Chapter 357: The Great War (1)

“Since when?” Karyl looked at Dushala.

“It’s been about a week. Due to the unique nature of Superior Vision, two-way communication wasn’t possible, but at a set time, Israphil would consistently transmit scenes he saw through Superior Vision via the communication channel.”

“And now?”

“He hasn’t reported anything for the past week. We haven’t had the time to take action because of the ongoing war... Do you think he’s okay?”

Dushala’s tone was tinged with worry, and a heavy atmosphere suddenly settled over the room.

“Don’t worry,” Allen answered instead. “That rascal Israphil has learned magic from me. He’s still half-baked, but I’ve taught him enough to keep him alive. He’ll be fine.”

Thanks to that, the atmosphere seemed to lighten up a bit. Encouraged by Allen’s words, Karyl nodded and said, “Right. Suan Hazer is with him. The two of them wouldn’t be taken down easily. What’s more important now is focusing on the battle at hand.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.”

After everyone responded, Karyl took a deep breath, as if to calm himself, and pointed on the map to the large river running across the continent.

“They’ll likely stop at the Fonein River first. In order to move such a large army, they’ll have to block the waterways and eliminate Tatur’s defense mechanism, which is the currents.”

“That’s correct.”

“We’ll strike from behind.”

At his words, Anthem nodded ambiguously. “When they block the waterways and cross the forest, they’ll encounter another obstacle. If their focus is on that, they won’t be watching their backs...”

Anthem pointed to one of the three markers representing the imperial army, specifically the one at the back.

“The vanguard, the First Unit, does have a magic battalion, but the true core of the imperial magic corps is the Third Unit in the rear, where the Academy sorcerers are positioned.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s better to finish the battle before they merge. Once they do, it’ll become much harder to deal with them. But if we manage to strike them before that, we can easily turn the tide of the war in our favor.”

“But is it really possible to strike from behind? The Wyvern Squadron might be powerful, but it’s still going to be difficult to completely wipe them out. Besides, we still haven’t located the Platinum Dragon. If he’s with the enemy, that would be ideal, but...” Dushala trailed off.

“He’s more likely stationed in the rear.”

“Why don’t we lure the main army inward and attack from behind with the navy instead?” Dushala pointed to the strait between the continent and the principality on the map.

“The naval battle should be wrapping up soon. Once that’s over, we can use Karl Mack’s Mana Battleship to swiftly move the principality’s forces. The key is holding out until then. According to the information we have, one of the Academy sorcerers, Serga, has recently ascended to the 7th Class.”

“Hmm...” Karyl nodded at his report. He had sent Mikhail to the Dawn Council to hinder Serga’s growth, but unfortunately, the plan had failed.

But in exchange, Mikhail was able to find an opportunity to grow rapidly, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Both Serga and Mikhail were talented individuals needed for the Oracle War to conquer the continent. While Serga’s growth was inconvenient now, in the long run, it was a good thing for Karyl.

“That won’t work. Although Tatur has the Ulkas Guild’s magic battalion, they can’t stand against a 7th Class Great Sorcerer and the imperial magic corps.”

“Huh? What’s there to fear about some novice who’s just broken through to the 7th Class? I’m here, aren’t I?” Allen scoffed at Anthem’s concern. “Bring them to me. I’ll crush them.”

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Karyl glanced at Allen and smirked. “Anthem, there’s no need to wait for the naval battle to end. By now, some of the principality’s cavalry forces should have reached the north. The ones striking from behind won’t be the Wyvern Squadron. You will lead them with Ganeth.”

“Pardon me?”

“At the narrow pass in the north, there’s an old bridge made from the wreckage of the Iron Fleet. By now, the gnomes have probably repaired it. It won’t be enough for golems, but it should be sufficient to transport our troops.”

His words left everyone in awe.

When did he give such orders...?

Who would have thought the Iron Fleet would be reused in this way? That’s Incredible.

Anthem Howard and Ganeth Avelant, both formerly from the principality, shared a faint, bittersweet smile.

“If our role is to bring reinforcements, then who will lead the unit that strikes from behind?”

Karyl pointed to himself.

“I will.”

Everyone smirked slightly, as if they had expected this.

“Dushala, Kayla Spear will soon join us with the warriors from the Spear family. Once they arrive, organize the Spear family and bring them to me.”

“Yes sir.”

Dushala nodded in response.

“There’s not much time left. The war is already raging in the north, the south, and even far out at sea. We must cut the line to deliver the outcome they’re waiting for.”

