Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener - Chapter 549

Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Countering the Moves, A Long-Lasting Strategic Game
“The methods aren’t particularly sophisticated, but they are simple and effective. No wonder this divine power has existed for countless years,” Sterl couldn’t help but think to himself, feeling a deep sense of admiration. If it were up to him to command this battle, even with knowledge of every hidden card Orichalcum had, he still might not be able to execute it as flawlessly.

This was not just about blindly playing one’s cards. It required careful calculation of both sides’ hidden strengths and resources. If too much power was used, it would be wasted unnecessarily; if too little, the effect wouldn’t be enough to turn the tide.

Looking at the Orichalcum army below, their faces a mix of relief and fear, it was clear that Ashen’s psychological tactics had failed. In fact, the appearance of such a powerful divine presence had weakened their own fighting spirit while simultaneously boosting the morale of Orichalcum’s forces.

After all, they had a mighty divine power standing behind them. While rumors spoke of such entities existing within the Ashen Temple, rumors were still rumors. Seeing it firsthand from Orichalcum’s side made all the difference.

Of course, if the people were to calm down and think about it carefully, they’d realize that even the mighty divine being that had appeared was still subject to the world’s suppression. The power it unleashed was no different from that of an upper-tier god, so there was no need to overly concern themselves.

But for now, the appearance of that immense divine presence had been so sudden, without any warning signs, that no one had considered this possibility. Besides, upper-tier gods were still formidable beings, and something they couldn’t resist.

“This kind of war strategy isn’t suitable for me,” Sterl muttered, putting himself in the situation to feel it out before shaking his head. He felt a bit overwhelmed. The kind of warfare he liked was one where strength dominated, where absolute advantage and power shattered any conspiracies or schemes. Of course, this didn’t mean recklessness, but rather extreme caution.

He didn’t like to leave victory to chance or complex calculations. Every battle he fought was one where he ensured he had an overwhelming advantage before stepping in. Otherwise, he would always prioritize building up his power first and “play it safe” until the moment was right.

This approach to warfare was uniquely his own. After all, with powers like Ashen Temple and Orichalcum’s, their strength was more or less fixed at a certain threshold. There might not be significant fluctuations for centuries to come, and the likelihood of their overall strength diminishing was greater than the possibility of an increase.

But Sterl was different. He possessed the ability to evolve, and the speed at which his strength increased far exceeded what others could imagine. Every time he “developed” a bit, his power would make a qualitative leap. This was something even gods couldn’t match. Anyone who wished to harm him would surely be misled by the sheer power he possessed.

“A fighting style like mine requires a very different kind of army. It can’t just be a regular force,” Sterl thought to himself. “It needs to have explosive power, strong vitality, rapid recovery capabilities, and even powerful group effects.”

Without such an army, regular soldiers with insufficient vitality and recovery would be easily overwhelmed. Even if the enemy’s army outnumbered his by ten times, their tactics and hidden cards could easily wipe out his forces if he relied only on a head-on, overwhelming approach.

At that moment, Sterl suddenly thought of the legendary Undead Scourge!

An army driven by endless Undead Legions—though these legions might not possess great vitality, they had a form of immortality. An army like this would be much better suited to his style.

Shaking his head, Sterl pushed the thought aside. Developing an army was just one of his ideas. What he needed to focus on now was completing his legendary story. If he delayed that, his growth rate in power would slow considerably.

He turned his attention back to the battlefield below. At the moment, it was clear that Orichalcum’s army had the upper hand in terms of morale. Despite that, Eterna still hadn’t given the order to attack.

After all, the disparity in numbers meant that Orichalcum’s forces were bound to hold their ground. If they dared to advance recklessly, they might fall right into the enemy’s trap, risking total annihilation.

On the other side, although Ashen seemed to be at a disadvantage, in reality, this was merely the preliminary stage of the battle, a mutual test of strength. As long as their army wasn’t significantly damaged, the advantage would always belong to Ashen.

Before long, Boris, who had almost been instantly killed earlier, reappeared. His injuries had mostly healed, suggesting that Ashen had used some kind of rare potion or treasure to expedite his recovery. There was no other explanation for such a rapid recovery.

Boris approached the frontlines of Ashen’s army, casting a wary glance at the direction of the royal city. When he didn’t see that terrifying face, he finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling a great sense of fortune. After all, that was a divine power of incredible magnitude. If not for the full suppression of the world, he would have been completely annihilated.

