The next day, Talulah led her team members in the direction Jeanne had pointed out, attempting to find the Guerrillas to confront the impending war together.
This was no longer just the concern of a single guerrilla unit. Talulah felt compelled to contribute her strength against such evil acts—indiscriminately slaughtering villagers just to achieve personal goals.
Talulah advanced straight along the path until she spotted a group of people dressed in white robes. Those people seemed to notice her as well, rushing toward her position.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
The leader, a white Catus, looked at Talulah warily, her hand tightening around her weapon. If she discovered anything amiss with the Vouivre before her, she would restrain her immediately.
Simultaneously, with the coordination of the Yeti Squad, Frostnova began to manifest her Originium Arts. The surrounding temperature plummeted rapidly, and a bone-chilling cold gradually enveloped Talulah and her team.
Talulah felt somewhat uncomfortable as the temperature dropped; she frowned slightly, as she was not particularly fond of such severe cold. If given a choice, she preferred warmer environments.
"You must be Frostnova of the Yeti Squad, right? I am Talulah, a friend of Jeanne. I've come here to see what help we can offer you."
Talulah greeted Frostnova with a friendly expression. She had heard from Jeanne that these people were very kind and easy to talk to. Surely, there wouldn't be any problems, right?
"Talulah?"
Frostnova recalled the name. Wasn't that the person the strange girl (Jeanne) had mentioned? How could she have found them in such a short amount of time?
"So you are the leader of that... Infected Liberation Front?"
What on earth is the 'Infected Liberation Front'...Talulah couldn't help but criticize the name in her mind; she guessed it was another name Jeanne had made up on the spot. Previously, Jeanne had even come up with the name "Infected Restoration Society."
"Yes... that is me! I heard about the army's movements and wanted to see if you had any intelligence or needed assistance..."
"We don't. Please go back. The Guerrillas can handle this matter ourselves. You only need to return and wait."
Frostnova spoke icily. Although more allies were better at a time like this, it was better to be cautious regarding someone of unknown origin wearing a military uniform during such a critical period. To put it bluntly, if Jeanne hadn't demonstrated abilities beyond their imagination, Frostnova would have arrested Talulah for wearing an Ursus military uniform long ago; she was simply too suspicious.
"Hoo... stay calm, stay calm."
Talulah was momentarily rendered speechless by Frostnova's words. Just as she was about to say something more, she suddenly sensed someone quietly approaching them.
Talulah unsheathed her greatsword, causing Frostnova to tense up instinctively. However, as she observed Talulah scanning the surroundings, Frostnova understood what was happening.
"Stay alert! Someone might be creeping up on us!"
Frostnova whispered to the nearby Yetis, signaling them to prepare their Originium Arts to coordinate with her attack.
The people hidden in the surroundings seemed to realize they had been exposed and instantly activated their own Originium Arts. The temperature surged violently. While this heat wasn't enough to kill, it could rapidly melt ice and make ice-based Originium Arts much harder to utilize.
This squad of nearly fifty people had more than half of its members manifesting fire-based Arts simultaneously, significantly weakening the effectiveness of Frostnova and the Yeti Squad.
"Specializing in covert operations and proficient in fire-type Originium Arts... this is a team specifically dispatched by the military to counter you."
Talulah watched the squad gradually surrounding them. If it hadn't been for the high-intensity training she received from the Black Snake (Kashchey) over the past few nights, she wouldn't have discovered them so quickly.
These people hadn't surrounded them slowly; they had been lying in wait for the Yeti Squad. But how did they know the Yetis' movements?
"It seems the so-called energy station was a ruse—a false target to lure us here!"
Frostnova felt a surge of anxiety. She didn't know what Patriot had encountered, but if this was a trap, then his situation was even more dangerous than hers!
"It isn't a ruse. This is indeed the supply hub for the landship. It's just that we didn't set out today; we stayed here to wait for you to take the bait."
The Ursus troops spoke to distract Frostnova and the others while slowly closing the circle.
"Surrender, little girl. We are all Ursus. Our swords should be swung at our enemies, not our compatriots! With your strength, you could fully serve Ursus from the shadows."
The leading officer tried to persuade Frostnova to surrender, partly for his own safety. He knew the strength of the Yeti Squad; even they might not necessarily win.
"The environment here is no longer suitable for your combat. Are you really going to lead your men to their deaths?"
"I'm sorry! We have nothing but inextinguishable hatred for this Ursus! Our hatred will freeze you completely!"
As she spoke, Frostnova unleashed her Originium Arts. However, due to the surrounding temperature and the fact that her Oripathy had improved (lowering her immediate output), her attack was successfully blocked by them.
At that exact moment, a fierce fire ignited. The flames struck directly at the military casters. No one expected there to be such a powerful caster present, and they scrambled to dodge.
But the horror of the flames exceeded their understanding; several casters maintaining their Arts were incinerated into ash. Even the captain was stunned by this turn of events. They were a team specifically formed to counter Frostnova's Yeti Squad—who was this terrifying fire caster that had appeared out of nowhere? Why was there no intelligence on her?
Because the enemies broke their Arts to dodge the flames, Frostnova immediately covered the entire area with her frost. Under the circumstances, she could only work with Talulah to wipe these guys out. Talulah's actions had temporarily proven she wasn't with the military; other matters could be discussed later.
"I didn't expect your Originium Arts to be so impressive," Talulah said, walking over to Frostnova after the battle ended. Fortunately, she had struck in time; otherwise, let alone the Yeti Squad, her own team would have likely suffered significant losses.
"We need to go for reinforcements. You should take your people and head back," Frostnova urged Talulah to leave once more. Facing an Ursus landship combined with a surprise attack meant the entire Guerrilla unit was likely in a desperate situation; there was no need to drag more compatriots to their deaths.
"I'm coming with you. This is no longer just your problem. If we don't join forces now, whatever the outcome is, it won't be good."
Talulah ordered her own team members to return to the village; they could no longer intervene in a battle of this level.
"When the real fighting begins, we won't have the energy to protect your safety," Frostnova warned icily.
Talulah smiled and replied, "It's fine. I can protect myself."