Chapter 461: The Plan is Set, A 'Probing' Battle

"Fine, there is nothing more to say. There is no need to ask for my instructions hereafter; arrange the remaining matters yourselves. If there are any strongholds that require a breakthrough, you may come to me."

Wang Yu did not linger. This was all he could offer; as for how to coordinate with the Alliance or assign tasks, he lacked the capacity to decide. With those final words, he withdrew from the prayer communication network and departed the Night Church’s conference room.

The moment he stepped out, Wang Yu noticed that Aviya was no longer lost in thought, but sitting by the table, waiting for his consciousness to return.

"Did something happen at the Night Church?"

The girl asked about the matter Wang Yu had attended to while she was deep in contemplation.

"No, the Five-Race Alliance sent an invitation to Alastair, preparing to officially move against the Utopia organization. I said a few words and let them decide for themselves. The details have been recorded; you can take a look."

He spoke casually. Wang Yu had used the Perfect Fractal Lens to record the meeting, and he was quite curious to hear the girl’s perspective on the matter.

"That is good. I have formed a hypothesis regarding Void Affinity, but I need your help to verify it."

The girl did not immediately review the meeting; instead, she spoke with a hint of excitement about the fruits of her recent meditation.

"Let’s hear it. What do you need me to do?"

He raised an eyebrow. That the girl had made a discovery so quickly was... well, exactly as Wang Yu had expected.

...

"Everyone, since we have received the Archbishop’s affirmation, our course of action is clear: accept the Five-Race Alliance’s invitation, join them, and launch a cooperative purge of the Utopia organization."

After Wang Yu left, the others remained in the conference room. They still needed to confirm the specific details of their subsequent actions. This topic was once again broached by Charles.

"Joining the Alliance is settled, but there are contingencies we must prepare in advance. Specifically, regarding the sectors we are responsible for: the Night Church will not serve as cannon fodder, nor will we be treated as expendable. This is the stance we must maintain in our cooperation."

"Next is the matter of combat strength. The Dragon clans are the strongest. Given that the Night Church remains a relatively loose and free assembly, the power currently held by its members surely exceeds that of Alastair. However, because it is difficult to consolidate these forces, we shall consider the existing strength of the Alastair Kingdom and the Night Church members as equivalent for now."

"Therefore, I personally propose that the Dragon clans take the lead in combat decisions. After all, the primary reason the Five-Race Alliance invited us was the presence of the dragons. Furthermore, I have absolutely no doubt regarding the strategic wisdom of the dragons."

Charles laid out the relevant plans. Regarding the combat operations, he proposed that the dragons’ decisions should be final. The reason was simple: the others in the Night Church did not truly know the extent of the dragons' power, and their strategic planning would inevitably have blind spots. Letting the dragons arrange themselves would allow them to unleash their greatest potential.

As for the decision-making ability of the White Dragon Patriarch, Misryx, Charles had experienced it firsthand in private; it was, to put it mildly, formidable. He was absolutely qualified for the role.

It was a highly reasonable proposal, and no one present offered any objection. The White Dragon Patriarch, Misryx, smiled and accepted the role of decision-maker.

"I thank you all for your trust. Since I have taken on this responsibility, I must do the job well. The next step, which must be completed, is to determine what exactly the 'Utopia' organization intends to do."

"Building a Utopia—this is an overly illusory goal. What we need is something more concrete: how they intend to achieve this ultimate objective."

"Half of the intelligence we have gathered comes from the recent reports provided by the Five-Race Alliance, and the other half stems from Lord Wang Yu, who has had multiple encounters with this organization. What is certain is that they possess deep historical roots. Those figures known to history all seem to have intricate connections with this group."

"If their layout has been in motion since the old era, things will become very troublesome. Worse still, this suspicion is likely the truth. Ethan Harris, a figure recorded as dead, has appeared once again. Could there be others?"

"We must prepare to face them. History is something that can be distorted and rewritten. Our means of understanding it are extremely limited; we cannot examine it ourselves, and we cannot even be certain if the information is true."

"Our enemy is likely an entity that has hidden itself within the tides and dust of history. We do not know what preparations they have made in advance or how many truths they have concealed. Regardless, we are trapped in a dilemma between light and shadow, unable to predict their actions."

When discussing the distorted truth, the White Dragon Patriarch, Misryx, spoke from the depths of his heart. It could be said that during the years the dragons had vanished from the continent, they had lived entirely amidst lies and deception.

