Capítulo 1587: Chapter 293: World War

After all, aside from the Floating City in the material world, the entire domain of void within The Empire is changing. Who knows if the Guardian has any bigger plans?

However, regardless of what Ian’s speculation yields, the Guardian’s plans and the Floating City are about to commence.

“The details to follow will be discussed by an Emissary from the Imperial Capital, who will visit each of your territories. Relevant subsidies and engineering support will be finalized at that time.”

The person in charge of the Floating City bowed respectfully to the nobles. His tone was sincere: “You are all the pillars of The Empire and the absolute rulers of your respective territories… The Floating City in your territories is entirely constructed and managed by you. The Imperial Capital only needs the shield system of the Floating City to connect to the shield network that will protect The Empire at crucial moments.”

“Of course, the recently ubiquitous terminal information network also needs to be built. The requirements from the Imperial Capital are only these.”

Something is amiss.

The Imperial Capital is giving too much and asking for too little; this doesn’t feel right.

It’s not just Ian who can see it. All nobles present are Sublimators, clever as foxes; how could they not perceive the oddity behind this matter?

The Imperial Capital hands over strategic-level, confidential Floating City technology to local Lords without demanding a transfer of rights or supervision of the Floating City. It seems they do not intend to leave any trap door—should there be any, the powerful abilities of the great nobles could easily reveal them.

The Imperial Capital seems to want them to join the shield network; everything else, whether it’s the military strengthening or technological enhancement by the Floating City, doesn’t concern them.

—So, what the Imperial Capital truly desires is something more significant lurking behind the Floating City.

Even Ian can’t find it at the moment.

But Ian won’t abandon the Floating City.

The sugar-coated cannonball thrown by the Imperial Capital is filled with sugar, and although it might be to conceal the equally outrageous cannonball, Ian never minds.

The Prophet must dare to make judgments, for how else to move towards a better future!

Thus, it went.

Including Ian, all Imperial Nobility pledged and signed the agreement.

Upon The Empire’s first Floating City, the road to the sky was fully opened.

Then…

The Far Frontier City, observed by Ian and others returning to the ground, slowly navigated towards the fortress group in Fiery Flame Land, northwest.

“No need to watch anymore.”

Ian slightly shook his head and turned to the skyship, speaking calmly: “Even if the Fiery Flame Land can block the Floating City, it would need the deployment of two Fourth Energy Level individuals—and both the Second Prince and the Leader of the Azure Cloud Knight Order are here. In other words, at least four Fourth Energy Levels would be needed under their protection to block the Floating City.”

Deploying four Fourth Energy Levels just to block the advance of the Floating City—how could the fortress group of Fiery Flame Land respond to the counterattack of the Empire Legion? Hastily organized, the Fiery Flame Land could definitely not withstand this surprise attack from the Far Frontier City. The Empire can surely reclaim previously lost fortresses.

And perhaps… venture deep into the heart of Fiery Flame Land!

And so it was.

In Terra Year 775, July 28th, the strategic stronghold of The Empire, the Floating City ‘Far Frontier’ descended upon the Abassalom Fortress Group in Fiery Flame Land. Five permanent fortresses and nineteen giant artillery bastions were turned to ashes by whirlwind and flames overnight, transforming into dust clouds.

Wherever the Floating City passed, it left a scorched earth wasteland, collapsed mountains, perished structures; all meeting their ultimate destruction.

More than 25,000 soldiers of Fiery Flame Land were incinerated on the spot, and five times that number of stationed troops were crushed and scattered among surrounding mountains—they were like birds startled by a mere draw of a bow, trembling and burrowing into their excavated caves upon hearing the thunderous, engine-like roar of the Floating City.

Hundred thousand troops—extremely modern, strictly trained, purely disengaged veterans lost combat effectiveness overnight. Such losses are intolerable even for a Tera Great Nation like Fiery Flame Land. They wanted to respond, but could not find effective technology or weaponry against the Floating City in time.

The frontline desperately suppressed news about the fall of the Abassalom Fortress Group, but on August 1st, 775, people in the southwestern region of Fiery Flame Land learned about the complete collapse of the front. No need for Empire spies to spread the word—the rapid deployment of various large Legion groups from Fiery Flame Land’s various countries sufficed to indicate the severity of the situation.

The first wave of refugees appeared within Fiery Flame Land.

By this time, the Far Frontier City had entered the borders of Fiery Flame Land. Accompanied by the Imperial Western Border Legion protecting the flank of the Floating City, they swiftly built fortresses and established advance bases on the original city sites in the southwest district of Fiery Flame Land.

Two days later, only Baye City remained as the lone defensive city in the entire Southwest Battle Zone of Fiery Flame Land struggling to hold out.

However, by this time, Fiery Flame Land found a method to counter the Floating City—they employed a peculiar form of subspace technology, possibly evolved from Demonic Technology, or another refined field-guiding power. Temporarily twisting a large area’s Natural Spiritual Energy Field, it significantly increased the engine’s power loss rate, hindering the Floating City’s flight through natural power.

But by then, The Empire had stabilized their advance base in the southwestern part of Fiery Flame Land. Even as remnants of the Demon Legion near the Misty Forest continued to attack the Imperial Western Border’s supply line, the agriculture greenhouses and buildings rapidly established around the fortress indicated that this time, the Empire’s army had no intentions whatsoever of retreating.