Chapter 84 two days before the war

Chapter 84: 84 two days before the war

84 two days before

The Medusas’ territory looked completely different from usual now that the war had practically arrived.

The civilians were being evacuated to the mausoleum of the Great Alchemist.

The inhabited areas, which would normally be filled with the movement of warriors, workers, and families, were now overwhelmed by frantic activity.

The Medusas carried bags, boxes, and small pouches as they followed the passages leading to the Mausoleum.

Mothers carried children in their arms, while daughters pulled along elderly women who walked slowly.

Some carried tools, medicinal herbs, and materials that could be used during the war.

"Don’t fall behind!"

A warrior shouted as she helped a family cross a narrow passage.

"Officer, my daughter is still back there!"

"She’s with your sister. Keep moving! Someone will take care of them. We mustn’t stop now!"

Farther ahead, a child held her mother’s hand while looking back.

"When are we going home?"

The mother remained silent as the child insisted.

"Mother?"

She squeezed the little hand more tightly.

"When everything is over. Don’t worry. The elders and the Queen will protect us."

"Will it take long, Mother? I want to go home."

The woman looked toward the mountains.

"I don’t know, daughter, but Mother will always be with you."

It was the only answer she could give. Unlike other races, most Medusas had only one parental figure, the mother. It was rare for a Medusa to have a father, and such a concept was strange to them.

Nearby, several warriors tried to organize the flow of people.

"First the elderly!"

"Quickly, take these boxes inside!"

"Don’t leave materials scattered along the path!"

"The alchemists need to go first to organize the furnaces!"

The movement never stopped.

The Mausoleum of the Great Alchemist Rafael began receiving not only warriors and cultivators seeking the inheritance, but also a considerable portion of the population.

To those people, those walls represented safety. The mausoleum was now a fortress.

A place where the civilians could wait until the battle was over, and even though the...

For Yun Che, however, it meant something different. It was his base in formation, and the Medusas were being assigned to a specific floor.

He watched everything from an elevated passage. His eyes traveled across the walls, crystals, and formations spread throughout the structure. Below, the princess personally took care of the evacuation of the civilians.

To the princess, who cared deeply about her people, that place was not merely a mausoleum. It was the center of the defense of the entire mountain range.

Thousands of Medusas were depending on the mausoleum to remain safe.

"Necromancer."

Ariselle’s voice came from behind. Yun Che slowly turned his head as the Queen approached, accompanied by Vaelra, Nysara, and Thesira.

The small snakes in her hair moved slowly as she watched the activity below. For a change, she was wearing tight-fitting clothes with parts of armor.

"Is everything being done according to orders?" Ariselle asked. Elder Thesira immediately answered.

"Yes. The princess is doing an excellent job with the evacuation. Most of the civilians are already being transferred."

"And the wounded?"

"They are also being taken inside."

Ariselle nodded.

"Continue the good work. I want all non-combatants inside the mausoleum as quickly as possible."

The Queen did not say words meant to inspire courage. She simply turned and began walking, and Yun Che, the consort prince, followed her.

Outside, the territory had also been transformed. Approximately seven thousand combatants were being distributed.

Several units occupied elevated positions while the others prepared their weapons.

The archers checked their equipment while mobile units waited for new orders.

Farther below, spiritual crystals were being transported to strategic points to power the formations, which were being checked one final time.

Ariselle walked among the troops without interrupting their work.

"That unit should be fifty steps farther back so it can coordinate with the profound spiritual formation to the north."

The commander immediately straightened and followed her words.

"Yes, my Queen."

"I don’t want that position exposed in any way. Understood?"

"Understood."

Ariselle continued. Shortly afterward, she stopped in front of another formation.

"How many crystals are you using to keep this formation active?"

"Forty-two crystals, Your Majesty."

"We need at least fifty for this formation."

The warrior hesitated for a moment before answering cautiously.

"Queen, we don’t have any more spiritual crystals in this area."

"Then take the ones from the secondary position."

"But that will leave that position..."

"Less important than this one. More crystals will be distributed, so you don’t need to worry for now."

