System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 830: Chapter 830: Shadows upon the Crown

The three necrotic generals remained kneeling in midair, their eyes glowing with a faint spectral fire and their voices echoing like a hollow cadence.

Ethan hovered downward, coming to a halt directly in front of the captured vanguard’s leader.

”Answer me,” commanded Ethan in a cold tone. ”Who provided you with the exact coordinates of my deployment? How did you take this fortress without raising suspicions in the imperial capital?”

The shadow general bowed his head, utterly subjugated by the absolute will of the Orb of Death.

”It was... a direct order originating from the highest command center of the Golden Dragon Empire itself,” answered the shadow in a ghostlike thread of a voice. ”The access keys to this base’s defensive arrays were handed to us two weeks ago. The order was to covertly assume control, eliminate the garrison, and lay a trap of absolute annihilation for the incoming fleet.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes, feeling a chill run down his spine.

”Who handed you that information and those access keys?” demanded Ethan, tightening his fist.

”The Supreme Executor...”, whispered the fallen general. ”Vorian. He is the liaison with our high command. Vorian surrendered the western sector to the Divine Wind Empire to guarantee your death in this ambush.”

The words landed like a sledgehammer. Atop the ramparts, Vaelen—who had arrived after witnessing the battle’s conclusion—stood petrified.

”Impossible!” gasped Vaelen, his face pale. ”Vorian is Her Majesty’s right hand! He has served the empire for centuries... he cannot be a traitor!”

”It makes sense,” Ethan muttered, a dangerous smirk forming across his face. ”The Emperor said he dispatched Vorian in person to the Phoenix Empire to ensure the search for my family. If Vorian is the traitor, he didn’t go to search for my people to protect them... he went to intercept them before they reach me.”

Vaelen swallowed hard, trying to digest the magnitude of the betrayal, and looked at Ethan with concern.

”What should we do now?” asked Vaelen in a low voice.

”Send a few ships back to alert the Emperor,” commanded Ethan, thinking coldly. ”Send one group back along the route we came, and another along a different route, just in case.”

”Understood immediately,” replied Vaelen, preparing to issue the orders.

”Wait, Vaelen,” Ethan stopped him before he could turn away. ”How far is the Phoenix Empire from this position?”

”Not too far,” explained Vaelen, pointing toward the northwestern horizon. ”The Phoenix Empire shares borders with both the Divine Wind Empire and the Golden Dragon Empire, but it lies across the sea. To reach it without using the imperial teleportation arrays—which are almost certainly monitored—we would have to cross the ocean. However, along the way, we would pass through the Merfolk Kingdom. They are an independent force that maintains a non-aggression treaty with all three empires and fiercely guards their waters. If we attempt to cross their territory without permission, their forces will shoot us down instantly.”

”So what would be the least dangerous or most viable path to get there?” questioned Ethan, narrowing his eyes.

”If we cannot return directly to the heart of the empire—because if Vorian dared to do this, the conspiracy must run deeper than we think—our best option would be to advance through the Divine Wind Empire,” suggested Vaelen with resolve. ”We could force our way through, crush their defense lines, and capture one of their main spatial portals to jump directly into the Phoenix Empire.”

Ethan looked at the captured warships and his newly raised undead host, an icy smirk forming across his face.

”Then it is settled,” declared Ethan. ”The Divine Wind Empire shall serve as our stepping stone.”

”Prepare everything to send men back to the Emperor,” instructed Ethan. ”I will think about how we should proceed from here.”

”Understood, General. I will prepare the ships and reports immediately,” replied Vaelen before turning on his heel and walking toward the command bay.

Ethan remained alone on the rampart terrace, gazing out at the Great Desert. In his mind, he established contact with his artificial assistant:

”Crul, how do you think we should proceed?”

Crul’s voice echoed in his consciousness right away:

[I cannot tell you how to proceed, Master, but I will support you unconditionally in whatever you decide.]

”I want to advance straight into their empire,” muttered Ethan, narrowing his eyes toward enemy territory. ”But we will face an overwhelming amount of obstacles, and there are bound to be experts with power levels comparable to the Emperor. It will be impossible to conquer or cut through an entire empire on my own with these limited forces.”

[There is a way], interrupted Crul, projecting a three-dimensional runic schematic directly into Ethan’s field of vision. [Within the inherited knowledge of Lord Amethyst, there lies the art of Formations. Arrays can be created combining different elements, energy types, or individuals. However, there is one in particular that could be of extreme use to us: a Mobile Siege Formation using the fleet’s very ships as channel pillars.]

Ethan focused his attention as the hologram displayed the interconnected energy nodes.

[It is essentially the same principle used by the Lich with his soul pillars], continued Crul. [Except our major advantage is that this formation would be mobile. The drawback, Master, is that the vessels will act as catalysts for an absurd amount of raw energy, meaning they will likely end up destroyed after the first few intense battles.]

”Any other option?” asked Ethan, analyzing the array’s projection.

[We could send fake messages or distress signals to the Divine Wind Empire to lure portions of their army to this position, kill them, and empower you by devouring them until you reach sufficient strength], explained Crul in a neutral voice. [However, this strategy will only work a couple of times before they realize it is a trap.]

Ethan remained silent for a few moments, pondering the options before making a decision.

”Try sending one last message,” declared Ethan, adjusting his robe as he stared out over the desert dunes. ”If we cannot establish contact with our forces or receive a reliable response from the Emperor, we will advance without hesitation into the territory of the Divine Wind Empire.”