Chapter 725 Begin
The silence stretched for several seconds. Aerchon kept clenching his teeth, while Aurdis beside him bit her lip. Both of them were in distress right now. But they couldn't stay like this.
"I know what you're thinking," Aurdis said firmly. She understood how her brother felt, but right now, there was no use in being stubborn. "But you'll only hurt yourself if you move now. Even Saeldir, Arlyn, Vael, and Sylra are focused on their recovery."
Aerchon's expression began to soften. He gulped, took a deep breath, and exhaled, forcing himself to calm down and clear away the fog of stubbornness clouding his mind.
"I think you're right. Sorry, Aurdis," Aerchon said, his tone subdued.
Then, he lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling with gritted teeth. Aurdis could tell from his expression that he still wanted to get up. But fortunately, he was willing to listen to her.
"Stay here and focus on your recovery. That way, you'll return to your strongest state when Laston truly makes his move," Aurdis said firmly.
Aerchon looked at her. "You're much stronger than I am. I'm proud of you. Sorry for always making things difficult for you."
Aurdis blinked, taken aback by her brother's words. He was usually so cold, and now he was saying he was proud of her? Was this the first time she had ever heard that from him?
Brushing the moment aside, Aurdis simply nodded with a neutral expression. "Alright. I'm going now. Remember, don't leave this bed until you're fully recovered. Do you understand?"
Aerchon nodded firmly.
With that, Aurdis turned and left the room. Before leaving him completely, she also instructed the healers to do their best to speed up Aerchon's recovery.
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The ten Daemons who had arrived first turned around, sensing a familiar presence. Soon, they saw figures emerging from the shadows of the forest, their forms becoming clearer as they stepped closer.
They were the second wave of Laston's plan. The warriors of the Ogre Kingdom. Their green-skinned, bulky forms came into view, and finally, the two different races — bound by a shared goal — had gathered in one place.
Laston had already informed each side of his plan. To maximize their chances of success, they had to be willing to cooperate.
If either side showed hostility, Laston had made it clear he would abandon them, withdraw his offer of powerful weapons, and refuse to join forces against the Elf Palace.
Considering the advantages they stood to gain, the two kings — the leader of the Daemons of Calamity and the ruler of the Ogre Kingdom — had agreed to work together and swore not to betray each other.
"Took you long enough," said Malgron, the leader of the Daemons of Calamity's troops.
The massive, hulking ogre beside him, clad in thick iron armor, let out a low grunt. Gorvash, one of the warlord of the Ogre Kingdom, stepped forward, his yellow eyes gleaming under the moonlight.
"We don't rush for anyone. But we're here now, so let's get to business. What you got?" Gorvash asked.
Malgron turned to his mage, who was now gazing at the Elf Palace, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
"Veydris, what's the situation?" Malgron asked.
Without shifting his gaze from the palace, Veydris responded. "They've reinforced their defenses, my lord. It seems they are already aware that an attack is coming. They've also strengthened the barrier."
Malgron, Gorvash, and the other Daemons and Ogres present let out quiet sighs, sensing that the situation was becoming increasingly difficult.
Laston had warned them that the Elves in the palace would likely anticipate the attack. But they had hoped those damned Elves would still underestimate them, only setting up minimal defenses — giving them a chance to catch their enemies off guard with their superior weaponry and strength.@@novelbin@@
But it seemed they had been wrong. Laston's warning not to underestimate the Elves had proven true.
"Do you see the Dragonborn there?" Malgron asked.
Gorvash and everyone else waited anxiously for Veydris' answer. The Dragonborn was an existence they could not afford to ignore.
"I don't see him anywhere, my lord. But I'm not certain," Veydris replied. "We still don't fully understand that Dragonborn's real power. So I can't say for sure. He could be hiding his presence, or he might not be in the palace at all."
Silence followed as they all considered the possibility that the Dragonborn wasn't in the palace. If that were true, this raid would be much easier than they had anticipated.
