Sacred Artifacts of War and the Theory of Their Origin

The tent flap parted, and two distinct sets of footsteps—one light, one heavy—reached Du Chen's ears. "Dus, continue your watch! Porter and Dud have arrived!"

The Iron-faced Dud stood silently behind Du Chen after entering, while Porter, wrapped in a fur cloak, rubbed his crimson hands and grumbled, "It's already March, yet the Great Plains are still under a blanket of snow..." He slammed a hand on the table. "Hey, some generals from the Second Division just had their teeth knocked out by Aliza! The Military Justice Department is waiting for your explanation!"

"Aliza?" Du Chen scoffed, shaking his head. "I imagine it was the Second Division who provoked him, wasn't it?"

"You truly understand Aliza! Just now, the Second Division sent people to consult with me, claiming it was a waste for the two sacred artifact mortar cannons Dud captured to remain with the Quartermasters. They suggested lending them to them instead! I refused, and they proceeded to forcibly try and seize them..."

"Excellent!" Du Chen slammed the table, rising to his feet. "They lack the capability to capture them themselves, so they try to steal what's mine! Hmph, from now on, if such a situation arises, fight them all off!"

Dud's words were concise. "Godfather, the Second Legion truly needs those two sacred artifact cannons!"

"Why are you siding with outsiders?" Du Chen said, displeased.

Dud stated coldly, "The army is now deep within Lanning territory. Arges, eager for quick success, has stretched the front line too thin, scattering our forces! Currently, only thirty thousand troops guard the hundred-li radius around headquarters, with ten thousand from the Second Division responsible for protecting the headquarters' flank. This is a critical position, in dire need of sacred artifacts of war for support! Giving them the sacred artifact cannons is also a way of protecting ourselves!"

Porter nodded. "Francis, Dud is speaking purely from a military perspective. Your two Seven-Star sacred artifact cannons can suppress the charge of at least three thousand beastmen. It's no wonder the Second Division is coveting them. Dud, your Godfather isn't a military man; he's fiercely protective of his own. Even if the Divine Emperor were resurrected, he wouldn't pry those treasures from his grasp!"

Dud closed his eyes and said coldly, "Godfather's decision is wrong!"

Du Chen waved his hand, cutting off Porter, who was about to continue speaking. He chuckled. "I've said it before: in military matters, Dud has the final say! Since he says the sacred artifact cannons should be given... then send them over to me later. Let those rascals from the Second Division have two extra life-saving tools; consider it one of my good deeds! However, there's one condition: they cannot take them for free! Absolutely not! And once they're done, they must return them to me!"

Porter rolled his eyes at Du Chen.

Dud lightly thumped his chest. "Godfather, this decision will increase the security of our flank by more than thirty percent! Dud will execute the order immediately!"

"Wait, I said send them later! Porter, you deal with the Military Justice Department. Dud, bring those two sacred artifact cannons over to me first!" Du Chen hadn't even had a chance to study these two sacred artifact cannons since acquiring them—he'd been too busy performing "good deeds"!

These two sacred artifacts of war were entirely black. Their bases were cylindrical gun mounts, the size of millstones. A barrel, as thick as an arm and over a meter long, protruded from each mount. Placed before Du Chen, they resembled two large iron lumps, appearing unremarkable.

Yet, these were Seven-Star sacred artifact cannons capable of blasting a Seven-Star Battle God into smithereens with a single shot!

Porter once swore by sour plums that Dud's feat of raiding the largest bandit stronghold in Southern Lanning and capturing these two sacred artifact cannons could undeniably double the defensive capabilities of Durkes City's garrisons!

To study these sacred artifacts of war, one must inevitably delve into the origin of sacred artifacts!

Over the past three years since his transmigration, Du Chen had collected a vast amount of information regarding the origins of sacred artifacts. However, the theories were incredibly varied, with the Holy Church's explanation being the most laughable: sacred artifacts were gifts bestowed upon Battle Gods by the divine pantheon! The most widely accepted theory within the Battle God realm was the most ethereal: sacred artifacts were crystallized elemental essences of heaven and earth...

