Emperor's Bane

Chapter 970 The Rift in the Legion: Bleeding to Death

Chapter 970 The Rift in the Legion: Bleeding to Death
"Johnson's fleet is heading towards the Far East."

"It's faster than we expected."

"Without the slightest hesitation: the Caliban knew from the very beginning what they wanted to do."

"Without hesitation, and without fear."

"As expected of Zhuang Sen."

"You know: that's what I envy most about him."

……

The question of whether to pursue the war of the sun did not trouble the Wolf God for much longer.

Although Horus did initially show signs of difficulty and even waver when faced with the pincer movement that Dorne had set up in Holy Terra and Betangamon, this wavering in will did not stem from the war itself, but from deeper reasons behind it.

This is obvious.

No matter how much criticism he had suffered in ordinary times, no matter how much of his title as the "First Man of the Great Expedition" was just empty boasting or the result of stepping on the corpses of his allies, there is one thing that even the most averse to Horus cannot deny: even if the Warmaster was not the best general in the entire empire, he was indeed a seasoned military man who had fought countless battles.

For Horus, the pressure and urgency of war were not unfamiliar. He was used to being in danger amidst mountains of knives and seas of blood, and he was used to treating the lives of tens of millions of people as dice, tossing them around casually, even if it was just to gain a negligible possibility.

Of course, the war with Terra is different.

It is more grand.

Even the Randan aliens, which once brought the human empire to the brink of destruction, or the Ulanor orcs, who required the emperor to personally lead the campaign: the torrents they could unleash in the galaxy were far less powerful than the human desire to destroy each other.

It's more difficult.

Rogdoryn stands on the opposite side, and the Imperial Fist Legion will be their opponent. The mere prestige of these two names surpasses that of any renowned and powerful foe in the Great Crusade.

But most importantly: it's more dangerous.

This does not refer to the physical, but rather the spiritual.

Even for the most determined warriors, wielding a sword against the Holy Terra can be an act that can fundamentally shake their resolve.

Former comrades-in-arms have become mortal enemies on the battlefield. Legendary names like Rogdorn and Lemanrus stand on the opposing command platform. Not to mention, for the Astartes warriors who value loyalty and honor above all else, this war itself is untenable.

Aside from the fanatics who dedicate their wisdom and souls entirely to the Father of Genesis and think of nothing else, even those born after the Great Crusade who have never witnessed the Emperor and Holy Terra will, during lulls in the war, anxiously ponder the difference between their current actions and rebellion.

Although these psychological issues seem like minor flaws due to the innate obedience to the Primarch, decades of hate propaganda, and the stimulation of smooth sailing in the war, Wolf God and his most trusted inner circle are well aware that the current calm is only built on a series of previous victories.

Victory can make people blind.

But losing victory also means losing the blind spot: the sense of loss after calming down can be fatal.

Once they encounter setbacks on the battlefield, once the war turns into a stalemate and attrition, once more forces choose to side with Holy Terra and Dorne: then these seemingly unrelated psychological and emotional issues could very well become the final domino to destroy the entire Shadowmoon Wolves Legion.

Horus understood this principle.

Malochist understood.

Ezekiel Abaddon certainly understood that as well.

So when his father, the Genetic Father, specifically summoned him back from the front lines to the Ruby King to discuss the Legion's next course and strategic deployment, Abaddon was not surprised by the summons.

After entrusting the battlefront to his deputy, the company commander arrived at the Primarch's flagship in just a few days. This was not because he used any new technology, but because Horus's command post was not far from the front lines. Since the official start of the Solar War, the Warmaster's military deployments had been quite aggressive.

Abaddon even heard that the Wolf God planned to transfer more rear troops to the front lines.

This is unsettling news: after all, the number of troops remaining in the Wolf Kingdom is already small, and if they continue to push forward to the front lines to exchange for supplies, they will almost completely expose the entire rear area to threats from the eastern and western fronts.

