Inside the command bridge of the Iron Crystal Throne, an awkward silence ensued.
In the silence, everyone looked at each other with astonishment, seeing question marks rising from their foreheads, tilting their heads in bewilderment, unable to comprehend.
What the hell? What's going on? What exactly happened? How did submitting a report to the Ivory Tower change everything as if a hen turned into a duck in the blink of an eye? The times are changing too fast, and all the adults had a sense of absurdity, as if watching primitive people play with nuclear weapons, finding it hard to accept what was in front of them. They were totally unable to react.
It could only be said that Huai Shi acted too quickly, too fiercely, and too ruthlessly. From the brink of chaos to everyone acting as if nothing had happened, it took just fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes ago, everyone was on edge, a riot on the verge of erupting.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was drinking soup harmoniously, sitting together like brothers, reminiscing about their profound and long-standing friendship.
The same familiar actors, the same familiar venue, but the script seemed to have been switched. The turn of events was enough to stun them for a year.
From the weak and easily bullied peace talks to the fiery and forceful sword-drawing and attacks, it was a seamless set of operations that dazzled everyone.
They had thought he'd handed in a blank test paper, but how had he, before the exam even ended, already become something akin to a judge?
Even now, less than three hours had passed since the summoning ended.
The previously restless and dangerous Hell Swarms had already been tamed and shackled by the Ivory Tower.
The Second Fifth Rat-men, eager to profit from both sides, were the first to be harshly dealt with by Huai Shi, falling victim to his entrapment. Meanwhile, the arrogant and rebellious Snake-man Undead Army was forced to bow their heads under the pressure of the situation, swallowing the bitter fruit of their disdain. The stone Gargoyles, attempting to shirk work and be sly, also received a warning under the brutal 'kill the chicken to scare the monkey' tactics.
Under the auspices of this newfound 'eternal friendship,' the three Hell Swarms, each with its own agenda, were forcefully united.
Then, before anyone could react, Huai Shi drew his sword and declared that war was coming. And so, war came, abrupt as it was.
In the midst of this perilous dark night, not even waiting for the next dusk to arrive, Huai Shi, carrying the intimidating aura from the banquet, issued the first order from the commander.
—Depart immediately, regardless of the curse in the night, to aid that isolated exploration team, and take down that Hell control device completely.
After such a feast, a little exercise was in order to aid digestion. Best to act quickly and prevent complications from arising with further delays.
After Huai Shi announced his plan, the entire hall once again fell into a suffocating silence. Everyone exchanged glances, a mixture of bewilderment and unease palpable, yet too daunted by Huai Shi's recent actions to oppose him openly.
After a brief silence, the elder stood up and asked, "May I inquire where that rescue team is located?"
"Seven hundred kilometers away, in a complex industrial area in the Town of Dusk, on the fourth underground level. If we set out from here, we should arrive in roughly four hours. If all goes well, we can even have breakfast there after it all ends."
The elder mused for a moment and said, "If we don't have a light source, our tribe may struggle to maintain their condition amidst the curse."
"That's not a problem; the light source has already been prepared for you."
On the tracks of the transport conveyor, four huge iron boxes had been delivered to the right side of the hall. Upon opening the iron boxes, hundreds of just-off-the-assembly-line hanging Wind Lamps were revealed before the Hell Swarms.
"A total of nine hundred and seventy Alchemy Wind Lamps," Huai Shi said. "They are filled with Blessing Ointment sufficient to support you in battle for over two hours, so there's no need to worry about the curse."
"As for the rest of the time, you won't need to walk; there's a driver."
With his words, outside the hall, a massive truck rose silently from the underground garage, its two bright headlights flaring to life as it honked twice.
Raymond, the expert driver from Hell, was already in position.
The truck was laden with precious Depth Balance Instruments, capable of countering Hell's erosion for a short period. Through alchemical modifications and the transformation of Border Relics, the space inside its cargo hold had expanded to half the size of a soccer field. It was spacious enough to accommodate all the assembled forces for the operation.
Moreover, the largest Gargoyles didn't need to worry about the petrifying curse and wouldn't take up internal space. Everything was prepared for the Abyss Ratmen and the Snake-man Undead Army.
Everything had been clearly arranged.
By this point, what excuse could the elder have to refuse?
Under Huai Shi's gaze, the aged Snake-man bowed deeply. "We will follow your orders, sir."
"And the Gargoyles?"
Huai Shi turned his head and looked toward the row of giant Bat Wing Demons.
In the silence, the leader of the Gargoyles stood up and saluted Huai Shi.
"War is coming, sir," it said, "just as you wished."
With that, the matter was decided.
By the time the command bridge of the Iron Crystal Throne finally caught up, even the noisy Rat-men had already queued up for the truck, leaving behind a messy hall.
As Huai Shi prepared to board the truck, Andrea descended from the sky with the flame of the Red Dragon, her fingertips holding a dazzling wisp of flame, her fiery wings slowly closing.
She landed beside him.
"Is this not too risky?" she asked Huai Shi.
"It's a risk we have to take."
In the dim light of the Wind Lamp, Huai Shi glanced at the pitch-black night in the distance. "We don't gamble, but the Ivy League must. Since we can glimpse their movements, they might not be entirely ignorant of us... Especially the control center; the sooner we have it in our hands, the better."
"But your action is too reckless," Andrea conveyed the suggestion from the bridge. "At least you should bring the Exploration Team from the Iron Crystal Throne. Alone, the unexpected can always happen."
"No, the Exploration Team must all stay behind."
Huai Shi said, "After I leave, the Iron Crystal Throne will enter the highest alert, ready at any moment for an attack from the Ivy League. For now, our single unit of external forces is enough."
"That's also why I insisted on recruiting these swarms. The safety of the Iron Crystal Throne is paramount. Otherwise, if we are attacked, we'll have no retreat."
Clearly, his refusal was also within the bridge's expectations.
After Andrea nodded, she handed him something resembling a remote control. "Take this. You can use it to call for remote strike support. When necessary, there's no need to hide the Iron Crystal Throne's location."
"I will."