Desolate World

While Ace, Sampson, and Noah designed the ambush plan, Mars, and Aria were coming in. 

Mars then asked about the situation. Ace then explained everything that Jordan had reported. He then showed the latter that was written by Jordan himself. The shadow currently wasn't in the town. But he was still in the Iron Gate Fortress. 

He had brought 2 shadow stalkers with him when he went to Iron Gate Fortress. Based on the explanation of the shadow stalker that brought the letter, Jordan was still there to make sure there wasn't any change in the undead's plan. He would send the remaining shadow stalker back to report if he got new information. However, to anticipate if Ace and the rest decided to launch an attack on the ghoul lord, he would send the shadow stalker to the outpost on the northern border of Misty Forest.

Mars then approved Ace's decision, as it would be difficult to get such a good opportunity to attack an undead lord that led only a small army in the future if they missed it. However, he reminded Ace that the thousand-sized zombie army should have pretty high levels. Mars predicted that their levels should be between 10 to 20 each. 

Ace also had taken a note of that. In fact, after discussing with Doom this morning, he knew that it was possible for undead to have high-level soldiers. As they could resurrect dead high-level individuals from the dead bodies of the people of different races.

However, Noah had said that —at this time— it was impossible for the undead to have an army that the soldiers had an average level of more than 30. As level 20 had become the bottleneck of many people. As the experience that was needed to level up to 21 would increase so much, but the monsters that had levels above it were too few.

Ace couldn't help but agree, as these few months he rarely saw ordinary monsters with levels more than 20. He even had never seen ordinary monsters with level 30. He then recalled that the earth dragons of Dragma Valley themselves had to hunt low-level ants to harvest experience and their cores that could be used to meditate.

It showed that level 20 had become the bottleneck point for most of the people in this world. And only a few people could advance to the next level.

So, Ace was sure could win this battle with his earlier arrangement, as the level of Geo's skeleton had reached level 36. As for the golems, although their total number would be less than the zombies, they had superior defenses and higher HPs. 

Ace's only worry was about the level of the ghoul lord and the elites, as Jordan hadn't mentioned it in his letter. So he asked Mars's willingness to reinforce them if the lord's level was more than 50. As his group's average level was less than 40, it would be too difficult for them to kill a lord with a level more than 50.

Mars agreed. He and other elites could go to the location that was marked by Ace afterward. As for the communication means, Ace would communicate with Sofia via the guild channel about the progress of the operation and the location they would attack the reinvestment.

Then one by one of the elites came, including Geo and Cloud. What surprised him was, Andrea wanted to follow along. She said that with the absence of high-level healers, there would be a risk of casualties. And she didn't want something like that to happen.

She also brought along 20 shadow priests with levels around 20 to 33. Although they were just ordinary people, they would be helpful in an emergency situation. Ace could only agree, as Mars had also thought it was necessary. As he said, it's better to have too many people than too few.

So, Ace could only ask Aprilia to tag along, after all, with only Red, Blue, and Orochi, it was impossible to take everyone. So, Ace needed Aprilia's big flying turtle to carry the rest.

After everyone had gathered and after a few words of Mars, they departed. Their departure became a sensation among the townsmen and guardians. 

***

The distance of 300 km maybe was far if it was taken by walking. It would need a week or more as they also had to face the attack of monsters. For a note, it was also only possible if the party's average level was similar to Ace's party, as no monsters would possess a threat to them.

But by flying, it only took a few hours for them to arrive. Of course, many more small and large flying-type monsters attacked them along the way. But, the different levels of Geo's three pets and Aprilia's turtle with the attacking monsters made them able to avoid needless confrontation, as the pets' speeds were greatly superior to the attacking monsters.

If there were some monsters that tried to block their way, Ace and many long-range attackers could blast them away. Even if their attacks wouldn't kill the monsters, they could make them lose their chances to attack or chase them.

At the moment, Ace wasn't in bats form, as he needed to give some instruction some times. He was sitting on Blue's back with Geo. His size had expanded so much after reaching level 27, so he could carry 3 people. But as all people had already gotten their 'seats' on Red's, Orochi's, and the giant turtle's backs, he didn't need to share Blue's back.

In fact, Red's size had become bigger too. She had been bigger than Mars even when she was only level 19. At the moment, her size had become 35 meters in length and 25 meters in width. While Orochi was 30 meters in length.

Their journey at the moment was to go to the outpost 45 km in the Northeast. They only needed around 20 minutes to arrive. They went there to meet with Uriel, Eric, and Erica.

Ace could see the bones prairie from there. It was the sea of grass. As Ace couldn't see the end of it in the East. However, in the Northwest, he could see a line of a mountain range. 

When they arrived, Ace couldn't see any building from above. As it was built covertly underground. Yes, it was built by transforming the earth by some earth mages. They made a ten meters hill that was lush with vegetation. Around it were many bushes and trees. However, if someone looked around carefully, there was a 4-meter high entrance that was blocked by the vegetation.

Ace and the rest then landed not far from the hill, after walking a few minutes past the bushes and trees, they came to the entrance of the underground outpost.

***

Ace and the others didn't spend too much time at the outposts. After getting the letter from the shadow stalkers and reading it, Ace then ordered the shadow stalker to go back to Jordan to inform him that they decided to ambush the zombies 200 km from the Iron Gate Fortress. 

After saying goodbye to the town guards that were assigned to guard the outpost. Ace told Uriel, Eric, and Erica to follow them. As it would be their opportunity to complete their task.

They didn't directly enter the prairie, as it would attract the undead's surveillance. So they continued to fly above the forest.

Ace then recalled what he had gotten from the letter. Besides the letter itself, he got a map. Based on the latter, it was a copy of the map of the continent. Although it was not too detailed, —as it only mentioned the names of places in the central region— he could find cities, outposts, fortresses, places that had been conquered by the undead.

The map also showed several places that had been marked by the undead. Like Thunder Jaw Mountain Range, Misty Forest, Northern Highlands, Parasite Wetland, etc. Ace could find a few cities from different races. Like Eleven City of the elves in the Southeast, and the Brown Helm City of the dwarves in the West. He could even find the Dragma Valley in the South. From this map, Ace could know the undead's territory and its enemies' territories.

Ace then got an idea. He didn't know if it would work. But, if somehow it worked, it would be good for him.

He then took his magic map —that he had bought from the system shop before he entered the world— and held it beside the map that he got from Jordan. He then saw a system notification.

[The system detected that you have a map in your possession]

[Would you want the magic map to copy the information from the map]

[Yes/ Now]

Ace said 'yes'. Immediately his magic map was changed. A lot of areas were drawn in the blank areas of the maps. It amazed him greatly.

After its update was complete, Ace then saw an icon that represented him moving slowly on the map. What was interesting was that on the northern side of the icon, there was a large area with the name Central Grassland/Bones Prairie. 

It should be known that the Bones Prairie was a name that the elders and Mars created to call the grassland in the North of Misty Forest. Its term then was used by the town guards, night guards, and then the townsmen. And maybe since the day before, its term was also started to be used by the guardians. To know that it was then used by magic map, meant the system made it become one of the official names of the grassland.

And what attracted his attention more was, finally he knew the name of this continent. He didn't know who named it, but its name was 'Grandia Continent'.

***