What is the deeper meaning behind the Primarch's move?

As he pondered this question, Abaddon hurried through the corridor of the Ruby King. He didn't like this warship, which was newly built during the peaceful years of the later Great Crusade. It lacked the composure and antiquity of the Soul of Vengeance and didn't seem like it could withstand a brutal war.

But like other problems facing the Legion, all they can do now is make temporary compromises.

This made Abaddon feel a little down.

He stopped thinking about anything else and quickly walked to the door of the Primarch's strategic meeting room. After a brief check by the Gastalin guards, the company commander was allowed to push the door open and enter. The people in the room had already noticed his arrival because of the heavy footsteps and were now looking up at him.

"grown ups."

Abaddon nodded to Horus first, then glanced at the others in the room.

Marohurst, unsurprisingly.

Agnes was likely the recorder.

Seyanus? It seems this strategic meeting is a bit more important than he thought.

And...Loken? What's he doing here?
Despite his doubts, Abaddon nodded to his colleagues and sat down.

He keenly observed that Loken also seemed puzzled about why he was able to attend this military conference.

Their father must have some new ideas?
Abaddon looked at Horus.

Indeed, compared to the last time they met, confidence and ambition had returned to the face of the Wolf God.

“Very good, Azekael has arrived as well.”

Zhan Shuai nodded.

"Then, the meeting can officially begin."

"However, before that, I have a few updates to share with everyone here."

Horus sat down, and a huge projection map of the Milky Way appeared above the table.

Without the Primarch even moving a finger, different colored markers appeared on the projection indicating what he wanted to say: the Wolf God's psychic power had become increasingly proficient.

"First, there's the Far East."

"We have just received accurate information that Johnson's fleet has entered Nostramore."

"Nostrama?"

Abaddon was somewhat confused.

"What's he going there for? Is there anything worth noting in that godforsaken place?"

"No: That's the problem."

Malohrist replied.

"Johnson's journey to Nostramo had only one purpose: to use it as a transit point to continue south to the Far East border."

"Yes."

Zhan Shuai nodded.

"Moreover, this news is at least fifteen days old."

"Judging from the speed of Zhuang Sen's operation, he should have already arrived near Avalon."

"That's a bit too fast."

Loken muttered to himself.

"This is not a normal marching speed at all; even during the forced marches of the Great Expedition, it is rare to be this fast."

"This is where the problem lies."

The warlord's expression turned serious.

“We all know Johnson; he’s a cautious man.”

"He would never have acted so recklessly without a specific reason."

"In the current situation, there is only one reason that can make Zhuang Sen act so abnormally."

At this point, the Shadowmoon Wolves present could clearly hear their genetic father sigh.

"Therefore, please allow me to make a bold guess."

Horus waved his hand.

"In the future: the Far East will be our enemy."

In an instant, about one-tenth of the easternmost part of the entire Milky Way projection was covered in red, an ominous color for the Shadow Moon Wolves: it was a sign that they were very likely to be enemies, and the roaring lion floating above it made everyone present look rather grim.

A Far Eastern frontier hostile to them?
This is bad enough.

Not to mention, the person in charge of this massive war machine is none other than the infamous John Sen.

At this moment, even Abaddon unconsciously began to wipe the sweat from his neck.

While everyone else fell silent, it was Seyanus, who had seemed quiet all along, who calmly spoke first and stabilized the situation.

"grown ups."

"I don't think the situation will get any worse in the short term."

With Horus's permission, Seyanus was able to stand up and speak.

"Given Zhuang Sen's personality, if he has already determined that we are the traitors in his heart, then he will definitely not wait to release news of punishing the traitors: you know, when the Dark Angels just returned to the galaxy, Zhuang Sen had nearly 300,000 elite troops at his disposal. He could have launched an attack directly on our undefended rear, instead of splitting his fleet and heading to the Far East alone."

“This is not his style.”

Zhan Shuai nodded.

