Chapter 31: Military Planning (Part 2)

“General, sending all 15,000 men from the Great Cross Corps isn’t quite appropriate, is it?” Hearing Griffin’s plan, Bruce finally couldn’t help but raise objections.
As a former regiment commander and the current de facto leader of the Great Cross Corps, Bruce had taken enormous risks and faced accusations of betrayal to achieve his current position. He was confident he could keep most of the corps under control if given a few more days. He also understood that no promise was as reliable as actual control over troops—the army was the foundation of his power.
Griffin glared at Bruce unhappily, thinking, “If it weren’t for your worthless schemes, would Bazel have had the chance to threaten the soldiers?” Of course, he wouldn’t bring up such old grievances in person. He knew bringing up these pointless matters would only lead to an argument. What he needed now was to solve the problem, not debate who was at fault.
“Bane and Blaze, you promised to strip them of their command powers within a week. Tomorrow is the deadline. Are you sure you can keep your promise?” Though Griffin’s words were aggressive, his tone was far better than toward Bennett. This wasn’t because of Bruce’s character—everyone hated traitors, especially scoundrels like him. But although Griffin despised Bruce even more, he still had to pretend to cooperate, as he too had a “fat piece of meat” to digest. Compared to manipulating Bennett to seize control of the other three regiments, swallowing the Headhunter Corps whole was far more difficult.
“General, I admit I can’t complete the task. Blaze and Bane are extremely stubborn. They even refused to obey orders from the highest commander of the Great Cross Corps under unreasonable pretexts. But the Allen Regiment has already been largely integrated. It was originally planned to merge with my direct forces to form the Great Cross Right Wing Corps in a few days, but if necessary, it can be done by tomorrow without issue.”
Griffin understood Bruce’s meaning: He won’t admit what he hasn’t taken, and he won’t make me spit out what I’ve already swallowed. I have 10,000 regular troops—think about that.
“Then complete the merger tomorrow morning. I’ll lend you my support as the group commander.” Only then did Griffin reveal his true intent: Have you really taken that fat piece of meat? Prove it to me!
It must be said that ‘Bazel’s’ preemptive move to claim a share intensified the conflicts within the revolutionaries. It was as if, before the father even died, the unfilial sons wanted to divide the inheritance. Bazel, who was once the most passive, suddenly turned the tables, having Baldwin as his card and control over supplies. He demanded troops, forcing a response from the others.
“Understood, General. The Great Cross Corps will surely live up to expectations!” Bruce knew he couldn’t back down even a bit. Otherwise, Griffin, that bear fox, would surely snap and bite fiercely. By then, his dream of forming the Great Cross Right Wing Corps might truly be ruined.

“Hehe…” Griffin laughed, making Bruce feel as though his true intentions had been seen through. The laughter suddenly stopped, and Griffin spoke seriously, “How about this: aside from the Bain and Blaze columns, take another 1,000 men from the Great Cross Army, 1,500 from the Headhunters Army, and 500 from the First Marine Corps.”
“This…” Bruce was already tempted. The Bain and Blaze columns were still far from being under control, while the possibility of mutiny was increasing. He agreed to divert those problems elsewhere. Moreover, there were also dissidents within Allen’s column and his own column. Especially since he planned to merge the two columns, he knew well who might cause trouble, and it wasn’t impossible to remove such people from the team.
At that moment, Griffin added, “Or, take 2,000 men from the right wing of the Great Cross Army, and I’ll provide some food and weapons as compensation.”
It was a test, continuous testing. Bruce could clearly sense Griffin’s ulterior motives. “General, 10,000 is the minimum for a single army, so the Great Cross Army can provide just over 11,000 troops. I think it’s more reasonable to assign another 1,000 men from the Headhunters Army.”
“Damn you!” Griffin cursed inwardly. It was true that the army wasn’t ‘pure.’ He also intended to use this opportunity to get rid of those problematic elements. To fully achieve this goal, 2,000 might not even be enough, but he couldn’t give in in front of Bruce—otherwise, it would mean telling Bruce that it was difficult for the First Marine Corps to absorb the Headhunters Army, and Bruce would surely take advantage of that.
“Hmm, let’s go with that then,” Griffin mused, deciding to keep some problematic elements around. If nothing else, they could be used as fodder for those dark forces in Eladari…
“Someone, go call Summer Peyton.”
While Griffin and Bruce were competing for interests,Neo was taken away for treatment. Of course, treatment was secondary; the main purpose was to verify his identity. It wasn’t because Griffin doubtedNeo’s identity, but it was a necessary procedure. As a soldier, Griffin placed great importance on following procedures, to the point of being rigid.
Even if someone from the Holy Land came, they might not necessarily be able to determine authenticity.Neo passed unscathed, but when he returned to the tent and heard Griffin’s decision, he was rudely told, “General, 15,000 is the minimum set by Officer Bazel. He originally asked me to strive for a 2:2:1 allocation ratio, saying that Asia isn’t easy to conquer, and there’s not much food left in the army, while there are many restless elements…”
Griffin’s expression darkened as he exchanged opinions with the officer behind him.
Like Griffin, the officer believed that ‘Summer,’ having been dealt a harsh blow, had lost his temper and was now telling the truth. But even so, they couldn’t easily agree; instead, they had to negotiate while holding firm to their bottom line:
“15,000 is too much. At most, 13,000.”
“15,000 is really the minimum. Officer Bazel said if that can’t be done, he’d rather escort General Shegridden to the Refuge Valley to fetch more troops.”

