Game World: I Can Share Talents

Chapter 184 - 182: Making a Clean Sweep

After the mobilization rally, the vast Qinghui Army marched out of the Purity Forest.

This time, there was no need to worry about the Chaos Demon Army flanking them to raid their main camp. The entire army was on the move, and its elite troops would sweep through the land, cleansing every pocket of Chaos entrenched in the Qinghui Territory, leaving no trace behind.

A clean sweep!

Ah, what’s that? The Chaos-occupied Qinghui Territory is our homeland? We shouldn’t use "a clean sweep" to describe it?

No matter. If it’s swept, it’s swept. In any case, no traces of civilization would remain in a Chaos Domain. The true roots of the Qinghui Territory were in the Purity Forest; all other lands could be razed and rebuilt. As they say, you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

Besides, for Westheid to activate his Talent, [Bright Radiance Manifested in the World], he needed to fulfill the condition of "conquest." If the Chaos forces abandoned their territory and fled without a fight, Westheid would actually be quite displeased.

Thus, with Duke Qinghui’s permission, the army of reclamation showed no mercy whatsoever, clearing the way with a level of firepower that would have made the old Qinghui People’s hearts tremble.

The vanguard was comprised of Mechanical Weapons forged by Shadow Fire Technicians. Shamuel had proudly introduced them to Westheid: the [Crown of Banquet Fire] from the Shadow Flame Territory.

They were mobile fortresses, each one an unstoppable tower of steel built from stacked firing platforms.

They were loaded with every piece of military hardware the Qinghui Territory could acquire, from Shield Generators and Heavy Magic Cannons to Prism Beams. As long as it was a resource money could buy, Yuanxi Palace spared no expense.

"Wealthy enough to rival a nation" was no mere adjective. Within the entire Radiant Holy Tree Empire, perhaps only the Royal Family was richer than the Yuanshi Territory.

Technician-type Extraordinary Professions were completely useless in one-on-one combat. The reason they were considered strategic assets was that, given enough resources and time, they could create incomprehensible miracles of warfare.

And whenever the reclamation army encountered a Chaos Demon Army exceeding a certain size, Shamuel would furiously slap the control panels in the main command room of a [Crown of Banquet Fire].

"Activate! Activate, activate, activate, activate! All systems, go! And—this!"

Dazzling flames erupted from the Crown of Fire, followed by an almost unrestricted torrent of cannonballs, arrows, and prism magic pouring toward the front.

Charged crossbow bolts precisely sniped colossal beasts, relentless cannon fire blasted through the swarms, and searing beams carved out vast Vacuum Sides.

The Chaos Demon Army was forced into a constant retreat by the insane firepower. Sometimes, even the mere suspicion of hidden Chaos Creatures was enough to trigger a full-scale bombardment.

The guiding principle Westheid had set for retaking his territory was to minimize casualties. Human life was worth more than gold, and with what amounted to a credit card with no limit, there was no need to pay with lives.

But if they encountered a Chaos Demon Army that even a full bombardment couldn’t faze, then these were no ordinary Chaos Demons. It was time to bring out the heavy hitters!

Army of Light, deploy!

As the Imperial army’s trump card against Chaos, the Army of Light brought a revolutionary change to the battlefield.

In the past, Westheid had always led the charge himself. It wasn’t that he wanted all the experience for himself, but that his own legions were simply too Fela. Without defensive fortifications, they would crumble at the first charge of a Chaos Demon Tide.

In truth, they couldn’t be blamed. The Chaos Tide was a thing of beautiful, overwhelming numbers. It was simply too much for those of the Mortal World to face the endless assault head-on.

That was why Westheid had been forced to enter the fray personally, using his own body to hold back the Chaos Army while his rear guard provided covering fire.

But the arrival of the Army of Light changed everything. As long as this group of super-soldiers held the front line, no Demon Tide, however large, could break through. The Army of Light wasn’t just powerful on its own; their anti-Chaos properties manifested as an aura, weakening all Chaos Creatures in their vicinity.

Low-rank Demons would be weakened to the point of being feebler than common wild beasts, while allied forces would be strengthened.

With the enemy weakened and their allies bolstered, there was even ample opportunity for the Qinghui Knights of the new path to grind for experience. These Transcendents, who had inherited Westheid’s adaptive self-healing, Glowing Technique, and power of destruction, each displayed their unique abilities, growing at an astonishing rate in the crucible of war.

They advanced with such unstoppable momentum that it was almost laughably easy, making one doubt if they were truly fighting a Chaos Tide at all.

"However, this is also because the resistance we’ve encountered hasn’t been strong."

Westheid could only stand before the bridge window of the Floating Battleship, stroking his chin as he spoke.

"Knowing the Devourer’s intelligence, it would never waste its forces in pointless locations. We probably won’t encounter many enemies within the Qinghui Territory itself. The Chaos Demon Army will most likely make its last stand at the Gate of Chaos. The Chaos Corruption is more severe there, giving the enemy a home-field advantage."

"Chaos Demons are capable of such intelligence? Aren’t they supposed to be mindless beasts?"

Beside Duke Qinghui, the silver-haired, Cang Tong-eyed Princess knitted her delicate brows and asked, "I’ve heard this before, but it’s still hard to believe. A Chaos Demon conserving its strength and avoiding a direct confrontation... Hasn’t the poison of Order it’s been tainted with killed it already?"

"That Desolate God... is extremely cunning."

On his other side, Mivana heard this and nodded gravely.

"It uses schemes, perceives weaknesses, and even deliberately sows discord. West and I have already suffered a great loss because of it."

The moment she finished speaking, Reiya’s beautiful eyes widened. She stared at the wolf-eared maiden, her gaze sharp. Though she said nothing, her eyes spoke volumes.

’You’re calling him *West*?! Use a suffix to differentiate, you damn fool!’

Seeing this, Westheid immediately tried to divert the attention, saying:

"It’s precisely by exploiting people’s preconceptions about Chaos Creatures that the son of a bitch has managed to achieve such surprising results time and again. But that only works for a first encounter. Its so-called schemes and strategies are nothing but petty tricks, unsophisticated tactics. We will crush it with overwhelming, righteous power. All plots and conspiracies are meaningless in the face of absolute strength."

In that moment, Duke Qinghui’s speech sounded more like that of a Chaos Creature obsessed with the beauty of pure numbers. He waved his hand and said:

"With the three of us united, what enemy could stand against us for a single round?"

Stationed with the main army, Westheid had brought the mutually antagonistic Reiya and Mivana to his side, forcibly creating a "the three of us" dynamic. This was partly to concentrate his strongest forces as a reserve unit, but more so because Westheid wanted to mend their relationship.

’Other methods have all been unsatisfactory. So, how will you two handle the camaraderie of fighting side-by-side?’

’If they can learn to entrust their backs to one another in a bloody battle, then no matter how much they dislike each other, they should grow a little closer.’

"Us... together?"

Reiya murmured, then smiled and said:

"West and I are enough. Our teamwork is absolutely perfect. As long as West and I work together, we would dare to face even a Legendary True Dragon."

Mivana said flatly, "Perhaps that is so, but how can Her Highness Reiya assume that my Teacher and I lack chemistry? We are blood of his blood."

"How interesting. But from what I know, your coordination isn’t good. In fact, ’not good’ is an understatement. You basically just fight on your own, don’t you?"

"..."

And Westheid, the unavoidable subject of their conflict, could only remain silent between them, wishing he could dig his fingers through the armrest. At that moment, Duke Qinghui desperately hoped they would immediately run into the Devourer’s main force.

’I’d rather fight a whole Chaos Demon Army than be stuck in this chaotic scene!’