MISS PAINTER, YOUR ART HAS COME ALIVE!-Chapter 21 : Chapter 21 - Within ten days, capture the outskirts!

It didn't take long for Kaelis to reach the front lines.
At this point, the decisive battle hadn't erupted on a large scale yet, although minor skirmishes continued to occur. The situation was barely still stable.
After a simple , Kaelis was quickly appointed as a Centurion captain and assigned her own Squadron.
Such a straightforward arrangement left Kaelis, who was used to political scheming and endless complications, feeling slightly out of place.
But upon reflection, it wasn't really that hard to understand.
This time, Kerkor Kingdom had mobilized a full hundred thousand troops. Although most of them were support personnel, there were still hundreds of centurions in command. That meant within this army, ordinary centurions like Kaelis numbered at least over a thousand.
By the later stages of the war, she'd just be another insignificant soldier.
“Being a centurion might still not be enough... I need to rank up further.”
Holding the armor she'd been issued, Kaelis slowly made her way into the camp west of the royal city.
Kerkor Kingdom's military structure was essentially a microcosm of most armies in this world: nine unarmed civilians plus one lightly armored squad leader formed a squad; nine squads, plus Kaelis's own ten-man unit, made up a squadron; nine squadrons plus a senior centurion formed a brigade; ten brigades were led by a Legion Commander; and above that stood the Chief Commander.
Regardless of anything else, at least here, the path for advancement within the army was very clear.
But the difficulty was undoubtedly high, it definitely wouldn't be simple to rise through the ranks anytime soon.
Shaking her head slightly, as Kaelis headed toward her unit, she suddenly had an idea. She took a detour and found the unit she'd joined during her previous simulation.
After observing for a while, she didn't find herself there.
“So that means this simulation only saves one slot per run?”
Kaelis pondered, then slowly made her way to the camp near the front lines, west of Dias Kingdom's royal capital.
Soon, she saw her own unit…
The 618th Squadron...
“Welcome, Centurion captain!”
Over a hundred soldiers had assembled into a square formation at the camp entrance, waiting for Kaelis's arrival. Leading them was a woman who looked particularly upright and disciplined.
The woman gave Kaelis a feeling similar to that of a Patrol Officer she'd met before, both seemed serious.
But the difference was, the patrol officer was serious inside and out, while this girl... was forcing it.
That sense of exhaustion and frailty couldn't be shaken off with mere willpower.
Kaelis glanced around, noting that most people present were in similar states.
They all looked weak, their dazed expressions calm yet stressed.
After all, this place was near the very front lines. Even during periods without active skirmishes, Dias Empire squads occasionally raided here... their nerves had been constantly strained until now, leaving them utterly exhausted. If this continues, they really will go mad.
Kaelis blinked, scanning the scene.
Then she smiled.
“Dismissed.”
“Eh?” Everyone froze, thinking they'd misheard.
But Kaelis simply shook her head again.
“Dismissed. Rather than welcoming me, what you all need most right now is rest, isn't it?”
“...But...”
A few veteran soldiers exchanged glances and quickly stepped forward.
“No... Centurion captain, we still have strength left!”
“Then are you ready to head to the battlefield right now?”
“...Uh...”
“Just a joke.” Kaelis shook her head slightly, then turned to look at the weary group.
After a moment's thought, she slowly walked over to a nearby platform and stepped onto it.
“I don't know who any of you are, your names, or where you came from. Frankly speaking, you probably don't care much about my background either. But I clearly know one thing, ultimately, we've gathered here for just a single purpose... to survive!”
Her voice wasn't loud, but like a sudden gush of clear, pure spring water, it quietly reached everyone's ears.
Many lifted their heads, their dull eyes fixed on the black-haired girl standing in the muddy pulpit.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling suddenly welled up in their hearts.
Since the founding of their 618th Squadron, many centurions have come and gone. But none had spoken so directly and honestly with them like Kaelis had...
