Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence - Chapter 423 - 274: The Strategic Forge of the Red Tide (Part 3)

Chapter 423: Chapter 274: The Strategic Forge of the Red Tide (Part 3)

The surface disguise still maintains the original appearance of the ancient tomb, with jagged rocks, weathered stone monuments, and broken slopes, appearing to be nothing more than an abandoned old tomb.

Only the concealed beacons and the sparsely distributed sentry posts reveal its actual purpose.

As soon as the sound of hooves approached, a middle-aged man clad in grey-patterned training armor quickly stepped forward.

He had a solemn expression and steady steps, precisely the person in charge here, the training commander of the Red Tide Knight Order, Alian.

“Lord Louis, you’ve arrived.” Alian bowed in greeting.

“What’s the situation?” Louis dismounted swiftly, responding briefly, his gaze already moving past him, looking towards the fog-concealed entrance to the rock cleft.

“The refurbishment is progressing smoothly, four core areas have taken initial shape. Coincidentally today, the training officers and pharmacists are conducting tests, you are welcome to observe if you don’t mind the simplicity.”

So they proceeded into the depths of the subterranean space, greeted by record tables, fogging equipment, and stone paths leading to various districts.

Phosphorescent moss hung from the walls, weak purple light resembling fireflies in the eternal night, creating a mysterious and solemn atmosphere.

The first place they arrived at was the Shadow Moss Cultivation Station.

“We can currently stabilize the cultivation of three types of mutated moss.” A young technician in a medicinal robe reported, “They respectively enhance concentration, catalyze the fighting energy cycle, and suppress hallucination reactions. We are attempting to synthesize and refine sprays suitable for frontline portable use.”

“Very good.” Louis’s gaze focused, “What stable concentration ranges can be maintained for the catalytic moss?”

“Between about 1.2 and 1.5, any higher tends to induce short-term hallucination backlash.”

“Then mass-produce with 1.3 as the baseline.” He paused and then instructed his lieutenant, “Record it in the battle readiness plan, prioritize including it in the knight squad training package. Consider phased equipment in the future.”

Continuing deeper, they arrived at the Lizard Beast Breeding Room.

The temperature here was noticeably higher, in the closed compartments of the cave, a large Soul-devouring Lizard Beast lay quietly, its scales faintly flowing with a dim purple glow.

A layer of mental barriers isolated the spirit waves it emitted, but the air still felt oppressively tense, making one subconsciously tense up.

“This one is the most stable batch.” The chief technician displayed a gray-silver device, “We are testing this ’Spirit Shock Bomb,’ with an embedded magic crystal, capable of creating short-term fear illusions upon activation.”

“Suitable for breaking formations and disrupting minds.” Louis’s gaze grew colder, “Record it, plan to equip the Scout Knights with it to break enemy mental defenses.”

“Yes.” The lieutenant responded.

But what drew his attention the most was the core of the trial ground – the Will Breakthrough Altar.

The central hall was finely tuned for cultivation sequestration, the surrounding stone walls still retained ancient tomb sacrificial patterns, and hazy phosphorescence floated in the air, illuminating the altar with the elite knight sitting cross-legged.

The individual sat cross-legged with closed eyes, surrounded by fighting energy like a fountain, at times condensing into threads, at times dispersing like mist, clearly at a critical breakthrough stage.

“How many… have there been?” Louis asked in a low voice.

Alian nodded, “Since being transferred here three weeks ago, seven have been promoted to elites, three are currently breaking through bottlenecks. The training process is becoming stable, combining fumigation, medicine, and breathing techniques in three stages… The consumption is significant, but the benefits are astounding.”

“What’s the cycle duration?”

“With normal diet supplementation, recovery takes seven days; with catalytic medicine, it’s one cycle every three days.”

“How many can simultaneously undergo cultivation?”

“Currently, it can maintain 12 in parallel; as medicine production increases, it can expand to 20.”

Louis was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the young knight sitting cross-legged before the altar, surrounded by fighting energy, undergoing a breakthrough.

His fingers slightly trembled, and around him, a faint luminescence pulsed, as if some iron was being repeatedly forged, hammered, and shaped.

“If we maintain this efficiency…”

His voice was deep, but he couldn’t contain the heat surging within, “In three months, how many newly promoted elites can I expect?”

“Conservatively estimated at thirty to thirty-five.”

At this moment, time seemed to stand still.

Louis slowly inhaled, staring intently at the figure before the trial platform, his mind already racing through the entire Northern Territory’s military layout.

A special breakthrough method in the Empire, numerous, yet so stable, batchable, and controllable.

In three months, thirty-five elites.

Thirty-five blades with will, discipline, and passion.

And that’s just in three months.

Given enough time, he could forge the Red Tide into the sharpest fang of the Northern Territory!

“You’re using a factory to forge ordinary knights into elites, batch by batch…” Emily stood beside him, her tone gentle, yet also shaken by the scene before her.

“Precisely, which is why it must be included in the Red Tide Strategic Core.” Louis almost blurted out, a hint of excitement seeping into his voice. He suddenly turned his head to look at his lieutenant, speaking more quickly,

“From today, transfer all related medicinal materials here, prioritize supplying the Shadow Moss Catalyst Pool, and transfer two senior pharmacists for equipment optimization, not a day of delay is allowed.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Also,” Louis lowered his voice, “transfer that batch of Azure Patterned Honey and Frost Blood Redberry, mix with the Shadow Catalyst, and see if it achieves faster breakthrough efficiency.”

The lieutenant was momentarily stunned and immediately took his leave to carry out the orders.

The underground was silent, save for the gentle trembling of the Shadow Moss in the distance, like the dark light rising from a furnace.

Louis squinted his eyes, looking at this serene spiritual forge.

At this moment, he was no longer calm, for it was his sharpest and most terrifying strategic weapon.

When disaster strikes, he would no longer be anxious, for as long as he had this “forge,” he could continually transform ordinary men into elites, forge elites into blades!

“Excellent…” he softly murmured, finally letting a slight smile play on his lips,