Colonia Storm Tour

Kazuha's idea wasn't entirely accurate, because solo infiltration was originally just a side job for Lin Hai; his main job was as a commander. But between Tsubaki and Kazuha, it seemed that only Kazuha was qualified to be a competent commander, while Tsubaki, who liked to use knives, was more suited to being a lone wolf in small-scale operations.

"None of you are suited to be simple assassins. You're better suited to be soldiers or special agents. Generally speaking, assassination work is not done by you unless there are very specific circumstances."

Lin Haiyuan didn't intend for them to work as assassins; he just wanted them to stay with him as ordinary subordinates.

"Do you remember Lin Haiyuan-san saying that you were a member of an Azur Lane organization, and that the members of this organization were involved with the Empire's intelligence department and even His Majesty the Supreme King? Because of those criminal gangs, we were sold to Huaxiaolou, and then you paid to redeem us. To be honest... can you guarantee that the Empire won't do anything to me and Chun because of you?"

He Ye's biggest concern about the Empire now is whether they will try to coerce Lin Haiyuan into doing something by capturing him.

"Speaking of which, we're in a dangerous situation now, being targeted by the Imperial intelligence agencies. If they want to coerce him into doing something, they'll definitely choose to capture us as hostages."

Hearing what Kazuha said, Tsubaki also began to worry that the Astoria Empire's intelligence agency might have ulterior motives towards them.

"To be honest, from the moment you were drugged and sold to Huaxiao Tower, and then redeemed and bought by me, in the eyes of the Astoria Empire's intelligence personnel, you couldn't possibly avoid the Astoria intelligence agency's surveillance in the Eastern Governorate, nor could you guarantee your absolute safety. If you don't want to feel uneasy day and night, as if you're being watched or even in danger of death... In matters involving national interests, unless you're thinking of being loyal to your country, I recommend that after my negotiations are over, you say goodbye to the Eastern Governorate and go to the organization I serve, Azur Lane, to continue living. At least that would guarantee your safety. Think about it carefully. This is not a mandatory requirement."

Lin Haiyuan knew that forcing things wouldn't work, so he decided to let them weigh the pros and cons and make their own decisions. Whether they joined him or not, they would have to bear the consequences of their choices, and no one could be blamed for that. Lin Haiyuan didn't have the energy to focus on one or two women he hadn't known for very long.

"Hmm... I understand."

Chun nodded with a troubled expression. She clearly didn't like leaving the Eastern Governor's Office, which she was used to. However, the reputation of the Empire's intelligence agencies was not good. It would be impossible not to feel wary and afraid when being watched by such an intelligence agency. In addition, they were also involved with Lin Haiyuan, a member of the Azur Lane organization. It seemed that charges such as espionage and treason could be pinned on them.

"This is such a heavy topic. Why do we have to encounter such messy things... Anyway, we'll think about it carefully, Lin Haiyuan-san."

Kazuha also didn't believe that the intelligence agencies of the Astoria Empire had much integrity or gentlemanly conduct, and shared the same concerns as Tsubaki.

"I hope you are safe. I was able to save you this time purely by luck. Whether you will be so lucky next time is unknown... The guild is just ahead, right? This sign is quite beautiful, but it still has the same old Chinese style as always."

Upon seeing the guild's gleaming plaque, Lin Haiyuan immediately changed the subject, since they wouldn't be able to make a decision about whether or not to join them on this stretch of road anytime soon.

Upon seeing the guild plaque in front of them, Tsubaki and Kazuha, who had been feeling down due to anxiety and heavy thoughts, perked up again. The rewards from the easy commission always made it easy to feel happy and uplifted. They temporarily put Lin Haiyuan's words behind them and quickly entered the guild. Lin Haiyuan, who wanted to see what the guild was like, also quickened his pace to catch up with them.

After all, he had never seen what the places where adventurers/mercenaries took jobs looked like in an alternative, modern fantasy world.

The RPG storyline should end here, and there will be a transition period with a large plot.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Time Flies (Part One)

This guild in this alternative, modern fantasy world, aside from the application of magic and technology, didn't surprise Lin Haiyuan much in terms of its exterior decoration and internal structure. The only unusual sight was the diverse group of rangers carrying weapons or bows and crossbows. After all, it's rare to see a group of rangers with animal ears; it's a scene not often seen even in many fantasy novels. But that was all. There weren't many other elements beyond what one might expect. There were quite a few rangers dressed in "strange clothes" here, so Lin Haiyuan, Chun, and He Ye didn't attract much attention when they entered. They just glanced at them casually. Besides, he wasn't a ranger registered on the guild's roster; he was just here to watch the spectacle.

