Wooden Gundam

A mournful bugle call swept across the land.

After an even more devastating long-range attack than yesterday, the elves' formal offensive is about to begin.

The western city wall remains the same.

The city walls were severely damaged by elven magic yesterday, so their durability is relatively low. Moreover, the elven raid yesterday suffered heavy losses here, and their morale has also been dampened. Given the pride and dignity of the elves, they will definitely seek revenge and wash away their shame wherever they have suffered a loss.

Their particular adversaries are humans... humans they despise.

Another attack on the western city wall is almost inevitable.

On this point, Nick and Hong San both came to the same conclusion: elves are indeed easier to understand in some ways... especially when it comes to dignity and pride.

Therefore, the western city wall was repaired and reinforced overnight, and a number of elite reserves were also deployed to the area. Valentan concentrated its superior forces here and made extensive preparations.

Perhaps the elves understand this as well, and they also understand that the Valentan are capable of making the appropriate judgment.

But instead of playing along, they launched a surprise attack on the other walls.

Instead, they still prepared to attack the western city wall... and would not change their plans.

Because, regardless of whether humanity strengthens its defenses, mobilizes superior forces, tilts the battlefield advantage, or determines its own tactical choices—they don't care.

They don't care.

On the city wall, Hong San and Kang De each took a large shield and observed the elven army in the distance. The Cathayan said, "This is the world's hegemon, a nation unparalleled in the world. Naturally, it has an unparalleled army. Call it confidence, arrogance, boldness, or even hubris..."

"In fact, they do have that strength... In fact, Valentan's greatest advantage is its defensive fortifications. If it weren't for the city's deep walls and strong defenses, and instead it were open-field battles, even if the city lord conscripted all the men in the city, it wouldn't be enough for the Dusk Warband to win a single battle."

Hong San slowly exhaled. "Master, just watch. This is only the second day. The Dusk Warband has rushed here, and many of their methods are not yet fully prepared. It will only get tougher from here on out..."

At this point, worry and unease naturally crept onto his face as he whispered, "Reinforcements, reinforcements... I hope the Gladiolus Legion will arrive on time..."

Kang De's heart was pounding; nervousness was inevitable, after all, emotions are contagious. He wasn't strong enough to defeat an army by himself, or rather, he was far from it.

He raised his telescope and gazed at the elven army that was only partially visible. The neatly arranged armor and silvery waves resembled fish scales. Kang De saw orderly square formations, but as he looked further back, the army was shrouded in a vast mist, making it impossible to discern what lay within.

Kang De felt uneasy and frowned, asking, "What's this Fog of War all about?"

"Fog of War?" Hong San was taken aback. "That's a good term... It's an elven technique. Their spellcasters are incredibly powerful and can specifically mobilize celestial mages to create fog. Because of the distance, the mage corps is on high alert, and our mages can't dispel the fog, so we can't see what's inside. But don't worry, it's only effective from a distance. If we create fog up close, the mage corps will dispel it."

Seeing Kang De's furrowed brow, he comforted him, "This is good. After all, the city's mage corps is quite large, and the elves' magical advantage isn't overwhelming. Otherwise, they would have simply conjured up a thick fog, enveloping the entire city, making our ranged units completely inaccurate and allowing our troops to launch attacks with ease..."

Kang De said, "But within this fog..."

Upon hearing this, Hong San sighed, "It must be one of the elves' tactics for this siege. Their elaborate cover-up suggests they're planning a surprise attack, catching us completely off guard. Mayor Nick must be having a headache over this, but we're helpless. The Valentan defenders are far too weak compared to the enemy; they simply dare not leave the city..."

Just as Kang De was about to speak, he heard a deep, muffled thud in the distance.

Thump.

It was like a colossal creature taking its first steps.

Then, a series of thumping sounds rang out.

It was as if more than one enormous creature was taking steps.

A commotion broke out on the city wall, and the rain of arrows and magical attacks subsided slightly, presumably as the elven forces were regrouping. People felt the constant tremors and, feeling uneasy, mustered their courage to look out, only to see that most of the elven army was still hidden in the thick fog, its origin unknown.

What is that?

Panic-filled whispers are spreading; the unknown is the most terrifying.

Thump, thump, thump.

The fear of the unknown is creeping in.

The fog surrounding the elven army spread forward as well.

