Quicksand of Fate

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Two days later, the war room of the World Peace Association headquarters was filled with organized chaos. Maps were spread across the huge conference table, with grids of colored markers representing battle lines, infiltration routes, and critical areas.

The room buzzed with low voices, shuffling papers, and the faint crackle of communications equipment.

Sandro Accardi stood at the center, commanding the covert operation. It was the first time in his military career that he had been in charge of an army operation of such magnitude and importance—an operation that could determine the level of difficulty for the coming war.

Though raised in a military environment and part of this massive institution since the age of six, even the eldest son of the Accardi family had to go through the ranks, starting as a soldier and rising through the ranks.

However, he had risen through the ranks faster than anyone. By the age of twenty-nine, he had become a field commander, authorized to lead an entire army. By thirty-one, he had earned the right to command covert operations.

He stood with a commanding presence. His sharp eyes, reminiscent of his father's, scanned the map before him, considering every detail as his officers provided updates.

The northern lands were of great strategic importance to humanity, because of the forests of the north, and the source of the river, and the entrance to the mountains.. Though the furthest their operation would go was within the territory of the Fourth Wall, the scale and duration of this mission were vast. It would pave the way for the eventual restoration of the Fourth Wall, lost to the vampires five hundred years ago.

In other words, after five decades of stagnation, this marked the first external mission aimed at reclaiming the lost lands—and it would set the stage for the war to restore the entire Fourth Wall. The stakes could not be higher. If the mission succeeded, humanity would move into the war with confidence, but if it failed, it would be a devastating blow to humankind.

In the Fourth Wall, which had long been a battleground, even monsters had long since disappeared, leaving only vampire clans to roam the area. 

Sandro's mission was clear: to lead an infiltration squad to seize the northern watchtower north of the Fourth Wall and close its gates. At the same time, before the demonic races—especially the vampires—could discover the situation, the main army would mobilize to wage a large-scale war.

Meanwhile, a battalion would advance in a straight line to support the assault squad. Sandro was tasked with leading this battalion of five hundred fighters to impose complete control over the watchtower and its surroundings, preventing the vampires from reclaiming it.

It might seem like a reckless plan, but the lost lands hadn't been reclaimed by humanity because there was no other choice. This was the best strategy humanity had devised, as attempts using tunnels or aerial assaults had failed.

The north was considered the most manageable area to start a war, at least for the Fourth Wall. The vampires controlling the area were like fish out of water; the region was warmer, and the daylight hours were longer—ten hours from sunrise to sunset.

One of the officers pointed to a section of land on the map.

"The north winds are particularly strong in this area, and they've worsened since the vampires took control. The terrain alone could kill us before the squad even reaches the watchtower. Though passing through the forest would reduce the danger, it will take longer."

"It would be better to take the shorter route," Sandro replied without raising his eyes, his tone decisive. "We only have ten hours to cross the area if we go through the forest. Not to mention the risk of encountering the elves—taking the forest route will take at least twelve hours, which means we'll be exposed to vampires in the dark for two full hours. The battlefield will not be in our favor."

"But Commander, the plain is surrounded by a snowstorm. The estimated travel time is nine hours, but any delays will make the situation even more dangerous. Whether facing vampires at night in the forest or on the open plain, both are risky. However, based on records and measurements, the success rate in the forest is higher."

"And the inevitable confrontation rate is 100% for two hours with a 50% chance of encountering the elves in their forest habitat for twelve hours. In contrast, if we take the plain and stick to the appointed timeline, the clash rate is about 10%, given the vampire activity."

Another officer hesitated before speaking. "Sir Commander, you are overlooking the presence of monsters that the infiltration squad will surely encounter on the way…"

"You said it, an infiltration squad," Sandro interrupted, clarifying his position. "So we will avoid direct combat unless absolutely necessary. We're already deploying countermeasures to cover our tracks. If irrational monsters can bypass our security, then perhaps it's better for us to die as humans. The squad will stick to the designated routes to the plain. After a night's rest in the safe zone, we will set out and cross the plain in nine hours to reach the tower."