After that, having resolved the investigation and the foreign criminal gang case too early, they had nothing to do for a while. So, Tsubaki and Kazuha made a very girly decision to pass the time: to go shopping in the shopping street and see what they could buy. Lin Haiyuan, who also had nothing to do, accompanied them to kill time. After a hearty lunch, as a post-lunch activity, Lin Haiyuan asked them to take him to a place where he could make a phone call, specifically a phone booth with a "magic voice transmitter" or a small shop that specializes in making phone calls.

Chun and He Ye naturally agreed to take Lin Haiyuan to a shop that specialized in using magic sound transmitters. Then, using a code with a reference table, he transmitted information to the Azur Lane organization members in the Crested Arms Islands, telling them that the first round of negotiations had ended the previous night and outlining the Astoria Empire's conditions. He then waited for the organization members' reply. He said that what he said would be reported to Li Xiangyang, Kang De, and Shinonono no Tsukasa, and their opinions would be combined before being relayed to Lin Haiyuan so that he could take appropriate action. However, the final combined opinion surprised Lin Haiyuan.

Their consensus was that the Astoria Empire only offered empty and unrealistic sincerity, wanting them to carve out a dedicated port city and leave a thorn in their side. They were unwilling to do something so foolish. Therefore, they instructed Lin Haiyuan to tell them that the Astoria Empire was issuing empty promises that seemed impossible to fulfill. They also did not want to be subservient to others. They were not asking for favors from the Empire, but rather the Empire was asking for theirs. They were not incapable of fighting the Empire. If the Empire considered these harsh conditions as their greatest sincerity, they had better think carefully before coming to talk to them again.

This statement sounds euphemistic, but upon closer examination, it is essentially a veiled rejection of any conditions offered by the Astoria Empire, and it also seems like an empty promise that is impossible to fulfill. It is true that the so-called material assistance is all talk, and there is no international support whatsoever. It is not an exaggeration to say that they only have empty and insincere sincerity.

Lin Haiyuan knew that his situation was very dangerous after he said those words, and the two little foxes and kittens beside him were also facing considerable trouble. Therefore, he had to use his mental power to escape perfectly and return to Azure Island in the Spinning Arms Islands. However, headquarters would not send any transport plane to forcibly land at the East Governor's airport to let him board the plane and then forcibly take it away. Whether by boat or plane, it would be good as long as he could come back alive, and he would try to minimize the time wasted, because the Ikchino Republic Alliance was waiting for him to go there for negotiations.

Lin Haiyuan had no objection to their collective opinion. He simply responded and hung up, intending to follow the procedure when the negotiations resumed that evening. Stepping out of the phone booth, which was divided by glass and metal frames, he saw two catgirls and foxgirls happily counting their spoils from their shopping spree in the commercial street. He shrugged, thinking to himself, "Carefree people, ah." He then considered how to use his mental powers to erase the memories of the two foxgirls, Chun and Kazuha, from the Astoria Empire's intelligence personnel, ensuring that they would not face danger from the Empire's intelligence agencies after he left.

After lunch and making the necessary phone calls, they found themselves once again with nothing to do. Naturally, their first task was to return home to put away their shopping spoils. Of course, Lin Haiyuan could only discreetly accompany them, keeping them company as they lazily passed the time by playing indoor games. These weren't the kind of games that were exciting and satisfying to play all night; they were simple indoor games like chess and cards. He wouldn't play traditional men's board games unless he had other ways to pass the time.

As time passed in the card games until dinner, they packed up their game and went to another restaurant for a satisfying meal. Lin Haiyuan then decided to say goodbye to them. He needed to wait at Huaxiao Tower for the Astoria Empire's negotiators to arrive. After a day of observation, he realized that the two fox and cat girls had no intention of changing their current living environment. Therefore, he left behind a series of special codes for his magic sound transmitter, which they could use to contact him if needed. He had to leave the Cherry Blossom Islands.

