Chapter 1009

TWO MONTHS LATER!

Days and weeks blurred past until only a single month remained before the grand war was set to commence.

During this intense period, Grey had successfully managed to transport his entire legion from the Dawn faction over to Bronzeland.

His primary allies—including Thalos, Leo, Gunther, Mada, Rivock, Fenrir, Alba, Lilly, and Killian—were moved alongside the forces, and they had all managed to settle into the rugged terrain of Bronzeland quite comfortably.

Sera, Noelle, and the remaining members of the Crimson Lotus Clan had been instructed to stay behind with the remnant Dawn forces to maintain order and oversee the faction.

According to the reasoning provided by Grey and Leo, it would have been unwise for everyone to suddenly abandon their stronghold.

They needed a secure place to retreat to once the dust settled. After all, who knew?

Arondale could very well fall during the catastrophic clash.

Knowing how rapidly news traveled, Leo felt that their collective absence might spark fresh conflicts from rival clans, who would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to launch an offensive.

They required formidable members to defend the faction from such external threats.

Dame had desperately wanted to accompany them.

He tried his absolute best to convince the Supreme Magus, but Grey refused, stating firmly that he did not want to witness another person he cared about losing their life.

Instead, he asked Dame to remain behind with Sera, telling him that if he truly wished to help, he should safeguard the faction until his return.

Transporting over four hundred thousand men to Bronzeland was no simple feat; the monumental task required a month and a half of constant effort to complete.

Despite the exhaustion, the Dawn forces had already integrated into their new environment.

Amir and Leo had been frequently utilizing the communication orb to discuss various military strategies.

The two men synced remarkably well, perhaps because both had served as vice principals of their respective world academies.

Or perhaps it was simply because they were cut from the same cloth.

Grey often viewed them as two sides of the same coin.

Their battle intelligence and ability to coordinate large groups of men were nearly identical.

The orb allowed them to strategize and plan intricate team formations with ease.

As for the warrior mage himself, he remained largely uninterested in the administrative side of things.

The tension in Bronzeland was palpable and thick, the looming threat of war hanging over their heads like a sharpened blade.

Fenrir, on the other hand, was eager to finally return to Arondale after decades of being lost in a foreign world.

He would at last be stepping back into his original realm.

Although he was returning for the purpose of war, he remained visibly excited and restless.

Since the soldiers could not remain idle for weeks on end, Randin tasked a portion of them with hunting beasts across the planet.

Bronzeland was vast, so the men were ordered to spread out, locate monsters, and bring their essence cores back to the cave.

These cores allowed Randin to craft and modify weapons, aided significantly by Grey’s expertise.

The men happily complied with the order.

Every two days, various squads would return laden with fresh cores.

While many hunted, the others were busy establishing permanent camps and building shelters for the massive army to inhabit.

The Supreme Magus had not even found the time to return to Arondale yet.

Though he maintained regular communication with his friends on the other side, he was far too occupied to leave his post.

His schedule was packed, ranging from refining thousands of medicinal pills for the upcoming battle to assisting Randin in the arduous weapon creation process.

Since not all beasts possessed innate magical affinities, Grey would often intervene by infusing the weapons with his own elemental power.

Alternatively, he would modify the armaments using his extensive knowledge of ancient runes.

Though the process demanded immense time and mental effort, his successful attempts far outweighed his failures.

However, not every soldier would receive these specialized weapons, as raw resources remained limited.

Only those deemed strong enough were selected to wield the new gear.

Generally, Stage Four warriors and above were prioritized for the armaments, and even then, the supply could not meet the total demand.

The others contributed in whatever small ways they could.

Meanwhile, back in Arondale, Kael had already met with his father, the Emperor.

Julius had agreed to open the imperial vault after Kael explained the magnitude of the coming storm.

Julius had even expressed a desire to join the fray despite his lingering physical condition, but Kael had vehemently refused to allow it.

He got the artifact they needed and delivered it to Amir, who immediately entrusted it to Sol, Arthur, and Vanica.

Their mission was to position it perfectly so the faction would be alerted the very second the Otherworlders arrived.

Grey’s allies were busy pouring their absolute all into training.

Every single one of them was honing their skills and pushing themselves to the brink, desperate to manifest a domain before time ran out.

Though visible progress was being made, it still felt insufficient as the shadow of war steadily lengthened.

Alas! After the first month of grueling instruction, Scarlet, Greg, Max, and Dante had finally managed to manifest their domains.

It was a monumental achievement that spurred the others to strive even harder.

However, the victory was only partial; the main issue now lay in stabilizing those fields and ensuring they could be maintained for more than a few fleeting minutes.

That proved to be the most grueling challenge yet.

Amir, for his part, didn’t sit on his hands.

He received several potent artifacts from Kael that would undoubtedly prove useful and began placing them strategically across the landscape.

Simultaneously, he started mobilizing the army, drawing the ranks closer to his position so they would be ready when the hour struck.

The Emperor had even dispatched his personal guards and the elite soldiers stationed at the capital down to Amir.

If Julius couldn’t directly participate in the fray, he would contribute every resource he had.

Anything to attain victory.

After crafting more than a million pills—his highest production count ever—Grey split the massive haul in half.

He gave approximately seven hundred thousand to Leo to distribute among the warriors, ensuring they had their supplies held in reserve.

The remainder was earmarked for Arondale.

Leaving Bronzeland behind, Grey manifested within the Lunaria base.

He delivered the medicinal cache directly to Amir, who wasted no time beginning the distribution process.

Meanwhile, Grey set about sorting through the final tasks he had left in this realm.

As he observed how tirelessly everyone was working, he couldn’t help but feel a sharp pang in his chest.

He headed toward his room to rest for the first time in weeks, but sleep didn’t come easily.

A recurring thought haunted his mind as he pictured the warriors on Bronzeland and his companions here.

He knew the reality of the coming storm: this could very well be the last time he would ever see them all together.