233: Chapter 233

Gos took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice, but an imperceptible tremor still lingered when he spoke.

He didn't dare look the King in the eye; his gaze remained lowered, falling upon his blood-stained gauntlets as he began to recount that nightmare-like encounter.

From the discovery of that sudden, heavily fortified Otherworld territory, to the decision to launch a probing attack, and then to the enemy army that poured out like a tide in terrifying numbers.

That crimson rain of arrows, that golden lightning, that indestructible military formation...

And finally, that towering Red-Gold Giant that seemed to have stepped out of myth.

"The Otherworld Lord... their troops definitely exceed ten million. They are well-trained, well-equipped, and certainly no mere rabble..."

Gos's voice was dry.

"They... their Legion Union Skill can briefly concentrate the entire army's power into a single person, unleashing... terrifying Saint-Grade combat strength!"

"This general is incompetent; despite exhausting all efforts, I could not withstand their edge... Our army... our army..."

His throat choked up; the immense shame and grief made him almost unable to speak that number.

"Speak!"

Leo's fists clenched until they cracked, his bell-like eyes staring fixedly at him, as the ominous premonition in his heart swelled to the limit.

"Our army... was routed... The survivors, those who retreated with me, are less than... less than six hundred thousand..."

Gos used almost all his strength to squeeze those words from between his teeth, his head bowing deeply, almost burying itself in his chest.

"..."

A deathly silence instantly enveloped the entire council chamber.

There was only the crackling of burning torches and the sound of Leo's breathing, which had suddenly become heavy like a broken bellows.

Five million of the Kingdom's elite warriors had marched out with fluttering banners and high spirits... Now, only six hundred thousand defeated remnants remained?

The opponent had an army of ten million? And Saint-Grade combat power?

Leo felt a wave of dizziness as the world spun and his vision went dark. His massive frame swayed, nearly toppling from his stone chair.

He abruptly propped himself up against the cold stone tabletop with his hands.

The last flicker of hope, like a candle in the wind, was completely extinguished.

His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, hadn't found relief; it had died.

After a long time, Leo slowly raised his head. The blood had drained from his face, leaving behind a sallow, ashen pallor.

But he was, after all, a King who had ruled the Kingdom for decades. After a brief collapse, he forcibly suppressed the endless panic and despair.

"Gos."

His voice was hoarse yet exceptionally calm, even possessing a cold texture.

"Listen, we have no time for mourning or fear. An opponent with such strength and that... terrifying Legion Skill will never be satisfied with merely defeating you."

"Their target is likely our entire Kingdom, our Royal Court!"

Gos snapped his head up, a flicker of light reigniting in his eyes.

"You must make arrangements now, immediately, right now!"

Leo spoke rapidly, every word sounding as if it were squeezed out of ice shards.

"Go and summon all available forces around the Royal Court!"

"All of them! The Garrison, the City Guard, noble private armies, even strong civilians! Arm them all and gather at the Royal City at top speed! Reinforce the defenses and check all siege engines!"

"Yes! Your Majesty!"

Then Leo looked at Gos with a profound gaze.

"Your Legion Union Skill is our only hope of countering the enemy's Saint-Grade combat power right now."

"I need you to rest, recover, and then lead the remaining soldiers who can still fight to intercept the enemy!"

"This general obeys! I swear to live or die with the Royal Court!"

Gos knelt on one knee and struck his chest heavily.

"Live or die? No."

A ruthless and determined smile appeared on Leo's face, looking somewhat grotesque under the flickering firelight.

"We haven't reached that point yet. We contribute massive amounts of resources, slaves, and minerals to the Orc Alliance every year; it wasn't for nothing!"

"It's time for those greedy jackals... no, for the Great Chieftain to fulfill his obligations!"

He strode toward a wall of the council chamber where a massive animal-hide map hung.

Reaching out, his thick finger pressed heavily onto a symbol on the map marked with special pigment, representing the Orc Alliance headquarters, the 'Beast God Capital'.

"I will immediately use the Royal Court's emergency long-distance communication array to contact the Great Chieftain of the Alliance directly!"

A desperate light flashed in Leo's eyes.

"And tell him that the Minotaur Kingdom is facing an unprecedented crisis of national extinction from another world! We need aid, immediately! Right now!"

He turned around and stared at Gos, saying word by word:

"I will have them send at least one true powerhouse of at least 3-Star Saint-Grade!"

"As long as the Alliance's Saint-Grade powerhouse can suppress or even kill that enemy general who mastered the Legion Skill, their greatest reliance will be broken! Then, Gos, it will be up to you!"

"Use your 'War Stomp' as the final trump card, coordinated with the Royal City's defenses and all remaining troops. We might not be without the power to fight; we might just... survive this catastrophe!"

He would use the Alliance's promise, bought with decades of the Kingdom's accumulated wealth and offerings, to exchange for the support of a top-tier powerhouse and win a sliver of breathing room for a counterattack.

"Go quickly!"

Leo growled.

Gos said no more. With a deep bow, he turned and dragged his wounded body, striding out of the council chamber. His heavy footsteps quickly faded into the deepest darkness before dawn.

He was going to assemble the last of the troops and prepare for the defense of the capital.

Leo, meanwhile, walked quickly toward the depths of the palace, where there was a secret room covered in ancient runes. Inside was a magic array connected to the distant Orc Alliance headquarters, which consumed enormous energy but could be used for emergency communication.

He had to persuade the Alliance to come to their aid as soon as possible!

For this, he was even prepared to pay a price several times greater than the annual tribute.

While Gos dragged his wounded body around the Royal City like a firefighter, gathering soldiers, mobilizing civilians, and reinforcing defenses...

In the sky above Lintian City, a steel storm had already taken shape.

Lin Tian rode atop the majestic Blazing Flame, hovering above the command platform outside Lintian City.

He rubbed his chin, quickly calculating the Spirit Crystal consumption Lin Kong had reported earlier for constructing a large-scale portal to directly deploy the army.

"Five million troops, a single ultra-long-distance targeted teleportation... Tsk, Lin Kong said it would burn at least fifty million Low-grade Spirit Crystals?"

Lin Tian's mouth twitched; he felt a dull ache in his very organs.

Even though he had just made a fortune from the war, even a wealthy landlord doesn't have surplus grain to waste! This expense was simply too extravagant; he couldn't bear it.

"Forget it, forget it. A long stream flows thin; save where you can."

He quickly made a decision. "Anyway, we have five million Dragon-Blood Iron Cavalry, and they can fly! They're fast! Isn't it just five thousand kilometers? We'll treat it as a training march. We can save a huge amount in teleportation fees—how cost-effective!"

"Depart!"

With his command, the five million Dragon Blood Cavalry let out a collective, suppressed neigh. Their wings unfurled, and they slowly rose into the air.

Blazing Flame let out a long cry, carrying Lin Tian at the lead, with Lin Yin and Lin Feng following closely on his left and right.

In an instant, the sky seemed to be covered by a moving, burning dark-red iron curtain. The heavy sound of vibrating wings converged into a thunderous roar, rolling toward the southern horizon!