The city of Kroon was almost in an uproar at midnight. The noise of the Fogfolk made two armies, who were constantly firing cannons at each other while blockading the streets, somewhat hesitant to stay too close to them.
Because these people, who were there to assist, had now fully displayed the terrifying physical prowess of the Fogfolk.
To take a shortcut, they could jump directly from a five or six-story-tall building, hit the ground hard, quickly limp back up onto their feet, dust themselves off, and shout, “Just throw the people to me!“
So then, people above would toss terrified, screaming commoners from bay windows and badly damaged walls on various floors, which were full of falling bricks. And these rescuers always managed to arrest their downward momentum with an odd jerk right before they hit the ground, tempering their fall.
As for the passages blocked by fire-scorched walls and rubble from collapsed floors, they were directly blasted into cavernous openings amidst ear-splitting explosions, letting in cold air and fresh wind.
Such an almost brutal display of force forced even the Krupp Guards to keep their distance.
On the Third Lion Avenue, where nearly half of the large rock statues had been destroyed, Yang Zicang had just distributed a batch of “Dispatch Ability Sekret Fruits ” to the logistical personnel in the nearby blocks. At a fold in reality, shimmering into view through the hazy air bathed in the light of the silvery moon…
{Zicang. You still have some plans for tonight, right? }
In the “line of sight ” of Yang Zicang’s consciousness, the silhouette of Zhao Anlong standing on the dark rooftop appeared.
“Yeah. ” He lowered his head slightly slightly and asked in return: “What’s wrong? Is it because I didn’t agree to Stephen’s official request for assistance?“
{Ha, that’s not how I figured it out. I guessed because our team members found a specific investing leave message during a temporal investment scan. }
Yang Zicang, hovering over the intersection, suddenly thought of something. “Could it be… those friends of mine… “
{That’s right! } Zhao Anlong on the other side said excitedly.
{A guy named Cheng Yunze asked me to get in touch with you. }
“Get in touch with me?” Yang Zicang turned the giant city-cover rug into a rising path, flying toward where Zhao Anlong was.
What could they want from me now? Was it to seek a Spot Investment? Indeed, there were only five or six hours until dawn. He pondered inwardly—was this to face the fate of being rejected even at the edge of an era?
{He said he wanted a live television broadcast. }
The flying carpet in midair nearly swooped and dropped from the sudden jolt before accelerating away at breakneck speed.
……
On the vast, boundless sea.
The train hovered over the ocean surface. Moresai of Tovico Electric was hunched in obsessive concentration, switching channels continuously in the audio frequencies.
After entering different channels, enchanting music and all kinds of audio could be freely selected and listened to by class, guided by the audio prompts and their own crystal-wave frequency control dial. Pleasant cowboy tunes, science and educational narrations, and other audio feeds could be automatically received and played with a simple twist.
“It’s perfect… “
The design of this channel-group mode in his headphones was far too advanced. For a researcher like Moresai, it was no less overwhelming than a miner stumbling into a gold mine or a scholar laying eyes on a royal library.
The train drifted languidly across the dim, moonlit sea.
Yet on this eerie ocean, there were no islands to be seen beyond the rolling waves. Without this radio equipment, the electrical wave channels being broadcast back and forth across the dark waves would prove impossible to detect as something anomalous by mere eyesight.
Vilmon nearby finally managed to connect Model One of the Mortfe Visualizer to a power source and plugged in a wireless signal receiver terminal.
“Will it succeed? ” Ning Jiajia looked on alongside a few other team members standing beside him.
Orman touched the equipment in his hands with a hint of nervousness and said:
“At the initial stage of this project, our researcher Mortaff declared unequivocally that what the first generation of mechanical televisions used by the Fogfolk was the wireless transmission scheme. The most popular visualization technology, over which the Fogfolk boast, is also a wireless solution. “
He sighed and said:
“They…those signal transmission methods your Fogfolk talk about, I am truly extremely envious of them. And the narrator said that the generational gap between us is at most only about a century. So… “
Orman’s eyes glistened as he stared intently at the seemingly clunky and antiquated Mortav visualizer:
“Since we must walk a brand new path that others have never tread before, we should go all the way and grab hold of those radio wave frequencies that have yet to be allocated! This is also the reason why Boss Mortaff has been able to concurrently develop a better wireless radio reception system. “
Cheng Yunze turned his head to look at the wireless telephone system installed beside him, used for transcontinental radio communication.
The researcher’s palm gently caressed the casing of the “New Television, ” which was gradually powering on and displaying an image.
“So from the moment of its birth, it could already receive all wireless frequency signals ranging from 3.7 to 4.2 hertz, from 11 to 13 hertz, and from 17 to 21.2 hertz. “
A faint, flickering gray background emerged on the visualizer.
Seeing this scene appear directly before their eyes, Orman sat down quietly on the ground, while Morath and Laite also set down their earphones, staring as if primitive people witnessing a deity.
