The next step after the early phase of the Star Battle was naturally the mid phase, where the two sides had gained enough intelligence of each other and were letting out big moves.
The momentum of both sides was clashing and overcoming each other, which could be visible in the struggle of the races.
But the progress for the humans and dwarves was slow due to the enemy’s planet consisting mostly if not all sea areas. It meant that the ships that had to be sent to the Rift increased greatly and production of additional ships had to be done the moment they found the situation.
While both sides were trying to gain more momentum, time passed without care for anyone. Six months had passed, with the merfolk territory slowly being captured into the hands of the humans and dwarves.
But they only covered ten percent of the entire territory of the merfolk and the merfolk caused problems with their guerrilla attack and sending in waves to disrupt the progress of building floating bases.
Fortunately, the transcendents’ understanding of the skill of the merfolk increased. It caused many to be able to control the waves and currents to counter the merfolk’s move. Not only that but they also found out about the transcendent energy of the merfolk.
It was done by forcefully capturing some merfolk, restraining them with many restrictions, whether it was cuffs or formation circles with a restraint function.
Of course, the next thing that the humans and dwarves had to do was to experiment with the capabilities of the merfolk. They inspected the body and found gills that allow them to be able to stay underwater for so long.
The next then finding the reason why they could come above the surface. It was then that they found the reason why. The merfolk also breathe in the air from the surface in addition to breathing using the gills.
It meant that they were amphibious, could treat the sea and land as places to be explored. Unlike humans and dwarves, who were land dwellers which caused the exploration of the sea to still limited to the surface with some shallow waters.
That was why the progress of advancement for the humans and dwarves was slow; they were only the rulers of the surface and shallow waters and not the rulers of the ocean depths.
Transcendents could only temporarily fight underwater since they still needed the air to breathe and did not transcend their current limitation. That was why it was hard to conquer the merfolk territory and the merfolk realized this.
That was why the merfolk kept harassing the ships and the transcendents relentlessly while the humans and dwarves were having difficulties dealing with constructing more floating bases, securing the increasing floating bases and also attacking the merfolk bases and territory.
But the merfolk had a horrifying realization that the rate of the enemy occupation of their territory increased despite the difficulties that the merfolk had inflicted on them.
“Your majesty, the enemy still managed to build the surface bases in the nearby Rift. Our guerrilla tactics and sending them big waves only served as a nuisance but not a big deal for them. Furthermore, they seemed to understand our mastery over water waves and currents. We need to take drastic action before they send more of their kind and their weaponry to our side!”
A merfolk general with a fish skeleton on his head said while his eyes had become fiery due to the action of the enemy.
“We need to launch a massive offensive. If we need to eliminate them fast, now is the time. We cannot wait any longer since the countdown of the Star Battle has begun.” An official said indignantly.
“I have heard what you want to say.” There was a larger figure than the rest of the merfolk. His skin was bluish grey with bluish scale but his eyes emanated a terrifying pressure to anyone who directly looked at them. He had heard mostly the opinion of the generals and officials.
“We will launch a major offensive along with most of the giant beasts to this outer territory that has been captured.” The king said while letting out a projection of the entire territory that the merfolk had established.
Their territory was glowing with blue light while the enemy glowed red. Although the majority was still blue but the expansion of the red color increased slightly and steadily.
The king pointed to a floating base in the outer ring of the enemy territory while saying that.
“This is actually a continuation of the guerrilla tactic but on a large scale of numbers. We hit them while they stay and retreat while they move.” The king said loudly because this was actually an order.
Then the king extended his hand and his hand trembled as he channeled transcendent energy to something and that thing was responding to the call. With a slight movement of the water current, there was an object moving to the king.
It had a golden glow while cutting through the water that hindered it in responding to its caller.
When the king finally clenched his webbed hand, there was the object he had summoned. It was a golden trident that could cause a transformation to the ocean, causing big waves and currents. Furthermore, it could command the sea creatures to obey him as the trident was the proof of his rule over the sea.
“With this, we can launch a large-scale attack! Follow me!” The king stood up and tapped the end of the trident’s blunt part into the ground, producing a sound so strong that only the sea creatures could hear it.
Even for some merfolk, they could barely hear it and the king was one of the few. With that, the merfolk were ready to launch their biggest attack.
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The first to be targeted was the floating base at the outer ring. The moment the news of its destruction came to the Cerulean Defense Force, they realized too late that the guerrilla attack this time was large and so coordinated that the emergency state had to be declared.