"What do you think?"

I think there are two possibilities.

Seyanus thought for a moment.

"First, Johnson sees both us and Holy Terra as potential rebels. Given his character, this is probably Johnson's most likely thought. The reason he divided his forces is to protect the Far East frontier, which is without Morgan's presence, while protecting the Caliban, thus creating a check and balance until the Emperor returns or the situation changes."

"What about the second possibility?"

Horus then asked.

"The second possibility is that it is related to His Excellency Morgan."

Seyanus recalled.

“I have had a close relationship with Lady Morgan, and I know very well how meticulous she is. Although the previous disappearance of the Lord of Avalon seems very strange, based on my understanding of Morgan, she would not have left without taking care of the Far Eastern frontier: Johnson is very likely the interim governor chosen by the Lord of Avalon for the entire Far Eastern frontier.”

"And if this holds true, then Lady Morgan has already instilled some of her ideas in Johnson: based on my understanding of these two people, it is highly likely that Morgan's ideas will override Johnson's ideas, and then what the lion will do next will be unpredictable."

"After all, no one can predict Morgan's future."

"But in any case, Johnson now controls two powerful war machines: the Caliban and the Far Eastern frontier."

“Once he decides to use them, the balance of the entire war will tip: at the same time, we will have to consider the possibility of fighting against the lion.”

"A brilliant overview."

Horus nodded in approval.

Then, he pondered for a moment.

"How are those dark angels, those dark angels that are crossing our territory back to Caliban, doing?"

"Very normal, sir."

Seyanus replied.

"They did not take any extreme actions and tried their best to avoid any contact or friction with us along the way."

"Um……"

Zhan Shuai narrowed his eyes.

"In any case, even if Zhuang Sen can mobilize the entire military force of Avalon, it will still take him a year."

"In other words, for at least a year, we don't need to worry about Zhuang Sen's attacks from behind."

"The Land of Wolves is currently safe."

"So... um?"

Zhan Shuai suddenly noticed someone raising their hand.

"What are you trying to say, Loken?"

"I am just... an adult."

Loken stood up and presented his idea.

Why don't we try communicating with the lion?

"Perhaps he will tell us his thoughts?"

"Humph!"

Before Horus could say anything, Abaddon gave a disdainful snort.

"When did you become so stupid, Gavial? You actually dared to try to change the lion's will?"

“You know, apart from the Emperor and Morgan, no one can persuade that Caliban stone.”

"That was not what I meant."

Loken looked back without fear.

"I'm just saying: perhaps the lion holds some truths that we don't know?"

Do you think he'll tell us?

Horus simply responded with a smile.

“That’s Zhuang Sen: keeping secrets is his instinct.”

"No one can pry or steal what the Dark Angels want to keep secret from them."

"..."

Loken slowly sat down.

Horus did not delve into this question; he turned his attention to Abaddon instead.

"So, what's the situation at the front, Azekel?"

"May everything go smoothly, sir."

Abaddon raised his chin with a touch of pride.

"Our propaganda campaign has been particularly effective. Even in the core areas of Holy Terra, a large number of worlds that could not bear the heavy taxes and exploitation have chosen to turn against us. And even those worlds that were willing to resist, their will to resist was far weaker than we had imagined."

"In fact, before you ordered a halt to the advance, we had already cleared almost all of the Terran army's strongholds in the northeastern part of the Solar Sector, except for that damned Betangamon Sector: the Imperial Fist Legion's resistance was far weaker than we had imagined; they couldn't even organize a battle of a few thousand men."

"What's even stranger is that we captured many Imperial Fist fortresses without bloodshed along the way. They were rarely able to organize any resistance. Most of the fortresses were only garrisoned by a few Imperial Fist soldiers and a large number of ordinary troops. Moreover, their supplies were far less than we had imagined. We could easily run out of ammunition and food by besieging them for a short time."

"There are even some fortresses: despite their excellent renovations, they are completely unguarded."

