At the Beitang Defensive Line, a young knight was patrolling the surroundings with veterans and his own team.
“L-Lord, footprints!”
A soldier anxiously pointed toward some footprints near a lookout post.
The knight immediately, in a nervous state, aimed his firearm in the direction the soldier indicated.
The group carefully approached and found that there were indeed footprints in the snow, and they were clearly not made by the soldiers on their side; these uniform footprints could only belong to the rebels.
The direction of the footprints was toward the fortifications of the Beitang Defensive Line.
The knight instantly broke into a cold sweat.
“This feels exactly like when a thief breaks into my neighbor’s house.”
“How do you know a thief broke into your neighbor’s house?”
“I advise you not to ask.”
Because the leader of the rebels and his wife were assassinated by Governor Fang Ge, the rebels directly declared war on Governor Fang Ge.
No one thought anything was amiss; after all, Governor Fang Ge had always acted this way. Although he tried desperately to clear his name from the black history of having killed his father and plotting to kill his nephew, Fang Ge had established a reputation for being someone who likes to kill his relatives through his actual actions.
When the Graywhite Territory announced that the assassination was orchestrated by Fang Ge and declared war, everyone from the noble allies down to soldiers and commoners believed it was indeed Fang Ge’s doing. After all, Fang Ge had wanted to kill his two nephews, so it was entirely normal for him to assassinate his niece and her husband.
Even though Fang Ge constantly argued, “I’m not, I didn’t,” people thought this governor was merely trying to clear his name after having killed his niece.
The knight shared this belief, so he completely understood the reasoning behind the declaration of war.
But what about the declaration of war from the rebels? Why was there no movement after just a few cannon shots on the first day?
The primary purpose of the Beitang Defensive Line’s design was to completely lock down the western part of the Northern Border beneath the Giant God Mountain Range, physically separating the western Northern Border.
For this reason, the defensive capabilities of the Beitang Defensive Line could be said to have reached the peak of this era, but it sacrificed some offensive capability.
Regarding the offensive capability of the Beitang Defensive Line, the knight could only compare it to the husband of the neighbor next door. It definitely existed, but at least the knight himself had never seen it.
So after the rebels attempted some cannon fire on the first day, they suddenly went silent and switched to small teams conducting reconnaissance and harassment at night against the Beitang Defensive Line.
This had already left the soldiers in the fortifications on edge.
Everyone hoped the rebels could be men and simply attack, since the defensive line was originally designed with the expectation that the enemy would charge.
But after the cannon fire, the rebels likely realized the toughness of this turtle shell. As long as those inside the Beitang Defensive Line didn’t come out, the rebels wouldn’t attack. They would simply leave some footprints or other things every day to prove they had been there.
The person in charge of the Beitang Defensive Line had actually discovered that the people from the Graywhite Territory had directly bypassed the defensive line and moved out from beneath the Giant God Mountain Range.
They indeed sent troops to intercept the opposing side, but at that time, the enemy hadn’t even set up artillery.
However, the battlefield capabilities of both sides were simply too different. The rebels, though they seemed to wear cloth armor, actually had enchantments layered on thicker than plate armor.
And until the fighting began, the Fang Ge army realized that the rebels were not using ordinary firearms, but rather magic-shooting laser guns and rapid-fire firearms.
The weapons of both sides were from entirely different eras; on the Fang Ge side, only officers and some soldiers had firearms, while the opposing side had fully equipped laser guns and rapid-fire firearms. The firepower of the hundreds of rebels could completely suppress the defenders from the Beitang Defensive Line.
At that time, the Fang Ge army noticed that one of the enemy’s units didn’t have strong firepower, and from the flags, it looked like an accompanying military doctor. So they decided to let the professionals and shield bearers advance with shields to attack from this relatively weak point.
Then the Fang Ge army saw the terrifying masked Sisterhood.
