Save the simulator and make Sarkaz great again!

At this moment, they are having a final handover of a combat operation with a Lateran envoy.

This will be a surprise attack on Kazdel without any warning.

"You've found Kazdel?"

Facing the confident Letanian nobles, the Lateran envoy spoke with a hint of surprise.

"To be precise, it was their dishonesty that brought them to our attention."

Even His Excellency the Elector was moved, realizing that the fate of this piece of music was already intertwined with that city.

It is very difficult to communicate with these polite and refined people. They like to express their dirty ambitions in a roundabout way and call it "art".

Hearing the vague remarks of the Letanian nobleman, the Lateran nun pondered for a moment, her pretty face still maintaining that standard polite smile.

"At this juncture, as I am about to return to Lateran to report on my duties, His Excellency the Elector has brought out this piece of music... I know what it means."

"But now, His Holiness the Pope does not intend to use force against the Sarkaz. His attitude toward the Sarkaz is completely different from that of the popes of the past century."

"He is not keen on trying innocent people, and Your Excellency the Elector may be disappointed."

At this moment, everyone harbored ulterior motives, yet everyone was perfectly aware of the situation.

The sky above Letania is now shrouded in the shadow of "Helhunzoren," the sorcerer king who sits atop a tower and possesses legendary power capable of shaking the heavens and earth.

He was once a hero of Letania, and when the Gallic emperor cast his greedy gaze upon Letania's lands, he single-handedly crushed the fearsome Gallic army.

If it weren't for the Witch King, Letania would have been doomed long ago.

However, he was a tyrant. He would not listen to anyone's opinions or offer any explanations. He would only demand that everyone unconditionally obey his orders.

Now in his later years, he has become even more eccentric and bloodthirsty, and the tyranny he has imposed on Letania is enough to terrify every elector within its borders.

At this moment, the Witch King was like a mountain pressing down on the hearts of every Elector.

He is both a god and a nightmare for Letania.

After decades of development, Letania has recovered from the trauma inflicted by Gaul and believes it now has the strength and confidence to stand among the great powers of Terra.

They were so confident that Letania no longer needed the Witch King.

Their burgeoning ambitions are already evident; they are so impatient.

At this moment, all the Electors of Letania were like reefs on the sea, each thinking about how to overthrow the Witch King's ship.

The Elector of Vaserland didn't even bother to put on an act; he was already secretly accumulating political achievements so that he could get a bigger share of Letania when the Witch King passed away.

For the Catalans, this attack on Kazdel brought no real benefit other than adding another achievement to the Elector's record.

Despite the Lateran envoy's refusal, the Letanian nobles remained unmoved, maintaining their ever-present, pleasant smiles.

"It's alright. His Excellency the Elector said that neither the city nor the Sarkaz people are of any importance to him. What he cares about and is more concerned about is His Holiness the Pope's own evaluation of this piece."

"Thank you for your help on this trip."

The Lateran envoy bowed to the nobleman and slowly left the room.

The moment the Lateran representative left the room, the Letanian nobleman's smiling face instantly darkened, and a sinister glint appeared in his eyes behind his glasses.

He hadn't expected that despite his polite words, the Lateran envoy would be so resolute, showing them no mercy whatsoever.

They really don't know what's good for them, a mere tiny country like this...

With a knock on the door, an elegantly dressed Leitanian soldier entered, bowed to the nobleman, and then handed him the letter.

"This is the force that His Excellency the Elector Marquis needs to mobilize this time. Please take a look."

After receiving the letter from his subordinate and confirming that it had not been opened or switched beforehand, he slowly opened it as if savoring a delicacy.

His initial indifference vanished the moment his gaze swept over the list of military forces to be deployed.

Although he controlled his expression very well, he couldn't help but reveal a hint of shock.

He took a deep breath.

The mobilization of these fleets will take at least some time.

He could sense that His Excellency the Emperor was truly enraged this time.

Chapter Thirty: Only by Passing Through Blood Can We Reach the Other Shore

Sarkaz Democratic Union Office

Shen Lin sat at his desk, staring blankly at the Kazdel map he had drawn himself.

Although he had made almost all the necessary preparations for an impending conflict, he was still somewhat uneasy.

This will be the first time he has faced such a large-scale war, and given Kazdel's current situation, even the most thorough preparations cannot guarantee absolute victory.

Even if the Sarkaz suffer heavy population losses after the victory, it cannot be called a victory.

Kazdel is now not only lacking time and money, but also manpower.

In the past, the Tower of Babel's operations resulted in most of the labor flowing into the pockets of a few, further exacerbating the already precarious situation of Kazdel.

Under these circumstances, a large amount of labor was not effectively utilized, coupled with the mercenary craze sweeping the country.

In Kazdel, it is common to see dead Sarkaz children on the battlefields.

They learned to kill before they learned to read.

With soaring mortality rates and declining birth rates, Kazdel's demographic structure is already in grave danger.

Only in a suitable and safe environment will organisms have the instinct to reproduce.

The same applies to humans; if the current environment is no longer suitable for survival, the instinct to reproduce will decrease.

If the impending crisis were to take away another group of Sarkaz, Kazdel's development would have to be further delayed.

Thinking of this, Shen Lin sighed slowly. In his plan, thirty years was the bottom line. If he still couldn't launch an effective attack by then...

Therefore, Kazdel will disintegrate from within without the intervention of other empires due to its internal structural contradictions.

The same applies to borrowing Kazdel from Theresa; in such extreme circumstances, they must abandon everything to weather the impending storm.

They would give up Kazdel City if it meant protecting the remaining Sarkaz.

