Global Beast Mastery: Only I Can See the Hints - Chapter 620 - 620: General Sost's Troubled Mind
At the frontlines of the conflict between the Serpent Empire and the Stellar Empire, the atmosphere at Withered Tree Fortress was heavy with tension.
All the Serpent soldiers knew that they were facing a dire crisis.
Through continuous recruitment and defection, the Stellar Empire had successfully torn the Serpent People into fragmented factions.
With the aid of the Serpent tribes that had defected to the Stellar Empire, the enemy’s forces had managed to breach the Serpent Empire’s defenses in multiple places.
Now, the Serpent Empire could only rely on the fortified Withered Tree Fortress and the defensive walls constructed in the desert to delay the advance of the Stellar Empire’s army.
Everyone was hoping that General Sost would come up with a strategy to counter the situation.
But clearly, this seemed almost impossible.
If General Sost had a solution, he would have presented it by now.
There would have been no need to wait until the situation had become this critical.
The Stellar Empire’s army had surrounded Withered Tree Fortress from three directions. Once the fortress was taken, the Serpent Empire’s defense would collapse in an instant.
Even with the transparent barrier behind them, that shield wouldn’t hold against the Stellar Empire for long.
The Stellar Empire could easily deploy its Beast Master forces and other special units to destroy the barrier.
Amid this grim atmosphere, Azka arrived at the entrance of Withered Tree Fortress.
The guards at the gate recognized Azka and immediately allowed him entry.
When Azka reached the fortress, it was coincidentally the same time that Charles and Connell encountered each other.
Azka had taken the main road, saving much time, which is why he had arrived ahead of Charles at the fortress.
Upon returning to the frontlines, Azka’s first priority was to seek out General Sost.
He felt it was essential to inform General Sost of everything that had transpired at Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis.
At the very center of the fortress, on a massive observation tower made of special metal, General Sost stared intently into the distance.
“General! Lord Azka has returned! He wishes to see you immediately,”
reported one of the Serpent soldiers.
General Sost nodded.
“Let him in. I’ve been wanting to see him too.”
Sost had originally thought that Azka would spend a long time at Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis. He had sent him there to keep an eye on everything happening within the oasis.
He wasn’t entirely trusting of High Priest Aldany or Charles.
Azka’s sudden return made him realize that the man must have brought back extremely important intelligence.
A moment later, Azka entered the observation tower.
“The situation at Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis is extremely complex. The Queen’s condition has not improved. The conflict between High Priest Aldany and Charles has also become more intense,”
Azka immediately conveyed the most crucial information he had.
General Sost nodded.
This was all within his expectations.
The Tears of an Angel that Charles brought had temporarily improved the Queen’s condition. But in the end, the curse on her was far too powerful to be removed so easily.
Aldany had always held a negative view of Charles. From the very beginning, the two were at odds, and naturally, their conflict had escalated as time passed.
“Tell me the details.”
General Sost spoke calmly.
“After I arrived at Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis, High Priest Aldany immediately found me. He assigned me to secretly monitor Charles and Zara,”
Azka said slowly.
Suddenly, General Sost interrupted him.
“You followed Aldany’s orders just like that? Didn’t you realize that the command was a trap?”
At Sost’s questioning, Azka’s face showed signs of discomfort.
“I didn’t think much of it at the time. And your command was to get to the bottom of things at Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis, so I thought it was necessary to keep an eye on the foreign humans.”
Azka’s response didn’t satisfy General Sost.
Shaking his head, Sost said,
“You’re still too naïve. If I’m not mistaken, you were probably dragged into the conflict between Aldany and Charles, weren’t you?”
“Yes! Your judgment is correct! My surveillance didn’t last long before Charles discovered me. To avoid complications, I decided to flee, but I underestimated Charles’s strength. After a fierce battle, Charles and Zara sealed me. Shortly after, Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis was suddenly attacked. I don’t know the specifics because I was still sealed at that time.”
Upon hearing this, General Sost’s brow furrowed even deeper.
The fact that Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis had been attacked made him feel like there was no longer any safe place in the Serpent Empire.
Once Withered Tree Fortress fell to the Stellar Empire, the Serpent Empire could collapse in an instant.
