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Chapter 732: Lanchi's Prophecy
Chapter 732: Lanchi's Prophecy
In the heart of the Kreise Empire's capital, Brilerda, lay an ancient underground city hidden deep beneath the earth, accessible only through select spatial nodes connected to secret entrances. On an autumn night, a blood-red moon hung high above the pitch-black vault, as magitech devices simulated the scene of its radiant moonlight cascading down, veiling the city, built from dark stone, in layer upon layer of misty crimson.
Along the deserted streets, lofty and massive structures loomed, their silhouettes outlining the eerie beauty of the super ancient blood moon art. It was as if the dust of ages had frozen in time, and in the quiet alleys, a gentle breeze occasionally whispered by.
"The color of the blood moon is truly breathtaking," a man remarked as he strode by, his iron-gray uniform buttons gleaming, reflecting the sanguine sky.
Usually, when walking on the ground, he would stride with his head held high, his gaze arrogantly scanning his surroundings. But here, even he couldn't help but lower his posture.
As the captain of the action team in the Empire's Special Operations Department, no one would dare to easily follow him. Or rather, in this underground city, accessible only through spatial nodes, one could enter and exit without anyone being the wiser.
Major Maguire strode towards the depths of the underground city, where a majestic castle, built from natural obsidian, stood silently in the dark night. The outer walls of the castle were inlaid with cold, hard silver trim, adorned with red crystal carvings.
Maguire's figure slowly stepped into the castle, passing through several colonnades, before pushing open a massive door etched with enchantment seals.
Before him lay a grand hall, its imposing grandeur revealed.
"Your Excellency, I have arrived," Maguire said, bowing low as if before an emperor, his sturdy frame shrinking into a humble shadow.
His voice was deep, but it couldn't hide the underlying worry in his words.
"...”
For a long moment, there was no response from within the hall, and he dared not stand up.
Although he was the only seventh-rank combatant in the Empire's Special Operations Department, he felt as insignificant as an insect before the vampires.
High above, the vaulted ceiling was adorned with immortal crystal rose windows that refracted a dazzling array of colors, while black iron chandeliers hung from cold iron chains, shedding a decadent light. The deep red carpet seemed like a winding blood river, stretching to the very end of the hall—
At the center of the hall stood a long table crafted from blackened refined iron, and flanking it were thirteen high-backed chairs that resembled thrones.
Yet, at this moment, the vast hall was empty, save for a solitary figure seated in the seventh high-backed chair.
The figure in the distant chair tilted its head slightly upward, eyes remaining tightly shut as if perceiving, through the layers of the ceiling, the shapes woven by the brilliant stars in the night sky.
"Maguire, my apologies for calling you here at this hour," the figure murmured, its voice calm and ethereal, as if musing to itself, or perhaps lamenting.
"It is my honor to serve the vampires in this life," the man replied, knowing full well that the marquise was merely being polite. Any order from the vampires must be obeyed.
"Violet has been drawn away, and Haxintos will not leave the headquarters. As long as an eighth-rank battle doesn't occur in the capital, Haxintos won't budge," Maguire reported.
His previous instruction had been to keep the sixth military god, Violet, Seat of the Water Jade, away from the capital, Brilerda, for as long as possible.
And so, under the vampires' manipulation, fragments of what appeared to be the remains of a super ancient divine beast, the Skull King, were discovered within the empire's borders. The discovered ruins were extremely dangerous, requiring an exceptionally powerful individual to protect the empire's exploration team and the archaeology professors from St. Kreise Abbey. Ultimately, Headmistress Violet decided to personally visit Lake Stabergeun, near the Botswana Province.
She would temporarily freeze the entire lake near the exploration cave, and if a battle underwater or on the water's surface occurred, Violet would have the absolute advantage.
The ideal candidate was none other than Violet, or one could say that aside from her, only the first military god, Haxintos, could ensure the success of this task. But as Haxintos was the Supreme Commander, he couldn't leave his post, leaving Violet, the sixth military god, as the only other option.
