Chapter 35

A large number of cultivation containers, each over five meters tall, stood upright within this underground space, and inside every container was an embryo submerged in culture fluid.

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

"You've been cloning Wendigos in the One Punch World all this time?"

Realizing Mobius's intentions, An Xiu immediately asked.

"That's right. Using that Patriot's pure-blood Wendigo lineage as a foundation, I analyzed the Wendigo bloodline and power in this world, then used that as a genetic blueprint to begin large-scale cloning and cultivation of the Wendigo race."

"It only takes seven days for these Wendigo embryos to mature. Through memories etched into their genes, they quickly learn common knowledge and how to use their power, allowing them to rapidly form combat strength."

"This current batch numbers about two hundred Wendigos. Once the technology is fully refined, production scale can expand to over a thousand per month. And because they're cultivated using Patriot as the original template, their average strength is also at a very excellent level."

"Using the standard measurement unit of the Arknights World—the Inner Guard—as a benchmark, each Wendigo's average strength falls between 0.8 Inner Guards and one Inner Guard. If given more time to grow, each Wendigo's strength could likely reach above one Inner Guard."

Speaking words that would make over ninety percent of Terra's races shriek with ease, Mobius patted a cultivation container beside her, a casual smile hanging at the corner of her mouth.

"Of course, the strength described above is without using the Improved Monster Cell or the Limit Break Potion. If both the mass-produced Monster Cell and Limit Break Potion are administered, these Wendigos' average strength can reach around three Inner Guards."

"But I don't recommend doing that. Ordinary Wendigo strength combined with their numbers is already enough to sweep through Ursus. Just give a small number of Wendigos the Monster Cell and Limit Break Potion to form an elite force; anything more is pure waste."

After all, with a monthly output of over a thousand Wendigos, it wouldn't be long before An Xiu and Mobius could directly raise a Wendigo Army in the Arknights World.

Each Wendigo's average strength matched that of an Inner Guard, and even if Ursus mustered its entire national strength, it could barely scrape together around a hundred Inner Guard-level elites—less than a tenth of Mobius's monthly production.

One could say that some wars were already decided from the start; most people just hadn't realized it yet.

The Emperor of Ursus? An Xiu could already envision the near future where that man was spun around single-handedly by the Wendigo Army.

Chapter 73: Emperor of Ursus: This Is No Ordinary Rebel—Heavy Force Is Required!

Recently, a major event had occurred in the Ursus Empire.

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

If that were all, it wouldn't be a big deal. A change in ducal succession, while not trivial, wasn't enough to shake the entire nation. Especially since Talulah wasn't as renowned as Duke Koschei; if not for suddenly ascending to the ducal seat, many people might not even know who Talulah was.

What truly drew attention was that shortly after inheriting the dukedom, another Ursus duke—Grand Duke Bagration, who commanded the Third Army Group—suddenly, for reasons unknown, transferred his authority over the Third Army Group to none other than Talulah, the newly inherited Duke of Koschei.

That was an entire army group, handed over just like that.

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

But soon after the Third Army Group was handed over, news of the entire army suddenly beginning large-scale mobilization sent shockwaves through all of Ursus.

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

The current Emperor of Ursus, Fyodor o. Vladimirovich, let out a sharp roar from deep within Holy Steed Castle's palace, facing the assembled bureaucrats and nobles below.

With Ursus having lacked warfare for a long time and no major incidents occurring in neighboring countries, when a Grand Duke suddenly mobilized an army as if ready for war, who exactly was the target?

At this moment, Fyodor was like a goblin whose toe had been stepped on in the neighboring Warhammer world—so anxious that, if not for the setting, he would have been hopping and jumping on the spot.

In response, the bureaucrats and nobles in the palace exchanged glances. A Grand Duke's rebellion was no small matter; in such a setting, small fry like them dared not speak. Meanwhile, the big shots who could intervene were waiting to see how things played out, leaving the entire palace silent except for the Emperor's roars.

Seeing this, Fyodor realized these people were useless. He dismissed them all and decided to deploy the royal family's secret weapon.

"This is no ordinary traitor—heavy force is required! Send the Inner Guards to infiltrate Koschei's Domain and kill that Talulah!"

The Inner Guards, also known as the Emperor's Blade, were a unique Ursus special forces unit created through rituals and special technological equipment, harnessing stolen power from the Demons. They were the most terrifying and dreaded military force in all of Ursus among those in the know.

A single Inner Guard could slaughter several well-equipped, highly trained elite units. For weaker small nations, dispatching just a few Inner Guards could easily topple their government.

In past wars, as long as the enemy leader's location was known, the Ursus Inner Guards' decapitation strikes were always unstoppable, delivering the rebel's head to the Emperor in the shortest time.

Even if they encountered a strong enough to match an Inner Guard, they could self-destruct, triggering an annihilation phenomenon called the Nation, taking the target and their protectors down with them—a very troublesome tactic.

Now, Fyodor planned to use the same method: send out these Emperor's Blades to make that rebel named Talulah, who had inherited Duke Koschei's seat, fly.

