In the human world, in Rody City, on a silent night, the teleportation circle in the main hall of Rody Castle shone brightly. After three months, the large-scale teleportation array, collaboratively built by dwarves, gnomes, mystical elves, and human magicians, was finally completed. This was the first magic circle on the human continent, aside from those in temples, capable of connecting to different timespaces. It was a crystallization of Rody's research and development, inspired by the numerous temporal doors in divine temples.
This large-scale teleportation array, besides absorbing elements to maintain its operation, required the consumption of ten third-tier or higher magic crystals every second during the teleportation process to tear through timespace.
Even so, if the temple's holy magicians knew about it, they would be amazed by the ultra-low consumption of Rody's timespace magic circle.
Only in the capitals of great nations, in the largest temples, do large timespace doors exist. They are usually completely closed, unable to absorb elements to maintain operations. If opened, they consume fifty third-tier or higher magic crystals per second, and for the first ten seconds, they cannot stabilize teleportation; there must be a waiting period for the timespace door to fully open. Compared to that, the large-scale teleportation array in Rody City, after shining for a second, saw people rushing out at the fastest speed.
"Quick, it's burning money, every second is a huge consumption, damn it, move aside! Move, let me out!" Teleportation through timespace causes a bit of dizziness due to the difference in timespace, severely affecting the temper of many races.
"I want to vomit!" exclaimed a lizardman from the Seven Clans' lands.
"My God, the human world is pitch black, who stepped on my foot!" a green-skinned gnome, still not adjusted, complained.
"If you chaotic city thieves dare to touch my wallet amidst this chaos, I'll chop off your claws with my axe, even if your Rody City master needs you scoundrels! Move, don't block the way!" bellowed a short-tempered dwarf warrior.
"Magicians, quick, use magic to help sustain it, reduce the consumption of magic crystals... Tommy, Terry, Stanley, hurry up and help, drive these guys away, let others rush out! Kaili, Jessie, Lopek, take these guys to the yard to gather, there are still many people behind, this place can’t hold them all!" Chris commanded from a high position, swiftly and efficiently.
"Listen, mercenaries from the Seven Clans' lands, if you want to hear a welcome speech, then go to the yard, there's wine and meat outside. Don't make a ruckus here, or you'll annoy our city master, and he’ll send you to visit our dungeon first, and I believe you won’t be interested in that!" Kaili shouted.
"This way, idiots, that’s the staircase, want to jump off the building, go that way!" Lopek yelled.
"Move, the Minotaurs are coming, if we trample you little dwarfs, it’s not our problem!" A group of Minotaurs wielding battle axes thundered out.
"Stupid big guys, don't you know there’s also the sky for flying? Oh, I forgot you big fools don’t have wings!" A team of red-winged Birdmen rushed out, holding the latest magic fire guns designed by Rody and manufactured by dwarves and gnomes, wearing triumphant expressions on their faces.
"Birdmen, move, or we’ll drain your blood!" Not only Birdmen, but also vampires could fly.
"The Frost Monster guys are here, so cold, someone take me to get warm, my blood is almost solidifying. Just now, a Frost Monster girl behind me blew a breath on me, and I’m frozen stiff!" A big-eared monster at the end of the line shivered, and Tommy kicked it flying. Behind, a group of wild boar men wielding clubs rushed out, and the temperature in the sky plummeted as the Snow Women and Wind Demons from the Frost Clan flew all over the hall.
As soon as they flew out, the mercenaries of various races in the hall dispersed like birds and beasts. These Snow Women and Wind Demons looked beautiful, but they were as terrifying as dragons or Behemoth giants. Among the monster races, they were renowned killers. It was wise to stay away from them unless one wanted to become an ice sculpture or get caught in a tornado for half an hour. Their temperament was not much better than the electric-charged Thunder Elves or the fiery Lava Giants. The only mercenaries from the Seven Clans who dared to stay close to them were the four-armed Naga sea women from the Sea Clan.
“Honorable Chris, Queen Victoria sends her greetings!” The Snow Women and Wind Demons greeted and quickly flew away from the hall.
“Our great leader Jacquelinetra also sends her respects to the noble Chris!” The Naga sea women, gracefully swimming away with their long tails, also paid a quick tribute.