Shen Lin had already devised a battle plan. In order to prevent them from discovering the area he was currently developing, he would use Kazdel City as bait and set up a total of three lines of defense.

The first line of defense is designed in the barren lands of the carrion eaters. If they are defeated, the dead zones left behind by the fallen carrion eaters can effectively slow down the enemy's march using the Originium Arts of Netheri.

This would delay the retreat of other royal courts to the second line of defense.

The second line of defense is designed on hills covered with large Originium crystals. If they are not defeated, the offspring of the Blood Demon and the Originium veins scattered throughout the land can cause them a lot of trouble in their advance.

These arrangements were enough to delay their withdrawal to the third line of defense.

The final line of defense is located in a narrow valley, with the Banshee as the main guard of the royal court. In this specific environment, the Banshee's Originium Arts will have an even more terrifying effect.

This is the last line of defense, and it is time for all the Sarkaz to fight a desperate battle.

Each defensive line is buried underground with numerous Originium altars that amplify power, allowing all the Sarkaz warriors participating in the battle to unleash terrifying strength instantly.

With prior preparation, Kazdel has about a 70% chance of achieving a decisive victory against Leitanian high-speed ships and gunboats, provided the enemy has no more than ten ships.

Once the enemy deploys more than ten high-speed ships, a dense network of fire will be formed, and in a head-on confrontation, the Sarkaz will have to pay a much higher price to get close to them.

The situation on that battlefield could easily change, and even if the enemy were defeated, there would be no guarantee against the casualties of the Sarkaz.

Now, the only remaining issue is the Lich King's Court...

Even if the Lich King's Court hadn't participated, Shen Lin had a backup plan to find other ways to make up for their role.

Theoretically, the plan was the best that could be arranged under the current circumstances, but for some reason, Shen Lin still felt a little uneasy, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Was he worried about unexpected events in this war... or was it because it was his first time participating in a war?

Just then, a pair of jade-like arms, white as jade, gently wrapped around his neck from behind, interrupting his thoughts.

Immediately afterwards, a soft, warm body quietly approached, carrying a faint, alluring fragrance.

The woman curiously leaned over to see what the man was doing, her long, pink hair, as beautiful as cherry blossoms, slipped down, a few strands playfully brushing against Shen Lin's cheeks, tickling him as if carrying a hint of intimacy.

A hint of helplessness flickered between Shen Lin's brows as he looked at the lingering warmth behind him.

Ever since the shapeshifter agreed to his request last time, it has been following him around, as if he has gained a little tail.

At first, Shen Lin warned him not to pretend to be one of the people around them, but to just communicate with him in his original form.

However, the shapeshifters expressed that they envied the people around Shen Lin, as they could communicate with Shen Lin and understand his thoughts.

The reason they became people around Shen Lin was because they wanted to experience Shen Lin's emotions and try to feel that kind of spiritual dialogue.

This plays a very important role in their ability to feel emotions and find meaning.

The shapeshifters' reasons left him speechless, and after much thought, he couldn't come up with a better solution, so he just let them be, since they were only around him anyway.

At this moment, as a series of regular and soft footsteps gradually approached, Theresa first knocked on the half-closed door to signal her before slowly pushing the door open and entering.

Filled with joy at having completed her work and contributed to the development of Kazdel, Theresa prepared to share the fruits of her labor with Shen Lin.

"Shen Lin, this is the diplomatic report you requested last time..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw someone who looked exactly like her... or rather, another version of herself, clinging to the man in a very intimate manner.

The joy on her face seemed to freeze for a moment; her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes widened.

"..."

"..."

"......."

The three of them stared at each other in silence for a moment, the air seeming to freeze, and an awkward atmosphere filled the small office.

"Ah... well... this is the report from last time."

It was Theresa who finally broke the silence.

She gave a few perfunctory, fake smiles, quickly placed the report on Shen Lin's desk, and fled the office as if escaping.

Shen Lin noticed that one corner of the report had been distorted by Theresa's unconscious pinching.

Looking at the shapeshifter whose eyes were sparkling with innocence, Shen Lin couldn't help but flick it on the head.

"what!"

With a gasp, Shen Lin looked at the shapeshifter who was covering his head and felt both amused and exasperated.

However, thanks to the Transformer's interruption, he didn't get caught up in that kind of obsessive thinking.

All the confusion he had felt vanished in the instant his gaze fell upon him, replaced by an unwavering determination that flowed through his jewel-like eyes.

there is always a solution to a problem.

Arrangements, defenses, planning—none of these matter.

Every Sarkaz person must realize that they are defending their homeland.

These golden decades represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Kazdel, and they must seize it.

If they are traversing hell, then they should keep going, not stop.

Only by traversing blood and mud can one reach the other side of the green fields.

PS: Hehehe~ I'm super happy to see the expectations of you guys! I'm thinking every day about how to give you guys more interesting plots and get your approval!

Thank you so much for all the generous donations and votes! They're so heartfelt and touched the author's soul!

Hehehe~ The author will continue to work hard and overcome the insurmountable challenge of updating!

Here's a book I'd like to recommend to everyone; it's also about Arknights.

Chapter Thirty-One: Emengard

Stepping onto this land is like stepping into the withered palm of time.

The gale, carrying sand and gravel, charged wildly like a runaway bull, uprooting withered grass in its wake. The grass swirled wildly in the air, emitting a mournful "rustling" sound as it died, before being violently thrown to the ground and smashed into shattered fragments.

A mysterious figure stood silently, like a bewitching flower blooming in the dark night.