A month had passed since Erik and his companions left the blackguards' crossroads outpost. The spoils they gained from the outpost were a lot, and everyone in Frant benefitted from them.
Of course, as soon as the blackguards found out the outpost fell, they sent troops there, but the Chimaeric Demons arrived there faster. Not only did they ransacked the place, but they also sprung a trap, blowing up the outpost as soon as all the enemy troops were in it.
It was clear; the war was becoming hell for the enemy coalition, but they were still much more than Frant's troop, and they showed no sign of wanting to retreat from the country.
As for what Frant got from there, it was a lot. Everything was brought to the front lines, which received a significant boost in their arsenal with an influx of advanced vehicles, weapons, and
armor.
Of course, all of them were powered by brain crystals. The Chimaeric Demons left that place bare. Erik and the others didn't stop there, though. The young man planted the Luminara serpentis along the eastern side of Frant, on their side of the front lines.
Most of the monsters from the Eldraith Mountain Range were no longer descending into the lower regions. Theirs, of course. It was another story for the enemy side of the front lines, and without the outpost, it beca much harder for Hin, Etrium, and the blackguards to respond to thaids' threats.
The blackguards, in fact, faced constant threats from monster attacks, especially because the Luminara serpentis Erik grew around, funnelled them to their territory. That made their supply lines vulnerable and their operations more difficult to sustain.
Regardless, with those supplies, weapons, vehicles, and armor, Frant got one single important thing: schematics.
These were quickly sent to Jabir and all the relevant people in Frant. However, Erik's base of operation quickly beca a central place for Frant's war effort. It was to the point that Liberty Watch City was overwheld by the sheer volu of work they had to complete.
The blueprints covered a wide range of technologies; most Frant had, but Jabir didn't.
These ranged from cutting-edge vehicles to innovative weapons. So schematics were to make so kind of brain crystal powered parts, which Jabir and the others, as much as Erik got told, tried to replicate and even improve.
Erik was happy because this new knowledge could change not just his forces but the whole nation of Frant. The idea of getting back at Etrium, the rcenary guild, and all the fuckers who went against him made him feel good.
It also represented a significant leap forward in their technological capabilities; it was going to open a lot of possibilities for Frant in the future.
However, the process of turning these schematics into tangible assets was not without problems.
Building the advanced equipnt required specialized materials, intricate manufacturing processes, and skilled technicians.
The difficulty and scope of the work ant that developnt would be slow; Erik and the others were doubtful that all the designs could be mass-produced in a not too distant future. But at least everyone got what they stole from the outpost, and that weren't just two or three things.
Regardless, Erik and his group had been trekking over challenging terrain all month long. While his clones made it easier, Erik couldn't help but feel like his butt had been used as a drum in a rock band with all the bumps and jolts.
When he told this to the others, they burst out laughing. It looked like Erik missed the double aning behind his words.
After so brief stops, they went through traversing deep forests, where most of the sunlight had trouble penetrating the canopy, and where the undergrowth slowed down even the Chimaeric Demons.
But that would be like calling the blackguards and saying he was headed there, so he couldn't use that convenient way of travelling.
That made them climb little hills. Rocky paths tested the clone's stamina, and narrow, dangerous mountain paths called for every bit of their focus.
Rivers and streams had to be crossed, but the temperatures of the winter made the temperature drop, which caused a fleeting but painful experience, especially for the clones.
At last, the incredible view of the sea yawning out to the horizon greeted them. The group was currently climbing the last mountaintop, separating them from the salty waters.
This was significant for Erik and his friends. Having spent their lives confined within the boundaries of cities, at best traveling through forest landscapes, they had never laid eyes on the ocean.
Whipped against their faces, the salty breeze slled of adventure and the unknown, but the dangers lurking within were well known to the group, at least in theory.
There was still much they didn't know about the thaids that dwelled into the ancient and deep waters, sothing they had to take into account if they wanted to traverse the ocean, at least unseen.
However, their initial sense of wonder gave way to unease as they saw what lay in front of the ocean, just below the small hill from which they were spying the shores.
There was a port below, and it was a hive of activity, with heavily ard ships coming and going in a constant stream.
The ships ranged from sleek, fast-attack ones to massive ones ant for troop transports. However, they were all bristling with weaponry and emblazoned with the insignia of the enemy forces, Hin.
Etrium didn't need to take ships to reach Frant, so, here, most of the enemies were from the island country founded by the blackguards.
The group observed as platoons of troops marched in perfect formation, their boots
hamring against the worn-out timber docks.
Rumbling along the coast, armored vehicles kicked up dust clouds as they moved into line. The sound of engines and the barking of commands could be heard from that far.
Erik's brow furrowed.
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