For a while, Violet would not return to St. Kreise Abbey.
"Excellent. It's best if the empire and the allies continue to wear each other down. This time, they won't have the demons to aid them," the vampire marquise replied, her voice soft yet as piercing as the frost of an autumn night, carrying within it a hint of regret that seemed to span millennia.
Whether it was the empire's eighth-rank hero units or those of the allies, as the war dragged on, their numbers would dwindle.
The same went for legion units and city defense facilities; the losses would be difficult to restore.
"How is the front line faring? Will any other military gods be returning?" Marquise Heritier asked nonchalantly, turning her face slightly.
The vampires possessed top-tier hero units but lacked legion units, forcing them to rely on humans or convert them from the human faction.
In a sense, the legion was the frontline infantry. Without them to withstand the enemy's city defense facilities and demon-forged barriers, hero units couldn't break through alone and might even fall in the attempt.
Now that the initial fierce battles of the war had gradually slowed, and with the allies having lost their strategic southern periphery, they had no choice but to abandon some areas, resources, and visibility, pulling back northward. It would no longer be easy for the empire to venture beyond the city defenses to pick off lone allied hero units.
From here on out, the focus would be on both sides' operations, the outcome of large-scale battles, and the competition for neutral resources.
And once the war entered its most intense phase, with the empire distracted by external pressures, it would be the perfect opportunity for the vampires to strike, seizing control of the very core of the Kreise Empire.
There were still several Military Gods that hadn't fallen under the control of the Third Progenitor, Duke Lasharl, which was the biggest variable.
"Aside from the Third Military God, Cinnabar Garnet's Gyarte, and the Fifth Military God, Mica Road's Gayed, who are returning to the capital in exchange, only the Tenth Military God, Ruby's Seat Julius, might come back in the short term. Also, with the Kreise National Celebration next month, a large number of Military Gods will return one after another to maintain order during the ceremony and receive the blessings of the Gods of War and the Sword."
Maguire remained kneeling on one knee, his hand on his knee, and replied respectfully.
The Military Gods of Kreise all had the blessings of the Gods of War and the Sword, which granted them a slight boost to their basic attributes. The annual National Celebration was the time to receive these blessings anew.
Divine blessings could not coexist, and one could possess only one at a time. However, the blessings of the Gods of War and the Sword, bestowed upon the Kreise Empire's Military Gods, were rare pure attack attributes. Moreover, the duration of the blessings that the Kreise Empire could bestow upon the Military Gods was long-lasting, unlike the short-term blessings granted by most divine beings.
"What about the Tenth Military God, Ruby Julius?"
Marquise Heritier nodded slightly, her only surprise being related to this relatively weak Military God's reason for returning.
The Kreise Empire's Eleventh Military God, Jade's Simon, was a healing support, and the Twelfth Military God, Cat's Eye Bianca, was a scout—both more useful than the pure output Tenth Military God, Ruby Julius. Thus, Ruby Julius was considered the weakest among the Military Gods.
"During the first large-scale energy grab between the Empire and the Allies in the Western Hub Zone, Ruby Julius turned the tide with a single shot, causing a massive explosion that nearly engulfed the Allied Eighth Stratum and other Military Gods led by the Western Speaker."
Maguire shook his head as he said,
"Julius has always been like this, greedy for merit and impetuous, as if he's missing a string of nerves in his brain."
For this young general, who had become a Military God at such a young age, Colonel Maguire had always felt more jealousy than respect.
He dared not evaluate any Military God to their face, but here in Blood Moon City, it was different. The Military Gods were no different from him—mere lower life forms.
Marquise Heritier was clearly taken aback, as she hadn't expected that Ruby Julius might be returning due to a potential court-martial.
"There are two matters. First, go and kill that wolf witch with the Eye of Conviction."
Heritier moved on from the topic of the Military Gods to the main business of the day.
