War Has Changed

It was nearly midnight.

The night, which should have been silent and deep, was instead filled with an eerie light. The sky shone with a crimson glow, and the distant dark clouds were as red as blood. The intense magical battles that had lasted all day had caused the elemental balance in the atmosphere to be extremely unbalanced, and the direct result was a crimson sky devoid of starlight and moonlight.

The expeditionary force's raid came to an end, and the various units were resting. Unless absolutely necessary, night battles remained the worst option. In the strategy room of the headquarters, the staff members did not rest. There was no sound in the tents as the elves silently went about their tasks, occasionally glancing at the commander sitting at his desk.

This is the fifth time, they thought to themselves.

In response to Kang De, Cathayan from the east, they laid out layers of defenses and tried to intercept him in various ways. These methods were all very successful, as they successfully stopped Kang De each time. However, the results did not satisfy the elves and even gradually terrified them.

Because the banners at the headquarters were changed again and again.

The demons from Cathay have crossed Halin.

The bloodthirsty and brutal demon king has broken through Xiaye's defenses.

The flesh-devouring Destroyer closed in on Gelinsate.

The Son of Slaughter slaughtered the Fire Feather Warband.

--What should we hang this time?

The wise and courageous elven advisors discovered that these banners, along with the blood debts owed, evoked more than just courage and anger in them.

There's something else they don't want to admit.

In particular, this time the battle report... was not read aloud by His Excellency the Commander.

All they knew was that the Stoneheart Warband was responsible for intercepting Kang De this time.

This is a rare magical legion, supported by garrison legions from various towns around its defense zone. They even have a sizable air wing...

The elves asked with their eyes.

How long did they hold out?

"We fought from dusk till night."

The battle report is in the hands of Lord of Dawnlight.

No... it's less a battle report and more the last words of the Stoneheart Legion's commander. The handwriting is no longer elegant; it's even illegible and stained with blood.

We lost.

Commander Xierfankai Le of the Expeditionary Force read the text silently, line by line.

"As I write these words, the last warriors of the Stoneheart Warband have resolved to offer their final loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen and the Council. Just as flowers and leaves fall to the ground, merging into the earth, becoming nourishment to nurture new sprouts and buds, and becoming one with nature, the souls of these warriors will also return to the great forest, nestled in the embrace of their mother, eternally guarding the glory of the Twilight Moon, watching over new warriors and old comrades."

Xierfankai Le conjured up the image of the Stoneheart Warband commander in his mind.

Bailanpusi, the venerable Arcane scholar, was summoned by the Twilight Moon, and he fought for the elves with sword and magic. A master of magical warfare, he authored numerous tactical treatises and dedicated himself to integrating traditional combat strategies with new magical equipment, developing new combat theories that completely changed the course of war.

He was conscripted into the army as Arcane scholar, also due to factional infighting over academic disputes.

But Bailanpusi did not complain. He answered the call to the army and became a good soldier and an officer. He even gained recognition for his military achievements and led an army, proving his doctrines and theories.

Then he left this letter.

At this thought, Xierfankai Le felt a pang of pain in his heart.

As a soldier, he had long been accustomed to life and death, yet the brave and fearless elven warriors perished, and geniuses with limitless potential fell at the very beginning, one after another.

Majes, the alchemist of the Transmission School, proved the feasibility of his path with his life.

Now it's Bailanpusi' turn again...

He blinked his slightly sore eyes and sighed softly.

"We have long lives, living in harmony with nature, born in the forest, where we built our first Civilization and kingdoms. Our destiny is tied to this land, and we have long known that even the most powerful predator will be wounded and die. I am not afraid of such an outcome. Whatever the reason, we come to foreign lands to fight and kill our enemies, and we should also be prepared to be killed."

"I'm just frustrated and regretful. I don't crave death; I still have so much to do."

Xierfankai Le watched slowly.

"Amidst the frustration and regret, I also felt joy. If I was destined to die on the battlefield, if I was destined to die in a defeat, then I am satisfied with the last battle of my life."

"We paid the price of defeat and death, and learned a lesson. We lost, not just in this battle, but in a comprehensive decline in military and magical skills, and even in the field of war theory. We encountered an unimaginable attack. I set up the formation, scouts patrolled, the mage corps was on alert, and the magical devices were preheated and activated. Then we were attacked. More than ten kilometers away, death fell from the sky."

"The explosion, unlike any magical explosion, sent up a spray of dirt, a burst of flame, and an invisible shockwave that spread out like a thin film, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. It tore through the battle lines and covered the casting positions. It was incredibly fast and powerful. It wasn't any kind of magic we knew, so dispelling and blocking spells were almost completely ineffective. In other words, our mage troops didn't even have time to react."

"Each attack unleashed twelve terrifying strikes, shattering the magic array, tearing apart the formation, and hurling soldiers into the air. On average, the second strike would come swiftly in less than six seconds. Within half a minute, we were subjected to five rounds of attacks and sixty explosions, with smoke and dust all around us."

