Chapter 532 Preparation
In the office of the municipal building in Karnak City, Setute spoke to the people before him with a fervent glint in his eyes. Seeing this fervor in Setute, Moen’s anger visibly intensified, eventually turning into helplessness.
“Are you mad? Do you want all of us to d*e here!”
“If you don’t want to d*e, you can leave now while Shadi’s army hasn’t yet surrounded us. Anyway, we have long been prepared to dedicate our lives to the supreme being.”
Setute glanced at Moen beside him and said. Moen’s expression changed slightly after hearing these words, then he looked at Kloschi, who had just finished reporting the intelligence, and quickly walked toward the door.
“Let’s go…”
Kloschi immediately followed Moen’s lead, and together they opened the door and stepped outside, accompanied by the people waiting outside for Moen.
Then, Kloschi followed Moen out of the municipal building and onto the wide streets of Karnak. During this process, Kloschi hesitated for a moment, then approached Moen with concern.
“Mister Moen, can we really open the tomb in two days?”
“Two days… Hmph, without the Baruch Dynasty’s Royal Sacrificial Book, we can’t perform the ritual properly. There’s no way to open the tomb. We’ve tried every method, and if we can’t perform the ritual, even two months might not be enough.”
Moen replied coldly upon hearing Kloschi’s question. Kloschi’s expression sank at Moen’s response, then he continued.
“So… what should we do now? Shahaub only gave us two days, and after that, he plans to personally blow up the underground palace… Maybe we should withdraw now while we still can. It’s okay to be with these madmen normally, but during a crisis, it’s truly dangerous.”
Kloschi continued speaking to Moen. Upon hearing Kloschi’s words, Moen did not respond immediately; instead, he took a deep breath and slowly spoke.
“We have invested too many resources and energy in Adus already. We are just one step away from success, so it’s not time to talk about withdrawal. I will contact the Eternal Burial Ground when I return and see if we can get some additional help. After all, this is Rahman’s undead, and I believe they won’t ignore it.
“We still have some trump cards here. As long as we receive a bit of assistance from above, even if Shadi’s army arrives at the city gates, there’s nothing to fear.”
“From above…?”
“Alright, go back and rest now. Recover your state over the next two days. What to do next, we’ll discuss after I finish contacting them…”
Moen said to Kloschi at last. Hearing his words, Kloschi politely responded and withdrew.
…
On the other side, in the desert between Karnak and Dosa, at the edge of the undead alert zone, Doro sat in her tent and had fully witnessed and heard everything Kloschi saw and heard in Karnak. After seeing the current situation in Karnak, she couldn’t help but stroke her chin, then thought to herself.
“I never expected that the Underworld Coffin Cult and the Savior Faction actually found the Rahmann Royal Tomb in Dead Eagle Valley and successfully opened the underground palace. It seems their target is Rahman’s soul within the tomb. It appears that the claims in the Baruch Dynasty’s sacrificial book were true—Rahman’s soul did not enter the underworld but remains in his own tomb.”
Doro thought to herself. From her previous interactions with the Underworld Coffin Cult, she knew they had a habit of collecting powerful spirits. Rahman was a Red Tier Extraordinary Being with a Red Tier soul, so it wasn’t surprising that the cult targeted him.
“Their goal is Rahman’s undead. They somehow found Rahman’s tomb and started digging. During this period, they used the armed forces of the Savior Faction, which occupied Karnak, to help them dig. It’s likely that the Underworld Coffin Cult promised Shahaub that they would use Rahman’s undead to help them fight against Shadi. Shahaub has an army that can provide a large number of people and explosives, making them suitable for violent digging, which exactly supplements the Underworld Coffin Cult’s shortage of manpower.
“From the current situation, their grave-robbing progress is very fast. Even the Phantom Pulling Lamp has been dug out. The Underworld Coffin Cult must be manipulating a large number of undead through the ceremony set up by the Phantom Pulling Lamp. However, they haven’t opened the chamber where Rahman’s soul resides. Without a ceremony, it seems extremely difficult to break it open by force.”
