Chapter 345: Before The Storm
In Darkness City, all the high-ranking members of the Chaos Federation, including Nancilia, were gathered.
Han Kexin asked, "According to the city lord's prediction, the enemy is going to launch a surprise attack from the west, through the direction of the Sunset Empire. How are our defensive preparations?"
Nancilia immediately stood up and said, "Rest assured, Vice City Lord. Since we received the alert, we have been preparing for battle with all our might. Grootroot has led the main force of the ents to fortify the western front, and other tribal forces have already arrived."
Han Kexin was pleased to hear this. Although Zhang Nu's ability to predict the enemy's direction, number, and identity through his time abilities was incredibly advantageous and made surprise attacks nearly impossible, it still wasn't foolproof against an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.
Han Kexin reminded them, "The enemies we face this time are exceptionally strong. We must not act recklessly. Our primary goal is to delay and wait for the city lord to complete his ascension successfully."
Hearing this, Nancilia couldn't help but ask, "Vice City Lord, our alliance is already very strong. Even if the Sunset Empire mobilizes its entire nation against us, it would be difficult to even shake us. Why are we being so cautious?"
From her perspective, they shouldn't have to trouble the Demon King for everything. Nancilia's own strength had grown significantly, and she was now nearly Level 6 legend. The vice city lord's power was even more profound, and they had the support of giants, ents, and humans. How could they possibly be threatened? Even if the Sunset Empire mobilized its entire nation, Nancilia did not believe they posed a threat.
Han Kexin said, "It seems necessary to give everyone a heads-up and make sure you all have a clear understanding of the enemy we are about to face. The Sunset Empire is not a significant threat on its own, but the enemy forces this time, while borrowing the path through the Sunset Empire, are not primarily composed of Sunset Empire troops."
Empress Ophelia of the Thunder Empire asked, "Is it the Radiant Church?"
Han Kexin nodded, "Yes, this time, the Church has mobilized its elite troops, the entire college of bishops, and various knight orders. Nearly all of them are coming, including the two living Popes. This force is no less powerful than the main army of any empire in this world. Furthermore, the Church's influence is immense, allowing them to easily call upon the armies of ten, or even dozens, of nations."
"Thus, the combined strength will be unlike anything we've faced before."
Everyone exchanged glances. Although Nancilia had a high level of intelligence, she was ultimately limited by her experience and did not fully grasp the gravity of the situation. Han Kexin decided to put it more plainly.
"According to the future seen by the city lord, the enemy forces coming to attack us include no less than three Level 7 demigods!"
These words shocked everyone. Level 7 was an unattainable realm for most. Who could have imagined that three such beings would come at once? This was a grand display of power and force.
Han Kexin said, "In addition to the legendary former Pope of the Radiant Church, there are two other Heroes whose power rivals Lucas's!"
"One of them is the Holy Dragon Hero, Wang Badao, currently ranked sixth on the Hero leaderboard, one rank higher than Lucas."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was shocked.
Han Kexin continued, "According to the information revealed by the city lord, this Holy Dragon Emperor is the ruler of the Holy Dragon Empire, an independent continent located in the ocean world outside our own. Not only does it have a population of several hundred million, but it also boasts a large number of dragon-kinds. It is said that there are nearly 100,000 true dragons, making it the known place with the highest number of dragon-kinds and dragons. The overall strength of the Holy Dragon Empire far exceeds that of most other empires."
"Upon receiving Lucas's invitation, Wang Badao not only readily accepted but also mobilized the Holy Legion. This elite unit, though not large in number, represents the most formidable fighting force in Badao's command, consisting mainly of nearly a thousand holy dragons.
"To put this in perspective, holy dragons are not ordinary dragons. Their potential even surpasses that of abyssal dragons. Although the total number is insignificant compared to other armies, their combat strength exceeds that of the Thunder Empire's entire Guardian Knight Order at its peak. Badao's power alone is terrifying enough. Adding this elite force, it undoubtedly possesses the strength to annihilate nations. This shows how seriously he is taking this mission. After all, taking down the number one Demon King is an opportunity worth seizing for any Hero."