These sisters would use chainsaw swords to suppress the shield bearers at the front, then slide a special firearm—a kind of shotgun—through the gaps they created.
At close range, no matter how thick the armor, it couldn’t withstand a single shotgun blast.
This directly left a psychological shadow on the defending troops of the Beitang Defensive Line.
Was this a military doctor? This was a berserker unit, right?
In short, after the first day, the Beitang Defensive Line had lost the courage to go out and fight.
With mountain peaks rising within the defensive line, the number of soldiers equated to authority, and no one was willing to let their authority exit to seek death.
Actually, if the rebels only left strange footprints and some things every day, it wouldn’t lead to the mental breakdown of the defenders at the Beitang Defensive Line. The true source of fear was the flyers left behind by the rebels’ night raid units.
The flyers stated that Black Iron City, responsible for supplying the Beitang Defensive Line, had fallen, persuading the defenders to abandon resistance. “Northern Border people do not fight Northern Border people; as long as you surrender, we will still be brothers and can play football together.”
At first, these flyers were not numerous. The knight and the veterans went out daily to search for these flyers, burning them upon discovery.
However, when the day for receiving supplies arrived, the supplies from Black Iron City did not arrive.
Rumors quickly became uncontrollable, spreading far and wide, growing increasingly absurd. Some even claimed that Governor Doug had already surrendered, and that the Beitang Defensive Line was the last solitary force.
Nevertheless, the Beitang Defensive Line stretched across the entire western Northern Border, unable to be completely sealed off, thus still receiving external news.
The good news was that the opposing side hadn’t launched any significant attack, and the main forces of the Doug army hadn’t even made contact yet; this war had just begun.
The bad news was that Black Iron City had indeed been lost. Not only had the enemy occupied Black Iron City, but they were also attacking other towns that could provide support to the Beitang Defensive Line. The rebels were almost ignoring the Beitang Defensive Line and prepared to expand their control outward.
The Beitang Defensive Line had failed to guard anything.
Once rumors start, they cannot be halted; moreover, this was reality.
But something even more terrifying happened.
“Lord, what is that over there?”
A soldier beside the knight pointed to a box left in a corner. After the knight and the veteran conducted some protective measures, they opened the box and found it contained food and supplies, along with a note stating that it was meant for spies within the Beitang Defensive Line.
Anyone could tell this was impossible to be truly meant for spies; who would leave a note saying they were providing supplies to spies?
Both the knight and the veteran burst into laughter at the rebels’ stupidity.
Which fool would fall for such an obvious counter-espionage scheme? Not even the lowest-ranking soldier would, right?
However, when the knight returned that night, he found the veteran eating the flatbreads left by the rebels for the spies.
This sensation was akin to the knight walking in on another man in his neighbor’s house.
Indeed, everyone knew this was a counter-espionage scheme, but what if? What if the enemy thought you believed it was a counter-espionage scheme and openly provided supplies to the spies?
Upon seeing the knight, the veteran quickly explained, “Why not eat it? They sent supplies over; why shouldn’t we eat them?”
What if what the veteran said was just rhetoric taught to the spies by the enemy?
The chain of suspicion began.
In the corners of the defensive line, so-called supplies meant for spies began to appear. Although the quantities weren’t abundant, their locations were just right for patrolling soldiers to discover.
Figures occasionally appearing at night, strange footprints appearing during the day, teammates beginning to act suspiciously, the growing chain of suspicion, and the gradually severed supply lines.
“Do not pay attention to the figures appearing at night; they are not allies.”
“Do not use unidentified supplies that suddenly appear.”
“If you see unidentified flyers or supplies, please promptly hand them over to the officers.”
“If you see strange footprints in the snow, please ignore them.”
“If your teammates suddenly begin to act strangely and like to go out at night, please quickly report to the officers.”
“Do not believe in rumors; we have not yet lost. Please maintain a positive and optimistic mindset.”
