Chapter 482 A Minor Problem with the Abyss Development Project
Time slipped away quietly amidst the ongoing wars in the Romanian countries.
Winter has passed and spring has arrived, the ice and snow have melted, but the intensity of the war on the plains has not diminished much with the rising temperatures.
February, 346th year of the Gregorian calendar.
In the capital of Reiber, a light snow was falling from the sky.
The snowflakes were small and melted as soon as they landed, leaving only a damp layer on the rooftops and streets. A thin layer of frost clung to the spires and arched windows of the palace complex, gleaming white in the dim light.
The atmosphere inside the palace was colder than the weather.
Since the fall of Quinn Highlands two years ago, the Kingdom of Lorthen has been advancing rapidly and triumphantly.
They demonstrated the profound heritage of being the center of the Federation.
A well-trained legion, superior equipment, rich war experience, and high morale. A series of victories boosted the confidence of the Lorthern army to its peak, while Rebos suffered a series of defeats, losing large swathes of territory and several strategic locations.
After one defeat after another, the atmosphere in Reiber was extremely tense.
Panic began to spread among the people, merchants hoarded supplies, and civilians in some remote cities began to migrate inland. In the imperial court, the debate between the pro-war and pro-peace factions intensified, but no matter how much they argued, they could not change the fact that things were not going well at the front.
At this moment, inside the royal council chamber.
King Anto Croan of Reipos sat on his throne like a silent iron statue.
He looked to be in his fifties, but his actual age was not that, because he was a legendary figure himself, but he was not good at fighting and lived in the palace for many years.
The king had a resolute face with distinct features, and his short, dark gray hair was meticulously combed.
At this moment, a pair of gray eyes were set in his deep-set eye sockets, staring at the battle report spread out on the long table in front of him.
News of defeats in battles came into view.
"On January 15, the eastern defense line of Tiegu was breached, the Third Army suffered more than half its casualties, and retreated thirty miles."
"On January 22, the Blackwater River crossing was lost, and the enemy established a bridgehead."
"On January 28, the flanking harassment force was ambushed and suffered heavy losses."
“.”
Looking at these messages, the King of Reipos showed no expression, only a slight difficulty in breathing.
“Your Majesty,” a general in heavy armor rose from his seat, “Lotharn is riding high on the momentum of his great victory, and his army is almost unstoppable.”
"We have to make a decision."
"I suggest that we immediately issue an urgent order to the kingdom's two major knightly orders, instructing them to abandon their original harassment plans and return to reinforce the kingdom at full speed."
"We need to rebuild our defenses around Iron Valley."
"The terrain there is narrow and easy to defend, making it difficult to attack. It might be able to slow down the enemy's advance."
Upon hearing this, a shadow of gloom and anxiety flashed deep in Anto's eyes.
Iron Valley defenses... Once that falls, Lorthern's army can break through several more lines of defense and march straight to the capital, where there is no natural defense.
But the general is right, this is the better option at present.
"What about news from the Kingdom of Sak and the Kingdom of Kambruk?"
Instead of responding directly to the general's suggestion, Anto turned to the Foreign Minister.
A minister dressed in civil official robes stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the wars between the various countries have reached a fever pitch. They are currently too busy to spare troops to support us."
Anto's fingers tightened, his knuckles turning slightly white.
Of all the nations, only Aura and Theo are now spared from war.
This is because Aura has won, and the negotiations between the two countries have basically come to an end after a series of back-and-forths.
The Kingdom of Theo will probably not launch another counterattack.
Lorthen's efforts to win over the Kingdom of Aura proved to be extremely effective at a crucial moment.
That desolate land, the land of Aura, which many privately mocked as a barbarian nation, has unexpectedly become a key piece influencing the course of the war!
Damn it, if the Kingdom of Aura hadn't completely restrained, or even defeated, Theo's army, then Rebos, who could have received Theo's support, should have been able to easily suppress Lorthern.
The reality is that the Red Emperor was simply unbelievable.
Although he had just become a legend and his level was not high, he could not be treated as an ordinary legend. Moreover, the other legends under his kingdom, though few in number, were not to be underestimated.
The fall of Quinn Highlands was triggered by the support of Aura's Fang.
"When Aura was founded, I should have spared no expense to win him over."
"No, even before the war truly broke out, there were opportunities to win over the Aura. At that time, they had just established themselves in the wilderness and needed allies and recognition..."
