Attacking the Heart

That's all.

They made enormous sacrifices, praising their fearless courage. Soldiers fought with their lives, giving their all; warriors faced death with unwavering resolve; the entire army, united as one, dedicated countless drops of sweat, tears, and blood...

--The Council's army forced the Dragon of Cathay back approximately eight kilometers.

By concentrating superior spellcasting power and using Deceleration Field to suppress the effectiveness of the enemy's alchemical weapons, elite soldiers were selected to form assault teams. Under the cover of joint strategic spellcasting suppression, they tore through the defensive line and continuously deployed follow-up troops. Relying on this tactic, they finally breached the defensive positions of the Distant Harbor.

The price was that countless lives were thrown into the horrific furnace, blood flowed, bones dissolved, the deceased, the wounded struggling and screaming, and those still alive about to be thrown into purgatory—all were caught in a vortex of death, becoming living sacrifices of war.

As the positions began to fall, the Distant Harbor troops began their retreat.

At this point, the military members of the Council still thought it was a weak retreat, and the military observers watching the battle had different opinions. The military elites from various countries all harbored some hostility and fear towards Kang De, after all, no one liked a guy who was always wielding nuclear bombs to scare people. Seeing Distant Harbor defeated, they were all somewhat pleased. Grand Speaker Griffin's tactics had repelled Kang De, which was good news.

They offered their hindsight assessments with restraint, commenting on Kang De's defeat.

"They must have been worried about too many casualties, which is why they chose to evacuate."

"The Dragon of Cathay lacks the talent of a general; he is too kind and weak, which is consistent with his character, just like the meaningless things he did in Distant Harbor."

How can you win a war if you don't have the awareness to fully utilize soldiers as tools?

"His kindness and compassion are of no use; on the contrary, they will become a major blunder that drags down the whole situation. No one will care about his original intention in choosing to retreat, no one will care about his kindness; people will only focus on one thing, which is that he failed... This is enough to be a major factor in overturning the situation."

Griffin Williams is the role model we should all emulate. He displayed almost cold-blooded ruthlessness in this fierce positional warfare, showing no mercy to the brutal casualties of war, continuously sending soldiers to the front lines and using them without hesitation.

--This was undoubtedly a gamble, with Griffin and Kang De at the table. The Grand Speaker, with his cruelty and cold-bloodedness, intimidated Kang De and forced him to leave early.

And so they won.

They documented their experiences in the battle, preparing to report back home.

Besides, they also praised the Grand Speaker's wisdom and decisiveness. They only saw the glorious military exploits in defeating Kang De. The world only focused on the magnificent and glorious epic victory, and no one cared about the brave soldiers who died in this battle. This has always been the case.

Even if they noticed, so what? They would continue to praise and boast about the Grand Speaker's military prowess. The sacrifices and costs of this battle were evident to all, and the casualties were truly devastating. Military observers from various countries wished that this war would continue forever, until the Council was drained of its last drop of blood.

And so they boasted of the Grand Speaker and belittled Kang De, until the earth suddenly trembled.

The violent winds even swept across the narrow battlefield, engulfing the vanguard positions, not to mention the underground tremors that shook the underground fortifications where the observers were located.

It's no exaggeration to say that if the underground fortifications of the vanguard position hadn't been built by the dwarves, the shockwave from this explosion would have been enough to directly collapse and bury all the underground fortifications of the Council 'Council army... After all, the dwarves had already used similar methods before.

The observers and generals stared in disbelief at the rising mushroom cloud. It wasn't a nuclear bomb; it was the effect of a massive amount of explosives piled beneath the fortifications detonating simultaneously. The violent shockwave propelled countless particles of dirt, metal, and corpses hundreds of meters into the air. A torrential downpour of earth and Flame —this earth-shattering spectacle challenged the limits of everyone's understanding. Was it Forbidden Spell?

--No, this is a homemade airplane.

It is well known that humans are a race that is keen on making explosions. Digging tunnels under the enemy's backside, loading them with large amounts of explosives, and detonating them to blow the enemy away is a viable option. This tactic originated in World War I. Because it was a powerful and spectacular way to defeat a large enemy with a small force, it was very popular and remained so until World War II. It even spread back to China and shone brightly on the anti-Japanese battlefield.

This method was vividly called "homemade airplane" by the China military and civilians.

