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by freesayan

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5. Chapter 5

Chapter 26

Unexpected Events

Alexander North

I continue down the hall for a few minutes before finally reaching the main metal weapon storage unit at the end of it, which is almost completely buried in frost-coated cobwebs with small spiders scurrying about in them. The spiders immediately turn after sensing me and begin running in my direction.

Unlike with the small spiders in the storage room, these actually manage to get minor cuts in on me thanks to the major damage on my armor from their frostbitten blood. But that's all they manage as I cut through them with a scowl on my face that only grows at the sight of a couple of the larger spiders walking through the entrance to the main metal weapons storage room.

However, everything seems to pause at the same time as the ground begins shaking. Both the spiders and I freeze from it, with myself and many of the spiders stumbling slightly from the shaking. To the point that I actually fall down on top of a few of them, squashing them beneath me and ruining the back of my armor in the process.

Things don't stop there though as bits of dust begin falling from the ceiling, followed soon after by cracks in the metal of the ceiling. Then in various places, the ceiling actually shatters, causing the metal of the ceiling and the backup generator machines on this end of BF4 to fall straight down, crushing the larger spiders in the process.

I stare at the now-dead spiders for a few seconds before quickly jumping back, feeling the frozen spots on my armor shattering on my back in the process.

What the fucking hell is going on?!

As if responding to my thoughts, a loud screeching sound mixed with a howl and a growl echoes throughout the entire base, followed by another crashing sound coming from far down the hall, towards the command room.

That can't be good.

My thoughts are redirected to the spiders again though as a couple of them begin trying to climb up my legs before I grab and crush them with my bare hands, leaving their icy blood to freeze the floor. I then look back towards the storage room again to find several smaller spiders rushing out from the storage room. But my eyes can't help but narrow in on the enormous spider head that I can see on the other side of the partially- blocked doorway. One even bigger than all of the other spiders, both the smaller and larger ones.

Guess I found the queen.
And it doesn't look like she can get out.
Also, what the hell is she? These monsters were made from radiation

mutating living creatures. But if that were the case, then where did this enormous spider come from? Not to mention that other one that the others mentioned finding eating the ships upstairs.

I don't get much time to think though as the smaller spiders make it within a meter of me, so I do the most logical thing I can right now.

I grab the rifle from my back and use it as a bludgeon.

Because that's all it's good for now. Even if it only works on a quarter of the couple dozen spiders before shattering into bits of frozen gun.

But the rest of them I deal with myself until the queen lets out a loud screech, making the survivors rush off back into the storage area.

My eyes widen in shock.
Holy cow, did that thing just know when to retreat?
The thing saw that the smaller spiders can't deal with me, and I can't

fit through the rubble blocking the entrance any more than the spider queen or the larger spiders near it can. So we're at a bit of a standstill now.

After all of the spiders finish retreating, the queen simply stares at me through the small holes in the rubble that I can see through. It then taps on the wall a few times, followed by hitting a clawed limb into it and finding it not budging despite that. Then it does something rather surprising.

It begins sealing up the rest of the entrance with string somehow made out of ice.

Uh. What?

Did it just try to see if it could break through the wall to get at me itself, only to seal up the entrance after finding that plan failing?

I kind of feel like I was just told to go away.

Several seconds pass in silence, with the only noise being that of a shard piercing through the wall and the faint screeches and movement of the spiders on the other side of the storage room wall now that whatever was happening to the base is done and it's stable again.

Well then. Guess now's as good a time as any to report in.

Before that though, I grab the shard and absorb it, followed by the spider corpses. Or at least the ones not covered by rubble.

/ Notice \

The following user statistics have updated: Agility: 1.88 - 1.95

Reflexes: 1.72 - 1.78 Senses: 1.87 - 1.90 Energy: 1.62 - 1.70

\End of Notice/

Interesting. Looks like the larger spiders are the only ones that give strength and constitution amongst the spiders.

I check the area one last time to see if there are any more spider corpses to absorb the energy from before starting to sprint down the hallway towards one of the branch storage areas in the hopes of finding a spare suit of cybernetic armor there. Because I really need a new set.

Again.

After replacing my armor again with a set that barely fits me, I rush as quickly as possible back towards the command room. Only to find the staircase blocked by rubble from the caved in ceiling. One that opens up to the floor above it with an easily climbable path of rocks to BF4.

