Beasts and elder giants dragged or shouldered colossal quantities of supplies from the logistics base toward the front line. The scene was bustling with ceaseless activity, yet exceptionally well-organized.
Atop a watchtower within the logistics base, a small pot was set up over a flame, simmering fish soup. The broth was milky white and gave off a mouthwatering aroma.
Lister added chopped scallions, cilantro, pepper powder, salt, and sesame oil one by one into a small bowl. Then he produced a bottle and drizzled in a bit of aromatic vinegar he had wheedled from the corps commander.
Taking a ladle, he scooped in the fish soup, stirred it gently with a small spoon, and took a sip.
"Phew... This is the life."
"Haha."
Old White chuckled and also picked up a bowl to serve himself some soup. Both old men loved fish, and having a pot of savory fish soup in the middle of a desert was an absolute luxury.
Just like secular parish priests—if they lived luxurious, refined lives, it proved at least one thing: the "god" they worshipped answered prayers. As for these two old men in charge of organizing the legion's logistics, their comfortable lifestyle served as proof from another angle that the legion's supplies were abundant.
Yet as comfortable as they were, they didn't neglect their work in the slightest. Behind each of them were three desks where quills hovered in midair, endlessly writing out reports and documents below.
After all, they were professors from the Temple archives; this amount of workload was truly nothing to them.
While sipping their fish soup, the two went over the ledgers together.
"Did this shipment arrive?"
"It arrived."
"Is this batch in full?"
"In full."
"Any shortages in this one?"
"None. In fact, they supplemented an extra twelve percent."
"Having the Whip-Wielder overseeing logistics makes things so easy and reassuring."
"Indeed, indeed. As the war drags on, with material supplies, logistical production, transport dispatching, and all that, if a problem crops up in any single link, it will inevitably stall logistics. When that happens, disparities in treatment among trump-card legions, core direct-line legions, second-rate legions, and auxiliary legions become unavoidable."
"In the end, it all comes down to the heavyweights backing each legion. Whichever heavyweight has the skill and authority ensures their legion is well-fed and well-supplied on the front line."
"I heard the Whip-Wielder put in immense effort and even laid down the law: whoever dares short our supplies, the Whip of Order will dig up their old dirt."
"I love this domineering attitude. Come, let's finish another bowl."
"Cheers!"
...
"The new batch of reinforcements has arrived. According to regulations, our unit can draw up a list of personnel to rotate back to the rear for rest and reorganization.
"However, despite experiencing continuous combat, our losses have been minimal. Moreover, having secured repeated victories, morale has remained consistently high. Therefore, according to my observations, there is no need for a rotation for the time being—or rather, it won't be too late to rotate after we achieve the objective before us."
"Mm."
Karen nodded.
Under prolonged warfare, troop rotations and adjustments were inevitable and conformed to objective principles. Yet beyond principles, there were always exceptions.
Aside from what Muri had mentioned, another crucial reason was that his core corps was primarily composed of Whip of Order squads from the developing realm. Their past pace of life had been even more tense and bloody than the battlefield.
However, he now had three regular regiments under his command; he could no longer consider matters solely from the perspective of his own core unit.
If they endured another grueling battle or a campaign with substantial casualties, rotation would be an absolute necessity.
"As for logistics, not only our unit, but the other three units in our army group have received far more generous replenishment. Currently, our army group's logistical supply level should be second only to the three main trump-card armies possessing knight legions."
"This is partly due to the Whip-Wielder's influence, but also our reward for achieving a series of early successes. At the same time, this places higher demands on us. With better treatment, the contributions we deliver cannot fall short either. Based on the schedule, the reconnaissance battalion should be returning soon."
"I will head to the front camp shortly to check."
"Mm."
After Muri departed, Daina walked in carrying Karen's lunch.
After setting the table, Daina pointed to one of the dishes and said, "I made this myself."
"Oh?" Karen glanced closely at the dish, seeing a large plate of yellow and green. "Is this broccoli stir-fried with cauliflower?"
