vrcanaries Chapter 1377 No Fighting!
Chapter 1377 No Fighting!
Wei Wuji and Fu Niu followed, leading a squad of guards as they personally rushed out of the city gate to meet the awe-inspiring steel army.
A moment later, the wind and snow seemed to make way for the team.
Xiao Ce reined in his horse and looked at Han Da galloping towards him, a smile on his face that was both travel-worn and composed.
"Your Majesty!"
Han Da, Wei Wuji, and Fu Niu Sanren reined in their horses a few feet in front of Xiao Ce, dismounted, knelt on one knee, clasped their hands in a salute, and said, "Your humble servants Han Da, Wei Wuji, and Fu Niu welcome Your Highness! Your Highness's divine army has descended upon us, greatly boosting the morale of our troops!"
Xiao Ce dismounted and personally helped Han Da up: "Marshal Han, you've had a long journey. You traveled at a rapid pace, but thankfully you didn't miss the appointed time. Please get up and talk."
His gaze swept over the dumbfounded defenders on the city wall behind Han Da, then turned to the iron army he had brought, his tone calm yet carrying immense weight: "Well, with this army, do you feel a bit more confident now?"
Han Da stood up, pointing to the dazzling mecha legion and elite infantry, unable to hide his excitement: "Your Highness, this...this is the weaponry you mentioned in the Hidden Dragon Arsenal. These ordinary soldiers look much more formidable..."
Xiao Ce nodded, and they exchanged a few pleasantries.
Han Da invited Xiao Ce into the city to talk. When Han Da waved his hand, soldiers came forward to meet him.
They entered the central command tent, and after inviting Xiao Ce to sit down, Xiao Ce said to Han Da, "Han Da, Wei Wuji, you must have done some scouting, right..."
After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Han Da nodded and then glanced at Wei Wuji.
At this moment, Wei Wuji had already walked over to Han Da, who had updated the information he had gathered yesterday, and then recounted Shahar and his group's actions and preparations...
Xiao Ce listened quietly until Han Da finished speaking, at which point a look of "I knew it" appeared in his eyes.
At this moment, Han Da asked with deep doubt and a hint of barely perceptible admiration, "Your Highness...did you...predict that they would do this?"
Xiao Ce's gaze never left the model on the sand table that symbolized the last fortress!
He slowly extended his finger and gently traced the red markings that represented minefields and ambush points, his fingertip conveying an all-knowing understanding.
Upon hearing Han Da's question, a bitter smile appeared on his lips. There was no pride in that smile; instead, there was a hint of weariness.
"You guessed it?"
Xiao Ce said slowly, "It's less of a guess and more of an inevitable choice. Han Da, look here..."
His finger pressed heavily on the location of Everwinter Fortress!
"This is no ordinary defensive line; it is the last barrier that the Slavic Empire can be called. Behind it lies the Tsarist ruins deep in the ice field, which are heavily sealed off and regarded as the lifeblood of the Shahar."
He raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly piercing through the tent and the snowstorm, landing on that mysterious land in the north: "What's inside the Tsar's ruins? It's the origin of our elite army, the Hidden Dragon Arsenal!"
"That's something the external forces behind Shahar covet, and it's his last resort for daring to challenge us. Without this barrier, the core territory of the entire Slavic Empire is like a hole pierced through our heart, with no defenses left. The Tsar's ruins will be directly exposed to our military might!"
"Once we move the entire armory inside, what will they have to fight us with?"
Xiao Ce's eyes sharpened: "Therefore, Shahar cannot retreat, nor dare to retreat!"
"Even if he wanted to retreat, those extraterrestrial demons who provided him with 'divine messengers' and promised him 'reinforcements' would never allow him to give up this last stronghold!"
"This Everwinter Fortress is an absolutely indispensable bridgehead for him and his masters. They will surely go to great lengths, using the most insane and ruthless methods, to fight us to the death here, just to buy that last bit of time!"
He paused, his voice growing more serious as he said, "Moreover, your intuition is spot on. Our halt to the attack wasn't solely due to anticipating Shahar's desperate struggle. Just yesterday, some of my spies in the distant northern icy sea detected large-scale, high-intensity abnormal energy fluctuations and fleet signals."