I narrow my eyes at the rubble as I see a few very faint humanoid outlines of red on the other side through my infra-red vision. But I can't tell if they are the captains, or someone else. And if they're someone else, then were the captains caught unawares during this and cru-

"What the hell happened?!" I hear a familiar voice shouting from the other side of the rubble, making me let out a sigh of relief. "How is the second lieutenant going to get back now?!"

"Hey!" I shout, making the voices stop for a moment, "I'm here!"

"Second Lieutenant North? Is that you?" Captain Andrew's voice comes from the other side. "Thank Terran!"

"Do you know if the other entrance is still open?" I shout back, only to raise my head as I hear some soft groaning sound coming from the ventilation pipes exposed by the hole in the ceiling.

A few seconds pass with no response as I stare upwards before I hear, "It is! Come meet us at the hangar! And be careful of the large beast there!"

That's good at least. They're not trapped down there.

I just have to make my way through the base alone all the way to the BF1 main hangar.

Just seconds later, I begin to see new monsters poking their heads out from a couple of pipes and air ducts poking out of the hole.

Chapter 27

One problem after another

Alexander North

Okay, so first it's large spiders, and now it's large rats?

The creatures literally just look like oversized rats, with their bodies spanning over a meter in length. Their fur is pure white, with strange little icicles on the tips of each strand, unlike the spiders whose fur was made of ice entirely. Meanwhile the rats eyes are pitch black, without the blue rings in them, and their teeth are literal icicles. Sharp ones.

And they're just staring at me for some reason. Not trying to do anything at all but tilt their heads in what appears to be confusion. They then turn to look at the rubble in front of me – directly at the red silhouettes I can see on the other side – before hissing, proceeding to ignore me in the process as they jump down and begin scratching at the rubble.

Uh... okay?

Wait a second. Pitch black eyes with no blue ring... maybe they only have infra-red vision? Since I have pitch black eyes with a blue ring in them and have both infra-red vision and normal vision.

Interesting.

So there are monsters that don't have normal sight. Since I hadn't seen one yet, I'd kind of just assumed that they all had both infra-red vision and regular vision.

And speaking of infra-red vision, these rats also give off heat. Which is an odd combination, but I guess they'd need to see each other to be able to work together as they're doing?

Not sure how they differentiate between enemy and friend though.

My thoughts trail off as more rats begin to jump down from the various open pipes and ventilations in between this room and the room above it.

And more rats. And more rats.

After a few seconds, I find myself staring at the area of rubble now covered in dozens of oversized rats. So many that they're literally covering the rubble in their futile attempts to break through it.

Despite what should be a frightening sight though, I can't help but wonder if the base really had this big of a rat problem.

Because that's just not normal.

I purse my lips in thought for a moment before glancing back in the direction of where the spiders are.

The monsters aren't likely to be able to get out of there any time soon, unless there's another ceiling caving in in the room itself. Or unless there's another exit out of that storage room that I don't know of. So it should be fine to leave them there while I go out and get stronger from the other monsters.

After all, I doubt I'd be able to fight that spider queen even if I was given the chance. It just looks too strong.

Then again, I could be wrong.
I turn to look back at the rats again before frowning.
Now that I think about it, I thought I did have some body heat still. So

why can't they see me at all?
Also, they have body heat and can only see those with body heat, so

how are they going to deal with the wendigos and wraiths, who have no body heat but hunt those with body heat? It just seems wrong. Like a messed-up ecosystem or something.

Then again, nothing about this is natural. It's literally warping the laws of physics, so...

Also, if I tried to attack those rats, then I get the feeling whether they can see me or not, I'll end up being eaten alive. Just from the massive number of them.

As if in response to my thoughts, several of the rats begin making squeaking sounds, following which all of the others stop trying to scratch at the rubble – which had been rubbing their claws raw in the process – to look up. And just a couple of seconds later, I hear a loud roar echo from the hole. One that sounds a lot like a brute.

How are they sensing it?

I slowly back up to the entrance of the command room, only for a large brute to jump down the hole a few seconds later and land on some of the

rats – squashing them into pastes of pale blue blood and flesh in the process.

I can't help but grimace at the sight before rushing out of the room while the rats and brute are preoccupied with each other. But not without tossing a glance back in and finding the red silhouettes from earlier behind the rubble having left.

Good. So the brute shouldn't try smashing through that to get through.

Although the others should be able to deal with a brute just fine if it was able to break through.

