Ursus Emperor: This Is No Ordinary Rebel Anymore; We Need to Hit Them Hard! / The War Begins; One Lord: I Have to Fight Hundreds of Wendigos?!...

Numerous cultivation containers, each over five meters tall, stood throughout the underground space. Every container held an embryo submerged in nutrient fluid.

Most of these embryos had already fully developed. Examining their appearances within the containers, An Xiu quickly identified their species and identities.

"You've been cloning Wendigons in the One Punch World this whole time?"

Realizing what Mobius was planning, An Xiu immediately asked.

"That's right. Using Patriot's pure-blood Wendigo lineage as a foundation, after analyzing the Wendigo bloodline and power in this world, I used it as a genetic template to begin mass cloning and cultivation of the Wendigo race."

"These Wendigo embryos only need seven days to mature. Then, through the memories engraved into their genes, they can quickly learn various forms of common knowledge and methods of using their strength, rapidly forming combat power."

"This batch currently numbers around two hundred Wendigons. Once the technology is fully refined, production can be expanded to over a thousand per month. And because they are Wendigons cultivated with Patriot as the original template, their average strength is also exceptionally high."

"Using Inner Guards as the Arknights World's standard unit of measurement, each Wendigo's average strength falls between 0.8 and 1 Inner Guard. If they are allowed to grow for a while longer, each should probably surpass the level of one Inner Guard."

Casually speaking words that would make over ninety percent of Terra's races shriek in terror, Mobius patted a cultivation container beside her, an indifferent smile curling at her lips.

"Of course, those strength estimates are without using Improved Monster Cells or Limit Break Potions. If they take mass-produced Monster Cells and Limit Break Potions, the Wendigons' average strength can reach around three Inner Guards."

"Though I wouldn't recommend doing that. Ordinary Wendigons, combined with their numbers, are already enough to sweep through Ursus. We only need a small number to use Monster Cells and Limit Break Potions to form an elite force. Any more would simply be wasteful."

After all, with a monthly output of over a thousand Wendigons, it would not take long for An Xiu and Mobius to directly raise a Wendigo Army in the Arknights World.

Each Wendigo possessed average strength comparable to an Inner Guard, while even if Ursus mobilized its entire nation, it could at most gather around a hundred Inner Guard-level powerhouses. Combined, that was not even one-tenth of Mobius's monthly output.

It could be said that some wars had already ended before they even began. Many people simply had not realized it yet.

Emperor of Ursus? An Xiu could already envision the scene of the man being spun around one-handed by the Wendigo Army in the near future.

Emperor of Ursus: These Aren't Ordinary Rebels Anymore—We Must Strike Hard!

Recently, a major event took place in the Empire of Ursus.

Not long ago, Talulah, the adopted daughter of Duke Koschei, returned to Koschei's Domain and inherited the ducal title, becoming one of Ursus's new Grand Dukes.

Had that been all, it would not have mattered much. Though the transfer of a ducal title was no trivial matter, it was not enough to shock the entire nation. Talulah herself was especially far less renowned than Grand Duke Koschei. Had she not suddenly ascended to the ducal seat, many might not even have known who Talulah was.

What truly drew attention was that, not long after she inherited the ducal title, another Duke of Ursus—Grand Duke Bagration, who commanded the Third Army Group—seemingly lost his mind and handed over the authority of the Third Army Group. The recipient was none other than Talulah, who had just inherited Duke Koschei's position.

That was an entire army group. Yet it had simply been handed over.

No one knew what relationship existed between Grand Duke Bagration and Talulah, nor did anyone know what methods Talulah, the new Grand Duke of Ursus, had used to obtain the Third Army Group.

However, not long after the Third Army Group was handed over, news that the entire force had suddenly begun large-scale mobilization shook all of Ursus.

"What does she want?! I'm asking you, what does she want?!!"

Within the depths of Holy Steed Castle, Fyodor o. Vladimirovich, the current Emperor of Ursus, let out a piercing roar at the gathered officials and nobles below him.

Ursus had lacked warfare for a long time, and no major events had occurred in neighboring nations. At a time like this, if a Grand Duke suddenly mobilized her army as though ready to begin a war at any moment, then who exactly was her target?

