Blood on the Mudflats

Rows of figures swam over the ship's side and entered the sea one after another.

They carried short knives at their waists and cutting tools on their backs, groping their way forward along the seabed.

This is the Allied forces' water ghost unit.

They cut the metal mesh wrapped around the obstacle piles and broke the chains anchored to the stones.

The demolition team planted explosives near the remaining mines and then detonated them.

The sea surface suddenly became bustling with activity.

Within twenty minutes, a large section of the waterway leading to the beach had been cleared.

Landing ships surged in, one after another. As soon as they were in position, the first wave of 20,000 coalition troops jumped into the half-deep water and ran, or flew at low altitude to the beach, densely packed together.

On the shore, the shaman activated the Bloodfang Totem and blew the bone flute, a symbol of charging forward, its sound like a sob.

The war drums sounded, their ancient and resonant sound echoing through the air.

"Go!!"

The totem effect spread, and hordes of orcs, their eyes bloodshot and bodies enveloped in crimson light, charged forward, weapons raised. "Use the blood of our enemies to honor the fangs of our great ancestors!"

****

The forward command post for this shore landing was located on the battleship Xingyu.

Seeing this, a staff officer quickly suggested:

"Send the priests forward to dispel the berserk spell on the orcs."

An officer with a severed bone and a crazed weapon said something else.

"Need not."

Our "physical dispersal" method is more thorough!

He sent the request for firepower to the town's command center.

Beianchi quickly gave the order:

"Main guns, fire on the enemy coastal assault group!"

Attack process unfolds, observation data calculation. "Azimuth 025, Distance 7800!"

Gun-laying radar locked on.

With the assistance of the rear support team, the fire control computer calculated and collected the ship's pitch correction, environmental air pressure, coastal wind speed, current temperature and other deviation values one by one.

"Fire parameters set - elevation/altitude decrease by 2, airburst fuse, 13 seconds!"

The breechblock is locked, and the two triple-mounted turrets adjust the angle of the gun barrels.

"Installation complete!"

"Turrets one and three, fire!"

With a roar, the muzzle flash illuminated half of the sea as if it were daytime, and the shockwave spread to both sides, pressing the seawater into large depressions.

The thick shells traced low, flat arcs as they flew toward the coast. Upon reaching the charging crowd, the shells exploded simultaneously.

The sound and the flame were both quite small.

At least judging from the Zhenjiehao, it merely emitted six plumes of grayish-white smoke.

This small commotion was completely unworthy of the illustrious status of a battleship's 305mm main guns! But with each puff of smoke, thousands of shells were actually being rained down.

Before the charging orcs could even raise their heads, they were enveloped by a dense, hissing sound.

These projectiles, regardless of where they entered, treated everyone equally, piercing through flesh, bone, and armor in their path.

Large numbers of orcs sank and fell to the ground, as if pressed into the sand by a giant hand.

A cloud of blood rose up, instantly turning an area of over a thousand square meters into a living hell.

The charge, which had been roaring just moments before, came to an abrupt halt.

The surviving orcs stood frozen in shock, only blood pooling on the sand, forming puddles in the low-lying areas.

****

Su Ming had considered anti-infantry weapons like shrapnel grenades a long time ago, but it was later rejected by Bei Anqi.

Her reason was:

A single low-velocity projectile weighing three to four grams is insufficient to inflict effective damage on soldiers of the Extraordinary Side.

But that's just the weight of a normal shrapnel pellet. When it comes to numerical issues, the military engineers in Su Ming's hometown have always had only one solution: more quantity, no extra cost!

As the caliber increases, the weight of the shell increases exponentially.

Therefore, when these shotgun pellets, nearly twenty times heavier, fall at the speed of sound, it becomes almost impossible to tell whether the people standing below are ordinary people or low-ranking superhuman soldiers.

Commands echoed continuously from the Zhenjie ship.

"Turrets number two and four—fire!"

The second salvo landed on the flanks of the first barrage.

Six plumes of smoke bloomed again, and the fan-shaped area formed by the projectiles meshed with the first round, creating an even larger area of death.

A heavy stench of blood mingled with gunpowder smoke rose, so strong that even the sea breeze couldn't dispel it.

With the blessing of the Warrior's Elixir and the ancestral rituals, the orcs had essentially lost their fear of death.

But a profound sense of powerlessness and despair gripped their hearts.

These orc warriors had no idea how to deal with the giant monster's breath attack.