The magical battle resumed, this time with human mages launching a swift attack. Ice and fire spells clashed, and streaks of light roared out from the city.

They needed to dispel this damned fog, expose the elves' military objectives, and the sooner the behemoth opposite them revealed its true form, the more time the city's army would have to prepare.

Mages wield the power of nature, possessing immense and unpredictable strength. They can withstand the magical attacks of elves and create a magical deterrent against enemy armies. However, in war, they are not the only protagonists. It is still the army composed of flesh and blood that withstands the terrible offensive of the elves and defends the city walls.

On the scales of victory, swords and magic always reign supreme.

The elven army pressed closer, reaching the human's advantageous spellcasting radius. Even a powerful elven mage corps could not maintain absolute dominance in human territory.

The swirling fog ultimately prevented them from advancing any further.

But the elven army continued its advance.

The mysterious behemoth finally broke through the fog.

Amidst the gasps of the humans, they revealed their forms. The morning sun shone on their canopy-like canopies, reflecting a verdant glow. These giant-like creatures moved with heavy, clumsy steps, their countless intertwined, thick roots forming powerful limbs. Their rough, thick skin resembled heavy armor. With heavy thuds, they thundered towards the city wall, their massive bodies providing cover for the scattered array of elves hiding behind them.

A voice on the city wall cried out in terror, "The Wild Wood Spirit! It's the Spirit of War! By Sura, heavens!"

Uncertainty and unease are growing.

Because a legendary being from tales and stories appeared before him, as an enemy.

As the world's hegemon, the Elves are not only powerful in economics and military affairs, but also exert a terrifying cultural Fallout. The popular fashions, poetry, and dramas of Twilight Moon have powerfully invaded the various races of the continent, and triggered a series of dissemination and derivative creations. The Goth soldiers on the city walls grew up listening to many legendary stories from the Elven lands.

A peace-loving race, a developed culture, a prosperous nation, and the birthplace of democracy—this is the image that elves continuously project, subtly influencing people's thoughts. Even in war stories, elves are always the embodiment of justice. Enemies are either villains trying to destroy the world, or invaders from hell, outer space, or somewhere else, while elves are always the guardians of world peace.

In fact, if it weren't for the undeniable facts of the Elves invading their homeland, burning, killing, and looting, and if it weren't for the overwhelming evidence and the crisis of annihilation, most Goth People probably wouldn't have believed that the Elves would invade their country.

--If it weren't for Goth' past wealth, the early formation of national cohesion due to various historical factors, Grand Duke Goth's effective governance, and the excellent reputation of the Taidariel Family, many Goth People might have believed the elves' lies, thinking they were there to deliver democracy and freedom.

Even though they were determined to resist, the influence of the elves on them was still very, very strong.

Those enormous creatures, almost as tall as the city walls, were clearly the Wild Wood Spirit from the storybooks, loyal allies of the Twilight Moon elves. Along with the unicorns, they were indispensable characters in any elven legend. They were heavy and slow, guarding the forest, long-standing and wise. However, they were not harmless. When they were angry, the entire forest would tremble, and any enemy would be reduced to ashes.

Now, humanity must fight them.

--How do I play?

Even the valiant veterans were filled with despair—if these giants were forced close to the city walls, swept their arms around, and the elves behind them swarmed up the branches, then the battle would be over!

"Don't panic!"

A dozen messengers rushed up the city wall from all directions, shouting, "This isn't Wild Wood Spirit! It's not Spirit of War! Use your brains and think about it!"

These men, braving the threat of long-range attacks, were running back and forth to bolster morale—presumably Preston's idea. They roared, "Think of the stories you heard as children! How could the elven army, with the speed of the Wild Wood Spirit, possibly keep up with a raiding force like this? If it was created instantly, it's even more impossible! Where around this city are there forests of such age? How could such a massive creature have been created?"

"Even if it were possible, you've all heard the stories. How could Wild Wood Spirit be fully awakened and enlightened overnight? It would take many druids to nurture and encourage its growth! You've all heard the stories!"

The messengers, their faces flushed, shouted, "The mages said this isn't Wild Wood Spirit at all, but something the elves created by fusing an entire forest together. It's a fake, far inferior to Wild Wood Spirit! It's just a large ladder truck, at best it can move on its own, and it's a bit too big!"