Anguish welled up inside him; this wasn't the first time he'd felt this way.
Based on the intelligence information relayed back by diplomat Aaron, and the analysis of the Red Emperor's personality by their own comrades, they could have made that conclusion.
As long as Reboss offers enough benefits, even if he can't make Aura a staunch ally, he can at least keep it in a neutral position and prevent it from siding with Lorthern at crucial moments.
However, in the end, Rebus looked down on Aura, this wilderness kingdom.
The upper-class nobles of Reiber, including the king himself, generally felt that it was nothing more than a rabble of barbarians and monsters.
Dragons are powerful, but a country made up of different monsters? That sounds like a joke.
They're lucky if they can keep things from getting out of control; what key role can they possibly play?
The result, however, exceeded everyone's expectations.
When news of the Red Emperor destroying a satellite in space first reached Reibos, Anto felt a growing sense of regret.
Then came the news that the Red Emperor had transformed into a malevolent star, broken through the pass, turned the tide against the encirclement, and displayed immortality. Anto's regret reached its peak.
However, it's too late for regrets now.
Aura and Lorthene have firmly stood on the same side, delivering a heavy blow to Reboss on the battlefield.
"Derrick."
Anto suddenly spoke, looking at a legend standing in the corner of the hall.
He was a transformation master dressed in a dark blue robe. He looked very young, but he was probably over a hundred years old.
He participated in the siege of the Red Emperor and was the only Reipos legend to have personally witnessed Galos's fighting style.
"If you had acted at any cost back then, was it possible to kill the Red Emperor?"
"Anto asked."
The shapeshifter looked up, recalling the battle.
His gaze became complicated, and he finally shook his head slowly.
"Your Majesty, the most likely outcome is that I will die there, while the Red Emperor, after paying a heavy price, will ultimately win with his incredible resurrection ability. It's just that the process will be more troublesome and take more time."
He said in a low voice, still shaken.
Anto narrowed his eyes and changed his question: "If we knew in advance that the Red Emperor could be resurrected, and assuming that he could only be resurrected once, with your lineup at the time, and with all preparations made, what would your chances of winning be?"
Derrick thought about it seriously for a few seconds.
"If the Red Emperor has no other trump cards and we don't consider the subsequent impact of his legions, and we make thorough preparations in advance, then we have a 70% chance of encircling and killing him."
He paused, then added, "However, Your Majesty, this is merely a theoretical deduction."
"I suspect he has many more skills he hasn't yet used."
"Rodrygo's judgment on that Theo's Shield was correct. The Red Emperor is a dragon who appears arrogant but is actually very cautious and possesses extraordinary wisdom."
"His willingness to venture into the challenge alone probably means that he had absolute confidence and some trump card that we didn't know about."
Anto frowned slightly.
He trusted Derrick's judgment; the change agent was experienced, cautious, and his assessments were often close to reality.
Therefore, the king regretted even more that he had not made up his mind to win over the Kingdom of Aura.
Finally, Anto waved his hand, stopping the other ministers who wanted to speak.
"Today's meeting is now adjourned. All departments should proceed according to the emergency plan, prioritizing the stabilization of the rear, mobilizing resources, and strengthening the defenses of the capital and major cities. Then, you may all leave."
The ministers and generals looked at each other, some opening their mouths as if to say something, but ultimately swallowing their words.
They all rose, bowed, and silently filed out, disappearing at the end of the corridor.
The huge council chamber was now empty except for Anto.
He sat on the throne, motionless, as if he had truly become an iron statue.
Outside the window, the fine snow continued to fall silently.
After a long while, the king slowly stood up.
He descended the steps of the throne and came to an ordinary wall on the inner side of the council chamber.
The walls, made of dark-colored patchwork and adorned with portraits of past kings, appear unremarkable.
Anto stretched out his hand and pressed his fingertips on several inconspicuous wooden knots.
The third, the seventh, the second, the fifth. The order is the birthday of the first king.
A flash of magical light appeared, and the wall silently slid open inward, revealing a deep, downward stone staircase behind it.
Anto went inside, and the walls closed silently behind him.
The staircase wasn't long; after about thirty steps, it came to an end.
It was a small, secret room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of some kind of dark, light-absorbing metal, and the surface was engraved with dense protective runes to isolate all prophecies, spying, and teleportation.
