Chapter 989: Sakaar's answer
Half a Day Later - At the Border Between the Central and Southern Regions
Vroommm...
Dozens of warships began to decelerate, their powerful momentum gradually waning until they came to a complete stop.
Pshhhh...
The hatch of the lead flagship at the front of the fleet opened and out stepped the Seventh Prince along with several of his siblings. As they surveyed the scene before them, their faces were filled with astonishment. "What in the world...?"
Pythor's command had been clear and absolute: invade the southern region, claim it, and destroy the space portal. Yet, before even stepping into the southern territory, they were met with a bizarre sight.
Stretching out before them as far as the eye could see were ranks of local soldiers of various races. This wasn't unexpected- they knew the approximate number of combatants in the southern region. What was strange, however, was the spacing. Between each soldier, there was a distance of exactly ten meters!
At that moment, a rough, gravelly voice called out, as if its owner's throat was caked in dust, "Why did it take you so long?"
"You there... Demon General Amon?" The Seventh Prince turned to face a Demon hovering at a moderate distance. "Were you waiting for us?"
"Of course. The descent of dozens of ships from the wormhole isn't exactly subtle, no matter how you look at it. But we've been waiting a long time. What's the matter- did you need to gather a few more of your siblings first? Afraid to come alone? Hehe." Amon's tone was anything but serious.
"You had half a day to prepare, and this is all you've managed?" The Seventh Prince gestured dismissively toward the ground, his disdain evident.
Feigning surprise, Amon replied, "Oh my, doesn't the Supreme General Sakaar's plan impress your Highness?"
But instead of retorting, the Seventh Prince burst into laughter. "Ha! On the contrary, I find it quite amusing. Am I supposed to be intimidated by the sight of soldiers as far as the eye can see? If I were to deploy a single squad of a thousand soldiers, they'd tear apart this pathetic shape you call a strategy!"
"Oh, that sounds very clever. Why don't you try it?" Amon smirked, his sharp, savage teeth glinting as he motioned toward the ground.
".....'
The Seventh Prince's brow furrowed slightly. Something felt... off. But he waved toward one of the ships nonetheless.
Vroom...
The ship descended closer to the ground before its doors opened.
"Charge!!"
A large contingent of soldiers poured out, numbering nearly 5,000. Among them were several martial emperors.
"Wipe them out," the Seventh Prince commanded, not even glancing at his troops as his full attention remained fixed on Amon.
"For the glory of the Great Serpent Empire!!"
The 5,000 elite soldiers of the Great Serpent Empire advanced in precise, organized ranks with fierce discipline. Some broke off to form wings on either side of the formation, while others leaped high into the air to strike deep into the heart of the local forces. Their movements were a spectacle- a feast for the eyes of any observer.
And what happened next was no less spectacular.
As the Seventh Prince had predicted, the wide spacing of the local soldiers turned them into sitting ducks for a massacre. These locals were already far weaker than the soldiers of the Great Serpent Empire in terms of weaponry, cultivation level, and combat experience. Now, forced to fight almost individually-each standing in a circle ten meters across with no support— it was as if each one was fighting a whole army on their own.
The 5,000-strong army of the Great Serpent Empire advanced swiftly, crushing multiple rows of locals underfoot without losing a single soldier or even slowing their momentum. Strangely, the local soldiers remained rooted in place, spaced out as though they were sheep waiting for their turn at the slaughter. If the imperial forces continued like this, they could kill millions of them without breaking a sweat.
"Hahaha!" One of the princes laughed boisterously, slapping his brother's shoulder repeatedly in disbelief at the sheer stupidity of what they were witnessing.
But the Seventh Prince furrowed his brows, his expression grim. He muttered aloud, "Why? I've seen your battles against the Nihari Giants' Tribes. You may belong to a primitive race unworthy of being called intelligent, but you're not this stupid..."
"For that reason..." Amon, the demon general, chuckled darkly, motioning with his hand to outline a box.
"That?" The Seventh Prince's brow furrowed slightly before his eyes widened in realization. "You mean the Cataclysm Sealing Cubes?"
"Indeed, that Cataclysm thing- whatever its name may be. There's no harm in telling you; after all, there's nothing you can do about it," Amon said with a smirk. "We saw the destruction caused by it during your assault on my late brother Morin's and the Supreme General Sakaar's central army. The planet's spirit halts the attack once it extends beyond a certain range. So, we devised a plan: increasing the area covered by our soldiers reduces potential losses in case you decide to deploy those cubes again." He gestured to the field below. "Now, a single cube can only take out a few thousand locals. They've become practically useless."
The Seventh Prince was momentarily speechless. This plan sounded utterly... Stupid!
"Hahaha, and now your army is just as useless!" that same prince laughed mockingly. "Why would we even waste a Cataclysm Cube on this idiocy? Hahahaha!!"
Bzzzzzttt!
Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt!
At that moment, twenty instant spatial gates opened directly behind the 5,000 imperial soldiers, and thousands of demons poured out in the blink of an eye.
Shaaa! Swoosh! Boom!
As soon as they emerged, the demons launched a devastating attack on the unprepared soldiers' rear ranks, inflicting catastrophic damage. By the time the seventh prince realized what was happening, at least a thousand were dead, and the rest were scattered, wounded. "Prepare to deploy more troops! The battle has begun! Surround them and kill them all!" the Seventh Prince shouted, his voice resolute. If not for the risk of hitting his own troops, he would have ordered the use of artillery.
Rrrrrr!
Three ships descended, their doors opening to unleash reinforcements. Soldiers leaped out in organized formations, waiting for the command to rush forward and encircle the demons.
The Seventh Prince wasted no time. As soon as he deemed the formations ready, he raised his hand and shouted, "Advance-?!"
But before the words fully left his mouth, the demons retreated with startling speed. Being just a few meters from their instant space portals, they leaped back through them as swiftly as they had appeared, leaving behind a battlefield littered with corpses, injured soldiers, and an
air of utter disbelief.
Gulp.
The local soldiers scattered across the horizon kept their eyes tightly shut. The sounds of their nervous swallows filled the air, mingling with the stench of sweat and fear. They knew the imperial ships and their troops would unleash their fury on them next, yet none dared retreat.
"You... Is this your plan to stop us? Are you all insane?!" The Seventh Prince was on the verge of losing his mind. At that moment, he finally grasped the strategy concocted by Sakaar- A strategy that was a piece of pure madness.