Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

"My child, I can assure you that we will recreate the second 'Day of Blood'!"

Durias' voice was low and a little cold, as if it came from the depths of Hades. Every word was like a sharp blade cutting through the air and piercing everyone's ears.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. All the Asurs' faces froze, and they even held their breath involuntarily.

This term that made Matheran cry and the Asuque Navy turn pale was finally spoken by Durias.

Marlene's hands trembled slightly, and then she clenched her fists subconsciously, with a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. Anger, anxiety, and fear intertwined together, her lips slightly opened, but she couldn't say anything.

"You!" Siglin's eyes widened, her fists clenched so tightly that the knuckles turned white. Her face was full of anger, and her voice became sharp because of the trembling.

"The glory of the Day of Blood belongs to us, Duruchi. I experienced that day and I know clearly what happened. On that day! Your fleet became a burning wreckage and your blood dyed the vast ocean red!" Dulias's expression was full of contempt and coldness. His voice became colder and colder, as if every word was chilling. "This is not only history, but also a warning. Do you think we have forgotten? Do you think we can't reproduce such glory? You are wrong. We will replicate it and it will be even more magnificent than the first time!"

"It's cruel, like a quagmire, but war is a quagmire, and we Duruchi have survived in it for thousands of years. This is our domain." At this time, Daquus stood up, his eyes were calm and sharp, and his tone was not fluctuating. He paused, his eyes swept across Bel-Aihor's face, and his voice was slow and heavy: "Why not... speculate, what will happen next? Finnubar may die in this naval battle. At that moment, death may be the best ending for him."

A complicated expression appeared on Bel-Ahol's face. His throat moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he remained silent. He just clenched his fists, his lowered eyes full of struggle.

"But what if Finubar had lived, and had returned to Ulthuan with the remnants of his fleet? Can you imagine what that would have been like? Can you imagine the accusations and questions he would have faced?"

"I can imagine... but I don't want to." Bel-Ahor nodded bitterly, his lips moved, but only a few unclear syllables came out. He looked up at Dacus, his eyes full of pain and unwillingness.

"But you cannot escape this possibility. As the son of Finnubar, you must know this. Military skills alone are not enough for you. Your father will be considered a loser. No matter how heroic his actions were, no matter whether he tried his best, failure will hang over him like a shadow.

Those who have never set foot on the battlefield, those dignitaries who only know how to point at the map, will stand up and blame him. Why didn't he retreat earlier? Why didn't he launch an attack in advance? Why did he issue a wrong order at a certain time? Why did he take risks? Why did he fail?

This world is absurd. The more you do, the more mistakes you make, but people who do nothing can stand up and point fingers and criticize. Maybe it's human nature? We don't discuss philosophy, we only discuss politics.

Unfairness is the nature of war. War does not reward bravery, but only punishes failure. For Ulthuan, Finnubar's defeat means more chaos and more infighting. You must face a cruel reality. No matter how great Finnubar is, no matter how much money you have, you cannot make him the Phoenix King after his defeat, nor can you maintain the unity of Ulthuan. Your thousand-year plan will fail.

You know what happens when your fleet is gone, don't you?"

Daxus crossed his arms over his chest, his tone remaining calm.

"So, are you saying that all this is destined? There's nothing we can do about it?" Bel-Ahol's shoulders trembled slightly, and there was a hint of anger and helplessness in his voice.

"I don't know... After all, this is just speculation, isn't it? I just said that there are two time nodes here. What I just said is one node. Let's discuss the second node.

There was no replica of the bloody day. Duruchi failed tactically. The two sides were in a stalemate and eventually stopped fighting. Even though Duruchi's army was completely wiped out, strategically, Duruchi was still the winner.

A victory that would make the people of Ulthuan cheer would solidify his political reputation. But once the war began to enter a high-intensity and continuous state, your father had no choice. Your father needed to win, and win again and again, until he became the Phoenix King. "Dakwus' voice was calm, but as thought-provoking as the abyss.

"If that's the case...our situation." Marlene's brows furrowed even deeper. She raised her head and looked at Dacus with complicated eyes, her voice low.

"Absolutely correct." Dacus nodded, with a hint of coldness in his tone. "If you don't advance, you will retreat. Finnubar is in a position that is difficult to escape. He cannot retreat. Taking a step back means giving up, which means that the thousand-year plan will fail. Imagine what he will do next?
He would recruit more sailors from the kingdoms of Itain and Cosqui, the shipyards would be in full swing, and the coastline would be filled with new ships waiting to be launched. Then, he would have to expand the war from a local conflict to a full-scale war. Because only by winning can he maintain the stability of his faction and his political reputation. "

Bel-Ahol's eyes widened, he was shocked by the prediction.

