Just as Cheng Yu was observing the Merfolk King through a Satellite, the king seemed to sense something. He looked up, smiled, then took the spear from the Dolphin Knight beside him and hurled it at a spot in the sky.
Staring at the static-filled screen, Cheng Yu clicked his tongue. That was fucking ridiculous. He shot down my Satellite with a single spear.
The system explained to Cheng Yu,
"That should be the Merfolk King, the strongest individual in the Deep Sea Empire. What they call a Demigod Knight and Demigod Mage-a bona fide silver being. Luckily, he isn't a summoner, or this battle would be a real struggle for us." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
Cheng Yu nodded in agreement, then saw the enemy launch another offensive.
Spearheaded by Merfolk Knights and Giant Whale Warriors, the three-million-strong Sea Folk army charged again. The Giant Whale Warriors were manageable, intercepted by the equally massive 0-4s, but the Merfolk Knights tore a huge opening straight through the formation of over two million 0-1s.
With no other choice, Cheng Yu had to deploy his long-range firepower. Fortunately, the coordination between the 0-2s and 0-3s was as effective as ever, and the enemy offensive once again bogged down.
Watching the battlefield from high ground, the Merfolk King nodded slightly and said,
"As expected, seeing them in action is far more terrifying than watching them in someone's memories. I would say that in battles among low- and mid-tier forces, even the combined armies of the entire continent might not be a match for this army."
Old Jimmy, standing beside him, looked somewhat surprised.
"Your Majesty thinks that highly of them?"
The Merfolk King nodded.
"Old Jimmy, look. Whether it's the coordination between their forces or the roles of their different troop types, everything serves one purpose: maximizing casualties and striking wide areas."
Following the Merfolk King's gaze, Old Jimmy slowly sank into thought.
"But..."
The Merfolk King's words pulled Old Jimmy out of his thoughts again. He looked at the king, waiting to hear what he would say, though he had already guessed.
"Unfortunately, they seem to lack sufficient high-tier combat power."
Old Jimmy nodded in wholehearted agreement. Though the enemy's low- and mid-tier forces were terrifying, they did indeed lack sufficient high-tier combat power.
Just then, the Merfolk King gave a direct order.
"Naga Mage-Warrior Corps, disrupt their long-range attacks."
All three thousand female Naga in hooded garments behind the Merfolk King bowed to him, then took flight.
The Shuttle Fighters in the sky fired Piercing Beams, while the 0-3s in the rear positions also launched Piercing Beams to intercept the airborne Naga.
The reason was simple. The latest intelligence showed that these Naga were bronze three-star beings. Yes, three thousand bronze three-star beings, with both their bodies and souls at bronze three-star.
They had to shoot the enemy down. Under no circumstances could they let them land among the 0-2 positions.
Seeing the rain of light filling the sky and the countless beams in the distance, the Merfolk King immediately ordered,
"All mages, attention! Cast the Magic Protection Barrier! Prioritize protecting the airborne Naga Mage-Warrior Corps!"
When Cheng Yu spotted the hundred thousand mages casting together in the rear, he rose excitedly and said,
"Finally found them! Now I can wipe them out in one go! Initiate suicide kinetic bombardment with the Shuttle Fighters! I've wanted to test the power of these weapons for ages-their attack concept is exactly the same as space-based weapons!"
Several one-ton Shuttle Fighters stopped firing and adjusted their orbital positions. Then, trailing flames, they plunged straight toward the Merfolk King, the mage positions, the positions behind the Sea Folk's fighting front, the wounded Sea Folk on the shallow beach, and the Sea Folk troop staging grounds.
The Merfolk King frowned. A sudden sense of foreboding struck him, and he looked up. Several fiery red stars were flying toward their positions through the night sky.
He immediately took a spear from the Dolphin Knight beside him and hurled it at those strange stars. He hit one, but why were there still more? Why hadn't they disappeared?
Cheng Yu sneered. I know you can shoot down Satellites by hand. Did you think I'd only launch a few for you to play target practice with? He had twelve thousand 0-5s in total. Ninety percent of the Northern Borderlands' steel had gone into them. After all, a single 0-5 required four thousand tons of steel.
And each 0-5 carried three hundred Shuttle Fighters. In other words, he had 3.6 million space-based rounds at his disposal. That was why Cheng Yu had remained so unshakably calm.
"The army matters, sure, but air power is king," Cheng Yu remarked.
Feeling his skin sting, the Merfolk King hesitated no longer. He expended all his magic power to cast a protective shield large enough to enclose himself and the nearby mages.
He could disregard the other troops, but mages were a vital part of the Deep Sea Empire. If all the mages here were lost, even an empire as wealthy and powerful as theirs would feel the pain for a long time.
Whoosh-BOOM!!!!!
Whoosh-BOOM!!!!!