"This is not normal."

Malohrist shook his head.

“I’ve read the battle reports from the front lines. Judging from the layout and internal structure of those fortresses alone, Rogdorn must have set up a comprehensive defense in the northeast of the Sun Sector: if he’s willing to send tens of thousands of people here, we’ll probably have to shed several times more blood to take this place.”

"But he chose to abandon these fortresses, which is not like Rogdorn."

"I know."

Abaddon gave the Twisted One a disapproving look.

“I have fought alongside the Imperial Fists, and I know what kind of legion they are.”

"Therefore, I have no objection to Lord Horus's decision to halt the advance of the front lines: the current situation is indeed strange."

"Dorn abandoned a large area, which was extremely foolish from a strategic point of view. He almost handed over his already limited territory and cut off his connection with Bertangamon. This is not something a man who should be a Terran Guardian would do."

"I'm afraid the reason lies in your overview."

Shepherd Wolf stared at the map: his gaze fixed on the area that the Fist of the Empire had ceded.

"Aizekel".

"Did you just say that all abandoned fortresses are severely lacking in supplies?"

"That's right, my lord."

Abaddon nodded.

Even those fortresses guarded by the Imperial Fist have pitifully little supply.

“Some worlds simply have no resources at all: we are more like people going there to help the poor.”

That's probably the reason.

Malohrist also understood the meaning of Primitive.

"Rogodo originally planned to join forces with the remnants of the wolf pack after the defeat of the Space Wolves Legion in Lemanrus and fight a war of attrition with us here. However, for some reason, he has run into a severe shortage of supplies, which has forced him to abandon these outer positions and withdraw all his real forces back to the vicinity of Holy Terra."

"That's very strange."

Seyanus frowned.

“Even if the Highlords are greedy, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to embezzle Dorne’s military supplies. I also don’t believe that if Terra did that, Rogdorath would unconditionally side with the Highlords.”

"Unless they have a legitimate reason."

At this moment, Loken suddenly interrupted.

"reason?"

Horus looked over.

“Go on, Gavial.”

Loken stood up again.

"This is what I think, sir."

"If the Holy Terra really took away the vast majority of Lord Dorne's military supplies, forcing him to abandon even the defenses that had already been built, then this can actually be linked to another of their actions: the exploitation of various forces."

"Let's make a bold assumption."

"Terra has a reason, a reason so legitimate that even Roguedon cannot refute it, for which they have to levy heavy taxes on the various worlds, and even these taxes cannot meet their needs. Therefore, Dorne tacitly allows them to confiscate their military supplies, even if it means interfering with the upcoming war."

"Then imagine this: in the Empire, there is only one thing that can make someone like Rogdorn obey unconditionally, and that is more important to him than war."

"In other words, Terra is most likely because..."

"Pause."

Malohrist interrupted Loken loudly.

He nodded first.

“A brilliant deduction, Gavial.”

"But what do these words have to do with the current war?"

"Of course!"

Loken retorted somewhat agitatedly.

He didn't notice that the usually amiable smile of the Wolf God seemed to have stiffened slightly.

But the silent Seyanus noticed.

Meanwhile, Loken continued to talk incessantly.

"We can find out the truth about this war."

"For a long time, Holy Terra has refused to reveal to us the true reasons for the Empire's many problems: isn't that precisely why we chose to rise up?"

"By knowing what they are doing, we can give our soldiers a reason to fight."

"Even to achieve peace."

"They don't need it."

The Twisted One asserted unequivocally.

"If they really needed a reason, they wouldn't have followed us in raising an army."

"The truth only becomes important before the first bullet is fired: it is insignificant now."

"Nothing!"

Loken slammed his fist on the table.

"Thousands upon thousands of Astartes, millions of mortals killing each other on the battlefield, brothers who should have been fighting side by side in the same trench, are now bleeding for a war they could have avoided, and you're telling me all of this is insignificant?"

