novelraw Chapter 461: The Power of the Satellite, the Emperor Raises His Head in Pride
Chapter 461: The Power of the Satellite, the Emperor Raises His Head in Pride
"Every activation of the Sky Eye satellite's strategic array consumes astronomical amounts of magic crystals and rare materials, and it causes irreversible etching damage to the satellite's runic substrate, shortening its operational lifespan."
The Shield of Theo explained.
"More importantly, when the Sky Eye activates its attack, support, or deployment functions, it must fully manifest into the material space from the parallel dimensional gap used for concealment."
"This means it will expose itself, expose itself to the eyes of the Aola Kingdom."
"Once we employ these functions, it means revealing our trump card, and confrontation at the Legendary level will become inevitable."
Rodrigo surveyed the room, "I had hoped to gain the upper hand in conventional warfare first, force out Aola's Legendary units, control the tempo, and then have our nation's Legendary units respond at their leisure."
He paused for a moment. The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"But the reality of the past three months tells me that continuing this war of attrition will drain the blood and flesh of our frontline legions, our loyal soldiers of the Theo Kingdom, long before we can force out Aola's Legendary units."
"Furthermore, the Sky Eye satellite is protected by spatial barriers. Even if exposed, it is virtually indestructible."
The scarred old general abruptly stood up, "Commander, are you saying... we should proactively escalate?""Yes," Rodrigo stated with absolute certainty. "I will request the highest authorization from His Majesty the King to activate the Sky Eye satellite's strategic functions. We will leverage our space-based advantage to strike Aola's weaknesses and reverse the passive situation on the ground battlefield."
He turned and pointed at several key locations on the dynamic map.
"First, utilizing over-the-horizon deployment, we will organize elite assault teams and teleport them directly into Aola's deep rear areas to strike its three main supply lines. Severing these will significantly diminish the combat effectiveness of their frontline monsters, no matter how ferocious."
"Second, in critical defensive battles or assaults, we will activate the Holy Rain of Healing to enhance our army's sustained combat capability and survival rate. Imagine our soldiers fighting with increasing vigor within the Holy Rain, while the enemy can only rely on their own physical resilience. The exchange ratio on the battlefield will reverse."
"Finally," his finger landed heavily on the light point representing the Ironwall Fortress, "when Aola's frontline legions are weakened by supply shortages and mounting casualties, we will employ the most resource-intensive and powerful orbital strike, coordinating with our main ground forces to launch a general offensive and deal a crippling blow to Aola's defensive line."
His adjutant, Torres, couldn't help but interject, "If we do that, Aola's Legendary units will definitely intervene."
"Then let them come!"
Rodrigo's voice suddenly turned icy, carrying a taste of iron and blood. "That is precisely the situation I wish to see."
"We have Legendary units. More of them, and better prepared."
"If the war is destined to escalate to the Legendary level, then at least let the timing of that escalation be advantageous to us, not after our armies are exhausted."
"We will seize back the initiative and the tempo of this war into our own hands!"
Orders were swiftly issued.
The entire command headquarters began operating at high speed, like a tightly wound clock.
Two hours later, the highest directive from the Theo royal capital arrived via a multi-layered encrypted communication array.
The King had approved Rodrigo's plan, granting him the supreme wartime authority to utilize all of the Sky Eye's strategic functions.
"Savage creatures of the wilderness, feel the strike born from the pinnacle of alchemical industry!"
The younger officers were invigorated.
Within the territory of the Aola Kingdom, the Blackstone Gorge supply hub.
This was the most important junction point and transit warehouse among the three main supply lines, located in a relatively deep inland canyon.
Within the natural caves on the canyon walls and the artificially excavated warehouses, mountains of military supplies were piled: grain, salted meat, barrels of black oil, alchemical arrows, spare weapons and armor, and sealed jars of healing salves, among other things.
The garrison commander here was a Troll Warchief renowned for his ferocity, serving under the Starbreaker Maul legion.
He had just finished gnawing on a half-charred Kodo beast hind leg and casually tossed the thick bone into the nearby fire, sending a shower of sparks flying.
The feeling of fullness brought lethargy, but more than that, he felt restless.
He yearned to wield his spiked maul on a real battlefield, to hear the sound of enemy armor and bones shattering, not to guard silent crates and barrels here.
