still bound to discover that something was amiss. They would surely investigate at least once. Just one investigation might lead them to the discovery of the dimensional crack. And if they mobilized the Ghosts in the process, they would have definitely blocked their attempts at least once or twice.


    What if the dark elves did this every time?


    If they sacrificed themselves every time the dimensional crack failed to open, then it was reasonable that they would not exist by the time the monster wave had begun.


    ¡°Why are they doing this?¡±


    Iron did not know. He was guessing that they carry hatred for the human race. Or perhaps they have a deep resentment and vendetta against the beings that lived and were living on this continent. Whether it was hate or vendetta, it was high to the point that they were willing to sacrifice themselves just to see it through


    Are they trying to destroy this world?


    Iron struggled to stand up as he let those thoughts sh in his head.


    He wanted to prevent the dimensional crack from expanding further by killing off one dark elf.


    Before Iron could make a move with his shaking body, masked men began to enter the cave in unison.


    ¡°Ran¡­ ger?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he saw the outfit that he had seen from somewhere before. Seeing that they were allies, he hurriedly shouted at them.


    ¡°Kill the dark elves quickly!¡±


    The rangers tilted their heads at him in confusion. Iron wasted no time as he shouted again to urge the rangers to move.


    ¡°They¡¯re opening the dimensional crack! Kill them quick!¡±


    Only when Iron shouted their evil deeds did the rangers move to kill the dark elves.


    With the rangers¡¯ intervention, the dark elves were forced to stop sending their vitality to the dimensional crack. They were forced to resist and fight against these new opponents that appeared in front of them.


    Iron sighed in relief when he saw this.


    Since the rangers came just at the right time, the pace of the dimensional crack widening visibly slowed down. He thought that if they could kill all of the dark elves here then the dimensional crack would start to close once again.


    However, as if they wanted to break Iron¡¯s wishful thinkingpletely, a dark elf that he thought was dead opened his mouth andughed derisively.


    ¡°Fufufufu! Kuhahahaha! It¡¯s already toote.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I meant that it¡¯s toote for the dimensional crack to close.¡±


    After saying this, the dark elf poured out his remaining vitality to the dimensional crack and turned to dust. Then, just like a domino, the bodies of the dark elves, which they presumed to be dead, started to turn into powder as they sent their remaining vitality into the dimensional crack.


    The dimensional crack, which seemed to have recovered the energy that was retrieved from it earlier, started to widen again after absorbing the vitality of all the dark elves. Then, a mana circle appeared in the open crack.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ toote?¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression distorted as he watched the dimensional crack slowly turning into a dimensional gate. He had struggled so hard but in the end he failed to close it.


    Then, a streak of red light fell straight down towards Iron. Iron, who was staring at a loss at the dimensional gate, instinctively reached out to catch the falling streak of light. When he turned to look nkly at his hands he saw a red bird lying listlessly.


    ¨DPpii¡­


    Although they did not sign any contract, he could still confirm that the red bird that was now only as big as Baepsae was the phoenix from earlier since they had temporarily achieved assimtion. He believed that the phoenix had used all of its power earlier that¡¯s why he could only feel a weak trace of power coursing through its tiny body.


    ¨DTweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet!


    Baepsae perched on his head and told him to put the phoenix in his subspace so it could recover. Just like what they did with Owl. Owl agreed with Baepsae as he urged him to open his space. Owl also looked very tired. It had suffered too much from the fight earlier since it had not yet recovered all of its strength.


    ¡°All of you had worked hard. Go in and get some rest.¡±


    Baepsae and Owl nodded their heads at Iron as they brought the phoenix, who looked like it was already at the brink of death, in his subspace.


    After being left alone, Iron couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at the dimensional gate once again. There was a huge sense of loss covering his entire being.


    Perhaps it was because he was rxed for a moment that all of the strength in his body had disappeared. This strange sense of powerlessness was too strong that he almost passed out on the spot.


    ¡°Iron!¡±


    He saw a man running towards him while calling out his name.


    The bloody man that was running towards him was none other than Crimson, the Northeastern Commander.


    ¡°Contaminated mana is flowing out. Don¡¯t lose consciousness here! Wake up!¡±


    Looking at Iron¡¯s gradually closing eyes, Crimson quickly pped his cheeks to force him to wake up.


    Iron, who barely came to his senses, looked at the dimensional gate just in time to see a weird giant insect squeezing out through the open space.


    ¡°Void insect¡­¡±


    Crimson lightly swung his sword and quickly cut off the iing void insect when he heard Iron¡¯s murmur.


    But it was impossible to kill it with just one strike. These insects were as tough as cockroaches and had a tough and strong proliferation. The void insects were beings that could still survive even if half of their bodies had already been crushed.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to close it.¡±


    Crimson frowned when he saw Iron¡¯s distorted face.


    ¡°I know a way¡­ to seal it. Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡±


    ¡°Void insects are alreadying out.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t spread out until they have turned this ce into their own territory.¡±


    Crimson looked at Iron with an expression that screamed ¡®How the hell did you know?¡¯ but Iron did not answer him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s retreat for now.¡±


    Iron nodded with a bit of difficulty. And with Crimson¡¯s support, they left the cave with the rangers.


    Only the remnants of the dark elves, the ck powder, were left flying around in the cave.


    ***


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 Chapter 55 - Winter Mountains’ Hero (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(55)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>18 </b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero (2)


    Crimson personally carried Iron out of the cave.


    Officers flocked to them as soon as they came out. They were shocked to see him staggering on his feet while carrying the unconscious Iron on his back. Although there were countless drakes and airships flying over them as well as hundreds of soldiers moving to kill the monsters, their focus was on their staggeringmander.


    ¡°Commander! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Take this friend straight to the medical corps.¡±


    One of the officers hurriedly approached and took away Iron, who had fainted on Crimson¡¯s back, to bring him to the medical corps.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    After Iron, who was personally carried by themander, was hurriedly taken away by the officer to get treatment, all of the officers turned to look at Crimson.


    They felt strange staring at theirmander. His injuries were light and only his head was bleeding so it was most definitely something to make a fuss over. However, this was the first time that these soldiers have seen theirmander get this battered. Ever since they got stationed here, they had only seen this master with an upright and unchanging appearance. As someone who was hailed as one of the strongest, it was rare to see him hurt.


    ¡°What¡­ in the world is going on?¡±


    ¡°Just like what we have heard from the report, a dimensional crack has opened. The culprits are the dark elves¡­ Some of them were so powerful that they were able to inflict injuries on me.¡±


    When the leader of the Northeastern Knights, Cassim Nights, heard Crimson¡¯s words, his expression turned solemn.


    ¡°A master level?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In addition, the dark elves all had considerable strength. Even the Northern Commander who came with me suffered from injuries.¡±


    Just like the saying that went, speak of the tiger and the tiger wille, the Northern Commander appeared with a frown after Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t suffer that much.¡±


    ¡°Even if you look like that?¡±


    The Northern Commander looked at the smiling Crimson awkwardly. Jayden Wicks looked like a middle-aged man but he and Crimson were only ten years apart in age. All he could do was sigh when he saw Crimson smiling mischievously at him.


    ¡°I thought I would experience less trouble if I became themander¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible here in the North?¡±


    Crimson rebuked Jayden Wicks and proved to him that everything that he thought of was just a pipe dream.


    Jayden Wicks was once called the sh. He was someone who flew around all over the ce and showed off his might. But right now, he looked just like an exhausted old man as he sank down on the snow.


    ¡°Dimensional crack¡­ I don¡¯t know how I should report this.¡±


    ¡°Report it as it is. If you don¡¯t want to see the downfall of the North, then you have to apply enough pressure so that they can give us enough support.¡±


    As Crimson spoke of this, the report that Iron had made a long time ago suddenly shed in his head.


    Threatening the Center to get as much support as possible andying the foundation for the Northeast¡¯s independence.


    He thought that he could probably implement that n with this incident.


    ¡®Northeast¡¯s independence¡­¡¯


    Iron was also the one who said that the signs of a monster wave had been increasing in the Northeast.


    No, it¡¯s something that¡¯s sure now.


    A dimensional crack was created and enemies that the Northeast couldn¡¯t handle with their strength alone had also appeared.


    If a monster wave really happens in the future, can the Northeast block it? What if more dark elves appear in the process?


    Just the thought of it brought chills down Crimson¡¯s spine. He could already foresee the annihtion of the Northeastern Army if this happened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to send a request to the Lion Family.¡±


    ¡°Will they help us?¡±


    ¡°We should ask them at least¡­ We should ask them to send us support if a monster wave urs in the Northeast.¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly when he heard Jayden Wicks¡¯ words.


    Even if a monster wave urred, he was sure that they would be able to stop it if those madmen intervened and used their forces. But the Leonhardt Family was a group of arrogant people who only saw themselves.


    ¡°You worked hard today.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked harder, old man.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you an old man too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still middle-aged.¡±


    Jayden Wicks quickly stood up and insisted that he was still young when he heard Crimson telling him that he was an old man too.


    Not long after, the elite soldiers of the vanguard corps arrived one by one. Even the rangers and the knights joined the Command one after the other. Seeing that their trusted men hade, the twomanders finally felt the exhaustion. They left the arrangement to them with warnings not to provoke the cave at all as they entered the tent that was temporarily set up to take a break.


    A few dayster¡­


    Iron, who had been stretched out on the bed after fainting, finally woke while grabbing his head.


    ¡°Woke up?¡±


    ¡°Commander¡­¡±


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Iron was shocked to see Crimson sitting next to him.


    He hurriedly tried to get up but his injuries were so serious that he couldn¡¯t help but let out a groan. When Crimson heard his groan, he grabbed Iron¡¯s shoulder and helped him lie down.


    ¡°Are the others alive?¡±


    Crimson nodded bitterly when he heard Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Carl Gustav was seriously injured. Billie Brandt had one arm cut off and Lintel Verner had one leg cut in half. Tunace and Jimmel received injuries while Weber and Span are still wandering at the brink of death. But all of them are still alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a¡­ relief.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, boy.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Because you sessfully awakened the phoenix, all of the fighting dark elves flocked to your location. Thanks to that, they miraculously survived.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°In addition, Billie and Lintel¡¯s arm and leg are both safe because of their calmness. We roughly poured some potion on them so there would be no problem even if they get surgeryter. Well¡­ they had to connect it to their mana circuit again since it has been cut off but the work is something that they can endure.¡±


    Iron looked extremely relieved after he heard their exact situation.


    The Ghost was one of the key forces in the Northeast. Although it was important to cultivate arge number of people who had awakened their mana, it was more important for them to develop people at a higher level than the knights. And all of the members of Ghost had power at the 5th Stage. This meant that if a monster wave ever urred, they would be the main force that would deal with the high-leveled monsters.


    ¡°How many days has it been?¡±


    ¡°Three days. You have been unconscious for three days.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron nodded nkly.


    ¡°Just like you said, the void insects did not reallye out of their own territory.¡±


    After Crimson had confirmed that the void insects would not reallye out just like Iron said, he quickly took vigil and sat on guard here to wait for the boy to wake up.


    ¡°Boy, you said that you know how to seal dimensional cracks. At first I did not believe you but now I have no choice but to believe you.¡±


    Crimson might look old but his stare was still sharp as he looked at Iron. It was reasonable that he would doubt what Iron had told him. After all, he was too young to know about such information. But since he was an experienced veteran, he did not ask the hows and whys. He knew that Iron would not answer even if he asked so he did not try. Besides, the most important thing right now was dealing with the dimensional crack. Everything else could be pushed aside after this disaster had been solved.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible topletely close the dimensional crack.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you told me about sealing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But since the hole is small, it won¡¯t take that long for it to close naturally. However¡­ there are prerequisites that need to be met.¡±


    Crimson nodded as if to let Iron continue his words.


    ¡°First, we have to push away the void insects.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a matter of course.¡±


    The giant cave that the dark elves had created was now filled with contaminated mana from the void insects. It was necessary for them to prevent the increase of areas that will be polluted from the contaminated manaing from the dimensional crack.


    ¡°We have topletely wipe them out. And¡­ we have to keep sweeping the area near the crack until the dimensional gate breaks down.¡±


    Crimson frowned the longer he listened to Iron.


    No matter how confident he was with his strength, he knew that achieving what Iron wanted to happen was too much for him. He was sure that he would never be able to aplish such a feat all by himself. At most, he would be able tost for a few hours and that was assuming that he had already squeezed out all of the power in his body. Anything more than that would be too far out of his reach.


    ¡°We need the Northern Commander too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ whates after that?¡±


    ¡°We break the gate by stimting the dimensional crack withrge-scale magic.¡±


    Crimson looked at Iron as if he heard him wrong.


    ¡°If we break the dimensional gate and stimte the dimensional crack¡­¡±


    ¡°It will explode.¡±


    ¡°Boy, are you insane?¡±


    Crimson unknowingly blurted out those words when he heard Iron¡¯s n.


    Iron smiled bitterly. He had also thought that they were crazy when he heard the Wizard Tower speak of this method in his past life. However, despite being called crazy, their research was still sessful.


    ¡°If you look at the records from the past, you will see that there are also records of the dimensional crack exploding.¡±


    ¡°Then, this means that you know what will happen if the dimensional crack explodes.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since the crack will expand tremendously, all sorts of dimensional monsters will appear.¡±


    Once the dimensional crack exploded, there would be a lot of dimensional monsters that would swarm outside of the crack. If that happened, then, it would be extremely difficult for them to handle. However, enduring this was still a better alternative than blocking and protecting the crack for decades. If they blocked it well for a few months, the dimensional crack would gradually decrease in size. The crack, which had been stimted to grow tremendously from the explosion, would continue to decrease in size until it became as big as a palm and would naturally close by itself. Although it would continue to emit contaminated mana for a while since the natural process would take a bit of a long time, sealing it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. But one thing was for sure, the crack would be closed and they did not need to focus on this for decades toe.


    This method was proven sessful after the sacrifice of numerous masters and high-leveled knights in his previous life. But thanks to their sacrifice, numerous dimensional cracks had been easily dealt with.


    ¡°If you look at the records, you will see that there are no fierce fights in the years after the explosion.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°This meant that there are no risks at all except for the fact that thend would be damaged by the contaminated mana from the dimensional crack.¡±


    ¡°Are there any basis for your method?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    Iron sighed when Crimson looked at him and urged him to continue.


    ¡®I¡¯ll just sell you guys this one time.¡¯


    ¡°The divine beasts told me.¡±


    Iron could see Crimson¡¯s brow twitching after he had sold his divine beasts away. Seeing this, he had no choice but to apologize to Baepsae deep in his heart.


    ¡°When I heard them talk about this, I thought that it was also baseless so I tried to look for the records.¡±


    ¡°And you found the rest from the records?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Crimson sighed as he stared nkly at Iron. Iron knew that he was lost in his thoughts. He was probably weighing in the pros and cons of the matter. So, he just stared at him for a moment before speaking softly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, I think it would be a good idea to consult with the Wizard Tower.¡±


    ¡°Consult¡­ Hoo! I get it.¡±


    Crimson sighed once again as he gathered his wits together.


    The risk of this operation was too high so he couldn¡¯t just blindly follow Iron¡¯s words. However, it was also true that it was too risky to leave the void insects alone.


    Even though all the elite troops in both the Northeast and the North had gathered, he still knew that their strength wasn¡¯t enough. Nevertheless, there was nothing that they could do but fight. After all, their fate had already been determined once the dimensional gate was opened.


    But this time Crimson wanted to gamble. He wanted to at least give this method a shot instead of staying in this situation for more than 100 years.


    So, he quickly stood up to go to the Wizard Tower for a consultation.


    But before he reached the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he remembered something. Then, he turned to speak to Iron once again.


    ¡°I sent a request to the Leonhardts while you were unconscious.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron remained silent after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Knowing the seriousness of the situation with the dimensional crack, the family head said that he would personallye with the Blood Lions to help us.¡±


    Iron frowned when he heard Crimson¡¯s exnation.


    The Leonhardts wouldn¡¯t copse if the people in there truly cared about these things. But they were madmen who only pursued individuality and strength. And the fact that the family head would personallye here¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed by now¡­ but I believe it¡¯s because he realized that you¡¯re a Leonhardt. If you want, I can hide it for you but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Iron shook his head bitterly when he heard Crimson¡¯s proposal. Seeing his bitterness, Crimson looked at him apologetically as he bade him goodbye and wished him a good rest.


    ¡°I¡¯m XXXX.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression copsed as soon as Crimson left the room.


    He knew that he was doomed.


    All he could do was sigh while thinking about the Leonhardt¡¯s family head.


    I took the risk and came to the Northeast to avoid those madmen but I think I¡¯ll meet the craziest of them all.


    ***


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 Chapter 56 - Winter Mountains’ Hero (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(56)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>18 </b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero (3)


    Iron¡¯s expression was already distorted from the pain when he woke up but hearing the bullshit that Crimson had told him made it distort even further. However, even if he did not like the situation, he knew that he couldn¡¯t stay idle any longer.


    He did not know when the family head woulde so he needed to do the things that he needed to do before preparing himself for their eventual meeting. He still had to visit the Ghosts that sacrificed themselves and make sure that his troops were all safe. There was still a lot left to be done.


    So, Iron stayed still until the injuries on his body had healed and recovered to some extent. And as soon as he felt that his body could move, he immediately started warming up with some simple exercises. He wanted to be able to move normally as soon as possible.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he checked his body¡¯s condition.


    Perhaps it was because he had forcefully increased his mana despite having severe injuries in his body during his fight with the dark elves that his physical condition was extremely bad. He couldn¡¯t even dare dream about moving his mana with such poor conditions lest he inflict more serious injuries to himself.


    But were there any traumas left behind? No, that wasn¡¯t the case either. Although he did not have any serious injuries, it was still difficult to find a ce in his body that was not battered and bruised since he rolled around evading but eventually getting hit by arrows and all kinds of weapons towards the end.


    ¡°It seems like I still have a long way to go before I recover.¡±


    Even though he had suffered from severe injuries, he was able to survive thanks to having a temporary and forced assimtion with the phoenix. So, he was grateful that he could still feel this pain.


    ¡°Would it have been better if I broke the quest?¡±


    Despite doing his best to prevent the dimensional crack from opening and proceeding perfectly, he was still unable to finish the questpletely. Iron had wondered what kind of reward he would receive if he hadpleted the quest when he first received it. But it seemed like breaking it was much better than being stuck in this situation right now.


    While he was busy trying to recuperate, unexpected visitors came to visit him.


    ¡°Outpost leader!¡±


    Corporal Charles and some of the corporals came to visit him.


    Iron was aware of the soldiers¡¯ sry but they brought him drinks and flowers as they sat around on chairs and even on the empty side of the bed. He felt moved at their thoughtful actions.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth enduring.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    When Corporal Charles had asked him if he was alright, Iron had answered that he was alright but Corporal James shook his head and disagreed with him.


    Although Iron had said that he was alright, the bandages that covered his entire body were not very convincing at all.


    ¡°Anyway, are all of you alright?¡±


    ¡°Corporal Brian has some slight injuries. And I have sent the privates and the private first sses that were seriously injured to Command.¡±


    ¡°Brian? I think that guy¡¯s okay though?¡±


    ¡°Monsters attacked us after the outpost leader left alone. Brian was the one who had the best condition among us so he willingly stopped the rushing monsters with closebat¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Iron smiled when he heard the end of Corporal Charles¡¯ report.


    ¡°How about the outpost?¡±


    ¡°The vice outpost leader is doing well.¡±


    ¡°What about the sergeant?¡±


    Iron asked after the person that he was most anxious about, Sergeant Sean Wicks.


    ¡°He¡¯s working hard. After rumors about the outpost leader started to circte, he continued working hard so that the outpost leader won¡¯t be able to grab a w that you could criticize on.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    Iron looked at Charles¡¯ strangely.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ There are rumors that the outpost leader is a Ghost and that you have made a major contribution in this mission. They say that you¡¯ll probably receive a medal too.¡±


    ¡°There are rumors like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Command even came to the outpost and asked about the outpost leader.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that so?¡±


    Iron nodded seriously when he heard Charles¡¯ words.


    ¡°As expected! I know that you¡¯re extraordinary¡­ I knew with just one nce that our outpost leader is an incredible person!¡±


    ¡°Tha¡­ Thanks.¡±


    Iron reacted awkwardly to their praise.


    He spent their time together asking Corporal Charles and James and the other corporals about their current situation and other things rted to their outpost. The soldiers only left before evening.


    Contrary to what he was worried about, it seemed like the outpost was working well and running safely. Fortunately there seemed to be no deaths among his soldiers. All of this was thanks to the reinforcements¡¯ timely arrival.


    Relief washed over him when he thought that none of the Ghosts, although they were seriously injured, and his soldiers died from this incident.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Is your body holding up well?¡±


    A familiar face appeared when the door opened after he heard someone knock. Carl Gustav, who was seriously injured, entered his medic room with bandages wrapped tightly around his body.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°More better than you, I suppose? I heard that you wouldn¡¯t be able to move and manage your mana for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­The price I paid is quite cheap.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly.


    He tried to hold out desperately despite his depleted mana for 20 minutes. This was so the phoenix could exert its full strength and vent its anger. Because of this his body had been stretched taut and was now in this poor condition. His internal injuries were already quite severe back then so he felt lucky that he was still alive and he did not keel over and die.


    ¡°Are the others alright?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately. Thanks to you, the dark elves ran and flocked to your location so they were easily rescued by the rangers that came a bitter. Well¡­ It will be hard to move for a while, let alone doing a mission.¡±


    Carl Gustav raised his bandaged arm as he spoke.


    When Iron saw Carl in this state, he couldn¡¯t help but look apologetically.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had such a hard time but¡­ the mission failed eventually.¡±


    Carl Gustav stared at Iron when he heard his deprecating words.


    ¡°The level of this mission is extremely difficult. No one expected you, the youngest of the Ghosts, to do this much.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s already a relief if you could follow behind and be Ghost¡¯s tail. But you even did more than us. Your aplishments are more than enough.¡±


    Carl Gustav lightly tapped Iron on the shoulders.


    ¡°You will be given a break, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll focus on improving my skills.¡±


    Iron clenched and unclenched his fist as a bitter smile hung on his face. He knew that he was not of any help during their fight with the dark elves.


    He thought that he could pay for his meals because he had his divine beasts with him, but when it came to skills, he was only a hindrance to the Ghosts. Perhaps this was the reason why he felt a sense of crisis that he hadn¡¯t felt after a long time.


    This incident had made him realize that he was relieved. He was relieved at the fact that he would definitely reach the 5th Stage before he reached the age of 20 with the current state that he was in. He finally knew that he was being rxed andcent since his goal in this life was already at his fingertips.


    However, after experiencing the fight with the dark elves, his rxed mindset hadpletely changed. No matter what, he wanted to improve his skills.


    ¡°Improving your skills¡­ I think your skills are more than enough for now, but if you feel that way¡­¡±


    Movements suddenly came from behind the door before Carl could finish cheering Iron on.


    The both of them turned to look at the door in confusion when they heard the jingling of the knob. When the door opened, the two of them saw a blonde middle-aged man outside.


    Carl immediately realized that he would be a nuisance especially after seeing Iron¡¯s stiffening expression. So, he stood up quietly to leave.


    ¡°I think you have an important guest. I should get going. Take good care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. Captain should take good care of yourself too.¡±


    Carl thought Iron was cute when he called him captain. He smiled at him before turning around to leave the room.


    The blonde middle-aged man looked at Iron coldly as he waited for the door to close quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°I went here just in case¡­ but you really hid yourself in this ce.¡±


    The Lion Family¡¯s head, Lioner Leonhardt Rohr, was looking at Iron coldly.


    ¡°Jaiden.¡±


    ¡°In this ce, I¡¯m called Iron.¡±


    Lioner¡¯s eyebrows furrowed when he heard Iron¡¯s words. However, he just furrowed his brows and looked at him ufortably.


    Iron did not know but he was guessing that it was because he did not bring shame to the family after leaving that he was left without any scolding. He felt a bit thankful to his major contributions since he did not get an earful right at this very moment.


    ¡°I came here personally to ask you one thing.¡±


    ¡°Please ask.¡±


    ¡°The reason why you left the family.¡±


    Iron fell silent after hearing what Lioner wanted to know. He thought deeply for a moment before letting out a huge sigh and opening his mouth to answer.


    ¡°The Lion Family¡¯s sword technique is not for me.¡±


    ¡°Fine. That¡¯s what the youngest told me too. He said that you are on a different path than the Lion¡¯s path.¡±


    Lioner looked sharply at Iron as if he wanted to stab through his very being. His gaze was so prating that Iron felt that he was being tested if he was truly telling the truth.


    After looking at him with those deeply prating eyes, Lioner opened his mouth while quietly increasing his momentum.


    ¡°Is it really because of the sword technique?¡±


    Iron nodded his head with gritted teeth. He tried his best to hold out against Lioner¡¯s momentum.


    Of course, there were various reasons, but the Lion Sword Technique was also a huge part of the reason why he left the family. So, technically what he said was also the truth.


    ¡°Sword technique¡­ So, what swordsmanship did you choose?¡±


    ¡°My own path.¡±


    Iron stared at Lioner firmly as he answered him with his unshakeable will.


    Lioner¡¯s gaze had a hint of surprise when he heard his answer.


    After quite some time, he finally reduced the momentum that was pressuring Iron. It was as if he had epted his reasons.


    ¡°Your path¡­ That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no right or wrong answer to bing strong.¡±


    Lioner agreed with Iron¡¯s words. Then, he pondered over his words before speaking quietly once again.


    ¡°Is there a reason why you chose to be in the military? If it¡¯s just the basic swordsmanship, then you could have just learned it from the family, right? I think it would have been better for you and your strength if you stayed in the family?¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly when he heard the clear suspicion in Lioner¡¯s words.


    Just like he said, the Leonhardt Family was not a bad ce to grow up in. But that was only the case if he had the necessary support. However, the biggest problem of them all was that there were too many risk factors in that ce. Even the Northeast, a ce considered as one of the most dangerous areas in the continent, was a ce that would pay attention and make sure that their young would survive as much as possible during their growth period. But the Leonhardts did not have thatpassion at all. It was a risk that he couldn¡¯t take, especially if he wanted to survive.


    ¡°Do you know how many children die in the Leonhardt Family?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you can¡¯t survive andst longer than that then you don¡¯t deserve to live in the Leonhardt Family.¡±


    Lioner went silent for a while before he answered Iron.


    He was also someone who had endured the harsh training of the Lions and even became its family head. Even if they appeared to be harsh to others, they firmly believed that they must abandon the weak. This was so their children could be filled with poison and obsessiveness with strength. This was Leonhardt¡¯s age-old nurturing style. A style that made them reign as the strongest family in the North.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the reason. With my trash talent, I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the harsh and direct training method. Although I¡¯m ipetent and only started my trainingter than the others, I believe that I should still be able to survive. But everything that felt hazy before had be clear when I found the right swordsmanship for me.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you left the family? To survive?¡±


    Iron nodded bitterly at Lioner¡¯s question.


    Just like what Iron had said, Lioner knew that he would have be a cripple by now if he remained in the family. The Lion family would have definitely dropped him in the beast forest to survive alone if he was found out to be apletely useless person. There, he would be subject to the harsh training of the direct descendants of the Lion family. He would even be forced to train his intuition through all kinds of methods that almost bordered inhumane. The training was so harsh that Lioner was sure that Iron would have already fallen at this point in time.


    Even after knowing this fact, Lioner¡¯s greed for Iron still remained.


    ¡°Come back.¡±


    ¡°The Lion Sword Technique is not the right fit for me.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The Lion Family is a family that seeks strength not just swordsmanship.¡±


    Lioner looked at Iron as he said that.


    ¡°What will I even do there when Ie back? Will you give me the seat of the head of the family? Or will you give me something amazing enough so I can leave the military behind?¡±


    ¡°No. But I can forcibly take you away.¡±


    Iron snorted at Lioner¡¯s threats.


    ¡°I guess the military is just that easy then.¡±


    ¡°No. But they should be clear on whether they will choose the master or they will choose someone with a divine beast.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°On the condition that I can bring you away, I will be staying here personally for 2 years.¡±


    Iron looked shocked when he heard Lioner¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why are you even willing to do that?¡±


    ¡°Because I have to correct my mistakes. I had thrown you away because I believed that you would be useless with your talents, especially whenpared to the youngest. But I know now that you¡¯re a useful person. So, I should correct my mistakes.¡±


    Iron sighed.


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll forcibly summon you.¡±


    ¡°What do you even want to do with me!¡±


    Lioner stared at Iron¡¯s angry figure.


    ¡°Do you want to prove that your reason to choose the military over the Lion Family is correct?¡±


    Iron shut his mouth when he heard Lioner¡¯s question.


    ¡°Then prove it. Prove that our method to foster and nurture our children is wrong. Only then will I give you freedom.¡±


    ¡°I just hate it.¡±


    Iron gritted his teeth as he answered Lioner.


    ¡°Is there anything you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron immediately answered Lioner¡¯s question. Hearing him respond immediately, Lioner couldn¡¯t help but look at him with interest. After all, it had been a long time since someone had dared to tell him what they wanted.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll only tell you after I have proven that my choice is right.¡±


    ¡°Is this some sort of bet? Interesting.¡±


    Lioner smirked arrogantly at him. His smirk was only a small curl of the corner of his lips but just like a lion, his expression was filled with arrogance.


    ¡°Fine. In the next two years, prove that your own path is correct here in the Winter Mountains.¡±


    ¡°Two years?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The deadline is only as long as I stay here.¡±


    ¡°No way. Are you going to live with me here?¡±


    Lioner smiled when he saw Iron¡¯s astonishment.


    ¡°I made time and left those two years empty just so I can take you away. Even if I do it by force. So, I have to use that time well. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He said this because Lioner found it fun to see his son¡¯s hateful re and open dislike of him.


    ¡°Just so you know, the youngest had just recently entered the 4th Stage.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°If the youngest catches up to you then it means that your path is meaningless. Prove that you¡¯re not just running head on at something by force.¡±


    Lioner leisurely opened the door to his room and stepped out as he left these words behind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see what the path that you chose is like.¡±


    ***


    <b>ANNOUNCEMENT</b>


    There will be no update tomorrow. Update will resume the day after tomorrow. See you!


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 57 - Winter Mountains’ Hero (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(57)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>18 </b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero (4)


    Iron grabbed his head for a long time as he regretted his impulsive decision. He couldn¡¯t help but me his hot-headedness for making a bet with the Lion Family Head, Lioner.


    When Lioner left his room, Iron saw that his eyes were filled with the determination to take him away. Iron did not know the exact reason why his determination was that high but he could take a gander that it was because he provoked himpletely.


    After Lioner¡¯s visit, Iron had solely focused his attention on his body¡¯s recovery.


    The first thing that he needed to do was to resolve the dimensional crack. He hoped that his words could be proven quickly since they needed to move quickly. After all, the best treatment for a rotting flesh wound was cutting it off as soon as possible. They needed to stop the dimensional crack to make sure that the dimensional gate would not get strengthened even further by the contaminated mana that the crack continuously let out. So, they had to explode the crack as soon as possible.


    The difference between a gate being fixed and strengthened on the spot was not that huge. But once the gate was fixed in ce, the passage that connected the contaminated space and this world via the forcibly created dimensional crack would be maintained and strengthened. If this happened, then more powerful monsters would be able to pass through the gate and wreak havoc in this world.


    Iron kept on thinking about the situation of the dimensional crack while he worked on building his body up. He knew that the situation would get more dangerous the longer they decided on the action that they should take. And one day while he was warming up¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Loyalty.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the medics had discharged you. Have you recovered well?¡±


    Iron smiled and showed Crimson his warm up exercises to prove that he¡¯s all well.


    ¡°I have no problem with moving.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then we should go right away. We have to meet someone.¡±


    Hearing Crimson¡¯s orders, Iron immediately changed his clothes. There was nothing that he needed to pack so he just wore his cleanly washed and ironed military uniform as he followed behind Crimson.


    ¡°This is Wizard Tower¡¯s Mailte Preston. This is Lieutenant Iron Carter, the one who suggested the method.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Mailte Preston. I may not be good enough but I¡¯m an elder from the Wizard Tower.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Iron Carter. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±


    Iron grabbed Mailte Preston¡¯s hands sincerely.


    He felt extremely honored to meet Mailte Preston. After all, this was the person who made the basic theory that he had proposed before. He couldn¡¯t believe that he would meet with this person directly.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know that Mailte Preston woulde himself¡­¡¯


    Mailte Preston, the person hailed as the next owner of the North Wizard Tower with his extensive knowledge and skills, unexpectedly came here to see him.


    Being named as the tower¡¯s sessor meant that they had a lot of work to do. In addition, just like any other wizard, he was a person who rarely cared about the outside world. He was someone who only wanted to devote his everything in the development of his research and skills. So it was extremely surprising and unexpected that he would take time out of his schedule toe and meet him personally.


    ¡°You have a very interesting theory.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just like you said, I looked it up and found out that exploding the dimensional crack is alright. We¡¯ll still be fine even in the long run.¡±


    Mailte Preston, who had already reviewed cases of dimensional cracks being flooded and exploding, enthusiastically exined to Iron a lot of things. Whenever he asked Iron about the things that he was curious about, Iron would patiently exin while recalling the information from his previous life.


    Iron exined as much as he could while using Baepsae as an excuse. However, his exnations still came out clumsy and filled with holes. Perhaps it was because it was not his expertise and he only knew about it through experience. But nevertheless, they experienced no problem in their conversation. All of this could be attributed to Mailte. He understood Iron¡¯s words perfectly despite them being crude and clumsy.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very interesting. The dimensional crack¡­¡±


    ¡°Just tell me your conclusion!¡±


    Crimson was tired of Mailte¡¯s exnation. He looked like he would explode from annoyance if another word of exnation came out of Mailte¡¯s mouth.


    Mailte Preston frowned and clicked his tongue at him.


    ¡°Tch! I believe it¡¯s possible but we have to struggle for a few years.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the crack would widen temporarily from the explosion, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s very interesting to know that the dimensional crack will widen¡­¡±


    It looked like Mailte Preston and Crimson were close friends with how eager the other was in exining the theory to Crimson. However, it was entirely impossible for Crimson, who did not know jack shit about this, to understand even if he heard the magic theory behind the process.


    ¡°Stop already. Why do you keep on exining things that I can¡¯t understand?¡±


    ¡°Tch! You have to use your brain once in a while to live. It seems like your stupidity did not change even as you got older?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty smart, I tell you!¡±


    ¡°With that head of yours? Please listen to me attentively. Aren¡¯t you like that in your old age because you keep your ears closed every time I speak?¡±


    ¡°What?! You punk! Do you want to have a go?!¡±


    ¡°Such a nipoop.¡±


    Crimson and Mailte Preston argued. They only stopped when they finally realized that Iron was still there. They felt a bit ashamed and embarrassed when they realized that they almost fought while they were chatting in front of a junior.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Crimson sent Mailte Preston, his close friend, away first. Then, he moved towards Command with Iron.


    ¡°I heard that you met with the Leonhardt Family Head?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°I also heard that you two made a bet¡­ Will you be fine?¡±


    He had heard the details directly from Lioner so he was aware of everything. Nevertheless, he still couldn¡¯t help but look at Iron with worry and anxiety.


    ¡°I want to try everything that I can try first.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I hope you win your bet. Whenever I see that bastard¡¯s cheeky face, I always want to give him a punch.¡±


    Crimson talked about his deeply hidden annoyance. Then, he suddenly realized that he was Iron¡¯s father so he turned to look at the boy apologetically.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, sir. I also think that he¡¯s a madman.¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly when he saw Iron saying that his father was a madman.


    ¡°Anyway, go win that bet and give him a proper taste of his own medicine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Crimson smiled when he heard Iron¡¯s answer.


    ¡°I wish you all the best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Iron headed towards where the drakes were as he watched themander send him off. He sat alone on a saddle that was specially made for a patient as he headed straight to where his unit was.


    He was a person who deserved proper rewards andpensation for the tremendous contributions that he had made during his mission as a Ghost. Unfortunately, the current situation was too ambiguous that they couldn¡¯t give him proper recognition.


    Iron had currently made three tremendous contributions. First, he yed a big role in preventing the dimensional crack frompletely opening. Second, he discovered that the dark elves were behind the dimensional crack. And third, he ryed a method of breaking the dimensional gate and sealing the dimensional crack. His third contribution in particr was more than enough to give him a promotion or be awarded a medal.


    However, since this was a mission that he took on as a Ghost, he needed to reveal his status as a Ghost to be promoted. But doing so right now would be a bit too much especially since the Ghosts had been injured severely due to this incident. Because of this, he willingly agreed to postpone his rewards andpensation after everything had been settled.


    Then, came the next problem. With the Ghosts¡¯ units almost destroyed, there was no ce left for Iron to return to as a Ghost. So, finding a new ce where he should be assigned has be aplicated matter. And since the situation with the dimensional crack was so urgent, Iron had no choice but to agree to work a bit longer in the Winter Mountains as an outpost leader.


    Of course, it hurt the pride of the military to just proceed like this, especially because the person had contributed greatly. In addition, even though they were trivial in the grand scheme of things, the contributions that Iron had achieved as an outpost leader were things that also deserved praise. The higher-ups felt ufortable just continuing without doing anything for the young officer. They even went so far as to allow the Lion Family¡¯s family head to intervene to the point that he would make a bet with the boy. However, despite everything, Iron still willinglypromised with them. The military did not only feel ufortable, they also felt ashamed.


    However, Iron did not care about those things as he focused on more important matters.


    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re telling me that ourpany should prepare to make a move, right?¡±


    Company Commander Franco looked dumbfounded as he stared at Iron.


    Currently, all of the elite troops from Command, the Vanguard Corps, the Mountain Corps, the Fog Corps and even some of the elite troops from the Wizard Tower and the Leonhardt Family had gathered around the dimensional crack. Even the Northern Command had sent their elite knights over there. With this line up, everyone thought that the things that the Winter Mountain Units could do were virtually non-existent. Even thepanymander firmly believed this.


    ¡°Be serious. They¡¯re only soldiers. No matter how good they can control their mana, what can a soldier do against those contaminated creatures?¡±


    Company Commander Franco¡¯s arguments were valid. Generally, what he said was correct. The soldiers were all weaker than those elite troops so they wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with those monsters with just their power alone.


    ¡°I know how to deal with the void insects.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s confident words, Company Commander Franco couldn¡¯t help but stop and stare at him. Given the fact that the special search unitmander and the armymander had been caring about him and supporting him, Franco already knew that he was unusual. But knowing something like this had proven that he was truly a special existence in this ce.


    Currently, they were in a situation where their search unitmander was seriously injured and out ofmission. Because of this, eachpany was given autonomy. In other words, they were in a situation where thepanymander could move without reporting their situation to the search unitmander.


    ¡°Will we really be of help even if it¡¯s a dimensional crack?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Thepanymander pondered for a moment after hearing Iron¡¯s ever confident reply.


    He was fully aware that this was an opportunity that wouldn¡¯te often. Although there were clear risks, the fruits that they would harvest if this became sessful would be sweet. Being promoted to Major, the first wall that any officer needed to ovee, would not be just a pipe dream for him.


    At that moment, it seemed like Company Commander Franco¡¯s eyes were in the shape of the letters of the word Major.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ So, what do you want to do?¡±


    Iron replied quietly when he heard thepanymander¡¯s question.


    ¡°We will need weapons to deal with the void insects.¡±


    ¡°Weapons?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Bombs filled with non-attributed mana. That¡¯s what we need.¡±


    ¡°Non-attribute? Will that work on the void insects?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have directly confirmed that they are vulnerable to non-attributed mana in the underground opening in the cave.¡±


    Thepanymander looked at Iron suspiciously when he heard Iron¡¯s rough lies. However, he decided to listen to him for now. After all, Iron was the one who had seen the dimensional crack personally. If he did not believe him now, then what would that make of him?


    ¡°Do we use it ourselves?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. The Artillery Unit will blow up the bombs. Or we will call for the airships to drop massive amounts of bombs on the void insects.¡±


    ¡°Then, doesn¡¯t that mean that we have nothing to do?¡±


    ¡°In this operation, our troops are the most important part.¡±


    Thepanymander frowned. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t understand what Iron wanted to say.


    ¡°Are we still important when the Artillery Unit and the airships will do everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Thepanymander¡¯s brows continued to furrow as he urged Iron to finish his words.


    ¡°Because it will be our troops¡¯ job to inform them on where the void insects are and where they should drop the bomb.¡±


    ¡°Will they go outside the cave?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. They¡¯ll start toe out like crazy soon. And I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll spread all throughout the Winter Mountains.¡±


    Thepanymander fell silent. He realized that Iron knew something.


    ¡°Is this confidential?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh when he heard that it was some kind of confidential secret. He felt like he had not experienced anyfortable day ever since this verypetent junior appeared under hismand.


    However, it still remained undeniable that this was his chance for him to get closer to his dream promotion. In fact, he was praised by his superiors even if he, thepanymander, did little to nothing during this operation. On the other hand, Captain Paulo, who was scheduled to be a Major, had been zealously criticized. His situation waspletely different to his rival after he hung himself faithfully under the search unitmander. And since this operation was rted to the dimensional crack, there was a chance that he could probably go higher than Major if he yed well. However, there was also a chance that the corruption in their lines would be revealed and he would be demoted to captain. If that happened, then his dreams of bing a Major would most likely be dashed and the next in line to be Major would probably take this position.


    After pondering over his thoughts, thepanymander was barely able to make up his mind. He quickly stood up from his seat as he spoke to Iron.


    ¡°I¡¯ll report this to themander myself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trust.¡±


    In their current situation where their search unitmander was out ofmission, their immediate superior would be the Northeastern Commander himself.


    For thepanymander, just having a meeting with the special search unitmander was already nerve-wracking. But right now, he was going to willingly venture into the tiger¡¯s den to meet with the armymander himself. All he could do was breathe deeply to calm himself down and straighten his military uniform in preparation for the inevitable meeting that he would go to.


    Iron smiled bitterly as he watched thepanymander nervously leave the office.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Prove¡­¡±


    Iron clenched his fists tightly as he recalled the words of the family head and his father, Lioner.


    This was an operation that was difficult even if it was done in the future. However he had no choice but to do it. He wanted to lie and say that he was still sick so he could take a rest right away but he had to establish his specialty and show off that his choices were correct just so he could escape from that madman.


    And Iron was someone who firmly believed that if one was going to do it, then one should do it properly.


    ¡°By that time, I should be Winter Mountain¡¯s hero.¡±


    This life¡¯s very first hero who sealed the dimensional crack.


    Iron¡¯s eye shone brightly at the thought of taking such a title.


    A few dayster, Crimson officially approved the dimensional gate explosion operation. All of the troops set foot at Winter Mountains and gathered at the ce where the dark elves had created the dimensional gate.


    The very same day that the dimensional crack had exploded, the mindless ughter of countless void insects also began. And of course, Iron was at the center of it all.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 58 - Winter Mountains’ Hero (5)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(58)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>18 </b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero (5)


    The dangers that one would face in the current Winter Mountains, where the iplete dimensional gate was opened, waspletely iparable to the dangers that they would face in ordinary dangerous areas.


    Usually, they would deem this situation unsalvageable and would leave it half-abandoned once a dimensional gate had been opened. However, thanks to Iron¡¯s concept and proposal that was backed by a Wizard Tower elder, they were able to find a method to smash and break the dimensional gate.


    The answer was non-attribute.


    Contaminated mana was mana that deteriorated from pure non-attributed mana. In other words, contaminated mana was mana that had gained some sort of attribute.


    Thew of this world stipted that the mana that floated in nature had their own unique attributes and characteristics. However, among all of these mana, there existed a mana at its purest form. It was mana that did not contain anything at all. This was a concept that was discovered by the person who they had revered as Magic God a long time ago. He had defined it as non-attributed mana and it was still being passed on to this day. Thanks to the development of magical engineering, the people were able to study and learn how to convert the mana in nature into its purest form that contained nothing, the non-attributed mana.


    Although the method was still inefficient, they were still thankful that a method like this existed which enabled them to create non-attributed mana.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished preparing the Non-Attributed Mana Conversion Magic Circle!¡±


    Mailte Preston nodded at the wizard.


    ¡°Preparations have been finished.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    Crimson looked extremely nervous after hearing the report from Mailte.


    Unlike the beginning where they only relied on themselves, they now had the best troops of the North, the Leonhardts, the Wizard Tower as well as the entire Northeastern Army. However, despite their lineup it was inevitable that he would feel nervous. After all, this was the first time that Crimson saw a dimensional gate. They had no choice but to rely on historical records, records that showed them how it was the worst disaster that ate up an entire continent in the past. Because of this, Crimson was feeling extremely nervous.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the world¡¯s greatest, Crimson, is this scared¡­¡±


    Mailte Preston shook his head. Crimson choked up when he heard his close friend¡¯s jab at him. But he couldn¡¯t help the tension that colored his face when he turned to look at the dimensional gate once again.


    Then, as if he finally made up his mind, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°Activate it.¡±


    Mailte Preston grinned at Crimson as he activated the non-attributed mana conversion magic circle.


    At the same time, airships began to soar in the air to get into position and drop the bombs that would smash the dimensional gate apart.


    Converting the mana in the surroundings into non-attributed mana was just some means to weaken the gate. The real thing that would smash it to pieces was the magic bomb that was filled to the brim with non-attributed mana.


    ¨DKkiiiriiiriiik!


    ¡°They¡¯reing!¡±


    As the mana in the surrounding slowly turned into non-attributed mana, the mana-sensitive void insects were triggered toe out of the cave all at once. The beings that were slowly making their territory came out in a hurry when the contaminated mana that they had piled up inyers slowly turned into non-attributed mana. There were so many that crawled out of the cave that the people in the vicinity wondered how those void insects fit in that cave.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The first attack that stopped the advance of the void insects was artillery fire.


    The artillery that they had fully prepared had been aimed and fired. Bullets that were coated with weak but nevertheless non-attributed mana continuously hit the bodies of the void insects as they rained down on them.


    The Northern Commander couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw the mana-coated bullets raining down on their enemies.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that effective?¡±


    ¡°This is not the end.¡±


    Crimson Halo firmly prepared for the next attack after hearing Jayden Wicks¡¯int.


    Airships and drakes began to soar in the sky as they began to drop the bombs that they had prepared.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As the same mana bombs that they had prepared to break the dimensional gate dropped, the antique buildings that the dark elves built began to break down into pieces.


    Then, huge void insects suddenly showed up and began sucking the stones that broke down from the dimensional gate as soon as they felt the non-attributed mana bombs pouring out.


    ¡°The child is right.¡±


    The void insects instinctively felt the dangers of the non-attributed mana bombs so they flew up in unison and received the bombs with their bodies.


    Jayden Wicks, who saw them sacrificing themselves to protect the dimensional gate, spoke quietly.


    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s time to move.¡±


    Just like what Iron had said, the non-attributed mana bomb would not be able to smash and break the dimensional gate if they could not sweep away the void insects.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Crimson sighed before jumping in the air. He rose high up in the air while drawing his sword gently. With a sh of Crimson¡¯s sword, a huge storm that swept the surroundings away was created.


    The storm swallowed up the void insects and made them copse and explode. Even the void insects that weren¡¯t fully out of the gate yet had been swept away by the storm.


    Thanks to the tremendous power of a master, the void insects were sessfully separated from the dimensional gate. As soon as they were swept away, the airships and drakes began to bombard the dimensional gate with the non-attributed mana bombs in their arsenal.


    The gate that had been fixed and built from contaminated mana began to copse slowly thanks to the non-attributed mana. However, despite some pieces copsing bit by bit, it still did not break down that easily. After all, the gate had still been fixed and strengthened by the void insects for quite some time as they prepared for their attack.


    ¡°He looks like he¡¯s struggling.¡±


    The Northern Commander shook his head as he turned away from watching Crimson sweep the void insects away with his crazy storm sword. Whether the master was burdened by the huge amount of void insects or not, his aura de, a symbol that indicated his master level, was still fully expressed in his storm sword.


    ¡°It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    Lioner, who sat next to the Northern Commander, frowned.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°I went there for a while.¡±


    Lioner pointed where Crimson was before speaking once again.


    ¡°The gate must have already been fixed well. It was hard.¡±


    ¡°Did you try to break it with your sword?¡±


    Lioner nodded his head upon hearing Jayden Wicks¡¯ question.


    ¡°I can break it if I want to but¡­ I think it would be a bit too much for me so I just came back.¡±


    Jayden Wicks¡¯ eyes widened when he heard Lioner, the person who waspeting for the 1st and 2nd strongest power in the Empire, admit that he would overdo it if he tried to forcibly break it.


    ¡°This¡­ We¡¯ll have to follow the n.¡±


    Jayden Wicks smiled bitterly.


    After realizing that they really couldn¡¯t deal with it with their own power, Jayden Wicks, Crimson Halo and Lioner followed Iron¡¯s ns and split the job.


    After spending hours swinging their swords like crazy and spending their remaining time for strength and energy recovery. Thanks to the efforts of the masters that split the job between them, the dimensional gate finally began to break down under the barrage of the non-attributed mana bomb.


    Crack, crack, crack, crack!


    ¡°The real thing will be here starting now! Everyone in your defense formations!¡±


    Caiden Wall shouted loudly as he led the Vanguard Corps forward. And with his lead, the other troops also began to stand in defense.


    After a while, the magic circle that held the dimensional crackpletely broke and disappeared into dust. At the same time, the dimensional crack expanded and released contaminated mana all over the ce.


    ¡°Stop the contaminated mana!¡±


    ¡°There will be a lot of void insects! Block them!¡±


    Large numbers of void insects began to flock out of the expanded dimensional crack. Some of them even had wings and were dozens of timesrger than the ordinary void insects. But the worst was not the void insects.


    ¡°He¡­ Hell¡¯s Gate is opening!¡±


    ¡°We have to block that!¡±


    ¡°Hell cows are about toe out through the open space!


    The Hell¡¯s Gate persisted and squeezed through the gap between the dimensional crack. And right now, it was about to open.


    Sometimes, there were beings that took advantage of the spatial distortion caused by the dimensional crack to move to this dimension. And the beings that tried to do this the most were the beings from hell.


    Because of that, people on this continent would use the curse ¡®You¡¯re worse than demons!¡¯ when cursing.


    ¡°Hell¡¯s Gate is widening!¡±


    Crimson stared at the Hell¡¯s Gate in exhaustion as he ordered his troops.


    ¡°Focus on the Hell¡¯s Gate from now on! Don¡¯t pay attention to the void insects spreading in all directions and just focus your efforts on the Hell¡¯s Gate!¡±


    ¡°B¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry!¡±


    The officers scattered to ry Crimson¡¯s orders.


    He knew that it would be too much for them to chase the void insects that were running wildly with the troops that they had gathered here in Winter Mountains. For now, their top priority was to block as many void insects as possible while preventing any more hell cows from squeezing through the Hell¡¯s Gate.


    While the troops gathered in the Winter Mountains were busy trying to block the Hell¡¯s Gate, Iron smiled at the flying void insects while he waited from the rear.


    ¡°Now¡¯s our time to work hard.¡±


    Thepanymander nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s words.


    At first he was half-confident. This was because the twomanders had gathered all of the elite units in the North and Northeast. Even the Leonhardts¡¯ Blood Lions and family head came here. So he felt reassured that nothing would pierce through their defenses.


    However, Iron¡¯s words became true. And the flying void insects were testament to this fact.


    ¡°From now on, all of the toons will scatter and perform their own duties. Keep in mind that our task is to inform the ce where the void insects are gathered together not to fight. Understand?¡±


    All the outpost leaders bowed their heads and answered in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it from here.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Thepanymander nodded grimly at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Our operation will begin now. You will never be able to kill a void insect with your skills so if you get caught make sure to focus all of your attention on escaping. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. Call me with the pagers attached near your necks if something happens. You all know our main strategies. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All the soldiers answered Iron¡¯s words loudly.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s begin our operation. Let¡¯s all see each other aliveter.¡±


    Iron moved out with a few privates and private first sses followed by Sergeant Sean and Corporal Charles that lead a squad each from behind.


    ¡°Outpost leader! Shall we call for them?¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet.¡±


    Iron shook his head firmly when he heard the words of a private that found a gathering of void insects. He knew that it was a waste of artillery if they used that with just that much.


    After a few more minutes of waiting, a lot of void insects had now gathered at the area after hearing the cries of the void insect that looked to be their leader.


    Iron fired up a red re when he saw this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s retreat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of the soldiers retreated at Iron¡¯s orders. A few minutester, a drake knight hovering in the air checked the coordinates and ryed it. Artillery fire soon rang loudly in the area.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang!


    ¨DKiyeeeeek!


    No matter how tough a void insect was, as long as it was hit by several shots of non-attributed mana coated artillery, it was still bound to die. But just in case, the airships and drakes still hovered at the coordinates and prepared for another round of bombing.


    In the end, the group of void insects that Iron and his group discovered were bombed twice before being exterminated.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Iron nodded in satisfaction when he confirmed from a nearby hill that the void insects had beenpletely exterminated.


    Not long after, res rose in the sky one after the other as artillery fire rang loudly in all directions. Hundreds of explosions and anguished shrieks of the void insects rang all over the Winter Mountains.


    Although the void insects shrieked pitifully, none of the people present here thought that they were pitiful. After all, they would still spread contaminated mana even after their death. And their appearance, which closely resembled a cockroach, was extremely disgusting to the eyes of the troops.


    ¡°Gross.¡±


    One of the soldiers frowned as he looked at the corpse of the void insect.


    ¡°They¡¯re the ones that you will encounter countless times in the future. If you¡¯re unlucky and stay in close range, there¡¯s a high chance that you will be covered with its body fluid.¡±


    ¡°Ueeeeeugh!¡±


    The soldiers looked like they were about to throw up when they heard Iron¡¯s words. They were even frowning to the point that they looked like they were going to receive disciplinary actions.


    Iron bursted intoughter when he saw the clear disgust in his soldiers¡¯ faces.


    Then, his pager suddenly rang.


    ¨DOutpost Leader Iron!


    ¡°Companymander?¡±


    When he heard thepanymander¡¯s voice, Iron was so shocked that he only saluted instinctively.


    ¨DWe¡¯re in trouble!


    Iron tilted his head in confusion. He had no choice but to be confused. After all, he had already exined that this much would happen but it seemed like they were still flustered.


    ¨DHe¡­ Hell cows areing!


    Iron¡¯s mouth shut tightly when he heard thepanymander¡¯s words. The ugliest situation that he could think of had suddenly happened.


    ¡°Did the Hell¡¯s Gate¡­ open?¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 59 - Winter Mountains’ Hero (6)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(59)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>18 </b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero (6)


    Iron¡¯s expression turned serious. He did not expect that one of the worst situations that could ur during a dimensional crack had urred right now.


    ¡°A link was established even with an iplete crack?¡±


    ¨DI don¡¯t know.


    Iron frowned.


    This was something that did not happen in his previous life. But it was not happening.


    Although he failed to prevent the dimensional crack from opening, that did not mean that what he did was entirely useless. Thanks to his intervention, the dark elves failed to open itpletely which led to an iplete dimensional crack. Because of this, the dimensional gate was prevented from beingpletely fixed in ce while the dimensional crack was prevented from fully opening.


    Distinguishing whether the crack was iplete or not was simple. As long as the space opposite of the crack was invisible and swaying the dimensional crack was considered to be ipletely opened. This meant that there was an unstable connection between the dimensions. If any being came over in that state, they would either be lost between the dimensions or their bodies would disintegrate while trying to cross over.


    But the Hell¡¯s Gate was still connected despite those obvious risks.


    ¡°Companymander, please send me the coordinates of the hell cows.¡±


    ¨DDo you have a method?


    ¡°I think there is.¡±


    Iron recalled the hell cows from his previous life.


    Usually the hell cows, angler fish, and hellhounds would appear in abundance from the Hell¡¯s Gate.


    The hell cows were particrly known for their mindless charge. In terms of charging capabilities, the hell cows were among the top 3 among all of the monsters ever known to mankind. They usually charged in a straight line, a trait that was somewhat simr to bulls and cows and because of such a simple charging attack, numerous tactics that dealt with them appeared in his previous life.


    ¨DEumooooooo~


    Iron turned his head to look at the direction where the sound of a cow came from.


    There, he saw a zing red cow rushing forward while melting the snow in the Winter Mountains. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the sight of the hellcow that breathed fire through its nose.


    Although these hell cows had cute spots all over their bodies, they were quite terrifying especially in terms of reproductive capabilities. In addition, as if to honor their namesake, they also secrete milk-like fluid. However, instead of creamy milk, hellfire would pour down and devour the ground.


    In other words, they were as troublesome as the void insects if they were left alone.


    ¡°Listen carefully from now on.¡±


    Iron called his soldiers as he exined his new ns.


    ¡°First, set up some bombs at this point and prepare to stop them from rushing forward mindlessly. Then, tell the others to get ready to fire at these coordinates.¡±


    The soldiers hurriedly nodded their heads.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ From now on, we will only keep 2 squads. Sergeant Sean¡¯s squad will join me and Corporal Charles¡¯ squad will join with the vice outpost leader. Go and call them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be the ones in charge of the hell cows so it will be several times more dangerous.¡±


    The soldiers gulped dryly when they heard Iron telling them to be prepared.


    ¡°The first artillery attack will be used to agitate them. Once the attack is fired, I will lure them myself here. Make sure to set off the bomb as soon as I pass by. If you do it correctly, we¡¯ll be able to stop the hell cows even for a moment.¡±


    ¡°But even if we stopped them, wouldn¡¯t they just move again? If that happens, then we wouldn¡¯t have enough firepower.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to feed them.¡±


    Iron continued to speak as he opened up a map.


    ¡°From now on, we will be driving the hell cows around to clean up the monsters and the void insects.¡±


    Iron suddenly had a wicked smile on his face.


    ¡°Our cute hell cows are omnivorous so they wouldn¡¯t care about what they would eat. All we have to do is throw a lot of food at them until they feel full.¡±


    Iron exined the operation in full to his soldiers.


    They were fortunate that the hell cows were characteristicallyzy. They tend to remain in a ce for a long time after moving for a bit. They would not move until the surrounding area had turned intova by their hellfire.


    Their operation was an operation that took full advantage of such a characteristic.


    <b>1 </b>Target them with artillery fire.


    <b>2</b> Attract the hell cows with agile and extremely mobile soldiers.


    <b>3 </b>Drive them and lure them around from time to time to deal with the monsters. They can also be used to deal with the void insects.


    <b>4</b> Since hell cows are extremelyzy to move, stimte them with bombs from time to time.


    <b>5</b> Repeat the above process to deal with most of the monsters.


    To follow this n perfectly, two squads needed to move seamlessly.


    ¡°The vice outpost leader should search for the location of the hell cows, the monsters and the void insects. In addition, you must continue to receive and send real-time information with thepanymander and me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll report it right away.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, our squad will drive the hell cows around with the real-time information that we will receive. To make up for the hell cows that will be killed through the artillery fire andbat, we will need to bring over the hell cows thate over from the gate.¡±


    Hell cows always lived in groups. To prevent having arge group of hell cows forming, they needed to continue gathering and dealing with small numbers of hell cows more often.


    ¡°Did you understand everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll start the operation now.¡±


    Iron assigned the soldiers that would take the mission before moving to the coordinates that thepanymander had given him.


    ¡°Did you understand it, sir?¡±


    ¨DIt might work, but¡­


    ¡°We need a toon that can take over my duties, preferably an outpost leader.¡±


    ¨DUhm¡­ Do¡­ Do you think it will work? It¡¯s a bit hard for me too.


    Iron frowned when thepanymander spoke without confidence.


    ¡°Then please report it to Command and ask them to send over a person who can take over the mission.¡±


    ¨DAhem, ahem¡­ I¡¯ll report it right away.


    Iron sighed when thepanymander spoke quickly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t fully recovered yet but it seems like I have to roll hard again.¡±


    Iron¡¯s voice was tinged with a bit of helplessness as he moved to where the hell cows were located.


    He hid in the vicinity and watched as the hell cows turned the area into their territory. They were turning the cold Winter Mountains into ava zone by spraying their hellfire milk on the ground.


    Iron watched this scene for a while before sending a re out in the sky. Not long after, bombs dropped one by one on the ground.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¨DEumooo!


    ¨DEumoooooo!


    The cutely spotted hell cows began to jump around in panic. Anger suddenly surged when they realized that some of them had received serious injuries. They quickly looked around to find the culprit that put them in such a situation. Their big eyes were filled with viciousness that anyone who received their stare would feel like they were being crushed with just their eyes alone.


    Iron felt somewhat unbnced when he saw them look around viciously like that. After all, they closely resembled the cute cows that he had seen before. He did not know if he shouldugh or not at the scene that he was watching.


    ¨DEumoo?


    When one of the hell cows found a boy looking at them from afar, it couldn¡¯t help but tilt its head in confusion. However, its confusion was easily swept away by its anger as it recklessly rushed towards the boy.


    ¨DEumoooooo!


    With one of them angrily rushing towards somewhere, the others also quickly followed. It did not matter whether the leading cow was mistaken or not, since it moved, then they would follow. This was how naive and stupid they were.


    However, even if they were mindless and naive, the strength and brute force of their bodies were things that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Their fertility, hellfire, and fearsome physical abilities made them uniquely powerful against other monsters. A single one of them was already scary enough, what more if a crowd rushed towards you.


    ¨DEumoooo (Catch that bastard)!


    ¨DEumoooo (Screw that bastard over)!


    The hell cows ran like crazy to kill the young boy in front of them.


    But before they could do that,ziness suddenly started to kick in as they slowly stopped in their tracks. Then¡­ Prey came in front of them.


    The prey that came in front of them were none other than the void insects. Normally, they would ignore them. However, the hell cows could not afford to be choosy especially when they were feeling the pangs of hunger after running so hard earlier. So, they rushed like crazy towards their prey.


    The void insects, who gathered together to spread contaminated mana, quickly resisted and fought against the hell cows.


    Iron looked at the scene from afar with a wicked smile on his face.


    ¡°Yeah. You should charge like some kind of crazy dog.¡±


    The hell cows used their overwhelming physical abilities to bite on the void insects. But the void insects did not die. They even resisted fiercely which allowed them to kill the hell cows one after the other. But no matter how tenacious and fierce the void insects were, their strength still couldn¡¯tpete with the hell cows. In the end, they became fodder that entered the hell cows¡¯ empty stomachs.


    Iron fired up another re when he saw this.


    Pop!


    At the re¡¯s signal, bombs began to rain down again.


    The fed hell cows turned angry once again as they rushed towards Iron once more.


    The Northern Commander, who received this report, couldn¡¯t help butugh dumbfoundedly. He couldn¡¯t believe that someone dared to lure the hell cows around the Winter Mountains to feed them with monsters of every level.


    ¡°Does it work?¡±


    Crimson burst outughing when he heard Jayden Wicks¡¯ words. He was surprised when he first heard about Iron¡¯s achievements in the academy but now all he could do wasugh helplessly.


    Cleaning up the monsters and the void insects with hell cows might not be a normal method but using the hell cows without taking a break was extremely unusual.


    And that was not the end of it. He used the hell cows that came out fresh from the Hell¡¯s Gate to supplement the hell cows that were killed in the battle. He was working the hell cows like the non-stop rotating machine in the Wizard Tower as he constantly agitated and fed the hell cows while the participants changed along the way.


    At first, it was a rather unique tactic to the people staying in the Winter Mountains, but after they travelled all over the Winter Mountains and showed off tremendous results, all of the units in the Winter Mountains began to use the tactic one by one.


    The name of the strategy was ¡®Hell Cow Teasing Hunt¡¯.


    As this tactic, with a strange and unique name, spread all throughout the Winter Mountains, the gloomy and reserved atmosphere in all the units began to get reversed.


    At the same time, the Center, who received reports of the dimensional crack opening and a dimensional gate being established, sent a huge amount of support and supplies. Because of this, the units that were stationed in the Winter Mountains began to feel rxed.


    A few weekster, another piece of good news came to them.


    ¡°The dimensional crack has been reduced!¡±


    ¡°You heard it! As expected of my hypothesis! I¡¯m right. Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°You have to say it correctly. Lieutenant Iron¡¯s hypothesis is right.¡±


    Crimson frowned and corrected Mailte Preston¡¯s words after hearing the officer¡¯s report.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m d Lieutenant Iron is correct.¡±


    Crimson sighed as he left the barracks and checked the situation of the dimensional crack with Mailte Preston.


    ¡°When will we be able to seal it?¡±


    ¡°Two years¡­ No. I think we can seal it earlier than that.¡±


    Crimson nodded when he heard Mailte¡¯s estimate.


    ¡°Two years¡­¡±


    He turned to look at the dimensional crack as he mumbled those words to himself.


    ¡°Is it only two years because the crack is iplete?¡±


    ¡°If we study this further, then we¡¯ll be able to find a better way. Since we¡¯ve experienced it once, we¡¯ll be able to find a more definite method to seal it next time.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Crimson looked up at the sky bitterly when he heard the words of his friend.


    This meant that for that entire two years, all of the Northeast¡¯s power would be focused on this ce.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be busy these days.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all old. What kind of thing do we not find troublesome?¡±


    Mailte Preston clicked his tongue at Crimson¡¯s bitter smile.


    Just like he said, he was already old. He found these things to be troublesome. But for those who had the power and the position, they had to weigh the consequences. This was their responsibility. Knowing that, the two old men endured their exhaustion and did their best to prevent and seal the dimensional cracks.


    It was not only themander and the Wizard Tower¡¯s heir who did their best, everyone in the Northeast gave their all to prevent the dimensional crack from bringing in more harm.


    Over time, they were able to gain the know-hows from the experience that they had umted when dealing with the contaminated monsters as well as the void insects and hell cows. Eventually, they were able to block and kill them with only a few small damages here and there.


    These feats were considered to be unimaginably amazing considering that they dealt with a dimensional crack.


    After everyone¡¯s efforts and sacrifices, the dimensional crack was now finallypletely reduced. This meant that the dimensional crack could now be finally sealed. With the reduction of the dimensional crack, even the Hell¡¯s Gate was closed.


    Winter Mountains¡¯ peace and safety was finally returned. Because of this, the tremendous power that gathered in the Winter Mountains prepared to return to their own ces.


    The talks about the postponed awarding for their meritorious deeds had also resumed.


    The most surprising thing here was the fact that it was neither the Northeastern Commander, a master, nor the Wizard Tower¡¯s sessor, Mailte Preston, who received the best meritorious award.


    The protagonist who created the highest and biggest contribution was none other than a young lieutenant who was brimming with youthful energy. And the people had called this lieutenant ¡®Winter Mountain¡¯s Hero¡¯.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 60 - Winter Mountains’ Hero (7)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(60)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>18 </b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero (7)


    Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero.


    Hero. This title brought tremendous honor to whoever received it. It was only one word but this one word was what made the difference. However, the meaning of this title and its impact in the entirety of the continent was never light.


    Every hero, whether they were just heroes that emerged from extremely small battles or not, would receive tremendous honor in the region that they actively fought in. At the very least, they would receive a far higher honor than the lord of the region themselves.


    Right now, Iron has received the title of a hero. And he wasn¡¯t a hero of some sort of small battle either, he was the hero among all of the elite troops in the region.


    Iron had made great contributions over the past two years. He had made great contributions in the sealing of the dimensional crack, created a customized and unique tactic to deal with the void insects, hell cows and contaminated monsters, and developed tactical methods tailored for each weapon. All of his contributions were controversial, especially the tactical methods that he developed for the military weapons that were difficult to use against monsters. This topic was extremely controversial among the military schrs¡¯ circles.


    Even if Iron was only able to aplish just one of those contributions, he could still receive special promotions. That was how enormous the contributions that Iron had made were. And even though everyone remained silent over this matter, everyone knew that Iron was also the one who yed a decisive role in the discovery of the dark elves, the creatures who forcibly created the dimensional crack.


    Although they did not actively talk about it, rumors still spread. After all, there were not just one or two people who had witnessed the Ghosts¡¯ performance over those two years in the Winter Mountains. In fact, they could hide it if they wanted to but Commander Crimson just watched as the rumors spread. It was because he did not want to hide what Iron and the Ghosts did anymore.


    And since all of these meritorious deeds were aplished by Iron alone, the soldiers had dubbed him ¡®Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero¡¯ as a form of respect for all of his aplishments


    Because of this, Iron was able to rank first in the meritorious deeds rankings and beat the Leonhardt Family Head, someone who waspeting for the strongest position in the continent.


    Lioner sat by the side as he stared grimly at Iron. It seemed like he did not expect to be defeated like that.


    Iron had apletely refreshed and rxed expression, an expression that was theplete opposite of Lioner¡¯s face that looked like he ate some shit. After all, he believed that all of his aplishments were able to prove that his decision toe to the Northeast was correct.


    ¡°I admit it. You know how to use your head well.¡±


    After being silent for a while, Lioner spoke. And although his tone was reluctant, he still admitted Iron¡¯s strength. This meant that he was also admitting that Iron had won their bet.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯m ¡®free¡¯ now.¡±


    Lioner¡¯s brows twitched when he heard Iron emphasizing the word free.


    ¡°I¡¯ll count this as you winning the bet. But there¡¯s still one thing that I need to check.¡±


    This time, it was Iron¡¯s turn to frown.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve made enough contributions so it doesn¡¯t matter if you won because of your growth in strength or not. So, I¡¯ll say that you won this bet. But the fact that you are Leonhardt¡¯s descendant does not change. I don¡¯t want to hear that the son of the family head is weak.¡±


    ¡°Will I be stronger just because I wanted to be stronger?¡±


    The corner of Lioner¡¯s mouth curled up when he heard Iron¡¯s words. Iron began to feel uneasy when he saw Lioner smirking at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve established your own path after two years of practice in the field.¡±


    ¡°Are you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°No matter how trivial it is, a bet is still a bet. So I have to check things up close.¡±


    Lioner got up from his seat after saying those words.


    ¡°Come out. I¡¯ll look at your swordsmanship before I go back to the family.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡­ I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°I already talked with yourmander. He will leave your schedule free for a week until the sealing ceremony.¡±


    ¡°My outpost won¡¯t be able to work without me.¡±


    ¡°Your vice outpost leader is quite useful. He told me that you shouldn¡¯t worry since he will run the outpost well in your absence.¡±


    Cold sweat ran down Iron¡¯s back when he heard Lioner¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t have to teach me. My path is¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t dilly-dally and just follow me. Otherwise, I will knock you out and take you forcibly with me.¡±


    Iron eventually gave up when Lioner increased his momentum with every threatening word that he spat out.


    ¡°The others will impatiently crawl on my feet because they want this opportunity¡­ yet my own child is so full of himself that he¡¯s rejecting me.¡±


    ¡°Then, you can do it with those who impatiently crawl on your feet.¡±


    ¡°If you keep on throwing up a retort with every word I say then I¡¯ll increase the intensity of your training.¡±


    Iron¡¯s mouth immediately shut when he heard Lioner¡¯s threat.


    He was forced by his father, the head of the family, to climb up the back of the mountain. He was even forced to lift his sword as soon as they arrived at their destination.


    ¡°From now on, you have to listen carefully to what I say. No matter what path you¡¯re taking, these will still be the mostmon words that you will hear.¡±


    Lioner pulled out his sword as he continued to speak.


    ¡°Everyone would have their own path. Even if they are of the same descent, with the same swordsmanship and mana training, even when they are living the same life. The path of their sword will remain different from each other.¡±


    Lioner swung his sword lightly as one side of the mountain burst out, creating a crater.


    ¡°Most of the family heads before valued their teeth and ws. But that¡¯s not my path. So, I created my own Lion Sword Technique.¡±


    He turned to look at Iron as he continued with his words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know this story well. However, there¡¯s one thing inmon for everyone. And that is talent.¡±


    Lioner increased his strength.


    ¡°The road to bing a master is tough. However, there are four main gates that one should ovee.¡±


    Iron realized what Lioner was trying to say.


    The four gates.


    The first gate was Mana Awakening. From this point onwards, everyone would be divided ording to their talents. There were some people who failed to detect their mana despite undergoing forced awakening, these people were ssified as talentless. Anyone who awakened their mana, even if they only forced it to awaken, would be considered to be talented. When one¡¯s mana has awakened, they would be able to reach the 2nd Stage, the body strengthening, as long as they tried hard enough.


    The second gate was Mana Expression. This was the point where they should be able to express their mana to the outside. It meant that the person should be able to grasp their own mana and infuse it on their own weapon to the point that they could express it to the outside world. This was a state that could never be achieved if they did not have high talents. Even if one forcefully injected mana in their body, they would still be unable to achieve this state without talent. However, once they passed through this gate, they would be able to achieve the 4th Stage anytime, even if they were already at death¡¯s door.


    The third gate was Attribute Awakening. At this point, one should be able to awaken their mana attribute after umting a lot of mana through practice and training. Achieving this state meant that one had reached the 5th Stage. Passing through this gate meant that they could reach the 6th Stage once they imprinted the experiences that they umted all throughout their lives in their martial arts. In other words, achieving the 5th Stage meant that one was guaranteed to reach the 6th Stage in the future.


    The fourth and final gate was Aura Awakening. This was a state that was achieved by changing the mana that one had umted until the 6th Stage into aura. If this state was sessfully done, then one would be a master.


    These four main gates were a part of the natives¡¯ basicmon sense. They would be aware of this fact as long as they were a citizen of this continent.


    Iron was also aware of these four gates.


    He was painfully aware that anyone without the talent would not be able to break through the wall of the 5th Stage. He was someone who had reached the 5th Stage through force. However, he failed to receive the senses and power of someone who had awakened to the 5th Stage naturally. So, he was the one who knew this fact fully well.


    This is a cruel path that¡¯s determined solely by talent.


    ¡°After watching over you for the past two years, I can see that you have long achieved what you should achieve in the 4th Stage. Simply put, your path ispressing your mana over and over again in your sword. This is the reason why you can climb up quickly.¡±


    The surrounding mana wound up and flew towards Iron when Lioner swung his sword lightly.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Iron reflexively raised his mana to parry and defend against Lioner¡¯s light sword attack. Iron had to do his best even if the sword strike that flew towards him was simple and light.


    However, that was not the end of it. Lioner continued to swing his sword in the air.


    Iron could only endure as much as he could whenever a strikended on him.


    ¡°Your swordsmanship has already reached itspletion through your countless practice and training. Since you haven¡¯t ovee this stage yet, you¡¯re either one of the two. Either you have no talent or you are being blocked by something.¡±


    Lioner swung his sword faster as he continued to speak.


    ¡°If you did not have the talent then you should have already stopped there. However, looking at your sword¡­ Even though it¡¯s just as big as a rat¡¯s tail right now, it¡¯s clear that it¡¯s growing. This means that your path is out of course.¡±


    Lioner sharply observed each sword strike that Iron used to block his attacks. He used his hawk-like eyes to analyze the strengths and ws of Iron¡¯s sword.


    Through his quick observations, he found out that Iron¡¯s sword was as hard as his will to turn it into still. He had confirmed that his sword was firmly bound to Iron¡¯s will. And that was to not break against anything and everything. If it had not been for his talent, will and hardwork, he would never be able to reach this stage.


    ¡°I can now see why you¡¯re like this.¡±


    Lioner clicked his tongue at him.


    ¡°You forgot your essence because you got dazzled by the cold attribute.¡±


    ¡°Keuk! What¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it frost steel that¡¯s buried deep under the ciers that you want to achieve?¡±


    Iron flinched when he heard Lioner¡¯s question. Lioner looked at him as if he was someone pathetic.


    ¡°Was your steel so trivial that it would change depending on your situation? Huh, punk?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Dumb punk. You have been threading the wrong path for the past two years.¡±


    Iron could not say anything against Lioner¡¯s bruising words.


    His first belief in this world was to achieve steel. However, when he received the cold attribute mana, he knew that his belief had changed.


    ¡°Steel can get hot or cold. That sword is something that you can only achieve after you havepleted steel. Someone who did not even achieve steel is trying to make frost steel? Howughable!¡±


    Iron bit his lips after hearing Lioner¡¯s rebuke. He knew that what he had said was not wrong.


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Lioner clicked his tongue at him.


    ¡°Raise your sword. For this one week, I will break that wrong path of yours. Do whatever you want when you rebuild it.¡±


    Lioner swung his sword fiercely. It made the tremendously fast strikes that he swung earlier look like they were just a child¡¯s prank. He would also scold Iron harshly whenever he tried to use his cold attributed mana.


    A week quickly passed by.


    Iron felt like he was almost half-dead with how intense the training with Lioner was. But it had nowe to an end.


    Finally, the day when the dimensional crack would be sealed came. The dimensional crack was now only a miniscule crack. And it was now finally being sealed. Sealing the crack meant that they would iste the crack from the outside world and prevent the contaminated mana from escaping.


    One would think that this was just a simple job that did not need to be recognized as something important. However, it wasbeled as such since today was also the day when those who had contributed and made a lot of meritorious deeds would finally receive their rewards andpensations.


    The sealing ceremony came to an end after a barrier was created around thepressed dimensional crack and a unit was established to protect the seal.


    Then, the three masters, who yed the most important role in the Northeast, stood on the stage and gave praise to those who have umted enough merit over the past two years.


    ¡°Lastly, Lieutenant Iron Carter. Step forward.¡±


    Everyone looked at Iron with envy when they saw Crimson, who was dressed primly, call out to him from the stage. However, they were only envious that he could contribute a lot of undeniable meritorious deeds. None of them were jealous that he was standing there to receive his honor and rewards. After all, he fully deserved it.


    ¡°You have done a lot of undeniable meritorious service here in the Winter Mountains. Not only under the light but even under the darkness.¡±


    Crimson even acknowledged his deeds as a Ghost under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes.


    ¡°As themander representing the Northeast, I gratefully and respectfully award you with the Green Iron Cross Medal and a two-step promotion.¡±


    Everyone was shocked when they heard Crimson¡¯s words but they immediately understood his reasons. This was because all of them had thought that it would be toocking if Iron only received a medal and a one-step promotion.


    Crimson personally awarded the Green Iron Cross medal to Iron and even removed his diamond and attached the clover on his shoulders.


    ¡°As the Commander of the North, I show you my respect by awarding you thismendation.¡±


    This time, it was the Northern Commander who handed over amendation and gave him words of blessings.


    And finally, the Leonhardt family head.


    ¡°I show my respect to you. I hope that you will always encounter luck on the battlefield.¡±


    Lioner handed him a bouquet as he gave him his blessings.


    Everyone apuded as soon as Iron received the bouquet and received hismendations and rewards. They were paying their respects to the person who had done the most impactful deeds in the Winter Mountains.


    ¨D You have revealed the dark elves¡¯ conspiracy.


    ¨D You have achieved amendable method to stop the dimensional crack.


    ¨D You have seeded in protecting the Winter Mountains.


    ¨D You have established a new tactic. The people will now call you the <b>Father of Modern Tactics</b>. The probability of your soldiers following you in the future will increase by 200% once you lead troops of your own.


    ¨D You have acquired the Title: <b>Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero</b>.


    ¨D A hero does not need any other title. Everything that you have received before is just the hero¡¯s achievement. From this point on, all of the titles that you have acquired will disappear.


    ¨D The title effects that you have achieved so far will remain as your achievements and be maintained and in effect.


    ¨D Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero : The hero¡¯s body (All physical abilities x3), the hero¡¯s spirit (All kinds of resistance x3), the hero¡¯s mana (Mana restoration?Mana volume x3)


    ¨D Achievements : Jjambap doesn¡¯t go anywhere, Northeast¡¯s Saint, Monster Schr, The One Crazy about Swords, Winter Mountains¡¯ Hunter, The Youngest Named Hunter.


    ¨D The title ¡®Vigorous Freshman¡¯ has been deleted and excluded from your achievements.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the sky where all of the notification windows appeared one after the other.


    Crimson smiled broadly at Iron.


    ¡°Good job. And congrattions.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression remained nk as he bowed his head in thanks. After Crimson tapped his shoulders he went down the stage.


    His unit members quickly approached Iron and lifted him up.


    ¡°Everyone, hold up the outpost leader!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    His troops smiled and lifted him up.


    ¡°Wa¡­ wait!¡±


    ¡°Outpost leader, congrattions!¡±


    The troops pretended to not hear Iron¡¯s words as they lifted and tossed him up. Everyoneughed as they watched him get tossed around. They pped and congratted him once again when they passed by.


    Iron was finally able to smile pleasantly in the midst of everyone¡¯s celebrations.


    Perhaps, today could be considered the happiest day ever since he came to this ce. He thought that he would never forget this day even if he survived and went back to his own world in the modern times.


    ***


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 Chapter 61 - The Crown Prince Visits The Northeast (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(61)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>19 </b>The Crown Prince Visits the Northeast (1)


    All of the major troops in the North were tied to the Winter Mountains for two years due to the dimensional crack. A lot of things had changed in the Empire in those two years.


    The empire began to tremble in fear once news of the dimensional crack had reached the Center. Of course, the Central Government announced that they had sent huge supplies as support to the Northeast. This was so the Northeast could buy them as much time as possible. The Center wanted to use them as a scapegoat so they could have enough time to prepare for the iing monster wave.


    The Imperial Family saw this as an opportunity and took advantage of the dimensional crack to rip off huge amounts of wealth from the noble families. Of course, the nobles were people who could only gain money and never lose it so they collected all kinds of taxes from the people to give to the Imperial Family under the guise of sending continuous supply to the Northeast.


    But while they were in the midst of taking advantage of each other, news about the sealing of the dimensional crack began to spread in the capital. With the risk of the dimensional crack gone, the people began to wake up one by one.


    ¡°The Imperial Family should exin themselves!¡±


    ¡°Where did all our money go!¡±


    ¡°The nobles should exin themselves!¡±


    The people gathered together in groups and screamed for justice.


    They tried to disperse them at first however this idea did notst long. So, they had no choice but to fix it immediately. They couldn¡¯t dare to use the army to stop these people from gathering. After all, once they use force, the people from all over the Empire would use this as a sign to start a revolt.


    The thought of killing the leader to kill off the people¡¯s desire to revolt passed through their heads but they immediately realized that doing so would result in the Imperial economy stagnating. If that happened, then they would suffer from a huge loss.


    In the end, all they could do was hem and haw as they continued to hold meetings without truly doing anything.


    Then, the newspapers began to publish articles about the Northeast, the dimensional crack and the embezzlement of supplies as if they did not care about anything anymore.


    [ Where are all of the support supplies that were supposed to be sent to the Northeast? ]


    [ Are the taxes that the noble families collect from us justified? ]


    [ It¡¯s unfair for the nobles too. They have been removed from the Center for the sole purpose of protecting themselves from the dimensional crack! ]


    [ Empire, are you really alright with this? ]


    As these articles began to pop out day after day, a huge amount of support supplies started getting sent to the Northeast. They used the excuse of theirck of logistics system as the reason for the dy and sent off twice the amount of the promised supplies that they did not give before.


    And it was not only the Northeast that benefited from this.


    The Northern Army took this chance to resolve their chronic problem, the shortage of troops. They selected several support troops from different regions of the Empire. After all, the risk from the Northeast¡¯s dimensional crack as well as the dark elves, which they had officially reported, were still yet to be resolved. These problems continued to terrorize them.


    Because of the articles published about the Northeast, schrs from all over the continent, who were interested in the dimensional cracks, began to flock to the Northeast. Even the wizards, geologists, mana researchers, dimension researchers, historical schrs and intellectuals from various fields all over the continent also rushed over to the Northeast to study the dimensional crack. When the Northern Wizard Tower bragged about their great achievement in the Wizard Towers¡¯ meeting, the representatives of the other Wizard Towers returned to their own Wizard Towers with twisted looks on their faces.


    The Center believed that no one would daree to the North and the Northeast which had be the most dangerous area in the Empire. However, contrary to what they had expected, the people flocked to the North to study the dimensional crack. After all they were fully aware that they would be safe since the Northern Army had blocked and sealed the dimensional crack perfectly well.


    At the time when all of the people were busy flocking to the Northeast, the Northeast Commander threw a bomb that no one expected in a press conference.


    ¡°We have received little to no support from the Central Government.¡±


    The words of Northeast Commander Crimson Halo, who had served as the head of the Central Regional Army, operational staff and even as the Northern Commander before, were already very surprising. But the bomb that they received was much bigger when he showed solid evidence of his ims.


    The Central Government would have ignored their words in the past, but this was a time when all of the attention was focused on the Northeast. They could no longer cover it up and turn a blind eye to the Northeast¡¯s plight.


    They desperately tried to control any information about the Northeast and stop the news from reaching the people¡¯s ears and piquing their interests. They wanted to stop the information and only leak a few that they could take advantage of to put pressure on the Northern and Northeastern Armies. However, this feast was something that they could not achieve easily anymore.


    They did not know what happened but the sleeping lion stretched its ws in support of the Northeast and asked that they reveal the information.


    There were rumors that one of the Northeastern soldiers was from the Lion Family and the family had epted the request for help from their descendant. However, those things remained as rumors.


    Anyway, once the Leonhardts asked for an exnation of this matter, the Center could not cover it up anymore.


    Since attention was focused on all sorts of things rted to the Northeast, trying to cut off the loose tail would not work at all.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to give them a piece of our flesh.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ Do you think that¡¯s easy? What if ites all the way to us?¡±


    ¡°Goddamnit! I told you to stop gobbling up money recklessly!¡±


    ¡°Why do it at this time¡­ I¡¯m going nuts!¡±


    The nobles were divided into factions screaming that it was the fault of the other and vice versa. However, all of them just raised their voices while they trained their eyes on the Imperial Family.


    Their gazes meant that the Imperial Family should take responsibility since they were the ones that ate the most. Naturally, the Imperial Family drew a line saying that they could not do so. The nobles also tried to avoid responsibility which added more confusion to the Center.


    Unfortunately for them, stupidly clear evidence of the nobles who yed tricks on the supplies that were supposed to be sent to the Northeast began to emerge one by one. There were so many dirty things that they had done that just a little investigation resulted in a lot of information about their corruption.


    This was one of the main reasons why they tried to control the information somehow.


    However, despite putting on a control on the information, once the schrs began to praise the entire Northern region for their excellent work in sealing the dimensional crack, the interest of the people were piqued once again. Eventually information about the Northeast spread like wildfire all throughout the Empire.


    Who said that newspapers were <b>money ghosts</b>?


    Just as their nickname suggested, the newspaperpanies smelled money from the information about the Northeast. So, they secretly gathered information about the Northeast and spread it in the capital, despite the capital imposing an Imperial Control on the information.


    As a result, various problems like supplies and military support for the Northeast began to burst out one after the other.


    The Center now had no choice but to extensively promote the Northeast¡¯s sess in stopping the dimensional crack. And for them to be able to properly break and hide the news about the Central nobles chain of corruption, it was necessary for them to promote the heroes who contributed a lot of meritorious deeds and push them to the forefront. They wrapped them up as heroes who saved the Empire. At the same time, they tried to soothe the anger of the masses by promising a huge amount of support from the Center to the Northeast while apologizing for not being able to do so before.


    However, these alone were not enough to soothe the public anger and their sympathy for the Northeast. The Imperial Family and the nobles all agreed that there should at least be a respectable person who needed toe forward.


    And the person that they chose was none other than the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Do I have to go to the Northeast just because of petty bugs like that?¡±


    ¡°However, Your Highness¡­ If Your Highness does not go then His Majesty will be in trouble.¡±


    The Crown Prince looked out of the window in annoyance when he heard the eunuch¡¯s words.


    The angry masses were pushing the soldiers away as he passed by on his carriage decorated with gold and gems while on his way to the warp gate.


    However, instead of lifting their clubs and spears, the soldiers just used their shields to receive the anger of the people. After all, any excessive response would bring about the worst public opinion.


    ¡°Tch! These pests are always a problem wherever you go!¡±


    The Crown Prince, who was hidden behind a red curtain, frowned deeply as hemented his situation.


    Why should I, someone from the noblest lineage of this Empire, apologize to the barbarians of the Northeast?


    These were the thoughts that swirled in the Crown Prince¡¯s head. However, there was no mistake in his outward appearance because he was someone who was well-versed in politics and social skills ever since he was young.


    Upon arriving at the warp gate, the Crown Prince descended from his carriage and looked at the people as if he was truly guilty.


    ¡°All of this is our fault. I apologize on behalf of the Imperial Family.¡±


    When the Crown Prince bowed and apologized, the people, who had been acting violently, became quiet.


    ¡°We have neglected the North because of the various diplomatic issues that we have been dealing with but I know that these excuses won¡¯t appease the Northerners¡¯ anger. Even if I have to kneel down and apologize, I will make sure to quell the anger of the Northerners. So please give me a chance, dear people of the Capital.¡±


    One of the people among the masses shed tears when they heard the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    ¡°I believe in Your Highness, the Crown Prince!¡±


    ¡°The soldiers and citizens of the North will also believe your sincerity!¡±


    ¡°Please take care of yourself and return safely!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is the hope of our Empire!¡±


    The Crown Prince smiled after hearing the people¡¯s support before turning around and approaching the warp gate.


    ¡°Morons.¡±


    The Crown Prince nced at the people cheering for him before hurriedly heading towards the warp gate. He felt like just being with these disgusting pests for a bit longer would make his skin crawl and rot.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    The Crown Prince hurriedly received the chauffeur¡¯s offered handkerchief to wipe himself clean while standing on top of the warp gate¡¯s magic circle.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Am I going to go somewhere more disgusting now?¡±


    ¡°The trip this time will strengthen His Majesty¡¯s faith in Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Tch! Fine. I¡¯ll put up with it for a few days and make sure to drop at least half of those arrogant bastards.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We have to take this opportunity topletely pressure the 4th Prince.¡±


    The chauffeur hurriedly added to the Crown Prince¡¯s words to give him strength and determination. The Crown Prince smiled as if he was satisfied with his words.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be bad to get the support of the dumb Northerners in the long run. After all, the Imperial Family is originally the group that reforms stupid and dumb things¡­¡±


    The Crown Prince closed his eyes. The chauffeur hurriedly winked at the wizards. The wizards hurriedly got the hint and praised him as if he was unconditionally correct and he would always be great.


    Whiiiiiiiiir!


    The mana in the warp gate rotated violently as flickering lights wrapped around the Crown Prince¡¯s body.


    When the Crown Prince opened his eyes, he could see the Northern Command with numerous weapons tightly arranged together.


    ¡°I have seen Your Highness, the Crown Prince. I¡¯m Jayden Wicks, the person in charge of Northern Command.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh! Nice to meet you. Although I¡¯m not good enough, I¡¯m Alexar, the Crown Prince. It¡¯s an honor to meet the hero who blocked the dimensional crack.¡±


    Jayden Wicks just smiled at the Crown Prince¡¯s fuss as he guided him inside.


    ¡°Your Highness, it might be a bitcking but I would still like to guide you to a room for some rest. Please take a short break before you depart for the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ Thank you for your hospitality. I thought I would be cursed as soon as I arrived here.¡±


    ¡°How dare we to Your Highness¡­ The Northern Army is always filled with Loyalty to the Imperial Family.¡±


    The Crown Prince admired Jayden Wicks¡¯ words and praised the bravery of the Northern Army. However, both the Crown Prince and Jayden Wicks knew that they were talking nonsense.


    The Crown Prince was well aware of the Northern Army¡¯s hatred for the Imperial Family. He was the one who knew this best. And Jayden Wicks, through reliable sources, knew that the Crown Prince was a sly fox who showed a different appearance on the outside.


    While the two were having an exhausting conversation that they did not even mean, they began to talk about the Northeast.


    ¡°I heard that it was not the twomanders nor the Leonhardt Family Head who made the most contribution?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Jaiden Wicks nodded as he answered the Crown Prince¡¯s question. Seeing Jayden Wicks react like that, the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes glistened with interest.


    ¡°I heard that this friend is not much older than me¡­ Can I take this opportunity to meet with him?¡±


    ***


    Notes


    [Money Ghost] ? ?? ¨C Literally money ghost. Someone who¡¯s entirely obsessed with money. Money grubbers.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 62 - The Crown Prince Visits The Northeast (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(62)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>19 </b>The Crown Prince Visits the Northeast (2)


    Jayden Wicks looked embarrassed when the Crown Prince asked him with shining eyes.


    ¡°It will be quite hard to see that friend right now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I heard that he¡¯s a Ghost. Is it because of that?¡±


    He knew that it was a hidden special force in the Northeast. Rumor has it that each member of the unit was an elite at the 5th Stage and that they only took on dangerous missions. This was a fact that the Imperial Family and the Central Region had understood to some extent. However, they did not know how many members or who the members were.


    They were only able to clearly grasp this through the dimensional crack incident.


    There were only a dozen members at the 5th Stage with the sole exception of Iron. However their destructive power was strong enough that any general division or army would not be able to control them.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. I heard that he¡¯s on a mission in a dangerous area.¡±


    The Crown Prince looked in interest when he heard Jayden Wicks¡¯ words.


    ¡°That friend, isn¡¯t he still 15 years old?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Jayden Wicks replied dully to the Crown Prince. He had no choice but to do so even if it was disrespectful since he felt that the Crown Prince wanted to take Iron away to the Center with that shining eyes of his. His already bad impression of the Crown Prince worsened even further when he realized that he was trying to take their most talented people that could be one of the key figures in the North.


    ¡®This noble bastard is right next to us but he does not have any manners.¡¯


    This thought ran through Jayden Wicks¡¯ head before he replied properly to the Crown Prince as they waited for the warp gate to be connected to the Northeast.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite tidy.¡±


    The Crown Prince spoke while watching the North¡¯s warp gate.


    The warp gate was just a huge mana stone iid in a device. Below it was a huge magic circle with several devices and instruments that protected both the stone and the circle.


    Compared to the old and antique buildings in the capital, this ce had cool and unique buildings so they turned it around and made it into the Northern Command. However, Jayden Wicks just roughly epted his words as if he did not care what the Crown Prince had said.


    ¡®Nitwit!¡¯


    The Crown Prince smirked at Jayden Wick¡¯s foolishness as he climbed on top of the warp gate.


    ¡°The Northeast¡­ I¡¯m quite excited.¡±


    ¡°In fact, I have only visited the Northeast via the warp gate a few times.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Is that so? Well¡­ The Northeast is usually closed, right?¡±


    Jayden Wicks smiled bitterly at the words of the Crown Prince.


    The Northeast wouldn¡¯t leave the warp gate open unless there was an emergency. They would only be operated for a number ofplex reasons. It was usually closed to keep the dangerous atmosphere and the secrets of the Northeast from getting out. It would only be opened in case of a mana fog or other dangerous circumstances. Even then, it was only operated at a small scale, so that the people in the rear could retreat. Not even the Command would use it.


    However, recently, the Northeast began to change.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to check how much the Northeast has changed¡­¡¯


    The Crown Prince thought this to himself as the huge mana stone emitted a light that covered his entire body.


    Whiiiiiiiiir!


    Jayden Wicks climbed up on the magic circle as the mana circted violently and produced a lot of flickering lights. Only the Crown Prince needed to go in but he thought that it would be too much of a spending for him to use alone.


    The two disappeared in a sh of light and appeared at a small warp gate in the Northeast.


    ¡°I have seen Your Highness, the Crown Prince. I¡¯m Crimson Halo, the person in charge of the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Although I¡¯m not good enough, I¡¯m Alexar, the Crown Prince.¡±


    The Crown Prince greeted Crimson politely as they shook hands.


    ¡°We¡¯re a bitcking, but would you like to have a meal inside?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Even though you¡¯re in the most dangerous area in the Empire, the architecture of this ce is still superb.¡±


    Each building has cannons andrge calibre guns mounted and ready to be used to keep the monsters in check if they ever tried to flock to this area. It was as if all of the structures in this ce were designed to be able to fight at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°You will be more surprised with the Command.¡±


    ¡°Haha! There¡¯s something more impressive than this?¡±


    The Crown Prince looked surprised when he heard Jayden Wicks¡¯ment.


    In fact, the Crown Prince could only see a bunch of weapons mounted on crude buildings but he still tried to act surprised as he climbed onto the drake.


    However, under the escort of the twomanders, the Crown Prince was surprised to see the area while sitting on top of the drake.


    There wererge amounts of cannons,rge calibre firearms and artillery but there were even huge magic circles that were ready to fire off magic any time as well as magic bombs that were as huge as most of the buildings arranged all over the ce. But the most impressive was the gigantic fortress cannon that was installed in the middle of Command.


    ¡°Ho¡­ I did hear about it but¡­ this is really incredible.¡±


    Crimson and Jayden Wicks smiled when they saw that the Crown Prince was truly surprised this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be colder soon so we¡¯ll bring you inside right away.¡±


    The officers, who had heard that the Crown Prince would being, lined up and saluted the Crown Prince to give their respect while Crimson brought him to the Commander¡¯s office. The soldiers, who were notorious for their strength, stood as they lowered their weapons in respect to the Crown Prince.


    When the Crown Prince saw them, he stopped for a moment. Even His Highness the Crown Prince, someone who felt like he was the greatest in the world, began to be greedy for these people who were remarkably disciplined and well-organized.


    ¡®They have quite a good strength here. It might be alright to use them a few times before throwing them away.¡¯


    The Crown Prince entered themander¡¯s office under the hospitality of the Northeastern officers while raising the value of the Northeast in his head.


    ¡°Although Your Highness came here personally, I feel a bit apologetic that these are the only things that I can offer. There¡¯s still much left to be desired.¡±


    Crimson spoke as he looked at the old furniture in his office. The Crown Prince¡¯s brows twitched for a moment.


    ¡°No, not at all. Antiquity has its own charm.¡±


    An awkward smile grazed the sly Crown Prince¡¯s face.


    ¡®You sly old geezer!¡¯


    The Crown Prince¡¯s expression stiffened when Crimson openly spoke about the Center¡¯sck of support for his troops.


    Jayden Wicks stifled augh when Crimson immediately spoke of the Center¡¯s misdeeds as soon as they arrived at themander¡¯s office.


    ¡°Ah. Come to think of it, I can see various merchants here inmand. It¡¯spletely unlike what I have heard.¡±


    ¡°They have recently increased in numbers thanks to the schrs that flocked here to study the dimensional crack.¡±


    When the Crown Prince questioned him like this, Crimson just answered him as if this was nothing.


    However, the Crown Prince¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but harden when he saw the various merchants flocking to this ce. Originally, only the county merchants woulde to this ce to buy monster corpses at a low price. Since this ce was extremely dangerous only the courageous of the merchants would visit this ce. But recently, the Northeast began to change.


    Even the newspapers began to collectively ask for information from them as they disseminated it in the capital. It was as if they were trying to say that the Northeast had truly changed.


    [ What about the Northeast of the present? ]


    [ The schrs that flocked to the Northeast for the dimensional crack. Amazed by the unique Northeastern view! ]


    [ Are the Northeaster Soldiers really that strong? ]


    Articles like these kept on popping up every day. Considering that the Center had imposed a control on the information that flowed to them, articles popping out like these meant that there was an influx of information that they couldn¡¯t stop despite their control.


    It was like the Northeast, who kept a tightly closed lid on their information, suddenly revolted against the throne, who tried to iste them for their centralization ns, by opening their doors wide.


    And as schrs went in the Northeast in droves, small numbers of merchants also began to venture in the Northeast. Since many schrs gathered together, research institutes were created. And the merchants, who could smell the money, visited the Northeast to sell them some supplies.


    If it was the Northeast from before, they would have rejected this. But this was not the case for the current Northeast.


    Rather than throwing them away, they were even twisting the merchants in their fingers gently. They even created a merchant road that connected to the North making the Northeast¡¯s rear stable and safe. Their movements were clearly telling the people that they were willing to ept them to their side.


    And thanks to the recent arrival of support supplies, they have enough surplus of military supplies and weapons to keep everyone safe.


    The Northeastern Army, who was notorious for their strength, used this situation as they actively introduced the modern weapon tactics that was proposed by their young officer and used it to kill the monsters in their rear to continue to stabilize them.


    The Center, who was watching them closely, only recently found out that the area in the Northeast¡¯s rear that they were intensely stabilizing was near the Badein River Valley. They also found out that the North was starting to develop the area near Cauns River while expanding to the West and developing Leins RIver.


    They realized that the entire North was moving as if they were developing a waterway.


    [ What will happen if the Northpletes the Merchant¡¯s Road through their waterway? ]


    There was an article written by a schr that discussed the what-ifs of the situation.


    The North was and that was not suitable for farming. In addition, it was and that was not easily essible to the merchants because of the monsters. However, their topography was much betterpared to the center in terms of resources.


    What if the North deviates and separates from the Center¡¯s grip bypleting the trade route, the Merchant¡¯s Road, despite people iming that it¡¯s nonsense and would never work?


    The North would never forget what the Center had done to them. The Central Government was also aware of this fact. So, they wanted to pressure them with this issue slowly once the heat subsided. However, the situation changed for the worse when the Lion Family started to intervene.


    Although they considered the North as an uncivilized region, it was still a ce where the Lion Family, a family that the Center could not hastily touch, resided in. This was because they were also precious swordmasters that represented the Empire along with the South¡¯s Godly Sword Family. However, since they were well-known for being madmen, one wrong touch might trigger their craziness and some families might be destroyed as an example for them.


    In addition to their growing problems, they also recalled that the Lion Family, who had now made connections with the North, was geographically close to the Western Army.


    ¡°If the West and the North join hands together, we¡¯ll be in trouble. The current power that we have in the Center may not be maintained.¡±


    ¡°In addition to that, the Northeast is also developing their eastern region.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, please personally check what kind of connection the Northeast and the East have.¡±


    Many eunuchs and ministers have asked the Crown Prince to do this countless times.


    I¡¯m already going since you want me to go but why are you making me do something like this?


    The Crown Prince cursed them in his head but he only said that he knew what to do while acting gently towards them.


    Back then, he only felt annoyed. However, when he personally came to the Northeastern Command, he had no choice but to be serious.


    ¡®The atmosphere is unusual.¡¯


    This is not the Northeast that has absolute dependence on the Center.


    This meant that this powerful military force was no longer in the hands of the Center.


    Cold sweat dripped on the Crown Prince¡¯s back as his expression hardened.


    ¡®No matter what happens, I need to get at least one personal spy¡­¡¯


    Suddenly, he remembered the 15-year-old officer that he had mentioned to Jayden Wicks earlier.


    ¡®Since he¡¯s still young, I think I can coax him just a few more times¡­ If I can just take him to the Imperial Pce and get him to change his mind¡­¡¯


    This thought ran through the Crown Prince¡¯s head as an evil smile grazed his face. He thought ¡®This guy will do!¡¯ while asking Crimson to meet with him.


    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Did you mean to ask me? Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard about the hero who had made the most contribution in stopping the dimensional crack¡­ I want to meet that friend.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I apologize, he¡¯s on a mission.¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded as if he knew that this would happen when Crimson spoke to him apologetically.


    Jayden Wicks had told this to him earlier, but when Crimson also spoke as if he wouldn¡¯t show the boy to him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. Perhaps that was the reason why he became more curious.


    Who the hell is that person to make these twomanders this stingy?


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Yes?¡±


    Crimson turned to look at Jayden Wicks when he couldn¡¯t understand what the Crown Prince was saying. Then, he saw that Jayden¡¯s eyes were also widened in surprise.


    Seeing their surprise, the Crown Prince smiled brightly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make a clumsy apology when I came to the Northeast. I would like to travel around the Northeast while apologizing on behalf of the Center. I would also like to discuss with themander about the further developments of the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°To that point¡­¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of the situation since I was busy handling diplomatic issues with the other countries. Since I already know of it, I should help you. I know how disappointed the Northeast is. After all, you are blocking the frontline of the Empire but you have received insufficient support. I will help you.¡±


    Crimson¡¯s expression hardened when he realized what the Crown Prince was trying to do. It seemed like he really wanted to stay here and wait to have a meeting with the said hero.


    ¡°But, how long will it take for me to meet with that friend?¡±


    The expressions of bothmanders hardened when they heard the Crown Prince¡¯s question.


    ***


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 Chapter 63 - The Crown Prince Visits The Northeast (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(63)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>19 </b>The Crown Prince Visits the Northeast (3)


    The Crown Prince stayed put in Command as if he was telling them that he would remain stuck in the Northeast until he personally saw Iron. Crimson was flustered when the Crown Prince, who was originally only going to take a quick look and leave, suddenly decided to stay in the Northeast.


    Just like any other descendant of the Imperial Family, the Crown Prince was also a person who hated uncleanliness and treated ordinary humans as pests due to their lower pedigree. However, the Crown Prince still remained in the Northeast. And he did not just stay. He was fully aware that he would be treated as a thief who wanted to steal a good talent if he stayed for the sole purpose of seeing Iron. So, he apologized to everyone he met while walking around Command.


    The Northeastern officers were embarrassed to see the Crown Prince apologize to them on behalf of the Imperial Family and the Central Government.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll do my best to get more support for the Northeast.¡±


    The Crown Prince held the officer¡¯s hands with both of his hands and stared at the other embarrassed officers. And it wasn¡¯t just this, he even told them that he would go around the entire Northeast to apologize.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that they¡¯ll be able to feel my sincerity if I just go around Command and apologize like this.¡±


    ¡°Do you really need to do that? Just by looking at what you have done so far, it¡¯s clear to see that the soldiers are already fully convinced.¡±


    Crimson tried to dissuade the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince just shook his head.


    ¡°Anyway, I have to see what the Northeast is really like in order for me to convince the Center to give support. You know?¡±


    Crimson was left with no other words to dissuade the Crown Prince. In the end, he was forced to take the Crown Prince to travel around the Northeastern Units.


    At first, they thought that the Crown Prince would just roughly say his apologies and leave but he suddenly dered that he would go on a tour and visit all of the units in the Northeast to apologize in earnest. He even began the tour as he rode on a drake the next day.


    Starting with the Command, the Crown Prince bowed his head and apologized as he traveled all over the ce. He visited the newly built academy, the training center and all of the military units. As a result, the Crown Prince¡¯s actions in the Northeast were dubbed as the ¡®Path of Apology¡¯. These rumors crossed the Northeast down to the North and eventually spread to the Center.


    There was another rumor that circted while the Crown Prince was busy staying in the Northeast. It was said that the Crown Prince wanted to personally meet with the Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero.


    ¡°Is he going to take away the Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way the Commander will let him be. He¡¯s someone who will eventually be a key figure in the Northeastern Army, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know. His eyes for talent might be good but the Crown Prince is too greedy.¡±


    ¡°I think differently. I believe we should grow our influence further in the Center. It would be better for us to build awork so we would receive better help here in the Northeast in the future.¡±


    Aside from the truth of the rumors, they participated in a heated debate on whether a better result would happen if Iron was taken away. Their two differing opinions shed in a heated argument.


    One side said that there should be a strong power in the Center from the Northeast so they could get better support while the other side insisted that a future key figure should not be taken away.


    In the middle of this, the Crown Prince sent a letter to Iron, who was in the middle of an operation.


    ¡°This bastard is <b>selling drugs</b>.¡±


    The words that Iron saw when he read the Crown Prince letter went like this¡­


    [ Nice to meet you,


    I am Alexar sol de Granciel. Although I am not good enough, I am the Crown Prince.


    Ahem, ahem¡­ The reason why I sent you this letter is because I wanted to see you once. I¡¯m curious about the hero who had prevented and stopped the dimensional crack. But in fact, it¡¯s because I want to be closer to you. Haha!


    I have never seen a hero who¡¯s my age. So please don¡¯t refuse my request.


    ¨DThe Crown Prince who wants to be your friend ]


    The Crown Prince¡¯s letter was screaming of gentleness and amiability. It seemed like he wanted to take on the friendly route to try and get closer to him. However, Iron just snorted at him.


    Iron was someone who had fully experienced what the Imperial Family was like in his previous life. So, he was fully aware of the Crown Prince¡¯s character and how he dealt with his subordinates.


    He was two-faced to the point that Iron believed that he could be the top star if he was an actor in his world. He also had a severe belief in pedigrees and bloodlines. A trashy bastard who was greedy to the extreme.


    This was Iron¡¯s evaluation of the Crown Prince based on his experiences from his past life.


    In Iron¡¯s eyes, his wit and acting were top-notch. His wit, discerning eyes and talent for acting was the biggest reason why he was appointed as the Crown Prince among all four of the princes despite not running around with more effort. In addition, he believed that he should only do politics since he was the Imperial Family¡¯s direct lineage. The problem was that he only kept jumping around trying to discern whether he should fight or join forces with the enemy. He was the type of person who secured some skills through his studies but failed to achieve anything due to his narrow vision.


    This was the Crown Prince.


    Despite his younger siblings trying very hard to drive him away from his position, he still sat firmly on the Crown Prince¡¯s seat and gobbled up the Empire a lot of times. Even if he was dragged down, he would stille back to sit firmly on that seat. In the end, he was the one who created a shortcut for the Empire¡¯s defeat.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite quick on the uptake.¡±


    Iron could see that the Crown Prince had instinctively felt that embedding himself deep in the Northeast was good for him under the current circumstances.


    If he was lucky, he would receive the support of the Northeasterns. If he was not, public opinion about the Crown Prince would still improve since he sacrificed himself alone and went to the Northeast.


    ¡°Am I lucky that it¡¯s only the Crown Prince who came?¡±


    Iron looked at the distant ck Forest.


    If someone other than the Crown Prince hade, he would have been forced to neglect his mission just so he could take care of them. Especially the Fourth Prince, he was extremely troublesome.


    His targeted goal was just right around the corner. In such a situation, he did not have much time to pay attention to the Imperial Family. So he thought that he was a bit lucky that it was the Crown Prince who came to this ce.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Iron showed Lintel the letter in answer to his question.


    ¡°His Highness the Crown Prince wants to see me.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on a mission, how can I even go and babysit him?¡±


    ¡°No, but His Highness the Crown Prince wants to see you¡­¡±


    ¡°The missiones first.¡±


    Iron answered Lintel before sending a reply.


    He said that it was difficult to meet with His Highness since he was in the middle of an important mission. Then, he called for a drake knight and asked him to deliver it instead of him.


    ¡°Wow¡­ Did your liver get swollen?¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me that he will kill me just for refusing him?¡±


    Iron shrugged his shoulders as he replied to Lintel. Then, they focused on their mission again.


    After the dimensional crack in the Winter Mountains was sealed, he was promoted to a major. Because of this, he could no longer remain as the outpost leader or even apanymander of a search team. So, he returned to Ghost.


    They were now undergoing a mission directly given by Command and were currentlybing through the entire Northeast. The Ghosts had two top priorities. The first one was finding the dark elves and the second one was stopping any other dimensional cracks.


    After rolling around like some crazy dog for two months straight, they were finally able to find some clues. Thanks to this, he quickly forgot about the Crown Prince¡¯s letter as he focused on the mission. After another month, they were finally able to pinpoint areas at risk for having dimensional cracks based on the clues that they had found.


    And right now, the Ghosts have gathered in one of those areas.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ It¡¯s Owl¡¯s territory¡­¡±


    Although this was an old territory, rumors about the ck Forest still circted countless times. During its heyday, Owl was an existence so strong that even the master level beings had to run away and circumvent from its territory here in the ck Forest. After the ck Forest was opened, the Northeastern monsters¡¯ territories hadpletely changed. At the same time, the monsters from the Frost Mountain Range also started to be a problem. All of this happened after Owl left its territory in the ck Forest.


    This was also the reason why they had to take over the ck Forest and prevent what the dark elves wanted to do in the Northeast.


    Perhaps this would prove to be a more daunting operation than the one they did in the Winter Mountains. After all, the dark elves had blocked their ns in the middle back then but no one wasing to stop them this time.


    ¡°Again? Ha! This bastard¡­¡±


    Iron was extremely annoyed when he received another letter from the Crown Prince. He should have already left after crushing all his hopes but he did not know why he was still so hung up on him to send another letter again.


    ¡°He¡¯s the type to get tired.¡±


    Lintel looked apologetically at Iron. He was still approaching but it seemed like he already knew the reason why he was reacting like that.


    ¡°He¡¯s tired¡­ because of the Imperial Family.¡±


    Billie Brandt also looked tired. He looked like he had also experienced what the Imperial Family was like.


    They had reunited after the incident with the dimensional crack. And since they had lived together over the past few months, all of them had gotten closer together. Even his rtionship with Billie Brandt, who was well known for being the hardest to get close to, had developed to the point that they could have conversations.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit different this time.¡±


    [ His Highness the Crown Prince came to the Rangers 3rd Unit to meet with you, so meet with him temporarily. ]


    Lintel couldn¡¯t help but scratch his chin when he saw themander giving an order personally.


    ¡°You are now forced to meet with him.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    All the Ghosts smiled bitterly when they saw Iron sighing.


    ¡°It might take a long time.¡±


    The Ghosts gathered nearby looked at Iron strangely when they heard his words. Even the Rangers looked at Iron strangely.


    ¡°There are rumors that His Highness the Crown Prince is obsessed.¡±


    ¡°Obsessed? Can¡¯t you just reject it? What more can he do if you reject him?¡±


    Iron sighed quietly when he heard Lintel speaking as if this had nothing to do with that.


    Lintel could say this because he did not know the extent of the Crown Prince¡¯s obsession. But Iron knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to say this anymore if he knew that his obsession went beyond the normal level.


    ¡°I heard that the Crown Prince obsession and greed is beyond one¡¯s imagination.¡±


    ¡°Where did you hear such things?¡±


    Lintel looked at Iron incredulously. He was wondering where this guy, who was always with them, gathered rumors. However, strangely enough, the rumors that he had heard were usually correct.


    ¡°Anyway, I think I¡¯ll be exhausted.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the strategy without you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go ande back quickly.¡±


    Lintel sighed and nodded his head when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. Just focus on meeting with His Highness the Crown Prince anding back safely.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    They had been through many activities together. So, after Carl Gustav dropped the words ¡®safe¡¯ together with the Crown Prince, all the Ghosts turned around and went back to their position. Even Jim Rogers, the one leading the rangers, also ordered his men to focus.


    Iron bid them goodbye before moving across the forest alone.


    After rolling around and working like a dog under the tutge of the Lion Family Head, Iron was able to reestablish his path. And right now, he was experiencing explosive growth in his strength. At this state, he felt like the 5th Stage was not that far away from his grasp.


    ¡°Fweeeet!¡±


    At the sound of Iron¡¯s whistle, a drake slowly descended on the safe zone. Since the drake knight was on the ready in case of emergency or support request, it quickly descended on the ground in just one call.


    The drake flew away as soon as Iron climbed up. Just like that, Iron quickly headed to the 3rd Unit, where the Crown Prince was currently staying.


    The Ranger 3rd Unit was located in the previous academy¡¯s 3rd year academy. When he arrived there, he saw the Crown Prince waiting for him at the military camp.


    ¡°I have seen Your Highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince smiled widely when he saw Iron getting off the drake while he approached him.


    ¡°Oooh! Are you the Winter Mountains¡¯ Hero?¡±


    The Crown Prince immediately grabbed Iron¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re this young¡­ Themander sure found someone reliable.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s eyes shone as if he was jealous of themander. Then, the Crown Prince stepped back and bowed his head towards Iron.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he saw him bowing his head at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault that such a young man like you is working in a dangerous ce like this.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you had a hard time in the Winter Mountains because of theck of proper support in the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°My otherrades had a harder time than me.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s expression hardened for a while when he heard Iron¡¯s sharp and blunt answers. However, he immediately let go of this rigid expression.


    ¡°If your deeds have been properly reported to the Center, you would have probably received a peerage¡­ It¡¯s my fault that you stopped at a two-step promotion.¡±


    ¡°I believe I have already received too many rewards for my services.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. No¡­ You deserve to have a title. Commander.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Is it alright for me to borrow the Major?¡±


    Crimson¡¯s expression hardened when he heard the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    ¡°Borrow¡­¡±


    ¡°I want Major Iron to receive what he needs to receive before sending him back here.¡±


    As the Crown Prince said this, he turned to look at Iron with shining eyes.


    ¡°I want to give you the title of Count, but with my position, giving you the title of a Baron is my limit. But I will give you a fief of your own even though it¡¯s small. I¡¯ll also try and give you a higher rank. So let¡¯s go and see His Majesty together.¡±


    The Crown Prince spoke amiably as he tried to seduce Iron with a title of nobility. He seemed like he was trying to do this for Iron but he was just trying to strengthen his position by using Iron, who had gained the title of a hero. It was his trick to raise the capital¡¯s evaluation of him to the roofs. Although he was doing it all for himself, his expression looked like he was pitying Iron for being treated unfairly.


    These were sweet fruits that Iron would have definitely grasped with his own hands if he had only seen the Crown Prince for the first time in his life. After all, no one who was in a situation where he was being held back by the military would be satisfied with just those meager rewards.


    However, for Iron who had been beaten once to the ground by their despicable family, his words were just like a dog¡¯s bark.


    ¡®Stop talking shit.¡¯


    Even though this was what Iron truly felt, he just bowed his head to the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Thank you for your offer but I refuse.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s expression hardened when he heard Iron¡¯s refusal.


    ¡°The mission that we are currently doing is extremely important. Although I¡¯m not worthy enough, I still y an important role. So going with Your Highness for something like that is going to be hard.¡±


    ¡°Is it that important?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is for me.¡±


    The Crown Prince turned to look at the Commander when he heard this.


    Crimson sighed as he quietly spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s rted to the dimensional crack.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    Since the dimensional crack had appeared in their conversation, the Crown Prince could no longer dare suggest that Iron be brought away.


    ¡°What a pity. But after your mission is over,e to the capital. I will make you a noble without fail.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, Your Highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince felt pity with Iron¡¯s answer but he had no choice but to step down as he turned around with themander.


    A smile formed on Iron¡¯s mouth when he saw the slightly distorted expression of the Crown Prince before he turned aroundpletely.


    ¡®As long as I¡¯m here, you won¡¯t be able to take anything away from the Northeast.¡¯


    Ironughed deep inside.


    Commander Crimson was already following his proposal. Even the North and the Leonhardts were also following his ns.


    Iron had requested that the Lion Family Head help the Northeast as the condition for winning the bet. And he was faithfully carrying out his side of the bet. Meanwhile, Crimson had already started implementing the Northeast Independence Operation that he had proposed long ago.


    In other words, it did not matter to them what the Crown Prince did here or what he reported to the capital. This was also the reason why Iron could freely reject the Crown Prince¡¯s offer.


    In fact, it would have been better if it ended here. But unfortunately for them, the Crown Prince had an abnormal desire to have the best catch and special talents so he had not stopped and even became more clingy.


    He said that he wanted to know more about Iron before he left the 3rd Unit. So, he followed him around from a short distance. But Iron¡¯s answer to the Crown Prince, who was sticky like a taffy, had always remained sharp and blunt.


    ¡°I apologize, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What a pity. You¡¯re quite tough.¡±


    Whenever the Crown Prince asked about something, Iron would answer him like this and give him no room for arguments. Even though he lived in the 3rd Unit for as long as three days, he was not able to breach Iron¡¯s impregnable iron wall and eventually failed to persuade him.


    When Crimson gave him a hint that he could no longer go on like this, he was forced to prepare to leave for the capital right away. But even if he was already going to depart, the Crown Prince still maintained his act as he looked at them with disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad that I have to go back to the capital alone like this. What a pity. I have to leave a talent like you behind.¡±


    ¡°If I have the chance, I will definitely visit the capital and meet with Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Do that. If youe, I will definitely give you a decree so you cane and visit me anytime.¡±


    The Crown Prince left those words as if he was already the Emperor before turning around and climbing on top of the drake.


    Iron mumbled to himself as he watched him fly away with the twomanders.


    ¡°He¡¯s still good at ying around with that silver tongue of his.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but smile after watching the Crown Prince acting like that. The Crown Prince was acting like an amiable and generous man but he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control his anger once he was out of sight.


    ¡°Ah! Feels nice!¡±


    Perhaps it was because he had given the Crown Prince a hit on the face after not seeing him for a long time that Iron was feeling good right now. With that feeling lingering in his head, Iron returned to his mission with a refreshed look on his face and a smile blooming on his mouth.


    Since the Crown Prince was safely sent back, the Northeast would now have the time to concentrate on the ck Forest for a while. Rather than them, it would be the capital who would fall into confusion.


    Unlike in his previous life when the Northeast had fallen in a crisis during this period in time, it would be the capital who would fall into a crisis this time around. Although the Crown Prince went to the Northeast to control the public¡¯s sentiment to some extent by apologizing, the discussions and negotiations for the most important support materials were not brought up at all.


    The Command had already done a lot of work in advance. In a situation where they secretly found more clues and the risk of a dimensional crack was once again emphasized, what would happen if the support supplies reduction had been spread? By that time, the masses¡¯ints about the nobles would continue to grow and their desire for a revolt would reach an all time high as their taxes soared higher and higher.


    In the end, what the Crown Prince did in the Northeast was just temporarily increasing his evaluation from the masses. He did not do anything substantial.


    Whether they would receive opposition from the nobles orints from the people of the Empire, dissatisfaction for the Imperial Family and the Central Government would still be expressed one way or the other.


    Iron was certain that the enormous power that the Imperial Family held in his previous life would not be maintained in this life.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure they already knew that there was something suspicious in the Northeast. Did they find it sessfully?¡±


    Iron giggled to himself.


    He wondered how the Crown Prince, who had only apologized and inspected the area, would be treated once he came back to the capital.


    ***


    Notes


    [Selling drugs] ?? ?? ¨C Literally selling drugs. It means that someone is selling fake drugs saying that it¡¯s the real deal. Basically, they¡¯re telling something that they didn¡¯t mean. Like lying with a straight face or something like that.


    [Did your liver get swollen?] ? ???? ????? ¨C He¡¯s asking him if he became bold/brave. Any idiom rted to the liver is talking about courage, bravery, recklessness.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 64 - Pierce Through The Black Forest (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(64)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>20 </b>Pierce Through the ck Forest (1)


    Everyone turned to look at Iron in surprise when he returned earlier than expected. After all, they thought that he would have to at least follow the Crown Prince until Command but he returned surprisingly quick.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Lintel anxiously asked Iron after hearing how he had refused the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s still the Crown Prince. You¡¯ll be in big trouble if he hates you and targets you.¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­ He wouldn¡¯t even have the time to care about me.¡±


    Iron grinned as he answered him.


    Just like he said, the Crown Prince truly did not have the time to care about him. He would be treated as a hero who pacified theints of the Northeast once he arrived at the capital. But once time passed by, and they heard that he did nothing for the Northeast, he would be scorned and called ipetent. If that happened, the Fourth Prince would definitely gather the nobles and revolt. Once that moment came, the real confusion in the capital would truly begin.


    ¡®I wonder how long the Second and the Third Prince can endure?¡¯


    Iron smiled at the thought that shed through his head.


    Dealing with the Imperial Family in his past life was a terrible ordeal but it had now be sweet memories as he used them to deal with them in this life.


    The Second Prince, who did not hesitate to sell his country to ascend to the throne, and the Third Prince, who held unique secrets and had a tremendous hold on the forces under the dark. The moment these two people resurface would be the day the capital would plunge into hell.


    ¡®I think their situation will be worth watching. Should I add some monster waves to that too?¡¯


    Lintel, who saw Iron grinning like a fool, thought that he was crazy.


    ¡°Why are you grinning and giggling alone? Have you gone mad?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a dual personality, right?¡±


    Iron grimaced as Lintel immediately ran away from him. He immediately approached Lintel who was deliberately avoiding him while muttering It¡¯s best to avoid crazy people.


    Just when the two of them were ying around like that¡­


    One of the rangers on a reconnaissance mission tore off a dry jerky and spoke up.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m so tired! So sick of this!¡±


    He forcibly opened his eyes that kept on closing. Their situation was actually quite understandable. After all, they kept on sitting around the ck Forest while only doing reconnaissance.


    Arge number of rangers had been deployed under the name of securing safe areas and searching for the dark elves that hid within the Northeast. They scouted the area near the ck Forest while pushing the monsters¡¯ territory further away from the old academy.


    It was still all good when they were still busy pushing out the monsters. But once they reached the ck Forest they were only required to do reconnaissance. They felt like dying. They knew that they were doing this since it could be dangerous. After experiencing the dangers brought about by the dark elves in the Winter Mountains, they all knew that they should tread carefully. However, they still couldn¡¯t stop the boredom that encroached upon them¡­


    ¡°Uwaaa~ I¡¯m so bored!¡±


    ¡°Keep quiet.¡±


    The man who hit the back of the ranger¡¯s head that wasining about the difficulty of their mission slowly approached Iron.


    ¡°Major Iron.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can you feel anything near the ck Forest?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t felt anything in particr yet.¡±


    Iron looked apologetically at the man.


    Jim Rogers, the best ranger leading the other rangers, nodded his head as if it was alright. He was once a person who became a Lieutenant Colonel(Jin) in his 20s and was known as one of the superior talents together with Sky Renz. He was also well known in the Northeast for being one of the two geniuses produced from the 117 leading numbers in the academy.


    ¡®That person is disappointed too.¡¯


    Although Sky Renz topped the list by an extremely narrow margin andter took on the lead by bing the Corps Commander in the Knights Division, Jim Rogers still stood there side by side with him and was considered as an outstanding talent that led the Northeast.


    ¡®If someone led him then he might grow faster¡­¡¯


    Iron nced at Jim Rogers.


    Jim Rogers had a talent that wasparable to Captain Ghost Carl Gustav. The only difference was that Sky Renz and Carl Gustav had someone who guided them. Jim Rogers did not have someone like that. This was because he was extremely stubborn. He firmly believed that he could do it on his own. However, Iron thought that he could grow further if his stubbornness could break just a tiny bit.


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s also his destiny.¡¯


    Then, Iron turned to look at the ck Forest. He did not see nor feel anything like he did with the phoenix. However, he could feel that the surrounding mana was a bit strange. At first he was not sure whether it was really that strange but as they stayed in this ce longer, the more he got convinced that it was really the case.


    ¡°I think we need to look further inside.¡±


    Carl Gustav pondered over Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no divine beast anyway so I think it would be alright to look further inside.¡±


    When Jim Rogers also agreed, Carl Gustav had no choice but to nod his head in agreement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s report to the twomanders just in case.¡±


    ¡°Please do so.¡±


    Seeing Jim Rogers agreeing, Carl Gustav moved to report to themander.


    Not long after, a reconnaissance mission in the ck Forest was officially issued. The reconnaissance mission was carried out with the Ghosts and the rangers working together to enter the ck Forest while the support troops from the Mountain Corps waited on standby in case of emergency. Even the Fog Corps brought most of their troops in the vicinity so they could move at any time.


    The two corps and the elite soldiers in the Northeast surrounded the ck Forest and prepared to move. Command also hurriedly prepared to dispatch the knights, drake knights and magic corps in the area.


    The numerous troops gathered together were now moving seamlessly together. It seemed like their experience in the Winter Mountains were now bearing fruit.


    As they slowly closed in on the ck Forest, the forest finally began to react.


    ¨DKiyaaaaaaaaaa¨D


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Iron covered his ears when a horrible shriek suddenly rang loudly in the vicinity.


    However, it was not the ringing in his ears but the ringing deep in his heart that he noticed.


    Then, as if nothing happened, the hostility of the ck Forest gradually disappeared. As time passed by, he felt that the ck Forest was showing amiability with him. It was as if the forest was his ally. Iron hurriedly raised his mana as he tried to control the emotions ringing in his head and resisted the continuous shriek.


    The others also resisted the mental attack by pinching their arms or biting their lips.


    Jim Rogers stared at the ck Forest seriously.


    ¡°What in the world is that monster?¡±


    Iron frowned when he felt an attack that he had never experienced before. He had experienced countless attacks from monsters but he had nevere across such an irritating attack.


    At first, he thought that they were being attacked through some sort of mana wave.


    A mana wave was a technique that used the power of a wave to shake the body¡¯s internal organs and was something that was often used by the monsters in his previous life. There was also a time when plenty of sirens flocked and screamed that it made the soldiers¡¯ eardrums burst. The ones with weaker mana had their brain burst and ended up dead.


    He thought that it was that kind of attack but it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°It stimtes people¡¯s emotions?¡±


    It was an attack that not only attacks the physical body with mana but even the mental aspect. The level of this attack was much higher than just any other basic mana attack.


    He realized that this method of attack was somewhat simr to attacks that were mainly used in ancient times. The ancient techniques from before were destroyed as new techniques with higher physical destructive force using the same amount of mana were developed and created.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a monster.¡±


    Looking closely, he could see that it was a magic that used specters and ghosts. He thought that this was one of the undead¡¯s spells. However, he was not sure as to what exactly the spell was. But one thing was for sure, being able to cast such a high-leveled magic using specters meant that whoever casted the spell was at a level that wasparable to a Great Wizard.


    ¡°Is there such magic?¡±


    It was a technique that he did not see in his previous life. After all, he had seen countless magical skills and techniques with the development of magical engineering after the monster wave had begun.


    How can we make mana more efficient? How can we reduce the mana consumption in soldiers? How can the logistics unit efficiently supply the base with enough supplies?


    These questions have elerated the development of magical engineering. And when those who came from the modern times arrived, a synergy was created which further increased the development of the technology.


    Although some might have been stuck in the hospital room like Iron in their original world, he was sure that some of those who had gathered might have a doctorate in engineering. In addition, there were also technicians and skilled craftsmen that could weld and create their theories so they were able to establish a system and create a push and pull effect.


    And as a result of this, magic from the past was destroyed even further.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you think of something?¡±


    Jim Rogers seemed to know something so Iron immediately approached him and asked.


    ¡°Most of the magic that stimtes human emotions is ancient magic. Among them, something that can inducerge-scale magic through ghosts and specters is¡­¡±


    Jim Rogers nced at the ck Forest. He recalled the shriek from the specter from earlier.


    ¡°Witch¡¯s magic.¡±


    ¡°Witch?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ This is witch¡¯s magic.¡±


    Iron tilted his head in confusion but Billie Brandt looked like he understood.


    ¡°The power of a witch¡­ from what I heard witch magic is extremely unique so it won¡¯t be easy to adapt to.¡±


    ¡°You looked rxed, Captain Ranger.¡±


    Iron asked Jim Rogers when he saw that he was rtivelyfortablepared to Billie Brandt who was frowning at the unfamiliar mental attack.


    ¡°I¡¯m fortunate. I think it¡¯s because there¡¯s a witch among my ancestors.¡±


    Jim Rogers smiled bitterly at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Ah¡­ There¡¯s a witch¡¯s lineage in the North.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of cases where people had witch blood in them, especially if they¡¯re from the North. It has faded over the centuries but there are still a few rare cases where the blood of witches and druids continued to be passed on.¡±


    Iron nodded nkly at Lintel¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for the Lion Family. I heard that they are rted to divine beasts. The same is true for families like Temphet and Winstell who have the blood of spiritualists. At one point the North¡­ It was because this was and where those people had gathered before.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily when he saw Lintel¡¯s bitter look.


    He thought about the various races and bloodlines with special abilities that were once a part of this Northern region. From beastmen, elves, spirits, divine beasts, witches to druids. This was a ce where various beings stayed and respected each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Johnson¡­¡±


    He recalled Johnson, a soldier under hismand back at Winter Mountains. Although he did not awaken as a spiritualist before he moved away, he knew that it was only a matter of time. After learning about his talent, he would most likely sign a contract with a spirit sooner orter. And considering that he was a native of the North, one of his ancestors was most likely a spiritualist.


    ¡®Did the Crown Prince get it all wrong?¡¯


    Iron was a noble who signed a contract with a divine beast. Many talented people in the North also came from noble families and had high pedigree. But when he learnt about this, he realized that bloodline was more important than pedigree. Having a good pedigree just meant that they would have better weapons than the others.


    ¡°But these witches¡­ Do you know anything about them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any details.¡±


    Jim Rogers shook his head.


    Even if there were many descendants that carried the bloodline of the witches, records about them had long been gone. Perhaps it was because they were beings that were only heard of a long time ago. And from what he could recall, there was also a time when the Empire went on a witch hunt.


    ¡°Ha¡­ I¡¯m going nuts. Dark elves are already troublesome but there are even witches¡­¡±


    Iron looked at the ck Forest in annoyance.


    Ancient magic that could affect one¡¯s emotions. This is most likely not the end of this.


    Records about witches that used ancient magic were already hard to find so they couldn¡¯t be sure about the extent of their powers. And there were even dark elves. If these two beings were on the same side, the possibility of other forgotten beings appearing could not be ruled out at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting a headache.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 65 - Pierce Through The Black Forest (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(65)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>20 </b>Pierce Through the ck Forest (2)


    When ites to witches, magic was basically their symbol. However, witches are far more troublesome since they could also use sorcery. They could exert a far more powerful sorcery if they devoted their vitality or energy to the sorcery. It was so powerful that even a great wizard could not solve it with their powers. So, in ancient times, witches were known to be undefeatable.


    And now that they were going to go against a witch, the expressions of the Ghosts and the rangers all turned for the worst.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s retreat.¡±


    ¡°Yes. A witch¡­ ah, I¡¯m having a headache.¡±


    Carl Gustav and Jim Rogers immediately ordered a retreat. At the same time, the twomanders were also informed of the sudden appearance of a witch.


    After the Ghosts and the rangers retreated, Command dered that the ck Forest was a high-risk area as they proceeded to ce blockades all over the ce with their troops. In addition, they also deployed a Surveince Unit from the Drake Unit to observe, investigate and monitor the ck Forest through the sky.


    They went deeper to monitor and investigate and eventually concluded that the cause was truly a witch.


    They had sent their information to the military schrs real time and after carefullybing through the historical records, they had no choice but to confirm that it was truly the work of a witch.


    In the end, Command ceased the Ghosts and the rangers¡¯ mission as they started to prepare and discuss a n of attack to target the ck Forest.


    ¡°Witch¡­¡±


    Iron, who had nothing to do after being tied to Command, devoted his free time to training. However, thanks to the unknown suddenly appearing in the form of a witch, he couldn¡¯t keep his focus on his training.


    Since he couldn¡¯t concentrate because of the witch, he thought that he should just investigate more about the witch. So, he went to the military schrs and started looking for data and records together with them. But the more he found out, the more he felt pity for the witches.


    Witch hunt.


    It was something that actually happened in the Empire. It was what the Emperor did to strengthen his unstable Imperial power. However, if it had already ended there, Iron could say ¡®Ah, so there was a time like that¡¯ and move on from the topic but it did not end there.


    Those Imperial hypocrites used the ck mages and the witches as an excuse to wage war. They found evidence that the country colluded with a ck mage or even found information that a witch lived in this certain ce. Although they did nothing wrong, the Empire still persecuted them.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ This Empire is obviously better off destroyed.¡±


    There had been several records of Empires copsing and this Empire¡¯s history in particr was so trashy that he thought that it would be better if it just got destroyed and copsed.


    There¡¯s a lot of things to take care of, right?


    The Empire¡¯s rotten roots had been shown when the problem of the Northern area being a scapegoat had been exposed. So it was already something that had been taken care of to some extent.


    ¡°But I think I would be tired if I were like the dark elves who bet everything on the line¡­¡±


    Iron shook his head.


    There was only one witch but he felt like his head was being twisted from the problems that aroused. And considering that the witch was also a being that did not appear in his previous life like the dark elves, the thoughts in his head were bound to be extremelyplicated.


    He had already thought that this was the reason why the Northeast fell in his previous life. But if that was the case, then he still couldn¡¯t understand why no one discovered this during the monster wave. After all, not all of the dark elves had been sacrificed in the Winter Mountains. So, there should be survivors that have appeared back then. But there were none at all.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Why in the world are they doing this?¡±


    He was curious about the connection between the dark elves and the witch. He was not sure if they were on the same side but Iron thought that the two of them were moving with the same goal.


    Considering that theirmon interest was the dimensional crack, there were two cases that Iron could infer.


    First, they had a terrible grudge against the Empire. In this case, there was a high possibility that it was all due to the Imperial Family. Even he was extremely annoyed with them that he wanted to beat the Imperial Family like crazy and starve them to death. And since these beings had been persecuted in the ancient times, he could fully understand why their grudge still remained until this point in time.


    Second, they had a grudge against humanity itself. Once the dimensional crack had been opened, it wasmon knowledge that the entire continent would be affected so he could not rule out the possibility that there were other purposes aside from their grudge against the Empire. Throughout the long history of humanity, many records had proven that humanity was a race that rejected other races except their own. It was only now that they were apologizing and arguing that it should be changed. However, everything was already toote. All the mixed-races and other races had hidden deeply and out of sight. In other words, the continent was mostly dominated by humans. As a result, the dark elves bore grudges against humans.


    The problem was the witches. Witches were also from the human race. If it was the second case, then it did not make sense for the dark elves and the witches to join hands together.


    ¡°Destruction¡­ If they could endure joining hands with humans for that purpose¡­¡±


    The destruction of the continent. This was the only thing that would happen once the dimensional crack opened. It seemed like they were willing to hand over the entire continent to the beings of the void after they had suffered enough hardships in this ce. This was how deep their grudge was.


    The bigger problem was that there was a high possibility that these beings that wanted the destruction of the continent were not only the dark elves and the witches.


    ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡±


    Things that did not happen in his past life were obviously happening right now. He couldn¡¯t discern whether this was the real cause of the copse of the Northeast in his previous life or if this was something that only happened in this life. If it was thetter, then the difficulties and risks would definitely be higher than his previous life. This would inevitably lower his chances of survival even if he hid somewhere and lived quietly.


    Iron wondered if he could ever return to his own world alive after realizing that his ns for survival were getting harder and harder to implement. The thought of just living a YOLO and happy life before going to the afterlife even shed in his head.


    While Iron was deep in frustration as he realized that his survival was getting ever so darker, the Center, who had heard of the situation, was currently in a frenzy.


    ¡°What do you mean a witch?!¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t they extinct?¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ dark elves weren¡¯t enough¡­ there¡¯s even a witch now?¡±


    Center officials began to discuss what they should do when the news about the witches reached their ears. However, there was one thing that was for sure. The power that the Northeast had right now was not enough. And the officials were of one mind that since the witch came out, it meant that something else would alsoe out. That was in addition to the dark elves not being subdued as of yet.


    ¡°Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t found the witch before you left, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The Emperor rubbed his chin while maintaining his indifferent look.


    ¡°But the timing is quite strange. I can¡¯t believe this happened shortly after the Crown Prince returned.¡±


    The officials all shut their mouths when they heard the underlying me for their ipetence in the Emperor¡¯s words.


    A drop of cold sweat fell from the Crown Prince¡¯s face as silence pervaded the great hall. He instinctively felt that saying something wrong here would immediately drop him off of his father¡¯s good graces. He, the one who was confident that he was the best in the Imperial Family, was feeling the biggest crisis in his entire life right now.


    ¡°That¡­ At that time, I was busy trying to grasp what the Northeast was trying to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Right. Is your trying to grasp just knowing about the few merchants that came to them and changing the officials¡¯ doubts to conviction?¡±


    The officials all looked at one another when they saw the Emperor pressing and pressuring the Crown Prince once again. Meanwhile, happy smiles were seen on the mouths of the high-ranking nobles that were backing the Fourth Prince. This was because they finally felt that the Emperor was going to abandon the Crown Prince.


    The Emperor was the one who pushed the Crown Prince to his position in order to put a leash on the nobles.


    The Emperor already knew that all of the high-ranking nobles were aware that the current Crown Prince had talents that fell short of his younger brothers, especially the Fourth Prince. However, that wasn¡¯t important to the Emperor. All he wanted to do was to create a structure that would enable him to hold onto his power for as long as possible.


    This was what he wanted to do the most and the Crown Prince was the most suited for the Emperor¡¯s intentions so he pushed him to that seat.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s quick wit was extraordinary so the Emperor knew that he wouldn¡¯t make a big problem for him. In addition, his talents were not that useless so he could still use him if necessary. He also had great acting skills to the point that he could win against anyone just with his face alone. So, the Emperor thought that it would be okay to hand this seat over to him once he died.


    However, the current situation had poured cold water all over the Emperor¡¯s ideas.


    ¡®They can no longer watch anymore.¡¯


    The people were swearing at the Imperial Family. The nobles¡¯ dissatisfaction with the Imperial Family was also increasing by the day. And even the once closed off Northeast began to share information to the masses real time. Because of that, the other military units also began to put pressure on the Center as their corruption began to emerge one by one.


    The Emperor knew that the Crown Prince was not enough to break this situation.


    ¡®Finally! His Highness, the Fourth Prince¡¯s chance hase!¡¯


    ¡®As expected, I rode this line well.¡¯


    ¡®Haha! Is springing for the Fourth Prince?¡¯


    The power structure in the capital was cleanly divided between the Crown Prince¡¯s faction and the Fourth Prince¡¯s faction. If the Crown Prince¡¯s power fell down the only thing that would be left would be the Fourth Prince¡¯s power.


    ¡°Just in time, Your Majesty. His Highness, the Fourth Prince, has sent us a magnificent idea.¡±


    ¡°Idea¡­ Right, that guy is also smart. Alright. What is this idea, Marquess Maldini?¡±


    The Marquess immediately replied when the Emperor asked him.


    ¡°Send one of the capital¡¯s masters in the support forces.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Just before disappointment colored the Emperor¡¯s face because of theirckluster idea¡­


    ¡°With that as the pretext, send Duke Terrion Sigurd to the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°Hoo~¡±


    The Emperor¡¯s half-closed eyes opened as if the suggestion was quite good this time.


    Hearing that they could use it as a pretext to send Duke Terrion, a person famous in the South for being the head of the strongest swordsman family, the Godly Sword Family, the Emperor looked happy. And since most of them wouldn¡¯t need to work, they just need to send a big fish over. There was also the Lion Family Head from the Leonhardts, one of the two pirs of the Empire, in there. So if the Godly Sword Family Head came up there, an interesting scene might be produced.


    After thinking that far, the Emperor smiled tly.


    The Marquess smiled when he realized that his suggestion had been epted.


    ¡°Which capital master are you thinking of?¡±


    ¡°What about Marquess Leopold?¡±


    ¡°Themander-in-chief who protects the capital?¡±


    ¡°Being amander-in-chief is quite a heavy position to be left open but since this is for the Empire, we can easily rule out that problem.¡±


    The Emperor smiled upon hearing Marquess Maldini¡¯s words. This, too, was the Emperor¡¯s favorite thing to hear.


    Unlike Marquess Rocan, who was loyal to the Imperial Family, Marquess Leopold was someone who only moved for the benefit of the Empire. And because of that, there were cases when he would disobey the Emperor¡¯s orders. However, because he was a warrior who had entered the ranks of masters, the Emperor was unable to touch him recklessly. All he could do was stand by and be troubled by his affairs. But now, he could remove this thorn and send him to the Northeast. And while he was in there, the Emperor nned on taking control of the capital¡¯s defense by cing his loyal dogs in important positions.


    ¡°Then, that means that we will need a temporarymander, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Marquess hurriedly bowed his head in reply to the Emperor. The Emperor grinned at his servile appearance before speaking.


    ¡°Then, Marquess Maldini should try and send me a rmendation for a person that will fill in that post.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The Emperor stood up in satisfaction after throwing a carrot to Marquess Maldini. He left the great hall as if there was nothing else that he needed to see. The officials hurriedly bowed their heads as they bade the Emperor goodbye.


    At the same time, this thought shed through their heads.


    ¡®The power in the center is changing!¡¯


    ***


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 Chapter 66 - Pierce Through The Black Forest (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(66)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>20 </b>Pierce Through the ck Forest (3)


    The capital began to heat up like a grill on a hot summer day when they announced the huge decision they made during their meeting in the Great Hall before.


    They were willing to provide massive support for the Northeast this time and had decided to dispatch the Central Army Commander as well as two Central Army knights to the Northeast after hearing about the appearance of a witch. At the same time, they also requested to dispatch the Godly Sword representative to give reliable support to the Northeast and its rapidly changing situation.


    However, this decision had put a rift between the opinions of the masses and the nobles. But whether their decision was correct or not, they had changed the previously tilting opinion that was heavily sided on the criticism for their governance.


    ¡°They¡¯re out of their minds.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re willing to put the Godly Sword and the Lion together?¡±


    ¡°Whose idea was this?¡±


    Two nobles criticized the government¡¯s decision as foolish as they drank in a pub.


    The two families representing the Southern and the Northern regions of the Empire would gather in the Northeast. This was extremely unimaginable for the Imperialists. After all, the Imperial Pce always exploded whenever these two nobles gathered together in the Center.


    The two families were at extreme odds to the point that the Lion Family Head and the Godly Sword Family Head were even allowed to take turns going to the Center and would only be called together if the matter was extremely urgent. Even the current head of the two families did not have amiable feelings for each other. After all, they had beenpared since their childhood and had always fought every time they stood together in several wars.


    This was the reason why everyone wondered if the Northeast could keep the two at bay. They wondered if there would be a war between the two families once they stayed together in that ce.


    Some might think that they were overreacting but this was just the extent of how at odds the two families were.


    ¡°But there¡¯s one thing for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Whether a witch or dark elves appear, the Northeast will be safe.¡±


    The two nobles smiled as they spoke.


    The belief and trust for these two monstrous beings were not only something exclusive to these two nobles.


    Although there was a lot of controversy and contradiction over the government¡¯s decision over this matter, none of the people disagreed that they would be able to sweep away the witch that appeared in the Northeast. They firmly believed that any variable that would appear would be blocked by these two monsters, the strongest in the entire Empire, who would work together at the same time.


    On the other hand, contrary to the atmosphere in the capital, the Northeast was expressing their reluctance.


    ¡°If something wrong happens then themand will easily fly away.¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly as Jayden Wicks sighed deeply.


    ¡°The entire North will be a mess.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ But thanks to those two, the Northeast will definitely be saved from destruction.¡±


    Jayden Wicks smiled bitterly when he heard Crimson¡¯s words. Jayden Wicks, someone who was currently listening to the Northeast¡¯s situation in real time, he was fully aware that the area was currently a gunpowder warehouse that was at risk of exploding any time.


    Although they had sealed the dimensional crack in the Winter Mountains, they still haven¡¯tpletely closed yet. It was literally just sealed. This meant that it could open at any time once a strong force was applied to it. There was also a high possibility that a dimensional crack had opened in the ck Forest. And, there was also another problem that they had not yet announced to the public.


    ¡°Are the Frost Mountain Range and the Historical Great Rift still in that form?¡±


    Crimson sighed when he heard Jayden Wicks¡¯ words.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s impossible to search in that ce.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try bombing it?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡±


    Jayden Wicks couldn¡¯t help but bow his head when he heard that.


    ¡°This is the worst.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that we are already aware of it even if we only knew of it now.¡±


    As Crimson spoke, he recalled what Iron had suggested long ago.


    What would have happened if I, themander, did not listen to Iron¡¯s words? What if I had rejected his proposal? What if Iron did not join Ghost?


    These assumptions passed through his head. The Northeast would have already been run over by the monster wave if just one of these did not push through.


    Even if all of the suspected dimensional cracks would be blocked right now, the Northeast would still have no room left to breathe for a while. A monster wave would eventually ur if just one of them was pierced through. And the other dimensional cracks were most likely going to be stimted if just one opened fully. In other words, if they had to block it then they had topletely block it, to the fullest extent of the word.


    ¡°What will you do in the future?¡±


    ¡°I n to devote all of the troops in the Northeast to the ck Forest.¡±


    ¡°Then, what will the North do in the future?¡±


    ¡°Investigate the Great Rift with the Leonhardt Family. Then, ce the Godly Sword Family Head and the Central Army Commander towards the Frost Mountain Range.¡±


    Jayden Wicks nodded at Crimson.


    ¡°So, you want to separate the two?¡±


    ¡°We should. Otherwise, the Northeast will turn into an even greater mess.¡±


    Jayden Wicks let out a loudugh when he heard Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Just keep them in check.¡±


    ¡°It depends on how the witch wille out.¡±


    Crimson smiled at Jayden Wicks¡¯ reply.


    After leaving those words, the Northern Commander stood up from his seat. Now that their goals had been set, it was time for them to move. He had to visit the Leonhardts to coordinate their schedule and have an in-depth discussion on how they should operate their troops.


    Crimson was also busy. He had many things to do. He had to entrust the investigation of the Frost Mountain Range to Commander Leopold and the Godly Sword Family Head as well as hand over all the rted data. He also needed to dispatch skilled troops together with them to go to the Frost Mountain Range. At the very least, they were given this much spare time before dealing with the ck Forest thanks to Iron and the Ghosts leading the way.


    By the time the Empire¡¯s two monsters and the Central and Northern forces had joined the Northeast, the Ghosts and the Rangers had their free days growing smaller as they started to get busy once again.


    ¡°I agree that we need to investigate but¡­ aren¡¯t you a bit uneasy about that?¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    Billie Brandt nodded in agreement to Lintel.


    The ck Forest¡¯s condition had started to change strangely just recently.


    The number of spectres floating around had increased and even the trees started to change one by one. To be exact, vicious human-like faces had started to appear in old trees.


    The Ghosts and rangers that scouted everyday felt anxious as they watched the ck Forest get fortified day by day.


    ¡°Captain, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Did you get permission?¡±


    Carl nodded lightly at Lintel Verner and Billie Brandt¡¯s questions.


    ¡°All the troops in the Northeast will move.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s all the soldiers then¡­ will the Vanguard Corps also move?¡±


    Lintel looked surprised when he heard that even the Vanguard Corps, the corps in charge of the frontlines alone, was also moving.


    ¡°The Vanguard Corps will only help with their Drake Unit. The key roles are the Fog and Mountain Corps.¡±


    Carl Gustav spoke as he stared at Iron climbing a tree.


    ¡°Is he still doing that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ He¡¯s doing that even if we told him that he doesn¡¯t have to feel pressured.¡±


    Carl Gustav couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he watched Iron writing something while observing the ck Forest keenly.


    They did not know if it was because he was the only one who hadn¡¯t reached the 5th Stage yet or if he was feeling sorry for themander but Iron tended to do more than what was asked of him.


    Because of this, the other Ghosts had no choice but to force him to rest. They even purposely brought him food to eat under the pretext that it was his senior¡¯s orders. They also gave him some alcohol despite knowing that he was still young. That¡¯s how much they wanted him to rest.


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard to figure out more unless we go inside.¡±


    Iron sighed as he organized the things that he inferred based on the things that they had investigated so far.


    <b>1 </b>Spectres, phantoms, ghosts and sorcerers exist.


    <b>2</b> Witches are proficient in barriers.


    <b>3 </b>She¡¯s a druid-type witch.


    There were three things that he could understand even if he just looked at the forest from the outside. But Iron took things a bit further than that.


    Considering that this ce was where his divine beast, Owl, was previously located, he could assume that the witch had a talent for divinity and divine beasts. Iron thought that there should at least be someone who was talented in handling the divine beasts since the dark elves were able to harness the power of a phantom species, the phoenix. And although they were not a full-fledged dragon, it was also possible that the witch was also the one who took care of the half-dragons too.


    This was the reason why he tried to feel any trace of divine power as he tried to stick as close as possible to the ck Forest every day. And by doing that, he was able to confirm one thing.


    [ Unexpectedly, the witch¡¯s mana is the one that¡¯s closest to nature. ]


    It was a sentence that he found while searching through the records. It was an excerpt from an article published by a wizard. However, because it was quite controversial back then, it was forced to be withdrawn.


    The article was published at a time when the hatred and persecution of witches was at an extreme. This was the reason why it was easily withdrawn and disappeared from the eyes of the public. In fact, even if the power of the witches were based on the power of darkness, they had proven that it was an extremely safe power.


    He tried to look for the paper but a long time had already passed so he couldn¡¯t find any more traces that lead to it.


    Since he couldn¡¯t find the article, Iron sat at the spot nearest to the ck Forest to feel the power of the witch himself. He thought it could be possible for him to analyze the witch¡¯s power since he had his divine power.


    First off all, Iron was able to conclude that his ideas were right. Unlike what they expected from the appearance of the spectres and the creation of the vicious trees, the witch¡¯s power was extremely close to nature itself. It was as if she was like an elf.


    At first nce¡­


    It¡¯s evil.


    It¡¯s dark.


    It¡¯s scary.


    It¡¯s bizarre.


    But in essence, she¡¯s just showing the power of darkness itself.


    Pure darkness could give fear to anyone who lived in nature but sometimes it could also give warmth, calmness and rxation. Perhaps that was the reason why the creatures living in the ck Forest did not protest that much despite the forest being engulfed in darkness.


    ¡°Did I grow a bit?¡±


    Iron looked at his hands after organizing his thoughts on the tree.


    His hand was covered in a faint green light that was exuding some healing power. He was currently able to use some of the healing power, a unique ability that Baepsae has.


    His sensitivity to the divine beasts had increased a lot after various experiences and training. And right now, he could use some of the power of the divine beast that he was most assimted with, which was Baepsae.


    ¡°Will I also be able to let out beams of light from my eyester?¡±


    Iron thought that it was a bit funny as he imagined himself letting out beams of light like a superhero in a movie in modern times.


    He did not feel it that much when he was in the Winter Mountains but recently he was able to feel that his divine power was increasing rapidly. Although his swordsmanship grew rapidly thanks to the beating that he received from the Lion Family Head, it had slowlye down to a halt recently after he hit a wall. On the other hand, his divine power just continued to grow unimpeded.


    Is it because I kept on trying to feel the power of nature in the ck Forest every day?


    Iron¡¯s current divine power had grown iparably highpared to his divine power back when he was still in the Winter Mountains.


    He could even call for his divine beasts and have a conversation with them right now. However, he did not dare call for phoenix since the bird was busy treating itself and recovering.


    ¡°You shoulde out when we go inside the ck Forest.¡±


    ¨DHoot!


    Iron chuckled when Owl answered him with a bit of apprehension.


    After Iron finished his conversation with Owl and his daily inspection, he went down the tree.


    Carl Gustav approached Iron when he saw him jumping down the tree andnding lightly on the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯ll enter ck Forest soon.¡±


    ¡°Did we finally get an order?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It seems like the Godly Sword Family Head and the Central Army Commander will being all the way here so there¡¯s no reason for us to postpone it anymore.¡±


    Irong sighed when he heard Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    He thought that the Center was truly crazy. They clearly knew that the Lions and the Godly Swords were not on good terms but they still tied them up together. If that wasn¡¯t crazy, then Iron did not know what else is.


    Iron knew that they were all thinking of eating the Centerpletely while these two were busy fighting. And since Leopold, the leader of the neutral faction, was removed, they must have thought that it waspletely possible.


    The Emperor was definitely just showing them that he would back the Fourth Prince but it was definitely an empty promise. However, Iron was sure that the Fourth Prince was definitely excited thinking that he would be the main pir of the Empire sooner orter. But that would only be possible if the Emperor was not around anymore.


    ¡®Well, they¡¯ll figure it out on their own.¡¯


    Iron looked back at the ck Forest as he thought of this. It was enough for him to just focus his all on saving the Northeast.


    Finally, Northeast Commander Crimson had arrived in the ck Forest.


    The Mountain Corps had already surrounded the northern part of the ck Forest while the Fog Corps surrounded the southern part. The Drake Unit of the Vanguard Corps also surrounded the upper region of the ck Forest together with Command¡¯s airship unit. The Knight¡¯s Orders from Command had already started to prepare to break through all at once. And even the Ranger Unit had started to enter the ck Forest. The core of this operation would be the Ghosts with Iron in the center.


    Everyone was already prepared to begin the operation and enter the ck Forest. They only waited for the news of the entry of the Central Army and the Godly Sword Family Head in the Northeast.


    ***


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 Chapter 67 - Pierce Through The Black Forest (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(67)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>20 </b>Pierce Through the ck Forest (4)


    Unexpectedly, the first to move were the key roles that gathered in this ce. The first to attack were the two Artillery Units that Iron Wall Division, a division that protected Command, had sent. When they fired all of the bombs that they could fire towards the ck Forest, the spectres flew up all at once and moved to prevent the Artillery Units from firing any further.


    Meanwhile, the Wizard Unit began to break the barrier that had been weakened by the physical force of the bombs. The airships that were being escorted by the Drake Unit also began bombing the area that the Artillery Unit had broken through earlier.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¨DKiyeeeeeek!


    ¨DKyaaaaaack!


    The spectres and ghost trees began to resist fiercely with their ghastly screams.


    However, despite their resistance, the ck Forest still ended up being devastated after being bombed for two hours straight.


    The next group to move was the Knights.


    ¡°Breakthrough!¡±


    The knights with their mythril swords and magic circle-infused armors charged together.


    As the Knights led by Cassim Nights charged forward, the Fog and Mountain Corps also started to move. However, they were not trying to enter the ck Forest.


    ¡°Open the path!¡±


    ¡°Secure a path for the Knights!¡±


    They shouted loudly as all of the troops attacked the spectres and the ghost trees to help secure a path for the knights to enter. Thanks to their help, the knights were able to start breaking through the heart of the ck Forest.


    The rangers, who were closely following the knights, also scattered one by one to scout the ck Forest ahead.


    Carl Gustav watched the skilled scouts scatter one by one as they also prepared to move.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re entering too!¡±


    All the Ghosts moved with Carl Gustav at the lead. Iron was currently in the center being surrounded by the Ghosts. It was a formation that firmly escorted him in the middle.


    ¡°Our operation is not that much different from our operation in the Winter Mountains. Our mission is to check whether there is anything rted to the divine beast in the ck Forest and if a dimensional crack exists in this ce.¡±


    Carl Gustav once again told his men about the Ghost¡¯s operation.


    The Ghost¡¯s mission was not to prevent the dimensional crack. They already knew back in the Winter Mountains that it would be difficult for them to prevent a dimensional crack with just the Ghosts¡¯ power alone. That was why their mission was only to check and confirm if it existed.


    Themander would be the one giving orders in the future regarding the dimensional crack and the divine beast.


    ¡°This¡­ I lost contact with the rangers.¡±


    The Ghosts lost contact with the rangers that were leading the way as soon as they entered the ck Forest. Fortunately, they were able to mark the safe path on their map based on the contacts that they received from the rangers earlier. So, they were able to create a straight path towards the center.


    This was how the Ghosts entered the ck Forest.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Swoosh!


    The Ghosts immediately discovered that the branches of the normal-looking trees had suddenly lengthened to attack them as soon as they entered the forest. Thankfully, they were able to cut it in time.


    ¡°Witches¡¯ Land¡­¡±


    Even if they had a power that was dozens of times stronger than their current power, it would still be difficult for them to guarantee their victory inside the witches¡¯nd. This was a sign that had been passed down through ancient times which announced the danger of the witches¡¯nd.


    And right now, the ck Forest had be and that was upied by witches.


    As if to prove this, branches flew in from all over the ce. At the same time, the ghost trees began to shriek and let out their ghastly cries that gnawed on the Ghosts¡¯ spirit and mentality. But the worst of it all was the fact that the Ghosts would stiffen whenever they heard the cries of the ghost trees.


    ¡°Protect your ears with mana!¡±


    Carl immediately gathered his mana in his ears as he swung his sword. Shockwaves bursted out of his sword and swept the area around them.


    After dealing with the troublesome cries of the trees, the Ghosts finally began to show their true powers.


    Billie Brandtunched an oppressive attack and cut down the trees surrounding them. Lintel also disappeared in an instant as he dealt with the spectres that hid behind the trees. Tunace and Jimmel dealt with the dark dolls that flew all over the ce using their sharp eyes and stealthy movements. Meanwhile, Weber and Span roamed around the forest emitting both light and darkness on their bodies.


    ¡°Gordon! Sauria! Milton! Open the path!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Three of the Ghosts flew forward after hearing Carl Gustav¡¯s orders.


    Gordon and Sauria were strong swordsmen that could sweep away the surrounding area by increasing the size of their mana swords which could momentarily make a path for them to move forward. Milton would use his explosive swordsmanship to bomb the area if there were enemies clustered together in one area. Thanks to their ster performance, numerous trees either bursted open or were cut down. Even the spectres were forced to retreat from their attacks.


    Even Crimson¡¯s storm sword flew down from time to time to help them from above to help the Ghosts, who once fought in a massive fight, go further inside.


    They thought that they could easily enter the center of the ck Forest at this rate but¡­


    The witches were never an easy opponent.


    ¡°Uwooooo~¡±


    Gigantic dolls appeared in the air above them. Dolls the size of golems which were made from pumpkins and woven straw appeared and blocked the Ghosts¡¯ path forward. At the same time, the trees behind them grew in size and shrieked loudly to put pressure on the Ghosts.


    ¡°Right. They¡¯re witches, how can it be easy?¡±


    Carl Gustav spoke as he injected more mana into his sword. He swung his sword and cut off the straw doll that was trying to step on them. Of course, Carl was just pretending to do so. But even if he was only pretending, the straw foot was still cut off and bursted out.


    Bang! Bang!


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    When the witch¡¯s doll was cut off, the straw bursted all over the ce and exploded.


    ¡°Is it an exploding doll?¡±


    Carl Gustav¡¯s expression turned solemn when he confirmed that the straw dolls would burst out and explode like some sort of suicide doll.


    Even the pumpkin dolls were also unusual. It used fire-based magic and let out blue mes that stopped the Ghosts from moving forward. There were even gigantic trees that were filled with dark mana swinging their steel-like branches.


    Bang!


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Iron stepped up to stop the trees from flocking behind them. He couldn¡¯t help but groan whenever he knocked off and diverted the steel-like branches from the trees. But thanks to his mana sword beingpressed to the limit, he was still able to withstand the gigantic steel-like fist that the trees weaved together to attack him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Iron stronger than usual?¡±


    ¡°You did not expect him to receive that?¡±


    Jimmel also turned to look at Iron in surprise when he heard Lintel¡¯s words.


    Even Iron was surprised since he could still listen to them talk. He couldn¡¯t believe that he still had room to listen to them despite receiving the tenacious attacks of the trees.


    ¡®It¡¯s doable. No¡­ I think I can do more.¡¯


    Iron increased his mana when this thought crossed his head.


    As they continued to fight, Iron realized that the mana in the ck Forest was flocking to his sword as a familiar trace of mana that was hidden deep within the dark forest wrapped around him.


    ¡°Owl¡¯s mana?¡±


    Iron¡¯s confidence increased the more he felt the familiar mana approach him amiably.


    Perhaps it was because the mana in the ck Forest quickly replenished Iron¡¯s consumed mana that he did not get too tired despite consuming more than his usual.


    The Ghosts also began to gain confidence as they watched Iron run like crazy as if he was moving in his own territory.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be easy to break through right away.¡±


    Billie Brandt looked at the remains of countless trees, straw dolls and pumpkin dolls in exhaustion.


    ¡°We¡¯re only starting but it¡¯s already at this level¡­¡±


    Carl Gustav was solemn after experiencing an extreme blockade right near the entrance. He was wondering how hard it would be if they entered further towards the center. At first he thought that they were just saying nonsense when they said that it was suicide trying to break through the witches¡¯ realm. But now, he realized that they weren¡¯t just empty words.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good for us to spend more time here¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that we have to enter as soon as possible but it¡¯s impossible for us to enter this with just our strength alone.¡±


    From the Ghosts¡¯ standpoint, attacking the witches¡¯ realm with just their number was like eating poison willingly.


    The knights were perfect for cases like this. No matter how hard it was to break through a witches¡¯ realm, the knights, who were specialized in charging forward, would still be able to break through forcefully with their numbers.


    ¡°But the forest is the worst environment for knights.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ With this kind of attack, it would be hard for the rangers to move around freely.¡±


    Every time they heard the spectres and the ghost trees cries, their heads would ache as heaviness, exhaustion and lethargess surrounded their bodies. This state would make them feel helpless in such a dangerous situation. If the Ghosts were already like this, it would even be harder for soldiers to enter this ce. They might be killed by trees or be forced to suffer under curses as soon as they entered the forest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because this is a forest but I think I¡¯ve lost my sense of direction.¡±


    It was difficult for them to grasp the direction they were going in since they were surrounded by the forest and the darkness that engulfed itpletely. Even the experienced Ghosts were left to wander so ordinary soldiers would definitely be forced to wander around and face their ends in this ce.


    ¡°But it¡¯s kind of weird.¡±


    ¡°You feel it too?¡±


    Carl Gustav spoke solemnly when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    He felt like he could make it even though the Ghosts were clearly feeling the exhaustion and intensity of the fight. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was because they couldn¡¯t afford to do more or it was not in their intentions.


    ¡°I think we need to settle down here and contact the outside while trying to reorient ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    Gustav nodded in agreement to Iron¡¯s words as he fired a re while leaving the Ghosts to settle down.


    They cut down the flocking trees from the surroundings and burned them down to secure their visibility. And as they continued to settle down and organize the surrounding area, the rangers that were scouting the ck Forest ahead of them appeared.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Po¡­ potion¡­¡±


    ¡°Here!¡±


    The rangers that were injured appeared with the help of their teammates from all over the ce.


    ¡°No one died.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯s a relief. But¡­¡±


    Is it because a lot of the rangers suffered from mental attacks?


    There were only a few people that were energetic enough to move immediately. The rest were trembling with fear from the hallucinations that they had just encountered. And that was to say that they were rangers who were known for their strong mental prowess.


    To be an official ranger, one should gain enough strength, experience and mental toughness. And considering that only the veteran rangers were recruited for this operation, they could clearly tell that the road ahead was extremely dangerous.


    ¡°Are those in the beginning of the 4th Stage the ones affected the most by hallucinations?¡±


    ¡°I believe so. The apprentices at thete 3rd Stage couldn¡¯t enter the forest at all¡­¡±


    The ranger who spoke had a dark expression on his face.


    It was just one day. But the rangers looked worn out as if they were badly beaten in the witches¡¯nd.


    ¡°ck Forest¡­ It has be a very scary ce that¡¯s in apletely different sense than when Two Moons was still in this ce.¡±


    Carl Gustav looked up at the sky as he spoke. He could see the sun shining dimly from behind the dark clouds.


    The dark scenery of the forest that was almost as if they were in the demon world was making the morale of the Ghosts and the rangers plummet.


    While everyone else was trying to stay on their feet and not be eaten by the ck Forest, Iron was left in confusion as he lit up a fire and stood on guard in the worst situation that they could be in.


    Badump! Badump!


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    He felt like something was calling for him somewhere. He could hear his heart thumping louder and louder every time he turned to look around.


    It was a feeling that he had never felt before.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown at the echo that was tens and hundreds of times much louder than when the phoenix called for him when he entered the dark elves¡¯ cave.


    ¡°What the hell is it?¡±


    Iron ced his hand on top of his chest as if he was trying to calm his pounding heart.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 68 - Pierce Through The Black Forest (5)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(68)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>20 </b>Pierce Through the ck Forest (5)


    The wild thumping of his heart made Iron stare nkly at one spot.


    Although there wasn¡¯t an illusion like the one in the case of the phoenix in Winter Mountains, he felt that the path in the forest was much clearer than before.


    He looked at the path strangely as if it was beckoning him to walk through it.


    ¡°Major Iron! Major!¡±


    One of the rangers called out to Iron when he saw him staring nkly somewhere. Then, a Ghost suddenly rushed up to him.


    ¡°Iron! Wake up!¡±


    p!


    Iron quickly came back to his senses after being pped by one of the Ghosts but his stare went nk just as fast.


    ¡°Senior?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Billie Brandt looked at Iron anxiously.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    The Ghosts all rushed up to him when Iron suddenly grabbed his chest in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Iron?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. He was just staring nkly before suddenly grabbing his chest¡­¡±


    Carl Gustav also looked at Iron worriedly.


    ¡°Wi¡­ tch¡­¡±


    Iron spoke up while suppressing his groan. He felt that he was stabbed by something.


    Iron had felt a strange energy when they entered the ck Forest. However, unlike the cozy energy from before this was a strange stabbing energy. Only then was he able to realize that this was the witch¡¯s energy that mixed in with the cozy energy that was synchronizing with him.


    ¡°The witch¡¯s power? Is it sorcery?!¡±


    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re not yet at 5th Stage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. If that¡¯s it then the rangers should also feel it too!¡±


    ¡°So why¡­?¡±


    Billie Brandt replied anxiously. He was telling Carl Gustav that his words werepletely preposterous.


    ¡°Is it because of the divine beast?¡±


    ¡°The possibility is high.¡±


    The Ghosts looked at Iron worriedly.


    If his condition was because of magic then no potion would work on him. They needed magic or relics to help stabilize the mind and the spirit but they wouldn¡¯t be able to get an item like that in their current situation. They were wearing magic tools that could block mental magic since there was a witch but if it was already broken through then it was meaningless for them to try something else.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ hoo¡­¡±


    Iron breathed deeply despite his pained expression as he tried to stabilize his pounding heart. He felt like his head would burst the stronger the synchronization became. Fortunately, he was able to use his divine power to forcefully cut off the synchronization and stabilize his mind.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    The sudden pain made Iron space out for a moment. But he shook his head as he stared at the Ghosts before answering Carl Gustav.


    ¡°I think¡­ there¡¯s a divine beast here.¡±


    ¡°A divine beast?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the path that he was staring at before.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a divine beast then¡­ is it Two Moons?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Iron called out to Owl after hearing Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    ¡®Owl¡­ Is that right? The thing that¡¯s here is you?¡¯


    Owl did not answer Iron¡¯s question. However, he could instinctively feel that he was correct.


    He knew that it did not make sense for Owl to fail topletely recover over the time that they had spent together. In addition, their synchronization rate was getting faster the further they went inside the ck Forest. There was also Owl¡¯s lingering mana and the amiable and cozy energy that made his heart pound wildly.


    Taking all of these into ount, Iron thought that there was a high probability that Owl had left something here in the ck Forest. And the witch was using it to open a dimensional crack.


    So what would happen if I intercept the medium with Owl?


    Perhaps, just like in the Winter Mountains, the dimensional crack would be iplete.


    ¡°Exin more.¡±


    Hearing Lintel pressing for more details, Iron nodded his head.


    ¡°Just like when they tried to open a dimensional crack with the power of phoenix in the Winter Mountains, there¡¯s a high possibility that they¡¯re doing something simr in this ce.¡±


    ¡°Then, they must be using Two Moons as the medium?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I believe to be the case.¡±


    Iron nodded his head at Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    ¡°I can guess since Owl, the divine beast that I signed a contract with, is Two Moons. And since our synchronization is getting stronger while the power that I attract is getting stronger¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something that Two Moons had left behind in the ck Forest.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, what will happen if we take it out?¡±


    ¡°I think it will bring the same results with the Winter Mountains.¡±


    Carl Gustav and the rest of the Ghosts remained silent when they heard Iron¡¯s words. The same was true for the rangers nearby.


    ¡°But why did you suddenly get hurt?¡±


    ¡°A force, presumably the witch¡¯s mana, interfered with our synchronization.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡±


    The divine beast¡¯s contractor¡¯s power was something special. It was something that an ordinary mana could not interfere with. Even the spiritualists could not interfere with the divine beast and its contractor¡¯s synchronization.


    If the witch was powerful enough to intervene then it meant that the power of the witch was far beyond that of an ordinary witch.


    ¡°I¡¯m going nuts.¡±


    ¡°Hooo¡­ Themander is here but I still feel uneasy?¡±


    Despite the continuous firing of bullets and bombs, as well as attacks from the numerous troops on the outskirts of the ck Forest, only the knights, rangers and Ghosts had entered inside.


    The experienced knights were only able to break through right after the outskirts of the ck Forest, anywhere further than that was still an obstacle to be breached. And if they assumed that most of the rangers that entered the forest ahead were all incapacitated and in bad condition, this only left the Ghosts. They were now the only people left who had the power to actually enter and attack the center of the forest.


    ¡°If she¡¯s a witch that has a power that can use and interfere with the divine beast, should we assume that she¡¯s a witch above the master level?¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°The problem is, is it possible for us to go with just our power alone?¡±


    Their biggest problem was whether they could enter the center of the forest after this ce had been turned into the witch¡¯s domain or not. They knew that this waspletely different from their operation in the Winter Mountains. After all, all they needed to do back then was to go to where the phoenix was. This was an extremely difficult operation that needed all of the power that they could have. And since the witch¡¯s power was concentrated in the center, they needed to move there without losing any energy and power.


    In the end, all they could do was relieve their fatigue and refill their consumed mana while trying to ponder deeply about their next actions in their makeshift base.


    Then¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll pierce through.¡±


    ¡°Yes? That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Carl Gustav was silent for a long time. He only opened his mouth to finally tell them his decision that was made after thinking about things thoroughly. But Lintel and Billie Brandt immediately opposed it.


    ¡°Listen to the sound.¡±


    The Ghosts immediately focused and used their mana to listen to the sounds.


    ¡°Can you hear the sound of bombs?¡±


    Although it was faint, they could still tell that it was the sound of bombs.


    ¡°Chances are high that the sound of bombs ising from the center. Our operation was designed in a way that we would follow the sound of bombs if ever we found ourselves disoriented in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°This is enough evidence that the operation is still ongoing. Besides, the number of trees in the surrounding area has also decreased.¡±


    Everyone looked around upon hearing Carl Gustav¡¯s words. They found out that the number of ghost trees in the surrounding area had truly decreased.


    ¡°There are probably rangers or knights that are active in the nearby area.¡±


    All of them nodded with determination after hearing Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    Their colleagues continued to move ording to their ns. Even if they were in the worst case scenario, they couldn¡¯t just waste their time here. They wanted to answer theirrades¡¯ trust and fulfill their duties as a soldier. And the Ghosts were the strongest force that entered the ck Forest so they had a higher burden than anybody else. They needed to do this.


    ¡°We¡¯re moving. Iron, can you guide us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. From now on, I will change our operation with my authority. The operation name is ¡®Two Moons¡¯.¡±


    The eyes of all of the Ghosts shone with determination when they heard the name of the operation. Seeing that their will was firm, Carl turned around.


    ¡°Will you be joining us?¡±


    Hearing Carl¡¯s question, all of the rangers stood up. Their representative stepped forward and spoke with determination.


    ¡°It¡¯s our honor to join you.¡±


    Carl shook hands with the ranger as they both smiled at each other.


    ¡°From now on, we will be breaking through the ck Forest. Fire a re whenever we pass through a certain area. Use all the res that everyone carries.¡±


    Carl spread a map after giving his order to fire a re to announce the location that they passed by on their way to the center.


    ¡°In fact, this map might be useless now. There¡¯s a high probability that this forest has changed since it has already be the witches¡¯ realm.¡±


    Then, Carl tapped on the ce where he believed was their current location.


    ¡°But it¡¯s still possible to roughly point out our current location. This is where we have to go from this point on.¡±


    It was a short distance that would take less than two days if they were on foot. But it would only take hours for talented people like them who were at the 4th Stage on average. However, they still were not sure how long it would take considering the forest¡¯s topography as well as this ce being the witches¡¯ realm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this punk to where Two Moons is. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    When Carl ced his hand on Iron¡¯s head, all of the Ghosts answered loudly. The rangers couldn¡¯t help but smile when they saw the scene.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave us out either.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Carl smiled as he tucked the map in his belt.


    ¡°The sound of bombing ising from over there. It¡¯s on the opposite side from where we fought earlier so that¡¯s likely where the center is.¡±


    Carl pulled out his sword.


    ¡°Let¡¯s break through in one go!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Carl moved forward as soon as the Ghosts answered.


    ¨DKyaaaaa!


    ¡°Lintel.¡±


    A specter appeared as soon as the Ghosts began to move. Lintel immediately dashed forward and cut off the specter. Then, the ghost trees broke free of the ground and blocked their way.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in charge of this.¡±


    The Ghosts moved quickly along the path as the rangers fired arrows and bullets coated with mana and non-attributed mana towards the specters and ghost trees. Then, the pumpkin dolls and straw dolls that they faced earlier became huge and blocked them once again. The rangers also pulled the dolls¡¯ attention as they paved the way for the Ghosts to move forward.


    Since the rangers, who were twice the number of Ghosts, put their all into blocking the specters, ghost trees and dolls, the Ghosts were able to move forward while conserving their strength. Even though they were the only ones that remained, they were still thankful that they were able to save their strength for a bitter.


    However, the Ghosts were forced to stop again not long after.


    There was another enemy that blocked their path.


    Seeing this familiar figure, the Ghosts¡¯ expressions all hardened. This was the enemy that they had already grown sick and tired of fighting against in the Winter Mountains.


    ¡°Void insect¡­¡±


    Iron gritted his teeth as he stared at the countless void insects that appeared in front of them.


    ¡°The dimensional crack has already been opened.¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re in the process of making this ce their territory.¡±


    Iron sighed after hearing Carl Gustav¡¯s solemn words.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t see any dimensional cracks nearby?¡±


    ¡°We can say that this ce has already been controlled by the dimensional crack¡¯s contaminated mana.¡±


    ¡°That means¡­¡±


    ¡°The dimensional gate will more likely grow. It¡¯s highly likely that high-ranked monsters will appear.¡±


    As Iron spoke about the possibility, he thought of the bastards that woulde out after the void insects. The second most troublesome in terms of poption and were ced right next to the bugs¡­ Just like piranhas on earth, they swarm together and gnaw on their enemies like crazy dogs.


    ¡°If the dimensional fishes out¡­ we have no choice but to sweep them away with arge army.¡±


    ¡°Dimensional fish¡­¡±


    Carl Gustav was also aware of this being.


    They were creatures that were so scary that not even a master could survive in their territory. There would be no end to them no matter how much you killed them. If hell had angler fish, then the void had the dimensional fish.


    ¡°Do you want to stop?¡±


    Carl¡¯s mouth shut as he fell in deep thought after hearing Iron¡¯s question. But he looked at Iron not long after as he spoke solemnly.


    ¡°No. We should move forward.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 69 - Deal With The Witch (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(69)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>21 </b>Deal with the Witch (1)


    The Ghosts gulped knowing that they would face a lot of risks in this path that Carl Gustav had decided. They quickly fired a yellow re to confirm the appearance of a dimensional crack before entering into serious and detailed discussions of their tactical ns.


    They hoped to break through all at once but it was night impossible especially with the overwhelming amount of void insects in the vicinity.


    ¡®How unfortunate that there are no hell cows.¡¯


    Iron felt a bit regretful that the ¡®heroes¡¯ of Winter Mountains, the hell cows, were not in this ce. But just as regret was starting to seep in, his heart started pounding wildly once again as if to remind him of what he needed to do.


    Perhaps it was because the witch believed that the void insects were more than enough to deal with the Ghosts that she did not ce any specter, ghost trees or dolls to block their path. Their journey was unexpectedly smooth but it would have gone smoother if the void insects were not present.


    ¡°Did we go the wrong way?¡±


    ¡°But the direction is correct.¡±


    Iron answered Carl Gustav solemnly.


    They killed as much as possible but the void insects were still crawling around endlessly. What was worse was the fact that the contaminated mana in the surrounding area was getting worse the deeper they went in the forest.


    The only silver lining was knowing that they were on the right path. After all, these phenomena meant that they were getting closer and closer to the dimensional crack.


    ¡®And this pounding¡­¡¯


    Iron could feel the energy that stimted and made his heart pound getting stronger the more they moved in this direction.


    ¡°We should move silently like this.¡±


    Carl stepped lightly on a tree branch as he said so. The Ghosts immediately followed his example. They stealthily jumped from one tree to the other while suppressing their mana to the minimum just so they could avoid the detection of the void insects.


    Even if the Ghost was a special task force that was specialized in killing monsters, they were still a group that could use stealth and infiltrate when necessary. Iron had also received intensive training to hone his skills in stealth after he finished all of his work in the Winter Mountains.


    However, no matter how stealthy they could move, they weren¡¯t professional assassins. There was a limit to what they could do under the cover of darkness. Although they wanted to continue moving forward like this, they had no choice but to stop. The empty lot in front of them was teeming with void insects. They were well aware that they would not be able to pass through this area undetected unless they were the assassins specialized in stealth.


    ¡°I believe this is the end of our flower path?¡±


    ¡°Tch! A hard path suddenly appeared.¡±


    Billie Brandt clicked his tongue at Lintel as he pulled his sword out. The other Ghosts also pulled out their swords under the cover of darkness. But as soon as they injected their mana¡­


    ¨DKiyeeeeeek!


    ¡°Quite sharp.¡±


    A void insect appeared right in front of Lintel as soon as his sword turned bluish with mana.


    Lintel immediately cut the void insect in half covering him in its body fluids. He quickly shook off the sticky body fluids as he moved and shed his sword. Dozens of void insects were killed with just a single sh of his sword.


    With Lintel as the fuse, the other Ghosts also moved out.


    The first one to attack was Milton. Void insects exploded whenever he passed by. Gordon and Sauria also swept the surroundings while making sure to pave the way.


    ¨DHoot!


    ¡°Owl?¡±


    Iron tilted his head when he suddenly heard Owl.


    ¨DHoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot!


    ¡°Everyone, out of the way!¡±


    Iron immediately shouted after hearing Owl¡¯s warnings. The Ghosts stopped in their tracks as they hurriedly stepped out of the way. Then, a blue intangible energy suddenly burst out from the sky.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Everyone hurriedly stabbed their swords as they held on from the explosive gust of wind that the blue energy brought about.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a simple wind!¡±


    ¡°Keup!¡±


    ¡°Sp¡­ specter?¡±


    The Ghosts covered their ears as soon as Carl¡¯s warning resounded in the area.


    They were swept away in confusion the moment the blue gust of wind wrapped around their bodies. All kinds of debuffs including exhaustion, ghastly shrieks, curses, and temporary blindness bound the Ghosts¡¯ and stopped them from being able to move.


    At that moment, the surrounding mana wound around Iron¡¯s body before spreading. When the mana passed by the Ghosts¡¯ bodies, all the debuffs that they experienced disappeared.


    ¡°Iron?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Your eyes¡­¡±


    Lintel couldn¡¯t help but flinch and step back when Iron turned around to look at them. The same was true for the other Ghosts.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my eyes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s shining?¡±


    ¡°Yes? What do you¡­¡±


    Iron frowned and tried to speak but a notification suddenly rang before he could finish his words.


    ¨D An ancient witch is now targeting you, the person who assimted with Two Moons. The witch will try to deal with you first from this point on.


    ¨D The witch has stopped the dimensional crack from expanding as she begins the process of turning it into a gate. A wave of contaminated mana will spread all throughout the Northeast because of the ongoing territorialisation process. Stop the witch and seal the dimensional crack!


    ¨D This quest is like a main quest. However, because the ¡®official opening¡¯ still hasn¡¯t happened, it will not be included in the main quests.


    ¨D A bigger reward will instead be given in exchange for not being included in the main quests. Uponpletion of this quest, you will ¡®directly¡¯ receive a clue about another phantom species.


    A blue ball of fire began to fall from the sky as soon as the notifications ended.


    The witch has now considered Iron as the most threatening existence in the area. So, she was trying to get rid of him first.


    ¨DHoot! Hoooooooot!


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    Iron turned to look at Carl Gustav upon Owl¡¯s urging. Carl Gustav nodded slightly and gave his orders.


    Since the debuffs that made them suffer earlier had disappeared, the Ghosts were able to show what an elite was as they swept away the thousands of specters that appeared to block them.


    Blue fireballs flew in again to stop the Ghosts from moving but Carl Gustav stepped forward to stop it himself. Carl¡¯s sword cut off dozens of blue fireballs with the shockwave from his sword. He infused his mana on his sword and used his Quick Draw Sword Technique to blow away the dozens of fireballs that came their way.


    But the blue fireballs were not the end.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As they advanced forward, not only did the fireballs appear, even the specters, ghost trees and giant dolls appeared one after the other to stop them. The debuffs even began to get stronger the more they advanced forward.


    The Ghosts began to feel exhaustion. It was as if the witch was trying to teach them the horrors of the realm of witches.


    However, as if to help the Ghosts, the bombing from the outside continued as the Drake Unit and the Airship Units began to take the risk to break the barrier covering the ck Forest. The knights also descended from the cracks and gaps that were created in the barrier.


    ¡°There¡¯s a breach! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The Drake and Airship Units kept the barrier in check while Crimson moved forward himself to block the powerful magic that targeted the units.


    The Ghosts immediately flew forward when they saw that the things that blocked them loosened and showed a gap. They immediately dug through the gaps and passed through.


    They continued to move forward until a ck screen stopped them. However, thanks to Carl Gustav using his full strength, the screen broke after being hit with dozens of shockwaves from his sword.


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    A huge dimensional crack appeared once the ck screen was broken. The Ghosts couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at the sky. However, Iron¡¯s eyes were not drawn towards the crack.


    ¡°Owl?¡±


    He saw a gigantic owl lying on the floor with its eyes closed.


    ¨DHoot! Hoooot!


    Iron quickly moved to take his divine beast there when he heard Owl¡¯s request. The Ghosts immediately moved to assist Iron when they saw him moving.


    ¨DYou¡¯re persistent.


    The Ghosts instinctively raised their sword when a pumpkin doll wearing a witch¡¯s hat and holding a scythe appeared in the sky. However, unlike the pumpkin doll from earlier, the small pumpkin doll with the witch hat could use magic. It even used a ck wind to block Lintel¡¯s sword, the fastest sword among the Ghosts all the while summoning countless monsters to deal with the others.


    The Ghosts dealt with the summoned monsters while Carl Gustav personally dealt with the pumpkin doll wearing a witch hat. Meanwhile, Iron quickly approached the sleeping owl.


    ¡°Come to think of it, where are the void insects¡­?¡±


    When Iron touched the gigantic owl as he wondered where the void insects were despite the dimensional crack being opened, the space began to distort.


    ¡°Illusion?¡±


    He noticed that he was deceived. However, it was already far toote.


    Void insects began to flock in the area as the space distorted and showed the real situation in the area. Iron clenched his teeth as he jumped up.


    Numerous void insects flocked from behind while a blue me flew towards him from above.


    ¨DHoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot!


    Iron quickly maneuvered and made his way to the gigantic owl under the guidance of Owl, who appeared in front of him.


    ¨DTroublesome.


    A pumpkin doll carrying a gigantic scythe several timesrger than its body appeared as it swung its scythe.


    ng!


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Iron blocked the pumpkin doll as he urged Owl to move forward when he saw him hesitate because of him.


    ¨DTwo Moons signed a contract with a human¡­ that¡¯s funny.


    ¨DHoot, hoot!


    Owl hooted at the pumpkin doll. Owl told the pumpkin doll that it was the one that was funny. After all, the pumpkin doll also tied itself to a witch. The once noble and honorable being was now merely a familiar to a witch.


    While the divine beast and familiar were busy facing each other, Iron quickly swung his sword at the void insects that came from behind him. The pumpkin doll gave up on this staring contest as it focused on Iron more fiercely.


    Owl, on the other hand, flew straight to where its body was. A ck screen, like the one that stopped the Ghosts earlier, appeared to stop Owl, but Owl just turned into light and passed through it.


    ¡®Is it in that ce?¡¯


    Perhaps it was because Owl had pierced through the ck screen that a path suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It seemed like the illusion spell had been broken as an opening suddenly appeared from the ce that they had thought was just a simple mountain wall.


    ¨DThis¡­ I¡¯m in trouble.


    The pumpkin doll began to exert its strength earnestly.


    Blue mes covered the small pumpkin doll and its scythe while specters flocked all over its small frame.


    ¨DLittle human. I¡¯m very curious. I wonder how long you¡¯llst against me.


    Specters covered with blue me flew towards Iron with just a simple swing of its scythe.


    Kakakakaka!


    ¨DHang in there. It will be your honor if you can hold out for a while. I¡¯m giving you the honor of fighting against me, the Necromancer Ghost King.


    Numerous specters appeared in the air once again after the pumpkin doll finished its words.


    Blue mes flew from the dead void insects body as they materialized into hundreds and hundreds of specters that turned into a ghost army.


    ¡°You¡­ Who are you?¡±


    ¨DI told you. I am the Ghost King.


    ¡°But you¡¯re the witch¡¯s familiar?¡±


    ¨DBecause she¡¯s worth it. And we have the same purpose.


    Iron looked at the Ghost King incredulously.


    ¨DYou¡¯re curious about a lot of things. If you¡¯re really curious, you should hold out until that bastard divine beast fully awakens. I can¡¯t answer you since there are restrictions ced upon me, but the Witch Queen is different. You can ask her.


    ¡°Witch Queen¡­¡±


    ¨DOf course, that¡¯s only possible if you can survive through this ordeal.


    Then, the Ghost King¡¯s army began to move.


    Iron gritted his teeth as he lifted his sword to face against the numerous specters in front of him.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. I¡¯ll survive and listen to your answers.¡±


    Then, he began to concentrate his mana into his sword.


    The path that he chose was survival. He chose to endure and endure until he survived to the end. That was his path. Just like steel that got harder the more one hammered it, he wanted to survive by ¡®smelting¡¯ the countless hardships that he experienced into his sword.


    And right now, Iron¡¯s will was firmly contained in his sword. His will remained as tough as steel as he viewed these countless specter soldiers as a tool to smelt himself.


    He would use his body and his mana as the materials to build his steel sword and find the answer.


    ¡°Come!¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 70 - Deal With The Witch (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(70)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>21 </b>Deal with the Witch (2)


    Iron cut down the specters from the ghost army that rushed towards him.


    He had practiced his basic swordsmanship and Imperial basic swordsmanship to the point that it had been ingrained deep down in his bones. However, despite his swordsmanship being the most basic out of them all, his mana and his perfect posture were more than enough to deal with the specters and ghosts that rushed towards him.


    The bodies of the specters that had been materialized through the blue mes were as hard as steel, but they were not a match for a steel that had been smelted for a much longer period of time. Steel that was made urgently was bound to copse under a steel sword that was made by a true master craftsman. Even if the steel sword got hurt and weakened in the process, a true master¡¯s steel sword would not break.


    Some would say¡­


    ¡®Sometimes, you need to know when to back down.¡¯


    While others would say¡­


    ¡®Sometimes, you need to be broken to truly survive.¡¯


    And that was true. Iron had also lived like that in his previous life. But he regretted living like that. There were people who died from his own judgement. People who had been used. People who roared from frustration. All of these people passed through his head. They were the reason why he chose to never be broken nor shaken in this life. And that thought had led to the creation of his steel.


    ¨DQuite good, kid.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The Ghost King spoke in admiration as he watched Iron steadily cut down hundreds of his army. Then, it began to move personally as it swung his huge scythe towards Iron¡¯s exhausted body that was hurt and battered by the ghost army.


    Seeing this, Iron quickly corrected his posture and raised his sword to block the huge scythe wrapped in blue mes.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Despite the merciless assault of the me-covered scythe, Iron still maintained his posture.


    Seeing him remain steadfast, the small pumpkin doll increased the intensity of its attack even further. Even the numerous specters from the ghost army attacked Iron, making the fight more difficult for him to endure.


    He swung his sword until his arms burned from the strain. Shoulder. Thigh. Waist. There was no part of his body that wasn¡¯t injured. But he still stood firm.


    ¨DYou¡¯re quite tough.


    Despite receiving the attacks of a being that was far stronger than him, the boy still stood firm and unrelentless. Just looking at him made the pumpkin doll feel exhausted. So, it thought that it should end as it prepared for a strong final blow.


    ¨DYourrade will appear if you¡¯re able to stop this. If that happened, then, it¡¯s my defeat.


    The pumpkin doll¡¯s scythe increased in size even further. Then, the ghost army all turned into blue mes that got sucked into the scythe.


    ¨DYou¡¯ll probably grow into the biggest obstacle to our ns if you survive this.


    The pumpkin doll containing the Ghost King, pushed all of the power that it could muster into its huge scythe.


    The Ghost King couldn¡¯t use much power since it needed to maintain the specters and ghost trees to block the rangers and the Ghosts but it still made sure to gather enough strength to crush the young man in front of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask you one thing.¡±


    When the Ghost King heard Iron¡¯s words, it tilted its head as it lifted the huge scythe covered in blue mes.


    ¨DIf it¡¯s something that can be answered.


    ¡°The witch here¡­ is she only one person?¡±


    The Ghost King guffawed at Iron¡¯s question.


    He had managed to notice this just now. But up until they reached this ce there was no witch that appeared. Only the Ghost King, her familiar, appeared to stop them.


    At first, he thought that it was because of the dimensional crack. But over time, he realized that no other familiars had appeared. So, his thoughts ran wild. It seemed like the Witch Queen was alone in this ce. He thought that if it was the existence that led the witches, an existence that was beyond the master level, then she was strong enough to do something this ridiculous even if she was alone in her realm.


    ¨DRight. There is only one ¡®she¡¯ that exists. She¡¯s thest and strongest witch.


    ¡°Alone¡­ She¡¯s dealing with all of the elites in the Northeast alone?¡±


    ¨DThe Queen¡¯s realm is a ce that even a grandmaster would dare not enter¡­ Isn¡¯t that obvious?


    The Ghost King swung its scythe towards Iron. It swung its scythe as if he had enough of his questions and had already listened to his final words.


    But at that moment, the mana in the surrounding flocked towards Iron that created a strange sensation in his body. The gust of wind created by the mana extinguished the blue mes that wrapped around the huge scythe.


    The me created from the souls of the void insects were instantly cleared by the ck gust of wind that flew around Iron. Even the specters burst out in a sprinkle of light when the ck wind passed by them.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Iron immediately raised his sword properly when he felt Owl¡¯s help.


    The only thing that was left in front of him was a cluster of mana in the shape of a huge scythe. That was the only thing left that he needed to endure.


    ¡®I can do it!¡¯


    Iron swung his sword to parry the huge scythe that was aiming to split him into two.


    His sword, which had beenpressed to its limit, ckened a bit slightly following his steel-like will.


    The strange sensation that he felt back when he was blocking the dark elf¡¯s attacks in Winter Mountains suddenly appeared once again. And at that very moment, the mana in Iron¡¯s sword began to change.


    Then, the pumpkin doll¡¯s scythe and Iron¡¯s sword collided.


    Boom!


    The collision created a huge shock wave that shook the very earth itself. But despite the huge shock, Iron¡¯s sword did not shake. Even his two legs remained steadfast and solid as he endured the attack.


    ¨DWhat a good sword.


    Crack, crack, crack!


    The Ghost King looked at his scythe in disappointment when it saw that it was not able to pierce through Iron¡¯s steel-like mana.


    Iron frowned when he saw the pumpkin doll¡¯s eyes drooping sadly. It looked a bit distorted right now. And it was strangely disgusting.


    ¨DBoy, having this good sword must be because of your abilities.


    The moment the Ghost King said this, the wall from behind them exploded. Before Iron knew it, Lintel¡¯s sword was already trying to stab through the pumpkin doll. However, the Ghost King¡¯s huge scythe immediately parried Lintel¡¯s sword away.


    ¨DI think it¡¯s time for me to head back. Will you be fighting with my Queen for the 2nd round? Sounds fun.


    The Ghosts flocked one by one around Iron after the Ghost King had disappeared.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. I survived thanks to this sword.¡±


    Carl Gustav stared at Iron, who was focusing on his sword. Even back in Winter Mountains, during the death crisis when they fought with the dark elves, the one that created a miracle was none other than Iron¡¯s sword. Perhaps, it was thanks to the adamantium¡¯s firm and stable presence that the sword was able to maintain its shape despite the mythril being cracked and broken. But because his sword was broken in the Winter Mountains, they had to melt a general¡¯s broken sword to repair Iron¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Treasure and cherish your sword a bit more. Is it going to be like this every time?¡±


    Lintel rebuked Iron when he saw his sword was fairly damaged. Iron smiled bitterly as he felt his conscience get pricked a bit.


    ¡°Save the chat forter.¡±


    Carl helped Iron fix himself up as he said so.


    Each of the Ghosts used potions for their first aid while they helped each other wound bandages and medicinal herbs on their wounds. They immediately moved right after they fixed themselves up.


    The ground began to shake when Owl moved from inside the torn ck screen.


    ¡°The witch?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s our ally.¡±


    Iron chuckled as he felt the divine power in his body increasing. The hand that was holding his sword tightened as strength filled him once more.


    Then, the ground copsed as a gigantic owl that could only be seen in fantasies appeared. It¡¯s two huge eyes shone a bright blue light towards the sky which instantly broke the witch¡¯s barrier.


    When the barrier broke, they saw Crimson¡¯s Storm Sword, which was dealing against the witch¡¯s magic from outside the barrier, swirling around fiercely.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a dimensional crack¡­¡±


    The scenery that they saw after the witch¡¯s barrier and magic disappeared was a gigantic building and gate made out of countless void insects. The building was made by stacking the huge void insects together, even the gate was fixed by using the void insects as some sort of cement. It was so bizarre but was still made possible thanks to the handiwork of the witch.


    ¡°Illusion magic? No, maniption sorcery? How was she able to manipte them?¡±


    Lintel couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself when he saw that the witch even had the power to manipte the void insects. Her abilities were truly magnificent.


    ¡°Is this an ancient witch? How amazing.¡±


    Even Crimson admired her powers when he came down to the ground.


    Which person in the entire world would ever think of using the void insects in this way?


    ¡°So that¡¯s why there were not much void insects earlier.¡±


    Lintel finally realized that this was the reason why there were only a few void insectspared to the situation that they experienced in the Winter Mountains.


    Crimson¡¯s brows twitched when he saw that the witch was still manipting the void insects that appeared to strengthen the area near the gate.


    She left enough void insects to territorialize and spread contaminated mana while using the rest in this way. This way, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about bringing in the mana to grow the dimensional crack.


    ¡°I should crush that first.¡±


    As soon as Crimson¡¯s Storm Sword red up, the witch¡¯s magic flew in and kept him in check. Huge amounts of specters also appeared in the sky.


    Two Moons also began to move towards the dimensional crack. It used the mana of the ck Forest to help it get close to the dimensional crack.


    At that moment, the witch that they had been looking for so much suddenly appeared.


    ¨DHoot!


    Two Moons¡¯ anger surged as it fired lights from its huge eyes. However, its weing attack did not hit the witch at all. Crimson tried to chase the witch who was moving around between shes but he was forced to fight the ck ball of light that he had fought earlier.


    ¡°This¡­ It hurts my pride.¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly when he saw the witch dealing with Two Moons while keeping him in check.


    Even though his time to step down from his duty was fast approaching, he still couldn¡¯t believe that he would be treated like this. It inevitably hurt his pride. He had no choice but to admit that the witch was truly a strong existence. She was an existence that did not fall behind despite dealing with Two Moons and a master level being.


    In addition, the pumpkin doll from earlier also appeared and fought the Ghosts once again.


    ¡°For real¡­ The witch is really fighting them alone?¡±


    She managed to stop the army with her dolls, ghost trees and her familiar¡¯s specters all the while directly dealing with the master and Two Moons. Her abilities were truly amazing.


    While watching the hectic battle that showed the tremendous abilities of the witch, Iron¡¯s consciousness suddenly blurred.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Iron?¡±


    Iron suddenly staggered and lost consciousness for a moment as he shed his sword out. But what was most surprising was the fact that the specters and the witch¡¯s dolls did not attack him despite the obvious gap in his defences.


    The moment he saw this, he realized that what he had experienced was caused by the witch.


    ¡®Monster.¡¯


    Despite fighting against Crimson and Two Moons, the witch was still able to do this to him. There was no other word fit for her except for the word monster.


    Iron¡¯s consciousnesspletely faded as this final thought shed through his head.


    ¡°A divine beast contractor¡­ there weren¡¯t that many back in the ancient times. Quite interesting.¡±


    When Iron saw a young woman slowly walking out from deep within the darkness of the space, he immediately understood who she was.


    ¡°Witch?¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ Just like the Ghost King said, your head really works well.¡±


    The witch created a chair out of thin air before sitting down seductively.


    ¡°The Ghost King told me that a little kid wants to ask me something¡­ So, I worked very hard, you see.¡±


    Iron stared at the witch seriously when he heard her words.


    ¡°But do you know what it means to ask a witch?¡±


    Iron shook his head in answer to the witch.


    ¡°A price. When you ask a witch something, you should always be ready to pay the price worthy of the answer that you want to know. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re asking but do you have that price?¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t have that price?¡±


    ¡°Then, all of this is meaningless.¡±


    The witch stared at Iron as she said this. She looked like she did not hold much expectations so it did not matter if Iron had nothing to offer in return.


    ¡°You believe that I have no price to pay you?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you call for me here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ a bit curious about the person who signed a contract with Two Moons?¡±


    The witch smiled sensuously as she spoke.


    ¡°I was wondering why someone who had their nose held up high even in ancient times was willing to sign a contract with a human.¡±


    The witch chuckled as she twirled her finger in the air.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have the price to pay then this opportunity¡­¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°Hm? You have? Just so you know, your vitality is too insignificant and cannot be used as a price.¡±


    The witch smiled as she looked at Iron.


    Iron realized that the witch was lying when she told him that the child¡¯s vitality was of little value. She was just reluctant to take a young child¡¯s life away.


    ¡°I have information about me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ But is it something that I need to know?¡±


    The witch looked like she wasn¡¯t that interested in his story. But Iron just smirked at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably quite interesting.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll listen to it and tell you something that corresponds to it.¡±


    Iron¡¯s smile deepened when the witch epted the deal.


    The witch now had no choice but to reveal information to him as a red thread suddenly appeared and connected them together. When Iron confirmed that the witch would not be able to back out, he quietly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not from this ce.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s literally what it means. I¡¯m not from this world.¡±


    The witch¡¯s pupils shook the moment she heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 71 - Deal With The Witch (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(71)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>21 </b>Deal with the Witch (3)


    The contract¡¯s red thread that connected them together was telling the witch that what Iron was telling her was the truth. Confusion and interest twisted together as they started to color the witch¡¯s eyes once she confirmed this to be true.


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the type to lie when doing important transactions.¡±


    The witchughed at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°If you want to hear something else, then shouldn¡¯t you tell me something too?¡±


    The witch¡¯s smile turned deeper when she heard Iron¡¯s provocation.


    She hadn¡¯t seen such a reckless young man in such a long time. Her curiosity for this boy, who only had the strength to rival one finger of the continent¡¯s strongest men, had increased when he rudely provoked her.


    ¡®I want to know more.¡¯


    ¡®What secrets are he hiding?¡¯


    ¡®If it¡¯s another world, I wonder what it¡¯s like?¡¯


    These thoughts hovered in the witch¡¯s head. Curiosity, something that she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, surfaced once again in her mind. The witch savored the feeling for a while before opening her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you where the other dimensional cracks in the Northeast are under the condition that you tell me more.¡±


    ¡°Give me more. You have to give me more if you want to know how I came over.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t know much about the forces that create dimensional cracks. But¡­ I can roughly tell you what we¡¯re going to do in the future. This is the limit of your information¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°Give me some more.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite greedy.¡±


    ¡°The Imperials. I¡¯ll give you information on that as a bonus.¡±


    The witch¡¯s eyes widened when she heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°When I looked through the historical records, I found out that you don¡¯t have a good feeling about the Empire? Especially towards the Imperial Family.¡±


    The witch stared at Iron without showing her assent or dissent.


    ¡°I should untangle those sorry bastards. Well¡­¡±


    Iron sighed deeply before opening his mouth.


    ¡°I came here because of something called God Game. Ah! I should exin about the game.¡±


    Iron said ¡®Oops!¡¯ as he briefly exined the nature of the game to the witch. Then, he <b>fell into Samcheon-po</b> and talked about modern civilization. He was only able to barely return to the topic as he exined the story of his past life as briefly as he could.


    As he talked about his previous life, he worked hard to season his words well and show how much anger he has towards the Imperial Family. Perhaps it was because of this that he made a good impression to the witch that she even piped up in agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Those men from the Imperial Family have been extremely rude ever since ancient times. They pretend to be righteous on the outside but they¡¯re just narrow-minded trash.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Anyway, thanks to them, I was used and left to die¡­¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s when that guy called God Game reappeared?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The witch pondered for a moment after hearing the entirety of Iron¡¯s story. Since she had heard much bigger information than what she initially expected, she had to give himself the proper and right information in return. However, it would be a waste if she were to just tell him the information that she knew.


    ¡°Promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    Iron spoke with disappointment.


    ¡°If you ask for more, then you¡¯ll have no conscience. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have bad blood with the Imperial Family too?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ So?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want you to promise me.¡±


    The witch said this and stared at Iron. Iron clicked his tongue for a while as he pondered before nodding slowly. Her suggestion was not that bad for him either. After all, he still kept his anger and hatred against the Imperial Family deep in the corner of his heart. So he still wanted to grind them down to dust.


    ¡°I hope that you can, to whatever extent that you can do, make the Imperials eat some big shit someday.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°But with your skills right now, I don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be able to do it?¡±


    Iron¡¯s mouth shut tight like a m when he heard the witch¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. If I survive, I¡¯ll definitely give the Imperial Family some big shit in any way that I can.¡±


    The witch nodded in satisfaction when she heard Iron agree to her. Although they were enemies, it was still a transaction that they could do since they also had amon enemy.


    ¡°I would like to sweep them down to the ground myself but¡­ it¡¯s a bit hard.¡±


    The witch looked bitter as she said those words.


    The Imperials were people who took care of their security really well. Even a witch as powerful as her couldn¡¯t dream to sweep them away all by herself so she just resorted to using tricks here.


    ¡°By the way.¡±


    Iron watched the witch sigh in disappointment.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to ask me for a favor, shouldn¡¯t you tell me about the Imperial Family¡¯s weakness?¡±


    The witch frowned at Iron¡¯s words.


    She seemed to know something but it seemed like there were some restrictions that bound her that made her shut her mouth.


    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s rted to the Imperial Family?¡±


    The witch shut her mouth and just smiled when she heard Iron¡¯s question. Iron couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the witch¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ What a pity.¡±


    He knew that there was nothing he could do when he saw that the witch was truly bound by some restrictions.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron asked for a handshake after seeing the witch be silent for a while. The witch tilted her head for a moment before reaching out to hold Iron¡¯s hand. At that moment, a red energy passed through their hearts.


    The witch¡¯s eyes widened when she saw this before smiling. She had confirmed that Iron was sincerely going to try and fulfill their contract. Because of this, their contract proceeded without any other additional measures. And each of their souls and mana were bound tightly by the contract.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a contract. From this point on until the day you die, you must give those Imperials some big shit. If you try to renege¡­ something bad will happen to your heart, you know?¡±


    Iron stared at the witch as if he had been taken advantage of. If he knew that it would be apulsory contract then he would have never agreed. Iron knew that he had been forced to sign a fraudulent contract but all he could do was sigh and nod his head after contemting it. Anyway, if things went as he nned, he would still be able to feed the Imperials at least one big shit so it was still a business that would bepleted one way or the other.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. It¡¯s already been signed so there¡¯s no point in arguing¡­ All that¡¯s left are things that I should receive. I¡¯m looking forward to the things that you will tell me.¡±


    Iron tapped his chest as he said so. After signing a double contract, he stared at the witch who had received everything that she could from him.


    ¡°I thought about it after listening to you. God Game¡­ I recalled something fascinatingly amazing when Ibined that with the information that I have.¡±


    ¡°Something fascinatingly amazing?¡±


    ¡°That game¡­ somehow I got the idea that perhaps that¡¯s what the gods are doing to this world.¡±


    Iron nodded at the witch¡¯s words. It was something that he could infer with the name of the game.


    ¡°But is it just a game between the gods here and the gods beyond the dimensional crack?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Then, why did they call for you here? If it was simply a battle between the gods beyond the crack and the god here, it would be fine if they just yed with the people here.¡±


    Iron frowned before looking at the witch with an expression that screamed ¡®No way!¡¯.


    ¡°Your head really works well.¡±


    The witch smiled.


    ¡°Did they bring other people, aside from you, from the world that you lived in before?¡±


    ¡°So, what you, the witch, are saying is¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a high possibility that the god from the world that you live in is also involved in this game.¡±


    ¡°On what grounds?¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression turned solemn when he heard the witch¡¯s words.


    ¡°The members of our forces. That¡¯s my basis.¡±


    ¡°Exin it in detail.¡±


    Iron looked annoyed.


    Up until this point, he thought that this was just a different world. That they were just dumped in another world to y a game. He believed that he woulde back to his normal life as long as he survived from this. But right now, even the handful of belief that remained in the corner of his heart was broken and turned into dust.


    ¡°The reason why we have gathered together is to open dimensional cracks. But is it really just for that purpose alone?¡±


    Iron frowned at the witch¡¯s question.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I meant is that it¡¯s not everything. I held hands with them to avenge myself and sweep the Empire and the continent as a whole into dust. But the others have different purposes.¡±


    ¡°Others?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a different force behind us.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard her words.


    ¡°A force behind¡­¡±


    The witch opened her mouth as if she wanted to help Iron when she saw him mumbling to himself as if he couldn¡¯t make sense of her words.


    ¡°The Hell¡¯s Gate opened in the Winter Mountains, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you¡­ Ah! No way?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The dark elves joined forces with hell. Then, who did the other guys hold hands with?¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression turned even solemn when he heard the question.


    ¡°The dimensional crack is just a means. It¡¯s because of the identity of the force that we have joined hands with that those who wanted toe here have formed a temporary alliance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just gods¡¯ tricks to destroy the continent?¡±


    ¡°Gods aren¡¯t saints. Why do you think they¡¯re doing this? Do you think greedy bastards will try to do something that does not benefit them?¡±


    Iron sighed.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s say you¡¯re not just a single group¡­ What¡¯s this got to do with our world?¡±


    ¡°If our forces are an alliance of various dimensions wouldn¡¯t the gods also be like that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a possibility that the god of your world has formed an alliance with the god of this world.¡±


    Iron¡¯s thoughts churned violently when the witch finished her words.


    A united front between the world that he lived in and this world. And a united front between the forces that wanted to open the dimensional crack. The two forces were trying to fight a huge battle over this world. Although the gods couldn¡¯t intervene directly, it was possible for them to direct each creature and being as if they were controlling the characters of a game. It seemed like they followed and joined forces before starting a war. In other words, Iron and the people living in this world were like long-term war partners.


    ¡°I¡¯m going nuts.¡±


    A huge battlefield was immediately drawn in Iron¡¯s head after he heard the witch¡¯s words.


    If he considered this world as the main front, then his original world was like a military camp. A camp that would continue to support and help with troops. Perhaps the same was true for the other ces.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? I feel like I¡¯ve learned some huge secret.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But this alone is not enoughpared to what I received.¡±


    As the witch said this, her manabined together and formed into a stone before throwing it to Iron.


    ¡°Carry this around.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°If a being with polluted and corrupted mana appears, it will shine red.¡±


    The witch smiled at him.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re already spread all over the continent. After all, they¡¯re tasked to cause confusion and breed distrust among each sides.¡±


    ¡°They must be in the capital.¡±


    The witch smiled when she heard Iron¡¯s take on the matter.


    ¡°More details?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget that I¡¯m also tied to a force?¡±


    Although she made a contract with Iron, she still couldn¡¯t say a lot of information because she was bound by the restrictions not to say any information that could directly interfere with their operations.


    ¡°Well, I think I can tell you this much.¡±


    The witch pped her hands together. Then, the space distorted as Iron¡¯s consciousness began to fade. But before his consciousness descended to darkness, the witch¡¯s words rang in Iron¡¯s head.


    ¡°The explosion of the dimensional cracks in the Northeast is unstoppable. The already sealed dimensional crack in the Winter Mountains will open once again.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s the end of our job in the Northeast. Because we faced a far stronger resistance than what we had expected, the cowardly bunch decided to move elsewhere.¡±


    Iron stared at the witch as he tried to maintain his blurring consciousness.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that if you can stop me alone then the damage will be minimized. So you have to try your best and stop me. Fufufu¡­¡±


    The witch disappeared in the darkness after leaving these words. Then, Iron¡¯s consciousness faded away once more. After a while, Iron woke up to see that he was leaning on one side with his wounded body.


    ¡°A¡­ monster?¡±


    The violent and ferocious battle around him continued but it seemed like there wasn¡¯t that much time that passed since he lost consciousness. Considering the conversation that he had with the witch he thought that the time would be long but it seemed like it was just an absurdly short amount of time in reality. This meant that she could control the flow of time to some extent. The ck space that they were in earlier seemed to be the boundary between times.


    A witch who can even manipte the time.


    The witch in front of him was undeniably strong but it was his inevitable fate to stop her.


    However, despite being witness to the witch¡¯s great power he was strangely unafraid.


    Is it because of the power that I felt when I was speaking with her earlier?


    Compared to that power, the witch¡¯s power that she was using to fight against Crimson and Two Moons right now seemed to be quite weak.


    ¡®<b>Hollow gangjeong</b>?¡¯


    This was the thought that passed by his head. However, he soon realized the reason. It was because the monstrous witch continued to work on the dimensional gate while fighting against Crimson and Two Moons.


    The witch gazed briefly at Iron as if she knew that he had noticed.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw this. The witch was soposed as if she could deal with whatever he would do.


    Iron stood up with determination.


    He would smash the witch¡¯sposure to dust whatever the cost was.


    ***


    Notes


    [Fell into Samcheon-po] ???? ??? ¨C an idiom that means wandering off the topic, flying off the tangent of the conversation or getting sidetracked. Samcheon-po is a coast town in the southern area of the KR penins. There were quite a lot of folk mythologies about the origin of this idiom but it usually has something to do with a trader being blown off course or a navy man returning to service that took the wrong train.


    [Hollow gangjeong] ? ? ?? ¨C a proverb meaning it looks good but has no substance. Useless, no good. BG: gangjeong is a traditional confectionery made from sticky rice, honey and oil. A deep fried rice puff with a hollow inside.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 72 - The Start Of The Monster Wave (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(72)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>22 </b>The Start of the Monster Wave (1)


    The first thing that Iron did when he regained consciousness was to join the Ghosts that were in the middle of a fierce fight.


    Although he was exhausted and injured, he felt much better than when he was unconscious and facing the witch. This was mainly thanks to the green power that surrounded Iron¡¯s body.


    The healing power was simultaneously healing both his internal and external injuries. In addition, the mana from the ck Forest came in and refilled his exhausted mana.


    ¡®Is this because the witch¡¯s strength has weakened?¡¯


    The mana of the ck Forest and Two Moons¡¯ power that had been restricted by the witch¡¯s power had been gradually released. Because of this, his synchronization with Two Moons was getting better than before. His sensitivity to the mana of the ck Forest was also increasing like crazy. Even now, he could feel that his divine power was continuously rising.


    ¡®If it¡¯s like this then¡­¡¯


    He was filled with mana. And he even gained something from his fight with the Ghost King. These two things gave Iron the confidence to fight strongly.


    Bang!


    Lintel¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Iron joining the fray while facing an explosion. After all, Iron remained fine despite going against a specter¡¯s explosion that was trying to target the exhausted Lintel¡¯s back.


    ¡°You¡­ did something change?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Lintel murmured nkly to himself as he stared at the mana that was wrapped all over Iron¡¯s body.


    The mana of the ck Forest was shining strangely as if it was synchronizing and working together with Iron¡¯s divine power. That was in addition to Baepsae¡¯s shining green light of healing that was already shining on Iron¡¯s body. And that wasn¡¯t all. Although it was just a little bit, Lintel saw something had changed in Iron¡¯s mana when he saw him blocking the specter¡¯s explosion.


    ¡®Did I get closer to Steel?¡¯


    Iron mumbled as he listened to Lintel¡¯s words.


    Although it was only a bit, the color of his mana had certainly changed. In addition, his sensitivity towards the divine beast had increased rapidly after his deal with the witch was over.


    Lintel also began to cut the iing specters when he saw Iron smiling pleasantly as he cut the specters. Perhaps it was because Iron had joined the fight that the Ghosts were now able to rx for a bit.


    Iron¡¯s force right now was infinitely closer to the 5th Stage. He was also able to nullify the witch¡¯s debuff through the mana from the ck Forest. And thanks to Baepsae¡¯s powers, the Ghosts, who were exhausted, were being healed and revitalized. When all of these three factors added up together, the exhausted Ghosts began to get enlivened once again.


    ¡®I¡¯m really a Ghost now, right?¡¯


    Even if his current force was still a bit lower than the rest, he was still able to supplement it with his divine power.


    Iron smiled happily as he fought more sharply and more energetically with the other Ghosts.


    When the Ghosts were finally able to defeat all of the specters around them, the Ghost King also stopped pushing them back. It seemed like fighting and pushing them back was consuming a lot of power so it retreated back to the dimensional gate to make the battle line more refined.


    Because of this, the Ghosts were given enough time to catch their breaths.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron let out a breath while wiping his sweat. He then turned to look at Carl Gustav who was busy fighting against specters and dolls in the air.


    With a flourish of Carl Gustav¡¯s sword, a shockwave entwined with mana swept away the remaining dolls and specters which ended the battle. Then, he approached Iron.


    ¡°Are you alright now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron answered quietly as he stared at the gate. He could now see the mana flow clearly after regaining consciousness. And he could see that the mana in the surrounding was still flowing to the gate.


    ¡®Are the void insects blocking the mana from going outside?¡¯


    At first nce, one would think that the dimensional gate was made entirely of the void insects. But if one looked closely, they would be able to see that the void insects could not move since they were forcefully holding the mana inside. The problem was that the witch was still continuing to condense the mana together despite it already being condensed to its limits.


    ¡®But the dimensional gate is alreadypleted, so why¡­¡¯


    In fact, the gate had already reachedpletion. All that remained was to territorialize the area with contaminated mana. But the witch still collected mana. In fact, it would be easier for her to deal with Crimson and Two Moons if she stopped collecting mana. After all, most of the witch¡¯s mana was being consumed to forcibly attract the surrounding mana to the gate.


    ¡°Why in the world¡­?¡±


    The Ghosts gathered around Iron when they heard him muttering seriously to himself.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s making you look all serious¡­?¡±


    Billie Brandt immediately grabbed Lintel¡¯s hand when he tried to ask Iron. Billie quickly put a finger to his lips to make him shut up as he shook his head at him. Iron was left in his thoughts when Lintel shut his mouth at the signal.


    What the witch said to me¡­


    ¡®We can¡¯t stop the dimensional cracks.¡¯


    That meant that they had no intention of maintaining the state of the dimensional gate.


    So the mana that is being concentrated to the limit¡­


    ¡®Mana explosion?¡¯


    If mana waspressed to its limit, it would be forced to explode. It was a theory that not only the wizards but even the swordsmen knew. Swordsmen who used explosives also used this theory. Even the wizards who specialized in explosive magic also created their magic based on this theory.


    What would happen if these werebined?


    ¡°Is she trying to make the dimensional gate explode?¡±


    The Ghosts¡¯ expressions hardened when they heard the conclusion that Iron came up with.


    ¡°Gate explosion? Like the one in the Winter Mountains? But why would the witch want that?¡±


    Lintel looked like he could not understand why.


    Although there would be a lot of void insects that woulde out, in the long run, it would still be advantageous for their side. After all, the dimensional crack would be sealed no matter what.


    However, the witch clearly told Iron that the dimensional crack in the Winter Mountains would also explode. That meant that the cracks located in the Frost Mountain Range and the Historical Great Rift were also most likely going to have a surge too.


    That means¡­


    ¡®Is she trying to explode this gate to affect the entire Northeast in the aftermath?¡¯


    Iron¡¯s face turned pale the moment he made that conclusion.


    He knew that it was just a simple matter for the witch to explode this dimensional crack. If she did that, she would be able to increase its size as well as increase the amount of contaminated mana and the shockwave that it would produce.


    So what would happen if the dimensional cracks all over the Northeast exploded despite it being ipletely opened?


    There would be a lot of creatures from the void. Even contaminated monsters would increase. The environment would bepletely affected to the point that it could breed mutants from the increase in contaminated mana.


    If this happened, the monsters would leave the Northeast and run to the North. There would be huge movements among the monsters as they tried to survive. And even the mutated creatures that have been continuously produced after the explosion would also move.


    ¡°Monster wave¡­¡±


    Her actions would be enough to create a disaster that was infinitely closer to a medium-scaled monster wave. Although it was not asrge as the one in his previous life, and it was only on a medium-scale, the entirety of the current Northeast would still need to bet everything that they have right now just so they could endure such a disaster.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Exin it in detail!¡±


    Iron just turned to look at Carl Gustav despite the shouts of the Ghosts for more details. He looked like he did not have enough time to exin it to them.


    ¡°Can you blow away the void insects that are stacked all over the dimensional gate?¡±


    Carl Gustav nodded at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, as long as I can approach it. However¡­¡±


    He smiled bitterly as he watched the numerous specters, ghost trees and dolls that the Ghost King had summoned to protect the dimensional gate. Even the Ghost King, a creature that was formidable by itself, was using its own scythe to protect the gate. Although he knew that it had consumed a lot of power in the fight against Iron before, its only restriction was not being able to summon a huge ghost army. Carl knew that its power was still more than enough to deal with them.


    ¡°You have to do it even if it¡¯s hard.¡±


    The Ghosts remained silent when they heard Iron¡¯s firm and heavy tone.


    ¡°You have to go beyond breaking the dimensional gate. We need to blow away the mana that makes up the dimensional gate itself! Otherwise¡­ a monster wave will ur!¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Let¡¯s say we¡¯ll do it. How can we even blow away the mana in the dimensional gate?¡±


    Carl Gustav was the one who answered Lintel¡¯s question.


    ¡°I have to smash the dimensional gate first and ask the Wizard Tower to do it for us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. We first need to urgently stop the dimensional crack from getting stronger.¡±


    Iron told the Ghosts what they needed to do before trying to move quickly. But before he could move, he made eye contact with the witch who was fighting against Crimson. He could see that a smile was visible on her eyes. It was as if she knew what he was going to do.


    ¡°Goddamnit!¡±


    Iron hurriedly cut down the specters as he advanced forward while the Ghosts gathered around Carl Gustav. They had immediately gone into a defensive formation that protected Carl Gustav, the key figure in smashing away the dimensional gate.


    But the Ghost King was not someone who just yed around. The Ghost King immediately blocked them. The Ghosts moved forward and tried to stab through its huge scythe.


    ¡°Please move on ahead.¡±


    Iron, who had always been protected, was the one who blocked the Ghost King and the specters this time as he paved the way for them.


    Lintel and Billie Brandt smiled when they saw this. This was because they felt that their youngest, who was still green and immature, had finally grown up. They felt both happy and proud.


    The other Ghosts also moved to block the Ghost King just so they could get the three most powerful Ghosts, Carl Gustav, Lintel and Billie Brandt, to the dimensional gate. Although numerous specters tried to stop them, the Ghosts did their best to deal with them. This time, Iron was also with the other Ghosts.


    ¡°Please get rid of the specters first.¡±


    ¡°Can you hold out?¡±


    Iron nodded at Milton, who was busy using his explosive swordsmanship.


    ¡°Maybe a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°Hang in there.¡±


    Milton patted Iron¡¯s shoulders before moving to deal with the swarm of specters. The other Ghosts also left the Ghost King to Iron before running out to deal with the specters.


    ¨DWe meet again.


    The Ghost King smiled with its hollow mouth carved in its pumpkin head.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a hurry? Come at me.¡±


    ¨DBut aren¡¯t you the one in a hurry?


    The Ghost King left these words as if it could see through Iron¡¯s heart.


    ¨DAnd I don¡¯t have to be in a hurry. After all, I already got what I wanted¡­


    The Ghost King looked at the dimensional gate as he said so.


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened as he turned to look in the same direction. This was because the surroundings had started to tremble and shake while the contaminated mana began to rise.


    ¡°Is it already toote?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself.


    Even the specters that blocked the Ghosts had also started to disappear one by one. Just like the dark elves from earlier, the specters sacrificed themselves and used their force. It was as if they were finally done with their other jobs and the only thing left for them to do was to elerate the copse of the dimensional gate.


    ¡°This was a fight that could never be stopped.¡±


    It seemed like the witch had only met with him after finishing all of the preparations. Iron red at the witch. The witch parried Crimson and Two Moons as she faced him.


    ¨DI had fun after a long time.


    ¨DDon¡¯t forget that the witch¡¯s contract is valid even after my death.


    The Ghost King and the witch spoke their final words to Iron as their bodies gradually turned to dust.


    Even the witch¡¯s numerous puppets and the Ghost King¡¯s servants started to turn into blue powder. The blue powder flew in and got absorbed by the copsing dimensional gate.


    ¡°Is there nothing else that I can do?¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the disappearing witch and Ghost King.


    Suddenly, an unexpected sound woke him up from his daze.


    ¨DPpiii!


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The sound from earlier was also followed by Baepsae¡¯s familiar chirps.


    ¨DTweet, tweet, tweet, tweet!


    Iron hurriedly gathered his senses as he listened to Baepsae¡¯s chirps. He finally realized that the sound from earlier came from phoenix. So he nodded his head as he listened to phoenix¡¯s tweets once again.


    ¨DPpiii!


    ¡°Phoenix?¡±


    ¨DPpiii, ppiii!


    ¡°You know how to reduce that?¡±


    ¨DPpiii!


    Phoenix¡¯s words began to bring life back into Iron¡¯s dulled eyes.


    ¡°Alright. Whatever it is, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Iron quickly raised his mana.


    There wasn¡¯t anything that was blocking his way anymore. Now that the witch and the Ghost King had disappeared, the only ones left were the people on their side, who were all staring at the dimensional gate nkly. They all looked at the sky as if everything that they did was futile.


    But there was still someone with hope. The youngest soldier among them moved towards the dimensional gate with eyes that were filled with hope.


    And not long after, a miracle happened.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 73 - The Start Of The Monster Wave (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(73)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>22 </b>The Start of the Monster Wave (2)


    A phoenix was a phantom species that always appeared in myths and legends. Although it was a species that had little to no traces left in the current times, it was still a rare species that existed along with the dragons. Since it had appeared in myths and legends, there were plenty of records that described its wonders.


    A bird that spouted fire.


    A bird that was born from fire.


    A bird that could live for thousands of years with its fire.


    Phoenix was a bird with numerous fire-attributed characteristics. However, there was something that the people had misunderstood about it. Although the phoenix reminded them of fire, it wasn¡¯t ¡®fire¡¯ that the phoenix used the most during battles.


    ¡°You¡¯ll purify it?¡±


    ¨DPpiii!


    Iron tilted his head upon hearing Phoenix¡¯s words. But he had no time to think. The gate was slowly copsing and contaminated mana was continuing to soar. He had to do something before the contaminated energy that was generated by the explosion could spread all throughout the Northeast.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¨DPpii, ppii, ppii!


    Phoenix asked him to leave everything to it. All Iron needed to do was to endure and hold on.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron exhaled aftering near the gate.


    There, he could see the void insects exploding and dying after being hit by the overflowing mana.


    Then, the fully synchronized Two Moons flew towards Iron.


    ¨DHoooooot!


    The gigantic owl reduced its size and settled on Iron¡¯s head. Then, the space beside him distorted as Baepsae and a red bird flew out. It looked like the tiny bird thatid listlessly on his palms from overspending its strength had grown quite a bit.


    ¨DPpiii!


    ¡°Just do it!¡±


    Iron shouted despite being warned that it would hurt. Two Moons increased the rate of synchronization to the limit to help him. Even the mana from the entire ck Forest flocked around Iron as Baepsae boosted his vitality and healed his wounds. They did this just so he could withstand the synchronization.


    ¡°Kghhhhhk¡­¡±


    Iron felt like his head would burst when Owl used his divine power to increase the synchronization rate with all three of the divine beasts.


    It was already too much to handle with just Two Moons alone but when phoenix, a phantom species, was added to the mix, it became even harder to deal with. He felt like he was about to die.


    However, there was a creature that he was concerned about the most. It was Baepsae.


    ¡®Baepsae¡­ what are you¡­?¡¯


    It seemed like Baepsae was hiding more than Two Moons and the phoenix. Baepsae was trying not to put any pressure on Iron but Iron was still able to peek at the tiny bird¡¯s essence from his overly high synchronization with the divine beasts. Just a small peek was able to let him know that phoenix¡¯s, a phantom species, power was iparable to Baepsae. Countless thoughts passed through his head. He even thought that perhaps Baepsae was some sort of divine being. But he couldn¡¯t delve deeper into that thought anymore.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    In the end, all he could do was to put his all into enduring the splitting headache that he was currently being subjected to.


    Meanwhile, phoenix had already begun to exert its strength. Although its power was still yet to fully recover, its red mes still spread and burned the contaminated mana. The mana that was burned had been turned into pure mana that was absorbed by phoenix.


    ¡°Aack!¡±


    ¨DPpii?


    Phoenix hurriedly tried to reel in and stop the influx of mana when it saw Iron vomiting blood. But Iron just shook his head. Phoenix hesitated when he saw Iron insisting that it continue but in the end, it still spread its mes.


    The more the mes spread, the paler Iron¡¯splexion became. But there was nothing that could be done. If he left it as it is, the people in the vicinity would be exposed to contaminated mana once the dimensional crack exploded.


    Fortunately, with phoenix¡¯s help, thepressed contaminated mana was being purified. The mana from Two Moons and the purified mana also began to fight against the contaminated mana. Thanks to that, thepressed mana had been decreasing and the mana explosion was being dyed.


    ¨DHooot!


    ¨DTweet!


    ¨DPpiii!


    However, Iron¡¯s condition continued to deteriorate. In fact, his body was already in the process of dying.


    When the divine beasts saw this, all of them looked at each other. They knew that they had to stop in consideration of Iron¡¯s body. However, stopping meant that the contaminated energy would spread all throughout the Northeast upon the crack¡¯s explosion.


    They already knew that Iron¡¯s current abilities were not enough to stop the dimensional crack¡¯s explosion. In fact, it waspletely absurd to assume that Iron could stop a situation that was created by a great witch at the expense of her life. They thought that they could at least reduce the impact of the disastrous situation but under their current circumstances, it was nigh impossible. Even if they continued and let Iron sacrifice himself, they would only be able to buy a day or two of time for the people of the Northeast.


    So the divine beasts thought¡­


    Let¡¯s seal ourselves and Iron here!


    The divine beasts wanted to use their bodies together with Iron¡¯s body as a medium. They would then use this medium to spread their power and enhance the purification process.


    Due to their extreme synchronization, their n was able to transmit to Iron¡¯s head. So, Iron nodded his head in agreement as blood continued to flow down from his mouth.


    ¨DTweet!


    Baepsae looked at Iron pitifully when it saw him enduring the pain. It patted Iron¡¯s head with its small wings. The cute Baepsae perched itself on Iron¡¯s head and closed its eyes as it expressed its strength.


    Baepsae¡¯s green mana slowly spread and wrapped around them while slowly turning Baepsae into a green stone. The green mana continued to wrap around and harden around Iron and Baepsae as Baepsae¡¯s abilities, ¡®healing¡¯ and ¡®vitality¡¯, slowly merged with Iron¡¯s body. Thanks to the power of healing and vitality, Iron¡¯s copsing body had narrowly achieved bnce.


    However, the contaminated mana began to gain the upperhand as their power slowly ran to its limits.


    Then, Two Moons moved.


    Two Moons, who was now perched on Iron¡¯s right shoulder, gathered all of the mana spreading in the ck Forest. As soon as the mana began to gather, Owl¡¯s body started to harden into a blue stone.


    Everyone had thought that Two Moons¡¯ power was the powerful destructive light from its eyes. But Two Moons¡¯ abilities were in fact ¡®manapression¡¯ and ¡®amplification¡¯. The destructive rays of light that came out of its two eyes were the result ofpressing and amplifying Owl¡¯s mana to its limits.


    ¨DHoot!


    Owl squeezed all of its strength and turned into stone as all the mana in the ck Forest wound and spinned around Iron¡¯s body.


    When two of the divine beasts turned into stones, two divine powers started to tangle in Iron¡¯s body. Two Moons¡¯ abilities and Baepsae¡¯s abilities created a synergy whichid the foundation for Iron¡¯s body to constantly fight against contaminated mana.


    Then, phoenix came.


    ¨DPpiiii!


    Perhaps it was because phoenix was determined not to waste the sacrifice of Iron and the two divine beasts that it poured out all of its strength. It also concentrated all of its power with the intention of being sealed as it flew over and settled on Iron¡¯s left shoulder while slowly assimting with Iron.


    At that moment, a strong wave of red energy spread around and purified the contaminated mana. Red mes followed the wave of energy as it scattered all over the ce while turning the area around the dimensional gate into a sea of red light.


    The red me burned and purified the contaminated energy while nibbling at the structure created by the void insects.


    The void insects finally sensed danger. From the void insects that had its bodies burst out from the mana explosion to the void insects that were hidden far away, they crawled and tried to stop phoenix.


    ¡°Stop them! Don¡¯t waste Iron¡¯s sacrifice!¡±


    Carl Gustav was the first to move to stop the void insects.


    All of the Ghosts gathered and surrounded Iron in a defensive formation as soon as they heard Carl¡¯s orders. They immediately stopped the void insects from rushing forward.


    Then, Crimson shouted at all the troops that were entering the forest.


    ¡°From now on, protecting Iron is our top priority! This is an order from Crimson, the Commander of the Northeast!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Hearing the official order of the Northeast Commander, the rangers scattered and hunted for the void insects. At the same time, the knights formed a defensive circle with Iron in the middle. They formedyers andyers of defensive circles that made it impossible for anyone to touch Iron. And Crimson stayed at the center. He willingly went to protect Iron in order to make sure that they did not waste Iron¡¯s will and sacrifice.


    However, as if it was testing their will and determination, a continuous surge of contaminated mana came out of the copsing dimensional gate. The purple fog that surrounded them even began to thicken. And finally, the beings that Iron was so wary of and the others did not want toe out, appeared.


    ¡°Dimensional fish came out!¡±


    ¡°Airship units! What are you doing?! Drop the bombs!¡±


    ¡°Bomb it! Bomb it! Your target is the dimensional gate!¡±


    All of the troops moved towards the finally copsed dimensional gate while the special forces stayed around Iron and protected him.


    This was such an unusual situation where all of the forces in the Northeast participated and coordinated to protect and escort Iron.


    But they couldn¡¯t be happy about it. This was because Iron¡¯s entire body had turned into a blue stone. All of the mana in the ck Forest flocked to Iron and hardened his body even further.


    Then, red energy spread from Iron¡¯s hardened body which created a fixed safe area.


    ¡°Rangers, start an operation to exterminate the monsters around this ce.¡±


    ¡°The knights top priority will be here from here on out.¡±


    ¡°Iron Wall Division¡¯s top defense mission will be in this ce!¡±


    The elite divisions of the Northeast Command began to gather around the ce where Iron was located. Even the Ghosts¡¯ priority was Iron¡¯s escort mission. All of which were personally ordered by Commander Crimson.


    And there was not a single soldier or officer who opposed these orders.


    ***


    The ck Forest had turned into the Northeast¡¯s troops¡¯ new center as they gave their all to protect Iron from the void insects and dimensional fish.


    Perhaps he also wanted to repay their hard work that Iron, who had been turned into stone, also did his best. The contaminated mana kept on pushing out while Iron continued to purify the mana that was pouring in. It was a fight between the exploding dimensional crack and Iron and the divine beasts that were stopping it frompletely exploding. It was a boring and repetitive fight.


    But no matter what he did, Iron still failed to stop the future where a monster wave would ur.


    There were four dimensional cracks in the Northeast that the witch wanted to trigger to explode. And just like the witch had hoped, the dimensional crack in the ck Forest had eventually exploded which led to the explosion of the other dimensional cracks in the other regions. As a result, the huge movement of monsters that were moving away from the contaminated mana, or the monster wave, had also started.


    ¡®It¡¯s the witch¡¯s victory.¡¯


    The schrs, who were obsessed with their theories, saw this as the only oue.


    However, a miracle happened in such a situation.


    Thanks to the desperate efforts of Iron and the divine beasts, the result was only half of what the witch had intended to happen. So, even if the monster wave had urred, the Northeasterners could raise their heads and say that Iron had won the battle against the witch.


    ¡°In the end, did it start?¡±


    Crimson looked bitterly at the Command¡¯s report about the start of a monster wave.


    Seeing Crimson with such an expression, Jayden Wicks, the Northern Commander,forted him.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t it start after we had finished all of the preparations? It¡¯s a relief that we have avoided the worst possible oue.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ I know. This was also because of that child¡­¡±


    Crimson looked out of the window upon hearing Jayden Wicks¡¯ words.


    He thought about the young Ghost who was still purifying the contaminated mana with his red mes in the ck Forest, the area that was now called as the second Command.


    ¡°Well¡­ If that punk wakes up, he¡¯ll definitely be satisfied with the current results. Didn¡¯t he hate the Central Government?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron had shown them, albeit unintentional, that he had a hidden hatred for the Central Government whenever he talked with them. And a satisfactory result was currently unfolding for him.


    ¡°I hope he wakes up soon.¡±


    ¡°I know. Even if we¡¯re not that young, we¡¯re still more than enough to handle the current situation now¡­¡±


    Just like Jayden Wicks had said, both of them were hoping that this young man would stop making any more sacrifices and just wake up to receive his sweet rewards.


    Maybe it was because of the wishes of the twomanders that something had changed?


    A small crack had started to appear starting from the green stone after having no movements for nearly two years.


    ***


    <strong>TL¡¯s announcement</strong>


    Chapter for tomorrow is updated today since I will be very busy and won¡¯t have any time to update tomorrow.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 74 - The Northeast Overcoming Its Crisis (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(74)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>23 </b>The Northeast Oveing its Crisis (1)


    The explosion of four dimensional cracks.


    When this fact spread to the Empire, all of the citizens were in chaos. Everyone believed that they would face the Empire¡¯s devastation if all four dimensional cracks had exploded. They expected the destruction of the Northeast and was certain that the North would also fall sooner orter.


    [ The Empire is about to copse. ]


    The atmosphere in the entire Empire was so gloomy and dreary that provocative articles had started to appear in newspapers.


    But a crisis was also an opportunity!


    The Imperial Family used this as an opportunity to gain greater power. It was the greatest opportunity for the Imperial Family since the Godly Sword and the Lion were stranded in the Northeast while Leopold, a thorn in their mouths, was also stuck in that ce.


    [ The nobles are looking after their own survival even when the country is about to copse. ]


    [ Did the Imperial Family abandon the North? ]


    [ Central politics is rotten to the core. ]


    Articles like these popped up everyday but these newspapers were nothing major and were easily buried.


    However, everyone was aware that they still needed to protect the Center despite the Imperial Family being like this. If the North¡¯s copse was inevitable, they thought that it would be best to make the Center a front and stop the monster wave as much as possible.


    So, in order to buy enough time, they increased the support and supplies going to the Northeast and the North while they levied heavier taxes to establish a defense line in the Center.


    ¡°If this continues, the power of the Lions and the Godly Sword will be greatly reduced.¡±


    The Emperor and the Central nobles smiled at this thought. This was because they find the absolute power of the Godly Sword and the Lion Families to be more troublesome than the great disaster, the monster wave.


    However, the Central nobles had no choice but to throw this idea out soon after.


    Contrary to the schrs¡¯ conclusion that the monster wave would drive the entire Northeast to its copse, the North and Northeast Coalition had been able to ¡®control¡¯ the monsters.


    [ The Northeast¡¯s Hero has been born! ]


    A young hero was born in the Northeast.


    To the Center¡¯s dismay, the monster wave that appeared was at a ¡®controble¡¯ level thanks to this unexpected hero. In addition, as if they loathed the Center for using them as a scapegoat, they let the monsters flow to the Center rather than creating a defensive line and blocking the monsters. They created fortresses and defense lines and created a ¡®path¡¯. It would take time for the monsters to break through their solid fortresses and defense lines so the monsters, with the pressure of the void insects from behind them, went along the path and rushed towards the Center.


    With this method being repeated, the path soon became a frequent road that the monsters trekked. Because of this, huge numbers of monsters flowed from the Northeast to the North, and from the North to the Center.


    [ The smart Northeast creates an iron-d fence against the Center¡¯s petty tricks! < Subtitle : Monster Road > ]


    The Northeast, which was scheduled for destruction, had finally changed its future. And at the center of it all was a young officer. The Northeast was saved with this young officer¡¯s noble spirit and sacrifice as he used himself as a medium to purify the contaminated mana.


    But he wasn¡¯t the only hero.


    Numerous troops had gathered in the Northeast. They risked their lives to stop the still ongoing battle. All of them were heroes. A part of this legend.


    On the other hand, the Central Government and its politics remained rotten. Their stench was worse than a sewer with how rotten they were.


    Is it appropriate to entrust the Empire to these people?


    The citizens asked this.


    Is it alright to leave matters concerning the safety of our Empire to these trashes?


    This was a notice posted in one of the bulletin boards in the capital¡¯s square.


    No one knew who wrote it or if it was a spark to the embers of revolution. But they were certain about one thing. These words had set a fire to the heart of the Empire. The Imperial Capital had fallen into chaos just from this one post that ignited not only the schrs but the entire nation.


    As the Northeast continued to control the monsters stably, the citizens of the Empire no longer endured the arrogance of the Central Government.


    As the narrative that the Empire would be facing something dangerous lost its effects,ints that the citizens had endured so far had begun to surface and p the Central Government all at once.


    At the same time, their interest towards the Northeast increased.


    War was something that could create heroes and produce numerous legends. Although a young officer was sacrificed to protect the Northeast, they couldn¡¯t stop from looking at the future hero candidates.


    [ The new stars of the Empire that has been born during the Monster Wave! ]


    ¨DNortheast


    Starlight Knight : Ariel Favrice


    Blood Crazy Berserk Warrior : Cardro Giovanni


    ¨DNorth


    North¡¯s Little Lion : Aiden Leonhardt


    Winter Wind : Gaon Temphet


    There were four new stars, with the exception of Iron, who had risen to the ranks of heroes. Their performances so far have been extremely crazy.


    First, Ariel Favrice, as if to prove that she was the best talent of the old Northeastern Academy, performed extremely well. Despite being at the 4th Stage, her performance was extremely close to the 5th Stage which solidified her position as the best of the best in the Knight¡¯s Order.


    On the other hand, Cardro Giovanni, who was hidden behind the light of Iron Carter and Ariel Favrice, trained and trained as if he was possessed by an evil spirit. And the results of his training blossomed when he encountered the disaster, the monster wave. Perhaps it was because Iron¡¯s performance had served as his deterrence that he rolled around like crazy to develop hiscking skills and get himself together while throwing his arrogance away.


    Was it because he did not spare his body and gritted his teeth through it all? Regardless, it was thanks to his rigorous training that he was able to reach the 4th Stage and catch up with Ariel. He fought well to the point that he would be covered in blood every time that he was called as the Blood Crazy Berserk Warrior in the Northeastern Army.


    Then, did that mean that only those in the Northeast were active? No. A new star that was hailed as a genius appeared in the North. Just like everyone expected, the star came from the Lion Family. However, he wasn¡¯t the 2nd ducal prince, the 3rd ducal prince nor the twins who stood out from an early age.


    The protagonist of the North was the youngest son of the Lion Family who remained quiet and far away from people¡¯s attention. A young lion who was left out during their childhood by Lioner, the family head and the person who waspeting for the title of the strongest in the entire continent. The boy had a good heart but once the battle began, the youngest became the person who resembled the family head the most.


    In addition, the two other famous families in the North also joined forces to keep the young lions in check. The child born from the secret marriage between Temphet and Winstell also stood out.


    Four new and uing stars were born from the worst disaster, the monster wave.


    Thanks to them, the people suffering from the rotten Central Government, gained their vitality as they enthusiastically talked about the four new stars. It was as if they had long forgotten their struggles and exhaustion when they heard about the new hope of their Empire. Even if they were tired and exhausted, they were able to ovee it thanks to the enthusiasm brought about by the new stars.


    However, no one in the Northeast had received their rewards. The four new stars, the five masters that guarded the Northeast, and even the soldiers who participated in numerous missions and battles. It wouldn¡¯t be weird if all of them had received their rewards earlier, but all of them refrained and agreed to dy theirpensations.


    All of them decided to dy their rewards just to wait for one person and one person alone.


    Because of this, the Imperial Family¡¯s attempt to soothe the public¡¯s sentiment by giving out greatpensations went to nothing. And this went on for months.


    Some said that the hero had already died so it was alright for those who have been left behind to be rewarded, but all of the troops that were gathered in the Northeast waited. They believed that he would definitely wake up again.


    Was it because of their belief that he would wake up anytime soon that the hardened blue stone began to crack?


    Crack!


    ¡°Heok!¡±


    When the crack first appeared, everyone became worried that something bad had happened.


    The first to discover this was not the Ghosts who were always next to him nor the Knights who always guarded him. It was actually discovered by the wizard who came to study the phenomenon of using divine power to purify contaminated mana. The cracks were extremely fine but it was discovered because the wizard was keenly observing everything for his research.


    However, it wasn¡¯t such a dangerous problem. It was because the wizards had already started to purify the contaminated mana so the enormous mes that purified them gradually began to get absorbed back into Iron¡¯s body which in turn began to release the seal.


    Crack, crack! Crack, crack!


    The more the wizards installed therge-scale purification magic circles, the more cracks appeared in the blue stone that sealed Iron. When several purification magic circles were installed all over the ck Forest together with semi-permanently built buildings, the mes floating around Iron¡¯s body werepletely absorbed back inside. This seemed to trigger the melting of the hardened mana stone that sealed him inside.


    The hardened chunks of mana broke down from the mes¡¯ high heat and eventually turned to dust.


    That was when Iron¡¯s tightly shut eyes opened.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡±


    Iron groaned as he shook his head nkly. Numerous eyes turned to look at the just awakened Iron.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Long time no see, everyone?¡±


    When Iron greeted the hundreds of people around him awkwardly, one of them bounced towards Irons.


    ¡°Hey! You punk! Why did you wake up sote?¡±


    Lintel rushed forward with tears in his eyes as the other Ghosts approached Iron one by one. They touched Iron here and there to confirm that he was fine. Once they confirmed this, they all began a weing ceremony for his return.


    ¡°Keok! Wai¡­ Wait.¡±


    Lintel put Iron in a headlock while the Ghosts encouraged Lintel¡¯s behavior. At the end of the Ghosts¡¯ grand(?) weing ceremony, Carl Gustav approached him with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron felt emotional when he heard his immediate superior thanking him for his hard work. However, he endured it and smiled in return.


    Lintel pped Iron¡¯s back as he asked him.


    ¡°Why are you sote? Did you know that I can¡¯t get promoted because of you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Even the other Ghosts looked like they agreed with Lintel.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You know that the captain kept on dying our promotions because of you, right?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to get promoted quickly but I got dyed because of you?¡±


    ¡°My medal is dyed too.¡±


    ¡°The most important thing is that the increase in our annual sry has been dyed too! Ah, I feel upset. Let¡¯s do it again!¡±


    Iron spoke up urgently when he saw that the Ghosts were angry and trying to move in to punish him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of me! No, I also wanted toe out earlier! But I have to purify the contaminated mana from the dimensional crack to a certain level. I can¡¯te out because it¡¯s not yet at that level, you know?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ all of it was dyed because the wizards were dawdling around?¡±


    Iron nodded hurriedly when he heard Lintel¡¯s words.


    ¡°Y¡­ Yes. If the purification magic circle had been installed faster, then I would have woken up earlier.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, all of the Ghosts turned to look at the wizards. Even the knights and the officers of the Iron Wall Division, who were listening, also stared at the wizards. Some of the wizards flinched as cold sweat dripped down their backs when they saw their stares.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Hahahaha¡­¡±


    The knights were the first to move towards the wizards when they saw them awkwardlyughing and stepping back. The rangers who heard about the rumors also joined them as they all moved in unison to vent their anger.


    That was how Iron was able to circumvent their anger to the wizards. However, Iron had been harassed by the Ghosts for a long time ever since then. Still, he enjoyed the process of relieving their anger and regrets with his colleagues that he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time.


    The scenery in the ck Forest had changed tremendously during the time that he was sealed. And for him, it was quite a strange sight.


    There were numerous military camps and bases built around the area. Even the wizards had built their Wizard Tower in the area.


    Just when Iron was taking a good rest and watching the changes one by one¡­


    ¡°I¡­ I have seen the Commander!¡±


    ¡°You really woke up.¡±


    Crimson smiled as he hugged Iron tightly.


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened as he patted Crimson on the back for a long time.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Crimson released Iron as he looked at him from head to toe to see if he was really alright.


    Iron was drenched in cold sweat as he received themander¡¯s burdensome gaze. Then, he heard him apologize¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I have to say this to you when you just woke up but¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡±


    Iron gulped as he asked Crimson. But the older man just looked at him awkwardly.


    ¡°I think you should go to Command with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°After receiving news that you have woken up, His Majesty said that he would personallye to this ce.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 75 - The Northeast Overcoming Its Crisis (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(75)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>23 </b>The Northeast Oveing its Crisis (2)


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened when he heard the Commander¡¯s words.


    ¡®The Emperor?¡¯


    It was strange for him to hear that the person who had always been stuck at the Imperial Pce and never went out woulde to the Northeast personally.


    This meant that the current situation and public opinion was really that bad.


    ¡°His Majesty wille here in person?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°By any chance, is heing here to give the awards personally?¡±


    Commander Crimson tilted his head at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know it either, but I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the case. They haven¡¯t issued an official letter yet but when you think about it, it¡¯s impossible for me to award those medals to the people who have gathered here. His Majesty needs toe in person for the awarding to be possible.¡±


    ¡°Uhmmm¡­¡±


    Just like what Crimson had said, it was a bit ambiguous if he, themander, was the only one who would award the medals to the people gathered in the Northeast. After all, the Godly Sword and the Lion¡¯s Family Heads were one of the few people that had gathered in this ce.


    ¡°In fact, the most probable reason why His Majesty would personallye here is to take you away¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you mean me?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened as Crimson smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Iron couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head in confusion when he saw Crimson¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Northeast¡¯s hero, so he¡¯ll want to take you away.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ No way.¡±


    Iron shyly denied his words. However, Crimson was looking at him intensely. He was already prepared to protect Iron at any cost. It seemed like the situation this time was truly too dangerous that Crimson only took back his hot stare after Iron had repeatedly told him that he would remain in the Northeast.


    In fact, it hasn¡¯t been that long since he had woken up but he had already heard a lot of rumors.


    He also heard about how many people had been active here during the time that he was sealed. He could even hear familiar names from among those people.


    There was Ariel, a name that had disappeared after a long time after saying that she would go beyond him. Although she was stillgging behind him now, he was sure that she would surpass him soon enough. And there was also Cardro.


    He was d to see two of his colleagues from the academy but the most wee name that he had seen was the name of his youngest brother. It seemed like he had already grown up to be active in the battlefield. He was worried that he would not be able to ovee the harassment of their other brothers and copse but it seemed like he had safely ovee this obstacle. His growth was so rapid that he thought that he would easily be a master if he maintained this state and grew up well.


    The only problem was that Iron was still extremely far ahead of these other geniuses. He could easily tell that the gap between their achievements was extremelyrge just by hearing the performances of the new up anding stars. Besides, he was still a young man, someone who was easy to coax and seduce. From the Emperor¡¯s view, he would have definitely looked like some kind of tasty and easy prey.


    ¡®I¡¯m already tired.¡¯


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown when he realized that he would experience another bothersome figure like the Crown Prince.


    Crimson sighed in relief when he saw Iron¡¯s reaction. He smiled knowing that Iron truly hated the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Since His Majesty ising in person, you have to return tomand early with me, Iron. You need to get ready to meet with His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I have to prepare something?¡±


    Iron looked at Crimson strangely. Crimson smiled as he spoke.


    ¡°Since His Majesty, the Emperor, woulde in person, you must receive education on etiquette. We¡¯re holding an award ceremony so you have to practice the procedures ordingly.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron nodded at Crimson¡¯s words.


    Although the Northeast Academy had taught them basic etiquette, it was literally just the basics. And unlike the other academies, Iron had received etiquette education for nobles and high-ranking officers so he just roughly skimmed through the lessons before.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    He had seen it countless times in his previous life so he believed that he wouldn¡¯t need to undergo training once again but he had to endure it as he moved with Crimson. And since the Ghosts no longer needed to stay in the ck Forest, they also returned to Command with Crimson¡¯s order.


    They rode a drake to go back to Command but as soon as they got off, countless officers immediately turned towards Iron with their intense gazes.


    Iron felt a bit burdened when he saw the interest, which was several times greater than when he was in the Winter Mountains, in their eyes. Compared to the contemptuous eyes that he had received in the Ducal Castle, their eyes were filled with both envy and respect. So, he couldn¡¯t adapt for a moment.


    Unlike the situation with the Winter Mountains where only those close to him celebrated his achievements, the entire Command was now focusing their attention on him. There were also several merchants, schrs and several personnel in the area so the attention he was receiving right now waspletely iparable to the attention he received in the Winter Mountains.


    Amidst the burdensome attention that was ced on Iron, the official letter about the Emperor¡¯s personal visit to the Northeast had arrived. The Northeast Command began to get busy after a long time.


    Just like in every military unit, it was basic courtesy for them to shine brightly without any speck of dirt whenever a high-ranking person came. So, everyone repeatedly cleaned and inspected the ce and their uniforms in preparation for the Emperor¡¯s arrival.


    Meanwhile, Iron hurriedly learned the basic Imperial etiquette while practicing for the awarding ceremony in preparation for the Emperor¡¯s award.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°I heard the news. I heard that you did a lot while I was sleeping.¡±


    Ariel, who was set to receive a medal directly from the Emperor as one of the North¡¯s new stars, visited Iron. Cardro was also set to receive it with her but perhaps it was because he felt that he did not have enough jjambap or because of the nature of Command that he kept on working until now. Despite staying at Command, Iron was still yet to see him around.


    ¡°But you¡¯re even crazier?¡±


    Ariel looked enviously at Iron. She had tried so hard to catch up to him. But seeing his crazy performance while achieving great merits in the Winter Mountains made her give up early on in the game. However, she still hoped to catch up to Iron¡¯s level at the very least. No, honestly, she wanted to surpass him with her swordsmanship.


    ¡®Master candidate.¡¯


    This was another title that was given to Ariel after she participated and came back safely from blocking the monster wave. She honestly thought that being called like that was a bit shameful. But when she thought that Iron was sealed, the thought that she might be able to ovee Iron with her swordsmanship during that time period made her feel a bit confident. After all, she had improved her skills for nearly two years while Iron remained as he was.


    She thought that she had already realized her goals. But that was only before she arrived here. She greeted Iron with her force and momentum to show off but just one look was all it took. She immediately realized that she was still behind in terms of force whenpared to the force and momentum that Iron was showing right now.


    Ariel bit her lips.


    He did not have any change in expression even after losing those two years of life but it seemed like he had also received the secret of life while being sealed in that ce for him to advance this much and maintain his lead.


    ¡°You must have fought a lot?¡±


    Ariel felt like she had experienced the vicissitudes of life as she nodded her head in answer to Iron¡¯s question.


    She struggled like crazy to survive the monster wave and was finally able to achieve the current level that she was in right now.


    She was only a half-step away from the 5th Stage and had already got a sense for the next step. All she needed to do was convert her mana into her own attribute since she had already gone over the wall. The stabbing force that she was exerting right now was actually proof of this.


    The problem was that Iron was also the same or perhaps even greater. His steel-like mana was easily receiving Ariel¡¯s force while deflecting it at the same time.


    ¡°I think it would be better to stop fighting and get ready for practice¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you stopping them? It¡¯s fun.¡±


    When Jim Rogers, someone who Iron hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, appeared to stop Ariel and Iron¡¯s momentum fight, Sky Renz appeared too. It seemed like he was watching them from afar.


    Iron and Ariel gave the two, who were considered as the best talents in the Northeast before Iron¡¯s batch, a slight salute when they appeared in front of them.


    ¡°Junior! You know me, right? I brought you here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember.¡±


    Iron smiled as he replied to Sky Renz after he recalled the past.


    ¡°You were already extraordinary back then¡­ but you have be a great junior now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not to that extent.¡±


    ¡°You can own it. Major Iron had saved the Northeast.¡±


    Jim Rogers smiled when he saw Iron being humble upon hearing Sky Renz¡¯s words.


    Sky Renz also made a fuss and praised Ariel, who was standing next to Iron. He kept on rattling about what they should do if they surpassed them before turning 20. The frigid atmosphere finally eased with Sky Renz¡¯s help. And they began to practice for the awards ceremony.


    After some time, Carl Gustav andmanders of each unit also joined the practice.


    Cardro, who worked very hard, arrived not long after. He talked about the hectic time that he had spent and talked about the things that he couldn¡¯t do as soon as they met.


    Is this what brotherly love is?


    They did not talk that much when they were in the academy but when they met outside, they were able to talk about the few memories that they shared together as well as the experiences that they¡¯ve had ever since their parting.


    A few days passed by as they spent their time happily while practicing for the awards ceremony.


    Finally, the day before the Emperor¡¯s arrival hade.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Iron stopped walking and tilted his head when he saw a familiar face somewhere.


    The familiar face of his youngest brother appeared in his field of view. However, his face hadpletely matured and his body had grown enormous. He was sure that his brother was just 15 years old this year but his physique had already surpassed that of an ordinary adult. His body was even covered in bulging muscles. His current appearance waspletely iparable to the scaredy and weak youngest brother that he had in his memories.


    ¡°Ai¡­ den?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Brother?¡±


    Aiden turned his head around when he heard Iron¡¯s call. He squinted his eyes and looked closely. A wide smile brightened his face when he recognized Iron.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°Is that really you? Why did your body change so much?¡±


    ¡°It changed like this after training.¡±


    Aiden spoke to Iron when he saw him looking at his muscr body incredulously. Iron looked tired just by looking at his bulging muscles.


    ¡°Jaiden¡­ No, you¡¯re called Iron here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your performance and award. As expected of my brother. Have you been doing well after you left the family?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ How did you know it was me?¡±


    Aiden smiled when Iron tilted his head in curiosity.


    ¡°Father told me. He told me about brother¡¯s achievements in the Northeast and the battles that you fought. He also told me to try harder.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ How about the others?¡±


    ¡°Some of our brothers probably know too? But they have been silent about the matter.¡±


    Aiden turned to look around before leaning over and whispering.


    ¡°We should keep it a secret, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be satisfied with seeing you today. Hehe~ Let¡¯s have a fightter. I¡¯ve really improved a lot so I won¡¯t get beaten as easily as before.¡±


    Iron smiled and nodded at Aiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce my friend to youter.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I only met him during the monster wave but we have gotten closer ever since.¡±


    Aiden bragged about his friend for a long time. Then, he turned to look around and moved away after telling him that he would see himter. They met againter during the awards ceremony practice but he pretended not to know Iron. Iron just looked at Aiden who was cutely trying to not pay him any attention. He was holding himself back to the point that he was sweating bullets.


    It was fun for him to meet his brother and hisrades that he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, but the repetitive practice that went on untilte at night was extremely boring. However, the others still worked hard at the thought of seeing the Emperor personally.


    Iron was the only one who was bored and annoyed at this tedious process. He even looked like he was wondering why he needed to practice for something like this. It was an unusual expression to see in such a young man.


    After barely finishing the annoying practice, they finally began thest preparations for the awards ceremony the next day.


    They stood wearing their formal uniforms and waited for a long time until a huge airship appeared in the sky above them. A jewel encrusted drake carried the Emperor and descended from the ornately decorated golden airship.


    ¡°We greet Your Majesty!¡±


    With Crimson¡¯s lead, all of the soldiers saluted in unison.


    With Crimson¡¯s words as the signal, fireworks exploded in the air while cheerful and weing music from the military band began to ring loudly in the Northeast. The sounds were bright and happy as they celebrated the Emperor¡¯s visit to the Northeast.


    Meanwhile, the Godly Sword and the Lion Family Heads that stood on Crimson¡¯s sides only bowed their heads slightly. No one said anything to them even though they had just greeted the Emperor with the slightest of gestures.


    Despite their arrogant gestures, the Emperor couldn¡¯t say anything to them. After all, they were two figures who had fought for the position of the strongest in the Empire for the longest time. They were also beings that were closest to bing a grandmaster in the entire continent. The Emperor did not dare to antagonize them and put himself in front of their swords.


    ¡°I think all of the fatigue that I felt while travelling here had gone away after seeing the heroes who had blocked the monster wave.¡±


    The Emperor looked at the soldiers as he said this.


    ¡°I believe everyone has aint about me.¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ eyes widened when they heard the Emperor¡¯s remarks. They were surprised by the Emperor¡¯s blunt and honest remark as he admitted that the Northeast was dissatisfied with him.


    ¡®Here we go again.¡¯


    However, Iron just looked annoyed. This was a pattern that he had already experienced before. After all, the Emperor¡¯s pattern was something that he had experienced countless times in his previous life.


    First, he would approach the dissatisfied army by bluntly and honestly expressing their feelings. Then, he would pacify and quell theirints by giving them hefty rewards. After that pattern, he would then proceed to select a few people and turn them into his henchman to be his spy from the inside.


    The Crown Prince resembled this image of the Emperor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you to forget yourints, I also have a conscience. But, I promise to give you a reward big enough to quell the resentment and dissatisfaction that you¡¯ve had.¡±


    The Emperor proceeded to promise enormous support to the Northeast as well as an increase inpensation for each troops. The eyes of the soldiers began to shake when they heard the specific amount.


    Meanwhile, the Godly Sword and the Lion Family Heads as well as the former Central Commander, Leopold, remained expressionless. After all, they were aware that the Emperor¡¯s rewards definitely contained poison. The same was true for themanders of the North and the Northeast. Even the high-ranking officers did not change their expressions. It seemed like they were already aware of this.


    ¡°Then, next would be the awards for those who have contributed and achieved great merit. First, the Northeast Commander¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Give it here. I will personally present this to our heroes.¡±


    Just like the Emperor said, he personally awarded themendations and medals to the officers from the highest to the lowest merit. Some of the soldiers reddened in excitement while some of the officers looked like they had also been moved by the Emperor¡¯s actions.


    No matter how much they cursed at the Emperor, it was still an honor to receive an award that was personally presented by the Emperor himself.


    True to his words, the Emperor personally handed the awards to everyone including the four new stars and the five masters. He took care of each person by himself. And finally, only Iron was left.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±


    The Emperor held Iron¡¯s hands tightly as soon as he stood on the stage.


    ¡°I really wanted to see the hero who saved the Northeast.¡±


    The Emperor saying that he really wanted to see Iron reminded him of the Crown Prince two years ago. The Crown Prince back then talked like a hypocrite who wore a mask of eagerness and amiability. His expression back then was the exact carbon copy of the Emperor¡¯s expression right now.


    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to present an award to a hero like you.¡±


    Iron just saluted instead of answering the Emperor¡¯s words.


    The Emperor¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he saw Iron saving his words. However, he was a skillful person so he immediately discarded his dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    The Emperor personally attached another clover on Iron¡¯s shoulder before adding a magic-engraved jewel on the medal hanging on his neck. The Emperor nodded lightly as he added the red jewel on Iron¡¯s Iron Cross Medal that already had two jewels embedded on it. Then, he congratted him once again before handing him hismendations and rewards.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity if it ends here.¡±


    After the awarding ceremony, the Emperor quickly grabbed Iron before he could evene down.


    The twomanders and the two family heads looked at the scene strangely. Iron also tilted his head in confusion. To be honest, Iron was in confusion because he thought that the notifications would ring like crazy once the awarding ceremony ended but it was strangely quiet.


    ¡°This is the Emperor¡¯s order to you, officer. As of now, you will be honored as Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter. In addition to the awards that I have personally given you during the awarding ceremony, I will bestow upon you a title of nobility. The same is true for the people who I have personally awarded. Whether you¡¯re originally a noble or not, you will be given the title of a bar. And I will personally give you more rewards.¡±


    Everyone was shocked upon hearing the Emperor¡¯s words. Everybody else, with the exception of the Godly Sword and the Lion Family Heads and themanders who did not have anywhere else to go up, looked envious upon hearing they would be receiving more rewards in addition to the awards that they had received during the awarding ceremony.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter, will you ept my sincerity?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for epting it.¡±


    ¡°I feel honored to receive Your Majesty¡¯s grace and favor.¡±


    The Emperor looked at Iron in satisfaction before speaking quietly.


    ¡°I will officially invite you and the other awardees to the Imperial Pce. There, I will personally bestow upon you the title of a nobility and give you enormous rewards.¡±


    The Emperor then turned to look at the soldiers.


    ¡°Northeastern Army! I will not forget you, either. I will fulfill my promise with you today as soon as I get back to the Imperial Pce. So wait. I will definitely make up for your sacrifice!¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaah!¡±


    The soldiers shouted loudly in response to the Emperor¡¯s promise.


    Just like the saying, no man would hate money. And at this moment, the Emperor, who they hated so much, looked like a Saint when he promised them great rewards andpensation. Everyone enthusiastically responded to the Emperor¡¯s promised reward after the awarding ceremony.


    And finally, the long-awaited notifications came.


    ¨D You have fulfilled an achievement on the main quest¡¯s level. As a reward, your title Winter Mountain¡¯s Hero will be changed to Northeast¡¯s Hero.


    ¨D This can¡¯t be entered as the main quest. However, your current achievements may be reflected once you have cleared the main quests in the future.


    ¨D The Northeast¡¯s Hero title will double the effect of your previous hero title.


    ¨D As a special privilege for finishing a main quest level achievement, you will be given a hint about where the next phantom species is currently slumbering.


    ¨D ¡ù Find a ghost ind with lightning raining all over the ce.


    Iron tilted his head in confusion when he received far less notifications than what he had expected. But this was more than enough. The hint for the next divine beast and the stronger title effect alone was enough topensate him for the hardships that he had experienced so far.


    Just when Iron was basking in satisfaction¡­


    ¨D The rewards for your performance in the Northeast are insufficient. Calcting additional rewards¡­


    ¨D The Northeast¡¯s Saint achievement has been upgraded to the Empire¡¯s Saint.


    ¨D The Empire¡¯s New Star effect will double the effect of the title once you have grown into a hero.


    ¨D Since you have already be a hero, the effect will be immediately reflected on your title effects.


    The Ghosts looked happily at Iron when they saw him smile at his unexpected rewards. Even Ariel, Cardro and his youngest brother, who was watching him from afar, also cheered him on.


    The awards ceremony ended with everyone congratting him.


    The scheduled destruction of the Northeast from the monster wave was blocked like that upon thepletion of the awards ceremony. However, those who had gathered in this ce did not disband.


    The Northeast, after the dimensional cracks had stabilized, had be thend of dreams. In addition, they could not move away because of the problems about thepensation that the Emperor had promised. After all, influential talents from each family had received awards directly from the Emperor. So, they all needed to wait for the Emperor¡¯s invitation together.


    And about two monthster, the Emperor finally sent an invitation from the Imperial Pce himself. It was a big event and everyone who received the invitation was excited as they waited for the day when they could finally go to the Imperial Pce.


    Unfortunately, the Emperor¡¯s nned event was bound to be buried soon. This was because a far greater event than the monster wave had descended upon them.


    A notification rang in Iron¡¯s ears as a blue window popped up in front of him. It was the signal that marked the start of this huge event.


    ¨D God Game has officially opened.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 76 - Officially Opened! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(76)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>24 </b>Officially Opened! (1)


    Bizarre urrences suddenly happened one after the other on the continent. The continent was already in chaos and confusion upon hearing the news about the dimensional crack and the monster wave in the Northeast.


    However, they expected the confusion to subside since the Northeast had ovee its crisis and the Emperor even personally went to visit them. In fact, the Emperor even nned an official party to announce the end of the Empire¡¯s crisis just to invite the heroes that the Empire had hailed as new stars, who fought and showed exceptional performances during the monster wave, to the capital.


    However, the Emperor¡¯s ambitious n copsed even before it began.


    ¡®The Divine Nation¡¯s saintess has received a divine revtion!¡¯


    A shocking news hit the capital. The saintess had received God¡¯s divine revtion after not answering them for a long time.


    The schrs were not pleased with this fact. They knew that a crisis always came after God had given his revtions. And the possibility of a crisis happening this time as well was extremely high.


    The impact of the saintess¡¯ deration was tremendous. It was as if, it wanted to prove the uracy of the schr¡¯s hypothesis and judgement.


    [ God has spoken.


    In the future, the continent will undergo great sufferings.


    Special beings wille to thisnd so the continent can withstand the sufferings.


    Their looks might be exoticpared to the natives, but they carry special abilities.


    Help them and save the continent together. ]


    The content of God¡¯s divine revtion spread quickly to all countries after the saintess had recited it.


    Not long after, people who spoke and dressed strangely appeared one after the other all over the continent.


    At first, the natives thought that they were just foreigners from another continent but they soon realized that it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°A person from another world has appeared!¡±


    ¡°Ho? Not another continent? They¡¯re really from another world?¡±


    ¡°How can this be¡­ Is God¡¯s revtion reallying true?¡±


    Confusion once again descended as the citizens raised amotion.


    Just like God had predicted, special people had started to appear one by one. This meant that they would definitely be experiencing sufferings in the near future.


    All kinds of religion including those who studied death and the afterlife appeared and predicted the destruction of the continent. Even the forces that were dissatisfied with the Empire began to rise one by one.


    Before the country could fall into chaos and sufferings, the Empire and the aristocrats started to move busily. Since the special people had appeared just like they had predicted, they tried to start recruiting them one by one. After all, the more other-worlders they recruited, the stronger their power would be.


    Those who had noticed this early on tried to entice them with sweet words. They wanted to use this opportunity to catch and tie down these people while believing that these other-worlders were still unaware and new to this world. However, contrary to their expectations, the other-worlders weren¡¯t that naive. They even knew this world surprisingly well. Because of this, the nobles and the opportunists failed to recruit them. Eventually, the other-worlders gathered together and united in a single front.


    With the capital fraught in confusion and chaos, the party that the Emperor wanted to hold was inevitably postponed. The Emperor was a great opportunist and he knew that the interest of the citizens of the Empire would pay little to no heed if he held the party now. After all, they were all enamored and focusing their attention on the other-worlders.


    The Northeasterners were, of course, disappointed. Since the party was postponed, the day when they were officially bestowed a noble title was also postponed.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    While many soldiers were filled with regret about the postponed party, Iron was troubled by something else.


    Ever since he returned to the past, he knew that the official opening woulde. However, he couldn¡¯t help but deeply worry. The events that were currently happening werepletely different from what he had initially expected to happen.


    ¡°Fusion¡­ what do you mean by fused together!¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he recalled the notification about the official opening a few days ago.


    ¨D With the game¡¯s official opening, Lee Junghoo-nim¡¯s original body and Jaiden Leonhardt¡¯s body will be fused together.


    When he first heard this notification, he thought that he had gone crazy for a moment to the point that he was hallucinating.


    But the notification that followedpletely dashed his hopes¡­


    ¨D Because you were thest survivor during the Beta Test, you will be able to receive a privilege. You can return to your original body once the main quest ispleted.


    ¨D Your original body and soul have fused together. Your suppressed talent for divine power has now increased to the maximum.


    ¨D Some of Lee Junghoo¡¯stent and slumbering talents have been awakened.


    The fusion of Iron¡¯s body and Lee Junghoo¡¯s body had destroyed thest insurance that his real body would survive in his real world. He believed that it wouldn¡¯t matter whether he died here or not since his body was still, in fact, existing out there.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t that much of a shock if his original body had died since he was in a car ident before he came here but the shock that this ¡®life¡¯ that he was living with this body had be his reality was still quite considerable.


    ¡°But I still managed to survive.¡±


    He was also amazed by the fact that his current body was now fused with his original body. This meant that his original body was still able to survive. When he realized that he was in an ident, he already resigned himself to his fate. He epted the fact that he would inevitably face his death.


    But my body still survived until now.


    ¡®A contract between God and me.¡¯


    This was the reason why he was still alive.


    He did not know if it was God¡¯s rewards or the perks of fusing his current and original body together, but the memory of the body, which his soul had escaped from, flowed in during the fusion process. Even though it was just a brief nce, he could see how time flew in his original world while he was busy rolling around in this ce.


    Two years.


    That was the time that passed by in his original world while he was rolling around and working hard for 10 years in this ce. The problem was that his original modern world had undergone tremendous transformations during those short two years.


    ¨D We are giving temporary rewards to Lee Junghoo-nim¡¯s body forpleting the Beta Test.


    This sentence did not make any sense when he first nced at it since he had already received his rewards


    However, he thought that there was a point in them giving him another set of rewards. The rewards that he had received were only from the God of the Auzria Continent. And the rewards that his body received were given by the Earth¡¯s God. If he thought about it this way, then it would definitely make sense.


    This hypothesis also made sense because of the other-worlders¡¯ performances.


    The other-worlders had their own abilities and considerable proficiency as soon as they moved to this world even before the official opening. But they came here with something new and they were learning quickly and shining brightly with their new abilities. This meant that the two Gods gave different rewards and abilities.


    However, this was all the information that he currently had. Since he was confined in the hospital for the entirety of those two years in his real world, he did not know how much had changed and how much their powers had blossomed after the beta test.


    To confirm their strength, he needed to meet these modern people that were now being called other-worlders. But this was dangerous. These modern people had entered the game with their original bodies but he hadpletely be Jaiden Leonhardt right now. He was sure that the other beta testers would find it difficult to identify him as one of the modern people.


    With such aplicated situation, it would be extremely difficult and dangerous for him to tell them about his current situation.


    ¡°Should I go to the capital?¡±


    The hottest ce for the other-worlders right now was the capital. He did not know the exact situation in that ce but they were inplete chaos and confusion. And since the power of the Imperial Family was bing unstable, the nobles and aristocrats had begun to form factions. The situation was already chaotic in and of itself but the other-worlders even appeared and joined the fray.


    ¡®These other-worlders, with their unique and innate abilities, appeared just in time.¡¯


    ¡®People armed with modern knowledge.¡¯


    ¡®And those who have participated in the beta test have additional information.¡¯


    Their knowledge and skills could be used to take advantage of the current situation. But the beta testers did note in droves. From the rumors that he had heard here in the Northeast, there were already enough people to exceed a 10,000-man army. But seeing that they still continued to appear one by one, he could tell that they would continue to appear and move in this ce. They also did note as a spirit or a parasite on another person¡¯s body, they came with their own original body. So of course, the people of the continent would see them as someone mysterious.


    ¡®What in the world happened¡­¡¯


    Iron tried to think and deduce about what happened but all he could do was frown. He couldn¡¯t find anything anymore because of the limited information that he had his hands on.


    ¡°Why are you so serious?¡±


    Iron continued to have this solemn expression on his face. And it seemed like Lintel couldn¡¯t bear to see him like that anymore as he approached him and asked.


    ¡°Is it because you can¡¯t go to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not.¡±


    Iron answered firmly while shaking his head when he heard Lintel¡¯s question.


    Lintel titled his head when he saw Iron answering him quickly and firmly. Seeing his reaction, Lintel knew that he was not feeling any regret that he wouldn¡¯t get a noble title. However, he couldn¡¯t understand why his expression was so solemn.


    ¡°Is it because of the saintess¡¯ revtion?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ That¡¯s right.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t entirely unrted since the saintess¡¯ revtion was also rted to the God Game.


    ¡°Other-worlders have appeared, right? I want to see them once too.¡±


    Lintel spoke about this as he thought about the other-worlders that appeared all over the continent.


    Strangely enough, no other-worlder appeared in the Northeast. They mainly appeared in the Empire¡¯s capital as well as other kingdom¡¯s capital and dangerous areas of the continent. However, the only exception was the Northeast.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they showing up here?¡±


    ¡°Beats me¡­¡±


    Iron answered vaguely when Lintel asked him.


    To be honest, Iron thought that there would at least be a few people that would appear here. After all, the monster wave was still ongoing and the dimensional crack was still not yet closed.


    ¡°Maybe this means that our biggest crisis is over?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Lintel tilted his head at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ the more they gather in a ce, the more likely it is to be a dangerous area.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That makes sense.¡±


    Lintel rubbed his chin in thought.


    It seemed like it truly could be seen that way. Just like what the saintess had said, the other-worlders came to this world to help the citizens of this continent. If that was the case, then it was more than natural for them to deploy more other-worlders in dangerous areas.


    ¡°But why do you look like you¡¯re tangled?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Your face looks like you have a mess in that head of yours.¡±


    Iron went silent upon hearing Lintel¡¯s words.


    ¡°When you have a lot of thoughts, it¡¯s best to move your body.¡±


    After saying this, Lintel forced Iron out of his room and brought him out to practice in the training area. Lintel aimed to demolish and make Iron fall but Iron had received his attacks on reflex.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a spar. We have never done something like this ever since you woke up.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ That seems to really be the case.¡±


    Perhaps it was because they thought that Iron¡¯s body had not recovered yet or maybe due to some other ovepping reasons, but they never sparred and fought against Iron after he woke up.


    ¡°Do everything you can. I don¡¯t care even if you used your divine beasts. I¡¯ll show you how much my body has grown while you were slumbering.¡±


    Lintel smiled broadly as he said so.


    Iron silently raised his mana when he saw Lintel moving. ck mana slowly gathered in Iron¡¯s sword.


    ¡°It still takes some time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Although he had already entered the 5th Stage, he was still categorized as someone who had not fully entered the stage because hecked enough skills.


    In his previous life, Iron had also forced his sword and mana to take on the me attribute but in the end, he couldn¡¯t take natural control of it. In terms of the state of his sword, he was already in a state that was beyond his previous life. He only needed some time to make it seamless.


    ¡°The divine beasts?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping.¡±


    Iron rubbed his chest while Lintel rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ So, you only have your sword?¡±


    Iron grinned when Lintel looked at him with disappointment.


    ¡°Just because my divine beasts are asleep does not mean that I can¡¯t use their powers.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Lintel looked at Iron curiously.


    ¡°Please be careful. You might lose to me if you make a mistake.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Iron increased his mana as he watched Lintel¡¯s proud and smug look. Seeing this, Lintel also increased his mana as he prepared to attack any time.


    Iron¡¯s eyes began to shine as soon as he confirmed that Lintel was ready.


    ¡°Huh? That¡­¡±


    A beam of light shed from Iron¡¯s eyes as soon as Lintel eximed in shock.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements, and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 77 - Officially Opened! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(77)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>24 </b>Officially Opened! (2)


    Thanks to his reflexes, Lintel was able to raise his sword in time to receive the two beams of light. However, despite being able to receive tha attack, he was still pushed back by the sheer force of the light.


    ¡°Keuk! What destructive power¡­¡±


    Lintel¡¯s hands trembled and shook. Iron took the opportunity to approach him and struck his sword.


    ng!


    Although Lintel¡¯s hands were still trembling, he was still able to block Iron¡¯s attack thanks to his extremely fast sword. However, the force in Iron¡¯s sword was far stronger than what he initially thought so he was pushed back despite being able to parry it well.


    Lintel was forced to discard his rxed and confident stance. He quickly pulled up his mana in earnest as he swung his sword towards Iron. His sword moved at a tremendous speed as if he wanted to show him the true essence of his sword.


    ¡°You can still parry this?¡±


    Lintel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when Iron sessfully parried his attack. Iron¡¯s defense even remained solid and steady.


    He knew that his sword was extremely fast. Even Carl Gustav had a difficult time blocking his sword if he gave it his all. So, Carl always limited Lintel¡¯s radius of action with his shockwaves to stop him from expressing his sword to its fullest capacity.


    However, Iron was able to easily block his sword without taking any precaution.


    ¡°You got something while being sealed?¡±


    He thought that Iron¡¯s swordsmanship skills would remain the same since he was stagnant for those two years but it did not seem to be the case at all. He wanted to go deeper in his thoughts but the current situation did not give him the leeway to do so.


    Beams of light once again shed from Iron¡¯s eyes. But this time, it did note out in a straight line. The beams of light followed his every move. He was just turning his head towards Lintel¡¯s direction but in Lintel¡¯s point of view, his gaze was something that could kill. He needed to avoid it if he did not want to die.


    ng! ng! ng!


    As if to prove that his jjambap was not gained in vain, Lintel dodged the beams of light as he let off one attack after another towards Iron. He was trying to force Iron to make a gap by attacking him in earnest. But Iron¡¯s defense was no joke.


    Strangely enough, the spar between Lintel and his extremely quick sword and Iron with his shining eyes took longer than what they had expected.


    ¡°Heok¡­ heok¡­ What¡¯s with you?¡±


    Lintel looked at Iron in exhaustion. Iron just smiled at him as he showed him the green light that shone on his body. Lintel looked appalled just by watching Iron recover his strength like a zombieing back to the surface.


    ¡°It¡¯s Baepsae¡¯s abilities.¡±


    ¡°Are you overflowing with mana?¡±


    Iron smiled when Lintel asked him incredulously.


    ¡°Divine power and mana are different.¡±


    Lintel copsed on the floor in exhaustion when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    In other words, his mana was his mana and his divine power was his divine power.


    ¡°Phew¡­ If you fight like this, then you¡¯ll eventually take the win.¡±


    Lintel looked at Iron as he spoke.


    He could see that Iron¡¯s swordsmanship skills were still a bitgging whenpared to him. He also knew that he could block those beams of lights, his divine beast¡¯s ability. But that was only if they were notbined together. Once they were used together in a fight, everything became tricky. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t win, it was just that he couldn¡¯t win right away. Because of that, their fight dragged on until it became a battle of stamina. And while he continued to get tired, Iron remained as energetic as ever. This was the factor that determined the oue of their fight.


    ¡°Except for the captain, everyone would have a hard time overpowering you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re weak.¡±


    Billie Brandt appeared behind them with a smirk gracing his lips. It was clear that he was mocking Lintel for losing. Billie Brandt rarely smiled, but whenever he smiled it was usually when Lintel lost. So, Iron, who was watching by the side, kept his mouth shut and his face straight.


    ¡°You already lost to our youngest? That¡¯s pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Do you think you¡¯ll win?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡±


    Billie Brandt confidently said so as he waited for Iron to fully recover.


    Receiving his eager and burdensome stare, Iron had no choice but to agree. He immediately gave up and agreed to spar with him as he quickly restored his mana and divine power.


    Hearing the news of this event, a crowd began to gather and flock around them. The Ghosts and even the Rangers, who got close to them, came to watch. Even Carl Gustav appeared and personally agreed to be the referee of their match.


    Carl Gustav turned to look sternly at Billie Brandt and Iron before raising his hand up.


    ¡°Start.¡±


    Billie Brandt moved as soon as Carl¡¯s hand went down.


    His mana, which waspressed to the limit, flew towards Iron in a huge disy of attack.


    Billie took advantage of Iron¡¯s weakness to the fullest. He knew that he couldn¡¯t convert his mana into steel mana as quickly as he wanted to yet so he used the opportunity to get a win.


    ¡°Boooo! You coward!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe such a guy is 2nd in rankings!¡±


    ¡°You y dirty!¡±


    Despite the rain of curses, Billie Brandt just continued to move and send his attacks.


    He was still not at the 6th Stage yet so he was still unable to attack at a high speed and reduce the process of converting andpressing his mana to his own attribute as of yet. However, he could still easily take advantage of Iron¡¯s weakness with his nimble attacks. He did not even give Iron any time to breathe as he continued toy his attacks one after the other.


    Despite being able to avoid Billie Brandt¡¯s attacks, Iron still couldn¡¯t gain enough time tounch his own attack. What was worse was the fact that Billie Brandt¡¯s attack could fly towards him at any time. Everyone could clearly see that Billie Brand would be taking an easy win this time.


    However, an unexpected attack suddenly flew in.


    Shiiiiing!


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it!¡±


    Lintelughed happily when he saw Billie Brandt getting hit by the beams of light that made him suffer from their spar earlier. He was feeling happy that Billie was also getting beaten the same way he got beaten earlier.


    And along with Lintel¡¯s shouts, the Ghosts, who were usually beaten by Billie Brandt, also shouted loudly.


    ¡°Beat him up well!¡±


    ¡°Keuhahaha! Look at him rolling around!¡±


    ¡°Kekeke! It feels nice to mock him for once.¡±


    Billie Brandt was flustered at the sudden unexpected attack. All he could do was roll all over the ground to avoid the consecutive attacks of the beams of light that came from Iron¡¯s eyes. And the Ghosts that watched this wereughing wholeheartedly.


    Before they knew it, Billie Brandt was already covered in dirt. Billie stood up while gritting his teeth in annoyance.


