Chapter 346: Second Plan

The brilliant interspatial vortex of light flickered in the center of the snowy courtyard, emitting a soft magical hum that resonated in the chests of everyone present.

The freezing outside air seemed to be sucked in by the ancient relic’s energy, inviting them to cross the threshold.

One by one, each of the girls from the Kowarre group, including the imposing Ophelia, stepped firmly into the portal leading to the ancient hidden elf village.

However, for the group, the experience was an overwhelming shock to their senses. None of the other women had entered this isolated space since that fateful day when Ryan officially became a Demon King.

Therefore, upon crossing the portal and seeing how much this enormous place had expanded, they all reacted with deep, genuine surprise, stopping dead in their tracks the moment their boots touched the lush green grass.

The only ones who crossed without showing any reaction were Irina and Lise, who walked with absolute tranquility, unlike the rest. They had already seen the transformation of this place.

What was once a simple, limited valley housing a few elven homes had now transformed into a landscape of colossal proportions. The artificial sky stretched as far as the eye could see, simulating an infinite celestial vault. The air was pure and dense, saturated with magical energy so intense that it made their skin tingle.

"This is impressive. Is this really the same place we were before?" Alicia commented in a completely incredulous tone. The beastwoman twitched her ears in all directions, her tail swishing nervously as her sharp animal instincts failed to process the immensity of the territory opening up before her.

Chloe, who was walking a few steps behind, brought both hands to her chest. She had been held prisoner in this very place during her days as an enemy of Kowarre, locked in a wooden cell inside the small village.

But even knowing the terrain, seeing the radical change in the environment surprised her greatly. The suffocating confinement of her memories had been replaced by an infinite horizon full of life.

"There are massive trees and entire mountain ranges on the horizon that definitely weren’t here before... Have you already explored the very edge of this place, Ryan?" Mirian questioned. The skilled archer narrowed her eyes, trying in vain to calculate the distance to the peaks rising in the distance.

Lise and Irina stayed to the side and didn’t say anything about it. The elf and the dragoness already knew about this strange expansion phenomenon and shared a knowing look, mildly amused by their companions’ exaggerated reactions.

Even Helen, who usually complained about everything, was completely speechless and awestruck by the display of absolute power. She closed her eyes for a second, focusing on the dense flow of energy fueling the very existence of this world.

"This place, I mean... The colossal size of this whole place and its ecosystem, is this what physically represents your total amount of mana right now?" Helen murmured, asking that terrifying question in a very low tone, almost as if she feared breaking the valley’s equilibrium with her voice.

"Exactly. That’s why he is our undisputed king. None of you should be surprised by his greatness at this point," Beatrice commented with a smile full of devotion and pride, lifting her chin. The beautiful infernal always found the perfect opportunity to praise her lord’s growth.

Ophelia, for her part, walked a few steps across the green meadow and looked up at the sky, taking in the overwhelming reality of that strange dimension.

"My subordinate Ivis told me about this place in detail when she returned from her mission, but honestly, I didn’t think it would be this huge and complex," Ophelia said, looking genuinely surprised.

For a demon queen who had perfected her darkness magic, seeing such a vast creation left her fascinated.

"When Ivis came here, this space wasn’t this big," Ryan explained, walking calmly over the grass until he stood in the center of his group of warriors. "This world grew exponentially and became much more stable after I reached the SSS rank."

Silence and awe dominated the atmosphere for a few more seconds, allowing everyone to process that they were literally standing on a material extension of Ryan’s power.

Then, he took a couple more steps forward and turned on his heels, standing directly in front of them all with an imposing, authoritative posture. The slight amusement on his face was replaced by the cold, calculating gaze of a commander in chief.

"I brought you all here because, precisely in this place, we will carry out the second part of my plan. If we are truly going to launch an attack on the distant nation of Geizan, we will do it by taking all the necessary precautions to ensure our victory."

The women in front of him abandoned their awe over the landscape and paid full attention to his words, straightening their postures immediately.

"What kind of precautions do you have in mind?" Ophelia asked, crossing her arms and analyzing the human king with great interest.

"We won’t fight directly in the cities of Geizan. That would expose us to ambushes, church traps, and the attrition of fighting on enemy territory," Ryan commented, and a malicious, dark smile full of terrifying tactical genius spread across his face. "We will bring our targets here."

The declaration fell like a bucket of cold water over the group, breaking the traditional mold of any military invasion they knew.

"What are you saying?" Helen asked immediately, frowning as she tried to process the magnitude of that idea.

"We’re going to use the teleportation stones to force a spatial jump and bring Priscilla, and whoever is protecting her, straight here?" Mirian asked.

Ophelia fell deep in thought for a long moment, analyzing the resistances of this world’s barrier and the runic formulas necessary for an interdimensional kidnapping.

"Yes. It’s completely possible. No... in fact, there will be no problem at all teleporting those humans straight in here," the demon queen affirmed, nodding her head in technical approval.

’Naturally, some time ago I was the victim of those annoying forced teleportations. What a nuisance that was. But the third part of my plan will make it possible to achieve this without interruptions,’ Ryan thought.

"I really didn’t think you’d come up with something like this," Beatrice said, looking very thoughtful, but with a gleam of dangerous excitement in her violet eyes. "But it’s a perfect plan. I mean... we won’t be fighting in elven territory where they have the advantage of numbers and probably a lot of traps. We will bring our worst enemies to our own hunting ground," the beautiful infernal added, smiling cruelly.

"But young master..." Lise interjected with a hint of doubt in her tone, taking a step forward. "Will this isolated place, which is literally sustained by your own reserve of magical energy, be able to withstand the enormous pressure and destructive presence of all of us fighting at the same time? And on top of that, will it be able to endure the killing blows of the church’s SS-rank holy knights without collapsing?"

The dragon maid’s concern was very valid. If the space shattered under the tension of multiple SS and SSS-rank auras clashing, the consequences for Ryan’s body and mana core could be lethal.

"I’ve already considered that carefully," Ryan replied, conveying an icy calm that soothed his escort’s nerves. "And I believe the time everyone spends fighting here will depend on my mana capacity holding out long enough. But..."

Ryan paused briefly, extending his hands toward the vast green horizon.

"I don’t think there will be any problem. In fact, we could think of this entire artificial place as a sort of isolated seal. A massive, indestructible arena created specifically so we can fight with all our destructive power without worrying about wiping an entire city off the map or massacring innocent civilians that would ruin my future trade plans," Ryan explained, revealing that his concern wasn’t moral, but purely logistical and political.

"It’s a fascinating and interesting idea," Ophelia admitted, unable to hide her wide smile of admiration for the human king’s tactical mind.

The others nodded in perfect sync, convinced and ready to follow the bold plan of turning enemy territory into a mere extraction zone, to later execute the real slaughter from the comfort of their own world.

Then, Ryan fixed his deep, intense green eyes directly on Ophelia’s face, shifting the valley’s atmosphere to one of utmost concentration.

"And for this to work exactly as I’ve planned, I need you to do something of utmost importance," he said, directing his words and the massive responsibility of their success straight at the demon queen.