Chapter 361: Explosive News!

"Everyone, I know you are wondering why I suddenly called you all here."

Engru Ghostwolf scanned the crowd.

"Because a crisis has arrived! The Divine Alliance, the Alliance, Devils, and Demons are very likely on the verge of total war!"

"What?!"

"Your Excellency! How did it suddenly come to..."

"..."

The venue erupted into a cacophony of noise. Even for the legendary powerhouses and High-Tier Legends, this news was a bolt from the blue, leaving them completely shocked.

The White Dragon Lord furrowed his brows, his mood heavy. Total war meant that the existing unwritten rules of the battlefield would be broken. Abomination Rank powerhouses would personally enter the fray, and the numerous factions would stop at nothing to attack their opponents.

He did not know how far the fighting would escalate, but he could guess from the tragic aftermath of the last total war.

Over a thousand years ago, ruins of the Arcane Empire suddenly appeared on the twelfth layer of the Abyss. Various factions fought bitterly over them, and the situation eventually spiraled out of control into a total war that engulfed five Abyssal planes.

Six Abomination Rank powerhouses—two deities, one Lord of Hell, and three Abyssal Lords—had fallen. Nearly a hundred High-Tier Legends died, thousands of legendary powerhouses perished, and the number of ordinary professionals lost was beyond counting.

In that unprecedented, earth-shattering battle, the twelfth layer of the Abyss, which served as the main battlefield, was shattered into fragments in the void. Another Abyssal plane was reduced to a dead zone of magic where not even Demons could survive. The material plane was also subjected to fierce Demonic attacks, leaving countless lives ruined across several planes.

The High-Tier Legends discussed the matter heatedly.

"Silence! I said it is highly likely, not that total war is a certainty."

Seeing the crowd quiet down, Engru Ghostwolf pointed to an angel standing quietly to the side.

"As for the specifics, let Archangel Nomoga explain them to you."

An Archangel?!

The White Dragon Lord sighed inwardly. Here was another Abomination Rank powerhouse.

The angel stepped into the spot Engru Ghostwolf vacated and bowed slightly.

"Everyone, I am Nomoga of the Divine Alliance. I bring an important piece of news."

"Recently, a gathering of numerous Abyssal Lords was held on the one hundred and thirty-second layer of the Abyss. We have no way of knowing the exact contents of this meeting, and the list of attendees is incomplete. We only know that four Abyssal Lords—the Blade Sovereign, the Lord of the Cold Tide, the Howling Lord, and the Trickster—were present. And it was not just Demon Lords; the evil deity Lady of Plague and the Lord of Savagery were also involved."

With the explosive news of a potential total war serving as a primer, this revelation, while surprising, did not cause too much of a stir. The Archangel continued.

"Recently, we have spotted powerhouses from other Abyssal planes on the Blood War Battlefield, along with highly destructive Prohibited Weapons. We have ample reason to believe the Demons are about to make a major move."

"Rather than passively waiting to be hit, it is better to strike first and disrupt the enemy's plans. Therefore, the Divine Alliance has decided to launch a preemptive attack."

"..."

After sharing some of the Divine Alliance's plans and a few ambiguous theories regarding the Demons' actions, the Archangel stepped down. Engru Ghostwolf returned to the stage.

"As steadfast allies of the Divine Alliance, the Avengers Alliance will also participate in this operation. Furthermore, some time ago, Amos of Blackrock Fortress created an excellent opportunity for us. Ten Thousand Blades Fortress was destroyed, and the subordinates of the newly arrived Lord of the Cold Tide have yet to establish a firm foothold. This gives us the perfect chance to tear open the Demonic defensive line!"

Engru Ghostwolf looked toward the White Dragon Lord.

"Lord Amos, Lord Leopold. I want the two of you to tear through the Demons' defenses once more. Can you do it?"

The White Dragon Lord thought it over. Crisis and opportunity coexist. Since there was no avoiding it, he might as well give it his all.

"Yes! But I need your guarantee that while I am attacking the Frost Demons, Demonic armies from other cities won't interfere."

The Gold Dragon agreed with the White Dragon Lord. If another unit of Demonic reinforcements popped up while the White Castle forces were fighting the Demons, things would look grim.

Engru Ghostwolf looked at Sular Grey Dove and Mage Alan. The two of them were the city lords of Riverrun and Trident Keep, which flanked Blackrock Fortress.

"No problem. If the Demons of Incineration City step out, Riverrun will deal with them," Sular Grey Dove said.

"Trident Keep can handle Vagro Fortress, but I can't guarantee anything about Demons supporting from the rear," Mage Alan added.

