Disposing of the Prisoners

It was a very busy night for everyone.

Of course, all things considered, the one in dire straits is the Bell of Calamity.

Despite the sleep-inducing magic, Abidal did not sleep well that night.

Despite the large-scale operation underway at the front, Su Ming still insisted on arranging for Y-20 aircraft to come and "check in" at his location.

Their respect for the elderly and love for the young is so stubbornly unwavering that it's outrageous.

Unlike the previous days when a large number of inexplicable empty barrels were dropped in a sudden series of days, today's Y-20 flight dropped a type of ground-attack bomb with an unpredictable flight path.

Those aerial bombs were like mischievous sprites, suddenly changing direction when they approached the interception spell.

It took considerable effort for the Bell of Calamity to stop them all.

By dawn, it was time to land on the coast. Communication spells and troop movements continued throughout the morning.

After all that was over, Abidaqi finally managed to squeeze in a short afternoon nap.

This powerful, destiny-level mage felt a slight soreness in his body when he got up.

Abidal sighed softly, took out the pill Estelle had given him from his pocket, and swallowed it. A slightly bitter, warm sensation slid down his throat.

Afterwards, a high-level meeting of the Tyrannosaurus Rex was held.

"After capturing the Shattered Bone and Cracked Claw camps this morning, the Tayya coalition has not taken any further action."

You Si first reported on the battlefield situation.

Others were on the front lines, participating in the meeting via a communication array.

"No new personnel have entered the landing site, and no more supplies have arrived."

"In fact, judging from the overall situation, they seem to be preparing to retreat."

Abidal frowned deeply.

"So, this morning's attack was just a rehearsal?"

"That seems to be the case at present."

This conclusion did not bring any relief to the group.

If the war with the Teya alliance continues like this, by maintaining a defense and supplementing it with continuous harassment, we can sustain the attrition of 100,000, 200,000, or even a million orcs.

They would continue until the Tayya coalition's weapons were worn out and their supplies were exhausted, at which point they would surely come to a halt.

On the contrary, the fact that the enemy is now taking the initiative to withdraw means that their next offensive will definitely be devastating.

"At the time of the withdrawal on the other side, arrange for some second-line troops to launch a harassment attack," Abidaqi said.

"Yes," You Si replied.

The coalition forces will certainly be on guard, but Abidal doesn't care.

The core idea of the operation was to exchange the lowly lives of orcs for the enemy's ammunition.

****

Abdullah continued:

"Do you have any information from your inside sources regarding the timing of the coalition's formal landing operation?"

"Yes," You Si replied, "About a month or so later."

Abidaci calculated for a moment. "It seems the other side is also in a rush."

"If we can hold out against this wave, the enemy's logistics will be severely affected when the peak typhoon season arrives."

You Si expressed his concerns, "Our coastal defenses are currently quite weak in some areas."

It wasn't just what happened last night.

During this period, the coalition forces continued to exert pressure, and the orc forces continued to suffer losses, with cumulative losses exceeding 100,000.

"Although a large number of reservists have been added, the quality of the troops will be insufficient in a short period of time --"

Abidal raised his hand, interrupting Yu Si's words.

I understand what you mean.

"The prerequisite for entering a period of attrition is not being breached by the enemy in one fell swoop."

Su Ming's side possesses the "Heavenly Eye," meaning they will definitely focus on the weaknesses and attack relentlessly.

Abidaci closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

Currently, the only forces not deployed at the front lines are the rear guard surrounding Cloud Fang City, totaling eight legions. Among them, the three most elite are Blood Howl, Iron Jaw, and Steel Breaker.

The other five are second-tier legions.

Abidaci made the decision.

"Draw troops from the Ironjaw Legion and send another second-tier legion there to reinforce the front lines."

You Si breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I'll make sure everything is arranged properly."

****

Then came the debriefing of the morning's battle.

Despite the buffs from Warrior's Elixir and Shamanic Totems, the orc army performed far below expectations.

Preliminary information indicates that of the 60,000 troops involved in the battle, more than 20,000 deserted and more than 30,000 orcs surrendered or were captured.

