The Overlord of Blood and Iron (WN)
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chapter-214
Chapter 214: Preparations Complete
Translator: Leyy3
Everyone busily moved to prepare for the all-out attack.
At the 18th base, Laputa’s army constantly knocked on Aleister’s doors. Back at home, engineers and technicians were working overtime to complete the Full Metal Project.
Nilus and his magic troop were also immensely busy accomplishing their mission, which had their leader’s life on stake.“Focus.” Meanwhile, Kang Chul-In was in a lotus position, strengthening his brain power. He was practicing Oraclomind in his spare time.
It was intense self-discipline indeed. However, it wasn’t surprising that he’d train.
An Overlord had tons of duties to fulfill, so Kang Chul-In did not have much time to train usually, unless he used his spare time.
A few days passed by. The morning for the all-out attack finally came.
“Your Majesty.” Lucia cautiously entered Kang Chul-In’s tent.
“Ah, you came.” Kang Chul-In broke his focus from Oraclomind and opened his eyes.
“You are amazing, your Majesty. How are you so diligent?”“It’s nothing.”
“Across the entirety of Pangaea, nobody should be as diligent as you, your Majesty. Isn’t it tiring?”
“Well, that’s the life of an Overlord.”
"Your Majesty...”
“When I tell myself that it’s my destiny, the fatigue strangely disappears.” Kang Chul-In replied nonchalantly.
“Since it’s only natural for an Overlord.”
It was hardly a bluff.
He was being 100% genuine.
Kang Chul-In believed an Overlord should be a flawless existence. Only then did he deserve to govern his land and take care of his subjects.
As I expected, your Majesty is a natural leader! I am so blessed to be his aide!
Lucia admired Kang Chul-In’s professionalism.
She firmly believed that there was no other man as charismatic as Kang Chul-In in the whole of Pangaea. It was indeed an honor for her to be his aide.
“So, what brings you here.”
“Nilus and his men...”
“...?”
“Collapsed and fainted from overwork.”
“...Damn.”
Their given task must have been too much to handle.
A failure?
Kang Chul-In bit his lower lips slightly.
He had to launch an all-out attack today to conquer the 18th peak, but if Nilus could not fulfill his mission then he had to face the Death Calling barehanded. At this rate, he had to withdraw his army or come up with an alternative solution.
“However, your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
“Before Sir Nilus collapsed, he told me he managed to accomplish his mission to the best of his abilities. He wanted to pass this ring to your Majesty.”
“...!”
“This is the ring, your Majesty.” Lucia cautiously handed a box over to Kang Chul-In.
Dalkak.
Kang Chul-In opened the box.
“Nilus... he made this?”
“Certainly, your Majesty.”
“Incredible.” A crude, black ring was inside the box. It looked sloppy but possessed power beyond Kang Chul-In’s expectations. He was surprised that Nilus could make an item of this caliber.
The ring’s stats were as follows:
[Epic rank] Infinite Warp Device.
For his Majesty, Kang Chul-In!
-Nilus, the chief magician of the great Laputa.
Weapon type: Accessory (Ring)
Requirements: One who possesses the Soul Core of Laputa
Level limit: None.
Option 1: Agility +12%
Option 2: Evasion +12%
Option 3: Movement speed +7%
Option 4: Attack speed +7%
<Item Effect>
-Infinite Warping: For 5 minutes, the user is able to jump to another dimension without restrictions. (Cooldown time: 3 seconds)
-Caution 1: This item is a consumable item. Once the duration of Infinite Warping is over, the item disappears.
-Caution 2: Infinite Warping puts strain on the user’s body.
This is it!
Kang Chul- In realized that he finally had a solution to face the Death Calling. It was indeed a trump card to put an end to Aleister’s regime.
It wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded, of course.
“Lucia.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“When the full moon rises, we are launching the all-out attack as scheduled.”
“Certainly, we shall prepare accordingly.”
“Any news on the Full Metal Project’s progress?”
