Storms on the Western Front (IV)

On the third day after arriving in Arkham, on a mist-shrouded morning, Guk came to a fortress beside the Sikasen River.

This fortress had been built at a former abandoned ferry crossing on the outskirts of Cadillon. It was the Orks' closest stronghold to the human forward positions. Not long after its construction, it had been destroyed once by artillery from the humans across the river.

But the unyielding nature of the Orks meant they would never abandon this stronghold.

Soon after the humans destroyed it each time, the Orks rebuilt it, making it stronger than before.

After more than a dozen such struggles, the humans finally gave up.

That was why Guk could stand here now.

This was merely an inspection. He had not made a grand spectacle of it or brought a large force, only a small number of attendants and warlords.

"The Shrimp put a lot of effort into this..."

Pressing one eye to the telescope, Guk let out an impressed sigh after only one glance.

Perhaps they had been beaten too badly last time. To steady their position, the New California Republic had truly spared no expense.

Just within his view, dozens of miles of riverbank had been recast in concrete, forming extremely steep slopes. Amid the rising and falling waters, Guk could also see that the submerged portions of the embankment had been packed with sharp steel stakes.

Thanks to the height of the fortress observation post, Guk could easily see the scene beyond the riverbank.

Crisscrossing barbed wire and trenches, numerous scattered bunkers and machine-gun posts, immense polygonal forts, and artillery hidden inside reinforced-concrete fortifications.

As far as the eye could see, the defensive line was at least ten kilometers deep.

Beyond all that, Guk's sharp eyes could faintly make out railway tracks.

He