Among these disparate claims, there was one conclusion that possessed philosophical wisdom yet was practically ludicrous: sacred artifacts came from where they were meant to come—wasn't that just stating the obvious? Yet, the person who uttered these words was Prince, the Eternal Divine Emperor, who remade history, allowed humanity's lifeline to continue, and was the closest to achieving immortality in the annals of Battle God history!

Which of these conclusions was closest to the truth, Du Chen did not yet know. And how sacred artifacts fell into the hands of Battle Gods was even more bizarre!

For instance, Zigurd's Thorned Water Ring was unearthed unexpectedly after an undersea earthquake caused an island to collapse! The Yethar Saints' sacred artifacts were passed down through generations. And the most legendary Battle God in history, Charlemagne, acquired his sacred artifact in an even more astonishing manner.

Legend has it that when Charlemagne had just graduated, he served his homeland with great merit and achievement, for which the king bestowed upon him one of the most opulent estates in the country at the time. Within this estate stood a fruit tree. One day, Charlemagne, on a whim, plucked a fruit and bit into it, but found it utterly unchewable. He then tried it with his battle qi...

The Ten-Star sacred artifact, Star Tears, whose might shook the Three Continents, was discovered!

That tree was later revered as a divine tree, but three hundred years had passed, and no more sacred artifacts had ever sprouted from it!

These were the various theories regarding the origin of sacred artifacts. Du Chen believed that amidst these bewildering phenomena, a common essence surely existed.

These details flashed through his mind, and Du Chen's gaze refocused on the Seven-Star sacred artifact cannons. "Dud, you're a military man, you know the most about sacred artifacts of war. Tell me about them!"

"Yes, Godfather!" Dud's voice was calm and cold. "The greatest difference between sacred artifacts of war and Battle God sacred artifacts is that the former do not require battle qi activation, only battle qi guidance! If Battle God sacred artifacts help people rapidly gather elements, then sacred artifacts of war are where people help the artifact rapidly gather elements!"

"Can I understand it this way: the source of power for Battle God sacred artifacts is the wielder, while the power of sacred artifacts of war originates from the artifact itself, with the human merely serving as an auxiliary tool?"

"Precisely! Because the sacred artifact of war itself is the primary agent, it doesn't demand too much from its user! Thus, their acknowledgement of mastery is also much simpler. As long as the elemental attributes match, and one's battle qi is strong enough to rouse the sacred artifact of war, it can essentially be used!" Pointing at the sacred artifact cannons, Dud continued, "Like these two sacred artifact cannons, they are Seven-Star sacred artifact cannons: one is a Frost Cannon, the other a Flame Cannon! As long as one can gather power equivalent to a Seven-Star Battle God, and the attributes align, they can be wielded—one does not necessarily need to be a Seven-Star Battle God oneself!"

Du Chen patted the cannon's body. "No wonder the Holy Church and the various nations of the Three Continents maintain such strict control over sacred artifacts of war. Private possession of sacred artifacts by commoners is punishable by the two gravest crimes: blasphemy and treason!"

Dud continued, "Indeed, because sacred artifacts of war are easy to use and possess immense power, they have always been highly valued by all nations! The number of sacred artifacts of war a nation possesses is also a symbol of its national strength!"

Du Chen kicked a sacred artifact cannon in disappointment; he had finished his 'research'. These objects also possessed a lock-like structure, but they truly lacked sophisticated engineering. If Battle God sacred artifacts were intricate, transforming miniature locks requiring exceptionally high skill to open, then sacred artifacts of war were crude, sturdy padlocks, strong enough but technologically far too primitive!

Furthermore, Du Chen discovered the most intuitive difference between sacred artifacts of war and Battle God sacred artifacts—the structure of sacred artifacts of war was too crude, lacking even the ability to transform!

"Alright, take them to the Second Division! And remember, make sure they sign an IOU!" Du Chen said, shaking his head. "I've met the officer from the Second Division. He's a bit hot-headed, but he's a good general, loyal to the country. I reckon he was probably desperate because of Arges's Military Edict, which is why he tried to seize my things..."

