In a purely white "Mind Space," figures of various colors erged one after another.
Although everyone only had a vague upper body silhouette, they all shared the common feature of wearing neatly pressed general’s uniforms.
As the participants gradually gathered, a blue figure in the central position spoke first:
"Those of you who have already reviewed the intelligence reports should be well aware of the current situation in the Southern Continent.
The incompetents in the army have repeatedly lost ground and territory, retreating piece by piece under the assault of Hilus, leaving the Alliance with only our navy to rely upon!
What strategy do you all believe we should adopt next to counter Hilus’s aggressive advances?"
Within the navy forces of the Tulip Alliance countries stationed in the Southern Continent, all the officers were now gathered here. Besides the civilian officers, there were less than ten Tier 3 Great Knights.
The highest-ranking and most powerful commander of the Alliance countries’ navy stationed in the Southern Continent, Vice Admiral Temple Elvis, was naturally chosen to preside over this colonial defense war and lead this operation eting.
"Commander and fellow colleagues. Reinforcents from the holand are less than two weeks away from reaching the center of the battlefield, the Benin Gulf. I believe the short-term losses on the north-south route are entirely bearable.
Even if the Hilus people capture the Alliance’s port cities, as long as we ultimately win the naval battle and gain control of the sea, all lost territories can be regained."
A Great Knight offered his opinion, implying that no matter how Hilus attempts to draw us out, we should not respond and instead preserve our existing forces.
"Seconded, national wars involve high-tier Extraordinary powers and even the fate of great nations; no Divination Master can afford to pay such a high price.
As long as our main fleet remains undiscovered, we will be able to face Hilus’s expeditionary force and local garrison head-on once reinforcents arrive.
If we suffer heavy losses prematurely, even with reinforcents, we would only face defeat in detail."
Another civilian officer seconded the opinion, providing more comprehensive reasoning.
However, no sooner had he finished speaking than soone voiced a differing opinion; it was House Siric, the Major General of the Tyrone Kingdom’s Quasi-Legendary battleship "Five-Mast Peak.":
"Let’s not forget, Hilus’s advantage is not just in conventional battleships.
Intelligence shows that Griffiths has already ordered the two Quasi-Legendaries stationed in the colonies to join the battle. Under the premise of lacking targeted containnt power, can the United Fleet hide at ease?
Moreover, if we allow them to secure the Treasure Sea route.
Whether they deal with us first or the reinforcents doesn’t matter much. As long as we wish to rendezvous, we will inevitably be exposed.
At that ti, if even one Quasi-Legendary catches our tail, a continuous stream of conventional battleships will swarm in. The key issue now is not whether we hide but the imbalance in high-level forces!"
Upon hearing his words, there was a mont of silence, with most of the figures showing worried expressions.
Strategies only work when the disparity in force is not significant; the current two-to-three power ratio of Quasi-Legendaries on both sides is the largest obstacle.
At this mont.
Alliance Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Temple Elvis spoke again, his face unreadable, but the excitent in his words was unmistakable:
"Hilus believes that their conventional or Quasi-Legendary battleships are enough to suppress us, which is why they have used this tactic to force us into combat.
However, they do not know that the ratio of our Quasi-Legendaries has actually beco three to three!"
"Three to three?"
"In less than a month, has a Quasi-Legendary of the Alliance arrived?"
"From which country is this Quasi-Legendary? Does the Alliance still have such surplus power? How co we didn’t know?"
Many observers turned their attention to a corner of the "Mind Space," where an unfamiliar figure, also in a general’s uniform, had remained silent from beginning to end.
The Commander interrupted the murmuring among the Great Knights and also looked toward the green figure in the corner, introducing to the Great Knights:
"Brigadier General Galliot from the New Continent and his ’Storm Horn’ have recently joined the battlefield and have already killed the Expeditionary Fleet’s Deputy Commander, Steel Knight Kungang Tita, captured the Level 3 Steel Dragon, and sunk several conventional battleships.
Next, my ’Northern Cold Wind,’ General Seric’s ’Five-Mast Peak,’ and General Galliot’s ’Storm Horn’ will be responsible for containing the three Quasi-Legendaries on the opposing side.
The conventional fleet will maintain guerrilla tactics to ensure they cannot easily blockade our routes!"
Upon hearing the news from the Commander’s words, the Phaletis and Tyrone officers all changed their expressions.
This information was previously unknown to them, which explains why Steel Knight, despite being a deputy commander, has been missing for so long - he had already been silently killed by this General Galliot.
"Galliot? Is it the Galliot I’m thinking of?"
Many people muttered to themselves, sowhat incredulous. A year ago, the Navy’s new star, now capable of killing Great Knights? Has the world changed too fast, or have we been left behind by the tis?
However, this self-doubt did not last long; morale surged as they realized that regardless of the circumstances, anyone capable of killing Steel Knight was a strong ally. Each person felt like they had been given a boost of encouragent.
As ti has passed, Aiven’s growing abilities have brought him closer to the core of major events, even assuming the responsibility of being a central pillar.
"By your command, Commander!"
"Yes, sir!"
After Seric, Aiven, and the other officers acknowledged their orders, the eting concluded, and everyone successively exited that purely white space of the Mind Space.