“Orichalcum! I didn’t expect them to be so despicable!” Boris sneered, his voice filled with indignation. “A dignified upper-tier god, engaging in a sneak attack like this? Shameless! They dare defy the gods!”

“You think such despicable methods can defeat us? A foolish dream! My army will trample everything!”

Boris returned and launched into another tirade. However, Eterna didn’t pay him any mind, and the army below remained completely unshaken. Unless Ashen brought out another powerful deity, there was no chance for Boris to stir up any more thoughts of betrayal, no matter how much he blustered.

But of course, letting the enemy insult and slander them without response was not an option. Therefore, a sharp-tongued god from Orichalcum’s ranks, one with the authority of divine education, stepped forward to trade insults with Boris.

It could only be said that he truly lived up to his position as an educator, especially one wielding the power of divine authority. His insults were fearsome in their intensity—hundreds of lines without a single repeat. Under the influence of the divine authority of education, his words carried an almost irresistible power, forcing everyone who heard him to agree with his harsh criticisms. Combined with his refined skill in verbal warfare as the God of Education, he nearly drove Boris into a state of isolation.

The soldiers of Ashen were left red-faced, blood surging in their veins, on the verge of losing their composure. If Ashen hadn’t used a special artifact to block the divine authority’s effect, it wouldn’t have been long before some soldiers might have even resorted to suicide.

Yes, suicide. The shockwaves from the divine authority of education made them self-doubt, amplifying their insecurities and negatively affecting their mental states. This was another form of psychological warfare—one that could have disastrous effects if there were no proper countermeasures.

“Truly, the God of Education is terrifying…”

Sterl looked at the God of Education, who appeared utterly proud and confident, radiating an aura of invincibility. He couldn’t help but feel a little speechless. Was this god really teaching people how to engage in verbal warfare?

“Aren’t you planning on just dragging this out?”

Seeing both sides returning to their standoff, Sterl couldn’t help but ask Eterna.

Eterna gave a wry smile before answering, “Mr. Hades, this is our only choice. Though our gods may be stronger in individual combat, Ashen’s overall strength is still superior. If we attack rashly, we might dig our own graves. On the other hand, Ashen won’t attack recklessly either. Until they fully understand our trump cards, they won’t risk an assault. Otherwise, a single mistake could trigger a godly battle, and once that happens, there will be no turning back.”

“I see.”

Sterl nodded. Essentially, what they were saying was that, before the true battle began, both sides would do everything they could to improve their chances of victory—even if it was just a 1% increase, they would fight for it with everything they had.

“So, how long is this going to drag on?”

Sterl mused to himself. If this were like the ancient world from the time before his transmigration, it could stretch on for ten days, half a month, or even a year. However, he certainly didn’t have that much time to waste on their endless stalemate.

Moreover, given the current pace, it would only take a few months at most for the royal city to fully merge. If that happened, even if Ashen won the battle, it would be meaningless.

“Perhaps I should just accelerate the process…”

A thought crossed his mind. He considered whether he should activate the hidden followers’ marks on both sides, forcing the battle to start. After all, he had already verified that the followers’ marks were well-hidden, so deeply, in fact, that even the royal city—comparable to a powerful Divine Power deity—couldn’t detect them.

So, even if he activated them, the risk should be minimal.

Just as he was about to take action, however, he raised an eyebrow, a look of interest crossing his face.

Using his map module, he noticed that Ashen had several gods cautiously drawing closer to Orichalcum’s side. This was something Eterna and the others hadn’t noticed, and the reason was clear—Ashen’s side had mastered Shielding Power. Sterl guessed that, like the map module, it was a code-like force.

“Right, I almost forgot about this. It seems Eterna and the others haven’t figured out a way to crack Shielding Power yet. And… these gods, they seem like unfamiliar faces. Well, well…”

Sterl watched the scene unfold with a sense of amusement. Almost all of Ashen’s gods had been watched by Orichalcum’s deities, whose sole purpose was to prevent any sneaky attacks using the mysterious Shielding Power.

However, these unfamiliar gods—whether new recruits or hidden forces within Ashen—were slowly drawing closer to Orichalcum’s side without anyone noticing.

Before long, even though these gods tried to conceal their auras and slowed their pace to avoid detection, they crossed over a hundred miles of battlefield and arrived just above Orichalcum’s royal city, directly over the army!