Chapter 496: A roundabout way to save the world?
Bilgewater, offshore.
In this world-saving war that affected all parts of the world, Shurima had the help of god warriors such as Azir and Nasus, and Ionia was also protected by countless masters led by Karma and Irelia;
Both Noxus and Demacia are traditional military powers, with highly organized military forces, tens of thousands of extraordinary warriors, and key trump cards such as Galio and Secret Demon, Fire Demon, and Shadow Demon;
Although Zaun and Piltover lack extraordinary power, as the world's largest military production base, the Twin Cities' massive reserves of weapons and ammunition and terrifying firepower strike capabilities are enough to make up for the Twin Cities' lack of combat power.
Only Bilgewater cannot compare with the Twin Cities in terms of firepower, nor can it compare with those extraordinary countries in terms of combat power. Apart from Nagakabouros who will theoretically take action at the last moment, it only has some conventional technological weapons left.
From this perspective, Bilgewater is the area with the greatest defensive pressure and is the weakest link in the Windleader's many defense lines.
Levi even specially asked Tam to be on standby at all times, so that he could draw experts from other battlefields with relatively good situations at critical moments and be ready to rush to the assistance of Port of Big Ben at any time.
However, the fact is...
Compared with other places, the battlefield situation in Bilgewater is the easiest to control.
"Commander Sarah, this time it's all thanks to your wise decision." Illaoi said sincerely.
This may sound like flattery to the leadership, but it is an indisputable fact.
Because it was Sarah who accurately judged that it was impossible for Gangplank to launch an attack from within Bilgewater, and the attack must come from the sea, so she made the correct decision to intercept the enemy in the open sea.
That's why the Leader Navy later met Planck and others at sea.
This gives Bilgewater an advantage that no other battlefield has.
That is, at the moment when the enemy launched the attack and the plane channel was opened, the leader's army had already assembled and arrived at the scene in advance.
By the time leaders from other regions arrived at the scene of the attack, the undead pouring out of the underworld were often so numerous that they were overwhelming .
So they could only rely on head-on combat to suppress the enemy's offensive head-on and use their lives to block the increasingly surging tide of undead.
And in Bilgewater...
The gate to the underworld had only been opened for a short time, and the undead had not yet had time to pour out of the plane channel, but the tens of thousands of artillery pieces mounted on thousands of ships had already aimed their densely packed gun muzzles at the enemy's "birth point."
And on the dim sea surface at sunset, the wide door that flashed a pale fluorescent light in the darkness and was so eye-catching that it could not be more eye-catching was simply the best artillery target.
The monster's spawn point is fixed, and there is such a good target standing there.
Even without divine assistance and the help of the "Bluebird Ballistic Precision Correction System", Bilgewater Leader's shells can still easily hit the target area.
So, the course of the battle became like this:
The undead poured out of the dimensional channel, and the leader opened fire.
Under the devastation of this high-density artillery coverage and saturation firepower strikes, the undead could only quickly perish in the flames.
Then the undead poured out of the plane passage, and the Wind Leader opened fire;
The undead poured out of the plane passage, and the Wind Leader opened fire;
…
Modkaiser's undead army seemed to have become an experience baby that was blocked at the doorstep by the leader of Big Port and was "abusing the fountain".
Every time the enemy emerges, the leader will reap the harvest.
The undead had no time to spread out their formation or form a wave in the mortal world before they were blown into brilliant fireworks by the dense iron rain and thousands of shells that fell on their heads.
There are a few elite undead like Gangplank who can withstand the intensive and devastating artillery fire and rush to the front of the leader's fleet.
But these very few who slipped through the net could not shake the leaders who had a large number of people and great power.
The Windleader has the help of Illaoi and other Baru priests, as well as Lucian and Senna, two Sentinels of Light who have the ability to restrain the undead.
Among them, Miss Senna performed particularly well.
She has the unique ability to absorb the soul black mist. She can transform the soul fragments of fallen enemies into black mist and absorb it to strengthen herself.
And the number of souls killed under the artillery fire was already in the thousands or even tens of thousands.
Senna only took the boat forward and circled twice, and her experience points increased rapidly, making her the most powerful transcendent present. Even Ornn, who was blessed by the Snake Mother, could not catch up with her.
Planck and others didn't even have time to rush up before she shot them dead in an instant from a distance of thousands of meters.
The miscellaneous soldiers could not withstand the bombardment, and the elite troops who could withstand the bombardment were insufficient in number and could not break through the leader's defense line.
Modkaiser's Spirit Sea tactics were completely ineffective here.
Looking from afar, there is no sight of the Sea of the Dead that can be seen in other areas, nor the glowing ghost lights that cover the sky.
There was only the diffuse smoke, the rising mist, the dense and drum-like sound of artillery fire, and the brilliant sparks that kept blooming.
That’s why Illaoi sighed, “Sarah, this time it’s all thanks to you.”
