Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 222 Attack Protocol
Only Yunier remained on the train; the rest of the passengers went to the forest.

Su Ming glanced out the car window and saw the bright moonlight gathering in the center of the forest they had cleared during the day, cascading down like a silver waterfall.

The wounded forest, soothed by the moonlight, is slowly regaining its vitality.

Gerus also joined in, the priestess raising her pure white staff and casting a spreading rain of light spell. Soft points of light pierced through the thick snow and gently merged into the earth.

These spells can soothe the creatures of this land, helping plants and animals return to dormancy. Next spring, the forces of nature will slowly heal this wound, allowing life to bloom anew.

****
The city of Bubing, also under the moonlight.

The spire of the Cathedral of the Dead gleamed with a cold, silvery light in the cool moonlight, and Princess Daffyne's carriage silently came to a stop at the back door.

She only brought her personal guards, and her coachmen were all trusted confidants, clearly intending to keep those in the know to a minimum.

Catherine received her in a small reception room. Instead of the refreshments expected of a guest, the coffee table was covered with military maps and battle plans, with a few red and blue pencils scattered among them.

Although Daphne was not an expert in military affairs, judging from the dense markings and mountains of documents, the scale of the planned Divine Prison operation was definitely not small.

"You don't even take a break during the holidays." Daphne sat down on the sofa, slumped back, her long legs casually crossed, and the gilded skirt with peony patterns spread out like ripples on water.

Catherine glanced at the princess subtly and thought the color scheme of her outfit was quite nice and worth referencing. Unfortunately, Iser was no longer cooperating.

She put down her pen and paper. "You're one to talk. We agreed to meet this afternoon, and you're only showing up now—what have you been up to?"

“Summon the engineering team and revise the Qingqiao plan.” Daphne rubbed her temples, her delicate makeup unable to conceal the dark circles under her eyes. “To fully utilize the new tunnel, the high-altitude section of Qingqiao needs to be redesigned, which is a huge undertaking.” She paused. “Also, abandoning the water source at the head of the Sang River will have an impact; the water balance will need to be recalculated.”

Daphne looked around. "I didn't even have a proper dinner. You should at least give me a cup of coffee and some snacks, right?"

"How dare you bring this up?" Catherine rolled her eyes in annoyance. "When I went to your place the other day, you didn't even offer me a single dried fruit, and I had to personally pour you water to help you sober up."

She pressed the silver bell on the coffee table, summoning her head maid. To her surprise, the maid had already prepared a plate of exquisite tea and snacks and was waiting outside the door, clearly having anticipated her arrival.

The head maid silently set down the gilded tray, curtsied perfectly, and quietly withdrew. Daphne, without any ceremony, picked up an almond cookie and took a bite, oblivious to the crumbs falling onto her elegant skirt.

“I went to the Chestnut Owl’s place the day before yesterday and saw that they had added a new member,” Catherine suddenly said, “a tiny skeleton.”

"They won't even spare the children's remains?" Daphne frowned. "The Dimit family?"

It's right to nip it in the bud, but it's unnecessary.

“No, he’s an old halfling.” Catherine interrupted her thoughts, then observed the princess’s reaction with great interest.

The cookie in Daphne's hand fell onto the porcelain plate with a "thud." She stood up abruptly, her voice trembling, "You mean Mr. Newman?! How dare they treat his body like this!"

Catherine pressed her palm down, signaling her to calm down. "It was authorized by Newman himself. His soul was preserved by Dimitri using the Deep Soul Cocoon."

Daphne stood frozen in place for a long while before slowly sitting down. She mechanically picked up another cookie, but hesitated to put it in her mouth.

"So, back then, when Scholar Chestnut Owl mentioned the two titled scholars, were she referring to her and her teacher?" After a long while, Daphne murmured, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. "I thought she was referring to Bone King."

She was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and tears streamed down her face as she thought about Newman's support for stripping her of her academic credentials.

****
The princess's reaction was far more intense than Catherine had anticipated. She had originally planned to use this to put Daphne in her place, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.

“Dimit preserved his soul, probably to have a backup plan.” Catherine handed her a handkerchief. “In case the uprising fails, he can use this to blackmail you and get a way out.”

"Su Ming, where are they now?" Daphne took the handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

"Don't even think about it, you can't catch up with that car." Catherine said bluntly, "Anyway, you're going to the foot of the Dome Mountains, so just meet them at the designated work location in the tunnel."

“Why should I go there?” Daphne asked rhetorically, her voice regaining its calm. “Isn’t my mission to fabricate evidence of their departure from the North, intercept intelligence from all sides, and buy them more than a month to excavate the tunnel?”

“Because the plan has changed.” Catherine pushed a detailed battle map in front of her, with many red lines marking the Holy Mountain area to indicate an attack. “We’ve decided to take down the Divine Grace Sea as well, and we need you to send elite troops to participate in the battle.”

