Chapter 202: Begin Counterstrike
A sharp pulse struck Igaris’ mind. He froze in the Imperial Court, his eyes narrowing as he processed the mental message sent by one of his distant doppelgangers stationed in Orca.
A key allied state’s leader—assassinated.
There was no need for guesses. Only one man could be behind this treacherous move: the Emperor of the Skadi Empire.
The implications were immediate and dangerous. Fear was spreading. The other four allied leaders had begun to withdraw, their loyalty shaken. They didn’t want to be the first to feel the wrath of Skadi’s Emperor.
Time was bleeding out, and Igaris knew it.
He could not afford to wait.
Within the hour, a silent operation began across the Blue Moon Empire. Hidden agents moved like shadows, spreading the word in taverns, sect halls, battle arenas, and remote villages.
A call was issued:
"The path to the stars is open. Who among you dares to fight for the future?"
This was no ordinary army. Igaris was creating a force unlike any before it—Transcendental Soldiers. Men and women who would wield power that defied the world’s boundaries. Warriors who would fight across realms, among the stars, beyond the known.
But it came with a cost.
To leave this world behind meant leaving families, homes, lovers, and children. There was no promise of return. Only glory and duty.
The empire stirred.
Some hesitated. Mothers held their sons tighter. Lovers begged their partners to stay. The idea of such a faraway war sounded more like a death sentence than an honor.
And yet, among them were the brave. The scarred veterans. The battle-hardened wanderers. The rogue martial artists who had nothing to lose and everything to prove.
They stepped forward with silent resolve.
For every one who backed away, there was another who clenched their fists and whispered:
"I’ll follow him to the stars."
Igaris did not remain idle either.
While recruitment was underway, he vanished into the distant and dangerous wildlands, where towering trees pierced the sky and ancient magic stirred beneath the soil. There, deep within the forgotten forests, ferocious magical beasts roamed unchecked.
For two relentless days, Igaris hunted, challenged, and conquered.
When he returned, he had tamed 200,000 magical beasts.
Among them besides Beasts Kings and Beast Lords, Lions with molten manes, wolves of wind, Colossal Dragons with obsidian scales, and creatures older than recorded time—each one bowed beneath his will.
At the same time, the number of Transcendental Soldiers had reached two hundred and twenty thousand. Warriors of all races, battle-tested and resolved.
The numbers were promising.
And with everything in place, Igaris finally prepared to depart for Orca.
In a single thought, he opened his Inner World and transferred the entire army and tamed beasts into it.
Gasps rippled across the space as the new arrivals stepped into an otherworldly realm.
Angels with brilliant white wings and radiant golden auras soared through the skies above. Their presence emanated purity and power, while their eyes glowed with divine wisdom. Towering crystalline trees swayed in the wind, and floating islands shimmered with ethereal light. Rivers of starlight flowed gently, reflecting endless galaxies.
To the soldiers and beasts alike, it felt as though they had entered Heaven itself.
Some fell to their knees in reverence. Others stared in awe, speechless.
Igaris stood silently, watching over his world. His sanctuary. His kingdom.
The moment had come.
Without hesitation, he created another clone using Limitless Doppelgangers to handle the Blue Moon Empire in his absence. The replica carried his will, his power, and enough authority to maintain the stability he had forged through conquest.
Then, he opened the dimensional gate. A swirling portal of shimmering azure and golden light expanded before him, crackling with spatial energy. One by one, his closest allies stepped forward to join him.
Shirley. Evernight. Jian Longchen. Ren Wen.
As Shirley passed through, her gaze remained fixed for a heartbeat longer on the world they left behind. Her father’s fate still remained a mystery. Despite all their searching, he had never been found. And now, once more, she had to move forward with empty hands and a heavy heart.
Plop!
They emerged within the grand Imperial Palace of Earth, inside the central throne hall carved from obsidian stone and laced with veins of spirit crystal.
Igaris wasted no time.
He summoned an emergency meeting with the Empire’s top commanders. The elite gathered swiftly, surrounding the jade war table that stood beneath a towering mural of the cosmos.
Tension filled the hall like a rising tide.