"We lost a third of our mage squad and a high-level heavy magical artifact in the very beginning."

"The ranks were broken, the soldiers' morale wavered, and even their iron discipline crumbled."

"Then, I organized a magic-based force to launch a counterattack."

"Counterattack and suppress the direction from which the attack is coming. The remaining mage units, war sorcerer units, and magic device units should launch a counterattack at the fastest speed. The air force should also be deployed for reconnaissance. The rangers should disperse, the cavalry should accelerate, and all mobile units should converge on the direction from which the attack is coming at the fastest speed."

"I think, at the very least, I need to know what exactly is attacking us."

"I did not get what I wanted. I launched a counter-attack with magic, commanding my magic strike force to advance a dense barrage of spells toward the target using a slow, methodical approach. Under the cover of the mage ranks and magical devices, the air force and cavalry charged forward at breakneck speed, but when they reached the target location, they found no enemy."

The next moment, a sharp and frantic whistling sound ripped through the sky, followed by a rumbling explosion from another direction. Terrifying explosions resounded among the cavalry and the remaining mages.

"Our enemy possesses the ability to move at high speed."

"I don't believe that the continuous terrifying attacks were cast by Kang De alone, because we found some traces at the first target location. It should be more than a dozen heavy magical devices, and Kang De was able to teleport them. There's nothing more terrifying than that."

"I ordered the mage ranks to disperse, and the cavalry to disperse, but it was too late. The cavalry suffered a devastating blow. The Sword Saint Cascading Snow and the Crimson Queen hurled a large number of heavy alchemical bombs at them. The kill radius of a single alchemical bomb is at least two hundred meters. Dispersing the formation was no longer of any use."

"I ordered the air force to turn around and engage the enemy at top speed. Before Kang De teleports away, we must seize him and at least see what kind of weapon it is."

"Then, the air force was completely wiped out."

"Rivers of Flame! I saw six rivers of Flame streak across the already dimming sky, tearing apart eagles and winged horses. The light was so dazzling, it was as if countless Flame missiles were shooting into the sky, thousands of them flying through the heavens every minute. Could the dragon withstand such an attack? I don't know."

"I've been making mistakes."

"The mages, cavalry, and air force are suffering increasing casualties, while I can only futilely command ranged units to counterattack. This is indeed useful, but limited, because Kang De is constantly changing positions."

"Then I realized that this was indeed an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, because they used attack methods we had never seen before—powerful, cruel, efficient, and brutal."

"The enemy is bombarding and suppressing us with extremely high-frequency and powerful ranged attacks, similar to magical combat techniques, but even more efficient and powerful. There are spells that are more powerful than those attacks, but they take a long time to cast and even longer to recover, so it's impossible for them to be this fast."

"But our counterattack was not without effect."

"Area spells that create a large-scale elemental environment, such as ice, lightning, and even Flame, are the most effective. I think this is probably related to the material properties and mechanism of the opponent's magical artifact. Unfortunately, I have never been able to see what that artifact looks like, but I am certain that the weapon is not invincible."

"After we gradually mastered the countermeasures, Kang De abandoned ranged attacks and began to approach."

"The barless crossbow bolts mentioned in previous battle reports have appeared; they are more powerful than described, and there are also explosive bolts that are less powerful than the heavy attack bolts but have a faster rate of fire."

"Our soldiers put up a heroic resistance."

"I have discovered a relatively effective means of defense and counterattack. I ordered the mage corps to use earth magic to create trenches and passages below ground level, and ordered the archer soldiers to enter the trenches, lie low, and if necessary, use simple spell scrolls to create thicker earthen walls, or to deepen or reinforce them."

"I ordered the soldiers to spread out, as far apart as possible. They had to do this, or they would all be killed together. The more dispersed they were, the less effective the enemy would be. Earthen walls, sand walls, or walls frozen with a mixture of water magic would provide excellent protection."

"This is how we fight."

"Although this can only temporarily slow down the enemy's offensive efficiency, and although the earthen walls we've built will still be breached by the larger and more powerful crossbow bolts, they are merely hastily constructed protective walls. Twilight Moon can certainly implement more effective defensive mechanisms, and that is precisely the value of our sacrifice."

"If I am destined to die on the battlefield, to die in defeat, then I am honored to have participated in such a battle."

That's why I'm writing to you.

"As a commander facing defeat and death, I offer my final advice to my country and to you: I believe that war, war has changed everything."

"We conquer the world with bows and magic, with valiant warriors, iron discipline, superb teamwork, and impregnable formations. Our cavalry charges, arrow barrages, and magical strikes are ever-present. We are accustomed to gathering together, pooling the power of all elves to form an unshakeable array against formidable foes."

"But our proud strength and traditions suffered a heavy blow and defeat under Kang De's attack. This defeat was not due to a lack of courage and strength, but because our strength was no longer suitable. Just as the emergence of cavalry rendered traditional land battle formations obsolete, and the emergence of magic rendered traditional defensive formations obsolete... This is more terrifying than defeat."

