Chapter 754 Something Doesn’t Seem Right

Chapter 754 Something Doesn’t Seem Right

The stone building was cold, its walls thick and oppressive, offering little solace to the tortured soul within. The flickering light of a single, guttering candle barely illuminated the damp stone floor, casting twisted shadows across the room. In the far corner, tied to a rusted iron chair, sat Oberon—his once proud and noble frame now gaunt, his face pale from lack of food and blood, his eyes barely open, clouded by exhaustion and despair. His body trembled, not from the cold, but from the agonizing pain of being starved and his mind tortured without rest.

His dark red eyes were now dim, lost in a fog of hunger and hopelessness.

Two vulpin guards stood on either side of him, their eyes sharp, but their postures relaxed, unaware of the silent danger approaching. They chatted quietly among themselves, oblivious to the impending death that was creeping closer.

Outside, Rebecca crouched in the shadows of the building's exterior, her vulpinari disguise flawless....at least on the outside.

Of course, if she even used a wisp of her mana, she would be exposed and could only rely on her physical strength. She also couldn't let any of these vulpins see her up close lest they figure out that something was wrong.

But what shocked her the moment she entered this place was how beautiful and radiant everything looked inside...as if this was an entirely different world!

It was nothing as dark or harsh as the world outside. The air was so pure and fresh, making her feel like she was in an imaginary world.

But she had no time to bask in the atmosphere of this strange place and knew she had to focus on rescuing her son. She threatened the devils to better keep him alive until she got to him.

Thanks to the information she gathered from the vulpini she grabbed outside, she knew where they would keep a prisoner and was now waiting near a small stone building that was surrounded by tall trees. And this building was only guarded by a single guard.

She smirked, realizing these fools must be feeling quite complacent and safe, thinking nobody would be able to attack them here. Fortunately, it worked in her favor.

But she patiently waited behind a tree, waiting for the other vulpins lingering around to go away. With a swift, practiced movement, she slipped into the shadows, her senses heightened, her every step deliberate and soundless. She moved like a wraith, invisible in a bright place like that.

Approaching the entrance, Rebecca took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was about to unfold. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of the dark blade she had concealed in her cloak.

She unsheathed her blade, her movements swift and graceful, and without a sound, she moved behind the first guard. *Slliishk!*

A single cut across the throat, and the guard crumpled to the floor, blood spurting in a silent arc. But she caught his body before it could fall to the ground and silently placed his corpse down.

However, she knew there was no time to waste. It would only be a matter of time before someone notices this corpse.

Her heart was steady as she silently slipped into the dark stone room, her eyes scanning for any threats. Two vulpin guards were still, their attention on the faint sound of footsteps outside. Rebecca knew this was her chance. With a swift, fluid motion, she moved toward them, her blades flashing in the dim light. "Urrkk!"

In an instant, both guards crumpled to the ground, their blood staining the floor beneath them.

Rowena stood at the head of the table, her posture commanding the room. She wore the mantle of a queen at war, her eyes sharp and unwavering as they scanned the faces of the men and women before her. Her presence alone carried the weight of a thousand unspoken thoughts. Her lips were pressed in a tight line as she could guess what the ones gathered here were thinking about. However, her eyes glinted with cold determination as she knew the war had begun, and there was no time for doubt or second thoughts.

"We all know the odds," Rowena began, her voice steady but filled with authority, "The draconians alone command a vast army, one far larger and more powerful than our own collectively. They will be impossible to defeat...only if we face them head-on and do nothing until they get here," She paced slowly in front of the table, her gaze fixed on the battle map, "That is why we will be the ones to start the fight. The one advantage we have, which they cannot deny, is that we are fighting on our own soil."

Her gaze lingered over them as she went on, "They will not only be fighting on unfamiliar ground but also have to travel thousands of miles from home. That is not something to be underestimated. But we cannot waste this advantage. They will be weary when they finally reach us," Rowena continued, her voice cutting through the room like a blade, "We will use that time to wear them down before they even step foot on our land."

Her words cut through the silence, and the assembled ones exchanged wary glances, though they had to admit their queen was right. It was an advantage they couldn't ignore.

Lord Stormrider, the towering, muscular figure of the kingdom's army, leaned forward, his voice booming across the room, "Do you mean to use our dragons before they even reach our kingdom, Your Majesty?"

Rowena nodded, but her gaze darkened, "We only have three dragons left, and the fourth is a juvenile. We must use them carefully. The draconians have weapons that can kill them. We will not throw them into the fray recklessly."

She paused, remembering the devastating attack on Flaralis when Drakar had nearly killed the dragon during her attempt to rescue Asher. Remembering Asher unconsciously stirred a bitter knot in her chest, but she pushed it down, knowing she had to remain focused.

"The juvenile will be used for reconnaissance," she said, her tone unwavering, "Jesryth will take to the skies to cut down their numbers and lower their morale, while Taimot will support him. They will strike fast and retreat because they can't afford to linger around for too long. If they keep it up perfectly for at least a few times, it should reduce the strength of Drakar's armies by at least 50%."

Rowena then turned her attention to Isola's parents, "King Moraxor will lead his army through the waters, giving us another advantage the draconians can never have. They will be squashed in between if we can manage to push a large number of them towards the north."

Moraxor and Narrisara stiffly nodded despite the questions swirling in their heads. Isola already told them to not ask Rowena about anything related to Asher and thus they were somehow suppressing the urge to do so.

However, upon hearing the queen's plans, the tension in the room subsided slightly, the weight of her words igniting some hope in their hearts as her plan was logical and sound. They knew their queen wasn't being overconfident. This was the sheer power of the dragons if combined with the right strategies. And with the Umbralfiends on their side, they had powerful backup and support.

Rowena added, "But even if half of them goes down, the other half would still overwhelm our numbers by at least thrice the amount. So, we have to compensate for the difference somehow through our sheer will and take advantage of our soil to wear them down even more before they can breach the gates. If we do this right...we will survive."

Everyone slowly nodded as their eyes gleamed with renewed strength and hope, knowing that their queen had spent months working hard to devise detailed plans for the war. She can't go wrong with these things, and if she was this confident about her plans, then maybe things wouldn't be that hopeless even if their king can't join their fight in time.

They only had to do their part now.

Vernon, his usually calm expression now filled with concern, leaned forward, "Your Majesty, I just received information that the draconian army has yet to move out of their kingdom. They wouldn't be sitting idle if they were planning to attack us. Something doesn't seem right about this."

As he spoke, the tension in the room grew thicker as the gathered ones felt uneasy about this information.

Rowena's brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed as she absorbed the information, "They still haven't left?" she echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. Her heart tensed, a heavy sense of dread slowly creeping into her thoughts. She had been expecting them to move, to strike at any moment, but to hear that they had not even begun their march was... unsettling.

Something was wrong...