Because the two looked so similar, it looked more like green broccoli stir-fried with white broccoli.
"Yes. Would you like to taste it?"
Karen picked up his chopsticks, picked up a green piece, ate it, then took a yellow piece and ate it.
"Mm, very good."
"Hehe." Daina smiled. After pouring Karen another glass of water, she left the commander's tent with a satisfied air.
Shortly after, Purr, who had been tutoring little Kanna with her homework in the inner quarters, came over to Karen. It leapt onto the table, looked at the plate of yellow and green, and said, "Looks like the little girl has feelings for you."
There was no jealousy or even mockery in its tone, as though it were merely stating an ordinary fact.
Even Purr understood that a young girl around Karen falling for him was the most natural thing in the world.
Karen tapped Purr's head lightly with the tip of his chopsticks. "Don't talk nonsense."
"You know it perfectly well in your heart. You're the sharpest at reading people."
"What, are you here to supervise me again?"
Purr waved a cat paw at Karen and laughed. "Why don't we just take her? She's the High Priest's adopted daughter! If you take her, you'll become the High Priest's son-in-law. Who knows, maybe the High Priest will groom you as his successor!"
"Are you serious?"
"Do you want to hear the truth?"
"Go on."
"I think I can understand it, and I even think Eunice would understand it. You have things you want to do, goals you must pursue—just like what you told me about the scene you saw during your God's Revelation...
"I think being a little unscrupulous is quite normal, isn't it?"
Karen looked at Purr in some surprise. In the past, Purr would have been dripping with sarcasm by now, yet it was saying it understood.
"Stop letting your imagination run wild."
Being unscrupulous was one thing, but Karen had never considered resorting to this method. A person could compromise above their bottom line, but if they were dragged below it, why endure such indignity?
If that person ever found out he had risen through such means, wouldn't that person look down on him?
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not speaking sarcastically, meow."
Karen reached out, stroked Purr's tail, and nodded. "I know. You're fully aware I wouldn't do such a thing, which is why you're indulging in all these pretty words."
Having its petty scheme exposed in one stroke, Purr turned its head away with a guilty conscience. "Not at all, meow."
Just then, Philomena returned.
"Have you eaten?" Karen asked.
Philomena shook her head.
"Report while eating. Kanna, go notify the mess squad to send an extra meal over, and then tell Neo to come here."
"Understood!"
Little Kanna left her homework desk and happily skipped out to relay the order.
When they had first met the little bone dragon, she had been shrouded in a heavy aura of lifeless rigidity. Now, under the heavy pressure of her studies, she instead displayed the simple joy of a little girl.
Purr pushed the plate of stir-fried green and yellow broccoli in front of Philomena and said, "Eat this. It's delicious. Finish it all."
"Okay."
Philomena didn't stand on ceremony and began eating.
Before long, Neo arrived. He was not wearing his clerical robes, but a set of pajamas, his hair messy as he yawned.
Karen noticed that the skin Neo exposed outside his pajamas showed an eerie, ghastly pallor. Recalling that he had been sleeping with the dog every night recently...
It meant he had already begun conducting some kind of extreme attempt, likely related to his bloodthirsty aberrant demon bloodline.
Karen cautioned, "Be careful."
Neo said dismissively, "What's there to be afraid of? Even if I ruin myself, so what? Me sitting in a wheelchair won't stop me from helping you command."
"If you were paralyzed, it would actually save me a lot of worry. But if you lose your mind, would I dare let you appear in the command center to help me direct troops?"
"Why worry about that? If I truly lose my mind, I'll probably just turn normal."
After Neo sat down, Philomena continued her meal while recounting the results of her scout mission.
The new Ninth Army Group had completed its regrouping. Directly ahead of the army group lay the Zuomaisi Mountains.
This position did not belong to the primary confrontation zone between the main forces, but it was critically important because it served as an extremely crucial teleportation coordinate hub for the allied coalition. In fact, half of the allied coalition's logistical supply bases relied on the auxiliary coordinates here to quickly deploy and relocate.
