The Elven Cultivator

Chapter 265: Chapter 244: Troop Strength, Allocation, and Signs of Conflict

Anton scanned the plains and saw fourteen teams gathered, a motley assortment of different races.

There were minotaurs clad in heavy plate mail, their frames as massive as hills.

There were serpentfolk shrouded in wide cloaks, with only their eerie, green eyes visible.

There were also several Sea Giants, their bodies covered in fine scales, each holding a Trident.

Anton raised a slight eyebrow—Byron was here as well.

The gray-haired member of the Wolf Race was sitting with his people at the bottom of a gentle slope, glaring in their direction.

When their eyes met, he curled his lip and snorted coldly.

To his surprise, Alvin’s team was also present.

Upon seeing Anton, he was momentarily taken aback, but then a warm smile spread across his face as he walked over.

"Anton Clan Leader, what a coincidence. We meet again so soon."

Many of the people present recognized Alvin.

Seeing him actively greet an unfamiliar Elf with such warmth drew everyone’s attention.

"Who’s that? Alvin seems to know him well."

"I’ve never seen him. Judging by his clothes, he’s not from the Jade Royal Court. Could he be a key figure from one of the major Elf Races?"

"To be on friendly terms with a Sun Elf... he must be someone important."

A low buzz of whispers spread through the crowd.

Just then, a member of the Human Race spoke up, "No need to guess. That’s the Clan Leader of the Silver Moon Race, the Fallen Dragon Sword Saint, Anton Silver Moon."

"The Fallen Dragon Sword Saint? The one who killed the Radiant Ash Dragon?"

"So it’s him. No wonder."

"I heard that when Anton visited Darkness Fortress not long ago, Grant, Ignatius, and Alicia all personally went to the landing field to welcome him. It was quite the spectacle."

"The three Star Pillars welcomed him personally? He has that much pull?"

"What’s so surprising about that? Anton did the Fallen Dragon Association a huge favor. If he hadn’t killed the Radiant Ash Dragon and exposed the Dragon Race’s true plans, we’d probably still be in the dark. This war wouldn’t be happening."

"That’s true..."

The chatter gradually died down, but the gazes on Anton now held more curiosity and scrutiny.

Byron overheard these discussions, and his expression darkened.

The Minotaur Clyde, who wasn’t far away, noticed the change in his expression. He broke into a gloating grin and sauntered over.

"Byron, I heard you had a conflict with this Fallen Dragon Sword Saint in Ranfeng Hall not long ago?" His voice was pitched just right for the few teams nearby to hear perfectly. "And that you suffered a small loss at his hands?"

Byron’s eye twitched. ’This bastard really knows how to pour salt in the wound,’ he cursed inwardly.

Although the Iron-Skull Minotaurs and the Blood Claw Wolf Race were both races allied with Blood Roar Fortress, the two groups did not get along.

Blood Roar Fortress had many allied races under its banner, and they were constantly vying with one another, both openly and covertly, for resources and influence.

Clyde bringing this up now was a clear attempt to stir the pot and get under his skin.

Byron snorted. "That was only because he used a sneak attack. I was caught off guard, that’s why I took a small loss. He’s just a new Legend. If we were to fight for real, do you think I’d be afraid of him?"

Clyde chuckled but didn’t provoke Byron any further.

While he enjoyed seeing Byron embarrassed, he couldn’t, in good conscience, claim that Byron was weaker than Anton.

After all, Anton had only become a Legend a little over a decade ago, whereas Byron was a veteran, cornerstone-level Legend. The difference was plain to see.

Even so, Clyde’s gaze lingered on Anton for a moment longer.

’For a new Legend to make Byron suffer a loss, even a subtle one... this Fallen Dragon Sword Saint’s methods are probably not as simple as the rumors claim.’

Anton paid no mind to the surrounding chatter.

He exchanged a few pleasantries with Alvin, then took the opportunity to ask about the space node in front of them.

Alvin held nothing back, sharing all the information he had.

They had arrived here two days ago, making them one of the earlier groups.

However, neither they nor the other squads had entered the space node immediately. Instead, they chose to wait outside, planning to gather as many people as possible. They would only enter at the last possible moment before the node shifted its location.

This would give them the best chance of destroying the space node.

"How many troops has the Dragon Race deployed inside this space node?" Anton asked.

Alvin’s expression grew solemn. He shook his head and said, "We can’t be sure about that either."

"It’s just that in the three space nodes the allied forces have discovered so far, each has been guarded by at least one peak Legendary Tier royal Giant Dragon, plus dozens of regular Giant Dragons and hundreds of the Pure-blooded Dragon Race."

"The allied forces failed their attacks three consecutive times because they underestimated the number of enemies inside the nodes and went in unprepared."

"The number of enemies in this space node probably won’t be too different from the others."

At this point, a hint of gravity entered Alvin’s tone.

"If we have bad luck and the enemy is too strong, our only hope is to hold out until the space node finishes shifting and the entrance reopens. Only then would we have a chance to escape."

"And that process could take anywhere from a few hours to half a day."

Anton understood.

The situation was a bit like opening a blind box.

Before the actual battle, neither side could be certain of the other’s true strength.