Chun and He Ye were quite surprised by the sudden farewell. In their opinion, Lin Haiyuan's negotiations with the Empire would be a waste of time, but now, after less than three days, he said that the negotiations would end today and he would leave the Dieying Islands overnight. They were not prepared at all, and thought that he would be in their lives for a while.

Lin Haiyuan replied that it was the organization's order and he could only prepare to leave. Although he felt regretful, it was an order that had to be carried out, so saying goodbye at this time was a good thing. If you were to be completely involved in the vortex of the Imperial intelligence agency and the Azur Lane organization, the kind of simple wandering life you wanted would be completely ruined.

Therefore, amidst the lingering resentment on Tsubaki and Kazuha's faces, Lin Haiyuan vanished into thin air like a gust of wind, swiftly scaling walls and rooftops to reach Huaxiao Tower, leaving them with complicated feelings.

Lin Haiyuan arrived at Huaxiao Tower quickly and bumped into Bradris and Ravenclaw, who were there for negotiations. Needless to say, they went to Suite 11 for the negotiations. However, based on the previous phone call, it was certain that this negotiation would not yield any results that the Empire wanted, unless they made an unprecedented concession.

So, after Ravenclaw and Bradris mentioned the small gesture of goodwill the Empire was about to extend, Lin Haiyuan cut to the chase with his words, successfully making Ravenclaw, Bradris, and Thorshal Craig's expressions extremely ugly. Faced with the negotiation situation clearly on the verge of collapse, they naturally resorted to their ulterior motives, wanting to threaten Lin Haiyuan by revealing the impure video of Lin Haiyuan with the little fox and the kitten. However, Lin Haiyuan, who was prepared, smiled as he watched the impure video of Thorshal Craig pushing the fox cart projected on the magical projector, which immediately shocked the three of them!

Wasn't that damn intelligence agent recording an impure video of him and the little fox and kitten pushing a fox cart and a cat cart? How did it turn into a video of him, a bear, pushing a fox cart?

Lin Haiyuan rubbed his chin, feeling that this farce should end soon. He used his mental powers to forcibly control the minds of Soshal, Bradris, and Ravenclaw, beginning to confuse and add parts of their memories, thereby erasing any trace of Tsubaki and Kazuha's existence from their minds. Next, Lin Haiyuan left the room and used his telepathy to confirm the memories of other intelligence agents who had similar thoughts, performing slightly different memory manipulations until the memories of any intelligence agent who knew about his relationship with Tsubaki and Kazuha were modified. Then he went into hiding.

The very next morning, using her mental powers, she controlled the captain and co-pilot to impersonate crew members and board a flight bound for the Crested Arms Islands, leaving the Cherry Blossom Islands. Afterwards, the intelligence agency of the Astoria Empire conducted a secret investigation and search within the Eastern Governor's Office, but they couldn't even find a trace of Lin Haiyuan. They didn't even know that he had already boarded a flight and left. Furthermore, Chun and He Ye were completely ignored by these investigators and searchers, and once again went on with their wandering life, which they didn't know how long it would last.

Our trip to the Cherry Blossom Islands has come to an end.

Chapter Sixty-Three: Time Flies (Part Two)

After receiving their "nothing to talk about" response, the Astoria Empire did not attempt to negotiate with them through intelligence personnel. Instead, following the usual practice of an empire, it first declared in the media that Azur Lane was an illegal pirate organization and that the Astoria Empire Navy would be heading to the Crested Arms Islands to combat the increasingly rampant piracy there.

All the other countries that had sent invitations to Azur Lane knew perfectly well that the negotiations between Azur Lane and the notoriously domineering Astoria Empire had broken down. This was a normal occurrence. The question was, which country's offer did Azur Lane actually accept? Finally, as one country after another declared Azur Lane an illegal pirate organization, after Lin Haiyuan returned from his trip to the Republic of Ikchino, only the Republic of Ikchino made a vague statement that was open to discussion. Everyone then realized that Azur Lane had reached a cooperation agreement with the Republic of Ikchino, a naval power with limited capabilities.