If this location could be breached and destroyed, it would exert immense pressure on the allied coalition's logistics, potentially throwing them into disarray.
Consequently, the allied coalition had developed this site extensively, constructing an exceptionally rigorous and formidable defense.
Based on prior intelligence and the results of the field reconnaissance led by Philomena, it was now confirmed that the forces responsible for defending this position belonged to the Church of Laks, the Church of Gold, and the Church of Black Silver.
Among them, the Church of Gold and the Church of Black Silver were subsidiary churches of the Church of Laks, much like the current relationship between the Church of Pamires and the Church of Order.
The garrison consisted of four legions from the Church of Laks, one Golden Legion, and one Black Silver artisan regiment, also known as the Black Silver engineer regiment.
In terms of troop strength, they were roughly equal to Karen's Ninth Army Group. However, the enemy was on the defensive while Karen was on the offensive, leaving Order in a disadvantageous battlefield position.
Neo spoke up. "Among the defenders, the one with the strongest combat capability isn't the Church of Laks' legions, but that Golden Legion. The scale of the Church of Gold has never been large, roughly equivalent to a medium-sized church, not even qualifying as a major one. However, their fighting prowess has always been formidable, and they are prolific in producing Golden Warriors.
"In the previous era, the God of Gold was the primary guardian of the God of Laks, representing the peak combat strength of the Laks pantheon."
Karen said, "The previous army group assigned here fought for a long time without making any headway."
"Naturally. They chose to defend simply because their mission was defense, not because they were only capable of defending. The previous army group here was actually quite cautious, likely worried about being counterattacked if they let their guard down."
Karen asked, "Any ideas?"
"If you mean achieving quick results... then I have none."
Neo stood up, walked over to the map, and marked several locations on it.
"The defenders cover a vast defensive perimeter. They did this intentionally: by spreading their defensive strength, we can't strike their core zone from the perimeter, which means it's extremely difficult to affect that permanent teleportation coordinate site.
"Therefore, the strategy we used last time against the enemy's logistics won't work here. Theoretically, before we can chew through their outer defensive positions, the enemy can sit comfortably receiving endless logistical replenishment and even summon reinforcements."
"They placed their logistics base right inside their military camp."
Neo shrugged. "It's more accurate to say that we're taking the initiative to attack their heavily fortified logistical pillar."
Karen said, "Given the precedent set by Daliwenluo in the previous campaign, should we consult Luoya this time?"
"That Laks copper coin artifact spirit? I advise against it. Besides, the containment space wouldn't permit you to summon her on this battlefield anyway. After all, it is ultimately a divine artifact of the Church of Laks, merely occupied by Order right now. If you dare deploy their divine artifact in front of their legions, believe me, they have a hundred ways to forcibly reclaim Luoya."
"I still need a more concrete operational plan." Karen looked at Neo.
"I'll draft one for you."
"And regardless, let's engage them first to test the waters. We'll only know what they're truly made of once we clash."
"Trust me, it's going to be a headache. That Church of Black Silver is full of master craftsmen; that mountainous terrain has undoubtedly been turned into an iron fortress."
"You're pouring cold water on me a bit too quickly."
Neo smiled. "Just speaking the truth in private. When the officers' council convenes, I'll definitely help you hype them up. Alright, I'll go work on the plan."
"Thank you for your hard work." Karen stood up. "I'll take a stroll outside and look at the scenery of the mountains."
Neo raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
Karen explained, "Just around the perimeter of the camp. I won't go deep, nor am I going to scout."
"If you want, I can accompany you for a deep reconnaissance. The two of us could capture a few useful prisoners; maybe we'd find a way to breach this place."
"That's not your duty or mine. That's Philomena's job."
Philomena set down her utensils and said, "Yes, understood. On the next scout mission, I will capture live prisoners if possible."
Purr lowered the difficulty for Philomena, saying, "A relatively intact corpse will do."
"Understood."
Karen looked around, his gaze finally resting on Neo. "Where's Kevin?"