Having said that, the Queen looked at the masked Necromancer, who nodded slightly in response.

"Yes, my Queen."

Ariselle resumed walking. Yun Che watched in silence. She did not seem like a queen trying to inspire her people.

She seemed like a commander trying to ensure that every small part of her army was exactly where it needed to be.

After some time, they arrived at the narrow passage that provided direct access to their territory. The region was quieter than the other areas.

Around a thousand Medusas were stationed there. Elder Thesira stood at their front, acting as the commander of that section of the army of a thousand women.

She held her long sword while watching the mountains. Ariselle stopped beside her.

"Is everything prepared?"

"Yes."

Thesira pointed toward the passage.

"When the enemies arrive, we will allow them to advance through the narrow passage so that only a small number can pass at a time."

Yun Che looked at the formation.

"Approximately how many will pass through the passage?"

"It will depend on how many soldiers they send."

Ariselle answered:

"We don’t need to know the exact number. We only need to ensure that enough of them enter for us to set up an effective ambush."

Thesira nodded.

"When they are attacking and our forces have been reduced to a manageable number, we will retreat behind the barrier."

"And if they notice the trap? What will your countermeasure be?"

"Then we will have to fight ahead of time, using the narrow passage to limit the number of their army."

Ariselle remained silent for several seconds.

"Don’t let that happen."

Thesira lowered her head.

"Understood."

Yun Che looked at the passage.

The formation had been prepared so that, from the outside, there appeared to be an opening, one that any careful commander would want to exploit.

But that opening concealed the true defense. Once the enemies entered...

The passage could turn into a prison.

Yun Che finally turned around.

"I need to speak with you."

Ariselle looked at him.

"Now?"

"Yes."

The elders also approached.

Yun Che remained standing.

"When the army arrives, I will not be at the passage to personally handle the formation. The princess and the Queen have enough authority to deal with the barrier and the formations in the mountains."

Vaelra frowned.

"What are you planning to do? Are you going inside the mausoleum with the civilians?"

"No. I intend to attack the enemy logistics, cut off the distribution of their resources, and sabotage their base."

Silence fell over the area as soon as the words were spoken. Nysara narrowed her eyes.

"You intend to enter an enemy camp that possesses a combat force of more than thirty thousand soldiers?"

"Exactly, Elder."

Vaelra took a step forward.

"That’s madness."

Yun Che did not answer. He merely watched as she continued.

"You are responsible for the formations. If you die inside the enemy camp, who will maintain our defenses?"

"You don’t need to worry about me. It’s not as if I’m sacrificing myself or anything. I don’t plan to die after what I’ve experienced."

Yun Che briefly looked at the Queen and winked through the white mask.

"That’s exactly what it looks like. You are walking directly toward death. As long as we need the barrier and the formations, you shouldn’t be courting death."

Vaelra crossed her arms tightly.

"You are only one person. And there are fifteen tenth-stage cultivators among them."

Yun Che remained motionless. Thesira also looked concerned.

"We are sending our alchemist into the middle of an army of thirty thousand men?"

Yun Che finally answered.

"Thirty thousand men who need food, equipment, and weapons."

Nysara stared at him for several seconds. Thesira, in turn, looked away.

"He really knows how to choose the right moments to say absurd things."

Yun Che raised an eyebrow behind his mask.

"I’m only pointing out a fact."

Vaelra did not find it amusing.

"Don’t turn this into a joke."

"I’m not joking."

Yun Che’s voice lost every trace of humor.

"If we destroy the food, water, medicine, and resources necessary to keep that army moving, they will still have thirty thousand soldiers."

He paused.

"But they will have a much harder time fighting, and this war won’t last as long as they intend it to. Without adequate supplies, how can anyone maintain such a large army?"

Ariselle watched Yun Che in silence. During the night of their Dual Cultivation, this young human had promised her many things. Among them...

"Do you have a plan?"

"I do." Yun Che looked back at her.

"What is it?"

Yun Che looked toward the mountains.

"I can’t explain every detail."

Vaelra immediately reacted.

"Then no."

Ariselle raised a hand.