Immortal Paladin

483 The War Begins

I leaned back slightly in my chair and looked at Gu Jie.

“How much time do we have?”

Her foresight was far more reliable than mine when it came to looking deep into the future. My Ophanim excelled at analyzing cause and effect within reachable variables, but Gu Jie’s vision extended further down the river of fate.

Gu Jie floated quietly above the table, her small form surrounded by faint motes of light as she considered the question.

“That depends on what you are asking,” she said thoughtfully. “However, if you are referring to the decisive battle between you and the Origin King, then my projections suggest roughly three decades.”

She raised a hand and traced several faint lines of light in the air.

“There would be multiple one-on-one confrontations between the two of you prior to that confrontation. Skirmishes, probing battles, and attempts to gain advantage. None of those encounters will produce a clear victor.”

The lines of light twisted into a pattern resembling two opposing forces.

“In the meantime, the armies under both sides would clash repeatedly. The war would slowly escalate until one side finally breaks the other and overwhelms them.”

I frowned slightly.

“That’s an awfully long time. Can we shorten it?”

Ox-Head was the first to respond. The massive guardian shifted his enormous frame slightly before speaking in a slow, steady voice.

“That is not unusual for war.”

His eyes were calm, but his tone carried the weight of long experience.

“In the greater wars of the Greater Universe, decisive conclusions often take thousands of years to emerge. The scale of those conflicts is vast, and circumstances change constantly as forces maneuver across galaxies. Even smaller conflicts between powerful factions can last decades or centuries through skirmishes alone.”

Ru Qiu leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

“This situation is different though,” he said. “Everything is happening on a single planet. Unlike the Greater Universe with its ridiculous amount of empty space, this world has limited geography. That naturally compresses the scale of the conflict. Still, thirty years isn’t unreasonable. The wars I fought in the Hollowed World often dragged on for similar lengths of time. Rarely, longer.”

The meeting room fell quiet for a moment.

Around the table sat nearly everyone who mattered in this operation.

Alice and Joan sat near Gu Jie, both watching the discussion carefully. Dave leaned back with his arms crossed while Arthur and Fanarys reviewed a series of maps spread across the table. Ru Qiu looked bored as usual, while Ox-Head remained calm and immovable like a mountain.

On the opposite side sat variant Ezekiel.

Seraphae and Archelon were also present now, their earlier hostility replaced with a far more cautious attitude.

Gu Jie spoke again.

“If you wish to accelerate the timeline,” she said, “then it is possible to bring the decisive battle closer. But doing so would require an aggressive strategy. We would need to commit enormous resources to the war effort. Large-scale mobilization, constant pressure on the Origin King’s forces, and rapid territorial expansion.”

Her small hand gestured toward me.

“And you would need to summon your players.”

The room shifted slightly at that statement.

Gu Jie continued calmly.

“However, this strategy is only viable if we reestablish a pathway back to the Hollowed World. Without that connection, maintaining logistics for such a large operation would be nearly impossible.”

She paused briefly.

“With access to the Hollowed World, we could draw on its vast resources, manpower, and knowledge. That would give us the supply lines needed to sustain a high-intensity war.”

Joan nodded and added her own explanation.

“This world is far more connected to the Hollowed World than we initially realized,” she said. “Based on our research, it is technically possible to reopen a stable route between the two realms.”

She pointed at the map.

“The problem lies in the dungeons.”

Several locations on the map were marked in red.

“Certain dungeon types appear to function as anchor points between the two worlds. If we can capture and stabilize one of them, we may be able to create a permanent passage. Unfortunately, the little intelligence we’ve gathered suggests that these specific dungeons are heavily guarded by the Origin King’s forces.”

I rested my fingers against the table as I listened.

In the past, I had learned that impatience rarely produced good results.

Charging forward recklessly just to shorten a timeline often created larger problems later.

Gu Jie looked at me again.

“There is something else you should understand.”

Her voice grew slightly more serious.

“Even if we manage to accelerate the war and force the decisive battle within thirty years… I cannot guarantee the outcome. My foresight becomes increasingly uncertain when predicting the final confrontation between you and the Origin King.”

I nodded slowly.

That matched my own experience.

My Ophanim could see pathways, but the deeper we looked into the future, the more variables multiplied beyond reliable calculation.

By the time the decisive battle actually arrived, I would probably know the result.

Right now, the future was simply too complex.

Alice finally spoke.

“I have a suggestion.”

Everyone turned toward her.

“Instead of rushing into a full offensive,” she said, “we focus on defense for now. We deploy small teams of highly elite units to locate and secure the specific dungeon we need to reconnect to the Hollowed World. If we succeed, we gain the logistics and resources necessary to escalate the war later. If we fail, we lose far less than we would in a full-scale assault.”

