Chapter 1014: Chapter 1013: Impact

Facing the god, then killing the god.

All along, Gawain had been thinking about how this war, triggered by the War God’s loss of control, could finally be concluded— the conflict between Typhon and the Cecil Clan was merely surface-level; its essence was an "unnatural disaster" caused by the gods’ loss of control. To end the disaster, one must start at the source, and thus the solution to ending this divine calamity must be sought from the gods themselves. In Gawain’s initial plan, the most reliable way to achieve this goal was to cut off the "passage."

In Veronica’s words, it meant cutting the "bridge between man and god."

Under normal circumstances, gods have a hard time directly influencing the human world. The "Divine Realm" where they reside is a domain far more complex and insurmountable than the Otherworld. According to Amon, unless conditions are extremely suitable or at a great cost, gods can hardly leave their own "domain" and can only project their power to the real world by indirect means; from a certain perspective, as long as this "indirect connection" is severed, one can cut off the gods’ influence on the human world.

This "bridge" is supported by the gods’ representative system in the mortal world—a massive priest Clergy and a "faith order" formed by countless mortals acting in specific religious doctrines repeatedly.

So Gawain always believed that Emperor Rosetta Augustus’s goal was this: to consume the polluted priests and baptized knights and soldiers in the country bit by bit, dismantling the "bridge" between the War God and the world. When this connection is weakened to a certain extent, theoretically, the "divine disaster" spreading in the mortal world will naturally cease due to losing its source. Even the War God might stop its continuous deteriorating madness due to the interruption of its connection with the human world, gradually returning to normal in a state of isolation—of course, simultaneously, it would become significantly weakened after losing mortal support and might even turn into a "God of Yore," like Amon, strong but deprived of divine power, but that’s not something Gawain needed to consider.

However, it now seems... Emperor Rosetta Augustus’s plans are far from being so "gentle."

Aunt Heidi was startled by Gawain’s speculation, blinking before she reacted: "God-slaying? Are you sure?"

"I can only guess—only Rosetta knows the truth," Gawain said in a deep voice. "We can only infer based on existing clues. What the Typhon Empire is doing is evidently aiming to further draw the War God’s power into this world... From the outbreak of war to now, both sides have deployed hundreds of thousands of troops in the Winterwolf Fortress area, and the number continues to increase. This is the largest-scale war on this continent in nearly a century; its existence itself is a powerful gravitational source. The power associated with war would naturally be attracted to that region. Under these circumstances, Typhon creating large-scale ’miracles’... could be ’warming up’ for some even larger-scale advent..."

He paused here, looking into Aunt Heidi’s eyes: "Given Rosetta’s character and Typhon’s current situation, he wouldn’t be bringing the War God into this world just to invite him to lunch, would he?"

"But how does he plan to achieve this almost impossible plan?" Aunt Heidi blinked. "He is still a god!"

"Gods can be killed, can’t they?" Gawain slowly said, "In this era, mortals have already fought against gods..."

Aunt Heidi quickly caught on: "Are you referring to the body of the fake god that we and the sea demons hunted together? Or the Supreme Narrator? But... there’s no comparability, nor any repeatability! In the former, we relied on the power of sea demons; in the latter, you used special means, which can’t serve as evidence that ’mortals are capable of god-slaying,’ let alone be considered routine... If Emperor Rosetta Augustus was inspired and encouraged by these two events, then his plan would be wishful thinking of a gambler. Even with both Cecil and Typhon powers in the Winterwolf region, it..."

"He must have been planning this for a long time—if he is indeed doing this," Gawain shook his head. "I don’t know the specific plan now, but if the Typhon Empire indeed plans to bring the War God into our world... then I can’t just sit and watch from the rear."

Aunt Heidi heard a deeper meaning in Gawain’s tone, looking at her ancestor in some surprise: "Are you going personally..."

"Yes, I’m personally going to the eastern front," Gawain said calmly. "The situation’s nature might escalate at any moment, and if we’re really going to deal with gods, I have some experience, and moreover..."

He paused slightly, a meaningful smile appearing on his face: "The Typhon Empire plans to make some big news, and we can never trust our enemies’ boundaries on the battlefield... Always consider things from the worst possible direction. If they not only want to pull the War God down but also eye Cecil in the process... then we also have to consider Aldernon accordingly."

"I understand," Aunt Heidi didn’t question further but nodded, "Then I’ll make the arrangements right away."

"Mm," Gawain slightly nodded, and after a brief thought, instructed further, "Also, get in touch with Sorinburg—tell Beltira we don’t have time to wait for the final version of the Wetware Servo to be completed. Her temporary plan can be used first... we need a directly deployable Psychic Choir on the battlefield, the sooner the better, as many as possible."