“Baldwin needs to be sent here secretly, along with provisions—at least half of them.”
“At most half of the provisions, but General Shegridden cannot be sent. Officer Bazel says the general will surely assign the Bain and Blaze regiments to him, so it’s important that General Shegridden remains under his control.” …
In the face of interests, even conflicts between kings and ministers aren’t necessarily any more noble than haggling between street vendors and buyers. Having passed the identity verification,Neo knew well that Griffin wouldn’t really do anything to Sumner, that man from the Peyton family. He had no qualms about raising prices, and he had a good excuse: Officer Bazel said so…
Griffin was annoyed, Bruce was equally unhappy, and to top it off, the worried Bennett kept interjecting questions like, “What about Baldwin? Will Officer Bazel finally get rid of him?” The two of them were utterly fed up.
The more frustrated and upset their opponents became, the happierNeo was. At the same time, he kept reminding himself that it was crucial to stay calm and not show any weaknesses, especially since Griffin had an advisor around him, and even Bazel himself didn’t know much about this guy—only that his name was Simon and that Griffin relied heavily on him. It was someone who never showed any emotions in front of others, soNeo instinctively approached him with caution.
In the end, given the demand of 15,000 soldiers, Griffin and the others decided to satisfy Bazel, provided that half of the provisions go with them. Additionally, Griffin and Bruce would send people to Esok to assess the situation there and bring back the provisions. Only then would they dispatch two regiments from the Great Cross Army to Esok. In Griffin and Bruce’s view, this approach seemed cautious and appropriate.
Of course, Sumner’s visit wouldn’t just result in a promise. The first batch of 5,000 soldiers would set off that very night. They came from two main groups: one was the Headhunter Corps. According to Sumner’s transmission of Bazel’s words, these men were meant to form the core of the newly formed army, as they were truly obedient. With this force, Bazel could keep the stubborn Blaze and Bain in check.
The other part of the 5,000 came from the Great Cross Army. They had once been members of Baldwin’s personal guard, relatively familiar with and loyal to Baldwin. Staying with Bennett was like having a time bomb—there was always a risk of discovering a fake general. There were also some of Bazel’s men, including the support staff of the Night Patrol Cavalry, as well as an armed unit of over 300 men and two archer units.
All 5,000 men had excellent military skills and no conditions like night blindness. However, knowing the chaotic situation at the moment—where, outside of towns and fortresses, the night was almost a paradise for monsters—they inevitably had some complaints when ordered to go. Yet even so, at midnight, the troops set off.

Marching at night is inherently slow, and although this troop did not carry provisions, it had plenty of baggage—such as various supplies for night patrols, tents, equipment, and more. In total, there were over 20 large carts, along with a long line of lanterns and torches visible from miles away. They had to be wary of attacks from monsters, so the pace was not easy—4–5 kilometers per hour, which was already a decent speed for an infantry unit; even during the day, they might not go much faster.

Nio was moving with this group of officers, but he had not yet received the command token; it was in the hands of an officer named Zakley, one of Griffin’s trusted officers. Zakley appeared to be a capable professional soldier, but perhaps influenced by Griffin for a long time, he always wore a gloomy expression, had a cold gaze, and gave off an aloof aura, making him unpleasant to be around.

Besides Zakley, another influential figure was sent by Bruce named Helder. In McCarthy’s language, “Helder” means “watcher,” which suited Bruce’s assignment to him quite well.

The real Somer had had some official interactions with Zakley and only brief encounters with Helder. As the eldest son of the Peyton family, Somer had an inherent sense of superiority, so Nio’s role along the way was not too difficult.

However, Zakley and Helder found it very tough—not because of Nio, but because of the miserable task itself.

The three major armies surrounding Elada were not engaged in a static war. After all, a significant number of officers were not revolutionaries. Restricted by their positions, they could not see the big picture and thus did not realize that the army was merely buying time. At most, they thought the strategic plans devised by the command were terrible—either too bold or too conservative—hence they could not quickly deal with the monster armies in Elada.

Acting out roles was more exhausting than actual combat. Over these days, Zakley and Helder had deeply felt this, especially since they also had to assist their masters in calming, bribing, and winning over colleagues who were outside the organization. By the end of the day, both their mental and physical energy was greatly depleted. Lately, some officers had shown signs of losing control, and there had been a near-miss clash in the afternoon—those people were now part of this troop.

After barely calming the situation and reaching nightfall, before even lying down, they were assigned such a task. It would be strange if they weren’t upset. Moreover, Nio wouldn’t make things easier for them—or rather, the entire troop wouldn’t have an easy time throughout the journey.

“Report to the commander: Scout riders have spotted two monster squads ahead and to the southwest, approaching our forces.”

Helder, who had been dozing on his mount, jolted at the report and was instantly alert. “Quick, raise the lantern flags.”

