218: Chapter 216 War Has Arrived

Damu was a genuine farmer before becoming a Soldier of the First Army.

Although others called them the Resistance Army, and they called themselves that too, their daily lives had little to do with being an "army."

After several months of training, Damu felt he possessed the qualities of a warrior.

He thought he would never feel fear when facing war.

However, when the rustling from the invisible slope turned into chaotic and hurried footsteps, his heartbeat still quickened uncontrollably.

It was his first time on the battlefield; nervousness was inevitable.

Damu used the Marshal's speech to soothe the worsening dryness in his mouth.

"Everyone, get ready."

The Squad Leader's low voice sounded in the wireless earphone tucked in his ear, and Damu's right index finger hooked onto the trigger.

"Fire!"

An explosive shout suddenly rushed into his ears; a slightly dazed Damu couldn't tell if it came from the earphone or the Squad Leader lying in ambush nearby.

But the reflexes built over months of training told him it was time to fight.

Almost instinctively, Damu and his companions poked their heads out from the slope, resting their magic rifles on the top.

In a very short time, about the blink of an eye, Damu had already spotted the enemy's position.

In the lush forest ahead, the Lagu army Soldiers on a forced march had all stopped in their tracks—likely startled by the shouted command.

They didn't look like the stories he'd heard from his mother, covered in wild, man-eating flames with blood-red eyes and fangs like a Sky Magical Beast.

They had ordinary human appearances and bodies, much like himself.

Aiming at the Soldier closest to him, who wasn't wearing light armor but linen clothes and holding a spear with a wooden shaft and iron tip with both hands.

An officer shouted for cover; the Soldier was now hiding behind a tree, poking his head out to look toward their side, seemingly wondering why the arrows hadn't arrived yet.

It was this damn curiosity that made him lose his life at the very start of the war.

"Da—"

Damu lightly tapped the trigger; as a tongue of flame flickered, the bullet accurately pierced the forehead of the Soldier behind the tree.

It turned out the difference between a practice target and a human brain was so great—it wasn't a round hole, but a splash of flesh and blood.

Damu thought strangely to himself as he turned his muzzle to aim at the enemy on the left.

"The intelligence was wrong! Bastards!

Everyone, hide behind the trees and don't stick your heads out!

Magicians, hurry!"

Someone who was likely an officer was cursing; the Soldiers immediately pulled their heads back, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

Damu wasn't surprised by this scene.

The Marshal had said that the firearms deliberately allowed to be seized by the enemy had their power weakened.

Although they were still strong, they would mislead the enemy to some extent.

The order to "hide behind trees" was ironclad proof.

Because...

"Ordinary trees can't stop bullets."

Damu muttered to himself, crawled up into a semi-squat, pressed the gun stock against his shoulder, aimed the red dot sight at the tree trunk where the enemy Soldier was hiding, and pulled the trigger all the way!

"Da da da—"

Not just him, but the rest of the First Army Soldiers did the same.

Instantly, dense gunfire shattered the surrounding silence, echoing through the forest.

Simultaneously, bullets hit the trees, wood chips and bark flew, and fine wood dust spread.

Soon, a pale red blood mist and the screams of Lagu Soldiers were mixed into the dust clouds.

After finishing a magazine, Damu didn't have time for any feelings about the tragic scene before him; he retreated behind the slope to change magazines while his companions stood up to shoot in a semi-squat, ensuring there would be no gap in firepower.

After days of groundwork and a carefully prepared ambush, the clash instantly caused massive casualties to Lagu.

Do not doubt the speed at which bullets harvest lives, especially when the two sides are only about twenty meters apart.

Not to mention that among the many magic rifles, several gatlings were mixed in.

The gatling machine guns hadn't been converted into magic-conducting weapons yet, but their lethality was still terrifyingly abnormal.

This could be seen from the trees snapping one after another and the fragments of corpses flying into the air.

The Lagu officer over there wasn't stunned either; he immediately made the most correct reaction after discovering the enemy intelligence they held was incorrect.

"Retreat!"

How should he put it? Damu felt that if his mother's stories weren't too fictional, this commander was indeed much smarter than the King of Lagu who died at Lake's hands back then.

After all, they were an army sent by Lagu for an expedition; their military quality couldn't be too poor.

As soon as the voice rose, the Soldiers had already begun to retreat.

They didn't turn tail and run, but backed away, slowly retreating while constantly changing cover.

Damu looked at them, feeling a bit ashamed.

He knew that he and the others couldn't do this yet.

Giving himself a second to compose his emotions, he stood up holding the magic rifle with a fresh magazine.

The first battle was an easy victory.

But this wasn't the end; it was the beginning.

With High-tier Professionals scouting ahead, Lagu hadn't expected to be ambushed.

Not only were the Professionals in the rear, but the Soldiers hadn't put on their armor, and even the archers didn't have their gear in hand; they hadn't even exerted ten percent of their combat power.

It was the height of summer and a forced march; to save energy, their equipment was likely placed in "World."

Most importantly, the First Army's goal was to "annihilate the main enemy force," not just to give them a lesson.

"Maintain formation, pursue!"

