Chapter 237: It’s A War
There were simple symbols across the Southern Frontier Map.
There was a symbol for Fort, a large military and demon hunters’ installation.
A symbol for Outpost, a small permanent position.
A symbol for Watchtower, an observation position.
A symbol for Camp, a temporary or forward camp.
And the huge symbol of Command Camp, the headquarters.
There were also different symbols for settlements—town, village, frontier settlement, and evacuated settlement.
This would allow Max and the others to immediately discern which civilian populations remained in the area.
There were also thick lines for transportation routes.
In other words, there were markings for separate reinforcement routes.
Lastly, there was an additional layer that was not technically a separate zone.
These areas were called Demon Approach Corridors—the areas where Max and the others expected the demons to appear.
They marked open plains, valleys, river crossings, forest edges, mountain passes, abandoned roads, and large wilderness corridors.
These marked areas simply indicated the potential movement routes of the demons.
At the same time, there was a special symbol that meant Void Threat Area.
These were marked locations where Void-type demons could potentially bypass conventional defenses.
For instance, the areas where Varkhaz appeared were marked as Void Threat Areas, with the potential being High.
In other words, the map visually communicated the possible emergence points of the normal Demon Army, such as the southern border, as well as the possible appearance of Void-type demons.
Once Matilda finished receiving the reports from the Communication Center through the communication device, she walked up to Max and said, "Everything is fully prepared."
Max and the High General nodded.
The current situation was clearly reflected on the Southern Frontier Map.
Now, they shifted their attention to the Demon Activity Map.
The Demon Activity Map became possible through detection, verification, and mapping.
Demon Detection Crystals were installed in watchtowers, frontier camps, villages, roads, temporary hunting camps, and various areas that fully covered the entire Southern Frontier.
The crystals normally remained active, but once demonic mana entered their detection range, they would react.
Although the Demon Detection Crystals could not identify a demon’s exact rank, they primarily detected the presence and concentration of demonic mana.
Furthermore, the Demon Detection Crystals formed a network that connected to the Guild Communication Network.
If a crystal at a frontier watchtower detected demonic mana, the information was then transmitted to Crow’s Crossing.
Almost instantly!
It became possible only through the engineering of various Grand Artificers, including Louie, who had been inspired by Max’s idea.
At the same time, the Guild did not entirely rely on stationary crystals.
Rose’s scouts carried smaller versions of them, which were called Portable Detection Crystals.
They covered areas where Demon Detection Crystals could not be permanently installed.
Every frontier camp, Gareth’s camp for instance, also had its own Demon Detection Beacon—a larger version of the Demon Detection Crystal—which made it possible for them to possess a local Demon Activity Map as well.
However, compared to the Demon Activity Map in the Command Center, the Demon Detection Beacons only covered a radius of several tens of kilometers around their camps, so they still needed comprehensive information on demonic activity from the Command Center.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Army utilized their own Demonic Mana Sensors.
In fact, the Imperial Army could not produce a Demon Activity Map, which actually intrigued the High General.
While staring at the Demon Activity Map, he asked, "I heard it was your idea that brought life to this invention?"
Max nodded. "That’s right."
"I’m curious. How are you so knowledgeable when it comes to dealing with demons?
Especially in warfare against them?"
Max fell into deep thought.
The High General’s question took him by surprise.
The feeling of being seen through the falsehood of his words only made him feel uncomfortable.
It only took a while for Max to reply, "It’s not that hard."
The High General narrowed his eyes.
Max’s words actually stung him a little as a High General, second only to the Grand Marshal in rank, as he represented the Imperial Army.
For the Imperial Army to fail to produce such an innovative invention, only to hear Max dismiss it as something that was "not that hard," dissatisfied him.
He gazed at the Demon Activity Map and actually began to doubt whether it was as effective as he had heard.
Suddenly, the Demon Activity Map showed innumerable yellow dots in the area past the southern border.
The western frontier alone appeared to have a hundred yellow dots appearing out of nowhere.
Matilda, who was listening to the countless reports streaming through her Strategic Intelligence Division, which was scattered throughout the camps, turned toward the Demon Activity Map and gritted her teeth.
Max had already informed her in advance about the possibility of an absurd occurrence, but seeing it with her own eyes made her hair stand on end.
The yellow dots simply meant suspicious activity, such as unusual mana and space disturbances.
In other words, those thousands of yellow dots scattered around the Mirefall frontier simply meant that the Rift Binders had appeared.
A thousand of them, comparable to Varkhaz and his demonic forces, had emerged!
Eventually, the yellow dots changed color.
Most of them turned orange, which meant that demons had been detected.
But those orange dots soon turned red.
Which meant there was a high demonic concentration.
A legion of demons had appeared by passing through the space rifts.
The Demon Activity Map was now covered with red dots—the western frontier and eastern frontier appeared to have rashes just by staring at it.
Strangely, though, the southern frontier remained empty.
But soon enough, a dot finally appeared.
It did not appear as yellow at first, nor orange.
It was straight black.
In other words, thousands of Greater Demons had appeared as they passed through the southern border, heading straight toward the Southern Frontier.
The silence in the Command Situation Room appeared to have become gloomy.
But it was then broken by Max’s chuckle.
Everyone turned their heads as they heard Max say to Matilda, "Since they are going all out, we’ll retaliate.
Have our reinforcements and supplies prepared. Your Intelligence Division should work together with the Reconnaissance Division to fully utilize the external support.
From here on out, it’s a war."