Only a mere five thousand or so people actually died in battle.

"I plan to launch a promotional campaign."

You Si explained her thought process.

"The Allied Forces of Tyria are portrayed as brutal invaders whose aim is to slaughter orcs."

"Especially this 'killing of prisoners' incident, it must be publicized so that the whole island knows about it!"

I didn't quite understand the funeral bell.

"Hasn't Su Ming's side not killed any prisoners yet?"

Gossamer shrugged.

"Otherwise, how are they going to deal with those 30,000-plus prisoners?"

"Either kill them or take them with you."

Abidal, however, understood perfectly well.

"These two situations make no difference to us."

"If the Allied forces choose to take the prisoners, we'll pile up the bodies of the fallen and burn them, claiming the other side killed them all." There's no way to verify that.

The mournful bell understood.

"The propaganda tools are in our hands."

"Nature is free to do as one pleases."

This is the advantage of the Bell of Calamity.

Abidal concluded:

"In short, we must instill fear in the orcs of the island."

"Make them believe that they will surely die if they surrender."

"In this way, they will not dare to surrender in the ensuing battle, and will have no choice but to fight to the death!"

****

On Su Ming's side, they were also conducting a battle summary.

"This morning's landing operation involved fifty warships and seventy transport ships, with a total force of 150,000." "The two major military fortresses, Shattered Bones and Claws, were completely destroyed."

"And they took the opportunity to wipe out twenty-three scattered outposts in the surrounding area."

Yunier stood up and spread a thick list of supplies on the table.

"The four-hour battle this morning consumed a total of 15,000 tons of various supplies!"

Her face was bitter, and her eyes showed undisguised fatigue, as did the support team behind her.

"Normal consumption is fine."

Yunier's tone was very dissatisfied.

"Crucially, thousands of tons of supplies were damaged due to various errors!"

After that, she began to criticize the ships and units that had made serious mistakes in their logistical work.

From chaotic loading and unloading to incorrect ammunition specifications, and improper use of equipment, she pointed out each issue without showing any leniency.

Next, Yunier began to emphasize the precautions for evacuation to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Su Ming opened a top-secret list of supplies. The Zhenjie alone had unleashed 800 tons of shells, while the other gunboats of the Allied Forces had consumed 1,400 tons, and the Dragon Squadron had used 500 tons of aerial bombs.

A total of 2,700 tons of ammunition!

The terrifying speed at which war consumes logistics exceeds general understanding.

If this were Su Ming's hometown, the resource consumption for an operation of this scale would probably be at least ten times higher.

Over there, Yunier suddenly slammed her hand on the table.

"Did someone just say that they wanted to bring back 34,000 captured orcs?"

Her voice rose.

Do you realize how much logistical burden this will create?!

"But we can't kill them all, can we?" a coalition officer argued.

"Why not?" another officer asked coldly.

"Supplies to the front-line troops are already in short supply."

He surveyed the people on either side of the conference table and solemnly explained the implications, "Every resource we expend on enemy prisoners means our own troops receive one less resource."

"The sacrifices the soldiers will have to make could be many times greater!"

He said sternly:

"Are we going to sacrifice our brothers' lives for some so-called mercy, instead of eliminating the enemy?"

This statement represents the sentiments of many people.

There was also a lot of opposition.

The meeting room quickly erupted into a commotion, with several officers even standing up.

Su Ming gently pressed his palm down, quieting the room down once more.

"This matter has been settled."

"All orcs captured in this operation have been released."

These words caused a stir among those present.

Both sides, who had just been arguing, looked at Su Ming in bewilderment. "Isn't this letting the enemy escape?" someone said.

However, none of the leaders of the major powers spoke. Clearly, a consensus had been reached before Su Ming made the announcement.

"Reorganizing and training the surrendered troops to restore their combat effectiveness will take time," Melting Heart said. "The Bell of Calamity does not have that time."

She was actually referring to half a month, but usually even a month isn't enough.

After all, they were a group of orcs who had been completely defeated, their weapons wiped out, and their ranks broken up.

