Man on the ark, forced to become king

On the frigid tundra, a man completely clad in black stood in the cold wind, gazing down at the camp made up of simple tents.

The things sewn together from tattered pieces of cloth were scattered haphazardly, one after another.

"They've already been sent out. I reckon they've received the news and will definitely make their move tomorrow if they want to survive."

Another man in black appeared suddenly beside the man like a ghost, bowing his head to answer.

“I don’t need such vague descriptions. By noon tomorrow, the dragon must appear in the direction the escort is heading. The Duke’s plan does not allow for any changes.”

"Yes, I promise I'll arrange it properly."

"You know the consequences if something unexpected happens."

The man surveyed the camp indifferently, closed his eyes, and spoke again after a moment: "Summon the other snake scales to ensure everything goes smoothly. Also, keep a close eye on that Wendigo; he's the biggest variable. We must make sure the key and lock meet at the right time."

“We have been keeping an eye on this.”

The man in black hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Our men spotted some internal guards nearby, but we can't confirm their identification numbers. Should we..."

"Inner guard? Troublesome fellow."

Upon hearing the name, the man frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said decisively, "Keep an eye on them, then contact our people to take those troublesome guys back. It's not time yet. Also... never mind, let's do it this way."

"Yes, my lord."

The man in black bowed respectfully, and their figures faded away like phantoms, disappearing from the spot. The wind and snow blew by, leaving only a thin layer of white snow, without even a single footprint.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Fire and Ice, Snake Shadow in the Snowfield

It was noon, and snow was falling heavily.

On the desolate tundra, a long procession moved through the snow, resembling a black dragon.

The Originium engine-powered transport vehicle carved a path through the snow, with dozens of off-road vehicles surrounding it as it slowly moved forward.

Such harsh weather makes it difficult even for Ursus soldiers, who are stationed year-round on the southern ice plains, to march on foot. Moreover, they are confident that they can face any potential crisis even during a forced march.

Because this is Ursus, and they come from the Ursus Army Group.

For the infected and bandits roaming the snowfields, they were an insurmountable mountain.

Smaller patrol teams might encounter other problems on the road.

But for the escort team of two hundred men, all dangers were nonexistent. Apart from truly irrational madmen, no one would dare to attack such a large regular army on the snowfield.

With superior equipment, strength, and coordination, a force of over a hundred men was far superior to any desperate bandits.

However, just because it didn't exist before doesn't mean it won't exist in the future.

Amidst the heavy snow and withered grass, a pair of eyes that seemed to burn with flames quietly opened, and the surrounding snow melted instantly in the intense heat.

That was Draco's power, the Originium Arts of manipulating fire, enough to melt even the hardest steel.

In the snowmelt, Talulah gripped the hilt of the sword hanging at her waist, her lips pressed tightly together, making herself fully active.

Ursus's transport convoy is almost there; once they reach their designated location, Reunion will make its move.

That team had everything they needed.

Food, supplies, and necessities for surviving the harsh winter—these are essential for getting through the snowy plains. For everyone's survival, Talulah knew she couldn't afford to fail.

She had no choice but to live!

Closer, closer…

Silently chanting in her heart, the white-haired dragon girl slowly drew her weapon, a longsword brought from the Duke's mansion. Its forging craftsmanship and materials were top-notch, and only such a weapon could withstand her flames.

Then, with a single sword strike, a raging inferno broke out, cutting off the wind and snow, and also blocking the transport team's path.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! It's infected!"

The alarm sounded instantly in the convoy, and the elite soldiers from the army group demonstrated their expected qualities.

In just a few dozen seconds, the surrounding vehicles quickly approached, forming two steel defensive lines guarding the transport vehicle.

They disembarked, raised their shields, and the crossbowmen and sorcerers skillfully found their positions, forming a complete defensive chain by utilizing the gaps in the vehicles.

The raging flames rushed towards them, striking the shields erected at the forefront of the defensive line and scorching twisted marks onto the steel surface. However, the shields, which had undergone special processing, were not damaged as a result.

"over there!"

Without warning, the attackers soon appeared in the escort team's sights. A woman in an old military uniform dragged a burning greatsword as she slowly walked in, and the air around her seemed to distort.

A dense barrage of crossbow bolts was fired, most of which were dodged. The few that flew into the flames failed to cause any effective damage.

Against Originium Arts, which are driven by the cost of life, this level of attack is insufficient to break through the defenses.

Facing so many well-trained soldiers head-on for the first time, Talulah was a little nervous as she swung her greatsword to deflect the crossbow bolts. But she knew she couldn't retreat; only by drawing the enemy's attention as much as possible could she create an opportunity for a surprise attack later.

So instead of retreating, she moved forward step by step, but slowed her pace as much as possible to avoid getting too close and maximizing the power of the opponent's spells and crossbow bolts.

After all, she was just one person, not powerful enough to ignore the attack of a regular army of more than a hundred men.

"He's a very powerful infected person, but... he's alone?"

Inside the hastily assembled defensive line, the commander, wearing a thick coat, frowned slightly. After scanning the area, he couldn't see anyone else and couldn't help but feel a little strange.

