Tribios frowned slightly. Her first reaction was, "Is this information reliable?"
Jay replied, "The source appears highly credible. The Kingdom of Ukel may have initially concealed the existence of this Divine Artifact, fearing we might try to seize it. However, many soldiers on the front lines have reportedly witnessed the sword, making the news impossible to suppress. It only reached my ears today!"
"Furthermore, the Kingdoms of Ukel and Green Eagle have been at war for over a month. This means the strange longsword actually appeared more than a month ago!"
Tribios immediately asked, "Do we have precise coordinates?"
"No precise coordinates, but we have a general location—right in the middle of the battlefield," Jay answered. "Should we investigate?"
As he spoke, he produced a map and pointed to a spot between the Kingdom of Ukel and the Kingdom of Green Eagle.
Tribios said, "First, let's find Tide and have him don his armor. Then we'll go together."
Since the intelligence was already over a month late, a few more minutes wouldn't matter. If their destination was the middle of the battlefield, it was best to err on the side of caution.
By the time they found Tide at the training grounds and had him fully armored up, half an hour had passed. Remarkably, Tide had grown significantly taller during this time, now standing nearly four meters tall. His old suit of full-body armor was naturally too small and had been melted down and reforged into a new set.
Once all four were ready, Tribios opened a Century Gate. Tide naturally stepped through first. After a two- or three-second pause, Olivia, Jay, and Tribios followed in quick succession.
Because they didn't know what awaited them on the other side—what if the Century Gate opened right in the middle of a battlefield, dropping them into a throng of soldiers?—having Tide go first was the safest approach. Even if they landed in the thick of battle, his size and strength would allow him to carve out a secure and spacious area.
As Tribios stepped through the Century Gate, the first thing that hit her was the acrid stench of blood. She glanced around... but saw nothing at first.
In her high heels, she stood around 1.75 meters tall—already quite tall. But compared to Tide, who towered at over four meters, she looked like a child.
Her command to Tide had been simple: after crossing the Century Gate, secure the area around it. Given the massive size difference between them, her vision was naturally completely blocked by Tide.
"Are there any enemies nearby?" Tribios asked.
Tide rumbled, "None."
Tribios blinked in confusion. "If there are no enemies, what are you doing?!"
Tide replied with disarming simplicity, "Securing the area around the Century Gate."
Tribios fell silent, unsure how to respond. After a moment, she finally said, "Alright, alright, if there's no one here, just move aside!"
Tide nodded and shifted his feet. What Tribios saw next was a scene straight out of hell—no, even Cipher, who had been to the Nine Hells, would agree that the landscapes there were far more pleasant than this!
Everywhere she looked, there were mangled corpses, each face frozen in an expression of agony and despair... at least, those that still had heads.
The ground was drenched in blood, and as she lowered her gaze, she saw dark red, congealed liquid filling every crevice and depression in the uneven terrain. Tribios instinctively covered her mouth and nose. Had she seen this when she first crossed over, she would have undoubtedly vomited uncontrollably.
Even now, her stomach churned. This was likely the most primal, brutal, and bloody spectacle this world had to offer.
Olivia and Jay's faces were also grim. Jay commented bluntly, "What a devastating war."
After calming herself, Tribios suppressed the nausea churning in her stomach. She lifted her right leg, searching for a clean spot to step, but found none. Still wearing her high-heeled sandals with exposed toes, she had no intention of stepping on the corpses.
Tribios patted Tide's leg armor and said, "Crouch down so I can sit on your hand."
Tide silently crouched down, extending his right hand steadily beside her. Tribios hopped lightly onto it. Because Tide was wearing full plate armor, including gauntlets, her first sensation was the icy chill and the slightly uncomfortable firmness of the metal beneath her.
Jay spoke up, "The Divine Artifact must be somewhere nearby. Let's search for it."
Tribios nodded first, then turned to Olivia. "Come on, Olivia, choose a direction. Which way should we go?"
Olivia glanced around before pointing to the right. "I bet it's this way!"
Upon hearing this, Tribios immediately declared, "Alright, then we'll go left."
Olivia immediately pouted. "Ugh! Little Trib, you never listen to my suggestions! Why even ask me then?!"
Tribios retorted, "How else would I know the right way if I didn't ask you?"
Olivia retorted, "So what if I'm a little directionally challenged? Why do you always tease me about it, Little Trib?!"
In any case, Tribios clearly held more authority within the group than Olivia. Thus, with Tide pulling her along by one hand, and Olivia and Jay following beside them, the four set off to the left.
Sure enough, less than an hour later, a massive wooden encampment teeming with soldiers came into view. Upon seeing this, Tribios's first reaction was to leap down from Tide's hand and rub her sore bottom.
Finally, we're here! The ride had been terribly bumpy. After all, Tide wasn't a professional mount—he was a person! Inevitably, Tribios felt like her backside had been jostled into eight separate pieces, the discomfort almost unbearable.
Jay squinted at the distant soldiers for a moment before saying, "These must be from the Kingdom of Green Eagle. Judging by the looks of it, they've been stationed here for quite some time."
Let's sort out the information: the Kingdoms of Ukel and Green Eagle have been at war for over a month, vying for the Divine Artifact. Both sides have undoubtedly suffered victories and defeats. Normally, the victorious side would secure the Divine Artifact's landing site and immediately transport it back to their own territory, right?
The losing side would then either concede defeat or relentlessly pursue their enemy.