Seraphae was the first to respond to Alice’s proposal. The dark elf queen leaned forward slightly, her expression far more composed than it had been earlier.

“If that is the strategy,” she said firmly, “then my people will support it. The warriors under my command are among the finest assassins and duelists still alive in this world. They would be ideal for elite strike teams.”

Archelon nodded in agreement.

“The Council of the Faithful will also contribute,” the old pope said with equal conviction. “Our paladins and battle priests have spent their lives defending humanity. If an elite task force is required, we will gladly place our warriors at your disposal.”

Several people in the room glanced at me.

Their enthusiasm was obvious.

I shook my head.

“No.”

Both Seraphae and Archelon looked confused.

“I appreciate the offer,” I continued calmly, “but I have something else in mind for your warriors.”

They exchanged brief looks before turning back to me.

“What exactly do you mean?” Archelon asked.

“I want them to teach. They should spread their knowledge among the population. Hunting, survival skills, weapon maintenance, fieldcraft, discipline, and practical combat training. This world has lost too much knowledge already. Even the long-lived races have forgotten basic survival skills. Some of the elves I’ve encountered no longer remember how to properly hunt or forage without relying on magic.”

I let out a quiet breath.

“If that is the state of the elves, imagine how much knowledge humanity has lost over the centuries. And they are not the only ones. Orcs, dwarves, beastfolk, and countless other races have suffered the same erosion.”

Ru Qiu leaned back in his chair and scratched his head.

“Alright, I’m gonna say it using Earth logic,” he said casually, addressing me. “Isn’t that basically a massive demotion for the warrior class?”

Everyone looked at him.

“If you take a bunch of fighters who survived the apocalypse and tell them their new job is teaching people how to skin rabbits and make leather boots, that’s going to wreck their morale.”

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He shrugged slightly.

“Just saying.”

I understood his point.

These people had barely survived the collapse of their world. Many of them were warriors who had spent their entire lives fighting monsters and defending their communities. Telling them to put aside their weapons and start running workshops might feel insulting.

But my reasoning had nothing to do with disrespect.

If anything, it was the opposite.

These warriors were precious.

The lack of qi in the atmosphere meant the Origin King’s forces were heavily restricted in this world. Their most powerful techniques relied on qi, and without it they could not operate at their full potential.

Even a Tenth Realm cultivator could be defeated by the right combination of strategy, abilities, and environmental advantages in this world.

That meant the warriors of Losten had a real chance of standing against them.

However, that did not mean I wanted to waste them recklessly. If I deployed them in battle now, I would risk losing irreplaceable talent. I would rather use them as a last resort, a force that could serve as both a deterrent and a decisive weapon if the situation demanded it.

There was another reason too.

If they remained within my reach, I could ensure that their deaths were not permanent.

“I understand your reasoning,” said Alice thoughtfully. “But Ru Qiu has a point. These warriors need purpose. If they feel like their skills are being wasted, their instincts will dull and their morale will collapse.”

She glanced toward the training grounds visible through the window.

“You already have Ezekiel training the general population in basic combat techniques. That part is covered. However, you are right about the need for practical skills. Butchering, leatherworking, field medicine, weapon crafting, survival techniques, and other trade skills would be incredibly valuable.”

She looked back at me.

“But their warrior instincts should not be neglected.”

That was a fair argument.

I turned toward Ezekiel.

“Ezekiel.”

The variant summon inclined his skeletal head slightly.

“Yes, my lord.”

“I want you to establish a series of standards for anyone who wishes to join the New Risendawn military.”

Several people in the room straightened slightly.

“For example,” I continued, “a candidate must defeat one of your lesser constructs before they are allowed to enlist.”

“A combat evaluation, sir?” asked Ezekiel contemplatively.

“Exactly,” I said. “Create modified versions of yourself or your constructs that fight at the level of a high-tier cultivator. Anyone who can defeat one of them earns the right to serve. In addition, establish a military drill system. Discipline, formation training, coordinated combat exercises, and tactical awareness.”

My gaze moved across the representatives from both factions.

“And make sure every recruit understands something clearly. They are no longer servants of the Light or the Dark. They now serve New Risendawn.”

It was important for an army to have an identity.

Leaving them divided as the Light and Dark factions would only guarantee failure in the long run. Those labels carried centuries of grudges and pride with them. If the warriors continued clinging to those identities, they would never truly fight as a single force.

They had to stand up for something new.

They had to want it.

Only through proper military integration could we create a functioning army that would be loyal not just to me, but to the people they were meant to protect. If they began seeing themselves as defenders of New Risendawn, then the old divisions might eventually lose their hold.

