Chapter 430.1: City of Abundance

Legend had it that in the distant Prosperity Era, the land bathed in twilight was once the most fertile place on this continent.

It was once lush with dense branches and leaves. Forests covered the hills, and farmlands stretched as far as the eye could see. Metal servants worked endlessly in the fields. People did not need to labor, and they could indulge all day in the opulence of the Prosperity Era, everything was naturally available and inexhaustible.

Just one agricultural district in the Sunset Province was enough to feed 90% of the planet's population.

Even today, though the glory of the old days had been dusted, the afterglow still shone, warming the struggling survivors among the ruins.

That place remained one of the most fortunate places on the wasteland.

As long as one did not step into the desert, there was no need to worry about the mutant creatures, as every inch of cultivated land was protected by the armies of various kingdoms.

The abundant and sufficient food allowed the children of the Spirit of the Desert not to worry about hunger.

Although they were ruled in a feudal manner, it was unified enough, unlike the eastern provinces that were like scattered sand, where a group of marauders could easily stir up a storm of blood and violence, where infants not only had to learn to walk but also to shoot to survive.

It has been proven that in the difficult years after the end of civilization, believing in something together is always better than believing in nothing.

However...

In the eyes of William, the prince and marshal of the Falcon Kingdom, it was far from enough.

Although the kingdoms were unified internally by faith, there was no trust between them.

The Spirit of the Desert once taught the kings that brothers should unite and help each other in times of trouble, but in reality, the kings were suspicious of each other, always vigilant against others using their bloodline to usurp their titles, enjoying the power bestowed by faith, and loathing their duties.

If the Spirit of the Desert could equally bestow its blessings on every kingdom in this desert, that would be one thing.

But it had not done so. Even the disasters that fell upon their respective kingdoms were not equal.

The first to disappear was Oasis No.1. It was swallowed up by the sands.

Then it was Oasis No.2. The fertile land of the Falcon Kingdom was shrinking at a visible rate, losing more than 20% of its territory in just half a century.

Selfish kings refused to help the Falcon royal family, and the spirits have not responded to the prayers of the Falcon royal family, instead continuously bringing down disasters. They could only seek help from external forces, even if it meant turning to the demons of the West Coast.

However, it is precisely because of the selfishness and cowardice of the kings that the war had progressed more smoothly than ever before.

Faced with the lightning-fast offensive of the Falcon Kingdom, the suspicious kings were completely powerless to resist and have not been able to form an effective defense to this day.

After dealing with the powerful Lion Kingdom, he will immediately march north and take down the Golden Lizard Kingdom, after which the entire Sunset Province will be left with only the Falcon Kingdom and the Camel Kingdom to the far south.

Those who could not change the situation had no choice but to submit. And by then, the land blessed by twilight would be united like never before.

From a young age, William had harbored the dream in his heart, dreaming of one day unifying the desert and, with his strong dominance, restoring its old glory.

Turning the desert into an oasis sounded far-fetched, but he believed there was always a way.

Even if it couldn’t be done immediately, someone would be able to do it in the future.

After all, the Spirit of the Desert once said that the world was originally covered in sand.

As for the often-quoted second half of the believers where the world would eventually be swallowed by the sand and return to the embrace of the Spirit of the Desert...

That was just the interpretation of those who abandoned themselves to despair.

Instead, he preferred to interpret the teachings of the Spirit of the Desert as how everything would return to its former glory.

After all...

The oasis is a gift from man to the deity, not a gift from the deity to man.

Since it was made by man, It can certainly be made again.

What he needed to do was to destroy the decayed kings with a thunderous strike!

He had to become the master of the desert!

"... Operation Thunder is canceled. This is General Griffin's order and he asked me to convey it to you."

Inside the tent, William, who was staring at the strategic map, heard bad news from the officer who approached.

He slightly opened his eyes, was silent for a moment, then lowered his voice while growling, "Why?!"

Five brigades, over 70,000 soldiers for the Falcon Kingdom had already assembled on three sides of the ‘City of Abundance’.

That was what they called the granary of Oasis No.9 and a strategic stronghold in the central part of the Lion Kingdom.

There was also a dam nearby named ‘The Levee’. The gigantic dam encircled an area about 10 kilometers in diameter.

The towering dam, completely forged from alloys, irrigated thousands of square kilometers of fertile land. No one knew how it works, only that it contained inexhaustible fresh water and could purify polluted water.

Under the protection of the Spirit of the Desert, ordinary weapons couldn’t damage it at all.

Therefore, the Lion Kingdom deployed a large number of weapons on the circular Levee and stationed heavy troops to make it an impregnable fortress, echoing the capital hundreds of kilometers away, forming a mutually supporting position.

However, conversely, if they took down the Levee, the Falcon Kingdom's army would be able to drive straight in eastward to the Lion Kingdom's capital, with no dangers along the way!

Operation Thunder was specifically devised to capture the stronghold.

For this, they had prepared for a full month, including deploying troops and planning the attack, among other preparations.

