Chapter 1622: Chapter 76: Decisive Victory (Part 2)
Venerable Marcello and Venerable McDonald were also gaining the upper hand in battle. Just as Hudson returned to the battlefield, two loud explosions echoed across the scene once more.
The sudden change not only left the two Venerables in a wretched state but also took away countless soldiers engaged in the fight below.
Witnessing this scene, Hudson was left speechless.
The Demonic Crocodile unleashed a desperate final attack before its demise, and the Giant Centipede followed the same pattern; the Earth Core race was indeed known for dragging their enemies down with them.
If not for the significant difference in power, their deadly strikes might have succeeded.
The outcome of the battle between the strongmen directly impacted the morale of both sides, especially with those two earth-shattering explosions that drew countless attention.
The final result was that the Human Sanctuary still hovered in the air, while the strongmen of the Giant Centipede had vanished without a trace. Anyone with any sense would realize that their side had lost.
Having lost their strongman’s protection, the original King Flag and Marshal’s Banner were quickly withdrawn, fearing an enemy sneak attack aimed at beheading them.
“Your Majesty, the enemy’s main forces have arrived. Now our army’s might is exhausted; it would be best to preserve the vitality of our species!”
Chancellor Javat said solemnly.
Honestly, choosing to retreat at this moment almost assuredly meant a defeat.
Alas, the tide of war was shifting in favor of the enemy.
Looking out over the battlefield, the Centipede Army was being slaughtered and collapsing step by step, with no hope of turning the situation around.
“Chancellor, where can we flee to now?
You’ve seen the enemy’s cavalry; we cannot outrun those four-legged ones.
I’ve realized now that after our previous defeat at the Hundred-Mile Corridor, the only reason we managed to withdraw successfully was that the enemy deliberately let us leave.
Now that the Black Forest People and the Alpha Kingdom have struck a deal, there’s no way they’ll let us go again!”
The King Centipede said bitterly.
He should have realized this sooner, but desire clouded his judgment.
One wrong step led to another wrong step.
The Giant Centipede stepping into the surface world was, from the outset, a descent into hell. The best choice wasn’t how to fight but that they shouldn’t have stepped in at all.
Many other unfortunate species met similar ends, and their fate was equally tragic.
For any hope of establishing themselves in the surface world, choosing the weaker areas of the various forces or picking an easy target was essential.
Challenging the continent’s overlord right off the bat was, in any light, overestimating their own abilities.
“Your Majesty, no matter how great the difficulties, we must ensure the continuation of our species.
It is our responsibility!
Order the retreat; save as many as we can.
Next, there’s no need to think about establishing in the surface world; instead, look for opportunities to return to the Earth Core World, recuperate, and recover strength.
The Continent of Aslante may be good, but it is not a place for us to linger long!”
Master Seyam advised earnestly.
Having lost, one must concede.
To survive longer, strength alone isn’t enough; one must also learn to endure.
The recent battle was proof of it, as the strongest in the clan, Elder Golan, fell, and the Demonic Crocodile Clan’s Sanctuary Second Order also perished.
The four surviving centipedes may not have been the strongest, but they were undoubtedly the most cautious.
Even in the last moments of escaping, they showcased their skills by having their companions run first to distract the enemy.
The effect was obvious; the most prominent figures on the battlefield were all dead.
If not for those brave comrades causing trouble for the enemy before dying, he wouldn’t have dared to return to command.
Rushing back to avenge the fallen comrades was out of the question. Who knew how badly the enemy was injured? A strategic miscalculation could lead to total annihilation.
“Relay the order to the Marshal, and have him arrange for the troops to cover the retreat!”
The final command was given, draining all of the King Centipede’s strength.
He was fully aware of how unreliable this order was.
Alternating cover during a retreat with the expectation of troops being all elite and having high morale was unrealistic.
The current state was widespread chaos among the routed soldiers, and morale had long since vanished. The few elite legions had already been broken by the enemy.
In such a scenario, as soon as the retreat order was issued, the battlefield would inevitably crumble.
Even organizing troops for the rear cover was impossible because none of the Giant Centipede’s legions could take on that role.
Under the enemy’s cavalry onslaught, their only reliance was sheer numbers, sacrificing centipede lives in countless numbers.
But even this advantage was continually diminishing.
With the enemy’s main forces resisting, the absolute numerical advantage was no longer present.
“Order the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Army Corps to cover the rear; the entire army will reverse sequence, and the rear will become the front and retreat!”
Marshal Howell decisively commanded.
He only heard the word “retreat” from the King Centipede’s order and ignored the rest.
The top seven army corps were also the strongest main army corps among the Giant Centipede.
Leaving behind the elite to cover the retreat was a forced move.
In the current situation, only these seven main army corps had the chance to complete the mission of covering the entire army’s withdrawal.
If it were ordinary corps, they would likely collapse instantly upon engagement.
Moreover, the frontline’s stability at this moment was primarily because the seven main army corps were deployed into battle, blocking the enemy’s offensive.
In the era of cold weapons, the frontline troops engaged with the enemy could hardly retreat.
As expected, the withdrawal order caused immediate chaos among the Centipede Army.
Fortunately, the units covering the rear were all elites, who quickly recovered under the officers’ reassurance.