However, he was also acutely aware of the importance of his task and could not afford negligence.
"For the Emperor..."
The Troll Warchief muttered under his breath, a form of self-encouragement.
He grabbed the war hammer leaning against the rock, preparing for another routine patrol.
Even though he thought an attack in the rear was unlikely, it was his duty.
Just as his massive frame straightened up.
Without any warning, a beam of light, pure as condensed starlight, abruptly descended upon the central clearing of the canyon, right between the warehouse area and the barracks.
It appeared so suddenly.
No precursor magical fluctuations, no distorted light typical of portals. It simply projected straight down from high above, quietly.
The Troll's combat instincts made every muscle in his body tense instantly, and a deafening roar erupted from his throat.
"Enemy attack—! All units, combat readiness!!!"
However, everything happened too fast.
One-third of a second: the pale blue light column formed, swirling with light and shadow inside.
Two-thirds of a second: the light reached its peak intensity, almost blinding.
One full second: the light column vanished as abruptly and silently as it had appeared.
And on the ground that was empty moments before, a fully equipped army now stood.
Five hundred Theo soldiers in total, their armor gleaming, weapons shining, stood in a tight assault formation.
They wore lightweight composite armor suited for rapid movement, the sword-and-shield emblem of the Theo Kingdom uniformly painted on their chests. Each soldier's eyes were cold and focused, radiating the killing intent honed only through real bloody battles.
This was no ordinary unit, but a true elite spearhead.
What shook the Troll Warchief's heart even more were the twelve steel behemoths arrayed before the soldier formation.
Theo Kingdom's heavy alchemical golems!
They stood over eight meters tall on average, their shells made of dark, enchanted steel that shimmered. Their left arms were massive, rapidly spinning, serrated chainswords; their right arms were multi-barreled explosive shell launchers.
On their cold metallic faces, the crystal eyes were transitioning from dark to red, emitting a low hum of activation.
From the appearance of the light column to the army's landing, the entire process took less than one second.
The Troll Warchief's brain didn't even have time to process this unbelievable sight.
What kind of magic was this? Large-scale group teleportation?
No, any large-scale teleportation required complex arrays and lengthy magical channeling. How could it be like this... descending from the sky?!
This scene exceeded the understanding of many low-level warriors, even some commanders.
"Attack as planned!"
The human commander issued a short command in the common tongue of the continent, instantly shattering the canyon's silence.
The next moment, the symphony of destruction erupted.
Within the chests of the twelve golems, alchemical engines roared like beasts.
The four at the front took heavy strides, their steel feet crushing the frozen earth as they charged directly towards the nearest warehouse gate.
The Ogre guards stationed there roared and raised their weapons to meet the charge.
A chainsword swept horizontally. The steel serrations tore through armor and flesh, crushed bone. The Ogre's scream was cut short, transforming into a rain of blood and gore.
Another four golems raised their right arms, barrels spinning rapidly as they warmed up.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Consecutive explosions tore through the barracks area.
Some Aola soldiers didn't even have time to don armor or grab weapons before being swallowed by the flames and shockwaves.
The howls of Gnolls, the shrieks of Kobolds, the hisses of Lizardfolk mingled into a chaotic cacophony.
Simultaneously, the five hundred human elite soldiers quickly split into ten squads of fifty.
Under the crossfire cover of the remaining four golems, they rushed towards different key points of the supply depot.
The Troll Warchief shook off his extreme shock. Rage and humiliation flooded him.
"Kill these human insects! For Aola!!"
He let out a sky-shaking roar, swung his giant spiked maul—as tall as a grown human—with both hands, and charged with surprising speed for his massive frame, rumbling towards the nearest golem that was clearing obstacles at a warehouse entrance with its chainsword.
That golem seemed to sense the threat and abandoned its cleanup of the remaining guards.
Its chainsword arm, emitting a terrifying grinding noise, slashed diagonally downwards towards the Troll Warchief's head.
"Tin can! You're dead!"
The Troll Warchief didn't dodge or evade. Every muscle in his body strained as he swung his maul upwards with all his might from below. The sharp metal spikes on the hammerhead cut through the air with a vicious wind.
CLANG!!!!
A metallic impact, far louder than any before, reverberated through the canyon, painful to the ears.