And with that, I sprint straight down the hall towards the stairs. Just to find several wendigos lingering around the entrance to the stairwell, each wearing the outfits of cooks surprisingly from the mess hall. Or at least torn up ones.

Well, that's just great.

The wendigos quickly notice me and begin charging towards me with reckless abandon, making me quickly look around for a room to jump into. And fortunately for me, there is one. So I slam the door open before spinning around and pulling my fist back, just to send it flying forward once I hear the wendigo's getting close enough.

My fist slams straight into the chest of one of the wendigos, sending it flying a few meters back with a cracking noise – likely signaling some broken bones – before I duck back a little to create more distance between us. The other wendigos quickly block out my sight of the first one, but I do manage to see it trying to get back to its feet again despite the damage I caused.

Damn berserkers.

Also, my punch was stronger than I expected it to be. Maybe I should start trying to get used to my strength whenever I absorb energy from now on?

The wendigos attempt to pile into the room, but they end up slamming into each other due to them all trying to fit through the door at the same time – which is why I wanted to get into a room in the first place. So I rush forwards while they're clawing at each other and the wall to punch the furthest one inside in the head, making its pitch black eyeballs roll back in its head slightly. I then send a kick straight at the chest of another one, sending it back into the first one I had punched, who had apparently

managed to get back to its feet. Only to fall to the ground again with the new one landing on top of it.

I'm...
I punch another one of the wendigos that tries to fill in the gap. ...not...
The second one I punched regains its consciousness – if it can be said

to have any – and goes back to clawing at the door frame with the others before barely making it through, followed by a couple others.

...used to dealing with so many at once!

Chapter 28

Tiers

Alexander North

The first wendigo to make it through the doorway – despite its head injury – manages to drag its claws across my chest, pushing me backwards with a grunt as they cut through it and into my chest with a searing pain. But I ignore the pain and slam my foot on the ground, regaining my balance before grabbing the wendigo by the throat with both of my hands and ripping it apart with my claws.

I then toss its corpse into the two wendigos behind it, sending them to the ground where I take advantage of one of them by grabbing a sword I managed to find in one of the metal weapon storage rooms and piercing straight through its brain. This kills it in an instant before the other one on the ground tries to get up. And at the same time, the three wendigos who were still in the hallway begin rushing into the room behind them.

My eyes glance between the four still surviving wendigos before I tighten my grip on my sword slightly.

Too many.

I reach behind me to grab at a knife I had gotten from the weapons storage and toss it straight at the wendigo still pushing the dead one off of itself and struggling to its feet. The knife pierces straight into its skull, but unfortunately doesn't go far enough to kill it and instead just kind of sticks in place partially impaled into its forehead as it lets out a piercing screech and falls back on the ground again on its back.

Seriously?
Stupid frozen brains.
Just seconds later though, the three wendigos trample over the one that

had just gotten a knife to the forehead. And one of them – the same one that I punched at the very start of this fight – even steps on the knife before tripping, driving it further into the brain and killing the thing.

Oh. Okay. That works.

I ignore the one that had tripped to block the strikes of the other two almost instinctively with my arms. Fortunately these creatures, ignoring their superhuman strength and habit of freezing what they touch, are rather predictable in combat and have absolutely no form. Kind of like zombies from a monster movie.

I continue to block hit after hit after hit, occasionally getting clawed at in return, until I manage to draw the last knife from my back before stabbing it into the side of one of the wendigo's heads. The creature then falls to the ground, bringing my eyes to the wendigo that had tripped on and finished off the other one as it's surprisingly dragging itself across the ground towards me instead of getting back to its feet.

Before I can even question why it's doing so, my eyes are attracted to the trail of pale blue blood it's making along with it.

Did the tumble it took damage the bones in its chest even more or something?

I don't get long to think though as my attention is taken again by the last remaining wendigo still standing on its feet when I see it swinging a clawed hand at my shoulder. Without any hesitation, I reach back to grab the arm before stepping back and circling the creature, pulling the arm around its back and snapping it at the shoulder, breaking the bone and leaving the limb to go limp at its side. I then reach forwards to stab straight through its skull, killing it in an instant and leaving it to fall limp onto the ground.

The creature falls to the ground unmoving as I turn my attention to the one still crawling towards me.

I glance around at the other dead wendigos, just for my gaze to pause on one of them that I thought was dead but is still alive considering the movements of its head.

Huh. That's the one I tore apart the throat of.

Oh. Right. I have to destroy the brain. So destroying the throat, and the spinal cord in it, will just paralyze it until it heals itself. Which for some reason it hasn't done.

