I'm in Terra

After a long hesitation, Victoria finally made up his mind. He set his sights on the military commander column and clicked it without hesitation. The chaotic military campaign he had orchestrated with Jia Xu was already quite complete. Currently, his biggest fear was the possibility of an unexpected event. And for any such event, strong military force was the best defense.

Before planning for victory, plan for failure. As long as you eliminate the possibility of failure, victory will naturally fall into your hands.

As the extraction interface swung open, a pitch-black officer card appeared before Victor. Before Victor could even flip the card, a mysterious force surged into him. Judging by the power boost alone, the newly drawn officer card was nearly twice as powerful as Dong Zhuo! What kind of powerful being possessed such terrifying power? Could it be the unrivaled Lü Bu himself?

Victory couldn't wait to turn over the general card, but the person on the card was not the Wenhou Lu Fengxian he had imagined, but Liu Bei, one of the three heroes in the Three Heroes vs. Lu Bu who had fought with Lu Bu for dozens of rounds - Liu Xuande.

What's going on? Wasn't I on the Demon King Dong Zhuo path? How did I get Liu Bei? Looking at the succubus in his hand, Victoria fell into deep thought.

But no matter how hard he thought about it, the general card he had obtained would not change, so Victoria could only force himself to study the new general card carefully.

It's a surprising discovery, but once Victoria did, he was shocked. First, he'd misjudged the strength issue. Initially, he'd assumed the incoming general, Lü Bu, was the result of his own sudden surge in strength. But after careful investigation, he realized the so-called force bonus was simply Liu Bei's added strength on top of Dong Zhuo's. The so-called force bonus for each general was actually permanent, not just the bonus granted to the general whose card was loaded, as he'd originally assumed.

The only difference between the general cards is the level of bonus and ability. The force bonus provided is permanently effective the moment it is drawn.

If this were true, as long as Victor persisted in drawing Officer Cards, he would eventually become a true monster. The so-called bloodline theory of Terra would become a mere decoration in his presence, and his infinitely accumulated military might would eventually leave everyone behind. The Wendigo, the Hippogriff, the Sarkaz Court, the Drakkar, these so-called legendary races would ultimately submit to his hand.

At this moment, Victoria's ambition expanded uncontrollably because he saw a bright road leading straight to the sky.

But he quickly forced himself to calm down. Obtaining officer cards was tied to merit points. If he couldn't manage his territory well, then standing tall in the heavens would be meaningless. And if the officer cards were already so exceptional, how could the counselor cards be any worse? Victor still had a long way to go.

Having completely calmed down, Victory swapped Dong Zhuo's officer card for Liu Bei, silently experiencing the abilities of the Light of the Late Han Dynasty. From Victor's perspective, Liu Bei's military power was slightly inferior to Dong Zhuo's, not only because his military bonus wasn't as high, but also because his passive ability wasn't very relevant to combat.

Dong Zhuo's general card, in addition to his "Wine Pool and Meat Forest" skills, also comes with exceptional horsemanship and archery. However, Liu Bei, aside from a bonus to his strength, doesn't possess any other martial arts, and instead buffs Victoria's Charm. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the opportunity to try it out right now, so he'll have to put it aside for now.

As for Liu Bei's abilities, they're even simpler. Both Benevolence and Provocation are passive abilities. The former allows him to rapidly increase his reputation with allies after providing assistance, while the latter allows him to fully boost the morale of his soldiers through "Provocation," acting as a kind of human stimulant. The success rate of Provocation is linked to his own reputation, and the stronger the team's control, the greater the effect of Provocation.

It's clear that Liu Bei's two skills complement each other. Passive and Benevolence quickly boost the morale and loyalty of his soldiers, while Goading them into action effectively transforms these intangible statistics into combat effectiveness. While simple, they're incredibly effective.

