Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

"Assault?" Gesen asked in confusion, "From where? Isn’t there only this one path here?"

"No," Edwin shook his head, "You can’t see it, but I flew over the boardwalk and abyss on a griffin and saw a nondescript stone platform above the pass. Deep within that platform is a dark hole, seemingly a ventilation opening carved out, probably only as tall as a dwarf. It should be a maintenance passage left by ancient dwarf engineers, and I guess it leads directly to the back of Stone Gate Fortress."

In these pitch-black cliffs and abyss, the dwarves below truly cannot see the small, dark cave entrance hidden within the platform, more than a meter wide and high, dozens of meters above.

But this cannot escape the eyes of Edwin riding the griffin. He calmly said, "So I plan to take a surprise victory. The main force of the alliance army will continue to maintain high-intensity pressure on the boardwalk, attracting the majority of the enemy’s attention, especially those cyclopes and the main forces behind the stone gate."

"Form a fearless squad with the most elite Dwarf Iron Breakers (elite heavy infantry with heavy shields and warhammers), a small group of Redemption Knights, and the most agile Rangers from Hesse Territory. Use ropes and climbing tools to climb from a hidden crack below the boardwalk under the cover of night to that ventilation opening from the side."

"The goal of the assault team is to eliminate or disperse the enemy forces on the flank that pose a threat to us and, from the inside, attempt to open or destroy that giant stone gate."

Without a doubt, this is a very dangerous gamble. If the raid fails, this surprise force will fall into the enemy’s encirclement and meet their death here.

So Edwin took a deep breath, saying, "I will personally lead this squad in the assault, inspiring their morale."

With Edwin being so resolute, how could Dorok and Gesen dare to refuse? They might face death anyway; at least this tactic has a faint hope of success.

So Dorok’s hardened fist slammed the table heavily, roaring, "Our Redbeard Clan supports your plan, let’s do it!"

Gesen also replied sternly, "Go for it, our Gray Rock Clan will also exert full effort!"

With the agreement of the three commanders, the plan unfolded in the dense night and the pervasive scent of blood. The shouts of the main force, the sound of war drums, and the clashing of weapons reached their peak, attracting all enemy eyes. Edwin led an elite squad of less than fifty people, moving silently against the cold rock face like a gecko. The Redemption Knights’ holy light was deliberately suppressed to the minimum, used only to illuminate their path and disperse possible dark magic traps.

The climbing process was thrilling, several times almost discovered by patrolling Roaring Beasts. But ultimately, they reached the ventilation opening without incident, crawling into the ancient passage heavy with dust and decay.

The passage was narrow and winding, but they didn’t encounter heavy troop presence. They quickly reached the end of the passage — a small platform overlooking the entire interior of Stone Gate Fortress. Below was a chaotic nest: piles of bones, crude altars, sitting around burning bonfires were several Beastman Shamans exuding an evident chaotic aura, chanting to several Cyclopes chained to the rock walls, maintaining control. A large number of Roaring Beasts and more robust Beastman Warriors gathered behind the stone gate, ready to rush out to support the boardwalk at any moment.

The moment slipped by! Edwin growled low, "For glory! Purify the evil!"

In an instant, the Redemption Knights exploded with dazzling holy light, rising like a miniature sun in the cave! The radiant divine magic and bloodline abilities were suddenly unleashed, dealing a massive blow below, causing the Beastman Shamans to let out painful shrieks, their magic immediately interrupted. Those Cyclopes broke free from mental restraints, let out confused and angry roars, started attacking randomly, and even a large number of Beastmen were mistakenly injured.

"Iron Breakers! Hold the passage entrance! Rangers, shoot the Shamans freely! Knights, charge down with me and open the gate immediately!" Edwin led by example, leaping down from the platform, the golden lance with holy flame striking towards the nearest Shaman. The Redemption Knights followed closely, their heavy warhammers and enchanted longswords, blessed by divine light, delivering devastating blows to the chaotic Beastmen.

The sudden assault from the rear threw the enemies inside Stone Gate Fortress into total disarray. The foolish Cyclopes became a calamity unable to distinguish friend from foe while the burning light of the sacred Fiery Sun tortured the Beastmen in agony. The Dwarf Iron Breakers formed an impenetrable shield wall at the narrow passage entrance, blocking the Roaring Beasts attempting to rush up. The Dwarf Rangers’ precise arrows continuously picked off the Shamans trying to cast spells again.

Meanwhile, Edwin led several of the strongest Redemption Knights towards the giant gears and chain mechanism inside the stone gate. The device had been deliberately damaged and rusted, but under the guidance of the Dwarf Engineer, they smashed the key pins with warhammers and pushed the heavy wheels with their bodies!

"Creak — rumble!"

The main force struggling on the boardwalk suddenly heard a deep and massive roar, as if from deep within the earth! That seemingly unchanging giant stone gate, amidst the screeching metallic friction, slowly and tremulously began to open inwards a crack! Then, the crack grew larger and larger!

"The gate is open! Lord Edwin succeeded!" The news spread like wildfire within the alliance army.