Could that be because I used my claws to do it?

And the same for the one I punched. The past wendigos I fought healed that type of injury relatively quickly. Certainly faster than the amount of time it's been like that without healing.

I turn back to the one crawling towards me before stepping up and piercing my sword straight through its skull before it can reach me with its grasping claws. After that, I just walk up to the one with the shredded throat and pierce it as well.

That should be all of them.

And one more glance around the room and the outside hallway confirms that. So I quickly go around absorbing their energy.

Once I finish that, I take a single glance at the updated statistics while enjoying the feeling of growing stronger.

/ Notice \

The following user statistics have updated: Agility: 1.95 - 2.00

Reflexes: 1.78 - 1.83 Senses: 1.90 - 1.94 Energy: 1.70 - 1.77

\End of Notice/

I can't help but grin at the sight of my agility reaching 2. Since that means I'm now about twice as fast as the average human being.

Which is really neat, and not something I'd have expected to happen for an incredibly long time. Since that's past the domain of a Tier 1 symbiont host. Although not quite as strong as a Tier 2.

Tier 1 hosts generally have an average of 1.5 in each stat, while Tier 2s have twice that. Although... what were the others again?

"Terminal, list the average stats for each Symbiont Tier," I state out loud, deciding to just have my terminal remember for me as I retrieve my knives from the wendigo corpses.

/ Notice \

Answer to User's Query – Tier 1 Symbiont Hosts have an average of 1.5 in every stat. Tier 2 Symbiont Hosts have an average of 3 in every stat. Tier 3 Symbiont Hosts have an average of 10 in each stat. Tier 4 Symbiont

Hosts have an average of 30 in each stat.
Tier 5 Symbiont Hosts do not have an average stat as the limiter on the symbiont is removed with the advancement to Tier 5, making the user no longer needing to go through a breakthrough to grow in strength.

\End of Notice/

Oh, right. I doubt I'll reach the level of a Tier 3 for a while. But it is nice knowing that I have the same benefit that a Tier 5 does.

The ability to just grow stronger as time passes without having all of my growth locked in one place waiting for some stupid breakthrough to increase it despite the symbiont's growth. Not to mention that my growth is a lot faster. Assuming there's energy around to absorb that is.

I begin heading down the short distance down the hall before entering the stairwell.

Growth aside, it's time to go to BF1.

Chapter 29

Priorities

The Underground Bunker

Soon after the base began shaking

"What's happening?" Lieutenant Colonel Ruth asks as soon as he reaches BF6 and enters the open room to find both of the majors talking in rushed tones.

Major Vaugns immediately turns to him and answers, "We got word from our lookout at the hangar that the large worm monster started burrowing through the wall, leaving the hangar and sending tremors throughout the base in the process."

The lieutenant colonel grimaces at that before glancing in the direction of the stairwell to the hangar as he asks, "And do we know where it's heading?"

"Unfortunately not," Major Carter responds with a grim shake of his head, "it burrowed straight through the wall of the first underground floor and into the ground dirt and stone outside of the base's walls, underground."

"Damnit!" the lieutenant colonel shouts, only for his head to swivel over towards the other side of the room where Captains Andrew and Ruthers can be seen running into the room. "Report!" He shouts without missing a beat.

Both of the captains salute him as Captain Ruthers answers, "The entrance to BF5 has been completely blocked by rubble, sir! In addition to that, Second Lieutenant North is still on the floor. But we managed to tell him to head to the hangar."

By now, the lieutenant colonel's chipper attitude from earlier is nowhere to be found as he scowls at the captains before turning around and marching back to the stairs leading to BF6 while shouting back, "Change of plans. Our new priority is to secure the hangar before making our way out of the underground floors."

"Sir!" All of the officers in the room answer at once as they begin following him.

"What of Second Lieutenant North?" Captain Andrew asks after they begin climbing down the stairs.

The lieutenant colonel doesn't look back as he answers, "My priority is the lives of the people in this bunker. So we will give him till one hour after we clear the hangar before we move out."

Andrew grits his teeth at that but stays silent. However, unbeknownst to him, the lieutenant colonel does the same as he thinks, 'He better not die, or the general will have my hide.'

"You can't be serious," Michelle exclaims, only stopping herself from snapping at Captain Andrew thanks to her brothers hand on her shoulder. "They can't expect us to just abandon him down here if he doesn't make it in time!"

