Chapter 525 - 256: The Gray-Robed Army! The Enemy at the Gates! (Part 2)

The gray-robed army has descended!

At the horizon’s edge, at first, there were only a few small black dots moving.

But soon, those black dots multiplied and connected, like a silent, spreading tide.

They wore uniform gray robes without any characteristics, hoods covering their faces, silently crossing hills and wastelands, heading towards Iron Shield City.

No banners, no horns, not even the sound of conversation, only the rustling of countless feet on the ground, merging into a low, eerie background sound that unsettled the mind, like an ominous premonition.

Soon, a patrol squad outside the city walls was the first to notice the anomaly.

A young soldier gripped his spear tightly, his throat somewhat dry. He stared at the seemingly endless gray tide and whispered to the squad leader beside him:

"Captain, what is the situation with these people? Why do I feel... something’s not quite right."

"When did such a... religious group emerge within our Empire?" He racked his brain but couldn’t recall any known sect appearing in such a form and scale.

It was a completely unknown feeling, a totally unknown new weird force.

The patrol captain was a seasoned soldier with a resolute face and sharp eyes. He didn’t answer immediately but squinted his eyes, observing carefully.

The footsteps of those in gray robes were not fast but unusually orderly, with a non-human sense of coordination.

They didn’t exude powerful energy fluctuations nor carried fierce weapons, but the feeling they gave was too pure, so pure that it seemed inhuman, like a will-less plague spreading, making this battle-hardened veteran shiver.

Something’s wrong!

This group definitely has something wrong!

We can’t just ignore it!

He felt a terrifying sense of crisis and immediately took action.

"Ferro."

The captain’s voice was low and rapid.

"Present!"

Ferro responded solemnly.

The captain’s eyes remained fixed on the distance, and he seriously said, "Return to the city immediately, and report directly to the frontier commander as fast as you can!"

"Report that outside the city appeared a large-scale unidentified group of gray-robed people with bizarre behavior, requesting immediate support, and... suggest initiating level three battle readiness!"

He paused, his brows furrowing tighter, and continued with utmost solemnity, "The feeling these things give me is very off, we must be fully prepared!"

"Yes!"

The young soldier named Ferro hesitated not, immediately turning around, strapping the spear onto his back, and sprinting towards the city gate at full speed like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

.....

Inside the city walls, it was bustling and magnificent, in stark contrast to the grim atmosphere outside.

Theoretically, there’s nothing wrong here; the frontier soldiers are meant to safeguard the people’s safety within the city, but the problem is... the same is happening inside the city defense office.

In a comfortably decorated lounge room.

Hector, the frontier commander on duty today, was sitting with several colleagues around a card table covered with green velvet fabric.

He had a confident smile on his face; the cards in his hand were excellent, and he was about to win another round of bets.

"Haha, it seems Lady Luck is on my side today!" Hector boasted, swirling his cards and taking a deep puff of his cigar, exhaling a carefree, confident ring of smoke.

"Bang!"

Just then, the door of the lounge was suddenly pushed open, and everyone turned to look, with Hector frowning involuntarily.

It was Ferro.

After a short sprint, he was already panting, but he still managed to keep his voice steady and clear as he stood at attention and solemnly reported:

"Reporting, Commander! There is an emergency situation outside the city, a large number of unidentified gray-robed people are approaching, numerous in number and behaving bizarrely. The captain deems them a potential threat, requesting immediate support and initiation of level three battle readiness!"

Hector’s smile froze instantly.

His excitement for the good hand was interrupted, and a flare of anger surged, but he didn’t erupt immediately. Instead, he frowned, suppressing his rage, and seriously asked, "Gray-robed people? Are they of the Human race, any specific danger?"

"Have they shown any desire to attack? Did they actively attack our patrol squad? Or display any visible, actual threatening behavior, like siege weapons or magic equipment?"

Ferro paused, honestly answering, "For now, no observed active attack behaviors, nor any large equipment or magic fluctuations found."

"Why are you in such a hurry if there’s nothing?!"

Hector slammed the table, making the cards and chips on it jump.

He stood up abruptly, walked over to Ferro in a few steps, and without a word, kicked Ferro in the stomach!

"Ugh!"

Ferro grunted, knocked back stumbling, hitting the door frame, a trace of pain flashing across his face.

"Let Rejado take his squad to handle it!"

Hector pointed at Ferro’s nose, scolding, "It’s not the damn Black Tide, nor the Beast Tide, let alone the Empire’s army! A bunch of head-concealed gray robes, what danger can they have? Just some refugees or cultists bluffing to scare people! Go back and tell your captain not to make a fuss!"

Finishing his words, he turned back to the card table in anger, sat down heavily, picked up his cards, and complained to his companions, "What a killjoy! Subordinates are getting more useless by the day, getting panicked over trivial matters as if their mother died."

Ferro held his still faintly aching stomach, his brows furrowed tightly.

He got up from the ground, looked at Hector’s back, filled with helplessness and a touch of ominous premonition.

From this commander’s perspective, his judgment seemed based on common sense: no immediate attack, no immediate threat. But... the feeling those gray-robed people gave, that deeply eerie and deathly silence, was absolutely not something refugees or ordinary cultists could have!

But he knew well, without objective facts, saying more subjective judgments now would only invite harsher scolding or even heavier punishment.

He silently saluted, turned, and left the lounge.

Walking back to the city wall, Ferro’s steps were unusually heavy, silently sighing in his heart.

He only hoped that Captain Rejado would be vigilant enough, and also wished that his anxiety was just a misconception, and that there was actually no danger.

....

Outside the city, the gray tide kept silently surging towards Iron Shield City steadily and gradually. The sunlight shone on their gray robes, reflecting no light at all, as if even the light was swallowed by the gray robe.

At the forefront stood three people: Wu Geng in the Chaos Robe, Golden-robed Hikari, and Black-robed Modus.

Wu Geng looked at the distant city and asked, "This city seems quite sturdy, are you aware of its internal situation, is there potential to further develop forces?"

"Yes."

Modus spoke decisively, looking at the massive iron city, he said, "The situation inside Iron Shield City is slightly better, but not much better; however, the people inside should be less apathetic than here, development is possible."

"Hmm."

Wu Geng nodded slightly.

Soon, he noticed a squad advancing towards his direction, which didn’t surprise him, as the gray-robed army’s movement wasn’t deliberately concealed, being discovered by the enemy’s patrol army was quite normal.

He gently exhaled, already anticipating the possible forthcoming situation.

Under normal circumstances, armed forces and the oppressed weak are opposites; because this is the Extraordinary World, if the armed forces are also oppressed, it can only mean their strength is insufficient, or their value isn’t that high, or perhaps there is a cognitive issue.

In such a world, if you wish to launch a wave of resistance in the enemy’s territory, conflict is inevitable; demonstrating power is a necessary step.