Volume 3: Artifacts Chapter 155: Testing
It is an indisputable fact that the Imperial Army is at a disadvantage in terms of manpower in the Tedejia Hills. Even with the addition of the second- and third-line armies that do not have much combat effectiveness, Luke has less than 100,000 soldiers at his disposal. These auxiliary troops are scattered in various key areas of the Empire's occupied areas. With the complete withdrawal of the Royal First Magic Legion from the Tedejia Hills, the Empire's front line is very empty.
After a round of military meetings, Luke ordered all auxiliary troops to retreat from the front line and occupy key positions behind the Triumph Fortress to establish a solid defense.
Fort Triumph thus became a salient.
The Armored Assault Division of Raging Waves City would first prioritize sending personnel to take over the defense of the Triumph Fortress, utilizing the fortifications already built by the Royal First Magic Legion to form a Triumph Fortress defense circle with the Triumph Fortress as the center and the surrounding highlands as the fulcrum.
First use the fortress's reserve weapons for defense and wait for your own weapons and equipment to arrive by rail. After completing the replacement, you can launch a counterattack.
Luke checked the warehouse after arriving at the Fortress. The weapons and equipment replaced by the Royal First Magic Corps were all sealed inside. The Armored Assault Division of Fury City had received training on these weapons and equipment, so there was no problem using them in combat.
In addition, 50% of the various airships assigned to the assault division have arrived at the Triumph Fortress, including a Kirov-class super-heavy steam airship. The assault division's air force has a great advantage.
Therefore, when the Celtic Duke led the barbarian army to launch a counterattack against the imperial army, he found that there was only a triumphal fortress in front of him.
This fortress was stuck in the middle of the mountains, guarding the most convenient road from the Tedega Hills into the empire. If this fortress was not taken back, the barbarian army would have to take the mountain trails and abandon most of their baggage.
Moreover, the Triumphal Fortress is of great significance to the barbarians and must be taken back even if it has no military value.
Following the order from the Celtic Duke, the barbarian army immediately launched an attack on the sturdy fortress, and the battle for the highlands around the fortress also began.
After the Kirov-class super-heavy steam airship arrived at the overhead fortress, Luke moved his command post into the airship.
From here, you can overlook the entire battlefield.
The south side of the Triumphal Fortress is an open area, which is conducive to the deployment of the attackers. It can be seen that when the barbarians built the Triumphal Fortress, they considered how to facilitate their recapture of the lost fortress.
As the attackers, the barbarians who received new weapons and equipment also received new tactics training. They did not launch fearless charges against the fortified city as they did before, and crush the defenders' will with their bloodiness.
Before the attack, the barbarian army made sufficient preparations for the attack.
The barbarians put the second-hand armed steam airships they purchased on the front line to provide air cover for the ground troops.
Then the accompanying magician controlled the magic projectile cannon to blast the ground along the attack route. The magic traps set by the defenders were forcibly removed during the blast. Then the magic projectile cannon used earth magic bombs to create sloped shelters along the attack route so that the attacking soldiers could avoid the defenders' long-range attacks midway and it would also be convenient for the soldiers to regroup when retreating.
Some magic projectiles are used to dig trenches, allowing soldiers to have a more forward attack area.
The Barbarian Legion carried out the magic deployment in an orderly manner according to their training. The Barbarian Heavy Warriors wearing heavy armor and holding tower shields entered the trenches and lined up in the attack area.
The rest of the barbarian light infantry stood by in the rear.
Behind the light infantry was the war fortress designed and manufactured by the barbarians themselves. However, there were still many problems with the war fortress, so the barbarians did not put this siege weapon on the front line to withstand attacks, but let it move together with the light infantry, more for psychological comfort.
The Barbarian Legion's performance was average, there was nothing commendable about it, but it also did not expose any major loopholes.
The Triumph Fortress did not treat the barbarian army as a threat. The troops with combat missions stayed in their respective defense areas, while the other soldiers were carrying things.
The weapons and equipment equipped by the Nutao City Armored Assault Division were so numerous that even the war fortresses were broken up and shipped over in bulk.
No one panicked because of the disparity in strength between the enemy and us, and the entire fortress was operating at a healthy and high speed.
Facing the magic preparations of the Barbarian Legion, the Triumphal Fortress did not allow the opponent to set up an attack route. The magic projectile cannons on the fortress turret responded quickly, and projectiles were thrown high up, drawing parabolas in the air and smashing down on the earthen slope bunkers built by the Barbarians.
After being hit, the earth slope shelter instantly turned into a sand pile, and the collapse of the sand pile turned into a sand trap area that was difficult to walk on.
At the same time, the magic projectile cannons located on the high ground on both sides of the fortress took advantage of their high range and launched indiscriminate bombardment on the barbarian heavy infantry gathered .
Then, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the bombing of the barbarians, the assault division's airships took the opportunity to move forward, using magic bombardment to suppress the barbarian legion's airships, and at the same time launched the steam titans and a small number of magic titans carried by the airships .
Titan Commander Owen drove a magic Titan to the front and led the Titans to repeatedly charge at the front lines of the Barbarian Legion, and then quickly retreated to the fortress under the cover of the airship.
Although this small raid did not cause much damage to the barbarian army, it did dampen the barbarians' offensive spirit.
When the Celtic Duke learned that all attacks on the heights around the fortress had failed, he ordered an end to the attack.
The barbarians retreated , preparing to sum up their experience, discuss tactics, and then launch an attack on the Triumph Fortress.
The Barbarians' retreat was orderly, showing the military quality of the elite army. The failure of a tentative attack would not have any impact on the Barbarians, and the war would continue.
When the Triumphal Fortress attracted the main force of the Barbarian Legion, the defense of the Holy Mountain became very empty. The war also drew away many Abyss Mages, and the Abyss Temple became somewhat empty.
Qingkong, who had been in the Holy Mountain for some time, finally found an opportunity to enter the Abyss Temple.
Bridges, the former second apostle, is now the first apostle of the Temple of the Abyss and the only surviving apostle.
A deep sense of crisis made Bridges live a reclusive life. He rarely left the Temple of the Abyss, and sometimes even did not attend meetings held by the Duke of Celtic.
He had a premonition that Qingkong would come to find him.
Especially when the Celtic Duke transferred away most of the Abyss Mages, his premonition became even stronger.
Bridges hid in the deepest part of the Abyss Temple, activated all the traps in the temple, and gathered the remaining Abyss Mages and Abyss Monsters together to protect his own safety.
Qingkong, wearing a distinctive combat uniform, came to the gate of the Abyss Temple. She didn't know where Bridges was hiding, so she decided to break in and find him.
"Hey! This is the Abyss Temple, not the place you should come to..."
The big eyeball hanging on the temple gate hadn't finished its words when it was frozen into ice by a gust of cold air, then fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Qingkong stepped on the ice chips and walked into the dark temple.