After taking a sip of tea from the small table in front of her, Doro thought to herself, feeling that time seemed to be pressing.
“Shahaub can’t wait. If the Underworld Coffin Cult doesn’t open the chamber in two days, he will forcibly blow up the tomb, which could lead to the loss of control of Rahman’s undead. Not only will the defenders in Karnak be in danger, but Dosa will also be affected. Therefore, we can’t afford to wait any longer. We must launch an attack on Karnak immediately, or the situation may become uncontrollable.”
Frowning, Doro thought seriously, then began calculating the time and realized it was almost time for reinforcements to arrive.
“It looks like it’s time to prepare for the general assault…” Doro muttered to herself, then began packing up her tent, preparing to head back.
…
At dusk, in the Dosa train station.
As the mechanical roar gradually weakened, another massive steel beast came to a halt on the railway. Steam diffused from the platform, enveloping the surroundings in white mist.
After the steel train stopped, soldiers wearing simple uniforms jumped down from the carriages onto the platform. The receptionists who had been waiting promptly escorted these newly arrived reinforcements to their designated positions.
At the other end of the platform, in front of the passenger carriage at the front of the train, two rows of guards stood tall. At the end of the guard formation, several figures stood, which, upon closer inspection, were all officers of the Dosa Revolutionary Army, led by Aidan. Beside Aidan was Nei, who had recently come to Dosa as a special advisor. The gathering of so many important figures in Dosa indicated that there were more important passengers on this train.
Amidst the swirling white steam, the door of the passenger carriage slowly opened, and several soldiers dressed as guards walked out. Following them was a man in the uniform of a general from the Main Continent, wearing a military cap, with slightly dark skin and a resolute face—a man from Northern Ufeiga. He was none other than Shadi, the highest leader of the Adus Revolutionary Army and the commander of the revolutionary army.
“Gentleman.”
Upon stepping off the train, Shadi was immediately greeted respectfully by Aidan, who saluted. Shadi nodded slightly and then asked:
“How is the preparation for the offensive going?
“All is ready once the troops brought by you are deployed. We are ready to launch the offensive at any time,” Aidan reported to Shadi. After listening, Shadi scanned the scene and paused slightly when he saw Nei, Aidan’s advisor, before responding slowly.
“Yes… You’ve worked hard. Now, arrange the remaining troops and take a good rest. We will launch the offensive tomorrow.”
“Yes.” With that, Aidan retreated. Then Shadi glanced at Nei and walked towards the other side of the platform. Nei followed suit. After they moved away from the crowd, Shadi asked Nei:
“You are… the advisor I appointed?”
“Yes, it’s my first meeting, General. We didn’t expect you to come to Dosa personally,” Nei said with a smile. Hearing Nei’s words, Shadi chuckled in response.
“This is the final battle of the three-year civil war in Adus. I wanted to see it personally. Besides, Aidan said the morale of the troops here is low due to the undead. I think coming here myself is the most direct way to boost morale.”
“Oh… It seems you are quite eager to solve the problem in Karnak.”
“More or less. This damned war has lasted long enough. It’s time to end it.”
“Heh, ending the war sooner is indeed a fact. If it drags on, things might get worse,” Nei responded. Hearing Nei’s words, Shadi paused and turned to look at Nei.
“What do you mean by worse?”
“It’s about the situation of the former king buried in Dead Eagle Valley…”
With a knowing look, Nei said to Shadi. Then, under Doro’s control, he explained the current situation of the Rahmann Royal Tomb to Shadi. Shadi’s eyes widened slightly, and a strange expression appeared on his face.
