[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-sword-god-in-a-world-of-magic":3,"chapter-sword-god-in-a-world-of-magic-sword-god-in-a-world-of-magic-chapter-238":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Sword God in a World of Magic",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1492223,1940,"Chapter 238 Defense","sword-god-in-a-world-of-magic-chapter-238",238,"\u003Cp>Chapter 238 Defense\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers didn't want to show it, but they subconsciously became wary of their officer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything pointed to the fact that he was a traitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang could have kept the suspicious information a secret and could have passed it along to the relevant authorities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, he had unveiled all the suspicious information without censoring it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was essentially publicly accusing the officer of being a traitor without saying it directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers became very nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If their officer were truly a traitor…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, would he just kill all of them to silence them?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were smart,\" the officer said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang and the soldiers only looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember, no plan is complete without a backup plan for when the primary plan backfires,\" the officer explained. \"By sending nine people, their primary plan evidently was to wake the True Path Stage beast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if they fail, their backup plan was to get rid of me,\" the officer said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer gestured to the corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are most likely criminals on death row,\" he said. \"Duke Mithril has a policy that criminals can gain freedom as long as they accomplish a deadly mission. The criminals have to take a poison to which only Duke Mithril's soldiers have an antidote.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If they flee, they die. If they fail, they die. They can only survive by completing the mission.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You told me that they threw the Firebombs into the lake without concern for their life,\" the officer said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This means near-certain death for them. Normal soldiers don't just throw their lives away like that. Only someone with no way out would consider doing something like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Criminals are not part of Duke Mithril's main force,\" the officer explained. \"The fact that they sent criminals means that they, to a certain extent, have expected this mission to fail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang didn't say anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer gritted his teeth. \"Nevertheless, their plan succeeded to some degree. I will surely be investigated by the higher-ups after today, no matter what I do or say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SHING!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer summoned a Communication Crystal. \"Might as well do it myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers looked at the officer in discomfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang's expression wasn't visible due to his mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Shang's suspicions had lessened a bit. He still suspected the officer of being a traitor, but he wasn't certain anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why he had unveiled all the information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, what if this was just an elaborate ploy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Shang reported everything to the relevant authorities, it might be possible that a biased investigation would take place. It would have been possible that an innocent Late General Stage warrior would be sentenced to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Shang had unveiled everything. He wanted to give the officer a chance to defend himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers listened as the officer reported everything, leaving no information out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, they heard the officer's superior blowing up in anger, but not at the thing everyone was expecting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You idiot!\" the superior shouted through the Communication Crystal. \"You found a tunnel and didn't report it?! You put us all at risk!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a thorough tongue-lashing, the superior demanded an explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer only gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought defending a tunnel with access to only my resources would reflect well on my career.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The superior exploded once again, berating the officer for his stupidity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was thoroughly humiliating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will be put under investigation!\" the superior shouted through the Communication Crystal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, there was a pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, since you took the initiative to come forward, I'll give you one week to get everything in order for your replacement. I want you to report to me in one week, in person!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For now, you will wait near the tunnel until the Circle arrives!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, the superior hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer only looked helplessly to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the soldiers heard that a Circle would arrive, they took a deep breath. Only now did they truly realize how far out of their depth this task had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening to everything, Shang's suspicions lowered by a lot. He still had some doubts, but he wouldn't accuse the officer anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like it was the right decision to give the officer a chance to defend himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one was in the mood to talk, so everyone waited in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, they didn't have to wait for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only 20 minutes later, the new guards of the tunnel arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were five people in luxurious robes, each colored differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang looked over and felt Mana swirl around the new arrivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was a Circle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Circle was a team consisting of five True Mages, which generally had one Water Mage, one Earth or Metal Mage, and three Mages with an offensive Affinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a well-balanced and adaptable team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five True Mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tunnel was worth stationing five True Mages near it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just earlier, only five Early General Stage warriors had defended it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A force of five True Mages was a power that far outclassed all the warriors stationed in the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not something the officer or even his superior could compare themselves with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five True Mages checked the surroundings and the lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, they checked the corpses for any evidence they could use against Duke Mithril.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they didn't find anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You may leave,\" one of them said to the soldiers without even looking at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, sir!\" the officer said with a respectful salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other soldiers also saluted, including Shang this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, everyone walked back to the outpost in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation still hung over their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers still felt some lingering terror from barely avoiding death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zero hadn't been there, they would have died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About 30 minutes later, everyone got back to the outpost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they arrived, everyone went back to their teams while the officer entered one of the buildings without saying anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Shang came back, One was already waiting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need to know what happened,\" One said.\u003C\u002Fp>",1010,"2026-06-06T04:07:02.167Z",1,"novelbin.me","c3520fc2578a0c81c76d6d05044960a54315a1b675538f74ef7d932b0606a96b","sword-god-in-a-world-of-magic-chapter-239","sword-god-in-a-world-of-magic-chapter-237",1033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsword-god-in-a-world-of-magic-cover.jpg"]