I trusted Ezekiel to handle that responsibility.

He had already established a surprisingly good rapport between the pilgrims and the church members. That alone was impressive considering how suspicious both groups had been at the beginning, barring the tearful reunions as the exception.

Ezekiel also carried a vast amount of memories inherited from me.

Sometimes when I watched him interact with others, I noticed subtle behaviors that had not existed when I first created him. His reactions were becoming more nuanced, his tone less mechanical.

I suspected something interesting was happening. If I had to describe it, I would say Ezekiel was slowly developing something that resembled humanity.

Our meetings continued regularly as we managed the growing city.

Sometimes the discussions remained calm and productive. Other times they deteriorated into heated arguments.

One afternoon, the situation escalated particularly quickly.

“We cannot simply abandon the outer settlements,” Archelon insisted while pointing at the map. “Those villages still contain faithful followers of the Church.”

Seraphae scoffed immediately.

“And what exactly do you propose we do? Send a rescue party into territory already crawling with the Origin King’s scouts?”

Dave leaned forward with an irritated look. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

“If the place is already compromised, then we either evacuate them or destroy the location before it becomes an enemy foothold.”

Arthur shook his head.

“That kind of decision requires better reconnaissance. Acting blindly will just get people killed.”

Fanarys folded his arms.

“While you argue, the enemy is expanding their control. Delaying every decision is its own form of failure.”

The voices began overlapping until the entire room filled with noise. Whenever things became too heated, I stepped in and restored order before the arguments could spiral into something more destructive.

These meetings happened once every quarter of the year.

Interestingly enough, Losten’s calendar system was remarkably similar to Earth’s. The months followed nearly identical seasonal cycles, which made organizing long-term schedules far easier than I expected.

As the days passed, I focused heavily on expanding our defensive capabilities.

My primary method involved spamming Summon: Holy Spirit.

Every time I cast the spell, another Ezekiel emerged.

They appeared exactly the same as the original, naked holy skeletons radiating faint divine energy. Soon they could be seen wandering across New Risendawn like silent sentinels.

Some guarded the city walls.

Others patrolled the streets.

A few were assigned more mundane tasks. I sent them into the surrounding forests to hunt game, gather resources, or search for survivors hiding in remote areas. Some even helped with manual labor such as farming and construction.

It worked well, but the cost was significant.

Repeatedly casting Summon: Holy Spirit drained a surprising amount of energy. The more I used the spell in a short period, the heavier the strain became.

Gu Jie and Joan continued updating me on their research whenever they made progress.

Joan also spent a large portion of her time experimenting with alchemy. Her laboratory had expanded into a chaotic maze of glass instruments, strange powders, and bubbling concoctions.

Alice behaved exactly as I expected.

Whenever she had the opportunity, she hovered around Gu Jie like an overly protective mother. At the same time, she occasionally joined me and Ru Qiu on raids against the Origin King’s outposts.

Those missions were simple and effective.

We would appear suddenly, wreck the base, eliminate the defenders, and leave before the enemy could respond properly.

Ox-Head remained on permanent guard duty most of the time.

Despite his intimidating appearance, he occasionally helped teach the citizens various practical skills. I even caught him studying agricultural methods from local farmers and attempting to apply them with surprising enthusiasm.

Ezekiel continued performing every task assigned to him with unwavering dedication.

Meanwhile another group had embarked on a much larger mission.

Dave, Arthur, Fanarys, Seraphae, Archelon, Ao Lun, and one of the Ezekiel copies had formed a traveling expedition.

Their objective was massive.

They were moving across the world in search of Lost Gods and surviving communities. Whenever they found potential allies, they guided them toward New Risendawn.

While traveling, they also made it a point to destroy any bases belonging to the Origin King whenever the opportunity presented itself.

However, their most important task remained the same.

They needed to secure a dungeon capable of connecting our world to the Hollowed World. If they succeeded, we could construct a stable passage between the two realms.

That single achievement would change everything about the current war.

Whenever I needed to join their expedition, I used Castling on the Ezekiel traveling with them. The spell allowed me to instantly swap places with my construct, effectively teleporting me across the world.

One evening, I arrived just in time to see them sitting around a campfire in a forest clearing.

Dinner was already underway.

Arthur was chewing on a piece of roasted meat while examining a map spread across his knees.

“I still think we should head east next,” he said between bites. “The ruins near the black valley might contain a dungeon entrance.”

Seraphae shook her head while sharpening her blade.

“Your instincts are terrible. The western highlands are a better option. Ancient elf strongholds used to exist there.”

Dave laughed.

“You two have been arguing about directions for three days.”

Fanarys leaned back against a tree.

