...

The next day...

Somewhere on the frontlines of the Demilitarization Belt...

"Charge!" A large scar covered muscular man outfitted in red and golden armor commanded as he sat on the back of a sturdy warhorse. At a glance, one could tell that this man was one who had endured countless battles, and his title as a Commander of Amaharpe's War Brigade confirmed it.

NPC Name: War Brigade 5th Unit Commander of the 1st Legion Dogma(Rare)

NPC Level: ???

Commander Dogma pointed the crimson spear in his hand forward as the vanguard led the charge towards the enemy forces.

So far, the War Brigade held the upper hand on the battlefield. They continuously gained ground against Tempest and their collaborators within the Demilitarization Belt, forcing them closer to Tempest territory.

But, after experiencing numerous battles, Dogma felt that something was off about how easily the War Brigade could advance into the Demilitarization Belt.

"I don't like it. I don't like it one bit." Dogma grumbled.

"You're worrying too much, Dogma. Keep that up, and you'll start to sound like our Legion's 2nd Unit Commander. The years of peace have made the kingdom of Tempest weak. Since it's daytime, those Skounae from Malentansium are forced to limit their movements and conserve their strength. The only real threat is the Pzenium warriors, but even they are incapable of fighting against these odds. Not to mention, their presence on the battlefield has been nonexistent." A cloaked man with an ancient hardcovered book floating before him commented as he hovered in the air next to Dogma with his legs folded. This man was also a Commander of Amaharpe's War Brigade called Enigma.

NPC Name: War Brigade 3rd Unit Commander of the 1st Legion Enigma(Rare)

NPC Level: ???

"Too much caution is a bad thing, but too little can lead to a swift death. You know this better than anyone, Enigma. Besides, I'm sure you've already heard about what happened near the Unsanctioned Zone. The information surrounding what transpired may be restricted, but if Commander Aurie was forced to use her Domain, the enemy must've been no laughing matter. If an enemy that powerful can appear in an out of the way place like the Unsanctioned Zone, then we cannot afford to lower our guard until we secure every corner of the Demilitarization Belt." Dogma stated as he carefully swept his gaze over the battlefield.

"You're no fun," Enigma replied disappointingly.

"War isn't fun." Dogma asserted without hesitation.

As time went on, the War Brigade overwhelmed the Tempest kingdom's forces. The battle was entirely one-sided. It was not a war but a massacre!

"Hm?" One of the War Brigade troops looked down at their feet as they felt a chilling numbness. But, the bizarre part was not the icy sensation that washed over him.

Corrupted energy emerged from the fallen Tempest soldier's body that was just slain at the War Brigade troop's hands. This energy slithered on the ground in the direction of the Tempest border as the Tempest soldier's body rapidly decayed and turned to dust.

However, this was not a rare occurrence as a similar incident transpired everywhere on the battlefield. Suddenly, hundreds or possibly even thousands of fallen Tempest troops released an identical type of corrupted energy before withering into ashes.

This phenomenon did not bode well for Dogma as he immediately signaled his troops to fall back and regroup.

"Don't pursue! Fall back! Stay in formation and reform the vanguard, then await my orders!" Dogma commanded.

"Aren't you being too cautious today? This can be our only chance to dominate the Demilitarization Belt once and for all without much effort." Enigma stated.

"You don't find it strange?" Dogma questioned.

"That energy? How easy this all turned out to be? Of course, something's definitely off. But, that's all the more reason to-" As Enigma spoke, he was abruptly interrupted by one of the Captains under his command.

NPC Name: War Brigade 7th Division Captain of the 3rd Unit Talon(Elite)

NPC Level: 54

"Reporting! A group of mages have appeared at the edge of Tempest borders! We've tried to penetrate their defenses, but a powerful barrier is obstructing our efforts! The corrupted energy also seems to be converging at their location!" Talon stated.

