Novel Full Chapter 301 - 301: Battle of the Morval Valley
The projectiles pierced the misty canopy and detonated upon hitting the floor. Pillars of green and orange flame tore through the pine forests.
The sheer heat liquefied the rocky terrain, turning miles of ancient timber into glowing craters of ash and cooling glass. Hidden border outposts splintered under the shockwaves.
The guards stationed in the outer trenches had no time to retreat as the fire washed over their positions, incinerating flesh and steel in seconds.
Kronos shielded his eyes from the blinding glare. 'Nothing can survive a barrage of that scale,' he thought, listening to the echoing booms bouncing off the mountain walls.
But the mist did not dissipate. The psychic fog reacted to the bombardment like a wounded, living organism. The crimson haze surged toward the impact zones and thickened into dense clouds that smothered the alchemical flames completely.
It knitted the breached defenses back together, replacing the burned pines with twisting, shadowy illusions to obscure the valley once more.
Then, the fog began to rise.
The mist scaled the rocky cliffs at an unnatural speed to reach the Vanguard lines. It drifted straight into the artillery batteries. A loader dropped his heavy iron tongs, clutching his helmet as the psychic dread seeped through the metal.
Another engineer staggered backward and aimed his bolt-thrower wildly at the empty sky, his eyes wide with sudden terror.
Krug grabbed the panicked engineer by the collar and threw him away from the cliff edge. He watched the crimson fog spill further over the ridge, realizing standard fire was entirely useless against pure mental energy.
Red warning runes flashed across the holographic tactical map floating in the center of the command deck.
Rubedo leaned back on his throne and rested his chin on his knuckles. He watched the crimson icons representing the psychic fog breach the Vanguard artillery lines on the surface.
His finger hovered over the command console. He possessed the authority to deploy hard-light barriers or drop a concentrated orbital strike to burn the domain away completely.
However, that only worked in his own territory or the ones he had conquered.
'Let them figure it out, Rubedo decided. He tapped the console to dismiss the flashing alert. A sovereign cannot hold his generals' hands through every battle. They need to adapt. And with Krug there… it will be a good example and lesson for all of them to know what it means to serve me.'
"Glitch." Rubedo called out. "Go have some fun."
[ BASE SUMMONING COST: 1,500,000 DP ]
[ SUSTAINMENT UPKEEP: 50,000 DP PER MINUTE ]
A low, vibrating purr broke the silence of the room. Glitch stepped out from the shadows near the throne. The anomaly's pitch-black fur bristled as it stared intently at the planetary projection.
It cared nothing for military strategy, troop formations, or Vanguard casualties. It smelled the dense pool of pure psychic mana waiting on the surface.
Hunger overrode any need for a formal command. Glitch slashed a velvet-padded paw through the air, tearing a spatial rift directly into the sanctuary floor. It dove straight into the swirling void.
Rubedo simply raised an eyebrow and returned his attention to the monitors. "Enjoy your meal," he murmured to the empty room.
Down in the Morval valley, the sky tore open. Glitch dropped from the void and landed silently on the scorched earth right in the center of the crimson mist.
The fog immediately reacted to the foreign presence. The mist surged inward, forming twisting, shadowy claws to crush the invader's mind.
Glitch unhinged its jaw.
Its anti-mana field flared to life across the craters. The sudden vacuum dragged the entire psychic domain toward the tiny creature. The mind-altering fog spiraled into a tight funnel, rushing straight down Glitch's throat.
The glowing geometric runes along the anomaly's spine flared with bright emerald light as it digested the attack. The thick mist vanished entirely within seconds, stripping the valley of its primary defense.
As the psychic energy settled into its core, Glitch processed the concentrated mental data. A flood of information, such as the hidden terrain, the layout of the Morval palace, and the encrypted patrol routes, flowed directly into Rubedo's mind through their neural tether.
Up on the ridge, Krug released his grip on the panicked engineer. The creeping red tendrils around their iron boots dissolved into harmless, empty air. The oppressive weight pressing against their skulls vanished completely.
Krug walked back to the precipice and looked down. The valley was finally laid bare. Miles of cooling alchemical glass smoked under the pale sky. Down below, the terrified Morval royal guard stood completely exposed among the craters.
They clutched their steel spears, staring up at the Vanguard ridge in sheer disbelief.
Krug pulled his greataxe from the frozen dirt.
"The fog is gone," Krug announced to the artillery crews. He pointed the iron blade down at the exposed soldiers.
Krug pointed his iron blade down at the exposed soldiers. "Draw your weapons. It is time to march."
Kronos drew his broadsword. The heavy metal scraped against the scabbard to ring clearly in the quiet mountain air. He looked down at the terrified guards gathering among the alchemical craters.
'I handed my empire over without a fight,' Kronos thought, tightening his grip on the hilt. 'If I simply stand back and let Krug fight every battle, Rubedo will see no reason to keep me breathing.'
"Let me take the frontline," Kronos requested. He stepped past Krug and approached the very edge of the precipice. "They were my allies. I should be the one to break their lines."
Kronos had always been prideful. He wanted to earn everything by himself and prove his worth. Otherwise, he would feel unworthy and think of it as a pitiful insult in the name of forgiveness and gratitude.
"Very well," Krug lowered his greataxe and gestured toward the valley floor. "The path is yours."
"I am grateful."
Kronos threw himself over the edge. He slid down the rocky incline, using the sheer weight of his armor to build forward momentum. Loose gravel cascaded around his boots as he plummeted toward the valley floor.