Chapter 446
A room on an airship above the Norbert District.
Manfred sat in his office, holding a first draft of "The Sarkaz War History." The author of this book was none other than Heredrey, who had disappeared without a trace.
He first disappeared at Abandoned Distillery, and later briefly reappeared in the Central City District. According to the Sarkaz stationed there at the time, it was confirmed that he was held hostage by Ines and W.
These three were all mercenaries in Kazdel, and they worked together seamlessly. W, in particular, harbored a deep hatred for Theresis, which may be why he kidnapped her but didn't kill her.
Now, Heredrey's whereabouts are unknown; perhaps he is still in the Central City District, or perhaps he has escaped from Londinium.
Manfred had considered contacting him, but this was a matter of life and death for Sarkaz. He simply didn't have the energy to rescue him and could only hope that Sarkaz would find his own way.
As one of the few literate Sarkaz, Manfred flipped through the manuscript, his fingertips lightly touching the dried ink.
"The history of the Sarkaz is a long history of war. I'm trying to prove to outsiders that there are things worth remembering and reflecting on besides killing."
"Even if I were to record these things—our dialect, our recipes, a peasant woman's poem, the transport captain's drunken ramblings, love in the trenches, graffiti in the ruins—none of it would amount to anything in the face of Sarkaz's suffering."
They even became a kind of mockery, telling me I should take them back by force. Although that wasn't my intention, I have no right to offer them these conclusions.
"The only outcome of this Sarkaz War History is repeated destruction. If that's the case, why should I record it, why should I write it down?"
But what I really want to record is the song the soldiers sang as they looked towards Kazdel after the battle."
Manfred flipped through a few pages before tossing the handwritten manuscript onto the table. Heredrey was indeed somewhat talented, but the content of his writing had a kind of affected, sentimental quality.
In this turbulent era, sacrifice is the price the Sarkaz must pay. If they are unwilling to pay it, then their Descendants.
Manfred and his fellow middle-aged Sarkaz, covered in blood and mud, were willing to stand up and bear the consequences in order to free their race from the shackles of war.
"Knock knock."
The continuous knocking interrupted my thoughts.
"Please come in."
With permission granted, a Sarkaz pushed open the door and entered.
Seeing that he was an intelligence officer, Manfred inquired about Theresia's situation before the man could speak:
Has Her Highness the Empress returned?
"Yes, General. Her Highness the Empress returned to the Shard Building using the Teleportation Array at 6 PM this afternoon."
Manfred nodded, signaling for the other person to continue.
The lich's Teleportation Array is extremely useful. If it had been shared earlier, perhaps Kazdel wouldn't have been destroyed so quickly in the previous attacks and could have held out for longer.
But holding out for a few more days is pointless. A single Teleportation Array is not enough to change the outcome of the war.
It is said that the Teleportation Array personally set up by the lich can reach realms Outside the Starry Sky. Manfred has never left this land and has a deep interest in that place.
"Reporting to the General, the Duke Wellington and the forces of Deep Pool have landed on the Norbert District. The fleets of the Duke Kester and the Duke Windermere are still lingering on the outskirts, ready to join the battle at any time. The remaining Duke have each dispatched high-speed warships, hoping to take advantage of the chaos to gain some benefits. All of this is as Your His Highness predicted."
The storm from the Shard Building is ready, waiting only for them to approach the airships. If they can destroy about 80% of the Dukes' high-speed warships, they will completely lose air superiority in Londinium."
Manfred had been having a run of bad luck lately, messing up everything he did. Now, having finally achieved a partial victory, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good! These greedy Duke have indeed swarmed around us like flies!"
This airship was made from the countless Lost Soul of the Sarkaz. Even if Victoria's Technician came up, they wouldn't be able to replicate it.
They hovered over the Norbert District, merely acting as bait on Theresis's orders.
Only when the Dukes gather can the mighty storm unleash its full power.
Perhaps there are timid Duke who dare not let high-speed warships get too close, lest they anger other forces.
However, if they can destroy most of the high-speed warships, they will be unable to fight back in air combat.
