Hell March

When Phaethon returned to the main tent, Alex immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to him.

The God of the Star Palace merely glanced at him, his expression strange and gloomy.

He said, "You are—"

Before he finished speaking, both Griffin and Alex's expressions changed.

Because Phaethon's voice was very hoarse, and even his tone was distorted.

Alex is the eldest prince of the empire, and from a young age he was educated to manage subordinates and control people's hearts. Griffin, as the leader of a country, has been dealing with the darkest, most selfish and evil group of people in the country and has seen countless people. They are no strangers to the human heart.

They also noticed the emotional changes in Phaethon during the time between his departure and return.

He was very nervous.

Alex thought to himself.

He was facing something that both excited and terrified him.

Griffin's gaze shifted.

He must have pondered this for a long time, unable to make up his mind.

The eldest prince bowed his head respectfully.

Even someone as powerful and arrogant as him couldn't control his emotions.

Griffin concealed the sharpness in his eyes.

--interesting.

Both kept this unexpected discovery to themselves.

Phaethon had already moistened his throat, which was slightly dry from tension and contemplation... His experience in dealing with people was negligible, and he was unaware that these two best and most astute actors in the world had already seen through his emotional changes. The God of the Star Palace maintained a calm and composed tone.

What are you doing?

Before Griffin could speak, Alex blurted out with a laugh, "Kang De is giving his war address in the Distant Harbor and is about to lead his army to the battlefield... He's coming! Your Majesty can teach him a lesson!"

Griffin remained silent, but his keen senses, as one of the strongest beings in the mortal Mortal World, were firmly locked onto Phaethon. The Grand Chancellor noticed the subtle change in the other's expression, and even his body swayed slightly in response.

Subtle facial expressions and body language had completely betrayed Phaethon's mind.

He was nervous! Even a little scared!

Damn it, what happened?

Griffin what had happened earlier.

--Phaethon became extremely agitated by Alex's suggestion that "Kang De is not of this world," which threw him into disarray. He rushed out the door and returned so quickly and unharmed, probably to urgently report the matter to his superiors and colleagues.

So what's going on with him looking like this now?

What did his companion say to him that made him so flustered and nervous?

This appearance is almost like... almost like...

--It was as if they were new recruits who had already realized the horrors of war and were about to go into battle.

Griffin's mind raced as he calculated what was happening, and then he heard Phaethon speak.

"Kang De's speech? What did he say?"

Before the Grand Speaker could reply, Alex handed over the copied speech with both hands, laughing, "It's all ridiculous rhetoric meant to incite the lowly, vulgar and shallow. We don't even find it laughable; it's like the frantic howling of someone facing imminent death, desperately trying to bolster their courage..."

"--Shut up."

The sudden chill made Alex involuntarily take a few steps back.

When he realized he had flattered the wrong person again, an unimaginable, terrifying force suddenly pressed down on him, invisible yet as heavy as a mountain. With a thud, the eldest prince was forced to the ground like a dog.

A foot stepped on his head and ground down hard.

It was a force that caused him excruciating pain but wouldn't kill him, along with a deep-seated sense of shame.

--Damn it, what's wrong now? What did I say wrong?

Thinking this way, his new master then told him the answer.

"You pathetic, lowly ant, do you even dare to mock the Fire Thief?"

Phaethon's voice boomed down, chillingly cold. "Your father conspired with the Fire Thief, committing a heinous crime for which he would be torn to pieces and tormented for eternity, a sin that could not be redeemed. The Star Palace will bestow upon him and his bloodline an eternal curse and punishment. But there is one thing about him that I greatly admire—"

"That was your father, the emperor of the empire, who recognized the value and power of the Fire Thief and decisively abandoned you, his worthless son, in exchange for Kang De's understanding, forgiveness, and even acceptance. He possessed extraordinary vision and decisive action, far surpassing you in these aspects."