"It might be a bit troublesome. Her brother is currently very influential in the Empire, even catching the eye of that old fellow Dex. If something happens to his sister, and he refuses to let it go, Dex might help him investigate, which could lead to big problems."
Maguire hesitated for a moment before answering.
Although the hounds under Duke Dex of the Empire's Special Operations Department weren't particularly strong in combat, their reconnaissance abilities were outstanding, especially that red falcon, Nicola. He could probably sniff out a trail with just a scent.
The risk of infiltrating the Empire's Special Operations Department was extremely high, and a large-scale infiltration would definitely be discovered by Dex. Currently, Maguire was the only true turned agent within the Department, ensuring that he wouldn't be implicated by other turned agents.
"The Brilerda Mafia is currently facing financial difficulties. As long as the price is high enough, their killers will most likely take the job without informing their superiors."
Heritier nonchalantly revealed this piece of intelligence.
"I understand."
Maguire nodded abruptly.
He grasped Heritier's meaning—first, pass the job to the Resurrection Church, then have the Rotten Branch pass it on to the Brilerda Mafia.
There was no need for Heritier to instruct him further.
By eliminating the liaison between the Rotten Branch and the Mafia, there would be no evidence linking the two, even if the Empire's Special Operations Department were to investigate.
This would also serve the dual purpose of creating conflict between the Empire's Special Operations Department and the Mafia.
The Empire's Special Operations Department, which the vampires had not yet been able to further infiltrate, was undoubtedly the intelligence agency that posed the greatest restriction on their activities.
"That wolf witch may have already seen Count Seburn at the Roland family's banquet the other day, so we can't let her live any longer."
Marquise Heritier looked at Maguire, who was still kneeling on the ground.
Although Countess Seburn could transform into any human form, and it would be easy for her to assume a new identity within the Empire, that wolf witch had become a ticking time bomb that needed to be defused.
In this age of the wolves' decline, the vampires knew more about the wolves than the scattered wolf tribes themselves.
The warriors of this race would experience a significant enhancement in their regenerative abilities and a boost in certain basic attributes during the night, while the priests would have their regenerative and healing abilities strengthened at night and gain access to unique spells.
The difference between regeneration and healing was that regeneration was self-healing, while healing could be applied to oneself or others, but its effects were not as dramatic as regeneration, and its mana consumption was higher.
The vast majority of wolves were of the physical type, and the small number of magical wolves could be considered a mutated variant of the wolf race. Due to the naturally sturdy bodies of wolves, wolf sages were also more resilient than the average magical profession.
The [Eye of Conviction], as a unique talent for discerning attributes, was not an especially powerful ability and could even be considered somewhat useless. However, its possessors became natural-born detectives, able to see the kill count of each unit after nightfall.
This talent was, at best, of minor assistance to human police investigations, providing additional clues for deduction. But for vampires, especially those hiding among human society, it could be deadly.
"Because the kill count of the Blood Tribe is in the tens of thousands, a normal serial killer wouldn't kill so many."
"Alright, I'll take care of it," Maguire replied, lowering his head.
"The second matter is that the Silver Moon Reform Society's assassinations of nobles have become increasingly rampant. Although sometimes they help us eliminate political opponents, they also kill off our controlled retainers."
Marquise Heritier continued.
Internal strife within the Kreise Empire was undoubtedly beneficial to the vampires.
However, allowing the Silver Moon Reform Society, a terrorist organization, to continue their killing spree unchecked, inciting nobles and the populace to the point of uncontrollability, would spell trouble for the vampires even if they gained control of the Empire. The vampires would then have to clean up the mess created by the Society.
"Have you managed to track them down?"
Maguire asked, lifting his head in surprise.
"No, the nine Honored members of this organization have absolutely no contact with each other, and there is minimal causality between the core members, making divination impossible."
Marquise Heritier denied.
She, too, was unsure when this organization had begun to gain traction within the Empire.
