Decision

Honestly, if you really expect soldiers to have max loyalty, exploding morale, and a combat power boost of N percent just from some commander's nonsensical, rah-rah speech, enough to turn a losing battle into a victory and grind the previously dominant enemy into the dirt, you must have watched too many third-rate war movies.

What, you think everyone has a system that multiplies the effectiveness of their speeches by N? You think everyone's blessed with maxed-out charisma and looks?

Morale is actually a profoundly mysterious art. It's an "art" and not an "engineering feat" because, even with civilization's advancements, we still haven't found a reliable, controllable formula to calculate it all. And speeches? They're probably just the most useless yet most flamboyant exterior decoration on this grand edifice. However, what's certain is that a commander's prestige, the accumulation of past victories, and the soldiers' own moods are indeed the most crucial foundational elements – the bricks, mortar, steel, and concrete.

Fortunately, the battle the other day, after the Sandfolk's countless valiant Raptor cavalry and War Chariots crashed headfirst against the walls of Tulon; with the outside of the city flashing with fire, and visible explosions erupting one after another in the enemy camps stretching beyond the horizon; all of the above had been laid in place.

And so, as Eleanor held the banner high and marched past the soldiers, cheers and battle cries erupted, even drowning out the explosions outside the city.

In that moment, these Guard Team Minions, these militia rabble who had only undergone a few days of proper training, all felt as if the Spirit of the Universe had transformed into a visible Goddess of Victory, guiding them forward. They weren't just cannon fodder or a disorganized mob; they were clearly possessed by the souls of the righteous army led by the Founding Father thirty years ago.

We are going to win! We will surely win!

Amidst the roaring torrent, the assault teams clad in Dragon Rider Power Armor followed closely behind, then came the Guard Team soldiers in AS40s, and after them, a considerable number of militia, armed with nothing more than simple protective suits and rifles, also charged out.

Of course, before Eleanor's army charged out of the energy shield, the forty-plus Black Panther War Chariots and Type 10 light Tanks remaining in Tulon Port had already exited the city first, beginning to carpet-bomb the area with their Vulcan cannons, mines, and high-explosive shells. The dual-purpose sentry guns and city defense cannons had already opened fire earlier, unleashing indiscriminate firepower into the enemy ranks.

And so, when the Tulon defenders, coordinating infantry and armor, charged towards the Sandfolk, they were completely bewildered.

Twenty-odd years of time couldn't immediately evolve the Sandfolk from their martial, classical militaristic and nomadic era into the true age of firearms. Although they had built some fortifications under the guidance of "Collaborators," they were irregular, lacked quality control, and didn't understand maintenance. More importantly, the sudden artillery bombardment covered the Great Elder's location in smoke and fire, leaving the ordinary Sandfolk soldiers completely without command. Their lords and chieftains were also in a state of confusion and shock.

As a result, the troops exiting the city leaped over the first trench with almost no resistance. It was a truly shallow trench; an ordinary Sandfolk soldier would only reach their chest standing inside it. Not only could it not stop Black Panther War Chariots and Tanks, but even a squad of Power Armor-clad infantry could have easily cleared it in a single bound.

Eleanor raised her Z17 assault rifle, flicking it casually. With a "boom," all Sandfolk soldiers within a 60-degree arc thirty meters in front of her were blasted into sieves.

Yes, compared to the C10s issued to "light infantry" and "unarmored infantry," the Z17 assault rifles equipped by the Marine Corps and assault units had much greater magazine capacity and power, and they could also switch between rifle and shotgun firing modes.

Eleanor Bonaparte raised her left hand, letting the Vulcan cannon begin its sweep, and issued subsequent orders in a rapid-fire yet orderly manner.

"Major Sanga, sweep all anti-aircraft positions!"

"Captain Luolong, once the outer anti-aircraft positions are captured, launch all airships and drones! Their targets? Enemies are all around us, do I need to draw you a map of where to bomb?"

"Captain Williams, take your tank unit south, destroy their arsenal, and then push south all the way, breaking through the enemy lines!"

"Captain Ames, head north and drive the enemy into the lake!"

"Major Dorset, stay close to me! Head towards the densest artillery fire!"

Eleanor was a bit of a berserker who loved a headlong charge, naturally incredibly brave. However, the difference between reckless bravery and the bravery of a great general is that the latter always knows where to charge. The area under artillery bombardment was, naturally, where the Sandfolk's Spiritual Leader, Great Elder Hessen, was located. Unless she saw his corpse, Eleanor wouldn't consider herself victorious, even if a million Sandfolk heads were piled up.

At this moment, Yu Lian's heavy artillery position also received a signal from Tulon Port.