WAAAAH...!!

With that, cheers suddenly erupted across Tatur, as though everyone had heard him.

Fueled by their cries, Karyl declared, “We will sever the empire’s lifeline.”

***

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Allen asked Karyl, who was gazing down at the bustling city of Tatur. Even at this late hour, preparations for war were in full swing.

“It’s because of Suan and Israphil, right? I understand. I would too if I were you. Nothing like this has happened before.”

Karyl nodded with a bitter smile. He hadn’t shown it to Dushala and the others, but he was indeed uneasy about the place where those two had gone. The Blood Cave was where the fruit from Demon Realm known as the Black Spore had been discovered.

Moreover, that cave was closely connected to the Wooden Cloud.

“The reason the Church and the Wooden Cloud have been at odds until now is likely because of the previous emperor, Titan Shutean. He used the Church’s power but was wary of the Wooden Cloud.”

“Because there needed to be a balance of power, right? If the Church and the Wooden Cloud openly joined forces, even the empire would struggle to control them.”

“Exactly. That’s why the Wooden Cloud allied with the principality, while the Church aligned with the empire.”

“But now that the principality has fallen, and Olivurn, who’s tied to the Wooden Cloud, has ascended the throne, the Wooden Cloud will likely be absorbed into the empire. Hmm... What would happen to the Church then? While they share roots with the Wooden Cloud, they’re clearly a different faction.”

“There are two possibilities,” Karyl went on. “They’ll either be absorbed or vanish.”

“That’s pretty straightforward.” Allen nodded.

“The real issue is whether they’ll get involved in this war.”

“It’s not out of the question, especially if Olivurn is aligned with the Wooden Cloud.”

“The question is whether they’ll participate as the Wooden Cloud or as the Church. In my previous life, both existed when Olivurn founded the empire.”

“Then it’s likely the Church this time as well, since they were the ones who prophesied the Oracle.”

“Probably, but this war didn’t occur before. It wouldn’t be surprising if something has changed.”

“So, we might face unexpected enemies.”

Karyl looked down, lost in thought.

The Wooden Cloud later formed a fanatical cult known as the Blue Roar. The fact that they remained a religious group suggests that’s what they are at their core.

The Wooden Cloud was no longer a veiled entity. Now that they knew Karyl was pursuing their trail, the key question was whether they would fully reveal themselves or remain hidden beneath the surface.

“We have to catch them. The Wooden Cloud is not just connected to Olivurn. I met Rael, the one at their head, in the Platinum Dragon’s lair.”

The body parts they had found in that lair were remnants of Narh Di Maug’s mysterious and twisted experiments—conducted on countless races, including humans. If the Wooden Cloud had been involved in those experiments, then the Blood Cave, too, might have been influenced by the Platinum Dragon.

The plant growing in the Blood Cave is from the Demon Realm. It’s possible that the Platinum Dragon was one of the culprits who opened the gate to the Demon Realm.

Karyl narrowed his eyes.

“If you wish, I could lend you the power of Duaat. Then I can investigate the Blood Cave myself,” Allen offered, seeming to sense Karyl’s inner turmoil. However, Karyl shook his head immediately.

“No. Whether it’s in the main army or the rear guard, the Platinum Dragon will definitely emerge on this battlefield. I’m willing to bet he’s already laid traps for us. If you and Duaat are absent, I might not be enough to handle him alone.”

“Hoo... Is the great Karyl MacGovern afraid?”

“I just want to be thorough.”

Karyl didn’t fall for Allen’s taunt. He knew it was a joke, but he also knew they weren’t dealing with an ordinary opponent.

“He’s not as easy to deal with as Python. Plus, he’s backed by Kuwell, four Sword Masters, and one Great Sorcerer. We have Ganeth and Randol on our side, but it’ll be tough to face all five of them.”

“Hmm... That’s true. It would have been nice if we could move that giant golem, Revol, quickly, but its weight makes it hard to transport.” Allen clicked his tongue.

Despite the obvious disparity in strength, Karyl didn’t seem too worried. “That’s why I need you. And you’ve waited all this time to drive the blade of revenge into the Platinum Dragon’s back, haven’t you?”

Allen chuckled, seemingly caught off guard by Karyl’s nonchalant attitude in such a dire situation.

“Of course. You know it.”

As Allen extended his hand, a giant magical projection manifested, revealing the imperial army as if they were right in front of them.

“Let’s go. It’s time to meet him,” Karyl urged, beckoning Allen to follow.

“Haha...”