They bravely sacrificed their lives, yet couldn't even touch the hem of the enemy's clothes.

On the Star Rain, the officer of the Bone-Beast Berserker said smugly:

"Keep charging forward, infantry brothers!"

"You don't need to lift a finger in this coastal area!"

****

With ample firepower cover, the infantry encountered no significant obstacles and successfully landed.

Mid-level combatants were the first to reach the shore.

They didn't care about the water's depth, gliding across the shallows as if skimming the surface.

Those of lower rank had to wade through the water.

Dwarfs are the most unique.

For most of the time, no one saw them.

Only when they reached the beach did the landing force suddenly emerge from the water, as if by teleportation. A flat-bottomed boat moved forward, its bow carving two deep furrows in the sand. The hatch opened from the front, and heavily armored infantrymen, shields in hand, marched down in formation, stepping on the sand.

Like a moving wall.

But this was just a drill; there were actually no enemies in front of them.

The engineers followed the ship, dragging demolition charges, and blew up the remaining obstacles.

The 155mm secondary guns of the Zhenjie continued firing throughout the entire operation.

Wherever there is movement in the sand, a volley of shells will immediately fall.

When calls for fire support were made, the naval guns never responded for more than thirty seconds.

The landing zone expanded and closed rapidly.

As the temporary dock was established, more supplies began to be unloaded, and the lightly equipped soldiers took turns changing their gear and heading deeper into the area.

****

As time went by.

The only reason the enemy troops left on the mudflats haven't been completely wiped out is that they are so scattered. Foxholes, bunkers, and half-collapsed trenches are scattered here and there.

The naval guns gradually ran out of targets worth firing at, and the task had to be left to the infantry to eliminate them one by one.

The orcs in these foxholes, having been given the Warrior's Potion, were fearless and reckless, so the fighting was rather ugly.

Several allied soldiers repeatedly slashed at the orc, but he still did not fall.

In the end, the problem was solved by smashing the other person's head with a hammer.

"That medicine is very potent."

"Hitting the torso won't work, you have to hit the head!"

Similar battles broke out sporadically throughout the mudflats.

Meanwhile, in the main combat zone, the air defense systems surrounding the two major military camps, Shattered Bones and Claws, were destroyed by the artillery fire of the Zhenjie, guided and corrected by drones.

With each hit, the orc's fortifications were as if a giant had scooped a piece out with a spoon, and lightning totems, ballista parts, and the gunners were all thrown into the night sky, leaving behind a smoky depression.

All that was left was a scene of utter devastation.

With the air defenses lost, the next step was to be carried out by the dragons. The first batch of twelve dragons, divided into four three-dragon formations, entered in turn.

They swooped down like arrows released from a bow.

The observer on the back crouches low and completes target assignment according to the guidance of the wrist screen.

"At eleven o'clock, the one in the green shirt with that messy pile of stuff on top of it."

"Very well!" the dragon's booming voice replied.

He aimed at the target, the rack under the dragon's belly loosened, and two heavy bombs tumbled down.

Boom! Boom!

On the orcs' position, the ammunition storage area was hit, the explosion echoed, and the exploding ammunition exploded in a chain reaction, illuminating the entire camp in a state of alternating light and shadow.

The dragon was satisfied with its results after dropping the bombs.

With a flap of its wings, it used ionized fluid propulsion to regain altitude, clearing a path for the following formation to drop bombs.

However, the second formation was very dissatisfied upon entering.

"That damned first squad, they wiped us out completely!" "Leave us some decent targets!"

The observers could only reluctantly pick and choose from the remaining targets.

After the dragon had wreaked havoc, the landing infantry finally entered the fray.

They blew up the gate to the defensive zone, and dwarven heavy infantrymen, shielded by runes, poured in through the breach.

Behind the shield wall, human archers followed, firing in succession.

The remaining soldiers of the Shattered Bones Battalion launched a counter-attack.

Thousands of orcs, injected with the potion, poured out of their hiding places and howled as they charged at the infantry.

The observer at the front quickly said:

"Fire rapidly from directly in front of the breach in the camp!"

The secondary gun barrage fell twenty seconds later, cutting the counter-charge formation in half.

Large numbers of orcs disappeared.

The orcs behind them were tripped by the broken bones and mangled flesh of their companions, and their formation completely broke apart. In the firelight, the orcs' resistance was sliced into isolated points.

One by one, they went out.