Rebuilding high-speed warships will take at least a year. With the advantage of air combat, the tide of battle in Londinium will be completely turned.
If they wanted to launch an attack from the ground, they would have to suffer several times more casualties. This was absolutely unacceptable to the Dukes who valued their reputation.
The scales of victory will gradually tip in Sarkaz's favor!
Just as Manfred was feeling triumphant, he suddenly received a warning that enemies were invading!
Since entering the airship, Ines had frowned. She seemed to have encountered some supernatural event, remaining silent for a long while before speaking:
"My lord, have you heard any strange voices? They are recounting the history of the Sarkaz and the suffering they have endured over the past ten thousand years. I don't know how to describe it, but I can hear the voices of many people."
"Huh, you mean those Lost Soul?"
Shi Lei had Psychic Scan before entering, and all the Lost Soul were located at the bottom.
A piercing alarm sounded in the corridor, triggered by his forceful breach.
The airship was airtight, making it impossible to sneak in silently from the outside. Therefore, Shi Lei resorted to the simplest and most direct method: he smashed a hole to descend into the corridor below, then sealed the ceiling with Rock Constructs.
Now that their tracks have been exposed, hiding is pointless.
He stood there, waiting for the airship commander to come to him. Ines pressed her forehead with one hand, unsure how to block out the voices in her head.
"Da da da."
With a series of hurried footsteps, Manfred led more than twenty people into the corridor.
Seeing the intruder's attire and the deliberately polished Blackhorn on his head, he recognized him:
"Ines? Why didn't you give me a heads-up before coming to visit? Why are you acting like a thief?"
Upon being recognized, Ines removed her Rock mask:
"It's so high up here, I couldn't find the main entrance, so I had to use an unconventional way to get in."
Manfred's gaze shifted to Shi Lei; he didn't have a large chest or tentacles on his head, so he was clearly not W.
"Who is this...?"
"I swear allegiance to my lord."
Manfred cursed his bad luck inwardly, wondering how his well-laid plan had to encounter another unexpected turn of events.
He did not continue to investigate Shi Lei's identity, so as not to exacerbate the tense atmosphere and escalate the conflict.
"Since you're here, you're welcome to come. Would you like to enjoy the night view of Londinium with me?"
Shi Lei originally came to ask some questions, but when he inadvertently turned his head, he immediately understood.
Through the glass in the corridor, one could see lights everywhere outside. These weren't just scattered lights, but searchlights from several high-speed warship formations.
The airship was like a goddess high above, surrounded by sycophants who coveted its body. Everyone wanted to be the first to have their way with it and was unwilling to share it with anyone else.
"Oh."
Upon hearing the Mysterious Person Wearing a Mask chuckle softly, Manfred felt a sense of foreboding.
"Sir, what are you laughing at?"
Shi Lei's gaze swept down, sensing the warships of all sizes near the Norbert District Plot.
"Your bait is indeed delicious."
Upon hearing this, Manfred's eyelids twitched.
He couldn't be sure whether the other party had truly seen through His Highness's plan or was just playing a trick.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"The Duke Kester, the Duke Wellington, the Duke Windermere, and those Duke whose names I can't even recall. Their fleets are now gathered near the Norbert District Plot, trying to seize the technology for building airships. I didn't even notice them unless I was looking from above. Don't you think they're sitting ducks?"
After being given guidance, Ines suddenly understood.
She went to the glass to look and saw the twinkling lights under the night sky, and couldn't help but sigh:
"What a brilliant plan! Is it related to what you're researching at The Shard Building?"
Manfred's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but not yet completely broken down:
"A storm unlike any other is about to descend upon this land. Even if we notice something amiss now, it's already too late. Guards, seize them!"
Ines acknowledged that the Sarkaz Military Committee had devised an outstanding plan. Without external interference, the outcome was obvious.
The Dukes' elite warships will suffer heavy damage under the 'storm' Manfred mentioned. They will likely be unable to recover for several years. If the Sarkaz press their advantage and force the Dukes to flee in disarray, then Victoria will henceforth belong to the Sarkaz.