“Moon God above, we are the guardians of the Moon God, the Swift Shadow Huntresses and Silver Arrow Archers.” Following them were dozens of personal guards of the Moon Night High Priestess, the elves riding shadow panthers, with huntresses in front and archers behind. They also saluted Chris and then followed the Snow Women, Wind Demons, and Naga sea women out of the hall.
Behind them were various elves and druids.
The sky was filled with fairies and mystical beings, occasionally one could see succubi and intelligent magical beasts flying out, even young dragons.
The last mercenaries to come out were the rogue gangs and thief groups from the City of Chaos. They were of various races, a motley crew, led by the boarman Earl and the minotaur Buffon, serving as Rody’s personal guards, hence placed at the end.
They differed slightly from other mercenary races. Their strength might not necessarily surpass other mercenaries, but their murderous aura and discipline were certainly second to none.
When these rogues and thieves emerged, even Tommy and his men couldn’t help but take a few extra glances, as their aura was all too familiar.
"Shut down the teleportation circle, get the dwarves and gnomes to assemble the war machines immediately. The magic airships and magic flywheels must be assembled as quickly as possible, meanwhile, let those guys check their weapons and equipment. If they have beast mounts, let them out to adapt. Tommy, before dawn, I want to see them all neatly lined up outside," Chris paused, then added, "Your elite squad leads the way, show these guys human strength. March quickly on the roads you opened in the Land of Evil, as fast as you can. In no more than three days, I want to hear good news from the Flick border!"
"Yes!" Tommy, Terry, and other elite squad members saluted solemnly.
Countering Flick had always been their wish.
Now, the opportunity had finally come. Not only did they have the elite squad and Rody City's secret army, but also reinforcements from the Seven Clans' lands and the rogue and thief groups from the City of Chaos. Those participating in the counterattack plan were elites meticulously selected from the Seven Clans' lands. During the three months of constructing the large-scale timespace teleportation array, they underwent strict training. These powerfully strong racial warriors, lacking only a bit of battlefield slaughter experience.
With their own strength, coupled with the training personally devised by Rody, they would become unstoppable killing machines once thrown into battle.
This time, with the support of Rody’s latest designed weapons and war machines, Tommy and his team were fully confident that the counterattack would not only reclaim Flick territory but also swallow the entire Great Frey, including the alliance supporting it from behind, burying them all in the Silent Forest.
…
The counterattack plan had been scrutinized hundreds of times and practiced over ten times; Chris was not at all worried about any accidents.
Tommy, Kaili, Stanley, and others are battle-hardened warriors. They had already accumulated rich combat experience following Rody in the Evil Forest, battling orcs and demon races. In recent years, apart from studying and teaching at Rody Academy in Camalon, they also trained day and night. Ever since the formation of the secret mercenary corps, they have been honing their skills in the Evil Forest without a day's rest.
Chris, in Rody City, mostly dealt with commerce and politics, leaving combat matters to the elite squad.
As for the warriors from the Seven Clans' lands, Chris was even more confident. Though these guys might not look likable, each of them possessed extraordinary strength. After racial combinations and mutual enhancements, they were like born killing machines. Chris believed that not just human armies, but even demon and orc races would suffer a crushing defeat against the Seven Clans' warriors in a ground and aerial combined assault.
Not to mention the powerful races like Snow Women and Wind Demons in the sky, even the combination of Birdmen armed with magic fire guns and Minotaurs was invincible.
Gnomes piloting magic airships and magic flywheels, carrying elven huntresses and archers, could attack and chase at any time, making them a despairing prospect for human cavalry. In short distances, the huntresses' shadow panthers could make any fugitives cry, while cavalry, facing the hovering magic flywheels, could only look up and lament in vain as elven archers drenched them with a rain of arrows, leaving surrender as the only option.
Regarding naval battles, Chris couldn't think of any race that could defeat the Naga sea women.
In the night, vampires and undead knights, those of the undead race, owned the darkness.
During the day, Rody's personal guard from the City of Chaos, those shameless rogue thieves, would infuriate all enemies. They were naturally evil, excelling at mischief.
