Published at 3rd of April 2026 7:59 am

Chapter 1645 Course of War

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Springdale, Sovereign Union.

Hidden deep beneath the City of Everlasting Warmth, the secret headquarters of the Twilight Brotherhood was alive with activity.

Acolytes moved swiftly through the dim corridors carved into the earth, exchanging coded reports. Agents came and went with urgency, their expressions focused and solemn.

Maps, intel sheets, and intercepted communications piled up across workstations as the Brotherhood quietly waged its own war in the shadows.

Though the conflict between the Sovereign Union and the Haynam Empire raged above ground, the Brotherhood was just as involved.

They were pulling strings, gathering intelligence, and striking where no army could reach. Of course, their enemy — the Cult of Bones — did the same from the shadows on the other side of the proverbial board.

At the heart of the massive underground structure lay the Council Chamber.

A wide, circular room lit by soft light. A massive table dominated the center, covered in detailed maps and marked positions. Seated around it were Berger and the other Councilors.

The Mourning Mountains Incident had changed things.

Shaw Jidu, the leader of the Reformers, had a grim look on his face as he read the report sent by Krummor Grimriver.

"Goodness arcana," he exclaimed. "To think they would carry out such heinous experiments on children!"

Carlton Yates, the leader of the Seekers, turned to the gnome. "How did your apprentice uncover such intel?"

Berger, who was smoking from his long wooden pipe, shrugged. "What that boy does… is beyond me."

He paused for a moment as he set the pipe on the table.

"But years of working undercover in the Cult certainly has its merits," he added. "We can see the results."

The other Councilors understood that the true victory of the Mourning Mountains Incident wasn't merely the destruction of the secret base or the deaths of the two Mana Core Magi or even the rescue of the children.

It was the doubt it planted. Confusion, suspicion, paranoia, all of it now festering within the upper ranks of the Cult. They would begin to question one another, wonder who leaked such critical information, wonder who among them had betrayed the cause.

And that would hurt them far more than any single loss. Because without trust, even the strongest organization would begin to show signs of fracture. Morale would corrode, orders would be silently questioned, and alliances would start to slowly weaken.

And in war, a divided enemy was as good as a defeated one.

Berger's fingers tapped lightly against the table, his eyes half-lidded in thought.

"They will turn on themselves," Shaw Jidu said with a sneer.

"Or at the very least," Carlton Yates added. "They will hesitate."

Berger finally spoke. "And hesitation is death on the battlefield."

He paused for a moment, then added, "But I wouldn't put too much faith in the chain of command crumbling down so easily. There are rumors… the Cult Leader controls every last one of those damned cunts. They're no different than slaves unable to refuse the will of their master."

"Wouldn't that confuse the bastard even more?" Shaw Jidu's lips curled into a crooked smirk. "To think someone betrayed him despite the hold he has on them?"

The Councilors glanced at one another, then snickered.

After the Great Purge, things had gone pretty smoothly for the Brotherhood. At the very least, they no longer had to look over their shoulders and be persistently suspicious of their own brothers.

Still, they knew better than to let complacency cloud their minds. For what Operation Constantine required of them was of utmost importance.

Berger's expression turned solemn. "How is the construction of that thing coming along?"

"It would take at most… a few years till it's completed," Shaw Jidu replied in a serious tone.

Carlton Yates turned to them and said, "Although we have the funds and resources now, they will soon be exhausted."

"Indeed." Shaw Jidu nodded. "This turned out to be quite the endeavor we've undertaken."

He massaged his temples, pondering the sheer scale of it all. "Truth be told, I wasn't even sure such a thing could be possible."

Then he turned to the gnome and cast a curious glance. "Tell us, Berger, how did the Dark King come to learn of it anyway?"

Though in his mind, he had already assumed that the knowledge of such a thing had to have come from beyond Tron. Or it just didn't make sense to him.

Berger sighed helplessly. "I told you, what the boy does or knows, for that matter, is simply beyond me."

He paused for a moment as he retrieved the wooden pipe from the table. "As for the matter of funding," he continued. "Lucian has promised his full support. So we don't have to worry about that."

A faint curl of smoke rose as he took a drag from the pipe, his gaze sweeping across the two old men.

"All we have to do is follow Adam's instructions," he said in an even voice. "And keep this operation under absolute secrecy."

His tone grew firmer. "And that means no leaks, and no loose ends."

That wouldn't be a problem since all the moles had been exterminated from within their organization. Still, one couldn't help but be cautious, especially considering so much was at stake here.

Berger tapped his finger on the table, one last time.

"If we succeed… the tides of the war will greatly shift in our favor."

"Failure is not an option," Shaw Jidu said with a firm look.

Carlton Yates nodded.

"We must succeed."

Seeing the determination in his fellow Councilor's eyes, Berger couldn't help but feel gratified.

"Then we will."

What they were building in secrecy was no ordinary project. It was daring, ambitious, and something that had never been tried in the history of Tron.

No, forget trying. It was certain that no one had even dared to think of such a thing.

Only someone with the knowledge Adam possessed could be capable of such a feat. But still, alone, he would fall short. And that was why he had been gathering trusted allies for the past few years.

Hidden in a secluded corner of the Sovereign Union, far from prying eyes and wandering Magi, they were constructing something that would surely alter the course of war.

A portal.

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