Catastrophe Card King
Chapter 1786 - 542_2

Chapter 1786: Chapter 542_2

This suddenly made Catherine Carter, who originally felt that advancing to the Seventh Rank was extremely difficult, seem as though the threshold had abruptly disappeared.

This made Catherine Carter’s heart fill with immense joy.

Previously, she had felt the gap in tiers between herself and her old friends growing wider and wider, but now, she was filled with newfound confidence.

Leonard Churchill had been observing the changes in her all along, and upon seeing this scene, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: "The Royal Destiny has condensed..."

To desire the crown, one must bear its weight.

The Royal Destiny is not something that ordinary people can bear.

Thus, this act of conferral is undoubtedly fraught with danger.

As it turns out, Catherine Carter has perfectly borne the blessing of the Moon Queen’s authority.

From a certain perspective, Royal Authority is akin to "Divine Power." Such a remarkable transformation could only stem from this possibility.

Camilla and Tracy Garcia also inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

....

Inside the commander’s tent, the previously heavy atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Since Catherine Carter had completed the conferral, the subsequent fusion of the blank origin card [Plum Blossom Q - Moonlight Queen] would likely be smooth sailing.

Completely assimilating this authority would still require some time.

With official matters settled, the four were in no rush anymore.

Tracy Garcia lifted the Dream God Curse, awakening the Seventh Rank assassin guard captain, who had been standing frozen on the spot.

Her consciousness seemed as if a portion of time had been erased, leaving her utterly clueless about what had just transpired.

Catherine Carter cleverly transitioned back to their initial topic, smiling as she said, "Let’s not talk about that. It’s rare for you all to visit—stay at the camp for a few days, so I can properly host you. Although the conditions are a bit rough, I hope you don’t mind."

Leonard Churchill and the others certainly didn’t mind.

The topic naturally shifted to their plans for ambushing Zorass, the Eighth Rank "Poison Scythe" recruited by the Simon Family, without avoiding anyone.

The four chatted in the tent until mealtime.

Just as Catherine Carter had described, the conditions of the temporary command post were indeed minimalist, and the food was nothing more than standard marching rations.

Catherine Carter, as the commander, did not indulge in any privileges either, eating the same food as her soldiers.

With the arrival of Leonard Churchill and the others, the most they did was have the cook slaughter a demon beast and gather some fruits. Though not fancy, it was heartfelt.

....

The underground Dark River camp was a military base comprising professional soldiers. Even with a force of thousands, it was utterly quiet.

After dinner, the soldiers resumed their duties—standing guard where needed, patrolling where required. Even recreation was confined to the privacy of their tents.

Catherine Carter did not announce Leonard Churchill’s arrival, and aside from a few core advisers, no one else knew.

Camilla and Tracy Garcia weren’t the kind to enjoy crowds either. After dinner, they were assigned a tent nearby to rest.

Leonard Churchill, however, stayed with Catherine Carter, chatting as they walked to the watchtower.

Back at the Allied Headquarters, everyone knew about his relationship with Catherine Carter, so no one found it strange.

Some soldiers who had never seen Leonard Churchill occasionally stole curious glances, eager to catch a glimpse of the "legendary figure" who had won the heart of the Allied Forces’ Supreme Commander.

On the watchtower, Leonard Churchill leaned over the iron railing, gazing at the hundreds of neatly arranged mechanical battle armors in the camp. He couldn’t help but sigh: "The era of Magic Energy Mechanisms is arriving at last..."

Steam mechas stood silently like tamed demon beasts, their exteriors encased in heavy iron armor, adorned with ancient patterns and magical runes. Synchronizing with their puffing steam boilers, they exuded a rough yet imposing aura—a steel torrent brimming with power.

Leonard Churchill appreciated the magical mechanical aesthetics.

He could envision future history books marking this moment with bold strokes.

Catherine Carter’s beautiful eyes shimmered as she remarked, "Indeed. Machinery will inevitably become the cornerstone of large-scale battlefields. This is also a transcendent path to divinity. If only we had ten more years—by then, our Alliance Army wouldn’t need to fear those people from the Southern Continent."

She wore a thin white shirt with a slightly open collar. As the breeze swept through, the seductive curves of her chest occasionally came into fleeting view.

She asked, "How’s the Southern Continent? It’s been ages since we met—you’ve changed so much..."

With others around earlier, some words had been hard to express.

Now, with only the two of them, there was no need for restraint.

Leonard Churchill replied, "The Dragon-blooded Card Master Civilization of the Southern Continent is strong, but it’s also deeply decayed—like a stubborn and old-fashioned magician that hasn’t changed for tens of thousands of years. There’s no technology at all, and the Dragon Clan deliberately suppresses the development of the Card Master System...The transcendent systems have stagnated entirely."

He paused before describing the situation in the Southern Continent: "Moreover, the Ariel Empire has been mired in endless troubles recently. Its collapse seems highly probable in the future... The three major sects of the Outer Gods—Death God Malodis, Crimson Corruption Seyadis, and War Disaster Master Mondliod—are causing quite a stir."

Listening to this, a rare lightness appeared between Catherine Carter’s brows. She unconsciously let out a deep breath: "That’s good news. You know, it’s been ages since I last heard anything positive like this..."

"Hmm."

Leonard Churchill caught the evident sense of relief in her voice.

It was as if a long-smothered burden had finally given way to a fleeting respite.

Despite being the highly esteemed Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, the pressure Catherine Carter carried on her shoulders was unimaginable to most.

Currently, any duke-level noble from the Old Continent posed a potentially catastrophic threat to the Allied Forces. Surviving was a path fraught with peril and hardship.