Chapter 550: Thunderfall World
The spatial passage was longer and more turbulent than usual.
Sein, with his keen senses, detected subtle spatial disorientation twice during their journey, indicating that they had traversed through two distinct spatial gateways.
Their travel from the Order of the Steel Fist to Thunderfall World was not direct; there was likely a transit in between.
Over the years, Sein had extensively studied spatial magic and summoning.
His nuanced awareness of his surroundings had deepened considerably since his first participation in interplanar wars.
When Sein and the others emerged from the spatial passage, they were greeted by a world dominated by shades of azure.
Faint flashes of lightning flickered deep within the clouds, and in the distance, thick bolts of lightning cleaved the sky.
The rumble of thunder was a constant presence, the sounds lingering in their ears since their arrival.
The ground itself was scorched black, and the air was rife with mixed elemental energy fluctuations—a clear indication that the battlefield was nearby.
A black-bearded Rank Two Knight appeared before them and shouted, “Hey, newcomers! We need to head to the Rocky Range first. If you’re a man then charge with me!”
Indeed, the nature of the interplanar wars led by orders of the knights differed significantly from Sein’s previous experience.
Sein was unfamiliar with his surroundings and situations. He had no idea where Rocky Ridge was, how was he going “charge” there?
Aside from Sein, a few other external support mages were equally perplexed.
The numerous Rank One knights from the Order of the Steel Fist roared and followed the black-bearded knight as they rushed toward the east of the camp.
Amidst the commotion, a few female knights cursed under their breath, clearly displeased with the knight’s recent remarks.
It was evident that within this group of knights, a gender disparity existed.
Female knights, significantly outnumbered by their male counterparts at the same rank, faced an unspoken chauvinism.
It was not overt disrespect that marginalized them, but rather a quiet consensus that kept them from the more perilous war missions.
Sein, along with the other newly arrived knights and mages, numbered in the hundreds.
The enslaved creatures were even more numerous, exceeding a hundred thousand—these were the real bulk of the force, with over ninety percent still emerging from the spatial passage.
Griman, the Rank One knight beside Sein, was also eager to advance.
However, Sein pulled him aside to inquire about the situation.
The bearded knight, showing a hint of intelligence, replied, “How dangerous can a battle near the camp be? These are easy wins delivered right to our doorstep!”
“If it were truly one of those dangerous large-scale conflicts, Gonchez wouldn’t just drag us along like this. The fortress command center wouldn’t issue such an order either,” he added.
Despite only being a Rank One knight, Griman could be considered a veteran of interplanar wars; this was his fifth conflict, marking him well-versed in both combat and the operations of various knightly orders.
The fortress command center served as the central hub during interplanar wars initiated by these orders.
It was a misconception that every Rank Four knight excelled in command; many were mere brutes, comparable to the foreign gods in the Magus Alliance.
In this context, a competent fortress command center was crucial.
It was operated by individuals skilled in strategizing and mobilization, and included not just knights but also mages.
Many orders of the knights often retained mages with unique abilities, offering more generous terms than even the divine towers.
Typically, a Nation War was held approximately every decade, leaving no room for mediocrity amidst these frequent internal conflicts.
While many aspects might seem illogical at first, deeper analysis often revealed a rational foundation.
Sein was thrust onto the battlefield without any knowledge of the Thunderfall World, the number of fortress camps the Order of the Steel Fist had established, or even his precise location within it.
Yet, he charged into the fray, along with hundreds of knights and nearly ten thousand enslaved creatures in a direct confrontation with the native inhabitants of the Thunderfall World.
***
The Rocky Range, positioned directly east of the fortress camp, was a steep, zigzag-shaped mountain range rising seven thousand meters above sea level.
Containing only low-grade minerals like dravites and lacking strategic value, the mountains nevertheless served as a crucial resupply point for the Order of the Steel Fist.
Situated to the east of the fortress camp behind Sein and his comrades, this range had been largely disregarded by the native creatures of the Thunderfall World until it became a frequent battleground.
Over the past decade, the Rocky Range had witnessed several large-scale battles, including three major conflicts.
The most recent battle, seven years ago, saw the Order of the Steel Fist deploying twenty thousand knights and over two hundred thousand enslaved creatures to decisively expel the indigenous beings of the Thunderfall World from the Rocky Range.
Since then, the region had experienced only minor skirmishes.
Currently, the main battlefront between the Order of the Steel Fist and Thunderfall World’s native creatures lay further east along the Rocky Ridge.
The ongoing conflict here stemmed from the native creatures continually airlifting troops to disrupt the invading Magus World Army.
Sein had learned from the order that the native race of this low-level plane was known as “Garths”, a name derived from their distinctive battle cries.
However, they referred to themselves as the “Sons of Thunder”.
The invaders from the Magus World had named this realm the “Thunderfall World”, but the Garths preferred to call their homeland the “Thunderous World” instead.
“Sons of Thunder will never submit to the invaders!” A blue-skinned Garth shouted defiantly, its palms giving off electrifying brilliance.
Crackle!
The air seemed to react with the clouds above the Rocky Range.
A thick thunderbolt descended from the sky, striking it and elevating its life level from Rank One to mid-stage Rank Two in mere moments.
“Could this be the power of planar’s blessing?” Sein wondered aloud, awestruck by the transformation he was witnessing.
However, before the newly empowered Rank Two Garth could wreak havoc on the Magus World Army, a cold snort echoed from the side of the battlefield.
It came from the black-bearded knight who had led Sein and the others to the Rocky Range. His heavy iron sword, already coated with sticky blue blood, suggested he had been busy reaping lives.
Without allowing the Rank Two Garth a moment to unleash its newfound powers, the Blackbeard Knight hefted his sword and charged toward it.
Intrigued by the Garth’s power-up from the lightning strike, Sein summoned the Verdant Flame Heart Rod into his hand and soared toward the Rank Two creature too.
His approach, however, was more discreet than the black-beaded knight as he moved stealthily across the chaotic battlefield.