Chapter 198: The Twinkle of Nuclear Light
Fort Xilin, the frontline command center of the Naga Expeditionary Force.
The temporary Sea God temple was built, and Nicole was gathering her military generals to discuss the strategy for the upcoming invasion.
The reason for holding the meeting in the temple is that it is protected by the gods, and anything that happens there cannot be predicted by the enemy's divination spells.
The magical power of the Green Vines Empire is strong and well-known throughout the Evernight World.
Their previous defeat was most critical due to Shak's hazardous route to the center of the Krenwell army.
This can be explained as luck, as Shak happened to avoid all patrols and defenses.
But this is evidently impossible.
One cannot rely solely on imaginary things during military operations; therefore, Naga also confirmed that there was a special approach in the seaside country to explore their defense secrets.
However, after conducting thorough investigations and many layers of screening within Naga's territory, many major corruption cases were discovered, but no suspicious spies were found.
Even with Nicole personally taking action, no traces were found of being targeted by prophetic spells.
This didn't make Nicole happy; instead, she felt even more uneasy...
The enemy has access to information channels that they completely don't understand, and in situations that they cannot anticipate, they have gained a comprehensive understanding of them. Is there anything more terrifying than this?
Therefore, after that defeat, all important meetings of the Naga expeditionary force were very cautious and held only within the Sea God temple, in order to prevent being spied on by the enemy.
Who would have thought that the real leak was none other than Nicole, who was the most determined to win this war?
The Green Vines alliance was established too early in the chat group; at that time, the Naga were still able to initiate this battle, and even with her vigilance, Nicole could not have imagined that starting from that time, those who infiltrated this group chat were actors sent by the empire.
Nicole is very smart, but even with her intelligence, she could not have imagined that the pious believers certified by the Goddess of War had already defected.
Soon, the Naga's war preparation meeting came to an end.
With more equipment in place, they have decided to begin testing the combat effectiveness of the sea country's front-line forces tomorrow. It is expected that the main force will begin attacking the Black Shark Fortress in three days, and the landing point will be opened within a week.
This time, the Naga have really put everything they have into it, with their troops reaching the limit of what could be mustered and even plundering a large amount of resources from the occupied territories of the sea country, but it can only sustain high-intensity warfare for half a month.
The key to resolving the enemy within a week is the two weapons provided by Frankenstein, the Streptomyces and Bacillus.
Although magic can achieve the same destructive power, its preparation time, casting fluctuations, and attack range will be limited.
While you can cast forbidden spells to attack, the other side can also use spell countermeasures and ambush the spellcasting units preparing for large-scale warfare, making it impractical in battle.
The mushroom bomb series provided by Frankenstein has the advantage of flexible deployment and short preparation time.
As long as they are utilized properly, even without strategic weapons, they all have the potential to attain final victory in this battle.
The military commanders left one after another, leaving only Nicole alone in the temple.
She humbly prostrated herself and made a kneeling gesture, quietly praying to the sea god statue with the form of a naga, which was unspeakably beautiful.
After reporting what had happened today, she also prayed that the goddess would bless tomorrow's battle.
Last night, Nicole recited a strange cryptogram and everything happened as she expected. The floor in front of her moved, revealing a staircase leading underground.
Deep inside the temple, there is a secret room where a middle-aged, burly naga man kneels against the wall.
He is wearing the simple white robe without any adornment. His hair is unkempt and very long. In the center of the room, there is an altar burning with holy fire that makes the space seem barren and plain.
The ascetics are a profession that, by living the simplest and most austere life and showing their devoutness to the gods, can exchange it for powerful divine arts.
As Nicole entered, the ascetic naga was staring at the wall in front of him in a daze, not even turning around after hearing her footsteps.
Nicole stood for a moment and calmly asked, "Teacher, we will launch the attack tomorrow. Have you made your decision?"
The ascetic naga nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Holiness. I have made my decision. I will avenge my brother."
Nicole's expression instantly became serious as a holy light shone upon her, alongside an iron whip that appeared in her hand at the same time.
From that moment on, she no longer represented herself but instead acted as an emissary of the divine, interrogating the faith of the ascetic.
The iron whip was heated red-hot by the sacred flames of the altar. It cracked with a short sharp noise, and struck the back of the ascetic naga.
Then, Collins, how will you demonstrate your devotion to our Lord?
Cromwell's full name is Cromwell Nightshade, which is a rare noble surname among the nagas.
The ascetic's reference to "avenging his brother" needs no explanation.
The body of the ascetic Collins trembled, yet his expression remained unshaken as he spoke each word with unwavering conviction:
I will infiltrate the Black Shark Fortress, cause as much destruction as possible, and I will prove my devotion through victory.
