Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Theresis had spent the entire night racking his brains, devising dozens of tactics, all in anticipation of a brilliant performance in front of Wayne, to fulfill Theresia's promise "for all Sarkaz." But now, he couldn't utter a single tactic. So many perfect and imperfect plans seemed to have vanished like dreams, illusions, and illusions.

In his empty mind, only four words were playing on repeat on the high frequency: "Bomb it!"

Chapter Thirteen: There were fewer than ten forwards.

Colonel Hamilton considered himself a worthless man. He didn't see himself as a pillar of the nation; compared to those tactical masters renowned throughout history, he was nothing more than a lowly soldier who had received his command. If it weren't for their overwhelming superiority in equipment, the garrison in Little Hills would have long been annihilated by Deeppool's repeated attacks.

His ability to hold out until now is due to his excellent medical care, well-prepared logistical support, and an overwhelming disparity in equipment. Unlike the original storyline, this time he didn't garrison troops within the city, nor did he lead them to Baron Bolton's banquet. This left the Hillshire garrison leaderless after the attack, preventing them from suffering heavy losses in the initial, fiercest wave of attacks at Deeppool. They rallied in their camps and immediately went on high alert after noticing the explosions in the city. Relying on the fortified camp defenses built during previous riots, they barely withstood the first attack and, thanks to logistical and equipment advantages, have held out until now.

The enemy has crossbows, but they have cannons; the enemy has assault troops, but they have bunkers; when the enemy launches a surprise attack, they hold their ground and rely on the medicines developed by Rhine Lab in the hospital at their stronghold. As long as people are alive, they can definitely be saved!

Thus, Hillshire, the starting point of the war, became one of the few beacons in the North that, despite being surrounded, had not yet fallen.

"Dublin County has fallen?" Hamilton looked at the latest updated tactical map. The signal between the city networks had not been interrupted, and Hamilton could still obtain first-hand intelligence from Londinium. Looking at the latest news, he frowned: "This is not good news."

The fall of Dublinshire meant that the damage caused by Deeppool County had escalated to a new level. The fact that they didn't simply plunder and leave after occupying Dublinshire, as was their usual practice, but instead began to rule was particularly devastating.

When the raiders shifted from plundering to domination, it meant they were truly beginning to challenge the Aslan regime in Victoria.

Fortunately, Londinium has already declared war. As soon as the tracks of the Royal Army's road ships sound, those rebels will be terrified!

"Colonel, someone outside wants to see you."

The adjutant at the door suddenly entered and reported. This adjutant was no longer Hill. The original adjutant, Hill, had been anonymously reported as a traitor and was intercepted and killed on the spot by Hamilton's troops while passing intelligence on the garrison to Deeppool. Although Hamilton did not know the identity of the anonymous informant, he was still grateful for the help of the helpful Victorian citizen who had signed his name "Reed."

"Who is it?" Hamilton asked.

"I don't know him," the adjutant shook his head.

Hamilton frowned in confusion. The garrison camp was now mostly filled with soldiers, aside from the scattered refugees; theoretically, there shouldn't be anyone he didn't know. He thought for a moment, then quietly drew his short knife from his waist, placed it behind his back, and nodded:

"Let him in."

The adjutant saluted and withdrew. Soon after, a man covered in leaves and filthy with mud entered the room. Hamilton asked in a cold voice:

"Who are you? Where do you come from? The entire Xiaoqiu County is under martial law right now."

“I came from the Deep Pool,” Wenat said in a low voice. The familiar yet slightly hoarse voice made Hamilton freeze in place. Wenat shook his head, brushing off the leaves and weeds he had to wear for camouflage, and wiped the camouflage and dust off his face. A familiar face appeared before Hamilton again incredulously. “Long time no see, Colonel Hamilton.”

“Envoy Wenat!” Hamilton exclaimed. “I thought you were dead. Envoy Kant’s body is still hanging on the statue in Little Hills… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring this up, but the garrison can only defend itself and cannot launch an attack. We simply don’t have the strength to collect Mr. Kant’s body.”

“Kant and Lentinium will understand,” Werner nodded. “I’m back for something more important. I’ve received intelligence that Deeppool will launch a full-scale attack on Hillshire at 8 p.m. tonight. This attack will be far more intense than any before, and Deeppool’s leaders and several high-ranking officials will be involved. You understand what I mean?”