That very night, a full ten Inner Guards headed straight for Koschei's Domain... and never returned.

What happened?

For several days, with neither the Inner Guards returning nor any news of a major incident in Koschei's Domain, Fyodor grew increasingly restless.

Ten Inner Guards—even if they were used purely as suicide bombers, they should have at least made a bang! How could they vanish without a sound?

And even if they vanished, the worst part was that ten Inner Guards hadn't even sent back a single message—absurd.

What kind of monster was lurking in Koschei's Domain? Could there be a giant beast holed up there?

Meanwhile, in Koschei's Domain.

Unlike the tense atmosphere spreading through Holy Steed Castle and all of Ursus, within Koschei's Domain, Talulah—now a Grand Duke of Ursus—was rallying the infected of the Reunion to reclaim wasteland and prepare for farming.

Logically, it was winter. With Ursus's barren soil, farming was out of the question; even grave-digging would be daunting against ground frozen as hard as stone.

But none of that was a problem for the Wendigos.

Dozens of Wendigos roamed the wasteland. Without any tools, they simply extended their claws and lightly scraped the ground, turning the hard earth as easily as tofu, showcasing the raw power of an ancient race from the Ten Royal Courts of Teyvat to the watching infected of the Reunion.

If one looked further, many Wendigos could be seen cooperating with the infected, erecting the frames of greenhouse after greenhouse to ward off the cold wind.

Watching this from a high vantage point, Talulah felt nothing short of disbelief, while Patriot and FrostNova in the distance were utterly stunned.

After all, where in Terra today could one find so many Wendigos?

"How did you manage this?"

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

In truth, when Mobius had come to her not long ago leading a group of Wendigos, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, that she was hallucinating.

After all, who wouldn't be stunned seeing that sight?

"Just a little bit of cleverness paired with the right technology. Very simple."

Mobius said unhurriedly.

What kind of technology could produce this many Wendigos? Are you sure you didn't just cheat?

Talulah wanted to ask that, but after a moment's thought, she gave up.

After all, according to their original agreement, she only needed to obediently follow An Xiu and Mobius' instructions—she didn't need to know too much.

"More Wendigos will continue to station in the territory one after another. Once we have enough numbers, we can command the Third Army Group to coordinate with the Wendigo Army in expanding outward, while simultaneously driving straight toward Holy Steed Castle, where the Emperor of Ursus resides."

"As for this period, just focus on farming. I'm already developing new types of grain seeds. Once we expand outward and even fully occupy Ursus, there'll be no need to worry about food shortages. After switching to the new seeds, yields will at least increase several times over."

"These greenhouse sheds can be used to grow rarer fruits and vegetables—arrange them as you see fit. And don't worry about another attack from the Inner Guards. Losing ten Inner Guards in one go means even the Emperor of Ursus won't make any moves for a while."

PS: The temperature has been fluctuating lately, and I think I've caught a slight cold. My head feels dizzy, and my typing speed has slowed down a lot. I missed the update before midnight. Sorry.

Chapter 74: War Begins, A Certain Lord: I'm Supposed to Fight Hundreds of Wendigos?

A few days ago, ten Ursus Inner Guards infiltrated the territory and attacked Talulah, but they were intercepted halfway by Patriot, who was leading the Shield Guards on patrol. Soon after, FrostNova and Talulah arrived one after another, and the three of them overwhelmed the ten Inner Guards in combat.

For Talulah, FrostNova, and Patriot, whose strength had skyrocketed after taking the Improved Monster Cells, even the weakest among them—FrostNova—possessed combat power equivalent to two Inner Guards. Talulah, who hadn't yet grown to the level she reached at the start of the original story's plot, could only handle four Inner Guards after her boost. As for the strongest, Patriot, he could now take on six Inner Guards single-handedly.

However, considering the Inner Guards' self-destruct ability, Mobius, who was also in the territory, directly summoned Makima. Once the Restraint Barrier was activated, the ten Inner Guards, who had never encountered such power, couldn't even send out a message before they were finished off.

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

Losing ten Inner Guards in one go would make even the Emperor of Ursus' heart ache to the point of breathlessness, and in the short term, he certainly wouldn't make any major moves.

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

Thus, time passed quickly—a month and a half.

Under the continuous mobilization of the Third Army Group, now controlled by Talulah—or rather, Mobius—the atmosphere across all of Ursus grew increasingly tense. The air itself seemed laced with the smell of gunpowder, oppressive enough to make it hard to breathe.

Noble territories near Koschei's Domain and even toward Holy Steed Castle all reinforced their defenses. Nobles in more remote areas outside that range also began to behave cautiously, terrified of being caught up in the conflict between the Grand Duke and the Emperor.

This situation had drawn attention not only from within Ursus. Other nations and powers across Terra had more or less caught wind of it.

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

In short, aside from a few countries that hadn't yet connected to the network, this rebellion within Ursus had captured the attention of countless people.

And as the instigator and leader of the rebellion, Talulah's identity and information had been placed before many of those in power.

"Talulah..."

