Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 192 New Information
Before dawn, the area outside Red Tide City was still shrouded in a thin mist.

When Louis opened his eyes, the ceiling was quietly bathed in the faint light of dawn.

He didn't sleep well; the strange noises from before the mother hive were burned kept echoing in his mind.

He closed his eyes, but he could not shake off the unease and anxiety.

Red Tide Territory is safe now, but "now" never represents "future".

He turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the girl beside him.

Emily was sleeping peacefully, her long, azure hair flowing like water on her snow-white pillowcase, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and her cheeks flushed with a faint blush.

It was as if they were still immersed in the afterglow of last night.

Her hand gripped the corner of his pajamas tightly, as if she were relying on him in her dream, unwilling to let go.

"Was I a little too hard last night?" Louis gave a wry smile.

After all, whether out of emotion, responsibility, or political significance, the Red Tide Territory desperately needs a "symbol".

A successor would put the nobles, soldiers, and common people at ease.

But as a lord, he was currently unable to truly sleep soundly.

He gently reached out and carefully untied Emily's fingers from her clothes, trying not to disturb her dream, then quietly sat up and put on his clothes.

At this moment, he moved his right hand slightly, his fingertips tracing the air.

With a soft "humming" resonance, a semi-transparent light screen slowly unfolded before his eyes, the blue and white interface floating in the air like an ice surface.

He took a deep breath, and his eyes instantly became clear and calm.

In an instant, she seemed to have gone from being a husband and lover back to being the young lord who navigated between battlefields and crises.

"Come on... what news will you bring today?"

[Daily intelligence update complete]

[1: The mage dispatched by the Mage Forest to investigate the insect corpse attack will arrive in Red Tide Territory this evening.]

[2: Vic Granter was turned into a special insect corpse by the "Witch of Despair".]

[3: A group of "fire-scaled vipers" has been discovered in the deep thermal region of the red tide territory.]

A soft dripping sound rang out, and the icy blue interface appeared unusually stark in the morning light.

Louis glanced at the first intelligence report, a calm glint in his eyes.

"That's good news."

The mage sent by Master Lin is definitely not an ordinary mage; he could certainly lend a hand.

"At least it's much better than sending a few armored knights to search the mountains for corpses," he muttered, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

Knights may be brave, but they are far less skilled than mages at finding traces of the mothers.

Now that their own nest has been destroyed, they might as well guide these mages to search for other nests...

It wouldn't be difficult to lead this group astray.

Hopefully they can find something out.

Even the slightest clue.

But when his gaze fell on the second line, his smile vanished instantly.

[Vic Granter was turned into a special insect corpse by the "Witch of Despair".]

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze. Louis stared at the line of words, remaining silent for a long time.

Vic, the high-ranking knight who, without hesitation, ordered a "retreat" while covering the rear, and faced the attack on the Mother Nest alone...

Although he only spoke with him once, his calmness and sense of responsibility still leave a deep impression on him.

"Even he couldn't rest in peace."

What chilled Louis even more was not Vic's death, but another fact.

The Witch of Despair remains in the North.

Not only that, perhaps... he is near the Red Tide Territory.

"A monster that can create a nest... what exactly is this thing?" He stared at the words for a long time before finally exhaling.

The intelligence report only used the title "Despair Witch" without any further details, but that's precisely what makes it all the more unsettling.

Able to create monsters like the Mother Nest without a sound...

That alone was enough to send chills down the spines of all the lords.

"I don't think my small force can defeat her." Louis smiled wryly, his tone tinged with self-deprecation, but it was also the truth.

If we really encounter this, it's better to set up patrol lines early and leave more escape routes.

If things really don't work out, just run.

It's more important to survive than to die a glorious death.

Before my thoughts could settle, a third message appeared on the screen.

A group of fire-scaled vipers has been discovered in the hot zone of the red tide territory.

This caught Louis's eye.

"...This is good news."

The Fire Scale Viper is copper-red all over, and its body is covered with a silicone oil film that can withstand temperatures of 800 degrees Celsius.

After purification, it can even spontaneously combust at high temperatures for more than six hours.

There had been intelligence that there were geothermal areas with them, but by the time Louis had time to lead a team to look for them, they had already disappeared.

However, with this intelligence coming out again, he naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. After all, he wanted to take control of such an important resource, especially since the threat to the mother nest was imminent.

This is a godsend for dealing with the fire-fearing mother hive.

"If we can systematically collect and refine the data, perhaps we can develop a sustained-fire type of field weapon," he murmured, already conceiving design sketches and supporting strategies in his mind.

But the joy lasted only a few breaths before being swallowed up by the shadow of the previous piece of information.

Even with a direction for new weapons, the existence of that "Despair Witch" is still like a sword hanging over our heads, ready to fall at any moment.

Even if Firescale Viper is useful... it's only good for dealing with "swarms".

“Sigh…” Louis sighed softly. The shadow of the intelligence incident still loomed over him, but he also understood that anxiety would not bring about any change.

To control the situation, there is only one most important thing—to become stronger.

So he stood up, walked to a meditation mat covered with animal skins in the corner of the room, and sat down cross-legged with composure.

The air seemed to quiet down for a moment, leaving only the echoes of heartbeats, breathing, and the flow of internal energy.

The fighting spirit within his body flowed gently through his bones and muscles, hot yet steady. Any slight obstruction was quickly smoothed out by his skillful technique.

His cultivation level is now close to the threshold of a low-level elite knight.

It just always fell short of that final step.