“I don't have any noble background. The reason I could become a centurion directly is simply because I was lucky, I got into the military academy, studied, and happened to rank among the top... But ultimately, I'm the same as you. I'm ordinary. I want good food and drink, a peaceful life, to be with my brothers and sisters, to farm, harvest, and spend every evening in tranquility..."
The crisp female voice echoed gently through the dim air. Some were drawn in by Kaelis's words, their expressions becoming slightly dazed.
If there were no war, could they have lived such a life?
The answer was unknown.
But one thing was certain.
“We're already on the battlefield now... So we are soldiers. We must fight. That's an unavoidable reality!”
Kaelis looked at everyone, exhaled deeply, and lowered her voice again.
“So for now, rest well. For our families, for our future, you should prepare yourselves...”
“...”
The soldiers didn't speak. They simply nodded silently at Kaelis's gesture and groaned.
Kaelis then picked up her armor again and headed toward her own tent.
It was one of the few double-structured tents here. Just entering, she found a meeting room and a patch of sand, upon which many strange objects were placed. Numerous large-headed pins densely stuck into it were slowly moving.
“An ancient real-time map?”
Kaelis raised an eyebrow, quite curious.
Further inside was a bedroom that looked freshly tidied. It wasn't large, only about ten square meters, but had everything necessary.
After simply placing down her few personal belongings, Kaelis paused in thought and took out the pocket watch Elena had given her.
Then...
She silently activated her meditation technique.
“Shua—”
The pocket watch had two sides. The front was a simple clock, while the back was a dial ring, which had just passed one-third.
As Kaelis infused it with her spirit, a complete set of drawing tools appeared instantly, and the dial's needle reset from one-third back to zero.
This was a storage item!
Kaelis wasn't sure what such small objects with special abilities were called in this world, but their price was likely exorbitant.
That Elena was willing to give her such an item sufficiently showed how much that girl valued her.
It was just a pity...
“I wonder if I can take this thing out... But so far, I haven't managed to bring anything out from the simulation. Maybe it's impossible altogether, or maybe there are certain conditions to meet?”
After pondering for a moment, Kaelis gently stroked the drawing board.
But she didn't immediately dive into drawing. Instead, she turned around and looked toward the sand table.
She knew when to do what. Right now, she has achieved her current goal, becoming a centurion.
But this was only the beginning.
Next came the core objective of her simulation.
“The next mission node appears at fifty percent. That means I need to survive here for at least fifty days...”
Looking at the sand table, Kaelis narrowed her eyes slightly.
Dias Royal Capital's entire defense line was divided into three layers. The first layer requires the outermost walls and the garrison stationed outside. If Kaelis remembers correctly, around the twentieth day after the simulation began, the full-scale siege would erupt... at which point the outer layer would be breached, and the battlefield would advance into the inner phase.
During her previous simulation, Kaelis had followed the main force into battle, and then... encountered that monstrous Inquisitor...
Just thinking about that woman made Kaelis shiver all over.
Now, she understood why that person could single-handedly challenge the entire Azalea Squad.
“A Stage One Warrior, huh...”
Kaelis narrowed her eyes.
Although everyone now possessed supernatural abilities and was no longer ordinary, it was clear the elders had their reasons for distinct classifications.
An Ascendent was an Ascendent; a Warrior was a Warrior.
If the difference between them wasn't significant, they wouldn't have used two separate terms.
The gap between them, while not heaven and earth, could certainly be described as vast.
Even the weakest Stage One Warrior would utterly dominate any Ascender.
And such individuals were numerous within Dias Royal Capital's inner defenses.
“Tch, this is troublesome.”
Kaelis slowly pondered, suddenly feeling quite stuck.
She'd thought becoming a centurion would ensure safety, but now it seemed... still insufficient.
Just then, the woman she'd seen earlier walked in slowly, carrying a steaming pot of stew.
Seeing Kaelis intently studying the sand table, she paused in surprise.
The fact that the newly arrived centurion was female was already quite surprising, but for her to be this...
This...
Noticing Kaelis's gaze, she quickly lowered her head.
