I'm playing Frostpunk in Arknights

"The communication officer finally responded to my question yesterday," Karl said grimly, his face devoid of expression, a shadow of gloom hanging over his brow. "He said the guerrilla forces might not be able to reach the Generator on time."

Tallulah was puzzled. "What happened to them? With the storm approaching, the garrison should be busy gathering to head south. The guerrillas should have plenty of time to return to the Generator."

"I want to know as well, Tallulah," Karl said as he scanned the worried faces of the two others. "That's why I waited at the relay point for an entire day before I got their reply."

"What did they say?"

"They originally took down an infected transport station, rescued the infected there, and inventoried the supplies," Karl explained. This was within Tallulah's expectations—given the guerrilla force's combat capabilities and the garrison's current preoccupation with the impending storm, it was logical.

"But a rapid-response force appeared nearby. They were marching incredibly fast," Karl repeated the message from the telegraph. "According to our scouts, it's a rapid deployment unit composed of Ursine Griffons."

"They're regulars from the northeastern border."

The northeastern border—that meant a regular force stationed near the Eastern Nation.

After the Bloodpeak Campaign and before the Great Rebellion, when General Helag disappeared, Ursus and the Eastern Nation signed a treaty. A new Ursine Captain was promoted to oversee the frontier defenses. Over time, this captain earned the new emperor's favor and became a grand duke.

"Grand Duke Vsevolod? He's supposed to be stationed at the border," Tallulah said with a frown. Unlike Helag, Vsevolod carried the bloodline of the Griffon Empire, a fact Koschei had once told her.

Eliminating the remnants of the Griffon Empire had long been a cornerstone of Ursine policy. Surely, the current emperor wouldn't be unaware of this.

If he were a rebel, the Internal Guard would've already cut off his head, and a new duke would've taken his place the next day. Yet here he was in the Northern Tundra—did the Internal Guard allow this?

No, that's unlikely. The Internal Guard always prioritized stability within Ursus, and a mere grand duke wouldn't warrant such caution.

Tallulah's unease deepened, leaving Alina feeling uneasy in turn.

"That rapid-response force isn't heavily equipped. Their gear is only a few years more advanced than what the guerrilla force uses," Karl said, though the outcome was already evident to everyone.

"But the guerrillas are exhausted from fighting the garrison and can't estimate whether this unit has reinforcements or even their mobile city following behind."

A grand duke's mobile city likely came with a high-speed warship.

"The guerrillas were forced to split into three groups and move further north to evade pursuit."

This meant the unit's actual goal was the south.

"That grand duke comes from the northeastern border," Tallulah muttered, her doubts growing. Why was a duke from the far east able to avoid the storm and show up in the Northern Tundra?

"A grand duke?!"

Karl was shocked. He'd only heard of such high-ranking figures from Tallulah's occasional mentions; even the Patriot rarely spoke of them.

"What's the deal with this grand duke?"

Wang Zhan's voice came from the screen. Judging from how impressive the title sounded, it seemed significant, though he wasn't familiar with Terra's affairs.

"Just a grand duke, right? Doesn't sound all that special."

Alina explained, "A grand duke has their own territory, mobile city, and, by the looks of it, their own military."

"That's not all. He used to be a general," Tallulah added with a furrowed brow. "He may have fought during the same period as the Patriot."

"If he plans to stay in the Northern Tundra, we're bound to clash with him."

Wang Zhan let out a slow breath. Was this finally the BOSS battle?

Hopefully, this old guy drops some top-tier loot. Maybe a mountain of gold coins?

"In short, the Patriot won't make it to the Generator on time and will have to face the storm outside," Karl concluded. This meant the guerrillas would likely suffer heavy losses, with many infected needing treatment.

No matter how many guerrillas survived, the Generator had to prepare to receive their wounded.

However, with only six engineers on hand, there was no way to save so many people.

Wang Zhan thought about the aftermath of the storm.

Once the storm was over, things would be different. Even doctors in the city would seek warmth and food near the Generator. Staffing shortages wouldn't be a problem then.

It would be his turn to pick and choose.

"Exactly," Tallulah said, glancing at Alina, who explained that the voice earlier was from the Generator.

"The guerrillas may not make it through the storm, but I believe in them..."

"They have the Generator's coordinates," Tallulah continued. "But in the midst of a storm, how can they navigate to find the Generator?"

"With a storm of this magnitude, even the guerrillas will struggle," Alina noted. She hoped to stop Tallulah from impulsively leading a rescue team into the storm. "They can't force their way through the storm—rapid winds will sap their body heat."

"No, they have FrostNova," Tallulah said resolutely. "FrostNova will ensure their safety, even at the cost of her own life."

FrostNova always cherished her comrades. The Generator was their best haven.

"The Generator doesn't have enough personnel to search for the guerrillas. Most of them are workers with no combat experience."

Wang Zhan had no intention of wasting manpower on such a dangerous task. Through Alina, he conveyed, "I'll build a lighthouse to guide the guerrillas. After the storm, we'll send teams to search for any survivors."

Building a lighthouse would unlock the map, potentially revealing the guerrilla's location. It would also allow teams to explore the surrounding area for resources and information.

But most importantly, the lighthouse would mark the Generator's location, helping the guerrillas find their way through the storm.

As for Ursus, their internal turmoil would be more than enough to keep them occupied.

"Thank you for your help," Tallulah said, finally relaxing a little. Given the circumstances, she couldn't expect the Generator to abandon its current tasks to rescue the guerrillas.

After all, the infected under the Generator's care relied on its efforts.

[During the storm, build a lighthouse.]

A task notification popped up in Wang Zhan's interface. Once the storm ended, this event would disappear.

He had to fit the Lighthouse into the Workstation's schedule.

"Can I do anything to help?"

"Join the Workstation. We need to finish several key tech projects before the storm arrives."