    Meanwhile, Iron flew in and directly attacked him with his steel mana sword. Just like what Billie Brandt did earlier, Iron was also pushing forward as hard as he could. He did not want to miss this gap and lose his chance of winning.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Billie Brandt parried Iron¡¯s attacks. He knew that Iron was trying to take advantage of his momentary fluster to close the gap and fight him at close quarters. So, he quickly jumped back and widened the distance between them.


    But, without missing a beat, another beam of light flew from Iron¡¯s eyes. Iron also supplemented this attack with his sword as he struck again and again to put pressure on Billie Brandt.


    In the end, it was Billie Brandt who got tired during their fight.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Billie Brandt¡¯s eyes widened when he saw that Iron was still fine and energetic despite constantly fighting against him.


    ¡°Fufufufu~ You look like you ate some shit after suffering?¡±


    Lintel teased Billie Brandt, but the other Ghosts couldn¡¯tugh at all. This was because they had realized that they could also be beaten like that after watching the fight between Iron and Billie Brandt.


    Despite Iron¡¯s inexperience, the rest of them knew that they would not be able to overpower someone who could easily reinforce and restore their mana and vitality. Once the fight dragged on, it would be them who would lose. There were even those deathly beams of light that flew out every once in a while.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Billie Brandt looked at Iron in exhaustion.


    If they were fighting with their lives on the line, he might have a chance of winning especially with his experience. After all, variables always happened during those desperate battles. However, he knew that winning against him during a spar was nigh impossible. In addition, as time flew by, he would get used to the 5th Stage and would make it even harder to win against him.


    ¡°Did you catch up already?¡±


    Billie Brandt had a bitter look on his face as he asked Iron.


    He thought that he would still have enough time left despite Iron reaching the 5th Stage already. They weren¡¯t in the same state so he thought that he still needed a lot of time to reach their levels but it seemed like it was not the case at all. Iron was strong even without his divine beasts.


    Billie Brandt finally admitted his defeat as he asked Iron for a handshake. After shaking hands with Billie, Iron felt shy after hearing hisrades¡¯ cheers and congrattions.


    ¡°By the way, what happened to your divine beasts?¡±


    Carl Gustav asked Iron curiously.


    ¡°Due to the seal¡¯s aftermath¡­ they¡¯re still asleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ But can you really use that much power even though they¡¯re asleep?¡±


    ¡°I think this was possible because I got closer with the divine beasts.¡±


    Carl Gustav nodded at Iron although he looked a bit regretful. He thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to have fun if the divine beasts weren¡¯t here if they fought. Of course, he knew that it was not possible for him to fight against Two Moons, let alone phoenix, but the stronger his opponents were the more his desire for a challenge was stimted.


    It was unknown whether the other Ghosts had the same intentions as Carl Gustav but they all looked disappointed too.


    ¡°Do you know when they¡¯ll wake up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. In phoenix¡¯s case, it took a long time to clean up the dimensional crack so it would take a long time for it to wake up. And for Two Moons, fighting against the witch and being sealed with me overspent its strength so I think it would still take a long time before it woke up¡­¡±


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Carl Gustav ced his hands on Iron¡¯s shoulder as if he was really disappointed.


    ¡°So, I have to undo this regret and relieve it with you.¡±


    ¡° ¡­Yes?¡±


    Carl Gustav smiled at Iron when he saw him staring at him nkly. It seemed like the boy did not realize his intentions.


    ¡°You fought pretty well earlier. But¡­ I don¡¯t think your swordsmanship skills are good enough¡­ So, from today onwards, I will personally watch you and train your swordsmanship skills.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ You don¡¯t have to do that¡­¡±


    ¡°I feel responsible as the head of the Ghosts. So, as soon as you recover your mana, you¡¯ll fight me.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened when he heard Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    I barely won against a full-pledged 5th Stage, but you want me to confront Carl Gustav himself?!


    This was like telling him to go and die by himself.


    And just like what he expected, Iron was beaten like crazy during his spar with Carl Gustav.


    There was a huge gap between the 6th Stage and the 5th Stage that could never be ovee by any power.


    Unlike those on the 5th Stage who still took time before they could fully use their abilities, the 6th Stage would have shockwaves at each and every swing of their sword. This was not something that he could easily cope against. In addition, he did not have enough time to recover his stamina and mana using his divine power due to the severity of the attacks.


    Carl Gustav smiled as he beat Iron here and there for the first time. He couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly as the boy endured with his steel mana and persistently stood up using his mana and stamina recovery ability.


    Because of this, the people watching in the surroundings cheered for Iron. They shouted loudly as if they were having fun watching this unteral beating. They kept on shouting, hoping that he could hang in there longer just so he could get beaten longer too.


    ¡°Iron! Are you only at this level?¡±


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s only been 30 minutes.¡±


    ¡°You should endure it a bit more! Shouldn¡¯t you at least let the captain eat one attack from your mana sword?¡±


    With the Ghosts¡¯ support, the hell-like beating under the guise of a spar ended after his body was stretched to its limit. They only stopped an hour after since Iron¡¯s body was already spent and exhausted.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve warmed up this well.¡±


    Carl Gustav looked at Iron in satisfaction.


    ¡°From now on, I will take responsibility for you and guide you well.¡±


    Iron did not know whether he was satisfied that he worked his hands after a long time but he only disappeared after giving Iron a gaze full of desire to guide him.


    The Ghosts gathered tofort Iron after hearing that he was scheduled to undergo a hellish spar with Carl Gustav every day. Of course, Iron just red at the Ghosts. After all, they were smiling andughing while he was being beaten like a dog.


    The next day, during their first day of spar. Carl Gustav took his time to train and coach Iron. Iron thought that it was just empty words but he really did take the time to guide him well.


    Carl¡¯s training routine was simple. He pushed him hard in order to make Iron focus deeply and convert his mana faster into his steel mana. It was just that Carl kept on saying that it was guidance but Iron was in fact just getting beaten like some sort of punching bag.


    However, it was not without merits. The more he got beaten, the faster his mana conversion progressed. And his body started to react naturally. His mana did not fit well before but he could now instinctively convert it. His mana efficiency and management also progressed and elerated.


    In order for him to cope and withstand Carl Gustav¡¯s insane shock waves, his body in and of itself adjusted and adapted from his mana, to his physical body down to his swordsmanship skills. All of them began to develop one by one. And the more Iron got used to this feeling the quicker his strength increased. However, it was still hard for him to endure the pain of getting beaten up everyday.


    One day, he couldn¡¯t endure it and asked Carl Gustav when his suffering would end. Carl said that they would only part ways once he rose to the average level. Iron felt desperate when he heard those words. He felt like he would be in trouble for a few months at the least.


    Perhaps God felt sorry for Iron?


    An incident suddenly urred that stopped Carl Gustav¡¯s insane guidance.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Lintel asked Carl after he and the other Ghosts were called in from their own training. Hearing Lintel¡¯s question, Carl spoke with a solemn look.


    ¡°A dimensional crack has opened¡­ in the Center.¡±


    ***


    <b>TRICK OR TREAT!!!</b>


    Bnce the chemical equation below and I will unlock one more chapter for this week.


    KNO3 + C12H22O11 ? N2 + CO2 + H2O + K2CO3


    Send your answers in #the-dukes-eldest-son-escaped-to-the-military-channel in our discord server. Only answers sent there will be counted.


    I will post another chapter once 10 people get the correct answer!


    P.S. only one chapter, since I don¡¯t have a stockpile. Kek. I might also do a random quiz every now and then for an extra chapter. ¡î ¡«(¡®¨Œ^ÈË)


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 78 - Officially Opened! (3)

    <strong>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </strong>(78)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <strong>24 </strong>Officially Opened! (3)


    The Ghosts¡¯ expressions hardened when they heard Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    They couldn¡¯t believe his words. After all, there was nothing in the newspaper or the other information media that talked about this topic. If this was true, then the headlines were not enough to discuss this catastrophic event. However, strangely enough, everything had been quiet.


    Carl Gustav sighed as he spoke amidst the strange expression of the Ghosts.


    ¡°Hooo¡­ This fact is something that is yet to be known outside.¡±


    Their brows furrowed at Carl¡¯s exnation.


    This meant that the government was firmly controlling the fact that a dimensional crack had opened in the Center. In other words, they were hiding the fact that the Empire¡¯s Center was not safe and that they were in full chaos.


    What would happen if the Center was in danger while dimensional cracks were still opened in the Northeast? The only conclusion that the masses would make was that the entire Empire was in danger.


    ¡°Is there only one dimensional crack?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. There are three ces that have been discovered to have dimensional cracks.¡±


    Carl had a troubled look on his face while he answered Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°What¡¯s the size?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, they aren¡¯t as big as the ones in the Northeast. Furthermore, we believe that the dimensional cracks are still not yetpletely open.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that they are iplete?¡±


    Lintel tilted his head in confusion when he heard Carl¡¯s answer.


    ¡°No. We don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case either.¡±


    Everyone now had their heads tilted in thought as they listened to Carl¡¯s answer.


    If it¡¯s not iplete, then howe it¡¯s notpletely opened?


    While everyone was busy staring at Carl in doubt, Iron looked like he had already guessed something. It was something that he had also seen in his previous life.


    ¡°Are they temporarily opened?¡±


    Carl nodded his head when he heard Iron¡¯s mumbles.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The wizards said that the dimensional cracks staying for a long time was a highly unlikely possibility. However, even though it was temporary, the size of the crack was still quiterge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even possible?¡±


    Lintel asked. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t understand how such a thing was possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Lintel¡¯s expression was strange as he continued to ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible to open up a temporary crack if you forcibly tear up the space with an enormous force.¡±


    If the objective was just creating a dimensional crack and not connecting the dimensions, then it was more than possible to tear up the space with an enormous force. Using force and without any medium could only allow them to maintain a temporary dimensional crack.


    The problem was how they got the enormous power to tear up the space like that.


    ¡°Where did they even get that enormous power? Even grandmasters could only split the space for a split second before reaching their limits, right?¡±


    In reality, creating a dimensional crack alone was a feat that was next to impossible. Take the witch as an example. She had taken a long time to open a dimensional crack and that was with the help of a medium and at the expense of her entire being. If there were no divine beasts to use for a medium, they would usually use mana cores. But despite the use of mana cores in the creation of the cracks in the Frost Mountain Ranges and the Historical Great Rift, the sizes of the created dimensional cracks still paled inparison to the cracks in the Winter Mountains and the ck Forest. This just showed that it was extremely difficult to open and maintain dimensional cracks.


    Most of them would give up since it was extremely difficult to open it let alone maintain it. After all, there was a reason why there were so many evil forces that did not even toyed with the idea of opening a dimensional crack despite existing for a long period of time.


    ¡°If you pay the price, it¡¯s possible to temporarily tear up the space.¡±


    ¡°Pay a price? To whom?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible if it¡¯s with a divine being.¡±


    Iron¡¯s face turned solemn as he spoke.


    If the God Game was a game between gods. Then, other beings would have definitelye over to this continent. It was only natural that they would pay a price to the gods if they wanted to open a dimensional crack.


    Just like Lintel had said, it was impossible for a grandmaster to even open up a dimensional crack perfectly. So, Iron had no choice but to believe that a god had intervened. However, the other Ghosts did not know about that fact so Iron only mentioned about a divine being.


    ¡°It would be difficult to maintain for a long time since there¡¯s no medium. However, it¡¯s possible to temporarily tear up the space. And since it only gradually decreases the more you widen it, they would be able to maintain it for some time.¡±


    Carl nodded his head as if Iron¡¯s expression fit what he had been told.


    ¡°The wizards also said the same thing. However, there wasn¡¯t any divine being in their exnations. They just said that it was most likely to be someone in the demon king¡¯s level or a transcendent of an extremely high level.¡±


    Carl looked at Iron as he spoke. He could see that Iron had an expression that he was certain. Iron sighed when he saw Carl looking at him suspiciously.


    ¡°I heard it from the witch.¡±


    ¡°The witch? Is she still alive?¡±


    Iron shook his head at Carl¡¯s surprised reaction.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    Iron and the Ghosts had witnessed her death.


    Her body and soul disappeared and became powder after she used all of her strength to open that dimensional crack, right?


    ¡°Well¡­ She told me before she died. She said that she was feeling a bit fickle.¡±


    ¡°Fickle¡­ When?¡±


    ¡°While fighting with Owl and the Commander. But we talked only with our consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Talk?¡±


    The Ghosts were surprised to hear Iron¡¯s words. Once again, they realized how strong the witch was for her to be able to afford to talk while fighting against a master and Two Moons.


    ¡°She was curious about the person who signed a contract with the divine beast. So she told me this and that in exchange for asking me this and that.¡±


    ¡°A witch is a witch, huh?¡±


    Even asking for something trivial required a price that they needed to pay. Iron thought that they were one of the ancient beings that were most sensitive and obsessed with contracts.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°No. There were a few more.¡±


    Iron looked at Carl.


    ¡°She also informed me that there wouldn¡¯t be any dimensional cracks in the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°ording to the decision of the force that the witch was allied to, they believe that they would unlikely be able to seed in the Northeast. And even if they did seed, they thought that the chaos in here might not be enough to bring confusion to the entire continent.¡±


    Carl nodded heavily upon hearing Iron¡¯s words. It exined why there were no dark elves or other forces that appeared after the witch¡¯s death. Despite searching for two years, they weren¡¯t able to find any suspicious force in the Northeast.


    ¡°Then, did they go to the Center?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s probably the case.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Iron hesitated a bit before opening his mouth when Carl asked him if there were more.


    ¡°ording to what she said, there was a high possibility that the situation right now is due to the fight of the transcendentals.¡±


    ¡°A fight between transcendentals?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To be honest, I also couldn¡¯t believe it when I heard it from her back then¡­¡±


    With the current situation, Iron thought that there was enough grounds for him to talk about this matter. Although it was something that he was certain of, it was still a topic that the others wouldn¡¯t believe so easily. However, the situation right now could make them fully understand the severity of his words.


    ¡®God¡¯s revtion through the saintess.¡¯


    ¡®The appearance of the other-worlders.¡¯


    ¡®The appearance of dangerous beings like dark elves.¡¯


    ¡®Plenty of dimensional cracks.¡¯


    All of these things appeared so suddenly.


    ¡°Perhaps there would be more dimensional cracks appearing in ces where more other-worlders are gathering right now.¡±


    ¡°Did they summon the other-worlders to the most dangerous areas?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think.¡±


    The Center was the ce where most of the other-worlders had gathered in the continent. Then, dimensional cracks appeared there. If dimensional cracks appeared in the ces where many other-worlders had gathered, then Iron¡¯s hypothesis would be proven correct.


    ¡°God¡­¡±


    Carl Gustav felt an oing headache after thinking about the transcendental beings.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Just thinking about it is giving me a headache. Well¡­ Let the gods tell the other gods that they can do whatever they want. Let¡¯s just do what we have to do.¡±


    Carl Gustav said this as he handed a piece of paper to Iron.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a request from the Center. They wanted to take you away.¡±


    ¡°Is it a transfer order?¡±


    Iron asked as he looked at the paper. But it wasn¡¯t an order. It was just the Imperial Family¡¯s invitation to Iron.


    ¡°The Commander is strongly against this. Because of that, the Imperial Family wants to get you more.¡±


    Carl looked at Iron as he said so. His eyes were clearly and desperately telling Iron ¡®Please refuse!¡¯. The other Ghosts also had the same expressions on their faces. Iron smiled bitterly at their threats(?) as he opened his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a formal order so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a reason for me to go.¡±


    The Ghosts nodded their heads strongly at Iron¡¯s answer. Even Carl Gustav nodded as he answered him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is not even an official order. However, you can¡¯t be careless just because of this.¡±


    Then, Carl carefully took out another piece of paper.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Iron looked at Carl Gustav strangely. Seeing his look, Carl could only cough to reduce his embarrassment.


    ¡°That¡¯s a request from the East. They have been suspecting the existence of a dimensional crack in a certain ce. They have also officially sent a request for support to the North.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ But I think this is for an individual?¡±


    Iron looked at the request letter silently before asking this. Carl coughed once again before continuing his words.


    ¡°The Eastern Command said that the ce they wanted to investigate is a ce where a divine beast is located.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re asking if we can personally send you there.¡±


    Iron shut his mouth tightly when he heard that the request was only for him and not for all of the Ghosts. He felt that he had suddenly be popr both in the Center and the East.


    ¡®Was I this popr?¡¯


    Carl Gustav carefully asked Iron who was drunk on his own poprity.


    ¡°Will you be going?¡±


    Iron shook his head and tried to refuse but stopped.


    ¡°Ghost Ind?¡±


    This was the name of the ce that he needed to investigate as per written on the request.


    [ Voghren¡¯s Ghost Ind ]


    Although it was only the name of the ce that was written on the request letter, he felt something unusual. He felt as if he had to go there.


    Then, he asked Carl Gustav.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ Is this a ce where storms and lightning always strikes?¡±


    Carl Gustav¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°How did you know? I heard that the operation period is extremely short because of that. If you did not finish the operation within the set time frame, you don¡¯t need to finish it and just have toe back. But if you miss that time frame, you may be forced to live there for a while.¡±


    Iron looked at the letter once again after hearing Carl Gustav¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ghost Ind¡­¡±


    He looked at the request letter for a long time before speaking to Carl once again.


    ¡°I think I have to go here.¡±


    Carl remained silent for a moment after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even want to go to the Center¡­ Do you really have to go to the East?¡±


    Iron nodded at Carl¡¯s question.


    ¡°If divine beasts are involved¡­ then, I could be of some help.¡±


    Carl sighed at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Even if you go there, you won¡¯t be able to take the lead.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that.


    ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a divine beast contractor there.¡±


    ¡°There is?¡±


    Iron tilted his head at Carl¡¯s strange exnation.


    ¡°They¡¯re an other-worlder.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    It seemed like an other-worlder had received an ability rted to the divine beasts.


    The Ghost Ind was rted to the divine beast and there was an other-worlder who was a divine beast contractor. Because of these two things, Iron¡¯s decision tilted more towards the East.


    Seeing Iron¡¯s wavering heart, Carl Gustav hurriedly and anxiously spoke.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not only you. They will continue to gather divine beast contractors and spiritualists. Even if you go¡­ it would be hard to take the initiative in doing something.¡±


    Iron went silent upon Carl Gustav¡¯s words. He contemted for a moment and made a decision before opening his mouth.


    ¡°Still, I have to go.¡±


    Carl Gustav closed his eyes upon hearing Iron¡¯s decision.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t need to work hard at all?¡±


    ¡°Even if you go there, there will be many talented individuals who can solve the problem in Ghost Ind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a ce where they secretly discriminate against outsiders.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re in a hurry, shouldn¡¯t they ask for official support from Ghost instead?¡±


    Carl Gustav and the other Ghosts hurriedly tried to persuade Iron to change his decisions.


    He was a divine beast contractor and a key figure in the Northeast. He even had an extraordinary head on his shoulders. So it was clear to them that if he ever tried to get out, themander would definitely grab the back of their heads for letting him go out.


    However, Iron just looked at them apologetically. It seemed like he had already made up his mind.


    In the end, Carl Gustav failed to persuade him. All he could do was sigh deeply. Because he couldn¡¯t persuade him, he could see his bleak future once he went to the Commander¡¯s office.


    Iron felt sorry seeing Carl¡¯s appearance. However, this was a matter that he couldn¡¯t yield to.


    ¡®The next divine beast¡­¡¯


    The Ghost Ind was a ce where the divine beast, who might possibly be his next divine beast, was sleeping.


    He wondered what kind of existencey slumbering in that ce.


    ***


    <strong>TRICK OR TREAT!</strong>


    So, the answer is:


    <strong>48</strong>KNO3 + <strong>5</strong>C12H22O11 ? <strong>24</strong>N2 + <strong>36</strong>CO2 + <strong>55</strong>H2O + <strong>24</strong>K2CO3


    Let¡¯s all thank the following people for giving you this free chapter


    <strong>Discord: </strong>Tein, SalviChan, LhynxLoL, wolf_knight1571, Lanlo, funny cat gaming, Formam Pigritia, Kig Steelhart


    <strong>Disqus: </strong>ruamporn mueninkul, Chandra Andrean


    Idk when the next quiz for a new chap would be, but do expect it to pop out any day. The subject¡­ hmmm¡­ we¡¯ll see. But next time, I will only ept the discord answers. Hehe.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 79 - To The East! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(79)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>25 </b>To the East! (1)


    Carl Gustav immediately set out to go to the Commander¡¯s office to report about Iron¡¯s decision to ept the East¡¯s request to investigate Ghost Ind. He thought that it would be better if he reported this early so they would have less chances of robbing them of an important figure. And also to receive lessershings from the curses of themander. However, Carl Gustav thought wrong.


    ¡°Captain¡­ are you alright?¡±


    Iron looked apologetic as he asked Carl Gustav. But Carl did not answer him. He just nodded at Iron with a haggard look on his face.


    ¡°Because of me¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Carl Gustav forced a smile as he handed the documents to him.


    ¡°This is the order to temporarily assign you to the East.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Then, will my status as a Ghost disappear too?¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re TEM. PO. RA. RI. LY. assigned to the East so you will maintain your original status as a Ghost.¡±


    Carl Gustav emphasized the word temporarily as he asked him to never forget that he was a Ghost even after going to the East.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Gustav nodded when he saw Iron smiling as he answered him.


    ¡°Good. There will be more exnationster. But once you arrive in the East, you will be a member of the direct investigation team under the Eastern Command.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s part of the team?¡±


    ¡°You will be moving with the East¡¯s strongest Knight Order, the Wave Knights, and their strongest fleet, the Blue Whale.¡±


    Carl Gustav told Iron the members of the team roughly.


    ¡°I mentioned this earlier, but there will be one other-worlder divine beast contractor and three spiritualists. There¡¯s also a new star from the East in the group.¡±


    ¡°The East¡¯s new star?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There will probably be a lot of people who want topare with you.¡±


    Iron looked at Carl as if he couldn¡¯t understand his words.


    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡±


    ¡°I think the Northeast must have overexaggerated your packaging.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°If they undermine you then they can naturally bring down the other new stars from the North. So, it¡¯s like hitting two birds with one stone, you know?¡±


    Iron looked at Carl Gustav incredulously. A sigh came out from the military¡¯s political moves. He had already seen enough political forces carrying trashes around while the Northeast was being devastated back in his previous life so this was something that he really did not want to deal with again.


    ¡°It¡¯s already giving me a headache.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I told you not to go.¡±


    Carl Gustav sighed as he spoke.


    However, the rewards were too great for him to give up on this. Although he was yet to deal with phoenix¡¯s power properly, he still wanted to sign a contract with a new divine beast. After all, he would be able to gain greater strength just by signing a contract with a divine beast. In addition, the next divine beast was most likely to be a fairly rare species. He was quite sure on this matter since he saw that notification when he signed a contract with Baepsae.


    ¨D <b>Number of Possible Remaining Contracts</b>: Rare (1) ¨D Legendary (2) ¨D Mythical (1)


    Those were the remaining contracts that he could sign after signing a contract with Baepsae. Assuming that Two Moons was a rare species, and phoenix was a phantom species of the legends, the next one that he would contract would definitely be at least at the legendary level. Perhaps it was a phantom species or something at the same level.


    So Iron couldn¡¯t give up no matter what. And since dimensional cracks where divine beasts were involved tended to grow in size, it was just correct for him to go to them and give them some help.


    Right now, the Northeast and the North were both doing well so he did not have to worry about them for the time being.


    ¡®If I die here then it¡¯s over.¡¯


    Since his body had fused together, it would be the end once he died. So, he had to consider this world as his own world and move as if his life depended on it. Iron¡¯s will was firm.


    He quietly listened to Carl Gustav¡¯s exnation as he continuously reminded him about the things he needed to pay attention to. They were things that he already knew, but he still listened intently as if he never heard them before.


    The East had three main characteristics:


    <b>1 </b>Their trade routes are the most active in the entire Empire.


    <b>2</b> They hold the strongest fleet in the entire Empire.


    <b>3</b> They house thergest Magic Tools Workshop in the entire Empire.


    These were the three main things that they were proud of. This was especially true for the Magic Tools Workshops. It was said that they could even rival the Wizard Towers from the South with how amazing their workshops were.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ You¡¯ll hear more from the East.¡±


    Carl looked tired after briefly exining the main characteristics of the East.


    Iron quickly sent off Carl Gustav. He knew that he had been rubbed cleanly by themander so he sent him off to rest. He also took this time to prepare to leave for the East. He simply packed his luggage as he collected the activity allowance that he needed to go to the East.


    ¡°To the East¡­¡±


    It was a ce that he longed for in his previous life. This ce had a lot of things including trade routes, fleets and even the Merchant Association. However, there was one thing that Iron coveted.


    ¡®Magic Tools Workshop.¡¯


    In his previous life, he dreamt of setting up a Magic Tools Workshop in the North and making the Northpletely independent. But he eventually failed.


    However, it was still clearly something that he coveted. So, he thought that it wouldn¡¯t be bad if he went there and took a look.


    ¡°Magic Tools Workshops¡­ is it about time for the people of the modern world to be active in this aspect?¡±


    After considering the great synergy that would arise from thebination of modern day technology and magic tool engineering, he thought that he somehow had to bring them to the North.


    The financial power to rival the Merchant Association, the group of the best merchants in the Empire, one of the East¡¯s main characteristics. The ease of supply and demand materials due to enormous trades. The workshop line that had long been established.


    Bringing in the Magic Tools Workshop to the North would easily give them the power to ovee those problems.


    In the past, there were only monsters in the North. They had a huge amount of monster corpses and mana stones. However, just having these two alone would not give them a chance at independence.


    ¡®Dimensional crack¡¯¨D¡¯Mana core¡¯.


    The branch of the Wizard Tower was already being built thanks to the schr¡¯s quest for knowledge being stimted by the dimensional crack. There was also a high-possibility that they would be able to build a North-only Wizard Tower once they enticed some high-ranking wizards. Since that was done and they have now secured the core of the escaping monsters, they have now been drooling to make contact and establish a connection with the Magic Tools Workshop.


    Neither the dimensional cracks nor the mana cores were free of charge. It costs a huge amount of money for anyone to study and use it to their heart¡¯s content. And all of that money was scheduled to enter the Northeast Command. Even the North was scheduled to receive a certain amount as a benefit.


    And with that money, it was highly likely that they would use that to build numerous workshops with the focus on Magic Tools Workshops and Wizard Towers. After all, there were still a lot of monsters which meant that there would be a lot of mana stones that needed to be processed. And those who wanted to make use of the void insects and other rare species were most likely going to enter the Northeast.


    What would happen if the North and the East are connected?


    ¡®The Center will sink right down to the abyss.¡¯


    Just creating a connection between the North and the East would bring about a great synergy. And the synergy would be so fierce that the benefits that would be created would go beyond the initial benefits that he had thought of once they connected the East, the North and the West before. This was what Iron had nned in the beginning but the possible benefits of this connection were going to be extreme.


    Why?


    Back then, he did not think that it was possible to ovee the dimensional cracks to this extent. He also did not know that they would be able to acquire two mana cores in the Northeast. That was the reason why they would be able to make more than enough progress than what Iron had initially expected. In fact, it did not even matter if the North and the East did not connect. They would still gain a lot of benefits.


    However, he thought that creating a new trade route by connecting the East to the West via the North with the help of Leonhardt¡¯s support, would be possible in this situation. Once that happened, the Center would no longer be able to drag the North down. And they were also busy protecting their own turf so Iron thought that they couldn¡¯t afford to pay any attention to their movements.


    ¡°I wish I had some free time though¡­¡±


    There were those who were dissatisfied with the current system in the East. If that was the case, then there would be people who wanted to start anew in a new ce.


    Iron briefly summarized what he wanted to do in the East.


    ¡®I want to approach them.¡¯


    After finishing all of his preparations, the day when Iron would go to the East had finallye.


    ¡°Hurry up ande back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing good about living far away for quite a long time.¡±


    Billie Brandt and Lintel saw Iron off while urging him toe back quickly. Iron smiled and nodded at them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t get ignored and be pushed back for no reason at all. Got it? Us Ghosts are people who can¡¯t be ignored wherever we go.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron nodded his head at Lintel¡¯s final request before climbing on top of the warp gate.


    Thanks to the support that the Center reluctantly gave them, it was now possible for them to maintain a huge warp gate. Iron climbed on top of the warp gate as he and the merchants and several other officers headed for the East were surrounded by a bright light.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    Iron heard someone calling his name as he looked at the East¡¯s unique architecture after the bright lights had disappeared.


    The man tilted his head asking ¡®Is he not the one?¡¯ when Iron turned his head away. The man had pinpointed him since he was the person who looked the youngest from the group of people that arrived.


    ¡°Who are you¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I was right. I¡¯m Captain Mateo, I will be your temporary guide here in the East.¡±


    Iron looked at Mateo. There wasn¡¯t that much age difference between them. Iron thought that it was a bit unusual when he saw Mateo, who looked like he was only two or three years older than him, already being a captain.


    He was lucky enough to gain enough merits in the unusually harsh environment of the Northeast and got promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. But in general, the fastest course to promotion was gaining merits step by step. And this was a process that seemed to be easily and quickly done by Captain Mateo.


    ¡°I¡¯ll guide you to Eastern Command.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Iron walked to Mateo¡¯s side while thanking him as they moved forward.


    The smell of the sea immediately wafted through his nose as soon as he arrived. Worthy of a Command that was built near the sea.


    ¡°Is this your first time going to the sea?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    He had seen the sea in his original world but in his previous or present life here, this was his first time. He had never been out of the Northeast let alone go to sea. After all, he had been stuck in the Northeast to study before and he had also been sealed there just recently. This was in fact his first trip out of the confines of the North.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±


    Iron looked at the sea as he passed by the bridge that connected the warp gate and Command.


    There were numerous ships anchored on the dock while geese flew in the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful when it¡¯s peaceful.¡±


    Mateo also spoke up to acknowledge the beauty of the currentndscape in front of them. Despite seeing the sea every day of his life, Mateo still somewhat found beauty in the scenery that the sea offered. It was so beautiful that he fell in love with it. However, the Eastern Command was not a ce where they could afford to be sentimental.


    ¡°Are there a lot of pirates?¡±


    Mateo smiled bitterly at Iron¡¯s question.


    If one thought about the East, they would naturally think of merchants, workshops and numerous ships. However, there was also one more thing that the East was known for. And it was none other than the notorious pirates.


    There were as many pirates as there were merchant ships that flocked to Eastern Command. Because of that, a warship was always at a ready to be deployed to prevent the pirate ships from harassing the merchant vessels.


    It was only natural for pirates to make a lot of money if they could do things properly. Rather than targeting those small merchant ships dozens or hundreds of times, they would often just take a risk with their lives on the line to take a gander against those big merchant ships.


    Of course, the navy strictly guarded the trade route to protect these merchant ships. But no matter how powerful their fleets were, it was impossible for them to cover the entirety of the wide seas.


    As a result, Command was always busy.


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re already at our limits.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°If a dimensional crack appeared in this situation¡­ the East might not be able to bear it.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at Mateo¡¯s bitter smile.


    Soldiers would be rolled around and ground everywhere. This was the truth of the military.


    ¡°You¡¯re working so hard.¡±


    ¡°I have said useless things in front of someone from the Northeast. Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°Not at all. There¡¯s no ce in the military that¡¯s not difficult. Am I right?¡±


    Ironforted Mateo who looked haggard.


    Mateo smiled awkwardly at Iron as they headed to Command while continuing their small chat. Once they arrived at Command, there were a lot of young men that looked at him. It seemed like they were wondering if he was thest of the people to arrive.


    In such a strange atmosphere, the Eastern Commander stepped forward and greeted Iron.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Richard Burton, themander in charge of the East.¡±


    Iron tried to smile at him after Richard Burton greeted him happily.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter, the ¡®11th Sword¡¯ under the Ghost, a unit directly under the Northeast Command.¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s eyes widened slightly upon hearing Iron Carter¡¯s introduction.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements, and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 80 - To The East! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(80)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>25 </b>To the East! (2)


    Richard Burton couldn¡¯t help but smile at Iron¡¯s introduction.


    ¡°Oh! The 11th Sword¡­ Are you going to introduce yourself properly from now on?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±


    Iron looked at Richard Burton as if he couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. Richardughed.


    ¡°That gentleman, he still hasn¡¯t fixed his personality yet.¡±


    Richard Burton looked at Iron as he spoke.


    ¡°Commander Crimson always does this. He never skipped that part. He was worried that I would always forgot about where you belonged.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Iron looked at the Eastern Commander in confusion. Richard smiled when he saw Iron¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Everytime we saw each other, he would never skip the affiliation whenever he mentioned the ¡®11th Sword¡¯. This always happened without fail. I even doubted if he would ever let you leave the Northeast or the Ghost.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°The Center has been aiming for you recently, right? I guess that¡¯s why he¡¯s been anxious.¡±


    Just like Richard Burton had said, it seemed like Crimson¡¯s anxiety had risen because of that. But because he was temporarily moving to the East, Crimson¡¯s anxiety had once again risen. For some reason, he heard that there had been an increase in the amount of curses that he heaped on the Central Military in recent years. In addition, Carl Gustav had strangely listed out the things that he wouldn¡¯t normally say just to grab on to Iron. He even mobilized the Ghosts to pester him about the benefits of staying in the Northeast every day.


    ¡°Because of you, I received a lot of curses as soon as I personally asked for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be sorry.¡±


    Richard Burton turned his head as he continued to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to the others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Daniel Cevaior of the Eastern Command.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m An Reishor. I¡¯m a member of the Southern Wizard Tower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Peter Marvio from the Central Wizard Tower.¡±


    All of them were around 20 years old and were still quite young.


    ¡°Although they¡¯re not as strong as you, these friends are still quite well-known. They¡¯re all at the beggining of the 4th Stage or higher so they will be able to help.¡±


    They were the new up anding stars that were around the age of 19 and 20 years old. And all of these aces at the 4th Stage looked at Iron with vignce.


    Themander did not even block their force and momentum. He even stepped back as if he found the situation to be fun.


    Then, themander sighed lightly as he turned to his deputymander.


    ¡°Is he not here yet?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Richard Burton sighed after hearing his deputy¡¯s answer.


    ¡°In fact, the reason why I asked for you despite knowing that the Northeast would criticize and curse me was because¡­ of the divine beast contractor that appeared in the East.¡±


    ¡°I heard that they¡¯re an other-worlder.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, the other youngsters turned to look at themander. Their eyes were filled with curiosity and wonder. It seemed like they wanted to see an other-worlder divine beast contractor.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    The Eastern Commander looked troubled by their stares.


    ¡°Is there a problem with the other-worlder?¡±


    Richard Burton nodded his head in answer to Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°They¡¯re quite arrogant.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that they¡¯re arrogant?¡±


    The word arrogant was not something that would easilye out from the mouth of the Eastern Commander, a person at the core of the Imperial Military. After all, it was normal to at least crawl in front of themander when they appeared in front of them.


    However, based on themander¡¯s expression, it seemed like the other-worlder acted rudely in front of him.


    ¡°Reporting to the Commander, the other-worlder Kin Jwongtae has entered themand.¡±


    Iron frowned when he heard the deputy¡¯s report. It was not because his pronunciation was bad but it was because he felt suspicious about the name.


    ¡®Kim Jungtae? No way¡­ that psychotic bastard?¡¯


    Even before the beta testers had identified themselves back in their previous lives, there were a few idiots who willingly divulged their identities to the world. And one of them was none other than Kim Jungtae.


    One of the monikers given to him was ¡®Water Crazy Bastard¡¯. He crazily wanted to see and learn any abilities rted to water. He was a nutjob who did not care if he would dive into shit as long as he could learn about those abilities. He was also considered as one of the top five beta testers in the whole world. He did not know if he did have the ability but he was a man who was good with his head so there were quite a few people who followed him.


    ¡®No way, right¡­¡¯


    Iron waited while thinking that he must have heard of it wrong.


    Not long after, a man appeared after the door to themander¡¯s office opened.


    ¡°I was right.¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself quietly. Although this was the first time that he had seen his appearance in the original world. So, Iron still couldn¡¯t be sure right away.


    The man that entered was deliberately revealing the image of his divine beast while letting water droplets spin around his body. He was showing off that he had learned magic.


    ¡®Divine beasts and spirits? How the hell?¡¯


    The nutjob had a fish that seemed to be his divine beast with a small water spirit floating around at the same time.


    Iron had never heard of any divine beast contractor having a deal with spirits.


    The appearance of this man who was letting out his water magic was strangely fascinating. The only problem was that he continued to maintain that despite being in themander¡¯s office. He used the excuse that they should always be together to increase their affinity but Iron wondered what in the hell did he really want to achieve with what he was doing. He should have known when and where he should hide them but he did not intend to do so. He was still just like himself in his previous life.


    ¡°Long time no see, Commander.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­!¡±


    The deputymander couldn¡¯t help but grab the back of his own neck in anger when he saw Kim Jungtae arrogantly asking for a handshake. The deputymander wanted to angrily rebuke this arrogant other-worlder but themander just smiled bitterly as he ordered him to step down with a slight gesture.


    It seemed like themander could still fully tolerate this kind of disrespect. After all, as long as the threat of the dimensional crack was still here, Kim Jungtae¡¯s value would remain to be extremely high. So, themander believed that his authority could be put down for a while.


    ¡°Nice to see you again, Mr. Kin Jwongtae.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kim Jungtae.¡±


    Kim Jungtae frowned as he corrected themander while looking around.


    ¡°More importantly, I heard that the divine beast contractor from the Northeast came.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meetcha!¡±


    Iron stepped up first on behalf of the troubledmander. He just smiled at Kim Jungtae who had been rude from the very beginning. After all, it would be unusual for him for someone to look at him in the eyes and remain quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this face somewhere¡­¡±


    Kim Jungtae looked at Iron firmly as he said this.


    ¡®What does this punk want to say¡­¡¯


    Since he had seen Iron¡¯s face in his previous life, he would probably be fully aware of his status as Leonhardt¡¯s eldest son. However,pared to his appearance back then, his hair and eye color had already changed. This was because his hair and eyes had both taken on a dark red hue after being sealed in the ck Forest. In addition, they had only met in his previous life after he had undergone all kinds of experiments like magic tattoos and shape changes. So, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him since his face shape was different from when they had met before.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Or not?¡±


    As expected, Kim Jungtae failed to recognize him.


    ¡°You¡¯re dealing with both divine beast and spirit?¡±


    ¡°Kgghk~ As expected of a divine beast contractor, you¡¯re asking about this straight away. I had a hard time signing a contract with both of these guys.¡±


    Kim Jungtae showed off his contracted divine beast and spirit as he stared at Iron with a smirk.


    ¡°It seems like you can¡¯t understand. It¡¯s possible because of my own abilities.¡±


    Then, Kim Jungtae gathered the water around him.


    ¡®It¡¯s not magic.¡¯


    Iron looked seriously at the droplets of water clumping together in Kim Jungtae¡¯s hands.


    Everyone looked at Kim Jungtae as if he was someone amazing. This was because water itself, not mana, spiritual power, divine power or sorcery, was gathering at Kim Jungtae¡¯s hands. No one has ever heard that this was something that was possible.


    ¡®With an ability like this, his skills are definitely something to be coveted. It was more than enough to endure his rude behavior.¡¯


    Iron, who had experienced Kim Jungtae¡¯s unique abilities before, nodded as if he only understood now.


    If the others¡¯ unique ability were at this level, then he believed that those in the Center would never ignore them. This was already the case now but if they were given the room to grow, they would likely be a huge figure in the future.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t go around showing off your divine beast?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re currently sealed.¡±


    ¡°Sealed? Ah! Was it because you purified the contaminated mana in the ck Forest?¡±


    Iron nodded at Kim Jungtae¡¯s question. It seemed like he had heard the rumors so he was fully convinced with the authenticity of Iron¡¯s words.


    In their previous lives, Kim Jungtae was also someone who grew sick and tired of contaminated mana. So, he could understand the amount of power needed to purify it.


    ¡°Too bad. I heard that you signed a contract with a lot of divine beasts¡­ Don¡¯t you have an idea when your contractors will wake up?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s unfortunate¡­¡±


    Kim Jungtae looked genuinely disappointed when he heard Iron¡¯s answer.


    ¡°But still¡­ All that matters is you¡¯re connected. They¡¯ll always wake up sooner orter¡­¡±


    Iron smiled when Kim Jungtae consoled him while stroking the flying fish around him. Although he was aplete nutjob, it looked like he was sincere with his affections towards his divine beast.


    Themander pped his hands after watching Iron and Kim Jungtae talk.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re all acquainted with each other, you can go back and take a rest. We¡¯ll start exining the team formation and operations tomorrow.¡±


    Hearing themander¡¯s words, Iron, who came from the farthest location, left and followed the deputymander out. Even Kim Jungtae left themander¡¯s office as if he had already finished his business there.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going out?¡±


    ¡°I still have something to say.¡±


    An Reishor, a member of the Southern Wizard Tower, looked at the Eastern Commander with a dissatisfied look on his face.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ The others too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The others answered with their heads down when themander asked them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    When An Reishor, the one who looked like he had the mostints, was given the right to speak, he immediately opened his mouth.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a problem if Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter couldn¡¯t even call out his divine beasts?¡±


    ¡°A problem?¡±


    The Eastern Commander looked at them as if he couldn¡¯t understand their words.


    ¡°What good will it do for our future ns to include someone who had their divine beasts sealed? Do we really need to include such a person in our team?¡±


    After hearing An¡¯s words, the Eastern Commander finally looked at him as if he understood what he wanted to say. An¡¯s expression was clearly telling him that he found Iron useless without his divine beasts and that he would only be taking merits away from them. The others also had a simr expression as they spoke their own thoughts. It seemed like they wanted to persuade him to not bring him in.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll still need his help as a divine beast contractor. Besides, he has already closed dimensional cracks twice so his experience will be of great help to the team.¡±


    Peter Marvio, a member of the Central Wizard Tower, spoke up in response to the Eastern Commander¡¯s words.


    ¡°His experiences in the Northeast are certainly great. But will he even be of help if his divine beasts are sealed?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Themander pondered for a moment before turning to look at Daniel Cevaior.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way. Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter¡¯s experiences might be great but using that as an excuse to make him fight in the field seems to be way too much. Why don¡¯t we just leave him at Command and focus on nning operations based on his experience and information?¡±


    The Eastern Commander turned to ask Daniel Cevaior upon hearing Peter Marvio¡¯s words but it seemed like they were of the same mind. They all judged that Iron, with his divine beasts sealed, would have no significant contributions to the results of their operation in Ghost Ind. What was worse was the fact that the three people left here were the people that each region had called aces.


    The two were wizards affiliated with the Southern and Central Wizard Tower. They were also people who had contracted with the spirits. Even Daniel Cevaior had a contract with a water spirit and was an officer and an ace who obtained a navigator license that was extremely hard toplete. They were obviously thinking that they weren¡¯t behind Iron in terms of skills.


    Since it was possible for spiritualists to detect divine beasts, they believed that Iron and his sealed divine beasts were of no use. In addition, although Kim Jungtae was arrogant, he was still a divine beast contractor so they did not have a need to have two of them in their team. They thought that they would just be putting in useless people to decrease the merit distributions.


    ¡°Do you all believe the same?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Themander looked troubled when all three of them answered in the affirmative at the same time.


    Since they were still young, he thought that they would just be jealous of the person ahead of them and have a strong sense ofpetition. However, it was much worse than what he thought. If he knew this would happen, he would have just asked for more experienced spiritualists but he couldn¡¯t do so anymore since they had been dispatched to other regions.


    There were quite a few spiritualists, but those who had experience were rare and extremely hard to recruit. At the very least, he asked for these young new up anding stars so they could build their merits and enhance their reputation while gaining experience.


    ¡°Go out for now.¡±


    Themander said that. But once the youngsters went out, he clearly looked troubled.


    He called for Iron despite his divine beasts being sealed since his experience would be of great help to the team. But if he forced him to lead the team, the team would definitely fall apart and crumble which would lead to a bigger problem.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a headache.¡±


    The Eastern Commander was at a loss on how to coax the young new stars.


    Even if his divine beasts are sealed, he¡¯s still a Ghost.


    Due to the Ghost¡¯s status, important information about their members, like their level and mana attribute even their small hobbies, were extremely confidential. But even if it was confidential, the Eastern Commander could roughly tell the extent of their strength.


    Especially Iron. The Eastern Commander had seen the information about Iron that Crimson had handed over when he requested for Iron. So, he had no choice but to worry.


    ¡°If you make the wrong move, you¡¯ll die¡­¡±


    Daniel Cevaior, An Reishor and Peter Marvio were all at the 4th Stage. However, they were just at the beginning of the 4th Stage. However, the information had revealed that Iron¡¯s strength was already at the peak of 4th Stage.


    But based on what Crimson had told him, he was already at the beginning stage of the 5th Stage and although it was only a little, he could already use his ability to build up his own attribute in his sword.


    Any information aside from that was confidential that even the Eastern Commander did not have the ess to.


    In other words, with the information he received alone, he knew that those three new stars would definitely be used to wipe the ground.


    And because of that, he had no choice but to get worried.


    Daniel could handle his own even if he got hit a few times but Peter Marvio and An Reishor were different. If they pick a fight for nothing, then they would probably be in a situation where they could die before even getting hit.


    What if they crossed the line?


    They would have a ticket reservation straight to the afterlife.


    And there was also Kim Jungtae in the team. He was well-known for being arrogant.


    In short, the team that he had just formed was already on the verge of being smashed to the ground.


    ¡°I sincerely hope that Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter is a calm and collected person.¡±


    ***


    <b>TL¡¯s Corner!</b>


    Yes. People wille to provoke. HEHEHEHE. Let¡¯s see you getting trashed to the ground. I pity the Eastern Commander though. There, there. Iron would not kill them. He¡¯ll just hit them where it hurts. Probably¡­


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 81 - A Fight Of Force! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(81)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>26 </b>A Fight of Force! (1)


    Contrary to the Eastern Commander¡¯s worries, nothing big happened immediately. Iron was even able to unpack and enjoy the scenery in the East. He watched as plenty of ships came and went. There were plenty of supplies moving around the port. It was an unimaginable sight whenpared to the Northeast.


    ¡°They¡¯re quite free, huh?¡±


    Far from the freedom that he was witnessing, his current life, his previous life and his life in the modern world was not this free. He was tied to the Northeast in this life and he was tied to his family in his previous life. While he was in the state where he was currently staying in the hospital and waiting for his death after being hit in a car ident in his previous life.


    ¡°My life seems to be quite awful too.¡±


    The only conclusion that Iron came after looking through his life in the modern world was that it was a terrible life. Still, he struggled to return to his original world because there was still someone who shined a bright light on his dull and busy life. He wanted to at least pay them and give back a bit for the help that they had given him. But those hopes had now faded. His goal had now changed. The only thing that he could hope for was to survive in this world until the end.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯ve been here for too long?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he stared at the sea. It seemed like not only the people but even the geese were travelling freely. He couldn¡¯t help but burst into augh after realizing that he had be sentimental. His heart, that was overflowing with overwhelming feelings, started to calm down. If these feelings remained in his heart for a long time, it would be hard for him to remain cool-headed. So, he let those feelings go. What he needed was not emotion but reason.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron?¡±


    Mateo, who saw him from a distance, approached him with widened eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ I was just looking around to see what the East is like.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Mateo nodded as he looked at the sea.


    ¡°The surroundings are quite lively.¡±


    Mateo smiled bitterly when he saw Iron looking at him enviously.


    Being lively meant that it looked good but it also meant that terrible crimes were most likely at the rise. Especially in the East, there were a lot of crime syndicates linked to the pirates.


    ¡°A lively scenery¡­ That¡¯s what everyone who did note from here always says.¡±


    Mateo spoke as he continued to stare at the sea. He looked quite lonely too.


    Seeing his appearance, Iron quietly asked him.


    ¡°What do you think of the East, Captain Mateo?¡±


    ¡°What do I think about the East¡­¡±


    Mateo pondered for a while before speaking quietly.


    ¡°A den of criminals¡­ or something like that?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard a more radical and strange answer than what he had expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s always hard in the Northeast because of the monsters but there are a few times that the hardshipse from the internal fighting, right?¡±


    Iron¡¯s mouth went shut at Mateo¡¯s question. Seeing Iron like that, Mateo just continued to talk. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t expecting any answer from him at all.


    ¡°The East is different. There are already external problems with the pirates, but criminal syndicates and merchants from the merchant association have joined hands together to smuggle.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Many regard the East as and of opportunity but only a few of them seed. The rest of them be homeless or fall in the mire that is the criminal syndicates.¡±


    Iron stared at Mateo as he exined. He looked like he had a lot of dissatisfaction with the current system in the East. He had already felt this back in the warp gate, but now he knew that Mateo was someone who wanted to change the current system in the East.


    ¡®This person is dangerous¡­¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head as he quietly spoke to Mateo.


    ¡°I heard that the current Eastern Commander is a great man. Since he¡¯s themander now, there might be some changes in the East, even though it¡¯s only a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s true but¡­ there¡¯s always a limit to his personal and individual power.¡±


    Mateo looked bitter as he said this. He looked like he respected the Eastern Commander but he also had a clear grasp on the man¡¯s limitations so he did not expect anything more.


    Seeing his appearance, Iron remained silent and just stared at the sea.


    For how long did they stare at the sea?


    Mateo stood up and said that he needed to go as he bid Iron goodbye.


    ¡°I¡¯m already behind my work but I stayed outside longer because I talked to someone not from here for a long time.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Is it my fault?¡±


    Mateo smiled faintly when Iron asked him yfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going now. You will be busy in the future so I hope you can get a good rest today¡­¡±


    Mateo said so and disappeared to go and busy himself with his work.


    Iron looked around after sending Mateo off. He wanted to go to the Magic Tools Workshop right now but he couldn¡¯t do something like that on the very first day. It wouldn¡¯t be the best course of action if he went there right away so Iron willed his time away as he looked at the sea and the East¡¯s architecture leisurely.


    When he returned to his amodations¡­


    ¡°I was looking for you but it seems like you¡¯re on your way from the outside.¡±


    Iron tilted his head when he heard the tone of Daniel. It was as if he was looking for him for quite some time.


    ¡°Did youe to find me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron looked at Daniel Cevaior calmly when he heard him respond.


    ¡°Shall we go inside?¡±


    Daniel shook his head lightly. It seemed like he did not want to have a long conversation. Iron nodded lightly and asked him straightforwardly.


    ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Please leave the team.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    Iron tilted his head again upon hearing Daniel¡¯s strange request.


    ¡°What¡¯s your reason?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t think Lieutenant Colonel Iron will be of any help to the team since your divine beast is sealed.¡±


    Iron smirked when he heard Daniel openly telling him the reason.


    ¡°Did themander make the same decision?¡±


    Daniel shut his mouth upon hearing his question. Seeing him shut his mouth quickly, Iron looked at him with an expression that screamed ¡®Of course, that¡¯s right.¡¯.


    If themander was a gentleman that used his head, he would know that they absolutely needed the help. Iron was someone who was confident on this matter since he was in the center of the storm created by the two dimensional cracks in the Northeast. And if the divine beast was involved as well, then they would definitely need his help more than anybody else.


    That was the reason why the Eastern Commander valiantly went forward and asked the Northeast Commander to deploy him here right away.


    ¡°I think it would be faster for you to get permission from themander.¡±


    Iron was about to pass by Daniel when he suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron might not be aware but this team is very important! This will be a cornerstone to create a team that would specialize in stopping dimensional cracks with the new stars in the future!¡±


    ¡°And so?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this opportunity to be missed. We don¡¯t want to force someone in the team when they couldn¡¯t be of help at all. Especially if they could bring about an adverse effect in the team¡¯s evaluation. So please help us this time around.¡±


    Iron looked back at Daniel as he stopped walking.


    A formation of a team that was specialized in stopping dimensional cracks. Iron was a bit surprised that a team like that, which should have been formed only five yearster, was already being formed. However, it seemed like things had progressed earlier because they were able to block the dimensional cracks in the Northeast.


    ¡°Adverse effect¡­¡±


    Coldness began to permeate through Iron¡¯s stare.


    It seemed like Daniel, who did not have the power to force him out of the team, was afraid that he would force themander to make him take the lead. He was afraid that their team would be stigmatized as a team that only lived by making connections in the future. At the very least, it seemed like he was not doing this because he was blinded by the merits.


    ¡°Themander will decide whether I¡¯m helpful or not. And if he judged that I was not of any help then, we will only know by tomorrow. I suggest you wait a little bit.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expression turned sharp when he heard Iron¡¯s basic answer.


    ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll continue to join the team and bring inconvenience to us?¡±


    Iron sighed quietly when he heard Daniel¡¯s words.


    Iron thought that he was a smart man, but it seemed like he was still immature. He was still blinded by the achievementsid out in front of him. The arrogance of someone who had not experienced the horror of a dimensional crack was clearly visible on his face.


    ¡®It makes me prefer Kim Jungtae more whenever I see something like this.¡¯


    At the very least, Kim Jungtae knew the fear of experiencing a dimensional crack. Even if he was arrogant, he still knew what to prioritize based on his countless hands-on experience. Iron couldn¡¯t see him being blinded by merit just like a young and immature officer.


    ¡°If I were excluded from the team, I would be sent back to the Northeast just like this¡­ But, can you handle the consequences of that?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expressions hardened when Iron bluntly implied the crack that would appear between the Northeast and the East. If they let him go just like that, then it meant that they were insulting him. This meant that the East would antagonize not only the Northeast but even the North.


    ¡°I am just asking you to leave the team. Now that your divine beast is sealed, it would only be reasonable for the Lieutenant Colonel to remain in Command and help create operations based on your experiences and information on the dimensional crack.¡±


    ¡°Reasonable¡­¡±


    Iron stared at Daniel. He felt speechless at hearing him say that they would openly suck the honey and get all the contributions with his help.


    ¡°First, why should I do that? Do I have to sacrifice myself for you when I can¡¯t even join the team?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s mouth was forced to shut with Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Second, what do you even know about me for you to decide that I wouldn¡¯t be helpful in the Ghost Ind? Do you have any other reason besides saying that my divine beast is sealed?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    As soon as Daniel tried to answer, Iron raised his hand and stopped him from talking.


    ¡°Third, are you confident enough that you can bring about a great contribution if you go to the Ghost Ind?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s eyes changed when he heard Iron¡¯s question. The mask that he was wearing was nowpletely broken.


    ¡°Tch, tch~ What do you mean by persuading him through conversation¡­ You should have pushed him down with strength.¡±


    ¡°This is so frustrating. It¡¯s not that we won¡¯t let you get any achievements but why are you so greedy when your divine beast is sealed?¡±


    An Reishor and Peter Marvio, who had been hiding from behind, walked out.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay quiet in the Northeast while your one and only trusted divine beast is sealed? Why do you have toe so hard like that?¡±


    An looked at Iron arrogantly.


    ¡°One and only trusted divine beast¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you good at swordsmanship? Ah, from what I heard, you were going for the steel sword? Isn¡¯t that an old-fashioned relic that the others have used and discarded?¡±


    Iron¡¯s forehead wrinkled when he heard An¡¯s words.


    ¡°Just because we¡¯re on the same level doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯re really the same, you know? Besides, we¡¯re elites who use magic and have contracts with spirits. Do we need to let you in just because you have apressed sword?¡±


    An raised his head arrogantly as if he had now made him realize his worth and told him to just leave.


    However, Iron stood still and did not answer him. Instead, he turned his head to the side.


    ¡°Kim Jungtae, do you also think the same?¡±


    When Iron spoke with a heavy tone, Kim Jungtae appeared from the side. He was smiling as if he was watching something funny.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ To be honest, I don¡¯t know? I honestly don¡¯t know the extent of your strength.¡±


    Iron nodded lightly when he heard Kim Jungtae¡¯s words.


    It seemed like he knew about some of his strength, but he was saying that he wanted them to fight so he could see the full extent of Iron¡¯s strength. He did not need to see him fight to know that Iron was strong. After all, he had seen the most interesting and fiery fights all over the world already.


    ¡°I think everyone thinks the same. But you¡¯re slow-witted, huh? This is not the Northeast where everyone¡¯s cold blooded.¡±


    An¡¯s lips curled up in a smirk as he said so. It was as if he was saying ¡®You became a hero just because you¡¯re in the Northeast, you know?¡¯.


    He did not usually care about trifling words like this, but he felt his blood boil. Perhaps it was because the Northeast was insulted?


    ¡®Ah, I¡¯m getting angry.¡¯


    Iron unknowingly felt anger rising in him. He cracked his neck to the side and tried to release it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to leave the team until the Commander orders me to do so.¡±


    An¡¯s expression hardened at Iron¡¯s words.


    But when Iron saw him trying to speak, he raised his mana and stared at him.


    ¡°Come at me if you can.¡±


    ***


    <b>TL¡¯s corner!</b>


    One beatinging right up!


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 82 - A Fight Of Force! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(82)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>26 </b>A Fight of Force! (2)


    An raised his mana sharply after hearing Iron¡¯s provocative words.


    He immediately started to cast his wind magic to make Iron fall and kneel down on the ground.


    ¡°Stop bullshitting me.¡±


    Iron spoke up as he nonchntly raised his own mana and pierced An¡¯s feeble magic with his own mana.


    An¡¯s eyes widened when he saw that.


    ¡°If you punks are going toe at me, then stop joking around. Come at me properly.¡±


    Iron raised his mana more as he said so.


    ¡°In the Northeast, the kids won¡¯t even do something like this.¡±


    All Iron could do wasugh mockingly at An. After all, he was doing something that not even the babies in the Northeast Academy would do. Iron could tell at a nce that his ego had been inted after receiving the title of the ace of his region.


    ¡°If you¡¯re noting to me then I¡¯lle to you.¡±


    Iron shed his mana sword as he dashed forward. He did not even have to go all out against his opponents. He knew that just sending a quick strike of hispressed mana sword was more than enough to create an environment that no wizard could respond to.


    But An proved that he was not hailed as the ace of the South for no reason at all. He was able to pull up his wind magic to respond to Iron¡¯s attack. However, perhaps it was because of his useless pride, he tried to end the fight without using his spirit.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you punks not to joke around?¡±


    m!


    ¡°Keok!¡±


    An¡¯s fighting power made use of his wind magic to keep his opponent in check. Then, he would aim for a big shot and fall back immediately after. However, if he fought like that, he would eventually end up beaten against Iron who had been through countless battlefields in his past life and this life. Those countless real and bloody battles had strengthened Iron¡¯s fighting tactics so his simple pattern was a one way ticket to his own defeat.


    m! m!


    Iron lightly swung his sword.


    n, who couldn¡¯t do anything from the pain, immediately summoned his wind spirit.


    ¡°Using your spirit now?¡±


    n quickly pushed Iron back and prepared to use his magic.


    When Iron tried to move and interfere with his casting, the spirit moved and blocked Iron. However, Iron was not flustered. He just nodded lightly when he saw the connection between the wizard and the spirit.


    ¡°I will acknowledge this one this time.¡±


    As an ace, he still knew how to attack with a different method.


    An nned to link his spirit¡¯s fast attacks and magical attacks together to show off his fighting prowess. However, it was an attack pattern that could be easily seen through. For others, even if they could easily see through his ns, the destructive power of An¡¯s attack could still blow them away. The only problem this time around was his opponent. Even if An had thrown an air bomb with great destructive power, the strength of his attack was still not at a level that could break through Iron¡¯s steel.


    Poof! Poof! Poof!


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. If you used me magic there¡¯s a chance that it might have worked.¡±


    After saying that, Iron cut through his magic and pushed forward. He looked just like aplete madman as he broke through his magic one after the other.


    What was the advantage of wind magic? It was an all-rounder. It was second only to light magic with its usefulness and utilization. What about its destructive power? When wind magic wasbined with other magic, it could cause a double in effect. But using it alone would prove difficult in terms of garnering enough destructive power. And what did one need to crush steel? It was most certainly a huge and destructive shot. Small attacks? It would just be easily endured by steel and would even give them time to charge forward.


    And Iron was showing it to An right at this very moment.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¡°Is this already the end?¡±


    Iron swung his sword at An after arriving in front of him. He let loose a flurry of sword attacks again and again. An couldn¡¯t even respond as he unterally received a beating.


    ¡°What did you say about the Northeast? Huh?¡±


    Bang!


    ¡°Keheok!¡±


    ¡°Steel is just an old-fashioned relic? But what does that make you who¡¯s in this situation right now?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Sorr¡­¡±


    m! m!


    ¡°Come on, hey! If you¡¯re already this old, shouldn¡¯t you at least be a bit sensible? Am I right?¡±


    m! m! m!


    ¡°Sav¡­ Save¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m slow-witted that you¡¯re getting hit like this? Huh?¡±


    Iron let out his umted stress as he beat An like crazy. And Daniel, who couldn¡¯t take it anymore, stepped forward.


    ¡°Please stop.¡±


    Iron looked at him grimly after hearing him try to dissuade him.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expression creased when he heard Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°But you¡¯re the one who picked a fight with me?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve done enough to vent your anger.¡±


    ¡°Not yet. He¡¯s not the only one who picked a fight with me.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, Daniel pulled out his sword. He looked like he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. At the same time, An also called his spirit forward. It was as if he never let his guard down despite being beaten.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join in too? It¡¯s going to be tiring if I need to beat you up separately.¡±


    Peter Marvio¡¯s expression crumpled when he heard Iron¡¯s remarks. However, unlike the first time that he insulted him, he could not ignore his words. Even if they ignored hisck of divine beast, his swordsmanship in and of itself was extremely strong. However, it seemed like it was because of his pride that he did not raise his mana. So, Iron rushed straight towards Peter.


    ¡°This crazy bastard!¡±


    Baang!


    Peter hurriedly threw out a lightning spell but Iron just swung his sword and broke through the explosion as if it had no impact on him at all.


    ¡°This is not enough for a warm up though?¡±


    Iron suddenly swung his sword filled with mana. However, Peter had already widened the distance between them with his movement magic. Then, he quickly summoned his lightning spirit as he united his magic and the spirit¡¯s power.


    ¡°Fusion magic¡­¡±


    Seeing fusion magic was quite an interesting sight but that was a different story if he was going to be hit by that. It was something that Iron did not want to experience. Iron thought that he should grind him down first before he could finish his magic but he was forced to stop.


    ¡°Imprisonment?¡±


    He turned to look at Daniel, who had bound his body and built a prison around him with his magic and water spirit. They were trying to roast Iron with thebination of lightning magic and water magic.


    This attack might kill him and it would pose a problem to them. However, they thought that they could just falsely report it and tell their superiors that Iron started the fight as he pummeled their wind wizard.


    ¡°It seems like elites are dirty even in the past and the present?¡±


    Iron looked at Daniel as he said that.


    Daniel bit his lips. However, he did not let go. He believed that doing this would stop him. This idea remained unchanged.


    Iron¡¯s ability when he dealt with An was not to their expectations. It hurt his pride but he had no choice but to team up with the others. Despite having his pride hurt, Daniel continued to grab Iron with his water prison who was swinging his sword trying to get away with all his might.


    Meanwhile, Peter¡¯s magic which had already beenpleted¡­


    Baaaang!


    The prison was released as soon as the explosion broke out. They were sure that at the very least Iron would be injured from the explosion. Just then, An stood up and used his wind magic.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    His storm magic created a huge whirlwind that amplified the water and lightning magic.


    ¡°A¡­ An! What are you doing!¡±


    Daniel looked at An in puzzlement.


    ¡°Whether we win or we lose, we¡¯ll still take responsibility so I won¡¯t let him get out of here!¡±


    An gritted his teeth as he continued to cast his magic. It seemed like he was letting out all of his frustration.


    A tremendous storm amplified by the power of the spirits swirled around Iron. Lightning, wind and waterbined together to eliminate Iron. Daniel looked at it nkly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do this¡­ I did not think¡­¡±


    While Daniel was staring nkly trying to think of a way to exin to the Eastern Commander¡­


    ¡°Crazy¡­¡±


    An¡¯s eyes widened as he stared in front of him. Daniel followed his gaze. There, they saw Iron breaking through the huge thunderstorm.


    ¡°This was a bit harder.¡±


    Iron revealed his murderous intent.


    He thought that there was no need to hold back since these people had tried to kill him openly. His formidable murderous intent that had been trained and fortified in the Northeast permeated the air in the surrounding area. Then, the mana that covered Iron¡¯s entire body turned ck as his mana sword turnedpletely into steel.


    ¡°5th¡­ 5th Stage¡­¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expression hardened when he saw Iron¡¯s steel mana.


    ¡°You have to grit your teeth from this point on.¡±


    As soon as his words filled with murderous intent let out, Iron disappeared from his spot. His force was so great that those who were watching him couldn¡¯t follow his movements at all. When he appeared, he was already in front of Daniel.


    Iron chose Daniel as his first target.


    Iron hated those who pretend to be noble and dignified while doing dirty tricks behind others backs. He had suffered from them the most in his previous life so they¡¯re the ones that he couldn¡¯t stomach the most. That was also the reason why he hit him without holding back. He did not go easy on him at all.


    When he saw Peter trying to run away, he mmed on his chin and dragged him together with An and Daniel as he stepped on them.


    To be honest, Iron wanted to do it moderately to give face to the Eastern Commander but he was suddenly ced in a situation where they wanted to kill him so he had no choice but to show them his force.


    He beat them like crazy to the point that they would wish they were just dead.


    How long has it been?


    Iron stopped his flow of mana and turned his head after crushing the three new stars of each region and turning them into a bloody mess.


    ¡°Are you also going toe at me?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to get hit like that though?¡±


    ¡°Then, get lost.¡±


    ¡°But it would be a shame to just leave like that.¡±


    Kim Jungtae looked disappointed when he heard Iron¡¯s dismissive tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m still wondering about the things that you¡¯re hiding. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep at night.¡±


    Kim Jungtae smiled as he looked at Iron.


    ¡°I already felt this earlier but you really look like someone I know.¡±


    Iron frowned at Kim Jungtae¡¯s words.


    ¡°He likes to hide his strength and use his brain more but he will release his trump cards one by one in emergencies.¡±


    Iron shut his mouth.


    ¡°And when I watched you use your force like that, I¡¯m reminded of someone who used to screw me over¡­¡±


    Hearing Kim Jungtae¡¯s words, Iron increased his murderous intent.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going toe at me, thene. Otherwise, get lost.¡±


    ¡°Tch! I¡¯ll find out more when we go to Ghost Ind anyway. I hope your divine beast is awake by then. Let¡¯s have a big fight when the timees.¡±


    Kim Jungtae stepped down smoothly after leaving those words. Iron looked disappointed when he saw him backing down so easily. He wanted to take this opportunity to beat him too but his justifications would be weak, so he was forced to let it go.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have a chanceter.¡±


    Kim Jungtae might get stronger as time passed by but by then, he was sure that Two Moons would already be awake. So, if he picked a fight, Iron was sure that he would be able to step on him and ground him until blood leaked out of his body.


    Just like that, Kim Jungtae and Iron parted ways in disappointment. They went back to their amodations while leaving the new stars slumped on the ground, bloody and beaten.


    Then, two figures suddenly appeared in the dark.


    ¡°He¡¯s at the 5th Stage at that age¡­ a monster.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s a monster. Didn¡¯t you know the reason why the Northeast did not want to let him go?¡±


    The knight nodded at the words of the Eastern Commander.


    ¡°Is that why you stopped me?¡±


    Jorg, the knight who led the East¡¯s strongest Knight Order, looked at themander and asked. Richard Burton smiled and nodded.


    ¡°The 5th Stage is a stage that could be dangerous if you let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only power that friend has.¡±


    The Eastern Commander immediately shut his mouth as if he could not tell anymore. But themander has noints about the secrecy. After all, that person was someone who belonged to Ghost. This meant that all of his abilities were bound by confidentiality.


    In fact, it was themander himself who blocked Jorg from interfering when he saw him move to stop the new stars when they used fusion magic. At first, Jorg wondered why themander had stopped him, but after everything was over, he realized that there was really nothing for him to do.


    He saw that Iron looked rxed even after blocking the magic of all of the new stars. And his eyes¡­ His eyes looked like the eyes of those who had wandered around the battlefield for quite a long time.


    ¡°Even if he¡¯s young, he¡¯s still a Ghost. That means that he has enough of the basics.¡±


    Richard Burton said so as he looked at the fallen stars. He was looking at Daniel Cevaior to be exact.


    He thought that he could raise and nurture that child as one of the next Whispers. But just like any other children who had taken the elite course, he became conceited. He grew blind to power and merits without knowing that they were one of the privileged ones. And because of that, he had eaten some big shit today.


    To be honest, themander wanted to prevent that from happening. He tried to form a team with elites from all over the continent to show them especially the geniuses of the East that they should not be conceited and learn from each other while nurturing them into talented people who could prevent the next dimensional crack. However, it seemed like it had already failed before it even began.


    Whisper was a strong authority that could call for a huge fleet of airships. It was a unit that had to be taken over by a cool-headed and rational person as much as possible. That was why there were only two people that fit in that category from the East. But as of today, themander had no choice but to open his eyes to the truth. He could no longer ignore this.


    ¡°Remove Daniel from the nominees to Whisper.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Jorg bowed his head in reply to the Commander. He looked at Daniel as if it was a pity.


    It was alright to pick a fight with Iron. Even if he was blinded by merit he would have been able to lead and convince themander somehow. However, he should not have done something so dirty. If he fought with Peter right at the beginning, themander would have still probably understood his position. However¡­


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Themander disappeared in a blink of an eye. And Jorg, who was left alone, looked at the passed out Daniel in pity.


    Daniel¡¯s motivation when he first appeared in the Eastern Army had disappeared and was now reced by greed. The fresh attitude of applying to the Eastern Army only for honor had disappeared. He was now only left with a shell that was cowardly and blinded by merit.


    ¡°This is how the future of the Eastern Army disappears.¡±


    With that, Jorg cleared things up with his men and disappeared.


    ***


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 Chapter 83 - Division (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(83)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>27 </b>Division (1)


    Strange rumors started to circte in the East.


    It was said that the new stars from the Southern Wizard Tower, Central Wizard Tower and the East had been beaten ck and blue by a single person. ording to the rumors, Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter, the Northeast¡¯s Hero, smashed all three of them all by himself.


    At first, the people did not believe these hearsays at all.


    ¡°Say something that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Three versus one?¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s the Northeast¡¯s Hero, I think he can do it?¡±


    Although he was the most famous new star of the Empire, there was still a limit to what he could do. They believed that no matter how strong a new star was, they would still be at the same level as the other new stars.


    However, the rumors were proven to be true when some officers testified that they had seen the bloody new stars. Even the doctors that attended to the injured new stars at Command also added their words and proved it to be true.


    ¡°They¡¯repletely covered in blood-stains, you know?¡±


    ¡°To that extent?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They said that they were already one foot in the grave when they were sent back.¡±


    Cheap rumors spread from one officer¡¯s mouth to another. In addition, the nurses and the doctors in the hospital secretly leaked the information that they had gathered about the new stars. Their appearance also served as a self-evident fact that proved the rumors to be true. This was because they came to the hospital and ended up having bandages wrapped all over their entire bodies.


    And just like any other news, this news began to spread rapidly to other regions. Some people who werepletely attached and loyal to their own regions said that it was just fake news spread by the Northern stars. However, they had no choice but to stop their ims of this being a false rumor when Iron walked around without a single scratch on his body while the three other new stars were covered in bandages and lying dead to the world in their hospital beds.


    Because of this, Mara, a port city in the East, was in a buzz.


    And just like that, Iron was called to the Eastern Commander¡¯s office.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    The Eastern Commander sighed deeply while Iron sat still with his head bowed down and his mouth shut tight.


    ¡°The situation has gone out of control.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Themander sighed once again while Iron maintained his posture.


    He had watched from the side so was fully aware that Iron did not do anything wrong. However, the team that he hoped to create had already copsed and they weren¡¯t even halfway through with their operation. What was worse was the fact that the Southern and Central regions were protesting while the Merchant Association was also secretly putting pressure on themander because of the bloodied and bruised Daniel.


    It was a situation where themander was pressured from all sides.


    Iron was innocent but he couldn¡¯t help but say sorry when he saw the haggard expression on themander¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s there for you to be sorry about? It¡¯s me who has to apologize to you.¡±


    The Eastern Commander smiled bitterly.


    With another sigh, he began to exin his situation to Iron.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I actually don¡¯t care about the Southern and Central Wizard Towers. My biggest problem is Captain Daniel Cevaior.¡±


    Iron raised his head at the Eastern Commander¡¯s words and looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°Does Captain Daniel have a backer?¡±


    ¡°Backer¡­¡±


    Themander recalled the past for a moment.


    When Daniel first entered the military, he was just a rookie who knew nothing. He was a child that was pure and naive and valued honor. He was also considered amoner since he was not a child of any officer. However, after he became an officer and stood out, his family suddenly revealed themselves.


    ¡°Have you heard of the Jeffit Family?¡±


    Iron nodded slightly to Richard Burton¡¯s question.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they one of the pirs of the Merchant Association in the East? As far as I know, Count Lothsil Jeffit is the current chairman of the association.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Daniel is from that family. His exact name is Captain Daniel Jeffit Cevaior.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°So, the Merchant Association is protesting to the Commander?¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ That¡¯s right. In fact, the Eastern Army is receiving support from the Merchant Association without our knowledge. And during that process, Daniel¡¯s position had climbed higher. To be exact, he yed as the bridge that connected us in the middle.¡±


    Even if he was just a child from the family, it would be a different matter if the child made a name for himself outside and became a new star. If their child was beaten down by others, they could protest under the pretext of being the parent.


    ¡°Did Captain Daniel be a new star because of the power of the Merchant Association?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it either.¡±


    Richard Burton shook his head firmly when he heard Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°At first, he came in as amoner. However, he stood out during the military training and his status was revealed as he gradually gained fame.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, for the Jeffit family, it was like finding a child that they were never aware of.¡±


    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t Captain Daniel hate the Jeffit family¡­ or is it not the case?¡±


    Richard Burton nodded his head.


    ¡°It was like that at first. But the power of money is extremely great. It¡¯s so great to the point that it can change a clean and honest person¡­¡±


    Richard Burton felt bitter as he spoke.


    Being recognized by a family while being given tremendous financial support. Perhaps that was the reason why Daniel Cevaior changed little by little. Still, Richard hoped that Daniel would be able to protect his belief to develop even further until the veryst moment and uphold the honor of the Eastern Army. However, even that hope had disappeared.


    ¡°The existence of Captain Daniel Cevaior is very important to the Eastern Army. This is because of his connections. Not only with the Merchant Association but also with private associations.¡±


    At first, the Merchant Association and the private associations¡¯ support towards Daniel was to further develop the Eastern Army. They funded the army so they could study stronger weapons and build more powerful warships. However, after being exposed to enormous funds and power, his attitude changed little by little. In the end, he was tied to the money and his beliefs changed.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Captain Daniel has be like this. In the past¡­¡±


    ¡°From the Merchant Association¡¯s point of view, it must have been their golden opportunity to gain a strong influence in the Eastern Army.¡±


    From the Merchant Association and the Jeffit Family¡¯s view, they now had a justified cause to strengthen their influence on the Eastern Army. In addition, even the Southern and Central Wizard Tower were also putting pressure on themander.


    Of course, if themander personally came out with the evidence, they would definitely stop protesting. It was a problem that would be quickly solved if they denounced Daniel¡¯s cowardly actions as well as the attacks of the new stars that aimed for Iron¡¯s life.


    But Richard Burton did not want to throw his opportunity away. Rather, he looked like he was even trying to make things bigger.


    Perhaps it was because he had read his thoughts that Iron finally opened his mouth carefully.


    ¡°Should I help you out?¡±


    Richard Burton agonized for a moment at Iron¡¯s question. He was thinking if it was right to get Iron¡¯s help now.


    ¡°How much influence do you have in the Northeast?¡±


    Iron slightly tilted his head upon hearing Richard Burton¡¯s question.


    ¡°Let me ask that again. Can you bring the Ghost here with your power?¡±


    Iron pondered for a while before answering Richard Burton.


    ¡°Is that an unofficial question or an official one?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say it¡¯s an official question.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s possible. I can use the dimensional crack as a justification¡­ The only question that remains is whether the Eastern Army can ept it or not.¡±


    Making a formal request to the Northeast would put a scratch on the pride of the East.


    The Northeastern Army, who always kept the worst in mind, did not think too deeply on requesting support from other regions. However, the other armies were not of the same mind. They were extremely reluctant to bow their heads and ask for support from other regions. This was because the warlords of their regions wanted to hold on to their pride.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that we can do about it since the situation has alreadye to this. If I could, I would like to do it myself but¡­ it¡¯s hard for me to send a request.¡±


    Richard Burton looked bitter.


    He knew that the pride of the local warlords waspletely useless. However, regardless of his views, a lot of people in the East were reluctant to bring in troops from other regions. They feared that their power would sway and weaken once other forces came in their region. So, if themander directly requested support, the Eastern Warlords might rebel which would result in the fall of themander¡¯s authority and the military¡¯s control over the East.


    If it were the usual, they could just use the opening of a dimensional crack as an excuse to request for support. But the problem was that the Northeast and the North had safely blocked four dimensional cracks on their own. The Northeastern Alliance had blocked four on their own, and they only had one here in the East. So, it hurt their pride to ask for support elsewhere when they only had a single one to deal with.


    Richard Burton couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed while he faced theseplex problems. However, there was no other way for him to return.


    ¡°Did you call for me here with the intention of attracting the core power of each region?¡±


    Iron thought that Richard Burton¡¯s purpose was to attract the core yers from each region, just like what the Northeast did. If an Eastern Army official officially requested this, it would undermine their honor. But if the core figures from the North and the Northeast were attracted to the East on their own, the damage and bacsh that they would receive would definitely be minimized.


    Seeing that Richard Burton did not answer him, Iron was convinced that he was correct.


    There were actually three main ideas that Richard Burton hade up with.


    <b>1 </b>Using Iron, attract the forces of the North and the Northeast and adjust the current situation, where the Eastern Army is being pressured by the Central and Southern Wizard Towers and Merchant Association, to a two-way structure.


    <b>2 </b>Use the attracted forces to help solve the dimensional crack.


    <b>3 </b>Through the above process, prevent the Eastern Army from dividing as much as possible.


    Iron looked at the Eastern Commander after figuring out those three ideas.


    ¡°However, I still believe that it¡¯s too much. If we bring in the Northern Army just to keep the Merchant Association in check, there will definitely be officers that are dissatisfied with themanderter on.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s tone sounded as if things couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Iron tilted his head in curiosity.


    You¡¯re willing to take that risk to push the Merchant Association away? That¡¯splete bullshit.


    The Merchant Association would never try to take control of the Eastern Army unless they were sure that themander was already defeated. If the situation was only at this level, Iron was sure that they knew about the risks.


    ¡®Wait¡­¡¯


    Iron looked at themander in surprise after he organized his thoughts.


    ¡°You¡¯re really smart. Just like what I have heard.¡±


    Themander smiled when he saw that the boy in front of him had already thought far ahead in just that short amount of time.


    If you expect something to happen someday, will you try to find the reason?


    And as if to signal the start, a dimensional crack has appeared. If theypared it to the Northeast, there was a high probability that the urrence of the dimensional crack in this ce also had other forces from behind that promoted and pushed it forward.


    Themander must have figured it out.


    ¡°There¡¯s something going on in the East?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°The Merchant Association is not the problem¡­ Then, there must be something bigger hidden in the dark?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron¡¯s brows furrowed upon seeing themander nod his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that sure either. However¡­ just like what the dark elves did in the Northeast, I can assume that there are such beings present here too.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any suspects?¡±


    ¡°I have selected a few most likely species.¡±


    Richard Burton turned around and handed over the documents containing the information that he had collected so far.


    ¡°Mermaid¡­ race?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a race that has been destroyed by the Empire. However, some of them have likely survived that catastrophe.¡±


    ¡°The mermaid race¡­ they are probably carrying great hatred towards the Empire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If there are survivors, I¡¯m sure that they have waited for many years just to get their revenge at the Empire.¡±


    Iron nodded his head in agreement.


    Then, he read the information that Richard Burton had handed over.


    ¡°Transforms into a human being?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the reason why I think the current Command is a dangerous ce.¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s eyes glowed.


    ¡°There must be mermaids that have infiltrated this ce. After all, they¡¯re already making a huge ssh in Mara Port City¡­¡±


    ¡°If we left for Ghost Ind with the main force, the Command would be in danger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Some of them might even have colluded with some of the Eastern forces.¡±


    Iron immediately realized how dangerous Eastern Command was upon hearing Richard Burton¡¯s words.


    It was already a difficult situation for the Eastern Army as they tried to deal with the dimensional crack on their own. But they were even faced with a situation where they had to worry about unknown enemies and the regional forces that might have colluded with those said enemies.


    Faced with such a situation, themander had no choice but to bring in external forces to the East even if his honor was trampled and his authority was cut off.


    ¡°I thought that if I gathered as many forces as possible in the East, I would be able to get their help if their future key figures got injured or perhaps in the event of a huge dimensional crack simr to the Northeast appearing.¡±


    ¡°Because of me, the Imperial Family might intervene.¡±


    ¡°They have already intervened.¡±


    Iron frowned when he heard the Eastern Commander¡¯s words.


    ¡°Who came?¡±


    ¡°The Fourth Prince.¡±


    As expected of the quick-witted Imperial Family. They had already smelled the opportunity and crawled towards the East.


    ¡°You must be tired since the Imperial Family is trying to intervene.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s mission as the Eastern Commander was to protect the East. As long as he could protect the East, he did not care about the insults that would rain down on him.


    ¡°Commander, if you promise me¡­ I will give you a bit more help.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re already helping me too much by bringing the Northeastern Army here?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re already receiving a lot, I¡¯ll give you some more.¡±


    Richard Burton tilted his head at Iron¡¯s words. Even if he was the Northeast¡¯s Hero, there was still a limit to what he could do. He wondered what else he could help him with at this point.


    ¡°How about bringing the Leonhardt Family here?¡±


    ¡°The Lion Family? Will they evene all the way here?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s about a 30% chance¡­ if I asked for a favor.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Does the Lion Family owe you something?¡±


    Iron shook his head at Richard Burton¡¯s question.


    ¡°They don¡¯t owe me anything. But¡­ I¡¯m a bit rted to the Leonhardt Family.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    Iron smiled when he saw that themander never thought that he would be connected to such a family.


    ¡°Ho¡­ That¡¯s unexpected. Are you a descendant from a branch family?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it either¡­ I¡¯m the son of the current family head.¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s eyes widened at his response. Iron smiled at themander as he continued to speak.


    ¡°Well, I ran away from home. But I¡¯m still his son so there might be a bit of a chance that he¡¯ll listen to me if I ask him.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 84 - Division (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(84)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>27 </b>Division (2)


    Richard Burton¡¯s expression turned nk when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°By any chance, are you the eldest son who ran away from home¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly when he saw the dejected smile on Richard Burton¡¯s face


    ¡°Hoho¡­ I thought you were a hero who popped out of nowhere but it turns out that you have a great bloodline and lineage.¡±


    Richard stared at Iron nkly trying to gather his senses.


    ¡°I feel like I just heard an extremely huge secret.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Iron smiled as Richard spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re even willing to bring the Lion Family here. Naturally, I know that you wouldn¡¯t bring them just because¡­ So, is there anything that you want?¡±


    ¡°The Northeast is currently nning something.¡±


    ¡°I know. The Northeast wants to pioneer a new trading route, right?¡±


    The Eastern Commander nodded his head as if he also knew it as he continued to speak.


    ¡°It benefits us too, so of course we¡¯ll help.¡±


    Richard Burton brought a document. He knew that this was a promise that should not be only made through words.


    From the Eastern Command¡¯s standpoint, it would benefit them greatly if anotherrge trading route opened along with the fixed trading route to the South and the Center. They could even share the risks while creating a different sphere of influence and interest that could keep the current Merchant Association in check.


    ¡°Since I have received a lot, I will do my best to help you.¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s enthusiasm burned fiercely as he recalled the help that he would receive from Iron. He even promised to faithfully help the Northeast¡¯s n in the future as well as deploying 30% of his fleet as soon as the risk from the dimensional crack was dealt with. At the same time, he also promised to help deploy troops that will help in cleaning up the Badein River, the new trade route that the Northeast was pioneering.


    But Richard Burton still opened his mouth carefully. Perhaps it was because he felt apologetic that he had received a lot from Iron.


    ¡°We have received far too many gifts just for a trade route that will connect the East and the West¡­ Is there anything else that I can help you with?¡±


    Iron smiled brightly when he saw the apologetic look on Richard¡¯s face.


    Of course, it was not a good trade if the elite troops from the North and Northeast came here just for them to receive only one thing in return. So, when he saw that Richard Burton was a man who could read the situation, he carefully brought out the request that he had thought of beforeing here.


    ¡°Then, I have a few things that I want your help with.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Iron opened his mouth with a bit of difficulty when he saw Richard Burton looking at him eagerly as if he really could tell him anything that he wanted.


    ¡°There must be some Magic Tool Workshops and merchants that have been pushed out by the Merchant Association in the East.¡±


    ¡°You want to take them to the Northeast?¡±


    Richard Burton immediately understood Iron¡¯s intentions. He rubbed his chin in thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s definite answer, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ To be honest, I don¡¯t know much about this so it¡¯s a bit hard for me to give you a definite answer. Besides, it¡¯s impossible for any region to force them to move to the Northeast, right?¡±


    Even if he was themander, it would still be difficult for him to rmend the Northeast unless there were benefits that could catch the eyes of these merchants.


    And Iron, who knew his situation, spoke confidently.


    ¡°Please just make an appointment for me.¡±


    Richard sighed and nodded his head when he saw Iron speaking as if he was confident that he could persuade them.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I understand.¡±


    Iron smiled at Richard¡¯s answer.


    ¡°It would be easier to persuade Commander Crimson now.¡±


    ¡°Because of the Magic Tools Workshop and the merchants?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Northern Commander would be interested too.¡±


    Of course, the twomanders would definitely be interested but Richard was wondering if the merchants in the East would be interested in them.


    However, Iron was confident that they would be interested. He was sure that the merchants¡¯ eyes would be caught once they knew about the mana cores, the dimensional cracks, and the numerous powerful weapons that woulde out from the Northeast.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Well, if you say so. I¡¯m really grateful for your help.¡±


    Richard Burton thanked Iron once again.


    If things go as Iron nned and the North and Northeast sent troops to the East and the Lion Family came, it would be difficult for those big forces to move hastily. In addition, the Imperial Family would definitely be wary of the Lion Family.


    A few days after the secret agreement between the Eastern Commander and Iron took ce, rarely seen people hade to Mara Port.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°The Southern Wizard Tower.¡±


    The Eastern knight guarding the warp gate looked surprised when he heard that people from the Southern Wizard Tower hade. This was because only those with extraordinary momentum hade.


    ¡°Why are you visiting?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see the Eastern Commander and Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    The knight saw the wizard gnashing their teeth as they said so.


    ¡°I will contact them for you. You can follow this road to arrive at Command.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After saying their thanks, the wizards left the knight and headed straight towards Command. Shortly after, another group of wizards had arrived at the warp gate.


    ¡°Where¡­ are you from?¡±


    ¡°The Central Wizard Tower.¡±


    ¡°By any chance, did youe here to see the Eastern Commander and Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    ¡°You know it well.¡±


    The wizard replied coldly in response to the Eastern knight¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ If you go straight this way, you will arrive at Command. You can ask a guide and he¡¯ll tell you the way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The knight couldn¡¯t help but sweat after the group of knights had left.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess.¡±


    The knight hurriedly contacted the Eastern Command to inform them of their visitors.


    The Eastern Command moved busily after the Southern Wizard Tower and the Central Wizard Tower flocked to their ce. Richard Burton prepared to greet the wizards but the wizards¡¯ first destination was not themander¡¯s office.


    ¡°Moron. How can you be this conceited?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it even makes sense for my student to get bedridden like this?¡±


    An bowed his head sadly after hearing his teacher¡¯s rebuke.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for ruining your reputation, Tower Master.¡±


    Sierra Leonar, the Southern Wizard Tower¡¯s master, frowned at the bowing An. The Tower Master felt annoyed when she saw the punk who always caused her problems due to his arrogance droop sadly like this.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Enough apologies. I¡¯ll ask you about him.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Although I don¡¯t get along well with the Central Tower¡¯s master, I know that the student that he had raised is quite a formidable one too. Is it really true that you and that student lost to one person even though you teamed up with each other?¡±


    Hearing the question of the Tower Master, An¡¯s body trembled as he recalled the scene. He couldn¡¯t help but bow his head in fear.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a fact that the three of you, including Daniel, were all beaten up?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    Sierra looked incredulously at her student.


    ¡°Even if his divine beast is sealed?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°This crazy shit! Are you really my student, huh?!¡±


    Sierra once again angrily chastised An Reishor. That was when An spoke with a voice that was so small one couldn¡¯t hear it.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter is strong even without his divine beast.¡±


    ¡°His swordsmanship? Are you proud that you got beaten just by apressed mana sword? If it¡¯s just that old-fashioned trashy swordsmanship then your magic holds an absolute advantage!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already steel.¡±


    Sierra paused in her angry rebuke when she heard An¡¯s words.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Iron Carter has already reached the 5th Stage.¡±


    Sierra¡¯s expression hardened upon hearing An¡¯s words.


    ¡°You must have been out of your mind just now¡­¡±


    Sierra was trying to refute An¡¯s words but when she saw his eyes, she realized that what he was telling was the truth.


    She finally realized why the Northeast was bragging so much about him.


    ¡°That guy¡­ is a monster?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    An replied in a very small voice. Only silence remained in the hospital room after they finished their conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m in trouble.¡±


    Sierra covered her face with her palms.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t end with you just being hit.¡±


    An tried to open his mouth to ask but Sierra cut him off.


    ¡°Have you ever thought about the reason why the Northeast has been ignored?¡±


    An shook his head at Sierra¡¯s question.


    ¡°Do you know the reason why the Northeast Academy is not famous in the Empire despite staying in the most difficult and most dangerous ce?¡±


    An¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Sierra¡¯s words.


    When he thought about it, most of the new stars that appeared in the Empire havee from the Northeast. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all before. He thought that it was just because of the peculiarity of the Northeast but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°This is because of the implicit agreement between us and the Northeast. In order to hide the information about the Northeast, we created the image that the important academies in each region are suitable for raising elites with promising futures. This was so we could find the gifted people in each region.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ But wasn¡¯t the Northeast Academy famous for raising elites?¡±


    Sierra looked pitiful after hearing An¡¯s question.


    ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous. Do you think high-ranking aristocrats would want to send their children to ces where they might die?¡±


    An replied timidly.


    ¡°Tch, tch! No family would be crazy enough to send their key talents to dangerous ces.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I see.¡±


    Cold sweat dripped down An¡¯s back as he hurriedly nodded his head. Seeing her student acting like this, Sierra had no choice but to sigh.


    ¡°The high-ranking aristocrats send their future talents to the local academy while giving huge subsidies. In other words, we have created a way for the high-ranking aristocrats of the Empire to enter the real sphere of influence by letting them enter through the important academies in each region. And for the Northeast, who lost this opportunity, we promised them support. That was the pledge that¡¯s initially promised to both the North and the Northeast.¡±


    An stared nkly at Sierra. His head was hurting after learning a huge secret. Then, Sierra continued to speak as if she was reprimanding An.


    ¡°However, at some point, the number of supplies sent to the Northeast has decreased. And in the end the current Northeast couldn¡¯t endure it and exploded. They even showed the geniuses that they raised to the world. What do you think that means?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They have now informed the world that they are the best. They are saying that the geniuses that they have raised will be responsible for the future of the Empire. The current aristocrats are still half-confident right now but over time people would start to gather in the North.¡±


    An¡¯s expression began to harden at Sierra¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then, the reason why I¡¯m here at this time¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. The gathering of the new stars in the East was done to prevent the children of the nobility and the aristocrats from going to the Northeast as much as possible. This was done to disperse each region¡¯s attention from the Northeast.¡±


    Hearing Sierra¡¯s exnation, An seemed to realize the thing that he had done. When he realized that, he suddenly had no face to see his teacher. He was so guilty that he even wanted to be banished from the tower right now.


    And the same scene was ying in Peter Marvio¡¯s room.


    ¡°Crazy shit. Hoo¡­ If what you¡¯re saying is true¡­ then, the rumors about the new stars from the North and Northeast are true..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    Santos, the Central Wizard Tower Master, remained silent after hearing Peter Marvio¡¯s words.


    The rumors were even deliberately reduced to the minimum because of Iron¡¯s status as a Ghost.


    His swordsmanship is already at the 5th Stage. What if his divine beast¡¯s skills were added?


    In terms of force, he has already reached a level that the new stars couldn¡¯t blindly follow.


    Everyone believed that Iron Carter¡¯s value lied in his strategies and tactics. His information about the monsters as well as his tactical strategies were highly appreciated and valued by the military. However, his value skyrocketed even further after his force and fighting power had been added to the mix.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Let¡¯s say that you lost. Alright. But I heard that you were the ones at fault here too?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Peter Marvio replied to his teacher cautiously.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that you tried to get rid of him just because his divine beast is sealed?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ Did I really raise this kind of student?¡±


    Santos looked at Peter in disappointment. He was deeply disappointed in his student who had beenpletely blinded by merits.


    Just like that, the two of them remained silent.


    While silence rang loudly in the two hospital rooms, a man suddenly came to Iron Carter.


    ¡°I want to see Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Themander had currently restricted anyone from meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter here at Command.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Can¡¯t you do this for me just this once?¡±


    The blonde man looked embarrassed upon hearing the words of the knight that guarded the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The man pondered for quite a long time after hearing the knight¡¯s firm refusal before taking something out.


    ¡°I¡¯m this kind of person¡­ Can¡¯t you let me go?¡±


    The blonde man took out a que. His que was colorful and ornately decorated with gold and red jewels. And there was only one status that could use such a colorful que.


    ¡°Im¡­ Imperial Family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Eiscand sol de Granciel, the Fourth Prince.¡±


    The Fourth Prince smiled slightly as he spoke.


    ¡°Are you sure that you really can¡¯t let me meet him?¡±


    The eyes of the knight shook sharply upon hearing the Fourth Prince¡¯s question after he revealed his identity.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 85 - Division (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(85)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>27 </b>Division (3)


    The knight lost all of his will to stand firm and resist the moment the young man identified himself as the Fourth Prince. In fact, from the Eastern knight¡¯s standpoint, he had no reason to stop a member of the Imperial Family when themander did not specifically order them to stop people. Themander just told them to limit contact with the outside world as much as possible. However, he was still worried about the rebuke and reprimand that he would receiveter. But what can a mere knight do to stop a member of the Imperial Family from entering?


    In the end, the knight bowed politely before stepping aside.


    ¡°Forgive me for blocking your way, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that I came here without any appointment. I feel sorry for dropping by unannounced.¡±


    The Fourth Prince patted the knight on his shoulder. It was his brief constion for the knight who would definitely be reprimandedter.


    ¡°I feel sorry for you so I will say what I need to say beforeing out. I will only briefly stay inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your consideration.¡±


    After epting the Fourth Prince¡¯s considerations, the knight bowed his head and informed the officer inside that the Fourth Prince wanted to have a meeting with someone. Not long after, a senior officer rushed out and greeted the Fourth Prince.


    ¡°I greet you, Your Highness, the Fourth Prince.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    The Fourth Prince reached out his hand to shake hands with the senior officer.


    ¡°I¡¯m Colonel Holloway, the operations¡¯ officer of the Eastern Command.¡±


    Colonel Holloway gave a brief salute after shaking hands with the Fourth Prince. Seeing his brief salute, the Fourth Prince grimaced for a moment before hurriedly returning to a smile.


    There was no order that they had to unconditionally and faithfully follow the military salute whenever they met with the Emperor, the Crown Prince or any member of the Imperial Family. The higher the officer¡¯s rank became, the more this situation became clearer. The military was a ce where they would only salute those who were worthy of respect or those who have umted high merit. This was the reason why Colonel Holloway only gave a brief salute to the Fourth Prince.


    ¡®Crown Prince¡­¡¯


    The Fourth Prince¡¯s status was only that of a prince that was being pushed back by the Crown Prince. However, whether it was in terms of power, abilities, and ideas, he was ahead of the Crown Prince. But Alexar had taken that noble and dignified position just because he was the eldest son.


    Anger surged in his head for a moment but he was forced to endure as he spoke to the operations¡¯ officer.


    ¡°I came here because I want to meet with Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe you should go to the Commander first.¡±


    The Fourth Prince¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard Colonel Holloway¡¯s words.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ I want to meet with Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter first¡­ can¡¯t I do that?¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter is currently with the Eastern Commander.¡±


    The Fourth Prince¡¯s eyes grew wide when he heard those words. Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter was suddenly called in by the Eastern Commander as soon as he came here. He found it suspicious.


    However, when the Fourth Prince realized that the officer in front of him was confident even if he was asked for the reason for Iron suddenly being called, his expression couldn¡¯t help but harden.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Then, should I go to the Commander¡¯s Office?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Fourth Prince tilted his head when Colonel Holloway shook his head.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter is currently in the Command Control Room.¡±


    ¡°An officer from the Northeast is there? What in the¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you the reason since that is confidential. Forgive me for my rudeness.¡±


    The Fourth Prince smacked his lips in disappointment when Colonel Holloway drew the line.


    They were probably discussing the dimensional crack but the Fourth Prince had the feeling that there were other things that they were discussing too. After all, he was sure that the key officers of the Eastern Command should have been officially called for if it was only about the dimensional crack. In addition, with the situation in the East, the Fourth Prince thought that the Eastern Commander was nning something. No, he was now sure that themander was nning something.


    He had thought that Iron would be at the center of everything so he tried to find him first. He thought that he would probably be able to coax some good information out of him since he was still young. But the Eastern Commander slyly blocked him from doing so. Just like a snake.


    In the end, the Fourth Prince was forced to follow the operations¡¯ officer as they headed towards where themander was.


    ¡°I greet Your Highness.¡±


    The Fourth Prince forced a pleasant expression on his face when Richard Burton greeted him with a light bow. He even went so far as to shake hands happily with him before turning towards Iron.


    ¡°Ho. You must be the Northeast¡¯s Hero? Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Eiscand sol de Granciel.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    Iron lightly saluted before shaking hands with the Fourth Prince.


    This time again, the Fourth Prince¡¯s eyes shook harshly at the greeting that ended with just a light salute.


    Everyone in the capital knew that the Crown Prince had received a formal salute from the Northeast. This was why the Fourth Prince had expected a lot from Iron. But Iron had just smashed his expectations to pieces.


    ¡°What business does Your Highness have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron?¡±


    Richard Burton was aware of his ns but he pretended not to know.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re of the same age. And I wanted to meet him after hearing my brother brag about what happened in the Northeast.¡±


    Richard Burton smiled deeply when he saw the Fourth Prince speaking as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°The stories about the Northeast¡­ They¡¯re definitely interesting.¡±


    Richard Burton looked at the Fourth Prince as he spoke.


    The Fourth Prince couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous when the Eastern Commander looked at him with a strange smile. It seemed like themander had expected this scene since he was strangely rxed despite his obvious words.


    ¡°How about waiting for some more people if you really wanted to know more details about the Northeast?¡±


    ¡°More details? Is there anyone in the East who knows more about the Northeast in detail than the Hero who protected the Northeast himself?¡±


    The Fourth Prince looked at Iron subtly as he spoke. However, Iron remained expressionless as he sat straight at an angle that did not even look at the Fourth Prince.


    Richard Burton smiled brightly when he saw the Fourth Prince trying to talk to Iron whenever he had the chance.


    ¡°Themanders of the North and the Northeast areing here right now.¡±


    The Fourth Prince, who was secretly looking at Iron, turned his head creakily to look at Richard Burton.


    ¡°What did you say¡­ just now?¡±


    ¡°I told you that the twomanders who protected the North areing here right now.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    ¡°From what I have heard, the tower masters of the Southern and Central Wizard Towers have also arrived. They should have received a message asking them toe here by now.¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s words made the Fourth Prince¡¯s expression harden further. It was as if the Eastern Commander knew everything that he had been doing in the East. Seeing his sly and rxed expression made Eiscand stiffen.


    In fact, he really did note to the East just to y. He came here to create a force to keep the forces of the Crown Prince that was backed by the Emperor in check. He already roughly finished the work in the Center so he came to the East to meet the nobles and merchants under the pretext of a dimensional crack. He also tried to meet with Iron to get information, something that the Crown Prince had failed to do.


    However, the Eastern Commander knew everything. The Fourth Prince thought that he was weak since he kept his silence about his actions but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡®Shot down in one go¡­¡¯


    The Fourth Prince¡¯s expression remained stiff after realizing that he had been properly hit by the Eastern Commander.


    ¡°I believe everyone will arrive soon, so let¡¯s have a chat first.¡±


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s good.¡±


    The Fourth Prince hurriedly gathered his expression as he turned to talk to the Eastern Commander. Iron just nced at him from his position.


    While the three of them were busy trying to create an ufortable but friendly atmosphere, Kim Jungtae, the Eastern Commander¡¯s source of headaches, entered a small pub in a remote corner in the East.


    ¡°Yo~ Long time no see?¡±


    Kim Jungtae tapped the shoulder of a man wearing a ck robe.


    ¡°Have you confirmed it?¡±


    ¡°Are we going to talk about work as soon as I arrive?¡±


    Kim Jungtae beckoned a waiter as he ordered some alcohol and simple snacks.


    ¡°Tch! You look like you ate some shit. Do you do that in the real world too?¡±


    ¡°Stop speaking nonsense and just get to the point.¡±


    The man in the ck robe looked at Kim Jungtae coldly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The man in the ck robe secretly increased his killing intent in response to Kim Jungtae¡¯s answer. However, Kim Jungtae just looked arrogantly at him. It was as if he was waiting for what he was going to do. He even smiled as he spoke to the ck-robed man about what he had found out.


    ¡°His divine beast is sealed and he only showed off his swordsmanship. How can I even know? How can I even figure out if he¡¯s rted to the real world when I haven¡¯t even talked to him properly?¡±


    The ck-robed man frowned before asking Kim Jungtae.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I feel like he still hasn¡¯t done his best even after he smashed those three new stars to pieces.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that he has an overwhelming strength?¡±


    Kim Jungtae nodded lightly upon hearing the ck-robed man¡¯s question.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he belongs to the Northeast? He seems to have a lot of hands-on experience. And his skills and force are stronger than what we knew so he just yed with them.¡±


    ¡°What if you fight with him?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth a try if he just has his swordsmanship but I don¡¯t know how much he¡¯s hiding.¡±


    The ck-robed man sighed when he heard Kim Jungtae¡¯s words. He knew that despite Kim Jungtae¡¯s arrogance, he was someone who had a firm grasp on his skills and strength. If he gave this evaluation, it meant that Iron Carter¡¯s abilities were far better than what they had expected.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°The dimensional crack?¡±


    The ck-robed man nodded lightly in answer to Kim Jungtae¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a bit difficult to figure out. But it seems like the dimensional crack here is a bit unique. Just like the one in the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°Is it different from the one during the beta test?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Just like what the prophet in our real world has warned us, there really seems to be a lot of different people this time around.¡±


    The ck-robed man nodded heavily when Kim Jungtae gave his own analysis of the information that they had gathered and from what he had personally learned so far.


    ¡°Are you saying that there might be forces that are using the divine beast just like what happened in the Northeast?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The problem is that the forces that are behind it seem to be simr to us. Ah, what a headache.¡±


    ¡°Are they trying to fight for this world?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if the forces behind these dimensional cracks really do exist then we should assume that they also received something from God.¡±


    The ck-robed man nodded his head in agreement to Kim Jungtae¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m done talking about the things on my part¡­ Did you find the person that you needed to find?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You still haven¡¯t found Lee Junghoo?¡±


    The ck-robed man remained silent when Kim Jungtae frowned deeply.


    ¡°What did you do while I was busy running around like a dog and collecting information?¡±


    ¡°There are too many peopleing over unlike during the beta test.¡±


    ¡°Then, it should be easier! It¡¯s their first timeing here with their bodies so it should have been easy!¡±


    Kim Jungtae looked at the man opposite him in anger.


    ¡°We need that bastard to make things easier.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°We only survived up to a certain point. But that bastard survived even longer than us. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The ck-robed man replied heavily to Kim Jungtae.


    ¡°The most important factor in this fight is Lee Junghoo. Just think about the beta test. If that bastard bes our enemy, then we¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Whether we coax him or kill him, we should do something before he grows stronger.¡±


    After saying those, Kim Jungtae bit aggressively on his snacks as he poured alcohol on his ss.


    ¡°All of the useful people have created their own power. Lee Junghoo is the only one who hasn¡¯t appeared yet. And that bastard is most likely to be thest survivor. We must be the first to find him.¡±


    Kim Jungtae¡¯s eyes turned brutal as he spoke to the ck-robed man. Then, he stood up to leave.


    While Kim Jungtae and his colleague were talking about something important, a shady meeting was taking ce in another area in the East.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 86 - Division (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(86)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>27 </b>Division (4)


    The Eastern port was a ce where a huge number of ships usually docked at. Ironically, a pier at Mara Port, the busiest port in the East, was abandoned. The ce had already turned half-abandoned whenrge ships started to move to newly built piers. But the biggest contributor to its abandonment was the bare minimum fee and theck of management that it had received. And because of that, it turned into a ce that had been frequented by smugglers and criminals.


    ¡°Did you arrive?¡±


    A blue-haired man looked at another man covered in a robe.


    ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s with the get-up? Are you an assassin?¡±


    The man had his mouth covered by a mask under the robe. But perhaps the man was still not content with his cover that he even wore some sses. The fully-covered man then approached the blue-haired man.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take that robe off? Are you going to talk like that?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me your business.¡±


    ¡°So cranky.¡±


    The blue-haired man frowned. He could clearly feel the hostility from the man wearing the robe.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even doing this because we want to do this with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. Right now, you won¡¯t even believe whatever I say anyway. I¡¯ll tell you what we¡¯re going to do from now on.¡±


    The blue-haired man sighed as he took something out.


    ¡°These are our future ns.¡±


    The man remained silent as he epted the paper. The blue-haired man continued to talk as if he knew that this would happen.


    ¡°Just like you see, the territorialisation in the Ghost Ind is over.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The dimensional crack would explode soon.¡±


    The man kept his silence once more upon hearing the blue-haired man¡¯s words.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be busy from now on. You have to report to us what happens in the Eastern Command in real time.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. The bastards in Mara Port are your father¡¯s enemies.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The blue-haired man nodded with a sigh when he heard the man under the robe answer him with clenched teeth.


    ¡°If you do as we promised, we will give you the mermaid tears. Our operation needs to seed for you to save your mother. We don¡¯t want anything more than that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    The man under the robe stared at the blue-haired man before quietly turning around.


    He would only gain more doubts if they talked even further so he decided that it was better to make things as simple as possible and disappear.


    The blue-haired man sighed as he watched the man under the robe disappear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the right thing to do¡­ using that child that is.¡±


    Even if they had lived their whole lives for the sake of revenge, they did not expect that they would even use their own children for their ns. However, the blue-haired man was pressured by hisrades when they found out about the existence of his friend¡¯s child. And in the end, he came here using the mermaid¡¯s tears as bait. But he still didn¡¯t feelfortable with this fact.


    ¡°For the Sea Kingdom¡­¡±


    The blue-haired man took a small bottle out and drank a sip before holding it high in toast towards the man who had disappeared.


    After a while, only the fishy smell of the sea remained where the blue-haired man was before. No trace of him could be seen anywhere.


    While the shady encounter for their own interest took ce at Mara Port, the people that themander had been waiting for finally began to arrive one by one at the Commander¡¯s Office.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Richard Burton, themander of the East.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Santos from the Central Wizard Tower.¡±


    ¡°Southern Wizard Tower¡¯s Sierra Leonar.¡±


    The two tower masters shook hands with the Eastern Commander before turning to look at the young man sitting down.


    ¡°This is the Fourth Prince.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Prince.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Prince.¡±


    The two tower masters said hello to the prince after Richard Burton¡¯s introduction. Then, the two tower masters turned to look at Iron, who was currently standing up.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    The two tower masters remained silent after Iron¡¯s brief introduction. They felt ufortable receiving the introduction of the person who had pummeled their disciples. However, they were masters of the Wizard Tower so they couldn¡¯tpletely abandon their curiosity as they stared at Iron¡¯s body from top to bottom.


    Richard Burton smiled bitterly when he saw the two tower masters¡¯ actions.


    ¡°Have a seat first.¡±


    The two tower masters reluctantly sat down after hearing Richard Burton¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s only right that I apologize to you two first. I apologize for myck of management and negligence as the Eastern Commander.¡±


    ¡°I should be the one to apologize. Forgive me for not teaching my disciple properly.¡±


    ¡°I should also apologize to the Commander. I have pampered my student too much that he failed to mature properly.¡±


    The two tower masters bowed towards themander as they apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already heard everything from my student. It was their side that picked a fight and got beaten afterwards.¡±


    Santos, the Central Wizard Tower master, looked at Richard Burton as he spoke. His words seemed to contain the question of why he made things big and even forced them toe here. The same was true for the Southern Wizard Tower master.


    These two tower masters seemed to be asking him why they had gathered here together. After all, they have already heard the circumstances from their students and have fully understood the situation.


    However, the Southern Wizard Tower master stood up. It was as if there was something that needed to be solved first before they got to that point.


    ¡°On behalf of the Southern Wizard Tower, I apologize to you, Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°I also ask for your forgiveness on behalf of the Central Wizard Tower.¡±


    The two tower masters bowed slightly as they looked at Iron Carter.


    Iron did not expect that these two tower masters would bow their heads to him. He immediately lowered his head and followed suit.


    Richard Burton smiled and turned towards Iron.


    ¡°I also want to say sorry to you again. I¡¯m sorry for my failure and negligence in managing my subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    After Iron bowed his head to ept their apology, the two tower masters hurriedly turned to Richard Burton. Their gazes were saying that their urgent work was over so he had to spill it now.


    Richard Burton just smiled. He did not lose his rxed smile as he stared at them who were openly asking for an exnation.


    ¡°There seems to be a spy in the Eastern Command.¡±


    The two tower masters frowned at themander¡¯s abrupt words. This was because they couldn¡¯t figure out why they were being told something like this.


    ¡°Based on my own deductions, they would immediately move and fight here as soon as we departed to prevent the dimensional crack.¡±


    ¡°So, you need our help?¡±


    Richard Burton nodded at Santos¡¯ question.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What will we get in return?¡±


    Richard Burton smiled at Sierra¡¯s question.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Northeast <b>make you drink water</b>?¡±


    Richard Burton immediately poked the two tower masters¡¯ sore spot. He knew that they couldn¡¯t approach even one of the two mana cores in the Northeast.


    The Central Wizard Tower master flinched. It seemed like he was ufortable with this topic. But Sierra just tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the dimensional crack is rted to a divine beast?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what does that have to do with us?¡±


    Richard Burton¡¯s smile grew deeper when they asked him why he was bothering them.


    ¡°Because there might be something simr to a mana core in there.¡±


    ¡°Something simr?¡±


    Sierra looked at him curiously.


    ¡°We suspect that the mermaid race is the force behind the dimensional crack.¡±


    ¡°Mermaid race!¡±


    ¡°Did they survive?¡±


    The two tower masters looked at Richard Burton in surprise when they heard the mermaid race from his mouth.


    ¡°The mermaid race has the Sea Orb. I¡¯m guessing that they created the crack by using the Sea Orb and the divine beast.¡±


    ¡°Then, that means¡­¡±


    ¡°Erring on the side of caution, I can guess that the dimensional crack in the Ghost Ind is on a muchrger scale than the dimensional cracks in the Northeast.¡±


    Richard Burton spoke solemnly to answer Sierra.


    It was not only the two tower masters, even the Fourth Prince had a serious expression on his face.


    If a huge dimensional crack really urred as Richard Burton had guessed, all of the ns that he had envisioned would all be useless.


    ¡°Do you have any evidence, Commander?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But¡­ I¡¯ll show you the information that I have collectedter.¡±


    Richard Burton smiled leisurely at the Fourth Prince¡¯s question as he stared at the two tower masters.


    ¡°Assuming that the Sea Orb is really there¡­ I have considered copying the Northeast and renting it out after we blocked the dimensional crack.¡±


    The two tower masters gulped.


    ¡°Are you saying that it will only be to either one of us?¡±


    Richard Burton shook his head regretfully at Santos¡¯ question.


    ¡°It¡¯s very unfortunate but there are two more ces. Ah! Three more ces.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Did you contact other Wizard Towers?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Just in time, an officer knocked on the door and announced someone¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Northeastern Commander Crimson Halo and Northern Commander Jayden Wicks have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Let them in.¡±


    The door opened and the twomanders entered as soon as Richard Burton¡¯s words fell.


    The expressions of the two tower masters hardened upon their entry. Even the Fourth Prince, who was already aware that they would arrive, turned stiff.


    ¡°Thank you for willingly epting my request.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both in the military so we should help each other.¡±


    ¡°Hoho. I¡¯m a bitte but I¡¯m still happy that I will be able to help the East like this.¡±


    Jaiden Wicks and Crimson Halo happily and kindly greeted Richard Burton as they emphasized that they were all in the military.


    ¡°I already exined it to the twomanders before¡­ But I¡¯ll have to exin it to the two Wizard Tower masters now.¡±


    Richard Burton smiled as he spoke.


    ¡°If the Sea Orb is found, I will give a long-term lease to the force that contributed the most in the dimensional crack defense operation.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The two tower masters sighed as they looked at Richard Burton. No matter how strong they were, as long as the two Commands in front of them united together, they would have no chance of winning.


    ¡°You can rest assured. The North and the Northeast will move separately on this matter. Ah! If the two tower masters want you can ask for additional support.¡±


    ¡°Can the Imperial Family intervene?¡±


    The expressions of the tower masters and themanders all hardened upon hearing the Fourth Prince¡¯s question. This was because not only the Military Commands but even the Wizard Towers fell short whenpared to the Imperial Authority. But Richard Burton nodded as if it was only natural.


    ¡°If the Imperial Family is willing to lend us their strength then we¡¯ll have to take it.¡±


    Everyone frowned at Richard Burton¡¯s words.


    Just then, another person entered through the open door.


    ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡±


    ¡°Y¡­ You!¡±


    Crimson Halo looked at the man that was giving off a sharp momentum in shock.


    ¡°The Lion¡­ Family?¡±


    The Fourth Prince looked nkly at the person who entered. Even the two tower masters were looking at the Lion Family Head nkly. He was someone that they never expected toe here.


    ¡°Why the hell¡­¡±


    Sierra muttered nkly as she stared at the Lion Family Head.


    Even if the Eastern Commander had a lot of connections, they never expected him to have a connection with the Lion Family.


    ¡°I believe everyone has already heard about it but¡­ can I also participate in thispetition?¡±


    Richard Burton smiled widely as he nodded in answer to Lioner¡¯s question.


    ¡°Of course. Wee to the Eastern Dimensional Crack Defense.¡±


    Richard Burton weed Lioner¡¯s participation with open arms. He looked like he was responding to a customer who came to buy something from him.


    ***


    Notes


    [Make you drink water ???] ¨C Literally drinking water. An idiom that means failure. Since water doesn¡¯t have any taste they use it as a word to describe failure. Afaik there¡¯s a story in the olden times about how this idiom came to be but it¡¯s too long so we will skip it. However, don¡¯t forget that the word ? can be used in both negative and positive connotations. In this case, it¡¯s used as a negative.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 87 - Alliance And Betrayal (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(87)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>28 </b>Alliance and Betrayal (1)


    The atmosphere in themander¡¯s office had turned heavy after the Eastern Commander weed the Lion Family Head with open arms.


    The Fourth Prince and the two tower masters were all frowning at their miscalction. While themanders of the North and Northeast sported stiff expressions after not being informed in advance about the Lion Family¡¯s participation. The only person who was leisurely was the Lion Family Head. He even nced at Iron with a smirk as if he was telling him that things were quite fun right now.


    The Eastern Commander was already sweating bullets from the heavy atmosphere and pressure created by these frowning people but the Lion Family Head was just sitting there and enjoying the situation.


    And a few dayster¡­


    The Eastern Command was in a buzz after hearing that the Lion Family would be joining in their operations. Since the Lion Family was scheduled to participate in the fight to stop the dimensional crack that was set to open in the Ghost Ind, the attention of everyone in the Empire was drawn to the East.


    By then, rumors had already started to circte that the scale of the dimensional crack in the Ghost Ind was huge and was the first of this size to be ever recorded in history. Evidence also came out at the same time to prove the rumors. They did not know where the evidence came from but it spread widely through the newspapers.


    Another rumor also started to spread. Rumors about the East having forces, like the witch and the dark elves back in the Northeast, behind the dimensional crack began to spread far and wide. The force assumed to be behind the opening of a dimensional crack was the mermaid race. They were a race that had been destroyed by the Empire a long time ago but it seemed like they had resurfaced to open the dimensional crack as a form of revenge.


    Because of this, the Empire¡¯s entire attention was directed towards Eastern Command. Even numerous newspaperpanies sent their ace reporters to follow the news.


    And today!


    Plenty of reporters had gathered together under Richard Burton¡¯s leadershipfor a press conference.


    ¡°Are you certain that the mermaids are the culprits for the dimensional crack?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about 70% sure on this matter.¡±


    Richard Burton answered the reporter with a solemn look on his face.


    ¡°Then, do you know how many mermaids have survived?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain about their total number. But there¡¯s one thing that we¡¯re certain about. ording to the expert from the Northeast, the dimensional crack here in the East is most likely going to develop at a fairly dangerous level.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ By any chance, is the expert you¡¯re talking about Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    The reporter¡¯s eyes glowed upon hearing Richard Burton. The information would be extremely reliable if it came from the Northeast¡¯s Hero. Although he was mentioned all the time in the capital, it was hard for them to cover any news about him since he was never sent out of the Northeast and because of his status as a Ghost. Perhaps that was the reason why the reporter¡¯s eyes were glowing fiercely.


    Everyone was looking at Richard Burton with anticipation. It seemed like they were looking at him as if he did a very great job here in the East.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Eastern Ghost Ind¡¯s dimensional crack is currently known to be rted to a divine beast. And I believe that Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter is second to none in the Empire when talking about both of these topics.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ I see.¡±


    The reporters eximed loudly as they tried to ask more questions about Iron. But Richard immediately saw through them as he hurriedly continued his speech.


    ¡°The Eastern Command is currently receiving support from various ces. We will also be receiving more support so we can ovee this crisis. And we will also give enoughpensation as soon as the dimensional crack is sealed.¡±


    When the reporters were provided with a huge article that was not yet leaked elsewhere, their eyes glowed brightly as they snatched the bait that the Eastern Commander had cast.


    ¡°Ho¡­ May I ask what kind ofpensation is it?¡±


    ¡°Once we have confirmed that the culprits are the mermaid race, the Sea Orb will be one of thepensations.¡±


    The reporters¡¯ eyes started to twinkle at Richard Burton¡¯s words.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the Sea Orb, then¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than a mana core. It¡¯s safe to describe it as a collection of mana. In addition, it contains the essence of the sea. It¡¯s a rare treasure in this continent.¡±


    ¡°Ah! If that¡¯s the case, then everyone can participate with their eyes lit with determination.¡±


    The reporter at the front pretended to know a lot as he talked. Richard Burton even smiled and added to the reporter¡¯s words.


    ¡°The Orb is something like a necessity for the Magic Tools Workshops and the Wizard Towers but the otherpensation for the other forces that came to support us are not bad at all.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because I will rent the Ghost Ind to them. I don¡¯t care if they¡¯ll use it as a forward base or build a factory on the ind itself. But what¡¯s important is that they will be able to rent it for a long time for a small amount of money that they would pay to the East.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±


    The reporters were buzzing upon hearing Richard Burton¡¯s words. Then, Richard opened his mouth once again. It was as if he wanted them to focus on him.


    ¡°In addition, we n to build a dimensional crack research institute and consult with the Merchant Association about further privileges since it will provide us with a lot of benefits. And! We will also listen to their request for fleet support in the future. All of this is under my authority as the Eastern Commander.¡±


    The shine in the reporters¡¯ eyes glowed even further after hearing the tremendouspensation from Richard Burton.


    ¡°If you have to consult with the Merchant Association, then at what level¡­?¡±


    ¡°Since the East had received a lot of help, we want to give them a 30% discount on all of the avable items from the merchants. In addition, we also n to lower the price of the weapons as much as possible after we consult with the Magic Tools Workshops and the Artisan Workshops.¡±


    ¡°Then, are you targeting people from all over the Empire?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The purpose of this press conference organized by Richard Burton was not just to promote the dog fight between the two Command units, the two towers and the Lion Family. The Sea Orb? Renting the Ghost Ind? Once they visit the Eastern Command, they would think about those things to some extent anyway. However, the discounts from the Merchant Association and the other guilds werepletely different. His biggest purpose was to attract the attention of the other-worlders to the East. His second aim was the mercenaries. If thergest trading port in the Empire was able to attract numerousrge workshops like the Magic Tools Workshops, the Artisan Union, the Alchemist Alliance and the Machinery Workshop then they would also be able to embrace these mercenaries and other-worlders.


    And since the research on the void insects¡¯ shells and skin had been conducted recently in the Northeast, they could expect a huge flow of money in their pockets by the time everything was over.


    This was the best oue for everyone.


    And Richard Burton¡¯s intention had worked properly.


    [ The Magic Tools Workshops had made up their minds.


    The Eastern Mara Magic Tools Workshop had also made a big decision in this battlefield alliance. They will be selling all of their items at a 30% discount until the dimensional crack fiasco is over.


    But, there are conditions!


    <b>1 </b>They will be joining the dimensional crack defense battle


    <b>2 </b>Sell the corpses of the void insects and contaminated monsters to their workshops.


    If these two conditions are met, you can get weapons and armor that you can¡¯t normally touch.


    This is killing two birds with one stone! You can earn good money and good weapons!


    You won¡¯t be missing this opportunity, right?]


    It was an article that could easily be misunderstood as something that was paid by the Magic Tools Workshops. However, this was not the only article that came out like this.


    [The Machinery Workshop will offer a 40% discount to those who will participate in the dimensional crack defense battle!]


    [The Eastern Wizard Tower¡¯s big decision! Big discount on magic tools!]


    [The Merchant Association! From this moment on, there will be a 30% discount for everyone. So,e to the East!]


    There were a lot of stimting phrases that made it hard for the masses to determine if it was a legitimate article or a promotional advertisement.


    As a result, the entire Empire went crazy.


    The pie in the Center had already been eaten up by most of the other-worlders, the senior knights and wizards to the point that they were already cramped and overflowing in manpower. However, there was a huge dimensional crack that was scheduled to open in the East. And there were evenrge discounts that could stimte the appetites of the mercenaries and the other-worlders that were left behind. So, what would the result be?


    To be honest, if they did not even catch this bait then they should have to quit their mercenary careers.


    [Let¡¯s go to the East!]


    [Are there still some people who haven¡¯t gone to the East yet?]


    [Let¡¯s show them the power of ants!!!]


    [You¡¯ll miss thest train if you miss this opportunity! Let¡¯s take the final train together!]


    Not only were the mercenaries forming alliances but even the other-worlders joined together and made teams. As a result, almost all of the people that had been cast aside from the Center and the rest of the Empire flocked to the East.


    And amidst such a buzz, a huge event suddenly happened.


    ¡°Breaking news! Breaking news! The Lion Family joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower!¡±


    It was a development that none of them expected. They thought that they would ally themselves with either the Northern Command or the Northeastern Command but they unexpectedly joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower.


    Everyone thought that it was a lie at first. But just as if they wereughing at their naive thoughts, Lioner and the Eastern Wizard Tower Master joined hands.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s a good deal for each of us.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lioner and Tower Master Cornciel officially showed the reporters that they joined hands.


    In fact, the Lion Family had betrayed the North. However, there was no way that the Lion Family, who promoted individualism, would care about such things. When this situation happened, both the North and the Northeast were suddenly thrown in a hurry. They were keeping each other in check wondering who would approach the Lion Family first but in the end, this happened. Then, the South and the Center were also forced to feel the urgency of the situation. The thought that the Lion Family would approach someone else did not cross their minds at all.


    In the end, it was the North that moved first. The North made an alliance with the West after the betrayal(?) of the Lion Family. They nned to wipe out the Ghost Ind by joining forces with the West¡¯s airship fleet and the Northern armored and artillery units.


    On the verge of being pushed back, the Northeast joined hands with the Central Wizard Tower, an existence that they hated so much.


    From the Central Wizard Tower¡¯s perspective, they could only join hands with the Imperial Family in such a situation. However, if they did so, most of the interest that they would gain would be forced to be handed over to the Imperial Family. If that happened, they wouldn¡¯t receive any benefit at all. In such a situation, they immediately epted the offer justifying their choice as the Northeast contacted them first.


    Seeing that the Northeast suddenly joined hands with the Central Wizard Tower, the Southern Wizard Tower felt the urgency once more. In the end, Tower Master Sierra headed to the Godly Sword Family.


    ¡°Let¡¯s join hands. I will give you 50% of the profits.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones who support you the most, and we even told you that we will give you 50% of it!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not really interested in those benefits.¡±


    Sierra couldn¡¯t help but bite her lips as she stared at Sword Saint Terrion Sigurd. It seemed like the man only showed interest in the sword.


    ¡°Are you really going to say those foolish words? Do you not know that the Lion Family is in the East?¡±


    ¡°What difference does that make?¡±


    ¡°The dimensional crack that was scheduled to open is considered as thergest to be recorded in history. What do you think wille out of there?¡±


    Terrion Sigurd flinched at Sierra¡¯s words.


    Feeling that the line had been cast, Sierra immediately opened her mouth.


    ¡°There would definitely be a strong existence there. Although they may not be as strong as the witch, the force behind the crack would definitely still be almost on par with her.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    When he went to the Northeast, the only thing that Sigurd dealt with was the mana core. Then, he came back. Fortunately, the Lion Family Head was also in the same situation. So, he did not say much. However, he still felt that it was a shame. This was because he really wanted to fight against the strongest witch in history.


    ¡°Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t meet them.¡±


    ¡°Uhm?¡±


    ¡°The Sea Orb. Are you not curious¡­ about the depth of its mana?¡±


    The Orb was extremely pure and powerful that no mana core could bepared to it at all.


    Hearing her words, curiosity was suddenly sparked in Terrion Sigurd¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check it together.¡±


    Terrion pondered over Sierra¡¯s words for a long time before nodding his head.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Sierra smiled broadly at Terrion¡¯s answer as she wrote the contract. Then, she returned to the East.


    After a while, news about the Southern Wizard Tower and the Godly Sword Family joining hands spread. The East had suddenly be the hottest ce in the entire Empire.


    It was a ce where great and powerful alliances had gathered as well as a ce that had huge risks lurking from behind the shadows.


    Despite having plenty of small cracks in the Center, the attention gradually drifted away from them.


    And in this situation, there were two people who wereughing the loudest.


    ¡°That was a good deal.¡±


    ¡°I think so too¡­ I hope we will have plenty more opportunities like this in the future.¡±


    Richard Burton and Iron Carter smiled at each other widely.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 88 - Alliance And Betrayal (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(88)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>28 </b>Alliance and Betrayal (2)


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you know how those other-worlders think.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s the mercenaries or the other-worlders, aren¡¯t they the same?¡±


    Iron grinned at hearing Richard Burton¡¯s praise.


    In fact, it was not entirely unexpected that the other-worlders would just up and abandon the Center even after being intertwined with the nobles just so they could transfer to the East.


    Discounts!


    Privileges!


    Opportunities!


    The people who were crazy about these words were none other than the other-worlders. Among them would be people who think that this was just a game and those who were crazy for growth and strength. The beta-testers rolled around and ran like dogs just so they could get rewards back then and just because they came here with their original bodies did not mean that they would suddenly change and be indifferent to these rewards.


    And there was also the Lion Family.


    Iron recalled the first conversation that he had with Lioner after talking with Richard Burton.


    ¨DYou want me toe to the East?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¨DWhy should I do that?


    Lioner had no need to listen to him since they weren¡¯t in a situation where they had to bet their all to protect the ce that they live in just like in the Winter Mountains.


    Iron smiled as if he had expected this answer before speaking.


    ¡°The dimensional crack this time would be enormous.¡±


    ¨DAnd so?


    ¡°I remember you being all sad and whiny that you did not get to fight with the witch back then?¡±


    Lioner¡¯s mouth turned shut when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    The Great Witch showed great power to the extent that Crimson and Two Moons who fought against her were still pushed back. And Lioner regretted the fact that he couldn¡¯t fight against her at all.


    ¨DAre you trying to provoke me? That trick is too superficial.


    ¡°Then, how about this? Shall we have a bet?¡±


    ¨DA bet¡­


    Lioner looked like he was tangled when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s already beneficial for the Lion Family to participate here in the East but it seems like the family head couldn¡¯t be swayed with just that. So, we¡¯ll make a bet.¡±


    ¨DDo you even have something that you can bet on?


    ¡°If I lose, then I¡¯ll do what the family head wants.¡±


    Lioner cackled like crazy after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¨DFufufufufu. Is this the second round of our bet in the Winter Mountains?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¨DGood! Let¡¯s have some fun somewhere else then.


    ¡°Ah! Just so you know, the board would probably get a bit bigger.¡±


    ¨DThat would be for the best.


    Iron smiled as he turned off the crystal ball after hearing Lioner¡¯s agreement.


    After their conversation was over, he thought that everything ended well just like he intended. But the madman suddenly joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower.


    Iron was puzzled when the crazy family of his unexpectedly joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower. However, all he could do was move busily once the North started to move and team up with the West. After confirming that the Lion Family had joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower, the Northeast forged an alliance with the Central Wizard Tower.


    Although Lioner¡¯s unexpected move had made him busy, the results were far better than what he had expected. Thanks to Lioner¡¯s actions, theirpensation and rewards were spread far and wide all throughout the Empire which ended up attracting a lot more mercenaries and other-worlders. Even the Godly Sword Family joined the fray. Lioner only wanted to enjoy this entertaining situation in moderation, but it seemed like he had lit a fire.


    And because of this, elite troops gathered at the East and arrived one after the other. Their numbers were far more than their initial expectations.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to slowly solidify the East¡¯s position.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, the Eastern Command will have to announce our neutrality.¡±


    Richard Burton nodded as he answered Iron.


    The Eastern Command maintaining its neutrality was a good tactic to confirm that another force would not be added to the mix. At the same time, it would make them focus on the various forces that had been intertwined here in the East.


    This would ensure that they would follow the words of the Eastern Army to some extent. Of course, doing so would mean that they would be abandoning the Sea Orb and the Ghost Ind. But the East did not regret this decision. After all, they already received the promise of tremendous support from the Merchant Association and the other forces in the East.


    Then, what about the Merchant Association and the other forces that supported the Eastern Command? Of course, the same would be true for them. In fact, the discounts were just some sort of pun for them. They wouldn¡¯t even suffer a big loss since there would be countless other-worlders and forces that would gather in the East. There were even signs that the previously stagnant Eastern Commercial District was showing liveliness once again. And because of that they could afford to manage the risk which would prove to be beneficial for everyone.


    Would the risk of the huge dimensional crack and the damage that it would cause be covered with just this? For the merchants this was still a huge business but the risks still remained. Then, was Richard Burton the only one who benefited from this? That wasn¡¯t the case either.


    ¡®I already got everything that I can get from here.¡¯


    Iron bid his farewell to Richard Burton before going to Crimson¡¯s amodations.


    Richard Burton immediately introduced a Magic Tools Workshop, a small Wizard Tower and other workshops to Iron after he talked to the Lion Family. And they were currently in the process of moving to the Northeast after promising Iron. In addition, work was already underway in Baiden River¡¯s downstream area under the orders of the Eastern Commander. In other words, everything that the Northeastern Command needed had been gained.


    So, what was their n for Ghost Ind?


    For the Northeast, it was just an additional entertainment to earn some pocket money. It would be good for them to win but even if they did not, they would not be disappointed at all.


    ¡°It really went as you said.¡±


    ¡°My luck is good.¡±


    Crimson smiled broadly when Iron spoke humbly.


    ¡°Haha! Jayden has already noticed and is already starting to jabber. He¡¯s telling me that only the Northeast has benefited.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. The trading route will also be overhauling the North so they would also benefit in the long run.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said but he said that he won¡¯t benefit as much as we do.¡±


    Iron smiled at Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well then! Shall we get ready to move?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll join Ghost from now on.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    The Ghosts arrived in the East as soon as Crimson¡¯s permission was given. And Iron had immediately joined them as they began to earnestly move to attack the Ghost Ind.


    When therge forces and alliances that gathered in the East began to move to attack the Ghost Ind, the small forces that had gathered in the East including the mercenaries and small adventurer¡¯s guilds also started to move.


    But one of the most eye-catching forces suddenly appeared. It was also a guild but the members wereposed of the other-worlders. Although they were other-worlders that had been pushed out of the Center, they were still a guild that took a lead in dealing with dimensional cracks before. It was still the most notable guild even after beingpared to the top-ranked guilds in the Center that had gathered here in the East in dreams of flying high.


    ¡°You want me to be in a guild with Kin Jwontae?¡±


    ¡°That Kin Jwongtae?¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ That bastard has a guild too?¡±


    ¡°I thought that he was only moving alone but¡­ there¡¯s really a guild that epted King Jwontae?¡±


    The guild that Kim Jungtae, whose name was always mispronounced by the people, was¡­


    [ White Whale ]


    A white whale was drawn on their g while a pattern with the name of their guild was embedded on a crest that was attached to the members¡¯ chests. What was surprising was the fact that the guild where Kim Jungtae belonged, also has several other-worlders¡¯ guilds incorporated in it. It seemed like the other-worlders were using their brains to try and fight on the same ground as the huge forces of this world.


    With their precedence, the mercenary guild also started to unite together. A huge mercenary unit was created around the Royal Blood Mercenaries, a mercenary group created by gathering those with noble bloodlines from the Center.


    While the alliances heading towards the Ghost Ind were starting to getpleted one by one, Richard Burton made an announcement.


    ¡°Our Eastern Army will not attack the Ghost Ind. We will remain in a neutral position as we help in the attack of the Ghost Ind. In the future, each force will be the ones in charge of the assault towards the ind.¡±


    By the end of Richard Burton¡¯s speech, an official announcement was posted at the main gate of the Eastern Command that listed the coalition and alliances of the major forces participating in this battle.


    Northeastern Command ¨D Central Wizard Tower


    Northern Command ¨D Western Command


    Lion Family ¨D Eastern Wizard Tower


    Godly Sword Family ¨D Southern Wizard Tower


    Royal Blood ¨D Mercenary Unit


    White Whale ¨D Other-worlders¡¯ Coalition


    From this point on, these six alliances would fight and attack the Ghost Ind. And only the final winner would get the sweetest fruit.


    All of these alliances started to gather at the Eastern Port as they began to prepare to leave for Ghost Ind. Eastern Command also began to gather all of their avable ships for their disposal.


    They had gathered a fleet whose main purpose was to transport these six allied teams and was a fleet that wasposed of only the elites of the elite troops in the East while leaving the rest of the army in the port. This decision was a bit out of shape for the Empire¡¯s strongest naval fleet but none of the soldiers in the Eastern Army were dissatisfied with the Commander¡¯s decision. This was because they noticed that the pirates¡¯ movements were unusual. Even the groups that sympathized with them were moving suspiciously around the port.


    The first and main task of the Eastern Army was to protect Command. They did not hesitate to abandon their honor of preventing the dimensional crack in lieu of protecting Mara Port, the Empire¡¯s best port.


    ¡°As expected¡­ what a fussy and strictmander.¡±


    A blue-haired man stared as themander entered the emergency work system that was guarded tightly after sending out the main fleet.


    ¡°The odds are¡­ less than 30%?¡±


    The blue-haired man couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue after predicting their chances against Richard Burton.


    Despite all of the mermaids dedicated to their cause, it was still too much for them to deal with someone at the level of themander. Still, they felt that it was a wall that they could never climb over in the past but there wasn¡¯t that much difference now.


    ¡°What a pity. I wanted to break Eastern Command by myself but¡­¡±


    Now that their main fleet was sent out it was their golden opportunity to take down the Eastern Command and bring confusion to Mara Port but unfortunately themander was not an easy opponent.


    Since it was already revealed that the mermaid race was the force behind the dimensional crack, themander had decided to remain and protect the port until the very end.


    ¡°I have no choice but to trust him.¡±


    The man thought of the guy who was lying in wait to put Mara Port in confusion and chaos.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Then, shall we go to my own battlefield then?¡±


    The blue-haired man disappeared into droplets of water after leaving those words.


    At that moment, themander¡¯s eyes widened when he saw something while he was inspecting his soldiers from afar.


    ¡°Commander?¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Themander immediately ced his finger on his lips as he focused when one of the officers tilted their head in confusion and asked after him.


    Although it disappeared in an instant, it was still the first energy that he had felt.


    ¡°Found you!¡±


    The Eastern Commander increased his mana.


    ¡°John! Switch to the war system!¡±


    As soon as Richard Burton spoke, a gigantic blue magic circle appeared above them. As soon as the circle waspleted, sea waves began to flock towards it as if they had been waiting for a long time.


    ¡°That¡­ Over there!¡±


    ¡°Is this the power of the mermaid race?¡±


    Richard Burton calmly watched as hepleted his magic while the officer next to him spoke in surprise. Then, a huge ice spear pierced through the center of the wave and the blue magic circle.


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s a Magic Master¡­¡±


    It was a power that could only be reached and expressed by someone at the level of a Magic Master.


    Richard Burton shouted to his entire army after freezing the huge wave entirely with his mana.


    ¡°From this point on, we are in a war against our enemies! All troops, stop the enemies from entering Mara Port!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The shocked officers immediately saluted as they went to their positions.


    At the same time, the loud sound of a horn trumpet rang loudly as the remaining ships in the port began to move.


    Pirate ships began to appear with their tattered pirate gs from afar as if they had been waiting for this moment.


    ¡°Waaaaaaaah!¡±


    Richard Burton looked solemnly at the criminals that wereing from all over the port as he muttered to himself.


    ¡°A diversion tactic?¡±


    He looked at the sea coldly as the inside and outside of the port was attacked. He could see something tantlypeting with himself as it spread its murderous intent.


    ¡°Oh. Have I been caught in a trap?¡±


    Richard Burton rose in the air. He knew that there would be confusion once he left the Command. But with the power of his subordinates, he believed that they would be able to stop their enemies. He also believed in the mercenaries, other-worlders and the soldiers that remained in the port.


    ¡°Is this some sort of prelude to the dimensional crack?¡±


    Richard Burton muttered to himself as he stared at the sea that the troops that left for the Ghost Ind had traveled on.


    For these people who left for the most dangerous y, he needed to win in this outpost and add to their victory. And to do so, Richard Burton vowed to destroy the mermaids even if he had to squeeze out all of the magic in his body.


    ***


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 Chapter 89 - Alliance And Betrayal (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(89)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>28 </b>Alliance and Betrayal (3)


    The mermaid race was a race that casted and used sea sorcery. They were a race that could freely create waves, whirlpools and storms that could be easily ssified as disasters. Because of that, they were known to be extremely dangerous. Even a master would be advised not to fight against the mermaid race in the sea. However, to stop the mermaids at sea, one needed to have plenty of experience unless they were at the stage of a Magic Master.


    But just like the mermaids, the Eastern Commander was also someone who could bend the sea at his will.


    The huge sea against the ice magic that could freeze it over. The impact of the collision of these two huge mana and magic spread all throughout the port.


    If the battle between Masters needed them to narrow the distance between them, the fight between Magic Masters needed them to expand their area quickly and widely.


    ¡°Amazing. So even the mermaid race can make a huge wave of this size¡­¡±


    Richard Burton frowned after confirming that their opponents were not just young mermaids that were hell-bent on revenge. He had initially thought that the mermaids were using their special treasure to imitate a Magic Master but the more he fought the more he realized that it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡®This guy is for real!¡¯


    Richard Burton couldn¡¯t help but unconsciously acknowledge the mermaid race¡¯s strength as he began to pull up his mana and use his magic earnestly. He had no room to pay attention to other ces while fighting against such a powerful mermaid. Seeing that Richard Burton was using his ice magic in earnest, the mermaid also began to attack with the water in various other ways other than just making a huge wave.


    Spaces were created by the two who were fighting fiercely. Richard Burton had created his own area by freezing the seawater solid. And the mermaid had created their own huge wave by making use of the flow of the sea. After each area was created, attacks that aimed to invade the opponent¡¯s territory immediately began. The Eastern Commander¡¯s magic that froze the sea and the mermaid¡¯s waves that broke each ice.


    Perhaps they thought that their attacks weren¡¯t enough that the mermaid gathered the waves and tides together to create a water giant while the Eastern Commander also gathered the broken pieces of ice in the surroundings and confronted it with an ice giant of his own.


    Of course, the fight between these two beings turned one side of the port into apletely inessible area. In the end, the port was blocked by two Magic Master-level beings however, there was no other impact other than that. So, the pirates and the ships that were trying to invade the port began to rush forward and achieve their goals.


    ¡°It looks like there are at least hundreds of ships¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit. There aren¡¯t enough ships on our side.¡±


    The difference between the number of their ships and the number of the pirate ships were extremelyrge. What was worse was the fact that the ships against them were extremely sturdy, they were even equipped with cannons. In other words, pirates had formed an alliance together.


    After confirming that, the ships immediately set up a defense line as they made use of their familiar terrain. Then, they began to fight against the huge crowd of pirate ships that were trying to invade the port.


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, fire in one go!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them get through here!¡±


    The naval fleet tried their hardest to block the entry of the pirate ships while the pirates tried so hard to break through and enter the port.


    However, no matter how strong and sturdy their ships were, they were no match for the sheer volume of ships their enemies had. It was almost impossible for them to block hundreds of ships with just a dozen of their own. Especially if the pirate ships kept on charging forward while they endured and had their ships breaking down slowly. In the end, they had no choice but to allow the pirate ships entry to their port. But as the one who held the title of the strongest naval fleet in the Empire, they still seeded in keeping a huge number of pirate ships from entering the port. They just hoped that the rest of them would be able to hold out as much as possible in their defense zone inside the port¡­


    The only problem was that Mara Port was not only teeming with pirates.


    ¡°These crazy bastards!¡±


    One of the soldiers observing the port from a distance gaped at the criminals looting the merchant¡¯s street. Seeing this, he immediately jumped towards Command.


    ¡°Chief of Staff!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Criminals have invaded the merchant¡¯s street!¡±


    Chief of Staff Consville¡¯s expression hardened upon hearing the officer¡¯s report.


    ¡°How about the guards stationed there¡­¡±


    ¡°They evacuated the merchants¡­¡±


    ¡°Were they wiped out?¡±


    The officer bowed his head upon hearing Consville¡¯s question.


    Consville immediately headed straight towards the Command¡¯s highest observatory to check the situation for himself. Climbing up there, he saw the situation in the entire port. It could be described in a few short words.


    Basically, everything was a mess.


    The criminals who had always been trapped in the confines of the dark suddenly stood up and ran amok in the port all at once. Even those who stayed in the shady and abandoned port like the beggars, the vagrants, the smugglers, the ck merchants and many others stood up together. All of them looted the merchant¡¯s street while attacking the low-ranking aristocrats that looked at them condescendingly before.


    And when the port¡¯s most powerful people had been attacked, even those who were usually dissatisfied with them began to participate in the mess. They spread like wildfire. It was as if a revolution had urred. And not long after, all of the people who were dissatisfied with Mara Port and its system joined the fray. In the end, it was no longer something that the troops could control.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess.¡±


    They were in a situation where the Eastern Army¡¯s main force had departed for the Ghost Ind. They felt relieved since the Eastern Commander had stayed behind but even that was stripped of them as he got tied with the mermaid that caused the huge wave.


    And just like that, the criminal syndicates that hid in the crevices of the port began to take over the Command¡¯s important areas one by one.


    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    Since the Commander was tied up with the mermaid, the Chief of Staff, Consville, was now serving as the deputymander. In other words, he was the finalmander of the stronghold.


    He looked at the Operations¡¯ Officer, Holloway, who was hurriedly rushing towards him.


    ¡°Holloway.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Call over all the senior officers and knights. We will deal with the criminals directly.¡±


    ¡°But if we do that then the Command will be empty.¡±


    Consville nodded. It seemed like he was already aware about Operations¡¯ Officer Holloway¡¯s concern for Command. Once all of the senior knights and officers had been called out, only the young officers and soldiers would be left behind. In fact, the Command would already be in danger once a few named criminals came.


    Consville was fully aware of that matter. However, the entire port would be in danger if they continued to maintain the Command as it is.


    ¡°Gather the nobles and aristocrats towards Command. Then, the knights under theirmand would naturally gather here at Command.¡±


    ¡°Will that work?¡±


    ¡°The guards of the merchants that we rescued should also gather towards Command.¡±


    Holloway sighed after hearing Consville¡¯s words. It would only lead to a disorder to gather them at Command. Although their individual abilities were quite excellent, it was still difficult to fight against proper troops since they weren¡¯t trained to fight together. So, Holloway tried to oppose his decisions once again, but Consville immediately noticed it as he shouted at him.


    ¡°Get your grip! The port in and of itself is already dangerous! Think about what the criminal syndicates are targeting!¡±


    The defense facilities that have been installed at the port.


    The criminal syndicates, the main force driving the current situation, were aiming for those all along. They wanted to invade the merchant¡¯s street as well as target the aristocrats and merchants while hitting the major defense facilities all over the port to let the pirates sneak in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll gather the knights right away.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Holloway saluted and hurried down while Consville used a telescope to look around.


    ¡°There¡¯s clearly a driving force behind it. These criminal organizations standing up together is no coincidence.¡±


    Seeing this incident, Consville had judged that there was someone very dangerous behind them. At first, he thought that it was a part of the mermaid race but with the current situation, his intuition was telling him that it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    They were too orderly for them to be judged as someone who just woke up and thought ¡®Now¡¯s our chance!¡¯ and revolted. He could see that they knew where to attack first to increase the confusion in the port.


    In addition, the time when the criminals stood up was quite unusual. The time was so long that it was quite hard for the main fleet to turn back. It was also the time when the Eastern rear forces were still not yet at Command. It seemed like they aimed for that gap to make things confusing. This was something that should be unknown unless there was a spy in their midst. It was clear that someone among them had joined hands with the mermaids to sell information to n this.


    ¡°Who the hell are you¡­¡±


    Although Consville did not know who it was, he was sure that he would make them pay the price for betraying the Eastern Army.


    However, despite his growing anger, Mara Port was still heading towards the worst situation. The entire port was already burning from the arsonists and exposed to a lot of looters. And in such a chaotic situation, the pirate ships were able to break through their defense lines one by one as they entered the port.


    ¡°Everyone, our operation will be focused on defense. Never! Never let the pirates set foot on our port! Do you understand?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Consville nodded in satisfaction after hearing the senior knights and officers answering loudly before turning to look at Daniel Cevaior.


    ¡°Captain Daniel!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Then merchants and aristocrats will soone to Command. Take their knights and guards and protect the Command unconditionally. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put my life on the line to protect it.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will trust you. I hope you don¡¯t let me down anymore.¡±


    Daniel Cevaior nodded firmly as he saluted at Consville before moving with the soldiers and the other young officers to protect Command.


    Since their high-leveled troops would go outside, it was best for them to gather and prevent them from entering through the gate. Because of that, almost all of the troops left in Command were concentrated on the main gate.


    Meanwhile, the merchants, aristocrats and citizens of the Empire were forced to flee to Command and send their escorts to fight against the criminal syndicates that followed them from behind.


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaah!¡±


    ng! ng!


    The criminal syndicates appeared from afar while firing shots as they rushed towards the main gate.


    In fact, most of these people had stood up to revolt because they were dissatisfied with Mara Port. However, none of them had the courage to enter Command. This was because they had experienced the majesty of the Eastern Army for a long time.


    However, the criminal syndicates were different. No one knew where they got the information but they knew that the power inside Command was not enough to stop them so they flocked like crazy to upy the ce.


    Right now, there were two groups that attacked the Eastern Army. The first group attacked the port¡¯s defense facilities and sent the pirates in while the other group tried to upy the Command.


    However, this was the Eastern Army. No matter how rotten it was in the center, they could still endure well against these criminal syndicates. They were proving that they weren¡¯t a military that was maintained through connections like the Central Army.


    Despite Daniel¡¯s inexperiencedmanding, the Eastern Army was still able to protect the main gate well. However, the problem erupted from an unexpected ce.


    Baaaaang!


    ¡°Where is it?!¡±


    ¡°In¡­ Inside the Command!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Daniel stared at the soldier in confusion before looking back at some of the first officers.


    ¡°You guys,e with me.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ What should we do about this ce?¡±


    ¡°Endure it as best as you can!¡±


    Daniel quickly entered Command with a few officers as he shouted like that. Meanwhile, explosions rang loudly one after the other. However, strangely enough there weren¡¯t any criminals or pirates at all.


    The Command exploded all over the ce but they couldn¡¯t see where it wasing from.


    ¡°Look for the bomb! The bomb!¡±


    Daniel stared at the building as he told the people around to look for the bomb as they listened to the sound of explosion.


    The explosions could be heard only on the Command¡¯s important buildings.


    The Commander¡¯s Office.


    The Strategy Meeting Room.


    The Command¡¯s Lobby.


    The Armory.


    And the Eastern Command Data Storage Room.


    These important ces were the ces that symbolized the Command. And all of them had exploded.


    Even the Imperial g and the Command g had been burned down from the main gate.


    The Hero Hall that enshrined all of their heroes from time immemorial.


    The statues of Heroes.


    The history of the Eastern Military.


    Daniel couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head when these ces all exploded and burned.


    It was a terrorist attack that¡¯s aim was to drag the honor of the Eastern Command down to the dregs. They thought that the terrorism was only brought about by the mermaid race but it seemed like these explosions were caused by someone unknown who was most likely to be an officer at Eastern Command.


    Seeing the traces of such acts, Daniel surveyed the Command sharply.


    ¡®By any chance?¡¯


    Then, he went straight to the rooftop.


    The important buildings that symbolized the Command¡¯s honor had already been burned to the ground. If that was the case, there was only one symbol left in the Command. It was the Eastern Army g that was fluttering at the top of the building.


    And in front of that exact same g was a familiar man holding a torch.


    ¡°You¡­ What are you doing here?¡±


    The man, who was about to burn the g, turned his head at Daniel¡¯s question.


    Daniel¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as he shouted at the man.


    ¡°Mateo you XXXXXXX! What are you doing here?!¡±


    Mateo maintained his silence as he burned down the Eastern Army g despite Daniel¡¯s angry roar. Seeing Mateo¡¯s indifference, Daniel ran to him in anger.


    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±


    Daniel attacked him with all his might while Mateo just blocked his spirit¡¯s attack.


    It was an attack that he thought would never be blocked. But Mateo, who was in the middle of the 4th Stage, was of course able to block his attack.


    However, Daniel¡¯s eyes were widened in both shock and anger. This was because the power that Mateo used to block his attack was not his swordsmanship.


    ¡° You¡­¡±


    What blocked Daniel¡¯s ¡®Water Spear¡¯ was a ¡®Water Shield¡¯.


    ¡°You¡¯re a¡­ spiritualist?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expression hardened when he felt that Mateo¡¯s water spirit was much more powerful than his.


    ¡°Why¡­ Why the hell?! Why! Why did you betray us?!¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a human and mermaid half-breed.¡±


    Mateo calmly confessed to Daniel¡¯s angry roar. Daniel¡¯s eyes widened even further when he heard his unexpected answer. He immediately understood his answers after hearing the words half-breed mermaid, a race that was already known to be extinct.


    Was it because one would experience calmness and cool-headedness in extreme anger?


    Daniel pulled his sword as his anger cooled down and calmness was restored in his mind.


    ¡°I understand the reason why you¡¯re doing this. So¡­ I¡¯ll just think of you as my enemy from now on.¡±


    Mateo nodded bitterly after hearing Daniel¡¯s words.


    ¡°You have to throw away thoughts ofing back to Command.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have to do that. Because I¡¯ve already finished what I have to do.¡±


    Daniel looked puzzled after hearing his words. He couldn¡¯t understand why he went to such great lengths just to destroy the symbols of Command. However, Mateo just looked at Daniel silently as if he did not know the question that was written all over his face.


    However, those who were headed towards Ghost Ind had immediately found the reason. Something that neither the terrorists nor the defense line would be able to know.


    ¨DThe Eastern Command had been taken down by the mermaids. The blessing of the Sea God would be given to the mermaids.


    ¨DThe dimensional crack has gotten stronger after something has gotten stronger.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself while on the boat headed to Ghost Ind.


    ¡°Eastern Command¡­ has fallen?¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 90 - Sea Catastrophe (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(90)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>29 </b>Sea Catastrophe (1)


    Iron heard the notifications about the Eastern Command being taken down. It was quite shocking news so he was wondering if he should be the one to let the others know. Fortunately, he was able to shake the responsibility off of his shoulders when the other-worlders delivered the news themselves. Soon enough, the news spread to the entire fleet headed towards Ghost Ind.


    ¡°Did the Eastern Command¡­ really fall?¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°Command has been taken down by pirates?¡±


    The Eastern Army was suddenly agitated. They couldn¡¯t decide if they should turn the main fleet around or continue to head towards Ghost Ind right now¡­


    The Eastern Commander in charge of the main fleet that was taking the subjugation forces to Ghost Ind was left in Command and the officer in charge of the fleet had no authority to turn the fleet around and order around the twomanders, the family heads and the tower masters. In the end, they were stuck in a situation where they couldn¡¯t do things the way they wanted. They were forced to move and advance towards Ghost Ind. But the longer they travelled, the more nervous the soldiers felt.


    In the end, they were divided into two sides. One side wanted to turn back and one side wanted to advance forward. A fierce fight even broke out between the two. Some argued that there would be a problem with their supply if the Eastern Command was taken over by the enemies. While some argued that the prevention and sealing of the dimensional crack took precedence and that they couldn¡¯t waste the sacrifice of the Eastern Command.


    Both of the sides made sense so the officer-in-charge could not decide at all. All they could do was to use the magicmunication tool non-stop and try to connect to Command. However, even if they continued to try making contact, no one answered. And just when this fact was about to be used as evidence that the Command had truly gone down¡­


    The magicmunication tool lit up. Everyone looked eagerly at themunication tool.


    ¡°Who received the message?!¡±


    Everyone turned nervously at themunication tool after hearing Crimson¡¯s question. This was because there was a risk that it was a pirate or a mermaid who answered them.


    ¨DThis is Captain Daniel Cevaior.


    Crimson asked in relief after hearing Daniel¡¯s answer.


    ¡°What¡¯s the current situation in Eastern Command?¡±


    ¡ª¡­I will make it brief. The situation is not good right now, sir.


    Daniel stopped talking after saying those words. Hearing the sound of the artillery and bombs exploding from afar, it seemed like a fight was still in full swing. Everyone trembled as they gulped nervously waiting for Daniel¡¯s next words.


    After a while, Daniel opened his mouth once again.


    ¨DThe current situation in the Eastern Command is not good. The major buildings and symbols of the Eastern Command had been bombed and burned down. After checking with the other-worlders, it seemed like their ¡®system¡¯ is saying that the Eastern Command has fallen¡­


    ¡°We know that.¡±


    Daniel turned silent after hearing Crimson¡¯s words before speaking as if he remembered something.


    ¨DAh! Plenty of other-worlders have arrived here.


    Daniel med himself for forgetting something important before continuing to speak.


    ¨DThen, I¡¯ll inform you of what¡¯s going on. Currently, pirates have flocked to Mara Port and the entire port has now turned into a battlefield from the skirmishes created by mermaids and criminals.


    ¡°The Commander! Is the Commander alright?¡±


    ¨DYes. He¡¯s currently fighting against a mermaid. The fight is too intense and we still don¡¯t know when it will end.


    Daniel¡¯s report brought a bit of relief to the twomanders and the senior officers on the ship.


    As long as the strongest person in the East remained alive, there would be no confusion and chaos in the chain ofmand. Although it would be difficult as of the moment, they knew that he would still be able to subdue the pirates and the other enemies in the end.


    ¡°Then, is the port still safe?¡±


    ¨DYes, sir. However¡­ This will likely lead to arge-scale battle so it would take us quite a long time before we can provide additional support.


    Everyone fell silent at Daniel¡¯s words. This only meant one thing. They had to conquer Ghost Ind with all their might. Still, they were thankful that they had avoided the worst possible situation. As long as Mara Port survived, the Command would still be restored.


    ¡°Then, should we go back to help?¡±


    ¨DNo, sir. The Eastern Army¡¯s rear troops are alreadying with the other support forces. And the fleets that are in charge of the other regions are alreadying back to Command.


    ¡°Time is on our side, then.¡±


    ¨DYes, sir! So, don¡¯t mind us and continue advancing to the Ghost Ind.


    Daniel spoke firmly upon hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t some fleet still turn around and help you?¡±


    ¨DNo, sir. It¡¯s more dangerous for the people advancing to Ghost Ind. From what we heard, it¡¯s already¡­ The dimensional gate has already reached thepletion stage.


    Everyone looked at Daniel suspiciously when he spoke those words.


    ¡°You, how did you¡­?¡±


    ¨DThere¡¯s a traitor inside the Command. He was a mermaid half-breed. The information I gave you was something that I personally heard from him.


    ¡°Traitor? Insidemand?!¡±


    ¨DYes, sir. It¡¯s information that I have personally heard from the traitor, Mateo Garcia. And after verifying it with various information that we have collected, it is judged to be reliable information.


    The naval officers who were in the vicinity rushed towards themunication tool in shock.


    ¡°Is that true? Mateo is a traitor?!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?!¡±


    ¡°Daniel! Answer me! Is Mateo really a traitor?!¡±


    The senior officers urgently questioned Daniel but they couldn¡¯t hear any answer anymore. Instead of an answer, the sounds of fierce battles were heard through themunication tool.


    ¨DBzzt, bzzt, bzzt! Bang! Bang! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!


    Everyone looked at themunication tool with wide eyes when they heard explosions. They continuously heard screams, gun shots, cannon shots and bombs for a long time before Daniel¡¯s voice could be heard again.


    ¨D¡­I believe it¡¯s time for me to hang up now. We will contact you once again after Command has been restored.


    Themunication was cut-off after Daniel left those words. Just the sounds from themunication tool could give them a clear picture of what was currently happening in the port.


    ¡°Mateo, that bastard!¡±


    ¡°Traitor¡­ how dare you!¡±


    ¡°You betrayed the Eastern Army!¡±


    The expressions of the officers in charge of the fleet were furious. Crimson understood their anger but he still spoke firmly to not let them forget about the most important thing that they needed to do right now.


    ¡°Calm down. This is not the time to be furious.¡±


    Everyone nodded at Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Remember the information that Captain Daniel had given us at the risk of his life. We have to go to Ghost Ind as soon as possible.¡±


    Jaiden Wicks and the tower masters nodded their heads in agreement to Crimson. They couldn¡¯t waste the valuable information that the Eastern Command had fought so fiercely for. However, the officers in charge still hesitated even after hearing the battle in the Eastern Command.


    ¡°All of you, get your grips together!¡±


    The officers in charge of the fleet came back to their senses after Crimson¡¯s loud roar.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s already toote.¡±


    A huge energy that pricked the masters¡¯ senses erupted not too far away as soon as Lioner¡¯s words fell. The twomanders couldn¡¯t help but flinch as they raised their hands to the hilt of their swords.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I came. We haven¡¯t even arrived at Ghost Ind but it¡¯s already like this¡­¡±


    The Godly Sword Family Head Terrion Sigurd smiled when he felt the chilling murderous intent.


    Even the tower masters felt the energy as they hurriedly went out on deck.


    ¡°Emergency! Emergency! Enemy up front!¡±


    ¡°The size!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s covered with a ck fog that seems to be contaminated mana so it¡¯s hard to figure out the exact size!¡±


    The officers immediately took out their telescopes as they looked up front after hearing the soldier¡¯s report.


    In just a nce, they could see clumps of ck fog with bizarre creatures fleeting here and there through the gaps.


    ¡°This¡­ I think our alliance will be the one to go to Ghost Ind first.¡±


    Jayden Wicks smiled as he said so as the airship fleet descended slowly as if they were leisurely swimming in the sky. It seemed like he wanted to enter the Ghost Ind first by taking the airship and carrying the soldiers of the Eastern Army through the sky.


    Crimson, Lioner and the two tower masters frowned at him.


    The Western Commander failed to join the defense operation but he sent his main airship fleet.


    ¡°Haha! I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    Everyone bit their lips as they watched Jayden Wicks take only his troops.


    ¡°I think we should hold hands here but¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Crimson and Terrion nodded lightly at Lioner¡¯s words. But Terrion¡¯s expression screamed that he did not want to join hands with Lioner. And the same was true for Lioner. Although the two revealed that they were like water and fire and would never get along, they still knew their current situation.


    ¡°Okay, okay! We don¡¯t have time for this. Let¡¯s go to our positions and greet our enemies.¡±


    Lioner and Terrion jumped to the ships that carried their main force after hearing Crimson¡¯s words. The two tower masters also disappeared to their own respective ships.


    ¡°Everyone, offensive formation!¡±


    As soon as the officers in charge gave themand¡­


    Huge waves began to rise on all sides.


    ¡°Mermaids?¡±


    Lioner swung his sword lightly. And just like a lion scratching with its ws and tearing apart its prey, the huge wave copsed.


    However, it would not be considered as a powerful and disastrous magic if it could copse at just a light swing like that. And just like that, arger wave was created that moved to swallow the ship.


    Then, as if tough at Lioner who failed to get rid of the waves in a single blow, Terrion blew away the entire wave with his gigantic sword.


    ¡°Unlucky bastard.¡±


    Lioner muttered to himself as he raised his aura. Unlike the simple swing of the sword earlier, Lioner used his Lion Sword Technique to attack.


    ¨DRoaaaaar!


    The huge wave bursted out from the shockwave of the lion¡¯s roar. The wave even turned towards the opposite direction.


    But was it because the sea was the mermaid¡¯s territory? Or was it because of the Sea God¡¯s blessings?


    Huge waves were created one after the other.


    Terrion and Lioner dealt with the waves while the enemies created a vortex that wound around the entire fleet.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too childish.¡±


    Lioner increased his aura even more with an unpleasant look on his face. It seemed like he wanted to cut off the flow of mana that had been artificially controlling the sea. The same was true for Crimson and Terrion. They all increased their aura and swung their swords at the chunks of mana that controlled the flow of the sea.


    While the three masters were struggling against the waves and the vortex, disaster began to fall on the ships.


    Crack!


    A gigantic tentacle wrapped and coiled tightly around a part of the ship.


    The navy immediately knew the identity of the monster as soon as they saw the tentacle.


    ¡°Kra¡­ Kraken!¡±


    Everyone hurriedly lifted their weapons when a navy shouted loudly with choked breath after seeing the gigantic tentacle. The navies began to fight and strike at the collosal tentacles of the kraken as it wound around their ships.


    However, despite the crisis that befell the Northeastern and Central Wizard Tower Alliance¡¯s ship, everyone felt relieved that it was not them. Just as they tried to find the traces of the mermaids after their relief¡­


    Bang!


    One of the ships jolted loudly as something pierced through half of the ship.


    ¡°Megalodon!¡±


    A huge shark had appeared near the fleet where the Eastern Wizard Tower was located.


    Everyone felt confused and flustered at the sudden appearance of the catastrophes of the sea, the kraken and the megalodon. They immediately shot fire magic and bombs at the monsters.


    However, the disaster did not end there.


    ¨DPpiyoooo!


    ¡°Sea serpent! A sea serpent appeared in the rear!¡±


    Even the Southern Alliance fell into chaos from the sudden emergence of a gigantic sea snake.


    In the midst of the chaos that surrounded the Eastern Army and the main fleet, the culprits appeared.


    ¡°Mermaids?¡±


    Iron, who was watching the situation with the other Ghosts, muttered as he saw the mermaids appearing in the water.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 91 - Sea Catastrophe (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(91)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>29 </b>Sea Catastrophe (2)


    The mermaids were creating waves. Each and every single one of them were holding a trident as they expressed their powers in the vast sea. It was as if they were proving that they were the supreme race of the sea. As soon as they appeared, the waves turned violent while the sea breeze blew fiercely and targeted the humans.


    The sea was no longer on the side of the humans. Everything in the sea attacked the humans as if they were their lifelong enemies. Huge waves, whirlpools and whirlwinds appeared one after the other.


    It was quite unbelievable that these were all due to the mermaids¡¯ magic.


    ¡°Is this because of the Sea God¡¯s blessing?¡±


    Iron frowned as he grabbed onto the rails of the ship. He looked like he was about to puke from all the shaking.


    No matter how strong the mermaids were, it was impossible for them to exert this much power normally. By the looks of it, their powers in the sea were so great that even the three masters were having a hard time dealing with it.


    He was certain that they could only do something like this because of the Sea God¡¯s blessing.


    There were even huge sea monsters that were ssified as the sea catastrophes. They were the sea catastrophes that were created by the mermaids with their endless mana.


    It was already too much for the main fleet to handle two of them all at once but their appearance alone had further undermined the confidence of the allied forces.


    ¡°Lamias! The Lamia Army has appeared!¡±


    The mermaids were beings that were the same size as humans. The only difference was that their lower bodies were in the form of a fish. However, they were extremely beautiful creatures. On the other hand, themias was a race that wasrger and far more hideous in terms of appearance. They were a poor race who only resembled part of the mermaids but were more of hideous monsters.


    Even themias, a race that sought out strength through physical prowess, hade out in addition to the mermaids who were well versed in magic. Themias immediately climbed on top of the ships and obeyed the orders of the mermaids. Despite hating each other, they still joined forces to defeat theirmon enemy.


    Starting with themias, the sea army appeared one after the other.


    ¡°Crabmen!¡±


    ¡°Sharkmen have appeared!¡±


    ¡°A giant starfish is breaking the bottom of the ship!¡±


    The sea immediately turned into a huge battlefield after the sea monsters appeared one by one. In addition to dealing with the huge waves and the strong sea breeze, they also had to deal with the sea army.


    This was the worst situation for the humans.


    In this chaotic situation, Iron and the Ghosts did their best to protect the fleet. They cut and sliced through the hugemias, the crabmen and even the sharkmen with their sharp noses and teeth.


    However, perhaps because they were at sea, the elites of the Empire couldn¡¯t help but struggle as they tried to remain on board the main fleet.


    The three masters were busy dealing with the sea magic that was created by the mermaids while the tower masters were busy dealing with the high-leveled monsters, the sea catastrophes. In addition, the main fleet had no other choice but to fight against the numerous sea monsters that flocked to the ships. All they could trust was the airship fleet. However, it seemed like they wanted to crush their hopespletely, as numerous sirens and sea drakes appeared.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be wiped out even before we get to Ghost Ind.¡±


    The Ghosts¡¯ expressions turned stiff when they heard Iron¡¯s mumbles.


    When Iron saw the airship fleet go into battle against the numerous sirens and sea drakes, he judged that there was no solution. If theirst hope, the airship fleet, was also blocked, most of them would probably be dead by the time they arrived at Ghost Ind. And with just half of their troops, they still had to block the dimensional gate. It was suicide at that point.


    The moment the sirens, who were proficient in hallucination and illusion magic, and the sea drakes, who had huge and powerful tails like that of a fish, appeared to block the airship fleet with their mana song and mental attacks, he knew that the situation had turned for the worst.


    He hoped that the airship fleet would be able to break through the sirens and sea drakes with their powerful cannons but his hopes were thrown to the wind. In the end, all of the ships of the fleet had been blocked.


    But several ships suddenly broke through the waves that the mermaids had created and moved forward.


    ¡°That?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those ships the ones that carry the other-worlders?¡±


    The ships that Lintel and Billie Brandt were looking at were boarded by the other-worlders. Surprisingly enough, they were destroying all the mermaids¡¯ wave attacks with their unique abilities. Even the flow of water seemed to be good for the leading ship. It seemed like there was an existence that could go beyond the mermaids¡¯ control of the sea.


    ¡®It¡¯s Kim Jungtae!¡¯


    This phenomenon could only be possible for Kim Jungtae who had an absolute ability in water. However, Kim Jungtae was still weak. It looked like he could barely maintain his own ship. There was also some cluster of subtle lights around the ship that seemed to be pushing away or purifying the contaminated mana.


    ¡°Is that why they¡¯re called White Whale?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he watched Kim Jungtae and his guild work. Not all of them could receive the attacks head on and do big things but each and every single one of them were doing their parts properly.


    The high-leveled sea catastrophes blocked the Eastern Fleet while the mermaids blocked the masters. In this situation, it seemed like there was no existence that could block the other-worlders¡¯ ship.


    But that was just an illusion.


    Rumble!


    ¡°Shit! There¡¯s a storm right now?!¡±


    Lintel stared nkly at the storm that suddenly appeared and engulfed the other-worlders¡¯ ships.


    Countless lightning strikes rained down and stopped Kim Jungtae and the White Whale. In addition, a tornado soared andpletely blocked the White Whale¡¯s path.


    Strangely enough, the lightning and tornado that the White Whale ship was avoiding felt quite familiar.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He was not sure because of the long distance but this strange and stimting feeling was somewhat simr to his divine power. However, there was a sticky feeling so he did not know what to do.


    The strange feeling continued to linger the longer they fought in this battle. And in the end, Iron, after cutting down the crabman in front of him, approached the officer in charge.


    ¡°Captain.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can go near there?¡±


    The ce that Iron pointed at was the ce where the White Whale was.


    The captain¡¯s expression hardened after being asked to go to a ce where lightning and tornadoes were running rampant.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard. But¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you feel something?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it rted to the divine beast?¡±


    When asked by the captain, Iron just shook his head to tell him that he still wasn¡¯t sure.


    The captain pondered for a while before nodding his head heavily. Anyway, the damage to their ship would continue to umte if this situation persisted. This was the time for them to do something.


    ¡°We¡¯re moving towards White Whale!¡±


    The navies scattered at once after hearing the captain¡¯s roar while Iron and the rest of the Ghosts filled in their vacancies diligently.


    Themias, crabmen and sharkmen that came up on their ship fled one by one when all of the elites at the 5th Stage moved earnestly. This was because they had shown the extent of their strength that they were saving earlier. After all, they weren¡¯t sure about the attacks that the mermaids would pour on them so they still needed to conserve their strength before.


    ¡°Did you get that feeling again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know it well yet.¡±


    Iron shook his head at the smiling Lintel.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ But you¡¯re saying that something is over there, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lintel looked at Carl Gustav when he did not even hesitate to answer Iron. Then, he nodded at him with an expression that clearly showed his trust and belief in Iron. Lintel and the other Ghosts had experienced this with Iron twice already. So, they believed in Iron¡¯s senses as they did their best to drive away the sea army from their ship.


    The attention of all the navies of the Eastern Fleet turned to them. They all paused as they looked in surprise at the Northeastern troops when they wholeheartedly believed in every word that Iron had said. They couldn¡¯t believe that the Northeastern troops would believe the words of someone that wasn¡¯t atmander or general level but only a Lieutenant Colonel like Iron. However, considering the peace that Iron had brought to the Northeast, they couldn¡¯t dare to mock them for believing him like that.


    Is this because of the strong trust between the forces of the Northeast?


    The Eastern navies moved in perfect sync which allowed the Ghosts to reach the area where the White Whale was. The sea army still continued to flock to them but it was high time that they shook them off and moved to the direction of Ghost Ind.


    Rumble!


    Lightning struck down on Iron¡¯s ship as soon as they threw off themias and crabmen running on their ship. It looked like something was wary of them. The lightning seemed to tell them that they couldn¡¯t go any further than this point.


    It got worse the longer time passed by. And the worse it became, the more Iron flinched. At first nce, one would think that he was just shocked by the lightning strikes but Lintel just smiled at him and asked as if he knew that it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°Did you get the feeling?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lintel smiled wider when he heard Iron speaking with certainty this time.


    ¡°Is this the divine beast¡¯s ability?¡±


    Lintel mumbled to himself as he turned to look at the lightning, tornado and storm that had been pouring down all over the ce. Since Iron had felt something, the possibility of this phenomenon being created by the divine beast¡¯s ability was high.


    ¡°Will it be a bird again this time?¡±


    ¡°Probably?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I hope it¡¯s a whale this time though¡­¡±


    The Ghosts looked at Iron as they each gave their own thoughts. They could see that he was in deep concentration. They were all excited since they knew that Iron always showed something great whenever he had that expression on his face.


    Then, a lightning bolt suddenly aimed towards Iron.


    Carl Gustav¡¯s expression hardened as he reflexively tried to prevent the attack. But the lightning strike avoided Iron by itself and flew elsewhere. This phenomenon happened continuously. As time went by, the lightning that rained on them began to avoid the ship too. The lightning only struck right next to the ship and even the tornadoes opened up and did not affect the ship.


    With this strange phenomenon repeatedly urring, Iron¡¯s ship began to outrun the White Whale Guild¡¯s ship.


    In the area where lightning, storms, tornadoes and whirlpools ran rampant, only the area where Iron¡¯s ship was located did not get struck. It was as if a safe area had been created around their ship.


    The main fleet and even the mermaids looked from afar in shock.


    ¡°My Sea God¡­ why?¡±


    The mermaids murmured to themselves as they stared at the ship that carried the absent-minded Iron.


    Just then, Iron heard the sound of notifications.


    ¨D Your ability as the ¡®Bird Doctor¡¯ has removed the influence of the ability of the Sea God on the ¡®Thunderbird¡¯. You have sessfully reached out to the Thunderbird.


    ¨D Your ability as the Bird Doctor and your overwhelming affinity with birds has temporarily removed the Sea God¡¯s power and influence over the Thunderbird. However, due to theck of divine power, only a designated area around the ship could be a stable area that canst for a few days. Please be careful.


    ¨D As long as you¡¯re on the ship, the curse of the Sea God that is expressed through the Thunderbird will not work on the ship.


    ¨D The ¡®Thunderbird¡¯ has fallen for your strange and unknown charm. This charm will grow the closer you get to each other. Pleasee closer?


    Iron staggered for a moment when he heard the notifications. He couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself when he heard the unimpressive words towards the end of the notifications.


    ¡°¡­charm?¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 92 - Ghost Island (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(92)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>30 </b>Ghost Ind (1)


    Iron stared nkly at the sky. Based on the unimpressive notifications from earlier, it seemed like his charm was quite appealing.


    He could see lightning constantly pouring down from the cloudy sky. The sea water rose from the swirling tornadoes and the rough waves fluttered from the storm that poured rain on them. But the ship that he was in waspletely safe from the tumultuous storm. Silence pervaded around them. It was as if they were in the eye of the storm with how silent it was.


    And all of this was thanks to Iron¡¯s unique ability ¡®Bird Doctor¡¯. It was only a halfplete divine beast ability limited to ¡®birds¡¯ but it seemed like it was more powerful because it was only focused on one species. His ability would also be greater the stronger his divine power became.


    In the past, his divine power was too insignificant that his power level was halved. However, it seemed like he had already passed the threshold since he could express his power properly now. This was especially true after he signed a contract with Phoenix and Two Moons had regained its full power. Iron still did not feel much since his divine beasts were sealed but in fact his divine power was rapidly increasing by the day.


    And because of his ability and his tremendous affinity with birds, he was able to reach the thunderbird.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    Lintel looked around in awe.


    Lightning rained down while tornadoes and whirlpools rampaged all over the ce but none of them affected the ship as they passed by safely.


    In fact, the storm of lightning, tornadoes and whirlpools were so dangerous that even the main fleet and the White Whale¡¯s ship had to hesitate and step back than risk it and enter the area. The only reason why there was less lightning on the White Whale¡¯s side was because someone was taking care of it.


    ¡°Was it this close?¡±


    After leaving the stormy and chaotic area behind, Ghost Ind appeared from afar and greeted them. ]


    Ghost Ind was already a gloomy ce because of its moniker but the ck fog that surrounded it and made it even more dreary and gloomy clearly showed the effects of the dimensional crack.


    ¡°I think there are already dimensional fishes.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s worse than the one in ck Forest, right?¡±


    Iron sighed and nodded his head when he heard Lintel¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes. If it has expanded to that size already then the possibility of higher beings having crossed over is extremely high.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the worst.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Ghost Ind silently while Lintel smiled bitterly. Almost all of the troops from the Northeastern Army that came to the East had already experienced the dimensional crack in the ck Forest. They were all sick and tired of the void insects. So, when they saw the dimensional gate already expanded up to that point, they couldn¡¯t help but tremble at the thought of dealing with countless void insects once again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can handle this by ourselves?¡±


    Carl Gustav stared silently at Ghost Ind after hearing Lintel¡¯s question.


    Although there was only one ship, they still did notck power since the ship had carried the elites of their region. However, they weren¡¯t clear about the power of the opponent whopletely opened the dimensional gate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s investigate first.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Everyone moved quickly after hearing Gustav¡¯s orders. The Eastern Army also prepared smaller boats that would carry the expedition team.


    Just as they were about to start their investigation earnestly¡­


    ¨DKkiiiiruuuk¡­ kkiiiruuuk!


    Iron frowned when he heard something from somewhere before staring at Ghost Ind once again.


    At first, he thought that he was having auditory hallucinations but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. The sound became clearer the closer he got to Ghost Ind.


    Is this because my divine power got stronger?


    It seemed like it was now possible for him to hear the voice of the divine beast even though they haven¡¯t signed a contract yet.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Really, what kind of divine beast are you¡­¡±


    The sound that the divine beast was making from afar was a cry of pain. The same happened to Phoenix back then but regardless of the species, he knew that it was still extremely painful for a divine beast to have their divine power forcibly extracted to open up a dimensional crack. The thunderbird¡¯s voice that continued to talk to him was filled with groans of pain and wrath for the beings betrayed its belief and trust in them.


    ¡°Wait a little bit. I¡¯ll get you out of there soon.¡±


    When Iron spoke as if to coax the thunderbird, the cries of pain seemed to subside a bit. Then, contaminated energy began to pour into the ce where Iron was.


    ¨D The Sea God finds you unpleasant after you have reached out to the thunderbird. In the future, the hostility aimed at you will double if you get into the Sea God¡¯s realm.


    ¨D All of the contaminated mana on Ghost Ind, a ce that has turned into the Sea God¡¯s territory, is trying to pollute and corrode you.


    ¨D Themunication with the thunderbird has been forcefully cut off by the Sea God¡¯s power. You have to move closer to the thunderbird to establishmunication once again.


    Iron staggered for a moment when the connection with the thunderbird had been forcefully cut off.


    Gustav hurriedly rushed to help him up.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Iron grabbed his throbbing head as he stared at Ghost Ind and told Gustav that he was alright.


    It seemed like the Sea God was jealous that Iron and the thunderbird had be closer. But what it did was just show its hideous side by grabbing his ankles. The thunderbird had already fallen for him and he only needed to do half the work to make the divine beastpletely on his side. There wasn¡¯t even a need to build a rapport and struggle to prove his worth like what he did with Two Moons back then. It was clear to him that the thunderbird would fall to his arms as soon as it synchronized with him just like what happened with Phoenix.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite ugly.¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he straightened his posture.


    ¡°Is it because of the divine beast?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Something disconnected me with the divine beast.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Gustav¡¯s expression hardened when he heard Iron¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Gustav hurriedly turned his head when he heard one of the soldiers call for him. He saw something ck flying towards them.


    ¡°Everyone, prepare for battle!¡±


    ¡°Prepare for battle!¡±


    ¡°Move, quickly!¡±


    All of the troops began to prepare for battle as soon as they saw enemies approaching. One of the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but mumble nkly after they had finished preparing their artillery and were all in position to fight against the enemies.


    ¡°Void insects?¡±


    Void insects rushed towards the ship from the sky as soon as the soldier¡¯s mumblings ended. Magic and bullets were fired out from the ship as soon as the void insects appeared in the sky. The problem was that their enemies weren¡¯t only limited to the sky.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re also in the sea!¡±


    Something that looked eerily simr to void insects appeared in the sea. They looked exactly like void insects but they were swimming in the sea.


    The Northeastern Army was thrown in disarray when unexpected beings appeared in front of them. This was because they were extremely different from the void insects that they were familiar with. But their confusion did notst for long. They couldn¡¯t afford to be in disarray when countless void insects covered the sea and the air to the point that everything looked ck.


    ¡°Wizards! Prepare arge-scale magic circle!¡±


    Hearing the captain¡¯smand, the wizards on board gathered together and prepared tounch arge-scale attack.


    Iron stared at Ghost Ind quietly as they continuously fired their guns loaded with magic bullets towards the void insects.


    ¡°If it¡¯s to this extent¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s face hardened after confirming that the void insects had undergone mutations. He bit his lips in thought and frustration.


    ¡°How did this happen? The void insects have a variety and have be stronger?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the dimensional fish. They changed the environment suited for their dimension and affected the other void insects. The problem is not the void insects.¡±


    Iron answered Lintel¡¯s question solemnly.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Higher-ranked beings would cross over from the dimensional gate.¡±


    ¡°Higher-ranked beings?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The situation will turn for the worse once those beings, beings that even a master could not deal with alone,e over.¡±


    They were beings that he wasn¡¯t able to see in his previous life personally. However, once they crossed over, they could immediately create disasters. That was how frightening they were.


    These beings were the main reason why the Empire eventually failed to respond to the dimensional crack as they continued to retreat and move the frontline.


    These summoned beings would not leave the special environment that the dimensional fish had created. However, that did not mean that they would remain in that ce. The void insects would continuously increase and expand their territory while the dimensional fish would continue to change the environment of those territories. Once that happened, the area where these high-ranked summoned beings could move and work would gradually increase.


    And this was the main reason why mankind continued to retreat. They couldn¡¯t handle and stop the void insects that swarmed out of the dimensional cracks so this vicious cycle continuously repeated in his previous life.


    This would also be the worst case scenario that would happen to them if they failed to stop this process from happening to the dimensional crack.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!


    After Iron¡¯s exnation, the entire Ghost Ind began to vibrate as if it was waiting for them. Even the ship that dealt with the void insects trembled.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ Is that the higher-ranked being that you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron¡¯s words were heavy as he replied to Gustav¡¯s question.


    The morale of the soldiers began to drop as the worst case scenario that Iron had said unfolded in front of them.


    Huge tentacles appeared all over the Ghost Ind. Each tentacle was as big as several Kraken tentaclesbined.


    Everyone¡¯s will to resist disappeared upon the appearance of a being that was several timesrger than the Kraken, a sea catastrophe.


    ¡°It will be difficult even for a master.¡±


    Iron remained silent at Gustav¡¯s words.


    It was a giant octopus that far exceeded the size of a huge kraken. In addition, it had more mana than a kraken thanks to the contaminated mana in the ind. The being was colossal enough to cover the entirety of the Ghost Ind with just its tentacles. No matter how strong a master was, their strength would only be enough to deal with a few of that being¡¯s tentacles. That was just how incredibly powerful this being was.


    ¡°How can a being like that hide in Ghost Ind?¡±


    Gustav mumbled nkly. He was shocked to see such a huge octopus suddenly appearing in front of him.


    ¡°It was on the other side of the area created by the dimensional fish.¡±


    Iron sighed as he answered. This was the reason why he tried so hard to block the dimensional gate as soon as possible in the ck Forest.


    It was not a problem for the dimensional fish toe over. The problem was the unique environment that they could create. In addition, the dimensional gate that was fixed in this special and unique environment couldn¡¯t be destroyed. It was only possible if an apostle-level saint or god himself came over and sted away the contaminated mana all at once. If the contaminated mana was not sted away, then it was impossible to destroy the dimensional gate. And even if that was possible, they still had to conquer that being for the most part before they could seed.


    ¨D Chthulhu¡¯s ¡®Apostle¡¯ Thulhupus has appeared. The contaminated mana is temporarily reduced.


    ¨D Due to the Thunderbird¡¯s resistance, Thulhupus¡¯ abilities are reduced by 50%.


    ¨D The Sea God¡¯s influence has been reduced.


    As soon as it appeared, it greedily sucked the contaminated mana in the surrounding area.


    In order to maintain its huge size, it sucked up a huge amount of contaminated mana. Thanks to that, the ck fog in the area had rapidly decreased. The problem was its movements had started to elerate. Perhaps, it was also because of the huge amount of contaminated mana that it had consumed.


    Thulhupus was not fully and perfectly summoned thanks to the intervention of the thunderbird but it was able to forcefully move after sucking up all of the contaminated mana nearby.


    After eating its fill of the contaminated mana, the extremelyrge octopus moved to eat some dessert. And just in time, an extremely appropriate dessert caught its eyes. It was none other than the ship where Iron and the troops that were dealing with the void insects were on. Seeing that it was only a small and puny ship, therge octopus knew that nothing would go wrong. However, despite its size, it was still more than enough to whet its appetite.


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    Gustav murmured to himself as he lost his will to fight after seeing Thulupus¡¯ huge tentacles going their way.


    They were in a situation where they felt that everything was too far away. They couldn¡¯t even care about the void insects nearby.


    Just when everyone was nkly staring in despair at Thulhupus¡¯ huge tentacle covering the sky above them, Iron¡¯s body began to shine brightly.


    ¨D Cthulhu¡¯s apostle has been summoned due to excessive conditions. The justification for the intervention of the gods of the opposing camp has been established.


    ¨D The gods will give you their blessings. However! It is only possible for people who have achievements as a Hero.


    ¨D You are the only one to have achievements as a Hero in the vicinity. God has sent you a box of blessings that can help you ovee and break through your current crisis.


    ¨D ¡ù Caution 1: You will faint for a long time as an aftermath of opening the box since you still haven¡¯t reached the appropriate status yet.


    ¨D ¡ù Caution 2: The power in the box is random.


    ¨D Do you want to open the box? (<b> Yes </b>/ <b>No</b> )


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 93 - Ghost Island (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(93)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>30 </b>Ghost Ind (2)


    He felt like he was gambling with this box presented to him. But with the situation that they were currently in, Iron had no choice but to ept. He hurriedly chose <b>Yes </b>as soon as a huge shadow fell over their heads. It was as if God was telling him that he had no time to think.


    Then, bright light bursted out of Iron¡¯s body.


    ¨D You have chosen to open the box. From now on, God¡¯s blessing is with you.


    The moment he pressed <b>Yes</b>, he felt that his entire body was overflowing with energy. The contaminated mana in their surroundings were instantly purified from the bright light that emitted from his body.


    When the light shone, Thulhupus¡¯ tentacle stopped and shrank away from the ship. It seemed like the purification was so strong that it even affected the huge Thulhupus. No matter how godly an apostle could be, they would still be no match to a God. Perhaps it was because of the huge status difference that its huge tentacle ran away and shrank back.


    Meanwhile, notifications rang one after the other in Iron¡¯s ears.


    ¨D You have opened God¡¯s box. God¡¯s gift is now in your body.


    ¨D The random box is rolling.


    (¡­¡­)


    ¨D Bbaambababaaam! You have opened a high-tiered box!


    ¨D For three hours, you will be able to use the divine power that you will have in the future,


    ¨D There¡¯s a big gap in status. You will faint for a long time once the three hours are over.


    ¨D An other-worlder has experienced God¡¯s Blessings for the first time.


    ¨D You have received the <b>Title</b>: The One Who Experienced God¡¯s Blessings.


    ¨D The effect of the achievement will awaken your divine beasts with your weak divinity.


    Iron was left in a daze from the continuous notifications, blinding light and God¡¯s overwhelming power. While he was nked out, his divine beasts appeared above him.


    ¨D Ppiiiii~


    Phoenix flew with its huge wings covered with mes. Owl was slightly smaller than Phoenix but its two eyes were still extremely shocking. And the most impressive among them was the smallest bird that was shining a green light like a sacred and divine being.


    With the appearance of the three divine beasts, the light shining from Iron¡¯s body became stronger. The divine power was so overwhelming that it was able to clean any unclean being or object, of course the contaminated mana was included as well.


    Thanks to this power, their ship was able to advance forward.


    Thulhupus also did not hastily approach them. This was because the power of the blessing granted by God was a power that even Cthulhu¡¯s apostle could not oppose. However, it knew very well that this power would notst forever. That was why it waited patiently as it devoured the contaminated mana in the surrounding area. All it needed to do was to endure for a short while before being able to eat all of these cheeky ants.


    Thulhupus and the void insects immediately retreated back into the Ghost Ind to avoid the intense light emitting from Iron¡¯s body.


    Meanwhile, Baepsae flew towards the finally rxed Iron.


    ¨DTweet!


    Baepsae, covered with a divine and sacred light, greeted Iron.


    Was it because it had been a long time? It seemed like Baepsae was especially happy to see Iron. However, Iron felt awkward facing Baepsae. The cuteness had disappeared from Baepsae as a sacred and divine feeling emanated from the bird¡¯s tiny body.


    ¡°Nice¡­ to meet you?¡±


    When Iron greeted Baepsae foolishly, Baepsae pecked Iron¡¯s forehead hard. Iron quickly shook his head and came back to his senses in response to Baepsae¡¯s actions to wake him up and get his grip together.


    ¨DTweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet!


    Iron nodded nkly when he heard Baepsae¡¯s exnation. He couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at the old cuteness that reappeared as Baepsae¡¯s small beak opened diligently to exin. But the harsh rebuke that flew in his ears made hime back to his senses and listen carefully.


    ¨DTweet!


    The bright light that bursted out from Iron¡¯s body disappeared after Baepsae¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°The¡­ The giant octopus is moving again!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, get ready!¡±


    Thulhupus moved quickly as if it was waiting for the moment when the light disappeared. However, this time, Iron did not wait for death.


    Phoenix immediately breathed out a huge fire that brightened the sky to stop Thulhupus. Owl¡¯s two eyes shone like bright moons as it fired a beaming light that stopped the numerous void insects from approaching.


    Peace was once again restored in the ship thanks to the overwhelming abilities of the two divine beasts. Meanwhile, Baepsae, who was shining with a sacred glow, sang a song that spread calmly through the ship.


    ¨DTweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet~ Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet~


    As the cute Baepsae¡¯s song spread all over the ship, the eyes of the exhausted soldiers became lively once again. The faces of the troops began to regain energy as their wounds and injuries slowly healed. Everyone on the ship shouted at the ridiculousness of this fraudulent miracle.


    Meanwhile, Iron approached Gustav with a solemn expression on his face.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Three hours¡­ You have to decide whether we have to deal with this or retreat.¡±


    Carl Gustav turned to look at Iron seriously.


    ¡°You¡­ what did you do?¡±


    He could see that Iron¡¯s body was not normal. His current body contained a huge amount of sacred and divine power that looked simr to the halo surrounding Baepsae. This power could not juste out like that from his own body.


    ¡°You! Did you sacrifice yourself again?!¡±


    ¡°This is not the time for us to worry about that now.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression remained grave as Carl Gustav shouted at him.


    ¡°During the duration of this power, will you decide to help the main fleet to defeat the mermaids, or¡­ to reverse that thing¡¯s summoning.¡±


    Carl Gustav turned to look at the giant octopus at Iron¡¯s words. It was huge enough to make a kraken, this world¡¯srgest octopus, look like a baby. However, he thought that it might be possible with Phoenix, surrounded by its sacred mes, and Two Moons, with its sacred light, working together.


    ¡°Can you get rid of that with your two divine beasts?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Iron did not know if the power of Two Moons and a phantom species was enough to make it possible. This was the reason why he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he could get rid of the apostle. But there was a far easier way than that.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t need to get rid of it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We need to find the thunderbird while my divine beasts block that.¡±


    Carl Gustav¡¯s eyes shone at the end of Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s also a way to deal with it.¡±


    Rescue the divine beast that was tied up and drained of strength. Just like what they did in the Winter Mountains and the ck Forest.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ At this rate we¡¯ll be known as the unit that specializes in saving divine beasts¡­¡±


    Carl Gustav smiled as he spoke like he wasining.


    ¡°Good. The Ghosts will risk our lives to open the path for you.¡±


    Just like what Carl Gustav did in the Northeast, he decided to risk his life to protect Iron once again. He was sure that this young hero would once again bring them good results in return for their faith and trust.


    Gustav called the Ghosts and the troops in the ship to exin Iron¡¯s condition and the operation that they would follow in the future.


    After hearing the exnation, the troops all looked at Iron. Everyone looked in awe at Iron¡¯s sacrificing himself once again.


    ¡°I pay my respect for your sacrifice.¡±


    The captain of the ship ced his hand on his left chest and bowed his head to Iron after hearing Gustav¡¯s exnation. Even all of the soldiers and officers on board the ship saluted and paid their respect to Iron. They did not know what kind of sacrifice that he had made but they knew that it was not a lie. After all, Iron had sacrificed himself in the Northeast already. And because of that, everyone looked at Iron with awe and respect.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ This is not the time for this. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    All of them nodded heavily when Iron coughed and avoided their gaze.


    ¡°The operation begins now. First, Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron replied stiffly at Carl Gustav¡¯s call.


    ¡°Do you have an idea where the thunderbird is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know its exact location yet. But it seems like I will know¡­ once we enter Ghost Ind.¡±


    Gustav nodded as if he firmly believed Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then, the Eastern Army has to get you as close as possible to the Ghost Ind.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Once we get in the Ghost Ind¡¯s vicinity, the Northeastern Army will start the operation.¡±


    ¡°Then, we will protect you as much as we can while you¡¯re on the ship.¡±


    Carl Gustav quickly spoke the details of the operation as they advanced to the Ghost Ind.


    The two divine beasts had to team up just to block Thulhupus¡¯ gigantic tentacle. The void insects took this opportunity to flock towards the ship.


    ¡°Stop them! Stop them from approaching! We must get to the Ghost Ind! We have to get them to the vicinity of the ind!¡±


    The captain of the ship shouted loudly as he encouraged the troops of the Eastern Army.


    ¡°You¡¯re the strongest navy fleet in the Empire! Don¡¯t you want to say something when we go back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Our mission is to take the Northeastern Army to Ghost Ind. Will you be able toplete the mission?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s risk our lives toplete this mission!¡±


    After the captain¡¯s voice drifted on the ship, the eyes of the soldiers of the Eastern Army were filled with the desire toplete the mission. But no matter how strong the elites of the Eastern Army were, the attack of countless void insects were still difficult for them to handle.


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you too.¡±


    The captain shook his head firmly when Carl Gustav offered his help on behalf of the Northeastern Army.


    ¡°This is our mission. You¡¯ll have to fight hard in Ghost Ind. You shouldn¡¯t be wasting your strength here already.¡±


    The captain firmly rejected Carl Gustav¡¯s offer to help as he pulled his sword out instead of his baton.


    Countless void insects blocked the path of the ship towards Ghost Ind but the Eastern Army tried their hardest to break through. The soldiers fired their guns while the wizards fired their magic to the point of exhaustion. Even the knights fought to protect the wizards until they were bleeding. The senior officers also pulled out their swords to defeat one more void insect while directing their subordinates. The battle was extremely fierce to the point that the captain of the ship bled profusely.


    But the Northeastern Army did not move. If they moved here, they would have abandoned the honor of the Eastern Army. They also had to save as much strength and mana that they could for the more dangerous operation that they will fight on the Ghost Ind.


    Was it because of the efforts of the Eastern Army as they fought fiercely and desperately? They finally broke through the countless void insects and arrived at Ghost Ind.


    ¡°This is enough.¡±


    Carl Gustav spoke as he thanked the bleeding captain.


    ¡°From now on, we will begin the Northeastern Army¡¯s operation.¡±


    The Ghosts moved to cut through the void insects by the end of Carl Gustav¡¯s words. At the same time, the Northeastern Army began to unload the small boats that would carry them further ind.


    ¡°My respects to the Eastern Army¡¯s courage and bravery.¡±


    ¡°I pray for the Northeastern Army¡¯s luck.¡±


    The captain prayed that Gustav and his troops would meet with fortune on their operations. After the two shook hands, the Northeastern Army finally began to move in earnest.


    The first thing that they needed to do was to get to Ghost Ind safely.


    The Eastern Army continued to fire their guns and cover for the Northeastern Army as they moved forward.


    ¡°Our mission has yet to bepleted! Cover them as much as you can until they arrive at Ghost Ind!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of the members of the troop answered loudly as they covered for the Northeastern Army.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Thanks to the ship¡¯s exhausted naval artillery and magic, the Northeastern Army was able to arrive at Ghost Ind with minimal losses.


    ¡°We will now start our operation to rescue the thunderbird. Let¡¯s all survive and meetter!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The entire troop answered Carl Gustav with their head down.


    And just like that, the entire Northeastern troop gathered at the coast of Ghost Ind to begin the ¡®Thunderbird Rescue Operation¡¯ earnestly at Gustav¡¯s orders.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 94 - Electrifying Vengeance! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(94)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>31 </b>Electrifying Vengeance! (1)


    The first thing that the Northeastern Army did when they arrived at Ghost Ind was to build a stronghold. It was important for them to go deep inside Ghost Ind but to do that, they would have to kill the void insects that were flocking to them from all sides. And to survive as long as they could, they needed to have a stronghold where they could recuperate.


    ¡°All of you, focus on building a base.¡±


    The troops tried their hardest to build a base on Gustav¡¯s order as they blocked the void insects.


    As the Northeastern troops formed a base, their soldiers thatnded one after the other joined them and started to create a defense line on the coast.


    ¡°Iron!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Go with the Ghosts and search for the thunderbird.¡±


    Carl Gustav called the Ghosts as he said so. Then, Iron called Gustav.


    ¡°Captain.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to search.¡±


    Iron pointed to one side as he said so.


    Although this state was only temporarily, the enormous divine power that he had in his body had allowed him to clearly feel where the thunderbird was.


    ¡°I think the thunderbird is over there.¡±


    The ce was in the middle of Ghost Ind.


    Gustav nodded heavily when he saw Iron pointing to a pile of stones.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a way for you by all means. Go and meet with the thunderbird.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to meet it personally. If it¡¯s now¡­ I can synchronize with the thunderbird just by being near.¡±


    Iron had already been connected with the thunderbird once. Perhaps that was the main reason why he could feel the thunderbird¡¯s divine power all over the ce as soon as he stepped foot in Ghost Ind.


    Thunderbird¡¯s energy was all over the ce that it was akin to a fog-like scent that wafted through his nose. And Iron, who smelled the scent of the thunderbird, looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Is it hard?¡±


    ¨DPpiiiiii!


    Phoenix shook its head lightly at Iron¡¯s question as it continued to breathe its me up in the sky. However, even if it wasn¡¯t feeling tired nor feeling the difficulty of its task, he could still see that Phoenix was being pushed back by Thulhupus. After all, Thulhupus had greedily sucked in a huge amount of contaminated mana in the surroundings.


    However, being pushed back was something that wouldn¡¯t happen if it was the original Phoenix. If a phantom species like Phoenix had its original power, he would be able to deal with God¡¯s apostle. In other words, Phoenix was being pushed back purely because of Iron. His divine beasts were fighting with only a fraction of their power because of Iron¡¯s limited divine power. Hence, why they were being pushed back.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¨DPpiiiiii!


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can take more. We have enough right now.¡±


    Phoenix pondered for a while after seeing Iron¡¯s broad smile before taking a handful of divine power. After seeing that Iron was still fine, Phoenix cried once and breathed out its mes in earnest.


    Thulhupus, who gained power from the contaminated energy, attacked Phoenix as if it wanted to kill the divine beast after it spread its divine me and purified the area. However, unlike the situation before, Phoenix¡¯s mes were now able to burn Thulhupus gigantic tentacles.


    As if proving its weakness against Phoenix¡¯s fire that could purify and burn anything that was unclean, Thulhupus¡¯ tentacles began to burn one by one. Of course, it was not an apostle of God for no reason. Thulhupus was able to continuously regenerate its tentacles. However, it was not as if it couldn¡¯t feel any pain.


    ¨DUwoooooooooo!


    As a shriek of pain rang loudly all over Ghost Ind, Two Moons, who was helping Phoenix, flew down to the Northeastern Camp.


    ¨DHoot!


    The void insects flocking from all sides turned to dust as beams of light emanated from Two Moons¡¯ eyes. Owl also had the nature of a divine and sacred being so the beams of light from its eyes were able to purify the void insects and transform them into pure mana.


    Baepsae also flew out and showed its power in earnest. It flew in the sky and spread the sacred light that surrounded its tiny body. Perhaps it was because of the sacred light? Everything unclean that the light touched turned into powder and disappeared. In addition, Baepsae¡¯s song, which resonated all over the Ghost Ind, revitalized and healed the humans and made the contaminated beings withdraw.


    ¡°This¡­ Won¡¯t we have anything to do?¡±


    Lintel looked embarrassed when he saw the overwhelming performances of the divine beasts.


    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have time.¡±


    Iron said to the dazed Ghosts.


    Out of the three hours that they were allowed to fight, one hour was already almost spent. He needed to awaken the thunderbird within the remaining two hours and y the final round of this battle.


    ¡°Get your grips together!¡±


    The Ghosts came back to their senses at Gustav¡¯s roar. The Northeastern troops also stopped staring nkly as they turned to look at Gustav.


    ¡°Thanks to the divine beasts, we have some room to move. So, I will change our ns.¡±


    Gustav looked at the entire Northeastern troops as he said so.


    ¡°All troops will focus on Lieutenant Colonel Iron¡¯s escort mission from now on. We will escort him to the area where the thunderbird is.¡±


    The troops all moved at once after hearing Gustav¡¯s orders.


    The first to move were the rangers. They quickly moved out of the range of the purification. Then, followed the knights. They moved with all their might to break through their enemies and reach the pile of stones that Iron had pointed at earlier. All of them consumed a tremendous amount of mana, but strangely enough, their mana recovered upon hearing Baepsae¡¯s song. What was more was the fact that they did not feel tired no matter how much they moved.


    Ppiiyyyong~ poof!


    ¡°Rush!¡±


    A spark flew in the air.


    The knights immediately went into their rush formation when they saw the rangers giving a signal that the void insects were nearby. The Ghosts and the rest of the troops except for the artillery and support unit trekked the mountain and escorted Iron.


    Perhaps it was because Two Moons had already cleaned up most of the void insects that they were able to easily clean up the path to the depths of the Ghost Ind and arrive at their targeted area, the pile of stones.


    Upon reaching the area, the rangers immediately went near the pile of stones while the knights went into formation and prepared for any attack that woulde their way. The Ghosts also gathered near the pile of stones and waited for Iron. The mission that they were aiming for would be over once Iron arrived.


    Just then, the pile of stones began to move.


    tter! tter!


    ck, ck, ck, ck!


    Bones squeezed out of the moving pile of stones. Lintel shouted loudly as soon as he saw them.


    ¡°Undead!¡±


    ¡°Dimensional fish has appeared!¡±


    When one of the knights, who was looking up in the sky, shouted at the same time, all of the troops grabbed their weapons tightly and prepared for the enemies¡¯ attacks. The undead appeared on the ground while the dimensional fish appeared in the sky and blocked any further ess to their target.


    Two Moons immediately appeared above them as it obliterated the dimensional fish into powder with its powerful rays.


    ¡°Cocky.¡±


    As soon as the dimensional fish were swept away, ck water sprang up in the air as a dark blue-haired man appeared with a staff made of bones.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the ones who killed the witch in the Northeast!¡±


    The man seemed to know Owl quite well as he swung his staff. A huge ck whale appeared in the air as ck water continuously spurted out in the sky.


    ¡°Destroy the enemies that appeared here, guardian knight of the fallen mermaid king.¡±


    The huge ck whale slowly went in front of the dark blue-haired mermaid. The ck whale that used to guard the mermaid king had lost its original appearance after being corroded by the contaminated mana.


    Two Moons rushed towards the ck whale, who now had bloodshot eyes instead of its original clear and sparkling ones.


    When the contaminated whale and the sacred owl collided in the air, the undead and the dimensional fish rushed forward as power surged through them at the appearance of the whale.


    ¡°Stop them! You powerful idiots! Use your brains!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t deal with them with brute force! Use your techniques!¡±


    ¡°Morons! Don¡¯t face them directly!¡±


    The knights shouted loudly as they instructed the soldiers, who arrivedter, and fought against the undead. In just one attack, the knights were able to determine the undeads¡¯ weaknesses. The soldiers followed the knights¡¯ instructions and moved ordingly.


    It wasn¡¯t only the knights, even the soldiers knew how to utilize their mana. So, the undeads, who were strengthened by contaminated mana, were helplessly pushed back instead of being the ones who were pushing back. In addition, thanks to Baepsae¡¯s light and song that continued to resonate in the sky, sacred energy was infused lightly on the soldiers¡¯ mana and techniques. This power was poison to the undead so no matter how weak it was, the skeleton soldiers would still be hit hard.


    The dark blue-haired man mumbled to himself as he watched from behind.


    ¡°Where!¡±


    Lintel appeared behind the dark blue-haired man as he tried to cut him down at once. However, as if to show them that his casting was already over, ck water once again sprung up and blocked Lintel.


    ¡°Toote.¡±


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    The dark blue-haired man responded to Lintel, the Ghost with the fastest swordsmanship. He spoke as he deflected Lintel¡¯s sword with his staff covered in ck water.


    ¡°The demons of Ghost Ind¡­ resolve your resentment through them!¡±


    As soon as the dark blue-haired man¡¯s voice drifted, the skeleton soldiers, powered by the contaminated mana, grew more powerful and ferocious as they absorbed the demons and evil spirits lingering in the Ghost Ind. Their empty sockets were covered with red light as they moved like they were truly alive.


    When the skeleton soldiers, who were naive and only relied on their brute force, became alive and used their heads to fight, apletely different battle unfolded.


    ¡°Naive Imperials¡­ You will never be able to prevent the disaster nned by the Sea God.¡±


    The dark blue-haired man expressed his strong determination to defend this ce no matter what it took.


    Carl Gustav himself stepped forward to deal with the man. But even with his 6th Stage power, he was still unable to break through the ck water.


    They believed that the dark blue-haired man was either a sorcerer or a dark mage. And all of the Ghosts agreed that their top priority was killing this man. However, each time they tried to attack, the man moved extraordinarily and left the Ghosts staring nkly at him.


    Despite all ten of the Ghosts at the 5th Stage moving together, the man was still able to block them with his summons that included ck crabs, turtles and fishes that held weapons. The creatures that responded to the Ghosts were all covered with contaminated mana which meant that all of them were corrupted.


    ¡°You can never reach the divine beast¡­ Just sit quietly and be a sacrifice to the Sea God.¡±


    The moment the dark blue-haired man smiled confidently¡­


    The entire Ghost Ind shook and trembled. The shaking was sorge and intense that it wasparable to when Thulhupus appeared. At the same time, the enormous force that came from the Sea God that pressured everyone in the ind suddenly decreased.


    The dark blue-haired man instinctively felt that there was a problem with the medium that connected him to the Sea God. So, he immediately went to where the thunderbird was.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Lintel shot out his sword and stopped the man from trying to run away.


    ¡°You know, our youngest had said this. He said that he doesn¡¯t need to go all the way to where the thunderbird is¡­¡±


    The expression on the dark blue-haired man¡¯s face crumpled when Lintel smiled at him. He realized what the man in front of him was saying.


    Then, something bursted out from the pile of stones and soared in the sky. It was a huge blue bird tied with a ck chain. The bird, the being called thunderbird, red fiercely at the dark blue-haired man as it shot a powerful lightning at him.


    ¡°How¡­ did you undo the Sea God¡¯s brainwashing?¡±


    Iron, who appeared a bitter, smiled and answered the man that was looking iprehensibly at the thunderbird.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because it said that it likes me more than the Sea God?¡±


    Iron looked at the transparent notification window that was floating in front of him.


    ¨D The Bird Doctor¡¯s affinity has removed the Sea God¡¯s brainwashing. Please ept the Thunderbird¡¯s heart that it offers to you?.


    ¨D The Sea God¡¯s restraint will be untied upon synchronization.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 95 - Electrifying Vengeance! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(95)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>31 </b>Electrifying Vengeance! (2)


    Iron already had an overwhelming affinity with birds so when God¡¯s blessing, which gave him a more powerful divine power, was added to the mix, he was able topletely blow away the Sea God¡¯s influence that bound and brainwashed the thunderbird. He even went so far as to go underground and made sure that there wasn¡¯t any interference with his reconnection with the thunderbird.


    The moment Iron got reconnected with the thunderbird, the thunderbird¡¯s body which had been slumbering after being brainwashed woke up. Of course, the thunderbird still had a contaminated chain that restrained its body since they had only been able to connect for a short while but it was nigh impossible to restrain such a powerful thunderbird with those chains alone.


    ¨DKiruuuk!


    The man wielding the bone staff frowned when he saw the thunderbird soar to the sky and resisted the chains that the Sea God used to bind it with its powerful lightning. This was because the stronger the thunderbird resisted, the weaker the connection with the Sea God would be.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost done¡­ We¡¯re almost there!¡±


    The dark blue-haired man red furiously at Iron. Even if he was a divine beast contractor he was still just a human. He thought that he would never be able to tame the thunderbird that was brainwashed by the Sea God. But his thoughts were shattered.


    They already had the perfect dimensional gate, the brainwashed thunderbird and the humans that would be sacrificed. Everything was in ce. They were almost there. They had also caused chaos in the Eastern Command and were now killing the troops of the main fleet one by one. They only needed a bit more time to send the sacrifices to the dimensional gate and summon down the Sea God. It was the thing that they wanted to achieve the most.


    But¡­ a mere human ruined their ns.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    Carl Gustav sent an attack towards the man who wanted to rush furiously at Iron. But the man was able to parry Gustav¡¯s powerful shock wave and tried to attack Iron once again. However, Lintel was there to send another attack to stop him.


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaah!¡±


    The dark blue-haired man screamed at the Ghosts who kept on interfering.


    The man¡¯s scream was so desperate and ear-piercing that everyone couldn¡¯t help but take a step back and cover their ears.


    The man¡¯s desperate scream echoed all over Ghost Ind as tears of blood flowed down on his face.


    ¡°You bastards are worse than the demons! I will give my life just to drag you all down to the abyss! I will make sure to do that!¡±


    A tsunami formed at the coast of Ghost Ind at the man¡¯s scream. But before it could hit the ind, something unbelievable happened. The dimensional gate suddenly rose to the sky.


    As the dimensional gate rose above Ghost Ind, thepletely corrupted Sea Orb that was hidden inside the ind also appeared. The Sea Orb began to affect the sea with a burst of energy. It was as if it was answering to the man¡¯s desperate screams.


    The seawater that turned into a huge tsunami flocked to the dimensional gate as it sucked the huge amount of seawater. Then, it spewed out the water once again. However, it was no longer ordinary seawater. The dimensional gate had transformed it into contaminated ck water before merging it together. The shape that the ck water took on looked just like a mermaid. It had a lower half that was simr to a fish with a huge trident on one hand.


    ¨D The Sea God has appeared and has vited the rules set by the Gods. Calcting the price.


    (¡­¡­)


    ¨D The iplete summoning had reduced the price.


    ¨D The contaminated mana, the void insects and the dimensional fish are calcted to be sacrifices.


    ¨D The final calcted price is the dimensional gate. However! The more blood offerings there are, the lower the price would be.


    It was not only the other-worlders but all of the people present on Ghost Ind who had heard the notifications.


    The eyes of both humans and mermaids began to shift and turn as soon as they heard these notifications. They clearly knew that they had to kill their opponents. And the same was true for the newly descended Sea God as he tried to smash his huge ck hand on Ghost Ind.


    ¡°Thunderbird!¡±


    Iron hurriedly called out to the thunderbird when the giant hand of ck water tried to attack them. The thunderbird that was covered with lightning immediately flew towards Iron.


    ¨DKiruuuuk!


    They fell into a world of their own the moment Iron touched the beak of the gigantic thunderbird.


    When he first saw Baepsae¡­


    When he formally signed a contract with Two Moons¡­


    When he synchronized with Phoenix¡­


    The same thing that he experienced before had once again appeared in front of Iron¡¯s eyes. And the same was true for the thunderbird.


    They began to learn and understand each other as their thoughts and feelings flowed in their heads. And finally, their divine powers got connected. This resulted in the crumbling of the Sea God¡¯s chains. Since Thunderbird¡¯s new owner had appeared, all the restrictions that the Sea God had ced on it had lost their power.


    ¨D You have signed a contract with a legendary ss divine beast. You only have the mythical ss space for your remaining allowed contractual space.


    ¨D You can no longer sign a contract with a divine beast that¡¯s equivalent to or less than a phantom species.


    Although the two notifications rang loudly in Iron¡¯s ears, he pushed them aside. This was not important right now.


    Iron stared at Thunderbird as he sympathized with its thirst for revenge.


    ¡°Shall we have our revenge?¡±


    ¨DKirruuuuk!


    Iron gently stroked Thunderbird¡¯s beak as he smiled and whispered words of agreement with it. Thunderbird¡¯s huge eyes blinked at him before it soared to the skies.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    After confirming that Thunderbird safely flew to the sky, Iron hurriedly called Gustav. Gustav turned to look at Iron while fighting against their enemies.


    ¡°Please protect me from now on!¡±


    Gustav nodded lightly at Iron¡¯s cry.


    The Ghosts that heard Iron¡¯s cry immediately surrounded him in a defensive formation. The knights also formed a tight defensive circle that wouldn¡¯t let even a dust in. Even the rangers and the soldiers surrounded Iron and formed anotheryer of defensive circle.


    When he saw this, Iron stabbed his sword on the ground and slowly closed his eyes.


    ¡°Fight as much as you want. I will give you all the divine power that you need down to the veryst drop.¡±


    Iron did his best to increase the synchronization with his four divine beasts. As soon as his words fell, the bodies of his divine beasts shone brightly.


    Phoenix cried long and loud as the mes that covered its body turned blue. The mes that it spewed out began to burn Thulhupus¡¯ tentacles into ashes. For Thulhupus, who wasn¡¯t summonedpletely, it was difficult to fight against Phoenix at its full power.


    Two Moons also began to exert its full strength. Owl¡¯s eyes turned golden and silver, an image that was extremely simr to the bright moonlight that lit up the night sky, as beams of light swept all over Ghost Ind.


    What was surprising was the fact that the light did not harm the humans despite killing their enemies relentlessly. It even helped increase the humans¡¯ affinity with mana. It seemed like Two Moons was showing its overwhelming majesty worthy of its title, ck Forest Guardian.


    Baepsae also did not lose out as it showed its tremendous power. Divine power emanated from its small body and spread all over Ghost Ind. Its power purified everything on its path while revitalizing and healing the humans. Baepsae¡¯s power boosted the humans¡¯ determination and gave them an indomitable will.


    The void insects and dimensional fish that roamed Ghost Ind fell down one by one with the overwhelming majesty of the three divine beasts that signed a contract with Iron.


    Seeing the situation, the Sea God formed from the enormous amounts of ck water created hundreds of thousands of water spears that attacked the three divine beasts and the humans on the ind.


    That was when Thunderbird, Iron¡¯s newly contracted divine beast, exerted its full strength.


    Dark clouds appeared on the once clear skies as tornadoes and whirlpools appeared from the sea and sucked up all of the attacks created by the Sea God. Thunderbird roared loudly as lightning spears flew down from the sky and attacked the Sea God. The ipletely summoned Sea God could not fight against Thunderbird, who was at its full power.


    Thunderbird was another phantom species that firmly stood side by side with Phoenix. It showed its overwhelming strength as it created storms and lightning that struck Ghost Ind one after the other. Its power was something that was extremely simr to a natural catastrophe.


    ¡°That¡¯s a phantom¡­¡±


    A soldier couldn¡¯t help but mutter nkly as he watched Phoenix and Thunderbird express their full strength. Since the void insects and dimensional fish crumbled one after the other from Baepsae¡¯s light, the soldiers, who fought less and less, couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at the sky.


    This was the divine beasts¡¯ battle that only appeared in the legends.


    And although Two Moons did not enter the phantom ss, it still had a ridiculous strength that could sweep through the entire Ghost Ind. They could now see why Two Moons was known as the ck Forest¡¯s master and why a corps-level power that included a master couldn¡¯t guarantee their life if they entered ck Forest.


    But what was surprising was the fact that there was only one contractor for all of these powerful divine beasts.


    The fight between the divine beasts, the Sea God and Thulhupus was so unrealistic. Even Two Moons was showing an unrealisticbat power as it fought against the huge ck whale while sweeping away the void insects and dimensional fish along the way. If this fight continued on, it seemed like they would be able to destroy all of the beings from the dimensional gate.


    However, things wouldn¡¯t be that easy.


    Stagger!


    Iron staggered and knelt down on the spot.


    ¡°Thunder!¡±


    When Iron hurriedly called out to Thunderbird, the rest of the divine beasts read his thoughts and stepped down as they reduced the strength that they were exhibiting. Then, all of the divine power in Iron¡¯s body was poured towards Thunderbird which made it possible to showcase his full strength.


    ¨DKiiiiwooooo!


    A huge lightning bolt that looked like a frightening spear pierced through the Sea God¡¯s body made of ck water as soon as Thunderbird cried out. The contaminated ck water was immediately purified as it turned back into seawater that flowed back to sea.


    When a giant which wasrge enough to cover the entire Ghost Ind turned back into seawater, it became a tsunami that almost swept away the entire ind. Fortunately, Phoenix¡¯s mes evaporated the rushing seawater.


    However, as if reaching their limits, the divine beasts all disappeared from the sky.


    ¨D God¡¯s blessing has reached its end. Time¡¯s up. You¡¯re going to faint in 10 seconds. If you have anything to say, please say it quickly¡­


    With the sound of a friendly and cheerful notification, all of the divine and sacred power in Iron¡¯s body had disappeared.


    ¡°Please take care of things after this.¡±


    Lintel ran quickly to help him up after hearing Iron¡¯s words and seeing him copse.


    ¡°How dare you¡­! How dare you!¡±


    Although the summoning was iplete, it was still the Sea God.


    How can some inferior being like him bring down the Sea God?


    The dark blue-haired man was furious as the Sea God¡¯s summoning was undone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡±


    The only thing that disappeared was the Sea God. The ck whale and Thulhupus still remained in Ghost Ind. And even though the dimensional gate had be iplete, it still remained standing.


    ¡°I can do it again! I can use you as a sacrifice and do it again!¡±


    The man mumbled to himself as he summoned thousands of undead.


    The ck whale hovered in the air while numerous undead filled with contaminated mana roamed the ground. And the catastrophic Thulhupus also stood still over the ind.


    No matter how much of an elite the troops of the Northeast were, they would still face difficulties if they fought against these opponents with just one ship worth of troops from both the Northeastern and the Eastern Army.


    Just then, something fell from the sky.


    Baaaaang!


    With a huge explosion, a storm blew in the air and cut off Thulhupus¡¯ huge tentacle. The rest of its tentacles were also cut off by a huge sword and a lion.


    ¡°How?¡±


    The dark blue-haired man mumbled nkly when the troops from the main fleet appeared on Ghost Ind. Before he knew it, all of the ck fog around the ind had disappeared and the polluted water, which he took pains getting contaminated, had already been cleaned up. Because of this, the power of the mermaids was weakened which in turn allowed the main troops to arrive at Ghost Ind.


    ¡°Not yet¡­ It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    With those words as a catalyst, the man¡¯s once beautiful appearance vanished. And in his ce was a monster with a hideous face and a lower body that looked like a mutated fish. It seemed like dealing with contaminated mana had made him into this hideously strong monster. However, it seemed like undoing his beautiful appearance had released the power that he had suppressed. Right now, a power that could rival a master was emitting from his body.


    ¡°You all should be the sea¡¯s food!¡±


    Another powerful force appeared from the side just when Carl Gustav was about to raise his sword and fight to the death. It was a blue wave that had a power that was simr to Iron¡¯s divine power. A power that was on the extreme opposite of the ck water.


    ¡°White¡­ Whale?¡±


    Carl Gustav mumbled nkly when he saw Evastole and Kim Jungtae, the two leaders of the White Whale guild, appear in the area.


    ¡°I think the divine beast is gone but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, all that¡¯s left is the Sea Orb?¡±


    The two men spoke as they looked at the man.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s the head of the mermaid race¡­ Can you handle him?¡±


    Gustav frowned at Kim Jungtae¡¯s question. He was speaking arrogantly as if they could handle him by themselves.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you step back and let us take care of him?¡±


    ¡°It seems like you have a lot of injuries so you should leave him to us.¡±


    Evastole quickly covered Kim Jungtae¡¯s mouth as he politely spoke to Gustav. Gustav sighed and nodded lightly when he looked at Iron and his injured men. If their opponent was at the master¡¯s level, then they would not be able to handle him anyway.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Kim Jungtae smiled as he looked at the head of the mermaid race after receiving Gustav¡¯s permission.


    ¡°How dare a puny human like you be so arrogant!¡±


    A ck whale flew towards the Northeastern Army as soon as the head of the mermaid race raised his bone staff. At the same time, countless void insects, ck streams of water, undead and dimensional fish flocked towards the humans. It seemed like he was determined to not let anyone leave alive.


    However, his wishful thinking was smashed to smithereens. This was because the members of the White Whale guild appeared one by one to deal with the undead and the beings from the void as the other-worlders followed and ¡®attacked¡¯ the head of the mermaid race earnestly.


    The head of the mermaid race also had to struggle to fight over the control of the ck water especially with Evastole¡¯s divine power that waspletely opposite to contaminated mana and Kim Jungtae¡¯s ability for water.


    Because of the ovepping factors that did not favor the head of the mermaid race, he was on the verge of being attacked and defeated by the other-worlders without being able to express more than half of his original power.


    Meanwhile, the Northeastern Army was able to safely retreat thanks to the cover of the artillery and support units. They had sessfully set up camp in the rear and moved their injured to safety as they waited. The main fleet¡¯s units also arrived one after the other on the coast.


    The war between the humans and the mermaid race in Ghost Ind had finally begun in earnest.


    ***


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 Chapter 96 - The Beginning Of Chaos (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(96)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>32 </b>The Beginning of Chaos (1)


    The other-worlders pushed and attacked the head of the mermaid race. For them, missing one of their biggest goals, the thunderbird, was a huge blow. So, they had to at least get something of equivalent value. They knew that it was already difficult to obtain the Sea Orb since there were masters out in the field. However, they believed that they would still be able to reap a lot of rewards if they sessfully captured and killed the head of the mermaid race. So, they had to either kill or capture the head of the mermaid race while the masters and the troops were still busy dealing with the extremelyrge octopus.


    The octopus was superrge but there were three masters fighting against it. Even the Northern Commander jumped off of the airship and joined the fray bringing the total number of masters to four. If that huge monster held out, it would probably be able to endure the onughts of attacks for about 30 minutes. In other words, they needed to finish everything in 30 minutes.


    However, from the other-worlders point of view, they could only see this as a game. A game where they could reap great rewards as long as they did their best.


    ¡°Everyone, give it your all!¡±


    Hearing Kim Jungtae¡¯s roar, the other-worlders immediately pulled out their hidden abilities.


    Their abilities were based on the power that they had learned and acquired here during the beta test. Their abilities were formed bybining the aura of their innate abilities and strengthening it with their innate magical abilities. This meant that their abilities were far stronger and more amplified than the abilities of the people of this world.


    Several different types of force appeared and flew towards the head of the mermaid race.


    ¡°Kgghk¡­¡±


    The head of the mermaid race red fiercely at Kim Jungtae as bloody tears continued to trickle down his face. He was having a hard time controlling the ck water thanks to Kim Jungtae¡¯s interference. And the contaminated mana was being blocked by Evastole. He couldn¡¯t believe that the power that the mermaids had received through their countless sacrifices for the dimensional crack had been blocked by the other-worlders ridiculous innate abilities just like that.


    But despite the unfavorable situation, the head of the mermaid race still continued to endure.


    Even though most of his powers had been blocked and tied up, his high level and skills alone had allowed him to endure the attacks of the other-worlders.


    ¡°As expected of monsters.¡±


    Kim Jungtae clicked his tongue.


    He had felt this during the beta test. At first he tried to deny it, however, even if he turned a blind eye and denied it, it was an unmistakable fact that all masters were monsters. The head of the mermaid race was not even aplete master yet but he was able to hold out alone against the onught of attacks from the other-worlders.


    Kim Jungtae couldn¡¯t help but admire his strength. After all, most of his powers were already being tied down by him and Evastole¡¯s abilities. Watching him twist and break their powers with just the most minimal force made him see why a master-level being was respected by friends and foes alike whenever they appeared in the battlefield. Even the arrogant Kim Jungtae had no choice but to show respect to such a powerhouse. However, he only acknowledged his strength.


    The other-worlders continued to utilize the experiences and abilities that they had gone through before to thoroughly ¡®attack¡¯ the head of the mermaid race.


    During the beta test, they had proven that even a master-level being would fall as long as they, the other-worlders, gathered and fought together. So, for the White Whale guild members, the head of the mermaid race was just one of the many targets that they could fight against together.


    ¡°Stick to him! Make him tired!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop attacking! If we¡¯re tired, then he¡¯s more tired!¡±


    The other-worlders screamed as they kept on attacking. They constantly attacked from all sides as theypletely harassed the head of the mermaid race. They even set a routine as if they were just killing a boss monster in a game.


    As a result, the head of the mermaid race became exhausted. And the more tired he became, the more gaps he showed which ended up giving him plenty of injuries. If things continued at this rate, the White Whale guild would be able to defeat and capture the head of the mermaid race within a few minutes.


    Just when the head of the mermaid race was on the verge of being caught¡­


    Something came down from the sky and fell on the other-worlders.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    Before Kim Jungtae could finish his words, a huge weight pressed on them.


    ¡°Kgghhhk¡­¡±


    A huge fist made of ck water was trying to crush the other-worlders.


    Kim Jungtae controlled the water as much as he could while Evastole tried his hardest to purify the contaminated water. They resisted the fist with all their might.


    However, the head of the mermaid race did not hold back this time. He showed his strength with no holds barred.


    He tried to sweep away the other-worlders while Kim Jungtae and Evastole were still busy facing against the huge ck fist.


    ¡°Stop. It will be hard for us to endure this any further.¡±


    Before they knew it, a woman with dark blue hair appeared and looked at the head of the mermaid race with her jewel-like eyes.


    And just like she said, the other-worlders and even the forces from the military¡¯s main fleet had already moved to kill them one by one. The main force had already arrived on the coast and had already started a siege. The other-worlders had also regrouped andpleted a new formation to attack him once again. If he continued to resist and linger in this ce, then he would be the one in danger.


    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t end like this.¡±


    ¡°The war is just beginning. Don¡¯t sacrifice our people for your useless pride.¡±


    The head of the mermaid race bit his lips when he heard the woman¡¯s words. His hideous appearance disappeared as he turned back into a beautiful man with dark blue hair.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ That¡¯s right. The war is just beginning.¡±


    The head of the mermaid race tried to calm down.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones who wanted to destroy the Empire. All of the races that had fallen victim to the Empire¡¯s cruelties and wars hated them down to their very core. In addition, those who wanted to destroy this world also wanted to destroy the Empire first. That was why the battle here was only a prelude to the Empire¡¯s copse and destruction in the future.


    ¡°The path is long.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯ve already waited for hundreds of years. It¡¯s not that hard to wait for just a few more years.¡±


    The head of the mermaid race contained his anger as he soared to the sky with his ck water.


    Kim Jungtae gritted his teeth as he threw a huge spear of water. However, when it came to water, the mermaids were not inferior in any way. Although they had been corrupted, they were still mermaids.


    ¡°Goddamnit!¡±


    Seeing his spear being blocked by a water shield, Kim Jungtae couldn¡¯t help but shout furiously.


    They had already missed the thunderbird but it seemed like they would still be missing the head of the mermaid race.


    While the White Whale and the other-worlders failed to enact their ns, the four masters seeded in reverse-summoning Cthulhu¡¯s apostle, Thulhupus. In addition, the tower masters and the Eastern Naval Fleet seeded in killing the catastrophes of the sea. It seemed like the battle was slowly going to close.


    ¡°It will be over as long as we acquire the Sea Orb.¡±


    Lioner said so and looked up at the sky.


    There was an enormous collection of mana in the sky in the form of an orb. It was none other than the Sea Orb, the item deemed to be the highest quality mana core.


    Sky¡¯s Eyes.


    Earth¡¯s Heart.


    Sea¡¯s Orb.


    cier¡¯s Jewel.


    These were the four cores that were hailed as the continent¡¯s best treasures. And one of them right now was maintaining the dimensional gate by constantly emitting contaminated mana in the sky.


    Countless void insects and dimensional fish wandered around the Sea Orb. However, something felt weird.


    ¡°Strange.¡±


    ¡°You feel it too?¡±


    Hearing Lioner¡¯s words, Terrion, the Godly Sword Family Head, frowned and looked at the contaminated Sea Orb.


    They felt it strange that only the void insects were appearing from such arge-scale gate.


    Terrion and Lioner had both experienced the dimensional cracks in the Northeast. And despite being a low-scale dimensional crack, strange creatures had squeezed through the crack. So they felt it strange when no strange creature, a phenomenon that they were familiar with, did not appear from such arge-scale gate.


    It looked simr to the dimensional gate that the witch had artificially filled in with void insects. What was stranger was the fact that they could only feel a scant few mana from the Sea Orb. it felt like the mana from the Sea Orb was far less than the mana from the mana cores found in the Northeast.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Sea Orb, right?¡±


    Terrion tilted his head in thought when he heard Lioner¡¯s question.


    It would be extremely disappointing if that was the extent of the power of the Sea Orb.


    Just then, cracks appeared in the dimensional gate as it began to copse by itself. At the same time, the Sea Orb, which maintained the dimensional gate, also began to break down along with it.


    The masters immediately ran towards the dimensional gate when they saw this. However, even though they rushed forward, they still could not prevent the Sea Orb from copsing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This is a fake.¡±


    Terrion nodded in agreement with Lioner, who was collecting the debris of the broken Sea Orb. It was just a mana core made into the form of the Sea Orb. However, it was still true that it contained a huge amount of mana. Just having the debris was enough to gather huge amounts of mana towards it. In addition, it also made the dimensional gate copse and return to a dimensional crack that constantly released void insects and contaminated mana.


    ¡°This is like¡­ the artificial dimensional crack in the Center.¡±


    Lioner and Terrion turned to look back upon hearing the words of an other-worlder.


    ¡°Artificial dimensional crack?¡±


    The other-worlder nodded in answer to Lioner¡¯s question.


    ¡°The numerous dimensional cracks that appeared in the Center were made in the same way. Of course, it wasn¡¯t at the level that¡¯sparable to this since they only used a contaminated high-leveled mana stone not like this one that used a huge mana core. And they¡¯re only open for a short period of time.¡±


    Lioner¡¯s expression hardened when he heard the other-worlder¡¯s words. Even the twomanders, who were standing near Terrion, had the same expression on their faces.


    ¡°Perhaps this was just a prelude.¡±


    The expressions of all of the people in the vicinity turned solemn when they heard Lioner¡¯s mumblings. Just like what he said, they also felt that this was just the beginning of something.


    They missed the head of the mermaid race and even the Sea Orb could not be found anywhere. If this was the case, then the fight in the East was still not yet over.


    When those who gathered on the Ghost Ind felt exhausted just by thinking about the future, a more surprising thing greeted them. It was news from the Eastern Command to each alliance. The expressions of the officers in charge hardened when they received the news.


    The first to react was the South.


    ¡°I think we should stop here.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Hearing the words of Terrion, the Southern Wizard Tower was now excluded from the battle for the Sea Orb. Others were confused and shocked by their sudden decision but none of them said anything since it was a good thing for the rest of them. This was because a bigpetitor had disappeared among them.


    But they weren¡¯t the only ones who were retreating.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll stop here too.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ So the Lion Family will retreat too.¡±


    Everyone looked suspicious when even the Lion Family and the Northern Commander, Jayden Wicks, retreated. They couldn¡¯t understand why everyone was stepping down aftering all the way here. Not long after, the West and the Central Wizard Tower also retreated which added confusion to those who remained.


    Their reason was revealed in a letter addressed to the Northeastern Commander, Crimson Halo.


    ¡°Dimensional cracks appeared all throughout the Empire?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned wide when they heard Crimson¡¯s murmurs.


    The North, the West, the South and the Center. Huge dimensional cracks suddenly appeared in all four regions. If they counted the one in the East, then dimensional cracks had appeared all over the Empire. And they weren¡¯t just like the small cracks that appeared in the Center before. Large dimensional cracks that wereparable to the one in Ghost Ind urred in every region. Although they did not know the exact details, it was clear to them that it was not on a small scale since the two households and the two tower masters urgently wanted to return.


    And in such a chaotic situation, the only ce where the dimensional crack did not open was the Northeast. In other words, only the Northeast, the ce considered to be the worst and most dangerous ce in the entire Empire, was a clean area without any unmanaged dimensional cracks.


    ¡°Was this battle the prelude?¡±


    Crimson stared at the dimensional crack hovering in the blue sky.


    The East¡¯s fight against the mermaid was the start. However,rge battles were already about to take ce all over the Empire while this war was not yet over.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ The future of the Empire is dark.¡±


    Crimson muttered to himself as he continued to stare at the dimensional crack with a heavy expression on his face.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 97 - The Beginning Of Chaos (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(97)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>32 </b>The Beginning of Chaos (2)


    [ The Eastern Army has recaptured Ghost Ind! ]


    A short article was printed out in the newspaper in the Capital. Originally, this article should have been in the headlines. However, it only came out as a short article. There was no choice. After all, shocking things were happening all over the Empire right now.


    Then, another huge incident broke out in the East.


    [ The mermaid race has appeared. Where are they? ]


    [ Arge army of mermaids has been discovered in the Puerh Inds! ]


    [ The legendary city of the seas, Antis, has appeared in Puerh Inds! ]


    [ Will the Eastern Army be able to protect Voghren¡¯s Ghost Ind? ]


    Although they had recaptured Ghost Ind and prevented the dimensional crack, the war was not yet over. It was as if they were telling them that it was just the beginning as they started another war on their own.


    Meanwhile, wars that were as big as the first war in the East, began all over the Empire.


    [ The Werebeasts¡¯ Alliance has appeared in the South! The forgotten race that had been known to be extinct is now being led by the weretigers as they aimed their ws at the Empire! ]


    [ A suspicious ind has appeared in the skies of the West! A flock of birdmen, believed to have disappeared long ago, has now appeared! ]


    [ The dark elves have once again appeared in the North! Are they threatening the North this time?! ]


    Suspicious beings have appeared one after the other in all regions of the Empire.


    The North has the dark elves.


    The South has the werebeasts.


    The East has the mermaids.


    And the West has the birdmen.


    These beings were known to have disappeared or had gone extinct. However, contrary to expectations, all of them were alive and had now returned to take their revenge against the Empire that they loathed all their lives.


    The small kingdoms of the West that served as the Empire¡¯s informants were the first to suffer damages from their attacks. For small kingdoms who did not have as much power as the Empire, they could not find any way to effectively cope with the dimensional crack. The only thing that they could do was find refuge and continuously retreat amid the enormous damages. The kingdoms in the South were able to hold out because they worked together and had many powerhouses. However, they still had no choice but to be pushed back.


    In addition, the endless amount of void insects and contaminated mana that poured out of the cracks had turned the monsters in the area into more ferocious monsters. What was worse was the appearance of bizarre creatures as the cracks began to evolve into dimensional gates. And this problem was not only limited to the Empire. The entire continent was now about to be engulfed with dimensional cracks.


    As a result, the Eastern Army had received far less attention even after they had recaptured Ghost Ind.


    In fact, it was the Northeast that caught the attention of the entire continent. The Northeast, once hailed as the most dangerous ce in the Empire, had now be one of the safest ces in the continent.


    When the situation developed in this direction, the Magic Tools Workshops, the merchants, the Wizard Towers and the wizards that came to the Northeast smiled broadly.


    Controlled dimensional cracks.


    Mana cores.


    Countless rare species of monsters.


    And overflowing contaminated monsters.


    The fact that all of these items could be studied and pursued ¡®safely¡¯ while developing countless powerful weapons under the protection of the powerful Northeastern Army made the Northeast the hottest region in the Empire.


    Numerous small and medium-sized merchants and wizard towers immediately flocked to the Northeast upon hearing the opening of a new trading route that was connected to the East.


    However, Iron, who had made the biggest contribution in making the Northeast the most influential region of the Empire, was still dead to the world in one corner of the Ghost Ind.


    ¡°When are we going to transfer Iron?¡±


    Lintel asked Gustav outside of the room where Iron was currently sleeping in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Eastern Command ispletely organized yet.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we transfer him back to the Northeast?¡±


    ¡°The mermaids have taken over the sea.¡±


    Gustav had a solemn expression on his face as he answered Lintel¡¯s question.


    The mermaids¡¯ force was extremely terrible that not even the Empire¡¯s strongest naval fleet could deal with them. The naval fleet had to experience countless hardships whenever they sailed off since the mermaids kept on swimming around as if they owned the sea.


    Despite the constant harassment, they were still veterans. So, what they did was to immediately look for ways to counter these mermaids. And thanks to the help of the other-worlders, they finally found a way.


    ¡°It seems like there are other-worlder mildeoks, who are helping the naval fleet.¡±


    ¡°Mildeok?¡±


    Lintel tilted his head when he heard the strange word.


    ¡°It¡¯s an abbreviation for military fanatics, but honestly, I don¡¯t know what it means. However, they seem to be experts in weapons. And they are now preparing to apply the weapons and tactical methods that aremonly used in their world to attack the mermaids.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Are you saying that he needs to stay here until then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    If they were innd, they could send him to a safe zone no matter the cost. However, this was an ind and they were closed off from the safe zone. They had also tried many ways to leave the ind, but all proved to be futile. Since the sea was problematic, they tried to use the airships. However, it proved to be dangerous thanks to the flying monsters that roamed the skies. And even if they wanted to move out of the ind, the main fleet could not move just because of a single person, Iron.


    ¡°As soon as the Eastern Command stabilizes, we will transfer him with the reinforcements that would be sent here.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Lintel and the other Ghosts felt frustrated upon hearing Gustav¡¯s words. They all fell into a fluster when their youngest sacrificed himself once again just to produce some results and get them safe.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t continue on like this, right? It¡¯s not like we can stay here forever¡­¡±


    Lintel now has a worried look on his face.


    Although the Ghost Ind had been recaptured, their main focus was in Antis, a city that had emerged in the Puerh Inds.


    They could easily guess that a dimensional gate would also be waiting for them there. Schrs were even wondering if Antis itself had already been turned into a dimensional gate in and on itself. They could safely assume that the Sea Orb, the driving force that maintained Antis, had be corrupted which could make the city itself into a dimensional gate.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Eastern Commander decided toe here himself.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there¡¯s a magic master ss mermaid there?¡±


    Lintel¡¯s eyes widened in shock. But Gustav just shook his head.


    ¡°It seems like they weren¡¯t really at the level of a magic master. From what I have heard, the mermaid just borrowed the power of an item to exert the strength of a magic master for a short period of time¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ But isn¡¯t it still a problem if they can show a power like that temporarily?¡±


    ¡°There seems to be restrictions. The environment must be the sea, and once they use that amount of force they won¡¯t be able to use it again for a long period of time. Right now, the mermaid haspletely stepped back from the Eastern Command and retreated to Antis. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because he¡¯s run out of energy.¡±


    Of course, the mermaids also needed to meet certain conditions before they could act like that. However, they still couldn¡¯t move hastily since they already wield tremendous power without those supplements.


    In such a precarious situation, a worthwhile fight would ensue if the entire Eastern main force flocked to Ghost Ind. And since the main force of the Northeastern Army was also supposed toe to Ghost Ind, they believed that even if the mermaids were powerful at sea, they would still not be able to defend against two out of the five main forces of the Empire.


    In addition, the other-worlders also chose to remain in the East despite the chaos in all of the other regions. This was because they wanted to obtain the items that the mermaids had used. And even if they went to another region, they were sure that other other-worlders would already be in there. From the point of view of the other-worlders who stayed here, they had to see the oue of this war even if they got killed or fed to the monsters.


    Ppiiiiiiiiiii!


    ¡°It¡¯s an attack! The mermaids have attacked!¡±


    ¡°The sealed crack is showing signs of explosion!¡±


    The Ghosts moved when they heard the shouts of the soldiers. In just a blink of an eye, the safest area in the Ghost Ind was only left with only a few troops as they all moved to prevent the mermaids and the void insects.


    Just when everyone was busy shouting and moving to prevent the mermaids, a strange phenomenon happened in Iron¡¯s slumbering body.


    Crackle!


    Static electricity suddenly umted in Iron¡¯s body. At first, it was just at a level that anyone could experience. But the static electricity increased in intensity to the point that it could electrify the body. What was strange was the fact that it only got generated asionally.


    However, as time passed by, the intensity and intervals began to increase.


    The problem was that none of the people on the ind noticed this.


    Even though they wanted to finish it quickly, the battle against the mermaids had still been prolonged. As a result, the medics that were supposed to manage Iron in the hospital room were all busy wandering around. They had no time to pay enough attention to Iron since there were a lot of injuries that they needed to tend to in real time thanks to the battle taking ce on the ind.


    Despite everyone, including the medics, the Northeastern Army and the Eastern Army, failing to notice the abnormalities in Iron¡¯s body due to the urgent situation, it still urred continuously.


    Crackle! Crackle!


    The electricity coursing through Iron¡¯s body could now be seen by the naked eye with how intense it was. Iron¡¯s body even began to tremble while the mermaids busily attacked the ind and took the attention of everyone stationed here.


    Eventually, his eyelids trembled. It seemed like he was about to wake up.


    ¨D With the slight recovery of your divine power, some of Thunderbird¡¯s abilities have been awakened.


    ¨D Thunderbird¡¯s ability ¡®Lightning¡¯ has influenced your innate ability.


    ¨D Your body has been stimted by your innate ability ¡®Lightning¡¯.


    ¨D The amount of time that you had fainted had been shortened thanks to the stimtion.


    ¨D Your subconsciousness has been awakened from the constant stimuli.


    With the recovery of his divine power, he was able to awaken Thunderbird¡¯s ability which in turn influenced Iron¡¯s innate ability that created a synergy¡­


    Thunderbird¡¯s ability + innate ability ¡ú physical stimtion ¡ú shortened the time of unconsciousness ¡ú awakening of the subconscious ¡ú physical recovery and divine power recovery ¡ü


    This cycle of stimulus continued virtuously until Iron¡¯s spirit and consciousness was fully awakened.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ uhhmmm¡­¡±


    The ceiling of the room greeted Iron¡¯s eyes once he finally opened his heavy eyelids.


    Crackle, crackle!


    As soon as he opened his eyes, Iron concentrated to control the electric current that was flowing in his body. Something could go wrong, like burning the bed he wasying in, with the strong current that wrapped around his body so he needed to control it as soon as possible.


    Trying to limit his strength as soon as he woke up had ced a burden on his tired and injured body. He could even hear a ringing in his head. However, Iron endured and did his best to control the power in his body. The power was so strong that it resisted his control but his repeated tries eventually brought the lightning in his control. The power that leaked out of his body began to disappear and retreat back inside.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ How long has it been?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but frown when he realized that he did not know how much time had passed ever since he lost consciousness.


    Bang! Bang!


    All he could hear was the sound of guns and bombs from afar. Hearing the chaotic situation outside, Iron decided to stand up from his bed, albeit shakily, as he moved to open the door.


    ¡°Ghost Ind?¡±


    Iron raised one of his hands after confirming that he was still in Ghost Ind. Then, as if following his will, a lightning bolt moved from his body.


    The power of his innate ability lightning and Thunderbird¡¯s ability lightning hadbined together and constantly amplified the power of the ability. Perhaps it was because of the synergy created by the two abilities that another slumbering force in Iron¡¯s body responded. It was as if it was waiting for the day that it would be used.


    Crack!


    Iron looked forward after watching the frost that formed on his hand crack and break down.


    He could see several mermaids and undead attacking the area. Perhaps it was because they realized that this was the area where the injured were gathered so they tried to pierce the ind¡¯s defenses through this ce.


    He knew that with his current injuries, he was only going to interfere with them. This was an undeniable fact. However, his newly gained power gave him the confidence in stopping the mermaids despite his current physical condition.


    Iron thought about his next course of actions for a while before opening the door widely and walking out confidently. His body was still trembling and shaking but the power inside his body was jumping around and ready to run rampant at any moment.


    And just in time, suitable opponents appeared in front of him. They were the perfect candidates to test his new power on.


    ***


    Notes


    [Mildeok ??] ¨C An abbreviation for ???? ?? (Military Fanatic). Literally someone who¡¯s enthusiastic about anything rted to the military or the police.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 98 - Great Naval War (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(98)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>33 </b>Great Naval War (1)


    The mermaids led the monsters corroded and corrupted by ck water to charge forward and attack the temporary medic ward set up in the ind. The knights did their best to lead the deployed soldiers and stop them from moving forward but it gradually became difficult for them when the void insects appeared in the sky. It came to the point that even the medics and the injured took their weapons and fought. However, no matter how hard they resisted, they were still pushed back.


    Then¡­


    Shiiiing!


    A beam of light suddenly flew in from somewhere.


    ¡°Gr¡­ rrrrrr.¡±


    A crabman copsed as blood gurgled out of its throat that was pierced through with the shining beam of light.


    Everyone was stunned as they turned to look at the direction where the beam of light came from.


    There, they saw a sharkman smoothly moving behind the person that let out the beam of light. Although the sharkman wasn¡¯t as fast as they were at sea, it could still summon a spear and a wave made of ck water. It was surfing towards the man that let out the attack. But before it could reach the mand, a cold and freezing wind blew which immediately froze the water that the sharkman was surfing on. And in just a blink of an eye, the sharkman had turned into an ice statue.


    ¡°Lieu¡­ Lieutenant Colonel Iron?¡±


    Iron cracked his neck after killing one crabman and one sharkman in an instant.


    The mermaids were enraged as they watched him move nonchntly. They took their spears, aimed and threw it straight at him. However, before the water spears could reach him, they evaporated in an instant. This was thanks to the single lightning bolt that appeared in front of Iron.


    ¡°The effect is quite good.¡±


    This was thebination of his innate ability and Thunderbird¡¯s ability. He was able to disintegrate the mermaids¡¯ attacks with just a single bolt of lightning thanks to the fusion of their abilities.


    Seeeing his unusual power, the mermaids immediately changed their tactics. The undead went to block the soldiers while the crabmen, the sharkmen and the mermaids rushed towards Iron.


    However, Iron was not someone who could be easily beaten by such a foolish tactic.


    The crabmen, which were acting as tankers, ran in front of the horde. But a single sweep of the blue ray of light from Iron¡¯s eyes had turned them into dust. He also kept the sharkmen in check with his lightning.


    ¡°Graaaaaack!¡±


    The mermaids, the crabmen and the sharkmen endured Iron¡¯s attacks as they tried to rush forward. And finally, one of the crabmen finally seeded in escaping Iron¡¯s onught of attacks. The crabman immediately swung its two gigantic ws forward as it charged towards Iron in a full-frontal body m. And Iron, who was trembling and only barely standing, could not have avoided such a direct and brute attack.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Iron flew back and mmed into one of the building¡¯s walls. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a slight groan of pain before coughing and standing back up. What was surprising was the fact that he only let out a slight groan of pain and a cough after receiving the crabman¡¯s direct rush in his injured condition.


    Everyone who saw this couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Even the crabman, who rushed straight at Iron, just stood there and stared at him dumbly. They couldn¡¯t believe that an injured and trembling person was still alive after receiving such an attack.


    ¡°Steel mana?¡±


    The knight muttered to himself when he saw the ck and sturdy mana that wrapped around Iron¡¯s body.


    Iron¡¯s eyes shone once again as beams of light swept away the mermaids. Although the power of Iron¡¯s beams of light were not as strong as Two Moons¡¯ light, thepressed mana that he let out was still more than enough to pierce through the unguarded crabmen¡¯s defenses. There was also the lightning that attacked them whenever they tried to approach him. And he would also freeze them if they tried to use water against him.


    His force and fighting prowess was extremely overwhelming especially when he used different powers and abilities. It was to the point that his enemies found it difficult to determine how many powers he was using in one attack.


    His enemies couldn¡¯t even determine if they could kill him once they appraoched him thanks to the weak steel mana that wrapped around his entire body.


    Beams of light.


    Lightning.


    Frost.


    Steel mana.


    Anyone could tell that he was using four different kinds of power just by watching him fight like that.


    Surprisingly enough, there was also a faint green light that wrapped around his wounds. It seemed like he also had the ability to heal.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this japtang?¡¯


    This thought shed through the knight¡¯s head unconsciously.


    Although the knight did not grasp it, Iron was in fact also using Phoenix¡¯s power. He was actually actively purifying the contaminated mana around him. That was the amount of abilities that Iron was using in this fight.


    For the soldiers watching him fight, they could finally see why divine beast contractors were highly regarded in ancient times despite their rareness.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he stronger than when he was in the Northeast?¡±


    Another one of the knights looked nkly at Iron.


    His body was shaking and trembling since he was still injured but the power that he was showing right now was extremely overwhelming. However, the special troops led by the mermaids were firmly blocked even though Iron could not use his divine beasts or his steel sword, the power that was known to be his specialty.


    In the end, the mermaid¡¯s special troop retreated after discerning that they could not pierce through their defenses.


    Stagger!


    Although the knights and soldiers worked hard together to buy enough time, the main force that blocked the mermaids, the crabmen and the sharkmen was Iron alone.


    ¡°Heok¡­ heok¡­¡±


    Iron sat on the stairs and leaned on one of the pirs as he tried to catch and stabilize his ragged breathing. He stared at his trembling limbs wondering if he did too much when he was yet to recover. Still, he was d that he woke up in time and prevented the mermaid¡¯s special troops from breaching any further.


    Perhaps it was because everyone including the medics and the injured endured and blocked the enemies that they all felt relieved and happy that they had also survived today.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I survived thanks to you.¡±


    The knight came out and thanked Iron as everyone¡¯s representative. Even the soldiers in the back were saluting and paying him their respects.


    Iron nodded shyly when he saw them acting like this.


    The knight noticed that Iron was so tired that he couldn¡¯t even answer him and their thanks. The knight couldn¡¯t help but smile as he thanked him once again before stepping back.


    Iron quickly calmed his shaking body as he activated the power of healing and applied it to his body.


    The knight was in awe when he saw this scene.


    ¡°I heard that you can use the divine beast¡¯s power¡­ that¡¯s incredible.¡±


    They had seen the huge firebird and thunderbird on Ghost Ind from afar. There was also a bird with two big eyes that lit up the Ghost Ind like a moon on a dark night. As well as a small light that purified the entire Ghost Ind.


    The knight once again felt how amazing and powerful someone who could borrow just a little bit of power from such monstrously strong beings. And although the knight was not high enough in terms of force, he still was able to grasp the fact that Iron could already use his steel mana.


    From what he had seen, he was sure that Iron¡¯s swordsmanship had already gone beyond the beginning stage of the 5th Stage. After all, he was already strong enough to wrap the mana all over his body. In addition, he could tell that Iron could manage and move his steel mana ording to his will after watching him move it to reduce the impact of the crabman¡¯s body m earlier. In other words, Iron could already use his steel mana like it was just normal mana.


    The knight could tell that this young genius was already preparing to enter the 6th Stage. Being able to make full use of the attributed mana like it was just some normal mana meant that he had already fulfilled one of the two requirements needed to get to the 6th Stage. All that was left for him to do was to engrave and imprint his swordsmanship to fit his attributed mana.


    Of course, there were countless people who wandered near this wall all their lives and failed to go past the 5th stage. However, for some reason, the knight believed that this young genius would be able to break through that wall quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m envious.¡±


    The knight unknowingly felt envy when he saw Iron like this. After all, Iron had an overwhelming talent that he couldn¡¯t even dare to chase blindly. The knight finally left Iron behind to rest after these thoughts ran through his head.


    Was it because everyone saw a miracle?


    In just an instant, the news about the battle that happened in the temporary medic ward spread. It reached the Eastern Army, who was fighting in full swing with the mermaids. As well as the Northeastern Army fighting against the void insectsing out of the dimensional crack. It even reached the support personnel that were working hard to finish the stronghold.


    Morale began to rise as the news spread all over Ghost Ind.


    On the other hand, the mermaid¡¯s special troop that failed to pierce through the depths of Ghost Ind brought down the morale on their side. In the end, they had no choice but to retreat. They wanted to keep the main fleet in check with the kraken, the megalodon and the sea serpent while they focused their main troops in Ghost Ind but everything was ruined in the beginning. They failed to squeeze through the gap and turn them to smithereens before the Eastern Command came.


    The Ghosts rushed to where Iron was after the mermaids retreated back to their home, Antis.


    ¡°Our youngest!¡±


    The first one to arrive was Lintel.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m still not fine.¡±


    ¡°What? You punk! You look all better now!¡±


    The other Ghosts arrived one after another as Lintel and Iron bantered happily.


    ¡°I heard your performance was quite amazing?¡±


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that you shot beams of light with your eyes, used ice and even lightning?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Iron replied shyly when Lintel asked him about what he did.


    ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t you look stronger all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I received a bit of help this time.¡±


    The Ghosts looked at Iron curiously. Iron had no choice but to open his mouth and solve their curiosity.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because my divine power has expanded so it increased a lot more than before. And I don¡¯t know if it was an aftereffect or not but¡­¡±


    ck mana moved around his hand as Iron raised his steel mana while exining.


    All of the Ghosts¡¯ eyes widened in shock.


    They all wondered if the rumors were true. However, it seemed like it was far more than what the rumors had painted after checking it with their own eyes. After all, there was a limit to what a knight, who was only at a lower level, could confirm.


    The Iron that the Ghosts have seen right now was already at the advanced 5th Stage. He was close to the level of Billy and Lintel, the two strongest except for the captain in the team.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re already at that stage?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Aren¡¯t you too fast?¡±


    It was not only Lintel, even Billie Brandt was scratching his hair as he spoke in frustration.


    ¡°Do you already have a grasp of your swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of doing it with just Imperial Swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, it¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Everyone nodded their heads as they listened in on Lintel and Iron¡¯s conversation.


    Anyway, there was no clear and definite answer from this point on. All they had to do was to believe in the path that they have chosen and keep on grinding and polishing themselves.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be the first one to reach the 6th Stage among us.¡±


    All of the Ghosts nodded in agreement to Lintel.


    If Iron¡¯s simple sword technique was truly the answer fit for him, then, he would be able to reach the 6th Stage faster than anybody else.


    Theplexity of sword techniques would only give one the upper hand if they were in the same stage. In addition, it had a lot of things that one needed to understand and learn. If that was the case, then a simple swordsmanship would be a good choice.


    It¡¯s not that no one was given the choice to take on this simple swordsmanship. After all, it was still necessary for them to understand the meaning of tha basic swordsmanship to further understand their experiences and essences of theirplex swordsmanship. However, they still chose their ownplex swordsmanship.


    But that might be the reason why they might get hit by Iron and left behind.


    As a Ghost, he would be required to go to the battlefield countless times and gain experience. In addition, he also had experiences gained during his previous life. Choosing the basic swordsmanship would help him grow and imprint these experiences into his body and his sword. If that was the case, Iron would not have any problem with his swordsmanship at all.


    ¡°Can youe back right away?¡±


    ¡°Ah! I suddenly feel dizzy¡­¡±


    ¡°Pretending to be sick? Huh~ Doing this while your seniors are holding the sky and working hard?¡±


    ¡°Tch, tch! Newbies these days don¡¯t know any manners.¡±


    ¡°The seniors are rolling hard but the youngest is trying to rest on the bed?.¡±


    Lintelughed and giggled when he saw Iron grabbing his head. The Ghosts patted Iron on the head and joked with him.


    Iron and the Ghosts jokingly talked about returning to the battlefield. But maybe their luck was just terrible? Their jokes immediately turned into reality.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the sea as he rode on a ship. He stood there nkly asking himself¡­


    Who am I? Where am I?


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Cheer up.¡±


    Gustav tapped Iron¡¯s shoulder as he passed by him. The Ghosts also avoided Iron as they watched him stare nkly at the sea.


    There was only one reason why he was ced back in the field immediately¡­


    ¡°I think you can move around well now. Come back.¡±


    This was what Crimson Halo, the Northeastern Commander, told him after watching him y around with the Ghosts.


    Carl Gustav could only bow his head silently.


    ***


    Notes


    [Japtang ??] ¨C A dish made with an assortment of ingredients, seasonings and garnishes. A metaphor that describes a state or appearance where various things are mixed in.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 99 - Great Naval War (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(99)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>33 </b>Great Naval War (2)


    In fact, Crimson also wanted to give Iron a break. However, the mermaid¡¯s movements were unusual so he had no choice but to bring Iron back after he had woken up. They were in a situation where the mermaids were moving as if they were going to do something big.


    After their attack on Ghost Ind failed, the mermaids¡¯ movements changed drastically. It seemed like they were in a hurry. Seeing that they were moving in a hurry, the Eastern Command also moved busily. When the troops started to gather the mermaids gave up trying to get into Ghost Ind. But once the troops got ready, they starteding to Ghost Ind one by one.


    Because of this, the Northeast hurriedly sent their main troops out. All of the troops from the Northeast, with the exception of the Iron Wall Division and the Vanguard Corps who were left to protect the Northeast, prepared to go and support the others. The Mountain and Fog Corps moved to help the North while the core units of the Command, the Ranger Unit, the Knight Unit and the Drake Unit, gathered to help the East. More than half of their troops moved to support others but they received no attacks whatsoever in the Northeast. This was because most of the monsters had escaped the Northeast during the monster wave. They were also able to keep the monsters in check since they had properly managed the dimensional cracks. It was not evaluated as one of the safest areas in the Empire for no reason at all.


    ¡°Is it that ce?¡±


    Iron frowned when he saw the ck fog over the horizon. Perhaps it was because he was a divine beast contractor that he could feel the contaminated energy from the ck fog clearly. Since his divine power had increased, his senses against such energy had also be stronger. He felt like insects were crawling all over his skin from the horrible stench that the contaminated energy was emitting. He seemed to realize why the divine beasts naturally hated contaminated energy.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rocky area! Everyone, be careful!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at the first strategic base soon! Everyone, get ready!¡±


    They arrived at an area that was made up of countless scattered rocks near the Puerh Inds. The area, just like Voghren¡¯s Ghost Ind, was covered in ck fog. However, the contaminated mana was much thicker and more concentrated than in the Ghost Ind.


    ¡°Worthy of the name Ghost Archipgo.¡±


    The captain couldn¡¯t help but murmur his words as he stared at the scattered rocks.


    The ce looked like a ghost would truly pop out at any given time.


    This group of rocks, which was discovered shortly after Voghren¡¯s Ghost Ind, was named as the Ghost Archipgo. They also called this area Devil¡¯s Inds after it had sunk numerous ships and killed countless sailors.


    In addition to the thick fog, there were also countless sea monsters living in this area. This was the reason why even the Eastern Army had left it alone. They couldn¡¯t deal with the fog so they had no choice but to leave it alone.


    However, the mermaids settled near this area after fully opening the dimensional gate. So, the Eastern Army was desperate to attack. But instead of rushing in hastily, they just tried to prepare and do it more perfectly.


    This was how they wanted to move and operate¡­


    Eastern Command ¨D Rear Command


    ¡ý


    Ghost Ind ¨D Mid-base


    ¡ý


    Rocky Area ¨D Forward base


    Fortunately, there was a ce in the rocky area where the rocks were gathered densely. So, with the help of magic and airships, they were able to temporarily fill the area and turn it into a base. Because most of the troops were sent to the rocky area to work on the base, the Ghost Ind was temporarily left with only the bare minimum troops to defend the ind. That was when the mermaids staged their attack. Fortunately, the Ghost Ind was not lost thanks to the Ghosts that stayed on the ind.


    ¡°Crazy.¡±


    Iron clicked his tongue as he watched huge amounts of sand and soil filling the area between the rocks. This was a feat that was quite difficult to achieve in his real world but he had no choice but to shake his head as he watched the fast pace of the construction as they took out the magicallypressed soil and sand being out of their subspace. They were even able to make it into a fortress, even though it was only halfway done, in just that short amount of time. Once this fortress waspleted, he was sure that they would be able tost a week without the help of the main fleet even if the mermaids invaded.


    ¡°Where did the money¡­¡±


    ¡°The Merchant Association gave the money.¡±


    Gustav answered Iron¡¯s unconscious answer.


    Seeing that his anger had eased, the Ghosts sneakily gathered one by one after seeing Gustav trying to talk to Iron.


    ¡°The Merchant Association is paying for it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Why did they¡­¡±


    ¡°If the mermaids stepped down, they would use this ce as a stopover for their trading route in the future.¡±


    Only after hearing Gustav¡¯s words did Iron nod his head as if he understood.


    ¡°Are there routes connected to this ce?¡±


    ¡°There was, but it became hard to traverse because of this area.¡±


    Gustav looked at the ck fog as he answered Iron.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this still be the same even if the dimensional gate disappears?¡±


    ¡°The Eastern Army said that they would create a unit for this specific stop. Well, if the Eastern Army sessfully establishes a base in Puerh Inds then establishing a route in this area will not be that difficult.¡±


    From the Eastern Army¡¯s point of view, they had no reason to refuse someone who was willing to give them the money that theycked as long as they could make their base, weapons and ships. On the other hand, the Merchant Association saw this as an opportunity to create an attractive route for their future so they had no qualms on spending loads of money for this endeavor. In other words, it was a win-win strategy for both sides.


    As soon as Iron and the Northeastern troops arrived at the already half-fortified forward base, they began to attend tactics and operation meetings to target and attack Antis in earnest.


    The first thing they did was to check how powerful the mermaids¡¯ army was.


    <b>1 </b>They estimated that the main forces of the crabmen and sharkmen were over 10,000.


    <b>2 </b>They have a Siren and Sea Drake Airforce.


    <b>3 </b>They also have megalodons, sea serpents, krakens and otherrge sea monsters on their sides.


    These were the forces that they had confirmed after their attack on Ghost Ind. However, ording to the recent information that they had received it seemed like the Eastern Army reconnaissance ship had spotted suspicious troops. There have also been many reports speaking of sightings of many mysterious creatures. Ranging from creatures that emit purple light at night torge creatures swimming strangely to transparent fishes showing their bones while emitting purple light.


    And with the situation worsening like that, Crimson had no choice but to call for Iron and the Ghosts.


    ¡°All of you must be curious as to why I brought Iron in a hurry.¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly as he looked at the Ghosts.


    He knew that he would be criticized heavily for doing this and he also did not feelfortable bringing him in by force. However, Iron was extremely essential for this operation to work.


    Gustav was also waiting for Crimson¡¯s words. It was as if he was yet to be informed about this operation.


    ¡°Do you need a divine beast contractor?¡±


    Crimson shook his head at Gustav¡¯s question.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just a divine beast contractor, then there¡¯s Kim Jungtae¡­ did I pronounce it correctly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly and nodded his head to confirm Crimson¡¯s pronunciation.


    ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter even if we have that friend. If it was just a matter of being a divine beast contractor then we wouldn¡¯t have to call for you this desperately.¡±


    Everyone tilted their heads in confusion when they heard the firmness in Crimson¡¯s voice. It seemed like even if Kim Jungtae was present, he still wouldn¡¯t beparable to Iron¡¯s presence. Perhaps it was because Iron was the most active person in the continent when it came to divine beasts. After all, rumors about Iron¡¯s performance in Ghost Ind had spread. In addition, a wizard, who installed a crystal ball in one of the ships, had confirmed the appearance of Iron¡¯s divine beasts. So, his abilities with regards to divine beasts would have definitely been coveted.


    However, Crimson did not call for him just because of his divine beasts. This meant that he did not want to put Iron directly on the field.


    ¡°Then¡­ what¡¯s the reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your ability to purify.¡±


    Iron and the rest of the Ghosts tilted their heads further at Crimson¡¯s words.


    If it was just about purification, then there were wizards. And even if it was difficult for the wizards, they could still go ahead and call for the priests.


    Since the dimensional gate had caused a great stir, plenty of priests have been deployed all over the continent. The Divine Nation, which did not involve itself in the affairs of the entire continent, opened its doors and intervened in the chaos that wreaked havoc in the continent. There were plenty of countries that suffered because of religion so the Divine Nation had to im neutrality by isting themselves. However, they had intervened on behalf of their cause so many priests would definitely flock to the East if the Eastern Army requested for their help.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I already know what you want to ask. The priests and wizards havee here and are already doing a secret operation.¡±


    The Ghosts¡¯ eyes widened in shock when they heard Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°However, they confirmed one thing¡­ their power was not enough.¡±


    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be more impossible for our youngest? Our youngest still hasn¡¯t recovered yet. What can he do alone?¡±


    The other Ghosts nodded in agreement when Lintel bombarded Crimson with these questions.


    The Northeast and the Ghost Ind.


    The Ghosts had already seen their youngest sacrifice himself for them on these two asions. From their perspective, they did not want to see Iron get hurt anymore. That was also the reason why they have been training harder recently.


    Crimson could only sigh quietly. After all, he clearly knew what they felt.


    ¡°They said that their purification abilities and Lieutenant Colonel Iron¡¯s purification ability are a bit different.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Crimson sighed when Iron asked him foolishly.


    ¡°They said that your purification ability is an ability that converts contaminated mana into a force that¡¯s closer to nature.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head once more.


    ¡°Purification through magic is just artificially turning the contaminated mana into regr mana while the priests¡¯ divine power only drives away unclean things with the power of God.¡±


    ¡°Then, our youngest¡¯s purification different?¡±


    Crimson nodded at Lintel¡¯s question.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron¡¯s purification has the power to return it to its natural purity. In other words, if the wizards purify it, then the mana will only thicken which in turn will create a mana core. If that happens, there is a risk of a second dimensional crack opening.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the priests¡¯ divine power?¡±


    Crimson sighed at Gustav¡¯s question.


    ¡°It will deteriorate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s literally what it means. They said that if they used their divine power to purify the archipgo by force, then it would deteriorate.¡±


    ¡°How¡­¡±


    Gustav looked at Crimson incredulously. He looked like he couldn¡¯t believe that a power that could purify would deteriorate something instead.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s say there¡¯s an object. What do you think will happen if light forces the darkness away? What would be the bacsh?¡±


    ¡°¡­But I have never heard of a problem with sacred power in terms of purification¡­¡±


    ¡°They hid it. Have you ever thought about why they left the dimensional gate open and left it as it is?¡±


    The performance of the priests in the dimensional gates recorded in history were clearly recorded. However, they have never heard about them destroying the dimensional gate through purification.


    ¡°They said that it was only possible topletely ¡®purify¡¯ contaminated mana with their divine power if it was only under a certain level. However, when ites to purifying something at the level of a dimensional gate¡­ they said that there was a high risk of deterioration because of the bacsh.¡±


    ¡°Deterioration, meaning¡­?¡±


    ¡°They are probably talking about the appearance of mutated beings like the ones that came out in the Northeast.¡±


    All eyes turned to Iron after Crimson finished speaking. Even Crimson was staring at him. His eyes were asking him about what he would do.


    Although he had heard about the situation, Iron could see that he was not given the right to choose. No, there wasn¡¯t even any other option to begin with. The answer was already set for him and this silence was just them waiting to hear his answer.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯ll have to do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright since I¡¯m not the only one fighting for my life. However, what will I do if I can¡¯t do it with my own power¡­¡±


    ¡°The purification itself will be done by them. However, you have to ¡®coordinate¡¯ with them.¡±


    Iron sighed at Crimson¡¯s words. He already figured out what they were asking for.


    ¡°So that it doesn¡¯t deteriorate?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Crimson nodded lightly at Iron¡¯s words before leaving.


    Not long after, the support units from the Eastern Command as well as the elite units riding on the drakes from the Northeast arrived one by one. The airships gathered here also rose to the sky with their weapons one after the other.


    All of the troops from the Eastern and the Northeastern Armies that could be gathered had already gathered. Even the other-worlders had arrived on merchant ships too. As the mercenaries, adventurers and other-worlders began to gather for the mermaid race¡¯s treasures the preparations to start the Great Naval War was finallypleted.


    All that was left for them to do was to begin thest naval war in the Eastern seas.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 100 - Great Naval War (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(100)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>33 </b>Great Naval War (3)


    Finally, the naval war in the Eastern sea had begun.


    The mermaids would never tolerate humans setting foot on their own turf so they were the first to make a move. ck fog covered the fortress built by the humans as the mermaids began to attack earnestly. Since the fortress was not built on a huge ind, they had assumed that they could eliminate it quickly. After all, the sea was their home and their attacks would definitely be on a higher scale.


    ¡°Kraken!¡±


    The wizards on board the ship began to move at the appearance of the kraken that wanted to tie up the main fleet. The main fleet also began to move after the megalodon and the sea serpent appeared while Drake Unit and the Airship Unit, with plenty ofmercial airships converted to military airships, moved to stop the Siren and the Sea Drakes.


    However, in just a blink of an eye, the Sea Army¡¯s main troops had already gone near the rocky area. The crabmen and the sharkmen crawled up from the sea to upy the fortress while the mermaids used their tridents to cast magic.


    At first nce, it looked like it was a battle where no one would be able to determine who was superior. However, when one of the mermaids created a tsunami with the sea, the wind blowing on the battlefield began to change.


    ¡°It¡¯s the guy who attacked the Command!¡±


    One of the soldiers shouted when he saw the blue-haired mermaid.


    It seemed like it was the mermaid who was on par with the Eastern Commander. He was the mermaid who knew how to cast a magic that wasparable to a magic master¡¯s magic.


    But the huge tsunami suddenly began to freeze.


    ¡°The Eastern Commander has joined us!¡±


    The Eastern Army¡¯s morale soared when the person known to be the best when it came to magic in the entire continent appeared. Seeing this, the head of the mermaid race stepped out with the ck whale behind him. However, he was blocked by the Northeastern Commander Crimson¡¯s storm sword.


    The situation of the war began to tilt and turn into a long-term war.


    ¡°Stop them! Don¡¯t let them enter!¡±


    ¡°How dare you go to sea! You dirty human mongrels!¡±


    While the battle between the mermaids and the knights raged on, a group was secretly moving on the other side. It was none other than the group of adventurers, mercenaries and other-worlders who came on the merchant ships.


    ¡°Antis¡­ We have to empty it to make up for our losses.¡±


    The guild members of White Whale nodded at Kim Jungtae¡¯s words.


    White Whale Guild was a guild that gathered the beta testers. And to make sure that they would gain profit, they had thoroughly prepared themselves beforeing here. There were also several guilds with simr mindsets who moved ording to their own ns.


    Kim Jungtae and the White Whale Guild haven¡¯t achieved any of their goals in the East. At the very least, they wanted to secure the mermaids¡¯ treasures and obtain some sort of title from this skirmish.


    ¡°We need to reach the deepest part of Antis if we want to take over the East. To do that, we should use the mercenaries and adventurers as bait.¡±


    Hearing Kim Jungtae¡¯s words, the members of White Whale Guild immediately moved back to the second line of defense. They wanted to let the adventurers that were blinded by money move first.


    On the other hand, the mercenaries stayed put and did not move recklessly. They were a bunch that valued their lives more than any treasure. They always made sure that their safety could be secured before moving forward.


    And because of that, only the ship that carried the adventurers moved forward and pierced through the ck fog fearlessly to get to Puerh Inds.


    The mermaids, who were busy dealing with the Eastern Army and the main forces of the Northeastern Army, weren¡¯t given any time to breathe and stop the adventurers from moving forward. After all, the Eastern Army now knew how to deal with them.


    At first, the Eastern Army was at a loss on how to fight against them. The countless small naval wars against the mermaids had allowed them to learn about the mermaid¡¯s behavior and attack pattern which helped them create a tactic to deal with them. Because of this, the battle between the two forces were on equal grounds.


    This was one of the main reasons why the mermaids couldn¡¯t stop the adventurers, mercenaries and other-worlders even if they wanted to.


    ¡°Is that Antis?¡±


    One of the countless adventurers on the ship couldn¡¯t help but mumble nkly at the sight in front of him.


    The home of the mermaids. The ce where numerous treasuresy slumbering. Utopia. The ind of dreams. A ce that had a lot of nicknames. Antis!


    But what the adventurer saw was a ce that felt extremely dirty.


    A huge dimensional gate was opened over a huge ck sphere while a huge ck ind was floating in the air below them. The ind was covered in ck fog just like the Ghost Ind. However,pared to Ghost Ind which was only covered in ck fog, Antis was also dripping a ck sticky liquid that polluted and corroded the inds and reefs below. In addition, the dimensional fish and void insects were also roaming around and creating areas that were filled with contaminated mana while numerous mysterious creatures came over from the dimensional gate.


    The adventurer also saw something huge wriggling from a distance.


    ¡°There will be treasures in that kind of ce?¡±


    The other adventurers also stared nkly at the sky after hearing this question. They finally understood why the mermaids did not stop them with all their might.


    ¡°So, are you not going?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at the adventurer that asked.


    ¡°Did wee all the way here just to go back? Whether we die or be food, we have to go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We can¡¯t go all the way here just to do nothing.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not mercenaries. Besides, when did we ever care about our lives?¡±


    The adventurers¡¯ eyes regained their shine as they prepared to move forward to the ind where Antis was floating on.


    They weren¡¯t sure if it was purposely made like that or if it was for some other reason but there was a pathway created from the hardened ck liquid that connected Antis and the center of the inds below. It was like they were saying that they needed to head there if they wanted to enter Antis.


    Several airships also tried to enter through the sky but the void insects that came out of the dimensional gate blocked them with all their might. For the mercenaries and the adventurers, they had no choice but to enter Antis through the inds while being mindful of the attacks from the sky.


    As the adventurers¡¯ ship entered Puerh Inds intact, the mercenaries also began to move forward. They sped up and headed towards one of the inds that was made of coral reefs.


    Perhaps it wanted to set fire to their greed¡­


    ¡°A treasure!¡±


    ¡°I found a treasure!¡±


    When some of the adventurers shouted that they had found treasures, the other people began to flock to the inds like crazy. Even the other other-worlders, who watched the situation from afar, quickly led their ship to the inds.


    Meanwhile, the White Whale Guild just watched them before looking at Antis.


    ¡°We¡¯re going there.¡±


    The members of White Whale Guild nodded their heads in agreement to Kim Jungtae¡¯s words.


    It was not the time for them to care about those. They believed that the real treasures must definitely be in Antis. Besides, these small treasures were most probably traps set up by the mermaids to bait them and their greed.


    ¨DKiyaaaaack!


    ¡°The Deep Sea Nymphs!¡±


    The adventurers, mercenaries and other-worlders that were blinded by the treasures fell into confusion at the sudden appearance of the ancient deep sea nymphs.


    No one expected that the deep sea nymphs, a race that had been known to be extinct since ancient times, would suddenly appear. The deep sea nymphs were huge creatures with hideous teeth and walked on two legs. Their appearance in and of itself was hideous especially whenpared to the beautiful mermaids.


    However, what was more shocking was the fact that they weren¡¯t the only ones to appear.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡±


    ¡°Was that the thing that the guys that did the reconnaissance saw?¡±


    ¡°Je¡­ Jellyfish?¡±


    It was extremely shocking to see jellyfish glowing purple and emitting purple lightninging out of the water and walking around freely.


    To each their own. This was what they did once the giant jellyfish attacked them with their purple mana infused with lightning. They knew that they would immediately die if they got caught in that attack.


    Meanwhile, the ship carrying the White Whale Guild went straight and headed straight towards Antis. However, something also blocked their way.


    ¡°What¡­ What the hell! A sunfish?!¡±


    ¡°Why the hell is it so big?!¡±


    ¡°Their numbers are toorge!¡±


    The White Whale Guild struggled against the gigantic sunfishes that prevented their ship from moving forward. However, it was not easy for them to move forward with theirrge numbers.


    While the White Whale Guild, adventurers and mercenaries were all blocked, the converted war airships took advantage of the gap and moved diligently.


    Thanks to the cannons and magic fired from the airships, a small number of drakes from the Drake Unit was able to break through the Siren and Sea Drake Units¡¯ siege.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Gustav, who was riding behind the Drake Knight, looked at the huge sphere on top of Antis.


    The ck sphere was ced on top of Antis while a huge dimensional gate was opened above it. It seemed like the sphere was connecting Antis and the dimensional gate.


    ¡°Is that the Sea Orb?¡±


    Gustav looked at the Sea Orb, which was farrger than any mana core that he had ever seen, with a tired and exhausted look.


    ¡°What do you think, Iron?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±


    Iron tilted his head when Lintel asked him. He was wondering if it was truly the Sea Orb. However, strangely enough, he couldn¡¯t feel anything. Compared to the iplete mana core used in Ghost Ind, the Sea Orb did not contain that much contaminated mana. It seemed like the priests and wizards also thought the same.


    ¡°I think we should get closer first.¡±


    The Drake Knight flew towards the Sea Orb at the shout of one of the priests.


    Strange creatures immediately flew from the dimensional gate and tried to prevent the Drake Unit from getting closer to the Sea Orb.


    ¡°Leave this to us!¡±


    Gustav led the Ghosts as they tried to stop the strange creatures with Drake Knights and drakes that they rode on.


    Creatures that were far smaller but looked extremely simr to Thulhupus extended their tentacles and tried to snatch the drakes from the skies while weird creatures that looked both like a shark and a snake flew into the air and attacked the drakes.


    While the Drake Knights and the Ghosts joined forces to block these strange creatures, the drakes that carried Iron, the priests and the wizards flew towards the Sea Orb.


    When the sirens saw this, they stopped dealing with the airships and tried to fly towards them. However, the Drake Knights did not leave them alone.


    ¡°Stop them! Until the priests and Lieutenant Colonel Iron reach the Sea Orb, stop them!¡±


    However, some of the creatures still reached them and some of the wizards and knights voluntarily fell back to stop them. Because of this, only a few priests, wizards and Iron reached the Sea Orb.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop the enemies from approaching.¡±


    The Drake Knights drove the drake to stop their enemies after seeing Iron, the priests and the wizardsnding on the huge Sea Orb. The people that stood on the huge Sea Orb immediately began their research and investigation.


    ¡°It¡¯s really empty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh! What¡¯s wrong with this¡­¡±


    ¡°The problem was not the Sea Orb?¡±


    While the wizards and priests were all flustered at the unexpected situation, Iron was staring at the dimensional gate above them.


    He could see void insectsing out of thepleted dimensional gate. However, they immediately exploded and died. It was as if their sole purpose was to spread the contaminated mana and maintain the gate. In other words, the dimensional gate was being maintained without the help of the Sea Orb anymore. In addition, it seemed like Antis was being maintained by the contaminated manaing from the dimensional gate.


    So, what is the role of the Sea Orb?


    ¡°Is it working as a transmitter?¡±


    ¡°However¡­ is it even necessary? The dimensional gate is alreadypletely opened, right?¡±


    While the wizards reasoned with him, Iron stayed still and stared intently at the Sea Orb.


    Then, he felt something deep inside.


    Thump!


    ¡°Thunder?¡±


    When he felt the thump in his heart, he called out to Thunderbird. Fortunately, Thunderbird was able to give the answer to Iron¡¯s question earlier.


    ¡°It¡¯s working as an amplifier?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Literally what I said. It seems to be amplifying the contaminated mana and spreading it widely.¡±


    Iron looked at the ck fog as he spoke.


    ¡°Then, do we have to break this?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t work. It wouldn¡¯t break. The solution is¡­ we need to clean it up as nned.¡±


    The wizards and priests nodded their heads. Since they couldn¡¯t find any other solution, all they could do was proceed as nned.


    The wizards created a magic circle that covered the entire orb while the priests prepared their divine power to purify it. Meanwhile, Iron tried his best to detect whatever it was hiding inside the orb while synchronizing with Thunderbird.


    Not long after, the priests spread their divine power using their holy items while the wizards began to amplify their purification with the magic circle. The Sea Orb was now being covered with a white light.


    As the contaminated mana inside the Sea Orb began to protest, all the mana in the surroundings began to gather. Just then, a presence that seemed to be slumbering deeply in the depths of the Sea Orb was caught in Iron¡¯s senses.


    ¡°Caught you!¡±


    The thing that was hidden by the contaminated mana approached Iron.


    ¨DMe¡­ Please kill me.


    It was a poor being whose consciousness and spirit was worn out while its wish to disappear remained strongly. It conveyed its thoughts to Thunderbird who transmitted its words to Iron.


    Although it was weak, Iron could still clearly feel it. He could easily assume that this being was a noble and proud being in the past. However, it has now be infinitely weak and only wished for its own existence to disappear.


    The mysterious being eagerly stared at Iron as it spoke about itsst desperate wish. Iron also wanted to grant the wish of this poor being. Knowing that he was the only hope of this noble being drowning in despair¡­ he did not have the heart to deny it of its wishes.


    The only gift that he could grant to this poor being, who no longer had the will to live from all of the pain that it was being subjected to, was not purification or power. It was none other than ¡®rest¡¯.


    ¡°¡­Alright. I¡¯ll make sure you disappear.¡±


    The weak being cried at Iron¡¯s words before smiling brightly.


    At that moment, a contract was made between the poor and weak being with Thunderbird as the medium and Iron.


    ¨DThe heart of the sea and the mermaids¡¯ God, I, Athergatis have signed a contract with you. I will grant your divine beast with the power of the sea in return for my extinction.


    Are these God¡¯s sacred words?


    Something struck in Iron¡¯s heart which awakened the slumbering Thunderbird within his subspace. At the same time, a weak force flowed in and began to amplify Iron¡¯s divine power.


    ¨DPlease give me the gift of death.


    God, who has passed on all of his power to Iron, appeared in the form of a child and looked at Iron.


    Iron reached out to this child sadly. He would give this child the gift called ¡®rest¡¯, the gift that this child desperately wanted¡­


    ***


    <b>TL¡¯s corner</b>


    I¡¯m not sad, you are.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 101 - The Sea’s Desperate Cries! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(101)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>34 </b>The Sea¡¯s Desperate Cries! (1)


    Iron¡¯s expression was a mix ofplicated emotions as he stared at the God that asked him for death. However, despite the bitterness in his face, his mana still moved continuously. His hard and tough steel mana covered and strengthened his body from his arms, to his legs, to his body, to his head and to every organ inside his body.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron slowly opened his eyes after his entire body was covered with his ck steel mana. Then, he released his divine power that was absorbed and amplified by the Sea Orb. Iron¡¯s divine power flowed inside the Sea Orb, just like a river flowing into the sea, and met with the divine power that was blocked deep inside the orb. The Sea Orb started to strengthen and amplify the divine power that flowed in it by 10, 100 and 1000 times.


    At first, the force that his divine power emitted was weak. It was weak enough to be eaten quickly by the contaminated mana front he colossal dimensional gate. However, once his divine power met with the Sea Orb and got amplified countless of times, it was given a power strong enough to eat away at the contaminated mana in the area. It was as if the divine power was saying ¡®I¡¯m above you!¡¯ as it showed a level that was far higher than the contaminated mana as it purified the surrounding area.


    Divine power.


    Purification magic.


    And Phoenix¡¯s purification magic.


    Thanks to Iron¡¯s amplified divine power, the wizards¡¯ purification magic and the priests¡¯ divine power, fought against onemon enemy, the contaminated mana and purified it explosively.


    The Sea Orb also acted as a transmitter as it spread the red sacred light from Iron¡¯s divine power over Antis. And as this light spread, the monsters and bizarre creatures that came out of the dimensional gate began to suffer.


    ¨DUwoooooo!


    ¨DKuwooooooh!


    ¨DKieeeeck!


    As the amplified purification power continuously expanded, the contaminated mana turned into purified mana which was then absorbed back into the Sea Orb and used as the driving force that fueled the purification power.


    The creatures from the dimensional gate felt a great sense of crisis when the Sea Orb became the central axis that drove the infinite cycle of purification. If this state continued, it would affect the dimensional gate. So, the contaminated beings began to act boldly and fearlessly.