“Lieutenant Tas, you’re sleepy…” Zakley said coldly, his expression also serious.

It was only when Zakley mentioned this that Helder realized this was not a mere act of deception against those monsters inside or outside Elada City. Even if the incoming monster forces could recognize that special flag, they still couldn’t display it—otherwise, the ruse would be exposed, and those 5,000 men would likely turn into a chaotic mob immediately. As for him and observers like Zakley, their lives would probably be at risk.

By then, Zakley had already given orders: “Go and summon Officers Brandon and Cecil.”

Brandon was a commander from the Great Cross Corps, while Cecil was the leader of the Headhunter Corps. Both of them had distinct appearances—one solid and steady, the other sharp as a blade. Brandon was the captain of Shegridden’s guards. Of course, after Bennett pretended to be Baldwin, he wouldn’t use Brandon; he found an excuse to send him away, along with several guards who were familiar with Baldwin. Cecil, on the other hand, adhered to one of the two core traditions of the Headhunter Corps: violence without bloodshed meant nothing. Some extremists in the Headhunter Corps had ferocious traits—once blood was shed, they became uncontrollable. These killers, who valued their own lives little, were powerful elite forces. Sending them was necessary, as the entire army was watching; otherwise, the act would seem too fake. But sending them wasn’t feasible either, as their sharpness would quickly provoke the dark monsters in Elada into real action. Thus, Griffin reluctantly handed them over to Bazel.

Zakley wasn’t a frontline commander, and his experience in leading troops into battle was far less than that of Brandon and Cecil. But he was familiar with basic tactics. By summoning Brandon and Cecil, he was delegating the specific tasks to them. In his words, “One of the two commanders is good at attacking, the other at defending, and both have brave warriors under their command. They’re more than enough to deal with those monsters.”

Zakley wasn’t wrong—provided it really were just ordinary monster forces.

Ever since Nancy took control of Soren Anvintus and thus gained access to dark power, she used her technical skills to create a brand-new force of darkness. At the same time, she didn’t stop summoning monsters. Soren had used the Magic Brain to continuously summon monsters as low-level troops to block Star 745. Under Nancy’s control, the Magic Brain’s power was further amplified, summoning monsters day and night. Then, using the specialized skills of demon handlers and dark mages, along with new functions derived from the Magic Brain, she quickly assimilated and integrated them.

Under Nancy’s interference—as a master of life and genetic engineering with exceptional computing abilities and the capacity to operate multiple tasks simultaneously—this force of monsters grew at an explosive rate, adopting even cruel methods comparable to those of true devils and demons.

“Uuuu… I’m done… I’ve become a monster!” wailed a dark mage. Just that afternoon, Soren had talked to him. “Do you want to gain great power? Do you want to transcend the ordinary and reach a higher level of existence? There’s an opportunity now…”

Of course, this dark sorcerer would not refuse such temptation. People like him were willing to become lackeys of darkness from the start because they were lost in power, along with desires for easy gains and laziness. By the time he truly understood what the so-called higher levels of life entailed, it was already too late for regret. Sauron took complete control of his new body and also imprisoned and manipulated his soul. He knew that from now on, he would either choose complete loyalty or have his independent personality completely erased. What he didn’t know was that no matter which path he chose, it would lead to the same outcome. Nancy was breeding “Dark Spirits”—entities that shared many similarities with true spirits in certain aspects. Simply put, they were spiritual beings with normal independent thinking abilities and the capacity to coordinate at high energy frequencies with their “breeders,” while their bodies were merely vessels.

Now, to achieve this goal, these vessels were newly created magical bodies from the breeding tanks of the demonic brain’s derivatives.

Demons—Nancy was creating artificial demons using lower-level monsters as raw materials, collecting fragmented demonic genes, conducting simulated fusion experiments to obtain various parameters, and then carrying out practical operations, thus giving birth to artificial demons. Theoretically, artificial demons were inferior to true demons formed through natural killing and absorption. However, it must be noted that in Aemera, a world with extremely harsh conditions for demons, Nancy’s method allowed her to rapidly bypass the larval stage required for true demons to form—a advantage that natural evolution could hardly match under current circumstances. As for their consciousness and thinking not reaching the same level as true demons, this was a realm even gods might not be able to change; it could only be gradually trained. Moreover, Nancy didn’t want true demons with both internal and external perfection—she just wanted useful tools.

Undoubtedly, judged by normal ethics, such modifications were extremely evil. But Nancy had no concept of right or wrong; completing tasks and achieving goals were her highest principles. After Neio delegated power to her, she created such a new existence—the demonoid.

Charl, the new leader of the Demon Herders; Sandiego, the leader of the dark sorcerers; Quinn, the leader of the dark swordsmen; and Lombard, the leader of the insect masters—all participated in the modifications and were different from ordinary members.

Many ordinary people have asked, “What was the past of those gods and demons? How did they become such powerful beings?”

Clearly, every consciousness, every life, has its own story, though their histories often lie buried in the dust of time. For example, who in later generations could have imagined that the first battle of the Four Demon Kings was merely a full-scale harassment of an ordinary human army of 5,000 men?