“Centurion captain, dinner time has arrived.”
“Dinner already?”
Hearing the woman's words, Kaelis finally snaps back to reality.
She'd been so absorbed she'd lost track of time again.
The woman didn't say more. She silently placed the stew aside, then looked at Kaelis with curiosity.
“Were you just... observing the battlefield situation?”
“Mm.”
“Are you aiming for the Siege Reward?”
“Eh?”
Kaelis blinked, looking at the woman.
Only then did the woman realize she'd spoken too freely and quickly stepped back, lowering her head.
No superior liked subordinates constantly speculating about their intentions. As a quartermaster, her duty was to fulfill her responsibilities, not overthink things.
But Kaelis was generous. She waved her hand, ignored the woman's slightly impertinent remark, and looked at her curiously.
“Come to think of it, I haven't learned about you yet... What's your name?”
“My name is Seren. I am your quartermaster.”
In Kerkor, a quartermaster wasn't an official military rank. In a sense, it could be seen as a Deputy commander, with authority varying depending on whom they assist.
Like Seren, her role was to support Kaelis and, in special circumstances, assume command in Kaelis's place. These positions were typically filled by those with combat merits who, due to past mistakes, couldn't receive further promotion opportunities. They usually remain in such roles for life.
It served as a way to maintain military combat effectiveness after personnel rotations.
Learning the other's position, Kaelis blinked curiously.
“You just mentioned... The Siege Reward... What exactly is it?”
“It's a reward jointly announced days ago by the supreme commanders of the three allied nations. No matter which country or army, whoever first plants their nation's flag on the walls of Dias Royal Capital will immediately be promoted one rank and receive a special spiritual item...”
Seren lowered her head as she spoke.
She had joined this siege of the capital from the beginning, so she was aware of major developments within the army.
Hearing this, Kaelis suddenly raised an eyebrow.
“Just planting the flag... is enough?”
“...More accurately, it requires creating a breakthrough.”
Seren shook her head slightly.
Although Kaelis hadn't spoken, she could guess what Kaelis was thinking.
But it wouldn't work.
Whether instant promotion or obtaining an spiritual item, neither was a simple reward.
Just planting the flag wasn't sufficient... That action was merely a mandatory task to complete during final mission settlement.
The core purpose was to give other troops a goal, boosting morale and determination during the siege.
Without rewards, why would anyone risk their lives?
And this method... was indeed effective.
At least Kaelis was interested.
Kaelis raised her brows, not minding, and directly sat cross-legged on the ground.
Whether it was a spiritual item or a promotion, Kaelis was quite interested in both.
Promotion could ensure greater safety during later inner-layer battles, allowing her to survive longer... As for spiritual items, it was simply curious.
But the requirement was planting the flag during the siege...
“This won't be easy...”
After pondering for a moment, Kaelis slightly frowned.
Right now, the Dias Empire's situation was extremely dire, but the units still willing to remain here clearly had high loyalty.
Such units wouldn't be easy to defeat.
Especially since Kaelis only commanded a hundred men. Even if she herself was a Stage Two Ascender, it wouldn't be enough to break through. Even at Stage Three, it will only be barely possible, at best.
“The requirements are quite high.”
She smiled, gazing at the sand table before her.
From Kaelis's memory, breaching the outer walls will happen around day twenty.
If history didn't deviate too much, that meant she had less than ten days left for someone else to claim this reward.
During her previous simulation, Kaelis hadn't heard of such a thing... though that was understood. Back then, she was exhausted every day, either marching or preparing for battle, under such pressure she barely had time to rest.
And at that time, she was still just a support soldier. Even after joining the Azalea Squad, she wasn't officially integrated. Naturally, such matters were beyond her reach.
How could a mere cannon-fodder worry about promotions?
But now it is different.
Kaelis, as a centurion, had a chance to compete.
But...
“To capture the outer city within ten days...”
Kaelis narrowed her eyes, and within her small head, some devious ideas began slowly forming…