But to be fair, the United Kingdom, who invented this tactic, were the ones who really got into it. The most classic and spectacular homemade plane tactic in human history was the Battle of Messines during World War I. In order to break through the Germany's impregnable defenses, the United Kingdom planned to use homemade planes to bomb the Germany defenses into the air.

What's rather absurd is that, in order to carry out this tactic, they actually dug tunnels for two years, until they stuffed four or five hundred tons of high explosives under the Germany's backsides, before finally detonating them in one go. More than ten thousand Germany were killed on the spot, and countless others were injured.

What's even more ridiculous is that even after achieving such a ruthless artistic and tactical victory, and with the massive bombardment, the United Kingdom still lost.

Of course, that's not the worst part. The worst part is that the United Kingdom made 21 super mines from those 400-500 tons of explosives, but only detonated 19 of them. The remaining two were detonated by lightning decades later, which helped the British achieve another auxiliary kill – tens of tons of high explosives sent an old cow that was taking a walk nearby flying into a makeshift plane.

This classic tactic shone brightly once again in the Battle of North Goth.

After the Distant Harbor Army withdrew, all the explosives buried under the positions were detonated. The earth-shattering aircraft made its debut in another world, causing a shock to the natives that far exceeded that of the Battle of Messines! The earth-shattering sound and light, the destructive power, were brutal, cruel, merciless, and ruthless, showing no mercy.

The entire battlefield fell silent. The advancing army stopped abruptly, their minds blank.

Someone shouted, and the soldiers turned and ran in unison.

The soldiers, who had been fighting hard to advance, fled in panic, even the supervising officers hesitated. Who had the power to drive these flesh and blood into such a deadly place? The earth roared, the sky howled, and any rational life wanted to stay away from that terrifying hell.

The command post was deathly silent.

Holding his breath, Griffin Williams' face was frosty as he grabbed the dwarf craftsman beside him and let out indecent howls and roars.

"Go... go and check again! Check the area around the position for any tunnels! Where is the commander of the civil engineering regiment? Monitor the underground! Defend against and stop any tunneling tactics!"

The quiet basement echoed with the wheezing of a broken bellows.

Griffin took a deep breath. "--Impossible, Kang De couldn't possibly launch a second similar tactic. He would never have such a large amount of explosive material, otherwise..."

He stated unequivocally, "Otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to this tactic after the position had fallen! He's bluffing, trying to intimidate and deter us! If he had such abundant supplies, he could have easily buried this stuff along our marching route and defeated us without even engaging in battle!"

The Grand Speaker forced himself to remain calm. His eyes, like those of a wolf king, glared fiercely at all the officers present, determined not to show any weakness or fatigue.

"That must be it." He gritted his teeth, enunciating each word clearly, "Retreat... Celebrate the victory!"

"Explosives... it's not a waste."

Having regrouped, Kang De answered Dong Tianming's slightly bewildered and surprised question.

He shrugged and said, "Anyway, it was produced by Amerikkka."

--Yes, not only the positions and weapons, but even the explosives were supplied by the United States!

Even the loading and the plan were designed with the help of well-meaning Amerikkka experts!

Titan remained locked in a standoff at Lake Huron. With the generous sponsorship of AWSL Company, the U. S. military quickly established a defensive line. To ensure absolute safety, Kang De further proposed a homemade aircraft solution.

--If Titan can't withstand it, lure it into the death zone and build a huge mine with a lot of high explosives, so it can also ride a dirt plane.

The generals at the Five-Headed Building scoffed at this outdated tactic, but Kang De quickly produced a video. "Is that your Abrams tank? You're in the 21st century flying in a makeshift plane in the Middle East and think this tactic is old-fashioned. So what do you mean by that?"

The approval of this makeshift aircraft design was thanks to A Chuan's strong support. Compared to microwave weapons, electromagnetic guns, laser beams, and the like, this simple and direct approach pleased him more...

Why, you ask?

--Because he understands this plan!

With the president making the final decision and Kang De guaranteeing free shipping this time, the generals stopped insisting. After all, it was the country's money at stake, so why not do a favor?

A large quantity of high-energy explosives was quickly allocated, a deployment plan was formulated, and handed over to Kang De for execution.

Kang De went through his hands again.

He's a kind person, and felt a little guilty for taking advantage of him.

Hearing his answer, Dong Tianming became even more curious and puzzled. "Who... who is the Amerikkka?"