Sitting in his captain’s cabin aboard the ’Storm Horn,’ Aiven slowly opened his eyes, concerned not with the task but with the realization: "The Mind Network can be used in this way too; the older certainly proves wiser, yet another valuable lesson learned."
The foundation of the "Cloud Conference Room" just now originated from the "Mind Network" of the spiritualized seagulls.
Spreading over most of the Southern Continent battlefield, the Mind Network has transford the spiritualized seagulls into network nodes in the void, enabling large-scale telepathy capabilities.
Under normal circumstances, short-distance communication within tens of kiloters via the solidified mind connection on the seagulls is perfectly feasible.
However, for long-distance cross-national communication on the continent, it is not a conventional capability that can be used anyti and anywhere, let alone the "Cloud Conference Room" where you can almost see the other person’s silhouette.
After Aiven revealed the seagulls’ capabilities, the Mind Network was partially rented by the Alliance, and sorcerous improvents were made on this basis by the experienced Alchemy School Wizards.
Then, led by the network’s owner Aiven, a ritual was held where hundreds of seagulls, reaching the Demonized Creature Level, entered a spiritualized state to serve as signal nodes providing sufficient bandwidth support for the network.
This is of great significance to the war and benefits Aiven as well.
Just like leasing satellites, since only he uses it, the Mind Network’s bandwidth is far from saturated. Leasing to the Alliance can make a substantial profit or acquire so rare external goodies.
Everything the Alliance Wizards establish on this network ultimately belongs to him.
Additionally, it provides wide-ranging, all-weather reconnaissance capabilities.
The "Mind Network" of the seagulls has beco a major weapon on the battlefield, more significant than adding several battleships.
Furthermore, he doesn’t have to worry about being officially usurped.
The principle of the "Mind Network" is not difficult for the Alchemy School, and relevant technical reserves already exist.
It was rely limited by conventional thinking that its application wasn’t realized, but Aiven believes that after this war, the "Violet Eye" will surely produce a similar product.
However, as a mber of the "Violet Eye" as well, a substantial patent fee and internal rits from the association are inevitable. Although the second volu of the "Flesh Sacrifice" isn’t complete, the resources needed for promotion can already start being prepared.
No matter which technology is used.
Instant communication between continents is currently difficult to achieve, as even Aiven dares not fly recklessly over the ocean, let alone expect seagulls to stay aloft long serving as signal nodes.
Especially since the chaotic magic elent environnt over the ocean is definitely a stealthy signal killer.
Leaving the captain’s cabin, Aiven called First Mate Boris and gave instructions.
Caw——
With a penetrating cry, he transford once more into a massive Thunderbird crackling with tiny sparks, his eyes flashing with electricity as he soared with a wingspan of twelve ters.
Because the seagulls dispatched to the Treasure Sea border had already signaled, they had sighted the Alliance’s reinforcent fleet slowly heading towards the southern coast of the Treasure Sea.
From Cape Verde, which is already very close to the Treasure Sea, Aiven’s journey takes only three hours one way.
Next, a decisive battle with unpredictable outcos looms imdiately. No fleet is safe, so he must fetch Aunt Daphne and her family to "Treasure Tree Bay" before it starts.
...
This ti, the situation wasn’t urgent, so Aiven didn’t arrive with the high-profile presence he’d shown when descending upon "Treasure Tree Bay" earlier.
Landing in advance and delivering ssages in non-Thunderbird form, he easily located the family aboard a supply ship through the fleet commander’s aide.
"Ah! Master, why are you here?"
Unexpected joy shone like a ray of sunlight, briefly dispersing the month-long gloom in the young girl’s heart.
"The battle is about to start, I’ve co to take you to the rear."
Seeing Angie, his increasingly graceful young apprentice, was an equally pleasant surprise for Aiven.
Yet when he saw Elante, on the deck, practicing swordsmanship with a face as cold as if he were a different person, Aiven’s expression suddenly stiffened slightly.
By the ti Aunt Daphne, looking pale and much thinner, erged from the cabin, Aiven’s scalp was tingling and goosebumps were raised. Only then did he rember what he had forgotten earlier...
"Aiven!"
The aunt, who had been putting on a strong front, broke down upon seeing Aiven, throwing herself into his arms. She began with soft sobbing, escalating to uncontrollable grief, crying and sobbing.
Tears instantly soaked Aiven’s lapel.
Aiven, at a loss, gently patted his aunt’s thin shoulders, ready to make ands by confessing to her.
"Aunt, actually..."
Suddenly, a thought flashed. Due to his and his uncle’s oversight, his aunt and family had been in fear for a month. Whether they’d be angry or happy upon learning the truth was uncertain, but he knew he’d end up in dire straits.
"I think I’ll leave it to Uncle to handle; having advanced to Tier 3, he shouldn’t quite be beaten to death by Aunt...right?
’Better him than ’... oh, rather ’better Uncle than nephew’, he’ll just have to fend for himself."
Ten minutes later, the family comforted Aunt Daphne and stopped her tears.
Whoosh——
A streak of blue lightning once again shot into the sky, like a tail lit afire, heading towards "Treasure Tree Bay."
"Uncle, save ...."
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