The sea wind surged.
Running onto the deck, the black-haired young man gazed at the dark twilight ahead, the roar of the sea resounding through the entire world.
“Chairman Yang. ” The voices of She Liqing and the others came from the island beside them.
Yang Zicang was startled for a moment, then responded and turned to walk over. A researcher from the Tavko Electric Company and a young man from the Four Phases Legion were also by their side.
“And the train? “
“It just left. ” Anka Lidd from Tavko Electric took a breath of air, his expression a bit wooden as he spoke.
Yang Zicang was silent for two seconds, then looked at the sky.
“Time zones are different. It’s already evening here. “
……
Bang, bang… Violent waves churned beneath the train speeding across the vast ocean.
Racing at high speed, it shattered the misty waves. Fierce breakers pounded against the headlights, the train’s glowing eyes, and its doorframes of the Demonic Nightmare Train. The elongated carriage bodies suddenly sliced across the boundless, seemingly seamless ocean of darkness that blended sea and sky.
Suddenly, the train that had been drawing a straight line through the seawater opened a side door. Some seawater rushed rapidly inside.
“This is it, the first relay station. Steady now, drop it in. ” Wang Tianyi shouted as he grabbed the door of the train.
Splash! A wooden box was lightly pushed by Zhang Zhiquan into the ocean’s rolling waves. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a dark spot and disappeared behind the high-speed train.
The eyes of the people on the train looked toward the dark waves on the sea surface behind. “Let’s continue, there’s still a long distance to cover today. ” The door resealed.
Then, the train suddenly accelerated over ten times more rapidly, letting out a furious roar of wind, and shot like an invisible arrow toward the distant emptiness!
……
Yang Zicang controlled the Flying Carpet, which was nearing the speed of a passenger jet, to carry a few people from the island and head toward Heiwen Zhike. The communication equipment occupied one corner of the Flying Carpet.
“Captain Yang, what do all these things we’re doing really mean? Does anyone else know about this? ” Zhou Feng of the Sixiangtiantuan asked.
“Not for now. “
“So, even if we succeed… ” Zhou Feng glanced uncertainly at the three people beside him, then said, “What meaning would it have for the people of this world? “
Yang Zicang’s gaze burned as he swept his eyes over them.
“For the people of this continent, our actions tonight have no meaning at all. “
“What, but… ” The few of them exchanged worried glances.
However, the young man opposite them casually rested an arm on his knee, swaying slightly, and said:
“But, this should count as a heavy strike against our era. “
The two individuals, one from the Four Elephants Legion and She Liqing, immediately wore contemplative expressions.
……
At a field base near the city of Kruen, the area was now guarded by the military like an impenetrable fortress of bronze and iron.
Some senior military and political officials from within the city had been temporarily relocated here.
Part of the Blood Beasts’ large birds soared in the sky nearby. Any unknown squad that approached would be promptly destroyed by artillery fire from the soldiers above.
“How much longer must we wait for our reinforcements? ” Inside a small office within the underground bunker, a roar-like voice pierced through the door and echoed down the hallway.
The high-ranking men and women waiting outside couldn’t help but shudder slightly.
Suddenly, a figure quickly jogged over from the side passage, a document in hand.
The guards at the door saluted the newcomer.
“General, is this an urgent report? “
“It’s a report from the Communications Department. ” He clutched the document in his hands, nervously licking his lips twice with his tongue.
“Please report this immediately to the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Military Affairs. “
The report was swiftly taken into the room. The roaring within ceased for a few seconds, followed by the rapid sound of footsteps. Two figures, surrounded by a tense group of staff, hurried out and quickly walked to a heavy iron door behind a thickness of blue bricks further inside, where they waited.
Soon, the door opened to the side. The President of the Science Council, Dawuti, glanced at the people outside, his gaze settling on the two ministers: “You two, come in. “
Two ministers, wearing dark green coats with pale gold trim and shoulder badges resembling the fuzzy mane of a golden lion, stepped into the room. They raised their arms in unison, snapped their feet together, and saluted.
“Prime Minister Ferdirich, we have important matters to report. “
Behind the dark green painted desk, a round-faced man in his fifties or sixties, with hair a pale greenish hue and flecked with grey, looked up over his round, thin-rimmed glasses. His temples held hidden strands of silver woven into the indigo of his hair, and the buttons of his coat were fastidiously and squarely fastened all the way to the collar. His demeanor seemed impassive and awe-inspiring of its own accord, yet beneath the surface lay a brooding, weighty presence, like the repressed violence of a volcano on the brink of eruption.
