You'd Better Be Dead
Harald stood on the gun emplacement, his gaze fixed on the camp to the east.
He saw Asgeir leading the elite Tiger Corps, like a black torrent of iron, surging towards the golden figure who was still charging left and right.
Meanwhile, the sorcerer Elaine and several other mages dressed in eerie robes had arrived at the edge of the battlefield. Hidden behind the soldiers, they began to gather dark energy in their hands, unleashing corrosive shadow arrows, mind-altering mental shocks, and physical-weakening curses that shot towards Friedrich like venomous snakes!
The golden aura of Battle Qi qi showed signs of stagnation and fluctuation under the interference of the spell, and its momentum was finally barely contained.
Harald breathed a slight sigh of relief, believing that as long as he could keep Friedrich occupied and slowly wear him down with his superior numbers, he would eventually be able to defeat him.
However, at that very moment...
"Great Chieftain! Something terrible has happened! The west! The southwest of the camp is in chaos too!" A guard scrambled up the gun emplacement, his voice trembling with extreme terror.
Harald's heart sank, and he abruptly turned to look in the southwest direction of the camp! What he saw made his blood almost freeze!
On the southwest side of the camp, near the junction with the Barren Peninsula, the area was now a sea of fire, with thick smoke billowing out!
A well -Broomflower equipped and menacing army of several hundred men, all on foot, was charging through the camp with unstoppable force, like a divine warrior descending from the heavens!
Although they did not ride horses, their foot combat skills were extremely proficient, and their teamwork was excellent. They worked in groups of three or five, like efficient killing machines. Wherever they went, the remaining Sauron soldier fell like harvested wheat!
These soldiers had clearly abandoned their warhorses to cross the ice plains, but their fighting prowess remained undiminished!
The chaos caused by the emergence of this new force was far more terrifying than that caused by Friedrich alone!
They are an organized army! The troops left behind in the southwest region were already lax, and now they were caught completely off guard and unable to mount any effective resistance.
Scattered resistance was like pebbles thrown into a torrent, instantly swallowed up.
Panic spread rapidly like a plague, and cries and screams even drowned out the fighting in the east!
"Southwest... the peninsula..." Harald watched the army advance unstoppable, pushing the chaos deeper into the camp in a terrifying manner. A dangerous signal that he had ignored struck his mind like lightning!
That direction... is theoretically an absolutely safe rear area! It's a deadly zone connected to the Death Icefield, a place where no enemy troops could possibly appear!
In an instant, all the clues connected! The seemingly harassing cavalry sent by Earl Rochefort the day before yesterday! Ulf's urgent warning to "beware of Rochfort"! His own underestimation of the situation due to his eagerness to attack Carnford...
"Rochfort! It's Rochfort!" Harald slammed his fist on the gun emplacement, making a dull thud. He understood! He understood everything!
That Old Fox Rochfort, the cavalry operation the day before yesterday was just a decoy! It was to attract and distract him, and the real purpose was to cover this elite force's incredible thousand-mile raid across the Death Icefield! And he himself had foolishly ignored Ulf's warning!
An unprecedented wave of regret and chilling fear instantly swept over Harald's heart! But now was not the time for remorse! He had to deal with it immediately!
He stared intently at the advancing direction of the Fran City army. Their objective was very clear: they were relentlessly charging towards the center of the camp, towards the central command tent!
Harald instantly understood their intention: to kill the enemy general and seize the flag! Although he himself was not in the central command tent at the moment, the ordinary soldiers were unaware of this!
If the enemy manages to break through to the center of the camp and cut down the wolf-head battle flag that symbolizes his authority, the resulting panic, amidst the chaos and communication breakdowns throughout the camp, will be devastating!
The soldiers will believe their Commander-in-chief is dead, and the ensuing mutiny and rout will be irreversible! At that point, whether Harald lives or dies will be meaningless!
"This absolutely cannot be allowed to happen!" Harald's eyes flashed with a frenzied glint. He whirled around, glaring at Svein beside him, and roared, "Svein!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"You immediately lead all the elite Bear Corps! Block that Broomflower Army in the southwest! I don't need you to annihilate them all, but you must hold them off at all costs! Do not let them advance another step! Especially do not let them get close to the central army banner!"
"Yes, sir!" Svein accepted the order and quickly descended from the gun emplacement to assemble his lieutenants.
Harald's eyes darted frantically left and right, like a trapped beast.
To the east, Friedrich was still struggling against the siege of Asgeir and the mages, his golden Battle Qi erupting intermittently, causing casualties.
To the southwest, reinforcements from Fran City are frantically expanding their gains before Svein arrives, and the chaos is intensifying.
Either of these two sharp knives, if it pierces through completely, would be fatal!
Behind him... Harald suddenly turned around and looked towards the mountaintop.
The Lord' Castle in Carnford was ablaze, thick smoke billowing into the sky. The sounds of fighting inside seemed to have subsided somewhat, but the battle was clearly still raging.
His originally sure-fire plan for a swift victory was completely disrupted by these two unexpected surprise attacks! Now, he is surrounded on three sides, his forces are severely dispersed, and the entire camp is in turmoil!
This can't go on! A decision must be made! Carnford is already on fire, and there are probably only a few defenders left inside. They're trapped and can be taken down at any time.
The most urgent task is to stabilize the main camp and annihilate these two damned surprise attack forces!
Thinking this, a ruthless and decisive glint flashed in Harald's eyes. He gritted his teeth and ordered Leon, whose face was pale beside him, "Leon! Pass on my order! Immediately cease the attack on Carnford Castle!"
"All besieging forces, except for the necessary personnel left to monitor and prevent a breakout, are to withdraw their main force immediately! Return to the main camp! Prioritize eliminating Friedrich and the reinforcements from Fran City in the southwest! The remnants of Carnford's army are no longer a threat; we can deal with them later after we've dealt with these raiders!"
"Yes, Great Chieftain!" Leon, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, quickly accepted the order and ran down from the gun emplacement to relay it.
Harald stood alone on the edge of the fort, looking down at the vast camp engulfed in flames and chaos, then glanced back at Carnford Castle, burning in the flames like a dying behemoth, his fists clenched.
"Karl... you'd better be dead in the fire! Otherwise..." He was filled with boundless rage and a sense of foreboding.
The battle situation had completely slipped out of his control.
The scales of victory are tipping in an unknown direction.
Harald is facing the biggest crisis of his career!