"Now is not the time to celebrate, Illaoi." Sarah was not so optimistic.
She looked at the flames that were constantly blooming like fireworks and the sea that was constantly churning like boiling water, her eyes filled with solemnity.
Because there is a question that always lingers in her mind: "How many dead souls are there behind that gate to the underworld?"
This could be a nearly infinite number.
But the remaining ammunition reserves of the Leader Fleet must be a limited number.
"We have 337 civilian ships that have run out of ammunition and have had to withdraw from the battle."
Although this fleet looks very powerful, in fact, among the thousands of ships of various types present, 90% are civilian ships that have come to support spontaneously.
Although these civilian sailors are also leaders, they have a strong will to fight.
But they were civilians after all, not professional soldiers, and they were temporarily incorporated into the fleet in a hurry , without even the most basic command system established.
Sarah had no way of micromanaging so many scattered civilian ships. Everyone was fighting on their own, firing based on their instincts.
She wanted to command the fleet to fire alternately in batches to save ammunition as much as possible, but this was simply impossible.
In addition, these armed civilian ships were not warships specifically designed for naval warfare, and there were not many artillery and ammunition on board.
As the fighting went on, many civilian ships quickly ran out of ammunition and had to retreat to the side to watch.
"If this continues, there will be fewer and fewer ships that can participate in the battle, and ammunition will become increasingly insufficient."
"And if we still haven't won by the time our ammunition runs out and our firepower becomes insufficient, then..."
Sarah sighed worriedly, "Then we're dead!"
As she spoke, she looked at Illaoi anxiously again.
"This..." Illaoi probably understood.
She knew that Sarah was not a person who liked to complain, even if the situation was really so desperate. What Sarah meant by saying these words to her was:
"Illaoi, can you ask Nagakabouros again to see if He can help?"
The situation was indeed not good, so Sarah simply asked straight to the point.
"I... will try." Illaoi closed her eyes, chanted the ancient Baru ritual, and prayed devoutly to the gods in her heart.
Finally, she opened her eyes again.
"What did the Snake Mother say?" Sarah asked impatiently.
“Nagakabouros is pleased with your performance,” Illaoi said. “She has seen your battles around the world.”
"This is the greatest 'movement' of all time that He has never appreciated."
“You guys did a great job.”
"So?" Sarah's eyes were full of expectation.
“So…” Illaoi replied helplessly: “Just keep doing it.”
"Mother Snake believes in you."
Sarah: “…”
“Sarah,” Illaoi sighed, “I told you, Nagakabouros is not a benevolent guardian.”
“You can’t depend on Him.”
Sarah remained silent and turned to look at the continuous artillery fire.
Of course she knew that Nagakabouros was not a savior who would grant every request.
But now, seeing that the ammunition is gradually running out and there is no result from Goddess Janna, what else can she rely on if not praying to Nagakabouros?
After all, the spiritual atomic bomb is not a real atomic bomb.
No matter how firm the leader's faith is or how strong his will is, he cannot stop the endless waves of undead in this vast ocean with an empty ship without ammunition.
And if they cannot be stopped at sea and the Undead army lands and attacks the port, who knows how many lives will be lost and how many families will be destroyed.
The hometown she had liberated with great difficulty was about to fall into hell again in the blink of an eye.
"No..." Sarah clenched her fists secretly: "I will never allow it!"
She called the adjutant and gave the order: "Pass the order—"
"Notify all civilian ships participating in the battle by radio and tell them not to stay on the battlefield once they have exhausted their ammunition. Have them return to Bilgewater as soon as possible and join the citizens in building the coastal defense line!"
"At the same time, notify all naval vessels to select sailors with superior physical fitness and good close combat, and return to the port in lifeboats to assist in defense before the ammunition is exhausted."
"The rest of you stay and hold on to the end!"
"Yes!" The adjutant hurried to convey the order.
However, Ornn had already sensed her determination from her soft yet resolute face: "Sarah, you..."
"Do you want to let the navy ships stay behind as a suicide squad to cover everyone at the last moment, help more people retreat to Port, and continue to fight the enemy on the coast?"
"Yes." Sarah explained in detail: "Once the ammunition is exhausted, we can no longer rely on these empty ships without claws to stop the enemy in this vast ocean."
"Retreat to the coast and fight a land defense battle with the enemy relying on the terrain. Perhaps there is still a chance of winning."
"And retreating... always requires someone to cover the rear."
The person in charge of covering the rear can only be the soldier who is leading the charge.
"You..." Illaoi's tone was moved.
She could tell from Sarah's resolute look that the "last person" Sarah mentioned also included herself.
"But you are the fleet commander." Illaoi couldn't help but persuade: "You can't die."
"If you die, who will take charge?"
“Raven will complete this task for me.” Sarah sighed. “He is now the mayor of Bilgewater. He has been in charge of the defense of the coast and the city from the beginning.”