Sparks flew in all directions like festive fireworks.
The golem's chainsword was knocked upwards by the tremendous force, several crucial drive shafts visibly twisted, the serrations stopping their rotation.
On the Troll Warchief's spiked maul, three of the thickest spikes were shattered.
The golem staggered back, trying to regain balance.
The Troll Warchief was about to press his advantage when his peripheral vision caught two other golems from the side and rear turning their barrels towards him.
A dangerous light gathered within the barrels.
He growled and rolled to the side with astonishing agility for his massive frame.
Whoosh—BOOM!
An explosive shell grazed his shoulder armor and detonated against the cliff face behind him, sending rock fragments flying and leaving a large crater.
"Don't mind these tin cans! Stop those humans! They're setting explosives!"
The Troll Warchief roared at the somewhat chaotic defenders as he rolled to his feet.
More Aola soldiers recovered from the initial strike, shouting as they charged the human squads.
Gnolls threw iron javelins, Kobold sorcerers hurled searing fireballs, several Ogres brandished heavy weapons trying to break through the golems' fire net...
But the human soldiers were well-trained and coordinated perfectly.
Under the golems' covering fire, they continuously threw alchemical incendiary bottles and triggered magical mines, fighting as they advanced. Soon, the human assault teams had completed their primary tasks.
"Primary target, demolition charges set!"
"Secondary armory, ignited!"
"Black oil sector, burning!"
Reports transmitted between the human squads via some form of magical communication.
Then, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
First came the chain explosions from the black oil warehouse area.
A dull first blast overturned stacked oil barrels. Second and third blasts followed in quick succession. Leaking black oil ignited. Orange-red flames mixed with thick smoke shot skyward like an angry dragon, instantly painting half the canyon in a bloody red glow. Scorching heat waves swept out.
Almost simultaneously, thunderous booms came from the direction of the equipment depot.
The area storing alchemical explosives and magical arrows suffered a sympathetic detonation. Multicolored magical flames streaked wildly through the air. Occasionally, incompletely detonated magical arrows shrieked as they flew chaotically, causing secondary casualties indiscriminately.
The Troll Warchief's heart sank to the pit of his stomach.
As far as he could see, over half the warehouse area was engulfed in a sea of fire, smoke blotting out the sky.
The barracks area had been plowed by the golems' artillery fire, casualties severe.
At the same time, the human assault teams, having completed their sabotage mission, began rapidly regrouping, converging on the central clearing of the canyon. The twelve golems also fought a retreating action, moving to cover them.
The human commander stood at the core, holding a blue-glowing diamond-shaped crystal.
"Stop them! Don't let them escape like this!"
The Troll Warchief's eyes nearly burst with fury. He charged recklessly once more, his spiked maul whirling like a windmill.
But it was too late.
The human commander raised the crystal high. A thin but distinct blue beam shot from its tip, pointing straight up into the gray, overcast sky.
Almost the instant this beam shot upwards.
Above the canyon, that pure, pale blue light column descended silently once more, enveloping all remaining human soldiers and alchemical golems.
The Troll Warchief let out a roar of frustration. He threw his spiked maul with all his might towards the center of the light column.
The heavy war hammer spun through the air with a whistling sound, hurtling towards the light.
Thud! A muffled sound.
Upon touching the edge of the light column, the maul seemed to hit an invisible yet incredibly resilient force field shield. It was violently deflected, clanging as it fell onto the frozen ground, creating a shallow crater.
The scene within the light column distorted slightly. Then, like a switched-off light, it instantly winked out and vanished.
Vanishing along with it were the entire Theo assault team and their remaining alchemical golems.
All that remained on the spot were a dozen or so confirmed dead human soldier bodies, a few broken metal fragments from golems, and the chaotic mess of explosion marks, Aola defender corpses, and the fiercely burning warehouses.
The humans had also paid a price.
But the damage they inflicted here was immeasurable.
The Troll Warchief panted heavily, looking up at the sky above the canyon, filled with falling snow and smoke.
There was nothing there.
But he knew. Just now, from that unseen, extremely high place, an eye had witnessed everything that happened here. A hand, from hundreds of miles away or farther, had pressed down effortlessly. And then, an elite force had crossed mountains and rivers, turned his supply depot upside down within minutes, and left just as calmly.
