The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 983: Volume 32 Dark Clouds Sweep Across - 1 Surprise Attack

Chapter 983: Volume 32 Dark Clouds Sweep Across Chapter 1 Surprise Attack

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The covering the entire area of rockets enveloped the entire campsite in an instant, and the awakened Knossos Soldiers scampered about the campsite like headless flies, in utter panic. Following the rockets came a dense shower of arrows, layer upon layer conforming to the undulating terrain of the valley, ensnaring the fleeing Knossos Soldiers in their hasty retreat.

The extreme fatigue, coupled with the fact that they had only just fallen into a light sleep and were still in a groggy state, meant that the Knossos Soldiers were completely unable to organize an effective resistance. They didn’t even know from which direction the enemy was attacking, and the few Scouts sent out were quickly dealt with by the prepared Caucasian Soldiers, after which the slaughter was entirely one-sided.

When the rain of Javelins from the Half-beast soldiers descended once again upon the disorganized ranks of the Knossos Soldiers, the Knossos Commander finally realized that this war held no more suspense; whether in terms of preparation, combat power, or numbers, his Army was on a completely different level from the opponent. To continue fighting would only result in senseless casualties.

He made the rational choice to surrender.

This surprise attack, from its beginning to a thorough end, took merely two hours. Not a single one of the thousand Knossos Soldiers slipped through the net—over four hundred perished in the heat of battle, and the remaining five hundred or so were all injured.

The Crossbowman executed Dragumo’s orders decisively, thoroughly blocking the several attempts by Soldiers Scouts to escape from Quke Valley and relay news. However, their attempts were utterly put to an end by arrows. Four Knossos Scouts were nailed dead at the mouth of the valley and the nearby slopes, and despite exerting all their effort, the God of Fate did not stand on their side.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Dragumo felt a considerable satisfaction in his heart.

His men had not let him down; they had crushed the morale of the Knossos Army in one fell swoop, especially after the baptism of the Javelin rain, and their immediate, unhesitant charge which utterly destroyed the Cretans’ will to keep fighting. Faced with Half-beasts, who weren’t too different from the Beastmen, the Cretans still subconsciously felt a kind of fear, especially in a situation where they were both outnumbered and at a strategic disadvantage. Getting them to muster the courage for a decisive battle was indeed too difficult.

However, Dragumo was aware that this was just the beginning. The real trouble still lay in the latter half of the campaign. The battle for Quke Valley had never really been in doubt, but no one had expected the battle to be this easy. Perhaps the unchallenged advance of the Cretans had made them a bit complacent, so much so that they resembled tourists on a long journey more than soldiers brought to fight a war.

But the upcoming liberation battle for Livonia was going to be quite difficult. The Three Castles might not quite be considered fortresses, but they still had some basic defensive structures. There was no doubt that the Cretans had taken control of these castles, and if they were allowed to maintain control, the two thousand defenders would make it unrealistic for Dragumo’s Three Thousand People to take over. To recapture these castles, one would have to avoid a head-on siege, meaning they would have to attack the castles when the enemy was unguarded. Only then could they succeed. Otherwise, even taking over the whole of Livonia would be in vain.

"What do you think?" Dragumo suddenly asked, looking at his subordinates who were still busily cleaning up the Battlefield. He had started to learn to ask for others’ opinions like Komer did, just as Komer said, two heads are better than one.

The Half-elf Archer Leader was taken aback before he realized that the Commander was asking for his opinion. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "We’ve achieved the first point, not letting a single one get away. Next, we should take the Knossos Army in Livonia by surprise. Only by taking those three suburban castles can we have a chance to hold on, otherwise we stand no chance at all."

"Hmm, how to take the Three Castles? You don’t think they are so foolish as to not know to control those castles, do you?"

"Of course not, but judging from the current situation, the Cretans are quite arrogant and even a little out of proper wartime demeanor. Look at their performance in this battle; they were completely unprepared for war, meaning they had no idea that we were also marching towards this place. Perhaps they always thought that we would engage them at the Godeburg front, and this place was naturally their rearguard base."

The Half-elf Archer Leader was quite eloquent, causing Dragumo to feel somewhat envious.