Watching the magicians close the teleportation circle, Chris sealed the side hall's door with a magic array and slowly ascended the stairs.
Receiving the warriors from the Seven Clans was over, and now it was time to talk to some guests. These few guests had concealed themselves, flying out in the last ten seconds before the teleportation circle closed, very light, without alerting anyone, seen only by Chris. They quickly left while Chris was issuing orders to Tommy and went not to the outer courtyard to gather, but floated up the stairway to the third-floor small hall where Chris received distinguished guests.
They were indeed guests of honor but did not wish anyone else to know of their arrival, except for Chris.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Seeing Rody's dark servant 'Aika' coming up with a tray of snacks, Chris took it, saying, “You and Maigu go join the battle! If angels descend, report to me immediately. Also, tell Gagawitch to hurry up and clear out Flick's goblin race. I'm unhappy with its slowness; though that's its nature, now is the time of war, and it needs to act swiftly!”
"Yes." Aika was actually a dark servant created by Rody using the beast card Tobrapas and the evil maid Emma from those years, later fused with multiple powerful magical beasts, becoming a violent soul-devouring demon. Her appearance was not beautiful, with protruding teeth, bulging eyes, bent horns, and sharp claws, more like an orc or a demon, but her strength was not far from her husband, the Dark Gold Demon General Maigu.
She and Maigu, though not comparable to Nicholas in ability or wisdom, were far stronger and smarter than the goblin old wizard 'Gagawitch,' the dark witch. Rody had always kept her in the human world for Chris to command.
"Wherever he goes, he attracts a swarm of admirers. Why should I be the one to entertain this guy's women? I must have owed him in a past life!" Chris grumbled to herself but still carried the fruit platter and entered the room. The women inside were surprised to see Chris with the platter, unsure whether to come forward to greet her or to open their arms for a hug.
"I, I, I, I am Ye Yue..." The one speaking stammered, a high priestess of some elf tribe.
"Don't be nervous, Sister Ye Yue, I'm not a man-eating tiger. That guy is not here, let's have a good chat, sisters!" Chris smiled upon hearing this and took the initiative to hold Ye Yue's hand gently, saying warmly, "I haven't welcomed Sister Ye Yue yet! This noble queen must be Her Majesty Queen Victoria, right? It's an honor to have you here, Your Majesty. You must be Jacqueline, the great commander of the Naga tribe, right? I'm deeply grateful for the Nagas' support and your trust in us humans!"
"Actually, I just sent my personal guards here, just like Ye Yue. Sister Chris, I'll call you sister too! You can just call me Jia Bao, no need for formal titles!" A Naga royal with six jade arms, who would boldly shake a fist at Rody, seemed much more demure in front of Chris, referring to herself as a younger sister.
"Chris, it's so nice to see you, can we hug?" Queen Victoria, usually the epitome of pride, did not seem very queenly at the moment.
"My queen, of course, you're more mature than me, and closer to that guy. You should be everyone's elder sister!" Chris's tone was slightly sour, making the Ice Queen very awkward, but she still warmly embraced Chris, kissing each other's cheeks as a blessing.
"Let me introduce you... This is the mountain and forest fairy, Setis. She's a powerful magician, well-versed in enchantments and magical arrays. She has better modifications for magic flying wheels and magic airships and hopes to collaborate with you to improve and produce the second generation of these. Also, she is an expert in Augur alchemy and the principles of Augur space-time magic, and I want to ask for her help in improving the interdimensional teleportation array." Queen Victoria, unlike Ye Yue and Jia Bao, is a queen with political acumen. She wouldn't meet Chris empty-handed, but brought valuable talents that Chris and Rody urgently needed.
"Welcome, fairy Setis, your name, like the Silver-footed Goddess, is as beautiful and wise as the goddess herself!" Chris was delighted and opened her arms to hug the veiled Setis.
"I am also pleased to see you," Setis said, slightly uncomfortable with the hug but still graceful and polite.
"Everyone, please sit down. Sister Ye Yue, sit next to me!" Chris pulled the slightly uneasy Ye Yue to sit by her side, a gesture that deeply touched the priestess.
