Given the prestige of this assembly, coupled with the unfavorable situation on the front lines today, every participating team treated the meeting with the utmost seriousness. Everyone understood the principle that when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact, so not a single expected team leader was absent.

Jax began not with oration, but with the most concise, data-driven style possible, utilizing a few very simple charts and numbers to fully illustrate the gravity of the current situation. Yet, he offered nothing that Fang Senyan found genuinely unexpected or groundbreaking.

"As of now, our window for victory closes precisely two days before the fighting begins. The moment the Rohan cavalry arrives from afar and enters the battlefield, that will be our turning point from offense to defense. The tide of battle will then shift decidedly in favor of the defenders. Once the Prince and his Ghost Legion arrive, victory for us will become virtually impossible."

Jax looked intently at all the team leaders and stated earnestly:

"Therefore, the time we have left to secure victory is actually just this afternoon, half a day, and then all of tomorrow. We absolutely must achieve a breakthrough within these two days!"

His argument clearly gained support from most present. Reef quietly inquired in the team channel:

"Boss, what do you think of what he said?"

Fang Senyan nodded slowly:

"He's mostly correct, but I still feel like he's overlooked something critically important. And there's one crucial aspect I haven't figured out yet!"

At this moment, a collective gasp echoed through the hall. To convince the leaders of the major teams, Jax finally unveiled something profoundly persuasive.

It was, unequivocally, a 3D holographic map.

A magnificent, holographic map of Minas Tirith!

This map towered over three meters high, an exact miniaturized 3D model of Minas Tirith, entirely transparent. From the grand exterior features down to the smallest storage room, every detail was rendered with lifelike accuracy. Even the internal structures and passages were perfectly clear. However, certain areas were shaded black, indicating unexplored sectors.

Jax spoke calmly:

"This is the latest intelligence sent back by our operatives. Everything presented before you is guaranteed to be based on first-hand inspection. The earthquake they deployed today certainly didn't leave them entirely unaffected. Please observe the comparison images."

As Jax finished speaking, beside the latest 3D model of Minas Tirith, another model appeared—one that looked remarkably similar but was dated 8 PM last night. Comparing the two, it was evident that in the newest version of the Minas Tirith model, many passages and structures had collapsed. While the external appearance hadn't changed significantly, the truth was that the interior of Minas Tirith had also suffered considerable damage.

Jax pointed emphatically at what appeared to be the thickest section of the wall of Minas Tirith:

"This looks like the strongest part of Minas Tirith, but! At its foundation, there are already two deep fissures stretching over ten meters! Although they've been repaired, we all know that anything repaired is never as strong as the original. Therefore, this supposedly strongest point of the city of Minas Tirith is actually one of its most fatal weaknesses. Our only path to victory is to somehow acquire a trebuchet, target that breach, and bombard it relentlessly. Success is inevitable!"

Jax concluded his flawless delivery and surveyed the room. Suddenly, someone stood up and inquired:

"I mean no disrespect, but what if this intelligence is false? What if the person who delivered this information is already under duress, or controlled mentally by the enemy? Wouldn't that mean we'd be utterly cutting off all hope?"

Another man, clad in a scarlet cloak, also rose:

"Looking at the enemy's countermeasures, since they possess the ability to conjure an earthquake, they naturally have a deep reserve of Earth Elementalists within their ranks. Even if your intel is flawless, I imagine many within their contractor alliance are aware of this; why wouldn't they utilize Earth Mages to repair these fissures? So, whether this weakness you cite even still exists is questionable."

Jax appeared prepared for such challenges, responding with unshakeable confidence:

"We have successfully infiltrated six individuals into their alliance, and they are all mutually unaware of each other. Thus, the chance of all six being exposed and compromised simultaneously is exceedingly slim. As for why they wouldn't use earth magic to quickly mend the walls, it's because when Minas Tirith was constructed, the King of Gondor invoked the power of the gods. Consequently, the city walls are protected by a divine blessing, rendering them immune to magical influence. So, while our side cannot rely on earth magic to collapse the walls, their side cannot rely on magic to instantly render those walls impregnable either."

Hearing Jax present this explanation did indeed align with the two-pronged verification previously conducted by Kurutguo, but Fang Senyan remained unconvinced. He knew best that the highest art of deception isn't mixing one lie into ten true statements, but speaking ten truths that cleverly mislead the listener toward a false conclusion. What? You think such a thing is impossible?

Fine, I’ll give you the simplest example: Third Brother and Dancing have never been intimate!

...See? Were you misled? Hahahaha.

Subsequently, more people stood up to voice concerns, but Jax systematically convinced them all, especially with one pointed counter-question that silenced many:

"Perhaps, esteemed colleague, you have a better plan?"

This question left many in the audience speechless. Yes, refuting an idea might be easy, but providing a more sound alternative after rejecting one is exceedingly difficult.

Under these circumstances, despite lingering doubts, a loose agreement to form an alliance and begin implementation was grudgingly reached. However, the atmosphere felt subtly uncanny and unreliable. Firstly, the Blue Light team hadn't shown any real strength, and secondly, their proposed solution seemed almost too straightforward, making it too easy to accept.

Fang Senyan and Reef returned to their designated quarters. Since the proceedings had been almost entirely live-streamed through the team channel, little introduction was needed regarding the general situation, only specific details required clarification.

