180: mobilization

dawn calendar Year 31638, Star Sea Territory Year 37.

Five years have passed since the establishment of the three major naval legions.

During these five years, the steady development and low-profile expansion of the Star Sea Territory continued, but the landscape of the western continent was thrown into turmoil by a sudden piece of news.

The Werewolf General Wade, with the help of the Legendary potion provided by Linn, finally succeeded in igniting the Fire of Law and stepped into the Legendary realm! To ensure the absolute loyalty of this new power, Wade, under the witness of Jokic and the requirement of Linn, handed over a portion of his Soul Origin, and Linn applied a hidden Soul contract. Since then, the Werewolf Tribe has had a second Legendary Expert, and its strength has skyrocketed.

Subsequently, with the tacit approval and even secret support of the Star Sea Territory, Jokic used the supreme prestige of the two Legendary werewolf kings, along with the massive Orc tribal power integrated and subdued over the years, to officially raise the royal flag in the vast area east of the Great Wilderness Forest, north of the three provinces of the Star Sea Territory, and south of the border of the Dwarf Kingdom, announcing the establishment of the "Eastern Wasteland Orcish United Kingdom"!

This newborn Orc kingdom reached a staggering area of 4.5 million square kilometers. Although most of it consisted of mountains, forests, swamps, and wilderness, it was rich in natural resources and held a key strategic position. With two Legendary Experts and a million-strong Orc army capable of fighting, it instantly became a regional power that could not be ignored.

Jokic was crowned as the first king of the Eastern Wasteland Orcish United Kingdom, with the title "Wolf King Jokic I." Wade was appointed as the Grand Marshal.

When the news spread, the surrounding nations were shaken.

The first to jump out in opposition were naturally the Aolai Kingdom, Fama Kingdom, and the Holy Land Dwarf Kingdom, which bordered this newly demarcated territory or claimed "historical sovereignty" over it. For these human and Dwarf Kingdoms, this area, long regarded as a "buffer zone" or "no-man's land," being suddenly integrated into a kingdom by a group of "savage" Orcs was undoubtedly like having a huge piece of meat snatched from their mouths, and it was absolutely unacceptable.

The Fama Kingdom had the most intense reaction. Its king and nobles clamored to unite with the Aolai Kingdom and the Holy Land Dwarf Kingdom to jointly send troops to "punish the arrogant Orcs" and "restore regional order and the glory of humans (and dwarves)." They quickly dispatched diplomatic missions, attempting to form a coalition.

However, the continental situation has always been complex. Just then, the Holy Land Dwarf Kingdom and another powerful human nation to the north, the Saiga Kingdom, saw their contradictions suddenly intensify due to border mineral vein disputes and long-term trade friction, leading to a significant border conflict. Both sides deployed troops in a standoff, and a major war was on the verge of breaking out. The Dwarf Kingdom was too busy with its own affairs to have any energy left to participate in Fama Kingdom's "Northern Expedition." They could only decline Fama's invitation on the grounds of being "too busy with national affairs."

Within the Aolai Kingdom, old King Alaric's health had taken a turn for the worse over these five years, reaching the point where he was bedridden and unable to speak. The atmosphere in the capital, Holy Radiance City, was suppressed to the extreme. The struggle between the factions of the First Prince and the Second Prince was becoming increasingly white-hot, and the border nobles were also picking sides, with frequent troop movements. At such a critical moment of royal succession, the high-level officials of the Aolai Kingdom were simply unable and unwilling to launch an expedition against the newly established Orc kingdom—an expedition whose outcome was uncertain and would surely incur massive losses. Facing the messengers from the Fama Kingdom, the Aolai royal court could only use the excuses of "the king is seriously ill, national affairs are difficult, and it is not suitable to raise troops" to politely decline.

Seeing its two most powerful potential allies—one bogged down and the other barely able to protect itself—the Fama Kingdom realized that relying on its own strength alone to cross a long supply line and attack a new Orc kingdom with two Legendary Experts, complex terrain, and a large army held slim chances of success and extremely high risks. Helplessly, this once-clamorous "coalition crusade" had to be abandoned. The Fama Kingdom could only issue a tough "non-recognition" in official documents and strengthen its border defenses bordering the East Wilderness Kingdom, barely maintaining Face.

