Chapter 169: Harsh Truth (2)

Words : 1095 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

"I’ll tell you when we’re near the capital." Those were Isolde’s words before she reappeared in the front seat of the Manatech Jeepney, just beside the driver’s seat, and fell silent, staring out into the distance once more to appreciate the passing scenery. The wind aggressively brushed past their skin. For the next few days, all the jeepney did was advance towards the capital at an unbelievable rate. They would only stop for exactly eight and a half hours to sleep and have dinner whenever night came, then have breakfast at dawn. Other than that, only fifteen minutes to eat lunch. The headmistress had prepared a small Void Dimension where they could handle nature’s business and take quick baths on the go. Of course, when the driver has to go, they would have to stop. It seemed that the mission was truly urgent, making Hal’s mood turn cold and serious. Perhaps he would be sent to fight the fell? This was exactly what Isolde was aiming for—to let Hal’s imagination run wild, allowing him to prepare his heart for what was to come. Around the eighth day, Isolde suddenly reappeared beside Hal, leaving him slightly taken aback before he consciously steeled his resolve. The headmistress snapped her fingers, prompting a soundproof dome that prevented the driver from hearing anything to appear "I shall now tell you the current state of the battlefield. However, like the information I told you earlier, you cannot disclose this to anyone, not even Vyse Vandralis and Liora Whitemane. They shall learn of it when they’re ready. Honestly, I don’t think you’re ready yet, either. But we cannot defy the emperor, so you must be extremely careful. Don’t think about playing hero, as you’ll have plenty of chances to do so once you’re stronger. Just do the minimum of what is required of you. The good thing about all this is that the mission will be one of utter chaos. Maybe you can use it to your advantage and earn a good amount of those Chaos Points that you mentioned." Hal nodded in agreement. "As for the current situation of the battlefield, well, basically most of the threat is from the northern seas, as that is the only path the Fellkin can take to invade Maegrath. The impenetrable Great Grandall Mountain Range is protecting the entire western side and extending all the way to more than half of the southern border. This mountain range is home to four of the ten Megala Deoras. While not really impenetrable, the Fellkin would have to pay a massive price to cross the mountain range. By the time they arrive at the empire, there will be no need to think about strategies. We would probably be able to wipe them out in a head-on war. That’s simply how dangerous the Megala Deoras and their hordes are. Now, the northern seas are quite small, but still wide enough for the Fellkin to use as an invasion route. Fortunately, there is only a narrow section they could cross, as the Star-devouring Serpent Deora and her sea serpent and flood dragon subordinates guard the northern waters, which extend to the northeast. Even the fell race would find it impossible to defeat the great beast and her horde in their habitat. Now, this leaves the eastern borders of Maegrath open. However, the Fellkin would have to travel a great distance, and by then, it would be impossible to maintain logistics for their armies. Instead, they attempt to infiltrate in small numbers, opening Void Portals to summon more of their kin. The youngsters of the fell race you encountered in the Luminous Runeforest region were merely some of the few trying to make a name for themselves by successfully establishing a large portal. Unfortunately, it was impossible to catch all of the bastards. They had steadily grown in number in the southeast. The Imperium responded by ruthlessly wiping out all monsters in the area, sparing only those of S-rank and above, as well as the beasts, since they have no cores, in hopes that they would become a natural part of the east’s defense. For decades, this solution proved effective. The only problem was that the empire grew complacent over the years. Beneath the covers of their failed attempts, it turned out that the bastards’ schemes ran far deeper. They utilized their mastery of space magic to bring in large amounts of Fell Cores, gathered from monsters in other continents and corrupted by the fell race through some unknown method. The bastards forcefully fed these cores to the beasts along the eastern and southeastern borders, turning them into Fell Beasts. "I’m ashamed to admit that it was already a bit too late when the Imperium discovered their schemes." Hal’s heart sank. "So my mission is to help defend the eastern borders from the Fell Beast horde’s attack?" he asked in a stern tone. "Yes and no. I may have exaggerated a bit when I said it was too late. It was just too late in my opinion, because we shouldn’t have allowed it to happen in the first place," Isolde admitted. "It’s just that there’s quite a considerable number starting to form a horde, and they are about to migrate closer to the empire to further increase their numbers. So the mission is to prevent this brewing horde from storming the eastern border villages by ambushing them and the Fellkin Warriors backing them in the Parralen Valley. The Fellkin Warriors will be handled by the two Magnas assigned to lead the operation, along with the veteran army wizards. Your task is to lead a platoon of young imperial army wizards to kill as many C-ranked Fell Beasts and below. I strongly discourage you from engaging a B-ranked Fell Beast, as they are nearly equivalent to a standard A-ranked beast in combat prowess due to the Fell Core they consumed. Fell Beasts are also far more aggressive and fearless than regular beasts. Take note of this and fight accordingly. Oh, and I believe your childhood friend, Ennya Kasai, was also assigned to this mission. Both of you are equally important to the empire, so don’t even think about doing something foolish like sacrificing yourself for her, especially if you’re doing so out of emotion. The Magnas are instructed to prioritize your and Ennya’s safety above all else, followed by Felix, then Pierro. If she still falls into a hopeless situation despite this, leave her. Please, steel your heart and do not die with her, tempting as it may be."

Chapter 169: Harsh Truth (2)

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