The Power of the Magic Cannon

It was now clear that the enemy had begun gathering their forces, with at least a million troops. Not just anyone could muster an army of that size in a short time.

"Which direction are they coming from? We need to know who's trying to make a move against us." Kevin panicked for a moment, then quickly composed himself and spoke.

"It's the Dark Church. Looks like they found out about the Magic Crystal mines after all. Their army is bearing down on us. What should we do?" Luo was second only to one in the Sky Wind Kingdom, but he had come from a small city. He might have been able to make a judgment based on a few historical anecdotes when dealing with a few thousand or even ten thousand men, but an army of several million was beyond the ability of an ordinary person to command.

"First, send the frontline soldiers and dispatch several generals to join them. The troops must keep their formation. After that, we'll need the Magic Cannons. I want to requisition a batch." As a legion commander, Kevin held a position comparable to Luo's. In military affairs, Kevin's word even carried more weight than Luo's.

In an ordinary kingdom, the secular factions and the military would surely fight each other to the death. But this was a magical world, an age of the supernatural.

Luo didn't understand military formations, so naturally, Kevin would handle those matters.

Among the Level 9 Warriors under Carl, Kevin was one of the few with experience commanding a legion.

"Our chance has come." William looked exhilarated.

As a former great general of the Luo'ao Empire, William's military expertise far surpassed that of Kevin, who had learned his trade in the field.

After all, the Four Great Empires were all ancient powers with long traditions. Their military formations had been refined generation after generation, enough to fill a comprehensive treatise on the art of war.

Before half a day had passed, Kevin and William had joined forces.

The Sky Wind Kingdom didn't have many troops. Of its three hundred million residents, some were men and women, some young and old. And the kingdom had only been established for a little over twenty years. How many of those people could have served in its army?

In fact, for more than twenty years, Luo had consistently enforced widespread conscription. Anyone aged sixteen or older who had reached the strength of a Level 1 Warrior was eligible for the draft. That was why Luo could field an army of a million Level 3 Warriors.

Carl had been a hands-off ruler for ten years of his military service. Luo could only rely on his status as a Saint Realm expert to get things done. The Sky Wind Kingdom had also seen no shortage of battles over the past twenty-odd years. Kevin had joined during that period and risen through years of fighting to become a legion commander.

"Let's muster five hundred thousand troops first. We can recruit the rest from across the kingdom," William said.

Kevin nodded in agreement.

Even among the million Level 3 Warriors, not everyone was still in active service. Many had retired after completing ten years in the army. Now that the enemy had invaded, they would need to be called back into service.

With the two men working together, the five hundred thousand troops were soon assembled. At William's suggestion, they chose to defend a major city not far from Kailuo City.

The military supervisor standing nearby was puzzled. Luo had sent him to keep track of the legion's movements at all times. After all, above Luo stood Carl, the elusive Saint Realm expert.

Luo was frantic with worry, but he couldn't find his king, and for the moment, he had no idea what to do.

"Report!"

"Reporting to the two generals: about six hundred thousand enemy troops have crossed the river outside Kailuo City. The forward commander reports that the troops who crossed have not yet formed up, and their ranks are in disarray. He asks whether we should launch an attack while they're still confused."

"No!" Kevin and William objected at the same time.

This time, the Sky Wind Kingdom had assembled five hundred thousand troops, committing most of its strength. Faced with an attack by the Dark Church's army of several million, even Kevin had little confidence.

"Why refuse? Shouldn't we strike when the enemy is weary? Why worry about taking advantage of them while they're marching?" the military supervisor asked in confusion.

"You don't understand. If I were in command, and there were a river on the battlefield, I'd cross it. At the very least, I'd put the main camp on this side of the river. Only if things became impossible and we were defeated would I consider crossing back," Kevin explained.

An army crossed mountains and rivers as needed. The commander's position would never be separated from the front lines by a mountain or river.

There was another hidden advantage to crossing a river: it signaled to the soldiers that there was no retreat. They couldn't hide or run. This could greatly boost their morale.

When there was no way to flee, the only way to survive was to fight with everything they had.

A desperate last stand was usually reserved for dire circumstances, but a commander had already accounted for that possibility in the way he deployed his troops.

"Besides, if we really wanted to send an army across the river, we'd first need to secure the other side. If I were in command, I'd send elite troops across. And to lure the enemy over, I might well make it look as though my forces were in disarray," William added.

Everyone here was a high-ranking official of the kingdom. Even the military supervisor was a Level 8 Warrior. If the two sides were evenly matched, he only needed to send intelligence back. But if the battle turned desperate, he could also fight.

"The most important thing is our position," Kevin said, pausing.

By then, the military supervisor had already understood.

Kailuo City wasn't far away, but how many men would they need to send to successfully ambush an army of hundreds of thousands? If they sent too few, they'd be sending them to their deaths. If they sent too many, they'd have no hope of staying hidden.

When hundreds of thousands of troops clashed, even their initial deployments couldn't be concealed from the other side. Before their ambush force could even arrive, the enemy would be ready to strike back.

More importantly, the Sky Wind Kingdom needed to defend, and holding the city was Kevin and the others' greatest advantage. With the city in their hands, they could trade one soldier for three, or even five. But if they left the city and fought on open ground, the exchange might be one for one. In that situation, the Sky Wind Kingdom would definitely suffer.

"We only need to do one thing: hold this position. If they can't break through the city, their mission will have failed."

In war, tactics were secondary. Strategy was what mattered.

There had to be a purpose behind starting a war. For the defending side, success meant preventing the enemy from achieving theirs.

After all, the Sky Wind Kingdom was right behind Kevin and the others, with supplies aplenty. The Dark Church's army, on the other hand, had clearly crossed a national border to wage war, and its supply costs would be far greater.

"We have the advantage. Why gamble on finding an opening in their defenses?"