Xia Yu could say with certainty that the high-speed warships of Ursus—no, likely all of Terra—posed no threat to her. At least, not the current generation.
The first thing she noticed upon boarding the deck was the towering bridge, built high for visibility, and a forest of naval guns. Due to Terra's peculiar materials science, armor-piercing shells that dominated Earth's naval history struggled here. The advancement of materials from prehistoric archeology was simply too illogical. Without it, Terra could never have constructed something like mobile cities.
Consequently, Terran warships sprinted down the path of multi-turret, multi-barrel designs with massive calibers. If you didn't stack firepower, you fell behind, forced to watch an enemy's better-armored ship sail through your barrage to press their muzzles against your face.
Honestly, the insane fire density of a high-speed warship far surpassed naval vessels of World War II. However, Xia Yu found a pleasant surprise: Terran warships lacked anti-air capabilities.
At most, they carried small-caliber cannons for defensive drones or infantry jet-pack boarding parties. They lacked large-scale, dense, and effective anti-air fire. While sufficient against drones or foot soldiers, these weapons were powerless against targets higher than a thousand meters. Even at six or seven hundred meters, they likely hit their limit.
The reason for this development path was simple: Terra had no air force. Without an imminent aerial threat, why install so many anti-air guns? A few small pipes to handle drones were enough.
On Earth, before planes took center stage, warships also lacked anti-air. But after aircraft carriers shined in WWII, every inch of deck space on subsequent ships was crammed with anti-air fire. Even the Japanese Yamato planned to use its 460mm main guns for anti-air, designing a special shell for it. Though useless in practice, it reflected the desperate need for air defense.
In Terra, no demand meant no system... which made Xia Yu very happy.
She could fly, and she possessed spells strong enough to crack those turtle shells. Her ability to travel between the northern tundra and southern Ursus overnight relied entirely on flight. Assassin's Crimson was incredibly useful, even if the wind howled into her armor.
Xia Yu tightened the scarf she pulled from her inventory. At this speed, even wrapping herself tightly felt futile. Fortunately, given a Tarnished's constitution, it was merely uncomfortably cold rather than a health risk.
During her rapid flight, Xia Yu finalized her plan. She finished scouting the Ursus warships; they posed no threat. On the contrary, she could beat them senseless. It didn't matter if there were two or three ships, or twenty or thirty. If even one managed to limp back home, she would consider it her loss.
With the plan set, she finally spotted the Guerrilla convoy on the horizon. She landed immediately, cast Unseen Form, and returned to her carriage.
After putting away the Mimic Tear, she opened the door and stepped out.
"Doctor Xia Yu, you're finally awake!" The nearby Infected looked relieved.
The doctor slept since yesterday after treating thirty people, leaving them deeply worried.
"Yes, I had a long-overdue rest. Sorry for the worry," Xia Yu greeted them with a smile, then looked toward the front. "Where are we?"
"Oh, we're arriving at the abandoned mobile town," Alina explained, having rushed over upon hearing the news. "Talulah and the others are arranging for everyone to move in."
"Finally. That's wonderful," Xia Yu stretched. "My back is nearly broken from these days in the carriage. I can finally sleep in a real room."
"Don't worry, we'll give the Doctor the biggest and best house!" the Infected chimed in. "If you hadn't saved us, we'd still be waiting for death in the mines."
"Exactly. Without you, my Oripathy might have flared up by now."
"Hey, don't be so pessimistic," Xia Yu comforted them one by one. "Now that we're putting down roots, life will get better. We'll reclaim the tundra, farm the land, and support ourselves. We'll bring back more comrades and unite everyone possible. One day, we will thrive on this snowfield."
"Alina, come with me. I have something for you."
Xia Yu pulled Alina aside. "Have Talulah and the others cleared out any warehouse facilities?"
Alina narrowed her eyes and whispered, "There are some... but Doctor Xia Yu... you went out secretly, didn't you?"
"...How did you find out?" Xia Yu was surprised.
"The 'you' in the carriage... she wasn't breathing," Alina said, half-laughing and half-exasperated. "No one sleeps that deeply."
"That is a flaw," Xia Yu scratched her head. "I'll see if I can improve that next time."
She didn't particularly mind the Guerrilla leaders knowing. Someone had to take delivery of the supplies she brought back.
"Doctor, where you go is your freedom," Alina said worriedly. "The Guerrilla respects your choices. Just... let me know in advance. I was nearly scared to death when I first looked."
"Ha, my mistake." Xia Yu patted Alina's shoulder. "I'll tell you next time."
"I'll hold you to that," Alina smiled helplessly, pointing ahead. "The warehouses are over there."
"Right. Go call Talulah and the others. I have things for them..."
Before Xia Yu could finish, Talulah came running.
"Doctor, are you alright?" Her concern arrived before she did.
"I'm fine," Xia Yu waved her off. "Never mind that. See if the Guerrilla can use these."
She began pulling items from her inventory. Honestly, was the inventory useful? Yes; she emptied an entire city's reserves. But it was tedious. Storing and retrieving items required manual effort and lacked intelligence. Furthermore, it was bound to her body—just as her Tarnished body couldn't use Furina's Vision, she couldn't access this inventory if she switched forms. Finding a universal storage tool was now high on her to-do list.
"This is..." Talulah froze as a mountain of weapons and gear manifested from the void.
"Standard Ursus equipment?" She was stunned. "Wait, didn't we distribute everything from the military post? Doctor, wasn't your storage full of food?"
"I got these from Chernobog last night," Xia Yu said with a grin. "Can you use them?"
"Chernobog?!" Talulah's eyes widened. "You went to Chernobog? But in a single night..."
She stopped, remembering the spells the doctor used. If she had a tail and horns, why not wings?
Inside her consciousness, the Black Snake opened his eyes.
So, the person Boris spoke of is her... combat power on the level of a Steam Knight? No, higher. To be safe, he should summon more Inner Guards.
The ability to store items in the void made even the Black Snake envious. Compared to these miraculous traits, the Talulah he spent years grooming seemed less appealing. However, attempting to possess an uncultivated powerhouse was too risky, so he suppressed his greed for now.
"That was too reckless..." Talulah sighed. "If something happened..."
"Nothing happened," Xia Yu shook her head. "No one in Chernobog can keep me there. Not only weapons, I basically emptied the city's strategic reserves. From food to winter gear to equipment, it's enough to last the Guerrilla several years!"
"What?!" Talulah was aghast. "That much?"
"Yes. I'll move it all into the warehouse later. No clinic hours today, but that's not the main point." Xia Yu's expression turned solemn. "Call FrostNova and Patriot. We need a meeting."
★ ★ ★
Inside the makeshift meeting room, the group looked at Xia Yu with heavy expressions.
"I found a letter in Count Boris's office," Xia Yu began. "It ordered him to prepare warships and soldiers for a cleansing operation against the Infected in the tundra. The signature was blank, meaning the mastermind is unknown. But judging by the tone, there will be far more than just the three warships I saw in Chernobog!"
"More than three," FrostNova mused. "The incident at the military post definitely triggered this. We seized their supplies and liberated the mines, which offended the nobles behind them. They're panicking."
"Then we meet force with force," Patriot said, gripping his halberd. "It will take time for the fleet to mobilize. We must strike the surrounding mines and rescue more Infected quickly! If we cannot hold the front line, we will distribute the warehouse supplies and scatter. The tundra is vast; three warships cannot blockade it all!"
Hearing this, the Black Snake in Talulah's mind silently changed the 'three' in his plan to five.
Then, reconsidering the combat power of Xia Yu and Patriot, he crossed out five and wrote eight... no, ten.
He would make them feel true despair.