Everyone could feel it—the sharp crackle in the air, the storm brewing behind Igaris’ golden eyes. His rising fury pressed down on them like a suffocating weight. No one dared speak out of turn.
Then, his voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"I have decided. Staying on the defensive will no longer serve us. From this moment on..." He paused, letting the words settle like thunderclouds. "We strike first. We move against the enemy. The age of waiting is over."
Their eyes widened. The tension turned into flame.
They also thought attacking one of their allies was akin to humiliation to their overlord. So they wnated to teach Skadi Empire a lesson.
"My Emperor, are you sure?" Serynthia asked, stepping forward in her humanoid form. Her long silver hair flowed behind her, and the iridescent dragon scales along her limbs shimmered in the throne hall’s light. Majestic wings, half-folded behind her, gave off a silent pressure of an ancient bloodline.
Igaris glanced across the room. His gaze swept past Malthius the undead War General, Mountain the Titan, Shadow Reaper the Mecha Commander, and the other commanders who stood at attention, awaiting his final word.
Then he spoke with conviction.
"I am sure. Our battleships are nearly complete. The time has come."
His voice rang clear across the jade-floored chamber.
"We’ll launch the fleet and begin our conquest of the Skadi Empire’s outer territories. First, we’ll seize the oppressed states that rejected our alliance. Then, one by one, we’ll dismantle the subordinate kingdoms loyal to Skadi. With every victory, we’ll absorb their resources, their soldiers, and strengthen our army. And when the time is right..."
He paused, his eyes narrowing.
"We’ll storm the Empire itself."
The chamber remained quiet, the weight of war hanging thick in the air.
Still, Igaris turned his gaze to the elders in attendance.
"That said, I’m not above wisdom. Does anyone have insight or advice before we set this plan in motion?"
Among those present was his father, Iskarth, sitting in quiet dignity beside several old figures who had once served in wars past. The atmosphere was tense, but thoughtful. Everyone knew this campaign wasn’t just another conquest.
It was the beginning of a long, large-scale war.
But no one raised an objection. Not even his two generals: Jian Longchen and Malthius.
Because right now, offense was the best defense. If they stay defensive like this the Skadi Empire woupd slowly start dismantling them.
And so, the Overlord’s army moved.
"BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ!"
From the depths of the Earth, newly-forged Disaster-Class Battleships emerged. There were accurately thirteen of them, each the size of a city. Colossal metallic titans, glowing faintly with runes and humming with concentrated mana, rose into the skies like ancient gods returning from slumber.
Each battleship was a fortress of war.
Inside them, World Divers, Mechas, Spirit Beasts, and elite Martial Warriors stood ready. Altogether, over a million units had been gathered — trained, equipped, and battle-hardened.
Ground Units and Sky Units both were assembled in perfect formation. They were ready to bring chaos and devastation to any world that stood in their path.
The journey ahead was long, the stars distant, and the enemies terrifying.
But not a single warrior flinched.
Because they carried one name in their hearts: Overlord Igaris.
And they were prepared to lay down their lives for it.
The battleships quickly departed towards the west. To their first target.
Igaris stood at the firsr ship, his black cloak fluttering behind him. His gaze was cold and determined.
Every passing landscapes seemed to sense his wrath.
---
After traveling for a day at extreme speeds—fast enough to shatter the sound barrier—the fleet finally crossed Earth’s border.
They had entered Yurelia.
Once, Varnem Thal had ruled this world.
Yes... once.
That old man had been the first to join the alliance. And now, he was dead—assassinated. The current ruler? Just another puppet of the Skadi Empire.
But the Overlord’s Army hadn’t come for politics.
They had come to reclaim Yurelia.
Within hours, the colossal battleships tore through its skies, casting immense shadows over the land. Their destination: Crystalith Spire, the capital.
Alarms blared. Warnings echoed through every city.
Yurelia had been struck with an invasion swift and merciless. No one saw it coming.
Still, the defenders scrambled. Their armies rushed to mobilize. Defensive barriers activated. The skies lit with runes and mana cannons as the world braced for war.
But would it be enough against the fury of the Overlord?