The black sun hangs high

Chapter 476 The Storm Continues
As a barrage of crystallized shells rained down on the shadowy army marching through the rugged hills, a storm was brewing in the North.

Unbeknownst to many, the frontline offensive against the Kingdom of Saint Steel had reached a complete stalemate.

The main reason for this is, of course, the increased resistance from the Black Sun Society.

Although the inhabitants of the North have become increasingly resistant to the army of St. Steel since the war broke out again, the Black Sun Society has never shown the same leniency towards these potential recruits as other countries or organizations.

Using secret rituals to alter and reshape the consciousness and mind of those targeted has become one of the gentlest methods employed by the Black Sun Society.

By projecting illusions of numerous ancient deities and using various lost magic spells to directly distort the perceptions of the common people in the North, they can be made to "voluntarily" follow the recruiters to the military camp. In fact, this is already very fortunate, because the recruits do not have to endure too much pain in the process.

Especially physical pain.

For some villagers who are determined to resist and even dare to directly use violence to fight back, the Black Sun Society does not mind using some terrifying ancient artifacts to carry out bloody suppression and intimidation.

As it turns out, this method of suppression is extremely effective, since even the bravest rebels are helpless when faced with those bizarre and strange beings.

These creations, summoned through esoteric rituals, have gradually become the main fighting force in Saint Steel's army, thanks to the vigorous promotion of the Black Sun Society.

As for those soldiers with limited combat capabilities, who might even regain consciousness during battle due to the failure of the secret instrument, they have now been thoroughly reassigned by the Black Sun Society as "launchers" and "crystallization gun mounts" for crystal bullets.

Aside from occasionally throwing these poor souls up to fill the gaps, most of the time, the direct confrontation is carried out by those creatures.

Those ancient beings, like the giant bird of Yasaru, who had served as cheap cannon fodder in the distant past, were sent to the battlefield in various ways by members of the Black Sun Society. The great failures of these creations and the gods they once followed in the past have now been transformed into chains used to restrain and drive them.

That was a "blessing" transmitted from the Black Sun, from the Dark Abyss Palace.

The power to control and command these tragic survivors was thus transferred by the Black Sun Society to its fanatical followers.

Subtly, the situation in the North echoed that in the southern hills of the Love Plateau. The difference between the two directions was that the battlefront in the North was much wider and the war itself involved a larger area. Meanwhile, in the South, the Twisted Shadows, directly controlled by Novi, the number one leader of the Black Sun Society, had begun to spread outwards, attacking the defenses set up by the Kingdom of Votel near the rugged hills at any cost.

In order to better deal with the unrest in the heartland, the Kingdom of Wotel, which possesses the strongest military power among the highland kingdoms, had to rearrange and redeploy its troops. Apart from a small number of troops that actively cooperated with the allied forces and had already arrived at the front line, the troops that were originally stationed in the north to launch long-range artillery bombardments against the Kingdom of Saint Steel began to move south in an orderly manner. A new round of conscription has also begun in the towns within the threat range of the rugged hills.

Meanwhile, in the north, the other armies, having lost the support of friendly fire, began a bloody and brutal meat grinder war against the mixed army composed of bizarre creations. Faced with these enemies that defied common sense, the leadership of the Akatsuki quickly changed its strategy. The infiltration and flanking forces that had gained a huge advantage for the Akatsuki in the past began to retreat, while the powerful crystal cannons and experienced battlefield spellcasters began to concentrate.

Mayer and Darswell's thinking was clear: they should not act rashly before they had a clear understanding of the enemy's situation and intentions, and they should not sacrifice their brave and enthusiastic soldiers to maintain the "face of the front."

However, this strategy of shrinking defenses drew criticism from Mellinger and Fang Xiang at this moment.

Driven by certain fanatical "miracle believers" and "Meyer followers," the change in the Akatsuki's combat strategy was deliberately portrayed as a weak and powerless gesture of "goodwill" towards the Black Sun Society.

Despite the efforts of Professor Wekka, the "good guy" who was in charge of foreign affairs and Mellinger, to mediate and try to suppress this behavior that was clearly damaging to the alliance, various voices continued to emerge, including unverified messages that were released by newspapers and magazines located in the south of Goddess Plain.

It is obvious to everyone that in the south of Goddess Plains, a large number of members of the Black Sun Society, as well as small gatherings influenced and controlled by the Black Sun Society, are active. Under the deliberate manipulation of these guys, a considerable amount of processed and manipulated information has begun to spread widely in Goddess Plains and even the Lovi Plateau. Even in Merlinle and within the country, people have begun to question the legitimacy of this alliance.

In response, some decision-makers on the Legislative Affairs Commission chose to turn a blind eye.

This included some deep-sea level mages.

Soon, more damaging information about the Scaffolding was released, the most egregious of which was the attack on its leader, Frey Mayer. After a “rigorous investigation,” some individuals with ulterior motives claimed that the so-called Scaffolding was merely an extension of the Black Sun Society, with the direct evidence being the close relationship between Frey Mayer and Kizlov, a core member of the Black Sun Society—the two had been teacher and student, and Frey Mayer himself could even be considered Kizlov’s prized student.

The witnesses presented a series of evidence, from Mayer's detailed experiences in the Kingdom of St. Steel to his experiences in the army of the Kingdom of Water, to his early correspondence with Kzlov, and the figure of "Baron Hugh Ernst," who had many connections with the Black Sun Society, was also vaguely mentioned.

The evidence is irrefutable.