"I beg you, with my life and sacrifice, to take this matter seriously."

"After personally experiencing Kang De's attack, I felt... fear."

Because I discovered something even more terrifying than failure.

"Kang De will win, Commander. Not only in this battle, but perhaps the war to expedite Goth's campaign will Veil in a way we do not wish to see."

"Kang De's victory was not solely due to his powerful alchemical weapon."

"He possesses more than just this; he has a complete war system."

"Our infantry backbone maintains formation and withstands cavalry; our scouts harass and raid, tying down the enemy; our archers unleash devastating arrows, covering and intimidating; our mage legions manipulate arcane magic to suppress resistance; our heavy cavalry destroys everything, unstoppable... This is our war system."

"Kang De also had it."

"He shattered our lines with his slow but powerful long-range bombardment, and crushed our air force, cavalry, infantry, and even fortifications with his rivers of Flame. He had different weapon systems to counter and destroy them, and that's what he used in these battles."

"I don't know if he has something he hasn't taken out yet."

No, there must be.

"I just remembered how our gryphon riders and pegasus riders vanished into the air as a blood mist, and a terrible thought suddenly arose in my mind—what about his air force? What will it be like? What about his navy?"

"That attack that destroyed five Dragon Banner Warband in that instant was his Forbidden Spell."

"It's also part of his war system."

"This is our enemy."

"It's time for us to make a change."

"Because in Glittering Sand, it took him a long time to complete his revenge. Now he has the power to defeat an entire legion. What will he have in the future?"

"Our tactics, our defense concepts, our military theories, our strategic direction, our equipment, our weapons, and our future."

"I entrust these matters to you and the other officials."

My war is over.

Xierfankai Le remained silent, stunned.

At the end of the letter were the last words left to him by Bailanpusi, an Arcane scholar of noble birth who was meticulous in his work and never did or said anything he shouldn't have done.

But at the end of his life, he made an exception.

"If I were you, Commander, I wouldn't wait for him to come."

Lord of Dawnlight slowly put the letter down and placed his hand on his face.

His eyes were closed, his emotions churning violently.

Belief or disbelief, hesitation or decisiveness, anger or fear—he held a large army in his hands, controlling the fate and future of this Elf Expeditionary Force. Some decisions were simply too difficult.

My war... is not over yet.

He muttered to himself.

The voice was very soft, but it caught the attention of the staff.

The deputy chief of staff stepped forward and said softly, "Your Excellency?"

Lord of Dawnlight raised his head, looked at the other person, remained silent for a long time, and then asked, "Tell me, which is more important, your career, honor, and reputation, or the future of the Dusk Moon Dynasty?"

The other person was taken aback and instinctively replied, "Of course, the future of the country is more important."

"I... think so too."

Xierfankai Le gave a wry smile, "I'm afraid Selendron thinks the same way."

Selendron?

The deputy chief of staff was taken aback for a moment before he remembered that it was the name of a defeated general.

The former commander of the Dusk Warband surrendered to Kang De and was sent back to deliver a deterrent message.

This officer, who lost almost all his men and returned to the capital in humiliation, was once a promising rising star, but lost all his courage and will in a defeat.

I heard that he abandoned his pro-war stance, vehemently opposed the war, was stripped of all honors and status, imprisoned, pardoned by the Empress, left destitute on the streets, insulted and bullied by the relatives of his fallen comrades, despised by the people, and abandoned and neglected by his family. Yet he still persisted in his opposition to the war, giving speeches to dissuade everyone. The pro-war faction despised his betrayal, while the pro-peace faction did not approve of his methods.

So... why did you say that, Commander?

Selendron also believed that the nation was more important than the individual? What does that mean?

In a daze, he saw the Commander stand up.

The deputy chief of staff immediately stood at attention, and all the other staff members also stood up.

Xierfankai Le calmly stated, "Order all units to prepare for a night battle in one hour. Command all air force and heavy magic units to prepare for a full-scale attack on Danfeng Lucerne. This is the order."

"I want to have breakfast at the palace in Danfeng Lucerne before dawn."

He looked out of the tent, towards Danfeng Lucerne.

Bailanpusi is right; we can't just wait for Kang De to come.

Kang De has already returned to Earth.

In the latter half of the previous battle, his methods became ruthless and swift again. Facing the remaining elven army that was huddled in a defensive posture, he rode the Himo's Eagle into the sky and then unleashed anti-ground mines, each weighing twenty-five kilograms, and smashed two oil tanks.

There is no other reason.

As his ammunition dwindled, he habitually refreshed the map to replenish it, only to discover something.

The howitzer and anti-aircraft vehicle did not spawn.

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PS1: 5,000 words... Back in Hangzhou now, will write more tomorrow -- if there's no wake-up call service with an impact drill in the morning.