The Divine Emissary One raised his right hand and gently touched the air with his four fingers.
Pale blue Psychic Power ripples spread from his fingertips, instantly connecting to the secondary hive network of the Lower City, following the energy patterns beneath the ice.
Almost simultaneously, deep within the Lower City, the Priest who was directing the sect's forces paused and looked up.
"One?" A hoarse, aged voice sounded in the mental link, tinged with surprise.
"Is there any news from the mistress?"
"The mistress is still trapped, but the barrier has slowed down the flow of time, so her life is not in immediate danger." The voice of the divine messenger, Yi, was calm and clear.
"I called you here to talk about something else."
He briefly shared the news with the Priest that the Ice Temple had been breached and that Dominic had discovered the connection between the Dragon of Frost and the Genestealer.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the link.
The Priest's tone grew more serious. " Dominic... that Imperium Major General? How far has he gotten in his investigation?"
"We've already met Si and obtained the biological samples," the Divine Envoy Yi said calmly. "Once we get back and test them, everything will be clear."
"It won't be long before he realizes that the Plague Cleansing Cult and the Dragon of Frost Cult are essentially the same thing."
The Priest fell silent.
This is no small matter.
The cult in the Lower City can be dealt with by using "stopgap measures," but the Dragon of Frost system in Iceborne is deeply intertwined with Lynn's rise.
Once Dominic connects the two threads, Lynn's charge of "colluding with the Xenos " will be essentially confirmed.
"What about Lord Father..."
"He's at Saint Garus Castle right now, his mind is entirely focused on rescuing his mistress, he can't spare any attention for the moment," the divine messenger interrupted him.
"Immediately send someone to bypass the main battlefield and deliver the message."
"No need to go into details, just tell him two things."
"First, Dominic already knows the secret of the ice field, which will inevitably create a rift in their relationship."
"Secondly, this is a diversionary tactic by the Chaos Sorcerer. Slowing down time is to plot something on the outside, to warn him to be careful and not rush in headfirst only to have his escape route cut off."
"Understood," the Priest replied.
"Besides."
The voice of the divine messenger, Yi, turned colder, carrying a resolute tone.
"Pass down the order: all areas are to enter Level II combat readiness."
"The anti-epidemic armed forces in the Lower City are tightening their defenses, focusing on protecting the Midtown's quarantine zone and the recruitment camps. They are not allowed to provoke trouble, but no one is allowed to touch our people."
"On the ice plains, I will have all the Frost Soldier disengage and be ready to provide support at any time."
"All compatriots in the Governor's Mansion and the Vanguard, activate the combat plan and protect Lord Father's retreat."
"Since someone wants to muddy the waters and make us fight the Imperial Navy first..."
He gazed at the sleeping dragon-shaped silhouette in the ice coffin, his icy blue eyes growing increasingly cold.
"Then let her see whose territory this pool really is."
The link was severed, and the hall returned to its deathly silence.
The divine messenger slowly raised his four arms, palms facing each other.
The energy patterns throughout the glacier palace suddenly lit up, becoming several times brighter than before.
Deep within the ice, hibernation chambers slowly opened, and countless Frost Soldier opened their blue pupils, standing up in neat rows like ice sculptures awakening.
The wind and snow continued to howl across the icy plains, and no one knew that beneath the pristine white snow, a silent legion was ready to be drawn at any moment.
In the front hall of the Governor's Mansion, gilded chandeliers with heavy crystal pendants cast a warm yellow light onto the polished marble floor.
Chief Archon Carter, holding a silver-rimmed crystal glass, wore a perfectly warm smile and repeatedly offered drinks to the naval officers across the table.
"Lieutenant, you've come all this way, you must be tired."
Carter's voice carried a smooth, mellow quality honed from years of handling government affairs, a stark contrast to his usual tough demeanor.
"Have a couple of drinks to warm yourself up first; the paperwork isn't urgent."