However... General Griffin, who devised the plan, canceled it with just one sentence?

What a joke!

However, what the officer said next brought William's mood down to the lowest.

"Camp 530 was attacked. The tanks, rifles, bullets, and shells that were to be sent to the frontlines are now in the hands of the guerrillas. It’s enough to arm a brigade of 10,000 and sustain them for two months without supply lines."

"Our planes are searching for their tracks, but they are cunning, hiding in the hills northeast of Oasis No.9."

The desert was not all flat plains. Besides the undulating sand dunes, there were also hills and valleys near the central part of the River Valley Province.

"Camp 530?! How did it... Weren't your elites stationed there?!" William asked anxiously.

The officer nodded briefly and said crisply. "Yes, but even the elite are just a 1,000-man strong army. The forces of the Enterprise seemed to launched a sudden attack on our camp, even using EMPs..."

Enterprise...

William frowned.

He was eager to capture the City of Abundance, but that did not mean he was reckless.

In fact, it was precisely because of his cautious decision-making that he had maintained a record of continuous victories, capturing the entire territory of the Honey Badger Kingdom within a week.

If the battle plan had already been leaked, and there were suspected Enterprise troops and guerrilla groups armed with weapons of the Army active on the northern side of Oasis No.9, it really wasn’t a good idea to launch a full-scale offensive hastily.

"... I remember there's a marauder tribe called the Bear Clan there? Is there a way to bribe them?"

The officer shook his head. "We've tried, but those people have been scared off by the New Alliance, the few who are left are just hiding in the mountains acting like bandits... I even doubt they have any fighting capability left."

After Dillon's death, those working under him had completely turned into deserters. Although there were still some who wanted to return to the Army, they wouldn’t be able to do anything.

William's face showed a hint of seriousness as he thought for a moment on what he should do next. Eventually, he muttered, "This war is best resolved quickly, if it drags on too long, there might be unexpected changes."

"Of course, General Griffin thinks the same." Reading the expression on the prince's face, the officer smiled faintly and continued, "... So, we've quickly prepared a second set of attack plans. Unlike Operation Thunder, we plan to use some unconventional means this time."

William's brows furrowed, sensing something unusual in the officer's tone.

"Unconventional means?"

The officer didn't speak, instead handing him a piece of paper while teasing, "Burn it after reading. We can't afford another leak this time."

William looked at him skeptically and unfolded the note.

When he saw what was written, William was first stunned, then his expression changed.

He looked at the officer, staring intently at those indifferent pupils.

"I oppose this plan! We need a complete City of Abundance, not a rotten ruin!"

The officer shrugged expressionlessly. "Sacrificing a farm for the entire oasis, in our view, is absolutely worth it. If we delay for a month to devise a new plan and redeploy our troops, we might face several times the number of enemies we do now."

"Also, this is the opinion of the Commander of the East, a general of status higher than Griffin."

"We don't want this war to escalate from a local conflict to a full-scale war between the Army and the Enterprise. Neither of us is ready for that. Before the Enterprise increases their presence here, crushing our enemies' defenses and will to resist with the swiftness of thunder is the least costly option."

Listening to that cold, merciless voice, William stared hard at him. "You have no idea what that means, destroying the miracle of the Spirit of the Desert is a blasphemy against the deity!"

However, the officer just smiled faintly. "Blasphemy? You still care about that?"

Looking at the prince's livid expression, the officer continued in a calm and leisurely tone. "The weapons will take a little time to arrive, you guys get ready too."

As for his opposition.

The officer acted as if he hadn't heard it at all. After he spoke, the officer turned to leave.

Standing next to William, a general of the kingdom swallowed his saliva and asked quietly.

"Your Highness... What does the Army plan to do?"

William remained silent for a long time, seemingly struggling internally.

But it was just for a moment.

He was not a man of indecision; those who could achieve great things should not sweat the small stuff. As long as they won, the Sunset Province would welcome eternal peace. No one could say he was wrong.

Moreover, even if he felt it was inappropriate, he couldn't stop the Army's decision.

Passing the note to the lamp on the table, William watched as a flame consume the note, gradually engulfing it. It turned to ashes and fell into a copper tray below.

"They plan to release a demon from 200 years ago, desecrating the grace of the Spirit of the Desert.

Ha...

But he also has a point. We've already sold our souls to the devil for power, do we need to care about this?"

Dropping a faint self-mockery, William left the bewildered general behind and walked out of the tent alone. His expressionless face revealed no hint of his current thoughts.

A nuclear bomb. It was a cheap and useful device.

It was said that just by pressing a button, it could erase hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people from the map and turn a fertile land into an uninhabitable wasteland.

What the disaster of the deity needed half a century to accomplish, it could do in an instant.

It wasn’t some particularly clever technology, but it was definitely effective.

"Mount up." Coming to the stables, William patted the shoulder of a nearby guard and then walked over to his tall steed, mounting it.

Not all children of the desert liked camels.

The black horses from the Great Desert were the beloved pets of the citizens of the Falcon Kingdom.