Chapter 35: Leaving the Fortress

The loud noise in the sky grabbed everyone's attention on the battlefield.

"Wow, boss, this fight is getting serious! The sky looks like it's breaking apart!"

In the sky, there were black dots lined up in a row, falling straight down.

Each of these dots carried something very heavy, weighing several tons. As they fell, they got even stronger, heading right for the Titans below.

These black rods had a special name in Orion's past life: tungsten rods.

Even though Orion's planet was nearly destroyed and Jarilo-VI didn't have any working satellites, this legendary weapon was brought back to life thanks to research by Orion and Serval.

First, Orion equipped each tungsten rod with a special device that could control gravity. He lifted these rods one by one into the atmosphere of Jarilo-VI, placing them at heights that could be controlled with instruments.

By arranging them precisely, Orion made sure that the gravity effects added up, allowing him to keep the rods in place with less effort.

When the war began, Orion unlocked the gravity controls on the rods and set them on a path where the Titans would have to pass. The artillery troops then "trimmed" the land to make sure the Titans moved in a straight line.

Next, the Mecha Iron Guard took out the smaller enemies and pulled the battle lines back to match the Titans' position.

When everything was ready, the Titans formed a straight line, just as Orion had planned.

The tungsten rods were used perfectly, with most of them hitting the center of the monster group.

The Titans looked up, their instincts telling them to watch the sky. Energy gathered in their white masks and shot towards the sky.

"Boom!"

The sky and earth were filled with light. The sound of gunfire, machine guns, and communication devices was drowned out by this huge noise.

For a moment, the soldiers of the Silvermane Guard felt like their eardrums were about to burst from the sound.

Each guard's ears were equipped with soundproof gear that automatically adjusted before Orion's attack. Without it, half of the soldiers might have lost their hearing.

The power of the strike caused the ground to shake, creating a small earthquake.

The sky filled with smoke and dust, covering the entire battlefield. No one could see what was happening, but the sharp-eyed soldiers noticed that no new monsters appeared for about ten seconds.

"Did it work?"

The battlefield was quiet. The smoke started to clear, revealing the aftermath. Broken bodies, shattered pieces, and the earth itself were torn apart. Tungsten rods stuck into the ground, pinning the Titans like they were nailed to a cross.

The highly skilled Silvermane Guards didn't cheer. They kept their focus, knowing that Orion's plan wasn't complete until they achieved total victory.

The battlefield was silent, the cold wind blowing, showing the harsh reality.

Seconds passed, and while the tall Titans still left behind their bodies, more enemies were crushed by the huge kinetic energy, becoming fertilizer for the land without even making a sound.

Orion slowly floated down from the sky, his eyes fixed below. His gut told him it wasn't over yet.

Sure enough, the black flesh and blood that had been crushed turned into liquid, flowing on the ground.

"That direction?" Orion focused on the black liquid. It flowed in a strange way, not towards the battlefield but retreating as if it were trying to escape.

Like ants returning to their nest, the black streams merged into a larger one. This scene seemed planned, making Orion feel uneasy.

"It's a trap!" Orion knew that only one person could be controlling this—Stelleron. This was both a trick and a challenge for him.

A challenge he couldn't ignore, a future he couldn't avoid.

Orion's face darkened as he floated in the air, his thoughts hidden from others.

The soldiers on the city wall couldn't help but feel happy as they saw Orion slowly descend from the sky.

Whenever this happened, it meant they had won, and their general had secured another huge victory.

"Boss, you're amazing!"

"It's like a god came down to help us!"

"We didn't even need the backup plan; these Titans are so dumb!"

"Unstoppable! Unstoppable! Unstoppable!"

Celebrations erupted on the city walls. Even though the enemy numbers were bigger than ever, Orion's plan had worked perfectly.

A clerk couldn't help but write quickly in his notes:

"The city was built in the year 9**, a great victory! Over ten thousand enemies defeated with zero casualties."

"Another win for the history books."

But no one noticed that their beloved general wasn't smiling.

For a moment, the officers were confused about what could have upset Orion.

"Do you think he's having trouble with Lady Cocolia?" one Silvermane Guard whispered to another.

"Maybe, maybe!"

"No way. According to our fan group, the two haven't even met privately in the last couple of days!"

"What fan group? I saw Orion in front of Qlipoth Fort last night."

"You're wrong! You must have seen it wrong!"

"Watch your words. I've been a fan of Orion for ten years."

"How many battles has he fought? How long has Commander Orion been here?"

As his feet touched the city wall, Orion heard the whispers of everyone. A frown crossed his face, and he shouted loudly:

"Form up!"

Without thinking, all the Silvermane Guards snapped to attention and saluted, loudly saying, "Welcome back, Commander!"

Looking at his loyal soldiers, Orion Astra couldn't help but smile and wave his hand.

"Alright, go home to your families. This time, you all get a longer break."

"Yes, sir!"

With Orion's approval, the Silvermane Guards relaxed and raised their guns to the sky in celebration.

Geppard walked over to Orion, saluted, and said happily, "Thank you for your hard work, Commander."

"Alright, no need to be so formal." Orion placed his hand on Geppard's shoulder and teased, "Your sister's birthday is coming up soon. Why don't you go spend time with her?"

Geppard's face turned red. He shook his head and said, "Don't tease me. You know how she is. She forgets everything when she's busy. I'm just waiting for this war to be over so I can see her."

"Just don't forget my gift for her when the time comes." After tapping the armor on Geppard's chest, Orion let out a long sigh, looking relieved.

"Sir, are you alright?" Geppard looked at Orion closely. As his second-in-command, Geppard could sense that something was weighing on him, even after this big victory.

"Geppard, is everything set up?" Orion asked, standing by the city wall with his hands behind his back.

"Yes, sir. Just like you asked, everything was prepared this morning and can be activated anytime."

"Good, that's good," Orion sighed again, making Geppard feel like something was definitely off.

"I'm heading out for a bit. If anything happens while I'm gone, just follow the plan we talked about."

"Heading out? Where are you going? Shouldn't we report to Lady Cocolia?"

"No," Orion's tone became firm as he gazed across the battlefield and beyond.

"I'm going to Everwinter Hill."