"Senior Sister... Officer Bonaparte has already left the city? Charging ahead again?"

The reply through the comms was, of course, affirmative.

"What's wrong with her... It's the Space Age, why does everyone still have a Stone Age heart!" Yu Lian slapped his forehead, thinking of his senior sister's fate in "history," and suddenly felt a bit panicked.

Just then, another message came through from the other side.

"Officer, we're under attack too." It was Sergeant Youyou's voice. He, along with the 8 soldiers under his command and a Black Panther Vehicle, had been left by Yu Lian at the canyon hideout to command the Cowboys in protecting the civilians.

"Have we been discovered?"

"Yes, a small group of large Lizard riders sniffed us out. We managed to take them down, but more enemies will likely arrive soon, right? But don't worry, we've organized ourselves. According to your plan, the valley entrance is fortified, and the hilltops on both sides have established firing positions."

"Understood..." Yu Lian was about to ask for more details when the signal abruptly cut off, making his heart sink completely.

He knew that the canyon had remained undiscovered by the Sandfolk for so long partly because it was indeed well-hidden, and partly thanks to Ina, the Sentinel, and her illusionary abilities. She could construct a psionic array beforehand, which, when applied to the valley entrance, could create a kind of camouflage effect by interfering with atmospheric, rock, and heat signatures, thus distorting the perception of living beings. But Ina was also fighting now; as a novice, how much psychic energy could she spare to maintain a psionic array over a long distance?

Moreover, a large-scale battle had erupted. Explosions, firelight, high temperatures from ions and beams, bloodshed, and screams were happening everywhere. Lives were ending, souls were being extinguished, and the air currents, temperatures, and even geological structures were changing. All of this would naturally affect the stability of the psionic array.

Those Saint Masters, even in battles spanning across galaxies, could deploy vast mental arrays to grant war buffs to thousands of warships and millions of soldiers, like deities.

But Ina was only a first-ring psion!

Yu Lian felt a bit troubled. He looked towards the direction of the bombardment below the mountain, then towards the rear where the valley was located, feeling as if all the news he was receiving was bad.

The only good news was that perhaps due to Yu Lian's interference, the 101st Company's assault was smoother than in "history," and their defensive positions were more comprehensively established.

The firing positions on the stone gate and guard towers were captured before they could even open fire. The dual-purpose autocannons were pushed to the mountainside, relentlessly pouring fire in the direction of the approaching Sandfolk. Four "stitched-together" Tanks were directly pushed down the mountain, tumbling and getting stuck between rocks, completely blocking the passage up the mountain. All Sandfolk attempting to counterattack were trapped below the high ground, unable to move.

The Sandfolk tried to push the tanks aside but were shredded by a hail of bullets. They also attempted to bring up artillery, but they argued for a long time just to find suitable positions before being picked off one by one by Ina on the other mountain ridge.

More Sandfolk, blinded by rage, and seeing that the mountain path was blocked, resorted to the cruelest attack of the cold weapon era – an ant-like assault, climbing the steep cliffs with knives in their mouths and guns on their backs. However, even casually pushing down a few rocks by the soldiers of the 101st Company could inflict heavy casualties on them.

The hollow below Algi Highland instantly turned into a sea of blood. However, the courage of the Sandfolk must be acknowledged. Even so, reinforcements continued to arrive, their bravery enough to compose a legendary ode.

But that was all.

Up to this point, not a single soldier from the 101st Company had been injured, a more exaggerated achievement than in the original timeline. Perhaps such success made the Captain overconfident, and he said to Yu Lian, "I can allocate 30 men to you."

Yu Lian was slightly stunned. He had indeed considered asking the Captain for some reinforcements, and would have been happy with ten men. He also guessed that with the battle going so smoothly, someone would get carried away, but he never expected Captain Winter to be the one!

"Yes, we are indeed under siege right now, but I've analyzed the enemy's tactics. Heh, they're brave, certainly, but they lack method and effective organization. Losing a platoon won't significantly impact the overall situation. Trust me, Second Lieutenant, while you're incredibly intelligent, I've accumulated more experience in ground combat than you."

Yu Lian certainly didn't doubt Captain Winter's judgment, but the problem was that the company's over a hundred soldiers were still surrounded by tens of thousands of enemy troops; they couldn't afford to relax under any circumstances. Besides, battles always require reserves, isn't that common sense?

"Yes, so now is the time for the reserves to be deployed! However, how to use them and where to use them will be up to you. Parkin, assemble your platoon!" The Captain made the decision without further ado.

"I obey your orders, Moonfolk." Lieutenant Parkin, who was two ranks above Yu Lian, patted his forehead, grinned, and showed no hint of resentment.