At this point, everyone except the Ikchino Republic Alliance believed that the Azur Lane organization was doomed. Cooperating with the Ikchino Republic Alliance, which had no ability to conduct long-range operations, would only provide some insignificant verbal support and no real material assistance. How could they possibly survive a second longer under the powerful naval attack of multiple countries? However, unexpectedly, although the Azur Lane organization was labeled as an illegal pirate organization, given the sensitivity of the Fenggou Strait route and the Qubi Islands, there was a heated debate about who should fight this pirate organization. They all believed that this was a legitimate opportunity to extend their reach into the Fenggou Strait route. Of course, they would not share a piece of the fat meat that had been snatched from someone else's mouth. Therefore, the work of fighting the pirate organization fell into an irreconcilable dispute.

It's important to understand that there are no international organizations like the League of Nations or the United Nations in the world to unite under a legitimate and recognized name to crack down on those who disobey the United Nations (which is actually some other entity).

Their verbal battles had absolutely no impact on the Azur Lane organization. Of course, this didn't stop their agents from trying to create tension in the Crested Arms, where the Azur Lane organization was active, such as inciting locals to ostracize and oppose Azur Lane members. But this was all in vain, because every time Azur Lane members came, it meant they had a chance to make money. Sometimes they were not only sellers but also customers. Why would they let the locals turn against their big customers? They would cut off their own source of income. Besides, they weren't a real pirate organization, so the only ones who responded were bandit groups. These non-professional military personnel, facing well-trained infantry equipped with Allied weapons, mostly armed with melee weapons, wouldn't fare well against soldiers with DSR-80 heavy machine guns and Redeye missiles. Moreover, they also had Prism Infantry and Rocket Infantry, with Kappa hover tanks following behind. It was clearly impossible to raid them without high-level mages or a well-organized force.

Therefore, the agents' attempts to disrupt and sabotage Azur Lane's activities in the Crested Arms Islands had little effect, only causing a little trouble that required more guns to resolve.

While agents from various countries were causing minor trouble in the Crested Arms Islands, and their dispute over who should send a fleet to eliminate the Azur Lane organization remained unresolved, Li Xiangyang, Kang De, and Shinononozuka continued their military preparations. Firstly, to counter the more powerful fleets of the Teldrassil Federation, the Eternal Revelation Alliance, and the Astoria Empire, Li Xiangyang, Kang De, and Shinononozuka began preparing for the mass production of Allied aircraft carriers equipped with Wasp drones, along with supporting personnel. They needed a massive number of Wasp drones to draw enemy fire and bomb enemy ships. Meanwhile, they were constructing more Allied air force command posts and runways on nearby islands, combining radar and airfield functions, to support the Pacific front. The Black Hawk helicopter is their only modern fighter jet at present. They can only rely on the Black Hawk to carry out anti-ship strike missions. As for the Hummingbird support aircraft and Barracuda bombers, they are obviously not in the Pacific Front's arsenal before the ACT1 phase. Shinonono Tsukasa needs enough time and resources to develop new fighter jets, but at present, the Yuki-onna tank, slingshot, and pacifier are obviously waiting for her to be fully completed. Therefore, it is impossible to develop new fighter jets to compete for air superiority. In addition, the Wasp drones on the Allied aircraft carriers can also perform ground and sea missions to a certain extent. As for air defense... let the Black Hawk helicopters handle that.

In short, if they were to actually fight a certain country's navy, they would definitely have to place their fleet within the operational radius of their shore-based air force. They would not take the initiative to break away from their shore-based air force to engage in some kind of open-ocean decisive battle. Moreover, they do not even have those large, heavy, supersonic anti-ship missiles like the Granit and Volcanic Rock. Why would they give up their home advantage to confront the opponent's towering warships in the open ocean?

-Rosno State - Unknown Location-

In a desolate, uninhabited snowfield, a vortex emitting white light appeared out of thin air, and a blue-eyed girl with long, silver-white ahoge and matching long hair emerged, carrying the Holy Sword of Physics.

"Oh, finally I have time to come back to this world. That very interesting psionicist should be surviving in this new world for now, with his fellow transmigrators..."

The being capable of uttering such words and using such an image is undoubtedly an unknown incarnation of Nyarlathotep.

"Having experienced countless destructions and deaths, I can't let you live so comfortably forever. I need to make you despair so you can accept the olive branch I offer, and then see the expression on your face as you go from hope to despair. But this time, it wouldn't be fun for me to take action directly, so I'll arrange a special surprise for you. Get ready, well, even though you can't hear me."