“Those guys’ goal isn’t just treasure, but directly Rahman’s soul? Just like legend, Rahman’s soul really didn’t enter the underworld…”
With a hint of surprise, Shadi said. Meanwhile, Nei nodded and continued:
“Yeah… The Underworld Coffin Cult has a tradition of hunting powerful souls. Since Rahman’s soul still exists in the world, they naturally wouldn’t let it go. Only, we don’t know how they found the exact location of the Rahmann Royal Tomb.”
Hearing Nei’s words, Shadi pondered for a moment and muttered a name:
“Dieading…”
“What?”
“Dieading Baruch… The last king of the Baruch Dynasty, the last guardian of the decaying Baruch, the strongest Extraordinary Being. He was killed by me and Muhetar, but his body disappeared without a trace, and his soul couldn’t be summoned. Someone stole him right under our noses at the last moment. We’ve always wondered who did it, but now we have some clues…”
With a heavy tone, Shadi said slowly. After learning who Dieading referred to, Doro was also slightly stunned, then prompted Nei to speak:
“Your meaning is that the Underworld Coffin Cult stole the body and soul of the last king of Baruch, and learned the whereabouts of Rahman’s undead from him?”
“This seems to be the most reasonable explanation now. From what we can see, the Underworld Coffin Cult has been eyeing Adus and Baruch for a long time because of Rahman’s soul. If Dieading’s soul and body are really in the hands of the Underworld Coffin Cult, then the offensive tomorrow might not go as smoothly as expected. The Underworld Coffin Cult’s manipulation of the dead is unparalleled…”
With his hands behind his back, Shadi said seriously. Listening to Shadi’s words, Nei also responded thoughtfully:
“So, it seems we need to consider more variables in tomorrow’s combat plan…
“Yes… We definitely need to consider more factors. Now, Karnak is not the only key point. The Rahmann Royal Tomb is also crucial. We must handle both fronts simultaneously. Our main attack will focus on Karnak. How much combat power do you have in Dosa? Can you take charge of the direction towards the tomb?”
“Compared to when we were in Adis, the number of people who returned is not much. But as long as you can keep them engaged in Karnak, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
Doro controlled Nei to respond to Shadi. Having the “Judge of Heaven Church” responsible for the action towards the tomb was precisely what she wanted.
Then, Doro discussed the detailed plan for the next day with Nei and Shadi. As the sky grew darker, Doro had Nei bid farewell and leave. Before leaving, Nei turned to Shadi and asked:
“I’ve always heard you call Rahman ‘Rahman the King.’ Why? As someone who sent Baruch off, do you still respect the king of Baruch?
Hearing Nei’s inquiry, Shadi paused slightly before replying:
“Rahman the King’s wisdom is a story told to every child in Adus. He is the object of admiration for many Adus boys, including me in the past. Mr. Nei, if possible, can you ensure that Rahman’s tomb is not opened and disturb his rest?
“The battlefield is unpredictable, we’ll see…”
Nei said, then turned and walked away. Meanwhile, Doro thought to herself:
“After I open the tomb, I’ll clean up for Rahman, make some space for him to sleep, and then close it again. This way, he can rest better.”
Thinking about her thoughts, Doro controlled Nei to leave. Shortly after, Shadi looked into the distance and muttered:
“The Underworld Coffin Cult, which manipulates thousands of undead, and the heretic Savior Faction, who are the ‘Lamp,’ couldn’t stop them from obtaining the secrets of Karnak. This sect is truly everywhere.”
Shadi sighed, and in his heart, Setute’s voice responded with a hint of pride:
“Hey, when it comes to intelligence capabilities, among the six spiritualities, none can match ‘Enlightenment.’ Seven thousand years ago, it was the same, and now even more so. You should be glad you didn’t stand in their way, otherwise, they would know what color your underwear is!”
“Cough… You talk as if you are ‘Enlightenment’ yourself…”
“…”
“Hey, Setute, what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing! Aren’t you going to war tomorrow? Hurry up and prepare!”
“Oh…”
Then, Shadi also quickly left the platform and disappeared into the sunset.
