Chapter 1314: The Reinforcement Plan

The sentinel towers along the wasteland border were gradually coming back online. This intelligence came from two observation posts near Typhon and the southwestern frontier of the Empire.

Of course, the reactivated sentinel towers did not include the 98th High Tower, which had been confirmed completely destroyed. That tower had been reduced to a massive ruin after a series of explosions and collapses. Within its original projection zone, the Magnificent Wall had been torn open by an irreparable breach, currently blocked by a verdant barrier conjured by Beltira.

“According to reports from the two distant outposts, we can confirm that most sections of the Magnificent Wall are slowly self-repairing. The speed and scale of the mutant hordes pouring out of the wasteland have been effectively contained,” Philip reported solemnly via hologram, “However, there are still numerous sizable gaps along the entire barrier. Besides sections like the 98th Tower that were utterly destroyed, some areas are experiencing power drops, reduced projection ranges, and connection misalignments. Our troops are still working hard to seal these breaches, but communication along the entire front is severely disrupted, making it difficult to verify the status of all our allies.”

“It seems the Silver Elves’ situation has improved somewhat—they’ve at least regained control of the Magnificent Wall… but what exactly happened in the south?” Gawain frowned deeply, pressing his hand against the table. “Are we still unable to contact the Silver Empire?”

“No contact,” Heddy replied from her seat. “Since the sentinel towers malfunctioned, all communications with the southern continent have been completely severed. The sentinel data network hasn’t restored its communication functions despite the barrier’s reactivation.”

She paused briefly before adding, “Still, the successful reboot of the barrier is a positive sign. It means the Silver Empire’s situation hasn’t spiraled out of control—they’re still trying to salvage the situation.”

Gawain said nothing, lost in thought for a moment before looking back at Philip. “What about Typhon? How are things there?”

“We’ve reestablished contact with Typhon. The eastern front is gradually stabilizing. Their mage corps and national knights are reclaiming lost ground,” Philip nodded. “Of course, their losses are heavier than ours. Although their barrier hasn’t collapsed entirely, a major mutant legion infiltrated the southern section of Typhon’s defenses… General Andersa didn’t provide details, but I suspect the damage was significant.”

“At least they’ve held the line,” Gawain exhaled softly, then turned to Heddy with a graver expression and a sterner tone. “What about the western front?”

“…Aside from confirming the Taimu Forest region, which doesn’t directly border the wasteland, is safe, we’ve completely lost contact with the entire Ogure Tribal Nation. The situation on the western front is unknown,” Heddy hesitated for less than a second, her face darkening. “When the Magnificent Wall went dark, the energy shockwave swept across the western region, causing the most severe communication blackout anywhere. Lady Wenna in Taimu Forest told us she’s lost contact with the rest of her country. Our tech experts estimate that even Ogure’s internal communication networks likely didn’t survive… Ancestors, we have no choice but to assume the worst for the western front.”

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and oppressive. Even Amber, standing beside Gawain, wore a taut expression. No one spoke, but everyone understood—trouble in the Ogure Tribal Nation was grave.

From the start, the Ogure Tribal Nation was never meant to be a main front in the “Counterattack the Wasteland” operation. It was a unique land of mountains and rivers, sparsely populated with a loose administrative structure, naturally shielded from the wasteland. Though home to fierce warrior races like the orcs, the tribe’s overall military strength was limited. They relied on the natural mountain ranges east of their territory to block the occasional monsters and pollution wandering out of the wasteland. Their late industrial development and weak infrastructure meant they lacked the capacity to push directly into the wasteland. Their primary mission was to guard against small monster bands drifting from other regions.

No one expected the sudden blackout of the Magnificent Wall to turn every border of the civilized world into a frontline. No one foresaw the energy radiation unleashed at the moment the wall went dark would concentrate its impact on the continent’s western side.

“Why did the energy surge focus on the west?” Rebecca muttered suddenly in the quiet room, lost in thought and oblivious to the tense atmosphere around her. “The Magnificent Wall went dark along its entire length, so the energy should have dispersed evenly. Could there be something in the west attracting such a massive energy field…?”

“That’s not the point anymore,” Gawain shook his head gently. “The priority is to quickly ascertain the situation on the western front. The mountain ranges can temporarily slow the mutant legions, but sooner or later, those monsters will cross the mountains. Once they fully occupy a civilized nation, they’ll have a foothold beyond the wasteland, gaining strategic depth and a base to expand. The special pollution they carry will soon turn the Ogure Tribal Nation into a second wasteland.”

“I’ve reached an agreement with Lady Wenna and dispatched an advance force into Taimu Forest,” the Duke of the Western Territories, Bald Franklin, appeared on another hologram in the room. “The vanguard will attempt to enter southern Ogure via the ancient Gray Elf trade routes, assess the situation, and restore communications…”

“If necessary, you will personally lead the garrison legions of the Western Military District to reinforce Ogure,” Gawain said gravely, then looked toward another communication projection in the room. “Byron, where are you now?”

“I’ve returned to North Harbor, Your Majesty,” Byron responded promptly from his hologram. “The messenger to Talrond took off several hours ago. I’m awaiting your orders.”

“Take sufficient weapons and supplies, lead the Imperial Navy to White Feather Port, and arm the Gray Elves there. Then proceed south along the circumnavigation route, enter the Ogure interior via the Odor Sacred River, and prepare for a landing operation. Also, check the coastal communication chain along the circumnavigation route. Those monsters can’t advance that fast to the coast; any communication failures there should be equipment issues. Bring enough engineering ships and technical teams to restore our north-south communications along the coast. We don’t know when inland communications will recover, so we need a backup plan.”

