Chapter 153: Conquering The Gale Continent
With a single command, the guns and cannons unleashed a colossal beam of golden energy, hurtling toward the Overlord with unyielding force.
Startled but refusing to retreat, the Overlord conjured a massive shield and reinforced his armor, the metallic sheen gleaming as he channeled his gift, Armory and Weaponry Creation, to defend himself.
The golden beam collided with the shield, sending shockwaves through the sky, as the Overlord struggled to hold his ground.
Despite his best efforts, the relentless impact of the beam began to chip away at his defenses. His shield cracked, fragments of metal scattering with each pulse of energy.
His armor, though resilient, took the brunt of the attack, visibly deteriorating until only remnants clung to him. Finally, as the shield shattered and his armor fell away, the Overlord was left standing exposed, breathing heavily, his reserves of flux nearly depleted.
Gasping, he steadied himself, a flicker of defiance in his eyes. "You're… stronger than I anticipated. But I haven't lost yet."
Linsley watched him with an air of calm superiority, an amused smirk playing at his lips. "You're already finished. Surrender now, and you might still find purpose within the Sinclair Order."
For a moment, desperation flashed in the Overlord's eyes.
Raising his hand for one final, reckless attack, he glared at Linsley. But before he could act, Linsley unfurled a scroll that materialized before him, the soul contract ready for their agreement.
"One more move, and this will seal your fate entirely," Linsley warned, his tone steady.
The Overlord hesitated, sensing the power behind Linsley's intent and the futility of further resistance.
The last trace of defiance faded from his gaze, replaced by resignation as he dropped to his knees, bowing his head.
"I… yield. I'll serve the Sinclair Order," he conceded, his voice low.
"Good choice," Linsley replied, watching as the Overlord signed the scroll.
A binding wave of energy enveloped the Overlord, sealing their pact and irrevocably binding his loyalty to Linsley.
After confirming that the Level 9.3 Overlord wouldn't betray him, Linsley handed him a glass-like amethyst.
This amethyst served as a distress signal; if the Overlord ever faced insurmountable problems, he could crush it to call for Linsley's assistance—similar to what Linsley had given the previous Overlord he had conquered.
With that, Linsley left the scene, and the Level 9.3 Overlord bowed in respect as he witnessed Linsley's departure.
…
Half a day had passed.
During this time, Linsley focused on systematically destroying the dark branches of the Gale Foundation throughout the Gale Continent. He ensured that no perpetrators escaped alive unless they were powerful enough to serve a purpose.
Thanks to the soul contracts he had established, Linsley didn't have to worry about the aftermath; the regional Overlords who had attacked him were now enslaved and bound to serve his will.
At one point, the Gale Foundation became aware of his actions and attempted to ambush him. This confrontation forced him to battle six Overlords simultaneously, ranging from Level 9.2 to Level 9.6.
Unsurprisingly, Linsley easily defeated them all, bringing each one under the control of his soul contract. They were now serving as expendable combat forces for the Sinclair Order.
With each new enemy Linsley faced, the Sinclair Order grew stronger.
As a result, Lucy and Ted no longer needed to run around fighting the enemies of the Sinclair Order. Instead, they were assigned logistical duties and were now in charge of the Overlords enslaved by Linsley.
With numerous Overlords advocating for the Sinclair Order, its credibility soared.
Opportunistic nobles and royalty began to join, not out of a desire to dismantle the social hierarchy, but simply to gain the protection offered by the growing number of Overlords. After all, not all nobles or royals had an Overlord as an ancestor or protector.
With countless Overlords across the Gale Continent promoting the Sinclair Order, just half a day was enough for the Order to amass a staggering five hundred million believers.
The immense amount of faith power Linsley accumulated allowed him to use his Real Fantasy gift freely for an entire day without worrying about flux consumption. This meant that defeating the Level 9.8 Gale Overlord was virtually guaranteed.
No matter how powerful a Level 9.8 Overlord might be, they would struggle against a coalition of ten Overlords at Level 9.5 or above. The sheer number of Overlords Linsley had recruited was more than sufficient to take down the Level 9.8 Overlord through sheer force of numbers.
While there was only one Level 9.8 Overlord in the Gale Continent, there were still three Level 9.7 Overlords, all of whom were now under Linsley's control.
Therefore, the Level 9.8 Gale Overlord was merely the nominal leader of the Gale Continent; in terms of power and available forces, Linsley had already surpassed him.
This imbalance in power might explain why the Gale Overlord hadn't shown up, even though Linsley was currently camped above the Gale Foundation's main headquarters.
After successfully dismantling all the dark branches of the Gale Foundation, Linsley stood poised in the sky above the headquarters, but he was disappointed to find that the Gale Overlord was not present. It was likely that the Gale Overlord was hiding.
No matter how arrogant the Gale Overlord was, he couldn't ignore the fact that all his former colleagues and subordinates were now under Linsley's control. Even he wouldn't be foolish enough to believe he could defeat all the Overlords of the Gale Continent combined, let alone Linsley, who was also at Level 9.8.
Hovering above the Gale Foundation's main headquarters, Linsley felt a sense of boredom. He had already enslaved the Overlord assigned to this region, ensuring that no one would dare to challenge him.
The only Overlords not yet under his control were likely those who lived in seclusion and had no ties to the political hierarchy of the Gale Continent, along with the Gale Overlord, who was still hiding.
Despite having turned the Gale Foundation's main headquarters upside down and freed the victims trapped within, Linsley had yet to locate the elusive Gale Overlord.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, Linsley sighed, "I can't afford to let a Level 9.8 Overlord like the Gale Overlord remain free to threaten the Sinclair Order."
His expression darkened as he made a decisive choice: "I may have to resort to more ruthless methods, such as using his Gale family as hostages."