****

Two hours after the start of the battle, although local skirmishes were still ongoing, the battlefield on the coast had already settled.

The process is progressing much faster than expected.

Numerous problems were exposed during the battle.

When the landing craft carrying supplies turned, they became crammed together, and several boats nearly collided.

Two of the designated material storage areas along the landing sections were subsequently submerged by the rising tide.

Two forces from different factions used signal flares of different colors, causing errors in information transmission.

There was also a collision between the medical evacuation route and the supply route.

Fortunately, a large number of officers were on the front lines, and problems were resolved on the spot when they arose.

"As expected, a hundred years of training on the exercise field is not as good as a real battle!" Rongxin said. After this battle, the lessons learned will definitely be a thick stack.

Meanwhile, 60 kilometers inside the coast, the orcs' rear forces had already deployed a second line of defense.

Although the "rehearsal" plan is not intended to continue, the subsequent formal operation will involve touching this defensive line.

"If we launch a formal operation, our landing force will number two hundred thousand," Rongxin said.

She looked at the situation map in the direction of the enemy.

"The orcs' second line of defense numbers 600,000."

"There are the same number of echelons following behind, plus hundreds of thousands of reserves."

"The numbers are still vastly different."

Charicio, however, believes the number is more than that.

"Once Water Chestnut Island is fully mobilized, even a million orcs wouldn't be a problem."

"Although the quality of soldiers will decline significantly."

He shrugged. "But if we use the existing legion's core, and keep adding new recruits, they can hold out against us for a long time."

Fighting a race with a population of thirty million and a strong martial culture is just that troublesome.

Moreover, it was a long-distance raid on their homeland.

Melting Core did some calculations.

"We have advantages in both combat strength and information."

"As long as logistics can keep up, we can fight if it takes more than three months of back-and-forth fighting."

Eunice panicked immediately.

"Support 200,000 troops for several months of continuous combat?"

Kill me!

The daily consumption of over 10,000 tons of supplies would be enough to drain the entire Tyre region dry in just one month.

After all, they had to be transported 10,000 kilometers across the sea, and the overall consumption during the journey was at least double that.

This was a small, high-level meeting, so Meltingheart didn't mince words. "Writing things out with the orcs like this, slowly and painstakingly, will take a long time."

"Your decision to use the allied forces as a distraction while directly knocking the Bell of Calamity to its head was the right one!"

****

The first and second waves saw a total of 35,000 people land.

There was originally a third wave of 15,000 people, but Katharine called it off.

With the enemy collapsing on the battlefield, there is no need to continue increasing troop strength; it would only exacerbate beachhead congestion and logistical pressures.

"It's a pity, we only achieved 60% of our objective of annihilating the enemy."

Katharine was unwilling to accept it.

The 40,000 orc soldiers who had evacuated ahead of time were already 30 kilometers away.

"Should we get the Town Raider closer and start shelling?" Katharine asked.

After a quick calculation, Su Ming rejected the proposal.

Including the distance the Zhenjie was offshore, the shell would need to fly approximately forty kilometers. Although this was within range, at such a distance, the circular error probable (CEP) of a conventional shell would be over three hundred meters.

"This retreating force is too scattered," Su Ming said. "This distance is fine for attacking a fixed city defense, but it's a waste to fight a scattered army in the open."

On the one hand, the absolute lethality is too low.

On the other hand, artillery needs to be coordinated with ground troops to encircle and mop up the enemy in order to amplify the results many times over.

After all, more than 90% of the results on the battlefield are achieved after defeating the enemy.

Junior officers from all sides began organizing personnel to sabotage enemy positions and fortifications, while some special operations units expanded into the surrounding areas to clear out nearby strongholds.

The battlefield has entered a period of stagnation.

Su Ming released the keyboard and leaned back in his chair.

"What's the story behind this leak?" he got to the point.

If the intelligence hadn't been leaked, there would have been a chance to completely wipe out the Bonebreaker and Clawbreaker legions.

From a psychological perspective, the difference between crippling an entire army and annihilating it is enormous.

The latter could more severely damage the enemy's morale. "The Bell of Calamity has not only learned of the arrival of the Calamity Suppression," said the Inchworm.

"It also specified the time when we would launch our attack."

"They even have a considerable understanding of the performance of the main guns on the Zhenjie."

The second line of defense was set up 60 kilometers away, essentially outside the "efficient" strike range of conventional artillery.