After Nyarlathotep's unknown avatar finished speaking, her figure began to writhe like true chaos, transforming into a dark-skinned bear-like demi-human with a cheerful smile. With the grinding and roar of metal machinery, a light brick-red painted MO3 Soviet MCV slowly drove out of the wormhole, its four massive tracks flattening the uneven snow.

"Ahem, I obtained what you call the Soviet Mobile Construction Vehicle and its accompanying technology from your Titan ship. Considering that the Ikchino Republic Alliance is essentially a Soviet Union, handing this over to them and helping them [develop] some of their technology should make the upcoming war more interesting. Now, my name is Serinsky Puttituolaane, a learned doctor."

"By then, apart from that psionicist who knows the truth, everyone else will only know that this top-secret project called 9527 brought a series of technological products and war machines, and enabled the Ikchino Republic Alliance to have the ability and ambition to liberate or command and conquer the world, making everyone bow down and integrate into their realized Internationale dream."

He reached out and pressed the non-existent bridge of his nose, glasses frame, and said with a wicked grin. He then turned and boarded a Soviet MCV, heading towards the nearest research facility of the Ikchino Republic Union, just like the other Nyarlathotep incarnations, doing what they were supposed to do and what they liked to do.

This time, Nyarlathotep's avatar won't directly take action.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Time Flies (Part Three)

When a cheerful, dark-skinned bear-man-like doctor named "Selinski Puttilaanae" appeared in the research department of the Republic of Ikchino, the whole world rushed towards a familiar torrent. The Republic of Ikchino, which was originally weak in magic technology and the navy, was suddenly transformed, provided with another path to modernize and enhance its strength. That is, various modern technologies and the crucial magnetic storm technology, plus a little bit of specialized magic technology research combined with modern technology, their strength expanded rapidly. Along with the rapid expansion of their strength, there was also the expansion instinct of a nation and an organization, as well as the beautiful ideal that the Internationale would definitely realize. They were no longer satisfied with staying in the cold north.

They had a grudge against the Alliance of Eternal Revelation, whom they considered hypocrites. Dr. Serinsky Puttitalayane, a figure worthy of a hefty medal and state protection, specifically mentioned that realizing the grand ideal of the Internationale required even more material resources. The Alliance of Eternal Revelation's energy/matter extraction wells and conversion technology could provide the necessary resources to conquer the world and usher in a new era. Therefore, this war was not merely about settling scores, nuclear pacification, or seizing their technology.

As the strength, economy, ideals, and ambitions of the Republic of Ikchino in Rossno Continent expand, the Eternal Revelation Alliance in Serafin Continent, separated by the sea, faces the Ikchino Republic Alliance's sudden development of modern technology remarkably similar to their own. Escalating border and maritime frictions and conflicts are gradually escalating the situation, especially after the Eternal Revelation Alliance's agents discovered that the neighboring Republic of Ikchino possesses nuclear energy technology, which it uses for power generation and weaponry. The Eternal Revelation Alliance has become increasingly wary of the Republic of Ikchino.

Although they are pacifists, they will not wait until someone holds a knife to their throat before preparing for war. So, in a diplomatic note, the envoy of the Eternal Revelation advised the Icchino side to behave themselves, saying that although they have nuclear weapons, they can turn major cities such as Cosmo and Stanrington into radioactive ruins where no one can survive for decades.

Stelline had not forgotten the existence of the strategic nuclear missile base on Seraphim Continent. It was a symbol of the power of the pacifists of the Eternal Revelation Alliance to ensure human peace and unity, and a winning weapon to deter various forces from launching wars against the Eternal Revelation Alliance. Therefore, she needed an action to deal with the strategic nuclear missile that was the cornerstone of their peace.

Someone deliberately "reminded" Stelline of this, that the world's most skilled infiltration and sabotage personnel were within the Azur Lane organization. This made Stelline, who was busy with the cause of GCism, scratch her head and recall that the Azur Lane organization had miraculously survived and become the dominant force in the Straits of the Crested Arms Islands and the Fenggou Strait.

Because the meeting could not reach an agreement on who would send troops to eliminate the Azur Lane organization and who would form a temporarily united fleet to eliminate the Azur Lane organization, and because the Azur Lane organization had never done anything to harm passing civilian ships, and even fought against pirates to maintain regional security, and relied on an army composed of strange and advanced modern technology to gain a foothold in the Qubi Islands and Fenggou Strait shipping routes.