"Francis!" Porter entered, clutching a small hand warmer, his head bowed in a half-smile. "I've smoothed things over with the Military Justice Department, but I also got some news: Brigadier General Krefin of the Second Division was transferred to Legion Headquarters yesterday. It wasn't him who tried to seize the sacred artifacts today!"

"Not him? Then whose teeth did Aliza knock out?"

...In Marshal Arges's war room in Lanning. Arges glared furiously at the general before him, roaring, "Charles, who beat you up!?"

Charles, clad in standard Lanning black battle armor, was bruised and swollen, yet he defiantly held his neck stiff. "Father Marshal, I merely injured myself accidentally during training! What mission do you have for me!?" When Steve was disgraced, Charles was secretly sent to Heaven's Ocean Pass. Now that peace had returned, he naturally remained by Arges's side, serving him as a Division Commander and Brigadier General!

"Training? Training can leave you looking like this!?" Arges slammed his hand on the table. "Tell me the truth!" Seeing Charles still reluctant to speak, Arges eyed him suspiciously. "Summon the Military Justice Department! You've clearly been beaten in a humiliating manner. The Military Justice Department oversees military discipline in the war zone; if you won't speak, they will tell me!"

"Father Marshal, just drop it! Haven't I been shamed enough!?" Charles turned his head, glaring indignantly at the map on the wall. "The front lines are dispersed, the weather is freezing, and though we hold an advantage, hidden dangers run deep! How do you plan to turn the tide of battle, Father Marshal!?"

"Don't change the subject! Tell me, who hit you!"

Charles snorted, then whispered defiantly, "Father Marshal left only three divisions near the headquarters. My Second Division, with ten thousand men, has to defend a two-hundred-li front line, and we simply don't have enough troops or sacred artifacts of war!" He snorted again. "Francis has two Seven-Star sacred artifact cannons. I tried to seize them, but my skills were inferior, and Aliza beat me!" He pursed his lips and lowered his head.

"That bastard Francis!" Arges slammed the table in fury. "Charles, didn't I tell you? Even though that bastard Francis is a scoundrel, he makes immense contributions to Logistics & Medical! We might quarrel with him daily, but for the greater good, we must endure him. How could you... Sigh!"

Charles retorted sharply, "But can a ten-thousand-man division, without even a single sacred artifact of war, hold a two-hundred-li defense line? Hmph." His voice lowered slightly. "Now, only Francis has surplus sacred artifacts of war. If I don't go and seize them from him, what if the beastmen break through my defense line and reach your headquarters, Father Marshal!?"

Arges suddenly smiled, patting Charles's shoulder. "Charles, my most excellent son! You're still too young, a bit too green!"

Charles was startled.

Arges chuckled, "I *want* you to fail in holding the defense line, to let the beastmen's elite forces storm into my headquarters!"

"Father Marshal..." Charles was aghast. "Please enlighten me!"

Arges affectionately draped his arm over Charles's shoulder and led him to the map on the wall. Pointing at it, he said, "His Majesty is forcing me to end this war within a month. To achieve that, I must employ a risky strategy! You just said it yourself, I've stretched the front line too long and dispersed our forces too widely. It's not just you; several old generals have also been criticizing me for this!"

Charles exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that Father Marshal intentionally set up this battle arrangement, rife with deeply buried dangers!?"

Arges laughed. "Our front lines are indeed stretched, but the beastmen must also stretch theirs to follow us! We are dispersed, but the beastmen are a full two hundred thousand fewer than us, so their forces are even more spread out!" Pointing at the thousand-li battlefront on the map, he continued, "Now, only thirty thousand men remain at my headquarters. Tell me, what will the beastmen do once they learn this news?"

Charles said without hesitation, "They will, of course, dispatch their most elite Golden Behemoth Battle Array to attack, and then fall into Father Marshal's trap! I can't believe Father Marshal is using himself as the bait!"

