Chapter 1073: Gathering Forces
Chapter 1073: Gathering Forces
Erik nodded. He knew June was right, but he was still worried, and most of that was for Mira, Amber, and Emily.
As the clone said, they were not to be underestimated and could be considered elite fighters back on the Mannard continent.
They were even more powerful than Van Dyke at this point, thanks to the technique he gave them.
Amber was even a member of the Red Palace, the most esteemed training organization of the whole Frant, so she knew how to fight.
And yet, the blackguards had always been, and all their technological progresses made them just more powerful.
Going to the Maynard Island, going to Mur, was no joke. Besides, he had grown so powerful, so far beyond the limits of the average human, that he sometimes found himself viewing them as fragile and in need of protection.
<I must stop thinking about them like this. I've already taught them the system's latest technique, so it's just a matter of time before they will make more neural links and grow strong enough to protect themselves against the blackguards. At least in theory.>
There was a pause, in which Erik could do nothing but think. But the young man didn't come here to talk to the Chimaeric Demons just about the blackguards. There was a more concerning matter that needed to be addressed.
Shaking off these thoughts, Erik turned his attention back to the Chimaeric Demons.
"What about the Mur continent? Have you found any information on how we might reach that place?"
The Chimaeric Demons had an idea of what they had to do to reach the place. The problem was how they had to do it. Those there couldn't help but make grim expressions as Erik asked that question.
"Swimming or flying there while shapeshifting is suicidal, since thaids from the Mur continent roam there. This time, it is not just a possibility; it is almost a certainty."
While Maynard Island was still in the human-controlled territory and was far from the influence of Mur's thaids since it was relatively far from the thaid-infested continent, being east of the accursed place, Hin's western side wasn't.
It was actually the closest land to Mur. The waters, teeming with thaids from the area, weren't even that big.
A flying thaid would reach Hin's shores in hours if nothing prevented it from coming, and that was a question in itself.
How could the blackguards stop the creatures from reaching Hin if they were so powerful?
<I don't know yet, but I'm sure I will find out once I reach it.>
However, it wasn't just from the sky that the blackguards had to fear a threat. Even the waters housed horrors that no sane human, even the most powerful one, would dare to fight.
"Suicide, you say?"
He knew that well, but hearing it from the Chimaeric Demons made his heart sink.
"I know that... It's why I asked you to find a way."
The blackguards were able to go on the Mur continent to reach that place, so it wasn't impossible. If they could, there wasn't a reason Erik and his people couldn't.
"How do the blackguards go there, then? My father said they journey there regularly, and that even he got there and returned."
"Yes, master... It's easy. Planes, as we said. It is not secret information that humanity used them the most to transport goods and troops. Flying cars were created exactly for this purpose..."
"So, what's the problem? I get we can't fly there with our own forces, and neither we can take a ship because of the sea thaids, but why can't we take a plane? We stole a ship. What can a plane be?"
"The distance between Hin and the Mur continent isn't a lot, so we definitely can steal a plane, but of course, you know better than me, it is not the best of the ideas."
Stealing a plane required a plane, and planes were currently under strict control of the blackguards. They wouldn't be able to accomplish the task if the bastards were still around, and especially so if they didn't have Hin under their control. Just to be petty, the blackguards or Hin might destroy the planes and prevent Erik from going to Mur.
"Yeah... It was just to understand what you found out."
There was an awkward silence.
"Yes... Of course, master."
The Chimaeric Demon sighed. "During our time in the city, we heard whispers of a place called the Law Gate. Ah, don't be deceived by the name, master. It is an airport, not a literal gate, a fortified one at that, and it is considered one of the most important locations the blackguards control outside of the Maynard Island."
Erik leaned forward. "Tell me more," he said.
The Chimaeric Demon nodded solemnly. His eyes met Erik's. "The Law Gate is where the blackguards send their troops all over the world," he said.
"But it's also the primary departure point for missions to the Mur continent. So, to reach the Mur continent, we simply need to get our hands on the Law Gate."
"The blackguards sure are dramatic," June said.
"Indeed, esteemed brother."
It was like Erik thought. To reach Mur, they had to take control of this place. This way, they could get the planes without risking them being destroyed. However, it also meant the list of targets increased.
Not only Erik had to attack the Maynard Island and take a hold of an entire continent. He also had to attack one of the most, if not the most, guarded places on the planet.
Erik's mind raced. The Law Gate, a heavily guarded airport that served as the blackguards' primary hub for global operations.
It was a daunting target, a fortress that he wasn't that sure he could take. After all, if Hin's troops grew so much with Erik's technique, he couldn't fathom how strong the blackguards were at this point.
It was a while since he saw one of them, but he was sure that every single one of them now had at least two brain crystal powers, and that was without counting the brain crystal equipment
that Etrium provided.
<Those mother fuckers are always around!>
But it was also their only hope to reach Mur. In the end, Erik was going to get a clearer picture of the situation once he fought against the blackguards on Maynard Island.
<No... I can't... I need to attack the places simultaneously. If the blackguards at the Law Gate learn about our attack on Maynard Island, they would for sure destroy the plane. >
The blackguards would learn that Erik was targeting them, and the most natural place to go after Maynard Island was the Mur continent.
<I can't do anything without a good army...>
For years, he did most of the stuff alone, but he still was on the Mannard continent. The Leviathan Serpent proved to him that moving alone on Mur was suicidal, even for him. Erik really needed an army, but not just because he had to traverse the sea to reach Mur, but even
to fight the blackguards.
<But what after that?>
If they could get at least one of the planes, then he might reach Mur with a small contingent of Chimaeric Demons, and there, make more. The ones staying on Hin would, for sure, send help later. But would he be able to survive until then?
<Shit... I really need to focus on the Chimaeric Demon brain crystal power. They need to mature faster, and I need to make more eggs at a faster rate.>
"We have to find a way," Erik said to the Chimaeric Demons. "I will start making eggs in earnest, and once we have enough people, we will start planning our approach. However, I think we might need to attack Maynard Island and the Law Gate at the same time. If words of our attack on their main base reach them, they might destroy the planes."
"You think they will assume we would want to reach Mur?" June asked. "Why wouldn't they? Dad said the blackguards are mostly on Mur. At this point, it would be
the most natural place to go to destroy them all."
Erik thought for a second. "Can you take care of this?" Erik asked June.
"Me? Wouldn't it be better to send just Chimaeric Demons?"
"No. I need you to do this. The Chimaeric Demons are smart, that's for sure, but their nature and their brief lives make them somewhat naïve. I need someone experienced to do this. While you attack the Law Gate, I will destroy Maynard Island. In the meantime, the Chimaeric Demons we left at the shores outpost would sneak their way into Hin's outpost, and those with the invisibility brain crystal power will leave the country to infiltrate foreign governments. For them, taking the place of their leaders will be possible, and for sure, they would do a better job than me."
June nodded. "I will find a way to grant you your wish, Master," he said. Erik turned back to the Chimaeric Demons. "Thank you for the report," he said. "Your information is a starting point. Now, we just need to make sure we will reach the end one."