"But... doing so will only exhaust your resources and manpower! You cannot win every battle. Ulthuan does not have enough sailors and ships. How long can you sustain this continuous war? If you sacrifice long-term stability for short-term victory, the outcome is predictable.

Finnubar may win many victories, but can he win the war as a whole? Can he keep Ulthuan alive through this catastrophe? This is not something that can be solved by victory after victory. "He walked to the window and looked into the distance, with a meaningful tone in his voice.

At the end of the world, the Kingdom of Itain had the strongest trump card, and the famous Itain Guard had 30 legions. These were not conscripts made up of farmers, brewers, and bakers, but regular soldiers.

These warriors have been through many battles, and not only themselves, but other garrisons also claim that the Itain Guard has more combat experience than all other troops combined. However, they do not show superiority to these praises. These warriors often quietly carry out the most thankless and dangerous tasks, and never try to selfishly use their reputation.

Why does the Kingdom of Itain have so many experienced warriors? Why don't other kingdoms have them?
After the opening of the sea, the Kingdom of Itain gained huge benefits, and Finnubar armed himself with the money accumulated after the opening of Lothern.

Asur is like this, the political model is there.

He became the Phoenix King, but this Phoenix King was more like the leader of a martial arts conference. When something happened, he would rely on his prestige to call everyone together for discussion, and then constantly reconcile the interests of all parties until all parties were satisfied. Of course, this was in peacetime. In wartime, it was the same, unless the gun was pointed at his head and he had to change and do something, such as Moville's military reform.

As for taxes and such, I'm just overthinking it. If we have to pay taxes to the Phoenix King, then why didn't we choose Malekith in the first place?

The traditional nobles would support it in the beginning and make the situation bearable. After all, the kingdoms of Ulthuan had a defensive alliance, and after the destruction of Twilight Fortress, Phoenix King "Sage" Bel-Hathor would definitely have to express his stance.

Therefore, Drucci not only had to withstand the first wave, but also had to fight well and beautifully, influence politics through military means, and make the original retaliation become long-term and turn it into a high-intensity protracted war.

After a long period of time, the traditional nobles invested their own money to support Finnubar to become the Phoenix King? What a great spirit. Do you want to go home? After losing your own ships, rely on other nobles to defend your territory?

The organizational structure of the Asur Navy is complex, yet simple. Aisling is the trump card of the Finnubar faction, and is the central fleet of Ulthuan, gathering the elite of the Kingdom of Itain and the Kingdom of Cosqui. In addition to defending Lothern, it can also be used as a strike fleet, making it the sharpest blade of Asur at sea.

The second echelon is the fleet deployed in various colonies, such as the Twilight Fortress Fleet under the command of Admiral Siglin.

The third echelon is the ships of each family, which are usually used for trade, patrol or looting. When war comes, they will respond, assemble, or be added to the central fleet, or because of strategic needs, they will form the second fleet, the third fleet, the squadron, etc.

Before the iteration of naval battle mode, such as sailing battleships against ironclads, Greek fire, etc., the continuous fighting was a process of consumption and bleeding, and the competition was about who had the thicker health bar.

Bel-Hathor, as the spokesperson of the traditionalists, would definitely not support long-term development. Even if he wanted to, he didn't have the capital. But Finnubar wanted to take the throne, so at this time, he could only hold on. The Kingdom of Cosqui would provide people, the Kingdom of Itain would provide money, and the nobles of the Kingdom of Iris who supported Finnubar would provide money and people.

Before the sea is opened, how long can Finnubar last, and how long can Malin's father hold out with all the family's funds? The marginal families in the faction will definitely support in the early stage, and even send their direct descendants to participate in the war, just like Tyrion and his friends robbed the Duruchi ship, but casualties appeared.

The child is dead and the money is gone.

When marginal families face this kind of situation, they have only two choices: become more hysterical and go all in! Or cut losses in time.

Once this continues for a long time, the faction's division and collapse are inevitable, and Finnubar's ascension to the throne will be like a moon in the water or a flower in the mirror.

In fact, as Dacus said just now, there are many military solutions, with many ways and endless changes. He can surround the enemy and attack the reinforcements, attracting the Asur fleet to Anaheim for a decisive battle. He can also prepare the Druki Navy, and then blow up the Twilight Fortress, and then the trajectory of things will be just as he had deduced before.

