She clutched two letters that had arrived almost simultaneously. The wax seal on one bore a variation of the Holy Emblem of the Crescent District, while the other was stamped with the deep black river crest of the Douglas Clan.

Murphy sensed something was wrong the moment she appeared. He gestured for Kaiden to continue practicing on his own and turned to meet her.

Kaiden obediently went back to fiddling with the heavy crossbow, though he cast a curious glance their way.

Eleanor also looked up, her bright, dark eyes fixed on the hurried figure of Aurora.

"Brother," Aurora said, getting straight to the point. Her voice was hushed but clearly urgent. "The passage in the Iron Ridge Mountain Range... Something terrible has happened."

The two of them walked to a relatively secluded watchtower gazebo by the practice range.

Aurora handed the two letters to Murphy and spoke quickly. "Archbishop John and Duke Douglas sent urgent notices at almost the same time. The situation is worse than we expected. The Plane Passage at Eagle’s Beak Peak was deliberately attacked!"

Murphy unfolded the letters, his eyes quickly scanning the hurried script.

Aurora explained alongside him, her words clear and rapid. "About two days ago, a group of unidentified but well-trained and powerful assailants suddenly appeared in the Eagle’s Beak Peak area. They bypassed the multiple layers of security set up by the Church Court and the Northern Shepherd Chief District, launching a direct, ferocious assault on the core nodes of the passage’s seal. The squad of High-tier Temple Knights guarding the seal was nearly wiped out. Saint Cyril Cardinal was severely wounded again, and Valkendu Metropolitan Bishop’s injuries also worsened. The seal’s structure was violently destroyed, and the blockade, which was barely holding, collapsed in an instant!"

"As a result," Aurora took a deep breath, her eyes filled with grave concern, "not only is the passage out of control, but its size has expanded dramatically under the dual effects of the backlash from the broken seal and some Unknown Power from the Deep Red Wilderness. According to the last observation reports, the rift’s diameter has exploded to over thirty meters, its edges are extremely unstable, and the energy radiation is horrifying. Even worse, the Otherworld creatures that were only trickling through before are now pouring out in large, organized waves, like a flood from a broken dam!"

She pointed to a key paragraph in the letter. "The tide of monsters has split into two main streams. One is heading east, invading the borders of the Castile Kingdom. The local forces of the Tower of Secret Silver are already engaged in fierce combat with them. There are reports of large, previously unseen monster groups showing clear signs of coordinated command. The Castile Border Guard has suffered heavy losses."

"The other stream, which currently seems to be the larger of the two, is heading straight for the Eastern Territory of the Vilt Kingdom along the northern foot of the Iron Ridge Mountain Range!" Aurora’s voice was heavy. "Blackstone Fortress and the seventeen large and small Garrison Fortresses along the line were attacked simultaneously. The Peric Clan’s border guard is fighting desperately from behind their fortifications, but the number and variety of monsters have far exceeded expectations. Some of the Garrison Fortresses are in imminent danger, and breaches have already appeared. The Eastern Territory... I’m afraid it’s already caught in a bitter struggle."

Murphy lowered the letters. "The attackers’ identities? The Tower of Secret Silver?"

"It can’t be confirmed, but they are the prime suspects," Aurora analyzed. "It’s hard to imagine anyone else with the ability, motive, and such detailed knowledge of the passage’s location and the seal’s structure. Archbishop John’s letter also subtly implies that there were Official Wizards among the attackers. Duke Douglas’s intelligence, however, directly states that Official Wizards from another Wizard Organization participated under the guise of the Tower of Secret Silver."

"It seems their goal..." Murphy gazed eastward, as if he could see the burning mountains across the vast distance. "Is far more than just tying up the Church Court’s forces to gain an advantage in the Half-Plane. They’re forcing the Church Court to choose: continue to pour its limited strength into the fight for the Half-Plane, or pull back to reinforce the Main World against this escalating catastrophe. It’s a no-win trap."

He turned, his gaze meeting Aurora’s. His voice was low and clear. "If the Church Court chooses to reinforce the Main World, all their progress in the Half-Plane could be for naught, and they would even risk their opponents pressing the advantage. If the Church Court chooses to keep its focus on the Half-Plane..."

