Chapter 48: Announcement from the Void Tree
“Me as deputy commander? That works.”
Su Xiao sat back down, which genuinely made everyone’s expressions stiffen. According to procedure, shouldn’t he have declined first? This was too direct, a bit sudden.
“Ahem, Commander Bai Ye, regarding the establishment of the temporary alliance, my personal opinion is that there’s no rush. A decision can be made before tonight. However, in the meantime, all parties can begin preparations. This afternoon, we’ll mobilize all systems. By 9 PM tonight, we’ll make the final decision: whether to fight or to postpone. If we fight, all forces must be deployed before midnight. This is a war between continents. The sooner we act, the better we seize the initiative.”
The hook-nosed old man was very steady. Although a commander had been selected and troops were about to be mobilized, whether the temporary alliance would actually be established still required consideration. He needed to fully understand the matter through his own channels, weigh the pros and cons, and then decide whether to establish and join the temporary alliance.
The other parties held the same attitude, including the Eclipse Organization. None of them were young people who would rush into an all-out war with the Western Continent on a momentary impulse.
Su Xiao had long anticipated this outcome. The good news for now was that, thanks to Kingsley, Kingsley’s nephew, Dean Victor, and others, things were progressing smoothly.
If all went well, according to the current pace, they could set out tomorrow morning and arrive at the Western Continent in three days. That would leave about two days for the second phase of the main mission.
Two full days—for Su Xiao, as long as there were no surprises, that was enough. If he didn’t beat the Taitatu Civilization into a pulp, it would be because they were already clean.
After offering a bouquet to Kingsley’s portrait, Su Xiao left the memorial service. An interesting thing happened: Kingsley’s wife actually wanted to entrust her child to be raised at the headquarters of the Containment Institution, to become a member of the Institution in the future.
What a clever choice. If Kingsley truly died, the Eclipse Organization would elect a new leader. The new leader would take care of the former leader’s orphan, with strong protection initially. But after a few years, that protection would gradually weaken.
Kingsley had many enemies. If, a few years later, the Eclipse Organization suffered severe losses while protecting them, the forces guarding the mother and child would inevitably weaken. That would be their death sentence.
Entrusting them to the Containment Institution’s headquarters was different. No matter what, they would be members of the Institution. Attacking the Institution’s headquarters would be a slap in the face to the entire Containment Institution.
“Kingsley is now the supreme commander. No one dares touch his wife and child.”
“What?”
Kingsley’s wife didn’t understand Su Xiao’s meaning, and Su Xiao didn’t explain. He turned and walked out of the venue.
Returning to the Institution’s headquarters, Su Xiao issued an order: all Transcendents within the Institution, even if they had to run at full speed, must return to the headquarters by 5 AM tomorrow morning.
As for his resignation as the Institution’s Legion Commander—take it as a joke. This was done to facilitate becoming the commander, deliberately giving the power-holders some leverage. Without that leverage, he couldn’t have become the commander of the temporary alliance.
Inside the Legion Commander’s office, Tide Hunter stood by the window. She felt like she had wasted her life in the Divine Kingdom. There, whoever could fight became the leader. Here, the situation was so complicated.
“You guys… why are you so experienced?”
“Huh?”
Baha looked at Tide Hunter, not understanding what she meant.
“Never mind…”
Tide Hunter began to ponder deeply, her brain cells nearly burning out. She was trying to figure out if she had been manipulated by Su Xiao. But after thinking for a long time, she couldn’t come to a conclusion and had to temporarily stop thinking.
When night fell, major newspapers made an exception and urgently printed evening editions, reporting the official announcement from the Alliance. The content was just four words: “Suspend Maritime Transport.”
Upon hearing this news, maritime trade merchants nearly exploded. Some cursed outright. To put it simply: “Do you have a grudge against maritime transport? Suspending it twice in half a month.”
As the saying goes, the shorter the official announcement from the Alliance, the bigger the matter. Some merchants began hoarding grain, salt, daily necessities, etc., and then they all vanished into thin air. That’s right, without even a warning, they simply disappeared.
With war against the Western Continent imminent, hoarding grain and such was like flipping off the major powers. Naturally, there would be no good outcome. If you want to profit from war, prepare your coffin first.