It may have existed long ago, but its true rise to prominence was likely half a year ago.
Even if they found one of the Honored members, it would be difficult to leverage that to root out the others.
"Currently, the only intelligence we have from Count Seburn is that the third Honored member might have some connection to the Mafia."
She added.
Instantly, Maguire understood why Marquise Heritier wanted to guide the Empire's Special Operations Department to investigate the Mafia.
"What should we do then?"
He asked for her guidance.
As long as the Silver Moon Reform Society didn't eliminate the Honored members, the brains of the operation, it would be like weeding without pulling out the roots. There would be an endless supply of Empire civilians that they could incite, recruit, and convert into followers of the Society.
"If the Silver Moon Reform Society wants to kill, then lend them a hand."
Leaning back in her chair, Marquise Heritier spoke nonchalantly.
"!"
Maguire realized,
"You mean, we should also start killing! Take this opportunity to eliminate a few more political opponents, create a sensational case, and then frame the Silver Moon Reform Society, stirring up the emotions of the Empire's nobility. By then, the Empire's Special Operations Department will have no choice but to thoroughly investigate the Society, drawing all their attention. Who knows, we might even be able to speed up the progress of our territory refinement?"
As he asked, he marveled inwardly at the Marquise, a true viperous beauty with not a shred of kindness in her heart.
Currently, the vampires were not only controlling the regime of the Kreise Empire but also its economy and media. With the ongoing chaos, they could boldly eliminate a few troublesome Empire bigwigs, with the Silver Moon Reform Society as a scapegoat.
At the same time, they would also have to kill off some Empire tycoons already under vampire control to confuse the issue.
However, since this was a premeditated action, they could prepare in advance to transfer the victims' legacies and powers from one puppet to another, essentially incurring minimal losses.
In addition to refining a portion of humans on the territory of the Kreise Empire, the kingdom people on the occupied Allied territories were also live energy sources. Rapidly converting them into energy would undoubtedly accelerate the progress of the war.
"Indeed, there are too many humans on the Southern Continent. It's time to refine some of them away."
Marquise Heritier finally slowly opened her eyes, deep as a bloodbath, and the gaze from her beauty mark seemed to traverse through vast space and innumerable epochs. In the shadow of her dark lashes, no one could fathom the depth of the vicissitudes and changes she had endured.
The energy converted from hundreds of millions of humans would provide endless power to Blood Moon City, transforming it into an existence akin to the ancestral land of the Demon Tribe.
"Hahaha, I've always thought that tossing those kingdom civilians into the earth was a waste. It would be much better to turn them into pure energy."
Maguire laughed.
"What about the people of the Empire?"
Heritier asked him.
She disliked treachery and even more so, humans who still harbored attachments to their former kind.
"The same. Those humans who do not submit to the Blood Tribe are all lowly lifeforms without any right to live."
Maguire's expression turned slightly malicious.
"You may be clumsy, but it is because there are people like you in every era that countries are easily occupied by others." Marquise Heritier seemed to be mocking Maguire, yet also praising him.
In this generation, the Demon Tribe, the greatest threat to the vampires, had been wiped out by humans.
They had also seized the opportunity when the nine-tier shadow world took away all the current nine-tiers to unseal the Third Progenitor, Duke Lasharl.
Driven by boundless desires, an evil cult ran rampant, splitting the Northern and Southern Continents into fragments, while humans continued to fight amongst themselves for power.
These foolish actions signaled an indisputable fact—
"Disasters are imminent, and the writing is on the wall for the downfall of the Kreise Empire."
The Marquise's coldly beautiful face remained calm, yet it exuded an air of authority that brooked no defiance.
Each of her words seemed like the crisp sound of ice crystals forming at the end of autumn, echoing in the vast palace.
"Tyrant of the Black Sun, even if you return this time, you won't be able to stop us in this era. To die for these humans and bear the infamy for eternity, I feel it's not worth it for you."
(End of Chapter)
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