Chapter 1233: Chapter 1233: Dawn City in the Night (Vote for Monthly Ticket)
He Ao raised his hand, looking at his palm.
A faint golden light surged in his hand, and deep within it, streaks of red flickered.
He felt the information conveyed by the Talent Sequences.
The ability of the Collaborator was simple: select a certain number of companions, and when they stood together, they could achieve a level of shared ‘consciousness’ centered around the Collaborator.
No communication was necessary; team mbers could understand one another’s intentions, allowing a group to act as seamlessly as a single person, like an extension of one’s arm.
Additionally, the original Distributor’s allocation ability had been upgraded. Within the team chosen for ‘shared consciousness,’ the Collaborator could adjust everyone’s health, strength, and other attributes.
In essence, when faced with a single point of attack, He Ao could redistribute the damage across the entire team, thereby diluting the effectiveness of the attack.
Under such circumstances, the team led by the Collaborator would beco not only stronger but also more unified.
The number of team mbers the Collaborator could lead depended on their own soul’s resilience, their ability to withstand chaotic thoughts, and their personal strength.
He Ao estimated, based on the information embedded in the Talent Sequences, that he could lead a team of 800 to 1000 people, whereas the average Collaborator could only lead around 80 mbers, with weaker ones managing even fewer.
It was hard to say whether this ‘amplification’ ca from the excellence of his ritual, the reinforcent from the God of Order’s pollution, or a combination of both.
Beyond the regular collaborative ability, He Ao also acquired a capability not included in the Talent Sequence information.
Raising his hand, flashes of red light glimred across his fingertips.
Since this ability wasn’t docunted in the Talent Sequences and he hadn’t tested it, he could only roughly infer its effects based on experience, suspecting it could ‘split the team and awaken frenzy.’
This ability seed to influence people’s dispositions, plunging them into a berserk state that could instantly disrupt army formations.
Additionally, He Ao noticed that this power felt sowhat similar to the Chaos Magic Wand.
This led him to suspect that the ability might even affect corpses.
If it could resurrect the dead similar to a ‘Chaotic Soul,’ could these revived ‘dead’ also be influenced by the Collaborator’s effect?
For a brief mont, He Ao thought of his ideas as ‘bold.’
He looked at the golden-red glow hidden in his flesh.
Initially, he believed that the conflicting Divine pollution would primarily impact his soul, affecting his promotion, just like the pollution he’d encountered previously.
Based on his earlier experiences, he assud he’d be able to resist the effects of this level of pollution, which was why he dared to consu the Secret dicine he’d prepared.
However, the ultimate outco was that these two opposing forces rely impacted his soul initially. Afterward, they began digesting the Secret dicine, ripping through his flesh, intertwining with the Talent Sequences.
The result was this: chaotic and orderly powers simultaneously integrating into his Talent Sequences.
The power of order served as the backbone, upholding an intangible ‘frawork,’ preventing He Ao’s body from collapsing.
anwhile, chaos acted like ‘branches,’ continuously hamring against the frawork ford by the orderly power.
Overall, the orderly power was stronger than chaotic power, which allowed the foundational transcendent structure to persist.
Still, the chaotic force kept gnawing at He Ao’s spirit and flesh, gradually draining his life like sand slipping through an hourglass.
This ‘mutated’ Talent Sequence was far stronger than regular ones but inflicted correspondingly higher harm, beginning the countdown to death the mont of promotion.
He Ao coughed softly, slowly settling into a nearby pilot seat.
The icy shuttle was skimming swiftly through the vast endless plains at low altitude.
The sun, hanging high in the Firmant above, was gradually sinking, and dusk had unknowingly arrived.
He Ao’s gaze lifted, watching the vast plains bathed in the glow of the setting sun. He stretched out his hand, taking another look at his palm.
With his Mysticism Knowledge, he’d never heard of Talent Sequences being ‘mutated,’ let alone disorderly forces rging into the orderly path’s Talent Sequences.
Judging by the two gazes suspected to belong to Divine Beings during his promotion — whether they’d truly noticed him remained uncertain — perhaps even to them, this wasn’t a ‘common’ event.
The occurrence of such a situation surely demanded a series of ‘coincidences.’
