Chapter 875: The Drawing of Lots
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Andalusia Kingdom's original strategy was to unite as one and push straight into the heart of the Blazeforge Orcs, minimizing losses. But now, it seems a change is unavoidable.
The Azure Sword Saint frowned deeply and spoke in a low voice.
"We must make a change. We may have thought that Odin Kingdom didn't send their strongest forces, that their numbers were limited, and that they'd choose a joint offensive like us.
But now, Odin Kingdom's strength is overwhelming. Even when spread out, they advance so quickly—if this keeps up, we're doomed.
Their assault is faster than ours, and their pace of advancement only increases. The further we go, the faster their score grows compared to ours. Eventually, we'll have no way to catch up.
We have to split our forces and attack as well!"
When the Azure Sword Saint finished, Heron and Joey were the first to nod. The Seven Great Powers quickly voiced their agreement, and even the smaller factions understood—if they didn't change, they'd be finished.
The decision to split forces reached consensus in an instant.
At a time like this, no one was foolish enough to think that continuing to push forward together would lead to victory.
The Azure Sword Saint produced a magical artifact, and a map projection spanning dozens of meters appeared in midair. It was a map of the Blazeforge Realm, densely marked with Blazeforge Orc outposts and fortresses of all sizes.
"Since no one objects to splitting our forces, let's assign which fortresses each faction will attack."
As everyone eyed the various fortresses marked on the map, someone immediately stepped forward.
"The Gru Family chooses Pearl Fortress."
Then, someone else quickly called out.
"The Cooper Family chooses Pearl Fortress too..."
"We choose Molten Fire Fortress..."
"Molten Fire Fortress..."
A chaotic chorus of voices erupted, everyone vying to claim the fortress they wanted.
But after all the shouting, everyone was still trying to claim just a handful of fortresses. Most of the others remained unchosen.
Not a single member of the Seven Great Powers picked any fortress outside those few.
No one was foolish—fortresses like Pearl Fortress and Molten Fire Fortress were crucial for victory, but lacked powerful defenders.
Before the all-out assault, the Blazeforge Orcs' arrangement wasn't unreasonable. Those fortresses, while key, were deep in orc territory.
Surrounded by many other fortresses, they were mutually protected, making an attack unlikely—so no strong defenders were stationed there.
But now, with Andalusia Kingdom and Odin Kingdom launching a full-scale assault, every fortress became a target. Their mutual protection meant little.
At this point, fortresses with weak defenders but high point rewards became the hottest commodities—everyone wanted a piece of them.
Leon chose Pearl Fortress because attacking there required little effort, promised big rewards, and posed low risk. It could be taken quickly.
But just as the discussion started, arguments broke out over fortress choices...
"I picked Molten Fire Fortress first, and now you're trying to snatch it—what's your problem?"
What do you expect me to do? You picked Molten Fire Fortress, that's your choice. I picked Molten Fire Fortress, that's mine. Do I need your permission now...?
Everyone wanted the few fortresses with the biggest rewards. Of course, that was impossible—everyone wanted a piece of the action. Old rivalries between the factions flared up instantly, and the meeting room nearly exploded with chaos.
Leon merely stated his choice at the right moment, and instantly became a target.
The Gru Family's representative, Rivigru, an eighth-rank Title Archmage, locked his gaze on Leon, scheming quietly.
Damn it, the Merlin Family is the weakest of the Seven Great Powers, and they sent such a young commander—rumor has it he only brought fifty people. Does he really think he can snatch all the benefits for his side?
Joey and Heron didn't compete with me for Pearl Fortress, but you did. Are you looking down on the Gru Family?
Damn you, Leon Merlin—if not for you, Pearl Fortress would belong to the Gru Family.
The Gru Family might not have the deep roots of the Seven Great Powers, but we're still the top force beneath them. Your Merlin Family only brought a handful of people, and your commander has been a Title Archmage for less than a year. How do you expect to compete with us?
Everyone argued fiercely, but no one dared to pick a fight with members of the Seven Great Powers—Cloudspire Tower, Black Tower, Watson Family, Charlotte Family...
