Chapter 834: A Drink with Death

Chapter 834: Chapter 834: A Drink with Death

The command chamber of Iron Falcon Fortress reeked of ozone and blood. Outside, the slaughter in the central plaza was drawing to a close; the screams of the Divine Wind infantry died out one by one beneath the claws of the spectral host.

Ethan shoved General Soren onto a sturdy stone chair. With a flick of his wrist, a burst of void flame flash-cauterized the stumps of the general’s arms, severing the bleeding at the root while forcing him to choke back a shriek of pain.

"Easy, Soren," said Ethan, pouring two glasses of red wine from the decanter left on Commander Karr’s desk. "If you bleed out this quickly, our chat will end far too soon."

Ethan held the glass to the general’s lips, but Soren spat blood to the side, glaring at him with eyes injected with rage and pain.

"Cursed demon...!" hissed Soren in a raspy voice. "You think you’ve won... but the central network is already suspicious of this base. The moment the Capital fails to receive official confirmation within the stipulated time, they will deploy the Crown Guard. They will crush you!"

Ethan took a sip of wine and smiled with cold condescension.

"You’re a bit late with that threat," replied Ethan. "My assistant has already assumed control over your three fleets, the auxiliary servers, and this fortress’s main node. At this moment, your channels are broadcasting an official report signed by you, indicating that the radar anomaly was cleared and that you are assuming command of the base to reinforce the border."

Soren turned deathly pale. What little color remained in his face seemed to drain.

"No... that’s impossible...", stammered the general, plunging into despair. "The imperial network’s access keys are protected by Dao Transcendence seals..."

"To my people, your seals are nothing more than open doors," stated Ethan, resting his hands on the desk and leaning toward him. "Now, let us speak of what truly matters to me: the Imperial Capital and the intercontinental spatial portal. Tell me how many active defenses lie along the route and which generals guard the portal."

"I will never tell you anything, traitor of the Golden Dragon!" roared Soren, attempting to push himself up.

Ethan didn’t lose his patience. He pulled the Orb of Death from beneath his robe. The artifact emitted a purple pulse that enveloped Soren’s face.

"I wasn’t asking for your permission, Soren," whispered Ethan in an icy tone. "You can tell me as a living man... or you can tell me in five seconds when your soul is kneeling in my army. The choice is yours."

Feeling the oppressive weight of necrotic magic devouring his spiritual consciousness, a sweat broke out across Soren’s forehead. He looked into Ethan’s purple eyes and realized the truth: he was not dealing with an imperial champion, but with a force of nature that would devour his empire whole.

Soren trembled as the necrotic energy of the Orb of Death began to corrode his sea of consciousness. The prospect of becoming a puppet shattered the remnants of his imperial pride.

"Alright! I’ll talk, stop that!" pleaded Soren, gasping in desperation as the purple mist receded slightly at Ethan’s command.

"I’m all ears," Ethan said, leaning against the desk.

"To reach the Capital and enter the temple of the Intercontinental Portal, you must cross three heavily militarized districts," explained Soren, his voice breaking from fear and pain. "The first obstacle is the Gorge of the Wind Dragon, a canyon protected by twin fortresses. Stationed there is General Vane, a mid-level expert in Dao Transcendence."

"And the Capital?" asked Ethan.

"The Capital is protected by the Great Firmament Array. It is an impenetrable barrier powered by the city’s core," continued Soren, spitting a thread of blood. "Even if you manage to breach the districts with your hacked fleet, no one can enter the portal plaza without the Insignia of the Divine Wind held by the Grand Marshal or the Emperor himself. If the array activates, it will obliterate any fleet attempting to approach from the sky."

Ethan processed the information within seconds. A conventional siege on the Capital would mean a war of attrition against an impenetrable barrier—something he could ill afford.

[Crul, did you catch that?], questioned Ethan mentally.

[Affirmative, Master], Crul’s voice replied. [However, now that we possess control over all three fleets and Soren’s credentials, we can utilize his high-command access codes to broadcast a false emergency inspection order at the Gorge of the Wind Dragon. We can pass through the canyon before news of Soren’s fall ever leaks.]

A cold smirk formed across Ethan’s face.

"Thank you for the information, Soren," Ethan said softly.

"You... you promised you wouldn’t turn me into a monster if I spoke...", stammered the general, staring in terror at the youth.

"I said you could tell me as a living man or in five seconds as a shadow," answered Ethan with coldness. "You kept your end... but I said nothing about letting you live."

With a sweep of the Black Chaos Sword, the edge severed Soren’s head before he could utter another scream. Ethan extended his hand and absorbed his soul essence into the Orb of Death, adding the knowledge and strength of a new general to his necrotic domain.

A few minutes later, Vaelen stepped into the command chamber and offered a formal salute.

"General, the plaza has been cleared. The corpses have been devoured or integrated into the host. All three captured fleets are resupplied and ready for takeoff under Crul’s command," reported Vaelen.

"Excellent," declared Ethan, adjusting his robe as he set off toward the main docking bay. "Issue the order to all men. We depart immediately for the Gorge of the Wind Dragon. We will not stop until the Intercontinental Portal is under our control."

Vaelen stepped forward and looked at Ethan in a firm tone.

"Sir, I have a suggestion. Although it may exceed my bounds, I would like to express it."

Ethan stopped and turned to look him in the eye.

"Tell me, Vaelen. You are the Great General of my father-in-law’s kingdom; I respect your ideas."

"What if, instead of attacking directly toward the center, we move along the perimeter, bypassing and taking each of the fortresses one by one?" proposed Vaelen, bringing up the tactical map. "We now possess two high-ranking credentials we can leverage: those of the three generals we previously eliminated, and now this General Soren’s. If your necrotic army absorbs every enemy we encounter and we continue seizing their warships, we could build enough momentum to launch an overwhelming assault straight against the Capital."

Ethan pondered the strategist’s words. A wide smirk slowly formed across his lips as he visualized the necrotic tide multiplying with every fallen fortress.

"That is an excellent strategy, Vaelen," concluded Ethan, turning back toward the vessels. "We shall do precisely that. Let the storm begin to encircle their capital."