Since his return, Fang Senyan had been notably silent. He walked into the command tent, picked up a drink, and slowly sipped it, clearly lost in deep thought. The others knew he had either found a crucial breakthrough or was caught in a mental loop, so they dared not interrupt him.

Suddenly, Fang Senyan stood up, frowning:

"What is that foul smell?"

His comment seemed to trigger something. A gust of wind blew by, instantly making people dizzy with the stench. Then, a faint tremor was felt through the ground. Everyone’s eyes widened as they watched the three Ogres—"Black Ears," "Big Nose," and "Limp"—staggering over, dragging considerable timber and stones. Soon, they had constructed three rustic stone-and-wood huts near their camp, typical of Ogre dwellings.

Zai approached them curiously:

"What are you three doing?"

Black Ears patted his large belly and declared boldly:

"We Ogres are noble creatures who always repay kindness. Seeing your skinny frames, you'd surely be ripped to shreds in battle. To repay your grace, we've come here to protect you."

"..." Everyone exchanged glances. Having three Ogres tag along wasn't necessarily a good thing. Firstly, their allegiance wasn't recognized by the system; meaning, any enemies they killed would not yield contribution points to the main team. Secondly, the main team might even have to bear the burden of feeding them. More critically, Ogres are excellent melee tanks, but currently, they hadn't even been given a chance to engage in close combat.

However, seeing Zai's delighted expression, Fang Senyan found it impossible to refuse them outright. Besides, having three hulking brutes around couldn't hurt. Yet, at this moment, he was nearly driven mad:

"They can stay with us, absolutely, but first, these guys have to bathe! Oh, God, they also have the habit of relieving themselves wherever they please!!"

Zai quickly responded:

"Understood, Sister-in-law! I will definitely communicate clearly with them. These guys are quite smart; I can persuade them."

Zi blushed deeply, replying with annoyed exasperation:

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Zai, now beaming, hurried off to bond with "Black Ears," "Big Nose," and "Limp." Although the immense power of the Cyclops restricted Zai to only one summoned creature, as a standard contractor, Zai could still possess servants. No wonder he was so happy; the strength of Ogres as close-quarters guards was indeed formidable.

At this point, Fang Senyan turned to Reef:

"We can liquidate our assets now. The purchase price for wood and stone must have skyrocketed. Selling off our accumulated stock will net us a tidy profit."

Just then, Zi approached Fang Senyan:

"Don't forget the other matter—the System requires us to make a choice. If we forfeit the right to return to the Nightmare Space at will from the Dark Fount Hall, the mission will receive an additional upgrade. The deadline is fast approaching."

As she finished speaking, she noticed something odd about Fang Senyan; he seemed frozen, staring blankly. Following his gaze, she realized he was locked onto a specific object—it was a pile of excrement that Ogre Big Nose had shamelessly deposited on the ground moments before!!

But in Fang Senyan's eyes, it looked like the sight of a peerless treasure!!

"Are you sick!" Zi was speechless. Gritting her teeth, she angrily poked Fang Senyan’s forehead with her finger. But just as her finger was about to make contact, Fang Senyan let out a deep breath, his hesitation and silence vanishing instantly. He reached out, pulled Zi into a firm embrace, and kissed her deeply.

Zi was momentarily stiffened by the sudden assault; it was a miracle she didn't immediately conjure a Force Barrier to shove him away. But as Fang Senyan’s kiss landed, Zi caught the intense masculine scent emanating from him and felt a sudden, complex mix of sweetness and shyness. Her body went weak, and she involuntarily closed her eyes, allowing Fang Senyan’s hands to aggressively explore the curves of her figure.

After a long moment, Fang Senyan released her, looked up at the heavy grey clouds overhead, narrowed his eyes, and smiled without restraint:

"The final piece of the puzzle—I finally understand it! Hahaha! Yes, there is no battle that must be lost. The ultimate key to victory is surely held right here!"

Fang Senyan and his group reappeared in the Dark Fount Hall, this time to face that final decision. They stood before the Eye of Sauron and simultaneously chose to advance the mission. Immediately, a series of prompts appeared:

Contractor Number 1018, you and your team have chosen to advance the mission: Destruction of the Nation.

Mission: Advance has been promoted to a Gold Main Quest without an increase in difficulty. If you complete this mission, you will receive special rewards exclusive to Gold Main Quests.

After advancing the mission, even if you enter the Dark Fount Hall, you will no longer be able to return to the Nightmare Space. However, you will continue to benefit from all the supplementary effects provided by the Dark Fount Hall.

Notification: Special creature/item/war gear purchase options within the Dark Fount Hall are now unlocked for you.

Notification: Your status within Sauron’s army is automatically elevated, and you have gained Sauron's favor; your All Attributes are increased by 10 (this increase stacks with all other effects).

Warning: If the Dark Fount Hall is breached, all friendly contractors remaining in this world will perish.

Looking at the series of notifications, Fang Senyan and the others were momentarily stunned:

"There are special purchase options for items? They immediately went to investigate, and several purchasing options left a deep impression on Fang Senyan."

Under the creature category, three new special purchase options had appeared.

The first was known as the Orc Arsonist. They specialized in ranged attacks; while their throwing range was shorter than archers, they excelled at hurling ignited torches, causing considerable area damage while generating foul smoke and flames that significantly impaired enemy firing accuracy. More importantly, their exchange cost was very low, requiring only twenty contribution points.