Swa stepped out of the evacuation tunnel and onto the main logistics plaza of Bitter Maja, his gait heavy with exhaustion. When Goku had decided to face the entire Demon army alone, Swa had nearly defied his orders. However, the General had used his authority as supre commander to force him retreat. As a result, the crushing burden of clearing out the Old Battlefield as quickly as possible had fallen entirely onto his shoulders.
The number of Asuras in the Old Battlefield reached into the hundreds of thousands, not to ntion the Hobgoblins and other monster races that outnumbered them four to one. Recalling them from the field took more than a day. Packing up war reserves, supplies, and armants took more than three. Furthermore, the procedures for dismantling the established defensive lines were incredibly complex.
The Old Battlefield was not like the New Battlefield. It housed the West Fortress, which had once served as the hub for trade between Wilwatikta and the humans. Following the fall of Heles, the fortress had been repurposed into a primary granary and armory for both the Old and New Battlefield forces.
While the New Battlefield had its own storage facilities in Progenitor City, that project had only been completed three months prior. Thus, West Fortress remained the staging ground for logistics before they were distributed to Progenitor City. For the sake of supply chain efficiency, a new path connecting the capital directly to Progenitor City was under construction so that supplies would no longer need to bypass through the West Fortress. However, that project was only half-finished and required another two months to complete.
No one had expected the demon army to strike so much sooner than projected. Consequently, West Fortress was still packed with invaluable supplies that simply could not be abandoned. Perhaps the mana organs of mutated beasts could be forfeited—since they could easily be replicated via the Pandava—but the sa was not true for Mana Stones.
Based on intelligence gathered from plundering several human caravans, it was revealed that Mana Stones were not human inventions; humans rely discovered and excavated them. Mana Stones are found only in specific locations known as Mana Fields—territories uninhabited by both Mana Species and mutated animals.
Because of the high concentration of mana and the absence of creatures to absorb it, the energy seeps into the earth, gradually altering the structure of the subterranean rocks. Over vast stretches of ti, these rocks slowly mutate into Mana Stones. No one knows exactly how long this process takes, but it is clear that humans are powerless to control the formation of Mana Stone deposits. Their greatest effort consists of rely clearing an area, cultivating nurous rare plants, and hoping that Mana Stones will eventually form on their own over the ages.
However, the R-18 unit has discovered an alternative thod to stimulate the growth of Mana Stone mines at an accelerated pace. Even so, this synthesis technology remains in the research stage under R-18’s supervision. Although they are capable of producing a few units, the volu is far from sufficient to et the demands of the rapidly expanding Wilwatikta.
Consequently, they remain dependent on stockpiles seized through plunder or obtained through human trade. Pandava itself is unable to duplicate Mana Stones; these stones are pure, natural products of the world, rather than re energy constructs that can be replicated.
This predicant forced Swa to relocate the entire Mana Stone reserve from West Fortress back to the capital—a task that should have taken over a week. During that ti, Swa had not rested for a single mont. Though he could have delegated the work to other Asuras, the gravity of the mission demanded his direct leadership.
His usually pristine black leather cloak was now crumpled and caked in dust. Although the great task was finished, his mind was haunted by the image of the dark clouds brought by hundreds of thousands of demons. If Goku’s suspicion was correct—that the army was led by Furfur—then the situation was truly critical. Furfur was an entity who could make even Moku feel the aura of death with a single glance.
Even though Goku had grown significantly stronger than he was six months ago, Swa could not imagine his friend winning against Furfur—no, not even with the help of the Elders.
The Elders. That was how the first-generation Asuras addressed the Orcs who had existed in this world before they were born. Although many of these Elders were weaker than him in terms of raw combat power, Swa maintained a profound respect for them. After all, without the Elders, neither he nor Moku would have ever been brought into this world.
Though the Elders had moved in silence and try to evade his eyes during the evacuation, Swa didn’t need to see them to know what they were planning. They had surely decided to accompany Goku on his final mission.
Swa himself did not know how deep the kinship between the Elders truly ran, but one thing was certain: they were the final remnants of the ancient Orc tribe. When their people were slaughtered long ago, they had been nothing more than helpless younglings who understood nothing of the world.
By the ruthless logic of the Bog Forest, any cub abandoned by its parents is usually destined for a swift end. Yet, these Elders had done more than just survive; they could foster a new generation. Now, however, ti seed to be closing in on them. Before long, Boku might be the only one left standing from that original line of elders.
Swa clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, struggling to suppress the emotions surging in his chest. Currently, he held a vital mandate—the final order from Goku:
"Build the defenses of Bitter Maja and hold out until Moku completes his closed-door cultivation!"
Swa quickened his pace toward where Mige was supposed to be. His friend was surely occupied with the construction of the defensive fortifications. News of the demon attack must have reached the capital; perhaps that was why Mige hadn’t co to greet him at the tunnel exit.
However, as he walked, the atmosphere of the city felt uncanny. There was no roar of military readiness, no rhythmic clanging of hamrs from workers building barricades. Instead, Swa was t by sothing far more terrifying: silence.
His sharp Asuran ears caught the murmur of thousands of bated breaths. Along the artificial canyons of Bitter Maja, thousands of Hobgoblins stood like statues. They had cast aside their tools, their iron ore baskets, and their biological brick molds onto the dirt floor. With arms crossed over their chests, they stared at the watchtowers with eyes smoldering with a long-suppressed hatred.
"What is the aning of this?" Swa hissed.
He stopped in his tracks. He stared intensely at the hobgoblins who should have been working desperately to set traps, but were instead standing idle. The way they looked at Swa and the Asuras erging from the tunnel felt like a silent judgnt. The Hobgoblins who had helped evacuate the supplies quickly blended into the crowd and vanished.
Swa’s brow furrowed sharply, his eyes beginning to burn with heat.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY AREN’T YOU WORKING?! Do you not know the enemy is closing in fast?!" Swa’s voice thundered with sheer indignation.
Though his physical fra was resilient, the ntal toll had drained his energy. Seeing the Hobgoblins standing there like re spectators made him feel a stinging sense of injustice. He expected his shout to send them scrambling back to work. Swa didn’t care if this was their break ti; the defenses had to be finished before the demons arrived. He didn’t know how much ti Goku and the Elders could buy, but he knew for certain that Furfur would show no rcy.
However, the response he received was beyond his expectations. Though Swa could see fear in their eyes, there was a visible streak of stubbornness. A large-frad Hobgoblin stepped forward, his jaw set tight.
"We will not work until our demands are t! The Kingdom has exploited us as slaves for long enough! We demand fairer treatnt!" he shouted boldly.
Instantly, the other Hobgoblins, who had looked hesitant, puffed out their chests and joined the outcry.
"That’s right! We are not slaves!"
"We have rights!"
The cheers left Swa stunned. He knew Hobgoblin dissatisfaction had been reaching a boiling point, but she never imagined they would resort to sabotage through a labor strike at such a desperate hour. Had this happened during a ti of peace, Swa might have been willing to listen.
But now? The Demon army was at the doorstep. The fates of Goku and the Elders were uncertain, and Moku still showed no signs of erging from his secluded cultivation.
Swa’s blood boiled until his eyes turned bloodshot. The Dragon Prana in his body surged violently, like a tsunami ready to obliterate everything in its path. His fists clenched until the surrounding air vibrated with intensity.
"YOU USELESS HEAPS OF FLESH! I will tear the bones from your bodies and use them as spears to pierce the demon’s chest!" Swa roared.
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