"Charles, you underestimate the beastmen's intelligence too much!" Arges said sternly. "Beast Emperor Rebadon isn't as foolish as you imagine; he won't be easily fooled! Therefore, I, your Father Marshal, will use you as the final barrier!"

Charles's eyes lit up. "After my elder brother's disappearance, Father Marshal only has me as an heir. In this situation, Beast Emperor Rebadon would never guess you'd use your only son as bait! So he won't be able to avoid taking the bait!"

Arges chuckled, "Precisely. This time, I'm using a double bait strategy: I will lure the beastmen, and you will be the evidence that convinces them I'm not setting a trap, but genuinely have my forces too dispersed to attend to the headquarters!" His fingertip tapped the headquarters marker on the map. "This place will be the grave of the beastmen's elite main forces! We will secure victory here, annihilate the Golden Behemoth Battle Array, and then the beastmen's morale and combat strength will surely be utterly devastated. Afterward, I will concentrate our superior forces that destroyed the Golden Behemoth and shatter the beastmen's even more scattered defense lines one by one... Heh heh, do you understand?"

Charles nodded heavily. "This way, we can indeed end the war within a month! Rest assured, Father Marshal, I will severely teach the beastmen a lesson on the front lines, so they won't perceive your intricate scheme!"

Arges smiled contentedly. "I've arranged all the details; you won't truly be in danger, but you must still be very careful!" He gently folded the map on the wall. "Alright, this operation's code name is 'Double Kill'. Head to the front lines now; I, your Father Marshal, must also depart to set the trap for the beastmen!"

Charles was stunned. "'Double Kill'? Why this code name? Besides the beastmen, who else are we killing!?"

Arges smiled chillingly. "For this operation, I will not inform Francis! He, along with the Logistics & Medical department's wounded soldiers, will remain here. His two Regiments of elite troops and the wounded will buy me time to spring the trap, and he himself... will be delivered into the jaws of the beastmen—because you, as bait, will have reinforcements, but he will not!"

The atmosphere within the command post seemed to chill instantly!

Charles was stunned for a long moment, then exclaimed anxiously, "Father Marshal, although I too find Francis disagreeable, he is still your and Mother's child! You, your scheme this time, you intend to kill him too!?"

Arges's face instantly contorted, and he roared, "He is NOT my child! Charles, execute the Military Edict immediately! Leak even a whisper of this, and I will punish you with military law!"

"Charles?" Du Chen curled his lip inside the tent. After much deliberation, he waved his hand helplessly. "Forget it, even though I dislike that brat! But he is fighting for the country after all. We might bicker normally, but now is not the time to hold a grudge against him!" With a touch of reluctance, he patted a sacred artifact cannon. "Dud, take this to Charles!"

Dud silently exited the tent, gently letting the flap fall. After the soldiers carried away the sacred artifact cannons, he suddenly knelt with a thud, facing the tent from afar!

"Hmph..." In a rigid kneeling military posture, beneath the black armor and iron mask, Dud's hands trembled, his head twitching, emitting a low, inhuman hiss.

His head throbbed excruciatingly! Beibei's Spiritual Contract was punishing him, for he had just lied to and betrayed Du Chen!

"Godfather! Dud is guilty!" He endured the pain, muttering, "When Arges dispersed the front lines, Dud discerned the clues from the battle map layout and the subtle traces of troop movements... so Dud remained content as a Quartermaster, biding his time! The sudden cancellation of several divisions' logistics supply lists from me the day before yesterday had already revealed Arges's intentions to Dud—he wants to scatter the beastmen's forces, personally lure the enemy deep in, annihilate their main force, and then defeat them one by one! Yet Dud lamented with you, Godfather, that our brothers could now worry about fewer divisions' stomachs... Hmph! The news Lord Porter just brought, saying Arges would use Charles as the final barrier but only gave him one division's strength, confirmed to Dud that I was not mistaken! But Dud... did not tell you the truth!"