    The string that connected the dimensional gate to the Sea Orb was cut off, effectively abandoning Antis. Since the dimensional gate was alreadypleted, they did not need any help from Antis and the Sea Orb anymore helping them make this ruthless decision.


    Creak!


    The floating Antis began to creak in protest as the tens of thousands of strings that connected it to the dimensional gate began to get cut off one by one.


    Originally, the power that maintained Antis was the Sea Orb. However, the power in the Sea Orb had been sucked into the dimensional gate so it was now being maintained with contaminated mana. Because of this, the ind began to copse as soon as the ties to the dimensional gate had been cut off. This situation led to problems arising with the mermaids, who had been using the contaminated mana to their heart¡¯s content.


    The mermaids were originally blessed with the mana of the sea. However, after being corrupted, they did not have the sea¡¯s vitality and life. Which meant that they couldn¡¯t harness the mana of the sea. Eventually, the source of their power changed and had turned into contaminated mana.


    So, they immediately felt when the source of the contaminated mana got cut off from Antis. After all, they had been using it endlessly.


    ¡°Thi¡­ This¡­!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡±


    While the mermaids were flustered by the sudden decrease in contaminated mana, the human army began their full-fledged counterattack.


    The first toe out were the troops that were fighting fiercely in the fortress.


    When the mermaids fell into confusion, the crabmen and sharkmen that had been brainwashed with contaminated mana also began to fall into confusion. They couldn¡¯t help but stop and stare nkly when they felt the weak but clear purification power that was spreading from the Sea Orb far away from them.


    Just like that, the entire Sea Army fell into chaos. However, the humans only went after the mermaids. Rather than aiming for the enemies that were standing nkly in confusion, it was better for them to target the mermaids, the main culprit of this war, and break theirmand system.


    ¡°Everyone, get it together!¡±


    One of the mermaids cried loudly which quickly brought calmness among the mermaids. Then, the Sea Army also began to bare their ferocious fangs at the humans again. They began to retaliate by utilizing their contaminated mana to the limit and using the sea itself.


    It was obviously a big deal for their contaminated mana supply to be cut off after being connected to Antis for so long. However, that did not mean that the Sea Army would end just because of this. After all, the mermaids could still cover what theyck with their individual abilities.


    The dimensional gate was solid andplete and they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. But even though they couldn¡¯t utilize the contaminated mana through Antis they could still ept and use contaminated mana in their bodies just like when humans used their mana.


    However, they still had no choice but to be pushed back by the Empire¡¯s relentless assault. In addition, the adventurers and other-worlders were also starting to enter Antis one by one after the monsters visibly weakened.


    This was now the worst situation for the mermaids.


    The monsters from the dimensional gate had no choice but to deal with the adventurers, other-worlders and mercenaries first. Even if they wanted to deal with the Sea Orb, they needed to finish off these pests that blocked their way first.


    Iron felt rxed as he stood on the Orb and stared at the small child beside him.


    ¡°What do you think? Satisfied?¡±


    The young mermaid God nodded lightly at Iron¡¯s question.


    He was once the king and god that led the mermaids to prosperity. However, he only held hatred for them now.


    The child quietly held Iron¡¯s hand as he transmitted the feelings that he was currently feeling to Iron.


    He was once angry at the Empire who brought the mermaids to the brink of extinction. But he also shed tears for them as he med himself for failing to protect them. However, they were also the very same mermaids who used his heart and love for them to betray him. They ruthlessly locked his consciousness inside the Sea Orb and used his body to make items and spread them all over Antis. And that wasn¡¯t all, they even sold him to the Sea God beyond the dimension and contaminated him.


    After experiencing this painful betrayal, only hatred and revenge for these traitors remained in his consciousness. He did not want to call them one of his kind anymore. He was thankful that his wish for death and the destruction of these traitors were being granted and seen with his own eyes.


    Despite the mermaids falling under the des of the Imperials that he once hated the most, his eyes remained calm. After all, they were the very same mermaids that took everything away from him. They were the ones who let his body get corroded and contaminated mana while using his soul for their own greed and anger. He no longer heldpassion and understanding for this race that threw their own God to the terrible demons beyond that gate just to quench their thirst for revenge.


    He even felt refreshed as he watched them fall one by one. He eagerly awaited theplete destruction of these traitors who betrayed and threw their own God away to worship a God beyond their dimension.


    He even tried to hold out as much as he could even though he could disappear any moment just to see their downfall by himself.


    Crack!


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron looked bitterly at the small crack on the child¡¯s now blurry and faint body.


    Even though he could finally achieve his death, something that he desperately wished for, he still held out to watch the battle that would bring the mermaids¡¯ downfall. He even sacrificed thest bits of his strength to boost the power of the orb and make them fall faster.


    ¡°You can stop now.¡±


    Iron looked at him with pity but the child just shook his head.


    The child¡¯s will was firm. He wanted to see the mermaids¡¯ downfall no matter what.


    However, this ¡®old God¡¯ had already reached his limit a long time ago.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but speak quietly as he watched him.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard. So¡­ you can stop and rest now.¡±


    The child turned to look at Iron when he heard his words. His eyes looked like they were asking him if he could promise the downfall of the mermaids if he stopped now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch their destruction with my own two eyes.¡±


    Iron¡¯s words filled the child¡¯s eyes with tears.


    Perhaps it was because it was what he wanted to hear the most? The poor God, who returned to the form of a pure child, finally began to cry.


    Iron smiled bitterly when he saw the child crying sadly. It was as if his words had resolved the grievances that had umted in his body and mind for all those years of betrayal.


    He stroked the child¡¯s head as he watched his tears dripping from his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Hearing those words made the dam in his heart break. The child cried even more sadly as he fell in Iron¡¯s arms.


    The child continued to regress in age as his tears continued to fall. He had already turned into a four or five-year old child but he still continued to cry and regress until he turned into a baby. And finally, his body turned into powder that scattered in the sky leaving only a small ball of light in Iron¡¯s arms.


    Almost all of his power had been taken by the dimensional gate while he gave the rest of his power to the Sea Orb. So, the remaining power that the mermaid¡¯s God had was this small ball of light.


    The small ball of light used its remaining power to increase Iron¡¯s divine power once more.


    ¨DThank you.


    Words of gratitude towards Iron were hisst words before his remaining consciousness and will disappeared.


    Iron choked up as he stared dully at the small ball of holy light falling into the sea.


    It seems like he still loves the sea until the very end.


    Perhaps the sea became sad when one of its rulers disappeared? Or was it because it was delighted that this God was not suffering anymore? The sea began to fluctuate after the disappearance of one of its Gods.


    Creak!


    A tsunami suddenly appeared in the sea as it mmed into Antis and made it copse even further. It was as if the sea was expressing its anger towards this city of traitors. A huge tornado soared in the sea as the clouds rained heavily down on the city. The skies and the seas showed its wrath as it hit the Puerh Inds on all sides after knowing the pain and suffering that the mermaids¡¯ God had suffered from.


    For the people watching this scene, they felt like they were watching the disaster that ended a century. Only Iron, the wizards and the priests were the ones who were able to watch it peacefully while being covered in a gentle breeze.


    ¡°Is this the sea¡¯s desperate cries?¡±


    Iron¡¯s murmurs made the expressions of the wizards and the priests darken.


    This was the sea¡¯s desperate cries. Cries that were filled with sorrow for losing one of their Gods. It was also the cries that expressed their anger towards the traitors that harassed and betrayed their God.


    They felt like they could feel them all.


    ¡°Aaaah¡­ aaaah¡­¡±


    One of the mermaids stared nkly at the sea. Tears formed in the mermaid¡¯s wide eyes as a sudden despair and sadness filled their chest. They felt as if something important had been cut off from them. And the same was true for the other mermaids.


    ¡°Kyaaaaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Aaaaaah!¡±


    The entirety of the mermaid race shed tears when they felt something important disappearing in them.


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡±


    The blue-haired man muttered to himself while he fought against the Eastern Commander.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Even the head of the mermaid race who fought with the Northeastern Commander couldn¡¯t help but groan in sadness. All of them felt flustered by the sudden emotion that rose in their chests. Perhaps it was because of this emotion that the entire Sea Army lost their will to fight as they retreated back to Antis.


    Although the human army tried to chase the retreating mermaids, they knew that they could no longer continue this battle. This was because natural disasters like tsunamis, whirlpools and tornadoes blocked their path as if they had their own will. At this moment, they could feel the sea¡¯s will to stop the war.


    Eventually, the mermaids and the humans were forced into a ceasefire after the sudden appearance of these natural disasters.


    This battle, which would be known as the Great Naval War in the future, would be recorded as the mermaids¡¯ defeat. This was the day when they lost the Sea Orb while Antis copsed and would be recorded as their disgraceful defeat in their war against humans.


    However, for the mermaids, they have lost something far more important than what was recorded in those papers.


    Iron watched the mermaids calmly. He was keeping his promise to the God that has now disappeared¡­


    ***


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 Chapter 102 - East’s Hero (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(102)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>35 </b>East¡¯s Hero (1)


    Antis copsed on the very same day the mermaids¡¯ God died. The brilliant civilization of the mermaid race sunk deep into the sea of the Puerh Inds. However, the Sea Orb continued to purify the contaminated mana in the surrounding area by using the purified mana as its fuel. It was as if it was left with the one and only task of purification even after the God thatid slumbering inside it had disappeared. It still continued to produce purification power on its own, despite Iron leaving and backing away from it, as it swept away the contaminated mana in the entire Puerh Inds. Because of this, the tides of war had turned and became favorable for the Eastern Army. After all, the mermaids could not utilize the contaminated mana from the dimensional gate anymore.


    After the sea¡¯s anger subsided and the sadness and despair disappeared from the mermaids, the war between them and the humans once again resumed. Although the Sea Orb had been taken away and Antis had copsed, the mermaids still fought to the end thanks to the existence of the dimensional gate and the Sea Army that had gathered in front of the gate. The Eastern Army and the Northeastern Army also fought with all their might in a united front to protect the Sea Orb.


    These two camps fought against each other fiercely.


    However, surprisingly enough, the mercenaries, adventurers and other-worlders also remained. The main reason why they stayed in the Puerh Inds was because Antis sank deep under the sea of the inds. They needed to stay in the inds and fight against the mermaids to take possession of the treasures of Antis. Among them, the group that advanced the most was White Whale Guild. They were extremely angry that all of their goals had been thwarted and cancelled by unfortunate circumstances so theybed Puerh Inds in search of valuable items.


    The remnants of the civilization, like items and monster remains, had been corroded by contaminated mana. However, they were still of high value so selling them still helped their situation. There were also many things that they could use as long as they purified it. Because of the highly priced remnants of this old civilization of the sea, everyone¡¯s eyes flipped and turned.


    ¡°This is mine!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s mine!¡±


    ¡°That! That¡¯s it!¡±


    The Eastern Army and the mermaids fought fiercely in the sea while everyone else fought hard to take possession of the numerous treasures scattered in Puerh Inds and its seas.


    Meanwhile, the situation of the Empire worsened by the day.


    Of course, there was the war in the East against the mermaids. But the West¡¯s war against the birdmen and the South¡¯s war against the werebeasts were all flowing in favor of the enemies.


    But the North was in the worst situation out of them all. This was because the dark elves had made a contaminated Forest Army and moved in earnest. Their army consisted of monster nts from beyond the dimensional gate to the ents that have fallen just like the dark elves. There were also devil trees, trents and fallen spirits in the forces that upied the North.


    As the dark elves, a great threat to the North, moved fiercely and earnestly, the Northern Army urgently requested the support of the Northeast. However, for the allied forces that were fighting against the mermaids, this was a difficult request. But when the situation of the war in the North, which was deteriorating fast, was delivered in real time to the Northeastern Army, Crimson could no longer ignore them. After all, the North had sent the Northeast their troops during their time of need. He also felt sorry that the elite soldiers of the Northeast have been concentrated in the East right now. In the end, the Northeast had no choice but to leave the united front to go and support the Northern Army. Even the Eastern Commander had no choice but to agree.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost done but I¡¯m still sorry for retreating so suddenly like this.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. You have helped us a lot so far. I should figure things out on my own anyway.¡±


    Richard Burton smiled bitterly when Crimson apologized to him.


    The absence of the Northeastern Army was obviously a big blow to them. However, it was not as if they could stop the war just because of this.


    The converted airships were now dealing with the void insects and the fight in the inds were now being led by the mercenaries and the other-worlders so they had almost little to nothing to do with those now. All that was left was the naval war but that was a war that the Eastern Army had to deal with in the long-term so they had to solve it on their own.


    But perhaps it was because Crimson was still apologetic that he left several units here in the East. At the very least, he had left them some of his elite troops until the mermaids had beenpletely removed from the Puerh Inds.


    The troops that he left were¡­


    Two Drake Units.


    One Knight Order.


    One Ranger Unit.


    One Wizard Unit.


    And one Ghost.


    Richard Burton¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the Northeast leaving some of their best troops here in the East.


    ¡°Are you going to leave this much troops here?¡±


    ¡°I feel sorry that I have to leave in the middle so isn¡¯t it right for me to leave this much?¡±


    Richard Burton smiled in gratitude when he heard Crimson¡¯s words. Then, he saw the name of the Ghost that was going to be left in the East.


    ¡°¡­Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly when he saw Richard nkly saying Iron¡¯s name.


    ¡°Why is the Lieutenant Colonel staying here?¡±


    ¡°He wanted it himself.¡±


    ¡°What? The Lieutenant Colonel himself?¡±


    ¡°He said that he still had something left to finish here.¡±


    Richard Burton did not understand what he meant. It seemed like he was wondering about what he wanted to finish here. But Crimson shook his head as if he also did not know the reason.


    ¡°Please take care of the troops that will remain here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to protect them and send them back to the Northeast.¡±


    Richard Burton promised as he shook hands with Crimson.


    While the twomanders were saying their goodbyes, the Ghosts were also saying their goodbye to Iron.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ This tiring and endless sea war is finally over.¡±


    Lintel stared at the sea after sighing in relief.


    All of them had felt refreshed for the first few hours when they arrived at sea. But they immediately felt sick and tired of it after experiencing all of the disasters and catastrophes while sailing. They only felt like they wanted to step onnd as soon as possible. There was also a fortress built on the rocky area but they all missed thend. The realnd that did not smell like the sea. Even if thend was still a battlefield, they felt like it would be better for them to fight there than here.


    ¡°How long do you think will you be staying here?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Iron stared at the dimensional gate from afar at Lintel¡¯s question.


    It was difficult to break down the perfectlypleted dimensional gate. In addition, if they made a wrong move with a gate that huge, they risked having a bigger disaster with a huge dimensional crack. So, it was necessary for them to drive out the mermaids and slowly reduce the dimensional gate until it was small enough before destroying it and turning it back into a dimensional crack.


    Of course, Iron had no intention of staying in the East until that very moment. His final goal in this ce was to watch the downfall of the mermaids with his own eyes. Once he confirmed this, he would go back to the Northeast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    Carl Gustav spoke as he patted Iron on the shoulders. Everyone nodded their heads. They all knew that their youngest always overdid things.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt in the East ande back safely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you roll around with your body recklessly just because you¡¯re young, you might end up getting sore here and thereter on in life.¡±


    ¡°Be careful. Look at the captain. He always says his knees ache when it rains.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get sharp pains and will get sore everywhere as you get older. So, you have to take care of yourself early on.¡±


    The Ghosts cheered Iron on while leaving him with words of their own. Of course, Gustav punished them fiercelyter after they talked badly about him. But for now, the Ghosts said their goodbyes as they felt regret for their temporary separation.


    Except for the elite troops that would be left behind, all of the forces in the Northeast returned. Of course, the troops had to be quickly reorganized once they got back to the Northeast to be sent to the North but everyone was at the very least cheering at the fact that they were now back innd and had gotten out of the sea.


    They had realized how terrible the sea was through the mermaids so they would just have to grit their teeths for a while and do their best onnd.


    ¡°All of them are gone.¡±


    Iron looked in the direction where some of the fleets and the airships carrying the supplies tomand were docked together with the Drake Units.


    After bing a Ghost, he felt sad and a bit disappointed that his colleagues had left. However, it was also important for him to finish his promise to the poor little God. Something was still left in his heart that made him stay here. And it was telling him that there was not much time left before what he was waiting for would happen.


    After Antis copsed and the Sea Orb was filled with purification power, the mermaids¡¯ appearance started to change. Their beautiful appearance slowly turned hideous just like a monster that has been contaminated and polluted by contaminated mana.


    The more hideous they became, the more contaminated mana they could use. However, they were also being rejected by the creatures of the sea. No sea creature came close to them except for the sea monsters that they had under their control.


    The creatures that were once loved by the sea were now the sea¡¯s ¡®enemy¡¯.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    It was not a good experience to watch the process of these beautiful creatures turning into hideous monsters after bing obsessed and living only for their anger and revenge.


    After deciding to stay in the East, Iron pushed the mermaids back by participating in all kinds of battles. He brought death upon them as he watched them turn into their hideous appearance. Perhaps it was because he made a promise with the mermaid¡¯s God that he felt ufortable seeing these mermaids turn into monsters.


    As an Imperial, a soldier and a person who wanted to return to the modern world, the mermaids were clearly his ¡®enemies¡¯. But he was bringing ¡®rest¡¯ to the mermaids, who were turning into these monsters, not because they were his enemies but because of the remainingpassion in the corner of his heart. He hoped that they would be free of this revenge and to leave this ce and go where their God was.


    Was it because of Iron¡¯s hopes and wishes? The mermaids continued to be pushed back until they were pushed to the ends of Puerh Inds. But maybe it was because they had realized that the dimensional gate would be in danger once the mermaids disappearedpletely that a huge creature once again appeared from the dimensional gate. It was a creature that looked simr to a gigantic shark with ck water winding around its body while swimming in the air. The megalodon would look like a baby if ced next to it.


    And this gigantic creature went for the Sea Orb that was emitting purification power. The Eastern Commander and the entirety of the Eastern Army had to stick together to prevent it from moving forward.


    Maybe the mermaid¡¯s God had arranged it? In the end, the ones that went to finish off the mermaids were the elite troops of the Northeast. They cut down countless contaminated mermaids until they reached the ce where the head of the mermaid race was.


    The head of the mermaid race was located inside a cave. He was now weak after being polluted and discarded by the Sea God beyond the dimension to the point that he could not exert any strength nor use the mermaid items that could exert a magic master-level power.


    ¡°Divine¡­ beast¡­ contrac¡­ tor¡­¡±


    The head of the mermaid race rasped as he looked at Iron. There was no resentment or anger in his eyes as he looked at the biggest contributor to their defeat. His eyes were empty. Just like the eyes of someone who was waiting for their death.


    Iron looked bitterly at this polluted and abandoned being as he opened his mouth.


    ¡°Traitor who abandoned your God¡­ Just as I promised with your God, I came here to witness the mermaids¡¯ downfall with my very eyes.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 103 - East’s Hero (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(103)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>35 </b>East¡¯s Hero (2)


    The head of the mermaid race closed his eyes upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Trai¡­ tor¡­¡±


    He smiled at the unexpected words that came out of Iron¡¯s mouth. Light sparkled in his eyes once more as his spirit temporarily returned after being eaten away by the demons beyond the gate.


    ¡°Did you meet with my God?¡±


    Iron looked dumbfounded at the head of the mermaid race.


    ¡°My God¡­? Is that something that you should say? Do you think you¡¯re reasonable?¡±


    Will the phrase ¡®my God¡¯ be appropriate for the God who dreamt of the destruction of the mermaids until the end of his life?


    Iron shook his head firmly.


    ¡°The one that you refer to as your God died dreaming and wishing for your destruction.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Did he send you to me?¡±


    The head of the mermaid race nodded his head as if he finally understood now. He finally realized that Iron was there when the Sea Orb shined brightly. Knowing this, the head of the mermaid race smiled.


    ¡°So, he wasn¡¯t lonely at the end.¡±


    Iron frowned when he heard the words of the head of the mermaid race. He also couldn¡¯t understand him after seeing his expression. Based on the expression on his face, it seemed like they knew each other for a long time.


    ¡°Why did you abandon your God?¡±


    ¡°Because my God has no intentions of taking revenge.¡±


    ¡°Was revenge so important that you can even go and betray your God? Was it important enough to sacrifice you and your kind?¡±


    The head of the mermaid race smiled brightly at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to understand. Everyone has their own beliefs. Aren¡¯t the people living in this world living by their own beliefs whether it¡¯s wrong or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron remained silent. He opted not to answer the words of the head of the mermaid race. Even he would walk forward silently despite knowing that it was the wrong path. However, he still couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Was it worth betting the future of your kind? Were you satisfied with the results that you have achieved in exchange for the destruction of the mermaid race?¡±


    The head of the mermaid race smiled in satisfaction at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°My life has been stained with revenge¡­ I betrayed my God and brought darkness into this world. But I do not have any regrets.¡±


    ¡°Crazy shit¡­¡±


    Iron lifted his sword when he realized that he wouldn¡¯t understand him at all. However, he lowered his arm once again. This was because the head of the mermaid race was already at death¡¯s door. He was already burning thest mes of his life as he vomited ck blood down his chest. Iron realized that this was thest embers of his life so he just waited for hisst words.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±


    The head of the mermaid race stared at Iron after vomiting ck blood.


    ¡°This is going to be the end of the old era. A new era will now begin¡­ The seed of chaos will open the new era.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Iron frowned when he heard the head of the mermaid race speak as if he was talking about a prophecy. However, the head of the mermaid race quickly spoke up and blocked Iron from speaking any further.


    ¡°The traitors will meet their end. Disaster will fall upon those who have gued the sea at the end of these traitors. And it can only be prevented by a hero. Desperately and eagerly hope for the birth of a hero! Otherwise, this world will walk towards the path of destruction.¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the head of the mermaid race as he tried to understand and interpret his words.


    ¡°This was what our prophet had said. Our destruction will be the spark that will start the Empire¡¯s disaster and our revenge will eventually bepleted.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You knew your future.¡±


    The head of the mermaid race smiled at Iron.


    ¡°Did God¡¯s power dwell in you? Fufu¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to receive it despite longing for it so much. But it went to the hands of my enemy, the Imperials¡­¡±


    The head of the mermaid race could clearly feel the sea¡¯s power in Iron¡¯s body as death approached him. He couldn¡¯t help but speak enviously at Iron after feeling the sea¡¯s power, something that he had missed dearly after his body got contaminated.


    ¡°Imperial¡­ listen closely. I will only tell you this in thanks for not letting my God go lonely.¡±


    Iron¡¯s mouth turned shut at the words of the head of the mermaid race.


    ¡°Our destruction will be the beginning of your disaster. If you want to prevent the disaster, you have to let the heart of the sea beat again. If you do that, you might be able to prevent the nned destruction¡­¡±


    The head of the mermaid race breathed hisst at the end of those words.


    Iron sighed after confirming that he had lost his vitality and his breath. He had been holding back for quite a while waiting for him to spit out all of his final words.


    ¡°Hero¡­¡±


    The hero that the head of the mermaid race was talking about might be one of the other-worlders who came to this world through the God Game.


    Something shed in Iron¡¯s head that brought about a mixed andplicated expression on his face after pondering about the prophecy detailing the destruction of the Empire.


    ¡°Wait¡­ with their destruction, the disaster will begin?¡±


    Iron fell deep into his thoughts as he repeated the words of the head of the mermaid race. He quickly dashed out of the cave as soon as he grasped the meaning of those words.


    ¡°The head of the mermaid race¡­¡±


    ¡°Inside the cave.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll secure him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important! We have to go straight to the dimensional gate now!¡±


    Iron ran out after leaving those words. The knight signaled to some of the soldiers to secure the head of the mermaid race before rushing after Iron.


    Iron quickly looked at the dimensional gate floating in the sky above them. He quickly called out the Drake Knight when he saw that something was about toe out of the gate.


    It was the beginning of the disaster just like what the head of the mermaid race uttered like a final will. The being looked like it was the same Sea God that he had encountered back in Ghost Ind. However, he was countless timesrger as he tried to squeeze past through the narrow dimensional gate. With his size, just one arm sticking out would be enough to be called a disaster.


    The Eastern Commander couldn¡¯t afford to move after dealing with the gigantic shark but it was something that Iron couldn¡¯t stop on his own. Even after the airships and the drake units bombed him and poured mes and magic on him, he still did not budge. Iron knew that there was only one thing that would be able to stop this huge monster from forcibly opening the dimensional gate.


    ¡°Bring me to the Sea Orb right now!¡±


    Hearing Iron shouting at him, the Drake Knight quickly grabbed onto Iron¡¯s arms and pulled him up to fly towards the Sea Orb.


    ¡°Stop him! Stop him from getting a hold of the Sea Orb!¡±


    ¡°Never let him touch the orb!¡±


    Iron jumped down from the drake andnded on the Sea Orb after seeing the wizards blocking the enemy with all their might. This was the first time that he came to look at the Sea Orb after the mermaids¡¯ God¡¯s death.


    Perhaps it felt a familiar powering from him? The Sea Orb shone brightly and weed him. Seeing the orb reacting to him, Iron injected his power inside.


    The heart of the sea that the head of the mermaid race had mentioned was definitely the Sea Orb. If this Sea Orb could exert its original power, then it would be able to stop the Sea God. This was the only way that he knew right now.


    ¡°Please!¡±


    Was it because Iron¡¯s desperate wish had reached the depths of the Sea Orb?


    A cold breeze wrapped around them as vast amounts of mana flocked to where they were. The will of the sea residing in Iron¡¯s body flowed to the Sea Orb as an enormous power began to swirl inside it.


    Then, Iron¡¯s eyes shone brightly with a white light as his mouth opened to speak.


    ¡°This is the power of pure nature.


    A power that can purify and exterminate evil.


    To annihte ourmon enemy, the sea responded to the desperate call of the person who willingly embraced our forgotten God.


    We will punish and defeat this evil.¡±


    The words came out of Iron¡¯s mouth but it floated in everyone¡¯s ears just like when the Saintess spoke about God¡¯s words. And these Godly words blocked the Sea God¡¯s fist and all of the contaminated mana and ck water that came out of the dimensional gate.


    However, it only blocked it. It did not expel or exterminate it. The bluish energy created from the words from earlier seemed to tell them that it was not the one who would exterminate this Sea God.


    Meanwhile, the Sea God forced the dimensional gate open and pushed himself further outside. Before anyone knew it, half of the Sea God¡¯s body was already outside. His huge body had covered the sky. Fortunately, with the help of the colossal energy of the sea, he couldn¡¯t proceed any further than that.


    However, at that moment, cracks began to appear in the Sea Orb after it collected huge amounts of energy.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but sigh in despair when the Sea Orb, his final hope, started to break.


    Am I supposed to just watch the other dimension¡¯s Sea Gode out like this?


    The moment he thought of this, all of Iron¡¯s divine power started to get sucked inside the Sea Orb.


    And¡­


    ¨DKirruuuk!


    ¡°Thunder?¡±


    Thunderbird suddenly popped out at Iron¡¯s nk call. Then, the Sea Orb broke down and disappeared into a blue light that merged with Thunderbird¡¯s body.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    When the Sea Orb broke down, water droplets were created around the people on top of the orb as well as Iron¡¯s body which helped themnd safely on the ground.


    Iron stared cluelessly at everything that was happening around him.


    ¡°Thun¡­ der?¡±


    A huge blue bird covered the sky.


    ¨D Thunderbird¡¯s ss has been temporarily increased after embracing the Heart of the Sea.


    ¨D Thunderbird has temporarily reached the mythical ss.


    ¨D Thunderbird will be sealed in the form of an egg for a year in exchange for forcibly raising its ss.


    ¨D You have temporarily owned a divine beast at the mythical ss and have acquired the title: ¡®One who Possess a Mythical ss Divine Beast!¡¯. There will be an increase in affinity if you meet with a mythical ss divine beast in the future.


    The gigantic thunderbird moved and fought in front of the dimensional gate after the series of notifications. The bird had be so huge that it would definitely not lose out against the gigantic Sea God.


    The Sea God waved its arm and created a huge tornado made of ck water. However, lightning fell down and broke apart the huge tornado. A huge shockwave was even created once the huge wings of Thunderbird and the colossal arm of the Sea God collided.


    The gigantic shark that fought against the Eastern Commander nearby was hit by Thunderbird and crashed to the ground. Even the Eastern Commander suffered from internal injuries from the collision.


    However, the fight between Thunderbird and the Sea God continued without dy. Although the Sea God was struggling to attack, each and every hit was still extremely strong. Thankfully, Thunderbird was able to block every attack with all its might.


    Puerh Inds had be the battlefield between these two transcendental beings. Harsh winds, raging tornadoes and heavy storms were created all over the area from the aftershock of their fight.


    And finally¡­ after a few days of intense fighting, everything came to an end.


    ¨D You have earned the achievement ¡®Sending a God back!¡¯! Your attacks will have a 5x increase whenever you meet with the followers of the Demonic God in the future.


    ¨D The Will of the Sea has left and Thunderbird will now be sealed.


    ¨D The Heart of the Sea now belongs to Thunderbird.


    After the series of notifications, a blue egg, infused with the Heart of the Sea, fell from the sky down into Iron¡¯s arms. Iron patted Thunderbird¡¯s egg as if to thank it for fighting against the Sea God with the Will of the Sea.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Thunder.¡±


    Iron looked up at the sky after saying so.


    The dimensional gate was almost crushed after the Sea God was sent back. Even the terrible mermaids had disappeared. All that were left were the void insects, the monstrous creatures and the mutated monsters in the inds.


    He was sure that the Eastern Army would now be able to deal with them as time passed by. Besides, there were other-worlders, adventurers and mercenaries staying in the inds so they would have no problem cleaning them up in no time. After all, they would remain here until they have swept away all of the treasures in Antis.


    ¡°It¡¯s really over now.¡±


    Securing Thunderbird, his main reason foring here, had already been achieved andpleted. In addition, the mermaids and the dimensional gate had been dealt with. So, everything that needed to be solved in the East had been solved.


    ¡°Is it time to go back?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked at the sea.


    Then, a question suddenly popped in his head. It was an unresolved question that remained in his head after hearing the head of the mermaid race¡¯sst words.


    That was the only reason why he was still here.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 104 - East’s Hero (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(104)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>35 </b>East¡¯s Hero (3)


    Afterpleting all the work that they needed to do, of course with the help of Thunderbird, in Puerh Inds, the Northeastern troops prepared to return to their original camp. Maybe it was because they fought hard? They received heated greetings and shouts of gratitude from the Eastern Army as soon as they returned to the Eastern Command.


    All of the major battles were over thanks to the mermaid¡¯s destruction and the temporarily blocked dimensional gate. Although there were still plenty of void insects, monsters and contaminated mana that came out of the dimensional gate, they did not worry. After all, that was a problem that they had to deal with in the long run anyway. In other words, the war in the East was finally almost over.


    So, what would happen after the war? It was none other than the ¡®Awards Ceremony¡¯. Since the Eastern Army¡¯s war was officially over, they had to reward and give theirpensations ordingly.


    And in this war, the one who made the biggest contribution was none other than Iron. The Eastern Commander also contributed greatly so their contributions needed to be recognized and awarded by either the Emperor or the Crown Prince themselves. However, the Northeastern Army couldn¡¯t afford the dy. The situation in the North was deteriorating fast and now that they had finished their work in the East, they had to return as soon as possible and go to the North¡¯s frontline once again. That was why the conferment of rewards andpensation for the Northeastern Army had to be carried out simply and quickly.


    As soon as they arrived at Eastern Command, the Eastern Army moved busily for the Northeastern Army, who was in a hurry. Even though they wanted things to be simple, they still had to prepare a ceremony that would officially award them medals,mendations and rewards. Because of this, the Northeastern Army, who only nned to take one day off at Eastern Command before going up North, was briefly dyed in the East.


    Meanwhile, the Eastern Merchant Association, as well as the small and medium sized Magic Tools Workshops, Machine Workshops and even the Banking Federation tried to visit Iron. This was because they had heard that those who had first gone up the Northeast were flying around as if they had reached the top of the world while they were here embroiled in the Eastern War. They wanted to put their toes on the line and generate some profits in the Northeast. However, it was already far toote. The train has already left. And the great opportunity and huge benefits were now being received by those who had left for the Northeast first.


    The people who wereing to find Iron were those who weren¡¯t able to enter the new route that would pass through Puerh Inds. In the past, they did not even want to look at them but that wasn¡¯t the case now. The situation in the Northeast had improved and it had be one of the safest regions in the continent. However, Iron rejected all of the requests of the people who wanted to meet with him and enjoyed a longfortable rest onnd until the simple ceremony was held.


    The Drake Unit dominated the skies and made a great contribution in invading Antis.


    The Ranger Unit killed huge and major monsters and made a huge contribution in the cleaning up of Puerh Inds.


    The Knight Order actively fought in each major front and contributed greatly in maintaining these fronts.


    There were also plenty of forces from the Northeast that yed an active role and contributed greatly. However, they weren¡¯t present. So, the people who remained in the East became their representatives and received their award on behalf of their colleagues.


    And finally¡­


    The Northeast¡¯s special force, and thest Ghost that was left in the East¡­.


    Iron climbed up on the stage where they were doing the award ceremony.


    ¡°I wanted to make it fancier but¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Richard Burton looked at Iron apologetically.


    All of the people who fought together in the war knew that the Northeast yed a big role in the East. Especially the Ghosts. They were clear on how huge a contribution each and every single member of their team had made. After all, all of them only fought at the most dangerous areas since they were at 5th Stage or higher. That was why Richard Burton, as the Eastern Commander, awarded Iron, the representative of the Ghosts, with amendation and a medal from the Eastern Command. However, those were only the rewards for the Ghosts.


    If you asked the Easterners who the greatest contributor in this war was, they would all answer the same.


    ¡®Iron Carter ¨D Lieutenant Colonel¡¯


    This name resonated loudly with the Easterners, especially the soldiers of the Eastern Command.


    He had the will to fight and sacrificed himself during the battle in Ghost Ind. The will to save as he sacrificed himself and fought with his injured body to save his colleagues. He also showed his cool-headedness and reasonable thinking in the Puerh Inds. He even expressed the powerful force of his divine beasts as well as his overwhelming knowledge about the dimensional cracks. All of these things were done by a single person.


    The soldiers, who watched him fight closely in the battlefield, only felt awe for him. It was to the point that they admired him more than their Eastern Commander.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter. The contributions that you have made in the East were tremendous. I will make sure to repay you even if I am not good enough.¡±


    The Eastern Commander took out a medal iid with twinkling blue jewels as he said so.


    An officer who saw it couldn¡¯t help but mutter nkly.


    ¡°The Eye of the Sea¡­¡±


    The East¡¯s greatest medal, which was made by processing the sea¡¯s spirit stone, a mineral said to be extremely rare and hard toe by in the sea. And right now, the East¡¯s greatest medal, iid with sky blue jewels that represented the highest value in the East, was pinned on top of the Eastern Medal that was already pinned on Iron¡¯s chest.


    At that moment, the notifications that Iron had been waiting for finally rang.


    ¨D You have made an incredible achievement in the East. The Easterners will now hail you as a hero.


    ¨D You have acquired the <b>Title</b>: <b>East¡¯s Hero</b>. However, because it oveps with your previous title Northeast¡¯s Hero, the two titles will be temporarily used together.


    ¨D The hero title has ovepped. The title effect has also ovepped. This will double the effects of the title Northeast¡¯s Hero.


    ¨D With your achievements in the East, the Imperials could no longer disparage and twist your achievements. Your reputation will now be spread justly and correctly in the Empire.


    ¨D Your incredible achievement has triggered a hidden quest.


    ¨D <b>The Path of the Heroes</b> : You have be a hero that everyone is aware of. From now on, every step that you take will be a hero¡¯s deed and achievement. Be a legend that will remain in this continent forever.


    ¨D <b>Quest Completion Requirements</b> : Your name must be sung in a hero¡¯s song or poem.


    After the numerous notifications that rang in Iron¡¯s ears, the festival finally began. Everyone, including the biggest contributor, Iron and the rest of the contributors enjoyed the festival. They drank alcohol and sang songs in the banquet hall while the masses sang loudly as they walked around Mara Port. It was as if the disaster was long over and their dream-like days were finallying. The people had smiles on their faces as children sang happily of their dreams.


    Bang! Bang!


    While fireworks were popping out one after the other in the skies and people were chatting happily about the end of the war, one person stared nkly at the sea from the Command¡¯s rooftop. The person looked somewhat gloomy. It was as if he was missing someone from beyond the sea.


    The man stared at the sea for a long time before hearing the creaking sound of the door to the rooftop opening.


    ¡°So, you were here.¡±


    The man looked back in surprise when he heard the voice of the person behind him.


    ¡°Why did Lieutenant Colonel Iron Cartere here¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about something so I came to find Captain Daniel.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s eyes widened in shock when he heard Iron¡¯s words. He couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head wondering why the main character of the banquet came up to the rooftop to find him. Iron smiled at him and asked his question right away.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about Captain Mateo Garcia.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expression hardened as he shut his mouth tightly.


    Seeing his expression, Iron realized that his assumptions were correct.


    ¡®Did this person really help him?¡¯


    He looked at Daniel as this thought shed in his head.


    ¡°I heard that Captain Mateo Garcia died in an ident.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°From what I heard, he died during the attack in the Eastern Command. Right?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron sighed deeply at Daniel¡¯s short answers. He couldn¡¯t help but bluntly and straightforwardly speak his mind out. After all, they wouldn¡¯t go anywhere at this rate.


    ¡°I saw the death of the head of the mermaid race not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°I heard. Let me congratte you once again on your great contribution.¡±


    ¡°I did not mention this to get your congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Back then¡­ I heard something suspicious from the head of the mermaid race. Those words remained as a question in my head so I came to ask you, Captain Daniel.¡±


    Iron also began to recite what the head of the mermaid race had told him.


    Captain Daniel couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head upon hearing what the head of the mermaid race had said. He couldn¡¯t understand why Iron was telling him this.


    ¡°One of the things that he said came true. Disaster truly dide after their fall. In fact, the Sea God appeared right after his death. I was only lucky enough to stop it with the Sea Orb.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    Smart.


    He immediately figured out what Iron was trying to say. Seeing him react like that, Iron opened his mouth once again.


    ¡°But there¡¯s still one question left. The part where the traitors¡¯ destruction will lead to the mermaids¡¯ new era¡­ I thought long and hard about what it meant on my way here.¡±


    Iron looked at Daniel.


    ¡°I believed that the Eastern Command wouldn¡¯t be easily broken through unless there was a traitor inside. And from what we saw, Captain Mateo Garcia was that traitor.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Daniel¡¯s mouth turned shut at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely not dead. He would have definitely disappeared somewhere. The Eastern Commander also said that the blue-haired mermaid who made him suffer also disappeared somewhere. Even the woman who saved the head of the mermaid race in Ghost Ind also disappeared.¡±


    Iron spoke about his conjectures as he stared at the silent Daniel.


    ¡°Captain Mateo left here with the other mermaid half-breeds. Leaving for a new home with the other mermaids who weren¡¯t considered as traitors as they opened the new era for the mermaids. That¡¯s my take on this matter.¡±


    Daniel stared silently at the sea.


    ¡°¡­What the Lieutenant Colonel has guessed is correct. I¡­ I let that bastard go.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at Captain Daniel¡¯s words.


    ¡°That bastard said that the mermaid half-breeds are living a miserable life at the bottom of the food chain in Mara Port. And I saw it myself.¡±


    Daniel recalled about the day when he saw them personally.


    The mermaid half-breeds were picking up food on the street, begging and resorting to all sorts of crimes to survive¡­


    They did not even know that they were mermaid half-breeds as they continued to live their desperate lives. And they were left to survive on their own just because they looked strange or because they were orphans.


    Looking at them, Daniel realized that the port he knew was different from the port that Mateo knew. And he had one question ring in his head.


    Will I be able to stop Mateo when he wants to help these people?


    If he considered his duties as a soldier of Command, he had to stop Mateo.


    But do I really have the right to stop them when those struggling to live their desperate lives are trying to live a new life?


    As he pondered over this matter, he watched as Mateo¡¯s biological mother got better after taking the medicine that was given by the mermaids.


    Let¡¯s help this bastard even if we¡¯re not good enough.


    He also eagerly hoped that the mermaid half-breeds would live peacefully from now on. So, with the help of the Merchant Association, he provided them with a small amount of food and supplies before helping them get out of the port to go to their new base.


    Daniel opened his mouth heavily.


    ¡°That bastard said that he wanted to give them a new lease in life. And the person who signed a contract with him also said that he would help save his mother and give her a better life.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why you helped him?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron sighed heavily at Daniel¡¯s answers.


    ¡°Do you know who the person who signed a contract with him is?¡±


    ¡°Mateo said that he was the prince of the mermaid race who would lead the new era. I¡¯m not too sure but I¡¯m guessing that the woman that you mentioned is the wife of the head of the mermaid race and their queen.¡±


    Iron nodded silently at Daniel¡¯s guess. This had finally solved the things that he was curious about.


    ¡°Are you just going to leave?¡±


    Daniel turned around and looked at Iron with trembling eyes. He saw him going to leave the rooftop after knowing everything. Iron smiled at him.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I helped a traitor¡­ Weren¡¯t you trying to catch me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about Captain Daniel. Did youmit a crime?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s expression turned dumbfounded after hearing Iron¡¯s sly words.


    ¡°The only thing I have heard here is the story about the sea though?¡±


    Iron winked at Daniel as he said so.


    ¡°Next time Ie here, please tell me about your delicious food.¡±


    Daniel stared nkly at Iron as he left the rooftop. He couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°What an interesting person.¡±


    Daniel mumbled to himself before staring back at the sea. He thought about his old friend and hoped that there woulde a time when he would be able to meet with him again.


    An officer who missed his friend and an officer who left just like that after solving all of the questions he had in mind. Both of them had a satisfying and enjoyable night as they savored the atmosphere brought about by the festival.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 105 - Leonhardt’s Territory (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(105)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>36 </b>Leonhardt¡¯s Territory (1)


    The Northeastern Army only attended the first day of the festival, all of them prepared to depart the Eastern Command for the Northeastern Command after the awarding ceremony had finished. The officers of the Eastern Command also moved to send off the Northeastern troops in the warp gate.


    While they were moving out ofmand¡­


    ¡°Extra! Extra! The White Whale Guild did something!¡±


    ¡°White Whale? Those other-worlders?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The lout, Kim Jungtae, did something in the Puerh Inds!¡±


    ¡°What did he do?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the war over?¡±


    People flocked to where the boy selling the newspaper was. The boy smiled gently and lifted his money basket.


    ¡°Who knows¡­ I heard that the other-worlders have discovered the mermaids¡¯ treasures?¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ Is that so?¡±


    ¡°This is a scoop from our newspaper. We kept in close contact with White Whale. Well, maybe it was because of the other-worlders¡¯ unique abilities? They said that they were able to get arge number of the mermaids¡¯ treasures from deep in the sea.¡±


    ¡°Treasure¡­ which one?¡±


    The people asked the boy in curiosity but the boy just shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t say anymore.


    ¡°Please read the details in the newspaper!¡±


    Hearing the boy¡¯s words, the people grabbed coins out of their pockets and ced them in his basket to buy a copy of the newspaper.


    Iron, who saw this scene from afar, smiled.


    ¡®In the end, he¡¯s still the one who took it.¡¯


    During the Eastern War, the White Whale Guild failed to earn their expected merits, contributions and rewards. However, with Kim Jungtae¡¯s strong will, they were still able to do something about their situation.


    Iron was sure that they would be able topete with the guilds from the other regions just with the treasures that they had obtained here. Although the other-worlders¡¯ coalition was strong, the White Whale still had the ability to grow to the point that they could stand toe to toe with them. Iron was sure since he had encountered Kim Jungtae in his previous life.


    ¡°That dreadful bastard eventually got the treasure.¡±


    Richard Burton smiled bitterly when he heard the news from afar. He recalled the abuse that he had endured before Iron arrived. After all, Kim Jungtae was the only divine beast contractor back then. Even the officers of Eastern Command had ugly expressions when they recalled how Kim Jungtae acted back in Command. The Northeastern troops entered the warp gate one by one while the Eastern Command tried to keep a straight face after hearing something unpleasant to their ears.


    Richard Burton approached Iron, who waited until everyone had gone over.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re going to the North now.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ Well, I think that¡¯s what is going to happen.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly.


    Richard Burton asked for a handshake before letting him go.


    ¡°May fortune apany you on the battlefield.¡±


    Iron shook his hands and said his goodbye to him before climbing on the warp gate.


    ¡°If the situation in the North gets prolonged then we might be able to see each other again.¡±


    Iron tilted his head at Richard Burton¡¯s words. Richard smiled and spoke.


    ¡°If you receive something, you should give it back. Since the North helped the East in our war, it¡¯s time for the East to help them.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°But I need to help the South and West first. They need some kind of help from the navy there. But if the North is still at war when my work there is done, then we¡¯ll see each other again.¡±


    ¡°Then, I should pray that I don¡¯t see the Commander¡¯s face there.¡±


    Richard Burton smiled and nodded when he saw Iron¡¯s bitter smile.


    ¡°I hope so too. I pray that the war in the North will end in good faith.¡±


    Iron bowed his head in gratitude as he bid the Commander farewell once again. Then, he continued to climb on the warp gate.


    Iron¡¯s body was then covered with a bright light as he quickly transferred from the East to the Northeast. With the sound of the warp gate rotating loudly, Iron opened his eyes and looked around at the Northeast.


    The scenery in the Northeastern Command, which he felt like he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, had changed drastically.


    The warp gate now had several huge mana stones embedded on it which increased the stability and the distance that it could travel. Even the protection around the ce had been enhanced thanks to the increase in manpower and wizards.


    ¡°Loyalty! We wee Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter¡¯s return!¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Iron quickly moved to Command after leaving a word of thanks to the soldier who saluted him.


    On his way to Command, he could see people buzzing around and weing the return of the Northeastern troops. Even the Command weed their return. They showed their envy about their great contributions after hearing about the contributions that the Northeastern Army had made in the East. However, their faces were still stained with anxiousness. The reason for their anxiousness was not that hard to guess.


    ¡°Is the situation really that dire?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself and entered Command. An intelligence officer immediately walked forward as if he was waiting for his arrival.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The intelligence officer, in histe 20s and also under the Lieutenant Colonel rank, directly approached Iron.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this but you have to get ready to move right away.¡±


    ¡°To the North?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s the information about the ce where you should go.¡±


    Iron quietly read the contents of the document handed over by the intelligence officer.


    ¡°The situation in the North¡­ is very dire.¡±


    Reading the information handed over by the intelligence officer made Iron¡¯s expression harden.


    He did not know if the dark elves sharpened their des after disappearing from Winter Mountains but their attacks were extremely fierce. Despite the Leonhardts stepping forward, since this was a matter of the North, the situation still did not ease.


    The Leonhardts elite Knight Orders also came forward. Blood Lions. Steel Lions. Silver Lions. All three of their knight orders were dispatched to participate in Leonhardts¡¯ defense battle.


    However, the second monster wave that had been created in the North was already pushing the barriers and defenses of the North to the limit. The entire North was in a dire situation but ironically, the one in the worst situation was the Leonhardts.


    It might be a bit iprehensible to hear that the Lion Family was facing difficulties since they were a family that was fighting for the strongest position in the Empire. But considering that the Leonhardt¡¯s territory was directly beside the Northern Forest, then their situation was understandable.


    The monster wave only happened in the Northeast in his past life so the Leonhardt¡¯s territory served as thest base and fortress that they used to endure until the end. But since the monster wave appeared in the Northern Forest, they would be the first to receive the damage and be a dangerous area.


    But since they were the Lion Familypeting for the strongest position in the Empire, they were still able to struggle and block it from going any further with just their three knight orders and elite knights at the 6th Stage.


    ¡°It seems like the situation is really the worst.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. That¡¯s why our main forces are eagerly waiting for your return from the East.¡±


    From what he heard, the Drake Unit had to fly in directly while the main forces including the Rangers, Knights and Magic Corps were asked to move through the warp gate. Although they were only a few, the others still hoped for their immediate return so they could take a bit of a breather despite the dangerous situation in the North.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to be sent to join the Ghosts?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already moving deep in the forest so it¡¯s toote for you to join them now. Because of that, the Commander wanted to ce Lieutenant Colonel Iron on one of the most dangerous fronts immediately after your return. Of course¡­ that¡¯s on the premise that your body had already recovered to some extent.¡±


    The intelligence officer was also fully aware of how much Iron had done in the East. From what he heard, Iron had suffered internal injuries during the war in the East so he did not intend to force him to go to the field if his condition was still bad.


    ¡°My body¡­ is not yet fully recovered. However, I believe I¡¯m already good enough to carry out the operation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    The intelligence officer patted his chest as if he felt relieved and fortunate with Iron¡¯s words.


    Iron¡¯s value was not only his fighting force. His tactics, strategies and abilities as amander was also highly valuable. So, the senior officers wanted to put him out in the field immediately.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel will be dispatched to the Northeastern troops in Leonhardt¡¯s territory.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the size?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a regiment-level troop¡­ but it¡¯s notplete.¡±


    Iron nodded as if the words of the intelligence officer were just natural. It was strange for injuries and casualties to bepletely cured especially during a war.


    ¡°What do I have to do there?¡±


    ¡°You will be in charge ofmanding the troops.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard the intelligence officer¡¯s words.


    Even among Colonels, only those who have eaten a lot of jjambap could take over themand of a regiment. No matter how good he was, he was still a lieutenant colonel at the end of the food chain so it was strange for him to be deployed as the temporary regimentmander.


    The intelligence officer immediately continued his words as if he knew what was going through Iron¡¯s head.


    ¡°The temporary regimentmander is seriously injured. He¡¯s stillmanding the troops in his injured state but he¡¯s already in a state where he needs to fall back and treat his injuries.


    ¡°Then, I will be the temporary regimentmander?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The original regimentmander had already died so you will probably continue to take over themand for a while.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at the intelligence officer¡¯s words.


    If the regimentmander had died, then it was safe to assume that Leonhardt¡¯s territory was already a full-blown battlefield.


    ¡°You will depart as soon as you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The intelligence officer nodded at Iron before leaving. Iron couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    It seemed like the situation in the North was truly dire if they were willing to put him in such a position.


    ¡°Are we not able to change history?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he walked towards his amodations.


    He had felt relieved when he blocked and prevented the destruction of the Northeast. However, he did not expect that the North would be threatened like this.


    He felt a bit reluctant that he had missed the dark elves before but was still relieved when he was able to send most of the monsters from the Northeast to the Center.


    But it seemed like this was Iron¡¯s misjudgement.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron sighed as he ced the medal that he had received in the East in his storage box. This was because it was not like the medal in the Northeast that was in the form of a ne. It would just be a hindrance if he kept it pinned on his chest. Then, he picked some new clothes in hisundry bin and changed into a newbat uniform. Despite taking extra clothes in the East, he felt tired smelling the scent of the sea that was still wafting from his clothes. After changing his clothes, he quickly checked his weapons and made sure that he was fully prepared before going out to leave for the North.


    When he went out, he saw the intelligence officer by the warp gate. It seemed like he was waiting for him to hand over some additional information.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the information about the monsters that have appeared in Leonhardt¡¯s territory. Most of them are just mutations of the regr monsters but there are some special nt-type monsters that have appeared just recently.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s the work of the dark elves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we think.¡±


    The documents in Iron¡¯s hands were thick. It seemed like the intelligence officer had gathered all of the information that he could get in the short amount of time that he was given so it was not arranged and summarized.


    Iron smiled and thanked the intelligence officer for his efforts.


    ¡°Thank you. This will be a big help.¡±


    ¡°May fortune apany you on the battlefield.¡±


    The intelligence officer smiled bitterly as he wished him luck before rushing back to Command. It seemed like he came out to help Iron despite having some urgent things to do. Iron smiled. He kept the information that he received from the intelligence officer safely before climbing up on the warp gate once more.


    He had already used the long-distance warp gate twice in a row before the day even ended.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter, confirmed. We¡¯ll warp you straight into the operation zone.¡±


    The wizard confirmed Iron¡¯s identity before immediately operating the warp gate.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter. Leonhardt¡¯s territory¡¯s operation zone. Warp.¡±


    The warp gate started as soon as the wizard¡¯s words ended. And just like that, Iron was immediately sent to Leonhardt.


    ***


    Notes


    Regiment ¨C consists of 2 or more battalions with 1000-2000 men.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 106 - Leonhardt’s Territory (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(106)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>36 </b>Leonhardt¡¯s Territory (2)


    The first thing that Iron heard after arriving on Leonhardt¡¯s warp gate were loud explosions.


    Bang! Bang!


    ¡°They¡¯re in the middle of a battle?¡±


    Iron¡¯s sight was still blocked by the lights that surrounded him in the warp gate so he could only confirm what was happening right away with his ears.


    Leonhardt territory¡¯s warp gate was located deep inside the Lion Castle Fortress. However, he could hear the sound of the artillery firing nearby. This meant that the battle was happening somewhere near. In other words, the situation was far worse than what he initially thought.


    ¡°Are you Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A knight approached Iron as soon as the light disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I think we need to move right away¡­ Will that be alright?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Where are the Northeast¡¯s troops?¡±


    The knight immediately answered Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°The entire Northeastern troops are currently located at the Lion¡¯s Castle¡¯s northern gate.¡±


    ¡°Is there a battle going on in the northern gate too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The knight thought that Iron would immediately go straight to the northern gate but he did not do so. This was because the ce that was in the most urgent situation right now was not the northern gate. In fact, when he looked over the entirety of the Lion Castle Fortress from the warp gate located at the top of the fortress, he could see that the most intense battle was happening at the eastern gate.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to focus on that area?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t. The Leonhardt¡¯s main forces are currently guarding the western gate. The Northeastern troops are guarding the northern gate. And the Northern troops are guarding the southern gate¡­¡±


    ¡°That ce must be being protected by the troops from the surrounding territory.¡±


    Iron frowned. He immediately grasped the situation.


    Although the forces of the Northern territories were superior to other territories¡¯ forces, they could not bepared to the elite troops of the North and the Northeast or the Leonhardt¡¯s troops. In addition, their numbers were only taken from ce to ce as they quickly conscripted soldiers to increase their numbers.


    ¡°Are you going to support the eastern gate?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The knight nodded lightly at Iron¡¯s question. Then, Iron spoke to the knight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. We need to defend the eastern gate first and foremost.¡±


    Iron moved immediately after saying so while the knight followed behind him.


    ¡°Where are the knight orders?¡±


    ¡°They went to the Northern Forest with the family head.¡±


    ¡°All three of the knight orders?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They heard a tip that the dark elves had appeared so he led all of the knight orders there.¡±


    Iron frowned when he heard the knight¡¯s words.


    If that was the case, then the troops remaining in the Lion Castle Fortress were the Leonhardt¡¯s general knights and the support troops as well as the troops stationed to guard the Lion Castle Fortress.


    ¡°Crazy.¡±


    Iron¡¯s frown deepened as he quickened his pace.


    The knight also rushed after Iron. However, the difference between their stages wasrge so he had no choice but to get left behind.


    Iron headed straight for the eastern gate after leaving thegging knight behind.


    He was quite surprised to see some familiar faces when he arrived there. It seemed like the main reason why the eastern gate was still able to hold out despite having a lot of holes was because of these young boys who were fighting fiercely against the monsters trying to invade the fortress.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s the twins. Huh?¡±


    Iron grinned when he saw this scene from a distance.


    They might be crazy but the mana on their sword was fierce and strong. It was as if it was proving that they were skilled at this one thing.


    However, he saw someone more ferocious and rabid than the twins.


    ¡°Kaiden¡­¡±


    Kaiden, Leonhardt¡¯s second child and the wildest of Family Head Lioner¡¯s kids, was killing monsters by the wall.


    He also saw a psychopath running straight ahead. And knowing the character of this boy, he was most likely going to break through these monsters. And as if it wanted to prove that he was a psychopath, the boy only stabbed straight through the monsters¡¯ eyes. The boy was none other than Saeriden, Leonhardt¡¯s third son.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see Faulden and Aiden.¡±


    The sixth child, Faulden, and the youngest, Aiden, were nowhere to be seen. However, that wasn¡¯t important.


    He could see why the Lion Family Head decided that he could take the main force, the knight orders, of the Lion Castle Fortress and go to the Northern Forest. After all, these kids, who were just 16 and 17 years old and still young, were showing greater performances than the ordinary knights.


    Kaiden was killing the monsters with his ferocious ws. Saeriden was leaving sword marks that looked like someone mawed the monsters. And the twins were leaving deep scars in their opponents. This meant that each of them had reached the 4th Stage. In the twins¡¯ case, they were still a bit wet behind the ears but the two of them were still definitely at the 4th Stage. These bastards kept on killing and leaving brutal scars on the monsters despite being on that stage.


    ¡°They¡¯re all still crazy.¡±


    Iron pulled out his sword as he made that remark. The sword that apanied him in his every battle and waspletely tamed and suited to him glowed and gave off cold energy.


    The second and the third child were both at the beginning of the 4th Stage while the twins already climbed the 4th Stage. They werepletely strong fighters but the amount of monsters were just too much that they still struggled.


    In addition, the soldiers did not know how to properly support them. They were only conscripted soldiers so all they could do was stab meaninglessly and watch the flow of the battle. If that was the case then, it would have been better if they weren¡¯t there.


    As if to prove this, the twins kicked a conscripted soldier away as if they were annoyed. Although it was a bit radical, the act in and of itself was tantamount to saving the conscript¡¯s life.


    The problem was that, even if the twins were strong, they still ran out of physical strength and stamina. After all, theyck experience in fighting against monsters that rushed in from all directions. Because of the gradually decreasing speed of the twins, a crisis was forced toe their way.


    ¡°Fuck! This is because of you, bastards!¡±


    One of the twins spat out curses as he suffered some minor injuries from one of the orcs¡¯ axes. Since the twin, who suffered from minor injuries, stepped back as he rained down abuse and curses, the other twin next to him was also affected and was forced to step back. Then, the monsters, who came in through the broken gate, were given leeway. They even began to press the twins¡¯ camp.


    On the battlefield, momentum matters. Once you got pushed back, you would be bound to be continuously pushed back. In this state, the twins had no choice but to be pushed back.


    At that moment, a ray of ck light shed and sliced off the neck of the orcs in front of the twins.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Someone passed by the twins as they eximed in surprise.


    The person¡¯s movements were just the basics of the basics. However, his movements were neater and sharper than anybody else and he was able to cut off the necks of the orcs in just a single blow. The man protected and defended the broken gate by swiftly blowing off the heads of the monsters with his simple and quick sword.


    They felt that this person¡¯s back was familiar. However, his hair color and appearance while wearing a militarybat uniform was very unfamiliar. Despite this strange feeling resonating deep within the twins¡¯ heads, the person in front of them still continued to cut off the monsters with his ghostly skills as if he did not care about them at all.


    ¡°He¡¯s really good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    That level of skill was quite rare even in the Lion Family. However, unlike the ferocious swordsmanship of the Lion Family, his swordsmanship was clean and neat and focused on the basics. Nevertheless, they still felt a momentum that no one could ignore.


    Then, a huge creature approached from far.


    ¨DGrooooowl!


    The walls of the fortress began to shake from the loud roar.


    ¡°O¡­ ogre?¡±


    Kaidenughed crazily when he heard the mumbles of one of the soldiers.


    ¡°An ogre¡­ interesting.¡±


    Saeriden grinned and followed Kaiden down the wall.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine.¡±


    That was the monster that was hailed as the Lord of the Mountains.


    These crazy bastards were so crazy about fighting that they felt no fear when they heard the word ogre as they rushed forward instead.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Follow me and act like some kind of tank.¡±


    Kaiden called out to the twins as he jumped down the wall.


    The twins quickly passed by the stranger and went beyond the broken gate.


    That monster was sorge that it would be difficult to deal with only those who had just entered the 4th Stage or those still lingering in the 4th Stage. However, as the descendants of the Lion Family, they showed their eagerness and willingness to kill the monster at all cost instead of being afraid. They were so hungry for a fight that they would have fought against each other just to kill the monster if the difference between theirs and their opponent¡¯s power was not thatrge.


    ¡°They must be struggling but they¡¯re still trying to act tough.¡±


    Iron said those words as he continued to advance forward by cutting down and killing the monsters that entered the gate.


    No matter how much of a genius they were, or how high theirbat senses were at the 4th Stage, it would still be difficult for them to kill and fight against an ogre of that level. An ogre was a very powerful monster that could not be blocked at the 4th Stage. Even buying time for the others was a difficult feat against such an opponent for them.


    The twins were having a hard time avoiding and dodging the ogre¡¯s bat while Kaiden and Saeriden could only leave slight scratches on the ogre¡¯s skin. If they continued at this rate, then, the direct descendants of the Lion Family would be reduced from seven to three. No, their eldest son had run away from home so there would only be two left if something happened to them here.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like those bastards but¡­¡±


    Even though Iron spoke of his dislike of them, he still cut down the monsters in front of him and came out of the castle fortress through the broken gate. There, he saw clearly the battle between the ogre and the direct descendants.


    Even for Iron, who was at the 5th Stage, it would still be difficult for him to face it head on, what more for the direct descendants who were still at the 4th Stage. The battle slowly leaned towards the ogre as the direct descendants started to get overwhelmed. They were also reaching the limit of the Lion Family Steps, the steps that they used to dodge the attacks of the ogre. If this continued on, the direct descendants would definitely die one by one.


    ¡°Even if you wanted to die, you should die by my hands.¡±


    Iron dug through the ground with his foot as he said so.


    Iron jumped forward and tried to stab the ogre through its neck. But the ogre, with its tremendous reflexes, stepped back and avoided his attack. The ogre immediately stepped back when it realized Iron¡¯s unusual attack.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Iron clicked his tongue in disappointment.


    The direct descendants all looked at Iron with a grimace but Iron just stared at them. They were truly crazy bastards who were willing to spill their blood just to have a wild battle.


    ¡°If you know that you can¡¯t do it, step back.¡±


    Kaiden choked up at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°What did you say? You bastard, who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kaiden¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Iron¡¯s name. This was because his older brother, who ran away from home, was now standing in front of him. He couldn¡¯t recognize him at first since his hair and eye color had changed and he matured but he knew that it was him because he heard his name from the family head.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Iron frowned the moment Kaiden tried to speak informally to him.


    ¡°If you know now then go back. You¡¯re a disturbance.¡±


    ¡°You bas¡­¡±


    ¡°Kaiden.¡±


    Saeriden grabbed Kaiden¡¯s shoulders. The psychopath Saeriden shook his head at him. He was admitting that they weren¡¯t good enough to deal with the ogre.


    When Saeriden, someone who was crazier than him, stopped him, Kaiden had no choice but to step down while clicking his tongue and looking at the ogre.


    He dealt with the ogre just now so he knew that the bastard wasn¡¯t ordinary. 4th Stage knights could fight together and hunt young and inexperienced ogres but they would face obvious defeat against this ogre. No matter how wild they were in the Leonhardt¡¯s family, they had to step back and retreat unless they wanted to be ghosts.


    They were aware that they couldn¡¯t handle the ogre but stepping back meant bruising the Leonhardt¡¯s family¡¯s honor. However, in the end, Kaiden and the rest of the direct descendants had to swallow their pride and step down.


    ¡°You thought well.¡±


    Iron immediately let his mana flow to his sword as soon as they stepped back. His sword turned into a dark blue color as it became a mana sword that carried the steel attribute. There was also a subtle yet freezing air surrounding his sword.


    Crack! Crack!


    The frost on Iron¡¯s sword cracked as Iron focused on dealing with the ogre.


    Was it because he had only been fighting at sea? Or was it because it was hard to find an ogre after the monster wave? Or maybe it was because this was his first time dealing with an ogre alone in this life? Anyway, there was a strange feeling hanging in the air.


    He thought of ways to cook the smart ogre that was trying to explore and probe his strength.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ ogre¡­ it¡¯s been a while so I feel a bit nervous.¡±


    If he were still in the state he was in before he left for the East, he would have definitely felt burdened dealing with the ogre at his 5th Stage strength. However, Iron¡¯s level had changed again in the East so the strange trembling in his body might not be because of fear or nervousness.


    ¡°Shall we start with some beam of light?¡±


    Iron made the first strike. He focused his mana on his eyes as he fired two beams of light towards the ogre. But the ogre reacted instantly. It crossed its arms and blocked off the beams of light. The ogre had characteristically thick skin so it was able to block Iron¡¯s attack. However, deep wounds were still left on its forearms proving the fact that his attacks weren¡¯t useless.


    Feeling the stinging pain on its arms, the ogre felt a deep sense of crisis. The ogre roared as it brandished its club and rushed towards Iron.


    ¡°So, shall I hit you there?¡±


    Iron dodged the ogre¡¯s attacks as he targeted its weaknesses.


    ¡°Achilles¡¯ tendon.¡±


    sh!


    ¨DRoaaaar!


    ¡°Next is the bones of the ankle.¡±


    sh!


    ¡°Then, the calf muscle, 30 cm to the left.¡±


    sh!


    Iron attacked the ogre¡¯s legs while reciting the ogre¡¯s weaknesses one by one.


    The ogre roared in pain as it iled wildly to try and attack Iron. However, Iron just dodged its club as he recited its weaknesses while shing it with his ck mana sword, a sword that could cut through the ogre¡¯s thick skin.


    ¨DGroooowl!


    Iron was smiling strangely as he watched the ogre screaming with tears in its voice. His smile made him look like a boy who had found an interesting toy.


    ¡®This is fun.¡¯


    He did not expect that there woulde a time when he would have fun fighting against an ogre. But it was currently happening in this life.


    He did not pay attention to this before but when the battle began, every corner of the ogre¡¯s body was shining green. The green light was revealing the ogre¡¯s weaknesses to him in real time. And thanks to Iron¡¯s achievement ¡®Monster Schr¡¯, the ogre suffered and screamed with his every attack. Even his achievement ¡®Jjambap doesn¡¯t go anywhere¡¯ was working in this fight. So, he dealt a fatal blow whenever he stabbed through the ogre¡¯s weakness, making green blood spurt from its legs.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to fall down this fast, right? You should y with me a bit more. Okay?¡±


    Iron grinned as he said that to the ogre. His smile was so pure and innocent like a child whining for someone to y with him more.


    ¡°Keep up and work a bit harder, ogre.¡±


    ***


    <b>QUIZ!</b>


    <b>Instructions:</b> Same rules. 10 correct answers from different people = 1 new chapter. Send your answers in our novel channel on our discord server!


    A bag contains six (6) white and four (4) ck balls. Two (2) balls are drawn at random. Find the probability that they are of the same color.


    Good Luck!


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 107 - Leonhardt’s Territory (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(107)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>36 </b>Leonhardt¡¯s Territory (3)


    Rip! sh!


    The eerie sound of the ogre¡¯s flesh being ripped apart apanied his every sh.


    ¨DRooooar!


    The ogre screamed as he stared at the young man that was toying with it. It was only barely able to hit the man with its club but the man was letting it hold out as long as it could just so he could y with it. The beams of light that the man let out asionally also hurt much more than blocking the man¡¯s sword with its bare fist. What was worse was that the man kept on stabbing it in strange ces that made it go crazy from the pain.


    Most people would choose to kill it immediately but the man did not choose to do so. The man just kept on stabbing the ogre in different ces as if he was experimenting and exploring the ces that would hurt the ogre the most.


    The ogre had thought that the weak ones that rushed at it earlier were crazy but this man in front of it right now was the devil incarnate.


    ¨DGuwooo! Guwooo!


    Right now, the ogre was not roaring in anger but crying from pain instead.


    ¡°Bru¡­ brutal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    His steel sword thoroughly and fiercely stabbed through the important points in the ogre¡¯s body to the point that even the Leonhardts, who were famous for being ferocious, found it cruel.


    However, from Iron¡¯s point of view, it was just because he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. He did not have any other intentions. Letting his guard down despite being at thete stage of the 5th Stage would mean that he was washing his neck to hand over to the ogre. That was why he was just trying to handle it safely and perfectly. But in other people¡¯s perspective, he looked like he was ying around by only picking out at the ogre¡¯s weaknesses.


    In the end, Iron finished the ogre, who was crying out in pain from the harassment, by cutting off its neck. Then, he looked around. He could see that the other monsters were also stepping back. It was as if they were afraid of Iron.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡±


    Iron looked around as he let out a voice of confusion.


    The monsters were willingly stepping back while the soldiers were looking at him strangely. Then, he turned to look at the dead ogre who looked like a discarded rag with how hard he stabbed it earlier.


    ¡°Was I too much?¡±


    In his opinion, he just used the most perfect way to kill an ogre since it was a monster that he met after a long time.


    Although he had also killed an ogre in his previous life, he had used all kinds of tools and only finished it off with his sword. He never had the chance to kill an ogre with pure force like this. Only this time. After all, the rangers and the Ghosts were the one who dealt with the ogres in the Northeast so he had little to no impression on fighting against them in this life. And this even happened in Leonhardt¡¯s Lion Castle. So, he was a bit more emotional than normal.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Iron strangely when he came back inside the castle through the broken gate while coughing.


    While he was in a bit of a strange trouble, a soldier from the Northeast came running from afar.


    ¡°Loyalty! Fog Corps 6th Division, 12th Regiment¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go first.¡±


    Iron moved towards the northern gate with the soldier as he said so.


    He could feel the gazes of the Leonhardt direct descendants on him but he ignored them as he moved to the northern gate.


    Then, he saw the monsters trying to upy a part of the wall. They were also in a situation where theirmander was not present so they were facing a lot of difficulties.


    When Iron saw this, he immediately climbed on the wall and ughtered the monsters.


    ¡°I am Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter! I have been dispatched and ordered by Command to take over themand of this ce. From this point on, I will be taking charge of this ce!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of the soldiers shouted loudly and raised their weapons at Iron¡¯s shout.


    ¡°The first order that I will give you is¡­ wipe out the enemies! Let¡¯s protect the northern gate!¡±


    ¡°We have received your orders!¡±


    The soldiers squeezed their strength to wipe out their enemies at Iron¡¯s orders.


    Iron Carter, the most famous person in the Northeast for his contributions, personally came here as theirmander. That fact alone raised the soldiers¡¯ morale.


    Iron¡¯s momentum and titles were able to boost the soldiers¡¯ morale to the skies.


    The youngest Ghost.


    The hero who protected the Winter Mountains.


    The most famous hero of the Northeast.


    The hero who made the greatest contribution in the East.


    The power that these titles brought about was no joke.


    ¡°Waaaaaah!¡±


    The soldiers squeezed out and milked their powers dry as they killed the monsters.


    Meanwhile, Iron also used his eye beams and sword to cut off and kill their enemies. He would also asionally melt down those who used contaminated energy with Phoenix¡¯s purification ability.


    Since his divine power had taken a leap and be stronger, Phoenix¡¯s purification ability was also upgraded. Right now, he could melt the beings with contaminated mana as if he had burned them to their deaths. He was also able to bring out and use Phoenix¡¯s res and was now well on his way on bing an all-rounder that could use a lot of abilities.


    Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!


    ¡°It feelsfortable to deal with bastards that I know.¡±


    Iron picked only at the weaknesses of the monsters that he was familiar with and stabbed them to their deaths. Since he was targeting their weaknesses, he did not need to use a lot of effort to kill them. Just using enough force to turn his strike into a fatal blow would make them explode and bleed to their deaths. Because of this, Iron¡¯s sword became even faster and fiercer.


    ¡°Cra¡­ crazy!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he just like a ghost? A ghost that sweeps away monsters!¡±


    ¡°Maybe he was a monster killer in his previous life?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sure he was enemies with the monsters in his previous life.¡±


    The soldiers couldn¡¯t help butment as they watched Iron ughter the monsters. The monsters were dying on their own after being cut or stabbed with Iron¡¯s sword once.


    Even the small number of knights and officers from Command couldn¡¯t help but mutter to themselves. They had some power on their own so they could clearly feel how strong and great Iron was right now.


    ¡°Monster.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he being underestimated in the rumors?¡±


    Those who saw Iron¡¯s performance from a distance felt that his ability was being undervalued. Although he was hailed as a hero, the rumors that spread had attributed it greatly to his divine beasts which clearly underestimated his other abilities.


    Iron¡¯s figure right now was clearly showing them why the officers in charge of Northeast Command were willing to give him themand of the regiment left here.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ It¡¯s almost over.¡±


    Iron looked around as he said so. There were monster corpses piled around him. His appearance, which was covered in the monster¡¯s blood, looked extremely fierce and brutal.


    ¡°Huh? Oops!¡±


    Iron rushed towards the soldiers after confirming that they were gathered not too far from the wall.


    ¡°Heok¡­ heok¡­ ¡°


    He could see a man leaning heavily against the wall while breathing raggedly. Iron approached the man carefully after confirming that he was at the same rank as himself. He could see that the man was soaked in blood.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Lieut¡­ Lieutenant Colonel Zulchar¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to speak. Thank you for your hard work. You have to move to the rear right away. And as soon as you recover, you are ordered to take the warp gate and go to the rear troops.¡±


    The man nodded heavily after seeing the paper that Iron took out from his clothes.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    After saying that, he gave a salute to themander who suffered seriously trying to lead the troops here while being injured himself.


    Then, all of the soldiers nearby saluted and paid their respects to Lieutenant Colonel Zulchar.


    Tears formed in the eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Zulchar after seeing everyone¡¯s salute. He thanked Iron before falling back to the rear.


    Iron only stopped saluting when he confirmed that the Lieutenant Colonel was out of sight. Then, he began to work earnestly.


    The first thing that Iron did after officially recing the regimentmander was to divide those who suffered from serious injuries from those who suffered from minor injuries before reorganizing his forces.


    ¡°Gather and unite, from here to here. We will be less efficient if we split up unnecessarily. And, gather those who are only lightly injured so we can reorganize.¡±


    The officers¡¯ eyes widened as they followed Iron¡¯s orders. They did not know where he got experience as amander but he was able to quickly reorganize their troops. They heard that he only lived as a Ghost after serving as an outpost leader so they doubted hismanding ability. But when they saw how well he could lead them, their trust in him increased which made them follow Iron¡¯s orders wholeheartedly.


    The officers had eaten a lot of jjambap yet they still sweated as they ran around and burned the soles of their feet to follow Iron¡¯s orders. But even after working at the speed of light, they were only able to reorganize their troops by midnight.


    However, their work was not yet finished.


    ¡°Starting from now, you have to transcribe this and distribute it to the toon leaders. Tell them to learn the contents by heart.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Iron threw his personal textbooks to the officers who entered the temporarymander¡¯s office.


    ¡°These are the monster¡¯s weaknesses and ways of attacking them.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what it is, then we already know it.¡±


    ¡°So, why can¡¯t you fight properly? The soldiers are still understandable but even themissioned and nonmissioned officers are doing terribly.¡±


    Iron signaled them to read the book. The officers hurriedly read the books that had been thrown at them.


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The weaknesses were written in extreme detail. And the easiest way to target those weaknesses were also written


    ¡°Their weaknesses aren¡¯t only in one ce. Monsters are still living things, and as living things they are bound to have many weaknesses. Only by identifying those weaknesses can we respond to our enemies effectively in various environments.¡±


    Just like Iron said, there were many weaknesses listed per monster. They did not know how they should do it but it would be amazing once they memorized everything.


    Characteristics of each weakness were even written in detail as well as additionalments about how they should use them and in what situation. The head officer looked at Iron with respect after seeing everything written in the book.


    Iron weighed in his thoughts before opening his mouth once again.


    ¡°If you can familiarize yourself with these and use them to attack our enemies, your chances of survival will increase sharply even if difficult situations suddenly happen. Now that the number of our troops are getting scarcer, it is essential that you get yourself familiarized with this information.¡±


    The officers nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s words.


    In reality, the Command has to hold out in this state until reinforcementse to their rescue. There were plenty of other ces that were ced in a much more difficult situation than theirs so they would probably be thest ones to receive support. Perhaps they would need to endure for a long time with just this scant few troops that they have now.


    ¡°Make sure that you¡¯re already familiarized with this before the next battle. Due to time constraints, you can only practice during actual battles.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. I expect that you will all do better in the next battle.¡±


    After Iron left themander¡¯s office, the officers hurriedly moved to distribute the books to themissioned, nonmissioned officers and the soldiers.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Did I do alright?¡±


    Iron smiled when he recalled the charismatic figure that he showed worked properly.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­¡±


    The corners of his mouth were unconsciously raised as he moved to work.


    Looking at the troops stationed here in the Lion Castle Fortress, he felt that he would be busier in the future. And Iron¡¯s expectations were truly spot on when the next battle began.


    Holes in the defenses began to be opened in other gates except for the one that the Northeast was guarding. As a result, the Northeastern Army, which was alreadycking in manpower, had to send some troops to support.


    Bang! Bang!


    ¡°It¡¯s really a one-shot kill!¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ amazing.¡±


    The soldiers felt amazed when they killed the mutated wolf after just stabbing it at the area below its groin.


    When they confirmed in battle that the monsters, who were difficult to deal with, could be hunted and killed easily as long as they stabbed the correct spot, the soldiers read Iron¡¯s book with more focus.


    The title of the book was also a bit shocking.


    ¡¶Easy Ways to Hunt Monsters¡·


    Subtitle: It¡¯s easier to hunt monsters than to eat cold soup


    The title sounded like someone selling fake drugs somewhere but after they confirmed it in practice, they realized that the title was really fitting.


    In addition, the soldiers, who learned everything in the book, were also trained by Iron after fighting in an actual battle so they were also able to work incredibly well in their next battle.


    Iron had developedbat methods based on the attacks in the book. He was also able to form a unique battle system by fusing the basic formation, a formation learned by the Northeastern soldiers. Once the system was set in ce, the number of casualties that the Northeast garnered reduced to one-tenth in just one week.


    Rumors even began to circte in the Lion Castle Fortress when the Northeastern soldiers went out to support one ce after another and moved as if they had suddenly turned into elites.


    ¡°I heard that we can survive if we learn what Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter teaches?¡±


    ¡°Is it really that amazing?¡±


    ¡°They said that they memorized all of their weaknesses so their chances of survival had increased by several times.¡±


    When rumors like this spread among the soldiers, they went crazy to buy the textbooks that were distributed to the Northeastern Army. Regardless if they were soldiers from the North, from the Leonhardt family or from the surrounding territories, they all went gungho as they tried to buy the textbook.


    As a result, the executives of Leonhardt had no choice but to worry.


    It hurts our pride but should I go and bow down to a Northeastern officer and ask him to teach us?


    However, they also worried that the family head would cut off their necks if they did that once he returned. When Kaiden saw them acting pitifully, he couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth in annoyance.


    ¡°Tell him to teach you! What the hell is your problem?!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ if the family head learns of this¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡±


    Kaiden shouted angrily when he saw them sigh upon hearing his words.


    ¡°That bastard Iron is that guy Jaiden who ran away from home. Stop worrying about your pride!¡±


    The eyes of the people in the room widened at Kaiden¡¯s outburst.


    It just so happened that they were discussing this in an area that was not too far away from where the soldiers were training. So, there were a lot of eyes that turned to him from his outburst.


    Kaiden couldn¡¯t help but sweat from embarrassment when he felt their gaze.


    Saeriden, who was watching nearby, muttered to himself as he grinned, finding this situation to be funny and interesting.


    ***


    <b>QUIZ!</b>


    The answer to thest quiz was 7/15! Let¡¯s all thank:


    Eth, LhynxLol, Frantern, Axpredate, IcedCreep, Lanlo, Formam Pigritia, nc, Aster, Snowke, tsukii, Oreothecat and Red Rain.


    <b>For thest quiz!</b>


    Same rules!


    Who were the ones believed to be the first to discover iron which led to the start of the Iron Age?


    Good luck! Also, if you ever answered this, chapter upload will be dyed since I¡¯m still editing.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 108 - Lion Castle’s Temporary Commander! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(108)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>37 </b>Lion Castle¡¯s Temporary Commander! (1)


    Everyone turned to look at Kaiden in shock after hearing his words.


    Only then did he realize the blunder that he had made. However, even if he tried to rectify his mistakes and stop talking, would it be easy for the others to forget? There might be a chance if it was just the executives but there were a lot of soldiers nearby.


    In the end, Kaiden¡¯s words spread throughout the Lion Castle Fortress.


    ¡°So Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter is actually young master Jaiden.¡±


    ¡°For real?¡±


    ¡°Young master Kaiden said so himself, right?¡±


    ¡°Then, does that mean that the first young master who ran away from home is a hero?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Ho~ As expected, their bloodline really would not go anywhere without making a ssh, huh?¡±


    Two soldiers whispered between each other but the people right next to them were also talking about the same topic.


    In no time at all, stories about Iron circted all over the Lion Castle Fortress. The rumors that everyone was talking about spread in an instant and reached the Northeastern troops.


    ¡°Ha¡­ This crazy bastard.¡±


    Iron mmed his fist on his desk when he heard about the rumors.


    He did not want to keep his identity a secret forever but he did not want to let it out in the open like this. He wanted to at least reveal it by himself but not here when the situation was not that great. However, Kaiden had let the cat out of the bag in a fit of anger.


    In the end, even the Northeastern soldiers went ahead and made a bet on whether Iron was really Jaiden or not.


    That was when the elders and executives of the Lion Castle Fortress went to find Iron.


    He thought that only the executives woulde find him but even the elders came with them to find him in hismander¡¯s office. Some of them were even looking closely at Iron¡¯s face as if they were scrutinizing if he was really their eldest young master.


    All Iron could do was sigh as he told them to sit.


    ¡°Please sit down.¡±


    Everyone sat down upon hearing Iron¡¯s words as they coughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°What is the reason for your visit?¡±


    ¡°We heard that the reason why the Northeastern troops have be extremely fraudulent these days was because of the regimentmander¡¯s hard work. We¡¯re ashamed but we would like you to teach us the know-hows.¡±


    All of the people present nodded their heads heavily at the straightforward words of one of the executives.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult to learn. All you need to do is take one of the things that we have distributed to the soldiers and teach it to them. The soldier¡¯s survival rate will definitely go up if you do that.¡±


    One of the elders stepped forward this time after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°We want Lieutenant Colonel Iron to teach us personally.¡±


    Iron tilted his head at the elder¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is there a reason why I have to do it myself?¡±


    The elder hesitated for a while before revealing what they truly felt.


    ¡°If something happens¡­ we want you to temporarily take over themand of Lion Castle Fortress.¡±


    Iron looked confused at the elder¡¯s words.


    ¡°You want me to be the temporarymander of Lion Castle Fortress?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°I believe the executives of the Lion Castle Fortress would not allow this¡­¡±


    When Iron spoke with an incredulous look, the chief executive quickly took out a document.


    ¡°This is a document that certifies that all of us had agreed.¡±


    ¡°What about the elders?¡±


    ¡°All of the elders had also agreed and I came here as their representative.¡±


    Iron looked at the old man that represented the elders for a long time.


    The old noble bastard that had always been strict and disapproved of him in hisst life was now asking him to be themander. Iron¡¯s expression turned especially nk and solemn after hearing that the proud and high-nosed noble bastards agreed to this.


    ¡°What about the direct descendants? I¡¯m pretty sure they wouldn¡¯t agree and sit still on this matter. Right?¡±


    Knowing their characters, he was sure that they wouldn¡¯t approve of this. After all, if they approved of it while being aware of Iron¡¯s identity as the eldest son, they would bear the image of being pushed back. In addition, their image would turn more terrible if they allowed a traitor of the family tomand them. There was no way that they would listen to the orders of someone who left because they couldn¡¯t endure the training of the Lion Castle Fortress.


    ¡°The ones left here do not care.¡±


    Iron looked absurdly at the elder.


    ¡®Those stubborn and prideful madmen epted this?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t strange if they treated the cub who ran away from Leonhardt as a bastard. But they even admitted and ced the cub that suddenly appeared again in front of them as the temporarymander of the Lion Castle Fortress.


    Iron asked once again as if he couldn¡¯t believe their words.


    ¡°The direct descendants¡­ really epted this?¡±


    The executives and elders all nodded at the same time at Iron¡¯s question.


    The executives had bitter smiles on their faces. It seemed like they fully understood why Iron responded like this.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone from the direct descendants who wasn¡¯t crazy. The youngest was closest to the head but hearing someone close and familiar to them implying that they were crazy people with a few loose screws made them realize that there really was no normal person from the direct line.


    If they thought about it that way, then, Iron¡¯s reaction waspletely reasonable.


    ¡°But the Lion Family Head wille back soon, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the situation in the Northern Forest is a bit unusual so they would take some time going back from the forest.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Iron felt a chill run down his spine as he asked them anxiously.


    ¡°The regimentmander will contact the Northeastern Army soon but¡­ the size of the dark elves¡¯ army has suddenly increased. So, the Northern Forest now has more than double the number of monsters.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. The family head will not be able toe back any time soon.¡±


    Iron shut his eyes at the words of the elder.


    ¡°That means that there is a high-possibility of monsters flocking to the Lion Castle Fortress on arge-scale.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Everyone in themander¡¯s office stiffened at the elder¡¯s answer.


    Arge scale monster attack.


    With the current defenses of the Lion Castle Fortress, they would most likely fail in handling these monsters. Perhaps, the executives and the elders came here because they couldn¡¯t think of any other way.


    Looking at Iron, who had reorganized the Northeastern troops at a quick pace, they somehow felt that he would be able to help them endure this attack if they entrusted themand to him. They also made this decision since they were fully aware of their situation and their personalities.


    However, Iron could only think of this as something preposterous.


    He was already reaching his limits with the situation that he was in right now. He even wanted to angrily ask them how he could handle even more troops but the words were stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell them that they should retreat right away but knowing that they cared more about their honor than their lives, he knew that this suggestion would definitely not be epted.


    Iron did his best to swallow down the word ¡®retreat¡¯ as he thought hard about how they could ovee this dark and hard situation that they were suddenly ced in.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll ept your proposal. I will go to the Lion Castle Fortress as soon as the Northeastern Army contacts me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Iron immediately gave orders to the officers when the elders and executives left the office.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard it well, right? The situation is unusual. Everyone should get ready. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Let the soldiers know of this matter. And make sure to get ready to train hard starting today. I have to move up our schedule.¡±


    Iron went outside as soon as he left those words. He went out to check the overall situation of the Lion Castle Fortress after hearing the words from the executives.


    ¡°This is terrible. But I think this is still a lot better than when I just came here in my previous life, right?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked at the entirety of Leonhardt¡¯s fortress.


    By the end of his previous life, the entire Lion Castle Fortress was filled and stered with instruments, devices and all kinds of weapons that could effectively prevent monsters froming inside.


    But as of now, the weapons and devices on the walls were almost next to none. It was actually a bit strange to see some weapons here and there since the Leonhardt Family was quite an ignorant family when ites to things like this. After all, they were a family that lived and died by the sword. However, thanks to the Northeast¡¯s influence, they had ced the barest minimum of weapons on their walls. There were some magic cannons and magic bombs ced here and there. However, whenpared to the Northeastern Army, the amount that they had ced on their ramparts were just measly.


    After checking the situation of the Lion Castle Fortress, Iron received the formal proposal to be the temporarymander in preparation for therge-scale attack in the near future. He also immediately told the Northeast to at least send them as much supplies as possible if it was difficult to send troops. They had agreed to send troopster while they assured him that the supplies would be sent in a few days.


    The next day, Iron immediately went to Leonhardt¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter. Please inform them inside.¡±


    The knight opened the door to Leonhardt Mansion silently upon hearing his words.


    ¡°I have received orders to guide you there as soon as you arrive.¡±


    Iron nodded his head as he walked with the knight to the ce where Leonhardt¡¯smand was located. There, he saw the regimentmanders from the Northern Army, the Leonhardt Family¡¯s direct descendants and executives and a few knights left to protect the mansion.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m the Silver Lion¡¯s Silverstein.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter. I¡¯m not good enough but I¡¯m the one temporarily ced in charge of the regiment.¡±


    Iron gave a light greeting to Silverstein.


    As if to prove that he was not an ordinary Silver Lion, Silverstein was wearing a uniform with a lion-shaped crest with a mane that was parted in two. This crest signified that he was the deputymander.


    Their positions were determined from the mane of the lion crest on their uniforms. For themander, the mane was not parted while ordinary knights would have the mane parted into three. The same was true for the Blood Lions and the Steel Lions.


    ¡®At the very least, you still have the minimum defense in ce.¡¯


    They seemed to be prepared for emergencies since they had ced one of the key personnels in the Lion Family here.


    The Blood Lions were the knights directly under themand of the family head. The Silver Lions was a knight order that was centered andposed with Leonhardt¡¯s bloodline. And the Steel Lions was a knight order that has knights selected only through pure skill and abilities. These were the three knight orders that represented the Leonhardt family.


    The Silver Lions,posed of all the direct and branch descendants of the Leonhardt Family, might be weak. But being the rtives of the direct descendants of the Lion Family meant that they still overwhelmed the Steel Lions, those who were only chosen based on their abilities, when it came to status. That was why the deputymander of the Silver Lions could also be considered as one of the top executives in this fortress.


    Their meeting officially began once Iron sat on the seat that represented themander under the guidance of the Silver Lion¡¯s deputymander.


    The first one to speak was Iron.


    ¡°How many elite knights are still here in the mansion?¡±


    ¡°There are no Blood Lions, 10 Silver Lions and 20 Steel Lions.¡±


    There were no Blood Lions, the most prestigious and strongest order under the leadership of the family head, and only some of the Silver Lions and Steel Lions were left. If the Lion Family Head made this drastic decision, then it meant that they were truly in an urgent situation.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I looked at everything beforeing here but there must be around 100 ordinary knights left in the Lion Castle Fortress. Around 1,200 Leonhardt troops, 2,300 soldiers gathered by the nobles in the North, 1,700 soldiers from the Northern Army and 1,600 soldiers from the Northeastern Army. There are also the 10 Silver Lions, 20 Steel Lions, the direct descendants and executives. This means that this is the troops that we have¡­¡±


    Iron frowned.


    Due to casualties, the regiments sent by the two armies had been halved after barely escaping the disastrous situation from before. And even though the Leonhardts were elites, they still only had a little bit more than a thousand soldiers with them.


    They were now facing a situation where they needed to face off against arge-scale monster attack with just this small number. Iron¡¯s head throbbed in pain when he realized the direness of their situation.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m going to put this out bluntly. I will make the Lion Castle Fortress into a fortress simr to the ones in the Northeast.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened when they heard his words.


    ¡°If there really is arge-scale monster attacking then¡­ just knowing a few more weaknesses would not be able to solve the problem. The thing that we need the most right now are¡­ huge andrge-scale firearms! I will also give the troops here in the Lion Castle Fortress bombs and guns loaded with magic bullets. If you don¡¯t like this solution then¡­ I¡¯m going to step down from this position and order my own troops for a retreat. Immediately.¡±


    Iron had blocked their escape route. Once he retreated with his troops, they would never be able to respond to therge-scale monster attack.


    Fighting a lot of monsters with their sword was only somewhat possible for knights who were skilled but it waspletely impossible for soldiers. No matter how elite the soldiers of Leonhardt were, they couldn¡¯t do such a feat. They were the ones who had awakened their mana at the very least or had their bodies strengthened at the most. But what if they were handed the modern weapons that were recently developed at that level? Their level of force would definitely increase.


    Perhaps they had realized that Iron was stubborn and determined? The Silver Lion¡¯s deputymander stood up while speaking politely.


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones who asked you to be themander. So, we will leave everything to you, Sir Iron. You can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°The Northern Army also leaves it to you.¡±


    Iron nodded lightly when he heard the words of the Silver Lions¡¯ deputymander and the Northern Army regimentmander before turning to look at the direct descendants.


    The direct descendants looked dissatisfied but all of them were silent.


    ¡°Are the direct descendants opposed to it?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Kaiden with bated breath after hearing Iron¡¯s question. They did not expect that he would ask this so everyone was watching the situation with nervousness.


    Kaiden grimaced before speaking.


    ¡°Brother knows this best. I am not someone fit to takemand. All I ask is that you put me in the frontline. That¡¯s the only thing that I want.¡±


    Iron also nodded lightly at Kaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°The direct descendants also have significant power. You will be ced in the most dangerous ces. Be prepared¡­¡±


    Iron stood up.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of our first meeting. Our next meeting will be held once the supplies arrive. We don¡¯t know when the monsters will flock here so let¡¯s focus on familiarizing ourselves with the monsters¡¯ weaknesses and how to attack them. The Northeast will help you with that.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll follow your orders.¡±


    ¡°We will implement it immediately.¡±


    The Silver Lions¡¯ deputymander and the Northern Army regimentmander answered as they stood up.


    Iron had safely finished his first meeting with the Lion Castle Fortress executives.


    That very same day, all of the troops stationed in the Lion Castle Fortress began to move busily.


    ***


    <b>Quiz! [END]</b>


    The correct answer for the quiz is: Hittites, Hattites or Heteo.


    Let¡¯s all thank:


    hana, LhynxLol, Kurage33, Kig Steelhart, pockeyy, Red Rain, nc, Snowke, Xia Yi, Formam Pigritia


    Thank you for participating! Till our next quiz!


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 109 - Lion Castle’s Temporary Commander! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(109)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>37 </b>Lion Castle¡¯s Temporary Commander! (2)


    All the troops stationed in the Lion Castle Fortress were extremely busy.


    The supplies from the Northeastern Army arrived one by one via drakes and airships. While the Northern Army and the Leonhardt Family also brought in additional munitions in their own way.


    They immediately installed the munitions all over the Lion Castle Fortress and trained the soldiers to use them while training them to target the monsters¡¯ weaknesses too. With the situation that they were in, the soldiers had no choice but to umte fatigue. Even if they had deployed the knights to help reduce their fatigue from both the training and fighting against monsters, it was still difficult to ovee this harrowing fatigue.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron sighed as he stared out of the window from themander¡¯s office.


    We have avoided the worst.


    The worst situation that Iron had envisioned was the arrival of therge-scale monster attack while they were unprepared. Thankfully, the worst did not happen.


    With their situation like this, some were probably hoping that the monsters would note anymore. However, as themander, he knew that this was a futile hope. It wasplete and utter nonsense.


    Iron was able to directly receive real time information through themunication portals installed inside the Lion Castle Fortress after taking over themander¡¯s post. And the information that he received and was still receiving was telling him that their current situation was not that optimistic.


    He was receiving the fastestmunication from the Northeastern Army guarding the Northern Forest¡¯s east side, the Northern Army stationed at the center of the forest as well as Leonhardt¡¯s main force and the coalition of the Northern noble families blocking the west of the forest. From the information that they had sent, he could infer that the frontline would be pierced soon and arge monster corps would arrive in this ce.


    He was told that the main force were also having a hard time blocking the dark elves and their puppets from the frontlines so they had no choice but to intentionally let some of the monsters go for them to focus on the more dangerous enemies. Because of that, another front was created which was centered around Northern Command and some fortresses. Unfortunately, the Lion Castle Fortress was at the forefront of this second front.


    And at a time when the entire North was in desperate need for support troops, it was difficult for them to send many troops out. And since the frontline was already moring for support troops, it was nigh impossible for the second front to request for more troops on their side.


    ¡°Facing the monster corps with just these troops¡­¡±


    They estimated that there would be around 7,000 monsters in the monster corps that would arrive here. The frontline said that they adjusted the numbers and only sent down 5,000 but Iron did not believe it. At the very least, 7,000 was a sound estimate so he hoped and prayed that they would only be at that number.


    ¡®Please let their numbers only be at that when theye.¡¯


    A few more days passed in that stifling anxiety.


    ¡°The number of monsters attacking the northern gate has increased recently. What about the other ces?¡±


    ¡°The same goes for the other ces. It¡¯s almost double the usual numbers.¡±


    The regimentmander of the Northern Army sighed as he answered Iron¡¯s question. When Iron looked sideways, he saw Silverstein, the deputymander of the Silver Lions, looking stiff. It seemed that it was true.


    Monsters have recently increased. It seemed like the situation that he was so worried about was just right around the corner.


    ¡°There has been no word from the frontline that they had intentionally let them go.¡±


    Iron¡¯s tone turned somber after hearing the words of one of Leonhardt¡¯s executives.


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse. The fact that so many monsters have beening here despite them not intentionally letting them go means¡­ that there have been a lot of breaches in the front.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Perhaps¡­ we can assume that the frontlines have faced their limits now. Maybe the monster corps will arrive here by tomorrow.¡±


    The Northern Army¡¯s regimentmander also answered solemnly.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, how many monsters are we expecting? Lieutenant Colonel Iron?¡±


    Iron pondered for a while at Silverstein¡¯s question before speaking heavily.


    ¡°7,000. That¡¯s the minimum amount. Perhaps they would even reach the 10,000 mark.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that they would reach that number? Even if the frontline is in an urgent situation, that scale is¡­ are you certain?¡±


    Iron nodded at the shocked Silverstein. Even the Northern Army¡¯s regimentmander nodded his head in agreement.


    The troops in the frontline did not have enough time to pay attention to the monsters. Therefore, the monsters would be sent as far back as possible. Even if they limited the amount that they let go, the long length of the frontline meant that there would be hundreds once they gathered. But, if they intentionally let them slip, then the size would inevitably reach the thousands. From what they have gathered, the frontlines were roughly sending them here since their situation was urgent so they were bound to increase drastically once they had gathered together.


    Iron had seen a lot of these cases in his previous life. And the regimentmander from the Northern Army was a veteran so he was knowledgeable on this matter too. Although he couldn¡¯t go beyond the wall that blocked his swordsmanship, Iron could see that he had a lot of experience in the battlefield, just like himself.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Regiment Commander Zukov also thinks the same way¡­¡±


    Silverstein¡¯s expression hardened when he was made aware that the situation was far more serious than what he initially thought.


    Right now, all he could do was desperately pray that they would arrive a few dayster.


    They had no other choice but to desperately hope and pray. However, their hopes were immediately shattered at midnight of the very same day.


    ¨DAwoooooo!


    The wolf¡¯s howl rang loudly in the silence of the night. However, the wolf¡¯s howl was not just a simple howl. It contained mana which led to the sharp decline in the soldiers¡¯ morale. Some of the weak soldiers even sweated right on the spot.


    ¡°Dire wolf.¡±


    The sound of horn and the military¡¯s rm began to ring together from the ramparts as Iron mumbled those words to himself.


    Vwooooooong¨D


    When Leonhardt, a family that valued tradition, blew their horn together with the military¡¯s rm, all the troops in the Lion Castle Fortress assembled by the walls. At the same time, a magic re flew up in the sky.


    ¡°Heok! Th¡­ That!¡±


    With the firing of the magic re, the troops were able to see the number of monsters that wereing their way. There were countless dire wolves dashing straight towards the walls while a gigantic figure could be seen from afar that shook the ground with its every step.


    ¡°The monster corps vanguards¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened as he stared at the dire wolves. He realized that this wasn¡¯t just a monster corps that had gathered from one ce to another identally. This was a well-organized monster corps. Something that he had experienced several times in his past life.


    That was what they were facing right now.


    ¡°Leave only the minimum number of troops in the southern gate. Do the same for the eastern and western gates and tell them to gather at the northern gate!¡±


    ¡° Yes!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    Themanders guarding each gate answered Iron¡¯s orders with their heads down.


    Silver Lions¡¯ Silverstein was themander in charge of the southern gate.


    Zukov, the Northern Army¡¯s regimentmander, was themander in charge of the western gate.


    And Kaiden was serving as the temporary regimentmander of the allied forces of the Northern territory and was in charge of the eastern gate.


    All of them immediately went to the ces where their troops were. While they were moving their troops, Iron moved to the northern gate.


    There were so many dire wolves that the swarm looked ck under the re of the magic re.


    ¡°There must be more than 1,000 dire wolves.¡±


    Iron immediately gave his order when he saw their enemies flocking towards the northern gate. They looked like they were here to target only a single ce in this fortress.


    ¡°Artillery, ready!¡±


    The guns and cannons installed at the walls moved and aimed, all ready to fire at Iron¡¯smand.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The leading dire wolves fell down one by one at the loud explosioning from the mana cannons.


    However, despite a huge number of them falling down from the first volley, the number of dire wolves that rushed towards the walls still remained in the hundreds. What was worse was the fact that they were quick on their feet which allowed them to avoid the volleys of cannons sent their way. Thankfully, the modern firearms that were recently developed were specialized for long distance so they could still shave away at their numbers despite the distance.


    ng, ng, ng!


    The leading dire wolves received injuries or were killed as the magic cannons and bombs flew out. No matter how thick the dire wolves¡¯ skin were, they had no choice but to die if they got hit continuously. They inevitably received grave injuries after being hit by the magic cannon balls and bombs that rained down from the walls and the skies.


    At the very least, the volleys of cannonballs and bombs would be able to halve their numbers by the time they reached the walls. In addition, the bombs and magic circles that were pre-installed would be able to decrease their numbers even more. And even if they did not die, they would still be hit and injured. Even the contaminated monsters were not spared thanks to the purification magic installed earlier too.


    Thankfully, there weren¡¯t any aerial monsters present so their two airships could hover and fly all over the Lion Castle Fortress. They did not need to worry about their supplies since their supply line, the airships, were secured with the absence of such monsters. In this battle, the most important thing was to ensure that their supplies of munitions and modern weapons were secured. This meant that they could dominate the air and indiscriminately use their artillery against the monsters.


    It¡¯s not that different here either.


    Just like how America had taken control of the skies during the modern times and showed their overwhelming power, they could also dominate the skies and imitate their might even if it was just temporary. After all, the monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the merciless bombings that would rain down on them.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang!


    Numerous bombs poured down from the airships.


    As soon as the bombs fell on the ground, the dire wolves approaching the walls began to die from the loud and strong explosions. If it was a monster that was farrger than the dire wolves then this wouldn¡¯t be possible at all. The waves of dire wolves that rushed towards the Lion Castle Fortress were swept away by the bombs.


    When the soldiers saw this scene, their eyes widened in surprise and they began to cheer loudly.


    ¡°Waaaaaaaah!¡±


    They screamed happily as if the war was already over. The soldiers couldn¡¯t help but cheer at the sight of the dire wolves being swept away by the bombs while they stood on the ramparts free of any injuries.


    Iron¡¯s expression did not ease at all despite the soldier¡¯s cheers. In fact, his expression even turned more solemn.


    Even if the dire wolves were swept away, they were just the vanguards.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Is the real thinging now?¡±


    The ground shook strongly as the sound of hornsing from afar began to ring once again. It was a sound that was different from Leonhardt¡¯s horn. However, the sound that came from these horns made the injured dire wolves turn more ferocious.


    There were even strange monster howls resonating loudly from afar. The sound was like a song, a monster¡¯s song to be exact, with a strange and unique pitch. It was a song that decreased the human¡¯s morale while making the monsters turn more ferocious.


    Iron was well aware of the identity of this song.


    ¡°Shaman¡¯s song.¡±


    The orc shaman¡¯s song. It was a song that had the power to gather and rally the monsters together while amplifying their power at the same time.


    This song alone made it difficult for the humans to deal with them, but there were still many other reasons why the monster corps had been dubbed as the worst in his previous life.


    Troll sorcerer¡¯s blood strengthening sorcery.


    Goblin sorcerer¡¯s ck magic.


    And the ogre lord¡¯s battlecry that they had heard earlier.


    The sorcery of the different monsters as well as the buffs from the lords ovepped and made the monsters stronger. This was on top of them being strengthened by the contaminated mana that corroded their body.


    So, what would happen if the contaminated mana¡¯s strengthening and these buffs were both given to the monsters?


    The worst wille.


    ¡°Dire wolves¡¯ howling, orc shaman¡¯s song, troll¡¯s sorcery, and goblin¡¯s sorcery? There¡¯s also the ogre¡¯s battlecry. So, there¡¯s at least five races present here.¡±


    For a monster corps at the scale of 7,000 monsters, there would usually be around two or three races gathered together. But having more than five races would mean that the scale would probably be at around 10,000.


    Since he had experienced them countless times in his previous life, he could easily estimate the size of the monster corps even with his eyes closed. And based on those experiences, he could easily assume that there would at least be 10,000 monsters this time around.


    The worst scenario that he had thought of was unfolding right in front of him.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    A huge number of monsters.


    Silence fell over the cheering soldiers when they realized that they couldn¡¯t grasp the number of the monsters flocking to the walls.


    Iron remained cool-headed and calm as he stared at the situation from inside the Lion Castle Fortress.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Is the war just beginning?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he stared at the shadows of the monster corps revealed from the magic re in the sky. He stared at the 10,000-strong monster corps advancing forward the Lion Castle Fortress and raised his sword.


    ¡°Artillery, ready!¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 110 - Lion Castle Fortress’ Bloody Battle! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(110)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>38 </b>Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Bloody Battle! (1)


    At Iron¡¯smand, the artillery fired all of the cannonballs towards the monster corps while the airships dropped all of the remaining bombs on the ship. In just an instant, the area in front of the Lion Castle Fortress had turned into a hell of explosions.


    The ground split and exploded and green blood sttered here all over the ce. At first nce, they might look like they have achieved some great results. But, Iron¡¯s expression did not even ease one bit, in fact it even hardened further. Even the soldiers did not cheer anymore.


    ¡°Monster corps¡­¡±


    Iron mumbled as he looked at thepletely different appearance and aura of the monster corps from earlier when the dire wolves attacked.


    Despite the constant bombings and cannon shells falling down on them, the buffed monsters continued to advance. Of course, there were a lot of monsters who died from the explosions butpared to the bombs that they have poured out, the damage that they had dealt with was quite pathetic.


    ¡°Do¡­ Don¡¯t stop shooting!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll reach the guns¡¯ range soon! Stay alert!¡±


    The officers began to shout at their soldiers as soon as the monster corps began to move forward again after stopping for a while from the cannons and bombs¡¯ baptism of hell.


    Thankfully, the troops that have been guarding the other gates arrived one after the other. The first to arrive were the troops under Silver Lions¡¯ deputymander Silverstein¡¯smand. They were then followed by the troops under Kaiden and the troops under Regiment Commander Zukov.


    Since the enemy had gathered in one ce, it was only right for them to gather all of the troops that they could. So they all gathered here at the northern gate. The troops that gathered in this ce and settled down began to fire thousands of magic bullets at the monster corps that entered their firing range.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!


    Thousands of magic bullets continued to rain down and target the orcs that were leading the swarm of monsters. However, instead of pausing, the orcs just covered their faces with their arms and continued to run like crazy. Although the magic bullets stuck to their skin, it was impossible for these bullets to kill them thanks to the buffs that they had received earlier..


    ¨DUwoooo!


    Suddenly, one of the orcs lifted a red g up in the sky.


    As soon as the g was raised, red energy began to flow out to all the orcs. With the red energy overflowing in their bodies, the orcs¡¯ morale and fighting spirit began to increase. The orcmander¡¯s cry also temporarily increased the power of all the orcs.


    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking tired of these bastards¡­¡±


    A curse unknowingly went out of Iron¡¯s mouth when he saw the orcmander¡¯s skill, something that he had experienced countless times back in his previous life.


    ¡°Get ready for battle!¡±


    Just when Iron shouted his orders so his men could prepare to face off and greet these bastards that wanted to climb over the wall, Zukov called out to Iron.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Iron tilted his head at him as Zukov carefully looked at the monster corps.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any goblins.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened at Zukov¡¯s words. He thought that they were hiding among the huge monsters but it seemed like they weren¡¯t. The goblin troops werepletely invisible. There was only one reason why the goblins could not be seen despite confirming with their own eyes that the goblin shaman sorcery was activated.


    ¡°Special troops?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Of all times, why now¡­¡±


    Zukov spoke firmly after seeing the flustered expression on Iron¡¯s face.


    ¡°They¡¯re most likely aiming for the eastern gate.¡±


    Iron pondered for a moment at Zukov¡¯s words before nodding his head.


    There was a high possibility that some of them had joined the monster corps and left for reconnaissance while they were busy bombing the monsters endlessly. And once they collected enough information about the fortress, they would realize that the most vulnerable area in the Lion Castle Fortress was the eastern gate where the territorial forces were gathered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only bring some of the Northern Army and the territorial forces with me.¡±


    ¡°You should take the knights.¡±


    Iron told Zukov to take the knights.


    The goblins were known for their sneak attacks so it would be difficult for the inexperienced soldiers to deal with them. On the other hand, the knights would be able to sweep away the goblins with their overwhelming force.


    ¡°It will be hard to endure here without the knights.¡±


    Zukov looked at some of the soldiers from the territorial forces and the Northern Army stationed by the wall.


    ¡°Taking away those who have already settled down would only lead to confusion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will that be really alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a person who participated in a lot of battles. Please trust me just this once.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly when Zukov smiled and said that to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you support as soon as things get better here.¡±


    Zukov nodded bitterly at Iron¡¯s words. Iron and Zukov were both experiencedmanders and they knew full well that the situation would not improve.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t bete.¡±


    Iron and Zukov shook hands as they bid goodbye to each other. This might be theirst farewell so all they did was look at each other with bitter smiles before moving urgently once again. Zukov moved to stop the goblin¡¯s special troops while Iron did his best to fight and defend the northern gate.


    There were orc units who had survived from the baptism of the bombs and cannon shells and reached the bottom of the wall and had started climbing. Some of the high-leveled orcs from their units began to jump up high to m their axes on the walls. They used the axes as footholds to help them climb up the walls even further. The knight began to move as soon as the high-leveled orcs began to climb. With just a simple blow from the knights¡¯ swords, the orc warriors that tried to climb up the walls fell down one by one.


    If someone saw this, they might get the impression that the army was in a good situation. However, the night was still long and the war had only just begun. The monsters would continue to attack the fortress until the sun rose to the sky. Just like that, a fierce and bloody battle began in the Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ northern gate.


    Iron pulled out his sword himself and did not order anyone else when he saw the surviving dire wolves begin to climb the walls while the trolls and the ogres joined in on the orcs¡¯ assault.


    While a fierce battle began at the northern gate, the Northern army troops and the allied territorial forces led by Zukov were able to arrive at the eastern gate after moving hurriedly.


    ¡°We¡¯re not toote. Settle down and prepare for the goblin¡¯s attacks!¡±


    With acting captain Zukov giving out orders, the Northern Army troops and the allied territorial forces began to move all at once.


    Zukov also gathered the guards protecting the streets of the Lion Castle Fortress and roamed around the streets near the eastern gates to nt bombs all over the walls and some buildings while giving out guns to the soldiers in preparation for the war in the eastern gate. They also set up some traps in the eastern gate to greet the goblin¡¯s attacks. This was to make sure that these clever bastards would get confused if they ever found a gap and squeezed through the fortress.


    Zukov had served for a long time in the Northern Army and was already sick and tired of seeing and experiencing these monsters¡¯ habits. Although he was not very talented in swordsmanship and was not that innovative whenpared to Iron, the experiences that he had gained did not go anywhere.


    He might not be an outstanding talent whenpared to other officers but he was still a person who climbed the ranks of a Colonel after experiencing many wars. Of course, he failed to climb to the general rank and failed to get that star due to hisck of abilities but even though he had been stuck in the colonel rank, his age and long experience ofmanding had reached a level that could not be easily countered by the goblin¡¯s sneakiness.


    ¡°The goblins!¡±


    ¡°Bow your heads and make sure to shoot at them!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The Northern Army troops and the allied territorial forces began to shoot at the goblins from the walls at Zukov¡¯s orders.


    nk!


    The magic bullets rained down on the goblin troops. However, the goblins did not only block the bullets, they also shot out their poison needles with the strength that had been enhanced with sorcery. The needles flew at an incredible distance and hit the wall turning it into a dark color.


    Ting! Ting!


    With the sound of the goblins¡¯ needles flying over, several of the inexperienced soldiers, who raised their heads, got hit by their poisonous needles. However, Zukov skillfully blocked some and quickly ordered his men.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to the soldier that has been attacked by the poison needle! Focus on the battle!¡±


    It was a heartlessmand. However, they were in the middle of a battle and they did not have any time to pay attention to each and every soldier¡¯s well-being. Some of the soldiers quietly sent down the soldiers attacked by the goblins¡¯ assassin-like attacks to the medics down the wall while the remaining troops focused on dealing with the goblins.


    ¨DKiriiik!


    ¡°Push down the bastards whoe up the wall. Don¡¯t even think about killing them. Just focus on dropping them!¡±


    Zukov shouted his orders loudly in response to the goblins¡¯ actions.


    But the goblins were monsters. No matter how small they were, it was still close to impossible for the soldiers of the allied territorial forces to deal with the movements of the goblins that had been strengthened by sorcery and magic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up!¡±


    Zukov encouraged his soldiers with an incredibly loud voice that was uncharacteristic for someone his age. However, it was still difficult for them topletely ovee the difference in numbers with just their forces.


    In the end, the goblins were able to pierce through their defenses in the ramparts and enter the Lion Castle Fortress one by one.


    What the goblins wanted to do was to create chaos inside the fortress to distract the main force that was dealing with the monster corps at the northern gate. Zukov knew what they wanted to do and he had no intention of letting them stir up chaos in the Lion Castle Fortress.


    Bang! Bang!


    ¨DKiyeeeek!


    Dozens of goblins sttered from the sudden explosion of one of the buildings near the walls. However, since they were reinforced and had received buffs, those who were a bit further away from the range of the explosion still remained alive. That was when the guards came out and killed them. The goblins became flustered when the pre-installed traps and the hidden guards suddenly appeared and attacked them inside the fortress.


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know about your shallow moves?!¡±


    Zukov¡¯s anger burst out as he took the sword himself and killed the goblins. Cutting down the goblin with his mana strengthened sword proved that despite his age, he was still active and strong.


    However, it was still difficult for Zukov and the meager number of Northern troops to fully respond and stop the poisonous needles flying from all directions as well as the all-rounder skills that the goblins were showing.


    ¡°Is this where I¡¯m going to die?¡±


    Zukov muttered to himself as he looked at the swarm of goblins.


    Since they were known for their cleverness and slyness they only revealed their main power once Zukov had revealed all of his hidden cards.


    The goblin champion and goblin sorcerer.


    They climbed up the wall with the goblin warriors and looked arrogantly at Zukov. Zukov couldn¡¯t help but burst in anger once again when he saw the contempt in their gazes.


    ¡°Come! I will stop you even if I die here!¡±


    The goblins rushed at Zukov after hearing his outburst. A small number of Northern Army troops also immediately stuck to him and fought thest battle of their lives just to make sure that they would be able to stop the goblins.


    But with the goblin champion and the goblin sorcerer, the power of the goblins became stronger.


    Even if Zukov and the soldiers were equally strong, it still proved hard for them to win against them in this chaotic situation. In the end, the troops in the eastern gate died one by one under the goblins¡¯ assault and they slowly started to copse.


    ¡°Ugh! You bastards¡­ you can¡¯t go!¡±


    Zukov, the person with the highest level in swordsmanship, burst into anger once again and held on to the goblins until the very end.


    Most of the soldiers deployed in the eastern gate were either dead or heavily injured. Even the gate was already half-opened. In that situation, the only ones preventing the advance of the goblins were Zukov and the guards deployed inside the castle fortress.


    The goblin champion looked at Zukov, who stood still without giving up despite the officers and soldiers around him falling down one by one, in exhaustion as he tried to end him with a slit of his throat.


    Then, at that moment, a dozen knights arrived at the eastern gate under the orders of Iron.


    ¡°Regiment Commander Zukov! Are you alri¡­!¡±


    One of the knights hurriedly cut off the goblins as he approached Regiment Commander Zukov. He rushed forward to check up on Zukov, who was bloodied and bruised, but he couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks.


    There, he saw a brave veteran with his eyes opened, ring at the goblins that he stopped until the very end.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 111 - Lion Castle Fortress’ Bloody Battle! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(111)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>38 </b>Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Bloody Battle! (2)


    While the bloody battle was taking ce in the eastern gate, Iron also fought hard and cut down the monsters. Despite all of the elites stationed in Lion Castle Fortress gathered in the northern gate, the situation still remained terrible. There were hundreds of ogres that only knight-level men could deal with. On top of that, monsters like trolls, dire wolves and orcs, monsters that were hard to deal with were also running rampant. However, none of the people present in the northern gate gave up. All of them continued to fight hard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up!¡±


    ¡°Protect the walls!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them go inside!¡±


    The officers shouted at the soldiers and encouraged them.


    They felt proud of their soldiers that still held on despite only barely coping with the waves of monsters that continued to rush to the walls. However if things continued on like this, they would definitely not be able to hold out any longer. They were sure that it was only a matter of time before they let them through the gates.


    They looked at the monster sorcerers and lords that were watching the monsters attack the walls from a distance. If they couldn¡¯t deal with them, then they would have no hope in this battle.


    Fweeet!


    The knights scattered all over the area gathered towards Iron once they heard his whistle.


    This was the unique whistle of the Lion Family calling out to the knights of the Lion Castle Fortress. All of the knights of the Lion Castle Fortress would gather around the person who called once they heard this sound.


    The knights cut down the monsters in their path as they moved and gathered around Iron. This group also included the direct descendants and the Silver Lions¡¯ deputymander Silverstein.


    ¡°If we continue at this rate, we would have no solution.¡±


    Iron spoke bluntly once they had gathered.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I think we need to take a gamble.¡±


    Iron looked at the lords not too far away as he answered Silverstein¡¯s question.


    They were the main culprits for the monsters¡¯ strengthening and there would be no hope in sight for them in this war unless they eliminated them.


    ¡°You need to go over there. The lords¡­ I will break through the monsters so you can stab them.¡±


    Everyone tilted their heads at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Thest card that they are not aware of. I think it¡¯s time for me to bring it up.¡±


    ¡°What card are you talking about?¡±


    Iron raised his divine power a bit when Silverstein asked him.


    Silverstein, who realized what he was talking about, nodded his head in understanding. He had heard about Iron¡¯s divine beasts before and had only realized that they haven¡¯te out yet in this battle.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be prepared for death.¡±


    ¡°I have already prepared myself for that before this war even began.¡±


    The knights also nodded firmly when Silverstein looked at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to include the direct descendants. Will that be alright?¡±


    ¡°The Lions are not afraid of death.¡±


    Kaiden growled at Iron as he answered. The twins also nodded their heads as they increased their momentums. Rather than being scared, the direct descendants were looking excited. It seemed like they liked this new operation where they would be able to jump around and y freely.


    ¡°Sounds fun. A battlefield where you could die¡­¡±


    Saeriden seemed to be extremely excited for the battle, which could cause their death for real, that was just right around the corner.


    Iron sighed quietly. It seemed like he was so tired of this psychopath¡¯s expressions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust the Lion Knights.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please trust us.¡±


    All of the knights answered Iron with their heads bowed down.


    Iron nodded lightly before pointing his finger at the lords.


    ¡°Make a path for the knights!¡±


    The officers, who were engaged in a fierce battle, shouted and gave their own orders once they heard Iron.


    ¡°Focus your fire on the center!¡±


    ¡°Make a path for the knights!¡±


    The soldiers pointed their guns in one area at the order and began to create a path for the knights. The battle in the northern gate turned fiercer as the officers took the knights¡¯ vacated positions.


    Hundreds of knights of the Lion Castle Fortress all gathered in front of the northern gate, they lined up side by side and gathered under themand of Silverstein. Silverstein, the deputymander of the Silver Lions and a knight at the 6th Stage, took the lead with the intention of breaking through the monsters all at once to go where the monster lords were.


    Iron looked at them before giving his orders.


    ¡°Open the gates!¡±


    Creaaaaaak!


    As soon as Iron gave his orders, the tightly shut northern gate began to open little by little.


    Seeing the tightly closed gates open, the orc units tried to squeeze in the gaps. However, Silverstein killed them with a light swing of his sword while the knights moved and followed him as they boosted their mana.


    sh! sh!


    The orcs¡¯ heads fell one by one as the knights began toe out of the gate. However, despite the ease at how they handled these monsters, they would still get exhausted and eventually fall if the endless rush of the monster corps were not stopped.


    Then, Iron quietly spoke as he stared at them from above the ramparts.


    ¡°Guys, I know that it¡¯s a bit hard but you¡¯ll need toe out for a bit.¡±


    Light bursted out as his friends appeared in the skies. It was as if they wanted to answer Iron¡¯s request with actions instead of words. Unfortunately, Thunderbird would not be able toe out since it exerted too much force during the war in the east, but Phoenix, Two Moons and Baepsae all came out one after the other with their divine power spreading all over the ce.


    Of course, they did not appear gigantic like they did in the East. After all, it would consume a lot of divine power and Iron still hasn¡¯t reached the level where they coulde out like that without any help yet. But with the increase in Iron¡¯s divine power, he was still able to summon Phoenix and Two Moons at a size that was half of their size back in the East.


    ¨DPpiiiii!


    ¨DHooot!


    The two divine beasts let out their powers and paved the way for the knights.


    Two Moons let out beams of light from its huge eyes. Even if the monsters were strengthened and buffed up, they still disappeared without a trace as soon as the light passed by them. While Phoenix cried out and let out a burst of mes that burned down everything in its path, sessfully creating a path for the knights.


    The monsters tried to rush forward to deal with the knights but only a few could pass through Phoenix¡¯s mes. And those who came through could be easily dealt with by the knights. The morale of the knights increased thanks to the two divine beasts¡¯ overwhelming strength and performance.


    However, Iron¡¯s divine beast was not only Two Moons and Phoenix.


    ¨DTweet, tweet, tweet! Tweet! Tweet!


    Baepsae¡¯s song rang loudly in the ears of the soldiers who were having a hard time filling in the spots that the knights had vacated.


    The situation began to reverse once the power of healing and vitality spread and seeped through the soldiers and officers¡¯ bodies. Their injuries and exhaustion began to recover as the green light covered their bodies and the power of healing and vitality began to overflow from their bodies. They even felt like they could kill the monsters all by themselves right now. In fact, the soldiers who had awakened their mana were even showing greater power than usual thanks to their small amount of mana being amplified. After all, Baepsae¡¯s vitality was not just limited to the body, it could also affect the mana.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°The Hero¡¯s divine beasts that were seen in the East?¡±


    The officers looked at the scene in shock after they experienced this sudden change in the atmosphere of the battle. They couldn¡¯t help but space out after seeing the battle where they could be pushed back at any moment had turned around with just the appearance of the divine beasts.


    However, they did not space out for too long. Since the monsters had fallen into sudden confusion at the appearance of the divine beasts, they took this opportunity to attack once again.


    ¡°Uwoooo!¡±


    With the cry of an orc lord as the catalyst, the orc troops roared in unison. The roar effectively boosted the monsters¡¯ subsiding morale. Meanwhile, the dire wolves began to move as they carried the orcs and avoided the knights to dash forward the walls.


    ¡°Close the gates!¡±


    One of the officers guarding the gates hurriedly ordered the closing of the gates but all of them were clear that the monsters would reach them before the gates werepletely closed. And just as the officer feared, one of the dire wolves jumped a long distance and slid inside before the gates could shut.


    Thud!


    ¨DGrrrrrrr¡­


    The dire wolf used its body to stop the gates frompletely closing which enabled the other orcs and dire wolves to enter through the gaps.


    ¡°Th¡­ This!¡±


    The officer hurriedly tried to gather the soldiers and took position despite chaos falling upon them. However, they did not know if they could stop these monsters at all.


    At that moment, the leading orc¡¯s head suddenly fell off as Iron jumped down from the ramparts and stood in front of the narrow gap between the gates. There, he stood firmly as he spoke loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect this ce so block the walls with all you¡¯ve got.¡±


    The officer in charge of protecting the gates nodded his head and took the soldiers up the wall after hearing Iron¡¯s words. All of the soldiers, except the ones pulling the gates close, climbed up to help the troops on top of the walls. There were some who left and hid by the walls just in case something happened..


    ¨DGrrrrrrr¡­


    The dire wolves felt that Iron was a bit unusual so they hovered just right outside the gate and looked at him warily. However, the orcs continued to rush forward as they roared madly. Characteristic to a race crazy about battles, the orcs madly rushed forward and squeezed through the gates even after knowing that Iron was far stronger than them.


    ¡°One down.¡±


    ¨DKrrrrrrk¡­


    Iron stabbed the neck of an orc before slicing upwards and cutting its head off. The orc that had its head cut off fell down on the floor with a thud. Then, another one roared and rushed at Iron.


    ¡°Two down!¡±


    He shouted on purpose and deliberately counted every time he killed one of them. The monsters flinched at his momentum but it was only for a short moment. One of the ogres rushed forward and forcibly dragged the gates to open wider. Because of that, more monsters were able to flock towards Iron.


    ¡°Thirty three! Thirty four!¡±


    Iron cut down more than thirty monsters in an instant.


    His body was covered in their green blood as his eyes emitted a sharp re filled with killing intent. He was only using the most basic of moves but he was able to cut down his opponents at a faster and more stable pace than anyone. With the unbreakable iron will contained in his mana, he endured the ogre¡¯s indiscriminate punches, he killed the battle crazy orcs, and cut down the dire wolves that aimed at the gap between the gates.


    ¡°As long as I stand here you will never go beyond me! You will never take a step away from this ce!¡±


    The monsters began to falter at Iron¡¯s roar.


    He stood firmly in front of the gap between the gates, never letting a single one in. There was obviously only one human standing there. But the appearance of this single person in front of this gate made even the battle crazy orcs stop and hesitate for a while.


    Just when the monsters were faltering at Iron¡¯s wall-like momentum, a monster appeared with a momentum that could rival Iron¡¯s own.


    ¨DKrrk! I didn¡¯t know that there¡¯s someone outstanding still left here. Chwik!


    An orc wearing solid armor stood in front of Iron emitting a strong battle qi.


    ¡°Orc champion¡­¡±


    The orc¡¯s battle qi was so enormous that it even emitted a red light around its body.


    An orc could only reach the orc warrior level once they have reached the 4th Stage or higher. And the one who leads these orc warriors, the strongest being among them was given the title of orc champion.


    The orc champion personally appeared to kill Iron, who undermined the morale of the monster corps with his overwhelming momentum.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron let out a long breath at the strong momentum that the orc champion was showing.


    If it was him in his previous life, then he would retreat without any hesitation. But that wasn¡¯t the case right now.


    ¡®I can do it.¡¯


    The bastard that Silver Lions¡¯ Silverstein had to deal with suddenly appeared in front of him. But he firmly believed that he could kill it right now.


    ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    ¨DChwik! Good.


    He did not know if the orc champion liked his spirit or it was just showing off with its nose high up in the air but the orc champion swung its huge axe and rushed straight towards Iron fiercely.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 112 - Lion Castle Fortress’ Bloody Battle! (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(112)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>38 </b>Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Bloody Battle! (3)


    The orc champion rushed forward like a wild boar let loose.


    At first, it was just a simple and reckless dash, but the situation of the battle at the gate changed once its red battle qi¡¯s momentum increased. It was not even the ordinary battle qi but a battle qi that was mixed with a berserker¡¯s battle qi. The red energy took on the shape of a wild boar and tried to st away Iron.


    ¡®Around the 6th Stage¡­¡¯


    Iron had hoped that the orc champion was only at the beginning or middle stages of the 5th Stage but it was just his hopeful wish. Since it was hailed as the orc champion, the orc who led the 5th Stage orc warriors in the battlefield, it would clearly show skills that were close to the 6th Stage.


    Nevertheless, Iron knew that he would never be pushed back by its attack.


    Thuuuuud!


    ¨DChwiiik!


    The orc champion was excited to see that Iron was able to endure its mad rush.


    Orcs loved and enjoyed the challenge so it felt happy seeing a worthy opponent in front of it. The orc champion¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as it began its crazy onught of attacks.


    The onught of attacks almost brought Iron to his breaking point but his special attribute was steel¡­


    ¡°Come, see if you can break me!¡±


    So, Iron injected more steel mana into his mana sword and provoked the orc champion. His stance was so confident as if he never thought of losing at all.


    Iron¡¯s dark blue swordpletely turned ck as he endured the orc champion¡¯s crazy attacks.


    The orc champion smiled in satisfaction when it saw Iron did not back down at all.


    ¨DFun! Interesting! Chwik! Chwik! Chwik!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The fight between these two monstrous beings was so fierce that the monsters couldn¡¯t even dare to enter the gaps in the gate hastily. Even the soldiers did not dare take a step out of the ramparts in fear of being swept in their fight.


    The battle at the gate became a duel between these two beings.


    An attribute that made one be stronger the longer one fought and an attribute that made one more ferocious the more one saw blood. Those were the attributes of a berserker and were attributes that were being explicitly expressed by the orc champion right now. With how things were going, Iron might start to be at a disadvantage. But Iron believed in something.


    Crack!


    Blue lightning and frost began to form on Iron¡¯s sword.


    ¡°The 2nd round begins now.¡±


    This time, Iron was the first one to rush out.


    He wanted to use his divine powers but he did not have enough to give the two divine beasts that were assisting the knight order. However, his frost was a power that was not rted to his divine power and his lightning was his unique ability.


    ¨DChwik! You¡¯re using strange abilities.


    ¡°Is that a problem? All I have to do is win the battle¡­¡±


    ¨DChwik! That¡¯s true!


    The orc champion agreed with Iron¡¯s words as it released a more ferocious momentum.


    Right now, Iron did not have any more powers hidden. He was in a situation where he was betting everything on this fight.


    Powerful shock waves formed as Iron and the orc champion shed against each other. However, they couldn¡¯t fight like this forever.


    Iron wanted to drag things out longer but the orc champion was already bing impatient. It needed to let out a killing move and finish the fight to break through the castle. In addition, it was starting to get harder for it to move thanks to the frost from Iron¡¯s sword. Even the lightning was messing with its senses so it believed that it couldn¡¯t take any more time in this duel. As if finally making up its mind, the orc champion¡¯s movement began to change.


    The orc champion swung its axe widely and pushed Iron back as it boosted all of its strength.


    ¨DUwoooooo!


    A huge image of a wild boar temporarily appeared from behind the orc champion after it had released all of its strength. This was the iplete image that champions who have reached the 6th Stage could show. The image might not be tangible like that of a master¡¯s but the power of this iplete image was tremendous since it contained the will of its owner.


    No matter how powerful his frost and lightning was, they were just additional powers. Iron¡¯s real powerid in his steel mana.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron breathed deeply.


    The intense battle qi that the orc champion was emitting indicated that this would be their final showdown.


    ¡°Come! I will show you what steel is!¡±


    ¨DChwik!


    The orc champion snorted as it stomped its feet at Iron¡¯s provocation. Then, a huge red wild boar rushed at Iron. The force that mmed into Iron¡¯s steel had a qualitative leap in terms of force. Even the frost energy and lightning energy that surrounded Iron¡¯s body disappeared as the boar tried to st Iron¡¯s sword away.


    Thud!


    ¡°Kggggggghk¡­¡±


    ¨DChwik!


    Iron was forced to take a step back from the tremendous power that was packing in the rush that came straight at him. However, he was still able to endure against such a tremendous force.


    And right now, he and the orc champion were emitting energies that were desperately struggling against each other.


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaa!¡±


    Iron roared as he ced everything that he had into his steel. Just as the orc champion had bet everything on this final showdown, he was also betting his everything on himself.


    Then, as if to answer his call, the energy of nature intertwined with Iron¡¯s divine power as both the energies entered his sword. The energy transformed into the earth¡¯s energy and eventually transformed into steel.


    ¨DChwik! Humaaaaaaan!


    The orc champion shrieked at Iron, who was able to hold out against its attack, and struck out its axe. However, Iron¡¯s sword was able to endure it.


    Frost that covered his steel sword, the lightning that flowed inside it, and nature¡¯s energy. All of these powers showed up in his steel. And as soon as all of these powers were contained in his sword, the most familiar sword movements appeared in Iron¡¯s head.


    It was the sword skill that he had trained the most after he reincarnated and the most basic swordsmanship of this world. The sword technique that he had chosen because it was the simplest among all of the other sword techniques. The basic swordsmanship.


    Iron moved following the movements of the very first strike that he had trained among the swordsmanship movements, the downward strike.


    Crack! Crack, crack, crack!


    ¨DKghhk¡­


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Compared to the orc champion that was continuously being pushed back, Iron¡¯s face wasfortable and rxed.


    Only the simplest swordsmanship imbued with steel mana unfolded between them but the orc couldn¡¯t stop it.


    A downward strike pushed it back.


    A horizontal sh parried its axe.


    A diagonal sh cut the image of the wild boar in two.


    And finally, a stab¡­


    ¨DKghk!


    The orc champion, whose heart was stabbed, stared nkly at Iron.


    ¨DG¡­ good¡­ fight¡­


    Seeing the orc champion vomiting blood, Iron nodded his head as he slit its throat. It was his respect and courtesy for this brave warrior.


    The bloody battle between these two beings at the northern gate ended with Iron¡¯s victory.


    Whether it was the monsters or the humans, all of them were watching the duel. Seeing the bloody battle end with Iron¡¯s win, the soldiers roared loudly while the monsters¡¯ morale went down the drain.


    However, the war did not end with this duel.


    ¨DChwik! Revenge for our leader!


    ¨DRevenge! Chwik!


    All the orcs released their battle qi as they charged at once at the cry of one of the orc warriors. The ogres stayed still and made sure that the gates wouldn¡¯t close while the orcs and the dire wolves rushed inside.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cut all of you down.¡±


    Thanks to Baepsae, who fluttered down and healed Iron¡¯s injuries and revitalized his mana and stamina, Iron was able to block the monsters¡¯ charge alone. Was it because they saw Iron struggling alone by the gate? The soldiers who were hiding behind the walls grabbed their spears and assisted Iron.


    With the soldiers taking care of the monsters that slipped past him, Iron did not need to take another swing to kill them. Because of that, Iron was able to let loose and swing his sword like crazy. He looked like he was in a trance as he danced with his sword.


    A monster would fall and die with every swing and flick of his sword. Iron was soaked with the monsters¡¯ green blood as their corpses piled up around him. But he continued to swing his sword.


    The more he swung his sword, the simpler, neater and faster his sword became. His sword gradually adjusted to his steel mana as if he was fitting newly tailored clothes on his body. His basic swordsmanship gradually turned into the imperial basic swordsmanship until it became moreplex and diverse in movements. His sword technique gradually changed into one that suited his attribute, steel mana.


    His movements were thankfully changing towards the direction that he wanted. The core of his swordsmanship was basic swordsmanship. The foundation was tailored from the Imperial basic swordsmanship. And the diversity was derived from Iron¡¯s experiences that melted in his sword.


    Finally, Iron¡¯s sword technique began to take shape with his steel mana and will.


    Sword imprinting.


    A step that must be taken for one to reach the 6th Stage.


    And right now, Iron was in the middle of carrying it out.


    The sight of him blocking the monster corps alone while imprinting his own sword technique in front of the gate was truly a sight to see.


    How many people in the world could imprint their sword while fighting in an actual battle?


    The soldiers behind him and above the walls were all in awe as they witnessed this scene. This was because they were personally witnessing the reason why those who had reached the 6th Stage deserved respect.


    ¡°Kghhk!¡±


    Iron coughed up a bit of blood after he imprinted his sword technique.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haaa¡­¡±


    His hands were trembling and his body felt weak. In fact, he looked like he was going to copse any second now. However, all he did was grit his teeth and hold out as long as he could.


    The monsters stopped rushing to this monstrous being who cut hundreds of them all by himself.


    ¨D Achievement! You have aplished the ¡®Iron Wall¡¯. Your steel-like appearance that does not break under any circumstance will make the others have a new perspective of the path of steel, a path that has always been ignored.


    ¨D Iron Wall¡¯s effect will temporarily double your steel mana whenever you¡¯re defending or protecting something.


    ¨D Achievement! You have aplished the ¡®Indomitable Will¡¯. With your indomitable will, you will not give up no matter the circumstances. In the event of a crisis, all of your abilities will temporarily increase by 30%.


    The sound of the notifications indicating his achievements rang loudly in his ears. However, despite the effect of his achievements, Iron¡¯s body still faltered from the exhaustion.


    ¨DChwik! Charge!


    ¡°St¡­ Stop them!¡±


    The monsters realized that there was something abnormal with Iron¡¯s body so they charged forward. Seeing this, the soldiers and officers hurriedly pushed and closed the gates.


    A fierce battle once again began at the gates.


    ¨DTweet, tweet, tweet!


    Baepsae sang its song to the very best of its abilities. Its song raised the morale of the troops while healing the injured.


    Iron also returned to battle after he calmed down and stood up with his staggering body. He did his best to push away the monsters with the soldiers with the remaining mana in his body.


    Everyone present gathered all of their strength and worked hard to protect that Lion Castle Fortress despite their trembling and shaking legs. However, as time continued to pass, the human¡¯s side began to get pushed back.


    When the divine beasts were recalled, the knights, who went forward to kill the lords and the sorcerers, lost their help and gradually got cornered.


    ¡°Without fail! We have to kill them! Think of the sacrifices of the people left in Lion Castle Fortress who sent us all the way here!¡±


    ¡°Dog-shit monster bastards!¡±


    Silverstein shouted as he threw up blood while Kaiden spat out curses while swinging his sword. Despite the hard work of the two, the knight order was still losing ground.


    The ogre lord had overwhelming power and it was already too much for Silverstein to tie one up. And there were even a goblin lord, an orc lord, and a troll lord that needed to be tied up. The sorcerers even made it harder for them to fight as they continued to strengthen these lords.


    The moment they realized that they would face annihtion if they continued in this state¡­


    Clip, clop, clip, clop!


    Magical bombs fell down on the sorcerers as the sound of the hooves of the horses running from afar rang in the area.


    At the same time, dozens of airships appeared in the sky and began to drop bombs on the monster corps.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!


    The monster lords became furious at the sight of the monster corps being killed by the rain of bombs. They gathered all their strengths and increased their momentum with the intention of finishing off the knight order in one fell swoop.


    But that was also bound to be stopped.


    ¡°Northeastern Army¡¯s Fourth Knight Order Team Leader! Ariel Favrice! We came here to support you!¡±


    ¡°Northern Army! Special Operations Unit! Here to support you!¡±


    ¡°Winstell troops here to help!¡±


    Support troops from all over the ce appeared from all directions and pressured the monster corps that were pushing forward to the Lion Castle Fortress. Thanks to that, the monster corps copsed and fell into confusion.


    The lords, who watched this scene, stared at the knight order and spoke.


    ¨DChwik! Retreat.


    The sound of the trumpets rang loudly with the orc lord¡¯s words. Hearing the sound, the monster corps began to retreat.


    They knew that they would only face annihtion if they still continued to remain here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t chase!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow them!¡±


    The troops hurriedly returned to Lion Castle Fortress as they ordered to stop chasing the retreating monster corps.


    When they returned, they saw the half-copsed northern gate and the walls that were destroyed in some ces. They also saw the bodies of the soldiers, who died protecting these walls, scattered all over the ce.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    One of the officers looked beyond the copsed gate with a look of awe on his face.


    There beyond the gate were officers and soldiers gathered around Iron. He couldn¡¯t help but admire these people who were bloody, injured and exhausted but still held out and stopped the monsters from entering the fortress.


    The support troops that came saluted the heroes who protected and kept the Lion Castle Fortress safe.


    These people, who protected the Lion Castle Fortress to the end, were the true heroes. And at the center of these people was none other than Iron, a person that caused waves wherever he went.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 113 - To The Frontline! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(113)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>39 </b>To the Frontline! (1)


    Everyone was out receiving treatment after the battle at Lion Castle Fortress had ended.


    The battle was so fierce that no soldier was free from injuries. Because of this, not only was the medical ward filled to the brim, even the temporary medical center built outside of the fortress was jam-packed to the point that there were soldiers being treated on the ground outside of the wards.


    However, receiving treatment meant that their situation was better now. Thankfully, they could be healed even if their limbs were cut off as long as there were priests and potions. Just putting in long hours of effort could let them heal even if their bones were crushed. This was the biggest difference between this world and modern times. Because of the ridiculous ability of the priests¡¯ holy power and potions, most of the injuries, whether it was severe or not, could be cured as long as the person was still breathing.


    However, no matter the ce, it was impossible to revive the dead.


    ¡°¡­Re¡­gi¡­mentmander¡­¡±


    The Northern Army officers couldn¡¯t help but speak in a broken voice as they looked at Regiment Commander Zukov, who had died fighting the goblins.


    Although the regimentmander¡¯s position remained at the colonel level and did not get any promotions because of the limitations and restrictions of his abilities, he was still a veteran in the eyes of the Northern Army and was one of the people who they respected like he was their own general.


    In fact, he was a person who declined his retirement despite being offered the position of general if he departed from the army. All he wanted to do was to use his will to fight and stay active. Some would say that he was doing this to block his juniors¡¯ path but not a single soldier from the Northern Army would say this.


    Why would a person armed with decades of experience remain active in this rotten and dying Northern Army?


    They were already grateful that he remained active despite all the other officers nning to retire. After all, everyone wanted to live afortable life towards the end of their life spans. But Colonel Zukov was not this kind of person.


    ¡°Keuheup! Regiment Commander!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go like this!¡±


    ¡°Regiment Commander!¡±


    The elite troops from the Northern Army that survived the battle cried as they looked at the expression that remained on Regiment Commander Zukov¡¯s face upon his death.


    From the officers down to the soldiers, all of the troops that came from the Northern Army that were deployed at the eastern gate had died. Only a small number of soldiers from the territorial forces and the guards had survived the gruesome battle.


    This showed how much the Northern Army had fought to desperately block this front. Perhaps it was also thanks to their desperate efforts that the soldiers of the territorial forces and the guards fought hard until the end and prevented the goblins from bringing confusion to Lion Castle Fortress.


    ¡°The Northern Army was more courageous than anybody else. The Lion Castle Fortress will never forget the noble sacrifice that the soldiers of the Northern Army have made.¡±


    Silverstein, as a representative,forted the soldiers of the Northern Army. However, none of the troops from the Northern Army gave their gratitude for his words of constion. All they could do was stare nkly at the coffins containing the bodies of their colleagues as they grieved the sacrifices made by Zukov and his men.


    The same was also happening on the Northeastern Army¡¯s side. Plenty of troops from the Northeastern Army had died during thest battle. Even their regimentmander, Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter, was seriously injured and was still unconscious.


    In fact, the knight order, those who had resigned themselves to their deaths, had the highest survival rate among the groups that fought during that battle. After all, all of the direct descendants as well as Silverstein survived the battle.


    This was the reason why all of the soldiers of the Lion Castle Fortress felt sorry for the Northern and Northeastern troops. They also expressed their deepest gratitude to these people who had risked their lives in order to help them protect this territory despite thend not being under their jurisdiction.


    [ Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Heroes! ]


    It was a short title. However, the title of this newspaper article touched the hearts of everyone desperately fighting to protect the North.


    Detailed descriptions of the ¡®Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Bloody Battle¡¯ filled the pages of the newspaper.


    [ The Northern Army fought bravely and skillfully until their veryst breath and defended the eastern gate.


    The Northeastern Army defended the northern gate until the very end even in a battle that one would deem to be a hopeless battle.


    The Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ knights rushed courageously despite knowing that they were rushing to their deaths.


    All of the troops remained in the ramparts and fought desperately and eventually seeded in defending the fortress.


    The Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Bloody Battle, through everyone¡¯s desperate efforts, was miraculously won. ]


    The people were extremely enthusiastic when they saw the paintings painted in ck and white, which were based on the magical recordings of the battle, that captured the desperate scenes during the battle in Lion Castle Fortress. There were also short testimonies given by the survivors that were included in the newspaper which made them feel even more moved and enthusiastic.


    At a time when the frontline was gradually being pushed back, the release of the news about the ridiculous contributions that everyone had made in the Lion Castle Fortress gave a boost to the morale of everyone fighting in the entire Northern region.


    And there was another one!


    The name Iron Carter was deeply engraved in everyone¡¯s minds, when this hero, the hero who protected the Northeast, once again defended the North. They have heard of his name and his contributions in the East from time to time through the newspaper but they did not pay him much attention due to the urgent situation here in the North. However, he had made his name known once again by making ridiculous contributions here in the North.


    In just a span of days, the news about the Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Bloody Battle, which had spread in an instant in the North, was already spreading all over the Empire.


    While everyone was excited about the news of Lion Castle Fortress, Iron, who had fainted before, had now regained his consciousness.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    ¡°Re¡­ Regiment Commander!¡±


    The medic soldier immediately ran out to call for the medic doctor and the priest as soon as Iron regained his consciousness. After a while, the medic doctor came in with a few officers.


    Iron looked at them and said¡­


    ¡°The¡­ battle?¡±


    The officers smiled when they heard Iron¡¯s hoarse voice asking them about the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. The monster corps has retreated.¡±


    Iron felt relieved when he heard the officer¡¯s words. Then, he proceeded to ask about the events that happened after he had fainted. He also heard of the things that happened in the other areas of the Lion Castle Fortress, something that he wasn¡¯t able to pay attention to since he was busy protecting the northern gate.


    ¡°So, Colonel Zukov has left us?¡±


    Iron looked bitter.


    ¡°Was the Colonel sent to Northern Command?¡±


    ¡°No. His remains are still here in the Lion Castle Fortress. It seems that the people of Lion Castle will hold a simple funeral ceremony for them before sending them to Command for formal procedures.¡±


    Iron frowned at the officer¡¯s words as he tried to get up from his seat.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get up yet!¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but check his condition when the medic doctor freaked out and dissuaded him from moving.


    ¡°But I can already move¡­¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a long time since you have regained your consciousness. You are still very unstable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go and see the soldiers. After that, I¡¯lle back and follow your instructions.¡±


    The officers bowed quietly when they heard Iron¡¯s words. The medic doctor remained silent for a moment before nodding his head quietly.


    After receiving the permission of the medic doctor, Iron, with the help of the officers, headed to the ce where the bodies of the Northern and Northeastern Armies¡¯ soldiers were enshrined. There were so many coffins arranged in the Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ za that it was hard to see everything in just one nce. It took him a while but he eventually saw a crudely decorated coffin at the center of all the coffins. It was the coffin where Colonel Zukov wasid to rest.


    Iron looked at Colonel Zukov¡¯s coffin silently. Then, he looked at the coffins of the soldiers of the Northern and Northeastern Armies before quietly cing a bouquet of flowers in front of a temporary memorial stone ced in the za.


    ¡°¡­Everyone, thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Iron bowed his head and prayed for the soldiers¡¯ repose.


    He had experienced this countless times in his past life and had seen the deaths of his colleagues in his present life. But for some reason, he felt more depressed as he looked at the coffins of the soldiers today.


    Theck of troops and supplies had ced them in a very disadvantageous position. But everyone had worked together to protect the castle even if they were in a situation where they might be wiped out. However, they were in an unbelievable situation where some had died and some had remained alive.


    Above all, Iron¡¯s heart was heavy at the fact that the troops of the Northern and Northeastern Armies that survived the Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ bloody battle was only less than half. He had no choice but to feel this heavy weight on his heart since he survived in a situation where he might have been one of the people that were lying on these coffins here right now.


    ¡°The time after every battle is always the hardest.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly as he returned to his ward with the help of the officers. All of the people in the Lion Castle Fortress who saw this scene, looked at the memorial stone with a heavy heart. Even those who cheered for the end of the battle also paid their tributes to the dead with heavy looks on their faces.


    After everyone said their gratitude and paid their tributes to the dead, the airships from both the Northern and Northeastern Commands finally flew in. They also took the surviving troops back to their respective Commands after they had carried and moved the coffins of their dead.


    Iron was also under the list of the seriously injured that had to be transferred back to Command, but he refused. Instead, he went to the Lion Castle Fortress and spoke to the executives.


    ¡°If you leave things like this, the monster corps will gather again. Before they can do that, we have to annihte the monsters first.¡±


    Iron was speaking with reason but unfortunately, the troops of the Lion Castle Fortress could no longer afford to continue this battle. It would be nice if he could gather the troops of the territorial forces and train them again but it was also a bit difficult. This was because the frontlines had started to recruit arge number of troops to fill in the gaps that had been left in their ranks. Currently, only battalion-level troops that had been sent by the Northern Command and the Northeastern Command were guarding the Lion Castle Fortress.


    Iron was also well aware of this fact but if they left things as they were, the monster corps would be created once again. So, he was extremely impatient. Even if it was hard right now, they needed to move. However, it was impossible for them to understand with just his words alone.


    ¡®Would Colonel Zukov agree if he was still here?¡¯


    The experienced Colonel Zukov would most likely understand what he was saying. Zukov would have taken the risk and moved but unfortunately, the new battalionmander had chosen stability rather than take the risk.


    It was also difficult to force them since they were of the same rank and he had technically more experience than himself. He could possibly pressure them if he revealed that he was the eldest son of the Lion Family but it seemed like the executives were already done backing him up. This was because they also believed that recovering from this extreme damage took precedence over others.


    In fact, their thoughts were not wrong.


    But what if the monster corps were created again and raided them?


    To be honest, they thought that it was strange for him to think about something like this. After all, the monsters had also received serious damages to their ranks and it was notmon for these monsters to be swallowed by other monster corps. So, everyone thought that he was just thinking too far off the left field.


    However, based on Iron¡¯s experience in dealing with the monster corps countless times in his past life, the monsters would unite once again and go south. Since they did it back then, then it was clear that they wouldn¡¯t do something that much different right now either.


    But Iron had no choice but to give up on persuading them since he couldn¡¯t show them sufficient evidence that would prove his ims. In the end, all Iron could do was leave Lion Castle Fortress bitterly and go to themunication unit.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Please tell them that I¡¯m going to the frontline.¡±


    Themunication¡¯s soldier looked at him in surprise when he handed him the letter that contained his will.


    ¡°Are you going to the frontline in your current state?¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at the soldier.


    If this was reality and was somethingpletely different to what I thought when I was younger then¡­


    If he was just thinking of going back to the modern times, then he would have never made this decision. However, his body right now was fused with his real body. So, this was now his real self. If that was the case, then he had to do everything that he could. Besides, knowing the fact that the results of whatever happened here would affect the situation of his modern world, he thought that he should try his best. That was why he never intended to watch the North fall into chaos once again and be ravaged by monsters, just like what happened in his previous life.


    ¡°We have to win the battle at the frontline.¡±


    Iron thought so and did his very best to heal and recover. Perhaps it was because the potion was poured all over his body that most of the trauma injuries that he had received were well on their way to bing fully healed. The only thing left were his internal injuries. But with Baepsae¡¯s abilities, it would be healed quickly. So, Iron devoted himself to healing and recovering his physical condition as he waited for the day when he would be deployed to the frontlines.


    And finally, an officer from the frontlines came to find him.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 114 - To The Frontline! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(114)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>39 </b>To the Frontline! (2)


    Knock, knock.


    The door opened after a knock and a woman came inside the room.


    ¡°Huh? You¡­¡±


    Iron looked at the familiar face with surprise.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Ariel Favrice smiled as she came inside. She had heard about him fighting here and there through the news but this was the first time in a long time that they had seen each other again.


    ¡°You yed a big part in the battle again.¡±


    ¡°I just struggled to survive.¡±


    Iron answered Ariel¡¯spliment with a shy look on his face.


    But Ariel looked like she did not believe him at all. Although she had only arrived towards the end, she knew how great Iron¡¯s contributions were after seeing and taking in the results of the Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ Bloody Battle. After all, he had survived to the end and led the troops to victory.


    Simply listening to the rumors would give one the gist of Iron¡¯s great contributions. She felt a bit envious knowing that the people of the Lion Castle Fortress did not respect Iron for no reason at all. Seeing Iron, who was the same age as her, make great contributions and incredible feats several times in a row made her grit her teeth in envy. Even though Ariel was a few steps ahead of the other new stars of the Empire, she still felt intimidated whenever she heard about Iron¡¯s deeds.


    However, after seeing what happened in the Lion Castle¡¯s bloody battle, she felt it deep within her bones that her efforts were trulycking. She didn¡¯t even care to know the process that he went through to get those major contributions and just went ahead and became envious of his results.


    ¡°But¡­ did you apply to go to the frontlines with the condition that your body is in?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Ariel looked at Iron stered with bandages all over his body.


    No matter how effective a potion was, it would not be able to attach and fix broken bones in a short period of time. In addition, injuries that were caused by mana would take a lot of time to heal. It even needed to get sutured before applying some ointment and bandages on it. Although Iron was recovering very rapidly thanks to Baepsae¡¯s abilities, he still needed more time to healpletely.


    ¡°I can move.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly as he said so. All Ariel could do was sigh.


    ¡°Going to the frontline in that condition is too much.¡±


    Ariel stared straight at Iron¡¯s eyes as she said so.


    ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like in the frontlines, do you?¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at Ariel¡¯s answer.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a battle going on and someone dies everyday. Rookies would even be brought out to fill in the vacancy of those who had died.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s bitter smile remained on his face as he listened to Ariel¡¯s empty voice.


    He had experienced countless battles in his previous life so he knew full well what Ariel was feeling right now. He could still recall the bitter oue as countless troops died during those battles in his previous life.


    ¡°More people are dying than you can imagine.¡±


    Iron sighed at Ariel¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I have to go.¡±


    Ariel bit her lips at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°The reason why I became a team leader¡­ are you curious?¡±


    Iron remained silent as he looked at Ariel.


    He could very well guess the reason but he kept his mouth shut and waited for her to say it herself.


    ¡°The team leader¡­ is dead. Even the seniors are dead. So¡­ I have no choice but to do it. That¡¯s because I¡¯m the strongest in our group.¡±


    Ariel cried as she spoke.


    Her strength was almost at the 5th Stage and must be considered high in the entire order. However, there were still quite a few knights above her. But Ariel was the team leader? That meant that more than half of the people above her were dead.


    Even when carrying out numerous operations to deal with the monster wave in the Northeast, this many knights did not die. However, the war with the dark elves was different. The dark elves had properly prepared a meticulous operation after suffering from defeat in the Winter Mountains and the Northeast. Because of this, the damage that the Northern and Northeastern Army had snowballed into disastrous levels.


    One of the proofs of this disastrous event was what happened to the knight order that Ariel belonged to.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard there too.¡±


    Iron was bitter as he spoke.


    The situation in the Lion Castle Fortress was difficult enough. However, the situation in the frontlines was probably the worst if they sent reinforcementste despite knowing that the situation in the second front was extremely dire.


    Ironforted the crying Ariel with his silence before asking her what she was doing here.


    ¡°From what you said, the frontlines are busy. So, did you have enough time to visit me here?¡±


    She stopped crying after hearing Iron¡¯s question before speaking quietly.


    ¡°I came here to bring you there.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Iron tilted his head. He couldn¡¯t understand what Ariel was trying to say.


    ¡°But you¡¯re not from the regr troops, you¡¯re from the knight order?¡±


    Ariel sighed softly at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll move with me for a while.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ What¡¯s this, all of a sudden¡­¡±


    Iron was flustered. He did not expect for something like this to happen.


    Being a part of a knight order was not just about a matter of having skills. The knight order was a unit that showed strong power when they went into their formation, a formation that they had practiced and worked on together for a long time. In addition, they also had to put pressure on their opponent while matching the flow of mana between each other. Even if Iron was ced in the knight order, he would just stick out like a sore thumb.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You know full well what it means for outsiders to suddenly join in the knight order.¡±


    Ariel sighed at Iron¡¯s questions.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Actually, I came here to stop you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here to stop me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Your reason?¡±


    ¡°If you go to the frontlines like this, you will definitely get sent to the most dangerous area.¡±


    Ariel looked at Iron¡¯s battered body as she said those words.


    Even with his body that was almost tightly covered with bandages, he was still itching to go to the frontlines where he would be assigned to the most dangerous areas.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Exin it in detail.¡±


    Iron had immediately noticed that something had happened in the frontlines so he asked Ariel for a detailed exnation.


    Ariel hesitated. But Iron just kept on staring at her as he urged her to speak. In the end, all she could do was to open her mouth and exin with difficulty.


    Her exnation was simple.


    <b>1 </b>With the situation in the frontlines getting more serious, the gap in the strength and forces of the military troops has widened.


    <b>2 </b>One group wants to bring in anyone who can still move while the other group insists that the injured cannot be brought in. The conflict is rising between these two groups.


    The situation up to this point was still understandable.


    Right now, even those seriously injured people could fight as long as they have given them enough first aid and potion. In addition, it would be more helpful to bring in these experienced people instead of rookies who knew nothing. With the situation that they were in, bringing in useless people would just waste themanders¡¯ time by sending them back and returning them to the rear troops.


    The problem came after.


    <b>3 </b>As the war intensified, the troops in the frontlines began to get isted one by one.


    Troops must be gathered to save these isted units. But the problem was that there was no way that they could pull out some of the troops from the frontlines. It was only natural. After all, they were even struggling to maintain the frontlines already. Because of this, they wanted to bring in some of the troops from the rear units or even the soldiers that were still in training to build a unit specifically for this task.


    And in the midst of the sharp confrontation between the groups that wanted to send the injured soldiers back immediately to be a part of the support troops and the groups that did not agree on this, a letter came that Iron volunteered to go to the frontlines.


    The radical group that wanted to bring in the injured, the rear units and the trainees vs. the conservative group that wanted to at least protect their virtues. These two groups fought even more fiercely at the arrival of the letter that spoke of Iron¡¯s support to the frontlines.


    When the radical group said that the injured Iron could still takemand at the very least, some suggested that it would be possible to give him the mission as amander tomand the special troops that could save their isted allies. And of course, it was a force that was mainlyposed of the injured and the rookies. Making a unit like this would be good if it worked but it wouldn¡¯t be that burdensome to the military forces if it did not work.


    It would be good if they could save the veterans that helped maintain the frontlines. And since they were saying that it was just a test unit, the conservative group couldn¡¯t find any faults to oppose it. After all, a test unit would only receive and perform light missions.


    ¡°Of course they¡¯re not just going to ask you to do it without anything in return. I think they¡¯re going to listen to what you want.¡±


    ¡°What I want?¡±


    ¡°Right. Like what you said in the Lion Castle Fortress.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. The monster subjugation.¡±


    Iron tilted his head at Ariel¡¯s words.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Iron was confused. From what he heard, his main task would be to support the isted troops.


    ¡°The monsters have isted our troops. They¡¯re testing your capabilities and your temporarily organized troops by making you save them.¡±


    ¡°So, if it works there, they will be dispatched to a more dangerous area?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They will gradually be given dangerous missions so they could gain experience and in the end, themanders will make them perform a mission by sending them to the frontlines.¡±


    Iron sighed at Ariel¡¯s words.


    ¡°So, why exactly me?¡±


    Iron looked at her incredulously.


    No matter how active he was in the field, he was still only one of the young officers that only had a few years of experience under their belts. If they considered the entire Northern region, there were quite a few people who were beyond him in terms of skills. And even if they considered his skills as amander, he had only shown how hemanded troops during the Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ bloody battle.


    This was the reason why he couldn¡¯t understand their decision


    ¡°They¡¯re keeping you in check.¡±


    ¡°In check?¡±


    He thought to himself¡­ ¡®Why should they ce me as amander if they want to keep me in check?¡¯ but soon realized why.


    The only battle that he had won as amander was the bloody battle in the Lion Castle Fortress. But as Leonhardt¡¯s eldest son, they judged that he would have a high probability of failure if they entrusted him with themand of this mission.


    ¡°Why are they going to keep me in check?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because your identity was recently revealed.¡±


    Iron tilted his head upon hearing Ariel¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯re the rookie backed by the Northeast. Moreover, you¡¯re Leonhardt¡¯s eldest son.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¡°It must have been quite burdensome for the Northern Army. There¡¯s also a lot of talk in the Northeastern Army. They said that once you became the Leonhardt¡¯s deputy family head, you would use your power in the Northeast and undermine their independence.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ What bull¡­¡±


    Iron was only barely able to stop himself from cursing out loud.


    ¡°The unit was created because the conservatives wanted to keep you in check and agreed with the radicals¡¯ ns.¡±


    ¡°Crazy shits. So, there were people like that in the Northeast, huh?¡±


    As far as Iron knew, there were no people like that in the Command.


    Themanders of the Vanguard, Mountain, and Fog corps as well as the leaders of the Iron Wall, Ranger and Knight divisions.


    The Commander General.


    The Ghosts.


    And the elite-ranked officers.


    All of these people were far from the political strife.


    Ariel replied with a sigh upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°The people from logistics and the Rear Unit Commander.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Most of the people there are deeply connected to the lords of the North and the nobles from the Center. The County Governor must have also talked a lot about you in the Northern Army.¡±


    Iron burst intoughter. He was dumbfounded at their petty actions.


    ¡°Ha! I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re ying politics while we¡¯re in this situation¡­¡±


    Ariel looked bitter at his words.


    ¡°So, who are part of the troops? Is your knight order the only part of it?¡±


    ¡°No. The 4th Knight Order that I lead, the 5th Ranger Team, twopanies made up of experienced people, and one Artillery Unit. I think?¡±


    ¡°The troops are much better than I thought?¡±


    Iron looked at Ariel with surprise. But all she could do was smile bitterly as she continued to speak.


    ¡°First of all, the 4th Knight Order team that I lead is mainlyposed of neers. All of the seniors were sent to the 3rd and 2nd teams. The same is probably true for the rangers. And the twopanies of experienced people will most likely beposed of the injured soldiers while the artillery unit isposed of rookies who had just escaped training. They¡¯re an artillery unit so their injuries are not that big¡­¡±


    Iron looked at Ariel absurdly.


    ¡°What do they want me to do with these troops?¡±


    Ariel shrugged at Iron¡¯s question.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 115 - To The Frontline! (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(115)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>39 </b>To the Frontline! (3)


    If the troops of the unit were normal, anyone would believe that they were really a special unit that was beyond useful.


    Where can you even see a lieutenant colonel like me bring a unit that¡¯sposed of a knight order, a ranger unit, and an artillery unit, huh?


    However, if most of them were neers, trainees and injured, then the story would change.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s trash.¡±


    Ariel smiled bitterly when she heard Iron¡¯s mumbles. Just like he said, it was really trash.


    ¡°Should I be d that at least the knights are at least at 4th Stage?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Iron looked at her in confusion when Ariel suddenly started apologizing.


    ¡°There are some¡­ 3rd Stages too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Northeast is that easy? Themander allowed it?¡±


    Ariel nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s question. Iron¡¯s expression turned incredulous.


    It¡¯s not even a different ce, it¡¯s the Northeast.


    In fact, there were a lot of knights in the territorial forces with strength far below the 3rd Stage. However, this was not those ces, this was the Northeast. In addition, it was a squadron of knights that was directly under Command. Even if there were countless monsters overflowing from the Northeast, they still maintained the practice of only officially appointing a person as a knight after reaching the 4th Stage. However, it seemed like this practice was broken during this war.


    ¡°There are many knights who died for them to protect the practice. They know that there¡¯s a limit to what an apprentice knight can do¡­ but they decided that it was important to first appoint them as knights and build up their strength through actual battle.¡±


    ¡°To that extent?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Even if we filled up all of the apprentice knights, the vacant spots will still not be filledpletely.¡±


    Iron sighed before asking Ariel.


    ¡°If they already picked those kids at the 3rd Stage then they should just pick some more 3rd Stage kids topletely fill in those empty spots.¡±


    ¡°We were only able to pick out enough to fill in our ranks thanks to our apprentice knights but even if we want more, there¡¯s no one else that we can take in. Everyone is iling around since there¡¯s ack of people but I¡¯m sure we¡¯re not the only ones greedy topletely fill in our vacant positions.¡±


    Iron looked troubled after hearing Ariel¡¯s words.


    Right now, he could clearly see how serious their situation was.


    ¡°If most of the seniors went to the 2nd and 3rd group then your 4th group¡­ should be filled with people who shouldn¡¯t be official knights yet, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I¡¯m going crazy. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the same with the rangers?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably the same.¡±


    Iron covered his face with both of his hands when he heard this. Ariel could only smile bitterly at Iron¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°The executives want to see how much you can achieve with the worst conditions.¡±


    ¡°In the first ce, it¡¯s already strange for a lieutenant colonel like me to lead the knights and rangers.¡±


    He was already suspicious since the number of troops were forcibly matched with the numbers of a battalion-level unit.


    ¡°So¡­ are you still going to do it?¡±


    Hearing Ariel¡¯s question, Iron opened his mouth heavily.


    ¡°Returning to Ghost must be hard¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°It would be hard even if you were at your peak condition.¡±


    ¡° Why?¡±


    ¡°All of the Ghosts are located in the deepest parts of the Northern Forest. Even if we start today, it would be hard to form a force strong enough to break through those monsters again.¡±


    Iron pondered over Ariel¡¯s exnation before nodding quietly.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Alright. That¡¯s alright since my goal is to eliminate monsters anyway. Can they guarantee my autonomy?¡±


    ¡°Probably? If they don¡¯t give you that much then you won¡¯t bite the bullet so they¡¯ll agree to that¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    It was a battalion-level force but it was not the same as the usual force. It was a unit that consisted of knights, rangers, artillery soldiers as well as injured but experienced soldiers,missioned officers and nonmissioned officers.If he raised them and used them well, then he was sure that they would be a great unit. As long as he could raise them as much as he could with his limited supplies and let them carry out operations then that was all that mattered.


    ¡°Are you really going to do it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with this unit?¡±


    ¡°Where can you find a good unit in the beginning? I¡¯m going to raise them, change them and use them well.¡±


    Iron stood up as he said that.


    ¡°When do I have to go?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ The sooner, the better. Right? What¡¯s more important is that you do it.¡±


    Since there was no particr time limit, it seemed like the unit was still not yetpleted.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be there within the week. Tell them to gather everyone until then.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    Iron looked at Ariel in confusion when she spoke with an ufortable look on her face.


    ¡°Are you ufortable because I became your direct superior?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Maybe a bit? But I¡¯m feeling ufortable because I feel like I¡¯m being dragged into a political dispute.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no ce free of that.¡±


    Ariel sighed.


    The Northeast had little to no political strife. But these days, she felt like politics was getting more and more rampant. Ariel wasn¡¯t like Iron, she had been in the Northeast since she was young so it was quite hard for her to adapt to something like this.


    But for Iron, it was just something that he hadn¡¯t felt and experienced in a long while. He had been so sick and tired of dealing with things like this in his past life to the point that this just looked like a child¡¯s prank to him. Perhaps that was the reason why he did not feel that much when he was given this task.


    Anyway, the small fries would be taken care of after the war. The most important thing right now is the Imperial Family¡¯s intervention. Thanks to the chaotic situation in the Center, they couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to the North. In other words, the worst situation had not yet arrived. That was why Iron did not feel much despite the seriousness of the situation that he was currently in.


    ¡®All that matters is that we have avoided the worst situation.¡¯


    He sent Ariel out as he focused on recovering his body.


    A few days passed by in an instant. Right now, he was headed to the Lion Castle Fortress¡¯ warp gate to go to the frontlines.


    He felt sorry for a lot of people so he took advantage of the cover of the darkness at dawn. But when he arrived at the warp gate, a young man approached him as if he had been waiting for him for a long time.


    ¡°Leaving?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Kaiden pulled out his sword. It was as if he was waiting for this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a duel before you go.¡±


    ¡°With an injured person?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving because you¡¯re all better now?¡±


    Iron grew quiet at Kaiden¡¯s question.


    He looked at Kaiden incredulously. He found him a bit ignorant and naive if he thought like that. Then, he nced at his surroundings secretly.


    ¡°Will you be able to take me on by yourself? Even if you alle at me at once, you¡¯ll still fall short.¡±


    Kaiden only realized the presence of other people besides them when he saw Iron looking at their surroundings as if he found them bothersome.


    ¡°All of us showed up, huh?¡±


    Kaiden spoke arrogantly.


    From the second Kaiden, to the third Saeriden and the twins Ludem and Rodem, all of them appeared and stared at Iron with their swords pulled out.


    ¡°We¡¯re making an official request. I, the representative of the direct descendants, ask Jaiden Leonhardt to take on the Lion¡¯s Test. Will you ept?¡±


    Iron¡¯s younger brothers increased their momentum at Kaiden¡¯s words.


    ¡°The Lion¡¯s Test is a way to test the force and recognize someone as the deputy family head. However, I don¡¯t believe that this applies to me?¡±


    Kaiden nodded silently at the words of Iron.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be the deputy family head since you don¡¯t use the Lion Sword Technique despiteing from the family. In addition, the entire line of direct descendants is notplete.¡±


    ¡°So, why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Just because.¡±


    Iron tilted his head at Kaiden.


    ¡°We just made a pretext because we wanted to see it once.¡±


    His other brothers also nodded their heads in agreement to Kaiden.


    ¡°We were curious if you have really reached the 6th Stage¡­ We wanted to see for ourselves if the path you chose was worthy enough for you to abandon your family.¡±


    Iron remained silent at Kaiden¡¯s honest words.


    ¡°Please ept it. So, I can taste my brother¡¯s blood.¡±


    Iron frowned when Saeriden licked his lips.


    ¡°Is that for real or is it his concept?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Kaiden looked at Iron as if he was not interested in other things except for this fight.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. I think it¡¯s enough for me to warm up.¡±


    Iron raised his momentum as he said so.


    Then, Kaiden asked him sharply.


    ¡°Will you ept the Lion¡¯s Test?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Lion energy spread all over the area as his younger brothers showed off their momentum. As the family¡¯s direct descendants, their energy was deep and unfathomable for their level. They were even expressing their different individual spirits as warriors who have entered the 4th Stage. Although what they were showing off was not their attributed mana of the 5th Stage, they were still able to imitate the sharp and heavy lion energy with the power hidden in their blood.


    ¡°It looks a bit like battle qi?¡±


    Iron recalled the orc champion who created the image of a wild boar not too long ago. Although they were not that good enough, the four of them together showed a fierce power to the extent that they were able to create a vague shape of the lion.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯m learning something interesting?¡±


    When the direct descendants of the Lion Family worked together, they showed a technique that wasparable to a technique that he had once learned.


    ¡®The Return of the Lion God.¡¯


    The Blood Lions, Silver Lions and Steel Lions would learn different formations and techniques but the roots of their techniques all came from the Return of the Lion God. It was a technique that could only be used if a knight was on the correct mana wavelength. In other words, it was a unique technique that could only be learned and used after learning the same lion sword technique and having a simr form of mana to the direct descendants.


    The origin of the techniques, the Return of the Lion God, was directly passed down to the direct descendants and could only be used and learned by those who have passed the Lion¡¯s Test.


    ¡°Inexperienced. Can you even break my steel with that?¡±


    ck steel mana spread all over Iron¡¯s body as he said so.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never know.¡±


    Kaiden answered bluntly as he rushed forward first. Then, Saeriden and the twins followed right behind him.


    Just like the technique that was designed to defeat people that were overwhelmingly stronger than them, they thoroughly targeted their opponent¡¯s weaknesses. Like lions hunting their prey from all sides.


    Kaiden¡¯s swordsmanship looked simr to w strikes.


    Saeriden¡¯s swordsmanship was a swordsmanship that bit on and preyed on his opponent¡¯s weaknesses.


    And the twins¡¯ swordsmanship was a swordsmanship that gradually pushed their prey to the limits as they gradually killed them.


    These different types of swordsmanship moved to try and pierce through Iron¡¯s steel. However, none of them were able to touch Iron¡¯s body.


    Iron¡¯s swordsmanship was extremely strange after it had beenpleted when his numerous experiences had been incorporated into his simple swordsmanship. There was a strange firmness in his swordsmanship that was derived from the basic swordsmanship. He had trained these basic sword movements countless times that he did not lose his form or bnce even if he shifted his form.


    ¡®This is¡­¡¯


    ¡®Brother¡¯s¡­¡¯


    ¡®Path?¡¯


    ¡®Path?¡¯


    These thoughts ran through Kaiden and the other direct descendants¡¯ heads as their sword strikes got easily parried by Iron.


    Some people would create shockwaves with their sword techniques. Some would create shes. Some would create storms. Some would create lightning. Some would even create illusions. But Iron did not have any of these special attributes which made it hard to tell if he was truly at the 6th Stage.


    However, they realized this when they got closer.


    He might not have any eye-catching attributes but the steel-like hardness that would never break was hidden in his every strike. And this sword technique, which was not inferior to any other sword technique, was already imprinted in Iron¡¯s body.


    ¡°Heok¡­ heok¡­¡±


    Kaiden looked at Iron in exhaustion. Saeriden, who was always smiling, had now lost his smile. And the twins were looking at him incredulously.


    ¡°Is your test over?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your evaluation?¡±


    Kaiden was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.


    ¡°Congrattions on finding your own path. I will support you until the day you break through the wall andplete everything.¡±


    ¡°I acknowledge your Path of Steel.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    With Kaiden leading, all of Iron¡¯s younger brothers also spoke up as they acknowledged his path.


    Iron, who had always been ignored in his previous life, was now recognized and acknowledged in this life even though he left the family and learned a different swordsmanship. This was a ce where you can only prove yourself with strength. So, Iron felt a bit strange and emotional that the Lion Family¡¯s direct descendants had recognized his path. However, he made sure to press this emotion down and not show it on his face.


    ¡°Thank you. I hope you find your path soon.¡±


    The four direct descendants bowed lightly after hearing Iron¡¯s words. It was their sign of respect for those who have found their path. After epting their bows, Iron looked at them and asked something that he was curious about.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Faulden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that guy had left to find his own path. Just like what you did, big brother..¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when Saeriden suddenly spoke formally and politely to him.


    ¡°Suddenly speaking formally?¡±


    ¡°We have decided to do so since you have passed the Lion¡¯s Test and we have acknowledged your strength.¡±


    Saeriden said so as Iron looked at Kaiden.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Kaiden answered Iron with a distinct dialect.


    Iron smiled when Kaiden deliberately used the heavy dialect of the North as if it was his own Maginot Line.


    ¡°So, what was his path?¡±


    ¡°Information Guild. He said that he would go there and would onlye back when he turned 20 and he would onlye back as the head of the guild.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Iron hummed after hearing Saeriden¡¯s words.


    No matter how talented the direct blood descendants of the Lion Family were, he believed that it would be difficult to register an information guild of his own by the age of 20. However, no one expected them to make any contributions so there were nows that forbid Faulden from doing this.


    ¡°Alright. Well¡­ Even though I passed your test, I don¡¯t have any inclination to be the deputy family head so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Iron spoke up about this topic deliberately to reassure them but the direct descendants did not respond to him that much.


    ¡°Do whatever you want, it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me too.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Saeriden and the twins smiled broadly as they raised their hands. They were smiling broadly as if they were happy that a strong older brother like him appeared. They don¡¯t look the least bit upset that they would be in a disadvantage in the fight for the deputy family head position. And although he tried to hide it, Kaiden also looked extremely happy.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t let your guard down. We¡¯ll catch up to you in a few years.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Iron smiled upon hearing Kaiden¡¯s cute warning. He headed straight to the warp gate after saying his goodbyes to them.


    Knights of the Lion Castle Fortress appeared nearby after the bright light that transferred Iron had disappeared.


    ¡°Tell father that we acknowledge our big brother.¡±


    The knights bowed their heads all at once and disappeared as Kaiden left those words to them and left to go back to the mansion.


    ***


    Notes


    Maginot Line ¨C Named after Andre Maginot. A line of concrete fortifications lined up with obstacles and installed with weapons. Built by France to stop the German invasion during the 1930s and force them to go around their fortifications.


    <strong>TL¡¯s corner!</strong>


    Uploading early because I would be busy tomorrow.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 116 - Disorderly Troops (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(116)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>40 </b>Disorderly Troops (1)


    After leaving the Lion Castle Fortress through the warp gate, Iron was brought to the front lines. He could immediately see a battle taking ce in front of him as soon as he arrived. The battle was so fierce that there was even one happening near the temporary warp gate.


    ¡®I feel like I¡¯m back in my previous life.¡¯


    The soldiers were guarding the frontlines trying their best and using every means, from rifles to magic, to prevent monsters from invading and piercing through their defenses. Their current appearance made him feel like he was brought back to the battles that he had experienced in his previous life.


    Unlike in the Northeast, there were plenty of fronts that were pierced through along the length of the frontline. The soldiers were desperately trying to prevent the monsters from charging forward to the point that they were even stepping on the bodies of their fallenrades just to stop them from moving forward.


    The way they fought with the sole pursuit of maintaining the frontlines to the point that they gave up on their system was the same as what they did in his previous life when they tried to block the monster wave.


    Since this ce was in the rear area of the frontlines, the monsters were thankfully still not able to invade them directly. However, they were still as busy as the ones fighting in the vanguard as they moved the injured and delivered supplies.


    Iron approached an officer in the midst of the loud explosions of artillery fire and magic while covering one of his ears. The military officer that was working hard on checking the supplies looked at Iron suspiciously when he approached him. This was because Iron was walking leisurely all by himself.


    ¡°Where is the special operation unit?¡±


    The officer in charge of the warp gate looked at him before asking carefully.


    ¡°By any chance, are you Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Loyalty! You can go straight in that direction and you will arrive at the special operation unit.¡±


    After the officer had informed him, Iron moved forward and went to the ce where he was pointed to. When he arrived at the location, there was a battle going on.


    There he saw a knight order, a ranger unit, an artillery unit andpanies of soldiers all gathered together.


    The problem was that they were in a mess. He could only barely make out a front even from a distance. This side waspletely unlike any other fronts. Even though there were somemissioned and nonmissioned officers in their ranks, they still struggled in the battle.


    This was not something that he could solve right away. So, all he did was watch them until they finished this battle. Fortunately, they did not receive any casualties since it was not a big battle and they were only temporarily filling in and protecting this pierced front.


    ¡°We greet the battalionmander!¡±


    All of the soldiers nearby saluted at the cry of one of the officers. Ariel also saluted him as she approached him.


    ¡°Greetings! Captain Ariel Favrice, the team leader of the knight order of the special operation unit!¡±


    ¡°Greetings! Captain Nyx Cole of the rangers!¡±


    With the greetings from the two key figures of the special operation unit as the catalyst, thepanymanders and artillery captain began to greet him too.


    Iron gestured for them to lower their hands as he looked at the soldiers and knights.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mess.¡±


    Everyone was startled when they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    Anyone would all feel bad if theirmander¡¯s first words as soon as he came were ¡®You¡¯re a mess.¡¯. However, the experienced officers could only bow their heads in shame when they heard him.


    They tried to roll the rookies and make them useful in a short period of time but it was to no avail. The injured also managed to recover from their physical injuries but their problem was their internal injuries. Their injuries haven¡¯t healedpletely yet and seeing them overdo things in such an insignificant battle made them sigh.


    It was praiseworthy to be helpful but it was not good if they did it while overdoing themselves.


    ¡°First, send all of the injured to the medics.¡±


    The injured soldiers and knights all flinched but all they could do was bow silently and follow behind an officer to go to the medical field under Iron¡¯s cold gaze.


    Most of the people that remained were the rookies. In the case of the soldiers, they still couldn¡¯t adapt since they had just left the training center.


    ¡°Then¡­ except for the artillery unit, all of you will fill in the vacancy in the frontline.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not fully trained, sir!¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    One of thepanymanders urgently spoke but Iron was already well aware of that fact.


    However, from the battle that he had watched earlier, most of the soldiers had stiffened from fright while they were dealing with the monsters.


    He heard that they had dealt with monsters in the training center but it seemed like it was just a small battle. He wanted to strangle the executive who nned to put these soldiers who had never fought in arge-scale battle right away but thankfully Iron was able to endure the urge and was still able to judge them coldly and objectively.


    ¡®In a situation like this, I can¡¯t expect them to fight properly in a battle even if I can teach them well.¡¯


    This was the conclusion that Iron had made after watching them fight.


    So, as a desperate measure, he wanted them to fight in an actual battle first to make them more familiar with fighting against monsters.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dilly-dally and just follow me.¡±


    All of the troops bowed their heads in unison as they followed Iron.


    ¡°Captain Ariel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest area where the monsters have pierced through?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s at the 41-14 outpost near the east side.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going there.¡±


    Ariel bowed at Iron¡¯smand and moved immediately.


    They arrived in the outpost a short while after a battle had ended.


    Dead bodies were scattered all over the ce and the medic soldiers were busy bringing in stretchers and moving them away one after the other.


    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Iron Carter of the special operation unit. When will the troops that will fill in this cee?¡±


    ¡°They will take about a day or two. In the meantime, we somehow have¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. You guys can step back. We will protect this ce until the reinforcements arrive.¡±


    Iron cut off the words of the first sergeant that was struggling to survive. Then, he deployed his own troops.


    It was difficult to protect this ce and block the monsters with just about a hundred troops who barely survived. In addition, the troops that remained to protect this ce were all injured and exhausted. Iron believed that they would definitely be pierced through if this continued so he sent them back and deployed his rookie troops.


    ¡°From this point on, no matter how many monsterse, you have to stay put and protect this ce.¡±


    Iron¡¯s words brought fear to the eyes of the rookie troops.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to take everyone. I¡¯m only going to take those who survive from here. That¡¯s why! Survive at all costs. Do you understand?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    It was only the officers who answered Iron¡¯s question loudly.


    The rookie troops were trembling in fear as their eyes began to redden while they tried to choke out an answer.


    The knights were in a much better state. Even though they were rookies, they had experience cutting down some monsters so at the very least, they weren¡¯t trembling in fear.


    The problem was this was the frontline. The most dangerous enemies from the North would definitelye so even the knights, who weren¡¯t afraid, would die if they acted foolishly.


    Vwooooooo!


    They heard the sound that indicated that the monsters had appeared again from afar. It seemed like the battle earlier was just a probe and they had now sent in arge-scale monster attack.


    They could hear the sound of the artillery firing as more monsters began to flock to the front.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¡°They¡¯reing! Get into your positions! Or else, you¡¯ll die from their attacks!¡±


    ¡°Riflemen, what are you doing?! Aren¡¯t you going to get ready?!¡±


    ¡°Knights, what the hell are you doing?! Get into formation!¡±


    ¡°Rangers, get ready!¡±


    The officers and thepanymanders shouted frantically at their troops for the uing battle.


    Thanks to the efforts of the officers, the troops managed to get into formation. However, they had no time to breathe as the monsters immediately flocked to them despite being under the artillery¡¯s fire.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    The monsters approaching them looked simr to a void insect. However, the problem was that there were trees intertwined in their bodies as numerous bugs flew and surrounded them.


    ¡®Is that the new type of monster that¡¯s made by the dark elves?¡¯


    The soldiers fired at once while this thought passed through Iron¡¯s head.


    Bang!


    The group rushing at the forefront died with their gunshots. However, there weren¡¯t just a couple of them rushing through the outpost but a thousand.


    ¡°Knights, draw your swords!¡±


    The knights unsheathed their swords at Ariel¡¯s orders and cut down the monstersing their way. The rangers also jumped out and killed the monsters while the soldiers grabbed their weapons and assisted them.


    A number of soldiers received injuries because they were flustered while some of the knights received injuries because of their carelessness. Even though Iron did note out, no one had died, thanks to the desperate efforts of the officers.


    But that was just the beginning.


    ¡°You should cheer and be happyter. The battle is just beginning.¡±


    Iron spoke coldly as he told the soldiers to prepare for the next battle after seeing them jumping up in joy in preventing the attacks of the void insects.


    The soldiers would not get injured or would be put on the brink of death just because of this one battle.


    Most injuries and deaths were due to the gaps that were created after fighting one battle after another. The umtion of their fatigue and exhaustion would gradually dull their senses which would cause injuries or worse, death.


    Iron knew this pattern well because it was something that he had been through in his previous life.


    The battles that endlessly repeat and continue.


    Because of that, the soldiers gradually lost hope and the morale in the entire front began to decrease in his previous life.


    Iron was sure that his special operation unit would also turn out like that if they just continued to stay there.


    However, there was something that could help them in these repeated battles.


    Since this was not a war againstrge monsters or a war against a huge monster corps, the chances of them losing their life was almost next to none so the rookies would be able to quickly get used to fighting against them.


    No one knew if it was part of Iron¡¯s ns or not but the fear in the soldiers¡¯ eyes gradually disappeared as they continued to fight in these repeated battles.


    ¡°Stab their stomachs! Target their weaknesses!¡±


    Iron would asionally help the soldiers if the situation was truly dangerous. He would even give them advice from time to time.


    His swings might look extremely light but each of his actions could split a void insect into two. And whenever they received help from Iron they would, without a fail, hear a roar of rebuke from him.


    ¡°Idiot! Stop forgetting it! Think about these things while being in battle! If you get hurt then step back and use a rifle!¡±


    Iron did not know if each piece of his advice would get to them.


    But with the continuous repetition of his sharp rebuke and pieces of advice, they eventually got engraved in the soldiers¡¯ minds and bodies. This was because they started to feelfortable after following what Iron had said throughout the course of their repeated battles so they always tried to recall the advice that he gave whenever they fought.


    And just like that, the battle at the 41-14 outpost, which they temporarily protected, had ended.


    The soldiers thankfully survived against the monsters that flocked to them like crazy after several days of repeated and continuous battles. Although they were just rookies, who were selected because they were quick witted or injured, all of them had survived.


    Iron spoke coldly after praising the soldiers for safely carrying out and finishing their first battle.


    ¡°We will take a break for two days before moving again. Be well-informed during that time.¡±


    Iron threw the information that the officers from the frontlines had collected.


    The information included the types of monsters, as well as identified and organized weaknesses together with new tactics that he had devised against them. After sharing the information that the front-line officers had collected to his officers, Iron spoke.


    ¡°During your break, familiarize yourselves with the monsters¡¯ weaknesses and do tactical training. We will continuously repeat filling these gaps in the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°Until when do we have to do that?¡±


    One of the officers asked Iron.


    Their main task was to help the isted troops so it was something that should definitely be asked.


    ¡°Until you be useful.¡±


    The officers and the soldiers all bowed their heads silently at Iron¡¯s words.


    They have only finished their first battle and this special operation unit was yet to escape from their disorderly mess. Because of that, Iron had resolved himself to be the devil himself. If he acted as the devil, then, the officers would act as angels and mediate andfort the soldiers while leading them.


    ¡°Slowly bring the injured back.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±


    The firstpanymander replied to Iron¡¯s orders with his head down.


    A few dayster, Iron¡¯s special operation unit began to move again to fill in the gaps in the frontline.


    Just like the saying¡­ The first time was always hard, but it would be better the next, the special operation unit gradually became more skilled as they got ustomed to the repeated battles.


    They were still rough around the edges during their second battle. But with their third, fourth and fifth battles, the soldiers gradually got used to Iron¡¯s tactics and were able to use them in battle. The knights were also able to deal with the monsters in their formation and the rangers were able to take advantage of their specialties.


    ¡°Not enough.¡±


    Each of their specialties were being utilized but it took them more time to converge and work well with each other.


    But Iron did not have any more time.


    While they were whiling their time on the frontline, the monsters were swallowing the weak group of monsters and creating a legion of their own.


    Was it because they trusted him and followed him?


    His troops were changing and bing more useful at a faster rate than what he had expected.


    As if to prove it, Iron¡¯s special operation unit was gradually bing known in the frontlines.


    ***


    Notes


    [On the title.] ¨C The chapter title actually says ???? ??. And from what I gathered ???? is a four letter idiom that refers to a crowd gathered without order or just arge group of insignificant people. They actuallypare them to a murder of crows in this idiom. A group that¡¯s strong when together but will fight and fall into chaos once a good prey is spotted. I can¡¯t find a fitting term for the four letter idiom so I still used disorderly. TLDR: The troops are filled with arge group of insignificant people.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 117 - Disorderly Troops (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(117)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>40 </b>Disorderly Troops (2)


    ¡°Special operation unit? Do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°Ah! I heard about them too.¡±


    Rumors spread among the soldiers in the frontlines.


    ording to the rumors, there was a special operation unit that searched for ces that had been pierced through or were having difficulties against monsters. They would then fill in the gaps for a few days.


    At first, ¡®Why not let them block the gaps in the frontlines with such troops?¡¯ was what the soldiers wanted. However, when they learned about their situation, their evaluation began to change.


    Rookies.


    Injured.


    A unit that was made in a hurry.


    A unit that nomander would want to be entrusted with.


    That was the special operation unit.


    As a result, they couldn¡¯t help but look at Iron in interest after he made achievements with this unit. In addition,pared to when they were at the beginning, the current special operation unit was now quite skilled.


    Since they only went to the most dangerous ces in the frontlines to help, the skills of their soldiers would naturally improve.


    ¨DNo. Come here just once. We¡¯re here in a hurry.


    ¨DCan¡¯t we ask you for this favor? Don¡¯t you know that the western side of the front has been broken?


    ¨DI believe it¡¯s worth it even if you juste and help us for 15 days. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s too much for you to get these benefits when we¡¯re all in the same situation?


    The officers in charge of the western side of the frontlines talked to each other everyday.


    ¡®Please! Help us out!¡¯


    But they couldn¡¯t do that. So, they changed their direction.


    Then, send us the special operation unit led by Iron.


    But that was difficult too.


    The only ces that the special operation unit travelled to were the most dangerous ces in the frontline.


    ¡®How much would a unit that was made less than a month ago do?¡¯


    This was the thought that ran through the high-ranking officers. However, the officers at the frontline thoughtpletely opposite to them.


    Even if their knight order was only made up of rookies, they were still a knight order.


    Even if they have a lot of injuries, rangers would still be rangers.


    Even if they had only escaped from training, the elite soldiers that were scheduled to be nonmissioned officers were still elite soldiers.


    Even if they were injured, the experienced artillery battalion still had eaten their fill of jjambap.


    And it was Iron¡¯s special operation unit that gathered all of these men.


    Since they were men equipped with enough talent and supplies, they would be able to gain enough experience even if they were just rolled around for a bit. Those who were quick-witted could immediately learn things as long as you taught them at the right moment.


    Both the past and present Iron had spent most of his life on the battlefield. His experience wasparable to those veterans. But after rolling around and working hard only in the toughest battles, his experience was now more vast than that of a master. Since he hadpressed his knowledge and experience and only handed down the information that they needed, the entire unit had no choice but to grow stronger at a rapid pace.


    ¡°Move efficiently. Long battles await you on this battlefield. Maintaining your physical strength and stamina as you fight is also a skill.¡±


    Iron scolded his soldiers for making unnecessary movements.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to use their weaknesses? If you¡¯re too busy maintaining your formation then what is the point of memorizing their weaknesses?¡±


    One of the knights hurriedly looked down after seeing Iron¡¯s sharp re.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the main task of rangers reconnaissance? If you¡¯re going to do it like that, you might as well be a knight.¡±


    Without fail, Iron also scolded the rangers before turning to the artillery unit.


    However, he had nothing to say to the artillery unit. The captain of the artillery unit was already rolling his men on his own ord.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you even set the coordinates properly? Hey! Hey! This! Are you taking care of the shells like this? Are you joking with me?!¡±


    Iron could see that he was already rolling them hard on their own. If he came out at a time like this, then the atmosphere would turn bad. So, he did not scold them any more.


    Looking at his soldiers working hard, Iron felt like it was almost time.


    Because they rolled around like crazy and went from ce to ce in the frontlines during the less than a month of time that they had been together, they were able to learn the basics. Since that was the case, Iron thought that it was time for them to gain more experience and begin their operation in earnest.


    They had no more experience that they could acquire after going through countless simple battles. After all, they had already gotten used to it. So, it was time for them to move.


    After deciding, Iron called in all of his troops during the evening.


    ¡°I know that everyone is tired but I called you because I have something important to say.¡±


    Iron looked at his troops as he said so.


    They all looked tired from the hard battles that they participated in but they were looking at him suspiciously when he called for them. After all, Iron was managing their exhaustion and fatigue well and would let them rest if they needed resting.


    ¡°The ¡®training¡¯ is now over.¡±


    The troops¡¯ eyes widened.


    ¡°Are we going into our real mission now?¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at Ariel¡¯s question.


    Captain Ariel Favrice, the captain of the knight order team.


    Captain Nyx Cole, the captain of the rangers.


    Captain John Powell, the firstpanymander.


    Captain Vic Hart, the secondpanymander.


    Captain Dominic Stone, the captain of the artillery unit.


    These five key officers glowed brightly at the thought that they would finally be able to carry out their operation in earnest.


    Going on their operation meant that they had met the minimum condition that Iron had set for them. In other words, their unit was finally recognized by Iron. So, everyone felt a bit happy. However, only the officers thought like this.


    It¡¯s already hard right now but you want to carry out the operation like this?


    That meant that a more strenuous schedule would be waiting for them. The soldiers felt like dying.


    ¡°You¡¯re stillcking but I can¡¯t pull it off any longer.¡±


    Everyone looked at Iron with uneasiness coloring their faces. Iron spoke honestly as he looked at them.


    ¡°ording to the intelligence officer, there is a battle between monsters.¡±


    Most of the soldiers looked at Iron with expressions that screamed ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯.


    Isn¡¯t it good if the monsters killed each other?


    Seeing the soldiers¡¯ bewildered expression, Iron sighed and exined it in detail.


    ¡°If the power struggle that¡¯s taking ce right now ends, the monsters that are currently scattered will unite under a certain influence. If that happens, then a second monster corps will be created.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Arger monster corps than the one that urred in Lion Castle Fortress will probably be created. If that happens¡­ the rear will definitely be swept away. That¡¯s why we have to move as fast as we can.¡±


    Ranger Captain Nyx Cole carefully asked Iron.


    ¡°Is our main mission to subdue monsters?¡±


    ¡°No. On the outside, our mission is to rescue our isted troops. But I can choose our area of operation. And my choice is¡­ I¡¯m sure you know it all well.¡±


    All the soldiers kept their mouths shut after hearing Iron¡¯s words. They all realized that a difficult task, a task that was iparable to what they were doing at the present, was waiting for them.


    ¡°Even if you want to run away, it¡¯s already toote. Since I spent my time and effort on you, you won¡¯t be able to get out of this unit until our operation ends.¡±


    Iron¡¯s smile was like that of a devil¡¯s when he smiled at them.


    His troops gritted their teeth after seeing his face that looked more vicious than ever.


    ¡°If you want revenge, fine! However! You can only do it after the operation is over. So, if you want to hit me, make sure to survive until the end of the operation.¡±


    The soldiers really gritted their teeth openly at Iron¡¯s words.


    Just like that, a lot of people felt emotional at his words. However, they had no choice but to continue training for the hard mission that awaited them on their next operation.


    After relieving their fatigue, Iron immediately made them familiarize with his tactics as they quickly moved to their area of operation.


    They went further and further from the nearest area up until the frontlines. Even if they couldn¡¯t go to the very front of the frontlines because they stillck in skills and strength, they could still deal with the monsters that came down with their current troops.


    After enough calctions and nning, Iron decided that their first destination should be the ce where the goblins were.


    ¡°The goblins are more dangerous than orcs inside the forest. Never let your guard down since they are the masters of ambush.¡±


    They were bastards that were skilled in ambush. They might be the lowest of the monsters and were always often ignored. But when it came to fighting in the field, especially in a forest, the goblins became more sly and tricky than anyone else. In particr, those who moved in a military scale, like battalion troops, were most likely to die if they moved recklessly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Guns and bombs swept the forest as the rangers entered the area. Then, with the knights and soldiers working together, the remaining goblins were killed. This was the easiest tactic in dealing with the goblins hiding in the forest.


    ¡°Lizardmen are more dangerous in the swamp than ogres.¡±


    Crackle!


    They burned down the swamp with the help of magic tools and the use of poison gas to attract the lizardmen out of the swamp. After all, they were easy to handle once they were out of the swamp. As soon as they crawled out of the swamp, their necks would be cut off by their swords. And even if they tried to hold out in their swamp, the soldiers would spray some poisonous gas on them and throw some bombs to finish them off. Regardless of what they chose, death would be the only ending for these lizardmen.


    ¡°You have to widen the distance between you and the orcs if you¡¯re fighting them in the ins! You have to fight long distances if you want to live!¡±


    Bang, bang, bang! Boom! Boom!


    The knight order organized the soldiers and gave their orders as they fired shots from long distances.


    As long as there was no orc champion, who could prate through everything and take the lead, or orc shaman, who strengthened other orcs with magic, they would not be able to withstand the magic bullets and bombs. The orcs died one by one without much effort.


    ¡°Is this¡­ possible?¡±


    ¡°I know. I heard that he was active in the Lion Castle Fortress but¡­¡±


    The soldiers began to make a fuss after the battle had ended.


    It was as if the things that he had shown at the frontlines were just the tip of the iceberg. Themand that Iron had shown as soon as they entered the forest was close to a master. Following hismands made it extremely easy to kill these monsters that even Ariel, who had fought countless battles in the Northeast, was dumbfounded.


    Contrary to the general methods wheremanders created tactics solely based on either the characteristics of monsters or the environment that the monsters were in, Iron used tactics that could easily deal with monsters bybining the surrounding environments and the monsters¡¯ characteristics. These were tactics that couldn¡¯t be known unless one was fully aware of the monsters¡¯ habits.


    As if to prove his extensive knowledge and grasp ofmand, Iron hadn¡¯t even moved personally once during the three battles that they fought. Just like a realmander who only gave orders from behind to give and build his troops¡¯ experience.


    After experiencing three big battles, they finally arrived for the first time in an area where a unit was currently isted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d reallye.¡±


    The unit¡¯smander had tears in his eyes as he looked at Iron in gratitude. It seemed like they had already prepared themselves to die if no one came to rescue them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve broken through and created a path so you can retreat in the direction that we came from.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much!¡±


    Themander of the isted unit thanked him several times as he prepared to retreat with his troops.


    Meanwhile, Iron created a line connecting the isted units nearby and figuring out where the monsters were by asking the soldiers that were isted. Iron¡¯s eyes shone brightly after he finished making a rough outline of their operation and ced the details about the monsters on his map.


    ¡°Is this the start?¡±


    The monsters who bothered him in his past life, became a monster corps, attacked the castle, and became a monster wave that turned the entire North into a battlefield, were now right in front of him. The waves of monsters that they had experienced in this life was not that big of a dealpared to the ones in his previous life. In addition they were not that strong yet because they were just about to form a corps. So, this was an opportunity.


    If the monsters were the ones who bullied them in his past life, this time it was their time to bully them.


    ¡°Which one should I kill first?¡±


    Numerous monster tribes spread throughout the forest. The goblins alone were divided into dozens of tribes which were being absorbed together.


    He had learned that the integration process was already underway and had already progressed considerably through the isted unit but it was still not yet toote. Right now, they were in a situation where only half of the process had proceeded. This meant that they still had plenty of time to interrupt.


    Iron was convinced that they could break down the corps before it could bepleted if he used his extensive knowledge about monsters.


    ¡°This time, I will be the demon.¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he pointed at the orc unit with his finger. They would be his first prey.


    And in just a day, the orc unit that Iron had targeted disappeared without a trace.


    From that day onwards, news spread among the monsters that a demon unit has appeared in a corner of the Northern Forest. ording to the monsters who had fought with them at least once, they weren¡¯t demons but the humans that they had ignored.


    ¡°They¡¯re the demons who came to ughter us!¡±


    These rumors also began to spread widely in the human units.


    And Iron¡¯s special operation unit¡¯s reputation that began with ¡®disorderly¡¯ had now transformed into a ¡®demon unit¡¯ after ughtering these monsters one by one. And at the center of it all was the hero, Iron Carter.


    ***


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 Chapter 118 - The Demon Unit! (1)

    You can read the novel online free at <strong></strong> or <strong></strong>


    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(118)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>41 </b>The Demon Unit! (1)


    The demons appeared out of nowhere in the Northern Forest. Because of this unit specialized in battling monsters, the monster tribes in the eastern part of the Northern Forest were ughtered one after another. Several monster tribes even united to fight them but they were badly beaten and broken.


    ¨DKkii¡­ Human¡­ spare¡­.


    One of the goblins begged for mercy but Iron still ruthlessly cut its head off. The monsters who saw this scene from afar ran desperately with all their might.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spare anyone. Kill all the monsters that you can kill.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Even the monsters that were running away were mercilessly killed by the humans at hismand. Their figures looked akin to a demon but what they were doing was still not putting any strain on the monsters¡¯ side. This was because Iron had deliberately targeted and attacked the weak andcking monsters.


    In the monsters¡¯ eyes, the human troops weren¡¯t really that strong. After all, the monsters that they attacked were far too weak. They only targeted tribes with a few numbers, and habitats with no master-ss monsters. Because of that, most of the monsters thought¡­ ¡®They¡¯re like hyenas who only target the weak!¡¯.


    But when the number of tribes that they targeted increased from 10 to 20, word of mouth began to spread.


    ¨DChwi¡­ Chwik! They¡¯re re¡­ real demons!


    ¨DThose bastards are really good at killing us!


    ¨DThey kept on researching ways to kill us everyday!


    Rumors spread all throughout the forests as the survivors spoke of their experience.


    In fact, everything was still vague. Even if the survivors were all trembling as they talked, none of the others showed pity on them. After all, the tribes that had been targeted had no master-ss or even the 6th Stage lord-ss monsters in their ranks. Then, didn¡¯t that mean that the monsters that they dealt with were just at the level of a small monster unit?


    In addition, this Demon Unit was not limited to an area and was only focused on rescuing the human units that had been spread out and isted in the forest. So, none of the other monsters felt that the situation was serious. There were even monsters who believed that they would go away once they had rescued all of the other humans.


    The problem came after all of the human units had been rescued. They settled down in the eastern side of the Northern Forest and began topletely wipe out the monsters in that zone.


    News reached the troll lord, who was gathering the monsters in the northeastern region of the forest.


    The isted human units had withdrawn one by one.


    The monster tribes that dissolved and disappeared. Which coincidentally were the monster tribes that it wanted to rally.


    And a human unit that drove away the monsters that were spread all over the forest one by one.


    Putting together all of the news that they had received, they realized that it would turn into a big problem if they left this human unit unattended. However, the troll lord was clear that this would be a war that it would fight against these humans alone, none of the other monster lords would agree to help it out. After all, its position would definitely narrow and weaken once they turned into a monster corps once hecked enough troops.


    From the southern part of the forest taken by the ogres, to the northern part taken by the dire wolves, to the western part taken by the orcs and up to the central part taken by the owners of the rock wall, the wyverns. These monsters would not lend him a hand especially since they were busy expanding their territories.


    At the same time, it could not undermine its own power while the others were expanding their own power by gathering the monsters to their sides. So, the troll lord rolled its head hard to think of a n.


    <b>1 </b>Block and manipte the information about the human army.


    <b>2 </b>Spread false information as if we¡¯re trying to create a stronger force by gathering monsters outside of the forest.


    ¡®We will destroy the human army and gather monsters from outside to create our own monster corps!¡¯


    Just like that, the troll lord¡¯s ims spread like wildfire to all the monsters in the forest.


    The human troops were concentrated on the eastern side so the monsters on the other region weren¡¯t aware of the exact situation.


    ¨DChwik! Is this true?


    ¨DGrrrr¡­ Maybe? I heard that all of the main forces had retreated and only the small fries had remained.


    ¨DKkiik! I heard that too. I saw most of the guys that ran away from here go over to the ins!


    The rumors gradually turned credible as the monsters all over the forest shared the information that they knew.


    In fact, there were monsters that existed outside of the forest. Their number was even higher than the ones inside. And some of the monsters were able to share and exchange information with them which allowed them to get some news.


    Since it was a rumor that was based on facts, the monsters upying the forest had no choice but to react. After all, they couldn¡¯t bear to see the troll lord have thergest number of troops.


    There were even rumors that spread recently in the ins that the minotaurs had already created arge-scale troop. If that was true, then they couldn¡¯t let the trolls do the same.


    Eventually, the monsters from the forest gradually moved their troops to try and break through the human army and get out of the forest. Just like what the troll lord had nned.


    ¡®Who gets the most monsters? That¡¯s not yet decided!¡¯


    The leader of the monster corps would be decided based on their troops in the future. It was like the human army did not exist in the lords¡¯ heads as they scrambled to fight for troops.


    ¡°The bastard has a good head on his shoulders.¡±


    Iron grinned as he watched the monsters¡¯ movements.


    The trolls were as good as the goblins when it came to thinking. And since the bastard was the lord of such monsters, it seemed like it could use its brain better than anyone else in its group.


    ¡°I thought I could y around a bit more but there happened to be someone whose thoughts were churning.¡±


    Iron looked at the report in disappointment.


    He received real-time reports from the rangers about the monsters¡¯ movements. And because of that, he was able to find out that the entire monster poption in the forest was beginning to move. In addition, they also found out that some of the monsters were in contact with the monsters outside of the forest.


    ¡°Is it not somepletely false information?¡±


    At first, he thought that gathering the monsters outside of the forest was just the trolls spraying the bait. A bait that would attract the other monsters. He thought that the troll lord could only use its brain so much but it seemed like it was much smarter than his estimate.


    ¡®Is it thinking of pressuring the human army with the monsters from the outside? What did they give them for the monsters from the outside to be willing to group with them¡­¡¯


    Iron¡¯s expression as he pondered about this was serious.


    However, there was a limit to how much he could infer with the limited amount of information that he had. What was important was the fact that they were creating a monster force through the monsters residing outside of the forest.


    If they werepared to the monsters inside the forest, they were only at a smaller scale but it did not matter. The fact that the trolls were trying to attract the monsters from outside the forest to join their own force. That was the only thing that mattered.


    With just this one fact, the monsters in the forest had gathered and the human troops that had temporarily positioned themselves on the outskirts of the forest were under pressure.


    ¡®If I leave things as it is, a monster corps would be created much sooner than expected.¡¯


    Iron looked at the map gravely.


    The corps would be weakerpared to a corps created by gatheringrge monsters over time. This mid-sized corps was weak enough that they could shrink them to a small-scale corps. However, there were also advantages for the monsters.


    ¡®It would be hard to stop them with just the human army right now.¡¯


    Just like the troll lord had nned, they would sweep away the human army while gathering the monsters and heading to another group of monsters. And once they had joined together, they would be able to create a monster wave.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but frown after thinking that far all the while recalling the events that happened in his past life.


    He urgently called for the soldier outside with a frown deep on his face.


    ¡°Deliver this letter to the rangers and have them send it to Command.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The soldier hurriedly went to the rangers¡¯ captain and delivered Iron¡¯s letter. Not long after, several rangers prepared to go out to the forest.


    Iron, who saw them off with his eyes, focused on collecting information by dispatching his troops as much as possible from that day onwards.


    After a week of doing that, a reply to the letter that he had sent outside finally came back.


    ¡°Call for the executives.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    A soldier went out and called for all of the key figures of his troops.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the news. The monsters are gathering both inside and outside of the forest.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expression hardened at Iron¡¯s words.


    All of them knew that the situation was not that good. So far, they were able to easily deal with monsters but right now, they did not know if they were going to risk their lives on the line.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this first. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to the monsters outside the forest. The troops that we had rescued and had retreated are being reorganized. They will being so they will be the ones dealing with those monsters.¡±


    All of the eyes of the executives shined at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Also, the Command will being to support us after receiving the report that I sent. They will also send people to kill the lords. Sky Renz, who reached the 6th Stage, of the Drake Knight Order as well as Jim Rogers, who recently just reached the 6th Stage, themander of the Ranger Unit will being for support. This is the letter.¡±


    ¡°Oooh!¡±


    All of their eyes sparkled as if they had seen hope in Iron¡¯s words. They believed that there would be hope if the best troops in the North came forward as support.


    ¡°And the heads of the North¡¯s prestigious families, Temphet and Winstell will also being. In other words! We don¡¯t have to deal with the lord-ss monsters as well as the monsters¡¯ main forces.¡±


    ¡°Then, do we just need to hunt the monsters like the other ordinary troops?¡±


    Iron shook his head at Nyx Cole¡¯s question.


    ¡°No. If we leave them alone, they will turn into a monster corps. So, we have to stop them.¡±


    Iron smiled as he continued to speak to the executives.


    ¡°Once they start dealing with the monsters from outside the forest, we will run behind and enter the forest.¡±


    Everyone looked nkly at Iron in shock.


    ¡°B¡­ but can we even do it by ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you think it¡¯s impossible?¡±


    Iron smiled as he answered the firstpanymander¡¯s question with another question.


    ¡°The soldiers are still not used to fighting against a lot of monsters.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll be taking out all of the soldiers.¡±


    Iron continued to smile as he answered the firstpanymander.


    ¡°This operation will bepletely carried out by the knights and rangers. Thepany troops and the artillery unit will go to their temporary position and act as support.¡±


    ¡°The monsters might ignore us if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Ariel mentioned that their troops would be too small to be noticed.


    Even if only a few of therge-scale monster troops remained, it was highly likely that they would not be able to cause enough damage to the monster corps. It seemed like he did not know what he was trying to do by leaving only the knights and the rangers to deal with them in such a situation.


    ¡°Have I ever shown my full strength here?¡±


    The executives looked at Iron in confusion when he asked them this question.


    There were rumors that he had reached the 6th Stage in the Lion Castle Fortress. As well as his divine beasts that yed a huge role in both the East and the Lion Castle Fortress. Iron¡¯s real skills had never been demonstrated once in this forest.


    ¡°If you understand then I will take this as your agreement.¡±


    Iron smiled as he pointed at the map.


    ¡°Of course, this operation will only seed if we don¡¯t get caught. Right?¡±


    The troll lord still had its eyes on them. It was a monster that would use every bit of its energy to chase them out if they did not go out of the forest. So, what they needed to do was to stay in a safe area and hold out while sending out a decoy that would make it look like they had gone out of the forest.


    ¡°Here. The goblins¡¯ territory is a good ce to hide. It¡¯s also close here.¡±


    Iron pointed at the area where they had wiped out the goblins before as he spoke.


    ¡°The troops that will being with me will move out at night. Knights and rangers should get ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Ariel and Nyx answered Iron¡¯s order with their heads bowed down.


    ¡°From now on, the unit will be reorganized. The elites will be chosen and ced in the firstpany. And the rest will go with the secondpany and the artillery unit and go outside of the forest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. First, for the troops that will go outside of the forest. Firstpany!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The firstpanymander quickly replied to Iron¡¯s call.


    Iron looked at thepanymander and pointed at the northern area that was already marked on the map.


    ¡°The firstpany will move to the north and exit the forest. Act like you¡¯re buying time for the artillery unit to go out of the forest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s dangerous, you have to drag the time and buy enough time for the artillery unit to go outside. This is an important mission. Understand?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    Hearing the repeated emphasis on the mission, the firstpanymander couldn¡¯t help but reply in cold sweat.


    Iron nodded lightly at his appearance.


    ¡°Alright. Knights, take off your armor and hand it over to the soldiers. Soldiers from yourpany with good builds will disguise themselves as knights.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ry your order right away.¡±


    Ariel immediately replied to Iron¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Knights should all change into light clothes and wait. Rangers, I don¡¯t need to say anything anymore, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron smiled after he exined everything to the key figures of his troops.


    ¡°The rest can leave. Only Captain Ariel and Captain Nyx stay.¡±


    Iron then exined the operation in earnest when only the two people were left in his office.


    ¡°Our operation¡¯s name is ¡®thorn stuck in the mouth¡¯.¡±


    He tapped a needle on the map as he said the operation¡¯s name.


    Since they were starting a war with humans, the monsters would most definitely leave some troops behind. Iron smiled like the devil as he watched the needles that he stuck on the map on the areas where he expected them to remain.


    ¡°We are not here to deal with the main force. What we need to do is to thoroughly disturb the enemy¡¯s supplies and rear troops which will result in confusion. The key is to hit them hard and leave quickly. That¡¯s why we¡¯re only leaving the best of the best in our unit.¡±


    Ariel and Nyx gulped at Iron¡¯s words. Even Ariel, who had been his colleague before, couldn¡¯t help but gulp when she saw Iron deliberately instilling pressure on them.


    He then continued to devise strategies by pointing out the path of the monsters¡¯ and where their supplies might pass through.


    ¡°Our biggest goal is to make one of the monsters¡¯ main forcese back in the forest to catch us. Just because we¡¯re missing some of our troops doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t let one of the main pirs of the corpse back. In fact, our chances of winning are higher.¡±


    The two nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°What do you think we should do to make a result with just our members?¡±


    When the two were unable to answer Iron¡¯s question, he said with a cold look.


    ¡°You have to be the devil. You have to be determined to show the monsters what hell is like.¡±


    Cold sweat dropped on Nyx¡¯s back at Iron¡¯s words while Ariel¡¯s heart swelled with anticipation. She couldn¡¯t help but feel excited at the thought that this was her opportunity to grow and reach the next stage.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue when he saw her gaze.


    ¡®A genius will always be a genius, huh?¡¯


    He shook his head after seeing Ariel thinking of such things despite the situation that they were in. Then, he spoke his orders in a serious and solemn voice.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t follow me, then I will throw you away. If you want to live, you should grit your teeth and follow me closely. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m looking forward to it. Let¡¯s be the real ¡®devils¡¯.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 119 - The Demon Unit! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(119)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>41 </b>The Demon Unit! (2)


    Iron smiled as he sent the executives back before going through the operation once again.


    In the first ce, it did not even cross his mind topletely destroy the rear. However, he firmly believed that they could still bother the monster corps just like a thorn stuck in one¡¯s mouth.


    If they continued to bother them, then the damage would umte. What would happen if one of the main pirs of the monster corps were forced to withdraw from the battle toe back and deal with them? If that happened, then it meant that their job was done.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ These monster bastards are still giving me a hard time in this life too.¡±


    Iron sighed, did his final checks and went to sleep.


    The next day.


    Even though the sun was yet to rise, the people in their temporary camp were already moving busily.


    Meanwhile, Iron, the knights and the rangers, all garbed with some light leather armor, hid near their amodations as the artillery unit, the first and the secondpany prepared to leave at the break of dawn to draw the monsters¡¯ attention.


    Not long after, all of the units were ready to move.


    The artillery unit and the secondpany left their camp followed by the firstpany who killed the nearby monsters and acted as if they were protecting them. Not long after, a group of monsters followed the firstpany for an attack. It seemed like their group were sessful in luring these monsters to the north.


    ¡°All of them have left.¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at Nyx¡¯s report.


    ¡°We won¡¯t move right away. We will only move under the cover of the night.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The troops bowed their heads at Iron¡¯s orders and waited patiently for the night toe.


    They hid before quietly moving towards the goblins¡¯ old territory. Thankfully, there were no monsters present after doing their reconnaissance so it seemed like his subordinates were doing a good job.


    In addition, the terrain made it easier for them to hide so they endured and staved off their hunger with just their emergency rations as they waited for the war between the humans and the monsters to begin.


    Maybe it was because he hoped that it woulde sooner?


    The battle crazy orcs were the first to attack and sweep away the human army. However, the orcs had no choice but to turn back since the coalition of territories arrived much earlier than they had expected.


    The ogres and werewolves* joined one after the other but they stayed put. It seemed like they were waiting for the center¡¯s wyverns. Only when they werepleted did the monster corps begin to slowly move forward.


    ¡°They¡¯re moving.¡±


    Iron smiled after confirming that the monsters were already moving.


    He finally felt that waiting and enduring in an environment where they couldn¡¯t even eat and sleep properly was finally paid off.


    Everyone looked at the monster corps with joy as they shouted ¡®Finally!¡¯ in their heads.


    From the very beginning, the monsters had nned for an all-out war as if they had already assumed that they would win this battle no matter what.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here yet?¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s question, the ranger that was watching the situation from above the tree nodded his head.


    It seemed like the troops from the Northeast had not yet arrived.


    In the current situation that they were in, participating in an all-out war meant that the human army would definitely face defeat. This was the reason why the clever troll had gathered all of the monsters to prepare for an all-out war. It knew that this was the golden opportunity for it to solidify its victory and position.


    Although they had ssified this as a small monster corps, the number of monsters gathered this time wasrger than the monster corps that attacked the Lion Castle Fortress. They were even already fast-approaching the number of a mid-sized corps. Besides, they had rallied together this time unlike in the Lion Castle Fortress where they were only barely able to fill in the numbers and create a corps.


    It was absolutely impossible for their insufficient troops to fight against them.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate but we can¡¯t do anything about it. We¡¯ll move right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of Iron¡¯s hidden troops began to move from their hideout after hearing his orders.


    They needed to make a ruckus in the rear and attract the monsters¡¯ attention.


    ¨DKki¡­ kkirrriik! Humans, how¡­?


    Stab!


    The goblin looked at the humans that suddenly appeared in the forest with an expression of disbelief as it got stabbed in the chest.


    With that as the start, the goblins that were in charge of the monster corps¡¯ military supplies were killed one by one.


    Only those with no lord-ss monsters among their group were sent to the rear to take charge of the supplies and be used to fill in the gaps of their corps whenever they faced shortage in troops. They did not have any buffs from the lords nor any magic strengthening for the sorcerers. They were literally ced there to fill in the numbers.


    Because of that, Iron¡¯s troops, which consisted of knights and rangers, were able to easily ughter them.


    ¡°Move quickly. We have to give them enough damage to cause confusion and bother them.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The knights and the rangers responded in unison as they moved quickly.


    The knights smashed the temporary barracks that the monster corps had created while the rangers moved swiftly and killed the escaping monsters.


    At first there were just around dozens of monsters. But when they started to sweep the forest and reach the hundreds, the monster corps finally responded.


    The leaders all had the same reaction.


    ¡®We can¡¯t leave them as they are!¡¯


    That was what passed through their heads.


    ¡®I¡¯m quite concerned about the rats that infiltrated our rear!¡¯


    However, they couldn¡¯t break the legion. They gathered the monsters, who weren¡¯t of the same race, under theirmand and ordered them to catch these mice while the rest were preparing to sweep away the human troops who were able to establish a temporary front while they tried to maintain their corps.


    Their attention was attracted by the mice but it was still clear that their strength was still enough to overwhelm them both.


    ¡°Is the Northeastern Army still not here yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think they still need half a day to get here.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    n Temphet, one of the two heads of the territorial army, sighed.


    Their battle with the monster corps was right around the corner but he had no choice but to frown when he heard that the Northeastern Army was still far away. They were fortunate that the monster corps, who looked like they were ready to engage in an all out-war at any given moment, had stopped moving. Considering the screams heard were from inside the forest and the monsters were slowly falling backwards, it seemed like they had encountered a problem with their rear.


    ¡°Something seems to have happened with the monster corps.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ That¡¯s a relief. But what exactly is going on?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Sir Iron, who¡¯s still left inside the forest, did something?¡±


    ¡°It would be dangerous to do something in this situation where the corps is not moving but¡­¡±


    n couldn¡¯t help but mumble upon hearing the words of Kate, the head of the Winstell family.


    ¡°Find out what¡¯s going on inside the forest.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    At n¡¯s order, the knight went out and gave an order to the scout to find out what was happening inside the forest. Since they had ced most of their reconnaissance forces in the forest to monitor the monster corps, it was easy to get the information that they needed.


    ¡°Arge monster force is moving inside the forest. And considering that some of the areas in the forest have copsed¡­¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Was it really Lieutenant Colonel Iron?¡±


    ¡°I believe he¡¯s buying us time until the Northeastern Army arrives.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ It must have been a tough decision to make but he has great courage.¡±


    n and Kate nodded heavily at the thought of Iron buying time for them in the forest.


    ¡°We should prepare too. They¡¯re doing their best inside so we should try our best to endure too.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two heads strengthened their will and determination as they decided to fight back instead of retreating. If they chose to retreat while thinking of the risk of taking in damage here, then Iron¡¯s troops, who were struggling inside to buy time for them, would definitely be wiped out.


    Fortunately, the monster corps decided to reorganize instead of going straight for an all-out war as they tried to deal with the disturbance in their rear that was caused by Iron and his troops.


    ¡°The battle will take ce at night. The Northeastern Army would probably already arrive by then, right?¡±


    ¡°They will.¡±


    The knight standing next to n answered his question.


    They prepared to fight at the thought that it was something that was worth trying.


    While the humans prepared for battle, the monsters who tried to deal with the rats first had no choice but to change their minds once again. They felt that it would be difficult to move their forces since the humans looked like they were preparing to fight right away. They might be strong when they were united but just a single tribe missing from their ranks would result in a huge loss in strength.


    They couldn¡¯t decide what to do. So, the monsters just pulled their des out and made a decision. All of the monsters began to move as their opinion united. They decided not to care about the rats that were disturbing their rear and just make contact with the humans¡¯ main force as soon as possible.


    ¡°They¡¯reing! Everyone, get ready for battle!¡±


    The sun was just setting when the figures of the two groups shed on the ins.


    The orcs acted as the vanguard who were immediately followed by the ogres and the werewolves while the wyverns roamed the skies. Even the trolls kept the wizards in check from the rear with their sorcery.


    The humans fired their artillery and tried to cast spells to stop the attack of the monster corps. However, the monster corps right now was far more solid and stable than the monster corps in the Lion Castle Fortress so their attacks were not enough to stop them from moving forward.


    What was worse was the fact that the wyverns began to raid the base located at the rear of the army which brought confusion and chaos to the ranks of the humans. The orcs took this opportunity and rushed forward with all their might to copse the humans¡¯ battle line while they were embroiled in confusion from the raid.


    Then¡­ magic and artillery came raining down on the monsters from afar.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¡°It¡¯s the Northeastern Army! The reinforcements have arrived!¡±


    The battlefield, which was about to copse, barely managed to hold out and endure as their morale increased at the knight¡¯s cry.


    The Drake Unit quickly approached and fought against the wyverns in the sky followed by the airships that fired artillery to support the ground forces.


    ¡°Don¡¯t copse!¡±


    ¡°Hang in there!¡±


    With n and Kate¡¯s bloody cries, the human army barely managed to reorganize their battle line as they began to fight the monster corps in earnest.


    Iron, who was standing on the outskirts of the forest, turned around after watching the battle.


    ¡°Fortunately they were able to endure it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s truly a relief.¡±


    ¡°Our hard work was not in vain.¡±


    Ariel and Nyx looked relieved when they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°We have to move more busily from now on. Our army might be holding out against the monster corps but we still have a lot of work to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight in a way that¡¯s suitable for the name Demon Unit!¡±


    Iron moved quickly with a wicked smile hanging on his lips.


    They intentionally aimed for arge ce to cause as much damage as possible and make the corps turn back but now, they did not need to do so anymore. It was time for them to show the monsters what the Demon Unit was truly like. Right now, they would stab them in their most vulnerable and painful ces.


    Iron headed towards the forest for thest time after smashing the monster corps¡¯ logistic bases outside the forest.


    ¨DHu¡­ human?


    The temporarymand post was left empty after everyone had charged forward. No matter how many troops from the monster corps had charged forward, there would still be hundreds of monsters that remained in theirmand post. Because of this, they did not really have much concern about the ce. In addition, they had left sorcerers behind so they believed that they would be able to organize themselves in the case of an attack.


    But the humans have appeared here.


    ¨DKiikiii¡­


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you underestimating humans too much?¡±


    Iron spoke as he stabbed the orc sorcerer on the throat.


    Suddenly, a bloody magic circle appeared in the air as powerful red lightning poured down on Iron.


    Baang!


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit tingling.¡±


    ¨DHuman¡­


    A huge troll covered with fierce energy stared at him. A troll lord that wasrge enough to bepared to an ogre was trying to overwhelm Iron with its chaotic energy.


    At the same time, the troll lord¡¯s guards appeared and blocked the knights and rangers that were causing chaos in theirmand post.


    ¡°You know how to use your brain.¡±


    ¡°You have to trap a rat to catch it.¡±


    The troll lord¡¯s hideous momentum covered the area as it looked at Iron as if he hadpletely yed in its hands.


    However, Iron just smiled as he stared at the smug troll lord.


    ¡°Who knows¡­ I don¡¯t know if you really caught us or not¡­ after all, only the results will tell us. You know?¡±


    ***


    Notes


    *werewolves ¨C this has been mentioned before when discussing the monsters in the forest but I thought it was just a typo so I typed it as dire wolves but it seems like it¡¯s not. I will use this going forward. It seemed like the wolves in the forests are called werewolves while those outside are direwolves.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 120 - The Demon Unit! (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(120)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>41 </b>The Demon Unit! (3)


    The troll lord seemed to not want to drag time at all. It immediately casted its sorcery and covered its entire body with red lightning that extended towards its axe.


    Thud!


    ¡°Lightning¡­ what a pity, that doesn¡¯t work on me.¡±


    Iron watched the electrifying lightning dance around the troll¡¯s body.


    The troll lord¡¯s veins twitched in anger as it increased its battle qi. It seemed like it wanted to show that it was not just its sorcery that was strong but even its battle qi.


    It wrapped its battle qi around its axe and swung it towards Iron. However, Iron also blocked this strike easily.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do it properly then you will die right away?¡±


    The troll lord¡¯s eyebrows twitched upon hearing Iron¡¯s warning.


    There were five lords and there were only four 6th Stage humans blocking the monster corps. The reason why it came here was to catch the rats. But it seemed like this rat had quite the unusual skills.


    The rat was even powerful enough to make itself turn nervous. The troll lord instinctively realized that it could only win this battle if it defeated the human standing in front of it.


    ¨DOooooh!


    Perhaps it felt like the human in front of it had extraordinary skills that it unleashed its full power. The image created from battle qi, just like what the orc champion showed before, was created. However, it was not the same distorted image but a clear image that was characteristic to those of the 6th Stage. It was even covered with red lightning and ck fog that began to spread in the surroundings. Bybining its sorcery and battle qi, the troll lord was able to break through the walls of a lord in its own way.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    The troll lord exhaled a long breath as its eyes turned bloodshot before swinging its axe towards Iron.


    At the same time, Iron also gathered his strength as his entire body was dyed ck. His sword moved the moment his entire body was covered in his steel mana.


    sh!


    The troll lord couldn¡¯t help but take a step back when it saw some of the axe lights that it fired off getting cut down before sending out its red lightning.


    However, Iron just ignored it as he rushed recklessly towards the troll lord. It was a reckless and mindless charge just like the charge of an orc lord.


    The type that the troll lord detested the most were those who relied blindly on their brute strength as they rushed forward. And this human that it thought was a clever rat was imitating the orc lord.


    ¨DHuman!


    The troll lord swung its gigantic axe covered with battle qi and lightning.


    However, contrary to what it expected, Iron bounced off. It seemed like he had immediately given up on fighting close-distance as he widened the gap between them.


    Due to the nature of Iron¡¯s abilities, the power of lightning was reduced. However, scratches slowly showed in Iron¡¯s steel mana when the troll lord used its battle qi.


    So, Iron repeatedly widened the distance between them whenever the troll lord approached him. This led to a long-term battle.


    Feeling annoyed, Iron shot rays of light from his eyes.


    ¨DKeok!


    The troll lord looked at Iron in shock after it received a hole on the side of its stomach.


    The attack was so unexpected that it could not even use its battle qi to respond to it. But since it was a troll, its injury was already regenerating at a fast speed. However, such an injury could prove to be fatal especially in a battle between high-leveled individuals.


    As soon as Iron took charge of the momentum, he continuously pushed forward. The troll lord had no choice but to be pushed back as its body got riddled with wounds.


    ¡°This is boring. You¡¯re much worse than that orc champion.¡±


    Just when Iron was going to finish off the troll lord with a nd and bored look in his face.


    Fwooosh!


    Iron blocked an arrow that flew in from afar through his incredible reflexes.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Iron frowned as he looked at the arrow that he had parried. It was an arrow that he had seen somewhere before. Iron stared at the arrow before rolling around the floor hurriedly. Then, arrows flew in session as they got embedded on the ground where Iron was just earlier.


    Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh!


    ¡°Dark elf?¡±


    Iron gritted his teeth when he realized where the arrows came from before looking at the troll lord. When he saw the bastard trying to run away after recovering to some extent, he gritted his teeth harder as he gathered divine power in his eyes.


    Shing!


    Two beams of light flew after the troll lord but two arrows charged with mana blocked his attack. Iron couldn¡¯t help but blurt out curses when he saw that happening.


    ¡°Owl! Stop that bastard!¡±


    Owl appeared in its small form at Iron¡¯s urgent call and fired beams of light from its eyes and shot them towards the dark elves that were shooting the arrows from a distance.


    Iron, on the other hand, chased the escaping troll lord.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡±


    Iron shed the troll lord¡¯s shoulder as he shouted. Some of the other trolls rushed forward to save their lord but Iron just attacked like crazy and cut them off one by one. After cutting them off, he was finally able to catch up with the troll lord.


    Ò»Monstrous bastard!


    ¡°That¡¯s apliment, right?¡±


    Iron swung his sword with a bright smile as the troll lord looked at him in exhaustion.


    But the trolls were not the only ones disturbing Iron. Several dark elves had suddenly appeared and began to attack Iron.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Iron gritted his teeth as he watched the dark elves hold their scythes and double swords as they blocked him from getting to the troll lord.


    Fortunately, none of them were at the 6th Stage. But the problem was that the dark elves were well-versed in synchronized attacks. Their synchronization was so excellent that it proved to be too difficult for him to break through in a short period of time. He knew that the troll lord would most likely escape if this continued on.


    ¡°Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°You know my name?¡±


    ¡°The most dangerous person that can disrupt our ns.¡±


    Iron calmed down as he sharpened his momentum after hearing the words of the dark elf.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who interfered with our ns several times. I will kill you no matter what damage I suffer here.¡±


    A strange flute sound came from afar at the words of the dark elf.


    There, he saw goblins riding dire wolves from afar. The same goblins and dire wolves that attacked the Lion Castle Fortress.


    He thought that he wouldn¡¯t see dire wolves and goblins in the forest but it seemed like they were truly able to gather monsters from somewhere else.


    ¡°So you¡¯re also the ones responsible for what happened in Lion Castle Fortress?¡±


    The dark elf did not answer Iron¡¯s question. However, Iron grit his teeth in anger. He knew that the elf¡¯s silence was affirmative.


    Before he knew it, the troll lord had recovered and took the lead as itughed at him. It knew that Iron would die at this rate.


    ¡°Start the hunt.¡±


    At the words of the dark elf, the troll lord shouted and rushed forward first.


    The dark elves¡¯ arrows and hidden weapons flew towards Iron and kept him in check to make sure that the troll lord would be given the chance to kill him and win. He could endure and hold out but if his current situation persisted then he would not be able to secure victory.


    Seeing the direwolves running from afar, he knew that it would spell the humans¡¯ defeat.


    The only silver lining was the fact that the dark elves werepletely focusing on him. Knowing the fact that the dark elves would not focus on killing the inexperienced knights and rangers gave him enough leeway to fight on his full strength.


    Fire broke out in an instant as the huge Phoenix appeared in the sky and attacked the backs of the approaching dark elves. Owl also rapidly grew in size as it emitted beams of light from its huge eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight seriously now.¡±


    Plenty of elves appeared as if they expected Iron¡¯s strength to be this much. However, once Baepsae came out and helped Iron recover his stamina and vitality, it became difficult for them to stop Iron the way they wanted to.


    The dark elves who thought that their numbers were enough to deal with Iron were flustered when they saw Iron was stronger than they had expected.


    Iron¡¯s power and force seemed to have be stronger than when he fought in the Lion Castle Fortress.


    Aside from the increase in force after entering the 6th Stage, it seemed like his divine beasts were also showing greater powerpared to the time that they appeared in the Lion Castle Fortress. Their power was so overwhelming that they felt like they were facing a master at the very least.


    The goblins and direwolves stopped in their tracks from the two divine beasts¡¯ offensive. Meanwhile, Iron took on and endured the attacks of the dark elves and the troll lord alone.


    ¡°De¡­ Demon! Don¡¯te here!¡±


    The troll lord couldn¡¯t help but shriek when it saw Iron¡¯s vicious re as he persistently parried and broke through the dark elves¡¯ offensive to attack it. However, despite its shrieks, Iron held on to the troll lord. He was determined to defeat the troll lord even if he had to endure and receive injuries from all over his body.


    Iron was able to make this choice thanks to Baepsae. Because of the vitality that overflowed from his body, he was able to participate in this battle while healing in real time like the trolls and fighting like a berserker.


    Maybe it was because of Iron¡¯s monstrous and reaper-like battle? He was able to sessfully stab the troll lord¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Keureuk¡­ Keok! Keok!¡±


    Iron cut off the troll lord¡¯s neck as he watched it vomit blood. In the end, he was still able to kill the troll lord. After dealing with the troll lord, he looked around with his body covered in blood.


    Even the cold-blooded dark elf assassins couldn¡¯t help but flinch when they heard Iron¡¯s shout that was filled with killing intent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave a single bastard behind. Kill them all!¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s shout that was boosted by mana, the knights and the rangers¡¯ morale increased. Iron¡¯s shout meant that the troll lord was dead.


    Iron¡¯s troops had now fully transformed into the Demon Unit, just like what the monsters called them, after receiving Baepsae¡¯s power of healing and vitality. All of them shed and stabbed crazily as they killed the monsters that were stationed in thismand post without any care for their wounds and stamina.


    Realizing that their n had failed, the dark elves tried to run away. However, they each died under Iron¡¯s hands one after the other.


    Their death led to theplete devastation of the monster corps¡¯ rear.


    ¡°War is a battle of momentum!¡±


    These were words that greatmanders often said.


    It was said that no matter how many troops there were, as long as the momentum had copsed, they would also begin to copse.


    As proof of that, the monster corps¡¯ battle line began to copse despite them having the higher number and the upperhand the moment their momentum copsed from theplete devastation of their rear. And since their battle line had copsed, the addition of the goblins and the direwolves would not be able to help them turn the tides no matter what.


    Ò»Kiiik! De¡­ Demons! The demons are chasing us!


    Ò»Chwik! Es¡­ escape!


    As they all avoided the tireless demons, the monster corps¡¯ battle line continued to copse. In the end, they all began to disperse into the forest and the ins to avoid these horrendous demons.


    When the rear copsed like that, the lords had decided that any more battles would be difficult in the future so they immediately ordered their respective troops for a retreat as they dispersed back to their own territories.


    Themanders of each unit approached Iron¡¯s unit one by one upon seeing all of the monsters backing down.


    ¡°Our victory is all thanks to you!¡±


    ¡°I feel like the rumors have underestimated you!¡±


    Oran Temphet and Kate Winstell, the two heads of the territorial forces, gave their praises.


    ¡°Junior. No, should I call you battalionmander now?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Why are you so serious? Can¡¯t you see that it¡¯s all thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Iron that we have won the war?¡±


    Sky Renz and Jim Rogers bantered as they greeted Iron.


    Despite their praises and happiness over their victory, Iron still did not rx.


    ¡°The war is not yet over. We have to end thempletely before they can even get together again!¡±


    Themanders leading their units¡¯ faces crumpled upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Thanks to those punks from Lion Castle Fortress, we had to fight such a big battle. If we don¡¯t want those bastards to stick together again, then we have topletely end them.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ I agree.¡±


    ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    With Oran Temphet and Kate Winstell¡¯s agreement, Iron turned to look at the Northeast¡¯smanders.


    The two were also of the same mind.


    ¡°The Commander said that he will entrust everything to Lieutenant Colonel Iron.¡±


    Iron smiled when he heard Jim Rogers¡¯ words.


    Their army suffered a lot after an all-out war against the monster corps but after putting the injured in temporary positions, they were able to reorganize their troops and mobilize those that could move again.


    This time, they hunted the monsters that fled all over the ce with the intention of pulling the root off of the ground. And at the forefront of it all was Iron¡¯s unit.


    Under themand of the Demon Commander Iron and his Demon Unit, they exterminated all of the monsters that crossed the frontlines.


    A few monthster, all of the monster troops starting from Leonhardt¡¯s territory to the frontline were all wiped out.


    The dark elves pestered him several times but he was able to kill them and finally seed in destroying all of the monsters and dark elves that positioned themselves to the south of the frontlines.


    During the process, Iron¡¯s unit was hailed as the Demon Unit not only by the monsters but even by the soldiers that fought with them. This was because they were all covered in blood during every battle as they took the lead in killing the monsters.


    And the one leading them, Iron, was called¡­


    ¡®Demon Commander.¡¯


    Was it because of the soldiers¡¯ nickname for him? Iron was able to get an achievement the moment he killed the orc lord, the main pir of the monster corps, andpleted his goal.


    Ò»You have made a special achievement ¡®Demon Commander¡¯. The monster troops will experience a 30% decrease in morale whenever they meet with the troops that you lead in the future.


    Along with the achievement notification, the sound of the notifications that he had not heard in a long time rang in his ears.


    Ò» The dark elves have designated you as their most dangerous person. From now on, the dark elves will put you as their priority target.


    Ò» ??? Forces are beginning to keep an eye on you after you have interfered with their work in the Northeast, East and the North. There is a possibility that you will be designated as their most dangerous target in the future.


    Ò» A special quest has been created.


    Ò» 1. Survive from the ??? Forces.


    Ò» 2. Annihte the dark elves and expose the ???? Forces.


    Ò» ¡ù If you choose number 1, you will be linked to the main quest. If you choose number 2, the main quest ¡®????? ?????¡¯ will begin.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 121 - Counterattack! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(121)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>42 </b>Counterattack! (1)


    The two quests that appeared in front of Iron were both rted to the monsters¡¯ annihtion.


    The quests were both simr to the main quest that came out during the beta test but one thing was different. He still had to choose between surviving and saving the continent, but the difficulty went up several notches. This was because forces, that he had yet to identify, were probably going to try and kill him in the future.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron let out a long breath as he tried to clear hisplicated thoughts.


    He had already made up his mind a long time ago but seeing these choicese out as a quest had shaken him up.


    ¡°Number two.¡±


    He made his choice right after his thought cleared up. He knew that taking more time to decide on this matter would shake his resolve. So, he immediately decided before his resolve could waver.


    ¨D Warning! Choosing number 2 will make these unknown forces attack you directly. Choosing number 1 will gradually take their interest away from you and will increase your chances of survival.


    ¡°Number two.¡±


    Even though he was given another chance to choose, Iron still replied with the same answer and without any hesitation.


    He had already learned that the modern times had an impact on this God Game. Besides, his original body had long fused with his current body which helped him recognize this world and his present as his reality a long time ago. That was also the reason why he wanted to do everything that he could.


    ¡®I won¡¯t avoid it.¡¯


    Iron had already surpassed the limits of his previous life the moment he reached the 6th Stage. And with his powerful divine beasts, he was confident that he would be able to fight more freely and more ferociously than in his previous life.


    And above all else¡­


    ¡®My growth is not over yet.¡¯


    He was walking on the right path in this life.


    In his previous life, he felt that just taking a nce at the master-level was impossible. However, since he was walking the right path, this dream was now almost within his reach. And even if he failed to cross that wall, he was still confident that he would be able to show a power that was way beyond that of a master-level once he could fully open his divine beasts¡¯ power.


    ¨D You have chosen number 2. From now on, special quests will be given to User-nim alone. This is on top of the other users main quests. Also! You will be engraved with a stigmata that would promote the unknown forces¡¯ hostility.


    [ <b>First Special Quest </b>¨C World Tree Dyed in Blood]


    The dark elves have stolen one of the roots of the world tree and dyed it with human blood. Because of this, the entire root of the world tree is being contaminated. If the world tree is left alone, not only the North but the entire continent may face contamination. Make sure to purify it.


    ¨D The power of purification resides in your stigmata.


    ¨D From now on, the unknown forces will monitor your performance. Please note that they might assassinate you since you have be their most dangerous target. However! If other apostles with the same stigmata appear, the risk that you will face will gradually reduce.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Pain flooded all over Iron¡¯s body when the notification window disappeared from his view. He hurriedly grabbed his throbbing chest as he waited for the burning pain to disappear.


    Then, holy energy began to dwell in his body once the pain had disappeared.


    ¡®Is this the stigmata?¡¯


    Iron quickly unbuttoned his jacket and checked his chest. There, on the center of his chest, was a wound in the form of a cross.


    He tried to pour his healing energy over the wound as he wiped the blood that dripped down from it. But the holy energy protested against his healing energy and prevented it from getting healed. Helpless, all he could do was wipe off the blood and wait for the pain topletely die down. Then, the blood gradually stopped from dripping as the wound scabbed and turned into a scar.


    Iron, who checked his body¡¯s condition, was lost in his thoughts.


    Even if he stayed still, he would still be targeted by the dark elves and these unknown forces since he had chosen the second choice.


    Even if I risk the chance of being their most dangerous person, wouldn¡¯t it be alright for me to run around as long as I don¡¯t be their priority target?


    Iron organized his thoughts as he thought of cleaning up the monsters and slowly moving towards the frontline.


    He needed to collect more data and information in case he was ced in a more dangerous battlefield so while he did that, Iron focused on his troops¡¯ck of tactical training.


    And the dark elves who saw this jumped around in anger upon seeing Iron¡¯s choice. It was as if they wanted to show everything that they have hidden as thousands of contaminated ents and trents appeared andbined into a corps that raided them. With their appearance, the fog that covered the Northern Forest had disappeared, revealing a huge ck tree.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s from beyond the frontlines¡­¡±


    It was a letter containing an order for him.


    [ Come back to Ghost. ]


    Iron sighed when he saw the letter personally written by the Commander himself.


    His order was toe as he was.


    And since this special operation unit was created and maintained because of him, chances are it would immediately be disbanded upon his return to Ghost. His members who were stillcking would probably be sent to the frontlines or be returned to their former units.


    For some reason he felt that it was a pity.


    I¡¯ve raised them well but someone else will use them?


    ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    Iron went out of the barracks with regret coloring his face.


    Perhaps he was feeling regret because he saw their rapid growth after going through countless monster annihtion operations?


    His soldiers were now iparable to themselves from the past. They were all ted to be nonmissioned officers so at the very least, their mana had awakened, but thanks to fighting battles and tiptoeing the borders of life and death everyday, more of them were starting to strengthen their bodies and reach a higher stage.


    Even the knights¡¯ naive and confused appearance from before had transformed. Right now, all of them looked dignified and serious.


    The numerous actual battles that they fought hadpletely changed them.


    And he felt that it was such a waste to watch them all go like that. If he was still able to raise them like this, then in a few years, they would turn into a unit that no one would be ashamed of even if they were ced anywhere.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ There¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    Once he returned to Ghost, Ariel would return to the knights and the rangers woulde back to where they were. There was no way that this special operation unit would still be maintained after all of the key figures had returned.


    He felt like he did his best raising them but someone else was going to take advantage of them.


    Iron tried his best to break up his unit with a smile on his face. He looked at his sword thinking that he shouldn¡¯t leave a bad impression for thest time on the soldiers that had fought with him and suffered with him till the bitter end.


    ¡°Special Operation Unit¡­¡±


    Iron mumbled the name of his unit.


    From its name, one could assume that this was a unit that gathered the elites but they were just a ragtag of disorderly men when they started. The real elites were sent to the core of their units and his special operation unit gathered the rest of the insignificant people.


    Because of that, Iron knew full well what runs through the mind of his men.


    Others might look at his men as if they were envious of these talentless men soaring and achieving great merit. However, even though they were the envy of others, they would still be pushed back by the real ¡®talented¡¯ people. And their hearts¡­


    I have also felt frustrated by myck of talent even if I tried so hard to stand side by side with them.


    Some of his troops might eventually feel frustration. And Iron wanted to tell them his experiences.


    After making up his mind, he told Ariel to call in the troops.


    ¡°I have received an order today.¡±


    Iron unfolded the letter that he had received from Command and showed it to them.


    ¡°I believe each and every single person has also received their orders.¡±


    The troops¡¯ eyes shook at his words. This was because it finally sank in that this unit that yed along the borders of life and death every day would now be scattered.


    ¡°As of today, our troops will begin the process of disbandment. I will also have to return to Ghost. But before that, I called you here today to convey myst words to you as yourmander.¡±


    Everyone flinched when they heard the wordst. Iron looked at them as he unsheathed his sword and gave them thest gift that he could give them.


    Shiiing.


    His sword came out of the scabbard. Although the sword was filled with chips here and there from all the battles that he had been through, this was a sword that was changed and transformed to fit him perfectly.


    ¡°As you all know, I¡¯m walking the Path of Steel. Some of you would say that it¡¯s pathetic while others would say that it¡¯s just a trivial attribute.¡±


    Iron had a bitter smile on his face as he said so.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you will believe me, but I was never talented when it came to swordsmanship. Sword technique, powerful force, sharp eyes for the sword, reaction speed, all of them are dependent on talent. But if I have that talent, would I even do this and continue trying?¡±


    Iron injected his mana into his sword as he continued to speak.


    ¡°Perhaps I am also simr to all of you. When I was young, I saw a genius and a number of talented individuals that came close to that level. When I saw them, I felt like I could never chase them normally.¡±


    Everyone looked at Iron¡¯s bitter smile in suspicion. However, his eyes were filled with sincerity and showed them that his words were not false.


    ¡°My meager talent made it hard for me to understand and imprintplex swordsmanship on my body. That¡¯s why I chose the simplest swordsmanship. The basic swordsmanship that¡¯s fit for dunces like me.¡±


    His sword was developed from the basic and imperial basic swordsmanship. These were the only two swordsmanship that he had ever trained in this life.


    Ariel knew that well. She also knew that he worked harder than anybody else. That was the reason why she knew that his words were truly based on facts.


    It felt strange that this man who had incredible experience, a lot of effort and a knowledge far beyond what anyone had would feel frustrated because hecked the sword skills that a genius had.


    ¡°The real geniuses can¡¯t be chased. If you try to chase them, you will just work for nothing and end up feeling frustrated.¡±


    Everyone nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s words.


    Entertaining the idea of standing next to those geniuses was just in arrogance. Instead of feeling ted, they would most likely just be frustrated.


    ¡°Of course, they would say that you can reach those ¡®geniuses¡¯ with effort. However, can effort alone be able to let you do that? Even if you train without sleeping, will you really be able to reach them?¡±


    Everyone bowed their heads at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°The talented also put in their effort. Some of them even enjoy the process of training. You can¡¯t chase them simply with effort. Then, what should you do? The answer is just one thing.¡±


    Iron swung his sword lightly. It was an outrageously perfect sword strike. This was the most suited sword path for him that he had trained and repeated countless times.


    And that was what the troops were seeing right at this very moment.


    ¡°Experience. Just like what I said earlier, I can¡¯t understandplex swordsmanship and my body can¡¯t follow. That¡¯s why I chose this simple swordsmanship. However! I put my experience into my swordsmanship.¡±


    Iron looked at his sword with a burning gaze.


    ¡°Even though I felt frustrated and desperate hundreds of thousands of times, I still did not give up. I continued to melt my experiences into my sword as I fought against monsters and clenched my teeth to survive.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    One of the soldiers looked at Iron¡¯s steel sword in awe. Not long after, all of the members of their unit eximed as they looked at Iron¡¯s sword. For some reason, they felt like they could see the years of efforts that he endured and lived through to achieve this level of proficiency.


    ¡°All of you have to make your own choice. Whether you should take the risk and gain more experience or sit on the right line and lead a peaceful life. I don¡¯t think any of these choices are better than the other. After all, each choice has its own strengths and weaknesses.¡±


    Giving up was not a bad thing. After all, if Iron was also given the choice to live peacefully, he would dly take off his military uniform and move to that ce right away.


    ¡°However, if you so decide to chase after the people who had gone ahead of you. Please keep two things in mind.¡±


    Iron raised two fingers as he continued to speak.


    ¡°First! Never cross the line. Try to figure out your current skills and never cross that line.¡±


    That was what happened to him in his previous life. So, he wanted them to understand their limits well and make sure to always remain vignt. He was surviving like that in this life, and the more he did, the more experience he had gained.


    Surviving this period of confusion was no different than being strong in and of itself. Even if they did not have enough force, their choice would still not be wrong since they were equipped with weapons and experiences.


    ¡°Second! Even if you¡¯re exhausted and tired, don¡¯t give up and always try. Some would think that what you¡¯re doing is impossible but no matter what they say make sure that you still do it. That way, you won¡¯t regret it when your life reaches a really dangerous and critical moment.¡±


    Iron let out a long breath.


    ¡°This will be the end of my gift to you. I hope that you survive this dangerous battlefield and survive until the end.¡±


    At the end of his words, all of the soldiers saluted him as they looked at Iron¡¯s back with determination.


    ¡°Loyalty! Thank you for your hard work!¡±


    Iron smiled as he entered the barracks once again after receiving his troops¡¯ farewell.


    After a while, Iron, who had quickly packed his luggage, entered the airship that would take him beyond the frontlines to where the Ghosts were.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 122 - Counterattack! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(122)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>42 </b>Counterattack! (2)


    The order for the special operation unit¡¯s disbandment was issued once Iron left. Each and every unit scrambled to extend a branch to the members of Iron¡¯s units. All of them were trying to take anyone, even if it was just a single member, from the ¡®Demon Unit¡¯, the vanguard and pioneer of the monsters¡¯ annihtion.


    The value of such fully trained troops in the frontline was extremely high. This was the main reason why all of the troops under Iron¡¯smand had their destinations swiftly decided. Even the knight order led by Ariel had been officially taken in as the members of the knight order directly undermand and prepared to be knights in earnest. With this, their entire unit had quickly dispersed.


    ¡°It¡¯s aplete mess.¡±


    The forest was a mess. Trees were forcibly turned by the dark elves into monster trees while some of them had been cut down or dug up. Unlike the witch¡¯s ghost tree, these trees were purely contaminated with demonic energy to transform them into these monstrous trees. This was the main reason why they looked extremely strange with their disgustingly stretched and wriggling roots.


    A forest teeming with bizarre and strange trees ¨D Dark Elves¡¯ Formation


    The messed up and dug up earth from cutting down the trees ¨D Human¡¯s Formation


    Thend was divided into these two types of formations which strangely connected and intertwined making the forest into some sort of weird checkerboard.


    Despite burning some of the areas of the forest down, the humans still found it difficult to advance especially with the strange trees growing immediately to rece the burned down trees. In addition, the devastated ground was slowly being eaten away and engulfed by the fast growth of the strange trees and grasses. So, from above, one could see that the humans were slowly being pushed back. There were even fences and outposts that were created by the humans trapped in between those strange trees.


    Iron, who saw all of this from the airship, realized that his future was not an easy one.


    There was a reason why the soldiers who were fighting and who had fought in the frontlines always said that fighting monsters was just like a children¡¯s prank to them.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Just then, while Iron was still busy trying to gauge the future battlefield that he would fight in¡­


    Bang!


    A loud explosion rang loudly from the side of the airship that was flying towards the troops¡¯ camp.


    ¡°D¡­ Dark elves are attacking!¡±


    The dark elves¡¯ arrow attacks were stronger than bombs. And since the airship was slow and dull when it came to steering and movement, it couldn¡¯t avoid the dark elves¡¯ arrows that could fly faster than bombs and cannons.


    Iron had no choice but to step out and stay in front of the hole to parry the dark elves¡¯ arrows. He blocked several flying arrows with his sword and beams of light but explosions kept on ringing from all over the airship as they continued to fly.


    Then, the arrows that were targeting the ship suddenly began to focus on Iron when they saw him appearing in front of the hole that their arrows had created.


    ¡°So, you were aiming for me?¡±


    Iron gathered the mana in his eyes as he swept the flying arrows away.


    However, unless he was born like the dark elves who could borrow the mana¡¯s powers, there was no way for him to see and feel his targets. It was even harder to find them since they were hidden under the cover of the trees of the forest.


    Unlike them, who were riding openly on an airship in the sky, the dark elves were extremely hard to find in the thickets.


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Iron clicked his tongue when he saw another arrow flying towards the airship as he blocked it with a skillful swing of his sword. No matter how hard they tried to avoid it, the dullness of the airship gave them no other choice but to take the blows one by one and fall.


    ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re crashing!¡±


    In the end, the airship gradually fell down from the air. Thanks to the magic installed in the ship, their descent was slowed down. However, there was still a limit to how much they could slow down their fall.


    Iron had no choice but to show his strength to prevent the dark elves, who attacked more fiercely, as they fell down from the sky.


    Bang! Bang!


    He climbed on top of the airship to block all of the arrows with all his might to prevent the airship from beingpletely destroyed. But despite his efforts, the airship still got destroyed and fell down the area near the forest, a ce that was too far from where they wanted tond on.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    He knew that there was no chance that the support troops would arrive faster than the dark elves even after they had paged and announced that their airship was under attack.


    Iron quickly cleared his head as he shouted to the men that travelled with him. Thankfully, none of them lost their life thanks to the magic power that prevented them from crashing straight down into the ground.


    ¡°Are there any knights?¡±


    All of them shook their heads at Iron¡¯s question.


    There were a few former officers but all of them came from logistics, medics and even administration. Only a few of them were officers who fought in the frontlines. Since that was the case, all of them could be considered to have strength that was no more than the 4th Stage.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Iron went out of the half-destroyed airship as he cussed out.


    ¡®They probably ran here and waited for us the moment they saw us fall, right?¡¯


    Iron swung his sword as this thought shed in his head. This was because an arrow was already aiming for the back of Iron¡¯s neck as soon as he got out.


    But that wasn¡¯t the end of his problems.


    Strange trees began to move from the forest to swallow their entire airship. If this demolished terrain was swallowed up and covered by these trees then, it would be difficult for them to survive.


    ¨DKikiiikiiineee!


    Strange wooden monsters also began to appear while spitting out strange sounds.


    Iron gritted his teeth as he stared at the strange trees and wooden monsters surrounding their airship at themand of the hidden dark elves.


    Then, something incredible happened.


    ¡°The stigmata?¡±


    White light burst out from his chest. The tree monsters that identally got in contact with the light shrieked loudly as they emitted ck smoke.


    ¡°An apostle!¡±


    ¡°Kill the apostle!¡±


    The dark elves suddenly appeared as they shouted and fired their arrows. They appeared all over the ce and aimed at Iron as they shouted for his death. And because the dark elves mored for his death, the tree monsters endured the pain and surrounded him while shrieking loudly.


    However, the holy energy in Iron¡¯s body responded. It grew rapidly and went out of control. Fortunately, his body was already used to it after experiencing it once in the East.


    ¨DPpiiiii~


    ¨DHooot!


    ¨DTweet!


    Perhaps it was because of the holy power dwelling in his body that the divine beasts appeared so suddenly. With their appearance, the holy light emitting from Iron¡¯s body spread far and wide and affected the area around them.


    With the advent of this light, ck smoke came out of the bodies of the bizarre tree and nt monsters. The light seemed to drain them of their power whenever the light swept through them. Their shrill cries were particrly loud whenever Baepsae¡¯s sacred light touched their bodies. Even the dark elves were groaning in pain as they staggered back to avoid the light. At the same time, Phoenix¡¯s me turned white as it swept and melted everything unclean with Owl¡¯s ray of lights


    ¡°Apostle! Apostleeeeee!¡±


    One of the dark elves screamed hatefully at Iron as blood spurted out from his body.


    However, even if they screamed loudly, the results were still the same. As everything that was unclean turned to smoke and disappeared, the dark elves¡¯ skin color began to change. But they did not die. The long exposure to the light changed their body back to their original form.


    The dark elves endured the pain of purification as they tried to kill Iron. However, the divine beasts were tough. And even if they got past the divine beasts¡¯ strict and tight protection, Iron was not weak enough that they could beat him easily.


    ¡°Overwhelming.¡±


    One of the officers muttered nkly as they watched Iron.


    No matter how hard they tried, the dark elves couldn¡¯t reach Iron. If they were lucky to escape death from the ws of the divine beasts, they would still get purified and lose strength. However, something like that was uneptable to them. If they were given a choice, the dark elves would choose death over being purified. Although that was what they hoped for, the choice was not for them to make.


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    The officers came back to their senses at Iron¡¯s orders and hurriedly approached the dark elves.


    The dark elves were all listless and weakened. It was as if the purification had zapped all of the strength in their bodies. They tried so hard tomit suicide but they were so weak that they couldn¡¯t struggle and fight against the officers¡¯ hold.


    Seeing them get tied up one by one without any strength to kill themselves made their colleagues from afar feel pity for them. So, they fired arrows to help kill them and let them leave this world proudly. However, that was also blocked by Iron. After all, he was already well aware of their tactics due to his experiences in the Winter Mountains and was fully prepared for them.


    ¡°I think everything¡¯s roughly sorted out¡­¡±


    Iron stared at the forest and watched the retreating dark elves after roughly sorting out the situation in his surroundings. He could see them moving in the grotesque forest filled with nts that moved as if they were alive. However, Iron had no intention of letting them go. He wanted to catch and kill all of the dark elves that attacked him.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Iron turned around and approached the dark elves that were slowly being purified as he made a request to his divine beasts.


    Then, he grabbed the dark elf¡¯s hands with his hand that was overflowing with holy energy. A huge amount of energy disappeared from his body as the dark elf¡¯s body began to turn back into the skin and hair color that they originally had. The dark elf¡¯s hair turned into a brilliant blond as his skin¡¯splexion turned clear and fair.


    Everyone looked at the scene in awe as they watched the dark elf turn into the elf that they had read in books. However, they weren¡¯tpletely the same as those elves. This was because the patterns engraved on the dark elf¡¯s skin remained purple. This was not the power that resulted from their choice of living a life that was different from the elves.


    ¡°Hu¡­ man¡­¡±


    The dark elf tried to bite his tongue as soon as Iron removed the gag so Iron had no choice but to m it back inside and stop him frommitting suicide.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ This is exhausting.¡±


    Iron sighed as he stared at the dark elf.


    The Drake Unit appeared in the sky as the divine beasts organized the prisoners with the officers.


    ¡°They¡¯re prisoners.¡±


    The Drake Knights hurriedly looked at the dark elves upon hearing the words of Iron.


    ¡°Loyalty! Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter, we have an order to bring you to Command immediately. The Drake Knights will escort you on your way.¡±


    ¡°The rest¡­¡±


    The knight spoke and assured Iron that there would be no problem when Iron looked at the rest of the group that came with him.


    ¡°Some of us will remain here. Additional troops are also being dispatched here.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I see.¡±


    Iron climbed up on the drake and flew in the sky as he said so. Dozens of Drake Knights surrounded and guarded him. However, none of the people present thought that this was excessive.


    He had shown his overwhelming power. Especially his holy power that worked extremely well against beings with the void¡¯s power. They knew that this power would y an important role in this battlefield.


    ¡°Perhaps his power is more important than a master¡¯s power¡­¡±


    One of the officers mumbled to himself as he watched Iron disappearing from the sky. The other officers also nodded their heads in agreement. They all believed that he would show a greater contribution than a master, at least against the creatures from the void.


    ¡°Commanding skills, divine beast, holy power¡­ Is it really possible for one person to have all of those things?¡±


    Everyone smiled bitterly at the words of a middle-aged officer from logistics.


    ¡®Genius.¡¯


    He was a person with plenty of talents that any ordinary man would want. A man with overwhelming talent that far surpassed the rest. That was what everyone thought of Iron. The problem was that he never thought of himself as a genius.


    Iron, who moved tomand under the envy of everyone, received and parried the arrows from the dark elves as he moved with the Drake Knight Order.


    Was it because they knew that Iron was the ¡®Apostle¡¯? He received a lot more attacks than before. Even the void insects flew towards the Drake Knight Order. Perhaps it was because they instinctively felt that failure to kill him here would make this battle a difficult battle to fight.


    However, Phoenix and Two Moons flew firmly by his side and stopped them. Even the Drake Knights were formidable as they stopped them from approaching.


    But the attacks did not end there.


    Trees spurted out poison that targeted the drakes. It seemed like the entire forest army was moving to kill Iron. A huge tree even popped up and spat purple poison towards the drakes. They somehow flocked towards Iron. However, their attacks became meaningless just a few minutester.


    This was because a storm that was several times stronger than their attacks appeared and blew away some parts of the forest and protected Iron. The attack came from an old man, who lightly swung his sword, standing on top of a drake.


    The Drake Knights saluted the old man as he smashed and destroyed a part of the forest with a storm created from the light swing of his sword.


    ¡°Loyalty! Greetings, Commander!¡±


    Crimson, the Northeastern Commander, smiled and winked at Iron as he personally appeared to protect him.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 123 - Counterattack! (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(123)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>42 </b>Counterattack! (3)


    Crimson made sure that he thoroughly smashed the dark elves so they would no longer be able to chase after them before approaching the drake that Iron was riding on.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since west saw each other.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly as he spoke to Crimson.


    This was their first meeting after they parted ways in the East. And since Crimson had left earlier from the East, they had not seen each other for months. However, Crimson lookedpletely different from what he remembered when hest saw him in the East. He had suffered back then too but he did not look this haggard.


    ¡°Are you sleeping at all?¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly when Iron asked him in worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping as much as I can.¡±


    Iron sighed at Crimson¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Is it that much?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the details when we get there.¡±


    Crimson smiled at Iron¡¯s worried expression before sending the Drake Knight to his own drake as he personally drove the drake Iron was on.


    ¡°You know how to ride a drake?¡±


    ¡°At my age, you will know how to do most things.¡±


    Crimson smiled as he drove the drake to Command.


    Arrows flew from time to time but they easily blocked them so they were able to arrive at Command without much damage.


    ¡®It¡¯s only a one level difference but¡­¡¯


    Iron might have reached the 6th Stage but Crimson¡¯s power was so overwhelming that he couldn¡¯t even dream of imitating him.


    Perhaps that was the reason why he felt impatient.


    ¡®If I grow up well, won¡¯t I be able to challenge that stage in a few years?¡¯


    This thought filled Iron¡¯s head.


    When he was just reincarnated again, he only hoped to properly reach the 5th Stage, but now that he had reached the 6th Stage, he felt a bit greedy. He had already achieved his goal even before he reached 20 so the master¡¯s status kept on lingering in his head. He had forgotten about it until now since he was busy fighting a lot of battles and paying attention to a lot of things, but he was a bit shaken by the thought the moment he stepped on the 6th Stage.


    Maybe Crimson had noticed what Iron was feeling so he quietly spoke to him.


    ¡°The more impatient you are, the longer your path will be. Just do what you¡¯ve done so far.¡±


    Iron¡¯s pupils shook as he stared silently at Crimson¡¯s back.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even reached the wall yet. It won¡¯t be toote for you to worry about that after you reach the wall.¡±


    Iron was lost in his thoughts for a moment. He savored and pondered over Crimson¡¯s words before quietly nodding his head.


    Just like he said, the thoughts running through his head were only a luxury that he couldn¡¯t afford since he hadn¡¯t reached the wall to the master¡¯s level yet. Thanks to Crimson¡¯s advice, Iron¡¯s shaking pupils began to regain their stability.


    Crimson felt proud when he saw him like this.


    ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to actually cross the wall since you have your divine beasts with you, you know? You should try to be as rxed as possible. You¡¯re still young so you don¡¯t have to be so impatient.¡±


    ¡°That might be true but¡­¡±


    Iron might not need to be a master as long as he had his huge weapons in the form of the divine beasts. After all, his value had already exceeded that of a master¡¯s value. But it would be a shame. He was already at the 6th Stage. He felt like he wanted more since he was just one step away from bing a master.


    ¡°If you continue to grow up like this, it wouldn¡¯t just be a dream for you to be a master. So, don¡¯t get swayed by trivial thoughts. You¡¯re on the right track.¡±


    Crimson¡¯s words that were filled with confidence in him stabilized Iron¡¯s shaking thoughts. After all, this old man had the confidence that he would be a master. It relieved some of his anxiety that kept on asking him ¡®Am I walking on the correct path?¡¯.


    ¡®Master¡­¡¯


    It was the stage that everyone dreamt of achieving. All of the knights¡¯ final target was to reach the master stage. However, most of them even struggled reaching the 5th Stage. That was the cold, harsh truth.


    However, he did not long for that stage just because of greed. In the future, not only the dark elves but even unknown forces would target his life so he had to be a bit stronger. He desperately needed the power that would allow him to respond to any situation.


    So, Iron thought that he should get to the master level and unseal all of the divine beasts¡¯ powers. That way, he would be able to face whatever the dark elves and those unknown forces throw at him.


    ¡®I should think about thister¡­ it¡¯s important to deal with the dark elves first.¡¯


    Crimson finally drove the drake andnded after Iron had organized his thoughts and the look in his eyes had changed.


    Iron realized that Crimson purposely gave him enough time to clear his thoughts so he bowed his head and expressed his gratitude and apology.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everyone does that when they get to that level. The master level is just around the corner so it¡¯s normal for people who reach that stage to feel greedy.¡±


    Crimson patted Iron¡¯s shoulder as he walked towards Command.


    He saw familiar faces in the area.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first. Come inside after greeting them.¡±


    Iron thanked Crimson for his considerations as he approached the Ghosts.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Lintel and the other Ghosts greeted Iron warmly. It was nice to see all of the Ghosts gathered together but instead of smiling faces, he felt strange that all of them looked stiff.


    Then, Carl Gustav appeared a bitter as he spoke to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside for now.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡±


    There was a strange atmosphere hanging around the Ghosts but he tried his best to ignore it for now as he entered the barracks with Carl Gustav. There, he saw all the executives from the Northeast sitting in front of a table.


    Army Commander Crimson Halo.


    Vanguard Corps Commander Caeden Wall.


    Mountain Corps Commander Oz Tereivo.


    Fog Corps Commander Fogg Coshway.


    Ranger Division Commander Davin Archer.


    Knight Order Commander Cassim Knights.


    Iron Wall Division Commander Valios Gard.


    All of the currentmanders of the Northeast were seated on the table.


    What caught his interest was the fact that the Iron Wall Division Commander, who was in charge of protecting Command, as well as Oz Tereivo, themander of the Mountain Corps in charge of dealing with monsters, were both present.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since all of the executives gathered like this.¡±


    Crimson looked at all the people present as he spoke. All of them nodded at themander before turning to look at Iron.


    ¡°Just like what everyone here knows, the Northern front is gradually turning disadvantageous on our side.¡±


    All of the executives bowed their heads at Crimson¡¯s words.


    The front was barely being maintained at the expense of their soldiers. And they were even in a situation where they did not know if they should continue or retreat. That was also the reason why all of the key figures of the North made a decision to not care about their rear anymore. They had all agreed and resolved themselves to gather all of their troops here and annihte their enemies.


    And today, Crimson had gathered all of the Northeastern troops here. Most of their corps and division-level troops have been gathered here. They had only left enough troops to protect the Command and their fortresses. And Iron, who was busy cleaning up the monsters from the rear, had to be forcibly brought here too.


    ¡°We have to deal with them fast. We need to annihte our enemies as soon as possible. The Lion Family Head, the Northern Commander and all of the major territory lords have agreed on this proposal. We can¡¯t afford to drag the war any longer.¡±


    The frontline could still be maintained if they had received help from the Center. However, it was difficult to expect help from the other regions since the entire Empire, including the Center, was embroiled in a chaotic situation. So, all they could do was to ovee this crisis with only the power that they have in the North.


    ¡°To be honest, I gathered you all here to exin the details of the all-out war ahead of us. Perhaps we should all prepare for ourplete annihtion. So, I called you in for your orders and to remind you to keep this in mind and be fully prepared.¡±


    The executives¡¯ mouths turned t as they all turned to look at themander. None of them were confused since they had prepared themselves and had strengthened their resolve to some extent. The soldiers of the Northeast had long thought about this.


    ¡°But just a little while ago, I, with my very own eyes, found a way that could perhaps lead our victory in this war.¡±


    All of the executives followed Crimson¡¯s glowing eyes that were looking at Iron.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Iron.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can you please exin the battle that you had just fought earlier?¡±


    Iron nodded slightly and exined upon hearing Crimson¡¯s request.


    The expressions of the executives all brightened up after hearing his words. Compared to hearing it through the intelligence officers, seeing him express his holy power as he exined made them trust him more.


    ¡°Stigmata¡­ If the Divine Nation finds out then there will be a mess.¡±


    Crimsonughed loudly after hearing all of his exnations. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with his words.


    It was not enough for him to have the divine beasts, he even has the stigmata now. The stigmata that only appeared on saints and saintesses. The evidence that he could wield an enormous amount of holy power and the mark that would prove that he was God¡¯s apostle had also appeared on Iron, who already had a lot on his te.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ If rumors spread, it will be hard to protect Lieutenant Colonel Iron in the future.¡±


    Crimson was speaking with a troubled tone but a smile was perfectly blooming on his face.


    An apostle had appeared in his army. This was also the very same apostle who could exert an overwhelming power and deterrent to the creatures of the void.


    ¡°All operations in the future will be centered on Lieutenant Colonel Iron. Do you agree?¡±


    ¡°We agree!¡±


    All of the executives immediately agreed to Crimson¡¯s proposal.


    Generally, holy power was an excellent power that could destroy the power of the void. However, not all of the apostles used the same holy power. Some had the power of healing. Some had the power that looked simr to aura while some had the power simr to martial arts. Some even had holy power that had attributes like fire and water. There were even some who could only use their holy power only through magic. The apostles¡¯ holy power had different characteristics. Unlike the priests¡¯ dull and monotonous powers, the apostles had powers that had distinct characteristics.


    And the characteristic of the new apostle Iron¡¯s holy power fortunately had an overwhelming advantage against the creatures of the void.


    ¡°The dark elves probably know that Lieutenant Colonel Iron had be an apostle. That¡¯s why Lieutenant Colonel Iron¡¯s protection is our top priority at this time. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°The Ghosts¡¯ mission will also be focused on escorting and protecting Lieutenant Colonel Iron.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Crimson nodded in satisfaction after hearing all of the executives¡¯ responses.


    From that day onwards, the entire Northeastern Army, who had gained a great ¡®weapon¡¯ in Iron, began to move. Time is of the essence so all of their troops had gathered together. At the same time, with the thought of finishing the war as soon as possible, they began their counterattack as they attacked the dark elves before they could even prepare against Iron.


    And it seemed like the Northeastern Army¡¯s decision was correct.


    ¡°A¡­ Apostle¡­¡±


    The dark elves lost their will to fight as their forest, which had been contaminated and eroded by the power of the void, began to get purified.


    The morale of the Northeastern Army also increased when they saw thousands of void insects disappearing into ashes.


    ¡°Heok¡­ heok¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Carl Gustav asked the exhausted Iron.


    He was using his holy power since he felt like there was no bacsh that woulde at him but the more he used it, the more he felt tired. He obviously did not feel anything leaving his body like when he used his mana or his divine power. However, the more he used the holy power, the easier it became for him to get tired. Which was something that waspletely unlike the time in the East. He even unknowingly stumbled after using such an overwhelming power.


    The dark elves, who realized that he had a weakness, attacked Iron. However, the entire Northeastern Army was surrounding Iron. It was as if they solely existed to protect Iron. Even all of the Ghosts, Carl Gustav and Crimson were standing next to him to protect him.


    With this excessive protection from the Northeastern Army, Iron and the army began to move forward bit by bit as he slowly purified the forest.


    The human army¡¯s counterattack, which had only been pushed back before, had now begun.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 124 - The Great Northern War (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(124)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>43 </b>The Great Northern War (1)


    The human army¡¯s counterattack began at the same time news about Iron bing God¡¯s apostle spread.


    His holy power was so powerful that thousands of void insects could not get past it. It was ying an especially huge role in extinguishing and clearing the areas where the dark elves had already reached their ws at. It was only natural. After all, even the dark elves risked being purified once they got exposed to Iron¡¯s holy power.


    ¡°The priests won¡¯t be able topare, right?¡±


    ¡°I know. I saw a bishop-level priest exerting his holy power in the Northern Army but his results were less than half of that.¡±


    Rumors about Iron, starting with the rumors here in the Northeastern Army, began to spread in the North.


    Reaching the 6th Stage before 20 years old.


    Owner of the powerful divine beasts that creates a stir in the battlefield.


    And on top of all those, an apostle.


    No one would think that all of these rumors were rted to a single person. However, with the rumors spreading widely, starting from Lion Castle Fortress, as well as testimonies and statements being released, the people began to think of Iron as¡­


    ¡®The North¡¯s hope.¡¯


    It was a moniker that a newspaperpany had given Iron. Right now, it did not take that long for him to be hailed as the North¡¯s hope, a title that was far beyond the title of hero.


    The dark elves were also fully aware of this fact. That was why they continued to attack the Northeastern Army and to assassinate Iron all the time the deeper they went into the forest. But no matter how many times they tried, the entire army continued to surround and protect Iron.


    However, the dark elves¡¯ army that came and attacked them on all sides seemed to be unstoppable. Fortunately, Iron¡¯s holy power was able to block all of their attacks.


    Thanks to his enormous holy power, he was able to create a sanctuary that covered the entire Northeastern Army which gave them an overwhelming advantage over beings who used the power of the void. With a moving sanctuary, the entire army was able to advance forward little by little and eradicate the dark elves¡¯ territories and spheres of influence in the forest.


    ¡°If we keep going on at this pace, then, we will be able to win!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s lighten up and work a bit harder!¡±


    ¡°We can win!¡±


    The moving sanctuary increased the morale of the troops together with the encouragement of the officers. But the more the Northeastern Army advanced, the stronger the resistance they received from the dark elves and their army. It was only natural especially because the territories that they painstakingly took were being taken over and decreasing day by day. Nevertheless, the dark elves¡¯ attacks and resistance were useless in front of Iron¡¯s holy power.


    They believed that they would really be able to reach the world tree quickly at the pace that they were going in.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ We should have been able to take over and upy the area where the world tree is by now but¡­¡±


    Iron looked bitterly at the battlefield.


    The Northeastern Army was currently unable to advance forward because they were protecting him. They were actually in a situation where the territorial forces, the Northern Army and the Lion Family had joined them.


    They also realized that this was the golden opportunity that they had been waiting for so they quickly devised a strategy centered around Iron to quickly eliminate the dark elves¡¯ hold on their territories. Because of that, a huge area of the Northern Forest had been purified and taken over in an instant. Even the military schrs and experts had judged that they would be able to end the war within a month if they continued at this rate.


    However, reality was different from their expectations.


    They had encountered a problem. Iron¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand the full extent of his holy power. For some reason, he was able to easily get used to the holy power the more he used it but the more he got used to it, the faster he got exhausted. In addition, the more holy power he used in one instance, the longer he fainted. And this was on top of being exhausted.


    At first, Iron thought that his lifespan was being reduced, but ording to the records provided by the priests, that wasn¡¯t the case at all. It seemed like it was mainly because the human body couldn¡¯t bear God¡¯s direct power. They said that Iron was safe even after releasing such a huge amount of holy power because he was a warrior who had reached the 6th Stage.


    However, no one was able to rece Iron¡¯s role. And because of Iron¡¯s current condition, the army had no choice but to stop. Even though they wanted to speed up as much as they could, they had no choice but to remain in regards to Iron¡¯s condition.


    ¡°I think we should first build a camp here before trying to advance little by little.¡±


    Crimson nodded his head at Caeden Wall¡¯s rmendation.


    The more they approached the ck fog, the more Iron consumed holy power. In the end, the only one that was getting exhausted was Iron.


    The Northeastern Army had no choice but to stop advancing to manage and care for the most important figure in their army. As a result, the forces from the North and the Northern Territories also had to change their movements.


    The territories that had been weakened by Iron¡¯s holy power had been turned into a fortress with the help of the priests and wizards¡¯ purification. After reducing the dark elves¡¯ territory by a huge margin, they were now setting up a strategy for their next huge operation.


    The ck fog casted all over the entire Northern Forest was now gradually being cleared away due to the holy power thatsted for a long time and therge-scale purification magic.


    As the fog slowly got cleared away, their view of the contaminated world tree. The problem was its distance. It was just too far.


    North! If things continued at this rate, this might be permanent?


    The entire Northern coalition had nned to stage a short-term war as they quickly advanced forward. However, it was extremely hard to pierce through the solid defenses set up by the dark elves and the nts that were tainted and transformed by the contaminated power.


    The contaminated power, which was different to the contaminated mana from the dimensional gate, had changed the terrain and made it into a ce where beings from the void and the space could live. This made it hard for Iron to purify it with his holy power.


    However, it was difficult to break through it with just the power from the Northern coalition alone.


    ¡°Hooo¡­ In the end, are we going to gamble?¡±


    The expression of the executives from the Northeastern Army hardened when they heard Crimson sigh.


    It seemed like they had to take a gamble and do the operation that they had nned before Iron had gained the stigmata.


    All of them bowed their heads at the thought ofing back full circle and doing the operation where they had to put everything at stake to fight and end the war in a short and quick battle.


    ¡°Anyway, I think it¡¯s time we start the meeting.¡±


    All of them nodded as they agreed with Crimson¡¯s words. All of them knew that they couldn¡¯t afford to fight a war in the long-term so they now had to make a decision. Fortunately, they were able to reach the vicinity of the contaminated world tree with Iron¡¯s help.


    Although they were still expecting to make huge sacrifices, it was not entirely a hopeless gamble like the n that they had at first. After all, they had sessfully reduced the front and had all of the forces of their coalition stationed nearby.


    Everyone began preparing for the day where they might probably fight theirst war.


    ¨D The <b>Main Quest</b>: ¡®The North¡¯s Final War¡¯ has started.


    The North and the dark elves are both preparing for their final bout. Completely purify the roots of the contaminated World Tree. This is a main quest and is an important quest and its result would determine the direction that the entire continent would go in the future.


    ¨D <b>If you seed</b> : The rewards that you will receive will be based on your Contributions + Stability of the North + the help that you can bring to the Main Quest in the future.


    ¨D <b>If you fail</b> : Progression of the North Destruction quest + Activation of the Complete Contamination of the World Tree quest.


    Unlike the special quests that were only given to Iron, the main quest was officially given to all of the users.


    Iron was wondering why the main quest was not yet issued in the West, East and South but it did not matter. Since the North was the first and only ce to issue a main quest, all of the users in the continent had begun to flock to the North.


    Of course, no user who aimed to survive, make money through the gates and those at the top who were currently conducting important quests in each region had appeared. It was more advantageous for users who had entered each region because of their needs to stay in their region rather than join inte in the North. Just like the White Whale guild in the East. Although there were quite a few users who did not participate because of their own thoughts and calctions, most of the users still flocked to the North. However, it was not just the users who flocked to the North.


    ¡°The weapon spoke?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I told you.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    The mercenaries snorted at their colleagues¡¯ words as they smacked him on the back of the head.


    However, the mercenary was not the only person to have experienced something like that. Some people heard voices from an old cane, some from a ne and there were even some who heard from animals. And all of them had been telling them to go to the North.


    If they were just speaking nonsense, they would have definitely gone to the priests and attributed it to ghosts but they weren¡¯t the only ones to have heard these things talk.


    ¡°You signed a contract with a spirit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Isn¡¯t that what I told you? It was a cute beast that came out of the ne!¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ I can¡¯t believe that this guy has be a spirit¡¯s master¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the North together. This guy keeps on telling me to go, there must be something there!¡±


    The man¡¯s colleague pondered for a long time before nodding his head.


    Scenes like these continued to happen all over the continent. In every case, they heard or saw a weapon or an object move and speak. Some heard the request of an old soul while some heard the voice of a divine and noble being. And because of this, they all moved. What they all had inmon was the fact that they should head North.


    Shortly thereafter, the Divine Nation announced God¡¯s revtion to the world.


    [ The evil that will swallow up and devour this continent is being awakened in the North, stop them!


    For the chosen, do not doubt. Do not hesitate and question the voice and head to the North!


    Then, blessings would be given to you. ]


    Those who had been suspicious began to head to the North after hearing the Saintess¡¯ deliver God¡¯s words.


    But light had always existed together with darkness.


    If there were people who wished to gain new strength through God¡¯s voice and the voices of transcendental beings on the same level and went to the North to give strength and finally end the war, there were also people who willingly devoted and sold their souls to evil.


    ¨D Do you thirst for revenge? Then, sign a contract with me.


    ¡°Then¡­ can you give me the revenge that I wanted?¡±


    A girl suddenly heard a strange and eerie voice from somewhere. However, for a girl, who was wrought in despair and had everything that she had ruined, she had no other choice but to grab this hand.


    Before I died, I wanted to at least get revenge.


    And the devil reached out to her at that moment.


    ¨D Believe me. You will gain the power to take revenge the moment you sign a contract with me¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    ¨D Good! You will be able to take revenge as soon as you finish signing a contract with me. After that, you will go to the North and help the dark elves ording to my will. You will, right?


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ck energy began to soar in her body the moment the girl answered her agreement. Her eyes slowly turned red as the power of the void engulfed the surrounding area.


    And on that very same day, a loanshark¡¯s home, who smashed a small girl¡¯s house, was turned into a sea of blood. The corpses of the people in the house were terribly and brutally shredded until none of them could be recognized. But no one grieved for their death. After all, they had been vicious as they ferociously gave high-interest loans to the people of the vige.


    The vigers guessed that the culprit was the small girl since she disappeared and none of them could find her anywhere. Even the guards tried to find her with the help of the people¡¯s testimony but they couldn¡¯t find a single trace.


    These events began to take ce all over the continent.


    ¡°The vige is on fire!¡±


    ¡°The lord vomited blood and copsed!¡±


    ¡°A baron died after having an affair!¡±


    There was a sudden increase in mysterious and strange events. Because of this, the security guards and inspectors¡¯ work had increased dozens of times. However, they had long been stained with corruption and were unable topletely investigate the case.


    However, after a while, a priest found out that there were traces of evil energy from the ces that these rumors had surrounded. Because of that the Imperial Inspectors and the Divine Nation were thrown into confusion. They were afraid that they would be reprimanded because of the actions that were done by ck mages or those who had contracted with the devil. They were sure that the people would protest. And they felt afraid at the thought of going to jail with their clothes off.


    Fortunately, the people paid more attention to the North than these small rumors. This was because signs of the beginning of a great war, the next great war after the Northeast and the East, had appeared in the North.


    ¡°Extra! Extra! A great war has begun in the North!¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements, and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 125 - The Great Northern War (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(125)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>43 </b>The Great Northern War (2)


    The news about the great war in the North began to spread in the Empire.


    The one who started it were the dark elves.


    The Lion Family Head, the Northern Commander and the Northeast Commander, these three master level beings stood against the fallen forest¡¯s great spirit of the evil god, the contaminated keeper, and the brainwashed Forest Maw, these three beings that suddenly appeared in the forest.


    Just like in the East where they had summoned the devil god¡¯s apostle, the dark elves had also called for the high-leveled fallen beings of the forest. The dark elves had corrupted the spirit king who dreamt of bing a great spirit. They also contaminated the forest keeper who tried to save the spirit king and turned it into a ve of the void. They had also turned the divine beast, who was in the form of a mountain turtle, who loved the forest dearly and turned it into the fallen Forest Maw. All three of these creatures were the very worst among all of the dark elves¡¯ creations that they had made through their maniption. These three were the strongest of their creations and even a master couldn¡¯t deal with one alone. After all, they were the creatures that they invested almost all of their time and efforts in.


    [ The Northern Coalition¡¯s Crisis! ]


    This article in the newspaper had spread all over the capital.


    With the sudden appearance of three master-level beings, the entire Northern region began to tremble in anxiety. It seemed like a crisis had truly fallen over the Northern Coalition, who they had thought were smooth sailing their way through the war.


    Although they had asked for help from the Capital, it was already nigh impossible to send them help. After all, they were already unable to cover for themselves. In the end, they were still able to maintain some sort of bnce against the contaminated beings that the dark elves had summoned by pouring and using all of their main forces¡¯ power. However, the problem was the dark elves. ording to their current information, the head of the dark elves was a master-ss being. In addition, all of the dark elves had extraordinary talents. It would be extremely hard to deal with the dark elves with just their remaining troops.


    Just then, the users began to gather one by one to hunt around the Northern Forest.


    The users with their own unique abilities were able to gain some sort of power from this ce as they began to ¡®hunt¡¯ the dark elves with much strongerbat skills and abilities. And with the appearance of ¡®The Chosen Ones¡¯, victory gradually tilted towards the side of the Northern Coalition. Of course, those who had made contracts with the devil had also appeared to fight against these chosen ones. This made the tide of the battle in the Northern Forest return to some sort of limbo where they could not determine who would win or who would lose.


    Nevertheless, the situation of the Northern Coalition was still starting to get better.


    They did not know how they found out, but the users were able to dig up information about the dark elves which made it easier for them to target and kill them.


    ¡°Stop them from running away!¡±


    ¡°This is very different from the records? What kind of power is that?¡±


    ¡°Stop them first!¡±


    ¡°Dodge the arrows and rush forward! Most of them are weak in closebat! Let¡¯s surround them and beat them to a pulp!¡±


    Plenty of users flocked to hunt a single dark elf.


    They targeted the weakness of the dark elves, who were close to assassins in terms of skills. They also set fire and set off sh bombs to prevent them from hiding under the darkness as much as possible before isting a dark elf. Then, they would start their hunt. Although they suffered casualties during the process, the users never gave up as they killed them one by one.