The interior furnishings are very simple.
A square metal table, two chairs of the same material, and nothing on the table except for a fist-sized dark gold crystal ball.
Anto sat down at the table, not moving immediately, to calm his emotions.
A few seconds later, he stretched out his right hand, his palm completely covering the crystal ball.
The crystal ball trembled slightly, and light shone from within, growing brighter and brighter.
Anto loosened his grip and looked at it.
The halo gradually spread, eventually casting a clear shadow about a foot above the sphere, revealing the outline of a person's upper body.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark civil official's formal suit, the fabric of which appeared to be fine silk, with intricate patterns embroidered in silver thread on the collar and cuffs.
He had a thin face, slightly high cheekbones, and a pair of delicate monocles perched on his nose.
The eyes behind the glasses are long and narrow, with a calm and gentle gaze.
His background appears to be a study, with tall bookshelves partially visible and the gold-embossed titles on the spines of the books indistinct.
"Your Majesty Anto."
The man in the light and shadow spoke first, his voice steady and polite.
"It doesn't seem like long has passed since our last contact. It looks like the situation on your front lines is not optimistic, otherwise you wouldn't have activated this channel at this time."
"Minister Winston."
Anto said in a deep voice, revealing the other party's identity.
Winston is a minister in the Holden Empire who manages foreign affairs and is an important figure in charge of relations with neighboring countries.
Anto skipped the pointless pleasantries and got straight to the point: "After the fall of Quinn Heights, Lorthene has won a series of victories and has now advanced to the outskirts of Iron Valley. I need more support from the Empire."
The Kingdom of Reipos was able to gain the upper hand during the first civil war largely due to the secret support of the Holden Empire.
Those secret weapons, even strategic weapons, originated from the Holden Empire.
Minister Winston listened quietly, his expression unchanged.
After Anto finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
"Your Majesty Anto, the Empire regrets the setback your country has suffered. War always has its ups and downs, and a temporary defeat does not represent the final outcome."
"However, regarding the support you requested, please forgive my frankness, but at this stage, the Empire is probably unable to provide it."
Anto's heart sank.
He controlled his tone, not letting his disappointment show, and asked, "Why?"
"Our original agreement was based on jointly curbing the expansion of Lorthorn and maintaining the Empire's influence on the Romanian plains."
"Now that Lorthion's offensive is fierce, if Rebos's national strength is greatly damaged, or even... destroyed, it will be difficult to effectively restrain Lorthion."
"Is a Kingdom of Lorse that has unified the Romanian plains in the interest of the Empire?"
Minister Winston gently pushed up his monocle.
“Your Majesty Anto, please understand that the Empire’s strategic considerations are dynamic, not static.”
"One of the important reasons for supporting your country in the past was the existence of the Holy King of the Kingdom of Lorthen."
"We cannot determine whether he is dead or alive."
"Moreover, the Lorthern Federation at that time was quite large and had great potential."
"In the Empire's risk assessment, the Lorthern Federation is marked as an unstable factor that needs to be contained in advance. Therefore, the Empire is willing to invest resources to support your Kingdom of Rebos in order to balance the power balance on the plains."
“But,” Winston changed the subject, “the situation has changed now.”
"We can now be certain that Holy King Lorthorn is dead, utterly dead. He has indeed become a Holy Spirit, but it is an irreversible transformation, which means he can never return as a human, much less achieve immortality."
"A legend that has no chance of becoming immortal naturally has a significantly lower threat level."
Winston continued, "As for your Romanian Federation, it also disintegrated and fell apart in the previous war."
"Currently, no kingdom possesses the potential, prestige, or power to reintegrate it, and this place has already been downgraded several levels in the Empire's overall assessment system."
He looked at Anto, whose expression shifted in the light and shadow, and said, "Therefore, the level of support for your country naturally needs to be adjusted accordingly."
"The empire will not invest too many resources in things that are meaningless."
"In fact, our vision has never been limited to just Romania."
"Atlanta, or even the entire planet Bernado, or even outer planes, are where we are truly focused. There are more opportunities and more challenges there."
Hearing these words, Anto felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, but even more so, a sense of powerlessness.
He knew Winston was telling the truth.
For an empire of Holden's stature, the Romanian plains were indeed just a small corner.
