Time passed in the blink of an eye. When the day of departure finally arrived, Jeanne and the vanguard team set out toward their objective ahead of the main force.
Indeed, the team she led this time still consisted of select members of the Yeti Squad and the newly formed Infected units. As for why the Sarkaz weren't included in this vanguard action, it was primarily because they were not yet accustomed to moving at high speeds across the tundra.
"Hey, Captain Jeanne, why are we heading out so much earlier than the rest of the army? I saw scouting parties with the rear units earlier; doesn't that make us redundant?"
After covering a significant distance, they were forced to take a short break before continuing. There was no helping it; while the Infected squads were skilled at traversing the snow, their physical stamina still lagged behind. Fortunately, Jeanne had anticipated this before they set out, which was why she left early to ensure that their arrival at the destination wouldn't delay the main mission.
At that moment, they were resting in an area with relatively thin snow cover. Many of the Infected were panting heavily from the journey. Looking at the nearby Yetis—who were still jumping around as if possessed by infinite energy—they couldn't help but marvel at the vast difference between individuals.
"Since I've had you set out early, there is naturally a very important task for you to do. Also, try to speak as little as possible from now on; talking during a march is one of the quickest ways to drain your stamina."
Jeanne looked at the curious squad member but didn't directly answer his question. Instead, she offered him a cup of water with a smile to help him recover his nearly exhausted strength.
Jeanne looked toward the distant horizon, thinking that the tunnel she had tasked Laifu with digging should be just about finished. That tunnel would be of immense use to the team when the time came.
Currently, the Earth Dragon named Laifu was still diligently digging underground. In truth, the task Jeanne had assigned it had been completed long ago, but the dragon felt the work wasn't "aesthetic" enough. It was still excavating the underground cavern according to its own design.
Jeanne, of course, had no way of knowing this. However, she had a strange feeling that if she didn't hurry there, something might go wrong. She led the group toward the cave entrance she had previously marked. Everyone was curious—just what was Jeanne planning to do by bringing them to this specific spot?
"This is the place. You need to prepare today. When the battle officially begins tomorrow, you will use this tunnel to rescue the miners inside."
Jeanne pointed toward the massive tunnel—wide enough for three people to walk through side-by-side—and spoke to the group.
The followers were struck with shock as they stared at the tunnel. Those who were unaware of Jeanne's capabilities were stunned that she could dig such a spacious passage in such a short amount of time. If they had been tasked with the job, digging a tunnel straight to the enemy camp would have taken at least two months to complete.
And what about Jeanne? How many days had passed since she last scouted the area? To carve out such a path in permafrost that was harder than iron was something they had never imagined.
The group followed Jeanne into the tunnel and found that it wasn't cramped at all; they could even walk upright with ease. Lighting torches, they examined the surrounding earth and discovered massive claw marks. The prints were so large that a person of shorter stature could practically fit inside one.
In other words, the feet of this giant beast were larger than some of their own teammates. The Yetis, who had already witnessed Jeanne's strange creatures, weren't particularly surprised.
As they walked deeper into the tunnel, Jeanne was secretly wondering to herself: I didn't tell him to make the path this big, did I?
Did this little guy go overboard again? With this thought in mind, Jeanne reached the area directly beneath the enemy camp. Good grief—if she hadn't arrived, Laifu might have hollowed out the entire foundation!
"Stop, stop, stop! You, stop right now!"
Jeanne quickly called a halt to Laifu's construction. The dragon had been happily digging away and was naturally quite annoyed at being interrupted. However, upon seeing Jeanne appear, the grumbling beast instantly transformed into a well-behaved "good boy," looking at her with a fawning expression as if seeking praise for its hard work.
Behind Jeanne, many people were seeing the giant beast for the first time. Fear began to spread from the depths of their hearts, causing a stir in the ranks. The creature's appearance was a massive shock to those unacquainted with such beings; they were doing well just by not screaming and running away.
The dragon's face, covered in obsidian-black scales, looked like a suit of iron armor. Set into this armor were two dark-gold lanterns—eyes that bore a striking resemblance to the color of Jeanne's own pupils.
"Quiet! Everyone, be quiet!"
Those who remained calm saw the commotion in the rear and quickly worked to settle the ranks. They hadn't forgotten what Jeanne had just said—this place was directly beneath the enemy camp! If someone with sharp hearing up there caught wind of the noise down here, things would get very messy.
Fortunately, those above hadn't noticed anything unusual beneath their feet. Or rather, they never would have dreamed that someone could dig a tunnel right under them!
With the help of others, the underground commotion subsided. However, the way people looked at Laifu was still filled with dread, and they instinctively kept their distance.
"Is this big guy an Earth Dragon too? Man, he's huge. Compared to him, the one you left in the forest to mine is just a child," remarked one of the Yetis. Being somewhat familiar with such creatures, they weren't afraid; instead, they were curious about this massive beast and even felt an impulse to reach out and touch it.
But after seeing the dragon's slightly wary gaze, they wisely withdrew their hands and settled for admiring the majestic creature from a distance.
"I'm leaving this place to you. Wait here for tomorrow's signal. The moment you hear an explosion, move out. Also, this fellow's name is Laifu. He'll stay here to act as your helper."
Although Laifu lacked the flight capabilities of a Wyvern, its physical strength and massive size were its most terrifying weapons. It would be a powerful ally to have on-site.
"What about you? Aren't you moving with us?" a Yeti asked, confused by Jeanne's instructions. No wonder Big Sis (FrostNova) had said their task was the heaviest; it was because Jeanne wouldn't be there to command them. They would have to rely on their own quick thinking.
"No, I have a more important mission. By the way, make sure no one stands in that spot tomorrow. It could get dangerous."
Jeanne pointed to a blackened patch on the ground. The ceiling of the tunnel above it showed signs of scorching. It seemed Laifu had been so bored that it intended to burn a ventilation hole through the ceiling.
After finishing her instructions, Jeanne shouldered her pack and left. Inside the pack were processed Originium shards. She needed to find a secluded spot to use them and begin the summoning of the Wyverns.
Seeing Jeanne leave, Laifu was also quite reluctant to see her go. It didn't like staying with these "two-legged" creatures; it wanted to go with Jeanne. But because of her orders, it could only stay behind and endure the company of these beings it didn't care for.
"Uh... your name is Laifu, right? My name is Sokov. I'll be in your care!"
After Jeanne left, one of the Yeti Squad members tried to greet the giant beast. But Laifu wasn't buying it. It stared at the man for a long time before turning its head away, completely ignoring him.
"Er... it looks like we're going to need some time to get used to each other!"
Looking at the beast that had clearly rejected his attempt at cooperation, even Sokov could feel how difficult their upcoming operation was going to be.
Meanwhile, Jeanne was searching for a wide enough area. Tomorrow, she would summon her Wyverns there to launch the first strike of the battle.