Chapter 1614: Chapter 73: The Might of the Knight Corps (Part 2)
If this mission goes smoothly, we have a fifty percent chance of severely injuring the Giant Centipede.
Deploy the Gryphon Cavalry to monitor the Demonic Crocodile Clan’s camp. From now on, any significant troop movements they make must be reported immediately!”
Hudson said with a cheerful smile.
The relaxed expression quickly infected the group of generals. Suddenly, everyone realized that war could actually be so simple.
Even if they thought so, none of them believed they could pull it off themselves.
Though it seemed like nothing major happened on this journey, Hudson had already displayed several classic maneuvers, engaging in a strategic battle of wits and courage with the enemy.
If it weren’t for their discussions in the camp, they wouldn’t have imagined it.
The few who could understand were even more deeply affected. Because even if they tried to copy it exactly, they wouldn’t be able to accomplish it.
Without Hudson’s prestige, they couldn’t control the Allied Forces, let alone implement a bunch of tasks that others couldn’t understand.
If they could find ways on their side, it wasn’t the same for the enemy’s camp, which was beyond their control.
The title of “Continent’s Number One General,” once revealed, could terrify enemies, a feat beyond their ability.
If they switched to another commander, attempting to suppress morale and induce the enemy to make wrong decisions, they’d first have to consider if they could bear the backlash.
If the enemy wasn’t scared witless, directly engaging them for a decisive battle and piercing through the facade could backfire as a cautionary tale.
“By the Marshal’s command!”
The generals responded in unison.
No matter which part they were responsible for, just participating gave them bragging rights later.
If they performed outstandingly on the battlefield, they could secure a distinguished merit to return with.
The first ray of morning sunlight spread across the land, and a set of brilliant morning clouds appeared on the horizon as if celebrating something.
With Hudson’s order, eight thousand troops marched majestically out of the camp, advancing in the footsteps of the Dragon Bear Battle Flag.
The great commotion quickly alerted Marshal Howell ahead. The worst-case scenario finally happened; the enemy clearly intended not to let them leave.
Before he could think of countermeasures, cavalry already appeared on the horizon, and leading them was the most formidable Magical Beast Legion.
“Prepare to face the enemy!”
Marshal Howell hurriedly ordered.
Such a hasty response was a forced decision. Infantry could never outrun cavalry, making battle inevitable right from the start.
With a hundred miles of flat terrain around, leveraging the terrain to entangle the enemy was impossible, leaving them to passively engage.
Blame it all on the tight timing; had the clan decided to retreat in advance, they could have prepared something.
At the very least, they could have dug a few horse traps to slow down the enemy’s marching speed.
But reality offers no what-ifs. In the blink of an eye, a rain of arrows launched at them first.
Familiar as ever, Marshal Howell stomped his foot angrily. The enemy perfectly exploited their shortcomings and refused to let go of this weak point.
Marshal Howell angrily commanded.
The front line of Centipede Soldiers quickly pushed out a row of door panels wrapped in burlap quilts as shields in front of them.
The effectiveness of the defense remained to be tested, but at least it impaired the enemy soldiers’ vision.
Cry after cry of agony erupted as arrows pierced through the door panels and directly into the bodies of the Centipede Soldiers.
There was some effectiveness, but it was far from sufficient.
Previously, the arrows could penetrate the bodies of three soldiers in one go; now they only penetrated the second soldier’s body.
Seeing this, Marshal Howell forced a wry smile.
This time, they were genuinely doing their best; under the current conditions, this was the best “shield” he could create.
In theory, if the shields were a bit thicker, they could block enemy crossbow arrows.
But the problem is that adding more thickness would make the weight a big issue.
In fact, carrying these “shields” while on the move was already a burden for the Centipede Soldiers.
Unable to block the enemy’s crossbow arrows, at least they could stop bow and arrow attacks, which was some progress.
In the blink of an eye, the Magical Beasts charged in savagely, and the makeshift “shields” shattered instantly.
The shattered “shields” swept along with the Centipede Soldiers at the forefront, creating a brutal scene.
“Engage the enemy in close combat!”
Marshal Howell ordered once again.
Honestly, he was already lost, completely unsure of the proper response at this point.
The only certainty was that if they kept running and exposed their backs to the enemy, they would definitely suffer greatly!
Choosing close combat did avoid crossbow attacks, but they faced the Magical Beast Cavalry.
Before understanding what happened, the Centipede Soldiers blocking ahead became pulp under the beast’s hooves.
The Centipede Soldiers, whose morale was low to begin with, turned and fled at the gruesome sight before them.
When the supervisory team attempted to intercept, a gigantic Bear’s Paw had already descended.
“Cunning human race, to even let…”
Before the curse was finished, the Six-winged Centipede nearby interrupted:
“Marshal, the situation has changed, we need to leave quickly!”
With the enemy charging with an Earth Bear, what could the ordinary Centipede Soldiers use to stop this?
They rode dragons in aerial battles and switched to bears on land, seamlessly transitioning between the two.
“Honored ones, it’s time for you to act!”