Finnubar can't afford it, but Dacreus can, because Duruchi's ultimate goal is to capture Ulthuan, not to defend Naggaroth and Asheril.

But Dacius was not prepared to do so for the time being. He let Finubar feel his attitude, and Finubar responded that he was ready to find a different solution.

"There is no choice but to sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire." Marlene raised her head with a complicated look in her eyes.

"This is inevitable, unless you can find a way to stop this war fundamentally. But as far as I know, there is no way. The quagmire will only get deeper and deeper, and both Duruchi and Asur will pay a heavy price for it. We are not friends, no longer friends. We no longer drink and laugh together, but enemies with blood feuds. Our relatives and friends will die in this ongoing war." Daxus turned around and looked at Marlene with deep eyes.

After a while, he returned to his seat, his mouth dry after saying so much, but before pouring the wine, he handed the Holy Soul Reef to Bel-Aihor.

Bel-Ahor was stunned at first, his eyes moving back and forth between Dacus and the ornament. After a moment, he tentatively reached out his hand, but did not take it immediately. Dacus patiently handed it to him, motioning for him to take it.

The jewelry was exquisite and unique, consisting of a finely carved soul stone and a gorgeous chain. The soul stone was shaped like a smooth water drop, as if it was polished from a whole piece of transparent sapphire. A blue light emanated from the soul stone, and a mysterious energy was flowing. He looked down at it, as if he could feel a strange and surging power being transmitted to him through this item.

The soul stone is surrounded by exquisite metal trims, on which are carved complex runes, as if telling an ancient and mysterious story. The overall design is flawless and harmonious, full of a strange beauty.

The atmosphere around them changed subtly.

Malin, Siglin, and Adeanna were drawn to it. They either turned around or stood up, their eyes full of shock and curiosity, staring at the Holy Soul Reef in Bel-Ahol's hand.

"A true holy object." Adianna stared at the soul stone with awe in her eyes.

Bel-Ahor held the Holy Soul Reef, his palms slightly sweating. He felt the heavy weight of this ornament, not only its physical weight, but also the meaning behind it. It symbolized the will of Matheran and was an existence that could not be ignored.

"Hold it tightly and feel its power. This is the token of Matheran, the bond between us and the sea. I don't think it belongs to me, nor to Duruchi. It is a bridge between us, and belongs to the believers of Matheran. Close your eyes, feel it carefully, and see if Matheran responds to you."

After drinking the juice, Dacus watched the scene with a meaningful tone. Bel-Aihor's hands trembled slightly, and his eyes were fixed on the Holy Soul Reef in his hand. He could feel that the flowing energy was gradually becoming clearer, as if calling for something, or waiting for a response.

At this moment, the Holy Soul Reef suddenly lit up.

It was a light that could not be described in words, like the glimmer emerging from the deep sea, or the light of the sun rising from the water. The blue light spread out like waves, enveloping the entire room in a gentle but unignorable glow.

Bel-Aihor's eyes widened, and the Asur around him also showed shocked expressions.

"This is..." Marlene whispered, her tone full of disbelief.

Bel-Aihor's body froze, and his hand holding the Holy Soul Reef trembled slightly. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and felt the softness of the Holy Soul Reef.

At this moment, the whole room became extremely quiet, even the sound of breathing seemed to disappear, everyone held their breath and looked towards the Holy Soul Reef.

Bel-Aihor opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't say anything. Countless emotions surged in his heart, including awe, shock, a little uneasiness, and a belief that was hard to ignore.

The light gradually faded, and the Holy Soul Reef returned to its original appearance, but every inch of its texture seemed to glow with an imperceptible glow, as if it was still conveying the will of the gods.

Daxus stood up gently, but instead of walking to Bel-Ahol, he paced back and forth.

Bel-Ahor tightly grasped the Holy Soul Reef, opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened his palms.

"This ornament, or... artifact? It's very strange and has many complex spells." Seeing that it was almost done, Daxus said slowly, with a deep and meaningful tone. He paused for a moment, his eyes swept across the faces of the Asur, and finally fell on the Holy Soul Reef in Bel-Aihor's hand, "But this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that the reason why this ornament is called an artifact is because it has a very special ability. It can store and collect the souls of Maserlan's believers!"

"Through this ornament, I can become the incarnation of Matheran, the being that dominates the sea!" He walked up to Bel-Aihor with a deep gaze. His voice was not loud, but it exploded like thunder in the ears of every Asur, shaking the Asur's souls.

"This...how is this possible?" Bel-Aihor clenched the Holy Soul Reef tightly, cold sweat broke out on his palms. His eyes widened and his voice trembled slightly.