The entire Beitang Defensive Line seemed to have fallen into a bizarre web of rules.
“L-Lord, footprints!”
A soldier anxiously pointed toward some footprints near a lookout post.
The knight immediately, in a nervous state, aimed his firearm in the direction the soldier indicated.
The group carefully approached and found that there were indeed footprints in the snow, and they were clearly not made by the soldiers on their side; these uniform footprints could only belong to the rebels.
The direction of the footprints was toward the fortifications of the Beitang Defensive Line.
The knight instantly broke into a cold sweat.
“This feels exactly like when a thief breaks into my neighbor’s house.”
“How do you know a thief broke into your neighbor’s house?”
“I advise you not to ask.”
Because the leader of the rebels and his wife were assassinated by Governor Fang Ge, the rebels directly declared war on Governor Fang Ge.
No one thought anything was amiss; after all, Governor Fang Ge had always acted this way. Although he tried desperately to clear his name from the black history of having killed his father and plotting to kill his nephew, Fang Ge had established a reputation for being someone who likes to kill his relatives through his actual actions.
When the Graywhite Territory announced that the assassination was orchestrated by Fang Ge and declared war, everyone from the noble allies down to soldiers and commoners believed it was indeed Fang Ge’s doing. After all, Fang Ge had wanted to kill his two nephews, so it was entirely normal for him to assassinate his niece and her husband.
Even though Fang Ge constantly argued, “I’m not, I didn’t,” people thought this governor was merely trying to clear his name after having killed his niece.
The knight shared this belief, so he completely understood the reasoning behind the declaration of war.
But what about the declaration of war from the rebels? Why was there no movement after just a few cannon shots on the first day?
The primary purpose of the Beitang Defensive Line’s design was to completely lock down the western part of the Northern Border beneath the Giant God Mountain Range, physically separating the western Northern Border.
For this reason, the defensive capabilities of the Beitang Defensive Line could be said to have reached the peak of this era, but it sacrificed some offensive capability.
Regarding the offensive capability of the Beitang Defensive Line, the knight could only compare it to the husband of the neighbor next door. It definitely existed, but at least the knight himself had never seen it.
So after the rebels attempted some cannon fire on the first day, they suddenly went silent and switched to small teams conducting reconnaissance and harassment at night against the Beitang Defensive Line.
This had already left the soldiers in the fortifications on edge.
Everyone hoped the rebels could be men and simply attack, since the defensive line was originally designed with the expectation that the enemy would charge.
But after the cannon fire, the rebels likely realized the toughness of this turtle shell. As long as those inside the Beitang Defensive Line didn’t come out, the rebels wouldn’t attack. They would simply leave some footprints or other things every day to prove they had been there.
The person in charge of the Beitang Defensive Line had actually discovered that the people from the Graywhite Territory had directly bypassed the defensive line and moved out from beneath the Giant God Mountain Range.
They indeed sent troops to intercept the opposing side, but at that time, the enemy hadn’t even set up artillery.
However, the battlefield capabilities of both sides were simply too different. The rebels, though they seemed to wear cloth armor, actually had enchantments layered on thicker than plate armor.
And until the fighting began, the Fang Ge army realized that the rebels were not using ordinary firearms, but rather magic-shooting laser guns and rapid-fire firearms.
The weapons of both sides were from entirely different eras; on the Fang Ge side, only officers and some soldiers had firearms, while the opposing side had fully equipped laser guns and rapid-fire firearms. The firepower of the hundreds of rebels could completely suppress the defenders from the Beitang Defensive Line.
At that time, the Fang Ge army noticed that one of the enemy’s units didn’t have strong firepower, and from the flags, it looked like an accompanying military doctor. So they decided to let the professionals and shield bearers advance with shields to attack from this relatively weak point.
Then the Fang Ge army saw the terrifying masked Sisterhood.
These sisters would use chainsaw swords to suppress the shield bearers at the front, then slide a special firearm—a kind of shotgun—through the gaps they created.