Hamilton's expression turned serious. He asked:

"Is the source of the intelligence reliable?"

Wenat paused, then nodded: "I swear on my life."

He was saved by the reeds; if it weren't for them, he'd probably be hanging on a statue in the center of Hillshire County right now. If the reeds saved him just to send him the wrong message, then he could only grit his teeth and accept it.

“I understand.” Although Wernart did not have the direct authority to give orders, Hamilton still adopted the advice. It was better to be safe than sorry; Dublin had just fallen, and the enemy was likely to regroup, but they could also press their advantage.

“I will arrange for increased security. What about Mr. Wenat?”

“I must return to Londinium,” Venat said. “I have very important news to tell His Highness. It must be discussed in person.”

Hamilton was immediately in a dilemma: "Sir, although I would very much like to grant your request, you are aware of the current situation of the garrison in Hillshire and the North. I simply do not have the capacity to arrange another force to escort you out of the North and back to Londinium. Our forces are already severely insufficient."

Wenat opened his mouth, but knew Hamilton was telling the truth, so he could only keep his rebuttal to himself.

But the news about Reed had to be told to Prince Wayne, after all, she was his sister, and if granted a title, she would be a prince. Moreover, she was a good person, and Venat didn't want to stand by and watch the only sane girl in the deep pool be dragged into the abyss by that insane organization.

"Can't we use the telephone or military fax machine to communicate?" Hamilton asked curiously.

Wenat shook his head. That was unacceptable. Communication technology had its drawbacks since its inception. Intercity communication relied on large Originium signaling devices within the network, meaning that information traveling from Hillshire back to Londinium could be intercepted at any time by the cities already occupied by Deeppool. That could pose a significant danger to Reed!

As for military lines, that's even more impossible. While it avoids the possibility of interception, the military's operators responsible for receiving information would still be aware of it. The fact that Prince Wayne's sister is one of the leaders of a rebel organization is an outrageous scandal! If a third person finds out, it will become a ticking time bomb. What if someone uses this to threaten Wayne? What should Prince Wayne do? What danger will Reed encounter?

The safest way to spread information is by word of mouth.

Seeing this, Hamilton could only nod: "Alright."

Just then, the fax machine in Hamilton's office suddenly rang, and a document bearing the Victoria coat of arms slowly emerged from it.

Hamilton immediately stepped forward and retrieved the printed document. His worried expression vanished instantly.

"I think you don't need to worry about that anymore. Lentinium has sent reinforcements, and the first batch of strikers will arrive tonight!"

"What?" Wenat asked in surprise, "How many people? Who are they? Is it Marshal Ernest's steam-armored legion, or Grand Duke Darian's mobile cavalry? They're so fast, could they be the legendary Unicorns?"

Hamilton excitedly continued reading. But his excitement quickly turned to confusion. After flipping through the document several times and confirming that there was no further content, he sighed in bewilderment and disappointment:

There were fewer than ten people.

Wenat asked incredulously, "Who are they?"

Hamilton read from the document, "Hmm, let me see. They're all codenames: Patriot, Balrog, Mudrock, Doctor, Frostnova, Chancellor, Kroos, Warfarin, Logos, and one... Paradox?"

Hamilton looked up and asked, "Do you know them?"

Wenat shook his head with a wry smile: "I don't know them. I don't know a single one."

Chapter Fourteen: The First Operation of the Tower of Babel

"These are all the members of our Tower of Babel at present."

Kal'tsit pointed to the seven people in front of her besides herself and said to Wayne,

"Of course, we should also include you, me, and Princess Theresa."

Wayne looked at the group of people in front of him and suddenly felt a surge of pressure.

Patriot Bozokasty, there are countless Patriots on the land, but only he can truly embody this concept as his own title. Patriot's heavy halberd once swept across half the world with the war cry of the Ursus Empire. Even now, past his prime, he remains one of the top combatants on Terra.

Her daughter, Frostnova Yelena, a natural-born ice mage, has gradually reached her peak after alleviating the pain of Oripathy and learning to control her abilities. It is said that when Kal'tsit arranged the entrance test for Frostnova, Frostnova went all out and directly froze Logos, who was the examiner!