Whether it's the amount of fighting spirit, the density of muscle fibers, or the speed of internal circulation, they are all approaching the required standards for breakthrough.

But... it was just a little bit off.

“Relying solely on accumulation, it will probably take another month.” Louis opened his eyes, his gaze falling on a small bottle sealed with wax on the table.

That was the Knight Growth Agent formulated by Hilko, which he had kept for use during his bottleneck period.

Made from rare Frostblood Redberries and Blue-veined Honey, it emits a viscous purplish-red glow, pulsating slowly like a heartbeat, as if some intense life force is sealed within the bottle.

"Let's do it now," he said softly, taking the medicine.

There were no unnecessary ceremonies, and no hesitation.

"Click." The stopper was pulled off, and a strong sweet and sour smell mixed with the aroma of medicine wafted out.

It's not very palatable.

Louis suppressed the churning in his throat and gulped it down.

At that moment, it felt as if a fire had been ignited in my throat, instantly shooting into my internal organs!
Like water poured onto a hot iron, the blood and qi in the body immediately boiled, and the originally stable fighting qi suddenly became agitated.

"hiss……"

The next second, the energy of the Frostblood Redberry exploded in the center of his abdomen like a volcanic eruption.

A torrent of intense heat suddenly exploded, seemingly scorching his internal organs, rushing wildly through his veins and bones!
His muscles twitched violently, his bones vibrated like war drums, and his breathing became disordered for a moment, as if someone had suddenly thrown him into a burning furnace!
But he wasn't torn apart; it was the variegated honey that did the trick.

The natural, sweet essence, like silk threads, is like a clear spring pouring into a raging torrent, slowing down, diluting, and softening the violent flames, ultimately transforming them into pure energy that can be refined.

He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth to steady his breathing, and immediately entered a meditative state. The internal energy circulation was rapidly activated, and his breathing coordinated with his pulse, as if in harmony with heaven and earth.

Under his willpower, the violent power gradually became docile and eventually returned to his meridians!
At that very moment!
His fighting spirit core suddenly trembled, and the bottleneck that had been pressing down for so long suddenly loosened!
Within his body, war drums roared, and wave after wave of fighting spirit crashed against the shore like raging waves, constantly eroding that crucial barrier!

Boom——! Boom——! Boom——!
It was as if the heavens and earth were beating, and battle energy surged forth, coursing through his entire body!
The skin glowed with an abnormal red light, as if illuminated by firelight, or as if a spontaneous burst of heat emanated from within.

The air trembled slightly, like imperceptible ripples on the surface of water.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyelids lifted slightly.

When he opened his eyes again, the sharp glint deep in his pupils was no longer hidden.

Mid-tier Elite Knight, Breakthrough!
He slowly exhaled a breath of white mist, his fighting spirit surging like the sea, as if he had been tempered in a furnace and then soaked in the cold water of the snowfield.

"As expected, this isn't a stage that can be overcome simply by hard work." He chuckled softly.

Louis had just steadied his breathing; the intense energy within him had not yet fully settled.

Just then, a soft "Mmm..." came from the bed.

He turned his head.

Emily rubbed her eyes and sat up. Her slender shoulders were half-covered by her nightgown. She was still sleepy, and her slightly disheveled blue hair gave her a languid beauty.

"You just... broke through?" Her voice was sleepy, but she couldn't hide her joy.

Louis turned around, a slight smile he had just suppressed lingering on his lips. "Yeah. Just now."

"That's great!" She jumped off the bed and pounced on him, hugging him tightly, her face beaming with pride and joy.

He paused for a moment, then leaned close to her ear and whispered teasingly, "It's all thanks to the nourishment you gave me last night that I was able to break through."

"You you you you... Don't talk nonsense!" Emily's face turned as red as a boiling kettle, her voice rose a half octave, and she let go to hit him.

He smiled and dodged the question, "I was saying your dinner was very nourishing. What were you thinking?"

"...!"

She glared at him fiercely, pouted angrily, and blushed to the roots of her ears.

The two exchanged a few playful words, creating a warm yet slightly irreverent atmosphere.

But Louis quickly put away his smile, glanced at the sky, and said softly, "There's still plenty of time, so why don't we... continue cultivating?"

Emily was slightly taken aback. Before she could speak, Louis had already sat down cross-legged, formed a mudra with his hands, and closed his eyes to meditate.

She knew this was not a simple rest and meditation.

On their wedding night, Louis secretly told her that he was practicing magic.

"You...can use magic?" She was actually quite surprised that night, but she didn't question him.

She was just wondering why this man always kept so many secrets, and why he always used those secrets to silently protect everything around him.

She walked over and sat down quietly next to him.

To outsiders, meditation techniques are not much different from a knight's breathing technique.

The breathing was even more serene, and the deep sense of mental stability was like a lake under the moonlight, unfathomable yet calm and undisturbed.

"It's not particularly amazing."

Emily muttered something, hugged her knees and thought for a moment, then simply followed his example and sat cross-legged to begin practicing the Blue Radiance Breathing Technique belonging to the Edmund family.

There was also fighting spirit flowing within her body, and specks of blue light appeared on the surface of her skin, like the gentle caress of moonlight, calm and clear.

It shone brightly alongside the faint white magical light emanating from Louis's body, like two parallel galaxies.

In the quiet room, two breaths, one strong and one gentle, one blue and one white, resonated in silence.

A gentle breeze blew outside the window, and the sunlight had not yet pierced through the clouds.

The light of cultivation in the room already illuminated the journey they were about to face together.

　I'm having writer's block, guys. I'll start with a little over 6,000 words today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)