This debt will not only be attributed to the Sarkaz, but also to the Dukes' respective rivals.
If Theresis truly possesses the ability to create and control storms, then the vast majority of countries on this land will live in fear and live in constant anxiety.
But this doesn't include Liyue City. If you, my lord, wish to, you can change the course of this war!
Facing the charging Sarkaz, Shi Lei didn't even need to raise his hand.
The Rock Constructs created solely by their thoughts rendered them all immobile.
Manfred witnessed this scene firsthand, his pupils widening in astonishment. These Brown Stones were exactly the same as what the engineer had reported over the Walkie-Talkie.
The re-interlocking of the Norbert District wasn't an experiment by a mad scientist. It was all the work of this Mysterious Man before them.
"This ability... you are..."
The next second, Manfred was completely enveloped by the brown Rock Constructs. He tried to struggle, but found that the confined space offered little resistance.
Shi Lei was unfamiliar with the Sarkaz officials and asked:
"Ines, what is this person's position?"
"General, he Commander the Sarkaz City Defense Army, so he should be the commander of this airship."
"Alright, it's about time we went down. Actually, I have no objection to them summoning storms to attack the fleets of the various Duke. Doing so will keep these greedy guys quiet for a long time. But there are still tens of thousands of innocent civilians and infected people in the Norbert District, and I can't just sit by and watch them die in Unforeseen Disaster."
Hearing the City Lord's statement, Ines was deeply moved. Only he would care about the safety of ordinary people in this chaotic world.
Even if the other party is Sarkaz, even if the other party is an Infected, he will never tolerate anyone who bullies the weak.
"Sir, what should we do with this airship?"
"Since it's the Source of Sin, just destroy it. Ines, I've heard those inexplicable voices you mentioned echoing in your mind. But most of them contain negative emotions like anger, revenge, and resentment. Leaving them is useless; if they affect more Sarkaz, it will only prolong the war without end."
"Don't even think about destroying the airship!"
In the last two or three days, Manfred had botched several tasks assigned by Theresis. He was extremely frustrated and his determination to fulfill his mission reached its peak.
To prevent the most crucial link from failing, Manfred risked serious injury by Originium Arts within a confined space in an attempt to destroy the Rock Constructs.
"Ughhhhhh!"
As Manfred's veins bulged, he actually managed to create a crack in the Rock Constructs. But he paid a heavy price for it, vomiting blood with a loud groan.
Shi Lei had no intention of killing a general-level official; keeping him alive might prove useful later. Seeing him struggling desperately to break free, he simply removed the Rock Constructs from his body.
Manfred lost his balance and fell. He quickly got up and assumed a fighting stance.
"Hoo... Hah..."
Seeing that the Sarkaz officer's health was not good, Shi Lei abandoned the idea of imprisoning him in the harder obsidian.
It would be bad if I released it in a confined space and ended up getting killed by the backlash.
As soon as the thought flashed through Shi Lei's mind, a transparent cage constructed from Jade Shield instantly appeared, sealing the Sarkaz officer inside from all directions and angles.
Manfred couldn't see the Jade Shield Wall, but he felt something was off. He took a few steps forward, only to find himself blocked by something.
What, what is this?
Before he could study it carefully, Shi Lei controlled the cage constructed from the Jade Shield and smashed it outwards.
With a loud crash, the Reinforced Thick Glass in the airship's corridor shattered. Instantly, a powerful gust of wind poured in through the breach, creating a howling sound like that of a man-eating beast.
Manfred was thrown outside and hovered in mid-air without falling. Shi Lei also put a Jade Shield prison on Ines to ensure her safety.
At this point, he had no more worries.
Two hundred meters away, he swept over tens of thousands of Lost Soul with a vast and boundless Psychic Power.
June 24, 8:25 pm
The Norbert District has limited resources, and some areas lack electricity, so local residents generally go to sleep as soon as it gets dark.
They had just fallen asleep when they were awakened by the roar of the high-speed warships. They went to the window and looked out, only to discover a scene they would never forget.
The airship, which had been hovering in the sky for a day, exploded.