The Hungry Fortress Wants to Build a Battleship in Another World – World of Sandbox

"Hostile action detected."
Dreißig Ringo immediately declared an emergency to Ringo’s mainframe and executed the most optimal response within her allowed capabilities.
She shifted her internal systems from standard mode to combat mode. While this significantly increased the consumption of her internal batteries and nutritional fuel reserves, it also drastically boosted her cognitive and physical abilities.

(Unit 20, Zwanzig—Emergency. Unit 27, Zip und Zwanzig—Emergency. Multi-Legged Tank Unit 1, Bravo—Emergency. Multi-Legged Tank Unit 2, Charlie—Emergency. Multi-Legged Ground Carrier Alpha—Emergency. Unit 28, Acht und Zwanzig—Wake-up request.)
(Unit 20, Zwanzig—Acknowledged.)
(Unit 27, Zip und Zwanzig—Acknowledged.)

(Unit 1, Bravo—Combat ready.)
(Unit 2, Charlie—Combat ready.)
(Ground Carrier Alpha—Combat ready. Unit 28, Acht und Zwanzig—Starting up.)

She sent command signals to the multi-legged tanks and the ground carrier, which had been stationed outside due to their size. At the same time, she activated the dormant machinery and issued combat maneuver commands via the microwave transmission system.
This sequence took only 0.3 seconds. Although it would take a few more seconds for Ringo’s response, there was no time to wait idly.
It was unfortunate that she had already removed her tactical goggles, but given the technological level of the Afflasia United Kingdom, her unassisted capabilities were more than sufficient to handle the situation.

With her left hand, she drew a combat knife, and with her right, a handgun. She swung the knife at the soldier about to thrust his sword at her while aiming the gun at the lord.
"What—"
Lord Radaeri Fratara opened his mouth to speak, but Ringo ignored him and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out as she struck the soldier’s bronze sword with her knife, cleaving it in half. She stepped in, driving her clenched fist into the soldier’s throat.
"Gaah!"
The bullet pierced the lord’s left shoulder, exiting cleanly. The lord screamed in pain while the soldier collapsed, knocked aside. Chaos erupted among Fratara City’s guards.

Meanwhile, Leon DeGlatt, the escort leader, remained calm. Familiar with Dreißig’s combat abilities, he had steeled himself the moment she moved and acted swiftly.
Drawing his curved cutlass, he sliced through an approaching sword, then slammed his shoulder into the staggering soldier to disrupt the formation of the others.
A directive came from Ringo to Dreißig.
(Command orders: 126, 45, 4800, 3362, …)

Without full synchronization, commands were transmitted as pre-set code combinations, minimizing data transfer time. These codes had countless patterns, making them highly flexible. However, executing them still required advanced AI processing to interpret and act based on situational data.
The directive read:
"Paraiso will seize control of this city."

Dreißig Ringo leaped over the table and pressed the tip of her knife against Lord Radaeri Fratara’s right eye, declaring:
"Resistance is futile. Surrender immediately."
The ground carrier Alpha, upon receiving the command, launched anti-personnel attack drones via catapults. The drones reached the airspace above the lord’s manor within five seconds, flying at 250 km/h. They deployed six propellers to decelerate sharply and began visually scanning their targets. Ground-attack drones followed similar paths, circling overhead.

Within one minute of receiving the command, the deployment of two anti-personnel drones, one ground-attack drone, and one anti-air drone was complete.
Simultaneously, Unit 28, Acht und Zwanzig, emerged from standby mode. She quickly equipped her gear and jumped out of the carrier, accelerating toward Fratara City.
The carrier’s side panels opened, extending a ramp to the ground. Two multi-legged combat units rolled down, gaining momentum as they sped toward the city. Acht und Zwanzig climbed onto one of them, heading straight for the lord’s manor.

The multi-legged tanks took direct action after receiving their orders. Unit 2, Charlie, sped toward the city on wheels, while Unit 1, Bravo, aimed its railgun at Fratara City.
A flash of plasma.
With a sharp sound, a tungsten penetrator fired from the railgun at 5,000 m/s, traveling in a near-straight line through the air. Its target—the clock tower near the lord’s manor.

The brick tower stood no chance against such velocity. The projectile shattered the supports and walls, splitting the structure in two. The clock tower began to collapse slowly.
"Urgh… You bastards…"
"You no longer control life and death here. Disarm immediately."

Dreißig kept her knife against the lord’s eye as she began to move. With their lord held hostage, the guards hesitated, unable to act. The six who had entered the room stood frozen, swords drawn but powerless.
At that moment, the clock tower shattered.
The deafening blast and tremors sent the guards sprawling. Leon clung to the back of a sofa for support.

The only one unfazed was Dreißig, who had anticipated the event.
As she pressed her combat knife closer to the lord’s neck, she whispered:
"Look to your right."

"…!"
The lord turned to the window overlooking Fratara City, where he saw the remains of the collapsing clock tower. The falling rubble rang the bell unintentionally, echoing ominously through the streets.
Moments later, the clock face struck the ground, and a final, resounding chime enveloped the city.

"That was our attack. We can deliver strikes like that anywhere in this city, as often as we like. Do you understand?"
After a brief pause, Dreißig repeated her demand:
"Resistance is futile. Surrender immediately."

And so, this marked the first military invasion by The Tree in this world.
"Well… I suppose this couldn’t be avoided."
After the lord’s unprovoked attack and the mechanical communicator’s swift counterattack, Fratara City’s icon turned red on the strategic map, indicating hostility. However, once the manor was secured, the city surrendered without further chaos. Whether it could truly be called “peaceful” was debatable.

Since the ground carrier couldn’t fit through the city gates, it smashed through the eastern gate to enter. Naturally, this startled the citizens, but its direct march to the manor minimized panic.
To Eve’s relief, no riots or mass evacuations occurred, despite expecting such outcomes.
The carrier parked at the manor, where the gravely wounded lord was thrown into a medical pod. This caused another commotion, but it was quickly handled. Four mechanical communicators and drones subdued any disturbances. The guards complied without further resistance.

With intensive care, the lord’s gunshot wound—fortunately only a flesh wound that avoided shattering his scapula—would heal fully within a week using the medical pod. Keeping the lord alive was deemed necessary for future governance.
The next day, they air-dropped additional multi-legged tanks. Without developed rocket thrusters, parachutes were used instead. The sight of steel monsters descending from the sky left the citizens in awe and fear.
Rumors of the lord’s capture had already spread overnight, but the sight of the landing solidified the city’s submission.

"Fratara City has been disarmed. The immediate threat has been neutralized."
"Yeah… I didn’t expect this to turn into a military invasion. We’ll need to rework our strategy."
Though anticipated as a worst-case scenario, the sudden seizure of Fratara City was far from ideal. Once a trade hub, it could quickly attract unwanted attention if word of The Tree’s occupation spread.

"For now, we’ll maintain the blockade. We have a few months to finalize plans."
"We also need to contact the Forest Nation of Leblesta. For now, let’s count this trade hub as an unexpected gain."