After learning about Liu Bei's skills, Victor nodded in satisfaction. This skill set truly lived up to the title of "Succubus of the Han Dynasty." Unfortunately, Victor wasn't the emperor's uncle, and the subjects of Norvinsk had long been afflicted by the Ursus system. Idealism was destined to remain a distant memory. Dong Zhuo's demonic ways were far more effective. "You work for me, and I'll ensure you have food and clothing." This most basic of demands, however, became Victor's most powerful weapon.

After dealing with the newly acquired officer cards, Victoria calmed himself down and continued with his original plan. "Dorothy, get some paper and pen. I need to write a letter directly to Luxembourg."

However, Victoria's call went unanswered. Dorothy, who was rubbing his shoulders, had fallen into deep thought. Victoria had no choice but to squeeze the soft flesh around Dorothy's waist to wake his secretary up again.

"Why, what are you thinking about? So engrossed?"

Dorothy's pretty face flushed, and she replied awkwardly, "Nothing, I was just distracted. Maybe it's because I didn't sleep well last night."

She was too embarrassed to say that she was so fascinated by Victoria's sleeping face that she had even decided how many children to have and what to name them.

Victoria didn't care, simply repeating what he had just said. "I'm glad you're alright. Get some paper and pen. I need to write a letter directly to Luxembourg. It's about Norvinsk being attacked by guerrillas, and Lord Victoria putting up a desperate fight but still being defeated. After losing an entire mine's worth of resources, the guerrillas have temporarily retreated and are apparently preparing to move south."

Survival Abroad: 24 Guerrillas on the march

The sky of Ursus was always gray, and the nights were so dark that one could not see one's hand in front of one's face. But for the guerrillas, taking advantage of the darkness had long been etched into their instincts.

The guerrillas' target this time was still a mine. Unlike the last hasty attack, this time they were fully prepared.

Beneath the low wall, several snow monsters in white cloaks crept closer, using the cover of the snow. The guards above were drowsy and completely unaware of the approaching threat.

With several dull thuds of people falling to the ground, the first group of yetis silently took control of a wall. Immediately afterwards, a large number of shield guards rapidly approached, following the blind spots created by the yetis. Leading the charge was the silent Bodracasti.

As the team reached the low wall, everyone tacitly gave up their positions. The patriot in the lead, holding a halberd, slammed his shield heavily.

Amid the harsh sound of metal friction, the patriot's hoarse voice reached the ears of all the soldiers.

"March."

BOOM————BOOM————BOOM————

The low walls were like paper to the patriots, the thick concrete shattering under the Wendigo's terrifying power. In less than a minute, a door had been artificially added to the mine, a death gate that would send them to hell.

As the wall was destroyed, the shield guards filed in, closely following their leader. They had only one mission tonight, and that was to kill all the black bugs in sight.

Leave no one behind.

“Someone is invading!!!”

As the torrent of steel advanced, a mine guard finally sounded the alarm, but it seemed too late. How could a soldier armed with a long sword defeat a horde of shield guards on flat ground? How could a worthless person, who only knew how to bully and exploit the weak, dare to wield a sword against the powerful? Upon seeing the enemy, most of the mine guards took flight, while a few obediently dropped their swords and knelt, trying to save their lives.

But no matter their choice, the outcome was the same. Those who fled were pierced through the back by spears, those who surrendered were beheaded on the spot, and as for those who stubbornly resisted? Crushed by the torrent of steel, their only fate was to be.

"There are intruders! Ballista! Where's the ballista!!!"

Seeing the horrifying scene ahead, the guards who had just assembled almost instantly lost their will to fight. They could only huddle together like ants trying to put out a fire, hoping that the crossbows set up on the wall would help them suppress the enemy.

But alas, someone was faster than the ballista. As the guards watched in despair, the patriot at the forefront raised his halberd high in the air and unleashed it with perfect precision. The halberd, released from his grasp, transformed into a jet of black light, instantly destroying the ballista and its mounting.

The Patriot exhaled a puff of white steam and stretched out his hand. The shield guards behind him tacitly handed over another spare halberd, allowing the Patriot to fully arm himself again.

"March."