However, the Dragon Race would likely distribute their forces evenly among the eighteen space nodes, so the disparity in strength between any two nodes shouldn’t be too drastic.

After all, they couldn’t be sure which node would be discovered first.

If the forces defending a particular node were weak, and it happened to be found and successfully destroyed by the allied forces, their difficulty in finding the other nodes would gradually decrease.

In other words, the battle over the first space node was crucial.

In fact, since the allied forces had been unable to conquer it, the Contribution Points offered for the first space node had been steadily increasing.

Now, the reward was so high that even Legendary Powerhouses were tempted.

"How are the spoils of war divided?" Anton asked.

"The bodies of any Giant Dragons or Dragon Race members belong to the team that killed them," Alvin said. "If we’re lucky enough to destroy the space node, the final credit is divided based on each team’s contribution during the battle."

"When you received your escape Scrolls, you should have also been given a few recording crystals, right?"

Anton nodded slightly.

They had indeed received three recording crystals, said to be the latest products from the Heart of the Mountains, which could record everything that happened within a wide field of view.

The allied forces officer in charge of distributing supplies had also reminded them to activate the recording crystals when attacking the space node, as they would have to be handed over afterward as proof for judging Contribution Points.

Alvin said, "When the recording crystals are handed in afterward, Priests from the Tide Hall will be the ones to judge and assess them."

"Priests from the Tide Hall?" Third Elder said thoughtfully. "That’s trustworthy enough."

The other two elders also nodded in agreement.

Unlike the other four top factions, whose power structures were built on ties of blood, territory, or military alliances, the Tide Hall functioned more like a religious sanctuary and cultural center than a coercive governing body.

It maintained the balance of the entire ocean world.

Its main tasks were to mediate territorial disputes between different Sea Race tribes, record the changes in ocean currents and the movements of the stars, and safeguard the ancient knowledge and prophecies of the Sea Race.

The Hall did not worship any specific Divine Spirit, but rather the vast, boundless ocean itself.

To the Sea Race, the ocean was the source from which all life sprang, as well as its ultimate destination.

The ocean had its own will; the Tides were its breath, and the currents its blood.

And the duty of the Hall was to listen to the ocean’s voice and interpret its will.

This faith involved no concrete power or profit, which in turn afforded the Tide Hall immense prestige throughout the Sea Race.

The head of the Tide Hall, the Tide Saintess, was the spiritual leader for the entire Sea Race.

When conflict broke out between two Sea Race tribes, they would often ask the Hall to mediate.

The Hall would always adhere to principles of fairness and justice, offering the most suitable arbitration without a hint of favoritism.

Over time, the Hall’s prestige grew ever more sublime.

Over the long course of time, its influence even radiated to the continent, where it accumulated considerable credibility among the other races.

Most races had great faith in their Priests to act as "referees."

As Anton was lost in thought, a sudden commotion erupted from the crowd.

He turned to see a troop of Dwarves striding over with purpose.

"It’s the team from the Heart of the Mountains."

"The one leading them is Lord Valin!"

"Excellent! With a peak Legend leading the charge, our chances of destroying the space node are much higher."

Everyone’s gazes focused on the unusually tall Dwarf at the head of the group.

His beard was a silvery-gray that was almost incandescent white, like ash that had been repeatedly scorched by fire. Deep within his crimson pupils, lava seemed to flow slowly.

His peculiar features, so different from those of an ordinary dwarf, made his bloodline plain to see.

A Furnace Dwarf!

Notably, Ignatius was also part of the Dwarven troop.

After seeing Anton, he whispered a few words to Valin, then strode toward him with a smile on his face.

"I didn’t expect to run into you in the Subspace. It seems we’re fated to meet."

Anton’s lip twitched slightly.

’Coming from such a burly, rough-looking dwarf, those words didn’t exactly fill him with joy. Besides, he knew Ignatius hadn’t given up on trying to pry information about the Flying Ship from him. Failing that, Ignatius would try to persuade him to trade the crafting methods for Sensing Spirit Stones and Spirit Fire Talismans. Unfortunately, Ignatius was doomed to disappointment. Anton would never agree to either request.’

Toward Alvin, who was off to the side, Ignatius merely gave a slight nod, his attitude appearing somewhat distant.

Alvin didn’t mind. He gave a small smile, said a word to Anton, and turned to leave.

Ignatius glanced at Alvin’s departing back and asked in a low voice, "How did you end up with that guy?"

Anton shrugged. "We ran into each other on the way here and chatted for a bit."

Ignatius frowned and lowered his voice. "That guy doesn’t get along with Alicia. You’d best not get too close to him."

Anton glanced at him, and after a moment’s thought, he understood.

’It seemed the intense factionalism and struggles within the Jade Royal Court were already showing signs of sprouting. Alvin and Alicia... one was a member of the royal family, the other from a collateral branch. It was natural their relationship wouldn’t be too good. And as Alicia’s friend, it was normal for Ignatius to dislike Alvin.’

Just then, all the Legendary Powerhouses present suddenly sensed something and turned toward the mist in unison.

They saw the mass of grayish-white mist suddenly swell. The fog at its edges churned like boiling water, emitting a deep hum.

Everyone instantly understood. The space node was about to shift its position.