Thus, the Eastern Wasteland Orcish United Kingdom perilously established its footing amidst the contradictions and gaps between various forces. Its true supporter behind the scenes, the Star Sea Territory, continued to hide in the shadows, pleased with the outcome.

During these five years, the changes within the Star Sea Territory itself were equally immense.

In terms of top-tier power, the naval commander Ocean Jack took another step forward, successfully entering the Intermediate Legendary stage. His control over the water element and understanding of the sea reached new heights, greatly boosting naval morale.

The scale of the army also underwent a new round of expansion. With the continuous population growth (now nearing six million) and booming economic development, Linn ordered the simultaneous expansion of the eight main legions (Star Sea, Vast Sea, Overturning Sea, Breaking Army, Star Moon, East Wilderness, Dragon Scale, and Starry Sky). Each legion increased its establishment by 10,000 men, bringing the standard size of the main field legions to 60,000! The total strength of the eight main legions reached a staggering 480,000.

At the same time, the Lord's Guard Army was expanded to 30,000 men. Its members were all battle-hardened elites carefully selected from various legions for their loyalty and strength, equipped with the territory's finest weapons and enchanted armor. After continuous breeding and selection, the Griffin Knights also surpassed the 5,000 mark, becoming a powerful force for rapid strikes and reconnaissance. This total of 35,000 elite troops was directly commanded by General Clay, who was stationed on Star Sea Island. Their daily mission was to guard Star Sea Island, the Lord's castle, and the core areas—they were the most reliable shield and sword in Linn's hands.

Commander Ocean Jack's Star Sea Legion of 60,000 men was broken up into smaller units and secretly deployed across various meticulously constructed forward bases, hidden anchorages, and strategically valuable islands throughout the Storm Sea Region. These bases supported each other, forming a surveillance and strike network covering the vast and dangerous sea area. In peacetime, they were responsible for patrolling, escorting, and clearing pirates; in wartime, they could quickly assemble to become a sharp blade thrust into the heart of the enemy's coastline.

The most strategically significant deployment occurred two years ago. Hogan, the newly appointed Vice Admiral of the Hanhai Legion, under Linn's secret orders, led the main force of 60,000 men from the newly formed and strictly trained Hanhai Legion. They boarded a massive mixed fleet of transport and combat vessels and set sail. Instead of heading to the Storm Sea Region, they secretly sailed along the route Linn had used when he first started out, reaching the waters of the former Iron Sand Island and the Salu Islands. They established permanent naval bases and garrison points on several key islands within the archipelago.

This move was ostensibly declared to the outside world as being "at the request of His Highness First Prince Atos, to coordinate with the kingdom's future strategy, deploy forward, deter the south, and protect the kingdom's eastern maritime borders."

When the news reached him, First Prince Atos was indeed overjoyed. In his view, this was a strong signal from Linn, the Eastern Duke who held heavy troops, of clearly picking a side and taking practical action in the struggle for the throne between him and his brother! A fleet of 60,000 elite naval troops stationed in the Salu Islands, not far from the Second Prince's coastal fief in the south, was undoubtedly a huge threat to the Second Prince's maritime power and flank, capable of greatly distracting the Second Prince's energy. Atos was even more satisfied with Linn's "loyalty" and "understanding of the situation," and he even secretly promised many benefits after the matter was settled.

However, for the nobles and merchant associations of the sea areas around the Salu Islands, especially the adjacent Tianhai Province, the arrival of the Hanhai Legion was no different from having a cold, gleaming blade placed by their pillows. In particular, Count Aldrich, the Governor who controlled Tianhai City, felt extremely conflicted. He was both relieved that the First Prince had gained strong support and deeply uneasy and pressured by the presence of the Star Sea Territory's navy so close to the waters of his jurisdiction. These nobles began to lose sleep and eat poorly, stepping up repairs to coastal defenses and expanding their private fleets, fearing that Linn might find an excuse one day to take action against them. The tension in the waters around the Salu Islands suddenly rose, and trade routes were significantly affected.