Chapter 378: The Second Continental War (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 378: The Second Continental War (1)
The Umberto border.
The soldiers guarding the frontline defense post stared across the boundary, terror etched onto their faces.
Flutter.
Banners snapped in the wind.
The enemy forces marching under the banner of the Kronos Empire looked like an endless, rolling tide, too vast for the human eye to comprehend. Just how many troops had they mobilized? Realizing they would soon have to lay down their lives against this overwhelming horde, cold sweat trickled down the soldiers' foreheads. Their legs trembled uncontrollably.
Calderon Drake.
The heir of Umberto and commander of the frontline defense post turned to his adjutant, his expression remarkably calm.
"What is Kronos's troop count?"
"...According to our reconnaissance using Familiar magic, they have mobilized well over five hundred thousand troops. The real problem is that the Kronos Empire has deployed their Magic Towers. Even with our thorough preparations, Umberto cannot hold out for long on its own."
"So, the collusion between Valhalla and Kronos is true after all."
The death of the Emperor of Valhalla.
Any lingering questions regarding his assassination were instantly answered by the Kronos Empire's invasion.
Roman Dmitry had executed the Emperor of Valhalla precisely because of this treacherous alliance. Valhalla had loudly decried Roman Dmitry's actions as pure evil, but the moment Kronos crossed the border in perfect synchronization with Valhalla's military movements, all debate became meaningless. Their mutual benefits were laid bare for the world to see. This blatant cooperation gave the Kingdom Alliance more than enough justification to fight tooth and nail alongside Dmitry.
Calderon Drake spoke heavily.
"This war is a crisis of national survival. Roman Dmitry and his forces are currently isolated in Valhalla. At the same time, because the Kronos Empire has crossed Cairo's border, we cannot hope for reinforcements from Cairo or Dmitry. The same goes for the Hector Kingdom. Now that the Valhalla Empire is gathering its armies to march north, Hector cannot afford to make a hasty move."
Which meant...
"We must block the Kronos army before us using nothing but the strength of the Southern Three Kingdoms."
"...Ahem."
"Sigh."
Heavy sighs and groans echoed from all sides.
Though these were seasoned veterans who had traversed countless battlefields alongside Calderon Drake, facing the full might of the Kronos Empire left them feeling utterly helpless. Many would undoubtedly die here. But from the moment they joined the new Kingdom Alliance—from the moment they tasted true freedom—kneeling submissively was no longer an option.
They would fight.
One only had to look at the wretched fate of Odelia, a nation that had obediently followed Kronos, to know that a helpless surrender would lead directly to Umberto's ruin.
"Contact the Southern Three Kingdoms immediately," Calderon ordered. "This is an all-out war. Leaving only the absolute bare minimum to defend their respective borders, everyone must gather their forces here. If we can block the Kronos Empire's assault, we can turn the tide against these two monsters, Kronos and Valhalla."
"Understood!"
The command post moved with frantic urgency.
They had always known this day would come.
Umberto was a nation of iron resolve that had rejected Kronos's outstretched hand to the bitter end, and Calderon Drake was fully prepared to lay down his life for his country. He was a man whom Kronos had once classified as an A-rank target of vigilance. Inheriting the proud blood of the Drake family, he would not take a single step back, even if it meant dying on this very spot.
However...
In a situation where not a single variable could be permitted, Calderon Drake's plan hit a massive snag right from the start.
"Commander! Urgent messages have arrived from the other nations! There is a critical problem with mobilizing troops due to a massive riot in the Lawless Zone!"
A riot in the Lawless Zone.
It was a completely unexpected variable.
* * *
The forces of the Three Kingdoms Alliance.
A significant portion of their military had been deployed to the southern Lawless Zone, the territory once known as the Odelia Kingdom.
The commander in charge was Marquis Berber.
A high-ranking noble of the Frank Kingdom, he had been tasked with representing the Three Kingdoms Alliance to suppress the rioters in the Lawless Zone.
"The rioters of the Lawless Zone are nothing but a disorganized rabble. Sweep them away in one fell swoop."
The subjugation had been progressing smoothly.