Despite Michael's attempts to hold his sister's anger in check, Captain Andrew notices his clenched jaw before he looks at the others.

Victoria has a scowl on her face but doesn't say anything, meanwhile Robert has a conflicted look on his face.

'Good to see he does care about him, even if he's still terrified of him,' Andrew mentally notes before looking directly at Michelle and answering, "It is an order. The lieutenant colonel will be giving him one hour after the hangar is cleared before we leave."

His answer causes the rage on Michelle's face to gain a hint of confusion as she asks, "Why are you repeating..." she trails off as a look of understanding dawns on her face.

'The lieutenant colonel never said we couldn't go out to look for him ourselves,' she thinks, her scowl softening a touch as her brother comes to the same realization.

"After the hangar is cleared, I'll be heading out to look for him," Andrew states without any hesitation in his voice. "If you would like to come with me, then do so. If not, then follow the others." He adds the last part while glancing at Robert, who just stiffly nods his head in response.

Andrew then turns to look around the bunker at the various squads, each huddled in their own section of the bunker. But after a few seconds, he

narrows his eyes on two squads in particular. These are the squads led by the two captains who have been quietly protesting Alex's acceptance by the lieutenant colonel.

Both of the captains of the squads are grinning like crazy – as if they had just won the lottery. And their sentiments are obviously shared by their squads.

Andrew watches them for a few minutes as Victoria, Michelle, and Michael all begin planning for their search for Alex later, until he sees one of the captains turning to sneer in their direction, only to jerk his head back the instant he realizes he was caught.

"Looks like we may have some problems going to find him," he mutters, catching Michelle's attention as she's the closest to him before she turns to look at what he's looking at. Just to end up frowning herself.

Alexander North

Well, that's a problem.

I stare up at the ruined staircase leading to BF1. The wall somehow seems to have collapsed into the stairwell, completely blocking access to the floor entirely.

So how am I going to reach the hangar?

I turn back to the stairs I just climbed before glancing at the doorway to BF2.

If I remember correctly, there should be an executive staircase somewhere on every floor that leads to the next floor up. But unlike the secret exits outside, dad didn't have me memorize these. Just told me that they existed and showed me where they were.

And now I'm regretting not memorizing them.
Wait a second.
A faint smile emerges on my face as I think of a solution.
"Terminal, connect me to the North direct port," I declare out loud

before hearing some slight buzzing in my head, followed by a notice.

/ Notice \

User Second Lieutenant Alexander North has attempted to use direct port 'North'.

Awaiting response from other end user...

\End of Notice/

I nod my head at that before proceeding to stare at the notice. For half a minute. Then a minute.

Then I sit down on the top of the stairs and continue to stare. Please don't let this take too long.

Intermission

The Military HQ on the capital planet of the Terran Empire, Terra

"If you don't get off your ass now and get to killing those frozen ones, then I'll throw you out there myself!" General Edward North shouts while standing in his office and glaring at the lieutenant colonel cowering in front of him. The general is a Tier 5 symbiont host and has on a fancy set of red and blue cybernetic armor built especially for him, with his personal crest displayed on the right breast of it.

The lieutenant colonel is a Tier 3 symbiont host and is wearing the same outfit as every other lieutenant colonel, but with his personal crest engraved on it.

He opens his mouth to complain, only to be cut off before he can even start by the general, "And don't give me that bullshit about waiting till your breakthrough to Tier 4 to avoid getting turned. You have just as much a chance of being turned by a stray shard in here as you have out there fighting and actually being useful!"

The lieutenant colonel grimaces at that and begins to open his mouth again. But this time, the general narrows his eyes and uses the mental powers granted by the Tier 4 or stronger symbionts to order him, "Leave and go do your job. Now."

As if dragged by some invisible force, the lieutenant colonel's mouth slams shut, and he finds himself walking out of the room against his will and closing the door shut behind him.

Immediately after the door shuts, the general lets out a sigh and pulls up a report on his terminal.

/ Report by user Artoria Bellovick \

Greetings. This is a report containing knowledge on the phenomenon known as the 'Eternal Winter' for the higher ups of the Empire. Through the use of researchers specializing on the planet known as

Cocytus, we have confirmed the link between the phenomenon and the planet neighboring the capital of the Arctic Empire. And from there, an

initial hypothesis has been made for the phenomenon's origin and effects on reality including both proven facts and assumptions.