Nicole brandished her metal whip once again, "This journey is extremely dangerous; you may not come back."
For our Lord, I have always been willing to sacrifice my life.
Even if I never return?
Then I shall leave and never return!
Collins raised his head. He had a pair of incredibly pure, yet fanatical eyes. As the increasingly heavy whip fell upon him, he began to raise his voice, "I am willing to spread the glory of the Lord all over the sea, all over the land, and all over the world!"
Finally, his devout faith ultimately pained the divine interrogation.
The beam of holy light fell upon him. Collins' body was freed from its material constraints. He transformed into pure seawater, with a translucent figure barely visible, imitating his appearance as a naga.
A faint aura emanated and soon transformed into a permanent divine spell that concealed all traces on his body.
Through the advanced asceticism, transformation of his life form and bestowal of divine power ceremony, the combined effects of these three allowed Collins to successfully transform into a secretive creature, the Rogue, that excels in stealth.
The whip in Nicole's hand vanished, and she looked quite exhausted.
Her voice returned to normal as she compassionately said, "Teacher, you have worked hard."
Collins' voice had a peculiar and ethereal quality, "When my brother fell, you were able to calmly control the expeditionary force. I was convinced that you were the leader capable of bringing glory to the Naga. Therefore, I have no regrets on this journey."
"Teacher, are you not blaming me?" Nicole exclaimed with joy.
Having received Collins' teachings since childhood, she also revered Cromwell like an elder and had a deep affection for him.
Therefore, when those imperial soldiers went crazy because of Cromwell's death, Nicole's grief in her heart was no less than theirs.
But she restrained herself and didn't seek temporary pleasure, exercising control over the expeditionary force so that no wrong decisions were made.
We old folks are already feeling guilty for making you shoulder the responsibility of the Empire's rise. How could we blame you for something that was not your fault?
The Naga made of seawater transformed into arms made of flowing water and embraced Nicole.
Nicole's expression was slightly moved, and she then became resolute again, "Praise the Lord for His forgiveness."
She took out fifty mushrooms of different equivalent value, which the Secret Keeper Collins immediately swallowed, turning them into twinkling stars scattered across his body.
He nodded to Nicole again in acknowledgement, transformed into trickling streams, and made his way towards the Black Shark Fortress.
...
...
A new day.
At dawn, the vanguard troops of the Naga Expeditionary Force took the lead and began building a blockade between the Black Shark Fortress and the second defense line to prevent Shaq's support on the front line.
Meanwhile, the main force also started to move, suppressing the Black Shark Fortress and forming a siege.
This time, Dor didn't take the initiative to attack, relying on the fortress to defend.
He received Shaq's commitment that as long as he held on, the second defense line would definitely support the Black Shark Fortress and relieve the enemy's siege by flanking them.
If it were in the past, Dor would definitely think that Shaq was bragging.
But now he has the support of the Green Vines Empire behind him, with weapons and equipment that he cannot fully understand, he just needs to wait for the opponent's reinforcement.
Of course, Dor is not willing to just win by lying down. In fact, he is also accumulating energy. If Naga reveals a flaw, he will also seize the opportunity to prove his ability.
After the conversation with Roger last time, Dor also roughly guessed the Empire's expectations.
What the other party wants is an obedient vassal, but if this vassal behaves well enough, it can also have a certain degree of autonomy.
Ambition and ability, these are the advantages Dor has over Shaq.
He was just a fourth prince born to an ordinary queen, originally an insignificant existence. It was through his own efforts that he gradually grew up and ultimately gained a reputation that far surpassed Shaq.
"So this time, I will make a greater contribution to prove myself." Shaq looked at the endless Naga army appearing around the fortress, clenched his fists, and showed a confident smile.
Beyond the imperial flag, a blood-red banner was raised by the Naga.
The soldiers inside the fortress and the ordinary people who had to maintain the fortress were all filled with fear. However, the Naga army was infused with the highest morale.
The desire for wildness and killing stimulated them to the point of frenzy.
This banner represents both the massacre of the city as well as the determination of Her Holiness, the saintess, to take the fortress in one fell swoop.
Despite their cruelty and cold-bloodedness during their advance, the Naga didn't carry out any massacres on their way. Instead, they aimed to assimilate the territory of the maritime kingdom into their domain.
The Naga were originally the weaker side, lacking in both population and resources.
Especially for defeated generals and nobles, during the feudal era, they were usually not completely slaughtered. There was a chance to ransom these important figures during a ceasefire.
This is also to prepare for the possibility of... what if our own side loses one day?
