CHAPTER 876: CHAPTER 876: AT THE GATES

In the wilderness west of Jin Galun Harbor, a group of Weilante people in prison uniforms were working on the construction site.

As one of the Alliance’s lackeys, Jin Galun Harbor inherited the Alliance’s glorious tradition that the POW camp was always built by the POWs themselves. They could move in once it was finished.

There was no distinction of Centurion or Ten Thousand Leader here, only supervisors and prisoners.

Even Wolfe had to do the same work as the soldiers.

At the entrance of the POW camp.

A soldier on duty sat on a stool, crossed his legs and looked at the newspaper in his hand, suddenly couldn’t help but curse.

"What a damn waste!"

On the headline of the newspaper, there was a striking line in black and white.

"Absek Changes Generals on the Spot! Akale County Falls!"

Half a month ago, the headline printed on the front page was the great victory of Akale County.

In just half a month, that fool had lost the upper hand he once had.

Worse still, the content of the newspaper was even more infuriating!

The 50th, 51st, and 52nd Divisions (Ten Thousand Troops) suffered over half casualties, and the Death Legion was completely annihilated!

If the 11th and 3rd Divisions hadn’t gone north to assist the Mammoth Nation, but had defended together with the three reinforcing divisions, would they have been beaten so badly by the Legion?

Besides, it was unreasonable to say it was reinforcement; everyone knew the Southern Legion’s target was Tiandu, right?

Going north under the guise of reinforcing allies at this time was simply to preserve their own main forces and then come back to reap the benefits after Tiandu was defeated!

He could hear the sound of the calculator’s keyboard all the way in Jin Galun Harbor!

Seeing his fellow soldier’s furious expression, a soldier leaning against a pillar chuckled and teased.

"When did you get the illusion that guy wasn’t useless?"

The soldier with the rifle on his shoulder also chuckled.

"A dock worker knows shit about fighting; even I could do better."

The soldier against the pillar smoothed things over.

"You can’t say that about him; he was a soldier before he became a dock worker."

"Oh, the Grey Wolf Army... turns out he was quite the swimmer."

"Hahaha, damn!"

"Hey... why do we always end up with such idiots? Can’t we have a normal person in charge for once?" sighed the soldier with the newspaper, frustration written all over his face.

Either they’re good at fighting but bad at governance, or they’re good at governance but bad at fighting.

It’s not like the Alliance hadn’t tried to help them, even the Legion that’s hitting them now has lent a hand.

He always felt it shouldn’t be this way.

There were so many compatriots already awake, yet they couldn’t wait for a sage worthy of their loyalty.

The old soldier who had remained silent threw the finished cigarette butt on the ground and said blandly.

"Maybe it’s fate."

He was an old-timer from the time of Duke Nihak, was in the army back then.

Compared to these young newcomers, he was much more open-minded.

No matter how inadequate Absek was, even if he had swum in the river, he was still much better than Witch Camel and Nihak.

In his view, a perfect person without moral flaws, hardworking, dedicated, immensely strong, and wise, was either a god or a fraud.

The only profession that can meet all the demands of people, no matter how stringent and perverse those fantasies might sound, especially the highly skilled fraud, they could always rationalize when the victim started doubting.

From this perspective, Absek indeed wasn’t brilliant, he only fooled the Legion once. If he could turn black into white, he wouldn’t have as many people cursing him.

Hearing those "frustrated" voices, the prisoners all moved aside.

For various reasons, the survivors of Poluo Province’s hatred for the Weilante people had reached an unprecedented peak, so much so that locals couldn’t help but spit and throw things at them the moment they saw their noses.

Although the soldiers on duty would block the crowd, they didn’t show any kindness to them usually.

Everything seemed to have returned to two centuries ago, when the Weilante people had the lowest status.

Even worse than back then.

No one dared to provoke the soldier’s bad mood, all kept their heads down doing their own tasks, pretending to be very busy.

Some secretly felt relieved or cheered inside.

After all, if these Poluo people are so frustrated, they must have suffered a defeat at the front line.

For those in the POW camp doing hard labor, there was no better news.

When Ryan’s Ten Thousand Chief’s army came over, they could be taken home!

At six in the evening, as the sun sat on the horizon, the bell in the POW camp rang.

That was the off-duty bell and also a signal for dinner.

The soldier on duty at the entrance threw the tattered newspaper aside, saluted his brother coming to replace him, then shouldered his rifle and went to the adjacent military camp.

They had to return the weapons and clothes before they finished work, after which it was their personal time.

As for the newspaper thrown on the ground, it became a coveted item among the prisoners.

They all rushed over to pick it up, curiously wanting to see what happened at the front line.

What they saw in the headlines was just as they expected, explosive news was already printed on the headline.