The hypothesis is as follows:
Some unknown action made by the Arctic Empire caused the planet

Cocytus to release its cold atmosphere in a massive wave large enough to cover the entire universe. This wave brought with it the physics-altering effects of the planet itself, changing several parts of our modern physics including but not limited to the way electrons work in the universe along with capping the speed certain molecules can move at. This has left a large majority of our cybernetic technology outside of the terminals – whose technology is not entirely known to us – completely inert and unusable.

Furthermore, strange crystals containing an unknown radiation were spread at random throughout the cold atmosphere. The radiation has mutative effects on any biological being it enters, eliminating the intelligence of whatever it infects as long as they have both a heart and a brain, changing their base instincts, and mutating their body and form while making their new body's natural environment the cold atmosphere of planet Cocytus.
These crystals are able to search out unique life signs with a base amount of intelligence to mark as targets. However, for some reason, they only target each life sign once per crystal and will not try again on the same target if they miss.

Actions have been made to revert the changes to physics, but only a bare minimum of progress has been made.

The only way we have found to do it is to clear out the cold atmosphere, as for some reason the shards cannot appear outside of the atmosphere. But the same is not to be said for the monsters, who can traverse the outside of the atmosphere, albeit with some more difficulty due to the heat.

Furthermore, reports from the seventh base located on planet Arran have proven that should a being that should have a heart and a brain be missing one or should have one replaced with a fully artificial one when

they are infected, they will retain all of their intelligence and be turned into a new type of being designated a 'Frost Infused', or in shorter terms, an 'Infused'.
This intel is classified at the request of the General of the Military, and

therefore the identity of the only known Infused shall be left out of this hypothesis.

Lastly, the Eternal Winter has caused massive damages to the universe's population and civilization itself.

The exact casualties report cannot be determined as there are thousands of bases throughout the Empire whose Direct Port holders are deceased or infected, and the other locations throughout the Universe outside of the Empire are not contactable outside of trips made by Tier 5 space adapted symbiont hosts.
However, the estimated loss in each city contactable has averaged to about a 70% casualty rate.

In conclusion, attempts are being made to take control of the situation by both military forces and researchers scattered throughout the universe, but even after the situation is put under control, the universe will never be

the same as it was before now.

End of hypothesis.
To close out this report, I would personally like to express my

appreciation for the military and their efforts towards defending humanity from the Frozen Ones.

\End of Report/

The general's face takes a turn for the worse as he reads through the report, only to turn cold once he reaches the part about the Frost Infused.

'Damn scientist specified which planet he's on and mentioned my censoring it?!' he thinks while gritting his teeth. 'Anyone in a high enough position will be able to figure out who it is from that!'

However, the cold rage on his face turns grim once he reaches the end of the hypothesis before he lets out a puff of mist in the cold room and sags back into his office chair.

"Just what were those Arctic bastards thinking...?"

After several seconds of silence pass, he swipes away at the report, just for a notice to replace it.

/ Notice \

User Governor Baal Ruth has attempted to use direct port 'Legislature'.

Would you like to give them permission?

\End of Notice/

"What now?" he grunts out loud before giving the governor permission and immediately saying, "Hello, Governor Ruth." However, just seconds after he greets the governor, another notice appears next to the connection notice.

/ Notice \

User Second Lieutenant Alexander North has attempted to use direct port 'North'.

Would you like to give them permission?

\End of Notice/

A happy expression appears on the man's face before he hears the governor declare from the other side of the connection, "General North, both councils have decided to call the Fifth Procedure." This only makes the man's smile grow even wider as the governor continues, "You and every other Tier 5 symbiont host are now permitted and ordered to enter combat against the Frozen Ones."

'It's about time,' the general thinks with his eyes locked on the notice about his son's attempt to use the direct port, but the governor's next words make the smile stiffen up slightly.

"Furthermore, the economic and legislative councils have both agreed to an official declaration of all-out war on the Arctic Empire once things stabilize. The councils will be expecting your answer as the General of the Military whether you support this decision or believe it should be overruled soon."

'Advancing our current diplomatic war to an all-out one?' he thinks with a frown before shaking his head and stating, "That decision will have to wait. For now, it's best to focus on the Frozen Ones. You can expect my decision within three months' time."

A few seconds pass in silence as the general gets up from his seat and walks around the desk.

"Very well, general. We will await your answer," the governor responds. "Good day."

The moment the connection drops, Alex's father gives Alex permission to use the port.

"Is everything okay?" the general asks as soon as it connects.