My Strength Depends Entirely on Your Imagination

In front of the Prompt Device, Russell raised three fingers.

"First, the Reunion Movement being attacked this time was my fault."

"Second, I think I can sever my debt relationship with the Grand Duke of Baikal."

The Grand Duke of Baikal, a fanatical militarist.

He had always hoped to restore the prosperity of old through war.

When the Chernobyl incident occurred, he had been stationed on the outskirts of the city. He allowed the conflict to erupt and escalate, intending to use a collision with Lungmen as an excuse to start a war with Yan. After his conspiracy was exposed, he committed suicide out of guilt.

"I plan to capture the Black Snake, force the details out of him, and make them public. Then I'll make him and Viscount Dunkel, another warmonger, commit suicide together. By then, the debt will have nothing to do with me. I might even use this opportunity to swallow up part of those two bastards' assets."

Ah, were Ursus Nobles really that thin-skinned? They committed suicide just because their conspiracy was exposed?

The Prompt Device was somewhat stunned.

In response, Russell pointed at Huihui's profile picture.

"Huihui has already been working overtime. She told me that my magic tool—the Shadowkhan Ring—can be delivered in just seven days. Mm, its functions won't be weakened, and it'll gain spatial storage capabilities."

The power of U.S. dollars was great.

After Huihui asked Megumin to buy some supplies for her, Yoyo's father suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He came up with a more elegant magic-tool design, thought he could add some spatial secret arts, and even slightly increase the production speed.

The Prompt Device understood instantly.

Huihui's magic tool drew upon the Shadowkhan General's power. Once the ring arrived, the Shadowkhan Army would naturally arrive as well.

Even if the Grand Duke of Baikal did not commit suicide out of guilt, he would be made to commit suicide out of guilt.

As for the Black Snake...

Old Black Snake would not oppose the Shadowkhan Army.

Even if Russell killed one of his bodies.

The Shadowkhan Army could not support a regime, but it could easily make one impossible to sustain.

Skadi was right. Nobles were all born conspirators.

As it looked at Russell, the Prompt Device sighed to itself.

But then, it sensed that something was off.

No, hadn't Russell raised three fingers?

Why had he only given two reasons?

What about the third reason?

The Prompt Device asked.

Russell silently lowered his index and ring fingers, leaving only his middle finger standing proudly in the Prompt Device's field of vision.

After making that gesture, he looked at the Prompt Device that had slandered his character and slowly spoke.

"There weren't three reasons. I was just flipping you off."

You motherfucker!!!

Today, the Prompt Device's text was especially large.

My Strength Depends Entirely on Your Imagination

This was the second time.

Talulah looked at the unremarkable villa ahead of her and took a deep breath.

Perhaps because she had realized that the man named Russell was completely different from the rumors, she had disguised herself and entered Chernobyl, where she began looking into the stories of Ya Zi.

Ya Zi—a Dragon subspecies famed for its fierce temperament, courage, and love of battle.

Of course, compared to those traits, another characteristic of theirs was even more famous.

—They held grudges.

It was said that, long ago, the Son of Heaven of Great Yan had omitted their clan when bestowing wine. They had immediately raised an army in rebellion. Even though the emperor at the time had been powerful enough to lead troops against colossal beasts, they had not hesitated in the slightest.

Raising an army in rebellion was clearly a crime punishable by the extermination of the Nine Clans.

But Ya Zi was a branch of the imperial family. If the Son of Heaven of Great Yan exterminated their Nine Clans, he would have to report to the execution ground himself.

Thus, the Son of Heaven of Great Yan had magnanimously decided to strip the clan of its titles, remove its court robes, take away its ceremonial crowns, and exile them to Ningguta.

In the end, on the road to exile, those people beat the escorting officials unconscious and shouted, "The Son of Heaven should be the one with strong troops and sturdy horses." They recruited bandits and rebelled on the spot.

Unable to endure it any longer, the Emperor of Great Yan personally led troops to suppress them. Only a dozen or so were left behind to continue the bloodline, and they were sent to Ningguta.

It was said that even after falling so low, they still refused to submit and attempted to rebel again.

As a result, they were no longer even allowed to remain in Ningguta and were exiled to Siberia.

Russell was the descendant of those last few Ya Zi.

"Is this what Yan people mean by 'a grudge lasting a hundred generations can still be avenged'?"

"Were they really prepared to fight the Son of Heaven's bloodline to the bitter end?"