Don't let this make you think Logos is insignificant. In fact, even among the Sarkaz, a race full of powerful men and numerous strong factions, Logos' strength is among the top tier. As the next Banshee Queen appointed by the Banshee Royal Court, his male identity once subjected him to considerable criticism within his race. But now, those who once pointed fingers at him behind his back have either become his loyal followers who sincerely admire his strength, or they are now charred corpses in mass graves.

Including Kal'tsit, codenamed "Doctor," the above four are only considered mid-tier combatants within the Tower of Babel.

The pinnacle of their power lies with the Demon Lord Theresa, codenamed "Chairwoman," and Wayne, the "Paradox," who are even more formidable. Either one of them could easily shake the entire continent of Terra. Furthermore, they are both among the rarest and most difficult to guard against—possessors of mental Originium memories.

The remaining [Flame Demon] Surtur and Mudrock are exceptions. They are both weak in their own combat, relying mainly on external forces, but when combined, they can easily defeat Yelena and even contend with Patriot. As for Kroos and Warfarin, while their strength isn't weak strictly speaking, they are somewhat lacking in this configuration of the Tower of Babel. Of course, their primary role isn't combat, but rather logistics and medical support.

Kroos possesses extensive knowledge of computers, mechanical engineering, and business (and shrewdness), while Warfarin, seemingly unreliable but actually quite dependable, is a doctor whose medical skills, combined with the Blood Demon race's innate sensitivity and manipulation of blood, can achieve effects comparable to "Netherworld Soul Chaser," when she stays on track.

Looking at the faces before him, some familiar and some unfamiliar, Wayne took a deep breath, nodded to Kal'tsit, stepped forward, and spoke first:

"Gentlemen, it's nice to meet you. I am one of the leaders of the Tower of Babel. You may call me 'Paradox.' I know that some of you here know my real name, but please abide by our rules and address me by my code name during missions."

Vayne's words made Frostnova, who was about to greet him, pause, then she pretended nothing had happened and stood back. Bodrakas gently patted Frostnova's head. His bony face couldn't possibly show any vivid expression, but Vayne felt that he seemed to be smiling kindly now?

He composed himself and continued, "Today is our first mission for Babel Tower. Our objective is to stop the Deeppool Organization's attack on the garrison in Little Hills County. Miss Closure has just successfully intercepted communications between Deeppool forces using technical means. All current intelligence points to a full-scale attack on the Little Hills County garrison's defenses at 8 PM tonight. We are currently 10 kilometers from Little Hills County, and it is 6 PM today. There are two hours until the mission officially begins. Does anyone have any questions?"

"What are our specific roles?" Kal'tsit asked cooperatively to prevent the situation from becoming awkward. "Since the enemy is launching a full-scale attack, the entire garrison area will be besieged. Should we concentrate on one point for a breakthrough, or split up and act separately?"

Wayne glanced at Theresa beside him, and Theresa replied:

"This operation is a split operation. I'm in one group with [The Doctor], [Paradox] and Kroos are in another group, Warfarin is in yet another group, Mr. [Patriot] and Ms. [Frostnova] are in yet another group, Logos is in a separate group, and [Flame Demon] and Mudrock are in a third group. There are five groups in total. Among them, [Flame Demon] and Mudrock are responsible for supporting the battlefield and providing mobile support, while the other four groups will go to the four possible weak points in the east, west, south and north to defend."

Theresa paused, let out a long breath, and said:

"Fellow operators of Babel, this is our first mission. The success or failure of this mission will determine how Babel will appear on the Terra stage in the future. Do you remember what I said when I recruited you? Babel was built to solve the survival problem of the Sarkaz. Thanks to the efforts of [Paradox], this mission is nearing completion, just one final step away. But whether that final step will become an insurmountable obstacle or be successfully crossed by us, the decision rests in your hands."

"I believe that those who accept this invitation to become members of the Tower of Babel must share the same ideals as me. Therefore, I express my deepest respect and heartfelt gratitude to you all. Let us fight, for our tomorrow, so that this land may sleep peacefully!"

..........

1092年12月28日，8：00 p.m。维多利亚，小丘郡郊外。

Night had fallen, and the deep darkness transformed the familiar forest in the distance into a completely unknown realm. Having received the news, Hamilton, who had made preparations in advance, led his soldiers to the camp at seven o'clock to await orders. Having experienced a war and the baptism of several battles, the soldiers who had survived had shed their former naivety and playfulness. Although they did not yet possess the iron-fisted spirit of a powerful army, they were already able to calmly face the decisive battle that was about to come.