At close range, no matter how thick the armor, it couldn’t withstand a single shotgun blast.
This directly left a psychological shadow on the defending troops of the Beitang Defensive Line.
Was this a military doctor? This was a berserker unit, right?
In short, after the first day, the Beitang Defensive Line had lost the courage to go out and fight.
With mountain peaks rising within the defensive line, the number of soldiers equated to authority, and no one was willing to let their authority exit to seek death.
Actually, if the rebels only left strange footprints and some things every day, it wouldn’t lead to the mental breakdown of the defenders at the Beitang Defensive Line. The true source of fear was the flyers left behind by the rebels’ night raid units.
The flyers stated that Black Iron City, responsible for supplying the Beitang Defensive Line, had fallen, persuading the defenders to abandon resistance. “Northern Border people do not fight Northern Border people; as long as you surrender, we will still be brothers and can play football together.”
At first, these flyers were not numerous. The knight and the veterans went out daily to search for these flyers, burning them upon discovery.
However, when the day for receiving supplies arrived, the supplies from Black Iron City did not arrive.
Rumors quickly became uncontrollable, spreading far and wide, growing increasingly absurd. Some even claimed that Governor Doug had already surrendered, and that the Beitang Defensive Line was the last solitary force.
Nevertheless, the Beitang Defensive Line stretched across the entire western Northern Border, unable to be completely sealed off, thus still receiving external news.
The good news was that the opposing side hadn’t launched any significant attack, and the main forces of the Doug army hadn’t even made contact yet; this war had just begun.
The bad news was that Black Iron City had indeed been lost. Not only had the enemy occupied Black Iron City, but they were also attacking other towns that could provide support to the Beitang Defensive Line. The rebels were almost ignoring the Beitang Defensive Line and prepared to expand their control outward.
The Beitang Defensive Line had failed to guard anything.
Once rumors start, they cannot be halted; moreover, this was reality.
But something even more terrifying happened.
“Lord, what is that over there?”
A soldier beside the knight pointed to a box left in a corner. After the knight and the veteran conducted some protective measures, they opened the box and found it contained food and supplies, along with a note stating that it was meant for spies within the Beitang Defensive Line.
Anyone could tell this was impossible to be truly meant for spies; who would leave a note saying they were providing supplies to spies?
Both the knight and the veteran burst into laughter at the rebels’ stupidity.
Which fool would fall for such an obvious counter-espionage scheme? Not even the lowest-ranking soldier would, right?
However, when the knight returned that night, he found the veteran eating the flatbreads left by the rebels for the spies.
This sensation was akin to the knight walking in on another man in his neighbor’s house.
Indeed, everyone knew this was a counter-espionage scheme, but what if? What if the enemy thought you believed it was a counter-espionage scheme and openly provided supplies to the spies?
Upon seeing the knight, the veteran quickly explained, “Why not eat it? They sent supplies over; why shouldn’t we eat them?”
What if what the veteran said was just rhetoric taught to the spies by the enemy?
The chain of suspicion began.
In the corners of the defensive line, so-called supplies meant for spies began to appear. Although the quantities weren’t abundant, their locations were just right for patrolling soldiers to discover.
Figures occasionally appearing at night, strange footprints appearing during the day, teammates beginning to act suspiciously, the growing chain of suspicion, and the gradually severed supply lines.
“Do not pay attention to the figures appearing at night; they are not allies.”
“Do not use unidentified supplies that suddenly appear.”
“If you see unidentified flyers or supplies, please promptly hand them over to the officers.”
“If you see strange footprints in the snow, please ignore them.”
“If your teammates suddenly begin to act strangely and like to go out at night, please quickly report to the officers.”
“Do not believe in rumors; we have not yet lost. Please maintain a positive and optimistic mindset.”
The entire Beitang Defensive Line seemed to have fallen into a bizarre web of rules.