...

In the depths of the war clouds, the gears had already begun turning, and both the appearance of this war and the truth hidden beneath it were advancing continuously along with the turning gears—and the vortex touched not only the Winterwolf Fortress front but even more than just the parties directly engaged in combat.

Under the new order established during the Magic Guide Technology era, information spread at a rate and breadth far exceeding that of the past. This war in the northeast of the continent had already captured almost the entire continent’s attention.

The Moss Woods in the tribal country of Augari is welcoming its coldest days of the year. Several consecutive snowfalls have covered the ancestral home of the gray elves in white, yet in the depths of the forest covered in winter snow, the largest city, Wind Song City, maintains a bustling prosperity that doesn’t match this winter’s chill.

Thanks to the wealth and prosperity brought by active commercial activities and the affordable efficiency city operations have gained due to magic skills, the gray elves and their business partners managed to keep away from cold and desolation this winter. Even during heavy snowfall, the citizens of this city continue their normal lives: the market remains open, trades go on, tourists come and go, and news from all corners of the world... continue to flow rapidly through the city.

The captain of the Wind Song City guard, carrying her prideful Chopping Axe, took steady strides along the streets between the market and the longhouses. The "Feline Lady" scanned her patrol area with alert eyes, her furry ears atop her head capturing various noises from the market area: Winter was a time when people easily let their guard down, and this was especially true for feline creatures. The cold makes one drowsy, making them involuntarily miss the fireplace at home, yet as a well-trained warrior, staying vigilant during these sleepy times was a skill she was proud of.

Nearby, a newsboy passed by, his enthusiastic cries catching the guard captain’s attention: "Extra! Extra! Big news! A massive aerial battle broke out on the Winterwolf front! Unprecedented! Never seen before aerial battle!"

The newsboy’s words were novel and unfamiliar, already attracting some attention from those around. The guard captain couldn’t help but take another look in that direction, and it was that extra look that caught the newsboy’s attention. The young and energetic gray elf ran over with a few steps, his face red in the cold wind: "Lady Morelina! Grab a newspaper! You don’t want to miss it!"

"I’m on patrol," Morelina looked down at the short gray elf, her fur-covered face displaying a proper expression—she carefully controlled the curl of her tail, not allowing its sway to reveal her emotions.

But a clever gray elf could obviously see through a warrior’s thoughts through countless details: "Don’t be like that, Lady Morelina, the guard captain doesn’t have to patrol as long as regular soldiers, and this is about news from the Typhon-Cecil front—no soldier should miss out on this kind of update!"

Morelina squinted her eyes; she didn’t agree with the newsboy’s first line, but the latter half gave her plenty of reason... or step. She glanced at the mechanical clock hung in front of the clan leader’s house not far away and realized her patrol time was indeed nearly over, thus reached out to the newsboy: "Alright then, give me one."

"Your day will be enriched by this newspaper! I promise, Lady Morelina—here’s your paper and the change~~"

The talkative gray elf.

Morelina took the newspaper, shaking her head with a smile, while the newsboy ran in another direction in the next second, joyful cries echoing from not far away: "Big news! Massive aerial battle broke out on the Winterwolf front! Even Wind Song City’s guard captain didn’t want to miss this big news!"

Morelina glanced in that direction, a short growl emerging from her throat but said nothing more. She then picked up the newspaper, seeing the newsboy’s "big news" on the front page—

A large "photo" covered a third of the page. The moment she saw it, Morelina felt her breath halt for a half beat—

That was a scene from the sky, captured directly from a perspective flying in the air.

Morelina had actually seen such a spectacle before—The Cecil Clan had made some Magic Web clips themed with aerial perspectives. They used some sort of flying machine to carry people and equipment into the sky, filming footage of the earth from above, gazing at the clouds, and even dancing with the wind and rain. As the Magic Web reached the tribal country of Augari, these unbelievable clips became part of Cecil’s external promotion and were seen by different races, but...

The images presented in the newspapers showed a completely different scene.

In a sky filled with dense clouds and howling wind and snow, armed forces were engaged in combat.

It was at this moment that Morelina understood what the newsboy meant by the "Great Aerial Battle".

Hundreds of flying war machines were deployed on the battlefield... multiple times the number of Typhon Empire’s air forces... a massive weather "miracle"... a Dragon Herd... armored trains...

Air raids and anti-air raids in the blizzard.