Yet, that's not what happened here. The Kingdoms of Ukel and Green Eagle have been locked in a stalemate in this region for a full month. Considering the recent battlefield and the fortified encampment before us, it's easy to deduce that the Kingdom of Green Eagle intends to maintain a long-term presence here. The corpses scattered across the battlefield are the aftermath of the Kingdom of Ukel's repeated assaults on this stronghold.
So, under what circumstances would the Kingdom of Green Eagle choose to build a fortified camp and establish a permanent presence here? The answer is simple: they can't move the Divine Artifact.
Jay explained his theory, saying, "In other words, if my hunch is correct, the Divine Artifact is likely hidden somewhere within this camp."
But that raised a crucial question: If the Divine Artifact truly lay within the camp, how could Tribios and her group infiltrate and retrieve it?
After all, having come this far, Tribios's primary objective was undoubtedly to claim the Divine Artifact. What would happen to the Hero afterward? That wasn't her immediate concern.
Jay continued, "Rumor has it that both the Kingdom of Ukel and the Kingdom of Green Eagle have deployed armies of 100,000 men for this battle. Of course, that's likely an exaggeration."
When mobilizing troops, it was standard practice to include both the Conscript Army acting as cannon fodder at the front lines and the rear-echelon logistics and supply personnel in the total headcount. Even after deducting the Conscript Army and supply units from the 100,000, the regular army strength would still be substantial—at least thirty to forty thousand soldiers.
Yet Tribios and her companions numbered only four. Whether facing 100,000 or 30,000 to 40,000 enemies, the fundamental challenge remained the same.
To simply walk up to the enemy camp, ask about the Divine Artifact's location, and request to see it? The Kingdom of Green Eagle would never agree to that.
Using the Century Gate to teleport the four of them directly into the heart of the enemy camp? But they didn't know the artifact's exact location. While this might catch the enemy off guard initially, they'd ultimately be surrounded by overwhelming numbers.
So, should they use the Century Gate to teleport the Grand Duchy of Augustus's army to the front lines for a direct confrontation?
Jay suggested, "If we could capture their General, we could interrogate him about the artifact's location, right?"
Tribios scoffed, "And how do you propose we find their General in the first place? Charge in and grab him?"
The key was still location. If they knew where the artifact was, they wouldn't even need to go there. Tribios could simply use the Century Gate to pull it to them.
But then Tide nodded and said, "Charge in and capture their General? I understand."
Tribios stared in stunned silence. "Huh?"
Then she watched as Tide actually began walking toward the enemy camp, step by step. "Hey, wait! That's not what I meant!"
But Tide replied, "The General must be their strongest fighter, right? Wait here for me; I'll be back in a flash."
As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous BOOM shook the ground beneath Tribios' feet. It wasn't an earthquake, though—it was simply Tide running.
Tide was already immensely heavy, and now, clad in full metal armor, even his ordinary footsteps left clear, visible imprints on the ground. When he sprinted with full force, the ground cracked and splintered where his feet landed.
Tribios felt like she was listening to an intensely rhythmic drumbeat. At first, Tide's footsteps echoed roughly every two seconds, with wide gaps between each thud. But as he gradually accelerated, his pace quickened, and the drumbeat grew increasingly rapid.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
Tide's sheer size made it clear he wasn't built for agility. But his raw strength was overwhelming, and he was using it to propel himself forward with unstoppable force.
When a colossal figure over four meters tall, clad in heavy metal armor, and charging at an average speed exceeding eighty kilometers per hour appeared on the battlefield, Tribios couldn't imagine how the soldiers of the Kingdom of Green Eagle could possibly stop Tide.
Initially, Tribios had considered intervening, but as Tide charged forward, she couldn't help but wonder if he might actually break through the enemy lines, find and capture their general single-handedly.
If things go south, she thought, I can always pull him back through a Century Gate when he starts to falter.
In the distance, the Kingdom of Green Eagle's camp naturally heard the thunderous roar. Glancing up, they saw something rapidly approaching from afar.
General Montgomery Cohen, stationed here by royal decree, sneered. "A cavalry charge? At this hour?"
Tide's breakneck speed inevitably kicked up a massive cloud of dust, making him even more conspicuous. Montgomery naturally mistook the swirling dust cloud for a cavalry charge. After all, who would believe a single person could cause such a commotion?
The general immediately barked orders: "Deploy the Conscript Army! Shieldbearers, form a defensive line! Archers, take your positions!"
Thousands of conscripts were driven out of the camp. Lacking any proper formation, they resembled a chaotic swarm of sand. Yet, under the pressure of the regular army behind them, they reluctantly advanced with terrified expressions.
Normally, when cavalry charges into a sea of infantry, gets surrounded, and loses momentum, they become easy targets. That's why cavalry rarely charges directly into enemy lines, instead focusing on flanking maneuvers or rear assaults.
Watching the scene unfold, Montgomery initially assumed the Kingdom of Ukel's general had finally snapped after failing to break the siege. But as the enemy drew closer, Montgomery realized with surprise that this wasn't a cavalry charge at all—the enemy... was just a single man?!
The conscript army at the front lines wasn't stupid. They immediately scattered to either side, clearing a path for Tide. A massive cavalry charge was impossible to evade, but surely they could dodge a single rider?
This left the shieldbearers behind the conscripts to bear the brunt of the assault. Tide had become a high-speed train; even a glancing blow could shatter bones, let alone a direct impact.
The tower shields, as tall as a man, crumbled like paper before him. The sturdy armor and the soldiers within were crushed under his foot. Many more were sent flying into the air like rag dolls, hurled skyward by the force of his charge.