Chapter 707
Chapter 707 - 693: Reinforcements
1,664 words
•
9 min read
Battle... War and the battlefield have never been something that can be decided by one or two people.
When both sides enter a state of war and regard each other as mortal enemies, only the complete downfall or submission of one side can end the catastrophe.
After the "Redemption" Gigantification ended, Lu Ping’an sighed and retreated to the rear.
Although it was such a huge volume, it was still only a third-tier Magic Plant...The threshold of the Decree-level was hard for any life to surpass, and the Fusang tree needed certain crucial elements to complete its metamorphosis.
"Alas, if only I had a little more time to help it evolve... they would all die."
Lu Ping’an, who had withdrawn his power, felt somewhat regretful and unsatisfied, but he had already frightened the onlookers.
Even Wang Xier, who had seen Lu Ping’an fighting with all his strength before, only saw the strength of his Battle-profession, but now she saw the ridiculous strength of his primary profession as a Gardener and had to reassess him.
"Princess, this is an ’Independent Legion’, very powerful..."
Decree-level bodyguard Li Zhenhuan whispered to his master.
Among professional warriors, the least valuable is the "Battle-profession" unless the strength reaches the level of beheading ten thousand soldiers with a single strike; otherwise, they are just ordinary soldiers or filler roles.
What’s more valuable are various specialists like chefs, sentries, tailors, etc., who are worth several times more than a common soldier in terms of hiring importance.
And the top tier consists of researchers... whether they specialize in biology, magic potions, or technology, they can give you multiple returns on your investment in resources.
But the reality is harsh; the more expensive the "labor cost" of a soldier, the more costly it is to train them.
The "tuition fee" for a logistician easily reaches three to five times that of a Battle-profession, while for a researcher, an additional ten to a hundred times is also normal.
However, when it comes to forming an independent army, the above combinations are not enough.
A regular legion-type is like a domesticated ferocious dog, often a war weapon cultivated by a major force or a giant company, appearing basically only on the battlefield.
And an independent legion-type... often implies the cost of all the above and the functionality of all the above.
He alone is a legion, and if he achieves self-sufficiency without the help of a dedicated support team, it still means that he has a certain level of standard in all aspects.
Lu Ping’an’s Battle-profession, Gardener, Beast Tamer(?), and support abilities all showed reasonable standards, and while perhaps still immature, they did demonstrate the potential of a one-man-army.
"...I understand now." Wang Xier raised her evaluation of Lu Ping’an’s team once again and praised her previous "friendliness."
Legally, Lu Ping’an’s team was hired by Wang Xier, and now they are her nominal reinforcements.
Taking into account the "superior-subordinate" relationship on Earth, it is not wrong for Lu Ping’an to be considered her subordinate...but after determining Lu Ping’an’s abilities, she did not order him around as a subordinate.
In the broadcast, she said, "Wang Xier and Lu Ping’an’s team"... If they lost this battle, there would be nothing, but if they won, Wang Xier and Lu Ping’an would share the merit and reputation equally.
From her perspective, as a "employer" and "superior," it would not be wrong for her to mention Wang Xier’s team directly.
It would greatly enhance her prestige in the eyes of the people of the Eastern Country, and the chance to become a pillar of support during the crisis would be extremely tempting for her, an outsider.
However, perhaps it was this caution and prudence that earned the respect of Lu Ping’an and his team, or else Lu Ping’an might not have worked so hard...at least that’s what Wang Xier thought at the moment.
"...This hellish scene feels like it could be further strengthened... what’s missing, though?!"
Yet Lu Ping’an was not thinking in that direction at all; he was only pondering his "scenery" and the possibility of further evolution.
In his eyes, reputation was not important at first; getting paid was enough...
At this moment, he subconsciously glanced at Wang Xier.
"Since she is a princess, she must have a lot of treasures... how about hitting some local tycoons later?"
At this time, Wang Xier happened to be looking at Lu Ping’an and saw him looking at her.
"Sure enough, it’s a partnership that he needs... Alright, let’s cooperate and let you see my generosity."
The two people thought completely different things, but when their eyes met, they both revealed an ambiguous smile that seemed to say "you understand."
The small interlude passed quickly, but the battle on the frontlines had not yet begun.
