In the early morning, dim light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, spilling into the bedroom, falling warmly on Louis's open eyes.

He instinctively turned his head, feeling a familiar warmth in his arms—Sif.

Her short silver hair was messily draped over his chest, her small face pressed against him, a satisfied smile at the corner of her mouth as she slept soundly.

Originally, it was supposed to be Emily accompanying him last night to create an heir.

However, she was coincidentally on her period these past few days, utterly exhausted, so Sif considerately "substituted," slipping naturally into his bed.

Though nominally a "harem," the relationship between Sif and Emily was unexpectedly harmonious.

No confrontation, no undercurrents, more like pillars on the left and right, each holding their position and ideals.

Recently, he's been busy tracking the Nest's whereabouts, inevitably neglecting state affairs. Yet, surprisingly:

Sif and Emily managed everything smoothly.

The former was calm and reserved, with precise paperwork; the latter, of noble birth, with formidable diplomatic skills.

They naturally shared the gaps Louis left, maintaining the order of their territory in their ways.

"Truly reliable," he chuckled softly, reaching out to tuck the slipping corner of the quilt around Sif.

Next comes the most anticipated moment of the day.

Louis lightly traced his right hand through the air.

With a slight resonance, a translucent screen slowly unfolded before him.

[Daily Intelligence Updates Completed]

[1: Weir successfully advanced, promoted to Mid-tier Elite Knight.]

[2: Due to the destruction of the second Nest, the Desperate Witch has decided to advance the 'Devouring the North' plan to October 10th.]

[3: The leader of the Snow Swearer, Hiro, has rapidly deteriorated mentally and has been diagnosed as 'deeply insane.' Under the Desperate Witch's influence, he decided to fully mobilize for a large-scale assault on the Ironblood Empire's Northern Territory.]

Upon receiving the first piece of news, Louis was momentarily stunned.

He then couldn't help but smile.

Weir... he's broken through yet again.

This kid is only twelve or thirteen, right?

Even at the Imperial Knight Academy, that's a top-tier progression.

And he's only been cultivating for a year or two, arguably one of the most gifted knights in the Empire now.

This is what they call a "genius."

Exceptionally talented, incredibly perceptive, cultivation almost without detours.

Where others clear layer by layer, he teleports through the whole map directly.

Louis had done his best, using the Daily Intelligence System to acquire some top-level resources, barely reaching a "somewhat talented" level.

But he still couldn't see the exhaust of a genius like Weir.

However, now with the boost from Magic, his strength had also reached the level of an Extraordinary Knight.

Relying on the Primordial Meditation Technique, his magic power had advanced so quickly it could drop the jaws of every mage in the Mage Forest.

"So there's no need to be anxious. And... seeing one's own growing stronger is always a joyous thing."

Compared to the urgency of being chased, the satisfaction of watching someone you mentored grow is even stronger.

Louis's lips slowly curled up a little.

Yet when his gaze fell on the second piece of intelligence, his entire body became stiff, unable to smile:

The Desperate Witch had decided to advance the 'Devouring the North' plan, expected to commence on October 10.

"Damn," he muttered, his pupils slightly dilated, his expression growing colder.

Taking out the Nest only brought the disaster sooner.

"'Devouring the North,' so that's its name."

It was also the first time he'd seen the full scope and codename of this plan from the Intelligence System.

Through the Daily Intelligence System, he had always known the Desperate Witch was setting up a grand scheme, roughly guessing it related to the Nest and the spread of the Insect Swarm, but not until now did he fully confirm:

The target was the complete devouring and destruction of the Northern Territory.

"...Absolutely insane."

He slowly sat upright, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee, his mind turning rapidly.

This large-scale outbreak of the Insect Tide, once out of control, might even make the Northern Territory unable to escape.

Once humans become infected and transform into Insect Corpses, the spread is rapid and hard to eradicate, making traditional warfare means ineffective.

But with a shift in thought, he suddenly realized: "An advance might actually be a good thing for me."

If this war erupted in winter, the thermal weapon systems he developed, and the knights' combat capabilities, would be suppressed by the heavy snow and harsh cold.

An early outbreak, though a surprise attack, wouldn't leave him too disadvantaged on the scene.

He glanced at the third intelligence: the Snow Swearer leader Hiro fell into madness. Under the Desperate Witch's influence, he decided to gather all warriors for a full-scale assault on the Empire's Northern Territory.

In a flash of insight, Louis connected all the intelligence and clues.

The puzzle was complete.

This wasn't the delusion of a single madman, but a meticulously planned, step-by-step advancing Abyssal scheme.

The Desperate Witch had clearly long ago set the framework of Hell for the Northern Territory.

What does she want? To drag the entire North into an uncontrollable Insect Tide war, completely triggering the collapse of order, crippling human society, turning the whole region into a breeding ground of chaos.