Kang De proudly declared, "The beacon of democracy, the light of freedom."

"... It doesn't sound like anything good."

Horus interjected at this moment, "Father, it's too early."

"Um?"

Iron Son coldly replied, "The detonation time was too early, resulting in an unsatisfactory kill. With the enemy completely unaware of this tactic, you should lure as many enemy troops as possible into the trap, or even wait until their main force is fully deployed, then instantly destroy all their fighting power."

Kang De smiled and said, "It's not bad now."

"Very different," Horus replied. "They're on guard now and will never dare to venture into a similar situation again. The spellcasters also have many underground detection methods; this tactic is no longer effective."

"Killing was not my intention."

Kang De gazed at the battlefield, thick with smoke and dust. The shockwaves from the exploding super mines were slowly dissipating, but the Flame continued to burn. The Shadow of death loomed over the battlefield. The charred world was deathly silent and terrifying. He had pressed the detonator button; he had personally killed many more people.

Horus pressed on, "Your intention is to train the troops—I understand, you want to leave as many enemies as possible to continue providing experience for our soldiers?"

"... No."

Kang De's eyes, which had been slightly closed, opened, revealing a sharp, cold glint.

"I want to destroy Griffin's heart."

Facing the scorching winds emanating from the battlefield, the Dragon of Cathay spoke in a low, cold voice. "Today, too many people who shouldn't have died have died. Not only the Council's soldiers, but also those on the Distant Harbor side have inevitably suffered casualties. After all, the enemy is the Arcane Council's elite force, possessing a powerful military system and a mature structure."

"I said, Griffin is responsible for everyone who died here." Kang De's hands opened and then clenched. "Killing his body alone is far too cheap."

"Interesting."

Horus spoke with interest, "Is this another part that Father excels at and enjoys? Not just destroying the enemy's body, but also crushing his reputation, spirit, beliefs, and values?"

"No."

Kang De's gaze was deep and unfathomable as he intently observed the undying life and death on the battlefield, his pupils reflecting a unique brilliance.

Then, the Earthlings turned to look at Dong Tianming.

As the war became increasingly similar to World War I, he also went back to learn more about the details and origins of this brutal and bloody Europe war, and discovered something he had previously overlooked.

That devastating war, known as the "First World War," caused countless casualties and suffering, and permanently changed some things, having a profound impact on later generations.

It devoured the bravest and most warlike men of France, terrified the rest, rendered them utterly pathetic, and even led to their swift surrender during World War II, thus creating the origin story of the French milking phenomenon.

Or rather, the same was true for all of old Europe... The appeasement policy was so popular at the time because the horrors of World War I were deeply ingrained in people's minds; it represented the loss of an entire generation.

But this great battle was not all losses.

The war ended in 1918 because governments had lost control of their armies, and the frontline troops were on the verge of mutiny if they continued fighting. More and more people realized the cruel nature and tragic causes of war. They questioned, thought, protested, and opposed, and these ideas began to flourish at this time. The sparks of thought ignited and collided, and the brutal war made many people realize and see things clearly.

Thus, a crimson radiance was born from the bloody battlefield.

That was the first successful implementation of a great idea.

This greatly inspired Kang De, and... gave him bold ideas.

Although the Council's national conditions were vastly different from those of Tsarist Russia, and great ideas were not a panacea, the indomitable spirit would still choose magnificent sacred deeds.

All it takes is a little reminder, a little help, a little guidance.

Let's give Griffin a big surprise... I'm really looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, at the vanguard position, in a quiet room, Griffin was all alone.

Phaethon's figure appeared.

"You must think of something!" The Grand Speaker finally understood the terrifying weight of the words "Fire Thief." "If things continue like this, we will never be a match for Kang De!"

The God of the Star Palace had a profound and enigmatic expression. "Didn't I already give you the solution?"

Griffin was struck dumb, jerked his head up, and said fiercely, "Absolutely not!"

"What's the difference? You're just tricking your soldiers into going to their deaths anyway. Since they're going to die anyway, since you're just deceiving them, why not be more direct?"

"I would never do that!" At this point, the Grand Speaker suddenly realized something, staring intently at Phaethon. "Wait... where's Alex? Could it be that he...?"

Phaethon's laughter was hoarse and low.

He's smarter than you, and he's more willing to take risks.

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PS1: After a difficult journey... I've finally written a chapter. I'll try to get back to daily updates for now.