Unless significant interests are involved, what is happening here is unlikely to attract the sustained attention of the Empire's high command.
But he was still unwilling to give up.
"If Lorthern wins this war, they will undoubtedly experience tremendous growth. Their national strength will increase, their prestige will rise, and they may even rebuild the Federation. Isn't that a threat?"
Winston shook his head slightly.
"That's a matter for the future, Your Majesty Anto."
"Perhaps a hundred years, perhaps a thousand years, perhaps even longer, but the empire currently has more important matters to attend to."
After speaking, the minister paused for a few seconds.
He was making some kind of trade-off and ultimately decided to reveal some information in order to make the King of Reipos completely abandon his illusions and accept reality.
"Since you insist on an explanation..."
"Then I can tell you that the Empire's Abyss development project has recently encountered some unexpected minor problems."
Anto frowned: "A minor problem?"
His voice was tinged with doubt.
What could cause the Holden Empire to adjust its strategic layout is unlikely to be a minor issue.
"Yes, by Imperial standards, it's a minor issue."
Winston's tone remained calm as he said, "To resolve this issue and ensure the development plan is not disrupted, a considerable number of legendary figures have been dispatched to the front lines of the Abyss, so they have no time to spare right now."
"The Empire's main focus is currently on dealing with matters of the Abyss."
This doesn't sound like a small problem at all.
Anto felt a slight tremor in his heart.
He was certainly aware of the Holden Empire's ambitious Abyss development plan.
It was a magnificent project, designed to establish a stable passage between the material world and the abyss, from which to extract endless resources and power, in order to compete with the Nausir Elven Empire.
The empire invested massive resources, top experts, and countless personnel in this endeavor.
If something goes wrong there...
King Reibos suddenly felt a pang of fear and dared not think any further.
The Abyss is one of the most dangerous and chaotic places in the multiverse, connecting countless planes and filled with demons, devils, and all sorts of unspeakable horrors.
If the abyss passage gets out of control, the consequences will be unimaginable.
But the Holden Empire is so powerful, it should be able to solve the problem... Anto thought to himself.
On the other hand, Winston gave his summary.
"So, that's the situation."
"Time may bring new changes, Lorthorn may make mistakes after the victory, and a new balance of power may emerge on the plains, but at least in the foreseeable future, at least until the Empire completely solves the problem of the Abyss, please do not place too much hope on the Empire's support."
His words were polite, but his meaning was clear.
—Rebos can only rely on himself.
Anto remained silent.
After a long silence, Winston's voice rang out again, breaking the silence.
"May you and your kingdom overcome the current difficulties."
He nodded slightly, and the light and shadow began to blur. "Your Majesty Anto, please take care. The Empire looks forward to seeing a resilient Rebos continue to exist on the plains as an important part of regional stability."
As soon as the words were spoken, the light and shadow completely disappeared.
The room was deathly silent.
Anto sat alone on the cold metal chair, not getting up immediately.
He stared at the crystal ball, his eyes vacant.
"The resilient Rebos..."
He repeated Winston's last words in a low voice, a bitter smile on his face.
The other party's meaning was actually quite obvious.
I hope Rebos will continue fighting Lorthorn until the last man is lost, and exhaust Lorthorn's strength to the maximum extent.
In this way, no matter who wins in the end, the victor will be severely weakened and unable to pose a threat to the empire.
As for whether Rebos will be destroyed as a result?
That was outside the empire's considerations.
For the empire, there was little difference between a destroyed Rebo and a weakened but still existing Rebo.
In any case, they are not threats.
But Anto felt deeply exhausted.
It's not physical fatigue, it's mental exhaustion.
The war was fought twice, exhausting the kingdom's resources, sacrificing the lives of countless soldiers, and turning much land into scorched earth.
He saw no hope of victory.
He no longer wanted to waste the lives of the Reiber people.
It wasn't out of mercy, but because reason told him that continuing the fight would only lead to the kingdom bleeding to its last drop of blood, with no good outcome.
"The failure cannot be changed..."
"Since that's the case, let's swallow this bitter pill for now, preserve our strength as much as possible, and wait for the future."
The King of Riposa sighed and decided to negotiate peace.
Proposing peace talks now would undoubtedly come at a huge cost, but it's still better than waiting until Lorthen has marched all the way to the capital and is at the gates before making such a demand.
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(End of this chapter)
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