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"Make it brief, how can we now take down the Three Castles without causing a stir?"

"Sir, perhaps you already have some ideas, but in fact, the method is quite simple and clichéd, often very applicable though. How about putting on a play using these Cretans’ armor and costumes?" the Half-elf Archer Leader’s eyes shone like sapphires.

"Hmm, it seems we have no other choice but this method," Dragumo nodded slightly.

Manite sat elegantly in the spacious room, well-lit, with classic design and lavish decorations, arranging such a large study into a place of magnificent beauty. Manite wasn’t a country bumpkin who had never seen the world; as a Noble from Knossos who had already served nearly ten years in the Knossos Royal Guards, he had fortuitously been transferred to serve as a senior officer in one of the two main forces of Knossos, the Ice Storm Legion. He had seen the splendid conservatism of the Atticans and the dazzling fantasy of the Bohemians, but he was still touched by the dignified elegance of the Nicosians.

Just a single Livonian Noble could possess such a uniquely designed Castle, full of a light and leisurely style, which led Manite to always think that stationing Soldiers there was a desecration. They should be stationed outside the Castle; these Castles were not fortresses, although they did have some defensive capabilities. However, Manite felt that their decorative aspect outweighed their practical use.

The three incredibly beautiful Castles were arranged in a pin-shaped formation on the low hills surrounding three sides of Livonia City, encompassed by green trees and shaded by woods, with the light sunset casting a more majestic view on the hills outside the Castles.

Manite had not expected these Livonian folks to be so cowardly. Upon learning that the Alliance Army had entered, they fled in panic, all escaping to the surrounding regions. They seemed to care not one jot for the beauty and wealth they possessed, hurriedly packing up their valuables and making a shabby escape.

It was certain that these guys were absolutely opposed to the Alliance entering the entire Cartin Control Zone. This suited Manite just fine. Their fleeing confirmed their hostility and dissatisfaction with the Alliance. Now, these Castles which were like Artworks would fall into his hands. He still had to carefully consider, beside this dreamlike Castle, to whom should he give the other two Castles?

Manite thought to himself, thankful that he hadn’t let Soldiers into the Castles. Otherwise, with those guys’ rough and uncultured actions, even the best Artwork would be trampled into nothing but a pile of rubble.

As Manite was fretting over to whom he should give the remaining two Castles, Dragumo’s Army was racing at a mad speed from Quke Valley straight towards Livonia.

Dragumo had no time to rest, nor did he allow his subordinates any time to rest. The Half-beast Soldiers were somewhat fatigued; although they secured two days of rest on the ship, it was, after all, too brief. Hundreds of kilometers of trekking could not be recovered in just a day or two. Now, after a long march followed by Combat, they had to wage another war. This was undoubtedly a test for the Half-beast Army, and for the Half-Elves who were physically inferior to the Half-Beastmen, it was even more severe.

Given the special physical characteristics of the Half-Beastmen, Dragumo had to send out the Scouts ahead of time, which meant regardless of the feedback from the Scouts, his forces had to fight. The only adjustments needed were according to the changes in strategy based on the feedback from the Scouts. If the situation turned out to be as bad as the worst-case scenario – that all Three Castles were controlled and guarded by Knossos, and his side couldn’t infiltrate by disguise – then the war could escalate into a fierce siege. Of course, this was the last thing Dragumo wanted, but now the decision was not in his hands.

The Half-Beastmen advanced at a very fast speed, almost jogging all the way. Even though the Knossos Army had been annihilated in Qu Valley, concealing this from the opponent along the way was impossible. They could only strike before the opponent reacted and achieve a decisive victory while the foe was still in disarray.

The information fed back from the Scouts nearly sent Dragumo into a frenzy of joy. Those fools had locked the Three Castles as private properties without allowing the Army to garrison them. Except for one Castle with a small force stationed, the other two were virtually empty.

Dragumo decisively adjusted strategy - disguising for a sneak attack was no longer very meaningful, and might even delay the opportunity. Striking down the small garrison of the only manned Castle to secure it, and the other two requiring only a small force to capture, there was no need for any other tricks to mask his intent. A blitzkrieg would be the best strategy. (To be continued. To discover what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. For more Chapters, support the author, support authorized reading!)