Soldier No.4 stood quietly to the Prime Minister’s left, while on his right stood a female adjutant with a head of golden hair a pale and pristine countenance.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Development and Planning, who had bruised his forehead, stood by the desk, holding in his hand a document that had originally been an award list for conferring honors, as well as a detailed memorandum of action for “Project Complete-Großen-Krupp. “
Behind many of the names on that list, vermillion circles had been drawn.
“Please proceed with your report, my two esteemed gentlemen, ” the Prime Minister said, his voice calm.
The Minister of Defence glanced at the man beside him and gently handed over his own file. Having no choice, the Minister of Military Affairs took it, stepped forward, shot a look at the Minister of Development and Planning—who was staring fixedly at the desk with a profound, somber gaze—and said in a low voice:
“All seven of our state-owned radio stations have been hijacked by the heinous traitor—Ordrev and his followers. “
The air in the room suddenly turned cold.
“What’s the situation outside the capital? ” The Speaker of the Science Council rushed over, staring at them in alarm.
“I, we… “
The Minister of War lowered his head: “The dedicated communication lines of the capital’s surface have all been destroyed. For now, we can get no further information from the outside. “
“What about the underground ones? The ones inside the bunkers? There must be secret lines that are still operational! “
Confronted by the Speaker of the Science Council’s questions, the Minister of War angrily straightened his chest twice:
“Yes, at present, the only Greater Provinces we can contact are Silvan and Grenzburg in the north. Branch circuits for various military districts and units are being restored, but… those answering on some lines speak rather ambiguously. “
The Minister of Development and Planning abruptly lifted his head. “What does that mean? Do they intend to commit treason against the state as a group? “
“This is the moment to test the loyalty of the men we trust, ” said the Minister of Defense.
The lady beside the Prime Minister recorded everything in silence.
The Minister of War turned his head in astonishment, then looked back to Dawuti and said:
“Mr. Speaker of the Science Council, can you dispatch your Warriors to gather intelligence outside? Especially for those small military districts—if they dare to rebel, they can be executed on the spot. “
“For a country this vast, you want my Warriors to gather intelligence and conduct disciplinary investigations? Have you gone mad, or is it my ears that are failing! “
“Now is a special time. As long as the Chancellor’s orders can be passed down… “
Amid the debate, the Chancellor took off his glasses, pinching the frames, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and placed them on the table.
“Now, ” he looked around at everyone, his voice low and sharply ringing out:
“Who gives the report! “
Several people traded glances, and the murmuring promptly ceased.
“When all means of propaganda are severed, where is the contingency plan?! “
The iron door once again emitted the electronic chime of a request for entry.
The ministers abruptly let out a long sigh of relief.
After it opened, a major ran in, delivered a file, and attempted to place it on the surface of the blue wooden table.
“Give the order verbally. ” The Chancellor said in a grave tone.
“Report to Chancellor Ferdinand, we have received intel. The traitor Odrilov is mobilizing the Third, Fifth, and Seventh Legions to advance towards Victory Triumph City in the East, where the Twelfth Legion is stationed, compelling them to submit. “
A few searing gazes fell upon the reporting major. He continued under the pressure:
“According to the latest from our intelligence officers, both the commanders of the Second and the Ninth Legions are awaiting your directives. This is their stance against Odrilov, the, uh, the traitor. “
“There must be more to tell us. ” The Minister of War interjected immediately.
“Yes. The traitor Odrilov has given them a fifteen-hour deadline, up until noon tomorrow. “
After the man left and silence returned to the room, the lady beside the Chancellor placed a hand gently on his shoulder and said softly:
“Prime Minister, I believe there are still thousands upon thousands of loyal warriors awaiting the announcement of your administrative philosophy. The majority, like the upright Ninth Army Commander Albrecht, should be among them. “
“Right now, they are merely momentarily coerced by the traitor Oderlev’s sweet talk and armed threats. As long as it can be confirmed that the nation is still under your helm, all arrangements made by these traitors are nothing more than bluster. “
……
On the Flying Carpet, never before had so many people stood simultaneously, not even on that night when they went to the aid of the people in the collapsed Central Dispatching Station.
