[Theresis issued the highest-level call-to-arms.]
[The news spread to every corner of the Terra continent.]
[From the frozen tundra of Ursus to the bustling metropolises of Columbia, and onto the pastoral countryside of Victoria.]
[Those Sarkaz mercenaries who usually fought for money, for survival, or even just for a mouthful of strong liquor—whether they were veterans missing an arm or novices with fierce eyes—all received the summons from the depths of their bloodline.]
[They laid down their current tasks, bade farewell to their temporary employers, and like migrating schools of fish, they firmly converged in the same direction—Kazdel.]
[To conceal this undercurrent strong enough to shake the continental structure, Theresis publicly announced that a massive rebellion had broken out within Kazdel, and the Military Commission needed to mobilize all forces for 'internal suppression.']
[This news caused a moderate ripple across the Terra continent.]
[Intelligence agencies of various nations were skeptical, yet most factions chose to watch the fire from the opposite bank, some even gloating over the misfortune.]
[The Dukes of Victoria, however, presented a completely different scene.]
[They were busy suppressing the intensifying Deep Pool rebellion in the Thracian region, and more importantly, attacking each other in the parliament to seek benefits for their own families.]
[In their eyes, the Sarkaz were merely a group of barbarians forever engaged in infighting; their chaos was the norm and simply not worth investing too much attention in.]
[They missed their final opportunity for vigilance.]
[Time quietly slipped past five years.]
[Five years is enough for a child to grow up, and enough for an empire to be reborn.]
[You stand at the highest point of the Trullinczentyr Imperial Palace, overlooking your city.]
[The skyline of the once classical and slightly antiquated capital is now dominated by a forest of chimneys and towering factory skeletons spreading through the city.]
[Your Five-Year Plan is complete.]
[Military technology has shown explosive growth.]
[The 'Red Flag' anti-ship missiles, designed specifically for hunting warships, have been successfully fielded. From mobile launch vehicles to shore-based positions, and onto new types of bombers, they have formed a complete, three-dimensional saturation strike system against warships.]
[The Army's 'Tiger I tank' has undergone three iterations of upgrades, developing into the 'Tiger II' model, refitted with thicker composite armor and a main gun of even more terrifying power.]
[Its advanced fire control system is sufficient to allow it to accurately hit targets kilometers away while on the move. It is the undisputed king of land warfare; under the dense artillery coverage of thousands of these tanks, even Victoria's fleets would have to avoid their sharp edge.]
[On the other side, drone swarm technology has matured. Thousands of 'Bee' pattern suicide drones can easily dominate urban warfare.]
[And the new generation of 'Stuka B-type' dive bombers and 'Messerschmitt' fighter aircraft allow your army to firmly hold air superiority.]
[By this point, you are convinced that Victoria is no longer Leithanien's match.]
[On the Leithanien border, a joint military exercise of unprecedented scale kicks off.]
[General Taylor stands on the command tower, high-spirited.]
[He commands a massive legion composed of forces from Leithanien, Siracusa, and South Kazimierz.]
[The exercise simulates a siege battle against cities and fortresses.]
[The Messerschmitt fighter formations are the first to tear open the air defense net, followed closely by the Stuka B-types, whose screaming sirens sound like the trumpet of the Grim Reaper, wiping the simulation point's turrets off the map one by one.]
[Immediately after, the drone swarms press down like dark clouds, clearing out the remnant firepower points.]
[On the ground, the 'Tiger II' tank clusters kick up dust that fills the sky. Supported by the long-range fire of self-propelled artillery, they roll over the defense lines like a torrent of steel.]
[The wolves of Siracusa display their astonishing infiltration capabilities, creating chaos on the flanks; the knights of Kazimierz form rapid reaction units, utilizing their high mobility to execute fatal interspersions against the enemy's reinforcement routes.]
[Air-ground integration, multi-branch coordination, an informationized command chain, surgical precision strikes...]
[The tactical concepts and execution capabilities displayed in this exercise have completely surpassed the imagination of everyone in this era.]
[This exercise was not kept secret from any country.]
[You wanted all of Terra to see, to see that the war machine of Leithanien has finished warming up.]
...
Trullinczentyr, Ursus Embassy.
Intelligence Officer Dmitri stood before the window, observing the columns of smoke rising from the exercise grounds outside the city through high-powered binoculars. Even from this distance, he seemed to feel the tremors of the earth.
His palms were covered in cold sweat.
"General."
A young adjutant walked in, his voice trembling, and handed over a report that had just been compiled.
"This is... this is the assessment report on Leithanien's new weapons, collected through all our channels."
Dmitri did not turn around. He lowered the binoculars and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily.
"Read it."
"Yes."
"'Tiger II' main battle tank. Frontal armor... our artillery fire is likely unable to penetrate it."
"Its main gun can destroy any of our armored units before our troops enter effective range."
"Drone swarms. The report believes this is an incomprehensible mode of warfare; it will completely change the ecology of low-altitude battlefields and urban warfare."
With every item the adjutant read, Dmitri's face grew a shade paler.
He had been a soldier for thirty years, fighting every kind of battle from the frozen tundra of the north to the deserts of the south, but every word in this report described a battlefield he could not imagine at all.
"What about their industrial capacity?" Dmitri interrupted him, his voice hoarse.
"...According to our estimates and investigations, the annual production of the 'Tiger II' tank may reach six hundred to eight hundred, perhaps even a thousand."
"As for those drone swarms, once the production lines start moving, the numbers... are likely immeasurable."
Dmitri fell silent.
Eight hundred tanks, in one year.
Unlike those generals back home who thought tanks were toys, he had witnessed the power of these new Leithanien tanks.
Dmitri believed that if Ursus wanted to continue using its past tactics—relying on Shieldguard phalanxes coordinated with Casters to push straight through—it would likely no longer be achievable.
Against tanks of this scale, without warships and relying solely on the army, he feared no country could defeat them.
He turned around, took the report from the adjutant's hands, glanced at it, and threw it onto the table.
"What else? What about the reaction of the populace? With such massive military investment, do their people have no complaints?"
"No, General." The adjutant shook his head.
"Quite the opposite. Our people mixed into the factories and barracks heard nothing but praise for the Emperor and expectations for the future."
"They... they are simply like a bunch of fanatics!"
"They firmly believe their Emperor will lead them to unprecedented glory. Their morale is frighteningly high."
Dmitri walked back to the window and looked at the city. The pedestrians on the street walked hurriedly, their faces brimming with a confidence and hope he had never seen on the faces of the Ursus people.
He suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold.
A country with a powerful army, powerful industry, and a leader supported by all the people—what does it intend to do?
What can it do?
Dmitri spoke, articulating every word clearly: "Immediately use the highest-level encrypted channel to send a report to His Imperial Majesty!"
________________________________________
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