Neo replied, "He was thoroughly exhausted last night and is catching up on sleep."
"Little Kanna, go bring Kevin over."
Neo slapped his forehead and said, "You truly are cautious."
...
Little Kanna transformed into a bone dragon, carrying Karen, Purr, and Kevin out of the camp.
As the distance narrowed, the scenery of the mountains gradually came into Karen's view. The mountain range was magnificent and imposing, its outer rocks a reddish-brown.
Supposedly, the God of the Desert had once suppressed a ferocious beast here; the ridges of the mountain range had been formed by that beast's violent thrashing in its death throes, and the red hue was dyed by the beast's blood.
Before little Kanna even flew beyond the bombardment range of the camp's magic crystal cannons, she halted at Karen's signal. Below, a cavalry battalion personally led by Count Rekal served as an escort.
Beside him was Kevin, a canine radar.
There was a reason Neo had remarked on Karen's caution before departure. Knowing how crucial his status was, Karen would not allow himself to take risks now.
Yet sometimes, one-sided caution could not guarantee absolute tranquility; it required the cooperation of the other party.
At this moment, Kevin, who had been sprawled out on the bone dragon's back sleeping, sniffed the air. He quietly stood up, began wagging his tail, and slowly spun in circles.
Karen and Purr noticed Kevin's movements. Neither spoke, watching in silence.
Finally, Kevin stopped turning, facing northwest. Subconsciously, he reached a paw forward—having grown accustomed to directing the artillery, he was looking for the symbol board.
Purr leapt onto Kevin's back and brought a cat paw down onto Kevin's bald head.
"Stupid dog, you can just speak!"
Kevin, who had been slightly groggy from sleep, finally realized his mistake and gave a bashful smile. "Woof, woof, woof."
Purr broadcasted, "A squad is concealed ten kilometers to the northwest, with a very high concealment grade, meow!"
After finishing the broadcast, Purr didn't forget to add its own assessment: "It's probably the other side's 'Philomena' coming to scout us."
Karen's Ninth Army Group had relieved the previous army group stationed here. After switching opponents, it was only natural for the enemy to test the waters.
Purr continued, "Should we order the Promiscuous One to take men and wipe them out?"
"No need." Karen shook his head. "Count Rekal's sole mission is to protect me."
"Oh, alright, meow."
...
"He didn't take the bait. His escort cavalry didn't move."
On a sand dune farther away, a young girl stood before an enormous silver telescope taller than an adult, observing the scene.
Behind her stood a guard clad entirely in golden armor. The gold on the armor was not solid; under the sunlight, it could be clearly seen flowing.
Beside him stood an elderly man dressed in silver clerical robes. The old man was very short with long hair and a goatee that dragged along the ground.
The girl laughed. "What wonderful luck! Grandpa Qisang, Uncle Aona, do you know? When I learned that the commander of the newly rotated army group facing us was Karen, I was so excited I couldn't sleep all night!"
"Miss Ruiqier, this subordinate truly cannot comprehend your excitement. Within the Laks pantheon of churches, there are plenty of outstanding and handsome young men."
"Oh, Grandpa Qisang, you're wrong about that. In our church pantheon, those more accomplished than him aren't as handsome, and those handsomer aren't as accomplished. You don't understand—I love his aura in the newspapers!
"Especially in that recent issue of the Order Weekly that arrived. There was a photo of him sitting in the command chair. Do you know, his desk was stacked with books, and he sat behind them directing victorious battles!
"Oh heavens, I'm simply obsessed with that atmosphere. He always manages to strike my fancy, truly.
"Tell me, if I asked Grandpa to persuade the Disciplinarian to propose a truce between our church and Order, on the condition that Order must send Karen over to marry me, would Order agree?"
Qisang reminded her, "Miss Ruiqier, in a political marriage, the woman is usually married off."
"I don't want to marry into their side! Both the Golden and Black Silver bloodlines flow through my veins. Marrying over there and bearing children for Order would be far too much of a loss."
