Chapter 462: Alliance Legion, Contrary to Reason

In the Orcish lands, near several kingdoms now occupied by the Utopia organization, detachments from various continental powers have arrived, gathering at points tens of kilometers from their objective.

Those dispatching armies were primarily kingdoms that had previously suffered at the hands of Utopia—much like the plight of Alastor, they had been assaulted by entities from within their own borders and neighboring lands, whose minds had been twisted by a mechanism yet to be understood.

Although the Five-Race Alliance had resolved to strike against Utopia, this era is no longer the age when the Abyss invasion unified all races of the continent. Even within the Alliance, the member kingdoms account for only half of those on the continent.

Furthermore, some kingdoms within the Alliance are merely nominal members; they chose to maintain their independence and remain on the sidelines regarding this deployment, largely because, for the moment, Utopia’s impact on the continent at large has not been catastrophic.

What truly alarmed the Five-Race Alliance were the warnings from wizard-scholars. After observing the environment surrounding Utopia and conducting a series of calculations and deductions, they concluded that if the technology to create a semi-void, semi-material environment had been fully mastered by Utopia, then large-scale expansion was not merely a possibility, but an inevitability.

The expansion of Utopia, centered on the Bloodtooth Empire, confirmed this; the peculiar environment that once existed only within the Empire had already begun to bleed into the surrounding regions.

The Five-Race Alliance had not originally planned for such a swift, large-scale offensive, but Utopia’s "silence" caused the Alliance to drastically upgrade its threat assessment.

To this day, Utopia has not communicated with a single other kingdom. Any declarations of cooperation from other kingdoms on the continent have been purely one-sided; in reality, no one has successfully established any form of contact with Utopia.

The organization acts like a silent alchemical automaton, interacting with the outside world in no way, self-absorbed in completing its own agenda—an agenda that remains entirely unknown.

The few scraps of intelligence available come from fragmented reports provided by the Church of Nightfall, and from the battle cries regarding "Utopia" uttered by those chaotic entities during combat with the various intelligent races.

It is this very uncertainty that led the Five-Race Alliance, after a series of deliberations, to choose to attack. This is both a probe into the extent of Utopia’s power and an attempt to force communication through radical means; whether through negotiation or surrender, it is a method to shatter the shell of the "unknown."

"Tell me, what exactly is this 'Utopia' they speak of? Even the churches of the gods do not describe their realms as perfectly flawless. What confidence do these people have to create such an ideal kingdom?"

A wizard in grey robes stood atop a hill, observing the distant city-state through arcane means—a city that remained blurred to all other methods of detection. Viewed through magic or purely material means, Utopia’s territory was a hazy smear, though arcane observation could at least discern its general outline.

"Who knows? We lack the ability to create such a peculiar environment. The Void is a dangerous beast that we have not tamed; we merely utilize it. If they truly possess the ability to 'tame' the Void, then a so-called Utopia is not entirely impossible."

His companion tucked away a manuscript of arcane laws, densely packed with collected data. These two were scholars from the Sky Mechanical City, one of the vital pillars of the Five-Race Alliance.

For the offensive against Utopia, the Sky Mechanical City did not deploy its main citadel, but instead provided a vast array of alchemical equipment and, most importantly, its scholars. Should the conflict escalate beyond control, the main citadel would then enter the fray.

"Fair enough. My teacher often said that scholars who learn too much tend to lose their emotions. Once their calculations and theories are verified, they become stubbornly convinced that they can achieve their desired results. If the scholars in that organization have truly reached that point, then committing such acts is not impossible."

The wizard shrugged. As a scholar himself, he could slightly empathize with Utopia’s impractical goals; if the theory is correct and the calculations hold, then to a scholar, it is achievable.

"Enough, stop trying to understand the target's mindset. The data on the surrounding Void environment is crucial information. Hurry up and collect it so we can send it to our academy for analysis."

His companion interrupted the wizard’s wandering thoughts. Beyond recording and analyzing data, their duty was to assist in the battle with the power of a Great Wizard. The armies had finished assembling and were ready to march; they had to follow the vanguard.

"Right."

With a simple response, the wizard sent the data back via the Sky Mechanical City’s proprietary long-range arcane communication network and headed toward his assigned detachment.

Although the army deployed here was far from the full might the Five-Race Alliance could muster, the combined strength of multiple kingdoms and races made this vanguard force impressively luxurious.

"All units, prepare yourselves. The battlefield command will only provide overall strategic guidance; individual unit command remains with your respective officers. The offensive begins in half an hour."

Magic carried the orders of the Alliance’s command staff to every unit on the battlefield. Given the lack of familiarity between the forces, coordination would be difficult; thus, they were organized by kingdom, fighting in the styles they knew best.

This is an inevitable problem in wars of such scale; detailed command down to the individual unit is impossible. In many cases, broad allocations are the only feasible approach, with the high command observing the battlefield to offer suggestions and simple adjustments.

Detachments from different kingdoms conducted their own preparations. The alchemical equipment brought from their homelands, combined with the vast arsenal provided by the Sky Mechanical City, would play a significant role in the coming battle.

The forces of Alastor, or rather the Church of Nightfall, had naturally joined the campaign. Their total numbers were not large, but they were elite, with every member at least at the Great Knight level—a rarity among the participating forces.

"Do not be in a hurry to strike. You are the strongest among us; unless absolutely necessary, maintain your human forms. Only reveal your full combat strength when faced with a crisis."