Even the transcendents' strike groups had to be shifted into defending the floating base for fear of a large-scale attack from the merfolk.
“They got the advantage this time. To think that they could truly control the sea creatures, no, this planet’s sea creatures. Either it was the ability of their king or the doing of a device.” Tatsumi tried to explain things to both the transcendents and the ordinary people during this gathering in the floating base.
“What should we do from this point onward?”
Hearing someone ask like that, Tatsumi looked at them all before replying.
“Either we make their guerrilla tactic useless or we corrupt the sea where they roam with the undead element.”
That caused the eyes of several transcendents to light up at the idea. But they could not make the merfolk guerrilla tactic useless since their movements were greater than the ships and transcendents.
“So we can only form the barrier to our territory by using the undead element.”
“That’s the case. After all, the undead element can be absorbed back but if we used a nuclear attack, then the fallout would not be able to be processed for a long time. This option is already being considered.” Tatsumi said while pointing at his wristwatch.
Then the transcendents with the Necromancer’s Trait were used to make the sea full of undead element, causing the transformation to the environment.
Then they sent the water-filled undead element outside their established floating bases to the territory of the merfolk.
This felt like the two sides were playing tug which was to pull the others to the line in the middle. One side got the advantage while the other wanted to use their assets to even the field.
The undead element was spreading further into the merfolk territory and causing unrest in the merfolk kingdom.
Not even the king’s trident could solve this matter. At most, they could delay it so that the merfolk had more time before being influenced by the undead element.
“Vile undead element!” the king lamented with hatred. Although he had never faced something like this but his god informed him about the undead and the god’s hatred toward them.
But all he could do was isolate the undead element somewhere. But the growing undead element showed that the affected area could increase if not handled well.
Sadly, the king could not clear the contamination and stayed away from the battlefield. The current battlefield was filled with undead element where a certain type of transcendent thrive.
They were the ones who looked for the sign of merfolk and became the best scouts for the Cerulean Defense Force.
That caused the situation to reach a stalemate where one could not do anything to the other. But the Cerulean Defense force still had a slight advantage in the form of the undead element contamination.
If the enemy did not even act, then they would overwhelm their enemy with just the undead element. That was why the battle of attraction was favorable.
The destruction of one of the floating bases was quite a punch the merfolk had done, but contaminating the sea with undead element, it was basically saying that they would raze everything to its smallest unit.
Now it was the merfolk’s turn to respond in kind. The undead element was quite a counter but the king was now pooling something to be able to purify the contaminated sea. But it needed a lot of resources to do so he kept most undead element at bay.
On the other hand, the transcendent strike groups conflicted.
One side wanted to attack immediately since they did not want to give the enemy the chance to turn things around, while the other wanted to wait for the contaminated sea to affect the merfolk greatly.
“What should we do then?” a transcendent with Ether as his transcendent energy source asked Long Wu.
“We need to strike. The best defense is attack after all. If we let things go naturally, maybe we have a great chance at victory but there is also a chance for the enemy to be able to eliminate the effect of the undead element, just like how we managed to adapt their skill to become ours.” Long Wu said while slamming his fist into the table.
“It will be done with the transcendents with the Necromancer’s Trait. We are the best at being in the undead element.” One transcendent added.
“Yes, there is no need for others since they should not be contaminated with the undead element. I will become the blade that pierces through the enemy’s heart. Prepare the ships!” Long Wu shouted.
In the meeting at the floating bases, Long Wu decided the course of action while the rest did as was ordered.
So, another battle occurred and the strike groups found out that there was less concentration of the undead element near what they assumed to be where the king of the merfolk stayed.
‘This is actually the worst-case scenario. The undead element is being purified.’ Long Wu looked at the purified place and knew that this was the doing of the king through a means of skill or equipment.
He knew that acting now was the final chance they could have at weakening the enemy, so Long Wu and the strike groups moved deeper into the territory, trying to find the king and also to understand the reason behind the purified area.
With the transcendents controlling the waves and currents, they could at least cover themselves with the natural waves and currents to remain undetected.
Being underwater was hard but the transcendents were eager to solve the problem once and for all. Ships were also deployed due to the presence of the transcendents but they stayed some distance away.
The shells that were fired landed near the target and caused problems for the merfolk. The transcendent strike groups, on the other hand, had to end the battle quickly because their primary target was the king.
Water was rising when the shell hit the surface of the water while also letting it hit the giant sea beasts and the merfolk, causing a small chaos on the rank of the merfolk.
