Chapter 193 - 193: The Strategy, the March, and the Conquest
The group left the shattered throne room behind and entered a dimly lit, circular war chamber deep within the castle. A massive stone table dominated the center of the room. Its surface was meticulously carved into a detailed topographical map of the Second Continent.
Lucian stepped up to the table and placed a golden marker on their current location at the capital. He then reached down to the bottom curve of the crescent-shaped landmass and dropped a blue marker directly onto the western shipyards.
"This is our final destination," Lucian stated, tracing a finger along the vast stretch of land separating the two markers. "However, the route to the western harbor is heavily compromised. The Fourth Continent entrenched themselves along this corridor before we stabilized the front lines."
He dropped three black iron pieces onto the map, spacing them out along the primary southern highway.
"These are three major enemy strongholds," Lucian explained. "They control the valleys and the mountain passes. We cannot simply march a massive army around them. If we ignore these fortresses, the enemy will strike our supply lines from the rear the moment we reach the coast."
Iron-Scale leaned over the table and studied the terrain. He rested his clawed hands on the stone edge.
"We do not go around them," the Kobold commander declared, his reptilian eyes locking onto the black markers. "We march straight through them. The Vanguard will act as the spearhead of this operation. My forty thousand troops will hit the first fortress and shatter their front gates. We will slaughter the defenders and leave the stronghold empty."
The Sword of the Kingdom crossed his massive arms and nodded slowly. "And my Kingdom Knights will march directly behind your Vanguard. Once you clear a fortress, the local forces will immediately move in to garrison the walls, secure the region, and establish a safe supply chain for the rest of the army."
Gulag slammed her heavy fist onto the stone table, causing the metallic markers to rattle. The massive Troglodyte traced a thick, scarred claw down the mountain passes.
"My heavy infantry will crush the second fortress," Gulag growled, a vicious smile stretching across her face. "We will not just reclaim the land. We will make sure the Fourth Continent commanders have no time to retreat and warn the western shipyards. We leave no survivors."
Lucian looked at the two savage Vanguard commanders and felt a chill run down his spine. They had no fear of death and enjoyed wars and fights. Their brutal efficiency was exactly what the Second Continent needed.
"That brings us to the final bottleneck," Lucian said, tapping the blue marker at the bottom of the map. "The western shipyards. General Boros fortified this harbor heavily before his death. They have heavy artillery pointing inland and a naval blockade protecting the docks."
Iron-Scale picked up the final black marker and crushed it effortlessly in his scaled hand.
"We initiate a pincer maneuver," Iron-Scale commanded. "The Vanguard will launch a full-scale frontal assault on the land-facing gates to draw their artillery fire. While their cannons are distracted, your local spellcasters and heavy cavalry will flank them from the coastal ridges to blindside their defenses. We will crush the shipyard between us and seize their fleet entirely intact."
The Sword of the Kingdom leaned forward, a fierce light burning in his eyes. "A flawless strategy. And once the western harbor is completely secured?"
"We wait," Iron-Scale answered smoothly. He pointed a claw toward the top of the map, far to the north. "Our Sovereign just deployed an army of five hundred thousand troops to the western shipyards. Once we clear this southern highway and secure the western harbor, that massive reinforcement fleet will march down the newly established safe zone without facing a single ambush."
Gulag cracked her knuckles in anticipation. "Then we bring hell directly to the Third Continent's shores."
The local commanders stared at the map in absolute silence. The plan was incredibly brutal, highly efficient, and simple to execute.
Three days later, the sun beat down relentlessly on the mountain pass. The first black iron fortress of the Second Continent that was conquered by the fourth continent loomed ahead, its massive metal gates bolted shut across the narrow valley floor.
Enemy archers lined the high stone walls in perfectly ordered ranks. They drew their bows taut and aimed at the massive dust cloud rapidly approaching from the northern highway.
Iron-Scale marched at the front of the column. He reached down and engaged the pneumatic spools mounted on his waist. Twin grapple hooks fired outward, biting deep into the fortress walls. The wire snapped taut and violently launched him into the air.
He soared straight over the rain of incoming arrows, moving with blinding speed. He drew his star-iron blade and landed seamlessly among the archers, instantly executing three defenders before they could even draw their swords.
Gulag charged directly below him. She gripped a heavy iron mace and let out a deafening roar. Forty thousand Vanguard soldiers mirrored her battle cry and surged forward.
The defenders unleashed a volley of arrows. The Vanguard infantry raised their steel shields to form an impenetrable shell, blocking the projectiles effortlessly.
Gulag reached the locked gates. She planted her boots into the dirt and swung her mace with raw force. The blunt impact shattered the thick crossbeams and obliterated the locking mechanisms. The gates exploded inward, sending splinters of wood and twisted metal flying into the courtyard.
"Break their lines!" Iron-Scale shouted from the battlements. He fired another spool to zip across the courtyard and assassinate a fleeing captain.
Dozens of Kobolds and Grey-Fins followed his lead. They utilized their own wire gear to grapple over the walls and drop into the enemy ranks like falling blades.
Gulag stepped through the ruined threshold. She dove into the armored shield wall of the Fourth Continent defenders. She swung her mace again, launching fully armored soldiers into the air and shattering their defensive formation in an instant.
The Vanguard poured into the courtyard. Orcs, Kobolds, and feral Beast-kin tore through the panicked ranks, turning the fortress into a slaughterhouse within minutes.
High up on the northern ridge, the Kingdom Knights watched the carnage from their mounted positions. The Sword of the Kingdom sat atop his warhorse to observe the execution of the strategy.
"They fight like feral demons," a local Battalion Commander whispered, his face pale beneath his helm.
"They fight like an army that has already conquered their world," the Sword corrected smoothly. He raised a gauntleted hand to signal his own troops. "The Vanguard cleared the path. Move in and secure the walls. We need to establish the supply garrison before they reach the second fortress."
Gulag cracked her neck and flashed a jagged grin at the fleeing survivors. She picked up a discarded enemy banner and crushed the pole in her grip.
"Let them run," Gulag growled. "They will just warn the second fortress that the nightmare is already here."
Down in the courtyard, Iron-Scale flicked his blade to clear the blood. He watched the remaining soldiers drop their weapons and scatter toward the rear exits.
"First stronghold broken, Sovereign," Iron-Scale projected his thoughts across the ocean. "The local forces are moving in behind us to garrison the fortress. We are bypassing the stragglers and continuing our march to the second target."
[ Excellent work, ] Red's voice echoed back from the sanctuary. [ Keep the momentum going. Give the Fourth Continent no time to breathe. ]
"As you wish, Spiral." Iron-Scale nodded. "Is… Gorak coming?"
[ He won't be joining this war. ] Red responded. [ If you miss him that much, why were you so bent on keeping him behind? ]
Red already knew the answer, but he asked anyway.
"I wanted him to be with his mate and child. But his mate is here with us, and he is… there."
[Worry not. He is enjoying his mission. Also, tell everyone that once the western shipyards is secured, the eligible ones will be rewarded with sacred power. ]
"What kind of power?" he asked curiously.
After a brief pause, Red responded, [ Magic. ]