“Perhaps we should consult the priest before continuing.”

Archelon sighed heavily.

“I am a priest, not an oracle.”

Ao Lun casually tossed another piece of meat onto the fire.

“You could always pray for guidance.”

Archelon gave him an irritated look.

“That is not how divine revelation works, and you know it.”

By the time I arrived, they had already finished giving me their reports about recent discoveries, which meant the group had shifted into a far more relaxed mood.

My visit with the expedition did not last long.

A subtle shift passed through my senses, while the group continued their casual arguments around the fire. It began as a faint ripple, but it quickly grew stronger until I could no longer ignore it.

The flow of faith connected to me had changed.

Faith was not only reverence and trust. It also carried fear, hope, anger, and desperation. When enough people directed those emotions toward me at the same time, the sensation became impossible to miss.

This time the current carried danger.

I stood up.

“I have to go,” I told them. “Something just happened in New Risendawn.”

Before anyone could question me further, I activated Castling. The world folded. When my vision returned, I was standing atop the walls of New Risendawn.

The reason for the disturbance became obvious immediately.

A large army was advancing through the forest toward the city.

At first glance the soldiers blended almost perfectly with the environment. Their armor and banners seemed to merge with the surrounding greenery as though the forest itself were hiding them.

Some sort of treasure or enchantment was masking their presence.

Even so, the sheer size of the formation made concealment impossible once they moved close enough.

I landed on the stone wall and scanned the approaching force.

That was when I noticed Anna.

The young spirit-touched girl stood nearby with tears streaming down her face. The small wind spirit that normally hovered happily around her looked just as distressed, swirling weakly in the air beside her.

Anna clutched the railing of the wall as she sobbed.

“They’re monsters,” she cried. “Absolute monsters.”

Her voice trembled with grief.

“I can hear them. The spirits… they’re screaming. I can feel the souls of my kin inside those soldiers.”

Her wind spirit spun frantically, releasing faint cries that sounded eerily similar to Anna’s own sobbing.

Gu Jie floated quietly beside me as if she had already been waiting for my arrival.

She looked down at the approaching army with mild curiosity.

“They are probably using fairy dust,” she said casually. “It is an alchemical reagent created from crushed spirits mixed with the ash of elves.”

She paused as though recalling a memory.

“I read about it in the journal of a dead Great Enemy.”

Anna’s crying immediately intensified. The wind spirit shrank closer to her shoulder, trembling violently.

Gu Jie blinked.

“Oh.”

She turned toward Anna with visible awkwardness.

“I apologize,” she said quietly. “That was insensitive of me.”

Anna could not even respond through her tears.

I looked back toward the forest.

The enemy army continued marching forward with grim discipline.

“This will be the first real war New Risendawn faces,” I said calmly. “Not counting my little encounter with the Origin King. What are our chances of defeat, Gu Jie?”

She did not hesitate.

“Five percent.”

That was reassuring.

A moment later, the enemy army halted just outside bow range of the walls. One figure stepped forward from their ranks. He was massive. The warrior had four arms, crimson skin, and a heavy suit of dark armor decorated with brutal trophies. The shape of his body made it obvious what he was.

An Asura.

He raised one of his weapons and shouted toward the city.

“People of this insignificant settlement, hear the mercy of our king. Surrender immediately and accept the grace of the Origin King. Lay down your arms and kneel, and perhaps some of you will be allowed to live as slaves under his divine rule.”

He grinned cruelly.

“Resist, and your city will be burned to ash.”

The words had barely finished echoing when the sky above him erupted with blinding light.

A colossal golden sword formed high in the clouds.

“Heavenly Punishment.”

The blade descended instantly. The Asura general barely had time to widen his eyes before the divine sword slammed into him. The explosion of holy energy obliterated him completely.

When the light faded, nothing remained where he had stood.

I looked upward.

Hovering above the battlefield was a very angry Ezekiel.

This version of him looked different from the last time I had seen him. The holy skeleton radiated far greater divine power, and his skeletal wings glowed with a brilliance that almost resembled a living angel.

“You come to this sanctuary cloaked in the remains of murdered spirits,” Ezekiel declared, his tone filled with unmistakable fury. “You march beneath the ashes of slaughtered elves and believe yourselves unseen.”

His wings flared outward as radiant light gathered around him.

“You defile the forest, torment the spirits, and dare approach the gates of New Risendawn with threats on your tongues. I speak now not merely as a servant of my lord, but as the guardian of this city.”

His gaze swept across the enemy ranks like a blade.

“Know this truth clearly. Your cruelty has already sealed your fate. You will not find surrender here.”

His skeletal hand pointed toward the approaching army.

“You will only find judgment.”