At 11 PM that night, Su Xiao received messages from all parties. The temporary alliance was established. Its full name was: “The Southern Alliance, Eastern Alliance, Containment Institution, and Eclipse Organization’s Joint Emergency Response, Mutual Assistance, and War Alliance.”
When reading this ridiculous name, Su Xiao had to focus slightly, or he couldn’t make out what the hell it was.
This name was no different from the Alliance Council’s previous pig-teammate vibe. The pig-teammate vibe hit him right in the face. A more complex pig teammate had been born. This wasn’t individual stupidity, but a chemical reaction when a group of old schemers with different ideas came together.
Of course, there wouldn’t be a situation where Su Xiao and Kingsley carried a bunch of deadweights. Once the temporary alliance’s fleet set sail, they would be in the field, and military orders would not be fully obeyed.
As long as the temporary alliance was established, even if they came up with a thirty-thousand-character name, Su Xiao wouldn’t care. Besides, the name had its reasons. All parties had put in a lot of effort. Who wouldn’t want to leave a glorious mark in history, admired by future generations?
At midnight, all steel warships received their orders. The shells stockpiled over the years could finally be put to use. These shells, made from a crystalline mixture of blue gunpowder, were very powerful. With enough density, they could saturate the battlefield.
A total of 172 steel warships were on standby. In reality, there were more, but the four old men wouldn’t let go. They couldn’t send out all their steel warships because they had more gains and losses to consider.
The use of steel warships wasn’t just for war. In peacetime, these ships were used to transport rare materials from various islands to the Southern and Eastern Continents. The cost was high, but it was safe. Even if attacked by Transcendent sea beasts, the steel warships could counterattack and repel them. It could be said that manufacturing steel warships was a surefire business. If not for the limited supply of high-strength metals, there would be even more steel warships.
Of the 175 steel warships, only 135 could conduct artillery bombardments. The rest were older models, fine for navigation but mainly used for transporting personnel.
Military soldiers were still being mobilized. The Transcendents from the Institution and the Eclipse Organization were also converging on Jiaman City as quickly as possible.
At 4 AM in the latter part of the night, Su Xiao, accompanied by Amu and Tide Hunter, headed to the port. The departure time was set for 6 AM. As for Bubu Wang and Baha, they still had some things to do and would likely rendezvous around noon.
Su Xiao walked through the nighttime port. As far as the eye could see, there were soldiers and various cargo containers, filled with either rations or shells, as well as guns powered by blue gunpowder.
The legion being formed this time was different from before. Previously, cold weapons were the mainstay. This time, guns were the primary weapons. Su Xiao had obtained some blue gunpowder from this world. It wasn’t actually gunpowder but a mineral with Transcendent properties, later processed and named gunpowder.
The early sun rose from the horizon. Su Xiao was about to take a badge from Tide Hunter and pin it to his collar when he received a notification.
Su Xiao didn’t take the badge. Although not wearing it meant he wasn’t the nominally recognized commander of the temporary alliance and couldn’t use the War Lord title to grant buffs to soldiers and Transcendents, now wasn’t the time.
This plan had too great an impact. Su Xiao was worried about triggering something like a Void Tree announcement. Even if he had to wear the badge and become the true alliance commander, it had to wait until after completing a certain task.
Buzz!
The lead steel warship sounded its horn. There were 19 steel warships at the port. The others would rendezvous at “Serwich Bay” after setting sail, arriving there around noon.
Even so, the sight of 19 steel warships departing was awe-inspiring. Many people had come to the dock to see them off. In name, it was a send-off, but in reality, it was just civilians watching the spectacle. Many had red eyes. Among them, some had husbands who were Alliance soldiers, and some had beloved sons who were soldiers.
Outside the window, the sea breeze was gentle, and the occasional cry of seabirds could be heard. Su Xiao was in the top cabin of the steel warship, inscribing an array diagram. He waited until 9 AM, then activated the spatial array in reverse.
Bubu Wang and Baha appeared, one crashing into the ceiling, the other into the wall.
