Chapter 93: Tense Situation (16)

“—!”

*Clang—clink clink clink clink—!*

Sharp sword light and scarlet fire shadows clashed frantically beneath the dim sky.

The long fingernails of the Vampires, sharp enough to tear through steel, collided violently with the forged iron longswords of the humans.

The piercing sound of metal striking metal rang out incessantly.

The Total War between the Vampires and humans had finally been ignited at this moment.

In a mere half a day, the vast battlefield was already littered with corpses and rivers of blood.

The pungent scent of gore permeated every inch of the air, sending shivers down one’s spine.

The Generals of the Vampires followed their orders, launching a surprise attack exactly on time.

They executed a Blitzkrieg, attempting to crush the human defenses in one fell swoop with the momentum of a thunderbolt.

However, no one expected that the humans would be so well-prepared, having laid down layers of defense as if they had anticipated this.

This battle was destined to be a brutal fight to the death.

Deep within the Imperial Palace of the Human Empire.

*Clatter, clatter, clatter—!*

The sound of a galloping horse’s hooves approached from the distance, carrying a sense of desperate urgency and panic.

The messenger used every ounce of his strength to leap from his horse’s back.

He stumbled, nearly falling to the ground, but he didn’t even stop to brush the dust from his clothes.

His only focus was to deliver the intelligence from the front lines into the Imperial Palace at the highest speed possible.

“Report—!”

An urgent shout echoed through the great hall as the messenger rushed inside, panting for breath.

*Thump!*

He knelt on the ground, holding the parchment report—which still smelled of gunpowder—high above his head with both hands.

His posture was respectful yet terrified.

Upon the high throne, the King of Humans sat within his majestic seat.

His expression was steady, and his gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, radiating an inviolable dignity.

“Sok.”

The King spoke calmly.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

“Present,” Sok replied, standing tall and waiting for his orders.

Sok immediately stepped forward and took the heavy intelligence from the messenger’s hands.

He glanced down at it before speaking softly to the messenger still kneeling on the floor.

“You have worked hard. Go and rest for a moment. I will need you to carry the Imperial Decree back to the front lines shortly.”

“Understood!”

The messenger responded respectfully and quickly withdrew.

“Sok,” the King called out again.

“Majesty, the contents of the letter are exactly as you predicted,” Sok said in a calm tone.

‘The Vampires finally couldn’t restrain themselves and have officially launched a Total War against us.’

“Mm.”

The King nodded slightly, his eyes deep.

“Send the order. Tell all the generals on the front line that if the First Line of Defense is breached, they are to strictly implement the Defense in Depth strategy. There must be no mistakes.”

“Understood. I shall reply immediately!”

“Thank you for your hard work, Sok.”

“Sharing Your Majesty’s burdens is my duty.”

After several months of seamless cooperation, Sok and the King had already formed a level of trust and understanding that others could hardly match.

Both were meticulous planners and strategists.

Since they could see through each other’s styles, their communication was naturally concise and clear, without a single wasted word.

“By the way,” the King added suddenly, his tone frighteningly flat, “those old fossils in the Senate can be dealt with now.”

Sok’s eyes flickered, but he showed no surprise.

“Understood. Under what pretext?”

“Say they were assassinated by Vampire killers.”

“I understand.”

“Go.”

“I shall take my leave.”

Sok bowed and turned to exit the hall.

Within the empty throne room, the King was left sitting alone.

He tapped his finger lightly against the armrest, thinking to himself.

‘Sok… he is indeed even more useful than I imagined. He works efficiently, thinks clearly, and his execution is impeccable. It’s just a pity… he still can’t compare to Lv Huan.’

‘As expected, only people from the same hometown provide that indescribable sense of familiarity.’

At that thought, a faint smile tugged at the corner of the King’s mouth.

‘I didn’t expect him to be so clever, knowing how to protect himself by staying hidden and dulling his edge. To think I was worried about him for so long.’

‘Once I eliminate those eyesores in the Senate and deal with these overconfident Vampires, I must find a way to track him down. If I can get him to come out and help, the day of the Human Empire’s rise will surely be within reach.’

The King picked up a water cup from the table and took a shallow sip.

A profound light flickered in his eyes as he continued to calculate his grand strategy against the Vampires in his mind.

***

Meanwhile, at the Blood Tribe Camp.

“Damn it! Aren’t these humans supposed to have disorganized troops? How could they be so well-prepared!”

Baining slammed her hand onto the table, her exquisite face filled with anger and irritation.

She had expected a crushing Blitzkrieg, yet they had been repeatedly frustrated by the human defensive lines.

This was intolerable for someone as proud as her.

“Please calm yourself, Queen,” Fei Yi said, stepping forward to offer comfort in a low voice.

“In my opinion, the humans were likely already aware of our movements. They might have set a trap in advance.”

“Our surprise attack today was far less effective than expected,” Fei Yi added, her tone grave.

“Whether it is the number of enemy casualties or the land we have captured, the results are far from our initial estimates.”

Baining furrowed her brows.

‘This is going to be a problem,’ she whispered to herself.

‘The original plan was to end the war within a few months. Now, it seems that will be impossible.’

“Yes, Your Highness,” Fei Yi nodded.

“The generals at the front just sent word. They say we need to reassess the true strength of the humans and the time required for this war. Additionally… it seems we will need to request further reinforcements for our supplies.”

“More supplies?”

Baining paused, subconsciously blurting out, “Can’t the soldiers just feed on the human corpses on the ground when they’re hungry?”

Fei Yi’s expression instantly became somewhat strange.

“…Your Highness, the reports from the front say that before the battle began, the human soldiers were all given a Special Pill.”

“A pill?”

“That pill is harmless to the human body itself. However, once a soldier dies in battle, their corpse will self-destruct within a short time… leaving behind nothing but a puddle of useless plasma.”

Fei Yi’s voice grew heavier as she spoke.

“Because of this, not only have our casualties increased significantly, but even our most basic blood supply has been fatally affected.”

Baining’s pupils shrank slightly.

She never expected that those seemingly traditional humans would have such a vicious trick up their sleeves.

“Your Highness, I feel… the humans might be hiding even more trump cards that we don’t know about,” Fei Yi warned with concern.

Baining raised her hand to rub her aching temples.

She let out a deep sigh, suppressing her irritation and regaining her composure as a Queen.

“Pass down the order. Tell all the generals to reassess the battle situation immediately. They must break through the human First Line of Defense as soon as possible!”

Baining’s gaze was sharp, and her tone was firm.

“We must utilize our race’s Aerial Superiority immediately to regain the initiative in this Blitzkrieg!”

“Understood!”

Fei Yi bowed to accept the order and hurried away.

Inside the tent, Baining stood alone, staring at the darkening sky outside.

Her eyes were filled with complex emotions.

‘I only hope this war doesn’t drag on too long.’

‘And I especially hope… that person far away in the Dream Demon Capital doesn’t get swept up in these flames of war.’