Xiao Ce did not mention the Star Network Hub here. The Star Network Hub was previously located in a port in Xiao Kingdom, but it has been there ever since it came to this place.
Xiao Ce ordered Ling Xu to hide the Star Network Hub in a key sea route to monitor it. Xiao Ce believed that if any of the people from their Creation Base were to come, they would definitely come from the sea, since they had followed Xiao Ce and dealt with them, including observing the Creation Base before.
Although there were various ships and submarines there, there were no aircraft whatsoever. As for why, I couldn't figure out...
Seeing Xiao Ce mention this, the crowd immediately asked nervously, "Is it... their reinforcements?"
Xiao Ce nodded.
"A massive force, far exceeding any 'divine messenger' squad we've encountered before, is forcibly crossing the icy sea, heading straight for the northern shore of Slavia! Its course and speed are precisely aligned with this area. The signal signature... is the same as their so-called 'divine messengers,' but their numbers are more than a hundred times greater!"
The command post was deathly silent; even Axe Bull held his breath.
The crackling sound of the fire seemed to have disappeared!
Only Xiao Ce's low, oppressive words echoed in the air:
"According to your information, this is why Shahar fought so hard to set up these along the way!"
"These are the true fangs of his master! They are willing to cross the icy sea to protect the Tsar's ruins, or rather, to seize what they want from the ruins!"
"Shahar's frantic resistance is buying the last window of time for this real extraterrestrial army to land!"
Xiao Ce's gaze swept over the shocked faces of Han Da and Axe Bull: "So, Han Da, a full-scale attack on Yongdong Fortress is exactly what they want! They will use the blood of the Slavs to wear us down and weaken us. When we are exhausted and suffering heavy casualties, their true extraterrestrial main force will land at the perfect time, waiting in ambush, and crush us and the remnants of Shahar's army on this icy plain!"
"Shahar is the bait, the anvil, and the approaching army is the real hammer!"
He abruptly waved his hand, his voice resolute: "This battle cannot be fought like this! A direct assault on the fortress is the worst possible strategy, a recipe for disaster! Our previous plans must be completely overturned!"
Han Da gasped, feeling a chill rise up his spine, more biting than the wind and snow outside.
He thought of the densely packed minefields, the suicide soldiers lurking in the snow, ready to die together with their enemies, and the guards on the fortress who had been incited to near madness.
It turns out that these were just appetizers; the real killer move was the overwhelming shadow that loomed over the icy sea!
Shahar's madness was not just about saving his own life, but also about cooperating with a larger and more deadly trap!
His previous anger and lingering fear now transformed into shock and relief at Xiao Ce's foresight.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Han Da said with heartfelt admiration, "Your Highness, if it weren't for your reminder, this humble general... would have almost ruined everything! So... what should we do now? Are we just going to watch them fortify the fortress and wait for that army to land?"
Axe Ox grew anxious: "Your Highness, we can't just sit here and wait to be beaten! Wouldn't it be even more troublesome if those bastards landed?"
Xiao Ce smiled at Han Da and then said, "Han Da, this has nothing to do with you. You've already done very well!"
"Of course we can't wait!" Xiao Ce's eyes regained their sharpness and calmness, like a sword drawn from its sheath.
He walked to the front of the sand table, his finger no longer resting on the fortress, but pointing to the vast area outside the fortress that represented complex terrain and pre-set death traps.
“Since Shahar wants to grind us to death inside with this ‘meat grinder,’ then we won’t go in! His trap is prepared for us to ‘attack’ the fortress. We won’t attack.”
"Not attack?" Han Da and Axe Niu were both taken aback.
"Yes, don't attack the fortress."
Xiao Ce drew a large circle around the fortress with his fingertip: "Our goal is no longer that tough nut to crack, which is destined to be cracked at a huge cost. Our goal is to shatter their attempt to buy time, to render Shahar's madness futile, and to deprive the extraterrestrial army that is about to land of their designated battlefield and rendezvous point!"
Xiao Ce's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating not just ripples, but towering waves.
Han Da, Wei Wuji, Fu Niu, and even several core officers in the tent were all stunned on the spot, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion.
"Not attacking the fortress?"