Leveraging Yang Zicang’s organization and the acceleration abilities among Zhao Anlong’s group, the Flying Carpet moved towards the heart of the Lion Empire at double its standard speed.
“Buchen, what are these instruments next to us for? “
After the group introduced themselves, someone noticed several electronic devices being guarded protectively by Yang Zicang.
They appeared to be some kind of radio wave transmitter.
Beside the machines was a pile of wooden crates labeled “Fragile – Handle with Care, ” supported by two women who came aboard later and a man in a white suit, along with several new civilian researchers.
“These are the long-distance wireless communication devices we are testing. “
“Wow, so that’s the plan. “
“A good course of action, indeed, but a bit risky. Once he turns into an Aberration, his time and energy will all have been wasted. “
As they spoke, Bai Yuan, steadying the Visualizer, softly swallowed every now and then.
This group of people in front of us was all brought by that guy named Zhao Anlong, who had once returned to the city and punched the ground and the Defenders with one blow.
That’s not even the scariest part; the terrifying thing is…
Among this group, the face of one woman bore an extremely, extremely strong resemblance to the “Goddess ” face that used to be painted on their team’s vehicle, the camp gates, and the walls back in the day!
Many of the team members even had tattoos of her fiery face!
Including his own arm!
At this moment, if he just took off his shirt, he would reveal this lady’s bold and hot face—tattooed in a wild, sultry style—as well as her exaggeratedly depicted thighs and hips.
Bai Yuan took a quick glance at the woman’s long, slender legs. Sure, they were quite curvy, but certainly not as extravagantly unrestrained as the Goddess Alliance drawings those fools plastered everywhere; on the contrary, they appeared quite elegant.
So that’s Hei Yang, huh!
Bai Yuan suddenly felt the woman’s gaze sweep over him, and he immediately lowered his head.
According to what the leader Hong Haocheng had said, Lady Hei Yang already knew that some guy back home had blustered about marrying the founder of the Goddess Alliance and had even gone so far as to change his own code name to “Bai Yuan. “
Damn it, why did he have to run into her here?
At this moment, Bai Yuan’s heart was pounding like a drum.
Under the heavy curtain of night, in less than three and a half hours, the group spotted a city that lay in ruins like rubble, where firelight blanketed vast stretches of the pitch-black land.
The sounds of cannon fire and clamor echoed far into the air approaching midnight.
The flying carpet, carrying over thirty people, neared the rooftop of a large building. Zhao Anlong jumped off first, landing steadily, followed by the other members of the team trailing behind him.
_”All these people? How much Sequence did you bring?｝ Two rescue workers who had been resting on the rooftop while keeping watch ran over.
Yang Zicang, crouching at the edge of the flying carpet, looked at Zhao Anlong.
Zhao Anlong, standing in the wind, steadied Zhao Xuemei after she jumped down, then wiped his nose with a grand gesture:
_”If it were just us twenty or so coming, an investment like this wouldn’t produce much Radiance at all.｝
The two men, dressed in thin fleece jackets and woolen hats, looked with some confusion at the person now surrounded by the group.
_”Then what are you going to do?｝ Hua Mi asked curiously, kneeling on the flying carpet and gripping its edge.
_”As we all know, the reason we can’t make long-distance investments here is because we don’t have a Saint-level Bloodline Resonance Statue to establish widespread contact.｝
The people on the carpet looked at him thoughtfully.
Bai Yuan couldn’t help but ask, _”Are you planning to get more Fogfolk from the Empire to invest?｝
_”The Empire?｝ Zhao Anlong paused in his motion of taking a leather suitcase handed to him by someone nearby.
_”Hmph. It’s better to forget about those short-lived folks as investors—they’re too noisy.｝
A few people around laughed softly in the darkness.
Seeing that the people on the carpet seemed confused, Sword Thirteen said in a low, steady voice:
“According to the plan, we need most of our brothers on the sea to be able to invest here. Only then can we maximize the birth of Radiance, even achieving a completely impossible miracle of Flash. “
“Then what needs to be done? ” Yang Zicang also began to ask with some curiosity.