Murphy paused. "Then this Extraordinary disaster in the Main World will be enough to shake the very foundations of the Church Court’s rule. When the common people find their churches can no longer protect them, when the Kingdom’s nobles see that the Temple Knights are powerless to stop the tide of Otherworld creatures, cracks will appear in both faith and order."

"At that point, regardless of the outcome in the Half-Plane, they will have secured enough room to maneuver and leverage in the real world. This is a high-stakes gamble on two fronts, and we’ve all been forced onto the table as poker chips."

Aurora’s face grew paler. She clenched the letters in her hand, her knuckles turning white. "So the crisis in the Eastern Territory... isn’t just a disaster, it’s..."

"A meticulously planned, overt conspiracy," Murphy finished for her, a cold glint in his eyes. "They probably don’t care how many civilians die, or which family is annihilated. What they need is this immense pressure, enough to shatter the status quo."

He turned to look toward the castle, his gaze lingering for a moment on Kaiden and Eleanor in the distance before becoming firm. "But we will not be the pawns they sacrifice. We can’t count on the Holy City for now, and the Eastern Territory can barely fend for itself. The safety of the Northern Territory depends on us, and on close coordination with the Douglas Clan."

He made his decisions swiftly, his voice calm and unhurried.

"Issue a Lord’s Order immediately. The entire Monte Territory is to enter a state of level-one combat readiness. All border patrols, outposts, and watchtowers are to be on highest alert. Double patrol frequencies and report any anomalies immediately. The workshops are to cease all non-essential production and focus entirely on manufacturing and maintaining armaments, arrows, armor, and siege equipment. All able-bodied militia within the territory are to assemble and stand by for emergency drills. Food and supplies are to be placed under wartime control and rationed centrally."

"Yes, I’ll arrange it at once," Aurora replied without hesitation. They had already run through these contingency plans many times.

"Send a reply to Duke Douglas," Murphy continued, walking to the edge of the gazebo and looking down at the territory below. "Propose an immediate Northern Territory defense council to plan our joint defense. We can open some border passages, share early-warning intelligence, and coordinate troop deployments. If necessary, the standing army of Monte Territory can move toward the eastern border to a limited extent to establish a buffer zone. But the precondition is that the Douglas Clan must show equal sincerity and commit equivalent resources."

"And what about requests for aid from the Eastern Territory...?" Aurora asked.

A cold light glinted in Murphy’s eyes. "Reply to any potential requests for aid from the Eastern Territory. Express our concern, but make it clear that the Monte Territory’s current priority is to ensure the absolute stability of the Northern Territory’s own defensive lines. We are in no position to dispatch organized units across the border to provide support."

"However, under the guise of ’humanitarian aid’ and ’maintaining trade partnerships,’ we can offer a shipment of emergency medical supplies, arrows, and some special steel ingots. But they must send their own people to a designated border location to pick them up, and they must pay with hard currency or other materials we desperately need. The price... will be calculated at a wartime premium."

Aurora understood immediately. "I understand. I’ll go draft the specific terms and the list of goods right away."

"One more thing," Murphy called after her, his voice low. "Raise security for the family in the castle to the highest level. Kaiden and Eleanor are not to leave the Inner Castle without an escort from you, me, or a completely trusted guard. Tell the children not to go out for the time being."

Aurora nodded solemnly. A flash of worry for the children crossed her eyes, but it quickly turned into resolve. "Don’t worry. I’ll take care of things at home."

She hurried away, her figure disappearing in the direction of the castle.

Murphy stood alone at the edge of the gazebo, the summer wind stirring the hem of his dark blue robes.

He gazed toward the eastern horizon, which seemed to be shrouded in an ominous, dark red shadow.

The passage in the Iron Ridge Mountain Range had grown from a dangerous seed into a disastrous fire sweeping across the border.

’The Tower of Secret Silver... and all you restless people pulling the strings from behind,’ he muttered to himself. ’How much do you intend to burn with this fire you’ve lit before you’re satisfied?’

The Dark Gold Flying Sword in his Dantian Qi Sea trembled slightly, letting out a silent hum.