Hefting his unique halberd, the Patriot pounded his shield once more. His action served as a signal, and more and more shield guards followed suit. The deafening sound of metal clashing completely frightened the guards.

The ant colony dispersed because they found that all resistance was futile. The torrent of steel and the dark monsters ruthlessly crushed everyone who dared to challenge them. So they were shocked, scared, and terrified beyond words. They retreated in a hurry, fearing that they would be the next person to touch the torrent.

Watching the enemy completely collapse, a flicker of disdain flashed in the Patriot's crimson eyes. He casually swung his halberd, impaling several men like a string of candied haws. Then, he issued his second order since the start of the war: "Leave no one alive."

"Hurrah!!!" The shield guards shouted slogans and dispersed in twos and threes. Since the enemy had completely retreated, there was no need for them to maintain the military formation. Strangling the enemy in small groups was also a compulsory course for the Ursus soldiers.

Ironically, the four walls and numerous traps were originally set up by the mine guards to prevent the miners from escaping, but now, during the rout, these defensive facilities have become their demise. Whether it is the wall that is strong enough to break a leg or the barbed wire surrounding the wall, it has become the best tool to strangle these guards.

As the guards were dying, a small group finally realized something. They scrambled to the mine's main gate and tremblingly opened it, which remained sealed most of the time. The intruders had broken through the wall, and the main gate was their only escape route. But when the guards opened the gate, the scene they encountered was as if they had fallen into an icy cave.

A whole squad of snow monsters, draped in white cloaks, stood silently at the door, like the Grim Reaper reaping lives. Frost Star, who had not participated in the battle, stood at the door, waiting for these fleeing people for a long time.

In this world of ice and snow, a touch of blood-stained snowflakes sang the last elegy of these patrol teams.

After dealing with the escapees, Froststar led the team into the mine through the main gate. By this time, the killing inside the mine was almost over. Froststar was not surprised, but simply issued orders with an expressionless face:

"Count the number of people, check the condition of the infected, and split into two teams to clean up the battlefield. Team one will search for supplies, prioritizing medicine, food, clothing, and valuables. Destroy all weapons, equipment, and common minerals. Also, ask the miners if they have any rare minerals to take away. Team two will patrol the area, gather all the machinery and equipment that can be taken away, and destroy anything that cannot. We have plenty of time, and we don't want to leave anything behind for those scum."

"Yes!" The snow monsters nodded, but just as they were about to leave, Froststar stopped them. "One more thing. Find two people who can read and aren't afraid of being disgusted. Go collect some of the scum's blood. In the morning, after we burn this place down, have them write 'Infected Guerrillas are here to wipe out the unjust' at the entrance of the mine. It doesn't have to be those few words, but the meaning must be right. The bigger the handwriting, the better, and the more brazen it is, the better."

"Why, why is this happening?" The stopped yeti was a bit confused. "Aren't we supposed to be operating in secret? Is it really okay to provoke us so openly?"

Frost Star shook her head expressionlessly. "I don't know. Victor specifically asked me to do this. Since he said it's necessary, let's do it. It won't waste more than a few minutes anyway."

"Got it." The snow monster nodded and quickly divided the work and took action.

Survival in a Foreign Land: 25 The world is falling apart, and chaos is coming

Rescuing miners, destroying facilities, and looting supplies, this time the guerrillas did not encounter any messy problems, and all actions were carried out skillfully and quickly.

When the rescued miners heard that the men who came to rescue them were the legendary guerrillas, tears welled up in their eyes and they volunteered to help. Before dawn, the entire mine had been devoured by the guerrillas, taking everything they could carry away and ruthlessly destroying everything they couldn't. After confirming that each team had accomplished their objectives, Frost Star set this hell on fire.

Reflected in the blazing flames were the backs of a group of pale and skinny refugees.

"Petrova, how are the miners doing?" With the closure of the mine, Frost Star also focused on the resettlement plan for the infected.