The order came through the earphones; Damu and his companions, who had expected this, immediately set off to chase the retreating Lagu Soldiers, raising their guns to shoot at Soldiers rushing to the next cover along the way.

Similar scenes were playing out all around.

Both sides fled and pursued, going deep into the Silent Forest, with corpses constantly falling to the ground.

Gradually, Damu noticed something different from what he had expected.

His eyes were full of mangled corpses, and to pursue quickly, he was forced to walk in a straight line, stepping over the bodies.

He didn't feel much panic or discomfort.

As for the reason, Damu wasn't sure, and he had no time to think right now.

The gunfire continued, the corpses on the ground increased, and the fresh air in the forest was gradually replaced by the smell of blood.

After chasing for about three hundred meters, Damu stopped and turned to look around.

His companions were all like him, standing in place and lowering their guns.

They were out of bullets.

"First and Second Regiments replenish ammunition, Third Regiment rest in place for ten minutes, then follow up after cleaning up the corpses!"

The Commander of the Second Brigade, wearing jungle camouflage, walked over and gave the order.

Damu belonged to the Third Regiment; he sat down against a nearby tree trunk with nine Soldiers from his squad.

No one spoke; there was only heavy breathing.

"Damu, you okay?" A companion shifted his seat to lean closer.

Looking at the Soldiers of the First and Second Regiments busy collecting magazines, hand grenades, and smoke grenades, Damu whispered, "What about you?"

After saying that, he suddenly remembered that their conversation seemed to have happened not long ago.

Finding it amusing, he chuckled a few times, making his companion look at him in bewilderment.

"There's no reason to be afraid." The smile on Damu's face was a bit exaggerated, his mouth wide open. "Dead people... we've seen enough of them.

As for the state of death... the way the noble lords mess with corpses is much worse than bullets."

That was true.

The Soldier leaning against the tree nearby heard this and nodded in agreement.

After resting, they quickly got up and piled the Lagu army's corpses together, also trying to find the eyeballs rolling in the bushes and the severed hands and legs hanging from branches.

Once everything was done, the Soldiers of the First Brigade also arrived to support; the remaining tasks were left to them, while Damu and the other Third Regiment Soldiers replenished their ammunition and supplies, then chased after the First and Second Regiments.

...

At the edge of the mountain forest thirty kilometers outside Gur City.

An airliner-like Sky Magical Beast slowly landed at the foot of the mountain, and three Professionals in black robes and two in armor jumped from the beast's back to the ground.

Glancing around, the middle-aged magician with long golden hair, who seemed to be the leader, turned around: "Set up the Sealing Array. The Mad Lion Legion will take the Mushrooms to block the southern passage of Gur City."

"Understood!"

Two rows of round holes opened in the belly of the Sky Magical Beast, spraying powerful air currents as it rose vertically and flew into the distance.

"Lord Brando." One of the four standing side-by-side, a knight, stepped out. "Lake has declined. I really can't believe that Gur City, which blocked Lagu for hundreds of years, has actually become like this."

Recalling the scene he had just looked down upon from the air, the corners of Brando's mouth curled up: "Dilapidated dirt roads, mottled city walls, ha, there isn't even a single Soldier patrolling outside the city."

Among the remaining three, a magician with his head tucked in a hood said, "Don't be careless. A thousand years ago, the King of Lagu was sacrificed at..."

"Mahamoda, you're too cautious." The knight who spoke first turned his head. "Excessive modesty is the greatest arrogance."

The magician's hood moved slightly, and he fell silent.

"Mahamoda isn't wrong either." Brando spoke up to ease the heavy atmosphere. "We should indeed be a bit vigilant,

especially before the enemy stops breathing."

After saying that, he looked at the blurred outline of Gur City in the distance: "Hurry up and set up the Sealing Array. I'm going to find Joey."

"Understood, Lord Brando."

The four bowed, then hurried in different directions to place the magic crystals for the array nodes.

Brando, unhurried, tucked his staff into his wide sleeve and walked toward Gur City.

He didn't walk fast; for the 30-kilometer road, with his strength as a Magister, it took him twenty minutes to arrive before the city gate.

He stared up at the three words "Gur City" on the top of the city gate for a while, then glanced at the dozing Guard, a touch of mockery in his eyes.

"Gur City."

Muttering to himself, he stepped through the gateway and wandered through the crowds on the street.

"It's been over three hundred years." Brando leisurely looked at the shops along the road. "I've even forgotten the way to the Vice City Lord's manor."

He stopped a passerby and asked for directions to the Vice City Lord's manor.

Seeing the man dressed as a magician, the honest citizen hurriedly knelt and answered.

Having gotten directions, Brando pulled a gold coin from his sleeve, tossed it to him, and continued walking.

Dazed for a moment, the citizen picked up the gold coin that had rolled to his feet, but suddenly felt something was wrong.

On the front of the gold coin, it wasn't a Griffin statue with spread wings, but some strange creature he didn't recognize.

It had a round, flat body and a thin tail.

Angrily throwing the gold coin away, the citizen stood up and cursed: "Damn bastard, actually impersonating a Mage Lord!

And using a fake gold coin!"

