Save the simulator and make Sarkaz great again!

This means that if the enemy wants to ensure logistical support, they cannot advance to Kazdel in a short period of time.

They cut down trees and built bridges along the way, constructed artillery lines and trenches. At this pace, it would take them about a month to advance to Kazdel.

It's clear the other side doesn't want to drag the battle to their doorstep.

"Latland's declaration of war was entirely within our expectations. Theresis, how are your preparations going?"

Therese bowed slightly.

"Your Highness, the three armored divisions have completed initial preparations. The monthly production of tanks you assigned has exceeded one hundred, and automatic artillery has also entered mass production."

"Now every vehicle's armor is protected by defensive spells laid out by Emengard, so even a violent explosion cannot shake it in the slightest."

Therese paused here, explaining that after conquering Syracuse and integrating its industries, the development of materials also expanded.

The alloy used in the armor of the tanks and the lich's array have achieved a strange resonance. He had not expected that the tanks would have such high defensive quality.

His casual strike could only leave a faint white mark on it. He estimated that if he encountered such a chariot on the battlefield, he would be entangled for a while.

This is practically on par with a regular high-speed warship, especially if you add artillery units...

Therese could not imagine the scene of such a steel monster running over the city.

Shen Lin nodded.

"What's the current status of the gunboat conversion plan?"

"Your Highness, it is basically ready for use. There is absolutely no problem in driving all our chariots in."

Because of the changes in warfare, their mechanized forces need to rely on the transfer of the Ducarle behemoth skeleton to carry out surprise landing operations.

He walked up to the Blood Demon Lord.

"Ducarre, in this operation, the Blood Demon Court will continue with the mission from Syracuse: destroy the enemy's transportation hubs and seize their radio stations."

Ducarre bowed slightly to Shen Lin.

“I assure you, Your Highness… the blood of a traitor is enough to make any Blood Demon gladly accept it.”

At this moment, Lamaren stepped forward and handed Shen Lin a report.

“We have received telegrams from Victoria and Letania. Please take a look, Your Highness.”

Shen Lin took the telegram from Lamaren and frowned slightly when he saw the first sentence.

"Leytania condemned us and said it would impose economic sanctions on us in United Victoria."

Has any of you done business with them?

The representatives of the royal court present looked at each other in bewilderment, and under Shen Lin's questioning gaze, they all quickly shook their heads.

Shen Lin continued unfolding the telegram, his eyes quickly scanning the text. His brows suddenly twitched slightly. He had initially thought Victoria was spouting meaningless nonsense.

"Victoria stated that they are highly concerned about the conflict between Lateran and Kazdel, and that they respect the will and right of all parties to defend their sovereignty."

Lamarle chuckled softly.

"It seems that the alliance between Victoria and Letania isn't very strong."

"These Victorian nobles probably wish we and Lateran would fight to the death so they could reap the benefits."

The deep voice of the King of Carrion came from the side.

"Their plan is quite clever. However, Your Highness, should we be wary of Victoria's intervention? Their high-speed warships are not just for show."

Having witnessed the advancements in technology, the royal representative has now abandoned any disdain for the powerful nation of Terra. The technology that allows a nation to stand tall among the powerful nations of this land must have its reasons.

Even Ducarre, who has always been arrogant about technological development, no longer calls these high-speed warships steel toys.

Taking in the expressions of the royal court members, Shen Lin pondered for a moment.

The people of Terra do not value the sky.

They always assumed that the altitude drones could reach was the limit of what they could achieve.

For each royal court today, they have never witnessed a war after gaining air superiority, so it is understandable that they would have such concerns.

Shen Lin casually tossed the telegram aside.

“Victoria’s ambitions have long been obvious. They covet Lateran’s technology and resources, and they want to exploit our power.”

"But they won't act rashly; at least until the situation becomes clear, they will choose to wait and see."

“Victoria’s arrogance is their weakness. They think that by having the advantage of high-speed warships, they can look down on all of Terra. But the outcome of war is never determined by weapons alone.”

"Ambition is the will that comes from above; ambition is the will that comes from below."

"They have the ambition to expand the Victorian territory, but they lack the ambition to dedicate themselves to a nation."

The air in the hall seemed to ignite, and every royal representative's eyes gleamed with fanaticism as they stared intently at the man's straight figure.

His gaze was sharp and penetrating.

“We have never been stronger. The Sarkaz tribes are united, our factories are producing weapons day and night, and our soldiers are eager to fight.”

"Kazdel is full of hope under our unity. We cherish everything we have achieved. We will continue to work together to dispel this boundless darkness."

"Neither Lateran nor Victoria can stop our will to revive; the Sarkaz people must obtain the rights they deserve!!"

"Failure will not break our fighting spirit, and death will not make us back down in the slightest."

"We will use an iron torrent to realize our ambition!!"

"Gentlemen, I think it's time to make our names resound throughout Terra!!"

Chapter Seventy: The Torrent Has Arrived

The last rays of the setting sun shone on the makeshift fortifications of Lateran, the sandbag-built defensive line stretching across the wilderness like a winding serpent.

The engineers in Sakota were tamping the foundation, and the air was thick with the smell of scorched earth and metal.

They have now established their fourth line of defense, and beyond that lies Kazdel's territory.

This was the first large-scale offensive launched by Lateran in centuries.

Commander Rodriguez, a musketeer, stood atop the watchtower, his fingertips tracing the holy emblem on his chest, his gaze sweeping over the busy soldiers.

"Push the alloy pile array forward another fifty meters!"

He shouted into the communicator, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

According to intelligence from the Syracuse battlefield, the Sarkaz were very strong in their charge, and this time they had specifically devised tactics to counter them.