"And you, Mudblood, if you want to demonstrate your usefulness to the Star Palace and escape the Fire Thief's murderous intent, you'd better start now to have the utmost respect, attention, and vigilance towards Kang De."

"If you continue to interfere with my judgment with your ridiculous slander of Kang De, or if you allow Kang De to seize the opportunity to defeat you and jeopardize our plans due to your own shortsightedness and stupidity, then I will make sure you die a very, very terrible death, far worse than your pathetic imagination."

The God of the Star Palace, having said this, coldly asked, "Do you understand?"

"I understand! I understand!" Alex shouted repeatedly. "I was wrong! I shouldn't have underestimated and despised Kang De! I must take him very seriously and be extremely wary of him!"

Phaethon then released his foot.

Alex, lying on the floor with his head buried in the carpet, clenched his teeth tightly.

--What's wrong now!?

He suddenly realized a very strange phenomenon.

That is, even those who are hostile to Kang De in their stance, even if they insist on their own position and attitude, will gradually change their mentality—from hostility and contempt for Kang De to heartfelt praise and respect.

There are countless examples of this, and many are typical.

The most typical example is his father.

When news of Glittering Sand's destruction arrived, His Majesty the Emperor merely smiled faintly and sent a message to him, which was very brief, saying only, "--Clean it up."

When news of the Battle of Valentan reached the royal court, he remained silent for only a brief moment before calmly and peacefully telling the high-ranking official who had come to report the news, "Understood."

He still remembers that a few months ago, his father often expressed his disdain and condemnation of the Cathayan in public, claiming that Kang De challenged the aristocratic order that had lasted for thousands of years and that he was the enemy of the entire Civilization.

The emperor also eloquently encouraged the nobles, saying that Kang De's actions were nothing but digging his own grave. He even published articles in the newspapers, meticulously pointing out how foolish and unsustainable Kang De's policies in the Distant Harbor were, and mocking Kang De for turning the common people into lazybones with unbelievably large amounts of charity, and for purging the vast majority of nobles, causing the moral standards of the city to decline rapidly.

Such examples are countless.

It hasn't been that long, and he's already become Kang De's lapdog.

He's worse than a simp.

He had repeatedly cursed and angrily criticized his father's cowardice and ridiculousness in his heart.

To avoid being used as a bargaining chip by the emperor, he even risked venturing to the southern border of Goth to seek help from Griffin and his backers, even at the cost of abandoning his dignity and everything else.

He had assumed the powerful "Star Palace" would easily defeat Kang De, completely eradicate his nightmares, and even help him ascend the imperial throne, but what he didn't expect was...

--Why the hell are you like this too?!

He was almost in despair of this world where everyone was a fan of Kang.

He lay there on the ground, listening to Griffin answer Phaethon's questions.

"An extremely terrifying speech, which armored language and turned sheep into tigers and leopards. He attempted to turn all the people under his rule into soldiers... It seemed insane, but it filled me with deep fear."

--You motherfucker Griffin, you too...

Alex almost cursed out loud.

"Even if the commoners take up arms, they're still commoners! They'll scatter at the first charge of cavalry, and run away crying for their parents after a single spell. Don't you understand this, Griffin? Kang De was even encouraging the commoners to take up arms. What is this but the wailing of cornered dogs at the end of their rope?"

Damn it, Griffin, all you do is go along with this guy's opinion. Have you no shame?!

"I see," Phaethon said. "This Fire Thief seems different from the previous ones, trying to gather ants together? Although I don't yet understand the meaning of doing so, if this is the path Kang De is taking, then it is indeed something to watch out for and be wary of..."

You fucking...

"We'll see soon," Griffin said calmly. "Latest intelligence indicates that the troops gathered at Distant Harbor have begun phase jumps, which means Kang De's offensive is imminent."

Phaethon fell silent.

He remained silent for about a minute, his tone low and gentle.

Perhaps at this moment, the proud God of the Star Palace finally understood his own situation and his place in history— the Star Palace overlooked the Mortal World for thousands of years, countless ages, executing one extinction after another, executing one Fire Thief after another, and waging one massive war after another.