The rioters, who had merely taken up crude spears and swords after their country fell, posed no real threat. The fully armed, disciplined soldiers of the Three Kingdoms pushed forward fiercely, quickly bringing the situation under control. Marquis Berber was confident they would clean up the entire region within a month at best, or two to three months at the longest.
However...
Just one hour before receiving Umberto's desperate request for support, a severe problem erupted in the Lawless Zone.
Thuck!
"Aaargh!"
"B-Block them!"
A massive riot broke out.
The rebels, who had been hiding in the shadows, launched a vicious surprise attack. But the nature of this battle was completely different from before. Ordinary rioters were usually powerless against a structured, disciplined army. That was why the Alliance hadn't worried much about clearing the Lawless Zone. Now, however, the rioters' behavior was highly unnatural. As if consumed by a demonic madness, they kept charging even after their limbs were severed. Casualties began mounting rapidly on all sides.
Crunch!
A rioter viciously bit into the neck of a Three Kingdoms soldier.
Even as a spear pierced his abdomen and rough hands tried to shove his face away, he clamped down harder, tearing the soldier's throat completely out.
Spurt.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Confirming that his opponent was dead, the rioter—despite his own intestines spilling from his stomach—frantically looked around for his next target. Then, he lunged again. As if killing the enemy was far more important than their own survival, the rioters charged like rabid beasts. Overwhelmed by this sheer, suicidal insanity, the soldiers of the Three Kingdoms Alliance fell one by one.
Behind this bloody vanguard...
...stood the leader of the rioters.
The man, who styled himself as the new king, was named Karman.
"Listen, my people!" Karman roared. "The southern kingdoms have dared to reveal their filthy intentions to seize my territory—your home! This land is ours! It was once called Odelia, but through me, Karman, this place shall be reborn as the Karman Kingdom!"
"For Karman!"
"For Karman!"
They were completely consumed by madness.
They had lost their minds.
Even Karman's eyes flickered with an eerie crimson glow as he followed behind the charging rioters, brutally finishing off the fallen soldiers.
Thuck.
"Die."
Karman shuddered in ecstasy.
Snuffing out a life... it brought him the ultimate pleasure.
Meanwhile, an Alliance knight collapsed on the ground looked up at him with a pale, blood-drained face.
"W-What are you planning? This is n-not normal strength. You are definitely... cough."
Crunch.
Karman ruthlessly drove his sword into the knight's back.
As the man thrashed and screamed in agony, Karman grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head back, forcing the knight to meet his gaze.
Smirking at the eyes filled with primal terror, Karman drew a small dagger and gently caressed the knight's face with the cold steel.
"This is why I hate quick-witted bastards," Karman whispered. "Since you're going to die anyway, I'll do you a special favor and tell you the truth. I am a man who lives only for the Kronos Empire. Odelia, the Karman Kingdom... such names are nothing but empty pretexts."
Press.
He applied pressure.
As the sharp edge dug into the skin, a thin line of blood trickled down the knight's cheek.
"So go to hell and watch. Watch closely as the insects who dare oppose the Empire are utterly exterminated."
With those final words...
"Aaargh!"
Karman slashed the knight's face open, silencing his screams forever.
* * *
At that exact same time, Roman Dmitry received three different reports through his magic communicator.
The first was from Chris.
[We have completely shaken off Valhalla's pursuit. To reach the warp point and move to the nearest Frank border, it will take at least three days, even traveling at maximum speed. As soon as we arrive in the Frank Kingdom, we will return to Dmitry, gather our forces, secure the duchy's safety as our top priority, and counter the Empire's attack.]
The second was from the Valhalla branch of the Hao Sect.
[The Valhalla Empire's military movements are highly unusual. While gathering their forces to prepare for a northward march, they are systematically shutting down the southern Warp Gates one by one. Seeing as they are also dispatching troops toward the Southern Jungle, it seems their true intention is to isolate you there, my Liege.]
And finally, from Dmitry's Knight Commander, Jonathan.
[Just a moment ago, the Kronos Empire crossed Cairo's border. Their forces are estimated to be at least five hundred thousand strong. We have dispatched a portion of our troops to aid the Cairo Kingdom, but as you previously ordered, we have left our core forces behind to defend Dmitry. The situation is critical. The Cairo and Umberto Kingdoms are under heavy attack, Hector is preparing for an all-out battle against Valhalla, and a massive riot has just broken out in the Lawless Zone. If things continue like this, the Kingdom Alliance will be in grave danger.]