"What? How is this possible? You are the one saying this. Is Matheran weaker than Lilith? Didn't you see the Moon Staff when you were in the White Tower of Hoeth? Didn't you hear the story of the Star Crown when you were a child? Why have your aunt and Finarfin been looking for the Sunfire Amulet?" Daxus was speechless because of Bel-Ehor.

"Dakeus, for the sake of our friendship, please don't embarrass him."

"As you command, my lady." Daquus made an extremely funny bow and stood up. The funny look on his face instantly faded, and his tone became low and solemn. "Imagine what will happen when I become the incarnation of Matheran when we fight."

"Dark clouds gathered rapidly on the horizon, covering the entire sky. The sunlight was instantly swallowed up, and the whole world fell into deep darkness. The clouds seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, and white lightning flashed through them, making a deafening roar.

The sea surface began to roll violently, and the originally calm waters became restless, roaring like boiling water. With a low and distant roar, huge waves rose from the horizon, one after another, seemingly endless, and finally turned into a wave as high as a hundred meters, like an angry giant.

The wind roared past, carrying the biting seawater, cutting the air like a sharp blade, burying all the sounds in its roar. The warships swallowed by the huge waves were like small toys, thrown into the air and fell heavily, torn into pieces. Lightning shot down from the dark clouds, hitting the sea surface, exploding a dazzling brilliance, and the seawater was instantly evaporated into white mist. The air was filled with a pungent smell of burning.

The power of the huge waves shook the heaven and earth, and even tore the mountains on land to pieces. The whole world seemed to be trembling before this terrifying force.

This is not the wrath of nature! It is the embodiment of Matheran’s will, and the most direct display of the power of the sea’s master! "

There was a suffocating solemnity in the air, as if all the Asur had witnessed this horrific scene with their own eyes and their souls were deeply shaken.

"All of this is not a fantasy. When I become the incarnation of Matheran, all of this will become reality. Dark clouds are gathering, lightning is flashing, and huge waves are surging, which will devour all power. Of course, you can choose to believe it or ignore it, but you cannot avoid its arrival."

Daxus' voice was calm but carried unparalleled majesty.

"So... the previous assumptions do not exist. There is no stalemate, no bloodletting, no quagmire. No matter what you do, destruction is inevitable. The second day of blood is not a joke, not an empty threat, but is extremely real.

Are you followers of Matheran? Yes! Will you die? Yes! What happens next? The Holy Soul Reef will store and collect the souls of Matheran's followers. After the decisive battle, the souls in the Holy Soul Reef will be filled. To be more extreme, even if it is not enough, I can choose to sacrifice Duruchi who believes in Matheran until I become the incarnation of Matheran for the second time! "

"Darkius, I believe you won't do this, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here, talking about these things like friends, right? If you really want to do this, you are wasting your time because it's meaningless, isn't it?"

At this time, Marlene had regained her composure, and she vaguely understood Daquus's approach.

"Marin, you're smart, I like you. Yes, if I really had this intention, we wouldn't be sitting here talking calmly like this." Dacus's eyes were calm and deep. He paused and his voice became softer. "But you have to understand that sometimes threats are not necessarily meant to be implemented, but to avoid worse situations. I'm describing the worst possibility, not my intention. The second and third bloody days are just an option."

"So, Dacus, what is the real goal? What do you really want to achieve behind these assumptions?" Marlene nodded, her eyes still fixed on Dacus's face. In fact, she already knew, but she couldn't say it, at least not now.

"At first I didn't understand why Matheran would give me such a precious artifact. Its significance is so great, and its power is so terrifying. I once doubted whether I could bear such a heavy responsibility." He turned and walked to the window, looking at the stadium with a deep and complicated gaze. "But later, I gradually understood. He didn't simply give me this ornament, but was passing on a mission and a responsibility to me. He made me understand that my existence is not just for Duruchi, not just for conquest and revenge, but for the balance of the sea and for the stability of this world."

"This is not just a divine weapon, nor is it just an honor. It is a test, a mission, and a constraint. Through it, I can mobilize the power of the sea, but I must also take it as a warning and not cross the line! Matheran gave me the divine weapon, not for me to use it this way. Matheran trusts me, and I must respond to his trust and guide this power with wisdom and faith, instead of abusing it! Kill his believers and make him cry!"

A solemn silence fell in the room, and every elf was deeply shocked by his words.

