Cocolia's Humiliating Defeat!

"They're here! And their attitude is even more forceful than last time!"

"That guy said that if the ore shipments aren't restored within three days, the Silvermane Guards will come down and forcibly take control of the mining area!"

Natasha listened to Oleg, her brow tightly furrowed.

Though she had expected it, hearing with her own ears that the Silvermane Guards were coming down still sent a wave of unease through her.

They were Belobog's strongest armed force.

However, she quickly remembered Jiang Mo—that child had anticipated this long ago and had already provided a solution.

She took a deep breath, trying to make herself appear calm.

"Oleg, don't panic."

"This was all expected."

Oleg froze. He looked at Natasha, his eyes filled with confusion.

"What do you plan to do?"

Natasha hesitated for a moment before finally saying,

"Ignore them."

"If they dare come, Wildfire won't go easy on them."

Upon hearing that, Oleg was completely stunned at first, standing motionless.

A moment later, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Won't go easy on them? Against the Silvermane Guards?"

He laughed so hard that tears seeped from the corners of his eyes.

"Looks like I really am old!"

Oleg walked over to Natasha and gave her shoulder a heavy pat.

"You young people really have guts! You actually dare to take on the Silvermane Guards! Excellent!"

Natasha could only suffer in silence... she did not have that kind of courage.

"I understand your opinion," Oleg said, reining in his laughter. "I agree."

"Three days from now, if they really dare come, we'll let them see what Wildfire is capable of!"

"Of course, though the chances are slim, I still hope... it won't come to that."

Natasha looked at Oleg's resolute profile, her heart filled with complicated emotions.

She knew how risky this decision was, and she had no confidence in it herself.

That child... what exactly was he planning?

Was he really confident he could stand against the Silvermane Guards?

Being pushed to the edge of a cliff pained her, but Oleg's trust, Wildfire's expectations, and her obsession with finding her brother left her no choice but to keep moving forward.

Afterward, Wildfire began to act.

Oleg gathered every Wildfire member and delivered an impassioned speech at headquarters.

He did not hide the Upper District's ultimatum, nor did he avoid the danger that was about to arrive.

He spoke of why Wildfire had been founded, of the suffering of the Underworld's people, and of the Upper District's indifference and oppression.

"Now, they not only want to take away the fruits of our labor, they want to crush our dignity with force!"

"We are Wildfire! We have put down roots here, and we protect our home and loved ones! Can we retreat?!"

"No!"

The Wildfire members roared in unison, their voices shaking the air.

"Good!" Oleg's eyes shone. "Since they want to come, then let them know that the people of the Underworld are not sheep to be slaughtered! We of Wildfire are not so easily bullied!"

His speech ignited everyone's fighting spirit.

Though they all knew this would be a hard battle, no one backed down.

They began making preparations, maintaining machinery, checking weapons, and drilling tactics.

The coming conflict was kept strictly confidential by Wildfire's leadership and was not revealed to ordinary Underworld residents.

This was a war between Wildfire and the Silvermane Guards. They did not want innocent residents to fall into panic.

Three days passed.

Ore shipments from the Underworld still had not resumed.

In the Upper District, Supreme Guardian Cocolia's patience ran out.

Cocolia's Humiliating Defeat!

Cocolia immediately gave the order to assemble the Silvermane Guards and head to the Underworld to forcibly take control of the mining area!

Squads of Silvermane Guards clad in standard armor marched in neat formation under the command of their officers toward the sealed passage leading to the Underworld.

They were well-equipped and well-trained, their eyes full of contempt for the rabble of the Underworld.

They opened the entrance to the sealed passage and began advancing toward the Underworld.

The passage was narrow, long, and dimly lit.

The Silvermane Guards advanced cautiously, but they had never imagined that the danger was not in the mining area, but right at the end of this passage.

Just as they were about to leave the passage and step onto Underworld soil—

"Bang!"

The Wildfire members who had been lying in ambush for a long time launched their attack!

The narrow passage exit was instantly blanketed by firepower!

This was Jiang Mo's arrangement.

He had set up this ambush in advance along the Silvermane Guards' only route.

Using the terrain around the passage exit, the Wildfire members occupied advantageous positions.

Though their equipment was inferior to that of the Silvermane Guards, their morale was high, and their tactics were sound.

