Chapter 1374: The Turning Point Arrives

The expeditionary force from the deep sea would become the turning point in the long war on the continent of Loren—this was the firm belief of Belsethia, the Silver Queen.

After the early setbacks caused by inadequate preparation, the prolonged stalemate following the stabilization of the front lines, and the current tentative counterattacks, the vast scale and ferocity of the Wasteland Legion’s assaults remained formidable. Yet the shadow that once weighed heavily on the soldiers’ hearts had begun to lift. Those monsters could be killed; their main forces could be annihilated; their commanders would inevitably be exposed to the Alliance’s spearhead. Once the enemy was no longer seen as invincible, the warriors of the civilized world found renewed courage to endure this difficult period, and the people gained enough confidence to await the turning point.

A powerful external reinforcement would undoubtedly break the current balance on the battlefield, tipping the scales decisively in favor of mortals. The day of a full-scale counteroffensive against the Wasteland was fast approaching. Belsethia hoped her soldiers were ready.

“Our industrial system is now running at full capacity,” the voice of her handmaiden, Ilian, sounded calmly in the night, soothing and steady. “The ancient foundries and artisan golems, dormant for centuries, are tirelessly producing components for the purification devices around the clock. As long as the front advances, the raw materials needed for the barrier walls will flow continuously.”

“We even have surplus purification cores to send to the Typhon Empire. General Shana’s legion cleared the aberrant forces occupying the Blue Rock Hills yesterday. The artisans are now working around the clock to repair the railway line there, which the enemy had sabotaged. Once the route is restored, trains carrying purification cores will depart for the eastern front.”

“The enemy’s previous assault on the forward base was successfully repelled. The Solin Guard and the Millennium Legion have reinforced the northern defenses of the Stars’ Sanctuary. With the crisis at the Greta Fortress resolved, we can now concentrate all our forces on advancing within the Wasteland. The first purification device is already operational. General Lomar will personally lead the Millennium Legion deeper into the Wasteland to construct the second facility under the coverage of the first purification tower.”

“Our communication with the north has been restored. According to the latest reports, the northern barrier wall is progressing smoothly. There, the enemy’s counterattacks are as fierce as ours, but the Cecilian forces have built a defensive line with a barrage of artillery fire and living flames capable of scorching entire plains. Their barrier wall has already penetrated two hundred kilometers into the Wasteland and is rapidly advancing toward the heart of the Ancient Gondor Empire, toward the Deep Blue Well.”

“On the western front, Duke Bertram and Commander Jina have assisted the reorganized Augure tribal coalition in clearing all enemies within their territory. The sky fortress known as ‘Dawn of the Mortal World’ will soon begin moving eastward. Although the Augure homeland lacks the capacity to produce purification devices, these flying fortresses reportedly carry large-scale war factories onboard. They will continuously manufacture purification devices during transit and air-drop them into the Wasteland—a remarkable ‘construction plan’ said to have been personally proposed and implemented by Princess Rebecca. If this plan succeeds, the western barrier wall might even outpace the other three fronts in construction progress…”

Listening to Ilian’s steady report, Belsethia felt a measure of calm settle over her. Her gaze stretched far into the darkness of night—toward the direction of the Gondor Wasteland, the human empire’s corrupted and polluted ruins shrouded in murky clouds. For seven centuries, that land had been lifeless, untouched by the light of civilization. But now, subtle changes were underway. She saw a faint line of light stretching from her feet into the dark depths. At the far end, a larger cluster of lights gathered—a vague outline of buildings and a radiant tower standing at the center like a lighthouse, illuminating a vast surrounding area.

Through the eyes of a high-level transcendent, the chaotic energy field around the tower was clearly becoming orderly. The tranquil magical environment sharply contrasted with the distant Wasteland. The clouds and air currents above the tower seemed affected as well; the thick, polluted clouds were gradually dissipating, and the constant sparks of energy in the high atmosphere were far fewer than in other regions.