"Being bigger has its advantages; at least the war sorcerers can aim more accurately!"

This reassurance was reasonable and well-founded, and it started from a familiar "setup," which made it very logical. It gradually calmed down the city wall defenders. Only Kang De and Hong San exchanged a glance and saw the worry in each other's eyes.

Such a large creature cannot be dealt with by the swords, spears, and halberds of the soldiers guarding the city walls.

Only mage groups and war machines can destroy them relatively easily.

But...

The number and quality of the mage contingent were both limited, and they were already struggling to cope with the attacks of the elven mages. They probably didn't have much spare strength to deal with these Wild Wood Spirit.

As for war machines...

The most important catapult covering this area, No. 5, has been destroyed...

As expected, although the war machines in the city began to roar once they entered firing range, with boulders, stone projectiles, and ballistae whistling out and crashing down on the slowly advancing Wild Wood Spirit, the No. 5 firing position remained silent, indicating that the city's long-range strike capabilities had become deficient.

Hong San whispered, "Good heavens, I thought the first thing they'd prepare would be the siege ladders, then the siege towers. I didn't expect the elves to cause such a commotion..."

Kang De stared at the approaching natural giant in the distance, at a loss for what to do. He hadn't returned to the White Mist World yesterday because the war was dangerous and he had to be careful, leaving this escape route behind. So, the Big Bomb hadn't been replenished, leaving only one large one and a few smaller ones. Facing such a behemoth, he didn't know if smashing a gas cylinder would be enough to tip it over, since he didn't understand how it moved.

Moreover, the distance is too far, and the gas cylinder cannot be thrown there.

He frowned in thought. If this thing got close to the city wall, could he easily and decisively deal with it using his Extraction ability?

But the thought was immediately dismissed.

Because he clearly saw many shadows flickering between the canopy and branches of the Wild Wood Spirit, and he could even feel sharp eyes shooting out from there. There were actually quite a few Elven archers hiding among them. He even saw several Flame spells from inside the city strike one of the wooden giants, but they were blocked by a scorching shield of flames. There was actually a spellcaster hiding inside.

And this wooden giant is followed by a bunch of elf soldiers; damn it, they're even doing combined arms tactics.

Kang De cursed inwardly, but dared not entertain the idea of Extraction and destroying the enemy, at least not in a critical moment. This was not the same as back at Tupo. For example, in modern warfare, what brave warrior would carry a satchel charge to blow up a main battle tank with complete anti-infantry modules and infantry support capabilities?

So... what should we do?

Just then, Hong San muttered to himself, "Something's not right, Master, the elf seems to be in a hurry..."

Kang De turned his head and said, "What did you say?"

Hong San said, "Even if this isn't a genuine Wild Wood Spirit, but rather a war puppet fused and twisted from a small patch of forest, it's still a grand undertaking. To rush it out in one night must have consumed a tremendous amount of Magic Power. I was wondering why the elven mage's offensive wasn't as fierce as yesterday; now I understand. So, sir, I was telling you the elves are in a hurry. They seem to want to take Valentan City quickly, which is why they put on such a grand show today!"

Kang De's expression changed. "They've already figured out the Gladiolus Legion's plans?"

"Logically speaking, it shouldn't be this fast, considering they only arrived yesterday, but..."

Hong San shook his head; he couldn't figure it out either.

But the sharp and accurate arrows were already raining down on the city. The elven archers, hidden among the branches and leaves of the Wild Wood Spirit, no longer had the disadvantage of height. In fact, with the cover they could aim and shoot more easily. Even the mages had gained the same advantage.

People on the city wall were being hit by arrows one after another, and the human projectile troops began to retaliate. However, the number of archers was already insufficient, and they had to suppress the infantry and counter the cold arrows, making them increasingly stretched thin.

However, the war machines did not achieve much. The No. 5 catapult was destroyed, and the other war machines were either not powerful enough or had too many tasks to complete. It was really difficult to suppress all the Wild Wood Spirit.

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "This won't do. I'll go check out position number five again!"

Hong San asked in surprise, "Sir, you have a way?"

"... There's a method that's not a method at all!"

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PS1: Time for bed. Damn, war is so hard to write... And, you can probably guess Kang De's method, but can you guess what it will produce?

PS2: Also, I'd like to recommend a friend's book, "It's Arknights!", those interested can check it out...