Ye Yue had thought of many possibilities back in the Seven Clans' territory. She believed Chris turning hostile was unlikely, but she was afraid of being ignored by Chris. Chris was different from Jill; they shared similar personalities, and although they didn't talk much, they got along well. Chris was Rody's right-hand, highly capable, and it would be very awkward if she deliberately neglected Ye Yue.
But to her surprise, Chris was thoughtfully caring for her like an elder sister.
Thus, Ye Yue was deeply moved.
Queen Victoria could tell she had met her match in Chris. From the moment she personally brought in the fruit platter, engaged everyone warmly in conversation, and finally sat down, drawing Ye Yue to her side, the Queen realized that Chris's significant place in Rody's heart was well-deserved. Chris truly knew how to navigate complex interpersonal relationships.
Chris seemed to adopt a close approach with Ye Yue and Jia Bao, but she was a bit guarded towards herself. It seemed that getting her to accept herself as a sister would take quite an effort. She wasn't as easy to coax as Ye Yue and Jia Bao. Queen Victoria glanced at the mountain and forest fairy, hoping she would speak up and ease the relationship between herself and Chris. But the clever fairy chose to stay out of it, keeping silent, not taking sides.
"Where's Rody? I haven't seen him in a long time!" Jia Bao, the six-armed Naga, was somewhat anxious, as she really hadn't seen Rody for a long time. Among all the women, her relationship with Rody was the shallowest. Strictly speaking, she wasn't even as close as Ye Yue, who followed Rody; she was at most just a girl with a secret crush. Of course, she wasn't too worried, because the Empress sister had told her that if humans really wanted to form a firm alliance with the sea tribe, then Rody would definitely propose to her. So, she just needed to follow the Empress's advice, come to the human world, and live with him for a while to cultivate their feelings.
"That guy is busy with a lot of things every day, he can't stay still. Yesterday he ran off to the Orcs' territory..." Chris said with a smile. "He'll be back soon, Jia Bao. Come, try some specialties from the human world. Oh, and also the fruits from the Magic Abyss."
"I also brought a lot of things, but, maybe they'd need a warehouse to be stored." In fact, not only was Jia Bao's storage ring filled with things, but everyone else was the same, Ye Yue, and Victoria all brought their items as much as possible. Especially Queen Victoria, who had already extricated herself from the City of Chaos, throwing the position of the four overlords of the City of Chaos to the Blood Wing King, Count Clark, and the Bone General for their open and secret struggles. She used not to care, but now she no longer wanted to be the overlord of thieves and robbers.
"Show them to Rody when he comes back!" Chris responded with a lovely smile.
"I know." In Jia Bao's heart, she was, of course, willing to show off her things to Rody, to let him see her intentions. Now that Chris didn't want her to take them out, she was grateful because Chris tacitly gave her the chance to show her feelings to Rody alone. In fact, some things, some items, she would prefer only Rody to see.
Upon hearing this, Queen Victoria felt that Chris really understood people's hearts. She didn't do anything, just a sentence, and she had deeply moved Jia Bao.
Indeed, this Chris was a formidable rival.
Of course, Her Majesty the Queen was also a wise person. She chose not to confront such a formidable rival like Chris. On the contrary, she tried to lower her stance to please the other party. After all, she wasn't worried, as she had already shared a bed with Rody. As long as her relationship with Chris slightly improved, she would still be the elder sister of Ye Yue and Jia Bao, still the object of everyone's envy.
...
The Orc Empire, the Lionheart Palace.
Since the day humans had faith, since angels descended on the world, since the day history began to be recorded, for thousands of years, no human had ever stepped into the palace of the Orcs. Invading the Orc Empire was a legend from thousands of years ago when humans were very powerful, with many heroes, particularly brave. But humans had never tried to attack the Orcs' palace.
Nor had any human been a guest in the Orcs' palace, unless it was to be thrown into the Orcs' cooking pot - there might have been quite a few of those.
Today, for the first time, a human entered the palace of the Orcs, and this person, whose hands had been stained with the blood of Orcs, was responsible for the deaths, direct or indirect, of tens of thousands of Orcs.
Yet, in this palace, the highest seat of power in the Orc Empire, he walked in with his head held high, receiving the salutes of the Orc guards.
This person was the miraculous boy, Rody.