    There might not be any treasures in the North like in the East, but there was one reason why the users were flocking to the North to hunt the dark elves.


    ¡®Dark Elf Hunter.¡¯


    This was because they were able to receive and make an achievement right away. The effects of the achievement ¡®Dark Elf Hunter¡¯ differ from person to person but there was onemon effect across users. It gave additional damage against forces from the void and darkness. In addition, if the user was not a hero, then the achievement would turn into a title. If it was a title and it was the user¡¯s one and only title, the effect would be strengthened.


    Most of the users who flocked to the North were those who did not have any title as of yet. For the users, there was no better effect than the effect of this title since they were sure that they would continue to fight against beings who had fallen and had been contaminated by the void.


    They hunted the dark elves to get this title in consideration for their future. And if they continued to participate in the Northern War, then they were most likely going to receive greater achievements by the end of it all.


    In other words, the achievements alone were enough for the users toe to the North. The fact that the dark elves had weapons, clothes and supplies were just additional. They were all rare and could be used as they were or probably remodeled and sold at a hefty price. That was the main reason why they were hell-bent on hunting the dark elves.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Iron looked at the dark elf that he had just killed in disappointment.


    The achievement ¡®Dark Elf Hunter¡¯ that the users received had a very useful achievement effect. However, it did not appear for Iron no matter how many he killed. After all, he had already received far greater achievements by killing the dark elves and destroying their ns in the Winter Mountains.


    Besides, if he got greedy for such an achievement while having the stigmata, he would just be really stepping into his own grave. So he decided to stop.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too dangerous?¡±


    Lintel suddenly popped up beside Iron as he spoke to him.


    Right now, Iron was the most important person on the battlefield. Since the core figure of the great Northern war hade forward, the Ghosts had no choice but to keep up and match his pace to protect him.


    They might not know what they would do if the dark elves suddenly appeared in this situation when Crimson was not around. After all, both themanders and the Lion Family Head were busy fighting against the fallen ancient beings.


    ¡°I came here to test something.¡±


    Iron looked at the forest with regret as he said that. He stared at the huge ck tree in the distance before speaking to Lintel again.


    ¡°I think that ck tree is getting darker?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Now that I look at it, yeah. I think so too.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened at Lintel¡¯s confirmation.


    He thought that their side might get the advantage over time because the dark elves were in confusion but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    If he was really a risk that could cause a crisis, the head of the dark elves would have long gone after him. The fact that the head of the dark elves and their main force were still guarding the world tree meant that they were buying more time. Iron and the executives knew this. They also knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get in easily.


    ¡°Is it a good sign that the ck tree is getting darker?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ we need to make a solution soon.¡±


    Lintel sighed at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the situation too shitty?¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly at Lintel.


    The reason why the dark elves did not appear despite Iron baiting them and appearing in dangerous ces meant that they were buying time as they guarded the world tree. The dark elves could also probably have fallen into a crisis because the users had joined the fray. It could be one or the other. But whatever their situation was, it was time for them to move instead of staying stagnant in this ce.


    When Iron had conveyed these thoughts to Caeden Wall, themander of the Vanguard Corps, he nodded in agreement. Anyway, a war in the long-term waspletely impossible with the North¡¯s situation. So, they had to grasp this opportunity well and finally determine who would win and who would lose.


    ¡°Call all of the soldiers. We will determine who wins and loses once the sun rises tomorrow.¡±


    The officers began to move in earnest at Caeden¡¯s orders.


    Seeing them move, Iron also hurriedly went to themunication officer to contact someone.


    At Caeden¡¯s orders, the Northeastern Army began to move. And the Northern Army also began to move and follow their steps. Even territorial allied forces began to move under the leadership of n and Kate. It could be said that almost the entire Northern Coalition moved for the final battle.


    Caeden looked at the forest under the night sky as he prepared for the battle.


    The forest near the world tree. That would be their final battlefield.


    ¡°We can do it.¡±


    Caeden mumbled to himself as he continued to gaze at the forest.


    They were able to reach the vicinity of the world tree with Iron¡¯s help. If they do well, they would probably be able to arrive within the day.


    The reason why they couldn¡¯t enter the forest was because Iron¡¯s holy power couldn¡¯t purify itpletely but it was not the time for them to fuss about that.


    On the day that they decided to risk it all and enter the forest where the world tree was, themanders and the Lion Family Head were informed of the state of their operation.


    Perhaps heaven helped them?


    Or maybe it was because of the users¡¯ activities?


    Arge number of dark elves¡¯ el began to move. With the death of their reconnaissance team, some of the elites of the dark elves began to move to stop the users.


    ¡°It¡¯s most likely a trap but¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no turning back now.¡±


    Caeden smiled bitterly when Iron answered him like that.


    They could see the dark elves¡¯ tricks clearly.


    Unless they were fools, the dark elves would definitely know that they were preparing for an all-out war with their movements. Deliberately making a gap in such a situation meant that they were telling them toe quickly. Or perhaps it was just that they were confident enough to win despite taking out some of their elites.


    Even though they knew this, they still had to move. As time passed by, the ck tree grew increasingly darker which turned the air that they breathe into this disgusting and contaminated air. To prevent this from worsening any further, they had to move. They had to move before everything was toote.


    Vwooooooo!


    The re of the horns and the trumpets rang loudly as soon as the sun rose signalling the troops that it was time for them to move.


    The Drake Unit and the Airship Unit also began to rain down bombs as they assisted the moving troops. The wizards also began casting theirrge-scale magic as they fired their me and lightning magic. They intended to burn down the entire forest and clear the way.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Therge explosions shook the ground andpletely overturned the contaminatednd.


    ck fog began to stretch out and devour the soldiers that moved to enter the forest.


    Then, at that moment, the stigmata on Iron¡¯s chest glowed brightly as it began to purify and erase the unclean things that surrounded them.


    Since it was difficult to purify the entire forest, he thought that he should at least purify the fog. He practiced non-stop ever since they stopped their advance to control his power and was fortunately able to achieve some results from his hard work.


    ¡°Stop them at the front! Pierce through to the world tree!¡±


    At Caeden¡¯s orders, the knights took the lead and cut through the front as the soldiers blocked and killed the monster nts in their formation.


    Contaminated tree roots would approach the soldiers from time to time but they were easily cut off each time with weapons that had been doused in holy water.


    After they found out that Iron¡¯s overwhelming holy power was limited to only a fewrge-scale battles, they found a way where they did not need topletely depend on Iron¡¯s holy power. With the help of the priests, they added buffs and amplified their weapons and armors by dousing them with holy water and holy power. This way, Iron would not need to ¡®clean¡¯ everything by himself while maintaining the sanctuary. And they have seeded with this strategy so far.


    Literally ¡®so far¡¯.


    Baaaang!


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Carl Gustav hurriedly swung his sword at the powerful arrow that wasing their way. Even Iron shed his sword with all his might. But even if they did their best, Gustav still received injuries from this single attack. It was so powerful that two 6th Stage warriors were forced to take a step back.


    ¡°Tch! Is this it?¡±


    Caeden clicked his tongue.


    He thought that they would be able to cover a lot of distance since they had the advantage with their long-distance artillery and soldiers equipped with rifles. He wanted to take advantage of the distance between their armies and move forward little by little while whittling the numbers of the dark elves, but the master-level figure suddenly appeared. What was worse was the fact that he was an archer who could attack from a long-distance with his arrow that was at a level that was simr to a bomb.


    In this situation, the distance was no longer an advantage for the Northern Coalition.


    ¡°Prepare to charge!¡±


    The knight orders immediately prepared to charge forward while the rangers went into the forest to clear the way. Although there would be a lot of sacrifices in the process, they had no choice but to do it.


    He had no choice but to order his men to attack even at the risk of having huge sacrifices. At the same time, Iron and the other troops also advanced quickly.


    More arrows flew in Iron¡¯s direction. Caeden and the other corpsmanders took turns blocking the arrows as they moved forward. Iron also summoned his divine beasts as they began their march. The divine beasts were in charge of keeping the dark elves in check as they moved forward.


    As the 6th Stage group advanced forward while protecting Iron, the head of the dark elves, who was hiding up until now, suddenly appeared. After all, there was no point in hiding when Phoenix had razed the forest down to the ground while Two Moons swept and caused chaos in the dark elves¡¯ corps.


    ¡°God¡¯s apostle¡­ you will die here today.¡±


    The eyes of the head of the dark elves turned purple as he aimed at Iron with his huge arrow created from aura.


    The corpsmanders and Carl Gustav all prepared to receive this attack and fight against the head of the dark elves to protect Iron. However, themanders couldn¡¯t help but sweat in trepidation. The heavy momentum of the dark elf in front of them was enough to prevent the soldiers from moving. They were once again reminded of how monstrous a master was. However, they were warriors who had reached the 6th Stage and they could not be easily frightened by just his momentum. They shouted loudly and tried to boost their own morale.


    Then, the head of the dark elves¡¯ arrow flew in.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The warriors of the 6th Stage were pushed back by the arrow and injured one by one. But they were able to endure it. After all, its power was halved thanks to fighting in the sanctuary that Iron had created.


    The attack was powerful enough to overwhelm all of the 6th Stage warriors present even at half the power but they were still able to endure it.


    ¡®We can do it!¡¯


    When this thought shed in Iron¡¯s and themanders¡¯ heads, the being in front of them sent a more powerful attack as if he wasughing at their useless thoughts.


    A huge purple arrow that was able to tear up a hole in the sanctuary flew towards Iron.


    When the thought that they could not prevent this attack shed in their heads, a huge spear of ice suddenly flew in and shed with the purple arrow head-on.


    ***


    <b>TL¡¯s corner!</b>


    Me (who forgot what happened next while TLingte at night and being so sleepy): My goodness, what a cliffhanger. Lol. still, sorry not sorry.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 126 - The Great Northern War (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(126)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>43 </b>The Great Northern War (3)


    The sh between the purple arrow and the ice spear created a huge explosion.


    Although the human army had suffered considerable damage from the attack, it was still considered a failure since the arrow that was aimed at Iron was blocked. The spear was strong enough to block the arrow.


    The head of the dark elves couldn¡¯t help but clench his teeth when thousands of ice arrows rained down on him to keep him in check.


    ¡°Magic Master¡­¡±


    A magic master was the only being powerful enough to use a magic that could block that attack. And there was only one person who knew how to do this kind of magic in the entire Empire.


    ¡°Is it the Eastern Commander?¡±


    Iron and the Ghosts moved as the head of the dark elves bit his lips. After all, this was the greatest time for them to pierce through since their greatest enemy was being blocked.


    ¡°Where¡­ You should y with me.¡±


    The magic master that suddenly appeared in the air smiled as he spoke to the head of the dark elves.


    ¡°Eastern Commander¡­¡±


    The head of the dark elves was gritting his teeth as he red at him. But he could only do so much. After all, just a single nce away from a magic master-level being could put him at a disadvantage especially after he used up almost all of his strength.


    While the head of the dark elves were being blocked by the Eastern Commander, the Ghosts and the corpsmanders as well as the knight orders advanced towards the world tree. The soldiers also hurriedly followed behind them and covered their backs.


    While the tens of thousands of men of the coalition advanced, the dark elves¡¯ army also desperately moved to block them. However, the difference between their armies was toorge. And Iron¡¯s sanctuary was also an obstacle to them. It was too disadvantageous for them since their void power kept on being purified while all their other attacks were being halved inside the sanctuary.


    ¡°Defend this ce no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Stop the humans!¡±


    The dark elves resisted them as theymanded thousands of contaminated ents and trents. They gritted their teeth and stopped them from piercing through their defenses since they believed that everything would be over once they had broken through them.


    But the humans were also in a hurry. Failure to break through this ce meant that they had to participate in a long-term war and that would spell the North¡¯s doom.


    Both sides fought fiercely. They knew that they could not retreat otherwise they would face the most desperate points in their lives. They continuously fought bloody battles near the vicinity of the world tree.


    But perhaps the god of luck was on the humans¡¯ side?


    The 6th Stage corpsmanders and knights were able to pierce a hole through the walls made out of tree monsters. The Northeastern knights and the Ghosts were able to squeeze through the gap and finally enter the area where the world tree was.


    ¡°S¡­ stop them!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    The dark elves were flustered as they tried to stop them. But it was already toote, the knights and the Ghosts were already running towards the world tree.The dark elves protecting the world tree also stepped up to stop them but because of the huge difference in number, they each died one after the other.


    ¡°Fufufufu¡­ You bastards will¡­ never¡­ be able to reach the world tree.¡±


    One of the dark elves was stabbed by a sword but he spat out words that sounded like a curse before dying. Everyone felt uneasy but they did not have enough time to care about it. Since this was an opportunity that everyone risked their lives to make for them, they had to do their best. All they could do was head to the world tree without any dy.


    ¡®If it¡¯s my stigmata¡­¡¯


    He thought that his constantly emitted holy power could prevent the world tree from beingpletely contaminated. So, Iron approached the world tree. Several nt monsters had blocked them but the knights were able to cut them off and let him reach the world tree safely.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°These crazy bastards!¡±


    ¡°Trashy bastards!¡±


    The knights cursed as soon as they arrived at the world tree. The same was true for the Ghosts. While everyone was busy angrily cursing at the dark elves and their crazy actions, Iron nodded heavily. It seemed like he finally knew why the quest name was like that.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    There were numerous bodies piled up in front of the world tree. And all of the unclean energy that these piles of corpses were emitting were contaminating the ck tree faster. From human bodies to animal corpses, all of them were piled up. Even the bodies of the dark elves were piled together.


    There was even a dimensional gate opened in the center of the huge ck tree with red tentacles winding around the branches and trunk of the tree as it promoted the pollution of the surroundings.


    ¡°The world tree dyed with blood¡­¡±


    The ckness of the tree grew darker with the blood of the numerous corpses as its nutrients and it was still being contaminated at this moment. There was also another world tree being raised by taking one of the roots of the world tree. It seemed like their n was to turn this ck tree into the contaminated core that would swallow the entire North into the void. It was a huge n that waspletely different from their n back in the Northeast.


    But he could still prevent it now.


    ¡°Please make a path for me.¡±


    The knights all went into formation at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Make a path!¡±


    All the knights ran forward at the cry of the Knight Order Commander, Cassim. As if they were waiting, numerous bugs appeared around the world tree and flew towards them. They did not know if they evolved from the void insects but all of these gigantic bugs had the power of the void in them.


    ¡°Pierce through!¡±


    The knights cut down the bugs as they did their best to create a path with the 6th Stage Cassim at the lead. These thousands of void bugs were no longer a problem for these knights who had cut down void insects countless times.


    Iron ran through the path created by the knights with the Ghosts assisting him. They thought that there would be no problem in entering the world tree if they continued on at this rate.


    Crackle!


    Suddenly, a red me appeared and burned as spirits appeared in front of the Ghosts.


    ¡°El¡­ f¡­?¡±


    Carl Gustav¡¯s pupils shook at the sudden appearance of the blonde elves. The same was true for the other Ghosts.


    ¡°¡­How¡­?¡±


    One of the elves stepped forward and answered Carl Gustav¡¯s question.


    ¡°For our survival and revenge.¡±


    The silver-haired elf, which was different from the rest of the blonde elves, stared at Gustav and the Ghosts.


    ¡°So, why aren¡¯t you corrupted?¡±


    ¡°Because we don¡¯t like the void. Even if we hold hands for a while and sign a contract with them, we don¡¯t have any intention of epting the void.¡±


    The silver-haired elf spoke as if it was only natural after being asked by Carl.


    ¡°What we want is our revenge on the humans who oppressed us, the elves, and our survival once the void has corroded this world.¡±


    The elf, who looked like he was working on something, shook his hand as he lifted the bow. Then, numerous spirits showed hostility against the Ghosts. Suddenly, the silver-haired elf looked at Iron.


    ¡°God¡¯s apostle? It seems like the world tree wants to test you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to take a test from a fallen and corrupted world tree.¡±


    Iron sted his mana into his sword as he said so. But the silver-haired elf just spoke with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Your will doesn¡¯t matter, everything is ording to the great world tree¡¯s will¡­ If you ovee all of these trials and reach the world tree, you will be at least safe from the void encroaching upon the North. Of course¡­ I will still defeat you and carry out the will that I have received from the world tree.¡±


    The silver-haired elf summoned the great spirits as he spoke. Iron hurriedly called out to his divine beasts when he saw that.


    The Ghosts began to fight against the elves as soon as the two divine beasts and the great spirits of the wind and the earth fought against each other.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pierce through them somehow, so go inside!¡±


    All of the Ghosts nodded at him with a firm look at Lintel¡¯s words. Seeing their determination, Iron had no choice but to grit his teeth and advance forward.


    Arrows poured in and numerous spirits blocked them but the Ghosts made a path for him with all their might.


    However, no matter how strong the Ghosts were, they could not avoid receiving damages against hundreds of elves.


    ¡°Keok!¡±


    ¡°Tunace!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us and leave!¡±


    Iron looked back when he saw an arrow hitting Tunace straight in the chest but Lintel stopped him coldly. Meanwhile, Soria also copsed after being hit by dozens of arrows. Starting with the two, Jimmel, Gordon and Span also vomited blood after being hit by numerous arrows. Nevertheless, the Ghosts persistently rushed forward and tried to kill just one more elf.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Lintel followed Iron until the very end. He pushed him to move forward as he blocked the way. The elves that were following them quickly rushed towards Lintel. They were in a situation where they might really be wiped out.


    Iron gritted his teeth and advanced. With the Ghosts fighting to their deaths and the two divine beasts out there stopping the others with them, Iron had only himself to trust.


    ¡°Can you even get past me?¡±


    ¡°I have to.¡±


    Iron wrapped his entire body with his steel mana as he answered the silver-haired elf. The elf showed his strength when he felt Iron¡¯s firm will.


    Elves attack with pure energy from nature. They used the elemental technique that used pure energy, a technique and energy that was extremely hard to find right now.


    However, since they weren¡¯t a part of the main force, he was not of the master-ss level unlike the head of the dark elves. His main strength was spiritual techniques. But since he had lived for a long time, even his elemental technique was so powerful that it could already be on par with a master¡¯s attack.


    ¡®But it¡¯s still worth a try.¡¯


    Although he was an elf with a tremendous amount of experience, Iron believed that he could do it. As long as his divine beasts were able to tie up the spirits then he could do it. And since his divine beasts couldn¡¯t use their full strength because of hisck of skills, he needed to settle and deal with the silver-haired elf as soon as possible.


    Fortunately, steel mana was not his only weapon.


    ¡°I can do it!¡±


    Iron ran forward as he shouted his vow. He ran forward as he cut down the spheres of elements that flew towards him.


    Thorns made out of sharp wind.


    A fire barrier zing hotly.


    Spears of ice created from flowing water.


    Spikes that popped out from the ground and blocked his path.


    Shiiiiik!


    His frost helped him get past through the fire barrier and his lightning blew away the wind thorns, ice spears and earth spikes. He endured the attacks of the elements with his power all the while receiving the silver-haired elf¡¯s attacks with his body.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    The silver-haired elf immediately blocked Iron¡¯s way the moment he defeated his elemental attacks. But Iron was filled with anger as he swung his sword at everything and sent an attack towards the elf.


    Crack, crack, crack!


    ¡°So, you were, in fact, reckless.¡±


    ¡°Can I even survive if I don¡¯t be reckless in this situation?¡±


    The silver-haired elf turned silent at Iron¡¯s question and his expression was still as emotionless as ever. Iron couldn¡¯t help but swing his sword crazily when he saw his expressionless face.


    Tremendous explosions urred all over the ce as lightning wound around Iron. However, the elf¡¯s elemental technique, which was close to the master¡¯s level, blocked all of Iron¡¯s unique abilities.


    Although one of his abilities failed, he was not disappointed. He just poured out his frost, lightning and steel mana towards the elf. His body kept on receiving injuries from the elemental attacks but he did not care and continued to challenge the elf in front of him.


    This was the only thing that he could do right now.


    Perhaps it was because of his efforts that an enormous holy power flowed out from the stigmata on Iron¡¯s chest that healed his body. It healed his body and assisted his mana by letting holy power flow into his sword all the while maintaining the sanctuary.


    As a result, he felt the fatigue umte in his body as the overwhelming urge to close his eyes washed over him. However, he persistently endured.


    For the first time, the silver-haired elf felt an emotion when he saw this human, with a body that looked like it would copse at any moment, continue to rush forward to him.


    ¡°Is this what they call surprise?¡±


    Surprised at the feelings that ran through his body, the elf looked at the sword that pierced through his elemental attacks.


    ¡°God¡¯s apostle¡­¡±


    The brilliant light was apanied with his indomitable will to never give up.


    The silver-haired elf was thrown back as a huge power swept and pierced through his elemental techniques.


    ¡°Kgghhk!¡±


    The silver-haired elf vomited blood after being stuck in one of the trees. But Iron did not care about him at all. He hurriedly went inside as he desperately kept his eyes open. He had to enter the world tree before he could lose consciousness.


    As he went inside the world tree, he saw a ce that was filled with void energy. There was also contaminated water running through the center of the tree and climbing up to the dimensional gate.


    The red tentacles felt that he was dangerous and flew down to attack him. But Iron cut them down one by one until he finally arrived in the ck springwater.


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    Iron ced his sword into the spring water contaminated by void energy as he hoped earnestly.


    At that moment, the contaminated energy that filled the tree gradually began to purify. The tree¡¯s appearance gradually changed as the white light and void energy collided. It was a truly spectacr sight, but unfortunately, Iron had already fainted.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 127 - World Tree’s Test (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(127)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>44 </b>World Tree¡¯s Test (1)


    After many sacrifices, Iron finally reached his destination. The purification of the contaminated spring water had started with the enormous holy power coursing through his body. However, the pollution had already progressed for a long time so it could not be purified instantly. Even though he had fainted right away, the purification was still ongoing thanks to the holy power that continuously emerged from his body.


    However, contaminated energy still ran rampant above the tree. But perhaps it was because of the holy power? The tree, which was gradually returning to its original color, began to press on the dimensional gate and made it shrink.


    The red tentacles that were wrapped and wound around the tree immediately let go of the tree and clung to the gate to move it elsewhere the moment the tree began to fill in the crack. It was as if the tree did not want to allow the gate to stick to its body anymore.


    While the tree and the gate fought, the users who were focused solely on hunting the dark elves heard a string of notifications.


    ¨D The <b>Main Quest </b>World Tree¡¯s Test has begun. This quest is linked to The North¡¯s Final War.


    ¨D The ck tree (World Tree¡¯s root) is currently being purified. Protect the ck tree until it ispletely purified.


    ¨D This quest is the most important condition for winning The North¡¯s Final War.


    The users hesitated for a bit before raising their weapons high and joining the Northern Coalition¡¯s frontlines.


    Since the users, who were only focused on hunting the dark elves outside of the forest, joined the war, victory gradually tilted towards the Northern Coalition¡¯s side.


    But the problem was the ck tree.


    The Iron Wall Division and the rangers, who arrived just a stepter, had begun their attack on the elves. The elves started to retreat the moment the troops arrived and fought against them.


    The troops immediately helped the injured men that came out from inside the elves¡¯ defense line. It was surprising that they were fighting against the normal elves, not the dark elves, but they found it even more surprising to find the majority of their famous knights were lying dead or were seriously injured on the ground.


    ¡°Cassim!¡±


    The bloody Knight Order Commander, Cassim, fainted when he saw the Iron Wall Division¡¯smander. The soldiers immediately helped the other knights as they copsed one by one. It was as if they had finally reached the end of the limits of their mental and physical states but they only let go after seeing them.


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    As theyid down Cassim, who had received first aid, and advanced forward, they were able to see the Ghosts who fought until the very end.


    ¡°Keok! Kgghhk!¡±


    ¡°Are you alright? Drink this first.¡±


    Valios, the Iron Wall Division Commander, hurriedly rushed and helped Carl Gustav when he saw him vomit blood and lose grip on his sword. He immediately took out a potion and poured it into Carl¡¯s mouth before pouring the rest over his grave injuries. However, his injuries were so severe that the healing power of the potion couldn¡¯t solve itpletely.


    ¡°In¡­ inside¡­ Lieutenant Colonel Iron¡­ is¡­ inside¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t need to speak anymore.¡±


    Valios looked around as he said so.


    Although he came as fast as he could, many of the Northeastern Knights had already died. Even theirmander, Cassim, was seriously injured and had already fallen unconscious.


    They could see the Ghosts lying on the ground as they rushed to the ck tree after giving first aid to the surviving and heavily injured men. Most of the Ghosts, who had survived countless crises, were now dead. The only ones to survive were Carl Gustav, Billie Brandt and Lintel Verner, those who fought until the bitter end.


    ¡°The¡­ there¡¯s someone alive here!¡±


    Valios nodded heavily as he hurriedly checked the face of the person after hearing the soldier¡¯s cry.


    ¡°Is this Milton?¡±


    Valios nodded again. He knew this face very well.


    There was only one more Ghost who survived. Considering that they were the Northeast¡¯s best of the best, having more than half of them die like that was an extremely painful loss.


    That went to show just how difficult the battle was. Perhaps there were even more deaths in the Northern Army than in the Northeastern Army.


    ¡°It would have been nice if all of them had lived and only had severe injuries¡­¡±


    Valios sighed. He knew that he was just being greedy.


    He saved the surviving Ghosts with minimal first aid before hurriedly entering the tree at Carl¡¯s urging.


    He could see traces of a fierce battle the further he went inside the tree. But he couldn¡¯t find anyone.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think Lieutenant Colonel Iron had won but¡­¡±


    Based on the scars that the sword had left behind, he could tell that Iron had won. However, there was nothing here except for the blood stains that were left on the walls of the tree. Valios hurriedly followed the traces and went deeper inside.


    At one point, he felt the tremendous holy power that formed a barrier which prevented him from moving further inside. He wanted to force it open but when he thought that it must be Iron¡¯s power, he stopped acting and just squinted to look inside the barrier.


    There inside, was Iron, who had fainted, with his sword dipped in the spring water. After realizing that he could not break through the barrier, Valios went outside again and shouted to his troops.


    ¡°We¡¯re turning this ce into our stronghold! Get ready!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    He ordered his troops in the Iron Wall Division to fortify the defenses and turn this ce into a stronghold while calling for the other troops.


    Medic units quickly set up tents as troops arrived one after the other arrived and gathered to create facilities for the injured.


    The battle continued. But, when the troops sessfully broke through the elves and the dark elves from inside their defense line, their enemies began to flee to the forest one by one.


    Since their defense line had been broken through, they now risked an immediate annihtion if they stayed here and got attacked from both sides. That was the reason why they retreated to the forest. After all, the Northern Forest was still contaminated, and would remain as the dark elves¡¯ realm. Even the elves, who retreated from the ck tree, also hid in the forest and waited for another opportunity.


    ¡°The war is not yet over!¡±


    The Ranger Division Commander Davin Archer shouted as he tried to soothe and raise the morale of the soldiers.


    Meanwhile, Sky Renz, who led the Drake Unit, brought supplies to build their camp around the ck tree.


    They had reached their target, the ck tree, but the war was not yet over. This was because the other-worlders, who arrived one after the other, informed them of the quest that they received as the users of the God Game.


    ¡°Protect the ck tree!¡±


    Upon hearing the content of the quest, the officers hurriedly informed the army and all of the troops began to gather around the ck tree.


    Now that the dark elves and the elves had retreated into the contaminated forest, all the troops that entered the forest joined the formation and gathered around the ck tree.


    The masters also gathered in the ck tree as the beings that the dark elves had summoned disappeared into the forest.


    ¡°The Ghosts¡­¡±


    Crimson couldn¡¯t speak when he identified the bodies of the Ghosts. All he did was cry as he identified them one by one. Majority of the Ghosts, who had survived many difficult battles, had died in this ce. Even the knight order had a lot of deaths. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh andment their loss.


    And this loss was not only happening in the Northeast.


    More than half of the North¡¯s Knight Order directly under Command had copsed. Even their special operation unit had recorded casualties that were more than half of their numbers.


    The Lion Family also lost half of its Blood Lions while many of its Silver Lions and Steel Lions had also lost their lives.


    Even the territorial forces had lost a number of their knights and wizards.


    This made it hard for all of them to rebuild their forces. Perhaps they would need at least a decade of hard work to rebuild their forces once again.


    However, despite their huge losses, the battle still had not yet ended.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The dark elves invaded once again the moment the darkness of the night fell. And with this the battle over the ck tree had begun once again. This time, it was the human army who was defending.


    As more support came from the outside through the airships, they began to pressure the elven army while fighting against the dark elves and protecting the ck tree.


    A fierce and bloody battle had started once again. The elves and the humans knew that this would be their final showdown so all of them fought fiercely against each other.


    ¡°Everything will be over once we lose here! Stop them no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    ¡°You just have to hold on a bit longer!¡±


    The elven alliance tried so hard to recapture the ck tree while the humans tried to raise their morale and endure their attacks.


    Fortunately for the dark elves, the gate itself was not yet destroyed thanks to the efforts of the red tentacles. Thanks to the void energy that was still continuously being injected in their body, they were still able to continue this war.


    The ck tree gradually recovered its original appearance as this war that neither side could easily finish continued on. The ck fog also began to disappear which indicated the start of the Northern Forest¡¯s recovery. Iron¡¯s holy power and power of naturebined together and gradually purified the forest.


    The dark elves began to get impatient when they saw that the forest and the ck tree was gradually recovering.


    The root of the world tree is being cleansed?


    How much time and effort did we spend to make this n?


    The n that they had made at the risk of their corruption to get revenge on the humans was about to copse. The human that had stopped them in Winter Mountain was also trying to break down their ns once again. Regardless, they were still on the verge of failure.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop it anymore.¡±


    The head of the dark elves shed tears of blood as he stared at the world tree that was gradually being purified.


    Vicious humans.


    He was furious that he couldn¡¯t take his revenge on the Imperials that harassed them when all they did was live in peace. More than that, he felt deep hatred and anger at the fact that they would lose.


    ¡°We¡¯ll fight until the end.¡±


    All of the dark elves nodded their heads at the words of the head of the dark elves. They had no other opportunity. They had made this n while signing a contract with the void. So, all of them were determined to die the moment the n failed.


    While the dark elves continued to fight the fierce battle against the humans, Iron¡¯s consciousness, who had gradually purified the world tree, returned.


    ¨D So, you came back to your senses.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    A green fairy was sitting on a branch of the world tree and staring at Iron. However, he did not feel any powerful and fierce forceing from the fairy. Instead, he felt a pure and rxing power, just like the power of nature that was always next to them. That was all that he could feel. When he looked closely at the fairy, he could see an enormous amount of this energy flowing in her body.


    ¡°World Tree?¡±


    ¨D You¡¯re quick on the uptake.


    The little fairy smiled upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¨D I came here because one of my roots is being purified.


    Iron looked at the World Tree silently as he listened to her words.


    ¨D You¡¯re about to pass my test.


    ¡°Test¡­¡±


    He looked at World Tree as he recalled the words of the silver-haired elf. The small fairy smiled when she saw the question filling Iron¡¯s eyes.


    ¨D I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious about a lot of things but there¡¯s not much I can tell you. There is a limit to what I can tell you since you didn¡¯t reallye to see me in person.


    ¡°Are you¡­ forsaking the elves?¡±


    The fairy tilted her head at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¨D I didn¡¯t expect that you would ask me that. I thought that you would ask about the world¡­ To answer that, it was their choice. And I¡¯m just respecting their choice¡­ Since they chose destruction, shouldn¡¯t I respect that choice?


    It sounded like some bullshit but Iron remained silent when he saw the sadness on the fairy¡¯s expression. But the fairy smiled brightly when she saw Iron looking at her like that.


    ¨D There¡¯s not much I can answer, but I can tell you this much. The North will be safe for quite some time. Well¡­ That will only be until that day arrives.


    ¡°That day?¡±


    ¨D I can¡¯t tell you the details. But I believe I need to make a choice by then. Whether to sign a contract with the void or¡­


    World Tree pursed her lips as she talked. She couldn¡¯t help but frown when she realized that she couldn¡¯t say anything anymore.


    ¨D If you want to know more, thene find me. This guy next to me wants to see you too¡­


    At the end of her words, the fairy turned into a sh of green light that gradually faded and disappeared.


    ***


    <b>TL¡¯s corner!</b>


    When Crimson called out ¡°The Ghosts¡­¡± I felt that. ¨i©n¨i


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 128 - World Tree’s Test (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(128)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>44 </b>World Tree¡¯s Test (2)


    After World Tree disappeared, the entire tree began to tremble and shake. Then, he heard the fierce sound of the battle from the outside. But even if Iron wanted to help, he couldn¡¯t move his body at all.


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡±


    This was because Iron¡¯s body was wrapped and tied around by roots and branches to the point that he couldn¡¯t move at all. Meanwhile, his holy power gradually spread throughout the tree and purified it along the process. Even if he tried to force his way out of the tree¡¯s hold on him, his holy power was still blocking him. He also couldn¡¯t boost his mana since it would automatically disappear because of the energy of nature and the holy power that were blocking him. It was like he was being told¡­ ¡®Stay put until this is purified!¡¯.


    ¡°Am I being kept locked in here?¡±


    Iron was left in low spirits as he copsed back on the ground after realizing that he couldn¡¯t go out of the tree until it waspletely purified. Then, the tree formed a chair and took care of Iron as if it wanted him to be asfortable as possible. It even brought fruits from somewhere and brought them in front of Iron.


    The growing energy of nature gradually turned into green balls of light. And before Iron knew it, the center of the tree, where he was located, was already filled with shining balls of light of varying degrees.


    ¡°World Tree¡­¡±


    One of the World Tree¡¯s moniker was Mother Nature. And that was the real identity of the ck tree. Although it was just one of its roots, it was still the World Tree in essence. That was why he could appreciate the various lights made of the energy of nature turned into spirits.


    The newly born spirits moved and flew around Iron when they felt the familiar powering from Iron. While Iron was in a daze as he looked at the lights surrounding him which made him feel loved by nature, the situation outside was disastrous.


    The Northern Coalition that couldn¡¯t back down.


    And the Elven Alliance that was aware of its defeat but was still fighting until the end.


    The bloody war between these two camps continued.


    Explosions rang loudly as numerous contaminated trees prated the defense line built by the human camp. Even though they tried their hardest to prevent them, humans still continued to die one after the other.


    Fortunately, time was not on the elves¡¯ side anymore.


    ¡°Ah¡­ aaaah¡­¡±


    Several dark elves copsed the moment the ck tree was purified. Among them, there were those who lost their strength and copsed as if the energy of nature had bound them. However, the red tentacle stationed around the dimensional gate immediately stretched its limbs and wrapped them around the dark elves topletely corrupt them. After the corruption they could no longer be considered as elves or any other creature on this world for that matter. They had purely be strange and bizarre creatures.


    The dark elves who had beenpletely corrupted and transformed into beings from the void had received a sudden boost in their power. Corrupted spirits came out at their call and attacked their enemies as contaminated energy corroded the surroundings whenever they swung their dirty and horrendous arms.


    Every time a dark elf died, apletely corrupted being woulde out and be created. And the more this happened, the more the front got pushed back.


    ¡°Fight until the end!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t back down!¡±


    Themanders vomited blood as they resisted while the soldiers fought with everything that they had. Thanks to their efforts, the front was barely maintained.


    Perhaps it was because of the admirable courage and bravery of these humans? Holy power began to emanate from the ck tree, the root of the world tree. Bright light suddenly swept the area as spirits, who originally hovered and appeared near the world tree, appeared one after the other.


    The spirits used a strong and huge amount of nature¡¯s energy as if they were venting their anger on the dark elves and the elves. The elves were so shocked to see that the beings who had always lent them their strength blocked them and fought against them. Some of the elves thought that everything was over for them so they let themselves rot and be corrupted by the energy of the void. When the elves were also devoured by the void¡¯s energy, the Northern War was turned into a war between beings of the void and humans.


    The power of the void, whichpletely corrupted the elves, opened the dimensional gate wider and summoned a stronger apostle. The root of the world tree immediately released a spirit that would counter this apostle. The forest was overturned as the holy sanctuary and the void energy collided fiercely to expand their own territories.


    While all of these were happening, the humans and the beings of the void confronted each other. Surprisingly enough, the ones to perform and fight well in this second war were not the masters nor the senior knights but the other-worlders.


    ¨D You have cut down a being of the void. Your contribution has increased for a bit. Your rewards will depend on your contribution so please work harder.


    This was the sound of the notification that they had heard whenever they cut down beings from the void. The appearance of these notifications brought a frenzy to the users as they began to fight against the beings of the void crazily. They even united together to target the weaknesses of the beings of the void just so they could cut down one more with their power. And it wasn¡¯t just the users who gathered and united. The chosen ones also felt that they became stronger every time they killed the beings of the void so they gathered together and fought against them more fiercely. Perhaps it was the prospect of bing stronger the moment they felt the rewards that they all became energized.


    ¡°That bastard is mine!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense! That¡¯s mine!¡±


    In just a short while, the united users and chosen ones began to kill their enemies individually. They even started iming targets as their own.


    Thanks to the users and the chosen ones running around wildly as the war progressed further, the coalition was given enough room to reorganize and prepare for a counterattack.


    And even though it was not as much as the users and the chosen ones, the soldiers also felt that they were growing stronger the more they killed the beings of the void.


    This was all thanks to the holy energy. Thanks to the sanctuary that it created, they were given an opportunity to y an active role in the battlefield, a role that they couldn¡¯t even do in the past. Some felt that this power was only temporary but even if this power disappeared after this battle, the soldiers would still be able to gain valuable experience. After all, after this once in a lifetime opportunity to fight, their experiences would remain in their heads and their body. If they were able to make these experiences their own, these soldiers would be able to take a step closer to being a stage stronger.


    The corrupted army began to copse as the human army gradually got stronger. However, they still resisted until the very end. It seemed like they did not want to step down from the North just like that so they attacked the humans fiercely.


    Half of the forest turned dark as the trees and other nts were transformed into terrible and strange figures that were sent to attack the humans. However, Iron¡¯s holy power was already being amplified and strengthened by the World Tree¡¯s root. With the amplification of the holy power, the sanctuary gradually expanded and covered the entire forest, burning down all of the beings contaminated by the void. It was as if the tree wanted to burn down all of the void energy that trespassed itsnd. Trees and nts even began to grow from the ashes of these burnt beings. Some of them even became the spirit of the Entna Flower, a being that could fight against the beings of the void.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the end?¡±


    The head of the dark elves looked nkly at the sky as he slowly turned to dust.


    He was able to use an enormous power in return for being corrupted but in the end, he had no choice but to give in to holy power. Because of his power, he had no choice but to face the wrath of the spirits of the world tree. So, he was not able to leave his body and was now about to face his extinction.


    Then, a man riding on a divine beast appeared while being apanied by the bright light of the sanctuary.


    ¡°Apostle¡­¡±


    The being who interfered with all of his ns. It seemed like he appeared to see his dying breath.


    ¡°Are you here to mock me?¡±


    The head of the dark elves asked him in a self-deprecating tone. But Iron just shook his head lightly as he spoke.


    ¡°I came to convey the words of the World Tree.¡±


    The head of the dark elves couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at Iron when he heard his words.


    At first, he thought that he came here to mock himself but based on his expression, he could tell that he was telling the truth. No matter how corrupt he was, he was still a high elf. That was why he could tell that his words were true.


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    The head of the dark elves forcibly stopped his copse with his superhuman strength to listen to the words of the world tree. Seeing this, Iron opened his mouth quickly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    These were the words that the root of the World Tree had conveyed to him while he was still trapped inside. The World Tree wanted him to deliver these words to her own children who had suffered. She just wanted to tell them that they had worked hard.


    However, the head of the dark elves¡¯ eyes widened as tears suddenly dripped down his cheeks.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    The head of the dark elves wanted to say something for thest time but he couldn¡¯t do so anymore. His body had turned to dust and disappeared. Perhaps it was because he had long reached his limits and was only forcing himself to listen to those words.


    Iron looked bitterly at the ce where the head of the dark elves disappeared before going to his next destination. The World Tree had two children and there was still one who remained.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    ¡°A monster.¡±


    ¡°A being close to a grand master?¡±


    He was a being that did not budge despite having three masters working closely together with the spirits.


    However, the head of the elves continued to injure them despite all of them fighting together. Since he had already lost, the head of the elves thought that he should just destroy everything. Originally, he could not overpower any of these masters no matter how strong he was. However, despite the fact that they had already lost, the head of the elves was showing a power that no one could ovee.


    The fusion of a high elf, the spirits and his determination to risk and bet his all gave him the courage to make a deal with the void. He gained a power that was far stronger than his original power in exchange for being corrupted by the void. And right now, he was given the power that turned him into a grandmaster while losing his intelligence. If things continued at this rate then he could put the Northern coalition in a crisis all by himself.


    Just when the masters and the spirits were thrown back after failing to withstand the power of the head of the elves and the void energy, holy mes and holy light suddenly fell down from the sky and illuminated the surroundings.


    The being that was so powerful that the masters and the spirits couldn¡¯t handle despite fighting together was gradually being pushed back at the appearance of Phoenix, who spat holy mes, and Two Moons, who emitted bright rays of lights. There was also a small bird that emitted a light that elerated his copse and turned his body into dust.


    Whenever the light touched his body, his power gradually decreased as his body turned to gray and broke down into ashes that disappeared in the wind.


    In the end, the power of the void escaped from his body after seeing that his almost copsed body couldn¡¯t handle its enormous power anymore.


    ¡°Kgghk!¡±


    The head of the elves stared nkly at the sky after being forced to kneel down and vomit ck blood. He was looking at the sky with a simr expression to the head of the dark elves earlier.


    Fshhhhhh.


    Just like the head of the dark elves, his body slowly turned into dust.


    Iron approached him.


    ¡°The world tree wanted me to ask¡­¡±


    Iron bowed down and put his face close to the head of the elves.


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±


    His eyes that were filled with nkness started to be colored with regret upon hearing Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Your answer?¡±


    The head of the elves bowed his head and did not speak despite Iron¡¯s urging. Seeing him like this, Iron straightened his back and epted this as his answer.


    ¡°Your young said that they would find peace in the world tree. Stop now and get your rest.¡±


    Iron delivered all of the words that the world tree wanted him to deliver before looking at him quietly. However, unlike the head of the dark elves, the head of the elves just stared at him nkly. Iron sighed.


    ¡°Stop it now. Even if you weren¡¯t here, the Empire is already half-destroyed. Isn¡¯t that enough for your revenge?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron sighed once again when the head of the dark elves did not answer him.


    The head of the elves opened his mouth quietly just when he was about to turn around and leave afterpleting his mission.


    ¡°¡­I want to ask you this one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Iron looked at him and asked as he watched the head of the elves slow down his copse with all his might.


    ¡°Are you¡­ loyal to the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Loyal?¡±


    Iron smirked when he heard the head of the elves¡¯ question.


    ¡°Not a chance in hell.¡±


    His eyes widened at Iron¡¯s unexpected answer. Then, Iron smiled as he continued to speak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about anywhere else but the Northeastern Army does not really like the human called the Emperor. He¡¯s the culprit for all of the troubles that we have and are experiencing in our lives.¡±


    The high elf looked at him nkly.


    Then, Iron approached him again before bowing and speaking quietly.


    ¡°I, for one, especially hate the Imperial Family. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to make sure that they fall and copse. Just so you know, I have already made a contract with the witch before. You can trust my words.¡±


    Iron smiled and stood up.


    The absent-minded head of the elves looked at him and finally smiled. Only then did he let go of himself and let the flow of copse start once again. It seemed like he was satisfied.


    ¡°I wish I had met you soo¡­¡±


    The head of the elves left those words and a sad expression as he turned to ashes and disappeared.


    At that moment, light bloomed in the sky as a voice spoke loudly in everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¨D Because you have passed the test, the blessings of nature will remain with the North in the future.


    As the words of the World Tree rang all throughout the forest, notification windows began to appear in front of the users.


    ¨D You have sessfullypleted the <b>Main Quest</b> : ¡®World Tree¡¯s Test¡¯.


    ¨D The Great Northern War is over. You will receive your rewards based on your contributions.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 129 - Rewards And Suspicious Ones From The Center (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(129)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>45 </b>Rewards and Suspicious Ones from the Center (1)


    The humans cheered loudly after hearing the words of the World Tree.


    The Great Northern War has ended!


    The contaminated forest began to turn green once again the moment the words ended. Even without Iron¡¯s holy power, the forest was now emitting holy light by itself. The light destroyed everything unclean and purged them out of the forest. Thepletely purified root of the World Tree only took less than an hour to purify the entirety of the Northern Forest.


    Crack!


    Huge tree branches also rose up and began to break down the gigantic dimensional gate in the sky. The root of the World Tree, the tree that used to be the ck tree, emitted enormous amounts of nature¡¯s energy and blocked the hole of the dimensional crack.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ possible?¡±


    One of the wizards couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at thepletely nonsensical scene in front of him.


    How many sacrifices did they make in order to prevent the dimensional cracks in the Northeast? How many troops had they deployed and were still deploying in the East to keep the still unclosed dimensional crack in there?


    But the root of the World Tree just poured out enormous amounts of energy and forced it close. It was as if it was showing them that the power that the head of the elves had shown them earlier was just some child¡¯s prank. The root of the World Tree showed it¡¯s overwhelming dignity through the enormous energy of nature that covered the entire Northern Forest and forced the dimensional crack closed.


    ¡°Breathtaking.¡±


    Even the Lion Family Head, who had always been silent, eximed.


    The grandmaster was the final stage that the humans could climb. But today, they seemed to be able to catch a glimpse of a power that was far beyond that. That was why even the Lion Family Head, who was at the end of the master level, couldn¡¯t help but admire such power.


    All of them realized that the war in the North was finally over after watching the dimensional crack close in a daze.


    While the army was still left in a daze, the users and the chosen ones realized that the war was over through their rewards.


    ¨D Calcting your contribution in the World Tree¡¯s Test¡­


    ¨D For your reward, you will be given: Mother Nature¡¯s Blessings 1st Stage. Your affinity with nature will continue to increase from this point on. Your ability to respond to mana will also increase.


    ¨D Calcting your contribution in the Great Northern War¡­


    ¨D For your reward, you will be given the <b>Title</b> : ¡®Void Being ughterer¡¯. The title effects¡­


    One of the users cheered loudly as he felt the effects of the title and Mother Nature¡¯s energy that he had received as his rewards. He felt that it wasn¡¯t a waste toe here with these rewards.


    It was just the 1st Stage of Mother Nature¡¯s Blessings but the user felt that everything around him had changed. And it was even a growth type blessing. Considering the fights that they would participate in the future, having a power that would continue to grow was quite important.


    The necks of the ¡®Blessed Ones¡¯ began to shine brightly as the seal of the blessing was tattooed on their flesh. The seal gave them apletely different momentum.


    This happened simultaneously.


    ¡°Yes! 2nd Stage!¡±


    Someone jumped around and cheered saying that they received the 2nd Stage of Mother Nature¡¯s Blessings.


    On the other hand, the effects of the title that they had received as a reward for the Great Northern War were generally simr.


    They received huge additional effects against beings from the void. The title created a synergy with the title that they had obtained after hunting and killing the dark elves and ended up giving them a greater leverage against the beings of the void.


    All of the users that participated in the Great Northern War grew significantly especially after receiving Mother Nature¡¯s Blessings which allowed them to achieve a promotion through the pure force of nature.


    And the same was true for the ¡®Chosen Ones¡¯.


    The spiritualists¡¯ spirits evolved to the next level and the wizards and warriors gained attributed abilities. And although it was weak, they also received the seal of holiness, whichid the foundation that would help them in dealing with the beings of the void in the future.


    ¡°Aaack! How did you get so big?!¡±


    One of the men was shocked when he saw his spirit.


    ¡°Oh~ I wasn¡¯t aware that I can use fire.¡±


    Another man had a bright expression on his face when fire bloomed on his sword.


    ¡°If Ibine this lightning ability with a water attributed magic then¡­¡±


    Some of the women were distracted at the thought ofbining their water attributed magic with their lightning ability.


    Each and every single one of them were satisfied that they chose to participate in the Northern War as they admired their newly acquired abilities and strengthened power.


    While the users and the chosen ones checked their rewards, the soldiers, who were cheering loudly for their victory, also felt the effects of the rewards that they had received although it was significantly weaker than the others. Some had a ¡®seal¡¯ engraved on their bodies just like the users and the chosen ones while some of them suddenly awakened their abilities. It was as if the world was telling them that what happened in the Northeast was just a trifling matter by giving enormous rewards after they imed victory in this war.


    And since ordinary soldiers also received the reward effects, the concerns of the leaders and executives of the military had eased for a bit. After all, they were worrying about their future especially after each of their armies had lost more than half of their forces in this war. And since they were already looking at the future, they felt like they had gained hope after seeing that their men were given room to grow and be stronger than before.


    While everyone was busy smiling and thinking about the future, Iron went ahead and checked his rewards.


    ¨D You have obtained the highest contribution in the World Tree¡¯s Test.


    ¨D <b>Rewards</b> : Mother Nature¡¯s Blessings 3rd Stage. Sharp increase in favorability with ???. Strengthened stigmata.


    ¨D Your body has be Nature¡¯s Body. With the increase of your Nature¡¯s Energy, your Divine Power has also increased significantly.


    ¨D Thunderbird¡¯s recovery has sped up with the rise of your divine power.


    ¨D <b>1st Stage </b>: Slight increase in your Nature Affinity + slight increase in mana sensitivity.


    ¨D <b>2nd Stage</b> : Sharp increase in Nature Affinity + sharp increase in mana sensitivity + able to sign a contract with a spirit.


    ¨D <b>3rd Stage</b> : Nature¡¯s Body ( A body that has reached maximum affinity with nature).


    ¨D ¡ùRing! Signing a contract with a spirit is not possible for you with the divine beast contractor talent, Bird Doctor. As recement, your Frost Energy and Innate Ability Lightning will be strengthened.


    ¨D Your favorability with ??? has increased significantly. There might be a chance that they will visit you personally if your favorability rises even further.


    ¨D You have received the World Tree¡¯s Blessings. Since the Blessing¡¯s Seal will be engraved near your stigmata, the effects of your stigmata will be strengthened further.


    The rewards for receiving the highest contribution in the World Tree¡¯s Test was enormous. However, there were still rewards that Iron had received.


    ¨D You have earned the greatest contribution in the Great Northern War!


    ¨D <b>Rewards</b> : You have acquired the <b>Title</b> : ¡®North¡¯s Hero¡¯. All achievement effects will double.


    ¨D You have received additional rewards for your overwhelming performance. You have received the achievement ¡®Northern Saint¡¯. In the future, before you be a full-pledged Hero, you will be known as a Saint all throughout the continent. Go beyond being the Hope of the North and be the Hope of the Empire, the Hope of the Continent!


    ¨D The achievement ¡®Northern Saint¡¯ will give you an effect that will double your damage once you attack beings of the void. You will also be able to boost the vitality and courage of your allies whenever the light of your stigmata shines on them. In addition, all of Baepsae¡¯s power will double.


    The rewards were extremely enormous.


    However, unlike before, there was no shred of happiness on Iron¡¯s face. All he did was bow down nkly after looking at the effects of his rewards and achievements. A new seal with a unique pattern was created around his stigmata. But he did not care about them at all. He just repeated one thing in his head.


    ¡®I have to be stronger.¡¯


    His mindset was nowpletely different from before. And the reason was¡­


    The bodies of his colleagues that were lying in front of Iron.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron stared at the Ghosts¡¯ bodies in front of him in silence. He could barely straighten his expression as he looked at them.


    Some would cry in front of the bodies of their colleagues, some would criticize them for being ugly and some would be angry asking them why they went ahead first. But Iron did not do any of that. He just stared at the bodies of hisrades.


    At first, some thought that Iron was extremely cold-hearted when they saw him standing there in silence. However, their thoughts immediately changed.


    He continued to stand there after 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, half a day. They saw the great impact and shock that he received as they watched him stand in front of hisrades nkly for a long time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop now.¡±


    Half a dayter, when the darkness of the night fell once again, Crimson approached and spoke quietly to Iron.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go and see yourrades who are still alive and living?¡±


    Iron turned to look at Crimson with his nk gaze after hearing his words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. They¡¯re waiting for you.¡±


    Hearing Crimson¡¯s urging, Iron nodded nkly and followed behind him. He left the bodies of hisrades and moved to visit the surviving Ghosts.


    After following behind Crimson, he saw that all of the Ghosts, except for Lintel, were unconscious. Lintel was also breathing heavily as if he had just woken up.


    ¡°¡­Are¡­ you alright?¡±


    Lintel forced himself to smile and nod lightly when he heard Iron¡¯s question. Iron sighed when he saw Lintel like this.


    ¡®If I were just a bit stronger then¡­¡¯ was just the usual thought that flitted through the minds of the people left behind and regretting. And it was also the thought that lingered the most in Iron¡¯s head.


    ¡®Would it have been different if I did not feel satisfied with just the 5th Stage?¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head as he looked at Lintel.


    During his early days in the Northern Academy, he thought that it would be nice if he just reached the 5th Stage.


    Maybe he could have reached the master stage by now if he had aimed for it right at the very beginning? Or maybe a better situation would havee if he had moved more actively than before?


    Many questions shed in his head. But he also knew that he was only able to produce the results that he had made so far thanks to his great luck. Achieving the current state that he was in now was already almost close to a miracle.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve¡­worked¡­hard¡­¡±


    Lintel spoke with difficulty when he saw Iron sighing.


    Just like he said, he truly did his best. The result that they achieved now was made only after oveing countless death crises.


    Nevertheless, he still kept on feeling sad whenever he saw that many of the Ghosts had died to protect him. He felt that it would have been a bit less heartbreaking if hisrades died while they were fighting together. However, they trusted him to move forward by himself even just a little bit by throwing their bodies and making a path for him. And since he saw it with his own eyes, his regret kept on flooding in his heart. A deep regret wishing that he could do better.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a good job already.¡±


    Crimson patted Iron¡¯s shoulder when he saw his eyes filled with regret.


    Iron was still young and he needed words that would allow him to hold his heart and protect it well. However, even if he was regretting things, he was still not shaken. He had seen the deaths of his allies countless times in his previous life. And there was something that he swore each time he saw it happen.


    ¡®I will never waver!¡¯


    If he wavered, then more people would die. No matter how much criticism he received and how many fingers were pointed at him, he would survive and maintain the front. To fulfill his oath, he studied the monsters and learned tactics and strategies. He did everything that he could to make up for his body¡¯scking force.


    But in this life, he was equipped with that force. And there were even more powerful forces that believed in himselfpared to before. Even though the enemies also got stronger than in his previous life, it did not matter.


    ¡®I won¡¯t fail anymore.¡¯


    Iron¡¯s eyes slowly regained the determination as the regret that colored them receded. He would not allow any failure in this world that had be his reality anymore.


    So, he made an oath to himself again.


    I will be the winner of this God Game even if I have to put everything on the line.


    A much more determined oath had taken root in Iron¡¯s mind. Something that was far more solid than before. He did not know how things would develop but there was one thing that he was clear about. He would no longer waver and be shaken by anything.


    And just like that, the final day of the Great Northern War passed by after being witness to Iron¡¯s determination.


    The next day¡­


    The troops in the Northern Forest were transferred with the arrival of the support troops and supplies. Since most of them were injured,rge-scale wards were created in the rear of the root of the world tree with the help of the support army for their treatment while some were transferred back tomand.


    And finally, the bodies of their deadrades had been moved to coffins and were ready to be transported.


    ***


    <b>TL¡¯s corner!</b>


    Who opened the damn faucet? (?©n?`?)


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 130 - Rewards And Suspicious Ones From The Center (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(130)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>45 </b>Rewards and Suspicious Ones from the Center (2)


    Hundreds of coffins that housed the bodies of theirrades wereid out in the open area. And among them were the Ghosts¡¯ coffins too.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the coffins that were being loaded one by one in the airships.


    The coffins were being carried solemnly but everyone watching the process all had distorted expressions on their faces.


    There were those holding back their tears, those who were looking nkly as if they couldn¡¯t believe this situation, and those who were ovee with guilt at the thought of being the only ones to survive. All of them were looking at the coffins with stiff faces.


    The coffins filled dozens of huge airships until the coffins that carried the bodies of the Ghosts were finally ced inside the airship. Seeing that all of the coffins had been loaded in the airship, Crimson pulled out his sword and shouted.


    ¡°Salute!¡±


    ¡°Loyalty!¡±


    With Crimson¡¯s shout, everyone saluted and gave their respects to the people who fought to the end of their lives. This was the salute of the survivors towards their numerous dead allies.


    A reporter, who was recording the scene with a video crystal from an airship in the sky, ced his left hand on his chest without realizing it.


    The war was so fierce that more than half of the Northern Forces were sacrificed. Because of that, numerous warriors were about to be returned to the arms of their families right here and now.


    Vwooooong!


    The mana stone embedded in the airship began to rotate and raise the airship up in the air.


    None of the people let down their salutes until all the airships rose in the sky. They all looked like stone statues as they watched the airships carrying the coffins of theirrades disappear from their sight. They only loosened up and let go after hearing Crimson¡¯s orders. However, none of them moved. After all, this was their final courtesy to theirrades that they would not see anymore. The survivors of this battlefield, that was fiercer than any battlefield and had taken the lives of numerous people, remembered theirrades for thest time before moving again.


    Only the Great Northern War was over. Fierce and difficult wars continued to take ce all throughout the Empire. The soldiers had no choice but to move until all of the threats had disappeared. Every single soldier hid their sadness and started to work once again.


    They retreated from the Northern Forest while restoring the fortresses that copsed and began to prepare for their return to their original operation zone.


    Iron also stepped out of the Northern Forest, a ce that had caused them a lot of casualties, as he boarded the airship that would take him back to the Northeastern Command that he dearly missed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go to¡­ the Lion Castle Fortress?¡±


    Iron nodded with a bitter smile on his face upon hearing Lintel¡¯s question.


    ¡°I belong to the Northeast right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    The bandaged Lintel nodded his head lightly when he heard Iron¡¯s answer.


    The seriously injured Carl Gustav, Billie Brandt and Milton were the first to be sent back and transferred to the Northeastern Command. That was why only Iron and Lintel were the ones who were boarding thest airship heading back to Northeastern Command.


    Most of the simple buildings that they had built over the course of the war were demolished leaving only vacant and empty lots as thest airships heading to the Northeast rose in the sky. Even the traces of the fierce battles had been hidden by the forest that had been restored by the world tree.


    Everyone looked at the dense foliage of thepletely restored forest that had taken numerous lives from them with a bitter look on their faces.


    ¡°It¡¯s really over.¡±


    Everyone nodded quietly when they heard someone mutter these words.


    It is really over now.


    That thought lingered in their heads as they arrived and were weed warmly by countless people in the Northeastern Fortress. The troops that remained in the Northeast took the initiative to help the returning troops.


    However, contrary to their ideas, they weren¡¯t given any time to rx at all. The moment they got back, they were given a lot of tasks and were left extremely busy. After all, they needed to process a lot of documents and finish a lot of misceneous task for their post-war operations. Because of that, they had to be called here and there and run around to fill the gaps left in the fortress.


    An event was finally held at Northeastern Command to announce that their most difficult time had passed and that the war had finally ended.


    (Cheers) Congrattions on the end of the Great Northern War! (Cheers)


    Banners with these phrases were hung up on several buildings as simple chairs for numerous people were ced. And this was happening not just in the Northeastern Command.


    On the same day, the same event happened in the Northern Command, the Lion Castle Fortress and the Territorial Castles of high-ranking nobles of the North. All of them held a festival for one day to celebrate the end of the war.


    At the same time, a ceremony was held to award medals and promotions to those who have made a lot of contributions. These awards and promotions were awarded to their selected representatives to make the ceremony shorter.


    With the exception of the patrolling forces, everyone who participated in the Great Northern War took a break. And among them, those who had made great contributions had gathered at the Command.


    The Commander of the Northeast took to the podium at this warrior¡¯s gathering.


    Most of the people had been awarded for their contributions. And those who had not yet received their rewards had waited for this day. That was the reason why everyone was looking at Crimson with anticipation.


    ¡°Everyone has worked hard. As of today, we dere that the war is finally over.¡±


    Crimson looked at his audience as he said these words.


    The East¡¯s dimensional crack was still not fully closed and the West, South and Center were still at war. Only the North hadpletely ended their war.


    One would think that it was a bit selfish for them to dere that the war had ended when the entire Empire was caught in a frenzy. But it was because of that very reason that they needed to dere this. They had to show that, at the very least, it was safe in the North.


    They had to let the people know and make the North their hope that the other regions would also end up like them.


    This was necessary to instill hope in the forces that were still fighting in full swing in other regions. They had to let them know that they could also win and be like them.


    ¡°Not too long ago, ourrades, who fought side by side with us, had died.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were tainted with sadness at his words.


    ¡°We survived at the expense of ourrades that we sent back to their families¡¯ arms not too long ago. But that¡¯s why! That¡¯s why we have to live well and work harder. We have to protect this ce even harder and fight their share too.¡±


    Crimson looked at Iron as he spoke.


    ¡°I know full well that this is a heavy responsibility. But we have to endure this weight and walk out with determination! So that our fallenrades can sleepfortably in the afterlife. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    All the soldiers answered after hearing the Vanguard Corps Commander answer loudly.


    Crimson smiled at them as he continued to speak.


    ¡°I have talked for too long. We will now start the victory ceremony that you have all been waiting for.¡±


    Something popped as countless colorful pieces of paper fell down the moment Crimson¡¯s words ended. At the same time, colorful powders and fairies flew around from the magic illusion that was casted from the airship above in the sky.


    The people who had made great contributions appeared one after the other along with the splendid show that the wizards had created.


    From the sergeants that stayed until the crisis in the Northern Forest had ended, to the medic soldiers that risked their lives to save theirrades, to the knights that killed and exterminated the dark elves that continuously attacked them despite the sacrifices of theirrades. Each and everyone of them were given enormous rewards for their contributions.


    Medals,mendations and promotions were awarded to them all at once as they received praises for their courage and bravery.


    And finally, all that were left were the main yers in the battlefield.


    The first toe up were Sky Renz and Carl Stein.


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he saw hispatriot after a long time.


    Why is this colleague of mine who liked staying in the logistics here?


    Iron doubted his eyes but soon realized the reason why he was here.


    The officer who volunteered to fight in the Northern Forest and risked his life to send military supplies using drakes was none other than Carl Stein.


    The second toe up were those who resisted until the end and defended the base. They were those who fought against the dark elves¡¯ army that attacked the outskirts of the Northern Forest. The brave soldiers who kept the injured safe despite being left in istion for almost a month.


    And he could also see familiar faces among them.


    One of them was Cardro Giovanni. The third in their rankings, who stood as one of the new stars of the North, finally established himself after making a tremendous contribution.


    The third toe up were the rangers. However, it wasn¡¯t the unit led by Davin Archer but the second unit led by Jim Rogers. The troops of this leading candidate to be the ranger divisionmander, performed tremendously well.


    His unit helped Iron to annihte the monsters from the rear and even took the lead in killing the dark elves in the Northern Forest and went beyond the users. Although the majority lost their lives, their sacrifices gave them a record of annihting five dark elves¡¯ scout units.


    The fourth toe up was the knight order directly under Northeastern Command. These knights performed and fought fiercely in the Northern Forest. There were many sacrifices during the process but they were still able toplete their mission in the end.


    Even the temporary knight order team lead by Ariel had contributed greatly to the monsters¡¯ annihtion.


    Finally, there was also the knight order that fought bravely and risked their lives and lost it for Iron.


    A small number of people came up on the podium.


    There were also several people from Iron¡¯s special operation unit that came up on the podium.


    And then, the individual who came up to represent the Ghosts.


    They should have gone up individually but there were only a few of them left with most of them in the ward. Iron and Lintel were the only exceptions. So, Lintel went up as their representative and received the medals in their stead.


    The Commander personally congratted them and awarded them with their medals and promotions.


    Almost everyone finally received their promotions and medals and went down, there was only one person left.


    ¡°The person who had contributed the most in the Great Northern War, Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter, forward!¡±


    Iron walked forward once his name was called.


    Crimson smiled as he weed Iron in his well-ironed uniform on the podium.


    ¡°You returned after making great contributions in the East and yed a huge role in the Great Northern War as well as the Lion Castle Fortress. All of thatbined had made you the person who had contributed the most in the Northeast.¡±


    Crimson looked at the audience as he spoke.


    None of the people present could refute this statement. Iron¡¯s overwhelming performance in the war had already spread far and wide in the Empire.


    ¡°You have also made a great contribution that has been recognized by both the Northern Army and the Northern Territory Lords. You have be a hero that is recognized by people beyond the Northeastern Region. A hero that made contributions across the entire Northern Region. As the Commander, I hereby award you with the Blue Iron Cross medal and a two-step special promotion.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    It was extremely difficult to move up from being a field officer to someone with a star. If he was apany officer then he wouldn¡¯t be surprised by the two step promotion. But this was a star. Iron had no choice but to be surprised when they attached him with a star with this two step special promotion.


    But Crimson¡¯s words were not yet over.


    ¡°At the request of the Northern Commander and with the unanimous consent of all of the Northern Territorial Lords, Lieutenant Colonel Iron will be awarded with the North¡¯s greatest medal ¡®White Sword¡¯. The Lion Family had also requested to ce the White Lion Crest to be given to you instead. But everyone in the North had requested that this be the one to be given to you.¡±


    At the end of Crimson¡¯s words, he personally removed all of the clover on Iron¡¯s shoulder and reced it with a star. He also pinned the White Sword, the North¡¯s greatest medal, next to the Eye of the Sea.


    Iron¡¯s uniform had now collected all of the medals that could be received in the Northeast together with the greatest medals of the North and the East. Although they were not fancy, the soldiers were still in awe at the sheer amount of medals pinned to his uniform.


    ¡°Based on your performance and achievements, you should at least be a Division Commander but further verifications are needed by themanding officers so your remaining promotions would be suspended in the meantime.¡±


    Crimson ced his hands on Iron¡¯s shoulder as he said so.


    ¡°From this point on, Brigadier General Iron will now be the Special Mobile Unit Commander. This will be the only unit that will move actively outside the jurisdiction of the Northeast and will move actively throughout the Northern, Eastern and Western Regions.¡±


    The letter of appointment was handed to Iron as soon as his words ended.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset. The war has just ended so it¡¯s a bit too much for us and we couldn¡¯t assign you with division-level troops, so we decided to do it this way¡­ If you make a bigger contribution in the near future, then you will be able to be promoted soon.¡±


    Crimson winked as he apuded Iron and gave him his congrattions.


    After the awarding ceremony had ended, the festival finally began. Everyone briefly forgot about the pain and the wounds that the war had left them with as they enjoyed the festival.


    However, Iron, the biggest contributor, couldn¡¯t enjoy the festival at all.


    ¡°This¡­ Is this the correctposition?¡±


    He looked at the troops and the soldiers that would be a part of his Special Mobile Unit that Crimson had handed to him.


    Knight Order Leader : Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Favrice


    Ranger Leader : Major Nyx Cole


    Artillery Troops Leader : Major Dominic Stone


    They were familiar names. All of these people were the ones that hemanded in the special operation unit before. But they weren¡¯t the only familiar names.


    Logistics Officer : Major Carl Stein (Concurrent Drake Unit Leader)


    There were even several familiar names written below including Captains John Powell and Vic Hart. And they were all written as Major(Jin)


    He could understand up until this point since they had built a unit solely for him. But he saw another familiar name.


    Aerial Assault Leader : Lieutenant Colonel(Jin) Cardro Giovanni


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at his Commander when he saw the name of hispatriot once again.


    ***


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 Chapter 131 - Rewards And Suspicious Ones From The Center (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(131)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>45 </b>Rewards and Suspicious Ones from the Center (3)


    The Commander smiled bitterly at Iron¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I wanted to give you all of the Ghosts, Sky Renz and Jim Rogers but they would be the key figures for the Northeast¡¯s reconstruction. And there were many people who have died.¡±


    Crimson looked at Iron as he said so.


    ¡°It would take a long time for the Northeast to return back to its original state. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t give you any of the veterans.¡±


    Iron nodded at Crimson in understanding.


    Majority of the Northeastern Army had died in this war. It would just be greedy if he wanted to set up a proper brigade in a situation where their troops were cut by more than half.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we assigned Ariel and those who were close or who have worked with you.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron nodded. It seemed like he finally understood the reason.


    ¡°Your unit will be 90% rookies. However! I made sure to receive a definite answer from His Majesty that as long as you yed an active role and made contributions your unit will be developed and turned into a corps.¡±


    Crimson patted Iron¡¯s shoulder as he said so.


    ¡°So, try to raise them well. With your performance in Lion Castle Fortress and the monster annihtion battles, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll do well.¡±


    ¡°Then, the Ghosts¡­¡±


    Sadness briefly shed in Crimson¡¯s eyes but he immediately smiled as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°I have to raise them again. We will recruit new Ghost members as soon as Captain Ghost returns. Of course¡­ you should get out of Ghost now but¡­¡±


    It would be too greedy if he wanted him to remain as a Ghost despite receiving a huge position as the Brigadier General and themander of the Special Mobile Unit. However, he was feeling a bit of regret especially after being together and fighting side by side for a long time.


    His first appointment was with Ghost so he couldn¡¯t hide the disappointment in his expression. Perhaps it was because he had performed many missions as a Ghost.


    ¡°Actually, you were already out of Ghost quite a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Crimson.


    ¡°You have shown great qualities as amander during the monster annihtion battles. Didn¡¯t you feel that there was something weird when you reunited with the Ghosts in the Northern Forest?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron nodded lightly when he recalled the awkward and stiff expressions of the Ghosts. It seemed like they responded like that since they already knew that Iron would leave their arms in advance. Even if it was already decided, he still felt disappointed that he would get out of Ghost.


    Seeing his reaction, Crimson gave him another gift.


    ¡°But for you, who yed and fought hard as a Ghost, I will give you once! Just once! The authority to summon the Ghosts.¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    Crimson nodded at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a privilege that would be given to the original members of the Ghost who yed a big role in the war.¡±


    Crimson took a small card out of his arms as he said so. An <b>X </b>could be seen on the small card.


    It was a card with the Ghost¡¯s symbol on it.


    ¡°Keep it well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron carefully kept the card that Crimson had handed over to him. Crimson then shook his hand as if he finally finished his job before asking him.


    ¡°You now have your own unit but¡­ shouldn¡¯t you decide on your unit crest? You¡¯ll receive a nickname once you be active but I think you need a pattern¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Take your time. They¡¯re almost all rookies so they¡¯ll need some time before they get useful.¡±


    The sword hanging on Iron¡¯s waist caught his eyes when he patted Iron on his shoulder once again and prepared to leave. Although it was clean after doing maintenance on it, there were still traces of the battles that it fought. Crimson quietly asked after looking at it.


    ¡°That sword of yours¡­ is it okay to use?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Ah¡­ Yes! Since you gave me a good sword at first, I can still use it well.¡±


    It was a sword that was made with mythril and adamant, both rare metals.


    When one of the two swords that he was given had broken down, the mythril in that sword was smelted into the remaining sword. This was the sword that saved Iron¡¯s neck and apanied him in many battlefields. This was a sword that had been fully and perfectly tamed by Iron by tiptoeing the line of life and death across numerous battlefields. The sword itself was emitting subtle steel mana so it could be made into his steel mana sword in an instant. A sword that fits Iron the best than any other sword. And as holy power began to dwell in his body, the sword also began to emit a subtle holy power itself.


    ¡°Can you unsheathe it for a moment?¡±


    Iron gently pulled out his sword at Crimson¡¯s request.


    Crimson smiled when he saw him pulling out the sword silently. He was able to see how hard Iron worked to be able to aplish something like this.


    ¡°You¡¯vepletely tamed it.¡±


    The sword was emitting holy energy while being in a state that waspletely assimted with Iron¡¯s mana. And although it was faint, Crimson could feel that the sword was already beginning to contain mana after countless mana resonations through the numerous battles that he had fought.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to slowly think of a proper name to give your sword.¡±


    ¡°A¡­ name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already growing up just like you but if you give it a name and resonate with it properly then I believe it will be a better sword than now.¡±


    Crimson unsheathed his sword as he said so.


    ¡°Storm Sword Scar.¡±


    The sword began to tremble at Crimson¡¯s call.


    ¡°It was the name of a hurricane that once came to the Northeastern coast. I gave my sword that name after recalling the hurricane that blew away the coastal city and some of the military units that showed me my own path.¡±


    Crimson spoke about the decades of memories that he had spent.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you have found your path so I think you¡¯re actually already a bitte.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He thought that he still had not grown enough to give his sword a name but he did recall that most of the people who had reached his level had already given their swords a name.


    ¡°You should think about it.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I see.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the thought of deciding a name for his sword when he still hadn¡¯t thought about his unit¡¯s crest yet.


    ¡°You should think about it slowly, it¡¯s not that urgent¡­ you should enjoy the rest of the festival with the remaining time.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly and bowed his head at Crimson after he smiled at him and left his side.


    Iron then went out and walked along the road to enjoy the festival that celebrated the end of the Great Northern War. He headed to the ce where Lintel currently was.


    All of the Ghosts should have gathered here together and celebrated while having a drinking party. However, Lintel was sitting alone and sipping his alcohol quietly.


    ¡°You came?¡±


    Lintel tapped the seat next to him when he saw Iron approaching.


    ¡°Did you go and see the Commander?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve heard?¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly at Lintel¡¯s words. But Lintel just smiled at Iron.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to leave our nest now that you have be mister Brigadier General.¡±


    Lintelughed yfully as he ruffled Iron¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one going out during this important time.¡±


    Lintel grinned at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°We¡¯re just taking a bit of a break in between. Ghost has always been like this even before you came. There¡¯s nothing new.¡±


    The Ghost was the only unit with the highest mortality rate. After all, they were the unit that was always assigned to the most dangerous of operations. That was also the reason why he was able to see the deaths of plenty of his colleagues even before Iron came. This was the first time since Iron came that many of them had died. However, Lintel wasn¡¯t that surprised since he had already experienced it before.


    ¡°Go and do well. If you¡¯re tired, thene back.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron bowed lightly as he answered Lintel¡¯s words.


    The two of them shared the remaining alcohol as they enjoyed the festival while saying their goodbyes.


    Just like that, everyone spent the festival having fun and shaking off the sadness of the past so they could stand up and move forward once again.


    And the next day¡­


    Iron had started to gather the members of his unit. He gave each of the members of his troops to organize before gathering all of the recruits and rolling them hard first.


    Just like what he did in the North, he wanted topletely form their foundation first before letting them y in actual battles. And since this was his own unit, he created a training n by fusing the experiences that he had both in his previous life and his current life.


    The knights, rangers and the members of the artillery troops arrived when the recruits were already thinking that hell was better than rolling around under Iron.


    The airship assault troops were dyed since they had to undergo special training before joining them. And the same was true for the drake troops. Unlike other ces, the drake unit¡¯s main task was procuring military supplies for them, however, thanks to the nature of the drakes, the need to undergo special training did not change.


    With the exception of those units, the rest of the troops had already arrived.


    Iron just looked at them coldly as he rolled the troops hard on the very first day of their arrival.


    ¡°There¡¯s no exception. Do it together.¡±


    This was the first order that Iron had given the troops that had arrived one after the other. There was no feeling of friendship even if they had fought together in the past.


    They had enough experience but their foundation remained poor so he wanted to do everything from the beginning and strengthen their foundations. In the case of the rangers, their recruits were given training that was three times harder than normal. Even the knights were not exempted.


    ¡°Why? Are you annoyed by this basic training since you¡¯re all busy training your own swordsmanship?¡±


    Iron smirked as he approached the rookie knight with a cocky expression on his face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to twist like that thene at me. You should know that I have only trained in basic swordsmanship, right? If you lose to me, you¡¯ll only train in basic swordsmanship the whole day.¡±


    The rookie knights, who had been indifferent to Iron¡¯s threats, were properly disciplined. Of course it was a bonus for the senior knights to call out these rookie knights and step on them personally.


    When he was finally able to establish the foundation of his troops to some extent after overhauling thempletely, Command called for Iron. Iron quickly rushed at their summons.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Crimson weed Iron with a smile.


    Although they were both in Command, it was extremely hard to see Iron since he was extremely busy with his unit. He was personally rolling his soldiers everyday and now he was even rolling the knights and the rangers.


    And because he was busy, it was almost impossible for him to meet with the Commander and the leisurely Ghosts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling you when you¡¯re busy but you have to go to Northern Command with me.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen again in the North?¡±


    Crimson looked at him strangely after seeing the serious look on Iron¡¯s face.


    ¡°No monsters or beings of the void appeared.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone came from the Center.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened at Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Are they asking for support?¡±


    ¡°I think so too but there¡¯s no dispatch letter from the Center.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Iron looked nkly at Crimson¡¯s unexpected answer. However, Crimson just shook his head. It seemed like he did not know the details too.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to go to know the details.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at his answer.


    They were able to use the warp gate immediately thanks to Northern Command keeping it open. So, they did not need to wait too long. Both Crimson and Iron arrived at the Northern Command with serious looks on their faces. They were sure that this matter was extremely urgent.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we saw each other. You look good with a star.¡±


    Jayden Wicks turned to look at Iron and weed him who had now be a brigadier general.


    Iron immediately noticed who was the reason for their arrival here and looked at them firmly.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m ¡®Wood¡¯ one of the members of His Majesty¡¯s secret unit.¡±


    He smiled when he saw Iron tilting his head at his introduction.


    ¡°We are known to the people as ¡®Shadow¡¯ but¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard his words. Crimson and Jayden were not that much surprised. It seemed like they could guess as much.


    When the man saw Iron had calmed down to some extent, he used mana to block the sound around them.


    ¡°I will be straightforward. The elves¡¯ bodies that haven¡¯t disappeared yet¡­ we need them.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 132 - Rewards And Suspicious Ones From The Center (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(132)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>45 </b>Rewards and Suspicious Ones from the Center (4)


    Iron, Crimson and Jayden Wick¡¯s expressions hardened at the end of his words.


    ¡°Just now¡­ did you just ask for the elves¡¯ bodies?¡±


    He nodded lightly after hearing Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Most of them are buried in the Northern Forest. And that ce has now turned into the World Tree¡¯s realm. Asking for the elves¡¯ bodies is no different from saying that you want us to be hostile with the World Tree.¡±


    The twomanders also nodded their heads in agreement with Iron¡¯s exnations.


    They had clearly witnessed how the World Tree had easily crushed the dimensional gate with force and sealed the dimensional crack. Of course, there would be limitations in expressing that enormous power this far. But its strength was overwhelming enough that the twomanders, who were in charge of protecting the North, did not want to offend the World Tree and confront it. Iron was also of the same mind.


    Was there a need for him to do something that could offend the World Tree when he had clearly received her blessings?


    But the man just smiled as if he had expected their reactions.


    ¡°It is necessary for the Empire.¡±


    ¡°We want to know the reason. Is your reason enough for the North to risk offending the World Tree?¡±


    Jayden Wicks looked at the Shadows as he spoke. The man smiled and answered him.


    ¡°I think you know that the Center is in a frenzy. In a situation like that, we have to find ways to strengthen the Royal Guards protecting His Majesty as well as the Shadows. And this is one of them.¡±


    Iron smiled ndly. He looked like he was dumbfounded at the man¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°This is essential for us to develop stronger knights, soldiers and weapons. We ask for your cooperation.¡±


    The twomanders remained silent at the Shadow¡¯s soft and cating words. This was because his reason was absurd. That was not enough reason to antagonize the World Tree.


    Even those who were loyal to the Emperor would worry over this matter. Perhaps only those who were extremely loyal to the Emperor and only had the glory of the Empire in their minds would willingly agree.


    However, both of themanders did not have any loyalty left to the Emperor. They were noblemen who had great antipathy for the Center. That was why they did not answer despite the Shadow¡¯s cating words.


    Iron shook his head as he watched this scene.


    ¡®Crazy bastards.¡¯


    Among the forces that solely existed for the Emperor was the Royal Guards. They were one of the staunch supporters of the Emperor and not much was known about them. Information about them was strictly confidential that no one knew who and how strong they were.


    He just knew that there was such a thing.


    There was also the Shadows, the force that was hidden in the dark. Information about them was even more confidential and unknown. Even the twomanders were only privy to information about their existence, nothing more. They were extremely secretive but this situation was giving them a glimpse of how they had maintained their strength and ranks.


    In his past life, the Emperor¡¯s secret organizations and forces were briefly revealed. And he recalled that there was another one of them and they were called the Homunculus. Rumors about them went viral all over the Empire. However, those who had seen them personally changed their words which tagged the rumors as false.


    But seeing the situation right now, it seemed like those rumors weren¡¯t false.


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ are they using different races for their experiments?¡¯


    Perhaps it was not only the elves but even the minority of the races like the witches that they used to experiment on to copy and gain their abilities.


    If Iron¡¯s reasoning was correct then¡­


    ¡®The Imperial Family bastards are truly madmen!¡¯


    This thought lingered in his head. He had felt this already in his previous life but it was now made even clearer to him that they were extremely crazy.


    They were truly selfish bastards who only used their brains to think of something for their own gain. There was no such thing as the glory and well-being of the Empire in these bastards¡¯ hearts. An arrogant family who only thought of raising their authority and prestige.


    While Iron was cursing the Imperial Family in his head and strengthening his determination to smash thempletely someday¡­


    ¡°No matter how badly you need it, it¡¯s impossible. The power of the World Tree is so vast that we don¡¯t dare estimate it on our own. We can¡¯t be hostile to such a being.¡±


    Seeing Crimson shake his head, one of the Shadows realized that cating words won¡¯t work so he spoke firmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡±


    The twomanders flinched upon hearing ¡°His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡¯. On the other hand, Iron smiled as if he knew that he would use this trick.


    What the Imperials did in his previous life was not that much different from this. They seemed to believe that saying that it was the Emperor¡¯s orders would be enough. Just like those bastards who believed that they were the best. He also recalled being intimidated back in his previous life once the name of the Emperor had been mentioned.


    ¡°His Majesty, the Emperor, personally requests this. He needs the bodies of the elves for the stability of the Center and for a stronger Empire.¡±


    Iron sighed at the sight of the Shadow handing over a document. He could tell that they weren¡¯t official documents in just a nce. Based on the arrogance of the Imperial Family, they would sprinkle gold powder on these documents and decorate it magnificently but the document itself was very simple.


    ¡°We are well aware of the twomanders¡¯ worries. The war has just ended and you believe that it¡¯s hard to take risks.¡±


    Then, the Shadow looked over at Iron as if he had already nned everything.


    ¡°Please lend me Brigadier General Iron. I will take out a few elven bodies secretly. If we get caught by the World Tree, I hope Brigadier General Iron would persuade the World Tree on our behalf. This is essential for us to escape the continental crisis.¡±


    The Shadow wrapped his words as if he was doing it for a greater cause but it was just bullshit.


    Do you truly believe that the World Tree would allow you?


    Even if he said yes, the World Tree¡¯s goodwill would immediately disappear at that moment. That meant that the barely safe North would probably face unknown forces once again and be brought back to danger.


    Iron smiled deep inside as he looked at the Shadow.


    ¡®You¡¯re getting more and more suspicious, no?¡¯


    He has a silver tongue, unlike that arrogant family. The Central Officials worked in the same way as well as those small officials back in the Center but it seemed like the Shadows also liked giving lengthy exnations.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t these nasty fellows really strange?¡¯


    Just looking at the documents that he brought, he could tell that they weren¡¯t official documents, however there were plenty of exnations and no threats were given. This meant that they were hiding something bad behind them.


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Iron pointed at the request letter held by the Shadow.


    ¡°Is that an official document?¡±


    The twomanders immediately looked at the Shadows at Iron¡¯s words. But he remained silent.


    Iron smiled when he saw him being like that.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ No matter how urgent it is, the North risks being put in danger once again with your request. Don¡¯t you think that there¡¯s a problem if you ask us to operate just with those secret documents?¡±


    The twomanders¡¯ expressions returned to normal after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Their smiles returned as they looked at the Shadows.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ From the North¡¯s perspective, another war is impossible. It would be difficult for us to move in such a situation unless His Majesty issues an official order.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for the Northeast. Even if it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s orders, we would dare go to the capital and dissuade him from doing so.¡±


    The Shadow¡¯s expression was distorted by the words of the twomanders. He almost red at Iron, who disturbed their ns, but it did not mean anything to Iron. Even if he red at him, Iron wouldn¡¯t be scared. In fact, he would just find his reaction to be quite cute especially in their current situation.


    ¡°This is for the glory of the Empire. Please think again.¡±


    In the end, the Shadows brought up the Empire. But it was to no avail.


    The Center chewed them out and told them that they were having difficulties of their own so they did not send any support during the Great Northern War.


    Loyalty?


    Such a thing could only be seen in the trash right now. And even if some of it remained, it would have long disappeared the moment war began in the North.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret itter. Your judgement and decision right now is seriously threatening the safety of His Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. If the Center is ever in danger, we¡¯re always ready to send support.¡±


    ¡°Hooo¡­ Do you know what will happen with your decision?¡±


    The Shadow let out a sigh and bursted out a shortugh when he heard Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°If the Center is in danger, please make sure to formally ask us for support.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    The Shadow sighed once again at Crimson¡¯s words. He looked like he did not want toe here if possible. The Shadows, who were in a position where they couldn¡¯t reveal anything, eventually gave up with another sigh.


    ¡°You will regret this decisionter.¡±


    The Shadow threatened them for thest time but the twomanders just smiled and guided them to the warp gate and sent them back to the Center. The twomanders sent them with a hospitable smile until the light had disappeared and the Shadows with their distorted expression had gone back to the Center.


    The twomanders immediately cursed them the moment the Shadows disappeared.


    ¡°They¡¯re out of their minds?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ do they think that ourmanders¡¯ faces are ridiculous and useless. I can¡¯t believe I have to deal with such small matters¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch. I met with them since they said that they were Shadows but I didn¡¯t know that they¡¯d spoil the mood like this.¡±


    Iron thought quietly from behind while the twomanders continuously spat out curses at the Shadows.


    If they weren¡¯t fools, then they should be well aware that their demands were too much. They had just gotten over a war where not only the Northern armies but even the chosen and the other-worlders had gathered to fight on. They should be well aware of how the World Tree was like and what the blessings that they had received were.


    But still making these demands¡­


    ¡°Is the Center really in danger?¡±


    The twomanders, who were chewing the Shadows hard, stopped and looked back at Iron when they heard his mumbles.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jayden Wicks also looked at Iron curiously after Crimson asked him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange that they¡¯re making these demands despite staying still.¡±


    The twomanders tilted their heads at Iron¡¯s words.


    Iron sighed when he looked at the expressions on their faces that screamed that they needed additional exnation.


    ¡°If this is the Center¡¯s original style, then, they shoulde out as if they would take out an official document and press us for cooperation while telling us that they will give us something in return. Even if the document is unofficial, they shouldn¡¯t just persuade us with words, especially with a request like this. They should have brought something that they could exchange and negotiate with.¡±


    No matter how much he thought back on it, this was not the Center¡¯s style.


    The twomanders nodded as if they agreed with Iron.


    ¡°Something¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Iron spoke again after the twomanders expressed their agreement.


    ¡°Maybe the current situation in the Center is more serious than we think. It¡¯s highly likely that their finances are getting difficult and that they can¡¯t bring a deal.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯m sure the Center is also crazily busy too.¡±


    Crimson and Jayden Wicks nodded. It seemed like there was some information reported too. Since they were in themander¡¯s position, the quality of the information that they received would definitely be different.


    That was why they could roughly guess the situation that the Center was currently experiencing.


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Crimson urged Iron to speak when he stopped speaking.


    ¡°There may really be something going on inside the Center.¡±


    ¡°Inside?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean spies?¡±


    Jayden Wicks tilted his head as he asked.


    Just like the mermaid race in the East, the elves in the North, the birdmen in the West and the werebeasts in the South. With the information that they gathered about them alone, one could tell that there were simrities between all these races. However, it was also difficult to conclude and finalize these simrities.


    ¡°If there were only external threats, then it would be weird that the Center is trying to hide this information from us.¡±


    The situation of the battlefield in the South and the West was being broadcasted in real time. The same was true for the East and the North. Strangely enough, it was only widely known that there were threats in the Center. However, no one was clear on the identity of their enemies nor the specific damage done. They only posted vague information like ¡®Some of the units had been hit!¡¯ and ¡®Some of the zones had been damaged!¡¯ but none were detailed. This meant that there was a reason why the Center was hiding information.


    But even the Emperor¡¯s immediate guards, the Shadows, acted like this? His idea had no choice but to turn from simple doubt to conviction.


    ¡°What you meant is¡­ that there are spies like in the East, right?¡±


    Crimson also nodded his head when Jayden Wicks spoke after recalling the scenario in the East.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there aren¡¯t any half-breeds.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ The problem would be serious if something really happens to His Majesty.¡±


    What would happen if the key figure of the Empire disappeared? That meant that the Empire would copse.


    No matter how much the twomanders hated the Center, they knew that there should still be a necessary evil that should remain especially in their current situation.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Let¡¯s go back to Command and think about it.¡±


    ¡°I need to find out more information. I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I find out anything.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it like that.¡±


    Crimson left those words as he boarded the warp gate that would send them back to the Northeast Command.


    Not long after, Crimson, who returned with Iron, brought in the intelligence officers and asked them to gather information about the Center. This was because they had to go and send support if the Center was truly in danger.


    However, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn¡¯t get any information about the Center. It was as if it was being blocked by someone or something.


    They had received more detailed reports than the generally known information but it only included information about the damage in some areas with some troops being sent to those ces to suppress the said damage.


    And contrary to the Shadow¡¯s warning, the North and the Northeast did not receive any pressure at all.


    However, that fact made them even more nervous and tense.


    ¡®What¡¯s happening in the Center?¡¯


    Jayden and Crimson were both uneasy because of this.


    However, this thought was bound to be erased from their heads soon enough. This was because they were both busy rebuilding their own armies. Iron was also busy rolling around the rookies like crazy and turning his unit into a useful one. Everything was so hectic as they put their all into rebuilding their armies.


    Today too, the officers, who had be listless and exhausted from the continuous meetings, were slowly wrapping things up and getting prepared to stand up from their seats.


    But then¡­


    One of themunications officers suddenly rushed into the conference hall and urgently approached the Commander for a report.


    ¡°The¡­ The West¡¯s frontline has been breached!¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 133 - West’s Frontlines In Crisis (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(133)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>46 </b>West¡¯s Frontlines in Crisis (1)


    The solid and sturdy Western frontline.


    Unlike the North who had the image of being the strongest, the Western Army had the image of being the sturdiest in the Empire. The army that stayed in ce despite countless howls and cries. That was the Western Army.


    And that Western frontline is breached?


    Everyone was shocked by the news.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that the West has been breached! What the hell is going on?!¡±


    Themunications officer immediately ryed what he had heard after hearing Crimson¡¯s outburst.


    ¡°An internal attack had broken their frontline.¡±


    ¡°Internal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. The Western front seemed to fail to hold out when monsters came down on them from the Center.¡±


    ¡°How the hell¡­ tell me more about it!¡±


    Themunications officer shook his head in apology at Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. We don¡¯t know much details since the information was urgently sent by the Western Command.¡±


    ¡°Contact the West right now¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve tried to do that but we can¡¯t contact anyone. We tried to find other ways to contact them but¡­ the Command is not responding at all.¡±


    Crimson gritted his teeth at the words of themunications officer.


    ¡°Is it confirmed that the monsters truly came from the Center?¡±


    ¡°¡­Themunication that we received clearly stated that sir.¡±


    Crimson held his head as he copsed back into his chair after hearing themunications officer¡¯s confirmation.


    Earth-shattering silence enveloped the entire conference hall.


    News about the Western front being breached soon began to spread all throughout the Command.


    Perhaps it was because the news was too shocking that everyone focused on the West to learn about the situation in detail. Because of this, they were able to gather a lot of information. They were finally able to infer the current situation in the West by gathering the information that they had all collected.


    Just when everyone was having a meeting trying to find out what to do about the situation in the West¡­


    ¡°New information! The¡­ The South is also facing a crisis from the sudden appearance of mysterious creatures! The Southern Army is urgently gathering all of its troops to fight but they¡¯re still in a difficult situation.¡±


    ¡°Did those mysterious creaturese from the Center?¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ That¡¯s right!¡±


    Themunications officer immediately answered Crimson¡¯s question.


    Silence immediately covered the entire conference hall. No one here was so tactless that they wouldn¡¯t understand the reason why Crimson asked such a question.


    ¡®Is the Center crazy?¡¯


    This thought shed in the heads of everyone present in the conference hall.


    The West and South were already at war and in a difficult situation but the Center willingly let out the monsters that they were dealing with and sent them to those regions.


    ¡°Investigate the North and the East.¡±


    Themunications officer immediately went outside at Crimson¡¯s orders.


    Even though themunications officer had already gone out to find out more information, none of the officers stood up to leave. All of them waited for the news in an ufortable silence.


    After a long time, the officer returned to the conference hall.


    ¡°Some monsters flocked to the East but it was not as big as the amount that were sent to the South and the West.¡±


    ¡°The North?¡±


    ¡°There are no monsters in the North.¡±


    Crimson let out a short burst ofughter at themunications officer¡¯s words.


    ¡®You¡¯re aiming for the weak spots?¡¯


    This was the same idea that was running through the heads of the officers in the hall.


    It seemed like the beings were aiming for the Empire¡¯s weak spots. But strangely enough, none went to the North. The Northern Army was already reduced by more than half after the Great Northern War. That was why if they were aiming for a weak spot, then they should have clearly targeted the North.


    ¡®Are they only aiming for ces where there are wars?¡¯


    It was understandable since they aimed for ces that wouldn¡¯t be able to create a double front or ces where they couldn¡¯t care less about their rear, but their opponents were none other than the monsters. No matter how intelligent they were, they still needed to understand and know how to use the information in their hands to make the best judgement in every situation. In other words, those who were fighting a war against the Center had already reached a level where they knew how to collect and analyze the information about the humans.


    There had been no problems so far since the Center had blocked them and Ghosts had been supporting each region. It also seemed reasonable to have such a conclusion since they aimed for those ces shortly after the Ghosts had been recalled.


    ¡®Was it because they¡¯re in a hurry¡­ or¡­¡¯


    This thought shed in Crimson¡¯s head as he waited for more news.


    He needed to gather more information first before deciding if they should go send support or not. He also had to see whether they could see an end to the situations in the West and the South.


    While the Command was flustered by the sudden turn of events, Iron was busy rolling his troops.


    ¡°Keoheok!¡±


    ¡°Sa¡­ Save¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop exaggerating!¡±


    Hundreds of soldiers were in a formation as they tried to pressure Iron while the knights moved to dig into the gaps in his movements.


    Iron was taking the role of arge monster or a high-leveled monster that was equivalent to it. But the problem was, he was still continuing on grinding them relentlessly in this training. Even though he deliberately chose a blunt iron sword, this consideration was meaningless as long as he had his mana.


    ¡°Stop him!¡±


    ¡°Hang in there! If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll end up rolling until midnight!¡±


    The knights quickly jumped forward to stop Iron as they shouted at the soldiers. All of them used their mana swords to attack Iron but Iron was not someone that they could attack easily.


    Bang!


    Iron easily parried the dozens of mana swords that came at him as he flew towards the knight at the center. Then, Ariel, who suddenly appeared, aimed at Iron at high speed. The Gctic Meteor Swordsmanship, known for being the extremely swift swordsmanship, aimed to hit and tear Iron¡¯s back. However, the difference between their stages was extremely vast.


    ng!


    ¡°Keup!¡±


    Ariel was just right around the corner of the 5th Stage but Iron was already in the 6th Stage. Even if she had attacked him from behind, she had no choice but to lose with the huge difference in their level.


    ¡°Next.¡±


    Iron, with ae hither gesture, spoke after smashing a knight order squad and apany of troops.


    Then, Cardro¡¯s aerial assault unit¡¯s squadron appeared.


    Everyone slowly began to set a siege against Iron as if their lives depended on it. They had repeated battles like this everyday and were slowly being able to develop some sense in fighting against high-leveled monsters. However, they still felt like dying.


    Iron did not go easy on them whenever he hit them so they felt like they were going to break something with each hit. However, even if they did their best to avoid getting hit, they couldn¡¯t win against him since the difference in their skills are too big.


    In addition, their training time was not short. Their biggest problem was Baepsae, who was perched on Iron¡¯s head. After their training, Baepsae would immediately use its power of healing and vitality and tend to their wounds even before the medics arrived.


    In other words! Their hell-like training continued day after day.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Iron, who was about to start training, turned his head at the call of an officer.


    There, he saw an officer from Command looking at him. He handed a towel to the sweaty officer and received the letter from him.


    ¡°Crazy shits!¡±


    The letter that he received contained information on the reason why the Western frontlines had been breached and the sudden changes in the situation of the Empire.


    <b>1 </b>The Western front lines had been breached.


    <b>2 </b>The cause seems to be the monsters from the Center.


    <b>3 </b>This very same reason caused great damage to the South.


    <b>4</b> Although the East received some damage, it is iparable to the damage in the South and the West. The strange thing is none of them came to the North.


    <b>5 </b>Something big seems to have happened in the Center. We might need to prepare for an emergency.


    The letter, which was personally written by the Commander, briefly summarized the situation like that. However, no matter how much he looked at it, the contents seemed to be unusual.


    Iron closed his eyes for a moment to think about the letter that he had just read.


    Everyone present looked at him nervously.


    ¡°The training ends here!¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes looked brutal the moment he opened his eyes and looked at his troops.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s time for us to move.¡±


    Everyone turned tense when they heard Iron¡¯s words. Some of the veterans had rxed expressions but the rest were so nervous that cold sweat even began to pour on their backs. This was an inevitable scenario especially since his unit was mostlyposed of rookies.


    Seeing the soldiers act like this, Iron showed them the letter in his hands.


    ¡°The Commander gave us the order himself. We will go to the Western front.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°The Western front has been breached and the cause is the strange monsters that came from the Center.¡±


    Iron gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    His anger couldn¡¯t help but re whenever the thought of the Center doing something this crazy to the West, who was already having a hard time dealing with the birdmen, shed through his head.


    Everyone gulped dryly when they saw the brutal momentum that Iron was currently releasing.


    ¡°We will move as soon as we collect the bare minimum information. Keep in mind that the enemies that we will deal with are the enemies from the Center. Remember that and get ready.¡±


    Iron sent off the officer from Command and began his preparations to go to the West after giving his orders.


    Then¡­


    Ariel approached Iron.


    ¡°Brigade Commander.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s just the two of us, you can let go of the formalities.¡±


    Iron told her to speakfortably after seeing Ariel trying to speak carefully around him.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­¡±


    Ariel cleared her throat for a moment after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°About¡­ what you said earlier. Did the Western front copse because of the monstersing from the Center?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron just nodded lightly when Ariel asked him with disbelief on her face.


    ¡°Then, does that mean there¡¯s a problem in the Center?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t infer anything because the information that he had was limited. However, there was something that he was sure about, the forces of the Center that had been stopping these monsters had begun to pop out one by one.


    ¡®That Shadow did not speak nonsense.¡¯


    Iron¡¯s expression turned serious the moment this thought shed in his head. It wasn¡¯t just a threat. Perhaps the situation was truly dangerous even for the Shadow.


    ¡®But even so¡­¡¯


    It was impossible for them to antagonize the World Tree. It was impossible for them to bring the North into another vicious cycle of wars. For the North, it was like they had brought them an option that they would never choose.


    ¡°One thing is for certain, something¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Ariel was speechless at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s only going to get harder from this point on.¡±


    ¡°Harder than the Great Northern War?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If there really is a problem with the Center then¡­ the regions wouldn¡¯t be the problem at all. The entire Empire will be fraught with problems. And if that happens then¡­¡±


    ¡°The danger could even go beyond the Empire and affect the entire continent.¡±


    Necessary evil.


    That was exactly what Iron saw the Center as.


    No matter how rotten they were, once the Center copsed, the entire Empire would soon follow.


    ¡°So, why aren¡¯t they asking for support?¡±


    Iron sighed at Ariel¡¯s question. He had thought about this problem when the Ghost had been recalled. And he had only made one conclusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s most likely due to the Center¡¯s weakness.¡±


    ¡°Weakness?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a possibility that the ones who attacked the West and the South this time are rted to the Central Government.¡±


    Ariel tilted her head in confusion. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t understand Iron¡¯s words.


    However, even if she was curious, it was difficult to answer her questions. He was not yet certain and it was very likely rted to Shadow. However, if it was truly rted to Shadow¡­ then, it was highly likely that those who had been disturbing the Center were their ¡®victims¡¯.


    ¡°Ha¡­ So annoying.¡±


    Iron frowned when he suddenly felt annoyance rising in him. He couldn¡¯t understand why he had to go and clean up the Center¡¯s shit every damn time.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you alright?¡±


    Ariel carefully asked him when she saw him gritting his teeth in annoyance. This was the first time that she had seen him this annoyed so her voice was filled with questions.


    The thought ¡®Should I just exin everything to her?¡¯ passed through Iron¡¯s head but he still kept his mouth shut. Ariel might be a tight-lipped person but there would be problems if rumors started here for no reason at all so he swallowed his anger and kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°Go. We should do what we have to do first.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 134 - West’s Frontlines In Crisis (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(134)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>46 </b>West¡¯s Frontlines in Crisis (2)


    Iron¡¯s Special Mobile Unit was finally about to move after a short training.


    They were the only unit that was specialized and allowed to move outside of the Northeast¡¯s jurisdiction.


    Everyone was looking forward to their performance after hearing the news that they would be moving despite their troops consisting mostly of rookies. This could mostly be attributed to Iron¡¯s huge contributions in the Great Northern War with just rookies under hismand.


    However, they were all still very worried.


    [ The Western Frontlines¡¯ Copse. ]


    All of the people were aware of this fact after reading the article in the newspaper.


    With the release of this news, the Northern Army urgently began to gather troops and dispatch reinforcements. Even the Northern Territorial Lords moved and added some of their forces.


    If the West had been breached, then the North would also be affected. That was why they were trying to send support. The Northeast would also send support and had decided to send Iron¡¯s Special Mobile Unit first.


    However, no news came from the other regions.


    The reason for their silence was revealedter on and was mainly because they were also having a hard time on their own. The South was facing their own crisis while the East was still busy dealing with their own problems.


    ¡°They came from the Center?¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t even make sense?¡±


    ¡°What is the Center doing?¡±


    The people of the Empire were furious. They were angry that the Center¡¯s shit all flocked to the regions whose armies were already having difficulties and made their fronts copse. But even if the masses demanded their exnations, the Central officers maintained their silence. They kept their mouths shut even after countless people flocked to the government office. As this fact became known, newspapers began reporting about a huge secret that the public was not aware of.


    ¡°It seems like they can¡¯t exin.¡±


    Iron smirked as he folded the newspaper neatly and ced it beside him.


    Vwoong~ vwoong~


    Apanied by the sound of the airship¡¯s mana stone, they finally finished their preparations and had begun heading to the West. They had prepared a huge airship to fly and move a brigade-level unit. The Drake Unit had also finished their preparations perfectly.


    ¡°You will turn 20 once you reach the Western frontlines¡­ what a shame.¡±


    Cardro spoke bitterly.


    Just like he said, Iron was about to turn 20. Cardro, Ariel and Carl were all turning 20 soon too.


    ¡°It seems like we¡¯ll arrive at the Western front exactly when my age changes.¡±


    Everyone smiled bitterly when they saw Iron speaking bitterly too.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ To be honest, my age changing to 20 doesn¡¯t mean much. It doesn¡¯t really matter, what¡¯s important is information about our enemies.¡±


    Everyone nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡®Death Corps.¡¯


    Iron had asked for information from Command. The problem was the fact that the information kept on changing.


    When he heard that an undead unit had appeared, he thought that this battlefield would be a bit easier than the others. However, new information came in. It seemed like the beings that they thought to be simple zombies actually sucked people¡¯s blood while being able to use illusion techniques.


    ¡®Then, vampires?¡¯


    But they weren¡¯t those too.


    He heard that they could also spit out poison and reattach their cut off limbs over and over again, just like a zombie. And if they drank blood, they would also be able to regenerate their cut off limbs. These bastards seemed to have thebined advantages of the undead and the vampires.


    ¡®Then, are they chimeras?¡¯


    This thought shed in his head. However, it was hard to conclude that they were chimeras especially when there were no traces of their bodies beingbined together, the chimera¡¯s major characteristic, nor did they have any time limit from the side-effects of joining different bodies together.


    Since they still did not know where these bastards came from or what kind of beings they are, it had now be a huge problem.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a headache.¡±


    He had no choice but to move carefully since he had never experienced this in his previous life.


    ¡®I¡¯ve fought with a lot of undead but¡­ if they are just simr to them then it doesn¡¯t make sense for the West to struggle this much when fighting against them.¡¯


    The undead had appeared countless times in the Empire¡¯s history so their characteristics were already described in detail. The armies were also fully armed with their basic information. The same was true for vampires. Vampires had vastly different powers depending on their blood. Generally, pure blooded vampires were stronger than those that weren¡¯t of pure blood. And even though they had different attributes, their weaknesses were basically the same.


    However, for them to be pushed back like this meant that the weaknesses that they were already aware of were not working properly.


    ¡°We found monsters one hour away from us.¡±


    ¡°Their size?¡±


    Iron hurriedly got up from his seat and walked forward after hearing the sudden report.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    ¡°Is it the new monsters?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡±


    The officer in charge of the airship hurriedly showed the mana ball to Iron. The reflection on the mana ball was truly only showing monsters. The problem was that they were urgently moving somewhere. It looked simr to a monster wave.


    ¡°They¡¯re running away. Towards the North?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Iron looked at the mana ball seriously. Everyone looking at the mana ball were aware that there should be something more powerful that made these monsters run away.


    ¡®The bastards harassing the Center?¡¯


    Dark clouds suddenly flocked from afar as ck fog began to spread from the ground.


    Iron stood up from his seat when he saw the green light shining from within the ck fog.


    ¡°Go and get ready for battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The officers immediately moved hurriedly after hearing Iron¡¯smand.


    Iron continued to look at the mana ball. He soon saw strange beings appearing from inside the ck fog to catch the escaping monsters.


    ¡°Undead? No.¡±


    Seeing their movements, one would simply conclude that they were the undead. But they were also using magic.


    What was more shocking was the fact that it weren¡¯t just the liches or the skeleton mages who used magic, all of these strange beings inside the ck fog could use magic albeit only at a crude level. They were also able to restore their bodies that got cut off from the monsters¡¯ counterattack by sucking the monsters¡¯ blood. In other words, they had little to no chance of dying unless their cores werepletely destroyed.


    In addition, it seemed like they were able to revive some of the monsters since they had the undead¡¯s characteristics. And by using that special characteristic, they were able to continuously raise their troops.


    Just like what Iron had expected, they seemed to have both the characteristics of the vampires and the undead.


    ¡°Will holy power work?¡±


    Both of the characteristics that he was able to personally identify were weak to holy power. The problem was that the Central Army was probably aware of it. But the fact that the unknown corps were able to breach their line ande all the way here meant that using holy power was not effective.


    Therefore, he needed to have more urate information before he could make his own judgement.


    ¡°Should I go and check it out personally?¡±


    Iron muttered to himself as he approached the door of the airship.


    ¡°Open it.¡±


    ¡°Yes? But we¡¯re too high¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Open it.¡±


    The soldier hurriedly opened the door at Iron¡¯s orders. Then, Iron free-falled from the airship.


    ¡°Owl!¡±


    ¨D Hooooot!


    Two Moons appeared at Iron¡¯s call. It quickly picked him up as they began to glide slowly.


    Thump!


    His heart began to thump wildly the moment he jumped off the airship and approached the unknown corps. At the same time, his stigmata ached and emitted light as it immediately released his holy power. It was as if it saw something that shouldn¡¯t exist as it expressed strong dissatisfaction through every fiber of his being towards these unknown beings.


    The same was true for Two Moons, a divine beast.


    ¨D Hooooot!


    Two Moons¡¯ eagerness to ughter and extinguish them immediately rang in his head.


    ¡°Hold on. I have to check something.¡±


    Iron appeased Two Moons who was just about ready to sweep them away immediately and released his holy power immediately.


    The ck fog was immediately purified as the sanctuary that appeared in the North plenty of times had been created here as well. Because of that, the beings hiding in the ck fog appeared one after the other.


    The beings were all covered with ck energy while their eyes emitted green light.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re resisting?¡±


    He thought that they would have already been purified and turned to dust with his holy power but it seemed like they still survived. The only thing that disappeared was the ck fog. This meant that holy power did not work on them.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Is it because of the flow of the holy power?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he released a stronger holy power.


    Then, some of the bastards on the outskirts finally reacted.


    Iron frowned after seeing that some of the weaker ones had broken down after the ck fog surrounding their bodies had suddenly disappeared.


    Holy power does work.


    However, it had no overwhelming advantage on them unlike on the undead or the vampires.


    ¡°Resistance to holy power¡­¡±


    Some of them tried to spit poison at them but Two Moons was able to move sleekly to avoid them.


    Their magic wasn¡¯t that high-leveled but that did not matter. Thankfully, the vampire¡¯s charm magic wasn¡¯t being expressed due to the sanctuary. At the very least, he was certain that holy power was working against those.


    ¡°Let¡¯s first grab some and experiment on them¡­¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he went to the ship¡¯s captain and ordered them to fire at them.


    Not long after, bombs and artillery began to rain down from the airship as the surrounding area was devastated. At the same time, Cardro¡¯s aerial assault unit also began to attack them. The Drake Unit flew out to protect the airship as some of themnded and let off the troops one after the other.


    But maybe it was because it was their first actual battle? Everyone was moving creakily and made small mistakes one after the other.


    Iron summoned his divine beasts to cover for their mistakes.


    Iron¡¯s divine beasts¡¯ overwhelming strength drew enough attention from their opponents. In addition, Iron himself went down and cut the monsters personally so the troops were given enough time to reorganize themselves and go into their formation.


    The sound of the bombs exploding resonated in the area.


    Bang! Bang!


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Iron clicked his tongue as he looked at his faltering troops.


    Even though they did not train for long, he thought that they would probably be a bitposed since they received intense training from him. But all he could do was sigh as he watched the unit leaders fail to unite together. The knights, the rangers, the aerial units and the rest of the troops were all busy taking care of themselves.


    They might be a brigade-level unit but they weren¡¯t veryrge in an army¡¯s point of view. It would be extremely difficult for their unit to y a big role in this battlefield if they couldn¡¯t even unite and fight as one.


    ¡°There are more than one or two things that needed to be corrected but¡­¡±


    Iron sighed as he swung his sword.


    They needed to annihte the enemies in front of them first.


    When the divine beasts and Iron¡¯s sanctuary had weakened their enemies, the troops were finally able to perform well despite this being their first actual battle as a brigade.


    The knights went into formation and broke the enemies¡¯ defense line.


    The rangers gradually reduced the number of their enemies by killing the escaping enemies one by one.


    The aerial assault unit appeared in the rear and prevented the enemies from concentrating in one ce.


    Everyone fought the enemies by dutifully following their roles.


    Their enemies could regenerate even if their limbs or torso were cut off but they still failed to endure and withstand the power of the sanctuary and eventually died.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the sanctuary, things would have been tricky.¡±


    Ariel mumbled to herself as she blew off the head of the enemy who had tried to do a surprise attack on her.


    The same opinion ran through the heads of the other leaders.


    Their regeneration was significantly slowed down thanks to the extreme power of the sanctuary and eventually caused their deaths. However,pared to the undead and the vampires, they felt a strong and powerful vitality in these new monsters until the very end.


    ¡°What the hell are these bastards¡­¡±


    Cardro muttered to himself and frowned as he split the body of the monster in front of him once again.


    Everyone felt flustered as they made sure to thoroughly kill the enemy.


    Their charm magic was crude and the dark magic that they used was weak enough that the soldiers could beat them. Even the poison that they spit out from time to time was also at a level that the soldiers and their shields could endure.


    This was only possible since they had been weakened by the sanctuary.


    ¨D Uwoooooo!


    ¡°Is it near the heart? They¡¯re also on the joints. I believe these ck beads are the cause but¡­ Seeing traces of forced surgeries¡­ it¡¯s weird.¡±


    Iron found out the cause of their regenerative powers after catching one of the monsters and chopping up its body. The monster remained alive despite being chopped up roughly but immediately copsed and died when he smashed the ck bead on its head.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll understand if I catch more of them?¡±


    Iron suddenly spoke to the bastards that surrounded him.


    Although they were dressed like other men and aristocrats, they were all emitting ck energy. Perhaps it was their power that caused that ck fog. But their power still fell short in front of Iron.


    Just like any other apostle, the enormous holy power emanating from his stigmata was able to quickly purify the ck energy from their bodies.


    ¨D Apostle¡­ apostle!


    ¨D Let¡¯s die together!


    Knowing that their full strength would not work, all of them rushed forward from all sides.


    Bang!


    Themanders self-destructed and caused an explosion of blood. But maybe it was because his body was denying the power in their blood? Most of them were easily purified while the rest were greatly weakened from the power of the explosion that they weren¡¯t able to prate through his steel mana.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Iron looked at themanders that exploded in blood with regret. However, Iron did not dwell on them. After all, there were still many unknown beings that had not yet died.


    Iron¡¯s lips curled up into a grin at the thought of finishing this battle quickly and experimenting on them.


    ¡®Knowledge is power.¡¯


    That was the foundation that allowed him to survive until the end of his previous life. And to gain that, Iron immediately gave his orders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill all of them. Capture them! We need to find out their weaknesses.¡±


    The troops, who were about to wipe out the enemy, began to capture their enemies one by one at Iron¡¯s orders.


    Once themanders had disappeared, the weaker ones were easily captured by the troops.


    Iron smiled brightly once all of the battles were over.


    Although they showed their inexperience, they were still able to win the war without any losses. Even though they fought in a battle where they had the overwhelming advantage, it was still meaningful since there were no deaths in their ranks.


    So, to celebrate his brigade¡¯s first victory, he ordered his men to set up a temporary camp and told them to take a break.


    While the troops were celebrating their victory, Iron went ahead and found the ones that they had captured and left alive.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Is it my time to have some fun now?¡±


    Iron smiled as he pulled a knife out.


    ¡°Shall we start with the heart? I wonder how weak you can get once I take out the core in your heart¡­ I¡¯m very curious.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 135 - West’s Frontlines In Crisis (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(135)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>46 </b>West¡¯s Frontlines in Crisis (3)


    While everyone was resting, Iron busied himself and began all kinds of experiments on these strange creatures to find out their weaknesses.


    He was able to identify how high their regenerative power was by removing the core and injecting holy power in their bodies. He was also able to find out how strong the core was and check the power contained inside with the help of some wizards.


    He also tried to find out how they experimented on them and looked through the traces of the procedures in some of these creatures.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    However, there was a limit to what he could find while they were still out here in the field.


    Iron suddenly started missing his previous life.


    Although he was not as strong and was not as trusted by everyone as he was now, the conditions back then were still leagues better in terms of experimenting. He had aboratory and an experimental site built in Leonhardt¡¯s Castle where he could experiment on the monsters that they had captured alive every day and identify their weaknesses.


    One might think that this was a cruel practice. Some even said that they should at least give these lives afortable rest in the end. But that was only a story that should be mentioned when humanity¡¯s survival was already guaranteed. It was extremely strange for them to pay attention to such matters when they were currently at a time where there were hundreds and thousands of humans that were being pushed back and dying day by day.


    They were able to identify the monsters¡¯ weaknesses through their countless experiments and their behaviors and patterns through their countless battles. From their findings, they wre able to create tactics tailored to defeat these monsters and create a defensive line that prevented the North¡¯splete copse.


    And Iron intended to repeat this process here as well.


    ¡®Unknown creatures? It will be enough as long as we find out things about them one by one.¡¯


    In his previous life, he had encountered plenty of monsters for the first time. Humanity was able to grow and survive only after identifying their weaknesses through experiments and killing them one by one. It was enough as long as he could replicate the process in his present life.


    He was able to identify their weaknesses through the surviving creatures so he went out in search of the bodies to find out more. However, nothing truly came out that outstanding in his eyes. Most of the bodies seemed to have been revived from the dead through the unity of their body and the death energy in the form of the beads which turned them into creatures that were neither vampires nor undead.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ This is quite vague.¡±


    Iron scratched the flesh of the beings that tried to kill him through a blood explosion in frustration. However, he would not be able to find out anything with just some pieces of flesh.


    In the end, all he could do was to inform his unit about the weaknesses that he roughly found out and told them to move out as soon as everything had been prepared and fixed.


    The further they entered the West from the North, the more bastards surrounded by ck fog appeared. And every time, they fought overwhelming battles under the power of the sanctuary.


    Baaaaaaang!


    ¡°Ha¡­ these bastards are self-destructing bastards too.¡±


    Iron frowned as he watched the bastards explode just like themanders that he had first met.


    The numbers of the bastards that they had met were not thatrge. However, even if they met groups of them several times, they were still unable to capture any of themander-level ones.


    This was because they would immediately self-destruct the moment they saw him with a shout of Apostle! to cause a crisis.


    ¡°I¡¯m annoyed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll capture them alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Please leave it to us.¡±


    Iron shook his head at Ariel and Cardro¡¯s words.


    He wasn¡¯t ignoring and setting them aside but with their skills, their lives were likely going to be in danger once they were hit by a blood explosion at a close distance.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ariel and Cardro ground their teeth at Iron¡¯s answer. Despite beingpatriots, Iron still did not ce his trust in them. They felt frustrated that the gap between them was so wide that they couldn¡¯t catch up to him now but at the very least they wanted to be in the same unit and be of help to him. However, all they did was to rely on theirpatriot¡¯s overwhelming performance.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he saw that hispatriot¡¯s expressions were not good. They would be left frustrated if things ended like this so he needed to find some sort of method to have a tie with the situation. This was because they were now the main pirs of their troops and not just hispatriots.


    ¡°Go and make a stage.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±


    The two looked at them with wide eyes when they heard his words.


    ¡°Go and make a stage for me and themander-level bastards to fight. If I could focus on them, I believe I would somehow be able to spare one and capture them alive.¡±


    His words brought life back to their eyes once again.


    ¡°Ariel, don¡¯t let other creatures clump and stick around me.¡±


    ¡°I will do that.¡±


    Ariel looked reliable as she responded to Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Cardro, stay on the rear and work with the rangers to break down the bastards¡¯ formation as much as possible. That way, me and the other knights will be able to reach themanders at afortable pace.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to do what they usually do. There are still a lot of inexperienced soldiers in our ranks so telling them to do something difficult for no reason at all will bring casualties.¡±


    Ariel and Cardro bowed their heads apologetically when they heard Iron¡¯s words. Each and every day that they spent fighting together made them realize how much Iron was suffering because of their immaturity.


    However, Iron was thinking differently. To him, they were still young. They were only less than 20 years old but they were already participating in numerous battles, and if they continued to work under hismand, they would be able to learn and grow well.


    He could wait for them because he trusted in them. After all, he could see how much they were growing day by day. Although they continued to reveal their inexperience and unfamiliarity due to the sudden turn of events, they were still coping quite well.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing well. If you continue to grow like this, then you will be able to reach the target that I want you to achieve in a year.¡±


    But their faces could not brighten despite Iron¡¯s words. His words meant that they were still a burden.


    Iron no longer spoke after seeing their expressions. Instead, he urged his unit to move and find the monsters quickly. The best training was fighting. The intense physical and mental memories that they would gain once they survived would be a greater fertilizer for their growth than training.


    There were many ces where they could fight during these chaotic times. Especially here in the West, since their frontline had copsed, the region was overflowing with ces where they could fight.


    As if to prove this, Iron¡¯s unit was able to meet with a group of monsters as well as another group of the unknown troops. Each time, they saved people in crisis and annihted the enemy.


    ¡°Is it another failure?¡±


    Iron looked bitterly at themanders that self-destructed once again. Even though he tried to capture them several times, all of his attempts had failed. Ariel and the other leaders all looked apologetic but Iron believed that it was his fault and not theirs.


    ¡°It¡¯s my mistake, straighten your faces.¡±


    However, even if Iron said this, their faces did not straighten. Perhaps it was because they felt that he was just saying this for no reason at all. Seeing this, Iron spoke again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll seed next time. I already got the hang of it.¡±


    Iron smiled, encouraged them and prepared to move again.


    These unknown beings were creating a stir in the West. They had already gained the moniker ¡®Death Corps¡¯, an army that never died and brought forth the epitome of fear. However, in front of Iron¡¯s unit that could use overwhelming holy power, they were just easy prey.


    If I can¡¯t do it once, do it twice. If I still can¡¯t do it twice then do it thrice.


    They took on the challenge of capturing themander-level figures of the Death Corps and did it several times while being apanied by that mindset.


    ¨D Krrk¡­ A¡­ Apostle¡­ keuaaaaack!


    Iron deliberately showed a gap in his movements to catch one of them at the risk of him getting hurt. Themander immediately tried to self-destruct the moment he injected holy power in its body and neutralized it. But Iron did not let him.


    ¨D Let¡¯s die together!


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    After experiencing it quite a lot of times, he was well aware of their patterns now. He quickly tied the being that he neutralized so it couldn¡¯t move and pressed it down with his holy power so it could not regain its strength andmit suicide while he annihted the rest with the help of Two Moons.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes glowed as he looked at themander that he had caught. He grinned when he saw that it had failed to ovee his powerful holy power and passed out.


    In just a blink of an eye, the battlefield had been organized and a barracks was built for Iron.


    ¨D A¡­ Apostle!


    ¡°Shouting is meaningless.¡±


    ¨D Ughhhhhh¡­


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to self-destruct. Of course, you also won¡¯t be able to kill yourself.¡±


    Iron smiled as he said those words.


    ¨D No matter how much you torture me, you won¡¯t be able to pry anything from my mouth!


    ¡°Sure, whatever. I did not intend to pry a confession out of you anyway.¡±


    Iron pulled out a dagger.


    ¡°First, let me find out what your body is made of. We have a lot of time.¡±


    The being began to panic at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯re amander so there must be something that differentiates you from your subordinates, right?¡±


    Then, he spinned the dagger.


    The wizards entered Iron¡¯s barracks one by one, ready to experiment with themander-level creature.


    ¡°Well then! Shall we get started?¡±


    The experiment on themander-level creature began with Iron¡¯s cruelughter.


    The first thing that they investigated were the ¡®Contract Insignia¡¯ that were painted on its body. Then, they checked the suture marks to see if it had undergone any other experiments and procedures. And by the end of it all, they found out that this was a vampire¡¯s body.


    Themander-level creature¡¯s mentality broke when it saw that Iron found out its secret on his own without asking anything. Even if it mumbled like crazy and spewed out information, Iron did not believe anything that it said. He doubted the creature until the very end. After all, he had met countless beings that talked like this and recited false information in his previous life.


    ¡°What should we do with this guy?¡±


    The wizard asked as he looked at themander-level being, which had turned into rags after several days of experiments.


    ¡°Take it. There¡¯s still a lot that we can find out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The wizards immediately went behind closed doors at Iron¡¯s words.


    Iron was able to find out the weaknesses of the Death Corps. He was also able to roughly guess their goals after experimenting on themander-level being. He thought about how he should use this information.


    ¡®It¡¯s hard to trust in just one guy¡¯s information.¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head as he moved once again to check the authenticity of the information.


    He deliberately wandered to the ces where the Death Corps could be found and caught a fewmander-level beings on their way to Western Command. He gave support and helped the refugees by killing the Death Corps and capturing theirmanders. Since the North had be the safest region in the continent, there were many refugeesing up, that was also the reason why plenty of Death Corps were in the area.


    And the more they killed them, the more he understood their behavior patterns and weaknesses. Because of this, he was able to create and refine a unique tactic against them. And the more his unit learned and used it in practice, the better they became at dealing with the Death Corps.


    ¡°Is the information that you said true?¡±


    After gathering all of the information that he had gathered from all of themander-level beings, he was able to reach a conclusion. And that fact was something that couldn¡¯t be known to the people here but even to the Empire.


    Iron, who contemted on what to do with this information, decided to head to Western Command for now.


    Although the Western frontlines had copsed, the remaining forces in the West still continued to fight fiercely at the temporarymand that they had set up and was centered on the Western Commander.


    After deciding on helping them, Iron ordered his troops to move quickly. He and his troops had been dyed since they deliberately sought the Death Corps, but they were now moving quickly. Although there were still many Death Corps that targeted the refugees, they couldn¡¯t find all of them and kill them especially if there was an urgent situation that they needed to deal with. The best thing that they could do now was to join the Western Army and defeat the big shots first to prevent any further damage.


    While they were moving quickly towards Western Command, the wide-eyedmunications officer in the airship quickly approached Iron.


    ¡°Brigade Commander! There¡¯s trouble!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Iron tilted his head when he saw the urgent look on themunication officer¡¯s face.


    ¡°The Central Army¡­ The Central Army has copsed!¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 136 - The Central Army’s Collapse (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(136)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>47 </b>The Central Army¡¯s Copse (1)


    Iron hurriedly stood up and gathered the unit leaders together after hearing themunications officer¡¯s report.


    ¡®The Central Army has copsed.¡¯


    This was just the single line that was written in the report handed to him by themunications officer. However, the importance of this single sentence was far greater than any other documents that he had handled.


    ¡°Is this¡­ true?¡±


    ¡°I think we need to gather more details to know about the entire situation but¡­ it¡¯s most likely true.¡±


    Iron replied with a sigh at Ariel¡¯s question.


    He had already looked into all the possibilities and angles thinking that the information could probably be false but no matter how much he inferred the information seemed to be true.


    He ordered his unit to halt and borrowed the magicmunicationwork of the nearby territory and contacted the troops near the Central Army. And through this, he found out that several territories surrounding the Center had requested support. The sudden influx of the Death Corps was not only affecting the Center but also the nearby territories. This was a situation that would be very difficult to happen if the Central Army did not copse.


    ¡°¡­Then, what will our unit do from this point on?¡±


    All of the leaders turned to look at Iron upon hearing Cardro¡¯s question.


    Due to the sudden copse of the Central Army, their Special Mobile Unit was suddenly left floating. If they would base it on importance, then they should prioritize the West. However, if an abnormality appeared in the capital, then they had to go to the Center without fail.


    The only question was if they could make significant results with just their brigade-level troops alone. But the issue was too serious for them to leave the Center alone. Anymander in this situation would be left without being able to do this or that.


    ¡°¡­.We¡¯ll abandon the Center.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    All the officers present looked at Iron in shock after hearing the decision that he made after a long time.


    ¡°Western Command is already right around the corner. It¡¯s toote for us to turn around and go to the Center. Whether we get killed or eaten, we have to go to the West. And,munications officer¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Find out the situation in the capital.¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡±


    Themunications officer saluted and left the barracks after receiving Iron¡¯s order.


    ¡°Whether we send support to the Center or not, we will decide after arriving at Western Command. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°With the situation at hand, we have to move quickly. Gather all the troops and tell them to get ready to move.¡±


    When Iron stood up from his seat, all of the officers also stood up and moved quickly.


    ¡°The Central Army copsed¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s brows were furrowed at this unexpected situation.


    It was extremely shocking to know that the strongest military force in the continent, the Central Army, had copsed right after the Northern and Northeastern Army had been halved.


    After all, the Central Army was able to hold out despite the North falling into a mess in his previous life. The mess in the North had affected the East and the West while the South faced terrorism but only the Central Army remained strong and healthy back then. They kept their strength and maintained their military forces for their own survival while sending as little support as they could to the other regions.


    And that strong Central Army had now copsed. That meant that there was a problem in the capital.


    ¡°If that wasn¡¯t the case¡­ then they deliberately threw them away¡­¡±


    If the capital was safe and sound, then Iron¡¯s guess would be correct


    As far as Iron remembered, the Imperial Family were people who would remain and live despite making trashy and shitty decisions while throwing away the rest. If hebined the information that he had as well as the possibilities that he came up with, the story was notpletely unlikely to happen.


    In that situation, would it be right for his troops to support the Center? However, it was still a source of headache since he couldn¡¯t leave the Center alone either.


    While he was being troubled, all of his troops had gathered and were now ready to move.


    ¡°Brigade Leader! We¡¯ve finished all the preparations!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move out.¡±


    Hearing Ariel¡¯s report, Iron nodded his head and boarded the airship as he ordered them to move.


    Not long after, the airship moved and flew straight towards the temporary Western Command. They found monsters along the way but they ignored them and went straight ahead. This just showed how urgent their situation was.


    As they advanced deeper to the West, they saw the ravaged terrain from the fierce battles that took ce and were still taking ce. There was also a front temporarily created to block the Death Corps and prevent enemies from the inside from entering their region.


    Iron stopped their advance after seeing that the situation of the war on this front was not in favor of the humans. It seemed like they were gradually being pushed back.


    ¡°The situation is urgent but we can¡¯t just pass by them either. Tell them to prepare for battle.¡±


    Themunications officer immediately passed Iron¡¯s orders through the airshipmunication line. The Drake Unit also went into formation and escorted thending airship. The airship threw out bombs as its entrance lowered down to the ground. The drake knights also began to intercept those who tried to attack the airship.


    Some of the members of the Death Corps that were pushing the frontlines back looked up at the sky and spewed out poison that targeted Iron¡¯s brigade. Some even used magic to make the airship fall and crash.


    However, their attempts had beenpletely nullified by Iron¡¯s troops¡¯ attacks.


    Then, Cardro¡¯s aerial assault unit also began their descent.


    ¡°Assault unit! Ready!¡±


    At Cardro¡¯s orders, the frontlines immediately moved and created a ce where the airship could descend. Many from the Death Corps tried to attack the descending airship but Cardro¡¯s unit firmly blocked their attempts. The drake unit also kept them in check and attacked them to make sure that the airship could settle down safely on the ground.


    Thanks to their efforts, the airshipnded safely and the brigade rushed off. Finally, Iron also got off and let out his sanctuary.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time. Wipe them out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The brigade quickly moved to annihte their enemies at Iron¡¯s orders.


    The Death Corps began to disappear one by one as the attack of the troops specialized in dealing with the Death Corps were added to the attacks of the Western Army, which had been busy preventing them and being pushed back.


    The Western Army enveloped by the sanctuary looked nkly as Iron¡¯s troops annihted the Death Corps.


    Rumors had been circting. However, just like the usual, they believed that those rumors were just an exaggeration.


    In fact, among the rumors that they had heard from the Center, they had heard that a hero had appeared. This rumor had been repeated several times, however no matter how much they had hoped that a hero would appear, only the numerous Death Corps had flocked to the West.


    Although this was the unit that was led by the North¡¯s Hero, Iron, they still found it hard to believe that they could help them since he had only shown little to no contributions in terms of hismanding skills.


    However, after seeing their skills in person, they could see that the rumors weren¡¯t exaggerated but were even reduced to arge extent.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Iron¡¯s brigade?¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The Western troops were staring nkly. Even their officers were staring nkly too.


    ¡°Sanctuary¡­ I¡¯ve only heard it in the rumors but it seems like it¡¯s really no joke?¡±


    ¡°Those hideous and terrible bastards are dying without a fight.¡±


    Seeing the incredible scenery in front of them, the Western Army was unable to focus and stay alert. Perhaps it was also because of the battles that crossed life and death that they had endured every day that all they could do was stop and stare in a daze.


    However, Iron did not say anything to them. After all, he could see that they had been squeezing themselves to their limits just from the traces on their faces. Instead of scolding them for just standing there and staring nkly, he asked Baepsae to use his powers and revitalize the troops in this wide area.


    He would only do this ¡®instead¡¯ once for them in this battle. Once he and his unit had left this battlefield, they would once again fight against the Death Corps and maintain the frontline. At the very least, he wanted them to rest well even if only for a short while.


    Perhaps it was because of his request that Baepsae also did its best and cheered up a bit more to heal and energize the soldiers.


    ¡°Th¡­ thank you.¡±


    The general approached to greet him and express his gratitude after seeing his Special Mobile Unit deal with the Death Corps quickly. He was actually the divisionmander in charge of maintaining this frontline. It seemed like he also fought directly on the frontline since his military uniform was worn out and his face was covered with dirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m d that we could be of help to the Western Army.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ We can all take a bit of a breather because of you.¡±


    ¡°I want to help you a bit more but the situation is a bit unusual so we have to go to Command right away.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ You should do that.¡±


    The divisionmander nodded his head as if he was already aware of the reason as he urged him to go quickly.


    ¡°May fortune be with the Western Army¡­¡±


    ¡°May the God of Luck favor the Special Mobile Unit¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s troops, who had the luck and fortune of the battlefield, immediately boarded their airship as soon as the battle was over.


    No matter how easy it was for them to annihte their enemies, a battle was still a battle and fatigue and exhaustion would still linger in their bodies. However, all of them had heard the news of the copse of the Central Army so they boarded the airship silently and headed towards Western Command.


    On their way, they could see the West¡¯s frontlines. Some of them had already copsed while some were on the verge of copsing. Every time they encountered this and the airship couldn¡¯t descend, Iron would ride a drake himself, create a sanctuary and call in his divine beasts to help him clear thend where his troops couldnd.


    With several battles like this every day, the troops¡¯ fatigue and exhaustion had reached its limit.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Western Command.¡±


    The Western Command, the Command temporarily rebuilt using one of the Western territories as a base, finally came into view.


    They could see urgently deployed artillery and magic circles and magic bombs in the fortress as well as temporary bases for the airships and drake units. However, because they had been in urgent situations every day, everything looked precarious and unsteady that they felt extremely sorry for them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s Western Command¡­¡±


    One of the officers couldn¡¯t help but mumble in regret. The same was true for the others. All of them were feeling regret and pity for the Western Command, the ce that was known to be the sturdiest and hardest fortress in the Empire, that had now been destroyed and hastily rebuilt in this ce.


    ¨D Bzzzz! Which army are you from?


    ¡°We¡¯re the Special Mobile Unit sent by the Northeast for support.¡±


    ¨D Bzzz! Is it the unit that Brigadier General Iron is leading?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Themunication tool went silent for a while after Iron¡¯s answer. Then, a voice was heard again.


    ¨D We wee the support of the Special Mobile Unit. The Western Commander wants to see Brigadier General Iron right away.


    ¡°I will find him as soon as wend.


    ¨D I understand. Only the gship carrying Brigadier General Iron will be able to enter the Command¡¯s center. The rest will have to go to the eastern side.


    The airships moved under the guidance of themunications officer while the airship carrying Iron slowly moved to the center of Command.


    ¡°You should go to the eastern side too. I¡¯ll go down alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The officers on the airship saluted Iron as they received his orders. Iron opened the door and jumped down after receiving their salute. Then, Two Moons appeared and picked up Iron to help him descend.


    As he got off of Owl andnded on thending area, a middle-aged man with four stars on his shoulders approached Iron.


    ¡°Loyalty! I¡¯m the Special Mobile Unit¡¯s Commander, Brigadier General Iron.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m the West¡¯s Commander, German Lunte Stadt.¡±


    The middle-aged man shook hands with Iron. The hand that reached out for a handshake was covered with bandage as is the rest of his body.


    ¡°How¡­¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head in shock and confusion after seeing a master like German get injured to the point that he needed to be covered in bandages.


    ¡°It¡¯s an injury that I had received when the Command had copsed. Because it¡¯s an injury caused by mana, this is already the limit of potions and healing magic.¡±


    German raised his bandaged arm slightly with a bitter look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the news?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Central Army has copsed.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I have something to say about that. Let¡¯s go inside for now.¡±


    German used his crutches and headed towards Command with his limp. After hearing his subordinates¡¯ nagging, he finally led him to a secluded ce inside Command.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯ll be straightforward. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    The Commander sighed and lit up a cigarette after seeing Iron¡¯s widened eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re going to help the Center or if you¡¯re going to stay in the West and help us.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ To be honest, I haven¡¯t decided on what to do yet. I wanted to collect more information first before making a judgment. That¡¯s why I came straight to Command.¡±


    The Commander looked at him as if he did not expect this answer from Iron. In fact, he thought that Iron would immediately go to the Center and help them.


    ¡°Boy¡­ You seem to know about something?¡±


    The Western Commander looked at Iron. Iron also looked at him before telling him some of the things that he knew.


    ¡°Did the Capital Defense Corps intentionally abandon the Central Army?¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 137 - The Central Army’s Collapse (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(137)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>47 </b>The Central Army¡¯s Copse (2)


    German looked surprised at Iron¡¯s question.


    Iron¡¯s expression began to sink when he realized that his guess was correct.


    ¡°Were you probing me?¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly at German¡¯s question.


    ¡°In fact, I came to Western Command to find out about the capital.¡±


    ¡°So, you came here to see if the Capital Defense Corps is safe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron nodded gently at German¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    German took a deep puff of his cigar before sighing.


    ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    Iron went silent for a moment at German¡¯s question. German continued to speak after seeing Iron like that.


    ¡°Tell me everything. Then, I¡¯ll tell you everything that I can tell you to the best of my abilities.¡±


    Iron opened his mouth after pondering over German¡¯s words for a while.


    ¡°If the Central Army copsed while the Capital Defense Corps was still in good shape, then it¡¯s safe to assume that the Center had abandoned most of the areas in their region except for the minimum route that they needed to take from the capital to the outside.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I believe they will continue to divide the enemies that they couldn¡¯t take on to the other regions. There¡¯s also a possibility that the damaged North will dy sending their support and take their time to go to the Center so they threw away the Central Army as bait to attract the Death Corps to the North.¡±


    The Western Commander sighed quietly after hearing Iron¡¯s spection.


    ¡°You predicted a lot of things with only the limited information in your hands.¡±


    German took out another cigar before cing it in his mouth and looking at Iron. Seeing that German was thinking about where to start, Iron opened his mouth carefully.


    ¡°The Death Corps, the government is the one responsible for them, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    German looked at Iron firmly after hearing his question.


    Seeing him stop his actions of lighting his cigar and looking at him firmly like that made Iron feel convinced that his expectations and guesses were correct.


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    Iron shook his head.


    ¡°I investigated it myself.¡±


    Iron then told him about themanders of the Death Corps that he had caught on his way here as well as the information that he had obtained after torturing them.


    First, there were traces of experiments on their bodies.


    Through his experiments, he was able to find out the traces of stitches, the abnormal skin as well as the different types of tissues on the body and the limbs of the beings. He could tell that they were made artificially through some sort of experimental surgery.


    Second, the confessions that he barely received after torture.


    However, by the end of it all, it seemed like they were forbidden from speaking about anything else so the identity of the person who did the experiment remained unknown. He could deduce it from this point on but there was already enough evidence from the endless anger that they had felt at the current Imperialists and the Central government as well as their angry roar whenever the name of the Imperial Family came out.


    Finally, the contract insignia.


    Just like the dark elves and the mermaid race, there were signs of the contract insignia on their body that allowed them to use the power of the void, an external power. Through this insignia, they, the products of experiments, were able to breathe and use death¡¯s energy.


    To sum it up, the wizards¡¯ experiment chimeras and the alchemists¡¯ homunculi had be terrible hybrids after signing a contract with the beings of the void.


    The Center tried to hide them until the very end but they couldn¡¯t handle them so they used the copse of the Central Army as an excuse to diffuse them to other regions.


    ¡°That¡¯s all of the things that I have thought about.¡±


    German chewed on his cigar at Iron¡¯s words before spitting it out and speaking.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ You know more than I thought.¡±


    German sighed as he continued to speak.


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s already safe to say that you already knew everything.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just like you had inferred, themanders of the Death Corps are the Central Laboratories¡¯ victims. They were those who had identally survived the experiments a long time ago¡­ And they had gathered together while dreaming of taking revenge on the government.¡±


    German looked up at the sky as he said so.


    ¡°The very first survivor of the Central Laboratories¡¯ is a vampire half-breed.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ So¡­¡±


    Iron nodded his head as he recalled the blood-sucking characteristics of the Death Corps.


    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that the one who signed a contract with the gods beyond the void is this very same vampire half-breed. Their lifespan was infinitely longerpared to the humans¡¯ short lifespans so they must have prepared for this moment for a long time. In the end, the problem only grew as the Center¡¯s secretboratories began to be destroyed one by one.¡±


    ¡°So, in the end, they tried to hide their faults by hiding information but it turned out this way.¡±


    He looked bitter when he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    As amander, there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t know that the dark elves, the mermaid race and the birdmen that were wreaking havoc in the West were taking their revenge on the government. After all, all of them were races that had been sacrificed by the Imperial Family for their own greed.


    However, even if he knew their reason and that the Empire was the one in the wrong, he had no choice but to fight them to ensure the survival of both the Empire and mankind. After all, in this period of chaos, the division of the Empire would most likely lead to the copse of mankind.


    ¡°Since you already know most of them, I¡¯ll just exin the rest.¡±


    German took a letter out and handed them over to Iron.


    ¡°A Shadow came here not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ This¡­¡±


    Iron looked at the letter that he received not too long ago before turning to German.


    ¡°The Death Corps wille to the West so prepare appropriately.¡±


    At German¡¯s urging, Iron opened the letter and read what was written on it.


    ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t understand what they meant but in the end, what they said came true. The Death Corps from the inside and the birdmen from the outside, all of them continued to attack us¡­ Well, we prepared just in case but we still ended up giving up our Command and having our frontlines broken.¡±


    German mumbled ¡®I wish I had prepared better back then¡­¡¯ as he regretted his negligence.


    But in Iron¡¯s eyes, German was like a monster for being able to defend and protect his troops despite the constant internal and external pressure. What he did was already amazing enough.


    He could see why he was considered as the best Commander in the Empire.


    His outstandingmanding abilities were beyond his master-level strength which made him into a man that was worthy of respect of the other armymanders.


    ¡°When the Command copsed and the front had been smashed, a Shadow contacted me again after I had gathered my troops here. They said that this was because of the North.¡±


    Iron tried to say that it wasn¡¯t after hearing German¡¯s words. German reached out his hand and calmed him down when he saw his appearance.


    ¡°I know that the Shadow asked for the elves¡¯ bodies. I also know why the North rejected them. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it seems like the Center is trying to collect and experiment with the bodies of the elves, the birdmen¡¯s bodies that we had secured as well as the bodies of the mermaids that had fallen in the East. They¡¯re probably dreaming of staging a counterattack with whatever they could create from that experiment.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±


    German¡¯s mouth turned shut at Iron¡¯s question. It seemed like he was trying to tell him something but in the end all he did was smile and remain silent.


    Iron frowned when he realized that he had caught some taboos.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing that I can tell you. They¡¯re not clinging to the masters anymore.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°The Shadows said that once their ns arepleted, they can end the current crisis with the power of the Center alone.¡±


    Iron frowned at the words of the Western Commander.


    ¡°Completed¡­¡±


    ¡°The experiment thatsted for a long time has finallye to an end. Well¡­ Unlike us, who gave away the bodies of the birdmen, the North who did not give them the bodies of the elves will not be able to expect any help from the Center.¡±


    German said so but he looked like he wasn¡¯t expecting much from them. He knew full well that the West would have already been wiped out even before the Center could help them.


    Iron gritted his teeth as he watched German¡¯s bitter expression. He felt repulsion towards the Center that was more atrocious than in his previous life. If he could, he wanted tomit rebellion right away.


    German spoke lowly when he saw the resentment and hatred that appeared in Iron¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I want to kill them right away but¡­ we still need the Imperial Family.¡±


    German looked at Iron as he said so.


    ¡°Necessary evil.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about¡­ the necessary evil to maintain the Empire?¡±


    ¡°There is that, but what I¡¯m talking about when I say necessary evil is different.¡±


    Iron tilted his head at his words. However, he only smiled bitterly. It seemed like he could no longer tell him anything. Iron nodded when he saw German looking at him as if he needed to find out the rest by himself.


    German brought up the question he asked earlier to change the mood.


    ¡°Aside from that, let me ask you again. Are you going to help the Center or are you staying here in the West?¡±


    Iron pondered for a moment at his question.


    With the current situation, it was better for him to help the West. However, after hearing German¡¯s exnation, he kept on feeling that he needed to go to the Center.


    ¡°Necessary evil¡­¡±


    The meaning of these words that German couldn¡¯t answer. He suddenly wanted to know the answer.


    German patted him on his shoulder with his intact hand when he saw him murmuring to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve decided.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help the Center?¡±


    Iron immediately tried to say no but no words came out of his mouth. German spoke quietly when he saw him like that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll support you with supplies, go to the Center.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s still dangerous here in the West.¡±


    ¡°I know. But how can you help me here with just your brigade-level troops?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t answer his questions.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Death Corps¡¯ bane?¡±


    Germanughed.


    ¡°Sweep them away. Then, gather the copsed Central Army and save Marquess Leopold.¡±


    Then, German whispered quietly in Iron¡¯s ears.


    ¡°The North is our only hope. I can¡¯t move hastily because I was banned from doing so after hearing their secret. But the North is different.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Find out about it. And use it as basis on how the North will move.¡±


    Iron¡¯s head, which was madeplicated by German¡¯s words before, finally cleared up.


    The tangled threads began to unravel one by one.


    His priorities were being set one by one and his direction and how he should move while trying to unravel the secrets of the Empire was also being set.


    The selfish Imperial Family and their victims. And the gods who caused confusion on the continent by helping their victims as well as the people that stopped them.


    He wanted to find out theirplicated stories.


    He felt like he could reach the end of this story with how he was right now.


    ¡°Find out about the secret that I can¡¯t tell you myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    Iron replied confidently to German¡¯s words. German smiled. It seemed like he liked the confident look on Iron¡¯s face.


    ¡°Good. However¡­ since we will be supporting you with supplies, we have a request.¡±


    ¡°Please feel free to say it.¡±


    Iron bowed at German¡¯s words.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re going to the Center, move in the northwest direction. You¡¯re still a bit weak.¡±


    Iron smiled and nodded at German¡¯s yful look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wipe out the Death Corps whenever I encounter them.¡±


    German nodded. He looked as if he was satisfied with Iron¡¯s answer as he headed back to the Commander¡¯s Office.


    ¡°We only built it temporarily so we don¡¯t have much. The only thing I can treat you with is cheap tea. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if I drink water but I¡¯d be grateful if there¡¯s tea.¡±


    ¡°Goodness. Aren¡¯t you a smooth talker?¡±


    German patted Iron¡¯s back vigorously as he said so. Although he was injured and was limping, one could see that his steps were filled with strength. Even if he lost confidence, Iron felt that thismander would not copse.


    ***


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 Chapter 138 - Gathering The Scattered Central Army (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(138)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>48 </b>Gathering the Scattered Central Army (1)


    With the advice of Western Commander German, Iron decided to head to the Center. However, since he already came to help the West, he would give them proper assistance.


    The first thing he did was to open his sanctuary.


    ¡°Waah¡­ This is crazy.¡±


    One of the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but gaze nkly at the Death Corps that couldn¡¯t use their strength the moment the sanctuary unfolded. They never expected these disastrous Death Corps to turn disorderly in just a blink of an eye.


    The problem, whether it was for the Western Army or for the Death Corps, came after.


    ¡°It¡¯sfortable.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The battle had befortable andx.


    Only one sanctuary had appeared but the Western Army¡¯s battle pattern had changed and be stable to the point that their soldiers¡¯ faces became calm andfortable.


    The sanctuary was a force that extinguished anything unclean while having the power to boost the vitality, heal the injuries and increase the morale of Iron¡¯s allies. And with Baepsae¡¯s power added on top of that, vitality began to sprout among the exhausted troops of the Western Army. The increase in vitality helped the soldiers fight more leisurely and rxed. They couldn¡¯t help but look at Iron¡¯s sanctuary with admiration as they continued to fight against their enemies.


    Two dayster, the Special Mobile Unit, who had finished their maintenance, began to join the fight.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in charge of this side so please focus on the birdmen.¡±


    Ariel led the Special Mobile Unit in cutting up the Death Corps which allowed the Western Army to focus on the birdmen. The same was true for the other leaders of the Special Mobile Unit including Cardro.


    Countless Death Corps flocked and advanced to kill the humans to their heart¡¯s content. Their continuous advance was halted only after Iron¡¯s stroop began their ughter.


    ¡°The birdmen are entering the fortress! Prepare to intercept!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re breaking through the fleets! Fire at every single one of them!¡±


    The Western Army was able to immediately respond to the invasion of the birdmen.


    Thanks to Iron¡¯s Special Mobile Unit dealing with the Death Corps, they were able to focus on the birdmen and suffer less damage in their fight. They were even able to fight back once Iron¡¯s divine beasts appeared. With Two Moons and Phoenix flying around the sky and fighting, the Western Army¡¯s airship fleet and drake units were given room to breathe and fight back.


    The morale of the Western Army, which remained stagnant for a long time, began to rise after experiencing thisfort.


    The sanctuary and the divine beasts.


    After experiencing Iron¡¯s power, something that they had only heard in rumors, the Western Army hoped that Iron would stay in the West for another day.


    Because of this, the Western Commander, who wanted to send him to the Center, did not urge Iron to leave until he himself told him that they were leaving. Iron also did not say anything. He was sure that themander knew what he was doing. So, he waited for the Western Army¡¯s forces to return and have enough rest.


    ¡°West¡¯s 7th Corps has returned!¡±


    ¡°The 10th Corps in the Southwest is beginning their return to Command.¡±


    ¡°The 2nd Division has begun the restoration of the frontlines.¡±


    With the Command¡¯s safety secured, the Western Army was able to gather their scattered troops and strengthen their frontlines. They sent supplies to their new front while connecting the North and the South. Seeing a new frontline being created made the morale of the army increase even further.


    One week.


    That was the amount of time Iron and his troops spent at the Western Command. However, for the Western Army, that was a precious break that they couldn¡¯t exchange for anything.


    In just that one week, the Western Army was able to restore their brokenmunicationwork, strengthen their frontlines and gather their scattered units.


    And the Western Commander could clearly see the tremendous help that he had received.


    ¡°I have received far more help than what I thought.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Iron smiled brightly at German¡¯s awkward look.


    On Iron¡¯s first day in the Western Command, German had questioned how much help he could give them with his brigade-level troops. However, German now had no choice but to feel embarrassed after receiving such great help from their Special Mobile Unit in just a span of a week.


    ¡°I¡¯m d we could be of help.¡±


    ¡°Hoho. This is bad. I¡¯m getting a bit greedy. Should I just tell you not to go?¡±


    German rambled with regret.


    Only brigade-level troops.


    However, Iron¡¯s troops¡¯ performance was so great. It was as if they were showing him that what was important was the fact that theirmander was Iron. Although they were only dealing with the Death Corps, he was amazed by the fact that they could use their power to contradict these troops to the extreme and ughter them leisurely and easily.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to stop them froming towards the West as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Commander Crimson will scold me for letting you work too much.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    Ironughed awkwardly as he bowed his head at German¡¯s yful words.


    ¡°Thank you for everything that you¡¯ve done for us.¡±


    ¡°May fortune apany you.¡±


    ¡°May the God of Luck be with you in the path that you will take¡­¡±


    Iron looked up at the sky as he bid German farewell. A huge airship suddenly appeared above him as if it was waiting for him.


    The Western Army bid him and his troops goodbye. They watched him board the airship with the help of Two Moons and gave them their salutes.


    ¡°From now on, we will rescue the Central Army.¡±


    The eyes of the officers in the airship glowed at his words.


    ¡°Strengthen your determination. Dangerous battles await us and will be something that we will experience repeatedly. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s depart.¡±


    The airship began to move at his orders.


    Their supplies, which had been consumed from their travel from the North to the West, were once again refilled as they slowly advanced towards the Center.


    A day after leaving Western Command, they were able to see the copsed and broken territorial castles that were ravaged by the Death Corps.


    Traces of battles.


    Half-damaged carriages.


    Transported goods scattered everywhere.


    They were able to see how much the West had suffered from the Death Corps that the Center had released in just one nce. The problem was that there were no bodies left. It was extremely strange to see supplies, as well as food, remain intact and scattered in the area where nobody could be seen.


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡±


    A cleannd without any single body which made it even more bizarre. And on thisnd they could see these words written¡­


    [ Everything is equal in the face of death. ]


    The Death Corps that made the Central Army copse was gaining more fame from this phrase that they had written on thend that had turned a dark purple from contamination.


    ording to their logic that everything was equal in the face of death, they did not allow the humans to die. They forced them to be soldiers and make their corps huge. As if to prove that, the size of the corps that Iron and his unit encountered the further they went to the Center grew exponentially.


    However, Iron¡¯s Special Mobile Unit was also getting more proficient in dealing with them while they got stronger.


    Even Iron himself realized that his holy power had increased dramatically while he gained a more sophisticated control on it. Not only that, even his divine beasts also continued to grow stronger. Even his stagnant swordsmanship also began to grow at a snail¡¯s pace. After all, the more they fought the more sophisticated and quicker his sword needed to be. He needed to have the delicateness and sophistication that would allow him to crush his enemies¡¯ cores at once. And since there were many who aimed for Iron, his swordsmanship was bound to improve.


    If Iron was growing like this, then there was no doubt that his subordinates were also growing. The knights, rangers and assault unitsbat skills had improved significantly while the soldiers had grown skilled in using their mana.


    In addition, there was a special power that appeared and aided the Special Mobile Unit under Iron¡¯smand.


    It was none other than holy power.


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t the color a bit weird?¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this holy power?¡±


    A strange phenomena where holy power was mixed with their mana appeared making them release white mana as they used their force.


    At first, only the knight could express their mana this way. However, whenever the soldiers, who had just awakened their mana, used their mana, faint light particles would appear from their bodies and spread throughout the entire troops. More and more faint light particles floated and surrounded the troops¡¯ bodies the more battles they fought under the cover of the sanctuary. By the time they had left the West and entered the Central region, the entire troops were all able to use even just a bit of holy power.


    ¡°You guys¡­ when did you be priests?¡±


    Iron was dumbfounded as he asked the knights. However, just like a ritual, the knights told him that they only believed in their martial arts. In fact, even the soldiers who did not believe in martial arts or god were able to use holy power.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t God giving away too much?¡±


    Iron shook his head as he watched God bestow the humans who did not believe in him with holy power. He was wondering if they could really do something like this.


    There were many people in the Divine Nation who devoted themselves to their studies and spirituality to be priests. Most of them were only barely able to realize their meager and humble holy power and became clergymen. However, his own troops were able to gain holy power despite only killing the Death Corps repeatedly every day without much thought. Perhaps the priests would feel shame and embarrassment for doing what they had done so far once they had witnessed this scene.


    ¡°Did we look more trustworthy to God because we¡¯re beating these bastards to death?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he stared at the Death Corps from afar.


    They had destroyed and ughtered countless Death Corps to the point that they were already sick and tired of them. However, there was no end to them despite them killing and ughtering them over and over again.


    Thanks to the increase in their proficiency, they were able to save on magic bullets and shells by killing them in closebat. However, the faces of his soldiers were gradually being tainted with disgust as they grew tired of dealing with them.


    ¡®In fact, this is a relief.¡¯


    Growing tired of the battlefield meant that they were safe. It also meant that they could handle the Death Corps without any sense of crisis. This was the best situation for anymander.


    However, this was only true while they remained in the West.


    They became very busy the moment they stepped foot in the Center.


    ¡°Run! Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    ¡°Goddamn! How long will you run after me!¡±


    ¡°We can live in the North! Don¡¯t lose hope! Only a bit more!¡±


    Some of the troops that had been torn apart from the main forces of the Central Army were running away with all their might. Themanding officer, thepanymander, was encouraging his remaining troops to somehow arrive at the North. However, as long as they remained human, they would eventually grow tired and exhausted. And once that happened, their enemies would catch up to them and kill them one by one.


    Thepanymander took the initiative and tried to stop the Death Corps but he had already reached his limit.


    ¡°N¡­ No¡­¡±


    No matter what he did, these monsters were something that couldn¡¯t be easily killed by their weapons that had been blessed and soaked in holy water.


    The moment thepanymander thought that his head would be bitten off¡­


    Bang!


    Humans began to descend from the sky with the apanying sounds of artillery explosions. Then, a bright white light exploded in front of his eyes as a huge amount of holy power covered the area around him.


    ¡°Are you from the Central Army?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s right but¡­ who¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the Northeast¡¯s Special Mobile Unit under Brigadier General Iron Carter¡¯smand.¡±


    An officer of the Special Mobile Unit picked up his sword as he shed a vampiric man while treating the injuredpanymander.


    Thepanymander¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the faint holy power emanating from his sword. He could tell that this holy power was not artificially made by applying holy water or bestowing a blessing on the weapon. The officer himself was able to use holy power.


    When thepanymander looked around, he could see that all of the troops of the Special Mobile Unit were emitting the faint light that signified holy power, just like the officer in front of him.


    ¡°If it¡¯s them¡­¡±


    Thepanymander mumbled to himself as he grabbed one of the officers of the Special Mobile Unit in desperation.


    ¡°Please¡­ Please help us!¡±


    The officer couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head at thepanymander¡¯s request for help. He looked like he was wondering what he was talking about when they were already helping them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not us!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a unit not far from here.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Where are they? What¡¯s their size?¡±


    ¡°Their size is not that big but they¡¯re a very important unit!¡±


    The officer nodded heavily at the words of thepanymander.


    ¡°I will report this first to the Brigade Leader. Where are they?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re 40km south from here. The ce where the 313-13boratory is located.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 139 - Gathering The Scattered Central Army (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(139)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>48 </b>Gathering the Scattered Central Army (2)


    The officer frowned the moment he heard the wordboratory. It sounded extremely important so it bothered himpletely. He decided that it was better to inform his brigade leader quickly as he ran straight to where Iron was.


    Iron, who was watching his troops easily and leisurely organizing the Death Corps with the skills that they honed after countless battles with them, looked at the officer that was hurriedly running towards him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Central Army unit 40km south of here. From what they had said, it was an area where aboratory is located.¡±


    ¡°Aboratory?¡±


    Iron looked at the officer as he asked him with a cold and frosty voice.


    ¡°Th¡­ That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Did they really say that it¡¯s aboratory?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron personally moved to where thepanymander was after seeing his officer nod strongly in answer.


    ¡°Is that him?¡±


    When the officer answered in agreement, Iron quickly approached the man.


    ¡°Lo¡­ loyalty!¡±


    ¡°I heard that you have asked for support but¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Tell me more about it.¡±


    Thepanymander looked at the surroundings after hearing Iron¡¯s question. The battle was not over yet but Iron had approached him, thepanymander, as if he did not care about their surroundings at all.


    ¡°I heard that there¡¯s aboratory but¡­ as far as I know there are noboratories around this area. Is it in a vige?¡±


    Just like Iron had said, there were noboratories marked in the official map.


    There was just one vige, right? And there¡¯s also just one fortress built in case of emergencies.


    The fortress was also used as a resting ce and a docking area for passing airships and drake units.


    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s a secretboratory.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Can you tell me more about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much either. All we know is that it¡¯s an importantboratory for the Empire and that we should defend it at all costs¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ why are you here?¡±


    Iron frowned.


    It seemed like thepanymander had fled from the ce that they were tasked to defend at all cost. This was an action that warranted an immediate execution without any trial nor a decision from a court-martial.


    Thepanymander bowed his head, it seemed like he knew it well too.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t drive my subordinates towards a meaningless death. You can take my life if you want. But my subordinates¡­ please save them. Please¡­ I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    Iron remained silent at the words of the tearfulpanymander.


    ¡°Tell me more. I will listen.¡±


    Thepanymander immediately knelt down and exined after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    While the two of them continued to talk, the battle with the Death Corps continued. And in just a blink of an eye, the battle was finished as the knights and the soldiers annihted their enemies.


    Seeing this happen, thepanymander continued to exin the reason why he ran away and came all the way here with his men.


    At first, his unit was tasked to defend the ce since it was their base. But one day, some people came and started moving some things and supplies underground.


    While they moved their supplies, they ordered the Central Army units that were guarding the base to protect the ce while pushing them outside. Despite the continuous influx of the Death Corps, they chose to focus on moving their supplies rather than helping them. They sacrificed the Central Army for their own survival.


    ¡°All they said was it was for the sake of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°For the Empire¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was. However, I couldn¡¯t just blindly sacrifice my subordinates for something that vague. Among the people guarding the base, themanding officers of the Central Army had followed them and the elites were sent to the undergroundboratory.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    Thepanymander bowed his head further at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to the numbers that can be amodated inside theboratory. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me that they abandoned the remaining troops?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron sighed at thepanymander¡¯s words.


    The Imperial Family was trash but he once again confirmed that the Center waspletely rotten. It was apletely trashy ce where they gathered together through their personal connections and were left behind if they failed to grab onto their lines. That was the Center.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ then, are the people who followed you the ones that were left behind?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Thepanymander cried as he answered Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true¡­ Do I really need to help them?¡±


    The others who were listening nearby nodded their heads in agreement after hearing Iron¡¯s question.


    Was there a need to risk their lives to save those who abandoned their subordinates?


    Thepanymander answered meekly.


    ¡°There are some subordinates who have nothing to do with them.¡±


    ¡°And you want to save them?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron shut his mouth. He felt troubled by thepanymander¡¯s words. Seeing him, thepanymander confessed his honest thoughts.


    ¡°I also¡­ I also can¡¯t say that the Central Army is clean. Compared to the Northeast and the other regions, it¡¯s rotten to the core. It¡¯s only natural that you look at us that way. But¡­¡±


    Thepanymander couldn¡¯t speak for a moment from the tears that blurred his vision and kept flowing on his face.


    ¡°But! There are many pure and naive soldiers that have been deployed in the Central Army. They aren¡¯t guilty. It doesn¡¯t matter if you abandon the officers, but please save the soldiers. I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    Iron finally opened his mouth after he saw and felt the sincerity in thepanymander¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I understand.¡±


    Iron looked around as he said so.


    The battlefield had already been cleaned up and all of his troops were looking at him awaiting his orders. Seeing them, Iron issued his orders.


    ¡°There are some allies nearby. I know that it¡¯s hard and exhausting but get ready to move out immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    They immediately moved the injured soldiers of the Central Army unit in the airship as they began their preparations to move.


    The airships and drake unit swiftly rose to the sky and established their formation as they flew out.


    They immediately bombarded the ground with their artillery fire the moment they arrived at their destination.


    Iron¡¯s attack against the Death Corps that burned the vige and ughtered the people while drilling through the entrance of theboratory finally began. The beings of death screamed and perished the moment they got hit by the bombs and cannon shells that were coated and infused with holy power.


    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s the support troops!¡±


    ¡°Support troops! The support troops came!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re saved!¡±


    Everyone cheered at the appearance of the airship despite still being surrounded by the fierce battlefield.


    The Death Corps did not have any shred of resistance against the cannonballs and magic bombs infused with holy power that rained down on them and let out light.


    The assault unit descended and ughtered the Death Corps the moment their battle line copsed. While the knights, with the help of the drake unit, quickly swept the beings of death away as they entered theboratory. These were the tactics that they continuously honed and developed through their countless battles against the Death Corps.


    Seeing them fight easily made the soldiers who were fighting inside stare nkly at them.


    ¨D Kill the bastards inside theboratory! Send one more to the side of death!


    Themander of the Death Corps issued an order the moment it realized that they would be wiped out. The beings right next to themander immediately bared their fangs as the unique bloody energy of the vampires spread out in the area.


    The bloody energy, which was hidden by the death energy, swiftly spread in all directions and created unique and bloody clouds that ughtered the people inside theboratory.


    ¡°Me¡­ Protect me!¡±


    ¡°Block the front!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡±


    The officers inside theboratory used the soldiers to block their front and ensure their survival before cutting them off and throwing them away the moment the beings of death attacked them.


    ¡°S¡­ Stop them! Block the front!¡±


    The officers shouted as they forced the soldiers to block their front.


    Those who had turned into vampires couldn¡¯t help but look at them in confusion when they used their soldiers as shields instead of using their strength to fight back despite being stronger than their men. After all, they felt like they were seeing parasites that lived off of these stronger people back when they were still humans. The parasites who had been busy offering bribes as they tried to be closer to those who were stronger than them while they harassed those weaker than them. And that image had ovepped with the officers in front of them.


    ¨D Trashy bastards. Kill them first.


    When they heard the cold and frosty order of the Death Corpsmander, the vampires began to aim for the officers first instead of the soldiers that were blocking them.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Aaaack! Get away from me!¡±


    The officers unsheathed their swords the moment they saw the vampires covered in dark red fog approach them. However, for the Death Corps, who were already prepared to die, their swords covered in holy water was not something that they did not care about. They just endured the sword attacks as they pierced the back of the officers¡¯ neck with their fangs.


    Bite!


    ¡°Keuaaaaaack!¡±


    ¡°Sa¡­ Save me!¡±


    The officers cried out until they were hoarse but no one helped them. The officers died one after the other under the onught of the vampires¡¯ attacks. And one of the officers who stretched his hand out and screamed at the top of his lungs until the very end was shocked as he witnessed an incredible sight in front of him.


    Knights were standing and protecting the soldiers that they had pushed forward. There was also a figure that blocked themander who led the Death Corps in front of him. It was a youngmander with a star on his shoulder.


    The hero that saved the North watched them die with a cold expression on his face.


    ¡°Wh¡­Why¡­¡±


    He wanted to ask why he did not save them but his question was never finished since he took his dying breath.


    The one to finish his question were the surviving beings of death as they looked at Iron.


    ¨D Why didn¡¯t you save them? If you¡¯re the North¡¯s Saint then¡­ you definitely have the ability to save them.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t really want to save them. It¡¯s a waste of my abilities to save those trash.¡±


    Themander of the Death Corps smiled when Iron replied nonchntly.


    ¨D You¡¯re just like what the Apostle of Death said.


    Iron frowned at him when he saw his smirk.


    ¡°You must have a lot of information about me then?¡±


    ¨D You¡¯re a dangerous person who interferes with our ns time and again, of course we don¡¯t have any choice but to know all of your details. I also know that you hate the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess you know something.¡±


    ¨D It looks like you want to get your hands on me. Are you going to catch me just like what you did with the ns in the West?


    Iron frowned when he saw themander speaking as if he knew everything.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what?¡±


    ¨D It¡¯s going to be hard for you this time.


    Themander tried to release and make its strength explode from his body as he said that.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡±


    Iron had already experienced it a lot of times so he immediately grabbed themander¡¯s body and injected his holy power in its body. However, instead of being dyed and stopped, themander¡¯s body began to disintegrate as it fought against his holy power.


    ¨D This method¡­ doesn¡¯t work.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened when he realized that themander chose to disintegrate instead of self-destructing. He tried to press him by overwhelming it with his holy power but it took a long time for him to gather that much holy power and because of the huge power in themander¡¯s body its cores gradually began to copse and disappear.


    The Death Corps¡¯mander¡¯s body slowly turned to dust and disappeared. Iron¡¯s expression was distorted when he saw that the other vampires also pretended to self-destruct while disintegrating their bodies.


    Themander smiled as if he had gained victory when it saw Iron¡¯s expression and opened its mouth for thest time.


    ¨D Apostle, let me give you myst piece of advice.


    ¡°Advice?¡±


    ¨D Turn back now and protect the North. That way, the North can get out of this chaos.


    Iron frowned.


    ¨D Fufu¡­ If you want to rescue and save a ce then you¡¯d better find another ce. Saving the center is already¡­ too¡­ l¡­ ate¡­


    After leaving those words, themander¡¯s bodypletely turned to dust.


    Iron¡¯s expression did not rx even after themander had disappeared for a long time. After all, he left something that made him uneasy and ufortable. But that wasn¡¯t the thing that was important right now.


    Iron looked at the surviving officers after the Death Corps had disappeared.


    ¡°Do any of you know about thisboratory?¡±


    The officers looked each other in the eye after hearing Iron¡¯s question. Most of them looked like they did not know anything but there was one whose eyes were shifting while cold sweat poured down from his back at Iron¡¯s cold expression. Even the other officers were ncing at this one officer.


    Iron approached him and grabbed him by the cor.


    ¡°Are there other ces like this?¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ That¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak! Where are the otherboratories that the Death Corps are aiming at?!¡±


    The officer¡¯s cold sweat poured like buckets at Iron¡¯s murderous and frosty eyes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to speak then just die.¡±


    Iron pulled out his sword and ced it on the officer¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Choose whether you want to die or not.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 140 - Gathering The Scattered Central Army (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(140)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>48 </b>Gathering the Scattered Central Army (3)


    The Central Army officer failed to withstand and endure Iron¡¯s brutal threat and was forced to spit out everything that he knew.


    Theboratories hidden in the Center were ces where orphans, illegal ves, and people with huge amount of debt were tinkered with and experimented on. There was oneboratory in areas that were marked with a unique symbol.


    However, since the officer was in the lowest position, he did not know any other detailed information, especially about the whereabouts of eachboratory.


    ¡°That¡¯s everything I know!¡±


    Iron frowned at the Central Army officer¡¯s words.


    He clearly knew that those who knew a lot of information had left and returned to the capital while abandoning the rest of their men. That was the only reason why he believed that this officer knew nothing more.


    He did not know any of the officers that hid deep inside thisboratory and the thought of at least saving one shed in his head for a moment but he still shook his head. This was because he believed that it was better to kill them off neatly than keep them alive for them to just do the same thing in the future. So he did just that before turning towards the soldiers.


    ¡°Do any of you know where the rest of the surviving Central Army units are?¡±


    The eyes of the soldiers stared at Iron as they started talking one by one.


    The Central Army had always allocated their units to bases so there were definitely bases that were still yet to be attacked by the Death Corps. He thought that he would be able to find otherboratories once he looked around such ces.


    ¡°From now on, you will be absorbed into my troops. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. There seems to be some supplies left in the vige, go and bring them.¡±


    The Central Army troops moved to gather the supplies in the vige at Iron¡¯s orders. They only collected useful items before getting reorganized.


    Iron called for his subordinate officers while the Central Army troops were being reorganized.


    ¡°We will work around here for a while.¡±


    Everyone nodded at Iron as they looked at the map that was spread out on top of the desk. With the vige where theboratory was located ced at the center, Iron marked the areas in the surrounding areas where viges, towns and cities where the Central Army troops were possibly located.


    ¡°We will search the area around this vige from now on. The rangers will have a lot to do.¡±


    The rangers¡¯ leader, Nyx Cole, brightened at Iron¡¯s words.


    He and his unit had been pushed back by the knights and the assault units. But this time, the rangers were going to show their specialty.


    ¡°You will need to scout the areas where the Death Corps are flocking and search for the Central Army¡¯s surviving troops. It¡¯s going to be tough. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°We will do it.¡±


    ¡°Good. You have to scout and search from this area to that area for a week.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure to carry out your orders perfectly.¡±


    Iron sent Nyx Cole, who¡¯s eyes were shining brightly, with his words of trust in him.


    ¡°Cardro.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Temporarilymand the airships and prepare for emergencies. Work with Carl in this operation and transport the Central Army troops that will be found by the rangers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Cardro bowed his head upon receiving Iron¡¯smand and went out of the room.


    ¡°Ariel, you and I will prepare for any state of emergencies.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°And tell the remaining leaders to train the Central Army troops.¡±


    Iron looked at the map after giving Ariel his orders.


    The outskirts of the Center were the areas that were close to the North. And from what he heard from the Western Commander, the area where the Central Army Commander was said to be isted was in the Southwest.


    Iron drew a straight line from where they were to where the Central Army Commander was currently isted and trapped.


    ¡°We should gather as many troops as possible.¡±


    It would be difficult for them to change the situation and help the Central Army Commander with just their brigade-level troops. At best, they would just be able to deal with the Death Corps with leisure.


    But Iron had no intentions of stopping at just that. So, he nned to gather the scattered Central Army troops and fill in enough numbers for division-level troops at the minimum and corps-level troops at the maximum.


    These troops would then be the one that he would use to deal with the Death Corps. If he had his holy power¡¯s sanctuary added on top of that, then it would be possible for them to deal a heavy blow even if the Central Army troops were still disorderly.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Iron lifted his pen and tapped at the ce where the capital was marked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find out what you guys are nning and what you¡¯re going to do.¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he added the ns of finding out the secrets of the Imperial Family to his agenda.


    The Empire that was still holding out despite the fact that it should have long copsed.


    He believed that the secret of the Imperial Family was ying a part behind the scenes and was the reason why the Empire was still able to hold out. And for him to know their secret, he had to use as much effort as he could to enter the capital. Of course, his first agenda on the list was robbing them of theirboratories.


    Although they had carried out and transported most of the things in theboratories, they still left various clues in their haste, ranging from the documents to the equipment that they had used, all of these were left behind. They even left traces of their discarded experiments which made it possible for Iron to infer about the experiments they were conducting.


    ¡°Are they really human?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but mutter these words as he looked around the undergroundboratory.


    He could see hastily discarded wastes at the fifth and lowest basement floor of theboratory. The problem was that most of the flesh that was left here was not from monsters but from humans.


    Iron¡¯s expression turned cold when he saw the human parts scattered all over the ce. Their state indicated that they had experienced a brutal death from the experiment. He wondered if the people who did the experiment in this ce were the same human beings as them.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Several wizards, who followed behind him, couldn¡¯t stomach the scene in front of them. Even Ariel had a stiff expression on her face.


    From what they could infer from the discarded pieces of papers on the ground, it seemed like the experiment that was mainly conducted in thisboratory was focused on human regeneration.


    They could tell that this experiment was being conducted for a long time just by seeing the words ¡®213th experiment to upgrade and improve the regeneration ability¡¯ on the scattered documents. However, even if the words written included the words improve and upgrade, the flesh that was discarded were stretched and swollen to the limits. It seemed like whoever was under the table had suffered from excessive regeneration.


    ¡°The Center¡­ has been doing this for a long time?¡±


    Despite Ariel¡¯s question, Iron remained silent as he stared at the chunks of flesh scattered on the ground.


    The chunks of flesh were rotten and decayed. It seemed like the Death Corps attacked this ce to insert the ck beads into these chunks of flesh and turn them into zombies. It seemed like they wanted them to get the revenge that they badly wanted to incur on the bastards that put them under the table and made them undergo these terrible experiments.


    Reaching this point, he had no choice but to wonder¡­


    ¡®Are the Death Corps the viins?¡¯


    The justified cause of the beings who wanted to take revenge against the Center, who used innocent lives for their experiments.


    vs


    The ¡®evil¡¯ attached to these beings that those who did not know anything hadbeled them with.


    These two thoughts were fighting and shing inside Iron¡¯s head.


    The main culprits were the Central Government and the Imperial Family but for the beings of Death that had fought against the Empire for a long time, the Empire itself was the devil.


    ¡°The Center has crossed the line.¡±


    Iron looked coldly at the chunks of flesh scattered in the ground as he murmured to himself.


    He had also done a lot of experiments in his previous life.


    He did cruel and brutal experiments on monsters to learn more about their weaknesses and find ways to effectively counter them. However, those experiments were justified. He had done those cruel experiments to protect the North. And since the monsters had also brutally killed and tricked the humans, they could rationalize that those experiments were for a justified cause.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t it.¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head as he gritted his teeth in anger the moment he realized what atrocities that Center had done.


    They had experimented with their own kind. This was already breaching human rights but what was worse was the fact that they experimented on children. There would probably be some room for understanding if they had used criminals for their experiments. However, from what he had heard, they had deceived and attracted the innocent for their experiments. Doing such a grave sin gave them no room for any arguments.


    The Western Commander had told him that the Imperial Family was a necessary evil. However, the question ¡®Is the Imperial Family really necessary?¡¯ was a question that continued to linger in his head.


    And today, he finally found the answer to his question.


    ¡®We don¡¯t need the Imperial Family.¡¯


    No matter their reason for needing the Imperial Family, he would wipe them out the moment he got the chance.


    The more he fought against the other races, the more he understood their stance. He had experienced being abandoned with the North in his previous life so he could sympathize and understand the pain of these beings who had been abandoned and betrayed.


    And because of this, his hatred for the Center grew even more.


    They had called them a ¡®necessary evil¡¯ but he would rather extinguish and eradicate this necessary evil than deal with a bigger disaster.


    ¡®Disaster will already befall us since the God Game has started.¡¯


    Iron calmed his raging thoughts as he dragged the chunks of flesh from the lowest floor of theboratory above ground.


    The eyes of the troops that saw this scene shook wildly. They all had eyes and they could clearly tell that these chunks of flesh came from humans.


    ¡°Prepare a funeral. They are innocent victims so make sure that you do your best to honor them.¡±


    The soldiers¡¯ expression turned firm and rigid as they gathered the chunks of flesh in one ce and prepared for a funeral as per Iron¡¯s orders.


    They gathered logs and branches and lit up a fire. They couldn¡¯t bury them in the ground in case the Death Corps used them and caused problems so the only way that they could honor their deaths was burning their flesh and cremating them.


    The entire troops watched as the flesh of the humans and monsters that were intertwined together burned. They all turned solemn as they whispered their prayers and words offort for the hard lives that they had experienced.


    Iron and his Special Mobile Unit moved earnestly the day after theypleted the funeral procedure in theboratory.


    To fix the distorted and disorderly thinking of the messy Central Army troops, they began to roll them hard.


    They also began their search for otherboratories in the viges scattered in their vicinity. And as the rangers expanded the radius of their operation, they found a ce where surviving Central Army troops were located.


    The hiding troops were rescued through the efforts of the airship fleet, the exploration of the drake units and the detailedbing and scouting of the rangers.


    ¡°Found survivors in ¡Á¡Á¡Á Vige. Requesting for medical support.¡±


    ¡°We discovered arge group of the Central Army troops in a mountain 60km south of the base. They had a battle with the Death Corps but they won without much damage and are currently joining us.¡±


    ¡°We discovered an alliance of survivors 50km east of base. It will be difficult for them to join us on ground. Requesting for an airship.¡±


    ¡°We discovered some of the Central Army troops southwest of base. One of the officers specifically knew about aboratory.¡±


    The officers busily moved around to deal with the reports that came in from all over the ce.


    The wider the area that they covered, the more troops they needed. In the end, the Central Army troops that were training under them also began to move.


    Iron dispatched the Central Army troops to cover any close distance request while his Special Mobile Unit used the airships and expanded their scope of operations.


    ¡°Please get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still alright. I heard that they found anotherboratory around here?¡±


    Iron waved his hand at Ariel¡¯s concern as he pointed at the map.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ This is the third, right? There¡¯s a lot.¡±


    Although the area that they were searching was not thatrge, they had already discovered threeboratories. The problem was that they had to fight against the Death Corps each and every time. After all, they were also aiming for theseboratories like them.


    However,pared to other ces, they did not fight that desperately. It seemed like their enemies had heard rumors that they held funerals and honored the victims whenever they robbed aboratory. Some of them had also watched from afar and disappeared after seeing them cremate the bodies of the victims.


    ¡°Bring me the information that you got from theboratory.¡±


    Ariel bowed her head after looking at Iron restlessly.


    ¡°Ask away if you have questions.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ are you going to use the materials that we have collected.¡±


    Iron continued to connect and piece together the torn papers before staring at the restored experiment materials. There was a lot of experimental data left in theboratory that they had recently discovered. They did not know if it was because the Shadows did not visit theboratory or if they were in a haste so they only took the extremely important information. But a lot remained and got into their hands.


    Iron restored all of these data and collected them along with the data that had been discarded in theboratory that they had first discovered. Using these data would result in a huge bacsh against the Center.


    ¡°We should gather as much as possible first¡­ I¡¯ll have to think about whether I should use it or not. Either way, this is a problem that I can¡¯t decide by myself anyway, right?¡±


    Ariel nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ If you¡¯re done looking, then go outside and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron looked at the experimental data after Ariel had nodded lightly and went outside.


    The Empire might copse the moment he used this information. Because of that, he won¡¯t be able to use it hastily. However, one thing was certain, he would definitely be able to use it someday. Iron did not have a shred of loyalty to the Empire so he did not have any misgivings in using this information. The moment the Center showed signs of copse, he would use this data to wedge it deeper. But for now, he would gather them one by one.


    ¡°The day this information is revealed¡­ is the day that my promise with the witch will be fulfilled.¡±


    He had a contract with the witch that still remained in his heart. And he could feel that the day that he would fulfill this contract was not that far away.


    Bathump!


    His heart thumped loudly as if it was looking forward to the day where he could fulfill the contract and promise that he had made to the witch.


    ***


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 Chapter 141 - Gathering The Scattered Central Army (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(141)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>48 </b>Gathering the Scattered Central Army (4)


    Rumors began to spread the moment Iron¡¯s troops settled in the Center¡¯s northwest region and began their operations from there.


    ¡°We¡¯ll live once the White Troopse.¡±


    ¡°We just need to hold out until the White Troopse.¡±


    The Special Mobile Unit led by the North¡¯s Hero.


    Rumors about their troops having the power that countered the Death Corps circted which made the people hiding in the Center gather to where they were stationed.


    At the very least, they were rumors that spread to the people hiding in the northwest region of the Center. However, it was still clear that Iron and his troops were gaining fame and poprity the more people fled towards the West and the North.


    Some even dared say that Iron¡¯s troops would be a huge force that was on par with the forces in the areas that survived in the Center. However, none of them believed this. After all, the surviving forces had already formed their own huge spheres of influence.


    In fact, the Center was nowrgely divided into three forces.


    The first force was the force created where the Center¡¯sst line of defense was built.


    It was located in the capital and the nearbynd and was created by the Capital Defense Force. This was the final defense line created after abandoning most of the territories and areas in the Center.


    The army that protected thest line of defense boasted considerable power after gathering the Empire¡¯s best and top elites. An image that waspletely different from the disorderly and copsed Central Army.


    Perhaps, the enemies were reluctant to pierce through this area because their elites were enough to be considered on par with the Northeast¡¯s elites.


    The second force was located in the southwest region of the Center.


    The force was created by Leopold whilebining the Central Army¡¯s copsed forces. Despite suffering from a copse and a disorderly mess, the area was enduring well thanks to Master Leopold and his knights.


    The Central Army was able to reach a bnce to some extent after gaining experience through continuousbat against the Death Corps.


    The third force was the other-worlders guild alliance that was located in the road that connected the Center to the East.


    This was a force that was created by the other-worlders¡¯ guilds taking over a half-destroyed city. After the copse of the Central Army, the autonomy of the city that was located halfway on the road towards the East was lost. Countless other-worlders, chosen ones and merchants gathered in this area which resulted in the creation of a huge force that protected the area.


    They had now grown toorge that the Center couldn¡¯t hastily touch them. And those who survived and were surviving in the Center desperately hoped to go there.


    These three forces were the ones that originally had the right to survive in the Center. The people that were located far away from these areas had no choice but to hide from the Death Corps or risk their lives and go to other areas.


    However, there was now another ce like this.


    Their scale might be the smallest but their power was so unusual that they were now being recognized by a lot of people.


    At first, this force only attracted the troops from several viges. Perhaps this was also the reason why the Death Corps did not focus on Iron¡¯s Special Mobile Unit but cared more about the other forces.


    Part of the reason why they had been mostly ignored was because of the Central Army raising their g and announcing their counterattack while the other-worlders were crazily trying out ways to use the beings of death¡¯s ck cores.


    But while all of them were busy, Iron¡¯s troops had caught them off guard. He was able to gradually expand his forces and area of operation.


    [ Northeast¡¯s Special Mobile Unit has reimed Baron Rh¡¯s territory in the Center. ]


    [ Brigadier General Iron Carter has reimed four territories! ]


    [ The Center¡¯s northwestern region! Will Brigadier General Iron Carter be able to gradually reach a stable and normal situation in the region? ]


    News about their conquest had been delivered in just a page of the newspaper. After all, the newspapers were busy delivering news from Leopold¡¯s Central Army, which was showing signs of starting a great war, and the urgent situation in the South.


    However, not long after, the newspapers began to focus on news about Iron.


    This was because he had already gone beyond upying small viges. He had already devoured and gobbled up a baron¡¯s territory and a viscount¡¯s territory. And he was now even aiming for arge city that was at the level of a count¡¯s territory.


    The biggest loss in the Center¡¯s northwestern region, both in paper and in reality, was the Soren Territory. This area was important enough that the Death Corps had left a significant number of their elites to protect it.


    This meant that Iron¡¯s Special Mobile Unit¡¯s aim to reim this territory meant that they would be trying to reim a key area. An operation that waspletely unlike the operations that they had done so far.


    The rumors about their operations drew the attention of the Imperial Capital and the other forces and regions.


    [ The Death Corps had stationed themselves in Soren. Can Iron¡¯s troops truly recapture the territory? ]


    All of the newspapers had spread news about Iron.


    Compared to before when they only posted news rted to Iron and his troops on one page of the newspaper, all of their articles right now were about him. After all, everyone was waiting on the news about Iron and the Soren Territory. The movements of the Central Army troops and the Special Mobile Unit under Iron¡¯smands were now everyone¡¯s main interest.


    Perhaps it was because they had been gathering the scattered forces all over the area? Iron¡¯s unit was gradually reaching and exceeding the size of a division-level troops.


    And this unit,posed of the Central Army troops on the ground and his Special Mobile Unit in the air, moved at dawn to recapture Count Soren¡¯s territory.


    ¨D Kweeeeeeeack!


    A mysterious and bizarre creature suddenly appeared for the first time in front of the soldiers. Perhaps it was because arge unit of the Death Corps had stationed themselves here that was why they had mobilized something that they hadn¡¯t revealed before.


    The corpse wing, a creature created bybining different kinds of corpses, flew up in the sky and blocked the path of the drake unit.


    However, a huge amount of divine power appeared from Iron and Two Moons who were leading the unit. The sanctuary that was created was even reinforced with Baepsae¡¯s song, which was perched on his head.


    The Death Corps were also driven out from hiding by the artillery and magic bombs that the airship units dropped from the sky.


    ¡°Enter the city!¡±


    ¡°Drakes! Cover the troops!¡±


    While the main force on the ground forced the Death Corps out, the aerial assault unit entered the city and secured an area where the airships couldnd. The Special Mobile Unit appeared in the city one after the other the moment the airshipsnded which signaled the start of the battle.


    With the attacks of the divine beasts, the sanctuary that covered most of the city, and the assault of the Special Mobile Unit¡¯s main force, the Death Corps began to die one by one.


    ¨D Endure for two more days! The Death Corps wille!


    ¨D Even if you die, make sure to bite them back and drag them down with you! The Death Corps will definitely avenge us!


    Since they were the elites among the beings of death, they all tried their hardest to drag down and kill as many of Iron¡¯s troops as they could. Of course, they were Death Corps¡¯ troops that had swept away not only the brigade-level troops but also the division-level troops that were left in thisrge city so a lot of them had experience in dealing with humans.


    However, they still died helplessly under the hands of Iron and his troops.


    They deployed and mobilized their corpse wings and other mutant zombies but Iron¡¯s holy power gnawed at them and stripped them of their powers. However, there were vampires who expressed and showed off their original powers to resist Iron¡¯s holy power and survived until the end. They were able to create their own territory with their death energy by pushing out Iron¡¯s holy power.


    Ariel and her knight order were dealing with them but it seemed like there were strong warriors at the 5th Stage with them so they weren¡¯t able to pierce through their defenses.


    In the end, they were forced into a stalemate.


    ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    All of the knights¡¯ faces hardened after hearing Iron ordering Ariel to step back. They knew that he was giving this order because he couldn¡¯t trust them to deal with them. Ariel was also looking at Iron with a stiff expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to increase the number of unnecessary victims. It will be a headache for me if people who need to work a lot in the future get caught up and killed by these bastards.¡±


    Iron stood alone and pointed his sword towards the vampires.


    ¨D Saint¡­


    ¡°Come. I¡¯m treating you with courtesy by dealing with you alone.¡±


    The vampires released more of their power after hearing his words.


    All of them were victims of theboratories¡¯ experiments. It was obvious from their strangely bent limbs and strange body structures.


    ¨D It won¡¯t end with us. The Death Corps wille for you¡­


    The moment those words ended, all of the vampires attacked Iron.


    However, Iron was a warrior at the 6th Stage and had a swift and sturdy swordsmanship together with his holy power. He could easily endure and take on their hidden weapons and death energy and slit their throats one by one.


    Their clothes rustled as their bodies slowly turned to dust after getting their throats slit and hearts pierced. The only one left until the very end was the same vampire who warned Iron earlier.


    ¨D The¡­ the victims¡­ heard¡­ funeral¡­ I heard¡­ that you¡­ gave them¡­ a funeral¡­


    ¡°It was the right thing to do.¡±


    ¨D Th¡­ ank¡­ you¡­


    Iron¡¯s expression wasplicated as he looked at the vampire that turned to dust after leaving those words to him.


    This scene made him think about how he hated his supposed allies instead of his enemies. However, he had to calm down and hide these thoughts quickly. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be an easy battle if the Death Corps truly came just like what the vampire warned him.


    ¡°A huge battle is upon us. Improve the defenses of the great city. Move quickly. Enjoy our victory once we¡¯re done dealing with the Death Corps.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The knights bowed their heads as they moved quickly to follow Iron¡¯smand.


    The Death Corps that woulde were definitely strong enough to move and fight despite Iron¡¯s power covering the city. One of the main goals of the Death Corps aside from keeping the Capital Defense Force in check was to recapture and im therge cities so he was sure that stronger beings would be sent out to deal with them.


    However, despite the fact that the Death Corps wereing, survivors and Central Army troops continued to gather where they were.


    Thanks to that, they were able to repair the old walls and gates by using the debris from the wreckages. They were also able to fortify a part of the city in preparation for the war.


    Everyone was busy preparing for the great battle against the Death Corps. Tension was high among the Central Army troops. Even the Special Mobile Unit was filled with nervousness. After all, most of themcked experience in fighting great battles like this.


    As they continued to prepare nervously, the day when the Death Corps arrived finally came.


    They appeared covered with ck fog.


    However, they did not head straight towards the city and only looked outside while maintaining their formation. While they stationed themselves not far away from the city, Death troops gathered and joined the corps and boosted their power.


    They continued to hide under the cover of the ck fog as they gathered more and more troops. It was to the point that they had exceeded their corps-level troops and turned into huge battalion-level troops.


    ¡°Do we even have a chance of winning?¡±


    Ariel looked nervous as she turned to look at Iron.


    ¡°Trust me. We¡¯re equal in forces right now. We have a chance if we fight in the sanctuary.¡±


    Her face was slowly filled with trust as she nodded at Iron¡¯s words.


    Color also began to appear in the faces of the officers as their anxiety slowly disappeared from their eyes.


    This was the trust and belief that they had in theirmander.


    The Brigade Leader that led them had never failed. He was amander who promised victory and returned with victory. That was Iron. If he said that they would win, then it meant that they would return with victory. Whether it was in the Northeast, the East or the North, all of the battlefield that he was in, the side that he was in had always imed victory.


    And after witnessing his powers first hand throughout their journey to the West, the troops¡¯ trust in their hero grew stronger than anybody else.


    ¡°Trust me. We¡¯ll win.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron¡¯s confident words and affirmation erased the word defeat in the officers¡¯ heads.


    We will move solely for victory.


    They raised their weapons to fight in this great war with this thought in mind.


    It seemed like the Death Corps had nowpleted their preparations while their fears slowly abated.


    They had finally made their move.


    The airship fleet and the drake units blocked the corpse wings that flew in the sky while the Central Army troops fought against the Death Corps climbing up on the walls. They were in a situation where they had to stop the crazily flocking Death Corps with just their division-level troops. It seemed like they were feeling that all hope had been lost.


    However, the sanctuary slowly covered the entire city. Loud cries that came from Iron himself also rang loudly in the heads of the troops present in the city.


    ¡°Trust me! Believe in my strength and my experiences that ughtered and annihted countless Death Corps! Believe me I promise you that we will gain victory!¡±


    All of the troops shouted loudly at Iron¡¯s words, with renewed vigor and morale, they fought against the Death Corps.


    They fired their guns and bombs to stop their advances. They were able to stop the group of zombies trying to cross the castle walls while the Special Mobile Unit dealt with the vampires falling from the sky.


    Despite the advantage that the sanctuary had given them, the Death Corps were still strong.


    The vampires had bodies that had been reinforced with all kinds of experiments giving them a stronger power. They were extremely powerful especially after harnessing the power of the void and the death energy bybining the bodies of a chimera, a vampire and utilizing the characteristics of the undead.


    Especially the beings that led them. They were extremely powerful. They had been able to reproduce the power of the top aristocratic vampires from long ago.


    Vampire¡¯s innate ability ¨D Blood Magic


    The death fog also unfolded and wrapped around Iron, who was fighting in the lead.


    ¡°Blood barrier?¡±


    ¨D Your ability is quite tricky¡­ I should deal with you myself.


    The vampire that used the blood barrier bared his fangs as he grinned at Iron.


    ¡°You should introduce yourself then. I¡¯m Brigadier General Iron Carter of the Special Mobile Unit.¡±


    ¨D Molina, themander of the Death Corps. I¡¯m also a Depire Lord serving in the parliament.


    ¡°Depire?¡±


    ¨D They say that it¡¯s abination of death and vampire. It is the name of our race.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron remained silent at Molina¡¯s words.


    ¨D It was created without much sincerity and thought so there¡¯s not much I can say about that.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­¡±


    Iron gathered his thoughts and coughed to clear out the confusion in his head.


    ¨D I heard that you¡¯re hostile towards the Center¡­ is that true?


    ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡±


    ¨D We have the same ¡®enemy¡¯.


    ¡°I don¡¯t negotiate with someone who holds hands with the void.¡±


    Iron¡¯s resolute answer ced a bitter expression on the depire¡¯s face. Seeing his mouth open and close as if he was trying to make an excuse, Iron opened his mouth coldly.


    ¡°You guys might be the victim of unfairness but you became mankind¡¯s enemies the moment you held hands with the void. This is a separate matter from what the Center did.¡±


    ¨D Tch¡­ negotiating is difficult.


    ¡°Wash your neck if you¡¯re done talking.¡±


    Iron quickly aimed for Molina¡¯s neck after leaving those words.


    However,pared to the small fries that he had met so far, Molina was able to easily dodge his attack. At the same time, Molina was also able to exert his own strength and put pressure on Iron.


    Iron¡¯s face hardened when he felt a different power from the power that he had experienced from the other vampires so far.


    ¨D I wonder how long you¡¯ll be able to withstand my blows without your divine beasts¡¯ help?


    ¡°Who knows¡­ But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m sure of. Your corps will be destroyed by my divine beasts if you take your time with me.¡±


    ¨D I wonder who¡¯ll die first, my corps or you?


    Molina exerted his entire power as he said so.


    The vampire¡¯s unique blood rted techniques unfolded and revealed its power through the magic circle that appeared in the air.


    Hundreds of thousands of blood spears, blood illusions and blood storms rained down on Iron. Even the death energy flocked to Iron and covered the area where they were. The ck fog turned into a huge fanged mouth that tried to devour Iron.


    Bang!


    ¨D Holy power¡­ is quite unpleasant.


    Molina frowned as he felt the stinging sensation of the holy power emitting from Iron¡¯s body on his fists.


    The holy power that spread out from Iron¡¯s stigmata extinguished the power of death and even fought back against Molina¡¯s blood magic.


    With the holy power dealing and purifying the unclean things around him, it made it easier for Iron to withstand the remaining power and force that came at him. That was the reason why Molina had no choice but to sh with him with his body that was strengthened after countless experiments.


    However, it was still not easy to sh head on against Iron who had reached the 6th Stage of his swordsmanship through pure effort. Iron had endured Molina¡¯s attacks firmly and was not pushed back at all.


    On the other hand, a different thought shed in Iron¡¯s head.


    ¡®Is he close to being a master?¡¯


    Cold sweat dripped down Iron¡¯s back as this thought shed in his head. If it weren¡¯t for his holy power, his life would have already long disappeared.


    Iron was confident that he would not lose to any master if he had his divine beasts with him but he knew full well that he would be pushed back if he dealt with someone close to a master-level with just his current power.


    No wonder he felt the burden of using his holy power. He had no choice. After all, he was preventing Molina¡¯s attacks while maintaining the sanctuary.


    Crackle!


    ¨D That¡­ Isn¡¯t that an innate ability that can only be used by other-worlders¡­ am I right?


    Iron did not answer Molina as he exerted more lightning. At the same time, frost energy appeared on his steel sword turning it into a frosted white steel sword.


    ¨D Haha! Frost? Man¡­ you¡¯re a friend who has a lot of secrets.


    ¡°You seem to be quite rxed?¡±


    ¨D Actually, I don¡¯t have the time to chill around. Your divine beasts are much stronger than what I thought.


    Molina began to attack Iron like crazy.


    He knew that the key to winning this war was defeating Iron. If he did not beat Iron, then they would lose. That was also the reason why he poured all of his attention and energy on Iron.


    However, Iron was able to hold out until the end.


    He was someone who survived battles against beings that were stronger than him when he was in the 4th Stage. He was also someone who survived countless life and death crises even after reaching the 5th Stage.


    Although he was dealing with a being that was infinitely closer to a master-level, he was able to withstand his attacks because of his holy power, a power that was theplete opposite of his enemy¡¯s power.


    ¨D Tch!


    Molina clicked his tongue and stopped attacking after a while. Then, he quickly fell back far away from Iron.


    ¨D I believe this is our defeat. I thought that we could win as long as I tied you up but¡­ it seems like you trained your subordinates well?


    Molina looked disappointed as he said so.


    ¨D I will fall back this time.


    Normally, Iron would have blocked him, but he couldn¡¯t do that right now. He could feel the gradual increase in difficulty as he fought longer with him. Fighting any longer would spell his doom.


    ¡°I want you to answer one question.¡±


    ¨D Hmm¡­ What is it?


    ¡°The Imperial Family¡¯s secret. Do you know it?¡±


    Molina turned silent for a moment upon hearing Iron¡¯s question. He opened his mouth heavily after pondering for a while.


    ¨D I can tell you that they have one of this world¡¯s secrets with them.


    ¡°Se¡­ cret¡­?¡±


    However, despite Iron¡¯s curiosity and confusion, he did not answer any longer. It seemed like there were also restrictions ced upon him.


    ¨D The reason why we signed a contract with the void is also rted to the secret of the Imperial Family. I don¡¯t think I can tell you anything more than this. Well¡­ Even if you catch others and ask them, they will not be able to answer your question. That¡¯s why I hope that you won¡¯t torture them and just kill them swiftly and neatly.


    Molina left those words as he disappeared in a red fog. His disappearance also meant that the blood barrier had also disappeared.


    Iron wanted to chase after him but he stopped himself after hearing the countless explosions everywhere.


    ck fog and bloody clouds were mixed together as they covered the city. However, the view of the city appeared as the fog cleared up the moment Iron focused his holy power on dealing with them.


    He could see the wounded and injured gripping their weapons tightly but it seemed like they were able to endure the enemies¡¯ attacks and fought till the very end.


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Ariel and Cardro, who were standing next to each other. He could see the unique color of mana in each of their swords.


    ¡°Was it because of those two?¡±


    Iron smiled when he saw that his two friends andpatriots had sessfully crossed the wall. His smile brightened even further at the sight of his two friends that looked like they were going to faint any time soon, holding out until the very end. It seemed like they had squeezed their mana to the limit.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. We have gained victory.¡±


    His words and deration finally broke the final string that his two friends did not dare to let go before just so they could hold out until the end.


    Iron looked at the others as he used his mana to support his friends that had fainted.


    ¡°It¡¯s our victory! You can now enjoy the victory that all of us had created!¡±


    The dazed troops couldn¡¯t help but shout loudly the moment they heard Iron¡¯s deration.


    ¨D You overcame the Death Corps¡¯ overwhelming military force with insufficient troops under yourmand. Your promise of victory proved to be a great help to your men. As a reward, you have gained a unique achievement ¡®Promised Victory¡¯.


    ¨D From now on, the morale of your soldiers will double every time you promise them victory.


    ¨D You have caught a glimpse of the secrets of this world. You will be given rewards for being the first user toe close to these secrets.


    ¨D Your innate ability ¡®Lightning¡¯ has been strengthened as a reward. In addition, Thunderbird¡¯s recovery has sped up.


    All of the beings of death disappeared in the city after the series of notifications ended.


    His troops and the survivors of this great battle against the Death Corps shouted loudly with joy and chanted Iron¡¯s name in celebration. The victory of the great war for this city was confirmed by their loud and boisterous shouts.


    Iron had now officially upied one of the most important areas in the Center.


    A few dayster, this news began to spread all throughout the Empire.


    ***


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 Chapter 142 - Chaos And Confusion In The Center (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(142)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>49 </b>Chaos and Confusion in the Center (1)


    [ If you want to live, go to Iron! He¡¯s the Center¡¯s final hope! ]


    Newspapers with articles like this spread throughout the cities in the North and the East.


    The article introduced the North¡¯s Saint and described in detail what he did and how he came down to save the Center.


    [ Starting from the West, he gathered the copsed Central Army troops and formed his own force in the Center.


    The northern area of the Center has been transformed into a rtively safe area after the Death Corps failed to use their power and lost consecutive battles against them.


    And all of this happened because of a single person.


    This was all due to Iron.


    The area that he upied became an area that was safer than any other area that had been upied by other forces.


    Trust him.


    He is the hero who protected the Northeast, the East and the North. ]


    It was a somewhat awkward article. But it wasn¡¯t the only article that painted them in this way.


    [ Does anybody still doubt his power?


    His enormous holy power was a power that contradicted the beings of death. And his powerful divine beasts had annihted and ughtered countless beings of the void. Above all, he truly has the power to defeat Molina, the Death Corpsmander and the third-ranked vampire.


    Believe.


    Do not doubt.


    He is the new pir that will support the Empire. ]


    Simr newspaper articles poured out as they officially andpletely recaptured Soren Territory. All of them published articles that praised Iron.


    A new ray of light appeared and shone on the Center¡¯s desperate situation so all of the people in the Center cheered loudly for Iron.


    Just like in the Northeast.


    In the North.


    And in the East.


    They believed that he would be able to free them from the beings of the void.


    The isted Central Army troops, the selfish Capital Defense Force, and the other-worlders¡¯ alliance that only moved for their benefit. The appearance of news rted to Iron and his troops in such a situation where they were only faced with articles about those three forces was like a ray of hope for the people in the Center.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot.¡±


    Iron murmured as he looked out of the window.


    The city was once a count¡¯s territory. The ce which had been deserted and almost half-destroyed once again turned lively as countless people flocked to the territory.


    They had restored the walls. And with the suppliesing from the North, Iron was able to fortify the area as he trained the iing Central Army troops. Even if the training was not the level that would make them on par with the Special Mobile Unit, Iron still forced them to train as he injected them with the knowledge that he knew. At the very least, he wanted them to be able to withstand their enemies¡¯ attacks and not copse even if they weren¡¯t there.


    He never intended to stay in this ce for a long time.


    He wanted to move south while gathering enough troops. But there were more survivors and Central Army troops in the Center. Because of that, he had no choice but revise his ns of quickly joining Leopold and his Central Army.


    It was an inevitable choice since the force that he had created by upying the Soren territory had a more strategic advantage than joining the Central Army and fighting with them. So, instead of doing that, he decided to help the West with his forces. He would take advantage of the territory¡¯s geographical advantage, what with being located in the Center¡¯s northwest, and wiping out the Death Corps headed towards the West periodically.


    They were cing their butts down and settling down in this ce, something that waspletely different from their name Special Mobile Unit, but no one med their choice. Instead of ming them, there were plenty of people who wanted Iron and his troops to stay in Soren for a long time.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m getting a headache.¡±


    However, problems would definitely arise when plenty of people had gathered together. Things that they did not need to do before constantly happened for the soldiers. From trivial things to solving problems between people.


    Iron was having constant headaches for temporarily handling things that should be done by public officials. He was still doing well since he had done this in his past life but he was still under a lot of stress since he hadn¡¯t done this for a long time.


    While he was trying to cool down and calm himself for a while by staring nkly out of the window, Ariel came knocking on his door.


    ¡°This is the total number of Central Army troops that have gathered in Soren.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes brightened at Ariel¡¯s words.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much left before we reach the corps level, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A Brigade Leader leading a corps¡­ It should normally be impossible but¡­¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked through the documents on his desk.


    Thebination of his Special Mobile Unit and the group of the gathered Central Army troops had led to arge number of troops that reached the corps level. To be exact, the troops¡¯ number had already grown enough to reach two divisions.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ There¡¯s definitely going to be a problem.¡±


    ¡°You will receive protests from the majority of the army the moment you speak out as the leader.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    Iron grinned as he asked Ariel when she spoke up.


    ¡°Yes. They will force you to get a promotion.¡±


    Iron just grinned at Ariel¡¯s words that were filled with conviction as he looked around the office. This was previously used as the count¡¯s office but has now changed into an office that Iron used.


    ¡°Should I settle down in this ce once I get promoted? I think this office is pretty good¡­¡±


    ¡°I know that you won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Iron¡¯s smile turned bitter at Ariel¡¯s words.


    If it were in the past, he might have taken his time and considered it. But not now. He knew that just sitting in a higher position would not help especially if they were being faced with the danger of copse and extinction. What he needed to do was move around more diligently.


    ¡°How¡¯s the training going?¡±


    ¡°Well. They¡¯re still a bit inexperienced but they¡¯re slowly increasing their proficiency since we deliberately search for the Death Corps.¡±


    Iron nodded lightly after hearing Ariel¡¯s report.


    ¡°What a relief. However, don¡¯t push them too hard. Now that this ce has turned into our base, our operation should aim for being reliable and stable instead.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Their situation right now was different from when they were still just the Special Mobile Unit.


    Right now, their goal was to expand their area with their base in Soren as the axis. That was why they needed to manage their troops so that they could stably and consistently reduce their losses and injuries.


    ¡°But we still manage to reach the corps level.¡±


    Most of the knights were low-ranked knights and their numbers were mostly filled with soldiers but after settling in the count-level city, he was able to create temporary aerial units from the small number of airships that the North had sent together with their support. He was even able to imitate a true corps to some extent. And with the participation of the wizards that survived, the framework of the corps that he envisioned was trulying into being.


    The problem was that there would always be greedy people that woulde out the moment he managed the corps well.


    ¡°There will definitely be people who will speak nonsense. Try to hold it in as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Especially Cardro. Follow him around so he doesn¡¯t get in trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Iron sighed when he saw Ariel speaking grimly.


    ¡°You know full well how quick tempered that guy is. And our problems will only increase if he causes just one problem.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I understand.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s reply was reluctant. She was annoyed because she was already busy but she needed to go and take care of her colleague too. But she thought that it was alright to do it once in a while since she was a bit older than him.


    However, Ariel¡¯s wishful thinking had been broken in just a single day.


    ¡°Ho¡­ Does it even make sense for a brigade leader to lead a corps?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. How dare a brigade leader do that when Division Leader Rishun is here¡­¡±


    ¡°Tch! The fact that amander from the Northeast is leading the Central Army troops is already nonsensical.¡±


    Some of the officers gathered together and spat on Iron as they drank together. All of them were officers from the Central Army.


    These officers who gathered together were all officers and leaders who ran away and escaped with Division Leader Rishun. They were the ones who immediately hid themselves behind the knights the moment the Central Army copsed and only crawled out from their hiding ce to gather in the area where Iron was when they saw Death Corps had disappeared from the performance of Iron and his troops.


    All of them were elites and officers that were in line with the capital. And because of that, they did not like the fact that they were being ordered and led by someone from the Northeast.


    In their point of view, no matter how strong Iron was and how much he was hailed as a hero, he was still amander from the countryside. However, they couldn¡¯t mix and cause a disturbance alone. Theycked both in skills and contributions to be considered as a pir. So, all they could do was secretly protest to Rishun, the only person with the title of division leader.


    ¡°These trashes¡­¡±


    Cardro¡¯s anger and bloodlust burst after hearing the rumors and tried to find them but Ariel grabbed his shoulder and shook her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any more problems.¡±


    Cardro¡¯s eyes were filled with killing intent as he looked at Ariel.


    ¡°Iron told me to look after you because he¡¯s afraid that you¡¯d go berserk.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re telling me to leave them alone?¡±


    Cardro only asked Ariel with an annoyed expression on his face after a moment of silence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either. But we have to leave them alone for now.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Cardro wanted to smash the heads of Rishun¡¯s officers right there and then but he was being stopped. Seeing his look, Ariel had no choice but to speak again.


    ¡°You know that Iron is narrow-minded, right? Do you think he¡¯s someone that would let them go like that?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave them alone. We have a lot of work to do, we don¡¯t have the time to care about them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    The scared officers who saw them from afar began to talk shit about Iron once again the moment they saw that Ariel had barely calmed down Cardro. They became more agitated because they thought that they weren¡¯t touching them because they couldn¡¯t hastily touch them since they were the elite officers of the Central Army.


    Perhaps it was because of Iron¡¯smand that the Special Mobile Unit just continued their training while enduring the Central Army officers that were ignoring them. They endured after hearing that Iron would give them special training by himself if they caused a problem for no reason at all.


    With this situation continuing on for a week, the elite officers of the Central Army began to stretch their backs little by little. Because of the defeat and copse of the Central Army, the officers¡¯ spirits were also broken as they sought shelter in a safe ce. However, their arrogance was emerging little by little.


    Then, Iron officially called for Division Leader Rishun.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s true.¡±


    Division Leader Rishun shook hands with Iron arrogantly. Ariel¡¯s brows furrowed when she saw how he was acting. However, she was able to endure it after seeing Iron¡¯s signal.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ariel ced a teacup in front of the now sitting Rishun.


    ¡°I will be straightforward. Major General Rishun, take your officers and go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Rishun¡¯s eyes sank the moment he heard Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your reason?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a disturbance.¡±


    Rishun frowned at Iron¡¯s firm words.


    ¡°They are the elite officers of the Central Army.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°They might not be any better than the ones from the Northeast but they are good officers in their own way.¡±


    ¡°I know that too.¡±


    ¡°But you want to give them up?¡±


    Iron nodded at Rishun¡¯s words.


    ¡°They are interfering with the army¡¯s consolidation and merging.¡±


    Rishun frowned at Iron¡¯s words.


    He knew this fact too. He knew that his men were causing problems. However, he ignored it because of the greed that remained in him. His greed and desire tomand an army again and fight with the Death Corps too. That was the reason why Rishun wanted to meet with Iron at the right time too.


    ¡°You know full well about the battles that you have been fighting so far. This kind of bloated and ballooned unit does not fit you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Give me the Central Army troops. Just pick the elites from your Special Mobile Unit and the Central Army. And let me take charge of this ce.¡±


    Iron just looked silently at Rishun after hearing his proposal. Thinking that his words were working, Rishun continued to speak again.


    ¡°The majority of the surviving Central Army troops are now entirely disorderly. It will take a long time to raise them. In fact, you¡¯re the only one that¡¯s dragging them down. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Iron quietly took a sip of his tea after hearing Rishun¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re going to help Commander Leopold. Right?¡±


    ¡°And so?¡±


    ¡°Then, you only need to lead the elites. Instead, I will remain here and protect Soren.¡±


    Iron drank another sip of his tea before cing his teacup down quietly.


    Then, he looked at Rishun and said¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your bullshit well.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 143 - Chaos And Confusion In The Center (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(143)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>49 </b>Chaos and Confusion in the Center (2)


    Rishun¡¯s expression hardened at Iron¡¯s rude words. He mmed his fist on the table with his face red in rage.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude! Right now, you¡¯re¡­!¡±


    Iron¡¯s mana began to fill the room the moment Rishun tried to say something.


    Rishun, who was just barely able to climb to the 5th Stage because of his experiences as a division leader, was no match against Iron.


    Iron pressed Rishun with his overwhelming mana as Rishun looked at him with eyes that were burning in fury.


    ¡°Keuk! You¡­¡±


    ¡°Division leader.¡±


    Iron looked at him coldly.


    Cold sweat suddenly poured down from Rishun¡¯s back as his eyes began to fill with fear from the look that Iron was giving him.


    Iron lowered his momentum only after seeing the fear in his eyes.


    ¡°I clearly saw that you abandoned your soldiers. The only ones that you took away were your officers and knights¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s something that can¡¯t be¡­ helped. I need to at least preserve the elites for the future¡­¡±


    Rishun tried to make excuses when he felt that the pressure weighing down on him was gettingx. However, Iron just looked at him coldly. It was as if he was looking at Rishun as if he was a bug that he could crush anytime he wanted.


    ¡°So, why are you crawling back here to be amander when you sacrificed your soldiers and ran away?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Rishun couldn¡¯t say anything at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your bullshit might have worked a bit if you had joined the Central Army in the southern region after running away but¡­ Ah, that¡¯s not what you did either? You just hid without knowing what to do. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you, why did youe crawling here to ask for troops?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going too far. I¡¯m still a division leader¡­¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to nitpick about thews and order of the military, then you should have been beheaded already. Be grateful that there¡¯s not a nick on your neck right now.¡±


    Iron¡¯s spoke roughly as he increased his momentum.


    ¡°Get you and your officers out of here by tomorrow or tell them to keep their mouths shut. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Iron grabbed Rishun by his cor.


    ¡°I will behead each and every single one of you ording to thews of the military.¡±


    He let go of his cor and stood up from his seat.


    ¡°You must be busy, it¡¯s better if you stand up and leave now.¡±


    Rishun¡¯s eyes shook as anger once again filled his head at Iron¡¯s smile.


    ¡°Do you think you will be alright after treating your superior like this?¡±


    ¡°Superior¡­¡±


    Ariel¡¯s expression distorted after hearing Rishun¡¯s words. She felt like she wanted to beat Rishun, who couldn¡¯t understand what he had just done.


    ¡°My swordsmanship is at the 6th Stage.¡±


    Rishun turned silent at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°There¡¯s also my divine beasts, holy power and many other advantages added on top of my pure 6th Stage swordsmanship. I have also been serving in the military for a while now and have proven myself as a worthymander, you know?¡±


    Generally, all of the division leaders in the Northeast should at least reach the 5th Stage. However, they would immediately be promoted to division leader even if their merits were insufficient the moment they entered the 6th Stage.


    But Iron was also equipped with a lot of experience in wars and battles on top of being on the 6th Stage. And he was also a worthymander.


    ¡°I have also umted some achievements and contributions.¡±


    Iron took out his ne as he said that.


    The iron cross that was iid with all four jewels showed just how much he contributed in the Northeast. In fact, he had received all the medals that he could receive in the Northeast, with the exception of the Silver Eagle Medal, the medal that showed that one had been acknowledged by the entire Empire.


    Usually, if an officer had received all of the medals possible in the area that he was stationed in, he would be given the honor of leaving his name in Command. And Iron had already done something like that at the age of 20.


    ¡°I can just go up and be a division leader if I wish it to be.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°If I ask for a seat in the Center, they will give me the division leader position right away. But do you know the reason why I¡¯m satisfied with just one star?¡±


    Rishun¡¯s mouth remained shut at Iron¡¯s question. All he could do was look at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m satisfied with my one star not because the Central Army is rotten but it¡¯s because I wanted to stay in the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you better shut your mouth and do what you¡¯re told to do.¡±


    Rishun had no choice but to leave with resentment when Iron dismissed him with those words. Ariel sighed and closed the door that Rishun had left open in his wake.


    ¡°Will it be alright?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will stay still?¡±


    Iron smiled when he heard the worry in Ariel¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It would be good if he won¡¯t stay still.¡±


    Murderous intent shed in Iron¡¯s eyes as he said that.


    Ariel nodded quietly. She could see that Iron intended to kill Rishun the moment he made a fuss. Seeing this, her stance became a bit morefortable and rxed.


    ¡°It will be a problem if we kill him if he does not cause any problems.¡±


    ¡°I know. He¡¯s a noble bastard and he¡¯s also from the Central Army. He knows how to y politics. He will keep on bothering and messing with us but he won¡¯t cross the line.¡±


    Iron looked out of the window and watched Rishun, who just got out of the building.


    ¡°He won¡¯t cross the line. However¡­ if he continues to y politics even though he has already crossed the limit that I can tolerate¡­ it would be hard for him to keep his neck intact, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°When will that be?¡±


    ¡°The day the Center bes useless.¡±


    Iron answered Ariel with a rxed smile on his face.


    Not long after, the things that Ariel expected to happen urred.


    Rishun was greatly insulted and couldn¡¯t bear to stay still. He did not believe that Iron would truly kill him despite receiving the threat of beheading. So, he wanted to vent his anger. And since he was experienced, he moved diligently and thoroughly without crossing the line.


    Since he couldn¡¯t stir the public opinion in the city, he decided to cause chaos with the public opinion in the other regions. This fact even entered the capital. Of course, no newspaper dared to miss any news rted to Iron, the hottest topic and figure of the Center.


    [ Hero Iron. Is he a self-righteous person? ]


    This line was posted in the morning headlines.


    A lot of people were paying attention to any news rted to Iron.


    The opening expressed bitterness against Iron and ndered him with plenty of rumors. The article spoke of Iron insulting and fighting against his superior. Although the article only mentioned that it was an officer and amander, everyone knew that it was talking about Rishun.


    More and more people began to criticize Iron and me him in the Center. They questioned if he had any connection in the capital to act that way. They argued that Iron¡¯s authority should be restricted, swaying the public opinion and telling them that it was a problem for Iron tomand the Central Army troops.


    Of course, this news also appeared in Soren.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Isn¡¯t there really a problem with a Brigadier Generalmanding a corps?¡±


    ¡°That might be true but he¡¯s doing something¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. Well. the superiors will take care of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We should just do what we¡¯re told to do.¡±


    The public opinion was divided.


    It was a fact that a brigade leader was not truly supposed to lead a corps-level troops. So, Iron was truly at a disadvantage if they truly dug deeper into this matter. Because of this, the citizens were not sure if they should side with Iron or not.


    Of course, the Central Army officers also secretly expressed their dissatisfaction with Iron¡¯s control over the troops. Those who yed politics and those who had grabbed onto their chosen lines were people who couldn¡¯t control their greed. They wanted to im their rightful throne andmand the troops and reap the benefits.


    But those with a little bit of sense and brain were firmly standing behind Iron. These people knew that if Iron and his Special Mobile Unit left, the Death Corps would immediately invade the territory. Even if they were at the corps-level, they knew better than anybody else that they would copse the moment Iron left. Their knight order, magic corps, aerial forces, and artillery unit would immediately fall and copse. After all, they were just a paper tower that could topple over with just a slight breeze.


    They should know the importance of Iron and his Special Mobile Unit but more and more people were making the wrong choice. It was because they were anticipating the fact that they could jump on the Center¡¯s boat if they did so.


    And for the Special Mobile Unit, it was extremely frustrating to watch all of these unfold. And the one who couldn¡¯t control his temper the most visited Iron immediately.


    ¡°Brigade Leader!¡±


    An agitated Cardro mmed the door open.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy, why?¡±


    ¡°Are you just going to wait and see? We should just kick them out!¡±


    ¡°Are they bothering you?¡±


    Iron grinned when he heard Cardro¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re bothering me. Why should we get treated like this because of them? It would be a hundred times better if we just abandon this ce and head back to the West.¡±


    Iron stopped writing as he looked at Cardro.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°So, why¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the right moment.¡±


    Cardro tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean by waiting for the right moment¡­?¡±


    ¡°Literally what I said. Do you think I¡¯m holding everything in just because of Rishun¡¯s barely improvised schemes?¡±


    Cardro shook his head at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Rishun is just a bait. We have to wait if we want to catch a big fish. They haven¡¯t taken the bitepletely yet. We have to wait until we get thempletely hooked.¡±


    ¡°Is it¡­ the Center?¡±


    Iron smiled brightly.


    ¡°Touching the Center¡­ Will it be alright?¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at Cardro¡¯s question.


    He had already made preparations a long time ago to give the Center one big shot. All he had right now was the information from theboratories but he had already prepared a lot of things against them. From the corruption in the support supplies heading to the Northeast to the intentional neglect in sending support during the Great Northern War.


    He wanted to use the data from theboratories as his first counter before weaving in the Center¡¯s corruption and rushing in with more dirt on them so that they would not have any time to counterattack.


    ¡®The final nail to the coffin would be staging a y with the media and telling them of my intentions to go back to the Northeast.¡¯


    Cardro shivered when he saw the vicious smile on Iron¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Uhm¡­ It seems like you¡¯ve already prepared well.¡±


    ¡°If you understand, then go and ease your subordinates.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±


    Everyone who saw Cardro barging in asked him why he came out calmly but they all went back silently after they caught a glimpse of Iron¡¯s smile. It was an evil and vicious smile that they had seen from time to time. They remembered the times that they thought that they would die after seeing that smile on Iron the day before their training.


    All of them nodded their heads. They knew that Iron was exceptional and outstanding. So they stood back and waited calmly for the day when Rishun would cross the line.


    Their hopes and wishes came true not long after.


    Bang!


    ¡°Division Leader Rishun.¡±


    Iron personally stormed into Rishun¡¯s amodation and stood in front of him with a cold expression on his face.


    ¡°The audacity!¡±


    ¡°I am arresting you as a criminal who vited thews of the military.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what?!¡±


    Rishun was shocked upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°You have concealed and hidden the fact that you have been defeated in the battle of ¡Á¡Á ins. You have also abandoned your men in the battle against the Death Corps and ran away. You have made the worst decision that amander should never make.¡±


    ¡°This should be a problem that should be dealt with by the Central Court Martial¡­¡±


    It seemed like Rishun had already worked with the Center in advance since he took something out. But Iron just continued to talk as if it did not matter at all.


    ¡°In addition, in a situation where you have lost your position, you used your former subordinates to extract confidential information from the army and illegally informed the public.¡±


    ¡°This is just a report to the Center¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems like you have to be reminded properly.¡±


    Iron sat down on a chair and looked at him coldly as he continued to speak.


    ¡°If you¡¯re just going to report it, then you should have just sent it to the Capital Command, why did you send rumors to the newspapers?¡±


    ¡°How¡­ How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°How did I know?¡±


    Iron looked at Rishun with a vicious smile painted on his face.


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron chuckled as if everything was funny when he saw him remain silent.


    ¡°I tortured your men just a bit. I just touched them lightly but their tongues immediately became loose?¡±


    Rishun¡¯s eyes widened at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°I told you before, during our meeting, right? You shouldn¡¯t cross my line.¡±


    Iron stood up and turned around. The knights immediately grabbed Rishun by the armpits and dragged him up. Rishun tried to resist, as if he wanted to show his force as a division leader, but Iron just pulled his sword out coldly.


    ¡°I will behead you on the spot if you resist.¡±


    ¡°Do¡­ Do you think the Center will stay still if you do something like this?!¡±


    Rishun spoke furiously but Iron just smiled.


    ¡°They will stay still. They can¡¯t afford to care about you right now.¡±


    Iron grinned as he drew the image of the chaotic Center in his head.


    Just like he expected, the Center was distracted and in chaos.


    ¡°Is it true that you have sacrificed the innocent lives of the Imperial people?¡±


    ¡°Was the evidence that Iron Carter had discovered true?¡±


    ¡°Are there really secretboratories? Please answer our questions!¡±


    Numerous reporters gathered in front of the Central Government Building. They tried to grab the officials that were on their way to work to answer their questions but all of them rushed forward with their heads bowed down. None of them dared to open their mouths. If they did so, they would definitely be just a cold body the next day.


    However, silence was not the answer.


    The more silent they became, the more chaos and confusion befell the capital.


    ***


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 Chapter 144 - Chaos And Confusion In The Center (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(144)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>49 </b>Chaos and Confusion in the Center (3)


    In fact, the reason why the situation blew up like this was because this was something that the Center had brought upon itself.


    Rishun and the Center¡¯s ¡®prank¡¯ on Iron raised the public¡¯s interest in him. Because of them, many had discussed whether Iron was truly fit to lead a corps-level army. From the schrs of the Court Martial to the Imperial public, they all discussed whether they should value and uphold their principles or make an exception because of the crisis that they were facing.


    Some imed that they should send a temporary corpsmander-level figure tomand Iron and his troops. They firmly opposed the fact that Iron should lead the corps himself despite the fact that he was actively fighting in the battlefield.


    With the situation at a stalemate, an airship carrying reporters directly came to the area where Iron was currently located. They moved personally to get an interview with Iron, the most famous figure in the Empire right now. The newspaperpanies raised money and took the risk to send their reporters to Soren territory.


    Iron treated them sincerely and with all due respect.


    The news reporters couldn¡¯t help but tilt their heads in confusion.


    Contrary to the rumors about him being rude and self-righteous, he was actually taking care of them well. They were people who had eyes and working heads and they could see how the troops were living.


    The soldiers¡¯ training was truly fierce and desperate. They always came back dirty and covered in mud. They also had plenty of small injuries littering their bodies.


    But once they excluded the training?


    <b>1 </b>Their meals were abundant and rich.


    <b>2 </b>They were given sufficient time to take a break and rx.


    <b>3 </b>None of them were being touched or scolded out of the usual training time.


    Perhaps it was because these three things that the soldiers wanted the most were guaranteed that none of them had anyints except for the difficulty of their training.


    To prove that, the only thing that theyined and cursed about during some secret interviews was their training. None of them talked bad about Iron. They were even rather very grateful to him that they could survive and live in such a safe ce.


    The reporters, who were presented with such a situation, quickly found out that the rumors were unfounded.


    [ The rumors are fake. I believe the Center is deliberately trying to drag Brigadier General Iron down. ]


    The reporters moved busily to send this fact to their own newspaperpanies.


    After confirming this, Iron smiled as he threw bombs at the reporters. It was his gift for them especially after they took the risk and came all the way here.


    The bomb was none other than¡­


    < Evidence of Illegal Experiments in the Center¡¯s Secret Laboratories. >


    ¡°This¡­ is this true?¡±


    ¡°We have enough evidence. We have also raised this concern to the Center but we have received no answer.¡±


    The reporters¡¯ eyes glowed after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    The Center¡¯s corruption and the nobles and government officials that deliberately tried to frame Iron to cover it up.


    The story was alreadyplete. All they had to do was write an article.


    The reporters, after receiving proper care and treatment in Soren territory, flew back to the capital.


    And right now, at the present¡­


    ¡°Exin yourself, Emperor!¡±


    ¡°Exin!¡±


    ¡°Exin!¡±


    ¡°All of the government officials who framed the hero should resign!¡±


    ¡°Resign!¡±


    ¡°Resign!¡±


    The people of the Empire gathered together and protested loudly but the Center did not answer.


    Everything would pass by and the public¡¯s anger would subside if they remained silent. However, it was nowpletely different.


    The copse of the Central Army and the Imperial public¡¯s evacuation to seek refuge from the Center. On top of that, there were also the families of the missing people.


    All of them were furious. They demanded the Emperor to exin himself.


    Their movements werepletely different in scalepared to their anger during the Northeast¡¯s situation. Back then, they were also angry. However, they believed that it was still a matter rted to another region. But this was different.


    Everyone expressed their wrath and anger that had festered over time including those who have lost their homes, the families of the missing, those suffering from excessive taxes and those whose lives were being threatened by the Death Corps.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    Iron smiled as he looked at the news about the protest in the Center.


    The scene of the protest was depicted in ck and white and was stered on the front page like a huge window showing the scene.


    ¡°You¡¯repletely separated from the Center now.¡±


    Iron grinned when he saw Ariel¡¯s bitter look.


    ¡°Why? You feel sorry?¡±


    ¡°There is a high possibility that they will continue to interfere with the Brigade Leader in the future.¡±


    Just like Ariel said, they will never forget about this.


    If he made enough contributions, he would be able to go up to the level of a division leader somehow. After all, themanders of the Northeast, East and the North were all treating him favorably. There would be no problem on that end at all.


    However, it would be entirely different starting from the corpsmander level.


    There were only a bit more than 20 corpsmanders in the entire Empire. It was because they all needed to consult with the Center the moment they needed to promote someone to that level. But considering what happened, they would definitely not allow Iron¡¯s promotion that easily.


    With his contributions right now, he was sure that the division leader was already in the bag. However, the path to bing a corpsmander was dark and dreary for Iron especially with his separation from the Center.


    ¡°Bothering me¡­ it¡¯s all meaningless now.¡±


    For Iron, the Center¡¯s interference waspletely meaningless now. No matter what the Center would try to do, it would never cause a ripple in Iron at all. They would just be like a speck of flying dust in front of him.


    ¡°Will you being back to the Northeast?¡±


    Iron stared at Ariel quietly.


    Going back to the Northeast like this meant that he would leisurely serve his time in the military in a safe ce without making any other contribution. In fact, Iron had been promoted at a rapid pace so it did not matter to him at all.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be so bad either. But no.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°What I meant is that I won¡¯t care about the Center anymore. To be more precise¡­¡±


    Iron stood up and approached Ariel then he bent down and whispered.


    ¡°I will abandon the Empire.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes widened at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°The capital is in a state of confusion, right? But you see, I will continue to throw evidence of their corruption and add more chaos to their confusion. So, what do you think will happen with the Capital Defense Forces that¡¯s protecting the capital from the Death Corps?¡±


    Ariel remained silent at Iron¡¯s question.


    She knew that no matter how much of an elite they were, they would still be affected once the capital became even more chaotic and noisy. Their morale would drop and more and more confused people woulde out.


    And the Death Corps would never miss out on this opportunity.


    ¡°I won¡¯t help the capital even if they¡¯re in a crisis.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ they¡¯ll mistake this for treason.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also a possibility. But what do you think will happen if I go and help the Central Army?¡±


    She frowned after seeing Iron smile while saying those words.


    ¡°The Central Army wille to help the Capital Defense Force anyway.¡±


    ¡°The Death Corps aren¡¯t idiots either, do you think they¡¯ll leave them alone?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°They will leave troops behind to stop them while smashing the troops in the capital.¡±


    Regardless of the sacrifice that they would make, the Death Corps would still consider it a victory as long as they upied the capital. It was just a force to them anyway. They could easily create new Death Corps from the countless people that lived and were living in the capital as long as their mainmander survived. Even if they were wiped out, they would still consider it a victory as long as theyid waste and killed the Emperor. Their main purpose would always be focused on taking their revenge against the Empire and the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Even if we upy one region of the Center with our troops, we¡¯re only just half a corps. Do you think you can help the Center with just this force? Do you think our power could prove to be meaningful?¡±


    Ariel¡¯s expression was uncertain after hearing Iron¡¯s question.


    Even if Iron¡¯s divine beasts and holy power participated in their battles, their victory still remained uncertain if they truly dide to aid the Center. In fact, if Iron was excluded, the army that had gathered in Soren would definitely struggle even against an elite division-level troops.


    ¡°But what if we helped the Central Army?¡±


    ¡°The Central Army¡¯s tied feet will be loosened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If the capital held out and summoned me for disciplinary actions, I can just tell them that I went to help the Central Army to fight meaningful battles.¡±


    Ariel nodded slightly at the end of Iron¡¯s words.


    In a critical situation, everything would thoroughly be under the discretion of themander. This was the Commander¡¯s Judgment. No matter how much the Center wanted to drag them down, they just couldn¡¯t dismiss and suppress someone for using the Commander¡¯s Judgment during a war.


    And to implement such a judgment, a justification was needed. A controversy would be avoided if they twisted their words and turned it into a justification.


    ¡°It¡¯s reasonable for us to say that we helped the Central Army since we believed that the Capital Defense Forces would hold out firmly, right?¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but¡­ if the capital really copses¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be a big problem?¡±


    ¡°They experimented a lot in theirboratories, so something would definitely appear to stop it from happening. Didn¡¯t they do that to use it in such a crisis?¡±


    Ariel shut her mouth after seeing the cold look on Iron¡¯s face.


    ¡®It would be better if they really did get breached.¡¯


    Iron thought to himself as he clenched his fists tightly.


    The secrets of the world and the Imperial Family holding onto one such secret.


    If the Death Corps sessfully breached through the capital and reached the Imperial Pce, then he would be able to know what it was. Perhaps the God Game would even throw him a quest before that happened.


    ¡®If the Imperial Family is really important then they would definitely give out quests to tell us to stop them.¡¯


    Iron had no intention of helping the capital until that moment arrived. Perhaps the other-worlders outside of the capital had also gathered together for that purpose too. Those shrewd and maniptive bastards would not care how many of their people died or what would happen to this world. After all, their original world was safe and that was all that mattered.


    ¡®That¡¯s what I believed at one point in time too.¡¯


    Iron looked out of the window as he thought so.


    Right now, he was doing his best to protect this ce that had now be his reality. Perhaps this decision could prove to be a mistake especially in the situation that they were in but he could no longer tolerate and dismiss the evils that the Center had done. He would not tolerate this necessary evil anymore.


    Iron began to move as he firmly made up his mind.


    He exposed the Center¡¯s corruption and continuously threw firewood so that the fire that he lit would never go out.


    [ Experiments. Are we sure that this is really just this time¡¯s problem? ]


    [ Brigadier General Iron Carter reveals another! ]


    [ It turned out that these experiments had been going on for decades! How rotten can the Center be?! ]


    [ Dangerous Imperial Family, rotten Central Officials. Can we even put our trust in them in such a critical situation? ]


    The newspaperpanies, with the power of the protesting people, climbed up and pressured the Center. If things continued on like this, the Central politics would definitely copse.


    That was when the Imperial Pce made the worst possible choice.


    ¡°Martialw will take effect as of today. We cannot tolerate anymore confusion and chaos especially with the Death Corps just right around the corner. All protests in the future will be prohibited. In addition, all able men in the capital will be conscripted as soldiers. We will also confiscate some of our citizens¡¯ properties if necessary. This is His Majesty, the Emperor¡¯s strict order. Abide by them to ovee the crisis that we are facing.¡±


    Martialw.


    This was the Emperor¡¯s unique and special authority that could only be invoked when the Empire was in crisis.


    This authority was finally issued.


    The martialw, that they had postponed time and again as they denied the crisis that had befallen the Empire, was finally brought up in the worst possible situation.


    Because of this, the confusion and chaos in the capital grew out of control. And it was not only the capital, the entire Empire was in chaos.


    Since martialw was issued during this difficult situation, all of the regions, except for the North, and their armies had to send reinforcements to the Center. Whether they liked it or not. This was what the Emperor wanted. And as long as martialw was in effect, the authority of the current Emperor would remain absolute.


    ¡°Did you finally use your final card?¡±


    Iron smiled. It was as if he was waiting for this moment for a long time. He began his preparations to move with his troops.


    The Central Army that was in the southwest of the Central region as well as the coalition of other-worlders began their preparations to move.


    Even the Death Corps, who seemed to have been waiting for martialw, also began to move. All of the Death Corps that kept Iron¡¯s troops and the other-worlders in check left and headed for the capital at once. Even the Death Corps targeting the West and the South as well as their forces scattered all over the Center began to gather in the capital.


    Everyone moved for the final war in the Center.


    The Capital Defense Force and the Death Corps faced each other as they waited silently for the uingrge-scale war. The Death Corps was waiting for the best time that was in their favor to attack while the Capital Defense Force was making final adjustments to their preparations as they decided to hold out until reinforcement troops from other regions arrived to aid them.


    Days filled with constant tension and nervousness continued.


    And finally¡­


    Bang!


    ¡°It started!¡±


    Ariel mmed the door to Iron¡¯s office open and urgently said her report.


    Iron stood up as if he was waiting for this moment.


    ¡°We¡¯re moving too.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 145 - Chaos And Confusion In The Center (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(145)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>49 </b>Chaos and Confusion in the Center (4)


    The Death Corps that kept them in check had now begun to move.


    The moment the moon rose in the sky and darkness engulfed thend, death energy began to seep out under the cover of the shadows and darkness.


    Vwooooooong!


    ¡°The Death Corps is moving!¡±


    ¡°The reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ The warp gate is blocked. They have toe down directly. I believe it¡¯s going to take some time before they can arrive.¡±


    The 1st gatemander¡¯s expression became distorted after hearing the officer¡¯s answer.


    They did not know what method their enemies had used but they had disabled all of the warp gates so the reinforcements couldn¡¯t warp to the capital. Perhaps it was also because the flow of mana around the gates had be unstable.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ We have to hold out until reinforcements arrive. Tell the other officers to appease the soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The officer bowed his head upon hearing the 1st gatemander¡¯s orders before rushing out.


    ¡°Prepare for battle!¡±


    ¡°Iing enemies!¡±


    The troops on the first line of defense quickly moved after hearing the orders of themanders.


    The three gates that had been created a long time ago after continuous and repeated expansions of territory, these gates, along with the Capital Defense Forces gathered in this ce, were the reason why the capital could still hold out despite the rotting Central Army.


    The Death Corps attacked the first gate.


    ¡°Stop them! Don¡¯t let them get close!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, priests?! Get rid of the ck fog!¡±


    ¡°Wizards, focus on purification magic! We need to secure our vision!¡±


    Themanders shouted loudly as they gave their orders.


    However, despite their grueling efforts, the wizards and the priests couldn¡¯t easily clear out the ck fog.


    The Death Corps, who couldn¡¯t even dare make a squeak inside Iron¡¯s sanctuary, were nowhere to be seen. However, this situation just proved how great Iron and his powers were. Just a single sanctuary of his could create a handicap that they could drill into and target. But without Iron and his sanctuary, the Death Corps remained powerful.


    As if to prove this, the first line of defense made of the Capital Defense Force¡¯s elites copsed easily under their onught.


    ¡°Stop them! Don¡¯t let them break through!¡±


    Zombies climbed up the walls while ghouls belched out venomous puffs of breath.


    The first gate was immediately in a state of crisis under the disastrous and catastrophic levels of attacks from the Death Corps.


    Suddenly, the Empire¡¯s proudest, the Capital Defense Force¡¯s Knight Order, appeared.


    The Capital Defense Force¡¯s Knight Order was an order that was entirelyposed of carefully chosen knights from noble families. Unlike the Central Army Knight Order, they had maintained the image of an elite group.


    It seemed like just their appearance in the frontlines alone had led to the Death Corps¡¯ troops being pushed back. However, the situation of the war only went into a state where they couldn¡¯t determine who would win or who would lose.


    ¡°Endure it a bit more! Things will get better once the purification magic ispleted!¡±


    ¡°Hold on! We will have an advantage once the sun rises!¡±


    The troops stationed at the first gate did their best to endure and stop the Death Corps, whose powers were boosted at night.


    The aerial fleet dropped bombs and canons at them while the support troops came down one after the other but the Death Corps just dealt a stronger blow to them. It was as if they wereughing at their pitiful efforts.


    ¡°Undead¡­¡±


    A species that was a mix between the zombies and the ghouls suddenly appeared.


    Their sudden appearance brought shock to the people who thought that the zombies and ghouls were all there was to them.


    The vampires who were watching the scene couldn¡¯t help but grin and show their fangs.


    It was like¡­


    ¡®You thought that we couldn¡¯t use the undead?¡¯


    ¡­were the words that they were telling them with that sneer on their faces.


    The skeletons were the base of the undead. But that wasn¡¯t all there was to the undead.


    Skeleton Soldier.


    Skeleton Knight.


    Skeleton Archer.


    Skeleton Mage.


    The Bone Corps were mainlyposed of these basic undead.


    Duhan.


    Lich.


    Banshee.


    These were the beings that led them all. But there was one more¡­


    The knights who ate the darkness.


    The Dark Knights.


    These figures suddenly appeared.


    The moment the 5th Stage Dark Knight appeared, confusion and chaos broke out among the 1st gate¡¯s troops. The unexpected appearance of the undead corps was enough to bring about confusion in their ranks, what more with the sudden appearance of someone that strong.


    ¡°No¡­ No! Stop them! Block them no matter what!¡±


    The 1st gatemander shouted loudly at his troops but all of them were already lost in the chaos. It was already difficult for them to withstand the Death Corps¡¯ attacks but it was entirely impossible for them to hold out especially with the undead¡¯s endless attacks. In the end, they had no choice but to be pushed back little by little until the gate was opened and breached.


    The 1st gatemander looked at the scene nkly.


    Then, one of the Dark Knights approached him.


    ¡°Even if I die here, I will cut you all down.¡±


    The 1st gatemander gritted his teeth as he lifted his sword. He boosted his mana as he red at the skeleton knights and the Dark Knights in front of him.


    His sudden boost of his meager mana was an unexpected move. However, the Dark Knights just stepped aside instead of dealing with him. Then, a vampire appeared at the ce that the Dark Knights had just vacated.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¨D So there¡¯s still someone like you left in the capital¡­ What a surprise.


    The vampire looked at the 1st gatemander, who was fighting until the end, in interest.


    ¨D I respect your courage. To honor your bravery, I, Ivan Rodlio, the 2nd rank will personally deal with you.


    ¡°Second rank¡­¡±


    The vampire, who proimed that he was the 2nd rank, lifted his sword and pointed it at the gatemander.


    The gatemander looked at the knights that were d in ck armor gathered together. There were only four knights but all of them were emitting a heavy dark energy. And there was only one being who led these knights.


    ¡°Death¡­ Knight.¡±


    The 1st gatemander gritted his teeth the moment he felt the enormous death energy spreading from the sword of the vampire in front of him.


    A Death Knight was a being that wasparable to a master. Of course, not all Death Knights have the power of someone at the master-level but it was true that all of them had power that was close to a master. Even if the Death Knight was not a master-ss one, the death des that they used were already too much for a 6th Stage warrior to deal with.


    ¡°Come!¡±


    When the 1st gatemander boosted the mana of a 6th Stage warrior to the limits he rushed forward towards Ivan, a vampire and a Death Knight. The 1st gatemander attacked Ivan with all his might in front of the now copsed gate.  However, due to the huge difference between their level and skills, the 1st gatemander slowly and gradually copsed from exhaustion.


    ¡°Kghhhhk!¡±


    In the end, a sword stabbed him on his chest as he vomited blood.


    ¡°N¡­ no¡­ no¡­¡±


    Ivan briefly bowed his head at the man, who tried to stop him until the end, the moment he copsed and breathed hisst. This was his final courtesy to the man who died an honorable death.


    Then, the Dark Knight tried to touch his body. But Ivan raised his hand and stopped just when the death energy was about to encroach on the gatemander¡¯s body.


    ¨D This person died honorably. At the very least¡­ you have to let him see the truth and make a choice by himself.


    The Dark Knights carried the body of the 1st gatemander at Ivan¡¯s words.


    ¨D It¡¯s not toote for us to revive him after showing him the truth.


    The Dark Knights bowed their heads and moved.


    The death of the 1st gatemander signaled the breach of the first out of the three gates that the Empire boasted for its tenacity. This news was immediately spread all throughout the Empire. It only took 6 hours for the 1st gate to be breached and broken through.


    While everyone was in shock that the 1st gate couldn¡¯t evenst for half a day another urgent news flew in.


    It was the heartbreaking news of the 2nd gate being breached and broken through. And it was even breached much faster than the 1st gate. They couldn¡¯t even endure half as long as the troops in the 1st gate and were breached in just two hours.


    ¨D Trashes.


    Unlike the scenario in the 1st gate, Ivan looked at the 2nd gate as if he was looking at some bugs. He spat at the body of the 2nd gatemander, who tried to retreat, the moment the 2nd gate showed signs of being breached.


    ¨D Sacrifice them to the God of Death. We have to send these trashy bastards to hell.


    ¨D Yes!


    The Dark Knights disappeared with the 2nd gatemander¡¯s body upon hearing his orders.


    His soul would soon fall in the pits of hell while his body revived and became a part of the Death Corps.


    After the death of the 2nd gatemander and the breach of the 2nd gate, the Death Corps began to advance again. They headed towards their final goal, the capital.


    The Imperial Pce and the Central officials became urgent as the news of the 2nd gate¡¯s defeat and Ivan¡¯s advance towards the capital reached their ears.


    With the third and final gate remaining, the Imperial Pce had no choice but to move.


    The knights of the Imperial Pce, starting from the Imperial Guards guarding the pce to the Royal Guards directly under the Emperor¡¯smand, moved directly to the 3rd gate.


    Perhaps the Death Corps realized that the 3rd gate was formidable that was why they stopped their march and watched the situation first. The Death Corps¡¯ troops scattered all over the ce gathered together and filled in the gaps left by their members that had been consumed and prepared for the final bout in this war.


    As the war fell into a lull, Iron¡¯s army also prepared to make their move.


    All of the troops, except for the minimum number of troops that would protect Soren Territory as well as the trainees that were stillcking in training and those thatcked practical experience, were gathered together and ready to move out.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading South. We will join the Central Army there and save the capital.¡±


    All of them bowed their heads at Iron¡¯s words. They trusted the hero in front of them who had never made a wrong decision.


    The airship only carried their supplies as all of the troops moved on the ground.


    News about Iron¡¯s troops moving out of Soren Territory reached the capital. They became flustered and panicked when they heard that Iron, who they thought would immediatelye to their rescue, was going south first to help the Central Army.


    But it wasn¡¯t just Iron.


    Even the coalition of the other-worlders also began to move slowly as they killed the Death Corps that blocked their way. However, they did note straight to the capital. They were clearly showing their unwillingness to take risks. They also meant to slowly help the capital by breaking their individually assigned quests one by one.


    The people of the capital became desperate at the news that Iron and the other-worlders wouldn¡¯te to support them immediately. They also couldn¡¯t expect immediate support from the North and the Northeast since the warp gate was being blocked by an unknown force. The same was true for the Eastern, Southern and Western Armies. Whether they chose toe in airships or on drakes, it would still take time for reinforcements toe to them.


    ¡°Time¡­ We need time!¡±


    ¡°Goddamnit! We have to restore the warp system, no matter what! Otherwise, we¡¯ll die!¡±


    They tried to urge the wizards to restore the warp gates immediately but there was no way for them to restore the flow of mana easily, especially after it had been broken by death energy.


    In a situation where everyone seemed to have abandoned the capital, Iron¡¯s troops continued to move southwards. In the name of joining the Central Army to save the Center, Iron and his troops ughtered all of the Death Corps that blocked their way.


    A series of victories.


    Iron¡¯s troops, who killed and ughtered the Death Corps easily, werepletely unlike the Capital Defense Forces, who suffered continuous defeats as their gates got broken through one by one.


    Around that time, news about the Northern and Northeastern Armies as well as the Eastern Army and the other-worlders¡¯ coalition moved to send support. But right now, the citizens of the capital were desperately hoping for Iron to quickly join with the Eastern Army and the Central Army ande to the capital as soon as possible.


    But, as if they were waiting for this moment, the Death Corps moved.


    They dyed the capital ck as they pushed the citizens of the capital, who were beginning to gain hope, back into the pits of despair. It was as if they wanted to show them a greater despair than what they had ever experienced.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! His Majesty has shown his mercy and sent out the swords that guarded him to protect you!¡±


    The Imperial Knight Order¡¯smander pulled out his sword as he shouted. des appeared as he pulled out his sword while standing alone on the walls. His powerful momentum along with the des that orbited around him brought courage to the soldiers that were trembling in fear.


    A master was a being that was known to be invincible.


    Hope had begun to sprout once again in the hearts of the soldiers. They believed that they would be able to hold out until the reinforcements arrived.


    While the Capital Defense Forces and the Death Corps began their full-fledged battle, the Central Army also began to move to support the capital.


    Oliver van Leopold swung his sword to break through the Death Corps that blocked their path. As a master, the beings of death easily died under his sword. But this fight was something that he couldn¡¯t do alone.


    The Central Army troops had fought against countless Death Corps¡¯ troops but it was still too much to hope that they could ovee them easily. They were able to endure up until now because of Leopold¡¯s existence but it was too difficult to expect an overwhelming performance from them. After all, even he, the armymander, was injured. He moved to save the capital out of his loyalty towards the Empire but he knew full well that the odds were not in their favor.


    The Red Seductress, the 4th in the vampire¡¯s hierarchy, blocked the Central Army as she took her time and slowly nibbled on their troops.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    Commander Leopold burst out in anger and swung his sword at the vampires that stopped them. The illusions and magic that they casted were torn apart with every swing of his gigantic sword. Even some of the vampires were killed but they did not care. Their mission was to stop him so it did not matter if they died in the process. The vampires died with smiles on their faces as if they were satisfied just by taking enough time from him and his army.


    Leopold couldn¡¯t help but frown in disgust at their behavior.


    ¨D Hoho~ Even a master can¡¯t do anything by himself, you know? If you¡¯re exhausted, why not die here and now?


    The Red Seductress smiled as she spoke but he only lifted his sword resolutely.


    ¨D Boring old man.


    ¡°I will pierce through you and go to the capital.¡±


    ¨D Try it if you can. Fufufufu. Perhaps it will all be over by the time you pierce through me?


    Leopold moved his exhausted body at the Seductress¡¯ words.


    Even at this very moment, his army continued to be pushed back. Their odds would only increase if he was able to kill that Seductress as soon as possible. So, he boosted his power with the intention of using his everything.


    If one raised their power forcefully while still being injured, they risked suffering from an internal injury that they would never be able to recover from. However, for Leopold, this was not the time to care about such matters.


    The Red Seductress couldn¡¯t help but frown when she realized what he was doing.


    ¨D Old¡­


    Two beams of light flew from far away just when the Red Seductress was about to call out to Leopold. The death soldiers that came in contact with the beams of light all disappeared without a trace. At the same time a barrier made from holy power unfolded from the sky and covered the entire area.


    ¨D Sanctuary¡­


    Then, someone descended from the sky while the Red Seductress muttered nkly to herself.


    ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I will be in charge of the battlefield for now. Please take some rest.¡±


    Iron looked at the Red Seductress with a wide and trustworthy smile.


    ¡°Shall we y together, then?¡±


    The rxed expression on the Red Seductress¡¯ face immediately stiffened at Iron¡¯s words.


    ***


    Notes


    [Seductress] ¨C In fact, this is written originally as ?? which is a word that is used to describe women that use evil tricks and illusions to lure men and eat them or kill them. ssic examples are femme fatales in mythology they are the sirens and many other creatures. Basically, they are seductresses and enchantresses.


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 Chapter 146 - The Capital’s Collapse (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(146)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>50 </b>The Capital¡¯s Copse (1)


    Iron and his troops, who had made a huge stir in the Center, appeared with the advent of the sanctuary.


    The knight order rushed forward as the aerial assault unit jumped down from the drake unit. The rangers also appeared apanied by artillery fire.


    With their appearance, the Death Corps¡¯ rear had been thrown into chaos. Taking advantage of the moment, the ground troops went into formation and pushed ahead.


    ¡°Time is not on your side anymore, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Iron chuckled as he spun his sword and pointed it at his enemy.


    The Red Seductress¡¯ expression hardened at Iron¡¯s cheeky appearance.


    The person in front of her was more demanding and taxing to deal with than a master especially since he was the Death Corps¡¯ bane.


    The North¡¯s Saint.


    The Red Seductress¡¯ expression gradually straightened out after realizing that he came here.


    ¨D This is good.


    ¡°What¡¯s good?¡±


    ¨D The fact that you, the saint, came here means that a variable has disappeared in the capital. I¡¯m a bit surprised that you arrived earlier than expected but I¡¯m still relieved.


    They were worried that he and his troops were just trying to make a feint by heading southwards before turning around and going to the Center. But as long as Iron was here, it meant that there were no variables in the capital. It also meant that she would be able to aplish her goal even if she died here.


    ¨D But, what a pity. I want to push that old man to his limits.


    Leopold was able to hold out alone as he led the Central Army against the Death Corps. But even if he was a master, it was still quite strenuous to deal with numerous vampires and high-ranked undead. The Red Seductress was only able to force him toe all the way up to this point after deliberately targeting Leopold but Iron suddenly appeared and interrupted her.


    ¡°A pity?¡±


    ¨D Yeah. Truly a pity.


    The Red Seductress answered Iron¡¯s question honestly as she began to talk.


    ¨D That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to cut your unit in half.


    ¡°That is if you can.¡±


    The Red Seductress¡¯ arms swung the moment Iron taunted her. Then, all of the vampires nearby flocked to where Iron was. However, his holy power erupted wildly.


    ¡°Holy power is like poison to the undead, right?¡±


    Iron grinned as he swung his sword and shed the vampires that were rushing towards him.


    ¡°The same goes for vampires, right? Perhaps, you thought that I only relied on my body?¡±


    The Red Seductress bit her lips at Iron¡¯s words.


    Just like Iron had said, his powers were their bane. So, right now, she wasn¡¯t even at half of her original power. She was only able to push Leopold to this point by pushing back the Central Army that was solely dependent on their master. However, Iron was apletely different matter. His holy power and sanctuary was the bane of their existence.


    And there were even the divine beasts roaming and gliding in the skies freely. As if to prove that the divine beasts were also his source of strength, the Death Corps were gradually copsing.


    The phoenix, who spewed out fire from time to time, was already a problem but there was also the huge owl that emitted some sharp and burning light from both of its eyes. However, the biggest problem of them all was the small bird that let out holy power. Her corps gradually lost their strength to fight back under the ring light of the shining Baepsae.


    ¨D So, it¡¯s true. You¡¯re truly our greatest enemy.


    Iron just stared at the Red Seductress as she spoke.


    He was slowly advancing towards her under the onught of attacks from the vampires that rushed towards him. He did not even stagger and shake. He was able to endure and stand firm despite the waves of attacks thanks to his steel mana.


    The Red Seductress looked at Iron in exhaustion before suggesting to him in a quiet voice.


    ¨D Can¡¯t you just let us go? I swear I won¡¯t do any harm to your troops. Let¡¯s just have a proper fight in the capital.


    ¡°Do I have to do something like that?¡±


    ¨D If things continue like this, then yours and that old man¡¯s troops will suffer great damage.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Iron bent his legs as he flew up towards the Red Seductress before shing his sword down.


    ¨D Ugh! You¡¯re not going to lose anything either! Are you just going to leave the Central Army like that?


    She turned towards the Central Army as she spoke.


    Plenty of the soldiers were dead or were on the brink of death as they fought against the Death Corps. Some of them were even turned into vampires and tried to attack their previous allies.


    ¨D I¡¯m even going to willingly back off. Are you willing to let them all get killed?


    ¡°I don¡¯t negotiate and discuss with beings that signed a contract with the void.¡±


    ¨D Stubborn!


    The Red Seductress clicked her tongue as she evaded. But Iron wouldn¡¯t let her do that. He kept on running after the Red Seductress as he swung his sword towards her.


    She immediately transformed her nails and blocked his attacks but she was being pushed back with every sh and strike. The Red Seductress had no choice but to hurriedly step back the moment her nails started to get nicked and cut by Iron¡¯s enormous holy power.


    He wasn¡¯t their natural enemy for nothing.


    She had been working hard for months just to kill Leopold. She even risked herself and her troops just so she could push him to get injured more and prevent him from recovering. But someone interfered while she was in the middle of killing him today.


    And Iron, who interfered, was on a simr level of power. His enormous holy power and 6th Stage swordsmanship were things that were extremely difficult to deal with. She could even say that it was as difficult as fighting against a master. But when his divine beasts¡¯ powers were added, his powers were something that she couldn¡¯t dare to deal with.


    What was more problematic was the fact that each divine beast of his wasparable to a master. Only after seeing the divine beasts, whose powers were far stronger than their previous intel, did she understand why Molina told her to be careful.


    The longer they got exposed to holy power, the weaker they became. The Red Seductress gradually lost her strength while her troops and subordinates died one after the other. If things continued on at this rate, they would all be wiped out without dealing any damage to Iron¡¯s troops.


    ¨D Everyone, self-destruct! We need to cause even just a tiny bit of damage!


    Her troops shouted loudly after hearing the Red Seductress¡¯ orders.


    However, Iron, who had seen this pattern countless times to the point that he was already sick of it, couldn¡¯t be side-tracked at all.


    Baepsae increased the holy power that was emitting from its body as it stomped down and pressed on the Death Corps¡¯ increasing force.


    ¡°Just die quietly.¡±


    Iron frowned deeply as if he was annoyed.


    The Red Seductress couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip. She could see that he was far more powerful than the report that she had received when he was still marching from the West to the Center. Especially his holy power. It seemed to be twice as strong as the report back then.


    ¨D If only I hadn¡¯t lost most of my power on that old man then¡­


    Perhaps it was because she gave it her all, thinking that she could kill a master that she couldn¡¯t use enough strength and power to kill Iron. She felt humiliated that she would die a normal death. She did not want her life to be a waste. Even if she couldn¡¯t personally take away the lives of the Imperial Family, she nned to break the Central Army for their cause.


    I can¡¯t die like this. I can¡¯t die without doing anything.


    Crack!


    She couldn¡¯t even self-destruct and explode. It was not an easy feat, especially with Iron, who noticed what she wanted to do, focusing his holy power on her and suppressing herpletely. If things continued at this rate, they would be prisoners of war. She knew that it would be better to just kill herself. But her pride stopped her from doing so.


    At that moment, a gigantic blood spear broke through the sanctuary¡¯s barrier and flew straight towards Iron. Owl intercepted it but its beams of light failed to destroy itpletely. In the end, the spear reached Iron.


    Crack, crack, crack!


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    This was a familiar energy. An energy that he had already felt once before. And as far as Iron was concerned, there was only one being who could use blood magic that was as powerful as this.


    ¡°Is it the bastard I met back then?¡±


    A blood barrier pulled the Red Seductress back as it cocooned her inside. However, the blood barrier was not able to bepleted this time.


    Iron was someone who would never suffer from the same thing ever again. This was his strong point. Even when he was fighting against monsters, he always made sure to thoroughly identify and target their weaknesses.


    And because of that, he was able to break through the blood barrier with his enormous holy power after it appeared in front of him for the second time.


    Two Moons immediately flew down and stood in front of Iron protectively.


    ¡°It will be different from back then.¡±


    ¨D As expected¡­ It will be difficult.


    Iron grinned as he looked at Molina once again.


    Right now, their troops included a master, something that waspletely different from the first time that they had met. Although the master was injured and could only use less than half of his strength, a master was still a master. In addition, the Central Army and his troops were able to be on the advantageous side thanks to his sanctuary.


    ¨D Did you get stronger?


    Molina looked at him with aplicated expression but Iron remained silent as he swung his sword.


    Lightning covered Iron¡¯s steel mana as it burned the red fog that spread out in the area. Even Molina¡¯s blood territory was slowly being purified. The power of his divine beasts was able to neutralize all of the vampire¡¯s powers. Even if hecked holy power, he would still be able to deal with it with his own power. After all, Phoenix also had an overwhelming purification power.


    ¨D You really are our n¡¯s worst enemy.


    The power that burned and purified his blood made Iron look like the envoy that descended to reap their lives. As beings under the God of Death, they never thought that the day woulde when they would fear death. But what was happening right now, in front of their very eyes, made them feel this fear. But they had always expected to face this much trouble.


    ¨D But it will still be hard to kill us. We still have some work to do. Unfortunately for you, I still can¡¯t die right now.


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    Iron boosted his mana after hearing Molina¡¯s words. He couldn¡¯t save his strength while fighting against such a person. Two Moons also pressured their opponent after knowing that Iron wanted to finish everything from the very start. Two Moons blocked his rear with its huge body as it let out powerful beams of light from its eyes as it eradicated the power of their opponent.


    However, a ck force appeared from Molina¡¯s body the moment his force dissipated from Two Moon¡¯s attack. It was the power of death, a power that was on the opposite side of the spectrum with holy power. It slowly grew and spread in the surrounding area.


    ¨D You might have the sky but we have the ground.


    ¡°What are you suddenly saying¡­?¡±


    Molina¡¯s words were the catalyst. All of the vampires following them started to chant something in a strangenguage as they bled. Even the troops under the Red Seductress¡¯mand mumbled and bled. Their blood seeped into the ground.


    The Red Seductress, who watched the scene, quickly approached Molina.


    ¨D Do you know what you just did?


    ¨D They agreed on this.


    ¨D You¡­


    Molina sighed when he saw the Red Seductress ring fiercely at him.


    ¨D We still need to deal with the Emperor. We can¡¯t get killed in this ce yet.


    ¨D You¡¯re selling our men to hell! If that¡¯s the case, then we¡¯re no different from them!


    Molina frowned as the Red Seductress shrieked at him.


    ¨D Our colleagues are the ones who don¡¯t want to rest. They still want to see me in hell.


    The Red Seductress dropped her head after hearing Molina¡¯s words.


    She was fully aware that the end was just around the corner.


    If they failed because of her stubbornness, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to see the faces of her colleagues that sacrificed themselves in hell.


    ¨D ¡­alright. After everything is over, I will go to hell and apologize to them myself.


    Molina nodded heavily at the Red Seductress words.


    Everything was for their cause. After everything was over, they had to make sure that they would walk into hell and apologize.


    Perhaps it was because they felt their will that all of the Death Corps bleed ck blood willingly as they got sucked into the earth.


    Iron rushed towards Molina to prevent him but it was already toote. Tens of thousands of bones rose from the ground and blocked his path.


    ¨D If you survive here, make sure toe to the Center. Go there and see for yourself the truth that we have dug up. Then, make your judgment.


    Molina spoke quietly as he looked at Iron.


    ¨D See for yourself. See for yourself that all of these hardships and ordeals did not start with us but from you, the Imperials.


    The Red Seductress was the one to speak this time. Then, the seal broke as ck energy began to spread.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of running away!¡±


    Iron released all of his holy power as he spoke. His body shook and trembled as his overwhelming holy power covered the sky and extinguished everything unclean. However, even his overwhelming holy power couldn¡¯t purify the earth that had been dyed ck with death.


    Just like what Molina had said, his holy power was able to dominate anything above ground but it wasn¡¯t able to deal with the power of death sleeping underground. It was as if there was some sort of boundary that was stopping it from doing so.


    The Red Seductress and Molina slowly disappeared under the cover of the thick ck fog. However, something huge that was made out of bones began to rise from thend of death. What appeared at the expense of all of the Death Corps was a gigantic Bone Knight.


    Iron¡¯s heart thumped wildly just at the overwhelming presence and pressure that it emitted just after appearing. He couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth.


    ¨D Kkirrruuuk!


    It was a voice that he hadn¡¯t heard in a while.


    A huge thunderstorm brewed in the sky as soon as the voice reverberated in Iron¡¯s head.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 147 - The Capital’s Collapse (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(147)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>50 </b>The Capital¡¯s Copse (2)


    A gigantic blue bird appeared as hundreds of lightning bolts rained down from the sky.


    Thunderbird, who Iron hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, finally appeared amidst a storm of lightning.


    ¡°Thunder¡­¡±


    It had been a long time since theyst saw each other so Iron couldn¡¯t help but smile at Thunderbird¡¯s unexpected appearance. Thunder also cried happily as it glided above Two Moons and Phoenix. The divine beast looked pleased to see him too.


    Meanwhile, the being that Molina summoned finallypleted its form and spread death energy.


    ¨D Grrrrrr¨D!


    The strange growl signaled the rise of other beings from the ground. They were the undead that the humans knew all too well.


    The Death Corps¡¯ sacrifice created the Bone Army that crawled up from the ground.


    ¡°I have to¡­ risk my neck.¡±


    Commander Leopold approached Iron with a heavy expression on his face.


    It might have been possible to stop them if he was in the best condition. However, Leopold was seriously injured right now. Even the Central Army was only less than half of their original force.


    ¡°It¡¯s Hell.¡±


    Iron looked at the Bone Army that was going to attack them in bitterness..


    The skeleton soldiers kept on rushing forward despite the fact that their bones were melting from the overwhelming holy power that he was emitting.


    ck! ck!


    ¨D Kiyaaaaaaack!


    The skeleton soldiers shrieked loudly as they rushed towards them.


    The soldiers¡¯ expressions distorted upon hearing their shrieks. The Sound of Death could vividly express how much pain they had suffered during their lifetime. Iron was also able to hear it.


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    He also felt the sacrifices that they made and the irrational things that they had experienced in their lives through their voices but Iron¡¯s expression did not change and waver.


    The shrieks and howls that they had felt through the sound of death were desperate. The unfairness, pain and suffering was probably unforgettable that they couldn¡¯t let go even after dying.


    However, that was not enough justification for them to get revenge on the living right now. Their wrath and revenge would be understandable if it was only directed towards the Imperial Family. After all, they were still conducting those inhumane and terrible experiments. But their justification had lost power when they dragged the innocent just so they could exact their revenge. This was the case even in an environment where revenge was bleak.


    For Iron, their cause was just some bullshit excuse for chaos. Bringing the world to destruction to end the vicious cycle that they had been dragged in was pure nonsense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled. They¡¯re our ¡®enemies¡¯, nothing more!¡±


    All of the dazed soldiers turned to Iron when they heard his roar.


    ¡°They must feel unfair after experiencing such pain in their lives, right? But not everyone would act like this just because they were treated unfairly. What about the people who died under their hands? The people who lost their homes and had to run away? Will they take responsibility for the innocent people that they harmed?¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s questions, the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at the howling skeleton soldiers.


    ¡°Never forget this. They are our ¡®enemies¡¯. Just because they are a bit pitiful does not change the fact that they are our enemies. All we can do for them right now is to ¡®bring them to rest¡¯.¡±


    Iron¡¯s words brought back strength to the soldiers¡¯ hands as they gripped their weapons tightly.


    Commander Leopold also joined in after seeing Iron instill a clear goal on their confused troops.


    ¡°Everything is for the ¡®Empire¡¯!¡±


    ¡°For the Empire!¡±


    Leopold¡¯s cry boosted the morale of the knights and soldiers as they answered him loudly. Their eyes turned clear as they seriously and diligently swung their swords to bring their enemies to rest.


    In the midst of this, the gigantic bone knight red at Iron and Leopold. The bloody red light glowing in its eyes spread the wrathful cries all over the ce.


    ¨D Wicked humans¡­! Pay for your sins with death!


    The images of humansmitting crimes and sins were projected in the sky at the words of the skeleton knight¡¯s words. It showed the images of the garbages that created ves, conducted experiments and abused the children. The atrocious acts of these sinners kept on ying in the sky to the point where the soldiers questioned if they were truly the same humans as they were.


    However, the exhausted and injured master did not give in to its provocation. All he did was courageously move forward and wield his sword. Right behind him was the saint, who released endless holy power in the surroundings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be tricked by their illusions! Trust me! Follow me!¡±


    Leopold took the lead and opened up a path as Iron followed while encouraging the soldiers.


    It was a deration of their victory. The oath and pledge that Iron made while protecting Soren was once again dered in this ce. And his troops, who trusted and followed him, wielded their weapons silently as they vowed to never be shaken by any tricks and illusions.


    Seeing them move like that, the Central Army troops also gathered their senses and advanced forward.


    The gigantic bone knight moved to mislead them once again but this time, the divine beasts moved to interfere with its illusion magic.


    ¡°Uwaaaaa!¡±


    ¨D nk! nk!


    It was as if the end hade.


    The battlefield showed how humans fought until the bitter end to send their enemies to their absolute deaths. It was a huge war where the armies from both sides fought fiercely.


    The sight of the human soldiers fighting fearlessly against the endless skeleton army was truly a spectacr sight to see.


    But hope was a word that existed. Eventually, the humans were able to endure the attacks of the numerous and countless undead to the point that they could advance forward.


    The undead, who lost their strength under the cover of the sanctuary, and the humans, who weren¡¯t afraid of being hurt¡­ During their fierce battle, the one that was gradually pushed back was the Death Corps.


    The ck earth, the death¡¯s territory, was gradually purified under the influence of the sanctuary. Even the gigantic body of the bone knight was gradually melting under the intense light of the small bird flying in the sky.


    Unlike its majestic appearance, the bone knight was gradually losing its strength. And the injured master and the hero that was still yet to grow desperately attacked this bone knight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up! The Empire is behind you!¡±


    ¡°Trust me! We will definitely win this war!¡±


    Hearing the shouts of the twomanders, the exhausted and about to copse soldiers gripped their weapons even tighter.


    The bone knight also started to break down. It was as if their courage and bravery were being paid.


    With the gradual copse of the strongest being, the purification of the death territory that was created earlier sped up.


    ¨D Aaaaah¡­


    The bone knight screamed as thend was purified. Even the numerous spirits that were summoned from hell to get revenge on the Imperials wailed as the sanctuary extinguished the light in their eyes. The bone knight knew that it shouldn¡¯t let things end like this as it tried to mislead the soldiers once again. However, victory was already in sight and the soldiers¡¯ morale could not be beaten ck and blue anymore. In the end, the bone knight melted under the bright re of the holy power.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Leopold looked at the area where the bone knight was standing before with exhaustion on his face.


    The enormous number of undead that surrounded the Central Army troops slowly disappeared into the ground the moment the bone knight disappeared.


    The soldiers only cheered once all of the wailing undead, who were filled with resentment and anger,pletely disappeared into the ground. They couldn¡¯t help but cheer loudly after experiencing something this miraculous. After all, they thought that they were going to die this time.


    ¡°Leopold the Brave!¡±


    ¡°Iron of Victory!¡±


    They chanted the names of the twomanders who led the battle to victory and saved them from damnation. This was their tribute to their sacrifices and bravery.


    While everyone was basking in the joy of the moment, Leopold turned to look at Iron with a solemn and heavy expression on his face.


    ¡°How long will the capitalst?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know it well. But I believe the Imperial Family still have their secret weapon.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Leopold looked at Iron bitterly.


    He knew full well that the Imperial Family was a family that cared only about their safety so they would definitely have a secret weapon. That was also the reason why they willingly left the Central Army like this. They were rotten people who only took the elites to the Capital Defense Force and left them as they were. And the only reason why they had not abandoned the capital yet was because they were confident that they could prevent the Death Corps.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter, the capital should not copse anyway.¡±


    Leopold spoke solemnly.


    The images that the bone knight had shown were rted to the experiments conducted by the Imperial Family. He was also aware that the nobles in the capital enved the poor, raised children to be diators, sexually assaulted them and even brutally killed them.


    However, even if they were rotten, the capital had to survive for the Empire to remain standing.


    Leopold was only able to remain as themander who led the Central Army, which had be rotten to the core, due to his loyalty to the Empire.


    Iron could only nod solemnly. He was also aware of this fact.


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°We will move as soon as the troops are reorganized.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly at Leopold¡¯s words before nodding his head in agreement.


    Either way, his next destination would still be the capital. He had no choice but to go there to see for himself the truth of this world. Even if it was against his will, he needed to go there and save the Imperial Family from the people who wanted to take revenge on them. This was inevitable.


    The moment he decided that he should go to the capital, despite the difort that the thought brought to him, the sound of notifications rang in Iron¡¯s head. This was the only thing that broughtfort to Iron.


    [ <b>Protect the Imperial Pce! </b>]


    <b>Rewards </b>: Unknown.


    <b>In case of failure </b>: Unknown.


    ¡ù This quest is the Center¡¯s main quest.


    The quest finally appeared.


    A bright smile appeared on Iron¡¯s face the moment it appeared.


    ¡®The world¡¯s secrets.¡¯


    Both the rewards and the penalty for failure were tagged as unknown. However, he knew one thing. And that was the importance of protecting the Imperial Pce.


    And with the issuance of this quest, he was now sure that the Emperor and the Imperial Family were deeply rted to the secrets of the world.


    While Iron took a step closer towards the secrets of the world, the other-worlders also stopped dilly-dallying as they moved towards the capital.


    Everyone was agitated and excited that the main quest in the Center had finally appeared. The other-worlders who failed to participate in the North went crazy as they headed straight towards the capital. They vowed to get the rewards that they had missed before this time. After hearing the situation from the chosen and the other-worlders, the armies from the other regions also began to hasten their steps.


    The beings from the void jumped ferociously to interrupt their advances.


    The Death Corps finally rushed all of their troops the moment everyone realized the importance of the battle in the capital as they rushed towards the center of the Empire and the continent.


    ¨D It¡¯s finally time.


    A man with ck hair stared nkly at the red moon.


    The light from the once blue moon that had nowpletely turned red was ominous. However, the ck-haired man grinned and bared his fangs. It was as if he was waiting for this very moment.


    ¨D Isn¡¯t this a perfect day for the Empire to fall?


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    A man wearing golden armor pointed his sword at the ck-haired man in anger.


    ¡°How impudent! How can a savage like you talk about the Empire¡¯s downfall!¡±


    ¨D Ah¡­ so you¡¯re that person. The Emperor¡¯s first loyal dog.


    Themander of the Imperial Knight Order, the person who did not care what atrocities and sins the Imperial Family hadmitted, the person who only served the Emperor and the Emperor alone.


    The ck-haired man looked at one of the Empire¡¯s masters leisurely. His red eyes twinkled brightly as he swept his hair up. Themander of the Imperial Knight Order bristled in anger when he saw howx and leisurely he was.


    ¡°Today! I will restore the Empire¡¯s peace by taking your neck,mander of the savages!¡±


    ¨D I hope that you can do what you wish for. You should take my head before all of your troops disappear.


    The first experiment that escaped from theboratory, the Death Lord.


    His eyes shed ominously as he moved to bite the head of the dog that was most loyal to the Imperial Family.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 148 - The Capital’s Collapse (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(148)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>50 </b>The Capital¡¯s Copse (3)


    The main culprit that caused the copse of the Central Army as well as the being who inflicted a fatal injury on Leopold.


    Death Lord.


    He personally fought against themander of the Imperial Knight Order.


    The catalyst for the war was the battle between these two beings.


    The Death Corps¡¯ took advantage of the battle between these two master-level beings as they advanced towards the walls of the capital.


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    Bombs and cannons flew in the air with the shout of themanders. The soldiers also fired numerous magic bullets against them. However, regardless of their assault, the endless Death Corps continued to rush towards the third gate, the remaining solid wall that protected the capital.


    The Capital Defense Corps did their best to stop their attacks. They even poured down holy water on the undead that survived from the baptism of magic bombs and magic bullets. They deployed hundreds of airships above the capital and fired bombs at them while the drake knights stopped the corpse wings and zombie drakes.


    The Capital Defense Corps did not buckle despite the Death Corps¡¯ overwhelming momentum. They whipped their gigantic fortress canons and newly developed weapons and killed hundreds of the Death Corps¡¯ troops to protect the capital and the Empire.


    However, no matter how much they shaved off of their ranks, skeleton soldiers would appear and fill in the gaps. The Death Corps¡¯ advance could not be stopped that easily.


    In just a blink of an eye, the area in front of the third gate of capital had turned into a cknd as the army of the undead created a death field.


    ¡°We have to endure until the sun rises!¡±


    ¡°Stop them! His Majesty is behind us!¡±


    The Imperial Knights, who were loyal only to the Emperor, shouted loudly.


    They were those who only believed and protected the Imperial Family despite the countless criticism from the Imperial public on their corruption, atrocities and hideous experiments.


    From the Imperial Knights, who were raised and brainwashed since childhood, to the elite Central nobles, all of them moved to cut down the Death Corps. They firmly believed that they should protect the Imperial Family.


    ¨D Are they the Imperial Family¡¯s dogs?


    Death Knight Ivan Rodlio, the vampire who broke the 1st gate, appeared with a gigantic ck sword on his back. The dark knights appeared lined up beside him and pointed their swords at the Imperial Knight Order.


    ¡°Death Knight¡­¡±


    One of the Imperial Knights, who recognized Ivan¡¯s identity, couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    Only the elites were gathered in the Imperial Knight Order but the presence of the Death Knight still made them feel fear.


    The news about the copse of the first gate and the death of a 6th Stage warrior in less than five minutes under his hands alone was a famous story that spread among the knights.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared! We must return His Majesty¡¯s grace with our lives!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The deputymander of the Imperial Knight Order, a 6th Stage warrior, pulled out his sword and pointed at the Death Knight. The Death Knight also created his own death de the moment he saw the intense mana radiating off of the deputymander¡¯s sword.


    ¨D Pierce through and create a path.


    The dark knights moved to follow the orders of the Death Knight as he himself moved to fight. He swung his sword to deal with the deputymander of the Imperial Knight Order and several Imperial knights.


    While the dark knights and the Death Knight dealt with the Imperial Knight Order¡¯s knights, the Death Lord¡¯s Guards also began to move. The Death Lord¡¯s guards were the high-ranked vampires that received death seals.


    The Emperor¡¯s Guards moved past the chaotic soldiers and prevented the Death Corps as they infiltrated the castle. The Emperor had personally decided to send his own guards to prevent the Death Lord¡¯s Guards.


    With the Royal Guards and the Shadows moving to block the Death Corps, the battle in the capital finally began in earnest.


    ¡°Sa¡­ Save me!¡±


    ¡°The¡­ The enemy is now inside!¡±


    The public panicked and ran away to avoid the enemies that entered inside the walls.


    ¡°What the hell is the army doing?!¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­ what are the knights doing?! Block the front!¡±


    The nobles immediately ordered their personal knights to block the front.


    The undead created by the Death Lord Guards created chaos and ced the entire capital in a panic. They did not want to believe it but the undead truly appeared in the capital.


    And that was just a part of it.


    In the eyes of the army, they were just hundreds of undead animals and were of no significant value. However, to the public and the aristocrats, that was not the case at all.


    The security and guards quickly overpowered them with weapons doused with holy water but the aristocrats and the public, who had already fallen into a panic, couldn¡¯t be stopped. They screamed and shouted, which added to the confusion and chaos in the capital. The security and public order forces tried to calm down the chaotic capital but to no avail.


    Themander of the security and public order forces couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth. It was already hard to deal with the undead without any distractions but the nobles and the aristocrats even added to the confusion and chaos.


    Then, a huge explosion suddenly resounded in the capital.


    Boooooom!


    ¡°Where is it?!¡±


    Themander of the security and public order forces shouted loudly as he asked the trembling security guard who pointed a finger to one ce.


    The ce where the trembling security guard pointed out was a ce that he knew well.


    It was the safest ce in the Empire and the ce located in the center of the capital.


    ¡°The Imperial Pce! This¡­ shit¡­¡±


    Themander hurriedly led his men and moved towards the huge fountain inside of the gates of the Imperial Pce to go where the explosion had urred.


    ¡°How did theye all the way here?¡±


    Themander of the security and public order forces hurriedly rushed towards the Imperial Pce. The gate was not yet fully broken and even the soldiers and the knights guarding the gates were still perfectly fine.


    He immediately deployed his men in the pce and prepared for an emergency. However, he still couldn¡¯t understand how an explosion could ur at the Imperial Pce¡¯s main gate.


    ¡°Keuaaack!¡±


    His men running after him copsed one after the other as they frantically rushed and searched the grounds of the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°Keok!¡±


    ¡°C¡­ captain¡­¡±


    Themander of the security and public forces pulled out his sword when he saw his men falling one after the other after calling out to him.


    ¡°Which bastard is it?!¡±


    ¨D Me? The Azure Witch.


    Themander let out his mana when he heard a whisper ring in his ears.


    The owner of the voice spoke as if him being able to handle mana was something unexpected.


    ¨D A garbage like you knows how to deal with mana?


    A woman with an impressive body and shocking blue hair appeared in front of themander. However, she disappeared from his sight in a cloud of smoke.


    ¡°How dare you use petty tricks!¡±


    A bone shield appeared and blocked the attack of themander, who swung his sword behind him as if he had anticipated that she would appear there.


    ¨D You became themander of the security and public order forces through corruption but it seems like you also have a bit of skills, huh?


    Dozens of bone spears appeared and flew towards themander as she swung her bone staff.


    ¨D But you¡¯re still a bug though.


    ¡°A¡­ Azure Witch¡­¡±


    Themander of the security forces gritted his teeth and swung his sword at her after sessfully stopping the Azure Witch¡¯s devastating attack. However, his attacks were easily blocked. As a warrior, being pushed back by a wizard in a battle of force was something humiliating. But all he could do was grit his teeth and endure.


    The Azure Witch chuckled at themander when she saw him shaking as he stood and took his stance. It was as if he could not admit the result of their bout.


    ¨D That level¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re themander of the security and public order forces?


    ¡°Keuk! You bitch! How dare you destroy¡­!¡±


    He pulled out all of his strength when he saw the Azure Witch lightly ignore him. A clearer and sturdier mana sword appeared as he went head on against the Azure Witch¡¯s bone staff and stabbed her. However, the Azure Witch just yawned in boredom at his decisive blow that she easily deflected.


    Stab!


    At the same time, the bone spear appeared again and stabbed him on his shoulder.


    ¡°Keup!¡±


    Themander couldn¡¯t even scream in pain and could only tremble.


    ¨D Do you think you¡¯re worth something? I think your subordinates are much stronger than you, you know?


    The Azure Witch turned to look at one of the senior guards that was struggling against a few vampires from afar before roughly pulling out the bone spear on themander¡¯s shoulder herself.


    ¡°Keuaaack!¡±


    The Azure Witch sighed as she looked down at the kneelingmander, who was grabbing his shoulder in pain.


    The level of themander of the security and public order forces in charge of the safety of the capital was too low. In fact, it was his men who were much stronger and much more courageous than him.


    The Azure Witch clicked her tongue and looked for her next prey.


    She had chosen themander since he looked the strongest but he turned out to be someone who was worse than trash.


    ¡°Sp¡­ Spare me.¡±


    ¨D Where did all your courage from earlier go?


    ¡°P¡­ Please¡­¡±


    She used her magic to blow up themander¡¯s head when she saw him begging her with tears in his eyes. It seemed like she felt that there was nothing more to see against such an individual.


    ¨D Who¡¯s next¡­


    She looked around and looked for another target.


    In just a blink of an eye, the capital was dragged into chaos.


    The security guards were busy fighting and fending off the attacks of the vampires. The nobles were running towards the Imperial Pce while the vampires killed the knights protecting them. The vampires killed them off and attacked the Imperial Pce altogether.


    ¨D It¡¯s time for our revenge. Does everyone want to enjoy the festival with me?


    Her words triggered the darkness that spread on the ground as beings covered in ck robes and holding bone staves appeared one after the other. Blue light shed in their eyes as they used their magic and directed it towards the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°L¡­ Liches!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are the guards doing?!¡±


    The liches¡¯ magic bombarded the Imperial Pce.


    The Imperial knights and the royal guards left inside the pce all came outside to stop them. However, the liches¡¯ unit was too much for them to handle. The main reason was because none of their enemies wanted to rest just so they could exact their revenge. And for those trying to protect the Imperial Pce, their power and momentum were too much.


    The main gate of the Imperial Pce copsed, like a thin sheet of paper blown by the wind, under the indiscriminate and non-stop offensive from the Death Corps¡¯ vampires and liches.


    The Imperial Wizards rushed forward to respond to their offensive but the sheer number of the undead that the Azure Witch had summoned was too much for them.


    ¡°Sa¡­ Sanctuary! A sanctuary has been triggered!¡±


    A sanctuary covered the entire capital. It was a sanctuary that was created through the efforts of hundreds of priests, not the sanctuary that was created through Iron¡¯s efforts alone. There was also the purification magic that the majority of the wizards of the Wizard Tower created together. With these two ovepping forces, the overwhelming power and momentum of the Azure Witch and the undead were gradually reduced.


    However, despite the sanctuary¡¯s effect on the beings of death, the smile that hung around the Azure Witch¡¯s lips did not disappear.


    ¨D I was wondering where all the priests and wizards went but¡­ did they gather here to create something like this?


    The Azure Witch mumbled to herself as she increased the death energy in the surroundings.


    ck energy began to seep out of the copsing undead soldiers.


    ¨D Is this a secret move that you had nned? But, it¡¯s nothing much?


    The undead rushed recklessly and frantically towards the Imperial Pce with just a gesture from the Azure Witch.


    She issued the order for them to rush forward immediately after seeing the sanctuary and the purification magic. It was as if she was waiting for this, theirst and final move. Even the liches and the vampires flew towards the knights blocking the broken main gate as they used their death and blood magic.


    ¡°Stop them! There¡¯s nothing special with these weakened undead!¡±


    One of the knights of the Imperial Pce shouted to encourage the soldiers as they tried to block the broken gate. The knight thought that they could somehow hold out as long as they protected the gate against the undead and the vampires that had been weakened by the sanctuary and the purification magic.


    However, the knight¡¯s hope was easily destroyed.


    ¨D You¡¯re toote.


    ¨D Hoo¡­ Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit too much? I was only barely able to survive, you know?


    The Azure Witch smiled when a red-haired woman sitting in the arms of a man appeared from a ck hole.


    ¨D She was too greedy. She wanted to kill the oldmander¡­ But she almost died, you know?