At that moment, Fyodor was like a goblin from the neighboring Warhammer World whose toes had been stepped on. If the occasion had not been inappropriate, he would have dearly loved to leap and stomp about on the spot.

The officials and nobles in the palace exchanged looks. A Grand Duke's rebellion was no small matter. Minor figures like them did not dare speak in such circumstances, while the important figures capable of influencing the situation intended to observe first. As a result, no one in the entire palace spoke aside from the Emperor's roars.

Seeing this, Fyodor knew he could not rely on this bunch. He simply dismissed everyone and decided to employ the royal family's secret weapon.

"These are no longer ordinary traitors. We must strike hard! Send the Inner Guards into Koschei's Domain and kill that Talulah!"

Inner Guards, also known as the Emperor's Blades, were a special branch unique to Ursus. They used ritualistic means and combat suits made from special technological creations to steal the power of Demons. They were Ursus's most terrifying military force, feared by all who knew of them.

A single Inner Guard was enough to slaughter several well-equipped, highly trained elite units. Against weaker small nations, deploying only a few Inner Guards could easily overthrow their governments.

In past wars, as long as they knew where the enemy leader was, Ursus's Inner Guard decapitation operations had always been invincible, capable of bringing the Emperor the heads of rebels in the shortest possible time.

Even if they unfortunately encountered a powerhouse capable of matching an Inner Guard, they could self-destruct and trigger an annihilation phenomenon known as a domain, perishing alongside their enemies and wiping out both the target and the target's protectors. They were exceptionally troublesome opponents.

And now, Fyodor intended to use the same method. He would send out these Emperor's Blades and make that rebel named Talulah, who had inherited Duke Koschei's position, fly.

That very night, a full ten Inner Guards rushed toward Koschei's Domain, and then... never returned.

What had happened?

For several days in a row, Fyodor neither saw the Inner Guards return nor received news of any major upheaval in Koschei's Domain. He became increasingly restless.

A full ten Inner Guards—even if they had gone there purely as suicide bombers, there should at least have been some noise. How could they have simply vanished without a sound?

And their disappearance alone would have been one thing, but the crucial point was that all ten Inner Guards had failed to send back even a single message. It was utterly absurd.

What the hell was hidden in Koschei's Domain? It could not possibly be harboring a Giant Beast, could it?

Meanwhile, in Koschei's Domain.

Unlike the tense atmosphere spreading through Holy Steed Castle and all of Ursus, Talulah, now one of Ursus's Grand Dukes, was rallying The Reunion's infected to reclaim wasteland and prepare to farm.

Logically, it was winter. Given the barrenness of Ursus's soil, let alone farming, even grave robbing would be daunting when faced with frozen ground as hard as stone.

But none of that was a problem for Wendigons.

Dozens of Wendigons strode across the wasteland. Without any tools, they merely needed to lightly rake the ground with their claws, and the hard earth was turned over as easily as tofu. Before the watching infected of The Reunion, they displayed the overwhelming stats of a race belonging to one of the ancient Ten Royal Courts of Teyvat.

Looking farther away, one could see many Wendigons working together with the infected to erect the frames of greenhouse after greenhouse, meant to ward off the bitter wind.

Watching this scene from high above, Talulah could only find it unbelievable. In the distance, Patriot and FrostNova were simply staring in stunned silence.

After all, where could Terra possibly have found so many Wendigons nowadays?

"How did you do this?"

Looking at Mobius and An Xiu beside her, Talulah asked in a shocked tone.

In fact, when Mobius had brought a group of Wendigons to see her not long ago, Talulah had thought her eyes were playing tricks on her—that she was hallucinating.

After all, who would not be dumbfounded by such a sight?

"Just a little wisdom and the appropriate technology. It's very simple."

Mobius answered unhurriedly.

What kind of technology can create this many Wendigons? Are you sure you didn't cheat?

Talulah wanted to ask that, but after thinking it over, she gave up.

After all, according to their original agreement, she only needed to obediently follow An Xiu and Mobius's instructions. She did not need to know too much.

