Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3116: Border Isles

From the deck, Emery watched the island rise above the horizon, its immense silhouette gradually revealing itself against the blue sky. Calling it an island hardly seemed adequate. It looked more like a fortress that had grown its own shoreline, a vast military stronghold carved into the land itself.

He released his divine sense.

It swept across the approaching territory, passing the first hundred miles, then several hundred more. Even when it reached the thousand-mile mark. His expression grew increasingly solemn as the sheer scale of the defenses came into view.

Citadels crowned the highest ridges, their fortified walls following the natural contours of the mountains. Dozens of ground and floating outposts lined the coast. Along the towering cliffs, hundreds of watchtowers stood in orderly rows, their polished surfaces catching the sunlight like scattered stars.

Then Emery began to understand the geography that had made this place so important.

The land formed a long, narrow strip, with the ocean pressing in from both sides. Stretching for hundreds of miles, it served as a natural land bridge between the southern territories and the Scourge-infested regions beyond. Anyone seeking to advance toward the Southern Isles would have to contend with this formidable defensive line.

Tens of thousands of Pardera warriors manned the walls. Formations had been carved into the ramparts, and the faint shimmer of protective barriers revealed that the entire coastline had been prepared for a prolonged siege.

Yet the sheer number of soldiers was only part of the story.

Even with an initial sweep of his divine sense, Emery could detect hundreds of Grand Magus scattered throughout the fortress. Among them were several dozen whose auras stood out from the rest, their power suggesting that they had reached the Third Cosmos or perhaps advanced even further. These were not ordinary soldiers waiting behind defensive walls. They were seasoned cultivators who had likely spent years fighting the Scourge, each one a powerful weapon in the kingdom’s desperate struggle for survival.

Emery’s gaze shifted toward the far shore.

There, the Scourge waited.

He felt its presence before his divine sense could fully penetrate the mass. A black tide of corruption pressed against the opposite coastline, its oppressive energy so dense that it dulled his perception. Millions of chaotic signatures churned together in a grotesque, restless sea, forming something that resembled a vast hive of living darkness.

The sight made the purpose of this place unmistakable.

This was the last barrier between the Scourge and the Southern Isles.

The final frontline of the Pardera Kingdom.

Watching the seemingly endless defensive structures, Emery realized just how fortunate he had been to enter the Southern Isles through the Crimson Steppes. Had he approached from the central capital instead, he would have encountered the Scourge’s main forces directly.

The royal flying boat continued its approach, gradually descending toward the harbor.

Before it could reach the dock, a dozen figures rose from the fortress and cut through the air toward them in a tight formation. Their auras swept across the vessel, and Emery instinctively examined them as they approached.

Then he went still.

Six of the twelve were Supremes.

One of them immediately caught Emery’s attention.

A massive figure clad in imposing obsidian armor flew at the forefront of the formation. His broad shoulders and formidable build gave him the appearance of a walking fortress.

Emery recognized him.

Illir Batatra, the Titan of War, the famous Warmaster of the Pardera Kingdom.

The twelve figures approached the flying boat, all of them bowed toward King Valder.

"Thank you for your hard work," the king said, acknowledging their greeting with a slight nod.

There was no lengthy exchange of formalities.

Emery had barely stepped off the boat when the horizon shook.

A horn blared from the fortress walls, its deep, resonant note rolling across the strait. It followed by a tremendous roar that seemed to rise from the very depths of the earth. The sound vibrated through the dock and into Emery’s bones.

Across the water, the black tide began to move.

Millions of Scourge surged toward the coastline in a single, unbroken wave. Parasite Hounds raced at the front, their twisted bodies splashing through the shallows as they charged toward the strait. Winged spawn rose above them in thick swarms, blotting out patches of the sky, while hulking abominations advanced behind the smaller creatures, their immense bodies forming something like a living mountain range.

The sheer number was staggering.

And the creatures were not the only threat.

Amid the advancing horde, Emery sensed dozens of infected Grand Magus. Their corrupted auras stood out from the countless weaker signatures, but even those powerful beings were overshadowed by the presences rising farther back in the swarm.

Infected Supremes.

Emery detected several of them.

Then something else emerged above the horizon.

A vast shadow lifted behind the advancing horde, its enormous silhouette rising into the sky as a multitude of tentacles uncoiled across the distant clouds. The creature’s presence spread over the strait like a dark canopy, eclipsing the lesser monsters beneath it.

Parasite X.

Illir Batatra and the other five Supremes did not hesitate. They launched themselves toward the strait, each moving at tremendous speed as they headed for their assigned positions along the defensive line.

Behind them, the entire stronghold erupted into action.

Soldiers poured onto the ramparts, taking their assigned positions as commanders shouted orders across the walls. Defensive formations flared to life along the cliffs, their interlocking patterns illuminating the coastline with layers of protective light. Archers and spellcasters prepared their attacks, while powerful cultivators rose into the air to meet the approaching enemy.

King Valder remained at the dock, his hands folded behind his back. He watched the unfolding battle with an expression that revealed little, as though this were a familiar scene he had witnessed countless times before.

Perhaps it was.

For the people of Tartarus, the Scourge had become a constant presence, and battles like this were no longer extraordinary events. They were part of the grim routine required to keep the remaining territories alive.

Valder watched for another moment before turning toward Emery.

His voice was light, almost casual

"Why don’t you join in and help them out?"