At exactly eight o'clock, Hamilton stood at the main entrance of the camp, with two huge lights on his left and right sides.

This is his secret weapon! While Deeppool may have somehow acquired Victoria's standard equipment, its quantity and quality are certainly inferior to the garrison, which can be readily updated and maintained. Their repeated victories in battle rely heavily on surprise attacks and night raids, striking and retreating at will, leaving the Victorian army without clear targets. The existence of these two spotlights is precisely to limit Deeppool's influence. When they confidently launch a night raid, simply turning on the spotlights will trigger artillery bombardment that easily cripples their forces.

Hamilton glanced down at his watch, raised his hand, and shouted:

"Turn on the lights!"

Two giant Originium lamps, nearly five meters tall, suddenly lit up. Hamilton was about to admire the astonished faces of the Deeppool rebels under the bombardment, but the forest in the distance that was lit up was empty, with only a few conspicuous words as if branded on the ground.

Hamilton's expression changed, and he suddenly realized where those illusory words came from. He turned around sharply and saw that the lampshades of the two searchlights had been smeared with four large characters in dripping blood.

—【Deep Pool】【Arrived】!

Chapter Fifteen: Combat on All Sides – Frostnova Patriot Squad

Xiaoqiu County, a garrison town, the southern battlefield.

Two of Deeppool's six top lieutenants, "Prisoner" and "Bandit," are preparing for their next attack. Although the six lieutenants are not entirely harmonious, they share a common ideal: to satisfy their desires. It is this ideal that brought them together, leading them to join Deeppool and plan this massive attack. The Orator, their strategist, devised a plan to write words in blood on Colonel Hamilton's searchlight. While no one took it seriously, it did dampen the garrison's morale. Seeing the garrison's suspicious expressions, as if they believed there was a traitor among them, Prisoner found it genuinely amusing.

A bunch of idiots. It's just a little trick by the "accountant," yet it's enough to make you all suspicious of each other. Trust among Victorian soldiers is as fragile as their lives.

However, even if they are completely useless, there are still some things worth investigating. For example, how did they learn that Deeppool would launch an attack at 8 pm tonight?

The garrison camp should have been under close surveillance by Deeppool. Logically, there should have been absolutely no way they could have obtained such classified information that even the lower-ranking soldiers of Deeppool were unaware of.

However, these are things we'll investigate after the operation is over. With that perverted drug-testing fanatic, the "poison scholar," around, there's no fear that the soldiers won't confess obediently. The "poison scholar" is probably quite happy to have so many experimental materials to fill his research notes—even though those disgusting things can't be sold anywhere.

"Boom-boom-"

Two muffled thuds interrupted the prisoners' and bandits' rambling conversation. The Deeppool soldiers, poised for action, looked with puzzlement into the dark forest in the distance. Their masks were equipped with night vision devices, their only advantage over the Victorian army. However, at this moment, the night vision devices seemed to have malfunctioned, the eyepieces almost completely obscured by something.

The robber took off his goggles, reached out and touched them, but only felt a thick layer of frost.

"Does it get frosty here?"

The robber casually wiped the goggles on his shoulder, only to suddenly discover that his leg armor was also covered with a thin layer of frost.

"Wait, this isn't normal. Even if the temperature drops quickly at night, it's impossible for frost to form in such a short time," the prisoner suddenly said. "Someone is casting a spell!"

Even he himself was somewhat unsure when he said those words; he had never seen anyone's magic so powerful as to completely change the weather of the entire forest, turning a sunny day into a snowy one. But soon, he realized his guess was correct. Because fine snowflakes were indeed slowly falling from the sky.

"Who's playing tricks?"

The bandit leaped onto a tree and began searching for the sorcerer's location. Both he and the prisoner were expert melee fighters; the best approach against the sorcerer was to locate her immediately and engage in close combat. Otherwise, they risked being kited to death by the cunning sorcerer. The bandit was confident that once they got close, the frail Originium sorcerer wouldn't even be able to cast a single spell before he could crush her head.

Soon, he noticed the young girl from Cartes setting up a small altar in the dense forest.

Frostnova carried a satchel filled with Originium crystals imbued with her magic. These crystals, combined with the magical altars created by Patriot, could unleash astonishingly cold energy. Fueled by Frostnova's own magic, they could even alter the weather in a localized area, freezing all enemies within a certain radius.