A lot of excited gleams appeared in those eyes, many of the prisoners clenched their fists in excitement.

"Damn, this is really satisfying!"

"Nicely done!"

"Kill these bastards!"

Though they were excited, they were still prisoners on enemy territory and didn’t dare to celebrate too blatantly. They could only sneak off to places without overseers to share their joy and secretly pass around the good news.

The newspaper eventually ended up in Wolfe’s hands.

Taking off the dark, worn gloves, the haggard old general held the newspaper in his hand, glanced at it, and a small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he shared in the joy for a moment.

However, it wasn’t long before his brows furrowed with a hint of distress.

"...The 30th ten-thousand troops have been delayed in Akale County for almost half a month. This is not a good sign."

The adjutant standing next to him raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think Ryan might lose?"

Wolfe shook his head and sighed.

"Hard to say."

According to the original plan, they should have already been at the gates of Tiandu City by now, but they were stuck in Akale County for this long.

Since this war began, their plans could never keep up with changes.

Including the previous bombing of Lion City.

Ryan intended to destroy the will to resist among the survivors of Poluo Province through this method, but it had the opposite effect, binding the scattered mice into a cohesive force, leading to their first setback in Akale County.

His evaluation of Absek was completely different from that of the locals; he was a cunning old fox to the extreme.

If Anush was their opponent instead, they wouldn’t have had such a hard time winning.

Just then, the sound of rolling wheels came from the road outside the POW camp’s gates.

Wolfe looked up and saw trucks full of soldiers speeding along the road towards the inland docks.

His facial expression stiffened slightly.

It wasn’t the military trucks transporting soldiers that caught his attention, but the soldiers sitting on those trucks.

The black gas masks they wore triggered an instinctual fear in him...

It’s the Death Legion!

Weren’t they already annihilated?

How have they come back?!

Wolfe wasn’t the only one surprised, but also Captain Taote and other Weylent military officers who had clashed with the Death Legion before.

Their faces showed signs of collapse, as if they’d seen a ghost.

"Damn..."

A captain clenched his fist, his eyes filled with disbelief and panic.

Just how many of these guys are there?!

Meanwhile, on the truck heading for the dock, Edge Shoveling squinted his eyes, gazing at the dock in the distance.

In the last battle, he hadn’t had enough fun before being taken out by a 200mm shell.

He hoped this time, the defense of Tiandu wouldn’t be so unlucky...

...

After a week of maneuvering, the resurrected Death Legion once again set foot on the land of Poluo Province, heading towards the frontline.

And that’s not all.

The previously annihilated Skeleton Corps also returned, driving tanks fresh off the assembly line.

The decisive battle site was set in Tiandu.

It wasn’t just the heart of Poluo Country, but it also held a gift prepared by the Academy for the Legion.

An unprecedented large-scale battle was brewing.

At the same time, at the river bend in Akale County, three airships with broken wings finally completed their final repairs.

The majestic steel fortress, like a man-made cloud, with its gun barrels already aiming at Tiandu from afar.

Moreover, the railroad connecting West Sail Port and Lion City had been repaired and extended to the Everflow River.

Trainloads of brand-new equipment were being shipped to the front lines, including ammunition for the frontline soldiers and airships, as well as self-propelled guns and tanks brought through the marine blockade.

In the face of absolute Strength, all flashy tactics are paper tigers.

The Alliance’s series of operations on the Southern Legion’s supply lines did indeed have some effect, yet it still couldn’t change the fact that the Southern Legion’s front line was advancing.

Inside the command vehicle.

Looking at the well-prepared troops on the holographic screen, Commander Ryan’s tightly pursed lips finally curled into a slight, cheerful smile.

He wanted to see how the grasshoppers before this overwhelming torrent of steel would block their way!

Thinking so, he slowly raised his right hand and waved it forward lightly.

"Move out!"

Next to him, the adjutant, who received the order, had his face flush with excitement.

The opportunity for the 30th ten-thousand troops to reclaim their honor had finally arrived!

He straightened his back and cried out loudly and forcefully.

"Yes!"

With the order to advance given, all five airships simultaneously raised their anchors, heading towards Tiandu.

Meanwhile, the ground forces were also marching forward in a grand procession!

Trucks crushed across the muddy ground, leaving deep tire marks on the soft plains.

Sitting inside the trucks were heavily armed Weilante soldiers.

Some of them were wearing finely crafted exoskeletons, others were clad in heavy bulletproof armor. Their fierce eyes were like hungry wolves on the plains, eager for the upcoming hunt.

Apart from the soldiers of the Weylent People, there were also soldiers from the Glory Army.

Their eyes were equally fierce, like hyenas scavenging behind a wolf pack.

The shimmering bayonets were their teeth!