“I have no clue, your Majesty. The main land’s communication device can receive messages but is still unable to send replies back.”
“Well, no choice then.” Kang Chul-In swallowed his saliva.
He was thinking that if the Full Metal Project was complete, he could conquer the 18th peak with much less casualties.
“Alright, just send the message.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“And...”
Kang Chul-In passed a scroll and the item Owner of the Ghosts to Lucia. The latter could now summon spectre knights armed with Phantom Steeds.
“Relay this order to Podolski.”
“May I ask what this is?”
“We have to look for the life vessel, don’t we?”
“Right...!”
A Lich could revive indefinitely as long as the life vessel was intact.
Similar to Rothschild, Aleister was another difficult opponent to kill.
There’s a high chance that the life vessel is still there.
Kang Chul-In knew of a place in which Aleister may have hid his life vessel.
Hence, he planned to put Podolski’s men on the frontlines as the decoy, while he searched for Aleister’s life vessel.
That place was called the ‘Nekromantik bay’.
It was a research laboratory located in the deep underground of Deathwin, where Undead Monsters were studied and created.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Not long after the Ishtar Coalition was formed, Aleister once led Kang Chul-In around the Nekromantik bay and said the following.
“This is where our immortal soldiers are born. It’s like a womb in a sense!”
“Well... quite a sense of taste you have.”
“Hmph! My taste is too sophisticated for you to understand.”
“I shall just remember that this place is special to you.”
“Of course! I even stored my life vessel here before. I did shift it to somewhere else though! Hahaha~!”
If Aleister’s life vessel really happened to be at the Nekromantik bay, he would be suffering the heavy consequences of his own words. As the saying goes, a man, although Aleister was an Undead, not a human, should always watch his mouth.
All preparations are complete.
Everything was flawless.
Unless Aleister’s life vessel wasn’t hidden at the Nekromantic bay, Aleister would be dead by nightfall.
That would mark the start of Kang Chul-In’s series of revenge.
“Lucia!”
“Yes, your Majesty!”
“Distribute all the health potions we have to the soldiers.”
“...!”
“This is no time to be frugal. It’s the last battle, so we have to ensure that the soldiers are healthy enough to fight to their best.”
“Yes, your Majesty!” Kang Chul-In distributed ten thousand people’s worth of health potions to conclude his preparation.
He didn’t mind spending an enormous amount of gold for that.
It was because this war decided whether Kang Chul-In could advance to the heart of Pangaea.
***
That evening.
-I apologize. Now’s not a good time, so please wait a while more.
Albrecht Vilhelm’s hologram said.
“How much longer do you want me to wait? You told me the reinforcements would arrive in a week, but it has already been 10 whole days!” Aleister nagged.
He was getting anxious as not a single one of Vilhelm’s soldiers could be seen. It was as if they disappeared completely.
-It’s autumn, Aleister.
“So what? It’s not even winter; are you telling me the falling leaves are slowing down your army’s march?”
-I’m referring to the rain.
“Ah...?”
-Terrible weather has slowed us down. I apologize, Aleister.
“I-Is that so?”
-Of course. The rain was so heavy that our men could barely even march. I hope you understand, and please do not doubt me. Our report says that the reinforcements will arrive latest by today evening, so don’t worry too much.
“I see... Sorry about that.” Aleister gave an awkward expression and apologized to Aleister.
“I didn’t know.... I was wrong, Vilhelm. Do forgive me.”
-Not at all. I understand your worries.
“Solid... as expected from the next 1st rank Overlord to be.”
-You flatter me. Anyone would be anxious in your situation.
Vilhelm pretended to be humble, while spewing sugar-coated words at Aleister.
-But is there really a need to be so worried? Kang Chul-In’s army should be extremely fatigued by now. Aren’t your Undead soldiers capable of fighting indefinitely without any food and water?
“You are right. Kang Chul-In’s soldiers are indeed very fatigued. The anxiety must have clouded my judgment.”
-What you need now is a bit of patience. Once my army joins forces with yours, you shall emerge from this war as the victor.
