Chapter 278: Two-Pronged Approach

Inside Gare de l’Est, Morin and Colonel Lucas were anxiously searching for an available firing position.

The two carefully reviewed the map several times and finally found something useful.

“Colonel, look here!”

Morin’s finger traced the map, finally stopping on the Seine River.

“This railway line starts from Gare de l’Est, extends southwest, passes through several districts, and finally goes through here… Bir-Hakeim Bridge and Grenelle Bridge. Both are steel structure railway bridges, located downstream of the Eiffel Tower!”

Colonel Lucas leaned in to study the map closely, then nodded: “That’s right! The straight-line distance from both bridges to the Eiffel Tower is within three kilometers! And the Seine River is wide open, with no obstructions, making it an excellent firing position!”

They found it!

This thought popped into both their minds simultaneously.

But soon, this joy was replaced by new worries.

Colonel Lucas frowned again: “But the problem is, these locations… are also within the Eiffel Tower’s attack range.”

His words were like a bucket of cold water being poured over them.

Indeed, if they could hit the Tower, the Tower could naturally hit them too.

They had personally witnessed the Tower’s lightning attacks “electrocuting” the Armored Airship.

Colonel Lucas looked back at the Armored Train ‘Odin’, feeling uncertain.

After all, although Saxon intelligence had previously known the Eiffel Tower was a Mage Tower, no one could predict what kind of attacks it would launch.

“Captain Morin… although the ‘Odin’s’ defenses are strong, whether it can withstand that level of lightning attack… honestly, I have no confidence at all.”

Morin fell silent after hearing him, his mind racing.

The Armored Train is a fully enclosed metal structure, and the rails connect directly to the earth. Theoretically… shouldn’t it form an effect similar to a “Faraday Cage”?

But theory was just theory, and he wasn’t some physics expert…

Not to mention, he suspected that the magic in this world might not be explainable by common sense at all.

And there was another crucial problem—the ‘Odin’ wasn’t just an empty shell.

It was packed with extremely precise Magitech equipment; heaven knows if those things would be instantly scrapped in a strong electromagnetic environment.

Besides this equipment, it also carried many Radiant Crystal Reaction Shells…

“Colonel.”

Morin raised his head and looked seriously at Lucas: “There are still those Radiant Crystal Reaction Shells on the train. You should know better than me how stable those things are. What if… I mean, what if they are detonated by the Tower’s lightning…”

Morin didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was obvious.

If that thing exploded inside the carriage, forget about attacking the Eiffel Tower—the entire train, along with a large surrounding area, would probably vanish from the map instantly.

Colonel Lucas’s face instantly turned pale, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He had been so focused on how to attack that he had almost forgotten the most critical issue!

“You’re right! This is a huge hidden danger!” He slapped his thigh hard. “If we really decide to operate from those two bridges, these Radiant Crystal Reaction Shells must be unloaded beforehand! We absolutely cannot take them with us!”

The only good news was that the second mode of the ‘Gungnir’ did not fire this type of shell.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t even have a chance to get close enough to attack…

Just as the two were tensely reviewing the map and planning their next move, Morin also felt the cold, decaying scent in the surrounding air becoming increasingly dense.

This manifestation of negative energy was also felt by Colonel Lucas and the other ordinary people present.

“What’s going on? The weather… why does it feel so gloomy?”

Kleist, standing nearby, rubbed his arms and muttered, looking confused.

It wasn’t just him; Colonel Lucas, Manstein, and the other busy soldiers also noticed something was wrong.

“Yeah, does it feel like the temperature suddenly dropped? And this smell… it’s damp and musty, like entering a basement that hasn’t been opened in ages.”

“Look over there!” a soldier pointed to the distant sky.

Following his direction, everyone looked up. Although the sky west of Paris was still clear, it seemed covered by a faint, grayish gauze, giving off an indescribable sense of eeriness.

Colonel Lucas’s expression also turned grim. Although he was not a spellcaster, his years in the military gave him an intuition for danger far surpassing that of ordinary people.

“Captain Morin, do you feel that?” He looked at Morin, his voice tinged with unease.

Morin took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm: “Colonel, you know I am a spellcaster. If my feeling is correct… this should be a spell from the School of Necromancy.”