Qisang immediately echoed, "Indeed, indeed. How could Karen's lowly bloodline ever be worthy of our noble Miss Ruiqier?"
"No, I am quite willing to bear his children. You know, Grandpa Qisang, I've already named our twelfth child! Lolibelle. Lolibelle Silva Gansen.
"See how nice I am to him? I even included his surname."
"My apologies, Miss Ruiqier. Perhaps I am old and no longer understand the world of young people."
"Hehehe, that's normal."
Ruiqier continued observing Karen through the precision telescope.
"Oh, truly, the man himself is far better-looking than in the newspapers and intelligence photos. Oh, I love that cat in his arms; it matches his temperament so well.
"It's just that the dog is a bit ugly. It's bald, which ruins the aesthetic."
Qisang reached into his eye socket.
*Pop.*
He plucked out his eyeball, blew warm breath on it, wiped it with his sleeve, and placed it back in.
This eyeball shared its vision with the telescope Miss Ruiqier was using, so whatever Ruiqier saw, he saw as well.
"That dog is not ordinary; it should be the transformed shape of some powerful monster beast. According to reliable intelligence, when the Whip of Order Legion attacked the Church of Earth, their magic crystal cannons fired with extreme precision, yet no large-scale detection spells were detected overhead. This means they possess a monster beast with exceptionally powerful mental detection capabilities.
"Just now, the direction that dog turned to face was precisely where our scout squad is hidden. Therefore, it is very likely that dog."
"Oh, really? Looking at it that way, the dog seems much more pleasing to the eye."
"Miss, since he didn't take the bait, we have no opportunity. Shall we return?"
"Return? Why return? Uncle Aona, if I bestow upon you the power of the Spear of Sin, can you guarantee Karen's death?"
The golden guard spoke. "Based on the combat assessments from the allied coalition and our internal intelligence network, with the empowerment of the Spear of Sin, I am confident I can kill him.
"Compared to his rank, his individual strength is his weak point."
Hearing this, Ruiqier protested indignantly, "Compared to his age, our Karen's strength is already astonishing, alright? Uncle Aona, I forbid you from speaking ill of our Karen!"
"Yes, Miss."
Seeing this, Qisang immediately said, "He still has an entire cavalry unit guarding him!"
Aona said, "The power of the Spear of Sin allows me to close sufficient distance in a short span. Neither the cavalry below nor the monster beasts beside him will be able to stop me from killing him."
Qisang warned, "Even if you kill him, you won't escape the pursuit of that cavalry. This place is too close to Order's main camp and too far from our side. We have no way to dispatch reinforcements to extract you."
Ruiqier raised her hand, cutting off the argument. "Trading Uncle Aona's life for Karen's is worth it. After all, Karen is the supreme commander of Order's army group opposite us."
"However, Miss Ruiqier, don't you admire Karen?" Qisang was clearly close to the golden guard and didn't want his dear friend sacrificed like this.
"Do I merely admire him? No, I love him! That's why the thought that I will be the last sight he ever sees before he dies makes me so excited, so fulfilled!"
With that, Ruiqier turned around, spread her hands, and chanted:
"O spear destined to sink forever in the whirlpool of sin, hear my call! I shall grant you a chance to cleanse yourself, and you must obey the mission I bestow upon you!"
One of Ruiqier's eyes turned golden, and the other turned silver. An aura of solemn majesty flowed from her body.
Immediately after, the phantom of a pitch-black spear exuding a foul, filthy aura slowly manifested.
"Uncle Aona."
The golden guard stepped forward. The armor on his chest parted, revealing the nearly emaciated chest beneath.
*Pfft!*
The Spear of Sin seeped into Aona's body, binding directly to his soul.
Having done this, Ruiqier reminded him, "My dear uncle, since you don't intend to return alive anyway, before setting out, sacrifice your lifespan as well to enhance the blessing granted to you by the God of Gold."
"Understood, Miss."
A plume of golden flame rose from the armor, and specialized secret runes emerged. His soul aura reached its zenith at this moment, which meant it would continuously decline thereafter.