The Archangel clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"I assure you, the Divine Alliance's offensive will tie down the majority of the Demons' forces. Even if there are reinforcements, there won't be many."

"Alright!"

The White Dragon Lord nodded.

"My companions and I will tear apart the Demons in the Frozen Land."

"..."

By the time the White Dragon Lord left the meeting, it was already early morning.

"Leopold, we need more hands!"

"What is your plan?"

"Activate the Portal! Mobilize the adventurers!"

"Alright. You arrange the Portal, and I'll take charge of the adventurers."

The White Dragon Lord nodded, and the two dragons split up.

The Divine Alliance would launch their assault on the Demon frontlines the very next day. This didn't leave the White Dragon Lord much time to prepare, but if arranged properly, it would be just enough.

The White Dragon Lord made his way to the military district's plaza. In the center of this massive stone-paved square stood an unactivated Portal, looking like a doorframe missing its door.

Carved onto the left and right sides of the Portal frame were two reliefs of mysterious Mages leaning on their staffs. Their drawn hoods hid their faces, but their eyes, glowing with a faint blue magical light, were so profound that onlookers were involuntarily drawn into them.

The White Dragon Lord stepped up to the Portal, magic surging from his palm. He intended to single-handedly activate the Cross-Realm Portal, a task that normally required a fully-staffed Mage Corps injecting energy for over half an hour.

Time ticked by. Gurgalu, having received a message from the White Dragon Lord, led the Mage Corps into the plaza and joined him in charging the Portal.

With everyone working together, a dazzling vortex of magic began swirling in the center of the Portal in just over ten minutes.

The White Dragon Lord kept Merlin Heavenly Principle's warning firmly in mind: do not use ordinary portals unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, he did not plan to return to Nordhill himself.

"Gurgalu! Bring the army over!"

"Yes!"

The tall, brawny two-headed ogre walked toward the Portal. On the other side of the gateway, densely packed White Castle military camps surrounded Triumph Plaza. They were the reserve army the White Dragon Lord had set aside, though he never expected this backup legion would be called into action so quickly.

Before long, Gurgalu returned. Crossing through the Portal alongside him was the White Castle Army. Fully armed Ogres, gnolls, and other monsters stepped into the Abyss, forming neat military formations across the plaza.

Two hours later, the Portal closed. By then, the military plaza was packed with White Castle's monstrous army. The White Dragon Lord flapped his wings and flew to the top of the inactive Portal, ensuring every single soldier could clearly see him.

"Warriors of Yafiavi! Tomorrow, a perilous battle awaits us! Are you afraid?!"

"No!"

The 120,000-strong army roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens. Atop the Portal, the White Dragon Lord turned his head and swept his gaze over them. Every soldier met his eyes directly.

"Excellent! We will wring the Demons' heads off! We will claim victory!"

"For the glory of Yafiavi!"

"For the honor of Amos!"

"..."

The 120,000 soldiers brandished their weapons. The resounding battle cries echoed through Blackrock Fortress, making the hearts of the adventurers in the adventurer district race.

One adventurer stood in the street, staring curiously toward the military district, his heart itching to know what was happening.

"I really want to know what's going on over there. These..."

"Hey! York! Why are you still standing there! Something huge has happened! Hurry back to the camp!"

Another adventurer trotted past York, calling out a warning. York quickly jogged after his companion.

"Hammer, what happened?"

"An unranked task was posted at the tavern. We're supposed to assist the army in sweeping the Demons out of the Frozen Land. I heard a massive group of Frost Demons has shown up there. Goodness! Those special Demons are worth way more than your average Demon. One good haul, and we'll be eating well for three years! The commander already accepted the mission and is gathering everyone now."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

The two adventurers quickened their pace.

This wasn't limited to Blackrock Fortress. The Gold Dragon had also broadcast the mission to other cities. Rare breeds like Frost Demons carried a much higher bounty than ordinary Demons, and the White Dragon Lord had offered an extremely generous commission on top of it. Any adventurer capable of making the trip in time was currently rushing toward Blackrock Fortress.

The administrative staff of Blackrock Fortress tallied the number of registering adventurers, recording their strength and other details. Over the course of a single day, nearly a hundred thousand adventurers had signed up, including eleven legendary powerhouses.

Inside the Central Castle of Blackrock Fortress, the White Dragon Lord looked over the final statistics with satisfaction.

"Leopold! Beautifully done!"

"Of course. After all, I am a high-tier adventurer who has visited thirty-one different Abyssal planes."

Suddenly, the White Dragon Lord sensed a familiar aura approaching.

Felicia!

