Baiting Them with Himself

Despite repeated refusals, Hudson could not escape the fate of becoming the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces.

He readily refused the Moxi people's demands. However, the Moxi people were resourceful and went to great lengths to activate Communication Magic Array, enlisting Caesar III as their intermediary.

Faced with his boss's earnest advice, Hudson ultimately couldn't withstand the pressure and reluctantly accepted this hot potato.

Forced into a task, one has to admit that Moxi people is incredibly audacious, not even afraid that he might slack off.

In fact, the Hudson doesn't dare to engage in any underhanded tactics now. There's no other reason; after suffering a major defeat, his path to becoming a high-ranking nobleman is over.

Perhaps it was precisely because Moxi people understood this that he went to great lengths to promote him to power.

He is a commander who is capable enough, will not encroach on everyone's interests, and whose future is tied to him, so he has to work hard.

Being the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces was extremely risky, and while the rewards were severely limited, they weren't entirely nonexistent.

For example: honorary titles.

If we win this battle, at the very least we'll get a marshal title from the Moxi Duchy. If we win spectacularly, our own kingdom might even grant us one.

In the Aslant Continent, the title of Marshal is extremely prestigious. Only those with extensive combat experience and outstanding military achievements will be awarded it.

Especially in resisting the invasion of foreign races, the title of marshal earned is highly regarded throughout the entire continent.

He was almost at the career ceiling for soldiers. Above that was the title of Marshal granted by the Human Alliance, which would allow him to enjoy the same treatment as a Marshal in all human kingdoms.

While the title of Marshal awarded by the Human Alliance is highly prestigious, it is reserved for prominent figures in history books. None of them have made significant contributions to the development of humanity and are still alive today.

The difficulty is self-evident. Simply defeating the Beastfolk invasion isn't enough; the human army must at least carve a chunk out of the Orc Empire.

Alternatively, one could participate in several battles against alien invasions, accumulate enough outstanding achievements, and have enough good relationships with others in order to have a chance of being approved by the Alliance Council.

These are things Hudson wouldn't even dare to dream of. Just getting the title of marshal of a duchy would be enough for him to show off.

If he were lucky enough to obtain the title of marshal of his own kingdom, he would instantly become an important military general of the Alpha Kingdom, or one of the military's representatives.

People would selectively ignore the problems stemming from his background and readily accept him into the circle of the great nobility.

Unlike now, even if Hudson has obtained the ticket to become a great nobleman, whether he can cross the threshold is still an unknown.

Is it a blessing or a curse?

While enjoying the benefits brought by the title of "Marshal," one must also bear the corresponding backlash.

"Acceptance" also means valuing. Once a conflict of interest occurs, or even a potential conflict of interest arises, everyone will regard him as an opponent of equal standing.

It's impossible to continue "playing it safe." Once the war ends, suppression is inevitable.

This is a challenge that everyone must overcome to advance through all levels. The only difference is that there are slightly more positions available at lower levels, and the competition is not as fierce.

There's no need to complain; at least the Alpha Kingdom still offers the possibility of transcending social classes. Those kingdoms located deep within human territory, where war is like child's play, don't even have the opportunity for upward mobility.

Everyone plays by the rules, and it's a contest of raw skill. Even with a thousand schemes and countless tricks, there's no use for them.

With the family's share of the cake gone, the only option left was to venture out and seek opportunities. After the Beastfolk invasion, many knights from inland kingdoms came to join the army.

Leveraging Hudson's reputation, the expeditionary force recruited many noble sons from foreign lands. Unfortunately, their abilities in all aspects were quite average, and most of them were only qualified to command a ten-man squad.

He might be a great talent! But unfortunately, Hudson's reputation is clearly not high enough to attract top talents to his side.

Of course, Hudson prefers to believe that talent is cultivated.

Without a systematic transmission of knowledge, even the most talented person can be wasted.

Those in positions of authority should fulfill their responsibilities.

This war was not easy, and after taking the position of commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, Hudson immediately launched a major operation.

The Beastfolk army was already halfway there, and even if the Moxi people destroyed the road again, it wouldn't delay them for long.

There's definitely no time for training troops now; the only thing we can do is temporarily integrate the command system and boost morale.

The specific strategic deployment can be summed up in one word: "Stability".

With 480,000 troops from the Moxi Duchy, plus 110,000 expeditionary troops, the total strength was approaching 600,000.

Commanding such a large army was truly a challenge for Hudson. Even with his battlefield experience, the sudden shift left him uncertain about his future.

