Chapter 959 The Shifting Realm (1)
Since communication is key in war, the generals must be introduced first.
Gesturing with her eyes, silently instructing them to split up, Brigitta pulled Ryze to the other end of the army where the generals under their command waited. Meanwhile, Edward and Rex stayed, facing five figures arrayed in dignified commander uniforms, a striking blend of black and regal purple.
Amongst the five, three of them were from the military.
Each led different specialized troops, from ground troops to air fighters, and vehicles.
On the other hand, the remaining two generals is an Awakened from the 25 Golden Crest Families and the Red Messenger from the SCO. Despite their different backgrounds, all of them have one thing in common.
All of them show signs of hostility towards Rex.
Had that hostility turned into killing intent, things could get ugly really quickly.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he recalled the military man he had encountered earlier who evidently bore killing intent towards him, yet the System had not prompted a customary killing intent quest to take the man down like usual.
Rex assumed that this was because the man was too weak to be considered a threat.
But to be sure, he asked the System.
<Killing Intent Quest would only be triggered if the bearer has the capability to hurt the user or the other pack members. On that note, the man from earlier couldn't harm the user or the pack members due to his lack of power and social standing which made him simply harmless despite bearing killing intent>
Upon reading this, Rex nodded as it was as he had expected.
A threshold was present as a measurement tool by the System to gauge threat level.
Only those who meet the requirement to at least hurt him or the others would be considered a threat, while those who aren't capable of doing that would be ignored. Since the man has no substantial way to hurt him and the others, there was no killing intent quest issued.
Rex sighed as this explained many anomalies he had found.
Earlier, he learned that a rumor stating he was the one that caused the tragedy circulated.
Seems like the UWO decided to disclose the fact that it was he who went on a rampage during the tragedy that took countless lives in Ratmawati City, not King Baralt who took the blame for the initial moment.
If the entire human race blamed him, then many would definitely bore killing intent.
However, there was no killing intent quest prompted.
Rex found this odd initially, but now with the System's explanation, everything made sense.
Hopefully, none of them would trigger the Killing Intent Quest.
Contrary to not wanting to kill them, which he would if he needed to, Rex was more worried about the fact that his attention would be split if a killing intent quest was issued. He doesn't want that to happen as he needs to keep his guard up all the time against the Executor.
Now that he suspects the Executor is planning something, this becomes the priority.
Edward introduced the five generals briefly.
It went on blandly as the five generals were clearly unwilling to be commanded by Rex, but there was no other choice as this was the direct instruction from the Executor. Nothing good will come out of expressing their unwillingness to the Executor.
Since it was quite obvious, Edward also noticed this and looked at Rex meaningfully.
"Do you have something to say to them, Rex?" He asked.
Upon hearing this, Rex nodded his head and stepped forward. It would be better to make these generals willingly comply to avoid bad situations later, "I'll keep this short. I know all of you don't like being led by me, and that's understandable, but know that I have no intention of putting us in a bad situation that might result in lives being unnecessarily lost"
"Hmph! As if lives haven't already been lost by you" One of the generals intervened in scorn.
Rex gazed at the general with an icy look and paused.
Not feeling intimidated at all despite being gazed at silently by Rex, the general then added with a mocking smirk, "What? Are you pissed? Are you going to go berserk again, and kill all of us? Come and try if you dare"
Even though he was being taunted, Rex kept his stoic expression.
He kept silent for a solid half a minute which intensifies the tension in the air between them.
"Don't tempt me, general..." Rex retorted, a sinister smile gracing his lips. "If you're so eager for a confrontation, there will be ample opportunity in the future where I'll gladly take your offer. However, doing it right now? As I'm about to lead both you and your army? I doubt a wise general, concerned for his men would opt for such a course"
Instead of going with the general's flow, Rex decided to break it.
High company generals, albeit not seen by their appearance, develop a deep emotional connection with the men below them. So it would be way easier to calm the general down using this tactic instead of force.
As expected, the general clenched his jaw and didn't retaliate back.
Nodding his head, Rex then continued sternly, "Listen to me and Edward's instructions. We'll try our best to keep you alive and finish this mission. After the mission, we could go on our separate ways and do anything we want"
Upon hearing this, Rex turned to Edward, telling him that he was done.
Just as he did that, a notification from the System appeared.
<Sudden Quest!>
Due to the user's plan to take down the Executor, the user would need to comply with the Executor's demands and embark on a mission to fight the opposing Supernaturals. Finish the mission without spiking the Executor's suspicion. The System acknowledges the Executor as a rival of absolute invincibility, thus the rewards have been adjusted.
Penalty: -1 Million Gold, -1 level, and Hare Moon effect amplification.
<Only the System acknowledges the Executor as a rival of absolute invincibility>
<Penalty has been reduced by 50%>
Rex was at a loss for words at the sudden quest, it rewarded him with a penalty instead.
I'm only doing this for my plan, so why am I being punished?
<Being in a lower standing against a rival of absolute invincibility is not allowed, and thus would be given a penalty. It's advised that the user would avoid creating a plan that would force the user to be less than equal against the rival of absolute invincibility>
Although he was not expecting this, the cake was already baked, and he couldn't stop now.
Fine, I'll be careful next time.
With that, the army departed for their mission.
