1498 A Gathering Of The Strong
11 P.M.
The air was heavy with silence.
Whooshh~
Far above the clear starry sky, many could see larger and brighter stars moving across the sky.
Shooting stars? If that's the case, these were the biggest shooting stars they had ever seen!
The many hot air balloon baskets were covered with plastic, bendable, mirror-like materials that reflected the sky and surroundings, giving a camouflaging illusion of nothing being there.
Of course, even without this, it might be hard for one to see the black-colored basket flying too high up in the sky without any strong binoculars.
The bright flow from the flames created a blinding hue around it, just like the sun's Huish rays when one gazed upon it.
To those below, it might be a strong blinding star. But those seated in the many baskets weren't affected, gazing down on the vast terrain.
With heavily advanced heat and night vision devices for higher heights, they began scouting the scene diligently.
"Nothing... Nothing yet."
The many lights had now scattered about the entire perimeter around the many Capital, taking their time to find what they sought.
And soon, many teams indeed had a breakthrough.
.
"Look! Look over there! I see them! Scouts on every tree. More than 300 in number!"
More than 300 scouts spotting on trees alone? Then the enemy fortress.
The fortress also seemed very hidden, thanks to nature and the strangeness of Titarian.
'What a huge fortress!'
If not for their night vision devices, they would've thought the fortress the whole place was but a forest zone from above.
But that was where they got it wrong.
Ermmm... Didn't this look like the massive abandoned temples in the Baymardian Lara Croft movie? Could his Majesty have taken inspiration from this place before writing the script?
Fine! Maybe they weren't identical. But with the vines and all sorts of greenery covering all buildings, it was impossible for one to know if they were structures or not.
Such places should have trapped doors, escape tunnels, and several other hidden features, right?
"What do you think?"
In a particular hot air balloon, one of the soldiers asked her colleague. "I think you're right. Things might not be as easy as we initially thought. What's more, the land alone can give us bountiful surprises? So we should observe and outline all we know."
"Right!"
(*^*)
.
Like so, the 2 ladies began scribbling depictions of the fortress alongside their colleagues within the other hot air balloons.
Everyone began scribbling things directly close to them
Some concerned themselves with the perimeter leading to this hidden fortress. In contrast, others worked in groups, heading north, east, north-east, central, west, and every other direction to sketch what they saw, as well as highlight the presence of many patrolling guards down below.
"Take a look at that. What weapon is that?"
With night vision on, they could see many holding strange weapons they had never heard of or seen before.
Ah... This majesty must hear of this!
They had to admit these weapons looked more robust than those in Pyno.
Eh?
Was this fortress a hidden T.O.E.P one?
In truth, they were slightly right. The fortress belonged to a member of the T.O.R.P residing in Titarian. This fortress's owner was none other than the one they called Lord Mushu, the number one master and controller of operations in the empire!!
Hmmm...
Many air force officers diligently carried out their duties, not daring to leave out a single thing.
But what they didn't know was that they weren't the only ones getting down to business.
.
--Private hall, Hidden Fortress.--
In the room, several powerful men gathered, all with their aides and guards beside them, except for the few masked men in black.
Yes. These were the same masked men who visited Camila earlier.
And now, the 'family' was all here, seated in a circular position.
To the right, Cletus sat with his chest raised high, and his mouth hooked proudly. He looked as though saying: I've won. Soon, I will be monarch, and you all will have to vow to me!
Huh.
Camila, on another end, was still trying to hold her anger in.
'Rat bastard! Don't think I will let you live for long. Soon, your upping's will come!'
As for Mushu, he too had the same thoughts as Camila. Don't blame him for being vicious. Keeping this guy alive any further would be detrimental to his plans.
But even if Cletus Ghoul is out of the way, that doesn't mean he would let Camila's son sit on the throne.
No... Though he didn't want the throne, he would let either his son or someone trained with loyalty to take up the mantle.
Mushu had thought this far ahead. The killing period was the time for the throne to shift hands.
.
Oh?
The masked men smirked underneath their masks, already envisioning how bloody the next killing period in Titarian.
There was also that guy, Murdoch, A.K.A, Mr. m, the second most powerful after Mushu, was also likely to fight for the throne.
And one shouldn't forget about number 3, number 4, number 5, and even the crooked number 9...
Cletus might have beaten everyone to the finish line. But it was hard to say who would emerge victoriously.
But of course, that wasn't why they were here.
The lead masked man in black calmly tilted his head toward Cletus. "I take it all your forces have arrived?"
"Yes, my lords. All forces have arrived and are now within the hidden fortress."
Cletus didn't have a private hideout around the Capital. And though he could camp outside in the forest regions in wait, it would be too risky, lest they got discovered. Additionally, the fortress gave them protection against beast attacks.
Hiding such a big army required they had to go too deep into the dangerous lines around the perimeters.
With Titarians terrain and beasts, they would start battling nature before having a chance to fight with Gregory. So who wants that?
In the end, Mushu's fortress was the perfect hideout.
But how could he be so kind?