Brando quickened his pace and arrived at the Vice City Lord's manor ten minutes later.

There were two Vice City Lord manors in Gur City, and the citizen didn't know which one was Joey's house.

Brando didn't bother to ask anyone else, thinking that if he went to the wrong one, the extra walking would just be like window shopping.

He stepped forward and spoke a few words to the Guard by the gate.

Good luck, it was Joey's house.

"Please wait a moment, Mage Lord." The Guard turned and jogged into the gate.

Brando said nothing and waited quietly at the door.

It wasn't because he had a good temper.

This was inside the city, a human gathering place with a church established.

If he dared to kill someone, the church would arrive and tear him to pieces on the spot.

After a while, through the half-open crack in the door, he saw Joey walking toward him with large strides.

"Lord Brando, good day."

"Mhm."

Under the astonished gazes of the two Guards, Vice City Lord Joey, like a servant with a fawning smile, welcomed Brando inside.

The two walked through the front yard, the hall, and along the open-sided ornamental corridor to the end, entering the bedroom.

"Lord Brando." After closing the door, Joey approached Brando, who had his back turned, placed his right hand on his left chest, and bowed slightly. "I have waited for this day for a full hundred and fifty years."

"You've worked hard."

He didn't turn around but continued: "As long as we occupy Gur City, incorporating Lake into the Kingdom's territory is only a matter of time."

At this point, Brando suddenly turned his head: "Also, the Lord of Gur City you mentioned in your letter..."

"Yes, the perfect plan we made before has to change."

Joey had promised various conditions and offered many practical benefits, and after finally successfully turning the City Lord, he was ecstatic.

When the Lagu army arrived, the City Lord would immediately open the gates and surrender, and the Lake royalty would definitely be unaware.

Lagu would pretend that nothing was wrong in Gur City and continue to increase troops in the city.

When the troops were sufficient, they would strike like lightning; the oblivious Lake royalty probably wouldn't realize it until most of their territory had fallen or even the capital was besieged.

Yes, the vision was beautiful, and it wasn't very difficult to execute.

But Joey couldn't understand how a Magister-level City Lord, who had been tyrannical in Gur for two hundred years, could just disappear right after he had established contact with him.

Actually, dying outside would have been a good thing; Joey could have taken the opportunity to temporarily act as City Lord, making it easier to operate.

The result...

Joey's brow furrowed: "I haven't investigated the true identity of the fake City Lord; there isn't even a single clue about his origin.

Currently... I only know for now that his strength is very great.

He is estimated to be at least a Magister, and within a few months of entering the City Lord's manor, he mastered the City Lord's famous magic, Solar Storm."

"A few months?"

Brando asked in some surprise: "Are you sure it's Solar Storm?"

As a Master-level magic, very few people know Solar Storm.

The low probability of it being unearthed in a labyrinth is one reason, but most importantly, the difficulty of learning it is extremely high.

This was not surprising.

Normally, learning a Master-level magic in thirty years is considered fast, twenty years for a genius, ten years...

Those Brando had seen or heard of combined could be counted on one hand.

"I'm sure."

Nodding heavily, Joey explained: "I saw him condense the Storm Seed with my own eyes."

"What about the possibility that he already knew it?"

"A Magister, fire-type, found the Solar Storm magic book in a labyrinth, and then impersonated the City Lord.

To have all the above conditions is too demanding; it's basically ruled out."

"True."

Brando brushed his long golden hair hanging behind him: "Compared to Solar Storm... I'm more interested in the Atlassian Falling Spirit you mentioned.

Since Solar Storm was taken by the fake City Lord..."

Atlassian Falling Spirit, an earth-type Master-level magic, was something the City Lord obtained by accident.

After colluding with Joey, the City Lord learned that his superior, Brando, was an earth-type Magister, so he gave this magic book as a gift of surrender.

Of course, the City Lord wasn't stupid; he refused Joey's request to hand it over at the time, stating that he had to see Brando in person.

And Brando had rushed to Gur City alone, not only to get information from Joey in case Gur City had changed, but also for the magic book.

Or rather, mainly for the latter.

As for the former, once the Sealing Array was set, not even a mosquito could fly out of Gur City.

No matter what happened, there was nothing to worry about.

As for why he cared about Stras Falling Spirit, it was because its power was practically invincible among its peers.

Seeing Brando's face full of thought, Joey guessed where his mind was and hurriedly said: "Please rest assured, Lord Brando.

Since the fake City Lord released Solar Storm, it means he is a fire-type magician; it's impossible for him to learn Stras Falling Spirit and then destroy the magic book."

"That's also true." He smiled. "Once we occupy Gur City, Stras Falling Spirit will still..."

Before he could finish, Brando's face suddenly changed, and he pulled a sound transmission crystal from his sleeve.

He had specifically instructed before parting with the main force not to contact him unless there was an emergency, but now the crystal was glowing...

With a solemn expression, he closed his eyes and held the crystal.

A few seconds later, he suddenly snapped his eyes open, said nothing, grabbed Joey's arm and rushed out of the Vice City Lord's manor, and without any pause or hesitation, raced frantically toward the city gate.