The current Latovinian regular army is quite unique—arguably the strangest army in human history.
In terms of basic military capability, every soldier is equipped with laser weapons, heavy weapon platforms, armored personnel carriers with better protection than tanks, bulletproof armor, plasma weapons, and a large amount of individual anti-aircraft and anti-tank weaponry. At the high end, they possess intercontinental and ballistic missile launch vehicles loaded with nuclear warheads, assault transport ships capable of void travel, ultra-heavy tanks for siege warfare, satellite-integrated drone reconnaissance and strike systems, and militarized space station logistics—none of which are found in other countries around the world. Logistics are abundant, and operation plans are incredibly detailed. The military equipment produced solely by the Undying City would be more than enough for the war—so long as the army was well-trained, the war could be won easily.
But this is precisely where Latovinia's problem lies.
The entire Latovinian population is only five hundred thousand. The regular army is woefully short on manpower, relying heavily on propaganda to conscript people after taking over small villages—essentially packing people into transport trucks and taking them away. Although many young Latovinian men and women have brought their families to join the regular army, the majority of them, aside from the core guerrilla members, lack military skills. The only weapons they had previously encountered were American-made firearms used by local police or weapons acquired after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They had no experience with flying aircraft or operating laser weapons, plasma guns, heavy physical platforms, or anti-aircraft artillery—all of which require time to learn.
Moreover, the training camps established by the Undying City spend significant time on basic military literacy courses, including military discipline, map reading, signal identification, and infantry-armor coordination. The young people of Latovinia neither have the time nor the educational foundation to learn how to operate advanced war machines.
Even if schools exist in the base areas, there's simply no way to teach most people mathematics and Latin in just a few weeks. The entire nation's educational resources are tightly controlled by the land-owning aristocracy. Take, for instance, Ms. Audra, who was saved earlier by the Chief Lecturer. She has now started teaching mathematics in the residential zone—reluctantly, but even that is preferable to washing clothes.
As a result, the personnel required to operate these systems must be provided by the Undying City.
Even though the Military Affairs Department has already dispatched instructors to conduct specialized training courses in the camps, the Latovinians still need time to adapt to the rhythm of modern warfare. Otherwise, they'll end up fighting this war using World War II-era experience and turn themselves into India. In short, Latovinia holds a significant advantage at the strategic level, but still has much to learn at the tactical level.
From the beginning, Solomon made the nature of the Latovinian war clear to Victor von Doom: this is a war fought on the spiritual battlefield of the Latovinian people. Physical annihilation is secondary—spiritual annihilation is what matters. Every time a Latovinian pulls the trigger at the enemy, it's a shock to the spirit. Every grenade thrown is a blaze ignited in the soul.
Following that, this spiritual weapon will radiate outward from Latovinia, expanding first to nearby countries like Transylvania, Silcaria, Serbia, and Hungary. The second sphere of influence will encompass Europe, Central Asia, and the former Soviet republics. The third will extend to the Middle East and South Asia.
The aim is to use the weapon of ideology to gain recognition. Once the basic industrial capacity layout of Latovinia is complete, an expedition will be launched to reunify these regions, eradicate nationalism and religious superstition, and establish the first blueprint of a Human Empire—united under the eagle standard of the Undying City. That's the mild approach. The more aggressive one is to unify first by force, then rebuild afterward. With the technological capabilities of the Undying City, productivity can be rapidly enhanced. As long as the results of NATO's southern expansion can be reversed, many problems will cease to be problems.
Stephanie recommended the second approach and proposed using half-finished products from the gene lab. But Solomon believes that judgment should be based on the circumstances at the time.
Latovinia's industrialization relies on that massive contract signed between the Undying City and Wakanda, which includes projects such as chip manufacturing and research centers. Solomon hesitated before signing that deal, but he ultimately put his name to it. To say he wasn't envious of Wakanda's industrial foundation would be a lie. Even the Martian Foundries are desperately trying to catch up with Wakanda's chip and high-strength alloy production capabilities. Currently, Wakanda holds an irreplaceable position for the Undying City, which is why the plan to annex it is gradually accelerating. In this world, there are no eternal enemies and no eternal friends. Solomon would never allow Wakanda to hold the Undying City by the throat and hinder the realization of his ideals. Even a one percent chance must be treated as an absolute certainty.
The only person who's ever managed to get the better of him was Nick Fury—and that was many years ago. Now, most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s assets have been swallowed up by the Undying City, and the former king of agents now obediently works in the intelligence office.
Still, meals must be eaten one bite at a time, and the tens of thousands of pages of contingency plans drafted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs must be executed step by step.
"Rome!" Little Lorna excitedly raised her hand. "This is Rome!"
Solomon remembered the way the Sorcerer Supreme knocked on his head and complained about that time-travel incident, and he couldn't help but stick out his tongue. He had never seen the Sorcerer Supreme wear such an expression—anxious, frustrated, and helpless all at once. Solomon's gentle demeanor rubbed off on the nameless girl sitting on his lap, who mimicked him by sticking out her tongue in a silly, playful manner.
At that moment, he looked nothing like an ambitious man proclaiming the founding of a Human Empire, but more like a young father caring for his child at home—perhaps even planning to finish cooking dinner before his wife came home from work. Though it was barely lunchtime now, it wasn't unreasonable to start preparing a hearty dinner early.
Lorna wasn't wrong—there was something special about why he instinctively chose that symbol.
As his understanding of the concept of time deepened, Solomon became more convinced that something would happen during that time-travel incident—something where the future could influence the past. As absurd as it sounds, it was likely to occur. He now believed that sometime within the next few years, he would begin this unexpected journey and probably land far back on the timeline of human history. Though the specific reason remains unclear, he had to figure out what role his future self might play in human history to avoid actions that could disrupt it. Or perhaps he already had affected history—but didn't know it. His meticulous nature compelled him to comb through history books, searching for any unreasonable detail.
When Lorna brought up this possibility, Solomon once again felt a chill down his spine, as if stabbed in the back. In the past, anything was possible—no matter how absurd or bizarre. Accepting that thought allowed him to put his mind at ease and begin preparing for the next war.
This next war would not occur in the material universe—it would take place in the outer dimensions. No matter how powerful the Undying City's technology becomes, it cannot directly interfere with extra-dimensional realities. Everything must depend on Solomon and his Honor Guard.
This mission is to resolve a problem that, though personal, is also public: Marduk, the First Demon Pillar, Baal—not all outer-dimensional beings are as loyal as Phoenix. Even Malbus is merely a partner of convenience. Solomon must eliminate this being that is scheming to claim the Seventh Throne and encroach upon the material universe. Only by resolving this threat can the girl sitting on his lap truly unlock her talents and embrace the unparalleled life that awaits her.
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