According to their previous practice, after a mine is liberated, usually about 60% of the infected will choose to follow them away. Among these 60%, a group will leave halfway due to the difficulty of the journey and the uncertain future. In addition, the infected themselves are a short-lived group, so in the end only one or two out of ten people will stay in the team and join them.

But this time...

Frost Star only glanced at the baggage train behind him, and her brows furrowed involuntarily. There were too many of them. The number of infected choosing to join the group was greater than ever before.

Why is it so exaggerated this time? Do the infected no longer like home? Or is it that the guerrillas are just too well-known?

"It's because of the future." As if sensing Frost Star's doubts, Petrova sighed with mixed feelings, "Those infected also know that Wulan Village is no longer suitable for survival. As long as the mine is not completely destroyed, they will never be able to return to their original simple life."

"Really? So if we just destroy one of the mines, it won't bring any real changes here?" Frost Star sighed lightly, but someone's figure flashed through his mind involuntarily.

Was this also within his expectations? If so, it was too terrifying.

Meanwhile, Carter Kalashnikov, who had received a letter from Victor, was also feeling uneasy. However, his worries did not come from his third brother Victor, but from his second brother, Choloy Kalashnikov, who was also in Luxembourg.

As General Akaski's eldest son, Carter enjoyed the overwhelming support of the officers. Led by Adjutant Hilder, nearly 40% of the officers sided with him to varying degrees. While 40% might seem low, considering the Sixth Legion was a playground for the complex intertwined forces of the old faction's aristocracy, it was a significant figure.

Carter himself was quite decisive. After seizing the initiative, he didn't press his opponents aggressively, but instead continuously attempted to restore the Sixth Army's former prestige through negotiation and exchange of interests. Unfortunately, his wishful thinking didn't yield much success. Not only did the aristocratic faction ignore him, but even his own brother, Choray Kalashnikov, turned a blind eye to several of his proposed new bills, clearly intent on opposing him.

If it weren't for Hilde's repeated attempts to stop him, he would have strangled his brother to death in the Luxembourg sewers. The only thing that gave Carter some comfort was the attitude of his other brother, Victor. As Akaski's illegitimate son, Victor had a closer relationship with him than his biological brother. Not only was he respectful to him, but he had also taken the initiative to leave Luxembourg when he was about to reach adulthood, thus eliminating any possibility of sibling rivalry.

And now, at this increasingly tense moment, as Luxembourg's agent, he received a letter from Victoria asking for help. This made Carter feel relieved but also a little uneasy. He suspected someone was secretly sabotaging the situation he had worked so hard to build, but he was completely unable to find the despicable person.

"Mr. Hidalgo, Victoria asked me for help. What do you think about this matter?" In line with the excellent quality of asking when one does not understand, Carter approached the experienced Hidalgo, hoping that he could give a more reasonable suggestion.

Hidro took the letter and quickly sensed Carter's concerns. "If we only look at the letter from Victoria, the battle in Norvinsk should be an unfortunate accident. But considering the recent sneaky activities of those nobles... we can't rule out the possibility that someone is deliberately delaying us."

"What should we do?" Carter frowned. "Should we provide some support to Victoria?"

Xide Luo nodded firmly. "Yes, why not? We must not only provide Victoria with sufficient supplies, but also let everyone know about this. The situation is volatile, and now is the time to demonstrate your political skills. If you ignore even the pleas for help from our brothers, who among the officers will dare to stand by us with a clear conscience? In my opinion, we should cut out the support of soldiers and increase the supplies by 10% or 20% as compensation. After all, we only have a few soldiers available right now. If we split them up rashly, we will easily be defeated one by one."

Carter's eyes lit up. "Supporting supplies but not soldiers? Good insight, Mr. Hidro indeed. I'll write back to Victoria right away!"

News of the attack on Victory's territory and Carter's swift support spread quickly throughout Luxembourg. As Hilde had predicted, Carter's actions were widely welcomed, and the prestige of the Legitimists soared. Even though some opposition emerged, Carter, having tasted success, remained unfazed.

