Chapter 1010 - 486: The Iron Curtain Rises

This was by no means a simple task. Any sixth-tier spell model was extremely complex. Fortunately, having already mastered the [Spiritual Prison], Gauss now found the spell model of the [Splendid Light Ball] much easier to comprehend.

Coupled with his powerful Intelligence Attribute, constructing it in a short period was not impossible.

While Gauss was in his tent making his final preparations before the battle, the outside world had already plunged into chaos.

The Red Dragon Team’s encampment fared better. With Gauss acting as their pillar of strength and the presence of numerous experts, their morale remained relatively stable. This stability had been honed over the past half-month. Over the recent days in particular, Aaliyah and the others frequently venturing out on commissions with Hephaestus had deeply solidified their sense of team honor.

They were the formidable Red Dragon Team, after all, anchored by Gauss, the very man who had slain an Extraordinary Centaur.

However, across the rest of the front, unease was rapidly spreading. Watching their companions inexplicably fall unconscious—accompanied by violent convulsions, labored breathing, and other terrifying symptoms—only exacerbated their anxiety.

In the dead of night, with a massive battle looming and a strange disease spreading, how could they not be terrified?

Fortunately, just before the panic could spiral out of control, President Monroe and several other generals stepped forward. They captured the Dragon Worship Sect spies responsible for spreading the terror and swiftly dispatched personnel to transport the unconscious victims to the rear for medical treatment. Furthermore, Priests hidden within the crowd quietly cast the Third-tier Divine Skill, [Beacon of Hope]. This effectively halted the spread of panic and soothed the frayed nerves of the many Adventurers and soldiers.

Radiating Holy Light, Monroe floated in the air, delivering a rousing pre-battle speech.

He first exposed the conspiracy that had taken place within the camp today before formally announcing the imminent arrival of the great battle.

"The monsters fear our strength so much that they resort to spreading disease! Will we be struck down? No! Will we be intimidated? No!

"Barry is right behind us! We have nowhere to retreat! If those monsters cross our walls, our slumbering comrades, along with our wives, children, and parents in the city, will all be slaughtered!

"I, Matthias Monroe, swear here and now: I will lead the charge, and I will fight to the death without taking a single step back!"

An invisible power rippled outward from the airborne Monroe, instantly sweeping across the entire frontline. Everyone who heard his voice felt their blood boil with fiery passion.

This was not some powerful Magic, but a resonance born from leveraging the sheer momentum of the entire battlefield. It was a phenomenon that had united humanity in countless wars past, and in this moment, it similarly bound everyone’s emotions tightly together.

Yet, even with the aid of the battlefield’s mighty momentum, the emotions conveyed by Monroe’s words held not a single trace of falsehood. He was truly prepared to lead by example and defend the valley’s frontline to his last breath. If they were defeated, he would gladly leave his corpse on this very soil.

It was precisely this unfeigned, sincere conviction piercing everyone’s hearts that made his words so deeply infectious.

"Fight to the death! No retreat!"

"Fight to the death! No retreat!!"

"Fight to the death! No retreat!!!"

The shouts rang out sparsely at first, but quickly swelled into a unified, thunderous chorus that echoed across the skies above the frontline camp.

Hearing that tidal wave of roars, the Dragon Worship Sect spies hiding in the shadows couldn’t help but tremble.

They exchanged dismayed glances. A dawning realization hit them: they had made a grave miscalculation. Rather than breaking morale, their sabotage had only ignited humanity’s courage to fight with their backs against the wall. The iron curtain had been raised.

Among the unconscious and disease-ridden were the friends and families of countless Adventurers and soldiers. Fueled by that shared pain and the iron will conveyed by Monroe’s speech, the human army was now truly united as one!