"That reminds ," William said, his tone turning sharp and serious. "Is there any news from the scouts? Have these tides appeared anywhere else, or are we the only ones being hit this hard?"
Lara blinked, snapping out of her daze. She looked at the devastation around her—the closed portal, the piles of bear carcasses, and the masters holding their new, glowing weapons. The tide had been turned here, but the look in William's eyes suggested the war was only just beginning.
"Only at two other spots near here," Lara replied, quickly transitioning into a briefing on the recent developnts across the various battlefields. She updated him on the ongoing forging lessons back at the city and the logistical nightmare of coordinating the different factions currently scrambling to mass-produce the spears.
"Good call," William said, turning toward Berry and giving her a firm nod of approval. He comnded her decision to share the blueprint for the spears with the world rather than hoarding the knowledge.
"But don't be fooled. Now, it's a race against ti. The monster tides will hit, and they will hit with a ferocity you can't imagine. They will appear all over the world, not just on this continent."
"What?!"
The word rippled through the gathered masters like a physical blow. Several of them hissed in shock, and others went pale-faced with fear. Yet, despite the sheer terror his words inspired, not a single person doubted him. William had proven himself right too many tis for them to question his foresight now.
"We need to be ready to face and stop those tides anywhere on the globe," William stressed, his voice rising over the rising murmurs of panic. He ignored the gasps and the frantic whispers, locking eyes with his lieutenants. "So, do not stop. Do not slow down. Mass-produce those spears at all costs. And Ellina..."
"Yes!" she gasped, her eyes wide. She was genuinely surprised that William had even noticed her presence amidst the chaos, let alone that he was addressing her directly with a command.
"I want you to handpick a team of the most capable forging masters," William ordered. "Find those who have shown exceptional talent in making these spears—the ones who can do it in their sleep. I want that elite team to start mass-producing the specialised flying spears imdiately."
"Oh, I'd love to, truly," Ellina stamred, biting her lip, "but the cost... and the specific components..."
"Ask for any materials you need from Lara," William cut her off, anticipating her concern. "She will provide them in batches. Don't worry about the ledger."
William knew exactly what she was going to say. While the basic spears used mostly common materials, the flying variants required a few rare catalysts to maintain their spiritual conductivity.
For the Academy, providing such resources on a mass scale would be a financial death sentence. But for his guild? It was barely a dent in their coffers.
He could have even provided superior materials—tier-one ores and essences from the upper realm loot he had secured—but he simply didn't have the ti to oversee the refinent process.
While William was technically the most skilled master to lead the forging, his schedule was far too tight for him to be stuck behind an anvil. He was the spearhead; he couldn't afford to be the blacksmith.
He knew that the mont his guild produced enough spears to arm a significant force, the entire tide of the war would shift. This, he realised, would put imnse pressure on the monster commanders leading the invasion.
Once they realised this continent had beco a fortress, they would inevitably change tactics. They would aim for the distant lands—the other continent where his guild's influence was minimal and the defences were weak.
That was the core reason why sharing the knowledge of the spears was a crucial step in preventing the end of the world.
A colder, more calculating man might have lain low, watching the other continent be consud by fire and blood, only to swoop in later to "save" the survivors and reap the political benefits. But William wasn't that man. He couldn't build a future on the ashes of half the world.
He was also acutely aware of the political minefield. If he tried to send his own troops or direct aid to the various kingdoms and empires of the other continent, they would almost certainly misinterpret his intentions as a bid for global conquest.
Suspicion would lead to friction, and friction would lead to death. The fastest, cleanest way to save their lives was to give them the tools to save themselves.
Even as he spoke, he sent a sharp ntal note through his communication link to Lara and Anjie. Pull every string we have, he commanded. Spread the blueprints. Ensure the thod for crafting these spears reaches every corner of the other continent within the week.
William and Becky stood together, watching the masters and soldiers begin their organised retreat back toward the portal. The battlefield was a graveyard of monsters, but the air felt heavy with the coming storm.
"Are you sure about this?" Becky asked, her voice low as she looked at him with a aningful, searching expression.
"You can't catch a sneaky tiger without laying down a good bait," William said with a shrug, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "And the best bait always cos with one's own blood and flesh, doesn't it?"
"Tsk!" Becky shook her head, amazed at his audacity. She was genuinely surprised that none of the other masters had caught on to William's real intentions.
If William's vision ca to pass—if the monsters didn't retreat but instead launched even fiercer tides against the other continent—his instructions had just painted a massive target on his own back.
By spreading the knowledge of the spears and turning the entire world into a unified front of resistance, William was placing himself at the absolute centre of the conflict.
Up until now, he had been a nuisance to the monster leaders, but not their top priority.
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