Azka didn’t notice Sost’s growing concern. He continued speaking, oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
“When Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis was attacked, High Priest Aldany sounded the horn and called all the people in the oasis to defend the walls. Charles and Zara didn’t participate in this battle.
Aldany used their absence as an excuse to accuse Charles of being a spy for the Stellar Empire. He even convened all the High Priests for a public trial.
From the information I gathered after being freed from the seal, it seems that Aldany didn’t manage to gain the upper hand in the trial. Charles displayed astonishing eloquence during the debate.”
As Azka reached this part, his tone changed considerably from earlier.
His tone revealed clear admiration for Charles.
General Sost, of course, noticed this.
So, he asked calmly,
“After the trial, Charles must have interrogated you, right? You didn’t reveal much useful information, but Charles ultimately chose to trust you and released you, didn’t he?”
Azka was stunned by Sost’s insight.
He hadn’t expected General Sost to guess so accurately.
“You’re right, that’s exactly how it happened. That’s why I rushed back. I believe Charles isn’t our enemy—at least, he’s done far more for the Serpent Empire than High Priest Aldany has,”
Azka said, fully aligning himself with Charles now.
General Sost didn’t respond immediately.
He still wasn’t fully convinced by Charles.
After pacing back and forth in thought for a moment, General Sost slowly spoke.
“In this operation, you didn’t make any mistakes. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Go rest now. I hope you can get back to your best quickly and be ready to join the fight. The pressure from the Stellar Empire is immense. As a Level 5 Beast Master, you need to help the regular Serpent soldiers on the frontlines.”
Azka immediately replied,
“I understand! I don’t need a long rest. A night’s sleep will be enough. Tomorrow, I’ll be on the frontlines, fighting alongside the other Serpent soldiers.”
With that, Azka left the room.
General Sost watched Azka’s retreating figure, his brow furrowing even deeper.
“Is he really an ally of the Serpent people? Can a human truly offer sincere help to us, the Serpents?”
Although General Sost hadn’t shown any overt hostility toward Charles, his suspicions about him had never ceased.
The information Azka brought back didn’t diminish his doubts about Charles; in fact, it only deepened his suspicions.
Charles’s actions were far too calculated.
Such a shrewd human placed a great deal of pressure on Sost.
However, he didn’t have the energy to focus on that right now. The situation at the front was already dire enough.
He was severely lacking in soldiers, which meant he couldn’t let Aldany and Charles clash directly.
He had to maintain good relations with both.
He needed Aldany’s tribe to continue supplying soldiers, while also needing Charles to avoid disrupting the Serpent Empire’s rear.
The delicate balancing act was weighing heavily on Sost’s mind.
He alone had to bear all of the responsibility.
He couldn’t even share his worries with anyone else.
Because once he did, the fragile equilibrium would likely be shattered.
If Aldany found out that Sost wasn’t on his side, Aldany might initiate a coup at Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis.
With the Queen slipping into another coma, even if the other High Priests opposed him, Aldany could use the strength of his tribe to force control.
At that point, whatever Sost did would be wrong.
If he allowed Aldany’s actions, it would essentially mean the total destruction of the Serpent Empire.
And if he dared to pull his forces back to Serpent’s Eye Lake Oasis, the frontlines of the Serpent Empire would collapse instantly.
The Stellar Empire’s army would charge forward without resistance.
In that scenario, not only would the Serpent Empire be destroyed, but all Serpents would fall under the rule of the Stellar Empire.
That was a fate Sost couldn’t accept.
After thinking for a long time with his brow furrowed, General Sost sighed deeply.
“It’s a step-by-step situation from here. I’ll hold on for as long as I can. The situation is so bad now that there’s no way to improve it.”
At that moment, he suddenly felt a strange sense of connection between Withered Tree Fortress and the fate of the Serpent Empire.
Withered Tree Fortress had now become the most critical stronghold on the Serpent Empire’s frontlines. Once it fell, the Serpent Empire would be on the countdown to its destruction.
Yet the name Withered Tree Fortress itself carried a deeply ominous meaning.
The Serpent Empire was like a withered tree—still struggling to survive, but inevitably heading toward its final ruin.