This is no coincidence.

At that distance, if you dig air-raid shelters and trenches, it would take dozens of shells to take down one enemy.

"The problem must lie with our middle and upper management," Su Ming said.

The coalition forces were composed of diverse elements.

Su Ming could accept having spies planted within the Bell of Calamity, but he could not accept being infiltrated into the higher levels.

The consequences of this are extremely serious!

Su Ming made arrangements.

"Let's form a joint investigation team to conduct a comprehensive internal investigation." Xia Like volunteered, "I'll take charge of this."

As the leading, long-established power, the Star Empire has an inescapable responsibility.

But one line isn't enough.

Su Ming connected with Rupert.

"You immediately bring members of the Security Department to Sanjian Island and thoroughly clean this place up."

"One in the light, one in the shadows, working in coordination with King Charlotte."

"Okay, boss!"

Rupert agreed, and at the same time raised a question.

"Currently, the security department only has about twenty core personnel."

Because the war is the priority, many of his department's personnel have already been reassigned.

Su Ming was also in a dilemma.

Currently, the island of Trident is a complex organization with a population of up to 500,000. Rupert's group of twenty-odd men is indeed far from sufficient. However, Enobia came up with an idea.

"We can get the Silver Moon Guard of Queen Youhua to assist us!"

Silvermoon Forest, a united kingdom of elves and unicorns, is naturally also a member of the allied forces.

However, according to the agreement, Silvermoon Forest undertook a large proportion of logistical support tasks.

In contrast, the only force they dispatched was the Silver Moon Guard. Although this force was extremely elite, it only numbered one thousand.

After some thought, Su Ming concluded that among all the forces, the one with the simplest composition and the most reliable was indeed the team from Silver Moon Forest.

"Feasible."

He nodded in agreement.

"I'll personally speak to Queen Youhua."

"The operation was planned by Rupert, and Enobia was responsible for coordination."

"Okay!" Enobia and Rupert replied simultaneously.

**** In the midst of the fierce battle, the landing of a "half-dog" was of little consequence.

Gerus flew away from the blue mackerel and set foot on the land of Water Chestnut Island. Behind her, the submarine quickly submerged, leaving only ripples that rapidly dissipated on the black sea surface.

The battlefield was far away, and it was very quiet here. The starlight of the summer night shone on the coast, and the continuous chirping of insects came from the bushes.

Gerus continued forward, passing through the orcs' defense zone.

Even as she passed by, the warning totem remained unresponsive, continuing to emit a faint glow in the night breeze, signifying that everything was normal.

About three hours later, Gerus arrived at the designated meeting point.

It is a small village.

This place is too close to the coast; it's a scene of desolation.

All able-bodied men were conscripted, leaving only the elderly and weak who couldn't even keep up with weeding. The crops in the fields were sparse, and the weeds grew taller than the crops.

The millstone was covered in dust, and everything that could be used—the roof beams, the doors, everything else—had been removed.

Slogans painted by the grain requisition team still remain on the wall.

"Wartime dedication, witnessed by our ancestors." Below the slogan, someone drew a small cross with charcoal.

A small, thin, half-cat-like figure jumped down from a big tree at the village entrance, landing almost silently.

The two exchanged a code word, confirming their identities.

The half-cat's tense shoulders finally relaxed slightly.

"We've been waiting for you," he said softly.

The half-cat-man emitted two short, chirping sounds, which were quickly answered by another sound from the darkness.

"We left lookouts," he explained. "In case you're followed, someone will cover your retreat."

Jelusi nodded.

After that, he quickly left with Gerald.

****

The two waded across a shallow stream, washing away any remaining scents and footprints.

After walking for another hour or so, they arrived at the back of a rocky slope, where they found an inconspicuous thatched hut. Inside was an elderly half-bear man with an old scar running from his brow bone down to his jaw.

Garda, leader of the Wild Fangs.

"Welcome, Instructor Ya!" Garda smiled with delight.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Galda," Gerus said. "You have made a tremendous contribution to the united front by resisting until now. Thank you for your hard work!"

"We are even more grateful for your support!" Garda said.

As the largest resistance organization on Water Chestnut Island, the Wild Fang will inevitably play a role in the upcoming battles.

Gerus arrived in a supervisory and guiding capacity to coordinate subsequent operational cooperation.

"Enough with the pleasantries." Gerus smiled broadly. "Now, let's work together to destroy the Bell of Calamity!"