That was the first purification base—the initial step of the barrier wall extending into the Wasteland. Over the past two days, the aberrants had launched frenzied assaults on that base and the Stars’ Sanctuary Fortress beneath Belsethia’s feet, desperate to snuff out the purification device before it could be activated. But the loyal Millennium Legion and the Solin Guard, led by the little elf Belna, withstood every attack. Now, the tower’s light shone brightly. The aberrants in the Wasteland’s main forces weakened and collapsed rapidly whenever they approached the tower. The dark priests finally abandoned their futile assaults.

Thus, artificial light shone once more in this dark, fallen Wasteland. The pioneers of the civilized world had, for the first time, established a truly “safe zone.”

Next, these safe zones would connect to form a great wall, linking with the north-south barrier wall. Meanwhile, the Typhon Empire and the Augure tribal nation would build an east-west barrier. The intersecting force fields created by these two walls would completely sever the energy cycle within the Wasteland, “correcting” this thoroughly alienated land back to a normal state.

Ilian noticed the Silver Queen’s gaze and followed it to the same distant point. After a few seconds of silence, the handmaiden finally spoke: “Seven hundred years… No one ever imagined this Wasteland could truly be ‘healed.’ And the key technology needed to do so was right there in our blueprint archives all along… Even when we shared the purification device’s core technology with the continent’s nations, we never expected it could be used to disrupt the Wasteland’s energy cycle.”

“The scholars’ revelations about the nature of magic have lifted the veil of ignorance. It turns out that only by pursuing truth can problems be truly solved. Without that step, no matter how much wealth we excavate from our ancestors’ legacies, we’re just treading water—or worse, wasting those legacies,” Belsethia murmured. “So, in a way… the fall of the Stars’ Sanctuary was actually a blessing.”

“Some of the ‘elders’ in the Astrologers’ Guild won’t like hearing that,” Ilian chuckled. “It’s already hard enough to get them to admit the Silver Empire is falling behind in this era, and now you’re shaking their faith even more.”

“Their opinions don’t matter. While I acknowledge their past achievements and glory, the empire cannot function with parts that choose to stagnate,” Belsethia said lightly, lowering her gaze. “The sanctuary has fallen… and finally, we can free those clever minds who spent their days mining knowledge and patching ancient machines from the stale confines of the old sanctuary. I only hope they can soon emerge from the shadow of its fall and, like the other elves who have chosen to move forward, apply their lifelong knowledge and wisdom to building the next ‘Stars’ Sanctuary.’”

“The next Stars’ Sanctuary…” Ilian’s eyes widened slightly. “Have you already decided to build a new sky fortress?”

“Perhaps it’s not the right time yet, but that doesn’t stop Master Virania and me from making preliminary plans,” Belsethia nodded slightly. “During the joint construction of the ‘Dawn of the Mortal World’ with the Cecilian Empire, we gained invaluable experience. Large anti-gravity engine arrays and parallel power spines have solved over eighty percent of the engineering challenges we faced in restoring the Stars’ Sanctuary’s power system. Large deck closure technology and keel casting techniques are no problem for the Silver Empire’s current industrial base. The only remaining challenge is the control core… Cecilian large-scale servo brains and neural networks are on the trade list.”

Ilian was visibly surprised. “They even sell those?!”

“Because they can make better ones, and they want every country in the world to use data processing and transmission formats that comply with the ‘Cecilian standard,’” Belsethia smiled at her handmaiden. “Buying their servo brains and neural network components means the purchaser must build their ‘modern industrial system’ according to Cecilian technical standards—whether factories, ships, anti-gravity fortresses, or domestic communication and public management systems. Servo brains and neural networks are indispensable parts of these ‘modern technologies.’ When the whole world uses the same ‘standard specifications,’ if you don’t want to be excluded, you have no choice but to use the same components. So, of course, the Cecilians sell them—and sell them in huge quantities.”