They would be responsible for gnawing the toughest bones and paving the way forward for the Southern Legion with their flesh and blood!

Aside from the infantry and artillery, the proud steel torrent of the Weylent People advanced together!

Nearly eight hundred "Conqueror" No. 10 tanks, protected by close to two thousand light tanks and armored vehicles, resembled a moving wall!

These tanks mainly came from the factories of the Western Legion and were shipped to West Sail Port by fearless freighters.

The roar of engines and the rolling of treads shook the earth, as if an earthquake had struck!

From a distance, the farmers in the fields watched with terror etched on their faces.

They had never witnessed such an astonishing scene, nor could they imagine how to defeat such a terrifying opponent...

Facing the concentrated assault launched by the legion, General Udonuo’s old troops engaged in a desperate fight.

A massive force of nearly one hundred thousand troops gathered and advanced along a frontline spanning hundreds of kilometers, charging eastward from Akale County to the western outskirts of Tiandu.

In coordination with the Air Force of the Alliance, they launched dozens of ambushes along the nearly hundred-kilometer march route.

Even when resisting with nothing more than an insect’s futile efforts, they didn’t flinch; even if they ended up bloodied, they were determined to bite a piece off the Southern Legion’s arm!

Thick blood paved a road of death, and almost every inch of soil was laced with human bones.

Among them were Poluo people, Weylent People, clones, and players.

Both sides fought with eyes blazing red!

In this nearly month-long slaughter, the soldiers of both Poluo Country and the Southern Legion experienced a dramatic change in their temperament.

Initially, it took a team of ten soldiers from Poluo Country to replace a Weylent soldier, but later the ratio changed to 5:1, and even 3:1.

No one had previously thought they could achieve final victory, yet as the battle dragged on, they gained not only experience but also a resolute determination to win.

However, for the Weylent side, it was a completely different story.

The ongoing casualties and the difficulty in progressing made the propaganda on the broadcasts increasingly sound like a hollow lie.

The local survivors were nothing like the weaklings described by the Southern Legion’s upper echelons.

They dug holes and traps in the forests, jumped out from trees, and launched suicide attacks with rocket launchers or dynamite... Like lunatics without regard for their lives.

Faced with this unprecedented and thorny situation, even seasoned veterans from the colonies were caught off guard time and again.

After just a month, the ardor and bloodlust blazing in their eyes gradually turned to numbness and hesitation.

Especially for those new recruits who had enlisted not long ago.

However, fortunately, this bloody ordeal did not last long.

After crushing Udonuo’s old troops and defeating the fifteen million troops under Captain Duwata, they finally pushed the frontline to the northwestern suburbs only twenty kilometers from Tiandu.

There lay a small riverside town called Rudel Town, home to twenty or thirty thousand survivors.

However, due to plague and the ravages of war, the entire town had been abandoned, leaving behind only ruins and rubble.

Some bodies washed ashore by the riverbanks emitted a stench of decay from the muddy river water, looking like the River Styx leading to Hell.

Sitting in the command vehicle, Commander Ryan gazed through the holographic screen at the nearby Tiandu and the floating palace, the smile on his face growing ever brighter.

Finally reached...

His troops need just a step forward, and the capital of Poluo Country would change hands.

That would mark the turning point of the entire war, much like the victory he achieved in Akale County.

Although it was unfortunate not to find Wolf and the others captured, as long as he could achieve final victory, General Giulion likely wouldn’t blame him too much.

As Commander Ryan contemplated whether to open a bottle of champagne, a communication request from the captain of the Horn Number suddenly popped up on the holographic screen.

"We’ve reached the edge of Tiandu. I’m wondering when you plan to enter the city."

Ryan responded concisely.

"Darkness is about to fall. I plan to rest for the night before resuming the advance."

Clones are not skilled at night battles.

Seizing daylight allows the artillery barrage and clone swarm attack tactics to be optimally effective.

Due to the continuous guerrilla attacks, his troops have suffered significant casualties during this period.

If possible, he wanted the final battle to be a little easier, or let’s say more triumphant.

At least avoid the twists and turns experienced in Akale County.

In any case, he considered Tiandu City already a possession in his pocket.

They could fight however they wanted.

Seeing John Ten Thousand Chief on the screen with something on his mind, Ryan raised an eyebrow slightly and teasingly commented.

"What’s this? Can’t wait?"

John shrugged and said.

"No way? I just wanted to remind you not to forget our agreement."

According to the agreement between Commander Ryan and the Air Force, the floating palace would become an Air Force trophy used to build an unprecedented iron airship.

In exchange, the Air Force of the Southern Legion proposed to the General Staff to prioritize support on the eastern front, concentrating all forces to capture Tiandu before assisting the northern front.

Now they had already reached the outskirts of Tiandu City, only one step away from final victory.