"More Wendigons will gradually be stationed in the territory. Once their numbers are sufficient, we can command the Third Army Group to expand outward in coordination with the Wendigo Army, while also striking directly at Holy Steed Castle, where the Emperor of Ursus is located."

"For now, just focus on farming. I'm already developing new food crop seeds. Once we expand outward and even completely occupy Ursus, we won't need to worry about food. After switching to the new seeds, yields will increase by at least several times."

"These greenhouses can be used to grow rarer fruits and vegetables. Arrange them as you see fit. And there's no need to worry about further attacks by Inner Guards. With ten Inner Guards lost at once, even the Emperor of Ursus won't make any moves for a while."

PS: The temperature changed drastically recently, and I think I caught a slight cold. My head has been foggy, and my writing speed slowed down a lot. I failed to update before midnight. Sorry.

The War Begins: A Certain Lord Faces Hundreds of Wendigons?

A few days ago, ten Ursus Inner Guards infiltrated the territory to attack Talulah. However, Patriot, who was leading the Shield Guards on patrol, discovered and intercepted them midway. FrostNova and Talulah then arrived one after another, and the three of them directly suppressed all ten Inner Guards.

For Talulah, FrostNova, and Patriot, whose strength had skyrocketed after taking Improved Monster Cells, even FrostNova, the weakest among them, possessed the combat strength of two Inner Guards. Talulah had not yet grown to the level she possessed at the beginning of the original story, so after her enhancement, she could only fight four Inner Guards. As for Patriot, the strongest among them, he could currently fight six Inner Guards by himself.

However, considering that the Inner Guards still had their self-destruction move, Mobius, who was also in the territory, directly called Makima over. Once the Restraint Barrier was activated, the ten Inner Guards, who had never seen such power before, died without even being able to send out a message.

That was why, over at Holy Steed Castle, Fyodor, the Emperor of Ursus, had waited for several days without receiving any news.

Losing ten Inner Guards in one go would hurt even the Emperor of Ursus so badly he could barely breathe. He certainly would not make any major moves in the short term.

And this period was the time Mobius used to massively expand her forces for the coming war.

Just like that, a month and a half quickly passed.

Under the continuous mobilization of the Third Army Group controlled by Talulah—or rather, Mobius—the atmosphere across Ursus grew increasingly tense. The air itself seemed mixed with the scent of gunpowder, so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.

The noble territories near Koschei's Domain and in the direction of Holy Steed Castle all strengthened their defenses. Even regional nobles in more remote areas outside those regions became honest and cautious, afraid they might be dragged into the conflict between the Grand Duke and the Emperor through one careless misstep.

The situation had drawn attention from far more than just within Ursus. Other nations and factions across Terra had also learned more or less about what was happening here.

Great Yan, Victoria, Kazimierz, Columbia, Leithanien...

It could be said that, aside from a handful of nations so isolated they had not even gotten internet access in their villages, this rebellion within Ursus had attracted countless eyes.

As the initiator and leader of the rebellion, Talulah's identity and information had also been placed before many people in high positions.

"Talulah..."

In Lungmen, Wei Yanwu looked at the intelligence report handed to him by Black Hat, his expression becoming complicated.

He had never expected that the girl who had been the same age as Hui Jie back then would now undertake something so earth-shaking.

Leading the Third Army Group in rebellion against the Emperor of Ursus was like dancing atop blades. One misstep would lead to an abyss ten thousand fathoms deep.

Wei Yanwu did not know what Talulah had experienced over the years or why she had reached this point, but if possible, he did not want her to do something so dangerous.

Unfortunately, even as Lungmen Governor, Wei Yanwu still could not do anything. He could only lean back in his office chair alone and sigh from time to time.

Ursus, Koschei's Domain.

If anyone had managed to infiltrate this place, the sight within the territory would surely have frightened them unconscious at first glance.

A full two thousand Wendigons stood in several orderly formations before the territory. Beyond them was The Reunion, expanded by Talulah during this time, with several thousand infected mixed together to form an army of nearly ten thousand.

And on top of that was the Third Army Group, which had undergone mobilization during this period and was already standing ready around Koschei's Domain.