    ¨D I would have killed him if not for the Saint.


    The red-haired woman sulkily answered as she got off the man¡¯s arms.


    mes erupted under her feet the moment she stepped on the ground as the demons from hell began to crawl out. Then, drops of blood spread out from man¡¯s body as he revived and raised the bodies that had already died in the battlefield. All of them became vampires but they were only simr to beasts, only filled with aggression without any reason. Vampires who were only left with their instincts, just like the undead who did not have any reason.


    The royal guards stared at the army that had grown in size once again in despair.


    Not long after, the gates of the pce, which had been firmly guarded throughout generations, were opened as the Death Corps marched inside the halls of the pce. The Imperial Pce was nowpletely broken through after being closed off and protected for hundreds of years.


    Screams began to ring loudly in the confines of the pce as the beings of death, and not the humans, opened the gates of the pce.


    ¨D Where is our little Majesty hiding?


    The Red Seductress also spoke sensuously after hearing the mocking words of the Azure Witch.


    ¨D Your Majesty, the Emperor. This missy hase to see you. Hurry up and show yourself.


    The Emperor did not appear despite the calls of the seductive Red Seductress and the yful Azure Witch.


    They had no choice but to resort to torturing the innocent maids and servants of the pce.


    ¡°Keuaaaack!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know!¡±


    The Red Seductress killed the servant and the trembling maid as they headed towards the ce where the Emperor was most likely in.


    The servants immediately ran away as they shrieked in fear. They trembled and screamed in fear despite the fact that the Death Corps were just moving forward. This was because their appearance was more ferocious and vicious in the eyes of the servants and maids.


    The Red Seductress tilted her head as she looked forward.


    A huge monster suddenly appeared and blocked her path with a loud roar.


    ¡°Keuhahahahaha! Vermins! Bow down to me!¡±


    The being, who sounded like a human, tried to force the Red Seductress to kneel. It¡¯s entire body was covered with some sort of weird skin as its flesh bulged weirdly in ces. In other words, the being was grotesque and creepy. The fact that the being was a human was only revealed as it spoke towards the Red Seductress.


    ¡°Kneel down in front of the majestic Imperial Family! These lowly things!¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 149 - The Capital’s Collapse (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(149)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>50 </b>The Capital¡¯s Copse (4)


    The creature with the strange body that dered to be a part of the Imperial Family urged them to kneel.


    The Red Seductress red at it as she sharpened her nails and attacked the strange creature. However, her nails were easily bounced off by its body. It was as if she was dealing with some soft and stic skin.


    ¨D Ugh! So creepy!


    The Red Seductress looked at the creature in disgust as she swung her nails once again.


    ¡°Keuaaaaack! Hurts! It hurts! This lowly bitch!¡±


    The monster, who was once a member of the Imperial Family, shrieked and screamed in pain as it trashed its huge body and made a mess of the Imperial Pce.


    The monster had a body that was stic and soft to the point that most mana swords would have a hard time cutting through it. It also had a huge body that could spray out poison and release poisonous gas. In other words, it was a monster that gathered all of the disgusting aspects of other monsters.


    And it was a hard monster to handle even for the Red Seductress.


    She, together with the starving ghosts rushed persistently and bit on its flesh. They were the starving ghosts from hell so they would never stop until their prey disappeared. Even if the starving ghosts melted from the poison and died from the poisonous gas they still continued to rush forward.


    Hundreds of thousands of starving ghosts rushed and preyed on the body of the Imperial Family monster.


    When the Red Seductress left the Imperial Family monster behind to go and find the Emperor, another monster appeared.


    The monster broke through the basement, destroyed a part of the Imperial Pce before facing off against the vampires and the undead.


    ¨D A lot of monsters are springing up, huh?


    Monsters appeared all over the ce as they destroyed the Imperial Pce¡¯s buildings.


    Some of them were spewing out mes while some even had light emitting from their eyes. The problem was all of them were members of the Imperial Family.


    ¨D They¡¯re worse than sewage.


    The Red Seductress pinched her nose as she looked at the reeking Imperial Family.


    However, it seemed like they weren¡¯t the end of it all.


    Numerous experiments popped out of the basement of the Imperial Pce. All of them were strange and bizarre. There was even a gigantic spider with a human head attached to it.


    Their bodies were woven together with alchemy and were able to move with magic. They were the Imperial Family¡¯s masterpieces. Creatures that were a mix of the wizards¡¯ experiments, chimeras and alchemists¡¯ homunculi. They should have already been dead. However, thanks to the magic that made their heart beat and their bodies stitched together with alchemy, they were able to show strength and magic in their every move.


    ¨D Kieeeeeek!


    ¨D Vermins! Hurry up and move!


    The Imperial Family monstersshed their tails at the other monsters as if they were whipping them and forced them to move to their whims.


    The Red Seductress¡¯ expression hardened when she saw the monsters move ording to their orders and fight against the Death Corps. She couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth as she recalled the time when she was still an experiment.


    She gnashed her teeth when she recalled the horrendous time that she had spent under the des of the devil as they conducted all kinds of experiments on her body. The experience was so hateful and terrible that she wanted to find the ones that experimented on her and throw them to hell herself if she could. However, this was not the time for that. She forced herself to calm down as she looked around coldly.


    The fight had just started. After all, the disgusting secrets of the Imperial Family were just starting to get revealed.


    As if to prove this fact, countless monsters crawled up from the grounds of the capital as soon as the Death Corps entered the area. These monsters killed their men under the orders of the Imperial Family monsters. But if the innocent civilians so much as interfered with their ughter, they would also reveal their cruel and ferocious fangs and kill them off.


    The Imperial public ran away from the Death Corps and the monsters that appeared in the capital while the soldiers continued to fight against the enemies.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! All we need to do is do what we have always done! Stop the enemies!¡±


    Several soldiers were shocked and terrified from the monsters that popped up all over the capital.


    They thought that they were their allies when they saw them stopping the Death Corps but they all paused and wondered if they were truly on the same side when they saw them continue killing to the point that they killed the civilians in the capital.


    The experiments from the rumors.


    The soldiers realized that they were the beings that they had heard from the rumors. However, their minds were not able to wander any further. The officers and the knights shouted loudly so they had no choice but to concentrate on the battlefield. The officers and the knights were also confused but it was not the time to dwell on that, they needed to focus on the battlefield. After all, they would most likely crumble once their concentration was lost.


    ¡°Don¡¯t retreat!¡±


    The Imperial Knights shouted loudly as they spat out blood from their mouths. The soldiers also defended the pce walls with all their might. They were determined to stop them even if they never wanted to die.


    However, despite their struggles, the officers and the knights died one after the other.


    ¡°Keok! N¡­ No¡­ way.¡±


    The first to be killed was the Imperial Knight Order¡¯s deputymander. He was killed under the hands of the Death Knight. Although they tried their hardest and fought until the very end, the Death Knight and the dark knights were still able to kill every single Imperial Knight present as they headed towards the Imperial Pce.


    It seemed like they were in a hurry. After all, they all felt that the situation was unusual especially after the appearance of the monsters all over the capital.


    ¨D Your subordinates have been wiped out.


    The Death Lord stared at themander of the Imperial Knight Order.


    ¡°Kghk!¡±


    All he did was sigh as he watched the knightmander vomit blood.


    Even though he was already on the brink of death, he still did not give up. It was as if he was showing him that he was loyal through and through. However, that was not the case at all.


    ¡°H¡­How¡­ How can I lose¡­¡±


    ¨D Even themander of the Central Army is no match for me. Did you think that a fake master like you could stop me?


    ¡°How did¡­ you¡­?¡±


    Themander of the Imperial Knight Order looked up at him in surprise as blood continued to spill from his lips. But the Death Lord just looked down at him as if he was dealing with an insignificant bug.


    ¨D We know full well that all of the current knights in the Imperial Knight Order became powerful through the use of special drugs. You were also once blocked by the wall but using drugs to get past that, as expected¡­


    A false master created by forcing the body to ept artificial mana and reinforcing it to make it more powerful. That was the currentmander of the Imperial Knight Order.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the end. His Majesty¡­¡±


    ¨D I know that. You must have forgotten that I was one of the Imperial¡¯s experiments.


    Death Lord smirked as he spoke.


    ¨D You look like you¡¯re having a hard time so let¡¯s end it here.


    The Death Lord grinned as he blew his head off.


    Seeing the death of themander of the Imperial Knights, a master and their final hope, the morale of the Capital Defense Corps began to drop sharply.


    The Death Lord led his own guards and headed directly towards the Imperial Pce.


    Something fiercely approached from afar the moment all five of the high-ranking members of the Death Corps led their elite troops inside the Imperial Pce.


    A woman covered with white light stood at the walls of the capital and broke everything with her bare hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s the other-worlders¡¯ coalition!¡±


    An officer saw the g of the other-worlders¡¯ coalition and shouted loudly.


    The other-worlders¡¯ Central coalition was well known for their Brave Warriors and Rovnoff was the brave warrior who led this coalition as they fiercely followed the Death Corps.


    ¡°The chosen ones have arrived too!¡±


    Gerdin Faulken, the only brave warrior to appear among the chosen ones, fiercely killed the Death Corps with bright light surrounding his body.


    Hope began to rise from the despairing capital when the two troops joined the battle.


    Although they did not exert any overwhelming power and momentum like the saint, they still had an overwhelming advantage over the impure and unclean things as beings that were chosen by God. As if to prove it, they had a small mark that let out holy power. The mark was as small as a dot,pletely unlike the saint¡¯s stigmata, but it was still powerful enough to sweep away the beings of death that were running in the lead.


    Thanks to their outstanding performance, the situation of the war, where they had always been pushed back, was finally changing. The soldiers protecting the wall finally regained their courage and endured the attacks with all their might. In the end, the war was turned into a situation where no winner or loser could be determined.


    While the situation outside of the capital turned into a stalemate, the situation inside the capital gradually turned into hell.


    The Death Corps invaded and fought the monsters while the survivors that were trapped between their battle cowered and hid in the buildings as they hoped and prayed for this hellish time to pass.


    However, the real hell was happening inside the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°I¡¯m part of the Imperial Family!¡±


    ¡°How dare you to me! Me!¡±


    Each of the members of the Imperial Family, who gave up on their human figure, shrieked in pain as they emphasized the fact that they were a part of the Imperial Family. The more they shrieked, the more the experiments wreaked havoc, the more the beings of death were hurt.


    The scene in the pce waspletely horrendous. The servants and the maids, who looked like they were disturbances, were dying under the hands of the monsters while the Imperial knights and the royal guards tried to stop the Death Corps.


    However, the circumstances were a bit strange.


    The Imperial Family monsters¡¯ veins were bulging, their eyes were bloodshot while their mouths repeatedly shouted that they should protect the Imperial Pce. They looked like they were on drugs.


    The same monsters were even born from the bodies of the servants who lost their lives as their bodies slowly turned ugly.


    Even though the Imperial Pce had turned into a terrible ce where it was difficult to determine whether the humans inside were just humans or were monsters, themanders of the Death Corps just silently moved towards the ce where the Emperor was. Their expressions did not change or waver at all.


    Thest ce that they headed towards was the audience hall. After all, they had already devastated most of the Imperial Pce and this was the only ce left.


    The audience hall was a huge building that hosted the meetings where high-ranked nobles and ministers attended.


    And in front of this huge building stood the Red Seductress, the Azure Witch, the Death Corps¡¯mander, the Death Knight and the Death Lord.


    ¨D You¡¯re here.


    ¨D Sorry, I¡¯mte.


    The name of the race that they had be, the depires. The four lords of this race stood together as they bowed their heads in front of the Death Lord.


    ¨D Is he here?


    ¨D Yes.


    Molina, the Death Corpsmander, answered the Death Lord¡¯s question.


    ¨D Hoo¡­ Let¡¯s end this.


    All of the lords bowed their heads at the Death Lord¡¯s order.


    There were plenty of monsters that blocked their path but countless starving ghosts and skeleton soldiers dealt with them and opened a path that led them inside.


    Hundreds of vampires, liches and dark knights followed behind them. All of them were the highest ranked beings in the Death Corps and were victims of the Imperial Family and the corrupt aristocrats.


    The moment the Death Lord opened the wide and huge doors and stepped inside, they were greeted by the old emperor who was looking at them with an upturned chin.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here?¡±


    The expressions of the Death Lord and the beings of death hardened after seeing the Emperor smirk at them.


    As a person who stood at the pinnacle of the Empire, arrogance had seeped into his everything, including his facial expression, posture and momentum. It was a terrible and dreadful arrogance that shouted to the world that he was the best and the only person sitting in the highest position.


    The Emperor continued to speak arrogantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you havee this far. I would have been disappointed if you had been trampled and killed by those simple vermins.¡±


    Human beings came out one by one at the end of the words of the Emperor. The humans had hair covering their bodies and looked extremely simr to the monsters that imed to be a part of the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Hey, do you know why the members of the Imperial Family want to be the Emperor?¡±


    The Death Lord remained silent at the Emperor¡¯s query.


    ¡°It¡¯s so they could achieve an absolute death.¡±


    The Emperor smiled widely as he said so.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? We have to be an Emperor to die an absolute death as a human being, you know?¡±


    The Death Lord looked at the surrounding area at the Emperor¡¯s question.


    The creatures who were once a part of the Imperial Family were looking at them. Some of them had pointed ears like the elves, some had fins like the mermaids, while some had tails like the werebeasts. Some had wings while some had horns or skin covered with scales. All of the members of the Imperial Family had different physical characteristics.


    The Emperor burst out inughter when he saw them.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only ones who have been under the table and underwent countless experiments without being able to live or die. The Imperial Family that you hate so much is also in the same boat as yours.¡±


    The Emperor stared at the Death Lord as he said so.


    ¡°The Imperial Family has sacrificed everything for this Empire and this Empire alone. They tried to protect this Empire until they had be like that.¡±


    The members of the Imperial Family, who underwent countless experiments, remained silent even after the lengthy words of the Emperor.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we pathetic? We¡¯re in the same position as you¡­¡±


    But instead of answering, the Death Lord just increased his power and momentum. Even the other beings of death showed off their power.


    ¨D We¡¯re just here to take revenge. We¡¯re not here to listen to your bullshit.


    The Death Lord immediately rushed towards the Emperor as he said so.


    Right now, all of the information about the Death Corps was being passed in real time.


    Outside of the pce¡¯s walls, the coalition of the other-worlders and the chosen ones had flocked to stop them. Soon, the being that threatened them the most in this world woulde. However, they needed to finish their work before they coulde.


    They had to show them the ugly truth of this world.


    ¨D I will let everyone know why the Empire should disappear before killing you.


    The Death Lord¡¯s fist stopped right below the Emperor¡¯s nose.


    The Emperorughed like crazy when he saw the Death Lord¡¯s fist being stopped by the members of the Imperial Family.


    ¡°Do it. If you can¡± .


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 150 - The Capital’s Collapse (5)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(150)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>50 </b>The Capital¡¯s Copse (5)


    The Emperor satfortably with a haughty smile on his face as he continued to talk.


    ¡°Look at them, look at these pathetic beings locked up in the Imperial Pce waiting for the Empire¡¯s crisis to arrive.¡±


    The Emperor looked at the members of the Imperial Family that were fighting for him.


    Among the members of the Imperial Family, only the Emperor, the next-in-line as well as the most powerful members of the Imperial Family could be granted aplete death. That was the reason why they all tried so hard to take that power to the point that they even created their own factions. All of the members of the Imperial Family who disappeared without a trace became nutrients and fertilizers that helped protect the Empire.


    This situation just went to show the viciousness of the Imperial Family. They could even stomach using the bodies of their dead blood rtives. If they could use their blood rtives like that, then they would definitely not have any reluctance to use the innocent public for their experiments.


    The Imperial Family even held hands with the nobles while promising them of a greater return of interest just so they could gather more power. And since this was something that had repeated over the years, the Empire had turnedpletely rotten. It was something that could not be reversed anymore.


    ¡°Of course, some of the previous Emperors wanted to save this garbage nation. But is there any meaning in doing that?¡±


    The Emperor smiled with ridicule.


    ¡°No matter how hard you try to revive a rotting nation, will your efforts prove to be meaningful?¡±


    The Emperor looked unblinkingly at the Death Lord, whose death energy and desire to kill were overflowing. His eyes did not hold any fear of death.


    ¨D If your efforts were proven futile, then you should have ended the Empire in your own hands!


    The Death Lord¡¯s anger increased the death energy in the area.


    Ghosts began to gather to eat the death energy that filled up the audience hall.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Did you think we haven¡¯t tried that?¡±


    The Emperor cackled upon hearing the Death Lord¡¯s words.


    ¡°We have deliberately weakened the Imperial Family¡¯s power while raising the power of the nobles. In addition! We made sure to inject drugs that we have obtained from all kinds of experiments to our blood rtives from an early age to make sure that their power would remain weak. It has been more than a decade, more than a decade since we gave everyone the justification for treason and promoted the destruction of the Imperial Pce. But!¡±


    The Emperor stood up and approached the Death Lord one step at a time. But the more he approached, the more the secret guards protecting the Emperor pushed the Death Lord and widened the distance between them.


    ¡°Their attempts have always been thwarted by these people.¡±


    The Death Lord looked at the Emperor¡¯s secret guards upon hearing his words.


    Their eyes looked like they wanted to step down immediately but their bodies were moving and contradicting what they wanted. It seemed like they weren¡¯t doing this on their own will.


    ¡°At some point, more and more nobles knew the truth. But no one thought of rebelling despite the Imperial Pce bing weak. Perhaps, that¡¯s why these friends have be extremely bored.¡±


    The Imperial Pce would always have a set number of secret guards. Even the Emperor had to die and be a secret guard if that number was not filled. That was the reason why the Emperor and the Imperial Family always made sure to birth numerous children. That was so they could sacrifice them to the secret guards.


    However, no rebellion ever happened. Even the attempts to assassinate the Emperor had gradually disappeared. If there was no harm that was being inflicted to the Imperial Pce and the Imperial Family, then there was no reason to deliberately create these secret guards.


    The Imperial Family was given enough time to spare with these boring times. So, they started to do research to get rid of this curse guing them.


    ¡°After long deliberations and studies, the Imperial Family was able to think about something. Let¡¯s get rid of it like this.¡±


    The Emperor tore the clothes that he was wearing and revealed a clear red pattern on his chest.


    ¡°This curse was formed in the name of doing noble sacrifices for the Empire.¡±


    ¨D That¡¯s the result?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    From monsters to demihumans, they used everything to experiment. They even used the bodies of those beings who made a contract with the gods from the other dimensions just so they could eliminate the curse that was guing the Imperial Family. But all of them had failed.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it failed on the secret guards. So, I tested it on the still living ¡®Imperial Family¡¯. But as you can see, they became terrible vermin.¡±


    The Emperor spoke as if he was extremely apologetic but the Death Lord¡¯s expression remained distorted.


    During the battle, he had created a powerful magic to blow away the entire Imperial Pce but it was blocked by ¡®something¡¯. However, he did not lose hope and tried several times. But each time, his power was scattered even before he couldplete it.


    ¡°Do you know why those followers who borrow God¡¯s power are reluctant to enter the Imperial Pce?¡±


    The Death Lord gritted his teeth at the Emperor¡¯s question. This was because he had realized what the Emperor was trying to say.


    ¡°Because the Imperial Pce restricts those who borrow God¡¯s power. That¡¯s the reason why the ck archmage who borrowed the power of the devil to be an archmage, the spiritist who signed a contract with the spirit king, and the cardinal could only beg us in front of the pce.¡±


    The Emperor continued to speak as he recited the Imperial Family¡¯s weaknesses.


    He told the Death Corps about their information as if he was sincerely hoping for their own death.


    <b>1 </b>The secret guards are extremely restricted outside of the Imperial Pce.


    <b>2</b> No matter the case, the secret guards cannot go outside of the capital.


    <b>3</b> God¡¯s power is restricted and limited inside the Imperial Pce.


    <b>4</b> Due to the nature of the Imperial Pce, physical force andrge-scale magic are somewhat thwarted.


    <b>5 </b>The easiest way to destroy it is to press it with overwhelming force.


    The Emperor opened his arms after telling them everything.


    ¡°I have talked too long. I still have to wait and see if you can get through all of these and get to me.¡±


    The Emperor went back to the throne, sat on it, crossed his legs and tapped on his heart. He sat there looking at them arrogantly with a tint of curiosity coloring his face. He was wondering if they would be able to reach him at all.


    The Death Lord took a step back with gritted teeth when he saw him like that.


    ¨D It seems like that¡¯s the only way.


    The lords gathered around the Death Lord and bowed their heads.


    ¨D As the lord wishes.


    Hearing their consent, the Death Lord began to chant something.


    Perhaps it was because they felt something unusual that the secret guards rushed straight towards the Death Lord. However, the vampires, liches and dark knights blocked them with all their might.


    The Death Lord¡¯s blood seeped through the heart of the four lords.


    ¨D I¡¯m going to ask you onest time. This decision will cause you an eternity of suffering. This is not something that can be avoided by death. And pain that will make you think that hell is much lighter and easier will gue you. Nevertheless, do you still agree in choosing this?


    ¨D Yes!


    All of them bowed their heads as they answered the Death Lord firmly and without any hesitation.


    Then, a bloody light wrapped around the bodies of the four lords before dragging them down underground. A circle made of bloody light surrounded the Death Lord as something huge pierced through the ground and took shape.


    However, just like the Emperor had said, the Imperial Pce had the power to restrict and limit the intervention of external gods. Because of that the blood giant kept on copsing, unable toplete its shape and form.


    The Death Lord shouted loudly to the sky when he saw this happen.


    ¨D God of Death! We want to fulfill our final contract!


    At the end of his words, a ck pir suddenly fell from the sky and pierced the blood giant, pushing something out of its body.


    A red and ck energy fiercely fought against each other while the blood giant began toplete its form. As the blood giant¡¯s form began to take on a clearer and more distinct shape, the Death Lord¡¯s body slowly, very slowly, turned to dust.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha! Keuhahahahahaha! Pretty good! Pretty good!¡±


    Even though a death crisis was looming over the Emperor¡¯s head, he still smiled as he looked at the blood giant. His expression looked like he was eagerly awaiting the moment the blood giant ended this bloody Imperial curse.


    The same was true for the secret guards. Although their bodies were running to prevent the blood giant from moving any further, their eyes showed their willingness and expectation that this terrible chain would finally break.


    m! m!


    The secret guards were thrown back from the blood giant¡¯s punches. However, they still continued to attack. The giant¡¯s fist was continuously shed, cut and stabbed. Even the experiments and the Imperial Family monsters stuck and fought against the blood giant.


    The Imperial Pce was slowly being decimated with every shake of the arm and every stomp of the leg of the blood giant. But strangely enough, nothing reached the Emperor¡¯s throne. It was truly mystical how none of the stones that were thrown all over the ce reached the Emperor.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The Emperor asked as he looked nkly into space. In fact, he was looking at the souls that only the Emperor of the Empire could see.


    All of them were tied with a blue chain and watching the battle in front. Some were shaking their heads while some were looking ahead with anticipation. Dozens of these souls predicted the possibility through their experiences and thought about whether they could finally break this goddamned curse or not.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they signed a contract with the Blood Devil and the God of Death¡­ That human¡¯s body is quite amazing.¡±


    The Emperor identified the source of the Death Lord¡¯s power in just a nce.


    His body had been able to endure all kinds of experiments and his extreme hatred towards the Imperial Family had resulted in his willingness to sign a contract with the external gods who wanted to interfere with thisnd.


    The God of Death was pushing the power of the Imperial Pce while the Blood Devil decimated and destroyed the Imperial Pce.


    And the price that they paid for this was themselves.


    ¡°Is it my turn now?¡±


    The souls and bodies of the Emperor and all the members of the Imperial Family that they hated so much, perhaps even the souls of the previous Emperors. As long as they could get out of this garbage Imperial Pce and not be a nutrient that would protect the Empire and have their souls bound like the Emperor, they were all willing to walk to hell. The Emperor was even willing to walk down to hell on his own to break this goddamn chain but unfortunately, it was something that they couldn¡¯t do themselves.


    Even though the Blood Devil and the God of Death had shown their power, the Imperial Pce was still trying hard to stop them. But these external gods would never miss this golden opportunity. And the same was true for the Death Lord.


    Something incredible happened in the Imperial Pce when their wishes ovepped with each other.


    The external gods sacrificed their own power and used the blood giant as a medium to tear the space. The Death Lord was wrought with excruciating pain as some of his soul got torn apart but he still endured and remained standing.


    ¡°Dimensional gate?¡±


    The Emperor looked surprised when he saw the dimensional gate opening above the Imperial Pce. It was something that could never happen but was made possible since the God of Death personally tore apart the space, albeit only temporarily.


    A huge dimensional gate opened above the Imperial Pce as hundreds of beings of the void swarmed the area. Since this was a gate that had been opened thanks to the sacrifice of a part of the power of the external gods, it wasn¡¯t just the dimensional insects or dimensional fish that came over but even the soldiers that followed the void¡¯s corrupted gods.


    The Emperor¡¯s secret guards failed to stop the blood giant and ended up dying as they blocked the beings of the void.


    Eventually, even the blue barrier that surrounded the throne was torn apart by the beings of the void, who eventually turned to dust after tearing the barrier apart.


    The Death Lord approached him as the barrier disappeared.


    ¡°You have finally reached me.¡±


    The Emperor looked at the Death Lord incredibly.


    ¨D Don¡¯t even think about dyingfortably.


    ¡°Fufufufu~ I am not even expecting something like that.¡±


    The Emperor nodded. He knew full well that hoping for something like that was just a luxury that he couldn¡¯t afford.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that what you desire is over there. So, hurry up and finish this so you can move on.¡±


    The Death Lord gritted his teeth as he looked at the Emperor¡¯s rxed andfortable expression that remained until the very end. And with his remaining arm, he pulled out the Emperor¡¯s heart out of his chest.


    ¡°Kgghk! Fi¡­ nally¡­¡±


    The Death Lord sliced off the Emperor¡¯s neck after taking out his heart before looking at the souls that were wandering around him. They were the ugly souls of the Emperors of the past. This was thest he saw of them before throwing them to the God of Death.


    Then, he turned to look behind the Emperor¡¯s throne.


    The ce, which was covered by a wall, began to break down and copse the moment the Emperor died. At the same time, the Imperial Pce and the entire capital began to shake and tremble.


    The pirs and the barriers that supported the Imperial Pce and the capital had copsed resulting in the copse of both the capital and the Imperial Pce that stood solidly for hundreds of years.


    ¡°This is¡­?¡±


    One of the soldiers murmured nkly when he saw a video being yed through illusion magic that spread over the capital. Everything that had transpired in the Imperial Pce was broadcasted to everyone in the capital through the vampire¡¯s illusion magic.


    The hideous truth.


    The unbelievable deeds of the Imperial Family.


    The Imperial Family who had be monsters and the Imperial Pce and the capital that were now beginning to copse.


    While everyone was confused at the sudden influx of facts, the voice of God rang loudly in everyone¡¯s heads.


    ¨D Protect the Imperial Pce from this swarm of evil.


    ***


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 Chapter 151 - A New Phase (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(151)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>51 </b>A New Phase (1)


    Everyone heard God¡¯s voice.


    This was ¡®God¡¯s Order¡¯. A voice that not only spoke to the other-worlders and the chosen ones but to all of the people living in the continent.


    ¨D The continent will sumb to darkness if this swarm of evil devours the Imperial Pce¡­ No matter what happens, protect the Imperial Pce, my children.


    A white pir of light appeared in the Imperial Pce that resisted the void energy as soon as God¡¯s voice ended.


    The sudden appearance of the void and the pir of light that spread all over the capital brought forth more confusion in a situation that was already chaotic from the monsters made in the Imperial Pce and the Death Corps that fought against each other.


    Thanks to the spirits of light that God had sent to fight against the beings of the void, the death energy that loomed all over the capital was gradually being purified. Because of this, the soldiers, who were stricken with despair, slowly came back to their senses as they gripped their weapons tightly to fight once again. The spirits also helped them absorb the light into their bodies and allowed them to express and use holy power or super powers. In other words, it was the reward for those who had fought bravely for God in this time of crisis.


    The Capital Defense Corps took advantage of the small ray of hope that wasid out in front of them as they moved to enter the capital while leaving only the minimum number of troops to protect the outside. Even the ordinary citizens began to move busily too.


    However, the confusion and chaos inside the capital was already too much. It had already escted to the point where they couldn¡¯t determine who was their friend or who was their foe.


    The survivors were even divided in their opinions. There were those who wanted to just enter a safe building and camp out until this chaotic time was over while there were those who wanted to take arms and fight proudly with the weapons in their hands.


    When these powerless citizens bravely confronted the Death Corps, balls of lights appeared near them and assisted them. This phenomenon happened every time someone tried to confront the Death Corps. Because of this, the others were also encouraged toe out with clubs and other objects that could be used to fight against the enemies. After all, even if they did not have any mana, the ball of light would assist them and temporarily give them power to confront the beings of the void.


    Just like that, the capital fell into an unprecedented chaos.


    Meanwhile, an airship was flying far above the sky towards this chaotic capital.


    ¡°I think I have to go ahead first.¡±


    Commander Leopold grabbed Iron¡¯s shoulder when he saw him hurriedly trying to move towards the capital first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for you with that body right now.¡±


    No matter how strong a master was, it would still be dangerous for him with his body that was packed with internal injuries. He was already healing as much as possible with Baepsae¡¯s help but there was still a limit to how much he could heal. After all, his internal injuries had been exposed to death energy for far too long and had deteriorated too much to the point that it couldn¡¯t be healed in such a short amount of time.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you still going?¡±


    Commander Leopold looked at the dimensional gate that was floating above the Imperial Pce.


    Iron sighed. He knew that he was not in the position to cover the entire area that was teeming with contaminated mana and beings of the void as he watched the countless cracks that popped up in the area.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    He nodded slightly at Iron¡¯s worried words.


    ¡°Please takemand of the troops.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron asked the general who was of the same rank as him before opening the door of the airship.


    He was a general who joined the Central Army troops and advanced towards the capital after winning against the Red Seductress. And there was only one reason why he trusted this man. He did not abandon his men like the other officers. Even though he ended up being injured and hurt, he dragged his body and his troops until the bitter end. He always made sure to save them whenever they were in a crisis during their battle against the Death Corps and brought them to safety by finding Iron and the rest of the Central Army. At the very least, he trusted his integrity that he wouldn¡¯t leave these men to die.


    And with that out of the way, Iron, with his head clear of other thoughts, rode on the drake and headed to the capital with Commander Leopold.


    ¡°The barriers are already broken and smashed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The barrier that was installed in the capital to prevent the entry of enemies through the sky had long been smashed to pieces.


    Several corpse wings tried to rush in the moment they saw Iron but the drake unit that moved together with them dealt with them instead. With their escort, Iron and the Central Army Commander were able to quickly fly straight to the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°This is the worst.¡±


    The scene that they had seen through the video clip in the airship¡¯smunication device was nothingpared to the real deal.


    Commander Leopold couldn¡¯t help but frown when he personally saw the monsters that blocked the Death Corps.


    He was well aware that the Imperial Pce was rotten. However, he did not know that it was this severe. The knowledge that he knew from the Shadows was nothing but a fragment of the entire truth. They had told him that he was ignorant of how much sacrifice the Imperial Family had made for the Empire which made them have no reason to correct or stop them even if he knew that what they were doing was wrong. However, he did not expect that they would do something this terrible just so they could achieve their goals.


    ¡°I think¡­ You should go first, boy.¡±


    Leopold stood up from the drake as he looked down at the Imperial Pce from above. His posture was awe-inspiring, worthy of his title, master. Below, he saw one of the beings of the void cackling loudly as it ughtered the knights and soldiers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Support from the North and the East will arrive in half-a-day.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Leopold nodded lightly after hearing Iron¡¯s worried request once again before jumping down the drake. He immediately pulled out his sword from its sheath and cut down the devil that ughtered the knights.


    Bang!


    Even if he was injured, a master was still a master. He was able to sweep away the beings of the void with explosions while inflicting fatal injuries to the devil.


    Iron stared at him for a moment before rushing forward with the drake.


    The unpleasant Emperor and most of the members of the Imperial Family had died. However, it did not matter, what they needed to do was to protect the Imperial Pce.


    Iron hastened his pace when an explosion suddenly urred.


    Meanwhile, at the site where the Empire¡¯s Great War started, the blood giant and the monsters from the void fought fiercely against the secret guards and the experiments. There was also a skeleton wearing white armor engaged in battles against the beings of the void.


    The beings of the void were trying to push the Death Lord, whose upper body was already half-gone, into the crystal behind the skeleton in white armor while the other beings were trying to stop them. Even the Imperial knights that appeared helped the knights and the skeleton in white armor to block the Death Lord and the beings of the void with all their might. However, there were many beings from the void. Some were even so strong that they wereparable to the apostles. The knights had no choice but to be pushed back little by little by their offensive.


    The Death Lord took advantage of the gap that was created by this as he moved forward.


    ¡°No!¡±


    The white robed priests rushed forward and tried to block the Death Lord. The priests also had to stop them with all their might since this matter was not just about the Empire. The wizards of the Wizard Tower also rushed in but the Death Lord had already regained his strength and power after the God of Death had torn apart the barrier. Despite their struggles, the Death Lord¡¯s blood magic easily dealt with the wizards and the priests and allowed him to eventually reach the crystal as he touched it with his remaining hand.


    The white crystal was slowly dyed ck and was being contaminated with just the touch of his hand.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but fall into despair as they watched dimensional cracks appear one after another in the sky. The knights and the wizards moved to try and stop the Death Lord but the beings of the void were able to easily stop their wishful thinking.


    In just less than an hour, the once pristine white crystal had almost been contaminated ck.


    Just half of the crystal being dyed ck had broken down the force that surrounded the Imperial capital which led to the expansion of the dimensional gate. And with the expansion of the dimensional gate, the death energy and contaminated mana that spread out in the surroundings had grown enormous.


    And now, when the death energy was going to turn the white crystal into ck¡­


    A sharp attack fell from the sky and flew towards the Death Lord¡¯s hand.


    sh!


    ¨D Keuk!


    A young man descended as the sword light cut off part of the Death Lord¡¯s finger that was touching the crystal.


    Holy power swept away all of the unclean energy in the surroundings as a sturdy sanctuary was created around the Imperial Pce. All of this happened the moment the young man appeared.


    ¨D Saint¡­


    The Death Lord looked at the being that cut its finger off.


    This was the existence, the only one, that destroyed their ns and their ranks. And he had now appeared with his ck steel mana sword while lightning covered his entire body.


    The gigantic bird divine beasts also appeared in the sky while a small bird flew around and amplified the holy power in the area.


    ¨D You must have seen the truth.


    ¡°I saw.¡±


    Iron nodded his head at the Death Lord¡¯s words.


    The ugly truth about the Imperial Family and the reason why the situation had escted to this point. He saw it all. After all, he saw the images that the vampire had created through their illusion magic from the video zones that had been spared in the capital.


    ¨D Is there a reason for you to stand by the Imperial Family¡¯s wrong actions and protect this Empire?


    ¡°But if I leave you alone then the entire continent will be swallowed up by the void, right? I don¡¯t want that either.¡±


    Iron boosted his mana as if he was telling them to stop speaking nonsense.


    The Death Lord frowned when he saw his reaction.


    ¨D It would be better if this ce was upied by the external gods. If it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure you must have noticed it already.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that God intentionally made the Imperial Family like that?¡±


    The curse was given to the Imperial Family under the guise of noble sacrifice. They were forced to protect the Empire and prevent its destruction. And it was through this curse that the white crystal, the pir and the axis of the continent, was well-kept and protected. However, it resulted in the devastation and degradation of the Imperial Family. It was to the point that they ignored the countless crimes and misdeeds that the Imperial Family had made.


    In fact, from the gods¡¯ viewpoint, mankind¡¯s suffering was nothingpared to the situation of the entire continent. And the same was true for the other races. For these gods, who wanted to protect the continent and the world, it did not matter if a few of these races disappeared. It would just be like a few bugs disappearing from their sight.


    ¨D God is not that great. He¡­


    ¡°But that does not mean that the external gods are fair. The devils are even worse.¡±


    The Death Lord gathered his power after seeing that any further discussion with Iron, who¡¯s stance was firm, was meaningless.


    The blood giant shook its fist, wanting to destroy the entire white crystal together with Iron. However, with Iron there, it could only be a futile attempt. Owl¡¯s two beams of light melted the blood giant¡¯s fist while Phoenix¡¯s mes and Thunder¡¯s lightning blew away a part of the blood giant¡¯s upper body.


    The Death Lord had no choice but to move personally. Even though parts of his body had already turned to dust and disappeared, his abilities still remained. After all, he was someone who had defeated the Central Army Commander, a master, and he was still able to push Iron with his sheer power.


    Baepsae fluttered towards Iron and gave him a boost in strength. It amplified Iron¡¯s holy power together with his vitality, which allowed him to exert a far stronger force than usual leading to the amplification of his overall force.


    With that much boost, Iron believed that he was temporarily on par with the Death Lord. In addition, his opponent has already been weakened by the sanctuary. And he was also the enemy¡¯s bane so he thought that it was worth the try.


    ¨D ¡­Tricky.


    ¡°It will be hard for you to break through me in a short period of time.¡±


    ¨D Who knows. Do you think time is always on your side?


    The Death Lord smiled at Iron as if he did not believe his confidence.


    The Imperial Pce¡¯s barrier had been broken. In fact, all of the barriers that protected the capital had been broken.


    It was because of the barriers that they were able to receive far more power from the two gods that the Death Lord had signed a contract with, especially after the dimensional gate had opened.


    The blood of the corpses scattered around the Death Lord coagted and gathered together on the Death Lord¡¯s body, which had disappeared and turned to dust, as it slowly recovered his body.


    At the same time, gigantic beings began to pop out of the dimensional gate one after the other.


    ¡°Apostle¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened when the other dimension¡¯s god¡¯s apostle tried to squeeze in through the gate.


    A master was needed to deal against something like that but it would be difficult with the power of the Central Army Commander right now. It was already hard to deal with it alone even if he was at peak condition but with his injured body it would be a miracle if hested 30 minutes.


    As the Blood Apostle and Death Apostle tore through the gate, the blood giant that the Death Lord had created also became stronger.


    In just a blink of an eye, the situation had turned hopeless for them.


    However, amazingly enough, as if the world was trying to put everything into bnce, a warp magic was suddenly created in the middle of the capital. The magic was unstable as if it was something that wasn¡¯t done through a warp gate but it was able to sessfully send a person to the capital. And it wasn¡¯t just one. The strong appeared one after another through the magic circles that had been painstakingly drawn by the wizards in the air all over the ce.


    The Death Lord¡¯s expression hardened when he felt the depth of their strength.


    ¡°All of themanders of the Empire are here. Even the family heads of the two strongest families in the Empire are here¡­ If it¡¯s like this, I wonder who¡¯s the one who really has an advantage?¡±


    With all of the barriers in the capital broken, all of the masters in the Empire were able to gather using different temporary warp magic.


    Even if the Imperial Family was proven to be guilty, the absolute and unquestionable powerhouses of the Empire gathered together to purge the evil that disturbed the capital¡¯s peace and protect the empire.


    ¡°Shall we begin the 2nd round?¡±


    Iron straightened his posture.


    The Death Lord frowned as he boosted his power. He had no more ce to go. He couldn¡¯t back down anymore. Each of them had started this war for their own purposes.


    This war where one side wanted to protect and the other wanted to destroy¡­


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 152 - A New Phase (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(152)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>51 </b>A New Phase (2)


    All of the masters in the Empire appeared to stop the apostles that worshiped the God of Blood and the God of Death.


    Themanders of the North and the Northeast, who guarded the safest regions in the continent.


    The Eastern Commander, who had be more rxed after receiving Iron¡¯s help.


    The Western Commander, who was able to recover and revitalize his troops after the Death Lord had gathered all of the Death Corps in the capital.


    And the Southern Commander, who still came to the Center despite the ongoing crisis in the South.


    Even the family heads of the two prestigious families that maintained and propped up the Empire appeared alongside thesemanders.


    And finally, the Central Army Commander, who was injured but was still able to remain on the battlefield because of his courage and bravery.


    The Empire¡¯s proudest and strongest forces had gathered together in the capital.


    The apostles of gods cackled loudly when they saw them move to stop them.


    Meanwhile, inside the broken down Imperial Pce, the Death Lord tried his best to kill Iron. However, despite his eagerness and dedication, they still failed to kill him. The situation gradually became difficult for them.


    They had beaten down and destroyed everything that hindered their path before upying the Imperial Pce. But surprisingly enough, when they were already on the verge of victory, they were blocked by a single person, Iron.


    ¨D Please! Please get out of my way!


    Tears of blood dripped down the Death Lord¡¯s cheeks as he released huge amounts of death energy. The souls of the departed that were still gathered in the area felt pity for him and flew towards Iron. However, Iron remained in his stance, his back steadfast and sturdy.


    The Death Lordmented the fact that Iron was not an ordinary wizard. After all, he would have already killed him toplete the corruption of God¡¯s Orb if he was one. However, Iron was the saint. In addition, his powers were their bane. He was bound to face difficulties if he wanted to eradicate him especially with the state he was in.


    His biggest problem was that his power was not enough. He couldn¡¯t call for the blood giant since it had already devoted most of its attention in dealing with the divine beasts. And his remaining power was actually being blocked and cut off because of Baepsae. Baepsae, who was perched snuggle on Iron¡¯s head, was, in fact, releasing huge amounts of divine energy. This energy might be a source of vitality and strength for Iron, but for the fallen, it was a curse.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Baepsae¡¯s overwhelmingly powerful divine energy was able to offset all of the magic created from death energy that flew towards Iron. That was the reason why the only thing that the Death Lord could use to fight against Iron was his blood energy, a power that was created from his pure bloody martial art technique.


    The Death Lord could only constantly engage Iron in closebat using his bloody martial art technique. It was in fact a technique thatbined the vampires¡¯ unique blood magic and their unique martial arts. And since the Death Lord was a being who had defeated a master, he had full grasp of this technique to the point that he could integrate his death energy in every blow.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Iron let out a groan as he blocked the Death Lord¡¯s bloody martial art technique.


    Iron had no choice but to block the technique by himself since Baepsae was already having a hard time offsetting the death magic that flew all over the ce. The only problem that Iron was facing was that the Death Lord was still extremely powerful despite his huge disadvantage. It was to the point that each blow of his technique could bepared to a master.


    Fortunately, vampires were basically beings that had fallen from corruption so the power of the blows from his technique were halved under the influence of sanctuary. That was the only reason why Iron was able to endure the continuous blows.


    He was very lucky that the situation had ovepped and that his powers were against the Death Lord¡¯s power. If that was not the case then Iron would have long sumbed against his constant onught of attacks.


    However, this situation was also a testament to Iron¡¯s strength. Even though the power of the Death Lord, who sacrificed hisrades¡¯ lives to gain more power, was halved, being able to block him alone meant that he had already grown strong enough to reach the pinnacle.


    ¨D You¡­ If I can just pierce through you!


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you go past me, then the Empire will copse.¡±


    Iron immediately corrected his posture as he answered the Death Lord¡¯s words.


    That was the truth. He was the only person guarding the crystal.


    The knights of the Imperial Pce, the Emperor¡¯s secret guards, the wizards and the priests were all overwhelmed by the sheer number of beings from the void that swarmed in the pce. Even his divine beasts, his main source of power, were tied up and dealing with the blood giant. In other words, he was alone in this battle.


    ¨D Why?! Why?! Why are you stopping me?! You also hate the Center!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Iron did not falter. He endured the onught of the annoying hits from the death magic and the Death Lord¡¯s bloody martial art technique that weren¡¯t stopped by his holy power. He held out and stood firmly despite the Death Lord¡¯s powerful strikes.


    ¨D Are you truly going to protect those horrendous beings?


    Iron nodded lightly after hearing the exhausted Death Lord¡¯s question.


    His previous life had made him aware of how horrible the Emperor was. The God Game had also let him know how selfish the Gods, who sent him here, were. However, that did not matter. Countless wars and battles had already made him realize long ago that there was no absolute ¡®good¡¯ in this world.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether God or the Imperial Family are horrible. I am protecting this ce right now because it¡¯s more beneficial to me to protect this ce than going to your side.¡±


    The Death Lord shut his mouth for a moment before speaking quietly.


    ¨D ¡­That¡¯s true. Everyone has their own stance and thoughts.


    The Death Lord stretched his arm up as he said so.


    ¨D I promised that I would witness the copse of this Empire with my own eyes but¡­ it seems like I won¡¯t be able to keep it.


    The Death Lord¡¯s expression was filled with bitterness.


    Iron felt that something was unusual with the Death Lord. He immediately loosened his defensive stance as he rushed towards the Death Lord.


    ¡°Thunder! Owl! Stop it!¡±


    Iron shouted urgently but the blood giant was already sucked in the arm of the Death Lord.


    Thunderbird and Owl rushed towards the Death Lord with all their might but the huge force of the suction had bounced them off. Of course, the same was true for Iron. Even Phoenix, who was dealing with the beings of the void, rushed forward to stop the Death Lord but also failed.


    Iron saw the Death Lord¡¯s body, a body that was barely maintained, began to copse as a huge amount of power was concentrated on his body. This was a testament that his body couldn¡¯t handle such a huge power.


    Perhaps the Death Lord had felt that the end wasing, he turned to look at Iron as he smiled.


    ¨D I hope you can aplish your goals.


    Hearing the Death Lord¡¯s words, Iron quickly jumped up from the ground and boosted his mana before calling for his divine beasts.


    ¡°We have to cover that. Can it be done?¡±


    The divine beasts all nodded their heads after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    The first to step forward was Iron. He took the lead with his steel mana and stood firmly behind the wall of fire that Phoenix had created after him. Then, Owl also created its territory as it erected strong mana barriers around the wall of fire. Thunderbird also created storm barriers that swirled and whipped around them. Iron alsopressed the sanctuary to cover only him and the Death Lord.


    The Death Lord¡¯s power, which had been forcefully stopped from being released wildly on the outside, umted inside his body until it couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. The only oue was an explosion.


    The Death Lord¡¯s body¡¯s explosion created a powerful blood storm that swept everything in its path.


    Crack!


    The ck core in his body, the byproduct of his contract with the God of Death, broke down the moment his blood mana burst out from his body. Then, the countless souls that he had collected wrapped the bloody storm and broke down the sanctuary that Iron hadpressed to cover them.


    Iron¡¯s strength alone was not enough to stop the Death Lord¡¯s self destruction. After all, he was someone who had signed a contract with both the God of Blood and the God of Death. In the end, the entire Imperial Pce was caught under the bloody storm as it gradually increased in size.


    However, surprisingly enough, there was no damage in the area where the huge white crystal was located.


    ¡°En¡­ dure!¡±


    Iron gritted his teeth as he spoke to his divine beasts.


    The first barrier to disappear was Thunderbird¡¯s storm barrier which was immediately followed by Owl¡¯s mana barrier. Phoenix¡¯s fire barrier was able to hold out a bit longer but it still reached its limits in the end. Perhaps they had used all of their energy in those barriers that the divine beasts¡¯ bodies all turned small as they flew behind Iron. Even Baepsae slumped on Iron¡¯s head as it reached its limit after trying to help Iron and the other divine beasts amplify their divine and holy power to create a shield.


    The only one left was Iron. He used his steel mana sword to try and split the rampaging blood storm. Iron gnashed his teeth and endured, especially after he saw his divine beasts doing their best for him. He wanted to let go of the sword in his hands but he did not give up. He held on despite his trembling hands as he scraped off the remaining handful of steel mana in his body to protect his body that felt like it was being torn off by the storm. His trembling legs were only standing thanks to his will. He even bit his lips until they bled to awaken him and his spirit that seemed to want to go dim at any moment.


    Perhaps the heavens were impressed by his strong will?


    His ck sword suddenly began to crack the blood storm apart, albeit only bit by bit.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    His eyes that looked like they would close at any moment returned to rity and calmness as he took on the most perfect stance and posture that he could muster. It seemed like Iron¡¯s concentration would reach its peak whenever he met with overwhelmingly strong opponents.


    Was it like this when I met with the dark elves? Or when I met with the Ghost King? Perhaps, it was the same when I met with the Elven King too?


    ¡°Heup!¡±


    Iron squeezed thest of his mental power as he breathed in and forcefully cut the raging blood storm.


    All of the mana present in the air gathered around his sword and formed a shape. However, the phenomenon only happened for a split-second. It was so short that even Iron himself failed to see it happen. Nevertheless, the brief moment where the clear shape of a sword qi was formed was enough topletely cut off the blood storm.


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    The soldier, who saw this scene from afar, looked at it incredulously.


    The raging blood storm that covered the entire Imperial Pce and ravaged everything in its path slowly lost strength. Even the whirlwind at the center of everything gradually lost its spin. The Northern Commander did not create any huge aura de nor did the Northeastern Commander created a violent sword storm, however, the blood storm still lost its strength.


    Perhaps the God¡¯s Orb also wanted to repay their hard work. It began to emit a brilliant night once again, after losing most of its power due to the ckness of corruption, the moment the blood storm weakened. It¡¯s brilliant light extended through the gaps of the blood storm and illuminated the entire capital. It¡¯s warm and gentle light seemed to have lifted the darkness and chaos that covered the entire capital. At the same time, it spread holy power that covered the entire Imperial Pce and closed all of the dimensional cracks in the sky.


    ¨D Is this the end?


    ¨D What a pity.


    The gods, who had been showing off their strength through their apostles, voiced their regrets as they got slowly sucked back into the dimensional gate.


    Thankfully, they had been removed. This gave the masters room to breathe as they turned their attention towards the blood storm. With the masters¡¯ attacks on top of the diminishing power of the storm, the blood storm gradually winked out of existence. Then, the dimensional gate, which had diminished until it was just a small crack, was single-handedly closed by God¡¯s power before sweeping away the remnant of the beings of the void that had been left in the Imperial Pce.


    The masters only headed towards the ce where the God¡¯s Orb was after all of these things had been dealt with. There, inside the huge and devastated audience hall, was the huge white crystal emitting a brilliant light.


    The first among them to move was Crimson.


    He knew that Iron dealt with the Death Lord alone so he wanted to rush over and check in on him. However, he had only taken a few steps before he stopped in his tracks. Even Lioner and the other masters, including the Northern Commander, who were following behind him, stopped in their tracks.


    All they could do was stare for a long time at the man who protected what the Empire wanted to protect so much.


    The young man stood alone with his sword stabbed on the ground after being caught up and sessfully dealing with the blood storm. There, behind him were small fainted birds and a huge white crystal that was littered with cracks.


    ¡°The Empire¡¯s Hero¡­¡±


    At Crimson¡¯s murmur, everyone unsheathed their weapons and paid their respects.


    The arrogant Lion Family Head and the Godly Sword Family Head, people who only thought about improving their own forces and power, also unsheathed their swords and brought it to their chests to give their salutations and respects to the Empire¡¯s greatest hero before lifting their swords to the sky.


    This was a scene that could only be seen when they acknowledged the birth of a new master. And this was done by all of the masters of the Empire.


    It did not matter if his swordsmanship failed to cross the wall, or if his standards as a divine beast contractor were still vague and ambiguous, or if his utilization of holy power was still immature, they still considered him as a master. After all, his every move has proven to them that he was a master, through and through¡­


    ***


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 Chapter 153 - A New Phase (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(153)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>51 </b>A New Phase (3)


    The capital¡¯s long and chaotic night had finally passed.


    Traces of their desperate struggle were visible as the light of day shone down on the streets that were once covered with darkness.


    Dead bodies, whether it was humans, the undead or the terrible experiments, littered the streets of the Empire. However, amazingly enough, the damage that the ordinary citizens, and not the soldiers, had received was far less than what they had expected.


    The royal road, the road from the main gate to the Imperial Pce, was devastated but the other ces did not suffer that much damage. It was as if their enemies¡¯ goal was just the Imperial Pce since the only ces that suffered severe damages were the areas in the vicinity of the pce.


    The streets where the nobles and merchants stayed were close to the Imperial Pce, so the damage that they had received was quiterge. However, the streets where the ordinary people and the slums where were safe enough to the point that they did not see a single Death Corps during that chaotic time.


    ¡°Hurry! Move quickly!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s first look for survivors!¡±


    The people moved urgently after the war in the capital had ended.


    The Death Corps, with their huge numbers, had only lost itsmander and did not disappear. In fact, the loss of their leader resulted in their loss in control making them more dangerous as they ran wildly.


    Fortunately, most of the Death Soldiers in the capital had already been dealt with. All that remained were those outside. However, the citizens of the capital did not need to pay attention to them.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be my first kill!¡±


    ¡°The core! Secure those first! The alchemists are going crazy since it¡¯s useful!¡±


    ¡°Kill it and make sure that the ck armor does not break as much as possible!¡±


    ¡°All of these are money!¡±


    The humans outside of the walls of the pce were moring and trying to get ahead of one another in killing the Death Corps. They were only able to do this thanks to the other-worlders and the chosen onesing forward to organize the enemies outside the walls. Now that the Central War was over, they were actively trying to wipe out the remaining troops to receive greater titles and more achievements. That was the reason why they did not need to pay much attention to the situation outside of the walls.


    The capital had finally regained peace after the fierce battle between the Death Corps and the coalition of the other-worlders and the chosen ones ended outside the pce walls. The troops were still on high alert. But, at the very least, the Imperial public were able to have a brief respite from the constant fear and anxiety during the war.


    While the people of the Empire were gradually regaining their peace and tranquility, the person, who made the greatest contribution in regaining their peace, stillid prone and unconscious in one corner of the almost devastated and broken Imperial Pce.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Crimson spoke up with a chuckle when he saw Iron waking up while holding his tingling head.


    ¡°You woke up earlier this time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Commander.¡±


    Iron smiled happily when he saw Crimson near him.


    ¡°We won.¡±


    Crimson also smiled and nodded his head in agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    Iron felt a bit shy and embarrassed when he heard Crimson¡¯s words. Then, he saw the white light from the open door. Crimson quietly opened his mouth after immediately noticing where Iron was gazing at.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the white crystal that you protected will break soon.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Did I¡­?¡±


    ¡°No. You protected it well. But¡­ Although it was just for a moment, being contaminated by the Death Lord, in a situation where it was already at its limits, had been a huge burden to the crystal.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Crimson exined everything in detail. It seemed like he expected Iron¡¯s curiosity towards the matter.


    In the first ce, the white crystal¡¯s durability had already reached its limits.


    They were able to learn about the information and the rough situation from the Emperor¡¯s surviving secret guards.


    From what they said, the recent research and the severe corruption began because they had expected that the white crystal would notst long. They had conducted countless experiments fearing what would happen once the white crystal, the crystal that protected the Empire and the continent, broke down. In fact, they had sacrificed their blood and soul to gradually increase the durability of the crystal.


    ¡°In the end¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. The cause of everything is the Imperial Family.¡±


    Crimson spoke bitterly.


    The Imperial Family had made a lot of sacrifices to protect the white crystal that guarded the Empire. However, it seemed like it had gone murky after being stained in the process so the devils and the corrupt and fallen gods were able to interfere with the continent.


    ¡®Did the God Game begin because of this restriction?¡¯


    It seemed like God had predicted that this would happen so he called him and the other other-worlders to this ce to create a huge continental-scale battlefield. All of these were prepared just so the continent would not fall.


    From God¡¯s perspective, it did not matter how much of mankind died. The most important thing to them was maintaining their hold on this continent and world and never letting it get to the hands of the external gods.


    In order for them to not give any room for mistakes, they forced the Imperial Family to make a noble sacrifice. However, as long as these people remained human, they would never be able to work impably and purely for God¡¯s sake. They were bound to fall to corruption before being forced to copse and face destruction. Which was what happened to the Imperial Family of today.


    ¡®What a brutal and horrendous truth.¡¯


    Iron sighed.


    This was a misfortune brought about by the difference in thought process between the humans and the gods. And this was their current situation.


    For those who believed in God, this situation would have stemmed from God¡¯s order. But for those loyal to the Imperial Family, this situation was brought about by their loyalty towards the Empire. And for those who knew the truth, the cause of everything was their sacrifice to protect this white crystal.


    Faced with this terrible truth, all Iron could do was look out of the door with a heavy sigh. Crimson¡¯s expression was also a bit suffocated as he stared at the bright light.


    They might have postponed the scheduled oue but the result was this half-devastated Imperial Pce, the very same Imperial Pce that boasted hundreds of years of history.


    Both Crimson and Iron¡¯s expressions wereplicated as they looked at the scene.


    However, in the end, the Imperial Pce was still protected. And they still had to move busily.


    Huge supplies from all over the Empire flew in after they heard the news that the capital had copsed. And since the Death Corps was still not yetpletely dealt with, countless airships flew to the capital carrying supplies and troops apanied by the drake units.


    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s really true!¡±


    A man came out and looked at the monster. This was the being who was once a part of the Imperial Family. However, right now, it was only a hideous body that died from a Death Corps¡¯ weapon¡¯s stab.


    People from the Center and other regions of the Empire were shocked to see the capital when they rushed over to send support after hearing the news about the capital. This was because the current scene had proved that all of the things that they had seen from the videos that had been spread all over the capital through the video zones were real.


    ¡°Everyone, back off!¡±


    The soldiers stopped them when the people began to flock and whisper. Even the reporters that tried to capture the terrible scene with their video tools had been stopped. Covering it up right now might not be effective but some of these bodies were the soldiers, who died stopping their enemies until the very end, so they wanted to stop them for their honor. The reporters protested fiercely at first but they ended up quietly epting the order and stepping back when they saw the soldiers¡¯ dead bodies.


    The once majestic royal road was restored to its previous state thanks to the efforts of the soldiers and the people who erased the traces that the battles had left behind.


    Their biggest problem was the Imperial Pce. The ce where the audience hall was located hadpletely disappeared. Most of the buildings were also destroyed after being engulfed by the blood storm. In short, it was difficult to find an intact building inside the gates of the Imperial Pce.


    Thankfully, the old Hall of Glory had survived and was maintained at its best condition so they were able to use this building for the government to begin the restoration of the Imperial Pce.


    While the Imperial Pce was busy with its restoration, the situation in the capital was gradually turningplicated.


    The nobles in the capital had been killed by the Death Corps, so most of the nobles in the provinces had rushed to the capital.


    ¡®This is our chance!¡¯


    This was what the local nobles had thought as they rushed towards the capital.


    Now that many of the Central nobles had died together with the Emperor, the power structure would definitely be reorganized. And if they stepped forward during this process, they might be one of the prestigious families over the years toe. With such hopes and dreams, they headlessly rushed to the capital. Even the other-worlders had begun to work behind the scenes to receive the status of a noble in the Empire.


    With everyone flocking towards the capital to enter the Imperial Pce, the core of the Imperial forces and their power reorganization had also flocked to the capital one after the other.


    ¡°His Highness, the 4th prince? Amazing.¡±


    The 4th Prince, who appeared together with a huge number of provincial nobles, looked imposing. No one could stop the 4th Prince from entering the Imperial Pce with those nobles behind him.


    Even the other princes, who had never shown themselves before, had appeared.


    The first to appear was the 2nd Prince. He appeared with a group of forces that lookedparably weaker to the group that the 4th Prince had brought over. In fact, he was only apanied by barons and barotes and some provincial unknown knights. However, when some people recognized their faces, their evaluationpletely changed. They were the people who dominated the underworld*. And the 2nd Prince was the one leading them.


    Then, there was the 3rd Prince. He was also quite formidable. He had returned to the capital with the Southern Kingdom¡¯s major nobles and even brought the aristocrats from the small country, an ind nation beyond the sea.


    Those who saw them realized how formidable they were despite being quiet for all those years.


    On the other hand, there was no news of the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he run away?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he got killed by the Death Corps?¡±


    Rumors spread wildly as spections about the Crown Prince¡¯s whereabouts ran rampant among the people.


    But then, something unexpected happened outside of the Empire.


    The attacking from the dimensional gate that opened in the South had changed courses and was now targeting the Southern Kingdoms. Even the birdmen in the West had turned towards the Western Kingdoms. Because of that, the other kingdoms present in the continent were like ants being fried on the pan. All of them moved quickly and asked for support from the countries that were allied with them.


    Thanks to that, the Empire was able to restore their copsed system while quietly recovering from the damage.


    And all of the nobles had gathered together to try and take the most important center stage.


    The reason they had gathered was simple.


    ¡®The Emperor¡¯s Funeral¡¯.


    With this simple but definitive reason given to the nobles, all of them had flocked towards the Imperial Pce¡¯s vacant lot that had buildings temporarily built surrounding the old Hall of Glory. There were a lot of the nobles and aristocrats to the point that the vacant lot looked like it would burst from the seams.


    The three members of the Imperial Family stood at the center of the Hall of Glory. They were followed by the Imperial Masters. Originally, the Central nobles should also be present but the other nobles dared not step up. With the current situation, they would definitely be immediately purged by the masters if they act greedy.


    With all of the secrets of the Empire out in the open, it was only thanks to the efforts of these masters and the family head of the two most prestigious families that the Empire was not dismantled and brought to safety.


    They were the masters who supported the Empire. And for the first time, they became the core of the power of the Empire.


    However, among these masters stood a young man. The young man looked like he did not belong there. This young man was the North¡¯s Hero. The general who became the Empire¡¯s Hero here in the capital and its disastrous situation.


    Some people thought like this¡­


    ¡®No matter how much of a hero he is, he shouldn¡¯t be standing with the masters.¡¯


    ¡®How dare you stand with themanders of the army with just your measly brigadier general rank?! How arrogant!¡±


    However, none of these words came out of their mouths. This was because of a video that had been released before they came here.


    The video was the video of all the masters of the Empire paying their respects to the Empire¡¯s Hero standing in front of the white crystal after the blood storm was purged. Their first salute was for the hero. And their second salute was to acknowledge the birth of a new master.


    This was the reason why everyone present had kept their mouths shut. This was so they could avoid the ire of the beings that would be the Empire¡¯s core in the future.


    While the nobles were busy fighting a battle of wits and seats so they could approach them just a tad bit closer, the light of dawn finally shone on them which signaled the beginning of the Emperor¡¯s funeral.


    ¡°First¡­¡±


    ¡°Not yet. There¡¯s still one more person to arrive.¡±


    The archbishop stopped when Commander Leopold spoke up. Even the other princes couldn¡¯t help but tilt their heads in confusion.


    ¡°Who¡¯sing?¡±


    Leopold looked to one side silently after hearing the 4th Prince¡¯s question.


    There, they saw a man walking from afar. The man was walking leisurely among the nobles who parted and paved the way. None of them dared to stop this man from going forward.


    ¡°How dare youe here¡­¡±


    The 4th Prince looked at the man that was calmly walking to the front with anger.


    He hid. He died. He fled to another country.


    The Crown Prince, the center of these rumors, had appeared.


    ¡°You trash! Where did you hide while His Majesty was being killed?!¡±


    The 3rd Prince spoke quietly after the 4th Prince¡¯s outburst.


    ¡°But, you¡¯re no different?¡±


    The 4th Prince gritted his teeth after hearing the words of the 3rd Prince.


    ¡°I led the provincial nobles¡¯ troops to help the capital!¡±


    The 3rd Prince snorted at the 4th Prince¡¯s retort.


    There weren¡¯t even rumors that the 4th Prince had made contributions in the provinces.


    The 3rd Prince rallied the support forces from the other countries and came to the Empire through the South to send help. Even though they werete, the rumors still spread. That was the reason why the 3rd Prince¡¯s reputation was soaring in the capital.


    On the other hand, the 2nd Prince had gathered the people from the underworld as he made a huge contribution in the West. Thanks to this, public opinion about the 2nd Prince was quite favorable in some parts of the West.


    Compared to the two, the 4th Prince, who was showing great momentum earlier, was now in a crisis after not being able to show anything.


    In the first ce, the nobles were people who could only unite under the banner of mutual benefits. If they failed to ovee this crisis, they would be the ones who were too far removed from the Empire¡¯s power structure.


    Then, the 2nd Prince stared at the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Where were you hiding?¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t hiding.¡±


    The one to answer the 2nd Prince¡¯s question was not the Crown Prince but Commander Leopold. The princes couldn¡¯t help but tilt their heads at him.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°By the orders of His Majesty, the Emperor, he guarded the Crown and the Imperial Seal in the Emperor¡¯s secret office.¡±


    Leopold¡¯s words brought silence in the Hall of Glory.


    ***


    Notes


    *underworld ¨C The underworld here refers to the crime syndicate. Basically the mafia.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 154 - A New Phase (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(154)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>51 </b>A New Phase (4)


    The Emperor had two main symbols.


    <b>1 </b>The Emperor¡¯s Crown.


    <b>2 </b>The Imperial Seal.


    If the Emperor¡¯s Crown symbolized the Emperor¡¯s current authority, the Imperial Seal was a treasure that symbolized the future.


    The Emperor¡¯s Crown was so important that the Emperor always deliberately wore it to meetings and parties to show off his authority and status as the most important person in the Empire.


    The same was true of the Imperial Seal. As a treasure that symbolized the future of the Empire, all important documents that would determine the future of the Empire must be stamped with this seal.


    Of course, there were cases where the previous Emperors lost one of these two treasures. Sometimes, the rebels would also venture to steal it to im their legitimacy. However, these items were so important that there weren¡¯t any big problems with the current Emperor¡¯s legitimacy if they only had one of these items.


    This was how important these two items were. After all, these were the items that symbolized the Emperor who ruled the entire Empire.


    But the current Crown Prince had protected and kept them?


    ¡®The next Emperor¡­ huh?¡¯


    The nobles gulped as they stared at the Crown Prince. Some of them were worried for the future of the Empire, while some of themmented that the fallen Imperial Family¡¯s authority would break and copse until it was buried under the ground.


    All of the surviving Central Nobles who had experience in governance knew this¡­


    [ The Crown Prince is foolish, incapable and greedy. He is also tyrannical and vicious so he is extremely inappropriate as the next Emperor. However, he is the Crown Prince and he is very good at one thing, and that is ¡®acting¡¯. He knew how to wrap himself up. He can do that so well to the point that anyone in the Empire would be jealous of him. ]


    It was a secret article that was written by one of the officials. The article did not reveal who wrote it but it was so popr to the point that all middle-aged officials had read it at least once.


    Nevertheless, the rumors about his character and ability did not spread outside of the pce. Perhaps it was because of the Emperor¡¯s efforts. In addition, the Crown Prince had always worn his mask outside with his ¡®acting¡¯. And this Crown Prince, who only knew how to package himself well, was most likely the next Emperor.


    The expressions of the middle-aged nobles crumpled and creased when they realized this fact. On the other hand, the masters, who had actually protected and made contributions in the Empire, remained silent.


    Even though many people knew to some extent about the Crown Prince, the middle-aged nobles, who entered the Hall of Glory, still looked suspicious.


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me!¡¯


    One of the old nobles looked at the masters in doubt.


    All of the current masters weremanders in charge of each region¡¯s armies as well as the family heads of the two households that supported the Empire.


    Can these people who can see this truth still trust the Center?


    Even if they knew that the Imperial Family and the Center waspletely rotten before, they might have had no choice but to remain silent since they had no justification to make a move. But right now, the whole nation was already aware of the numerous corruption, misdeeds and shocking truth about the current Center and Imperial Family. It might be possible for them to dere their independence with this as their justification.


    All of them would be independent even though they remained in the Empire¡¯s framework. If they stood independently from the administration, the army, thew up until the learning institutions, then the Center would be isted from within this vain framework of an Empire. If that happened, then the Emperor would also live on just a vain and superficial authority. Perhaps, even they, the nobles, would never regain their previous authority.


    For the Central Nobles, who have lived on the mighty authority of the Imperial Family, that would be the worst situation.


    ¡®We¡­ We have to stop them.¡¯


    While the old nobleman was covered in cold sweat, the funeral of thete Emperor was currently being held in a solemn atmosphere.


    Although there was no body left due to the blood storm, they were fortunate to be able to find several items that he owned and ced it in the coffin and allowed them to proceed with this ceremony.


    The Crown Prince, the closest to be the next Emperor, took the initiative to enter the ce where their predecessors were buried and moved along with the previous Emperor¡¯s coffin.


    Thete Emperor¡¯s funeral was originally supposed to be held honorably. However, when they moved, people sat down, screamed and even hurled abusivenguage at them. Seeing and hearing them like that, one of the knights of the Imperial Pce pulled out his sword. But Leopold grabbed one of the knight¡¯s arms himself and shook his head heavily.


    Before they knew it, the procession had stopped. All of them were looking at Leopold and the knight.


    ¡°They¡­ deserve to have this.¡±


    One of the nobles came forward and spoke when they heard Leopold¡¯s words.


    ¡°But this is still thete Emperor¡¯s funeral!¡±


    The other nobles also agreed with this one nobleman¡¯s words. However, their momentum was forced to lower.


    ¡°I feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°There should be someone that these people, who lost everything, should me.¡±


    The Western Commander, the master among masters, and the oldest among the masters, Crimson, spoke up in agreement. Even the other masters nodded lightly and agreed with Leopold¡¯s opinion. Even Lioner and Terrion Sigurd were also nodding along.


    ¡°We¡­ have sinned. The safest ce, the capital, has fallen and the Imperial Pce was destroyed. And¡­ we have learned the ugly truth and the sins that they hadmitted. Will you be able to ask them to stop with this sin?¡±


    Countless people who went to see thete Emperor¡¯s funeral began to wail after hearing Leopold¡¯s words.


    Those who lost their family members.


    Those who lost their colleagues.


    Those who had to live the rest of their lives with disabilities.


    Those who lost everything just so they could protect this ce and have them sit on their seatsfortably.


    All of them wailed.


    Some cried out loudly as they med thete Emperor.


    ¡°Save my children!¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­ Heuk, heuk¡­ Mother!¡±


    ¡°Darling!¡±


    No one could me them for being disrespectful as they cried out their grievances regardless of their circumstances. They just listened to their cries with their heads bowed down.


    The once solemn procession had turned into a sea of wailing as the people poured out their resentment and anger towards the Emperor and the Imperial Family. They listened to the cries of these countless peoples who lost their loved ones until they reached the ce where all the previous Emperors had been entombed. They then began to bury the coffin and build a graveyard ording to the procedures. The general public and the nobles watched this scene from afar.


    Meanwhile, the surviving Central nobles began to wink at each other. All of them had felt that what happened in the Hall of Glory and the reactions of the masters were quite unusual. They weren¡¯t sure about the two greatest households¡¯ family heads but they felt like themanders only gave minimal respect to the Emperor. However, he was still the Emperor, no matter how guilty he was, they should have given him the utmost respect at his funeral. But they did not do that.


    ¡®The situation has changed.¡¯


    Among thete Emperors, they could count with their fingers those who did not enjoy a prodigal life. Some of them even brought the Empire on the brink of its ruin. As an Empire that held a long history, their Emperors were still honored with respect and solemnity towards their ends despite being prodigal Emperors.


    But that did not seem to be the case anymore.


    ¡®The authority of the Imperial Family has been destroyed!¡¯


    This thought shed in everyone¡¯s heads making their thoughtsplicated.


    A strange atmosphere could be seen among the nobles from the provinces too. These nobles were rolling their heads trying to grab the line of the people that were close to the masters instead of trying to grab the hands of the new Emperor and the Central Nobles. Even the merchants were doing the same.


    On the other hand, the Central Nobles were all in a frenzy. As soon as the official funeral procession was over, they all gathered in twos and threes as they attended meetings that would discuss their countermeasures for the future.


    The only person that they could trust was Commander Leopold, but even that was a thorny path. In fact, he was showing them a much colder reaction than what they had expected. He was originally hard to approach before but now they felt like he had lost his remaining affection for the Center.


    ¡°Persuading Lord Leopold¡­ is difficult.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    ¡°Well, the capital had abandoned the Central Army, do you think it makes sense for any affection for this ce to remain in his heart?¡±


    ¡°We could have relied on his loyalty to the Empire, but now we can¡¯t even rely on something like that¡­¡±


    The old Central nobles had long lost their quick-wittedness and were stopped just like that. They couldn¡¯t help but click their tongues at these obstacles.


    If things continued at this rate, the Center would be abandoned as the most useless ce in the Empire. The core of the Empire would very well be the trashiest ce.


    In a situation like that, Leopold announced one thing.


    ? The new Central Army Command will be built in Burt Territory! ?


    This was announced the day after thete Emperor¡¯s funeral had finished. Leopold¡¯s announcement, which covered one side of the morning newspaper, hit the capital by a storm.


    Burt territory was the point where the West, South and Center meet. He must have decided on this territory to help the West and South, the regions where war was still not over yet.


    The problem came next.


    ? From this point on, the Central Army ns to movepletely independent from the Capital Defense Corps. ?


    This was virtually equivalent to them saying that they were abandoning the Capital Defense Corps. This announcement was basically stabbing a huge stake on the already ruined capital and sending it down to the abyss.


    In addition, Leopold¡¯s firm stance and extreme unwillingness to have any rtionship with the Central Government and its officials could be seen through this announcement. Because of this, none of the Central nobles dared to persuade Leopold anymore.


    Then, the Crown Prince epted the Emperor¡¯s will and dered that he would be the next Emperor.


    The Central nobles almost went crazy when the leastpetent person was set to be the Emperor while the Empire was still in a crisis. At the rate things were going at, they were sure that the capital¡¯s istion was just a matter of time.


    When they were facing this huge crisis. The young man that walked together with the masters caught the eye of the old nobles. He was the hero and the newest master, the person who made the biggest contribution during the capital¡¯s defense war and made significant efforts to recapture the Center.


    ¡°How about seducing him over?¡±


    The Central nobles looked at the picture of the young man that the old nobles had pointed at.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°If he grows up¡­¡±


    One of the nobles quietly spoke up while everyone was slowly being filled with hope.


    ¡°However, I believe he doesn¡¯t have a good opinion of the Center either.¡±


    ¡°We still have to do it. Besides, it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have any chance at all.¡±


    Everyone pricked their ears to listen to the words of the old noble.


    ¡°He was only a small outpost leader when he made huge contributions to the North. And even if he¡¯s just at the 6th Stage of swordsmanship, he still has his powerful divine beasts as well as his experience as an army¡¯smander.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°There might beints.¡±


    Thinking that they were correct, the old nobles began to put their operation to seduce the young hero of the Empire in action.


    ¡°Since the Central Army has left, we need to establish a new Capital Defense Command.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then, I will propose that position and have him promoted to General¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s not enough?¡±


    All of the other nobles rubbed their chins in thought after hearing the words of someone from their group.


    Since he had already be a master, it was only a matter of time before he got promoted to General. It would be difficult to attract him to their side with just this.


    ¡°Then, how about a title and a territory¡­ But isn¡¯t he the Lion Family¡¯s eldest son? Don¡¯t you think this would be meaningless to him?¡±


    ¡°How about being a count?¡±


    ¡°With the contributions that he had made, don¡¯t you think that this is something weird?¡±


    Each of the nobles mored and shouted their opinions to somehow give him more.


    ¡°At least the title of a marquis¡­ And even after giving an appropriate territory, we should also make sure to give him the tax benefits and important rights.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Many nobles had died this time anyway so there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    That evening, the Central noble factions were able to get a wind of what the old nobles had decided. In order for them to attract the easy target, the new master, the heads of the major factions gathered together and set up heated meetings.


    While they were working hard to try and recruit him to their side, Iron had gathered together with the Northeastern men to have dinner for the first time in a long while.


    He saw his oldrades, who came to the capital despite being on a vacation themselves. They were none other than the surviving Ghosts.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be quite the sessful man.¡±


    Iron smiled when Lintel grinned and teased him.


    ¡°That¡¯s just because I worked hard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Lintel nodded in acknowledgement.


    Then, Carl, who was quietly listening to their conversation, spoke up.


    ¡°By the way¡­ Are you going to break free of the Northeast now?¡±


    Billy, Lintel and Milton all stared at Iron the moment they heard Carl¡¯s question.


    ***


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 Chapter 155 - A New Phase (5)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(155)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>51 </b>A New Phase (5)


    Iron felt their gazes on him as he spoke awkwardly.


    ¡°Where will I go?¡±


    They were all surprised by Iron¡¯s answer but they still looked at him suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not going?¡±


    Even Billie squinted at Iron after Lintel asked him again.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not going.¡±


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but tilt their heads at Iron¡¯s firm answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can be the Northeast¡¯smander¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°It will be good if you can go and take care of your future.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only Lintel, but even Carl Gustav, piped up. They were all worried about Iron¡¯s future.


    Even though ordinary people weren¡¯t aware of Iron¡¯s abilities, all of them knew that he would only shine if he went higher and swam in bigger water. And this fact was ring, more so during this period.


    ¡°Then¡­ Am I supposed to go to the Center?¡±


    All of them shut their mouths at Iron¡¯s question.


    However, Iron remaining in the Northeast as he was would pose a lot of problems. After all, he was recognized by all of the Imperial masters as the new master ss individual. Even if he declined and returned the promotion to general and just remained at a lieutenant general rank, there was nowhere for him to go in the Northeast. There was still a long way to go for the corpsmanders to retire and it would take a huge number of troops to create a new corps. But it was also problematic for them if they reced the Northeast Commander.


    The best solution was for Iron to lead the Capital Defense Corps. However, even if he was here, he truly did not want to stay in the current capital. Everyone knew what Iron felt.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m at a loss.¡±


    Crimson was slowly looking at retirement, that was for sure. However, Iron was just growing too fast.


    Everyone had believed that Iron would be the next Northeastern Commander. However, the problem was that he made such a huge contribution and was recognized as a master at the age of 20. This meant that he was bound to be promoted and be a general.


    In fact, the fact that he recaptured Soren territory and stabilized the Center¡¯s northwestern region was already a tremendous contribution. But he also saved the Central Army and yed a tremendous role in saving the capital. Promoting him to the 1st rank was something that could not be overhauled and ignored.


    ¡°Well¡­ You can tell them that you won¡¯t go but I don¡¯t know if they will just let you go.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement with Lintel¡¯s words.


    In fact, their worries immediately came true the very next day.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Brigadier General Iron Carter.¡±


    ¡°Is Brigadier General Iron here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the Central Merchant Association. Call Brigadier General Iron Carter¡­¡±


    Everyone visited and asked to see him at least once. However, he refused everyone on the pretext that he was still not officially recovered and he was still tending to his injuries. Because of this, he couldn¡¯t go out freely. But recently, he had no choice but to just stay cooped up in his own room since the princes began to visit and ask for him too.


    ¡°This is so annoying.¡±


    Iron grumbled in annoyance. However, there wasn¡¯t anything that he could do until the victory ceremony was held. He needed to finish the funeral ceremony and the victory ceremony in the capital for him to go anywhere and be at ease in his heart.


    To prevent confusion and chaos in the entire Empire, the current masters had agreed to attend the victory ceremony. With the masters¡¯ presence in the capital, the capital was able to regain stability as they began to work on restoration.


    It was not possible for anyone to remain in sorrow for so long, especially when they needed to restore the Imperial Pce and do a lot of post-war processing. In order for the confusion and chaos in the capital and the Imperial Pce to be resolved, they needed to recruit as much new personnel as the officials who died but the remaining manpower had no choice but to double their efforts while they tried to fill in the vacancy.


    Even the Imperial Family was not staying still either. The rise of the new Emperor to the throne could be postponed for a bit due to a lot of political reasons but the most urgent and pressing matter was for them to expose their sins and apologize. If this was not done, then the people of the Empire might not recognize the current Imperial Family¡¯s authority. If that happened, the Empire¡¯s copse would only be a matter of time. So they had no choice but to endure the disgrace and calm the anger of the public.


    The princes moved about in their own way. They brought supplies and helped the affected. They also even directly and personally dispatched more people to help them. But the ones who moved were just their subordinates.


    But unlike the other princes, the Crown Prince moved himself.


    ¡°Crazy shit¡­¡±


    The 4th Prince cursed as he looked at the Crown Prince in the copsed square. The Crown Prince was kneeling and apologizing to the public.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. As the Crown Prince, I apologize to you for the crimes that the Imperial Family hadmitted.¡±


    The 4th Prince clicked his tongue. Seeing the Crown Prince apologize to the people made him think that he had given up his authority as a member of the Imperial Family. He frowned, seeing him use honorifics and kneeling down for themoners disgusted him.


    However, the others were impressed.


    Just like what the schrs had assessed, the Crown Prince¡¯s abilities and qualities were limited to his ¡®acting¡¯. And his appearance right now made him seem like he was truly admitting their sins while sincerely apologizing. Those who knew his usual appearance could easily recognize that he was just acting. But at this very moment, themoners who saw him doing that, thought that the Crown Prince was sincerely repenting.


    Of course, the public¡¯s anger did not subside easily despite the Crown Prince¡¯s sincere performance. After all, the brutal acts that they had secretly carried out throughout the years couldn¡¯t be solved with just this.


    But among the members of the Imperial Family, the Crown Prince had the best evaluation among the public.


    If he stopped at just doing it once, the people of the Empire could have thought ¡®So, you¡¯re doing another show.¡¯. But the Crown Prince did not do this performance only once.


    With the majority of the Central nobles dead, the only thing that the Crown Prince had after losing the base of his force, was his body and his legitimacy to the crown. If he wanted to add something to his already secured legitimacy, the only thing that he could do was to run on his feet, lower his head and apologize.


    The Crown Prince instinctively felt that this was his only way to survive. So, he went outside everyday to apologize to the public and listen to their grievances. Even if he was just acting, the effect of his actions were sufficient for his survival.


    With his daily apology, more and more people believed in the ¡®illusion¡¯ that the Crown Prince was sincerely apologizing.


    Because of ¡®this¡¯, the 2nd Prince, who sent enormous amounts of supplies from the ck market, the 3rd Prince, who brought in supplies from abroad, and the 4th Prince, who sent support for the reconstruction of the capital with the help of the provincial nobles, all of them were pushed back. The Crown Prince¡¯s move had pushed all of their contributions away.


    In that situation, the victory ceremony for the huge contributors in the capital¡¯s defense had no choice but to be held under the Crown Prince¡¯s name especially after he cited his legitimacy.


    Since the funeral for thete Emperor was already done, the only thing left was the victory ceremony. The Crown Prince made sure to praise the people who had contributed greatly to the safety of the capital and represented everything on behalf of the Emperor as he persuaded everyone to do it under his name.


    The 4th Prince protested loudly but his efforts were meaningless. The nobles had no other choice but to let the Crown Prince be since he was considered as the best candidate among the Imperial Family by the public, especially after excluding their legitimacy to the throne.


    From the Central Defense Corps, who defended the capital with their lives, to the Central Army, to the chosen ones, who chose to help them, until the other-worlders, these people attended the victory ceremony held by the Crown Prince. Representatives of each group came up and received their rewards from the Crown Prince.


    Meanwhile, the 2nd and 3rd Princes, who were watching the scene from afar¡­


    ¡°¡­We¡¯re doomed.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Do we have to find another way to survive?¡±


    The 3rd Prince spoke bitterly when he heard the 2nd Prince talk. They did not have any other justification and legitimacy to fight for the throne especially with the Crown Prince holding both the Imperial Seal and the Crown. These two items were enough justification for the person holding it to be the first in session to the throne.


    The only thing that they could do now was find ways to live and survive on their own. Now that the authority of the Imperial Family had fallen to the bottom, something that waspletely different from before, they needed to find a way to survive.


    Fortunately, they were able to make some investments back when the Imperial Family was still at its peak.


    The 2nd Prince had dominated the underworld and the 3rd Prince had importantpanies and businesses in every country. Unlike the 4th Prince, who allotted almost all of his time to get the position of the Emperor, the two other princes had been preparing just in case. And they felt d that they had made a good choice in preparing another path for survival, especially after they heard the horrendous truth about the Imperial Family.


    While the princes were all busy trying to think of ways for them to live and survive, the people who had contributed the most to the Empire finally took to the stage.


    The first to stand on the podium was Leopold, themander of the Central Army.


    ¡°I will not forget your sacrifice.¡±


    Leopold bowed lightly as he listened to the Crown Prince¡¯s words while he personally attached the Central Army¡¯s highest medal iid with bright red jewels on his chest.


    ¡°We have acknowledged your contributions and achievements. As of now, I will raise your family to a ducal family. In addition, the Leopold Family will be exempted from taxes over the next five years¡­¡±


    The Crown Prince rewarded the Leopold Family by promising him enormous benefits. Then, he whispered something to his ears as they shook hands.


    ¡°Even if the Central Army Command is relocated, I hope that you can still be connected to the capital as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°I will discuss it with my officers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    Leopold did not give the Crown Prince a definite answer but the Crown Prince smiled brightly as if his words were already enough.


    He was best at wearing a mask so he just smiled brighter. Besides, his real goal was not Leopold.


    Finally, Iron Carter climbed up the stage. He was wearing the Northeast¡¯s military uniform that was pinned with the highest medals from the North and the East as well as the Iron Cross Medal iid with all of the jewels possible hanging out of his neck. Just by looking at his medals, anyone could see why he was considered as the best hero of the North.


    Then, the official began to list all of the contributions that he had made.


    ¡°He has saved the Western Command when it was in crisis, helped with finding and targeting the weaknesses of the Death Corps and has recaptured some areas of the Center with his insufficient troops. He has also made great contributions in saving the Central Army during its time of crisis. With all of his contributions he will be granted a special two-step promotion and the Central Army¡¯s highest medal.¡±


    The document had been prepared in advance by thete Emperor while he was still alive in recognition of Iron¡¯s contributions. The official, who read the document, brought the stars to the Crown Prince so he could attach it personally on Iron¡¯s shoulder together with the medal.


    However, these were just for his contributions before everything happened in the capital.


    The Crown Prince personally read his achievements and contributions since thete Emperor¡¯s death. From defending the capital to protecting the white crystal. All of these were announced in ordance with the current Crown Prince and the nobles¡¯ decisions.


    ¡°In addition! He made great contributions in protecting the capital and the white crystal that the Imperial Family had wanted to protect so much. The silver eagle, the highest medal of the Empire, will be given to this person, who protected the Empire with his contributions. We have decided to bestow this on you in recognition of your achievements.¡±


    The Crown Prince brought out a small silver medal in the shape of an eagle.


    ¡°I heard that the Northeast has a custom of leaving their medals empty in the middle for the silver eagle.¡±


    Then, the Crown Prince ced the small silver eagle in the center of Iron¡¯s Iron Cross Medal.


    The soldiers of the Northeastern Military began to cheer loudly the moment the silver eagle, created after consulting with the Northeast, was embedded on Iron¡¯s medal.


    Despite sacrificing a lotst time, the Northeast was still ignored by the people of the Center and the other regions. However, one of their people had received the highest medal in the Empire, the medal that no one had received before.


    [ You have be the Empire¡¯s Hero. All of the effects of your hero titles will be stronger. You have also made the greatest achievements in the Empire! ]


    ¨D This title will triple the effects of your current existing hero title effects.


    [ You are not yet fully recognized in the West and the South. The title effect will be stronger if you can be recognized in both regions. ]


    [ Your will, which has not been broken by anything, has made the people call you the ¡®Steel Hero¡¯. Unlike your existing titles, this title will only symbolize you. No one will be able to use the moniker ¡®Steel¡¯ until you die. ]


    ¨D The title effect will increase your steel mana.


    ¨D Someone had received their own title for the first time. The title effect will double.


    Perhaps it was because this was the very first silver eagle medal in the Northeast¡¯s history? Some of the Northeastern executives, who witnessed the emotional scene, shed tears.


    In that situation, the Crown Prince quietly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware that this alone is not enough for someone who has protected the Imperial Pce and the capital. So, after consulting with the nobles, we have decided to promote Lieutenant General Iron Carter with a special one-step promotion and raise your rank to General. We would also like to promote your position and ce you in the empty general position of the Capital Defense Corps¡¯mand. In addition, we would like to bestow you the emptynd in the Center and bestow it upon you along with the title of Marquis.¡±


    Most of the nobles¡¯ had their mouths wide open upon hearing the Crown Prince¡¯s words. Although most of the Central nobles knew of the content of the document, the others had no idea at all.


    In fact, they could understand why they would offer him the position ofmander and promote him to the general rank. They thought that it was understandable mainly because he made great contributions and was acknowledged by all of the masters as a new master. But they never expected that they would give himnd and the title of a marquis. After all, this was something unprecedented. Even if the person was a master or amander, who achieved these great contributions, the highest reward to be ever given to them the position of a count. However, the custom was broken.


    Surprisingly enough, the shock did not end there.


    ¡°Your Highness, please allow me to refuse the position of themander of the Capital Defense Corps and the title of a marquis.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s eyes widened at Iron¡¯s words. The same was true for everyone witnessing the victory ceremony.


    Iron calmly continued to speak under everyone¡¯s astonishment.


    ¡°This subject belongs to the Northeast. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to suddenly jump up and move to be themander of the Capital Defense Corps.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s well-maintained poker face had been broken down by Iron¡¯s words. He could only speak after a moment of daze.


    ¡°¡­Then, if we talk with the Northeastern Commanderter¡­¡±


    ¡°If you reach an agreement, then I will happily ept it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded heavily.


    ¡°Then, we will think about this moreter and tell you about our decision. I hope you don¡¯t refuse by then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince smiled bitterly at Iron¡¯s answer.


    It was very rude for someone to immediately refuse, especially at a victory ceremony. Usually, people would receive it customarily and reject it at ater date. This was something impossible during the days when the Imperial Family was still at its strongest.


    It might have been very rude but the Imperial Family¡¯s power was at its lowest and Iron was a powerful new master and was honored as the best hero of the Empire. This made it possible for him to reject the proposal outright.


    ¡®I heard that the Imperial Family¡¯s authority and power is down the slumps¡­ this seems to prove it.¡¯


    This thought shed in some of the provincial nobles¡¯ heads as they watched the central nobles struggle to smile, albeit bitterly, despite Iron¡¯s rude behavior. Some were furious and some were sad at the fact that the Center¡¯s prosperity was finally over.


    The victory ceremony ended just like that.


    The shocking victory ceremony ended somehow while giving a shock to everyone. All that was left now was the festival.


    The festival was held with the intention of forgetting the pain of the past and starting anew. But the festival did notst that long either.


    [ The Defeat of the Southern Allied Army. ]


    [ The Western Kingdom Army has been upied by the birdmen! Will the rest of the army unite under the name of the Divine Nation? ]


    These two news spread during the Empire¡¯s festival.


    Hearing these two terrible news, the people suddenly felt an ominous hunch.


    The end of the Empire¡¯s crisis is the beginning of the continent¡¯s crisis¡­


    ***


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 Chapter 156 - Seducing Iron (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(156)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>52 </b>Seducing Iron (1)


    The incident in the capital that shocked the entire Empire finally officially ended with the closing of the victory ceremony.


    The festival for a new beginning had started. However, instead of a festival filled with cheers, it became a festival filled with worries and trepidations after shocking news spread once again.


    The officials couldn¡¯t enjoy the festival, an event that they hadn¡¯t held in a long time, as they fell into the vicious cycle of overtime.


    ¡°Ah! I haven¡¯t even taken a bit of rest!¡±


    One of the officials¡¯ heads drooped down, which made the dark circles under his eyes reach his chin. The festival was like rain during drought but they were actually being overworked to the point of death instead of enjoying it.


    While the Central officials were in a desperate situation, the Southern and Western officers that had been dispatched to the Center were also feeling like they were going to die. All of the Southern officers enjoyed the festival and drank lightly. However, their fun was immediately stopped by the sudden news as they ran towards themunication room.


    ¡°Did the Southern Allied Army really lose?¡±


    The Southern Commander rushed to ask the intelligence officer and themunications officer the moment he heard the news.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, sir. They are requesting the Empire¡¯s Southern Army for help.¡±


    Themunications officer immediately ryed the information that they had received from the South after seeing the hurried look on the Southern Commander¡¯s face. The information ryed the shocking news of the copse of the Southern Allied Army. There was even additional news about the copse of the kingdoms that maintained the front.


    ¡°Then¡­ the South is done for.¡±


    Themunications officer tilted his head at the words of the Southern Commander. He looked like it was not the case at all.


    ¡°They¡¯re still maintaining their frontlines?¡±


    ¡°¡­How?¡±


    Themunications officer spoke tremblingly when the Southern Commander looked at him with his high momentum. The Southern Commander couldn¡¯t understand how they could still maintain the frontlines despite the destruction and copse of the South¡¯s main forces.


    ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t know it well but from what we heard, the other-worlders are winning.¡±


    ¡°What? What kind of bullshit is that?¡±


    The Southern Commander looked at him as if he was speaking something absurd.


    With the copse of the Southern Allied Army, how could the other-worlders gain victory?


    ¡°The other-worlders¡­ are surprisingly showing amazing performances.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ Is this all of the news?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Let¡¯s wait for now.¡±


    Themunications officer was depressed after hearing the Southern Commander¡¯s words.


    While the others were busy enjoying the festival, all they could do was stay stuck in this ce as they waited for anymunications, something that they did not know when woulde.


    Fortunately, the Southernmunications officer was not the only one in this depressing situation. After all, the Westernmunications officer was also toiling about and waiting at the Central Communication Facility because of the sudden development in the West.


    The road to hell was lonely when one traversed it alone but one could endure it if they had a colleague along the way.


    The Southernmunications officer sighed deeply as he watched the Western Commander strode inside with the same urgent and hurried aura. Since he was amunications officer himself, he knew full well that themander would definitely explode in this situation.


    ¡°What bullshit did you mean when you said that the Western Kingdoms had fallen?!¡±


    ¡°From what we had gathered, the corrupt and fallen birdmen had ended all of their attacks on the Empire¡¯s Western region and had focused them on the Western Kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Did they give up on the Empire?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    It was a fortunate situation for the Empire.


    However, it was a problem for the Western Kingdoms.


    Originally, the fallen and corrupt birdmen were being pushed back by the Western Kingdoms and the Imperial Western Army, albeit separately. But they ended up having to endure it with just their own troops.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I wondered why I was suddenly so leisurely¡­¡±


    The Western Commander sighed deeply as he mussed up his hair.


    There weren¡¯t any attacks by the Death Corps and the birdmen before so he thought that he was lucky enough to be able to send support to the capital just before it copsedpletely. However, it seemed like it was a trap.


    This situation had made it clear that the bastards from the void had predicted this situation. They had realized that their ns in the capital would fail so they had devised a second n.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the Western Kingdoms?¡±


    ¡°The birdmen¡¯s surprise attack broke two kingdoms¡¯ frontlines. The resulting war resulted in the destruction of three small countries while the remaining kingdoms were already at their limits. But the frontlines did not copse thanks to the intervention of the Divine Nation.¡±


    ¡°Which kingdoms had their frontlines broken through?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Throun and Bardan. Fortunately, their countries were maintained since they weren¡¯t able to pierce through their king¡¯s road*.¡±


    The Western Commander rubbed his chin in thought after hearing themunications officer¡¯s report.


    ¡°Is there anything that we can do to help right now?¡±


    The Western Commander asked as he looked at the intelligence officer but there was nothing that they could do. Since the destruction of the Western Command, they were only recently able to gather their remaining troops and create a new and usible system. In other words, they did not have any room to help others.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Just watch the situation first and collect information until we receive a request for support.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The information officer and themunications officer both bowed their heads after hearing themander¡¯s orders. The information officer ran around trying to find ways to help gather andpare that information that he had gathered so far with the current incident in the Western Command while themunications officer waited endlessly for the nextmunication.


    While the Western and Southern officers were moving busily, Iron was also moving busily. It seemed like he was not enjoying the festival at all.


    Although he had escaped the grasp of the Central nobles and aristocrats while using the Northeastern Commander as an excuse, they still bothered him. Since there was still a chance that he would be the Capital Defense Corps¡¯mander, everyone was busy trying to grab onto his line in advance.


    Just like the victory ceremony, Iron had no choice but to attend this essential banquet even though he loathed the numerous nobles who had attended to create connections.


    He felt bothered by the nobles and aristocrats that kept on pestering him. He felt especially annoyed and tense when the nobles and aristocrats began pushing on the women¡¯s clothing and encouraging them to make trouble.


    They would usually bother the family heads first but perhaps it was because Lioner, the Lion Family Head, was openly releasing his momentum that none of them dared to get close. Or maybe it was because he still hasn¡¯t managed his image that everyone was pushing themselves to him.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Should I go around spilling my energy too?¡±


    Iron sighed deeply as he mumbled to himself.


    He did not know how he became that famous. Fortunately, the lower nobles from the other regions did not dare to make sshes in front of him. However, it wasn¡¯t just the nobles who were aiming for Iron.


    ¡°Oh¡­ You want me toe to the East?¡±


    ¡°Right. There¡¯s a problem with the sea route in the East¡­ I thought that it would be easily solved if you came and helped. Besides, it¡¯s also beneficial to the Northeast, right?¡±


    ¡°That might be true, but¡­¡±


    Seeing Iron hesitate, the Eastern Commander looked at him with a subtle expression on his face.


    ¡°The trade route across the North, I heard that you¡¯re the one who thought about it? Help me out a bit.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will have to discuss it with the others.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I look forward to your favorable response.¡±


    The Northern Commander ran up to him after he escaped the burdensome gaze of the Eastern Commander.


    ¡°Do you want to drink?¡±


    The Northern Commander brought some expensive alcohol for a talk. He took him to the terrace and spoke subtly as he took a light sip from his ss.


    ¡°Until when will you stay in the Northeast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to create a new unit for you in the Northeast, right?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Iron looked at the Northeastern soldiers apologetically. It would be troublesome for them to make such a decision especially at a time when their corps were already having a hard time filling in their troops.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then, why don¡¯t you juste to the North?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron looked at Jayden Wicks in surprise.


    ¡°It might be hard to establish a new corps for you but¡­ I can still put you as amander in a ce that¡¯s not worse than a corps.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t give you the Northeastern Commander¡¯s position yet but they¡¯d have to give you a position as amander one of these days. The situation in the Northeast is not that easy¡­ However, there are many seats open in the North.¡±


    There were many senior officers who had died during the fight with the elves that was why there were many positions open in the Northern Command. In addition, they had a lot of broken fortresses so they could immediately ce Iron in one of the fortresses and make him themander of the said fortress.


    ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t we close to Leonhardt Territory? You shoulde and see your family from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Think about it. It¡¯s good that you are loyal to the Northeast, however, you still need to think about your future. You have grown so big that it will be burdensome for the Northeast.¡±


    Jayden Wicks clinked his ss with Iron before turning around to leave.


    Iron came out of the terrace with a constipated expression on his face after the burdensome conversation with the Northern Commander.


    Then, he saw Ariel hesitate before approaching him. She looked like she had been waiting for him toe out of the terrace for quite some time now.


    Iron grinned when he saw her shyly approaching him in her dress, not in her military uniform.


    ¡°The dress looks good on you?¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Speakfortably. This is a personal event but you¡¯re still too stiff.¡±


    ¡°R¡­right.¡±


    She blushed after hearing Iron¡¯spliment.


    ¡°The others?¡±


    ¡°They¡­ Over there.¡±


    Looking at her embarrassed expression, Iron tried to tell her to go and stay with the rest of the unit. But she just grabbed her clothes tightly and tried to say something. However, all she did was open and close her mouth in hesitation. At first, he thought that she was just shy and embarrassed but that was not the case at all.


    ¡°What is it? Do you have something to say to me?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Ariel hesitated for a long time before speaking carefully.


    ¡°Will you please go and meet with Family Head Sigurd?¡±


    ¡°The Godly Sword Family Head?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    Iron tilted his head in confusion upon hearing Ariel¡¯s request.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, I see. But why did you take so long to ask that?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Ariel closed her eyes tightly in shame. She looked like she couldn¡¯t speak anymore.


    Iron coughed seeing her embarrassed as she headed to where Family Head Sigurd was.


    ¡°Sorry for calling you out of the blue.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s no bother. But why did you call for me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ Actually, I called for you because of this friend.¡±


    Family Head Sigurd nced sideways as he said so. Then, the Southern Commander appeared.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Just like you heard, the situation in the South is not that good.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard it.¡±


    ¡°Please help us a bit.¡±


    Sigurd¡¯s eyes widened imperceptibly when he heard the Southern Commander openly ask for help. This only meant that the situation was dire enough since the proud Southern Commander bowed down and openly asked for help.


    ¡°David, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m someone who is prideful. But¡­ the situation right now is really terrible. I¡¯m already in a position where I need to spread myself thin just to support things here and there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that grave?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I think it will only take less than a month before the South copses.¡±


    When Iron¡¯s face turned serious after learning that the situation was extremely dire, the Western Commander immediately rushed from afar.


    ¡°You promised me that we will say it together! Why did you say it by yourself? You¡¯re a bastard with no conscience!¡±


    The once quiet and reserved Western Commander was pointing angrily at the Southern Commander before turning to look at Iron.


    ¡°I¡¯m also in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°The Western Kingdoms have copsed. The next target will be us.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Divine Nation there now!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the other-worlders in your region?!¡±


    ¡°There must be a crowd of chosen ones in yours?¡±


    Family Head Sigurd approached Iron while the twomanders quarreling and grabbing each other¡¯s cors when he saw him watching the scene in embarrassment.


    ¡°Let those two morons fight¡­ Can youe and talk with me for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡±


    Iron carefully followed the Godly Sword Family Head after hearing his words.


    ¡°I will be straightforward. How about going out with my daughter?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    The Godly Sword Family Head looked at him with a subtle change in his expression when he saw Iron¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°I heard that you know each other well¡­ since you fought battles together, I¡¯m sure that you have gotten close with each other, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes? What¡­? I know your daughter?¡±


    The Godly Sword Family Head tilted his head upon hearing Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Huh? My daughter has not told you yet? Ho¡­¡±


    The Godly Sword Family Head looked somewhere else with a puzzled look on his face when he felt like he had made a mistake. Then, he suddenly hesitated as cold sweat dripped down his back.


    There, at the location where the Godly Sword Family Head was looking, was Ariel ring at him with fierce eyes.


    ***


    Notes


    *King¡¯s road [?? (wangdo)] ¨C I tranted it literally but it can mean two things and a metaphor. It can refer to the ideal form of politics, the one advocated by Mencius (referred to as the second sage right after Confucius). Basically it¡¯s saying that a government should be based on benevolence. It says that the wangdo should begin with providing for the living and burying the dead without any regrets. It can also mean the royal authority thates naturally from making people move to obey them. It is the king¡¯s road if their authorityes from respect and it¡¯s paedo if the authorityes from fear. It can also be a metaphor for shortcut. Or can really just be literally the king¡¯s road the one simr to the Imperial Road that was mentioned before too.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 157 - Seducing Iron (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(157)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>52 </b>Seducing Iron (2)


    Iron¡¯s neck unconsciously shrank too when he saw Ariel¡¯s fierce eyes.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­ First¡­ I think you should have a talk with my daughter.¡±


    A rare embarrassed expression that was uncharacteristic of the Godly Sword Family Head appeared on his face. Terrion Sigurd tried to take a step back when Ariel approached him with her fierce and brutal re.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°We¡­ Well.¡±


    Terrion Sigurd had no choice but to retreat slightly since he was the one who made a mistake. He was tilting his head down and looking a bit weak in front of Ariel. His appearance lookedpletely unlike the man who was crazy about swords and swordsmanship.


    ¡®Was he always this kind of noble gentleman?¡¯


    Iron felt as if he waspletely being seized and held on the palm of his daughter¡¯s hands. He felt flustered seeing the difference between now and the image of the Godly Sword Family Head in his mind. However, he had no choice but to stop thinking useless thoughts when they saw Ariel¡¯s furious approach.


    ¡°Oh¡­ So¡­ you are the Sword Saint¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Ariel sighed as she reluctantly replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I did not tell you in advance.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize¡­ Well, if we¡¯re talking about this, then I¡¯m telling you my own family circumstances too. I¡¯m actually Leonhardt Family¡¯s eldest son.¡±


    ¡°So that was true?¡±


    Only then did Ariel¡¯s expression turn slightly brighter.


    The Lion Family¡¯s eldest son and the Godly Sword Family¡¯s daughter. The two members of the Empire¡¯s greatest familiesughed at each other.


    ¡°But as far as I know, the Sigurd Family has no runaways?¡±


    Iron tilted his head in confusion.


    Rumors about the eldest son of the Leonhardt Family running away had spread widely. However, there were no such rumors like that surrounding the Godly Sword Family. All of Terrion¡¯s children were attending academies or working hard in elite courses in the South.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m an illegitimate child.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m an illegitimate child.¡±


    Iron¡¯s mouth turned shut at his words.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Uhm¡­ Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Iron remained silent after his apology. He looked like he did not know what to say. But he still opened his mouth to change the atmosphere.


    ¡°Actually, I was already thinking that you¡¯re rted to the Sigurds.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since when?¡±


    ¡°When we were still in the training camp. Even before we chose our swordsmanship. I was wondering if you are rted since you used the Gctic Meteor Swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Ariel nodded when she recalled how she used that sword technique back when she confronted Iron in the training camp before.


    ¡°Then, your mother¡­?¡±


    ¡°She passed away.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. Sorry¡­¡±


    Iron hurriedly shut his mouth when the atmosphere that he tried to change quickly fell again. Even the twomanders, who were fighting earlier, approaching them stopped and stepped down telling them that they would see them again next time.


    Iron picked up a bottle and poured out its contents on their sses in cold sweat. Then, he sipped the drink carefully before asking.


    ¡°So, the reason why you came to the Northeast¡­ is it because of the Sigurds?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I wanted to escape the eyes of that goddamn lout.¡±


    Ariel, who told Iron her secret for the first time, was like a faucet that was turned on as she continued her story while sipping the alcohol in her ss. Perhaps it was because she was a bit tipsy that she lost her hesitations in the beginning as she talked about her past.


    Technically, Ariel was the eldest daughter of the Sigurd Family. This was because Terrion had initially tried to marry Ariel¡¯s mother first. However, because of countless unfavorable factors, Terrion married another woman. And Ariel¡¯s mother, who was pregnant with his child, felt betrayed and hid his child from him and raised her alone in revenge. Because her mother was a maiden and was not married, she was thrown out of her family for having a child. So, she raised Ariel alone. Although they lived through all kinds of hardships, Ariel felt the happiest during those days.


    Terrion identally found out that Ariel was his child and tried to bring her back to the Sigurd Family, but it was already toote. Ariel¡¯s mother had died early from an illness and Ariel had alreadye to the Northeast with her extreme hate towards Terrion.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ amon illegitimate child¡¯s story.¡±


    The ugly stories about illegitimate children were widespread in the Empire. Ariel¡¯s past was one of these stories but Iron couldn¡¯t say anything. If it was some sort of drama or soap opera, then it was just amon story. But what if it was a real situation? And if it became one¡¯s own story, then, there would be nothing more unfortunate than that.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Actually, my mom has already passed away too.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°You know about our family, right? It¡¯s hard for me to say it myself but it¡¯s a very crazy ce. That¡¯s why most of my younger siblings don¡¯t have a mother.¡±


    They bothforted and told each other that they shouldn¡¯t be too disappointed because they both did not have mothers but Ariel¡¯s expression still turned darker.


    Cold sweat poured down Iron¡¯s back once again when he saw her like that.


    ¡®I¡¯m really not good at consoling people¡­¡¯


    Iron did not know how to console Ariel. All he could do was pat her shoulder as he spoke consciously.


    ¡°But you went and saw Terrion?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. He recognized me.¡±


    ¡°He recognized you?¡±


    Iron looked at Ariel in surprise.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°¡­Mana. I think he felt my light mana. That, and I look a lot like my mother.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Each family has a unique mana wavelength. Ariel¡¯s case was a prime example of this. Besides, since her and her mother¡¯s face was simr, there was no choice for Terrion but to recognize her. And recognizing the mana wavelength was easy for someone like Terrion Sigurd, so he would definitely recognize her quickly.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m trying to do that lout a favor but it ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯rerades¡­ It¡¯s good for us to tell each other if we¡¯re having a hard time. After all, what arerades for, right?¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Ariel tried so hard to smile.


    Iron tilted his ss and walked with her to where their otherrades were.


    They heard Cardro and Carl arguing when they went there. But they immediately stopped and weed them warmly as they started a drinking party together after a long time. Perhaps, it was also because of the atmosphere that Ariel confessed her secrets to Cardro and Carl with a morefortable expression on her face.


    That was the only time that Iron left the banquet hall and ran for a second round in a quieter ce. But before he could do so, Cardro carefully called out for him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡±


    Iron titled his head at Cardro¡¯s words.


    ¡°Can you please go see the Central Commander?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Cardro¡¯s request. He felt like he had experienced it somewhere before. Iron¡¯s expression was ufortable as he tried to ask him just in case.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not themander¡¯s illegitimate son, right?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Really? What a relief.¡±


    Iron nodded at Cardro. He looked like he was extremely d to hear those words.


    ¡°I¡¯m the third child born from thewful wife.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression crumpled as he rubbed his chest after hearing Cardro¡¯s words.


    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re the Central Commander¡¯s¡­ son?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Cardro Leopold, the third son of the Leopold Family. That¡¯s my real name.¡±


    Iron sighed deeply at Cardro¡¯s words.


    ¡°No¡­ why do all of myrades¡­ do this?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ You don¡¯t think it¡¯s understandable?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°Your pedigree is high. You¡¯re from the Leonhardt Family and Ariel is from the Sigurd Family¡­ that¡¯s the main reason why I ran here!¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself¡­ ¡®So it wasn¡¯t because of my skills.¡¯ after hearing Cardro¡¯s words. In fact, Cardro med the Leopold Family forcking pedigree saying that it was all about pedigree these days.


    Perhaps it was because he was drunk that Cardro was running his mouth off more than usual. Thankfully, Iron was able to calm him down before going to see the Central Commander.


    ¡°This¡­ how humiliating.¡±


    The Central Commander couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard Cardroin why he gave birth to them with this pedigree.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry for everything.¡±


    Iron immediately called for Baepsae to remove some of Cardro¡¯s drunkenness. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at the disgrace and humiliation that Cardro was getting. After all, he was hisrade and subordinate officer. Cardro came back to his senses. He coughed in embarrassment before quickly disappearing to where Ariel and Carl were.


    ¡°It seems like a lot of people have sent their proposals to you already.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    The Central Commander smiled broadly when he saw the awkwardness in Iron¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make any unreasonable proposals.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­?¡±


    ¡°But I am asking you for a favor for a period of time.¡±


    Iron tilted his head after hearing the Central Commander¡¯s words.


    ¡°A period of time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave the Northeast right away and help the Central Army for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    The Central Commanderughed loudly when he saw Iron¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°If you will ept, I would like to leave the Central Army¡¯s training entirely to you.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯m sorry but I need the Northeastern Commander¡¯s permission¡­¡±


    ¡°I already got the permission for that part. Commander Crimson told me that he can L. E. N. D. you to me for as long as I want as long as you agree.¡±


    Iron hemmed and hawed after hearing the Central Army Commander¡¯s words.


    ¡°Honestly, there are at least one or two ces aiming for you, right? The Central Army cannot offer you something as attractive as what the other countries and the Center is offering you but¡­ that¡¯s why we¡¯re using our heads.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°You know that the Central Army is in a mess right now, right? It¡¯s like we almost have to rebuild everything from scratch¡­ But we need a great instructor toy the foundation for us. It just so happens that your troops are very good.¡±


    Iron smiled at the words of the Central Army Commander.


    ¡°I worked hard to raise them.¡±


    ¡°So let me borrow some of that.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Fine. I¡¯ll get busy once I go back up but¡­ I¡¯ll just think that going to the Central Army is taking a break.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could move personally¡­¡±


    Iron smiled after hearing Commander Leopold¡¯s words.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Alright. I¡¯ll prepare well so I can satisfy you.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    Iron returned to where hisrades were after seeing Commander Leopoldugh loudly. One was the daughter of the Sigurd Family and the other was the son of the Leopold Family. These two people were drinking straight from the bottle. Carl, on the other hand, was clicking his tongue as he looked at these two people, who were drinking frantically, with an expression that screamed that he was sick and tired of their antics.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They suddenly revealed their family before cursing them.¡±


    Iron sighed and stared at Carl when he shook his head at theirrades.


    ¡°You, do you have anything?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°Did you also run away because you don¡¯t like your family? Like them?¡±


    Carl looked at Iron incredulously when he heard his question.


    ¡°Is it something that you can¡¯t say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ anyway¡­ My family¡­ it¡¯s a merchant family. You punk.¡±


    ¡°Well, is it like one of the top ten merchant families in the Empire?¡±


    Iron looked at him suspiciously as he asked once again.


    Carl looked at him heartlessly as he replied.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re just normal.¡±


    Iron immediately slumped in relief as he lifted the bottle of alcohol after hearing Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°But, can I also ask you for a favor?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Why?! Why can they do it but I can¡¯t?¡±


    Iron sighed when Carl began to whine and tell him that he was discriminating against him.


    ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask you to meet the Western Commander.¡±


    ¡°What? Hey!¡±


    Carl giggled. It seemed like he found Iron¡¯s reaction to be fun. Iron frowned as he looked at him.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°No? It¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ So, what about you? Are you also rted to the Western Commander¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°No. My second cousin twice removed is probably inws with one of the family¡¯s descendants?¡±


    Iron titled his head for a moment when he heard Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°The inws of your second cousin twice removed¡­ Then, aren¡¯t they just strangers?¡±


    ¡°I think so?¡±


    ¡°So, why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be sad if the Western Commander doesn¡¯t have any connections? I heard that the Southern Commander used his connection with Ariel to call out to you. So, I¡¯m going to create a connection that I don¡¯t have and let the two of you meet.¡±


    Iron looked at Carl when he heard his absurd and silly words.


    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t the Center be better?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s trashy here.¡±


    Iron smiled and nodded when he heard Carl¡¯s words.


    ¡°That, I agree with.¡±


    Iron and Carl giggled as they talked trash about the Center. They chewed them out for a long time as they talked about what they had experienced in the Center and the capital as well as the things that they had found in theboratories. They both drank until midnight as they talked shit about them.


    The next day, he went to the Southern Commander to hear out his proposal before going straight to where the Western Commander was. He told him that he came here through Carl¡¯s rmendation to hear his proposal.


    ¡°The inws¡­ of his second cousin twice removed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That connection is not¡­ much, right?¡±


    The Western Commander titled his head as he thought about the connection that he had with Carl.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Actually, he asked me toe here because he felt sorry for you,mander.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ Hahaha¡­ Wait. This is quite ridiculous.¡±


    Iron grinned at the Western Commander¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Well¡­ Even if I can¡¯t guarantee that I wille your way, I will think of ways to help you as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Please think of us and our urgent situation.¡±


    Iron smiled silently after hearing the Western Commander¡¯s request.


    Themander looked at his cheeky appearance as he stood up and invited him out to a meal.


    Of course, it became one of the armies¡¯ secrets when the trivial andfortable meal turned into a situation where everyone trembled when the Southern Commander, Eastern Commander and Northern Commander rushed to join and keep each other in check.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 158 - The Center’s Downfall (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(158)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>53 </b>The Center¡¯s Downfall (1)


    The victory ceremony was finally over. The grand banquet and the festival were held consecutively to relieve some of the pain of the people. After the festival ended, the Empire thought that they would move actively to restore their glory from the past. However, it was just their own illusions.


    The masters, who had gathered in the Center, returned to their own regions one after the other. With their departure, the elites of their region also began to return to their original operation and mission areas.


    ¡°This is¡­ burdensome.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Iron bowed his head apologetically when he heard Crimson¡¯s words.


    A lot of people had been trying to bribe Iron while some asked him for his help. In fact, all of themanders of the Empire had asked him for his help and most of the key nobles had sent him bribes to build a connection with him. Even the Imperial Family tried to persuade Iron to stay in the Center and be the Capital Defense Corps¡¯ Commander.


    It was only natural that Crimson would feel burdened. Even if he was amander, such requests were bound to make him feel burdened. The burden of having a new master and a general as a subordinate was no joke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the Northeast first. You should go and help the Central Army. Perhaps, by the time you¡¯re done there, everything will be roughly organized.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I feel quite burdened having such an outstanding subordinate.¡±


    Crimson smiled affectionately as he said so. He had already thought that he would fly out of their arms one day. However, he was still flustered. He did not expect that the day woulde this soon.


    ¡®But I still have to send him away.¡¯


    With his long experience, he knew that he could no longer hold Iron in the Northeast. That was why he had to prepare to let go of the Empire¡¯s Hero.


    ¡°Come back after finishing your work in the Central Army.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Hoho~ I see.¡±


    Crimson then prepared to leave for the Northeast as he said so. And just like that, the Northeasterners left the capital on board the airship bearing the Northeastern Army¡¯s mark.


    With most of the masters gone and only the Central Army remaining in the capital, the Central nobles began their work to seize power once again. With the Imperial nobles struggling for power and actively moving to seize the vacant seats in the government, the problems that they had barely sealed erupted once again. Bribes inevitably happened during the process of them taking and expanding their powers. And because of that, the rotten atmosphere that was not yet fully treated had contaminated the waters of the capital once again.


    However, it was different from the past. They couldn¡¯t hide these things anymore and the people of the Empire wouldn¡¯t hold their breath and remain quiet.


    [ Another round of corruption! Until when?! ]


    [ We¡¯re in the middle of a crisis but the Imperial Family is only focused on fighting like mad dogs? ]


    [ The Crown Prince thatcked charisma. Will he be able to ovee the current crisis? ]


    [ Even the Central Army has thrown away the capital? The honor of the Capital City is now only in the past! ]


    Articles like these broke out day after day. These articles highlighted the crisis that the Empire was in and ignited the ire of the people of the Empire. And when the public, who no longer held back, came out to protest once again, the crisis in the government, the Imperial Family and the nobles rapidly emerged.


    A hero was needed to calm down even just a bit of this crisis. They had nned to push the hero forward to buy enough time and turn the eyes of the masses away from them but even the hero abandoned the Center.


    Everyone was busy trying to recruit Iron but none of them were able to truly recruit him. The new master. The value of this title¡¯s power was extremely strong in the current Empire. In fact, the Imperial power has long copsed. The Central nobles wanted to create a new central point to ovee this chaotic situation but no one wanted to be the Center¡¯s new central point. Themander of the Central Army abandoned the capital and the other masters did not want toe to the Center either. All that was left was Iron, the new master. However, even he rejected the Center.


    Everyone knew that the public opinion of the Northerners and the Northeasterners toward the Center was the worst. The long-standing struggle of the Central nobles for their own interests was the cause for the numerous sacrifices of the Northeastern troops. Iron¡¯s public rejection of the Crown Prince¡¯s proposal was proof of their hate. Even the soldiers of the Northeast did not like to interact with anyone from the Center.


    ¡°Did the Center¡¯s downfall finally begin?¡±


    One of the professors sighed as he looked out of the window.


    Countless of the Empire¡¯s people stood up the more the Central nobles¡¯ corruption was revealed. In addition, the public that had been discriminated against by the remaining rotten parts of the Center had also participated in these protests.


    However, the government, which hadn¡¯tpleted their overhaul, remained silent instead of addressing and responding to the people¡¯s protest. They truly couldn¡¯t do anything since their military troops and security corps had died. In other words, it was impossible for them to control the situation properly.


    ¡°The Northeast¡­¡±


    The well-known professor of the Empire turned to look at the map on the wall.


    The Northern region, specifically the Northeastern region, was most likely going to be the Empire¡¯s core in the future since it had be the safest region in the entire continent. It was for this very reason that the Center tried to raise the Imperial Family once again after it had been dragged to the bottom during the victory ceremony. However, everything was in vain.


    ¡°Morons¡­¡±


    The professor couldn¡¯t help but spit out curses as hemented over the current situation.


    In a situation where the Crown Prince was already certain to be the Emperor, the 4th Prince sat still saying that he couldn¡¯t agree and did not admit to this decision. Meanwhile, the 2nd and 3rd Princes only considered how they could take advantage of the situation while the Empire was still in chaos. They only thought of taking huge interests in return for giving up their im to the throne. And since the Imperial Family did something like this, the Central nobles and other nobles gathered in the capital also began to move busily to gain benefits for themselves.


    For them, the revival of the Empire was something that was already ced in the back burner. Filthy bastards who only moved for their own benefits. These were the current nobles and aristocrats of the Empire.


    ¡°Professor!¡±


    A man mmed the door open as he rushed towards the professor.


    ¡°Were the rumors true?!¡±


    The professor smiled bitterly after hearing his most cherished assistant¡¯s question.


    ¡°Are you really leaving to go to the Northeast?¡±


    The professor remained silent for a long time before answering his assistant reluctantly.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I believe there¡¯s more I can do there than here.¡±


    ¡°The students need you here, professor!¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­ I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll even care if I¡¯m here or not.¡±


    ¡°There are students who only entered the academy because of the professor!¡±


    Just like the assistant had said, there were a few talents who joined the academy after meeting him. Talented people ranging frommoners, to new aristocrats, to nobles, to wealthy merchants. But the professor was already tired. It was difficult for him to remain in this ce for them alone after seeing the Center¡¯s hideous pigs who only cared about money and power.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m already exhausted. I really want to go and show my strength in a ce that I chose even if it was just for the rest of my life.¡±


    The assistant bowed his head and couldn¡¯t speak anymore after hearing the professor¡¯s words. He wanted to follow the professor right away but it was difficult for him because he was still tied to a contract.


    ¡°I¡¯lle after you as soon as my contract ends.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. I¡¯m sorry for going alone first.¡±


    ¡°Please go and settle down in advance.¡±


    The assistant smiled as he told this to the professor.


    Commoner schrs were usually tied up by contracts with aristocrats. The aristocrats would support them and pay their academy tuition as they required them to study what they wanted to create or increase the public¡¯s opinion on them. During the period of their contract, they had to act as the aristocrat¡¯s subordinates. And the same was true for the professor¡¯s assistant.


    More and more schrs were trying to get out of the Central Academy to head to a new ce. However, there were quite a few people who couldn¡¯t leave because they couldn¡¯t escape their contracts. Just like the professor¡¯s assistant. Except for these schrs, all the other schrs from the Center had already scattered to other regions.


    Even the clean ones, who remained neutral and maintained the Center¡¯s bureaucratic system, government and institution, were disillusioned and escaped. The only ones who remained were the ones who had been bribed by the nobles and those who tried to climb higher on the lines that they had grasped.


    ¡°That¡¯s the worst.¡±


    Central Army Commander Leopold looked at the capital as he said so.


    A sand castle that was about to copse. That was what the current Imperial Family and the Imperial government looked like.


    The capital would be in chaos and copse the moment they left for their new Command. However, it seemed like nothing would change even if he stayed here.


    ¡®I¡¯m already a fangless tiger.¡¯


    Although he was a master, there was a limit to what he could do. And in this situation, he could only maintain the status quo. Unlike the othermanders, he failed to protect the Center. In addition, most of his subordinates had died in battle so he did not have the power to take control of the capital.


    However, if Iron stayed here, then the story might change. Leopold believed that the capital could return to normal with his extraordinary charisma and ideas that captivated his subordinates. In addition, the title of the Empire¡¯s Hero had the overwhelming power to make the people of the Empire obey most of his orders. In fact, Iron was the only one who had the potential to return the current capital to normal.


    The problem was that he had no intention of doing so.


    ¡®Is he going to abandon the Center?¡¯


    This thought shed in Leopold¡¯s head as he looked at Iron.


    Unlike the othermanders, who still wanted to maintain the Empire¡¯s shell, Iron looked like he wanted topletely destroy the Imperial Family.


    This thought shed in his head after seeing what Iron had done.


    None of themanders knew that Iron had run hard to make the Northeastpletely independent. The public only thought that it was for the Northeast¡¯s reconstruction. However, for those who used their brains a bit, they could see that he did that to reduce the Northeast¡¯s dependence on the Center.


    In addition, he decided to support the Central Army instead of going straight to the capital during the height of their crisis. He justified it by saying that he wanted to fully save the Central Army and provide significant help to the capital. But was it truly like that?


    He was only suspicious about his motives but his suspicions were solidified when he saw him publicly reject the Crown Prince¡¯s proposal.


    ¡®General Iron hates the Imperial Family.¡¯


    It was also problematic since many people were starting to think this way.


    What would happen once all the masters had left for their own regions and the Empire¡¯s Hero abandoned the capital? The power of the Imperial Family and the Central government would weaken.


    As if to prove this, the capital fell into more chaos and confusion the moment the Central Army¡¯s departure approached. This confusion would increase once they confirmed the fact that Iron would leave together with the Central Army.


    If he calcted all of this then¡­


    ¡°Scary.¡±


    Leopold unknowingly spoke about his thoughts. He hoped that his thoughts were just wishful thinking. But he was also aware that those hopes were something that could be easily blown away by the wind.


    ¡®Please¡­ I hope that he has even a little bit of loyalty towards the Empire in his heart.¡¯


    Contrary to Leopold¡¯s wishes, Iron was smiling as he watched the Central Army and his troops prepare to leave.


    Thump!


    He looked up at the sky covering the capital city as he listened to his beating heart.


    The people who came out to protest everyday.


    The foolish Imperial nobles and the Imperial Family who only fought everyday without knowing that they were falling down into the abyss.


    ¡°Just wait a bit more.¡±


    Iron mumbled quietly to himself as he listened to his pounding heart.


    The witch¡¯s contract.


    Because of this, her will kept on rushing and urging him with the thumps of his heart.


    Contrary to what others wanted, he wanted to see the Imperial Family fall into the abyss more quickly. However, he still had to remain patient. The moment when the Imperial Family, who bothered him so much in his past life, was dragged down to the floor was not that far away. He only needed to wait patiently for that to happen.


    ¡°Just hang in there for a bit.¡±


    He tried to calm down the witch¡¯s will and his thumping heart as he waited for that day to arrive as soon as possible.


    ***


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 Chapter 159 - The Center’s Downfall (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(159)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>53 </b>The Center¡¯s Downfall (2)


    In the end, even the Central Army was ready to leave the capital and go to their newly built Central Army Command.


    Marquis Oliver van Leopold, the Central Army Commander, stood on the podium as his troops prepared to leave.


    ¡°We¡¯re thest ones to leave the capital.¡±


    Marquis Leopold¡¯s tone was heavy as he spoke.


    ¡°First, I would like to apologize to the soldiers who had a hard time during this period when we were transferred out of the Capital Defense Corps. As amander, I deeply regret putting my soldiers in such a state.¡±


    He bowed his head lightly as he spoke.


    The master¡¯s apology. The worth of this apology was something that everyone knew. Receiving such an apology made the eyes of the soldiers and the officers of the Central Army turn red.


    Unlike the Capital Defense Corps that only gathered the elites, the Central Army was known for being a group of garbage that were involved in all kinds of corruption. In fact, some of them truly participated in corruption but the others did not.


    There were those who entered the Central Army and hid their talents just so they could support their families. There were those who were forced to enter the rotten Central Army due to the contracts that they had signed with their patron nobles. There were also those who joined the Central Army because they were tired of poverty. These people had to be called garbage and treated the same as the corrupted ones just because they fell into this garbage dump called the Central Army.


    They endured being insulted for days and years on end because they entered the Central Army that had rotted for a long period of time.


    ¡°But from now on, everything will be different. They will never call the Central Army as the Empire¡¯s garbage dump. We will be the pir that supports the Empire.¡±


    The eyes of some of the soldiers and officers changed after hearing Leopold¡¯s words.


    The clean and pure soldiers of the Central Army looked at theirmander with zing eyes. Those who were also originally pure and clean but were forced toply with the corruption because of the harsh reality that they lived in had shining eyes too.


    ¡°Look forward to it. Our army will be a gathering of the elites in the future. And you will be the pioneer.¡±


    The soldiers cheered loudly at the end of Leopold¡¯s words.


    With the announcement of the Central Army¡¯s new beginning, the troops boarded the airship one after the other.


    Some said that he was a defeated general who failed to protect the Center. Some schrs said that he was just a puppet general who stood by while the Central Army fell into depravity. Some soldiers said that he was the weakestmander among the Imperialmanders. However, for the Central Army, Commander Leopold was the bestmander. So, when he decided to gather his senses and tried to start anew, his officers and troops also followed him.Even those who fell into corruption for a while had settled down. After their loved ones¡¯ lives were threatened and they had experienced the harsh reality of war, they decided to not live like this anymore. No one knew how long they wouldst. However, they were sure of one thing. They would not fall and copse as quickly as they did before if they left the capital.


    ¡°That was quite an eloquent speech.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed.¡±


    Iron greeted Leopold with a smile as he descended the podium. Then, they both boarded the airship together.


    ¡°By the way, if you and your troops leave together with us all at once¡­ the capital will fall into even more confusion.¡±


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly as he answered Leopold¡¯s words.


    There were obviously innocent ones among the people of the capital. There were some who were resentful when the support supplies that were supposed to be sent to the Northeast had fallen into corruption and there were also some who protested when the Empire fell into a crisis because of thecent attitude and political ys that the Central government had. But even if they existed, the Center was too rotten for him to remain in this ce.


    ¡®It¡¯s better to throw them away and start anew.¡¯


    There was no longer room for rehabilitation and purification for the Center and the capital that had be rotten for a long period of time. It would be better for the Empire to abandon this ce and start anew somece else.


    With the crisis still ongoing, it could have been better for them to enter a military-centered political system rather than maintain the rotten Center.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯ll be busy in the future¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we go a bit earlier and take some rest?¡±


    Iron remained silent for a while after hearing Leopold¡¯s words. Then, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°I have something to say to you.¡±


    Commander Leopold looked at him curiously when Iron spoke with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to do some work for free¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem! I also want to give you something in return but our situation is not that good right now.¡±


    Leopold coughed loudly upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    It was difficult to expect support from them since the Central Army had been thoroughly destroyed by the Death Corps together with the capital. He did not have the abilities to support Iron¡¯s troops since it was already difficult for him to cover themselves alone. In fact, there truly was nothing that he could do for Iron since he was sure that they would have to spend a lot of difficult days in the future. That was also the reason why he couldn¡¯t ask for help like the othermanders. He could only grumble and ask if he could take care of his troops training for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for troops or resources.¡±


    ¡°Then, what do you want?¡±


    Iron quickly approached Leopold as he spoke quietly.


    ¡°I want you to look at my swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°¡­You?¡±


    Leopold tilted his head after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    Since Iron had reached the 6th Stage it just went to show that he had already established his own path. At this stage, useless advice would only make him wander away from his path. He knew that Iron knew this well. However, he couldn¡¯t understand why he was asking for advice from him. In addition, there were many other people that could give him advice and look at his swordsmanship. From the Northeastern Commander to Lion Family Head Lioner, the line of people that could look over his progress was overflowing.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird for me to say this myself but¡­ I¡¯m the weakest among the Imperial masters.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ If you say so, then I will help you. But I still believe that there¡¯s not much I can do to help you with your swordsmanship.¡±


    Is there anything that I can do to help someone¡¯s swordsmanship who is walking the path of steel?


    Leopold Family¡¯s swordsmanship was close to the basics but it was not as good as Iron¡¯s swordsmanship. Their swordsmanship had been developed through the years so it waspletely different from Iron¡¯s swordsmanship, which was extremely close to the basics.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you about ¡®aura¡¯.¡±


    Leopold¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Aura?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Leopold carefully asked after hearing Iron¡¯s affirmative.


    ¡°By any chance, you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah! I haven¡¯t reached the wall yet.¡±


    Iron immediately shook his head when Leopold inquired if he had already taken a step towards the master level.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ You can¡¯t really reach that stage this fast, right?¡±


    Leopold burst out in awkwardughter saying that he was just imagining too much.


    How long was it when he reached the 6th Stage, how can he reach the master level already?


    Iron had reached the 6th Stage so fast that he was considered to be the youngest person to have ever reached this stage. And if he reached the master level this fast Leopold would definitely feel that the world was unfair.


    He was only barely able to reach the wall of the master level during his 40s. But he could not cross the wall until he was almost 50. No matter how much of a genius Iron was, it would probably be over the line if he crossed the master¡¯s level now.


    ¡°Just like you know, it wouldn¡¯t matter that much even if I tell you about aura.¡±


    He had already studied the master¡¯s aura for a long time. However, it did not mean much unless he had reached the wall. It wouldn¡¯t be helpful even if schrs talked about it for days and wrote hundreds of papers about it.


    Even if one knew it in their heads, they could only create aura after experiencing and training their mana thoroughly. In fact, most of the people who reached the wall were usually frustrated and had always turned towards the papers about aura. However, in the end, only a few of them broke through the wall. In other words, the master level was a stage that could not be achieved just by knowing about it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember it well but¡­ I felt a strange sensation before.¡±


    ¡°A strange sensation?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was during the time when I was stopping the Death Lord¡¯s blood storm. All of my force had beenpressed¡­¡±


    Iron recalled the time he fought the Death Lord. He exined the sensation that he felt back then. He felt the strange sensation when he hadpressed all of his remaining strength into his sword. He did not know if it was just another innate ability or it was another attribute of steel. So he wanted to find out about it.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Leopold rubbed his chin in thought after hearing his words.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°I will tell you the details once we arrive at Command.¡±


    Iron looked around and said these words when Leopold urged him to exin more. Only then did Leopold see the people ncing at the two of them.


    ¡°Alright. I believe¡­ I can help you with this much.¡±


    Iron was delighted with his words.


    He was frustrated after being stuck at this point so he felt happy that someone was able to help him. Even his face brightened at the thought of receiving this help.


    While Leopold and Iron were talking about a lot of things on board the airship, both of their remaining troops had also boarded the airship. Plenty of their troops had already gone to the newly built Central Army Command in advance that was why only a small number of airships flew over the capital this time.


    The people of the capitalmented when they saw the airships flying over their heads. They felt sorry that even the two masters and their troops, the capital¡¯sst hope, had left.


    ¡°Will the days of hell begin from now on?¡±


    The academy professor, who decided to leave for the Northeast, looked at the airships that were leaving. The final force that could stop the Empire¡¯s capital from falling into chaos finally left today. It did not matter to him who left or who would leave soon, but the people that were left behind would experience hell every day.


    The number of people leaving the capital has increased significantly. It seemed like they had realized that there would be no future in the capital. The people of the Empire moved to different ces day after day.


    The capital city, a city that boasted thergest poption, faced a shrinking poption due to therge number of migrating people.


    ¡°Someday¡­ I hope this ce revives once again¡­¡±


    The professor sincerely hoped that the capital, the city that shared the longest history with the Empire, would revive once again as he looked at the sky.


    However, contrary to his wishes, the capital¡¯s situation worsened by the day after Leopold and Iron¡¯s departure.


    Violent protests continued day after day in the capital the moment the Central Army left. The nobles were hastily cutting their tails off and passing on the me while the Central officials were forced to do hurried administration due to theck of personnel. The ministers, who promised that they would hire more personnel, were all distracted as they yed politics. They only focused on trying to gain more power and walking on this tight rope. The chaos and confusion in the capital did not matter to them at all.


    There was even the 4th Prince who still kept on biting and holding on to the Emperor¡¯s seat until the very end and the 1st Prince who couldn¡¯t stop him properly. On the side were the 2nd and 3rd Princes, who watched the scene in interest, knowing that they did not have any chance at all.


    As they bit and fought each other in politics, the anger of the public grew even greater. The situation in the capital grew worse by the day. And the Empire¡¯s high Central government was gradually running straight towards its copse.


    ¡°Morons!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s gather the masters and form a military government!¡±


    ¡°Kill all the nobles!¡±


    People spat and cursed.


    ¡°I heard that the East is doing well these days?¡±


    ¡°Shall we go to the North?¡±


    ¡°Tch! The South also needs to recover quickly but¡­ my maternal family is killing me these days.¡±


    The Central nobles focused on the news from the other regions and turned a blind eye to the Center that¡¯s gradually falling down into the abyss.


    In that situation, the Central officials also began to let go. After all, the situation did not improve despite them trying their hardest. It did not matter if they tried hard. Everything was meaningless unless the Imperial Family and the ministers sitting at the top were sorted out.


    But the Imperial Family and the nobles that they followed were just busy fighting against each other. They all devoted themselves in their political battles to gain a handful of the power that was left.


    In fact, all of them were aware that these political battles were no longer meaningful. The Center has already virtually fallen down the abyss. And the era of the Central aristocrats was alreadying to an end¡­ However, they knew that they would at least be able to live with the sweet fruit of victory, even if it was just during their generation, as long as they won this battle.


    Even though they knew that it would take a long time for them to stand up and organize the situation in the capital, they still had to fight and gain that handful of power. They weren¡¯t masters. They only relied on their connections and their past glories instead of their abilities so this handful of power was the only way for them to survive.


    That was why they still gathered in the Imperial Pce and engaged in their faction fights while the Imperial public gathered in the square to protest. The officials sat on the sidelines and the intellectuals began to leave for other regions.


    That was how the capital of the Empire, a ce with glorious history, met its downfall amidst the chaos and confusion.


    A long timeter, the schrs said this¡­


    This was the worst era in the history of the Empire.


    ***


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 Chapter 160 - The Establishment Of The Empire’s Special Field Army! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(160)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>54 </b>The Establishment of the Empire¡¯s Special Field Army! (1)


    Two months had passed since Iron and his troops went to the newly created Central Army Command.


    During their stay, Iron¡¯s troops became the instructors that led the Central Army¡¯s training.


    Most of his troops were just new recruits. However, even though they were only out on the battlefield for less than a year, they had experienced countless battles with the Death Corps. They were far more experienced in battlepared to the Central Army troops. Perhaps, it could be attributed to the fact that they continued to train the training and tactics that Iron had systematically established that they had gained better understanding and experience on the battlefield.


    Obviously, the Central Army troops had much more experience than them. However, most of their experiences were useless. The only experiences that they had were rted to managing their lines, catching criminal groups and apprehending ck merchants. They also only knew how to walk and sit while using the people¡¯s tax, manage bribes and make connections with aristocrats and criminal syndicates.


    In fact, they only repeated these things and made it into their know-hows until they got discharged from the military andter became a part of the security forces of the capital or some local territories. In other words, the Central Army was like a ce where they go to for retirement.


    ¡°Hit the sack in the back! Hit the sack in front!¡±


    ¡°Roll to the left! Roll to the right!¡±


    ¡°Sit down! Stand up!¡±


    Iron¡¯s troops rolled the Central Army troops like they were in a training center.


    Just like what Iron did to them in the Northeast, they rolled the Central Army troops to develop their physical strength and stamina. After all, Iron woulde out and train them personally once he saw that they weren¡¯t rolling them properly. They had no choice but to do things well and roll them more firmly.


    Even if they wanted toin and rebel, Iron¡¯s troops had a higher force than them so they could easily deal with the rebels and kill off their rebellious thoughts. Besides, the Central Army did not have any other justification for their rebellion especially after Iron¡¯s troops showed their overwhelming dignity when dealing against the Death Corps that still remained in the Center.


    They couldn¡¯tin since Iron¡¯s troops only used the moves and formations that they had taught them and won victory after victory. So, the Central Army resorted to calling Iron¡¯s troops as the demons.


    Of course, even these demons had to roll hard after training them and follow a bigger devil¡¯s instructions and training regimen.


    After they finished their task of training the Central Army for the day, Iron would appear like a ghost and roll his troops. He looked like the incarnation of the devil as he trained his troops. Iron¡¯s troops wanted to hit him since they knew that he was taking it out on them after seeing them roll the Central Army troops. However, even Iron was being beaten down by someone everyday.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Leopold¡¯s strong sword kept on knocking Iron¡¯s sword. If it weren¡¯t for his steel mana sword, the sword would have definitely broken down from Leopold¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°Hang in there.¡±


    Leopold said so as he created his aura de and shed down. The shockwave from the strike spread out and forced Iron to kneel down on one knee. Iron gritted his teeth. He was only barely able to endure however all he could do was gasp as he failed to stand up.


    Leopold grinned as he gathered his aura de back into his sword.


    The heavy atmosphere immediately lightened when the fight, which couldn¡¯t be considered as a spar anymore with how fierce it was, ended and Iron¡¯s gasping breath gradually stopped.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Leopold smiled as he approached Iron, who let out a long breath.


    ¡°It looks like you got the hang of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at Leopold¡¯s smiling words.


    Leopold, who showed no signs of exhaustion, looked at the gasping Iron as if he was a monster.


    With just his divine beasts alone, Iron was already at the master-level. However, even his divine beasts were continuing to be stronger. They were originally divine beasts who were at the master-level and phantom-level, so the stronger Iron became, the more they could regain their original power. But right now, even his swordsmanship was growing rapidly too.


    ¡®Not yet¡­¡¯


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t reached the wall yet. However, what he did was far more shocking than that. Even if it was just for a moment, his experience dealing against aura was explosively growing. This experience was helping him walk the correct path without wandering around.


    ¡®He¡¯s just 20 years old¡­¡¯


    Leopold couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly after he briefly recalled what he was like in his 20s.


    Even someone like him, who was hailed as a prodigy, recalled that he was still having a hard time reaching the perfect 4th Stage during his 20s. He was, in fact, over 40 years old when he reached Iron¡¯s current stage.


    ¡°What the hell, what did you do to gain such experience?¡±


    Iron smiled awkwardly after hearing Leopold¡¯s question.


    ¡°Who knows¡­ I¡¯ve felt something simr to this in the past but¡­ I still don¡¯t know it well.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy¡­ I envy you. If I had experienced that once before then I would have definitely broken through the wall much faster.¡±


    Leopold looked at Iron enviously.


    If he had this experience when he reached the wall, then he would have been able to pierce through the wall of master at once. That was how valuable his experience was.


    It was an enviable performance but Leopold was not jealous. After all, he knew that the experiences that Iron had were miracles that he had gained with his bloody efforts while risking his life.


    ¡°You must be disappointed. If you had just gained this chance a bitter, then you would have been able to go over the wall and be a master in one go¡­¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I just feel lucky that I survived.¡±


    Leopold nodded slightly after hearing his answer.


    He truly was lucky to survive in the fight against the Death Lord. Leopold knew how strong the Death Lord was since he had fought him personally. And the Death Lord that Iron had fought was several times stronger than when he fought him so it was a miracle in and of itself for him to survive that fight.


    ¡®It¡¯s really a pity. If he had this experience just a year or twoter, then he would have definitely stepped on the master¡¯s threshold¡­¡¯


    This thought shed in Leopold¡¯s head as he felt more pity for Iron.


    Unfortunately for Iron, this experience did not directly lead him to the master. A person who was fully prepared would definitely receive great benefits. But Iron was not even able to reach the wall since he was still not yet able to make the 6th Stagepletely his. However, this experience would definitely be a great help to Iron once he reached the wall if he did not forget this at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that feeling.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron had his head down as he answered Leopold.


    ¡°Is today yourst day?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe the training system has been established to some extent.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you set up the training system in just two months¡­ What are you, a monster?¡±


    ¡°Everything will work as long as you roll them hard enough.¡±


    Leopold shook his head when he saw Iron¡¯s vicious and wicked smile.


    ¡°Hoho¡­ Oh boy, that smile looks like the smile of the devil.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡±


    Iron coughed when Leopold pointed it out.


    Leopold smiled when he saw him get flustered like this.


    ¡°My subordinates call you the Devil General.¡±


    ¡°Even my men call me the devil.¡±


    Iron spoke bitterly.


    I did it for their own good but I can¡¯t believe that they called me the devil behind my back¡­ I feel disappointed with my subordinates.


    ¡°You really¡­ don¡¯t know how to do things moderately.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough time. I can¡¯t help it. I had to do it in the most efficient way.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy¡­ You¡¯re making me speechless since I¡¯m the one to request your help.¡±


    Iron looked at him as Leopold clicked his tongue.


    ¡°The training is now over so everything will be up to the Central Army from now on.¡±


    Just like Iron had said, the Central Army¡¯s training had been set to some extent. From this point on, they couldbine the tactics that Iron had left for them and the existing Central Army tactics to create unique military tactics. And everything would be up to the Central Army officers from this point on.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No. Me and my subordinates had received a lot too.¡±


    Just like Iron, his subordinates had also gained a lot from this.


    Just like what a saying said, one would always gain something from teaching someone else. The tactics that Iron had drilled in his troops¡¯ heads and bodies were now clearly embedded in their beings as they taught others.


    For them to teach others well, they had no choice but to study harder on their own. That was the reason why they got to know the tactics better. And as they prepared to train they were able to understand more urately why Iron had taught them these tactics and what his intentions were.


    ¡°Then, are you going back to the Northeast now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have toe back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing.¡±


    His disappointed expression looked simr to someone who was disappointed as their toy disappeared. He felt regret that Iron, who had relieved him of his stress, was now leaving.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay a bit longer? I¡¯ll pay more attention this time!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­¡±


    Iron immediately slipped away as heughed awkwardly and refrained from answering Leopold. But Leopold clung to him until the day he left. Of course, Leopold did not expect that Iron would really stay. He just kept on pestering him since he felt regret and disappointment that he would leave so soon. However, the only one who was disappointed was Leopold.


    ¡°Your training has officially ended as of today. I hope that the Central Army will develop further and grow more from the things that you have learned until the end of this special training!¡±


    ¡°Waaaaaaaaah!¡±


    The soldiers and officers screamed loudly after Iron had dered the end of their training.


    Iron and his troops, who chewed them and rolled them hard every day, were finally leaving.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too happy? Shouldn¡¯t you be a bit sad?¡±


    Iron said so as he looked at the cheering Central Army troops. Iron and his troops did not look too good at the sight.


    The Central Army was cheering while the Special Mobile Unit was bitter. The ceremony to end the training was finally over and the moment of separation finally came.


    Leopold approached the leaving Iron.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here to try and say thank you, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Iron had heard his gratitude countless times these past few days that he felt like his ears would scab. Leopold smiled when he saw Iron waving him off and refusing his gratitude.


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ There¡¯s that too but¡­ I came here because I have something else to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Leopold¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out about it once you arrive in the Northeast but I¡¯m letting you know in advance.¡±


    Iron quickly approached Leopold, who was beckoning to him.


    ¡°Themanders held a meeting recently.¡±


    Iron looked at Leopold in shock.


    ¡°It was actually a meeting about you.¡±


    ¡°About¡­ me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. No matter how much of a crisis the Empire is in, we can¡¯t just use a master as a leader of a unit, right?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a ch¡­¡±


    Iron lost his words when he looked at Commander Leopold, who had used him well so far. Leopold quickly averted his gaze as he continued to speak.


    ¡°Perhaps an army of your own will be established.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ That means¡­¡±


    Iron stared nkly at Leopold.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave your most cherished ce. No, it¡¯s more like you¡¯re going to stand on your own?¡±


    Iron was lost in thought after hearing Leopold¡¯s words. Leopold smiled when he saw his reaction.


    ¡°Think about it once you go there.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Iron came back to his senses. He quickly bowed his head at him as he thanked him.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. In fact, I told you so you can be prepared now.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Leopold smiled wickedly at Iron when he saw him look at him as if he couldn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy to create a new army? Perhaps this is an excuse for the othermanders to try and devour you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±


    Leopold shut his mouth despite Iron¡¯s question. He just smiled at him gratefully as he repeatedly waved him goodbye.


    Iron bid him goodbye as he entered the airship with a grim look on his face.


    And after a while, the demons that gued the Central Army left to return to where they were supposed to be.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements, and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 161 - The Establishment Of The Empire’s Special Field Army! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(161)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>54 </b>The Establishment of the Empire¡¯s Special Field Army! (2)


    Iron was grumpy all throughout their journey. Perhaps it was because the newly built Central Army Command was in the Southwest that they needed to cross the Center for a longer period of time than what he liked.


    However, his cold and dreary mood melted away the moment he saw the familiar scenery that he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. He felt like he was finally back home the moment he passed by the North and arrived in the Northeast.


    ¡°It feels like we¡¯re back home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Kyaaah¡­ I did not expect that this ce would make me feel like home.¡±


    ¡°Feels strange.¡±


    The fourrades andpatriots had strange expressions on their faces as they looked at the Northeast¡¯s familiar scenery through the airship¡¯s window. It was a scenery that they hadn¡¯t seen in a long time so it made them feel quite emotional.


    It wasn¡¯t just them. Even the Northeasterner soldiers also felt the same. They were tired of the scene when they were here but when they left and came back, they felt emotional for some reason.


    Obviously, it was inferior to therge cities. It was a ce that was meant only for soldiers to live in and was fortified and built for defense. However, they still missed it dearly.


    It was especially more so for Iron. After being sent to the East, he only came back here for a bit before being sent to the North. Then, he was sent to the Center and did a lot of big things beforeing back home. In addition, he also remembered the words that Leopold had left him with before his departure. Maybe he was feeling more emotional because he was going to leave the Northeast soon.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    He was brought out of his reverie when Cardro, who was looking out of the window, shouted loudly.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Carl couldn¡¯t stand the curiosity as he approached Cardro and looked at what he was looking at too. But even he was surprised. Seeing them react like that made the others feel curious too as they all looked out of the window.


    The ce where the Northeastern Command was now a fortress that was filled with all kinds of cannons, guns and weapons. This scene was not that much different from the past. But what was next to it was the one that made them feel shocked.


    Right now, the Wizard Tower, the wizards¡¯ exclusive property, was built right next tomand with a Magic Tool Workshop built a bit further away from the two. There were also high-rise buildings that were built by merchants and other buildings built in styles and forms that they had only seen for the first time.


    The buildings that were still under construction when they left were nowpleted one after the other as a fairly wonderfulndscape spread out in front of them. There were still many buildings that were under construction but once everything waspleted, this ce would not be the least bit inferior to otherrge cities.


    These things alone were surprising enough but what was even more surprising was the fact that there was a huge warp gate installed inside the fortress.


    ¡°Does this mean that it¡¯s safe now?¡±


    Cardro looked out of the window with a fresh set of expressions after hearing Carl¡¯s question.


    Before, a warp gate was installed in the rear of the fortress in case of its copse. But right now, it was installed inside the fortress castle. That meant that the Northeast had now be safer.


    ¡°Woooow¡­¡±


    While everyone was in awe, the airships began to descend to the airfield one after the other.


    ¡°This ce has changed too?¡±


    Carl let out a burst of exmation as he looked at the surroundings. The airfield had now be wider and was filled with airships. In addition, the ce where the drakes were usually staying had now been separated from the airships.


    ¡°Loyalty! We wee General Iron¡¯s return!¡±


    Then, several officers rushed to give Iron a salute.


    ¡°Themander is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Iron received their salutes and replied to the officers briefly before looking at his men.


    ¡°I will go and see themander. Go to your own ce and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of his soldiers moved to return to their own dormitories after hearing Iron¡¯s orders. Iron watched his men take out their piled up luggage in the airship before turning towards the officers again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The officers that were moving around urgently briefly stopped to give him a salute as he followed behind the officers that weed him. Their salutes were angled and straight, something that waspletely iparable to the salutes that he received when he was still a brigadier general.


    Although he still belonged to Northeastern Command, he was now a general. Everyone had no choice but to salute nervously since he was already at the same level as the Northeastern Commander.


    ¡®Is it because of this?¡¯


    He could now see why Crimson was always stuck in his office and had never gone outside that much. It seemed like everyone was nervous with the arrival of the new general-ranked individual.


    Iron smiled bitterly when he saw the field officers that used to talkfortably with him stand nervously and salute in cold sweat. Perhaps it was because this was Command that there were a lot of corpsmander-level individuals. However, it seemed like they all felt burdened when Iron, who was lower than them in rank before grew rapidly and surpassed them in rank, passed by them. It was not just a one or two rank difference but a direct jump to general-rank.


    In fact, they still respected each other even if they had one or two ranks in difference, but that was all. After all, some were his peers in the academy while some had trained together with him so they could still talkfortably with each other. They only felt a bit burdened when he became a brigadier general but the moment he took the general-rank, the peak rank for any soldier, everyone saluted without any hesitation.


    Iron arrived at themander¡¯s office amidst the burdensome salutes and greetings from the other officers.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    Iron finally let out a huge breath of relief when Crimson weed him with a bright smile on his face. He couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved since hismander did not change that much when interacting with him.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    Crimson smiled wider the moment Iron sat down.


    ¡°How was their wee greeting?¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ It¡¯s burdensome.¡±


    Crimson shook his head and mumbled ¡®I know how you feel!¡¯ when Iron sighed and answered his question frankly.


    Just being at themander-level was enough to make the entire unit¡¯s eyes sparkle while those at the lower rank look down and sweep the floor with their eyes, what more if one reached the general-rank? No matter how often they saw them in Command, the person sitting at the Army Commander position still had the power to make them feel nervous. And even though Iron was not the Commander, the power and deterrent of a General was still no joke.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron sighed deeply as he shook his head. However, even though it was burdensome, it did not mean that he was having a hard time. After all, he had already experienced the burden of everyone¡¯s eyes focused on him after he had climbed the high position that made him oversee the North in his previous life.


    ¡°Well, I know that you¡¯ll do a good job.¡±


    Crimson said so as he handed Iron some documents.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    There were two pieces of paper in front of Iron.


    ¡°One will make you the Northeast Command¡¯s Deputy Commander. If you ept this, you will be the Commander of this ce when I step down in a few years.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    This was the easiest method. It was the general course of action for a person from the Northeast to be the nextmander of the Northeast. However, the problem was Iron was too young. The burden that all of his superiors bing his subordinates would carry because of his high-speed promotion was not aughing matter. Of course, this was a problem that could be ovee and stabilized over time but from the perspective of the subordinates, this was something that would continue to be a burden for a long time.


    ¡°The other one is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to establish a new army for you.¡±


    Iron lifted the paper and read it carefully after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re not surprised, you must have heard some things from the Central Army Commander.¡±


    ¡°He just gave me a heads up.¡±


    Crimson nodded lightly after hearing Iron¡¯s answer.


    ¡°In fact, themanders had already discussed this issue.¡±


    Establishing a new army was not a simple task. After all, there were a lot of disputes between each armies and there were evenplex problems like how much territory they had to give up for the creation of a new one. These were all underlying problems in creating a new army.


    In addition, they also had to get permission from the Center. With the creation of the Capital Defense Corps, would they allow the establishment of a new army? There was no way that the Center would ept this. No matter how weak the Center was right now, the story would change once they had a justification.


    There was an emptymander position in the Center so establishing a new army and giving Iron the position ofmander there meant that they were openly showing their intention of screwing them over. If that happened, the public opinion towards the Central Government, which was at its worst, would probably turn and be amiable.


    Because of this, they needed to create a reason for Iron to lead a new army and not be the Center¡¯s Capital Defense Corps Commander.


    ¡°Empire¡¯s special field army.¡±


    Crimson smiled when he heard Iron nkly reading the contents of the paper.


    ¡°The only field army in the Empire.¡±


    It was not a corps but a mobile unit in the scale of a field army. And themander of this army was none other than Iron.


    Crimson exined to Iron quietly when he saw him staring nkly at him after reading something so unbelievable.


    ¡°Right now, the threat to the Empire is almost gone. The remaining Death Corps in the Center, monsters in the North, sea monsters in the East and the void monsters in the West are all within the control of the armies in each region.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at Crimson¡¯s words.


    The South and the West were both still in danger while the Northeast was already carefree and safe. Since it had be the safest ce in the continent, they now had an endless potential for development. Because of this, anyone could argue that the troops guarding the Northeast could be reduced so they could send support to the vulnerable and dangerous areas.


    ¡°The Central Government might try to get a bite in the Northeast.¡±


    ¡°They might say that we¡¯re rtively free but¡­ it¡¯s not like that at all.¡±


    Crimson spoke seriously.


    ¡°What are you¡­ Is there another problem? By any chance, did you discover surviving elves¡­¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not about them. Even if some of them survive, the World Tree will manage them.¡±


    Iron tilted his head in confusion after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beyond the mountain ranges.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°We have detected a suspicious mana wavelength over there. However, the area where it originated from is still unknown.¡±


    ¡°The void¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    Iron was confused when he heard Crimson¡¯s firm answer.


    ¡°Then, what in the world is it¡­?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    It was almost impossible for the Northeast, which was already cut in half, to spy beyond the mountains. In addition, they had already withdrawn the outposts and the search areas in the Winter Mountains so it was difficult for them to search and investigate anywhere beyond that area.


    Even if they dered that the Northeast was safe, it was only in the area that was below the mountain ranges. Many high-leveled monsters might have disappeared from the top of the mountain ranges but there was no guarantee that they did not go beyond the mountain ranges.


    Because of that, the Northeastern Army had to reorganize and prepare for emergencies more diligently than ever.


    ¡°We can¡¯t even tell the public about this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only natural since we¡¯re already independent from the Center.¡±


    Iron understood Crimson¡¯s intention immediately as he spoke.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to inform the outside of an unidentified threat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t intend to let anyone else know until our army recovers.¡±


    Iron nodded at Crimson¡¯s words.


    The Center was already broken and they could no longer expect any external help since the other regions were also in a difficult situation. The Northeast now had to go through this ordeal alone.


    And in such a situation, it was impossible for them to show people the image that the ce was as dangerous as before.


    ¡®White lies.¡¯


    Iron and Crimson both nodded their heads as these two words shed in their heads. These were the perfect words for their current situation.


    ¡°How many know about this?¡±


    ¡°All of themanders and the corpsmanders of the Northeastern Army.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell the Center?¡±


    Crimson smiled bitterly at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to let them know after a while passes.¡±


    Iron respected Crimson¡¯s decisions. There was no need for them to create more risk especially since the Northeast was still recovering.


    ¡°How are you going to persuade the Center?¡±


    ¡°If you choose to be themander, we will gather troops from each region and ask you to deal with the threats on the outside.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Dealing with threats outside the Empire, not inside the Empire. That¡¯s our justification to persuade the Center.¡±


    Iron thought that it was possible after pondering over Crimson¡¯s words.


    With the Empire already damaged and on the brink of copse, damage from the outside would also be a burden to the Center. Creating a mobile army that would deal with the threats outside the Empire would reduce the burden from within the Empire. It did not matter if they chose to help the allied forces of the kingdom or they moved by their own, whatever threat they dealt with would reduce the burden of the Empire.


    In addition, they could inform the outside that the Empire was still in good condition. Even if it was just a false facade, they would still be able to gain the support from the people. After all, they would gain the confidence and pride of being the strongest country and Empire in the entire continent.


    ¡°Choose. All themanders said that they would respect your choice.¡±


    Ironughed when he heard Crimson¡¯s question.


    ¡°I believe there¡¯s only one choice.¡±


    Crimson smiled as he quietly took the paper after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Then, he looked at Iron and said¡­


    ¡°Congrattions. You are now amander, like me.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 162 - The Establishment Of The Empire’s Special Field Army! (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(162)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>54 </b>The Establishment of the Empire¡¯s Special Field Army! (3)


    Usually, anyone would feel happy if they received Crimson¡¯s congrattory words. However, Iro only felt gloomy. He could already see his future of being called all over the ce. Of course, that did not mean that it was a bad thing. The mobile troops that he could lead were now in the scale of a field army. It was a great merit to be able to lead a field army while the Empire was still intact and not in a precarious situation like in his past life.


    ¡®It¡¯s doable.¡¯


    Iron clenched his fists tightly as this thought shed in his head.


    ¡°But how can I recruit brigadier general or higher level individuals?¡±


    Iron tilted his head as he asked this question.


    Currently, there was a scarcity of brigadier general and higher level individuals in the Empire.


    The corpsmander-level and division-levelmanders were somehow able to survive in the Northeast. However, most of the brigadier general-level and field army officers-level individuals that were directly below these two ranks had died and left a hole in the army that was still yet to be filled.


    The Central Army on the other hand had no corpsmander-level individuals while a few division leader-level individuals had survived. But even the surviving ones had to be reced since they were the people who were stained heavily with corruption.


    The West only had one surviving corpsmander-level individual while the South had ushered in a huge gaping hole in their ranks with the deaths of their corpsmander-level individuals during their recent battle.


    The situation in the East was not that good either. Plenty of their fleetmanders had died during their war with the mermaid race and they still had to fill these empty positions.


    Not to mention the North. Half of their force had died after the war against the elves.


    In a situation like this, it was hard to predict how many years it would take for all of them to recover.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m sorry to say this but¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Iron looked incredulously at Crimson, who was hesitating to tell him this piece of news.


    ¡°What you¡¯re thinking is correct. You probably have to raise them by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    Iron looked at him dejectedly.


    If that was the case, it was no different from having no corpsmander-level or division leader-level and brigadier general-level individuals.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be the one to say this but topensate you, we will give you a gift instead.¡±


    ¡°A¡­ gift?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We will give you the authority to appoint your men first. However, you can only appoint the minimum number of individuals to fill in the corpsmander-level, division leader-level and brigadier general-level individuals needed to fill in for the field army without reporting to your superiors.¡±


    Iron nodded slightly after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°I will also pick those that you are familiar and acquainted with and ce them in your army.¡±


    ¡°Those who are familiar and¡­ acquainted with me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Crimson smiled as he answered Iron.


    Iron felt somewhat anxious after seeing him smile like that but he tried to calm down as he waited for his next words.


    ¡°An Reishor and Peter Marvio expressed that they wanted to join your army.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re familiar names, right?¡±


    Iron nodded nkly at Crimson. These were the names of the wizards that attacked him back when he was in the East.


    ¡°Why are they¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Wizard Tower Masters wereining and saying that they were half-forced to send them. But I believe that they sent these two as an apology. After all, your power and influence has already be this great.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron could finally feel that his power and influence had grown greater after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    In his past life, he had always been ridiculed. Even after he had led half of the Northern Army and forces and survived in the Lion Castle Fortress he never received honor. However, he realized that things had changed for him right now.


    ¡°This is not the end of our gift. Gaon Temphet and the young lions have requested to be ced in your army.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened.


    Gaon Temphet was the person that would be responsible for the Temphet¡¯s, a famous territorial lord in the North, future. He was an elite born from the Winstell and Temphet Families.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why this person would want to join his army. In addition, the bigger problem was the young lions.


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the young lions then¡­¡±


    ¡°Saeriden, Ludem and Rodem. These three brothers of yours.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t gather his senses after hearing Crimson¡¯s words. All he could do was stare nkly. It seemed like he truly couldn¡¯t understand why these three names woulde up in this conversation.


    ¡°Kaiden Leonhardt and Aiden Leonhardt had both entered the race for the family head position. It seemed like the remaining young lions wanted toe to you.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, you will probably hear theplicated circumstances of your family once they arrive.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Crimson smiled as he continued to speak after seeing Iron nod heavily.


    ¡°You might not be able to recruit any brigadier general to corpsmander-level individuals but think of it in a good way, you are raising the people who will be in charge of the future of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    Ironughed loudly at Crimson¡¯s words but his expression was not that bright.


    He knew the situation of the armies of the Empire so he couldn¡¯t even dare ask for any corpsmander or division leader level individuals as well as any brigadier general. For the first time in history, a field army with no brigadier general or higher-level individual was born. Of course, the army was equipped with geniuses who would grow up well in just a few years. But the problem was right now.


    A field army with no corpsmander, division leader and brigadier general level officers, no matter who saw it, they would all think that they were crazy.


    ¡°If this is the case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just give me corps-level troops? It would be convenient to just expand it to a field army in the future.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡±


    Crimson shook his head firmly after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    In fact, it was far more reasonable for him to start at the corps-level rather than overdo it and start at the field army-level. However, the things in reality wouldn¡¯t work like how they wanted it.


    ¡°A general at master-level is ced as a corpsmander in charge of corps-level troops? Do you think that makes sense?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡±


    ¡°If you have just obtained just one of the two then I would have somehow ced you under mymand. But¡­ you have grown too big.¡±


    Iron sighed quietly after hearing Crimson¡¯s words. His only crime was working hard but the situation had somehow turnedplicated.


    Crimson would be able to put him as a deputymander and raise him to be the Northeastern Commander in the future if Iron had just be a general and not a master. The same was true if it was just the other way around.


    However, he had be a general and was recognized as the new master by all of the masters in the Empire. His fame was so great that he could immediately push away the othermanders from the limelight.


    What would happen if he was suddenly ced as a corpsmander in a situation like this?


    Anyone who decided to do so would face fierce resistance from the public. 0 And there was no one among themanders who was willing to face this pressure. After all, the situation that they were facing was difficult enough that they did not need to add the anger of the public to make it more difficult.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Iron had no choice but to ept this fact. All he could do was sigh andment his fate.


    It¡¯s good to have a field army.


    He had no choice but to lead this army. It was frustrating for Iron since he was the one who was going to lead this strange field army that was going to beughed at by the public.


    ¡°How much autonomy am I given?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be given as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Can Ie up with a new military system?¡±


    Crimson tilted his head before nodding at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°If you want?¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression turned weird when he heard Crimson¡¯s words that were filled with doubt. Then, his thoughts shifted once again.


    ¡®I will break the existing military system and create a new one.¡¯


    It was his own mobile army anyway. In addition, they were all in a situation where they needed to reorganize their troops, so this was the perfect opportunity to form his ideal troops.


    ¡°Are you making ns already?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier and morefortable if I do it in advance?¡±


    ¡°Hoho¡­ You¡¯re really diligent.¡±


    Crimson stood up as he said so.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the othermanders but I¡¯ll do my best to help you if there¡¯s anything that I can help you with.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! Of course taking out any brigadier general or higher-level officers is out of the question. The same goes for the Ghost.¡±


    Iron bowed his head sullenly when Crimson spoke firmly.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll try to ce yourrades in your troops as much as possible.¡±


    Iron sighed and nodded his head.


    It was clear that hispatriots, the former Northeastern Academy¡¯s strongest generation, would be extremely helpful. And it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to select some of the future elites from each region¡¯smand and ce them in his unit.


    They had no choice but to send their elites that should have been in charge of their future since they couldn¡¯t give up their brigadier general-level and elite field army officers due to theirck of manpower.


    Although it was just a field army with nothing to show and was only in name but in a few years their roots would be the best.


    ¡°But where will I put mymand?¡±


    Crimson pondered for a while after hearing Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°You can choose between the Northwest and the Southeast.¡±


    Iron frowned as Crimson pointed to the wall where the map of the Empire was hung.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Central Army Command located in the Southwest region?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron understood what Crimson was implying right away.


    The current Empire had Commands in all four directions, the East, the West, the South and the North with the Central Command and the Northeastern Command added on top of that. However, after the Central Command moved to the Southwest, the only remaining regions were the Northwest and Southeast.


    Iron was lost in thought as he looked at the map that Crimson had pointed at earlier.


    Both ces had pros and cons.


    If he chose the Northwest.


    <b>1 </b>It is convenient since he can connect with the Northern Army¡¤Northeastern Army.


    <b>2 </b>Hecan be involved in the new trade route from the East to the West.


    <b>3</b> He can also borrow the power of the Lion Family and the Northern Lords.


    These three points were attractive enough. It was also a good ce to confirm and check the existence of the birdmen and the beings of the void. Of course, it would be difficult for him to affect the West since there was a huge mountainous terrain blocking their path but he could find a way and make it work.


    But did that mean that the Southeastern region was not attractive?


    That was not the case at all.


    If he chose the Southeast.


    <b>1</b> He can be connected with the East and the South.


    <b>2 </b>Hecan exert and show my influence in the Southern Kingdoms.


    However, it was regrettable that he wouldn¡¯t be able to use the familiar Northern forces here. All of his connections and power are concentrated in the Northeast and the North. He had ties with the Eastern Commander but if he was talking in that sense then he also had ties with the Western Commander.


    But it did not mean that there was no merit at all. Establishing a Command in the Southeast would allow him to create a separate navy from the East or create another influence in the South. It would also be convenient for him to directly make connections with the Southern Kingdoms.


    Iron frowned after he thought about everything.


    If he considered the present, choosing the Northwest was the best choice but if he considered the future then the Southeast was a better choice.


    ¡®If I take good control of the Southeast, I think I will be able to exert greater power and influence¡­¡¯


    The Northeast was growing well enough. It was difficult to grow even faster even if he established a Command in the Northwest.


    Then, what about the Southeast? The Empire¡¯s Southeastern region had long be a wastnd after the Southern Kingdoms left. It was to the point where the Southern Command couldn¡¯t even think about restoring it once again. If he could devour it himself then he would have an easier time connecting with the Southern Kingdoms in the future. In addition, it was once an important trade route with other continents so it had a high strategic value.


    ¡°Have you decided?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°The Southeast.¡±


    Crimson looked at Iron strangely after hearing his answer.


    In all honesty, he believed that he would choose the Northwest. The South was in a dangerous situation but the same was true for the West. It was also the ce where he could get the fastest help from the North so it was the perfect ce for him to raise a newly established field army. And the ce was also not that far away from the Lion Family so he could get help from them too.


    But he abandoned all of that and chose the Southeast?


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to do here.¡±


    Crimson looked puzzled.


    ¡°Although the field army will not be up to par yet, the area where the Command will be built will be a safe area right away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Currently, there is more danger in the Southeast than in the Northwest. And it would be more helpful for the Empire if I go down the Southeast. Considering all of that, it would be right for me to go to the Southeast.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°My work is over in the North and the Northeast.¡±


    Crimson looked disappointed when he heard Iron¡¯s firm tone. If he had remained in the Northwest, he could stop by sometimes and continue the rtionship that they had. He had a lot of pretexts to meet and get involved like training or bing allied forces.


    But Iron chose the Southeast.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Are you prepared?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Unlike the Northwest, the Southeast was still in the middle of war. He might lead his iplete army and fight real wars right away. It was a situation where he would be faced with a lot of trouble and hard work.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ May fortune apany you on the battlefield.¡±


    All Crimson could do was wish him luck. After all, Iron made such a choice despite knowing everything.


    ***


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 Chapter 163 - The Establishment Of The Empire’s Special Field Army! (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(163)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>54 </b>The Establishment of the Empire¡¯s Special Field Army! (4)


    Iron immediately went to where his troops were resting after choosing the Southeast as his new field army¡¯s Command.


    He could see them chatting with each other after taking a proper rest, something that they had not done in a long time. He did not interfere with them and just called for Ariel and his other key officers separately.


    ¡°Are you done talking with the Commander?¡±


    Iron nodded lightly in answer to Ariel¡¯s question.


    The other officers looked at Iron seriously after Ariel immediately returned to her position as her officer, an attitude that waspletely unlike when they just went down the airship.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ There¡¯s a lot of things that we need to discuss and I don¡¯t know what to say first, but let me tell you the most important thing.¡±


    Iron let out a long breath. He organized his thoughts for a while before opening his mouth again.


    ¡°The Empire will establish a field army.¡±


    The officers¡¯ eyes widened after hearing his words.


    ¡°By any chance is the General going to be themander¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    All of the people present nodded their heads heavily.


    They all thought that this was just a matter of time. They knew that Iron would not be able to remain in the brigade forever after he became a captain. And since they were part of the Northeastern Army, they believed that they would not be able to go with Iron, who was leaving to establish a new field army.


    Iron chuckled when he saw their expressions.


    ¡°I will take all of you with me too.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ that even possible?¡±


    ¡°Commander Crimson has given his definite answer, do you think it¡¯s possible?¡±


    Everyone looked at Iron in surprise.


    ¡°The problem is that there are no brigadier general and higher-level individuals.¡±


    The officers tilted their heads at his words.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. After all, Commander Crimson is the one who said it, right?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Is it really possible to have an army without a brigadier general and higher-level individuals?


    It was only possible since they were in a war. With all of themanding officers dead, the next best person would temporarily fill in their vacated position and perform. This was also a scenario that was possible for any troops below the division-level. But this was a newly established field army not a corps.


    ¡°First of all, I intend to give all of my officers the best temporary position.¡±


    Iron looked around as he said so.


    He would promote the key figures that made up his brigade including Ariel, Cardro, Carl, Nyx, Jon Powell, Vic Hart, and Dominic Stone. Since all of them had already made contributions in the field, he would promote them temporarily to the field army officers¡¯ highest position that he could grant.


    ¡°The Wizard Towers said that they would send a number of their elite wizards and each Command promised to send some of their elite officers.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They will all be rookies. Their experiences and skill are notparable to the realmanding officer-level and elite field army officer-level individuals.¡±


    Iron nodded as he acknowledged Carl¡¯s worried gaze.


    No matter how much of a genius they were, they were still rookies right now, their power and force was something that they could only look forward to in the future.


    Even if the Lion Family sent their young lions and the other Northern Family sent their precious children to Iron¡¯s army, it would take a lot of time for them to grow. They might have suffered a lot during the Northern War but they still needed to experience more battles for them to be useful. In fact, even Iron¡¯s troops had a lot of shorings that Iron¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t enough to catch them despite fighting numerous wars against the Death Corps.


    In addition to thecking numbers, they alsocked force. Aside from the Northeast¡¯s standard where they only epted knights at 4th Stage or higher, the rest of the Empire epted those at the 3rd Stage or higher. Even if they were selected carefully, their troops alone were notparable to a regr brigade-level unit.


    Perhaps this was something that would not change even if they became a field army and had been promoted as field army officers.


    ¡°I will temporarily make you all be regiment leaders.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. We¡¯ll have all the rookies who are at the 5th Stage or close to the 5th Stage take over a regiment.¡±


    But there weren¡¯t that many. Only the future of Temphet 0, the young lions and the two elites from the Wizard Towers were qualified for this.


    ¡°We will start training as soon as our troops are formed. Also, we are going to the Southeast.¡±


    Then, Iron exined his ns to them with a solemn look on his face.


    <b>1 </b>Create units.


    <b>2</b> Do the minimal training the same way when he first took charge of the brigade.


    <b>3 </b>Move immediately to start building the Command in the Southeast.


    ¡°The most important thing is the fourth one. We¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s words tapered off as he looked at his officers.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to move after training for two months. We will move as soon as we finish that and fight in actual battles.¡±


    Everyone turned nervous when they heard his words.


    ¡°Can we really do that?¡±


    Iron nodded in answer to Cardro¡¯s question.


    However, no matter how hard Iron would train them, it was impossible for him to create an elite field army in a short amount of time. In the end, they would probably be a mess in an actual battle and make huge sacrifices.


    Iron was fully aware of this. They weren¡¯tpany or battalion-level troops, they were a full-on field army and they were bound to make sacrifices once they went out on the field. But they had no choice but to make these sacrifices. However, he nned to train them to his utmost with the basics to reduce the damage to the minimum.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just train them with the basics. There¡¯s no way the Command would be built for free, right? Even if we hire workers, can we even borrow other¡¯s to protect them?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ There will be huge sacrifices.¡±


    ¡°But we have no choice but to go.¡±


    Iron firmly spoke as he looked at Cardro, who couldn¡¯t answer his questions immediately.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to minimize the damage. I¡¯ll make you do that, so be prepared.¡±


    Everyone pondered over Iron¡¯s words. Hearing him say those words meant that he would roll them until he couldn¡¯t roll them anymore.


    Iron smiled as he opened his mouth again.


    ¡°There are important things to do there too. The first thing we need to do is to block the monsters that would constantly flock at us until the Command is fully built. It¡¯s only natural, right?¡±


    Iron folded his hands.


    ¡°The second thing that we need to do is to conquer the entire Southeastern region of the Empire. It is important for us to push everything back until we can see the sea and the river.¡±


    It was essential for them to push back the beings of the void and the monsters back in the jungle but it was a must for them to push them back until they saw the sea and the river before they created their defenses and barriers. They needed to exterminate every being that threatened the safety of their Command.


    ¡°What should we do once we create a barrier between the Empire and the Southern Kingdoms?¡±


    Carl spoke carefully after hearing Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s important for us to maintain it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Maintain. And to do that, we need to build fortresses in major areas. This is everything that we need to do in the Southeast.¡±


    Everyone sighed after hearing Iron¡¯s words. It did not seem to be easy. However, it was a must. Only after they did that would they be able to move properly in their newly established Command.


    Their Command needed to be safe for them to be the only mobile field army in the Empire that Iron had envisioned.


    Only after they had ensured their safety could they be able to assist the Southern Command. If they made sure that it was safe, they could just ask some troops from the Southern Army to protect the Field Army Command so they could move out.


    ¡°Gather up. I¡¯ll exin everything in detail.¡±


    Everyone gathered together when they saw Iron pressing his fingers together. Iron began to draw a line on the map spread out on the desk as he exined to his officers.


    First of all, they needed to create the Southeast Command. Then, they needed to expand and stabilize the area. After that, they would help the Southern Command and create a new front.


    It was obviously not an easy task but if they carried this out then the entirety of the Southeast would bepletely in Iron¡¯s palms. Only after that was made possible would a variety of options be avable to them.


    They would literally have a lot of options. They could go and help the Southern Kingdoms, they could help the Southern Command restore their copsed front or go beyond any of these two choices.


    However, Iron had no intention of only ying around in the South.


    ¡°Once we¡¯re done with that then¡­ our main force will go to the West.¡±


    ¡°The¡­West?¡±


    Cardro frowned as he asked Iron.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The South will be alright to some extent once we help the Southern Army. That means that all that will be left is the West.¡±


    Everyone fell silent at Iron¡¯s answer. Their expressions screamed ¡®We probably will have a hard time in the South but you also want to go to the West?¡¯.


    But Iron was thinking about his army¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Our goal is to be a mobile army. When the Imperial Commanders established this field army, what they had in mind was a special mobile army in the Empire. If you think about it, we can¡¯t just be tied to the Southeast forever.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ is that even possible? Common sense says that we will take years to stabilize our Command and create a supply line that will send supplies to each fortress.¡±


    ¡°The defense will be difficult too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Considering the troops needed to defend the Southeast, the size of our mobile army is considered to be small.¡±


    Everyone was saying that Iron¡¯s ns were unrealistic. Carl, who was in charge of the defense and logistics, and Ariel, who came from the knight order and was transferred to Iron¡¯s unit, were all speaking negatively.


    What they said was not wrong. But Iron had his own thoughts and ideas.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible as long as the Southeast is stabilized.¡±


    Iron said that as he wrote down his ideas and thoughts on paper.


    <b>1 </b>Assign troops that will protect the Command and the fortresses.


    <b>2 </b>Continue receiving help from the East and the South.


    <b>3 </b>The remaining troops in the Southeast will continue to go around.


    ¡°My army will operate like this in the future. Of course, it¡¯s only natural there should be special departments that specialize on each mission, right?¡±


    Iron looked at Carl as if he did not need to worry at all.


    It was also necessary to have departments that specialize in administration and logistics.


    ¡°First, we will form three corps. The core of my field army will be around these three corps, the Maneuver Corps, Command Defense, and the Training and Maintenance.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Everyone looked worried after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    It seemed possible as they listened.


    It was probably possible to protect the Southeast with just one corps with the help of the East and the South. Then, one of the other corps would be sent outside. The corps that were dispatched outside would then switch to rest, train and do maintenance. In case of an emergency, the two corps could be sent outside. If that was still not enough, then they would leave the Southeastern Command in the hands of the Southern Commander so all the troops could move out.


    ¡°The troops under Command will basically beposed of knight orders, magic corps, rangers and logistics division. However, we will split them all and divide them into those that will protect Command, those who will be dispatched on missions and those who will train.¡±


    Everyone nodded after hearing Iron¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°The most important thing to do is the rotation of these three corps. Our army is the only mobile army in the Empire. Our army will be the first to move when foreign countries request for support.¡±


    Iron looked at his men as he continued to speak.


    ¡°There are no more threats inside the Empire. All of the enemies threatening the West and the South areing from the outside.¡±


    The officers nodded their heads at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°That means, we will fight outside of the Empire in the future. Everything will depend on how quickly we can go and help our allies. And, one more thing.¡±


    Iron spread his fingers.


    ¡°There should be no more war inside the Empire. The Empire is already at its limits. Our best scenario is to somehow be able to end the war outside. This is the reason why we exist.¡±


    All of the people present bowed their heads at Iron¡¯s heavy words.


    ¡°Right now, the armies of the Empire are trying to stick to their original mission. We have to do well and block the enemies from the outside to make sure that each Command can focus on what they are doing.¡±


    They realized that this field army was not just established for Iron. All of their mouths were glued shut after knowing that the field army was given heavier missions than what they had initially assumed.


    The original mission of each Command.


    The mobile army had to move around busily so each Command, the presence created to stabilize each region, could fulfill their original missions. They had to be aplete mobile army even if they had to receive help from the armies in the nearby areas.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all do our best. Do you think you can do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. Three days, you can take a good rest for three days. Then, start training the soldiers as soon as they arrive here. You have trained the Central Army so I believe that you can do this well.¡±


    Everyone replied loudly at Iron¡¯s words as they busily moved around. Even though they were told to take a break, they knew that they had no time to waste. They needed to prepare from now on.


    Iron smiled as he watched his men leave urgently. Then, he looked down at the paper where he wrote down his ns. To be honest, Iron was not sure if they could do this. However, he was sure that he would make it work no matter the cost.


    The threat from the void was not yet over and from what Crimson had said, there was also something unusual beyond the Northeastern mountain ranges. Perhaps, a threat that was far greater than the threat that they had experienced and fought in the capital woulde.


    In order to prepare for that, he and his troops had to be stronger.


    ¡®The Imperial Army¡¯s 1st Special Mobile Field Army.¡¯


    This was the official name that Iron had thought of. The reason why he attached the ¡®1st¡¯ to the name was because he hoped that his army would be the catalyst for the creation of more mobile field armies in the future.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I will be busy from now on.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 164 - The Establishment Of The Empire’s Special Field Army! (5)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(164)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>54 </b>The Establishment of the Empire¡¯s Special Field Army! (5)


    Preparing for the establishment of a new field army was an extremely difficult task. Transferring troops from all over the ce to fill in the gaps and reorganizing them was a tedious,borious and repetitive task.


    Most of them were just ordinary soldiers. Perhaps, some of them would be proper talents once he raised them well but that would still take a long period of time. The same was true for the officers. Was it because this was the birth of a new army? The officers that were deployed to Iron¡¯s field army were mostly young ones.


    If he thought about it in a good way, he could think that they had handed him the future of their armies. But if he thought about it the other way, he could say that they had embraced their veterans and just let go of these green and immature rookies. They had sold their future to protect the core of their forces.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron sighed as he looked out of the window.


    A temporary training ground was set up for them here in the Northeast.


    ¡°One!¡±


    ¡°One!¡±


    ¡°Go lower!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?! Are you trying to trick me?!¡±


    Since the military training groundcked space, the soldiers were also receiving punishment where they trained.


    Even the soldiers from the Northeast did not catch Iron¡¯s eyes, what more of the troops from the other regions? So, they had to receive training and punishment as if they were fighting in an actual battle.


    ¡°Until when¡­¡±


    Iron looked frustrated as he watched the slow training speed of his men.


    They were training hard everyday but that did not mean that their skills were improving. Fortunately, the troops sent to him were already those who have fought in real battles so they could understand why the degree of training was this hard. Since they had experienced the harsh reality of war, they followed Iron¡¯s various training without hesitation.


    Of course, some of the officers and nonmissioned officers protested. They were all elites that graduated from good and reputable academies and were promoted as officers and nonmissioned officers as soon as they left. That was the reason why they had high self-esteem and pride. On the surface, each Command seemed to have paid attention to them, but they still easily gave them up.


    But Iron believed that their whole person would change once they experienced his personal training.


    ¡°They¡¯re vain, have uselessly strong pride and are extremely confident, but when you look at their skills¡­ Ha. Since we¡¯re on that topic, they¡¯re also pig-headed and don¡¯t listen to anyone at all, right?¡±


    Ariel, Cardro and Nyx Cole, who were listening behind Iron as he criticized them, immediately shut their mouths. Based on their long experience working with Iron, they knew that he was extremely angry right now. They might uselessly get involved if they say something wrong right now so they believed that it was best to keep their mouths shut.


    ¡°Separate these bastards. I will train them myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The three of them answered loudly after hearing Iron¡¯s orders. Even the other officers answered quickly in fear of being scolded and told that they were training them wrongly.


    ¡°What about the wizards?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°Do they think they¡¯re that good and are still training separately?¡±


    Iron asked coldly after he saw that Cardro could not answer him immediately. The coldness made Cardro lower his head.


    Iron immediately issued an order after seeing this meek response.


    ¡°I should beat them up first. I¡¯ll give you 30 minutes, tell them to gather in the 1st military training ground.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Cardro immediately answered as he left themander¡¯s office. The other officers couldn¡¯t help but look at him in envy.


    ¡°Ariel, Nyx Cole! Gather these self-proimed elites that you have mentioned earlier. Jon Powell and Vic Hart will be in charge of the soldiers¡¯ training.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. I know you¡¯re busy but you have to do this now. We don¡¯t have much time left before we leave for Command. We have to correct our soldiers¡¯ mindset and arm them properly before we leave, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡±


    ¡°Alright. I trust you.¡±


    Iron let them go after entrusting these tasks to them. Then, he stood up as he leisurely walked to the 1st military training ground where the wizards would gather. He purposely slowed down his steps to time his arrival with theirs.


    ¡®I will make sure to roll you hard if you arriveter than me.¡¯


    With that thought in mind, Iron arrived at the 1st military training ground. However, no one was in sight.


    Rumors about Iron training his men personally had spread but there wasn¡¯t even a rat in sight. The other soldiers and officers knew that they would be trained together if they stayed nearby and caught Iron¡¯s sight so they immediately scurried off. The training grounds were quiet at the news of Iron, who was well-known for his terrible training not only by his own troops but even by the troops in the Northeast, arriving there.


    ¡°¡­So, they¡¯rete.¡±


    Iron spat coldly.


    Then, he saw Cardro running from afar.


    Cardro was panting after almost dragging the wizards here but his expression immediately hardened after seeing Iron¡¯s cold expression.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Let them line up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Two people stood at the forefront after the wizards lined up together. They were none other than the Lightning Wizard, Peter Marvio, and the Wind Wizard, An Reishor. They were the strongest and most promising wizards under Iron¡¯smand.


    In the past, Iron had beaten them up so he thought that they had finally woken up and gathered themselves together. But it seemed like it was just his own illusion.


    ¡°I know that there are spiritists among the people gathered here.¡±


    The people were abuzz after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Cardro red at them but the wizards, who were all prideful, did not care about him.


    ¡°Once the Command ispleted and we have officially be a field army, we will separate the wizards and the spiritists. So, you have to endure and stay together until then.¡±


    Iron released his momentum as soon as he finished those words.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for the kind and friendly words.¡±


    The atmosphere in the training grounds sank heavily.


    Cardro was already at the 5th Stage but he had no choice but to lower his head and grit his teeth to endure. What more of the wizards? Some of them staggered and even fell down on the ground.


    The murderous intent swirling in the training grounds was so thick that it made it hard for them to breathe.


    Even Peter Marvio and An Reishor were no exceptions. They were learning magic and grinding their spirits since they were already knocking on the doors of the 5th Stage but what can they do when Cardro, who had already gone beyond that door, was already groaning and sweating bullets.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you did not want to receive training from themanding officers?¡±


    Iron asked them but no one answered. More like no one could answer since they were all busy groaning and gasping for their breaths on the ground.


    ¡°So, I created a special training for you myself. From now on, you will do the special training that I have created for you.¡±


    Then, Iron told them the schedule of their training in detail which was filled from dawn till dusk.


    Iron only loosened his momentum after he saw that the wizards and the spiritists were trembling like newborn foals. Only then were they able to breathe properly.


    But Iron¡¯s expression remained cold.


    ¡°They will be the instructors who will train you from now on.¡±


    Everyone looked at Iron in confusion after hearing his words. Then, the bright sky suddenly turned dark.


    Shocked by the sudden change in the surroundings, everyone looked up at the sky. There, they saw three gigantic birds flying above the training grounds.


    ¡°Owl, Thunder and Red will be your instructors. The content of your training is simple. Survive until lunch time. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Iron turned around after leaving those words. Cardro also immediately followed after him.


    Not long after, lightning strikes, beams of light and zing mes pour down like rain on the training grounds.


    All of the wizards under Iron¡¯smand would need to spend their hectic days in urgency, they needed to try to cooperate and developrge-scale defense magic and use shield magic until they were proficient enough.


    ¡®They will be able to develop their cooperation in the meantime.¡¯


    Even if he could not erase the wizards¡¯ unique arrogance and pride, he would still be able to develop their thinking and have them cooperate with each other.


    Then, Iron walked towards the next troublemakers.


    They were the self-proimed elites, who were armed with huge privileges and useless pride, and they were currently gathered together at the other end of the training grounds.


    Iron received Ariel¡¯s salute as he stood still and looked at the men gathered in front of him.


    ¡°I heard that you said that you¡¯re an elite group?¡±


    Everyone was startled by the frost coloring Iron¡¯s voice.


    The sight of Iron walking leisurely towards them with the background of ravaging storms and lightning, zing mes, shining mana rays and loud screams was extremely frightening. However, what was more scary was the fact that this person right now was speaking coldly to them.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I should treat the elites how elites should be treated.¡±


    Iron said so as he released his momentum, just like what he did to the wizards earlier. But unlike the wizards, who couldn¡¯t endure his momentum, the soldiers were still neatly aligned and their eyes were still clear.


    ¡®Elites, huh?¡¯


    Iron smirked at them.


    ¡°I will be the one in charge of your training from now on.¡±


    Then, he took a step closer.


    ¡°Training is simple. All of you will fight against me. If you¡¯re able to knock me down before lunchtime, then your afternoon will be free.¡±


    Some of the soldiers flinched at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°My training method will remain the same even in the future. If you¡¯re able to overpower me by lunchtime then your afternoon will continue to be free. On the other hand¡­ If you fail to do so, you will continue to train until the afternoon. However, if you fail to endure and hold out during your morning training, then¡­ your training willst until the evening.¡±


    Cardro and Ariel, who were listening beside him, flinched. Perhaps it was because his terrible training had already been engraved on their bodies that they automatically flinched as cold sweat dripped down their backs.


    One of the officers raised his hand amidst everyone¡¯s nervousness.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Do we start after their training?¡±


    The officer pointed at the divine beasts gliding above in the air.


    Everyone looked curiously.


    No matter what anyone said, they all believed that Iron¡¯s main force came from the divine beasts. The power of the two phantom level divine beasts and the huge owl were said to be stronger than that of a master. His swordsmanship was never evaluated as something that was close to the master-level.


    ¡°No.¡±


    All of the officers and nonmissioned officers on the training ground tilted their heads at him.


    The number of people gathered here was in the hundreds. Among them were knight and elite-level individuals. They were people who were at the 3rd Stage or at the beginning of the 4th Stage.


    He has no divine beasts but he will deal with us alone?


    ¡°Will¡­ you be alright?¡±


    Iron smiled at the officer¡¯s question.


    Cardro and Ariel both became stiff the moment they saw his smile. They both knew what that smile meant.


    In Iron¡¯s unit, this smile had been dubbed as the ¡®Devil¡¯s Smile¡¯.


    ¡°There are things that you shouldn¡¯t say¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha! They¡¯re dead now.¡±


    While Ariel and Cardro shook at the thought, Iron continued to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s start. I¡¯m sure everyone has learned the Great Master Formation, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Great Master Formation. It was a formation that weaved and organized the army to fight against an enemy that was almost at the master-level. They could stop a 6th Stage with only a group of knights or officers. But from what they had known, a group of 200 elites was more than enough to stop such an individual with this formation.


    But right now, their numbers were higher so they believed that their odds were higher.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    Some of the officers attacked first the moment Iron spoke. Then, the nonmissioned officers and the knights spread out to aim for his gaps.


    But Iron just raised his steel mana after seeing the countless sword attacksing his way.


    Thud!


    Iron spoke coldly after receiving dozens of sword mana with his body alone.


    ¡°It seems like everyone has been mistaken about the great master formation. The 200 elites that they referred to are talking about well-trained knights and officers¡­¡±


    Then, he grabbed the face of one of the officers who moved first with his bare hands.


    ¡°Aaack!¡±


    ¡°Keep this in mind. A 6th Stage could be stopped and blocked by the great master formation by a hundred of skilled 4th Stage soldiers or more. But for people who are as clumsy as you, dream on!¡±


    Iron began to move after he said that.


    Cardro and Ariel shook their heads at the soldiers after seeing Iron break through them like a tank with just his steel mana alone.


    Some of them tried to fight back and attack from afar as they tried to bite on the steel mana¡¯s weakness but Iron¡¯s weapon was not limited to his steel mana alone.


    Iron unleashed his lightning and attacked those who thought they were in the safe zone. He also used his frost energy and slowed down those who were in his vicinity.


    ¡°Fra¡­ frau¡­¡±


    One of the officers tried to shout but it was already toote.


    After an hour filled with fear and shock, no officer was seen standing on both feet in the training grounds.


    ***


    Report mistakes get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 165 - The Establishment Of The Empire’s Special Field Army! (6)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(165)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>54 </b>The Establishment of the Empire¡¯s Special Field Army! (6)


    Cardro and Ariel recalled the past as they watched everyone twitching listlessly on the ground.


    It wasn¡¯t this extreme back then. His swordsmanship was already at the 6th Stage back then and his strength was great. But right now, he was showing a far skillful disy of strength.


    Just like any other 6th Stage individuals, he did not show any shy or destructive disy of attacks but he showed a sharper and neater swordsmanship than any other swordsmanship. His neat swordsmanship meant that there was not even a little gap in his movements.


    Because of that, the more he trained his men, the more despair they felt. They thought that they could do it but the more they fought, the more they realized that they couldn¡¯t dig into any gaps since his swordsmanship was perfect. Just like that, they fell into a pit of despair and pain.


    By the time they thought that they had ovee his power, Iron used his other weapons, frost energy and lightning.


    ¡°If that was the end, then we did not have to go through all that suffering.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ariel and Cardro watched Iron press the soldiers more firmly with his frost energy and lightning.


    Iron would probably roll them countless times until they used their heads to attack him. They needed to find a way to use their numbers to break through Iron¡¯s steel mana that strengthened his body, keep his frost energy and lightning in check, and crush his high-leveled swordsmanship. However, even if they were able to ovee those, Iron still had the divine beasts¡¯ power.


    It was because of the various abilities that this ¡®person¡¯ has that they couldn¡¯t respond and kept on being smashed again and again.


    ¡°Phew¡­ They must be suffering.¡±


    ¡°I know. I feel a bit of pity for them. I think they¡¯ll probably be rolled by him until we leave.¡±


    Cardro and Ariel looked at the officers and nonmissioned officers, who would be rolled hard, onest time before slipping away. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be good for them if Iron noticed them for no reason at all.


    Their hellish training ended an hour after the two of them had left. However, their training was not yet over.


    ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed. None of you were able to endure and hold on during the morning training. So, I will be with you until evening for training. Make sure to be present.¡±


    The officers and nonmissioned officers screamed after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    However, humans are beings that could adapt and conform, right? Or so they thought.


    The painful and hellish training that they had experienced on the first day continued on day after day. It was still painful and hell-like even on the next day. That was right. The time and intensity of their pain just increased day after day. Thankfully, more and more people were able to skip the evening training since they were able to endure and hold out during their morning training.


    While the self-proimed elites were enduring Iron¡¯s hellish training, the others were also training like crazy.


    What would happen if they saw the people next to them working hard and training diligently? Of course, they would work hard in fear of being included in that hellish training regimen.


    Everyone gritted their teeth as they started training hard after asionally witnessing Iron¡¯s training. Perhaps it was because of this devilish instructor that they were all shaking and trembling in fear to the point that they had no choice but to work hard.


    While all of this happened, Iron¡¯s younger brothers came and brought the Lion Family¡¯s branch family descendants. And finally, North¡¯s Gaon Temphet and the Northern Territories¡¯ noble sons also arrived.


    With their arrival, the people who would be the basic framework of Iron¡¯s field army were finallypleted.


    Fortunately, the people from the North followed Iron¡¯s training without any hesitation. They believed that there was a reason for doing this training so they all nodded their heads in agreement. Perhaps they agreed and believed easily because they had seen Iron¡¯s contributions or maybe because he had proven his strength to them. Since they were willing, Iron did not need to add more people to his hellish training.


    Finally, thepleted field army began to train in earnest.


    The only thing that did not change was the self-proimed ¡®elite group¡¯ that Iron personally trained. The elite group continued their hellish training despite the fact that a more systematic, more professional and more difficult training regimen had been implemented for others. In fact, even the wizards¡¯ training with the divine beasts had been reduced greatly. Only the self-proimed elite group continued on.


    Iron did not let them go. He was fully aware that their useless pride and arrogance would be a hindrance and a problemter on if he failed to fix it now. So, he made sure to train them well.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    The officers that were lying on the ground flinched after they heard Iron¡¯s words.


    Their hellish training, whichsted for more than a month, has finallye to an end today. They all held on to Iron and persistently fought against him thinking that they would only endure this hell until today. However, it seemed like Iron wanted to continue training them for a few more days.


    ¡°They¡¯re only barely able to get themselves together but¡­¡±


    They were stillcking in more ways than one. Even theirzy and prideful spirits were still yet to bepletely trained. Iron believed that he needed to roll them hard for at least two more months before they could have a strong mentality that was suitable for the army that he had envisioned. However, they did not have that time.


    Ariel and the other high-ranked officers were all lined up and waiting for Iron, who felt that it was a pity that they ended the training today, to return to his temporarymander¡¯s office.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    The officers lined up outside of his office came inside one after the other after Iron entered.


    ¡°Is it tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Tomorrow was the day that the ¡®Empire¡¯s Special Mobile Field Army¡¯ would be officially established. It was also the day that Iron would be officially appointed as the Commander of the field army.


    He had to move to the Southeast immediately after receiving the appointment of Field Army Commander in the Empire¡¯s capital.


    All of the materials and workers that would work on the buildings were prepared and ready. All they needed to do was sweep away all of the dangerous beings lurking in the Southeast and create an environment where they could work on the construction peacefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to work seriously. Make sure that everyone is determined and ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Real battles will be waiting for us the moment we arrive in the Southeast. You might have fought a lot of battles but keep in mind that there are others who haven¡¯t done so.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ You still have a lot of areas to improve on but there¡¯s no helping it. It¡¯s only a pipe dream for us to move out fully prepared. The only thing that we can do right now is make use of our current state and show maximum efficiency.¡±


    Everyone felt tense and nervous as Iron stared at them firmly.


    Their personal strength and improvement was not a problem. But right now, they weremanding officers. They would now be responsible for the safety of their subordinates.


    Iron had also told them this when he led the brigade. However, the scale of things had already changed. Compared to the situation that they were in back then, they had to take responsibility and lead much more inexperienced and immature subordinates. It was not evenparable to dealing with the beings that could be killed easily in Iron¡¯s sanctuary. This time, Iron would not be able to pay attention to all of them unlike when they were just a brigade.


    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware that you¡¯re all not yet used to leading your own units.¡±


    Iron pointedly looked at his younger brothers and the wizards.


    The others already have some experience in leading their own units. Not only those from the Northeastern Army but even the Northern noble sons had a bit of experience on this. The Northern noble sons had experience in leading their own territories and the other officers had pinned down the basics since they had a lot of experience in the military.


    However, his brothers and the wizards were different.


    ¡®The Leonhardts don¡¯t really have the concept of leading an army.¡¯


    Unlike other families, leadership was not important in the Lion Family. After all, they were a family that pursued individual strength. They might be able to gain experience if they entered the Knight Order and gained a high position but the war in the North took a long time so following the knights had been dyed. The knights were all busy trying to fill in the vacancy after the death of a lot of people.


    The same was true for the wizards. It was probably because they had been stuck in their Wizard Towers and devoted themselves to studying and learning magic that they had a lot of shorings when it came to leading others.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to tell each of you any kind words. The situation in the continent is constantly changing, even right at this very moment. We don¡¯t have enough time to respond to all of these changes. My consideration and care for you will end here. If you encounter problems, solve them. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. I will stop the nagging here¡­ Prepare to move from now on. Get ready to move to the Southeast.¡±


    Ariel tilted her head after hearing Iron¡¯smand.


    ¡°Are you going to the capital alone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I will receive the official appointment and join you right away. So, move to the Southeast first. Cardro and Carl Stein will lead the transportation missions and logistics management.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron pped his hands together after hearing the two answer him loudly.


    ¡°Good! Move out!¡±


    All of the officers left themander¡¯s office and moved quickly after receiving Iron¡¯s orders.


    Meanwhile, Iron washed up and changed into his formal uniform after a long time. There were three medals pinned on the left side of his chest.


    Usually, general-level individuals would have a lot of medals hanging on their uniforms with marks that symbolized their status as special soldiers and elite executives. However, Iron¡¯s uniform was rtively neat and clean. He only had three medals and only had the mark that symbolized the Ghosts, the mark that represented the Winter Mountains Search Team and the unofficial mark that showed the Mobile Brigade.


    However, any soldier who saw his medals and marks would admire them the moment they saw him. After all, all of the marks on his uniform represented famous units and his medals were all the best medals of the regions that he fought in.


    ¡°There¡¯s only two left?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked at the medals pinned on his left chest. He had received all the medals that he could receive in the Northeast. He had also received the best medals in the East, North and the Center. The only regions left were the South and the West.


    ¡°In fact¡­ the effects are good.¡±


    With the pretext of being in the 6th Stage and his hellish training, he was able to ¡®bash¡¯ the self-proimed elite group and almost kill their useless pride and arrogance. However, the truth was that no 6th Stage person could smash hundreds of these officers every day no matter how strong they were. After all, they were still human and would get tired. Even if they could do it the first time, they would eventually lose a few times.


    But Iron was not like that at all. He had his title effects backing him up. Thanks to his Hero¡¯s Achievements, his body had now be several times more powerful. In fact, in terms of abilities, he was already as powerful as a master. In addition, his spirit and mental strength was stronger than any other warrior.


    ¡®Perhaps it was because of this that I can reach this stage and reach the wall faster¡­¡¯


    He thought that it was because of his title effects that he was able to reach this stage early. It wasn¡¯t as obvious as the Monster Schr and Winter Mountain Hunter but he felt that he was getting stronger as he umted the Hero¡¯s Achievements. They piled up and created a body and mental fortitude that allowed him to withstand the blood storm.


    ¡°¡­I should gather more.¡±


    He had received the title Empire¡¯s Hero but it was not over yet.


    So, he made another oath to himself and stepped forward wearing his formal uniform.


    Iron headed towards the warp gate with his neat and clean attire and moved towards the capital. After receiving the salute of the officer in charge of the warp gate, Iron once again opened his eyes at the half-copsed Imperial Pce.


    The instation of a warp gate inside the Imperial Pce was evidence that the once closed-off pce had now changed. Because of this, plenty of the high-ranked officials have be morefortable in their work.


    ¡°I have been waiting for you. Let me guide you to the audience hall.¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at the words of the servant as he followed him to the audience hall. It was a ¡®temporary¡¯ audience hall but they renovated it and used it because it was thergest building that remained intact among the buildings that survived in the Imperial Pce. Along the way, he saw the construction of the copsed buildings of the Imperial Pce.


    Then, the servant stopped in front of the door.


    ¡°General Iron Carter has arrived.¡±


    The huge doors opened with the loud words of the servant as Iron stepped inside.


    Inside the audience hall, the newly appointed ministers, bureaucrats and major nobles were lined up as the Crown Prince, who was yet to be crowned as the ¡®emperor¡¯, sat on the highest position. Right below him were all of themanders of the Empire.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    Iron crossed the ministers and stood in front of the Crown Prince at his order. Then, all of the masters stepped forward and surrounded Iron.


    The Crown Prince lifted the ceremonial sword as he spoke¡­


    ¡°Will you be the sword that protects the Empire?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Will you carry out your belief and creed for the glory and honor of the Empire?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you confident that you will not back down no matter the circumstances the Empire is in?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Crown Prince tapped Iron¡¯s shoulders with the ceremonial sword as he bowed his head to answer his questions.


    ¡°I appoint General Iron Carter as the Commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s Special Mobile Field Army. He will be the first to move to eradicate the external forces that threaten the Empire and will be the pride of the Empire as he dominates the continent.¡±


    The Crown Prince looked at Iron as he spoke. His expression was filled with disappointment. He wanted to appoint him as themander of the new Capital Defense Corps but he was pushed back with the others¡¯ ¡®justification¡¯ and things eventually developed to this point.


    ¡°Do all of the Commanders of the Empire agree with this?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded after hearing the consent of all of themanders.


    ¡°Let this be known that the Empire has weed the establishment of a new army. In addition, the newly established army¡¯s first Commander will be General Iron Carter.¡±


    The Crown Prince ced the ceremonial sword in front of his chest as he officially dered the establishment of the new army before handing it to Iron. Then, the servant delivered the official letter of appointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity but I respect your will to eradicate the ¡®threat¡¯ to the Empire first.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you for respecting my will. I will make sure to repay your grace.¡±


    All of themanders and ministers apuded and congratted Iron the moment the Crown Prince nodded his head.


    Iron, who was appointed as amander, left the audience hall amidst the congrattions and apuse of everyone and faced themanders that were waiting for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for us Commanders to gather like this but¡­ thanks to you we¡¯re always able to meet.¡±


    Everyone smiled at the words of the Western Commander.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re already gathered like this, how about we get some drinks?¡±


    All of them nodded their heads after hearing the Northern Commander¡¯s follow up. However, Iron shook his head.


    ¡°My men are already heading to the Southeast. I believe I need to finish my schedule here as fast as possible.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ So, you¡¯re really busy.¡±


    Jayden Wicks looked disappointed after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    Then, the Southern Commander spoke.


    ¡°If you need help, just tell me.¡±


    ¡°The South is already in shambles, I can¡¯t cause you anymore trouble. We will organize the Southeast on our own as soon as possible.¡±


    Everyone smiled after hearing the confidence in Iron¡¯s words. They all knew that he was not a person to lie and fake confidence.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s have a drink once youplete your Command.¡±


    ¡°I will apany you to drink all night then.¡±


    Iron¡¯s answer brought a huge smile to Jayden Wick¡¯s face. The othermanders also promised to make time for him by then.


    Themanders once again congratted Iron on his appointment asmander. This signaled the end of all his work in the capital.


    All that¡¯s left now was his work in the Southeast.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 166 - The Defensive Battle At Command (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(166)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>55 </b>The Defensive Battle at Command (1)


    Iron immediately prepared to leave the capital after receiving his official appointment letter as amander.


    When someone was appointed as amander, they originally had to do a lot of things including greeting and meeting with various officials. Even if they loathe the idea, they had to dine with the ministers and attend the parties held by the Emperor and the Imperial Family just so their Command could receive support. It would usually take a month or two for them to finish all of these schedules.


    But that was something that was required when the Central Government was still intact. What was more, they were in a war situation.


    He used the excuse of being in a hurry as he quickly discussed the support that his new Command would receive with the ministers before leaving quickly to avoid being caught by the Imperial Pce.


    ording to the Imperial Law, themander of the army would have absolute power during war situations. So, right now, most of the authority and decision making were in the hands of themander. Even when the Imperial Pce was at its strongest, the Emperor had to take a step back and give way to themanders. That was how the Commander¡¯s Judgment was respected in war situations.


    So, even if Iron rudely left the capital and only stayed there for half a day, they really couldn¡¯t say anything. There was nothing they could do. After all, they had been pushed back by their favorite reason, justification. They also did not have the power to pressure him and stop him from ignoring their presence since he did not vite thew at all.


    ¡°The Center has now fallen into the abyss.¡±


    ¡°Hooo¡­ What¡¯s more, they are still in a political dispute despite being in this situation¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hope in this ce.¡±


    The schrs looked at Iron as soon as he appeared outside the Imperial Pce.


    Since his destination was the Southeast he did not need to use the warp gate, so he headed out of the Imperial Pce to go to the Sky Tower. However, all of the people who saw hime out immediately flocked towards him.


    The schrs could not hide their bitterness at all when they saw the crowd flock towards Iron, the person hailed as the Empire¡¯s best hero. It was, in fact, not an exaggeration for them to say that the Empire¡¯s power was determined by these so-called heroes. That was the reason why the masses would always argue and fight over how many heroes each region had nurtured.


    There were 100 such people selected by the newspaperpanies who shone brightly in the Empire during this period. The problem was that there was no one who came from the capital. It was only natural since even the Central Commander had left the capital.


    Because of this, the Empire¡¯s Center was gradually falling into the abyss.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ the Empire that has not changed in the past hundreds of years¡­ is finally going to usher changes.¡±


    Everyone looked at the old schr after they heard his words. The old schr pointed to one side.


    There was a poster hand-written with red paint pasted on the walls. The paper was posted by the protesting students asking for the Empire to change. The words that were written on therge posters were the same. It was none other than the word ¡®revolution¡¯.


    They did not know what changes that word would bring to the Empire but there was one thing that they were sure of, the Empire needed to survive these turbulent times and adapt to these changes that they had never experienced before. The schrs spected that the people that they hailed as ¡®heroes¡¯ would be at the center of these changes. The problem was that these heroes did not pay any attention to the Center.


    However, these were things that Iron did not need to pay attention to. He went to the Sky Tower under the watchful eyes of the crowd and climbed on top of a drake.


    The crowd looked at the departing drake with disappointment as it moved outside the capital. However, no one could stop him from leaving because he would go out to protect the Empire.


    Contrary to their disappointment, the young ones¡¯ eyes were burning with passion. Some of them dreamed of bing a person like Iron while some gritted their teeth in hopes of following the young hero who became themander of a field army at the young age of 20. This passion gradually spread and even affected the hearts of middle-aged people. The young hero had already achieved everything but he still stood up to fight hard for the Empire, so they couldn¡¯t stay still like this. Because of this, the citizens of the Empire often gathered for discussions as they talked about the antagonistic and wrong system of the Empire.


    The young hero was the spark that burned the fire of the word ¡®revolution¡¯.


    Perhaps this was the birth of the spark of revolution that would overturn the Empire in the near future.


    However, the person who lit the fuse of this spark was busy struggling as he put his entire focus solely on the Southeast. He did not even pay any attention to the capital.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Co¡­ Commander.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Iron was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the trembling voice of the Drake Knight.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Is someone aiming for us?¡±


    Iron tilted his head at the knight¡¯s question.


    ¡°None at all?¡±


    ¡°But why are they summoned?¡±


    The Drake Knight was talking about the huge birds that followed along with the drake that carried them. The drake was actually terrified of their presence and kept on shrinking on itself. Even though they were not threatening the drake, the mere presence of these gigantic birds was enough to scare the drake senseless. The drake almost fell down because of them.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Iron felt apologetic, he was only able to notice only after the drake knight had informed him.


    ¡°Guys, fly a bit further from me.¡±


    ¨D Bbiiii?


    Phoenix tilted its head as it looked at Iron with its huge eyes. Its eyes were asking him why he suddenly asked them to do that.


    ¡°The drake is terrified.¡±


    Phoenix nced at the drake after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Seeing its eyes being trained on its body, the drake flinched and cried innocently.


    ¨D Kkiwooo¡­.


    ¡°Hey! The child is scared!¡±


    Phoenix widened the distance between them as it looked at Iron sullenly after receiving his rebuke.


    They felt good because they had been able toe out after a long time so they needed to listen calmly to his words otherwise they might be sent back inside by an annoyed Iron.


    A small bird flew down and perched on Iron¡¯s head after Phoenix, Two Moons and Thunderbird flew away from him. It was none other than Baepsae, who was sitting on Two Moons¡¯ head earlier.


    ¨D Tweet!


    It wanted to talk with its owner, who had been busy training the children before. Of course, Iron could only listen to it.


    ¨D Tweet! Tweet, tweet! ( You! Do you even know how to take care of your body?! )


    ¡°So¡­ Sorry.¡±


    ¨D Tweet, tweet! ( You¡¯re just going to overdo it and ask me to help you recover, right?! )


    ¡°Ahem, ahem! No. I really won¡¯t overdo it anymore.¡±


    Baepsae firmly grasped Iron¡¯s head tightly as it scolded him for doing an unreasonable amount of things today and any other day before. The other divine beasts looked over and found the situation funny. After all, the owner, who usually bossed them around, was being scolded hard by Baepsae.


    With the increase of his divine power, Iron was able to connect more with the divine beasts. And right now, he was able to feel the joyous feelings that were continuously flowing into him from the three divine beasts.


    ¨D Tweet, tweet, tweet! ( You¡¯re not even listening to me?! Want me to wake you up? )


    Iron hurriedly gathered his senses as he listened calmly to Baepsae¡¯s scolding and harsh nagging.


    The Drake Knight was curious about the conversation that Iron was having with his divine beasts but he hurriedly came back to his senses and drove the drake back to the course that they needed to take.


    Curious about something, he suddenly asked Iron.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ May I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ask away.¡±


    ¡°Why are you riding a drake when you have your divine beasts?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened before smiling.


    ¡°They¡¯ll get upset.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The Drake Knight tilted his head in confusion after hearing Iron¡¯s answer.


    ¡°If I pick one and ride them, the other two will be upset.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­¡±


    The Drake Knightughed awkwardly in response to his answer. Perhaps, he was thinking that Iron was joking.


    ¡®But I¡¯m not joking¡­¡¯


    This thought lingered in Iron¡¯s head as he gave the Drake Knight another reason.


    ¡°And, no one can get out of the capital unless they¡¯re riding a registered drake. Right?¡±


    ¡°But if you want then¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back and forth from the capital without doing so.¡±


    Iron shook his head firmly.


    No matter how much the Center has fallen, it was still the central axis of the Empire. There was no need to give the people of the Center justification to go against him for something so useless. What was the point of making room for them to crawl back up when he could just adjust and do these things?


    ¡°Well¡­ In the Center¡¯s point of view, it could be seen as me using the official and registered drake for my own personal use. It¡¯s probably annoying for you to go on this long-distance mission for something unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°N¡­ Not at all!¡±


    ¡°You know it all. Isn¡¯t it annoying to make a person, who¡¯s resting properly, run long distances for no reason at all. It¡¯s the same for soldiers. It¡¯s weird for me to say it but tell your superior that I was grateful. When I go back, I will make sure to tell them that your drake maneuvering is excellent.¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ Thank you!¡±


    Iron smiled after sweet talking the Drake Knight as he talked to Baepsae again.


    They stopped by a Sky Tower along the way to take a rest and check the surrounding situation. The situation was clearly getting more difficult the closer they got to the South. However, that did not mean that the situation in the Center was good either. There were still quite a few Death Corps left in the Center and monsters that came down from the North were frolicking here and there. In other words, the Center was in aplete mess.


    However, the Southern front was being pushed back continuously so the Sky Towers in the area were all in poor condition.


    ¡°Em¡­ Emergency!¡±


    The emergency rm resounded loudly while Iron was resting in one of the Sky Towers.


    ¡°Corpse Wings have appeared! Their numbers total to 70! I repeat! Corpse Wings¡­!¡±


    Iron patted the shoulder of the Control Officer announcing the current situation to the Drake Knights of the Sky Tower.


    ¡°Ah, ah! This is General Iron Carter. Everyone, wait a moment.¡±


    The Control Officer¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Iron¡¯s words. He looked at him as if he was asking ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ but Iron just smiled at him.


    The Drake Knights, who were preparing to fly on their drakes, stopped and looked at each other strangely wondering why he made such a decision when their time was not enough. Then, the sound of thunder rang loudly from afar.


    ¡°My friends want to stretch their wings a bit.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    The Control Officer stared nkly at the sea of mes and shes of lightning and rumbling thunder from afar. The gigantic birds swept away the corpse wings easily, the creatures that needed almost all of the personnel present in the Sky Tower to risk their lives to kill.


    The divine beasts looked like they just went out to y as they hit their opponent¡¯s wings with shy fires and used high-speed maneuvers to kill them. It took only less than 10 minutes for the Sky Tower¡¯s dreadful enemies to die. Of course, it took this long for the divine beasts because they yed around with them. Their enemies would have probably been already swept away and wiped out as soon as they appeared if they used their might.


    ¡°It¡¯s my thanks for letting me get a good rest.¡±


    Iron patted the Control Officer¡¯s shoulder once again before calling for the Drake Knight that apanied him.


    All of the people present in the Sky Tower watched as Iron, who took a brief rest in their ce, flew back in the sky on top of a drake.


    They just heard that a new master has been born from the rumors. However, they thought that the Central Government was just creating a hero when they created a master out of someone who just turned 20. They thought that they had created his persona to distract them from the disaster of the Empire. However, they realized that the rumor had underestimated him when they saw his performance today. The lives of dozens of soldiers stationed in the Sky Tower were saved thanks to the divine beasts who just went out to y.


    Because of this, the Sky Tower Knights and the Control Officer, who easily survived the ordeal, secretly announced the incident that happened today to other ces the moment Iron left. It was just in time for the Sky Tower¡¯s video crystal to release the scene when the divine beasts swept away the corpse wings. Just like that, the events of that day immediately spread to other Sky Towers.


    Meanwhile, Iron had to change routes asionally to let the bored divine beasts sweep away some monsters. And after going through several Sky Towers, he finally arrived in the Southeast.


    Iron smiled when he saw thend where his Command was going to be built from far away. Then, he tapped the shoulder of the Drake Knight as he spoke.


    ¡°Here¡¯s enough. I will move by myself from here on out.¡±


    ¡°Yes? But¡­¡±


    The Drake Knight, who was trying to take Iron until the very end, looked at him in confusion. But Iron just shook his head at him.


    ¡°Things will be dangerous from here on out. I believe you don¡¯t need to take such risks, right?¡±


    The Drake Knight, a knight that was focused on transport missions, was not abatant and he did not need to take the risk here in the Southeast.


    Iron jumped down in the air andnded on Thunderbird¡¯s head.


    Not long after, a group of harpies appeared and attacked Iron which the divine beasts easily swept away.


    While Iron fought these monsters alone with his divine beasts, hundreds of airships appeared among the clouds far above him.


    ***


    Report mistakes get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 167 - The Defensive Battle At Command (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(167)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>55 </b>The Defensive Battle at Command (2)


    The drake units that flew out of the airships helped Iron kill the harpies.


    Iron nodded lightly when he saw the harpies dying.


    It seemed like their training was worthwhile. Even if they were only able to sweep most of the harpies away, there were no damages among their allies so he thought that their performance was praiseworthy enough.


    ¡°Loyalty! We greet the Commander!¡±


    Iron nodded and epted the salute of the drake units.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. We¡¯re the 1st Team. We were the ones who departed first.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems like I came too early.¡±


    Despite controlling the speed and deliberately stopping by all of the Sky Towers that he could pass through, it seemed like he still arrived too early.


    ¡°It seems like it will take a few more days for the main force to arrive?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Alright. The 1st Team should go and sweep the ce so we can set up an area.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s orders, the drake knight delivered themunication//report crystal from the General¡¯s Airship to Iron.


    After a while, the drake units and the airships followed Iron, who was taking the lead with the divine beasts. But they weren¡¯t just moving ahead.


    Since they came to the Southeast, they had to clean up the vicinity of their Command. So, they began cleaning up the monsters.


    The airships began to bomb the forest that was contaminated by the power of the void. Even the divine beasts let out mes and thunders that razed the forest down to the ground. They began to stabilize and organize the area that was abandoned by Southern Command by burning everything down to the ground and creating a sanctuary around it.


    The Center¡¯s drake knight, who was watching from the distance, mumbled nkly.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a newly established army?¡±


    While the drake knights moved to intercept the approaching aerial monsters, the airships continued to drop bombs and devastate the ground. Then, the assault units would descend on the ground and sweep everything clean to secure a safe area. Only after all of those things had been done would the airshipsnd on the ground.


    The Center¡¯s drake knight was speechless at the sight of the newly established army¡¯s systematic operation. However,pared to his generous assessment, Iron was clicking his tongue at them.


    ¡°The assault took too long. The enemies almost broke through the left side of the drake knights. You might have been able to handle them safely if you were able to keep them in check at a long-distance with the help of the wizards but they¡¯re not here.¡±


    Iron continued to click his tongue as he pointed out their problems one by one through themunication crystal.


    He shouldn¡¯t expect too much from soldiers who hadn¡¯t finished training yet but he had no choice but to continue pointing out their problems since they had to y in real battles straight away.


    Iron shook his head as he watched his men from the sky.


    ¡°At this rate, I can already say that things will be difficult.¡±


    They trulycked time. With the state that they were in right now, it seemed like there would be too many casualties among their ranks before they could carry out the ns that he had set to stabilize the Southeast.


    They were making a lot of mistakes even with Iron and the divine beasts present in the scene. So, Iron could see that they might usher huge casualties the moment they began carrying out missions and operations on their own.


    They couldn¡¯t handle too much casualties with the current state of the Empire. They had to save as much troops as possible to survive whatever crisis woulde their way.


    ¡°Do this ce first?¡±


    Iron watched them create a safe area and gradually expand it with a bitter look as he ordered Phoenix.


    With the state that his army was in, he decided that he would be able to clean up thend easily by sweeping the monsters away.


    And Phoenix, who understood his will, spat out mes and began to wipe out the ckened forest.


    At that moment, the beings that were hiding in the ckened forest, roared loudly and jumped up in the air.


    A colossal giant worm appeared and rushed up to try and devour Two Moons. But before it could even attempt to do so, two bright rays of light melted its body and killed it in an instant. However, the giant worm living in the ckened forest was not just one. Dozens of colossal giant worms flew up and opened their mouths threateningly towards the divine beasts.


    ¡°Mutants?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked at the ckened body of the giant worm.


    Giant worms that grew to this size could never live in small forests like this. In addition, they would never crowd like that and be in a group of dozens. The fact that these creatures, who usually lived in the desert and the wastnds, woulde and gather here meant that there was something in this ce that could satisfy their terrible appetite. But it could also mean another thing. There was probably an entity that was strong enough to gather these creatures that were as free as the wind in one ce.


    ¨D Kueeeeeeeeeeeeck!


    A ck giant worm suddenly rose up from the ground. It was farrger than the other giant worms and had a unique appearance with shells covering its ck body.


    ¡°Is this a giant armored worm? I only heard about them but¡­¡±


    It was a gigantic monster that Iron had only heard of before.


    The giant armored worm was a giant worm that evolved after devouring void insects. However, they couldn¡¯t evolve in just a short period of time. They could only evolve after they ate void insects for a long period of time and umted enough void energy in their bodies. The shell covering their bodies would only appear after repeated and continuous replenishment of nutrients from void insects.


    This meant that it had been a long time since void insects had lived and burrowed themselves in this ce.


    ¡°Thunder.¡±


    Thunderbird immediately flew high up in the sky as it let out lightning bolts after hearing Iron¡¯s call. A powerful lightning bolt lit up the surrounding area and struck the body of the giant armored worm.


    ¡°How much did you eat?¡±


    Iron clicked his tongue as he watched the giant armored worm shriek.


    Despite the powerful strike from Thunderbird, the bastard did not copse. It just roared loudly as it spread out murderous intent in the area.


    Iron suddenly felt something as he quickly unsheathed his sword and swung it out.


    Baaaang!


    Iron red at the giant armored worm as he hit a ck object that was flying towards Thunderbird. Then, the outer shell that covered its body began to fly towards the divine beasts as it increased the void energy that it released.


    ¡°So, the bastard¡¯s not just a gigantic blockhead?¡±


    Iron¡¯s brows furrowed as he talked to Thunderbird.


    ¡°Go closer.¡±


    Thunderbird took the risk and got closer as per his request. Then, he jumped down as he asked Thunder to attack the bastard mercilessly. Thunderbird let out lightning bolt after lightning bolt and struck the giant armored worm.


    Iron took advantage of the gap and headed towards the giant armored worm¡¯s head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s sturdier.¡±


    Then, Iron fiercely struck his sword down at its head.


    The steel mana contained in his sword was concentrated. However, the giant armored worm was smarter than he expected. The outer shell that acted as its armor immediately gathered together and created dozens ofyers on top of its head which prevented Iron¡¯s sword from piercing through its head deeply.


    Thud!


    Huge shockwaves swept through the ckened forest as Iron¡¯s steel mana and the bastard¡¯s power collided.


    Then, dozens of giant worms that failed to mature flocked towards Iron. However, the giant armored worm was not the only one with backup. The airship flew back in the sky as they began dropping bombs while the drake knights supported them with their own artillery fire on the side.


    Seeing that his steel mana was not that effective, Iron released the holy power in his body. The holy power was so powerful that itpletely extinguished the void energy in the surrounding area in an instant. The giant armored worm felt the threat of the holy power as it began to writhe and trash its huge body.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    Iron dug his sword deeper into its head as he gritted his teeth and tried to hold out while it struggled. Of course, he did not just stay still. He also tried to swing his sword and deal some damage to the struggling giant armored worm. But the giant armored worm looked like it wouldn¡¯t let itself be beaten easily as it let out its outer shell and countered his strikes. It still fiercely struggled even after Iron pushed his tremendous holy power into its body to eat up the void energy that lurked in its body.


    However, Iron was not the only one fighting. He had no choice but to make a decision after seeing the other giant worms targeting the airships flying lowly to drop bombs in the forest.


    He mmed hard on the giant armored worm¡¯s head and left it in a daze before he jumped up on Thunderbird¡¯s head. Iron failed to defeat it in one shot so all he could do was grit his teeth and issue an order.


    ¡°Retreat.¡±


    The airships and the drakes flew higher and avoided the giant worms¡¯ range the moment they heard Iron¡¯s orders through themunication crystal that was left in Thunderbird¡¯s care. It seemed like the giant armored worm also thought that Iron was not an easy opponent so it did not move to chase them.


    Iron reviewed the fight earlier meticulously after the distance between them had widened. However, all he could do was click his tongue.


    If he took a risk, the probability of killing it was high. If the only ones fighting were Iron and the giant armored worm, then Iron would most definitely win. The three divine beasts could also take turns with him in attacking which could increase his chances of winning.


    However, the problem was the giant worms. Iron¡¯s army was also there but it would be dangerous for them to deal with them alone with their inexperience andck of skills. That was also the reason why he ordered a retreat.


    ¡®It¡¯ll be worth trying to fight them after they have gained experience for at least a year.¡¯


    It was impossible for them to remain inexperienced after that much time had passed. In addition, their numbers were also insufficient since only the first team was here.


    ¡®What a pity.¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head.


    Masters each had their own preferred battlefields. Generally, Magic Masters preferredrge-scale battlefields while Sword Masters preferred solo battles. Of course, the Magic and Sword Masters also had hidden one-hit kill skills, these skills could easily offset such generalization.


    The problem was that Iron was a radical.


    It was assessed that his ranged attacks were far stronger than any of the existing masters but his one-hit kill skill was the weakest. Although he was recognized by all of the masters as a master-ss individual, his power was still vague and ambiguous. After all, the power of his divine beasts was still not yet fully released and his swordsmanship was still not at the Sword Master level. This was the reason why he had no real powerful one shot killing move like the other real masters.


    Thanks to the power of his divine beasts and his title effects, his overall power was able to reach the master-level. However, there was obviously a limit since he was not a real ¡®master¡¯.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Let¡¯s not be in a hurry.¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked at his divine beasts.


    He was still growing. In fact, his divine power was increasing even right at this very moment. There woulde a time when he would really reach that stage.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess.¡±


    Iron smiled wryly when he saw the devastatednd near the ckened forest.


    There were still clusters of forests that remained in between but thend waspletely ruined and ckened. He was sure that it would be too much for his army to handle if monsters like the ones from before were swarming all over this area.


    ¡°The Southern Commander did not abandon this ce for no reason, it seems?¡±


    From themander¡¯s point of view, it was difficult to maintain the frontlines and search this ce. However, the situation would not have be this serious if this ce had been managed steadily from the beginning but it was toote now.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Iron mumbled as he looked at the area where his Field Army Command would be built.


    The area waspletely devastated however it was by the river and was not that far from the front line that was being maintained by Southern Command. This area was their starting point and the area where they would begin their war to push towards the Southeast.


    Iron¡¯s expression was dyed with mixed emotions as called for themunications officer after hended on the ground where Command was going to be built.


    ¡°Tell the 2nd Team to turn back and go to the Southern Command.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron turned to inspect the devastatednd after themunications officer rushed out to fulfill his orders.


    He looked at the ckened ground, a result of theplete pollution and devastation of thend from the void energy. Iron thought that the fight that would be held in this ce would be the first defeat that he would suffer in this life.


    In fact, he could already tell the moment he stepped foot in the South that the Empire¡¯s chaotic situation was just beginning. With the Center as the bait, their enemies were able to expand their territories by polluting thend with void energy.


    Iron admonished himself for thinking that this God Game would be an easy win after he realized that the danger in front of him was far greater than what he expected.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 168 - The Defensive Battle At Command (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(168)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>55 </b>The Defensive Battle at Command (3)


    After suffering from a tremendous defeat in the ckened forest, Iron was no longer careless.


    The operation of his army tilted more on the safer side. The airships were ordered to move only after rising to the highest altitude possible. Even the drake knights were ordered to increase the numbers of people included in their formation and fly at the maximum altitude that they could fly in. In addition, the assault and logistics units were kept from moving out and were tasked to be on high alert as they defended the area around Command. This decision was implemented so that they could urately gauge the level of the monsters lurking in the Southeast.


    After settling down at the site of their new Command and giving out the orders, Iron finally had the time to look around.


    The traces of the buildings and the ruins of the castle that remained on the site were proof that this ce was quite developed in the past. Not much was left to be seen since it had already been robbed clean by hunters and relic thieves but looking at these traces was enough to tell him that this was once a prosperous city.


    Besides, it would be strange if he did not establish this as the site for their Command with this in near a huge river. However¡­


    ¡°It will be extremely difficult to defend.¡±


    It was difficult to defend and build a fortress in the inspared to building and defending fortresses in the mountains and canyons. They needed to do everything by hand. From building the walls, to engraving the magic circles and creating traps. Building a fortress without the help of nature and only through the powers of humans would consume enormous amounts of resources and time.


    ¨D Tweet!


    Baepsae looked at Iron worriedly. Since it was the first divine beast to sign a contract with him, it could quickly read and understand the thoughts that were going through his head. And all it could do was sigh after learning what Iron had in mind.


    Iron chuckled loudly. It seemed like he found it fun to see the cute Baepsae sighing deeply.


    ¡°Worried?¡±


    Baepsae red at Iron when he asked it with a smile on his face. It knew that Iron had been running nonstop ever since they had signed the contract. He had spent his days busily so it knew that he had a lot of worries whenever he looked up at the sky or the distantndscape with a nk look on his face. It also knew that he would also do this whenever there was danger that he found to be too difficult and couldn¡¯t be solved with his own abilities. This was the case back in the North, the East and the Center.


    ¡°I guess I will have to work a bit harder for a while.¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but confess his thoughts awkwardly after seeing Baepsae¡¯s unwavering stare.


    He had no choice but to sacrifice himself since his army¡¯s system was still iplete. And he knew that this was a situation that would persist as long as it remained iplete. The army was created after squeezing out the other armies so if he wanted to raise them properly and not let them be monster food then he had to run around a bit more.


    ¨D Tweet¡­


    Iron patted Baepsae¡¯s little head after seeing it worry about him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¨D Tweet!


    Iron smiled when he saw Baepsae turning its head away from him as if it did not believe in his words at all.


    ¡°I promise. This time, it¡¯s real. Trust me.¡±


    Iron¡¯s words sounded a bit coquettish as he asked the cute Baepsae to trust him. Baepsae pped its small wings and perched itself on his head.


    ¨D Tweet, tweet, tweet! ( I¡¯m going to watch you from over here! )


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Iron nodded after hearing Baepsae¡¯s determined words.


    The 1st Team unloaded all of their supplies as they built field tents that would temporarily serve as their camp and finally settled down at their new Command. Everyone did not ck off since they would stay at these barracks that they were currently making until all of the engineers and workers finished building their fortress.


    While most of their troops moved busily to build their camp, the others went out and did some reconnaissance as they flew at a high altitude. They had already experienced it once so they knew that it was very dangerous here. Because of this, they carried out the recon mission as safely as possible and they did not experience any major ident.


    Even though that initial reconnaissance was inefficient, the drake units still moved in groups while the airship units moved together. This was because they were tasked to focus on their safety. They also only began to gradually expand their search with the new Command as the center after they had prepared for emergencies.


    But once the craftsmen appeared, they thought that their safety measures were too excessive. With emphasis on safety, it was only natural that the progress of their work would proceed slowly. They spent most of their time focusing on creating traps and building temporary walls that would block their enemies and ced the building of the facilities for convenience like the administrative and military facilities as theirst priority.


    Perhaps that was the reason why the soldiers began toin that Iron was focusing too much on safety. They also stated that it would be better for them to finish their work quickly instead of this slow pace. These thoughts were correct up until this point. After all, it was truly better for them to finish work quickly and expand the area where they were working than to proceed slowly.


    However, Iron ignored theirints as he focused on scouting the surrounding area with their airships.


    After a few days of enduring everyone¡¯sints¡­


    ¨D Bzzt! Iing enemies!


    ¡°Position?¡±


    Iron immediately asked the scout after receiving the report at the General¡¯s Airship.


    ¨D Around 20km southwest from us. It looks like some sort of water buffalo. But it¡¯s 10 timesrger and it¡¯s entire body is covered by some kind of shell.


    ¡°Is it simr to the outer shell of the armored worm?¡±


    ¨D That¡¯s right.


    ¡°Alright. Keep reporting and slowly return.¡±


    ¨D Yes, sir! Loyalty!


    Before Iron could issue an order¡­


    ¨D Bzzt! A giant ant has appeared 60km southeast of the ckened forest.


    ¡°Are there any indications that they¡¯reing this way?¡±


    ¨D There are still no signs as of now.


    ¡°Continue watching them from afar and immediately report suspicious movements from them.


    ¨D Yes, sir!


    Iron sighed and was about to give his orders again when another report came in from another scout.


    ¨D Reporting! A giant ck wasp appeared 80 km and 130 degrees away from the Southern Command. It¡¯s threatening the Drake Knight Order.


    ¡°Don¡¯t engage and retreat right away.¡±


    ¨D Yes, sir!


    Iron immediately responded to the scouts¡¯ reports as he gathered most of his troops at Command.


    Most of them were not a threat since there wasn¡¯t much of a movement from them but the water buffalos that seemed to be mutants were running straight towards Command.


    ¡°Tell them to prepare for battle and stop all of the work that they¡¯re doing.¡±


    The Operations Officers gulped heavily as he received Iron¡¯s orders and ryed it to everyone.


    ¡°Move quickly!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in an actual battle!¡±


    ¡°Prepare for war!¡±


    The officers shouted loudly as they gathered the soldiers.


    The battle that they had experienced while they were on the way here was just a little taste. This was, in fact, their first proper actual battle that they would experience in the Southeast. Compared to the North, all of the monsters here were mutated. So, they couldn¡¯t properly apply the tactics that Iron had taught them before. Because of this, the officers were nervous and kept on nagging on the innocent soldiers.


    ¡°Maintaining a close formation is risky. Spread out around the camp.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The officers ryed Iron¡¯s orders once again as dust clouds began to appear from a distance.


    ¡°Tell everyone to break the formation!¡±


    Iron jumped on top of Two Moons¡¯ head from the airship as he gave out his orders.


    ¡°We have to work hard and struggle until the level of our subordinates increases to some extent.¡±


    ¨D Hoot!


    Owl told Iron that it was alright. It even told him that it liked it because it was just like a warm up. However, this did not mean that Two Moons did not understand what Iron meant. It knew full well that this situation would happen frequently in the future and that Iron and the other divine beasts would have to fight every time.


    They would only be able to rx and let go only after his subordinates grew to the level where Iron could trust them out on the battlefield. Until then, Iron and the divine beasts would have to run around and roll hard.


    ¨D Moooo!


    Thunderbird was the first to move after hearing the cries of the giant water buffalos. The battle in the Southeast Command began with the advent of tornadoes, storms and lightning strikes. Then, Phoenix let out waves of fire as Two Moons swept the water buffalos with its ck mana.


    The gigantic water buffalos¡¯ fierce rush halted to a stop with the appearance of the divine beasts¡¯ wide area of attacks. However, some of them were able to stop and turn around to avoid the divine beasts¡¯ range of attacks. And just like any other beings polluted and corroded by the energy of the void, they rushed fiercely after discovering the presence of humans and uncontaminated life.


    ¡°I¡¯m already having a headache.¡±


    Leaving those words, Iron jumped down from Two Moons¡¯ head and sliced off the head of the water buffalo that led the pack.


    Unlike the giant armored worm, the skin of the gigantic water buffalos was not that hard. It was at the level where Iron¡¯s steel mana sword could easily cut through them like butter. However, this was only possible because of Iron¡¯s level of power.


    Although his swordsmanship level was only at the 6th Stage, his power had reached the master¡¯s level thanks to his title effects. In fact, if you exclude the use of aura and only considered their pure body, Iron was stronger than the other masters. Even if the masters¡¯ bodies had transcended the confines of a regr human¡¯s body, their bodies were still bound to be weaker than Iron¡¯s body, which power and strength had been amplified and strengthened dozens of times.


    ¨D Moo!


    ¨D Moooooo!


    The water buffalos 0, who¡¯s eyes were filled with greed for the uncontaminated living creatures, had no choice but to step back after seeing Iron kill their kin swiftly one after the other. He looked like a cold-blooded machine with how efficient and fast he was killing them. But stepping back did not mean that they were safe. After all, their path of retreat had already been long turned into hell by the divine beasts.


    However, it did not matter how strong Iron was, he still could not stop all of the mutant water buffalos. Some water buffalos out of the thousands that rushed forward were able to escape his grasp and rush towards the newly created camp. They could instinctively feel that the man, Iron, in front of them was like a monster but the humans behind him were nothing.


    Bang! Bang! Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them get near!¡±


    The artillery unit fired their guns at the order of Dominic Stone. Even the troops scattered nearby fired together to stop the advance of the water buffalos as much as possible. A small number of knights also stormed out and hunted the water buffalos from the side while the airships bombarded them and broke their formation.


    However, several soldiers still suffered injuries from the water buffalos that reached them. Even though they scattered quickly as soon as they learnt that they would arrive at the camp, they still weren¡¯t able topletely avoid them since they were rushing so fast. In the end, their morale slowly dwindled when deaths began to appear in their ranks.


    Iron¡¯s overwhelming performance killed most of the water buffalos and prevented the full-on rush. However, they still suffered casualties. This was a very serious matter. This meant two things. One, the level of mutation in this ce was extremely high. Two, his soldiers were extremelyfortable in their lives, hence they had be weak with their determination.


    Just when the soldiers were going to sumb to depression, Iron, who returned to the General¡¯s Airship, spoke through the voice amplifier.


    ¨D Ah, ah. This is the Commander.


    Everyone looked up the moment they heard Iron¡¯s words. Their ears perked up in reflex when they heard theirmander speak.


    ¨D Get your grips! War has just begun. From this point on, enemies will continue to flock every day. You will experience this situation countless times. Are you going to be like this every time?!


    All of them stared at the General¡¯s Airship in the sky as his voice echoed in the area.


    ¨D Death would be inevitable especially if the war is prolonged. Did you not have this much determination when you came here?


    The soldiers listening to Iron¡¯s question bowed their heads in shame.


    ¨D Thread through the path of yourrades¡¯ sacrifices and step even further. Be more experienced, proficient and be stronger. Do not stop until you match the name ¡®elite¡¯. Pull yourself together and do everything that you can! The war has just begun.


    The haze covering the eyes of the soldiers disappeared. Their visions finally became clear.


    ¨D Don¡¯t be frustrated just because you¡¯re not good enough now. I will protect you until you grow stronger and can stand on your own. Trust me.


    The determination finally returned back to the soldiers¡¯ eyes after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¨D My troops fought in the Center and fought like they were equivalent to a hundred elites. The size has only grown dramatically from back then in this short period of time but you can be like that too. Trust me and follow my lead. Can you do it?


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¨D Good. I believe you.


    Iron cut off themunication crystal after leaving those words.


    They were in a situation where their morale was already on the verge of declining. However, Iron¡¯s speech boosted the morale of his army once again. Even though it ended like this right now, their morale could eventually go down since their enemies would continue to attack them in the future.


    But that was alright.


    Iron and his troops had proven before that they could survive if they trusted him. So, even if their morale declined, they would not copse.


    As if to prove it, the soldiers at the first-line of defense were able to defend well despite the attacks of the mutants that appeared over the past few days. They firmly held on even after casualties appeared and they became exhausted.


    And finally, the 2nd Team arrived.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 169 - The Defensive Battle At Command (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(169)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>55 </b>The Defensive Battle at Command (4)


    With the arrival of the 2nd Team, the troops were finally able to be at ease and operate well. However, Iron remained busy. After all, his army¡¯s overall level was still insufficient so he still needed to move and block most of the monsters that came their way.


    ¨D Tweet, tweet. ( Tired? )


    ¡°I can still endure.¡±


    ¨D Tweet¡­ ( Sigh¡­ )


    Baepsae did not nag as much as before since he knew that there was nothing else that they could do in this situation. However, Iron could feel the growing concern of the small birds gathered in front of him. He could feel their emotions and worries more clearly especially after they had assimted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best for a bit longer.¡±


    The divine beasts in the form of small birds nodded their heads at Iron¡¯s request.


    Baepsae also relieved Iron¡¯s exhaustion with its power of healing and vitality to some extent but no matter how many times Baepsae did this, the fatigue that he had umted could not bepletely relieved. Just like with magic or heal, the first time would have wondrous effects but if it was repeatedly used then the effect would inevitably be reduced. What Iron needed the most right now was rest. But the situation right now kept Iron on stretching himself thin.


    At first, the attacks only came every few days but now they would attack every day. This meant that until Command waspleted, Iron would have to go out himself and prevent most of the mutant monsters¡¯ attacks. Even after the 2nd Team had arrived, he still stood at the forefront alone for a month straight and swept away the enemies. The Field Army Troops also tried to help Iron and lessen the burden on him since they were gradually getting better from the repeated battles daily.


    They all had eyes so they could see how much Iron was overdoing things right now¡­ So, they gritted their teeth and fought.


    The 3rd and 4th Teams arrived while all of this happened and they gradually grew in numbers. The army finally started to take the shape of the Field Army that he had envisioned. Although the airships had to move back and forth busily to continuously transport the newly established Field Army¡¯s troops, their efforts helped hasten the process and the military system gradually began to take shape. The newly arrived troops also began taking up useful positions and building camps around the site of the copsed castle where their Command was going to be built on.


    After countless twists and turns, they were finally able to secure the minimum safety of the site which allowed the construction workers and administrative officials dispatched to Command toe in.


    The first building that they focused on was the Command Center. They also started building defense facilities around the still intact walls of the castle to ensure and maintain stability. Thanks to the hard work of the 1st and 2nd Teams, who did the basic construction of Command despite their grueling schedule, the construction was proceeding smoothly.


    With the construction workers, focused solely on the infrastructure, taking over the shoveling and construction work, the soldiers were finally able to focus on fighting and blocking their enemies. In fact, they found their schedule much easier than before.


    ¡°Is the system finally in ce?¡±


    Iron sighed deeply as he looked at the field army troops gathered together.


    Although there were still a lot of temporary field camps, a lot of facilities for their convenience had already been built which brought ease to the expressions of the soldiers. Especially the 1st Team. They were the team who suffered the most and was given as much rest as possible to make up for it and their expressions were now more rxed and at ease.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Ariel sighed and looked at Iron when he told her that after she came in to report.


    ¡°Please¡­ take a bit of rest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Do I look that tired?¡±


    She replied lowly after seeing Iron rubbing his face.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ But I get revitalized by Baepsae every time¡­¡±


    ¡°It has already been a long time since you exceeded your limits, right?¡±


    Iron gulped down the words that he was about to say after hearing her question.


    ¡°You need to take a real rest right now.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly at Ariel¡¯s words.


    He also wanted to take a rest. However, that was something that only he could do after his army was well-organized.


    Even though the 1st and 2nd Teams had be more experienced and proficient after experiencing a lot of battles, the other teams were not the same. In addition, the 1st Team, who experienced the most battles, still came up short in Iron¡¯s eyes. There were still ces where they were as clumsy as ever and there were still soldiers who acted quitefortably despite the situation.


    ¡°Please trust us. We¡¯ll do our best to stop them even without the Commander.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a gamble.¡±


    Iron shook his head firmly.


    ¡°This weapon was made thanks to the Commander so it¡¯s¡­ possible.¡±


    Ariel tapped her sheathed sword.


    They tried to find a way to efficiently make use of Iron¡¯s holy power, which was being released every day. And the method that they found was making holy water. This holy water was then used during the smelting process which created holy weapons, albeit weak in holy power. They applied his holy power into their weapons and injected it into their bombs in preparation for hunting the beings of the void. This was the reason why their airships¡¯ bombs could effectively kill thenemies now.


    However, that was clearly not enough for their situation right now.


    ¡°They arepletely different from the Death Corps. We are not their bane now. We have to approach them differently.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t they still beings of the void?¡±


    ¡°That might be true. But they had already gone beyond mutating and had already started epting the energy of the void. They¡¯re not just simple mutants.¡±


    Ariel tilted her head in confusion after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    She was not aware of this since she stayed in the Northeast with Cardro until the end to help Iron manage the troops. However, the officers of the 1st Team had been with Iron from the very beginning so they were fully aware about the meaning of his words.


    ¡°They have achieved their own evolution through the energy of the void and have already gone beyond a simple mutation.¡±


    The most powerful mutant that Iron and the 1st Team had seen was the giant armored worm. It was a being that could freely use the energy of the void and use their mutated outer shell as a weapon. In addition, their outer shell also consisted of severalyers and was much harder than any other ordinary mutants. They knew that the void energy that it could harness was no joke after confronting it in just one battle.


    ¡°Giant armored worm. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about it, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°To kill that bastard I need to have at least Thunder or Phoenix or even both of them together with me.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s expression hardened ever so slightly after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Her expression finally became solemn after realizing that Iron could not deal with the opponent with his power alone.


    Excluding the power of the divine beasts, Iron was already at the peak of the 6th Stage. The swordsmanship and physical prowess that he had shown in all the battles that he had participated in was beyond any other on the same stage. This made everyone assume that his power was already infinitely closer to the power of a master.


    But this person said that he can¡¯t deal with it alone?


    That meant that the giant armored worm was extremely close or was at least at the master level.


    ¡°Is it a master-level?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. If it¡¯s a master-level monster then all of my divine beasts had to stick together to kill it. However¡­ it just means that it¡¯s moreplicated than that.¡±


    She nodded lightly after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many more of those guys will be here. With the wide area of the ckened forest, there is a high possibility that more than one of these creatures are lurking in here. ording to the results of the reconnaissance¡­ There are three ces that have been discovered including the ce where the giant armored worm is currently living.¡±


    They had only scouted 100km around the Command but they had already discovered three such ces. However, there was a chance that there were many more forests like this ckened forest that existed in the Southeast.


    ¡°We will be at a disadvantage as time goes by.¡±


    The more they feed on the void insects and the more void energy they consume, the stronger they would be. This meant that they had to start and finish this battle at some point in the near future. They needed to deal with them soon otherwise, a lot of time would pass and they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them anymore.


    ¡°We have to save as much of our ranks as possible and cultivate them into elites. Once they reached a certain level¡­ we will see what happens.¡±


    Ariel could only nod heavily at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°The mutant water buffalos, giant ants and giant wasps are still difficult to fight with our army¡¯s current capabilities.¡±


    Casualties still appeared even after the divine beasts had swept most of their enemies away. Iron knew that they would have no choice but to suffer enormous damage the moment he copsed or was tied up with some other powerful opponent.


    ¡°But¡­ you can¡¯t stay like this forever.¡±


    Iron looked extremely worn out. He might think that it was still alright since he had experienced and suffered through something worse in his previous life but that wasn¡¯t what it looked like to the people who saw him.


    During the Northern War, Iron still looked rxed even at the most difficult situation. However, that wasn¡¯t the case right now.


    After fighting in battles, he would listen to the reconnaissance units¡¯ reports and issue the orders personally. However, if it was just that, Ariel wouldn¡¯t have to be so worried. He even inspected the new Command 0 and the defense facilities that were being built. It was safe to say that it was not enough for him to have two bodies with the amount of work that he was doing.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really worried then hurry up and improve the knight order.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Ariel looked apologetic as she answered Iron. Seeing this, Iron told her¡­


    ¡°If the Knight Order ys their role properly then I can think of taking a bit of a break. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be that hard since Cardro and Carl are here now.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure to fulfill our part as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Iron smiled and nodded his head at Ariel¡¯s answer. He finally breathed out and stretched his body.


    ¡°Uhhhm! But you don¡¯t have to worry that much, I won¡¯t overdo it. Since all of the key figures have arrived, I think I¡¯ll have some time to rx.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes? Rx?¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes widened.


    Is there any room for Iron to rx and reduce his work under our current situation?


    The more she thought about it the more likely she knew that it wouldn¡¯t decrease.


    It was only natural. After all, the more the Command was set on track, the more work he would face.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to let Carl experience administration and I¡¯m going to let Cardro experience the work outside of Command. The two of them will be in charge of coordinating and managing the materials and supplies that we will receive. So, I can finally have some time to rx.¡±


    ¡°¡­.The two of them¡­ are going to be busy.¡±


    Ariel shivered when he saw him smile while talking about rxing and making time for himself. Iron looked at her and smiled as if he found her expression fun. Then, the emergency bell rang loudly.


    ¡°This¡­ they¡¯re back again, I see.¡±


    Iron stood up.


    His expression screamed that he was extremely tired of dealing with them. He came out of his office with his sword after hearing the report of the reconnaissance unit that there was a group of monsters flocking towards Command.


    Iron nodded lightly when he saw arge number of troops rushing towards the area where the enemies were flocking to.


    ¡°The system is definitely in ce.¡±


    Iron smiled in satisfaction when he saw the soldiers running and scoping the area without waiting for any special orders. Then, he jumped on top of the approaching Phoenix.


    Just like that, a sanctuary was once again set to prevent the monsters from invading. This had already be a daily urrence.


    ¡®I just need to endure a few more months¡­ then it will be worth it.¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head as he checked his troops¡¯ movements through the air.


    Just like he thought, the soldiers had be more proficient. Above all, their overall level had risen sharply thanks to their frequent battles against monsters and their constant mana management practices.


    There were huge amounts of void energy in the Southeast which basically turned all of the monsters here into mutants. However, this enormous amount of void energy was purified and turned into mana via Iron¡¯s sanctuary so the concentration of mana in Southeastern Command had risen steeply over the course of their stay here. In fact, there was a chance that even ordinary people would be able to sense mana if this trend continued on.


    With this kind of environment, the soldiers¡¯ skills would naturally improve. After all, they were continuously running their mana and fighting in actual battles while being exposed to holy power everyday.


    The entire field army was now even able to hold out on their own, albeit only a short period of time, after repeatedly practicing and fighting every day. As proof of this, an entire unit was able to survive despite one of the soldiersmitting a fatal mistake.


    ¡°Hey! Are you someone who just fought once or twice? How can you make such a mistake?!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry. I made a mistake because I felt a bit stiff today.¡±


    The soldier apologized as he cracked his stiff neck.


    ¡°Stop lying. What bullshit, we¡¯re all recovering in real time¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey. Hasn¡¯t it been a week since west took a break? The recovery magic has already reached its limit the day before yesterday.¡±


    The soldier, who made a mistake, looked awkward after receiving the other soldier¡¯s scolding.


    The entire squad was left in danger because the soldier who was supposed to aim for the giant ant¡¯s weakness identally attacked its outer shell. However, this was not something that they only experienced once so the soldier was able to skillfully maneuver and aim for its weakness again.


    ¡°Stop being so hard on him. He was still able to take care of it well.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s because we have to suffer if someone makes a mistake. Look at the youngest. His movements have already gone stiff.¡±


    ¡°Ah! For real¡­ I¡¯ll buy you a drink. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Call!¡±


    The soldier, who was being scolded, readily epted his proposal as if he was waiting for this. Then, all of the members of the unit cheered loudly.


    There were times when an entire unit could take a break. On such days, drinking alcohol was allowed. Those days were the days when the soldiers¡¯ wallets were robbed clean. And the soldier who was being robbed clean was still happy, after all they had won.


    ¡°They¡¯re now rxed.¡±


    Iron smiled as he watched the cheering unit from afar.


    Half a yearter, the army finally exceeded the minimum standard that Iron had set for them. Iron could now believe in his army¡¯s skills and could finally begin expanding his Command¡¯s influence in the Southeast.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try now.¡±


    An officer suddenly rushed in just when Iron uttered those words to himself.


    ¡°The great worms are moving!¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 170 - The Defensive Battle At Command (5)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(170)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>55 </b>The Defensive Battle at Command (5)


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened after hearing the officer¡¯s report.


    ¡°Did you say great worm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The officer¡¯s affirmative answer ced a dark cloud over Iron¡¯s head.


    The giant worms were monsters that had undergone and were still undergoing mutations. And those that had sessfully undergoneplete mutations were called great worms. This was a name that Iron had given to the newly created monsters that were teeming and lurking in the Southeast.


    ¡°Their numbers?¡±


    ¡°At least hundreds.¡±


    ¡°Aside from them, are there also giant worms?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression turned solemn at the officer¡¯s words.


    ¡°What about the armored worm?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no sighting as of now.¡±


    The bastards who had remained still finally began to move. This meant that they had judged that he and his army were a threat and could no longer let them run rampant.


    The other mutants were very eager to expand their power and seek the other uncontaminated living things but the contaminated giant worms just sat quietly in their territory and silently sucked up the void energy in their surroundings. They ate void insects and rapidly umted void energy in their bodies before repeatedly undergoing evolution.


    Giant worms were originally extremelyzy creatures. They preferred and enjoyed lying down on the ground and gaining weight. So, why would these extremely indolent creatures move out of their original territory ande all the way to where they were?


    ¡®They¡¯re probably looking for a fight.¡¯


    It seemed like one of the reasons for their move was because they felt threatened by Iron¡¯s continuous expansion of his Field Army Command so they could no longer maintain their wait and see attitude. However, moving at this point in time could also mean that they were already confident enough and believed that they had a high chance of winning against them.


    ¡®Are the great worms the source of their confidence?¡¯


    Iron pondered deeply and was lost in his thoughts.


    If it was just the giant worms, then Iron¡¯s iplete field army could at least find them to be worthy opponents. But there were also hundreds of great worms. Just this number was enough to devour andy an entire corps to waste.


    However, the most problematic opponent was the giant armored worm that led them.


    The fact that hundreds of great worms had emerged from the depths of the forest meant that the giant armored worm was able to tone down its greed to some extent. It seemed like the fight that they fought before had made it realize that it was difficult to face Iron with just its power alone so it decided to distribute more void energy to its subordinates.


    ¡®Dangerous.¡¯


    Iron instinctively felt the danger and immediately ordered the officer to ce Command in the highest risk alert.


    Their walls were still not yetpleted and their major buildings still needed more time to be finished. His troops might have fought a lot of monsters during their stay here in the Southeast and had be skilled elite soldiers. However, they had still not reached their level¡¯s perfection. In addition, they were exhausted from continuous battles and were only barely able to take a breather. In other words, they were still not prepared.


    But the giant worms suddenly went in for an attack.


    ¡°We¡¯re quite unlucky.¡±


    Iron looked bitter.


    If it were just the giant worms, then their current power would have been enough to block them. But the problem was the other races of monsters lurking in other ces. If the monsters from the other regions decided to invade while they were busy blocking the giant worms then, their situation would be precarious.


    ¡°First off¡­¡±


    ¡°Tr¡­ Trouble, there¡¯s trouble!¡±


    Themunications officer was yelling loudly as he rushed inside.


    ¡°Giant water buffalos are heading straight towards Command!¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression turned distorted as he watched themunications officer run towards him while shouting the report loudly.


    He was now facing the worst case scenario in his head. But this situation was something that he had predicted already.


    The giant water buffalos were frequent visitors at Command. Because of the mutation, their race was able to breed and multiply quickly. They used this to their advantage and filled in the gaps in their ranks to continue their charge to Command. Despite knowing that Command was a ce where they could die, they would still rush forward the moment they had umted a certain number. It seemed like the blood of the uncontaminated humans was too much of a temptation that they would willingly take the risk and rush to their deaths.


    The same was true for the other races. They wouldy low and stay quiet for a while, most likely to fill in a certain number, after receiving severe casualties and damage from Iron and his Mobile Field Army. However, they woulde back once again and flock to Command.


    The problem was that some races would have different factions and different leaders. There were even times when a certain race woulde multiple times in a day. The giant ants were the prime example of this. This monster race had different factions and would serve different queens and there were times when they would invade thrice in a day. They were only able to discover this after noticing the slight difference in patterns on the soldier ants¡¯ bodies. It seemed like the patterns symbolized the queen that they were serving.


    ¡°I¡¯m going nuts.¡±


    Iron was lost in thought after hearing the sudden emergency.


    ¡°Request for support right away!¡±


    ¡°Summon back the troops sent out for reconnaissance!¡±


    ¡°First, the Southern Command¡­¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but close his eyes when the officers shouted their opinions loudly.


    ¡°Quiet!¡±


    All of them shut their mouths at Iron¡¯s loud and domineering voice. Iron was finally able to organize his thoughts after a few minutes of silence. Only then did he open his eyes.


    ¡°Call all of the officers first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Several officers ran to carry out Iron¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Communications officers. Tell all of the troops out on patrol to gather.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Intelligence officers. Inform the Central and Southern Command about this matter and tell them to be prepared for an emergency. Ask them to send some reinforcements if they have the time to spare.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron was lost in thoughts once again after giving out his orders.


    No matter how much he thought about it, he could only think about one way.


    ¡®I have to take on all of them by myself.¡¯


    Iron sighed.


    His troops were stillcking. But it seemed like no one wanted to give them any more time to grow. If that was the case, then, there was only one way. He had to endure and make sacrifices. Perhaps, these sacrifices would also include himself.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡±


    Iron spoke as he looked at the officers that were finally gathered in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you have heard it on your way here, we¡¯re in a state of emergency.¡±


    The officers¡¯ expressions were all stiff as they waited for his following words.


    ¡°The giant worms and great worms are on their way to Command. Not only that, even the giant water buffaloes are charging straight towards here too.¡±


    All of them gulped as they listened to Iron. They were fully aware that they had to risk their lives with the situation that they were presented in.


    ¡°I know that everyone has be stronger after fighting countless battles. So, I will trust you this time.¡±


    Fire began to burn and ze in the eyes of everyone present after they heard his words.


    At longst, they had received the Commander¡¯s trust.


    ¡°Ariel will be in charge of Command¡¯s Defense. The Storm Troops* will also be temporarily assigned under Ariel. Concentrate on defense.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Saeriden responded to Iron¡¯s orders. His usual psychotic smile had disappeared from his face and was reced with a solemn and serious look.


    ¡°Good. Commanding officers. Do your best in your assigned positions and protect Command.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, Ariel couldn¡¯t help but tilt her head in confusion.


    ¡°The Commander is the one that will direct us, right?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Iron in doubt after hearing Ariel¡¯s question.


    ¡°I will go out alone to stop the worms.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Please take us, the storm troops, with you!¡±


    The officers protested loudly after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Even Saeriden wanted to take the newly established storm troops and go with Iron. It was one of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s special forces. This force included Ludem and Rodem and was a force that was organized under the direct control of Command and would only listen to the Commander¡¯s orders, just like the Northeast¡¯s Ghost.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Please take the storm troops.¡±


    Ariel looked at Saeriden as she said so. Since Saeriden, a proud member of the Lion Family, would not listen to her anyway, it would be better to not have him under hermand. Most of the members of Leonhardt Family were part of the storm troops so if Saeriden did not listen, then the others would also do the same.


    ¡°No. Stay here.¡±


    Iron straightly refused.


    ¡°Are you telling us that you don¡¯t believe in us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Saeriden¡¯s expression turned dark after seeing Iron nod to his words.


    Iron looked straight into his eyes as he spoke heavily.


    ¡°Prove it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°Prove it to me. Show me that I can really put my trust in you and bring you around with this uing battle.¡±


    Saeriden¡¯s eyes widened before turning into crescents.


    ¡°Prove¡­ Prove¡­ Will you bring us along with you once we prove it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We will prove it to you.¡±


    Saeriden¡¯s usual and unique psychotic expression returned as he bowed his head at him.


    ¡°The same goes for the others. Take this opportunity and prove to me that you can function and fight without me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°If you are able to block them without suffering much damage¡­ then we will proceed to the next step.¡±


    The officers¡¯ will burned and erupted like volcanoes after they heard his words.


    Iron couldn¡¯t help but grin after feeling their passion and will.


    ¡°If you¡¯re able to block them without receiving much damage ande help me, I will withdraw my special training once.¡±


    He looked up as he finally threw a carrot.


    ¡°Fwiiit!¡±


    Iron jumped up andnded on the head of the huge bird that swooped down at his whistle.


    ¡°May fortune apany you in this battle.¡±


    The gigantic divine beast flew up as Iron left these words to them.


    The officers gave him their salute as they watched him leave. The first one to lower their hand was Ariel. She lowered her hand after watching his disappearing back turn into a small dot.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ This is a real test. Let¡¯s all do our best.¡±


    Everyone nodded fiercely after hearing her words.


    Airships began to fly up in the sky as the drake units followed right after them. The knights also gathered at the center of Command while the artillery units immediately went to the cannons installed on the walls. With Iron gone, the core of the Command defense had shifted and be the artillery units. Meanwhile, the rangers hid in buildings in a ten meter radius around the gate. The storm troops also stationed themselves in front of the gate.


    She was originally the one in charge of the knight order, but her task was now much bigger.


    Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Air Forces ¨C Cardro


    Chief Executive Officer in charge of Castle Defense ¨C Saeriden


    Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Artillery Troops ¨C Dominic Stone


    Chief Executive Officer in charge of Logistics and Support Units ¨C Carl Stein


    Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Magic Unit ¨C An Reishor


    Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Spirit Unit ¨C Peter Marvio


    Chief Executive Officer in charge of Command Defense ¨C Ariel Favrice


    Ariel had no choice but to temporarily divide her role. She stamped it with the Commander¡¯s seal for documentation and ced it neatly in the center of the Commander¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Ariel couldn¡¯t help but sigh nervously after being appointed as the chief executive officer in charge of the Command¡¯s defense. It was only a temporary position but the weight of recing the Commander for this short period of time was extremely heavy on her shoulders. But she knew that this was what she needed to ovee for her to grow. She wanted to stand side by side with Iron one day and relieve some of the burden that he had ced upon his shoulders. So, she gritted her teeth and endured the pressure that was suffocating her and weighing her down.


    Thump, thump, thump, thump!


    ¨D Mooooo!


    The ground shook as the cries of the water buffaloes rang loudly from afar.


    The officers shouted loudly at the soldiers as they listened to the constant reports from the scouts in the air.


    This was their first battle without the Commander. Fear encroached upon them but they all pretended to be fine as they prepared for the uing battle. The officers deliberately shouted loudly as the nonmissioned officers pretended to be alright and buried themselves in their work.


    Anxiety appeared in the soldiers¡¯ eyes but it was immediately reced with anger as their tension disappeared after listening to the continuous nagging of the officers. The anger that burned in them from the continuous nagging was then redirected towards the water buffaloes.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The artillery unit began to fire their guns and cannons the moment the water buffalos reached the intersection. The cannon shells blessed with holy power flew in the sky and fell down on the water buffalos. The airships also tried to stop their rush by dropping bombs from the sky.


    ¡°Ho¡­¡±


    ¡°Monstrous bastards.¡±


    The officers¡¯ eyes trembled when they saw the water buffalos rush through the rain of cannons and bombs.


    The situation right now waspletely different back when Iron was present.


    Their skin that was strengthened by the void energy and the mana covering their bodies that were naturally created by contaminated mana allowed them to withstand their powerful attacks. They were still able to rush forward and survive despite the volley of magic bombs that followed right after the cannons and gunfire.


    ¡°The power of the sanctuary¡­ was this much?¡±


    The officers, who had only fought inside the sanctuary created by Iron, finally realized how great the absence of their Commander was.


    ***


    *Storm Troops ¨C The unit/troops that would rush first to the frontline to attack the enemies.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 171 - The Defensive Battle At Command (6)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(171)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>55 </b>The Defensive Battle at Command (6)


    The stronger and faster charge of their opponent made all of the officers flustered. But Ariel, who was standing at the highest vantage point, remained calm. In fact, she knew that she couldn¡¯t afford to lose herposure at this juncture so she had to maintain her cool with all her might.


    ¡°Everyone, focus! Is this what you want to show the Commander?!¡±


    Ariel¡¯s yell brought everyone back to their senses.


    They all recalled the longing that they had for the Commander¡¯s trust.


    They might have been dumped with a sudden crisis but this was also their firstrge-scale battle without their Commander. They knew that they shouldn¡¯t act like fools and throw away this golden opportunity to prove that they were worthy of their Commander¡¯s trust.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop the bombardment!¡±


    ¡°Have you reloaded the mana stones in the magic cannons?¡±


    The artillery unit reloaded their canons at Dominic¡¯s orders. The magic unit also lined up and gathered mana together to express their magic.


    The magic unitcked high-leveled wizards among their ranks, so they learned to gather their mana together to use magic. To be just a bit more helpful, they abandoned their unique pride and arrogance that valued individualism and moved to practice joint magic casting. However, what they studied and learned was not thoserge-scale explosion magic nor those violent storm magic that could sweep away everything.


    ¡°Slippery Earth.¡±


    The spell that came out of An Reishor¡¯s mouth was magic that could turn the ground slippery, the only difference was that it was made into arge-scale so the effect could be expressed into a wide area.


    Compared to the soldiers of the Field Army, the numbers of the wizards in the magic unit was almost like a drop in the ocean. Even their level was notparable to high-leveled wizards. So, even if they practiced joint magic, the magic that they would be able to create would be no better than anyrge-scale bomb or cannon attacks. So, they thought hard and long about what they could do and came up with this.


    To counter the water buffaloes¡¯ mindless charge, they reduced the friction on the ground and made it slippery. To effectively use their magic against the giant ants, they would createva on the ground and stop their tracks. For aerial monsters, they would create storms and prevent them from flying freely.


    Instead of focusing on useless direct attacks, they turned the other way and created magic that would provide a helpful environment for theirrades. This was the solution that thecking magic unit found to make up for their insufficiencies.


    And the same was true for the spiritists.


    Instead of forcing themselves into a dire situation by participating in directbat with their measly numbers, they took on the role of the support units. They would go down and carry support supplies, heal the injured and even repair the copsed and used traps.


    They all faced the fact that they werecking and found ways on how they could be helpful.


    What they did sounded easy but in fact, it was an extremely hard decision to make. This was especially true for Peter and n, who both took the elite course. And they only made this decision thanks to Iron.


    ¡®We can¡¯t remain protected!¡¯


    ¡®We have to at least be a bit helpful! As we are now¡­ we will probably remain as a vain and show-off unit!¡¯


    They were disillusioned with themselves. Over the course of their stay in the Southeast, they realized that they had been performing poorly and were only depending on Iron¡¯s protection. They felt furious at themselves after knowing that they were useless and that the only thing that they had to show was their useless pride as a wizard and a spiritist. So, to make up for their past, they volunteered to go down to the bottom themselves and help.


    And this was the result of their conviction.


    ¨D Moo¡­ Moooooo!


    The water buffaloes slipped and skidded as they crashed down on the ground with their twisted legs.


    This was a magic that they had not seen before. After all, the magic unit had saved this magic oly for dangerous situations since they knew that their opponents could use their heads and adapt to repeated patterns. It was also because of this reasoning that they were able to break the charge as the enemies got tangled together.


    With the leading water buffaloes down, the following groups naturally fell down.


    This gave the artillery unit enough time to shoot their canons and bombs once again. They were also able to reload the magic cannons and attack them with its bright and searing light ray. Even those who were able to escape these bombardments ande close had been showered with magic bullets.


    The only problem was their tough and durable skin. Their tough skin was able to endure the constant bombardments and allowed them toe closer to the gates.


    ¡°Is the difference between having a sanctuary and not having one really this big?¡±


    Ariel looked at the water buffaloes bitterly.


    She thought that the power of the cannon shells, the bombs and the magic bullets blessed with holy power could work to some extent even with the absence of the sanctuary. But she was pped by reality. It was just her conceited thoughts.


    At the very least, the magic cannons were able to show some sort of effect against them but it was only because they had used mana stones that were filled with Iron¡¯s holy power. It was a special magic cannon created bybining purification magic and Iron¡¯s holy power and was not a magic cannon that was simply equipped with destruction magic.


    ¡°Get ready for battle!¡±


    The soldiers stationed at the wall gripped their spears tightly while the storm troops prepared themselves at Ariel¡¯s cry.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you nervous?¡±


    Ludem teased Rodem after seeing him let out a long breath.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because it has been a long time since west fought without our eldest brother?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Without a doubt, you¡¯re nervous. Right?¡±


    The twins looked back and saw the other storm troopers sweating with tension. They all knew from their past experience that these mutated water buffaloes¡¯ mindless charge was extremely powerful.


    Saeriden spoke after seeing them.


    ¡°Did everyone forget which family we belong to?¡±


    All of the members of the storm troops looked at Saeriden. Almost all of them belonged to Leohardt and their eyes were all shining after hearing his words. No matter what the others said, Saeriden was Leonhardt¡¯s direct descendant. The same was true for the two team leaders, Ludem and Rodem.


    ¡°Since when did the lions get so cowardly?¡±


    His words immediately changed the expressions of the storm troopers.


    ¡°We enjoy the danger. Lions are not cowards.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll just die if we can¡¯t stop it.¡±


    Lions were not afraid of death.


    With the Lion Family descendants¡¯ increasing momentum, the rest of the storm troopers morale also began to rise.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    While the storm troops were busy increasing their morale, the tangled water buffaloes began to rush forward once again.


    The defeating sound explosion from both the artillery and the traps rang loudly as they watched the earth-shaking chargee closer to them.


    The troops tried to reduce the speed of the charge even just by a bit by wrecking and ravaging the ground with magic and bombs and even creating walls but they were only able to stop a few water buffaloes with those tactics. The others would just jump over with their powerful legs or hit the walls with their tough horns.


    In the end, they also reached the iron gates.


    Thud!


    Their charge immediately distorted the magically treated iron door in one go. But since the gates stopped their charge at least once, it had already done its part. With their charge stopped, countless magic, cannons, bombs and bullets rained down on them.


    No matter how tough their skins were they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out the fierce attacks from the troops in such a short distance. In the end, they died one after the other. But the problem was that they were only the vanguard. As their second line and third line rushed forward, the distorted gate was forced to open up bit by bit and was eventually pierced.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally our turn! Let¡¯s all enjoy this together!¡±


    With Saeriden¡¯s yell, the beast¡¯s fierce qi spread wildly around the castle gates. Even the fearless water buffaloes flinched as the wild lion qi encroached upon them.


    The storm troopers took advantage of the gap and sliced the necks of the ones who were able to squeeze through the gates.


    ¡°The castle gates have been pierced! Knight orders gather at the gates!¡±


    The knights on the walls immediately gathered at the gates after hearing Ariel¡¯s orders.


    ¨D Mooo!


    It was difficult to defend against the mad dash of dozens of water buffaloes that pierced through andpletely opened the gates with just a small number of the storm troopers. So, several knights also jumped up to try and stop them but several of them had been thrown away and their defense line was eventually pierced. Eventually, the water buffaloes rushed off inside the camp.


    But it was not just the storm troopers and the knights who stepped up to block their charge.


    The rangers hiding all over the ce popped up and lured the water buffaloes into the traps, sessfully scattering their tightly knit group and killing them. Meanwhile, the soldiers moved the carcass of the freshly killed water buffaloes to create another defensive circle that would stop their momentum.


    After the gates had been broken through, the storm troopers and the knights did not force themselves to stop the charging water buffaloes. Rather than stop them, they instead retreated and moved with the soldiers. They weaved around and in between the buildings and used the familiar terrain to kill the scattered water buffaloes.


    ¡°We can do it.¡±


    Ariel mumbled to herself as she looked at the situation by the gates.


    Although the gates had been pierced through, what they were doing was still enough.


    The water buffaloes forced themselves and squeezed through the opened gates. However, they had been scattered and it was now easier for the soldiers that were hiding through the buildings to deal with so they could now kill them one after another. If this situation continued, then they would be able to prevent them without receiving much damage.


    Just when Ariel¡¯s mouth was going to quirk up at the thought¡­


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    The assisting officer pointed somewhere with his finger. Ariel followed his gaze and saw a mass of ck approaching at a distance.


    Ariel had fought a lot of battles in this ce and was now fully aware of what those were.


    They were smart bastards, who knew how to dig into gaps and were the mutants that boasted thergest number in the entire Southeast.


    ¡°Giant ants corps! All the soldiers on the wall, prepare for battle!¡±


    The officers and soldiers fighting chaotically against the water buffaloes looked straight ahead after hearing Ariel¡¯s roar.


    The officers had no choice but to space out for a bit after seeing the sea of ck approaching their way. Then, they gathered their senses as they urgently issued orders.


    ¡°Airships, try to stop them as much as possible! Drake units, make sure to protect the airships from the male ants!¡±


    The drake unit and airships that were dropping bombs from above moved to prevent the huge giant ant corps that were moving towards them from afar after hearing Cardro¡¯s orders.


    The wizards also immediately saved their mana as they prepared for magic to deal with the giant antsing from afar.


    However, all of their traps had already been spent and the gate had been breached. In other words, they were in an extremely dire situation.


    They were also still not finished with the mutated water buffaloes yet. They were still running rampant around the castle grounds. But they were now presented with another crisis. They now needed to deal with the giant ants on top of the water buffaloes.


    Fortunately, the water buffaloes were able to deter and stop the giant ants as they stomped on them. This gave the Command enough time to restock their consumed ammunition and cannon shells. They also took this opportunity to reorganize and refine their battle line for the uing battle.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to block them. Make sure that you are determined. There¡¯s nowhere to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    All of them had firm and determined looks on their faces as they answered Ariel.


    While everyone was risking their lives to protect Command and trying to get over the desperate situation that they were suddenly put in, Iron was also fighting to prevent the giant worms¡¯ corps with all his might.


    As the great worms, covered with their thick ck outer shell, and the giant worms, which haven¡¯t evolved yet, flocked to where he was, Phoenix, Thunderbird and Two Moons showed their strength and stopped them.


    Then, something moved under the ground and appeared.


    The giant armored worm, which greeted and made Iron flustered when he first came to the Southeast, red at Iron venomously.


    ¡°Long time no see?¡±


    Iron greeted it happily but the murderous intent that it was releasing just became heavier.


    The giant armored worm had grown stronger in the time that they had not seen each other. But perhaps it was because it had distributed most of the void energy to its subordinates during the time that they had not met that its growth was significantly small.


    However, that was his fortune. It meant that there was still hope.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    His three divine beasts had to work hard and focus on dealing with the huge number of great worms and giant worms which forced Iron to deal with the giant armored worm alone.


    However, it looked like the bastard was already tired of waiting. It immediately rushed forward with its gigantic body.


    Then, the surroundings suddenly brightened as holy power spread out from Iron¡¯s body.


    ¡°Baepsae, if you please.¡±


    ¨D Tweet!


    The tiny Baepsae nodded its head and flew up after telling Iron to be careful as it amplified the power of the sanctuary.


    The sudden onught of divine power made the giant armored worm paused in its tracks. However, it was only for a moment. Its gigantic body rushed forward once again and tried to swallow him whole. However, instead of shing head on with the charging giant armored worm, Iron chose to evade. But the giant armored worm sent out hundreds of thousands of its steel-like outer shells to attack the swiftly evading Iron.


    ng, ng, ng, ng, ng!


    ¡°You look like you find this extremely fun, huh?¡±


    Iron looked at the giant armored worm looking arrogantly at him as it let its shells fly towards him. It seemed like it believed that this attack would be the end of everything.


    So, he raised his steel mana to give this arrogant bastard a proper beating. He pushed forward and approached the arrogant punk as he crushed the flying shells.


    Stepping out from the onught of steel-like shells, Iron jumped around and tried to climb on top of the arrogant bastard¡¯s head. But it had already experienced it once and was already aware of what Iron wanted to do. It quickly bowed its head and avoided Iron¡¯s sword. It was a swift and quick move that was uncharacteristic for its gigantic body.


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Ironnded on the ground and immediately went into a defensive stance to counter its squirming andshing.


    Compared to its arrogance earlier when it sent the hundreds and thousands of shells towards Iron, the giant armored worm was now looking at Iron warily.


    It finally realized that a single move alone was not enough to deal with Iron. However, it still believed that it was the one at an advantage. After all, its contaminated mana and its physical prowess were all superior to Iron.


    Iron was also aware of this. He knew that it would still be difficult for him to fight toe to toe with it despite his physical prowess going beyond the human¡¯s limits with his title effects. However, he could still endure it well.


    ¡°It would be amazing if I can endure and stop you with just my qi alone.¡±


    Iron murmured towards the giant armored worm.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 172 - The Defensive Battle At Command (7)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(172)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>55 </b>The Defensive Battle at Command (7)


    In order for his divine beasts to exert their full strength, Iron had no choice but to not use his divine power. So, all he could do was stop the attacks of thousands of steel-like outer shells that encircled him with his swordsmanship alone.


    However, he was still a human and no matter how hard he tried to block all of the attacks there was still a chance that he could make a single mistake that would result in irreversible injuries. In fact, pletely¡¯ blocking all of the attacks was literally impossible but he could only live and survive if he could do that feat.


    Reason clearly told him that he should retreat and bide his time. But his heart was telling him that he could do it.


    And what he followed was his heart. He gripped his sword tightly as he increased the release of steel mana.


    ¡®I can do it.¡¯


    Iron alertly looked at his surroundings as he continuously deflected the shells that flew at him from all sides.


    From the very basic movements that he was most confident in to all of the killing moves that he had used both in his past and current life, he showed all of his skills and left no outer shell intact.


    Blocking thousands of shells might have been impossible for others but Iron was different.


    ¡®It¡¯s possible!¡¯


    He made it possible with his own swordsmanship. The very same basic swordsmanship that he had obsessively trained until all of the movements had been turned neat and clean. Compared to others who focused on mana the moment they reached a certain level, he had only focused on this swordsmanship. That was why he could do it.


    The result of training his swordsmanship for tens of thousands of times was sharp movements devoid of mistakes. And these sharp and perfect movements coupled with his abundant experience allowed him to block the steel-like shells that flew at him.


    The giant armored worm felt a huge sense of crisis when it saw him blocking its attacks.


    ¨D Kkiiii¡­


    In fact, from what it had assessed during their fight before, it firmly believed that it could win if Iron was the only one blocking its path. That was the reason why it deliberately reigned in its appetite to feed and raise its subordinates.


    The giant armored worm¡¯s n was to use the hundreds of great worms to distract the divine beasts and separate them from Iron. Then, it would take that opportunity and kill Iron by itself. It looked forward to eating a human alive for the first time in a long while, just like a kid looking forward to dessert.


    It was confident that this was the perfect n. But the human in front of it was more persistent than what it had initially assessed.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Is this the end?¡±


    Iron grinned as he wiped his sweat off.


    The giant armored worm roared loudly as it released shells, which were farrger in number than the previous attack, again. But the attack still failed.


    The number of shells that it released may have increased from the previous attack. However, it also meant that Iron only needed to swing his sword faster and more neatly to deal with them. And the current Iron was more than capable enough of this feat.


    ¡°Will youe by yourself now?¡±


    The giant armored worm continued to release its shells as it rushed towards Iron. He was already busy maintaining his stance to get rid of the speeding shells so he had no time to avoid the charging giant armored worm.


    ¡®I have to take this head on.¡¯


    Iron swung his sword the moment this thought shed in his head.


    Invisible sword light that was made out of his steel mana exploded and stretched out in all directions. This attack temporarily deflected the speeding shells and allowed him to receive the giant armored worm¡¯s charge head on.


    Slide, slide, slide!


    His feet were buried deep into the ground as he slid from the strong push. However, Iron was still able to block the giant armored worm.


    Meanwhile, the giant armored worm opened its huge mouth as it tried to devour him in one bite. But everytime its huge mouth moved to devour him, Iron would be able to avoid it with his strange foot movement.


    ¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯


    Iron grinned as he lifted his sword.


    The giant armored worm cried loudly after it saw his mocking smile. It obviously had the upperhand in both physical body and mana. But despite the obvious advantage in overall power, it still could not win.


    It thought that everything would be over once he left the annoying divine beasts to its subordinates. That was why it persevered in enduring its greed and desires. But no matter what it did, it couldn¡¯t eat the insignificant human in front of it.


    So, it became furious.


    So, it became more annoyed.


    So, it wanted to eat the human in front of it more.


    ¨D Kkiii!


    With a loud roar, enormous mana erupted from the giant armored worm¡¯s body.


    The mana was so enormous that it transformed the ck fog encroaching the surrounding area more substantial to the point that anyone who saw it could feel that it was a bit sticky. Even the nearby areas had beenpletely contaminated with the advent of the enormous mana.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m in trouble.¡±


    The bastard had realized during the battle just now that it had to risk everything to kill Iron. So, it stopped thinking that this was an easy feat as it let out everything that it had to try and kill Iron.


    But Iron wasn¡¯t scared.


    If he couldn¡¯t withstand this bastard¡¯s attack, then he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the uing fights. He was the core of the Mobile Field Army so he had to be stronger.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Iron let out a short breath as he squeezed out all of his mana.


    His entire body heated up the moment he squeezed out his mana to the limits. And his body, which had reached its limits, was barely able to cross that restriction.


    ng, ng, ng!


    ¡°Let it fly at me more! More! More!¡±


    The giant armored worm released all of the steel-like outer shells covering its body as it continued to charge towards Iron. It twisted its body and mmed on the area where Iron was going to jump on to evade. It wanted to literally dominate the space and crush Iron with its gigantic body. Even the sticky and cloying contaminated mana was pressing on Iron.


    But Iron still held out.


    ¡°Kgghhk!¡±


    Iron grinned widely when he vomited just a mouthful of blood after sessfully enduring the giant armored worm¡¯s charge and the tens of thousands of steel-like shells. He stood firm despite the injuries that littered his body.


    He looked at the giant armored worm with firm and determined eyes. It was as if he was telling his opponent that he would never copse.


    What he was most confident in was not his divine beasts, his swordsmanship or his tactics. He was most confident in his perseverance, the perseverance that kept him alive in his previous life and in this current life. This same perseverance allowed him to survive until the very end in his previous life despite his trashy talent and it was also the same perseverance that had made him into the field armymander in his current life.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Good.¡±


    His internal and external injuries were being healed in real time while his vitality was beginning to increase thanks to Baepsae¡¯s help. The feeling that washed over him was so amazing and good that he thought that he could enjoy this fight despite the pain.


    The giant armored worm¡¯s attacks stopped after seeing his injuries heal. It thought that it had already pushed Iron to the limits with all of its might but it saw him recover.


    Although the mana that Iron had consumed would take a long time to recover and his momentum was not as strong as before, the same was true for itself.


    But the shrewd human was able to block its attacks with just a minimal amount of mana.


    The attacker was going at it and attacking with all its might but its opponent was just focused on blocking so the difference in the consumed mana was huge. So, even if it had an enormous advantage on the amount of mana, it would eventually be simr in situation with Iron with the amount of mana that it had consumed.


    But above everything, what made the giant armored worm hesitate was Iron¡¯s growth.


    ¡°Why? Noting anymore?¡±


    Iron nodded his head mockingly at the hesitating giant armored worm. He smiled after seeing that the giant armored worm did not react to his provocation.


    The giant armored worm hesitation gave Iron room to breathe. It was afraid that Iron would grow even further the more they fought like this. The great worms and the giant worms, who were fighting fiercely, also took a step back and took a breather.


    In just a blink of an eye, the great worms and the giant worms surrounded the giant armored worm while the divine beasts gathered around Iron.


    Iron¡¯s opponents seemed like they were taking a breather after their fierce battle, but he knew that the greedy giant armored worm would not give up like that.


    The giant armored worm instinctively felt that it would be in danger if it let Iron grow further. So, it would definitely rush straight back at him the moment it regained its strength.


    Iron also noticed its careful thoughts so he did not return to the Field Army Command and stood there confronting the giant armored worm.


    While Iron and the giant armored worm were at a standstill the Field Army Command had entered another fierce battle.