If that's all there is to it, what gives this woman the right to attack?

Even if she is very strong, such flames are not beyond the range of the guard team's response.

However, that temperature is indeed a bit troublesome.

After a moment's thought, the commander of the team decided to concentrate the front line, moving the soldiers guarding both sides, especially the shield-bearing front-line soldiers, to this side to resist the Originium spells.

However, he did not notice that some inconspicuous shadows were quietly approaching from behind in the vast expanse of white snow.

'Talulah did a good job.'

On the other side of the transport team, Yelena led her Yeti squad, crawling stealthily through the snowstorm, the pure white snowfield providing them with the best protection.

With the help of Originium Arts, she can easily manipulate snowflakes to conceal the team's tracks, and the Yeti, who lives in the cold all year round, also has the ability to endure ice and snow.

With Talulah drawing attention ahead, their infiltration has been very successful, at least so far.

After getting within a few dozen meters of the transport team, Yelena, knowing that she could no longer hide like this, quickly gathered her strength and made a sudden move.

In an instant, the ice and snow froze, and gray-black ice crystals emerged from the snow, transforming into speeding shuttles that pierced through the defensive line and immediately knocked two soldiers to the ground.

The snow exploded, and snow monsters draped in white robes emerged from the snow, rushing in behind the ice crystals.

At such close range, the role that sorcerers and crossbowmen can play is extremely limited, and they are also the first targets to be eliminated, so they are the focus of the Yetis who rush into the front line.

Call ~

The wind and snow blew, and the snowflakes flying all over the sky completely obscured the surroundings. That was Yelena's Originium Arts. In order to avoid casualties on her side, she chose to temporarily isolate this small battlefield. Without external interference, it would not take the Yetis a long time to deal with a dozen or so ordinary soldiers. In fact, if it weren't for the excellent protective performance of the Ursus Group Army's equipment, the ice crystals shot out from the air could have penetrated their bodies.

As for the rest of the escort team, they will naturally be dealt with. Their main purpose, along with Talulah's, is to attract the guard's attention so that the real big shots can have a chance to appear.

"Change formation, move out of the range of Originium Arts, concentrate here, temporarily abandon the defense of the transport vehicle, and deploy heavy firepower!"

At this point, the team commander realized that he had been tricked and immediately issued an order.

The attackers are still few in number, with two relatively powerful mages. In his opinion, it would be unwise to engage them head-on. He needed to gather his forces first before launching a counterattack.

Although their mission is to protect the transport vehicle, in the current situation, the transport vehicle is the one that can be temporarily ignored.

If the main objective of the attackers is supplies and resupply, they will not actively sabotage the operation. Moreover, given the current number of attackers, it is unrealistic to transport supplies during the battle.

So they don't need to be tied to one vehicle at all. As long as they win the battle, everything will be fine.

Upon hearing the order from their superior, the well-trained soldiers reacted swiftly. All personnel on the small battlefield entangled by the Yeti and on the defensive line facing Talulah immediately evacuated and retreated, forming a new semi-circular defensive zone further back.

call out--

The burning flames streaked through the air, and Talulah abruptly stopped in her tracks. Her expression changed, and she swung her sword diagonally upwards, unleashing a fiery slash. Her body tensed instantly, and she retreated at top speed.

Even time seemed to slow down at this moment, as an oval-shaped shell fell from the sky, and the flash of the explosion illuminated the scene.

It's Ursus artillery!

Before she could think, the scorching heatwave, mixed with scattered metal fragments, spread outwards. Talulah could only raise her sword and try to propel the flames forward as far as possible.

A stinging pain shot through her arms and thighs, perhaps from shrapnel, but Talulah dared not look down. Instead, she swiftly shifted her position across the snow to avoid being locked on again, while crouching low and charging forward.

Since she is equipped with heavy weapons like cannons, there must be more than one. Even if she were targeted by multiple cannons at the same time, she would be seriously injured, or even die on the spot. Therefore, taking cover is essential.

Once you get close enough, the threat of the artillery disappears. The firing range of that thing is limited, and getting too close might result in friendly fire.

This was probably a calculated move by the guards, using long-range artillery to force them to choose between retreating and abandoning their mission, or continuing forward, which would put them within range of crossbowmen and sorcerers while they were dodging the artillery fire.

'Regular troops are indeed much harder to deal with than those patrol teams...'

Talulah gritted her teeth. Her view was blocked by the vehicles, so she couldn't see what was happening on Yelena's side. She was a little worried, but she quickly made up her mind, avoided the landing points of two shells, and began to charge the front line.

She could not back down no matter what.

A barrage of crossbow bolts and magical missiles rained down upon her. The white-haired dragon girl could no longer dodge, nor could she dodge. Flames burned on her sword blade and spread outwards, attempting to force her way through the attack.

crackling——

To Talulah's astonishment, gray-black ice crystals materialized out of thin air before her, layering upon layer to form a thick ice wall that blocked all attacks.

"You should calm down. Flames can't melt everything instantly."

The white rabbit darted across the snow, glanced at the slightly disheveled Talulah, and looked somewhat displeased.