788 Abyss Empire's Situation
The homeland of Abyss, the Abyss Empire, had been experiencing frequent attacks by the Fairies.
It didn't matter if it was the far south or near north, the Zion dogs attacked all borders.
Despite being defeated every single time, they returned like rabid dogs lusting for blood.
Even though the comprehensive strength of the Abyss Empire was a step higher than the Fairies, the continuous invasions started to have an effect.
The Abyssals in the border provinces were beginning to grow more and more bloodthirsty.
Their hatred for Fairies reached new peaks and at some point, something seemed to have snapped in them.
Instead of fear, they welcomed each war.
They reveled in the blood that spilled on the battlefield and enjoyed tearing the Fairies' flesh apart.
Even the Fairies didn't want to deal with such maniacs. For a while, the frequency of the invasions decreased and a period of peace followed.
The Fairy Emperor, however, began his shameless attacks on the Abyss Capital.
Such a feat was impossible without the Zions' help, but even if they knew it, they couldn't prove it.
The Abyssals swallowed the bitterness as they cheered for their ruler.
The Emperor of their hearts and lands didn't disappoint.
Every time the Fairy Emperor dared to attack, he defeated him fair and square.
Of course, recently, the Fairy Emperor had been growing stronger and in one of the recent attacks, a district of the capital city was blown up and a lot of innocents died.
Even though the Emperor ensured to keep the casualties to the lowest every time, this disaster was a wake-up call to every Abyssal.
If the attacks of the Fairy Emperor could reach them even when they hid under their Emperor's shadow, then there was no safe place.
After that tragedy, Fairy Emperor attacked fifty times in two hundred days.
Then, suddenly, he stopped.
He didn't attack for seven days in a row.
Instead of being excited, Haedon, the Abyss Emperor grew nervous.
If there was no threat from Fairy Emperor, he would've long gone to Solar System and finished off those humans himself.
It was a no-brainer that he should send his powerful forces and better go by himself than still rely on the Eight Abysses that only had a slight edge over the current human race.
Yet he neither sent more powerful forces nor went there by himself.
For the former, all the forces under his command were busy defending the Empire.
The current state of the Empire was like a heavy building barely supported by weak pillars.
If one pillar falls, then everything would be at risk.
Of course, he could bet that the building would still stand. But it likely wouldn't.
He didn't want to gamble on the fate of his Empire.
So, despite knowing a fraction of his forces could solve the solar system, he didn't send anyone.
As for why he didn't go there himself…
— — —
"Dad, why aren't you going to that far away land to bring the treasure that will save everyone?"
Eva, his innocent daughter, asked him after seeing the casualties one day.
Haedon wanted to smile and brush it off. But she kept insisting. So, he had to reveal the bitter truth to the little girl.
"It's too far away. Once I go there, I can't return here in a short time."
Haedon would never forget the conflicting expression on his daughter's immature face.
She had never been separated from him since she came to be. During the worst dangers, she was away from him only for three days at most.
That was enough to turn her into a sobbing mess that clung to him for the rest of the day.
Even though Eva had grown up, she still couldn't bear to part with him.
For the little girl, it was the cruelest punishment in the world.
Yet…
Despite that pain…
"Dad, if it can stop all our people from dying, please go…" Eva said with a stiff smile while her tears swirled in her eyes.
Haedon's chest stiffened as bitterness welled up in his heart.
He worked hard all his life. Unlike the normal 'Emperors', he didn't indulge in pleasures. He didn't go around suppressing his people or bossing them.
He always, always did his best to save the Abyssals. Be it through Providence Trial or Solar System's legacy, his end goal had always been the same.
So, why?
Why should his daughter experience this bitterness?
'If only we had the space artifacts…' Haedon closed his eyes and sighed.
If he really went to the Solar System, it'd take anywhere between two to six months for him to return.
'I can take the legacy. But by the time I return, the fairies would've killed every single member of my race.'
Haedon clenched his fist and took a deep breath.
There was a small but staunch of ministers that advocated a radical strategy.
They asked the Abyss Emperor to go to Solar System with his wife and daughter.
Haedon, of course, rejected the plan which was essentially abandoning his race.
But in the back of his mind, if his worst nightmare occurred, then he could at least send his wife and daughter to safety.
Even though Demon Abyss' Holy Altar was destroyed by Enigma, the remaining seven were more than capable of building a strong enough space tunnel for his wife and daughter.
'They should really protect the holy altars.' Abyss Emperor frowned for a moment before shaking his head.
'I hope I have to activate them.'
— — —
Since that day, things changed rapidly. For the worse.
On the eighth day since the last attack of the Fairy Emperor, a sudden change caught everyone by surprise.
The Fairy Army suddenly broke through the barren lands and attacked the Blood Province.
Unlike before, they weren't able to sight the army's traces and were completely in for a surprise invasion.
Even though surprised, the invasion proceeded like any other.
The Abyssals used their defender advantage to the fullest and by the third day, began to push back the Fairies.
But the fourth day changed everything.