But this time it is the most special and the most different.

And he became the vanguard of this great war... facing off against the Fire Thief head-on.

Not long ago, Apophis gave him advice and instructions.

I will provide you with as much help and support as possible.

The Star of Divine Destruction said to him, "But you and I both know the Fire Thief. His battlefield is not in the Mortal World, and his power is so unique that we cannot kill him easily."

"Even killing him won't end it, and killing him won't welcome the master's return."

"The ultimate and most sublime mission of the Star Palace has never been to kill the Fire Thief, but to welcome our supreme master and share in the glory under his light."

"Faced with this unprecedented enemy and situation, we need an unprecedented plan."

"But you know... Phaethon, great plans are often accompanied by great sacrifices."

Kang De's origins, hidden secrets, the whereabouts of his master, and the weighty mission—at this moment, he felt as if he were carrying the weight of a star on his shoulders.

Excited yet nervous, joyful yet fearful, fearless yet hesitant.

Phaethon gritted his teeth, chewing on that name.

"Kang De..."

Grand Speaker Griffin stared at him, a glint of something sinister in his eyes.

Like a male wolf unwilling to be ordinary, it stares intently at the wolf king who has revealed a weakness.

The melodious bugle call echoed over the camp.

Alex was lying on the ground, suddenly raised his head. The former monarch of the Council closed his eyes. Outside the tent, soldiers screamed and officers cursed. Phaethon's lips trembled a few times.

The sound of the horn seemed to penetrate their very souls.

It signaled the coming of war.

"... Kang De has arrived!"

"Discontinuous phase shock wave detected!"

The underground command post of the vanguard position, its walls reinforced with multiple runes, powered by three magical cores, was a semi-permanent fortress design, housing numerous advanced magical devices. A spellcaster responsible for monitoring the spatial continuum loudly reported, "It is suspected that the Dragon of Cathay has begun casting a spell!"

The erected projection device displayed the image onto the giant elemental crystal disk. The Eagle Eye team announced sharply, "Dark element enrichment is observed in the northern area two of the base. The Beacon Tower System is experiencing interference from the dark veil!"

"Scouts witnessed something extraordinary! They heard music, footsteps, and shouts!"

Inside the Vanguard Base, the piercing blare of the Modi flute echoed incessantly. Soldiers nervously entered the trenches, while officers shouted impatiently, "Remember your training! Follow orders! Confirm the location of the safe house! Those who can't escape, take cover! Our mission is defense, not offense. Everything will be alright!"

Inside the fortifications, following the alchemist's instructions, the apprentices, their faces pale, pushed magic wands into crystal slots, activating Arcane runes, guiding the flow of elemental energy, and starting the magic devices.

"The Deceleration Field is activated. Kang De's alchemical weapon has been slowed to its maximum, just like in our training. Stop all his attacks!"

After the alchemist finished speaking, he put on the Mental Resonance Helmet.

The helmet completely covered his head, with no slots for the eyes, only four huge compound eyes of the Sola Demon Spider. The back of the helmet had twelve living, spirit-infused, and elementalized Mind Flayer that were still swaying. It was the best soul-guiding material the Council had ever discovered.

"Initiate connection!"

The apprentices held their breath and focused their mental energy on guiding the twelve mental wires, aligning them with and inserting them into the wet connection slots of the magical device.

The connection is now complete.

The alchemist's mental power was amplified many times over, and he gained control of the defensive magic device. The four honeycomb-like interconnected lightning generators rotated 360 degrees several times, and then swung up and down.

Two apprentices helped their instructor into the driver's seat, while another apprentice took a deep breath and reported to the fire control center via short-range communication device, "Bear Group Battlefield Fourth Air Defense Team activated!"

"Roger that, Air Defense Group Four, protect the skies above us."

"Yes!"

The apprentice turned off the communicator, and then heard the roars of dragons rising and falling.