"They have the right to know what killed them."

"They were killed by enemy bullets!"

Malohrist smiled dismissively.

"I can answer you right now."

“The truth doesn’t matter, Gavial.”

"The blood has already begun to flow: even if you surrender now for the truth, do you think Terra will let you go?"

"Don't forget: they didn't even spare the Soul of Vengeance, so what wrong did that warship do?"

"Terra is not going to negotiate peacefully with us."

"The only way for us to survive is to achieve true victory and become survivors."

"Only then will we be qualified to take up the truth again." "As for now..."

“You’re a soldier too, Gavial. Don’t bring your pathetic pity onto the battlefield.”

"Huh...heh..."

Loken rarely gets angry.

But Malohrist's words truly ignited Loken's fury.

"Marlohurst!"

"do you know!"

"Your words will push more soldiers who could have survived back into the fire!"

"They will at least die in battle."

The Twisted One slammed his hand heavily on the table as well.

"And you want them to be the next batch of Thousand Sons!"

"How did you know we would..."

"enough!"

Finally, Horus interrupted everything.

"Everyone sit down."

The two warriors, who were on the verge of exchanging blows, obediently took their seats.

The Primarch crossed his arms and slowly surveyed the four key ministers sitting before him. He remained silent until everyone lowered their heads before speaking.

"Victory is important, but so is the truth."

"But none of them are the most important."

"What is most important to us is the fundamental reason why I decided to lead the legion into rebellion."

"That is to lead you to survival."

"What can keep us alive, what can give us a way out of Terra's relentless pursuit: that's what matters most to me."

"After all, we are facing a brutal regime that can sink the Soul of Vengeance on trumped-up charges."

"You have no objection to this, do you?"

Even Loken didn't object.

The entire Shadowmoon Wolf Legion was more united than ever in its opinion regarding the sinking of the Vengeful Spirit.

Whether it was the reckless Abaddon, the cautious Loken, the wise Cyranus, the treacherous Mahexter, or the pedantic Cruz, or the warriors under their command who shared the same thoughts, they all harbored only a deep-seated hatred for the sinking of the Revenge: they believed it was a complete frame-up and coercion by Terra.

At the same time, this was almost the last straw that made the Sixteenth Army Corps willing to follow the warlord in raising an army.

Sinking an ancient, glorious queen: for any Astartes legion, this is tantamount to a declaration of war.

If they don't even dare to respond to this, they might as well disband on the spot.

"So, how can we survive?"

Horus then passed the question on to his sons.

"Tell me: Now that the battle has begun, how can we ensure the survival of ourselves and our legions?"

"Of course, it's victory, sir."

Abaddon answered without hesitation.

"Terra has already demonstrated their tyranny."

“They will never let us off unless we knock them to the ground.”

"If we surrender."

"Then what awaits us will only be the same fate as the Vengeful Spirit, or even more tragic."

Zhan Shuai smiled and nodded.

"That's exactly right, isn't it?"

"!"

Loken's eyes widened in surprise: he knew what the Primarch and the company commander's coordinated actions meant.

"But, sir..."

“Gavial”.

Horus interrupted his sons' accusations.

"You sit down first."

After Loken did as instructed, the Wolf God sighed inwardly before slowly speaking.

“I also want to know the truth, Gavial.”

"Everyone present wanted to know the truth."

"But... I'll say it again."

"We are at war."

"We are not traveling to the solar system."

"Even for the sake of the lives of our soldiers, we must hold out until victory."

"Or to put it another way: after the crisis on Terra, do you still think Macardo and his followers will stick to the truth?"

Even if we want to know the truth.

"That's only possible when we have the upper hand and can force the high lords to sit down and negotiate with us."

"Continuing the fight will indeed result in casualties."

"But it's always better to die heroically than to wait passively for death."

"This is not belligerence."

"This is just... reality."

"..."