Although the army appears large and well-equipped, only about 100,000 can be considered elite. Of the remaining troops, those who have received military training and seen combat are estimated to number around 200,000.

Let's not even mention the other troops. Hudson, who inspected the military camp, could only describe it with one word. "Hard to describe in a few words."

They were either serfs who had just put down their hoes or free men forcibly conscripted from who-knows-where. Most likely, it was a measure taken out of desperation to meet the required manpower quota due to a shortage of people.

After all, the registered population of the Moxi Duchy is only a little over eight million. Even if there is some concealment or underreporting, it would be at most a little over ten million.

By now, the Moxi people have lost at least 700,000 to 800,000 soldiers, if not a million.

The loss of a large number of able-bodied men will inevitably have a serious impact on conscription. In order to complete the task, it is not surprising that some people will be forced to fill the quota.

The soldiers were all forcibly conscripted and had not yet undergone comprehensive military training, so their morale and combat effectiveness were unreliable.

Fortunately, the enemy was Beastfolk, not a human civil war. Otherwise, this kind of army would immediately go into a "give up" mode on the battlefield.

Considering the army's actual situation, Hudson decisively decided that the infantry corps' future operational strategy would be to "build strongholds and fight protracted battles".

We don't expect a great victory; we just need to avoid a crushing defeat. The task of finding an opportunity to strike can be left to the cavalry.

It was purely out of necessity due to the harsh reality that most tactics were ineffective on the battlefield because they couldn't deal with the enemy's air force.

"Useless! You're all a bunch of useless trash! Even a simple act of luring the enemy in deep into your territory has turned into a complete rout. You're simply..."

The Behemoth Emperor's furious roar was full of energy, which was not at all like the physical condition that a three-hundred-year-old man should have.

The scandalous Longevity Secret Method incident not only caused a huge uproar in human society, but also attracted the attention of many old immortals nearing the end of their lifespan within the Orc Empire.

If it weren't for the long-standing power and influence of the Behemoth Emperor, someone would probably have come knocking on their door demanding it. Just because they can tolerate it now doesn't mean they can tolerate it forever.

When a powerful person reaches the end of their lifespan and goes berserk, they are capable of anything.

Faced with this unfavorable situation, Behemoth Emperor was secretly worried. The secret technique had reached its final step, and the number of Ritual required far exceeded his previous estimates.

There are very few powerful independent cultivators; most are affiliated with major factions. Finding a lone, powerful individual to ambush and attack is not an easy task.

Left with no other choice, he turned his attention to the battlefield. It was the only place where he could kill in large numbers without arousing suspicion.

In order to lure more experts over, once news of the secret technique spread, the Behemoth Emperor simply went with the flow and allowed the rumors to spread.

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes. The experts were lured over, but their numbers were a little more than expected, and their quality also exceeded expectations.

Although elderly warriors are not at their peak physical condition and their combat power is greatly reduced, they also have their own advantages, such as rich combat experience.

For example, they are crazy enough. Anyone who dares to block their pursuit of immortality is their mortal enemy.

When the gap in strength reaches a certain point, various strategies and tactics become unreliable. What was originally intended as luring the enemy deep into your territory can turn into a major rout, a common occurrence on the battlefield.

The fish weren't lured to the intended location; the bait was eaten by the enemy first. No wonder the Behemoth Emperor couldn't suppress his anger.

A head-on clash with the enemy isn't out of the question, but it's destined to be an unequal exchange. Most of the humans who emerge are nearing the end of their lifespans, so even if they were wiped out, it wouldn't significantly impact the race's strength.

After all, even if these people didn't die on the battlefield, they would have died one after another in the next few years.

Even if the Behemoth Emperor were willing to pool the power of the entire Orc Empire to exchange his life for a bunch of guys who were destined to die in the next few years, the other Four Great Royal Clans would not agree.

Moreover, they were already scattered. Behemoth Emperor could only mobilize the nearby troops at present.

The nominal army numbered several million, but anyone with even a little military strength knew that it was impossible for so many troops to be gathered into one large camp.

The enemy isn't stupid; they just stood there dumbfounded watching him deploy his troops. Any large-scale military adjustments on the front lines would inevitably come at a very heavy price.

Before the army could even assemble, it would likely be thrown into disarray. In a pure clash of military might, the chances of victory were slim.

In order to teach the enemy a lesson, Behemoth Emperor also brought out his trump card, preparing to use extraordinary means to reverse the current strategic disadvantage.

Unfortunately, the enemy was also a bunch of old foxes. After defeating the three main legions they had sent out as bait, they immediately turned around and attacked a nearby Beastfolk army, completely deviating from his plan.