All for a deeper purpose.

And her tool was the "Nest."

It was a sinister construct that could infect all things and transform life, possessing highly efficient infection and reproduction capabilities, able to manufacture thousands of insect corpses in a short period and incorporate them into the legion.

But that was not the most terrifying part.

The truly horrifying aspect was the method of her manipulation.

In the name of "the impending awakening of the Ancient God," she incited those fanatically devout Snow Swearers,

provoking them to capture and sacrifice nobility and knights to offer them as a "Flesh and Blood Ritual" to the gods.

But in reality, those captives, referred to as "offerings," were not for the descent of some void god, but to nourish the nest.

The "Primordial Fighting Energy" in their bloodlines was precisely what the young nest needed most, the purest "nutrient source."

Their blood and souls would be devoured by the nest, transformed into a catalyst for the larvae's growth, enabling them to explosively evolve at a certain point, changing from a "hatchling form" to a "complete form."

And once the nest completed its evolution, the first to be abandoned would be these faithful believers.

The Snow Swearers would ultimately become offerings to their own faith.

They would be drained alive, twisted in form, restructured in consciousness, and ultimately transformed into an unconscious insect corpse legion, driven by the nest to become the first wave of blood attacking the Northern Territory.

Sadly, they believed they were guiding a divine miracle.

Their bodies, their combat techniques, their fighting energy—all would be instantly reclaimed by the nest, reforged, and ultimately transformed into unconscious insect corpse killing machines.

Louis felt a chill run down his back at the thought.

If all this was just madness, then what followed would be a nightmare itself.

The Desperate Witch ordering the Snow Swearer leader, Hiro, to summon all warriors was likely for one final, massive push.

Transforming all the Snow Swearers into an insect corpse legion in one go.

And their fighting energy... would become the blade of disaster.

Even more terrifyingly, those elite Snow Swearers mastered an ancient and dreadful combat technique:

"Blood Boiling," which activated "Bloodline Fury" by burning blood, gaining terrifying combat explosiveness in a short time.

Louis felt his heart tighten.

If the insect corpses could inherit this ability, it meant that:

These insect corpses would not only possess fighting energy and body techniques, but could also activate "Bloodline Fury" in battle, indiscriminately continuing in this enhanced state by devouring the living.

It would no longer be mere infection, but an evolutionary war with learning and predatory capabilities.

If the Northern Territory truly fell into such a catastrophe, it would not just become a war zone but spiral out of control, turning into defiled lands under the rule of the nest.

Moreover, the Desperate Witch... may have even deeper objectives.

Piecing all the intelligence together, Louis couldn't help but shiver.

It was a tremor rising from the depths of his being, as if witnessing an irrevocable destruction quietly forming in the darkness.

While immersed in this terrifying deduction, there came a slight movement beside him.

"Louis...?"

Sif was awake.

She was still curled up in his arms, her silvery hair cascading over his chest, her eyes still slightly hazy from sleep. But she immediately recognized his unusual state.

"You don't look well... Did something happen?"

She raised her hand to gently grasp his fingertips, as if trying to capture the unease in his heart.

Louis blinked, his expression momentarily frozen. Then he shook his head, forcing a faint smile on his lips: "It's nothing... just a bit tired lately."

Sif looked at him for two seconds, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately just nodded: "Well, you should rest more, don't shoulder everything alone."

She buried her head back into his chest, her voice barely audible, "You're not a god..."

"Mm..."

He responded softly, offering no further explanation.

This matter was too complex, too grave.

He didn't even know where to begin.

More importantly, even if he spoke... it wouldn't solve the problem.

Right now, these terrifying realities were the "objective conditions" laid before him.

It must be dealt with! It must be stopped!

But the time left to him was running out...

Even so, daily cultivation could not be overlooked.

His progress in fighting energy was nearly at a standstill, with no advancement in days.

And magic power cultivation, which should have been his most focused time each day, was plagued by wandering thoughts during meditation for some unknown reason.

"Ah, my mind is still restless," Louis murmured, frowning slightly.

He shook his head, paused his cultivation, and suppressed the lingering fatigue in his chest before getting up to wash and dress.

The instant cold water splashed on his face, it refreshed his spirit just a bit.

The dining room was quiet as usual.

Emily hadn't gotten up yet, perhaps still resting from discomfort.

Meanwhile, Sif was already seated at the table, sipping porridge quietly.

She asked no questions, merely glancing at him before silently pushing a bowl of warm porridge toward him.

"You're eating too little," Sif said softly.

"Mm." He responded as lightly as possible, trying not to worry her.

After breakfast, Louis stood up and donned his cloak: "I'm going to find Mike to confirm the defense deployment."

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