Gilbert gave these instructions to several members of his unit. These individuals, dressed in plain, unremarkable clothing, were in fact dragons from the Dragon Isles participating in the battle. Mostly Red Dragons, with a few Black and Bronze Dragons, they were creatures of immense destructive potential.

"Understood."

The dragons in human form agreed. Unless necessary, they would not easily reveal their true draconic forms, as per the instructions of the White Dragon Patriarch, Mistryx.

"Is the equipment ready? I do not wish to see heavy casualties in this battle. Each of you is a vital part of us; losing lives in vain is something none of us wish to see."

Confirming the status of the remaining forces, Gilbert, a veteran of the Night’s Edge, served as the commander for this battle. His long experience had allowed this former squad leader to take a solid step forward on the path of the Great Knight.

"Ready."

Receiving the confirmation, Gilbert waited silently for the command to advance, quietly circulating his battle aura through his body, vibrating his muscles at a specific frequency to keep his frame in a state of readiness for all-out combat.

"Advance!"

The order from the high command blew the horn of battle. All units began their push toward the territory of Utopia.

Knights positioned themselves at the front and flanks of the formations, shielding the mages and wizards who protected one another. A multitude of buff spells and arcane arts were cast by the casters of each unit, not only covering their own ranks but also providing support to adjacent ones.

Mana shields first manifested within individual units, then, through the simple, tacit understanding of the mages, merged into a complete, impenetrable wall that covered the vanguard, as if they were pushing a city wall forward.

Air currents swirled around the army, providing acceleration and assistance. The uneven, cratered roads were leveled and packed by the earth-element spells of the mages as the army approached, ensuring the advance was smooth and unimpeded by any obstacle.

"Click, clack!"

As the army reached the critical ten-kilometer mark, a special detachment stopped first, setting up camp on the ground that had been forcibly leveled. They unpacked the alchemical machinery carried with them; alchemical alloys interlocked and collided, power chambers rapidly drove components, and various parts were assembled and spliced together.

One after another, magic-guided artillery batteries stood upon the earth. These were among the support weapons provided by the Sky Mechanical City—war machines capable of providing long-range fire support. These magic cannons, operated by gunners, would conduct precision strikes based on the guidance of the high command.

"Attention, enemy defenders are appearing ahead. Prepare for engagement; the primary objective is to break their formation."

The high command’s notification reached the battlefield.

A multitude of alchemical magic eyes, arcane constructs, and mana orbs—flying in front, above, and around the army—were used by the command staff to monitor the battlefield. Each unit focused on the enemies before them, while the high command provided broad strategic guidance.

As the army pressed to within seven kilometers of the objective, the defenders of Utopia—Orcish soldiers with crimson skin—appeared in the observations of the high command. Judging by their gear, their class was that of the Warrior, the most numerous among the Orcs.

"First wave of defenders: Orcs in a berserk state. No need for a head-on charge!"

The warning from the high command was clear. The number of berserk Orcs was vast; it was evident that Orcs from the occupied kingdoms had been gathered here. While their total numbers were inferior to the Alliance, the lethality of a berserk Orc legion in frontal combat was off the charts. A head-on charge was the worst possible strategy.

The advancing army halted. The commanders of each unit reached the same conclusion: for mindless, berserk Orcs, inducing attrition was the optimal solution.

"Click-clack, click-clack!"

Mana surged, and small rifts to the elemental planes were opened. A vast number of elemental creatures were banished by the mages to the front of the army, near the berserk Orc defenders. These elemental creatures were not contracted allies; they were neutral beings dragged from the elemental planes, likely still bewildered by their sudden arrival.

But the berserk Orcs made no distinction between friend and foe. While they might barely refrain from harming their own, they naturally launched reckless, mindless attacks against these unfamiliar elemental creatures. The two sides began to slaughter one another, stalling the Orcs' advance while consuming a significant amount of their strength.

"Attention, there is something wrong with the state of these Orcs. Their berserk state has not robbed them of their reason! Beware of a counterattack!"

An urgent notification from the high command arrived. The situation had not developed as planned. On the battlefield, the berserk Orcs were not attacking the elemental creatures; instead, they were forming orderly ranks and rapidly constructing large-scale mana shields around their positions.

Then, accompanied by the chanting of these "Orc warriors," specific spells were released. Simultaneously, the Void rippled for an instant, and the power of the nodes was invoked, distorting the material world to amplify the scale of the mana, causing the spells to spread and strengthen exponentially.

Non-elemental general spell: Enslave Elemental Creatures. This was the spell released by the Orcs. Not only had they not lost their minds in a brawl with the elementals, but they had also performed large-scale spellcasting, turning the elemental creatures summoned by the Alliance against them.

Swept by the spell, the elemental creatures—who had been confused by their sudden summoning—immediately turned and charged toward the Alliance army. Among them, a large number of Lava Elemental Elders had already prepared unstable, high-energy substances within their bodies. If allowed to detonate, the destruction caused would be immense.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Alchemical explosive shells plummeted from the heavens, directly covering the area in front of the army. The shattering impact and the spreading chaotic energy detonated all the Lava Elementals, and the resulting chain reaction cleared out the surrounding clusters of elemental creatures. The alchemical artillery array behind the army had saved the vanguard.

Yet, at this moment, the Alliance army began to realize that their target was an enemy that could not be judged by conventional logic: Orcs who were berserk yet rational, warriors who possessed spellcasting abilities, and that position which remained shrouded in mist...