What Su Xiao had asked Bubu Wang and Baha to do was simple: go to the Institution’s containment vault and steal the water of the Death Chalice. As the saying goes, it’s hard to guard against a thief within the family, especially when the two thieves were covered by Su Xiao, the Institution’s Legion Commander.
Obtaining the water went without a hitch. Afterward, Bubu Wang and Baha went straight to Youke City and signed a contract with the National Football Team. The Three Brothers of National Football were still a bit uneasy, only signing the contract drafted by Bubu Wang as a psychological comfort.
After signing the contract, Bubu Wang and Baha handed over the water of the Death Chalice to the National Football Team. Then they returned to the office in Youke City, waited at the initial teleportation array there, and waited for Su Xiao to use the array diagram on the other side to guide them, rendezvousing at sea.
Inside the top cabin of the steel warship, Su Xiao sat on the sofa, checking the communication platform. He hadn’t participated in the bidding for the Death Chalice’s water because Fairy was the biggest buyer and the most generous spender. However, she wasn’t particularly optimistic about the water of the Death Chalice. She was willing to pay a high price but wouldn’t be a fool.
Su Xiao didn’t think Fairy was stupid, so he just watched. He still had many things to do, such as manufacturing a large number of simplified Apollos before arriving at the Western Continent. This type of Apollo was even weaker than the ordinary one. The advantage was that he didn’t have to provide the materials himself, so he wouldn’t feel bad about making as many as he wanted.
Even better, Baha would use these things, with Bubu Wang possibly riding on his back as a bombardier. This meant Su Xiao could gain a lot of benefits from killing enemies with the Apollos.
The bidding on the world communication platform was quickly completed. In the end, Fairy secured the water of the Death Chalice for 18,200 Soul Coins. Whether the transaction would go smoothly depended on the Three Brothers of National Football. A ten-percent commission wasn’t easy to earn.
The Three Brothers of National Football showed their true flair. They divided the water of the Death Chalice into 100 portions, each priced at 182 Soul Coins, and used temporary summons to trade with Fairy bit by bit.
Learning about the Three Brothers’ slick operation, Su Xiao felt much more at ease. He picked up the badge on the table and pinned it to his collar. As expected, the moment he put it on, an announcement appeared.
[Announcement (Void Tree): The world’s structure has undergone a massive change.]
[Announcement (Void Tree): The Southern Continent, Eastern Continent, Containment Institution, and Eclipse Organization will wage war against the Taitatu Civilization.]
[The warring parties are two sides. The instigator is: The Temporary Alliance (Full name: The Southern Alliance, Eastern Alliance, Containment Institution, and Eclipse Organization’s Joint Emergency Response, Mutual Assistance, and War Alliance).]
[Total combat power of the Temporary Alliance is as follows.]
[Supreme Commander (Nominal Title): Kingsley.]
[Deputy Commander (Actual Authority Position): Kukulin Bai Ye (This is a Hunter!)]
[Warning: Kukulin Bai Ye is not a native of this world. This is a Reincarnation Paradise Hunter!]
[Number of Steel Warships: 175 (Semi-modern vessels, shell power equivalent to Rank 6-8, depending on density).]
[Transport Vessels: 106 (Some are civilian requisitions).]
[Subsequent Supply Vessels: 32.]
[Total Number of Soldiers: 287,000 (Initial troop deployment. Subsequent troops will be continuously transported using the Eclipse Organization’s unique spatial technology).]
[Total Number of Transcendents: 11,519.]
[Announcement (Void Tree): The continent where the Taitatu Civilization is located will be reclassified as an ultra-high-risk area! Contractors in this world should carefully consider before deciding whether to go to this area.]
[Announcement (Void Tree): This world’s characteristics are about to change.]
[Announcement (Void Tree): Due to the impending change in this world’s characteristics, the danger level of some areas will significantly increase. Given the gap in overall combat strength among Contractors, the decision on whether to enable Hunting Mode on the World Source Leaderboard will be made through a vote by all Contractors on the world communication platform.]
[Announcement (Void Tree): Voting complete. Over 99% of Contractors have agreed to prohibit the activation of Hunting Mode.]
[Announcement (Void Tree): In approximately 67 hours, this world will change to a War World!]