Chapter 1002

"..."

The chamber was left in a state of utter disarray and confusion as everyone stared at the exact void where Vince had stood just moments prior.

The room had fallen into a heavy, suffocating silence, the air still thick with the residue of dark, metallic energy.

No one spoke a word as they meticulously processed every revelation Vince had laid bare.

Three individuals, however, were shaken to their very cores by his scathing words.

Amir sat in his chair dejectedly, his posture collapsing as his head dropped into his trembling hands.

He reflected on every taunt his son had thrown at him, the words stinging like salt in an open wound.

’A failure. A failure of a father is who I am. I couldn’t show up for my child when he needed me the most. I was just so preoccupied with my duties as a Captain and the Vice Principal of the academy. I... I didn’t give my children the attention they truly deserved.’

Amir’s jaws tightened as a surge of internal fury threatened to overwhelm him.

’... I lost two children to the Otherworlders. Aaaaaargh! They will pay! Every single one of them will pay for what they have done! I will get my Vince back, no matter the cost!’

Scarlet was still staring blankly at the spot where Vince had stood when he had spat that insult at her.

’Wow, Vince. This is truly what you thought of me?’ Her hands curled into white-knuckled fists as she glared at the empty space as if she were looking directly into his mocking eyes.

’... Years of shared friendship mean absolutely nothing to you? You dare spit on the faces of your allies because of what? Power? You will pay! When I finally get my hands on you, I will bash your face in a hundred times, you bastard!’

Grey’s gaze dropped to the scarred surface of the table in genuine bewilderment.

He was reeling in disbelief over one specific detail that didn’t add up.

’How do the Otherworlders even know the date of my birthday? I never revealed it to anyone during my entire tenure at this academy. Even Amir remained ignorant of my birth date since I left that field blank on my records. If Vince didn’t know, he couldn’t have informed them. So how do they possess this knowledge?’

His mind churned repeatedly as he sifted through every possibility, but no logical explanation surfaced.

The silence was finally fractured when Kael decided to speak.

"Sigh... So what is our next move? We are technically fortunate that we no longer have to scout for their location. They have chosen to come to us directly, and they even provided a deadline. So, what do we do?"

"...."

Grey snapped out of his internal spiral as he lifted his gaze toward Kael.

"We prepare. We prepare harder than we ever have before."

Looking back at the Captain, who was still wallowing in self-pity, Grey stepped closer and placed a firm, grounding hand on his shoulder.

"Now is not the time for this, Captain. We haven’t lost this engagement yet. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not giving up on Vince.

I will make sure I bring him back to his senses, no matter what it takes. But I need you. I need Captain Amir back on the front lines with me! I’m not as brilliant as everyone gives me credit for."

Grey paused, his eyes reflecting a grim determination.

"I work best on the battlefield, in the heat of the fray. But this war might not be won through brute force alone; I need your strategic mind. Help me, Captain."

"...."

Reaching out, Amir sniffled slightly and placed his hand over Grey’s on his shoulder.

He took a moment, eyes closed, drawing in a deep, lung-expanding breath before exhaling slowly through his mouth.

He rose to his feet, the slump in his shoulders disappearing as his resolve returned.

All tension left his body immediately.

His eyes snapped open with quiet, cold determination.

Amir’s posture straightened as he looked around the room with the sharp, focused gaze of a man used to commanding thousands in the heat of war.

"So tell us, Captain, how do we prepare for this threat?" Grey asked, taking a respectful step aside to give him the floor.

Scanning the room once more, Amir’s voice boomed with authority.

"Search the room immediately!"

"Huh?"

Everyone blinked in confusion.

Kael looked at the Captain for a few seconds, struggling to process the abrupt order.

Why search the room? What were they even hunting for?

A few heartbeats later, it clicked in Kael’s mind.

"Bugs! Search the room for any spying spells that the enemy might have planted to eavesdrop on our strategy!"

Hearing the command, everyone scrambled into action, turning the chamber upside down in search of any traces of residual mana or hidden artifacts.

Five minutes later, they found nothing.

"Arthur, barrier!" Grey commanded this time.

The mage moved to the center of the room while the others gathered closely.

Soon, a shimmering, opaque barrier enveloped them.

"This should keep out any prying ears," Arthur stated firmly.

Amir nodded, his eyes sweeping over the group before he began.

"We have the intel and the date. Three months from now, a full-blown assault is heading our way. We have already tasted the Otherworlders’ might when they invaded a few months back.

We—we lost a lot of people we cared about in that strike. And that wasn’t even their full strength. That was just a fraction. Now, they threaten us with their entire arsenal."

"..."

Amir inhaled deeply, then continued:

"Grey, you said you are the head of an entire faction in the warrior world?"

"Yes."

"Can you pull all your allies and men to this realm in two months?"

Grey considered the logistics for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"Even in three months, I can’t."

Amir lifted a brow in surprise. "Why?"

"My Spatial magic. Crossing between worlds requires an immense amount of mana. Even then, I don’t fully bridge the gap into our world before my reserves are depleted. After leaving the warrior world, I have to make a stop on the Dwarf continent to replenish my energy before returning here."

Grey paused for a moment before adding,

"And that’s just for me alone. Imagine trying to transport hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Even bringing a thousand, one at a time, would take far too long."

Greg’s eyes twinkled with sudden curiosity.

"Wait. Did you just say ’Dwarf Continent’? Dwarves are real?!"

Grey nodded.

"Yes. I met one long before I was admitted into this academy. But unfortunately, that world is empty. The Otherworlders attacked it decades ago. Only a single Dwarf is left occupying the entire place."

Amir clicked his fingers as a plan formed.

"This could work."

"What could?"

"Instead of moving them all directly to our world, drop them off on the Dwarf continent. Gather them all in one staging area so it will be easier to transport them when we need them. Your mana won’t be completely drained when traversing them from the Dwarf world to here, right?"

Grey thought for a few seconds.

His mind replayed the scenario, calculating the distances and mana consumption, and a slow grin spread across his face.

"This would work."

"What about the rest of us?"