Morelina clutched the newspaper, somehow placing the Chopping Axe that was previously on her shoulder down by her side, her feline tail slightly curling up. By the time she realized it, her tail was already in her mouth.

She couldn’t even remember how many years it had been since she last did something so childish—this was hardly dignified for a powerful warrior beastmen.

But at this moment, she could not care less about such details, as a massive doubt hovered in her mind:

When... did war become like this?

In the distant human world, on the eastern side of the continent, have the people there already been waging war this way?

...

"The Great Aerial Battle, huh..." In the spacious and bright room, Venna Baizhi, with gray hair over her shoulders, looked at the newspaper just delivered by the Attendant. The report on the front page left this Gray Elf Clan Leader both amazed and compelled to sigh, "Is this also a change brought by Magic Guide Technology..."

"Yes, it’s Magic Guide Technology and magic skills," a tall, black-haired, blue-eyed human beside Venna said. "The Typhon Empire do not have flying machines; they are still fighting with traditional magic power."

"Those Typhon Empire without flying machines suffered more losses in this aerial battle—although it might have some embellishments from Cecil’s propaganda, it’s clear who suffered more casualties in this battle," Venna couldn’t help but shake her head gently, "not to mention that Dragonborn also appeared on the battlefield as mercenaries... Cecil even made Magical Equipment for those already formidable Dragonborn."

"Alchemists have the concept of ’catalysts,’ and war is indeed a catalyst for technology—Magic Guide Technology is of course great for use in mines and municipal construction, but obviously it also suits the battlefield perfectly." The tall human said seriously.

"...Gray elves are not good at warfare, but we do need to increase our understanding of these matters," Venna sighed. "Schwarzk, the agenda to purchase arms from the Cecil Clan still needs to be pushed forward... It’s not just us, the other four major tribes should also recognize the importance of these things. We may not expect to use the purchased arms to attack anyone, but at least we need to start keeping pace with the changes in the world."

"Rest assured, I have been keeping a close eye on this matter."

"Hmm," Venna nodded slightly, "Speaking of Magic Guide Technology... How is the feedback from the proposal by Wickcliff to establish a Magic Net Main Hub on Ancestral Peak?"

Wickcliff is the leader of the human tribe in the tribal country of Augari, and one of the "Five Kings" equivalent in status to Venna Baizhi.

"Establishing a Magic Net Main Hub on Ancestral Peak is indeed a matter that challenges tradition... Currently, the beastmen and the elves have not reached a consensus on this issue. They are mainly worried about whether it would negatively impact the sacred place, along with some cultural and traditional concerns," the advisor Schwarzk immediately reported. "Surprisingly, the fairies have already agreed to this, and Lady Stella even sent a letter asking if we’re also interested in advancing this matter..."

"Fairies, so proactive?" Venna lifted her head in surprise, "Ancestral Peak is where they have inhabited for generations, I thought they would be the most concerned..."

"Everyone thought so, but the fairies seem to... find this matter amusing," Schwarzk replied with a slightly peculiar expression. "At least that’s Lady Stella’s attitude."

Venna was taken aback for a moment and then suddenly pressed her forehead with some frustration: "Do they really understand what a Magic Net Nexus is..."

"That shouldn’t be an issue, fairies have shown an unexpectedly strong understanding in the field of Magic Guide Technology, and recently they are becoming the most familiar group with Magic Guide Technology in the tribal country of Augari, aside from the gray elves," Schwarzk seemed to miss the playful tone in Venna’s voice and stated earnestly, "Perhaps it is precisely because of this talent that they are so interested in establishing a giant signal tower in their ancestral home."

"...Well, that’s also a good thing, at least there are three votes now," Venna rubbed her temples, "Only the elves and beastmen remain... I know Camilla and Studeer, neither of them are particularly inflexible, they should eventually agree."

After ending this bothersome topic, the Gray Elf Clan Leader waved her hand, "Let’s discuss this again after I’ve communicated with Clan Leader Stella. Speaking of which, has Melita’s letter arrived today?"

"Yes, my lady," Schwarzk nodded, pointing towards the items on a small table nearby, "There it is."

Venna blinked, her gaze falling on the packed item, murmuring to herself after a while, "I thought it was a parcel..."

"It is indeed a parcel— Cecil’s postal department registers it as a parcel, and when sending across borders, it’s also regarded as a parcel," Schwarzk nodded in all seriousness, "Apparently, the eldest mistress’s letter couldn’t use the regular mail channel..."

Venna: "..."

"Then, please read your family letter. I’ll go handle the government documents and won’t disturb you further."

With those words, Schwarzk slightly bowed and courteously exited the room.

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