Beside her, the woman codenamed Frostnova sighed softly.

That man truly was plotting to seize Victoria's throne.

Victoria was a world power.

Although the vacant throne and the division of the Eight Great Dukes made it seem fraught with danger.

If someone could centralize power, however, Victoria would show the world why it could occupy Terra's richest Central Valley and maintain a world order with Victoria at its center.

"I don't know."

"But he is indeed seeking absolute power."

Talulah shook her head. She looked up at the sky. Ursus's sky was always bright.

Yet beneath that boundless sky, everything was forever bleak.

The Reunion Movement had been attacked.

A group of Infected had arrived at the edge of the Reunion Movement's camp. Out of pity for their kind, the Reunion Movement allowed them to set up camp nearby and even shared a small amount of food with them.

But at night, those Infected bared their fangs.

They rushed into the Reunion Movement's camp and detonated themselves.

Fortunately, Patriot had always trained the combat units according to military discipline, and the guards intercepted their attack.

But—

A squad of Shield Guards and the soldiers standing night watch were caught in the Originium blast.

Those who had not contracted Oripathy became infected.

Those who already had Oripathy saw their condition worsen.

A trace of gloom entered Talulah's eyes.

She needed Originium inhibitors.

Otherwise, those warriors might die.

"Are you sure you want to ask Russell for the medicine?"

Frostnova's voice was filled with struggle.

She undoubtedly hoped to obtain Originium inhibitors, because her adoptive father, Patriot, had also been caught in that night raid.

And many members of the Reunion Movement desperately needed them too...

"Yes. I think that someone who can find four Red Dragon descendants while living in Ursus won't be unable to obtain Originium inhibitors."

Talulah took a deep breath and looked toward the distant villa.

"But that's Russell!!"

Frostnova's voice had never been so intense.

Russell.

An Ursus noble, the last pureblood Ya Zi, an ambitious man who sought to stand atop Victoria...

Every identity was like a mountain. Stacked together, their terrifying weight nearly made Frostnova suffocate.

No matter how gentle someone with that status appeared, it could not change his nature as a political creature.

To demand even a drop of water from such a man, one had to repay it with blood.

In fact, she had even suspected that the explosion had been arranged by Russell. A disaster that erupted in an instant would be enough to force Talulah to seek his help again and establish a clearer subordinate relationship.

But after thinking it over, she rejected that guess.

Russell did not need to do something that might provoke such intense discomfort in Talulah.

He had sold a great quantity of supplies to them at extremely low prices, including rare goods such as canned meat, canned fruit, and fresh vegetables.

Given enough time to keep supplying them, he could control the Reunion Movement's logistics system and complete his deterrence against Talulah.

And creating a tragedy for no reason, if Talulah discovered it, would instead cause an irreversible rupture in their relationship.

The essence of politics lay in trade-offs and balance.

Attacking the Reunion Movement did not align with Russell's interests.

So, was it you?

Through Frostnova's eyes, Talulah stared at herself.

What was reflected in those eyes seemed to be herself, yet also seemed to be someone else.

That demon, Koschei...

Was he catching up again?

Talulah's expression instantly twisted into something nearly feral.

What was that bastard doing now?!!

"Talulah... what's wrong?"

Frostnova's frightened voice interrupted Talulah's memories.

"...Nothing."

Koschei, everything you gave me has already taken root within me. Even if it becomes a scar I bear forever, everything from the past is already over.

It was all... over.

No, everything you brought must be brought to an end.

As long as she was not defeated by him, there would be no more Black Snake in Ursus.

"We should go speak with Mr. Russell."

The Red Dragon parasitized by the Black Snake took a deep breath and walked toward the villa of that ambitious man, who might not be inferior to the Black Snake at all.

She knocked on the door.

Last time, she had exchanged the legal legitimacy of ascending Victoria's throne for a fixed supply trade.

So this time, what would her side have to pay?

Talulah looked at the unadorned villa. The dark wooden main gate felt like the gaping maw of a massive Ya Zi, dimly waiting for prey to enter.

She pushed open the door and, unsurprisingly, saw that man again.

Only, unlike before, the terrifying white-haired woman, the overly lively boy, and the purple-haired girl who seemed to have blended in yet stubbornly could not truly fit in were not by his side this time.

But some things had not changed.

Black hair.

Glacier-like eyes.

And that calm expression, as though he had seen through everything.

Talulah organized her words, intending to voice her request, but before she could speak, the young man had already anticipated everything.