"And I am the commander of the Wind Leader Navy Fleet."
"Now..." She said, gently stroking the warship's command platform in front of her: "The naval fleet is about to be lost, what is the point of me, the naval commander, staying alive?"
"Sarah." Illaoi wanted to persuade her again. After working together for more than two years, she and Sarah were already good friends.
"Don't try to persuade me anymore." Sarah shook her head. "I'm the fleet commander, the person the soldiers trust the most. If I don't stay behind to cover their retreat, why should they stay here?"
“Because we are the leaders!”
At some point, everyone in the warship's cockpit looked over with complicated eyes.
No matter whether it was high-ranking officers like the captain and the deputy captain, or low-ranking non-commissioned officers like the helmsman, signalman, and radar soldier, all of them looked over without hesitation.
There was also hesitation and fear in their eyes, but in the end, only determination remained.
"Commander Sarah, we are the leaders."
"We don't need anyone to set an example for us - we ourselves are the role models for people, and we are willing to sacrifice for our ideals!"
Sarah: “…”
She finally realized that she had underestimated the leader.
The soldiers of a leader are all soldiers with faith.
There is no need for coercion, deception, or superiors to inspire people with the old trick of leading the charge like the generals of Demacia...
All it takes is an order, just enough to let them know what they are fighting for, and they are willing to sacrifice.
"Okay... " After a moment of silence, she finally said with emotion: "Then I will stay with you!"
"Commander Sarah!" Everyone tried to dissuade her excitedly.
"Alright, alright..." Sarah said with a carefree smile, "I, the fleet commander, will soon be useless. If I survive, I won't be able to make any more contributions to this war."
"You are the leaders, and I am also the leader."
"You are willing to sacrifice, so why shouldn't I be willing to sacrifice too?"
There was another silence.
This time, no one spoke out to stop it.
Everyone looked quietly into Sarah's fiery eyes, and with their equally determined gazes, they formed a silent vow.
They have to stay to cover the fleet and buy more time for the military and civilians in the rear!
They will fight to the end, until they die!
"Wait!" At this critical moment, someone interrupted them.
Everyone had already written a suicide note in their hearts, and this voice came at an inopportune time.
If it were someone else, Sarah would definitely glare back at them fiercely.
But now the one who said this is:
"President Levi?" She looked at the blue bird incarnation standing on the podium in surprise.
"It's me." Levi's voice came clearly through the broadcast of the blue bird incarnation.
That familiar voice excited every leader present.
Levi wouldn't call them for no reason. He contacted them at this critical moment, could it be...
"Has Goddess Janna defeated Mordekaiser and won the final victory?" Sarah asked impatiently.
"No, she hasn't yet," Levi's answer was disappointing.
"Then?" Sarah and others did not rush to question, but just carefully waited for Levi's next words.
All I heard was Levi saying, "Cease fire and retreat, everyone."
"Keep the ammunition for your own protection and let the undead come. As long as the undead haven't hurt anyone, don't fire back."
"Huh?" Sarah was slightly stunned.
"What did you say?"
"I said cease fire, cease fire and retreat now." Levi issued an incredible order: "Stop blocking the exit of the passage and bombarding it. Let the undead return to the mortal world."
There was a brief and delicate silence.
Everyone present stared at each other, and then...
"Asshole!" Sarah cursed, "Levi, you shameless traitor!"
"You want me to give up resistance and let those devils in without firing a shot?"
"Tell me! Bastard, have you already surrendered to Mordekaiser and become a guide to the underworld?"
The founders of the Leaders Association actually surrendered and became guides?
Everyone couldn't believe it and found it hard to bear this heavy blow.
However, Levi's outrageous order calling on everyone to kneel down, give up resistance and welcome the king of the underworld made everyone doubt him.
"Stop..." Levi reminded helplessly: "What are you thinking about?"
"Think about it carefully - if I surrender and become a guide, how can I contact you using the Blue Bird avatar?"
"Uh..." Sarah finally reacted belatedly.
Indeed, the Bluebird incarnation is more effective than the Thread of Faith and is the best proof of one's identity as a leader.
If Levi had surrendered to Mordekaiser and taken the route of "saving the world in a roundabout way", he would have turned from a leader into a shameless enemy of humanity - and Goddess Janna would not have been able to convey this order for him.
Therefore, Levi's tactic of "luring the invaders into the pass" must have had other implications.
"President Levi, why?" Sarah asked worriedly, "Why do you want us to cease fire and retreat?"
The enemy is like a never-ending flame.
If they let it burn, and the flames turn into a raging fire, they won't be able to suppress it anymore.
So, why did Levi want them to commit suicide?
"Because among those millions of dead souls, there are our comrades." Levi brought everyone an incredible news: "At this moment, they have arrived at the entrance to the mortal world-"
"They will soon return to the human world and offer their final contribution to the destruction of Mordekaiser!"