"Haha, welcome, Rody, the miraculous son of humanity!" Lionheart King, a lion-like being, large and majestic, wore no crown like human kings but dressed in armor made of dragon skin, with a giant sword hanging at his waist. This lion-like ruler was very hearty; he stood up from his throne, walked forward personally, and embraced Rody tightly, who was slightly bowing to him. He then patted Rody's shoulder and laughed heartily: "I have been looking forward to this day, no, all of us Orcs have been looking forward to this day! Haha, do you know? When I heard you were coming, I ran to tell the leaders of the various tribes with my upper body bare. If it wasn't for my queen insisting that I wear this, I would have forgotten the basic manners of meeting guests!"
"Lionheart King, the mighty Sword Saint, seeing your hospitality has put me at ease," Rody also hugged the Lionheart King.
"Do you think we Orcs would harbor hatred for past defeats? A defeat is a defeat; we admit it wholeheartedly. Besides, attacking the human continent was never our true desire; it was a reluctant choice. Countless century-long wars have drained our Orcish vitality, just like the massive deaths of your human warriors. We were coerced, and you were deceived. Of course, for a clear-minded and rational person like you, those angels would not let you be. Haha, but you can be our friend!" laughed the Lionheart King heartily.
"Lionheart King, Your Majesty, this is also Rody's intention for coming," Rody nodded and smiled. "Now, it's time for us to strike back."
"Good, good, this is exactly what we Orcs have longed for. Miraculous son, do you know? I have always hoped for this. To be honest, we Orcs are not lacking in brave warriors or fierce generals, but we lack a commander with vision and strategy." The Lionheart King took Rody's hand and introduced him to the Orcish marshals and commanders on both sides.
The Orcs attached great importance to Rody's arrival; those in the palace were all marshals and generals or kings of various tribes.
Some of them had even fought against Rody in the land of evil, but now they showed no anger, greeting Rody with respect.
Apart from this miraculous boy, no one else has been able to cause such a stir in the human world and successfully dethrone the image of angels. Orcs admire strong warriors, but they actually admire wise and powerful individuals more. However, their race simply lacks such individuals, so among the strong of the Orcs, they always hoped that one day their race could produce a hero like Rody.
Behind the Orc race, there are powerful demons.
For centuries, they have been forced by demons to attack the human continent. Every hundred years, like humans, Orcs suffer severe casualties, with all their young warriors perishing in wars. Barely recovering, another century-long war would begin, never truly having a day of prosperity and rise.
Of course, the strong among the Orcs know that this is the demons suppressing their race.
But they are powerless to resist; opposing the demons is very difficult. Firstly, the Orcs have a deep-rooted fear of the demons; secondly, for centuries, the Orcs' hatred has been directed at humans, not demons. Contrarily, just as humans treat angels, among the common Orcs, the powerful demons are seen as great, the idols of the younger generation.
Generation after generation of Orc kings has wanted to break free from this situation.
Just like human kings need the coronation of the temples to ascend to the throne, the control of the demons over the Orcs has reached extreme measures.
"The human world is a bit more complex than the Orc Empire, but there are also clear-headed humans, like the hero Philek, who led the resistance against the angels. Of course, they were abandoned by the human world, but among the Orcs, all the clever races are part of the royal families of the Orcs, which is slightly better than humans. However, it's even more difficult for Orcs to break away from the demons due to their inherent disadvantages.
For example, food.
Orcs are large in size and consume a tremendous amount of food.
The terrain of the Orc Empire mainly consists of barren mountains, sandy deserts, and saline-alkali plateaus, where plants struggle to grow, and animals grow slowly. Moreover, Orcs prefer meat and overhunting has led to the extinction of many animals.
Orcs have limited knowledge and wisdom, and their farming methods and animal husbandry are inferior to humans, leading to severe food shortages.
The demons control the Orcs just by monopolizing their food supply.
Furthermore, the Orcs' military forces consist of all citizens, organized by race. The contradictions among various races are irreconcilable, creating a situation where it's impossible to unite against a common enemy. Even if the rulers above wish for reconciliation and cooperation, the Orcs don't understand how carnivorous races like hyenas, dogs, and wolves could cooperate with herbivorous races like horses, cows, and sheep.