He worried that some madman might get antsy and blow up the Heavenly Palace.

Considering what this guy did in Lion City, it’s not impossible.

Listening to John’s reminder, Ryan chuckled and said.

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget, and besides, I’m not interested in that thing."

John said meaningfully.

"I know, what I mean is, I hope your subordinates will restrain themselves a bit after entering the city, so they don’t set Tiandu City on fire."

Ryan confidently promised.

"I will restrain them."

He’s not an arsonist, and it’s not like he would set the city on fire under any circumstance.

Unless the will to resist of Tiandu City’s survivors exceeded his expectations.

If that were the case, he might consider doing something with the Heavenly Palace to weaken the local resistance.

Like making it fall or something.

After the communication was cut off, Ryan was about to order the frontline troops to launch a feint attack on the western suburbs of Tiandu City, hoping to let the garrison spend a night in anxiety.

However, at that moment, a strange communication request popped up on the communication screen.

The signal came from outside the camp.

Clearly, it could only be one thing; this video call was from the Alliance!

Looking at the flickering communication request on the screen, Ryan squinted his eyes slightly and then coldly chuckled before reaching out to press the connect button.

Taking a call wouldn’t expose his location; after all, the receiving device for the signal transmission wasn’t in his car; the repeater was at least three kilometers away from his location.

He was curious about how his opponent would beg for mercy at this critical moment.

However, to his surprise, the person appearing on the screen was not an officer from the Alliance, but a middle-aged man wearing a white coat.

His appearance was unremarkable, with a pair of plain glasses on the bridge of his nose, the type that would become unrecognizable if thrown into a crowd with a change of clothes.

Looking at this peculiar guy, Ryan squinted his eyes slightly and probed with a dangerous tone.

"...You’re from the Academy."

The man smiled faintly, nodding slightly as he spoke.

"Yes, I am B-level researcher Yang Kai, affiliated with the Research Department, currently responsible for the Poluo Province region."

As if he had heard a very funny joke, Ryan snorted disdainfully.

"Responsible for the Poluo Province region... Do you even have a ten thousand troops? You think you have the right to speak with me."

Yang Kai shook his head and replied in a gentle tone.

"Regrettably, fighting isn’t our specialty, and the esteemed Chief and Conclusion Doctor didn’t allocate even one ten thousand troops to me."

Ryan’s eyes narrowed into slits, displaying an imperceptible hint of wariness in his pupils.

To be honest, he would prefer facing enterprises over the cunning Academy.

At least the latter was a visible opponent.

"I warn you... This isn’t a place you should be. If you still wish to continue your peaceful days, it’s best to mind your own business."

Yang Kai smiled lightly.

"How is it sticking one’s nose where it doesn’t belong? We are witnesses to the ancient covenant and also the ceasefire agreement in Falcon City... Now that someone has torn up the contract, we naturally have to do something."

After a pause, he continued.

"Do you think our peaceful days fell from the sky?"

Ryan pursed his lips, using his pinky to pick his ear disdainfully.

"I don’t understand what you’re saying, and anyway, did I sign those worthless papers?"

Yang Kai sighed lightly, speaking in a somewhat regretful tone.

"Tsk, tsk... I knew you would say that. Giving good advice to you is like playing music to cows; one must use muskets and whips to deal with uncivilized beasts."

Ryan sneered and cursed.

"If you have the guts, come at me with real guns and knives instead of just talking big."

Yang Kai nodded.

"As you wish."

Leaving those words behind, the pale blue figure disappeared from the holographic screen.

Ryan was slightly stunned, his brows furrowing tightly as his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.

His intuition told him that those slugs in the swamp were up to some trick again.

Yet he waited for a good minute without anything happening.

Those words seemed like mere bluffs, ending without a climax.

Relaxing his tense nerves, Ryan coldly chuckled.

"...Ha, trying to scare me."

He’s been through countless battles; how could he be frightened by a mere slug!

Meanwhile, in the research ship on the Heavenly Palace square, Yang Kai, reclining in the cockpit, slightly opened his eyes.

Jiang Xuezhou, holding a tablet, stood beside, speaking with a serious expression.

"Professor, our device is ready... Should we activate it now?"

"Hmm, no need to wait any longer. Waiting would be in vain— we have already given those big-noses enough chances."

Nodding lightly, Yang Kai grasped the armrest and sat upright from the recliner, accepting the tablet handed over by the student.

He tapped the tablet twice with his index finger, checking the preset parameters briefly, and then dragged the hovering energy bar from 0% to 100%.

Having done all this, Yang Kai leisurely gazed at the night sky outside the cockpit with an expectant expression.

"The ’Gravity Well’ effects... Let’s trouble you, General, to demonstrate for our allies."