Above was a selection list formed by rows of white text with relatively low resolution. And beneath it, on the right, was the word “Langguage ” — one that Cheng Yunze was familiar with.
A flickering dotted line emerged from the air.
After establishing the connection, Cheng Yunze saw through the sensory feed the black background of Kruen and, on the rooftop, several figures including Yang Zicang.
Cheng Yunze steadied his breath and said:
“Buken. We’ve discovered a set of mysterious radio wave signals out at sea. They contain an access code for a base station’s authority. So, I want to test whether this plan — cross-continental broadcasting — could work. Please turn on the TV in Tamotaf immediately and attempt to pick up our signal coverage. “
……
Kruen. Atop a building, Cheng Yunze’s words left the group feeling unbelievable. Yet … they also seemed … almost a matter of course.
Because there would always be people from home, scattered across all corners of this world, carrying out these boring yet necessary attempts for their kind.
Yang Zicang watched the people in the train assembling cameras and recording equipment — originally meant to be put together upon reaching their destination across the shore, specifically used for capturing visual documentation.
None of these devices had ever undergone any modifications or conversions. They would begin incubating evil-dreams almost as soon as they arrived on the continent. But as long as there weren’t many natives nearby, their normal operational lifespan would be long enough to complete the recording of one scene.
“I’ll arrange it right away, ” Yang Zicang responded, listening to the voice from the other end of the connection.
“Hmm… yes, indeed, the signal will be better at a higher location… and for a more open space, my flying carpet should… “
Suddenly, a jolt of numbness ran down Yang Zicang’s spine. He jerked his head up to look at the moon, which resembled a silver disk, and the solitary airship hanging in the sky like a lone wild goose.
Yang Zicang suddenly took a deep breath.
“I will confirm immediately. I’ll leave that side completely to you. “
The sounds of several dealer beacon chimes seemed to ring in his ears. With this sudden escalation of the situation, would more than one ray of radiance be born? Yang Zicang’s heart began to beat unknowingly faster.
After he finished speaking, a tall, lanky man with a soft face and a black-patterned sword hilt protruding over his shoulder, standing beside Zhao Anlong, looked at Yang Zicang and said:
“I am Ying Renyu, the temporal precisionist for tonight’s team. President Buchen, you mentioned earlier that the high officials of the Stephden Empire have asked us to contact the paralyzed empire to issue a declaration of control over it. “
The others looked at this man, whose face was gentle yet revealed a hint of aloofness. He wore a well-tailored dark gray uniform, and his collar was meticulously neat.
Ying Renyu continued:
“If Mr. Cheng Yunze’s actions are confirmed, I suggest we use television signals to cover the key nodes of the entire imperial military camp. Then, with some of our interventions, the threat of war should be able to be reversed. “
“Regarding this matter… ” Zhao Anlong stroked his chin.
Yang Zicang said:
“As of yesterday afternoon, the World Ark organization had its transport rights officially revoked by the Black Wenzi Ke authorities. “
The people on the rooftop looked at Yang Zicang in bewilderment, confused as to why he suddenly brought this up. He continued:
“If we utilize the remaining airships for curtain-based audio-visual broadcasting, then we can construct a information dissemination system covering all key nodes of the continent in just a day or two. “
Zhao Anlong, Ying Renyu, and the others still resting on the rooftop were suddenly struck by a flash of awe in their eyes.
“You—! ” Zhao Anlong immediately looked up toward the flying carpet at the edge of the sky. “Great, from now on, these things are considered requisitioned by us! “
The several people on the rooftop quickly dispersed and took action. Ying Renyu, descending from the high building in a black shadow like a feline, landed toward the building across.
Zhao Anlong spread flashing silver threads, then jumped onto Yang Zicang’s flying carpet. The carpet began weaving through the city, quickly picked up the action team members disembarking the ship, then immediately shot across the sky, ascending to great heights.
Inside an airship floating in the air.
An oppressive atmosphere pervaded the gondola. The students from Keruen Academy of Military Science tasked with piloting this vessel, alongside the warriors of the Capital Guard, stared bewilderedly into the darkness ahead.
All available channels on the radio incessantly heralded General Ordlev’s correct decision for the Empire’s future.
They didn’t know where they were supposed to fly to, or where they should land.
They feared that if the airship descended any lower, it would be hit by a shell from the ground.
Suddenly, the tightly shut wooden door of the airship’s gondola in the dark night was knocked with a “thump thump. “
The paralyzed crowd inside, startled by the sound, turned their heads in panic toward the direction of the door.
“How can this be! “
“What’s happening! “
“There are no planes! ” The gunner frantically rotated the airship’s long cannon and machine guns, desperately trying to spot any potential targets in the darkness.
“Everyone knows there are no planes! ” There was a commotion inside the cabin.
A shout came from outside:
“Everyone inside, we are members of the World Ark International Rescue Committee. You must have heard that Chairman Buchen is currently in our city of Krupp, right? “
The seven or eight people inside rushed noisily to the door.