    They had only barely been able to block the huge herd of water buffaloes but they now had to fight a bigger battle against the giant ants¡¯ corps.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    ¡°Stop them as much as you can! We can block them!¡±


    Ariel shouted loudly to encourage the soldiers before going out of the gate and cutting down the giant ants.


    She was able to stab the giant ant¡¯s weakness and kill it in one go with her talent in the sword. However, the opponents were still swarming.


    Thanks to the water buffaloes¡¯ deterrent, only a few members of the giant ant corps were able toe to the castle. But even if there were fewer opponents, they were still struggling. Their opponents were not even at the corps-level so it was disgraceful that their Field Army was struggling.


    ¡°Keuk! There¡­ there are so many enemies!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting harder and harder to maintain the battle line.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot after hearing the knights¡¯ words.


    ¡°The Commander went alone to fight against the giant worms! So, how can we even face the Commander and help him if we fall in front of these bastards?!¡±


    The knights gritted their teeths at Ariel¡¯s scolding.


    They had often heard that the master level individual was more powerful than a corps. They were monsters that could show stronger force than an entire corpsbined.


    That was also the reason why Iron went alone to stop the giant worms. Since he could show a force and power that was far moreplete and proper than their corps, he went alone to stop the corps of giant worms. Iron made that choice after considering his role as a master and amander. After all, they would have no solution once the giant worms flocked to the Command Center.


    That meant that they had to do their part too.


    ¡°Protect Command no matter what. That is the only way that we can repay the Commander¡¯s trust.¡±


    Ariel clenched her fists gloomily when she saw the knights remaining quiet with heavy expressions on their faces.


    The only way that they could repay his sacrifice was to protect Command. She might not be as good in strategy and tactics as the Commander but that did not mean that she did not have other abilities. The reason why she was assigned as the chief executive officer in charge of defending this ce was because Iron believed that she could at least protect Command. So to repay his trust in her, Ariel squeezed her remaining handful of mana and made sure to keep the gate.


    Was it because they saw her trying to keep that trust? The struggling troops stood firm and cut down the giant ants that broke into the gate and advanced forward. The knight order once again created a defense line around the gate as the soldiers climbed up the wall and blocked their enemies with all their might.


    While they reorganized their defense line, the soldier ants were able to sessfully bite through the water buffaloes tough hide and rush towards the gate.


    Ppiiiiiiii¨D


    Seeing the soldier ants rushing forward, Ariel immediately blew the small flute in her hands and called for the knight order with the unique tone of the flute.


    ¡°The knights will take care of that!¡±


    ¡°What a joke.¡±


    Saeriden looked at Ariel hatefully as he led the storm troopers.


    The two units, the knight order and the storm troops, rushed towards the soldier ants as if they werepeting.


    They deliberately created apetitive atmosphere to let the soldiers ovee the fear of the iing gigantic soldier ants.


    ¡°Well go on ahead and take care of it first!¡±


    ¡°Are you going to lose to those dumb knights of the knight order?!¡±


    Ariel and Saeriden shouted loudly as they cut down the soldier ants and made it look like they werepeting.


    But despite their efforts, their situation remained to be at a disadvantage.


    At that moment, special bullets flew all over the ce and tore holes through the soldier ants¡¯ thick skin.


    ¡°We, rangers, will be the one to take 1st ce in military merits!¡±


    Nyx Cole, who had be a part of the rangers, appeared on top of a soldier ant with a wide grin on his face.


    Then, Cardro fell down from the sky as if he couldn¡¯t lose.


    ¡°You¡¯re discussing merits without us?¡±


    The aerial assault units dropped down and shed the necks of the soldier ants as soon as Cardro¡¯s words ended.


    All of the Field Army¡¯s special forces had appeared to stop the soldier ants. Thanks to that, the tough and resilient soldier ants began to die one after the other.


    The moment the soldier ants died, the other giant ants stepped back for a bit.


    The special forces went and attacked the soldier ants¡¯ weaknesses, sessfully stopping their advance. They even used their momentum and killed the other giant ants while driving them backwards.


    Seeing their momentum, the captain of the soldier ants had no choice but to order for a retreat. And with the retreat of the ck mass of corps in the distance, the soldiers finally rxed their stiff shoulders as they shouted in unison.


    This was their first battle without their Commander. And the victory that they imed in the worst situation that they were faced with was extremely valuable.


    ¡°I feel ashamed to go and see themander.¡±


    ¡°He might probably get angry if he saw that we had a lot of casualties¡­¡±


    Ariel smiled bitterly after responding to Cardro¡¯s words.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Cardro couldn¡¯t refute her words at all. So, he just turned his head silently.


    ***


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 Chapter 173 - The Mobile Field Army’s Counterattack (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(173)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>56 </b>The Mobile Field Army¡¯s Counterattack (1)


    Despite the earth-shaking charge of the water buffaloes and the shocking attack of the giant ant corps, the Field Army troops were able to protect their Command. Right now, they were tending to their casualties and injuries and repairing the damages to the castle while waiting for their Commander¡¯s return.


    However, contrary to their hopes, their Commander did not return. All of them waited anxiously but Iron could not be seen. Only then did they realize that the situation that they tried so hard to deny hade true.


    ¡®The Commander encountered a problem!¡¯


    This thought shed in everyone¡¯s heads.


    The first to move was Ariel. Then, Cardro immediately went to where the drakes were to order the drake unit to go to the area where Iron fought at. He was aware of the seriousness of the situation so he tried to move as fast as he could with his subordinates.


    But before they could move out, a small bird suddenly flew towards Ariel.


    ¡°Baep¡­ sae?¡±


    The little bird tilted its head cutely before pecking Ariel¡¯s forehead. Then, Iron¡¯s voice rang in Ariel¡¯s ears.


    ¨D I don¡¯t think I will be able toe back to Command any time soon because of the giant armored worm. Keep the Command safe until Ie back.


    Baepsae tried to fly after his voice was delivered. It seemed like the little bird wanted to return to its owner immediately after doing its job. But Ariel hurriedly pulled out a small bead, amunication crystal, and held it towards Baepsae. The only problem was that it looked too big for Baepsae¡¯s small body to carry.


    ¨D Tweet!


    Baepsae chirped and gestured towards the hesitating Ariel to ce the bead on its back. Ariel¡¯s hesitation grew after seeing Baepsae¡¯s gesture but eventually ced themunication crystal, which was farrger than its body. Then, green mana appeared and covered Baepsae¡¯s entire body as it carried themunication crystal as if there was no problem at all.


    Ariel watched Baepsae carrying themunication tool nkly beforeing back to her senses to call Cardro.


    Cardro came running and stopped in front of Ariel as he listened to the entire story.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that¡­ Baepsae came here¡­ and told you that there weren¡¯t any problems?¡±


    Then, Cardro¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    ¡°The problem is¡­ we have to protect this ce by ourselves for a while¡­¡±


    Ariel sighed after hearing Cardro.


    She thought that it would be fine if they could block their enemies once. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°First¡­ let¡¯s request for support from Southern Command and inform the Central Government.¡±


    ¡°The Central Government?¡±


    Cardro¡¯s eyes widened at Ariel¡¯s remarks.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a crisis right now.¡±


    ¡°But the Central Government¡­¡±


    It would be extremely troublesome once the Central Government caught hold of their weakness.


    ¡°Just once.¡±


    Ariel spoke with a heavy voice when she saw Cardro¡¯s hesitance.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Cardro looked at her as if he couldn¡¯t understand her words.


    ¡°We only stopped them once but it¡¯s already like this.¡±


    When Ariel turned to look out of the window, she could see the soldiers working on the repairs and treating the injured.


    ¡°We¡¯re not the Commander.¡±


    The Mobile Field Army without Iron was no different from an empty shell. The insufficient power of the units significantly lowered the level of the entire Field Army. And they were in a situation where they did not know when they would have to face various mutated monsters.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Regardless, that¡¯s the Central Government¡­¡±


    Seeing that Cardro was still hesitating, Ariel had no choice but to call for the othermanding officers of the Field Army.


    With Iron¡¯s absence, they had no choice but to put their heads together.


    Ariel and Cardro both fought in the battlefield, but after going around, they realized that they did not have the political power so they wanted to get help from others. However, most of their contacts were in the Northeast and the wizards of the Wizard Tower were all stuck in their small room. Even Leonhardt¡¯s young lions were not helpful since they were only crazy about swordsmanship and battles.


    ¡°Leave this to me.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Carl Stein after they heard him speak.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s heads are too stiff¡­ Tch, tch. Use your brains.¡±


    Carl looked at them as if they were pathetic as he spoke. The gazes of everyone looking at him turned ugly. However, Carl just spoke as if he did not care about them.


    ¡°We will use the Central Government.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? How?¡±


    Carl smiled wickedly as he answered Cardro.


    ¡°Think about our time in the Northeast.¡±


    All of the officers tilted their heads in confusion.


    ¡°Ha¡­ The Commander would immediately understand me if he was here. Tch, tch~ What is the most important thing for the Central Government?¡±


    ¡°Their own safety?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why they sent support to the Northeast. But, think about it carefully. What kind of ce is this?¡±


    Their eyes turned wide after hearing Carl¡¯s question.


    ¡°Do you remember the Northeast of the past?¡±


    Monster paradise.


    This was one of the nicknames that the Northeast carried back in the past. However, this ce was far worse than the Northeast back then. After all, this ce was chock full of mutated monsters.


    Because the South had to maintain the frontlines, they had no choice but to leave this ce and neglect its maintenance. Thanks to that, the number of monsters kept on increasing. And for some reason the void energy continued to umte in this ce too.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult for us to receiverge-scale support from them if we let them know about the dangers lurking in this ce.¡±


    ¡°But can the Central Government even afford to do that?¡±


    ¡°We also need to get support from the other armies too.¡±


    When he said ¡®use the Central Government¡¯ he did not mean that they would simply receive enormous support from the Center. He meant to create a strong public opinion in their favor that would sway their decision and let every region send support to the Southeast.


    ¡°To do that¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to let them know everything about our situation. We have to tell them everything that has been going on.¡±


    Carl frowned as he spoke.


    ¡°The problem is that we shouldn¡¯t just inform the public about it, we have to create a stage where the entire nation can empathize and rte with us¡­¡±


    If they were able to do that, they would have no need to persuade each region¡¯s Command as well as the Central Government.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, let us handle that.¡±


    The twins behind Saeriden also nodded with their brother¡¯s words. Everyone looked at them suspiciously. Saeriden grinned after seeing the look in their eyes. Their eyes were clearly expressing their doubts. It was like they were asking them how they could trust them when they were only crazy about swordsmanship and battles.


    ¡°It¡¯s not us who will be doing it though?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Not us.¡±


    The twins nodded as they spoke up in agreement to Saeriden¡¯s words.


    ¡°Then, who¡­¡±


    ¡°My little brother.¡±


    The others looked confused after hearing Saeriden¡¯s answer.


    ¡°There¡¯s this wicked bastard.¡±


    ¡°But his head is really good.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Ludem and Rodem¡¯s words. Then, she asked carefully.


    ¡°By any chance, are you talking about Faulden?¡±


    The others nodded at her question.


    ¡°That punk, he left the family to join an intelligence organization. From what I heard, he had already devoured the entire intelligence organization before we came here.¡±


    ¡°Can you contact him right now?¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes shone as she asked Ludem.


    ¡°Yeah. That punk gave me a carrier pigeon. He said that we should contact him if we need help, I think?¡±


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s solved.¡±


    Carl pped his hands as he concluded the problem. All of themanding officers nodded their heads. But just when they were about to clean up the information and the video recording crystal¡­


    Ariel turned to ask Saeriden.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ is that friend not interested in the army?¡±


    Saeriden and the twins cackled as they answered at the same time.


    ¡°Yeah, no.¡±


    Seeing their bright smiles, Ariel realized that there was no chance of recruiting their brother so she cleanly gave up the notion.


    After the Commander-lessmander meeting ended, the Field Army troops moved busier than ever. Iron¡¯s absence made them feel and realize how deeply they werecking so they turned towards themselves and recognized the things that theycked and asked for help regarding these matters. They made the decision to endure the shame and disgrace of revealing their shorings to the entire Empire.


    While a groundbreaking decision was being made in the Field Army¡­


    Iron was fighting a difficult battle on his own.


    ¡®Shrewd bastard.¡¯


    After fighting continuously for several days, the giant armored worm seemed to realize that it couldn¡¯t easily turn him over so it decided to bide its time. Despite fighting him, it seemed like it had an informationwork of its own and was aware that the situation in Command was not good. Even though it was a worm, it was still amazing that it could use its head just like a regr human.


    Iron couldn¡¯t understand how such a brainless creature could use its brain but it would be his loss if he tried to focus on trying to think scientifically in this ce.


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re back?¡±


    Iron weed Baepsae back after seeing it fly from afar. But he couldn¡¯t help but smile awkwardly when he saw the small Baepsae carrying amunication crystal that wasrger than its body.


    ¡°How did you bring this?¡±


    ¨D Tweet!


    Hearing Baepsae urging him to take it quickly, Iron hurriedly epted themunication crystal.


    ¡°Is there someone listening on the other side?¡±


    ¨D Commander?


    ¡°Ariel?¡±


    ¨D I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright!


    Ariel shouted in relief.


    Perhaps it was her loud voice that alerted the others as the other officers present on her side greeted Iron loudly too. That would have been fine, but everyone mored to report as if they were trying to tell him how much the work had piled up. Thanks to their words, he was able to understand the current situation at Command right now.


    ¨D I¡¯m sorry. But the absence of the Commander had resulted in a lot of damage¡­


    Ariel felt apologetic as she watched the officers report to Iron one after the other. But Iron just shook his head.


    ¡°You did a good job. That decision is fine. In a crisis, the faster you throw away your useless pride, the better the oue.¡±


    Iron nodded his head as he praised Ariel.


    ¡°Can you hold on a bit longer?¡±


    ¨D Yes, sir!


    ¡°Good. Whatever you do, make sure to hold on. While you do that, I will make sure to destroy this bastard ande back.¡±


    Iron turned themunication crystal off as he said so.


    And just in time, the giant armored worm began to move with the giant worms.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s see this to the end.¡±


    The look in Iron¡¯s eyespletely changed the moment he confirmed that the Command was still holding out well. He hadpletely erased all of the anxiety that was left in his mind as he ced his entire attention on the giant armored worm. The giant worms and the great worms would be blockedpletely by the divine beasts so all that was left was the giant armored worm.


    He had no problem with his survival out here. Food? All he needed to do was to grill the giant worms that he hunted and eat them. Poison? Contamination? Both could be purified with his holy power. Since his food had been solved, he did not have any more problems. After all, he could easily sleep anywhere. So, he could stay here without any worries and fight until he could kill the giant armored worm.


    The giant armored worm had felt that Iron¡¯s momentum had changed but it also couldn¡¯t back down. Even if it retreated at this point, it knew that Iron would chase it so it chose to fight until one of them had died.


    Knowing that it would lose as time went by, the giant armored worm began to devour more contaminated mana before eating the other mutant giant worms so it could evolve.


    And to match its pace, Iron also trained so his swordsmanship could evolve and move a step further.


    A day, a week, half a month, a month, a few more months had passed.


    The more they fought against each other, the more theirbat skills increased.


    The giant armored worm sucked contaminated faster while Iron developed and strengthened his swordsmanship faster.


    And the two beings¡¯ fight for their lives did not end easily.


    Meanwhile, the giant spiders and wasps moved to invade the area where the giant worms lived while several other mutants tried to dig into the gaps between the two and attack. But everytime they tried to go in between, all of them got killed.


    The giant armored worm became more powerful as it ate other mutants and Iron also achieved a more refined and morepressed mana in his sword. The mutants that risked their lives to try and take advantage of the two became food for training for the two of them.


    Baaaang!


    Iron and the giant armored worm collided and created a huge explosive sound. The shockwave created by the collision between the soaring giant armored worm and Iron wielding the ckened mana swordpletely destroyed the surrounding area.


    Despite giving their all in that attack, they still failed to reach a conclusion.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ It¡¯s a tie again.¡±


    Iron looked at the giant armored worm in annoyance. It seemed like the giant armored worm was also angry that it couldn¡¯t finish Iron off and eat him.


    ¡°Tch. Truce.¡±


    ¨D Kiriiiiiik¡­


    The giant armored worm grew frighteningly fast while fighting Iron and it had now be slightly spiritual in nature.


    Right now, it agreed to make a deal with Iron for a truce. After all, the two of them had suffered great damage during the course of their battle.


    The giant armored worm¡¯s territory had been reduced while Iron¡¯s Command was facing danger. That¡¯s why they both decided to end this today and decided to keep a deal for the future.


    So, they turned their backs against each other with a shaky truce that could break at any moment.


    And just like that, Iron left the area that they had smashed into oblivion after months of fighting as he headed back to Command.


    But the Command, which he had not seen in half-a-year, had changed a lot.


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 174 - The Mobile Field Army’s Counterattack (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(174)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>56 </b>The Mobile Field Army¡¯s Counterattack (2)


    Even though he was still far away, he could still see that there had been a lot of changes.


    ¡°They¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Iron looked around as he said so and saw a drake knight flying back to Command. He mischievously hid his breath and approached the knight from behind before tapping his shoulders.


    As if on instinct, the drake knight unsheathed his sword as he looked behind and tried to sh the opponent. Iron couldn¡¯t help but smile at the drake knight¡¯s response. Since there were a lot of strange mutants in this ce, pulling out the sword quickly was a very good response.


    ¡°Heok! Co¡­ Commander!¡±


    ¡°Nice to see you?¡±


    Iron smiled happily as he jumped from his divine beast to the back of the drake. Then, the gigantic Owl immediately shrunk in size before going back to his space.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Is that fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The drake knight immediately straightened his posture as he answered Iron loudly before taking out themunication crystal.


    ¡°Reporting to Command¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait. Report a bitter.¡±


    Iron stopped the drake knight who was trying to report the situation right away. The drake knight bowed his head in embarrassment as he drove the drake straight to Command.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re curious?¡±


    The drake knight kept on ncing at him while they were on their way so Iron just gestured with his chin and asked him bluntly.


    ¡°Are all of the giant worms dead?¡±


    ¡°No. We have drawn a tie.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ mean a tie?¡±


    The drake knight tilted his head in confusion. His eyes were clearly asking Iron¡­ ¡®Can someone really draw a tie with a monster?¡¯


    ¡°We have agreed on a truce.¡±


    ¡°They¡­ Can they understand us?¡±


    ¡°The giant armored worm has gained spirituality.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly at the thought of the giant armored worm. He couldn¡¯t help but grind his teeth thinking about the bastard that could almost be called an imoogi right now.


    Whenever the giant armored worm felt like it was possible, it would escape from his grasp and eat like crazy to gain weight and make its outer shell thicker.


    Just like how Iron¡¯s swordsmanship and divine power grew, the bastard ate and absorbed external mana and grew too.


    Grind!


    The drake knight looked at Iron nkly as he watched him grind his teeth.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron smiled wryly after seeing the drake knight¡¯s scared expression before exining about the giant armored worm.


    The drake knight nodded nkly when he heard Iron say that the bastard had turned into a monster reminiscent of the imoogis from the Eastern Continent during their fight.


    ¡°If it continues to grow at this rate, then there¡¯s a chance that it will be one of the dragons of the legends.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ much?¡±


    The dragons of the Eastern Continent were God-level existences that were said to be so strong that not even a grandmaster couldpare.


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡±


    Iron smiled and told the drake knight that he was kidding but with the giant armored worm¡¯s extremely strong physical prowessparable to an imoogi, he thought that there was really a possibility that it could grow into a dragon.


    ¡®Dragon¡­¡¯


    Iron shook his head at the terrible thought of the giant armored worm evolving into a dragon.


    While Iron was busy thinking about the giant armored worm, the drake almost reached Command.


    Looking down from above the Command, he could now clearly see the many things that have changed in his absence.


    Not only were there more airshipsing in and out of Command, there were also plenty of Sky Towers built all over the ce. He could also see the core building of Command gathered together in the center of the area and built like fortresses. The buildings were also standing tall and firm despite the broken walls here and there. And on one side, the carcasses of the mutants were piled up like mountains.


    ¡°Come,e! Everything¡¯s cheap! We¡¯re giving you special 30% discounts so don¡¯t miss this great opportunity!¡±


    One of the officers shouted loudly as if he was a salesclerk in a wholesale store.


    Just like in the Northeast where they gathered countless merchants and started a monster business, they also sold the mutants¡¯ bodies inrge quantities. But what was interesting was that the role of the seller was being done by someone wearing a military uniform. Of course, plenty of merchants also came to the point that Command had specifically built a merchant¡¯s street with countless amodations for them to stay in.


    But the changes did not stop here.


    On one side, he could see arge number of soldiers flocking together. At first, he thought that they were new recruits who came to the Mobile Field Army but looking closely, he realized that this was not the case.


    ¡°That¡­ is the mark of the Central Army¡¯s, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The drake knight nodded as he answered Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°I believe that¡¯s the Southern Army¡¯s mark, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, they¡­¡±


    They seemed to be the troops sent by the other armies to train in their own army just like what he heard from their reports.


    In order for them to brew public opinion and receive support, they created and sent video clips that proved that they were now the most dangerous area in the Empire, just like the Northeast of the past, before informing the people.


    However, there were no normal ces among all of the current Imperial Armies. All of them would definitely turn a blind eye to the Southeast¡¯s request for more support since they were all in a difficult situation.


    So, the Mobile Field Army had no choice but to move their hands. But the current them did not have anything. They might have a lot of mutants but those were only useful to merchants. They did not have anything that would prove to be beneficial to the Imperial Armies and the government. The only thing that they had was the ability to grow stronger through numerous battles. So, the Mobile Field Army decided to sell their skills.


    Not only was Iron¡¯s army well-known for fighting well, there were rumors that Iron could teach well. They took advantage of this and acted as the Imperial Training Center. Each of the armies would gather their elites and entrust their training to the Mobile Field Army.


    Of course, everything was difficult at the beginning.


    [ Iron¡¯s Mobile Field Army. In a crisis! ]


    [ Iron, struggling in the Southeast. Why not just join Southern Command? ]


    [ Perhaps it¡¯s too much to appoint a Commander with such a young age! ]


    [ Why didn¡¯t he just gain experience as the Capital Defense Corps¡¯ Commander? ]


    The Central Government greatly used politics and moved to try and disband Iron¡¯s Mobile Field Army and make him the Commander of the Capital Defense Corps. They deliberately let newspapers write provocative articles to undermine Iron¡¯s Mobile Field Army and deem them useless.


    Expecting this kind of dirty move, the Mobile Field Army used the Information Guild¡¯s help and informed everyone of the exact situation of the Southeastern region of the Empire.


    [ The Second Northeast. ]


    To create this title, they brewed public opinion for months behind the scenes. And finally, the Central Government¡¯s tasteless jokes ended the moment the dangerous situation in the Southeast was fully revealed. Of course, as payment for their ugly joke, the Central Government had no choice but to spit out the mostpensation.


    And the result of that was the current Command.


    ¡°Pretty good.¡±


    Iron smiled as he looked around Command.


    The soldiers from the other armies looked like they were envious of the Southeastern Army. And it wasn¡¯t just the soldiers. The officers and nonmissioned officers also acknowledged the Southeastern Army¡¯s abilities as they followed the training diligently.


    ¡°It strangely feels like the Northeastern Army of the past.¡±


    The drake knight smiled and nodded his head after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    They might be the most dangerous ce in the Empire but the support that they received and the welfare and treatment of their people were the best. That was the reason why more people wanted toe here under the pretext of support.


    For them, this was thend of opportunity. It was extremely possible for them to receive promotions as long as they were active enough. After all, thisnd was a ce where even the corpsmanders andmanding officers were still not properly appointed.


    Iron slowly stepped down on the Sky Tower after looking at the Command in satisfaction.


    ¡°We¡­ We greet the Commander!¡±


    All of the people present in the Sky Tower recognized Iron¡¯s face as they gave him a salute. Iron smiled and epted their salutes beforeing down from the tower. By the time he had arrived on the lowest level of the tower, all of themanding officers of the Field Army had already rushed and lined up to greet him.


    The wizards, merchants and officials looked at the officers curiously when they saw them urgently running across Command. Then, their eyes widened.


    ¡°Wee back, Commander!¡±


    All of themanding officers shouted loudly as they weed the returning Iron.


    Iron smiled at them as he epted their salutes.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, everyone.¡±


    Iron walked to them as he greeted them happily.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    His words weren¡¯t anything special but all of themanding officers choked up. With the Commander¡¯s absence, all of them tried their hardest to seek his recognition. His ¡®You¡¯ve worked hard.¡¯ was as good as their efforts being recognized. That was why all of them bowed their heads.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked at everything while I was on my way. You did much better than what I expected. This is enough to carry out the next step in my n.¡±


    All of them smiled brightly after hearing Iron¡¯s straightforward praise. They knew that his words were not just for formality¡¯s sake. Hispliments erased their anxiety and brought them endless delight.


    Seeing them react like that, Iron continued to speak.


    ¡°But I still have to check things out, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Even after hearing his words, everyone looked confident.


    Iron smiled and walked to Command after seeing the confident look in their faces. The main building, where the Commander¡¯s office sat on top of, was covered with fortress artillery and surrounded by all kinds of defense facilities.


    Even though they were busy fighting they were still able to build this many facilities. And, perhaps it was because of the support that they had received, there were a lot more wizard towers, magic workshops and factories built next to these facilities. They were also able to establish a system for the airship¡¯s maintenance.


    At the very least, the support system had reached the minimum conditions that Iron had set. If that was the case, then the only thing that was left to check was the level of the soldiers and the officers.


    Iron cleaned himself up after a long time and changed into his neat uniform before going outside.


    The first ce that he headed to was the storm troops.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The lions all gnawed on Iron as they rushed at him from all sides. Iron smirked after seeing them use the Lion Swordsmanship Technique on him. Some of the storm troopers were not from Leonhardt but it seemed like Saeriden still taught them Leonhardt¡¯s secret battle technique.


    ¡°Heok¡­ heok¡­¡±


    Iron checked everyone¡¯s level until they were about to copse from exhaustion before turning towards Saeriden and asking him.


    ¡°Did you get permission?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Even from the elders?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with those nobles?¡±


    Iron looked at Saeriden strangely after hearing his confirmation. But he soon realized why they agreed.


    The next ce he went to was the knight order.


    The knights were, in fact, using a fairly unique swordsmanship.


    ¡°Meteor Sword?¡±


    Iron looked at them incredulously. He hurriedly turned towards Ariel after seeing the knights use the Godly Sword Family¡¯s swordsmanship.


    ¡°Is this really alright?¡±


    ¡°I have received permission.¡±


    Ariel replied as if there was nothing to worry about but it was still bound to fluster Iron.


    The problem persisted even on his next destination.


    Cardro also used the Leopold Family¡¯s sword technique to teach the aerial assault unit.


    The rangers used the secret techniques passed down by the Northeastern Rangers. The magic unit used the magic techniques of the Southern Wizard Tower. The spiritists unit used a mixture of techniques from the Central Wizard Tower and the Spirit Guild.


    It was as if each region waspeting on which unit would be the core unit of the Mobile Field Army. It seemed like all of the officers had used their personal connections to grow their powers. They had all achieved exceptional growth especially themanding officers that lead their unit.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯m not the only one who grew, huh?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself in satisfaction.


    After inspecting all of the units in Command in a single day, Iron immediately locked himself up in his Commander¡¯s office. Everyone looked at Iron in anxiety after seeing him lock himself up in the Commander¡¯s office the moment he came back. However, they were all left in shock when they saw hime out of the office.


    ¡°From this point on, the Mobile Field Army will undergo a major reorganization.¡±


    ***


    Notes


    [Imoogi] ¨C ???, lesser dragons that resembles snakes and hopes to be a real dragon. The dragons that we are talking about are the Korean dragons (imagine the dragon ball dragon and disney mn¡¯s mushu.)


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 175 - The Mobile Field Army’s Counterattack (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(175)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>56 </b>The Mobile Field Army¡¯s Counterattack (3)


    Cold sweat poured down from everyone¡¯s back after hearing Iron¡¯s words. There was a chance that the subordinates that they worked so hard to raise would be taken by others and they could even be demoted due tock of skills. All of them couldn¡¯t help but look at Iron nervously.


    Iron stared at them before he slowly announced his reorganization ns.


    ¡°Ariel Favrice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°I am promoting you to Brigadier General. I am also appointing you as a corpsmander. From now on, you will be temporarily in charge of the 21st Corps of the Mobile Field Army.¡±


    The eyes of all of the people present widened upon hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    But Iron ignored their reactions as he continued his announcement.


    ¡°Cardro Giovanni. You will likewise be promoted to Brigadier General. You will also temporarily take charge of the 22nd Corps.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The two warriors that represented the Mobile Field Army had now been temporarily assigned as corpsmanders.


    After promoting them to Brigadier General in consideration of their achievements, Iron continued to look at hismanding officers. In fact, he had already nned to promote the two of them before. Right now, there was only one person left.


    Everyone looked at Iron with expectations in this silence. Then, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°Saeriden Leonhardt. I am promoting you to Brigadier General, ex officio. You will also be temporarily in charge of the 23rd Corps.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The others looked disappointed after Saeriden took charge of the remaining corps. Seeing them like that, Iron addressed them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed. Our army still doesn¡¯t have any official corpsmanders yet.¡±


    The eyes of the rest of the officers shined brightly at his words.


    ¡°You still have a lot of opportunities. So, everyone should work hard.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All of them answered loudly.


    Then, Iron announced the rest of his ns for the reorganization.


    With the appointment of the three temporary corpsmanders, the knight order, the storm troopers and the aerial assault unit were left floating and were reorganized.


    Knight Order Leader ¨C Ludem


    Storm Troops Leader ¨C Rodem


    Aerial Assault Unit Leader and Field Army Logistics Leader ¨C Carl Stein


    The biggest changes that were made were the appointment of these three people. With Cardro being promoted, the aerial assault unit that he was in charge of was left in Carl¡¯s care.


    ¡°That¡­ taking care of both units¡­ is a bit difficult.¡±


    ¡°I will give you all of the authority over the drake and airship units. You will also be allowed to use them to transfer and carry munitions and supplies.¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ That¡¯s still going to be a bit hard. I¡¯m still currently in charge of the intelligence division¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything will be figured out soon.¡±


    Iron smiled as he spoke to the hesitating Carl.


    ¡°Brigadier General Carl Stein.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?¡±


    ¡°You are a Brigadier General from this day onwards.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°I can choose one and directly appoint them as Brigadier General, but they will also serve as the Chief of Staff directly under Command.¡±


    Seeing Carl groan, Iron directly threw a hefty reward towards him.


    Then, he turned calm as he bowed his head in silent agreement.


    Iron would solve the problem with the intelligence division and even promoted him so he couldn¡¯t argue anymore. In addition, it was not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was far more advantageous for Carl, who was busy like a spinning top trying to solve the logistics¡¯ problems with the limited airships given to him. Carl had ridden drakes in the past so Iron knew that he would be able to handle the drake units and the airship units to some extent.


    After the announcement was made, huge changes began to be implemented.


    First, plenty of knights from Ariel¡¯s knight order entered the 21st Corps. Naturally, the huge number of troops that Cardro had raised and the members of Saeriden¡¯s storm troops all followed them and became key officers of their own corps. Then, the magic unit and the spirit unit hadpletely separated while the ranger unit underwent extensive reorganization. The key personnels directly under Command were now distributed appropriately among each corps.


    ¡°I know that this massive reorganization will leave everyone confused. So, give them enough time. Tend to and maintain your own troops once you go back. While you¡¯re doing that the defense unit in charge of Command Defense and my divine beasts will be in charge of protecting Command.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Themanding officers answered Iron loudly as they scattered.


    While everyone was busy thinking about the subordinates that they would take in to form a unit that would conform with Iron¡¯s reorganization n, Iron returned to his Commander¡¯s office and pondered to himself.


    ¡®Is this the beginning?¡¯


    Iron mumbled to himself as he stared at the mapid out on his desk.


    On the map was the Southeastern region of the Empire where the Mobile Field Army was situated. The map showed all of the monsters¡¯ territories and the boundaries that they covered. It seemed like the reconnaissance continued despite the dire situation that they were in. He needed to find the direction where he would expand.


    Looking through it, the only ces that remained free were the southern and eastern part of the region since the northern part was already the giant worms¡¯ territory and the Command was at the center. However, the south was filled with swarms of giant water buffaloes, giant ants and even the newly discovered giant spiders. That meant that the only choice for his expansion was the eastern part of the region. However, that did not mean that the eastern part of the region was also an easy path.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a nest of mutant birds there?¡±


    Giant man-eating birds were situated in the area near the sea at the eastern end of the region. They were extremely terrifying to the point that the Eastern Navy changed routes to avoid them. But that was also the reason why he thought that it should be the eastern part of the region.


    ¡®At the very least, this means that the sea over there is safe.¡¯


    It was a great opportunity to expand quickly.


    If he chose to do this, then, he needed to keep the southern part of the region in check while expanding towards the eastern part of the region. The choice of taking action against the northern part of the region was also out there but with their current circumstances, all they could do was let the giant worms led by the giant armored worm take the north. After all, they did not have any capabilities to face them right now.


    To secure the safety of the Southeast, he somehow needed to wipe out these monsters as much as possible. Iron had chosen to sacrifice himself before to make that happen but now that the basic structure of the Mobile Field Army waspleted, he was sure that they would be able to do this together.


    ¡®Thanks to Ariel and Cardro¡¯s rapid growth, work will be a lot easier.¡¯


    The two of them had already stepped on the perfect 5th Stage while Saeriden had finally stepped on the realms of the 5th Stage. Even Ludem, Rodem, Nyx Cole, Peter Marvio and An Reishor had already opened the doors of the 5th Stage, butpared to Saeriden, they still needed a bit more time topletely integrate their power and stay firmly on that stage. However, it was true that they had reached a level where they couldn¡¯t be ignored anywhere else anymore.


    In fact, the person he was most pleased with in terms of growth was Ariel. The growth of her strength waspletely explosive.


    ¡®The 6th Stage is not that far off for her.


    Once Ariel reached the 6th Stage, he would have more time to himself.


    While he was smiling at the thought, someone came to find him.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron gestured for the blue-haired man to sit in front of him.


    ¡°What about the proposal to Faulden?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He refused the proposal. However, he said that he would try to think about it slowly. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Iron shook his head at the blue-haired man¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Then, he called in for an assistant and asked for some tea.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s already doing well and being recognized, aren¡¯t you a bit disappointed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    ¡°I believe your family would have a lot of things to say, though? They would probably ask why I¡¯m ignoring the North¡¯s prestigious family, Temphet.¡±


    The man, Gaon Temphet, smiled bitterly at Iron¡¯s words.


    Just like he said, his family had been sending him letters asking him why Iron was ignoring them. That was because the famous families, the Godly Sword Family, the Leonhardt Family, and the Leopold Family, as well as the armies and the wizard towers were all actively involved and participating in the activities of the Mobile Field Army.


    Iron felt a bit apologetic to him. For him, it was something that wasn¡¯t really a matter of importance, but for Gaon Temphet, who grew up in a noble family, being widely recognized was something important.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, this is something that I¡¯m good at.¡±


    Just like he said, there wasn¡¯t anyone who was more talented than Gaon Temphet in this area in the entire Field Army.


    Because he came from a noble family, Gaon Temphet was aware of each families¡¯ characteristics and members. And he was the only one who knew how to utilize them well. That was also the reason why he and a few of his followers were secretly taken out.


    When they were ced in the storm troops, they were easily pushed out by the Lion Family so they had no choice but to work separately from them. Iron saw this and took his time to observe them and look for ways to utilize them, but when he saw that they took a long time to adapt and adjust to the military system he just took all of them out and created a separate unit for them.


    The unit that gathered Gaon and his followers was assigned an operation to spy on the Southern Kingdoms.


    ¡°The informationwork?¡±


    ¡°It has already been built to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Iron nodded in satisfaction.


    Iron drank his tea and read the report that Gaon had handed to him before burning it on the spot.


    Then, he looked through his pockets and handed over a badge to him.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Your unit¡¯s mark.¡±


    Gaon stared nkly at him after hearing his words.


    ¡°Crow¡­¡±


    ¡°Your official name is the Secret Special Operation Unit directly under themand of the Imperial Army¡¯s Mobile Field Army Command. Your codename is Raven.¡±


    Iron smiled after seeing Gaon Temphet nod as if he liked the name despite its unreasonable length.


    ¡°We will begin our operation on the Southern Kingdoms the moment we stabilize the situation here in the Southeast.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°After everything¡¯s on track, I will officially announce your unit. That¡¯s why¡­ you have to hang in there and endure it first.¡±


    ¡°We will do our best.¡±


    Iron nodded.


    Unlike his first impression on him, Gaon Temphet was actually very reliable. Iron did not know if he was the type of person who gave endless trust to the person who left their trust on him once but he carried out Iron¡¯s orders without any opposition after receiving Iron¡¯s faith and trust.


    ¡°I know that you have a lot of things to do but you¡¯ll have to go back to Faulden.¡±


    ¡°I await your orders.¡±


    ¡°Give him this.¡±


    Iron handed something to Gaon. Gaon looked at the item in his hand as he asked him.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°A letter of appointment as the Information Chief of Staff and permission to use the information guild privately.¡±


    ¡°Will it be alright to give him this much benefit?¡±


    ¡°The ones who are pitiful should give more. What can we do?¡±


    Although it was some kind of special treatment, it was necessary for him to do this toplete hiscking field army. At the same time, it was necessary to bring Faulden in so he could check him out after receiving reports that he was far smarter and shrewder than what they knew. If he grew any further than now, then his worth would increase and recruiting him would be an unlikely possibility.


    ¡°This is probably not enough.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    Gaon nodded his head in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Then, give him this too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A pass that can only be used once.¡±


    Gaon¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    Master¡¯s pass.


    Gaon couldn¡¯t help but stare nkly at Iron after realizing the value of the item in his hands.


    Once this pass was used, even if Iron was in the middle of a power struggle, he had no choice but to go. It wasn¡¯t just an empty promise. It was a contract that would be recorded through official documents and could restrict the mana of the people involved. That was why the value of this item was extremely enormous.


    ¡°This is a bit too¡­ big.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to get a bite if we do something to this degree. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Gaon bowed silently at Iron¡¯s words. His expression turned bad. He wondered if Iron was betting this much because of him.


    ¡°That bastard is meticulous and shrewd. Don¡¯t me yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s hard but do hang in there a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Gaon bowed his head as he silently went outside.


    Watching his leaving back, Iron felt that he had changed a lot.


    He wasn¡¯t like this at first. Right now, the young man who was influenced heavily by the noble family that he grew up in had now be a young man who was solemn, serious and dependable. Just like the saying that the position made the person, he became a serious and dependable leader while he operated the secret force. And Iron liked this change in Gaon.


    ¡°Is it almost done?¡±


    The three corps had now been officially established and the Field Army¡¯s main forces had nowid its foundations. All that was left was to let them grow.


    The final piece that wouldplete the army right now, the intelligence division, was still yet to bepleted but he expected that it would be done soon.


    And just like Iron had expected, Faulden came in less than a weekter. With his addition, Iron was able to entrust him as the Chief of Staff in charge of the intelligence division and finallypleted the reorganization.


    After everything waspleted, all three corps now began to start on their respective duties. The three line circting mission that Iron had envisioned before was now being implemented by the three corps.


    And with that as the catalyst, the Mobile Field Army¡¯s special forces were also ready to move in earnest.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had a hard time defending but now it¡¯s time for us to counterattack. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron nodded at themanding officers¡¯ loud answer.


    ¡°Perfect. From today onwards, we will enter the second stage of our ns. Let¡¯s go and give those arrogant monsters a lesson.¡±


    With Iron¡¯s order, all of the troops moved following their own respective duties.


    First, Ariel¡¯s 21st Corps moved to the ce where the forward base would be built. Then, Cardro¡¯s 22nd Corps remained at Command and got ready to defend and protect the Command and the areas surrounding it. Meanwhile, Saeriden¡¯s 23rd Corps also remained at Command to do training and finish misceneous tasks. The divisions under the directmand of the Field Armymander also began to assist the three corps as they moved in earnest.


    A lot of them were anxious since it was not that long since they had reorganized but since the system had already been set and established, it will only take a bit of time for them to get stronger.


    And as if to prove this, each of the units began to show their own special characteristics just a few months after they started to move earnestly. It was not as exaggerated and obvious like the long-established elite forces in the Northeast but even if it was just a faint shadow, the units were able to fit the characteristics of theirmanding officers which signaled thepletion of the process.


    And as Iron turned 21, a year after he came to the Southeast, the Southeastern region of the Empire was sessfully divided into four parts.


    ***


    Notes


    Ex officio ¨C [Legal Dictionary meaning: The phrase ex officio refers to powers that, while not expressly conferred upon an official, are necessarily implied in the office.] I believe it means that Saeriden can act as a brigadier general despite not being a part of the military. Just like how the president of a nation can be the ex officiomander of the military. Or how thepany president can join board meetings despite not really being a part of the board.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 176 - Reshuffling Of The Forces In The Southeast (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(176)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>57 </b>Reshuffling of the Forces in the Southeast (1)


    A year had gone by ever since the Empire¡¯s most anticipated Mobile Field Army was tied to the Southeast. The public realized that they couldn¡¯t even get out of Command and had always been in a hurry to block their enemies. Seeing that they hadn¡¯t settled downpletely, some were naturally disappointed. Some even mored for them to just join Southern Command and fight.


    But the Mobile Field Army did not give up. Instead of falling into despair and giving up, they informed everyone of their circumstances and asked for support. They willingly showed their weaknesses andcking skills during the most difficult situation for everyone. As a result, the Empire announced that the most dangerous area was the Southeast. But what was shocking was the fact that the army was still able to grow despite the absence of its Commander.


    And the moment Iron returned, the army changed as if they suddenly grew wings to fly.


    [ The Mobile Field Army is finally spreading its wings. ]


    [ Iron¡¯s Field Army has grown tremendously stronger. Will they finally be able to conquer the Southeast? ]


    [ The sudden changes in the Southeast. The Southern Commander had no choice but to turn a part of their frontline towards the Southeast as if he was saying ¡®I¡¯m keeping an eye on you!¡¯ ]


    [ Eastern Command! They have turned part of their fleets to face the Southeast¡­ ]


    The moment Iron, who they have not heard from in a while, returned to Command, everyone¡¯s interest towards the Mobile Field Army increased.


    Countless articles poured out as every pair of eyes in the Empire focused on the Southeast.


    They had heard countless times how difficult it was but they had always failed to understand why the survivors of the copsed Southern Kingdoms chose to unite. However, they finally were able to understand a bit after the reality of the situation in the Southeast was revealed.


    And what was worse was the fact that the danger was not over yet. They were in a situation where they couldn¡¯t touch the South¡¯s Great Forest and they were already facing a future where the mutants that upied the Empire¡¯s Southeast could threaten and approach them.


    Because of this, the Empire had no choice but to increase the support that they were sending while the Eastern and Southern Command actively moved.


    ¡°Incredible.¡±


    Carl looked at the lively Command in admiration.


    He realized once again how great the value of the name ¡®Hero¡¯ was. He continued to look at the liveliness surrounding the Command as he entered the Command Building to report. He could see that all of the soldiers were moving busily around Command.


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh wryly after seeing how lively and energetic everyone was despite the absence of all of the three corps-level troops.


    The Commander was only a single person, but his return had brought a different level of attention to them.


    With just one single announcement about the Empire¡¯s Hero¡¯s intention tomand and operate the Mobile Field Army in earnest, the Southern Commander readily took out some troops that were maintaining the frontline and sent them to support the Southeast. Even the Eastern Commander moved to guard the port closest to the Southeast as they sent plenty of supplies to the Southeast through their own fleets.


    Right now, they were already moving towards the next step of Iron¡¯s ns.


    Parmina Port, thergest port in the Southeast, wasrgely dominated by mutant birds. So, taking into ount all of the other ports, the best and most secure port right now was the Meindania Port. This port had now be the Mobile Field Army¡¯s top priority. Their top priority goal was to pierce through and create a secure path from Command to Meindania Port to create a path that would connect them to the East effectively making their Southeastern Command the center of the flow of logistics in the South.


    There were already merchants and investors who readily flocked to the Southeast the moment they heard rumors about the Command trying to secure a safe path towards this port.


    In this situation, Iron¡¯s ns were able to quickly rush to the level that he wanted. Because of that, it was extremely important for them to create this path since Iron had already nned the flow of logistics that they would have to maintain.


    Meindania Port


    ¡ý


    Mobile Field Army Command


    ¡ý


    Center ¡û Southern Command ¡ú West


    ¡ý


    Southern Kingdoms Alliance


    This was the logistics flow that Iron had nned.


    And in order for this to be implemented, it was important for them to create a path to Meidania Port and the Southern Command and connect both the East and the South.


    Butpared to the Eastern Command, the Southern Command was still in a situation where they couldn¡¯t bring their noses in other¡¯s businesses and do something. So, Iron dispatched one of the corps to help maintain the frontline and create a link with the Southern Command. If they could bring back the frontlines to the ce where the fallen fortress was once located, then maintaining the Southern Frontlines would be easier.


    Coincidentally, this made the defense of the Mobile Field Army Command weaker. This was because the only ones left to take on this role was Command itself since the 23rd Corps, which was supposed to focus on training and defending Command, was sent to move with the 21st Corps to go to the forward base.


    ¡°The 21st Corps?¡±


    ¡°They have moved forward to the 180km point.¡±


    ¡°The 22nd Corps?¡±


    ¡°They have sessfully defended the Southern Frontlines. They will start to help the 21st Corps the moment they return.¡±


    Iron looked satisfied after hearing Carl¡¯s report.


    ¡°Take the divisions under the Command¡¯s direct control too.¡±


    ¡°Then, there will be no troops left to protect Command.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    Carl sighed after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Commander, you don¡¯t need to do it alone lest you overdo it again.¡±


    ¡°Half a month. I will only work hard for just half a month. After that, everything would be back to normal.¡±


    With the skills that the Field Army had right now, they would be able to regain their own stability within those 15 days. But Carl wanted to at least persuade him a bit since he could see how much the Commander had kept on overdoing things. But Iron just nodded his head as if everything was alright the moment he saw his expression.


    ¡°¡­who would dare to break the Commander¡¯s ns.¡±


    In the end, Carl gave up and agreed to take the divisions under Command¡¯s direct control to make a path to Meindania Port.


    With all of the forces of the Mobile Field Army deployed, Iron was able to constantly receive reconnaissance reports about the giant worms situated in the North.


    The most dangerous creature in the Southeastern Region of the Empire was the giant armored worm.


    The next dangerous creature was the unknown being rooted in the borders between the Southern Kingdoms and the Empire. He did not know what it was but he knew that it was dangerous. After all, the monsters that have settled in the Southeast like the giant water buffaloes, giant ants and giant spiders did not dare to go anywhere near that ce.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ will this be the start of the full-fledged territorial wars?¡±


    Just like how Auzria Continent originally have one Empire and several kingdoms in the West and the South, it seemed like the Southeast was also going to be in a simr predicament. Their entire region¡¯s territories and spheres of influence were being reorganized with several factions in the south, the Mobile Field Army in the center and the giant armored worm in the north.


    The bastards participating in this war were all increasing their strength while the Mobile Field Army also grew rapidly. It seemed like everyone was eager to grow faster as if they were betting on who could grow faster and devour the entire Southeast.


    ¡°They seem anxious.¡±


    Carl¡¯s eyes shook as he looked at Iron reading the report.


    Even though the surrounding territories had been fighting fiercely, it still seemed like they were trying to growrger to devour the huge prey in the form of Command.


    ¡°Anxious¡­ then, that means that we need to be stronger.¡±


    Carl sighed after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°If we look at the growth of the giant armored worm then¡­ It really is dangerous. Their rate of growth is far steeper than the growth of our army.¡±


    Iron nodded in agreement at Carl¡¯s words.


    There were times when Iron felt a huge sense of crisis whenever he heard that the bastard was really trying its hardest to be a dragon by raising its body and eating as much as it could. However, there was a reason why Iron believed that they still had room to breathe.


    ¡°Even if the bastard bes stronger than our army, it would still not be able to move recklessly.¡±


    Iron smiled as he said so.


    Since the giant armored worm would be smarter and shrewder the more it grew, it would definitely be able to grasp the current situation in the Southeast. That was why he was confident.


    ¡°Are you talking about this guy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That bastard will not move.¡±


    Carl looked at Iron weirdly as if he couldn¡¯t understand why he was speaking so confidently. So, Iron exined it to him.


    ¡°From this point, the Southeast willrgely be divided into three forces, with the exception of the mutant birds.¡±


    Carl titled his head in confusion after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Iron continued to exin things for him as he looked at the map.


    ¡°The factions fighting fiercely in the south doesn¡¯t matter. I believe it¡¯s around here, yes. This being situated on the old border of the Empire will eventually devour all of them. If that¡¯s the case then¡­ like this.¡±


    Iron circled on the area where the Field Army was located in the map, as well as the area where the giant armored worm was currently located and the area where the unknown being would eat part of the southern part of the Southeast.


    Once the Southeast was divided into these three regions then they would be ced in a situation where they needed to keep each other¡¯s territory in check.


    ¡°Will we keep each other in check?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Iron smiled brightly.


    If either side was being pushed back by just one force then the other two forces would unite together. This would create a perfect bnce in the Southeast. And for that bastard to break through this bnce, it needed to have the power to overwhelm the remaining two forces. That¡¯s why he would be unable to move recklessly. For the Mobile Field Army, this was enough. They would be able to buy time during this situation.


    ¡°But¡­ Isn¡¯t this going to be disadvantageous to us? This will create a major setback for your ns.¡±


    Iron nodded his head at Carl¡¯s words.


    For them to be able to dispatch their troops to other regions, they needed to first stabilize the Southeast. But this situation would make it difficult for them to do so. That meant that the name of the Mobile Field Army would be tarnished. Of course, the Central Government would definitely bite on this bait.


    ¡°I know. But, what can we do?¡±


    In Iron¡¯s perspective, having just these three forces upying the Southeast was already a blessing. All that was left for them to do was gain enough power to overwhelm these two forces. Of course, it would probably be difficult to deal with them with the steep growth of the giant armored worm.


    ¡®Then, we should just get support from the Southern and Eastern Command.¡¯


    Iron chuckled at the thought.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny¡­?¡±


    Iron turned to Carl and asked him when he saw him look at him carefully.


    ¡°Perhaps, all of the Imperial Masters will gather in the Southeast.¡±


    ¡°The¡­ masters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The only thing that I have an advantage against the mutants and mutant birds is my connections. So, we will use them well.¡±


    Iron¡¯s lips curled in a smile as he said so.


    He would call in themanders that were free and just sweep them all at once. There was no need to gather all of them. Just two or three were enough to deal with the mutants.


    In addition, with the help of the Eastern and Southern Command, it would not be a pipe dream for them to take control of the entire Southeast.


    Iron¡¯s smile grew wider at the thought as he tapped the continent¡¯s Southern region.


    ¡®The moment the situation in the Southeast is resolved, then¡­¡¯


    His ns to increase his influence in the Southern part of the continent and help the West would bepleted. Currently, only the Western and Southern regions of the continent were upied by the most dangerous forces.


    Once these areas had been cleaned up then he could at least say that the Auzria Continent would be safe. That meant that Iron¡¯s main quest would be cleared. His quest was only rted to protecting the continent and not the world so he only needed to ensure the Auzria Continent¡¯s safety.


    ¡®Questpletion¡­¡¯


    Iron continued to tap on the Southern region of the continent as he drew up this dreamlike situation in his head.


    Carl could only sigh when he saw him like that. He knew that Iron was already nning the next step with just that single look.


    It seemed like his Commander¡¯s head was filled with thoughts about his next step in his ns even though the reality that they were facing right now was shit.


    His shoulders couldn¡¯t help but slump from the pressure as he went out of the office knowing that his Commander was thinking about those things already because he believed and trusted them.


    ***


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 Chapter 177 - Reshuffling Of The Forces In The Southeast (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(177)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>57 </b>Reshuffling of the Forces in the Southeast (2)


    At Iron¡¯s orders, most of the troops of the Mobile Field Army headed eastward.


    Once the Southern Command¡¯s Frontlines could be pushed back to upy a fortress slightly closer to the Mobile Field Army Command, both sides would be given more room to breathe. After all, both of their forces would be linked together and help each other out.


    However, the Southern Command¡¯s Frontlines still remained tangled with their own wars while the Mobile Field Army Command was brought in a precarious situation with almost all of its troops headed eastwards.


    Seeing that this could be theirst chance, the shrewd and clever monsters moved. It seemed like they did not want to miss this opportunity.


    The unidentified yet powerful existence had already shown its presence off in the southern end of the region while the giant armored worm, which evolved into an imoogi, nted itself deeply with the giant worm corps in the northern end of the region. With those two ends taken, the monsters only had one choice. And that was to hit the weak-looking Mobile Field Army. If they could sessfully upy the area where the Command was, then they would be able to gain a ce where all of the mutants could live and survive. So, they flocked to this ce like crazy dogs out of the leash.


    ¡°Co¡­ Commander.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    The operations officer was flustered at the huge number of mutants running from afar. It was a coalition of monsters, something that they hadn¡¯t seen in the Southeast so far. It seemed like they had all gathered together in order to survive.


    ¡°Is this a monster wave?¡±


    This was their first time seeing a monster wave in the Southeast.


    All of the monsters joined forces to start a great movement that would help them avoid the strong enemies.


    All of the people trembled in fear at the sight of their mad dash towards the walls that surrounded the Mobile Field Army Command.


    ¡°What about the troops under our direct control?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯reing as fast as they can. Everyone will be back in 1 hour at thetest!¡±


    Themunications officer hurriedly reported what he heard after hearing Iron¡¯s question. Then, Iron turned to look at themunications officer in charge of the corps.


    ¡°What about the corps?¡±


    ¡°The 23rd Corps is an hour away from us.¡±


    ¡°The 22nd Corps will also be returning as soon as possible. But it might take three hours for them to arrive.¡±


    ¡°The 21st Corps will probably take at least half-a-day.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s say that we¡¯re excluding the 21st Corps¡­¡±


    Iron nodded lightly after hearing the corps situation from themunications officer as he turned to look at the intelligence officer.


    ¡°Did you request support from Southern Command?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. They said that two of their divisions are moving right away. And if they can still spare the manpower, they said that they would still send one more division.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, all that¡¯s left for us to do is buy some time. Right?¡±


    Iron looked satisfied at the intelligence officer¡¯s report. But the expressions of the other officers weren¡¯t that good.


    Even if Iron was present, the number of the troops present at Command was still small. All three of the corps were outside and most of the units under the direct orders of Command were also deployed outside.


    With the storm troops, knight order, magic unit, spirit unit, drake unit, airship unit and artillery unit dispatched outside, only some of the guards and troops from the defense units were left to protect Command.


    ¡°I¡¯ll block them upfront so you just have to make sure that you don¡¯t let theme inside.¡±


    ¡°Ye¡­ Yes, sir!¡±


    The operations officer answered quickly but the other officers still looked worried.


    ¡°No matter how much the Commander takes on most of them by himself¡­¡±


    ¡°At this point in time, we should just urge the support troops toe faster.¡±


    The intelligence officer spoke mindlessly but had no choice but to quickly go outside after receiving Iron¡¯s fierce re.


    ¡°If all of you don¡¯t panic, you can do well and stop them with your power.¡±


    Iron slowly left the Commander¡¯s office after the officers scrambled outside to follow his orders.


    He did not lose hisposure despite the dark clouds brought about by the iing monster wave. If he, the center of Command, looked like he was in a hurry then everyone would be anxious. So, Iron had no choice but to pretend like he was rxed as he stared straight ahead.


    But¡­


    ¡°This is going to be a bit hard.¡±


    Iron grew tremendously during his fight against the giant armored worm but he was losing his confidence as he watched the ck sea of mutant monsters flocking straight to Command. He had fought and blocked the giant worm corps in the north alone and calmed down the Southeast but he still thought that this would be a tough fight.


    But this was just an hour. It would hurt his pride as a master if he couldn¡¯t block a wave like this for days let alone an hour.


    ¡°Guys, let¡¯s try and block it for just an hour.¡±


    Gigantic birds appeared in the sky at the end of Iron¡¯s words.


    The divine beasts, which made him into the master that he was now, showed off their presence by releasing their overwhelming power towards the flock of monsters.


    A huge storm suddenly appeared which created a tornado that spinned in the middle of the enemies. Then, mes suddenly poured down and wound around the whirling tornado, effectively sweeping everything in its path.


    All of the people present in the castle stared nkly at Thunderbird and Phoenix¡¯s cooperation.


    The phantom species under Iron were all powerful in their own rights. However, they had always fought on their own. But after blocking and fighting against the giant worms for months, they finally opened their hearts to each other. That was why the two divine beasts could assimte each other¡¯s power and show off an incredible attack like this.


    ¡°Fire Storm¡­¡±


    This was the first skill that the divine beasts hade up with.


    The divine beasts had created some skills which led to their strength catapulting to new heights over the past few months. And right now, one of them was being used.


    Unable to pierce through the ravaging Fire Storm, a gigantic water buffalo appeared among the countless monsters.


    The water buffalo stood on its two feet and resembled a minotaurus. It was only for a moment but it looked like it was bigger in physiquepared to an ogre. But even if it was just for a short moment, it¡¯s huge physique allowed them to break through the fire storm.


    ¡°Owl.¡±


    ¨D Hoot!


    This time, Two Moons came out.


    Two Moons¡¯ eyes shone brightly as it targeted the giant water buffalo taking the lead.


    As soon as a ray of light shed from its two huge eyes, Thunderbird¡¯s lightning wrapped around the light and gave the ray of light an additional boost of power.


    The ces where Two Moons¡¯ rays of light passed through were burned and turned intova. The giant water buffalo did not even have the time to show off its formidable strength before it disappeared into nothingness. The rays of light with lightning wound around it were so powerful that it melted everything that it passed by.


    This was the fusion of Two Moons and Thunderbird¡¯s power and was named by Iron as¡­


    ¡°The Two Judges.¡±


    Everyone present felt fear as everything disappeared without a trace under those two rays of light. They were all surprised and shocked by the overwhelming power and majesty that they were showing.


    But this was not the end of Iron¡¯s divine beasts¡¯ power.


    They finally showed what hell was like to the monsters that broke through the Fire Storm.


    This time, it was Phoenix and Two Moons who assimted their powers.


    Intense fire spread in all directions as Two Moons amplified the mana and increased its intensity even further turning thand in the surrounding area intova.


    The scenery looked like hell had descended as mes soared andva devoured thends. The monsters, which had been strengthened by the contaminated mana and void energy, melted and turned into ashes one after the other.


    ¡°Hell¡­¡±


    The name of this third fusion skill was none other than ¡®Hellfire River Rim¡¯. Just like what its name suggested, it showed an incredible sight as if hellfire descended on earth and burned the wholend.


    The scene in front of Command wasplete chaos. The Fire Storm was raging wildly while thend was still being ravaged by the aftermath of the Two Judges¡¯ ray of lights while hell continued to wreak havoc with the Hellfire River Rim.


    Fusion Skill ¨C Fire Storm


    Fusion Skill ¨C Two Judges


    Fusion Skill ¨C Hellfire River Rim


    The three fusion skills made the power of the three divine beasts stronger.


    However, the truth was that all of the divine beasts that recognized Iron as their masters had distinct personalities and pride that almost reached the skies. Not to mention the two phantom species Phoenix and Thunderbird, even Two Moons, who was able to create an entirely inessible area in the Northeast, was prideful.


    It was only because of Iron that they came together like this. Since they couldn¡¯t exert their original power yet, they made this decision to be helpful to Iron.


    The number of giant worms evolving to great worms was increasing. Even the unevolved giant worms were getting stronger. But the rate of growth of Iron¡¯s divine power was slow. If onepared it with other humans, then the growth of Iron¡¯s divine power could be considered astonishingly fast. However, if youpare it to the growth of the giant armored worm and its subordinates then the growth of Iron¡¯s divine power was extremely slow.


    So, the divine beasts made the decision to open their hearts and minds to each other.


    If Iron did not have any choice other than to lose to those worms, then it would hurt their pride even more.


    So, for Iron to not be beaten by those worms, the divine beasts decided to join forces together. And as a result of months of continuous attempts, they were finally able to reach the assimtion stage.


    ¡°Only up to this point, huh?¡±


    The divine beasts¡¯ fusion skills showed tremendous power but their power and Iron¡¯s divine power was not infinite. As their strength gradually faded, the mes that burned like hell and the fire storms that soared up in the sky gradually subsided and disappeared.


    Even if the divine power was taken out of the picture, the aftermath of the Hellfire River Rim and the Fire Storm still remained. However, their opponents were mutated monsters. Their bodies had been strengthened by the void energy and were able to trample on the burning ground as they rushed towards Command.


    ¨D Ppiii!


    Iron smiled slightly after hearing Phoenix say that it could do more.


    ¡°I know. But I have been resting all this time. It¡¯s been a while since I warmed my body up.¡±


    The three divine beasts looked at Iron in disappointment.


    They were able to fight fierce battles continuously when they were still fighting against the giant worm corps but after they had returned to Command, there were not many battles that they had fought. Even if they fought battles, they were those nd and boring battles especially after they hadpared it with the battles against the giant worms. That was why all of the divine beasts were excited to fight this battle. They felt like they finally had the opportunity to stretch their wings a bit and use their powers after a long time.


    But Iron did not allow them to do so telling them that it was now his time to fight.


    ¨D Hoot~ Hoot, hoot, hoot!


    Two Moons flew up in the sky again and ignored his words. Phoenix and Thunderbird immediately followed suit before releasing their powers again.


    ¡°Hey! You guys¡­!¡±


    Iron tried to jump off of the wall when he saw his divine beasts ignore his words and fly away. But a small bird suddenlynded on Iron¡¯s head and stopped him from doing so.


    ¨D Tweet!


    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s also been a while since I warmed up¡­¡±


    ¨D Tweet, tweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet! ( You¡¯re fatigue still hasn¡¯t worn off, you know? Are you out of your mind? )


    Iron bowed his head with a slight disappointment as he listened calmly to Baepsae¡¯s words.


    ¡°B¡­ But once the monsters arrive at the castle then¡­¡±


    ¨D Tweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet! ( Are your subordinates just there for decoration? )


    Iron sighed at Baepsae¡¯s nagging. He had no other choice but to sit on the Commander¡¯s seat and watch his divine beasts fight after being told to calm down and take a rest.


    However, despite the onught of lightning, mes and rays of light, many monsters were still able to reach the castle due to their sheer number that flocked to Command.


    They immediately fired artillery from the castle walls as a small number of airships flew up and poured down bombs on them.


    Iron still continued to watch them calcting the time when he would step up. Waiting, just in case the monster wave broke through the divine beasts¡¯ attacks andpletely arrived at the castle.


    But the one thing that drained his steam was the appearance of more than dozens of airships and hundreds of drake units in the sky.


    Upon hearing the news that Command was in crisis, the 22nd and 23rd Corps immediately sent over support troops using their fastest drakes and airships with less luggage.


    ¨D Tweet, tweet! ( I don¡¯t think our master needs to do anything, right? )


    Iron sighed softly at Baepsae¡¯s words.


    He thought that he could try and warm his body up after a long time but there was nothing left for him to do the moment the support troops arrived faster than he expected.


    The drake units dropped bombs as they escorted the 23rd Corps airships. Then, once the 23rd Corps¡¯ airships arrived in the middle of the monster wave, they began to mercilessly drop rains of bombs on their enemies.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    The heated rush of the monster wave died down as the bombs fell.


    With the drake units and airships wreaking havoc in the rear and the divine beasts blocking them upfront, the monsters were left in chaos. However, with their sheer number, waves of monsters continued to flock towards Command.


    The ck sea of monsters continued to flock. But the Mobile Field Army Command still held out and fought smoothly. Over time, with the arrival of the two divisions from Southern Command and their seamless convergence with 22nd and 23rd Corps, an impregnable defense was created at the castle.


    As a result, there was no chance for Iron toe out.


    ¨D Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!


    Iron became sullen as Baepsae chirped loudly around him. It looked like the bird was gloating at his sulking appearance.


    ¡°Ha¡­ I want to fight too.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 178 - Reshuffling Of The Forces In The Southeast (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(178)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>57 </b>Reshuffling of the Forces in the Southeast (3)


    Iron grumbled as he continued to look at the situation in front of him.


    Thanks to the 22nd and 23rd Corps as well as the two divisions sent by the Southern Command, the monsters couldn¡¯t reach the walls of the castle at all. Because of this, the pressure of defending the castle was lifted off of the shoulders of the divine beasts allowing them to fly freely in the sky. They were like untamed mares galloping freely as they fought to their heart¡¯s content. Or just like kids dumped in the yground to y around and have fun.


    Meanwhile, Iron was still left with nothing to do especially after the divisions under the direct control of Command arrived.


    ¡°Guys! Go out there! Beat them!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t lose! We¡¯re going out there to win!¡±


    Ludem, the leader of the storm troops, and Rodem, the leader of the knight order, growled as they took their subordinates straight out of Command.


    The gates opened as the knight order charged out in their V-formation and the storm troops rushed out like crazy. There was also the magic unit and spirit unit who wanted to prove that they would not lose to them in momentum. They used a joint attack that swept away the monsters that blocked the path of the knight order and storm troops.


    But unlike these four units, who killed the monsters as if they werepeting, the ranger unit just quietly did what they had to do. They would quietly appear all over the ce to target the weaknesses of the monsters and kill them in one shot.


    However, not long after, they were left with nothing to do.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    One of the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but exim nkly as he listened to the continuous sound of explosions.


    With the artillery unit¡¯s leader¡¯s orders, the bombs from the new weapon, the multi-magic bombuncher, fell down one after the other. There was also the airships that were directly under themand of the artillery unit leader, who dropped a rain of bomb, mercilessly sweeping the monsters away.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ There¡¯s really nothing for me to do.¡±


    Iron had not given up hope that he would be able to move too, but he was forced topletely give up after seeing this round of attack.


    He looked slightly, just ever so slightly, disappointed after seeing that his subordinates had grown much more than he expected. In fact, it was already surprising enough that they were able to grow despite theck of confidence but it seemed like they had grown once again the moment they started expanding the territory of the Mobile Field Army in the Southeast. Through the countless battles that they had experienced, each corps was able to embody their own characteristics as their troops moved tightly and neatly together to ughter the monsters.


    Iron was left lost in his thoughts after seeing his subordinates perform better than he expected.


    He thought of bringing in the masters to gain an overwhelming advantage. Of course, they wouldn¡¯te here for free. After all, there was no free meal in the world. Each Command would definitely raise their own conditions and Iron would have to fulfill each and every condition to the best of his abilities.


    However, seeing his subordinates perform like this right now, he thought that he could at least reduce the number of the masters that he would ask for help by one.


    Pride swelled in his chest at the thought of his subordinates, who worked harder than what he expected, fighting well.


    ¡°Who should I take out of the list?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as his lips curled up in a smile.


    He had to make revisions to his ns but he felt very happy to do so. It was only natural. After all, there would be one less person that he needed to tter and curry favor with.


    Iron sat firmly on the walls as he stared at the battle,pletely forgetting that he had just missed his chance to warm up.


    ¡°Ariel grew up during this period.¡±


    He saw the 21st Corps¡¯ airships from afar.


    The first thing he did was look at how many of the airships that had only arrived now came.


    But those who came down from the airships were strong enough that he felt a bit sorry for the words ¡®only¡¯.


    The first to drop down from the airships was Ariel with her sword that sliced off the necks of the monsters the moment she descended. The officers and knights that followed right after her also showed their tremendous majesty and turned the area where they descended into a mud t.


    ¡°I wonder how those Center bastards will react once they see this.¡±


    One of the articles that he saw in the newspaper recently shed in his head.


    [ Iron¡¯s Mobile Field Army, perhaps they¡¯re just some fragile bubble? ]


    The newspapers weren¡¯t just disparaging the famous Mobile Field Army. The articles that they wrote were all with basis.


    <b>1 </b>The corps are still iplete


    <b>2 </b>The Corps Commanders¡¯ skills are not good enough.


    <b>3</b> The abilities of the divisions under the direct control of Command are significantly lower than the other troops.


    <b>4 </b>Their troops rely on their Commander a lot more than the other armies.


    These four facts were correct, they were truly the shorings of their Mobile Field Army.


    While Iron was busy blocking the giant worm corps, the Command had suffered huge damages which forced them to send their iplete corps out on operations.


    Then, did that mean that the storm troops and the knight orders wereplete? Not at all.


    With the Northeast¡¯s standards, the division leader of the divisions directly under Command had to be at the end of the 5th Stage or the beginning of the 6th Stage. Corps Commanders should also be at the 6th Stage or should bemanding officers who had made overwhelming achievements in the battlefield to the point that anyone could ignore their level.


    Currently, all of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s corpsmanders did not reach any of these qualifications. And, it was also true that they still relied a lot on their Commander, Iron.


    That was why there were a lot of people giving their two cents saying that Iron should just dismantle his Mobile Field Army and go under the Southern Command to learn while he continued to grow up. Some even went as far as to disparage Iron and call him as the weakest among the masters.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Iron smiled deeply as he watched the video crystal that recorded all of the battles that they fought today. He felt that the videos of today¡¯s battles were enough evidence to dismiss all of their objections.


    He left the Command to the operations officers and entered the main building as he smiled in satisfaction at his divine beasts¡¯ overwhelming performance and his subordinates¡¯ unexpected growth.


    All of the officers clenched their fists when they saw Iron entrusted them with the battle and its end. They finally received the recognition of their Commander.


    Although the divine beasts¡¯ performance waspletely overwhelming, the battles that the three corps and the divisions under the Command¡¯s direct control were still extremely impressive even if they took the divine beasts out of the picture. They did not receive any significant damage and their performance was so amazing that it deserved to be called overwhelming. In fact, even if there were no divine beasts, Iron believed that they alone would be enough to protect the Command.


    After sessfully stopping the first monster wave that appeared in the Southeast, the Mobile Field Army troops cheered loudly with their clenched fists. It wasn¡¯t a small-scaled monster wave but a medium-scaled monster wave and they were extremely happy to be able topletely block it. However, the reason for their happiness was not because they won the war or sustained minimal damage. It was because they received Iron¡¯s recognition.


    Iron entering the main building and leaving the Command Center alone to them was a sign of hisplete trust with them. And this news was delivered to all units. Iron¡¯s trust in them was also delivered to the divisions under the Command¡¯s direct control, the logistics and troops led by Carl and the 21st Corps led by Ariel, which was the farthest from them.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since everyone got together like this.¡±


    After the battle, the Field Army¡¯s topmanding officers had gathered in the Commander¡¯s office. All three of the corpsmanders as well as the leaders of the divisions under the direct control of Command were all sitting in the office.


    ¡°It seems like you did well today even without me, huh?¡±


    When Iron smiled at them as he said those words, everyone¡¯s lips quirked in a smile too.


    ¡°Especially Ariel. Right now, we can safely say that you¡¯re like a real corpsmander.¡±


    Everyone apuded after hearing Iron¡¯s words that were no better than congrattions.


    She might still becking but she was already right around the 6th Stage. Just give her a bit more time and she would bepletely settled on that stage.


    Cardro gritted his teeth as he watched the scene. Even Saeriden was doing the same thing.


    Iron nodded his head when he saw their burning gazes.


    ¡°I thought it was still too early¡­ but perhaps it was my miscalction.¡±


    Iron looked at themanding officers as he spoke.


    ¡°Ariel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°The path from here to Meindania Port, can you do it alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible!¡±


    With Ariel¡¯s dependable reply, Iron nodded his head as if he believed in her.


    ¡°Cardro.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°From now on, you will expand our territory southward.¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡±


    Cardro bowed his head as he clenched his fists tightly. Finally, their corps was given a proper corps mission.


    Iron turned to look at Saeriden after seeing him look enviously at Cardro and Ariel for receiving their corps¡¯ first solo mission.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to be jealous of, Saeriden.¡±


    Saeriden looked at Iron with anticipation.


    ¡°The 23rd Corps will be the ones to keep the northern side in check. Can you do that?¡±


    Saeriden couldn¡¯t answer Iron right away.


    This was the giant worm corps that the Commander stopped alone. Being given the room to grow, they had be one of the strongest forces in the Southeast. Keeping them in check and stopping them from expanding further meant that there was a possibility that they would fight against them.


    Saeriden couldn¡¯t help but ponder for a while after being subtly asked ¡®Can you stop the giant worm corps trying to expand their territory?¡¯ by Iron. But he soon replied dependably.


    ¡°Yes. We can do it.¡±


    He did not answer with a ¡®We¡¯ll try.¡¯ but with a ¡®We can do it.¡¯. Iron nodded in satisfaction at his answer.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll trust you on this. All of the units directly under Command will return here in Command. And in conjunction with the Southern Command, you willpletely clean up and purify the area. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron nodded in satisfaction.


    Just when themanding officers were about to turn to each other and chat, a man, who they had not seen in a long time, came rushing inside the Commander¡¯s office as he gave his salute to Iron.


    ¡°Gaon! It¡¯s been a while, right?¡±


    The man smiled slightly at Carl, who greeted him brightly.


    ¡°Everyone, let me introduce him officially to you. This is Raven¡¯s Captain, Gaon Temphet.¡±


    Iron officially introduced Gaon and Raven, the Mobile Field Army¡¯s special force, to the rest of the officers.


    Everyone congratted Gaon after he was officially introduced as a captain to all of themanding officers.


    Ariel stood up to give him a handshake first. And the moment Gaon and Ariel shook hands¡­


    Halt!


    Ariel trembled slightly as he looked at Gaon in surprise.


    Gaon was also surprised when he looked at Ariel.


    ¡°Congrattions. It seems like Gaon has already stepped in the realms of the 6th Stage too?¡±


    Themanding officers¡¯ eyes widened when they heard Iron congratting Gaon. Cardro and Saeriden, in particr, looked the most shocked. They weren¡¯t that shocked with Ariel but what shocked them was the fact that Gaon had also stepped to the 6th Stage.


    However, Iron had expected this oue to some extent.


    Ariel and Aiden were the most talented figures in the North. And Gaon Temphet was the only person outside of these two in the North who could match their talents. After all, Gaon was the result of two Northern Families joining together so his talents werepletely understandable.


    ¡°The two of you are aware that you haven¡¯t reached the 6th Stagepletely yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Iron looked at themanding officers after hearing Ariel and Gaon¡¯s knowing answers.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote for you. If you try harder, then you may be the ones to reach the next level faster than these two. So, be more diligent and earnest in your work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron nodded at them before turning to Gaon and looking at him curiously.


    ¡°But what¡¯s the problem? Why are you here all of a sudden? Aren¡¯t you still out on a mission?¡±


    ¡°I came because I have something to report.¡±


    ¡°A report?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Coming personally to report and skipping themunications officer meant that this information was quite serious.


    Iron had gestured for him to say it but Gaon hesitated. Seeing this, themanding officers tried to get up from their seats.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Say it.¡±


    Gaon spoke carefully after hearing Iron¡¯s orders.


    ¡°A number of master-ranked individuals¡­ appeared in the South.¡±


    ¡°¡­A number?¡±


    Iron asked as if he found Gaon¡¯s word to be ridiculous.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ But there is no news about these new masters in the Empire?¡±


    ¡°They appeared from the Alliance of Southern Kingdoms.¡±


    Iron titled his head at Gaon¡¯s words.


    Those who became masters were bound to shine and stand out. But from what Iron knew, there weren¡¯t that many people of that level. In fact, their number continued to decrease after losing their lives from the mutants that appeared from the Southern Death Rim. Their numbers had shrunk to the point that there were only four masters left in the continent¡¯s southern end.


    ¡°How many are they?¡±


    ¡°There are six of them.¡±


    Gaon calmly answered Iron¡¯s question.


    Everyone listening was astonished with the sudden increase in numbers of their masters.


    ¡°There are really six of them?¡±


    Gaon nodded to answer Cardro¡¯s question.


    ¡°Do you have the report?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Gaon handed the report to Iron.


    Everyone turned to look at Iron anxiously as he read the report. Not long after, Iron burst intoughter.


    ¡°Hahaha! You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Gaon couldn¡¯t help but ask foolishly after he saw Ironugh so suddenly.


    ¡°These guys are lying*.¡±


    ¡°You said¡­ they¡¯re lying¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. These guys are fake masters. They have ancient artifacts and magic tools, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I believe.¡±


    Iron nodded as if he had expected this after seeing Gaon¡¯s doubt.


    ¡°These specially talented people created an imitation of the master¡¯s power with their innate abilities and the power of the magic tools and artifacts.¡±


    Everyone felt relieved after hearing Iron¡¯s exnation.


    And since everyone had gathered together after a long time, Iron decided to throw a small party for them after knowing that there was nothing for them to worry about in the South. He also gave the troops a break as a reward for sessfully blocking the medium-scaled monster wave with only minimal damage.


    A few dayster, the Mobile Field Army troops began their operation to take full control of the Southeast.


    With their movements, the giant worm corps also decided to reach their ws towards the Center of the Empire and sessfully erged their territory.


    Even the unknown existence that dominated the southern end of the region also appeared. It was none other than the manticore that was usually found in the Southern ins. And right now, thanks to the power of the void, it had be a much stronger existence than before as it dominated the southern end of the region and brought all of the other contaminated monsters under its banner.


    Finally, the Southeastern region of the Empire was finally beginning to be divided into three forces.


    ***


    Notes


    *Lying ¨C What Iron used here is the word ?, which is a ng for lie. Can also be used to say ¡®just kidding¡¯ or ¡®gotcha¡¯.


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 Chapter 179 - Aren’t You Bastards Crossing The Line? (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(179)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>58 </b>Aren¡¯t You Bastards Crossing the Line? (1)


    Iron finally moved wildly in the Southeastern region of the Empire that waspletely divided into three forces. Meanwhile, the Southern Kingdom was in a frenzy.


    Most of the small kingdoms had already been ruined so the remaining kingdoms had no choice but to form an alliance. However, the quality of their troops had fallen into the quagmire.


    Just when their masters had been reduced to only three and the number of their troops had fallen. The other-worlders from all over the continent began to flock to the South. Even the other-worlders staying in the Empire started to rush to the South.


    Chosen Ones ¡ú West ¨D Divine Nation Alliance


    Other Worlders ¡ú Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation


    Just like that, the continent was split into the Empire, the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation, and Divine Nation Alliance. Just like how the Southeast wasrgely divided into three forces, the entire Auzria Continent was also divided into these three. The Empire had be the safest area while the Divine Nation Alliance, which directly received God¡¯s power, was slowly bing stronger.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be pushed back any further than here!¡±


    ¡°We have to take special measures¡­¡±


    The key figures of the Confederation have gathered together but they weren¡¯t able toe up with any specific measures.


    ¡°If we ask the Empire for a hand¡­¡±


    ¡°That moment will spell the end of our confederation! We will definitely be devoured by the Empire!¡±


    They had the two family heads, who werepeting for the strongest in the Continent, and even a new rising hero. So, what would happen to them in the future if they asked the Empire, who held these pieces, for a hand? Their confederation would definitely be a vassal country to the Empire.


    ¡°It would be good if the other-worlders can grow further but¡­¡±


    While they were grabbing their heads in worry, the other-worlders from all over the continent started flocking to the confederation.


    The most active in the Empire¡¯s Eastern Region, Kim Jungtae. The active figure fleeting all over the Empire, Harry Williams. The brave, most active in the war in the Center¡¯s Capital, Rovanov. The most active in the continent¡¯s Western Region, Jamie. And even joining them were the South¡¯s most reputable, Hikardu, and the person who made a name for himself in the Southern Deserts, Al-Assad.


    These other-worlders had all gathered together in the confederation. And following them were their guilds, making the confederation a sacred ce for the other-worlders to gather together.


    After a while, they began to spread rumors that these six people, who led the other-worlders, wereparable to the master-ranked individuals.


    At first, everyone snorted at their words. After all, one couldn¡¯t be a master just because they proimed that they were a master.


    However, a whileter, the public¡¯s evaluation changed. They thought that they might probably have truly reached the realms of a master after watching them fight with their overwhelming power and inexhaustible bodies while they continued to grow day by day.


    Since ¡®Iron Carter¡¯ had already reached the master-rank thanks to his divine beasts, despite his power being vague and unclear, there was no rule that no other person wouldn¡¯t be able to do so.


    The only thing that they needed this time was to receive the other masters ¡®recognition¡¯. But the key figures of the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation did not push for it at first.


    They did not allow for this to happen mainly because they feared that the power in their hands would be handed over to the other-worlders. They also feared that this peace, which they were only barely able to attain, could be broken and torn easily once news about a feud between the other-worlders and the Southern Kingdoms were spread.


    However, their judgment still eventually led to the confirmation of the emergence of six new masters. This in turn led to the establishment of the South¡¯s Ten Strongest.


    Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation¡¯s Masters ¨C 3


    Other-worlders¡¯ Guild Coalition ¨C 6


    Free Mercenaries ¨C 1


    All of them were gathered and named as the South¡¯s Ten Strongest. The number of their masters now exceeded the number of masters in the Empire.


    Of course, the Empire did not recognize this. There was no way that they would recognize the other-worlders as masters when they did not even recognize the ¡®Mercenary King¡¯, a free mercenary, as a proper master.


    However, even if the Empire did not recognize them, the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation, without any other choice, continued to call them masters. Even the Divine Nation Alliance copied the South¡¯s Ten Strongest and also recognized some of their cardinal-level individuals and chosen ones as masters, effectively recognizing them as masters.


    ¡®Since you acknowledged us, then we will acknowledge you too!¡¯


    The Confederation responded to this message from the Divine Nation Alliance. At the same time, they criticized the Empire¡¯s behavior. They cited Iron Carter¡¯s case and argued about why they wouldn¡¯t recognize their masters when they had already done it once.


    Naturally, the news hit the entire Empire which focused all of their arrows towards Iron, who was working hard in the Southeast.


    ? Iron Carter, is he just a ¡®master¡¯ born for the Empire to create a Hero? ?


    Anything rted to the master¡¯s level was a hot topic. It was, in fact, overheating to the point that such articles had appeared in the Empire¡¯s newspapers. Some said that all of this started with Iron Carter.


    And because of that, the entire continent was solely focused on Iron.


    ¡°For real¡­ This is really like an aura de.¡±


    Carl watched the video that the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Alliance had released.


    The clear mana that was wrapped around Al-Assad¡¯s, an other-worlder, sword truly looked like an aura de. Mutant monsters would also be sliced like butter whenever he swung his sword. The same was true for Rovanov¡¯s fists. The clear mana surrounding his gauntlets looked like aura as he mercilessly smashed the mutant monsters.


    Just looking at these two, one might believe that they really look like masters.


    ¡°Do you think a real master will be fooled by something like this?¡±


    Iron clicked his tongue when he saw Carl letting out a gasp of admiration.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The vivid and clear form of mana weapon truly looked like a master¡¯s aura. However, Iron was sure. After all, this was a controversy that he had already experienced in his past life. And the result?


    ¡®They experienced a devastating and gruesome defeat under the hands of real masters. Well¡­¡¯


    Iron chuckled at the thought.


    They couldn¡¯t even fight back properly. All they could do was go with the flow and be swung around like a ragdoll in front of the real masters. That was the extent of the skills of these ¡®fake masters¡¯.


    However, what was different was that all of the people that were shown in the video were people who had been through the beta test. Perhaps, that was also the reason why their level had definitely increased from before. They were now showing movements and power that were closer to a real masterpared to the clumsy master y that they did before.


    ¡®Are you trying to say that you did note back to y around?¡¯


    Iron smirked.


    ¡°But these guys keep on talking shit about the Commander, what should we do?¡±


    Carl looked at Iron worriedly. But Iron just spoke nonchntly as if this was not a big deal.


    ¡°Reveal the video of our battles.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ That would certainly¡­¡±


    Carl nodded as he recalled the scene back then.


    The scene was extremely overwhelming that everyone would have no other choice but to just stare nkly. It was so powerful that Carl even thought that it was more powerful than a Magic Master.


    ¡°Throw it to that punk, Faulden. Don¡¯t pay it any mind after. This is not the time for you to pay attention to this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Carl bowed his head as he epted Iron¡¯s orders.


    Just like he said, they had no time to pay attention to these things.


    The imoogi had a horrible pace of growth and was already starting to make a fuss in the north while the manticore, a creatureparable to the imoogi in strength, firmly nted its feet in the south and was staring their way. In addition, the monsters had grown more clever and shrewd and were now constantly harassing the Mobile Field Army.


    Command was currently in a tight and hectic schedule thanks to these constant battles urring in the Southeast. It even felt like they were fighting a war between ¡®humans¡¯ because their opponents had already started using the humans¡¯ tactics and strategies.


    Iron and his Mobile Field Army couldn¡¯t afford to pay any attention to these ¡®trivial¡¯ things. They ignored all of the requests and questions from the reporters as they devoted themselves to the things that they needed to do.


    By then, the reporters had made a press release saying that Iron had actually admitted it.


    At that moment¡­


    The Southeast released a video crystal for everyone¡¯s viewing. It was a video about the monster wave that happened in the Southeast just recently. The video that they had blocked before was released without any addition or cuts.


    It wasn¡¯t just the doubting reporters, even the confused public as well as some of the nobles, who tried to take advantage of the situation, were as quiet as a mute as they all nodded their heads while watching this video.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°Crazy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! This is the master-rank!¡±


    The people of the Empire cheered loudly as they praised their hero once again.


    Meanwhile, all of the people from the Western and Southern regions of the continent, who criticized the Empire, had their mouths forcibly shut.


    The Fusion Skills of Iron¡¯s divine beasts had created a hellish scenery where all of the mutant monsters had melted to nothing. What kind of disagreement and criticism could they even make at this sight?


    The Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation, in particr, knew how powerful their skills were since there were mutant monsters in their region as well. How could they continue to nder Iron after watching his divine beasts melt these monsters like butter? Doing so would be a prick in their conscience. It was clear that they would be the ones criticized if they said such things.


    So, instead of questioning whether Iron¡¯s strength was truly strong enough to match the master¡¯s prestige, the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Alliance used a different approach.


    ¡°This is because Iron Carter grew stronger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He wasn¡¯t this strong before he left for the Southeast, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The people of the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation continued to push the fact that the other-worlders were masters. Of course, the other-worlders also spread the rumors harder for their guild leaders¡¯ sake.


    The members of the guilds all agreed with one fact so that their guild leaders could rise to the master¡¯s levelter.


    The existing standards to be a master-ranked individual was too demanding and was not suitable for the other-worlders so they demanded that a new standard for a master-ranked individual was set.


    In that situation, one of the new masters, Kim Jungtae, spoke up.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible topete with Iron Carter right now.¡±


    One of the reporters asked after hearing Kim Jungtae¡¯s words.


    ¡°What¡¯s your basis for this?¡±


    ¡°I never thought that he was stronger than me back in the East. And the same is true right now.¡±


    When Kim Jungtae¡¯s interview was released, all the other guild leaders also expressed their opinion.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t shown all of our power yet.¡±


    ¡°If I do my best, I can do what Iron Carter can do.¡±


    ¡°Iron Carter! Let¡¯s go and fight!¡±


    ¡°I hope that there will be a ce where we can fight Iron Carter in the future!¡±


    Rovanov spoke pompously in her interview.


    ¡°Iron is a coward. This is also the same for the other masters of the Empire. If you won¡¯t recognize us then,e find us! We¡¯ll show it to you!¡±


    The Empire¡¯s people were furious at Rovanov. Even the nobles of the Empire were furious.


    ¡®We¡¯ll make sure to strip you bare!¡¯


    The nobles could disparage and talk shit about themanders because they were in different political positions but that was a different story if this came from other Empires. It was uneptable for them to hear the other-worlders talk shit about their own.


    Iron could stillugh them off.


    However, Iron¡¯s expression had turned rigid the moment their provocations had gone beyond his bottom line.


    And finally, Rovanov said something that she shouldn¡¯t have said.


    ¡°I heard that Iron is stuck at Command these days? Wasn¡¯t he just lying down in pain these days after filming that. Rumors said that he¡¯s a three-minute man but I think it¡¯s true.¡±


    Iron sneered at Rovanov¡¯s provocation.


    Although he had always led everyrge-scale battle that he had participated in to victory, rumors often circted about him being a three-minute man because he always copsed after every battle.


    Iron¡¯s eyes had grown extremely cold. He was pretending to be calm but he was just holding everything in.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Aren¡¯t you crossing the line?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only Carl, who was standing in front of him, but even Faulden and Gaon, who came to report, stood rigid at his cold aura. They had no choice but to straighten their backs. Just one cold and murderous look from Iron had coated the entire Commander¡¯s office with a thinyer of ice.


    ¡®If you tread on the wrong path, then you¡¯ll die.¡¯


    This thought shed in their heads as they waited for Iron to calm his anger.


    ***


    Notes


    Three-minute man ¨C yes it means premature e*******ion. Basically they¡¯re telling him that he has a short battery life, like his power gets easily exhausted.


    <b>TL¡¯s corner!</b>


    There¡¯s a face pping. I can feel it. I can feel it in my bones.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 180 - Aren’t You Bastards Crossing The Line? (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(180)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>58 </b>Aren¡¯t You Bastards Crossing the Line? (2)


    Iron was already annoyed and pissed off from their continuous provocations but this one made him explode.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pick up the pace for the n.¡±


    Everyone present was startled to attention at Iron¡¯s cold voice. They hastily perked their ears up and listened to his orders.


    ¡°Gaon.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Focus on the Southern Kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Faulden, go ahead and expand your informationwork towards the South too.¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡±


    They all bowed their heads to ept Iron¡¯s orders as they hurriedly left the Commander¡¯s Office.


    Iron sighed to himself when he looked at hismanding officers running from his office as if they were being chased by something.


    ¡°This is pissing me off.¡±


    Iron frowned as he grumbled to himself.


    Dealing with the Southeast was already difficult enough but they kept on provoking him. He tried to ignore them but they kept on picking a fight with him. And it has now gone worse. Their level of provocation was getting worse for him to just wait for them to show that they were not real masters themselves. If they left them as they were, then not only the Empire but even the authority of the masters would bepromised and questioned.


    ¡®It¡¯s definitely not because I was called a three-minute man. Definitely not.¡¯


    Iron shook his head after finally deciding to educate these cocky and arrogant bastards.


    With his anger shooting on top of his head, Iron immediately epted a reporter¡¯s interview the next day.


    [ Come find me yourself. You¡¯re always wee. ]


    This was the only line from the interview that appeared in the newspapers.


    Finally, Iron opened his mouth to speak. His words might be short but it was powerful enough to satisfy the people of the Empire and their dissatisfaction.


    The people of the Empire became lively at his confidence. Because of this, the Southerners urged the other-worlders to visit him as fast as they could and prove their worth. But contrary to their wishes, the other-worlders continued to dilly-dally.


    If Iron had only finished his interview with those words, then the other-worlders would have rushed to the Southeast right away. But he showed off his might right after the interview. The video of his divine beasts, showing off their overwhelming strength and annihting the monsters by themselves alone, were released right after.


    The video about the monster wave that they had released before showed the entire Command along with the divine beasts but this time, the video only showed Iron and his divine beasts alone so they were able to feel how much power his divine beasts truly had.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s all lies.¡±


    ¡°I know, right. Aren¡¯t they just all talk?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re using some kind of weird power, how can they dare to fight against a master?¡±


    Contrary to the Empire¡¯s people¡¯s lively reaction, all the Southerners could do was harden their faces. In addition to their Fusion Skills, just their mes, lightning and rays of light alone were overwhelming enough. This show of strength stopped them from making anyeback at all.


    In fact, the reason why Iron did not want to respond to them was because he did not want to calm the raging atmosphere down especially during a time when the confidence of the Southerners was growing. The appearance of new masters in the Southern region of the continent where the situation was extremely bad would bring hope to the people. So, he intentionally saved his words. But the other-worlders did not know his considerations and went beyond his bottom line.


    So, with the intention of stepping on them, he sent his special unit to the South and even used his intelligence unit to sway public opinion. He felt bad for the Southerners but he still was going to step on them to prevent them from trying to raise another ruckus.


    ¡°The South will leave us alone after this.¡±


    Iron looked satisfied after he finished cleaning up the South that kept on bothering him despite him being busy. Now, he would be able to take care of the Southeast without worrying about other things in the meantime.


    But contrary to Iron¡¯s expectations, the other-worlders remained persistent.


    They were well aware that they weren¡¯t at the master-rank right now. However, they left the title master on their names and did not bother to exin since there were a lot of ces where this title was useful. In addition, the title effects that they received from being called a master had given them a strong boost in power.


    However, as if there was nothing free in this world, a bacsh suddenly appeared.


    If the problem was just rted to the Southerners¡¯ public opinion, then it was enough for them to ignore it. After all, the South would have been forced to fight a difficult battle if it weren¡¯t for them. That was the reason why they had the guts to ignore their scathing remarks.


    But the problem this time was rted to their title effects.


    ¡°Debuff? Ha! This is crazy!¡±


    Kim Jungtae red at his title effects.


    ¨D Master Impersonator : Until you prove that you are a master all of your master title effects will be removed and all of your stats will drop by 20%.


    ¨D But! All of your debuffs will be released once you prove yourself.


    ¨D ¡ù If your level is close to a master or you can be recognized as a master in the future then your debuff will also be released.


    The price of impersonating a master was a steep one.


    The title effects and innate abilities were the source of power of the other-worlders. But what if the title effect that they received was a poisonous one?


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    Kim Jungtae rubbed his head in annoyance. He felt like he was truly going to go crazy. And the same was true for the others.


    The price that they had to pay for impersonating a master came in the form of a system debuff. However, they were in a situation where they couldn¡¯t just ask anyone to recognize them as a real master.


    They might be ahead of the others right now but there were still countless people following closely right behind them. The problem was these people did not impersonate a master so the debuff did not work on them. But if this situation continued, the people behind them would most likely be able to catch up with them.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I guess we will have to go and see him in the end.¡±


    Rovanov gritted her teeth as she said so.


    Everyone nodded their heads at the words of this woman whose body was covered with bulging muscles.


    There was only one answer. Even if they were going there just to experience humiliation, they still had to go and challenge him. Only then could their debuff be removed.


    ¡®That humiliation will only be for a moment of our lives.¡¯


    Kim Jungtae gritted his teeth as this thought shed in his head.


    They would definitely reach the master-rank in the end based on the speed of their growth. So, all they needed to do was to endure this humiliation.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ Iron. Everything gets screwed up whenever I get entangled with that bastard.¡±


    Evastole, a brave and his guild member,forted Kim Jungtae after seeing him grind his teeth in anger.


    They had met Iron in the East and their ns got screwed. As for their ns in the Empire, Iron single-handedly organized the situation which took away their opportunities to y and move their hands around.


    ¡°I also haven¡¯t seen that bastard, Lee Junghoo, yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he dead already?¡±


    Evastole asked as he looked at Kim Jungtae.


    Just like he said, there was a high probability that Lee Junghoo had already died since he hadn¡¯t shown himself up ever since they arrived here. But Kim Jungtae shook his head in disagreement.


    The Lee Junghoo that he knew was someone who would not die so easily.


    The other guild leaders all thought the same too.


    They all knew that Lee Junghoo, with the shitty body that he was given and his dunce talent, was able to survive until the end. In this unfavorable situation, there was a high chance that the person that they were trying so hard to find was probably hiding under the radar and scheming something.


    ¡°That bastard probably hid himself somewhere waiting for the quest to be over. If that¡¯s not the case then¡­¡±


    Kim Jungtae stopped talking as he finished the rest in his head.


    ¡®He probably received some sort of benefits that we aren¡¯t aware of.¡¯


    He did not know what it was but it was probably an extremely huge benefit that the bastard did not need to go to such great lengths like them.


    Believing that Lee Junghoo would appear someday, Kim Jungtae did not dally anymore. He quickly moved to solve the problem at hand.


    So, the six strongest other-worlders in the South spoke up in chorus.


    ? We will prove it! ?


    They showed their determination in this short sentence.


    The only thing left was when this would happen.


    Every single person in the continent showed great interest in the other-worlders challenge. This was because this was the most interesting news that spread in the continent after a long time. This event was like a breath of fresh air from all the news about death or a frontline being pierced through in the Auzria Continent. So, everyone eagerly looked at this news.


    The other-worlders¡¯ master-rank challenge.


    Even if they weren¡¯t masters, this was still something that tickled their interests.


    The six guild leaders immediately reduced their activities as they moved straight to Neraha, thergest city in the South, to leave for the Southeast.


    While everyone turned their attention towards the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation to watch the people that have gathered leave for the Southeast, a very interesting rumor started to spread around the other-worlders.


    ¡°There¡¯s another way to get an innate ability!¡±


    At first, no one believed the rumors.


    Which house¡¯s dog is barking bullshit about innate ability?


    It was no exaggeration to say that the other-worlders powers were dependent on their innate abilities. But you¡¯re telling them that they could get another one of that? It was something that even the Southerners couldn¡¯t believe either.


    However, their beliefs changed as one story after another appeared to prove that the rumors were true.


    ¡°If you get your hands on special weapons like the ones the Chosen Ones had, you will be able to get more innate abilities!¡±


    Rumors like this led the other-worlders tob through the South.


    A shield that had be scrap metal.


    A rusty sword.


    A battered and worn spear.


    A dented and crushed armor.


    A ripped and torn cloth.


    All of them were old items that weren¡¯t even intact and usable but some of them would emit some strange aura and power. There were even some strange weapons that would only show its power for 5 minutes at dawn everyday.


    However, anyone who obtained them would be able to gain another ability no matter what they did with the item. But that did not mean that they would awaken the moment they picked up something. There were tricky conditions that they needed to fulfill. They could only awaken if they had the minimum talent that was suitable for the weapon that they had picked. Nevertheless, everyone¡¯s eyes still burned brightly as they tried to look for one.


    While everyone was busy trying to look for their own special weapon, the others warned them.


    ¡°The void¡¯s fallen gods might just be ying jokes on you!¡±


    But the other-worlders ignored their warnings. This was only natural. After all, they were humans who would do anything and sell everything that they had just so they could gain power and be strong right away. And it wasn¡¯t just the other-worlders.


    The entire Southern region of the continent boiled and buzzed as they began to gain abilities like the Chosen Ones. Of course, the six other-worlders, who decided to challenge a master, also dyed their uing challenge to look for special weapons for themselves.


    ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know about this. This might be dangerous.¡±


    Evastole said as he looked at Kim Jungtae. He could see that the red and rusty dagger was emitting a strange and dangerous power. This was a rusty dagger submerged deep in the sea. And since Evastole was a brave, who awakened with holy power, he could see that the dagger had some strange sense of incongruity.


    However, Kim Jungtae did not have the time to pay heed to such things.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about thatter. I need to gain strength first so I can challenge that bastard, Iron.¡±


    Kim Jungtae held the dagger as he said so. Then, the dagger responded immediately. A blue energy appeared and wound around his wrist the moment the dagger was held in his hand. And in just a blink of an eye, the blue energy wrapped his entire body.


    ¨D Will you sign a contract with me?


    The voice that appeared in his head made him extremely ufortable but Kim Jungtae still nodded his head. He knew that everything was irreversible the moment he held that dagger.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The rusty dagger broke down the moment Kim Jungtae agreed.


    Evastole became flustered when he saw the dagger suddenly break. But Kim Jungtae did not even flinch let alone get flustered.


    This was because he felt the power sealed inside the dagger run through his veins. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t enough, that was why the surrounding water energy flew mercilessly towards Kim Jungtae.


    In just a blink of an eye, a water tornado had appeared and spread around the area. The water tornado spun around Kim Jungtae for about an hour, throwing away the nearby Evastole and his other guild members.


    Finally, the voice that Kim Jungtae longed to hear appeared after the water tornado disappeared.


    [ You have signed a contract with the Forgotten Water Dragon ??? ]


    ¨D It is still in an iplete condition after being sealed for a long time. Gather the pieces of its body toplete its body to help it restore its strength.


    ¨D You have gained the <b>Title</b>: ¡®The One who Signed a Contract with the Water Dragon¡¯. The title effects¡­


    ¡®Water dragon!¡¯


    Kim Jungtae couldn¡¯t hide his excitement after hearing who he had signed a contract with.


    ¡°With this¡­ with this, it¡¯s possible!¡±


    Although it did not have aplete body, it was still a water dragon. Even though he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat Iron, he was still confident that he would be recognized as a master with this. And this confidence grew when he called for the water dragon that he signed a contract with to test his abilities.


    Kim Jungtae immediately rested to recover his best condition after looking at his abilities in satisfaction. Then, after several days, he moved to go straight to the Southeast with a letter of challenge to Iron in hand.


    ¡°You too¡­?¡±


    Kim Jungtae frowned when he saw Rovanov waiting in the Sky Tower.


    Her expression also crumpled into a frown when she saw Kim Jungtae.


    ¡°Tch! You must have gained something, right?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same?¡±


    Just when they were about to growl against each other to try and hide their trump cards, a man wearing a turban walked from the other side.


    ¡°Al-Assad? You also got it?¡±


    Al-Assad answered Kim Jungtae¡¯s question briefly.


    ¡°I will be the one to break Iron into a hundred pieces.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 181 - Aren’t You Bastards Crossing The Line? (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(181)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>58 </b>Aren¡¯t You Bastards Crossing the Line? (3)


    Three out of the six that were considered as the other-worlders¡¯ strongest were now on the airship headed to the Southeast. This fact had spread all over the Empire at a break-neck speed.


    [ In the end, the other-worlders moved to prove that they are masters! ]


    [ Will they be able to show a new master¡¯s path? ]


    [ The Imperial Masters are also heating up about this matter. The Eastern Commander had set off for the Southeast to see for himself¡­]


    [ The Imperial Masters are gathering in the Southeast. The Godly Sword Family Head, the Lion Family Head, the Eastern Commander, and the Southern Commander are all expected to attend¡­ ]


    The masters were all apathetic at first. But they, along with everyone, began to wonder how strong the other-worlders were after they showed confidence with the new strength that they had gained in the South.


    What¡¯s the difference? How did you gain that confidence?


    Every single person in the continent couldn¡¯t hold back their curiosity as these thoughts shed in their heads.


    ¡®So curious!¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t only the Imperial Masters, but also the other masters in the continent. All of them had the same curiosity as they waited and listened intently for news from the Southeastern region of the Empire.


    But even though everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the Mobile Field Army Command, the entire Command was busy moving around. They did not even have the time to pay attention to themselves, let alone feel the rush from this.


    ¡°Ha¡­ They¡¯re digging through that gap anding down?¡±


    The gigantic bastard, the giant armored worm, which should be called imoogi now, appeared.


    Iron immediately went out of Command and rushed to meet with the bastard all the while showing his entire strength right at the beginning. This was because he had fought with the bastard too much in the past that he knew not to be sloppy at the beginning. What was shocking was the fact that the bastard even brought some worms that looked simr to itself.


    After ring at each other, the two finally collided.


    Despite the imoogi¡¯s terrifying roar and thepletely destroyed terrain, Iron stood still and remained calm.


    ¡°So it¡¯s like this¡­¡±


    One of the officers aboard an airship on standby from afar was in awe as he watched this amazing scenario. He realized why Iron had that much confidence in himself. He could also see why Iron wanted to fight during the monster wave so much.


    ¡°If it were me, I would want to warm up too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ He has absolutely be a monster now.¡±


    Iron had told them to just sit still and watch from afar but the officers still thought that they should at least be helpful to him. However, after seeing this scene, they realized that the only thing that they could do was to just sit back and watch the fight.


    Their hero was fighting a fierce battle alone against the monstrous and gigantic ck imoogi. The fact that he was still fightingfortably without the help of his divine beasts made them realize how monstrous their Commander had be now.


    For some reason, they felt a bit of pity towards the other-worlders who wille here from the continent¡¯s Southern region.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    When it came to Iron¡¯s weakness, most of the public would say that it was himself. This was mostly because Phoenix and Thunderbird were both phantom species while Two Moons was a creature that even masters feared. They were so powerful that they were even deemed to be more powerful than masters. Because of that, everyone believed that they would have a chance of winning just by targeting thecking Iron himself.


    The continent¡¯s professional gamblers have repeatedly predicted that the other-worlders only needed to attack Iron himself in order for them to win against him.


    But of course, that wasn¡¯t an easy feat either. Iron was a swordsman at the 6th Stage of swordsmanship and was a veteran armed with countless experiences inbat. However, that veteran had also be stronger!


    ¡°His weakness¡­ is gone, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The soldier nodded his head in agreement to the person that asked the question.


    ¡°Wow¡­ Then, doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s now the strongest in the continent?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the case?¡±


    The Lion Family Head and the Godly Sword Family Head were bothpeting for the title of the continent¡¯s strongest. However, the people present here believed that their Commander had already probably exceeded the two of them. Even these two individuals known to be the closest to grandmaster-rank lookedcking if they were put in a fight against the current Iron.


    While the soldiers were busy watching Iron in admiration, the airship carrying the other-worlders had arrived at the Southeast¡¯s Mobile Field Army Command.


    ¡°Wee to the Mobile Field Army Command.¡±


    Kim Jungtae frowned after hearing the tone of the knight who weed them at the Sky Tower.


    ¡°Where is Iron Carter?¡±


    All of the people moving around the Sky Tower stopped walking at Kim Jungtae¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t just the knights but even the merchants and the wizards, all of them stood still and stared at Kim Jungtae. The gaze that they used to look at him was clearly filled with hostility. The knights, in particr, were openly releasing their murderous intent.


    ¡°The Commander is not your friend. Please watch your words and actions.¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that? He¡¯s your Commander, not mine?¡±


    The knight frowned at Kim Jungtae¡¯s words. If he could, he wanted to shout ¡®Do you think the Commander is your friend? This ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á!¡¯ but he had to hold himself back. He was still the Command¡¯s guest and he had to be polite.There was nothing wrong with him trying to be polite. After all, the South revered them as masters.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The knight literally guided them without even the slightest bit of courtesy.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    Rovanov, who was walking behind Kim Jungtae, mumbled to herself.


    This ce was considered as the most dangerous ce in the Empire and even the Mobile Field Army had admitted themselves that they still had plenty of problems that needed to be addressed.


    But after looking at the ce right now, it did not seem to be the case. This was because their overall level was pretty high.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re being carried by Iron alone, huh?¡¯


    The thought shed in her head as she continued to follow the knight guiding them.


    Kim Jungtae, on the other hand, frowned after they arrived at their aodations at the center of Command. He thought that they would guide them straight to the Commander¡¯s Office so he felt annoyed when they suddenly took them to their amodations.


    ¡°Guide us to your Commander.¡±


    ¡°The Commander is not here right now.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Carl Stein, the Chief of Staff and the leader of the logistics andmunications unit directly under Command.¡±


    Kim Jungtae looked at Carl Stein in annoyance as he listened to him introduce himself.


    ¡°When will your Commandere?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s currently in a battle so we don¡¯t know for sure.¡±


    ¡°Ha! What kind of¡­¡±


    Carl¡¯s momentum suddenly changed just when Kim Jungtae was about to spit out some curse. Although he was in charge of the logistics andmunications, he was still an elite that came from the Northeast. And his momentum and force, which was far stronger than the knights, poured towards Kim Jungtae.


    ¡°The Commander is not your friend. You better watch your mouth.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to moan in pain, huh?!¡±


    But before Kim Jungtae could show his momentum towards Carl, explosive momentums and energy suddenly appeared from both of his sides. It was the momentum of the Knight Order Leader Rodem and the Storm Troops Leader Ludem. And they weren¡¯t the only ones openly showing their hostility and momentum.


    Before they knew it, the knights had already surrounded them, it was as if they had judged that Kim Jungtae and the other other-worlders were people that needed to be monitored.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you here because you want to prove yourselves as masters? But nothing good wille out for you if you cause problems so¡­ you better stay here calmly and wait.¡±


    Hearing Carl¡¯s words, Kim Jungtae was annoyed. However, he had no choice but to enter the amodations with a click of his tongue.


    Knowing the situation that they were in, Al-Assad just quietly followed inside.


    On the other hand, Rovanov was smiling as if she found the situation fun. She found out that there were a lot more hotties* here than what she expected.


    The Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation had quite a few strong men but they were all boring men bound tightly by rules and discipline. But this ce was different. The men here were also strong but they were also hot.


    ¡®Interesting. Should I stay here for a while after proving myself?¡¯


    This thought shed in Rovanov¡¯s head as she walked inside the amodations. It seemed like she really liked hotties.


    The other-worlders were forced to stay still but Iron¡¯s battle took longer than expected. He still hadn¡¯te back despite the other masters arriving in the Southeast so they still failed to prove themselves as masters.


    Because of that, those who weren¡¯t able toe early in the Southeast due to time constraints like the major nobles in the South as well as Kim Jungtae, Rovanov and Al-Assad¡¯s guild members flocked to the Southeast one after the other. Even the professional gamblers and the merchants also flocked together.


    Carl thought that this was his time, so he opened the Command to the public and weed the merchants and people as if there was a festival in the Command. With this enticement, the nobles from all over the Empire as well as the wealthy individuals flocked straight towards the Southeastern Command.


    ¡°When will your Commandere?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait! Isn¡¯t he trying to avoid the fight?¡±


    ¡°What? Why would Commander Iron even avoid a fight?¡±


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t avoiding, then what is it? Huh?¡±


    With the dy in Iron¡¯s return, disputes started to appear from the Southerners and the Imperials. Some said that Iron was deliberately avoiding the fight while plenty of the spectators wanted to watch their reaction once Iron returned. But they haven¡¯t heard from Iron at all.


    Just when bad opinions started to circte andints started to pile up, a gigantic bird suddenly appeared in the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Commander!¡±


    All of the officers at Command stood at attention and saluted the moment Iron appeared.


    The people, who saw a divine beast, for the first time looked up in admiration. The Southerners, in particr, werepletely shocked. They had heard of its colossal size but they couldn¡¯t help but let their jaws drop at the sheer size of the bird. It was even bigger than the airship that they rode on.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all, sir.¡±


    Iron apologized to Carl, who was standing and waiting for him, for the suffering that he underwent due to histe return.


    ¡°The other-worlders?¡±


    ¡°We have told them that the Commander ising so they¡¯ll definitely be here soon.¡±


    A familiar face suddenly appeared as soon as Carl finished speaking. It was none other than Kim Jungtae, who was famous for his dirty and abhorrent personality both in his past and present life.


    Iron smirked when he saw him.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°I know. Surprised? I havepletely changed from back then.¡±


    Kim Jungtae spoke as he looked at Iron, who he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    Hearing his words, the expressions of the officers hardened all at once. But Iron just looked at him calmly as if he was saying ¡®You don¡¯t look too different though?¡¯.


    ¡°Do we have to drag things like this? Let¡¯s start right away.¡±


    ¡°You want to start right away in that state?¡±


    There were obvious traces of battle on Iron¡¯s body. His body was even stained by the yet to dry up fluids from the monster that he fought just now. But Iron just shrugged as if it did not matter.


    ¡°You have to fight outside of Command.¡±


    Carl approached Iron and carefully whispered his opinion in his ears. Iron nodded slightly in agreement.


    ¡°Since we can¡¯t fight inside Command¡­ we¡¯ll have to go outside.¡±


    All of the people participating nodded their heads as if it did not matter where they fought.


    Iron immediately called for the drake unit as he went out of the castle with the other-worlders on the back of the drakes.


    Hearing news that the Commander had returned and the fight to prove that they were masters would begin, the people quickly headed towards the walls.


    Thanks to Carl¡¯s meticulousness, he had already set up a high admission fee on the ces in the walls with the best view. He had also made sure to ce chairs all over the walls for the spectators. He even set up a ce where they could sell food and drinks.


    ¡®Look at this guy, he¡¯s really a merchant¡¯s son.¡¯


    Iron smiled when he saw how careful Carl had prepared everything. Then, he looked over his shoulders at Kim Jungtae, Rovanov and Al-Assad.


    ¡°Did you say that you¡¯re Rovanov and Al-Assad?¡±


    The two nodded lightly at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time so it would be good if all three of you juste to me at the same time.¡±


    The expressions of the three people all crumpled at the same time.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your joke¡­ a bit too much?¡±


    Rovanov spoke as if he was hurting their pride. But Iron just looked at her and said¡­


    ¡°A joke? Why should I waste time ying jokes on liars like you? My time is extremely precious. I don¡¯t have time to y with you.¡±


    Rovanov rushed straight at him as if she couldn¡¯t stand him the moment he finished his words. The image of a ck panther popped out of her back.


    ¡®A battle technique, huh?¡¯


    A technique simr to a monster¡¯s battle qi suddenly came out.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the only weapon that she had in her hands. There was a huge amount of light shining as it tried to press Iron.


    ¡°Holy power¡­ so, these guys are not joking around¡­¡±


    If she was a brave, then Iron was a Saint. Her divine power was just a drop in the bucketpared to his.


    Iron lightly hit her, who was trying to stretch her fist while pressing him down with a different level of holy power. But instead of backing down, she just pressed forward.


    ¡®Is she an Iron Man?¡¯


    It seemed like she had the innate ability to endure any situation thrown at her.


    Her innate ability, which was simr to steel mana, was superior to Iron¡¯s characteristics. On top of that, it also had the ability to ovep andbine her forces. Her ability also had the quality of making her fist stronger the more someone shed against her. However, no matter how superior the quality of her ability was, it was useless since her level was low.


    Bang!


    ¡°Kghhhk!¡±


    A giant suddenly appeared behind Iron and swung its arms towards him when he tried to raise his sword towards Rovanov.


    Thud!


    ¡°Kghhk¡­ It¡¯s going to be different this time.¡±


    ¡°This is your newly acquired power?¡±


    Iron tilted his head in thought after seeing a new form of power that he hadn¡¯t seen in his previous life.


    The power that he felt from the giant was clearly strong. But even though he felt that the power was more than his, he was still rxed since the one using the power was extremely terrible.


    ¡®So lousy.¡¯


    Iron let the giant strike his body as he blew Rovanov¡¯s body away. Then, without any intention of dragging things out, he rushed straight towards Kim Jungtae.


    Kim Jungtae, who had been watching themotion in the sidelines and preparing, released all the power that he had gathered.


    A water storm.


    Everyone looked at this natural phenomenon that wouldn¡¯t appear in this wastnd.


    A magic powerparable to a Magic Master¡¯s power was expressed and the people watching from behind were impressed.


    ¡°You¡¯re just this much?¡±


    But the water storm was neatly cut into two by a sword.


    Just like Rovanov, this was not the end of Kim Jungtae¡¯s powers. In a blink of an eye, the water storm that was divided into two by the sword fused together in the form of a giant water dragon.


    Rovanov¡¯s giant also rushed forward as if it did not want to lose before swinging its arms at Iron.


    They thought that Iron would ask for his divine beasts¡¯ help. After all, no matter how strong he was, these attacks were still too much.


    ¡°Is this all?¡±


    But Iron just looked at Kim Jungtae as if this was not fun at all.


    Kim Jungtae couldn¡¯t say anything to answer his question. This was because Kim Jungtae¡¯s all out attack, the Water Dragon¡¯s Water Breath0, and Rovanov¡¯s giant¡¯s fist were both deflected before getting split into two.


    What was worse was the fact that it wasn¡¯t Iron¡¯s divine beasts or holy power that defeated their attacks. It was just a single gigantic sword.


    But everyone who saw the sword could only stare nkly.


    And finally, one of the men watching the fight spat out the identity of the attack.


    ¡°Aura¡­ de.¡±


    ***


    Notes


    [Hotties] ¨C ?? literally means hot to the point that one would get a flush. From what I saw, when a man says the word ?? to a woman then they¡¯re telling that the woman was hot. It can also mean that the person is so cool. From what I gathered it can also mean that they were so flushed from embarrassment. In this case, she saw a lot of ?? in this ce.


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 182 - Aren’t You Bastards Crossing The Line? (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(182)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>58 </b>Aren¡¯t You Bastards Crossing the Line? (4)


    While everyone was staring ck jawed at Iron¡¯s aura de, the masters were objectively analyzing Iron¡¯s current state.


    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But¡­ He has already gone over the wall.¡±


    The two Family Heads nodded as they continued to analyze Iron¡¯s level.


    Just like they said, Iron had already crossed over the wall that separated the masters from the rest of the people. It was proven by the significant difference in the pressure and momentum that was flowing from the huge sword created from his mana sword. They could also feel the dominating mana and momentum that was characteristic of a master.


    Even the Southern and Eastern Commanders could feel it clearly.


    There were still some parts where he was stillcking and a bit immature in handling but it was something that would be solved over time.


    Thosecking parts did not matter in the fight at all. After all, anyone who crossed that wall would already have a power that was far beyond those below them.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ That¡¯s quite refreshing.¡±


    Iron looked refreshed andfortable as he cracked his neck.


    Since he intentionally hid his power, he felt like something was blocking his throat.


    He wanted to show them his strength properly under the pretext of warming up but his punks, the divine beasts, did not give him the chance to do so. And with his subordinates growing rapidly, he failed to warm up properly. Baepsae also did not allow him to move until the internal injuries that he had received from his daily fight with the giant armored worm had healed.


    ¡°Is that it? Then, thest one is¡­¡±


    Iron swung his sword swiftly all the while speaking calmly.


    Then, a boom resounded as something got deflected from his swing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel his presence, though?¡±


    He had noticed a bit earlier that something was trying to attack him.


    I only felt it at this moment even after being a master?


    His opponent was only in the 6th Stage but his attack was extremely covert that Iron only felt the attack right before it touched his skin. No matter howx his attention was, his skill must have been at a great level for him to be able to deceive a master¡¯s senses. And that wasn¡¯t even the end of his opponent¡¯s attacks. A dark pit suddenly appeared below Iron as thousands of ck hands reached out to pull Iron down.


    But something at this level couldn¡¯t make him, a person who had be a master, be flustered. Iron only released several sword attacks to cut the hands off and release himself from the pit.


    ¡°Quite persistent.¡±


    Dark pits and ck holes appeared in the ground and in the air as ck hands reached out for Iron. It was as if that one single pit was just a prelude to this madness. And in such a chaotic situation, a covert and hidden attack suddenly flew in. It was a sword attack that hid in the shadows as it flew at a break-neck speed.


    If he was a knight without that muchbat experience, then he would have died from the fierce attacks from all sides. Even if the person here was a 6th Stage warrior, they would most likely perish under the onught of attacks. After all, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything but just defend.


    However, a master was on an entirely different level.


    Iron was still at ease despite defending against the countless ck hands and the secret sword attack. He was even able to lightly kick Al-Assad and blow him away.


    Then, as if he would not stop until he killed Iron, Al-Assad grabbed the shadow weapons from the ck holes and attacked Iron. But the difference in their skills was overwhelming and Al-Assad could only be pushed back once again.


    ¡°I believe this proves the difference in skills¡­¡±


    Iron swung his sword as he said so.


    Kim Jungtae and the two other-worlders¡¯ expressions hardened.


    Their debuff had already ended during the challenge which proved Iron¡¯s words to be correct. However, their pride did not allow them to end things like this.


    At that moment, a quest suddenly appeared in front of them.


    [ <b>Sub Quest </b>¨C Receive Recognition from Heildelberg¡¯s Hero. ]


    ¨D <b>Rewards</b> : Obtain the <b>Title</b> ¡®Recognized by a Hero¡¯.


    Kim Jungtae looked at Al-Assad and Rovanov after checking the quest window. He could see that the two of them had also checked the quest because of the burning gaze that they had used to look at Iron. The will to be recognized by the arrogant being towering over them had made their eyes ze.


    While they looked at him intently, a quest also appeared in front of Iron.


    [ <b>Sub Quest </b>: Show the Arrogant Southerners what Power the Empire Has. ]


    ¨D You will not receive any title or achievements as a reward. However, the morale of the Imperial Armies and the people of the Empire will significantly increase. In addition, the increase in morale will increase the probability of the talents in the Empire running and chasing after you to the Southeast.


    There was no individual reward given since he was already the Hero of the Empire.


    It did not matter what kind of role he yed, everything would still be fair and reasonable. So, there was no chance that a title or an achievement would appear. For something like that to appear, he had to do something that was equivalent to saving the Empire¡¯s capital.


    So, what if it wasn¡¯t a title?


    Even if it was just a small effect, like increasing the army¡¯s morale, it would spread in the entire Empire since he was a Hero.


    ¡°What are you doing? If you¡¯re going to fight, thene.¡±


    When Iron raised his finger in ae hither motion, Rovanov furiously rushed in with her fist.


    Along with Rovanov¡¯s giant that moved like it was with one body with her, a water storm appeared and created a water dragon once again.


    Hundreds of water spears together with thousands of hidden weapons made of shadows flew in towards Iron.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ going to be hard.¡±


    ¡°For sure.¡±


    The giant water dragon opened its maws to devour Iron while the giant moved in and attacked him mercilessly.


    Al-Assad also tried to aim for his gaps as he attacked with his sword. However, instead of using the thousands of shadow weapons from before, hepressed the dark energy from the thousands of attacks into a single sword that coldly aimed for Iron¡¯s neck.


    His steel-like momentum seemed to be gradually decreasing from the attacks of the three strongest other-worlders to the point that he looked like he was in a crisis.


    Then, a powerful shield of light bloomed around Iron.


    Scratch! Scratch!


    The screeching sound of the dark energy scratching the shield of light rang loudly but it was not able to pierce through it at all.


    Rovanov¡¯s giant sped its hands together as it struck the sword that was trying to pierce through the shield of light.


    Thud!


    The ck sword finally pierced through the shield of light thanks to the giant¡¯s full-fledged attack, effectively opening the shield of light.


    Iron¡¯s huge aura sword, which was as sturdy and hard as steel, cut off the giant¡¯s hands. Even the falling water dragon failed to withstand the blow of Iron¡¯s huge sword.


    The one who was able to endure until the end was Al-Assad. He was able to avoid Iron¡¯s sword thanks to his fast movement ability and special hiding ability.


    However, a master¡¯s body far exceeded the limits of a human¡¯s body. In addition, Iron was a monster that was groomed by the Hero title effects so he was able to catch up quickly with Al-Assad and his movement techniques with his pure agility alone.


    The power of darkness, which had enormous power and countless uses, was also destroyed by Iron¡¯s overwhelming holy power.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    All Al-Assad could do was stare nkly at Iron¡¯s overwhelming power. He thought that he was already close to the master-rank after gaining the power of darkness. The power of darkness gave him the ability to control shadows and hide his movements and weapons. This power had allowed him to rise above the six strongest other-worlders. There was no doubt that this power had made him be the first among all the other-worlders. He even had the hope of defeating a master.


    However, his opponent, Iron, had shattered that hope. The difference in their skills was overwhelming enough that he could step on all three of them without using his divine beasts.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ I was quite surprised. I didn¡¯t mean to use my holy power¡­¡±


    Iron spoke as he looked at his holy power that was spread out in the area.


    He thought that his sword was enough. However, it seemed like it would be difficult to stop all three of them with just his sword skills since he just entered the realms of the masters.


    ¡°They¡¯re definitely not at the master-rank yet but¡­ I can¡¯t one shot them for sure.¡±


    Their basic level was only at the 6th Stage but their skills were a bit too ambiguous. However, if a master couldn¡¯t one shot kill them, then they had enough power to be a huge burden to the master. A master could be seriously injured if two or three of them tag-teamed and caught the master off-guard. And they were still young. They still had a lot of time and this was only right after they received their new abilities.


    ¡®Hoo¡­ I don¡¯t want to admit it but¡­¡¯


    Iron clicked his tongue as he looked at Kim Jungtae, who was lying t out on the ground. However, he needed to admit things that he had to admit.


    ¡®They may not be good enough right now but they might be able to deal with a master sooner orter.¡¯


    In terms of the potential for growth, it seemed like the other-worlders had a scarier advantage than the masters.


    The masters sitting on the wall also hardened their expressions. It seemed like they also admitted this fact.


    Thest shot that hit Iron alone was more than enough to prove their worth. This was because a war was not like a duel. Just having that room to breathe was more than enough to deal with somebody else in the battlefield.


    In other words! It was enough to recognize them as masters but it was only because of their growth potential.


    Iron turned to look at the masters to ask if they would recognize them. The masters all nodded their heads heavily.


    ¡°Considering your monstrous growth¡­ we believe that you are close to the master-rank. However, there¡¯s still a lot left to be desired¡­ Once you reach a level where you are fully skilled then¡­ Only then will we recognize you.¡±


    It was a conditional recognition. However, that was more than enough.


    The people of the Empire were happy to see Iron¡¯s overwhelming strength and the Southerners were happy that they had proven that their strength was not false. Although they would only be recognized once they fulfilled the condition, the Southerners and other-worlders were more than happy. After all, this meant that their future was boundless.


    Kim Jungtae, Rovanov and Al-Assad¡¯s expressions contorted in a grimace. However, it wasn¡¯t as if they did not gain anything. The effects were halved because they would only be recognized once they fulfilled the condition but what was important was that they had obtained the title and its effects.


    ¡°We will challenge you again next time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy. Go and make a reservation.¡±


    Iron just waved his hand in goodbye as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered with Kim Jungtae and his words.


    Kim Jungtae could only bite his lips at his attitude. He had to step down.


    ¡®The path is long.¡¯


    This thought shed in Kim Jungtae¡¯s head as he walked calmly towards the gate.


    On the other side, Iron stood in front of the other masters before staring at the Lion Family Head.


    At first, the people present were wondering why Iron was looking at the Lion Family Head like that but they realized that the two were facing off against each other. So, they shut their mouths and held their breaths. The same was true for the masters right next to the two of them.


    This was the Lion Family¡¯s Family Head and eldest son.


    The Lion Family Head was hailed as one of the strongest swords in the continent while the eldest son was known as the best Hero who protected the Empire and the Commander of the Mobile Field Army.


    And these two people were having a stare-down.


    It seemed like Iron was asking him if it was alright to challenge him. Seeing the clear question in his gaze, Lioner opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°If you want to challenge me thene to the family.¡±


    All of the people present had their eyes wide open when they heard Lioner¡¯s words.


    The other-worlders¡¯ asking to prove that they were masters was surprising but this was more shell-shocking. Iron had challenged Lioner, a person vying for the title of strongest in the continent.


    ¡°I¡¯lle and find you after I finish cleaning the Southeast.¡±


    Iron¡¯s voice was not loud but everyone heard his words loud and clear.


    All of them looked forward to that battle. They hoped that the day that it would happen woulde as soon as possible. Their blood was already boiling in excitement just at the thought of the battle that would unfold on that day.


    ¡°Oh man. I¡¯m so jealous. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going to challenge the family head at that age.¡±


    The Godly Sword Family Head looked at Lioner enviously.


    Then, Iron turned to look at Terrion as he said¡­


    ¡°You¡¯ll be next.¡±


    The eyes of everyone present turned to Terrion after hearing another shocking remark from Iron. But Terrion just replied with a smile on his face.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m looking forward to that day.¡±


    ***


    Report mistakes, get notified on updates and announcements and chat with us at: https://discord.gg/woopread

 Chapter 183 - Fierce Battle In The Southeast (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </b>(183)


    Trantor: ChubbyCheeks


    <b>59 </b>Fierce Battle in the Southeast (1)


    The entire Auzria Continent was left in shock after the other-worlders¡¯ challenge had ended.


    Iron¡¯s outrageous growth had left the Empire in awe and astonishment.


    Meanwhile, the fact that the other-worlders weren¡¯t masters had brought disappointment to the Southerners and Westerners. Thankfully, they were still left with a ray of hope thanks to the other-worlders potential. They could still wish and hope for their powers to awaken further and make them reach the master-rank. This meant that the same was true for the Chosen Ones.


    Perhaps, that was the reason why the challenge that took ce in the Southeast had brought both shock and delight to many people. However, before everything had subsided, another shocking event had already urred.


    Iron had challenged the two Family Heads, who were vying for the title of the continent¡¯s strongest. Although it would only be after the Southeastern region of the Empire had already been organized and dealt with, it had still left a huge thrill in the hearts of many.


    ¡°When will that be?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it will take a few years?¡±


    ¡°Eyyy~ I believe one year is enough for the Mobile Field Army Commander.¡±


    The merchants were all excited as they talked about the incident with great anticipation.


    While the merchants, who came a long way to the Southeast, were starting to get tired talking about this huge event in the continent, the public elsewhere had started to tell the same tale.


    The topic that most of the people talked about was mostly rted to the Southeast. They talked about how the other-worlders vowed to challenge the Empire¡¯s Hero once again as well as the challenge that the Empire¡¯s Hero had issued against the two menpeting for the title of the continent¡¯s strongest. These two phrases had be a vital part of people¡¯s lives.


    The public had long grown tired of news about dimensional gates and monsters. They were extremely delighted to hear the news about the Empire¡¯s Hero. Meanwhile, the party involved in the news, Iron, was busily moving around with his men.


    The other-worlders, the masters and the people who went to watch the show had all gone back. After all, themanders and the two family heads were all busy people.


    Lioner had to restore the Lion Family after it was ravished by the Northern War and Terrion also needed to rebuild his family after he had lost a lot of his followers due to the copse of the Southern Frontlines.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that the two families were purely maintained thanks to the existence of these two people. They even went so far as to sell themselves and their names to restore their families.


    These two swordsmen vying for the title of the continent¡¯s strongest had willingly gone to other regions to help on the condition that they receive money and supplies. They were doing work that was no different from any mercenary, but they had no choice. They needed the money and the supplies to rebuild their families.


    The other Imperial Masters were also busy but it was safe to say that the busiest were the two family heads.


    ¡°The masters¡¯ face ispletely thrown out of the window.¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly as he murmured to himself in the silence that covered his Commander¡¯s Office.


    In front of money, force and power meant nothing. Reality had shown them that even a master¡¯s pride could be sold just so they could rebuild their own family. In fact, even he would do things willingly to promote himself for the sake of the Mobile Field Army and the Southeast.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    The master¡¯s prestige and reputation had seemed handsome, cool and great back in his past life and during his stay in the Northeast. However, the moment he reached the master-rank, he realized that the title was something that was no different from a modern celebrity. The stronger and more active he was, the higher his value became. However, he was actually doing this so he could have a firm foundation to use the moment other forces tried to recruit for his help.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Such is life.¡±


    Iron sighed deeply as he looked at his desk after realizing that life would be no different even if he became a master.


    Right now, his desk was swamped with piles of documents.


    He couldn¡¯t pass the job on to someone else since they were important and should be dealt with by the Commander personally. In fact, the amount increased because of his long absence to the point that there were even waist-deep documents piled on the floor.


    ¡°What bullshit does ascending to the master-rank do for me?¡±


    Iron sighed as he mumbled to himself.


    He had obviously be a master and a revered hero in this life but the paperwork hell in front of him was extremely simr to his past life. No, in fact, it was even worsepared to before.


    In his past life, there weren¡¯t many ces that he needed to manage. After all, a lot of ces had already copsed so he only needed to pay attention and take charge of his own small territory.


    But in this life, he had be the Commander of the Mobile Field Army which meant that the amount of things that he needed to deal with had increased significantly.


    Right now, he could see that his desk was only enough to amodate the material and supplies request form that he needed to sign and send to the Center to receive support. But those weren¡¯t the only documents that he needed to deal with. There were also the reconnaissance reports in the Southeast that had umted as well as documents rting to the connection of the Southern and Eastern regions of the Empire.


    The terrible amount of paperwork was actually making him miss the days when he had to fight against the giant armored worm to survive.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die early if you sigh a lot.¡±


    Carl Stein greeted him with a joke as he entered the office with a report in hand. But the joke did not make Ironugh, in fact, it only made him frown.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even sigh?¡±


    Iron bowed his head deeply as he continued to look down on the pile of documents on his desk. There was no sign of him getting out of this paperwork hell anytime soon. His motivation was slowly decreasing but his work was never-ending.


    ¡°What can you do? It¡¯s because the Commander has been away too long.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Sure, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Iron sighed deeply as Carl ced another pile of papers at the corner of his desk. Iron could only stare despondently outside his window after seeing more papering in.


    So, this is what happens when you work too hard.


    The moment he thought that the pile had shrunk a bit, more documents woulde in.


    Just when Iron was starting to stare absent-mindedly out of the window, with no motivation and hope, Faulden opened the door with a bang as he rushed inside.


    ¡°Brother¡­ No, Commander!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem!¡±


    Carl frowned at Faulden¡¯s words. He looked at him wondering what was going on. But Iron just urged him to speak, his face turning bright by the second.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The monsters in the southern end of the region are moving at arge-scale!¡±


    ¡°The exact size?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already the size of a small monster corps. But we expect that more wille in and join them.¡±


    Iron nodded heavily at Faulden¡¯s report.


    The situation was far more serious than what he initially thought.


    ¡°Is it that bastard?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Faulden answered Iron¡¯s question solemnly.


    Hearing the words ¡®that bastard¡¯ from their conversation, Carl¡¯s expression also turned serious.


    It seemed like the bastard controlling the southern end of the Southeast was finally trying to move.


    ¡°The manticore is moving¡­¡±


    Compared to the imoogi, who moved actively to expand its territory in the north, the manticore was a creature that did not carelessly lift its heavy butt. It instead expanded its territory by forcing other monsters to surrender to him as it annexed their territories.


    If the giant worm corps devoured everything in sight other than their own race for the foundation of their evolution, the manticore¡¯s mutant monster corps did not. Instead of ughtering and devouring the other races, it forced them to surrender and submit to its rule. Once they surrendered to the manticore, their race¡¯s survival would be guaranteed. However, they would be forced to give up part of their territories in exchange.


    The manticore0 was also a sly creature. It had always managed its subordinates properly and always avoided being caught in a big fight by making sure that the direction that its territory was expanding into did not sh with other strong creatures.


    This was the reason why there were only small skirmishes in the Southeast but norge-scale battles as of yet.


    The imoogi was a creature that only grew smarter and shrewder thanks to its evolution. However, the manticore was something that was already shrewd and sly from the moment of its birth.


    It used its brains and deliberately avoided the area where the army and the giant worm corps were situated and continued to expand its territory in the south. After all, the smart manticore judged that the south, despite teeming with other-worlders, was a ce that was easier to deal withpared to the two other ends of the region.


    But that shrewd bastard is trying to move on arge-scale?


    This only meant one thing.


    ¡°Does it want to fight against us?¡±


    Iron looked like his pride was hurt. In fact, even Carl and Faulden¡¯s expressions turned stiff after hearing his question.


    Of course it would hurt their pride. Among the two other forces in the Southeast, it judged that the Mobile Field Army was weaker.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s underestimating us, right?¡±


    Carl and Faulden shut their mouths as they bowed their heads. They also looked like their pride was hurt but they were trying to hide it as hard as they could.


    ¡°The imoogi?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going further up north. At the rate it¡¯s going, we expect that it will be within the Eastern Command¡¯s jurisdiction in a few days.¡±


    ¡°It went all the way over there?¡±


    Faulden nodded his head when Iron looked at him in shock.


    ¡°Plenty of the giant worms had also gone further up north. I think that¡¯s the main reason why we only see a few of them near our territory.¡±


    ¡°Is that why it¡¯s so easy to take control of the eastern region?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Faulden answered Iron¡¯s question in a small voice.


    ¡°The manticore also knows this?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case, yes.¡±


    Iron frowned at Faulden¡¯s answer.


    They could reduce the giant worms¡¯ territory in the Southeast since they had already expanded further up north. This meant that there was an empty territory. So, why would the manticore try to attack the Mobile Field Army when there was a free territory to take?


    Iron thought deeply for a while before turning to look at Carl and Faulden.


    ¡°No way¡­ Are these bastards¡­ nning on fighting a quick battle with us and force a two-way territory separation with the imoogi?¡±


    Carl and Faulden both frowned at Iron¡¯s question.


    If his assumptions were correct, then the manticore¡¯s monster corps was truly looking down on them.


    From what they had gathered, it seemed like the manticore thought that the humans had the weakest formations, right?


    With the imoogi away from the Southeast, it decided to focus its entire force and clean up the humans, which looked like small stumbling blocks in their way, and take control of the entire Southeast. It seemed like it believed that it would have already annihted the humans and had taken control of the giant worms¡¯ territory by the time the imoogi moved to return to the Southeast.


    In other words, it purely believed that its n would bring it an overwhelming hold on the Southeast.


    However, there were a lot of prerequisites that it needed to achieve for this to be made possible.


    ¡°This bastard. It believes that it would still be able to afford keeping the giant worms in check after fighting with us.¡±


    Iron¡¯s smile was empty as his killing intent soared at the thought of the manticore looking down on them.


    Then, he suddenly became curious. The manticore was sly, so there was definitely a basis for the manticore to make this decision.


    ¡°Contact Gaon right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Faulden hurriedly left the office after receiving Iron¡¯s orders.


    Iron stared out of the window in annoyance, making the atmosphere in the roompletely ufortable.


    ¡°Commander.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Iron turned to look at Carl, who kept his mouth shut after seeing his anger and wrath, after he called out to him.


    ¡°No matter how furious you are, you still have to work.¡±


    Iron looked at his desk silently after hearing Carl¡¯s words.


    The huge amount of paperwork was actually sitting there as if it was beckoning at Iron.


    Iron, who saw the huge amount of work waiting for him, sighed and raised his arms in defeat. He buried himself deep into the document hell and worked once more. Faulden came back when he was already knee deep into his work.


    ¡°Have you contacted Gaon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°His answer?¡±


    ¡°I believe¡­ it¡¯s rted to the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation¡¯s master.¡±


    Iron tilted his head after hearing Faulden¡¯s words.


    ¡°What¡¯s their connection?¡±


    Faulden sorted his thoughts for a moment before answering Iron¡¯s question calmly.


    ¡°Recently, the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation¡¯s general army fought against the monsters under the manticore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, it¡¯s just because it fought against the general army¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. There was one Southern master among them. However, the general army went back earlier than scheduled. They are trying to cover things up but it seems like they have lost. And that master also hasn¡¯t appeared in the past 15 days or so.¡±


    Iron was calm as he organized his thoughts after hearing Faulden¡¯s report.


    The master that led the general army encountered the manticore?


    Although it was not yet entirely confirmed, the master had been injured after having an encounter with the manticore. Because of that battle, the manticore judged that the Mobile Field Army was on the same level as the general army and the master that it had battled against¡­ Or so it seemed.


    ¡®The manticore had judged that, with my exception, the Mobile Field Army is nothing¡­¡¯


    If that was the case, then the facts that it had gathered was really enough for it to judge that its force would gain an overwhelming victory in a quick and short-term battle. In its eyes, Iron and the Mobile Field Army were nothing since the Confederation¡¯s master and its general army were nothing.


    ¡°Order all the troops to gather at Command.¡±


    Carl and Faulden bowed their heads and hurriedly left the office at Iron¡¯s orders.


    ***


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 Chapter 184: Fierce Battle in the Southeast (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(184)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>59 </i></b><i>Fierce Battle in the Southeast (2)</i>


    With the urgent report, the Mobile Field Army Command was plunged into another busy schedule.


    From Ariel¡¯s corps all the way in the east to Cardro and Saeriden¡¯s corps in the borders, all of them ordered to return Command. Even all of the divisions under the direct orders of Command were tasked to return from their reconnaissance and missions. Iron ordering all of the troops back to Command meant that arge-scale battle was scheduled ahead of them so everyone returned as soon as they possibly could.


    They also informed the Eastern and Southern Commands of the situation. However, it was difficult for the Eastern Command to send help since they were being tied up by the imoogi and the giant worm corps. The giant worm corps, which had expanded in size and numbers, was already threatening enough but the fact that the Eastern Command¡¯s main force was the navy made it all the more harder for them to defend. This meant that their ground forces had to hold out and put out all of their efforts into stopping the giant worm corps.


    The only ce where they could look to for help was the Southern Command. However, the Southern Command also said that it would be difficult for them to send them help. It was because they received intelligence reports that monsters from the great forest were suddenly moving at arge-scale towards the Empire.


    ¡°Monsters from the great forest are suddenlying in¡­¡±


    Iron narrowed his eyes as he knocked his fingers on his desk after reading the report that he had just received. This was Iron¡¯s habit. It always came out whenever he was deep in his thoughts.


    Seeing this, Carl just stayed still and waited until he opened his mouth to talk.


    ¡°Call the intelligence chief of staff.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Carl quickly left the Commander¡¯s Office after receiving Iron¡¯s orders.


    A whileter, Faulden came inside.


    ¡°You called for me?¡±


    ¡°Look into the great forest.¡±


    Faulden titled his head after hearing Iron¡¯s orders.


    ¡°By any chance¡­ is it because of the Southern Command?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s something that bothers me.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the timing?¡±


    Iron frowned at Faulden¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, but I believe the manticore is involved in this somehow.¡±


    Faulden¡¯s eyes widened at Iron¡¯s conjectures.


    ¡°No way¡­ are you saying that the manticore created this situation?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    Faulden went silent at Iron¡¯s answer.


    Even though the manticore was known for its intelligence and shrewdness, this was still a bit too much. After all, it was still a monster. But Iron was not prejudiced and only looked at their current situation.


    The territory that the manticore had expanded had already stretched towards the vicinity of the great forest. At first, it only stayed near the border of the Empire and the Southern kingdoms. However, it¡¯s confidence grew so it gradually expanded its sphere of influence by devouring the destroyed kingdoms¡¯ territories, effectively increasing its power and force.


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ the ce where the manticore and the Confederation¡¯s master fought was not that far from the great forest.¡±


    Iron believed that his thoughts were mostly confirmed after hearing Faulden¡¯s words.


    Even the imoogi, which was once a giant armored worm, had gained intelligence after devouring the energy of the void. What more of the manticore? What would happen if the originally clever and shrewd bastard absorbed the energy of the void?


    The bastard, which was considered to be as strong as the imoogi, was already smart to begin with, coupled with the evolution from the void energy, it was no exaggeration to say that it could now be considered as smart as the human geniuses.


    But what would happen if it could read the situation and knew how to use tactics and strategies?


    ¡®It seems like this fight¡­ won¡¯t be an easy one.¡¯


    Iron looked at Faulden with a solemn and heavy expression when this thought passed through his head.


    ¡°¡­Investigate right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Faulden0 immediately bowed his head after receiving Iron¡¯s orders.


    After seeing his younger brother off, Iron also went ahead and used the emergencymunicationswork and ordered Gaon to stop all work in the South and focus everything in the investigation of the great forest.


    ¡°Of all situations¡­ the worst appeared.¡±


    A bastard, who knew how to use their head, suddenly appeared and made his head ache.


    If it was just the giant armored worm, then he simply needed to go all out. But now, he had to go out with his army with the assumption that their opponent was a skilled and experienced tactician.


    It was clear that their opponent had been preparing steadily just to give them a big shot.


    <b><i>1 </i></b><i>Expand towards the south and absorb various forces to increase the scale of its own force.</i>


    <b><i>2 </i></b><i>Avoidrge-scale battles until their power has reached a certain level. </i>


    <b><i>3 </i></b><i>Hide their abilities until the timees for them to attack.</i>


    This was the process and preparations that the manticore had done so far.


    The manticore had hidden its powers to the point that no one knew who the real figure was that led the south. It only revealed its powers and abilities the moment they started their expansion further down south. Moving as if it had finally found the chance the moment the imoogi left the Southeast. It also pushed further down south, securing the path of the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation¡¯s main army and pushing them further away. But the biggest shot that it made was making some kind of deal with the monsters in the great forest.


    The shots that it made effectively isted the Mobile Field Army.


    <b><i>1 </i></b><i>The Eastern Command was tied fighting against the imoogi.</i>


    <b><i>2 </i></b><i>The Southern Command was trying to stop the monsters from the great forest.</i>


    <b><i>3 </i></b><i>Asking for help from the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation while they attacked was only a shot in the wind. </i>


    The final thing that the clever bastard, who created this situation, had checked was whether it could win against a master-rank individual. It could roughly assume that the masters were nothing after having a bout with the confederation¡¯s master.


    Someone who moved after all of its pieces were ced properly on the board was no different than an experienced tactician. An opponent who worked simply on creating and working on their ideal board all the while enduring the urge to fight and conquer until all of their pieces were ced perfectly on the board was quite a demanding opponent.


    However, a smile still appeared on Iron¡¯s lips.


    ¡®¡­This would be fun.¡¯


    He felt happy that he was finally going to go against an opponent who wasn¡¯t just strong but could also use their head. After all, it has been a while since he had used his head to fight too. In his past life, he had been weak. He had no choice but to keep on rolling his head trying to think of ways to survive. But in this present life, he was strong and could rely on his divine beasts. Most of the time, he could just use force and solve his problems.


    But right now, an opponent that was suitable for tactical warfare suddenly appeared.


    In the Commander¡¯s point of view, it was obviously a troublesome opponent. But personally, he found it to be an interesting and fun opponent.


    ¡°Since you made me eat a shot, I¡¯ll make sure to give it back to youpletely.¡±


    Iron stood up as he muttered those words to himself.


    There were countless documents in front of him but they were already invisible in Iron¡¯s eyes.


    Iron told Carl to prepare the drake units the moment he stepped out of his Commander¡¯s office. He also called all of the leaders of the division under the Command¡¯s direct control, who had returned one after the other.


    ¡°Storm Troops.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Can you attract attention from the southwest?¡±


    ¡°We can do it!¡±


    Iron nodded in satisfaction at the storm troops¡¯ leader¡¯s confident answer. Then, he turned to look at the artillery unit leader.


    ¡°Good. Dominic, lead the artillery unit and provide cover for the storm troops.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Knight order, focus on protecting the artillery unit and the other divisions under the Command¡¯s direct control.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    Rodem replied in dissatisfaction but he remained calm. He knew the situation well and raging in dissatisfaction would do them no good.


    Iron smiled at his reaction before turning to look at the rangers¡¯ leader.


    ¡°The rangers will move with me and the drake unit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Carl, contact Cardro right away and tell him to put pressure on our opponent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Iron¡¯s operation would take advantage of the pressure that Cardro and his corps would put on the south together with the fuss that the storm troops and the artillery unit would create in the southwest. While the opponent¡¯s attention was focused on these two, Iron and the rangers would go deep into the enemy¡¯s camp and wreak havoc in their rear.


    ¡°The 23rd Corps should return directly to Command and help the storm troops and the artillery unit create a safe path for return.¡±


    ¡°What about the 21st Corps, do you have any orders for them?¡±


    Iron nodded at Carl¡¯s question.


    ¡°Just tell them to focus on returning to Command. Leave the port to Eastern Command and bring back all of our troops.¡±


    It would take time for them to return to Command from Meindania Port so he couldn¡¯t order them to do a separate operation.


    ¡°Since our enemies gave us a shot, shouldn¡¯t we give them one in return?¡±


    All of themanding officers grinned as they nodded at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s warm our bodies up a bit.¡±


    All of themanding officers scattered to their posts at once after hearing his words.


    The first to move were Iron and the rangers. The rangers were armed to the teeth as they climbed behind the drake knights.


    ¡°What you need to do is something simple. While I draw the monsters¡¯ attention, go to their rear.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to draw their attention alone?¡±


    The ranger leader, Nyx Cole, looked at him worriedly.But Iron just smiled as he said¡­


    ¡°It seems like the manticore is looking down on me. Shouldn¡¯t I show it my level?¡±


    Iron might have said it like that, but it wasn¡¯t just because of his pride.


    It would take time for Ariel and her 21st Corps to return. In addition, the Southern and Eastern Commands were both tied, but not the Northeast and Northern Commands. It would take time for them to send support once they asked them for support but they would definitely send support. This meant that they could support a long-term battle.


    In other words, time was still on their side.


    ¡°Let us let the manticore know that our army¡¯s power is not that easy to ignore.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡±


    Iron nodded at Nyx Cole¡¯s loud and reliable answer.


    The rangers would stir a mess in the rear while he drew attention. Upfront would be Cardro and his 22nd Corps. They would continue to put pressure on the south while the storm troops and artillery units, who were drawing attention somewhere else, would go and join the 23rd Corps and secure a safe path back.


    No matter how strong their monster corps was, once they received damage, the pace of their progress would inevitably slow down.


    ¡®Let¡¯s gain victory over this skirmish.¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head as he climbed on top of a drake and flew up in the sky.


    Meanwhile, Cardro and the 22nd Corps began to move the moment they heard Iron¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Start the attack.¡±


    With Cardro¡¯s orders, the 22nd Corps¡¯ air force, the corps boasting thergest number of airships in the Mobile Field Army,unched an attack all at once.


    There were many mutant birds and harpies that came out to stop the 22nd Corps¡¯ air force but the manticore¡¯s main force was focused further down south so even if they tried to resist with all their might, they still couldn¡¯t withstand the offensive that Cardro had issued.


    With the air force¡¯s overwhelming power, it was able to easily pierce through the monsters¡¯ defense line in the air. They dominated the skies and ughtered the ones in the ground. They continued to advance forward and massacre the monsters that were maintaining the monster frontlines with their airship bombs. Realizing the situation, the monster corps urgently moved to where Cardro and his corps were.


    Contrary to the army¡¯s expectations of a difficult fight, gaps began to appear in the monsters¡¯ ranks as they rushed forward to attack Cardro and his corps with their full power. The storm troops immediately took advantage of the gaps that appeared as they dug through and charged forward fiercely. The fierce charge of the storm troops effectively created a huge stir in the southwest as they trampled on the monster units that were left to protect the area. The traps that they had set werepletely useless in front of the reckless storm troops. After all, the hundreds of reconnaissance missions before had already identified where the monster units were hidden.


    While the storm troops devoured the empty house devoid of their main force, the artillery unit properly kept the monsters that followed after them in check and drew their attention away from the storm troops.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist tasted blood like this.¡±


    Ludem lookedpletely satisfied.


    Since he became one of themanding officers and the leader of his own unit, he was warned not to run too far ahead and just give orders. So, after finally being ced in a position where he can go wild and move directly after a long time, Ludem¡¯s moodpletely eased.


    Seeing their superior rushing forward with delight, the members of the storm troops also cheered loudly as they rushed more fiercely.


    While the monsters were being ravaged like that, small monster units began to flock to where the artillery unit was. It seemed like they wanted to prove that not all monsters were fools. However, they still failed to bypass the tight wall of the knight order and ended up copsing.


    ¡°So eager.¡±


    Rodem couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue when he realized that he couldn¡¯t even get a few hits on the monsters.


    The number of monsters flocking to the artillery unit was too smallpared to what they had expected. It wasn¡¯t enough for his eager men at all.


    ¡°<i>Hmm¡­ </i>Did they rush to Command?¡±


    Rodem mumbled to himself as he looked at the direction where Command was located.


    Just like he predicted, a herd of water buffalo had made a decision to directly attack Command believing that it would be empty.


    ¨D <i>Mooooooooo!</i>


    The mutant water buffaloes, who looked more hideous and more powerfulpared to their original appearance when they first appeared in the Southeast, charged towards Command all at once.


    However, despite the absence of the Commander, all of the corps and most of the divisions under the direct control of Command, Command was still able to sessfully block them. The wizards¡¯rge-scale magic, the spiritists¡¯ support and the remaining defense units cooperated almost perfectly, sessfully blocking their charge at Command.


    They used slippery earth and raised walls as much as possible to slow down the water buffaloes¡¯ rush. After that, they activated the traps and created a swamp on the ground to restrict their movements. To top it off, the artillery units also made sure to drill holes in their bodies.


    ¨D <i>Moo¡­ Mooo¡­</i>


    The water buffaloes had no choice but to suffer.


    Hearing their pathetic cries, Peter Marvio, the leader of the magic unit, smirked.


    ¡°We¡¯re different from before.¡±


    Peter Marvio spoke as he watched the giant water buffaloes retreat.


    They were no longer the foolish and naive people who could only depend on Iron. Although they stillcked experience, he was confident that they were as good as any other soldier in the army right now. They alsopletely abandoned their obsession with powerful magic. They now left it as a habit that should only be left in their childhood.


    ¡°Wipe them outpletely so it wouldn¡¯t bother the Commander once he returns.¡±


    The wizards immediately cast their magic the moment he gave his orders.


    Fireballs immediately covered the skies above the castle as they flew towards the giant water buffaloes trapped in the swamp.


    ***

 Chapter 185: Fierce Battle in the Southeast (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(185)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>59 </i></b><i>Fierce Battle in the Southeast (3)</i>


    The monster corps was left in a fluster after receiving a sudden attack from the Mobile Field Army. They tried to use their heads to find a way to counterattack by hitting their enemies¡¯ Command directly by themselves but it did not have much effect.


    The manticore was forced to calm down as it watched its subordinates get trashed and beaten. It¡¯s powerful and oppressive momentum weighed down heavily over its subordinates to the point that even the surrounding was warping.


    ¨D <i>I¡¯m pretty sure that I clearly told you to use your heads?</i>


    The monsters bowed their heads as they trembled in fear from the manticore¡¯s harsh words. Even the leaders of all the other races were trembling wildly.


    The monsters knew that their lives had changed after meeting the manticore. They studied under its guidance and were able to develop intelligence as they continued to absorb the void energy. It even told them how to efficiently use the power that had umted in their bodies.


    The increase in their strength made them feel that no one could rival them. However, they still had to bow down in fear in front of this single being. Just a whiff of its murderous intent was enough to buckle their knees and make their bodies shake.


    The manticore, with its overwhelming power and extremely shrewd and clever head, had always urged them to use their heads all the time. It was clear when it would praise and rebuke them. The leaders of each race also received praise when they moved around the Southeast and expanded their territories. However, the manticore was now looking at them furiously from the top of their heads down to the very tip of their toes.


    Their biggest problem was the fact that their formation unraveled despite their overwhelming powers. Their enemies had already dealt damage and moved to another ce before they could even respond. And this point had driven them all crazy.


    ¨D <i>Morons. Everyone will advance to their Command. Wipe out everything that blocks your path.</i>


    All of the monsters bowed their heads and scurried away after hearing the manticore¡¯s orders.


    The manticore¡¯s intelligence grew further the more it absorbed void energy. So, it believed that its subordinates would also be the same.


    It clearly saw that the monsters¡¯ level of intelligence had increased significantly over the course of time that they spent absorbing the void energy. In fact, their original intelligence, orck thereof, in the beginning was now nowhere to be seen. However, there were limits.


    The manticore finally realized that only a few of its subordinates could rival the giant armored worm in terms of growth in intellect.


    One of them was the goblins. The goblins could probably prove to be useful to it but they were born as if they were fed with treachery and betrayal as milk. And even if they grew to be extremely clever, their power was still far too weak. No matter how much strength they gained during this time, the limits of their bodies were still as clear as day. A few of their mutants might have gone beyond their limits but the number was too small and insufficient especially whenpared to other monsters.


    He couldn¡¯t even think of cing such a race as a leader that wouldmand the monsters. It was apletely preposterous idea. Not only would the other monsters protest, it also did not want to ce such a treacherous bastard on such a high position. The threat of a betrayal especially at this important juncture, was something that it could not afford.


    ¨D <i>Tch!</i>


    The manticore frowned as it clicked its tongue in annoyance. It realized how annoying it was to decide everything on its own without anyone to trust.


    If the humans in the Southeast were as dumb and moronic as the humans in the South, then it would have been enough for it to order its subordinate to do a reckless charge. But the problem was that the leader of the humans this time was a clever and shrewd guy.


    The manticore could see that the fight ahead would be a difficult fight considering this big shot that they had been given. However, it still believed that fighting against the humans was a far better situation than immediately going against the worms up north.


    Missing this opportunity meant that the Southeast would continue to be divided into three factions. And all three of them would be forced into a long and slow territorial war. The manticore did not know when an opportunity like this woulde again so it had to carefully watch over the board that it had created to make sure that everything went ording to its ns.


    The manticore was deep in thought as it sent its subordinates away. It continued to ponder over the information that it now had in its hands.


    Right now, they had an overwhelming advantage in numbers after they had collected all of the monsters in the south. However, the problem was that humans had a significant amount of military power and force. In addition, they were able to attack them from all sides continuously and stopped them from advancing forward.


    ¨D <i>This won¡¯t work.</i>


    If they continued to get dragged around like this, their advance would be dyed.


    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t afford to do so. Time wasn¡¯t on their side. They still needed to prepare for a showdown against the worms so this short-term battle should be done as quickly as possible. So, they had no choice but to charge recklessly and take some damage.


    ¨D <i>In the end, I still have to drag the worm bastards¡¯ captain and go all out in a final bout.</i>


    If they suffered enormous damage from the humans, then the only way that it could gain victory was to fight single-handedly against the worms¡¯ captain. It needed to revise and create a new board. And in order for it to do so, they needed to win the battle against the humans.


    ¨D <i>Tell everyone to gather. I will lead this battle myself.</i>


    The mutant birds immediately flew up in the sky the moment they heard the manticore¡¯s orders.


    Right at that moment, explosions suddenly erupted from their rear.


    ¨D <i>How¡­</i>


    The manticore0 immediately whipped its head towards the direction where a strange and unusual energy suddenly appeared.


    At that moment, a stormy wrath rose deep in its chest.


    The ce where their food was kept was now burning up in ck mes. The ce where they kept all of the void insects and dimensional fish that they had killed were now burning down into ashes. There was even a frightening lightning bolt that struck down on the void stone that kept all of the void energy in their surroundings, destroying it to pieces.


    Watching the mutant monster corps¡¯ rations and supplies burn and disappear in front of its very eyes made the manticore angry. Bloodlust even began to wrap the surrounding area.


    ¡°<i>Oh </i>man. What an uproar.¡±


    The voice of a human echoed in the sky.


    The manticore immediately flew up to the sky in reaction to the clear voice that rang loudly and clearly despite being high up in the sky. It¡¯s gigantic body flew up in the sky but it was forced to fall back down on the ground.


    An owl that was as colossal as its body appeared and let out bright shining rays of light from its eyes that prevented the manticore from flying up.


    ¨D <i>Bastard!</i>


    Purple light erupted from the furious manticore¡¯s body as it roared loudly with a voice akin to an old man¡¯s voice. This attack was none other than the manticore¡¯s cursed breath. This attack was also loaded with void energy, increasing its lethality. However, the manticore¡¯s main weapon was easily blocked by Baepsae and the unfolding sanctuary that Iron created.


    But this was the manticore. It¡¯s main power was not just this single attack. Its wings gathered the power of the void while thousands of thorns appeared on its tail which flew out towards its enemy.


    In fact, it was hard for the manticore to strengthen all of its attacks with the power of the void all at once. But it wasn¡¯t because of its attacks that it won against a master.


    ¡°The manticore¡¯s battle qi has reached the master-rank¡­ interesting.¡±


    Iron smiled wryly after seeing that the manticore, a creature proficient in killing and hunting, showed a battle qi that reached the master level. Its purple light turned into a battle qi in the form of a gigantic lion that easily overwhelmed Iron¡¯s size by several times that charged straight at him.


    Iron pulled out his sword as if to show it that he wouldn¡¯t lose to something like this. Then, a gigantic sword that was as hard as steel appeared and shed against the charging purple lion.


    The area that the manticore had created with his cursed breath and battle qi was pushed back by Baepsae and Iron¡¯s sanctuary while Thunderbird sted its poisonous saliva with the storm that it created. Even its void energy was destroyed by Two Moons¡¯ ray of lights. The manticore¡¯s subordinates, who wanted to rush in and help out, were blocked by Phoenix¡¯s me, all they could do was try and extinguish the mes that separated them from their leader.


    It might have been the manticore¡¯s own territory but Iron had perfect control over it.


    So, in the end, it escted to a battle of pure force.


    ¡°Your confidence and ego got inted because you won against only one master¡­ how about I show you how different Imperial Masters are?¡±


    Iron grinned as he spoke to the manticore.


    The manticore¡¯s face distorted in anger. Its face, which was already wrinkled, had turned even uglier from the anger as it rushed towards Iron. But despite its gigantic body, it could not push Iron back at all.


    It obviously knew that the human staying in the Southeast had only be a master recently. However, the human¡¯s physical abilities and aura that covered his entire body was monstrously strong.


    The manticore had also be a master-rank monster not too long ago, so it was also still a bit inexperienced. But despite it¡¯s inexperience, it was still able to beat the Southern master after leading it through countless killing attacks. However, all of those had now been sealed. So, its advantage had now disappeared.


    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>


    Loud bangs and thuds resounded whenever Iron and the manticore collided. Even the trees trembled as the ground shook heavily.


    It was clear that their battle qi and aura wereckingpared to other masters. But the manticore was able to fill its shorings with its physical prowess that had been strengthened by the void energy countless times. Iron was also able to cover up for any of his gaps with his numerous achievements and title effects. Perhaps it was because of that that the two master-ranked beings shed together recklessly without a care about their bodies at all.


    Their fight might look stunning and awe-inspiring to others but in the eyes of skilled swordsmen and fighters who had reached a high level, their fight was no different than a simple brawl. However, this fight still clearly benefited both Iron and the manticore. Since they had reached the same level and had fought and lived in simr styles, they were able to see their shorings and gaps more clearly.


    ¡®Should I bring my sword over here?¡¯


    Iron changed his sword¡¯s trajectory the moment this thought shed in his head.


    ¡®My aura management is stillcking.¡¯


    The power of his aura became stronger after he identified his shorings.


    ¡®So, this was the reason why my aura de had been unstable?¡¯


    His way of handling his aura de gradually increased in level which inevitably affected the gigantic sword in front of him, making it more perfect and sturdy.


    Iron¡¯s movements continued to change and improve the longer he fought. It was to the point that someone clueless about what was happening could see the changes in his body.


    And the same was true for the manticore.


    ¨D <i>Since it¡¯s hard for me to manage every detail of my battle qi, let¡¯s just make it stronger! Make it more aggressive!</i>


    Unlike Iron, who focused on the delicate details of his swordsmanship and aura, the manticore chose to just increase its power output and attack more aggressively with its enormous force.


    ¨D <i>More lion energy! But let¡¯s make it nimble and add wings! Also, add mutations to the tail!</i>


    The once simple battle qi in the form of a lion slowly began to capture the original form of the manticore. The changes that the manticore had made in its own battle qi slowly changed it to the point that it almost resembled the manticore¡¯s own body, perhaps it was because of this that the agility, mutations and aggression that it added slowly showed its presence in its own body.


    As the brawl continued, the two master-ranked beings continued to develop and cover the gaps and shorings in their fights. And gradually, their simr fighting style began to change little by little.


    One of the knights riding on the drakes couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue as he watched the master-rank beings develop and improve right in front of his very eyes.


    The masters that had reached a level that was already close topletion still continued to develop and improve themselves? Their subordinates couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed of themselves as they watched them.


    They had continued to wander around the wall of the 5th Stage without even thinking of breaking through it. However, watching a master-rank being continue to improve himself gave them no other choice but to try their hardest to break through and walk further.


    ¡°This is fun!¡±


    Both Iron and the manticore were grinning as they continued to fight.


    Iron lifted his sword and swung it directly towards the manticore, who had bared its teeth in a gruesome smile. The manticore wrapped it¡¯s tail with its battle qi and weed theing sword attack.


    An almost perfect battlefield appeared with the two of them keenly sensing each other¡¯s attack. In a blink of an eye, the battle evolved and stopped from being a battle purely about battle qi and aura. Two Moons and Thunderbird, who were keeping the void energy and poisonous saliva in check, Baepsae, who maintained the sanctuary, and Phoenix, who kept control of the surroundings, were all assimted with Iron.


    Seeing this, the manticore was forced to admit that the human standing in front of it right now was stronger than itself. But at the very least, it still had a secret move.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    Iron hurriedly stepped back as a purple lightning bolt appeared and wrapped around the body of the manticore¡¯s battle qi. But the manticore¡¯s purple lightning was quick to wrap around its battle qi. It was already charging towards Iron by the time he reacted.


    <i>Baaaaang!</i>


    ¨D <i>Did I finally get rid of the pesky human?</i>


    A gigantic sword covered in lightning suddenly flew straight at the manticore as soon as its words fell.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t mindlessly speak like that.¡±


    Iron smiled broadly as he looked at the manticore while he pointed his sword covered in both lightning and frost towards it.


    The manticore¡¯s aged and weathered face was suddenly dyed in disappointment.


    It had identally discovered an ancient god¡¯s temple while it was ransacking the south. And the power that it gained from that ce was something that it had saved and kept a secret so it could use it against the imoogi.


    However, even after using it against the human, it found out that it did not do much damage, let alone a fatal injury. What was worse was the fact that the lightning wrapped around the human¡¯s body did not look like it was a force that came from one of his divine beasts.


    ¨D <i>I can feel a bit of god¡¯s power from that attack¡­ did you also receive an ancient god¡¯s power?</i>


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Iron only left him with a vague answer. He just smiled as he jumped up in the air.


    The manticore knew that it had no choice but to step back. It knew that it wouldn¡¯t be able to catch and kill the human in front of it. It could try killing the human with its subordinates but that was nigh impossible with all of them in a disarray.


    ¨D <i>If we weren¡¯t in a disarray¡­ No, was this something that he intended to happen in the first ce?</i>


    The manticore murmured to itself silently admitting that it had been beaten. The defeat this time was a valuable experience so it felt happy instead of furious.


    However, the pleasant expression on the manticore¡¯s aged face soon morphed into anger once again after hearing its subordinates¡¯ reports.


    ¨D <i>Even our military supplies in the rear had been stolen by humans?!</i>


    The agitated monsters that had been robbed cleanly by the rangers trembled at the manticore¡¯s furious roar.


    ***

 Chapter 186: Fierce Battle in the Southeast (4)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(186)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>59 </i></b><i>Fierce Battle in the Southeast (4)</i>


    While Iron was busy catching the attention of the manticore, the rangers worked hard and finished their mission before shaking off the monsters running after them from the rear.


    The rangers looked back in satisfaction as they rode the drakes and headed to the ce where their Commander was waiting.


    ¡°We¡¯ve returned from our mission. We were able to rob the logistic supplies of three monster corps and sessfully created disturbance in two of their rear units. I believe we have dyed at least a day or two from our expected date of the monsters¡¯ gathering.¡±


    Iron nodded in satisfaction after hearing the report of the Ranger Captain.


    ¡°Good. This time, we were able to give them a light jab.¡±


    It might only be a light skirmish but it was very good for their army¡¯s morale to gain victory right at the beginning.


    ¡°I believe we¡¯ve gained several days of preparation too.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case, yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Ariel will encounter any problems on her return¡­ the only thing that¡¯s left for us to do is to prepare for an all-out war.¡±


    Iron mumbled as he looked at the map while riding on top of a drake.


    The Southeast, which was previously divided into three factions, was now facing a precipice that would either lead to a disaster or a salvation.


    The monster corps had sneakily advanced towards the giant worms¡¯ territory while digging through the gaps in Iron¡¯s Mobile Field Army. Because of this, the previous status quo between the forces had been scrapped and turned meaningless, forcing the entire Southeast to face big changes.


    However, these changes had been quickly forced into a short dy.


    ¡°With the shot that we dealt with, the manticore will not recklessly charge forward.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Their rear has been cleanly robbed by us so they would have to be careful for a while.¡±


    Iron grinned at Nyx Cole¡¯s answer.


    The manticore did not expect that they were capable of setting up these meticulous moves on the board they called battlefield. That was the reason why the army was able to deal a heavy blow to the monster corps with just this one shot.


    The damage that the monster corps had received from the heavy jab that the army had given them would stop them from recklessly moving against them for a short while. And Iron would take that time to make up for the Mobile Field Army¡¯s shorings while preparing themselves for an all-out war.


    It was difficult to expect that the battle would only happen in one ce especially in battles at the field army scale. It would be safe for Iron to consider the entire Southeast as their battlefield. So, he had to approach this battle in a way that the divisions under the Command¡¯s direct control would be able to assist each corps and keep in check every ce where they were assigned to.


    ¡°The rangers will have a lot to do in the future.¡±


    ¡°Please give us your orders.¡±


    Iron nodded lightly at Nyx Cole¡¯s reliable answer.


    Although Iron was the one who drew attention, the rangers and Nyx Cole were the ones who excellently created a disturbance in the rear. Right now, it was already safe for him to assume that the rangers had already risen above a certain level that could not be ignored. Although they were stillckingpared to the rangers in the Northeast, they had still grown enough that he could entrust them with important missions.


    ¡°Once the all-out war begins, I will entrust the task of creating a disturbance to our enemies¡¯ rear to the rangers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°You did not receive any significant damage today thanks to the enemy¡¯s carelessness, but it will be different in the future. That¡¯s why¡­ you have to make survival your top priority before you take any action. We don¡¯t have to exert ourselves to the limit like our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    Nyx Cole bowed his head after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    Seeing him react like this made Iron nod his head in satisfaction as he continued to give orders to the rangers.


    From this point on, the rangers would have to continue working hard. They were tasked with a lot of important missions to the point that one could consider them as the core of this battle.


    Cut off the enemies supply, disperse the enemies¡¯ formations and eventually slow down the enemies¡¯ advance. These were the things that the rangers needed to do. And these were all on top of their original reconnaissance mission.


    No matter how much they were considered as a special force under the Command¡¯s direct control, they still were given too many missions. However, no one couldin. Even the other divisions were also forced to take on plenty of difficult missions.


    ¡°It¡¯s neat.¡±


    Looking down from the drake, he could see what the storm troops and the other divisions under the Commands¡¯ direct control had done to the monsters¡¯ camp. The buildings that had copsed under the onught of the artillery fire and the corpses of the monsters killed by the storm troops were all neatly organized.


    Iron smiled in satisfaction after seeing how they had dealt with and organized the monster units along their return route.


    ¡°I can really trust them now.¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as they headed back to Command.


    ording to the reports, arge herd of water buffaloes came and attacked Command. However, it seemed like they did not receive any significant damage at all from what Iron could see. In fact, they were even boasting an extremely neat and tidy appearance to the point that it looked like it was artificial.


    Iron realized just now that thendscape was a result of the magic unit¡¯s hard work. He couldn¡¯t help but smile deeply.


    ¡°The Commander has returned! Everyone, salute!¡±


    All of the divisions under Command¡¯s direct control that had returned to Command gave a salute to Iron, who wasing down from the drake. Their salute remained until Iron epted their salute.


    ¡°It seems like everyone has done well on their missions. That¡¯s great.¡±


    The corners of the lips of everyone present twitched at Iron¡¯spliment. They smiled without realizing it after receiving Iron¡¯s praise. After all, Iron was known to be stingy with praise.


    ¡°How about the 22nd Corps?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re maintaining the frontline that had been pushed back.¡±


    Iron nodded his head after hearing Faulden¡¯s report. Then, he issued an order.


    ¡°Tell them to retreat slowly once they see enemies.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can connect with the Southern Command right now?¡±


    This time, he slightly turned towards Carl and asked him.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a bit difficult. However, we will be able to take enough measures and make sure that military supplies can move without any difficulties within two days.¡±


    ¡°Good. From this point on, you should prepare for an all-out war. Gather all of themanding officers as well as the corpsmanders in the Commander¡¯s office. Without any exception.¡±


    Iron had called for thestmander-level meeting before the war against the monsters. That was the reason why they could not allow any exceptions. Everyone, from the leaders of the divisions under the direct control of Command down to all of the corpsmanders, should be present.


    Themanding officers began to arrive at Command one after the other. The first to arrive among the corpsmanders was Saeriden, followed by Cardro, then Ariel. Once all of themanding officers had arrived at Command, they immediately headed to the Commander¡¯s Office. Everyone walked briskly, they had no time to waste. After all, they still needed to go and prepare for battle right after the meeting had ended since the war was just right around the corner.


    ¡°The time has finallye for us to devour and swallow the entire Southeast. Unfortunately, we¡¯re not fully prepared yet but I believe that we have met the minimum conditions to gain victory.¡±


    All of themanding officers¡¯ expressions brightened at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Right now, what we need to do is to minimize the damage that we will incur. And for that to happen, we would need to ask the other armies for support.¡±


    Everyone nodded heavily.


    They weren¡¯t asking for support because they couldn¡¯t win with their own power. They were only asking for support to minimize the damage that they would receive.


    Iron shut his mouth for a while after letting themanding officers know of this fact. He looked around the people gathered in his Commander¡¯s office.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you are disappointed.¡±


    All of the people present shut their mouths at his words.


    They might not show it on their expressions but Iron believed that some of them thought that it was because he did not believe in them.


    So, Iron opened his mouth again for those people.


    ¡°Ariel, Cardro, Saeriden.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The people Iron called out stepped forward one after the other.


    ¡°I have temporarily appointed you as corpsmander before. With my authority, you will be appointed as temporary corpsmanders during this war.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°You will serve as the temporary corpsmanders during the war. Your official appointment will be done after we finish this fight.¡±


    The expressions of the three people, who were appointed as official corpsmanders during the war, had hardened at Iron¡¯s words.


    Temporary corpsmander. It was a position that was only given during war and wasmonly returned after the war. But Iron told them that he would officially appoint them after the war. This meant that he believed that they would all be active enough in this war to the point that they could be official corpsmanders with just this war alone.


    The same was true for the others. Although they weren¡¯t at the level of a corpsmander, they were still temporarily appointed to a position that was at the 2-star major general-level and were told that they would be officially appointed after the war.


    The Commander¡¯s office fell into a moment of silence after Iron temporarily raised the ranks of all themanding officers.


    ¡°I have no doubt that you will be able to grow into a level that would suit your position once this war ends. I have done it. So, my soldiers should be able to do it too.¡±


    Iron spoke calmly as he looked at themanding officers.


    Iron was someone who proudly reached the level suitable for his position as the Commander of the Mobile Field Army through his own efforts alone. His merits and contributions couldn¡¯t be ignored at all that they ended up appointing him to this position. However, he still persevered until his force and strength was worthy of the title, Commander of the Mobile Field Army, that was given to him.


    Basically, he was telling his men that he believed in them and what they were capable of. Just like what he did, he trusted that they would also step up and achieve greater things.


    ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    Themanding officers, who turned mute earlier, answered all at once at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes, sir! We can do it!¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s show the Empire how strong we are through this war!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Themanding officers answered loudly.


    This was theirst meeting before the all-out war began. Instructing hismanding officers down to the very detail of their job after they had umted some experience on their own would just be poison to their morale and confidence. The job of a Mobile Field Army Commander did not only include instructing his men, it also included telling them that he believed them as he entrusted important missions to them. This was the reason why Iron did not say much during the meeting and only showed them that he believed in them.


    After dealing with his men, Iron immediately went to ask support from the other Commands. He wanted to contact all of the Commands with the Southern and Eastern Commands exceptiojn. After all, they were still under a lot of pressure.


    ¨D <i>I think it will be a bit hard for us.</i>


    ¡°Is there something going on in the West?¡±


    ¨D <i>The birdmen andrge-scale units of aerial monsters have begun to move.</i>


    Iron nodded heavily at the words of the Western Commander.


    ¡°Can you still handle it?¡±


    ¨D <i>It¡¯s a bit hard for us to handle right now.</i>


    ¡°What about the Divine Nation Alliance?¡±


    Iron thought that they could ask help from them since theirmon enemy was the birdmen, but that did not seem to be the case at all.


    ¨D <i>I don¡¯t know. But one thing¡¯s for sure, I don¡¯t think they are going to help us. </i>


    ¡°The Divine Nation Alliance¡­ Aren¡¯t they doing well these days?¡±


    ¨D <i>I think they have trouble inside.</i>


    The Western Command0 was not aware of the exact details of what was going on inside the Alliance but they could infer that something equivalent to a civil war was about to start among their ranks. This meant that the Western Army had to deal with the birdmen and the aerial monster alliance alone.


    But the Western Command was already half-broken and they could not handle their enemies alone. So, they had to receive help from someone else.


    ¡°Then, it seems like you¡¯ll have to get help from the Central Army.¡±


    Hearing Iron¡¯s words, the Western Commander spoke apologetically.


    ¨D <i>We¡¯re probably going to do that. I feel a bit sorry for you.</i>


    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t be. We each have our own reasons¡­ Then, are you going to ask for help from the Leonhardts and the Northern Army?¡±


    ¨D <i>No. We can¡¯t reach that far.</i>


    Iron nodded lightly at the words of the Western Commander. At the very least, they still haven¡¯t reached the worst situation possible.


    ¨D <i>I feel apologetic towards you.</i>


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s only natural that you get help especially with the birdmen trying to attack you this hard. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    ¨D <i>¡­Thanks. I will definitely go and help you once things get better on my side.</i>


    After confirming from the Western Commander that he would not be able to expect help from them and the Central Army, Iron immediately contacted the Northeastern Command.


    However, the moment the video, directly connecting him to the Northeastern Commander, connected, he saw two familiar figures. One was the Northeastern Commander and the other was the Northern Commander.


    ¡°Why are the two of you together?¡±


    Iron looked at them strangely but Jayden Wicks, the Northern Commander, just turned to look at him solemnly.


    ¨D <i>Are you going to ask for support?</i>


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron¡¯s answer made the expressions on both themanders¡¯ faces turn dark.


    Seeing their expressions, Iron suddenly had a bad hunch.


    ¡®Asking for support¡­ seems impossible.¡¯


    He asked the twomanders the moment this thought shed in his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Crimson¡¯s mouth opened heavily at his question.


    ¨D <i>Something has happened beyond the mountain ranges.</i>


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°¡­Is the situation serious?¡±


    ¨D <i>I believe we might need to mobilize the entire Northern and Northeastern Armies.</i>


    ¡°What in the world happened?¡±


    Crimson went silent for a moment before slowly opening his mouth to answer Iron¡¯s question.


    ¨D <i>The Frost Giants are awakening.</i>


    ***

 Chapter 187: Fierce Battle in the Southeast (4)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(187)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>59 </i></b><i>Fierce Battle in the Southeast (4)</i>


    Iron realized that it would be difficult to request help from the North and even the Leonhardts after hearing Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°They had been quiet up until now, so why so suddenly¡­¡±


    ¨D <i>We don¡¯t know. But we can assume one thing¡­ We think that it¡¯s somehow rted to the dimensional cracks.</i>


    Iron frowned. Something had briefly shed in his head but he couldn¡¯t grasp it clearly.


    ¡°Are there no problems in the Dragon ins?¡±


    ¨D <i>I saw that the frost giants had started to awaken so I went there and investigated myself. Fortunately, there¡¯s no big problem as of yet.</i>


    Jayden Wicks immediately answered Iron¡¯s question.


    If the ancient races were starting to awaken, then it was necessary for them to keep an eye on the ce where the dragons had been buried.


    ¡°It¡¯s close to the World Tree¡­ will they help?¡±


    ¨D <i>Perhaps¡­ But we can only say one thing for sure, the frost giants beyond the mountain ranges have awakened faster. Whether the World Tree helps us or not¡­ It¡¯s still going to be a difficult battle.</i>


    Iron sighed at Crimson¡¯s words.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Then, it¡¯s going to be hard to expect help from the North.¡±


    ¨D <i>Once we havepleted setting up the defense line to some extent, I will send you at least part of the Ghosts and the Knight Order.</i>


    ¨D <i>I will also¡­</i>


    ¡°No. If you¡¯re dealing with the frost giants, then you will have no time to care about us. We¡¯ll take care of everything on our side.¡±


    Iron turned off themunication device after saying so.


    ¡°Frost giants¡­¡±


    Was it because he heard about an unexpected being that Iron¡¯s expression had turned rigid?


    <i>Frost giants.</i>


    They were known to be one of the active beings during the mythological era. ording to the records only a few of them were left from that era. However, they did not disappear and only slumbered under the ciers beyond the mountain ranges.


    If these beingspletely awakened, then it would be difficult to respond to their threat with just the Northern and Northeastern Armies alone. The entire Northern region of the Empire knew this too, that was why they were setting up a defensive line around the entire mountain ranges.


    ¡°Getting support¡­ will be difficult.¡±


    This was an unexpected situation.


    Iron felt like something was driving him towards the edge of the cliff as the worst situation possible unfolded in front of him.


    Crimson had told him when he left the Northeast that they could see signs and they were bad. However, he never expected that the frost giants would awaken at this point in time. There was also the awakening of the ancient gods in the Southern region of the continent. The West also had birdmen and the aerial monsters forming an alliance while God¡¯s power directly intervened.


    The entire continent was facing huge and major changes while he was busy and engaged in a fierce and chaotic battle here in the Southeast.


    ¡°What the hell is going on right now?¡±


    Iron was finding it difficult to wrap his head around and properly grasp the events and phenomena that were happening all over the continent.


    From ancient gods, to outside gods, to awakening ancient races. Iron felt like they were slowly returning to the mythological era. The mythological era was an era when deities and divine beings drove the world to ruins just so they could prove their hegemony. It was an era ofplete and utter chaos.


    ¡°Is that what the God Game is about?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he pondered over the continent¡¯s current situation. It was obvious that something big was happening under his watch, but it was something that he hadn¡¯t been able to see yet.


    ¡°Does the manticore know?¡±


    He wondered if the thing that he couldn¡¯t see was something that the manticore had seen. Perhaps this was also the reason why it urged its subordinates to move at this point in time. If that was the case, then, the war in the Southeast would just be the beginning.


    He did not know if this was the price that they had to pay for not protecting the heart of the Empire properly. But if that was the reason for the situation right now then¡­


    ¡°¡­Is it a nned destruction from the very beginning?¡±


    If the gods appeared one after the other in the continent it would definitely bring a disaster that mankind would not be able to stop with their power alone.


    To be honest, Iron wholly believed that the role of the God¡¯s Orb in the Imperial Pce was simply preventing the dimensional cracks from opening and stopping the entry of the outside gods to this world. But it seemed like its power was stronger and more important than what he had expected.


    Perhaps, it not only protected this world from the outside gods but it also prevented the ¡®beings that should not be awakened¡¯ sleeping all over the continent from opening their eyes once again.


    It was a breakwall that kept mankind¡¯s safety and protected them from danger. And this breakwall was slowly losing its power.


    Since the boundary that protected the continent had cracked and turned weak, the beings that should have remained asleep began to slowly open their eyes.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>So, my previous life was really just the prologue.¡±


    Now that he thought about things deeply, it seemed like his previous life was really nothing whenpared to this.


    <i>It should be just around this much, right?</i>


    That was what he thought before, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. It seemed like the hardships that he experienced in his past life was just a preview of the real thing.


    ¡®I¡¯ll send you there and let you experience this much as a preview, <i>huh</i>?¡¯


    And just like that, they only sent the monsters. The same was true in his current life. Everything that he had experienced up to this point was just a warm up before the real thing began. It seemed like they were telling him that he did not have a chance in this game if he couldn¡¯t do and survive this much.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>there¡¯s no end to this.¡±


    The moment that he thought that something was over and they had gone through the hardest part, something bigger and crazier would get thrown at them. It was extremely exhausting to the point that anyone would feel happier, more rxed and morefortable if they died early. It seemed like they were hell-bent on driving humanity into the pits of despair.


    Of course, all of this was just his conjectures.


    Maybe Iron was wrong and he could expect just this much danger but his intuition was clearly telling him that the things that were running through his mind were correct.


    Even if he wasn¡¯t sure about his conjectures there was one thing that he could say for sure. Starting with the war here in the Southeast, the entire continent would face a period of chaos and upheaval.


    This was all Iron could infer from the information that he had on the current situation.


    ¡®Is this what the World Tree had told me about?¡¯


    Iron sighed as he recalled the words that the World Tree had told him.


    <i>The temporary peace would continue until ¡®that day¡¯ arrived.</i>


    That was what the World Tree had promised him.


    Iron also recalled the witch that he had met in the Northeast. She looked happy after sacrificing herself as if she was relieved that she was dying early. And right now, Iron think he knew the reason why.


    ¨D <i>Ding! You have peeked through the secrets of the world. As a special privilege, your rate of growth will increase until the main quest ¡®Apocalypse¡¯ begins.</i>


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden sound of notifications that rang in his ears.


    The notification told him that his conjectures were correct. It even gave him a buff in his growth as a reward for sessfully peeking through the secrets of the world. It was as if the system was telling him ¡®With this much growth rate, you shouldn¡¯t say that you don¡¯t have a way to fight and go against the currents in the future!¡¯.


    ¡°Are you telling me that I should climb higher?¡±


    Iron smiled wryly as he silently looked out of the window.


    Right now, he only has two ways to climb higher. He could sign a contract with a divine beast with hisst slot or be a grandmaster.


    Perhaps a tough battle would continue to lie in front of him in the future even if he had achieved both. Besides, getting stronger alone did not necessarily mean that they would gain victory and everything would work well.


    ¡°My subordinates should also get stronger faster.¡±


    The other-worlders and the chosen ones were all growing at an extremely fast pace that it was hard to exin with the existingmon sense. And Iron finally knew the reason why after this incident. If that was the case, then his subordinates also needed to grow faster.


    He had to preserve his strong subordinates while producing and training new strong subordinates. That was the only way for them to be able to withstand the apocalypse and this world¡¯s scheduled destruction and ruin.


    There was a possibility for the Empire if the two family heads had reached the grandmaster-rank. However, hope was still indefinite.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­</i>¡±


    Iron let out a long breath and released the tension in his body after the pressure to be stronger suddenly weighed down on him.


    Then, he headed straight to themunications¡¯ room.


    ¡°To the entire army.¡±


    Themunications officer0 hurriedly opened themunication line to the entire army after hearing Iron¡¯s orders.


    Iron nodded his head calmly at the officer after hearing that everything was set and ready before calmly addressing his entire army.


    ¡°Crisis hase to our Empire.¡±


    Iron started with saying that a crisis hade before briefly exining the things that he just found.


    It wasn¡¯t that long ago that the Empire¡¯s crisis had ended but another huge crisis wasing their way again.


    Just when everyone was about to sigh and despair at the arrival of another great danger¡­


    ¡°Just like you¡¯ve heard, it would be difficult to expect support from the other armies due to our current circumstances. That means that we need topletely modify our tactics and strategies.¡±


    Everyone went silent at Iron¡¯s words.


    It would be hard for them to expect the security and safety that they expected in this battle now.


    Everyone in themunications room was under tension as they looked at Iron, knowing that they would be taking a huge risk right now.


    ¡°We must ovee this difficulty with our power alone.¡±


    Silence covered the entire room after hearing Iron¡¯s words. Then, Ariel¡¯s voice came in through themunication device.


    ¨D <i>Please give us your order.</i>


    With Ariel as the catalyst, all of themanding officers, starting with the corpsmanders, asked for his orders.


    Iron smiled lightly at their actions.


    ¡°I feel apologetic that I have to change my orders. But here are my orders again.¡±


    Iron took a deep breath andposed himself before giving his orders to everyone loudly.


    ¡°A perfect victory. This is what your Commander wants. Can you do it?¡±


    ¨D <i>Yes, sir! We can do it!</i>


    Iron nodded at everyone¡¯s answer.


    ¡°We will continue to face dangers in the future, and they will prove to be a much greater threat than this. We¡¯re just standing at the starting point. So, endure. Endure and survive this. Grow strong enough that you can ovee whatever threat the future will throw at us. I will be by your side.¡±


    All of the troops answered Iron¡¯s words all at once.


    <i>I understand.</i>


    <i>We will definitely survive.</i>


    <i>We will continue to stand beside you, Iron, and face any threat and crisis that the future will bring them without any fear.</i>


    Iron felt like he could hear those words ringing in his ears and it brought a wide smile to his face.


    All of them believed in him.


    Sometimes, their trust was so overwhelming that it weighed heavily on his shoulders but it wasn¡¯t as heavy as before right now. The pressure and burden that he was feeling before had now be a belief that they would and could ovee the threats that they would face in the future.


    Not long after the Mobile Field Army reaffirmed their trust on each other, the war in the Southeast began.


    After suffering a huge damage from their attack before, the manticore no longer spread out and dispersed its army during the all-out war. It gathered as many subordinates that it could gather and brought them in one ce before advancing as one group.


    Cardro retreated slowly and tried to stop their advance as much as possible but the monster corps continued to silently gather and advance as if they did not care about the damage that they were incurring at all.


    With their opponenting out in this huge fan-fare, their ns of creating a defense line and hitting their rear had be useless.


    ¡°Should we return to our defense mission and return to Command?¡±


    Iron shook his head at Nyx Cole¡¯s question.


    ¡°Go and circle around with Raven and wait for my orders.¡±


    Nyx Cole bowed his head after hearing Iron¡¯s orders. He gathered all the rangers before climbing on the drake.


    Iron saw through the manticore.


    The manticore was still hell-bent on doing a short-term battle so it moved all at once despite the risk of huge damages. So, Iron mobilized the 23rd Corps to create a defense line that would slow down their advance as much as possible. That would make them slow down and step back for a bit.


    Even though there was no support that woulde, time was still on their side.


    The manticore¡¯s n to win a short-term battle would end the moment the giant worm corps returned. The moment they returned, the Southeastern factions would once again entangle and they would be forced to keep each other in check once again.


    ¡®Let¡¯s stop there for now.¡¯


    This was all that they could do right now.


    It was important for them to stall for time to achieve their first tactical goal.


    The manticore was also recklessly charging towards Command right now despite the risk of receiving huge damage because he knew this fact. Since their target was not moving, they decided to charge crazily towards the Mobile Field Army Command.


    This was the reason why they couldn¡¯t form their defense line and kept on being pushed back. They did not receive any damage but the situation was so strange that they couldn¡¯t stop that many monsters. In the end, a huge number of monsters were finally able to gather and create a camp in front of the Mobile Field Army.


    Iron felt like he was looking at the most terrible experience that he had in his previous life, the monster wave. However, the situation right now was different. Iron was now standing in the highest position that he could get with the strongest force and power.


    ¡°You came quickly.¡±


    He thought that they could stop them even just for a little bit. But the shrewd manticore just continued to move recklessly without any care for the damage.


    However, no matter how much damage they incurred, the numerical advantage still remained on the monster corps¡¯ side. As a result, the small skirmishes were won by the manticore¡¯s side. But in their current situation, the small tactical victories did not matter at all. The situation was extremely bad. Caring about how many small battles they had won was just like a joke. They had to continue trying to form a battle line.


    The manticore was aware of this so it continued to push forward, entering the battle without giving room for Iron and his troops to settle down. Akin to a monster wave, the monsters moved en masse. And all the troops that formed the battle line had no choice but to retreat and return back to Command.


    Then, hundreds of airships and drakes appeared in the sky. Meanwhile, countless fortress cannons were ready to fire while a line of their new cannons aimed at the enemies. The knight order were all stationed at the gates while the soldiers positioned themselves on the walls.


    ¡°Storm troops, ready?¡±


    The storm troops¡¯ captain bowed his head and answered Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Once the battle begins, go and circle around and make enough room for the rangers to create a disturbance.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The storm troops were ready to go and rush forward after receiving Iron¡¯s orders.


    The rangers had already left with Raven to create a disturbance in the monster corps¡¯ rear units. And with the storm troops circling around and heading towards the monster corps¡¯ rear units too, the monsters that had started advancing were able to run straight to the front of the Mobile Field Army Command.


    The monsters continued to rush, not caring whether their battle line copsed from the traps that bursted out.


    At that moment, a rain of cannon shells fell down, signaling the start of the war.


    In the end, the Southeastern region of the Empire ushered in a period of fierce battles.


    ***

 Chapter 188: The Growing Field Army (1)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(188)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>60 </i></b><i>The Growing Field Army (1)</i>


    All of the troops in Command fought against the monsters that were charging crazily towards them.


    Their numbers were already beyond a regr monster corps and were already approaching or had probably reached the level of a monster wave. And that enormouslyrge group was charging straight towards a single ce. In Iron¡¯s past life, two masters and the surviving Capital Defense Force joined forces to prevent their crazy charge.


    However, this time it would be different. The weapon system andmand system of the current Mobile Field Army waspletely iparable in his past life. And these two things made it possible for them to do it on their own. The only regrettable fact is that Iron would not be able to move from his spot.


    ¡°So, you prepared properly this time.¡±


    Perhaps it was because the enemies were upset about the damage and pain that was inflicted on themst time that they made sure to leave behind troops that would deal with Iron the moment he moved.


    The manticore was shrewd and clever, and it knew that it could not handle Iron by itself. So, it made sure to leave behind the high-leveled beings beside itself.


    Iron could see that there were some giant mutated soldier ants and some mutated drakes standing guard beside the manticore. However, their original appearance was nowhere to be seen, perhaps it was because of the countless mutations that it underwent. It seemed like they were telling him that they would put pressure on him from the sky to reduce the number of avable divine beasts while they would push him on the ground with the soldier ants.


    ¡®Their strength must be quite formidable considering the number of mutations that they had undergone.¡¯


    Since they were going to deal with Iron, the bastard seemed to not want to be nonmittal. However, the sly manticore would never stop at just tying Iron down to this extent. Iron had to consider the bastard¡¯s hidden move so he thought that he should better stay put.


    The moment Iron moved, the manticore would also move. So, they just stayed put and kept an eye on each other while keeping their enemies in check.


    The manticore and some of its main forces were tied down but the situation still remained serious for Iron and his army. This was because Iron¡¯s force in the Mobile Field Army waspletely overwhelming and the absence of such a force was a big blow to them.


    ¡°Can you see that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Faulden squinted as he looked at the manticore that was standing afar.


    The manticore was standing far enough that its gigantic figure looked small in the eyes of any normal person. But Faulden was also one of Leonhardts¡¯ direct descendants and was a warrior with a considerable level of strength, so he could also clearly see where the manticore was.


    ¡°That bastard over there is trying to keep me in check by tying up its main forces.¡±


    Faulden¡¯s expression hardened at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°I can¡¯t move. That¡¯s why you guys have to do it on your own.¡±


    Faulden bowed his head when he saw Iron turning back to him and saying these words. The same was true for Carl, who was standing next to him.


    Blocking all of these monsters without Iron was something that was nigh impossible. However, they did not have any choice. No matter how much damage they would suffer from, they needed to do this on their own.


    ¡°From now on, each and everymanding officer will judge the situation and direct their own troops on their own.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Carl tried to refute Iron¡¯s words but he closed his mouth when he saw the cold sweat dripping down Iron¡¯s cheeks.


    Right now, Iron wasn¡¯t just keeping the manticore in check. He was already fighting an unknown number of battles against the manticore.


    Iron had let out the master¡¯s unique mental wave and surrounded the entire battlefield and the same was true for the manticore. The two of them were already fiercely fighting for their own realm through these mental waves. This was how the two of them had kept each other in check while they waited for the other to show a crack in their defense.


    ¡°The manticore will move the moment I show the tiniest bit of a gap.¡±


    Carl bowed his head silently as he bit his lips tightly after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­I will deliver your message to all of themanding officers.¡±


    Iron smiled and nodded his head at Carl¡¯s answer. He gave his thanks to Carl when he gave the answer that he wanted before turning to look at the manticore again. He intended to start a fight against it in earnest.


    Carl grabbed Faulden¡¯s shoulders and led him away from Iron.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I looking like some kind of totem or something¡­¡±


    Iron smiled bitterly as he stood still like a totem. He couldn¡¯t help but think of this situation where he had to continue keeping the manticore in check.


    On the other side, the manticore had an ear-splitting grin on its face. This was because it was not the type of creature who liked to move, so this situation was something that it liked very much. It found it fun fighting against Iron like this.


    Iron¡¯s style of fighting was not simply using his body and overwhelming force. He was an outstandingmander who could use his head to stop his enemies. He was also a valiant general and a provenmanding officer who had won severalrge-scale battles.


    That was why the manticore found it to be fun.


    How many beings in this world had master-ranked force and also knew how to use their heads?


    It was bound to feel giddy fighting an all-out war against such a being.


    ¨D <i>This is fun.</i>


    The manticore smiled in satisfaction as it looked at the situation of the board that it intentionally and forcibly created by tying up their own main force.


    <i>How fierce will the fight between our subordinates be in a situation where we can¡¯t move?</i>


    <i>Will your insufficient andcking troops be able to prevent the huge number of monsters on our side?</i>


    <i>How long can your patiencest?</i>


    Several questions popped one after the other. But it was certain of one thing, Iron was the one in the disadvantage in this fight between their subordinates.


    The manticore was good at setting the board and creating situations to its advantage while Iron was good at tactics and strategies. If Iron was the type ofmander to umte tactical wins one after the other and gain a huge strategic victory, the manticore waspletely on the other end of the spectrum since it liked starting big at the very beginning.


    Above everything, the manticore believed that this battle was their own victory. It quickly rushed forward to this ce despite the high damage risk just so Iron could not win his tactical victories. And the same was true for their current situation. It was fighting recklessly like this just to stop Iron from directlymanding his troops. Doing that alone was something that worked perfectly with the board that it had set up.


    ¨D <i>What are you going to do next? </i>


    The manticore expected that Iron would not be able to do anything aside from entertaining itself. So, it looked forward to what would happen next. It wondered what else its opponent could prepare while fighting against itself and how the battle would turn out.


    While the manticore0 was having a good time trying to think about what Iron¡¯s next move would be, Iron¡¯s men were dying.


    All of themanding officers were informed of the current situation through Faulden.


    The first to respond was Cardro.


    ¡°¡­This is the worst situation.¡±


    Cardro sighed as he watched the situation.


    Overall, they were at a disadvantage. They needed a powerful shot to ovee the unfavorable situation that they were in. A shot that would be able to disperse their enemy¡¯s battle line despite being a surprise attack and reverse the tide of the war.


    For them to achieve something like that, they couldn¡¯t just simply block them.


    ¡®What I can work on in the Command is limited. Then¡­¡¯


    The 22nd Corps specialty was their overwhelming dominance in the skies and their aerial bombing that would let rains of bombs down on the ground. If that was the case, then, they shouldn¡¯t be tied up in this ce. They also couldn¡¯t easily settle down in Command since the walls were already packed with soldiers. The 22nd Corps couldn¡¯t find any more room for them to step in and all they could do was wait for a soldier to die for them to rece their position.


    It was such a waste in Cardro¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®The different divisions under the direct control of Command are more than enough for this ce¡¯s defense.¡¯


    After thinking that far, Cardro immediately ordered his troops and took them to the airships.


    Since it was difficult for them to y a big role in Command, they might as well go out and show their specialty.


    ¡°We will move separately.¡±


    The officers under Cardro¡¯smand looked at him stiffly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do¡­ what we do best.¡±


    The eyes of the officers shone brightly at Cardro¡¯s words.


    <i>What we¡¯re best at¡­</i>


    The Mobile Field Army¡¯s strongest air force began to fly in the sky.


    Immediately, the mutant drakes flew up from the monster¡¯s side and moved to prevent them.


    The red drake units and the ck corrupted drakes flew high up in the sky and red at each other in confrontation. Meanwhile, Cardro¡¯s airships began to move too. They moved loudly and openly as if they were trying to attack the main forces by the manticore¡¯s side.


    Seeing this, some of the monsters, who were focusing on Command, started to move and aim for the 22nd Corps. Monsters, from corrupted harpies to trolls, that could attack and send spells that could destroy the airships began to flock like mad dogs.


    Instead of using their usual attack pattern, Cardro ordered them to fly lower at a range where they could be attacked from the ground. They would wait for them to gather near them and only fly at a higher altitude when their enemies were about to make contact. If the monsters¡¯ attention started to wane and they gave up attacking them one after the other, the airships would once again lower their altitude. This tactic effectively frustrated their enemies and made more of them flock towards their corps.


    ¡°Corps Commander! Any more and¡­¡±


    ¡°Just a bit more. There are still too many monsters attacking Command.¡±


    Some of the officers were urging him to raise theirmanding airship¡¯s altitude since they were already starting to receive more and more hits but Cardro just ordered them to continue what they were doing to attract more monsters.


    More monsters began to flock to the airship where Cardro was. After all, it was themanding airship and it had a colorful pattern showing that it was different from ordinary airships. The same was true for the aerial monsters. They attacked themanding airship while the drake units did their best to protect them.


    ¡°Corps Commander! Right now, we¡¯re really¡­!¡±


    ¡°Start bombing.¡±


    Before the officer could finish his urgent words, Cardro issued his orders.


    At that moment, the doors on the belly of the airship opened and let out huge amounts of bombs. Cannon shells also began firing from both sides of the airship, killing the approaching harpies.


    An overwhelming firepower, that could beparable to the Western Command, suddenly erupted. In fact, Cardro¡¯s 22nd Corps were proud to say that they had an overwhelming advantagepared to the Western Command when it came to dealing with the beings of the void. This was mainly because all of their bombs and cannon shells contained holy power, allowing them to show an overwhelming power against the beings corrupted by void energy.


    <i>Bang, bang, bang!</i>


    The monsters died from the baptism of their overwhelming firepower. However, they had undergone quite a number of mutations and had be more powerful under the guidance of the manticore, so they couldn¡¯t be swept away in a single go. Plenty of them had survived and endured several rains of bombs thanks to their robust outer shell, powerful sorcery and good mana management.


    Nevertheless, Cardro and his 22nd Corps¡¯ achievements were clear as day. Killing a huge number of monsters was an achievement too but pulling out a huge number of monsters away from Command alone was enough for them to say that they had executed their tactical mission perfectly.


    Seeing the 22nd Corps¡¯s performance, Ariel also made her own decision.


    The 21st Corps was known as the most well-bnced troops in the entire Mobile Field Army. So, her troops began to move to leave Command.


    If Cardro dragged the monsters to the left using their dominance in the air, Ariel nned on expanding the frontlines to disperse the monsters¡¯ concentrated attack and offensive towards Commands to the right.


    Generally, the possibility of getting higher damage in the field was extremely high so her judgment might prove to be incorrect. But she was confident that her troops, which were proficient in fighting on the field, could pull this off and they could prove that this was something that was more worthwhile than just sitting there and relying on just a mere possibility.


    With her confidence, the 21st Corps began to leave Command.


    On the other hand, Saeriden and his troops decided to concentrate on defending and supporting the now empty Command. He made this decision since he knew the strength of his own corps well and this was something that they could do best in this situation.


    The 21st Corps was your typical well-bnced corps.


    The 22nd Corps was a corps with overwhelming dominance in the skies.


    And the 23rd Corps was a corps that specialized in maintaining the frontline.


    And these three corps, with their unique and different characteristics, moved to operate on their own.


    The monsters suddenly were flustered by the frontline that suddenly stretched and expanded. However, they were beings who had received the manticore¡¯s education and training, so they also knew how to use their heads. Each of them moved to scatter towards the direction where they were confident in and those who weren¡¯t confident just focused on targeting the Command.


    <i>The Mobile Field Army¡¯s hidden move.</i>


    The manticore focused their attacks more on the Command after thinking that their hidden move hade out.


    Then, a smile appeared on Iron¡¯s face.


    ¨D <i>Start the attack.</i>


    With thismunication sent to Raven, another battle began somewhere else.


    ***


    Current Release Rate is 3 Chapters/week

 Chapter 189: The Growing Field Army (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(189)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>60 </i></b><i>The Growing Field Army (2)</i>


    After receiving themunications, the Raven started a battle at the monsters¡¯ rear.


    The Ravens, who were riding on a small airship extremely high up in the sky, immediately informed the rangers before moving based on the information in their hands. They also contacted the storm troops to help with ces where it was difficult to break through. The storm troops charged towards a single ce and destroyed one of the temporary fortresses that the monsters had built.


    The rear units were thrown into chaos thanks to the Field Army troops¡¯ linked y as they smashed the area to pieces.


    ¨D <i>Hidden move¡­</i>


    The manticore¡¯s expression turned solemn the moment he heard that their rear had been smashed.


    Just one move from Iron and he lost his rear.


    They wouldn¡¯t be able to dream about having a battle with the giant armored worm if they continued to drag the battle in a situation where their logistics and rear units were being destroyed.


    ¨D <i>That¡¯s right. It wouldn¡¯t be fun if it¡¯s easy.</i>


    There was a smile on the manticore¡¯s aged and weathered face.


    For a creature like itself, there was nothing as boring as things going as nned. Their victory would only be sweet like the sweetest honey if they gained it over hardships and adversities.


    ¨D <i>Call everyone.</i>


    The sound of the monster corps¡¯ horns and trumpets rang loudly at the manticore¡¯smand. All of the monsters attacking Command immediately retreated the moment they heard the sound.


    The humans also retreated back to Command.


    The troops who created a disturbance in the monster corps¡¯s rear also retreated immediately until they were out of the monster corps¡¯ range. However, since they did not fully retreat back to Command, they could still immediately attack the enemy¡¯s rear camp at any moment in time.


    So, the manticore made an extreme decision.


    ¡°They threw away their supplies?¡±


    ¨D <i>Yes, sir.</i>


    Iron looked at themunication tool incredulously after hearing Raven¡¯s report.


    Abandoning the supplies and logistics meant that they would go for a quick end to an extremely short-term battle.


    After retreating the monsters immediately gathered around the manticore. It seemed like the manticore gathered all of the monster units that remained from the rear together with the others to try and end the battle in one shot.


    ¡°Return first.¡±


    ¨D <i>Yes, sir!</i>


    Iron immediately contacted the other units after giving his return order to Raven, the rangers and the storm troops.


    ¡°All troops, gather at Command.¡±


    ¨D <i>Yes, sir!</i>


    All of the troops gathered at Command at Iron¡¯s orders.


    On the other side, the monsters began to cast buffs on each other, ovepping them together to answer to the manticore¡¯s strong desire and will to end the battle in one shot.


    The corrupted drakes spread the void energy all over the ce to create a suitable environment for the monsters while the giant ants moved to corrupt and pollute thend. Even the giant water buffaloes cried lowly and stimted the monsters to get ready for the fight. As a result, a very powerful monster wave was created.


    To answer to the manticore¡¯s desire and will, the monsters all boosted their strength and betted their all in this one shot.


    The Mobile Field Army also entered the state for an all-out war.


    ¡°Don¡¯t save anything!¡±


    ¡°This will end in one shot. Bring out everything that you have!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about what¡¯s behind you!¡±


    The logistics officers took out all of the supplies in the warehouse, including the decorative supplies, and sent them out to each unit. The sheer number of supplies that the soldiers were about to carry made them feel intimidated. They also refilled the supplies that the 21st and 22nd Corps, who were all outside of Command, had consumed.


    However, despite the sheer amount of supplies that they sent out, they still did not have enough, so they had to borrow from the factories and the merchants that were staying in the Command. Huge amounts of supplies flocked to each unit with the promise that they would be paid backter with either money or benefits. They had no one to rely on in this battle but themselves so they had to gather their resources and strengths from the ground up themselves.


    <i>Vwoooooooong</i>¨D


    The sound of the horn at night signaled the start of the monsters¡¯ movements.


    The sight of their horrifyingly vicious red eyes in the darkness of the night as they flocked to Command was terrifying.


    However, Iron¡¯s troops were elites. They had veterans who fought and were active ever since the Northern War and even their rookies had be elites after fighting countless battles in the Southeast. There were no scared soldiers among their ranks.


    The sound of artillery and bombs as well as the explosion of magic rang loudly as the battle began in earnest. But this time, the monsters were determined and prepared so their counterattack was fierce.


    All possible attacks, from sorcery to contaminated energy, were thrown straight at Command. The moment the airships approached even just for a bit, the corrupted drakes would fire void energy towards them with a loud cry, stopping them from bombing the ground freely. In addition, the buffs that they ovepped on the entire monster wave had caused a resonance with the void energy, making the monster corps¡¯ camp a void stronghold.


    But Iron did not just sit still and watch everything unfold.


    ¨D <i>Tweet!</i>


    The tiny Baepsae flew up and shone brightly like a tiny sun in the night sky. The light shone brightly that anyone who saw it would think that it was still daytime, and this bright light began to purify everything with the monster camp as the only exception.


    <i>Crack, crack!</i>


    A shockwave spread from the collision of the void energy and the sanctuary.


    The monsters immediately dug through the gaps and cracks created from the collision of the two opposite powers.


    With the fierce and violent charge of the monsters, the wizards immediately casted their magic through their magic circles and twisted the terrain while the fortress cannons fired and swept away the iing enemies.


    However,pared to before, the monsters were able to endure the strong firepower of the fortress cannon. The giant soldier ants gathered together and used their tough outer shell to resist the fortress cannons¡¯ fierce fires while the trolls casted their sorcery to counter the magic.


    ¡°Did they grow?¡±


    Iron looked at the monsters solemnly.


    It seemed like they were growing while they fought them. They were beaten on their first encounter since they did not know much about their enemies but from the second encounter forth, they could not be easily beaten anymore since they started using their heads.


    Iron sighed and pulled his sword out at the thought of the difficult fight ahead.


    The sword was just pulled gently out of its sheath with a light ¡®<i>Shiiing!</i>¡¯ sound when a powerful power wave from the monster camp crashed at Command.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The power wave was so powerful that it made the Command and the surrounding area tremble and shake.


    It seemed like the manticore had willingly put a strain on its body as it amplified its strength and put everything on the line.


    Seeing this, Iron also released his entire strength. He looked like he was showing his enemy that he would not lose at all.


    Thunderbird appeared in the sky and swept the surroundings with lightning while Phoenix glided smoothly in the air while breathing out fire.


    Seeing this, the manticore immediately condensed its purple breath and shot it towards Iron. However, the attack did not reach Iron. This was because Two Moons¡¯ ray of light had already disintegrated the breath before it could approach Iron.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Is this the second round?¡±


    Iron let out a breath as he swung his sword lightly to calm down his tensed nerves.


    The simple swing of his sword was no different than a warm up but the soldier ants in his vicinity were ughtered with just this single swing.


    In a blink of an eye, Iron¡¯s sword¡¯s aura appeared and condensed into a gigantic sword.


    The manticore also flew up as it released void energy from both of its wings, showing off that he would not lose in terms of momentum.


    It was just a simple p of its wings but because of its amplified strength, the air waves that the p of its wings created became powerful enough to break several of the airships in the vicinity.


    ¡°Are the monsters going to start their fight now?¡±


    Iron and the manticore began their battle the moment Carl0 finished muttering to himself.


    Their collision created a powerful shock wave that swept away the surrounding area.


    After the shockwave died down, a corrupted giant drake and a gray-winged harpy flew out and casted spells to keep the divine beasts in check. The giant water buffalo with purple horns on its head charged towards Two Moons while the soldier and male ants that acted as the manticore¡¯s guards flew up. The battle between Iron and the manticore as well as the guards and the divine beasts devastated the area around them.


    The domain of these two beings were created in an instant.


    However, the battle was not yet over. The battle between the remaining monsters and the Command continued, leaving the fight between these monstrously strong beings behind.


    No one knew when this battle would end. It did not matter if the moon was sitting high up in the sky or not, their battle still continued on.


    The monsters strengthened by the void energy seemed oblivious to the word exhaustion.


    Even the humans were able to continuously recover and heal thanks to Baepsae¡¯s power supporting the sanctuary. Even their magic and strength were amplified.


    Both sides continued to fight using their inexhaustible physical strength. Even their injured recovered and returned to battle quickly.


    The monsters with fatal injuries were able to recover to their peak strength in less than an hour with the help of the void energy while the humans recovered even their lost limbs by attaching the cut-off part with Baepsae¡¯s power. Because of this, the battle did not stop despite the moon waning and the morning sun rising high up in the sky.


    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>


    ¡°We¡¯ve run out of cannon shells!¡±


    ¡°Climb the walls and throw the bombs!¡±


    Dominic Stone shouted furiously but the artillery unit officer was embarrassed.


    ¡°That¡­ We¡¯ve also run out of it!¡±


    Only then did Dominic Stone look around. He saw all of his men looking at him except for some who were putting thest cannon shell on the cannons. Seeing them like that, Dominic pulled out his sword.


    ¡°Raise your guns! If your bullets run out, then pull out your sword! Do what you can until this battle ends. Understand?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Everyone climb up the wall!¡±


    Every member of the artillery unit began to climb up the walls with their guns at Dominic¡¯s orders.


    And this event did not only happen to the artillery unit.


    Cardro had also ordered a simr order to his troops. He ordered them to lower their airships the moment their bombs and cannon shells were consumed. On the other hand, Ariel¡¯s 21st Corps were already using their spears and swords to kill their enemies, their bombs and magic bullets long consumed by the endless battle in front of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get pushed back!¡±


    ¡°Stab your spears deep inside!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of getting injuries!¡±


    ¡°Stop them from climbing over the walls!¡±


    All of them tried their hardest to stop the monsters from trying to climb up.


    Thanks to their efforts, the walls of Command were able to barely hold out. Their gates were broken through twice but they were still able to hold out and stop their enemies from going inside.


    But the monsters still continued to rush more fiercely. It seemed like they knew full well that their future and lives would end here if they got pushed back at this point in time. They fought more recklessly knowing that they wouldn¡¯t receive any more support from their rear.


    However, there would always be limits.


    As the sun continued to rise, both the humans and the monsters began to get exhausted. No matter how much the humans recovered with vitality and the monsters with the void energy, they would still face the limits of their mental strength and fortitude. The soldiers¡¯ expression looked nk as they swung and stabbed their spears on reflex. Even the monsters were just mindlessly wandering and attacking.


    Iron and the manticore both realized this fact. Even though the two of them could fight more, they knew that their men had long reached and exceeded their limits. So, they both tried to back down.


    But at that moment¡­


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    ¨D <i>Kieeeeeeeek!</i>


    Gigantic worms suddenly popped out from the ground.


    ¡°How did these bastards get here!¡±


    ¨D <i>No way¡­</i>


    Both Iron and the manticore were shocked at the sudden appearance of the giant worms.


    ¡°I did not feel their presence¡­¡±


    ¨D <i>Where the hell¡­</i>


    They both clearly have the master¡¯s senses but they weren¡¯t able to sense anything. No matter how much focus they put on their fight, their senses as a master would definitely not go anywhere. However, they realized the reason not long after.


    The giant worms had appeared at the edge of their battle zone while the others dug deeply underground. They could hide from a master¡¯s senses if they were far enough and someone at the same level hid them.


    ¨D <i>Captain Worm¡­</i>


    ¡°Is it¡­ the imoogi?¡±


    A gigantic ck worm suddenly appeared and devoured a huge number of monsters. It¡¯s gigantic size was alreadyparable to the imoogis from the Eastern Continent. And this colossal monster was looking at Iron and the manticore as unknown and dirty fluids dripped down from its body.


    In just an instant, the giant worm corps had surrounded both the monster and human forces.


    ¡°Did we get caught?¡±


    ¨D <i>Ha¡­ This is a humiliation. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been caught unaware by an earthworm.</i>


    The imoogi burst into a strange and creepy smile. It was as if it had been waiting for Iron and the manticore to fight and consume their strength for a long time.


    ¡°Did you know that a worm could smile?¡±


    The manticore tilted its head in thought at Iron¡¯s question. It seemed like it hadn¡¯t seen anything like that before.


    However, they were both sure of one thing¡­ The fact that the worms went further up north was a lie. They deliberately pretended to go to the north to blindside them. But the moment their battle began, they turned around and rushed toe here. Because of this, the imoogi¡¯s giant worm corps was sitting in an advantageous position.


    ¡°I believe¡­ we should hold hands at this moment, right?¡±


    ¨D <i>There¡¯s nothing I can do. We have to do it even if we don¡¯t want to if we want to survive and not get killed.</i>


    The battle between the humans and the monsters stopped after Iron and the manticore said these words. There was no need for them to issue orders. This was because even their men knew what choice they had to make.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>Come, you worm bastard.¡±


    ***

 Chapter 190: The Growing Field Army (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(190)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>60 </i></b><i>The Growing Field Army (3)</i>


    The monsters and humans united at the unexpected appearance and surprise attack of the giant worm corps.


    Thousands among them had already evolved into giant worms. The strange and weird appearance of each and every single creature in the giant worm corps had proven that they had evolved repeatedly over the course of their silence. Some of them had developed wings while others could excrete poison all throughout their bodies.


    ¡°It definitely got smarter.¡±


    Iron sighed to himself as he looked at the now smarter imoogi.


    It already learnt how to use its head when it was just a giant armored worm but now it had learnt how to use tactics. If they left it unattended in the future, it would be able to grow smart enough to the point that it could pose a far greater danger than what they could handle.


    In addition, the force hiding in its body had also grown stronger than before. Back when it was still a giant armored worm, Iron could confidently say that it could block the giant worms together with it. But now, the imoogi had grown to the point that Iron found it a bit too much to deal with alone.


    ¡°Do it properly!¡±


    ¨D <i>Do you think you¡¯re the only one who can move properly?!</i>


    Iron and the manticore had spent a lot of their force and stamina during their fierce battle earlier. Because of this, they had no choice but to join forces and fight against the imoogi together. However, awkwardness was still bound to arise between them. After all, they had been forced to unite after still being in the middle of a fight earlier. Perhaps that was the reason why Iron and the manticore were still wary of each other whenever they moved to attack the imoogi.


    The imoogi¡¯s shrewdness was now only second to the manticore and it was posing to be a big problem for them. It had now be quick-witted. It¡¯s eyes were always wandering around looking behind Iron, trying to find gaps between the two of them.


    Iron felt what the imoogi wanted to do so he deliberately held back. Because of this, he missed the opportunity to deal a fatal blow to the imoogi. He knew full well that they still wouldn¡¯t be enough even after joining forces. After all, they wouldn¡¯t be able to work properly together since they were wary of each other. All they could do was attack and watch their backs in case one of them messed around.


    And the same was true with the army. Since their highestmanding officer was wary, the other units of the army would be no different.


    ¡°Are these bastards trying to hit us in the back?¡±


    ¡°Hey! We¡¯ll definitely beat you to a pulp the moment we see a gap!¡±


    ¡°Look at them deliberately doing that.¡±


    The humans had quick wits, they immediately noticed that the shrewd monsters were trying to aim for the back of their heads. So, instead of actively participating in battle they chose their survival. Because of that, the situation of the battle turned strange.


    The giant worm corps was strong. That was why they were forced to unite. However, the moment damage started to get inflicted on them, they immediately stepped back. While the humans and monsters were busy trying to preserve their own forces and not umte any damage from each other, the giant worms increased their strength and rushed in. When that happened, both the humans and the monsters flocked to them.


    In the end, the monsters were forced topletely abandon the thought of hitting the backs of the heads of the humans. They could see that they were already nearing their limits and more giant worms flocking to them would mean that they would really be over.


    Seeing this, the humans also began to help the monsters as they diligently and sincerely attacked the giant worms. When the giant ants pulled the worms¡¯ attention, the knights would rush in and attack their weaknesses. When the trolls used their sorcery, the wizards would finish off the attack with their overwhelming firepower. With the humans and monsters fighting together in earnest, the giant worms were forced to slow down their attacks.


    It seemed like the imoogi never wanted for something like this to happen so it revealed it¡¯s full strength.


    ¡°How much did you pig out for you to get that big?¡±


    Iron sighed when it saw the imoogi pull its entire body out of the ground.


    The imoogi was immensely huge and its body was covered with thick and sturdy outer shells that could not be scratched by most attacks. Iron could also see that the void energy that it used tounch its outer shells was now present in the air. The air became wind that created a tornado that sucked in all of the void energy in the area.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve grown a lot from thest time we saw each other.¡±


    While Iron was clicking his tongue at the sight, the manticore was already up in the sky opening its mouth widely and spreading it¡¯s purple energy in the air. However, the imoogi justpressed the void energy around its body and shot it towards the sky as if to prove that it would not lose.


    A sh of ck and purple collided in the air.


    The imoogi had now grown to the point that it could not be considered as an armored worm anymore. And this imoogi was ring at Iron viciously. The corners of its mouth were slightly raised as if it was grinning at him.


    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ </i>You¡¯re smiling?¡±


    It was now standing upright as if it had the upper hand.


    Iron called for his divine beasts to destroy that smug look on its face. It seemed like the divine beasts were able to read through Iron¡¯s wrath so they immediately showed off their full strength.


    The imoogi immediately rushed towards Iron as it boosted its strength.


    The sh between Iron and the imoogi caused a powerful shock wave that scattered in all directions.


    ¡®It really has grown.¡¯


    It cut off his aura de with its tough and sharp tail, countered Two Moons¡¯ attack with a ck sh of light, used a whirlwind made out of void energy to sh against Thunderbird¡¯s tornado and ovepped its thick shells to endure Phoenix¡¯s mes.


    Iron could see that it endured well despite him using his full force. The only thing that was left was his own innate ability and his holy power. Most of the holy power that Iron could use was being channeled by Baepsae but that did not mean that he could not afford to use any more.


    Then, he immediately used both his innate ability, lightning, and his holy power. A white lightning began to appear and surround his aura de.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    ¨D <i>Krrrrrrrrrrrr!</i>


    The imoogi¡¯s body shook as if it was shocked by electricity with every sh of Iron¡¯s aura de.


    Unlike Thunderbird¡¯s lightning, his innate ability lightning was intertwined with his holy power so it was able to prate through the imoogi¡¯s thick skin and purify the void energy along the way. In other words, this power was the extreme opposite of void energy and it was wreaking havoc in the imoogi¡¯s body. And since it waspletely wrapped around the aura de, any wound that he inflicted would not recover that easily. On top of that, there was also the frost that covered his de. Although it was weak it could still freeze the wounds and slow down the recovery more.


    ¨D <i>Krrrrk!</i>


    However, no matter how strong the attacks were, it only left scratches on the imoogi¡¯s body.


    Although his powers made it much more difficult to recover, it would not mean much unless the wound was a fatal injury. Iron knew this fact well so he did not go all out. After all, he still needed to prepare for another all-out war.


    Iron and the imoogi shed once again. The two of them had been fighting fiercely and were trying to look for a gap but they both sensed something before looking in the same direction. Then, they immediately stepped back away from each other.


    ¡°So damn crafty¡­¡±


    ¨D <i>Krrrrrr¡­</i>


    While fighting against each other, Iron and the imoogi turned towards the manticore and showed hostility and killing intent. It seemed like the manticore tried to dig into their gaps while they were busy fighting.


    <i>How should we punish a cowardly and sneaky bastard?</i>


    The imoogi and Iron attacked the manticore at the same time.


    In terms of pure force, the manticore was far behind Iron and the imoogi. That was the reason why it was badly pushed back by the two¡¯s joint attack. The manticore knew that it would not be able to endure the attack from the two of them even if it utilized all of its guards.


    ¨D <i>Th¡­ the imoogi. Let¡¯s deal with the imoogi first. I promise that I will not look for and dig into your gaps until we deal with the bastard. </i>


    ¡°Stop speaking bullshit and just drop dead.¡±


    Iron¡¯s response to the manticore, who was urgently trying to negotiate with him, was a blunt disregard and a swing of his aura de. The imoogi also flew behind the manticore to prevent it from running away. Perhaps it was because they fought terribly for months that Iron and the imoogi were able to work seamlessly in this joint attack against the manticore.


    Seeing that it was being blocked both in the sky and its rear, the manticore urgently spoke.


    ¨D <i>Yo¡­ You¡¯ll be the one in trouble!</i>


    The monsters all bursted out and separated from the humans, ending their truce and coboration, as they went back to their hostile position after seeing the manticore being cornered.


    But Iron justughed at it.


    ¡°Alliance is not something that one can form with monsters.¡±


    As soon as Iron spoke, the giant worms stepped away from the human¡¯s camp and turned towards the monsters. The quick-witted officers immediately understood the situation as they turned the tips of their spears towards the monsters.


    The manticore and the monster corps were now all over the ce after being surrounded by enemies on all sides. Each and every single one of them were busy escaping death from the joint attack by the humans and the giant worms.


    Even the manticore was doing the same. With the manticore at its limits, it gave its all to escaping despite the huge risk of incurring fatal injuries. With no other choice, it used its final killing move, the purple lightning.


    While Iron and the imoogi were deflecting the lightning bolts that were flying towards them, the manticore disappeared in a sh and widened the distance between them. It used its killing move to live. Thanks to that, the monsters were able to sessfully retreat despite suffering enormous damages.


    Now, the only ones left were the giant worm corps and the Mobile Field Army.


    <i>Baaaaaaang!</i>


    ¡°Knew it.¡±


    The moment the imoogi saw the manticore running away, it immediately swung its tail towards Iron. But Iron just lightly hit it with his aura de as if he knew that this would happen. The same was true for the Mobile Field Army.


    Iron smiled in satisfaction when he saw his men grasping the situation quickly and fighting well despite the continuous turns of the situation in the battlefield as well as the repeated betrayals. This made him realize that he did not need to spoon-feed his subordinates with orders since they were able to respond immediately after gathering longbat experience in the field.


    So, he ced his entire focus on the imoogi, trusting that his subordinates would be able to do well on their own.


    ¨D <i>Krrrrr!</i>


    ¡°You still think you¡¯re greater than me?¡±


    With Iron focusing his entire power on the imoogi, the result of the battle was revealed not long after.


    The imoogi was pushed back bit by bit. It could not withstand the divine beasts¡¯ fusion skills and Iron¡¯s white lightning wrapped around his aura de. As the battle dragged longer, the ring difference between them began to show. In the end, the aura de was able to smash the imoogi and beat it to a pulp. Of course, the bastard¡¯s body was tenacious so even if Iron was able to m his aura de into him there were no fatal injuries in its body.


    However, no matter how tenacious its body was, the only result that they would have was the imoogi losing. Seeing this, the great worms, who were putting pressure on Command, rushed towards Iron.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re calling your subordinates? This is a one on one! You rascal!¡±


    Iron grumbled as he red at the sneaky and cheap imoogi who called for its subordinates. But despite his grumbling, he was ecstatic deep inside.


    Because a number of the great worms, who were pressuring Command, had flocked to him, the Command could now breathe more easily.


    The damage that they would incur would inevitably increase if they continued to fight after they had exhausted most of their supplies from the battle against the monsters. And with the great worms flocking to him in that situation to save the imoogi, the battle was virtually over.


    ¨D <i>Krrrrr¡­</i>


    It seemed like the imoogi realized that it would still be hard to deal with Iron alone, so it prepared to retreat.


    Iron did not chase them even after he saw the imoogi¡¯s intentions. He also had a hard time. Besides, all of his men were in a chaotic state after experiencing a series of battles in a single night. Unless they were confident to deal with the giant worm corps alone, it was alright for them to end it right here.


    The battle ended with an implicit agreement between the two parties.


    The Mobile Field Army Command immediately began to do restoration work.


    Thankfully, their casualties and damage were not significant despite the fierce battle, all thanks to Baepsae and Iron¡¯s holy power. However, an enormous amount of their supplies had been consumed and their Command was destroyed here and there.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    Iron looked at Command bitterly.


    In the end, they were able to endure the most dangerous situation that they had experienced so far.


    Since they were able to survive this battle, the Mobile Field Army had no other choice but to develop and grow a step further.


    As if to prove this fact, the giant worm corps invaded again not long after their battle.


    Compared to before, the soldiers were far more rxed in battle. And with the soldiers and officers rxed, Iron was also rxed. He could now leisurely put pressure on the imoogi.


    Seeing their leader getting pushed back, the great worms flocked like ghosts to help. But this time, instead of being helpless, the Mobile Field Army pushed forward. Of course, this was only possible because Iron had an advantage over the imoogi.


    The imoogi0 was growing at an extremely rapid pace so Iron had no choice but to feel anxious wondering if it would be able to catch up to him someday soon. But this worry disappeared not long after. The anxiousness was now reced with pride after seeing the skills and power of his Mobile Field Army had risen dramatically after fighting battles every day.


    And with the acquisition of huge amounts of corpses from the monsters and the evolved great worms, theboratories and research institutes in Command have also begun to show useful research results. Among these research results, the most useful one was the fact that the gigantic mana stone inside the bodies of the giant worms could be used and be a semi-permanent source of power.


    With Iron¡¯s holy power constantly emitting and purifying the void energy inside the mana stone, the resulting repulsion and resistance would be able to attract and amplify the surrounding mana. This allowed the Mobile Field Army to secure a semi-permanent source of power.


    In addition, the mana stone itself would take on and produce holy power after receiving full purification. With this, they would be able to mass produce weapons imbued with holy power. They would also be able to upgrade their fortress cannons as well as their airships and other weapons.


    Naturally, the quality and power of the soldiers would follow and increase with the upgrades in their equipment and weapons.


    Then, good news came in once again.


    ¡°Is it finally starting?¡±


    Following Ariel crossing over to the 6th Stage, Cardro and Saeriden also crossed the walls of the 6th Stage. Even the rest of the division leaders under Command¡¯s direct control were already fast approaching the walls of the 6th Stage.


    Although their skills were improving from the constant life-threatening battles, the limitations set on their bodies and skills were something that was iparable to monsters. But it was also the very same monsters who pushed them beyond these limits.


    After experiencing battles every day, they were unknowingly being eroded by the void energy. But this contaminated energy was constantly healed and purified by the holy power and Baepsae¡¯s power. The continuous erosion and purification resulted in awakening another force in their bodies.


    Some of the monsters, who had been contaminated by the void, had absorbed the remnants of the ancient gods which allowed them to gain new strength and awaken new powers just like the other-worlders. The corpses that they left behind seemed to be one of the causes of awakening.


    Some of the humans were able to awaken just by cutting through the monsters¡¯ bodies, some while moving mana stones and some by barely oveing their death crisis. The soldiers and officers awakened from a variety of reasons and phenomena that it was difficult to specify the cause. But no matter the cause, one thing was for certain, the higher the number of awakened people, the higher the level of the Mobile Field Army.


    Perhaps that was also the reason why the giant worm corps¡¯ attacks lessened in recent days.


    No matter how fierce they fought, they would still need to have time to catch their breaths. After all, fighting for a long period of time would exhaust both of their forces and supplies. The fatigue and exhaustion was one, but even the manticore¡¯s monster corps would add into the mix as they tried to attack the gaps between them.


    This ce had now be a battlefield where three forces bit on gaps and attacked each other.


    And the victory in this battlefield, which seemed like it would continue endlessly, began to tilt solidly on the side of the weakest force, the humans.


    ***

 Chapter 191: Signs of Instability (1)

    <b><i> The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(191)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>61 </i></b><i>Signs of Instability (1)</i>


    The news about the Southeast spread far and wide.


    With battles ongoing every day, people became anxious. They did not know when it would end or when their dominance would be taken over and disappear. But in the end, it ended with the humans¡¯ victory.


    <i>[ After a series of fierce battles, the Mobile Field Army gained victory¡­ ]</i>


    With this brief headline, the news about the Southeast was spread all throughout the Empire. However, the Empire did not have any time to care about it at all.


    The alliance of birdmen in the West.


    The sudden explosion of the ruins of Antis in the East.


    The fluctuation in the great forest in the South.


    The changes in the continent began to appear as if it was waiting for the conclusion of the events in the Southeast.


    However, the biggest problem was in the North. The ce, where they thought was the safest, suddenly began to move strangely. The region was still rtively much closed off, but thanks to the Northeast being mostly open to the public, they were still able to receive thetest news. And the worst news that the Empire could receive came from that very same Northeast.


    <i>[ Frost Giant Corps? Are they awakening? ]</i>


    <i>[ The worst crisis. How will the Northeast ovee this crisis? ]</i>


    In the end, the truth that they had hidden had been revealed. And the Northeast, which was hailed as a safe zone, had be a dangerous area in a blink of an eye.


    In a situation where the entire Northern region was in danger, the people¡¯s attention was suddenly focused on the Center. This was because the areas in the vicinity of the capital had be a rtively safe area after the dangers erupted from all over the Empire.


    Because of this, the copsed Central Government began to recover their power, albeit only slightly. However, contrary to what they showed to the public, the Imperial Family, especially the Crown Prince and the nobles who supported him, all had solemn expressions on their faces that grew deeper by the day.


    ¡°¡­When do you think it will break?¡±


    The ministers standing behind the Crown Prince all remained silent at his question.


    This was a fact that only a select few people knew. However, they all knew that this was something that they would eventually let the public know.


    The white crystal, which was currently believed to be the core that held the boundary protecting this continent, was on the verge of breaking.


    The Imperial Family had suffered and endured all sorts of degradation and humiliation just to protect this item. They eventually seeded in protecting this and the Empire despite the fall of the capital and the Imperial Family¡¯s power.


    But even after they tried everything that they could, the crack was still growing by the day. Perhaps it was because it had already reached the point where it couldn¡¯t be reversed anymore or the speed of breaking had be uncontroble that it elerated after receiving that huge crack. However, that did not matter anymore. What mattered was that there was a big crack on this crystal right at this very moment. And with the dangerous situation in the continent, it would not be strange at all if it suddenly brokepletely.


    ¡°Right now¡­ I think we need to prepare for the worst.¡±


    The Crown Prince silently looked at the white crystal, the God¡¯s Orb, silently at the words of one of the ministers behind him.


    The Crown Prince was known as someone ipetent and arrogant. Would such a person change when faced with a crisis?


    Compared to the other princes, who were only focused on fighting politics, the current Crown Prince sincerely felt sad for the crisis that the Empire would face.


    They did not know what he saw, but after the Crown Prince came out of the ce where only the previous Emperors could enter, his attitude had changed little by little over the years. He did not even give any unreasonable orders to re-establish the Central Government¡¯s copsed prestige or gather forces to rebuild the Imperial Family¡¯s power.


    In fact, it was the other princes and several other ministers who tried to undermine the authority of the Commanders and the Mobile Field Army. But the more they did, the more the Crown Prince mediated.


    Everyone looked at the Crown Prince in doubt after seeing how much his appearance and attitude had changed but the Crown Prince remained consistent with this change. From what they heard from the servants and the maids, this appearance was not just a pretense. He really had changed as a person.


    Perhaps that was the reason why the ministers and the bureaucrats continued to look at him with disbelief as they gave him advice. They only stepped down after talking about theories and hypotheses since they did not have any other way in this situation.


    After everyone stepped down, the Crown Prince sighed as he muttered to himself.


    ¡°Destruction¡­¡±


    Recently, he would experience special dreams the moment he closed his eyes to sleep. It was a dream that showed the destruction of the continent.


    Auzria, the home of mankind, turned into a yground where all of the gods had gathered. To resist and fight against them, the ancient races awakened. But these beings were trampled by the gods and turned into their toys.


    After dozens of dreams, the Crown Prince instinctively knew that this was not just a simple dream.


    ¡°Foresight¡­¡±


    He did not know why he saw dreams that could almost be called foresight but there was one thing that he was sure about. Destruction was not far away.


    In his dreams, he died dozens of times.


    The humans faced destruction as the capital was set aze. It was the other-worlders and the chosen ones who fought from the beginning to the end of destruction. And among them, the ¡®hero¡¯, who defended the Empire numerous times, was the one who resisted until the very end. The very same hero who worked so hard to cut himself off from the Center. And in all of his dreams, the Empire and the continent copsed dozens of times in various ways but that hero was the only one who remained consistently the same in all those dreams.


    ¡®The Empire¡¯s destruction.¡¯


    The Crown Prince could tell that it was a nned matter.


    None of his dreams depicted the survival of the Empire. Even if he became the Emperor, he would still be deposed soon. He finally realized that the Emperor¡¯s position, the position that he wanted so much, was meaningless the moment the day of destruction appeared.


    And he needed to make a decision before the domineering gods and the ancient races came to be.


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    The moment that his father and all thete Emperors had tried so hard to stop was fast approaching. Although the method that they used was wrong, they still sacrificed themselves for a ¡®great cause¡¯. He kept on thinking about the situation where he had to give and devote his all for the Empire just like the previous Emperors.


    Right now, the Imperial Family had to prepare to wee their end to protect the Empire and the continent from destruction. Although everyone cursed the Imperial Family and told them that they were terrible and hideous, at the very least, he thought that the Imperial Family could still make this noble sacrifice. This Imperial Family would also no longer exist in the future. And he, one of the noblest descendants, would fall down to the abyss too.


    ¡°The life of amoner¡­¡±


    The thought of bing one of the people who he deemed as ¡®petty and unimportant¡¯ before was terrible. It brought him fear and terror. However, the handful of ¡®honor¡¯ left in his heart that he did not know where it came from gave him the courage and helped him ovee this fear.


    ¡®That¡¯s right! Since we¡¯re going to fall into destruction anyway, let¡¯s maintain this handful of honor¡­¡¯


    It was only just recently that the Crown Prince came to think like this.


    After experiencing dozens of deaths in his dreams and realizing that their future was a nned destruction, the arrogant and naive Crown Prince finally realized everything. And today, he was finally able to get rid of his fear and made up his mind to prepare for the end.


    The very next day, the Crown Prince¡¯s decision was announced.


    ¡°Are you really going to make that decision?¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded silently at the 4th Prince¡¯s question.


    The Emperor¡¯s forces would be distributed to each ministry. The Imperial Family¡¯s Shadow would be sent to the Ministry of Information and the Imperial Pce¡¯s Knight Order that belonged to the Capital Defense Corps before would be sent to the security forces. He also drastically reduced the authority and power of the Imperial Family.


    This decision resulted in a significant increase in the authority of the Central Nobles affiliated with the ministries.


    Everyone wondered if the stupid and foolish Crown Prince knew something after hearing him make this decision. The Crown Prince, who was currently nominated as the next Emperor, had given up the Emperor¡¯s authority? It did not make sense at all. But what did not make sense at all was the fact that the Crown Prince, who made this decision, only wanted one thing.


    ¡°We need the support of the nobles to expand our armament.¡±


    The expansion of armament.


    After collecting the taxes from the public, what they have was still only barely enough. That meant that the only ones left were the wealthy nobles. However, if the taxes on the nobles were increased indefinitely, the only ones who would suffer were the lower nobles. The most effective way was to receive support from the upper nobles under the pretext of donations.


    ¡°How much¡­ are you talking about?¡±


    One of the upper nobles spoke with a trembling voice.


    This request was made after he gave up the Emperor¡¯s authority so it was definitely not a small amount.


    But despite the tensed and nervous gazes that were trained on the Crown Prince, he only replied dully.


    ¡°30%. Donate more than 30% of your assets to the Imperial Family.¡±


    The expression of everyone present crumpled at the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    At first they thought that it was just a joke. They thought that him giving up the Emperor¡¯s authority was also a joke. But everyone was still alert and nervous. After all, the Crown Prince stamped the seal and gave up his authority in this move.


    ¡°Why in the world¡­ are you doing this?¡±


    The Crown Prince quietly replied to the question of one of the nobles.


    ¡°The end hase.¡±


    It was just this one sentence.


    At first, they thought that the Crown Prince had gone crazy. But soon, the fact that only a few ministers knew about was finally revealed to them.


    Everyone was shocked at the sight of the shining God¡¯s Orb that was littered with dense cracks.


    ¡°ording to the Ministry of Information, the chaos covering the continent right now is an aftermath of God¡¯s Orb reaching its limits.¡±


    Unlike the Crown Prince¡¯s calm and steady voice, the hearts of the astonished ministers and nobles were in turmoil.


    ¡°The terrible things that are happening right now is the price that we have to pay for not keeping this orb properly safe. So¡­ We have to take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Th¡­ Then, let¡¯s do it like before. Let¡¯s strengthen the defense line around the capital¡­¡±


    ¡°Once the God¡¯s Orb is broken, the value of this ce would be meaningless. It¡¯s better for you to invest somewhere else.¡±


    The Crown Prince looked at the nobles and the ministers as he said this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you use your remaining assets to line up with the Commanders. There¡¯s only one thing that I¡¯m sure of¡­ the end hase and it¡¯s time for us to find our own ways to survive.¡±


    The nobles panicked at the words of the Crown Prince.


    Of course, these words also made it through the headlines and spread all over the Empire.


    The people of the Empire were left in chaos after the newspapers spread the news that the end was approaching. The news even went beyond the Empire and spread all over the continent. The poets and bards wrote songs and poems about the apocalypse while the pessimists went around busily telling everyone that they would die.


    While the air in the Empire became low, the South and the West were different.


    Many Southerners signed a contract with the ancient gods, and they believed that they would be able to survive as long as they became stronger under their banner. On the other hand, the Westerners devoted themselves to unknown gods and believed that they would be protected by them. Even the Divine Nation, who believed in God, slowly started to abandon their own God.


    ¡°The Lord, our God, can no longer protect the continent.¡±


    ¡°We have to turn our devotions and faith to many other gods.¡±


    ¡°Since the Lord, our God, had abandoned us, we will abandon him too!¡±


    With these ims, the Divine Nation officially discarded their own God and devoted themselves to other gods. To the gods who gave them revtions and power. Knowing that the approaching end would bring about more dangerous beings, they turned towards these unknown gods despite knowing full well that they were also dangerous.


    While everyone was busy trying to get out and break out of the current standards to prepare for the end, the Southeastern region of the Empire quietly cultivated their strength and expanded their power. They gradually pushed back the giant worm corps, who seemed to be too strong and skillful that they couldn¡¯t win against them in numerous battles.


    And in just a blink of an eye, the Mobile Field Army, which had be the strongest force in the Southeast, had already prepared to start a war against the alliance between the giant worm corps and the monster corps.


    ¡°These are the supplies from the Center?¡±


    Iron looked at Carl strangely after hearing his report in his Commander¡¯s office.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Carl replied in an affirmative before cing a letter on Iron¡¯s desk.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    ¡°This is a letter from His Highness, the Crown Prince.¡±


    At Carl¡¯s words, Iron quietly opened the letter. There was only a short sentence written on the letter.


    <i>[ Please take good care of the Empire. ]</i>


    ***

 Chapter 192: Signs of Instability (2)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military </i></b><i>(192)</i>


    <i>Trantor: ChubbyCheeks</i>


    <b><i>61 </i></b><i>Signs of Instability (2)</i>


    Iron tilted his head in thought after receiving the letter.


    ¡®What kind of bullshit is this?¡¯


    At first he thought ¡®Did the Crown Prince drink some kind of medicine or something?¡¯.


    The Crown Prince was the epitome of the words <i>foolish and greedy. </i>He was a person who perfectly managed his image and knew how to act in front of others. Even now, only a few people knew that the Crown Prince was trash.


    Iron was still lost in his thoughts even after he heard Carl told him that the supplies and support that came from the Center were sent here under the orders of the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Take good care¡­¡±


    The foolish Crown Prince did not say these words for no reason at all. Just like the saying that a person would change when they were close to dying, he wondered if the Crown Prince changed because he was also dying.


    However, if the Crown Prince died right now, the already messed up Central politics would be even more chaotic and restless. The Empire¡¯s copse and ruin should only happen after they had ovee the crisis to some extent.


    ¡°A civil war in this situation will be the worst oue¡­¡±


    Carl, who was standing next to him, flinched when he heard Iron mutter those words.


    ¡°Is¡­ Is it something serious?¡±


    Iron just shook his head lightly before handing the letter to Carl after he heard his question.


    Carl couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head after seeing the letter. There was nothing special in the letter. However, the story changed since the person who sent the letter was the Crown Prince.


    ¡°¡­Did he go crazy?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe he has some sort of critical illness?¡±


    Iron thought about the Crown Prince as he said that.


    He knew that the possibility of him knowing something was higher than him getting some sort of deadly disease. Since the Imperial Family held far more secrets than what he had expected, it was highly likely that the Crown Prince, the next Emperor, learned about another secret.


    ¡®Did he really find out about something?¡¯


    This conjecture was slowly solidified after rumors about the ¡®Day of Destruction¡¯ spread all throughout the Empire.


    At first, he thought that ¡®there were some smart and shrewd Central bureaucrats at y¡¯ here. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all. The Crown Prince was the one who personally announced this matter. He even continued to inform all of the citizens of the Empire about the current situation in the continent.


    ¡°God¡¯s Orb will soon breakpletely. The day that it breaks will be the day that the continent¡¯s end will begin.¡±


    The people suspected that the Crown Prince was just inciting anxiety for no reason at all. But the Crown Prince revealed everything. He disclosed the cracks that continued to progress and develop on God¡¯s Orb as well as the results of all of their investigations and studies.


    ¡°The more cracks appear in God¡¯s Orb, the greater the chaos in the continent. In fact, the relics of the ancient gods in the South appeared the moment the cracks covered almost half of God¡¯s Orb. The unknown gods in the West also appeared after the cracks worsened.¡±


    The reports and investigations that the Crown Prince released spoke of the corrtion between the events that happened in the continent and the destruction of God¡¯s Orb. Seeing these significant and meaningful results, the people had no other choice but to believe in his words.


    At some point in time, Iron ended up constantly waiting for news announced in the Center.


    After the Crown Prince¡¯s shocking announcement, research and studies began in the Center in preparation for the uing end. In addition, all of the policies during this period of time were all centered in preparation for the end that wasing in the near future.


    The high-ranking nobles began to move and line up with the Central Government and each Commanders for their survival in this uing end. The public became nervous and anxious after seeing them move like that, but they also had to survive. So, they began to prepare in their own ways.


    <i>[ Is there anything that we can do with this nned end? ]</i>


    An article with this title appeared in the Imperial Public Newspaper.


    The apocalypse0 that would descend upon them was now a reality and not just some pessimist¡¯s cry.


    After the Empire¡¯s announcement, the Southern and Western regions of the continent also began to move.


    In the West, the Pope himself spoke about the words imparted to him by the other gods as he officially announced the beginning of the end. In the South, the other-worlders and the people who signed contracts with the ancient gods also began to proim about the apocalypse.


    All of them spoke the same thing.


    ¡°Put your trust in me and you will survive theing end.¡±


    These gods whispered sweet nothings to seduce the humans to their side and the frantic and urgent humans fell for their words.


    However, those who could use their heads calmly assessed the situation and chose their gods only after careful observations. They wouldn¡¯t know what would happen once the end truly began but what they knew was that they were currently the ¡®party A¡¯ in these contracts.


    And the same was true in the West. The gods recklessly made their promises while the humans carefully chose which god to follow.


    While the South and the West were busy trying to choose which god they would follow, the Empire rushed to prepare on their own.


    The chosen ones in the beginning, in other words the people who received the Lord¡¯s power like the phenomena from before, appeared all over the Empire. Because of that, the chosen ones in the beginning that went to the West also began to return to the Empire. The reason for their return was mainly because the believers of the other gods in the West began to shun and reject the chosen who received the power of the Lord.


    The Empire became the kingdom of the Lord God.


    The Divine Nation Alliance abandoned the Lord and chose the other gods.


    And the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation became thend of the ancient gods.


    While the announcement of the Empire and the rest of the continent brought chaos to the people, the Southeastern region of the Empire finally achieved rtive stability. Iron, who had his legs crossed under his desk as he spent his time leisurely, was proof of that stability.


    After having a day that was free of battle for the first time in a long time, Iron spent his time leisurely reading a newspaper. He had free time today since he spent his entire night finishing all of the paperworks on his desk.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    Iron¡¯s expression turned incredulous as he read through the newspaper.


    <i>[ Which god should you choose? ]</i>


    The title upying the top of the newspaper waspletely absurd. The content of the absurdly titled article had turned the apocalypse into a battle of religion making it seem like choosing which god to believe was like a game. And this article had spread to the entire continent.


    ¡°This is¡­ well¡­ more like a salesperson pitch, not of the gods.¡±


    The distant being of the past was no more. Right now, the gods were considered to be just a reach away as they be the essential being for the humans¡¯ survival.


    The many different gods promised plenty of things to attract and seduce the humans. Of course, there was no guarantee that those promises would be kept. There were no written contracts, like the contracts between humans, and no one would be held ountable in case of a breach. The only security that the other-worlders had was their own system. For the people who signed a contract with the ancient gods, they just hoped against hope that the gods would keep their promises. Nevertheless, the people remained enthusiastic about the gods.


    The Empire, which believed in the Lord God, also investigated the gods from the West and the South. They wouldn¡¯t know what would happen if the end truly happened so it was better that they found out about them in advance.


    ¡°The era of the gods¡­¡±


    The era of mankind was slowlying to an end as the era of the gods began to descend.


    Iron hoped that the Lord God was on the side of the humans but he was not a person who only depended on wishful thinking. The possibility of the Lord God bestowing kindness and sacrificing himself for mankind was only something that could be found in fairy tale books. The most likely oue was that there was no one that they could trust in this world.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>I¡¯m going nuts.¡±


    Once God¡¯s Orb waspletely broken, it would be easier for them to cope if they knew whether the gods woulde personally or they would just increase their intervention in this world. However, they have too little information.


    Faulden came into the office while Iron was grabbing his head in irritation from the miniscule amount of information in his hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s the current situation in the Southeast?¡±


    ¡°The giant worm corps retreated 170 km to the north over a month ago while the manticore¡¯s monster corps went further down south.¡±


    Iron rubbed his chin in thought after hearing Faulden¡¯s report.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s no immediate threat as of the moment?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The morale of the Mobile Field Army was incredibly high after scoring consecutive wins during their battles. This resulted in the monsters bing rtively dispirited. The giant worm corps and the monster corps even went so far as to form an alliance. However, the Mobile Field Army¡¯s advantage in the frontlines still remained.


    ¡°Tell them to never let their guards down. We¡¯ll never know when those shrewd and sly bastards wille.¡±


    Faulden bowed his head and answered in agreement at Iron¡¯s orders before going out of the office.


    Although their morale was still rising from the consecutive wins in battle and the additional support from the Center, they were still in a situation where they couldn¡¯t be rest assured. The growth rate of the imoogi and the giant worm corps was still high. Even the manticore and its monster corps were still growing rapidly.


    All of them were showing their rapid growth rate as if they were betting on who would grow faster. If this continued on, they would have a difficult time iming dominance in the Southeast in the near future.


    ¡°In the end, we still have to end it with one final battle¡­¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself as he looked at the map of the Southeast.


    The map was littered with dizzying numbers and letters indicating when and where the battles took ce. The areas in the map that were densely packed with battle records were areas where they were well-informed about the current topography and terrain in the Southeast. Even though they lost consecutively to the army, the monsters still constantly challenged them to a fight that was why the map had been jam-packed with dates and letters.


    Iron knew that they couldn¡¯t stay like this when the end was already approaching. He did not know what woulde but he knew that it was time to end things here.


    ¡°At least until that¡¯spleted¡­¡±


    There was a huge airship being built beside Command. The airship was equipped with a cannon that was greatly reduced in size in the center and arge number of upgraded weapons. They also engraved numerous magic in the airship to the point that it could fly freely alone without the assistance of drakes. And they were trying to produce dozens of these.


    But since the God¡¯s Orb was already reaching its limits, they did not have any more room to y around with it.


    With the situation progressing like this, Iron was constantly being pushed back by pressure. There were only a few times where he rested properly in the Southeast. But recently, it wasn¡¯t only just Iron running around busily like that. The entire Mobile Field Army was now also running around busily. No matter how much they had awakened their mana and endured their harsh training, they were still bound to get exhausted.


    So, they tried to rx a bit, like now. But seeing the situation progressing in the worst possible direction, the thought of taking a longer rxation time proved to be something that was difficult to do.


    ¡°Commander! There¡¯s a problem!¡±


    Faulden hurriedly rushed inside the Commander¡¯s office. He was in such a hurry that he was gasping for breath.


    ¡°Did the imoogi invade us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    Iron looked at Faulden strangely.


    Faulden hurriedly handed a note from the intelligence organization that he left in the South.


    Iron¡¯s expression hardened when he unfolded the note.


    <i>[ Dragon has appeared. ]</i>


    His expression slowly turned solemn as he read the contents of the note.


    ¡°Where? The Great Forest? Or the Southern Confederation?¡±


    ¡°No. They appeared in the Southern Gray Mountains.¡±


    Iron sighed deeply at Faulden¡¯s words.


    The Gray Mountains was located at the southeastern end of the Southern Confederations¡¯ territory. The problem was that it was not that far from the Empire¡¯s Southeastern region.


    ¡°Is there only one?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t able to figure that part out. They were scrambling to escape and run away the moment the dragon rose in the sky.¡±


    Dragon. It was a race that appeared frequently in the legends. However, it still remained as the most dangerous species. Fortunately, there were only a few dragons known to be in existence.


    The schrs once believed that the dragons did not disappear but were just slumbering somewhere out of the humans¡¯ reach. And the reports that came in right now had proven the schrs¡¯ theories were correct.


    ¡°You¡¯re not surprised?¡±


    Faulden tilted his head in confusion when he saw Iron calm standing there, as if he was not surprised by this fact at all.


    To be honest, Iron had already experienced the might of dragons in his past life.


    Dragons vary greatly from one another but from what he heard, a fully grown dragon had the same power as a master. The dragon lord had powerparable to a grandmaster too. But in general, it wasmon for them to have power that was close to or already at the master-rank.


    Their poption was not that many so with mankind¡¯s current level, they would be able to stop them. That was unless they came in droves.


    Iron wasn¡¯t afraid of the dragons since he, himself, was a master right now.


    ¡®If there¡¯s only one, then it¡¯s worth a try.¡¯


    This thought shed in Iron¡¯s head as he gave his orders to Faulden.


    ¡°Station all of your informants in the South in the gray mountains.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Iron sent Faulden out of his office before activating themunication crystal and calling all of themanding officers.


    ¡°Gather in the Commander¡¯s office.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a need for a lot of words. All of themanding officers set aside their works as they gathered in the Commander¡¯s office.


    After seeing that everyone had gathered, Iron slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    ***


    <i>Notes</i>


    [Party A] ? ¨C The one with the upperhand in the contract. The so-called tyrant of the contract.

 Chapter 193: Signs of Instability (3)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (193)</i></b>


    <b><i>Trantor</i></b> : <i>Luka </i>


    <em><strong>61 </strong>Signs</em><i> of Instability (3)</i>


    Everyone¡¯s expressions hardened after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Just like you heard, the God¡¯s Orb is already reaching its limits.¡±


    The God¡¯s Orb that they tried so hard to protect was already broken. Due to this, an abundance of problems emerged on the continent.


    ¡°The Central Government announced that the end ising near. Because of this¡­ I think it¡¯s time to put an end to this slow fight.¡±


    The time hase for them to destroy the monster alliance headed by the imoogi and manticore. They have to at least take control of the Southeast to be able to do anything before the endes.Truth to be told, Iron wanted to give them a little more time. However, the end ising near. They did not have the time to rest with how much work they have piled up.


    ¡°When will we be moving?¡± Ariel asked as everyone turned to look at Iron.


    ¡°The day when that will bepleted.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to give a test flight?¡± Cardro said worriedly after hearing Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to do a short test flight.¡±


    Everyone looked worried at his words. Iron¡¯s face has lost itsposure. Instead, it was reced with urgency. In fact, since the day that the imoogi and manticore were driven out, the growth of the Mobile Field Army has been explosive. On the other hand, the number of monsters spawning was almost equal to the number of deaths in their ranks, so the overall level has not been significantly rming.


    Over time, the rapid reproduction and growth of the monsters would prove to be dangerous. But thankfully, the difference between the Mobile Field Army and other forces has been gradually increasing, perhaps because they continued to fight which effectively decreased their numbers.The growth of the imoogi and the manticore were considered to be variables, but the officers thought that they could achieve a perfect victory as long as they found the right time. But Iron did not seem to have any intention of dragging it until then. Iron, the person who always prioritized minimizing the damage to their troops, was feeling this urgent? It only meant that something serious had happened.


    ¡°Is there any sort of problem?¡± Ariel asked as Iron threw the note he had to themanding officers. Ariel, who was the closest to him, snatched it and stood up. She said, ¡°D¡­ragon?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Everyone was astonished at Ariel¡¯s words.


    ¡°A dragon has appeared in the Gray Mountains.¡±


    Everyone was shocked at Iron¡¯s remarks. It was not too far from the Southeast. It was within the territory of the Southern Confederation, but if the Southeastern Region was stable, then the Mobile Field Army still wouldn¡¯t be at ease.


    ¡°The fact that the dragon has awakened means other creatures are bound to appear again.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°The creatures that will appear in the future are likely to be more dangerous than the monster that have formed an alliance with the giant worms. We need to get rid of the threats in the Southeast to get the time that we will need to calmly prepare for them.¡±


    The only reason why Iron was in a hurry was because of one thing.To effectively respond to future threats, they needed the time to calmly strengthen their forces. The soldiers were getting stronger at every fight even now. But it would be difficult for the entire army to grow once their supplies were consumed and casualties began to increase. The time to fully grow without losing manpower or supplies. This was what they needed.


    The dragon had already appeared, even the frost giants had appeared in the North. They still couldn¡¯t determine how many more ancient species would appear. Therefore, it was necessary for them to clear the Southeast and expand the Mobile Field Army¡¯s influence as soon as possible.


    ¡°The end is already predestined. So we must take the next step.¡±


    Everyone nodded heavily at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Everyone must first return to the Command.¡±


    ¡°If we do that then, the monsters will know that we are preparing to attack them. Isn¡¯t it better if we break their forces byunching a surprise attack?¡±


    Iron shook his head at Saeriden¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°That would be ideal, but I have to go somewhere for a moment.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at Iron¡¯s reply. Their eyes were filled with the question, <i>¡®Are you going somewhere else at this time?¡¯</i>. No matter how strong and advanced their Mobile Field Army had be, it would still be dangerous if theirmander was not around as long as the imoogi and manticore were around. As their anxiety began to be more evident in their eyes, Iron had to tell them where he would go. He said, ¡°I think I should go to the Imperial Pce. I won¡¯t be long. I just want the troops to gather at Command just in case.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­ to the Imperial Pce?¡±


    A surprised look was stered on Ariel¡¯s face. Iron was the one who refused to go even though the central government had invited him multiple times. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what made him suddenly want to go visit the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°I think I shoulde and see His Highness, the Crown Prince.¡±


    Everyone tilted their heads in confusion at his reply. They knew full well how much Iron hated the Crown Prince. And it wasn¡¯t just the Crown Prince. What Iron had for the Imperial Family and the Central Nobles was something that was beyond hate; it was safe to say that it was disgust. They found it strange that Iron would willingly go to see the Crown Prince himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any time to see him if not now¡­ I think we should meet at least once.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s exnation, everyone lowered their heads. In the Mobile Field Army, Iron¡¯s words were thew. There was no one that could stop him from going. Knowing that theirmander had a reason for this, they silently left the office and prepared to move to return.


    Once the war begins in earnest, they would definitely be busy. Even if they managed to stabilize the Southeastern Region, they still had to immediately move to contain the Gray Mountains and expand their army.


    But before that! Iron has to meet the Crown Prince now and ask him. He has two questions to ask.


    One, when will the God¡¯s Orb break?


    Two, what were the secrets of the Imperial Family?


    If the Imperial Family always personally checked the God¡¯s Orb¡¯s situation every day, then they could roughly estimate when it would break. As for the second one, he didn¡¯t really have much expectations. However, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask, because as the time of the end approaches, there might be a possibility that the Crown Prince would speak. In fact, for Iron, hearing the answer to the first question was already considered a sess. This knowledge would help them in their preparations, as long as they could give him an estimated time.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have to see for myself whether the Crown Prince has really changed.¡¯</i>


    An arrogant Crown Prince that cannot support his arrogance with his abilities. He was someone that did not possess any courage to challenge anything, so he hid his ugly self under the mask of the Imperial Family. Iron wondered what made the Crown Prince make that decision.


    To be honest, he was curious about the God¡¯s Orb and the Imperial Family¡¯s secrets, but what he was most curious about was the Crown Prince¡¯s change as a person. The Crown Prince had done nothing but sh*t in his past life.Which was why he was very curious as to why the Crown Prince¡¯s made the right decisionpared to the other members of the Imperial Family.


    Iron contacted the Imperial Pce via amunication officer, the officer then responded back with a trembling voice.


    ¨C Is this Commander Iron Carter?


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to visit His Highness. When will be the perfect time?¡± Iron politely asked themunication officer. The officer paused for a moment before hurriedly answering.


    ¨C His Highness said that you can see him right away.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I will depart in an hour.¡±


    ¨C Th¡­ that¡¯s so soon¡­ I understand.


    The officer soon cut off themunication with a trembling voice, bewildered when Iron replied that he would depart after an hour.


    As the news spread out that Iron was going to the Center, reporters began to flock to the Capital¡¯s Warp Gate. The Crown Prince personally ordered his men to open a warp gate that would directly lead to the Imperial Pce. A group of lights covered Iron¡¯s body the moment he stepped on the warp gate, he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he was greeted with the view of the Imperial Pce. The once demolished Imperial Pce was already restored, there werevish buildings and even a well-maintained garden.


    ¡°I greet His Highness¡±


    ¡°It has been a while.¡±


    When Iron noticed the Crown Prince personally waited for him, he courteously greeted him. The Crown Prince quickly approached Iron and led him inside the pce. It was as if he was saying that such a greeting from him was unnecessary.


    <i>¡®He has changed.¡¯</i>


    Iron could see that the pretentious actions of the Crown Prince had disappeared. Iron watched the now changed Crown Prince in interest as they walked to the pce. In just a blink of an eye, refreshments and light desserts were already served in front of them.


    ¡°Your Highness, the Minister of Finance is here to see you urgently.¡±


    ¡°I have an important guest right now, tell him toe backter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s regarding the issue with the support supplies for the North.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The Crown Prince hurriedly rose from his seat. He looked like he had forgotten about it.


    ¡°Can you wait for me for a moment? I need to attend to this immediately.¡±


    ¡°Take your time, I can wait for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be long,¡± The Crown Prince said as he hurried outside and disappeared.


    Iron looked curiously at the door where he had disappeared off to when the old chambein next to him smiled and said, ¡°He has changed, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. What made him change?¡±


    Iron couldn¡¯t help himself and gave in to his curiosity and asked, but the chambein just smiled and shut his mouth. It was forbidden to disclose any personal information of the Imperial Family to outsiders. The Crown Prince trusted the chambein the most, not the Central Nobles, so it was impossible for him to have a loose mouth.


    ¡°However¡­ It is fine to tell the Commander,¡± the Chambein said, thinking for a moment before opening his mouth again and saying solemnly,


    ¡°His Highness has changed ever since he experienced that nightmare.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by¡­ nightmare?¡± Iron asked, tilting his head in confusion.


    The chambein nodded his head softly in response and said,¡°He seemed to have really died and came back to life in the beginning. After that, he kept on having nightmares night after night. The more frequent it happened, the more blurry his eyes were. He hadpletely changed into a different person for a while now.¡±


    Iron remained confused at the chambein¡¯s words.


    <i>¡®Can nightmares change a person?¡¯</i>


    Could nightmares break a person¡¯s soul? Could they blur one¡¯s vision after experiencing them? To be honest, it did not make sense.


    ¡°If there is something you would like to ask, you can personally ask His Highness. I¡¯m sure he will answer if the one asking is the Commander.¡±


    ¡°He will answer¡­ if it¡¯s me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His Highness will do so¡­ It¡¯s because he sees you, the Commander, as the Empire¡¯s one and only hope.¡±


    The chambein¡¯s remarks brought more questions to Iron¡¯s confused head. But the chambein stopped talking and just smiled widely. It seemed like he did not want to say any more. The chambein¡¯s words kept on ringing in Iron¡¯s head. But just when his curiosity had reached its peak, the Crown Prince opened the door and came back.


    ¡°Pardon me for beingte,¡± The Crown Prince said, asking the chambein to bring them more tea. Silence slowly engulfed the room with the absence of the chambein. But surprisingly enough, the person that broke the silence was not Iron but the Crown Prince.


    ¡°I have heard that there is something you wanted to ask me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°This must be about the God¡¯s Orb, right? You¡¯re probably here to ask when it will break and when the end will start??¡±


    Iron quietly lowered his head instead of answering the Crown Prince¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly when. But one thing is certain, even if we tried everything that we can to hold on to the orb, we will only have about a year left.¡±


    ¡°A year¡­¡±


    ¡°In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it breaks right at this very moment¡­ But it seems like the Lord gave us some time to make our final preparations.¡±


    Iron tilted his head at the Crown Prince¡¯s confident remarks. He had also seen the video before and seen the cracks littering the God¡¯s Orb.


    The reason why Iron hade over all the way was to hear about the predicted time of the God¡¯s Orb¡¯s copse directly from the Imperial Family. After all, they were the ones that had been managing it for a long time. However, it was still a bit unexpected that the Crown Prince gave him an almost certain answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering why I¡¯m so certain, right?¡±


    Iron looked directly at the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes after hearing his question. Just like what the chambein had said, his eyes were covered with some sort of fog. The dumb gaze that he had from the past was no longer in sight.


    ¡°I actually wanted to invite you over to the Imperial Pce. I wanted to tell you more about what I know¡­ You,ing here¡­ perhaps this is God¡¯s n¡­¡±The Crown Prince said as he looked at Iron.


    The Crown Prince went silent for a while before speaking softly again. He said, ¡°I had a glimpse of the future.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened at the Crown Prince¡¯s confession.


    ¡°What sort of things are you saying right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Foresight. Perhaps the dreams I had were foresight.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­ foresight?¡±


    ¡°Literally foresight.¡± The Crown Prince said as he let out a long breath. He finally told the truth that he never wanted to admit.


    ¡°¡­The Empire will be destroyed.¡±


    Iron remained silent at the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    ¡°As long as we and the other Commanders remain strong, then the Empire will survive.¡±


    ¡°No, the Empire is already doomed. It will meet its end the moment the God¡¯s Orb breaks.¡±


    The Crown Prince was resolute, shaking his head and disagreeing with Iron¡¯s words. Iron then looked at him with a firm expression on his face.


    ¡°Since it hade to this, I no longer have any regrets about the Empire. However¡­ I do hope that mankind will survive.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s smile was self-deprecating. He couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly at his inability to do anything, despite knowing what the future held for them. Then, he said, as if he had not forgotten his role, ¡°Perhaps, my role is to inform you about the fragments that I have seen in my dreams.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s face was calm as he told Iron in detail what he had experienced in his dream.


    ***


    <b><i>Trantor¡¯s Notes</i></b>: Hi, Luka¡¯s here! I will be the new trantor for <i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military.</i> TDESETTM¡¯s release will only be 1 chapter per week. Fret not, this is only temporary to ensure consistent releases and until I stockpile a loooot of buffer chapters. I hope for your continuous support and will be with me until the end of Iron¡¯s heroic adventure.

 Chapter 194: Signs of Instability (4)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (194)</i></b>


    <b><i>Trantor</i></b><i>: Luka</i>


    <b><i>61</i></b><i> Signs of Instability (4)</i>


    The Crown Prince briefly exined his dreams in which Iron often appeared. His dreams showed the destruction of the Empire and what was yet toe. The oue in his dreams changed every time but there were always two things that didn¡¯t: the fall of the Empire and the people uniting under Iron¡¯s influence and charisma.


    However, humans would eventually face the limits of their power. No matter how much mankind tried to hold its ground, their strength could not withstand the catastrophe, eventually it led to the destruction of the empire, with only the military left behind.


    ¡°Did I¡­ die?¡± Iron asked calmly.


    ¡°Yours didn¡¯t appear until the end of the dream.¡± The Crown Prince responded heavily after pondering about it for a moment.


    Iron nodded heavily at his reply. At the very least, his death was still uncertain.


    ¡°All of the futures I had in my dream, I always witnessed mankind uniting around you after the fall of the Empire,¡± the Crown Prince said. It seemed like he took responsibility for the duty to watch the Empire end. That was his duty. For him, there was nothing he could do for the future of mankind.


    ¡°May I inquire a few more questions?¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded, signaling his approval at Iron¡¯s request. Iron inquired about the questions that had been on his mind. One, how many more ancient monsters would appear? Two, would the Gods descend themselves. Three, what was the exact cause of the Empire¡¯s downfall. Those were the questions that Iron wanted to know.


    However, the Crown Prince did not have concrete answers for his questions. The future that he had seen was limited. Only fragments of the major events kept on appearing in his dreams and there were even plenty of changes in every dream. The Crown Prince frowned as he tried his best to recall the things Iron inquired about, but his memories were blurred. The only thing that he could clearly remember was the Empire¡¯s downfall and mankind uniting around Iron as well as therge-scale war, the rest of the details of his dreams were blurred as if they were obscured in mist.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± The Crown Prince hummed, trying to recall the things that he saw in his dreams but he had a hard time doing so. In the end, all he was left with was a frustrated expression as he failed to recall the entirety of his dreams.


    <i>¡®Is it a restriction?¡¯</i> Iron thought, frowning.


    It was clear that the scenes were intentionally obscured and manipted so that the Crown Prince could only remember the main events.


    <i>¡®I¡¯ve got everything I need.¡¯</i>


    Just when Iron was about to stand up, knowing that there was nothing else for him to know here, the Crown Prince continued to struggle and stammer out all of the details in his head. He tried to exin a little more further. So, Iron calmly and intently listened to the Crown Prince¡¯s words until the end.


    ¡°Even if God¡¯s Orb breaks, the barrier will notpletely vanish.¡±


    And in the process, he unintentionally secured valuable information. With this information, Iron was assured that this world would not be a yground for the Gods the moment the God¡¯s Orb breaks. Iron also heard about the monsters and creatures that would trample the Empire¡¯snd. However, the Crown Prince did not mention any divine beings. However, ancient species that could only be heard from myths and legends would appear. But from what the Crown Prince said, they were on par with the Gods.


    <i>¡®Isn¡¯t that worse?¡¯ </i>Iron thought, smiling wryly?


    ¡°¡­Was it helpful?¡± the Crown Prince asked.


    Iron was still pondering deeply when the Crown Prince asked him. However, he smiled brightly and said, ¡°Yes, you were a great help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± the Crown Prince said, as he ced his hand over his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to have fulfilled the role God has given me.¡± At the Crown Prince¡¯s remark, Iron looked at him with a serious expression.


    ¡°Do you believe in God?¡± Iron asked.


    The Crown Prince shook his head and smiled.


    ¡°I used to,¡± He said, smiling wryly.


    ¡°However, with the recurring dreams, it made me realize that the God I believed in is maybe not necessarily the ideal being that I imagined him to be.¡±


    The Crown Prince recalled his dreams. There were people that cried calling out to God during grave situations. However, the Lord God turned a deaf ear to their earnest pleas. In the end, they were killed by the monsters and devoured by strange mutants.


    ¡°I do not believe in God. I know that the Lord God will not save us even if we asked him to. I just¡­¡± the Crown Prince trailed off, looking at Iron timidly as he continued to say, ¡°¡­at least I believe that the Lord does not want us to perish.¡±


    Iron watched the Crown Prince. These words alone showed the direction that God wanted them to go to for their survival.


    ¡°¡­I seem,¡± Iron said, nodding in agreement. Iron did not know what God¡¯s purpose was but there was one thing that he was sure of: the Lord God did not want the other Gods to interfere with the continent.


    <i>¡®Even if it faces destruction¡­¡¯</i>


    At this moment, Iron thought that it was alright to believe in God and move forward. Iron sipped his tea as he continued to ponder over the course of his future actions.


    The Crown Prince looked up to him and said, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. Would you like to have dinner with me?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Iron looked at the Crown Prince and nodded. He said, ¡°How dare I refuse the Crown Prince¡¯s offer? I would stay for as long as Your Highness wishes me to stay.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s face brightened at Iron¡¯s words. Iron couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious at the sudden change of the arrogant Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was hailed as the greatest actor in the Empire. If he were born as amoner rather than a prince and entered the theater, he would have already be famous for his talents. This was also the reason why everyone thought that the change in the Crown Prince was just an act.


    However, Iron had watched his eyes, expressions and actions during their conversations. He could tell.


    <i>¡®He has changed¡¯ </i>Iron thought.


    Although it was only a dream, he thought that after the Crown Prince experienced those countless dreams and experienced numerous deaths and destruction. The experience itself was definitely traumatic enough to change one¡¯s personality and attitude. Iron was certain since he himself had changed after suffering from a lot of setbacks in his previous life. Witnessing the Empire¡¯s destruction and the fall of mankind did not necessarily mean that one would change. However, the Crown Prince recognized his shorings and changed to repay the work of the people in the Capital and regain their trust in the Emperor. He even went so far as to let go of his arrogance and carry the final task that God had entrusted to the Imperial Family. If that was the case, then Iron also had to give his respect to the Crown Prince. At the very least, he had to give his respect to the person that chose to enact and carry out his final duty as part of the Imperial Family to save mankind.


    ¡°The God¡¯s Orb¡­ has already reached its limit.¡± Iron sighed as he went to inspect the God¡¯s Orb after dining with the Crown Prince.


    The sacrifice of plenty of people, even risking his own life to protect the capital and God¡¯s Orb was still fresh in his mind. They were lucky to be able to stop its destruction back then. However, the cracks in the orb were too much. Iron could tell that it could break at any moment. Even with the help of countless magic circles and the priest¡¯s holy power, the God¡¯s Orb was still on the verge of copsing.


    <i>Crack</i>!


    A small fragment fell down from the cracked God¡¯s Orb. Iron frowned at the sight. If the fragments of the orb kept on falling like this then it would definitely copse at any given moment. In order to increase their time, the orb should at least maintain itsplete form. Iron approached the orb and inspected the orb. He turned to the Crown Prince and asked, ¡°Do you not have enough holy power?¡±


    From what Iron could see, the pieces that fell had faded. Hearing his words, the Crown Prince nodded. He said, ¡°<i>Haa¡­</i> It¡¯s very difficult to find a priest these days.¡±


    After the Divine Nation Alliance abandoned and betrayed God, finding a priest had be an arduous task. Moreover, they were also busy working in various parts of the Empire, purifying contaminatednds, sealing and purifying dimensional cracks and many more. Plenty of priests had moved into the Imperial Pce because of the God¡¯s Orb. However, their power still proved to be inefficient.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Iron looked at the God¡¯s Orb for a moment before lifting his hand. Then, bright light appeared in his hands as an enormous amount of holy power covered the fragments of the orb that were about to fall off. After he was done, the orb was shining brightly once again.


    ¡°This is enough¡­¡± Iron said, as raised his head.


    <i>[Side Quest! Inject your Holy Power into the exhausted God¡¯s Orb.]</i>


    <i>¨C The God¡¯s Orb is facing extreme hunger. Fill it with holy power until it¡¯s full!</i>


    <i>¨C Rewards: Extension of God¡¯s Orb¡¯s life</i>


    <i>[23 : 59 : 59]</i>


    Iron tilted his head at the sudden appearance of a quest. He watched as the fragments of God¡¯s Orb shone brightly. It seemed like his holy power kept the falling fragments intact and made sure to keep it whole as much as possible. However, based on the quest, the holy power that he injected was still insufficient.


    Iron looked at the God¡¯s Orb in confusion. Then¡­


    <i>-Ring!</i>


    <i>[Linked Quest! Piece Together the Fragments of God¡¯s Orb with the Help of the Wizards and Priests.]</i>


    <i>¨C Help prolong the lifespan of the God¡¯s Orb.</i>


    <i>¨C Rewards: Double the reward for the quest: Inject your Holy Power into the exhausted God¡¯s Orb</i>


    Seeing the Linked Quest, Iron hurriedly turned towards the Crown Prince and said, ¡°Can you please summon the wizards and priests?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± The Crown Prince said, issuing an order through the chambein.


    Not long after, all of the priests and wizards in the Imperial Pce gathered around the God¡¯s Orb. All of them were curious, wondering why Iron called for them. However, instead of answering them, Iron turned to the God¡¯s Orb and injected his holy power into it. The fragments that lost their shine and had be like ordinary stone fragments began to glow once again.


    The priests looked at the fragments that did not react to their holy power when they tried to infuse it with holy power before. They couldn¡¯t believe that it reacted to Iron¡¯s holy power.


    ¡°Ho¡­ How is this possible¡­? It didn¡¯t react to our holy power before¡­¡±


    ¡°Once the holy power has been exhausted, you need a huge amount of holy power to replenish it again,¡± Iron said as he injected a huge amount of divine power on the fragments.


    Iron¡¯s holy power continuously flowed to the fragments until they started to float up and glow brightly.


    ¡°Do you you can maintain this around the God¡¯s Orb?¡± Iron asked as he looked at the priests and wizards.


    The priests and wizards hurriedly gathered to discuss among themselves. The wizards then inspected the fallen fragments and surrounded the God¡¯s Orb. Only after that did they nod.


    ¡°Yes. I think we can help maintain the holy power around God¡¯s Orb.¡±


    ¡°Please prepare right away,¡± Iron said the moment the wizard answered. Of course, he continued to inject his holy power inside God¡¯s Orbs and its fallen fragments. His holy power continued to flow inside the God¡¯s Orb as if it was a spring that would never run dry.


    The priests looked at Iron in awe after witnessing the sight. Then, Iron asked, ¡°Where are the other fragments?¡±


    ¡°We kept them separately,¡± the chambein said.


    Then, the Crown Prince immediately ordered, ¡°Bring them all here.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    With the Crown Prince¡¯s orders, the remaining fragments of God¡¯s Orb were brought to them. And with the help of the wizards and the friests the fragments started to float and shine brightly once again. The wizards created new magic circles while the priests prayed to God, infusing their holy powers and individual powers to the fragments.


    ¡°Is it over?¡±


    One of the priests shook his head in response to the Crown Prince¡¯s question. He said, ¡°We have to inject our holy power for an entire day. No matter how strong a Saint is, he will still find it difficult to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s enough for now. We can finish it for today and reinforce itter¡­¡± One of the wizards said in worry after hearing the priest¡¯s words. However, Iron shook his head as he continued to concentrate on injecting his divine power.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I will be able toe to the Imperial Pce again. Besides, if we stop here, we won¡¯t be able to finish it perfectly. Right?¡±


    ¡°That is true, but¡­¡± The wizard said, mumbling the end of his words.


    Iron nodded at him. He said, ¡°I always see the end of things once I start doing them.¡±


    The wizards and priests¡¯ backs were drenched in cold sweat as they went back and worked. They continued to work on extending the life of the God¡¯s Orb all night thinking that they would die if they did not do so.


    However, despite their best efforts, another unusual situation urred in the continent.


    <i>[A mysterious race had appeared south of the Divine Nation Alliance! What race are they?]</i>


    <i>[Mountain Giants have appeared in the Giant Mountains! The appearance of this extinct species, is it a good sign or a bad sign?!]</i>


    <i>[A vortex suddenly appeared near the old site of Antis. What¡¯s inside it? The Eastern Command has issued an emergency order¡­]</i>


    Suspicious and unexpected situations appeared all over the continent. Everyone agreed that these ominous signs were the signs of the ending near. This time, the schrs agreed with the public sentiment.


    In the end, the time of destruction has arrived.


    ***

 Chapter 195: Signs of Instability (5)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (195)</i></b>


    <b><i>Trantor</i></b><i>: Luka</i>


    <b><i>61</i></b><i>. Signs of Instability (5)</i>


    Everyone was panicking at the sudden appearance of the signs of destruction but the attention of the Imperial Capital was focused on somewhere else. Their attention was diverted only because of a certain newspaper headline.


    <i>[Commander of the Mobile Field Army, Iron Carter, has done it once again!]</i>


    The newspaper with this headline had been selling like hot cakes in the square since dawn.


    The most valuable jewel in the continent, the God¡¯s Orb, was rumored to break anytime soon. However, it was said that it did not break any further despite the cracks not being repaired cleanly. Thanks to this, the time of destruction had been pushed back which increased the faith and trust of the people in the Empire for Iron.


    ¡°Oho! This rascal. I came here under the orders of His Highness.¡±


    ¡°You cannot enter, please be on your merry way.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about this?¡± The noble asked, trying to secretly bribe the Imperial Guard. However, the guard tly refused the offer. If someone was unaware, with the situation that they were in, and they epted the bribe, they would be beheaded. No questions asked. This was the Crown Prince¡¯s absolute order.


    ¡°Do not permit any aristocrats to set foot on the pce until he returns.¡±


    With this order, the guard would face big problems if he were to receive the bribe, just like in the past. Besides, this was rted to Iron Carter. Iron Carter was an existence that could make anyone from the empire fall down from grace. The nobles hoped that nothing bad would reflect on them from what they did before. Because of that, the nobles gathered in front of the Imperial Pce to meet with Iron. However, no nobleman was able to get through the Imperial Pce¡¯s gates.


    <i>¡®Sigh¡­ I was already lined up with Western Command.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Still, Iron Carter is the best choice!¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Tsk! I have no choice but to bet all the rest of my fortune.¡¯</i>


    The noblemen that had gathered in front of the gates were struggling to think of a way to grasp Iron¡¯s line.


    They wanted to find a way to live so they made sure to grab the different Commanders¡¯ lines by either sending their children or sending money in the form of donation to restore their copsed armies. Since the entire Empire would be in danger, the safest ce to be was next to a Master.


    The most popr choice was Central Command. This was because the Central Command was rtively freepared to other Commands, which were under a crisis. The least popr choice was Southeast Command. Why was it that the Southeast Command was the least popr when it was equally as dangerous as the othermands? The main reason was Iron.


    ¡°The entry of Central Nobles is prohibited.¡±


    Due to this simple decree, the central nobles have no means to get in touch with Iron. The reason was rtively simple.


    <i>There was an ongoing intense battle, so do not interrupt.</i>


    The Southeast Command had enough justification since they were all busy crossing the line of life and death as they fought battles every day.


    However, even though they were in that situation, Iron still personally came to the Imperial Pce. Andpared to before, when he only visited for business, he dined together with the Crown Prince before repairing the God¡¯s Orb, right?


    To the nobles, it sounded like Iron was showing them his political stance. That he would open the Southeast¡¯s closed doors. That was the reason why the nobles rushed to the Imperial Pce early in the morning.


    ¡°We will have an audience meeting with His Highness soon. Why are you blocking us?¡±


    ¡°I apologize. However, His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered the meeting with him to be moved to the afternoon.¡±


    The high-ranking nobles that attempted to enter for their meeting with His Highness were even blocked and soon the nobles began to give up one by one. Yet, there were still those that never gave up, lining up since dawn in an attempt to meet with Iron.


    On the other hand, the Imperial Family went ballistic.


    ¡°Of all days¡­¡± The Fourth Prince said, biting his lips in worry.


    Iron had apparentlye to the Imperial Pce just when he was about topletely take over the authority of the weakened crown prince and iste him.


    The Fourth Prince was also aware that the Crown Prince¡¯s rtionship with Iron was bad. He wasn¡¯t dumb, he was fully aware that the Imperial Family¡¯s era was reaching its end. In that situation, what would be if Iron pushed the Crown Prince?


    If Iron were to be interested in central politics and be the kingmaker, the Fourth Prince¡¯s effort would be for naught.


    The Fourth Prince tried to make connections with the othermanders. But contrary to their stance of willingly receiving mary support from the nobles, none of the Commanders met with the Imperial Family. It was clear as day that none of the Commanders wanted to be involved with the Imperial Family¡¯s power struggle.


    So, if Iron were to be the Crown Prince¡¯s backing, then he would be the onlymander to support a member of the Imperial Family.


    Someone had asked, ¡°What¡¯s the essence of being an Emperor in the time that the destruction is fast approaching?¡±


    However, that thinking was wrong. It was exactly this crisis that would allow them to rise to a higher position. After all, the higher the ce you¡¯re sat at, the higher your chances of survival. Even if destruction was fasting, there was no telling that the Empire would truly meet its fall.


    ¡°At this rate, our ns will go awry,¡± the Fourth Prince mumbled.


    As soon as he gained the upper hand among his siblings, he had nned to make the Crown Prince the Emperor and then as soon as possible, dispose of him.


    The value of the status of the Imperial Family was fast declining after the copse of the Imperials¡¯ power. In such a grave situation, only the position that the nobles had acknowledged was the Emperor. It was a position that would guarantee his safety. That was why the Fourth Prince wanted to ascend the throne. But it seemed like his ns were futile.


    Of course, the Fourth Prince¡¯s concern was also the same concern that the other princes had. Those who had dreamt to be the next Emperor had their dreams shattered. However, they couldn¡¯t dy anything any longer.


    If Iron were to show his support to the Crown Prince, the nobles would eventually feel troubled until someone would formally suggest making the Crown Prince ascend the throne. There was no one in power that could oppose the Crown Prince¡¯s ascension to the throne. Even those that supported the Imperials did not have the power to do so.


    While the princes were immersed in their own world and worrying about their own future, Iron has been drinking tea with the Crown Prince after their dinner. He had finished everything and it was time for him to leave the pce.


    Then, the chambein approached the Crown Prince, who was still talking with Iron.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Crown Prince asked.


    The chambein whispered his report, ¡°The nobles are moring that the position of the Emperor should no longer remain vacant. I believe they will put this as an agenda for our meeting set after a few days.¡±


    The chambein tried his best to lower his voice as possible so that only the crown prince would hear it, however the Master-ss Iron had heard it all.


