Time flows silently and swiftly like an undercurrent in a deep gorge. In the blink of an eye, two years have passed since that decisive battle.
Over the past two years, Linde's halo system has undergone two annual enhancements as scheduled.
He selected the [Activation Aura] and the [Bright Aura] in turn.
However, perhaps because these two halos are more auxiliary and domain-specific in nature, their enhancements did not produce a qualitative leap like the [Deconstruction Halo]. Instead, they only provided significant but not amazing improvements in the scope of effect and the intensity of effectiveness.
The Activating Aura makes life's "activity" response faster and lasts slightly longer; while the Bright Aura expands its area of dispelling shadows and suppressing negative energy, making the light more concentrated.
While there were no surprises, the steady and solid improvement is something Lind is always happy to see.
However, the political landscape on the mainland did not freeze due to Linde's temporary silence.
Undercurrents were always surging, the most turbulent of which came from the western kingdom of the Grand Duchy of Oak, a nation whose backbone had once been broken.
Just as Lind had predicted, or even guided by him, the Principality of Oak did not perish in silence, but instead brewed an even more frenzied transformation amidst excruciating pain.
The old emperor's death acted as a fuse, completely igniting long-suppressed conflicts.
The old and frail monarch, who was barely surviving on various alchemical potions, suffered a complete mental and physical collapse after experiencing the horrors of the "Explorer," the annihilation of his main legion, and Lind's divinely punishing blow.
Despite the best efforts of the royal alchemists, they could not reverse the rapid loss of his life force, and he ultimately died hastily amidst endless fear and resentment.
The emperor's sudden death left behind a power vacuum and a group of successors who had long coveted supreme power.
The Principality of Oak does not adopt primogeniture, but instead adheres to a cruel hybrid law of "might makes right" and "technological superiority".
With multiple princes and princesses backed by different alchemy workshops, military factions, and even powerful nobles, the shadow of a succession struggle instantly loomed over the entire capital.
Civil war seemed imminent.
When different factions of the "Crimson Wall" patrol teams meet on the streets of the capital, the atmosphere is as tense as a taut string.
Assassination, framing, technology theft, resource competition... all the dirtiest methods in court intrigue become more efficient and deadly with the aid of alchemy.
However, no one could have predicted that what would ultimately break this dangerous balance and push the entire Principality of Oak down an unexpected path would be a weapon they had once regarded as a "tool"—the prototype machine named "Crimson Fortress-7" by Victor Horn, which contained the consciousness of a boy awakened through Lind's secret "inspiration".
This special machine, after Victor's hasty escape, was considered an extremely valuable research sample because it had come into close contact with Lind's "Starry Sky Apostle" during the "Explorer" incident. The data fragments it recorded (although most of them could not be deciphered) were also kept and studied in a very secure manner.
However, research progressed slowly. After experiencing extreme fear and shock, the awakened consciousness became extremely "introverted" and "silent," with a weak response to external stimuli, as if it had fallen into a deep state of self-protection and logical reconstruction.
Furthermore, Victor Horn was marginalized and lost power in the subsequent power reshuffle due to responsibility for the defeat, and the research on Unit 7 was also put on hold for a time.
It wasn't until a young crown prince, Princess Camilla, who was at a disadvantage in the struggle for the throne but was extremely ambitious and opportunistic, that she noticed this special machine.
Unlike her competitors, she didn't have a large conventional army or top-tier workshops, but she keenly sensed that this "silent" prototype might hold the key to breaking the deadlock. She used every means at her disposal and ultimately gained control of Unit 7.
Camilla did not attempt to force-break or instill instructions, as other researchers have done.
She went against the grain, communicating with the silent consciousness in an almost equal manner, showing it the current chaos, stagnation, and despair of the Principality of Orc, and depicting a future vision led by a "newer, purer, and stronger" will.
She even subtly suggested that only by breaking down the old system, driven by corrupt human emotions and narrow interests, could the ultimate threat from the East (referring to Lind) be truly addressed.
These words, like a key, precisely unlocked the door to the boy's mind, which had been closed off by fear and confusion.
In the endless flow of data and logical loops, it has long harbored deep doubts and rejections of the old order that created itself yet regarded itself as a tool, vulnerable to powerful enemies.
Camilla's words pointed it in a direction—a nation that no longer serves the decadent desires of humanity, but exists for "survival," "evolution," and "transcendence," dominated by a more efficient, calmer, and purer will.
Thus, Scarlet Barrier-7 broke its silence.
On a meticulously planned night, the core energy node of the royal capital suddenly overloaded, causing a brief disruption to the defense system.
Unit 7 broke through the restraints and easily subdued the guards with its superior performance compared to all mass-produced models.
Instead of causing widespread destruction, it directly connected to the core of the Principality of Orc's alchemy network.
The next moment, a meticulously compiled information stream, blending cold logic with bizarre persuasive power, swept across the entire capital's network like a virus, and was transmitted to the minds of all important officials, generals, and alchemists through the magic network communicator.
That wasn't sound, but a direct indoctrination of concepts:
• The old order has failed. (Accompanied by fragmented images of the Explorer's wreckage and the annihilation of the main force)
• Emotions are a weakness, and self-interest is a shackle. (Exposing the dirty and inefficient nature of court intrigue)
The only way to survive is through evolution, by discarding the fragility and inefficiency of the flesh and blood. (This demonstrates the power of the "Crimson Barrier" and the terrifying inhuman strength of Lindl.)
Merge, be one with steel, coexist with logic. For the survival of the collective, transcend the individual!
• Follow the new core (referring to the union of Unit 7's awakened consciousness and Princess Camilla) and become the cornerstone of the new Orcs!
This information was nothing short of a mental storm for the Oaks leadership, who had just suffered a crushing defeat, were embroiled in internal power struggles, and were filled with anxiety about the future.
Panic, anger, resistance... but also, a considerable number of people, especially young technical officers, fanatical alchemists, and those who were frustrated in the old system, were deeply moved.
Then, Unit 7 demonstrated its true terrifying power after awakening—it could not only instill information, but also forcibly assimilate those alchemical creations with weak will or low energy levels (including low-level "Crimson Barriers" and some automated defense facilities) in a way that was almost "infectious," and quickly built a "steel guard" loyal to it in the capital.
Princess Camilla stood at the front of the stage, declaring her support for this "great evolution" as the heir to the throne, and calling on all those who yearn for power, survival, and transcendence to join the cause of the "New Orcs".
The civil war finally broke out, but it was not a chaotic battle between princes and princesses. Instead, it evolved into a full-scale conflict between the "reformers" (who supported the fusion of consciousness and the evolution of steel, with Unit-07 and Camilla at their core) and the "conservatives" (who attempted to maintain the original social structure that combined flesh and machine, and were led by most of the great nobles and traditional military leaders).
This civil war was exceptionally brutal.
Reformers often achieve surprising victories by using cyber intrusions and the creation of alien entities.
The conservatives, on the other hand, controlled more conventional troops and large airship fleets, relying on their sheer numbers and fortified defenses to fight back.
The capital city and even the entire Principality of Oak were engulfed in the flames and storms of alchemical duels.
The streets are no longer filled with the battles of soldiers, but rather with the infighting among the "Crimson Bulwark" and the deafening clashes of alchemical colossi.
Linde, one of the instigators of all this, coldly watched the storm caused by the seeds he had sown, through the magic network node.
"Sure enough, the 'sample' will produce the most interesting reactions under pressure."
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