Sadly, this group of merfolk was not going to be able to escape as the transcendent strike groups formed an encirclement, preventing the merfolk inside from escaping.
There was no then as the merfolk were outclassed, overpowered, overskilled, and overwhelmed.
They did not expect that the enemy they faced was strong and skilled in using their transcendent energy. The development of their transcendent path was greater than the merfolk, causing this devastating effect.
“Damn, they’re fast!” Long Wu perceived something from afar.
He felt that the power of the sea was gathered at a certain point in the distance and knew that it would be difficult for him to evade.
“Attack in the northeast direction! Ships or transcendents!” Long Wu sent his message to all nearby allies.
It was strong enough that it lingered in the minds of those who had heard it. Then they did as they were asked, finding that the waves and currents in that direction were stirring differently.
The merfolk king was raising his trident while focusing his transcendent energy to empower the trident, also causing a change in the sea.
“This is the answer to all our problem! They are here!” the king said indignantly to his subject.
The other merfolk channeled their transcendent energy to the king, causing the king to be bolstered by the combined strength of thousands of merfolk. With that power, he could purify and stir the sea to do his bidding.
He could feel the steelclad ships in the southwest direction coming to his location but he was not afraid.
Even if they used the undead element, he could make sure that the advantage was always with him. He would show them that the merfolk were also strong and not weak!
The place hit with the cannon fire had water columns rising as the transcendent strike groups finally went on the offensive.
Long Wu led the charge as he cut down numerous merfolk who swung their staff and spear with no avail. He cut off the neck of the merfolk with ease as he changed his grip of the dagger, plunging it into another merfolk who wanted to attack him right in its heart.
Blood spurted out as Long Wu plunged it deeper and causing the twitching merfolk to slowly go into a silent and motionless state. But Long Wu kept moving closer and closer to the king and felt the currents were against him.
Just then, another current went in to support him and counteract the current created by the merfolk.
Long Wu used the opportunity to go directly in front of the king and swung his dagger. The king used the trident to block the attack as the two metals hitting each other could be heard.
Long Wu’s attack was blocked by the king and Long Wu realized that the king probably read his movement through the change in the current when he moved his limbs.
‘This is troublesome. Well, let’s try that.’ Long Wu then increased his attack so much so that it blurred the current and causing the king to have difficulty dealing with the small storm created by Long Wu.
The king defended with his trident since he could not even find an opportunity to counterattack when Long Wu moved faster underwater, causing the king to feel his presence.
The king still used the trident to block, but sadly, that was a mistake. Shockwave reverberated throughout the trident and reached the limb the king used to hold the trident, causing some small internal damage.
The king felt a metallic sensation in his mouth as he realized that he had been moved back by several steps. Worse, the progress to cause purification was halted due to the shockwave.
“Damn it!” But he had to let out a word or two while using the remaining power that was supposed to do the purification to become the strong current that hindered even Long Wu.
Long Wu crossed his arms as he was pushed by the currents of the water, causing difficulties in battle against the merfolk king.
Long Wu was forced to use the current controlling spell formation, causing the current around him to turn black as the undead element contaminated the water.
The process was inevitable, given that the transcendent energy used was the undead element. The merfolk king looked at the contaminated water with extreme prejudice, swung his trident, and caused the currents to rampage throughout the battlefield.
Seeing this, Long Wu used the current controlling skill to envelop himself in an egg-shaped barrier that protected him from the rampaging currents outside.
Then he moved along with the black water to the merfolk king. His movement was different when he was on land; he needed the current to move his body.
Fortunately, near the merfolk king, there was no current as if it were the eye of the storm. Long Wu then got in and engaged once more with the merfolk king.
“Huu…that was not easy.” Long Wu said as he deactivated the current controlling skill but still carried the black water with him.
“Persistent!” the merfolk king growled in frustration, seeing the enemy in front of him, hellbent on trying to contaminate the water with the undead element.
They inevitably clashed once more, causing waves and currents to be thrown into chaos as their clash involved transcendent energy. The water was pushed back and the undead element contaminated more parts of the water and then the place where the two battled temporarily became devoid of water.
Long Wu slightly smiled as he finally used his movement skill and caused several afterimages to attack the merfolk king at once.
The merfolk king was an experienced one so he could tell that most of the afterimages were not even real so he focused on finding the real ones.
But he realized that more and more of the water around him was contaminated, while the afterimages slowly dissipated and showing Long Wu controlling the black water. He then just used a hand gesture and the black water then came back and drowned the merfolk king who could not control the contaminated water.