The sudden bombardment reduced countless Sea Folk to dust before they could react, including Donny, who had been "leading the charge." When the smoke cleared, all that remained were enormous craters. The Sea Folk charging at the very front were stunned. Their comrades behind them were just... gone?
But while they stood dazed, the Purgers did not. They swarmed forward and finished them off.
The Merfolk King crawled out of the dirt, looking utterly bedraggled. His shield had withstood the first strike, but it had failed against the second.
He looked around. Only the old whale-man and a handful of Merfolk Mages remained. Even the old whale-man was barely breathing, and likely would not make it home.
The Merfolk King began to doubt whether the empire had provoked an enemy it should never have touched.
Meanwhile, in the Main City, Cheng Yu clicked his tongue at the results.
"That's just brutal. But I love it."
Then he addressed the intelligent system in the Main City.
"Report enemy losses."
"Eighty-seven percent of enemy lifeforms no longer show any signs of life."
Cheng Yu nodded slightly. This was a magical world, after all. Who knew whether the enemy had a countermeasure? The first use had to hurt them badly enough to frighten them. Otherwise, he would have used this tactic back during the battle for the Far North Coast. Right now, Cheng Yu felt thoroughly satisfied.
The Merfolk King proved himself worthy of his crown. He quickly regained his composure and announced to the surviving Sea Folk,
"Retreat! Withdraw to the empire!"
Cheng Yu could hardly keep pursuing them. His aim was to convince these fishy bastards to stop fighting him to the death. He lowered a 0-5 and spoke through it.
"Your Majesty, the Merfolk King, please wait."
Hearing him, the Merfolk King stopped. He looked at the 0-5 in the sky and called out,
"I presume you are Lord Constantine. You have already won this war. What more do you want?"
Cheng Yu's voice continued,
"Heh heh heh. I only wish to point out that there is no deep-seated hatred between us, is there? Your side initiated both wars. I merely defended myself."
The Merfolk King narrowed his eyes, seemingly considering something.
Cheng Yu continued,
"I know you may not care about losing this war, but what I want to tell you is that we can coexist peacefully, can't we? I hope I can show you my sincerity. Please look up."
At those words, the Merfolk King raised his head. With the eyesight of a silver being, he saw three million Shuttle Fighters plainly visible high in the sky.
His pupils contracted. Of course he recognized the Shuttle Fighters. They could fire those strange beams, and they were terrifying weapons in their own right.
He did not know how many the enemy possessed, but he was certain of one thing: from now on, the Sea Folk could forget about deploying large armies on the land of the Northern Borderlands.
He said hoarsely,
"I understand. I hope we Sea Folk can coexist peacefully with your side forever."
Cheng Yu nodded in satisfaction, then put on an imposing air.
"That would be best. I truly cannot act lightly. The harm it would cause this world is simply too great, and I could not bear it."
The Merfolk King was shaken once more. Judging by the military power the other side possessed, those words hardly sounded false. He says he cannot act lightly. Has he crossed that threshold? It's not impossible. Did he force his way into this world, only to be restrained by it?
The more the Merfolk King thought about it, the more unfathomable his opponent seemed. Yet a trace of doubt remained in his heart. What if... what if he's bluffing?
Regardless, the Deep Sea Empire could not return to the Northern Borderlands anytime soon.
Watching the Merfolk King retreat with the remnants of the Deep Sea Empire's forces, Cheng Yu nodded in satisfaction. He had finally dealt with the threat at his back.
Next, he would consolidate his resources and prepare to head south. As for a pretext-look, hadn't his good "ally" delivered one right to him?
Watching the vast army departing Twilight Fortress on the Satellite feed, Cheng Yu felt that making this "ally" had truly paid off.
As for how this had happened, the clock would have to turn back a little.
Ryan, one of the princes of the Kurland Kingdom, had chosen to visit the Northern Borderlands with his companions for his graduation exam. This was the territory of the "ally" with whom their kingdom had only recently established relations.
But upon hearing that the Deep Sea Empire was at war with their ally, Ryan chose the hot, dry Western Region of the Northern Borderlands for his travels.
Curiosity, however, drove them to visit the battlefield. They therefore stuck to the Western Region, where the Deep Sea Empire could never enter, and made their way into the Duwu Great Forest from there.
When they reached the edge of the forest near the grasslands of the Northern Borderlands, they saw the Purger army battling the Deep Sea Empire's forces. These sheltered children had never witnessed armies of millions slaughtering one another.
Driven by vanity, Ryan even took out a Recording Stone and recorded the scene. This would be the perfect submission for his travel assessment.
For a time, they were enthralled by this aesthetic of violence. The Purgers' long-range bombardment, in particular, left the brats wildly exhilarated.
Only when the Merfolk King appeared did Ryan snap out of his trance. Realizing something, he immediately tore open a Teleportation Array and arrived at Twilight Fortress. Then, Recording Stone in hand, he went to see his uncle.
Kadrian, the Undying Prince of the Kurland United Kingdom.
Before you continue