Within two years, Shinononozuka had completed her arsenal project from the previous world. The missing land siege vehicle, the Hailstorm Siege Platform, had been replaced by the Peacekeeper Self-Propelled Artillery, which had begun mass production. It could also use the Zephyr positioning drone for beyond-visual-range artillery fire. However, due to design issues, its beyond-visual-range firing capability was still somewhat inferior to the Zephyr Artillery. Furthermore, as an amphibious siege vehicle, the Peacekeeper Self-Propelled Artillery was far more expensive than the Zephyr Artillery, making it impossible for it to completely replace the Zephyr Artillery.

The Snow Maiden (RA3 Mirage) tank, equipped with a temperature-reversing cannon, was mass-produced. However, in the archipelago naval terrain, its role was limited to harassment, defense, and guerrilla warfare. Meanwhile, the slingshot anti-aircraft vehicle, which supplemented the anti-aircraft firepower of the troops and fleet, was mass-produced. It simply used a quadruple 30mm autocannon for anti-air or lay flat for ground attacks, and no longer relied on high-speed ramming to become an advanced anti-infantry vehicle.

The only infantry technology project, "Cryogenic Legionary Soldiers," is also halfway through its development. Why only halfway? Because Shinonono Tsukasa needs more time to fine-tune the cryogenic cannons of the Cryogenic Legionary Soldiers to perfectly switch between the two operating modes. Furthermore, the additional proposal to restore the cryogenic helicopter has increased her workload. In short, the cryogenic helicopters are already operational, and she is currently busy adjusting the semi-fixed cryogenic cannons of the Cryogenic Legionary Soldiers. Her bizarre and incredible understanding of spacetime technology in creating the Prophet Power Armor hasn't been used yet, because recreating something like the Prophet Power Armor would require even more effort and time. Right now, she only wants to work on projects that can be completed quickly to enhance their combat capabilities.

With popular support, matching military strength, and a solid economic foundation (derived from oil, the system, and Li Xiangyang himself), the Azur Lane organization was no longer a completely illegal and unrecognized group. They joyfully established a new alliance led by transmigrators, the [Azur Front] Alliance. Through a bizarre combination of circumstances and luck, they unified part of the Crested Arm Islands. The political system was undoubtedly an oligarchy and a war council, but Lin Haiyuan was a special case. He did not have his own troops, and he often shared the same stance and views as Shinonono no Tsukasa. After this happened many times, Li Xiangyang and Kang De once suspected that Lin Haiyuan had become Shinonono no Tsukasa's subordinate. Later, through the observation of ship girls such as Belfast, they analyzed the two's behavior and conversations and concluded that they had a long-term relationship, thus pointing out a definite fact: "Lin Haiyuan and Shinonono no Tsukasa are having an affair, but neither of them has told anyone about it."

Considering that they were usually alone on the island, with no one else around, Li Xiangyang and Kang De suddenly realized something and smiled knowingly without paying any more attention.

In short, taking "Azure" from Azur Lane and "Line" from the Pacific Front as the name of the new alliance, it has effectively become an alternative Pacific Front, lying across the Fenggou Strait and the Crested Arm Islands. Furthermore, their olive branches and arms are constantly expanding to other islands in the Crested Arm Islands, bringing a new round of international concerns: whether the Azure Front organization will become a new threat, a local warlord force even more terrifying than pirates. Only you transmigrators know the answer to this question.

The time flew by for two years.

Chapter Sixty-Five: Time Flies (Part Four)

Returning to the main point, Stellin recalled that this partner, whom outsiders initially perceived as somewhat mentally unstable, had now become wealthy and possessed the same mobile construction technology as herself, but with vastly different military equipment. Driven by factors such as settling scores, pursuing nuclear peace, and realizing her ultimate ideals, she personally posed this question to the three time travelers: Li Xiangyang, Kang De, and Shinonono Tsukasa.

“I’ve heard from our intelligence that the Azure Front has the world’s most powerful agents. If so, are you interested in removing the Damocles’ sword hanging over everyone’s heads? We’ve recently expressed interest in addressing the root cause that’s hindering all of us from taking further action.”

When faced with Stelline's question, the three of them immediately remembered Lin Haiyuan, who wore the Altaïr armor and possessed extraordinary superpowers. They knew that the Sword of Damocles referred to the strategic nuclear missile of the Eternal Revelation Alliance. However, Lin Haiyuan was not currently in the Crested Arm Islands, but on the route to the Akutan Islands in the Northern Hemisphere.