Lu Ping’an’s ultra-long-range trap inflicted a preemptive strike on the attackers; they were still several kilometers away from the mining area on the mountain, and the reality of losing troops and generals made them less aggressive.
They regrouped and reorganized at the foot of the mountain, taking stock of the damage suffered earlier.
But their previous arrogance was gone; a loss of a third of their manpower in just one encounter was hard for anyone to bear... Although most of those who died were ordinary people, the sorrow for those who perished affected everyone, and the mercenaries who took money to work naturally lost their previous aggression.
"Is there anything else?"
Someone asked, and Lu Ping’an shook his head.
The person didn’t inquire further, as he didn’t have high expectations.
In this kind of surprise attack, the first attempt yields the most significant benefits. To have reached this level of luring the enemy into the trap was already astonishing.
"It seems they’re setting up their defenses..."
Some sharp-eyed people noticed that the convoy had halted and began constructing a temporary defense at the foot of the mountain.
"...Have they become cowardly already?"
Lu Ping’an was somewhat surprised. Was it necessary to do this just because they lost some ordinary soldiers?
The people around him were gritting their teeth in anger, wishing they could charge down the mountain.
But soon, Lu Ping’an understood why...
"...As expected, I knew something was off."
Lu Ping’an looked up at the sky. Above his "War Eagle," a brownish-yellow bird circled overhead.
It flew so high that it looked like a tiny dot from the ground.
Then, one by one, yellow dots appeared on the horizon. Perhaps it was because of the commotion made by Lu Ping’an; someone grabbed a telescope...
"The Aus people, there are Aus people up there! Those are their Sky Knights!"
Lu Ping’an lowered his head, not looking any further, but within his "vision range," vibrant, lively flying beasts appeared in the surrounding airspace.
After a quick calculation, there were more than thirty of them.
"Heh, Beast Tamers... We’re not the only ones with that skill."
It should have been obvious. This place was indeed a paradise for Beast Tamers, and the Aus people arrived even earlier. How could they not develop this capability?
This was clearly a group rather than an individual case... If Beast Tamers raised mature groups like this, then there might be a large number of them, and long-term preparations for aerial combat would be necessary.
They must have tamed these Sky Knights long ago... With these creatures watching from above, it’s no wonder the Aus people had taken the initiative on the battlefield.
The flying beast silently glided, soaring high and far, with no intention of landing.
Perhaps it had been hanging like this before, watching, guiding the Aus people to complete one successful hunt after another.
𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
That one continued to circle high in the sky, while the others landed one by one near the Aus people, bringing a considerable number of warriors and armaments with them.
The previous wave was just scattered hunting teams, or to put it bluntly, mercenaries paid to do a job.
But once this base became a thorn in the eyes of the Aus people, they naturally brought out their trump card.
As the "flying beasts" landed, the Eastern Country people could see their appearance clearly.
It was a two-headed beast, one head resembling a bird and the other a dragon. It had the shape of a two-legged wyvern, but its wings were covered in feathers, and it had claws and teeth but seemed rather ordinary.
"Hairy, weak to fire..."
Lu Ping’an pondered, the creature’s limbs looked quite frail, it wouldn’t pose much of a threat on the ground—which might be why it hadn’t joined the attack directly.
However, at this point, instead of carrying out low-altitude raids, the simple act of circling overhead had become a big problem.
The enemies would see their defensive lines clearly. Once a battle started, they would definitely attack from the rear or the flank. Even if the main body seemed weak, sneaking in a few high-end fighters would be troublesome.
People in the Eastern Country’s defensive positions gradually became aware of the aerial beasts in the sky, causing some chaos.
They weren’t skilled in aerial combat... Or rather, their technology tree had taken a peculiar turn, with airships replacing airplanes. With few flying exotic beasts in their homeland, the concept of airspace wasn’t part of their traditional understanding of the battlefield.
"...Now’s the time to get our Italian Cannon out. Fang Wen? Are you ready?"
"I’ve said it many times, it’s not an Italian Cannon! And what’s Italy?! Is there such a place?!"
"Tsk, even better... Then I can name it the Italian Cannon. Hurry up and bring it out. Second Battalion Commander!"
"Who’s your Second Battalion Commander!"
— End of Chapter 707 —