He Ao wondered whether he harbored so unique trait or if it had resulted from substituting Eternal Tree’s Tree Heart for River of Eternal Flow’s water.
Staring at his palm, he suddenly recalled Levi’s words to him.
“Accepting fate’s gifts also ans being entangled in greater troubles by fate.”
He wondered if this ‘mutation’ counted as ‘fate’s trouble.’
He Ao lowered his head to glance at the simulated map before him.
A majestic three-dinsional representation of a city gradually surfaced on the map.
Eve was currently piloting the aircraft, cruising along a designated flight route.
He was getting closer and closer to the city marked on the map.
—
Night had fallen, and dazzling lights ignited within towering walls, illuminating the entire city in splendor.
Day seed never to have departed, rely resting on the ground, transforming into light that lit up the Federation’s grandest nocturnal tropolis.
In this glow, so weary individuals slipped into slumber, while others, awakening, stepped out of their rooms, embarking on a new night of sleepless activity.
Beyond this glorious city, on the vast plains, a well-equipped army slowly erged from the distant horizon.
In neat, ordered formations, they ca to a halt before the towering city walls.
“Any word from the other ‘friendly troops’?”
A voice sounded in the darkness.
“The southern exploration squad hasn’t returned yet, but the western squad made it back. According to them, the western rcenary Corps army is being blocked by another army in a valley, which appears to be Yilan City’s City Defense Army,”
another voice answered from the shadows.
“City Defense Army?”
The questioning voice sounded puzzled, “Yilan City’s City Defense Army dares to leave their city?”
Then his voice paused for a mont,
“Looks like ‘Levi’ allowed this ‘operation.’ Interesting. That Old Geezer, who hadn’t stepped out of Yilan City for hundreds of years, who I thought would stay holed up, buried in ancient Mysticism books, actually decided to intervene in Federation affairs.
“It seems the previous incident left quite a mark on him.”
The night fell into a montary silence, as no one dared to respond or comnt.
After a brief pause, the questioning voice spoke again, softly asking, “What about the north? Any news from the north? We haven’t encountered any Star Cluster Pharmaceutical rcenary Corps soldiers along the way?”
“The north hasn’t…”
A voice sounded, only to be interrupted by another rapid reply.
“The exploration squad that went north has returned,”
This new voice carried urgency, quickly continuing, “The squad followed the planned route all the way to the Northern Gate and discovered that troops had already stationed there.”
“Whose troops?”
The question ca swiftly.
“Minte City’s City Defense Army’s,”
the rapid voice replied.
“Minte City?”
The questioning voice hesitated, seemingly recalling sothing, then asked after a mont, “That fortress city near the Northern Gate. I rember West Steel and Note Intelligence were responsible for occupying it, right? Did they assimilate the City Defense Army?”
“No, no,”
The answering voice hastily clarified, “According to the exploration squad’s report, the main forces of the two major factions’ rcenary corps seem to have been defeated. After surrendering, the remnants stationed themselves outside the city.”
“What did you say? If I rember correctly, doesn’t West Steel have a Demon Wolf?”
The tone of the questioning voice rose slightly, tinged with incredulity, “Two main rcenary corps, plus a Demon Wolf, failed to conquer a city whose na can barely be rembered?”
The sound of soone swallowing nervously echoed through the darkness.
Then ca a trembling response, “Yes, yes, that’s right.”
“What about the Star Cluster Pharmaceutical rcenary Corps?”
The questioning voice turned authoritative again, asking sharply, “The Star Cluster Pharmaceutical rcenary Corps’ alliance was blocked by so half-baked City Defense Army at the Northern Gate? Even with terrain disadvantages, they should have stord through the defenses with sheer numbers, shouldn’t they? Are Wistain and Dailot both useless?”
An oppressive silence enveloped the dim night for a fleeting mont.
“The exploration squad reports that,”
The trembling voice finally broke the eerie silence, “Traces of battle were found outside the Northern Gate. It seems the Star Cluster Pharmaceutical rcenary Corps’ offensive has ended—they appear to have… failed…”
“You’re saying that an alliance led by two B-level individuals, with the Star Cluster Pharmaceutical rcenary Corps as the main force, supported by two regular rcenary corps, was defeated by a bunch of half-trained defenders at the Northern Gate?”
