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Chapter 286: 286
Zarvok continued, his tone taking on a more instructive edge. "The cannon fodder—the first waves—are crucial. They’re not meant to win the war but to weaken the world’s defenses, wearing down its resistance and allowing the abyss to take root. Once they’ve done their job, the real invasion begins. The stronger forces can then move in without being heavily suppressed, ensuring we gain a solid foothold in the new world."
Keles nodded thoughtfully, piecing together the strategy. "So, the first wave sacrifices itself to pave the way for the stronger ones. And once the land is eroded, it becomes an extension of the abyss, making it easier for the rest of the army to follow and fight effectively."
"Precisely," Zarvok confirmed, his eyes glinting with a mixture of anticipation and cold calculation. "Every inch of ground they take, every bit of territory they erode, becomes a staging ground for us. The abyss will seep into the very essence of that world, corrupting it, weakening its defenses further with every passing moment."
"The current suppression you both feel now is nothing compared to what you will face once you step through this portal. The abyss is used to foreign existences entering and leaving it, so its suppression isn’t as more severe than it should be."
"For a world not accustomed to foreign entities, the suppression is more like a physical body fighting off an illness. The world will instinctively do all it can to push out or eliminate the foreign existence."
Keles’s eyes narrowed slightly as she considered the implications. "So, the suppression will be stronger, more aggressive. We won’t just be fighting the inhabitants; we’ll be battling the very essence of the world itself."
Zarvok nodded, his expression serious. "Exactly. The world will try to reject you, to purge you like a virus. That’s why erosion is crucial. As the cannon fodder weakens the world’s defenses, it also dulls that instinctive resistance. But until that process takes hold, you’ll be facing the full force of the world’s rejection."
Ikenga frowned, his mind racing with the possible challenges ahead. "And if we’re too slow? If the erosion doesn’t happen quickly enough?"
"Then you’ll be fighting an uphill battle," Zarvok replied bluntly. "The suppression will drain your strength, sap your power. You might find yourself unable to access even a fraction of your true abilities. That’s why timing and strategy are everything in an invasion like this. We need to erode the world’s defenses as quickly as possible, or we risk being overwhelmed."
Ikenga crossed his arms, his gaze turning toward the distant portal that now shimmered with an ominous light. "And what of the world’s defenders? The goblins and ogres you spoke of—how do they factor into this erosion?"
Zarvok’s voice held a confident edge as he continued, his gaze never wavering from the ominous portal. "The goblins and ogres are the wild cards in this invasion. If they lack knowledge of the abyss, their initial reaction will be confusion and chaos, which plays into our hands. But if they are aware, if they understand even a fraction of what’s coming, they’ll throw everything they have at stopping the erosion process. Their resistance could be formidable, but it’s in those first moments of shock where we’ll gain our advantage."
Keles considered this, her mind working through the scenarios. "And if they’re strong enough to push back immediately? If they rally faster than expected?"
Zarvok’s smirk returned, more calculating than before. "Then we adapt. Our forces are not without their own strengths. The cannon fodder may be weaker individually, but they are relentless. They will throw themselves at the enemy until the ground itself bends to the will of the abyss. And once the erosion begins, even the strongest defenders will find their strength waning. Their world will turn against them, just as it does against us."
Ikenga’s arms remained crossed, his expression thoughtful as he digested the information. "You’re betting on their ignorance. But if they’re aware—if they are prepared—our task becomes much harder. We’ll need more than brute force to win."
Zarvok gave a slight nod, acknowledging the point. "True. Which is why we won’t rely solely on brute force. The abyss has its own ways of undermining a world’s defenses. Erosion isn’t just a physical process; it’s psychological, spiritual. The very presence of the abyss will instill fear, doubt, and despair. These emotions weaken resolve, break down unity. Even if the goblins and ogres are prepared, their world will fight them as much as it fights us once the erosion takes hold."
