Chapter 1255 - Taming the Old World - Shadow Dragons - 2

Chapter 1255: Chapter 1255 - Taming the Old World - Shadow Dragons - 2

Confirmation two had come from Min...

Then, another three distinct messages arrived almost simultaneously.

Ren felt a very familiar, icy dread settle deep into his stomach, the exact physical sensation that always bloomed whenever the tactical board shifted in a completely unconventional manner.

Receiving a single dispatch from each place confirmed a clean, predictable scenario.

Receiving three simultaneous alerts immediately after two had already initiated the opening sequence meant two or three entirely distinct events were unfolding at once.

It strongly indicated that Selthia had not simply chosen a single tactical option.

She had executed a maneuver that none of the three isolated Vanguard squadrons could fully comprehend yet, leaving each team blind to everything except their own fragmented piece of a larger tactical nightmare.

Ren stared at the small papers resting in his palms. The first one was half-read, the second remained sealed, and the two new birds were already descending toward his position carrying even more ink, more raw data, and more proof of a meticulous strategy that was unraveling in real-time.

"Ren?" Luna stepped closer, easily reading the severe tension hardening his facial features. "What is happening?"

Ren did not formulate an immediate reply.

He was busy untying the second scroll, his pulse tightening with every passing second, desperately trying to construct a mental model of exactly what caliber of movement would force three separate elite squadrons stationed at three entirely different coordinates to broadcast panic alerts within the exact same minute window.

And a profound, rapidly expanding sense of dread warned him that Selthia had not merely selected one option.

She may have chosen all three...

♢♢♢♢

Ren read the encoded messages in their proper sequence.

The first confirmation, which he had already reviewed five minutes prior, painted a clear picture. The southern detachment, commanded by Lin, Yang, Ignatius, and Zhao, had launched their assault, and Selthia had reacted with immediate aggression, dispatching a swarm of mutants toward their position.

The southern decoy had successfully served its purpose... Selthia had taken the bait.

The second piece of intelligence came from Min, stationed right here on the northern front. This report stated the exact opposite of what Ren had just read; there was zero hostile movement in his sector.

This was the critical variable to analyze. The fact that Selthia had refrained from sending her entire horde toward their coordinates presented a distinct tactical advantage. In reality, Ren could handle half of her mutant army with this elite vanguard, provided she did not commit the entirety of her military might. Bleeding half her forces dry then, before claiming the ultimate prize, remained the optimal result.

Yet, more than five minutes after the initial strike in the south, the corrupted sovereign had deployed zero reinforcements to the north. She was apparently declining to use the southern skirmish as a convenient distraction to steal Yano’s guardian while Ren was presumably too occupied in the south to intervene.

It appeared her overarching strategy had been to keep growing, patiently observe the board and formulate a counterattack designed to smother Ren’s picked offensive side.

This was one of the most predictable tactics available, though it remained highly effective for a reason... If the faction launching the first strike inherently exposed themselves to a disadvantage, it was only natural for their enemy to exploit that opening.

However, that was precisely the logic behind splitting their forces and initiating a feint. Up to this exact moment, everything had unfolded within their calculated margins.

Ren merely needed to wait another five minutes. If the southern detachment faced a massive influx of beasts while the capital experienced zero pressure, he would know the bulk of the corruption was migrating south.

Under those conditions, his best move was to remain concealed a little longer, allowing the corrupted horde to drift further away before striking the northern Shadow Dragon with his team, ensuring minimal interruptions.

It was a clean, elegant plan that was on the verge of full confirmation...

But the next three dispatches collectively painted a highly unexpected picture.

The first scroll confirmed the south was enduring even heavier pressure. That specific detail made logical sense on its own. It would have fit perfectly if Selthia planned to wait for the human forces to commit to an objective before dumping her entire military weight onto that exact coordinate to contest the dragon’s custody and seemed to be working.

And that was precisely what occurred. Dozens of Platinum-tier beasts spearheading a tidal wave of hundreds of lower-ranked mutants suddenly materialized in the south to reinforce the perimeter.

