Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence

October 9th, Red Tide Territory.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the sky over the Red Tide Territory was more silent than usual.

There was no hustling sound of the markets, nor the laughter of children or the rumbling of carriages and horses.

There were only families, one after another, dragging luggage, carrying babies in swaddles, silently entering those few Earth Towers.

"Go inside, this is the Lord's arrangement." A gray-haired old woman murmured as if reciting an oracle, "Great Lord Louis... would not harm us."

No one refused, and no one complained.

Even though the space in the Earth Towers was cramped and the crowd was dense, they still queued up orderly to enter.

Because it was Louis's command.

They remembered clearly, more than a year ago, they were still curling up in the icy wind and mud, sleeping in tents with cracks, eating porridge mixed with grass roots and bone shards.

During that time, children froze to death every night, and adults would silently dig pits at dawn.

It was Louis who lit the fireplace in the blizzard, brought medicine during the plague, and personally built granaries during the chaos of war.

Because of him, they could eat till full, have firewood to burn, have clothes to wear.

Tents turned into brick houses, cold nights had hot springs, fields emerged at the foot of the mountain, new canals opened up on the mountain.

Roads were opened, warehouses were sealed, medical huts now had people stationed.

These were not miracles from prayers.

He gave them.

This was the reality brought by Louis Calvin.

So today, when he personally ordered "Enter the Earth Towers, do not go outside, must cooperate," everyone seemed to hear the whisper of a deity.

They did not hesitate, did not question, only said words of faith in Louis.

"The great Lord would not harm us."

"We are his people."

"His orders are divine commands."

The Earth Towers were already stocked with food, water, and necessities, distributed according to the number of people, all in order.

A few boxes of firewood and simple lamps were stacked in the corners, as if they had long anticipated preparations for long-term isolation.

"Just staying for a while, it'll be over soon." A young boy smiled and said to his sister.

But no one knew exactly how long it would be.

And outside in Red Tide City, on the vacant land near the edge of the city walls, one sturdy yet simple camp after another had already been erected.

The main tent was in the center, surrounded by sentry posts and torches, with batches of Red Tide Knights lined up neatly, their armor gleaming, flags silently flying.

No bugles sounded, no stirring pledges were made.

Because they also didn't know who the enemy was.

But they knew who gave the orders — Louis Calvin.

He did not explain much and did not reveal the reasons.

Through Louis's repeated actions, they had been instilled with a fundamental belief: "Even if you can't see the whole picture, you must choose to obey Lord Louis."

So when the orders were issued, they did not waver but only clenched their sword hilts with resolve.

The entire Red Tide, as if entering a kind of silent ritual.

Everyone believed that a storm was imminent.

But their faith was ready to face anything.

Soon it was the morning of October 10th.

The morning light had not penetrated, and outside the camp was silent, with only thin mist low-lying, and a chill that seeped to the bones.

The moment Louis opened his eyes, the intuition in his mind was already sounding alarms.

Today, the prophecy was that day.

He did not delay for a moment, almost reflexively sat up, raised his hand to call out that interface belonging to him alone — "Daily Intelligence System."

A semi-transparent blue-white interface hovered in mid-air with a gentle hum, lines of text rapidly loading and freezing:

[Daily Intelligence Update Completed]

[1: The Desperate Witch has awakened the Doomsday Nest. The mist released by the Nest has completely covered the main formation of the Snow Oath Army last night, with over six thousand Snow Swearers transformed into the mindless Insect Corpse Legion. They will start by destroying Frost Halberd City and move north to fully advance into the Northern Territory, intending to drag the Northern Territory and even the entire world into chaos.]

[2: The Desperate Witch has activated the Nest in Cyan Rock Rift, and the Nest is expected to arrive at the outskirts of Red Tide Territory within three hours. If the defense line fails, the Insect Corpses will affect all local residents and knights.]

[3: The Nest in Frost Ice Valley has also been awakened, and the Insect Corpses will attack Chi Yun Territory, White Fox Territory, and Wuya Territory.]

[4: The Desperate Witch has scattered a total of 23 Nest embryos in the Northern Territory, with 12 places currently activated. There exists a mysterious mental link between the Nests.]

…

Louis read through them one by one, his gaze fixed on the first line of the light screen.

The Desperate Witch has awakened the Doomsday Nest, and the mist released by the Nest has completely covered the main formation of the Snow Oath Army last night...

A chill that was hard to suppress rose from the depths of his heart.

Six thousand.

Not sixty, not six hundred.

A whole six thousand Snow Swearers were already dangerous enemies to the entire Northern Territory.

And now, they had become Insect Corpses.

Undead bodies, retaining their fighting energy and skills, with that instinctive killing intent honed in blood and snow, compounded by their infectivity and swarm behavior...

This was simply—an invincible version of a zombie legion.