Horus's words were so sincere that even Loken could not refute them further, because there was one thing the Wolf God was right about: after the Vengeful Spirit was sunk under completely fabricated pretexts, making peace with Terra was no longer part of Shadowmoon Wolves's intentions.

The people present, even Malohrist and Abaddon, were actually quite friendly.

Otherwise, they could easily accuse Loken of betrayal for attempting to negotiate peace with Terra.

Even so, Loken still wanted to make one last stand for his peace views.

Even if the chances of success are slim, and even if it is too late for the current situation, if we can find out the truth and understand why this war started, there is still a possibility of restoring peace.

Loken has always believed this.

However, just as he was getting up, he felt a force: Sejanus pressed down on his thigh.

Loken looked in that direction and saw the second most famous figure in the legion shake his head at him.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Loken sat down.

He glanced at their Primarchs who were watching them, and at Abaddon and Malohrs who had triumphed, and said no more words of objection.

But the seed has already been planted.

"Your will, my lord."

"It is our will."

Horus secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he was not in a good mood.

He glanced at the four people in front of him: they were the most important senior officers in the Shadowmoon Wolves.

Now, Loken and Malorhurst are clearly at odds. Abaddon has sided with Malorhurst on this issue without reservation. As for Seyanus, although he stopped Loken in time, Horus can see clearly that Seyanus actually agrees with Loken's ideas more than Malorhurst.

However, he didn't say it for the sake of the bigger picture.

But this did not cover up one thing.

The war was only halfway through: cracks had already appeared in the structure at the very top of the Shadowmoon Wolf.

If this continues, the consequences could be disastrous.

Zhan Shuai rubbed his temples in pain.

He simply didn't have the time or energy to mend the rifts between his sons: all he could do now was secure their victory before it was too late.

"Okay, everyone."

Thinking of this, Shepherd Wolf tapped the table.

"We've talked about extra topics long enough."

"Now, let's talk about war."

"I have new orders to give you."

------

"I plan to transfer the vast majority of the Wolf Kingdom's garrison to the front lines of the Solar Star Region."

"Approximately 180,000 people."

Zhan Shuai's next words silenced the entire audience once again.

"grown ups……"

Unsurprisingly, in this situation, it was Céyanus who was the first to speak.

"Are you planning to completely abandon the Wolf Kingdom?"

"Not really."

Horus shook his head.

"Let's think about this calmly."

"On the borders of the Wolf Kingdom, apart from our legions and allies, there are actually only two forces that are truly capable of threatening this rear area."

"One is Peturabo."

"One is the Caliban under Johnson's command and the Far East."

"Perturabo goes without saying: my brother seems to have lost interest in worldly wars."

"As for Zhuang Sen: He cannot allow the Dark Angels on Caliban's side to launch an offensive unilaterally. It would take at least a year to mobilize the forces in the Far East. Therefore, the entire Wolf Kingdom will be relatively safe for about a year."

"But this is just the calm before the storm."

"In other words, we only have one year left to conduct military activities stably."

"We must make a difference this year."

"And we have just recruited 200,000 new soldiers: they can completely replace the veterans who are defending the country. By transferring the veterans to the front lines of the Solar War, we can have an absolute advantage in manpower in the Solar Starfield."

"This is crucial for the next steps in our plan."

"So your next step is here."

"My next step is here."

Horus adjusted the star map in front of him, scaling it to the size of the entire solar system.

Then he pointed to a spot.

“Minerva, and Haken.”

"The Shadowmoon Wolf Legion's next battle will revolve around these two star systems."

Why them?

"the reason is simple."

Shepherd Wolf stood up.

"Have you noticed that in this area to the northeast of the Solar System, Minerva and Harken are the two largest civilization star systems closest to the Solar System? If we can occupy this area, it will be equivalent to occupying a stable salient on the outskirts of Holy Terra, and we can launch an attack on the Solar System from here at any time."