“Thanks for your wise words, Vilhelm!”
-No problem.
Even in his wildest dreams, Aleister did not think that he was being helplessly manipulated. He believed Vilhelm’s words wholeheartedly.
What an idiot... good, continue to hang-in there like that.
Vilhelm snickered cunningly.
He wanted Aleister to fight as long as he could and weaken Kang Chul-In’s forces even by the slightest. With that, he could benefit without fighting.
-I will inform you just before my army arrives at your base. I hope you trust me and wait for my call.
“Alright, I will do that.”
-Well then, I have an urgent matter to attend to. Farewell...”
Vilhelm ended the call hurriedly.
The ‘urgent matter’ obviously referred to him taking control of Esmeralda and restoring its infrastructure.
While Kang Chul-In and Aleister were having a face-off, Vilhelm had already engulfed the whole of Esmeralda territory. He grasped this enormous profit before any other Overlord could.
“Alright, we just have to hold our defense a little bit longer!”
Aleister promised himself.
“Your Majesty!”
It was at that moment.
“It seems like the Laputan army is planning to launch an all-out attack!” Stonebridge, the commander-in-chief, anxiously reported the news that signaled the beginning of this war’s climax.
***
Thump,
Thump!
It was late into the night.
A roar echoed in the valleys of the 18th peak.
Chuk, Chuk!
The sound of marching boots thundered.
-Growl...!
A gigantic tiger prowled proudly at the frontmost line of the army.
“Artillery battery, fire!” Kang Chul-In, riding on his majestic Godbeast, bellowed in an august voice.
Pow!
The 12 magic-engineered artillery and the 10 Arkellons instantly started to bombard the 18th peak.
“Soldiers!”
“Yes, your Majesty!”
Kang Chul-In shouted at his men as the bombs went off.
“You’ve done well so far! This is the last battle! After today, our war against Deathwin is over!”
Laputa’s soldiers cheered upon hearing their leader’s words.
“Yes, your Majesty!”
“I’m really sick and tired of this war!”
“I just want to end this fast and go back home to rest!”
Although they have recovered physically using the health potions, their combat fatigue had already accumulated mentally.
They were reaching their limit.
“I understand how you feel! I say again, this IS the last time. We shall claim victory and return to Laputa. I promise all of you.”
“Yes, your Majesty!”
Kang Chul-In reassured his soldiers, and they replied to him in a clear, loud voice. The Laputan soldiers had total faith in whom they perceived as the God of War.
“Men!”
The bombing stopped. Kang Chul-In held the Soul Core of Laputa high up in the air.
“Attack!’
Immediately, the Laputan soldiers began to charge towards the 18th peak at a tremendous speed.
Pow!
The enemy reacted by hurling bombs at them.
“Mortals... Come join the underworld...”
“We shall let you have a taste of our immortal army...”
About 20,000 Undead Monsters challenged the Laputan soldiers. It was an intimidating number.
A battle of the shield and spear.
Aleister’s immortal army refused to step a single foot out of its base. It was waiting for an opening for a counterattack.
In contrast, the soldiers of Laputa struggled to advance as far as they could towards the 18th peak.
Neither side could back off. It was an intense battle indeed.
A great resistance.
Kang Chul-In, who was ferociously charging towards the enemy base, realized instinctively that this battle would not be an easy one.
Even if he did win, the damage would be too substantial.
At this very moment, his trump card miraculously appeared on the battlefield.
-Kuooooooo!!!
A loud roar reverberated around the 18th peak.
It came!
Kang Chul-In looked up at the sky.
***
“Argh!”
Aleister, who was about to send Ludwig Heinel’s mechanized infantry to the battlefield, despaired at the sudden sight of the unknown flying object.
“K-Kang Chul-In, you crazy bastard!”
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“How... you are not even a necromancer... but you own spectre knights, and now you even own a bone dragon? Argh!”
He was right.
The flying monster on the battlefield was none other than the bone dragon which once devastated the whole of Seoul!
(To be continued)