Cursing won't solve anything. After days of defeats, morale has plummeted.

Even if Behemoth Emperor wanted to investigate the responsibility for the defeat, he didn't know where to begin. If all the generals suffered a defeat together, then the defeat was to be expected, and the victory would be the exception.

"Your Majesty, the enemy is too strong. Our army has too few skilled warriors; they are almost always surrounded and attacked as soon as they show themselves, which is too damaging to the morale of the army."

Especially during major battles, officers who came out to command the fighting rarely escaped the enemy's clutches...

Abraham explained, forcing himself to be brave.

As one of the defeated generals, he had suffered several defeats. After so many losses, he gradually got used to it.

Behemoth Emperor glared fiercely at Abraham, temporarily suppressing his anger. The reasons were all valid; the Beastfolk army's repeated defeats were primarily due to a lack of strong warriors.

Often, a single head-on clash was enough to rout them. The most direct cause was the heavy casualties among the frontline officers commanding the battle.

Those who dared to stand out were prepared to be killed, which resulted in a persistently high casualty rate among officers after each defeat, especially among mid- to high-ranking generals.

After gathering the routed soldiers, they were truly routed soldiers. For the first time, the various units below were "missing officers".

The officer positions that were once fiercely contested by orcs have now become a hot potato. The mere mention of "promotion" is enough to send chills down the spines of many Beastfolk.

"I don't want to hear your explanations. Weren't you all so capable in the past? You clamored every day to exterminate the human race and to bring my Orc Empire back to the era of upheaval."

Now that your wish has come true and war has broken out, why don't you go and implement it?

Let me tell you, the enemy is really going all out this time. They don't care what race or tribe you are; as long as you show any signs of weakness, the enemy will march straight into the Orc Empire.

Just like the annihilation of many vanished alien races, they wiped us off the Aslant Continent.

Even if there were survivors, they were barely clinging to life. Under human rule, they lived in constant fear and trembling.

If you don't want that to happen, then give it your all. Let the enemy know that we Beastfolk are not to be trifled with, and shatter their unrealistic fantasies!

Behemoth Emperor reprimanded sternly.

What was clearly hatred he had stirred up was completely distorted in his mouth, becoming a problem for all the Beastfolk.

The cause is not important; the key is the result. Having already taken action, given the deep-seated hatred between humans and beastmen, if there's a chance to the Annihilation of the Orc Empire, they certainly won't hesitate.

Others may not know about the "Longevity Secret Method," Behemoth Emperor, the person involved, knows it very well.

This thing must absolutely not be handed over. If it were, his descendants would rebel first.

Besides, this kind of evil secret method looks like it has extremely strong side effects. Even if it were handed over, no one would believe it.

It will likely be seen as a conspiracy he orchestrated to incite infighting among humans.

Why is the secret technique so difficult?

To attempt this, not only would a large number of skilled individuals be needed as sacrifices, but also the death of one's own son would be necessary to bear the backlash.

The entry requirements alone have shut out countless people. Even if they were capable of completing it, how many would be foolish enough to kill their own son for an experiment on a secret technique whose authenticity is uncertain?

The worst part is that it's not enough for one son to sacrifice himself; you also have to have a large number of sons, otherwise you can't bear the backlash.

Throughout the entire Aslant Continent, very few things can meet all the conditions. A secret technique that is destined to be unusable will certainly not satisfy everyone.

"Your Majesty, if we want to lure the enemy into a trap, the previous methods may not be effective."

Unless extraordinary measures are taken to give them a compelling reason to come, it will be very difficult to lure them here.

Abraham's suggestion caused the Behemoth Emperor's expression to change. The "reason for having to come" was clearly a ploy to use him as bait to lure human experts into a trap.

He wanted to refuse, but the words stuck in his Behemoth Emperor.

The Beastfolk army has suffered heavy losses recently. The number of soldiers killed in action has even exceeded the total number of soldiers killed in the previous months.

Even the elite legions of the Five Great Royal Families had more than a dozen defeated by the enemy. The troops that did not engage in direct combat with the enemy were trembling with fear.

If this situation continues, it's uncertain whether the human experts will be able to be lured into a trap, but the Beastfolk army on the front lines is definitely doomed.

It's impossible for the officers and soldiers under his command not to feel resentment after a series of defeats.

Although they didn't say it aloud, deep down they probably cursed the entire Behemoth Emperor family quite a bit.

It can be suppressed in the short term, but if it accumulates over time, it will eventually explode.

"Alright, this time I'll personally oversee the central command!"