    <i>¡®Would the empty seat finally be upied?¡¯</i> Iron thought as he watched the Crown Prince¡¯s bitter expression while drinking his tea and pretending to be ignorant.


    ¡°I will be the Empire¡¯s final Emperor.¡±


    Iron ced his tea cup down and congratted the Crown Prince. He said, ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°You know full well that the Emperor¡¯s position is meaningless, right?¡± The Crown Prince said.


    Iron remained silent in front of the Crown Prince¡¯s bitterness.


    The value of the throne has lost its meaning to the Crown Prince, who had foreseen the fall of the Empire. On the other hand, the other princes still had lingering obsessions for the throne. None of them had abandoned their dreams of bing the next Emperor.


    None of the nobles were ignorant of the fact of trying to make the Crown Prince as a stand-in and dethroning him right away. After all, the Crown Prince had abandoned his influence and power and was no longer the core of the Imperials.


    Iron was well-aware that the other princes were anxious to meet him.


    <i>¡®Does knowing the future make any difference?¡¯</i> Iron thought as he looked at the calm Crown Prince.


    The Crown Prince looked like he had been freed from all of his worldly greed. That was when Iron realized that the Crown Prince had not told him everything.


    ¡°Did you foresee yourself bing Emperor in your dreams?¡± Iron asked but the Crown Prince just smiled.


    Silence meant yes, right? With the Crown Prince¡¯s silence, he had affirmed that he would ascend the throne in the future. Then, a question suddenly popped up in Iron¡¯s mind. <i>¡®If His Highness is aware of the destruction of the Empire, why is he acting this way?¡¯</i>


    With things as they were, the Empire would notst. Even if he were to ascend the throne, once the Empire fell and destruction came, his position and throne would be meaningless. But as long as he remained the Emperor, he would have to protect the Empire, no questions asked.


    But the Crown Prince remained silent. He did not ask Iron any favors. It was as if the future was already set in stone. All he ever mentioned to Iron was taking care of the people of the Empire. Iron¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden epiphany, but when he turned to ask the Crown Prince¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­he was met with the Crown Prince¡¯s shaking head. Iron remained silent as the ufortable silence shrouded the dining area.


    The Crown Prince, who had been silent for a long time, said, ¡°You must be busy, I must not keep you upied.¡±


    At the Crown Prince¡¯s words, Iron looked at him silently and bowed his head.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron reluctantly rose from his seat and continued to say, ¡°I hope we will meet again in the future.¡±


    ¡°I shall wait for that day toe.¡± The Crown Prince smiled deeply as he saw Iron off.


    They continued to chat as they walked towards the warp gate installed within the pce. It was mostly about the information rted to the God¡¯s Orb and the destruction¡¯s arrival, so no one was allowed to approach them as they chatted.


    At the sight of them, the maids and the servants had misunderstood that the two became close. However, they weren¡¯t wrong either. Actually, Iron had begun to view the Crown Prince in a different light, while the Crown Prince believed in Iron the most in the Empire.


    ¡°I hope to receive good news from the Southeast.¡± the Crown Prince said.


    ¡°I will make sure that it will happen,¡± Iron said as he shook hands with him onest time and approached the warp gate.


    The lights then engulfed Iron as he disappeared to go back to the Southeast. The Crown Prince only turned back after seeing Iron gone.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness,¡± the chambein called out.


    However, the Crown Prince remained silent.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told him?¡± The chambein asked, looking at the silent yet smiling face of the Crown Prince


    ¡°The future¡­ can be changed.¡± said the chambein.


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    The prophets had said that the future could be altered through everyone¡¯s individual efforts. However, if it was the future that the Lord himself had shown, then it would be a different story.


    He had suffered and witnessed the downfall of the Empire multiple times. And in those dreams, there were futures where he was given a choice to either struggle to live or to ask Iron a favor. In the end, everything was useless.


    ¡°Of the dozens of futures that I have witnessed, there was no future where the Empire was not destroyed. My future was also set in stone even though the process differed every time.¡±


    The chambein closed his eyes sadly at the Crown Prince¡¯s words.


    ¡°Do you know what is the best future out of all the futures I had foresaw multiple times?¡± The Crown Prince asked.


    However, the chambein remained silent. Seeing the sadness in his face, the Crown Prince smiled and said, ¡°It is my and the Empire¡¯s downfall.¡±


    The chambein bowed his head at the Crown Prince¡¯s calmness. The stupid and arrogant Crown Prince epted his and the Empire¡¯s destruction.


    Those who knew him before in the past would treat it as a joke. And their judgment about him wasn¡¯t wrong at all. If he could prevent the fall of the Empire and enjoy the life of having absolute authority as an Emperor, he would do it, even now. Yet none of the futures he had foreseen in his dreams had such an ending. And out of all the dreams that he had seen, only one future was filled with a ray of hope.


    There was only a single future out of all the dozens of future that he had seen where mankind could hope to survive destruction. And that future included his and the Empire¡¯s downfall.


    This was the reason why the Crown Prince had made this choice. Their ancestors might have made the wrong decision in the past for their cause but at the very least he wanted to make the right choice for thest time.


    He always woke up with trembling legs and clothes drenched with sweat from his dreams, but he never changed his decision. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything so at the very least, he wanted to spend his final moments righteously.


    The chambein followed silently behind the Crown Prince, fully respecting his decision and sacrifice.


    ***

 Chapter 196: Signs of Instability (6)

    <b><i>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (196)</i></b>


    <b><i>Trantor</i></b><i>: Luka</i>


    <strong><i>61</i></strong><i> Signs of Instability (6)</i>


    The nobles, who gossiped and made their spections, especially the ones that expected Iron to make a move in politics became even more anxious after seeing Iron leave the capital directly after his meeting with the Crown Prince. This was especially the case after they learnt that Iron only met with the ¡®Crown Prince¡¯ alone.


    Once the Southeast was stable, it would be one of the strongest candidates for the Empire¡¯s safe zones together with the Central Command. And after seeing Iron¡¯s moves, the Southeast region was likely safer than the Central Command. After all, despite everyone¡¯s assumption, the Mobile Field Army was the only army in the Empire that could soar higher in the future.


    And with Iron, themander of such an army, meeting with the Crown Prince alone, the Crown Prince¡¯s once stinky reputation was bound to soar to the skies. They knew this to be a fact after gossiping and hearing the ounts of the maids and servants in the pce.


    ¡°Commander Carter has always been together with the Crown Prince during his stay in the Imperial Pce.¡±


    ¡°The two of them often discuss in private.¡±


    ¡°During these conversations, the smile never left Commander Iron Carter¡¯s lips.¡±


    The rumors eventually spread beyond the gates of the Imperial Pce and ended up being widespread in the capital. In the end, it became an established fact that Iron backed the Crown Prince.


    The nobles that grabbed the line of the other princes wept in despair and the same was true for the other nobles. While most of the nobles sighed andmented their fate, those that remained with the Crown Prince from beginning until the end remained silent. However, there were still quite a few nobles that smiled at this.


    The moment these nobles learnt that Iron met with the Crown Prince, they all mored to file a petition to proceed with the coronation that they had been dying for a long time.


    The noble council and the nobles that ced this agenda officially for their audience with the prince had their ears all perked up. They all have the same thoughts running in their heads.


    <i>¡®Once the Southeast gets stable, the next one will definitely be the Center!¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®With the Central Army and the Mobile Field Army fighting together to protect the Center, the Center would be the safest ce!</i>¡¯


    <i>¡®The time for the Center to return to its past glory hase!¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯</i>


    The people in the Center that were suddenly presented with a sudden burst of luck cheered loudly as they ridiculed the once that fled from the Center. They called them foolish and moronic nobles and people that abandoned the capital.


    Despite not knowing what wasing for them, the people of the Center rejoiced for the past glory that they would be able to reim. In the center of this storm was none other than the Crown Prince and Iron, who was supporting him from behind.


    While the Central Region was cheering loudly, the rest of the Empire was wrought in despair. After all, strange urrences kept on appearing all over the ce. Fortunately, there were still good nes.


    ¡°The expansion stopped?¡± The Eastern Commander frowned as he probed the naval officer reporting the situation to him.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The vortex that devoured the wreckage of the ruins of Antis had stopped expanding at the same time the report of the God¡¯s Orb being repaired to some extent had been received by theirmunication¡¯s officer.


    ¡°Ho¡­¡± The Eastern Commander sighed ruefully, both disappointed and frustrated after hearing the report. It seemed like the things that they had done were of no use. The chaos that they were trying to contain calmed down the moment the God¡¯s Orb was restored.


    The Eastern Commander continued to read the report as he recalled the things that they had experienced and done so far.


    This phenomenon did not only happen in the East. Plenty of mysterious beings suddenly jumped up from the crevices that resulted from arge earthquake that shook the world. There were also mountain giants that sprang from the copsed rocks and giants that awakened from under the depths of the overflowingva, with the exception of only a few, began to go back to their slumber once again. As these phenomena began to dwindle down one by one, the people turned their focus on God¡¯s Orb.


    <i>[Save the God¡¯s Orb!]</i>


    This line had been spread all over the continent which made the people aware how important the God¡¯s Orb was. However, there were also plenty of people that expressed that managing the God¡¯s Orb was the responsibility of the Empire and that it had nothing to do with them. But after realizing that they couldn¡¯t ovee the crisis presented in front of them, they realized how wrong that kind of judgment was.


    Everyone had already prepared to find ways to survive by themselves the moment the God¡¯s Orb crumbled and the signs of destruction appeared in the entire Continent. However, in this time of crisis, the disaster that they would face was ¡®suspended¡¯ as some parts of the orb had been restored.


    Just like that, the schrs all over the continent began to flock to the Empire¡¯s capital in hopes of maintaining the God¡¯s Orb to buy a little more time for them before theing destruction.


    However, not everyone in the continent agreed to this idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for us to put our trust in the Ancient Gods during these trying times.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too busy trying toplete the Ancient God¡¯s quest.¡±


    ¡°Even if they do their best and sessfully postpone the destruction, it wouldn¡¯t change anything.¡±


    These were what the people of the continent¡¯s Southern region believed. So, they focused onpleting the Ancient Gods¡¯ quests. This was also true for the other-worlders. The words that came out of their mouths were far worse since they knew that this world was not theirs.


    Even the Divine Nation Alliance in the West was also in the same situation.


    ¡°Have faith in the Sun God. He will protect us.¡±


    ¡°No! Have faith in the God of Liberty!¡±


    ¡°Have faith in all of our Gods. They are the only way for us to survive in the end of times!¡±


    ¡°Do not waver in your beliefs!¡±


    The priests of the Divine Nation did everything in their power to unite the people in the West. They urged them to have more faith in their gods.


    Of course, there were also those that did not go to these extremes. The neutrals opted to make their way to the Empire and give their support. They procured materials that could help restore the God¡¯s Orb or find the priests to send to the capital. Everyone, from the archeologists, to the ancient historians, to the wizards of the tower, to the old priest and to those that wished to help with the restoration of the God¡¯s Orb, headed straight to the capital. Their origin became irrelevant in the face of their task. The Empire also willingly and unconditionally opened their doors for the people that came to help with the restoration of the God¡¯s Orb.


    Meanwhile, the Empire also began to prepare to wee their new Emperor. Under the eyes of everyone watching the restoration of the God¡¯s Orb, whether the nobles liked it or not, they had to unanimously agree to send the Crown Prince to fill the vacant throne and make him the new Emperor.


    However, since they were in a difficult time, the coronation was held simply and did not ask for the presence of the major military forces of each region as well as theirmanders. Although the Crown Prince¡¯s decision to hold a simple ceremony was unprecedented, none of them could find any good reason to dispute it.


    With the signs of destruction subsiding in the meantime, some nobles decided to reveal their presence to theirmanders. However, not long after, a huge war broke out in the Southeast. News about two Master-ss monsters attacking the Mobile Field Army quickly spread across the empire.


    <i>[Breaking News! The Mobile Field Army is at War!] </i>


    The attention of the people of the Empire all turned to the Southeast with the release of articles with these headlines. After all, the war in the Southeast would determine if they could stabilize their region and if the Center could return to its past glory.


    Amidst the nervous tension of the people waiting for their victory, the situation in the Southeast took a strange turn. Instead of the expected massive one-shot kill all battles or numerous battles erupting everywhere, the Mobile Field Army were engaging in simple battles by chasing monsters. They did not even engage in proper battle.


    ¡°Ha¡­ How dare these..!¡± Iron roared in anger as he rode on Two Moons¡¯ back. He couldn¡¯t put into words the curses that he wanted to say but anyone that could see him would understand his anger.


    Since returning to the Southeast, Iron has never slept properly after moving around everyday. In fact, if the people could vote and nominate who was the busiest person in the Mobile Field Army, everyone would, without a doubt, choose Iron.


    His situation became like this thanks to the two factions¡¯manders. As the Mobile Field Army grew stronger, the two monster forces formed an alliance to stop the humans that were growing increasingly powerful. The problem was not the sizes of their forces. In the first ce, the manticore was already a clever bastard but recently, even the imoogi started to use its brain which effectively made Iron¡¯s life difficult.


    ¡°Cowardly bastards!¡± Iron grumbled as he watched the imoogi retreating away.


    Instead of confronting Iron directly, the monsters moved around and tried to attack the Mobile Field Army. This was the reason why Iron had no choice but to go around and move from one ce to another. The moment Iron moved to where the Mobile Field Army was being attacked, another force would appear on the opposite side to take advantage of his absence. Just like that, Iron was left with no choice but to move around every single day while riding on top of his divine beasts.


    The monsters were aware that a one-to-one fight against Iron was disadvantageous. They did not have any guarantee of reigning victorious once they decided to fight one-to-one. Then, if that was the case, why not do a double diversion!


    Iron¡¯s anger rushed to the top of his head as he continued to watch the sly bastards slipping away and avoiding him. His head was now only filled with thoughts of making sure that his n was carried out properly.


    The truth was he only needed to call in all of his troops back to Command to end this kind of arduous life. However, that would only happen if they were on the defensive. The Mobile Field Army was at a time where they could still move to annihte these monsters.


    But the field remained a ce that was filled with disadvantages for humans. The bigger problem was that the monsters willingly sent out baits at the expense of their own colleagues.


    One time, several monsters appeared near the Mobile Field Army. Of course, the moment the battlemenced, the army was victorious. But once they moved to kill the fleeing monsters, the manticore or the imoogi would appear without fail.


    Of course, humans were intelligent beings. An incident in which they suffered once would never happen again. However, this only meant that these monsters would throw the line somewhere else.


    ¡°Sly bastards¡­¡± Iron said as he gritted his teeth while watching the imoogi running away.


    It was true that most of the tactical victories were ont he Mobile Field Army¡¯s side. Even if the Mobile Field Army bit on the bait and a battle broke out, they did not have any casualties while the enemy suffered a lot of damage. Including the monsters that they set up as bait, the casualties on the monsters¡¯ side were far greater than theirs. And if one ounted for all of the casualties from the repeated battles, one could see that the monsters suffered more casualties.


    The problem was the number of forces that they recruited. Iron did not know where they came from but their numbers were enough to maintain their original numbers. Even if the Mobile Field Army¡¯s casualties were few and far in between, the size of their army was still gradually decreasing. This was an indication that the battle was not going well for them. In the end, even if the monsters suffered from enormous damage, they would still win and gain a strategic victory.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ So this is how it turned out?¡± Iron mumbled to himself, lost in thought as he rode on top of Two Moons.


    He watched the imoogi crawl back inside the ground. He knew that the war could not be dragged around like this forever. Since the monsters were willing to take on risks for a strategic victory, then they should also be willing to take risks. Iron stared at the sky in thought before finally making a decision.


    <i>¡®One must be prepared to take risks to win.¡¯</i>


    Iron gritted his teeth as he conveyed his thoughts to his army. Then, the once scattered Mobile Field Army began to gather in one ce. The change in the battle tactic reflected Iron¡¯s willingness to take on a different path.


    Meanwhile, there were beings that watched the war in the Southeast take a different turn. These beings were wearing ck robes that only showed a peek of their nted eyes akin to those of a lizard¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°We should avoid directbat with them,¡± One of the robed beings said as he swung his arm. Although they were at a distance from them, they could still feel an ominous energy that was enough to make their skin tremble.


    ¡°¡­Yes, I agree. Those humans, especially their Commander, are very dangerous. I¡¯d rather we go to the east.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing up north so it¡¯s better if we go there.¡±


    The robed beings stated their own opinions as they began to disappear one after the other. Only one being was left staring nkly at the sky.


    ¡°Everything will be done in ordance to your will. This is for the Lord¡¯s perfect resurrection¡­¡± The man murmured as he looked up again to watch where the gigantic divine beast disappeared from his sight, just like everybody else.


    ***

 Chapter 197: The End of the Southeast War (1)

    Chapter 197. The End of the Southeast War (1)


    <strong>Trantor: Master of Djinn</strong>


    The Mobile Field Army that had been entangled by the imoogi and manticore¡¯s strategy decided to take a gamble to break the deadlock.


    Since the monsters were using the tactic of losing some in order to win [1], then they also had to use a strategy to break themselves free of that.


    However, unless they were at themand, doing so was no easy feat either, as the monsters had much greater mobility.


    To add to that, the monsters also had greater numbers.


    In this situation where all the odds were stacked against them, the only thing the Mobile Field Army had the upper hand in was the master-level power.


    And that was exactly what Iron decided to take advantage of.


    ¡°You must all have already recognised that continuing like this will do us no good. So we need to take some risks now.¡±


    Iron spoke calmly through themunicator that was connected to the entire army. The soldiers remained silent as they waited for Iron¡¯s next words.


    ¡°I will act as the decoy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The soldiers were rendered speechless at what he had said. They could only grit their teeth as they watched theirmander sacrifice himself once again. They had all trained to within an inch of their life in order to be helpful duringbat.


    But eventually, when the time came, they could only depend on themander.


    ¡°Everyone should know that time is not on our side.¡±


    Iron continued with a serene look on his face, while looking towardsmand. He wished they had just a little more time, but unfortunately they were on the verge of ruin. They couldn¡¯t continue to be satisfied with some trivial tactical wins while prolonging the battle. He had to make sure they were able to settle things in the southeast and move somewhere else before God¡¯s orb broke.


    Moreover, he did not like how they had racked up so much damage on their side.


    The soldiers andmissioned officers he had trained with such effort were constantly dying.


    Due to the monsters¡¯ shocking reproductive rate, they could make up their numbers as soon as any of them died. But humans could not do the same. He had to put an end to the battle with one knockout move.


    ¡°To catch the enemy, you have to take an equivalent risk. So, just like we give our all during short-term battles, I will prate the enemy camp.¡±


    At those words, themanders clenched their teeth.


    ¡°Of course, those shrewd bastards will not appear until I have consumed a lot of my strength. So from the get-go, I will use all my power to sweep through their troops.¡±


    A one-man operation of entering into a danger zone.


    But, despite that, Iron did not waver.


    ¡°The main point of the operation is that you must exterminate all of the enemy troopspletely before the imoogi and manticore kill me.¡±


    Up till this moment, Iron had almost always yed the leading role in the battle. He had taken the lead and won victory by virtue of his own strength on several asions.


    But this time was different.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that everything depended on the soldiers this time.


    If things weren¡¯t done this way, the clever imoogi and manticore would not take the bait.


    They had to make sure that those two big fish could only open their mouths wide and bite the bait. That was exactly the point of the operation this time.


    That was why he absolutely needed the soldiers¡¯ help this time.


    The moment they tried to step in and help him because he seemed to be in some danger, the operation would immediately fall apart. But it would also be a failure if Iron got too absorbed in his fight with the enemy and died.


    ¡°I know that the conditions are very difficult. But we must seed.¡±


    While he said that, Iron looked deeply at hismunicator.


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    Themissioned officers remained silent. Iron asked them again.


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    -Yes, sir!


    Hearing their answer, Iron had a satisfied expression on his face. Then he immediately started the operations meeting.


    ¡°All corps unite in one ce and prepare for full scale war against the enemy.¡±


    -Yes, sir!


    The three division leaders simultaneously replied to Iron¡¯smand. The threergest corps began to unite.


    This meant they were gathering their troops for an all-out war. It also meant he would leave the three corps, with theirrge scale, as a diversionary tactic, and pick a different troop for defense.


    ¡°Knights Order, Storm troops, Raven and Rangers, aim for the enemy force¡¯s rear.¡±


    -Yes!


    At his orders, the division-levelmanding officers that would lead the defense replied. He had now made the most of the defense troops into a spear that would pierce the tail end of the monster army. However, there was a possibility that the manticore, astute as it was, would be aware of his.


    That was why he had to turn their eyes on him instead.


    ¡°I will be the spearhead.¡±


    Iron zed at the faraway monster army as he spoke.


    ¡°While I am at the forefront, the imoogi and manticore will try to hit each division from the back. When that happens, you must endure.¡±


    -I will take care of the right side, said Ariel, speaking up first.


    Since her corp was the most bnced, they could handle any one that came, whether it was the manticore or the imoogi.


    -I will take the left.


    Saeriden stepped up to lead the left side.


    Among the three corps, Saeriden¡¯s 23rd Corp was the most specialized at defense.


    And besides that, there was a reason why the two made such decisions.


    The minute Iron ran into danger, the team that could reach him the fastest was the aerial force. And the corps with the strongest aerial force in the Mobile Field Army was Cardro¡¯s 22 Corp.


    At first, the 22nd Corp had been designated as defense, but now, because they would be at least two times better as an air force than as defense, they were more reliable in that role than anyone else. It was a good battle formation that would allow any of the two corps taking the rear to provide support if there was any danger.


    And like that, the operation was decided.


    If everything went exactly as nned, they could wipe out the enemy forces in one fell swoop with this formation.


    Before the enemy forces attack the united corps, Iron would break through the heart of the monster forces using his fearsome firepower. And once the imoogi and manticore go to capture the tired Iron, the 23rd and 21st Corps would prate the enemy camp, while the 22nd Corp would move to help Iron. In the meantime, the defense troops would ambush the enemy from the back.


    When fightingrge-scale battles, maintaining the battle lines and morale was always critical. Once the monster army¡¯s frontline copsed, they would be forced to retreat. And if they also received damage from the back, they would all disperse like dandelions in the wind.


    At that point, it would be easy as pie for the Mobile Field Army to wipe them up.


    <em>Bbuuuuu!</em>


    As arge horn trumpeted, the monster army began to move, as though they were starting full-scale war, with all the stakes up.


    Except this time, every single member of the Mobile Field Army knew that therge movement this time was also a diversionary tactic.


    While the monsters, including the giant worms, approached en masse, the great armored worm and the manticore¡¯s guards that were the main targets began moving in another direction.


    ¡°Start the operation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Themanders began to move with one ord, once Iron gave hismand.


    The united corps began to prepare their camps. The 22nd Corp and the defense troops who were first in line, moved forward, while the 21st and 23rd corps dyed some as they spread out in two wings. At the same time, Iron got on Two Moons and flew towards the approaching monsters.


    ¡°Thunder.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s call, thunder fell from the high skies, as a storm began to rage. Following that, Phoenix let loose a fiery storm to stop the monsters¡¯ advance.


    ¡°Owl, break through in one breath.¡±


    <em>-Buu!</em>


    Following Iron¡¯s intentions, Two Moons released two beams with all its power, while moving forward.


    Still, the monster army, worthy of being called a monster wave, joined forces to receive the two powerful beams. Regardless of how strong the divine beasts were, it was still impossible for them to stop the wave on their own.


    But Iron continued to charge alone towards the monsters. Iron jumped down from Two Moons, who was flying above the monsters, and creating a huge aura de swept through the center of the monsters.


    <em>Koooong!</em>


    Iron grinned as he watched a crater form and the monsters around it fall to their death, ttened into pools of blood.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun.¡±


    The moment Iron spoke, the monsters surrounding him gathered all their strength and ran towards him. The lord-ss monsters roared, giving orders to their subordinates. With no sign of fear at the appearance of a master like Iron, they raning, brainlessly.


    This time, they had certainly staked their all on the fight, and were running towards Iron with no regard for their lives.


    As Iron faced the gathered monster troops alone, as predicted, the imoogi and manticore came zing from two directions.


    ¡°Do not back down!¡±


    ¡°Stop them!¡±


    Like they had been waiting for this to happen, Ariel and Saeriden gave their orders and went forward to confront the master-level imoogi and manticore. At the same time, the 22nd Corp and the defense troops shed with the united monster army, continuously shing through them.


    Because of the monsters¡¯rge numbers, even after Iron had killed off a number of them, they were still fighting on equal footing with the main units of the Mobile Field Army. Seeing this, some units from the 21st and 23rd Corps went to support them to maintain the frontlines.


    All the while, the Knights Order, Storm Troops, rangers and Raven that had moved to the rear of the monsters looked on. They looked at the real-time images through the Raven¡¯s video crystal, watching for the right time to make their entry, and hoping that the imoogi and manticore woulde out soon.


    But the clever sons of a gun would never be reeled in so easily. Because they knew that, based on their overwhelming numbers alone, maintaining the current situation was advantageous to them. But there was something they could never have expected, and that was Iron¡¯s power.


    ¡°It is still amazing, seeing it again.¡±


    Rodem, the Knight Order¡¯s leader, was tongue-tied watching the fearsome power the divine beasts exhibited as they fused. The fusion that had be much stronger than before was really ¡®sweeping¡¯ through the ranks of the monsters who were barely hanging on.


    However, because Iron and the divine beasts were giving it their all, the longer the fusion held, the faster they grew tired. There was a limit to their power, even as Baep-sae continuously healed their vitality. They could see Iron grow weary as time passed, as he fought the monsters with his holy powers at the maximum.


    It was at that moment that the ground vibrated, and a gigantic ck figure appeared.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    Rodem clenched his fist, seeing the imoogi that had finally appeared. Before they knew it, the manticore came gliding through the sky and headed straight for Iron.


    ¡°Are we going in?¡±


    Rodem shook his head at the knight¡¯s question.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Constantly on the receiving end of the manticore and imoogi¡¯s joint attack, Iron was bing even more exhausted. But he could still withstand it. Seeing this, the monsters around began to gather at the center to help the imoogi and manticore.


    ¡°A little more¡­ just a little bit more¡­¡­¡±


    Rodem, Ludem and Nyx Cole waited anxiously for the monsters to leave their ordered ranks.


    Finally, when the monsters gathered at the center to form a tight ring around Iron¡­


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Once Rodem gave hismand, the Knights Order attacked in a wedge formation, mowing down the monsters who were at the rear. The Storm Troopers also immediately began attacking the monster army from a different direction, while the rangers wiped out the remaining monsters, effectively cleaning the rear.


    The big fish had taken the bait.


    All that was left was a race against time.

 Chapter 198: The End of the Southeast War (2)

    The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military Chapter 198 ¨C The End of the Southeast War (2)


    <strong>Trantor: Master of Djinn</strong>


    As the two divisions approached the monsters, attacking with no holds barred, the monsters that had gathered at the center tried to firmly withstand the onught while maintaining their frontlines. However, after a while, the monster forces slowly began to disintegrate.


    No matter how strong and powerful an army they were, their copsed frontlines would need a good while to recover.


    To add to that, there were still the Knights Order and the Storm Troopers fiercely attacking their rear, and the rangers provided support. The assault seemed to being from all directions, surrounding the monster forces.


    Atst, as the monsters felt the attacking force¡¯s intention to eliminate every one of them, the monsters began rushing towards the center. They knew, with all certainty, that if they could capture Iron, the heart of the Mobile Field Army, they would be able to win the battle.


    And so the battle became a fight to kill or save Iron¡¯s life.


    <em>Kwooong!</em>


    -Die!!


    ¨C<em>Shriek!</em>


    The manticore and imoogi roared as they ran towards Iron. Seeing this, Two Moons and Thunderbird used their bodies to stop their advance. They wanted to give Iron, who was being attacked by monsters from all directions, a moment of reprieve, no matter how small.


    But blocking the imoogi¡¯s terrifying attack, with all its crazy growth, was not something Two Moons could do.


    <em>-Buuuuu!</em>


    The imoogi¡¯s attack pushed the owl back some distance, causing the owl to look as if his self-pride had been damaged. Looking royally ticked off, the owl let loose some beams of light, but with the imoogi¡¯s thick shell, it was like water off its back.


    ¡°It¡¯s really be a monster now¡±, thought Iron, watching the imoogi with a wry smile on his face.[1]


    The imoogi had developed tremendously, almost as much as he had.


    Although there were some restrictions to its body, its humongous size that could never be cut by a weapon was apletely different story. It could push back the entire field army with its body, destroying their frontlines. At this stage, it was much stronger than when he first met the manticore.


    On the other hand, that clever bastard, the manticore, was only ying assist to the imoogi at the moment, and not consuming much strength. Iron was sure that if the imoogi got hit while attacking him, the manticore would finish him offpletely instead.


    Thinking about the manticore nning to kill him no matter what, Iron ground his teeth.


    ¡®Time¡­ We still need time.¡¯


    The 21st and 23rd Corps were attacking in a wing formation, putting pressure on the monsters, while the 22nd Corp had crossed the lines and moved to provide all-out support for Iron. Hundreds of airships and drakes took control of the air space all at once, ready to help Iron at any time.


    But still, they needed time.


    In addition, even though the monsters¡¯ lines had been mowed down, since they had always had the advantage of numbers, the Mobile Field Army still needed a bit more time topletely cut them down.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    It was a fight to thest with the bastards that had been a pain in the neck to them until now.


    In this situation, where he didn¡¯t even know if he would walk out alive, Iron¡¯s lips held a smile. His entire body ached, and one could hear his bones creak every time he moved, but his sword was still as clean as ever. His aura de too was now even more distinct.


    Holding the frosty aura de that had sparks of lightninging out of it, Iron gathered all the strength he had left.


    At the same time, ck mist beganing out of the imoogi¡¯s body.


    ¡°¡­.Battle qi? This crazy¡­.¡±


    The imoogi¡¯s entire body was surrounded by battle qi, with not a gap to be found.


    While the battle qi was not yet able to take shape like the manticore¡¯s, the enormous qi that surface was threatening enough.


    ¡®The speed of advancing is too fast.¡¯


    Iron felt a sense of rm at how fast the imoogi was advancing. The imoogi could not learn his techniques, but battle qi was different. Contaminated battle qi made from mana formed using void energy was a tactic exclusive to the manticore. But now the imoogi had learned it in such a short time.


    As if to prove Iron¡¯s thoughts, up in the sky, the manticore¡¯s face contorted in displeasure.


    It could see that at the moment, the imoogi was on the same level as it was, but with time, the imoogi had more possibility of getting stronger than it did.


    ¡®I have to kill it here.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll kill it once I see a chance.¡¯


    Both Iron and the manticore had the same thought as they looked at the imoogi.


    From the perspective of the Mobile Field Army, even if they won the battle, as long as the imoogi survived, it would most likely assemble an army of giant worms again afterwards. They could never ignore something that could be an immense threat to the southeastern region that they had to stabilize and make safe.


    On the other hand, from the manticore¡¯s perspective, it had to gather its power and kill Iron, but the imoogi had to die now, no matter the circumstances. If Iron got a serious injury, but there was also a chance to kill the imoogi, the manticore would choose to kill the imoogi. That was the extent to which the imoogi¡¯s growing trend was extraordinary, causing great worry.


    But what the two could think of, the imoogi could definitely realize too. Maybe it was due to its repeated advancements, it sensed the subtle turn in the battle, and began thinking of how to y it safe and save its head.


    These three master-level creatures watched each other carefully as they continued the battle.


    But Iron remained the one with the most unfavorable conditions in the fight. At some point, the monsters that had gathered at the center had begun running towards Iron.


    <em>-Buu¡­ Buuuu¡­..</em>


    Two Moons was unable to hold off the monsters¡¯ attack anymore, and became smaller before being recalled. Instead, Phoenix and Thunderbird flew up to take its ce and protect Iron.


    But, as expected, the two divine beasts could not withstand the joint attack of the manticore and imoogi and were also recalled.


    Only Baep-sae remained.


    ¡°Huff¡­ can you hold on?¡±


    <em>-Tweet!</em>


    Baep-sae replied to Iron¡¯s question in a voice that seemed to be weakened. It pped its small wings, causing a white light to glow around its wings as it eliminated the void energy. Somehow, Baep-sae had advanced to a level where it could emit holy energy just by fluttering its wings.


    Every time it had amplified great quantities of holy power, the holy power covering its body had also made it advance.


    -That little piece of shit is always the problem!


    The manticore¡¯s face twisted, looking at Baep-sae¡¯s impact.


    Due to Baep-sae¡¯s actions, the monsters who were covered in void energy began to lose their strength and weaken.


    Baep-sae had now progressed from just expelling void energy to being able to debuff the unclean creatures.


    <em>-Kkieeek!</em>


    The imoogi resisted the weakening of its strength, and charged towards Iron. Meanwhile, as if it could no longer drag things on, the manticore also flew straight down from the sky, and as it dropped, it released thousands of thorns that twisted around in a storm of void energy. To worsen things, both the manticore and imoogi widened their mouths at the same time.


    ¡°Stand strong!¡±


    <em>-Tweet!</em>


    Upon hearing Iron, Baep-sae replied while wringing out everyst drop of holy power it had and amplifying it. In an instant, all that power formed a colossal shield of light that stopped the ck and purple beams that had been fired by the imoogi and manticore.


    <em>Kwooong!</em>


    As the three masters shed with all their might, it caused a raging storm around them, and created giant shock waves. At some point a mana wavelength had been formed, while lightning was emitted as the void energy and holy power collided. The shockwave sent the surrounding monsters flying, and the 22nd Corps airship and drake troops were not exempted either, as the shockwave also swept them back.


    As masters fought, how could those who were not masters dare to step foot on their fighting turf?


    Inside all thatmotion, Iron, the imoogi and the manticore continued to fight, entangling each other. Thousands of thorns continued to rain down as if to scorch the earth, while the imoogi plowed through the ground to reach Iron.


    Iron continued to withstand their attacks, dodging as best as he could.


    <em>-Twee¡­ Tweet¡­</em>


    Baep-sae gave onest cry as it reached its limits and was recalled.


    The manticore, smart as it was, had persistently aimed for Baep-sae who had been focused on amplifying the holy power. As such, Baep-sae had worn itself out while also sustaining internal injuries.


    With all the divine beasts recalled, all that remained was him and his trusty sword that hade a long way with him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s tough this out,¡± Iron said to the sword that couldn¡¯t even hear him, as he made an aura de.


    Shards from the imoogi¡¯s shell flew at Iron from all directions, while, just as before, the manticore¡¯s thorns continued toe from above him, all surrounding him.


    None of his divine beasts remained, and his aura had also bottomed out.


    As for the holy power he had used endlessly before, he could no longer use it because it would hurt his body.


    In this situation, the only thing he could trust in now was his bruised and wounded body and his sword.


    <em>-Vwoong!</em>


    At the sword¡¯s cry, Iron turned his surprised eyes to stare at his hands. When he didn¡¯t know if this would be hisst moments, the sword was telling him to believe in himself.


    Feeling as if all that was left in the world was just he ana his sword, Iron clutched the hilt with both hands and braced himself.


    ¡°¡­¡­let¡¯s do this.¡±


    With the thorns and shards that had been moving at speed invisible to the eye suddenly moving slowly to his eyes, Iron began speaking to his sword.


    ¡°You can do this, right?¡±


    Vwoong!


    As Iron watched the sword vibrate in his hands upon hearing him, he smiled.


    At some point, without him knowing, the remaining aura had beenpletely sucked into the sword and formed an aura curtain.


    Seeing the shards and thorns being intercepted by the aura curtain, the imoogi charged at Iron with all his might. Iron stared calmly at the oing imoogi as he spoke to his sword again.


    ¡°This is good. With just you¡­ with you, I think I can tough this out, like an iron wall.¡±


    Iron¡¯s sword again vibrated in response, bing thickly covered with an aura de. The sword, also encased in cold aura and blinding lightning, seemed to take on Iron¡¯s steel-like nature and gave off an sword qi that was impregnable, just like an iron wall.


    This was a sword qi that only a sword with spirituality could have.[2]


    <em>-Kkieeek!</em>


    Iron clenched his teeth as he endured the imoogi¡¯s attack that shed with his sword¡¯s qi.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    The imoogi¡¯s onught pushed Iron back, leaving arge hollow in the ground as he moved. Infusing his sword with all the power he had left, he continued to maintain the aura surrounding his sword. But he eventually reached his limit. Unable to endure the imoogi¡¯s full-scale attack any longer, Iron was thus flung backwards.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    Nowpletely without strength, Iron vomited blood while rolling a few times, before barely standing up by leaning on his sword. But standing was all he could manage to do. In his current state, Iron was so weak that he wouldn¡¯t even be able to kill a goblin. And the imoogi had no intention of missing this golden opportunity.


    But right at that instant, the manticore who had been watching for the right openingunched a surprise attack at the imoogi.


    Iron was already in no position to continue fighting. Once it disposed of the imoogi, then it would be able to take over the entire southeast.


    Finally having achieved the moment it had patiently waited so long for and beginning to see the light of victory, the imoogi, who had poured all his strength into attacking Iron, was unable to properly defend the manticore¡¯s attack, leaving itself open to damage.


    <em>-Kkieeek!</em>


    Having been seriously injured, the imoogi squirmed in pain. Seeing the imoogi in such a state, the manticore roared excitedly.


    -I¡­ I! I am the victor!


    As the manticore roared to celebrate its victory, it let loose another storm of thorns at Iron who had barely stood up, and then turned to open its mouth, intending to finish off the wounded imoogi.


    But it could only turn again to look in Iron¡¯s direction, unable to finish killing the imoogi.


    -These¡­. these vermin!


    The manticore, unable to finish with it started, red at the humans who had stopped the thorns it had sent flying towards Iron.


    They hadpletely stalled every one of those thorns.


    All the corpsmanders, with their full 6th stage power, had gathered around Iron to protect him. Somewhere along the line, all the monsters that had gathered before had been dispersed and were running away. While the manticore had been fighting, the Mobile Field Army had been smashing through the ranks of the monster army.


    -You filthy worms! To hell with you all!


    With an expression of urgency on its face, the manticore attacked the corpsmanders who were running towards it.


    No matter how much energy it had consumed, a master was still a master. Even as themanders attacked the manticore with full strength, it still overwhelmed them.


    However, it was still unable to put an end to Iron as it had wished, as even the great worms had gathered unbeknown to manticore, and attacked it with their mouths wide open.


    The imoogi was quickly recovering its strength, and Iron¡¯s pallid face was also regaining its color. Seeing this, the manticore raked together all the strength it had left. It had decided to make a gamble with its life at stake, seeing that there would be no other opportunity.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    The other twomanders nodded their heads at Ariel¡¯s bark, and focused all their strength.


    The giant worms fearlessly stopped the thorns the manticore had sent towards the imoogi, while themanders blocked thoseing towards Iron. Saeriden shattered most of the thorns using his Lion Sword Technique, and Ariel used her sword, fast as a crashing meteor, topletely disintegrate the fragments of the thorns that were flying in every direction. Kardro used his defensive sword technique to eliminate any remaining thorns.


    However, having been on the receiving end of an attack from the master-level manticore, there was no way they could remain unharmed.


    With only one attack, all threemanders, despite being at 6th stage, threw up blood as they copsed.


    The great worms and the giant worms too had received fatal injuries, with most already dead.


    The manticore looked on at the carnage with a satisfied expression. As it once again set out to conclude the battle, one of its legs got caught in a giant mouth.


    <em>Crush!</em>

 Chapter 199: The End of the Southeast War (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (199)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    62. The End of the Southeast War (3)


    With one of its legs caught in a giant mouth, the manticore fell to the ground.


    The mortally injured imoogi had dragged the previously floating manticore down to the earth. The manticore desperately pped its wings, trying to rise back into the sky by any means. But try as it might, the imoogi, refusing to release its catch, seeded in driving the manticore into the ground.


    -This¡­ this nasty bastard!


    The manticore swung its thorn-filled tail, and struck the imoogi with its wings filled with void energy. But even though it sustained more injuries, the imoogi did not let go of the manticore¡¯s leg in its mouth.


    And it was not just the manticore¡¯s leg.


    The imoogi withstood the manticore¡¯s attack while tearing into its shoulder, a wing on one side and part of its back.


    <i>Crush!</i>


    The manticore let out a roar of pain and turned all its rage towards the imoogi.[1] Where the flesh had been bitten on its leg, green blood gushed and sshed all over. As if to show that it had to kill the imoogi immediately, the manticore did not care that its leg was still caught by the imoogi, andunched purple beams of light at the imoogi¡¯s mouth.


    <i>-Kkieeeeekk!</i>


    The imoogi gave a gruesome cry, as its thick shell was pierced through. Its outer shell that had been weakened in the fight with Iron was nownced through, a fatal injury. Even though it had excellent ability to recover, the imoogi couldn¡¯t hold out against the damage this time. Its gigantic figure fell to the ground, stripped of all strength.


    The giant worms, a step toote, flocked towards the imoogi, but it was beyond revival, with the level of damage it had sustained. The imoogi wrigged on the ground, only able to spew dark blood.


    Watching the imoogi¡¯s terrible state, the manticore let out an eerie shriek, as if to say that it had ended things finally.


    -It¡¯s over!


    As it gave a victory roar, the manticore turned its head towards Iron, intending to finally kill him.


    -Finally, I can put an end to this nuisance of a fight!


    The manticore roared as it again sent thorns flying towards Iron. But the Storm Troops and the Knights Order that had arrived in the middle of the fight rushed towards it. Rodem and Ludem, covered in the blood of the countless monsters they had cut down, red at the manticore, their eyes seeming to glow with menace as they attacked it. Meanwhile, Nyx Cole attacked chinks in the manticore¡¯s body while it had its gaze stuck on the former duo.


    At the same time, Gaon, leader of the Raven troops, stood before the manticore swinging his cold-aura filled sword.


    The manticore put up a fight, roaring, as they furiously targeted all the severe wounds it had gained while fighting the imoogi. But they continued to attack it doggedly.


    In the midst of the fight, the copsed corpsmanders rose, and joined the attack on the manticore.


    No matter how much of a master the manticore was, it could not ignore the fight it was entangled in and go to attack Iron.


    -Piss off, all of you!


    While giving off an aura that was unique only to masters, it spread an energy wave made from void energy all around that pushed back all themanding officers.


    Seeing its chance, the manticore began gathering battle qi. As it had used so much of its strength, the battle qi could not take shapepletely, but no matter. If it could just unleash all its might to kill Iron and then retreat, it would be the final victor, the one who got thestugh.


    It charged at themanding officers, aiming to pass them by. It was the same unsophisticated move that the imoogi it loathed had used, but there was nothing else that would be effective. It would just be a simple attack based on the manticore¡¯s overwhelming strength.


    Themanding officers continued to attack the wounds given by the imoogi but the manticore ignored them. Even as its expression twisted in pain, it continued to rush towards Iron.


    -Just go die!


    As it thought this, the manticore opened itsrge mouth to swallow Iron whole. The moment the manticore saw Iron right in front of it, it smiled brilliantly, even without knowing. But suddenly its expression froze.


    -Huh?


    At the sudden pain it felt on its neck, the manticore was full of doubt. Its field of vision seemed to be falling to the ground. Unable to understand what was going on, the manticore looked at Iron, only to see the imperfectly formed aura de that surrounded Iron¡¯s sword.


    ¡®<i>Ah¡­¡±</i>


    Now it could understand what had happened.


    The manticore¡¯s head fell to the ground as it dawned on him how that punk had finally defeated him. Using the time that Ariel and the othermanding officers had earned for him through their frantic efforts, Iron had forcefully gathered the remnants of his mana to make an aura de, and used it to end the manticore.


    But Iron too was not unharmed.


    Without any of his divine beasts to help him, and with all the grave internal injuries he had sustained, the moment he killed the manticore, Iron himself also fainted.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    Ariel, who had thrown up blood, ran urgently to Iron¡¯s side, the othermanding officers following close behind.


    ¡°Carry themander immediately! Hurry!¡±


    Kardro ordered quickly, looking at the drake knights who had descended from the sky at some point. Seeing how Iron hung between life and death because of all his wounds, the drake knights hurried quickly to help carry him to the airships.


    Finally seeing Iron being taken into themand ne with medical facilities, Kardro took a deep breath and turned his head.


    ¡°We¡­ we won?¡±


    At Kardro¡¯s words, all themanding officers looked around them. Everywhere, there were traces of the intense fight that had taken ce, and in some ces vestiges of powerful mana still remained.


    These were the remnants of the battle between Iron, who had fought to be the most powerful, and the monsters who had been strong enough to put Iron in a fix. Just watching those remnants gave themanding officers goosebumps.


    As they were watching their surroundings in silence, a voice came out of the blue.


    ¡°Over there!¡±


    The imoogi¡¯s corpse had been squirming restlessly for some time, and Rodem, having felt something strange, had started to move towards where the imoogi¡¯s bodyy. A giant worm smaller than the imoogi burst out from the corpse.


    ¡°Gia¡­ giant worm?¡¯


    While Rodem mumbled to himself, the juvenile-looking giant worm began molting.


    ¡°No way! It¡¯s absorbing the imoogi¡¯s strength?!¡±


    Ariel replied to Rodem¡¯s mumble with a sense of urgency as she ran forward.


    ¡°Stop it! We must kill it!¡±


    If it had truly absorbed the imoogi¡¯s strength, then it was an absolute danger. If they could not immediately snuff out its life, it would be an even greater danger. No matter what it took, they had to kill it right then and there.


    Even with the injuries she had sustained from the manticore, Ariel took out her quick sword, intending to kill the giant worm.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Immediately as she charged, some giant worms popped out of the ground to fend her off. They shrieked as they faced Ariel¡¯s sword, instead of the small giant worm. Their cry caused other giant worms around to begin gathering there too.


    Seeing this, Ariel bit her lips and then yelled.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Hearing Ariel¡¯s yell, the Knights Order charged as one towards the giant worms. Other officers soon joined their advance, but everyone of them had some injury or the other. There was no unharmed person in all of the Mobile Field Army.


    All of them had internal injuries, and some even had fatal wounds on top of that.


    But still, they were resolved, as if wanting to sustain even bigger injuries, as they ran towards the giant worms.


    ¡°We cannot leave them be!¡±


    Despite Ariel¡¯s shout, the Mobile Field Army could still not break through the lines of the giant army. The airships above them bombard the worms too, but the giant worms continued to resist, ready toy their lives down.


    In addition, some of the monsters who had escaped previously returned to help the giant worms in obstructing Ariel¡¯s move forward.


    With all this, Ariel had a serious hunch that the juvenile giant worm behind the monsters and the giant worms would definitely be a problemter. It was not just because of the giant worms¡¯ defense. The dead manticore¡¯s loyal guards and lord-level troops had returned to protect the giant worm, knowing that it was their only hope.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Ariel sighed, her sword hanging by her side.


    Everyone gritted their teeth while engaging in battle, but they still could not reach the small giant worm.


    Having finished its molting, the giant worm dove underground, while the rest, seeing that it had safely run away, all began running in every direction.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Watching the small giant worm disappear, everyone remained silent. The future danger they had wanted to eradicate had escaped alive. On the other hand, their own officers¡¯ lives were hanging by a thread. Even though they had won, they could not fully enjoy their victory.


    ¡°¡­let¡¯s return.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s quiet voice broke the silence.


    They had suffered incredible damage, and even some of theirmanding officers were barely hanging on. But they had indeed gained a victory. Although they had missed eliminating a future threat, the current threats to the safety of the southeast had all been removed.


    They had really won.


    ¡°The battle has ended now, and all that¡¯s left is the safety of the southeast. Before themander wakes up, let¡¯s carry out all the tasks he ordered.¡±


    All themanding officers nodded as they listened to her speak.


    They had emerged victorious in a battle that had seemed impossible to win, and even though he was in a critical state, themander was still alive. Satisfied with that, the Mobile Field Army assembled at Command.


    Not too long after, the result of the war in the southeast began spreading through all regions of the empire.


    [Mobile Field Army finally achieves victory in southeast!]


    [Field Armymander Iron Carter in crisis, life hanging by a thread!]


    [Can the empire¡¯s hero really survive? Situation grave]


    Death was almost at the doorstep of the field armymander, but victory had been won in the southeast. The news ted all the citizens of the empire, and they hoped for Iron to make a quick recovery. They were certain that if he woke up, the empire could pull through even if on the verge of copse.


    Finally, after a few days and with everyone concerned about him, news that Iron had survived the crisis was released, causing everyone to cheer.


    But the celebration did notst long.


    ¡°Unknown individuals have led monsters to invade the empire!¡±


    This was the only type of report received at first. Apparently, an unknown group hade out of the eastern side of the chaotic southeast region, and was heading north towards the capital. As these unknown people had rampaged through some of the fortresses in the east and were making their way upwards, the eastern army also began moving in earnest.


    Soon shocking news was passed into the capital.


    ¡°Dra¡­ dragonfolk have appeared?¡±[2]


    ¡°They defeated two regiments of the united eastern army and are making their way towards here now!¡±


    ¡°The capital is in danger!¡±


    As reports arrived from various ces, a grave danger was making its way towards the capital.The reports made the capital¡¯s army begin readying itself.


    As for the eastern region, even though they were in a dangerous situation, they pulled together all the troops they could and moved towards the capital.


    But despite that, all the troops were destroyed one after the other, and the dragonfolk eventually arrived at the empire¡¯s capital.


    ¡°Is this the empire¡¯s capital?¡±


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    A handsome man with horns on his head asked, and a robe-d dragonfolk man replied to him while kneeling on one knee.


    ¡°Those vermin, there seems to be a lot of them here.¡±


    The horned man spoke with an impassive look on his face.


    ¡°Those <i>things</i> have been in charge of this world for quite some time now.¡±


    The man spoke quietly to himself, while looking at the human troops that gathered in the distance. As he looked at the lowlifes who hade to stop him and his followers, his eyes became filled with rage. He turned to the dragonfolk man and gave an order.


    ¡°Destroy them all. You cannot leave even one of them standing.¡±


    ¡°It will be as the master hasmanded¡­.¡±


    ¡°Clear the road up till where they have ced that abominable excuse for a divine relic. If you do that, thisnd will belong to you all¡­.¡±


    The dragonfolk man had his head lowered as he listened to the beautiful horned man speak, epting his master¡¯s orders.


    And so, that day, the dragonfolk army advanced and annihted one of the capital army¡¯s divisions.


    Not a single soul survived their attack.


    Notes:


    [1] Raws said the imoogi let out the roar of pain. This didn¡¯t make sense in the sentence, so was changed to manticore.


    [2] Dragonfolk: ??. The description indicates that they are human, or at least human-like, and are not full dragons. The wording might be changedter on if more detail appears.

 Chapter 200: The Beginning of Destruction (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (200)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    63. The Beginning of Destruction (1)


    When news came that the 1st Corps of the central army had been annihted, the ministers in the pce set the hall abuzz.


    Of course, the dragonfolk army had also taken some heavy damage, but they had killed the entire 1st Corps, despite the dragonfolk army¡¯s small size. If the enemy forces had been on the same scale as a field army, then it would have seemed more usible. But the enemy army was not even the size of an entire corps. It meant that they had used troops that were only a bitrger than a division to defeat the 1st Corps.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    The chambein hurriedly entered the imperial study.


    It had not been long since his coronation, but he was already faced with exasperating situations. Despite that, he calmly waited for the chambein to speak. The chambein took a few seconds to catch his breath before starting.


    ¡°There is trouble, Your Majesty! Even the eastern army has been defeated by the dragonfolk¡¯s army!¡±


    Even after the chambein made his report, the emperor remained calm. To him, it was just the onset of a future he had already seen hundreds of times.


    ¡°I should head to the Great Hall.¡±


    The emperor hastily made his way out of the study. Over in the Great Hall, all the high ranking nobles of the capitals, including the ministers, were waiting for him, their eyes awash with fear.


    They all had sharp minds, and could clearly see how severe the situation was.


    The worst case scenario, they would have to run from the Capital.


    But if they did that, they would be branded as traitors afterwards, and their families would be destroyed. It may not be the same for other nobles, but at least, the central government officials knew that they could not leave the capital without permission. This was also true for the heads of the capital¡¯s noble families.


    While they were all waiting in fear, the emperor was still as cool headed as before. He calmly watched the ministers who had criticized him as the most ipetent of the princes even though it had not been long since he was enthroned.


    ¡°I think everyone has heard the report.¡±


    The ministers nodded, as cold sweat flowed down their backs.


    ¡°Where are my imperial brothers?¡±


    No one could answer the emperor¡¯s question. Unable to continue watching their silence, the chambein whispered the princes¡¯ locations to the emperor.


    ¡°The second prince said that some urgent business suddenly came up in the west¡­ Third prince should be in the west too? The fourth prince has gone off to some foreign country.¡±


    The emperorughed gently, inwardly ridiculing his runaway imperial brothers. He had been scorned as inept and cowardly when he was a crown prince, despite his high status. But here he was now, adamantly guarding the pce, while all those idiots who called themselves royals had run away.


    It meant they had run off to save their necks alone, abandoning the emperor to die. Even if he charged them right now with high treason, none of the ministers would object.


    The ministers in the Great Hall also wanted to flee immediately too, but if the dragonfolk could be defeated, the ministers would be as good as dead afterwards. That was why they remained in the capital against their will, all of them now looking at the emperor in ufortable silence.


    The minister of the military could not maintain his silence any longer and stepped forward.


    ¡°Your Majesty! You have to immediately call all the armies to the capital! Protecting the capital with the currently avable troops will be exceedingly difficult!¡±


    As soon as the minister of the military spoke, the emperor hit the throne¡¯s armrest to silence him. He spoke to the minister of the military who was staring at him.


    ¡°The main force units of the eastern army are in Antis right now. As for the west, aren¡¯t they out fighting the birdmen? Even the central army has gone to help the west.¡±


    Just like the emperor said, all themands located close to the Center were entangled in desperate war efforts. Themander of the central army had even personally led troops to help out the western region, as they had been attacked to the point where their frontlines were pushed back. Despite the intervention, things were so difficult for the western region that they were only able to barely maintain their frontlines.


    The southern region was in the same situation too. In the south, themander was directly leading the troops into battle.


    ¡°But¡­ but¡­ Your majesty! It is really dangerous¡­!¡±


    ¡°The southern region cannot even manage to hold off the monsters that are advancing towards them from the great forest, while the northern army has also moved their army to help the northeast region.¡±


    As the emperor interrupted the minister of the military and said those words, all the ministers realized how much more severe things were.


    Every one of those regions was important, and each of them was facing an urgent crisis. All this while, they had remained in the capital, safe from harm. But now the things they considered other regions¡¯ problems had arrived at their doorstep.


    ¡°All the regions of the empire are facing a crisis. Where do I gather those main force units from?¡±


    The emperor¡¯s questions shut the minister of military¡¯s mouth.


    The minister wanted to argue that they should at least order the northern army toe. But if the creaturesing from beyond the mountains were frost giants, things in the north would be a wholly different story. All troops in the northern region werebining their strength because even two armies had not been enough to seed. Even Leonhardt was preparing to move to the northeast.


    All that was left was the southeastern army, but they had also sustained many casualties in their most recent battle. In this situation, they could not call on the Mobile Field Army toe help the capital.


    ¡°But¡­ but it is impossible to stop the advance of the dragonfolk with only the troops we currently have.¡±


    The eastern army that had been at their disposal had raked together what was left of their numbers to fight them, but what happened was the wipe out of the entire 1st Corps. The dragonfolk army was so strong that there wasn¡¯t a single survivor.


    This was why it was impossible for the yet poorly trained capital guards to counter the dragonfolk.


    Besieged. Completely surrounded. Those were the words that came to his mind as he thought of the crisis the capital was facing.[1]


    ¡°Send as many people as possible away from the capital, and gather as many troops as eachmand can afford to send to the capital.¡±


    At the emperor¡¯s order, the central army began gathering all the troops they could muster at that point, with the eastern and northern armies sending some of their troops as well. All these soldiers headed towards the capital, trying to arrive as fast as possible. Now all these regions had left were their reserve forces or troops designated to protect the variousmands.


    ¡°Your Majesty, that is still not enough! At least, we have to ask the central army or the southeastern army to send their main units here.¡±


    Foreseeing how the situation would worsen based on his evaluation of the dragonfolk army, the minister of the military earnestly implored. At the current level of the capital¡¯s defense troops, their chances of winning would still remain abysmal even if the various armies sent some of their soldiers.


    To add to that, the biggest issue was that there was no master-level person being sent. There was no one who had reached at least 6th stage, making their military forces ridiculously inefficient.


    Although the capital was the ce with the highest number of core weapons, including mana stones, those weapons were not enough to help them win against the dragonfolk.


    ¡°Moreover, if the person leading the dragonfolk troops is really a dragon, then we must have a master on our side too, Your Majesty!¡±


    Hearing the military minister¡¯s words, all the other officials turned to look at the emperor. But instead the emperor chuckled.


    ¡°You also know how bad the situation is at all themands, so by what means are you thinking of ordering them toe here? You think the Center is still in the same position as before?¡±


    The military minister shut up at the emperor¡¯s question.


    ¡°In¡­ in Your Majesty¡¯s name¡­¡­¡±


    The minister stammered as he spoke, unable to form aplete sentence. He was well aware the Center was nothing like it was before, and that the emperor¡¯s authority had been shot to pieces.


    He knew it so clearly because they had been the ones who made it so.


    He was also clear on the reality of what eachmand was facing. But the state of affairs had worsened so much that they had to have at least one master in the capital, even if it was by force. It didn¡¯t matter how it was done. A master and a main unit had to be called.


    The emperor understood what was going through the military minister¡¯s mind, but he pretended not to know.


    It was at that moment that amissioned officer opened the doors to the hall and rushed in. The officer hurried to the chambein who was standing next to the throne, and whispered the news that had just arrived to him.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    As the chambein conveyed the news to the emperor, the emperor frowned slightly. Watching the emperor¡¯s expression, the military minister spoke in a scarcely audible voice.


    ¡°How about ordering the northern army¡¯smander toe, just for a short while? There is still some time before the frost giants¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you. It seems the frost giants have just reached the mountains in the northeast.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡±


    The military stared vacantly. To drive the point home, the emperor continued.


    ¡°The report says everyone at corpsmander level and above, including the twomanders, have already gone to battle.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how could¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Themander of the western army and the centralmander are facing the birdmen, and the southernmand is fighting to stop the advance from the great forest. The eastern army is fine, but wouldn¡¯t it take time for them to get here?¡±


    The minister lowered his head at the emperor¡¯s words.


    Even though they possessed the most masters on the continent, none of those masters coulde to the capital right now. And most of the main units were tied up in battle. As for the Mobile Field Army, they had ended the battle, but they still had to take care of the remaining monsters.


    Now, the emperor was the only one they could count on. But it seemed the emperor had no ns of making the main units or masterse to the capital against their will.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­¡­¡±</i>


    The emperor took in a deep breath, and calmly considered the situation at hand. With Iron¡¯s help, the lifespan of God¡¯s Orb had just barely been increased. But it seemed the gods did not n to just wait and see.


    In order to actualize the long-predicted End, they were driving the empire into a corner, pushing the empire to its limits and trying to iste them.


    ¡®<i>If I make the wrong choice, the lifespan of the Orb might even be extended¡­¡¯</i>


    The emperor recalled God¡¯s Orb, and thought on it for a while, before shaking his head lightly. This was the resolution he¡¯de to several times, after that dream.


    The emperor himself was prepared for this development, but the same could not be said for the ministers. They would never ept that the end had already been predicted. So the emperor decided to take a step back in order to persuade the ministers.


    ¡°Contact all themanders. Tell them toe to the capital if they are not facing an urgent situation.¡±


    The military minister¡¯s expression, as well as those of the other ministers, rxed a little upon hearing this. The emperor had added the condition ¡®if they are not facing an urgent situation¡¯, but that was enough as long as it could bring some masters to the capital. Immediately, the ministers sent off dispatches to themanders to let them know the emperor¡¯smands.


    Even before the meeting ended, a fewmanders sent replies, saying that they definitely make time toe, no matter what, if the dragonfolk advanced to the capital.


    ¡°Was it the central and southernmanders?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    The official from the military department who hade to make the report nodded his head.


    ¡°They said sending the main force would be difficult¡­ but themanders woulde to help the capital?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! The eastern army too said they will make time toe!¡±


    The official¡¯s words gave the ministers hope, briefly lightening their expressions. Although the main forces could note, themanders¡¯ promises toe were sufficient.


    <i>¡®This is good!¡¯</i>


    The ministers smiled, their anxiety seeming to roll off their shoulders. Right away, they spread this news all over the capital, causing the worry that had pervaded the capital after the previous consecutive defeats to subside. However, the emperor continued to evacuate people from the capital to centralmand, while the troopsing from all over the empire filled the empty space that was left in the capital.


    But the speed at which the capital was preparing was the same speed at which the dragonfolk army advanced towards the capital. Finally, they reached the capital after two days.


    ¡°Have you contacted themanders?!¡±


    ¡°Yes! But things have been critical on the side of the western army, so the centralmander cannot leave immediately toe here. As for the south, monsters suddenly gathered there, so they need some time before they can get here.¡±


    An official from the Center replied to the military minister¡¯s question.


    ¡°Damn it! Why now¡­¡±


    ¡°But they said they will certainlye when the battle starts!¡±


    ¡°Understood. Pay attention to how things unfold, and at the first sign of battle, immediately contact each of themands.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Whispering to himself how unlucky things were, the military minister gave the order to contact themanders as soon as possible, and then left the room.


    ¡°Please¡­ please¡­


    He prayed earnestly that the dragonfolk army would begin their attack just a littleter, and began thinking of how they could hold on until themanders arrived. But not even a few minutester, his hopes were dashed to pieces.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    ¡°What¡­ what is that¡­¡±


    The covering that firmly protected the top of the building was hit by something, almost shattering it and startling the military minister. He looked up in fright, only to see a gigantic dragon up in the sky.


    ¡°Oh¡­ oh no! No!¡±


    As the military minister shook his head and wailed, the dragon opened its mouth and breathed a bright red me onto the pce.


    <b>Notes: </b>


    [1] ¡°Besieged. Completely surrounded¡±: The word used here is a four character idiom ???? (ËÄÃæ³þ¸è), which means to be surrounded by enemies on all sides. The sentence following trantes to ¡°the capital¡¯s crisis brought to his mind a four character idiom from the eastern continent¡±. Since there is no four-wordbo in English that sounds as fitting for that sentence, it was changed in trantion.

 Chapter 201: The Beginning of Destruction (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (201)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    63. The Beginning of Destruction (2)


    The heat from the giant me thrown at the pce seemed able to melt everything it touched. But then an unexpected miracle happened.


    The protective shield over the pce withstood the dragon¡¯s breath.


    ¡°Stop it! Stop the dragon!¡±


    Themanding officer yelled, while throwing up blood. The capital guards immediately went into action at his words. The first ones to move were the drake knights.


    ¡°All the spear knights charge!¡±


    Drake knights carrying huge spears rushed forward. Other drake knights carrying small mana stones followed behind them to cover their backs. Using mana, the drakes and knights synchronized, calling forth beams of light that struck the dragon¡¯s back like thunderbolts raining from the sky.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Once the spear knights attacked, the dragon who had been about to release another breath crashed into the ground.


    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    A drake knight spoke, his head tilted to the side. The dragon was much smaller than they thought, and even weirder, the breath it had pointed at the pce was too weak. Its power was way too little to be able to break the capital¡¯s protective shield all at once.


    ¡°There are more of them!¡±


    Suddenly, there were several dragons flying in midair. There were so many of them, numbering in the hundreds.


    ¡°How the hell¡­¡­¡±


    The man leading the drake knights was struck speechless at the shout of one of the drake knights.


    The people of this world had instruments called mana radars, and the empire¡¯s capital was equipped with several of these radars. However, the radars did not catch the arrival of this many dragons, making one puzzled about how they had gathered here.


    But now was not the time to contemte that.


    ¡°All troops, prepare to charge!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The drake knights holding their magic-covered spears prepared to charge as they watched the dragons approach. Behind them, the airships began taking off. The mana stones on them, as well as thepact cannons that had been built in the southeast were installed on the airships, and emitted light to pre-empt the dragons¡¯ approach. At the same time, the wizards began exerting all their effort to restore the protective shield.


    Repairing the cracked parts of the shield required a substantial amount of time, but all the wizards raced to repair it, pouring out all their mana.


    The people of the capital became excited once they got news of this. Everyone had be fretful when they first heard that the dragonfolk army had destroyed an entire corps. But unexpectedly, the drake knights and the air force were now pushing back the dragons. This made hope begin building again in the hearts of the citizens. Even the ministers felt the same way.


    As they watched the capital guards bravely hold off the dragons who were several times the size of drakes, the people prayed they would seed. They knew that their lives depended on whether the soldiers could stop the dragons.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Our troops are driving back the dragons!¡±


    The chambein excitedly ryed the news to the emperor, but the emperor¡¯s face remained as still as ever.


    Those creatures¡¯ sizes could not bepared to any drakes. ced next to the drakes, their huge frames made them veritable giants. They were absolutely not ¡®dragons¡¯.


    ¡°Chambein.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    The chambein who had been abuzz with excitement bowed as he answered the emperor¡¯s call.


    ¡°Tell the capital guards to prepare for contingency.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±


    The chambein¡¯s eyes widened at the emperor¡¯s order.


    ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty?¡±


    The emperor¡¯smand to prepare for contingency was for them to protect the warp gate at least, in case God¡¯s Orb was destroyed and the pce attacked. They had to protect the warp gate that the masters woulde through.


    Only if they did that could they n for the future.


    Eachmand had already been informed that the dragons had started attacking the capital. While it was difficult for many of themanders toe since they were in the middle of war, the warp gate had to be safeguarded so that fewmanders who were not in battle could reach the capital.


    ¡°But the capital guards are expelling the dragons right now.¡±


    ¡°Those things are not real dragons.¡±


    At the emperor¡¯s words, the chambein looked at him with a doubt-filled expression.


    ¡°But¡­ but they have magic.¡±


    Just as the chambein said, the creatures they had assumed were dragons were indeed using magic to fend off the drake knights, block the airships¡¯ attacks and advance towards the capital. There were even flying dragonfolk who had appeared to help them.


    One of the corps of the dragonfolk army that had defeated the central army was flying to their aid. In fact, the ¡®dragons¡¯ were under themand of those dragonfolk.


    Still, the emperor maintained that they were not dragons.


    ¡°They are hatchlings.¡±


    ¡°Does Your Majesty mean that they are young dragons?¡±


    The chambein asked the emperor, as if he knew what the word ¡®hatchling¡¯ meant.


    ¡°Those are called hatchlings too. But these are different.¡±


    The emperor recalled the hatchlings he had seen in his dream as he spoke.


    ¡°Imperfect dragons. That¡¯s what they are.¡±


    ¡°¡­what does that mean¡­?¡±


    Just as the chambein began speaking, the ground began shaking and the protective shield began vibrating again. Once he saw that the emperor spoke urgently.


    ¡°Chambein!¡±


    Understanding what the emperor meant, the chambein hurriedly left the room with his head bowed. The emperor watched the chambein bite his lips fretfully as he left, before turning to look up at the sky with a serene expression.


    ¡°Is it finally here?¡±


    He recalled the scene he had seen several times in his dream, in which the shield was cracked, and continuously struck with beams of light like some entertaining fireworks show.


    ¡°So that was what first broke the shield.¡±


    The moment the emperor spoke those words, another crack formed on the protective shield. At the same time, the dragonfolk began appearing


    Ancient beings had been appearing here and there all over the empire, and mutated creatures had been attacking the empire, making the empire¡¯s main forces unable to reach the capital, as if all this had long been nned. At the same time, the dragonfolk corps had been racing towards the capital without pause, as if they knew the capital was at a critical point. They were without hesitation, moving as if they were working based on expected circumstances.


    ¡°It really appeared.¡±


    As the shield was being battered by light beams, an enormous dragon appeared far away from behind a cloud.


    This time, it was a real dragon, a true ancient dragon, like in the olden days. The dragon silently gazed at the pce, cutting a lofty, awe-inspiring figure. Prepared to erase the pce off the face of the continent, it opened its huge mouth and let loose a great beam of light. The beam, its strength on a wholly different level from a hatchling¡¯s breath, caused a crack to form in the protective shield, breaking it even further.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The beam disappeared the moment the shield cracked, but its shockwave caused one part of the pce to copse, a great boom apanying the copse.


    Thankfully, breaking the shield had been difficult for the dragon to do, and it had no more breath left. However, the copse of one part of the pce sent the ministers and the central officials into a panic. They began running around in confusion as fear of oing death filled them.


    The emperor who had just stepped out of his study looked on at them with a cold expression before scolding them angrily.


    ¡°All of you calm down now!¡±


    The emperor¡¯s roar silenced the panicking ministers, and they turned to stare nkly at him,


    ¡°All central officials and ministers, immediately leave the pce and carry out the tasks you are supposed to do.¡±


    The task they were supposed to do. That task was to pacify andfort the confused public, and take action ording to the procedure outlined in their contingency manual.


    An official questioned the emperor with a fear-filled look.


    ¡°What¡­ what about you, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°I will also go do what I have to do.¡±


    After responding to the young official, the emperor led the pce guards and garrison knights that he had assembled at some point towards where God¡¯s Orb was. He was on his way there to do thest thing he could do for the empire as its ruler.


    He had to finish the task of the imperial family that had been passed down since the time of the first emperor.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    The officials kowtowed to the emperor, all of them on the verge of tears. The moment the ancient dragon had appeared, they all had the premonition that they had no hope living the pce alive.


    Maybe it was because they felt death approaching. The central officials, who had been trembling with fear just a moment ago, were filled with a strong sense of resolve. The emperor wanted to maintain the capital and protect the pride of the empire till the very end. They couldn¡¯t continue petitioning to run away from the capital instead.


    ¡°We will carry out Your Majesty¡¯s orders by all means.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    All the officials left the room at once with those brief words. The emperor watched their departing backs, and began thinking of the first emperor¡¯s dying injunctions that had been passed down from generation to generation.


    ¡°You must protect God¡¯s Orb until the very end.¡±


    The first emperor¡¯smand demanded that they protect God¡¯s Orb no matter what happened. It didn¡¯t matter if doing so would be the end of the imperial family: they had to safeguard it at all cost.


    That instruction seemed to not be a simplemand, but a curse on the imperial family. But no matter. He still had to protect it.


    He led all the pce guards and the garrison knights to the pce where God¡¯s Orb was being stored.


    ¡°You must defend this ce with your life till the end.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    All the guards and knights bowed in response to the emperor¡¯s orders. The emperor, not knowing if that would be hisst order ever, entered the building where the Orb was while wearing a calm expression.


    None of the guards following him showed a panicked expression either. Each of them had been selected beforehand based on how prepared they were to die. Each of them filled with courage, ready to protect the empire till the end.


    Having been selected for their bravery and loyalty to the empire, rather than for their skill, they were the excellent choice for fighters to go to the end with the empire.


    <i>Vwoong! Vwoong!</i>


    ¡°You are also aware that the end hase?¡±


    The emperor looked at God¡¯s Orb which was ringing intensely, different from its former long silence. The God¡¯s Orb, which had been with the empire for so long, vibrated fiercely as if it knew that end hade.


    Maybe it was because of the current situation, but he could hear a certain strong will in the Orb¡¯s ringing. As sadness, disappointment and several other emotions surged through him, the emperor unknowingly ced his hand on God¡¯s Orb.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    An emotion the emperor did not know how to describe wound its way through the emperor¡¯s body, as a unique mana wavelength began spreading. At the same time, all the events that erupted at the same time all over the continent shed through his mind.


    Ancient creatures began waking up one after the other, and external gods spared no effort in trying to devour the continent. Simultaneously, something even more sinister hade knocking on the protective shield.


    God¡¯s Orb had protected the world from all of this.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Another cry rang from God¡¯s Orb at the emperor¡¯s words.


    <i>Vwoong</i>!


    The emperor and the God¡¯s Orb shared a shortmunion. But thatmunion could notst long.


    Where only the emperor and God¡¯s Orb were supposed to be, an unwee guest had arrived as well.


    -So you didn¡¯t run away.


    The being was in human form, but the tworge horns and the sparse scales on its skin marked him as strange. Nevertheless, his face held an overwhelming beauty.


    ¡°Are you a dragon? You are white.¡±


    The man the emperor had called a dragon looked at the emperor with round eyes, surprised.


    -You seem to know about us?


    ¡°At the very least, I know that you are not some imperfect being, like those hatchlings.¡±


    The dragonughed softly at the emperor¡¯s words.


    -You even know that?


    The dragon continued to look at the emperor who was more knowledgeable than it had thought. In the long-gone past, the dragon species had been on the verge of extinction, and in a desperate position, had mated with drakes and wyverns, creating hybrids, in a bid to maintain the dragon species.


    However, since they mated with species inferior to them, the offspring produced were bound to be imperfect. The number of those hybrid offspring who had advanced to be full dragons could be counted on one hand. The rest could only remain imperfect entities. The dragon lord called those imperfect creatures hatchlings, the same as young dragons were called.


    ¡°If you are here, then it means everyone outside is dead.¡±


    -Yeah¡­ you¡¯re correct. They were all quite persistent, just like you.


    The dragon continued speaking in admiration.


    -I clearly heard that all the members of the current imperial family are trash¡­ It seems the rumors were wrong.


    The dragon gazed at the emperor, deep in thought. He could sense the emperor¡¯s irvoyance, something that was almostpletely absent even in the ancient times, as well as his strong determination. The emperor¡¯s resolve to go down with the empire radiated strongly from his eyes.


    ¨C<i>Tut, tut</i>. Now, you have put me under pressure.


    The dragon flinched, his features twisting into a frown. He could feel a powerful mana impacting from afar.


    -¡­They are here already?


    He felt a power that was in now way inferior to his. A master had arrived.


    -I am now in an awkward situation thanks to you. My ns to use this capital as my base for shaking up this empire have now gone down the drain.


    The dragon stretched out a hand as he spoke.


    -Nevertheless, since I havee all the way here, I shouldplete my first goal.


    As he spoke, he gathered a fearsome mana in the palm of his hand.


    -I apud you for staying to protect your empire until the very end.


    Upon uttering those words, the dragon sent the enormous beam towards God¡¯s Orb. The emperor jumped in front of the Orb, apanying it to its demise.


    The God¡¯s Orb, unable to withstand the dragon¡¯s breath, shattered instantly.


    <i>Crack</i>!


    -Finally¡­ is this the beginning of the destruction? It won¡¯t be long now until the king is resurrected.


    It was as the dragon mumbled to himself that the emperor¡¯s body, from which his heart and left arm were missing, as well as the pieces of God¡¯s Orb began floating.


    -This¡­ How!?


    Realizing what phenomenon had just urred, the dragon tried to gather the highest level of magic he could, a startled expression on his face.


    But all the pieces that had made up the God¡¯s Orb radiated with light, rendering his efforts useless. At the same time, a huge pir of light fell on the pce, and the voice of a system sounded throughout the whole continent.


    [The Apocalypse has begun]

 Chapter 202: The Fallen Imperial Family (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (202)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    64. The Fallen Imperial Family (1)


    All the people looked up at the sky at the words that the Apocalypse had started. It was not just those in the capital who looked up; people all over the continent could hear the system speak too.


    [The Apocalypse has started.]


    Those words struck terror into all the citizens of the empire, sending them into a panic.


    [The protective shield ced over the continent by God is now being removed. Starting now, all sleeping ancient races will awaken, and all external gods who have met the conditions to descend can now live on the continent.]


    The system¡¯s words threw everyone into despair. If all the ancient species and external gods were to wake up, then that would spell the extinction of humankind. Only those humans who had made contracts with the ancient or external gods would be stay alive, living out the rest of their days like ves. Everything the system said made them despondent.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this the beginning of our end?¡±


    ¡°We are all going to die! We¡¯ll all die!¡±


    Right as the citizens were wailing in anguish, the pir of light over the pce caused the building to copse, and some <i>thing </i>began rising up the beam of light.


    ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty?¡±


    A human form was rising through the light.


    It was the body of the dead emperor. The ministers stared nkly at the figure while muttering to themselves.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!! This cannot be! <i>Heuk heuk</i>¡­ Your Majesty! You can¡¯t leave like this!¡±


    In one corner, the chambein plopped onto the ground as he sobbed.


    The pir of light might have been far away for some, but all the citizens could distinctly see the emperor¡¯s body as it rose up the pir. It wasn¡¯t that their vision had suddenly improved, but somehow everyone in the capital could see the terrible state of his body, with his left arm and chest missing due to the dragon¡¯s attack.


    [The Hildenburg royal family has fulfilled the promise they made with the Lord to protect the God¡¯s Orb till the end. Due to thest emperor¡¯s noble sacrifice, the Lord God¡¯s power will now begin spreading over the continent.]


    -The Lord¡¯s power will be manifested all over the continent, in order to fulfill the ancient contract between God and humans.


    -The conditions for external gods to descend on the continent will be limited, and they will not be able to descendpletely.


    -It will take a long time for the ancient races to recover their strength.


    -There will now be restrictions on demons and corrupted racesing over.


    As the system continued speaking, all the people stared vacantly at the sky. The pir of light over the pce began emitting a distinct mana wavelength, and the light¡¯s power began spreading over the continent. As if all the happenings up till that moment had been expected, the Lord God¡¯s power covered the entire continent, and suppressed the power of the corrupted races that hade to the continent.


    -How is this¡­¡­


    One of the dragonfolk frowned as he felt the godly power suppress his own power. Once the Apocalypse started, the protective shield had obviously disappeared and he had definitely felt the strength of dragon blood in him blossom. But barely a few minutes had passed and it was being suppressed again.


    The most hateful thing in the world was having something be given to you and then it being taken away again.


    All the dragonfolk and hatchlings who had experienced the dragon blood strength flow freely through them only a moment ago immediately became agitated.


    On the other hand, hope began to grow in the eyes of the citizens of the empire. The system¡¯s voice rang out again, intensifying that hope.


    [The start of the Apocalypse has brought a great crisis to humankind. The Lord who protects the world here bestows a present on humans.]


    -From now on, all humans will awaken their mana.


    -All who have previously awakened their mana will be granted an additional benefit. With one exception. Those who have made contracts with ancient gods or external gods will be ruled out.


    -Starting now, everytime an awakened person kills an ancient race or external forces, they will receive immense power.


    The moment the system finished speaking, light began to shine from the bodies of everyone in the capital. Countless people awakened their mana, and a great fighting spirit began to ze in the eyes of those who had run away or hid themselves in fear. A quest window appeared in front of them, and they began showcasing special skills.


    At the same time, they encircled all the dragonfolk who had jumped over the city walls or flown into the capital, and began using their new-found powers to kill as many dragonfolk as they could.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    ¡°How dare you touch our empire!¡±


    ¡°You killed our emperor!¡±


    The enraged citizens dumped all their fury they had gathered until that moment on the dragonfolk. Seeing the humans who were charging at them with reddened eyes, the dragonfolk who had infiltrated the capital fell into confusion.


    -These¡­ these vermin!


    Anger surged through the dragonfolk as they saw those <i>things</i> that were weaker than ants rush to kill them. They who had inherited the blood of the dragon tribe!


    However, their anger remained that: just anger. Slowly, the situation began to look unfavorable for the dragonfolk, as well as for the hatchlings. Things were already not looking good for them when the drake knights and airship fleets attacked them previously, and now they had even awakened their mana. The battle became more difficult for the dragonfolk to handle.


    -Everyone retreat!


    The dragon, who had changed from his human form at some point, flew up to the sky and ordered all the dragonfolk and hatchlings to withdraw.


    But the soldiers would never let them off just like that, especially the twomanders who had arrived hastily through the warp gate. The central armymander and the southernmander clenched their teeth, and used all their power to stop the escaping dragon.


    ¡°You thought you could just run off after murdering the emperor?!¡±


    ¡°You made a mess of the capital, and must now pay with your life!¡±


    Leopold, the centralmander, and the southernmander, David Fieldran, joined forces and blocked the front of the ancient dragon. A huge thunderbolt struck the dragon as he tried to escape, causing it to plunge to the ground. Leopold struck him mercilessly with his huge aura de.


    -How dare you, you filthy things!


    Seeing the humans he had treated as less than crawling worms during the ancient times now treat him like a trifling ything, the dragon¡¯s anger red. At the same time, he began thinking hard about how he could free himself from the dangerous situation.


    Even in the ancient days, masters had been difficult opponents to battle against. Only the dragon lord was able topletely defeat them in a fight.


    Boom! Boom!


    -Rooaaarrr!


    The angered dragon released his breath in every direction, but the thunderbolt¡¯s power extinguished it, while he received severe injuries from the aura de. The dragon¡¯s magic was perfectly obstructed by the master-level southernmander¡¯s magic. The magic master¡¯s magic was strong enough to destroy the dragon¡¯s ancient magic.


    It was thought that humans¡¯ magic had declined over the past centuries, but that was false.


    As knowledge of ancient magic decreased over the years, humans established a new system of magic, which was now on par with ancient magic. The same had happened with swordsmanship and martial arts as well.


    Ancient sword techniques and the powerful strength from the mythical times were so formidable they could be called cmitous. But it did not mean that humans were weak either. All those who were called masters had reached the peak of martial art, whether by ancient or modern terms.


    All it meant was that ancient beings used their ancient methods, while the modern ones had their modern ways as well. [1]


    -If only I had all my strength¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would have made any difference¡­¡±


    The southernmander looked at the ancient dragon with a leisurely expression. Although the dragon had lived for a long time and had a great deal of experience, his strength was not so much that it could easily prevail over a magic master. Afterall, magic masters were the personification of perfect human power. The only things the dragon surpassed magic masters in were his exceedingly long life and the great mana he had built up over time.


    But now, the Lord God had given magic masters new power.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    The dragon¡¯s face froze at the spark that rose from themander¡¯s hand. The spark looked so ungainly and weak for something made by a master. But it meant something different to the dragon who could tell what was inside the spark.


    ¡°Pure lightning without mana.¡±


    The southernmander smiled brightly as he spoke.


    He had been stuck at the same level for a long time after he became a magic master. But that was now the foundation for him to gain new power and be even stronger.


    Of course, the same held true for Leopold, the centralmander. The more he used his sword, both his n¡¯s esoteric sword technique and his own special skills amplified.


    -Are you ying me like some toy?


    The twomanders chuckled at the dragon¡¯s words. Yes, they had intentionally fought with the dragon in order to test out their newly received powers.


    In his current state, unable to use all his original powers, the strength the dragon currently had was undoubtedly insufficient to deal with the twomanders.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put an end to this now.¡±


    Once Leopold spoke, David nodded slightly in agreement.


    Having decided to finish the dragon, they both released their master-level strength. As if to prove that before they had been ying around with the dragon just to test drive their powers, an overwhelming power pressed down on the dragon.


    The dragon expended an enormous amount of mana to withstand that power and tried to fly off again. He gathered his highest defensive mana and released his dragon breath at the twomanders. In any case, he hadpleted his main goal; all he had to do now was escape from this ce. All those hatchlings and dragonfolk were disposables that could always be recreated now that the dragon king had started awakening. He, on the other hand, was not.


    -I have to return to help the dragon king¡­


    Having risen into the air, the dragon thought that he had escaped the ordeal. But before he could finish speaking, he crashed to the ground. A gigantic lightning spear had prated his defensive mana shield and skewered a huge chunk of his flesh.


    -Roooaaarrr!


    ¡°You are quite noisy.¡±


    As the dragon let out a horrible shriek, Leopold swung his sword with all his might, and like an illusion, sent the dragon¡¯s head tumbling off his neck.


    A clean shot.


    With his power amplified to the max, Leopold¡¯s tenacious sword had cut off the dragon¡¯s head with one swipe.


    -This can¡¯t be¡­¡­


    The dragonfolk immediately began panicking as they saw the dragon who had led them die.


    As bem arose among the hatchlings and dragonfolk, Leopold gave an order to everyone in the capital in a calm voice.


    ¡°Kill all these criminals who murdered the emperor. Their sin is too great to show any mercy, so they must all face capital punishment.¡±


    All the capital guards, as well as all the awakened people, rushed at the dragonfolk in one swarm once Leopold gave his orders. Despite theirck of experience, having just been awakened, they had more numbers, allowing them to overpower the dragonfolk easily. The dragonfolk, unable to defend themselves against the onught, died one after the other.


    Each time one of them died, the people who had awakened their mana became even stronger. Their increased power demonstrated the benefit that they had been granted by the Lord God: a power increase every time they killed any beings of an ancient race or corrupted creatures.


    However, at some point, killing the dragonfolk went past restoring the empire¡¯s broken pride and became a method of making their power increase.


    Hasn¡¯t it been said that there is no limit to human greed?


    The humans resembled demons as their eyes glistened with greed to increase their strength by killing the dragonfolk.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    ¡°This one is mine!¡±


    ¡°F*** out of here!¡±


    The people in the capital ran around killing each other first, as if they had gone mad. As the number of humans wasrge and that of the dragonfolk too few, the chances to increase their strength was limited. That was why they paid no mind to the differences between their strength and that of the dragonfolk, and just charged in. For those who saw others getting increased powers, their eyes shone with even more avarice.


    Maybe it was thanks to that. It only took three hours to clean out all the dragonfolk who had been in the capital.


    Notes:


    [1] The expression used here is ?? ??, meaning to drill through a wall. A direct trantion would be that both ancient and modern beings/people would drill through a wall in their own ways.

 Chapter 203: The Fallen Imperial Family (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (203)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    64. The Fallen Imperial Family (2)


    The awakening of all humans had an incredibly powerful impact on the state of things. People with all sorts of strengths began converging in the empire.


    But the people who were most disconcerted were the people in the southern and western regions. In order to survive, they had ced their trust in the ancient gods and the external gods.


    But now they were excluded from the benefit given to everyone, limiting their potential.


    Instead, people who had stayed to fight with their own power when the end approached were now enjoying the sweet fruits of theirbor.


    But if it were only this, humans would never have been able to withstand the apocalypse.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    The chambein looked at the emperor¡¯s corpse, his expression filled with sorrow. Not long after all the dragonfolk had been killed, the pir of light began thinning, and the emperor¡¯s body was slowly lowered to the ground. It was as if the emperor¡¯s shining body, feeling that the humans¡¯ awakening was finished and his task was done, had turned back into an ordinary human body.


    ¡°Lay down His Majesty.¡±


    As Leopoldmanded, the royal guards carefully ced the emperor¡¯s body in a coffin, while everyone else looked on with a somber expression.


    The emperor who had protected the God¡¯s Orb till the end. Thanks to this, all the disdain he had received in the past was turned into respect for the hope he had given to humans.


    ¡°Everyone pay your respects. He is the empire¡¯s hero.¡±


    All themissioned officers, including the southernmander, simultaneously saluted the emperor, at Leopold¡¯s order. At the same time, the central officers bowed in silence, while all the other humans around paid their respects. Until the coffin containing the emperor¡¯s body reached the central square, no one raised their head.


    It was the highest respect that could be paid to those who had died in order to protect the empire.


    Although he had been endlessly disappointing when he was a crown prince, as an emperor, the bravery he had shown to protect the empire¡¯s honor and the hope he had given to the people was no different from that of a hero. That was why all the people remaining in the capital moved as one to the square to pay tribute to the noble sacrifice he had made.


    Seeing this, the nobles too could not avoid paying their respects as well.


    <i>¡°Cough!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Ahem hmm¡­¡±</i>


    Of course, there would always be one or two people who could not read the room. But because of the pointed res that came at them from all directions, they lowered their heads and paid respect.


    Even those who had opposed the emperor while he was alive, or had found him unsatisfactory, were not exempted from paying tribute. In the past, they¡¯d had no respect for the emperor, but right now, they had to act as if they did.


    As they were mourning the passing of the emperor, the number of monsters who had closed in on them, in several waves of attacks, began dwindling. When news of the apocalypse had firste, those monsters had almostpletely pushed back the human armies. But with the sudden awakening of the humans, their power was limited and the tables turned on them.


    Their powers being restricted was the same as them bing weakened: in such a situation, of course the humans became stronger and the ones who had the upper hand in the war became the humans as well.


    ¡°His Majesty passed away just like that?¡±


    While listening to his subordinate¡¯s report, Crimson held a bitter expression. He had to concede that the once ipetent crown prince not only did not plunge the empire into destruction, but had even be a hero who exerted all his effort to carry out his responsibility.


    Because of his sacrifice, all the wrongs he had done as a crown prince had not been overwritten, and he would forever be judged as someone who had protected the continent.


    That was how big the emperor¡¯s sacrifice was.


    <i>¡®He¡¯s given hope to all of humankind.¡¯</i>


    There would definitely be schrs who would make this judgment of the emperor.


    When he had seen the frost giants return to the region beyond the mountain ranges, the northeastmander had found it odd. But then, through the system¡¯s announcement, he came to know what had happened in the capital and realized that humans were able to escape the crisis they were in because of the emperor¡¯s death.


    Because of that, immediately the fight ended, both the northeast and northern armies raised a ck g and saluted in the direction of the capital until noon, in order to pay respect to the emperor.


    If even they, who had no love lost with the Center and the Imperial Family, did this, then there was no need to speak of the other regions. All regions of the empire were mourning the emperor¡¯s demise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Should we go see His Majesty for thest time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should.¡±


    Hearing Crimson, Jayden Wicks nodded his head heavily.


    As the twomanders headed to the warp gate to go to the capital, the westernmander was also walking towards the warp gate.


    Because of the emperor¡¯s sacrifice, all regions of the empire, including the west, had been revitalized. In a situation where they couldn¡¯t even see the way forward, they were suddenly able to win.


    The awakening of all humans had been great, but the soldiers being able to be stronger by killing the birdmen was an added bonus.


    Initially, when one awakened there would be an initial weak phase. With this, they would have been wiped out by the birdmen. But because of the emperor¡¯s sacrifice, it was dered that the power of external gods was weakened, which dragged out the battle. This gave humans time to get familiar with their awakened powers.


    ¡°I am heading to the capital now. Send me a report immediately if somethinges up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    While the westernmander got on the warp gate to head to the capital, the capital was already swarming with people. All the people that had been evacuated to the centralmand at the emperor¡¯s orders, the nobles and merchants who had run away, and the support troops who had arrived toote were gathered at the capital.


    ¡°You are here?¡±


    Crimson greeted the westernmander when he arrived.


    ¡°Did you just arrive, Commander?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. The battle just ended, so¡­¡­¡±


    As Crimson spoke, the westernmander nodded his head slightly as if he meant to say the same.


    The entire empire had been entangled in war. As if it had been predesigned, all themanders had been forced to depart the capital in four directions. Although Crimson was not close to being a grandmaster like the heads of the Lion Sword or Godly Sword families, he had experience that he had gathered over the long years he had lived, and could tell that the battle had gotten out of hand, and had been beyond their capacity. But in the end, the emperor¡¯s death had propelled them to victory, as if fated.


    The emperor¡¯s death too was not something they could have controlled.


    ¡°<i>Hoo</i>¡­ Let¡¯s head there first.¡±


    Upon hearing Crimson¡¯s words, the northern and westernmanders nodded and began walking towards the pce with heavy hearts.


    The emperor¡¯s coffin had been moved again to the pce after the body had been embalmed with preservation magic. The same ce where he had fought till hisst breath.


    It had been agreed that his funeral would be held there, which was why the threemanders were heading there.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been that long since it was renovated¡­. Tsk.¡±


    Crimson looked at the destroyed pce and clicked his tongue. The bloodstains that had been sshed all over the pce thanks to the dragon had still not been erased. The threemanders could tell just how intense the fight had been from all the bloodstains and debris.


    ¡°They really did fight till their death.¡±


    The bodies of the guards and knights who had fought the dragon were still in front of the pce where the God¡¯s Orb had been.


    ¡°¡­¡­it seems so.¡±


    Jayden Wicks replied in a small voice to Crimson¡¯sment.


    They paid a silent tribute to the guards that had fought to protect the God¡¯s Orb before entering where the emperor¡¯s body was ced.


    The pce, with one side copsed, was where the God¡¯s Orb had been, and now the emperor¡¯s body wasid in state. Around his coffin stood all the empire¡¯s ministers and themanders.


    ¡°You¡¯vee?¡±


    The centralmander, Leopold, greeted the threemanders who had just entered, with Crimson at the front.


    After Crimson said a short word of greeting to the ministers, he moved towards the emperor¡¯s coffin. The coffin was opened halfway, and he could see the emperor lying with a serene expression within. Crimson sighed deeply as he looked at the emperor.


    He had seen the emperor right before he was crowned; he¡¯d cut a good looking figure. Crimson had found his sudden change strange, but he had only thought that the emperor had be more mature.


    <i>¡®But that change was because he knew his death was already set in stone¡­¡¯</i>


    The emperor was the perfect example of the saying that when people changed, they were about to die.


    As themanders stood looking at the emperor¡¯s coffin in silence, they felt the flow of a familiar mana, and turned their heads unconsciously.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯vee?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Commanders.¡±


    The easternmander¡¯s face held a bitter smile as he greeted them. Immediately after, he walked to the coffin to pay his respects.


    ¡°¡­¡­I was toote.¡±


    ¡°He knew that you had no other choice. We also couldn¡¯te¡­¡­¡±


    Crimsonforted the easternmander, stopping him from reproaching himself. But the faces of the southern and centralmanders also became darker.


    If only they had arrived a little sooner, the emperor may not have had to die.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­¡­</i> We should begin now.¡±


    One of the ministers spoke to the minister of internal affairs, who then turned to the chambein before shaking his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s one person who hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡±


    Once the internal affairs minister spoke, everyone else looked towards the chambein. Just as the chambein began speaking, a voice interrupted.


    ¡°Hmm? You¡­¡­¡±


    Crimson stared at the person who had just entered the room, a look of surprise on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­ you, are you okay now?¡±


    Crimson replied to the man¡¯s greeting, his face filled with worry.


    With the arrival of Iron who had been severely injured while fighting in the southeast, everyone¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Not yet¡­ I haven¡¯t recoveredpletely yet.¡±


    Iron replied, then turned to greet the othermanders before walking up to the coffin.


    Looking at the tranquil-looking emperor within, Iron sighed. Despite foreseeing his own death, he had not thought to escape. Thinking of this made Iron feelplicated. The person who had caused him no small suffering in his past life had now given humans a huge benefit, before upping and leaving. Iron was having a hard time wrapping his head around it fully.


    ¡°Now that everyone is here, I will begin.¡±


    The internal affairs minister brought everyone¡¯s attention back. They were now going to read thest will and testament that the emperor had left before he died.


    Usually, this was something that was read to the deceased¡¯s family members. But this case was different.


    Had the emperor known that all the imperial family members would hightail it away from the capital? Right before the dragonfolk army arrived, the emperor had asked the chambein to make sure his family was excluded when his will was read. To make sure of it, he had even left a video as evidence.


    Thinking of this meticulous way of doing things that he did not have when he was a crown prince, everyone in the room was impressed, but they remained calm as they looked at the internal affairs minister. The minister carefully removed the paper the will was written on from its case.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing the minister¡¯s muttering, the rest tilted their heads in confusion. The emperor had no children yet, so there was a very high possibility that he gave the throne to one of his royal brothers. They also knew that the internal affairs minister did not belong to any of the factions in court, so he would not react no matter who the sessor was.


    That was why they were puzzled at his pause.


    ¡°What¡­ what is written in it for you to be like this?¡±


    One of the other ministers queried the internal affairs minister, who then opened his mouth to continue.


    ¡°¡­¡­I will now recite His Majesty¡¯sst will and testament.¡±


    He cleared his throat again and began reading.


    ¡°I had the ability of foresight.¡±


    The will started with disclosure of the emperor¡¯s power, and continued with things that Iron already knew: the day of destruction and the empire¡¯s fall that he had seen in his dream, as well as things about the crisis humans were facing.


    ¡°What I saw be of humans in that vision was ghastly. To prevent that, I had to make a choice. One of which was my own death¡­¡­ Another was the heavy responsibility that the Lord God had given the Imperial Family ending with me.¡±


    Everyone fell into deep silence as the minister of internal affairs read on. It was because they understood what the emperor¡¯sst words meant.


    ¡°Inform the people of the empire that I have finished that task. This time of destruction must not lead to a return to the norms of the past, but must be the start of a new world. You must set fire to the injustices of the past now that the task of the Imperial family has beenpleted, and start a new era.¡±


    The chambein, already aware of what the emperor¡¯sstmand was, did not utter a single word. The internal affairs minister, on the other hand, looked at the ministers andmanders as if saying that his business was finished.


    But none of them spoke.


    ¡®<i>The end of the empire.¡¯</i>


    They were all disconcerted at the fact that the emperor¡¯sst words had brought into being something they could have never imagined.

 Chapter 204: The Fallen Imperial Family (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (204)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    64. The Fallen Imperial Family (3)


    Something no one could have ever predicted had happened.


    The emperor¡¯sst orders were for the empire to be brought to and, so it was not something they could solve on their own, regardless of how much power they had to control the state of things.


    After a long period ofplete silence, Crimson finally spoke.


    ¡°¡­¡­we should first ask the opinion of other people.¡±


    Everyone else nodded in agreement, and began leaving the pce. The moment the ministers and themanders stepped out, the people in the square looked at them with curiosity. The ministers andmanders may have been the first to hear the emperor¡¯s will, but in the end, the will still had to be read to all the people of the empire too.


    The problem was that that very will was announcing the end of the empire.


    The ministers andmanders had decided to announce the will to everyone in the Great Hall. Of course they were worried that doing so would cause chaos to ensue throughout the empire, but they could not hide the emperor¡¯sst orders.


    ¡°Call the reporters.¡±


    Once Leopold ordered the officials to assemble the reporters, the officials dispersed to carry out the task.


    They had decided to announce the will in the Great Hall, so everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the pce. In an unprecedented event, everyone, includingmoners, was allowed to enter the pce, and the enormous doors to the Great Hall had been thrown wide open. As for those who could not fit into the hall, a giant screen had been installed in the capital square.


    All the newspaper reporters from every corner of the empire gathered there, while the empire¡¯s affluent nobles were able to go through warp gates to get there.


    With the emperor¡¯s passing, there was sure to be some rearrangement of power, and knowing in whose hands that power would fall was an important detail for the merchants and nobles. Whoever the emperor had named as his sessor would take the throne, and the factions of the other princes would be toppled like a house of cards.


    ¡°I will now read His Majesty¡¯s will.¡±


    But at that moment, a noble raised his hand and interrupted the internal affairs minister.


    ¡°I have a suggestion to make before you begin.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at the noble who had spoken. It was a young noble named Chevara, who had earned the title of baron by his own efforts. Although barons were the lowest ranked in the hierarchy of nobility, no one could deny how capable he was to have earned it by his own might. The thing was that many young nobles like Chevara trotted out the word ¡®revolution¡¯ at all times, and were trying to oust the various factions among the nobles. [1]


    All this time, they had not been able to give voice to their movement because they werecking in strength. But even then, they were very involved in several aspects of the empire, be it administration, policy or academia, and also very outspoken. But things were different now.


    With everyone in the empire now awakened, all those who were dissatisfied with the empire¡¯s current hierarchy began standing out, and their representative was the very same Chevara who had stepped forward in the Great Hall. At this moment, he looked at the internal affairs ministers with eyes that seemed to be zing with fire, and spoke.


    ¡°First, I must express my deepest respect for the noble sacrifice that His Majesty made for the empire.¡±


    Everyone nodded at what he had said. The benefits the emperor had given them this timepletely erased all his previous actions. Count Chevara¡¯s deration of respect for the emperor softened the sharp eyes of those who were listening. The count continued almost immediately.


    ¡°I want to state that we can no longer ord any authority to those members of the Imperial family who abandoned the capital and its people at the very first sign of crisis. While His Majesty had been carrying out the duties of the Imperial family all on his own, they escaped, putting their own lives first. As such, we can no longer recognize them as members of the royal family.¡±


    All the high-ranked nobles frowned upon hearing Count Chevara¡¯s speech. Saying that they should no longer recognize the authority of the current members of the imperial family was no different from saying that they should no longer recognize the power of the imperial family as an entity. All the nobles who belonged to the different princes¡¯ factions red at Count Chevara as if they wanted to tear him apart right there.


    But despite the fact that most nobles in the Great Hall were staring him down, Count Chevara paid it no mind and continued with what he¡¯d been saying.


    ¡°The second is about what punishment should be meted out to those nobles who abandoned His Majesty and their responsibilities as nobles. They ran off, busy saving their own necks. They no longer deserve to be called the empire¡¯s nobles.¡±


    A deep silence spread through the hall as Chevara finished speaking. All the ministers,manders and officials remained silent as they only looked on. But those nobles who had run away and then returned after everything had settled scowled at him, as if they could kill him with their eyes.


    ¡°We should honor His Majesty¡¯sst words, but if it pardons these criminals in any way, then I say we must reject it.¡±


    Looking at Count Chevara who had just turned the direct descendants of the Imperial family and all the nobles into criminals with his words, the internal affairs minister asked.


    ¡°Count Chevara, are you done with your suggestion?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    The minister nodded calmly at the count¡¯s reply. But the rest of the nobles held strange expressions on their faces.


    Count Chevara¡¯s suggestion was exceedingly dangerous, as was expected of him as a reformist. But what was more surprising was that the faces of neither the ministers nor themanders showed any fluctuations. The ministers, on one hand, had never recognized the reformist group that wanted to overturn the current system. Themanders too, always seeking to pacify and stabilize the empire, did not like them either. So seeing no reactions from them was bound to be strange.


    Of course, Count Chevara noticed that too. In fact, when he decided to step up and speak, he had also been ready to lose his life. That was how dangerous what he had said was; he knew that for certain. But he still had to speak up, regardless of the danger he would face. He could not stand the thought of any authority being in the hands of those bastards who had run away while the God¡¯s Orb was falling apart and the pce was being trampled on, only to returnter. A good number of the empire¡¯s citizens held the same thought as he did, and were also hoping that those ingrates would be expelled. That was why he steeled his heart, ready toy his life down on the line, and stated his opening in the Great Hall.


    He had to put up a resistance, no matter how small. He had to show the citizens that there was someone who had the same idea as they did.


    ¡°Then I will read His Majesty¡¯s will.¡±


    The minister of internal affairs began reading, his voice unwavering.


    Everyone in the Great Hall had the same exact response that the ministers andmanders had when they first heard it. They were surprised by everything, from the fact that the emperor had the gift of foresight to the fact that he had even made preparations for the apocalypse. But what threw them even more off-kilter was the very end of the will.


    ¡°What did we just hear?¡±


    Once one of the nobles mumbled to himself, the rest began speaking loudly as well. The most surprised among them were Count Chevara and other pro-revolution nobles.


    The emperor had written the very thing they wanted in his will: the end of the imperial family, which had always been at the center of the empire and its affairs since time immemorial.


    That end had now been announced formally before everyone.


    ¡°There is no way¡­ this cannot be. Did the ministers andmanders collude and change His Majesty¡¯s will¡­¡­¡±


    One noble shook his finger at themanders while looking at them, causing themanders to stare him down. Their gazes seemed indifferent, but the noble felt his breath cease, and immediately cowered.


    ¡°As you have all heard, His Majesty proimed that the job of the Imperial Family has been finished. His Majesty also hoped that the empire would be reborn.¡±


    The minister of internal affairs looked around the room as he spoke.


    ¡°His Majesty ended his will with that exhortation, and the rest is left for us to decide collectively on.¡±


    Hearing that, the high-ranked nobles felt that they had been thrown a lifeline.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean that the empire could also continue to exist?¡±


    Everyone nodded when one of the nobles asked. They had to decide what path the new era the emperor spoke of would take. It did not mean that they absolutely had to dismantle the imperial family and end the empire.


    But contrary to what they thought, the ministers andmanders had judged that it would be difficult for the empire to continue as it was any longer. Iron who had been watching silently the entire time felt certain of that. While the contemptible acts of the were being revealed, weakening the Center, the power of each regionalmand had been increasing.


    Even if the current state of things were maintained, the empire would still notst long. The emperor¡¯s will that formally stated the end of the empire only put paid to it.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s will reading is now over.¡±


    The internal affairs minister finished his sentence and immediately left the Great Hall, while those who remained immediately went up in uproar. Some of the nobles were shouting, while the reformists faced them down.


    Now that the emperor had written that in his will, the reformists had the justification. But it was the high-ranking nobles who had most of the power in their clutches. On that basis, they were trying to reinterpret the emperor¡¯s will by all means.


    Themanders shook their heads and left the room as if they were tired of the ongoing fight. The ministers followed right after them.


    Among the people fighting in the room, only a small minority had remained in the capital to fight. Most of the nobles had run off to save themselves, while most of the reformist nobles had been in different regions of the empire and were not from the capital. That was why the ministers and officials who had remained in the capital found their fighting so pathetic, it made them nauseous.


    Just like there was a fight happening in the Great Hall, there was also an uproar in the capital.


    ¡°The empire is over!¡±


    ¡°We have to start a new era now!¡±


    At some point, some of the revolutionaries had appeared and began inciting the citizens.


    One group of nobles argued that the legacy of the empire had to be continued, no matter what. The new era the emperor spoke of was not the end of the empire, but a new political system. Since it was not explicitly stated in the will, then it could defer based on how it was interpreted.


    The schrs thought that those nobles¡¯ argument held some water, but the citizens thought differently.


    <i>¡®Why do we have to listen to those ipetent people?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®We are also strong now!¡¯</i>


    The nobles¡¯ power came from the personal connections, blood ties, martial arts and maybe even magic that they had umted over time. The nobles used those things, as well as their enormous wealth, as bait to lure in talents, further cementing their own power and privileges.


    But now that everyone was awakened, that advantage had disappeared. This made the crisis the perfect time for those who wanted revolution. Once the reformists dered that they wanted a meritocracy, a system based on skill levels, it was inevitable that the citizens wouldtch on to that ideal.


    ¡°Expel the nobles!¡±


    ¡°Remove them!¡±


    After the will reading had ended, the capital became divided between two forces. The two forces did not have the guards or the army fighting for them, but almost everyday both sides shed during protests.


    Iron watched everything happening outside with an expression of disgust.


    ¡°I think its time we made a decision.¡±


    Crimson too looked out through a window with a simr expression, before turning to the othermanders. This time, there were two other special people sitting in the midst of themanders. It was the family heads of the Godly Sword and the Lion ns.


    Now all the masters in the empire were gathered in one ce. Crimson asked all of them.


    ¡°What do you all think will be good for the empire?¡±


    All of them remained silent. It was such a serious matter that even the Godly Sword family head, who was known for always doing as he wished and concerning himself with nothing, did not dare to answer without serious thought.


    As they all dithered, thinking of what to say, Iron spoke.


    ¡°One thing is for sure. We can no longer leave the empire in the hands of the members of the Imperial Family.¡±


    The others looked at Iron as he continued.


    ¡°Thete Emperor was very clear on that. The role of the Imperial Family is now over¡­¡­ In fact, their time came to end the minute the God¡¯s Orb broke. Without their responsibility, what kind of Imperial Family can they be?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±


    Everyone hummed at Iron¡¯s words. He spoke again, driving the point home.


    ¡°Also, I am not sure what you all think¡­¡­ but for those people who threw off their responsibilities and ran off, I have absolutely no thought of letting them off lightly.¡±


    Themanders¡¯ eyes zed as they listened to Iron speak. Everyone of them understood what he meant when talking about the runaway Imperial family members. The same went for the two family heads as well.


    Honor? Loyalty? Trust? Even if those were set aside, why should they have to submit to people who ran away from their duties?


    Once this thought came up in their heads, none of the masters in the room held any more regard for the members of the imperial family.


    <b>Notes: </b>


    [1] ¡®Revolutionary¡¯ and ¡®reformist¡¯ will be used interchangeably to describe Chevara and his group.

 Chapter 205: The Fallen Imperial Family (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (205)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    64. The Fallen Imperial Family (4)


    All themanders pondered Iron¡¯s proposal.


    <i>¡®Is this the right thing to do?¡¯</i>


    But there was rationale for the proposal, and their hearts were already inclined towards epting the emperor¡¯s will.


    How much had they suffered at the hands of the Imperial family and the central nobles? And for so long too?


    Seeing what the north and northeast alone had suffered at the hands was enough to make one gnash their teeth. The other regions did not escape the suffering either. Even the west that had received some sort of support from the Center had always found it disappointing, and the centralmand had always had to y second fiddle to the capital guards.


    All this while, they had unknowingly been stacking up grievances against the Center. The more they thought about it, the more their negative emotions intensified. As their expressions became progressively worse, one of them finally broke the silence.


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    After Crimson, Jayden Wicks followed up, as if he¡¯d known that Crimson would say that.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Once both of them voiced their agreement, the othermanders began agreeing too one after the other, leaving only the two family heads remaining.


    ¡°I have no reason to oppose.¡±


    ¡°Same here¡­¡­¡±


    The Godly Sword and Lion family heads agreed with looks of indifference on their faces. That meant that everyone in the room had epted thete emperor¡¯s will as it was written. It also meant that they had brought the days of the imperial family to an end. They would not have to pay them the respect due royalty any more.


    In this time of chaos, that was no less than a death sentence for the members of the imperial family. The nobles would abandon them, and without their past authority they would probably have to live the same lives as themoners did.


    But that was <i>their</i> problem.


    There were many more people all over the kingdom whose lives were worse than that during these times.


    Themanders made the decision as they had nothing else to worry about, immediately informed the ministers of their decision, and the very next day the military¡¯s opinion was announced to the rest of the empire.


    ¡°¡­¡­therefore, we the military have decided to ept His Majesty¡¯s will.¡±


    Once Crimson, standing as their representative, finished the announcement, the two n heads also stepped forward to speak.


    ¡°The north will also ept His Majesty¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°As will the south.¡±


    The other nobles fell into chaos once they heard that the two n heads had agreed.


    ¡°If the nobles disappear from the empire, your two ns will also be affected.¡±


    ¡°Is this really the decision you are making?¡±


    At the nobles¡¯ questions, the two family heads chuckled. The Lion n was one that revered strength, and the Godly Sword family members only had swords and swordsmanship on their minds. So they did not give a hoot if all the rank and privilege that came with being nobles that they had was taken away.


    As for themanders? Most of them did not care either. True, the centralmander and the westernmander were from distinguished families, but they had be masters through their own blood and sweat, and liked to prove their strength on their own.


    Now that the militarymanders and the two greatest families in the empire had unanimously made such a decision, the military minister could not oppose them. Once he agreed, the other ministers followed suit. Those ministers that had either been bribed or threatened by the nobles had no choice but to follow the consensus.


    [Military says it will ept Emperor¡¯s will!]


    [Central government leaning towards will eptance¡­]


    [Imperial family: where they stand now in history¡­]


    After the military¡¯s announcement, even before the day was over, all the newspapers carried news of it, even adding the ministers¡¯ decision as well.


    Morning the next day.


    ¡°The empire will follow thest orders of thete emperor, His Majesty, and work to begin a new era!¡±


    The one who made the announcement was the interim prime minister, who was also the minister of finance. The minute he made the deration, the countless citizens in the square began cheering.


    A new era. Just listening to it made their hearts soar. They knew that they could not remove <i>all</i> the nobles and overthrow <i>all</i> the existing systems right that moment; that wasn¡¯t what the reformists wanted. But this deration meant that they now had the foothold, a basis from which to start changing things one by one.


    As themon people shed tears of joy, the schrs, who previously could not rise the ranks because theycked status, personal connections, blood ties, school ties or what may be, burst into rip-roaringughter.


    Themanders, seeing all this, realized that their business in the capital was done.


    ¡°I should return now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have been gone for too long now.¡±


    Jayden Wicks nodded, replying to Crimson¡¯s words in agreement.


    The twomanders were making their way to the warp gate. It was still early dawn, with no sign of the sun¡¯s rising and thick fog all around. The two had no idea when the frost giants would return to attack, so they had to return as quickly as possible. But then, they heard Lioner¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Are you leaving me behind?¡±


    Themanders¡¯ eyes widened at the Lion n head¡¯s words, before they chuckled. The entire northern region was faced with the threat of the frost giants. So the Lion n had been carrying out operations in the northeast on the down low.


    When the three masters reached the warp gate, there was a fourth person there.


    ¡°You must all be very busy.¡±


    The easternmander spoke, walking towards Crimson.


    ¡°You are leaving already too?¡±


    The easternmander nodded his head at Jayden¡¯s question.


    ¡°There are still lots of problems with Antis.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­ </i>there is really no unscathed region,¡± Jayden shook his head as he said, sighing deeply.


    Problems were popping up, one after the other, in all parts of the empire. Thankfully, they now had more wiggle room due to the soldiers¡¯ awakening. But their awakening was a double-edged sword as it created yet another problem for themanders. The entire army, not just one or two people, had awakened, so they had to restructure the army, gathering the people who had the same skills together, which created a mountain of administrative work for them.


    There was so much work to do, they felt they would rather go fight the frost giants for a round or two instead.


    ¡°This¡­¡­¡±


    Crimson looked towards the warp gate and saw that all the othermanders, including the southernmander, were gathered there. Everyone¡¯smand was facing one problem or the other, so they wanted to return quickly. That was why they were all gathered there in the early hours of the morning.


    All regions of the empire, except the central region, was at war. Even the northeast that had finished their battle, was still teeming with monsters that needed to be dealt with.


    ¡°You are leaving?¡±


    Jayden Wicks asked Iron, who was hidden in one corner.


    ¡°I have to.¡±


    ¡°Could you stay here for a while longer?¡±


    The othermanders too nodded at Jayden¡¯s question. Someone had to stay behind if themanders were leaving, and they all secretly hoped that Iron would agree to stay. Things in the capital were indeed a bitplicated at the moment, but the Mobile Field Army was currently in the best state among all the armies.


    As even the two n heads looked furtively at him, Iron smiled bitterly before speaking.


    ¡°I was thinking of bringing part of my troops to the capital with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Themanders¡¯ faces brightened at the unexpected answer.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t expect that,¡± Crimson said, looking at Iron with surprise.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.¡±


    They all looked at Iron odd, not understanding what he meant.


    ¡°Right before the war started in the southeast, I hade to see the emperor.¡±


    Iron went on to briefly exin what the emperor had told him when they met.


    ¡°At the time, I could sense what would happen, to some extent.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing any of us could have done,¡± Crimsonforted Iron, sighing.


    At that time, the southeast seemed to be on a path of no return, surrounded by danger. The victory that they¡¯d won came at the cost of Iron¡¯s life, Iron getting several grave injuries that put him on the verge of death. He still wasn¡¯tpletely healed yet too.


    ¡°I¡¯d thought that I would be able to bring the battle to a close swiftly. We did achieve our goal, but¡­ I got injured quite badly.¡±


    Everyone looked gloomy as Iron spoke. Things didn¡¯t always go as nned, that they all knew.


    ¡°Think of it as fate. His Majesty¡­ he was already determined to do that.¡±


    Crimson patted Iron¡¯s shoulder as he spoke. The rest alsoforted Iron before getting on the warp gate.


    ¡°Thank you for agreeing to stay in our stead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll do my very best.¡±


    Iron replied almost reluctantly to Crimson¡¯s parting words. He watched the disappearing figures of the three masters heading to the northeast disappear before he himself got on the warp gate. A few secondster, Iron left the capital as well.


    As all themanders headed back to their respective regions, the chaos in the capital intensified. The nobles who had been able to use their powers to suppress the reformists when the masters were around began doing so now.


    ¡°The new era starts by crowning a new emperor!¡±


    ¡°Now that the Imperial family is free of their task, their power must extend to the entire world!¡±


    The nobles used slogans like this to suppress the reformits, buying off some of them and using power to subdue those they could not. But the times had changed and everyone had awakened. They could all tell that following the nobles was not a good choice for them, not even in a million years.


    The reformists stopped hiding. Instead they openly opposed the nobles and fought to carry out their ns.


    ¡°The military is on our side!¡±


    ¡°Those people are not royals any more!¡±


    The reformists and citizens protested, and the other nobles resisted.


    But just as a tenuous bnce had formed between those who wanted to establish a parliament and those who wanted to maintain the existing caste system, the nobles¡¯ faction brought the princes back to the capital.


    The citizens were enraged at their return.


    ¡°Where do they think this is?¡±


    ¡°How dare they?¡±


    The younger reformist nobles were furious, and the citizens were prepared to fight the offending nobles immediately.


    But as everyone knew, politics is never a straightforward battle of rights and wrongs. Those nobles who brought the princes back began advocating for the establishment of a parliament that included the imperial family: three people from the Imperial family, three nobles, and three from themon citizens.


    They also proposed to form a smaller council below the parliament with the exact same ratio. From the point of view of the nobles¡¯ faction, they had taken a step back and even agreed to create the parliament that the reformists wanted, so they were working for the same cause.


    ¡°Those cunning bastards!¡±


    ¡°This is not it! What we want is¡­¡­¡±


    Of course, the reformists¡¯ faction did not agree to the proposal. If they did so, it would be a pyrrhic victory, throwing away a hardwon opportunity.


    But as they decided to y the long game and wait it out, another spoke was thrown in the wheel of the reformists. A smaller faction appeared among them that wanted to agree to the creation of the parliament and then continue the reform slowly and calmly.


    The reformists were already having a hard time fighting the nobles when they were one, and now they had divided into two. If things continued this way, they would be giving the nobles an opportunity for aeback, let alone starting a reform.


    But thankfully, just as they were at the point of despair¡­


    ¡°Sal¡­ salute!¡±


    Arge-sized airshiping from the southeast entered the capital. One of the troops of the Mobile Field Army, the 22nd Corps arrived behind Iron, who had gone ahead into the pce. He headed straight for the Great Hall and broke into the meeting that was happening there.


    ¡°South¡­ southeastmander, why are you here¡­¡­¡±


    The fourth prince asked with perplexion on his face. Iron smiled sweetly and replied.


    ¡°I am here to represent the military.¡±


    He walked with surefooted steps towards the princes. Silence spread through the Great Hall, erasing the loud voices that had been heard just a moment ago. Once in front of the members of the imperial family, he continued in a gentle voice.


    ¡°The military decided to follow His Majesty thete emperor¡¯s will, so the authority of the imperial family can no longer be recognized. Based on that, a parliament that includes the members of the imperial family will also not be recognized.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what the¡­ but His Majesty¡¯s will left room for debate!¡±


    Once he heard what the fourth prince had said, his voice trembling, Iron smiled again.


    ¡°That does not matter. All themanders and the heads of the two ns have agreed to ept it as is, and have agreed to ending the empire and the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°You dare threaten us!¡±


    The second prince, who had been seated at one side listening, yelled in an angry voice. Iron chuckled as he watched the second prince bristle.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s reply, the air in the Great Hall grew heavy.


    ¡°When you ran from the capital, did you think you would be able to crawl back in whenever you liked?¡±


    ¡°<i>Keuk!¡±</i>


    As Iron¡¯s momentum suppressed the second prince, the third prince spoke up too.


    ¡°Do you have the right to make such a decision on your own?¡±


    ¡°All themanders have given me the authority to do so. The Godly sword and Lion n heads did so as well.¡±


    ¡°How¡­¡­¡±


    The third prince looked at Iron with a face full of confusion.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s will was very clear¡­ So I have no idea what this nonsense is. His Majesty ordered that the empire and the imperial family be abolished, andpleted the task of protecting the God¡¯s Orb on his own. So¡­ a new era must begin.¡±


    He looked at the nobles who were in collusion with the prices as he spoke.


    ¡°The military is determined to erase all vestiges of the past. So there is no need to keep dragging it on. Let¡¯s begin preparations for the new era.¡±


    Here is some wonderful fanart by @kansaaieitj on Discord (thank you!) to raise those Iron levels!

 Chapter 206: A Time for Revolution! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (206)</b> Trantor: Master of Djinn


    65. A Time for Revolution! (1)


    Iron¡¯s words shocked everyone. But they had no way to refute him, nor did they have the justification to.


    Iron had the iron-d justification of fulfilling thete emperor¡¯sst wishes on his side.


    If it was just a simple will, they could have every means to push forward the argument that the empire had to be maintained. They would have grabbed onto the faults thete emperor had when he was crown prince, and used them to drag his honor to the ground, if that would give them the justification they needed.


    However, the emperor changed and recovered the empire¡¯s honor by virtue of his death. To add to that, another problem was that the contract between the Lord and the first emperor was set to break when the God¡¯s Orb broke.


    The Orb had been both the basis and the support of the empire. Safeguarding the Orb had been the pride of the empire, allowing them to protect the entire continent, and was also the first emperor¡¯s dying injunctions.


    ¡°Now that the God¡¯s Orb has shattered, it does seem that the job of the Empire is done.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ I do understand why thete emperor His Majesty gave that order.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    When the people heard the military¡¯s decision, they nodded their heads slightly. There was no one in the empire who did not know the story of the first emperor. However, they had not known that when the first emperor made the contract with the Lord, he had also ced restrictions on the Imperial family. They had onlye to know of those restrictions when the recent series of events urred. In addition, when thete emperor revealed everything and gave his orders before breathing hisst, all the citizens of the empire heard all the secrets of the imperial family¡±<ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>The contract between the first emperor and the Lord. </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    The first contract was a sacred contract to protect the continent from ancient races and external gods. But the first emperor had thought that his descendants would not abide by the contract at some point. So he had also ced restrictions on his bloodline through the contract.<ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Mandatory fulfillment of the contract by the imperial family</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    This was something the first emperor put in ce to make sure that the contract was fully executed. He bound his bloodline and the imperial family¡¯s souls to the ground using a number of objects that had been passed down for several generations, ensuring that the imperial family remained obedient and did not go astray.<ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Contracts with ancient kingdoms</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    The rulers of the different kingdoms that came to know about the contract between the first emperor and the Lord agreed to keep the secret. Instead, they made their own contract with the imperial family, agreeing that the imperial family would never threaten the peace of their kingdoms in order to keep the continent safe.


    These three things were what secured the safety of the empire.


    But, paradoxically, it also led to the rot of the empire. The mutual agreement between the imperial family and the ancient kings was known only to them, the involved parties. But, feeling safe in the knowledge that the minimum safety of the empire had been secured, the emperors and some of the members of the imperial family became haughty, the arrogance reaching the high heavens. As time passed, some noble families also learned of the secret, and also upied key positions in the Center.


    That was when all the problems started. It didn¡¯t take long for the roots of the empire to decay, and for the empire¡¯s honor to be sullied.


    In the annals of history, there had been other times when the empire faced one crisis or the other, but each time, with luck on their side, they were able to ovee the crisis. For that reason, and because they had the protection of the contract with the Lord God, they let the same crises ur time and again. With this, the empire became irrevocably corrupted. The only threat they ever faced was the monsters. This was why they gave the northeast and the south so many troops, as well as special privileges. If there were no monsters, the empire would not face copse, nor would the safety of the Center be threatened.


    It was because of thesecent thoughts that the empire became moth-eaten, rotten to its core.


    ¡°Now that the duty of the Imperial family has been finished, it is right to remove their authority.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We have all awakened now. That means that we have all been chosen by the Lord God.¡±


    ¡°It is only fair that those with skill and talent get promoted.¡±


    These thoughts did not remain among the citizens alone; they soon spread to the soldiers that were under the nobles¡¯ faction too. As the copse of the empire began and those soldiers awakened powers, discontent soon started to foment among them. They did not want to remain low ranking soldiers any more.


    ¡°We can also be knights now, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can. What does it even matter if we do not have the talent for mana? We already have these skills.¡±


    A soldier held a me on his palm as he said.


    Having awakened, the soldiers had no desire to continue bumming around for the rest of their lives. This was their opportunity to increase their status and rankings.


    As such thoughts spread no one wanted to maintain the system of hierarchies that divided people into nobles andmoners. And to do so, they had to take away the authority of the imperial family, those who reaped the very best fruits of that hierarchy.


    [The Fall of the Imperial Family]


    An article in the morning papers exined everything about the current situation. A mere few days after Iron returned to the capital, public opinionpletely moved to side with the reformists.


    Actually, before he came, the people had thought that any big reforms would be hard to carry out because of the nobles and the members of the imperial family that had returned to the capital. Themanders had agreed to follow thete emperor¡¯s will, but they had all returned to their regions, and the nobles once again became the dominant power in the Centre. The reformists had resisted and continued to push for the establishment of the parliament, but everyone had thought that the reformists would have to settle for apromise eventually.


    But in the middle of that, Iron returned.


    The onlymand in the entire empire that was free at the moment was the Mobile Field Armymand, and now theirmander had returned to the capital to personally represent all of the military in making sure that thete emperor¡¯s will was followed to the T.


    With both justification and military forces on his side, the Center had no other choice but to yield. After all, the citizens and most of the officials had chosen to side with the military, instead of with the imperial family and the high-ranking nobles.


    ¡°Things are bing interesting.¡±


    Iron smiled brightly, as he stood before a window, the height of the building allowing him to see aplete view of the entire capital.


    The people had used their own strength to make certain of the fall of the imperial family. In the midst of several threats, the people of the capital had realized that they were no longer safe, and had developed a fighting spirit. As that spirit grew inside them, instead of just wanting to be <i>safe,</i> they became filled with a fierce desire to be stronger. And at the same time, they naturally began to think that people who were strong or skilled were the ones who should be in high positions.


    No matter how the nobles and the imperial family tried, they could not stop those thoughts from spreading. Especially now that everyone had awakened, and weren¡¯t just regr humans.


    ¡°Well¡­ there are a few problems with the way things are currently¡­ but it¡¯s much better than the way things were before.¡±


    Just as there are various problems in a capitalist society, there would also be many problems in the society that people wanted to create now. But at the very least, it would still be better than a highly stratified, caste-driven society.


    <i>Knock knock!</i>


    A man entered through the door, just after the sound of knocking came.


    ¡°How are things outside?¡±


    ¡°There are no big problems.¡±


    Cardro, leader of the 22nd Corps, replied with a bored look on his face.


    ¡°They are quieter than I¡¯d thought.¡±


    Iron felt it odd that the nobles remained so quiet. If things were left to continue as they were going, they would have not an iota of power left to speak of. That they were yet to make any moves made Iron puzzled.


    ¡°Even the imperial family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. By the look of it, they seem to be having a lot of internal problems.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Iron found it understandable. With the soldiers of the nobles and imperial family faction now awakened, several problems had emerged in their faction. The desire to advance was, after all, something that all humans had.


    ¡°They could make a sudden move, so continue to keep an eye on them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Cardro bowed his head as he responded. Iron nced at him before raising a wine bottle.


    ¡°Since you have nothing to do, shall we have some wine?¡±


    ¡°Oh! That sounds good!¡±


    Cardro looked at Iron who was holding the antique-looking wine bottle excitedly, and immediately took a seat. Iron chuckled at his excitement, took out two wine sses, and then opened the bottle.


    As themander of the Mobile Field Army and his corpmander leisurely drank from their sses, the capital was fric. As the calls for the parliament to be established and the imperial family members stripped of their power spread like wildfire throughout the empire, people continued spilling into the capital.


    Originally, the nobles had wanted to send the capital guards and defense troops they had bribed to go suppress the people. They wanted to exhaust the reformists and people who hade to protest against the nobles and imperial family through confrontations with their bribed men, forcing them toe to the negotiation table of their own ord.


    However, all those ns turned to dust because of Iron.


    If Iron hade alone, who knew if things would have been different. But Iron had brought his troops with him.


    The 22nd corps of the Mobile Field Army, two divisions of drake knights under themand of the Mobile Field Army, one division of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s air force, two divisions of the Knights Order and one division of the Magician Army.


    If the 22nd corps was excluded, the number of troops was not sorge. But the problem was that every single one of them was an elite, seasoned fighter. They had gone through several battles, causing their overall level to rise at a frightening speed.


    To add to that, the Mobile Field Army had something unique from the other armies, and that was two techniques that were special to them alone. Even before mass awakening happened, they had each received an ability while disposing of the monsters they¡¯d faced. But then after the awakening, they had gotten yet another ability.


    But were they unable to use mana? That was not true either. To be part of the Mobile Field Army, they were all able to utilize mana. So on top of their mana, they now all possessed two more abilities¡­¡­


    ¡°Monsters¡­¡±


    The capital defense troops mumbled as they watched the soldiers of the 22nd corps.


    Once the weakest field army in the whole of the empire, they had now transformed into the army with the greatest potential among all themands. No one doubted that with just a little more time, they would truly be the strongest army in the empire. At the moment, some people even thought that Iron himself had already surpassed the two family heads who were battling for the title of strongest in the empire.


    As it was, neither capital defense troops nor the guards even dared to mess with the troops of the Mobile Field Army.


    <i>ng ng!</i>


    ¡°In a month, we will formally discuss the establishment of a parliament.¡±


    The minister of finance, still serving as the interim prime minister, formally announced the discussion in the Great Hall, as he was now the highest authority in the absence of the emperor.


    While the reformists cheered greatly, the nobles and the members of the imperial family released deep sighs.


    Public opinion was already inclined towards the formation of the parliament, and the military and high level officials had turned their backs on them. Even thepromise they had offered was rejected. Because of Iron and the threat he represented, the nobles and imperial family had united, setting aside their different factions, in order to resist Iron. But they were still defeated in the end.


    What was left now was for each of them to find their own ways to make a living.


    The revolution happening in the strongest empire continent had a domino effect. Once news of the revolution hit every region of the continent, movements immediately began in the Alliance of Southern Kingdoms and in the Holy Alliance in the west.


    Although they could not be awakened because of the wrong choice they¡¯d made by following the ancient and external gods, the people of these regions felt that they could also not miss out on the revolution.


    There were several forgotten ancient gods on the continent, just as there were several external gods who had lost their powers or had been forgotten too. People who had made contracts with such gods inevitably became discontent.


    [We want a society based on strength!]


    This was the cry of the reformists as they roamed through the Alliance of Southern Kingdoms. Even if they could not haveplete reform like in the empire, these reformists wanted to at least create a meritocracy. They wanted this despite knowing that problems might emerge.


    The alliance had an even more oppressive caste system than the empire. The reformists felt that the only way to break out of that was if their society was based on merits, on people¡¯s own strength.


    Of course people in the Holy Alliance also wanted this to. They wanted to reorganize their society based on individual strengths, and not based on the rankings of the strengths of the external gods.


    A tide of change spread through the three powers that dominated the continent.


    A revolution was about to begin.

 Chapter 207: A Time for Revolution! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (207)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    65. A Time for Revolution! (2)


    ¡°Things are really going crazy.¡±


    Ironughed quietly as he looked through the morning paper.


    The reform had spilled over from the empire and spread all over the continent. Iron didn¡¯t think the phenomenon was bad. In fact, he felt it was a pretty good thing for all of humankind.


    [A splintering Holy Alliance!]


    So read the title typed inrge font on the front page of the morning paper.


    In the Holy Alliance in the west, external gods had taken the ce of the Lord God. However, they had formed their alliance while nitpicking over how much they gained and lost; would they really divide any profits they got from the external gods fairly.


    Already, people were having to share gods that were not even at lord-level, and even long-forgotten gods were reemerging.


    Even amongst the gods, enmity had begun to spread. The external gods had united because of theirmon enemy, the Lord God, but they were slowly bing greedy. Maybe it was because they had all been in the void for a long time, but every one of the external gods was filled with avarice.


    ¡®<i>Those who made contracts with the lowrank gods are no different from ves!¡¯</i>


    ss division appeared in the Holy Alliance that everyone had thought would be equal. Anyone who did not make a contract with the lord-level gods automatically became low-ss citizens. [1] That was why people in the Holy Alliance began resisting the absurdity of their situation.


    Things in the southern part of the continent were even more serious.


    ¡°Why do we have to take orders from them?¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Adventurers who had made contracts with ancient gods whispered as they nced at the knights around them. When they had first made the contracts with the ancient gods, they had beencking whenpared to the knights.


    But thatck of skill was only for a short while.


    Most of the adventures and other-worlders advanced rapidly, many of them bing stronger than the knights or even themanders. The soldiers that belonged to the different kingdoms also made contracts with the ancient gods, but the adventurers and other-worlders had already imed all the good benefits first.


    But looking back now, they had made the wrong choice.


    Seeing how all the people of the empire had awakened because of the Lord God, they would have been much better off not making the contracts with the ancient gods.


    As if to drive home that point, a number of awakened people in the Southern Alliance of Kingdoms began emerging. They awakened using the power of the Lord God, and then reinforced their new powers by using the relics of ancient gods or used the new powers as the foundation for receiving new powers.


    ¡°They are rebelling!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Call the superiors!¡±


    Themissioned officer gave the urgent order, but different from before, they were unable to stop the rebel forces made up of awakened people. These people used their special abilities in ingenious ways to raise rebellions in various territories, while also tormenting the Alliance of Kingdoms¡¯ army.


    The Alliance¡¯s army hastily asked for help from the other-worlders, but the other-worlders had no thoughts of helping them out. Afterall,they knew that if they left things as they were, the kingdoms in the alliance would fall, and their own value would increase.


    Eventually, a number of territories fell to the rebel forces, and the rebels raised their banners high in those ces.


    With even the southern region of the continent now in chaos, the entirety of the Auzria continent was inplete disarray.


    Of course, the empire¡¯s capital, as the epicentre of all this, was filled with mour. The nobles and the imperial family were struggling desperately to not be stripped of their power.


    What if they could not find a solution in the capital?


    Then they would have no choice but to turn to the countryside.


    The abolishment of the hierarchy and caste system was a problem that concerned all nobles, which was why even the nobles in the countryside had been troubled, and had ceaselessly sent letters of protest to the capital. As if that was not enough, they even began gathering their armies.


    If it was a single territorial army that was being mobilised, then it would be like water off a duck¡¯s back to the empire¡¯s central government. But what if it was tens or hundreds of armies? If hundreds of territorial armies were united to form onerge army, then that was sufficient to threaten the safety of the empire.


    ¡°Is it today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Cardro replied to Iron¡¯s question in a heavy voice. Today was the day the debate on the establishment of the parliament would take ce; many nobles began gathering at the pce even before the sun rose. Even the nobles that had their territories in the countryside as well as the lesser nobles hade.[2] Meanwhile the citizens and the intellectuals had gathered in the square to watch the proceedings.


    ¡°What of Ariel?¡±


    ¡°She is leading the 21st corps and the rest of the defence troops here. They will arrive in the capital in two hours.¡±


    Iron replied immediately. Most of the Mobile Field Army wasing, leaving behind the minimum amount of troops needed to protect the southeast. Iron had initially thought that they could solve everything with just the 22nd corps, but because of the unusual events with the united army of the countryside nobles, Iron decided to order the 21st corps and most of the defence troops toe to the capital.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You stay here and prepare for contingencies.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Iron ordered Cardro to lead the army in his stead, and then began preparing to head out. He put on a military coat that was made from the skin of the Imoogi. The coat was so strong that it was able to neutralise heavy magic attacks and even block aura des for a little while. To add to that, it had undergone several magic treatments and was covered in numerous special materials, making the coat¡¯s value beyond imagination.


    Iron wore the coat as if it was some nuisance before making his way to the rooftop of their building. cing one foot on the ground, he jumped into the air, flying towards the pce.


    ¡°He really is a monster.¡±


    Cardro muttered to himself as he watched, through the window, as Iron flew like a sharp arrow that had been let loose from its bow. Iron was widely thought to be the one with the greatest physical strength among all the masters.


    In one breath, he used just his physical strength to arrive at the pce. Who could confront such a master?


    Who could stop Iron, who had the full authority of the military in his hands?


    Who could stop the empire¡¯s hero?


    The moment Iron arrived at the pce, he opened the doors to the Great Hall and entered the room, his steps light and sure. Already the reformists and the nobles were having a heated discussion, even though the meeting had not formally started. They shouted their thoughts at each other, their loud voices ringing throughout the room.


    But at this point, what was the use of any of that?


    ¡°Now that everyone is here, we will begin.¡±


    The interim prime minister arrived and immediately called the meeting to order. Heid out the agenda for the meeting and began the discussion on the establishment of the parliament.


    The result?


    ¡°Quite astounding.¡±


    All nobles¡¯ arguments fell apart before the schrs. Knowing that they would not be able to win by vote, they tried to drag out the time, but their ns failed, and the nobles werepletely defeated by the schrs¡¯ counterarguments.


    And even if the nobles wanted to push things through by force, it would be difficult to do so, because of Iron and the Mobile Field Army he brought with him. He had even added the 21st corp and the defence forces to the 22nd corps that came with him initially. This rendered the nobles, who had wanted to order the guards they had bribed to act, paralyzed as their ns fell through yet again.


    ¡°With that¡­¡­ this meeting concerning the establishment of the parliament is now brought to a close.¡±


    <i>ng ng ng!</i>


    The instant prime minister banged his gavel on the desk, the reformist faction cheered loudly. The citizens who had been watching also cheered, filling every corner of the capital with a festive atmosphere. The only exception was the nobles. The nobles and imperial family members looked at each other, as if urging each other to do something, but in the end, there was nothing they could do. Afterall, a giant god had appeared out of the blue, and suppressed them and their ns.


    [Finally! The empire¡¯s long awaited wish has been fulfilled!]


    Immediately the meeting in the Great Hall ended, newspaper articles with titles like this began pouring out, spreading the news that the parliament had been approved all over the empire. Because the empire was where the fires of revolution had started, all the revolutionaries from all around the continent had their ears open for news about the empire. The news also spread all over the continent, and people came to know that the parliament had established the way the reformists wanted, and not in the way the nobles had desired.


    ¡°We can do that too!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Overthrow them all!¡±


    At the news that the reform had seeded in the empire, people in the south of the continent went up in arms. The same happened in the west too, as if they did not want to be left behind.


    This was the time when so many had awakened, and now they also knew that reform was possible, that they could seed.


    The problem was that their circumstances were different from those of the empire. They were still bound to the ancient and external gods. Those contracts inevitably became fatal constraints to them.


    -Don¡¯t do it.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    -Do not rebel.


    The face of the young man who heard the ancient god speak wrinkled. It was not just him: others who had made contracts with external gods also had the same happen to them


    -Obey.


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying we should allow them to continue persecuting us?!¡±


    The young man vehemently resisted the god¡¯smand to obey. But the god only repeated its words again.


    -Obey.


    ¡°How¡­ how does that make any sense?!¡±


    -There are greater things ahead¡­¡­


    The god was saying that they should continue to bear the indignity and degradation because there was a greater cause to fight for. The man gnawed his lips as he thought.


    Something seemed off.


    There was something strange with the god being so nice and friendly to him. The young man still couldn¡¯t tell for sure what was wrong, but doubt that he had made a wise choice in forming a contract with the god began to bud within him.


    It was not just the young man who had this thought. This phenomenon was urring amongst people who had made contracts with lower gods. They kept hearing the gods babbling, telling to endure for some great cause, despite how absurd their society was.


    That so-called great cause was to fight against the Lord God, to reim the continent from the Lord God so they could descend to the continent.


    ¡°From the start, we were just pawns to them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­yes. I had known but¡­¡­¡±


    Many of those who had made contracts with the external gods heard the news about the empire and felt bitter. When the apocalypse came, they should have resolved their hearts to fight, even if it meant their death. But they had not had such courage.


    ¡°Ah¡­ <i>sigh¡­¡­¡±</i>


    Some of them regretted their rash decision as tears of remorse fell from their eyes. Some others envied the citizens of the empire, shallow smiles hanging on their faces.


    Meanwhile, the external gods continued to speak. They whispered in the people¡¯s ears that they should loathe the empire and kill off the empire¡¯s people. But having realised everything, those people no longer paid any attention to what the gods said.


    As they were feeling repentant, despairing because of their choices, news came that some people had found an ancient temple to the Lord God, prayed in penitence and had then be awakened. Their contracts with the lower external gods had been broken and they have awakened new powers through the Lord God¡¯s strength. There was no way of knowing if the news was true, but people secretly went to the old temple, as though they were clutching at straws. Because of this, things became chaotic in the Holy Alliance.


    ¡°They are heretics!¡±


    People unanimously used those that had formerly been their colleagues as heretics, just because they prayed to the Lord God. Why? It was because those who had made contracts with the higher level external gods felt they had their backs to the wall, now that they had seen what the Lord God¡¯s power was like and what kinds of choices other humans had made. They hade too far to give up, after all they had done. So, in order to keep the privilege they had received, they decided to blind themselves to the truth and charge those who had returned to the Lord God with hereticism, prepared to kill them.


    The same was happening also in the south of the continent. The other-worlders that had chosen the ancient gods instead of the Lord God began arresting those who had repented.


    But trying to suppress some things only results in an even stronger reaction. Almost at the same time, in the south and west of the continent, a new religion called ¡®the Lord¡¯s Own¡¯ emerged, made up of those who regretted making contracts with the ancient and external gods [3]. The members of the new religion evaded their suppressors and hid in the shadows to spread the message of returning to the Lord God¡¯s arms.


    ¡®Return to the Lord God!¡¯


    Many people joined the ranks of the new religion upon hearing this chant, especially in the south of the continent. They could offer up the relics of the ancient gods in their possession as sacrifice and awaken good skills if they repented and returned to the Lord God. Because of this, the revolutionaries in the south united with the members of the Lord¡¯s Own, forming an enormous force.


    However, the majority of people still believed in the ancient gods and external gods, still drunk on the power that they received from those gods.


    As the continent was thrown into chaos, something urred that truly showed that the era of destruction was upon them.


    <i>Kwoong!</i>


    Up in the skies, a giant figure looked down on the people with a haughty expression.


    ¡°Finally! You havee, my Lord!¡±


    As an old robe-d man shouted, everyone knelt down and cheered.


    ¡°We wee the reincarnation of our god!¡±


    The old man performed a full bow to the external god and shouted.


    ¡°For our god, we must punish those treacherous apostates!¡±


    ¡°Punish them!¡¯


    At the man¡¯s words, everyone in that ce became zealots, ready to kill those they deemed turncoats. With the arrival of the external god, their minds that had been shaken by the happenings in the empire steadied, and a fanatical faith grew in their hearts as they prepared to punish those who had repented to the Lord God.


    In the Holy Alliance, the fanatics began searching for and killing those that belonged to the Lord¡¯s Own. Things were even worse in the south. In the south, people began calling on the ancient gods, and received quests when they did so [to kill the heretics].


    If things remained as they were, those who had joined the Lord¡¯ Own would end up being massacred.


    But then the empire took action.


    Maybe it was because they found the people suffering in other countries pitiful, or maybe it was for the sake of humankind. Whatever the reason was, the empire¡¯s hero that had been in the capital all the while arose.


    ¡°The empire will never abandon those who trust in the Lord God.¡±


    Iron uttered these words, as he mobilised his troops.


    Finally, the Mobile Field Army left the southeast, and began moving, as if to match the word ¡®mobile¡¯ in their name.


    Notes:


    [1] Lord-level: ???; this is different from the Lord God, ??, that helped the empire.


    [2] Lesser nobles: ????; I tried looking the ? prefix up and could not find anything, so we will just go with lesser nobles for now.


    [3] The Lord¡¯s Own: ???; ? here means faith, religion, church etc.


    [4] The raws for this chapter seemed a bit unedited, with the plot changing rapidly. I have tried my best to give it some order, and as such have taken some creative licence with this chapter. Please let me know (in thements or via discord) how this chapter reads to you: I will make edits if necessary.

 Chapter 208: A War Begins (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (208)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    66. A War Begins (1)


    Reform spread through the Empire¡¯s capital like wildfire.


    As soon as the establishment of the parliament was formally approved in the Great Hall, the first action that was taken was the selection of the citizens¡¯ representatives. And afterwards, the elected representatives immediately set about reducing the powers of the imperial family and of the nobles.


    Of course, they never thought topletely abolish the nobles and imperial family all at once. Doing so would be great, but would require theplete overhaul of the social system; attempting to do that in the current upheaval, when it was not a time of peace, would cause several problems. With that in mind, they decided to slowly change things, one at a time.


    In this way, there were several conflicts of opinion, but at least there were no fights arising because of the sudden changes.


    ¡°There is nothing left for me to do here.¡±


    Iron said that as he looked at the parliament building that was being constructed where the pce once stood. His task was to protect the Empire as the foundations for the new generation were beingid. To aplish that, he had made his way to the capital and upied a position there, despite how troublesome it was. But now that he was here, it seemed that there was no reason for him to remain in the capital obstinately.


    ¡°You¡¯vee?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Iron asked without even looking behind him. Faulden bowed as he replied.


    ¡°And the situation in the south?¡±


    ¡°Things are dangerous, sir.¡±


    Faulden presented the report he had already read to Iron.


    ¡°This is the intel gathered by the Ravens.¡±


    Iron read through the entire blow-by-blow report that had been collected by the intelligence.


    After the mass awakening in the Empire, several things changed in the south and west of the continent. The biggest among those changes was that many people came to know the truth about the external gods and the ancient gods. The problem now was that those people, having learnt the truth, were now being oppressed. Even those who had sought asylum in the Empire were being captured and turned into ves in those two ces.


    If that was all, Iron might have turned a blind eye. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it.


    Those who had dared to disobey [the gods] were being murdered in cold blood, and those who were still alive and captured were being tortured in gruesome ways if they refused to reveal where their base was. Even if the dissidents were children¡­¡­


    ¡°The south is even more troubling than the west.¡±


    Iron said, sighing deeply.


    At least in the west, the oppressed people had allied with the revolutionaries, allowing them some room to breathe. But that was only because the revolutionaries too had chosen the ancient gods, and not the Lord God. In fact, different from the external gods, the ancient gods did not know yet how to unite among themselves, which actually made them a ticking time bomb.


    The gods, in order to make their descent to the continent, were allowing those who had made contracts with them tomit all sorts of crimes. After learning of that, Iron announced the mobilisation of his troops and sent the 23rd Corps led by Saeridan to the south. But this turned out to be insufficient.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us too to make a move.¡±


    Iron looked at Faulden.


    ¡°Assemble everyone. We leave the capital tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Faulden bowed at Iron¡¯smand and hurried away.


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    Iron looked once again at the report brought by Faulden, his expression turning icy.


    There were already gods that had descended through various reincarnations. Unlike in the west where the external gods were spending their time bolstering up their base of believers, the ancient gods in the south were already using those who had made contracts with them toplete their n for descent.


    The greatest threat at this point was neither the external gods nor the monsters, but the ancient gods.


    The one fortunate thing was that the newly established parliament was running smoothly.


    ¡°They are doing good work.¡±


    In the distance, Baron Chevara, one of the key figures among the reformists, could be seen talking to some other people. He was bringing up all the topics that had topics that had previously been considered unreasonable for debate in the parliament.


    Whenpared to the modern times Iron came from, the parliament still had a lot of shorings, but the important thing was that they were starting off strong like this.


    Marquis Maldini and Marquis Varesi, from two of the top noble families of the capital, were vehemently opposing him, but the general consensus so far seemed to be in favour of the reformists.


    Having checked on the affairs of the capital onest time, Iron began preparations to leave.


    Several tens of airships that had been gliding through the capital¡¯s skies were now gathered in one ce. At the same time, several more airships were flying around the area, as if to back them up.


    ¡°All preparations areplete, sir!¡±


    Cardro step forward to speak, and Iron gave a small nod in response. He rode a drake up to arge-scale battleship. As soon as he boarded the battleship, he saw Ariel and the othermanders who were on standby.


    ¡°Any news on Saeridan?¡±


    ¡°He is currently at the border with the Southern Alliance of Kingdoms. He is in the middle of a standoff with the Alliance¡¯s army.¡±


    Faulden reported Saeridan¡¯s status, to which Iron nodded before giving an order.


    ¡°Tell him to withdraw a bit. Before we arrive, he should refrain from any needless battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Faulden immediately ordered thems officers to ry the message, while Iron turned to the othermanding officers.


    ¡°Once we arrive in the south, we might have to go to battle. Make sure you are prepared.¡±


    Themanding officers showed tense expressions at Iron¡¯s words. Even when fighting monsters, the words ¡®make sure you are prepared¡¯ were not something that was said unless things were critical. Iron had never said this except when they had fought the Giant Worms and the manticore coalition army. Feeling nervous, they looked at Iron.


    ¡°If need be, we might have to upy the entire southern region.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±


    ¡°We may even have to kill all the humans in the south.¡±


    They gulped upon hearing Iron¡¯sst sentence, anxiety coursing through them.


    ¡°They could be kids, or even elderly people. But if they have made a contract with the devil or anything simr, we must kill them. Showing needlesspassion will only put the lives of our own troops in danger.¡±


    The officers¡¯ hearts, which had been shaken by their Commander¡¯s statements, gradually calmed down. The mention of their own troops had cleared their heads.


    ¡°Be prepared to kill them all. That is how our troops can stay alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Themanding officers replied with fiery eyes. Seeing his subordinates¡¯ resolve, Iron nodded and gave further instructions. Before arriving at the south, he discussed all the intel on the south, as well as the information they had about the ancient gods, so that they could determine what tactics and formations they would use.


    Finally, it was time for the Mobile Field Army to leave for the south.


    The people thought that the nobles would use this opportunity to gather their armies again. But the tide of change had swept through the entire Empire. The moment the parliament was established, all the capital guards and defence troops that had taken bribes from the nobles were arrested and taken to prison. The reformists had felt that this period, in which Iron and the Mobile Field Army were in the capital, was the best time to punish them.


    Perhaps because what they had been worried about did not happen, the capital remained peaceful even after Iron left.


    But the same could not be said for the south.


    ¡®<i>Iron who conquered the southeast ising!¡¯</i>


    At this news, all the people of the south trembled with anxiety.


    The ones who were most afraid were the royals. The revolutionaries alone had been a great headache, and now Iron too wasing with his army.


    By this point, the ancient gods had already be the nucleus of the south and its forces. But right now, Iron wasing to the south to rescue those who believed in the Lord God. That only meant one thing.


    <i>¡®I cannot ept you who have chosen to believe in the ancient gods.¡¯</i>


    Knowing Iron¡¯s meaning only increased the chaos in the south.


    Those people, once united by the power of the ancient gods, looked at one another, different thoughts arising in their minds. The situation was grave enough for even the coalition of the other-worlders, who had united solely because they came from the same world, to begin showing signs of copse.


    ¡°It seems the quests from the Lord God are better than the quests from the ancient gods.¡±


    ¡°The reason why we came here at first was because of the Lord God, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to return now?¡±


    There were many other-worlders who had thoughts like these. They were unable to stop thinking about their original world. As they thought about their family, rtives and close friends who were still there, they could not focus on the ancient gods. For that reason, there were several people who were confused on what choice to make.


    However, there were also many who did not have those thoughts.


    ¡°If youpletely turn your back on the Lord God, we will be able to summon the incarnations of the ancient gods.¡±


    ¡°Just focus on the ancient gods alone.¡±


    ¡°We can be stronger even faster!¡±


    These people hadpletely sided with the ancient gods, as they only sought to be stronger; their numbers included many of the high-ranking other-worlders too. Finding a way to survive in the time of destruction was already a daunting task: they did not have the time to think of anything else, let alone their original world.


    The people of the south and the other-worlders remained in chaos because of their individual circumstances. If this continued any longer, their unions would copse.


    There was only one way to reverse the situation.


    [The Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation hereby deres Iron Carter and the Mobile Field Army invaders. Starting now, we will go to war with the Empire.]


    The other-worlders¡¯ union also agreed to this decision made by the confederation.


    [All guilds will go to war with the Empire.]


    With the two greatest powers in the south rallying their troops, the entire region fell into disorder. Those who were still torn between the Lord God and the ancient gods even began considering leaving the south entirely. But they had no choice but to follow the injunctions of the two powers, as those who looked favourably on Iron were being imprisoned on espionage charges.


    Because of the decision of the confederation and the other-worlders union, things began moving at lightning speed.


    ¡°Ravens have sent a report.¡±


    At the border, Saeridan received the paper that the aide-de-camp presented to him. As he read it, he frowned.


    ¡°Have they gone mad?¡±


    The contents of the paper were grave, giving cause for rm.


    [They¡¯ve decided to go to war with the Empire. A surprise attack will likely be first move.]


    ¡°Let¡¯s fall back for now.¡±


    Having made that decision, Saeridan ordered all the troops to withdraw. Of course he wanted to stay and fight the enemy forces, but stopping the other-worlders with his skills was beyond his abilities.


    The army of the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation began advancing. They even had masters among their troops: except the masters who had been gravely injured by the manticore, all the masters were called to fight in the war against the Empire.


    Regardless of the fact that the time of the awakened hade, the value of the masters was the same as ever. Their absolute strength meant that theiring along with the army was not to be taken for granted.


    ¡°Prepare to retreat to Command if need be.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    At Saeridan¡¯s order, the entire 23rd Corp began retreating. Seeing this, the morale of the confederation¡¯s army increased, and they continued to advance.


    The confederation¡¯s justification for the army was that part of thend [previously] upied by the monsters belonged to them. Since the Empire had upied thatnd without authorisation, they wereing to retrieve what was theirs.


    With such a far-fetched reason, they gave notice to the Empire and felt that they had given a good enough cause for the action. Then they marched forward without hesitation.


    Finally¡­¡­


    ¡°The Empire¡¯snds start from here?¡±


    Carlos, one of the masters from the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation, looked at thend before him.


    In the past, he had never dared to step on thesends. Now, he was leading troops into it.


    ¡°Brings back old memories.¡±


    Another master, named Muradin, looked at the samends, his face filled with a myriad of emotions.


    ¡°Now that we are here, we should advance further.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The fight with the Empire will have to start at some point.¡±


    The other-worlders who hade agreed with the two masters¡¯ decision. They wanted to fight Iron one more time. To add to that, the quest they had received said that they had to fight Iron¡¯s Mobile Field Army and gain victory. That was why they joined the march towards the north.


    A whileter, they reached the vicinity of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s Command. As they charged, ready to fight, Saeridan began preparations and dered a state of emergency among the troops.


    At the same time, Iron was speaking with two othermanders.


    -Is it really okay?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    On one screen was the easternmander. At his question, Iron smiled brightly in response. Another screen showed the southernmander, worry written on his face.


    -Are¡­¡­ are you really going to fight the two masters from the confederation on your own?


    ¡°Yes. So there is no need for you to leave the frontlines, Southern Commander. As for the Eastern Commander, take it easy and make your way here slowly.¡±


    Iron¡¯s words made the twomanders remain quiet.


    Even though the two masters were one level lower whenpared to those of the empire, they were still masters. He was nning to fight both of them at once?


    They wanted to tell him not to overdo things, but Iron had already fought against the manticore and the imoogi at the same time before.


    ¡°I can buy us enough time. So don¡¯t worry about it ande to help us when your frontlines are secure.¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes took on a sharp glint as he spoke.


    ¡°The day you both arrive will be the day we attack.¡±

 Chapter 209: A War Begins (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (209)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    66. A War Begins (2)


    Rendered speechless by Iron¡¯s confidence, the twomanders nodded after a short while.


    ¨C<em>I understand. </em>


    ¨C<em>I wish you luck in the battle. </em>


    Having received themanders¡¯ support, Iron bowed as he smiled.


    If they didn¡¯t trust in the Empire¡¯s greatest hero, then who could they trust?


    Having thought that, the twomanders decided to put their faith in Iron and focus only on their frontlines.


    In the meantime, the confederation¡¯s troops steadily advanced towards the southeastern Command, where Saeridan was keeping guard.


    ¡°What about the Commander?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s two hours away. He¡¯s almost here.¡±


    The intelligence officer replied immediately to Saeridan¡¯s question. Saeridan gave a small nod when he heard the reply. Then he turned to listen to the scouts¡¯ report, while looking at the confederation army¡¯s formations.


    ¡°What is¡­¡­ this confidence?¡±


    As if ready to push back the entire southeasternmand, the opposing army had ced all their main units at the very front. The two masters and the strongest among the other-worlders were quickly approaching. Since Saeridan had returned to the Command, there was nothing blocking them; they subdued the monsters in the area and arrived in the territory of themand in no time.


    ¡°Prepare for battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    At Saeridan¡¯s order, all the troops that were in the Command began preparing for battle. As the 23rd Corps prepared, themand defence guards also began getting ready forbat. The storm troops, the knights division, artillery division and even the rangers were all deployed. All the airships rose into the air simultaneously, the drake knights densely surrounding the ships. The merchants andmoners who were inside the Command went into the bunker, while all the soldiers who had been previously tasked with maintaining public order went up the Command¡¯s walls.


    As everyone in the Command was preparing for battle, Saeridan and the othermanding officers continued to observe the enemy forces.


    ¡°They don¡¯t even look the slightest bit afraid.¡±


    Saeridan looked at the situation unfolding on the video crystal before bursting into a shortugh. He was utterly dumbfounded. Trusting in the masters that were leading them, the confederation¡¯s army continued to advance despite being in the range of themand¡¯s fortress guns. If they advanced just a bit more, they would be in the range for artillery fire.


    Saeridan was sure that they had intel about themand. After all, the battle they had fought in the southeast was famous not only in the Empire, but throughout the entire continent. Despite that, the enemy forces were advancing so fearlessly.


    ¡°Shall we respond with some fire?¡±


    ¡°I think we should.¡±


    Carl, who had approached Saeridan at some point, stood beside him, a dumbfounded look on his face.


    In the absence of themander, Carl had been in charge of themand¡¯s defence. On top of that, he was also in charge of the entire air force unit, including the drakes and the airships. This meant that Carl was in charge of both therge mana guns that had been installed on the airships and themand¡¯s fortress guns.


    ¡°We should knock them down a bit.¡±


    Immediately Carl finished his sentence, themissioned officers moved to begin operating the fortress guns. The airships that were gliding through the skies also released therge mana guns they were fitted with.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun while sending them packing.¡±


    Carl smiled at Saeridan¡¯s words, before giving the order.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    As soon as Carl spoke, all the fortress guns fired at the same time. The airships opened fire as well, shes of blue lighting from the mana guns as they shot at the enemy.


    Multiple barriers unfolded around the confederation¡¯s army, stopping the shots. But the fortress guns¡¯ immense firepower was not something magic barriers alone could stop.


    It was at this time that an enormous figure appeared.


    ¡°They had a hidden power?¡±


    Saeridan looked at the giant-like figure that had appeared all of a sudden. It was an incarnation of an ancient god, its incarnate body not yet fully formed. It hade down to reveal itself for a short while.


    An ancient god could only appear if the several people who had awakened by its power joined their strengths and paid a certain price.


    However, its power was indeed great.


    ¡°It seems they are nning to force us back.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, we have to hold on until the Commander arrives.¡±


    Carl replied to Saeridan with a scowl on his face.


    As they were speaking, the artillery began to fire at themand of the artillery unit¡¯s captain. The cannonballs, fortified with a special material, fell like rain, pummelling the incarnation that was moving from the enemy frontline. Right after that, the fortress guns and mana guns that had refuelled fired again. The shes of light from the mana guns painted the sky blue as they flew towards the confederation¡¯s army, while a huge number of reinforced cannonballs were let loose.


    As is to be expected, the confederation¡¯s army began their counteroffensive. They alsounched long-range attacks using their artillery, and the awakened amongst them used their abilities to attack.


    mes surged from the barren earth, while shes of lightning swept through the sky: these attacks were all done by the awakened.


    But awakened people did not exist on the side of the confederation¡¯s army alone.


    All the people of the Empire had awakened too.


    Although their skills were still weak because it had not been long since they awakened, they united their individual powers and withstood therge scale attack. The soldiers stopped the lightning that drilled past the barriers and the surging mes all on their own.


    But then, the two strongest individuals in the confederation¡¯s army, stepped forward.


    ¡°Are they masters?¡±


    As Saeridan spoke, he opened the window in front of him and flew forward. The othermanding officers also headed for the walls of the Command, the same thought as Saeridan¡¯s running through their heads.


    Now that the Commander was present, they had to go head to head with the masters and buy some time.


    ¡°You think things like yourselves can stop me?¡±


    Carlos sneered as he looked at themanding officers who had gathered on the walls.


    But instead of responding, themanding officers of the Mobile Field Army drew their swords instead.


    Feeling their resolve, Muradin grabbed Carlos by the shoulder and drew his own sword instead.


    ¡°I respect your courage. I¡¯ll be sure to give you a clean death.¡±


    Immediately he dropped that sentence, Muradin shed to the gates of the southeasternmand and made a huge sword. Behind him, Carlos made an unhappy expression before turning away.


    It was a sword attack with the full power of a master. Even if high-ranked knights wrapped a magic barrier around themselves and joined all their powers, there was no way they could stop that attack.


    However, that thought was soon disproved.


    <i>Kwoong!</i>


    Muridan¡¯s sword that had been headed to cut down the gates to the Command as well as themanding officers was blocked enroute.


    It was two lions that had blocked his attack, one shining brilliantly, the other dark as night. Behind the lions stood the knights division and storm troops, supporting them. Everyone of them was proficient in the lion swordsmanship, so they gave more power to the lions of the leaders of the knights order and the storm troops. The two lions absorbed that power and became twice as strong as they were initially; every time the two leaders swung their swords, they moved and withstood Muridan¡¯s sword attacks.


    But then Muridan began using the power he had received from his ancient god. Rocks flew up towards the sky, and formed thousands of steel swords.


    But those were also blocked.


    ¡°A me lion this time?¡±


    Muradin looked to find what had blocked his powers. It was the sword that Saeridan,mander of the 23rd Corp had drawn that blocked his attack. He had united the lion swordsmanship with his own fire powers to make a sword technique that was unique to him.


    In addition, the two leaders¡¯ swords had also blocked his aura de.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! It seems you¡¯re struggling because of these little things.¡±


    Carlos spoke, looking at Muridan as if he was pathetic. Muridan attacked again with all his strength, the veins on his forehead tense and palpable.


    Even if he had been judged as weak among the masters, he was still a master. With the addition of the powers given to him by the ancient god, he was a qualified catastrophe.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    With his sword technique on full disy, the two lions that had fended him off for a short while were pushed back a far ways.


    Like the Leopold family¡¯s sword technique, the power of Muradin¡¯s sword technique could be amplified the longer he used his sword. Because of that special quality, the knights order and the storm troops were eventually forced to retreat bit by bit.


    As they were being forced back by Muradin¡¯s overwhelming power, Carlos also raised his sword. It was a quickde of the highest quality. Such a sword belonged only to Carlos.


    In order to stop him, all the Rangers, Saeridan and the Ravens stepped forward.


    <i>ng ng ng!</i>


    Carlospletely parried the Ravens¡¯ surprise attack as well as Rangers¡¯ long range attack, swinging his sword with a leisurely expression on his face. With one blow, he cut through Saeridan¡¯s me lion.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    ¡°It must feel like your insides are being crushed. It¡¯s the power I got from the ancient gods. The moment you block it, it will rend your insides.¡±


    Having fused his sword technique with the power of the ancient gods, bringing it close to perfection, Carlos¡¯ power was so strong that no one dared to go up against it.


    With the attacks of the two masters, the troops and even the 23rd Corps were in danger of being defeated. To add to the mix, the other-worlders began attacking the Command zealously.


    Meanwhile, the confederation¡¯s army troops looked on at the battle happening before them. Seeing theirmanders¡¯ immense strength, their morale went through the roof. It seemed they would be able to take down themand within a few minutes.


    As they were thinking this, the masters who had been showing their might in all its splendour were suddenly pushed back.


    <i>Boooom</i>!


    There was the sound of a massive explosion. It was two shes of light that had forced the two masters back, a power that everyone in Mobile Field Army could not be any more familiar with.


    ¡°Tsk! That¡¯s a shame.¡±


    Carlos looked regretfully at Saeridan and the Rangers that he had almost finished off. Muradin definitely felt the same way too.


    Those defending the Command had been stronger than they expected, so they¡¯d struggled a bit. But if they¡¯d had just a bit more time, they could have decimated the main forces of the Mobile Field Army.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡­ divine power?¡±


    They felt an energy surrounding and suffocating them. Muradin frowned as his swung his sword. His sword cut through the energy, a light shining as it was cut.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­are you the Empire¡¯s hero?¡±


    Muradin and Carlos both looked at the young man that had forced them to retreat.


    However, the man did not respond and raised his sword instead. Immediately the same powerful force surrounded them, while enormous divine beasts appeared in the skies. Simultaneously, the aura from the sword, his divine power and holy power closed in on them, and weighed down on the two masters.


    ¡°Impudent!¡±


    ¡°You dare think of pressing us down!¡±


    With rotten looks on their faces, the two masters released all of their strength.


    Suddenly, an immense power began to gather in the skies.


    -The lion of the Lord God!


    -He must die!


    -Kill him!


    -Kill!


    All of a sudden, several incarnations began appearing all over the ce. They showed deep animosity towards Iron, raring to kill him.


    That instant, a notification rm rang in the ears of everyone there.


    [God Game¡¯s Apocalypse first story, the war between the ancient gods and the Lord God begins.]


    -Huge reward for the victors! Losers receive only death and extinction. Please fight to win this war.


    -Reward significantly increases all skills and abilities.


    -Second awakening possible depending on level of contribution to victory.


    The notification came out of the blue, and could be heard on both sides of the war. Seeing that everyone had heard the same thing, they looked at each other¡¯s faces. Soon, greed began to glisten in their eyes.


    ¡°It seems this war is more important than we¡¯d thought.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, Muradin and Carlos¡¯ faces hardened as they tightly grasped the swords in their hands.


    Watching them, Iron spoke to the divine beasts.


    ¡®Block the incarnations as much as possible.¡¯


    The divine beasts cried in response and nodded their heads.


    Those things were incarnations of the ancient gods, but they were yet iplete.


    After having their powers stripped continuously from them for a long time, and their ranks reduced, the ancient gods were infinitely weaker than they had been in the mythical times. And now, since their incarnations had not formed fully, they were all the weaker for it.


    Still, their considerable numbers could not be taken for granted. There were all sorts of incarnations, but some of them were so strong that even a level 6 would have a difficult time facing them.


    ¡°Are you nning to fight us without your divine beasts?¡±


    ¡°Even without them, I alone can take you.¡±


    When Iron replied to Muradin that he was more than enough to fight them, Carlos charged at him in anger.


    ¡°Impertinent thing!¡±


    Carlos roared in rage and flew at Iron, his quicksword at the ready. Muradin rushed as Iron right after him.


    As the two masters used their full strength to attack him, Iron did the same too.


    With the fight between the masters begun, the confederation¡¯s army and the Mobile Field Army began to battle in earnest.

 Chapter 210: Ancient Gods! (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (210)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    67. Ancient Gods! (1)


    The two masters immediately attacked Iron at the same time, the powers they received from the ancient gods on full disy.


    They had already seen thebat records from the battle in the southeast, and had even watched videos of the battle. Iron¡¯s powers were so freakish that he was able to face both the manticore that had wiped the floor with Master Yolke, <i>and </i>the imoogi. [1]


    Of course, Master Yolke had be stronger than he was then, but it still did not negate how strong the Manticore was. They too would have found it difficult to fight the Manticore one-on-one.


    But Iron had fought both the manticore and the Imoogi at the same time¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­this monster.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­¡±


    The two masters exchanged several blows with Iron, confirming the rumours they had heard about him. In fact, he seemed to have be even stronger than the rumours said. He didn¡¯t even look tired despite fighting the both of them without the help of the divine beasts.


    Even though they were using the powers of the ancient gods, they found it difficult to break through Iron¡¯s defences. Iron was a master now, and his swordsmanship had be even more exceptional than they¡¯d thought, but the most difficult thing was his holy power.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    Not a single crack was made on the shield of light, even as Muradin struck it endlessly. Carlos watched for a chance to attack, but still couldn¡¯t make a dent in Iron¡¯s steel-like defence. It was clear that they were the ones who would be disadvantaged if things continued that way.


    Just then, the earth rose suddenly, creating a giant that struck Iron with both its arms.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The shield of light blocked the blows, but the rock giant did not stop striking. Despite seeing that its attacks were failing, the giant continued, battle qi billowing off of it¡¯s body.


    ¡°This power¡­¡­¡±


    He had seen this power before, sometime in the past. He had seen it when Rovanov came to the southeast to receive recognition as a master.


    As soon as Iron recognised that power, he saw an enormous water dragon forming in the sky.


    ¡°Kim Jungtae¡­¡­¡±


    The water dragon was much bigger than thest time he had seen it. Not only was its size greater, but he could also feel great spirit powering from it as it watched him.


    ¡®<i>Did he fuse his spirit with the water dragon?¡¯</i>


    He had no idea how it had been done, but the water dragon, an ancient creature, had been fused with spirit. It now possessed strength that could not be taken lightly.


    Following behind was Rovanov, who had fused with the rock giant and was emitting an immense amount of battle qi. It seemed that, while he had been stabilising the southeast and working in the Empire¡¯s capital, they all advanced tremendously.


    Added to all this was a surprise attack from Al Assad. Having been on the receiving end of his attack before, Iron could block it. But the problem was what came afterwards.


    Harry Williams¡¯ attacks came at him without ceasing, while Jamie¡¯s magic containing wave power rained down on him. And what took the cake were the countless animals Hikardu had with him, and the constant bombardment with spirit power.


    <i>Boooom!</i>


    Bombarded from every side, Iron was attacked by the power of the other-worlders. Even if he had apostle-level divine power, with all these powers focused on him, he would definitely be injured, especially as they had also received powers from the ancient gods.


    The six strongest other-worlders joined forces to catch Iron, and the two masters who were in the running for the title of strongest in the south were trying to do the same as well. There was no way Iron could endure the wave of attacks. In the end, he decided to use all his power. He covered his aura de in lightning and cold qi, and recalled all the divine beasts he had sent to deal with the incarnations of the ancient gods.


    ¡°<em>Now</em>¡­¡­ you are nning to use all your strength?¡±


    Muradin fiercely scowled, as if his pride had been trampled on. Carlos had the same look on his face. Both of them had lived in Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation enjoying immense power, enough that they were almost on par with kings. Although they had been judged to be one level lowerpared to masters from the Empire, no matter how one looked at it, they were still two of the very few masters on the continent. Despite joining hands to attack<i> one</i> person, they had been unable to make him use all his strength. It had taken six other-worldersing forward and joining forces for them to see this young master¡¯s full powers.


    But if one thought about it carefully, there was no reason for their pride to be hurt.


    [<i>Unofficially known as the continent¡¯s strongest</i>]


    This was the rumour circting around the Empire, especially around the young people who saw Iron¡¯s exceptional performance.


    However, the elderly and middle-aged people felt different. They had endless faith in the family heads of the Lion and Godly Sword ns, the two pirs that had supported the empire in the past. As such, they would not admit that Iron, who was still in his early 20s, had surpassed the two n heads. Of course, they could see his aplishments; it was clear to all that he was a hero who had made great contributions to saving the Empire. But they felt that at best he had reached the same level as the two n heads, and in no way could he surpass them. After all, the two n heads also had a huge part in solving the crisis the Empire faced.


    But at some point, those Grand Masters began to lose their central position on the stage of power in the Empire. And the only one whose power couldpare to theirs was Iron.


    [<i>The Empire¡¯s top 3!</i>]


    It was clear that Iron¡¯s power at present had long surpassed that of other masters, so much so that the Empire¡¯s newspapers wrote about it openly.


    Therefore, it was preposterous for those two masters from the south to think that they could catch him.


    ¡°No matter how much we struggle to be the continent¡¯s strongest¡­¡­¡±


    The two masters fought him hard, using the powers they had received from the ancient gods, but his defence was still as firm as ever. This was the same for the other-worlders who attacked him. Even though the six of them attacked, they were repeatedly blocked by the divine beasts. Thunderbird faced the water dragon and the rock giant, while the wave magic and the numerous spirits and druid animals could not get past Two Moons. Meanwhile, Al Assad¡¯s darkness and Harry Williams¡¯ light sword were caught up in trying to stop Phoenix¡¯s mes.


    ¡°Is this all they¡¯ve got?¡±


    Iron said as he stretched his neck. Compared to when he fought the manticore and Imoogi, this battle was much more rxed. Of course at that time, he had overstretched himself while fighting them, and the two monsters had been extremely strong. But it was undeniable that the other-worlders¡¯ strengths did not match the level he expected. They were at a level where he could deal with them even if he only deployed the divine beasts. Moreover, Iron had advanced one more level after thatst bloody battle, so it was natural for him to feel rxed when facing the other-worlders.


    <i>¡®Still, they have indeed gotten a lot stronger.¡¯</i>


    Iron thought to himself, as he faced the two masters who were attacking him frantically.


    His feeling that the battle was easier meant that he had reached a level that surpassed those of the two n heads that were in the running for the title of the Empire¡¯s strongest. In a way, it made him relieved, and somewhat happy.


    Iron used the unexpected breathing space to look around at other ces. As expected, he could see fierce battles happening in other ces. The overall level of the south¡¯s army, including the other-worlders, was quite strong. Still, the Mobile Field Army had the experience from the battle in the southeast, and so could handle them. The problem was the several incarnations that had appeared suddenly.


    They could handle most of the incarnations, but a few very strong incarnations were causing the Mobile Field Army considerable damage. Among them, was an incarnation that was particrly focused on Iron. The army could fend off the other incarnations, one way or the other, but this particr incarnation was terrorising the Mobile Field Army.


    As Iron watched the overall progress of the battle, he wondered if he would need to send one of the divine beasts to fight that one incarnation. That incarnation bothered Iron especially. It was crisscrossing the battlefield at a high speed, like light itself, its body made of lightning.


    -Die! You dogs of the Lord God!


    The incarnation was wielding ance made of lightning, and trifling with the Mobile Field Army¡¯s knights. Although the knights had gone past their human limitations using mana, and had be much stronger, there was still a clear difference between them and the incarnation.


    That incarnation was around the same size as a human, but it was difficult to deal with. Not only was it moving as fast as lightning to attack the knights, it also forced tens of knights to retreat with each swing of itsnce. Its strength could almost be taken for a master¡¯s, overwhelming the knights.


    ¡°Stand back.¡±


    ¡°Co¡­mander.¡±


    Ariel swung her sword to block thence that was aimed at a knight.


    ¡°I will deal with him myself.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Spread out and go help yourrades.¡±


    The knights clenched their teeth and quickly dispersed. Because of the incarnation, things were not going favourably for the Mobile Field Army. The Commander had stopped the six other-worlders and the two masters from the Confederation¡¯s army but they did not retreat.


    -What a delectable prey.


    The incarnation looked at Ariel, its tongue darting in and out. But Ariel did not respond to its provocations, raising her sword instead.


    -You are pretty fast¡­¡­ then let¡¯s go a few rounds!


    As the lightning-formed incarnation swung itsnce and charged at Ariel, she stabbed at it with all her might.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Ariel returned the attacking at her from the lightningnce.


    -You blocked my attack?


    The incarnation looked at Ariel with surprise. Regardless of how low its rank had be, it had no idea that humans who were not masters could respond to his attacks. It had been nning to toy around with Ariel, but she seemed much stronger than it had thought. This time, it was out for blood.


    -This one will be different.


    As it said that, it struck faster and stronger than it had before. It rapidly unleashed shes of lightning to quickly break through Ariel¡¯s sword defence. Thinking that she would not be able to hold up against the incarnation¡¯s rapid speed, Ariel raised her head and began fighting back.


    <i>ng!</i>


    -What the¡­¡­


    ¡°It seems you are nothing special.¡±


    Once she said that, Ariel charged to attack first this time. As if to show that she had been ying all the while, her sword shed through the air, attacking from all sides so that that incarnation was unable to escape.


    -How dare you!


    The incarnation, enraged that she was suppressing it, revealed its full strength. Lightning shed in every direction, as its body turned into pure lightning.


    But this time too, Ariel fought back and fended off its attack.


    The lightningnce and Ariel¡¯s sword shed in the air, exchanging countless blows at a speed that was invisible to the eye.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­¡±


    As if they had agreed on it, both Ariel and the incarnation jumped back a step, taking deep breaths as they looked for cracks in each other¡¯s defence.


    Just then, Ariel heard the sound of a notification.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    [Win the battle against the ancient god¡¯s spear. The victor will receive a huge reward!]


    The notification she heard brought a smile to her face. She had been given a quest, with an enemy that she had to defeat, which made her motivation to win even more fervent. The enemy that had been toying with the knights was not that strong. When she had seen it from afar, it had seemed to possess master-level strength. But when she went head to head with it, as it turned out, it was not all that.


    ¡®<i>Is this some sort of contempt for the weak?¡¯</i>


    Strong before the weak, and weak before the strong.[2] That was the perfect description for the actions of the incarnation in front of her.


    <i>¡®I can win!</i>


    Ariel¡¯s eyes sparkled as she thought.


    <b>Notes: </b>


    [1] Master Yolke shows up inter chapters (in about 10).


    [2] ¡®Strong before the weak,¡­¡¯: ????; an interesting four-character idiom that was coined quite recently and is often used on the inte. It describes someone who is weak when facing people who are strong, and strong in front of weaker people; someone who likes to throw their weight around for no reason.

 Chapter 211: Ancient Gods! (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (211)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    67. Ancient Gods! (2)


    Ariel had sufficient ground to think that she could defeat the incarnation. Having fought it once, she found that she could go head to head with it and match the speed of its lightning attacks. The destructive power of its lightningnce was also not that great: anyone attacked with thence would feel the shock that came from the lightning magic, but that was all there was to it.


    It was embarrassingly weak for the so-called power of an ancient god.


    Since the shock was not all that, then the only thing the incarnation had going for it was its speed.


    <i>¡®I can deal with that.¡¯</i>


    As she thought that, she raised her sword. Speed was one of the many tools in her arsenal, and the unique characteristic of her swordsmanship was her quickde. The more she used her sword, the faster it would get. The characteristic speed of the gctic meteor sword, almost at the speed of light, gave onlookers the illusion that they were watching hundreds of meteors falling.


    The current head of the Godly Sword n was famous for his sword that looked like thousands of meteors falling from the sky. It was the most powerful swordsmanship in existence.


    Now Ariel¡¯s swordsmanship contained the same essence. She joined together her abilities and the special characteristics of her swordsmanship, showing the full power of a 6th level that was impossible to imitate.


    <i>ng! </i>


    <i>-Kkk!</i> How the¡­¡­


    The several lightning bolts it had sent had split up and attacked her from every direction, but she had blocked every one of them.


    ¡°<em>Hoo</em>¡­¡­ is that all you¡¯ve got?


    She said that while looking at the incarnation, as if to infuriate it. The incarnation became furious, sparks bursting off its body. Right after, hundreds of lightning bolts fell from the sky towards Ariel. Using her gctic meteor sword and all her might, Ariel blocked all the lightning bolts. Her sword moved in all directions, bing faster as it swung. Seeing its attacks fail yet again, the incarnation stopped making light of the situation and swung thence with all its might.


    As the sword and spear shed against each other, sword qi and lightning scattered in all directions. Since both of them were masters of speed, they exchanged over a thousand blows even before a moment had passed. In the midst of their fight, the incarnation, who had been looking for a chance to attack, made a surprise move.


    <i>ng!</i>


    -¡­¡­ she blocked this too?


    That blow had contained all its power. It had attacked at full speed, but the move was still blocked.


    Unlike the shocked incarnation, Ariel was calm.


    <i>¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯</i>


    She had purposely left herself open to that move to test the incarnation. Being able topletely block that move even when the fight was not in her favour meant that her battle moves were superior to those of the incarnation.


    It was her ability, eleration, that made this possible, one she had awakened while butchering those monsters in the southeast. While blocking the incarnation¡¯s move, she was able to elerate her own move, even though it had already been at max speed, a shocking double eleration. This ability had now be one of her trump cards.


    ¡°Nothing else?¡±


    -¡­¡­..


    The incarnation remained silent at Ariel¡¯s question. As if about to finish the incarnation, she got in position. With her double eleration, she wanted to rip it to shreds once and for all.


    Able to tell what her intention was, the incarnation got into a fighting position too. For the first time in the battle, it was in proper position. It gathered all its powers that had dispersed all over, ready to attack.


    Ariel immediately attacked with her sword. There was no need for her to give her opponent time to prepare.


    But the moment she stabbed her sword at its chest, the lightningnce hit her sword and created arge shock wave.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Having been pushed back by the lightning infused shock wave, Ariel stood and looked at the incarnation.


    -I never thought that I¡¯ld have to use this power on someone who isn¡¯t a master.


    It was a power that it had not used in a long time, and it had be dreadfully weaker than it had been in its heyday. Because of how high its level had been, it toyed around with people who had great strength, even in its weakened state, treating them as inferior. That was what had happened with Ariel. The incarnation had not wanted to condescend to using its trump card. But as it fought Ariel, it realised that the power of those who had awakened was much greater than it had thought.


    -I¡¯ll concede to one thing. The Lord God¡¯s strength is indeed¡­¡­


    Even as it acknowledged how strong Ariel was, it gathered all its strength, the power so feeble it was light years away from what it used to be. Attacking her again would consume most of this strength that it had struggled to gather, but she was a human worth exerting that strength for.


    -One more time, young human.


    It spun itsnce around and around, as it spoke. A blue lightning bolt whirled around the head of thence, destroying everything around it.


    Ariel¡¯s face hardened at the sight of the sudden powerful force.


    ¡°<em>Hoo</em>¡­¡­¡±


    Ariel got into battle stance again, chiding herself for underestimating her opponent, an ancient god.


    She was still too weak. She should never let down her guard, no matter what. If she had gone all out, she could have finished off the incarnation before it could gather its strength again like this. Ariel chewed her lip and raised her sword, deciding to use the veryst move she had in her arsenal.


    The incarnation charged at Ariel with itsnce raised. Just like thest time, the hundreds of lightning shes split and flew at her in all directions. But this time was different. Each of the lightning shes materialised as an individualnce, and stabbed at Ariel. On the other side, Ariel¡¯s eyes shone.


    <i>Ki-ing!</i>


    The very first lightningnce that came at Ariel bounced off her sword. As the other hundreds followed after the first, she destroyed those too, all in a matter of seconds. The lightning bolts shed through the air, leaving beams of light where they passed, while Ariel¡¯s sword that blocked the bolts created a pool of light. The sword qi shone brightly, like stars in the night sky.


    -¡­¡­you had something else hidden?


    Ariel did not respond to the question. She had not shown all of her swordsmanship afterall. ¡®Ariel¡¯s Gctic Meteor Sword technique ¨C Meteor Shower.¡¯ This was a sword technique she had created herself and was unique to her. As she swung her sword downwards, the pool of light floating in the sky began to pour down on the incarnation holding the lightningnce. Ariel attacked it just like it had attacked her. Hundreds of light rays fell, scorching where the incarnation had stood. As if that was not the end of it, she charged and released several attacks that went straight for its chest.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­¡±


    Having poured out all her power, Ariel took a deep breath. She had not yet perfected everything about the Meteor Shower technique, but it was still immensely powerful even in its unfinished form. She had also received the star power as an ability when the apocalypse started. Whenever she mixed her force with mana and attacked with her sword, one part of it became star power, remaining for a long time and allowing her tost long while fighting. Not only that, she could use that remaining powerter as well. What Ariel had just done was using that remnant power. She used the star power and her own sword qi to create a meteor shower like the Godly Sword n head¡¯s. Although the technique was still iplete, it had drilled dozens of holes in the body of the incarnation.


    -¡­¡­Astounding. That was a master level skill.


    She shook her head resolutely at its words.


    ¡°It is still unfinished.¡±


    It <i>looked</i> like a master level skill, but Ariel was certain that it was not. Maybe it wasparable to the Godly Sword n head¡¯s swordsmanship, but she would not dare call it master level, especially because she had seen how Iron was in battle countless times. For her, Iron was the yardstick for what master-level should be, a level where one had the power to easily handle all beings, except the divine beasts, with other-worlders being number one in the category of ¡®all beings¡¯.


    She believed she had to be at that level before she could be called ¡®master-level¡¯.


    If Iron had known what Ariel¡¯s thoughts were, he would have been speechless. Even if his holy power was removed from the equation, because of the great power of his title effects, it did not make sense topare it to the power of regr masters.


    However, since Iron was the master she had watched most closely, in her point of view, he became <i>the</i> standard.


    -¡­¡­iplete?


    The incarnation felt bitter at having lost to an iplete technique, its body gradually disappearing.


    -I hope I get to fight you again someday.


    With thosest words, the incarnation disappearedpletely. Ariel looked around her.


    Her victory had dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the confederation¡¯s army. The incarnation that they had taken for a master was defeated by the enemymander.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    As soon as Ariel raised her sword and gave the order, the 21st corp that had been nearby roared and attacked the enemy frontlines, with Ariel at the vanguard. With each ray of light that beamed from her sword, soldiers of the confederation¡¯s army fell to her left and right. A few incarnations rushed to block her, but when even thence-wielding incarnation had been knocked down, they were in no way a match for the Mobile Field Army. With that one incarnation gone, the Mobile Field Army began gaining ground on the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, the Command defence forces and the 22nd Corps had begun an aerial battle. They fought fiercely against the giant, drake knights of the confederation¡¯s army and the fleet of airships.


    ¡°Did they win thend battle?¡±


    Cardro chuckled as he watched the ongoingnd battle. Ariel had eliminated the incarnation that had seemed impossible to deal with. In that case, he couldn¡¯t drop the ball on his end. Although he did not have such profound talent like Ariel did, he could certainly deal with the other incarnations.


    ¡°Surround them all! Don¡¯t let it escape!¡±


    Following Cardro¡¯s order, all the drake knights flew up and surrounded the bat-shaped incarnation withrge wings. The air force of the confederation army had tried to gain control of the air space by using the bat god. The bat incarnation had initially let out arge shriek containing considerable attack power in it, but this was blocked by the airships¡¯ shields. Then the bat had continued to fly around, causing great damage to the airships. The bat¡¯s cry had ultrasound waves mixed into it, making the incarnation very difficult to deal with.


    However, instead of making the entire air force focus on the bat god, Cardro led only the drake knights to deal with the incarnation, leaving the rest of the air force to deal with the confederation¡¯s air force.


    <i>-Bbiiiiiii!</i>


    ¡°Everyone, behind me!¡±


    Cardro shouted, ordering the knights to gather behind him. Then he swung his sword to destroy the wave and its force, giving the drake knights enough space to fight in.


    ¡°Charge in!¡±


    Having observed that the bat god would need time to recover after using its power, and that its movements had slowed down, Cardro quickly steered his drake towards the god. Surprised, the bat god immediately tried to flee backwards.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it escape! Once we take care of it, we¡¯ll have a chance of winning!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The drake knights replied loudly as they followed closely behind him. When the confederation¡¯s air force saw that the bat god was in danger, some of their drake knights ran to its aid. But they were impeded by the drake knights from the Command defence troops, preventing them from disturbing Cardro and the knights following him.


    The bat god used the sound wave attack again, and Cardro used all his might to parry it.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°The battle is not over yet. Don¡¯t give them an open to attack.¡±


    A surprised drake knight next to Cardro tried to approach him, but Cardro shook his head.


    ¡°We will be victorious if we just chase after it. So we absolutely cannot let it escape.¡±


    The drake knight nodded, his eyes reddened and tearful. Having stopped the knight from saying anything, Cardro once again led the rest of the drake knights to pursue the bat god ferociously. Meanwhile, the rest of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s air force began to gain an upper hand in the battle.


    With the battle now in the favour of the Mobile Field Army both onnd and in air, Iron began to feel rxed. On the other hand, the two masters and the six other-worlders who had attacked him found the turn of things insufferable. They had been surprised at how much stronger Iron was then they had predicted, but they had prepared for the worst before they came to the battlefield. If they could bring down Iron who was known as one of the strongest on the continent, then they could deal with the Mobile Field Army with their hands tied behind their backs. They had also used the incarnations of the ancient gods, thinking that doing so would give them a greater advantage.


    But the progress of the battle was different from what they had expected. Thence-wielding incarnation had been defeated by Ariel, while the incarnations that were in the air could not even exert any great powers.


    There was a very simple reason why the situation in the aerial battle turned out that way. Each of the drake knights of the Mobile Field Army was stronger than they¡¯d thought, as was the technology fitted onto the airships. The airships had the mana guns, including therge mana guns, that had excellent performance, and their defensive mechanisms were almost foolproof. The airships of the Mobile Field Army could take five direct shots and still remain in great condition, unlike the airships of the confederation that fell apart the instant they were hit with arge shot. It was these differences that gave the Mobile Field Army the upper hand.


    Although the Mobile Field Army had the short end of the stick in terms of troop numbers, it was no problem at all since they had always fought in unfavourable conditions.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve got this one in the bag, no?¡±


    Iron smiled as he looked at the two masters.

 Chapter 212: Ancient Gods! (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (212)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    67. Ancient Gods! (3)


    In the time that Iron had been entangled with the key figures in the confederation¡¯s army, his subordinates had been leading the Mobile Field Army beautifully. Ariel had defeated the enemy that had messed with the knights, and Cadro had put his life on the line to fight the bat god. [1]


    This was only possible because bothmanding officers believed in the troops theymanded. Of course, the othermanding officers were also carrying out their roles brilliantly. The knights division of the defence troops and the storm troops focused their attention on attacking the incarnations, while Saeridan restrained his desire to go out and fight, and instead stayed back as defence. The rangers swung from the rear, creating chaos among the enemy army.


    The confederation¡¯s army had greater numbers. However, in all the time that the Mobile Field Army had been fighting battles, there had been several times when the enemy army had beenrger than theirs. They had always used their small number of troops to produce the best results, so fighting this time around felt, to them, like they were on home turf.


    Having fought monsters until now, they found fighting humans slightly awkward, but that was all.


    ¨C<em>Cough!</em>


    ¡°One of the incarnations to the east has been dealt with!¡±


    Gaon nodded at the report from the Ravens. Although their group was not entirely made up of high-ranking knights at 5th level and above like Ghost was, they had more numbers. All of them would soon reach 5th level in no time, each one an outstanding talent. They provided much help to the army troops by scouting the areas that were most dangerous.


    ¡°Their morale is increasing.¡±


    ¡°We must eliminate as many of the enemy soldiers as possible.¡±


    ¡°Stop them! Make sure they can¡¯t run away!¡±


    ¡°This time, wipe them all out!¡±


    The seasoned Mobile Field Army could not let the morale of their enemy forces increase.


    A ¡°moderate¡± victory?


    There was no such thing. Those who survived will again be their enemies, another threat that they would have to face. Instead, it was better judgement to face the danger now and annihte the enemy. Now that the apocalypse had fully started, they had to deal with the South as soon as possible, clean it up so they could face other threats.


    Of course, the confederation¡¯s army did not just remain standing at the ready to be attacked. Knowing that they would be in danger if they kept being forced to retreat like this, the ancient gods of the confederation¡¯s army gathered all their powers, just like the incarnation that Ariel had fought.


    ¡°<em>Cough!</em> These crazy¡­¡­¡±


    A woman brandishing a zing whip and a gigantic turtle flew down from the sky towards the troops on thend. Both the power of the woman¡¯s fiery whip and the turtle¡¯s size had been amplified greatly. An enormous elephant appeared, spraying water that had mana coiled around it, while several stone golems crept out of nowhere.


    Watching all these appear, Iron turned to ask the other-worlders.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you all do the same?¡±


    The six strongest other-worlders stared at Iron. Then Kim Jungtaeughed as he looked at the ancient gods who were creating incarnations all over the battlefield.


    ¡°That¡¯s something only people with no abilities do.¡±


    The rest of the other-worlders nodded at Kim Jungtae¡¯s words. The ancient gods were only able to make their incarnations at the price of the bodies of those that had made contracts with them. The power that was given to those contractors was a seed, a seed that sprouted, bloomed and grew at the cost of the contractors¡¯ lives. Then the ancient gods would take that increased strength from their contractors in order to make their incarnations and descend. That was why they needed so many contractors, and that was how the powers that the ancient gods disyed were made stronger.


    The problem was when they needed to instantaneously increase their power, like the incarnation with thence had had to do.


    ¡°<em>Heuk¡­¡­ heuk¡­¡­</em>¡±


    ¡°<em>Cough!</em>¡±


    Sweat poured down the bodies of the contractors; in more severe cases, some even coughed up blood. The contractors were being made to pay part of the price for the descent of the ancient gods. The ancient gods had tried not to overdo things as much as they could, but they were forced to amplify their powers when they were being forced to retreat by the Mobile Field Army.


    On the other hand, the six other-worlders who had materialised ancient gods using their own power faced no problems or limitations. They had chosen ancient gods that matched their strengths, and had advanced by their own strength. They were strong enough to bring the extremely weak bodies of those gods to the continent. They were yet to be masters, but that was only a matter of time. They were so close to bing masters, that if they were given just a little time, six more individuals would be added to the list of masters on the continent.


    However they had just watched Ariel fight, and even though it had not been that long since she awakened, she was able to marry her sword technique and her powers, bing a 6th level with such overwhelming power that could not be replicated.


    Despite that, the steel wall before them named Iron was as great and as insurmountable as ever.


    ¡°This monster-like punk.¡±


    Kim Jungtae frowned and mumbled as he looked at Iron. Even when Iron had been cornered by two masters and six people who were right on the threshold of bing masters, he had been able to escape and prevail over them.


    Because of his title effects, he possessed explosive physical power and mana that was greater than those of most masters, divine beasts that were themselves strong enough to be called masters, deep reserves of holy power, and even his own sword technique.


    All this power at the fingertips of one person.


    But different from what it seemed like on the outside, Iron did not feel so rxed. No matter how strong he was, he was indeed standing against two masters and six almost-masters. His holy power could be constantly replenished, but the same was not true for his aura or his divine power. He could at least make up for the divine power using the nature power he had been given by the World Tree, but the speed at which his aura was decreasing was frightening.


    All the while he had been fighting, he had pretended to be at ease, but he was unable to overwhelm them and was only holding on because he did not have the power to execute an attack.


    ¡°Prince Carlos.¡±


    Carlos turned his head at Muradin¡¯s call and looked at him. Able to understand each other¡¯s intentions by the look in their eyes, they both gave a small nod.


    ¡°<em>Hoo¡­¡­</em>¡±


    ¡°<em>Phew!¡±</em>


    Suddenly, Muradin and Carlos drew all their strength. The six other-worlders watched them, their eyes wide with surprise. They found it strange that the two masters were suddenly attacking with all their might. Just a minute ago, they had obviously been nning to retreat, but now they were giving it their all and charging at Iron.


    ¡®<i>Did they realise it?¡¯</i>


    Iron fought back against the two masters with a hard, bitter look on his face. His aura was in serious short supply, and now his divine power and his holy power were being consumed rapidly. Although the characteristic feature of his holy power was that he could use it infinitely, the more he fought, the more excessively his mental strength was consumed, and the more his body was damaged. Since he had to constantly restore those, he would inevitably show that he was at his limits.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Carlos came with a surprise attack. Iron stopped the attack with a light shield, but unlike before, he could not block the all of the attack. The shield was unable to withstand the wave attack filled with the power of the ancient gods, and cracks had formed on it.


    <i>¡®Is this Battle End qi?¡¯ </i>[2]


    Iron thought, as he tried to restore the shield. However, the next instant, the shield was shattered by a sword attack from Muradin who was following right behind. As if to say that that was not the end, thousands of steel swords containing aura came flying, creating aura des that attacked Iron haphazardly.


    This was the showdown Muradin and Carlos had left forst, a technique that could be called mysterious or even divine, and contained the essence of the swordsmanship of each n. Right now, that technique was being used to attack Iron.


    <i>Kwoong!</i>


    ¡°Did he¡­ withstand that?¡±


    Muradin nkly mumbled to himself, while his sword flew into the air.


    The two masters had used the battle end qi technique but Iron was still standing, his momentum still strong.


    ¡°<em>Cough!¡±</em>


    ¡°<i>Keuk</i>!¡±


    His steel-like momentum weighed down on the two masters, and on top of that, he released more and more holy power. The two masters could no longer hold on and fell to their knees, unable to sustain the Battle End Qi technique any more. But that was all. In the end, the two of them were able to endure the continuing attack from Iron.


    ¡®<i>They were able to endure even though they¡¯ve run out of energy?¡¯</i>


    The moment they say that the two masters were still rtively safe, the six other-worlders realised something.


    ¡®<i>This is not normal!¡¯</i>


    They were certain that something was wrong with Iron¡¯s body. There were bloodstains around his mouth, as if he had sustained internal injuries, and even his divine beasts had much weaker powers than they¡¯d had at first.


    Now that Iron had taken some damage from the attack of the two masters, the other-worlders would never miss this opportunity that had been offered to them on a gold tter. Immediately, they gathered their strengths that had also hit rock-bottom. Seeing that they were about to attack, Muradin, who had barely survived Iron¡¯s attack, approached Kim Jungtae.


    ¡°I ask that¡­ you only capture that monster.¡±


    Even though Kim Jungtae¡¯s expression looked like his pride had been insulted, he still nodded to Muradin¡¯s words.


    Having left Iron to the six other-worlders, the two masters stepped back and headed to where thems officer was.


    ¡°We had prepared it just in case¡­ but I never expected that we would have to use it in thatst attack¡­.¡±


    ¡°He is truly a monster.¡±


    Neither the southernmander nor the easternmander had evene. Only the Mobile Field Army was fending off the army that they had led to the south. It was true that Iron was a monster, but even the troops under hismand had surpassed the general level of troops.


    ¡°Co¡­mander!¡±


    When thems officer stood in a hurry to salute him, Muradin stopped him and took thems device away.


    ¡°Begin the final operation.¡±


    For a while, everyone was silent at Muradin¡¯s order. They had never expected that they would execute this operation now. This operation was supposed to begin when the southernmander or the easternmander came to aid the Mobile Field Army, or when manymanders hade. That was howte they had expected to use this. But now they were pulling out this strategy to win against just the Mobile Field Army.


    ¡°¡­¡­do we carry it out immediately?¡±


    Muradin replied to the voice that came from thems device with a grave look on his face.


    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡±


    -Understood.


    All themanding officers responded to Muradin, amd immediately began preparing to execute the n.


    ¡°Soplicated.¡±


    ¡°Were we too conceited?¡±


    Carlos asked, his words filled with self-ridicule as he looked at Iron. They had thought that they could easily defeat the Mobile Field Army with this many troops. Afterall, their army included two masters and several other-worlders. It was almost impossible for their army to be blocked by just one field army.


    But despite that, this army from the empire, full of monsters with freakish strength, had done just that. They had not only stopped them, but had also forced them to retreat. Maybe that was why the contractors from both their side and the other-worlders¡¯ had overstretched themselves to call the incarnations of the ancient gods.


    But despite that, forget having the upper hand in the battle, things had been too close to call for them at many points in the battle.


    The incarnations could only use their amplified powers for a short period of time, so as time passed, the Mobile Field Army had the upper hand. The moment the incarnations were defeated, the confederation¡¯s army would fall prey to the Mobile Field Army.


    And so the final operation started.


    <i>Kwoong!</i>


    With a loud sound, a giant appeared in the middle of the battlefield. Its body reached up into the clouds, its size so big that a single step it took could crush all of the Command. As soon as the giant appeared, everyone who had been fighting fiercely in the battle stopped and stared nkly at it.


    At the same time, all the people of the Empire heard a notification sound.


    [The ancient gods have sacrificed their own powers and created an amalgamated body. Stop them.]


    -Reward forpletion will give a significant increase in abilities.


    ¨C When stopped, the Mobile Field Army will receive an exclusive buff.


    ¨C Stopping them will significantly reduce the recovery of those who have made contracts with the ancient gods.


    The quest hade out of the blue. But it meant that stopping the giant was a truly important task.


    The people of the south also received a simr quest.


    [The ancient gods sacrificed their ranks to summon the giant. To justify their sacrifice, exterminate the Mobile Field Army!]


    -Upon extermination, all penalties will be erased and power will be recovered instantly


    -Only one part of penalties will be dropped for limited victories.


    -If defeated instead, abilities will be restricted and powers cannot be used for a stipted time period plete abolishment of abilities for incarnation amplifiers)


    All the people of the confederation¡¯s army froze when they heard the quest. The giant had been summoned at the risk of many soldiers andmissioned officers losing their abilities, and now they had been made the sweet offer of having all those penalties against their name being written off. This quest had appeared when they already had their backs to the wall and couldn¡¯t see their way forward. It made their eyes glow with fervour.


    ¡°We must be victorious!¡±


    ¡°Take up your swords once more!¡±


    ¡°Get in formation!¡±


    As themanding officers gave their loud cries, the troops of the southern confederation¡¯s army began getting in formation again.


    Finally, as the giant they had summoned began its move forward, they walked in the giant¡¯s footsteps, once again ready to attack.


    Notes:


    [1] ¡®¡­fight the bat god.¡¯: Raws say ¡®???¡¯, which means ¡®transcendental¡¯, and is actually a type of zerg. You can read more about it on this wiki page (in Korea, but the Google trantion is okay).


    [2] ¡®Is this battle end qi?¡¯: ???. The ¡®??¡¯ in this word means ¡®showdown, y-off, a deciding match¡¯ etc. But the author means for it to be a tangible item or technique (a few sentences down says that Muradin and Carlos had hidden it). So we¡¯ll use this name for now. Sometimes ¡®showdown¡¯ may be used instead, if it matches the context better.

 Chapter 213: Ancient Gods! (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (213)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    67. Ancient Gods! (4)


    As the confederation¡¯s army began its offensive, the Mobile Field Army also pulled together their troops and forces.


    ¡°The Commander?¡±


    At Ariel¡¯s question, Carl Stein nced at where Iron was. Ariel looked too, gritting her teeth at the sight of Iron fighting the six other-worlders who had be much stronger than thest time Iron had fought them.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop that on our own.¡±


    Ariel looked at the giant whose upper body disappeared into the clouds as she spoke. Yes, Ariel had advanced greatly and be stronger than she had ever been, but she had not yet be a master. Only a master could fight that giant.


    ¡°We need masters.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We need the Commander.¡±


    Because of how big the giant was, even though it was taking slow steps forwards, it seemed it could reach the Command in only one step. Seeing that, Ariel did not wait any longer and took out a small flute from inside her clothing.


    <em>¡°Ppiiiiiiii!¡±</em>


    As soon as Ariel blew on the flute using mana, a man appeared right next to her.


    ¡°The target?¡±


    ¡°Those people. Only the Commander can stop the giant. We have to deal with the others.¡±


    Gaon Temphet, captain of Raven, who had just appeared next to Ariel, nodded his head as if to say that Ariel had a point.


    However, he was not the only one who responded to Ariel¡¯s call. Cardro, who was in midairmanding the airforce, Nyx Cole, who was holding the rear as the head of the Rangers, the captain of the Storm Troops, Ludem Leonhart and captain of the Knights Order, Rodem Leonhart, also answered her call.


    ¡°We cannot send out An and Peter.¡±


    Cardro said to Ariel, having figured out the situation in the aerial battle. An Reishor was in charge of therge scale magic; if he was missing, the strength of the magic unit would be halved. The same was true for the Spirit Unit. Recently, the skill of the spiritists had increased significantly, and there was now mutual resonance among them. Peter Marvio was at the heart of that increase in power.


    Because the two individuals were the core of their units, they could note. Ariel nodded to show that she understood.


    ¡°Things will definitely be hard for Saeridan.¡±


    So said Ludem as he nced at the Command. Saeridan had gone to great pains to build up the 23rd Corps to the same level as Ariel¡¯s well-rounded corp and Cardro¡¯s corp, and now the 23rd Corps¡¯ specialty was defence. So it could be said that the defence of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s Command depended on the 23rd Corps and the supervision of the corps¡¯ leader Saeridan.


    ¡°The numbers are just right. One for each person.¡±


    Ariel said as she looked towards the other-worlders. It seemed they were trying to eliminate any time that Iron had to recover by constantly attacking him. Once she saw that, Ariel disappeared from where she stood and appeared behind Kim Jungtae in the next instant, her sword drawn.


    <i>Kkakakakak!</i>


    Behind Kim Jungtae, Rovanov reacted quickly to block her quickde.


    ¡°A surprise attack¡­¡­that¡¯s [ying] dirty.¡±


    ¡°How can there be any so-called dirty y on the battlefield?¡±


    Ariel replied coldly, looking at Rovanov. Angry that he had almost died from her attack, Kim Jungtae tried to attack Ariel with his water power. But of course, his move was blocked.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ it seems you are my opponent.¡±


    ¡°<i>Keuk!¡±</i>


    Gaon Temphet froze Kim Jungtae¡¯s water attacks. He had awakened two powers, through the power of the Lord God and through some vestigial powers of the ancient gods. Unexpectedly, both powers were rted to ice: one was a biting cold wind, and the other was a frost field that steadily decreased the ambient temperature. Gaonbined these two powers with the sword techniques from the two families that he had perfected, creating a great, imposing power.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    Kim Jungtae¡¯s expression turned ugly upon seeing Gaon¡¯s ability to freeze even his water dragon.


    ¡®He is definitely not inferior to me.¡¯


    This was what Kim Jungtae thought as he once again rallied all his strength.


    He was not the only one who thought so either. As themanding officers of the Mobile Field Army faced off one by one with the six other-worlders, the other-worlders found that themanders¡¯ strengths were in no way inferior to theirs. Nyx Cole seemed to be the mostcking among themanders, but he made up for that insufficiency with his vast battle experience, using that know-how to torment Jamie.


    With the other-worlders caught up in a fight with themanding officers, Iron finally got some breathing room, allowing him to look around him.


    The reason why his subordinates hade to his side, putting themselves in danger was so that he could stop the giant. Iron got on Two Moons, rising into the sky, and causing the giant¡¯s eyes to turn towards him. Just by looking at the giant, he could feel the intense pressure it had. He, on the other hand, had consumed much of his strength while fighting the two masters and the six other-worlders.


    But strangely, he didn¡¯t feel like he would lose.


    ¡°Can you do this?¡±


    ¨C<i>Hoot!</i>


    As Iron asked while looking at the intimidating giant, Two Moons responded confidently, as if wondering why Iron would even venture to ask such a question. The other divine beasts surely felt the same way.


    ¨C<i>Tweet!</i>


    At some point, Baepsae hade to rest on his head; now the bird gathered all its strength to heal Iron and help him recover. In an instant, even the aura in Iron¡¯s body was quickly replenished.


    With Baepsae¡¯s help, his aura and divine power had been brought back to their limits. But this recovery was only temporary. Quickly restoring master-level powers was a difficult task, even for Baepsae, so this recovery would onlyst for thirty minutes. Within that time, he had to contend with the giant.


    ¡°It is not exactly disadvantageous [to me]¡±


    Iron mumbled as he built arge aura de around his sword. The giant was moving slowly on purpose. It was because everytime the giant moved, even the power of the ancient gods was consumed considerably. Iron could clearly see that the giant¡¯s body was being maintained at great lengths by the enormous powers gathered from all directions.


    <i>¡®If I drag things out for a while, I will be able to win!¡¯</i>


    If the giant were to be embroiled in an intense fight with him, it would not be able to maintain itsrge body for a long time; that was very obvious to Iron. As soon as he thought that, Iron gripped the sword he held even tighter. Frost could be seen covering the dark aura de, and lightning shed from all over it. He had to give it his all from the beginning of the fight.


    Sensing that Iron who had blocked its path onward was a formidable foe, the giant stopped in its steps and made a fist.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Therge aura de blocked the front of the giant. Following that, beams of light from Two Moons shot towards the giant¡¯s eyes. However, the giant was more nimble than expected, and raised its arm to stop the beams from hitting its eyes.


    ¡®<i>It¡¯s fast!¡¯</i>


    Iron¡¯s face hardened seeing that the giant was more agile than he had thought.


    The giant was not only fast, but also flexible. But, themensurate power it consumed was great too. Perhaps because it was not just moving with its physical power but was also using godly power, every time it moved so nimbly, it struggled to control its body. Even with the power that was flocking towards it from all directions, it could not manage its own movements. Seeing that, Iron once again felt thankful for thete Emperor¡¯s sacrifice. It was a terror just imagining the giant being able to run around without any constraints on its power.


    [Fusion Skill ¨C Fire Storm]


    From the sky, Thunderbird and Phoenix¡¯s fusion skill began swirling, coiling around the giant. A huge storm of fire whirled around the giant, causing those around to hurry away. The fire was so hot that it caused even the faraway walls of the Command to heat up.


    But the giant was able to withstand the fire storm.


    Iron clenched his teeth when he saw that the giant was able to remain standing against the fusion skill that Thunderbird and Phoenix had created after stretching their powers to the limits.


    ¡®<i>Are Thunderbird and Phoenix about to retire?¡¯ </i>[1]


    Having reached the limits of their strengths, Thunderbird and Phoenix turned small and came to rest on top of Iron¡¯s head where Baepsae was sitting. The situation was already difficult with three divine beasts and now there was only one left, it would be even harder for Iron to hold on. On the other hand, even though there were now several holes here and there on the giant¡¯s body, its form was still asrge as before.


    ¡®<i>If this continues, I won¡¯t be able to carry on.¡¯</i>


    As if to prove that Iron¡¯s thought was right, the giant that had only been defending all the while began attacking again. While Iron was getting ready to defend, it seized the opportunity to attack the Command, stepping one foot towards it. With just its toes, it copsed a part of the Command¡¯s walls, causing Iron to grind his teeth again.


    <i>¡®Any further and it willpletely crush the Command!¡¯</i>


    Once he thought that, Iron turned to Two Moons and spoke.


    ¡°Owl. Five minutes, just five minutes please.¡±


    ¨C<i>Hoot!</i>


    Two Moons briefly responded to Iron¡¯s request and attacked the giant, attracting the giant¡¯s attention towards itself. Meanwhile, Iron jumped from its body,nding on the ground before gathering his strength. On the side, Baepsae spared no effort to help him.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­¡±


    While Two Moons was buying him some time, Iron tried to draw as much strength as he possibly could, while he looked at the giant with cold eyes. After a short while, Two Moons had consumed all its power, bing smaller and falling towards Iron.


    ¨C<i>Hoot¡­¡­</i>


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Iron gave a small smile while looking at the owl that had worked so hard for his sake. Then he put all his strength into his aura de.


    ¡°Leave the rest to me.¡±


    As he said that, he swung hisrge sword at the giant.


    <i>¡®It is still not perfect, but¡­¡­¡¯</i>


    That was what Iron thought inside, but now was not the time to be fussy. Masters or warriors that were close to that level usually had battle end qi that was exclusive to them. But in Iron¡¯s case, he had neither divinations that were passed down in his family nor did he have a battle end qi that was created using his own fighting style. [2] But because he had trained himself to the highest level in the basics, his basic swordsmanship itself was as good as a divination. So he created his own battle end qi.


    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>


    He cut therge foot of the giant, which it had been about to ce down, then jumped high to block the interlocked hands that the giant was about to bring down [on the Command]. With just his sword, he fended off the attack of the giant that was soaring in the sky.


    Up till now, Iron had ¡®withstood¡¯ countless attacks from strong individuals. He had taken attacks head on from people stronger than himself, and had advanced based on the experience of fighting such people. But in these days of the apocalypse, he could no longer get by by just ¡®withstanding¡¯ attacks.


    Now, it was time for him to push forward. And to do that, he needed a technique that represented his determination to change things going forward.


    [Imperial Basic Swordsmanship, Iron-style Battle End Qi ¨C The Way of Steel]


    It was an imperfect battle end qi, the basic swordsmanship, full of Iron¡¯s hard resolve, blocked each of the giant¡¯s attacks and forced the giant to retreat little by little.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    The confederation¡¯s army and the Mobile Field Army that had their swords crossed in battle saw the aura de on therge sword force the giant back, and paused in the middle of their fight to stare nkly.


    ¡°Is he really not a monster¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t his full strength when he was fighting us?¡±


    The two masters gritted their teeth as they watched Iron¡¯s swordsmanship. Even when they had used their battle end qi, they had not been able to bring Iron to his knees, and now, even after they had seriously injured him, he was still able to fight against the giant.


    ¡°Pull yourselves together!¡±


    ¡°This is our chance! Everyone, seize the Command!¡±


    The troops of the confederation¡¯s army that had been staring vacantly began moving again at the roars of the two masters. At the head were those two masters, charging with their swords covered in aura.


    However, the Knights Order and the Storm Troops, led by Saeridan, stopped their advance. As if that was not enough, the magic and spirit units blocked the two masters and the key figures of the confederation¡¯s army that were following directly behind.


    As the battle that had halted briefly because of Iron¡¯s fight with the giant resumed again, on his end, Iron endlessly swung his sword to push back the giant. But it was only for a short while. The technique had not yet been perfected, but as was fitting to the name ¡®battle end qi¡¯, the aura it consumed was so great that even before ten minutes had passed, Iron¡¯splexion became grey. The giant that had been forced to retreat only a while ago began advancing yet again.


    <i>¡®In this situation¡­¡­¡¯</i>


    Iron clenched his teeth as he watched the giant that was advancing. With his aura drained as it was, he could not afford to hold on any longer. Many parts of the giant¡¯s body had indeed disappeared already, but it was still able to maintain its form. At this rate, it was very likely that the Command would be run over.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ should I take another gamble?¡±


    Iron straightened himself as he thought. Havinge this far by fighting people that were stronger than him, Iron decided to go all in, once again betting everything he had on this fight. He shook off the distracting thoughts running through his mind, and focused only on his drawn sword, the very thing he had the most confidence in.


    ¡®<i>Everything is contained in this one strike.¡¯</i>


    He was going to bet everything he had gained thus far on a single strike. shes of lightning as well as cold qi permeated the sword. But Iron did not intend to stop there. To make up for hisck of aura, he put in all his holy power and the remaining divine power.


    <i>¡®Hang in there!¡¯</i>


    Iron clenched his teeth as he looked at the vibrating sword. This was the way of steel that he had chosen in order to withstand all, in order to survive. But this time, things were different. In order to move forward, the strength of steel had to be sharpened and refined. Now he needed a sword that was one level stronger than what he already had.


    <i>¡®A sword that holds all.¡¯</i>


    To be such, it needed to be as firm as the strongest steel.


    Maybe the sword decided to fulfil Iron¡¯s wishes. The small aura de suddenly became brighter and bigger. Lightning entwined with mes gleamed in between the bright beams of light.


    Finally, that great big sword struck at the oing giant.


    Notes:


    [1] ¡®Retire¡¯: The exact wording here is ????, which is the transliteration of ¡®retire¡¯ in Korean.


    [2] ¡®Divinations¡¯: ?? ( ÃØÓ›); tranted literally

 Chapter 214: Ancient Gods! (5)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (214)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    67. Ancient Gods! (5)


    The power with which the great sword was swung was the maximum power Iron could muster at the moment. The steel-like aura de was unwavering, containing all the power that Iron had. As if it felt that the attack this time was unusual, the giant used both hands this time to block the aura de.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The moment it blocked the de, one of its knees bent and its body copsed. The power the de had had been greater than it had expected, and cut into its arms. But the giant gathered thest of its strength into its arms; starting from the leg on the side where its knee was bent, most of its body disappeared and its strength was concentrated in its arms.


    Because of the fight between the two of them, their surroundings were a catastrophe. Above them, the bright blue of the sky could be seen through the cloud, like holes had been sted through them.


    ¡°¡­¡­die.¡±


    As Iron said that and pressed down even harder on his sword, the two arms of the giant that had been fighting desperately until now were cut offpletely. Its body fell smoothly in a straight line. The confederation¡¯s troops stopped their attack to watch the body of the giant that had soared into the sky fall to the ground in two pieces.


    ¡°¡­¡­ it lost?¡±


    Muradin stared nkly up at the sky. He could not believe his eyes when he saw that the giant had been cut down with one strike.


    ¡°The¡­¡­ the reincarnations have begun disappearing!¡±


    ¡°<i>Keuk</i>! It¡­¡­ it lost.¡±


    As themissioned officers gave their reports, they swallowed the blood that surged up their throats, as if they had sustained internal injuries.


    With the dissipation of the giant, those who had made contracts with the ancient gods were now paying the price. Perhaps because the aftereffects of the defeat were great, the incarnations disappeared, while the contractors began copsing one after the other. This meant that the ancient gods were also disappearing because of the disappearance of the giant. Seeing that, Muradin spoke to clenched teeth.


    ¡°We have to kill him here.¡±


    Carlos nodded in agreement upon hearing Muradin¡¯s words. If they could not kill Iron right here, it would spell annihtion for the south. What would the two masters do if this inhuman monster became even stronger?


    At that point, there would really be no future for them.


    ¡°Everyone, aim for Iron Carter!¡±


    ¡°Even if we lose, we must at least kill Iron! That will be our own victory! If we can kill Iron¡­¡­!¡±


    At the two masters¡¯ orders, themissioned officers yelled as they led their soldiers to where Iron was standing.


    Should they thank the heavens? Because of thatst blow, Iron did not seem able to draw up even an iota of power. Thinking that they would be able to kill that monster if they gave it their all, the confederation¡¯s soldiers aimed at Iron, either throwing their weapons at him or using their abilities. On the opposite end, the Mobile Field Army hastened to block them.


    ¡°Protect the Commander!¡±


    ¡°What is the Knights Order doing?! Protect the Commander!¡±


    ¡°Storm Troops, breach the iing attack! We must take the Commander back to the Command!¡±


    The very first units of the Mobile Field Army to react were the Knights Order and the Storm Troops. The Knights moved to escort him, while the Storm Troops moved to make way for them.


    ¡°Kill him! He must die!¡±


    At Muradin¡¯s roar, the knights of the confederation¡¯s army fought frantically to drill through the Knights Order of the Mobile Field Army. Right then, the main force units of Saeridan¡¯s 23rd Corp that had been inside the Command opened the gates and rushed out.


    ¡°Stop the enemy forces! Bring the Commander inside!¡±


    The troops of the 23rd Corps followed Saeridan¡¯smand, flocked in to protect Iron.


    Taking on the Mobile Field Army that had gained its current strength through several battles was not something the regr soldiers of the confederation¡¯s army could do.


    But what about their numbers?


    If their soldiers were subpar, they had to at least use their numbers to push back. Their numbers gave them an overwhelming numerical advantage, which they used to corner their opponents. As for the two masters, even though they had grave injuries, they overdrew their strengths and continued forward to kill Iron.


    ¡°Ma¡­¡­ masters!¡±


    A knight from the 23rd Corpr recoiled in horror when he saw Muradin and Carlos leading the approaching charge. Then Saeridan grabbed the retreating knight by his shoulder and said.


    ¡°Do not back down.¡±


    The knight stared vacantly at Saeridan¡¯s face as he spoke.


    ¡°They have sustained internal injuries and cannot even use their aura. Is it not an insult to your pride if you are afraid of such people?¡±


    As Saeridan said that, he turned to release all his power. His mana turned zing red and wrapped around his sword, while a me built around his body, radiating terrifying heat. At the same time, a lion with a magnificent mane of fire appeared.


    ¡°Even if we have been injured, do you think you can take us alone?¡±


    ¡°You seem too confident in your strength.¡±


    The two masters looked at Saeridan who hade to stop them alone as if their pride had been trampled on. Right then, a powerful lightning bolt struck around the two masters, a whirlwind following right after. It was without a doubt such a powerful force that even the two masters could not make light of it, especially now, since they had exhausted almost all of their strength and were severely injured.


    ¡°Protect the Commander!¡±


    ¡°Protect the master!¡±


    With the immense magic and spirit power that followed, the knights of the confederation¡¯s army hastened to protect the two masters. The two masters fought off the lightning that fell around them in all directions, and cut down the winds that were as sharp as knives.


    But that was not the end of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s attack.


    ¨C<i>Roarrrr!</i>


    With the loud roar of the fiery lion, Saeridan used his Lion sword technique to cut down the knights [of the confederate army] while charging forward. The sword strikes were rough, but to the knights that faced them, each swing heralded death. There was a mysterious technique epassed in the sloppy swings of the sword.


    There was of course no way that the sword technique of one of the Lion n, one of the two strongest families on the continent, would truly be sloppy. Having absorbed the essence of that technique and made it into his own, Saeridan¡¯s swordsmanship was terrifying.


    ¡° So¡­¡­ you¡¯re a monster too.¡±


    Muridan said with a grave expression as he looked at Saeridan. It was obvious that he was not yet at Ariel¡¯s level of fearsomeness, and to the master¡¯s eye, there was still a part of his sword technique that wascking. However, he made up for thatck with his exceedingly strong me power, bringing the full potential of the sword technique to disy. If it was said that, in the Empire, Ariel was the greatest genius after Iron, then it was fair to say after Ariel was Saeridan.


    Unlike Ariel who was right on the verge of bing a master, Saeridan still had a long way to go. But from Muradin¡¯s point of view, it was only a matter of time.


    Different from Rodem and Ludem, Saeridan had found his one path. And at the end of that path, he was bound to meet the obstacle called ¡®master¡¯. Clearing that obstacle was a wholly different problem, but at the very least he was strong enough to get to that level.


    ¡®<i>Is everyone in the Lion family a monster?¡¯</i>


    Muradin shook his head from side to side as he thought. Carlos standing beside him had the same thoughts too. The Lion family had already produced an outstanding master like Iron. Even if the current generation ended with Iron, it was safe to say that these were the glory days for the Lion family, the best days in the family¡¯s history. However, the second son, Kaiden, and the youngest son, Aiden, were also performing exceptionally well, especially Aiden whose talent was so crazy that he had perfectly reproduced the White Lion¡¯s sword technique. As if to prove that, he had already begun closed-door training in order to be a master. Perhaps, after his closed-door training, the Empire would gain yet another master.


    Now, even Saeriden, who he had thought was nothing special, was also showing that kind of talent too.


    ¡°¡­¡­let¡¯s retreat.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Carlos tried to stop Muradin¡¯s order urgently, but Muradin shook his head.


    They had no more hope.


    At some point, the captain of the Mobile Field Army¡¯s magic unit, An Reishor, and the captain of the spirit unit, Peter, Marvio, began approaching quickly. If the two of them met up with the many magicians and spiritists that were under theirmand, then Muradin and Carlos would have an even tougher battle on their hands.


    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    ¡°Sto¡­ stop them!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him reach the masters!¡±


    The knights tried desperately to stop the monster-like Saeridan who was charging at them. However, he smiled wickedly and moved as if he wanted to attack the masters, but actually turned to mow down the knights.


    ¡°Clever bastard.¡±


    Carlos gritted his teeth as he looked at Saeridan¡¯s fierce moves, but there was nothing he could do at the moment.


    A peal of a whistle that indicated the order to retreat sounded all over the battlefield, and immediately the confederation¡¯s army began to withdraw.


    The giant they had trusted in had disappeared, and as a consequence, even several ancient gods had disappeared. In such a situation, it was next to impossible for them to defeat the Mobile Field Army. Even though they had more troops, because they had so many soldiers whose abilities had disappeared or who had sustained bad injuries, they only looked formidable on the outside, when really it was the Mobile Field Army that had true overwhelming power.


    ¡°Everyone, charge! Don¡¯t just let the enemy return!¡±


    All the defence troops followed Saeridan¡¯s orders immediately.


    ¡°Destroy the enemy!¡±


    ¡°After them!¡±


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    In a dramatic turn of events, even the six other-worlders who had been fighting Ariel and the othermanding officers also tried to retreat.


    ¡°You thought we would just let you go?¡±


    Ariel swung her sword as she looked at Rovanov. She struck at Rovanov¡¯s arm at a speed so fast it was almost invisible to the eye, but because of a sudden light magic that came flying, her attack came to nothing.


    ¡°¡­¡­the captain of the Rangers is in danger.¡±


    Ariel ground her teeth at Cardro¡¯s words. At the same time, Kim Jungtae sneered at her in ridicule.


    ¡°It seems you will indeed be letting us go.¡±


    At Kim Jungtae¡¯s words, Ariel scowled. They could almost see victory. But the problem was Nyx Cole. Among the sixmanding officers, he was the one with the lowest skills. At the moment, he was unable to hold on any more and had been fatally injured. As a result, where they had formerly thought they could win, things had once again be too close to call.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already won.¡±


    Upon hearing Cardro¡¯s words, Ariel stopped feeling disappointed, and instead turned to Kim Jungtae.


    ¡°¡­¡­piss off.¡±


    Kim Jungtae shrugged his shoulders at her words and stepped back. The rest of the six other-worlders hurriedly retreated as well. If they dyed even a little, they were in danger of being surrounded and captured by the Mobile Field Army.


    ¡°And the Commander?¡±


    ¡°He is in a critical condition.¡±


    Gaon Temphet replied to Ariel¡¯s question. As soon as Iron used all his strength to deal the giant one final blow, he lost consciousness and copsed. Because he had used everyst drop of power he had, he now had physical and psychological problems.


    ¡°But since he has holy power and Baepsae, he will definitely recover.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ariel nodded in response to Cardro¡¯s words, while examining the battlefield. As he watched the Mobile Field Army¡¯s troops in fierce pursuit of the fleeing confederation¡¯s army, it finally dawned on her that they had won. When the giant had appeared, victory had seemed nigh impossible, but they had managed to win.


    As she was taking in the victory, a notification came.


    [The first battle of the Apocalypse¡¯s first story has ended in victory for the Lord God. Therefore, the Lord God¡¯s side will be granted their reward. Those who led to victory via directbat will receive a huge reward.]


    [Excellent job stopping the giant. Depending on your performance, you will receive different rewards.]


    The sound of the notification proved that the battle was truly over. The Mobile Field Army that had been in the midst of chasing the enemy forces cheered loudly. Themissioned officers tried to order them to continue the chase, but when they saw everyone cheering, they eventually gave up. Themissioned officer who was trying to issue the order was himself also busy confirming his reward.


    On the other hand, the confederation¡¯ s army was in agony: because of their defeat, they had to bear a penalty.


    ¡°¡­¡­let¡¯s return.¡±


    At Muradin¡¯s order, the defeated confederation army pulled itself together and began preparing to return to the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation.


    As the news of how the Mobile Field Army¡¯s overwhelming victory in the first battle between the south and the Lord God spread all over the Empire and the continent, Iron who had copsed from exhaustion opened his eyes.


    At first he still felt faint, then his face took on a serious expression as he looked at the notification window that had popped up in front of him.

 Chapter 215: A New Possibility (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (215)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    68. A New Possibility (1)


    Iron had two rewards to receive. One was for winning the first battle against the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation, and the second was for making the greatest contribution in the fight against the giant. However, instead of a notification window informing him of his reward, there was a strange window floating before him.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±


    Iron looked at the strange window with a grave expression.


    [You made the greatest contribution to the two quests. However the nned reward has been judged insufficient.]


    [Calcting¡­¡­]


    The notification window remained stuck on the words ¡°calcting¡±. The window had been that way since he fainted, and by now a few good hours had passed, but it had still not changed. Since he had no way of knowing when the window would begin functioning properly again, he decided to ignore it and focus on healing his body.


    In fact, at this point, the thought of big rewards no longer moved Iron much. The title effect had been very helpful to his advancement, but Iron was already at the height of advancements. Under such conditions, it would be difficult for him to get any meaningful increases to his physical abilities or his mana. All he would get was the ability to fight for a longer amount of time during battle. At present, what he wanted was for his Battle End Qi to be perfected and for his divine beasts to advance further.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    A healer who hade to check on Iron¡¯s situation was stunned to find that he was awake, and gave a loud cry of surprise.


    ¡°Mmmph¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry, Commander.!¡±


    Iron had frowned because of how loud the healer was, causing the healer to hurriedly bow in apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    The fidgeting healer calmed down and checked Iron¡¯s physical condition. Already his external injuries had almost all healed, and as for his internal injuries, since they were not too grave, they were also recovering bit by bit. The only things left were for him to recover his spent aura and the divine beast power that he had pushed to its limits. It was indeed a problem that his powers that had seemed so full as to be on the verge of overflowing had disappeared, but as it was something he had experienced time and again, it was nothing too serious.


    ¡°I have seen it several times already, but your recovery powers are astonishing, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Ironughed softly at the healer¡¯s admiring words.


    ¡°You have some internal injuries, but there are no big issues.¡±


    Iron nodded at his words, as if to say he already knew, and told the healer to leave. Then he focused on healing his internal injuries. Hepressed the mana that had begun to gather and then made it into aura. At the same time, his divine beast power also slowly increased. Since Iron did not need to worry about the divine beast power as it could recover on its own, he only needed to concentrate on his aura. If he recovered his aura to a certain level, his slight internal injuries would be healed in a snap.


    Meanwhile, news that Iron was conscious had spread throughout themand, and soon themanding officers rushed to see him.


    ¡°What of Ariel?¡±


    All themanding officers had gathered, but Ariel was nowhere to be found. Iron asked with his head tilted.


    ¡°Did she get injured seriously while I was down?¡±


    Cardro shook his head to clear Iron¡¯s doubts and spoke.


    ¡°She entered training.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­training?¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes grew round at Cardro¡¯s words, a conjecture running through his mind.


    ¡°Could it be?¡±


    ¡°I think she gained someprehension about the next level. Since it is an critical moment, we could not disturb her and came on our own.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    Iron nodded, indicating that they made the right decision.


    ¡°But¡­¡­ Why all of a sudden? Did she gain some understanding in the middle of the battle?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement with Cardro¡¯s statement.


    ¡°¡­¡­then what is it?¡±


    ¡°I think it is because of the reward.¡±


    ¡°Reward? Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Since they won the first battle against the south¡¯s ancient gods, they must have received rewards. And since he had left them to take on the six other-worlders while he dealt with the giant, Ariel was sure to have a specific reward.


    ¡°Then what about you all?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, I didn¡¯t receive that.¡±


    Cardro said with a bitter smile, while Saeridan and the others next to him also looked disappointed. However, from the expectation that apanied the disappointment on their faces, it was clear that they had all received a reward that would make them grow stronger, at least by one level.


    ¡°And you, Gaon?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I think I¡¯ll need to enter training.¡±


    ¡°Training?¡±


    Iron contemted Gaon¡¯s answer for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡­ if it¡¯s for the sake of Raven, then it¡¯s fine. You enter training like Ariel did.¡±


    Gaon shook his head slightly at Iron¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°No, sir. In order to utilise the abilities I received through the reward¡­¡­ I need some more time.¡±


    ¡°What kind of ability¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It is absolute zero, sir.¡± [1]


    Gaon replied to Iron¡¯s question in a tone that implied it was nothing special. But after hearing what he said, Iron¡¯s eyes widened and he stared at Gaon.


    ¡°I also received the physical ability to withstand cold qi as a reward¡­¡­ but I think I¡¯ll need more time before I am able to withstand absolute zero as well.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ In that case, when the timees, let me know. I¡¯ll let you have some time, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    This time, Gaon did not reject Iron¡¯s favour, and instead smiled as he epted. He knew that when that time came, he would be able to reach master level. The awaited time also did not seem too off either.


    Iron, who had been looking at Gaon, turned to look at the othermanding officers.


    ¡°How many people among your subordinates are at critical moments like Ariel?¡±


    They remained silent for a while at Iron¡¯s question, before Cardo replied carefully.


    ¡°There should be one or two people in each squad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than I¡¯d thought.¡±


    As he said that, Iron became lost in thought for a short while.


    ¡°What about the confederation¡¯s army?¡±


    ¡°They are retreating to the Southern Kingdoms¡¯ Confederation. But they are still notpletely out of the Empire¡¯s territory.¡±


    Iron gave a small nod at Faulden¡¯s report. Since many of their troops were injured, it would be very difficult for them to cover long distances in such a short time. Unlike when they first entered the Empire¡¯s territory, the pace of their march was bound to be much slower.


    ¡°Shall we hit them from the back? We will be able to catch up with them in two days.¡±


    ¡°Send us first, Commander. We only need a day.¡±


    Cardro, who had the strongest air force in the entire Mobile Field Army, and Ludem, captain of the Storm Troops, stepped forward, as ifpeting. Iron shook his head slightly as he watched them.


    ¡°Carl.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Contact the southernmand, tell them we have some juicy prey for them.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s order, they all looked at him with eyes wide open.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    If they went after the confederation¡¯s army right now, they could deal them a near-devastating blow. But right now, Iron was saying that he would give that up to others.


    ¡°We have received as many rewards as we can. Now is the time for us to go up one level using the rewards we¡¯ve received.¡±


    Iron looked at themanding officers as he spoke. None of them spoke, but after having received huge rewards, they all wanted to begin training. They couldn¡¯t hide the keen desire to train thaty in their eyes.


    However, the defeated confederation¡¯s army was also a huge prey to them. But Iron had to make the decision as themander.


    ¡°As it stands, it will be difficult for us to exterminate their main forces given our current situation. In that case, we should let the southernmand take care of them, and begin preparing for the next battle.¡±


    Iron looked at themanding officers one by one as he continued.


    ¡°The next battle will take ce on the Southern Confederation¡¯s territory. When that timees, we will get help from the southern and easternmanders. We have to grow one more level before then.¡±


    Themanding officers had solemn expressions, with their heads lowered, as they listened. However, a few of them looked like they were ming themselves for the Mobile Field Army losing such a good opportunity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look like that. I also need time to prepare.¡±


    Once he said that, all of them raised their heads to watch him, ask if to ask, <i>¡®You mean you are going to be even stronger?¡¯</i>. Iron did not say anything to that. He didn¡¯t want to raise their hopes, only for them to be disappointedter.


    But he also did not explicitly say that he would not advance at all. After his battle with the giant, in which he used battle end qi for that final blow, he now thought that he should redefine the notion he had of what steel was. Before this, his idea of ¡®the Way of Steel¡¯ had been to advance through a sword technique simr to the basic swordsmanship. He had practised endlessly in that way, but he had not been able to create a sword technique that was at the level of Battle End Qi.


    But he had felt different when he gave the final strike that felled the giant.


    <i>¡®Is that the path I should take?¡¯</i>


    As he was thinking that, he heard a sound


    -The dyed reward has been decided.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    While Iron stared nkly at the notification window, themanding officers who had not left yet looked at him oddly. Iron looked at them, and spoke in a bewildered voice.


    ¡°The reward notification¡­¡­¡±


    They looked at him, wide-eyed.


    ¡°You have just received your reward, Commander?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It makes sense though. His contribution was the greatest¡­¡­¡±


    While they spoke over each other, they looked at Iron with sparkling eyes. Seeing their excitement, Iron smiled and said.


    ¡°It seems that I will need some time.¡±


    They all smiled brightly upon hearing that. Theirmander was going to be even stronger? That meant that he would soon be the strongest on the continent.


    Ironughed as he watched his cheering subordinate, then said.


    ¡°Follow me diligently. Or shall I advance alone instead?¡± [2]


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow you no matter what.¡±


    Like Cardro, each one of them pledged the same and promised that they would increase the speed of their training.


    His subordinates now filled with drive, Iron sent them out of the office and looked at the notification window again.


    [You will be given one innate ability as a reward for the two quests. However, because the reward is too big, part of the authority given to you previously will be rescinded. Do you agree?]


    ¡öUpon agreement:


    -Reward: Innate skill ¡®fusion¡¯


    ¡ù All achievements except ¡®Hero of the Empire¡¯ and ¡®Hero of Steel¡¯ deleted + innate abilities deleted


    ¡öUpon decline:


    -Reward: Increase in power of innate ability ¡®lightning¡¯ + sharp increase in all title effects.


    <i>¡®Is this fusion skill amazing enough to give up the title effects?¡¯ </i>


    The one thing that was certain was that the notification was wondrous enough for one part of his abilities to be withdrawn. As he considered his achievements disappearing, he heard an additional notification.


    [If you give up all your title effects and innate abilities as payment, you will be given one more ability. You will also receive the Haemorrhage Service as an upgrade to the World Tree¡¯s blessing. However, innate titles will not be considered as payment.]


    -Reward: Innate skill ¡®Fusion¡¯ + ¡®Steel Physique¡¯ + ¡®Nature¡¯s Body¡¯ 4th Stage.


    At that sound of that notification, Iron unknowingly flinched. He began to ponder the words that he would be given one more innate ability, as well as the term ¡®Haemorrhage Service¡¯. [3] The ¡®Hero of the Empire¡¯ title effect was enormous. Was it really worth given that up?


    As he worried over that, the sound of the notification came again.


    [This reward n is the best reward to make you stronger.]


    Iron¡¯s eyes shone when he heard that. He was convinced by what the system said. Even if he gave up all of his title effects, as long as he had the ¡®Fusion¡¯ skill, he could certainly be stronger than he was now¡­¡­


    There was only one level that was greater than Iron¡¯s current level.


    ¡°Grand Master¡­¡­¡±


    Notes:


    [1] Absolute Zero: ?? ??; lowest limit of the thermodynamic temperature scale: 0 Kelvin or -273.15¡æ


    [2] Follow me diligently: ???? ????; He is telling them to work hard too, and advance like him. If it sounds odd, let me know!


    [3] Haemorrhage Service: ??? ???

 Chapter 216: A New Possibility (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (216)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    68. A New Possibility (2)


    At present, things seemed to be at a standstill. Not even the heads of the two families that were in the running for continent¡¯s strongest were able to achieve it [title of Grandmaster].


    Now he was being shown a way to get to that level.


    ¡®<i>There is a limit to the present state of things.¡¯</i>


    He had indeed thought that maybe one day he could reach the stage of Grandmaster. But doing so also required a lot of time. Right now, the situation was slowly bing more and more difficult, and the gods were forcing humans to the point of destruction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    After painstakingly considering things, Iron finally made his decision.


    -Starting now, all achievements and titles will be withdrawn, except the innate title ¡®Hero of Steel¡¯.


    ¡°<i>Euk!</i>¡±


    Iron groaned unconsciously as he felt the power that had filled his body disappearing. It didn¡¯t feel like the power was being consumed, but instead like a part of the power Iron had was now lost to him forever, a terrible feeling. The hero¡¯s body that had helped him go through several battles, the hero¡¯s spirit that had allowed him to withstand mental attacks and poison, and his hero¡¯s mana that had allowed him to boast a huge amount of mana. These three things disappeared all at the same time. Following that, all the powers that he had received through his achievements, including his cold qi, disappeared one by one. As they did so, Iron was unable to maintain full consciousness.


    ¡°<i>Heuk¡­¡­ heuk¡­¡­¡±</i>


    As all his strength left him, cold sweat flowed down his body and he went limp. Then he heard a notification sound.


    -The withdrawal process has ended. Because your achievements and titles have been returned, your probability of receiving titles and achievements in the Empire has increased. Also, the probability of the other-worlders returning to the Lord God has increased.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Iron grew wide eyed at the notification. What the system had said sounded like the other-worlders had not been able to receive title effects because of him.


    But on second thought, it did sound usible. Whether it was in the northeast, the north, east or at the Centre, Iron had yed the biggest role. Because he had handled the most important tasks, it was almost as if he had monopolised everything.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t regret doing so. At the time, there was no way around it. And then, after he had done his best and gotten results, he did not have the wherewithal to care about other people.


    While he was thinking about these, and also feeling empty because of the sudden loss of power and mana, something happened.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Suddenly, the mana that was circting in his surroundings began to appear more defined. And that was not the only change that urred. The mana that had not yet been converted automatically began changing to aura.


    -¡¯Body of Steel¡¯ reacts to ¡®Steel Mana¡¯. Because of theirpatibility, even without focusing on it, absorbed mana will automatically be converted to steel mana.


    -Due to being at Nature¡¯s Body 4th Stage, the amount of mana entering the body is greater. Divine power has also increased drastically.


    -Due to the increase in divine power, the divine beasts will get closer to their original strength. When the divine beasts regain their original strength, they will undergo evolution.


    -Through an added effect of the Fusion skill, all the powers in your body will not collide, but remain in harmony.


    Suddenly, he felt a heightened sensitivity. As more mana waspressed and converted to aura, bing a near-perfect power. Obviously, his mana volume and physical ability had decreased when he gave up his title effects and achievements. On the other hand, however, his senses, the quality of his aura, and his divine power had increased.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ I still don¡¯t know what is great about it.¡±


    As Iron thought that, and examined his changed power, he heard a sudden notification.


    -Only the title effects were withdrawn, and the title of Empire¡¯s Hero itself still remains with the user. Please umte the remaining hero achievements, and go beyond the Empire to be the Continent¡¯s hero¡­¡­


    Iron stared dumbfoundedly at the sudden notification.


    ¡°Just now¡­¡­¡±


    The voice that he¡¯d just heard was not the t, robotic voice of the system. The voice in his head was warm and earnest. He didn¡¯t know how those emotions were captured in the voice, but what he was certain was that the voice came from a high level being that he didn¡¯t dare to look in the eye, given his current abilities.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was the Lord God¡¯s voice, but the feminine-sounding voice contained care for the world, an earnest request for him to protect the world from the ancient gods and the external gods.


    Even if it was a god, as long as it was under the constraints of the system, there was a limit to the things it could give him, which was why the powers that Iron had worked hard to gather had now been withdrawn.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ is this skill that great?¡±


    Both the 4th Stage Nature¡¯s Body and the Body of Steel were coteral; the key part of the reward he received this time was the Fusion skill. He didn¡¯t yet know how to use it, but he was sure that all the power inside his body was moving in harmony, with just added effect. This meant that actual skill, fusion, had to be even more awe-inspiring.


    He had one more conjecture.


    ¡®<i>That final strike¡­¡­¡¯</i>


    Thatst blow he had given to the giant had contained power that had shown itself when he had been in danger of losing his life. Maybe that would be the key to using this Fusion skill.


    ¡®<i>Is that one way to be a Grandmaster?¡¯</i>


    Iron thought about what a Grandmaster, this level that still seemed so far away to him. The system had directly given him a way to be stronger in a shorter time.


    In that case, he would trust the system for now.


    ¡°Whatever the case may be, does this mean I have to go into closed-door training?


    Since all his title effects and achievement effects had disappeared, he needed time to adapt to his body. Being a master was not just about making and using aura des. A master was someone who had brought their body, mana and weaponry to perfection, and reached a bnce on their own path.


    But right now, Iron¡¯s equilibrium was broken. The aura made from steel mana was heavier, and his divine power had grown so fast that he was unable to manage it. To add to that, his weakened body was unable to adapt to the holy power that constantly emerged from it. Fortunately, the fusion skill had harmonised all his powers so that there was no sh between them, which he was thankful for.


    Once news spread inside the Command that Iron too would be going into closed door training, to adapt to his new body and powers, the Mobile Field Army stopped almost all outside activities.


    ¡°The Commander is bing stronger. We definitely cannotg behind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow in his footsteps!¡±


    After one soldier spoke, the youngest soldier among them clenched his fist and replied. A nonmissioned officer who was watching the soldiersughed as he said


    ¡°Got it. But even if you train for a hundred days, you¡¯ll still not be able to touch his shadow.¡±


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t we still try to follow after him?¡±


    ¡°That is true. We can¡¯t just rely on the Commander forever.¡±


    The soldiers nodded at the nonmissioned officer¡¯s words, their eyes solemn.Because they hated having to rely on the Commander everytime, they put their lives on the line toplete their missions, bing stronger in the process. This was proved by how much their battle skill had grown, so much that other armies could not catch up, and how they had received one more innate ability than soldiers from other armies because of their final battle in the southeast.


    But despite all that, they were stillcking. Whenever they tried to follow one footstep, their Commander had already gone even farther before they knew it. Even after he became a master, he continued to advance, and now they were hearing rumours that he was training to be a Grandmaster. There was also a rumour that Ariel,mander of the 21st Corps, was also trying to be a master.


    Even themanding officers were training the abilities they received and bing stronger. Then there was no way that they, the low-ranking soldiers, could take rest, even if it had been a long time since they¡¯d had a break.


    Already, there were scenes of people training day in, day out in the Command.


    Since the bestmanding officers were training day after day, naturally others began training too.


    As a result, apetitive spirit began to emerge gradually.


    ¡®<i>That kid has gotten that strong?¡¯</i>


    A soldier clenched his teeth when he saw that the<i> maknae</i> of their unit, who had previously been weaker than him, was already overtaking him, growing to the point where he could even be a nonmissioned officer. After he found out that the <i>maknae </i>was now on thee up, that very day, he doubled the amount of training he had to do. On no ount could he be weaker than the maknae, especially as a senior.


    The same was happening in other units as well. As the skills of those who had always been at the bottom improved, those who had cked a bit became nervous, and then that anxiety naturally led to them increasing their training hours.


    <i>¡®This is an opportunity.¡¯</i>


    They did not have to go to battle, and their assignments had been reduced to the minimum, so now was a golden opportunity for them to increase their skills. It also meant that their position within the unit would be elevated soon ¨C they already had battle experience, and all that was left was their power. Because it hadn¡¯t been long since the Mobile Field Army had been established in the Empire, there were still many vacant positions. What was unusual was that they did not bother to fill those empty positions. When somemissioned officers had proposed that they fill those vacancies, Iron had said just one thing.


    ¡°Get it with your skills.¡±


    His words had lit a fire in everyone, as they all aimed for the vacant posts. The Corpsmander and general-level defence positions had all been filled, but there were countless other empty positions. And because many people had died in battle, the number of positions remaining unfilled also increased. But still, they did not try to fill the positions for the sake of it.


    <i>¡®Be qualified.¡¯</i>


    They needed the minimum qualifications; without those, they would not be promoted. Even if one gave bribes and used their personal connections, there were limitations. Even if they passed the first screening using bribes or connections, they would certainly get caught at the final screening for corpsmander. In light of this, everyone trained without cease in order to get those positions.


    In the meantime, an event urred that would spur them on even more.


    [The second quest of the Apocalypse¡¯s first story will soone. Liberation from the ancient gods willmence. An enormous reward is avable uponpletion. You must win.]


    -Because of you all, the Southern Kingdom¡¯s Confederation has been shaken. Through you, new possibilities will arise: liberate the other-worlders and the people of the continent from the ancient gods and make them return to the Lord God.


    -Everything depends on you all. Please expel the ancient gods and bedeck the Apocalypse¡¯s first story with the victory of the Lord God.


    At this moment, the system¡¯s mechanical voice sounded sweet to everyone who heard it. How big a reward had they received after fighting the giant and winning? But now, the system was talking about another ¡®enormous reward¡¯.


    ¡°I wish that day woulde soon¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What is the southernmander doing?¡±


    ¡°Come on, man! He needs to quickly send them packing.¡± [2]


    Unable to hide their excitement, they found fault with the southernmander for dawdling. But then, yet another event added fuel to the fire, causing their excitement to overflow.


    [Memorandum]


    -Our Mobile Field Army will march to conquer the defeated Southern Confederation. Most of the currently vacant positions will be filled ording to the merit gained during that campaign. There will not be a cap on promotion so soldiers can be promoted tomissioned officers. Do your best.


    Iron Carter, Mobile Field Army Commander.


    The memo was stered all around the Command, containing Iron¡¯s official deration that they will go to war with the Southern Confederation. There would be no going back through political negotiations or diplomacy.


    The central government was also affected by his resolution. As he was the driving force in the victory against the confederation¡¯s army, and was also one of the most influential people in the Empire, once he announced that he would be going to war, the central government was bound to follow suit. The quest had been formally issued, and because they had been asked to bring the enemy back to the Lord God, they had justification. So the majority had no choice but to approve the campaign.


    Of course, there were some who opposed the war, citing the stability of the Empire. But what stability was there to talk of in the Apocalypse?


    The minority¡¯s opposition was soon dismissed, and a collective decision was made approving the war against the Southern Confederation.


    [Following the wishes of the Lord God, we will return the Southern Confederation to the hollow of the Lord God¡¯s arms.]


    The central government¡¯s announcement was short but filled with firm resolve, and caused the citizens of the Empire to cheer.


    <strong>Note: </strong>


    [1] Maknae: ??; the youngest in a group of people.The maknae is usually under the protection of their seniors (??, ??/??, ??/?), and in the same vein, they have to be respectful of the existing hierarchy.


    [2] The confederation¡¯s army is still on Empire territory, but the second battle will be on the confederation¡¯snd. So they are hoping that the southernmander gets them to leave as soon as possible, so they can start the second battle and gain the reward.

 Chapter 217: A New Possibility (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (217)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn<ol> <li> <ol> <li> A New Possibility (3)</li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    As soon as Iron and the Central government showed their firm resolve to go to war with the Southern Confederation, everything began to proceed at lightning speed. To aid the troops that would be the first to go on the expedition, the Central government sent a number of administrative personnel to the Commands that would be going to the Southern Confederation. They also discussed sending necessary supplies for the expedition.


    It had not been that long since two attacks hadid the Capital to waste. To add to that, the Empire was also gued with all the big problems that had arisen in the different territories.


    But because it was <i>the </i>Empire, it was able to still function like this despite all those troubles. The Empire lived up to its name as the strongest country on the continent, its economy recovering quickly in spite of all the crises. In fact, it seemed that the Empire was developing even more ¨C the caste system, the misuse of personal connections, the blood ties that had stood in the way of progress were now disappearing, allowing the speed of development to rise sharply. Those who were considered prodigies but had been hindered by their status andck of personal connection were now being appointed rapidly, allowing the Empire to quickly recover lost ground.


    However, there were people who stood in opposition.


    ¡°(Even though) the Empire is currently on a steep rise, do we really have to provide such enormous support?¡±


    ¡°What we should do is expel the Southern Confederation to a certain extent, and then use the rest of our strength to advance the Empire.¡±


    ¡°We need to prepare for bigger threats!¡±


    Those who opposed the war against the Confederation did have a point. Beyond the mountain ranges of the northeast, the frost giants were preparing for war, and in the east, there were the external gods, and they had no way of knowing how strong the external gods were. Through the victory of the Mobile Field Army, they had learnt that the ancient gods were not as strong as they had thought.


    But these arguments were met with the fierce resistance of those who had received the quest from the Lord God. Not everyone had received the quest, but those who did were of one voice.


    ¡°We cannot miss this chance!¡±


    The system had promised them immense rewards. Already, news had spread of how the Mobile Field Army had received great rewards and had entered closed door training.


    This was the main quest of the Apocalypse¡¯s first story. And because they knew how tremendous the reward for it would be, everyone was attracted by it. All of the troops of the Mobile Field Army had received the quest, and arge number of people at the southernmand had also received it. Even some folks from the easternmand who were in the south had gotten it too.


    Everyone was envious of those who had received the quest. Now that all the citizens of the Empire had awakened through the system, many of them could receive on appropriate quests. But those quests were only sub-quests or ordinary quests, not the main quest. The risks involved in those quests were low, but the rewards they gave were just as low.


    But the main quest was different. It came with great risk, and an equally great reward, a reward great enough topletely change their lives at once.


    As the people were envying those who had received the quest, one man, feeling that he had to do <i>something</i>, ran to the south. He simply thought that if he lingered in the vicinity of where the main quest had been assigned, at the very least, he would get quests that were better than what he had at the moment.


    As soon as he arrived at the southernmand, he helped the troops there and received a designated reward.


    ¡°It increased.¡±


    The man saw that the level of his quests had increased and smiled. Having confirmed his conjecture, he didn¡¯t remain there and instead headed for the southeast.


    If it increased that much at southernmand, what about at the Mobile Field Army?


    He believed that he would get an even better quest than what he had currently. And his thoughts proved to be true. He got a quest that was much more difficult and several levels higher. The Mobile Field Army was at a very high level, and helping them in their operations was also difficult in and of itself. But he didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡®<i>I am getting stronger!¡¯</i>


    He could feel himself getting stronger with each passing day.


    One day, less than a week after he arrived, the man was resting his exhausted body when he heard the familiar voice of the system.


    [You have received the second quest of the Apocalypse¡¯s first story. The difficulty level of this quest is much greater than your current level. Will you proceed? Please note that this is the main quest.]


    The system¡¯s voice came all of a sudden. Once he heard what it said, the man, who had been staring vacantly, cheered loudly.


    ¡°I will! I¡¯ll do it! Hahahahaha!¡±


    Seeing the man burst intoughter out of nowhere, the soldiers who were around him looked at him oddly.


    The man had identified himself as a mercenary when he came. But he was famous even in the Mobile Field Army. He had gone around saying that he would receive a better quest if he was in the vicinity of the main quest, and he had indeed achieved that.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    One soldier, unable to bear his curiosity any longer, asked the man, to which heughed and responded.


    ¡°Me too! I received the main quest too!¡±


    The eyes of those around him widened when they heard him.


    ¡°For real?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    One of the reporters who was with the Mobile Field Army rushed up to him and asked, and the man nodded heavily in response. His smile looked more radiant than it had ever been, so much that no one doubted his words.


    ¡°Thi- this is breaking news!¡±


    The reporter shouted as he rushed off, some other reporters following right on his heels. A few other reporters remained and asked the mercenary for more details on how it had happened.


    [Breaking news! Mercenary receives main quest!]


    Once the reporters quickly sent the scoop to the capital, it instantly spread to the rest of the Empire. But at first, no one believed it.


    ¡°This is a lie, isn¡¯t it? If it was so, then all those mercenaries who went south should have received the quest too.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all a cock and bull story.¡±


    They all thought that the journalists were overzealous and pulling some tabloid bullshit again.[1] But as the newspapers, one after the other, began carrying the articles with all the information the reporters had found, that thought changed.


    [Conditions for receiving main quest!]<ol> <li> <ol> <li> Must aid Mobile Field Army or Southern Command in operations</li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> Aid must be for a certain amount of time</li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> Must agree to participate in main quest (crucial!)</li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    As the detailed conditions appeared, one by one, the mercenaries and adventurers began following them. Those who had gone to the south, thinking that it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try, saw that even just going to the south raised their quest level. When they shared news of this, the Central government too provided them with support. After that, seeing that the rewards of those who helped the Mobile Field Army and the southernmand had increased, and that there really was someone who had received the main quest, people from all over the continent began swarming to the south.


    ¡°I¡­¡­ I did it!¡±


    A man raised his two arms high as he shouted. It made those around him tilt their heads, wondering what made him so happy. But they were shocked to hear his next words.


    ¡°I sessfully crossed from the ancient gods to the Lord God! Hahaha! I even received the main quest!¡± [2]


    An other-worlder had crossed over from the ancient gods to the Lord God. This was just as shocking as the news that they could receive the main quest.


    ¡°You mean if we go now, we can reawaken and even receive the main quest?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we have to go no matter what.¡±


    As the other-worlders began discussing the news, some of them began leaving the southern confederation. [3] Therge guilds took action to stop them, but because so many of them were running away, it was impossible to control the situation.


    Once those who¡¯d escaped reached the border area, neither the southern confederation nor the other-worlders could chase after them any more. This was because both the southern army and the Mobile Field Army had their eyes trained on the border.


    ¡°At this rate, the confederation is going to copse.¡±


    ¡°The number of deserters among the other-worlders is so high!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just them. A considerable number of our citizens have started crossing over too. They are returning to the Lord God¡¯s side and bing our enemies!¡±


    Some of the key figures in the southern confederationined.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we surrender now?¡±


    A man who was considered a big merchant in the southern confederation suggested with an anxious expression. As soon as he spoke, the others nodded their agreement.


    What would happen if they surrendered now? They may not be part of the Empire, but they would at least be able to keep their lives. If they were lucky, they would still be able to keep some part of the power they currently had.


    But those who were on the opposing side shook their heads. Their representative, a dark-haired man, spoke.


    ¡°Those useless things are always going back and forth anyway. What is important is the war.¡±


    Most of the people who were gathered there nodded their heads to what the man said.


    ¡°Just once. We just have to win one time. The Empire¡¯s northern and eastern armies will not be able to move. So if we are able to gain victory just once, from then on, the continent will truly be divided into three parts.¡±


    The listeners looked at him anxiously.


    ¡°What we¡¯ve prepared, just trust in it.¡±


    ¡°But even the giant was defeated¡­¡­¡±


    The giant had been the killer punch prepared by the expeditionary troops of the southern confederation¡¯s army. Everyone gathered there had been appalled at the news of its demise. They could not believe that that overwhelmingly strong giant, the giant that had been touted as surpassing master-level power, had been defeated by <i>one</i> man.


    ¡°This time will be different. It will not be just a strong body.¡±


    Some of them who were aware of what he was talking about nodded heavily. The others seated at the round table asked him to exin. Not long after, they were convinced by what they heard.


    This time, it really was different from the giant. No one could deny that it would be much more powerful.


    ¡°For how long shall we be wary of the Empire? This time, we must gainplete independence from those ursed Empire bastards. The time to do so hase.¡±


    The dark-haired looked around at those present as he spoke, a murderous look in his eyes. Everyone nodded their heads. They clenched their teeth, remembering their history of being exploited by the Empire in the past, or receiving all sorts of contempt even as they had to offer tributes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s defeat the Empire together.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    When the dark-haired man made that deration with one hand raised, those around the round table voiced their agreement one by one. Eventually, even those who had been hesitant agreed to the n, deciding to remain in the confederation.


    The same situation urred on the side of the other-worlders too. Having chosen the ancient gods, they had no choice but to fight back. Even if they crossed over to the Lord God and built their strength anew, they would only fall behind those who had crossed over first.


    Whether they sank or swam, they had to see things to the end.


    *********


    When, different from their expectations, the southern confederation that they¡¯d thought would copse and self-destruct remained standing strong, the leaders of the Mobile Field Army found it unexpected.


    ¡°They are more firm than we¡¯d thought.¡±


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    Themanding officers were gathered in the Commander¡¯s office for the first time in a while. Ariel, who had been in closed door training for the longest, was also there.


    ¡°It will be difficult to shake the southern confederation from this point on.¡±


    Iron gave a small nod to Gaon¡¯s report. Now all the people that desired to leave the confederation had left already. The only thing left was for the war to begin.


    ¡°What moves have they prepared?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. We could not find that out.¡±


    Faulden said, with his head bowed. Iron sighed before he spoke.


    ¡°Makes sense, I didn¡¯t think it would be easy to do so. What we can be certain of is that it will be something much stronger than the giant we sawst time.¡±


    The expressions of themanding officers darkened at Iron¡¯s words.


    They had only managed to beat the giant because of luck. If the next one were much stronger than the giant¡­¡­


    Their faces darkened even more as they thought.


    ¡°Well¡­¡­ if something like that giant appears, I will take it on, so there is no need for you to have such looks on your faces.¡±


    Even Iron¡¯s words could not ease themanding officer¡¯s expressions.


    ¡°Why are you being like this? You¡¯re not thinking that I am still the same as I was then, are you?¡±


    His question caused their eyes to turn round.


    ¡°Are¡­¡­ are you¡­..?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourselves now. I didn¡¯t even reach the Grandmaster wall.¡±


    Iron chuckled at the questioning expression on Cardro¡¯s face.


    ¡°Although¡­¡­ I think I have indeed be a little stronger than before. Roughly¡­¡­¡±


    Iron paused as he nced at themanding officers. They were staring at his mouth waiting for him to continue.


    ¡°Roughly enough to beat the two family heads with my swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­huh?¡±


    Ariel asked in a daze.


    Everyone in the room knew that the two family heads he was talking about were the Lion family n head and the Godly sword n head.


    As they looked at Iron with incredulous expressions on their faces, he smiled while turning his gaze to Ariel.


    ¡°That aside, what about you, Ariel? It seems you have not ovee the barrier yet¡­¡­¡±


    Ariel nodded to his question.


    ¡°Yes, sir. The barrier¡­¡­ sadly I still have not ovee it.¡±


    Ariel had a disappointed look on her face. The barrier to be a master was much higher than she had thought. Even Iron had had a hard time, so it made sense that it would take more time for her to cross it.


    But she was almost there.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ looking at your eyes, you can probably finish off a few incarnations on your own.¡±


    The other officers looked at Ariel with surprised eyes. Ariel, on the other hand, did not deny what Iron had said. Seeing her radiate confidence, Iron nodded in approval.


    The preparations were done, and all that was left was the war itself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know how important this war is.¡±


    His subordinates nodded, their faces serious as they listened to Iron speak.


    ¡°After this war, the outlook of the continent will change. It will develop in a new way. If we win, we will be at the centre of that change.¡±


    Iron rose from his seat as he spoke.


    ¡°We must win. And be even stronger.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    All themanding officers responded loudly to Iron¡¯s injunctions. Excitement coursed through them as they thought that if they won this war, they may be able to reach the stage of master that they had dreamed of.


    Already, all thoughts of the dangers of the war had disappeared from their minds.


    <b>Notes: </b>


    [1] ¡®Tabloid bullshit¡¯: ??? ?; ??? is abination of the word for journalist <??> and the word for trash <???>. ording to Naver dictionary, it is a derogatory term for an ¡®unqualified journalist¡¯. Think UK Tabloids, TMZ and clickbait.


    [2] This is a bit of a tangent, but this reminds me of one PR stunt that rocked my country (Nigeria) when I was young. Etist and MTN are two of the biggest telpanies in all of Africa. Etist used to have this spokesperson called Saka, and for years, Saka would wear the Etist green and appear on all our TVs and devices. But one day, Saka is in an ad wearing green, then the light changes and you see he is actually wearing yellow! He had ¡®ported¡¯ to MTN [like the guy here]! We talked about it for days, wondering what terms MTN had offered him (google says 20 million). Fun times. You can watch the ad here!


    [3] ¡®Those useless things¡¯: ????; ?? is the chaff thates out when winnowing rice.


    [4] ¡®Sunk or swam¡¯: ?? ?? ?? ??; this literally trantes to ¡°whether we be porridge or (cooked) rice¡±. A very interesting idiom.

 Chapter 218: The Great Southern War (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (218)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn<ol> <li> <ol> <li> The Great Southern War (1)</li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    [The war that has overtaken the south of the continent]


    [Ancient gods and the Lord God at war]


    [War breaks out between the Empire and the Southern Confederation]


    The newspapers carried news of the war with different titles, but what was paramount was the main quest. Everyone wondered who would win the Apocalypse¡¯s first story. The victor of the Great Southern War would receive enormous rewards. In fact, no one could deny that that was the biggest reason for the war with the Southern Confederation.


    But what about other territories? Especially the west that believed in the external gods?


    They too had noints. Those who believed in the external gods were building a more solid social system, and preparing for the war that woulde after (the Great Southern War). For them, more than receiving the great reward, it was more important to stabilise their system and achieve the n that they had made with the external gods.


    ¡°The southern army is being too slow.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Many peopleined about how slow the southernmand was, as they wanted to immediately carry out the main quest. The southernmand was neither able to produce satisfactory results in fighting the southern confederation¡¯s army, nor did they drive them to the frontlines so that the war could begin in the southern confederation. So it was inevitable that there would beints.


    But from the perspective of the southernmand, they <i>were</i> doing their best. They had pushed back the teeming monsters in the great forest, built a fortress there, and prepared for war with the confederation. It was just that they had needed more time because they had had to continuously fight against the hordes of monsters.


    *******


    The southernmand¡¯s army had been under fierce criticism day in, day out, but that would stop today.


    ¡°Is it finally starting?¡±


    Iron smiled, as if to say that he had waited a long time.


    News that the southernmand had seized control of the territories connecting the Empire, great forest and the southern confederation reached the Mobile Field Armymand. The report also stated that the castle that was located there had also been repaired and fortified.


    ¡°Tell them to get ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Carl Stein replied to Iron¡¯s order and left the Commander¡¯s office.


    ¡°This war¡­¡­¡±


    This would be the final battle with the southern confederation. He wondered how much stronger he would be if they won this war.


    <i>¡®Will I immediately be a Grandmaster?¡¯</i>


    He felt that there was little chance of that happening, but as he thought about it some more, it did seem possible. Most masters or the 6th level warriors who were aiming to be masters had their own battle end qi. But Iron¡¯s battle end qi was not yet perfect.


    <i>¡®I was lucky.¡¯</i>


    Different from other masters, because he was lucky enough to know the ins and outs of aura, he didn¡¯t have to waste time on perfecting things like battle end qi before bing a master. But now that he had be a master, he found that hisck of battle end qi was greater than he¡¯d thought.


    He was able to hold out for a long time in battle, so all hecked was a killer punch. Up till now, he had made up for that with the formidable power given by his divine beasts and holy power, but since his opponents were getting stronger, he needed battle end qi.


    The road to bing a Grandmaster was long and difficult, so he had focused on the battle end qi. But once again, he could see a way forward.


    Because he now had a shortcut, he began wondering if he really needed to perfect his battle end qi. Piecing together what the system had told him and the insight he had gotten while fighting the giant, he found that the path he had to take was not the silent yet steady ¡®way of steel¡¯.


    <i>¡®A firmness that contains everything.¡¯</i>


    That was the way he had to take. His path to bing a Grandmaster required all his strength to be fused together, encapsted in one. He suspected that once hepleted that, he would be a Grandmaster. That aura de that had contained all his strength when he struck the giant would soon be a new technique that would guide him on his new path.


    ¡°Calling it battle end qi¡­¡­¡±


    It was a bit of a let down to call it the same battle end qi that masters used. So he gave it some more thought. In the distant past, there were humans who fought against gods and transcendent beings, and won. Those people, called transcendents, were revered and exalted.[1] This had happened in the long gone mythical era, so long ago that records about it were vague. The technique they had used was called transcendent qi.


    ¡°Transcendent qi¡­¡­¡±


    If he became a Grandmaster, then he would be able to defeat frost giants, so there was nothing wrong in calling it that.


    ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    It was a technique that was one level higher than battle end qi. Far from being perfected, he was only at the level where he had gained a sense of it, but he still felt that he was getting stronger. It was like he had broken through a barrier.


    He didn¡¯t find it said to not have those exceedingly strong title effects. The problem was the current situation. He was worried about having to fight the southern confederation with no title effects. Without realising it, he had gotten used to charging into battle with his powerful physical strength and mana. In the heat of battle, those past habits were wont to pop up.


    ¨C<i>Tweet!</i>


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t fear?¡±


    Baepsae had appeared at some point, and pecked his head.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not exactly that I am scared.¡±


    Iron said so, but Baepsae scoffed.


    ¡°I am just a bit worried because I have notpletely adapted, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¨C<i>Tweet! Tweet tweet tweet!</i>


    Looking at Iron who was worried even though he had the divine beasts, as if it was fed up, Baepsae told him off sternly.


    Iron smiled brightly as he watched Baepsae tell him to have some confidence and go fight those people.


    ¡°Right. Because you guys have definitely gotten stronger.¡±


    Iron nodded his head as he spoke. Having reached Nature¡¯s Body 4th Stage, his divine power also increased tremendously, and among the beasts, Baepsae¡¯s advancement was the greatest.


    The amount of holy power he was able to wield at once had decreased because of the disappearance of his title effects and the immense physical stamina they gave him. Even his retention power had decreased too. But Baepsae¡¯s strength had increased enough to make up for that.


    To add to that, his physical strength was also quickly increasing at the moment, because of his steel body.


    ¡®<i>To think that the steel body is also a growth type¡­¡­ Incredible¡­¡­¡¯</i>


    Iron shook his head as heughed. Even the Nature¡¯s Body had changed to a growth type once I got to 4th stage.


    But it made sense. Since the Fusion skill disyed powerful strength depending on how the user applied it, then strictly speaking, it was no different from a growth type. In short, he had exchanged fixed, inflexible stats for a growth type.


    What Iron needed the most right now was time, but with the war with the southern confederationing, he changed his mind.


    <i>¡®Instead of more time, I will take a risk and advance towards the reward.¡¯</i>


    Iron reaffirmed his resolve to continue the war, causing Baepsae to give a short cry of satisfaction.


    ¨C<i>Tweet!</i>


    As Iron was determined to win the war, the overall atmosphere in the Mobile Field Army was also rising. It was because of the other-worlders and people from other regions who acted as if their victory was already certain.


    One of thebels the Mobile Field Army was known by was ¡®the army that knows not defeat¡¯. Whenever the Empire¡¯s citizens saw or thought of Iron, what came to their minds was not ¡®hero¡¯, or ¡®contender for the continent¡¯s strongest¡¯, but instead, it was that he always brought them victory. That was exactly the greatest image that Iron had among them.


    He was the Empire¡¯s victory icon.


    Because someone like him was leading, the soldiers of the Mobile Field Army naturally came to believe that they could always win, and in fact, this thought almost always proved to be true. So far, they had won, even in the worst circumstances, as if the word ¡®defeat¡¯ did not exist in their lexicon.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°We are finally moving.¡±


    Once word reached them that the southernmand hadpleted the fort, the Mobile Field Army began moving.


    Already, the monsters who were near the Command had been suppressed almost to the point where there were none. So only the minimum number of troops needed to protect the Command were left behind. Then they made up for their dearth of soldiers by using the rest of the southernmand¡¯s troops and the troops that the nobles in the south had sent as support.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    A merchant said in awe as they stood in the Command and looked up at the sky. As was fitting for a ce that had the Mobile Field Army¡¯s reputation, there were hundreds of airships from each corps on standby in the air waiting for Iron. The Command defence troops were also at the ready, with all of them aboard the airships.


    ¡°Is this the Empire¡¯s strongest air force?¡±


    ¡°Incredible!¡±


    ¡°Just look at that. They are probably all new too.¡±


    There was an awe-inspiring number of airships flying, so many that it was far ahead of that of the western army that had once boasted of having the strongest airforce in the Empire. Even the skill that this air force possessed was greater than that of the western army¡¯s. All the equipment on the airship was new.


    But that was not all.


    Armed with tonnes of experience and having at least two intrinsic abilities, the soldiers surpassed even those of the northeast who possessed the Empire¡¯s greatest strength. The Mobile Field Army had once been the subject of the humiliating rumour that they were riding on Iron¡¯s coattails, but now they had exceeded the Empire¡¯s average and be the Empire¡¯s strongest army. All of this had been aplished in just over two years.


    ¡°Let¡¯s depart.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Finally, Iron, who had boarded therge battleship, gave the order to set off. All themissioned officers bowed and ryed the orders. Soon, the airships that had filled the sky above the Command began moving.


    News of the nearly 1000 airships, and the drake knights¡¯ order that followed it, heading for the southern confederation soon swept through the citizen¡¯smunication devices.


    Following right behind them was the eastern army. It meant that the Empire¡¯s strongest armada had also been mobilised for the war against the southern confederation this time.


    The eastern armymanded the sea, the Mobile Field Army took to the airspace, and the southern army took the frontline. These three armies from the Empire came together for a joint operation, sending shockwaves throughout the continent. Most people were of the opinion that these powerful troops would wipe out their opponents at once. The Mobile Field Army alone had been a stumbling block for the southern confederation¡¯s army, and now there were three armies. As a result, the ims seemed self-confirming.


    However, no information whatsoever came out of the southern confederation. As if all they had left in their arsenal was onest strike, the southern confederation showed no resistance even when the Empire¡¯s southern army entered the southern confederation¡¯s territory. All their supplies had long been transferred to the key cities of the confederation that were on the coast. Perhaps because of that, the southernmand¡¯s army faced no resistance as they upied the southern confederation¡¯s army and advanced, so much that at some point, most of the territory had been upied by the Empire¡¯s forces.


    Nevertheless, because of the southern confederation¡¯s unusual calm response, everyone on the continent, including merchants who hade from other continents, now had their eyes on the southern confederation.


    And soon, the reason why the confederation had been so calm was revealed.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    The ground shook and throbbed, while in the skies a gigantic figure soared. It was smaller than the giant that Iron had gone head to head with, but its steel body was big enough to make even the tall buildings look small.


    Then hundreds more appeared and stood at the vanguard. Mechanical giants that were a bit smaller followed right behind.


    One of the Empire¡¯s scouts spoke absentmindedly as they watched the spectacle.


    ¡°A giant¡­ army.¡±


    The words the scout had spoken unwittingly soon became a nickname for the southern confederation¡¯s army. The mere presence of the steel giants, who no one was even sure how they were able to move, put pressure on the southernmand¡¯s army that was guarding the frontline. If the main fleet of the easternmand army had not arrived in the nick of time, the army of hundreds of giants would have trampled on the southernmand army. Fortunately, the southernmand army was able to withstand the pressure and maintain the frontline.


    Finally, the Mobile Field Army arrived,ing to their rescue with the fleet of almost a thousand new, state-of-the-art airships and the three gigantic divine beasts that had now be a trademark of the Mobile Field Army.


    With their appearance, the southernmand¡¯s troops finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Notes:


    [1] Transcendent beings/transcendentals: The raws say ¡°? ?? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???. ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???.¡± So for ???, I used transcendent beings and for ???, transcendents. Transcendents were also mentioned in chapter 78.

 Chapter 219: The Great Southern War (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (219)</b>


    The Great Southern War (2)


    With the appearance of the Mobile Field Army which covered the sky, the giant army, which had been trying to push back the front lines (of the southernmand army) with one move, stopped advancing. Instead, their artillery forces, carrying multiuncher guns that were equipped with magic bombs, took over. They were trying to make up for theirck of aerial power with ground power.


    The same was true for the sea as well. It was almost impossible for them to confront the easternmand army, which was renowned to have the strongest navy on the continent, with the navy that they had. So instead, they used their ground troops to the fullest. In various ces on the ind, artillery had been put in ce and traps had been installed.


    Perhaps because of that, the easternmand army that had wanted to drive the giant army back once and for all stopped their advance, and could only surround them.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    The eastern armymander came looking for Iron in therge-scale airship where he was to say hello.


    ¡°Nice to see you, sir.¡±


    Iron smiled brightly as he weed the easternmander.


    ¡°Eh,e on now, rx. We are now bothmanders, you know.¡±


    The easternmander said to Iron, who had greeted him as politely as ever, while patting him on the shoulder.


    While Iron was talking with the easternmander on the airship, the southernmander also came in.


    ¡°The facilities in here are much better than I¡¯d thought.¡±


    The southernmander took in the view of the airship¡¯s interior with an appreciative look. Unlike the regr airships, the Mobile Field Army¡¯s airships were quite nice. It was still ufortable to live in, but at least it seemed like the facilities had been designed to lessen the difort of living inside them.


    ¡°Wee, sir.¡±


    The southernmander nodded at Iron¡¯s greeting.


    ¡°The westernmand army cannotpare one bit to this.¡±


    During his long tenure, the southernmander had visited the different armies on many asions, including the westernmand army. He had ridden an airship of the westernmand army that had had the strongest airforce on the continent at one point, andpared to the Mobile Field Army¡¯s airships, that airship was very shabby. The Mobile Field Army¡¯s airships were muchrger, and even the system used on the airships was miles away from that of the westernmand.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, shall we start the discussion?¡±


    At the easternmander¡¯s question, both Iron and the southernmander nodded. As themander of the Mobile Field Army that was the driving force of this war, Iron spoke first.


    ¡°How about the navy? Will you be able to seize the harbour?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ it¡¯s not that easy. Because there are so many inds and submerged rocks, it is not easy to ess the harbour, and there are also many mines. The biggest problem is that they have ced artillery on each ind.¡±


    After the easternmander spoke, the southernmander began.


    ¡°As you can see, it is not easy to force their ground forces to retreat. Whoever goes in first will have to take some serious damage.¡±


    The opposing forces had put up a near-perfect line of defence both onnd and on the sea. If it was just artillery and traps, they would have risked taking on damage and advanced to push back the enemy. However, the iron giants were ced everywhere too. Without knowing, with certainty, what abilities the giants had or whether the giants had special abilities like the giant the Mobile Field Army had fought before, it was dangerous to hastily begin full-scale war with them.


    ¡°Their preparations are quite thorough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they do have the right to be confident.¡±


    The twomanders said, admiring the southern confederation¡¯s preparedness.


    The opposing forces had a chance of winning in this situation, even though they were facing three of the Empire¡¯s armies. It was also very possible that they were hiding one more hand too. The Empire¡¯s armies had to advance under the assumption that there would be more creatures like the giant the Mobile Field Army had fought.


    ¡°The Mobile Field Army will advance first.¡±


    ¡°But the risk of damage is high.¡±


    ¡°We still have to advance, despite that. Since we are in the air, the damage will be the lowest possible when they strike.¡±


    The twomanders nodded as they listened to Iron speak. It may be possible to attack if they were high in the sky. The problem was that there was a high probability of hitting civilians. If the bomb targets were inurate, it was possible for civilians to fall victim to the attack.


    With the onset of the war, there was something that was bound to happen. But that was only from the perspective of the soldiers. The human rights activists and the nobles who were looking for Iron¡¯s ws would most likely use it to attack Iron.


    However, Iron was ready to endure that.


    ¡°It seems your mind is already made up.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we have to back you up.¡± ??? ???


    Since the youngestmander among them was willing to put himself on the line, it would be a shame on them asmanders of the Empire if they couldn¡¯t follow in his footsteps.


    With that settled, the easternmander immediately began preparing for the navy to move, while the southernmander ordered all the troops of the southernmand to prepare to attack.


    As that happened, the southern confederations also quickly began moving. Since their opponents were preparing to attack, they had to prepare to defend against the attacks with everything they had.


    ¡°The enemy forces areing.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡­ there¡¯s quite a lot of them.¡±


    Muradin and Carlos, the two masters who had fought against the Mobile Field Army in thest war, felt nervous as they watched the Empire¡¯s troops flocking towards them, their numbers sorge that they seemed to be a dark swarm.


    Onnd, there was the southernmand army, in the air, there was the Mobile Field Army, and on the seas, there was the easternmand army, the three forces surrounding the southern confederation¡¯s army. Just looking at their numbers was enough to make one tongue-tied, but on top of that, these were<i> the </i>Empire¡¯s forces. All the elite troops of the Empire had prepared to march in order to crush the troops of the southern confederation.


    ¡°Will the Mobile Field Army be the first to move?¡±


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    Carlos looked up to the sky and saw the airships of the Mobile Field Army slowly being manoeuvred. Seeing that the airships had climbed to the highest altitude in order to avoid thend attack of the southern confederation, he sighed.


    ¡°Can Yolke stop the easternmander?¡±


    ¡°No idea. But since we have the iron giants, I think we can bear it. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll win anyway.¡±


    Carlos answered Muradin¡¯s question, still looking at the sky. It had hurt their pride that they could not control the course of the war, but now the times had changed. Now that the gods and the ancient creatures had appeared, masters were no longer the strategic weapons they once were.


    For a moment, he remembered how Iron, with his mortal human body, had fought off the giant, but soon after he shook his head.


    It was clear that, this time, not even Iron would be able to handle their secret weapon.


    ¡°Are you going to handle the southernmander?¡±


    ¡°I have to, since quick swords will gain the upper hand when fighting with a magician.¡±


    After hearing Carlos¡¯ response, Muradin nodded. He too concurred with that statement.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ it seems I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s got free time on their hands. Makes me feel sorry.¡±


    ¡°If you feel sorry, then go kill at least some of those Mobile Field Army bastards.¡±


    ¡°I should do that.¡±


    Muradin answered Carlos, his face filled with resolve to do exactly that. Seeing Muradin¡¯s determination, Carlos gave a small nod and walked off to deal with the Empire¡¯s southernmand army. Carlos was themander of the southern confederation¡¯s ground forces, and he left Muradin to be in charge of the troops that would defend against the Mobile Field Army¡¯s aerial attacks.


    ¡°Feels quite heavy.¡±


    Muradin felt that the weight on his shoulders was especially heavy today. If he failed to win this war, it would not be just him who died. All his subordinates and even their families could die too. If he chose wrong, if he made just one mistake, this would be the end for them. The decision made to avoid being destroyed seemed to lead them straight to destruction instead.


    But there was no turning back now.


    ¡°Raise your swords, all of you! Today, we fight with our lives on the line!¡±


    At Muradin¡¯s shout, all the soldiers and knights lifted their swords. Muradin tried to raise the morale of the troops that had fallen as they watched awe-inducing forces of the Empire, and then made preparations to face the Mobile Field Army that had already begun its move.


    At some point, the Mobile Field Army began dropping bombs from their high altitude position. Hearing the sound of bombardment, Muradin¡¯s troops began their defence, their faces fraught with anxiety. As if the southern confederation¡¯s side was not on the receiving end of an onught, drake knights flew up and their cannonballs shot at the airships of the Mobile Field Army. Even though the airships were at maximum elevation, some of the shells still hit their target.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    Even though some of the cannonballs fell through their defence barrier, the southern confederation¡¯s army did not stop their countercharge


    ¡°Their counteroffensive is stronger than I¡¯d expected.¡±


    ¡°It is difficult to maintain maximum elevation.¡±


    Amissioned officer with cold sweat flowing down his back said, as Iron watched the fierce counteroffensive with a serious look on his face. It would be much easier for the southernmand army to attack if the Mobile Field Army caused chaos inside the southern confederation¡¯s forces, but attacking the confederation¡¯s army was not as easy as he had expected. It was even harder because Iron was working alone. The opposing side had Muradin and even a secret weapon that they had know idea what it was.


    * * * *


    The battle that was supposed to be a full-scale war unexpectedly ended with them just figuring out the limits of the opponent¡¯s power. The aerial war, ground war and naval war all came to a stand-still. They had not figured out what hidden strategies each other had, but the tensions were higher than ever.


    ¡°They are stronger than I thought.¡±


    The southernmander said, thinking about how their attack had already been blocked even though the iron giants had not been deployed yet. Iron stood next to him, his face serious.


    Despitecking a main force unit, the enemy troops had still fended off the southernmand army¡¯s offensive. Yes, the southernmand army had not gone all out, but seeing the fierce counteroffensive made them think that this war would not be easy. They had thought that this war would notst that long, but now they had to drop that thought.


    The easternmander felt the same way too.


    ¡®<i>Someone on that side knows the sea well!¡¯</i>


    The easternmander thought so as he looked on solemnly. The most important thing for a navy was to understand the sea. Nothing was more important than that.


    But the opponent had someone who had mastered the sea. He knew where and how they would move, and had guessed how they would appear. In such a situation, they were sure to fail if they¡¯d attacked based only on their numerical advantage.


    As neither thend troops nor the navy were able to quickly deal with the southern confederation, they began to approach the battle more carefully, causing the course of the battle to lengthen.


    The first skirmish did not develop into full-scale war, and neither did the second and third battles.


    Contrary to the expectations of many strategists, the morale of the confederation¡¯s army began to rise as signs of the war bing protracted appeared. On the other hand, the morale of the Empire¡¯s troops began to dip slightly.


    It was for no reason other than the other-worlders who had joined the Empire. Seeing that they were unable to destroy the southern confederation immediately, causing the battle to be drawn out, and that the southern confederation was stronger than expected, they began wondering if they had participated in this war without thinking it through. Their expressions worsened day by day as the dangerous battle continued, different from when they had thought that they would just fight in the battle and gain a reward.


    However, the soldiers of the empire were different. Even though their morale had fallen a little bit because of the other-worlders, their willingness to fight was still strong. Because they knew that the oue of this war would determine the fate of the Empire and that of all humans, their courage was different from that of the mercenaries and other-worlders who had juste to receive a reward.


    Small face-offs and asional battles continued. On the surface, there was nothing rousing about them, but the leaders were busier than ever. In order to understand each other¡¯s might and hidden stratagems, they had made their scouts infiltrate the enemy camp. Once the scouts returned, they had been busy organising the intel the scouts had collected the entire time.


    ¡°The incarnations aside, you are saying that those things are just simple mechanical giants?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Their machinery isplicated, but they are very simr to golems.¡±


    As Iron listened to the magician¡¯s words of certainty, his eyes shone brightly. If one of the enemy¡¯s main force units was made up of just some big machinery, then the worst had been avoided. Iron immediately ryed this to the southernmander, and the southernmander immediately decided tounch a war under the cover of the night.


    The surprise attack came at a time when everyone was exhausted from the constant small battles.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that we have to show our cards first, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    The southernmander said, looking mildly disappointed. However, if they were able to deal great damage to the enemy, then having to show their hand early was no loss.


    Later that night, just after midnight, the southernmand army began marching. In order to distract the enemy and make them let down their guard, the Mobile Field Army moved very slowly.


    And that carelessness had fatal consequences for them.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    Along with the sound of cannons exploding came the sound of the temporary wall they had built crashing down.


    ¡°How¡­¡­ how is this happening?¡±


    Amissioned officer who hade out asked with a puzzled look on his face. The scouts had definitely said that the artillery of the artillery unit was not close yet. As he was thinking to himself, a huge gunpletely covered in iron began approaching them.


    ¡°Wha- what is that?!¡±


    Themissioned officer asked in a shaking voice, but no one answered him.


    As the soldiers of the southern confederation stood with their mouths ajar, staring at the object they had never seen before, the answer came from among the other-worlders.


    ¡°A tank¡­¡­¡±

 Chapter 220: The Great Southern War (3)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (220)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    69. The Great Southern War (3)


    Something that had never before existed on the Auzria continent had appeared before them. The tank, something that had existed in the world where Iron had been, and had been created during the world wars and several other wars, had now also appeared on Auzria.


