Lord of the Sky City-Chapter 851 - 833: Sacrifice Pawns to Save the Chariot

"The situation doesn’t look optimistic..."

Since he had been closely monitoring the war on the front lines, Rocky was one of the first to learn about the demons’ sudden appearance in the Kalhan Plains. The news had sent chills down his spine.

He couldn’t make sense of it. Why would a region that had already been cleared of demons suddenly witness their resurgence? The only conceivable explanation was that Marshal Mannstein hadn’t fully cleaned up the plains, allowing a large number of demons to hide there and choose this moment to emerge.

But Rocky didn’t quite believe this theory. It was impossible for Marshal Mannstein to make such a rookie mistake. Moreover, through the strategy of luring the demons into active combat, Mannstein had indeed annihilated a massive number of demons—well over hundreds of thousands. Essentially, the Kalhan Plains were considered purged of demons. There shouldn’t be so many survivors left.

In fact, this wasn’t even the most critical issue. The emergence of demons was inevitable—be it now or later; the timing wasn’t the primary concern. What truly gnawed at Rocky was why the demons chose this particular moment to surface.

Demons hiding in the Kalhan Plains could have appeared earlier or later, but they specifically picked now. The timing couldn’t have been more advantageous. Currently, the Allied Forces had committed nearly all their mobile units to the Myriad Snakes Region’s front lines. While there were defensive forces stationed in the rear, they were far weaker than before. A demon attack at this moment would be perfectly timed for maximum impact.

And then there was the matter of location.

Kalhan Plains—previously not a high-priority area, and perhaps not even important in the future—had suddenly become critical. This vast plain didn’t only lead directly to the Myriad Snakes Region but also connected to the Marta Region, the Allied Forces headquarters. If the Kalhan Plains fell back into the demons’ hands, the troops stationed in Myriad Snakes Plains would become isolated, and the headquarters in Marta would be under direct threat.

This... this felt like a meticulously planned ambush!

At that moment, the age-old question resurfaced in Rocky’s mind: were the demons’ attacks coordinated or purely instinctive?

This question had plagued humanity for nearly a century since the demons first appeared, sparking endless debates without resolution. Regardless of differing perspectives, based on the current situation, Rocky couldn’t believe this was a spontaneous outbreak. It seemed far more likely that the demons had orchestrated a deliberate attack on the Kalhan Plains.

And to command such an overwhelming force of demons...

Rocky soon thought of two words: Great Demon!

Only a Great Demon had the capability to direct such a massive number of demons!

Great Demons—there were only thirty-three in the entire world—were the highest-tier entities among demons. Both normal demons and high-level demons bowed in submission before them. Only Great Demons could tame and command demons, these wild beasts.

Could it be... was there a Great Demon hiding in the Kalhan Plains?

The thought made Rocky gasp in shock. If that were true, the Kalhan Plains would be completely untenable. Great Demons were not just commanders; their personal power was beyond description—a single Great Demon could easily destroy a Sky City. If such a being were truly hidden in the Kalhan Plains, there would simply be no point in continuing this war for the Allied Forces.

And yet...

Though shaken, Rocky couldn’t help but wonder if he might be overthinking things. As top-tier entities of the demon race, Great Demons posed a well-known threat the Allied Forces wouldn’t have ignored. Furthermore, the Great Demons had been actively stirring trouble in recent years, meaning the Allied Forces were undoubtedly vigilant. It was inconceivable for a Great Demon to slip unnoticed, hiding literally at the doorstep of the headquarters.

"Sigh..."

Rocky exhaled a weary sigh, clutching the intelligence report in his hand. Positioned in the rear, there was little he could do beyond fretting.

Over the next few days, battle reports flooded in.

First, the demons’ sudden ambush had indeed inflicted substantial damage on the Allied Forces. The offensive on the front lines had not only stalled but the troops had even pulled back. Simultaneously, the Allied Forces rallied more units to the Kalhan Plains to secure supply lines.

In previous counteroffensive battles, transportation had been a non-issue because aerial resupply ensured safety. However, this time was different—this time, the demons included flying demons, significantly increasing threats to transport units.

The greatest danger to the Allied Forces caused by the demons’ ambush on the Kalhan Plains was their supply routes.

The attacking forces included not only normal demons but more than half consisted of flying demons. If these demons managed to reclaim the cities within the Kalhan Plains, supply channels between the front lines and rear would be severed. Resupplying the front lines from the rear would become an arduous task.

To prevent such a scenario, the Allied Forces dispatched a substantial number of reinforcements to the Kalhan Plains. These reinforcements weren’t tasked with defending all cities in the plains but rather a few key cities. As long as these vital cities remained secure, the Allied Forces’ air routes could remain operational.

However, prioritizing the protection of crucial cities meant other cities in the Kalhan Plains were essentially abandoned. The Allied Forces simply didn’t have enough manpower. With the bulk of their forces engaged on the front lines, the reinforcements available were limited. Thus, they had no choice but to surrender less significant cities to ensure the defense of pivotal ones.

This is war—especially at the level of a counteroffensive campaign. In a conflict of this magnitude, there were no absolute protagonists or central figures. Anyone could be sacrificed as cannon fodder for victory. Every participant must accept this reality.

Through this strategy of sacrificing secondary cities to protect key ones, the Allied Forces barely managed to regain control of the Kalhan Plains. In the following month, while other cities in the plains were sequentially overtaken by demons, the major cities remained firmly in Allied Forces’ hands, stabilizing the situation once more.

And once the situation steadied, the Allied Forces began mobilizing reinforcements at a larger scale. Several Sky Cities began amassing over Marta City.

Yet just as Rocky thought the Allied Forces had turned the tide, an unforeseen event occurred.

"Rocky, something’s happened."

One day, Rocky was listening to Aileen’s quarterly financial report when Athena suddenly approached him, her face unusually tense.

"Rocky, Cyril is trapped in Qingyuan City..."