Aurdis' words echoed through the room. Erend and Eccar understood the risks that lay ahead. But then again, they couldn't disobey King Gulben's orders—he was, after all, the ruler of this place. Even when his decision seemed wrong.
"We can only wait for now," Eccar said calmly. "However, if we see that this palace is in grave danger and many Elves are dying, I think Erend and I will have to act, regardless of the king's orders."
Erend and Aurdis glanced at him.
"I agree with that," Aurdis said.
Erend simply nodded. He could only hope that when the time came for them to act, it wouldn't be too late. Because even now, Laston had already positioned his army, ready to strike. Who knew how many forces he had prepared and just how powerful they truly were?
In the Skyreach Tower, Dredge just stepped out of a silver colored metalic chamber where he already had various enhancements installed in his body.
The chamber was his private augmentation room, a bright space filled with the hum of high-tech machinery combined with Magic.
Rows of robotic arms lined the walls, each equipped with precision tools designed to implant cybernetic upgrades with mechanical accuracy.
The air carried the faint scent of sterilized metal and coolant, and the floor was marked with dried stains from previous procedures.
Dredge enhancements were handled entirely by machines. The automated systems worked with ruthless efficiency, scanning his body, adjusting components, and replacing outdated implants without hesitation.
Suspended monitors displayed real-time diagnostics that detailing the upgrades being integrated into his skeletal frame, neural pathways, and reinforced muscles. But he didn't know if its all was enough already.
This was also the place where Dredge became more than just a soldier in the first place. Where he shed his organic limitations and embraced the cold perfection of machinery fully.
Now, after stepping out of the chamber for hundreds of time until now, he flexed his fingers, feeling the raw power coursing through his enhanced limbs.
His modifications were complete for now.
After finishing his own enhancements, Dredge wear his clothes and sprinted toward the place where Veyna's chamber was located. She had already informed him that the fight between Laston and Erend was over.
The metal sliding door hissed open, and Dredge stepped inside, finding Veyna staring at a large monitor in her private chamber. From what he could see, she was also preparing enhancements to further strengthen herself.
Dredge let out a snort. "So now you admit that I was right?"
Veyna didn't turn to face him. She simply kept her eyes on the monitor, adjusting some settings with swift finger movements. Dredge couldn't see her expression, but he could tell she was deep in concentration.
"Hey, you hear me?" Dredge said, half annoyed.
"I hear you damn clear because you're shouting right behind my ear, Dredge. But shut up for now," Veyna replied.
Dredge let out a chuckle, seemingly satisfied with her reaction. But then, his expression grew serious. His gaze became unfocused, lost in thought, as the memory of his battle against the Dragonborn resurfaced in his mind.
Dredge clenched his fist for the dozen time since his fight with the Dragonborn. That memory unsettled him—the strength he had built up until now still wasn't enough to defeat him.
Veyna glanced at him, pausing her work for a moment. "You've fought that beast before, right? Why don't you start telling me what you learned from that battle?"
"I don't think it'll be enough," Dredge replied. "Back then, I don't think he was using his full strength."
Veyna studied him. She wasn't surprised that Dredge had failed to gain anything useful. The Dragonborn—that creature—had been strong enough to fight Lord Laston on equal footing earlier, and Veyna knew that even then, he hadn't shown his full power.
That meant he had an even easier time defeating Dredge and cutting off his hand.
"Alright then. I just need to install the strongest enhancements I have," Veyna said, turning back to her monitor and continuing to adjust the settings for her desired upgrades.
In his own chamber, Laston was also busy crafting his own enhancements and fine-tuning his settings. He needed to embed more runes into his army, his generals, and his lieutenants.
Erend had grown far too powerful, even much stronger than before. Laston couldn't fathom how a Dragonborn like him had gained such strength, nor how he had trained himself to reach such a level.
If he managed to defeat him, he wouldn't kill him immediately. Instead, he would force him to reveal the secret behind the source of his power.
Laston nodded after sending the final tuning adjustments and magical rune formulas to his technicians, ordering them to craft everything as quickly and precisely as possible.
Aerchon's party had managed to destroy a significant portion of his army and power sources earlier. But that didn't matter—Laston had anticipated it. Producing more soldiers wasn't a major issue, thanks to the technology in this world known as the 3D printer.
He walked toward a device in the corner of the room, channeling his own magic energy into it. Moments later, the machine came to life.
He stared at the holographic monitor, waiting. After a few seconds, the screen flickered, and the face of a crimson-skinned, horned creature appeared.
Laston smiled. "How are you doing over there?" he asked in a relaxed manner.
"We're ready. When do we start?" asked Morvakar, the Daemon of Calamity's king. His tone was impatient.
"Patience, Morvakar. I still have a few more preparations to make. But it won't be too much longer," said Laston.
"Grrhh… what exactly are we waiting for?!"
"Something that will ensure our victory."
Morvakar nodded, though he still seemed eager to begin the assault.
"Then why contact me now?" Morvakar asked.
"We may not be launching the attack just yet, but that doesn't mean you'll stay idle. I want you to send small squads of your forces to the outskirts of the Elf Palace, little by little. Have them hide there until further orders."
Morvakar nodded. "I understand."
With that, Laston cut the communication and immediately contacted the Ogre King to issue the same order.