"If Betangamon is the gateway to Terra, then Minerva and Haken are the cabinets in front of Terra's bed."

"If we lose this place, then the only option left is to set up defenses on Pluto and Neptune."

"So, if we were to launch an attack here, you know how Rogdorn would react."

"It's very simple."

Abaddon replied.

"He won't let us have our way."

"My reconnaissance fleet reports that, unlike the poorly defended fortresses to the north, the Minerva and Harken systems are heavily fortified by the Imperial Fist. Rogdorn will certainly not hesitate to shed blood with us here."

"Terra's army will continuously reinforce this place."

"This is exactly what I wanted!"

Zhan Shuai affirmed loudly.

"This is exactly what I want."

"These are not the two star systems I want."

"But behind these two star systems: the Fist of the Empire."

This statement left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

"what do you mean……"

This time, it was Malochist's turn to speak first.

"You want to wage a war of attrition against Dorn?"

"I know this is not what we initially expected."

Zhan Shuai nodded.

"But as the saying goes: all plans are just scraps of paper after the first bullet."

That's the situation right now.

"We must yield to the existing development."

“Tell me, everyone.”

What is our ultimate goal?

"Of course, we should invade Terra and force the Highlord to submit."

Abaddon straightened his back.

"So what is the biggest obstacle for us?"

"The fortress complex surrounding Terra in Dorne."

Malohrist's voice is rough.

"So, you're trying to lure out the Imperial Fist?"

"It's more than that."

Horus shook his head.

"Dorn's layout looks like a pincer movement, putting us in a situation where we can't protect either side."

"But at the same time, he also exposed his greatest weakness."

That is: he cannot give up Betangamon.

“Once Betangamon falls into our hands, Dorne will be completely isolated and helpless, and our allies who have been freed will be able to join forces with us and crush Terra with overwhelming military superiority.”

"Therefore, as long as we attack Betangamon, Rogdorn will come to our rescue no matter what."

"We anticipated this."

Abaddon nodded.

"The problem is, no one but you is confident that you can defeat Dorn."

"That's why I came in person."

Horus smiled and looked at his offspring.

"The reinforcements drawn from the Wolf Kingdom will not be sent to the front lines in Terra; they will head straight for Betangamon."

"Give Dorne the opportunity to make a significant portion of our main force join the siege of Bertangamon, while we use our numerical superiority to launch attacks on Minerva and Hagen, forcing Rogdorne to take the initiative: whether to tie down our troops to support Bertangamon or to hold the salient near Terra, he cannot remain indifferent to our military actions."

"As long as he sends troops, we can use our absolute naval superiority to control the overall situation."

"Keep a tight hold on his troops."

"At that point, he will either have to abandon the large number of troops stationed in Minerva and Haken, or he will continue to add more troops to this meat grinder in an attempt to repel us."

"What if he doesn't come?"

"It's better if they don't come."

Zhan Shuai shook his head.

“We can easily take Minerva and Harken, and then leave a large force here. Even if Rogdorn can lead the troops himself later, he will not be able to defeat the 300,000 Shadowmoon Wolves lurking in the fortress he built himself.”

"And I will lead the remaining Shadowmoon Wolves eastward to strike at Betangamon: when I return, we will have a tremendous advantage that will leave Dorn in despair."

"This is an open strategy, everyone."

Shepherd Wolf God slowly clenched his fist.

"We have more troops, so we can launch multiple battles simultaneously and still maintain an advantage."

"Our fleet is larger, so our deployment is much faster than that of the Imperial Fist; at the same time, we can divide the battlefield at will."

“By utilizing these two points, Rogdorn will have no choice but to step into the battlefield we have chosen.”

"He will either lead his troops to engage in battle."

"Either stay in Terra and watch his last important strongholds be taken down one by one by us."

What do you think he will do?

“It’s very simple, sir.”

Seyanus swallowed.

"Dorn is not a passive person."

"He will not cower in the Holy Terra."