What caught the Silvermane Guards even more off guard was that Wildfire had actually deployed some ancient mechanical soldiers.

These war machines could not enter such a narrow space, which was why the Upper District's machinery could not be brought into the Underworld.

Yet the old machines of the Underworld, in Wildfire's hands and in this cramped terrain, displayed astonishing power!

Their bulky but sturdy bodies became the best cover.

The weapons mounted on them inflicted effective casualties on the Silvermane Guards.

The Silvermane Guards' understanding of the Underworld was still limited to a disorderly mob without weapons.

They had come with contempt, only to run into Wildfire's elite—trained behind the scenes by Jiang Mo, drilled strictly by Oleg, and armed with a portion of ancient technology.

They were well-trained! They dared to fight!

They could even launch a Sneak Attack!

The battle unfolded near the entrance to the passage between the Upper District and the Underworld.

The Silvermane Guards paid a terrible price.

Their advantage in numbers and equipment could not be fully used in the narrow terrain, while Wildfire's ambush and the surprise assault by the war machines inflicted devastating losses.

In less than a day of fighting, the Silvermane Guards were already showing signs of collapse.

They gradually became unable to organize an effective counterattack and descended into chaos.

In the end, the Silvermane Guards had no choice but to retreat in disgrace, leaving behind many casualties and pieces of equipment.

They had lost.

They had lost to their arrogance, to their ignorance of the Underworld, and to Jiang Mo.

After this great victory, Wildfire's morale reached its peak!

They had actually driven back the Silvermane Guards!

The Wildfire members cheered, but they did not dare relax. They left part of their elite force behind to continue ambushing the passage exit.

In the Upper District, Supreme Guardian Cocolia's face turned pale and livid when she learned of the defeat.

The Silvermane Guards had suffered severe losses, and their morale was low.

Even worse, without a supply of Marrowstone, the Upper District's energy crisis grew increasingly severe, and its weapons and equipment could not be replenished quickly.

The residents' lives were severely affected, and discontent spread throughout the Upper District.

Pressed by troubles within and without, Cocolia had no choice but to lower her head.

She could only send another envoy.

The visitor was still the same Silvermane Guard officer from last time.

But this time, none of his previous arrogance remained.

He had heard that his fellow Silvermane Guards had been beaten into a miserable rout in the Underworld.

When he stepped into the Underworld, he became extremely cautious, jumping at every little thing.

At the negotiating table, after sitting down, his tone became very soft.

"Mr. Oleg, the Supreme Guardian is willing to hear your demands." The envoy rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat nervous. "But those conditions... could they perhaps be discussed further?"

"The conditions have already been made very clear."

"Wildfire will continue governing the Underworld and ensure the ore supply. The Upper District will increase material supplies and open passages for some people to travel through."

Oleg looked at the Silvermane Guard envoy before him, whose attitude had changed completely, and felt inexplicably conflicted.

This arrogance was something he and the people of the Underworld had hated for years.

Now, that arrogance had finally bowed its head before reality.

"Uh, how about... we discuss it a little more?"

"There is nothing to discuss."

"The conditions we have proposed are the bottom line for the Underworld's survival."

"The Upper District's long-term exploitation and neglect of the Underworld have already caused damage that cannot be repaired."

Oleg paused, then looked at the envoy with sharp eyes.

"Furthermore, given the unpleasant conflict last time, along with the resulting additional losses and risks, we believe that the increase in material supplies needs to be reassessed!"

The envoy's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He sensed that something bad was coming.

"Our initial demand was double the supplies."

Oleg's voice suddenly rose. "But after the last conflict, we believe that increase is not enough to compensate for the price paid by the Underworld."

He spoke each word slowly, every one of them like a stone smashing into the envoy's heart.

"The new demand is... an additional three times the material supplies on top of the original amount."

"Th-three times?!"

As if struck by lightning, the envoy abruptly leaned back, his eyes wide.

An additional three times the supplies?

That was nearly four times the original supply amount!

This was outright extortion!

"Th-this is impossible!" The envoy's face went pale as he stammered. "Mr. Oleg, th-this exceeds what I can decide! The Upper District... the Upper District simply can't afford it!"

His voice carried a sobbing note, and all his former swagger was gone.

"Th-this... I have to go back... go back and report to the Supreme Guardian! This..."