But the second dispatch came from Min, explicitly retracting his previous report.

Hostile movement had indeed commenced in the north. The response was slightly delayed, true, but dozens of Platinums, trailed by hundreds of mixed-rank mutants, were now advancing to engage their current position.

Ren furrowed his brow. That development completely contradicted the heavy south investment noted in the first message.

And a third bird had arrived.

The intelligence on the numbers was identical. The capital was facing the exact same volume of beasts in a massive siege. It was a third front, possessing the exact same overwhelming density as the other two.

♢♢♢♢

Ren slowly lowered the small papers.

Selthia was striking all three fronts simultaneously. The south, the north, and the central capital. Each sector was facing a comparably massive army. Did she truly command a horde so impossibly vast that making a tactical choice was no longer necessary? Could she actually afford the luxury of assaulting every coordinate at once?

Liora’s expression tightened with worry as she studied the three scrolls Ren held.

However, Selphira gently placed a reassuring hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder, projecting a serene calm. Julius stepped forward as well, and both seasoned veterans prepared to speak, ready to offer their deep tactical analysis, calculate the impending threat, and suggest an immediate counter-maneuver.

But Ren raised his hand to silence them.

"I did not want to believe it," he murmured, his gaze fixed on the ink. "But I harbored a strong suspicion..."

The rest of the elite squad waited in silence.

"...Selthia is currently operating in a situation remarkably similar to my past own." Ren looked up, meeting their eyes. "Similar to my state when I lost Mooshito for the first time. Back when the corruption scrambled my thoughts and, through sheer foolishness, I was left without his guidance."

Ren gripped the scrolls tightly.

"She is no longer receiving strategic direction from the core entity right now. Their mind connection shattered across the prison walls, remember? A small fragment managed to slip into Sirius, but Luna’s wolf devoured it, scattering the local mutants after that, that told me most of it... Ever since that moment, Selthia has been operating entirely alone. She lacks the mastermind dragon that usually advises her. She is missing the voice whispering exactly what to do."

The Vanguard elites huddled in the small cave slowly began to piece his logic together.

"This is not the work of some grand tactical genius," Ren continued, a distinct note of relief washing over his tone. "Selthia simply did not know what to decide. So she haphazardly divided her forces across all three battlefields, purely because she had zero comprehension of what kind of trap or maneuver we were setting for her. She didn’t select all three options because she is a brilliant commander... She deployed everywhere because she failed to deduce our true objective."

Ren let out a long breath and smiled.

"Commanding a massive army is a genuine advantage, yes. I cannot deny that fact. But strategy and efficiency exist for a very good reason."

He straightened his posture, unshakeable confidence returning to his frame as he assembled the logistical puzzle aloud for the entire group.

"Think about the math. If Selthia possessed such overwhelming numbers, concentrating them into a single spearhead or two would have been vastly more lethal, provided she correctly guessed our intended target... With enough mutant saturation here in the north, we might not possess the raw firepower or the required speed to carve a path and steal the dragon or its ring. A colossal mutant wave crashing against the understaffed capital would have forced us to sprint home immediately, abandoning the entire campaign. A giant surge in the south would have left Lin’s detachment with zero hope of preventing Selthia from claiming that specific ring."

He mentally visualized the three fronts, analyzing them one by one.

"Any single one of those options, executed with concentrated force, represented a critical threat. She would have defeated us on at least one or two of the three boards." Ren slowly shook his head. "But by dividing her assets into equal thirds, she guarantees victory on none of them. She spread her resources so thin that she inherently weakened the overall structure. She retains a statistical chance to win two of the battles, yes, that danger remains. But they are far from optimal engagements. And right now..."

Ren’s smile widened into a fierce grin.

"Right now, we hold a genuine hope of securing a flawless victory on all three fronts simultaneously."

Julius and Selphira mirrored his fierce expression, offering a sharp nod of agreement.