While Li Xiangyang, Kangde, and Shinonono were working hard to strengthen the Azur Lane organization's external Azur Lane alliance, Lin Haiyuan had little to do with these political activities and military development. Since he was sent as a negotiator for the Azur Lane organization to the Sakura Islands and the Republic of Ikchino in the Rossno Continent, he did not settle down to be a commander. Instead, Shinonono and Lin Haiyuan, relying on the organization for survival, chose to use Lin Haiyuan's abilities to sabotage the negotiations between the Tedasil Federation, the Eternal Revelation Alliance, and the Astoria Empire to eradicate illegal pirate organizations. Only Lin Haiyuan and Shinonono knew the specifics of the sabotage process; Li Xiangyang and Kangde only knew the result.

The successful disruption of the mutual trust among the three nations regarding their joint fleet attack to eliminate the illegal pirate organization "Azur Lane" has created suspicion among them, making them wonder if the other side might stab them in the back during the battle. This has bought Azur Lane valuable time to develop and build up its forces. Finally, with a sufficiently powerful naval force and a relatively strong air/land force to contend with any of their fleets, Lin Haiyuan finally has enough time to respond to Exile's calls, even when he's sleeping almost every day. However, through the Eternal Revelation Alliance and the Astoria Empire, Shinonono no Tsukasa and Lin Haiyuan discovered that the Ikchino Republic Alliance has somehow acquired a full range of orthodox MO3 Soviet military technology products and mobile construction technology, evolving into a different kind of MO3-based Soviet Russia. They couldn't help but be very puzzled. How could they, who were clearly following a magical technology tree, suddenly take a dramatic turn and produce mobile construction technology and MO3 Soviet military technology products in one go? This made Lin Haiyuan and Shinonono Tsukasa realize that something was wrong, but Lin Haiyuan, who wanted to respond to Exile's call, couldn't care less about that. He had already wasted two years on the Azur Lane organization! Under normal circumstances, his daughter Lin Shiyin, who might have survived, would have died within a month. If it weren't for his intuition telling him that his daughter's survival might be related to that Exile, he wouldn't have been willing to spend two whole years on the Azur Lane organization, and then spend time investigating the Ikchino Republic Alliance, which suddenly possessed MO3 Soviet military technology. He would have quit.

Li Xiangyang, Kang De, and Shinonono knew that no matter what they said, they couldn't persuade Lin Haiyuan to continue his infiltration mission as a special agent. So they approved him to take a small fleet, consisting of 6 destroyers, 2 Aegis cruisers, 1 battlecruiser, and 12 Traveler hovercraft carrying supplies, military personnel, and an Allied mobile construction vehicle, to the Akutan Islands in the Northern Ocean to search for Exile. After finding her, they were to build a field base there and construct an airport with a runway, awaiting further instructions from the Azur Lane organization on whether to dismantle the base and return or continue their presence.

So Stelline chose an inopportune time to ask this question. However, the pacifists' strategic nuclear missiles were something that everyone feared, so Li Xiangyang, Kang De, and Shinonono Tsukasa answered that there was indeed such a powerful agent by their side, but he was not currently in the Crested Arms Islands but was elsewhere on a three-month mission, so they would have to wait at least three months.

But this also made it easier for her to suppress some things and make more focused preparations. Their military strength was not strong enough to confront the Eternal Revelation Alliance head-on. They still needed to build more armored units, aircraft, and ships, and produce more tactical nuclear warheads. Using the excuse that Azur Lane was not ready and that the threat of strategic nuclear missiles had not been eliminated, she suppressed those unrealistic guys' fantasies of starting a war immediately. If this still didn't work, then their political and military future would be in great danger. The labor camp, however, welcomed them very much.

Therefore, Stelline did not discuss the agent or the disabling of the Eternal Revelation Alliance's strategic nuclear weapon launch capability with the Azur Lane organization. Instead, they discussed their views on the future of the world and their ideal division of power in confidential communications. She also asked if they had any ideas for deep military and political cooperation. For example, when the Icchino Republic Alliance launched a war against the Eternal Revelation Alliance, would the Azur Lane organization be interested in helping them, such as delaying or annihilating part of the Eternal Revelation Alliance's fleet, or restraining the Astoria Empire under the Icchino Republic Alliance?