Zarvok no longer paid any attention to Ikenga and Keles as he focused on his foot soldiers, roaring, "Advance!" no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
Without fear, the army of weak Imps roared in unison as they rushed into the portal. In front of Ikenga, a view of the other world beyond the portal appeared.
But before they could appreciate the sight, a popping sound followed by explosions and splashes of red blood filled the air. Ikenga and Keles grimaced at the scene and looked over at Zarvok, who remained unphased, as if expecting this to happen.
The Imps that made it through the portal were enveloped by the world’s suppression. Whether it was due to their weakness or the sheer strength of the suppression, they were all crushed into meat paste, as if heavy gravity had descended upon them.
"The erosion begins," Zarvok said, as Ikenga and Keles watched. The Imp demons following behind stepped on the blood and flesh of their predecessors. Unlike the first wave, they weren’t immediately suppressed, but as soon as they moved beyond that point, the same fate befell them.
While Ikenga observed the scene, his attention was also divided between the view on Phantom’s side. When the portal emerged on Zarvok’s side, another one had appeared near the gargoyles’ new outpost.
Unlike Zarvok, who was pleased with the portal’s appearance, the gargoyles were distressed, realizing they no longer had time to progress at their own pace.
Phantom, who had been warned by Ikenga about stepping through the portal, made sure to stay back. Lacking the memory inheritance of the demons, he was surprised when he saw Malzor commanding the weaker gargoyles to do the same as Zarvok.
This meant that on another side of the invaded world, a portal to the Abyss had opened, and the gargoyles were invading. Ikenga, close to Zarvok, began to wonder how many portals had opened in this Abyss layer.
He wanted to share this information with Keles, but couldn’t, not even telepathically, as the Abyss layer was suppressing communication. For a while, this continued, with demons pouring into the other world, eroding it.
On the gargoyle side, they were forced to stop sending armies when news came through that they had encountered a unique structure in the new world.
An image was passed to Malzor, who immediately stood up from his throne, pacing around in agitation. Phantom, confused by Malzor’s behavior, asked, "What’s wrong?"
Malzor waved his hand, and the structure relayed to him hovered in the air for Phantom to see. Phantom, with no idea what he was looking at, was amazed by the structure but had only a superficial understanding of its significance.
Feigning concern, Phantom appeared even more disturbed than Malzor. Neither spoke until Malzor finally asked, "What is a mage tower doing in a world led by goblins and ogres?"
Phantom had no idea what Malzor meant, so he maintained his disturbed appearance, saying nothing, but looking deep in thought. Meanwhile, Ikenga, who received the message, struggled to keep his composure.
"A mage tower?" Ikenga, who had been reborn as a god after so many years began recalling his past world and the fantasy stories from there. In those stories, a mage tower signified a mage’s status and strength.
Nana had mentioned that mages or wizards were a civilization to watch out for. Judging by Malzor’s reaction, they seemed more troublesome than Ikenga had imagined.
At the gargoyle outpost, Malzor paused for a moment before he started laughing. "Those mad researchers must have been undone by their own experiments."
In the magical tower, a goblin dressed in robes and holding a staff could be seen walking out, glancing at the huge nearby portal. Malzor’s laughter was dark and filled with a twisted sense of satisfaction. "You know," he finally said, still chuckling, "those foolish mages might have been powerful, but they underestimated the goblins they toyed with. Their tower is nothing but a mockery of its former glory now."
Phantom raised an eyebrow, pretending to be intrigued. "The goblins took over? How?"
Malzor waved his hand dismissively, the image of the tower still floating before them. "It’s quite simple, really. The mages were probably too obsessed with their experiments, creating all manner of creatures and imbuing them with magic. But in their arrogance, they let the goblins—those filthy, cunning little pests—get too close to their secrets. Now, the goblins control the tower, but they don’t even realize the true power they hold. To them, it’s just another tool for their petty squabbles."