He kowtowed with heavy thuds, the excruciating pain unbearable. "Godfather, Arges's plan has already begun, yet you, his blood, and the Chief General of Logistics & Medical, haven't heard a single piece of intelligence, even as the wounded soldiers continue to be sent to you! This means Arges is using you and the wounded soldiers as bait too! Hmph, hmph, hmph! There should also be a portion of the command post's civilian officers..."

Dud's cries revealed profound remorse, and several tear streaks appeared on his iron mask.

"Godfather, Dud knew you would be in grave danger, yet remained silent. Dud is guilty! But..." He shrieked, clutching his head, and roared skyward, "A giant dragon can only be called a dragon when it flies in the heavens! A Tiger Shark is only the overlord of the blue waters when it roams the deep seas! Dud... merely wishes to reclaim what was lost from his memory, what rightfully belonged to him on the battlefield... This war will conclude within a month, and Dud has only this one chance!"

He prostrated himself on the ground! The intense yearning for war within Dud's mind had actually suppressed Belmonde's Spiritual Contract!

He stood proudly, gazing towards Du Chen's main tent. "Rest assured, Godfather, under my command are fifteen hundred warriors, two thousand soon-to-be-recovered wounded soldiers, and three thousand Elite Soldiers. Let the beastmen's Golden Behemoth come! Dud will annihilate them all and ensure Godfather's safety!" Glancing towards Marshal Arges's commander's tent, he smirked coldly, "Marshal, I hope you spring your trap quickly. I never wait for reinforcements..."

With his halberd slung behind his back, Dud leaped onto his warhorse. His scarlet cloak fluttered in the snow, the horse neighed, and his cold halberd glinted menacingly, like a mad dragon breaking through a snowstorm. He arrived before the Second Legion's camp. "Lord Francis has commanded! My Second Legion has never been at full strength since its formation. Effective immediately, all recovered wounded soldiers are to be incorporated into my unit to form the Third Regiment, and are not to return to their original units! First Regiment, listen! Seize the sacred artifacts of war loaned to Charles's unit! Second Regiment, tonight, practice deep-earth tactics, dig tunnels..."

Arges, who was about to "inspect the front lines," passed by the camp gate and suddenly noticed all sorts of activities within the Second Legion's encampment: men digging pits, transporting sand and soil, building walls... They looked more like an Engineering Corps than Elite Troops!

"What are they doing?" Arges asked.

A retainer stepped forward to inquire and reported, "Marshal, they are practicing construction engineering! Their Commander said that Durkes City's development policy for the next five years is to build dams, improve agriculture, and expand the city. So, they're taking advantage of this current lull to practice more, so they can immediately contribute to the territory's construction upon their return!"

Watching the soldiers' swift and powerful movements, Arges subtly shook his head. "What a pity... Heh heh, such an excellent army reduced to an engineering corps, isn't it a shame?" The retainers laughed, but only a genius would know what Arges truly found lamentable!

Just as the lion-drawn carriage was about to proceed, a Commander from the Second Legion stepped forward to salute. "Marshal, our encampment is simply too small; it's not enough for our training. You see... hehe, since we've now advanced into McAllen's homeland under your command, and we're surrounded by the Great Plains, lacking fortifications... why don't you let us build more defensive structures near the command post? This way, we get practice, and it also enhances the security of your headquarters!"

"Audacious! How dare you arbitrarily modify the headquarters' fortifications!?"

Arges waved his hand. "The Second Legion's intention is merely to serve the country loyally, so proceed as you suggest! However, be careful not to destroy any existing fortifications!" *Hmph, the more you build, the sweeter the bait will be, but you'll never guess that these excessive fortifications will become stumbling blocks for your escape!*

*Of course, they can also impede the beastmen's advance! And buy me time!*

Arges smiled!

No sooner had Arges left than Porter ambled into the camp, sucking on a sour plum, his small hand covering his reddened face. Upon seeing the state of the Second Legion, he let out a surprised "Eh?", his eyes wide, pulling his spectacles down to the tip of his nose, peering around curiously. "What's going on!? Dud, what are you trying to do!?"