"Therefore, while we search for their traces, our decisions might be better off being as simple and brutal as Lord Wang Yu’s. After all, Ethan Harris, one of the 'strongest legends' and a survivor of the old era, was finished off by him."

"There is a simple way to figure out what this organization wants to do: participate in the battle against them and see with our own eyes what these fellows are aiming for!"

Finally, with a slightly rising tone, the White Dragon Misryx finished what he had to say.

"Agreed."

"Understood."

"Acknowledged."

Affirmative responses echoed one after another. The decision was unanimously affirmed by all present.

"Praise the Lady of the Night!"

The meeting concluded with a chorus of praise.

With the direction confirmed, the entire Night Church sprang into action. Charles, Misryx, and others began negotiating and coordinating with the Five-Race Alliance, finalizing the terms of cooperation and navigating the minor tug-of-war over interests.

Alastair also began to further accommodate the influx of Night Church members, expanding the population while accelerating various construction projects. Regardless of how intense the fighting might become, "eating well, sleeping well, and having a home" remained the eternal insistence of the Night Church. In this regard, the Alastair council members, including Edward, were doing an excellent job.

As for the Night Church, the Merchant Alliance, the Academy, and others all completed their policy shifts following the meeting. They consolidated their industries, converted some capital into supplies that were more likely to be needed, and raised their risk-resistance capabilities by a notch. Empty warehouses everywhere were quietly stocked in advance; when necessary, the doors to these warehouses would open to supply the Night Church.

Father Fang sought out Charles alone after the meeting.

"The Church of Light will also join the crusade against this organization."

The words spoken by Father Fang with a smile left Charles momentarily stunned. The Church of Light rarely took the initiative to declare a stance or intervene. When they could not confirm whether something aligned with their version of "justice," standing by and watching was the norm.

"Why is the Church of Light being so proactive this time? In your eyes, is this 'Utopia' organization truly unforgivably evil?"

Charles asked the question with a strange tone.

"No, that wouldn't be accurate. This time, the Pope relayed an oracle from the God of Light, commanding the Holy Knight Order to join the crusade against the Utopia organization. An oracle from the God of Light—I have never heard of such a thing since I was born. That is why the Church of Light is taking action."

Father Fang shook his head, indicating that not everyone in the Church of Light believed the Utopia organization was a group of irredeemable scoundrels. The intentions of the Pope played a significant role in this operation.

"Come to think of it, who is the Pope of the Church of Light? I have never seen him. He wouldn't be some old monster from the old era, would he? With this sudden decision, could he know something?"

Upon learning why the Church of Light had proactively joined, Charles became curious about the identity of the Pope. It seemed that the theocracy where the Church of Light resided had never seen its Pope make an appearance.

"I do not know. It is true that his identity has always been mysterious, but this identity is acknowledged by all the bishops of the Church of Light, including myself. This time, he spoke with each bishop individually."

Father Fang’s tone carried a hint of helplessness. The Pope was a uniquely special existence within the Church of Light, and even he did not know much about him.

"That sounds so mystical..."

Rubbing his chin, Charles spoke with an air of irreverence.

"I am here to convey a message from the Pope to you. To be honest, I don't understand the meaning behind it."

"In the future, you may need to take extra care of the Night Church."

Father Fang ignored Charles’s usual nonsense and simply relayed the Pope’s words.

"Huh? The Night Church... taking care of... members of the Church of Light?"

After hearing what Father Fang said, Charles was, as expected, stunned on the spot. The content was simply beyond his range of comprehension. Even now, the scale of the Night Church could not possibly compare to the Church of Light; how could it be the Night Church’s turn to take care of them?

"Can’t he be more clear? Sigh, understood. Regardless, the Church of Light is certainly our ally, and helping each other is only natural."

Dazed for a few seconds, Charles still gave his promise without hesitation. He would just assume that the Pope had some deeper considerations.

"Then, see you at the Five-Race Alliance. I will find a way to ensure I am acting alongside you."

"See you."

...

The various forces on the continent completed their decision-making in a short time. Regarding the phenomenon that had suddenly emerged within the Beast Kingdom, they adopted their own attitudes—observing, opposing, or even cooperating.

As for the Five-Race Alliance, after their investigation team lost all contact, they began preparing for a formal offensive, conscripting an advance force from various races to "test the waters" and conduct a preliminary probe into the combat strength possessed by the Utopia organization.

A bonus chapter for the weekend_(:з」∠)_