The voice fell quiet, heavily repressing sothing as it spoke in a low tone, “Did that squad cross the Northern Gate to investigate further?”
“No,”
The reporting voice replied shakily, “The exploration squad was almost discovered by the defenders when approaching. To avoid exposure, they didn’t delve deeper.”
*Hoo—*
A long inhaling sound echoed through the still air.
Soon, the questioning voice, now cold and asured, spoke, “They made the right choice. The city’s communications network is faster than our marching pace. By the ti they reached the Northern Gate, we were still on our way. Exposure would have been disastrous.”
The tense atmosphere in the shadow eased sowhat.
“Understood,”
The report giver spoke with relief.
“No word from the south yet?”
The questioning voice inquired again.
“None,”
A hesitant voice replied, “Based on what happened in the north and west, the south likely hasn’t gone well either…”
“So effectively, of the four allied armies expected to arrive, only ours has made it? Because we took the riskiest Storm Corridor route, with confidential marching orders that other armies couldn’t know?”
The questioning voice let out a cold laugh, “It seems this so-called alliance isn’t reliable. If no one leaked information, would the other three armies have been intercepted so precisely?”
“What should we do now, sir?”
A voice from the darkness interjected suddenly.
“Stick to the plan. Play to the consortium’s strengths and connect with our friends inside the city,”
The questioning voice replied calmly, “Even if we’re alone, everything remains doable. Issue the command to the entire army—prepare to lay siege!”
“Understood!”
Energetic and united responses echoed through the darkness.
—
Dawn City · South City
The light from a bright desk lamp illuminated the chiselled, resolute face of a man.
Holding a paperback book, he slowly flipped through its pages, reading in detail.
*Knock, knock, knock —*
A clear tapping sound ca from outside the door.
“Co in.”
The man spoke slowly.
The office door creaked open. A young orderly, no older than twenty, glanced at the lamp-lit figure, saluted, and quickly said,
“General, we’ve received intelligence from the wilderness scouts that requires your imdiate attention.”
He held out a tablet toward the man.
“Alright, let see it.”
The man extended his hand, signalling the orderly to hand over the device.
The orderly quickly stepped forward, handing the tablet to the man.
At the very instant the man grabbed the tablet, a red blade suddenly lunged toward his neck.
In one swift move, the man gripped the tablet, sidestepped, and evaded the strike.
The red light grazed his cheek, leaving a cut on his left face.
The young orderly, missing his target, clenched the crimson blade tightly and roared, charging at the man. Spotting the bulge on the orderly’s chest, the man didn’t hesitate, rolling away and darting toward the door.
*Boom—*
A powerful explosion erupted within the office, engulfing the room with flas and shockwaves that shoved the man against a nearby wall.
“General! General!”
Monts after the explosion, the guards stationed on either side rushed toward the centre.
“I’m fine. Still alive. Just an assassination,”
The man rose, moved to the doorway, wiped the blood from his face, and studied his hand, “The blade was poisoned, but it’s not a problem. I’ve sealed off the affected blood flow. Summon a doctor.”
“Understood,”
One of the guards promptly responded and raced toward the other direction.
“Sha about the book collection I’ve accumulated over ti,”
The man turned his head toward the office, now reduced to flas and debris. He then turned toward a nearby guard, “Send word and inquire about the twenty targets we’re tracking. What are their movents?”
“Understood!”
The guard swiftly nodded, raising his communicator.
Soon, he seed to receive a reply, looked up, and addressed the man, “They’re either in their respective army camps or are en route.”
“Good, then make sure those who haven’t arrived never do,”
The man straightened, “As for the rest, summon nearby troops and neutralise them before they act.”
He turned his gaze toward the radio guard, “Also, send a ssage to the Glorious Palace, informing them that a small rebellion has occurred in the South City. It was anticipated, and we’ll suppress it within half an hour. Assure them there’s no need to worry.”
“Understood!”
The guard nodded firmly.
“Damned rats—never the slightest shred of fair play, always resorting to underhanded tactics,”
The man wiped the blood off his face, focused on the tablet in his hand, and unlocked it.
A single piece of intelligence appeared within his field of view.
[A rcenary corps has been detected speeding across the wilderness toward the South City, suspected to be affiliated with the Nolanka Group.]
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