“The School of Necromancy?” Colonel Lucas paused, then his expression changed drastically. “Are you talking about… Necromancy spells that can resurrect the dead?”

Kleist, Manstein, and the others nearby all gasped sharply.

The name School of Necromancy represented taboo and evil to any soldier on the continent of Europa.

Although they rarely encountered anything related to it within Saxon territory, this did not prevent them from learning about the horrors of this school through various church and military propaganda.

Manipulating corpses, desecrating spirits, spreading plague and curses.

Colonel Lucas was stunned, then his eyes widened as if he had realized something terrifying.

“The Paris Catacombs…”

Kleist and Manstein simultaneously cried out in alarm.

As conquerors about to occupy the city, they naturally knew about some of Paris’s “famous attractions.”

And the underground catacombs, which held over six million skeletons, were undoubtedly the most spine-chilling among them.

“Oh my god…” Colonel Lucas’s voice was dry. “That Tower… it’s not trying to resurrect the dead down there, is it?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Morin nodded, his expression extremely grave.

“Furthermore, that Tower can amplify ordinary lightning spells to such a world-destroying degree. I dare not imagine how terrifying its amplification effect on Necromancy spells will be.”

“What we might be facing might not be dozens or hundreds of skeletons, but… a true Undead Scourge.”

“God…”

Kleist gasped, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief: “Are the Gauls insane?! They’re doing this kind of thing in their own capital?!”

“Those bastards! Not only did they abandon this city, but now they want to turn it into hell!” Manstein cursed angrily.

Every Saxon soldier present was filled with anger and disgust.

Although they were directing their anger at the wrong target… Colonel Lucas’s fists clenched audibly. He stared intently at the distant giant tower that was still flashing with electrical light and said, word by word: “We must destroy it! Immediately! Right now!”

Everyone understood that the situation had completely changed.

If they couldn’t destroy the Eiffel Tower, forget about occupying Paris; whether they could even leave the city alive was a huge question mark.

Just as everyone was burning with anxiety, a familiar engine roar came from overhead, drawing nearer.

Everyone looked up and saw the massive silhouette of Armored Airship No. L29 slowly flying in from the east, beginning to descend, and finally hovering above Gare de l’Est.

“Buzz—”

The huge propellers churned the air, producing a dull sound.

Almost simultaneously, the signaling officer in the command train took off his headset and rushed out excitedly.

“Colonel! We made contact! It’s the L29! Their radio has connected with ours!”

At this distance, the intense electromagnetic interference had finally been weakened to an acceptable range, allowing them to re-establish communication.

“Quick! Give me the communicator!” Lucas snatched the device.

“This is ‘Odin’! Colonel Schneider! What is the situation on your end?!”

“Colonel Lucas?! Are Captain Morin and the others with you?”

Colonel Schneider’s urgent and angry voice came through the receiver.

“Yes, the Instruction Assault Battalion has been operating with us!”

“You finally connected! Damn it, what the hell is that Tower?! We just saw an entire company of the Imperial Guard vanish without even a sound!”

Hearing this news, Lucas and Morin exchanged glances, their expressions growing even worse.

After a moment, Lucas said in a deep voice: “We saw your aerial attack just now, and we also tried attacking, but it was useless. The ‘Gungnir’s’ shells were detonated by its lightning mid-air; we couldn’t hit anything.”

“What? Even the ‘Gungnir’ was useless?!” Schneider’s voice was filled with shock.

“The first mode was useless.”

Lucas explained: “We are preparing to switch to the second mode, but we need to get within three kilometers, and there can be no obstructions in between.”

“Three kilometers? Isn’t that right in its attack range? That’s too dangerous!”

“We know, and we are working on a solution!”

Lucas glanced at Morin beside him, then spoke into the communicator: “Colonel Schneider, listen, the situation is worse now! Captain Morin believes that the Tower is not only discharging electricity, but it’s also using Necromancy spells to resurrect the bodies in the Paris Catacombs!”

“Necromancy spells?! Are you serious?!” Schneider’s voice rose several pitches.