“We have already installed a Five-Ring Bloodline Statue on the ship. “
Under dozens of gazes, Zhao Anlong took a statue wrapped in a deep gray flannel cloth resembling a towel out of a leather suitcase. The statue was as long as an arm.
“Now, I just need to place another statue on the sea between our fleet and the Imperial Capital, and we’ll be able to connect to the large-scale investment from the sea. “
“But, will it be in time if we go now? ” The two people near the rooftop watched the man’s movements in front of them.
Amidst Zhao Xuemei’s somewhat peculiar gaze, Zhao Anlong raised the hand holding the statue.
The people around involuntarily stepped back a few paces.
Then Yang Zicang saw a layer of intense, illusory flame burst forth from this guy below, filled with a chaotic vision of all kinds of explosions and destruction.
“Ring of Destruction! “
One by one, four faint rings of light lit up in Zhao Anlong’s pupils. “Four! Sky-Shattering Limb!! AH!! “
Sounds like muffled explosions of thunder faintly crackled densely in the air around Zhao Anlong’s body!
He lightly tossed the Bloodline Statue in his hand, then whirled his body, swung his steely-whip-like right leg, and kicked the falling Bloodline Statue.
BOOM!
A clap of thunder suddenly exploded on the roof!
The Bloodline Statue, caught in the blast, was sent hurtling skyward by a tremendous force, vanishing in an instant.
Even at night, everyone on the rooftop could see, in the moonlight, the clouds in the sky dividing as if slashed by an invisible blade, expanding into a straight, narrow scar.
The two waiting on the rooftop had their jaws nearly drop as they stared, dumbfounded, at the small statue flying westward.
Zhao Anlong, shielding his eyes with a hand placed horizontally above his brow, craned his neck to watch.
“Based on the current speed, it should take about twenty-five minutes to reach the target area. “
On the flying carpet, Hua Mi and Xue Qi, along with a dozen or so people including Yang Zicang, Bai Yuan, and Tafk Odoson, listened, almost speechless, to Zhao Anlong’s murmured update.
“Alright, then let’s get moving. ” A blonde-haired youth in the team said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Just then, a folded line flickered out from the air and gathered at Yang Zicang’s chest.
After sensing it for a moment, Yang Zicang’s expression shifted slightly as he connected to it.
{Mr. Buchén, this is Alienong, the liaison for the airship plan. }
Yang Zicang’s gaze seemed able to see Alienong slumping against the wall, completely dejected.
His team members stood in silence on either side, clutching their arms; these people seemed pained, half-crouched or half-leaning within the dim, water-stained room.
“Is there something? ” Yang Zicang asked in a low voice.
“The Imperial Chancellor of State and the Minister of Defense want me to ask you if you have any plans for establishing communication with the citizens and foreign governments.“
“Oh?“
“They are willing to pay ten, even dozens of times more money to purchase all the broadcasting station systems you can bring in by train. They want to commission your team to install them across the Empire’s military districts.“
Alienong immediately added:
“This might delay you by two or three days, since we’ll need to transport a lot of installation personnel to various parts of the Empire. This… success should be enough to create that… investment opportunity.“
Yang Zicang chuckled softly. He knew that some locals on the other side must be listening to this conversation.
“The trains won’t be available for the next couple of days.“
“Are you not willing to help?” Alienong suddenly raised his voice:
“If that’s the case, history will once again evolve toward a world war!“
These words made Yang Zicang pause. He hadn’t planned to get involved in this matter.
But… after thinking it over, he truly had no way to set up a wired communication network covering the entire empire within two or three days.
Unless he could retrieve the refurbished relay station from the sea and use wireless communication.
A flash of inspiration.
Retrieving it… might work…
Should I retrieve it?
Yang Zicang frowned, lost in thought. Doing so should still be in time—he’d only need to postpone Cheng Yunze’s operation slightly. Ultimately, it would be like investing a spark for them, to avoid being rejected by the Track of Fate of this era.
Then the operation across the sea could restart after this matter was resolved.
One Radiance in exchange for another Radiance, plus several tens of Glimmers and Irises.
Yang Zicang breathed softly. The people around him seemed to sense that he was about to make a major decision, halting their movements and falling silent to let the quiet settle in.
……
In the dark of night, the train sped like a burning bullet, charging alone and relentlessly across the black, boundless, and obscure ocean.