No wonder.
Nancilia finally understood. Unless the Demon King himself took action, even with the Vice City Lord's abilities, it would be a nightmare to deal with this threat.
Han Kexin further detailed, "The other Hero is Mandell, an Eighteen-Winged Fallen Angel, the most talented being in the history of the fallen angel race. Mandell ranks tenth on the Hero leaderboard. Although he is slightly lower than Wang Badao and Lucas in ranking, their actual strength levels are quite similar."
"He is not only the strongest in his race but also one of the most renowned legendary figures in the outer world, serving as the supreme guardian of a certain celestial empire. Under his command is a force known as the Eternally Cursed Demon Flame Legion."
The Eternally Cursed Demon Flame Legion, abbreviated as the Demon Flame Legion, was a specialized force comprising 10,000 demon flame fallen angels, each meticulously trained and selected, with an average strength of Level 5 overlords. The Demon Flame Legion's strength rivaled that of the Holy Dragon Legion. Dealing with these two powerful beings alone would already be incredibly challenging.
Moreover, the Radiant Church would be going all out, and the forces led by the legendary Pope Lucas were bound to be even more formidable than those of the two Heroes'. Additionally, with reinforcements from dozens of other nations, including the Sunset Empire, the combined strength would be daunting.
No one thought Han Kexin was being overly cautious anymore. On the contrary, they felt immense pressure. The Chaos Forest was strong, but could it really withstand such an overwhelming invasion?
Seeing the apprehensive and tense expressions on everyone's faces, Han Kexin smiled and spoke in a more relaxed tone, "There's no need to worry, everyone. The city lord will emerge from his seclusion in a day or two. At that point, mere three demigods won't be an issue."
"Our most important task now is to defend the forest well during the city lord's seclusion. We must not let the enemy approach the Darkness City by even a step!"
At this moment, Marilyn, the deputy city lord of Giantree City, spoke up, "But, Vice City Lord, the enemy's lineup this time is incredibly terrifying. Although we have many powerful warriors, it won't be easy to hold off so many elite troops and powerful individuals on our own!"
Without a doubt, the three demigods would definitely be a formidable issue, even without considering the numerous Level 6 mythic and monarch units and the various super legions. This was far stronger than the forces they faced when invading the empire.
Han Kexin said, "I didn't have absolute confidence in minimizing our losses before. But now, if everything goes as planned, we can significantly reduce our casualties and even achieve our goals with minimal losses."
Her words surprised everyone. Given the enemy's overwhelming advantage in troops and strength, it seemed unlikely that the Chaos Forest could hold its ground, let alone achieve victory.
Han Kexin continued, "Before the city lord went into seclusion, he entrusted me with some crucial items. With these, the enemy won't be able to breach our defenses."
Han Kexin's plan was straightforward. They recently acquired a Level 6 special building upgrade scroll from a treasure chest, which was too valuable to waste. Although Darkness City had many auxiliary buildings, some even at Level 6, the most worthy of upgrading was the World Tree in Giantree City. Han Kexin had already checked the upgrade requirements. It needed a staggering 10 billion gold and millions of gemstone materials. The cost was extremely high, almost absurd, but the city's finances could handle it.
If the Level 6 World Tree were upgraded further, what kind of existence would it become?
......
Shortly after, the two demigod Heroes arrived above the Chaos Forest.
"The entire Chaos Forest is shrouded in an enormous barrier. Its size and strength are unparalleled," Mandell said. "As expected of the number one Demon King Zhang Nu. Such a massive barrier is something I've never seen before, but believing it can stop us is too naive."
Just as they were about to act, something astonishing happened. From the depths of the Chaos Forest, an unimaginable power erupted, causing the entire barrier enveloping the forest to undergo a monumental transformation!