Behind the base, on the high cliffs of Dragon Field, the controller raced forward, shouting, "Wyvern, take off! Wyvern, take off!"

The wyverns flapped their wings and cried out, spraying highly toxic saliva from their mouths. The ground crew was conducting final checks and preparations—checking the PRISM deflection devices carried by the Wyvern, as well as the alchemical bombs, trigger-type simple magic devices, and even the ice crystal deployment devices carried by another group of wyverns.

The fully equipped sub-dragon species was lifted onto the gliding ramp by a giant tower crane.

They carried many sophisticated magical devices, and using conventional natural takeoff methods would easily affect the reliability of the magical devices due to huge shocks, so assisted takeoff was necessary.

So they stepped onto the gliders and hurtled down the slide-like ramps, using the enormous inertia and momentum to flap their wings, take off, and soar into the sky.

Meanwhile, Griffin, Phaethon, and Alexander in disguise entered the underground command post.

The officers and soldiers on the front lines were ready to fight the enemy, although they still did not know what the enemy looked like. Meanwhile, in the underground command post, which was equipped with the Council's most advanced reconnaissance equipment, the generals, spellcasters, and military observers from various countries witnessed the Dragon of Cathay's... hellish march.

They had been discussing whether to launch a surprise attack while Kang De was sending his troops.

Now, such discussions are meaningless.

A space mage, gazing at the massive, ongoing warp, murmured, "The Dragon of Space and Time..."

The strange music that the scouts heard at the front lines was now being clearly transmitted through the short-frequency communicator into the underground command post.

Amidst the stirring music played on an unknown instrument, which sounded malevolent, powerful, and awe-inspiring, eight gigantic elemental crystal disks reflected the Atmospheric Perspective results of the Beacon Tower System.

Just a few miles north of the vanguard position, on the boundless Goth Plain, a dark sky stretched out, creating patches of nothingness. Storms gathered, Shadow loomed over the city, and a gigantic purple prism, like a pillar of heaven, encircled a golden holy ring, casting eerie phantoms. Streams of light shifted from the illusory to the real.

The earth is disappearing.

The earth is collapsing.

On the endless plain, crisscrossing ravines suddenly appeared, purple light and shadow shone down, and reinforced trenches, thick blast walls and sharp barbed wire emerged. The extremely thick concrete fortresses shone with the solidification of runes, and under the protection of the solidified fortifications, the heavy howitzers raised their muzzles.

Long-range rocket artillery was deployed, armored vehicles rumbled out of underground tunnels, the roar of helicopter engines dominated the sky, and fighter jets streaked across the sky, swerving in stunning arcs of light.

On the land, the soldiers who had migrated there deployed silently and in an orderly fashion, entering the defensive fortifications and setting up machine guns and field artillery—and that was only the front line of defense.

Behind this steel Bulwark, amethyst prisms projected vast halos of light, stunning arcs of light dispelling the ethereal shadows, and silent killing machines displayed their destructive postures, deploying, stationing, and constructing defenses, as if a god were painting, revealing a terrifying miracle on the vast plains.

In the blink of an eye, a defensive system that the council 'Council soldiers couldn't comprehend, but was undoubtedly extremely effective, meticulous, and terrifying, was being rapidly deployed. Fortifications several times more complex and sophisticated than the vanguard positions were being constructed at a visible speed, right before everyone's eyes.

"The Dragon of Space and Time..."

The soldiers all understood the space mage's murmur.

Kang De... directly teleported over an entire defense system.

No one dared to say, "Let's launch an attack while Kang De is sending his troops." There was only deathly silence. For the first time, these soldiers who had answered Griffin's call to fight Kang De realized just how terrifying the enemy they were about to face truly was.

Even with most of its strength weakened by the Deceleration Field, it is still terrifying.

Alex stared at all this, his pupils dilating in shock.

Silence fell, except for Phaethon's cold voice.

"Now you understand what Fire Thief is."