CHAPTER 849: THE ENEMY HAS ARRIVED

Vlad clenched his right fist with such force that he could feel the blood beginning to seep between his fingers. The strain, both physical and emotional, was immense. The strategy he and Overlord had devised had allowed them to seize control over the Lotario and Orario continents, saving all the people within those lands. Yet, their victory came at a grave cost—it ensured the doom of everyone in the continents to the east, abandoning them to the mercy of the monsters that now prowled those forsaken lands.

Of course, Vlad could have ordered the advance of their armies into the neighboring continents to try to save more lives. But such an act would be akin to leaving their heavily fortified positions to leap straight into the jaws of the beast. It was a bitter reality—a king and a general could not allow their compassion to dictate their strategy, not when the fate of millions depended on each decision. Sometimes, the path of mercy brought only utter and absolute ruin.

"Our path ahead is clear now," Vlad announced, taking a deep breath. His voice echoed across the command center, bringing all activity to a halt as every eye turned to him. "The Corrupting Powers are amassing their army even as we speak. The Abominations are strong—monstrously strong—but they’re molecularly unstable and can not remain alive for long. That instability means they will march on us. It’s only a matter of time before they arrive at our gates."

He raised his bloodied fist, the gesture carrying both pain and conviction. "Our mission is simple: destroy them all."

The True Depravitas, Overlord, and all the generals and higher officers nodded grimly at Vlad’s words. The mood in the room shifted palpably; the weight of responsibility was almost tangible. "I, alongside Jormungandr, will confront their leader directly. The rest of you will operate under Overlord’s command and take care of the army. We hold the line—no matter what."

A solemn silence fell across the command center as his words sank in. Despite being on an entirely different continent, many of them had still felt the tremors and heard the distant explosions that rocked the Oniris Continent not long ago. The Lord of the Corrupting Powers was incredibly strong—almost unthinkably so— pushing Vlad even after he fused with two True Depravitas. And this time, he would have only Jormungandr at his side.

No one dared to voice their doubts, though. The power of the rest of the Legends from the Xaos Kingdom was needed to hold back the legions of the Corrupting Powers and their generals, beings as fearsome as Atila.

Vlad gave a final glance to the gathered officers. As Overlord stepped forward to give the detailed battle plans, Vlad and Jormungandr vanished, teleporting out of the command center and reappearing in a makeshift laboratory at the rear of their encampment.

There, the young man and the small yellow cat regarded each other, solemnity etched in their eyes. The power of Orfry was utterly overwhelming, reaching a Half Tier Lord level.

If they hoped to stand any chance against him, they would need even greater strength. Their cultivation was already progressing at a shocking pace, but they couldn’t force a breakthrough to the next evolution in the short weeks before the enemy army would arrive. They would have to depend on their professions, their skills honed through countless experiments.

Vlad steeled his mind, pushing away all thoughts except his current task. He immersed himself in the construction of Hyperion, determined to complete the Superior Legend form of his runic set. Meanwhile, Jormungandr set to work in his alchemical lab, aiming to create a potion that could push their Depravita bodies beyond even their current formidable limits. No one dared disturb the duo. The area around their laboratory became a void zone—an island of silence in a sea of frantic activity.

Elsewhere in the mountain range, the mood was anything but still. The final preparations for war were underway. Not only soldiers of the Xaos Kingdom but also people of Exilon moved through the encampment, assisting in any way they could. These were not the remnants of Exilon’s formal army—most of those had perished under the might of the Xaos Kingdom, and the survivors were so thoroughly brainwashed as to be untrustworthy. No, those fighting alongside the Xaos Kingdom for the soul of the world were members of the Rebellion.

They lacked the power and training of the Xaos soldiers, but they were resolute—absolutely unyielding. Their hearts burned with righteous rage, a fire stoked by the loss of their homes and the transformation of their loved ones into monsters. Now, they would face the abominations with unwavering courage.

Three and a half weeks after Vlad and Overlord arrived in the mountains, the world began to tremble. The ground shook beneath their feet, the tremors intensifying as the sound of countless footsteps echoed from the distance. It did not take long before they saw it—the enemy army. It resembled an ocean of skeletal beasts, abominations, and all manner of monsters, surging forward like a living tide. Their forms radiated a palpable menace and brutality, but their eyes betrayed a terrifying intelligence and wisdom as they advanced in disciplined, perfectly organized formations.

The sheer number of them was staggering, but what was even more horrifying was their power. Not a single one of the creatures emitted an energy signature below the Guardian Tier. An army of millions of Guardians was almost unthinkable, but it made a terrible kind of sense—these were all that remained of the billions who had once lived on the six eastern continents, now twisted and weaponized. Among them, many auras of Sages were also discernible, but these individuals were cunning enough to hide within the masses, their energy signatures masked to avoid being singled out and obliterated by the defenders’ energy towers.

The army’s advance was relentless, an unstoppable force that felt like the end of the world itself was marching toward them. Then, as one, the entire horde halted just outside the range of the defensive towers. Their discipline and battle awareness were absolute. The Xaos forces watched, hearts pounding, as the enemy lines remained still. They knew instinctively that something significant was about to happen.

Moments later, six figures appeared in the sky, each radiating such overwhelming power that the defensive energy towers seemed irrelevant before them. They hovered with ease, ignoring the danger, their presence sending chills down the spines of the soldiers.