As for powerful races like lions, tigers, and leopards, they terrify all other races. No one wants to go to battle with them, as there's a chance of being eaten by them halfway through.
Lionheart King is a rare wise ruler in Orc history. He has spent nearly a century integrating the various tribes.
For example, by marrying a princess from the tiger tribe as the queen, he united the powerful lion and tiger races, reducing the loss of elites from both races due to struggles for the throne. He has been waiting for an opportunity, like the emergence of an exceptional talent like Rody, which gave him a glimmer of hope. So, early on, when Rody was trapped in the land of evil, he had proposed that if Rody surrendered, he would be appointed as the ninth marshal of the Orcs and even offered his daughter's hand in marriage, among other conditions.
"Your Majesty, regarding the food issue, I assure you that it can be resolved. If we form an alliance, within a hundred years, humans will trade enough food, seeds, and livestock to the Orcs, and even teach them farming and breeding techniques for free," Rody went straight to the point, knowing that Orcs are direct and don't beat around the bush.
"Tell us your battle plan..." asked a leopard tribe marshal impatiently.
"It's simple. The demons are about to attack the human continent again, and I assume they have already issued a conscription order to you! Pretend to obey as usual, and come to the human continent with them. This time, with a heavy attack, the human allied forces will likely struggle to resist. You and the demons will push deep into human territory, and then retreat as usual under the intervention of the angelic army. I hope that when I give the signal, you will attack the demon army. Of course, my army will also strike at the same time. Together, we will annihilate the expeditionary demon force, and the demons preparing for reinforcements in hell will be forced to defend themselves due to the invasion of the Abyss," Rody said, keeping it simple for the Orc leaders to understand, outlining the basic plan.
"Will the Abyss invade Hell?" Lionheart King pondered for a moment, finding the idea intriguing.
"Rody, haven't you considered the angelic army? They actually have some kind of secret pact with the demons and will definitely not let us easily annihilate the demons!" A fox tribe sage, leaning on a staff, asked worriedly.
"That's simple. As long as our human armies broadcast the battle process to all of humanity, then the angelic army won't dare to assist the demons; they still need to maintain the angels' image. Of course, they have the Winged Tribe; they might send troops and monster legions for support, but my allies in the Seven Clans' territory will simultaneously harass the Winged Tribe's Sky City. The reinforcements and monster legions that come to the rescue will be completely bogged down in the land of evil. Without logistics, these guys won't last long against our relentless fatigue attacks unless they eat mud. As long as we keep a close eye on the angels not intervening, we have nothing to fear or worry about!" Rody, of course, had thought of countermeasures, otherwise, his visit to the Orc palace would be in vain.
"You have allies in the Seven Clans' territory too? The Sea Tribe? Do you have alliances with all seven clans, including the Winged People?" Lionheart King asked, somewhat astonished.
"I have a group of subordinates in the Seven Clans' territory, fallen Blood Angels, who are well-acquainted with the Winged Tribe. Although they can't take down the Sky City, the Winged Tribe will definitely not have an easy time!" Rody said with a slight smile. "Actually, I have already prepared a plan, including a magical map. As long as you follow the plan step by step, you can break free from the control of the demons. This plan benefits both of us, and the only thing left is to sign an alliance. Orcs and humans have been fighting bloodily for thousands of years; now, it's time to end it!"
The Orc leaders spent a long time looking at the battle plan and the magical map, discussing in low voices. They all felt that the plan was advantageous and harmless to the Orcs.
Now, everyone's eyes were on Lionheart King, hoping he would make a decision.
"Let me put it this way! Rody, I know your talent, and I know you won't disappoint me. There's only one thing that concerns me, your identity. You are human, and we are Orcs, understand? If you don't belong to us, then, our hearts can't be at ease! Clever Rody, if it were you, I believe it would be the same! What should we do? If you don't want to join us Orcs, we can't force you. So Rody, you need to show some sincerity. Here's my proposal: I have a daughter. Marry her and promise that the son you have with her will belong to the Orcs. When the little guy grows up, let him participate in the challenge for the throne and become the king of the Orcs. That's my condition. What do you say?"