Qisang pressed his lips together, not daring to say anything more. He knew his dear friend had entered the final countdown of his life.
Ruiqier lowered her head again to observe Karen through the telescope. A smile curved on her lips, and she waved her hand.
"Go, Uncle Aona! Go fulfill your loyalty to the God of Gold and the great God of Laks!"
The golden guard began to melt. His body turned into golden liquid, which rapidly evaporated into the air.
Qisang said with deep regret, "Aona was a rare talent of the Golden lineage. Within our church, his strength was comparable to the guardians of certain holy lands. To just... to just..."
Ruiqier waved her hand dismissively. "Enough, enough, Grandpa Qisang. How many salvos from magic crystal cannons can a holy land guardian withstand? What could a holy land guardian change on a battlefield of this scale?
"All of this is worthwhile, and completely justified.
"I feel this is my Lord's blessing, allowing me to meet my beloved Mr. Karen here."
"Miss..."
"Don't disturb me. I want to quietly appreciate the final curtain call of Mr. Karen. Oh, that scene will surely be poignantly beautiful."
...
"According to Philomena, the entire mountain range is the enemy's defensive position, covered in fortifications. I thought those rats from the Church of Earth were good enough at digging holes, but who would have thought the Laks pantheon knows even more about building houses, meow."
Karen smiled. "They have a Black Silver engineer regiment under them, so it's only natural. Besides, the Laks pantheon has always been deeply intertwined with symbols of wealth. Don't rich people love buying real estate?"
"Little Karen, that makes so much sense."
"Alright, we can head back. Kanna, let's turn around."
The little bone dragon turned her body, preparing to fly back.
Right then, Kevin suddenly leaped into the air. Purr's tail bristled straight up. Below, Count Rekal's back tensed on horseback, and Karen's eyes narrowed.
An enemy attack—a formidable aura was rapidly closing in!
Count Rekal immediately ordered half the cavalry to remain behind as protection, while he personally led the other half to intercept the incoming aura. He needed to intercept the danger on the outside, as far from his young master as possible.
However, just as Count Rekal was about to collide with that aura, it abruptly vanished.
Count Rekal's expression changed drastically, and he looked behind him in disbelief.
"Woof!"
"A divine artifact! The power of a divine artifact, meow!" Purr screamed as well. "Kanna, defense, defense!"
Little Kanna took a deep breath. A vast expanse of white phantom energy immediately formed around her draconic body. Yet before her defenses could take shape, the aura that had just been on the perimeter closed the distance at an astonishing speed, infiltrating straight through!
Kevin leaped in front of Karen, roaring, "Woof!"
Whether he could defeat the enemy was a matter of ability, but stepping forward was a matter of attitude. When it came to attitude, Raniedal, who had served two generations of the God of Order, had never wavered!
Purr raised both paws, chanting, "Brother Karen—"
Yet all defenses were already too late.
Golden mist condensed above Karen, where a golden-armored warrior wielding a spear thrust downward toward Karen!
The phantom of the spear transformed into the world's most terrifying sharpness, whistling downward!
Standing on the dragon's back, Karen didn't even have time to react before the spear was about to impale him!
...
"Oh, oh, oh!!"
Ruiqier clenched both fists, preparing to welcome the moment her "idol" was shattered and killed.
Beside her, Qisang's eyeball rolled rapidly, not daring to miss this scene, while he thought with emotion: *Old friend, at least your death was worthwhile.*
However, Ruiqier's excited shriek stopped abruptly. Her expression became half grief-stricken and half overly thrilled, twisting into something grotesque.
"Those idiots in the intelligence department should all be banished to the crypts to mine gold coins!"
With a wet *plop*, Qisang's eyeball rolled right out of its socket again—this time, it literally dropped to the ground in sheer shock.
In the distance, atop the dragon's back,
Karen hadn't moved an inch.
Yet in midair, a black hole had appeared, from which a massive, pale, slender hand emerged, firmly catching the terrifying phantom spear...
And clenching it tight!
Chapter 807