However, they couldn't be sure. Just as Veydris had pointed out, they had no way of predicting the Dragonborn's true abilities.
"Has there been any information from Laston about the Dragonborn?" Gorvash asked.
"No. And you haven't received any information about him either, have you?" Malgron responded.
"No." Gorvash shook his head. "Could it be… the Dragonborn really isn't there?"
Once again, that possibility sent a thrill through them all.
"We'll wait. When Laston contacts us again, we'll ask him about it," Malgron said.
Gorvash nodded.
Feeling that there was nothing else to discuss, the Daemons and Ogres began to lay low, hiding in the shadows of the night.
While some rested and engaged in light conversation as they waited for the next squad to arrive, the mages from each faction took turns watching the palace, keeping track of any developments. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire
---
Time passed, filled with various preparations on every sides. Laston, the very figure who had become a terrifying menace to the Elves, had just completed his enhancements.
In the main chamber of Skyreach Tower, Laston finally emerged from his chamber of enhancement, having made further modifications to his body. A grin spread across his face. His confidence had soared now that he had infused himself with new power. His Magic energy reserves had increased, his physical strength had grown, and his defenses had become even stronger.
He reached out to Dredge and Veyna, inquiring about their progress. The two responded that they were now fully prepared.
After he descending into the underground main hall of Skyreach Tower, Laston strode forward with an air of absolute authority to the balcony on the top of his soldiers.
The glow of neon-red lights reflected off the sleek metallic walls, casting long shadows over the gathered technicians and officers awaiting his arrival.
At the various sections of the vast chamber, rows upon rows of towering war machines stood in silent readiness. Those weree his ultimate creation, the Hexa-Striders. These cybernetic monstrosities were equipped with adaptive artificial intelligence of this world reinforced exo-armor, and enhanced by his Magic. They were designed to crush his enemies with ruthless efficiency.
Laston came to a halt before his gathered forces, his crimson-enhanced eyes gleaming with dangerous intent.
"The time has come," he declared, his voice reverberating through the hall. "We have waited long enough. The Elves believe they still hold power, but tonight, we remind them who truly commands the future!"
He turned to his lead technicians, nodding once. "Activate the Hexa-Striders. Bring their systems online and prepare for full deployment."
Then, his gaze shifted to his lieutenants. "Ready the squads. We strike soon, and when we do, the Elf Palace will fall."
A wave of affirmation followed as the hall erupted into motion. Screens flickered to life, commands were issued, and the Hexa-Striders stirred from their slumber, their optic sensors flashing ominously as they booted up.
Laston's attack had begun.
---
The throne room buzzed with activity. Strategies were devised and handed to the squad leaders, who immediately sprinted out of the chamber to carry out their orders.
As his advisors and generals debated the possible outcomes and the necessary actions to take, King Gulben sat silently on his throne, resting his head on one hand.
Strangely, he did not feel the overwhelming panic he expected. Instead, a sense of unease crept in, was it indifference? Apathy? No, that wasn't it. He was simply overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility, faced with too many unknowns. The scale of the enemy's assault, their strategies, their points of attack, none of it was clear.
Amidst all the uncertainty, his thoughts drifted to two individuals. Two people he had stubbornly refused to rely on, Erend and Eccar.
Deep down, he doubted the strength of his Elven army against Laston's terrifying forces. However, he could never voice such doubt aloud. What kind of king would he be if he lacked faith in his own people?
And so, he chose to stand firm. He would forbid Erend and Eccar from intervening… at least until he saw for himself that his army could not win.
"Your Majesty!"
Suddenly, one of the generals rushed back into the room, his face tense with urgency. The advisors turned to him, instantly recognizing the presence of bad news.
"What happened, General?" King Gulben asked.
"We've spotted movement in the distance. An unknown army is approaching," the general reported.
The advisors exchanged grave looks.
"Go! Prepare for war!" King Gulben commanded, rising from his seat.
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