Those families were not to be trifled with. Their leaders were all renowned powerhouses, and no one would provoke them lightly. Only the Merlin Family's commander, the youngest by far—barely in his twenties, and said to have only recently become a Title Archmage—became the target. Someone was ready to make trouble for Leon...
Rivigru stood up, pointing at Leon with an indignant expression.
"Leon Merlin, are you targeting the Gru Family? Do you think we're easy to bully? We chose Pearl Fortress, and you immediately chose it too—are you determined to compete with us?"
Leon glanced coolly at Rivigru.
"I'm simply stating my preference. So what? Are you saying the Gru Family's choice means I have to step aside? Or only you can choose, but I can't?"
Rivigru stomped his foot in anger, accusing Leon and trying to shift blame.
"Damn it, I knew it! The Merlin Family just wants to grab all the benefits, take the best for themselves, and suppress us. This is blatant suppression—you just don't want the Gru Family to rack up more points..."
Rivigru nearly accused the Seven Great Powers of suppressing everyone else. Earlier, when choices were made, each of the Seven picked a different fortress—each one easy to conquer and promising plenty of points.
But Rivigru chose to confront Leon directly...
Others, hearing Rivigru's words, started to have second thoughts. Among all the forces here for the assault, the Merlin Family appeared the weakest.
Leon’s fifty subordinates had barely shown themselves; all anyone knew was that the Merlin Family brought just fifty people. Plus, everyone was aware their commander was young—rumor had it he’d even been the butt of jokes, and Thorne from the Merlin Family didn’t respect him.
Leon slowly turned his head to glance at Rivigru, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I really hate it when people point fingers at me."
Joey's eyelid twitched. He knew all too well how violent this seemingly amiable young man could be. Leon might not kill Rivigru here, but crippling his hand would be no problem.
Without a word, Joey shot a look at the Azure Sword Saint.
At that moment, the always-silent Azure Sword Saint suddenly slammed the table. With a dull thud, the noisy meeting room instantly fell silent.
"Enough. Silence."
The Azure Sword Saint radiated danger, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, his tone biting as a cold wind.
"Look at yourselves—what are you doing? Damn it, have you forgotten the situation we're in? Open your eyes and look at your Crystal Orb scores. While you squabble like ignorant women, Odin Kingdom keeps racking up points.
Damn it, don't forget—the only way to get rewards is to beat Odin Kingdom. If we lose, the prizes you're fighting over now are worthless. You're arguing already? Win this high-stakes gamble first!"
The Azure Sword Saint's furious outburst silenced everyone; no one dared contradict him. Seeing the icy killing intent radiating from him, everyone knew—if anyone kept holding things up, this legendary prince might actually kill someone.
Only then did Heron, who'd been silent, casually speak up.
"If everyone wants to compete, let's keep it simple and fair—draw lots. Whatever you get, you get; let fate decide everything."
As he spoke, Heron tossed a Crystal Orb onto the map, and the projected fortresses on the map fragmented and merged into the orb.
"Everyone, come forward and channel your magic into the Crystal Orb. The drawing is completely random—everyone knows this Lucky Crystal Orb. Whatever fortress you draw, leave it to fate."
With that, Heron was the first to channel a thread of magic into the Crystal Orb, which rapidly flashed through the names and locations of various fortresses.
The way the names flashed was entirely random—sometimes the same fortress appeared two or three times in a row, sometimes it scrolled past a dozen times, and some fortress names never showed up at all.
As Heron's thread of magic was exhausted, the fortress names rolling inside the Crystal Orb gradually slowed and finally stopped—landing on Rockhold Fortress.
It was a tough nut to crack; Rockhold Fortress was like a boulder weathered by millennia, its defenses formidable. Inside, a ninth-rank Title Archmage orc warlock stood guard. Like a nail driven into Blazeforge Orc territory, its offensive strength wasn't the highest, but its defense ranked among the top three orc fortresses.
Heron glanced at it indifferently and didn't care much.
Heron was the first to draw, and he got the hardest fortress to conquer. Any lingering doubts in the others' hearts instantly vanished.