Chapter 359: When Magic Truly Joins the Army
The Ail Elf caravan spared no use of magic to accelerate their journey.
They could have headed to the eastern coast port and summoned the fleet, saving several days of travel.
However, they still chose the safest approach.
During the journey, they remained vigilant to prevent any possible ambushes.
Parry meticulously checked all the cargo, ensuring the quality of each item met standards.
After about a day's effort, Parry finished the random inspections. Satisfied, he finally relaxed and took a deep breath, exclaiming:
"The quality is very consistent, and the production level is quite high. No wonder they are so confident."
Slightly pursing her lips, Annie looked back in the direction of Bay Territory, lamenting regretfully:
"Time is too short; we must complete the transaction as quickly as possible."
"If this transaction goes smoothly, next time we'll definitely bring more materials and have Bay Territory teleport the supplies for us."
"When that time comes, we both can stay and properly explore Bay Territory."
Parry, having thought of the same thing, nodded silently and said expectantly:
"Bay Territory is quite interesting. If nothing unexpected happens, it could help us solve a lot of trouble..."
Bay Territory.
Military Camp.
Most soldiers were undergoing rigorous training, learning combat techniques, and striving to improve their strength as much as possible.
Every soldier was highly motivated, ready to shine in the next battle.
Beelzebub, who was responsible for training the soldiers, was carefully selecting those who would join the combat mission, one by one.
Beelzebub's selection criteria were simple: among the thousand strongest soldiers, the five hundred who had made the fastest progress.
After learning about the enhancements from the surgical modifications through Lord Matthew,
Beelzebub had received orders to ensure that every soldier tapped into their full potential as soon as possible.
The goal was to maximize their strength before they turned forty.
Only then would they have a higher chance of completing multiple rounds of modification surgery!
Achieving their final leap in combat prowess!
The selected soldiers were all overjoyed; this meant their efforts had been recognized.
It also meant they would participate in the next battle!
In the past, soldiers might have complained if they weren't chosen.
But in the Bay Territory military camp, no one had any objections.
If anyone did, they would report directly to Beelzebub. This officer, trusted deeply by Lord Matthew, would handle everything for them.
The drill grounds outside the city.
Angela was selecting suitable cavalry soldiers, already having received guidance from Matthew regarding the upcoming battle:
"Pick the soldiers with the best riding skills!"
Angela wasn't particularly satisfied with the newly selected cavalrymen, but she didn't push for too much either.
Everything must be done gradually!
After a few months of effort, they had managed to train a qualified cavalry unit. This was the result of combined efforts from various parties.
The horses were the high-quality blue roans brought by the barbarians.
The recruits were all talents with both strength and stamina exceeding ten.
They were equipped with quality enchanted weapons and armor.
With the nutritional supplements, the cavalry, who rotated between mounts, trained at least six hours a day!
The rest of the time, they learned how to care for their horses and practiced ground combat.
In this battle, 500 out of 1,000 cavalrymen would be chosen.
Those who were not selected would have their training regimen increased by 20%.
In Angela's words:
"Learning such life-essential skills at no cost, while even getting paid, is already a huge blessing!"
"If anyone dares to slack off, they should be careful, lest they can't hold their heads up in front of the others."
January 16th.
Eastern Karl Plains.
Sunny.
In a dense reed marsh along a tributary of the Danube River,
soldiers quietly sat inside adventurers' portable space huts.
To keep them in peak condition and help them better understand the orc army, the team leaders took time to explain things to the soldiers:
"The individual combat strength of orc soldiers is something you're all familiar with from your usual training."
"They're very strong and experienced in battle. In one-on-one fights, they are tough opponents."
"But their discipline is particularly weak, and their cooperation as a team is loose. They are better at smaller-scale skirmishes."
"So, during combat, everyone must play to our strengths while avoiding our weaknesses!"
"Keep formation, strike decisively, and we will most likely achieve victory."
"If you see a lone orc soldier, use crossbows to shoot first and do not approach immediately."
"..."
Outside the portable huts,
Beelzebub was thoughtfully examining the disorderly reed fields. If he hadn't known there were 2,000 soldiers hiding there, he wouldn't have detected anything at all.
The upgraded version of the portable space huts had become an essential part of the Bay Territory soldiers' military operations.
Just in terms of concealment, it gave Beelzebub a different kind of amazement.
"This is what happens when magic comes into play—the change and diversity it brings to warfare."
Matthew didn't forget to remind everyone, cautioning them not to relax just because the soldiers were now more elite.
Whenever spellcasting capabilities were available, they must be factored into the equation.
Beelzebub and the others silently remembered Matthew's words. They might not understand them now, but they could contemplate them later.
Yaya, now in combat mode, was entirely different from her usual lazy, food-loving self at home, appearing spirited and vigorous.
This must be a talent of a true dragon.
Being able to adjust her state at any time, ensuring she could respond in the best condition when facing different enemies and dangers.
Because of this, Matthew thought back to many stories he'd read.
The so-called dragon slayers who attacked dragons while they slept, delivering a crippling blow and ultimately killing the dragon—such "heroic tales."
Clearly, those were just stories crafted to satisfy people's fantasies.
A creature as highly evolved as a dragon would not leave such an obvious weakness.
Matthew looked at the ruined village in the distance and smacked his lips:
"In at most a day, we'll see those orcs."
Well-versed in the situation, Yaya curiously blinked and asked:
"Huh? Is the Eighth Legion really that formidable?"
Recalling the Eighth Legion's combat style, Matthew said with some anticipation:
"The combat power of the Eighth Legion speaks for itself. On the plains, cavalry charges are at their most effective."
"These remaining hundreds of thousands of orcs are elite, but they have lost the will to fight. Even if they could bring out ten parts of their combat power, they'd barely manage six."
"Adding in the element of surprise and the shifts in morale, an orc rout is inevitable."
"We just need to wait here patiently for them to show up!"
"There is only one objective: capture at least one high-ranking orc warlord!"
"An extraordinary-level orc!"