Han Da broke the silence first, his voice filled with disbelief and confusion: "Your Highness, I am foolish! Shahar is hiding in this Everwinter Fortress, which is his last stronghold and the designated rendezvous point for his reinforcements."
"If we do not attack, wouldn't we be sitting idly by and watching them join forces with reinforcements, then attack us again? We would be attacked from both sides, and our situation would be extremely precarious!"
He pointed to the solitary fortress model on the sand table, his tone anxious.
Wei Wuji also frowned and said, "Your Highness is wise. Shahar is like a mad dog right now, laying layers of deadly traps around the fortress. He is using every means possible, including suicide squads, landmines, and destroying bridges and roads, just to wear us down and buy time for reinforcements."
"If we don't attack, do you think he'll come out on his own? He'd rather we be bogged down at the city walls so his reinforcements can land easily!"
Axe Ox was so anxious that he wrung his hands and shouted in a muffled voice, "Your Highness, my old axe has been itching for a long time! Those bastards are hiding in their turtle shells and setting up such low-class traps. It's so frustrating!"
"How can we find that old dog Shahar if we don't break through that broken shell? Once his so-called reinforcements arrive, won't it be even harder for us to fight?"
Faced with the doubts and urgency of his generals!
Xiao Ce remained calm, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He walked to the sand table, his gaze sweeping over Yongdong Fortress, but not lingering. Instead, it slowly moved toward the vast and frigid northern ice plains behind the fortress, finally settling on the coastline that symbolized the northern icy sea.
“What the generals have said is all reasonable.”
Xiao Ce's voice was not loud, but carried a hint of composure!
“Shahar is indeed a trapped beast. The inescapable trap he has laid is indeed intended to nail us to the fortress and use the flesh and blood of the Slavs to buy him seven precious days.”
"And his master, that extraterrestrial army, is currently crossing the icy sea, just as Marshal Han has detected, with his target right here."
He paused, his gaze sharp as he swept over the assembled generals: "So, here's the question. What would happen if we, as Shahar wishes, were to launch a full-scale assault on the Everwinter Fortress?"
He asked himself the question and answered it, running his finger across the red markers around the fortress that indicated minefields and ambush points!
"Our soldiers will advance with difficulty through a death corridor riddled with landmines, sniper rifles, and suicide attacks. Every step will come at a bloody price."
"Even if we are well-equipped and have high morale, under this reckless attrition, how long do you think it will take before we actually reach the fortress and even break through at a great cost?"
Han Da frowned and said in a deep voice, "Shahar's deployment this time is extremely aggressive, and the strength of the outer perimeter blocking is far greater than before."
"Even with the powerful weapons Your Highness brought, it would take at least three to four days to clear the outer obstacles, break through layers of defenses, and forcefully capture this fortified and desperately fighting fortress. Moreover, by then, Your Highness, they will have seen all your trump cards!"
"good."
Xiao Ce nodded: "Three to four days, or even longer. And the reinforcements behind Shahar, based on their speed, will arrive in seven days at the latest. That means that when we take Yongdong Fortress exhausted and with heavy casualties, we may not even have completely wiped out the remaining enemies! That well-rested and unscathed main force from beyond the borders will be right at our gates!"
His voice suddenly turned cold, with a metallic quality: "At that time, our army will have just experienced a fierce siege, and our personnel will be exhausted, our equipment damaged, our ammunition consumed in great quantities, and we will have many wounded."
"The enemy, on the other hand, is a large and well-rested force with unknown equipment! They don't need to attack from above; a single powerful charge will crush our exhausted army, along with the remnants of Shahar's forces in the fortress, onto this icy plain!"
“Shahar and his master can reap the benefits without lifting a finger and conveniently take over the fortresses and... Tsarist ruins that we fought so hard to conquer!”
The tent fell into a deathly silence.
Han Da and the others broke out in a cold sweat instantly, a chill running from their feet to the top of their heads.
They only thought about capturing the fortress and eliminating Shahar, but they ignored the bigger, colder eyes behind them calculating the time!
Xiao Ce's deduction at this moment was like the sun breaking through the clouds, yet also like a bucket of cold water being poured over their heads, instantly revealing the deadly trap behind the all-out attack...