Mobius believed the time was ripe. It was time to cast aside all formalities and let the nation of Ursus experience a heavy punch.

Thus, Talulah formally stepped into the spotlight. She first spent an entire day delivering an impassioned speech before the three armies. Then, the following day, she began commanding the army to move according to the battle plan prepared in advance, marching toward Holy Steed Castle.

At the same time, this action declared that the war had officially begun.

The first to notice that something was wrong were the nobles and lords of the cities near Koschei's Domain. They had already been guarding against a sudden attack by the Third Army Group during this period. To that end, they had specially reinforced their city walls and other defensive structures, while sending many scouts toward Koschei's Domain so they could receive news immediately if anything happened.

Now that they learned the Third Army Group outside Koschei's Domain had begun marching, these people immediately ordered the soldiers defending their cities to heighten their vigilance.

Although the Third Army Group was indeed terrifying, even excluding it, Ursus still possessed six full Group Armies, including the Central Army Group. Though those forces were not entirely controlled by the Emperor of Ursus, few believed Grand Duke Talulah's rebellion would succeed.

There was no other reason. Talulah simply did not know how to conceal her intentions, and what she had done was far too obvious.

If Talulah had first laid low after taking over Duke Koschei's position and the Third Army Group, waiting until Ursus lowered its guard before suddenly assembling her troops and racing to Holy Steed Castle to capture Fyodor in the shortest possible time, then this rebellion might have had a great chance of success.

But now, after gathering the Third Army Group, Talulah had not launched a lightning assault on Holy Steed Castle. Instead, she had given the many cities along the way a month and a half to prepare. That was enough time for those cities to stockpile ample defensive supplies, bolster their troops and defenses, and resist the Third Army Group's advance.

Though she was only delayed by a month and a half, the difficulty for Talulah and her Third Army Group to reach Holy Steed Castle had now increased severalfold compared to the beginning.

Unless the Nightmare Great Khan had returned to life, so long as Talulah could not break through the defensive line in a short time, once the Emperor made up his mind and reached an agreement with the other Dukes who controlled Group Armies, the armies would surround her. At that point, Talulah and the Third Army Group would be nothing more than fish on the chopping block, at everyone's mercy.

If they performed well enough now, perhaps they could even get a share of the spoils from her corpse when the interests were redistributed afterward.

Thinking this, the lords and nobles near Koschei's Domain could not help smiling as they began imagining a bright future.

Unfortunately, before they could indulge in those fantasies for long, an anxious cry from their subordinates suddenly reached their ears.

"My lord, this is bad! Wendigons are attacking the city!"

Within one territory, the lord who had been fantasizing about his future immediately turned around with an annoyed expression.

"What about Wendigons? Even if there are Wendigons in the enemy army, with the defenses on the walls, are you all really afraid of a single one? Can it smash down the city walls by itself? Useless trash!"

"M-My lord, it's not one Wendigo—it's at least several hundred! The area outside the walls is full of Wendigons! They've surrounded the territory, and it looks like they're preparing to force their way through the city at any moment!!!"

"H-How many? Several hundred?!!"

At that moment, the lord, who had been leisurely reclining in his chair, sprang up as if he had been sitting on a red-hot branding iron.

Crushing Through All Resistance, Reaching the Gates of Holy Steed Castle

Wendigons were a powerful race originating from the ancient Teyvat dynasty and one of the Ten Royal Courts. They were among the most terrifying monsters upon this land.

Their combat power was among the very best even when facing the other Royal Courts. Legend had it that, in distant ages, merely three Wendigons were enough to capture a small city.

When the lord climbed the city wall and looked down, what came into view was Wendigons covering the mountains and plains.

"Wendigons covering the mountains and plains"—in the past, this lord would not have dared to put those two seemingly unrelated phrases together even in his dreams.

But now, he saw it with his own eyes. Hundreds of towering Wendigons, red light gleaming in their eyes, were closing in on the territory. Even the thick city walls beneath his feet seemed to tremble.

They formed no neat ranks, because there was no need. They paid little attention to the soldiers defending the walls, because in their eyes, these cowards whose courage had already shattered were merely lambs awaiting slaughter. They posed no threat whatsoever.