Vlad smiled as he saw Freya’s eyes burning with determination. He nodded to the young viking princess and handed her a special parchment with a powerful demon soul-sealing runic formation. This one was made with skin from the Level 14 Abyssal Demon from Nagan Mountain and was designed so the viking princess could use it to trap a High Champion Abyssal in case they met one in Santana City.
Freya stared at Vlad as she took the parchment, showing a beautiful smile as she knew just how powerful and precious this type of top-tier demon soul-sealing runic formation was. She nodded, showing pure resolution before turning around, displaying a focused and serious expression. She then turned toward Major General Theodoro, and the duo exchanged a meaningful glance as they understood the importance of this mission.
Without further delay, Freya and Major General Theodoro led the troops across the river and into Santana City. Every one of them unleashed a powerful aura, full of hunger, resembling a pack of wolves determined to consume demonic souls.
Vlad gazed at the troops until they vanished in the distance before summoning the dark crow. He jumped on it with Jormungandr and left Trigun City. The young man and the small yellow cat immediately began to work on their experiments as the demon summon flew across the sky.
It did not take long for them to leave Trigun City, and their destination was one of the most populated cities of Constantine Country before the apocalypse, Canvas City. After almost a week of flying, Vlad and Jormungandr finally saw a massive military base.
As Vlad and Jormungandr flew closer to the military base, the scale and organization of the site became more apparent. The base sprawled over a vast area on the side of the highway, strategically located to facilitate movement and logistics. Its design was a blend of utilitarian function and emerging post-apocalyptic ingenuity, showing signs of both military precision and adaptive survival strategies.
The perimeter was secured by towering walls reinforced with magic matrices, the work of Mages who had been instructed in the craft of structure building. Watchtowers punctuated the wall line, each manned by vigilant sentries equipped with long-range weapons, their sharp eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of danger.
Inside the base, rows of barracks and warehouses were arranged in a grid-like pattern, intersected by wide lanes that allowed for the efficient movement of troops and supplies. Hundreds of houses and small buildings provided housing and workspaces for soldiers and civilians alike.
This place was under the control of Grand Marshal Anglius and could be considered the only official stronghold of Xaos Kingdom beyond Xaos City.
Overlord’s grand strategy had designated Canvas City as a secondary core and main expansion point for the Xaos Kingdom. Its strategic position and abundant resources made it ideal for extending the kingdom’s reach and influence further into the territory, as from this place, it would be easy to expand into the neighboring cities.
Vlad’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the base, his A.I. Chip working tirelessly to analyze the influx of information. Hundreds of soldiers moved with purpose through the base, their movements coordinated and precise, each performing tasks essential to the operation of this makeshift city.
There were roughly eight hundred soldiers. Grand Marshal Anglius had marched into Canvas City with six hundred soldiers but now had even more. Of course, there had been casualties, but more soldiers had been added to his battalion, as this mission required a large force.
Working alongside the soldiers were thousands of civilians, men and women of varying ages. They were engaged in a multitude of tasks, from repairing structures and maintaining equipment to growing food in large, communal gardens that lined the outskirts of the base.
The civilians were originally members of Canvas City who had been rescued. While most of the people saved by Grand Marshal Anglius’s battalion were sent back to Xaos City, there were some that Overlord considered capable of helping in the rise of a new base and remained behind.
Of course, these people were not forced, and Overlord made sure to reward them and their families handsomely. They all understood the risk of working on a rising stronghold, as no one knew when they would be attacked by demons, monsters, or other human factions, but they were willing to accept the danger as the pay was massive.
Vlad observed the sprawling military base from his vantage point in the sky, nodding in approval as he took in the scene below. Though it lacked the defensive fortifications and magical barriers of Xaos City, Canvas Stronghold was not intended to serve as a fortress. Instead, it was meant to act as a strategic outpost, a launching pad from which soldiers and resources could be deployed to other cities and territories.
As the demon summon began its descent, Vlad’s attention was drawn to the towering figure of Grand Marshal Anglius, striding purposefully through the base.
Anglius was an imposing sight, a six-meter-tall giant whose every step seemed to make the ground tremble. His massive body was the outcome of the power of his Devil Champion Bloodline and the unique Gift he possessed, which synergized to grant him physical strength far beyond that of an ordinary Level 7 Warrior. The man had become a living siege weapon, capable of taking down massive walls and with a body whose raging vitality and massive size allowed him to withstand countless blows.
Around Anglius, soldiers moved with precision and purpose, forming ranks with practiced ease. Each unit aligned itself with military exactitude, displaying the rigorous training and discipline that had been drilled into them.
The soldiers wore expressions of determination and focus, their movements swift and synchronized, creating a sense of unity and purpose that was almost palpable. It did not take long for a force of nearly one thousand men to assemble in formation, standing at attention before their Grand Marshal as they gathered outside the fortress.