Daphne laughed angrily, "I told you to name your terms, not to ask for exorbitant prices!" She tapped her fingertips on the coffee table, "The covert deployment and quiet transfer of hundreds of necromancers, the continuous material assistance, and the intelligence control and coordination before and after—these alone have seriously affected our strategy in the North!"

The Northern Lords Alliance attacked the royal princess and the Star Queen, and Daphne will not let this go unpunished! Especially since nearly half of their elite troops were wiped out, and their key figures Dimitri and Brunrev were killed, this is the perfect opportunity to retake them!

But it is winter now, making military operations difficult and resource consumption enormous. How many lords need to be "severely punished" and how many will be spared "to observe their future conduct" depends not on the severity of their crimes, but on how sharp the blade in Daffylin's hand is.

"Do you really think this is an outrageous demand?" Catherine asked calmly.

Daphne raised her hand, indicating that she should have a moment to recover.

She forced herself to temporarily put Newman out of her mind and began to think seriously. She quickly realized that the situation on Mount Holy Mountain was equally important!
Many areas of the Dome Mountain Range are occupied by the Covenant Faction. If we can clear out the Divine Might Prison and the Divine Grace Sea and drive these people away, it will clear the way for the later Green Bridge Project and reduce noise for subsequent mineral development.

She knew those people all too well—they would do everything in their power to obstruct development, but once the Qingqiao project was painstakingly completed and the natural barrier was transformed into a passage, they would immediately turn around and occupy the mines or block the main roads to get a share of the profits.

Thinking of the greedy faces of those charlatans who reap the benefits without sowing, Daphne unconsciously crushed the biscuit in her hand, crumbs falling from her fingers.

Currently, the tactical planning is spearheaded by Catherine and Su Ming, with Li Xiao taking the blame, and Bei Liu will also join the coordinated operation. Missing this opportunity would be a source of deep regret!

“I will ask my father for permission to dispatch the Ironcrown Guard from the capital to attack from the south side of the Dome Mountains,” Daphne said.

The royal family lacks resources in the north, so urgently dispatching elite forces from the capital to provide support directly from the south is the quickest method. Moreover, there is a planned tunnel through the mountain, which will allow for coordinated action between the two sides.

****
“This one is not bad either,” Catherine commented after analyzing it.

The Ironcrown Guard is the royal family's most elite force; although small in number, its combat effectiveness is undeniable.

It is also suitable for the current situation, as only the most elite small-scale troops can reach the raid position without leaking information.

"I can't guarantee I can convince my father and the cabinet," Daphne said, not making any definitive statements.

"Your royal family can decide for yourselves," Catherine said confidently. "If you don't go, I'll take all the land in that area of ​​Holy Mountain, and you can forget about going back to the coal mine—I'll charge you for using the tunnel!"

"..."

“Besides combat capabilities, you were the one who surveyed the hydrology of that area, so the tunnel excavation requires your technical support,” Catherine continued. “That’s why I’m saying you have to go too.”

Daphne picked up a cookie, but couldn't help but smile slightly. "If you insist on this condition... the governor of Bubing Province is already on his way back by urgent summons, so I can leave Bubing City for a short while."

“Our scheduled start time is—” Catherine found the plan and handed it to Daphne, only to find that the princess, who was talking about such an important matter, was actually breaking cookies in her hand.

Catherine sighed. "Newman seems to be doing quite well, especially with the Bone Train as a big toy." She said, "When I saw him, he was holding tools and bickering with the Chestnut Owl like a naughty child."

The cookie in Daphne's hand instantly turned into dust, and wisps of magic escaped.

"...I mean, do you think a chestnut owl doesn't need to be jealous?"

"I'm sorry." Daphne covered her face with her hands and rubbed it. "Sasha, don't do this again, especially when I'm distracted."

"Does the result make any difference?" Catherine chuckled. "I've already gone to great lengths with you."

Daphne brushed the crumbs off her hands and stood up. "I'll take my leave now. I need to contact the capital immediately to finalize the Ironcrown Guard's deployment as soon as possible. I also need to make some preliminary arrangements so that I can go to the tunnel excavation site under the guise of inspecting the territory."

"Take care on your journey!"

As Catherine saw Daphne off, she suddenly felt a little hungry. She reached for the cookies, only to find the plate was full of crumbs.

"You want cookies, so you're going to break them up?" she thought to herself.

Catherine called to the head maid, "Next time Daphne comes, serve her a baguette."

“…Yes, sir.” The head maid replied respectfully.

****
Wazhuang Town, Livestock Trading Center.

The cold wind whipped up the scattered hay on the ground, and the livestock shed was unusually quiet.

Livestock are difficult to move in winter, and this season has always been the off-season. Especially now, during the winter solstice, the pens are empty, with only a few riding animals listlessly chewing their feed in a corner.

(End of this chapter)