Overthunder was calmly contemplating.

He had just personally fought a Peak Master Rank expert and had deeply experienced the power of such an opponent.

A Peak Master Rank was not something that could be easily dealt with or killed through sheer numbers.

If it weren't for the Mountain Shieldbearers' incredibly powerful combined defensive abilities, which barely held up against the direct attack of the Soul Force, and the hundreds of Level 6

Elemental Assassins constantly harassing and restraining the enemy in the shadows, they would never have been able to force that Peak Master Rank from Skypeak Tower to retreat.

Currently, he had around 800 Master Rank warriors under his command, and with the support of Mountain Shieldbearers, there was indeed a chance to kill a lone Peak Master Rank after a high-intensity siege, albeit at a great cost in time and mind power.

But if multiple Peak Master Ranks showed up at once...

The situation would become extremely difficult.

The seemingly remote Anubichi Mountain Range harbored far more intricate faction entanglements and dangers than they had initially anticipated.

Of course,

Overthunder was not overly concerned.

Before setting off, Emperor Aurek had personally assured him that reinforcements and resources would arrive continuously.

He immediately ordered the Mountain Shieldbearers to build a strong defense line to secure the key areas of the mine.

The Elemental Assassins, meanwhile, continued to remain hidden in the void, keeping watch for any potential threats.

Now, they only needed to wait for Rand to completely stabilize the situation on his side, after which they could send a professional mining team to extract the Energy Stones.

...

Meanwhile,

Outside Horn Mountain.

Roz, having barely escaped, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, still shaken as he glanced back at the mountain, seemingly ravaged by the fury of the gods.

His heart was still pounding wildly.

Those Imperial soldiers—how dare they raise their weapons against a Peak Master Rank!

Not only did they dare to fight, but they even withstood an attack that felt like the wrath of the heavens!

He could scarcely imagine the kind of strength and indomitable willpower required to forge such an army.

What was even more unbelievable to him was that this power came from the almost forgotten Veynar royal family!

"Lord Roz!"

A cavalry captain from Horn Dragon galloped over, his face full of urgency and solemnity.

"Bad news from Revor City—Governor Henry has been slain! You'd best not return to Revor City for now."

"What?!"

Roz's face immediately turned as pale as a ghost.

"What happened? Tell me everything!"

The cavalry captain, panting, explained.

"Not long ago, an imperial decree arrived from Eryndor City Paris. Governor Henry refused to kneel and accept it."

"As a result, a group of black-armored knights surrounded the mansion and publicly executed the entire Governor's family in the square in front of the gates!"

"Black-armored knights!"

Roz's pupils suddenly constricted, a chill running up his spine.

Banquet and the nearby officials immediately grew serious at the mention of black armor.

They were not unfamiliar with the term.

The black-armored knights were the Empire's most ruthless and unyielding assassins and enforcers, directly under the royal family.

"Who is in charge of Revor Province now?"

Banquet urgently asked.

"The imperial-appointed general—Rand, has temporarily taken the position of regent."

"He is currently cleaning up the officials within the city."

"Lord Roz, the situation is becoming clearer,"

Banquet turned to the solemn-faced Roz, despite sensing his foul mood, and said,

"Grand Duke Sentino will never give up on controlling Revor Province. Once we regain control, you will be the new regent."

"I will immediately report this to the Duke once I return."

Roz merely gave a reluctant nod.

Such empty promises were not something he would easily trust.

In the power and interests game, he was just a pawn to be discarded at any moment.

However, he could not return to the provincial capital.

With Rand in charge, holding the imperial authority and those terrifying black-armored knights, returning would be like walking into a trap.

His only hope now lay in the Anubichi Mountain Range.

The vast forces of the Morningstar Order and Violet Rose Institute would never simply give up on the Energy Stone mine.

This time, they hadn't anticipated the Empire's power coming here, so they hadn't brought their true strength.

But next time, they would surely retaliate with thunderous force!

All he needed to do was wait, wait for the moment when the various factions would join forces and show their fangs to the Empire!

...

Morningstar Order.

A figure rushed toward the towering Morningstar Temple.

The messenger stumbled into the hall, reporting everything that had transpired at Horn Mountain.

"What?!"

"A legion capable of confronting a Peak Master Rank?"

"A force from Eryndor City Paris?"

The elders sitting on their high-backed stone chairs in the Morningstar Temple could not remain calm, letting out incredulous exclamations.

The leader, Ross, had a grim expression, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, biting light.

An elderly man, his hair and beard white, suppressed his internal shock, trying to regain composure, and speculated,

"There were rumors before that Eryndor City had secretly trained a powerful armed force, even bloodily purging the Truva region and the Holy Sword Alliance… Could this be the one?"

"It's likely!"

Another aged elder hoarsely added,

"They have hundreds of Master Rank warriors, thousands of elite rank soldiers, and a large number of hidden assassins."

"With such power, it's more than enough to destroy the Holy Sword Alliance. But to confront a Peak Master Rank directly is certainly unexpected."

The strength of a Peak Master Rank far exceeded the understanding of ordinary experts.

One strike from them could crush countless Master Rank warriors.

Their mysterious mental power attacks could erase insignificant souls with a mere thought.

They could use the elemental forces of the world to unleash cataclysmic power, easily flattening an entire grand city.

And yet, a group of soldiers dared to challenge such an existence?!

This stunned all the elders present, and they felt an indescribable shock deep within.

Could these be called mere soldiers?

To use such powerful beings as ordinary soldiers, Emperor Aurek was not only extravagantly indulgent, but his stance also proclaimed immense power and dominance.

"Are we just going to give up on the Energy Stone mine?"

One of the elders asked unwillingly.

"Impossible!"

Others immediately retorted firmly.

"The crystal mine, containing billions of standard energy units, must be seized!"

"Since the Skypeak Tower forces have retreated, we should take this opportunity to strike and seize this treasure."

It had been Governor Henry who discovered the mine and reported it to Grand Duke Sentino.

Later, Skypeak Tower intervened, but the Morningstar Order could not contest due to its strength.

But now, with the Empire's sudden involvement, Skypeak Tower had temporarily withdrawn.

If they could eliminate the Imperial forces and seize the mine, it would become a spoils of war for the Morningstar Order.

At that point, if Skypeak Tower tried to intervene again, the nature of the conflict would be entirely different.

In the grand hall, the elders argued back and forth.

Ross stood with his hands clasped behind his back, silently pondering.

A legion capable of fighting a Peak Master Rank, with massive numbers and coming from Eryndor City, was undoubtedly a bad omen.

"...We'll use our hidden forces to completely eliminate them."

Ross suddenly spoke, his cold voice cutting through the noise in the hall.

All the elders' eyes instantly fixed on him.

One elder, with hawk-like sharp eyes, narrowed his gaze slightly.

"Does the leader mean not to expel them, but... to annihilate them?!!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.