    It was a strategic weapon that had been created for the southernmand army long before the apocalypse started, taking into consideration the advice from the other-worlders. It was created in order to make up for theirck of magic technology.


    The southern confederation¡¯s troops fell into confusion as the iron cannons approached them.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom! </i>


    As soon as this trump card of the southernmand army appeared, the southern confederation¡¯s army also took out the weapons they had been hiding. The iron giants pushed against the copsing wall, but it was difficult for the wall to remain standing in the face of the southernmand¡¯s attack. Eventually, iron giants that had been ced in different ces started moving.


    ¡°A surprise attack¡­¡­ you really racked your brains for this one.¡±


    Carlos gritted his teeth as he charged, his sword drawn, to block the southernmander, who was at the vanguard. As if that was not enough, Carlos had also brought with him all the 6th stage swordsmen and knights under hismand.


    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll finish you once and for all.¡¯</i>


    He had to force the southernmander into closebat, a magician¡¯s weakness, and then kill him.


    Even if that monster named Iron could defend against their secret weapon, the Empire¡¯s troops would still need arge number of masters in order to ovee the overall inferiority of their forces. For that reason, Carlos decided to throw away all his pride and draw all his strength to kill the southernmander.


    Carlos only had one destructive ability, so his levels did not match with that of the southernmander who was a Great Wizard. Fortunately, even though the southernmander had reached the level of Great Wizard, he had been judged as having a weak sense of qi.[1]


    <i>¡®I must kill him.¡¯</i>


    Even if he couldn¡¯t kill themander in one go, he thought it would not be difficult to do so if his knights joined in.


    <i>¡®Even if I can¡¯t kill him with one blow, if he sustains a fatal injury¡­¡­¡¯</i>


    As that thought ran through his head, Carlos gathered all his strength and stabbed his sword forward. His sword was as fast as lightning as he charged, but he suddenly felt as if he had been entrapped, caught in an enclosed circle.


    ¡°Ho- how?¡±


    His movement slowed for only a moment. But that was enough. As was fitting for a Great Wizard, strong magic flew towards Carlos in the form of lightning.


    ¡°As expected, like the insidious person you are, you did a surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°Southern wizard tower master¡­¡­¡±


    Carlos clenched his teeth as he looked at the woman who appeared by the southernmander.


    Sierra Leonar, master of the southern wizard tower.[2] At a young age, she rose to the ranks of the 6th stage great magicians, and was known for being so close to bing a Great Wizard.


    ¡°A colossus!¡±


    As Carlos said hastily, a colossus flew down towards the southernmander and Sierra, with a ck spear in hand.


    Several tanks were instantly crushed by the attack, but as a consequence, the southern confederation¡¯s army had several casualties because of the immense number of cannons that flew out of the tanks.


    With the attack of Carlos and his knights, as well as that of the giant, the war between the Empire¡¯s southernmand army and the southern confederation had now started in earnest. Different from the little shes they had had here and there, this was a true and proper fight.


    All around the battleground, several people groaned in pain, while many others died, but the expressions of the southernmander and Carlos, the two who were right at the heart of the battle, remained unchanged. Sierra, on the other hand, had a smile on her face.


    ¡°Things are bing interesting now.¡±


    As Sierra spoke, she looked up at the sky, Carlos also following suit.


    As if they had been waiting for most of the southern confederation¡¯s troops to be embroiled in battle with the southernmand army, the eastern army also began moving.


    Of course, they also had a trump card they had set aside. A giant object flew at the southern confederation¡¯s defence barrier, and there was a deafening sound once it hit the barrier.


    <i>Boooom!</i>


    There was a tremendous explosion, and at once severalyers of the barrier were torn apart like they were flimsy sheets of paper.


    The easternmand too had taken the advice of the other-worlders that joined, and had built arge, long-range magic explosive simr to a missile. The missiles they had built, sorge they took up the length on an entire ship, tore the barrier apart.


    However, even after the barrier had shattered, severalrge magic missiles continued to fall, and soon all of the confederation¡¯s capital was caught in therge explosion.


    ¡°Ple- please, save me!¡±


    ¡°The 4th artillery unit has been decimated!¡±


    ¡°Two iron giants down!¡±


    ¡°Part of the aerial recon unit has been hit!¡±


    Reports flew at Muradin from all over.


    As he looked at those reporting the casualties to him, about to give an order, the Mobile Field Army too began advancing, as if they had just been waiting for the ripe moment. Watching the nearly a thousand airships move and prepare for air bombing, Muradin urgently gave his order.


    ¡°Block them! They can note here!¡±


    Muradin gave his order to the artillery soldiers and the airforce unit as fast as he could, but everyone had been thrown into confusion because of the easternmand¡¯s shocking move.


    If they were hit by aerial bombing now, the confederation would suffer irreparable damage. Muradin ground his teeth, thinking about how the enemy had attacked before dawn, as if they had been lying in wait. And now, the Mobile Field Army was focusing on them too.


    <i>¡®Are they trying to end things quickly?¡¯</i>


    The Empire¡¯s forces had made the first move, guns zing. This meant that the Empire had no intention of finding out what their hidden move was.


    <i>¡®The truth about the iron giants was revealed too soon.¡¯</i>


    They had hidden the truth about the colossus until the end, but the iron giants were no different from simple golems. The only thing special about them was that they could be controlled from the inside, and had more skillful and fluid movements.


    Once they found out about that, the Empire¡¯s forces decided that their victory was sure, as they¡¯d thought that the number of colossus was not that high, after all. Only the giants had high numbers, and the Empire¡¯s side had judged that they could deal with that using the overwhelming numerical advantage of their troops.


    ¡°We still have a hidden card with the colossus, but¡­¡­ things are tough now.¡±


    Muradin said through clenched teeth. The confederation¡¯s air force was unable to win against the overwhelming power of the Mobile Field Army, and was constantly losing ground. Their ground forces had finished repairs and had started a counteroffensive with the artillery unit as their centre, but it was already toote.


    ¡°Bring in the colossi. Let them show some force and block them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Amissioned officer rushed off to ry Muradin¡¯s order to thems officer.


    Thinking that this would be the end of them if they were unable to stop the enemy, Muradin decided to use hisst card. The colossi they had now in the southern confederation were not as strong as the one that had shown up during the battle in the southeast, but it was able to mimic the former colossus closely enough. In addition, some of the powers of those who had entered inside the colossus could be disyed as well.


    As if to prove Muradin right, wings formed on the backs of a few colossi before they flew into the sky. When they charged at the Mobile Field Army¡¯s air force with their immense sizes and their strength, the confederation¡¯s forces that had been on the losing end for a while began to gain strength. Then the colossi that had been guarding the coast, as well as those that had been fighting off the southernmand army began to show their hidden powers, each of them exercising a different power.


    ¡°They seem simr to the incarnations, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Iron, who was watching the situation from therge airship, saw the colossi using their powers and said. Upon close observation, he could detect a unique power, but one that was different from the unique power of the incarnations. The only reason why the power was not as great as during the southeast war was because at that time, dozens of incarnations had joined their powers together; at present, these one only had their own strength, which was why there was a big difference.


    Now that Iron had figured out what the colossi were, he did not hesitate anymore.


    ¡°You can handle that, right?¡±


    -Yes, sir!


    Cardro, who had personally cultivated the strongest air force in the Mobile Field Army, answered with confidence, after which Iron nodded and ordered all the defence troops¡¯ airships to gather.


    ¡°We¡¯ve also got something up our sleeve; time to reveal it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The moment Iron finished speaking, all defence troops moved close to therge airship. Muradin who was watching from the ground saw that and hurriedly urged.


    ¡°Stop them! You must block them!¡±


    At Muradin¡¯s words, the colossi that were flying in the sky hurried towards the Mobile Field Army, but of course Cardro would not let them do as they wished. As was fitting for someone who could build the greatest air force in the Mobile Field Army, Cardro skillfully acted to buy Iron time to reveal what he had prepared.


    Meanwhile, something appeared above the defence airships that had gathered and began assembling in midair. The <i>¡®snap!¡¯</i> as it assembled told everyone watching could tell that it was something else the Mobile Field Army had prepared and saved in its arsenal.


    ¡°Is it¡­¡­ fort cannon?¡±


    The cannon on therge airships was an unfathomablyrge mana cannon. <i>That</i> was what was being assembled in midair. Just by seeing the number of airships gathered, even before seeing the gigantic structurepleted, Muradin could tell that this had gone beyond anything he could defend.


    It was time for the southern confederation to make a decision.


    <i>¡®It is notpletely ready yet, but¡­¡­¡¯ </i>


    From Muradin¡¯s perspective, the trump card prepared by the confederation was not yet perfect. In order to fight against Iron, that old monster, and against the numerical might of three armies, it had to be stronger, strong enough to cut through all of them at once.


    He needed that thing.


    At the moment, the colossi had even revealed their powers but their front lines were gradually retreating under the sheer number of the enemy.


    ¡°But I have to stop that thing¡­¡­¡±


    Muradin muttered to himself, but it was useless. The structure had already been fully assembled, and was emitting powerful mana waves. The defence airships had assembled to create an aerial fort, at the middle of which sat a huge fort cannon. Even if felt from afar, the mana particles gathered at that point were powerful enough to blow this city that was covered in every kind of defensive magic to smithereens with one blow. They were strong enough to make even a master quake in their boots, causing Carlos and Yolke who were fighting far away to look up at the sky.


    Even the southern and easternmanders who were on the same side as the Mobile Field army stared in wonder.


    ¡°He prepared something really incredible, huh.¡±


    The easternmander murmured, absolutely amazed. The southernmander was no different.


    ¡°Is he trying to finish them off in one blow?¡±


    As a powerful mana storm started brewing, all the mana in the vicinity gathered at the fort cannon, and a ball of light started to form at the front of the cannon.


    Upon seeing this, people who had seen many fort cannons would be able to say that this was what happened right before a cannon fired.


    Everyone looked at the weapon the Mobile Field Army had prepared, their nervousness clearly written on their faces.


    Finally, it was time for the cannon to fire.


    <i>Bbooommm!</i>


    Suddenly, at the centre of the southern confederation, a huge ck column soared into the reaches of the sky, creating a huge dimension gate. , the likes of which had never been seen before.


    ¡°Aim for the centre.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The moment the re-aimed the cannon that had charged to the limit and focused on the centre, something seemed to have sensed Iron¡¯s purpose and came out of the huge dimension gate. Iron cared not one whit about what it was, and immediately gave his order.


    ¡°Fire.¡±


    The moment Iron¡¯s order was given, a dark giant appeared and was hit by arge ray of light.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just one?¡±


    Iron muttered to himself as he watched the almostpletely melted giant and the creatures that followed behind it.


    Every one of them had been corrupted with void energy. They were apostles of fallen gods that he had seen in the east and in the north.


    Each of them had a body of immense size. One thing he found fascinating was that he could feel the godheads of the incarnations of ancient gods from their bodies.


    These strange creatures from which he could simultaneously feel the powers of both the fallen gods and the ancient gods were what came out of the gigantic dimension gate.


    ¡°Get ready again.¡±


    Iron said so and walked with sure steps to the door of therge airship.


    This was thest move that the southern confederation had prepared. It was a coboration between the fallen gods and the external gods. He had no idea what price they had paid to achieve this, but it seemed the external gods could use most of their original powers using the body of the apostles of the fallen gods as a base.


    ¡°Despite that, they are still imperfect.¡±


    If they had beenplete, they should already have been ttened by these ancient gods.


    The ancient gods had long forgotten their lofty ranks of the past, and now possessed the bodies of apostles. Even though they could disy most of their powers, it was still at a level that he could handle adequately.


    ¡°Is the real war now beginning?¡±


    As soon as Iron said that, Cardro and all the corpsmanders attempted an attack, and the southernmand army began storming the southern confederation¡¯s city.


    Notes:


    [1] Weak sense of qi: ??? ????¡­; ? means sense or emotion, while ? is qi.


    [2] I almost typed Sierra Leone lol.


    [3] Brief exnation on the giants: The giants mentioned in this chapter are of two kinds: iron giants in the giant army that apparently look like golems(?? ??) and giants that are more like mecha (I assume, since Muradin says they can be manned) and are called ??. When I looked up ??, I saw this:


    And also this, which I think is more urate, since they are described as flying (Here is a namu wiki link) :


    [4] I looked up some pictures, and designs of apostles vary from human(oid) to the other end of the spectrum. Here is one picture of an apostle from the korean MMORPG Mabinogi

 Chapter 221: The Great Southern War (4)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (221)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn<ol> <li> <ol> <li> The Great Southern War (4)</li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    The ancient gods were able to recreate some of their past powers through the apostles of the fallen gods. It seemed this time would be more tricky than even when they faced the colossus in the southeast.


    However, the colossus they had faced that time was a bit stronger. Its power had been an amalgamation of several different powers, so even after its body had formed, those powers seemed to overflow from its body.


    Despite that, the ancient gods before Iron¡¯s eyes were tricky to handle. Although their strengths had weakened a little, there were several of them, while there had only been one at that time.


    -The Lord God¡¯s lion! Let¡¯s go for a round!


    A giant toad on two feet lifted a giant mana spear. Despite being inside the body of a fallen, Iron could still feel the power of the ancient god even from afar.


    <i>¡®So a god is still a god even if their ss drops?¡¯</i>


    Even though its rank had dropped, the pressure it exerted was still considerable, as was expected of someone that had once been a god. Given that it was still this strong even though its rank had dropped severely, it was enough to make one worry about what the external gods would be like.


    -Come out right now!


    Upon hearing what the toad ancient god had to say, the other ancient gods began speaking provocatively too. After watching the ancient gods who were eager to fight him for a moment, Iron looked back.


    ¡°It will be hard to look after you all while I fight those ones.¡±


    Iron said to hismanding officers. The faces of themanding officers behind him and those of themanding officers seen via themunicating device were grave, but there was no thread of fear on their faces.


    ¡°Ariel.¡±


    -Yes, sir!


    ¡°Gaon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    With a serious expression on his face, Iron looked at Ariel, who was on thems device, and at Gaon, captain of Raven, as they answered his calls.


    ¡°I will leave him for the both of you to deal with.¡±


    Iron was going to y his cards with Ariel and Gaon taking on master-level Muradin, who was in charge of the southern confederation¡¯s city defence. He had thought of assigning the task to Saeriden and the Knight¡¯s division of the defence troops, but he decided against it after some deliberation. Even if he put in both the Knights¡¯ division and Storm Troops, there was no guarantee that they could stop a master. So he decided to take a gamble.


    ¡°Besides me, you two are the strongest in the Mobile Field Army. I¡¯ll leave the master to you two to handle.¡±


    Both Ariel and Gaon had received rewards and be several times stronger. It was true that their powers were still iplete, but they were very close to bing masters, which was why he decided to entrust them with this task.


    ¡°Just hold on for a while. Can you do that?¡±


    -Yes, sir!


    ¡°Please leave this to us, sir.¡±


    Iron nodded upon hearing their answers.


    ¡°I trust you.¡±


    After saying that, Iron turned to the othermanding officers.


    ¡°Starting now, Cardro is in charge of all the air force units of the Mobile Field Army.¡±


    -Yes, sir!


    ¡°Saeriden will be in charge of the defence troops. I will give Faulden authority to temporarily lead Raven, and Carl the authority to take charge of the troops, to make sure that there is no shortage of supplies. The defence troop leaders may haveints, but we are at war here, so swallow yourints if you have any. Understood?¡±


    -Understood!


    All themanding officers responded loudly.


    ¡°I will trust in you all and head out to deal with those corrupted things. Take care of things cleanly until I return.¡±


    -Yes, sir!


    Once he expressed his confidence in them, Iron jumped from the battleship. As if it had been waiting for him, Two Moons ced Iron on its back and flew high into the sky, Phoenix and Thunderbird by its sides. With the appearance of the divine beasts that had be the trademark of the Mobile Field Army, the imperial army¡¯s morale began to rise quickly.


    ¡°Where is he going!?¡±


    Muradin shouted angrily as he watched Iron fly away. Meanwhile, two people came flying in front of him, one a beauty with silver hair, and the other a young man with blue-tinted silver hair. Muradin¡¯s face stiffened when he saw them.


    ¡°He left the two of you to deal with me?¡±


    Muradin stared at the two young people before him. They were the Empire¡¯s famous Ariel and Gaon Temphet. The two were certainly talented individuals who would take charge of the Empire¡¯s future, and who were very likely to surpass Muradin in the future.


    But not at this moment.


    ¡°How dare he¡­¡­¡±


    Force rolled off Muradin as he looked at the pair in anger. Even if he was one of the weakest among the masters, it was a blight on his honour for two people who were only at 6th stage toe to fight him. As he thought of how the two 6th stage people, not a knight or even magicians, had been sent to block him, his aura began to overflow.


    ¡°If this was meant to humiliate me, I think you have done a great job.¡±


    Muradin said as he created arge aura de.


    ¡°I will definitely take this humiliation up with yourmander.¡±


    Ariel raised her sword in response.


    ¡°Feel free to bring it up with him after we win.¡±


    Ariel injected mana into her sword as said politely, giving due to the master. She could not manifest mana like a master, but the mana in her sword was well above average.


    ¡°That¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It was my reward for winning against you all.¡±


    It was star power. As it entered her sword, the sword gained an immense amount of power.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what gave you the confidence to fight me. Just that! In that case, I will show you how arrogant you are being.¡±


    Muradin said as he ran towards Ariel.


    ¡°By paying with your life.¡±


    As he finished those words, Muradin¡¯s sword came down in a straight line. Of course, Muradin was aware that Ariel was an expert in quick swords, and made his next move with hers in mind. But then¡­


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Strangely, Ariel did not react one bit and remained standing where she was. When he saw that Ariel did not avoid his attack, Muradin was puzzled. But he soon came to know why. He could see that her sword was changing minutely. At some point, his body had be covered in frost.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s strong enough to affect even a master¡¯s body?¡¯</i>


    As he thought that, Ariel¡¯s sword came at his neck at the fastest speed Ariel could reach. But it was not that easy to beat a master. Muradin managed to narrowly block Ariel¡¯s sword and then stepped backwards. Ariel did not miss the opportunity and continued to attack. Her decision to attack was quite bold, but it was the right one.


    <i>ng! ng! ng! ng!</i>


    In just a few seconds, Ariel made several moves. But Muradin blocked all of them, even when the situation was especially unfavourable for him, showing the strength worthy of the title of master.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±


    Looking at the several wounds on his arms and sides, Muradin got lost in thought. The sword was able to cut through a master¡¯s aura, and because it had cold qi too, so the wounds were not even healing.


    ¡°You tricked me?¡±


    Ariel had attacked Muradin with her quick sword, drawing his attention and allowing Gaon Temphet to make the real blow. He had been aware of what was happening, but as time went by, his reaction had slowed down.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­¡­</i> It¡¯s quite cold.¡±


    As Muradin said that, he brought his aura to max strength. At the same time, he used the skill he¡¯d received from the ancient gods.


    Ariel¡¯s eyes darkened as she saw the wavelength of his aura change. She wondered if they would be able to beat the master if he went all out. But soon, she had to focus her attention on Muradin¡¯s sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit it, you are strong. But not strong enough to stop a master. I¡¯ll prove that to you.¡±


    Before they knew it, hundreds of steel swords containing Muradin¡¯s aura had formed in the sky, each of them wielding tremendous power.


    <i>¡®Themander had easily dealt with this power?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®He¡¯s a monster, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯</i>


    Ariel and Gaon stiffened as they watched the steel swords rain down on them.


    What was one to do if their opponent came forth with all their might? The answer was to put their lives on the line and draw on every iota of strength that they had. Gaon and Ariel looked at each other and nodded. The moment their eyes met, Ariel quickly stepped back, and Gaon released all of his power. The ground became covered in frost, after which the surroundings filled with swords made of cold qi that shed against the steel swords.


    ¡°Huh¡­.. are you trying to freeze this old man to death?¡±


    Muradinughed leisurely inside the cold qi that was almost at absolute zero, wrapping his entire body in aura. Without giving them time to react, he rushed at Gaon, maintaining the deluge of steel swords. The steel swords containing aurapletely smashed Gaon¡¯s cold qi swords, and flew at Gaon.


    To block the swords, Gaon whirled his sword and created a cold qi storm, but it was to no avail. Muradin¡¯s blow broke through Gaon¡¯s skills, even though Gaon had done his best. That was the difference between the master¡¯s skills and Gaon¡¯s. Even Muradin who had been judged a weakling among the masters on the continent was able to beat Gaon who was a veritable genius.


    Despite that, Gaon¡¯s face remained calm. In fact, he even had a slight smile on his face.


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    Muradin smiled as he saw hundreds of meteors falling from the sky. That was Ariel¡¯s swordy at its greatest capacity. The meteors flew towards Muradin, destroying the rain of steel swords.


    <i>Booom!</i>


    The sound of explosions came from all around them. The meteors had caused craters to form, but Muradin walked out fine from the centre of all that.


    ¡°That was quite a blow just now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    Ariel and Gaon remained silent at Muradin¡¯s words. Muradin was fine even though they had forced him to lower his guard and surprise-attacked him. They had known that there was a gap between them and a master when they began the fight, but having seen this, they were now fully aware of the difference between them.


    ¡°I wonder how long you both will be able to keep me tied up here.¡±


    As Muradin was speaking, the sound of a huge explosion came from afar. The sound was muchrger than the sound that had been heard when Ariel, Gaon and Muradin were fighting, and spread through the entire city.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡­ Will things on that side end first, or will it be faster to cut you down and then join them over there?¡±


    As Muradin said so, he reformed his aura de. Ariel and Gaon also gathered all their strength to create mana swords.


    While their fight started again, a fierce battle between Iron and the ancient gods that had entered the apostles¡¯ bodies was going on where the loud explosion came from. Thunderbird faced off with a giant sky whale, Phoenix confronted an elephant that vomited mes, and Two Moons fought a giant spider that spewed poison. Meanwhile, Iron was entangled in a fierce battle with an enormous toad that was standing on two feet.


    Iron alone was taking on four ancient gods.


    But that was not all. Bbaepsae was releasing light beams to stop another apostle that was attempting to squeeze through the huge dimension gate.


    Iron alone was fighting this secret move that the Southern Confederation had hidden.


    Was it because of this sacrifice of his? The Mobile Field Army drew more strength and pushed back the troops of the southern confederation that were in the city. Cardro had established dominance in the air space with their outstanding air force and was bombarding the city, while Saeriden began to upy thend. As if answering their call, the Southern Command army also began entering the city and began to build a camp.


    ¡°If this is all, I feel a bit¡­ disappointed.¡±


    Iron looked disappointed when he saw that their strength was less than he had expected. Seeing him like that, the expressions of the ancient gods became ugly. But they had no choice but to admit it. With their lessened powers, they could not beat the apostle of the Lord God. This <i>monster</i> had be stronger than they¡¯d heard, and they could not take him on even though they had fused with the apostles of the corrupted gods.


    ¨C In the end, that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got?


    ¨C<i>Hoo</i>¡­¡­ I knew it would turn out like this.


    -I told you, that bastard¡¯s a monster.


    The ancient gods spoke, one after the other, while looking at the giant toad. Even the ancient god that had moured to fight Iron alone could only admit it. The divine beasts themselves were fierce, yes, but the human before them had unusual swordsmanship.


    -He would have made a name for himself if he were in the mythological era.


    Even the ancient god inside the giant toad said as it nodded.


    <i>-Hoo¡­</i> we held on until now, this age of destruction¡­ but things still ended up like this.


    The giant toad said to Iron in a voice dripping with self-scorn, while Iron calmly looked at it. He did not know what role it had yed during the mythological era, but it must have been at the level of a hero. He had be sure of that as he exchanged blow after blow with it.


    -Well¡­¡­ it was great to be able to fight like this at the end. I hope you ovee that wall. [1]


    As the toad finished speaking, all the apostles¡¯ bodies, except its, began disintegrating into powder. Seeing that, Iron and the divine beasts hurried towards the bunker that had been made by the Southern Confederation. However, the toad, who had remained until then, threw its body forwards to step them.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    ¨C<i>Hoo¡­ Hoo¡­ </i>I am curious whether you will be able to fight off ¡®that thing¡¯ too. I wanted to stay until the end to see¡­ such a shame.


    The moment the toad said that, the ck light became stronger and the dimensional gates in the sky began to expand.

 Chapter 222: A Fallen God (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (222)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn<ol> <li> <ol> <li> A Fallen God (1)</li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    The dimension gate, several timesrger than the one the apostles came out from, filled those who looked at it with a sense of terror. In just a few minutes, the area surrounding it was polluted with ck air.


    The problem was what came after. Some creature came out of a hole that was sorge it dwarfed the dimension gate that the apostles came out from. The hole was a dimension gate that the ancient gods had sacrificed themselves to create.


    ¡°Could it be a god?¡±


    Iron frowned at the oppressive energy he felt rolling off the dimension gate. The only thing that could instil such fear despite being behind the barrier of the gate was a god level creature. In order to exit from the gate, it was gathering its powers.


    -Is it¡­¡­ impossible?


    The ancient god inside the toad apostle asked in self-deprecation, as it looked up at the sky. Even though the ancient gods had sacrificed themselves, they¡¯d only managed to make the dimension gate a bit wider. It was impossible for them to summon a high level god.


    -Have our powers be so weak that we cannot even summon a thing that has 10% of our former strength?


    The ancient gods, who had once been in the ranks of true gods, now found it impossible to draw part of the real strength of a ¡®god¡¯ even though they had sacrificed themselves. A fallen god was still a high-rank god. Now they realised how futile it was trying to call on such a god even with their sacrifice.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Iron said as he looked at the toad that was disintegrating slowly. When the ancient gods had opened the dimension gate at their own expense, at first he had been worried that they were summoning the external gods from the West. He had no way of knowing if the existence he had sensed from beyond the dimension gate was the same as the external gods. But one thing he was sure of was that if the ancient gods brought it out, it would spell the end of the continent.


    ¡°Ancient god.¡±


    -¡­¡­speak.


    At Iron¡¯s call, an ancient god that was on the verge of vanishing replied.


    ¡°Since you would all be extinct anyway, why would you attach yourself to a fallen god?¡±


    Iron looked at the ancient god, his face fraught with iprehension. Since they were going to disappear, wasn¡¯t it better to stand on the side of the continent they had once threaded on? The right thing to do at the moment was to ask for forgiveness from the Lord God, but the ancient gods were instead working together to summon the fallen god by sacrificing themselves. It made no sense whatsoever to Iron.


    -A name¡­¡­


    ¡°What?¡±


    -We are doing this to leave a name for ourselves.


    Iron looked at the toad who most of its had vanished, and ground his teeth.


    ¡°You summoned that thing just for that reason?¡±


    Sensing the overwhelming presence of the fallen god, Iron stepped on what remained of the toad¡¯s body. But the toad only smiled as if it didn¡¯t feel any pain.


    -The End cannot be stopped. Ancient god? External god? What is happening now is only kid¡¯s y. If I could leave a name for myself when the true End begins¡­¡­ it would all be worth it.


    With those words, the toad vanishedpletely. Iron frowned when he saw that. The ancient gods had given up because they thought there was no way to stop the End. And the result of such thought was what was behind the dimension gate. They had attached themselves to someone stronger in a bid to leave a name in the annals of history. It was no different from what the people of the South had done when they chose to follow the ancient gods.


    -!%$^$&$*@#$!@


    An unintelligible sound came from afar. Strangely enough, when Iron heard the bizarre, terrifying sound, he could understand all of it.


    -Stop resisting, and beg for mercy. Then I¡¯ll leave you with your life.


    It was a very arrogant statement, but it was uttered by the existence behind the dimension gate, then it made sense. Afterall, it possessed immense strength. For it to be chosen by the ancient gods who had once been high-ranking themselves, then it could not be some measly spirit.


    But if it was so powerful, why was it unable to appear here at the moment?


    ¡°Cut the bullshit and piss off.¡±


    Iron said as he concentrated on his holy power.


    ¡°Mobile Field Army!¡±


    At Iron¡¯s roar, the Mobile Field Army standing in the distance stopped the battle and looked towards Iron. Not only did the Mobile Field Army stop fighting, but everyone else stopped as well, as Iron¡¯s voice spread through the entire city. Then a brilliant light shone from between the pirs of ck light.


    ¡°From now on, protect me!¡±


    The troops of the Mobile Field Army that had been focused on upying the city immediately flocked to the centre. They did not care why he gave such an order. Since their hero had given an order, they just had to follow through. His abilities, demonstrated countless times in several battles, now possessed the same power as those of a god in the Mobile Field Army.


    ¡°Protect themander!¡±, shouted Saeriden.


    At his shout, the 23rd Corps began sweeping through the soldiers that were around them. Following that, they broke through the centre with the Storm Troops. Then the Knights Order from the defence troops moved in and formed a barrier around Iron. In no time, all the air forces of the Mobile Field Army, including the 22nd Corps, surrounded the area and created a solid formation so that no one could reach where Iron was. This included the airships, and even the drake knights joined in, creating a fortress in an instant.


    As a result, the direction of the war changed.


    ¡°Break through!¡±


    As soon as Muradin gave his order, his soldiers tried to head for the centre, but their way forward was blocked  by Ariel and Gaon.


    ¡°You are trying to stop me with such bodies?¡±


    Both Ariel and Gaon had wounds all over, and even a few internal injuries, but the firmness in their eyes indicated that they would not back down.


    ¡°Tsk! I don¡¯t want to kill you young folks here but¡­¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Muradin swung his aura de, ready to finish them off. Then he paused for a moment, as a lightning spear flew down towards him.


    <i>Crack! Crackle!</i>


    ¡°A master is truly a master, as expected.¡±


    Peter Marvio said as formed a lightning bolt with both hands. Muradin immediately tried to swing his sword at him, but his attempt was futile as his body was suddenly tied up by a formless energy, which also created a storm all around.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to keep him tied up, so hurry up and attack!¡±


    As An Reishor grumbled, Peter created a lightning spear again and attacked. Ariel and Gaon who had gotten time for a breather also drew their swords. Now that the fourmanding officers who were in charge of the Mobile Field Army had joined forces to fight Muradin, it had be difficult for him to get through them despite being a master.


    Nevertheless, a master was a master. No matter how highly skilled and talented they were, fighting a master was a difficult task.


    ¡°We cannot let him go!¡±


    Ariel stood firm and blocked Muradin, even as tears of blood flowed from one of her eyes. An and Peter disyed their great powers, ready to attack at any time. Gaon too released all of his power and stood before Muradin.


    Muradin ground his teeth as he saw their resolve. If even one of the six other-worlders was there to help him, he would be able to cut through them quickly. But he had no idea where the other-worlders had gone off to. Jaime and Harry Williams were busy fighting with the Southern Command Army, and Al-Assad was stuck fighting Nyx Cole and the rangers. Hikardu and Rovanov were attacking the centre with the southern confederation¡¯s troops, but they were blocked by the Mobile Field Army¡¯s Storm Troops and Knights Order.


    Having taken ay of the battlefield in a short moment, Muradin sighed.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­¡­</i> this has be tricky.¡±


    Muradin looked towards the east as he said. Kim Jungtae had created an enormous water dragon. Muradin wished Kim Jungtae woulde over to his side, but there was someone who was preventing him from doing so. Kim Jungtae, who was said to be the strongest of the six, was unable to help Muradin as he was entangled in a fight with Daniel Cevaior, the genius of the Eastern Command Army.


    ¡°Kkeuk! Just get lost, why don¡¯t you!¡±


    Kim Jungtae used his water dragon to attack, an annoyed look on his face, but Daniel remained in his way, swinging his sword silently. Having reached the beginning of 5th stage, Daniel¡¯s swordsmanship was imbued with the spirit of water, possessing great strength. Everytime he swung his sword, it created a powerful water whirlwind that attacked the water dragon from all sides.


    ¡°Stop horsing around ande at me!¡±


    As Kim Jungtae spoke he drew water from the surrounding sea and attacked Daniel. Kim Jungta had prodigious talent in anything  that had to do with water, and it was clear even to Daniel, that Kim Jungtae¡¯s talent surpassed Daniel¡¯s. When Kim Jungtae attacked Daniel with his formidable might, Daniel dashed this way and that to avoid getting hurt, as much as he possibly could.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to fight, then just piss off!¡± Kim Jungtae said to Daniel, annoyed, but Daniel only remained silent as he continued with his task, which was to keep Kim Jungtae tied up. He did fall short in terms  of ability whenpared to Kim Jungtae, but put his life on the line toplete his mission. Yes, when it came to water, Kim Jungtae was talented enough to make one despair. But both Iron, who was the hero of the Empire, and Matteo, who had gone with the mermaids, were just as formidable as Kim Jungtae was.


    ¡®<i>Compared to Matteo, this is doable.¡¯</i>


    The mermaids had recently appeared to help them resist the End. Daniel remembered meeting Matteo, who served as the bridge between the mermaids and humans. Daniel had learnt to control and be in tune with water from Matteo who had be much stronger after learning the powers of the merpeople. Because of how powerful Matteo was, the primary emotions he had felt at that time were frustration and discouragement. Having gone through that, he could calmly admit the difference in strength between him and Kim Jungtae, and could endure all kinds of indignity just to keep Kim Jungtae entangled.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Kim Jungtae scowled as he looked at Daniel who was in his way. While he was being held off by someone far weaker than he was, Iron at the centre was gradually releasing light while inside the huge ck pirs. The light broke through the ck manner that wasing from underground and began breaking the summoning circle bit by bit. [1]


    ¡°What are you doing?! Stop them! Are you going to let those vermin get to themander?!¡±


    As Saeriden roared, he cut down the assassins that hade within close range.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡±


    Saeriden stood in the way of Al-Assad, who hade to attack under the cover of darkness. He made a fire lion and dispelled the darkness around him. Then Al-Assad tried to throw off Saeriden¡¯s senses and pass by him.


    ¡°Where are you going? You want to y with me?¡±


    Saeriden cut through the darkness and charged at Al-Assad. Al-Assad, who had been flung outwards red at Saeriden with a murderous look on his face. Saeriden smiled as if that was what he¡¯d wanted.


    ¡°Themander is busy, so you want to y with me instead?¡± [2]


    Saeriden licked his sword as spoke. Seeing him like that, Al-Assad scowled and rushed at him. Then Saeriden shed swords with him with all his power.


    While Saeriden dealt with Al-Assad who had broken through the defence of the Mobile Field Army, Iron stopped releasing his power for a moment and focused all his attention on his holy power again. Because he had been using his holy power to the fullest, the circle that had summoned the dimension gate was splintering, and Baepsae who was blocking the dimension gate released even more holy power.


    -You are quite arrogant, apostle of the Lord God.


    With those words, a terrifying eye appeared and filled all the space in the dimension gate


    <b>Notes</b>


    [1] Summoning circle: ???; ?? means a summon or a call; imagine a magic circle (which is ???, if you were wondering).


    [2] Themander: the word used here is actually ?? (hyungnim), an honorary word used by a younger man to address an older man that he is close with. I took it to be referring to the Iron and usedmander instead.

 Chapter 223: A Fallen God (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (223)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn<ol> <li> <ol> <li> A Fallen God (2)</li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    The fallen god observed Iron, as if it found it cruel that Iron was trying to destroy the dimension gate that the ancient gods had sacrificed themselves to create.


    It was the fallen god that poured an immense amount of power into the dimension gate that had been expanded by the ancient gods in order to maintain it. But the dimension gate had been shrunk by a lone human. Even though maintaining a dimension gate from the outside was several folds more difficult than doing so from the inside, it was still a god.


    It was impossible for a human to force its back to the wall.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Suddenly, one part of the shrunken dimension gate began to copse, causing Iron¡¯s expression to harden. If the dimension gate copsed, then it would inevitably be a dimension fissure. If that happened, apostle-level beings would not be able toe out through it. But the fallen god was deliberately causing cracks in the dimension gate.


    ¡°On purpose? Why in the world?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before Iron understood why. Part of a giant tentacle sprang out through the dimension gate, and stretched all the way to the ground.


    Part of the fallen god¡¯s body hade out of the ground. Upon seeing that, Iron unleashed even more holy power, but was unable to prevent the god¡¯s body froming over. Even though his holy power contained the power of the Lord God, because the one wielding that power was a human, there was a limit to it.


    Fortunately, Baepsae¡¯s divinity restrained the fallen god¡¯s body from crossing over, as much as was possible.


    ¡°¡­¡­but there¡¯s a price to pay for doing this.¡±


    Regardless of how high-ranked it was, there would still be consequences if a god tried to force its way through a dimension gate.


    And of course, Iron was right. As the enormous tentacle got closer to the ground, the dimension gate continued to crumple, and the hole that had been forced open gradually narrowed. Once the tentacle touched the ground, the gate vanished, leaving behind only one giant tentacle.


    ¡°What the heck is¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    The left-behind tentacle shrank and took form. The bizarre creature, smaller than a giant, red at Iron with dozens of eyes.


    ¡°Did it¡­¡­ sacrifice itself?¡±


    -Correct.


    The fallen god replied to Iron.


    -I sacrificed a part of my ranking and part of my body in order to appear here personally.


    Iron froze at the fallen god¡¯s statement. The southernmander and the westernmander, who had both been watching over that ce, left Carlos and Yolke to their subordinates and hastened to where Iron was. But as they tried to hurry over, Iron shouted at them.


    ¡°Everyone stand back!¡±


    Saeriden and all the other officers stared at Iron nkly, not understanding what he meant, only for Iron to shout again.


    ¡°I said move back! The Commanders too, don¡¯te over!¡±


    -An excellent judgement you¡¯ve made there.


    A mouth appeared on the strange creature, its lips forming a disgusting smile. Iron was right to have asked everyone to note close.


    -Although I couldn¡¯t bring even 10% of my power with me, I am still a god. Do you think you could stop me on your own?


    Even though it had fallen, it was still a god. It could only use a miniscule percentage of its full power, but that great power and ranking was not something a master could take on. The only reason why Iron was able to do so was because he was the Lord God¡¯s apostle.


    At present, in all of this city of the Southern confederation, only Iron could bear the power of the fallen god.


    ¡°Despite that, didn¡¯t you still pay a price to appear here in order to catch me?¡±


    An uncannyughter flowed from the fallen god¡¯s mouth when it heard Iron¡¯s question.


    -Although a part of my strength was destroyed, if I am able to kill the apostle of the Lord God, then I would have profited greatly, so¡­¡­ how can that be considered a loss?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something you should say after you have killed me?¡±


    Iron strengthened his trembling hands. At some point, Iron¡¯s surroundings had turned dark, as if day had turned to the darkest night. This was caused by the god¡¯s fallen qi. As the power, so strong that Iron could not purify it even with his holy power, thickened around Iron, the divine beasts gathered around Iron. Baepsae positioned itself on Iron¡¯s head as always, and amplified its divine power to the utmost.


    -A futilest-ditch effort.


    The fallen godughed as it watched Iron gathering his strength. The fallen god had the power to toy around with Iron, no matter what he did, just like a bug in someone¡¯s palm.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The fallen god¡¯s palm moved lightly, throwing Iron towards a building. Then thousands of ckened hands formed and flew towards him.


    But Iron was, of course, a master. Like the warrior at the peak of his swordsmanship that he was, he split the thousands of hands that came at him.


    -Try to stop this too.


    Along with the fallen god¡¯s yful voice, ck energy gathered and then spread out indiscriminately. But then, the holy power in Iron¡¯s body surged and destroyed all the corrupted qi around him.


    -Excellent. Truly excellent!


    As if it was having fun on a yground, the fallen godunched several attacks at Iron.


    <i>¡®Is this what it¡¯s like to experiment onb mice?¡¯ </i>


    As if it had finally found its human subject to experiment on, the god continued to attack Iron in various ways. It was all y for the god, but it took all that Iron had to defend against the god¡¯s attack.


    Less than 10% of its strength was enough to toy around with Iron.


    Even though Iron was considered the strongest on the continent by many, he was but a worm before a god.


    -That was truly entertaining. But I am bored now.


    As the fallen god said that, tentacles flew from its body into the sky, forming a gigantic ck arm.


    -I don¡¯t have much time, so it¡¯s about time I exterminated all the vermin in this city.


    Iron ground his teeth at the god¡¯s statement. This battle that seemed to him well over a day was, in fact, just over 10 minutes. Just as the huge arm was about to fall on the city, Iron corrected his posture.


    He still had an unperfected skill. So he used that fusion skill there. A huge steel sword made of aura rose suddenly, a great amount of divine power wrapping around it. When he had first fought the giant, he had been unable to fuse his holy power with his divine power. At the moment, adding his divine power too to the aura de was far beyond Iron¡¯s current abilities. He couldbine the two great powers only by relying on his fusion skill.


    -That¡­¡­


    All the while, the god had been leisurely, but now its dozens of eyes opened wide as it watched Iron¡¯s sword. Iron¡¯s holy power continuously wrapped around the sword, creating a wavelength of great strength.


    ¡°<i>Umph!</i>¡±


    With a short grunt, Iron swung the sword, shiny white from the power wrapped around it, and split the arm that wasing down. Then the sacred sword turned to hit the fallen god as well.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Despite the great attack from the sword, the god did not suffer much damage. Some of its eyes fell and a few tentacles were cut down, but it had no fatal injuries. Instead, the god became enraged.


    -You dare try to hurt my body, you vermin!


    As it spoke, the fallen god released all the power it had. Instantly, its injured eyes recovered and began emitting a strange light, and its hidden eyes opened and released a corrupted light that aimed at Iron.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Even though hundreds of light beams flew at Iron from both the dozens of eyes the fallen god had before and the newly opened eyes, Iron blocked all of them with his sword. The bizarre alien creature got even angrier as it watched Iron parry all the attacks with near-perfect moves. The vermin it had thought of as a ything to toy with had gone beyond struggling for life to attacking it. Now the fallen god had tried to kill that vermin with all its might, but even that was impossible. So the fallen god attacked again, just like an angry human running around like crazy to catch and kill a mosquito that has bitten them.


    In order to kill this human that moved here and there so quickly, the fallen god moved its bulky body. As it moved, the ground vibrated, its steps leaving the city destroyed in its wake.


    But the human was not easy to catch, nimble as he was.


    Thousands of tentacles, hundreds of light rays, even ten thousand clumps of corrupted energy failed to catch Iron, only managing to destroy the surroundings. So the fallen god spoke in a voiceden with irritation.


    -Just die, everyst one of you!


    The moment the fallen god finished speaking, all its hundred eyes closed and almost all its tentacles rushed up to the sky. Seeing this as an opportunity, Ironpacted his aura de, and rushed in to cut down the fallen god once and for all.


    Unfortunately, Iron could not make use of that opportunity because a huge shape formed in the sky and was crashing towards the ground. It was a lump of energy that would decimate all the cities of the Southern Confederation once it fell, and still have some left. Seeing this, Iron gathered his strength once more.


    ¡°<i>Ha-ahh!¡±</i>


    As he swung his white aura de in the air, the de collided with the huge clump of ck energy. It was a sh between a power created by the fallen god with all its might and a swing of Iron¡¯s sword that took all the power Iron could muster at the moment.


    At that moment, everyone in the city hoped that Iron would win. Even the southerners who had followed the ancient gods saw how much power the bizarre-looking god had, and hoped that Iron, the hope of all humankind, would win.


    But contrary to their wishes, Iron¡¯s sword was being pushed back little by little. Everyone sighed at the sight. If things continued the way they were, they thought that the hero would lose.


    Right at that moment, the divine beasts gathered their strengths and flew towards the ck energy. Their strength helped Iron¡¯s aura de, and although it was only bit by bit, the de began to push away the dark clump of energy. The masters who saw that also tried to join in and help Iron. The easternmander and the southernmander moved forward. However, the masters from the Southern Confederation did not bother trying to stop them. Afterall, they thought it was meaningless for them to meddle in a fight between a god and a god¡¯s apostle.


    ¡°¡­¡­is this our end?¡±


    Muradin sighed as he looked up into the sky. The fallen god had no intention of sparing them. Muradin looked down in regret as he watched the power that seemed determined to destroy all of them.


    Carlos, Yolke and all the other people of the Southern Confederation felt the same way too. Unlike the ancient gods, the fallen god did not even attempt to spare them. It had only promised to help them because it had wanted to y around. After confirming that that promise would not be abandoned at any time like an old pair of shoes, the people of the Southern Confederation lost their will to fight against the Empire¡¯s army. They just sat back and watched to see the oue of the battle.


    The two masters of the empire, on the other hand, were in apletely different state.


    ¡°We have to kill that bastard!¡±


    The southernmander agreed with the easternmander¡¯s words, and drew on all the magic he could. They knew that they could not stop the ck mass of energy by their own strength.


    So they chose to directly attack the fallen god instead.


    Arge block of ice flew out and several thunderbolts bunched together and shed, appearing like arge, blinding light beam.


    <i>BOOM!</i>


    Could the attack that had taken all the two magicians had have even the slightest effect?


    A part of the massive body of the fallen god was destroyed. The attack hade from outside the fallen god¡¯s field of view. Upon confirming that their attack had an effect, the two masters wrung out all the magic that was in their bodies. Seeing that, even with the help of the divine beasts, Iron was barely able to push the clump of dark energy off, the two masters tried to vanquish the fallen god as fast as possible.


    Did their efforts bear fruit? The massive body of the fallen god began to fall apartpletely because of the two masters¡¯ attack. But something came out from inside the body and soared into the sky.


    -All your efforts are in vain, you despicable things¡­¡­ so just ept your demise.


    The object that had soared into the sky was the body of the fallen god. It fused with the dark cloud floating in the sky and amplified its power. When Iron saw that, he clenched his teeth and tried to continue fighting, but there was nothing more he could do. The divine beasts had fused together, and Iron poured all his strength into the aura de for onest attack.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    With a deafening explosion, Iron destroyed most of the dark cloud. However, there was still part of it left, and now, Iron had no strength left in him. The airships and the magicians joined hands and attacked, but there was no damage to the power of the god. Not even the attacks of Muradin and the other masters of the Southern Confederation worked.


    As they watched the dark cloud remain the same, despite all their joint attacks, they fell into despair.


    But right at that moment, a ray of light fell from the sky. The ray of light contained a great power that destroyed most of the remaining cloud instantly.


    -This¡­¡­.


    Seeing that its own power was disappearing, the fallen god figured out the source of this new power.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯mte. That¡¯s disappointing.¡±


    A man appeared with an expression of true regret on his face. .


    ¡°Godly Sword n leader?¡±


    At the easternmander¡¯s words, the southernmander¡¯s eyes grew round in surprise.

 Chapter 224: Victory! And the 2nd War for the Southern Confederation (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (224)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    71.  Victory! And the 2nd War for the Southern Confederation (1)


    Looking truly disappointed, the Godly Sword family head raised his sword. Before they knew it, the surroundings that had been dyed ck by the corrupt energy began returning to normal.


    ¡°Since I¡¯mte, I should at least handle the small things.¡±


    As the Godly Sword family head, looking unhappy, raised his sword, the fallen god roared with rage. Absorbing what was left of the destroyed power, it let loose thousands of tentacles, created an eye inside of the floating ck sphere and released a beam.


    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±


    Iron¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the sharp beam that had just been released destroyed. The fallen god was no different. The beam had been destroyed by a sword stroke so fast that even a master¡¯s eyes could not follow. Even though most of the strength in the ck cloud had been destroyed by Iron, it was still a great feat to have destroyed an attack from a god without stretching one¡¯s capacities. Add to that a speed that was out of this world, and it was even more amazing.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite useful.¡±


    The Godly Sword family head looked at the light that had formed around his sword and smiled radiantly.


    ¡°What¡­¡­ what is that?¡±


    Iron looked at the family head that had approached him when he was unaware, and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Star power or something like that. Well¡­¡­ I find it quite handy. Thanks to it, I was able to focus on just the speed of the sword.¡±


    The destructive power came from the star power, and all he had to focus on was the speed of his sword. If the enemy was a human, it was enough to attack at a basic speed, but if a monster or some other unknown creature appeared, thinking that just speed would work was too naive. That was probably why the Godly Sword family head¡¯s level had not developed at all, as if it had fallen into a swamp. However, after he gained a new ability thanks to the Lord God, his power became much stronger, and it was clear to all that his swordsmanship had gone one level higher.


    As if to prove that, everytime the family head swung his sword, the fallen god¡¯s power was destroyed even more.


    ¡°You received something too, didn¡¯t you¡­¡­ did you find your path?¡±


    The Godly Sword family head asked, and Iron gave a slight smile.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    The family headughed, before drawing on all his strength to destroy what was left of the fallen god¡¯s power once and for all. But then, at that moment, the fallen god disappeared from one end and appeared at the other.


    -¡­¡­so the Lord God trusted someone other than his Messenger?


    Terrion and Iron looked at the fallen god at the same time.


    -But you are still not strong enough.


    Because they were not at the level of Grand Master, the fallen god knew that they could not do much damage to it. Terrion¡¯s brow furrowed at those words. But he had also realised something with the attack he had just dealt the god.


    ¡®<i>There¡¯s been almost no damage to the root.¡¯</i>


    Terrion pursed his lips as he thought. His pride was hurt. If the dimension gate had not closed, all that power would have returned to the main body of the fallen god. The rest of the fallen god¡¯s power was being destroyed slowly because the Lord God¡¯s power had filled the entire area.


    Seeing Terrion¡¯s crumpled face, the fallen god smiled in the same bizarre fashion.


    -Next time we meet, we can go for another round.


    After saying that, the fallen god¡¯s body disintegrated into ck powder and disappeared. Terrion, still looking annoyed, lightly shook his sword and ced it back in its sheath.


    ¡°You think there will be more bastards like that showing up from now on?¡±


    Terrion asked as he approached Iron.


    ¡°Who knows? One thing I am sure of is that things will be much more difficult going forward.¡±


    Iron replied, and then told Terrion what the ancient gods had said. All of this happened because the ancient gods wanted to leave a name for themselves when the era of destruction came. That meant that the End was going to be an exceedingly difficult time.


    The first story of the Apocalypse had just started,, which meant that the appearance of this fallen god was only the beginning. Going forward, humankind would be threatened by even more creatures, and every one of them would have to be killed for humankind to survive.


    ¡°Sounds like fun.¡±


    Having listened to everything Iron had to say, Terrion smiled. For a soldier, death was a steadypanion, ever present. If one feared death, then they could not move forward. In a sense, Terrion looked forward to fighting with strong opponents more than he feared the loss of his life.


    ¡°Next time, I will join you early, so please leave some for me to handle.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­yes, sir.¡±


    The look on Terrion¡¯s face seemed to bemoan the loss of a great opportunity for a good fight this time. Iron tried his very best to reply as he answered.


    For Terrion, the war was nothing more than a game, a game to improve his skills. The same when for Ryan, the Lion Family head, although his case was less severe.


    ¡®<i>These sword-crazed men.¡¯</i>


    The two warriors who coveted the position of Grand Master were both crazy. But they were not the only ones like this. Looking at the records of those that became Grand Masters in the past, they were all crazy too, with the exception of one that was called the warrior. It was said that only the warrior advanced in strength because of a blessing from the Lord God; he did not go crazy and safely crossed the barrier to be a Grand Master.


    Of course, there was no way of knowing whether the warrior was truly a good person.


    What was certain was that all those that became Grand Masters were crazy, living for just one thing, and many of them had something distorted in them.


    It seemed that one had to be obsessed with one thing in order to be a Grand Master.


    ¡°Do I have to be crazy too?¡±


    Iron mumbled to himself, looking at his sword.


    Was he already crazy about his sword? If not, was he crazy for his divine beasts?


    It seemed neither was the answer. In order to prevent theing of the era of destruction, he had beenpleting quests, fighting off enemies one after the other. In order to keep those enemies at bay, he had had to focus all his thoughts and attention on fighting. All the battles he had fought, starting with the northeast, then the east, north, centre and then south, shed through his head.


    Then suddenly, he remembered the battles he fought in his previous life.


    He walked on this verynd in order to live, and from that moment, Iron¡¯s life itself became like war. He moved only to live, and fought off the opponents that came.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    For a very brief moment, something shed through his thoughts. He sensed what direction he needed to go to reach the next level, but could not clearly grasp what it was.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t wrong.¡±


    He sensed that there was a way to get to the level of Grand Master, but it stopped at that. But he had gained something though, however small. Because of the thought that came to his mind, he realised that the path he was currently on was not wrong.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough.¡±


    It was enough to gain confirmation that he was on the right path. At some point, the key to bing a Grand Master woulde again, and when that time came, he would be able to cross that barrier. So all he had to do was open the door and go to the next level.


    Having reached the end of his contemtion, Iron looked around him. The key members of the Mobile Field Army had gathered around him and were protecting where he stood.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Themanding officers bowed at Iron¡¯s words. Then the eastern and southernmanders who had been watching from afar came towards them.


    ¡°Are you nning to go somewhere even farther this time?¡±


    The easternmander chatted Iron up as he came closer. The southernmander, on the other hand, looked at Iron with a grave expression on his face. He remained quiet for a while before he carefully asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­ did you find a clue to get to the next level?¡±


    At the southernmander¡¯s question, those who had beenughing because of the easternmander became silent and looked at Iron. Terrion, who was watching from afar, also turned to Iron.


    ¡°Nothing like that. I only found out that I am on the right path.¡±


    Iron lifted his sword as he spoke. Some of the people listening thought it was a let-down, while some others, like the eastern and southernmanders, envied him. Both of them knew how great a deal it was to find out that one was walking the right path. The biggest reason for being unable to advance after bing a master was trying to find another path to grow one¡¯s strength out of conceit. Not the invisible and thorn-filled road to bing a Grand Master, but some easy, quick path. But Iron had found his path, even though it was a difficult one to thread. All that was left was for him to walk that path.


    ¡°That is cause for celebration!¡±


    Just as the easternmander spoke, a notification came. It came the moment the Empire¡¯s forces subdued the few people who had been resisting and arrested the leaders of the southern confederation who had run away.


    [You have won against the southern confederation! Rewards will be distributed ording to the level of contribution!]


    [You won against the fallen god. This was your first victory over a god-level being. A reward will be added ordingly.]


    -Because of this victory, the territory of the Lord God will expand to include the south.


    -The ancient gods have be servants of the Lord God.


    -Because of the victory over the ancient gods, the Lord God¡¯s power with respect to the continent has greatly increased. Quest levels and rewards will increase significantly as a result.


    Everyone got caught in a frenzy, checking the notifications that appeared on the translucent board in front of them. They were busy checking what rewards they received, paying no attention to maintaining order. But neither the eastern nor southernmanders punished them for that. Afterall, they too were checking to see what reward they received.


    Iron checked his own rewards too.


    [You yed the biggest role in the war.]


    [You had the highest level of contribution in fighting the fallen god.]


    [As you already possess the intrinsic skills of the highest level, your reward will be changed.]


    [Confirming new reward¡­¡­]


    His reward was being deferred once again. But having experienced it before, Iron epted the matter and rose from where he was seated.


    ¨C<i>Tweet!</i>


    Baepsae appeared by Iron¡¯s side and breathed healing power into his body. His body, which had felt so broken a moment before, recovered a little bit.


    ¡°<i>Hoo</i>¡­¡­ your vitality breath is still the best.¡±


    ¨C<i>Tweet! Tweet tweet tweet!</i>


    Baepsae told him to cut the nonsense and focus on recovering smoothly, before continuing to heal Iron¡¯s body. While Iron focused on recovery at Baepsae¡¯s rebuke, the people around him finished checking their rewards one by one. The southern and easternmanders had yed a huge role in the war, and they had big smiles on their faces after checking their rewards.


    ¡°Satisfied?¡±


    At Iron¡¯s question, the easternmander, who had been smiling so brightly, cleared his throat, as if in reply. The same went for the southernmander.  The other people cheered, satisfied with their rewards. Those who had their rewards deferred like Iron tilted their heads instead, including Terrion.


    As some cheered in delight and some remained wondering, the notification they thought had ended came again.


    [The first story of the Apocalypse is not yet finished. Conquer the Great Forest to end the first story of the apocalypse inplete victory.]


    -Completely destroy the fallen ancient gods in the Great Forest.


    -A fallen god is attempting to descendpletely in the Great Forest. Stop the god.


    -Upon victory: Top 100 Contributors = Blessing of the Lord God; Top 101 ~ 1000 = 2X Reward; Great rewards for the rest.


    -If defeated: descent of part of the fallen god¡¯s true body, corruption of the Great Forest.


    Everyone looked dumbfounded at the suddenly announced quest. They had thought they could rest after having defeated the southern confederation, but the Empire¡¯s troops were even more shocked.


    But they had no choice but to carry out the quest. It was impossible for them to remain still after finding out that a creature that had just shown such overwhelming strength was descending.


    ¡°This¡­¡­ it seems we¡¯ll have to hold off on celebrating our victory.¡±


    ¡°There is still the Great Forest to deal with.¡±


    The twomandersughed and flew off tomand their troops. On the other side, Iron gave orders to themanding officers around him.


    ¡°Get ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    One word from Iron. That was all the Mobile Field Army needed.

 Chapter 225: Victory! And the 2nd War for the Southern Confederation (2)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (224)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn<ol> <li> <ol> <li> Victory! And the 2nd War for the Southern Confederation (2)</li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    As soon as they received the quest, all the armies of the Empire began mobilising. First, the Mobile Field Army took stock of their damage and then boarded the airships, while the eastern and southern armies began preparing to move their fleets. Along with them came the mercenaries and adventurers too: these people knew that they could receive great rewards just by following in their tracks.


    Although everyone knew that the war with the southern confederation had not been easy and there would be even greater danger in the Great Forest, they all got ready to move in order to be stronger for the destruction that was toe.


    But the southern confederation presented them with a surprise.


    ¡°We will join you.¡±


    At Muradin¡¯s words, Carlos, Yolke and the six other-worlders stared at Iron.


    ¡°Give us a chance to atone for our mistakes.¡±


    ¡°We too¡­¡­ we will fight the fallen god too.¡±


    Carlos and Yolke spoke one after the other. Iron looked at them quietly before turning towards the Mobile Field Army to speak.


    ¡°Carl Stein!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Escort the criminals to the capital/¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The three masters from the south widened their eyes when they heard what he said. Then Iron turned to them before saying:


    ¡°You were defeated in war. What atonement are you talking about?¡±


    The three masters looked ashamed, their faces crumpled.


    ¡°The Great Forest is a dangerous ce! You¡¯ll need our help!¡±


    As Carlos yelled in anger, Iron smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s our business, not something for the conquered like you to worry about.¡±


    Carlos clenched his teeth at Iron¡¯s ridicule. Obviously, being a master meant having tremendous power. Other people might have been worried or found it burdensome to decide what to do with them.


    But Iron, who had fought both Carlos and Muradin alone, was different.


    ¡°If you want to redeem yourself, go to the Capital and go to trial first.¡±


    Iron finished speaking and turned to leave, when Kim Jungtae¡¯s voice came.


    ¡°¡­¡­what about us?¡±


    ¡°Your case is no different. Even if you are other-worlders, you did participate in the war. So you have to follow the Empire¡¯sws.¡±


    Having organised everything, Iron boarded therge-scale airship, while the Mobile Field Army took charge of the people that were headed for prison.


    Both the eastern and southernmanders concurred with Iron¡¯s decision. Since it was a new era, it was only right for them toply with thew of the Empire. If themanders gave amnesty at will and allowed them to participate in theing battle  just because of how dangerous the Great Forest was, it would weaken the power of the Centre. Even if it was all for show, they had to be tried and judged in strict ordance with the edicts of the Empire.


    So even if it would take a long time, they began moving the key leaders of the southern confederation, and even most of the troops that had participated in the war.


    On the other hand, the Mobile Field Army and the southern army began an operation to surround the Great Forest.


    ¡°Thank you for watching over the Great Forest while we were gone.¡±


    The southernmander thanked Terrion. The only reason the southernmand army could leave behind only a few soldiers to maintain the frontline and join the war against the southern confederation was because Terrion¡¯s Godly Sword family had discharged almost all of its forces to contain the Great Forest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We are people of the south too, so it¡¯s our duty as well.¡±


    Terrion said as he looked at Iron.


    ¡°When will the war start?¡±


    Instead of replying, Iron looked at the twomanders.


    ¡°The situation is indeed urgent, but we first need to carry out some reconnaissance.¡±


    ¡°You are right. But then, there will be nothing for the eastern army to do, it seems.¡±


    For the easternmand army, known for its navy, there wasn¡¯t much of a role for it to y.


    ¡°Will it be too difficult to head south and then take the river that continues into the Great Forest?¡±


    The easternmander shook his head at Iron¡¯s question.


    ¡°Too dangerous. The river is wide, but it¡¯s still a river, not the sea. It will be hard to defend against enemy attacks when the ships are lined up along the river.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±


    Iron hummed as he looked at the southernmander.


    ¡°Do you happen to have any information on the fallen creatures in the Great Forest?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­¡­</i> it¡¯s been hard just maintaining the frontlines, so we don¡¯t have anything useful.¡±


    Iron sighed softly at his words.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s start with reconnoitring the Great Forest as much as we can, starting with the frontline blockade. We will take care of the recon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­ the eastern army must already be waiting by the river leading into the Great Forest. I¡¯ll take the risk and go in if it¡¯s toote.¡±


    Listening to the easternmander, Iron bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude to the easternmander as he knew how dangerous it would be to enter the Great Forest via the river.


    ¡°The southern army should start with restoring the frontline. Is it okay to push forward slowly?¡±


    ¡°I think this ce has to be put in order first.¡±


    Iron said as he looked at the city that was in shambles from bombing. The southernmander shook his head and said:


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave that to the Mobile Field Army to handle.¡±


    Iron tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°You mean here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This ce is close to the southeast, isn¡¯t it? Besides, it will be easy to manage since the Mobile Field Army is good at moving supplies and such.¡±


    The easternmander agreed with the southernmander.


    ¡°Even though we won, there could still be some who refuse to ept defeat. It will be hard for our troops to handle.¡±


    Iron nodded slightly. The southern army¡¯s main mission at present was to maintain the frontline that kept the monsters of the Great Forest at bay. The current frontline was barely being maintained with the help of the Godly Sword Family, but it wouldn¡¯t hold for long. Could arge army be stationed in that ce just to clean up under such circumstances?


    That was almost impossible.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­¡­</i> what about the eastern army?¡±


    ¡°We can offer some help, but we are having a hard time too. Now that the war is over, some of the fleet has to turn towards Antis. There has also been some news of trouble on the east continent.¡±


    ¡°The apocalypse is happening there too?¡±


    The easternmander nodded at the question.


    ¡°I think so. Our continent is most likely not the only one facing destruction. Just in case, we should be able to step up at any time.¡±


    Iron sighed at his words and nodded.


    ¡°I understand. We will handle the task then.¡±


    After speaking, Iron and themanders went separate ways.


    The rear had to be safe in order for them to fight for the Great Forest. So Iron nned to leave one corps behind to ensure the safety of the city. The corps he had in mind was the 23rd Corps. Most of the airships of the defence troops would be used to transfer the troops and leaders of the southern confederation to the Centre.


    ¡°The 22nd Corps and the Rangers will handle external recon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Cardro and Nyx Cole responded to Iron¡¯s order.


    ¡°Raven, 23rd Corps and the defence forces will stay here and stabilise the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    As soon as Saeridan and the other defence force leaders replied, Iron looked at Ariel.


    ¡°The 21st Corps will move with me.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After Ariel answered, Iron pped his hands, a look of satisfaction on his face.


    ¡°Everyone has worked hard so far. However, the threat of the Great Forest still remains, so gather your strength once more.¡±


    Themanding  officers watched him as he spoke.


    ¡°Tell your soldiers to hang in there for just a bit more. Once the Great Forest war is over, they will definitely get a break.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Hearing their response, Iron nodded, his face looking apologetic. Truthfully, he also wanted a break after the war against the southern confederation. But the odds seemed to  not be in his favour.


    After receiving their orders, themanding officers dispersed to carry out their respective duties.


    ¡°Commander.¡±


    Faulden approached quietly as the others left. As Iron looked at him in silence, Faulden brought out a report.


    ¡°There¡¯s news from the north.¡±


    Iron took the report from him and read it in silence.


    ¡°¡­¡­what is the current situation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a full-scale war yet¡­¡­ but I don¡¯t think it will be long until then.¡±


    ¡°What about the Lion family and the northern ns?¡±


    Faulden took out another report in response.


    ¡°They have already moved almost all their troops to the northeast frontline. This is the list of the troops of the northern families.¡±


    ¡°Did the Lion family head move too?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The situation seemed to be worse than expected. Ariel, who had been listening by the side, asked carefully.


    ¡°Is there a problem in the northeast?¡±


    ¡°The frost giants havee over Winter Mountain.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes grew round at Iron¡¯s reply. Winter Mountain was not that far from the northeast¡¯s frontline.


    ¡°Have theypletely upied it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­it seems so.¡±


    ¡°Then war is imminent.¡±


    The great war between the frost giants and the north would start soon. But now, there was dangering from the Great Forest as well.


    ¡°We have to sort out the south as fast as possible.¡±


    In the report, it was written that most of the frost giants had recovered a greater part of their power from the mythological era. If that was true, it meant that the northeast was in danger. They needed to put the affairs of the Great Forest in order as soon as possible.


    After reading the reports, Iron did not dy and moved towards the Great Forest with Ariel¡¯s 21st Corps. The Rangers and the 22nd Corps were in charge of external recon, while recon in the deep of the forest was left for Iron to handle. He nned for the 21st corps to take the rear as he entered the heart of the forest, just in case something happened.


    ¡°I will go with you.¡±


    It was unknown from where Terrion had gotten wind of Iron¡¯s n to enter the Great Forest with the 21st Corps, but the Godly Sword family head wanted to go with Iron. Not knowing what kinds of dangers there could be in the Great Forest, Iron allowed him toe along. Together, they moved deep into the forest.


    ¨C<i>Buuu!</i>


    Two Moons grumbled as if it didn¡¯t like that Terrion was riding it. Having the same ss as a fantastical creature, Two Moons found nothing satisfactory about Terrion. Iron had a contract with Two Moons, so he was fine. But Terrion did not.


    ¡°Just bear with me a bit more, hmm?¡±


    Iron gently coaxed the divine beast as they moved into the forest.


    ¡°Would you look at that? That¡¯s no way to wee a guest.¡±


    Terrion swung his sword lightly to block the attack of the corrupted birds that came flying from afar, cutting them down. Refusing to lose, Two Moons released a beam of light that wiped all the birds out.


    ¡°So hot-tempered, you.¡±


    Terrionughed as he looked at Two Moons, finding the creature intriguing.


    Just as they were receiving several attacks and going farther into the forest¡­


    <i>Boooom!</i>


    ¡°What the¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems it will be difficult to go any further.¡±


    Both their expressions turned grave, Terrion reflexively drawing his sword and splitting the iing force, while Iron destroyed the sh of light that surged towards the sky. The attacking at them from the dark was not easy to defend against.


    ¡°But since we¡¯vee all this way, shouldn¡¯t we see what it is?¡±


    Hearing Terrion, Iron pondered for a bit before nodding. Since they were already there, they had to learn something before returning.


    ¡°Can you stop the attack?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Terrion answered, as if telling Iron to leave it to him. At the same time, Phoenix and Thunderbird were summoned and fused together their powers. The fused power sted away the darkness that blocked the way forward. But that was insufficient, and the darkness began to push back against the mes again.


    ¡°Baepsae!¡±


    ¡°<i>Tweet!¡±</i>


    Baepsae called out in response, as it amplified Iron¡¯s holy power. Then the holy power surrounding Iron¡¯s aura de, which he swung forward. An unknown force tried to block the swing, but Terrion¡¯s quicksword destroyed the unknown force instead.


    ¡°That¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Iron and Terrion saw <i>something</i> inside the darkness that was growing again. The two of them, as close to Grand Master as anyone on the continent could be, felt how threatening that thing was.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡±


    Iron agreed with Terrion, nodding his head.


    ¡°It seems it will not let us go easily.¡±


    Iron drew on his strength as he watched several creatures close in on them from all directions.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we use this chance to see who is stronger?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    Terrion turned all his strength into aura, a wide smile on his face as he imagined his victory.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see just how great the head of the Godly Sword family is¡±


    ¡°And I will show you that the title of Empire¡¯s hero was not something I gained in vain.¡±


    The two of them raised their swords and attacked the unknown beings that were attacking from all sides. Phoenix and Thunderbird breathed mes, revealing the full extent of their powers to help Iron. Just like that, Iron and Terrion moved through the thick, ck fog and entered the forest.


    It wasn¡¯t until a weekter that they returned to the outskirts of the Great Forest.


    ¡°Help the Commander!¡±


    Ariel ordered as she watched the wyverns that followed close behind Two Moons like a pack of rabid dogs. The 21st Corps fired from their airship, and mana cannons fired from the ground to help Iron.


    Finally, with the help of the 21st Corp, Iron and Terrion safely entered the corps-ssrge scale airship where Ariel was. As soon as Iron stepped foot on the ship, Two Moons was recalled.


    ¡°What¡­¡­ what in the world happened?¡±


    Ariel asked as looked at Iron and Terrion, who were wretched as beggars. Iron sat with a tired look, and said to her with difficulty.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ariel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Give this to the southern and eastern armies.¡±


    Iron removed his crystal device from his bosom and ced it in her palm.


    Then he said heavily.


    ¡°And tell the twomanders that the war with the Great forest will be much harder than the war with the southern confederation.¡±

 Chapter 226: The Great Forest (1)

    <b>The Duke¡¯s Eldest son Escaped to the Military (224)</b>


    Trantor: Master of Djinn


    72. The Great Forest (1)


    News reached the southern and eastern armies that Iron and the Godly Sword family head had returned with great difficulty. The morale of the Empire¡¯s troops that had been at a high since the end of the war with the southern confederation fell rapidly; that was how shocking the news was.


    ¡°It was really that difficult?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The news from the Mobile Field Army was brief, but it said that they returned looking really wretched.¡±


    As the southernmand¡¯s soldiers whispered among themselves, amissioned officer passed by, causing them to fall silent. But the officers themselves did not reprimand them for speaking. No one knew how it spread, but most of the southernmand army now knew that Iron and the Godly Sword family head hade back looking beat down and put upon. The same had happened in the easternmand army as well.


    The problem was that even the other-worlders and the adventurers had gotten word of it too.


    ¡°Is the Great Forest really dangerous?¡±


    ¡°If two of the three strongest people on the continent entered and returned looking like drenched beggars then of course it is.¡±


    It was Iron and the Godly Sword family head, not some random person. If even the two of them had a hard time in the Great Forest, then it was easy to see just how dangerous the ce was. Because of that, the two of them did not hide what they had seen in the Great Forest, even though it could affect the soldiers¡¯ morale.


    Eventually, themanders of each army shared what the video clip Iron had sent with all the citizens of the Empire.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡­ it¡¯s not even possible to see the front of your nose in that fog.¡±


    ¡°Will a surprise operation be difficult to carry out?¡±


    They watched and admired how Terrion swung his sword by instinct to cut down all the creatures surrounding them in the thick darkness, and how Iron¡¯s divine beasts dispersed the darkness.


    ¡°As expected of the Godly Sword family head.¡±


    ¡°The hero¡¯s divine beasts are as excellent as I¡¯d heard.¡±


    It was wondrous to see how the two of them moved forward with overwhelming power despite how difficult the situation was. The dark fog was cleared for a short while by Iron, creating a path in front of them.


    It was only for a very short time, but it was captured clearly on the video.


    ¡°That¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    All those who saw what appeared once the dark fog was lifted began to panic.


    The gigantic figure they had seen in the video was a great tree, the shape that the fallen god had taken in order to dominate the Great Forest.


    ¡°World¡­¡­ tree?¡±


    Someone spat out the name that crossed his mind. But no one med him for that, as the tree was <i>that </irge and was also emitting fallen purple mana.


    ¡°That¡­¡­ that is the fallen god?¡±


    ¡°Has the World Tree be corrupted?¡±


    Everyone muttered, their eyes shocked, as they looked at the heinous image of the tree. All kinds of carcasses hung from the tree, and it was surrounded by fallen demons. On top of that, trees with bizarre expressions on them were walking around.


    ¡°Are those¡­¡­ corrupted Ents?¡± [1]


    ¡°There are even creatures that have evolved into demons there.¡±


    The Ents had beenpletely corrupted by the evil spirits. The poor creatures had been possessed, unlike the Trents that had epted the corrupt qi of their own volition. It was impossible for most demons to possess an Ent, as Ents were the spirit of nature itself. But these demons did it. And it was one or a dozen, but thousands. [2]


    And now, such powerful demons were flocking around the huge tree.


    As everyone was appalled and discussing the giant tree, Iron and Terrion in the video began parrying the attacks that came at them from all sides and retreating hastily.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Everyone was silent. The picture of a great number of creatures rushing at the two, and them depending on one beam of light to break through was marvelous. That scene was good enough evidence to show that Iron and the Godly Sword family head were two of the strongest on the continent. Because it was them two, they were able to survive, even though they had returned in a poor state. Other masters would have died there.


    The central officials who were watching the video felt a sense of crisis.


    ¡°We will unanimously approve the support n for the Great Forest and the northeast.¡±


    Chairman Chevera had beaten Marquis Maldani and Marquis Varesy, both of whom had long histories in the central government, to be the new chairman. Now, he knocked the gavel on the table to pass the support n.


    It was a rare sight to see in a parliament where the nobles and the revolutionaries were always fighting each other; that showed how important signing the n was. Both the video of the Great Forest and the footage of the frost giants sent from the northeast were that shocking. Even when hit and injured by mana cannons, the frost giants continued to walk forward slowly; an astonishing sight to behold. The giants were even using cold qi.


    Watching the footage, the central officials realised that the stories of the mythological era had not been exaggerated. In the past, humans sacrificed themselves countless times to fight the frost giants.


    ¡°The central army will support the troops at the Great Forest, and the westernmand army will go to support the north, leaving the minimum number of troops required to protect the border. We will also provide as much supplies as possible to the forces at the northeast and the Great Forest. Please review the support measures and funds for this in detail.¡±


    Chevera said before putting the next agenda forward.


    The next item on the agenda concerns the prisoners from the southern confederation. With the Empire currently in crisis, there have been proposals to put them on the battlefield for them to pay for their crimes. The length of time they will serve in the military will be determined by the sentencing given by the court. Raise your hand if you agree with this.


    Upon hearing Chairman Chevera¡¯s words, the members of the parliament began to talk with people who were of the same opinion as them. Unlike the unanimous approval of the support n for the Great Forest and the northeast, this issue was discussed numerous times, in the midst of political dispute.


    However, this situation was special because it progressed in a different direction than the other quarrels between the nobles¡¯ faction and the revolutionaries. Both the nobles and the revolutionaries agreed on the issue of pardoning them, but their opinions diverged on how the leaders should be handled.


    The Neutralists argued that only the masters and other high-level leaders should be pardoned, but their voices were buried under the counter-argument that it would breed inequality. They continued to fiercely attack the opposing camps with their arguments, the session dragging on for much longer.


    ¡°<i>Hoo¡­¡­</i>¡±


    Chevera mmed the gavel on the sound block as he watched sharply divided parliament.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Everyone looked at Baron Chevera at the loud sound.


    ¡°The Empire is facing a crisis right now. Therefore, in my authority as chairman, I propose a n of arbitration.¡±


    As he spoke, Baron Chevera showed the arbitration n he had in mind on the screen.<ol> <li> <ol> <li>All of the troops of the southern confederation, including the masters and the six other-worlders would be pardoned and enlisted into the army. </li> </ol> </li> </ol>


    Those in favour of the chairman¡¯s decision cheered in unison. In fact, even those in opposition knew that such a decision was inevitable. When the war with the southern confederation had just ended, they had the upper hand. But with the threat of the Great Forest even more than they had imagined, all hands were needed on deck in the battle. However, as this chairman had said that this was an arbitration n, he also made a proposal that would satisfy the opposition.


    2.  Leaders of the southern confederation that were not soldiers would not be granted amnesty.


    3.  Those who were directly involved in the descent of the fallen god would be punished by death regardless of their status.


    4.  Those who #2 and #3 applied to were not granted leave to use the bailing system.


    5.  The southern confederate soldiers joining the army would be divided across the different mand) armies.


    6.  Forced enlistees are subject to grave punishment if theymit a crime.


    Except for the first proposal, the opposition concurred with the arbitration n. Despite that, the pro members of the parliament were satisfied, as they had gotten the most important thing. The opposition party was disappointed, but because there was no way around it, they agreed.


    Eventually, everyone agreed with Chevera¡¯s n.


    ¡°Let¡¯s swiftly tackle the remaining items on the agenda.¡±


    Chevera said, and then went on to state the other items. They were all concerning the north and the south. In the case that the war was prolonged, it was better to have bases in the north and south where strategic materials and necessary supplies could be quickly produced, rather than transporting them from the Centre. The discussion that ensued was focused on such decisions.


    As expected, those proposals were passed very quickly. Those who would have opposed such proposals even in the midst of the Empire¡¯s current crisis had long been purged from the parliament. Even though they had differences in opinion, everyone moved with one mind to counter the threats the Empire was facing. Of course, there were some who tried to make small gains during the process, but no one did anything that was against the n.


    The moment the decision from the Centre was made, Iron who was in the south waiting for the news smiled.


    ¡°That was faster than I thought.¡±


    Faulden and the othermanding officers nodded slightly at Iron¡¯s words. When important issues were on the table, it took the parliament more time to deliberatepared to when there was still a monarchy. But detailed issues were decided on much faster. This was only possible because of therge number of smart officials the Centre had selected regardless of status.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Iron received a report from Karl who had summarised the Centre¡¯s decisions. The first thing was that huge military supplies would be transported from the Capital to the southernmand and the headquarters of the Mobile Field Army. Right below that was written a n for the establishment of arge-scale factory where munitions would be processed and assembled. In addition, the main forces of the central army that used to support the westernmand army would join the southern army instead. It was also stated that the forces that formerly made up the southern confederation¡¯s army would be redistributed to the different armies.


    Eastern Army ¨C Kim Jungtae


    Southern Army ¨C Hikardu


    Mobile Field Army ¨C Master Muradin, Rovanov


    Central Army ¨C Jaime


    Contrary to expectations that two masters would be sent to them, two masters from the southern confederation were sent to the northeast. It was the decision of the centre¡¯s strategist that the two masters be the core of the war against the frost giants. Iron had noints against the decision, as four out of the six other-worlders had been sent to them instead.


    They had the southern army maintaining the frontlines, the main fleet of the eastern army gathered at the basin of the Titica river that crossed the Great Forest, and the central army that was on its way to support them. Four of the seven armies of the Empire had united. In addition, the main families of the south, including the Godly Sword family, had also joined, putting them far ahead of the Northern Great War in scale.


    ¡°Since I have been given so much help, I can¡¯t dawdle, can I?¡±


    Iron said as he looked at hismanding officers.


    ¡°Mobile Field Army, all soldiers assemble.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    At hismand, all the troops of the Mobile Field army that had been scattered around to carry out various duties gathered. Iron had decided to move first, because their opponent would only get stronger if he took his sweet time preparing.


    With the strongest air force in the Empire, the Mobile Field Army took to the air and entered the Great Forest. Right after them, the southern army began to push forward.


    ¡°We are going to burn the entire forest!¡±


    Iron ordered coldly as he looked at the forest. Then bombs began to fall in unison from hundreds of airships.


    As thousands of bombs imprinted with me magic fell and burnt the dense forest, some people had regretful looks on their faces. But as soon as they saw the bizarre creatures that were hidden in the forest, that thought was immediately blown away.


    <i>¡°Kkieeeek!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Kkiaaaa!¡±</i>


    The demons and bizarre-looking creatures shrieked, uttering terrible screams as their bodies burnt. As numerous monsters screamed in the mes, Iron offered them sce by giving them a quick death.


    Seeing this, some thought that if they continued forward in this way, they could easily upy the Great Forest. But their thoughts changed soon after.


    ¡°That war begins now.¡±


    As Iron said that, he looked at the enemy that flocked from the front, like a ck swarm.


    <b>Notes: </b>


    [1] Ents: ??, a race of creatures found on Middle-earth (Tolkien¡¯s Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion).


    [2] Trents: ???; another type of wood creature.

 Chapter 227: The Great Forest (2)

    Chapter 227: The Great Forest (2)


    In the Great Forest, monsters possessed by evil spirits raised their heads.


    Terrible screams enveloped the entire forest, and the nts had also strangely transformed after being possessed by evil spirits.


    The worst part was that their bodies were severely twisted due to being contaminated with the aura of the void.


    This meant that they were not simply possessed by evil spirits.


    ¡°Tell the troops to keep their distance.¡±


    Iron gave such an order to themanders while conducting aerial bombings and long-range artillery attacks.


    The goal was to gradually reduce the territory of the Great Forest.


    ¡°Just bomb it! Drake Knights, don¡¯t get close to the forest!¡±


    ¡°The Drake Knights are solely responsible for escorting the airships!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get close to the forest!¡±


    The Drake Knights dealt with airborne monsters that asionally swarmed in, floating high in the air for the protection of the airships.


    The airships themselves dropped bombs equipped with me magic from the air.


    ¡°All shells should be incendiary!¡±


    ¡°Only fire incendiary shells!¡±


    ¡°Focus on burning down the forest!¡±


    The artillery units responsible for the bombardment also started firing from the furthest distances away from the forest.


    The Southern Army also burned down the Great Forest little by little through the artillery units deployed at the front.


    The Eastern Army, floating on the sea, also burned the Great Forest with incendiary shells.


    The entire Great Forest, thergest forest on the continent, seemed contaminated, as polluted air from the burning woods near the sea continuously gushed out.


    ¡°Going in there would have been terrible.¡±


    The Eastern Commander muttered while looking at the mutated entities.


    It would have been difficult for even a sorcerer to handle the contaminated power, let alone the troops below.


    If they had fought in such an unfamiliar environment as the forest, defeat would have been certain.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s fortunate it¡¯s a forest?¡±


    The Eastern Commander murmured, looking at the burning forest.


    The operation to reduce the enemies¡¯ territory by burning down the Great Forest with artillery and me magic was rtively smooth.


    After burning various parts of the forest over several days, the giant forest naturally began to burn down.


    However, erasing such a massive forest from the continent was not an easy task.


    The bodies enhanced by the void¡¯s aura did not easily burn, and even nts that had gained will by being possessed by evil spirits moved themselves inward to escape the mes.


    ¡°What about the Southern Army?¡±


    ¡°We are pushing the front line forward.¡±


    Ironmanded the situation from the gship, observing the overall view of the Great Forest.


    Despite the resolve to burn down the entire forest and the bombardment and burning, the forest did not burn as quickly as expected, causing Iron¡¯s brow to furrow.


    Recently, they had reached a limit.


    It seemed that the point where further fire attacks were difficult had been reached, as the fire advancing into the forest had almost stopped making progress recently.


    ¡°Is this as far as we go?¡±


    Iron bit his lip while looking at the ce shrouded in ck mist.


    The fire that had burned its way into the center of the forest was blocked by the ck mist and could not advance any further.


    Even the ces where Iron had expanded the sanctuary were pushed back by the ck mist, advancing only a little, but even that had its limits.


    The strategy to reduce the territory of the Great Forest through fire attacks seemed to have reached its limit.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Iron turned to the officer who called out suddenly and looked at the image sphere he was pointing at.


    When the image sphere installed on the gship was zoomed in, entities that appeared to be spirits were seen looking up at the sky.


    The entities that had not been consumed by evil spirits merely looked at the humans, and the airships also did not attack, just observing.


    Seeing this, Iron immediately made a decision.


    ¡°We need to go down.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, Karl quickly mobilized the elementalists.


    -Beeeep¡­


    Riding on a divine beast, Iron descended, and the wounded spirits cried out weakly upon seeing him.


    Originally, they were the lowest ranking spirits formed from the natural energy, but to survive, they had possessed animals.


    To instinctively avoid the corrupted aura, they had possessed animals and hidden deep within the Great Forest. After the evil spirits retreated, they began to reveal themselves one by one.


    Although they possessed spiritual energy, they were not as strong as divine beasts, so even though they hid deep within, being exposed to the corrupted aura caused them to sustain severe injuries.


    -Tweet!


    Suddenly, a Baepsae appeared and healed the wounded spirits, and other divine beasts also appeared, emitting their divine energy to replenish the spirits¡¯ strength.


    Then, the elementalists summoned spirits to fill the surroundings with the energy of nature.


    Perhaps thanks to their efforts?


    Many spirits regained some of their strength and life returned to their eyes.


    -Tweet! Tweet tweet!


    A cute rabbit hopped up to Iron and said something.


    Remarkably, Iron could understand what it was trying to say.


    Starting with the rabbit¡¯s voice, which stuck in his ears, the cries of other spirits were also heard.


    ¡°So¡­ you all want to fight alongside us?¡±


    Many spirits nodded in understanding at Iron¡¯s words.


    They wanted revenge on the beings that had corrupted the forest.


    They wanted to drive out those who had caused them pain and lived peacefully, from the Great Forest.


    In return, they asked for help so that the burned area of the Great Forest could be restored.


    They also asked to rescue other spirits hiding in the forest.


    Iron quietly observed them in response to their request.


    The spirits were not divine beasts.


    Only the lowest-ranking spirits, close to nature, could possess animals, so their power was mostly weak.


    Though living as spirits for a long time could potentially make them divine beasts, the power of those who had not achieved that was not great.


    They were not a significant force.


    However, looking into their eyes, Iron nodded lightly.


    Having them was better than nothing.


    Moreover, there were numerous spirits in the Great Forest.


    If all of them were rescued, even the weakest spirits could be of help, he judged.


    Since the corrupted forest had to be eradicated anyway, if they could put in a bit more effort to rescue the spirits, they would be a valuable force to fight alongside them.


    -Tweet!


    As Iron made his decision, the rabbit was the first to hop towards a nearby elementalist.


    ¡°Uh? Oh?¡±


    An elementalist dumbfoundedly caught the rabbit, and suddenly light began to radiate from his body.


    And the same was true for other spirits and elementalists.


    Each spirit approached elementalists they liked and made contact with them one by one.


    ¡°A contract?¡±


    Iron murmured absentmindedly.


    But curiously, among the numerous spirits, none sought to make a contract with Iron.


    As Iron wondered why, the Baepsae perched on his head raised its head proudly as if it were obvious.


    -Tweet!


    With its small wings crossed and its head nodding, a miniaturized owl, phoenix, and thunderbird also nodded their heads.


    They seemed to think that no spirit would dare attempt a contract in their presence.


    Iron then chuckled.


    ¡°Right. You all are indeed something!¡±


    After a heartyugh, Iron issued a new order.


    ¡°Operation ¡®Spirit Rescue¡¯, begin.¡±


    -Yes!


    Themanders responded in unison to Iron¡¯smand and moved out to various locations.


    The news was also shared with the Southern and Eastern Armies, asking for their assistance.


    The other armies readily agreed.


    Not only the soldiers but also the officers showed interest with shining eyes.


    The reason was simple: they wanted to try making a contract with a spirit.


    Initially interested only in elementalists, the spirits soon attempted to make contracts with other humans as well.


    Since there were far more spirits than elementalists, not all could make contracts.


    Presumably out of pride, no spirit immediately sought another contract, and eventually, they attempted one-on-one contracts with other humans.


    As a result, many from the Mobile Field Army ended up contracting with spirits, and this news quickly spread to everyone in the South.


    Naturally, it reached the ears of otherworlders and adventurers as well.


    They too began to make contracts with spirits one by one, and afterward, interest in the South spread throughout the empire.


    The reason was clear.


    [You have formed a contract with a spirit. As a special bonus, you¡¯ve acquired the ¡®Grow Together with Comrades¡¯ skill.]


    ¡°I did it! I did it too!¡±


    An otherworlder eximed as he looked at a giant bear.


    He wore a satisfied expression as he watched the spirit, bing translucent and turning into a spirit upon the contract.


    Moreover, he developed spirit affinity, which he did not possess before.


    This news struck the empire like lightning, drawing countless people to the South.


    ¡°Following Commander Iron always brings opportunities, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I missed out on the Northern and Southern Confederation, but I can¡¯t miss this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Otherworlders and adventurers cheered, draping their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders.


    As interest surged, the hastily constructed fortress in front of the Great Forest expanded even more.


    As people flocked, numerous merchants risked danger toe, and the entire southern region of the continent became more vibrant.


    With the addition of the Central Army bringing government support supplies, the area near the contaminated Great Forest buzzed with numerous people.


    They were mercenaries and adventurers who came to form contracts with spirits or obtain new quests, and merchants who came to trade with them.


    This influx of people also changed the military operations in the South.


    With so many mercenaries and adventurers gathering, the military no longer needed to maintain all front lines in the Great Forest area.


    Low-intensity danger area ¨C Mercenaries & Adventurers


    High-intensity danger area ¨C Central Army


    Front line ¨C Southern Army


    Exploration inside the dark mist area ¨C Mobile Field Army.


    Great Forest coastline and Titica River basin ¨C Eastern Army


    With these operational areas established, preparations to tackle the Great Forest officially began.


    Iron aimed to capture part of the dark mist area with his sanctuary, followed by the Southern and Central Armies expanding the purified areas.


    It was spected that it would be possible to safely capture up to the dark mist area without significant harm if everything proceeded as nned.


    However, that was just the wish of humans.


    [The first story of the Apocalypse has begun. Prevent the hellification of the Great Forest!]


    -Thepletion of the Phantom Tree is approaching. When the Phantom Tree ispleted, it will be possible to fully summon demons from hell! You must prevent thepletion of the Phantom Tree!


    ¨C Victory: Prevent the hellification of the Great Forest


    ¨C Defeat: The second story of the Apocalypse begins in two ces. (1. Northeast 2. Great Forest)


    [Completion ¨C 90%]


    The voice heard by everyone, including Iron.


    Hearing it, everyone¡¯s expressions hardened.


    The giant tree, resembling the World Tree, was actually the Phantom Tree, summoning phantoms from hell.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Right. It was too easy to be true.¡±


    Iron said, issuingmands to the entire army.


    ¡°From now on, we will officially tackle the dark mist area. Everyone, be fully prepared.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, everyone swallowed nervously with tense expressions.


    Unlike other armies, the Mobile Field Army hadn¡¯t just been safely tackling the area.


    Following Iron¡¯s orders, they ¡®trained¡¯ by familiarizing their forces with the monsters and the characteristics of the evil spirits in the dark mist area.


    ¡°Are we finally moving?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll make a direct assault on the Phantom Tree.¡±


    Iron said, clenching his fist at the Godly Sword family head¡¯s words.


    With no Grand Masters on the continent, there was no way to stop the descent of a corrupted god or demon.


    Therefore, it was imperative to deal with the Phantom Tree before itspletion.


    They had to be prepared to ept the consequences.


    ¡°Let¡¯s also mobilize our family.¡±


    Terrion said and then disappeared.


    Soon after, the Mobile Field Armypleted preparations for a direct assault on the Phantom Tree, waiting for Iron¡¯smand.


    The Southern and Central Armies also hurriedly prepared.


    The Eastern Army also prepared to enter near the Phantom Tree along the river.


    ¡°The assault begins.¡±


    With Iron¡¯s order, the Mobile Field Army moved to officially tackle the dark mist area.


    ****


    TL: Hi everyone, this is Pai_. You might have seen my name in the ¡°Hopeless Possession¡± novel, which I am also tranting. To be frank, I did not initially want to pick up this novel since it already has many tranted chapters. However, at the special request of the group owner, I have decided to trante it. I haven¡¯t read the chapters from 1-226, and I don¡¯t n to, as I don¡¯t have that much time. Therefore, as a condition, I need someone to either create a wiki for this novel or give me detailed information, such as the story, details about the main character, family members, etc., so that I can trante these chapters without any issues.


    ****

 Chapter 228: The Great Forest (3)

    Chapter 228: The Great Forest (3)


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    A single beam of light shot through the dark mist.


    It was the giant fortress cannon, the pride of the Mobile Field Army.


    Assembled in the air from various airships, it was the most powerful mana cannon in existence.


    This time, it contained a somewhat special power.


    While the Mobile Field Army was rescuing the spirits and investigating the evil spirits within the dark mist, Iron also made his preparations.


    Specifically, he imbued the core of the giant fortress cannon with a massive amount of divine power.


    Thanks to infusing it with divine power to its limits whenever possible, the giant beam of light not only cut through the dark mist but also instantly purified its surroundings.


    Following the straight path cleared by the fortress cannon, the Mobile Field Army charged in.


    ¡°Resonance ready!¡±


    ¡°Ready!¡±


    Commanders responsible for the airships shouted quickly as they entered the dark mist area.


    Then, a spherical device popped up from the top of the airships and emitted mana.


    At that moment, divine power spread wildly from the small baepsae that flew from the gship.


    The spread divine power resonated and amplified with all the airships.


    Hum~.


    A defensive barrier made of divine power formed around the resonating airships through the spherical device, merging with the pre-existing mana-based defensive barrier.


    ¡°The resonance fusion defensive barrier is sessful!¡±


    Iron nodded slightly at Karl¡¯s report.


    The divine power, which repels the void¡¯s energy, and the barrier created by magicians to block evil spirits had merged, forming a perfect defensive barrier.


    This meant that the airships would no longer be damaged by the dark mist, nor would the soldiers inside be possessed by evil spirits or the airships contaminated by the void¡¯s energy, allowing the Mobile Field Army to advance quickly towards the location of the phantoms.


    What stood in their way were giant monsters and beasts swallowed by evil spirits.


    ¡°A tiger?¡±


    An officer aboard the lead airship murmured dumbfoundedly.


    Although its color had darkened overall, its shape resembled that of a tiger.


    However, it was difficult to see it as a tiger with bone wings attached, flying, and its body twisted strangely with glowing red eyes.


    ¡°Is this the form taken by a corrupted spirit possessed by an evil spirit?¡±


    ¡°Are there many of these things?¡±


    Evil spirit beasts with bizarre bodily mutations flew towards them from the ground.


    In addition, powerful mana bullets began flying towards the airships from the forest, making it difficult to advance.


    ¡°Is this the attack we saw in the footage?¡±


    Cardo, responsible for the Mobile Field Army¡¯s air force, murmured with a serious expression.


    The unidentified attacks that flew from all directions towards Iron riding a divine beast were now starting towards the airships.


    Most were intercepted by the Drake Knights apanying the airship fleet, and the rest were blocked by the holy barrier, not damaging the airships themselves.


    However, as the number of attacks increased while advancing, it became difficult to break through directly.


    ¡°Disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The Drake Knights gagged as they watched the mana bullets flying towards them.


    The purple mana bullets flying from the ground were the bodily fluids of giant purple trees.


    The liquid spewed from the giant mouths that appeared as the trees mutated was more urately described as ¡®bodily fluid¡¯ rather than ¡®sap,¡¯ due to the trees consuming numerous animals and life forms to produce this foreign substance.


    ¡°Get ready. Here ites!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    At Iron¡¯smand, the officers who had been briefed in advance bowed their heads in unison and responded.


    Having watched the footage of the area near the phantom¡¯s location dozens of hundreds of times and prepared the operation, they were the leadership of the Mobile Field Army.


    Due to the dark mist, the shapes were almost invisible, but after watching the footage hundreds of times, they roughly deduced the attack patterns of those creatures and based on that, developed a counterstrategy.


    Thus, a strategy and tactics were formed to predict the next attack.


    ¡°As expected¡­ That¡¯s why we had a hard time.¡±


    The Godly Sword family head, slowly riding a divine beast, clicked his tongue.


    Everyone nkly watched the giant purple trees flying in the sky.


    It was eerie to see tens of thousands of strange trees fluttering their leaves and flying.


    ¡°Is it starting?¡±


    The giant strange trees began to move in earnest.


    The flying trees extended their branches and started attacking the airships.


    With tens of thousands of them, the number of branches flying towards them was over a hundred million.


    ¡°Load the mana cannon!¡±


    ¡°Load the regr cannons too! Blow away the evil spirit beasts that get too close!¡±


    The airships began to counter the strange trees¡¯ attacks.


    They cleared a path with powerful fortress cannons and blew away the evil spirit beasts with regr cannons mounted on their sides.


    During this, the Drake Knights were also busily moving.


    ¡°Drake Knights, block the branches!¡±


    ¡°Stay sharp! The moment you let your guard down, you¡¯re dead!¡±


    Senior Drake Knights shouted at the junior knights.


    The branches flew in like whips, aiming for any gap, and a moment of carelessness could lead to being pierced through and killed.


    Therefore, even knights had to stay tense and elevate all their senses to respond.


    ¡°Information from the Southern Army! They report that the enemies are moving towards where the Mobile Field Army is!¡±


    ¡°Information from the Eastern Army! The strange trees along the river are slowly moving towards the Mobile Field Army!¡±


    ¡°Information from the Central Army! The contaminated forest¡¯s territory is overall shrinking! It¡¯s spected that everything is moving towards where the phantom is!¡±


    Iron stared ahead with a serious expression as information flew in from all directions.


    It seemed the phantom that dominated the Great Forest had finished assessing which threatening force was the most dangerous.


    Realizing that the real threat was the Mobile Field Army, it seemed to be gathering its forces towards them, considering the rest as mere distractions.


    ¡°A total war?¡±


    Iron murmured as he looked towards the phantom in the distance.


    Was it because he was an Apostle of God?


    He felt the phantom¡¯s energy more sensitively than anyone else.


    At the giant phantom¡¯s roots, a gate leading to hell was opening.


    A Void Gate emitting contaminated mana was dangerous, but opening a door to hell was worse.


    Demons ascending from hell were indeed troublesome beings.


    Strong ones were a problem, but the cunning ones were the real issue.


    If the Great Forest were to be dominated by demons?


    The southern region would likely remain a significant headache for the Empire.


    Before that happened, the phantom had to bepletely eradicated.


    However, the phantom thought the same about Iron.


    The biggest obstacle to opening the hell gate was Iron himself.


    With his powerful divine power that eradicated evil spirits and corrupted energies in real-time, and his personal might was formidable.


    Moreover, having powerful divine beasts with him, he did not just let the purified spirits be annihted but also recovered them, turning them into enemies.


    From the phantom¡¯s perspective, Iron was as good as a dead man.


    ¡®If only that bastard were gone!¡¯


    The phantom thinking this.


    ¡®If only that thing were eradicated!¡¯


    And Iron having the same thought, red in each other¡¯s direction.


    The Empire¡¯s goal was simple.


    To prioritize eliminating the phantom attempting to summon hell to the continent.


    The purification of the Great Forest was secondary.


    Therefore, leading with the Mobile Field Army, the Imperial Army was advancing along the fastest route to reach the phantom.


    ¡°The Southern Army has announced it will support us with knights and a magic unit. The Southern Magic Tower is alsoing directly to the Mobile Field Army aboard airships,¡± reported themunications officer.


    Iron nodded slightly in response.


    ¡°The Central Army will also support the Mobile Field Army with knights. Moreover, the Central Army¡¯smander will lead them personally.¡±


    ¡°Ensure they arrive without inconvenience. Amodate them as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    At Iron¡¯smand, Karl urgently contacted Cardo.


    ¡°The Eastern Army will time their arrival near the phantom by sailing up the river.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Many of the strange trees have left their positions, creating an opportunity¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s risky¡­ They¡¯ve made a significant decision.¡±


    No matter howrge the river was, it was not the sea.


    The decision to risk traveling up the river, past where the strange trees were located to where the phantom resided, indicated that the Eastern Commander also knew time was of the essence.


    Allmanders were brainstorming how to support the Mobile Field Army to the fullest.


    They, too, as seasoned veterans, clearly understood the current situation, what was most important, and how to act.


    The crux of this war was whether the Mobile Field Army could reach the phantom or not.


    The battle there was another problem, but just reaching the phantom was almost their mission aplished.


    That¡¯s how crucial it was to reach the phantom in time.


    ¨C The phantom elerates itspletion by absorbing evil spirits.


    ¨C Completion: 91%.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    Iron clenched his teeth at the sudden notification.


    The phantom, knowing what was most important, was willing to sacrifice its minions toplete itself.


    As the percentage jumped up by 1% suddenly, the urgency was on the Imperial Army.


    ¨C The phantom elerates itspletion time by reiming the power spread throughout the Great Forest.


    ¨C Completion: 92%.


    As another 1% increase made Iron more desperate.


    Fortunately, the percentage did not increase further, but dawdling might lead to the hell gate opening before they could even reach the phantom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move on my own. Support me!¡±


    With thatmand, Iron immediately mounted a divine beast and flew into the air before his subordinates could protest, zing a trail with the phoenix¡¯s mes, incinerating the attacking strange trees.


    ¡°Clear a path for themander!¡±


    ¡°What are the Drake Knights doing? Support themander!¡±


    The Drake Knights andmanders responsible for the airships screamed as they followed themander who had flown ahead.


    While everyone was straining to clear a path for themander, Cardo, aboard the gship of the 22nd Legion, calmly assessed the situation.


    Then, he urgently contacted Saeriden and Ariel.


    ¡°Saeriden.¡±


    ¨C Why?


    ¡°Can you bring the Central Army¡¯smander, the Southern Commander, and Master Muradin here right away?¡±


    ¨C You¡¯re asking me to leave the frontline now?


    Saeriden frowned at Cardo¡¯s request.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Frowning at Cardo¡¯s words, Saeriden tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°Ariel, you take only the core forces of the three legions and follow themander.


    Hearing his words, Ariel and Saeriden fell silent.


    ¡°As you know, this is a battle against time. Sending themander to the phantom. That¡¯s our role in this war,¡± Cardo exined.


    At Cardo¡¯s words, the two legionmanders nodded.


    ¡°From what I see, the main role of our Mobile Field Army is to break through the defense line formed by those strange trees. The rest is up to the masters and the core forces of each army.¡±


    Cardo said this while looking at the twomanders.


    ¡°Ariel, you assist themander with the core forces of your directmand. Saeriden, you focus on clearing a path for themanders and the main forces of each army.¡±


    -¡­And you?


    Ariel asked, to which Cardo firmly replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here to clear a path for you.¡±


    After Cardo¡¯s statement, the twomanders were silent for a while before nodding.


    -Alright.


    -Understood.


    Reaching the phantom.


    Assisting theirmander up close.


    These were tempting tasks for everyone.


    Yet, Cardo chose to stay behind, sacrificing all that.


    Ariel and Saeriden decided to respect his decision.


    -I¡¯ll leave themand of the remaining forces to you.


    -Me too.


    After saying this, they ended themunication.


    Then, Cardo opened amunication to the entire Mobile Field Army.


    ¡°From now on, Imand the skies! Our only task is one thing! To clear a path so that themander can safely reach the phantom!¡±


    With those words, Cardo¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    ¡°So, everyone, put your lives on the line for this operation.¡±

 Chapter 229: The Great Forest (4)

    Chapter 229: The Great Forest (4)<h3>Chapter 229: The Great Forest (4)</h3>


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    Upon Cardosmand, all of the Mobile Field Armys aerial forces received orders and mobilized around him in unison.


    Meanwhile, Ariel temporarily led her direct troops to move and assist Iron.


    Saeridenmanded the rear forces, opening a path for the key powers of each army, including the masters, toe through.


    He focused on securing the surroundings and bombing the ground,unching assaults on the enemy forces to create a safe path, ensuring not to waste energy in unnecessary ces.


    Its impably coordinated.


    The Godly Sword family head, riding a drake, eximed in admiration.


    Although he was neither a soldier nor solely a martial artist obsessed with the sword, he understood how remarkable this scene was.


    How much training and actualbat experience would it take to move as one like this?


    Especially in the absence of themander, was it possible for the remaining officers to coordinate and move like this, each carrying out their assigned duties?


    He knew well that this was impossible for a regr army.


    If it were, they would have grown to be like the Mobile Field Army a long time ago.


    Its tremendous.


    Following Cardosmand, the giant fortress cannon, which had once again pierced through the dark fog to clear a path, began to emit light.


    Then, all of the Mobile Field Armys aerial forces started to split to the left and right.


    Iron, who was leading the way in front, seemed to have grasped the situation and soared higher into the sky.


    At that moment, the giant fortress cannon was activated again,unching a giant beam of light towards the direction where the Phantom Trees were located.


    Kieeeeeeek!


    Kiaaaaa!


    Along with the terrible screams of the evil spirits, the strange trees burst into mes and began to fall to the ground.


    The path is clear!


    The defensive line made by the strange trees was breached in one shot.


    Iron was the first to charge through.


    Following him, leading the divine beasts, were Ariel and the Mobile Field Armys elite troops.


    Focus on maintaining the open path! Our mission is not to follow themander!


    Cardo stopped the forces that were about to break formation and follow themander.


    It was crucial to clearlymunicate their duties at times like this.


    While sternly lecturing themanders who were tempted by rewards to disrupt the formation, he ordered everyone to maintain their positions.


    In the meantime, the elite forces of other armies that had caught up to the Mobile Field Army from the rear were provided a path.


    -Thank you.


    Not at all. I wish you good luck!


    When Central Army Commander Leopold personally opened themunication to express his gratitude, Cardo saluted in the direction he was passing and said.


    Keep the path open for all themanders and the elite forces of each army to pass through!


    Following Cardos words, the entire Mobile Field Army, centered around the 22nd Corps, pushed back the strange trees with all their might.


    Despite the significant damage, it was unavoidable in the current situation.


    There was no time to retreat to minimize the damage in this urgent situation.


    The aerial lines, enduring a physical defense, prevented the strange trees from forming a defensive formation again.


    Even though it was a strategy that an aerialmander should never choose, everyone bore the sacrifice for that decision.


    During this time, the elite forces of each army crossed over the defensive line of the strange trees and headed towards the Phantom Trees.


    Saeriden. You should cross over too.


    -No. Ill stay here and defend the rear.


    Are you sure?


    Cardo tilted his head at Saeridens decision.


    Getting closer to the Phantom Trees meant receiving more rewards from the system, and no one was unaware of this.


    Considering Saeridens ambition, it was quite surprising for Cardo, who had expected him to follow naturally.


    -Focus on blocking that. Just hold on a bit longer, and reinforcements wille from the rear. Lets break through those damned strange trees together.


    Alright.


    Cardo smirked and responded beforemanding the Mobile Field Armys aerial forces.


    Meanwhile, Saeriden deployed ground forces to engage together.


    The objective was to eliminate, at the very least, the strange trees shooting from the ground, even if those flying were troublesome.


    As the Mobile Field Army engaged the strange trees at the front lines, the Central Armys aerial forces quickly came to support and began assisting.


    Bang! Bang!


    Is the Southern Army close by?


    Hearing the sound of cannons, it seemed like the Southern Army was also quickly pushing the front line.


    Pleased with this development, Saeridenmanded the Mobile Field Armys ground forces.


    He hoped that hismander and the main forces who went ahead would deal with the Phantom Tree, but since there was a possibility they might not, he had to lead thisrge force to the location of the Phantom Tree as quickly as possible.


    During therge battle that unfolded as the Mobile Field Army, the Central Army, the Southern Army, and mercenaries and adventurers who rushed from the rear joined forces against the strange tree legion, Iron, who had gone ahead, was blocked once again.


    Right. It wasnt going to be easy.


    The beings that blocked his path.


    They were the same beings that had blocked his path the first time he had pierced through the darkness fog and reached near the Phantom Tree.


    Demons that possessed and corrupted the great spirits who had evolved into divine beasts and had been umting spiritual energy in the Great Forest for a long time.


    Guys!


    Responding to Irons call, the divine beasts pulled forth their strength in unison.


    Lets break through.


    With that, Iron also created an Aura de and charged towards the enemies.


    Suddenly, the amplified divine power brightly illuminated the surroundings, pushing away the dark fog.


    Then, the huge figures of animals became visible.


    However, proving that they were corrupted, only a murderous aura swirled within their red-glowing eyes.


    Ill help.


    Seeing the Godly Sword family head, who hade riding a drake, Iron shook his head.


    Go ahead. Ill open the way.


    Iron judged it was right to send the Godly Sword family head to the Phantom Tree rather than having him help, considering that someone close to a Grand Master like him could inflict damage on the Phantom Tree.


    Facing the possessed divine beasts and the great spirits equivalent to them alone and buying time meant that reinforcements would eventually arrive.


    If thats the case, shouldnt you be the one going?


    Break through them?


    The Godly Sword family head frowned at Irons question.


    Given enough time, it seemed possible for the two of them to break through together.


    The problem was that they didnt have time.


    -Completion: 93%.


    Seeing that 1% had increased, Iron spoke decisively.


    Please go ahead.


    Can you hold on by yourself?


    Holding on is something I can do better than any family head.


    At Irons words, the Godly Sword family head smirked and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.


    Ill break through.


    Please do.


    At the Godly Sword family heads words, Iron summoned all his strength.


    Sensing the formidable power, the divine beasts and the great spirits attempted to charge at Iron.


    However, their attempt was doomed to fail because they were blocked by a firestorm, a fusion technique of the phoenix and the thunderbird.


    Meanwhile, Iron, who had fused divine power with the Aura de, shed forward directly.


    Kwaaaaa!


    A strike that was impossible to block.


    The Godly Sword family head quickly moved the drake while the divine beasts and the great spirits hastily moved aside to avoid the overwhelming power of the sh.


    But they could not stop him; Iron did not allow it.


    Soon, the divine beasts blocked their path, engaging in a melee battle, and Iron, too, did his utmost to bind their movements.


    Emitting a massive amount of divine power, he purified the souls possessed by demons in real-time and pushed away the contaminated energy gathering around.


    But no matter how powerful Iron was, it was impossible for him to handle everything alone.


    Soon, as the strange trees and the corrupted spirits began charging at Iron and the divine beasts, even the unparalleled Iron inevitably started to tire.


    Huff Huff


    It didnt seem like much time had passed, but soon Irons clothes were soaked with sweat.


    The fact that a body that had reached the level of a Master was this exhausted indicated how dire the situation was.


    Huff Huff Its regrettable.


    Feeling his strength rapidly depleting, Iron remembered the title effect that had disappeared.


    Immense physical abilities and an enormous amount of mana.


    All of that was sacrificed for something significant, but in such a situation, he indeed felt the loss.


    I wontst long like this.


    -Tweet!


    The Blue Baepsae on his head cried out as if agreeing with Irons words.


    Just then, Ariel and the Mobile Field Armys elite unit, who had followed Iron, arrived.


    Assist themander!


    At Arielsmand, the direct troops elite forces moved uniformly towards the great spirits and divine beasts.


    And Ariel herself quickly moved to grab and pull down one of the divine beasts.


    However, no matter how elite they were, their numbers were too few.


    It was manageable against the great spirits and divine beasts alone, but overwhelming when faced with the suddenly gathered strange trees and corrupted spirits.


    Dont overdo it.


    Iron, saving Ariel who had recklessly rushed to help him, stood by her side.


    Commander. Ill open the way.


    Iron shook his head at Ariels words.


    If I leave, everyone dies.


    Iron said this as he looked around at the situation.


    It was somewhat manageable because he and the divine beasts were tying down the most dangerous ones.


    If he were to leave, even the Mobile Field Armys elite would be annihted in an instant.


    Just then, a massive sh of light obliterated one of the possessed divine beasts.


    Followed by a storm of lightning strikes from all directions.


    We will open the way.


    Suddenly, the Southern Commander among other key forces joined the battle to clear a path for Iron.


    Not only them, but also Jamie, Hikardu, Rovanov from the group of six from another world, joined as well.


    And at the forefront, two swordsmen wielding their swords.


    Muradin, the master of the Southern Confederation, and Leopold, the Central Commander, began fighting at the lead to open a path for Iron.


    The Godly Sword family head is not here?.


    I sent him ahead to the Phantom Tree.


    Iron answered the Southern Commanders remark and raised his sword.


    To him, the Southern Commander said,


    Conserve your strength. Lets get you to the Phantom Tree in a somewhat recovered state.


    Hearing his words, the main forces nearby bowed their heads and moved to open a path for Iron.


    The Southern Commands most powerful magic unit pulled all their mana to unleash spells solely to clear a path for Iron.


    And the Southern Magic Tower, which joinedte, did the same.


    Centering around the Tower Master Sierra, they deployed their most powerful wind magic and began sweeping everything in all directions.


    Well clear the nuisances.


    Sierra said, beginning to sweep away the remaining strange trees and corrupted spirits, excluding the great spirits and divine beasts.


    Thus, the riff-raff was cleaned up by her and the Southern Magic Tower, and temporarily, a path was opened thanks to the efforts of the Southern Commands magicians and theirmander.


    And Muradin and Commander Leopold steadfastly maintained it with the knights.


    Go ahead. Well follow.


    With a slight bow in gratitude to Leopolds words, Iron quickly ran towards the Phantom Tree.


    Suddenly, joining the two moons and taking flight again, the dark fog that made it impossible to see even an inch ahead began to dissipate.


    Instead, countless red ghosts flew around, blocking the way.


    A barrier made of ghosts.


    Cut through it with one strike.


    There was no need to eliminate the entire barrier.


    Just one hole for himself was enough.


    With that thought, Iron sliced through part of the barrier with one strike and quickly entered through the narrowing gap.


    -Tweet.


    -Whoo-whoo!


    -Peep!


    -Chirp!


    The Blue Baepsae made a displeased sound, and the other divine beasts also expressed their difort through their bodies.


    A gigantic tree that was hard to take in at a nce.


    Around it, an enormous number of red ghosts were flying.


    The Godly Sword family head is


    Iron, who had reached the Phantom Tree but saw no sign of the Godly Sword family head who he thought would be fighting ahead, wore a puzzled expression.


    Just then, a figure flew towards him from afar.


    Cough!


    Godly Sword family head? What happened?


    As Iron asked this upon seeing the Godly Sword family head flying towards him, coughing up blood, something flew from a distance.


    -An Apostle of the God? This is getting more interesting.


    -Indeed.


    -It was worthing out, even if it meant sacrificing our ranks.


    -Ha! Fun! So much fun!


    Four demons appeared before him.


    -Being an Apostle of the God, youd be more fun than that guy, right? Honestly, he was a bitcking for the four of us to toy with.


    You talk a lot for cowards who gang up on someone?


    The Godly Sword family head smirked at the words of a two-headed demon.


    The demonsughed maliciously at his words, finding them amusing.


    Are they your answer?


    No.


    The moment the Godly Sword family head spoke, other demons hidden within the Phantom Tree also revealed themselves.


    Each was less than a Master Level being on its own.


    But their numbers were overwhelming.


    Among them were demonsparable to Masters, making it naturally difficult for the Godly Sword family head to break through alone.


    [The sacrifice of the demons has allowed the Phantom Tree to absorb the power of the Hell Gate. Thepletion of the Phantom Tree will now elerate.]


    Was it because Iron had reached the Phantom Tree?


    The demons sacrificed themselves to hasten thepletion of the Phantom Tree.


    -Completion: 98%.


    As the Phantom Tree, having devoured even the demons, nearedpletion in one fell swoop, Irons expression hardened.

 Chapter 230: Phantom Tree (1)

    Chapter 230: Phantom Tree (1)


    Chapter 230: Phantom Tree (1)


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    As the demons tried to sacrifice themselves toplete the Phantom Tree, Iron looked at them with an expression that suggested he couldn¡¯t understand.


    Why would demons, who are selfish and only seek pleasure, do such a thing?


    Iron looked at them with a puzzled expression and asked.


    ¡°Why are you sacrificing yourselves toplete the Phantom Tree?¡±


    At his question, the demons, who had been giggling, stared intently at Iron.


    Seeing them, Iron opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Is it because of some grand n to bring Hell to this world?¡±


    At Iron¡¯s question, the demons twisted their lips into distorted smiles and spoke.


    ¨C Us?


    ¨C A grand n?


    ¨C Keke! There¡¯s no such thing!


    As the demons mocked him, theyughed at Iron.


    Afterughing for a while at his response, a goat-headed demon spoke to Iron.


    ¨C Because it seems like it would be more fun.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¨C If Hell descends here, it seems like it would be more fun. That¡¯s the only reason.


    What kind of pain will humans endure if Hell descends?


    What will the outside gods do when demons descend on the continent?


    How will the Lord God respond?


    How will the Apocalypse unfold?


    All of these things were intriguing to the demons.


    It was a thrill more exhrating than anything in Hell.


    For this thrill, the demons were ready to give up anything.


    Even if it meant sacrificing their own status, power, or lives, it didn¡¯t matter.


    They could dieughing if it meantpleting this thrill.


    Thepletion of the thrill.


    For that, the demons prioritized thepletion of the Phantom Tree.


    ¡°Crazy bastards.¡±


    The Godly Sword family head gathered his strength as he looked at theughing demons.


    The same was true for Iron.


    With thepletion of the Phantom Tree imminent, there was no room to hold back.


    Drawing out his full power, Iron created a powerful divine barrier around him through Baepsae.


    Immediately, the evil spirits that touched the wave of light were annihted.


    ¨C As expected, you are the God¡¯s apostle?


    The demons who withstood the wave of light smiled grotesquely and rushed towards Iron.


    They attacked Iron with bizarre weapons ¨C rusty axes, butcher knives, flesh-covered saws, iron chains, and other grotesque tools.


    It was as if they no longer cared about the Godly Sword family head, focusing only on Iron.


    Feeling insulted, the Godly Sword family head attacked the demons with all his might.


    ¡°Die, all of you!¡±


    As Terrion shouted and soared into the sky, thousands of shooting stars began to fall from above.


    These light orbs, each filled with formidable power, targeted only the demons, inflicting fatal wounds or killing them.


    ¡®Is that the secret technique of the Godly Sword family?¡¯


    The Meteor Shower of the Godly Sword family, which Iron had seen several times through Ariel.


    But the form waspletely different.


    Though its foundation was that of the Godly Sword family, Ariel¡¯s Meteor Shower, which she had modified for herself, still could not escape the confines of swordsmanship.


    However, Terrion¡¯s Meteor Shower was different.


    The shooting stars that filled the sky targeted the demons and descended at the speed of light.


    Despite the overwhelming number of meteors, not a single one flew towards Iron.


    The same was true for the Divine Beasts.


    The meteors, which avoided the gigantic Divine Beasts and Iron, miraculously flew only towards the demons, aiming for where they would attempt to dodge.


    If a demon dodged one, another would immediately fly in to attack.


    Kwaaang!


    Despite the enormous explosion that shattered the surroundings with the Meteor Shower, the demons, instead of being scared,ughed.


    ¨C Khahaha! Yes! This is it! This is what I wanted!


    ¨C More! More! More!


    ¨C Come on, God¡¯s apostle, use more power!


    Even as theirrades died, the demons were driven to madness, moring for more attacks.


    However, Iron had no intention of fighting them.


    Even though the Godly Sword family head had already sustained internal injuries, he still forced himself to use his ultimate technique, clearing a path for Iron.


    He had no intention of wasting that opportunity.


    ¡°Phoenix! Burn it!¡±


    In response to Iron¡¯s call, Phoenix unleashed mes toward the roots of the Phantom Tree.


    Even against the mes that emitted heat intense enough to melt the ground, the roots of the Phantom Tree did not turn to ashes but instead endured.


    As expected of the Phantom Tree, which was far from an ordinary tree, it seemed to withstand even Phoenix¡¯s mes.


    However, a tree is still a tree.


    When Iron used divine power to remove the power of the evil spirits, the roots began to slowly burn.


    ¡°Owl! Break through to the part where the Hell Gate is!¡±


    This time, the two moons emitted light from its eyes.


    A powerful sh pierced through the earth, disintegrating the roots that blocked the way, and created a path to the source of the Hell¡¯s power.


    Evil spirits surged from all directions to stop this, but most of them were annihted by Iron¡¯s divine power.


    Several powerful evil spirits gathered to attack Iron, but they were annihted by the lightning of the Thunderbird floating in the sky.


    Kugugung!


    ¡°Thunderbird! Hold them off!¡±


    The Phantom Tree, which had been focusing only on fully awakening, began to move its branches to counterattack as its roots started to burn.


    Many demons that had been hiding in the branches also rushed at them, but the thunderbird created a storm and blocked them with all its might.


    Meanwhile, Iron also drew his sword and began to seriously cut down the roots.


    He infused his Aura de with divine power and unleashed wild shes.


    As a result, the enormous roots were easily sliced through as if they were being chopped like radishes.


    The roots, which had withstood even Phoenix¡¯s mes, couldn¡¯t resist the Aura de fused with divine power and were cut down without much resistance.


    -Kiiaaaaaaaaak!


    As chunks of the thick roots of the Phantom Tree were severed, it began to scream in agony.


    The Phantom Tree, which had been a massive tree, sprouted a mouth and eyes, and let out a terrible wail.


    Then, the Phantom Tree, which had been attacking only with its branches, started to move its roots.


    The roots, which had been still toplete the Hell Gate, now moved to capture Iron.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Iron asked as he watched the screaming Phantom Tree.


    In response to his question, the Phantom Tree, now even angrier,unched more furious attacks, but Iron blocked them without faltering.


    The more it attacked, the more damage it took, causing the Phantom Tree to be increasingly flustered.


    Even though the Phantom Tree hadn¡¯t fullypleted its elevated state and was relying on simple physical attacks, it still had confidence that its massive body could crush even a Master.


    But Iron¡¯s power easily cut through the roots that had even withstood the Aura de, as if they were being chopped like radishes.


    The unexpected strength of Iron left the Phantom Tree in deep worry.


    However, it didn¡¯t have much time to worry.


    Even now, its roots were being severed in real time.


    The more the root part connecting Hell and the current world was cut off, the smaller the passage would be.


    Thus, the Phantom Tree had to make a decision quickly.


    As if understanding the Phantom Tree¡¯s urgency, the demons and evil spirits hurled themselves towards the Phantom Tree.


    Iron, in a hurry, began cutting down the roots even faster, while the Godly Sword family head also unleashed his full strength, swinging his sword to kill the evil spirits and demons.


    [Completion: 99%.]


    Thanks to the sacrifice of the demons and evil spirits, thepletion percentage rose by 1%, bringing the Phantom Tree to the brink ofpletion.


    Iron, desperate, swung his sword with all his might, but at this rate, the Phantom Tree would bepleted.


    ¡°Is there nothing more?¡±


    The Godly Sword family head, who had cut down countless evil spirits and demons, looked at Iron with a tired expression.


    Iron, also catching his breath, looked at the Phantom Tree.


    At this rate, it would really bepleted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything, family head?¡±


    ¡°Well, I do have one thing¡­ but if I use it, I¡¯ll have to retire immediately.¡±


    ¡°This is not the time to worry about such things.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, Terrion nodded as if acknowledging that he was right.


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m one thing¡­ but what about you?¡±


    ¡°I also¡­ have onest thing.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, Terrion nodded as if he had expected it.


    Both of them had a hidden trump card up their sleeves.


    The problem was that once they used it, there would be nothing left afterward.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going toe next¡­ but it¡¯s better than letting that thing bepleted, right?¡±


    ¡°We have to think that way.¡±


    Terrion nodded in agreement with Iron.


    ¡°If I use all my strength, I think I can take down about half of that massive tree in front of us.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll cut down the roots.¡±


    Iron and Terrion exchanged nces and smiled slightly.


    They didn¡¯t think about what woulde after.


    With the sole focus on stopping the Phantom Tree, Iron and Terrion began to gather all their strength.


    Terrion was the first to move.


    As Terrion jumped into the air, thousands of sword strikes were created from his sword, just like before.


    Those light masses gathered and covered the Phantom Tree.


    Up to this point, it was simr to the Meteor Shower of the Godly Sword family.


    Seeing the obviously dangerous technique, numerous evil spirits and demons took to the sky to intercept it.


    At that moment, the meteors in the sky began to gather at Terrion¡¯s outstretched sword.


    The countless meteors wrapped around a single beam of light, creating a massive vortex of light.


    And as the vortex extended from the sword, the evil spirits and demons blocking the Phantom Tree were instantly obliterated.


    ¡°Incredible.¡±


    As expected of the Godly Sword family head, who was considered one of the strongest on the continent, the technique was overwhelming.


    The meteors burned through countless demons, scorching the leaves of the Phantom Tree and cutting down its branches.


    Seeing this, Iron also decided he couldn¡¯t be outdone, and infused his massive Aura de with maximum divine power.


    ¡°Baepsae.¡±


    -Tweet!


    In response to Iron¡¯s call, Baepsae, as if waiting for this moment, replied and perched on Iron¡¯s head.


    At that moment, Iron¡¯s eyes closed, and the massive Aura de began to swing horizontally.


    With the single-minded intent to sever all the roots of the Phantom Tree with this strike, Iron slowly moved the gigantic Aura de.


    Demons gathered to block him, but the three Divine Beasts used all their might to fend them off.


    Even so, a few demons managed to break through the Divine Beasts¡¯ defense and reached out toward Iron.


    At that moment.


    -Kuaaaak!


    Just as one demon¡¯s ws were about to touch Iron¡¯s body, light burst forth, instantly annihting all the nearby demons.


    The moment the light touched them, the bodies of the evil spirits and demons melted away or turned to ash.


    Faced with Iron¡¯s overwhelming divine power, the evil spirits and demons didn¡¯t even dare to consider stopping him.


    In a situation where there was no one left to interfere, Iron¡¯s sword cut through the roots of the Phantom Tree in one decisive strike.


    As an enormous number of roots were severed in one blow, the Phantom Tree let out a horrific scream, and ck tears of blood began to pour from its eyes.


    -Kiiaaaaa! This is unfair! Unfair!


    The Phantom Tree howled in agony.


    It had been on the brink ofpletion, only to be stopped by two mere humans, and it was filled with rage.


    The massive amount of blood pouring from the Phantom Tree¡¯s eyes began to pool on the ground, and as it did, the once full of life ancient tree started to wither.


    Finally, as the Phantom Tree shriveled up like a dried-out old tree, the Hell Gate that had been in its roots began to slowly close.


    ¡°Di¡­ did we seed?¡±


    Just as Iron murmured those words, a new Hell Gate opened within the pool of blood.


    Rising from the blood that the Phantom Tree had shed was a demon with two horns and two wings.


    A small demon, about the size of a human, licked its lips in disappointment.


    -How unfortunate. Truly unfortunate¡­


    The demon that spoke turned its gaze to Iron and the Godly Sword family head, the two responsible for all that had happened.


    -But still, I should enjoy myself while I¡¯m here, right?


    At the demon¡¯s words, Iron and Terrion¡¯s expressions hardened.


    From the moment it appeared, the overwhelming power it exuded was palpable.


    This was the appearance of a demon so powerful that even Terrion, who had long been considered one of the strongest on the continent, couldn¡¯t help but feel fear.


    ****

 Chapter 231: Phantom Tree (2)

    Chapter 231: Phantom Tree (2)


    Chapter 231: Phantom Tree (2)


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    The demon grinned as he looked at Iron and Terrion.


    To him, both of them seemed like delicious prey.


    -Who should I kill first?


    The demon murmured while rubbing his chin as if he were genuinely contemting the decision.


    Most of the demons of Hell, disappointed by the ruined ns of the Phantom Tree, wanted to kill the God¡¯s Apostle who had interfered with their schemes.


    But that was just their perspective, not that of the demon who had been summoned here.


    -Losers who couldn¡¯t be summoned, get lost.


    Ignoring the incessant whining of hisrades who kept murmuring in his ears, the demon made a face of irritation.


    -From now on, any bastards who interfere will be annihted as soon as I return.


    With the demon¡¯s warning, the whining voices disappeared in an instant.


    Satisfied, the demon quickly crossed his arms and took a defensive stance.


    In that moment, Terrion¡¯s figure vanished, aiming for the demon¡¯s heart with a thrust as fast as light.


    A surprise attack targeting a moment of carelessness.


    But Terrion¡¯s sword did not pierce the demon¡¯s heart.


    Kuwoong!


    The demon caught Terrion¡¯s full-powered thrust head-on.


    Receiving the thrust with both hands, purple sparks shot out of the demon¡¯s eyes.


    Terrion swiftly evaded and attempted to thrust his sword once again.


    -How unfortunate. Did you exhaust too much strength destroying the Phantom Tree?


    As the demon said this, he flung Terrion away as he attempted another attack.


    Compared to the strikes Terrion had unleashed at the Hell Gate, this one was somewhat disappointing.


    Clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction, the demon turned his head and blocked Iron¡¯s surprise attack, who had tried to strike him from behind.


    -Is the summoning time only 30 minutes? What a pity. Really a pity.


    Despite the sacrifice of the Phantom Tree, the time the demon could remain in this world was a mere 30 minutes.


    Moreover, he was in a situation where his power was restricted.


    Since he held a high rank even in Hell, the system had imposed ¡®restrictions¡¯ on him.


    But in a way, that made it even better.


    On this continent, there was no one other than the gods who could stand against him, so these restrictions only served to heighten his excitement.


    -I¡¯ll enjoy this to the fullest!


    Unless the ¡®Apocalypse¡¯ urred, the chances of him returning to this ce were slim.


    Thus, this time was precious.


    There were no longer any fools in Hell daring to challenge him.


    Yet, the humans before him did not know who he was.


    Moreover, the restrictions on his power only added to his thrill.


    Since it wasn¡¯t that he was voluntarily restraining his power, but rather that his actual strength had been reduced, it made the battle feel more real.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    -More! More! More! Try harder!


    He pushed Iron and Terrion to their limits, testing them in every possible way.


    With the mindset of ¡°I wonder if they can withstand this,¡± he unleashed even stronger power and continued to press them.


    The demon, expecting to see how far they could go, pursued Iron and Terrion with an eager expression.


    But that time did notst long.


    -What a pity!


    Terrion tried to use his ultimate technique by pushing himself too hard, but its power did not fully materialize.


    Iron¡¯s Aura de, which had been fused with Divine Power, was also starting to crack.


    It had already been well past the limit since they severed the roots of the Phantom Tree, and the same level of power was no longer there.


    Kwaang!


    ¡°Guh¡­¡±


    In less than ten minutes, Terrion, who had be a wreck, was sent flying far away, suffering internal injuries and fainting.


    Iron, too, was barely holding on with his Divine Power, but he no longer had the strength to continue.


    The demon was difficult to deal with even when he was in perfect condition, but having expended all his power on the Phantom Tree, Iron had nothing left to face the demon.


    -What a pity.


    The demon looked at Iron with a regretful expression.


    As an God¡¯s Apostle, he had expected more, but Iron had used up too much strength on the Phantom Tree.


    -Tsk! If only you could spread your wings one more time¡­ What a pity.


    The wings Iron had disyed when he severed the roots of the Phantom Tree.


    The demon wanted to see them once more, but Iron no longer had that strength left.


    Iron, who had survived countless crises, had held out stubbornly, but the demon¡¯s power was simply too overwhelming.


    Bang!


    ¡°Guh¡­¡±


    The full-power horizontal sh was blocked by the violet beams shooting from the demon¡¯s eyes and ended up getting lodged into the Phantom Tree.


    -My excitement is fading. It¡¯s a pity, but I guess it¡¯s time to finish this.


    The demon clicked his tongue in disappointment and slowly walked towards Iron.


    He savored the recent battle, relishing the time he had spent out of Hell after so long.


    Once he returned to Hell, his life would once again be filled with nothing but boredom.


    Perhaps it was the thought of Hell that made him feel increasingly irritated, causing his steps towards Iron to slow down.


    Nevertheless, time passed, and as he was bound by the contract to fulfill the Phantom Tree¡¯s wish, the demon swung his hand to kill Iron.


    Ziiing!


    A violet energy gathered at the tip of his index finger.


    As itpressed to its limit and was about to fly toward Iron in an instant, a massive ice spear shot towards the demon.


    -Another human?


    The demon looked up at the sky as he noticed the attack.


    There was no doubt that the person had reached an extraordinary level for a human.


    Butpared to the two humans he had just fought, this one fell short.


    Moreover, it was just one person.


    -Just get lost.


    The demon, thinking that this was only going to add to his frustration, gathered his strength to kill the mage instantly.


    But just then, another human appeared.


    And it didn¡¯t stop there¡ªone after another, powerful individuals began to appear, attacking the demon.


    As the Phantom Tree died and the Divine Beasts freed from the evil spirits cleared the path, the vanguard that had been heading towards the Phantom Tree immediatelyunched an assault on the demon who was trying to kill Iron.


    From the Master Muradin to the Southern Commander and the Central Commander, they began a coordinated attack from the start.


    They could tell at a nce that this being had extraordinary power, and considering he had incapacitated both Iron and Terrion, they knew they had to go all out from the beginning.


    -Not bad.


    There weren¡¯t just one, but four humans who were quite worthy of fighting.


    These beings were giving their all to attack him in order to save God¡¯s Apostle.


    -Good!


    How long could they protect God¡¯s Apostle from him?


    Could they hold out until he was reverse-summoned? The very thought of it was entertaining.


    ¡°Kuk! This monster.¡±


    Muradin grit his teeth as he saw the demon easily deflect his full-powered attack and evenunch a counterattack.


    The other Masters felt the same.


    The Eastern Commander, who hade to the Phantom Tree despite pushing himself too hard, unleashed his full power with his freezing magic, and the Southern Commander struck with lightning magic. Yet the demon extinguished all of it with his violet energy while fending off the attacks from Muradin and the Central Commander.


    Still, maybe because there were four Masters attacking together, the demon, monstrous as he was, began to be pushed back little by little.


    -Good! Good! Try to block me more!


    As if craving stronger stimtion, the demon unleashed even greater power towards the Masters.


    Though not as entertaining as Iron and Terrion, it seemed they were still amusing enough as he moved aggressively.


    Just then, a fortress cannon loaded with an enormous amount of mana fired directly at the demon.


    Kuuuung!


    The demon took the massive beam of light head-on, a st that even a Master would not dare to withstand.


    But the monstrous being endured even that.


    Airships that had appeared in the sky unleashed a barrage of mana cannons towards the Phantom Tree and the demon.


    As the giant trees retreated from the Phantom Tree¡¯s shadow, the Empire¡¯s forces were able to reach the Phantom Tree¡¯s location.


    A relentless assault from countless airships.


    But the demon¡¯s power was overwhelming.


    Before long, a formation of knights had taken up position, andrge-scale spells from mages rained down, but the demon handled it all alone.


    And still, he had enough leeway to smile, his lips curling upwards.


    -Quite an entertaining diversion.


    The demon, who had taken the first powerful st of the fortress cannon directly, looked at his partially melted arm and smiled.


    Even though he could have dodged it, the demon took the hit on purpose to assess its power and nodded in satisfaction.


    The attacks were quite satisfying.


    It was a power that briefly satisfied his constant thirst for new opponents and challengers.


    But that, too, wasing to an end.


    -It seems time is up already.


    The demon, having endured countless attacks, now sensed that this diversion was about to conclude.


    He looked at the humans who had surrounded him and the Phantom Tree.


    While he had intentionally held back, only using minimal force to fend off the humans¡¯ attacks, this was not just for the sake of his own amusement. In truth, it was to gather as many humans here as possible.


    The Phantom Tree, having sacrificed itself to summon the demon, had one wish: to kill as many humans as possible.


    The primary target was, of course, the God¡¯s Apostle, but since many humans needed to be killed as well, the demon decided to finish them all at once.


    -Now, be annihted.


    As he spoke, the demon unfurled his ck wings for the first time.


    In that moment, the surrounding area filled with violet energy, which began to condense into a powerful force.


    Sensing this, themanders and Master Muradin gave everything they had to stop it, but it was already toote.


    The condensed violet energy began to split into thousands, no, tens of thousands of pieces, ready to annihte the humans in an instant.


    -Hm?


    A powerful Divine Power was detecteding from the direction of the Phantom Tree.


    It pushed back the demon¡¯s highly condensed violet energy in real-time.


    The demon¡¯s expression hardened as he watched this.


    It made no sense that the power of a demon in a high position in Hell was being pushed back by mere divine power emitted by God¡¯s Apostle.


    Kwadeuk!


    An unknown power hidden in the massive light of divine power.


    It started breaking down the condensed balls of violet energy one by one.


    -Ha¡­ haha! So that was it!


    Wind wrapped in divine power.


    Despite the fact that his power was being obliterated in real-time by the Divine Power-infused wind, the demon was thrilled.


    Even though this situation could lead to him failing to fulfill the Phantom Tree¡¯s wish and suffering a severe penalty for breach of contract, he found it all too enjoyable.


    He preferred this unpredictable situation¡ªwhere the oue was uncertain until the very end¡ªfar more than a predetermined victory, even if it meant facing possible defeat.


    A collision urred between the devastating violet energy and the storm imbued with radiant white light.


    Before anyone realized it, the wind imbued with light began pushing the humans back and directly shed with the violet energy surrounding the Phantom Tree.


    During this time, Iron, who had briefly lost consciousness, gradually started to regain his senses.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    As Iron struggled to open his eyes, a series of notification sounds echoed in his ears, as if waiting for him to wake up.


    [Something that had been dormant within the Phantom Tree awakens in response to your Divine Power.]


    [You have met the minimum criteria to resonate with ?????.]


    ¨C ????? has temporarily formed a provisional contract with you.


    Something of unknown identity.


    It had formed a provisional contract with him while he was unconscious, and now it was fighting against the overwhelmingly powerful demon.


    Though it was weak, it used Iron¡¯s Divine Power to oppose the violet energy.


    However, it was clear that because this was not its original power, it was gradually being pushed back by the demon¡¯s force.


    Seeing this, Iron focused his mind on the faintly connected thread.


    The moment hepletely entrusted his body to the entity that had formed a provisional contract with him, allowing it to fully use his power, Iron¡¯s consciousness temporarily expanded.


    ¡®The sky?¡¯


    An endless expanse of sky stretched out before him, its vastness beyondprehension.


    From within, he observed everything.


    In that moment, Iron realized that this was the perspective of whatever entity had formed the provisional contract with him.


    With a sense of bing one with nature, he channeled the energy of the sky to strike down the foreign violet aura.


    Kuuuung!


    A massive storm of light tore through the countless violet orbs, grinding them down and enveloping the demon.


    However, the demon of Hell ultimately couldn¡¯t break through the violet energy and was annihted.


    -Hahaha! Interesting! So interesting! Is this what you wanted?


    Despite his body being covered in blood, the demon of Hellughed brightly.


    -Is the time up? This time, it¡¯s my loss.


    As the demon spoke, he watched as his body slowly turned to dust.


    He had been so absorbed in his enjoyment that the time allotted for his descent to this world through the Phantom Tree had run out.


    As he returned to Hell, he would have to face the consequences of breaking the contract.


    Yet, despite this, he was satisfied.


    -No matter what, I¡¯ll return again. So¡­ make it even more entertaining next time.


    The demon, smiling brightly, looked at Iron and the ¡®something¡¯ within him before disappearing back to Hell.


    ****

 Chapter 232: Phantom Tree (3)

    Chapter 232: Phantom Tree (3)<h3>Chapter 232: Phantom Tree (3)</h3>


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    The moment the demon¡¯s body turned to dust and vanished into hell, even the remnants of its power werepletely devoured by the clump of blood that rose from the ground.


    As if not allowing even a trace of hell¡¯s remnants to remain on thisnd, all the hellish power was swallowed up by the giant mouth formed of blood.


    The moment the demon, which had disyed overwhelming power, disappeared, the surrounding light that had illuminated everything also vanished.


    ¡°Everyone, fall back! The Phantom Tree is copsing.¡±


    The moment the demon¡¯s contract ended, the Phantom Tree, which had barely been sustained, also began to copse bit by bit.


    As the massive tree started to fall, everyone retreated in panic.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°We need to save the Commander!¡±The officers of the Mobile Field Army, looking at Iron in the distance, spoke urgently.


    However, the Eastern Commander shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s more dangerous for you to go.¡±


    The Eastern Commander said this while gazing at Iron.


    Seeing the massive wings of light gradually enveloping Iron¡¯s body, he thought that even if they went, they would only get in the way.


    Though the Eastern Commander had reached the level of a mage, he felt an insurmountable gap between himself and Iron.


    ¡°What you should do now is retreat safely and wait for Commander Iron to return.¡±


    At the Eastern Commander¡¯s words, everyone turned to look at the woman behind them.


    Ariel, undoubtedly the strongest in the Mobile Field Army, excluding Iron, quietly watched the Eastern Commander.


    Seeing this, he gave a small nod.


    ¡°¡­We will retreat.¡±


    ¡°B-but!¡±


    When Ariel silently shook her head, the officers who were about to speak closed their mouths and obediently withdrew.


    As soon as she made her decision, the entire Mobile Field Army began to fall back, and as if it had been waiting for that moment, the Phantom Tree began to copse.


    Countless leaves made of evil spirits fell with a rustling sound, and branches full of corrupted energy snapped and fell.


    ¡ªKaaaaargh!


    The Phantom Tree screamed in agony, and blood continuously gushed from its giant eyes and mouth.


    As it vomited out all the power it had gained from absorbing countless life forms over time, it spread an evil aura around it.


    It was as if the Phantom Tree was making its final desperate struggle before its death, spewing out all of its power. Amidst this frenzy of energy, a faint beam of light emerged.


    And that light slowly began to purify the corrupt energy emitted by the Phantom Tree.


    ¡°That light¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be the Commander.¡±


    At Ariel¡¯s words, Cardro, who had appeared behind her, spoke with a heavy expression.


    From within the Phantom Tree, which seemed destined to remain an eternally corrupted area, that faint but steadily purifying light was the only sign of hope.


    Watching this, Ariel bit her lip.


    Once again, she had not been of much help.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped given that even someone at the Master Level couldn¡¯t handle a single demon, but it was still a blow to Ariel¡¯s pride.


    The same was true for Cardro and the other members of the Mobile Field Army standing beside her.


    ¡®I need to grow stronger.¡¯


    Everyone clenched their teeth with this thought in mind.


    They vowed to grow at least one level stronger before Iron returned, while watching the crumbling Phantom Tree.


    As the massive tree, located in the center of the corrupted forest,pletely copsed¡ª


    [Congrattions! The first story of the Apocalypse has ended in victory for the human side. The southern region has been recognized as the domain of the Lord God, and all external entities, including demons, have been blocked.]


    ¡ªRewards will be distributed ording to the level of contribution in stopping the Phantom Tree.


    ¡ªHumans who yed a significant role in purifying the Great Forest will have increased opportunities to form contracts with spirits and divine beasts in the future.


    ¡ªThere is a possibility that a new ¡®World Tree¡¯ may emerge in the Great Forest.


    ¡ªBecause the first story of the Apocalypse ended in victory for the human side, penalties will be imposed on demons, ancient gods, and ancient species.


    ¡ù Due to the confirmed involvement of the Fallen God, penalties will also be applied to beings from other dimensions.


    At the sound of the notification confirming their victory, everyone burst into cheers.


    Of course, not everyone celebrated.


    Those who felt indebted to the Mobile Field Army and Iron.


    The Eastern Commander, the Southern Commander, and even the newly awakened Terrion stared nkly at the area where the Phantom Tree had copsed, all wearing grim expressions.


    Amidst the thick ck fog and the ruins of the Phantom Tree, a faint light shimmered.


    As they looked at it, thoughts of Iron, who would someday wake up, crossed their minds.


    ¡°It¡¯s their task to wait. We should focus on what we can do.¡±


    At Terrion¡¯s words, themanders quietly looked at the Mobile Field Army.


    Seeing the soldiers, who boasted unparalleled loyaltypared to other forces, themanders nodded slightly and began preparing to return to their respective posts.


    Terrion, too, prepared to return to the Godly Sword family.


    The internal injuries he had sustained in this battle were so severe that he would need to rest for a while.


    But since he had to rest anyway, he was preparing to use what he had gained from this battle to break through to the next level.


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I can rest for long.¡¯


    As soon as he managed his internal injuries, it was likely that he would need to head to the Northeast.


    ¡°The Frost Giants, huh¡­¡±


    He chuckled to himself as he imagined what they might look like¡ªthese beings that once boasted immense power in ancient times.


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh at himself for thinking about strong opponents again, despite having just been thoroughly beaten by a demon.


    But it was this very mindset that had allowed him to reach this level.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I guess I¡¯ll need to get ahead of them.¡±


    Terrion muttered as he once again looked in the direction of the Phantom Tree.


    He had heard that after he lost consciousness, even thebined efforts of the Masters were insufficient, and Iron had resolved the situation.


    Whether that power was temporary or not, one thing was certain.


    When Iron woke up, he would be far stronger than before.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let myself be overtaken just yet.¡±


    Muttering this, Terrion, assisted by the knights of the Godly Sword family, hurriedly returned to his family estate.


    Starting with the Godly Sword family, the imperial army¡¯s main forces also began to withdraw one by one from the Great Forest, preparing to return to their respective regions.


    The same went for the mercenaries and adventurers.


    With the Phantom Tree fallen and massive rewards received, there was no longer any reason for them to stay in the Great Forest.


    It was now time to move on to other regions and prepare for the next event.


    Of course, some chose to remain.


    These were the individuals who had not yet seeded in contracting with a divine beast.


    Excited by the reward that there would be increased possibility to form contracts with spirits and divine beasts in the Great Forest, they decided to stay behind.


    As if to confirm the system¡¯s words, the Great Forest was gradually being purified, with the light emanating from the Phantom Tree¡¯s ruins at its center.


    Strangely enough, flowers bloomed and trees grew in the areas illuminated by the light, despite the rampant corrupt energy still swirling around.


    Schrs and merchants, realizing the potential for profit, decided to journey to the Great Forest as well, adding to the number of those who chose to remain.


    While many were making their decisions to leave or stay based on their own circumstances, the Mobile Field Army was undergoing harsher training than ever.


    ¡°Get up. Are you going to show this kind of sorry state when the Commander wakes up? You should at least show some improvement, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    A harsh voice from a superior officer directed at a soldier who had copsed from exhaustion.


    Yet, not a single soldierined about the officer¡¯s words.


    The goal of the entire Mobile Field Army was to show some improvement by the time Iron woke up.


    That was why they were training so rigorously in the corrupted Great Forest.


    This didn¡¯t mean they were neglecting their usual duties.


    Though most of them remained in the Great Forest, some soldiers continued to travel back and forth between the Southeastern Command and their units, fulfilling their regr duties.


    One of the reasons the soldiers couldn¡¯t resist the harsh training was because of the officers themselves.


    The higher up the ranks you went, the more grueling the training became, making it impossible for the lower-ranked soldiers toin.


    This was especially true for the three corpsmanders and the elite direct units, whopeted fiercely for the title of the strongest within the Mobile Field Army.


    ¡°Is she a monster?¡±


    At Cardro¡¯s question, Saeriden and the Leonhardt twins looked over at Ariel.


    Unlike Gaon Tempest, who was training alone to control the even more powerful cold energy he had gained from the recent rewards, Ariel was training together with the other direct unitmanders and the corpsmanders.


    Their method of training was simple: sparring with all of them at once.


    However, Saeriden and the Leonhardt twins, though they acknowledged Ariel¡¯s proximity to reaching the Master level, believed it was impossible for her to take on all of them at once, as she had not yet broken through the wall.


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡±


    Ariel panted heavily, her face showing exhaustion.


    When she first sparred against Cardro, Saeriden, and the Leonhardt twins simultaneously, she couldn¡¯tst even 20 minutes before being defeated.


    But as the training progressed, the time she endured rapidly increased.


    Now, the twins were the ones who had copsed from exhaustion, and even Cardro and Saeriden had been pushed to the brink.


    ¡°I need to get stronger.¡±


    Ariel muttered, staring at her sword with eyes filled with madness.


    Seeing her like that, Cardro and Saeriden shuddered, feeling chills run down their spines.


    Despite the massive rewards she had received, the grueling training pushing her to her limits, and her vast battle experience, the formidable wall of bing a Master had not yet crumbled.


    Even for someone called a genius, it was too much to expect her to break the stronghold of the Master level while still in her early twenties.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go again.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­ We need to rest too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Pushing it too much won¡¯t help anyone.¡±


    Cardro and Saeriden, trying to dissuade her, requested a break.


    Having sparred for hours already, it was clearly time for her to take a proper rest.


    But despite their attempts to stop her, Ariel kept insisting on continuing her training.


    To intervene, Rodem brought Karl to speak with her.


    ¡°No matter how much you push yourself, it won¡¯t make you a Master.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    ¡°And the Commander hasn¡¯t passed away.¡±


    As Karl spoke, he looked off into the distance at the faint light that could be seen.


    The light, filled with divine power, was proof that Iron hadn¡¯t died.


    Everyone in the Mobile Field Army was waiting with anticipation rather than grief, knowing that Iron might return even stronger than when he fought the Phantom Tree.


    ¡°Slow down¡­ Get stronger without rushing. The Commander said he would wait for us to grow stronger. So what are you doing to yourself right now?¡±


    At Karl¡¯s words, Ariel bit her lip.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s desperate.¡±


    Closing his eyes, Karl continued speaking.


    ¡°How do you think I feel, seeing the Commander push himself to the limit every time? You at least get to fight alongside him. And me?¡±


    Ariel stared nkly at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to fight alongside him too. But I held back. Because there¡¯s a reason the Commander appointed me to my position.¡±


    Karl¡¯s role, being more specialized in logistics than anyone else in the Mobile Field Army, was crucial.


    As the Chief of Logistics, he always did his best from behind the scenes.


    Everyone knew this, and because of that, themanders always respected him.


    ¡°Get your mind straight. When the Commander returns, let¡¯s greet him with joy.¡±


    At Karl¡¯s words, Ariel took a deep breath, calming her anxious heart.


    It was true that she had been impatient, wanting to reach the Master level as quickly as possible to be of help to Iron.


    But thanks to Karl¡¯s intervention, she was starting to calm down little by little.


    ¡°One step at a time.¡±


    Ariel smiled slightly, repeating Karl¡¯s words.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a small step, progress is what matters.¡±


    This had been the training method of the Mobile Field Army, decided by watching theirmander.


    Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t rely on borrowed strength¡ªadvance properly, step by step.


    With that realization, Ariel¡¯s eyes finally clearedpletely.


    As Ariel, who had been consumed by her obsession with getting stronger, regained herposure, others, too, gradually began to find their way back to the right path.


    Gaon Tempest, who had been pushing himself through reckless solitary training, also shifted his focus toward recovery, which led the Mobile Field Army, once fixated on extreme training, to slowly adjust their tempo.


    When Ariel and the othermanders stopped their excessive training and began to lead the troops steadily but correctly, the overall atmosphere within the Mobile Field Army brightened.


    With more room to breathe, everyone used their rewards from the recent battles to either train, rest, or study the new powers they had gained, each pursuing growth in their own way.


    As a result, the level of the Mobile Field Army rose even higher than it had when they were pushing themselves through harsh training.


    ¡°Now, all we need is for the Commander to return, right?¡±


    Karl, watching the Mobile Field Army grow along the right path, smiled in satisfaction as he muttered quietly.


    ¡°When will he return?¡±


    Muttering to himself, Karl gazed toward the remains of the Phantom Tree.


    A now-brilliantly glowing ball of light.


    But there were still no signs of Iron emerging from within.


    Everyone was longing desperately for his return, yet Iron showed no intention ofing out. As they stared nkly at the glowing orb, their frustration grew.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Suddenly, the orb of light trembled, and Karl¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

 Chapter 233: A New Divine Beast

    Chapter 233: A New Divine Beast<h3>Chapter 233: A New Divine Beast</h3>


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    While the demon retreated and the Phantom Tree copsed, Iron experienced something truly peculiar.


    It was a sensation he had never felt before, and through it, he gazed at the world in a daze.


    Iron looked out at the polluted Great Forest, and then further beyond, at the region where the former Southern Confederation once existed. Suddenly, he felt his consciousness being pulled somewhere.


    -Time¡¯s up. Stop ying around ande back.


    As soon as the deep voice calling him back ended, Iron returned to his ¡®human body.¡¯


    The boundless sensations of freedom vanished, and he was now confined within the frustrating limits of his human form.


    Even though his senses had reached the Master-level, it couldn¡¯tpare to the infinite feeling that was close to nature itself.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±Iron remained silent, quietly adapting to his regained senses.


    His body was wrecked with severe internal injuries, but the external wounds were even more serious.


    The external injuries, which had sustained fatal damage in various ces, were not healing, possibly due to the demon¡¯s energy, even with the help of Divine Power.


    ¡®It¡¯s going to take time.¡¯


    Iron thought as he observed his own body.


    At that moment, a small bird emitting a blue light was staring intently at him.


    Though it was as small as a Baepsae, Iron instinctively felt that the presence it held was no less powerful than the demon.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    At Iron¡¯s question, the blue bird silently looked at him.


    After a long pause, the bird clicked its tongue and spoke.


    -Tsk! To think I have to make a contract with someone like you¡­ My fate is quite miserable.


    At the blue bird¡¯s words, Iron¡¯s expression twisted.


    It reminded him of the time when the two moons had looked down on him, and his mood instantly soured.


    But it was understandable, as the lofty rank of the blue bird that Iron sensed gave a glimpse of what level it had been in the past.


    -Hey.


    Startled out of his thoughts by the bird¡¯s call, Iron lifted his head and looked at it.


    Then, with a crooked smile that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for a bird with a beak, it said:


    -I¡¯ll make a contract with you, but I¡¯ll be taking your Divine Beast power until I recover. Deal?


    ¡°What?¡±


    Just as Iron asked the blue bird to rify, a notification window appeared.


    ¨C ????? wants to monopolize your Divine Beast power as a condition of the contract until its strength recovers. Will you ept the contract?


    Iron¡¯s face scrunched up as he looked at the notification.


    The other Divine Beasts didn¡¯t seem pleased either, but the difference in power was too vast for them to protest, so they simply watched Iron.


    -Tweet!


    Unable to bear it any longer, the Baepsae chirped in protest, but the blue bird, with another annoying grin, spoke again.


    -What choice do you have? You¡¯ll need my help if you¡¯re going to fight in the future. How much can you aplish with that body of yours?


    At the blue bird¡¯s words, baepsae¡¯s expression wrinkled, but it couldn¡¯t refute.


    -Quickly ept the contract. There¡¯s no time.


    When the blue bird practically threatened him, Iron frowned and responded.


    I¡¯m not doing it. Get lost.


    -What did you just say, punk? You think I¡¯m doing this because I enjoy it? I¡¯m stuck making a contract with someone who barely meets the minimum conditions, and yet I¡¯m still willing to help!


    ¡°I said no. Is my Divine Beast power yours? Huh? Who do you think you are to monopolize it?¡±


    Iron red at the blue bird as he spoke.


    It was clear that forming a contract with the blue bird, who had such a high level of power, would allow Iron to grow stronger.


    But he didn¡¯t want to force a contract that demanded the sacrifice of the Divine Beasts who had fought with him through life-and-death situations up until now.


    -Ha¡­ Do you really think this is just for my own benefit? I¡¯m doing this because you have no idea what¡¯sing your way¡­


    ¡°Whatever happens, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not letting you monopolize my Divine Beast power.¡±


    -This is driving me crazy.


    The blue bird scratched its head furiously with its wings, clearly frustrated.


    Looking at the bird¡¯s actions, it seemed that it, too, didn¡¯t actually want to monopolize Iron¡¯s Divine Beast power.


    ¡°What exactly ising in the future?¡±


    At Iron¡¯s question, the blue bird stopped scratching its head and quietly looked at him.


    However, its beak remained tightly shut.


    It seemed like it wanted to say something, but some kind of restriction was preventing it.


    Baepsae also seemed to know something but avoided Iron¡¯s gaze, only making chirping sounds.


    The other Divine Beasts were the same.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Iron could do nothing but sigh deeply, stuck in a frustrating situation. At that moment, a notification suddenly rang in his ears.


    [You have made the greatest contribution to concluding the first story of the Apocalypse. Rewards are being calcted.]


    ¨C There are deferred rewards.


    ¨C Calcting what reward is most needed at this time.


    Time passed after the notification sound ended.


    Only a window saying ¡®Calcting¡­¡¯ was disyed on the semi-transparent notification window.


    [The reward has been calcted. Due to your overwhelming contribution, instead of the Lord God¡¯s blessing, you will receive a portion of the essence of the old World Tree.]


    [As an additional reward for your tremendous achievement inpleting the first story, your Natural Constitution and Steel Body will be upgraded by one level.]


    As soon as Iron received both the deferred reward and the reward for defeating the Phantom Tree, a surge of natural energy began to flood into his body.


    ¨C Your Natural Constitution has reached MAX.


    ¨C Your Steel Body has advanced to Level 2.


    ¨C A portion of the old World Tree¡¯s essence has settled in your body. The effects are unknown.


    Endless waves of natural energy poured into him.


    It felt like an overwhelming force he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle, yet strangely enough, his body was absorbing it all.


    The essence of the World Tree, located near his heart, was absorbing the energy, and his fully developed Natural Constitution was also helping to manage it.


    Moreover, his Steel Body, which had grown another step, made this possible.


    However, as time passed and more natural energy flowed in, it started to be increasingly difficult to endure.


    At that moment, the blue bird approached Iron.


    -I know you¡¯re overwhelmed¡­ I¡¯ll change the contract terms.


    The blue bird spoke to Iron, who was buried in natural energy and starting to feel dazed.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    At his question, the blue bird pointed its beak toward Iron¡¯s heart.


    -This.


    The blue bird tapped its beak against the area near Iron¡¯s heart.


    -Let¡¯s make a contract using this.


    Iron followed the bird¡¯s gaze and looked down at his heart.


    The essence of the World Tree was drawing in a vast amount of natural energy.


    Though it was just a small portion of the World Tree¡¯s essence, it held so much natural energy that Iron was struggling to contain it.


    That was what the blue bird was asking for.


    At first, Iron thought it was being greedy, but seeing the look in the bird¡¯s eyes made him change his mind.


    He gazed at the blue bird staring at the essence of the World Tree.


    -There¡¯s no way you can handle this at your current level. So, hand it over.


    As the blue bird spoke, even more natural energy flooded into Iron.


    Even with Baepsae and the Divine Beasts assisting him, it was bing increasingly difficult to manage.


    Honestly, he felt a surge of greed.


    For a brief moment, he thought, ¡®If I couldpletely absorb this portion of the World Tree¡¯s essence, I might reach a level where even a Grand Masters would seem trivial¡¯.


    But he knew that would be overreaching at his current stage.


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    As soon as Iron agreed, the blue bird nodded.


    -I¡¯ll leave you with 10%.


    The blue bird tapped its beak against Iron¡¯s chest.


    At that moment, a green-glowing orb of energy emerged from the small beak.


    The blue bird used its small wings to pluck the glowing orb and gently ce it back into Iron¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Only 10%.


    Yet when it re-entered his body, an immense wave of natural energy surged through him.


    The blue bird only left behind 10% of the World Tree¡¯s essence because that was the exact amount Iron could handle at his current level.


    Having taken the World Tree¡¯s essence from Iron, the blue bird didn¡¯t consume it as Iron had expected. Instead, it flew toward the copsed Phantom Tree.


    -My old friend¡­


    The blue bird gazed at the corrupted and fallen Phantom Tree.


    At the sight of his old friend, who once stood at the highest of heights, now reduced to a mere remnant and toyed with by the corrupted, the blue bird felt a deep sense of sorrow.


    Still, there was a small relief. The system had retained traces of his long-lost friend, and though it was just a tiny portion, that fragment had been passed on to a human as a reward.


    -I hope you can one day recover your former self¡­


    Muttering those words, the blue bird took the glowing green orb into the copsed Phantom Tree.


    At that moment, a light emanated from the once-corrupted Phantom Tree, and slowly, it began to purify.


    Watching this for a long time, the blue bird finally nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Ughhhh¡­¡±


    Seeing the human struggling, barely able to handle even 10% of the energy, the blue bird let out a heavy sigh.


    Though it shook its head at the thought of having to contract with such a weak human, it couldn¡¯t deny that this human had done a great favor by preventing his old friend from being desecrated further and giving it a fresh start.


    -Pull yourself together.


    ¡°¡­Done?¡±


    -Yes, it¡¯s over. Now let¡¯s make the contract.


    The blue bird spoke, tapping its beak gently against Iron¡¯s forehead.


    At that moment, Iron¡¯s eyes widened.


    It felt just like the time when he first contracted with the Baepsae.


    That same sensation was there.


    [You have formed a contract with Hraesvelgr, the friend of the first tree Yggdrasil and the god of storms.]


    -Having been asleep for a long time, Hraesvelgr requires time to recover its power. It will remain dormant until it regains its strength.


    -Your Divine Beast power will increase explosively due to the contract with a Divine Beast of such a high level.


    -All your Divine Beasts will grow beyond their original strength. Until their growth isplete, all Divine Beasts will enter a dormant state.


    ¡ùYou have contracted with all avable divine beasts. You can no longer contract with divine beasts.


    ¡°Hraesvelgr¡­¡±


    The moment Iron nkly muttered the name of the newly contracted divine beast, all the divine beasts shrank slightly and disappeared into subspace.


    With this new reward, not only were the Divine Beasts able to fully recover their strength, but they would also grow even stronger.


    However, it wasn¡¯t just the Divine Beasts.


    Iron himself felt that by contracting with Hraesvelgr, a being of such a high level, he, too, had grown.


    It was as if something that had been blocked suddenly opened, and now, a light from afar was guiding him forward.


    Though the wall had been broken, the journey to the light would require his own effort.


    Iron knew that to reach his full potential, he would need to dedicate himself to constant training.


    As he closed his eyes, preparing to walk toward the light and begin his growth, a new notification rang in his ears.


    [Part of the essence from the remains of the ols World Tree has settled. A seed of the Great Tree has formed in the Great Forest.]


    -In time, a great ruler of nature, like the World Tree that protects the Northern Forest, may be born. For creating this miracle, nature wishes to gift you.


    -Instead of perfecting your Natural Constitution, nature¡¯s blessing will now be imprinted on your weapon.


    As the notification sounded, natural energy began to flow into Iron¡¯s sword.


    A sword that had been damaged in countless battles.


    Yet, despite its wear and tear, it had remained by his side until the very end. Now, as nature¡¯s energy poured into the de, it was upgraded to a higher level.


    ¡°You¡¯re growing too, huh?¡±


    Smiling in satisfaction as he looked at his old friend, the sword ¡°Iron Wall¡±, Iron closed his eyes, ready to grow stronger himself.


    As Iron opened his eyes to allow himself time to grow in order to face the crisis ahead, a massive light surged and swept across the Great Forest.


    ¡°C-Commander?¡±


    Iron smiled warmly as he saw Carl, the first to rush to his side.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

 Chapter 234: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North

    Chapter 234: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North<h3>Chapter 234: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North</h3>


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    Finally, the long-awaited return of Iron hade.


    At the news, the entire Mobile Field Army flocked to the ce where the Phantom Tree had been.


    Everyone, except those out on missions, had gathered for Iron¡¯s return.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s weing me quite enthusiastically, huh?¡±


    At Iron¡¯s question, Karl smiled as if to say it was understandable.


    No matter how much war experience they had gained and trained to help the ever-sufferingmander, in the end, Iron had once again borne the sacrifice.


    Because of that, not just themanders, but all the troops trained with gritted teeth.


    At the very least, when Iron returned, or in the next battle, they would not let him make the same sacrifice again.¡°It seems I¡¯ve caused everyone a lot of stress.¡±


    Iron spoke with a wry smile.


    Even Karl, who was standing right next to him, looked noticeably gaunt.


    The same was true for Ariel, Kardro, Saeriden, and the othermanders who had rushed over.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all worked hard.¡±


    Iron said as he patted themanders who hade running on the shoulder, one by one.


    Then, when he saw Ariel, his eyes widened.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Ariel¡¯s condition was barely distinguishable from aplete wreck.


    Her daily grueling training, sparring, and pushing herself to the limit had drained her mental strength, making it surprising that her body had even recovered.


    But that wasn¡¯t what had shocked Iron.


    Though her physical condition was terrible, the mysterious aura he felt from Ariel was enough to astonish even him.


    ¡®Is it the boundary?¡¯


    Ariel had already been preparing to challenge the wall before arriving in the Great Forest.


    But after umting so muchbat experience and receiving rewards here, it seemed she had unknowingly crossed the boundary and stepped into it.


    However, from Iron¡¯s perspective, Ariel seemed unaware that she had entered the boundary.


    ¡®Ha¡­ But I can¡¯t exactly tell her myself¡­¡¯


    If Iron were to say, ¡®You¡¯re standing at the boundary of a Master!¡¯ right now, the wall she had broken down with so much difficulty might reconstruct itself.


    So, he silently fretted while pretending not to notice and continued encouraging the othermanders.


    Amid the cheers celebrating the Mobile Field Army¡¯s return, he headed to the temporarily set-upmand post.


    ¡°I can tell everyone has been working hard in my absence.¡±


    As Iron looked around on his way to themand post, he instantly grasped the overall level of the Mobile Field Army.


    Although their level had risen thanks to the rewards they had gained from clearing the first story of the apocalypse, their effort to assimte those rewards was apparent.


    The traces of grueling daily training were evident everywhere, and even the soldiers showed signs of rough, tough training.


    ¡°But¡­ where¡¯s Faulden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and he will appear. Faulden entered themand post, carrying a mountain of documents, which he ced on the desk.


    ¡°This¡­ is?¡±


    ¡°The paperwork you guys dyed while focusing on your training.¡±


    At Kardro¡¯s question, Faulden ground his teeth, ring at themanders.


    Especially Nyx Cole, the leader of the Rangers responsible for reconnaissance, and Kardro, who handled the air force, were sweating nervously, avoiding Faulden¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You really came back at just the right damn time, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    With those words, Faulden handed the thick stack of documents over to Iron.


    ¡°This is the current situation in the North.¡±


    ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very serious.¡±


    Faulden responded with a grave expression to Iron¡¯s question.


    Upon hearing that, Iron hastily flipped through the information Faulden hadpiled.


    ¡°Has the war started?¡±


    As he spoke, Iron frowned while quickly reading through the report on the Northeast.


    ¡°It¡¯s more detailed than I expected.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve dispatched the entire Raven unit to the North.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, Faulden answered with a tired look on his face.


    ¡°What about the West?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re receiving information from the Western Command. However, the North¡¯s situation is so severe that we don¡¯t have the resources to send our intelligence agents to the West.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ So, given the current situation in the North, we can assume that all the intelligence agents of the Mobile Field Army are focused on the North?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Even with that, we¡¯ve had to borrow the strength of the Ravens. I¡¯ve already gotten permission from the leader of the Ravens.¡±


    At Faulden¡¯s words, Iron tilted his head in curiosity.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, where is Gaon?¡±


    At Iron¡¯s question, Kardro, who was standing nearby, answered on his behalf.


    ¡°He¡¯s currently training.¡±


    ¡°Alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Due to the nature of his training, we couldn¡¯t disturb him, so he wasn¡¯t able to attend this meeting.¡±


    At Kardro¡¯s response, Iron stroked his chin, falling deep into thought.


    He was already well aware of Gaon¡¯s training methods, so he nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Does Gaon still need more time?¡±


    ¡°¡­It seems so. His control is still unrefinedpared to his abilities, so it will take time for him to adapt.¡±


    With Kardro¡¯s report, Iron gave a small nod and received additional reports from the othermanders.


    The key figures were Faulden and Karl.


    Knowing the North was in danger, Karl had already begun preparations to move supplies there, while Faulden had sorted through a vast amount of information to prepare for any emergency. Thanks to their efforts, the Mobile Field Army was ready to mobilize at any moment.


    At most, they only needed a day or two to recover before they could move to support the North.


    ¡°The Godly Sword Family Head has already moved to the North, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. It seems, due to signs of the Frost Giant King awakening, he departed even though his body hadn¡¯t fully recovered.¡±


    While Iron was pondering over Faulden¡¯s answer, Gaon, having finished his training, arrived at themand post.


    ¡°Apologies for beingte.¡±


    Iron waved his hand dismissively as Gaon bowed his head in apology and received a brief report on the Raven unit.


    Had Gaon beenpletely focused on his training until now?


    Faulden seemed to know more about Raven¡¯s operational status than Gaon did.


    ¡°Faulden.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been in charge of Raven?¡±


    ¡°Since the end of the Great Forest operation.¡±


    At Faulden¡¯s reply, Iron fell into thought.


    ¡°Hm¡­ it seems a reorganization is in order.¡±


    Iron said this while looking at themanders.


    The others flinched at his words.


    Everyone looked at Iron with tense expressions, nervous about the sudden announcement of a reorganization.


    ¡°It seems fitting that Raven shoulde under Faulden¡¯smand.¡±


    Though everyone was surprised by Iron¡¯s words, Gaon epted it without any change in his expression.


    The others, however, looked curious, wondering where Gaon, who was currently ranked among the top two in power within the Mobile Field Army aside from Iron, would be ced.


    ¡°Gaon.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll takemand of the 21st Corps.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at Iron¡¯s statement.


    ¡°The 21st Corps will be turned into an elite corps. We¡¯ll merge the remaining personnel into the 23rd Corps. There won¡¯t be any significant changes to the 22nd Corps.¡±


    Since Iron had witnessed how Gaon had been growing Raven into an elite unit, he devised a corps management strategy that suited him.


    The 21st Corps would be an elite force, the 22nd Corps would specialize in air force and reconnaissance, and the 23rd Corps, with thergest number of troops, would focus on defense.


    With these clearly defined specialties, Iron also rified the direction for his direct units.


    First, he clearly distinguished the roles of the Knights and the Assault Troops.


    ¡°The Knights will focus on defense, while the Assault Troops will focus on subjugation missions. The Rangers will specialize solely in reconnaissance. Leavebat to the Assault Troops.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The captains of the directmand units bowed their heads and answered to Iron¡¯s order.


    There wasn¡¯t much for Iron to say to the Magic Unit or the Spirit Unit.


    If there was anything to note, it was that many had made contracts with spirit beasts and spirits in the Great Forest, so the Spirit Unit would be significantly expanded.


    Karl was handling the logistics well, so there was no need to interfere there, and since Raven would be under Faulden¡¯smand, his authority had greatly increased. However, since Faulden had already been operating Raven, Iron was simply formalizing the structure.


    ¡°Then, Commander Ariel is¡­¡±


    Kardro mumbled, ncing at Ariel.


    The othermanders had the same thought.


    Despite her somewhat awkward position, Ariel remained expressionless, simply waiting for Iron¡¯smand.


    Looking at her, Iron finally spoke.


    ¡°Ariel will move with me for the time being. Her position will remain on hold. I n to appoint her as Deputy Commander and have her lead the entire army when I am absent.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s statement, Ariel¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and her pupils trembled.


    Seeing Ariel¡¯s reaction for a moment, Iron turned his gaze to Kardro.


    ¡°Kardro.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Prepare to move to the North first.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Iron nodded at Kadro¡¯s unhesitating answer, then spoke to the othermanders.


    ¡°Gaon and Saeriden, move once the reorganization isplete.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After giving orders to both Gaon and Saeriden, Iron looked at the remaining heads of the direct units.


    ¡°All direct units, except for the Knights, will immediately move to the Northeastern Command. Leave only the minimum personnel at the headquarters and use the Northeastern Command as your temporary base.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll notify the Northeast in advance.¡±


    At Faulden¡¯s words, Iron gave a small nod and then spoke to Karl.


    ¡°Karl, I¡¯ll need you to stay in the Southern region and handle supply management.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°When the war fully starts, you should join us as well.¡±


    After issuing all themands, Iron took Ariel with him and left themand post.


    Looking at Ariel, who had be even more gaunt than the others due to her struggles to surpass the wall to be a Master, Iron let out a sigh.


    It was fortunate that she wasn¡¯t stuck at the wall in despair, but her current state, where she was pushing herself beyond her limits, was not ideal either.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to help her.¡¯


    With that thought, Iron led her to a quiet area in the Great Forest.


    When they arrived at an open space, Iron quietly observed her and asked.


    ¡°Ariel.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How close do you think you are to bing a Master?¡±


    Ariel remained silent for a moment, deeply contemting his question.


    After thinking for a while, she finally opened her mouth, speaking with difficulty.


    ¡°I believe I¡¯ve reached the wall. However¡­ I stillck the realization to break through it.¡±


    As Ariel spoke, she bit her lip.


    She felt like she was almost there.


    But the wall of bing a Master remained as firm as ever.


    When they defeated the Phantom Tree and she received her reward, she thought she was close to reaching the Master level, but that had been a mere illusion.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Seeing her expression, Iron sighed and shook his head.


    The issue Ariel was currently facing was simple.


    She was cing the idea of bing a Master on too high of a pedestal.


    That thought was preventing her from realizing that she had already entered the boundary and was holding her back.


    On top of that, her feelings of guilt toward Iron, for not being of much help in the recent battle, werepounding her frustration. Even though she had broken through the wall, her mental block was creating another obstacle.


    Iron looked at her firmly and spoke decisively.


    ¡°Before I head to the North, I¡¯m going to make you my Deputy Commander.¡±


    Ariel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at Iron¡¯s words.


    ¡°Endure it. And break through. If you do, you¡¯ll be a Master.¡±


    With that, Iron released a powerful force around him.


    But it wasn¡¯t just a simple surge of power.


    He summoned the energy of nature, swirling it around, and pressed down on Ariel with overwhelming strength.


    ¡°Kuk!¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling guilty for not being of much help during the battle in the Great Forest? Is that why you¡¯ve been overworking yourself, pushing your body beyond its limits in your training to be a Master?¡±


    Ariel couldn¡¯t respond to Iron¡¯s question.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to answer, but rather that the pressure Iron was exerting on her made it impossible for her to speak.


    ¡°If you want to be of help to me, break through this. If you can¡¯t, you¡¯ll wander for years before reaching the Master level. So¡­ make sure you break through.¡±


    With those words, Iron spoke firmly to Ariel.


    ¡°Throw away the guilt and all those useless thoughts. Focus entirely on breaking through this force. From this moment on, don¡¯t think about anything else, just concentrate on your sword. Even so, it will be difficult to break through.¡±


    As Iron spoke, he gathered even more of nature¡¯s energy.


    Before long, a massive storm formed around the Great Forest, turning the area into a training ground for Ariel and Iron alone.

 Chapter 235: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (2)

    Chapter 235: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (2)<h3>Chapter 235: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (2)</h3>


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    Everyone nearby was astonished by the massive storm that had formed in the heart of the great forest.


    However, when the reorganization n was announced and they learned it was for Iron to train Ariel, everyone nodded slightly in understanding.


    Currently, the person closest to reaching the Master Level in the Mobile Field Army was Ariel.


    If she could ovee this barrier, the Mobile Field Army would be able to execute even more wless strategies in the battles toe.


    ¡°Looking at this now, we¡¯ve be strong enough topete with the Northeast, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    Karl, who hade to see Cardro off, spoke as he looked at the Mobile Field Army.


    When they had first left the Northeast to form the Mobile Field Army, he had wondered if a day like this would evere.


    He had thought that it would take at least until he was in his thirties for this to be possible.Contrary to Karl¡¯s expectations, which he thought were optimistic, the Mobile Field Army had grown stronger at an incredible pace.


    Now, most of the topmanders in the Mobile Field Army had reached the 6th Stage.


    Moreover, with the overwhelming rewards they had gained from numerous battles and the new fleet of airships, they had grown strong enough to beparable not only to the Northeastern Army but even to the Northern Army as a whole.


    ¡®If Ariel bes a Master, it really might be a reality.¡¯


    With Iron, the strongest on the continent, and a Master-level Ariel, even thebined might of two Imperial Armies might not be able to contain them.


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve grown a lot.¡±


    Cardro, feeling nostalgic, looked at the Mobile Field Army with a faint smile.


    ¡°Even with this much growth, we¡¯re still only holding back the Commander¡­.¡±


    ¡°We need to get even stronger.¡±


    Karl replied firmly to Cardro¡¯s remark.


    He thought that perhaps, after this battle in the Northeast was over, they might be a force that could provide meaningful support, rather than just holding Iron back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go on ahead.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Cardro¡¯s 22nd Corps, the first to move, boarded the airships to leave the great forest and head for the North.


    As the 22nd Corps, which boasted the Empire¡¯s strongest air force, moved swiftly, Karl also headed towards the southeastern part of the Empire to organize supplies.


    Since they were not yet ready to relocate themand to the Southern Confederation, Karl had to personally move as far as the Southeast.


    With Karl¡¯s departure, the remaining corps and the direct units quickly began their preparations.


    For the 21st Corps, which was being refined into an elite force, many troops had to be moved to the 23rd Corps, and only elite personnel in each field were dispatched from the direct units to transform the 21st Corps into the most elite of forces.


    Meanwhile, Saeriden, who had taken on many troops, also started reorganizing the 23rd Corps.


    As soon as these two corpspleted the minimum reorganization work, they immediately began moving toward the North.


    ¡°We¡¯llplete the reorganization during the journey.¡±


    Gaon gave the order in a monotone voice, and everyone nodded without a word of dissent.


    This was the same for Saeriden¡¯s 23rd Corps as well.


    Having gone through this kind of experience countless times while stationed in the Southeast, they were now capable of handling it.


    As expected of the Mobile Field Army, they had be proficient at training and carrying out all tasks even while on the move.


    While the corps reorganized during their march, the direct units stayed behind in the great forest toplete their restructuring.


    The Knights picked out members suited for the assault team, and the assault team selected personnel to send to the Knights.


    The same applied to the Magic Unit and the Spirit Unit.


    In the past, anyone who could handle spirit magic was simply assigned to the Spirit Unit. However, with the significant increase in the number of spirit mages, those with a talent for magic were sent to the Magic Unit, and the Spirit Unit was extensively reorganized.


    Despite all this, the great forest was still packed with people contracted with spirit beasts and spirits, filling every avable position.


    Even after carefully selecting and recruiting the most talented among the soldiers, there were still plenty of candidates left.


    The Rangers, too, began preparations to transform into a unit focused purely on reconnaissance.


    During this time, while almost every direct unit was undergoing changes ording to Iron¡¯s orders, there were exactly three divisions in the Mobile Field Army that continued their operations without major changes.


    They were the Logistics and Support Unit under Karl, the Intelligence Unit led by Faulden, and the Artillery Unitmanded by Dominic Stone.


    The reason why these units, unlike the other corps, were able to stay in the great forest and slowly reorganize their forces was only one:


    They were small enough in number to use the Warp Gate.


    Because of this, the direct units that hadpleted most of their reorganization in the great forest began to cross over to the Northeast one by one.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading out first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The Assault Commander, Ludem, who had finished his reorganization, bid farewell to his twin brother as he departed for the Northeast.


    The direct units, whose numbers were small enough to use the Warp Gate, started to leave for the Northeast one by one.


    The Assault Unit was the first to leave, followed closely by the Magic Unit.


    An, who had gathered arge number of mages from the Spirit Unit, taught them a few essential magic formations and then immediately left for the Northeast.


    Following these two units, the Rangers, Artillery, and finally the Spirit Unit and Intelligence Unit all left for the Northeast in rapid session, leaving only a portion of the Mobile Field Army, including the Knights, to guard the great forest.


    ¡°Everyone, keep strict watch so that no riffraff can get near where the Commander is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    At Rodem¡¯smand, all the knights answered in unison and dispersed.


    The knights who had transferred from the Assault Unit and the newly recruited knights had to undergo training, so only the remaining knights were left to guard the area where Iron and Ariel were training. As a result, they were more vignt than usual, keeping a tense watch over their surroundings.


    It was a crucial moment to determine whether the first Deputy Commander of the Mobile Field Army would be born, so the knights monitored the area with more intensity than ever before, their expressions serious.


    While Iron and Ariel continued their training under the Knights¡¯ guard, the Mobile Field Army units that had gone to the Northeast were moving busily.


    ¡°It¡¯s empty.¡±


    This was the first thing Folden said after arriving at the Northeastern Command Center.


    The sight of the emptymand center was almost unsettling.


    It was understandable for the Northeastern Army, but he had expected at least some of the Northern Army to be here, only to find that the absolute minimum number of troops and supplies had been left behind, with the rest having gone to the mountains.


    Honestly, he had thought that there would at least be members from the Lion Family or other noble families of the North.


    But even they had all been conscripted for defense duties in the mountains as soon as they arrived.


    The Central Army, parts of the Southern Army, and even the Eastern Army, who had arrived earlier, had all been deployed to the front lines to stop the Frost Giants.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought.¡±


    Faulden had thought things sounded bad from Raven¡¯s reports, but seeing it in person, it was iparable to what he had been told.


    ¡°And the other direct units?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still at themand center. They n to move out together when the 22nd Corps arrives.¡±


    The 22nd Corps, which had departed first, had not yet arrived, and the 21st and 23rd Corps, which had leftter, still had quite a distance to cover.


    So, the n was to move to the vanguard¡¯s location as soon as the 22nd Corps arrived.


    ¡°Raven should move with them too. For now, let¡¯s handle the intelligence work here with just the Intelligence Unit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The Deputy Commander of the Raven Unit, who had been handling affairs in the Northeast in ce of Gaon, bowed his head.


    Despite any potential resentment he might have felt towards Faulden, the new head of the Ravens, he epted his orders without anyints, bowing his head and departing to carry them out.


    The other members of the Ravens were no different.


    At least in the realm of intelligence, Faulden was the best in the Mobile Field Army, and hisbat ability was respectable enough, befitting someone from the Lion Family, so everyone acknowledged his leadership.


    With the Ravens also now set to move out first, the remaining direct units focused on wrapping up their reorganization while waiting for the 22nd Corps.


    And finally, when only a few hours remained before the long-awaited arrival of the 22nd Corps¡­


    ¡°They¡­ they¡¯ve broken through!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Faulden, who had been reviewing reports, stood up abruptly at the intelligence officer¡¯s urgent report.


    ¡°Th¡­ the vanguard¡¯s front line has been breached by the Frost Giants!¡±


    At the repeated report from the officer, Faulden gritted his teeth and went to find themunications officer.


    -Crackle! This is the Vanguard Corps.


    ¡°I heard the front line has been breached.¡±


    -Part of the eastern front has been broken through. Numerous Frost Giants are expected to cross over there.


    ¡°What are the other units doing?!¡±


    -We have no spare capacity. Full-scale battle with the Frost Giants has begun. It is presumed that the King of the Frost Giants has awakened.


    At themunications officer¡¯s report, Faulden¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°This is crazy!¡±


    Faulden cursed under his breath and immediately summoned the Mobile Field Army¡¯s direct unitmanders.


    ¡°The front line¡¯s been breached.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ludem responded with a look of shock at Faulden¡¯s words.


    ¡°Full-scale war has begun. As soon as the 22nd Corps arrives, we¡¯ll need to board the airships and head east to provide support.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ crazy.¡±


    ¡°We have to block the eastern front before more Frost Giants cross over.¡±


    At Faulden¡¯s words, the direct unitmander nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll inform Cardro.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. We¡¯ll prepare to move immediately.¡±


    At Ludem¡¯s response, the other direct unitmanders also hurried into action.


    They needed to have all preparationspleted before Cardro¡¯s 22nd Corps arrived.


    They had to move quickly because they needed to prepare not just for mobilization but for immediate deployment into war.


    In the meantime, Faulden contacted Cardro.


    -This is crazy. Got it.


    Cardro, upon hearing Faulden¡¯s words, ran his hand roughly through his hair and acknowledged the situation, pushing the speed of his airships to the maximum.


    Despite the urgency, and even with the 22nd Corps arriving sooner than expected, all of the direct unit members boarded the airships with all preparationsplete.


    Since Cardro had brought every single one of the direct unit¡¯s airships, everyone boarded without any issues and immediately headed toward the northeastern front line where the Vanguard Corps was stationed.


    As the massive fleet of airships moved in unison toward the Vanguard Corps, many in the rear were taken aback, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it.


    ¡°Tell the 21st and 23rd Corps toe as quickly as possible. I¡¯ll report directly to the Commander.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    At Faulden¡¯s order, the intelligence officer moved swiftly.


    -Faulden? Is it urgent?


    As Rodem appeared on themunication screen, Faulden gave a small nod.


    ¡°The Frost Giants have started full-scale war.¡±


    -¡­Already?


    ¡°Yes. The eastern front has already been breached. Fortunately, the 22nd Corps arrived in time, so we might be able to hold them off¡­ but that¡¯s not the real issue.¡±


    At Faulden¡¯s words, Rodem tilted his head in confusion.


    What could be more important than a full-scale battle with the Frost Giants?


    Seeing the questioning look on his face, Faulden bit his lip and spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s suspected that the King of the Frost Giants has awakened.¡±


    -What? Are you certain?


    ¡°Have you forgotten who¡¯s at the front line?¡±


    At Faulden¡¯s words, Rodem¡¯s expression hardened.


    At the front line was the Family Head of the Lion Family, one of the strongest on the continent, his own father.


    And also, the head of the Godly Sword Family was there.


    If those two sensed something¡­


    ¡°Is the Commander far off?¡±


    -Sigh¡­ still far. Damn it.


    Rodem looked like he was about to lose his mind, unable to decide what to do next.


    Rodem suddenly froze.


    ¡°Rodem? What are you doing?¡±


    Faulden asked, seeing Rodem standing there, seemingly in a daze.


    -We¡¯ll head over there ourselves, so get arge Warp Gate set up.


    ¡°What? And the Commander?¡±


    When Faulden responded with a look of disbelief, Rodem replied.


    -This is an order from the Commander.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Hearing Rodem¡¯s words, Faulden finally understood that the reason Rodem had just been standing there in a daze was because he had been listening to a direct order from the Commander.


    -Deputy Commander will break through soon, so the Commander will being over right away.


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    After ending the call with Rodem, Faulden immediately ordered the Northeastern Command Center to connect all the Warp Gates to the South.


    After preparing for the knights to cross over swiftly, he continued to gather andpile informationing from the front lines, reporting updates as they came in.


    Because this might require the presence of everymander in the Empire.


    ¡°We might even need the Western Commander here as well.¡±


    Faulden muttered to himself as he rapidly scrawled out a report.


    At this point, all themanders except for those from the Mobile Field Army and the Western Army were already gathered in the Northeast, and even Iron, who had copsed, was set to join them soon.


    Yet, despite all this, the situation was so dire that even the Western Commander might need toe to the Northeast.


    As one of the ancient races that had shone in the mythical times, the Frost Giants were incredibly powerful, and this was shaping up to be a war that even thebined might of the Empire¡¯s strongest forces could barely handle.


    Proving just how severe things were, Crimson, who wasmanding troops on the front lines, wore a grim expression.


    ¡°Is this¡­ destruction?¡±


    Crimson looked at the massive giants swarming over the mountains.


    They were beings for whom the word ¡®destruction¡¯ was all too fitting.

 Chapter 236: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (3)

    Chapter 236: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (3)<h3>Chapter 236: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (3)</h3>


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    The numbers themselves weren¡¯t that high.


    Perhaps because so many of them had perished during the mythical times, only a few thousand giants remained.


    However, the immense power each of them possessed forced nearly all of the empire¡¯s military to gather.


    Firstly, they naturally possessed massive bodies and had tough skin that matched their size.


    If that were all, Frost Giants wouldn¡¯t be so terrifying.


    If they were merelyrge and sturdy, they could be held back with the array of advanced weapons recently developed.


    The problemy in the second factor.


    All Frost Giants could manipte cold energy.Even an ordinary Frost Giant disyed such mastery over cold energy that it would make most ice-based mages look trivial byparison.


    This was their innate ability.


    Starting from the third factor, even Master Levels would find them terrifying.


    Some giants belonged to the warrior ss, they weren¡¯t content with their natural strength and learned martial arts.


    These were individuals whobined their natural powers withbat techniques, and they wielded a force so great that even Masters found it challenging to contend with them.


    Using martial skills with a body that size?


    That was a disaster.


    ¡°Their king, huh¡­¡±


    Crimson looked straight ahead with an expression of dread.


    At the forefront were Frost Warriors, leading the Frost Giants.


    He couldn¡¯t even imagine how strong the king whomanded them would be.


    Would even bing a Grand Master, which an old man like him had given up on long ago, be enough to face them?


    ¡°In the mythical times, it must have been nearly impossible for humans to resist them.¡±


    Next to him, Jaiden Wicks looked at the Frost Giants with a grave expression.


    Even with just the abilities of the approaching Frost Giants, they were catastrophic enough to bebeled a cmity for humanity.


    However, their abilities weren¡¯t perfect.


    Thanks to the efforts of Iron and everyone else, a full-scale apocalypse had been prevented, which meant that the abilities of the Frost Giants were also limited.


    Had it been the mythical times, their power would have been even greater.


    The ones called warriors would have approached the level of Grand Masters, and even ordinary Frost Giants would have been as powerful as Master Levels in abundance.


    An apocalypse capable of wiping out humanity, in the truest sense.


    ¡®Their king must have been a god in every sense.¡¯


    Records describing the king of the Frost Giants as a being on par with the highest gods of the mythical times seemed entirely urate.


    ¡°¡­Can we stop them?¡±


    Crimson asked the two people standing behind him.


    At this moment, they were the only ones who could potentially stand against the Frost Giant King.


    The two family heads who had vied for the title of the empire¡¯s strongest for ages.


    The head of the Lion Family and the head of the Godly Sword family shook their heads, as if even they weren¡¯t certain.


    The presence emanating from the distant Frost Giant King was so overwhelming that even these two, who were always confident, could only shake their heads.


    Boom! Boom!


    Atst, the main force of the Frost Giants began attacking the defensive line of the northern mountain range, which was the pride of the vanguard corps.


    They had already heard the news that the eastern nk had been breached, but there was no time to worry about that now.


    ¡°Please, both of you, do not move yet.¡±


    At Crimson¡¯s words, the two family heads nodded heavily.


    Even in peak condition, it would be a stretch to take on the Frost Giants, so they couldn¡¯t afford to waste any strength prematurely.


    All of the empire¡¯s forces had gathered to stop the Frost Giants.


    1. All Commanders except the West and the Mobile Field Army.


    2. All Masters of the Southern Confederation.


    3. All otherworlders and top-tier adventurers.


    All these forces gathered solely to stop the Frost Giants.


    Crimson was the first to act.


    Living up to his reputation as a seasoned veteran, he took the lead and created a Storm Sword, swinging it toward the Frost Warriormanding the Frost Giants.


    In response, other Masters also each took on a warrior and began fighting.


    The remaining warriors were held back with all their might by the knights and mages.


    ¡°Are we still at a disadvantage, even with nearly all of the empire¡¯s forces gathered?¡±


    Lioner, the head of the Lion Family, observed the battlefield with a serious expression.


    In his heart, he wanted to jump in and ughter the warriors himself.


    With his skills, he was confident he could hold back at least three Frost Warriors.


    However, the power radiating from the Frost Giant King in the distance waspelling him to stay put, as if it were forcing him not to move.


    The same was true for the head of the Godly Sword family.


    The two watched the increasingly dire battlefield with grim expressions, their faces tense as they realized they were gradually being pushed back.


    -Crackle! Eastern front. Restorationplete.


    At the suddenmunication, both family heads turned with surprised expressions.


    -With the Mobile Field Army joining the battle, the front line has been restored, and temporary repairs to the wall are underway.


    Hearing that the Mobile Field Army had managed to hold back the Frost Giants who had breached the eastern wall and restore the front line, the faces of the nearby officers brightened.


    ¡°I heard they wereing, but they arrived faster than expected.¡±


    ¡°They went on a rampage down south, and it looks like they¡¯ll be helping out here as well.¡±


    The officers of the northeastern region, who had connections with the Mobile Field Army in the past, spoke with relieved expressions.


    In the midst of a steadily deteriorating situation, this piece of good news boosted the soldiers¡¯ morale, which had been gging.


    But that didn¡¯t mean the battle lines, currently being overwhelmed, would recover immediately.


    ¡°The Frost Warriors are the real problem.¡±


    ¡°If we had just one more Master-level warrior¡­¡±


    The two family heads spoke with serious expressions.


    Crimson was currently holding back the strongest-looking Frost Warrior, while the Northern Commander and the Eastern Commander were each handling two Frost Warriors.


    The Southern Commander was using his unique wide-range attacks, intentionally engaging with a Frost Warrior while simultaneously holding back numerous Frost Giants.


    The real issue, however, was with the Masters of the Southern Confederation.


    Inferior in skillpared to the empire¡¯s Masters, they were struggling even to hold off a single Frost Warrior.


    As a result, the forces already barely holding back the Frost Giants also had to contend with some of the Frost Warriors, which was why the battle was not going in their favor.


    If this situation continued, the walls would eventually be breached, and things would only get worse.


    At that moment, a new threat appeared, plunging the human forces further into despair.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ice Wyverns!¡±


    ¡°There must be at least a few thousand of them!¡±


    ¡°Of all times, why now?!¡±


    The officers groaned in frustration.


    The only reason the advance of the Frost Giants had been somewhat slowed was due to the airships in the far skies carrying out indiscriminate bombardments.


    Since the Frost Giants only had frost-based attacks to counter with, the airships were able to attack with minimal damage.


    Now, however, thisrge-scale bombing was about to be hindered by the arrival of the Wyverns.


    And these weren¡¯t just ordinary Wyverns from the northeast.


    The Ice Wyverns that lived beyond the mountain range were born with the ability to wield frost, and, having survived the extreme terrain, they were especially formidable.


    Known as Ice Dragons, a title once attributed to the legendary White Dragon that dominated the mythical times, these Ice Wyverns were powerful enough to live up to that name.


    With thousands of such creatures swarming in, the morale of the imperial forces plummeted even further.


    ¡°Do not retreat!¡±


    ¡°Hold the line!¡±


    The officers shouted desperately, trying to rally their troops, but it was difficult to ovee the overwhelming disparity in power.


    As the thousands of Ice Wyverns began a full-scale assault on the imperial air fleet, the Frost Giants, now free from the bombardments, intensified their assault on the walls.


    Boom! Boom!


    ¡°The Northern Allied Forces¡­ they¡¯re in danger!¡±


    ¡°The Mist Legion is in danger as well!¡±


    ¡°The Central Army¡¯s line is on the verge of breaking!¡±


    Reports of danger wereing in from all sides.


    And in that moment of desperation, a new threat arrived to further demoralize the human forces.


    ¡°It¡¯s Cold Wings!¡±


    Huge creatures with only eyes, wings, and two legs- a bizarre monster.


    But these Cold Wings were catastrophically powerful beings, each of them capable of unleashing sts of frostparable to fortress cannons, and there were over a dozen of them.


    With the appearance of these Cold Wings, the morale of the imperial forces plummeted to rock bottom.


    Just as the already precarious front line was on the verge of copsing entirely¡­


    Suddenly, part of the Ice Wyverns¡¯ formation broke apart as arge number of dead Wyverns plummeted to the ground.


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that the Western Army?¡±


    One soldier, spotting the emblem of the Western Army, shouted.


    ¡°The Western Army is here!¡±


    ¡°The Western Army hase to support us!¡±


    The Western Army, once renowned as the empire¡¯s most formidable aerial fleet, had arrived to protect the northeastern region.


    At the same time, a massive Aura de descended onto the crumbling wall, forcing back one of the Frost Warriors.


    Boom!


    ¡°Reinforcements have arrived.¡±


    With the arrival of Western Commander German Lunte Stadt, the two family heads who had been preparing to step in reluctantly held back.


    The addition of one Master and the aerial fleet allowed the human forces, who had been steadily pushed back, to start a counterattack.


    Suddenly, the Frost Giants began to retreat.


    ¡°He¡¯s a clever one.¡±


    Crimson observed the retreating Frost Giants with a serious expression.


    Just as the tide of battle was shifting in favor of the humans, the Frost Giant leader skillfully pulled his forces back.


    He had quickly averted a situation that could turn unfavorable for them.


    This was a level of judgment even an experiencedmander might struggle to make.


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely a bad thing.¡±


    Jaiden Wicks, who hade up beside him, looked around.


    From the human side¡¯s perspective, having experienced the Frost Giants¡¯ full-force assault once wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.


    Moreover, the arrival of the Western Army was a crucial development.


    As the Northern Commander, Jaiden Wicks was well-versed in warfare, and in his assessment, the current situation wasn¡¯t unfavorable for the humans.


    ¡°If we regroup, we¡¯ll be able to fight much better than before.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. And also¡­¡±


    Nodding at Jaiden Wicks¡¯ words, Crimson looked towards the eastern sky.


    He cast his gaze upon the Mobile Field Army, which was now regarded as the mightiest aerial force, even surpassing the once unrivaled aerial fleet of the Western Army.


    ¡°It¡¯s the 22nd Corps.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the 21st and 23rd Corps are on their way as well, so we should be in a better position.¡±


    Crimson spoke, considering the increased reinforcements.


    Furthermore, there were still other powerful forces yet to arrive.


    While Jaiden Wicks and Crimson exchanged nces, both thinking about the empire¡¯s strongest forces, they received a new report.


    ¡°Message from the South.¡±


    Crimson turned to look at themunications officer who had delivered the news.


    ¡°Is it from the Mobile Field Army Commander?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. He said he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Crimson smiled slightly at themunications officer¡¯s words.


    He had already been briefed on why Iron had remained in the southern great forest.


    ¡°A new Master, perhaps?¡±


    Jaiden Wicks also smiled at Crimson¡¯s words.


    If the Mobile Field Army, widely regarded as the empire¡¯s strongest force, joined the battle ¡®in full¡¯, there was indeed a chance of victory in this war.


    The main problem remained the presence of that being in the distance, radiating such immense power that even Masters could hardly fathom it. But somehow, there was a sense that if Iron arrived, he would find a way to handle it.


    The temporary respite brought by the arrival of the Western Army.


    During this time, the human forces worked quickly to repair the copsed walls and reorganize the front line.


    With time, the empire¡¯s defenses would only grow stronger.


    Hoping for a dy in the Frost Giants¡¯ next assault, the human forces prepared, though this was just wishful thinking on their part.


    The Frost Giants resumed their attack after only a single day.


    In response to the giants¡¯ all-out attack, monsters lurking beyond the mountain range started attempting to cross over, heading south.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Silver Wolves!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Ice Trolls have shown up too!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to use this opportunity to cross the mountains!¡±


    The sudden mass appearance of monsters left the imperial forces reeling.


    It was already overwhelming dealing with the Frost Giants, but now they had to face monsters as well¡ªit was enough to drive them mad.


    With the arrival of the Western Army, a glimmer of hope had appeared, but now they found themselves plunged back into a desperate situation.


    Moreover, unlike before, the Frost Giants no longer tried to break through the human lines in one swift attack.


    Instead, they began to gradually wear down the humans¡¯ defenses, using their own regenerative abilities.


    While the Frost Giants could quickly recover from injuries sustained in battle, the humans needed time to heal.


    The giants fought cunningly, exploiting this advantage.


    After two weeks of relentless attacks, the imperial forces began to falter, and eventually, parts of the wall were breached, allowing the Frost Giants to push deeper into the mountain range.


    ¡°Finally¡­ is he moving?¡±


    Was it because the time hade?


    Atst, the being they had been so wary of began to move.


    As the king lifted his massive body, the morale of the Frost Giants soared, and they prepared to shatter the imperial front lines in one fell swoop.


    Right at that moment, the reinforcements they had been desperately waiting for appeared.


    Kwaaaaaa!


    A massive fortress cannon sted several Frost Giants attempting to breach the wall.


    It was the appearance of the super-massive aerial fortress cannon, the pride of the Mobile Field Army.

 Chapter 237: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (4)

    Chapter 237: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (4)<h3>Chapter 237: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (4)</h3>


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    Two corps appeared alongside the powerful fortress cannons.


    At first, it seemed doubtful that the addition of just two corps would alter the course of the battle, but the high-caliber troops who arrived with the powerful fortress cannons proved to be more than helpful.


    As the corps-level formations specialized in defense by Saeriden,bined with the elite forces of the 21st Corps, began to take on the Frost Giants one by one, the previously copsing front lines started to stabilize.


    Now, the problem was the fully awakened and moving King of the Frost Giants.


    ¡°We shall win this war and reim our suppressed power!¡±


    The King of the Frost Giants shouted, ring at the humans who blocked their advance.


    ¡°Trust me! I, Heurimre, who has in even gods, will promise you victory!¡±


    As the King of the Frost Giants raised his enormous axe and spoke to his kin, the morale of the giants suddenly soared, and they charged at the fortress walls with ferocious speed.¡°The King has shouted the cry of victory!¡±


    ¡°Victory as promised!¡±


    ¡°Let us reim our former glory!¡±


    Heurimre, their king, had promised them victory.


    Even during the great battles against the highest gods that dominated the Mythcal times, he had not retreated and had led them into the depths of destruction. Now, he promised that their era would return by crushing the humans beneath their feet.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    With just a single cry, the morale of the Frost Giants skyrocketed.


    Though their power hadn¡¯t increased, that no longer mattered.


    War is a battle of morale.


    The towering morale of the Frost Giants had even begun to affect the monsters charging alongside them.


    On the other hand, the humans¡¯ morale was gradually diminishing in the face of Heurimre¡¯s cry.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to step in.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­.¡±


    Two Swordmasters stepped forward.


    The first to draw his sword was the head of the Godly Sword family, who had made significant contributions in stopping the Phantom Tree.


    Wanting to show his rival, the head of the Lion Family, what he had gained, the head of the Godly Sword family fully unleashed the power he had received as a reward.


    Keiiing!


    When the head of the Godly Sword family tossed his sword into the sky, it shot up rapidly and disappeared from view.


    At that moment, Heurimre, who had been slowly walking forward after his victory shout, swung his enormous axe.


    As befitting the King of the Frost Giants, the extreme power of frost swirled violently around him.


    And just then, the sword thrown by the head of the Godly Sword family flew towards the massive storm of frost.


    Kuwoooong!


    A single sword fell like a meteor,pletely devastating the surrounding area.


    However, the attack from the head of the Godly Sword family didn¡¯t end there.


    Before anyone realized, all the swords in the vicinity floated into the air and began to fly towards Heurimre like meteors.


    Each one carried enough force to be difficult for even a Master to block.


    Hundreds of swords, moving ording to the will of the head of the Godly Sword family, tore through Heurimre¡¯s storm.


    If it had ended there, Lioner, standing nearby, wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised.


    But as thousands, tens of thousands of strikes burst forth from the aura emitted by those hundreds of swords, all converging on Heurimre, even the mighty Lioner couldn¡¯t help but be astonished.


    ¡°Is that the answer you¡¯ve found?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The head of the Godly Sword family replied confidently.


    At this, Lioner nodded in acknowledgment.


    The answer he had found was indeed impressive.


    Lioner was confident that if the head of the Godly Sword family developed it further, he could break through the wall and be a Grand Master.


    But Lioner, too, had found his ¡®answer¡¯.


    ¡°Now, I suppose it¡¯s time to show you the path I¡¯ve found?¡±


    With those words, Lioner drew his own sword.


    Though it was just a simple action of drawing his de, an overwhelming aura radiated from him.


    The air grew heavy, and mana began to swirl around Lioner.


    The moment he saw this, the confident expression of the head of the Godly Sword family stiffened.


    Even without having fully demonstrated his techniques, it was clear to him.


    ¡®That guy has found his path too!¡¯


    Having been rivals with Lioner for so long, the head of the Godly Sword family could sense it.


    The technique Lioner was about to unleash would be truly formidable.


    And just as he had predicted, when Lioner swung his sword, a powerful wave of aura was unleashed.


    That wave turned into a storm of aura, and it began to condense into a singr form.


    At first, the massive orb of aurapressed under Lioner¡¯s control until it reached its absolute limit.


    Finally, at the moment when the spherepressed to its maximum size, about asrge as a person, the Lion Sword that only the head of the Lion Family could wield, lightly touched the sphere with a ¡®tok¡¯.


    And in that instant¡­


    KWAHAAAA!


    The Frost Giants, who had withstood the fortress cannons, were torn apart and hurled toward Heurimre.


    Seeing this, Heurimre, enraged by the deaths of his subordinates, unleashed a storm of ice.


    It was the same storm of ice that had withstood even the attacks of the head of the Godly Sword family.


    But the sphere, packed with the overwhelming power of Lioner, tore through the storm and shot towards Heurimre.


    At that moment, hope flickered in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    They began to hope that even the King of the Frost Giants might not be able to withstand such tremendous power.


    Kuuuuung!


    ¡°Impressive!¡±


    Heurimre smiled in amusement as he blocked the sphere, which had beenpressed to its limit, with his axe, enveloped in frost.


    At that moment, the energypressed inside the sphere erupted, forming a massive lion that lunged at Heurimre, ready to bite him.


    In response, Heurimre unleashed his full strength.


    The overwhelming power that had once reached the level of Lord God during the Mythical Era.


    There was no way for him to reim that lost power.


    Though now awakened, it would take time before he could once again reach that peak. For now, his strength was only a fraction of what it once was.


    That¡¯s why Hrimir learned techniques.


    Among the techniques used by humans and monsters, ¡®battle technique¡¯ was a skill that involved thinking of something ¡®stronger¡¯ or ¡®fundamental¡¯ to one¡¯s martial arts while creating techniques and ultimately materializing them.


    Heurimre had honed in on this point.


    ¡®If my current power is weak, then I¡¯ll temporarily imitate my past self.¡¯


    Heurimre¡¯s thinking was spot on, and he had finally mastered it.


    Because he had once reached the highest level, Heurimre was able to grasp the essence of battle technique in a short period of time and sessfully manifest it.


    Kwahjik!


    The massive lion was crushed and disappeared under the giant icy fist swung by the evenrger frost giant.


    Despite having slept for ages like an ancient god, having had his rank lowered, and his power restricted by the system, Heurimre, once the King of Giants, demonstrated overwhelming force, sting away Lioner¡¯s sphere with ease.


    Uwaaaaaa!


    While Heurimre was focused on Lioner¡¯s lion, the hundreds of falling swords and tens of thousands of strikes were swept away by the storm of ice, disappearing in its wake.


    Truly overwhelming power.


    ¡°The worst-case scenario has happened.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    At Lioner¡¯s words, Terrion let out a bitter smile.


    Even Terrion, one of the strongest among humanity, looked at his trembling hand with a frown.


    The sheer pressure from the vast difference in power had caused his body to react unconsciously.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to work together.¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡­ what a pain.¡±


    The two Family Heads exchanged nces, both frowning, but there was no other choice.


    It would be impossible to stop that monster single-handedly unless one was a Grand Master.


    Even if they teamed up, it was uncertain how long they could hold out.


    But they had to do it.


    If they were pushed back, it would spell the destruction of humanity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    With that, Terrion attacked Heurimre at lightning speed.


    At the same time, Lioner alsounched himself, delivering a powerful sh.


    As the two Family Heads threw themselves into the fray to block Heurimre¡¯s advance, the battle became even fiercer.


    All themanders of the Empire and every Master of the Southern Confederation were fighting with all their might solely to stop the Frost Giants¡¯ advance.


    On top of that, humanity¡¯s Divine Beings had all gathered in the northeastern region.


    These individuals, once divided by nations, beliefs, and politics, hade together for one unified cause: survival.


    And yet, despite their efforts, the front lines were being pushed back.


    The Frost Giants were that strong.


    Even with their power diminished and constrained by the system, the strength of the Frost Giants was so overwhelming that it was beyond belief.


    The only reason they had been able to hold out this long was thanks to a miracle born of the collective good fortune they had amassed over time.


    The weapons system that had been advanced by the otherworlders crossing over.


    With countless victories, humanity had grown stronger thanks to the rewards granted by the Lord God and the system.


    And finally, the restrictions ced on the ancient species and external gods, gained through the Emperor¡¯s sacrifice.


    Even with all of these factorsbined, humanity was being pushed back.


    The massive Frost Giants created storms of ice, andunched giant shards of ice, yet humanity held their ground.


    Even when the Giant Warriors charged forward, the Masters and knights fought back with all their might, managing to hold the line.


    But the one thing that drove humanity to despair was a single giant.


    ¡°The two Family Heads¡­ are they really being pushed back like that?¡±


    A despairing murmur escaped from one of the officers.


    Even with thebined efforts of the two Family Heads, the strongest among humanity, it was painfully obvious to any observer that they were being overwhelmed.


    Lioner, who had pioneered a new path by incorporating the essence of battle technique into his swordsmanship, reaching the level of Aura de.


    Terrion, who had perfected a phantom sword technique, using the power he gained from defeating the Phantom Tree to create an ultimate sword technique of blinding speed.


    Yet, despite both of them giving their all, their attacks were being utterly crushed by Heurimre¡¯s overwhelming power.


    The massive lion created by Lioner was blocked by the giant¡¯s arm, and most of Terrion¡¯s tens of thousands of shes were swept away by Heurimre¡¯s roar, with the remainder unable to pierce through the giant¡¯s body, formed from raw Qi.


    Even though the pinnacle of their lifelong skills had been obliterated by the sheer force of Heurimre¡¯s strength, the two Family Heads did not give up.


    Now covered in blood, the two of them charged towards Heurimre with everything they had.


    They knew that if they fell, humanity¡¯s hope would be lost.


    They had lived their entire lives with arrogance, focused solely on their swords, but now they staked their lives on protecting humanity.


    Inspired by the devotion of the two Family Heads, humanity managed to stave off despair and hold the front lines.


    And at the heart of it all,manding the entire army, was Crimson.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    -Is this the limit? You held out well with that aged body.


    Among the Frost Giant warriors, the strongest one, with cold blue eyes, looked at Crimson.


    A manifestation of his past self, mirroring Heurimre, the form of the frost warrior gazed indifferently at Crimson, who was coughing up blood, and threw a punch.


    Even while coughing blood, Crimson swung his sword, unleashing a storm of aura.


    Kuuuung!


    The frost giant¡¯s fist, formed from Qi, was blocked by the aura storm, but it didn¡¯t matter. The giant immediately threw another punch.


    Crimson, at an age where retirement was long overdue, had repeatedly postponed it due to one dire situation after another.


    ¡®Is my long-dyed retirement going to be achieved through death?¡¯


    Crimson muttered to himself, a bitter smile on his face.


    Though he barely managed to hold on with his vast experience and skill, he was reaching his limit.


    With his abilities, he could no longer stop the giant warrior in front of him.


    -Impressive. If it weren¡¯t for me,, the Chief of Warriors, many other warriors would have died.¡±


    The giant, who had introduced himself as the Chief of Warriors, looked at Crimson with a mix of pity and respect.


    But in battle, mercy did not exist.


    Seeing that the human no longer had the strength to continue, the warrior, with a sense of honor, prepared to end it in one blow.


    The frost giant raised his Qi to its peak, preparing to deliver the final strike in a gesture of respect for his fallen foe.


    Watching the frost giant, Crimson gathered thest of his strength.


    Just as the giant, transformed into a massive blue figure, was about to strike Crimson down¡­


    -Who dares to interrupt the sacred duel of a warrior?!


    A streak of sword energy flew towards the Warrior Chief.


    Though enraged by the interruption, the Warrior Chief couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    KWAANG!


    ¡°Who¡­ are¡­ you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡±


    A familiar face.


    The genius who had been active in the northeast in the past.


    Ariel, who had been hailed as the greatest genius of the academy alongside Iron, had appeared.


    ¡°If you¡¯re¡­ here¡­ then¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Commander is over there.¡±


    At Ariel¡¯s words, Crimson turned to look at Heurimre, who was radiating an overwhelming presence in the distance.


    Between the two Family Heads, who were now struggling to hold their ground, a massive white sword descended.


    Even Heurimre had to raise both arms to block the sheer power of the strike.


    And at that moment, a notification rang in everyone¡¯s ears.


    [Stop the Frost Giants, the core of the second Apocalypse story.]


    [A Sub Quest ¡®Survive¡¯ has been generated. Survive the overwhelming destruction. Just surviving will bring you immense rewards!]


    [A Hidden Quest ¡®Assist humanity¡¯s hope and defeat Heurimre¡¯ has been generated!]


    Suddenly, several quests appeared.


    And at their center was the Empire¡¯s ¡®hero¡¯ who appeared spreading white wings.

 Chapter 238 - Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (5)

    Chapter 238: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (5)


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    The existence that halted Heurimre¡¯s advance, which had driven two family heads to their limits, swung a white sword from the sky.


    Kuuuung!


    It was such a powerful strike that Heurimre had to materialize a massive axe using his aura just to block it.


    As the white sword and the axe collided, shockwaves spread in all directions, creating a space that belonged only to the two of them.


    ¨C Apostle of God?


    Heurimre muttered as if he instantly knew who it was, a twisted smile spreading across his face.


    As a worthy opponent appeared whom he could fight against in his current physical state, suddenly the blood in his entire body began to boil.


    Kuuung!


    Once again, the white sword shed with the blue axe.


    ¨C Is it iplete? That¡¯s unfortunate.


    With just two collisions, Heurimre gauged Iron¡¯s condition and clicked his tongue as if it were a shame.


    ¡®Is he a monster?¡¯


    Iron clenched his teeth as he faced off against Heurimre.


    True to the title of King of the Frost Giants, he was absurdly strong.


    Even with strength far below his usual power, he had toyed with the two family heads as if they were mere ythings, and now he was overwhelming Iron as well.


    However, it wasn¡¯t the worst situation.


    ¡®There¡¯s light.¡¯


    The light that had dimmed when he was teaching Ariel now began to shine brightly again, illuminating his path.


    As he exchanged blows with Heurimre, the light grew stronger with each sh, and it was now bright enough to fully illuminate the entire path ahead.


    If he just kept walking, it felt like he would safely reach his destination.


    ¡®I¡¯ll endure.¡¯


    With the belief that he had to endure until he reached his destination safely, Iron gathered all his strength.


    Watching Iron, Heurimre smirked and said with amusement.


    ¨C Are you growing as you fight? You¡¯re an interesting fellow.


    Heurimre pressed even harder, finding Iron¡¯s slow transformation with each exchanged blow entertaining.


    When he had fought the two family heads, it had seemed like a mere game to Heurimre. Now, his attacks were sharp and relentless.


    With each strike, he created frost storms, and with each blow, part of a mountain was sliced away, like the terrifying force of a monster.


    But Iron endured it.


    Dodging, deflecting, and blocking, he managed to withstand Heurimre¡¯s onught, and his swordsmanship gradually began to change.


    ¡°¡­Hehehe¡­¡±


    Iron wiped the blood flowing from his lips and, unconsciously, he smiled.


    Walking a predetermined path.


    Fighting and getting closer to his destination, little by little, gave him a feeling as if he were ying a game.


    Filling up his proficiency as he fought.


    ¨C Are you having fun?


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fun.¡±


    Iron answered Heurimre¡¯s question honestly.


    It felt amazing to physically see himself getting stronger.


    ¨C Then you will soon face despair.


    As Heurimre said those words, he swung his axe once again.


    Walking a predetermined path.


    Iron continued to fight, enjoying the gradual increase in his proficiency, but suddenly, a thought crept into a corner of his mind.


    ¡®Wait¡­ what is this?¡¯


    It was true that the more he fought Heurimre, the more his swordsmanship evolved.


    He was now performing techniques that he would never have been able to imitate before, naturally flowing from his body.


    It was as if someone had possessed his body and was guiding him.


    The vast energy seemed to move on its own, taking control of his body.


    The divine power that surged endlessly and the natural energies converging from all directions seemed to be ¡®controlling¡¯ Iron¡¯s body.


    ¡°What?¡±


    It was as if something was blocking him.


    Like a barricade ced in the middle of the road, he found himself unable to move forward.


    The light was still shining brightly at his destination, and the road stretched straight ahead without splitting.


    ¨C Has the road been blocked?


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron remained silent, raising his sword in response to Heurimre¡¯s question.


    ¨C How amusing. Yet beyond that path lies nothing but despair¡­


    Heurimre smiled as if amused by the human who had yet to fall into despair.


    There had once been a giant like him.


    A young giant who had once sought to be a warlord.


    A genius who had relied solely on his talent and followed only the brilliant light ahead.


    But whaty before him was nothing but destruction.


    If that genius had taken his time and built himself up slowly, he would have be someone far greater than even Heurimre. But he followed the brilliant light too closely and ultimately self-destructed.


    The reason Heurimre remembered this genius was simple.


    That genius giant was the one who had created all the techniques of ice currently used by the Frost Giants.


    And now, this human before him was walking down the exact same path that genius had followed to his destruction.


    ¡°I can see the light. And following that light is so much fun.¡±


    ¡°I can literally see myself getting stronger. It makes me so happy!¡±


    ¡°Getting stronger is fun!¡±


    The young giant who had oncee to him, chattering away.


    Even Heurimre had been pleased back then, thinking he would one day pass down his own position to that young genius.


    ¡°This path¡­ this wasn¡¯t the right path!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ahh¡­ Ahead lies only destruction!¡±


    The young giant who had shed tears of blood in despair.


    Recalling the final moments of that young genius, Heurimre closed his eyes tightly.


    ¨C Apostle of God¡­ The only mercy I can offer you is death.


    Seeing Iron slowly sink into the pit of despair, Heurimre unleashed all his power.


    The ultimate move of a warrior, known by many names such as secret technique, finishing move, or final strike.


    Heurimre had decided to use it.


    To finish off the human with his own hands before he experienced even greater despair.


    This wasn¡¯t just for the human in front of him.


    Heurimre, too, had once failed to protect that young genius.


    He hadn¡¯t been able to correct the genius¡¯s wrong path, and the guilt of losing him weighed heavily on him. This was his way of lightening that burden, even if only slightly.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Iron stared nkly at the blue giant.


    As Heurimre¡¯s aura solidified, the hazy blue giant took on a fully formed shape.


    It was still a power far weaker than what Heurimre had wielded when he ruled over Niflheim.


    But for a brief moment, the Frost Giant, wearing a crown of ice, swung his mighty axe slowly toward Iron.


    At that moment, the nk look in Iron¡¯s eyes started to clear.


    His mind, which had been clouded by overwhelming power, began to return to him, and the massive white sword that had been burning bright in his hands started to crumble.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±


    Even though the gigantic axe was descending, Iron exhaled deeply and discarded the fused sword.


    Rather than pushing away the icy chill that rushed into his lungs, Iron epted it. He looked down at his sword.


    The sword, imbued with the energy of nature, was constantly trembling, as if it had been trying to tell him something all along.


    ¡®Your path is wrong!¡¯


    His sword had been warning him all this time, but intoxicated by the bright light and the temptation of an easier path, he had ignored it.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Apologizing to his sword, Iron steadied his stance.


    Then he gathered his aura.


    The light that continued to shine brightly upon him urged him to fuse even more power together.


    Fuse the immense power, and create a more perfect sword technique, a more precise swordsmanship, a more powerful swordsmanship.


    A path that was, indeed, the correct one.


    The path Iron had built from the very foundation of his swordsmanship, like a textbook example.


    It wasn¡¯t the wrong path.


    If he took his time, refining it carefully over a long period, gradually increasing the strength and precision, he would eventually reach the light.


    If he had reached the level of a Grand Master, he would have clearly understood the significance of this path.


    But Iron was not a Grand Master.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t have the patience to slowly and meticulously build up his strength, nor the insight to see the full picture.


    And so, he walked this path without understanding its true meaning.


    And thereiny the trap.


    In this era of destruction, Iron had been trying to be stronger as quickly as possible, sprinting down a path that should have been walked with care.


    Because of this, he had suppressed the things he was missing with overwhelming power.


    Kwaaaaang!


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    Iron coughed up a mouthful of blood and dropped to one knee.


    His pale face and trembling body made it clear that he had sustained serious internal injuries.


    But he endured.


    ¨C Hmm¡­


    Heurimre quietly watched Iron, who had just endured his strike.


    ¨C Are you trying to find your path? Now, of all times? Even if you do, it will only prolong your despair¡­


    Heurimre spoke with pity, then raised his axe again to finish things off.


    There was no need for any ultimate technique. No need for aura.


    Just the act of bringing down the axe would be more than enough for Iron to be unable to stop it.


    At that moment, a streak of light flew toward Heurimre.


    Kang!


    It was Terrion, who had been knocked away earlier, now rising again to charge at Heurimre.


    Meanwhile, from the front, Lioner conjured a lion, pushing Heurimre back from his position in front of Iron.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    At Lioner¡¯s question, Iron staggered as he got up.


    By then, a green healing light was swirling around Iron¡¯s body, healing his wounds.


    ¡°When you blocked Heurimre¡¯s strike earlier¡­ did you gain something?¡±


    Lioner asked as he studied Iron¡¯s face.


    Iron, who had been quietly staring at his sword, nodded slightly.


    ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment is enough.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s answer, Lioner gave a small nod.


    ¡°Thenplete it. I¡¯ll risk my life to buy you some time.¡±


    With those words, Lioner gathered all his aura at full strength.


    His body began to subtly vibrate as the power of waves started to infuse his aura.


    ¨C Kwaaaang!


    As Lioner¡¯s lion roared, powerful waves of aura spread across the surroundings, disrupting Heurimre¡¯s icy storm.


    ¨C Is this yourst struggle?


    Heurimre scoffed as he once again raised his aura.


    The two family heads swung their swords with all their might, ignoring the risk to their lives.


    As their attacks pressed Heurimre, his bored expression vanished, reced by a smile.


    They had been conserving their strength earlier, believing they had to hold the line. But now, Iron was with them.


    All they had to focus on was buying him time, so they unleashed everything they had.


    As a result, more precise and ferocious strikes flew toward Heurimre.


    ¨C Kahaha! This is fun!


    Heurimreughed heartily and once again summoned the giant with the ice crown.


    Terrion had poured all his strength into creating the starlight that covered the sky.


    Lioner had ced everything on a massive lion, an all-or-nothing strike.


    In response to the two family heads¡¯ final moves, Heurimre honored them by using his own finishing move.


    As Heurimre and the two family heads shed with full force once more, Iron was busy reestablishing his path.


    ¡°I ept my limits.¡±


    Iron murmured to himself as he raised his sword.


    He wasn¡¯t a Grand Master.


    As such, he had limits.


    There wasn¡¯t enough time for him to follow the path illuminated by the brilliant light.


    Therefore, even if it was a bit iplete or dangerous, he had to take a new path.


    Now that he had acknowledged his own limitations, he could do what was possible within those limits.


    ¡®I¡¯ll abandon the power of nature for now.¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t fuse the power of nature with his abilities under his current level of control.


    Althoughbining the power of nature might seem natural, its limitations were clear.


    With the Divine Beasts in slumber, controlling that power was difficult.


    He had been too greedy, unable to see that this was why he hadn¡¯t been able to progress.


    So, he set aside the power of nature.


    Instead, he chose the divine power that was constantly surging forth.


    He gathered only the familiar energy that had first fused into his Aura de.


    ¡®A more perfect Aura de¡­¡¯


    Focusing with the intent to create a de tougher than any other using the energy of steel, Iron concentrated.


    He nned to infuse it with divine power as well.


    Like a legendary cksmith crafting a perfect weapon, Iron focused everything on his sword.


    Even though it was dangerous, and someone could strike him down at any moment, Iron focused solely on his sword.


    Kuuung!


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¨C How annoying!


    The Frost Giant Warrior Chief frowned as he looked at Ariel standing in his way.


    ¡®That human is dangerous.¡¯


    The human who had blocked an all-out strike from their king.


    Two other humans, both quite strong, were risking their lives to buy time for him.


    What if that human grew even stronger?


    A feeling crept up on him that, if that happened, even their king could no longer guarantee victory.


    Because of that, he was prepared to face punishment from the king, determined to kill this human, the so-called Apostle of God.


    ¨C Do you think someone like you can stop me?


    Even though Ariel had broken through the wall and reached a new level, she was still too inexperienced to stop the Frost Giant Warrior Chief.


    When the Frost Giant Warrior Chief, who had once held an exalted position, unleashed his full power, all the stars scattered around them shattered to pieces.


    As the Frost Giant Warrior Chief surged toward Iron, wrapped in a storm of icy aura, Ariel risked her life to block him. But in the end, she couldn¡¯t withstand the force and was flung aside.


    ¡°No!¡±


    At the moment Ariel coughed up blood and screamed,


    Kuuung!


    ¨C Old human¡­ Do you think you can stop me with that body?


    ¡°Heh¡­ I¡¯m already past my prime. But at the very least, I can grab onto your ankles until the end, can¡¯t I?¡±


    Crimson said this, ring at the Frost Giant Warrior Chief.


    His eyes were filled with the resolve to die.


    The moment the Frost Giant Warrior Chief saw those eyes, he knew he couldn¡¯t underestimate the old human in front of him.


    No matter how insignificant, anyone brave enough to face death deserved respect.


    For the Frost Warriors, the way to honor a brave opponent was by killing them with all their might.


    ¨C I will honor you with a warrior¡¯s respect.


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    Crimson smiled and responded to the Warlord¡¯s words.


    ****


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 Chapter 239 - Sacrifice and Victory

    Chapter 239: Sacrifice and Victory


    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    The Frost Giant Warrior Chief charged forward with full force, showing his respects to his opponent as a fellow warrior.


    To stop him, Crimson summoned even thest remnants of his aura.


    Even though doing this with his internal injuries could only result in his death, he resolved to burn everything and stood in the Warrior Chief¡¯s path.


    Kuuuuung!


    The storm of aura shed with the frost storm, creating an intense shockwave.


    The powerful collision created by two Master-level fighters was so immense that even the other Frost Giants found it hard to approach due to the overwhelming shockwaves.


    And through that shockwave came a single streak of light.


    -Do not interfere in a warrior¡¯s duel!


    The enraged Warrior Chief deflected Ariel¡¯s full-power attack.


    But Ariel relentlessly charged in again.


    She feared that if things continued as they were, Crimson would die.


    However, she, too, was soon caught by another Frost Warrior.


    The other Frost Giants also blocked her way.


    Their actions made it clear that they wouldn¡¯t allow the Warrior Chief¡¯s duel to be interrupted, thus re-establishing the battlefield where only Crimson and the Warrior Chief stood.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    Despite Ariel¡¯s desperate cry, Crimson smiled warmly and stared at the Warrior Chief.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    At Crimson¡¯s words, the Warrior Chief gave a small nod and then attacked with all his might.


    To honor the noble pride of a warrior prepared to die, the Warrior Chief, too, unleashed all his power.


    As a result, the barely-standing Crimson began to get pushed back.


    Though his signature Storm Sword technique was being shredded, and his sword was cracked, he stood firmly on both feet, receiving the Warrior Chief¡¯s assault.


    -With that body, you managed to withstand this strike?


    The Warrior Chief, impressed, spoke in an admiring tone as he intensified his fighting spirit.


    Throughout the countless battles he had experienced over the years, it was rare to encounter someone who fought so valiantly until the very end in the face of death.


    This made their sacred duel all the more important.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Crimson barely blocked the Warrior Chief¡¯s relentless attacks with his Storm Sword technique.


    Each time he blocked, a powerful shockwave burst forth, showcasing the overwhelming power of their sh.


    But Crimson was now reaching his limit.


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    In the end, Crimson couldn¡¯t hold out any longer and was sent flying backward, coughing up blood.


    His aura waspletely depleted, and his body could no longer continue fighting.


    At this point, it would have been easier for him to just lie down and meet his end, as his body was in aplete mess.


    Yet, despite it all, Crimson gritted his teeth and stood up.


    -I honor your indomitable spirit.


    With his body wrecked, Crimson nted his sword into the ground and barely managed to rise again.


    Watching him, the Warrior Chief gathered all his strength for a final blow.


    Crimson lifted his sword with trembling arms.


    Having already used up every bit of his aura, raising his sword served no practical purpose.


    Yet, Crimson raised his sword to demonstrate his will.


    -At the very least, I will remember you as long as I live.


    The Warrior Chief, saying this, gathered all his strength into his fist as a final act of warrior¡¯s respect.


    Even though he could have killed Crimson with just a casual swing, he honored him by putting all his power into thisst strike.


    The Warrior Chief, pushing himself to the limit, charged at Crimson.


    Kuuuuung!


    The Warrior Chief¡¯s fist stopped just in front of Crimson.


    Though the sword was minusculepared to the giant, the massive fist could not move an inch.


    A young man had blocked the Warrior Chief¡¯s fist with a white sword.


    Iron, the one Crimson had risked his life to protect, had stepped in front of him, holding the fullypleted white sword.


    At the sight, Crimson painfully lifted his head and gazed at Iron¡¯s back.


    ¡°Have you¡­pleted it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron, struggling, answered Crimson¡¯s question.


    Crimson, barely standing with his trembling body, had been infused with healing power since the moment Iron blocked the Warrior Chief¡¯s fist, but it had no effect at all.


    His severe internal injuries and the force he had wrung out to the veryst drop had even erased his body¡¯s minimal healing abilities.


    As a result, the physical aging he had suppressed with aura began to show.


    ¡°Show me¡­ that my sacrifice was worth it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Iron barely managed to answer, his eyes filled with tears.


    Overwhelmed with sorrow rising in his throat, Iron could only choke out a response as he looked at the Warrior Chief with steady eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡±


    -He was a warrior I recognized. His final moments deserve respect.


    Iron nodded at the Warrior Chief¡¯s words.


    Just as he said, Crimson, who had devoted his entire life to the Empire, was someone deserving of respect.


    To show that Crimson¡¯s sacrifice was worth it, Iron had to disy overwhelming strength.


    -¡­In the end, I couldn¡¯t stop it?


    The Warrior Chief¡¯s expression hardened as he looked at Iron¡¯s white sword.


    It wasn¡¯t as enormous or as overwhelmingly powerful as it had been when they fought Heurimre, but he instinctively sensed how formidable the power contained within that de was.


    A being who could pose a threat to Heurimre¡ªamong all the humans, only Iron had the potential to do so.


    The Warrior Chief had wanted to stop this awakening, even if it meant bearing dishonor, but in the end, he failed.


    Despite the Warrior Chief¡¯s efforts to prevent it, Iron¡¯s awakening had fully and perfectly taken ce.


    Kuuung!


    The white sword and the blue fist, imbued with a massive amount of fighting spirit, collided in midair.


    -Ugh!


    The Warrior Chief had only blocked one strike, yet his fist was cut, and he suffered internal injuries.


    It was utterly surreal to see the enormous fighting spirit of a giant being split by the small white sword and to witness the gigantic fist, many timesrger than a human, being severed.


    But that surreal situation continued to unfold.


    Iron relentlessly shed at the Warrior Chief, who kept charging at him without giving up.


    The Warrior Chief, unable tost even a few minutes, became battered and prepared for his final, life-or-death strike.


    At that moment, with a loud roar, the two family heads fighting Heurimre were sent flying in opposite directions.


    ¡°Ariel, can you hold them?¡±


    ¡°I will stop them, no matter what.¡±


    Ariel had already approached Iron¡¯s side.


    Her entire body was stained with blue blood, and behind her, Frost Giants and a Frost Messengery on the ground, their heads severed.


    ¡°I trust you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, Ariel gave a small nod and then stared at the Warrior Chief.


    ¡°From now on¡­ you will not take a single step forward.¡±


    Ariel, with zing eyes, dered as she red at the Warrior Chief.


    To fulfill Iron¡¯smand and to honor the dignified end of her respectedmander, Ariel gathered every ounce of her strength.


    Seeing her resolve, the battered Warrior Chief silently gathered his fighting spirit once again.


    He, too, wished to defeat the young genius before him for the sake of his king.


    ¡®It¡¯s dangerous to leave her unchecked.¡¯


    As he fought, the Warrior Chief realized that this woman with her insane talent, who kept growing during battle, needed to be stopped here.


    -I will break through¡­ no matter what.


    In response to the Warrior Chief¡¯s words, Ariel did not answer but instead swung her sword.


    Before she knew it, starlight gathered around her, pressing down on the Warrior Chief.


    In response, the Warrior Chief summoned a massive giant made of his fighting spirit and charged forward.


    As Ariel and the Frost Giant Warrior Chief began their intense sh, Iron, too, stood in front of the Frost Giant King, Heurimre.


    -Unexpected. So, you¡¯ve really broken through that wall?


    Heurimre looked at Iron, surprised that he had broken through without sumbing to despair.


    The point of despair where the Frost Giant prodigy had given up was far above the level Iron had just reached, but the longing to reach the unattainable light beyond the towering wall had been the same.


    Because of that, Heurimre had expected this exceptional human to despair as well.


    But the human standing before him had ovee it.


    He had seeded in finding a new path, even at the cost of abandoning everything he once had.


    ¡°Enough with the idle talk.¡±


    Iron raised his white sword as he looked at Heurimre.


    -Is there any need to rush?


    At Heurimre¡¯s question, Iron summoned his aura and responded.


    ¡°I need to prove it before my hero closes his eyes¡ªthat his efforts were not in vain¡­ that his sacrifice was worth it.¡±


    At his words, Heurimre nced at the old man standing far off, his sword buried in the ground.


    The old man, whose life was slowly fading, was watching both Iron and the young prodigy.


    A warrior who had staked everything, believing until the end that Iron would break through the wall.


    Having lived for many long years, Heurimre had encountered very few as honorable as him, so he raised his axe in respect.


    -¡­Very well. Let¡¯s do this for him.


    With those words, Heurimre swung his giant axe.


    At some point, a blue crown of ice had formed on his head.


    Just as Iron was giving his all, Heurimre also intended to fight with his full strength.


    At that moment, Iron swung his white sword and charged at the giant.


    Even though the axe and sword hadn¡¯t yet collided, a booming sound echoed through the air, sending shockwaves outward.


    It was a phenomenon that normally wouldn¡¯t ur.


    There were no gigantic aura des or axes made of fighting spirit, yet the two powers shed in midair. The scene was bizarre.


    But the two family heads who had been thrown aside understood what was happening.


    ¡®The space has warped!¡¯


    Before Iron¡¯s and Heurimre¡¯s weapons even made contact, space itself had already twisted, signaling the start of their power struggle.


    The force of their attacks was colliding in the very paths they were swinging, each trying to im dominance over the other¡¯s territory.


    No one could exin exactly why this was happening, but it was clear that this was the domain of a Grand Master.


    ¡°That is¡­.¡±


    ¡°The true next level, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The phenomenon where the space itself twisted before their weapons could meet and their powers collided.


    Even the surrounding mana split between Iron and Heurimre, shing around them.


    Now, the family heads finally understood why they had been so easily overpowered, despite attacking Heurimre with strength simr to his.


    On the surface, their power seemed simr, but Heurimre had a vastly superior grasp over the surrounding mana and could wield it far more efficiently. That was why they couldn¡¯t handle him.


    It had been the same for Iron when he first charged at Heurimre.


    But now, things were different.


    The battle was at such a high level that even the family heads couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    It was the same for all those watching.


    Everyone, while observing Iron and Heurimre¡¯s fight, found renewed resolve and began fighting with everything they had.


    -Break through! For the king!


    ¡°Hold the line! For the Empire!¡±


    Both sides, driven by the need to survive and win, fought with even greater ferocity.


    In the midst of this battle for victory between humans and giants, a frail old man, devoid of all strength, stood watching the battle between the Giant King and humanity¡¯s greatest hero with a nk expression.


    ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡±


    Watching Iron, who was proving that the choice Crimson had staked his life on wasn¡¯t a mistake, a gentle smile spread across his face.


    ¡°What a shame.¡±


    He wanted to spend more time with the young hero who was writing a new legend.


    It had been a long time since Crimson had walked alongside a hero, and he wished to continue walking beside him.


    But it seemed that fate had decided his journey would end here, as if saying that this was as far as he could go.


    He stared nkly at the sky.


    ¡°A¡­ satisfying¡­ life¡­ indeed.¡±


    Crimson, with a satisfied expression, looked up at the sky.


    Despite the cold winds swirling and the intense mana raging all around, the sky seemed unusually warm to him today.


    In that moment, as the wind that had apanied him for so long felt especially gentle¡­ Crimson¡¯s eyes slowly began to close.


    His mind, having fought beyond its limits, now told him it was time to rest, pulling him into the depths of sleep.


    Thest thing he saw before he fully closed his eyes was the image of a young hero, writing a great legend.


    ****


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 240: Sacrifice and Victory (2)

    <strong>TL: Pai_</strong>


    While Crimson captured Iron''s final battle in his eyes, Iron was squeezing out every ounce of his strength to surpass his limits.


    He risked his life to surpass his limits, to prove that the sacrifice made for him wasn''t in vain.


    The sh of the colossal axe and the white sword created shockwaves, dividing the surrounding energy into two fierce currents. Yet, a decisive oue remained elusive.


    -Interesting. You keep growing?


    Heurimre smiled, amused, as he watched Iron.


    Though Iron, breaking through his barriers, was growing rapidly as if something blocked had been cleared, Heurimre was growing stronger at an equal pace.


    Heurimre himself did not understand why this was happening, but the power that had been constrained was unraveling at a rapid speed.


    Because of this, Heurimre could continue to maintain equal standing with Iron.


    "Kugh!"


    Iron grimaced as he received an even stronger strike from Heurimre.


    However, determined not to yield, he firmly nted his feet and endured the blow.


    Kuuung!


    -Not bad.


    Seeing Iron disy such formidable strength right after barely oveing a wall, Heurimre wore a satisfied smile.


    "Why¡­?"


    Iron¡¯s expression was filled with iprehension as he watched Heurimre¡¯s smile.


    The longer the battle with Heurimre dragged on, the more questions swirled in his mind.


    It was undeniably a much stronger strike than before.


    Even more powerful than when he fought the two Family Heads.


    And here arose the question:


    Why hadn¡¯t Heurimre used such strength from the beginning?


    Was he simply toying with them?


    Did he still have power in reserve?


    Yet, the more Iron fought Heurimre, the more convinced he became that this wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡®He¡¯s not the type to y around while risking a fatal wound¡­.¡¯


    Iron nced at the critical injury on Heurimre¡¯s side, tilting his head in confusion.


    There are warriors who enjoy battle so much that they revel in it even when their lives are hanging by a thread.


    But Heurimre didn¡¯t seem like that type at all.


    As Heurimre grew stronger with each passing moment, Iron¡¯s confusion deepened. Heurimre, too, was pondering the strange phenomenon urring within his body.


    "The constraints on my power are unraveling¡­"


    Heurimre chuckled faintly as he observed the gradual lifting of the restraints on his strength.


    As a being who had lived for countless years, he had already grasped the nature of this phenomenon.


    ''Because I¡¯ve be a participant in this game called the Apocalypse, the constraints are gradually lifting. Though it feels like there¡¯s more to it¡­ I can¡¯t discern the full picture at this moment.''


    While making such spections, Heurimre recalled the immense force that had restricted his power.


    It had been designed by a higher entity than himself, or perhaps something akin to the ''Will of the Universe'', to impose constraints at first but then gradually release them as the higher entities awakened.


    If that were the case, then why?


    As his thoughts reached this point, Heurimre muttered to himself unconsciously.


    -For the sake of¡­ entertainment?


    Hearing Heurimre¡¯s murmur, Iron stopped mid-swing and stared intently at him.


    -Do you want to know?


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    -Figure it out for yourself.


    At those words, Iron bit his lip tightly.


    ¡®There are still far too many things I don¡¯t understand.¡¯


    As this thought crossed his mind, Iron gripped his sword with even greater resolve.


    Without a doubt, he had be iparably strongerpared to his previous life. Humanity had built a far more formidable force than ever before to ovee destruction.


    Yet, despite this, the war still felt insurmountable.


    As if humanity¡¯s growth had been precariously capped, forcing them to struggle within these limits.


    Above all, the greatest issue was the uncertainty surrounding when this Apocalypse would finally end.


    -Is this the limit you can disy at this moment in time?


    At Heurimre¡¯s question, Iron did not respond with words. Instead, he pushed his divine power to its absolute limits.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    All the divine power that could not be fused into the Aura de surged, enhancing Iron¡¯s physical body. The remaining divine power concentrated on his back, forming massive wings of light.


    Though it resembled the form Iron had disyed when he first appeared before Heurimre, the magnitude of the power now was on an entirely different level.


    In response, Heurimre also unleashed the maximum power he could muster at ''this moment in time''.


    A more clearly defined ice crown materialized.


    The blue axe became sharper and more vivid.


    Finally, ice armor encased his massive body.


    In the majestic form he had once shown during the Mythical Age, Heurimre swung his axe down, only to be stopped by the de of the human hero.


    Kuuuung!


    The moment the sword and the colossal axe shed, part of the mountain range crumbled, and a massive vortex of energy formed.


    -...Is it a draw?


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    At Heurimre¡¯s words, Iron silently raised his sword again.


    Though he showed fighting spirit as if he could do more, Heurimre gestured with his head pointing behind.


    -Maintain a warrior''s honor. We can fight again next time...


    As Heurimre spoke and turned away, Iron questioned him.


    "Why... are you trying to protect human honor?"


    To Iron''s question, Heurimre, still turned away, answered.


    -In the past, there was one like you. Someone who longed for the light, chased after it, only to fall into despair and be broken. I thought you would follow the same path¡­ but¡­


    Heurimre nced up at the sky as he spoke.


    -But you overcame it. This is my reward for one who overcame despair. And it is also for the honor of that great being who created such a miracle.


    With those words, the King of Giants began to walk away, and the frost giants gradually started retreating, one by one.


    Perhaps because their trusted frost giants had decided to retreat, the monsters also stopped fighting and withdrew to their original positions.


    "¡­Did we survive?"


    Lioner, dazed, watched the retreating enemies.


    The two Family Heads had steeled themselves for death, as had everyone else.


    Yet, with the frost giants retreating, they now had a chance to reorganize.


    Humanity had been given one more opportunity.


    As everyone reflected on the grueling battle and began to think about the next fight, the ''hero'' who had contributed the most to this victory approached the benefactor who had sacrificed himself to save him.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Iron stood silently, looking at Crimson, who wore a peaceful smile with his eyes closed.


    Crimson, standing with both hands resting on the sword nted into the ground, had passed away in that position. His appearance was incredibly serene.


    As if he had fulfilled everything he had to do, Crimson even wore a satisfied smile.


    "¡­Commander."


    Themanders of the Northeast, who had rushed over from afar, copsed to their knees before Crimson.


    Iron Wall Division Commander Valios Guard, Ranger Division Commander Davin Archer, Knight Order Commander Cassim Knights, Mountain Corps Commander Oz Tereivo, and Fog Corps Commander Fogg Coshway - all wept in sorrow over Crimson¡¯s death.


    Finally, Vanguard Corps Commander Caeden Wall arrived and, instead of tears, voiced his resentment toward Crimson.


    "If you were getting old, you should¡¯ve stayed back! Why did you step forward like this?!"


    At Caeden Wall¡¯s voice, filled with grief and reproach, the knights of the Northeast lowered their heads while shedding tears.


    The entire Northeast mourned the death of themander who had steadfastly held them together during countless crises.


    And the same was true for the Mobile Field Army.


    As many of its members were from the Northeast, they gathered around Crimson, standing tall even in death, and wept.


    "¡­I¡¯m sorry."


    Iron apologized, bowing his head to those who were crying.


    "He died trying to protect me¡­"


    Iron couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and swallowed his tears.


    Then Ariel, too, asked for forgiveness.


    "I''m sorry... for not being able to protect you."


    Even though they had cut down numerous frost warriors and frost giants and stood against the frost giant warrior chief, in the end, they couldn¡¯t prevent Crimson¡¯s death.


    But no one present could me either of them.


    After all, they too had failed to protect Crimson.


    And above all, seeing Iron and Ariel''s appearance, any words of me would disappear before they could be spoken.


    Ariel¡¯s battered and broken state made it clear how much effort she had poured into holding back the frost warrior chief.


    The same was true for Iron.


    Though his wounds had healed, his tattered clothing told the story of a man who had fought with every ounce of his strength to ensure Crimson wouldn¡¯t regret his sacrifice.


    "How long do you intend to leave a hero like this?"


    At Lioner¡¯s words, everyone turned to look at him.


    It was surprising to see the Lion Family Head, known for his reticence, stepping forward, but it spoke volumes about Crimson¡¯s remarkable courage and achievements in this battle.


    "Shouldn¡¯t the hero finally be allowed to rest?"


    Lioner gazed at Crimson as he spoke, and everyone followed his gaze to look at Crimson.


    His shoulders were partially split open, his body covered in fatal wounds, and dried blood caked his figure.


    One look at his battered form was enough to tell how much he had endured to protect Iron.


    It was immediately apparent how much pain he must have borne to burn through hisst remaining me.


    That made the grief even more overwhelming.


    "I will¡­ I will take him."


    Jaiden Wicks, who was closest to Crimson, struggled to hold back his tears as he gentlyid Crimson¡¯s upright body down.


    "I''ll... help too."


    Iron, the one for whom Crimson had burned his final me, stepped forward to assist Jaiden Wicks.


    Together, Iron and Jaiden Wicks spread a fine cloth andid Crimson upon it.


    The one who was closest to him in life and Iron, who made hisst moments honorable, arranged his body and ced his sword in both hands.


    "Escort the hero!"


    As Lioner raised his sword and gave themand, the knights lined up in formation and created a path to the castle.


    Knights from the Northern Army, Southern Army, and Eastern Army alike gathered, forming ranks and raising their swords in tribute.


    Then Crimson was ced into a makeshift coffin and lifted up.


    Jaiden Wicks, Iron, newly promoted Master Ariel, and Vanguard Corps Commander Caeden carried the coffin, walking along the path of swords created by the lined-up knights.


    Themanders and the two Family Heads nked the procession, guarding it.


    It was to honor the glorious path of a war hero.


    When Crimson¡¯s body, following the path of swords, reached the castle, the bodies of those who had fallen in the battle against the frost giants were also brought in, one by one.


    Once all the bodies had been brought into the castle, they were ced into pre-prepared coffins, and the lids were sealed.


    "The war¡­ is not yet over."


    Karl spoke with difficulty, and everyone turned to him.


    Though everyone wished to grieve and hold proper funerals for the hero and the fallen, the war was not yet finished.


    Therefore, they had to hold simplified funerals and continue with the war.


    They could hold grand funerals again after victory, but for now, this was necessary.


    Understanding this, everyone wore heavy expressions as they looked at Crimson¡¯s coffin.


    "The Commander... left me a message."


    Sky Renz, the next Master candidate, spoke carefully.


    Themanders and officers turned to him with attention.


    "If he were to die... he hoped we would follow the old customs of the Northeast."


    At Sky Renz¡¯ statement, a fewmanders tilted their heads in confusion.


    However, those who hailed from the Northeast understood immediately.


    "Did he truly¡­ wish for that?"


    At Caeden Wall¡¯s question, Sky Renz nodded heavily.


    "He said it was just an old man''s ramblings, but he also mentioned that this battle might be hisst. If he ordered if he were to die, he requested that his funeral follow the old customs of the Northeast."


    The old custom of the Northeast.


    It was a tradition of leaving the coffin containing the body of the deceased on the battlefield until the war was over.


    Those who wished remained, even in death, to see the battlefield eventually lead to victory.


    The survivors, in turn, would fight with even more determination to ensure the bodies of those who died honorably wouldn''t be disgraced, and the dead would be able to savor victory even after death.


    This tradition was born from the Northeast''s resolve, forged through countless grueling battles and a constant readiness for the worst, a tradition embodying their unyielding will to ensure their line would never be broken.


    "¡­Let us honor his wishes."


    At Jeden Wicks'' words, everyone looked at him.


    "I want to give him the victory of this war."


    At the Northern Commander''s words, everyone nodded heavily.


    A custom that might be considered foolish.


    But at this very moment, its impact was undeniable.


    Because in everyone''s eyes burned the determination that they absolutely could not be breached.

 Chapter 241: Sacrifice and Victory (3)

    TL: Pai_


    In the end, with everyone¡¯s agreement, the fallen warriors, including Crimson, were temporarilyid to rest behind the fortress.


    A ce that could be dangerous if the fortress walls were breached.


    As they looked at the fallen warriorsid to rest there, many steeled their resolve.


    ''We won''t let them breach again!''


    Officers and soldiers who visited the ce where Crimson''s temporary resting ce gritted their teeth.


    The fortress walls, which had been breached multiple times by the overwhelming physical prowess of the Frost Giants.


    However, they prepared for the next battle with the determination that it would not be breached again.


    Crimson¡¯s determination to defend this ce even in death ignited a fire in their hearts as well.


    The Northeastern Army, having lost itsmander, solidified its resolve burining with determination, and the same was true for the Mobile Field Army and the Northern Army.


    Once the Northern Commander andter the Northeastern Commander, Crimson had worked tirelessly for the entire North, earning the respect of all.


    However, the determination of the other forces was no different.


    ¡°We must... protect it.¡±


    If this ce, where nearly all of the Empire''s forces had gathered, were to fall, the Empire itself would no longer be safe.


    Thus, they too prepared to stake their lives on the line.


    Even as themanders were battered and broken, they defended with their lives.


    Something was nted in the hearts of the soldiers who witnessed this, though not as deeply as in the Northeastern Army.


    The determination to defend this ce at all costs?


    The will to stop the Frost Giants with their very lives?


    What it was may have differed from person to person, but one thing was certain, the mindset of those who had only thought about survival had begun to change.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The Frost Giants only honored the fallen warriors¡¯ glory for a mere two days.


    By dawn, the Frost Giant army once again began advancing, breaking through the snowstorm.


    At that very moment, another notification echoed throughout the human camp.


    [Another ancient species, the White Dragon, is beginning to awaken.]


    - The restrictions on awakened ancient species will loosen over time.


    - As time passes, more ancient species will awaken.


    Amid an already dire situation, the voice of the system brought news that could drive humanity to despair.


    But instead of sumbing to despair, the army defending the mountain range burned with even greater resolve.


    In recognition of their bravery, the system rewarded their courage.


    [For your unyielding bravery, the system grants a reward. All humans defending the mountain range are awarded the skill Indomitable Will.]


    - Skill Effect: Temporarily increases strength during battle.


    - This skill is always active during battles as long as you do not give up.


    - The skill¡¯s effects increase as more ancient species awaken.


    - This skill is limited to the second story of the Apocalypse and will be retrieved upon storypletion.


    Despite the sudden reward from the system, the soldiers did not rejoice.


    Instead of celebrating the reward, they burned with even greater determination.


    In this decisive battle, where both the Frost Giants and the humans were fighting for the survival of their respective species, neither side could afford to retreat.


    As the war grew fiercer, humanity gradually grew stronger.


    But so too did the Frost Giants.


    "Dragons!"


    A dragon boasting snow-white scales.


    The sight of dragons flying in with horns as white as snow made themanders grit their teeth.


    Among them, only the leading dragon and a few others fully resembled true dragons, but as time passed, the rest would regain their original forms.


    They had to reduce their numbers as much as possible before that happened.


    ¡°I will handle the Giant King alone.¡±


    At Iron''s deration, the two family heads silently looked up at the sky.


    The other dragons were manageable, but the massive dragon leading the charge was too much for airships and Drake Knights to handle alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    At Lioner¡¯s words, Terrion nodded.


    Just as Terrion was about to move to face the warlord that Ariel was currently engaging¡ª


    "Go up there."


    At Ariel''s words, Terrion frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s reckless. You stillck the skill to face the warlord.¡±


    Even Crimson, who had a wealth of experience, had been forced back by him.


    For Ariel to face such an opponent alone was unreasonable.


    ¡°...I know. But I must do it.¡±


    Ariel said this as she looked up at the sky.


    The massive White Dragon leading the charge.


    As the dragon began to fully unleash its power, tens of thousands of massive ice chunks materialized in the sky and began to rain down.


    Though it wasn¡¯t as overwhelming as Heurimre¡¯s power, it was certainly at a level that even a Master would struggle to handle.


    Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the full extent of the White Dragon¡¯s strength.


    As time passed, the magnitude of its power would only grow, and at that point, the two family heads would have no choice but to join forces.


    Rather than waiting for that moment, it was better for the two of them to work together from the beginning and cut off the breath of this dangerous dragon.


    ¡°...Can you hold out?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I can do it.¡±


    At Terrion''s question, Ariel replied with a determined expression.


    Reading the firm resolve in her words, Terrion sighed softly and gave her a small nod.


    As time passed, their situation would only grow more disadvantageous.


    Thus, they had to reduce the number of ancient species as quickly as possible, before they could fully reim their powers.


    It was no longer just about holding the line.


    Everyone mustered all their strength, fully intent on cutting off the breath of their enemies.


    Even the Frost Giants, seeing the humans transform into more aggressive and fearless warriors despite the dire circumstances, fought back with all their might.


    The dragons, however, were different.


    They were arrogant, and they demonstrated just how powerful they were.


    The difference in ss between them and the wyverns, nicknamed Ice Dragons, was clear. Even though the dragons hadn¡¯t fully recovered, their overwhelming majesty was on full disy.


    Nheless, the humans did not break.


    -So the lizards have appeared as well?


    As Heurimre leisurely gazed at the sky, Iron¡¯s white sword came flying toward him.


    Kwaang!


    -You seem to be in a hurry.


    Without responding to Heurimre¡¯sment, Iron swung his white sword once more.


    ''I''ll kill you!''


    Iron thought as he swung his sword with all his might.


    The longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for humanity. Even if it pushed him to the limit, the Frost Giants had to be dealt with.


    Knowing this, Heurimre too could afford to remainposed.


    ¡®Time is on my side.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t have time!¡¯


    Withpletely opposing thoughts, Heurimre engaged in the battle.


    Unlike two days ago, when he hadunched an all-out offensive, his current stance was defensive.


    Seeing this, Iron attacked even more ferociously.


    ¡®I will break through!¡¯


    Iron, who had been darting around using his small white sword, nted his feet firmly on the ground and assumed a stance.


    At that moment, a massive white sword materialized and sliced into the Frost Giant.


    This wasn¡¯t just about holding his ground anymore¡ªit was Iron¡¯s will to advance, manifesting as a steel path.


    This path took shape through Iron¡¯s massive white sword.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Every time Iron swung his white sword, Heurimre countered with his axe.


    However, Heurimre, who until now had been steadily advancing, began to take small steps backward.


    At the same time, shallow wounds began to form across his body from Iron''s swiftly swinging sword.


    ¡®He pierced my aura?¡¯


    As Heurimre processed this thought, Iron¡¯s sword flew at him once again.


    Iron¡¯s attacks followed textbook patterns.


    Instead of relying on unconventional moves, Iron¡¯s sword strikes were swift and powerfully relentless, which allowed Heurimre to deflect them with rtive ease.


    And yet, as time passed, the number of wounds on Heurimre¡¯s body continued to increase.


    ''...How?''


    At the very moment Heurimre questioned this, Iron¡¯s sword once again flew toward him.


    -Is he hiding an unpredictable pattern?


    Heurimre muttered to himself, but at that moment, a small wound appeared on his left arm.


    Seeing Iron attack with such determination, even if it meant creating tiny wounds when he couldn¡¯t break through head-on, Heurimre smiled with satisfaction.


    -Yes! Come at me! Try to kill me! I, too, shall aim for your weaknesses!


    With those words, Heurimre swung his axe with ferocious intensity.


    As the two strongest beings fiercely fought while aiming for each other''s lives, in the sky, the White Dragon that had been showing its might had its body stained with blood from the two Family Heads'' attacks.


    -How dare you! How dare you!


    The White Dragon, as if humiliated, roared in indignation, but it was forced to dodge as Lioner¡¯s attack closed in on it once again.


    If the dragon could fully reim its original power, defeating the two humans would have been trivial.


    With the power he once wielded, equivalent to that of a Grand Master, he could have easily taken on both of them at once and killed them.


    But having only recently awakened, the restrictions on his strength were far too severe.


    - Protect me! Buy me time!


    - Yes!


    At hismand, other dragons rushed in to defend their leader.


    In response, Terrionunched thousands of swords at them.


    While the dragons cast frost magic to block the thousands of swords, Lioner, riding a drake, relentlessly pursued the dragon leader.


    - Kraaaah!


    Chasing after the fleeing dragon leader, Lioner managed to sh one of its wings.


    With its wing injured and its flight speed reduced, Lioner seeded in delivering a critical blow to the dragon leader. However, finishing it offpletely proved impossible.


    A sudden swarm of dragons gathered around to protect their leader.


    Was it because their leader was injured?


    The dragons began to retreat hastily.


    But as they tried to flee, the Drake Knights and the airship unit fiercely pursued them, determined to kill even one more enemy.


    -Has the sky been lost? Arrogant lizards. I knew from the moment they started rampaging without recovering their power.


    Heurimre muttered as he turned his gaze toward Iron.


    -This time, it''s our defeat.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    -I hope you¡¯ll be stronger next time.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Iron remained silent in response to Heurimre¡¯s words.


    Even if the battle continued right now, it would be difficult to reach a conclusion.


    Though he tried to pursue, Heurimre just smiled slightly and nodded.


    Behind him, Iron could see Ariel and the Masters from the Southern Confederation, barely holding on.


    -I hope the next war will be more interesting.


    With a leisurely expression, Heurimre began to withdraw, and the other Frost Giants followed suit, retreating once more.


    Thus, the Imperial Army managed to endure yet another invasion.


    But despite their victory, no cheers of triumph came from the soldiers.


    Instead, a heavy silence nketed the battlefield.


    "The next battle will be even more difficult."


    At Terrion''s words, Lioner gritted his teeth.


    He should have finished it himself, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t deliver the killing blow.


    The dragons had suffered significant losses in this battle, so they would likely lie low until they recovered some of their strength.


    ¡°Still¡­ it¡¯s not as if there¡¯s no hope.¡±


    In the distance, reinforcements appeared.


    The Leonhardt Knights, having dealt with the monsters and Frost Giants in the West, had arrived to provide support to the central front.


    And leading them were two young men.


    The second son, Caeden, who had reached the 6th stage at a young age.


    But even he stood behind one particr young man.


    ¡°He¡¯s be a Master.¡±


    The moment he saw him, Terrion immediately recognized it and smiled.


    Aiden Leonhardt.


    The one hailed as a genius and long considered the next candidate for the position of Family Head of the Leonhardt Family had finally broken through the wall and ascended to be a Master.


    Ariel of the Godly Sword family.


    Aiden of the Lion Family.


    Both had broken through the wall and reached the Master Level.


    If they could do it, then hope was not lost for others as well.


    While it was undoubtedly a problem that the enemies grew stronger the longer the war dragged on, humanity, too, was not stagnating.


    They were growing stronger at an unprecedented rate, and that included themselves.


    Above all, what Terrion was waiting for was Iron.


    Iron, who had already broken through the wall and reached the transcendent realm.


    But his specialty was not the sword- it was the Divine Beasts.


    ¡°I wonder when your son¡¯s cute little birds will make their appearance.¡±


    Terrion said with a smirk.


    At this, Lioner chuckled softly and replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too.¡±


    Lioner also looked toward Iron with curiosity in his eyes.


    He couldn¡¯t easily predict just how powerful his monstrous son, who was already immensely strong, would be once he could fully utilize his Divine Beasts.


    Although the situation was undoubtedly bleak, whenever they looked at these young warriors, they could see a faint glimmer of hope.


    The othermanders felt the same way.


    The Frost Giantsunched another invasion not long after the previous battle had ended, and this time, the dragons, having reflected on their earlier arrogance, attacked with calcted precision.


    ¡°Dragons are swarming in from the South!¡±


    ¡°Th-they¡¯reing from the East too!¡±


    As if to show that ancient species were not only concentrated in the North, awakened dragons swiftly flew toward the mountain range.


    And amidst the chaos came the voice of the system.


    [Another ancient species is awakening!]


    [The skill Indomitable Will has grown stronger!]


    Hearing the news that yet another ancient species had awakened, Jaiden Wicks scowled and muttered,


    ¡°This is hopeless.¡±

 Chapter 242: Sacrifice and Victory (4)

    TL: Pai_


    The Frost Giants and Dragons were already terrifying, but now another ancient species had awakened.


    -Kraaaargh!


    A massive roar echoed from the distance.


    At that moment, a bear with its mouth wide open, roaring toward the sky, appeared.


    "Is that the Ancient Snow Bear?"


    Jaiden Wicks murmured with a grave expression.


    True to his title as the Northern Commander, he was well-versed in the ancient species.


    If the northeastern frontline were breached, they would be the ones responsible for stopping the beings beyond the mountain range. Thus, he had a thorough understanding of the ancient species that had vanished beyond the mountains in ages past.


    "Hah... This is driving me crazy."


    Jaiden Wicks lifted his sword with a frustrated look.


    It was no longer the time to focus solely onmanding.


    The bear tribe that rules over snow.


    One of the ancient ancestor lineages of the beast-folk, they were known as one of the ancient druids that had awakened.


    If more of these species were to awaken, humanity would have no hope.


    The only saving grace was that the newly awakened dragons seemed weak, likely because they had not yet had time to grow.


    ¡®There¡¯s enough time for us to grow, too.¡¯


    With that thought, Jaiden Wicks stepped forward instead of remaining inmand.


    And the same applied to other Masters and Commanders.


    Amid the fierce battle against the Frost Giants and ancient species, the soldiers and talented individuals saw their growth elerating.


    The reason behind this could be attributed to...


    -You have defeated a Frost Giant. As a reward¡­


    Someone had managed tond the final blow on a Frost Giant, and it instantly resulted in a reward.


    "Frost energy?"


    Cold energy began to emanate from the soldier''s mana-infused spear, creating a blue ripple around it.


    The soldier stared at his weapon with a surprised expression.


    The newfound strength was so overwhelming that even he was shocked by it.


    Other soldiers, envious of what they saw, began hunting for their next prey.


    Simply killing an ancient species could earn you rewards.


    Of course, such rewards weren¡¯t handed out every time.


    Once someone received rewards beyond a certain threshold, the difficulty of obtaining the next set of rewards increased drastically.


    Because of this, those at the Master Level or higher were not receiving any rewards.


    However, when Aiden, who was certain to be the next Lion Family Head, killed a Frost Warrior with the Knights, the situation changed.


    "That guy¡­ killed a Frost Warrior and became a Master?"


    The martial artists who had hit a wall in their progress all turned to look at Aiden.


    At a nce, Aiden still seemed inexperienced to be called a Master.


    Normally, those who broke through their limits and reached the Master Level naturally acquired proficiency in wielding the Aura de and an overwhelming dominance within a certain area. Aidencked in these aspects.


    But that didn¡¯t matter.


    Since he had already be a Master, these ws would naturally correct themselves over time.


    More importantly, as a Master, he now possessed the power to face a Frost Warrior alone.


    ¡®It¡¯s possible to grow further!¡¯


    ¡®The wall can be broken!¡¯


    Everyone began to entertain such thoughts as they turned their eyes toward the ancient species.


    No longer were these beings harbingers of destruction.


    To them, these creatures were nothing more than stepping stones for their growth.


    -Morale¡­ has risen.


    Heurimre, who was engaged in battle with Iron, muttered as he observed the surroundings.


    With the appearance of the dragons and the Ancient Snow Bear, the humans had experienced a brief decline in morale. But now, they were fighting fiercely once again.


    In war, morale is crucial.


    Especially in a closely matched battle like this, morale could easily tip the bnce of power in one side¡¯s favor.


    That¡¯s why Heurimre found the current shift in momentum displeasing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think time is a weapon that belongs to you alone.¡±


    Iron said this as he stared at Heurimre.


    After Crimson''s death, the Imperial Army fought even more desperately, as if they had awakened to a new resolve.


    And now, they were even being rewarded for their efforts?


    The conditions for growth had beenid out for them?


    This was tantamount to cing a powerful weapon in their hands, enabling them to achieve their resolve.


    -¡­I see. Just because time passes, it doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll always hold an overwhelming advantage. But¡­ that¡¯s only true for the soldiers.


    Heurimre spoke as he raised his axe.


    A far more powerful aura than before began to engulf the surroundings.


    From the massive body of the blue giant, a murderous aura flowed out, merging with frost energy to create a formidable wave.


    -Indeed, more warriors capable of opposing my soldiers will emerge, and there will even be humans capable of facing those arrogant dragon leaders.


    Heurimre spoke as he nced at the humans showing potential to be Masters, as well as the two family heads exhibiting their overwhelming strength against the dragon leaders.


    -But the question is, can you really stand against me?


    At Heurimre¡¯s question, Iron remained silent.


    It was true, he was growing rapidly.


    The wall that had blocked him had crumbled, and he was charging forward on the path of ¡®growth¡¯ without hesitation.


    But even so, it was bing increasingly difficult to face Heurimre.


    No matter how quickly he grew, it was still insufficientpared to Heurimre¡¯s recovery of his original power.


    Moreover, as Heurimre regained more of his strength, his options expanded.


    As someone who had originally stood at the pinnacle of power, Heurimre had a broader perspective on the battlefield than Iron, allowing him to make more decisive choices at critical moments.


    Kuwoong!


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    -Do you truly believe you can stop me?


    At Heurimre¡¯s question, Iron could not respond.


    But the determination in his eyes did not waver.


    ¡®I will endure to the very end.¡¯


    With this thought, Iron raised his sword once more.


    It was getting increasingly burdensome, but just once, there would be at least one opportunity to defeat Heurimre.


    ''If only the Divine Beasts arrive, we''d have a fighting chance.''


    Iron steadied his stance, holding onto this hope.


    -Are you trying to hold out? Or¡­ are you plotting something?


    At Heurimre¡¯s muttered words, Iron responded not with words, but by swinging his sword.


    Once again, the Path of Steel, a technique he had shown several times before, unfolded.


    Iron¡¯s swordsmanship demonstrated what kind of power could be achieved when the fundamentals were honed to their absolute peak.


    Simple yet perfect, the strength that emerged from his wless stance even forced Heurimre, the mighty giant, to retreat slightly.


    Because it was based on basic forms, there were no gaps in his technique. Because it was simple, it was swift and efficient.


    As the relentless pursuit of ultimate efficiency and stability wasbined with the driving force of advancement. Iron began to push Heurimre back once again.


    But unlike before, Heurimre wasn¡¯t pushed as easily this time.


    ¡®How long can I hold on¡­?¡¯


    Iron nced at Heurimre with a grim expression.


    -Is this the limit for today?


    Heurimre smirked as he looked at Iron.


    It was as if he were warning him that the next battle would be even tougher. With a confident grin, Heurimre retreated.


    And just as he had warned, in the next fight, even with the Path of Steel, Heurimre was no longer pushed back.


    -Today will be thest time I retreat.


    Heurimre said as he adjusted his stance.


    Although he seemed evenly matched with Iron now, he still took two steps back during the battle.


    However, Heurimre was certain that in the next fight, not only would he avoid being pushed back, but he would also be able to drive Iron into a corner.


    As expected, in the following battle, Iron gradually began to be overpowered.


    -Is it my turn to take the advantage now?


    At Heurimre¡¯s words, Iron bit his lip.


    In the end, Heurimre¡¯s speed of recovering his strength outpaced Iron¡¯s speed of growth.


    This meant that the battles ahead would be even more grueling.


    With the Ancient Snow Bears officially joining the fray, humanity¡¯s forces, which had been gradually pushing back the ancient species, were now being driven back once again.


    The footholds they had painstakingly secured were being taken one by one, and an environment advantageous to the ancient species, yet harsh and unforgiving for humans, was taking shape.


    However, there was one crucial fact that both sides overlooked: the rapid growth of humanity.


    Even in the midst of such dire circumstances, humanity¡¯s forces were steadily growing at a terrifying pace.


    And once again, this steadily evolving army of humanity pushed back the ancient species and imed victory.


    ¡°¡­We must buy them time.¡±


    At Jaiden Wicks¡¯s words, the Commanders and the Southern Masters nodded in agreement.


    While battling the ancient species, the otherworlders were beginning to set their sights on the Master level, and the geniuses within the Empire were also reaching the wall that defined a Master.


    If the enemy grew stronger, then so too must humanity.


    The best proof of this was none other than Ariel and Aiden.


    Despite having only recently be Masters, the two geniuses were growing at an astonishing rate.


    Following in the wake of these two geniuses, other talents were also rising.


    The existing Masters needed to buy them the time to grow.


    ¡°It will be difficult, but endure it. As those who once ruled the continent, you must at least hold out¡­ until those children have time to grow, mustn¡¯t you?¡±


    At Jaiden Wicks¡¯s words, all the Masters gave a small nod of agreement.


    With that, the Commanders and the Southern Masters renewed their resolve, and the meeting adjourned.


    ¡°It¡¯s bing¡­ harder and harder.¡±


    Yolke, one of the Southern Masters, grit his teeth as he spoke.


    Carlos and Muradin felt the same.


    It was clear that the Empire¡¯s Commanders were growing stronger with every battle.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case for the Southern Masters.


    Was it because they had once betrayed their kind?


    Or was it due to the remnants of the Ancient Gods¡¯ influence?


    Perhaps it was because traces of their corrupted power still lingered?


    Whatever the reason, the system did not actively support them.


    The rewards they received were also smaller than those of others.


    This difference in rewards inevitably led to a gap in growth.


    ¡°¡­Is this the end of our role?¡±


    At Carlos¡¯s words, Muradin and Yolke gave bitter smiles.


    The Lord God had not forgotten.


    Though they had joined the war seeking atonement, from the perspective of the Lord God, it likely seemed like they had switched sides merely to survive.


    Perhaps the Lord God might forgive them after this battle was over.


    But the question was, could they hold out until then?


    The three Southern Masters exchanged nces, their expressions resigned.


    Their skills were already inferior to those of the Empire¡¯s Masters, and now the growing gap in power only added to their woes.


    This widening disparity meant the difference in skill would only grow, and with even the Empire¡¯s Masters barely managing to hold their own against the increasingly powerful Frost Warriors and Dragons, there was no way the Southern Masters could withstand them.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to make myst stand an honorable one¡­ is that too much to hope for?¡±


    ¡°More than that, I hope our atonement ends with us.¡±


    ¡°If we can just buy enough time for them to grow, that might just happen¡­¡±


    Carlos, Muradin, and Yolke each spoke in turn, imagining their final moments.


    Even if they couldn¡¯tpare to Crimson, the Northeastern Commander, they hoped that they too could meet an honorable end.


    With that thought in mind, they prepared for the next battle.


    The Southern Masters, who had resolved to endure no matter what, now found themselves at their limits. The ever-strengthening Frost Warriors and some of the Dragons had be foes they could no longer face alone.


    In the end, they had no choice but to ept help from some of the stronger otherworlders and knights. Together, they fought desperately and managed to hold the line, continuing the battles by sheer willpower.


    Despite the harsh conditions, the Imperial Army endured several more battles, only to be greeted by yet another ominous notification.


    -Another ancient species, the Yetis, has awakened. These mutated Yetis, who once made contracts with demons, have awakened, creating an opening for the demons to intervene in the North.


    The sudden notification caused the entire leadership of the Empire to gather in one ce.


    "...We can''t continue just enduring like this anymore."


    Everyone nodded at Southern Master Yolke''s words.


    The enemies were growing stronger, and more ancient species were awakening.


    While humanity¡¯s forces were indeed growing, the pace at which their enemies were growing stronger was far faster.


    Even Iron was beginning to struggle more and more against Heurimre.


    It was clear to everyone, and the room was filled with tense nces in Iron¡¯s direction.


    Under the weight of everyone¡¯s gaze, Iron opened his previously closed eyes and looked around at the gathered leadership.


    ¡°Twice. Please hold out for two more battles.¡±


    At Iron¡¯s words, the Commanders and Masters stared at him in silence.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°¡­Could it be?¡±


    Lioner, seemingly catching on, looked at Iron and asked hesitantly.


    ¡°¡­Yes. They are showing signs of awakening. However¡­ they still need a little more time,¡±


    Iron replied, cing his left hand over his heart.


    From the rhythmic pulsing of his heart, faint and mysterious waves resonated. These waves carried the unmistakable energy of the Divine Beasts, as if they were crying out, ¡°Just a little longer, and we will awaken.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s decided, then,¡±


    Jaiden Wicks said as he rose from his seat.


    ¡°Our decisive moment wille after two more battles. Until then¡­ we have to hold on, no matter what.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement at Jaiden Wicks¡¯s words.


    The strongest man of humanity had made a request.


    ¡°Just two more battles. If you endure, I will bring victory by defeating Heurimre.¡±


    Iron¡¯s earnest plea made all the Masters resolutely nod their heads.


    Heroes never betrayed expectations. Even Crimson, whose body was crushed and covered in wounds, had met the expectations ced upon him to the very end.


    They believed in him.


    With everyone¡¯s faith united, humanity¡¯s forces managed to endure two more grueling battles.


    And finally, the moment for humanity¡¯s decisive battle had arrived.

 Chapter 243: Sacrifice and Victory (5)

    TL: Pai_


    -The atmosphere has changed.


    Heurimre muttered quietly as he sensed a powerful presence from afar.


    -Changed¡­ They¡¯re still nothing but primitive humans.


    At Heurimre¡¯s words, the White Dragon responded irritably.


    The leader of the Blue Dragons also nodded in agreement.


    -This has dragged on too long. It¡¯s time to wipe out those primitive creatures.


    The unexpected strength disyed by the humans had been shocking, especially to the dragons.


    They thought they could simply bombard from the air using their breath and magic, but the humans¡¯ aerial forces were far stronger than anticipated.


    The fortress cannons were mighty enough that even dragon leaders couldn''t ignore them.


    The numerous mana cannons mounted on the airships.


    And the level of the Drake Knights was significant as well. Their basicbat techniques, not to mention their unique abilities, were incredibly tricky to deal with.


    But that was only up until thest battle.


    From today¡¯s battle onward, the ancient beings were confident they would secure a clear upper hand.


    -It¡¯s time to finish this. The bear brat and that primitive Yeti should stay back and provide support. Don¡¯te forward just to get yourselves beaten.


    The Green Dragon chuckled as he said this.


    At his words, the Ancient Snow Bear and the Yeti¡¯s expressions twisted, and they unleashed a fierce aura.


    -Enough. That''s far enough. Have you already forgotten how you whimpered after being beaten by humans in the early stages?


    -What?


    At Heurimre¡¯s remark, the leader of the White Dragons released his intimidating presence.


    But even among ancient species, there was a hierarchy.


    There was no way a mere dragon leader could challenge Heurimre, who once stood among the ranks of the highest gods.


    Even the Dragon Lords had to yield to Heurimre, and his recovery of power was far faster than theirs.


    Boom!


    As the intense pressure focused on the White Dragon leader, his massive body was driven straight into the ground.


    -Do not overstep your bounds. Even my tolerance for your insolence as ancient beings has its limits.


    As Heurimre revealed a fraction of his elevated status, he turned his gaze to the dragons.


    Proud beings like them could only be indulged so far.


    When the King of Giants expressed his genuine anger, the dragon leaders faltered, closing their mouths.


    Seeing the suddenly subdued dragons, Heurimre clicked his tongue and spoke.


    -As you¡¯ve said, it¡¯s time to bring this to an end.


    Heurimre shifted his gaze to where the human army was gathered.


    Initially, they had been at a disadvantage, unable to adapt to their weakened state. But not anymore.


    With the full recovery of his ancient power, it was time to minimize energy consumption and prepare for the battle against the gods.


    Thus, it was necessary to eradicate the humans here and rally the awakening ancient species to prepare for the war.


    At Heurimre¡¯smand, all the ancient beings began preparing for war, and the monsters organized themselves into a massive army.


    As the enormous force was assembled, Heurimre thought of the human who had once stood in his path - Iron.


    -What a shame.


    Heurimre wore an expression of regret.


    If only he had a bit more time, he would have nurtured that human into a proper warrior to face in a true duel.


    But he was a king.


    For the sake of the Frost Giants, he had to suppress his personal desires.


    Since the mythical era, Heurimre had not experienced such blood-stirring battles for a long time, making the current moment bittersweet. However, the time hade to put an end to it.


    Harboring his regrets, he advanced toward the human army, only to find the young human standing in his path.


    -It seems the time has trulye to end this.


    Heurimre spoke with a sorrowful expression, while Iron silently raised his sword.


    Seeing him, Heurimre also wordlessly drew his axe.


    Thus began the renewed battle between the King of Giants and Iron.


    With their sh as the catalyst, the great war between humanity¡¯s army and the ancient beings erupted.


    The dragons, determined to end things this time,unched a far more aggressive assault than before, and the other ancient beings moved in step, aiming to rapidly break through the human formations.


    -Are you blocking my path again?


    The Frost Warrior sneered as he looked at Yolke.


    Yolke¡¯s face twisted in response.


    He knew well that it would no longer be possible for him to face the Frost Warrior alone.


    Yet, he still stood in the way.


    It was to hold the line until Iron¡¯s Divine Beasts appeared, and to buy time for the others near Master Level to break through and push forward.


    -This is tiresome. Let¡¯s end it.


    The Frost Warrior, as if he had lost all interest,unched an attack toward Yolke.


    Yolke forged an Aura de with all his strength to counter the overwhelming charge, but he continued to be pushed back.


    ''Is this my limit?''


    Yolke¡¯s body was already in shambles from the previous battles.


    A few days of rest had not been nearly enough to recover him.


    Even so, he had chosen to fight.


    -You¡¯ve managed toe out in that condition?


    The Frost Warrior clicked his tongue, instantly recognizing Yolke¡¯s battered state after just one sh.


    Behind the Frost Warrior, a massive Ice Dragon formed and surged forward in attack.


    But on the ground, a giant made of earth rose up to block the Frost Giant¡¯s path.


    It was Rovanov and Kim Jung-tae stepping in to assist Yolke.


    -Have you abandoned the pride of a warrior?


    ¡°Rather than pride, my task is to hold you here, even for just a moment longer.¡±


    At Yolke¡¯s words, the Frost Warrior nced around.


    Nearby, Master Carlos and Muradin were also blocking the warriors with help from otherworlders.


    -Do they share the same resolve as you?


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    At Yolke¡¯s reply, the Frost Warrior nodded slightly.


    -So that is your pride?


    The Frost Warrior created a blue spear as he spoke.


    -Then try to block it. Show me your pride. If you do, I too shall honor you with the respect of a warrior when I kill you.


    The ranks of the Frost Warriors had thinned significantly through countless battles.


    Now that their numbers had decreased, and they had regained their original strength, it had be far more difficult to deal with them.


    And now¡­


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As Yolke failed to withstand a single strike and was pushed back, Gaon Temphet appeared, wielding a sword imbued with freezing energy, and joined the fray.


    As the Frost Warrior ranks dwindled, multiple 6th-stage martial artists were now able to gang up on a single Frost Warrior.


    But even so¡­


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    Gaon Temphet, Kim Jung-tae, and Rovanov were struck by the blue spear and sent flying in all directions.


    The power of the Frost Warrior, now restored, was terrifying.


    And yet, this strength was still far weaker than what they once wielded at their peak.


    One could now understand why the Frost Giants had been called cmities capable of battling the gods.


    -You stand up again?


    ¡°¡­Because I must.¡±


    At Yolke¡¯s determined words, the Frost Warrior silently nodded.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even the Frost Warrior, who knew the value of honor, could see the resolve in Yolke¡¯s eyes. Recognizing this, he began to fight with his full power, no longer holding back.


    ¡®I must endure. So that they¡­ can grow further¡­ Until the Divine Beasts of the hero awaken!¡¯


    Yolke had long abandoned any hope of surviving this war.


    Thus, he gave his all, to fight with as much honor as possible, to be as much help as possible, even in the smallest way.


    To ensure that when this war ended in victory, his name would be remembered.


    That was Yolke¡¯s final wish.


    As he clung to this wish and steeled his resolve to protect humanity¡¯s future, the Aura on his sword became sharper and clearer.


    [For not losing courage even in the face of an insurmountable foe, you have been granted a reward. The skill Final Valor has been created.]


    - Final Valor temporarily increases your strength threefold. However! Ites with a penalty of severe injury after the battle. Use it only in moments of utmost danger.


    [Your indomitable willpower has been temporarily enhanced further.]


    A notification rang softly in Yolke¡¯s ears.


    With his indomitable will further strengthened, Yolke¡¯s aura became clearer, and his physical abilities were heightened.


    But that alone wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡®I¡¯ve already steeled myself for this!¡¯


    With this resolve, Yolke activated Final Valor.


    The sudden surge of power in Yolke¡¯s body left the Frost Warrior momentarily stunned.


    But as befitted someone who had once stood at the pinnacle of existence, the Frost Warrior quickly assessed Yolke¡¯s state.


    -Your¡­st strength?


    As the Frost Warrior muttered those words, Yolke¡¯s Aura de began to burn brightly.


    The same was true for Carlos and Muradin, who were fighting nearby.


    Muradin, who had been staggering and covered in wounds, suddenly forged a massive Aura de and summoned thousands of steel swords imbued with aura around him.


    Carlos, who had been sent flying by the Frost Giant¡¯s fist and coughing up blood, seemed to awaken, unleashing a powerful wave of energy as he let out a deafening roar.


    The unexpected awakening of the Southern Masters provided a brief respite for the six otherworlders, as well as for Gaon Temphet, Caeden Wall, and Sky Renz, 6th-stage martial artists who had been struggling to hold back the Frost Warriors.


    With the three Southern Masters rallying their strength, the otherworlder warriors and the assisting 6th-stage fighters found themselves able to push harder as well.


    The Masters¡¯ ability to endure the Frost Warriors¡¯ strikes created openings that were easier to exploit, which in turn opened up more ways to support one another.


    Though it was a narrow bnce, they had managed to maintain parity against the overwhelmingly powerful Frost Warriors.


    Even more encouraging was the fact that, as they fought against these fearsome foes, the stagnation that had left their realms rigid like stone began to thaw and burn anew.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    -¡­Have you reached your limit?


    The Frost Warrior pointed his spear at Yolke, who was coughing up blood.


    Though Yolke¡¯s temporarily enhanced strength had allowed him to confront the Frost Warrior, it couldn¡¯tpensate for hiscking realm.


    Without the apanying enlightenment, his body had been pushed beyond its limits, and the aftereffects were umting.


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ over yet.¡±


    At Yolke¡¯s words, the Frost Warrior nodded faintly.


    It was a sign that he acknowledged Yolke¡¯s resolve to buy time for the younger humans.


    Bloodied and battered, Yolke stubbornly continued to block the path.


    Alongside him, the otherworlders and 6th-stage fighters pushed past their limits to assist him.


    But despite their efforts, holding back the Frost Warrior ultimately proved impossible.


    -This is the end.


    The Frost Warrior spoke as he gripped his blue spear tightly.


    He prepared to strike Yolke down in a single blow.


    But just as he readied himself, Yolke¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    The Frost Warrior tilted his head in confusion, unable to understand why Yolke was smiling. He turned to look behind him.


    "Finally..."


    Yolke muttered as he cast his gaze toward the location of the Giant King.


    There, in stark contrast to the colossal Giant King, stood a single human, small inparison, emanating a green glow.


    And with that green light as the catalyst, two powerful beams of light began to radiate from the sky, enveloping the Frost Giant in a massive shadow of darkness.


    -¡­So that¡¯s what you were waiting for?


    At the Frost Warrior¡¯s question, Yolke gave a faint smile and nodded.


    -Now it¡¯s us who are pressed for time, isn¡¯t it? Hah¡­ I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to preserve your honor.


    At the Frost Warrior¡¯s words, Yolke gripped his sword as if to say he didn¡¯t mind.


    The fact that the Frost Warrior was wary of Iron¡¯s Divine Beasts was proof enough that Yolke had fulfilled his role.


    The same was true for the Frost Warriors facing Muradin and Carlos.


    -The King is in danger.


    All the Frost Warriors came to the same conclusion: the power radiating from Iron¡¯s Divine Beasts was immense.


    And for Heurimre, who was facing that power, it was the first time since awakening from his long slumber that he found himself in a life-threatening crisis.


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    Iron, shrouded in green light, exhaled deeply and raised his sword once more.


    At some point, all the wounds inflicted on his body by Heurimre had healedpletely.


    While Iron recovered, Two Moons, his Divine Beasts, stood in his ce, battling relentlessly.


    The power of the giant owl that had appeared alongside Baepsae was even stronger than its prime during the battle against the Witch, and it was enough to push Heurimre to the brink.


    Even with just Iron joining the fray, Heurimre''s life was already in danger.


    But Iron''s Divine Beasts were not limited to Baepsae and Two Moons.


    Thump!


    His heart began to pound, signaling the emergence of yet another Divine Beast.


    And at that moment, from afar, the leader of the Green Dragons could be seen rapidly flying toward them.


    Even an arrogant dragon understood that if Heurimre fell here, it would spell their defeat. This urgency propelled the Green Dragon to rush forward with all haste.


    Watching this unfold, Iron smiled faintly.


    "I''ll leave it to you."


    The moment Iron said those words, yet another Divine Beast burst forth into the air.


    "Piiiii!"


    A giant bird cloaked in mes that wrapped around it like wings.


    The Phoenix appeared, blocking the path of the Green Dragon.


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