These alloy piles are made of a high-strength special alloy, with a surface that gleams with a cold metallic luster and reflects a chilling light in the afterglow of the setting sun.

At that time, they only need to retreat to the safe zone, and those devils will definitely not be able to break through these alloy stakes for a while. They can only accept the baptism of their artillery fire from the outside of the stakes.

"Those Sarkaz barbarians can't think of any effective tactics other than brute force to charge into battle!"

"They don't even have the most basic concept of three-dimensional warfare. We're going to win this battle!"

"A great victory!"

A burst of laughter erupted from the trenches. A young Sarkaz soldier, with a gun slung over his shoulder, mimicked the Sarkaz brandishing their swords.

"I heard that after they occupied Syracuse, most of them didn't even know how to use a car."

"I guarantee that when they run into our electromagnetic minefield, they'll be as fragile as paper, instantly reduced to ashes, without even a chance to cry out."

The soldiers' chatter echoed in Rodriguez's ears as he was on patrol, and he shook his head slightly.

Lateran has brought them peace for far too long. Most of the Sarkaz have never been involved in wars, and the biggest incidents they have ever dealt with are the various sudden explosions in the Holy City—pranks by their own people.

Rodriguez gazed at the dense forest ahead, but for some reason, as an experienced veteran on the front lines, he felt a sense of unease.

Based on his years of experience handling various affairs, the Sarkaz are not a race that can remain calm and collected.

It's strange that the Lateran defenses have almost expanded to the point where they can directly attack Kazdel, yet there's been no word from them.

He sighed slightly.

Hopefully, he's just overthinking it.

……

At the forefront of the defense, Sarkaz were constantly clearing debris from the surrounding roads, and behind them were the weapons they would use for the siege.

Twelve silver-plated mobile cannons were arranged in neat rows, their bodies engraved with Lateran scriptures, each line shimmering with a sacred light.

Syracuse's outer walls were not equipped with defensive cannons. If they could advance smoothly, these siege cannons with extremely long ranges would be able to blast a breach in Syracuse.

Reflecting on the peaceful journey over the past month, a Sakota border guard couldn't help but remark.

"Strange, our defenses are almost complete and we're right at their doorstep, so why haven't those Sarkaz made a single move?"

His companion couldn't help but sneer upon hearing this.

"We all know that those devils generally have loud voices. If they really want to start a war, what will they use to confront our guns and artillery?"

"We in Laterano possess the most advanced gun manufacturing technology in all of Terra, and our automatic cannons are also at the most advanced level."

"I'm afraid they were planning to attack us like they did Syracuse, and their scouts wet their pants after spotting our lines."

"I estimate that we will see their surrender statement soon."

“Oh! My dear Lateran, I apologize for our previous rudeness and offense…”

"Hahaha--"

Fully armed, Rodriguez surveyed the ranks of each unit. Through empathy, he could feel the high morale of every Sarkaz soldier, and he nodded in satisfaction.

With the recent establishment of the Messenger of All Nations, it foreshadows Lateran's preparation to develop into the central hub of all Terra, spreading the light of their prosperous rationality throughout the entire continent.

No other nation in Terra has such a strong sense of unity and upward mobility as Laterano.

The cardinal had contacted him several times, urging them to perform well in this war, as it was an opportunity to demonstrate Laterano's strength to the other nations of Terra.

Rodriguez knew that even within Lateran, where there was a shared sense of empathy, different cardinals would sometimes have differing opinions.

Lateran's current political situation is mainly divided into two factions: the radicals and the conservatives.

Radicals advocate for a swift and decisive approach to anything detrimental to Lateran, while conservatives take the opposite stance, leading to a persistent struggle for the cardinals' right to speak.

Rodriguez recalled the Sarkaz leader on screen, who controlled the entire Kazdel with his devilishly seductive words.

He had reached out his greedy hand to Syracuse, and now he was casting his insatiable gaze toward Lateran.

Rodriguez gently touched the holy emblem on his chest with the hand clad in the armor.

"The law grants us the ability to understand one another, and our society will not be thrown into turmoil as a result. This is why we, the Sarkaz, will always be superior to all other races of Terra."

"Human nature is inherently uneven bricks, yet he attempts to use them to build a tower. As selfish desires accumulate, the swarm of bees will kill their king."

"They are remnants of the old era, and the new era has no vessel to carry them."

May the light of the law burn away heresy.

……

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the watchtowers of the Lateran position, casting a warm golden hue over the metal railings.

Sarkah scout Thomas leaned against the railing, idly chewing on a blade of grass. He yawned, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a few clouds slowly moving across the horizon.

He squinted and casually scanned the area—just a herd of migrating winged beasts, no different from what he had seen every day for the past month.

He glanced at his watch; his shift ended in twenty minutes. Tonight, the mess hall was serving his favorite cream of mushroom soup; he hoped the new recruits wouldn't drink it all.

He reached out and touched the binoculars hanging around his neck; the metal casing was already warm from his body heat.

This thing has hardly been used since it was issued, after all, the Sarkaz's outdated equipment is so obvious to the naked eye.

Thomas recalled the Sarkaz joke he'd heard yesterday, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his face—what threat could an army that used pigeons to deliver messages pose?

A strange ripple suddenly appeared in the distant clouds. Thomas frowned and instinctively raised his binoculars.

A tiny black dot gradually magnified in his eyes.

"What kind of lone winged beast is this?"

The sight in the lens made Thomas frown even more, because this "feathered beast" was flying at an extraordinary speed.

As a deafening roar descended, in an instant, it was as if an invisible giant hand had torn a hole in the entire sky.

Countless bombers surged out like a tidal wave, blotting out the sky, and the overwhelming sense of oppression made the air itself seem to freeze.

The Kazdel emblem on the wing gleamed coldly in the setting sun.