The An Zhu and Cape border has now become like a powder keg; after the last armored unit from Cape attempted a rescue, both sides are clearly in a state where a single spark could ignite conflict.
However, under these circumstances, the high-level professionals on both sides have managed to retain some rationality, or rather, neither side is prepared for a full-scale war.
Lind is eliminating the last batch of demon clan members in the Eastern Border and is currently clearing his coastline.
Meanwhile, Alberto is addressing the last gap reported by Cassius regarding the gene warriors.
But just at this moment, the powder keg was ignited.
The gene warriors showcased their might on the battlefield for the first time, managing to utilize the mental network to receive information and complete their mission, even in small dispersed groups.
When the gene warrior captain stood on the forward fortress of Cape, watching the fortress burning below, he still couldn’t believe what he had done.
The current gene warriors possess a more rigorous mental network, superior equipment, and small explosive packs, making them even more formidable than during the time of the Old Empire.
Not far away, the officers of An Zhu watched in shock as the forward fortress of Cape was engulfed in flames, with the An Zhu flag flying prominently.
After all, the order from above was to maintain high pressure but not to engage directly in war.
Now, however, their troops had already taken the enemy’s forward fortress.
“Lord, let’s go to war!”
The soldiers below kept urging.
“Our comrades have taken the enemy’s forward fortress; now we should go help reinforce our defenses!”
“Yes, my Lord, we can’t miss this chance!”
Looking at his noisy subordinates, the officer sensed something was wrong.
“Are there any visitors in the front military camp?”
The officer’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the soldiers present.
“Of course, there was a demon clan merchant here to assist with supplies, my Lord, have you forgotten?”
“And that demon?”
“My Lord, what does it matter now? Do we fight or not? Are you going to let the brothers who fought hard for the forward fortress die in vain?”
Hearing this, the officer said angrily, “Don’t I know? But those brothers were clearly set up! What does taking a forward fortress amount to? The enemy’s tanks will soon rush over; this completely disrupts Your Majesty’s tactical layout! If we go to rescue them, we’ll be at a disadvantage!”
But just as the officer finished speaking, there was suddenly a flash of sparks in the distance. The officer knew very well that it was the firearms, and An Zhu’s produced bullets were flying towards his head.
Fortunately, the enemy’s aim seemed not very accurate; the bullet merely hit the officer’s shoulder.
“Protect the officer!”
Someone shouted this in the chaos.
But the officer shouted as he pressed on his wound, “No! Find the assailant; do not create chaos! Everyone, stay away from me, this wound is not fatal!”
Unfortunately, it was too late; the scene immediately fell into chaos with that shout of “Protect the officer.”
Many soldiers surrounded the officer voluntarily.
Breathing heavily, the officer tried to push away the soldiers beside him. Clearly, someone wanted him dead, and in this dark situation, it was too easy to take a hand against him.
Someone was deliberately inciting conflict, trying to create discord; he must report this to His Majesty as soon as possible!
But just then, the officer felt a sharp blade stab into his chest.
In his last moments, the officer looked down and saw it was his deputy, a gene warrior with a fervent belief in the War God, who had struck him amidst the chaos of the crowded crowd.
According to the current military system of An Zhu, officers do not accept gene surgeries, while those who undergo such surgeries are assigned as deputies. Junior officers are responsible for executing specific strategies, while deputy officers who have undergone gene surgeries connect the mental network for communication between units.
The deputy quickly withdrew his hand and shouted loudly, “It’s bad! The officer is injured! Officer? My Lord!”
The officer wanted to use his last strength to point at that deputy but only saw the grim smile on the deputy’s face before he closed his eyes.
“What a pity, the officer seems to be beyond saving. According to wartime regulations, I will take over command authority. Brothers, let us avenge our commander!”
An unauthorized unit from An Zhu’s border captured the fortress of Cape, after which a fervent deputy published false information across the mental network, and the damn Cape had gone to war.
The entire border began to stir, as erroneous information spread through the mental network painstakingly established by Cassius.
And the flames of war also began to spread in the real world.
Due to the chaotic situation, Alberto’s original plans were completely disrupted, but in an emergency, Alberto had no choice but to declare war.
After all, even if Alberto didn’t declare war, fighting had already begun. Declaring war could at least preserve the last bit of dignity for King Alberto.
Although declaring war on Cape, Alberto’s gaze was directed toward the homeland and the War God Church, which seemed to be shifting.
However, the soldiers on the front lines knew nothing of what their king was thinking; they only knew that a battle had begun.
The altered soldiers were indeed very powerful, showing both restraint and fearlessness, and with expertise in magic, they had already begun to gain the upper hand against the soldiers from Cape.
While Cape’s tank firepower was fierce, An Zhu’s tanks had dealt with them for a while, and it was impossible to be completely unprepared. Aside from digging trenches, various landmines, improvised explosive devices, and anti-tank artillery began to be pushed onto the battlefield.
While the infantry from Cape assisted, relying solely on tanks for a quick advance could no longer be as smooth as it was during the tanks’ first appearance.
And when it came to anti-tank measures, An Zhu also had their own great killing machines.
That would be the high-level professionals who had been waiting for a long time.
“What tank? It doesn’t look like much.”
One high-level mage was altering the battlefield terrain, causing the tanks to quickly become mired in the muddy pits created by him.
While the enchanting magic on the tanks was indeed troublesome, it was evident that An Zhu already understood that dealing with tanks didn’t necessarily mean confronting the tanks directly. The iron-clad beasts might be unyielding, but the land beneath their tracks and the infantry around them were not.
After being cleared of the nearby infantry by a wave of high-level professionals, and being dragged into the mud, the tanks’ fundamental weakness as cumbersome artillery machines was fully exposed.
“Tin can, not much to it.”
“Since that’s the case, how about we compare who hunts more tin can monsters?”
Several high-level professionals laughed on the battlefield; they didn’t seem to take this war seriously, and despite some surprises along the way, at the end of the day, the battlefield still depended on who had more high-level professionals. After all, high-level professionals remained important figures determining the direction of the battle.
In contrast, Judith was feeling more stressed.
Although she had trained the soldiers for a long time, these troops were essentially a remnant of the southwestern border’s formation and comprised many newly enlisted recruits. Ultimately, they were definitely not comparable to the veterans from the Northern Border.
Moreover, the enemy soldiers were indeed formidable, completely overturning Judith’s perception of An Zhu’s army.
Now, the main forces of the Lord Governor were still executing the Iron Ring Plan. While the southwestern border couldn’t be said to be swept away like a hot knife through butter, Judith still felt somewhat powerless.
On the battlefield, Cape’s soldiers were being suppressed by the high-level professionals, and the situation was chaotic. An Zhu’s high-level professionals didn’t treat this war as a war but as their hunting ground, playing with these rookie soldiers.
But just at this moment, a small unit clad in massive armor charged onto the battlefield.
When Cape’s soldiers saw this small unit, it was as if they had seen a glimmer of hope for survival: “Great, it’s the Lars Knights! We are saved!”
