115: Orc Alliance

The retreating Pig-Headed People routed soldiers fled back to the Wild Boar King Tribe, looking even more disheveled than when they had set out. Gemm had lost the double-bladed battle-axe symbolizing his honor, and he himself bore several deep wounds, his face etched with lingering shock and deep defeat.

When he stumbled and knelt before the furious Kustu, stammering out his report on the battle, the entire Royal Court Hall fell into a deathly silence, broken only by Kustu's heavy, bellows-like breathing.

"Five thousand... well-equipped, well-trained human soldiers? And terrifying archers in ambush?" Kustu's crimson eyes were wide, and his tusks trembled slightly from extreme astonishment and rage. He had thought it was just a small band of humans wandering here, but it turned out to be a sizable, highly combat-effective regular army! "How did they cross the Endless Sea and arrive here without a sound?"

Kustu was not entirely a brute; ruling a great tribe of a hundred thousand required a degree of cunning and situational awareness. The initial fury was dampened by the cruel reality and massive losses, and he began to realize the severity of the problem. Five thousand well-equipped human troops, defending strategically, had built a solid fortified camp. This was definitely not a tough bone that the Pig-Headed People could easily chew through with their traditional reckless charges. Forcing an attack would only lead to the senseless deaths of his warriors and the depletion of precious military strength.

He paced back and forth before the stone throne covered in beast hides, his heavy footsteps thudding against the ground as he sank into thought. After a long while, he stopped, a calculating gleam flashing in his eyes.

"Humans are cunning, and their equipment is good. Charging head-on means we lose," Kustu spoke in a muffled tone, his voice suppressing his rage. "Gemm, you useless trash! You cost me so many warriors! But... now is not the time to punish you."

He looked up at another, relatively steadier Pig-Headed People Elder in the hall: "Send someone immediately to the 'Iron Hoof Valley' in the north to find the Minotaur Tribe Chief Bedrock. Tell him that a group of annoying human bugs has arrived on the coast, occupied our territory, and killed many of our warriors. These bugs are tough to handle, and he must understand the principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.' Invite them to join us and drive these bugs back into the sea to feed the fish!"

Minotaurs are another powerful Orc Race adjacent to the Pig-Headed People. They are physically larger and more robust, possess astonishing strength, have thick, rough skin, and curved giant horns on their heads. Their discipline and fighting spirit are generally stronger than the Pig-Headed People, making them a force that cannot be ignored in the eastern coastal region. Kustu knew that relying solely on his damaged tribe to storm the human fortress would be too costly; bringing in the Minotaurs would not only greatly increase their chances of victory but also help distribute the risks and losses.

"Yes, Great King!" The Elder quickly accepted the order and rushed off to arrange the messenger... Meanwhile, the Thorn Barricade fortress received crucial reinforcements. Several transport ships unloaded heavy cargo in the bay. With the joint effort of naval soldiers and sailors, ten heavily dark, carriage-mounted magic crystal cannons, gleaming with cold metallic light and magic runes, were carefully transported ashore and dragged along temporary hard-wood tracks to their pre-set positions inside the fortress.

General Ocean personally escorted this batch of ultimate weapons. He climbed the wooden wall, looked at the traces of the battlefield outside that had not yet been fully cleared, and the direction where the routed soldiers were vaguely visible fleeing into the distant mountains, a smile appearing on his face.

"General Angus, General Carl, congratulations on your great initial victory! You severely damaged the enemy at minimal cost, greatly boosting our army's morale!" Ocean congratulated his two colleagues, admiration evident in his eyes. Angus's steady planning and Carl's fierce counterattack complemented each other perfectly.

Angus nodded in greeting to Ocean: "General Ocean, you've worked hard, and you arrived just in time. We merely repelled a mob of mindless chargers; it cannot be considered a great victory. The real test is yet to come."

Carl excitedly circled the magic crystal cannons, stroking the cold barrels: "Haha, with these big guys, no matter how many pig brains come, they'll all turn into roasted pigs!"

Angus's expression remained serious. He carefully checked the installation and securing of every magic crystal cannon, repeatedly instructing the operating artillery squad on precautions, and then clearly stated his decision to Ocean and Carl:

"The magic crystal cannons are our trump card. Their power is immense, and they must not be easily used until the critical moment, nor should we let the enemy figure out how many we have or how powerful they are too early. We must avoid attracting an attack from the Dwarf Kingdom's regular army."

He pointed to the wooden wall and the mountains on both sides: "Moving forward, our strategy remains unchanged: stable defense is paramount. Relying on the wooden wall, mountain ambushes, and the mobile hunting of the Divine Arrow Army, we will engage the Pig-Headed People in a protracted war of attrition. If they want to probe, let them come; we will welcome them with arrows and traps. We must consume as much of their effective strength and morale as possible, engaging them in a drawn-out conflict. At the same time, we will further refine our fortress defenses and stockpile supplies."

"If the Boar King Kustu personally leads a large army here, or if powerful units or large monsters appear that we cannot handle," Angus's gaze swept over the ten silent war machines, "then, that will be the time for the magic crystal cannons to roar. We aim for a decisive strike, a destructive blow, not piecemeal deterrence."

Ocean nodded in understanding: "I see. Your consideration is thorough as always. The ten thousand reserves at sea and the other ten heavy cannons will remain on standby. If needed, they can be deployed to the battlefield at any time."

"Very good." Angus looked toward the southwest, at the dark forest that seemed to hold countless dangers. "Let them come. Thorn Barricade will become the place where all invading enemies bleed. And we, we just need to wait patiently—wait for them to bleed dry, or... wait for the time to be ripe for our full-scale attack."

Inside the fortress, the soldiers continued reinforcing the defenses. The Divine Arrow Army's hunting squads moved like ghosts through the surrounding jungle, eliminating scattered scouts. The ten magic crystal cannons stood silently under their cover, like dormant giants, waiting for the moment to unleash their earth-shattering roar. The tension of impending battle mingled with the atmosphere of orderly preparation.

Meanwhile, in the distant Breath of Life Demi-plane, the flow of time was different from the outside world. Elemental fluctuations surged around Linn as he was completely immersed in Cultivation.