Combined with the current stalemate on the northern front and the Akatsuki's defensive retreat strategy, increasing evidence suggests that the Akatsuki is not a reliable partner, and the alliance strategy initiated with the Akatsuki as a key core is naturally shrouded in a terrible shadow.

In this situation, even the so-called "miracles" that had previously occurred in Watchtower City were considered by the fanatical followers of the goddess Mel to be the "goddess" herself correcting some mistakes.

The rumors about Professor Meyer himself only opened the floodgates, and more chaotic information followed. The Hourglass, as well as the strategies, ideas, and ideologies it adopted, soon began to be widely questioned and attacked. A considerable amount of the firepower was also directed at Hugh Ernst, the "core figure." Even without the control and funding of the Black Sun Society, the writers of those magazines and newspapers would never easily let go of such a fascinating character.

Not to mention, at this moment, Hugh Ernst himself is missing, and the Ernst family has not come forward to clarify or intervene, which gives people even more room for imagination and "creation." Under this terrible situation, the Dawn Sword, as an important intelligence agency, was the first to be affected and impacted.

Under orders from some of the leadership of the Legal Committee, a group of "veteran" Valley-level mages, along with several sword-wielding hermits, arrived at the headquarters of the Dawnblade one morning. However, there, they encountered Felix sitting on a chair at the gate.

The Dawnblade leader from Seren City, who had recently appeared somewhat green, sat upright in his chair, leaning on his slightly deformed metal cane, looking directly at all the visitors. In his hand, he held an important document jointly signed by two deep-sea level mages and Vika, the head of external affairs for the Law Committee.

This document formally bestowed upon Felix a status akin to that of a "chosen one."

Felix himself was extremely resistant to this identity, after all, no one knew the truth behind that miracle better than him, and no one knew better than him the sacrifices his friend had made in the Battle of Watchtower. But now, this special identity had become a strong enough shield. As long as Felix held onto this shield, he could buy more time and space for his comrades and ideals.

"Since the outbreak of the war against the Kingdom of Saint Steel, the Dawn Sword has proven its existence and value through countless actions and sacrifices."

At that moment, Felix's weathered, gaunt face became even colder than Merlinle's icy demeanor. Leaning on his cane, he said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Those who work here are not only members of the Dawn Society, but also many intelligence agents from various countries, as well as loyal hermits from the Sword-Holding Ascetic Monastery... Gentlemen, before you step into this place, you had better think carefully about whether your actions have already deviated from the will of the goddess Merlinle."

“I’m right here, you can go now.”

Felix politely stepped aside, but the menacing uninvited guests ultimately did nothing. They could even see the members of the Dawnbreaker organization working diligently inside the Dawnbreaker headquarters.

The storm raged on, and everyone knew that this was just the beginning.

But at this tense and delicate juncture, a novel about Vaan, about nations and wars, love and hatred, life and death, began to circulate unnoticed.

Many people are not familiar with the author of this novel, but those who pay attention to and support the Dawn Society are quite the opposite.

The author's pen name is "The Ghost of Seren".

……

Large trains powered by magic crystals and steam are now in use in the Kingdom of Saint Steel, and these steam trains are a kind of imitation of the version from the Kingdom of Water.

Under orders from the Saint Steel royal family and the Black Sun Society, the design intent of these trains became extremely crude and direct. In order to maximize transport capacity and ensure the transportation of personnel, weapons and supplies, the scholars and craftsmen of the Black Sun Society drastically simplified and modified the internal structure of the trains, turning these steel behemoths into completely "hollow transport vehicles".

The thin metal shells of questionable quality and the empty carriages were like giant iron boxes. Once they were filled with disheveled passengers, coupled with the pungent alchemical fumes produced by the steam train and the vomiting of those who were carsick, these carriages could easily become uninhabitable.

But the Kingdom of Saint Steel now has absolutely no say in all of that.

Now, having tasted the benefits of the steam train's enormous carrying capacity, the officials and generals of St. Steel wanted to do everything they could to send all available resources to the front lines. They had previously received reliable intelligence and information from the Black Sun Society and believed that the crucial moment for launching a counterattack had arrived.

Even in the current environment, although the main force of the Saint Steel Kingdom's army has been replaced by those terrifying beings, the manpower needed for building fortifications, constructing lines, operating weapons, and so on is like a huge black hole, and they have to keep filling it with people.

Under these circumstances, even in the city of Corlos, which had previously served as a resting place for Saint Steel officers and nobles, a massive conscription campaign was launched. In addition to ordinary soldiers, alchemists who could concoct magical potions, physicians who could provide healing magic, and mage apprentices were sent to the front lines without question.

In a carriage loaded with alchemical potions and basic medicinal herbs, a slender figure leaned against two bags of herbs, slowly turning the pages of a book by the light of an old crystal lamp fixed to the side.

This is a novel. The cover is a bit old, but the pages inside look quite new. Clearly, this book, like its owner, has been disguised. Beneath the cover of what appears to be an ordinary alchemy book lies content strictly prohibited by the Saint Steel government.

This was the only form of entertainment Vera could enjoy on her way to the front lines in St. Steel.

In fact, Weilin was already very familiar with these words in the book. After all, she had read them carefully several times when they were still in the manuscript stage. With her excellent memory, she could even identify which parts of the novel had been revised.

But she was still completely engrossed in watching it.

During that period of time, Weilin also underwent some changes.

In the past, her calmness and composure were more like an illusion, which would often be stripped away by external interference at certain times. But now, this quality has penetrated into her mind and heart, enabling her to face all the situations she encounters in a more rational state.

(End of this chapter)