Luthor walked out and entered a secluded area of the fort so that he could talk to 1000 properly. Although the members of the battalion were not easily demoralized, a strict control of information was still necessary.
"Are you here?" Luthor asked in the empty room.
In response, a small line was etched into the wall beside him, indicating that 1000 had followed him as instructed.
"There's no need to mention that something is amiss, but now I believe we are specifically being targeted. I need you to go outside the fort and find out who the enemy is and what they're planning."
1000 etched a tick mark into the wall before disappearing. Although he could touch the world around him, 1000 would leave no traces behind, as he would only physically affect the world if he willed it. Otherwise, he would not leave a footprint even in the sand.
Just as Luthor was considering his next actions, a space ripple passed through the fort. Luthor quickly stepped out and discovered that countless soldiers had dropped to the ground, some of them dead but most of them only injured.
"How long until the formation is up and running?" Luthor asked, turning to one of the elves near him.
"We're trying, but it's not so simple. Formations to stabilize space are not easy to begin with, and we are suffering from a severe scarcity of resources!"
"You better think of a solution quickly, or there won't be anyone left alive for your formation to protect!"
The elves had offered to set up such a formation within their fort, but putting up a formation was not something easily achieved, not to mention that it had not even been a full day yet since they began.
Before the elf could defend himself, the sound of a horn bellowed through the fort, and all the soldiers froze for a moment. The next second, their demeanor changed and all of them entered a combative state of mind. The horn was a warning. There were enemies on the horizon!
Unlike the rest, Luthor was not taken by surprise by the horn, as he had been expecting it. He leaped forward immediately and rushed to the outer wall and climbed the battlements from where he could get the best view.
Gerard and others rushed there at the same time, and they all looked towards the approaching enemies.
"Void dwellers!" the minotaur exclaimed with anger and hatred. The void dwellers were what they called the creatures that poured in from the rips in space, and were the most hated enemies for anyone on the Cursed Planet.
"We are fortunate," said the elf leader as he looked out at them. "Their corpses can be used as precious materials to draw the space stabilization formation."
"Gerard, find out if the enemies are coming from any other side," Luthor said as he drew battle plans in his mind. Due to the fact that they could not find a suitable location to build their fort, it was exposed from all sides, which meant that they had to station a portion of their army on each side to defend in case of enemies.
"The elves will not take part in battle," Luthor commanded, his gaze not diverting from the incoming creatures. "They will focus solely on building the formation. Our greatest threat right now is the space ripples. Those elves not proficient in building the formation will be incharge of protecting those who are."
Right now, they did not have the time to foster trust and cooperation between the various forces inside the fort. It would be best if the elves protected their own, which would allow them to feel at ease.
"The minotaurs will divide, and a portion will be stationed on each side of the fort. The Midnight Battalion will take the front charge against the Void Dwellers, but if any other foes attack, the minotaurs will step in. Gerard, divide up the rest and make sure they all take their stations. If anyone causes problems, then there is no need to hesitate. During war, we retain the right to administer capital punishment to deserters."
With his orders given Luthor jumped forward. The void dwellers were an unusual mix of strange creatures, each looking different from the rest. They all had different abilities, making it very difficult to fight against them in groups. Of course, that only applied to others.
With his first step, purple flames erupted from his hands. With his second step, they spread up his arms, hugging his black suit but not harming it at all. By the time he took his third step, his torso and upper body were engulfed in furious purple flames.
By his fourth step, he was a purple inferno rushing towards the Void Dwellers who had slowed down their initial charge. Some of them even tried to turn back and escape, but there was no escape.
Luthor had firmly mastered his strength, and could perfectly control his output so that it stayed on the border of stimulating space, but not actually doing so. Walking this tightrope did not seem to hamper Luthor at all as he single-handedly stopped the first charge of enemies towards his fort, and then dove deep within their ranks to make sure he was thoroughly surrounded.
Back when Z could still use his abilities, he was the only one who could accompany Luthor when he became like this, but even without backup he was a force of nature unto himself.
Back on the battlements the minotaurs' battle lust cooled down as he looked at Luthor. He was a maniac and felt no strain on his pride obeying his orders.
"Sandra, go remind Luthor to leave the corpses behind," Gerard yelled from the battlements. On this side of the fort Luthor alone was enough, but they were being attacked from all four sides according to the latest report. Gerard, however, was not concerned. They had faced worse odds than this. This was just another Monday as far as he was concerned. Speaking of which, was it really Monday? He had lost track of days.