Ilian seemed to have never considered this before and looked quite astonished. “So we…”

“This isn’t a conspiracy, but an open exchange of interests. When we buy Cecilian servo brains and neural network components, we also export our anti-gravity technology and casting standards. It’s like how Typhon is recently promoting their ‘Crystal International Standard Library’ and ‘Modern Spell Registration System.’ For Typhon, Cecilia, and us, the ‘price’ of these exchanges is acceptable. And for the other Alliance members… it’s worth it too. Meanwhile, these exchanges will genuinely push our world forward. Whether the direction is right or not—that’s for history to judge.”

Belsethia smiled suddenly. “This war has truly united all the nations of Loren into an ‘Alliance,’ even more so than the 112th Conference itself. The great powers’ influence will rapidly spread during this process. A new order and pattern will form and solidify—until the next reshuffle. Ilian, this process is neither purely light nor dark, because this is simply how the world develops.”

“…I understand,” Ilian said after a moment’s thought, exhaling softly. “It just feels complicated—somehow, Uncle Gawain’s current image is a bit scary.”

Belsethia’s gaze settled on Ilian. After a few seconds, she suddenly laughed softly. “Don’t worry, Uncle Gawain is still our Uncle Gawain—only now, he’s also the leader of the Cecilian Empire.”

…

“Achoo!”

Gawain’s hearty sneeze startled Hetty, Amber, and the holographic image of Duke Bertram in the office. Hetty immediately looked over with concern. “Ancestor, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. My nose just suddenly itched,” Gawain rubbed his nose. “I’m afraid someone’s been whispering about me behind my back…”

“Someone whispering behind your back… you?” Hetty looked a bit dazed. “What does that have to do with sneezing?”

Gawain’s mouth twitched. Unable to explain this mysterious hometown superstition, he waved his hand awkwardly to change the subject. “Nothing, just something I said offhand. Duke Bertram, tell us about your situation. The northern, eastern, and southern fronts are all improving rapidly. We’re just waiting on your report.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the bust of Grant Duke Bald Franklin hovered above the arcane network terminal. Compared to last year, the scholarly mage’s face now bore a sharper edge befitting a military commander, yet his voice remained calm and measured. “The situation on the Western Front has always been more complicated than elsewhere. Widespread territory losses, destruction, refugees, and uncontrollable mutant creatures have all hindered our progress. But these issues are now fully under control.

“The tribes of Augrey have reorganized their forces and established a joint command center in Red Ruby City. With medical supplies and weaponry secured, the local troops are now capable of managing domestic disaster relief and mutant containment on their own. They have also regained control over all the mountain barrier defenses. Commander Jina and I will soon begin moving toward the wasteland, repairing the outpost fortresses there to serve as the starting point of the blockade wall.

“Princess Rebecca’s ‘Heaven’s Justice’ plan has passed theoretical validation and undergone multiple tests. Provided we secure air superiority and conduct preliminary surface ‘clearing,’ the method of air-dropping components for rapid assembly on the ground is feasible. The only issue lies in the limitations of the temporary anti-gravity framework. To strike the best balance between safety and deployment efficiency, all airdropped components must be further disassembled and lightened. This results in purification devices that, unlike the more robust ground stations on other fronts, have a somewhat limited operational lifespan.”

“How limited?” Heddy couldn’t help but ask upon hearing the purification devices would only last a mere six months under the new plan.

“In the harsh wasteland environment, they can operate steadily for about half a year,” Bald explained. “The purification cores endure tremendous stress. After being cut down and lightened, the cores gradually melt under their own energy output. Since the devices cannot be shut down once activated, we can’t extend their lifespan by replacing cores or performing maintenance.”

“What if we built them on the ground in the conventional way?” Heddy pressed. “Like on the other fronts…”

“We lack the manpower, Your Highness,” Bald said regretfully, shaking his head. “Moreover, ground construction is costly. A devastated Augrey cannot provide sufficient logistical support. If we forced it, we wouldn’t be able to complete the blockade wall in time to link up with the other three fronts.”

“So the war must end within six months,” Gawain said, locking eyes with Bald. “Complete the blockade wall, activate it, and then heal the wasteland. Once the energy cycle in the wasteland is severed, the blockade wall won’t be needed anymore. A shorter lifespan is acceptable.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

(End of chapter)