The fight below concluded quickly, leaving the second SS-rank Cinder Colossus defeated. The Phalanx team, exhausted but victorious, climbed back onto the Aerial Observation Platform.
Zane Bladeheart, wiping sweat and soot from his brow, immediately noticed the grim, intense silence between Kaelus and Sylva. "Why so gloomy? What did you two discover?"
Sylva turned to him, her expression hardening with urgency. "Zane, the Atlas Players will reach the Dragon Cave and launch their final invasion on Terra this year, at the earliest."
"This year???" Zane exclaimed, the exhaustion immediately replaced by shock. "There are only two months remaining this year, Sylva! When exactly?"
"Calm down, Zane. This is the result of our deduction," Sylva urged. "We have very limited information, yet Kaelus and I solved the crucial time distortion. The invasion will commence this year or early next year. They started their invasion 15 days ago in their time, which is already 15 years here. The remaining time is mere hours in their world."
Zathis frowned. "Why so slow? If they're that powerful, why take so long to reach the cave?"
"It's good that they are slow," Sylva countered. "It gives us time. We need more manpower for this mission, so I will put that in the request on the next mission report. In the meantime, let's continue traveling toward the Dragon Cave. If Atlas discovers there's no dragon guarding that cave, they will exploit the opening and continue to explore deeper into the Eastern Territory."
Zane took a deep, calming breath. "I'm sorry if I raised my voice. So the mission is changed. From scouting the cave, our objective is now to reach the cave, set up defenses, and wait until the Players arrive to stop them from invading."
"That's right," Sylva affirmed. "Let's continue deeper."
The Wind Carriage resumed its path, hovering swiftly over the middle section of the Eastern Territory. The continuous Enhanced Wind Needle Rain kept the immediate air clear, but the platform's alarm system beeped again, signaling a new SS-rank monster signature.
Kaelus volunteered instantly. He dropped from the platform, leaving the Wind Carriage and the Needle Rain operating on autopilot. The rest of the Phalanx watched the ground battle anxiously. After only a few minutes, Kaelus shot back up and landed silently.
He was holding a pristine Earth Elemental Core and a dark, charcoal-colored, crystalline horn.
The methodical grind continued, clearing monster after monster. Kaelus was dropped repeatedly to swiftly eliminate any threat strong enough to slow the Phalanx down, using his overwhelming speed and the immense power of his core to conserve his teammates' strength.
As the afternoon drew to a close, Sylva checked the communication orb. It was time for the second report.
In the Grand Mage Tower, Mage Emperor Ian Emrys Skyrune was listening to the intense, high-level strategic planning with his Council. The room, populated by Morthos and the highest-ranking Noble Council representatives, was silent when the Receiver artifact pulsed, flashing green. Ian snatched it up, activating Sylva's message: "reporting at the second eight-hour interval. Status: Mission parameters updated. Kaelus and I successfully deduced the final invasion window based on time distortion rates: Atlas will launch its full-scale invasion on Terra within this year, at the earliest. We estimate the Player advance force will reach the Dragon Cave imminently. Our objective has shifted to pre-emptive defense and stopping the invasion at the nexus point. We request urgent deployment of high-level defensive reinforcement units to the area immediately surrounding the Dragon's Cave. End report."
The Council was momentarily paralyzed by the revelation of the imminent invasion and the time paradox.
The strategy room immediately erupted in a fierce debate.
"Seal the East! Seal the entire East now!" shouted by the noble representative of House Aquilon, slamming his fist down. "We abandon the hunting grounds and the territories bordering the East! We cannot risk this Player presence spreading!"
"We cannot seal the East!" countered Lady by the noble representative of House Rimecrest. "That strategy is outdated! We need that territory's mana output and resources! More importantly, abandoning the East compromises the core mission! If the Players are arriving now, we must use a full-scale exploration force—multiple S-rank teams—to secure the Dragon's Cave immediately, before the enemy establishes a beachhead!"
"Using a large force is exactly what Atlas wants!" argued by the House Von Amor. "They will see a full army as a high-value target for a devastating, large-scale raid! Deploying massive numbers now is suicidal and wastes the sacrifice the Phalanx is making!"
The argument escalated into shouting, mixing military and political objectives. House Aquilon insisted that preserving the human populations was paramount, even if it meant creating a permanent, magical wall along the entire Eastern border. House Rimecrest pointed out the immense mana cost and logistical impossibility of maintaining such a barrier continent-wide without devastating economic consequences.
"Your Majesty!" Morthos finally intervened, raising his voice above the din. "The critical decision is not if we seal the East, but when! We must know the exact structural integrity of the barrier first, as Sylva suggested!"
Emperor Ian Emrys Skyrune, who had been listening with his eyes closed, opened them slowly. He stood, and the room quieted instantly.
"The time for debate is over," Ian stated, his voice ringing with absolute authority. "I trust Sylva's judgment of the reinforcement unit. The Phalanx's report confirms the invasion is imminent. We will proceed with both plans simultaneously."
Ian turned to Morthos. "Dispatch the final logistical plan. We move all conventional resources and defensive units to reinforce the Northern, Southern, and Western borders. The Territory Leaders will be put on immediate, full alert to raise the continental barrier defenses, ready to activate the moment the Phalanx confirms the barrier is truly gone."
He then lowered his voice, his gaze becoming intensely serious—a look Morthos recognized as reserved for the gravest orders. "And Morthos, deploy the Shadow Corps. They will provide the high-level defensive reinforcement units Sylva requested."
The Shadow Corps is the single most clandestine and feared organization within the Neutral Empire, operating entirely outside the jurisdiction of the Magic Court and the scrutiny of the allied domains. They are the Mage Emperor's personal and elite enforcement arm—the hidden mechanism by which Ian Emrys Skyrune maintains absolute political control and neutralizes threats before they even become rumors. Their specialization in Stealth Elemental Magic and Control Deviants makes them ideal for this infiltration and support mission.
Ian looked at the war map, his gaze resting on the single path the Obsidian Phalanx was taking. "The Phalanx now carries the fate of this continent, the Terra."