“Oh my god, it’s Chairman Yang Buchen! Is it really the World Ark Rescue Committee? “
“This is too unbelievable! “
Someone risked danger to press their face against the porthole, and indeed saw a large blanket floating outside.
The student from the Academy of Sciences, not caring about anything else at the moment, immediately rushed forward and opened the door. After all, if it were Fogfolk, even if they didn’t come to do this themselves, they might have just broken in directly.
The fresh night breeze, along with the hope of survival, rushed in together. The people in the cabin, who had just escaped a disaster, nearly wept as they looked at those outside.
“Alright, everyone, we still have a lot to do tonight, so let me keep this brief. ” A short, middle-aged man in a dark gray cashmere coat said:
“This airship, right now, has been commandeered by the World Ark Committee, represented by our Mr. Yang Bucheng. “
“You, you mean?! “
“You are all, effective immediately, members of our World Ark organization. We pledge to provide you with assistance to avert the doomsday disaster, including your immediate family members. “
The people inside were stunned for a moment, then erupted in cheers, jumping up and down with a “Waah! “
……
In an office somewhere in the empire, Oldreif, who had combed his crumpled, close-cropped hair into a side part, looked at the map on the table.
A male adjutant stood upright and said:
“As long as we reach tomorrow afternoon, we can verify whether the seawater tributaries in the southern states can truly resist the invasion of the apocalyptic demons, as the rumors claim. “
Another senior adjutant, wearing a blue military uniform with a colonel’s insignia on his shoulder, nodded in agreement:
“Hmm. We must capture the Victory Triumph City, which leads directly to the south, within tomorrow. Then the fall of this place will indeed serve as a warning to them. “
It was already early morning, but facing a world where the situation could change at any moment, this group of military men, who had finally grasped the opportunity to turn the Empire’s destiny around, would not simply lie down in bed and drift into the continent’s abyss in their sleep.
“Has the commander of the Fourth Military District and that damned general given us a definitive response yet? “
“Not yet. They said they would not hand over the provincial armies under their control until the Empire’s Prime Minister made a public statement. But given their position, they cannot block our Double-Headed Lion.“
Oderleff gazed at the various officers speaking around the long wooden table, paused for a moment, and then said:
“Then they will be waiting forever. When we launch our attack on the Great Craig Free Kingdom, they can head on down to hell and wait for their Prime Minister.“
Upon hearing this resolute declaration from General Oderleff, everyone on both sides of the table straightened their backs, their expressions severe.
The staff officer who had spoken first remarked, with a hint of surprise:
“General sir, could it be that the majority of the Fourth Army Corps has already privately chosen our side?“
“Hmph. That is precisely the choice a true descendant of the Steffin bloodline should make.“
……
Since dusk, the shadow of war had enveloped the entire world like a rising fog in the night.
In every region, upon seeing the planes that had been scrambled in an emergency, or upon hearing the news amidst rapidly spreading rumors, people despondently wished to confirm that the rumor of Steffin being replaced at the helm was false.
The legendary terror of the Lion Empire’s army was such that even a crying three-year-old child would clamp their mouth shut at the mere sound of it, not daring to make a peep.
“What should we do?“
“Anna, it’s alright, we’ll get through this.“
Amidst people’s hushed whispers, in an ancient courtyard, an older man looked at the hundred-year-old toon tree within the yard. Lowering his head, he retreated into the house, pushed open a wooden door, and gazed upon the statue inside.
……
Inside a towering fortress with high stone walls, a young noblewoman prayed silently before a stone statue.
……
In the torrential rain, within a small alcove behind a theater, several figures in costume solemnly lit candles and placed them before a statue.
……
The capital of the Great Craig Free Kingdom.
Roman, the Crown Prince of Craig, a small kingdom bordering the Stoffenstein Lion Empire’s coastline, stood before a flickering candlelit stone statue, clad in an air force uniform.
He raised his hand and placed it respectfully on his left shoulder. Gazing up at the man-sized statue, he performed an ancient knight’s salute.
“Craig’s forefather, foundation of the nation, great Craig I. Your descendant, I, am to march to war tomorrow. I pray that I can stop the advance of the world’s most vicious imperial army at our borders. Though… it will be very difficult.“
Melancholy glimmered in his beautiful eyes.
“I truly hope this wish can come true. May you watch over me, as you did when you carved out this kingdom surrounded by wolves and foes.“
Crown Prince Roman bowed his head respectfully, then straightened his back, turned, and walked toward the door. As he moved, he felt an unusual, peculiar tremor across his skin.
Turning his head to look, in a sudden trance…
He seemed to see countless overlapping, ethereal figures… in the alleys, in the trenches, upon the battlements, and right here beside the lit candles…
Countless figures in indistinct attire from different eras, and individuals of various identities, amidst intertwined and fragmented distorted silhouettes, through countless unrelated actions, resisted and reversed the storm commonly known as war…
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