Mistaken Match: Marrying the Enigmatic CEO
Chapter 2381; Mentor vs Disciple: The Eightfold War Grid
“This is…” The Ashdon Nation’s general hesitated, unsure what to do.
He valued his soldiers’ lives far more than Gautier ever would.
Gautier didn’t hide his frustration. “What are you waiting for? The Eternal Sage Saint put me in charge of Solaris Island. That means my word is law. If you don’t follow orders, I’ll have you executed right here.”
He grabbed the general by the collar, voice hoarse and threatening.
Out of options, the general gave a reluctant nod and shouted. “Fire!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Artillery thundered as cannons lit up the road into Solaris Island.
“Watch the shelling, push through! Move fast!” Emmanuel saw the situation turning ugly and issued commands without hesitation.
He tossed aside his iron spear and activated the Art of Sunflame. Energy surged through him as he unleashed the thirteenth move of the Dragon-Breaking Palm, Dragon Braker.
Through the noise and smoke, a blazing dragon roared to life.
The attack carved a path, but it wasn’t enough. They were still staring down tens of thousands of enemies.
Out of nowhere, a flash of silver streaked across Emmanuel’s side.
Santiago had joined the fight. A silver dragon burst through the crowd as he flew in with one hand gripping his rifle, grinning from ear to ear. “This is good stuff! Fighting like this, side by side with my disciple? Can’t beat it!”
Emmanuel let out a shout of his own. “This is what we were made for!”
Seconds later, two more streaks ripped through the front line, fierce as wild tigers and even more savage than the dragons.
Santiago’s voice cut through the chaos. “Looks like Yorick’s stealing the spotlight again!”
He let out a laugh, then snapped his wrist – his weapon flared like lightning.
There was no way he was letting Yorick one-up him. The whole exchange made Emmanuel chuckle despite the chaos around them.
High above, two Sage level women exchanged a brief glance and smiled. There was something powerful about moments like this, when battle becomes purpose. It felt like their lives were burning with meaning.
“Push through!” Emmanuel roared again.
The elite force of a thousand broke the blockade, storming into the narrow mountain pass under a barrage of fire. Losses were minimal.
Elsewhere, Magnus had already led a larger unit into the corridor from a different route, moving quickly and without resistance.
A thick forest stretched ahead. Jagged cliffs closed from both sides. No one knew what was waiting beyond the trees.
Magnus suddenly raised a hand. “Hold up.”
The entire formation came to a stop.
Ironskull frowned. “Mr. Magnus, we’ve got enemies behind us. Why are you stopping now? We should hit their base before they regroup.”
Magnus didn’t respond. Aurora stepped in before Ironskull could press further.
Then, Hattie walked up to him. “Magnus? What is it?”
“There’s someone waiting for us,” Magnus spoke quietly, eyes locked on the forest ahead.
He had predicted Gautier’s trap and maneuvered his forces into position without a direct fight. Now, it seemed the enemy had been playing the same game all along, anticipating every move. The level of planning was entirely different.
“Master, it’s been a long time. You can come out now.” His voice echoed down the quiet trail.
Everyone froze.
No one had seen anything. Yet, right after Magnus spoke, laughter rolled out from the trees.
Even Ironskull and Aurora, not tall themselves, could tell, the person behind that laugh was huge.
“Magnus! So, we meet again. Never thought we’d be standing on opposite sides.” The voice called out.
Magnus adjusted his glasses, lips curling into a smirk. “Didn’t surprise me. The moment you left for the Eagle Nation. I figured this day would come.”
Hattie looked stunned. She hadn’t expected that voice to belong to her brother’s former master. She mused. Wait… that voice… it’s Orunis… the Eternal Sage Saint himself. People speak his name like it’s some kind of legend… half fear, half worship.
So, he’s been here this whole time? No wonder this Solaris Island feels like the center of everything.
“You always were a sharp one.” Orunis remarked.
Magnus replied, “Not as sharp as you, Master. You saw this coming, didn’t’ you? I bet you’ve already laid out the board, ready to play it move by move.”
A second wave of Orunis’ laughter rang out. “Exactly. Let’s play a game, with the future of Chanaea and the Eagle Nation on the line.”
Magnus didn’t respond. Instead, he raised a telescope and peered though a tree gap.
After a moment, he lowered it, jaw tight and expression grim. Whatever he’d seen clearly wasn’t good.
Hattie caught the shift right away. It wasn’t often she saw him like this.
Orunis’ voice returned. “The Eagle Nation has been rooted in the Ashdon Nation for years. This island is more than a battlefield, it’s a fortress. The terrain and surrounding islands have all been shaped to form something ancient and powerful, the Eighfold War Grid.”
“You have ten days. After that, the God of Light will awaken. Once he’s reborn under the solar convergence, he’ll channel energy from the Sun Stones. From this island, he’ll launch a divine strike against Chanaea.”
Gasps rippled through magnus’ team. Their minds raced. Ashdon Nation may be separated from Chanaea by the sea, but Solaris Island is only 93 miles from the coast. That’s close… yet it’s still too far for standard strike. Who even has the kind of firepower to hit a target from that far away?
Orunis continued, “This isn’t some missile you can spot on radar or shoot down. It’s invisible, unstoppable. If you don’t stop him in ten days. Chanaea falls. Following that, the God of Light will pull strings through the Eagle Nation and start taking over, piece by piece, until the whole world under his control.”
Magnus finally answered. “We’re not going to let that happen. I’ll take your challenge. Heh… this just got interesting.”
Orunis laughed again. “I’ll be waiting. You know where to find me.”
His voice faded into the trees.
Not long after. Emmanuel’s forces reached the junctions and rain into Magnus’ group.
“Emmanuel, good timing,” Hattie said, looking relieved.
“What’s the situation?” Emmanuel asked Magnus.
“Come with me. You’ll want to see this yourself.” Magnus replied, sidestepping the question. Without another word, he turned and led the way.
They followed him up a winding path until it opened onto a high cliffside ledge.
Everyone stopped in stunned silence.
Below was a massive plain, enclosed by towering walls laid out in a perfect eight, sided shape. Each segment comprised sixty-four walls, all different in length but arranged with exacting precision. It wasn’t random, this was a deliberately engineered battlefield, designed like an enormous war grid.
Hattie stared in disbelief. “No way… Is this really the Eightfold War Grid? How long must it have taken to build something this massive?”
“A long time, but that’s not the worst part.” Magnus replied.
As if one cue, the structure shifted. Wall segments rotated, rearranging with mechanical precision. Emmanuel and his team watched as a once-clear path sealed shut while previously blocked routes suddenly opened up.
No matter how it was rearranged, all four main gates stayed sealed.
“What do we do now, Magnus?” Emmanuel asked, knowing they couldn’t afford to waste time. They needed their strategist to take the lead, now more than ever.