Coursing through the open flatland filled with grass, the two armies stopped in a union.
Previously, Rex and Edward had agreed to dispatch about five reinforced choppers for an advanced reconnaissance mission to secure the armies' path. Also, both of them hoped that the choppers could pinpoint the enemy's location exactly.
However, as the choppered ventured deeper, there was no sign of the enemy forces.
Now, the armies stood at the border of the flatland.
Beyond the border is the beginning of the Shifting Realm, and the diversity of the terrain could instantly be seen as the land before them was split into a scorching desert and a snowfield, separated by invisible yet clear boundaries.
Additionally, a flux of energy could be seen swirling within the Shifting Realm.
Obviously, the Vampires and Demons have come prepared.
Harnessing his Awakened eyes to see the energies that swirled in the air of the Shifting Realm, Rex saw that blood and demonic energies were intertwined like a hurricane wind, fueling the entire place with the natural advantage for the enemy forces.
Taking a few steps forward, Rex knelt down and touched the Shifting Realm with his hand.
In an instant, the System scanned the place entirely.
<Shifting Realm is a land of astounding diversity where every terrain imaginable can be found within its ever-changing borders. Its geography undergoes constant transformations, making navigation a formidable challenge and dangerous. Unpredictable shifts occur without warning, all governed by some enigmatic force of nature>
Upon reading this, Rex glanced back at the army with a frown.
Going in as one solid group would not be ideal in this place, we need to split our forces.
While listening to the pilots' report earlier, Rex discovered that the Shiftim Realm's geography is in constant flux, as the System has stated. Mountains could shift places, and the desert ground could suddenly split, morphing into something entirely different in a moment.
Additionally, natural disasters are the norm.
It's not a surprise that the enemy forces could be hidden very well in this kind of place.
But first things first, the army should be split into smaller groups.
Having a single united army going through the Shifting Realm is asking to be destroyed. If the ground cracked under them, then many of them would be swallowed without the others being able to help.
Due to that, it's best to split up.
Not only would they be more safe, but they could also cover more ground like this.
Edward knew what Rex was thinking from a glance and instantly ordered the army to be split into smaller groups, and they did it fairly quickly and in an orderly manner. "We'll be going to the scorching desert, while you go on the other side"
"Right, the Demons should be in the snowfield" Brigitta nodded and did exactly as told.
It was clearly evident that the Vampires were located in the scorching desert due to the more concentrated blood energy emanating from that region, while the snowfield was filled with demonic energy. Consequently, distinguishing between the two was a straightforward task.
Just like that, Rex and Edward's army moved into the scorching desert.
Under the guidance of the choppers above as an eye in the sky, the army advanced slowly.
Albeit the choppers provided invaluable assistance, helping them steer clear of major natural disasters like sandstorms or vast quicksand pools, the army was still vulnerable to sudden events that struck like a speeding truck.
Boom!
Splash!
Rex darted his eyes to the side and found dozens of military men sent flying.
His attention then went back to the sand and quickly moved in to check, yet he found that it was not the Vampires as he initially thought, but some mutated animals that were still going strong despite the First Breath's suppression.
Discerning them was hard as they moved inside the sand like an eel in murky water.
It was difficult to catch a glimpse of them.
More sand explosions could assaulted the army and they were still adjusting to the situation.
Several of the Awakened swiftly conjured a platform beneath the army's feet, elevating them off the ground, trying their very best to get away from the bad position they were in as the mutated animals attacked them from below.
On the other hand, Edward moved and slammed his hands into the ground.
His skin-tight, obsidian substance that acted as his armor instantly melded with the ground as he concentrated on drawing the mutated animals out of the sand. From below, the substance extended like pointy roots before slithering akin to serpents, pursuing the marauding creatures that were wreaking havoc on the army.
Rex who saw Edward doing something instantly glued his eyes in observation.
It was one of his plans to gain anything from this visit.
Since the Executor wouldn't be fighting for now and would probably do that later, he would focus on Edward's power as it would help immensely in their final showdown. Rex decided to not scan Edward as he was not sure whether that would be the best play.
At least, that is what he told himself.
In reality, despite the detachment between them, he doesn't want to see Edward's stats.
Had he seen that Edward had turned into an Ancient Human through his stats, then he wasn't sure how he'd react, so he chose to refrain from doing that unless absolutely necessary. At this point, he preferred to simply observe and draw conclusions from what he was witnessing.
Splash!
Out of nowhere, a burnt line gleamed from inside and created an ancient formation.
Following that, the ground exploded powerfully.
Boom!
Contrary to what Rex had expected, he saw countless purple spikes that were coated with black fire protruding out in a radius, able to bend like snakes, and bringing a chilling yet burning heat with them. In addition, the mutated animals inside the sand were forced out.
Rex who was in the air, dodging Edward's spell was surprised to see what he was seeing.
He thought the mutated animals were lizards, but it was not.
Bursting from the ground, exploding the sand on their exit points were the mutated animals with massive bodies, at least five to six meters in length with razor-sharp teeth and gills, the kind that doesn't belong to the desert.
It doesn't only surprise Rex but also the others, not expecting to see these mutated animals.
"Mutated sharks...? How did they get here?" Rex exclaimed in surprise.
Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are published on freew(e)bnove(l).𝓬𝓸𝓶