He summoned a terrified Goblin sorcerer, his voice hoarse with rage and shame.
"Immediately! Use the fastest communication method to report everything that happened here in detail to General Gluttonous Ogre Karu and the rear command headquarters! The blue light, the human army that appeared and vanished suddenly!"
"Notify all rear supply points, outposts, workshops! Raise alert level to maximum!"
"This is no ordinary infiltration. This is a method we've never seen before."
The attack on Blackstone Gorge was merely the beginning.
This night was destined to be restless.
Almost simultaneously, two other crucial material stockpiles and supply lines deep within Aola territory suffered identical assaults from the sky by blue light columns, suffering heavy losses.
The defenders inflicted little effective counterattack against the elusive enemy.
When the news reached the frontlines, the Aola legions were enraged.
The next day, in retaliation for the supply line attacks, they launched even more ferocious assaults on multiple fronts, attempting to repay blood with blood.
But this time, Theo's defensive lines showed a resilience unlike before, even beginning to counterattack.
At Normann Pass, the Yaqi Serpentine Leopard personally oversaw the battle, sending waves of monsters crashing against the Theo positions.
Just as the defending forces were under maximum pressure, countless soft golden rays of light suddenly showered from the sky, like a warm rain of light, precisely covering the Theo defenders' positions.
Where the light rain touched their bodies, the soldiers felt their exhaustion rapidly fade, their wounds healing at an accelerated rate.
The high-ranking officers fighting the Yaqi Serpentine Leopard were infused with intense energy, their various attributes skyrocketing.
Morale soared. The commander seized the moment to launch a counter-charge, forcefully pushing back the monster legions that had scaled the ramparts.
The Yaqi Serpentine Leopard paid the price of several serpentine tentacles to disengage from the encircling human commanders.
At Oxidation Gorge, just as the Iron Dragon Leticia breathed dragon fire from the sky, coordinating with ground forces to clear Theo's outer strongholds, a teleportation light column directly deployed a mixed force of five golems and two hundred heavy infantry to the relatively weak flank and rear of the gorge's defenses.
This suddenly appearing force immediately created massive chaos from within, nearly causing the loss of a key mountain pass.
Leticia had to turn back to clean up the mess in her own backyard.
... Similar scenes played out across multiple war zones.
The Theo Kingdom no longer sought bloody, inch-by-inch attrition with the Aola legions.
They leveraged the Sky Eye's reconnaissance and deployment advantages—striking deep behind enemy lines one moment, stabilizing critical defensive lines with the Holy Rain of Healing the next, deploying elite small units to harass flanks and cause disruption the moment after.
The rhythm of the war was disrupted.
The individual prowess and lord advantage that the Aola Kingdom prided itself on began to feel troublesome against these elusive strikes and the enemy's instantly enhanced defensive resilience.
Their supply lines became insecure. Their frontline offensives were repeatedly thwarted.
On the opposing side, the casualty rate of the Theo army began to show a significant decline, while the casualties of the Aola legions began to rise sharply.
In the winter of New Calendar Year 341, the war situation shifted dramatically with the activation of the Theo Kingdom's Sky Eye satellite.
Later, as time passed, the Aola Kingdom gradually shifted to a defensive stance on most fronts, their losses continuing to mount. Time gradually arrived at the summer of New Calendar Year 343.
That same year, war flared again between Reebos and Lothrian, subsequently engulfing the entire Romanian plain.
A war more intense than the first civil war—the Second War of the Romanian Nations—had erupted in full force.
And by then, the Twin Aola War had already lasted nearly two years.
Scorching sunlight replaced winter snow, shining down upon the Gray Ember Plain.
The Shield of Theo, Rodrigo, calmly observed the sand table. Multiple human Legendary units were already on standby, awaiting the optimal moment to deliver the decisive blow.
Meanwhile.
Aola Kingdom, Citadel of Crimson Flame, back mountain.
The setbacks on the frontlines did not affect the mindset of the Red Iron Dragon Emperor.
Day after day, he honed his claws and fangs and scales. Only during breaks in his training would he occasionally raise his head to gaze at the vast, gray sky.
The Theo Kingdom's magical satellite had brought them immense advantages on the frontlines.
But this was not without cost.
Beyond those material losses, every use of the satellite made its positional coordinates in space clearer.