“Absolutely true! We can feel that smell of the dead in the air down here! If you don’t believe me, open a porthole and smell it yourselves!” Lucas roared unceremoniously.

Schneider: “…”

“We must destroy it immediately, or the entirety of Paris will become a city of the dead!”

On the bridge of Armored Airship No. L29, on the other end of the communicator, Colonel Schneider listened to Lucas’s report and fully realized the severity of the problem.

The situation was no longer as simple as the Eiffel Tower discharging electricity… He glanced through the porthole at the city gradually enveloped by a gray aura, then looked at the distant giant tower standing like a demon god, and an unprecedented sense of crisis gripped his heart.

“I understand…”

He took a deep breath and ordered his adjutant: “Use light signals to notify the L28 to temporarily retreat, maintain vigilance in safe airspace, and stop advancing recklessly!”

“Yes, Colonel!”

After issuing the order, Schneider picked up the communicator again and said to Lucas: “Colonel Lucas, what is your plan? What do you need us to do?”

“We plan to drive the train onto the railway bridge over the Seine River!”

Colonel Lucas quickly recounted the plan he and Morin had devised.

“That is the only location that meets the conditions for the second mode of attack, but we are not confident we can withstand the Tower’s lightning attack… so we might need your cover to help us draw some of its fire.”

“Cover you?” Colonel Schneider pondered for a moment.

Using an Armored Airship to draw fire from a giant lightning tower sounded like suicide.

But he also knew this was the only way right now.

If the ‘Odin’ were destroyed, they would completely lose the only means capable of threatening the Eiffel Tower.

“No problem!”

Schneider gritted his teeth and agreed.

“We can use long-range shelling for a feint, or even enter the Tower’s attack range to divert its attention… but Lucas, you must be fast. Our Magic Shields won’t last long either.”

“Understood!”

Just as the two were finalizing the joint operation plan, a thought suddenly flashed through Colonel Schneider’s mind.

“Wait! Lucas! Did you just say you were going to unload those Radiant Crystal Reaction Shells?”

“Yes, those things are too dangerous. We absolutely can’t take them.”

“Then… since you can’t use them, why not give them to us!” Schneider’s voice suddenly grew excited.

“Give them to you? What do you want them for?” Lucas was completely confused.

“Your shells can’t get through because they are intercepted by lightning, and the firing speed is too slow!”

“But what if we drop these shells onto it from directly above?”

Colonel Schneider grew more excited as he spoke: “Our airship’s maximum operational altitude can reach sixty-seven hundred meters! I don’t believe its lightning can strike that high!”

“And as long as we fly above the clouds and drop these Radiant Crystal Reaction Shells one by one, even if it can intercept and detonate them, it should still affect the discharge point at the top of the tower!”

This idea was like a flash of lightning, instantly clearing the fog in everyone’s minds!

That’s right!

Why hadn’t they thought of that!

If they couldn’t hit it from the ground, they would smash it from the sky!

Morin couldn’t help but exclaim: “Colonel Schneider, you truly are a genius!”

Colonel Lucas also shouted excitedly: “Let’s do it! This is definitely a good idea! Anyway, these shells are just sitting idle once I unload them!”

Both of them felt this plan was highly feasible.

High-altitude bombing was simple, brute force, and relatively safer.

“However, we can’t load or unload here.”

Colonel Lucas quickly calmed down. He and Morin exchanged glances, and he continued speaking to Schneider: “The Armored Airship can’t land here either, and most importantly… an operation of this magnitude must be approved by General Mackensen.”

“You’re right,” Schneider agreed. “We must report to Army Group Headquarters immediately! You retreat outside the city right away, and we’ll rendezvous at the maintenance yard outside the city!”

“Alright!”

The two parties immediately reached an agreement.

“Attention, all personnel on the ‘Odin’!”

Lucas put down the communicator and immediately issued new orders.

“Retract the ‘Gungnir’ and switch to marching mode! We are evacuating the urban area immediately!”

Morin also turned and said to Kleist and Manstein: “First and Second Companies, cover the train’s retreat! Third and Fourth Companies, the Field Artillery Battalion, as well as Battalion Headquarters and other direct units, establish a temporary defense line outside the 10th Arrondissement and await further orders!”

“Yes!”