Just as in ancient times in the East, where the punishment didn't reach the high-ranking officials, there were implicit rules for the nobles as well.
People like Cromwell who would commit suicide due to defeat are few in number, so it is difficult to change the fact that Shaq would be shocked.
But now victory and taking the landing site are even more important, and Nicole has made up her mind and raised the bloody flag of city slaughter.
Both sides began to probe each other's long-range firepower.
Watching the colorful depiction of the seawater, Dao walked up to the highest tower of the fortress and amplified his voice with magic, while addressing the soldiers and civilians throughout the city:
Gentlemen, I am the fourth prince Daoer. In this battle, the Black Shark Fortress will either survive or perish with us.
He used his personal sword to separate his fingers, and the blood dispersed into the seawater. Then, he ordered someone to detonate the teleportation array in the city.
This way, including all the important personnel with him, there would be no possibility of escape.
However, Nagas revealed the "Slaughter City" banner but didn't initiate a spatial blockade. The expectation was that the leaders of the fortress, such as Daoer, would abandon the city and escape.
As a result, Daoer instead showed an unyielding attitude to fight to the death.
Very well, I am eager to see what kind of courage the mermaids can show.
Nicole was not surprised either. The "Slaughter City" tactic was a psychological attack. Since it was just a tactic, if it failed, it failed. Anyway, they had an absolute advantage in terms of strength.
...
...
The blockade established by the Nagas' expeditionary force.
This time, the Nagas were not careless. They conducted the most reliable reconnaissance and probing attacks, and they knew just how solidly Shaq had constructed the second line of defense with the help of the empire.
With Shaq's return, the soldiers he lost in the previous battle were also replenished, and even the military strength has reached a new peak.
However, the Nagas never intended to capture this place, and what Nicole wants now is not territory but a landing point.
Therefore, after determining that the difficulty of capturing the second line of defense was not lower than that of the Black Shark Fortress, Nicole resolutely abandoned the attack on this side and blockaded the battlefield to prevent Shaq from supporting the main battlefield.
The response made by the second line of defense was to contain and consume the Nagas' living forces, constantly attempting breakthroughs, and posing a posture of using any means necessary to support the main battlefield.
Therefore, this side is a blockage line established by the vanguard of the second line of defense against the Nagas' attack. At the same time, there are small elite units of the sea country constantly looking for gaps in the blockade line to attract the attention of the Nagas' main force with breakout operations.
With this combination of punches, the empire's vanguard army was able to respond at the beginning, but as time went on, Shaq's side created more and more breakout teams, and they became somewhat overwhelmed.
"Where did so many enemy troops come from? Weren't there only 60,000 of them?" The commander of the blockade line, Nicole Coral, is the son of Vice Marshal Karmi of the current expeditionary army.
He is also the young general who clashed with Nicole that day when he wanted to avenge Cromwell.
He hates Shaq to the bone. This time, in order to block Shaq's corps by establishing a blockade line, he voluntarily made a military pledge to keep Shaq's army nailed to the ground.
The enemy is now using a biochemical school of fish to consume us. They use a five-person reconnaissance team to command the school of fish and mount multiple attacks. But if we ignore them, they will immediately have real breakout reinforcements to advance to the main battlefield.
His subordinates reported the variation in tactics of Shaq's army at this time.
The biochemical fish school has no command and needs it. However, actually only one person's command can bring out considerable combat power.
After determining that Nicole's combat power was not that terrible, Margaret immediately ordered the breakout team to split up and led the biochemical fish school to constantly block the holes along the enemy's blockade line.
If you block, there will be only a few people from the coastal country. If you run over, the other side will run away and you will be bombed by a wave of fish.
If you don't block, the coastal country will soon gather into a force to break through your blockade line.
So, Nicole feels like he is playing the Whac-A-Mole game, only that the moles are increasing in number, making it difficult to distinguish between real and fake, causing his defense line to be full of loopholes.
Reporting to the general, we have located several coral groups of the enemy.
An outside Naga scout came in to report.
Blow them up! I don't believe these annoying pests of the enemy can be produce endlessly!
Nicole immediately became invigorated.
The Swordfish submarine group, formed by five ships, quickly spread out to the locations explored by the Naga scouts. Then, using the 20,000-ton upgraded Shuilongming torpedoes, they directly destroyed ten small coral bases.
The light of the fission weapon, the instantaneously vaporized bubbles, the surging waves, and the coral and debris were squeezed to the extreme and crushed into powder...
An explosion that swept several square kilometers at once and occurred simultaneously at more than ten locations appeared for the first time on this world's real battlefield.