Some rejoiced, others grieved. Just as Carter's achievements were unprecedented, the second-born son, Joloy, was utterly gloomy. He already disliked his older brother, and now seeing him prosper was more painful than his own financial losses. More importantly, even though his mines had been attacked by unknown forces, Carter hadn't mentioned a single word, not even bothering to attend to the usual concerns of his acting governorship.

Just as Joloy was growing increasingly annoyed, an officer from the aristocratic faction offered his opinion: "Master Joloy, do you think... these so-called attacks could have been staged by Carter himself? After all, I've never heard of guerrillas leaving any 'visited' signs at the site after attacking a mine."

Instantly, the officer's words struck Joloy like lightning, revealing the truth amidst the fog. Victoria's case was fine, but Carter's mine was clearly built right next to his own, so why was only his attacked? And why were they even leaving behind a taunting message after the attack?

At that moment, Qiao Luoyi seemed to see a shocking conspiracy.

"Quick, give me a pen and paper! I want to write a letter to Victoria myself! Oh, and remember to avoid Carter's eyes and ears!!!"

"Yes, I'll prepare it for you." The officer lowered his head slightly, and a pair of strange vertical pupils flashed in his half-closed eyes.

PS: I wrote two hundred more words, and I feel like I lost out.

-.-

Survival in a Foreign Land: 26 The Wise Man's Strategies

"Something's wrong. Things are going too smoothly." Looking at the two letters in front of him, Victoria's expression was worried instead of happy.

One of the two letters was a letter of condolence from his eldest brother, Carter. In it, he angrily denounced the guerrillas' actions and promised to clear the Luxembourg region within a short period of time, ensuring that no suspicious forces were entrenched in the surrounding area. He also readily agreed to Victor's request for material support, but implicitly stated that they were short of troops and could not send more. As for the material support, Victor calculated that it would take about three days to arrive, roughly the same time as his initial estimate.

There was nothing wrong with the letter. Victor's previous plan was precisely to receive this letter of support. He had intended to overdraw his connections before the fighting began, hoping to gain more resources to prepare for the winter unrest. He had planned this strategy long before the letter was sent. He anticipated the timing of the exchange, Carter's attitude, and even his subtle intention to withhold support.

What really made him uneasy was another unremarkable letter. This one wasn't delivered by military personnel, but by a Scourge messenger, and it arrived even a moment earlier than Carter's letter. As for its contents...

Victor opened the letter and looked directly at the signature: Choloy Kalashnikov. Just by glancing at the signature, Victor had already guessed the content of the letter.

The reason was simple. The content of the letter was within his expectations, but it was sent much earlier than Victor had anticipated. He had originally assumed that once the Carter and Joloy brothers had completely fallen out, Joloy would likely send this letter to drive a wedge between Victor and Carter. However, the two were still in the normal friction phase, and Joloy was already impatiently making his move.

This is not right. This is very wrong.

Victor pushed aside the documents on his desk and immersed himself in thought. To ensure he was constantly informed of Luxembourg's movements, Victor had deployed numerous spies there. Paul and the caravans passing through were among them. If anything had happened in Luxembourg, they wouldn't have been able to conceal it. Therefore, the likelihood of his second brother's personality changing drastically due to a change in circumstances was unlikely.

But if his personality hadn't changed, then why was his second brother so anxious? According to his previous estimation, the gains and losses of a mere mine wouldn't make him so anxious.

Could it be due to the advice of others? Victor tapped the table gently. It was a consensus among all that Carter would have the support of the majority of neutral officers. Therefore, if Joloy wanted to compete with Carter, he would inevitably have to make contact with the conservative nobles, perhaps even with nobles from other regions. Victor had anticipated this. After all, if Joloy had no cards to play, he would have surrendered long ago. Yet, the stalemate between the two men to this day proved that Joloy must have the support of those nobles.