It's important to understand that the Astoria Empire is quite wary of the Red Heads' revolutionary ideology and tendency to export revolution. If they were to fully commit to the Eternal Revelation Alliance, the defense of the Far East/Coastal Territory would become a major problem. Rather than letting the Astoria Empire stab them in the back during the war, it would be better for them to strike first, preventing the Astoria Empire from having time to look north and instead freeing them to deal with the Azure Front organization that is threatening the southern seas and territories. This way, they could probably ensure that the Astoria Empire could attack Serafin Continent with peace of mind, while the Astoria Empire would be unable to focus its efforts on attacking them.

They could sign a treaty to share the Eternal Revelation Alliance technology used by the Republic of Ikchino in its attack on the Serafin Continent, and cooperate on technological advancements.

Undoubtedly, this is very tempting, and they will have to fight the Astoria Empire sooner or later. However, this is only an intention at present and cannot be hastily agreed upon through a simple discussion.

Stelline understood that they needed time to consider things carefully, since the transfer of benefits was not so easy, and both sides needed to discuss the distribution of benefits in detail before making a decision.

So, in the conference room, Li Xiangyang, Kang De, Shinonono no Tsukasa, and Lin Haiyuan, who was far away in the Northern Ocean, held a meeting about this matter. The meeting was about what the Azur Lane organization could gain after jumping onto the steel war machine of the Ikchino Republic Alliance, what disadvantages it would face, and whether it was worth it for them to do so.

It's still a transitional phase...

Chapter Sixty-Five: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

It is worth noting that Serlinsky Puttitalayana brought not only MO3 Soviet MCV and the Soviet Union's modern technology tree to the Ikchino Republic Union, but also space orbit technology that matched the combat control system, allowing them to launch a large number of civilian/military satellites into space through rocket launch sites. In other words, space orbit technology and satellites are no longer the exclusive domain of the ancients.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Front led by Shinonono no Tsukasa finally had a chance to fill the gap in its battlefield control system and battlefield vision. Thus, the Azur Lane organization bartered goods, importing a large amount of civilian/military supplies into the Ikchino Republic Alliance, which was in a state of military expansion and needed to devour a large amount of resources. In exchange for allowing the establishment of cooperative intelligence stations and sharing of intelligence within its territory, as well as military exchanges and cooperation on sensitive technologies, the Ikchino Republic Alliance received a complete set of space orbit technology data and a batch of equipment. This was very expensive, but very worthwhile.

The benefits of their satellites being back online are obvious: satellite scanning capabilities are available again, and long-distance high-speed communication and the construction of a global communication network can become a reality. This is why Lin Haiyuan was able to participate in this meeting overseas via communication equipment. Shinonono Tsukasa, on the other hand, plans to build an offensive satellite network to conduct orbital strikes against any ground target. The US/RA3 Allied laser strike satellite network or GDI's Meteor Shower and Rod of God orbital strike network are the strongest and most powerful alternatives, but at present they are all plans that remain on paper.

Returning to the main topic, after a heated discussion about whether to accept the war invitation from the Ikchino Republic Alliance and what benefits and drawbacks it would bring, everyone agreed to fight alongside the Ikchino Republic Alliance. After all, their confrontation with the Astoria Empire was not endless. As for sending a fleet to the Serafin Continent, that was also acceptable. However, they wanted more than the promised benefits. They had no interest in the distant lands of the Eternal Revelation Alliance; what they wanted more was the technology of the Eternal Revelation Alliance, especially the mass/energy conversion technology.

As for how to resolve the Damocles' sword hanging over the pacifists, this is a crucial first step. We can only wait for Lin Haiyuan, who has temporarily suspended his duties in foreign affairs, to return.

After the meeting, Lin Haiyuan continued to lead a small fleet to the Akutan Islands to search for Exile, while the others made intensive preparations for the upcoming war.

As if some people felt this alternative, modern fantasy world wasn't chaotic enough, two more wormholes emitting deep, mixed-color light appeared in places more distant than the universe (Antarctica) and the nearest Akutan Islands. From these emerged dark bronze-colored metal vehicles and soldiers in bodysuits with three-eyed hoods. Undoubtedly, only Epsilon could use vehicles and soldiers with this color scheme and equipment.