In Lungmen, Wei Yanwu looked at the intelligence handed over by his subordinate, Black Hat, his expression growing complicated.

He never imagined that the girl who was the same age as Hui Jie back then would now be stirring up such earth-shattering events.

Leading the Third Army Group in rebellion against the Emperor of Ursus—such an act was like dancing on the edge of a blade. One misstep and it would be a bottomless abyss.

Wei Yanwu didn't know what Talulah had experienced over the years, nor how she had reached this point, but if he could, he would have preferred she not take such a dangerous path.

Unfortunately, even as the Governor of Lungmen, Wei Yanwu could do nothing. He could only lean back in his office chair, letting out sighs from time to time.

Ursus, Koschei's Domain.

If anyone could infiltrate this place, they would surely be stunned unconscious by the sight before them.

A full two thousand Wendigos, divided into several squads, stood neatly arrayed in front of the territory. In addition, there was the Reunion, which Talulah had expanded during this time—several thousand infected individuals mixed together, forming an army of nearly ten thousand.

Add to that the Third Army Group, which had been mobilized over this period and was already stationed in full readiness around Koschei's Domain.

Mobius judged that the time was ripe. It was time to cast aside formalities and let the nation of Ursus feel a heavy punch.

With that, Talulah officially stepped onto the stage. She spent a day delivering a rousing speech before the three armies, and then, the following day, began commanding the forces to march according to the pre-set battle plan, advancing toward Holy Steed Castle.

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

The first to notice something was wrong were the nobles and lords of the various cities near Koschei's Domain. They had been on guard against a sudden attack from the Third Army Group all this time, even reinforcing walls and other defensive structures, and sending out large numbers of scouts toward Koschei's Domain so that they could receive news the moment anything happened.

Now, learning that the Third Army Group outside Koschei's Domain had begun its march, these people immediately ordered their city guards to heighten their vigilance.

Though the Third Army Group was indeed fearsome, even setting it aside, Ursus still had six other army groups, including the Central Army Group. Even if not all of these forces were firmly in the Emperor's hands, few believed that Grand Duke Talulah's rebellion would succeed.

Simply put, Talulah didn't know how to hide her intentions—her actions were far too obvious.

If Talulah, upon taking the position of Duke of Koschei and command of the Third Army Group, had first lain low for a while, letting the people of Ursus lower their guard, then suddenly mobilized her army to strike Holy Steed Castle in the shortest possible time and capture Fyodor, this rebellion would have had a high chance of success.

But now, after mobilizing the Third Army Group, Talulah hadn't launched a lightning strike on Holy Steed Castle. Instead, she had given the cities along the way a month and a half to prepare. That time was enough for these cities to stockpile ample defensive supplies, reinforce their troops, and strengthen their defenses against the Third Army Group's advance.

Though only a month and a half late, the difficulty for Talulah and her Third Army Group to now reach Holy Steed Castle had increased several times over compared to the beginning.

Unless the Nightmare Great Khan were reborn, as long as Talulah couldn't break through the defenses in a short time, once the Emperor made up his mind and reached an agreement with the other dukes who controlled army groups, the combined forces would surround them. Then, Talulah and her Third Army Group would be nothing more than fish on a chopping block, waiting to be butchered.

If they performed well enough now, they might even get to carve a share from the enemy's corpse when the spoils were redistributed later.

With that thought, the lords and nobles near Koschei's Domain couldn't help but smile, beginning to daydream about a bright future.

Unfortunately, before they could indulge for long, the urgent voices of their subordinates suddenly reached their ears.

"My lord, it's bad—Wendigos are attacking the city!"

In one domain, the lord, who had been lost in fantasies of glory, turned his head with a look of displeasure.

"So what if there are Wendigos? Even if the enemy army has a Wendigo, with the defenses on the walls, all of you can't handle just one? What, is it going to smash the wall down with its bare hands? Useless bunch!"

"M-My lord, it's not one Wendigo—it's at least several hundred! The walls are surrounded by Wendigos right now, and it looks like they're ready to breach the city at any moment!!!"

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

At that moment, the lord, who had been lounging lazily in his chair, shot up as if his backside had touched a red-hot branding iron.

Chapter 75: Overwhelming Force, Arrival at Holy Steed Castle

Wendigos—a fearsome race from the ancient Tikan Dynasty, born from the Ten Courts—are among the most terrifying monsters on this land.

Their combat prowess ranks at the top even among other courts; legend has it that in ages past, just three Wendigos were enough to conquer a small city.

When the lord climbed the city wall and looked down, what met his eyes was a sea of Wendigos covering the hills and fields.

A 'sea' of 'Wendigos'—in the past, this lord wouldn't have dared to dream of putting those two utterly unrelated words together.

But now, he saw it with his own eyes: hundreds of towering Wendigos, their eyes glowing red, advancing on the domain, and the thick city wall beneath his feet seemed to tremble.

They didn't bother forming neat ranks—there was no need. They paid little attention to the soldiers on the wall, because in their eyes, these cowards, already scared out of their wits, were nothing but lambs to the slaughter, posing no threat at all.