Images surged in Louis's mind instantly:

The mist roiling, the Nest presiding, Insect Corpses running in the mist, skin decaying yet moving like the wind, a punch smashing through a stone wall, a sword lifting a shield, even if cut in half, still crawling forward...

The worse part is the source of all this—the "Doomsday Nest."

From the name alone, no further explanation is needed.

It's not just an enlarged version of an ordinary nest, but the ultimate form and extreme construct of the entire system.

He suddenly remembered the vague prophecy from the Daily Intelligence System:

[The malevolent force nurtured by the Snow Swearer is stirring, this crisis will sweep through the entire Northern Territory by winter this year.]

So, this is that "malevolent force."

The malevolent force has long been rooted in the blood and faith of the Snow Swearer, and there's no need for any "sacrifice"—they themselves are the sacrifices.

Now it's up to Duke Edmund to see how he will respond.

Louis exhaled softly, his gaze regaining calmness.

It's not that he was unwilling to help, but he was well aware that the military force he had spent two years building would shatter at any encounter with the Insect Corpse Legion.

And the Red Tide Territory is the foundation he has painstakingly established, and it cannot be lost.

Let alone expanding support, simply holding Snow Peak County in these chaotic times and protecting tens of thousands of people is a victory.

He can stabilize Snow Peak County, at least this land will not fall into chaos first.

Perhaps he cannot confront the Doomsday Nest head-on, but if the Daily Intelligence System provides decisive battlefield information, he will still seize it.

Help a bit, if he can.

Not just for the Empire, but for himself.

If the Northern Territory falls, his domain will not remain untouched.

Then his eyes fell on the second piece of intelligence.

The Desperate Witch has activated the nest in Cyan Rock Rift, and the nest is expected to reach the outskirts of the Red Tide Territory within three hours…

This line instantly made his pupils contract slightly.

This time it is no longer the distant Frost Halberd City or Icebound Valley, but the land beneath his feet.

The Red Tide Territory, his stronghold.

Cyan Rock Rift, the geological fault near the eastern edge of Red Tide, which he also sent people to investigate, but found nothing unusual.

Yet, he never expected that such a thing as a nest was hidden in that silent and neglected area, and would arrive as a combat unit on the outskirts of Red Tide within three hours.

"…Much closer than I expected." Louis' brow finally furrowed.

This is not fear, but extreme vigilance.

He was not unprepared; he had already set up various defensive measures around the Red Tide Territory.

And with his knightly strength, dealing with a single nest is not an issue.

If 'it' comes along the predetermined path… it should be intercepted in advance.

Prepared, but he cannot afford to be complacent.

Insect corpses are not ordinary enemies; they do not feel pain and have no option to retreat.

He knows if they cannot be wiped out in one go, the situation will quickly reverse.

Louis continued to scroll down and looked at the third piece of intelligence.

The nest in Frost Ice Valley has also been awakened and will sweep through Chiyun Territory, White Fox Territory, and Wuya Territory…

These three territories near Frost Ice Valley are all within his jurisdiction in Snow Peak County.

And among them, Chiyun Territory—belongs to his half-brother, Willis.

"Really, one thing after another." He sighed and rubbed his temples.

He cannot ignore the situation there, not out of family affection, but out of responsibility and order.

Unfortunately… he cannot leave now.

Red Tide's situation must first be stabilized, and the movements of the Cyan Rock nest must be suppressed immediately.

As for Chiyun, White Fox, and Wuya…

Louis can only hope they can hold on for a few more hours until he resolves the crisis here and then rushes over with his troops.

He gently slid his finger, and the interface continued to expand downward.

As of now, a total of twenty-three nests have been confirmed to have been revived…

Even with Louis' disposition, his brow furrowed at that moment.

A single nest, without any warning, is enough to consume a county.

But now, the intelligence writes: "Twenty-three."

Even without considering the "Doomsday Nest," this number alone is enough to crush the entire Northern Territory into a wasteland.

This is not a localized crisis but a systemic collapse.

"I hope Duke Edmund's warning truly makes those lords more vigilant." His tone was somber.

His tone was somber.

As early as a few months ago, when Duke Edmund eliminated the first nest, he sensed something was amiss and ordered the lords to prepare in advance.

Unfortunately, not everyone was willing to follow "prophecy" and act accordingly.

If they are not prepared, their territories will fall into irretrievable disaster in a very short time, possibly dragging down the entire Northern Territory.

The Intelligence System continued to update…

Louis glanced through them, but compared to the first three pieces of intelligence, they were not very important to him.

Not useless, but currently not critical.

He silently noted this information in his notebook, which may be useful in the future, but not now.

The most important thing now is only one thing—

In three hours, the eastern part of the Red Tide Territory will face the first truly significant Insect Corpse attack.