“The Odor Sacred River…” Byron frowned slightly, quickly recalling the large river running from southern Ogure to the sea. Concern flickered across his face. “Can the Winter’s Wrath navigate that inland river?”

“Yes. The river is wide enough for a flagship like the Winter’s Wrath,” Gawain said confidently. “Its mouth leads to the Highland Kingdom. If we still can’t restore communications with the southern continent by then, you’ll dispatch part of the fleet there to assess and support the southern front.”

Byron inhaled deeply. The graying “Knight Errant” felt the weight of the responsibility ahead. His expression grew more serious than ever. He straightened up and nodded firmly. “I will complete the mission!”

After the new orders were issued, the room fell silent for a moment. But then a voice came from a nearby arcane network terminal: “Your Majesty, it may still be too late.”

Gawain looked up to see Victoria’s image appear on the hologram opposite him.

“The main fleet must sail halfway around the continent to enter the Odor Sacred River. Ground forces can only enter Ogure’s interior through the ancient trade routes in southern Taimu Forest. Both routes are viable but too slow,” the Northern Duchess said with her usual cold composure, though a trace of worry crept into her tone. “If Ogure’s border forces have already collapsed, I doubt the remaining resistance can hold out until our reinforcements arrive…”

Victoria voiced what most in the room feared—everyone knew the situation on the Ogure front could already be dire. Even if the Cecil Empire had the strength to send aid, the reinforcements might not arrive in time.

Ogure, a land dormant for millennia, was surrounded by mountains to the east—now likely crawling with monsters—forests to the north, a distant coastline and ancient Dwarf Kingdom to the west (separated by more mountain ranges), and dense mountain forests stretching south to the Highland Kingdom’s border. Whether by land or sea, entering this ancient realm was fraught with difficulty. Over recent years, the Cecil Empire and Ogure tribes had traded and built roads and waterways through the mountains and forests, but a few years of effort was clearly insufficient to make the land easily accessible.

Monsters, however, cared nothing for such obstacles. They marched tirelessly through wilderness and mountains, crossing peaks and filling valleys.

Yet, faced with Victoria’s concerns, Gawain’s mind quickly settled on a decision.

The modernized Cecil army had “new era solutions” for “age-old problems.”

“We don’t have only two routes,” he said, tapping the table lightly as he looked at Rebecca, who was still deep in thought. “Rebecca, how far along is the Dawn of the Mortal World’s launch preparation?”

“Ah? Ah!” Rebecca snapped out of her reverie, startled at first, then quickly realizing. “You mean the Dawn of the Mortal World? Well… if we only need basic flight and combat capability, it’s ready now. But the supercritical accelerator is still undergoing final calibration. That thing packs a huge punch…”

“Launch it now,” Gawain cut her off decisively. “No more adjustments. We need the Dawn of the Mortal World’s power immediately.”

“But…” Rebecca instinctively wanted to protest, but swallowed her words. Even a lead ball like her alloy brain understood priorities. “Alright, I understand. I’ll initiate the launch sequence right away…”

“Not just the Dawn of the Mortal World,” Gawain continued. “Also the first batch of Gorgon platforms. We must prepare for the possibility that the entire western front has fallen. One sky fortress alone can’t hold the kingdom. We need to rebuild the entire western defense line quickly, at least to seal the breaches on the wasteland’s western edge.”

“Understood,” Rebecca nodded swiftly, then frowned slightly, hesitating before speaking. “But… ancestor, I have to go with the Dawn of the Mortal World.”

“You? You’re going on the expedition with the Dawn of the Mortal World?” Gawain immediately frowned. Rebecca’s words caught him completely off guard. “Why are you tagging along? That’s the front line, not a place for you—”

“The core systems of the Dawn of the Mortal World still need fine-tuning, and many of the upper district’s facilities haven’t even been tested yet. Without a technical lead on board, that fortress probably won’t be able to unleash even a third of its true power,” Rebecca said, unusually stubborn in front of Gawain. “Besides, if I bring a team of technicians, we can keep building the supercritical accelerator and the remaining weapon systems while the ship is in operation. We just need to bring enough materials…”

She paused to gather her thoughts, then continued, “And there’s something even more important—the Dawn of the Mortal World has its own ‘brain,’ but many of its operations still require manual intervention. The fortress’s operators have only just finished theoretical training, and they’ve barely completed half the simulation exercises. I’m not comfortable letting them take over the main system directly. I have to lead the team myself, so if any problems come up, I can guide them on the spot…”

As she spoke, she kept a close eye on Gawain’s expression. By the time she finished, her voice had dropped to a cautious whisper, and she hunched her shoulders slightly. “…Is that not okay?”

Gawain said nothing, only looking at Rebecca with a strange, unreadable expression.

At some point, the youthful naivety she once had had faded away. Though she was still a bit impulsive and prone to wild ideas, this Rebecca was clearly very different from the girl Gawain had first met.

“Alright,” Gawain said suddenly, his tone grave. “Then the Dawn of the Mortal World is yours.”

“Yay!”

“But there’s one thing you need to remember,” Gawain cut in before Rebecca could get too excited, dousing her enthusiasm with a cold splash. “You’re not a general. You don’t understand warfare. Don’t start giving orders outside the Dawn of the Mortal World. Coordinate with Duke Bertram and General Byron’s operations. For air support, follow Commander Jinna’s advice. Got it?”

Rebecca quickly suppressed her excitement, straightening her face and nodding firmly at the old commander. “Yes, I understand!”

Gawain grunted in acknowledgment and withdrew his gaze from her. “Good. Now, next—”

Before he could finish, the magic network terminal beside him suddenly activated on its own. The avatar of Mimirina appeared, hovering in midair. “Hold on a moment. Don’t panic when I say this—Old Deer has run off.”

(End of chapter)