In the waves churning behind it, a wooden crate, made slick by seawater, swayed gently amidst the growing calm of the water.
In the train carriage, Zhang Zhiquan, who had deployed nearly twenty relay stations, sat down by a signal transmitter the height of a man. Along with several technicians from Tavco Electronics, he drank honey water handed to him by a young female team member while listening to them continuously monitor the signal strength from the relay stations.
“At this current speed, we’ll be crossing most of the Atlantic in no time,” Chen Yunze said softly, eyes fixed on the various lights flickering on the machine.
“We’ve already come this far?” Zhang Zhiquan asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Suddenly, in unison as if from a shared cue, everyone inside the carriage turned to look out at the dark sea. They noticed that the seawater, which had been shimmering with a dappled gleam under the moonlight, had transformed in a strange and inexplicable way.
Its undulating surface seemed to be affected by a bizarre and uncanny stroke, carrying an illusionary quality that felt as though it had been painted by an eerie hand.
Beep, beep, beep, beep…
At the terminal, a significant alert change impacted the operator telemetry output. Olsen… previously silent, monitoring them with a set feed… experienced fully embodied convulsions, his physical restraint just a jitter shape, before shocking alert measures as the crew.
“What’s wrong?” Cheng Yunze instantly retracted his gaze and asked with slight curiosity.
“I, I think I’ve detected a signal source!“
Olman, utterly astounded, said, “And its signal is incredibly clear!“
“What!” Cheng Yunze and Ning Jiajia, who had rushed over in a panic, urgently gathered around this retro device covered in various knobs and small push-rod buttons.
No one had ever expected that the train team would suddenly receive a special signal source in the sea.
“This signal source repeats its frequency broadcast approximately every 6.5 seconds.“
Suddenly, Olman, holding the headphones with their black cover, nervously lifted his hand and said,
“Hold on, Mora Seth, quickly…” He paused briefly, listened to the signal in his headphones, then urgently added:
“Tune to 317.39!“
The moment the knob was turned, a buzzing, humming noise suddenly erupted from the headphones!
It was as if a special frequency band had been connected. The vibrating noise of the black membrane suddenly produced a high-frequency hum, an “Yin Ying,” as if actively synchronizing with the receiver.
—— “…This is Delta Squad!“
Olman immediately routed the sound to a small speaker on the machine, and this sound, tinged with a low electrical hum, echoed throughout the carriage of the Science Marauder.
— _”Warriors from the homeland… Here, and only here, can all the bands be effectively transmitted… Thank you for not discarding our silent companions on the journey to the history without electricity…
— _”We enthusiasts of these antennas and receivers have come up with a way. We found a gap between the edges of two eras, hiding all the beautiful sounds and images within this constant, flickering radio wave…
— _”Brave ones, I believe you will make it. Although all those head-scratching troubles are beyond our fixing. But what does that matter? Haha, the wine must be drunk as always… Just like ethnic groups worldwide, there are always people who will keep trying and experimenting just for this swill that can earn you a beating. I believe our compatriots here will not lack such interesting and passionate individuals.
— “No more rambling. Below is the set of radio frequencies you can pick up. Remember to tune in and use them when needed. The access code is… “
A long stream of data broadcasts out. The three people in Tafucowert pause, then begin jotting down notes with their pens and paper, gripped by both hesitation and excitement.
Finally, this cycle of frequency transmission comes to an end.
— _”Forge ahead, friends of the future’s path! Also, if you have time, do us a favor and plant some seeds of miracles, for any kindred spirits who might come in other times.
— “Respectfully signed by all members of Operation Orbital Path Delta! “
The sea on the pitch-black night stretched boundless and dark. Only the static sounds from the speakers and headsets rustled softly.
“From shortwave to high frequency, we’ve got it all. ” Morasee clenched his fists while staring at the handwritten frequencies on the paper.
Suddenly, Cheng Yunze looked up nervously and asked, “What about TVs?“
“Ah?” The three people in front of the machines stared at him in surprise.
Just then, a faint glimmer of light flickered across the boundless black sea.
{I am Zhao Anlong, all of you are now investing for me! }
“What the heck, even here people are seeking investments.“
{The goal is to rescue the commoners trapped in the fallen capital of Stiffdon! }
Cough! Zhang Zhiquan, who was obliviously drinking water, coughed up a mouthful.
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