Crises were erupting simultaneously across the continent.
Looking at this coordinated series of events...
Roman Dmitry instantly grasped Valhalla's underlying intention.
So, they intend to tie my feet and buy time while they wipe out my allies in the surrounding areas.
Alexander.
The Emperor of Kronos certainly needed time.
Yet, the reason he had declared war so suddenly was because this was his absolute last chance to utilize the Valhalla Empire as a weapon. As time passed, continental public opinion would inevitably shift back in Roman Dmitry's favor. Since the Emperor of Valhalla was dead, the empire wouldn't be able to exert the same political influence as before. If public sentiment demanded the revelation of the evidence found in the tomb, the tide of the war could easily turn.
Of course, pushing for a war now would meet with great resistance, but Alexander had judged that this exact moment—when Valhalla's rage over their Emperor's death was at its absolute peak—was the golden opportunity to strike.
Sure enough...
Rustle.
Rustle.
In the dense darkness surrounding him...
...he could sense numerous presences parting the bushes, slowly drawing near.
* * *
It was a deeply familiar situation.
His past life.
The exact same thing had happened back then in Zhongyuan.
The Righteous Faction Murim, having personally experienced the overwhelming, god-like might of the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk, knew they stood absolutely no chance in a head-on clash. So, they expanded the scope of the battlefield. They believed that if they secured victories on every single battlefield except the one where Baek Joong-hyuk stood, they would eventually gain the upper hand through sheer numbers and attrition. With that desperate conviction, they had bypassed Baek Joong-hyuk entirely, launching simultaneous, coordinated attacks on his surrounding territories.
Truly...
...it was a pathetic strategy.
Choosing to buy time and chip away at his forces simply because they lacked the courage and strength to face him directly in battle.
Back then...
...what choice had Baek Joong-hyuk made?
As countless hostile presences closed in around him in the dark jungle, Roman Dmitry calmly raised his magic communicator.
[Chris. Convey the orders I am about to give to everyone.]
Baek Joong-hyuk in his past life...
...had been an absolute existence.
He had no equal on the battlefield. No matter how many enemies rushed him, he slaughtered them all with a single swing of his sword. His individual martial prowess was more than enough to overwhelm the entire world. But what he desired was true conquest, and ruling the Murim was impossible if he was the only one who possessed strength.
In the end...
...he needed people.
Subordinates he could trust to delegate tasks to.
He needed powerful existences who could trample and subjugate the enemy in his stead on the battlefields where he was absent.
That was why he had taken in followers in this life.
The reason he had accepted Hans, Kevin, Chris, Henderson, and the others was because he wanted the domain he would build in the future to stand firm against any threat. It was the exact same philosophy as his past life. Just as countless Righteous Faction martial artists had died trying to deal with a single Mad Demon, the domain of the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk would never collapse helplessly under a scattered enemy offensive.
It was no different this time.
Dmitry.
Cairo.
Hector.
And the Southern Three Kingdoms.
In the process of forging this massive domain, Roman Dmitry had no intention of solving every single problem himself. His allies had to bear the weight of their own realistic burdens. Therefore, to prove that they were worthy of standing within his domain, they needed to actively apply the teachings they had received from him and prove their own worth with blood and steel.
Many would die.
But...
...once this war was over, Dmitry would be reborn as an Iron Fortress that no one could ever tear down.
[It will take at least fifteen days for me to arrive there,] Roman commanded. [Until then, hold out using your own strength. Prove your worth to the enemy—prove that the Kingdom Alliance is not easy prey, even in my absence. If you can hold out and endure until then...]
Flash.
Countless red lights flared up in the surrounding darkness.
The enemies did not rashly charge.
They were merely here to delay his steps; their goal was not to eliminate Roman Dmitry, but to trap him.
[...I will surely come for you.]
Click.
He cut off the magic communication.
And then...
"Worthless bugs."
He took a step forward into the darkness, walking straight toward the space flickering with countless hostile lights.