"Whenever a bunch of mages get together and start chanting, nothing good usually comes of it. I'm going to check it out." Dogma said as he urged his warhorse forward and raced to the Tempest border.

Enigma saw that Talon had not yet left back to his post and noticed the Captain's hesitant expression.

"Do you have something else you want to report, Captain?" Enigma questioned.

"Commander—sir, I could be wrong, but... I don't think it's Tempest soldiers we're fighting. In fact, speaking from firsthand experience, I don't think we're fighting any kind of soldiers." Talon noted as he furrowed his brows.

"Explain." Enigma inquired.

"If I had to give an example, it's almost as if a large collection of people were given weapons and basic armor then tossed onto the battlefield with no prior training. Sir, after all the battles I've fought, every bone in my body is telling me that something is wrong. These people, I don't know what or who they are, but they are not soldiers. It was like fighting a mindless doll just waiting to be slaughtered." Talon explained as he tried to hide his discomfort.

"Corrupted energy, mindless dolls, mages... It can't be..." Before Enigma, the ancient hardcovered book flipped open as a purple aura appeared around one of the fallen Tempest soldiers who had yet to decay.

With a wave of his hand, the helmet on the soldier was flung off, and what revealed itself was the black marking of a winged serpent devouring its own tail on the soldier's forehead.

When Enigma saw this mark, although one could not see it behind his cloak, his facial expression darkened.

"This person is no soldier...! They have been put under a vile mind control spell. But, this type of weak spellbinding would only be effective against ordinary people. Why would Tempest go this far? What's the point?" Enigma scowled.

The war had just begun; however, Tempest was already using such detestable means as if they were backed into a corner without escape. Enigma did not understand what made them so merciless as to willingly sacrifice the lives of more than a thousand ordinary people.

"Wait, ordinary people...! A thousand hands unstained with blood have fallen by the sword—those insane fools are using a blood sacrifice gateway spell!" Enigma finally pieced everything together. Without hesitation, he shot forward at great speeds. He had to warn Dogma and stop the gateway spell before it was complete!

"If they are creating a Gateway of a Thousand Bloodless Hands, whatever or whoever they are trying to bring here is-!" Out of nowhere, an ear-ringing explosion echoed throughout the battlefield.

The shockwave generated by this explosion traveled for tens of kilometers in every direction and could be felt well past the edge of the Demilitarization Belt.

BOOOOOOM!

Woooosh!

Enigma arrived next to Dogma, who had just successfully shattered the barrier protecting the mages. However, Enigma's expression did not bode well.

The mages Talon mentioned were sprawled out unconscious on the ground. However, there was a dark red puddle of unnaturally thick liquid laid under their bodies. When Enigma witnessed this sight, he knew that his worst fears had come to pass.

"No, I'm too late...!" Enigma exclaimed.

"Enigma? Why did you come here? I have everything under contr-"

All of a sudden, a massive dark red hand with sharp claws at its fingertips covered Dogma's entire head.

"Mmf!" Dogma's muscles bulked up as he grabbed onto the hand and struggled to break free.

"Release him!" Enigma chanted a few words as ten deadly purple magic missiles soared through the air and collided with the unknown creature's wrist. However, to Enigma's bewilderment, his attack had no effect!

"Ahhh... The fresh stench of death and the blood of mortals. If I remember correctly, the time in our realm flows ten times faster than that of the Mortal Realm. How long has it been? 300 years? A thousand? I've lost count." A deep and cold voice sounded as a figure rose from the dark red puddle—its height easily reaching four meters.

The liquid fell from its body and revealed a creature with dark red skin, piercing crimson eyes, and sharp teeth that filled row upon row of its mouth.

Name: (Unshackled)Commander Ekquilore(Epic Event Boss)

Level: ???

HP: ??? (100%)

"I shall pave the way for your inevitable release, Lord Syxirius." Commander Ekquilore said as a devilish smile appeared on his face, and the look in his eyes displayed a restless bloodl.u.s.t.