"As you know, the Governor is currently overseeing the battle at Saint Garus Castle. The Chaos Rebellion is raging, and we can't let such a small matter disturb his mind, can we?"
Sitting opposite me was the communications lieutenant of the Tithe Fleet, his young face bearing the characteristic toughness of a soldier, his brows already furrowed in a knot.
He hadn't touched his wine glass, and his tone was clearly impatient:
" Archon Carter, Major General Dominic's ultimatum is an urgent military matter, demanding a response from Governor Kerry within two hours."
"What's the meaning of all this, with all the banquet and food?"
"Lieutenant, you flatter me. I didn't mean anything by it." Carter laughed and gestured for the servant to refill his glass.
" Brevis ' rule is that when guests arrive, there's no reason not to welcome them."
"Besides, we understand what the Major General means, but this matter is of great importance, and we must wait for the Governor-General to return and make a decision, right?"
As he spoke, a perfectly measured hint of embarrassment in his tone. "As you know, communications on the underground battlefield have been disrupted intermittently by the traitors."
"As someone in charge of internal affairs, I can't possibly bypass the Governor-General and give a direct reply to the Major General, can I?"
"If something goes wrong, I can't afford the consequences."
The lieutenant's face darkened further.
He could tell, of course, that the other party was playing games, using excuses like poor communication or being unable to take responsibility—in short, they were just trying to stall for time.
But he was just a messenger; he couldn't just barge into the governor's command center.
Carter was a seasoned veteran of the political arena; his words were impeccable, and he always greeted the man with a smile, so Carter couldn't very well turn hostile on the spot.
Time passed by, and after several rounds of drinks...
Carter continued to chat with him about the local customs and culture of Brevis, from the specialties of the Lower City to the pleasures of the Uptown, without mentioning the reply to the ultimatum at all.
The lieutenant finally couldn't sit still any longer, abruptly stood up, and slammed his glass on the table:
" Archon Carter! I have one last question: will you accept this ultimatum or not? When will you provide a response?"
"Yes, of course I'll accept it!" Carter stood up as well, his smile unchanged, and casually pushed over a receipt stamped with the Governor's Office's official seal.
"Take this receipt and tell the Major General that we have received the ultimatum and will immediately forward it to the Governor-General."
"Actually, we sent someone to the front lines to find the governor as soon as we received the notification."
"You know the situation at the front, but I assure you..."
"Any news, respond immediately and without hesitation."
The words sound nice, but the "forwarding" and "feedback" were all just empty promises; not a single one was definite.
The lieutenant held the flimsy receipt in his hand, knowing full well that the other party was just being perfunctory, yet he couldn't find a single fault with the procedure.
Such is the efficiency of Imperium: hierarchical transmission and step-by-step approval. If one really wants to scrutinize the regulations, dragging it out for three days and three nights is still within the bounds of the rules.
"That would be for the best." The lieutenant, his face grim, carefully put away the receipt, turned, and strode out of the front hall.
Carter's smile gradually faded as he watched the other person disappear outside the gate.
He picked up the ultimatum document on the table, his gaze sweeping over the cold words " Genestealer " and "investigate within a specified period," his brow furrowing.
He was well aware of the seriousness of the situation and knew that Lynn was currently on the battlefield on the second basement level.
But he knew even better that at this critical juncture, he absolutely could not allow Dominic's men to interfere with the battle to capture Luna.
"Follow procedure, slow delivery," Carter calmly instructed the attendant in the shadows.
"Just say that communications have been cut off in the underground battlefield, and messages are being relayed layer by layer."
"Some people should be sacrificed, and as for when they will be delivered to the governor, that depends on luck."
"Yes." The attendant bowed, accepted the order, and quietly withdrew with the documents in his hand.
Carter walked to the window, gazing at the rising smoke from the direction of Saint Garus Castle in the distance, and sighed softly.
He didn't know how many cards the young governor had up his sleeve, nor did he know how far Dominic's accountability would ultimately lead.
All he could do was fulfill his duty and try to buy more time for the person in charge.