Before long, the White Dragon Lord saw his Dragon Sister, who had joined the Boar's Howl Adventurer Group. By her side were five other legendary adventurers.

"Brother! I'm back!"

As soon as she walked through the door, Felicia hollered happily at the White Dragon Lord sitting upon the castellan's throne.

"And I brought some companions back to help you. These are the members of my legendary squad: our captain, Proman, along with Sukar, Udik, and Manas. And this is Hadmark, captain of the third major brigade of Boar's Howl. He has five thousand men under his command!"

Felicia introduced her companions one by one. Seeing that she got along well with her team, the White Dragon Lord felt a deep sense of relief and gratification.

"A pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for traveling thousands of miles to aid Blackrock Fortress."

"There is no need for such politeness, Lord Amos! Fighting Demons is the shared desire of all living beings. Besides, the rewards Your Excellency offered were simply too tempting. If our commander wasn't already tied down with another task, he would have led the team here personally."

"..."

After chatting for a while, the White Dragon Lord arranged for the members of Boar's Howl to stay in the Central Castle and informed them that a grand banquet would be held that evening.

Night fell. Under the blood moon, Blackrock Fortress experienced a rare moment of bustling liveliness. A massive feast was held in the city, where both White Castle soldiers and adventurers from all walks of life could freely indulge in fine food and wine. Bards sat high up, strumming their instruments and singing epics praising heroes. As the alcohol flowed and spirits rose, adventurers even began performing their hometown dances in the open squares.

However, the upper echelon of Blackrock Fortress and the legendary adventurers did not join the festivities. This carnival was meant for the ordinary soldiers and adventurers. After all, ordinary infantry and low-tier adventurers always suffered the most casualties in war. None of them knew if they would still be breathing after tomorrow.

Inside the grand hall of the Central Castle, the High-Tier Legends and legendary powerhouses of Blackrock Fortress gathered around a large table. Placed upon it was an ice model of the Frozen Land, crafted by the White Dragon Lord himself.

"Everyone, tomorrow morning, I will lead you all in a surprise assault on the Ice and Snow Demon Base. Speed is of the essence in warfare; for this raid, we can only bring powerhouses at the Master Tier and above. Based on our latest reconnaissance, our overall strength is more than enough to completely devour this Frost Demon stronghold."

"Lord Amos, it is not that I don't trust you," Ganzem said. "But even if you and Lord Leopold join forces, taking down an opponent of the same tier isn't something that can be done quickly. If the two of you get pinned down and we lack high-tier combat support, we will be facing the Demonic army alone. Even if we are strong, many ants can bite an elephant to death. We would inevitably pay a heavy price..."

Faced with the adventurer leader's doubts, the White Dragon Lord didn't get angry in the slightest.

"Commander Ganzem, you only think that because you are unaware of the full situation. The leader of these Frost Demons is a High-Tier Legend Frost Pangolin that specializes in defense. Even if I can't finish it off quickly, I can use magic to trap it. Meanwhile, Leopold will free up his hands to help you slaughter the ordinary Demons."

The White Dragon Lord had absolute confidence in dealing with the Frost Pangolin. Soul Magic ignored physical defenses entirely; meat-shield Demons like the Frost Pangolin were his favorite kind of opponent.

Seeing the White Dragon Lord so brimming with confidence, the legendary adventurers believed his reasoning.

"Everyone, the greatest difficulty we face might not be the Demons in the Frozen Land, but the offensive plans that follow. After capturing the Frozen Land, we will be on standby for the Alliance's deployment. By then, the Demons should have reacted, and we will be in for a tough battle. We must assign clear responsibilities to handle any situation that might arise."

"Adventurers are experts in reconnaissance and guerrilla warfare, so you will act as scouts and emergency support forces... As for any Demonic army exceeding ten thousand in number, leave them to the main army of Blackrock Fortress."

The White Dragon Lord divided the tasks based on the respective strengths of the adventurers and the regular army. It was fair and reasonable, so naturally, no one objected.

"To streamline command, I suggest selecting one adventurer to serve as the commander for all the adventurer forces. I propose Mr. Hadmark, captain of the third major brigade of Boar's Howl, for the position."

The Boar's Howl Adventurer Group held high prestige among their peers, and Hadmark was an experienced veteran. Having him lead the adventurers couldn't be better.

Afterward, the Blackrock Fortress group formed an emergency backup squad consisting of five legendary powerhouses from White Castle's side and the five-man legendary squad Felicia belonged to.

The blood moon hung high in the sky, draping the land in a veil of crimson. Inside the Central Castle, the discussions finally concluded, and the White Dragon Lord adjourned the meeting.

"Have sweet dreams tonight, everyone."