"Matheran has never responded to you, but he has not abandoned you. He always loves you, and he loves every believer. So, Bel-Aihor, feel its meaning. It not only belongs to me, it belongs to every Matheran believer, and to this world. Do you understand?" Daxus slowly walked back to his seat, picked up the wine glass, took a sip of the wine, then put down the glass with a smile on his face.

"I... I understand... I will remember everything you said." Bel-Aihor nodded solemnly. His eyes were no longer filled with the initial shock, but with a deep awe and recognition. After saying that, he handed the Holy Soul Reef back to Daquus.

"After I figured out the meaning of Matheran handing over the Holy Soul Reef to me, I found Belloda. Twilight Fortress still stands there today, and I made up my mind to go to Elsin Alvin. Belloda should have told you what happened later. Albion... Claw Sea... When I was in the Claw Sea, Matheran guided me to find the Trident of the Sea.

I think...if we hadn't gone to Elsin Alvin, but had dealt with the affairs of Lustria, Matheran would never have told me about the Trident of the Sea, and even...when we were preparing to land in Seatirta, Belloda should have told you about what happened?"

After taking back the Holy Soul Reef, Dacus spoke slowly. He did not say that sentence because it was meaningless. At the end, he asked a question. After seeing the Asurs nod, he also nodded. It was expected. There was no reason for Belloda not to talk about such a scene of divine manifestation in front of so many people. He knew Belloda too well.

"Then did Kaia tell you about this when you were in Lauren Loren? Tell this matter from another perspective." Soon, he asked again, and when he saw the Asur nodded, he stood there in a daze.

"Kaeya didn't, but Belloda did. She talked about a lot, such as the existence of the Holy Soul Reef, the Trident of the Sea, and the Scepter of the Deep Sea. After she met Siglin and Finarfin, she told the story again... It was even more exciting than the time in Athel Loren!" Marin said as she stretched out her left hand.

"This..." Daxus looked at Franais speechlessly.

Flanais did a classic Dacus move, spreading his hands and shrugging.

"Well, there's nothing much to say about what happens next. I just asked a lot of whys, why the gods are on my side? I'm sure you all already have the answer in your hearts." Daxus took a deep breath, turned his gaze away from Flanais, looked around at the Asurs present, and his tone became serious and low.

"Recognition, trust, responsibility and obligation, these are the reasons why the gods chose me. There are many elven gods, each of whom is in charge of different areas of the world. Each god has their own will, and the power given to us mortals is both a gift and a test.

Recognition, because I understand the fragility and complexity of this world; trust, because the gods believe that I will not let this trust down; responsibility, because I am willing to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the balance of the world; obligation, because I must fight for more lives and for the long-term survival of the world. "

"So, the gods chose you, chose... you as an ancient saint. Not because you can conquer the world, but because you can protect the balance of the world." Marlene's eyes were filled with complex emotions.

"That's right. Abusing power will only accelerate the destruction of the world. Only truly controlling power can bring hope. Every time I gaze at the Holy Soul Reef, I ask myself: Is it for protection or for destruction? If the answer is the latter, I will stop everything I am doing."

The atmosphere in the room became even quieter, as everyone pondered over Daxus's words.

"I understand, Dacus. This is a long and difficult road, but at least now, I understand why you are trusted by the gods. I hope you can always remember what you said today and never let us down." Marlene broke the silence and nodded slowly. Then, she stood up, straightened her clothes, and asked seriously, "So! Dacus, what do you need us to do? Or... what do you want us to do?"

The eyes of the Drukis in the private room lit up. It’s coming. After a long period of preparation and the collapse of psychological defenses, it’s finally coming.

"Marin, I don't need you to do anything, and I have no right to ask you to do anything. There is only one thing I can tell you. Before you act, look at the overall situation and figure out the direction." Dacus chuckled, then looked up and looked directly at Marin. His tone was still calm, but with a hint of unquestionable power.

He looked around at every Asur present, and his tone became more serious. "You are Asur, an indispensable part of this world. I hope you understand that this world does not need too much destruction and fighting, it needs hope and order. Every step you take has a far-reaching impact, and every decision you make may determine the fate of countless people."

He paused and pointed at himself. “Everything I do is not to make anyone submit, but to prevent the world from collapsing. Fighting and conquering are not the ultimate answers. This is the most important point I want you to understand.”

"I know, but specifically, Daxus, what is your plan? How should we cooperate? Or... how should I report to you when I return? Let's talk openly next, okay? Finnubar needs an accurate response so that he can think, judge, and then respond to you."

Marlene nodded, but her brows were still furrowed. After all, it was she who said these words, not Dacus. (End of this chapter)