Could it be the work of the nobles? Victor tapped his head, temporarily dismissing the idea. The nobles were a force entangled in mutual interests, and prematurely uniting Joloy and Victor would serve them no purpose. From their perspective, a sufficiently obedient puppet competitor was the ideal partner they desired. Therefore, the nobles wouldn't actively help Joloy grow stronger. They hoped Joloy would run into obstacles everywhere, ultimately relying on their own strength to achieve a comeback. Only then would they maximize their profits.

But if this letter wasn't Joroy's idea, nor the idea of the aristocracy, then why was it sent to him? Carter's trick? It was even more impossible and completely unnecessary.

Just as Victoria was racking his brains to no avail, Dorothy suddenly appeared in front of him with a bowl of snake soup. "Master, just now when I was delivering documents to the police station, I heard that a hunter had found a snake den that was about to be sealed. Inside was five or six venomous snakes about to hibernate. I thought the snake looked good, so I bought one and tried making some snake soup. Come and try it and see how it tastes."

"Snake soup?" Victoria waved his hand. "Put it aside. I'm thinking about something. I'll eat it after I'm done."

Dorothy gently placed the snake soup on the table and whispered, "Got it, Master, you must eat it while it's hot, okay? This is a snake before hibernation. Snakes at this time are the most nutritious and active."

Victor was stunned, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind: "Before winter comes, snakes are at their fattest and most active. Kosice, could it be you? Are you eager to start controlling Tallulah? And also to quickly disrupt the situation on the Sixth Legion's side?"

Because Kosciuszko had previously been following a strategy of sitting back and watching the fight, not rushing to intervene in the Sixth Legion's conflict, Victor had almost forgotten about the old conspirator. Looking back now, although he hadn't specifically kept track of the timeline when he first played Arknights, it was almost the time when Tallulah slew Kosciuszko and the Reunion Movement was being prepared for its founding.

Perhaps because Kosice felt that the national struggle involving Tallulah was more important than the internal friction of the Sixth Legion, he accelerated the friction within the Sixth Legion in some way. After all, once the news of his assassination by Tallulah spread, the Sixth Legion would be completely thrown into chaos.

Since Kosice himself is not planning to take over the legion, it is naturally better to let it be as chaotic as possible.

"If you're the one fanning the flames, doesn't that mean my chances are better?" Victoria picked up the snake soup in front of him and blew gently. As the white steam drifted into the sky, Victoria's eyes became sharper. "Since you're not going to take it, then I'll take it without hesitation. Dorothy!"

Hearing Victoria's call, Dorothy, who had been hiding at the door, pushed the door open and walked in with a smile: "I'm here, how does it taste?"

"It's smooth and delicious, incredibly fresh. You're in for a treat this time." Victor pushed the empty bowl and chopsticks in front of the girl and lowered his voice to order, "Calculate the time. The guerrilla heroes will be arriving soon. Randomly select a team from the transport team and go to the designated location to meet them overnight. Then, give this letter to Yelena or Mr. Patriot. After reading it, they will know what to do."

"Are you going overnight?" Dorothy's expression changed, and her playful face suddenly became serious. "I guarantee that the mission will be completed."

Survival Abroad: 27 Chaos Adds to Chaos

As expected, the harsh winter of Ursus arrived, and a fine drizzle of snow gradually began to fall from the sky. But unlike the light snow that had fallen a few days earlier, this snow was a harbinger of the coming winter. It was destined to grow heavier, eventually becoming a storm.

"My dear daughter, I have a question for you." In the dignified and solemn hall, the evil man who symbolized Ursus put his hands together and smiled at the girl Draco who was sitting opposite him.

Tallulah ignored the sudden question, giving the man an impatient look before savoring the delicious food on the table. Kosciuszko was always like this. Whenever he asked her a question with a smile, it was always a tricky and unreasonable one. Even if she ignored him, Kosciuszko would still ask questions as if he were asking himself.

As she expected, after realizing that the girl was not interested, Kosice relaxed his hands, picked up the knife beside him and elegantly cut a piece of bread, then asked his question in a seemingly casual tone.