Sometimes they're even less obedient than new recruits.

"Our priest is preaching," Katharine said, "Let these orcs spread the word throughout the island about our merciful policies and our overwhelming dominance on the battlefield."

Some people have doubts.

Is it worth it to do this?

Shariko began:

"It's a good deal."

"Our own staff has completed the simulations and believes this will severely weaken the orcs' resistance." "Overall, the gains will be enormous."

A smirk appeared on his lips.

"And our enemy is no benevolent person."

"This will prevent them from using the prisoners' issue to create a smear campaign and spread disgusting propaganda!"

****

The high-level meeting of the Bell of Calamity shifted its focus to the Earthfire Project.

"The breach deep underground has been sealed, and the drainage outlets are fully open," reported the death knell. "Estimated drainage time: eleven days."

In addition to the massive underground palace, the Cangxiao Dynasty's "Spirit Rebirth Project" also included an underground drainage system.

The project utilizes the elevation difference of the Black Stone Volcano to drain the water that has flowed into the underground palace to a low-lying area near the coast.

Otherwise, such a challenging underground project would not have been possible in the first place.

The funeral bell describes the condition of the underground palace.

"The 'Cloud Fang Magic Array' is severely damaged and cannot be repaired in a short time." "The 'Bell Ringing Magic Array' is in much better condition and is expected to be completed in about a month."

Clearly, Abidaqi arrived in time, not giving Su Ming and his group more time to plant more explosives.

Abidal picked up a list containing a dense array of alchemical material requirements.

Not only are the categories numerous, but the numbers behind each material are also astonishingly large.

"The repairs require too many resources, so all the other projects that were originally planned have to be put on hold," Abidal sighed.

You Si thought for a moment.

"That's fine."

"If necessary, we will initiate the underground fire plan and then evacuate from Water Chestnut Island!"

"We can hold out until the day of Judgment, no matter what."

Abidaji nodded.

"I just wanted to be more cautious and allow for more flexibility in the execution of the plan."

His gaze swept over the group from the Bell of Calamity. "This is all thanks to everyone's hard work and meticulous preparation over the past twenty years of infiltration into Tyria."

Abidaqi's tone was solemn.

"Everything is for the arrival of my divine army three months from now!"

"The fruits of everyone's labor over the years are about to be witnessed!"

"Our God's great glory will surely shine upon the barbaric land of Thaya!" the crowd cried out in unison.

****

Water Chestnut Island coast.

The orc prisoners were divided into nearly a hundred prisoner camps, and the priests' sermons had already begun.

Aside from the opening ceremony of the Light Blessing Ritual, these priests did not preach the God of Light further, but instead paid homage to the beast god Gruush and recounted the glorious history of the orcs.

This immediately lessened the resistance of the orc captives.

The culture of the beast god Gruush and the orcs is extremely intertwined.

Even the Bell of Calamity dared not directly conflict with the orc doctrines of Water Chestnut Island, only stating that the Beast God belonged to the "previous generation." The soon-to-arrive Jormungandr, however, is the "future omnipotent god." "I'll announce some good news first."

The priest said in a loud voice:

"The coalition has officially decided to release you."

The amplification magic made his voice carry clearly.

"You don't need to pay any price."

The prisoners were in an uproar; could such a good thing really exist?

But the area was surrounded by Allied soldiers, their weapons gleaming coldly in the sunlight, and no one dared to make a move.

"Don't worry, deceiving you will do us no good."

The priest said cheerfully, his tone relaxed.

"Of course, there's one small condition."

"You'll have to listen to this old man ramble on for a bit first."

"During the process, I will mention a sacred saying of the Beast God." The priest smiled gently.

"Don't worry, it's the original text that has absolutely not been altered."

"As long as you can recite this sacred saying in its entirety, you can leave directly from here."

Many orcs couldn't believe it, but they all pricked up their ears and began to listen carefully.

"Did you ever go hungry when you were children?" the priest asked.

The orcs mostly shook their heads.

Fifteen years ago, this place was still under the rule of the Yunya Dynasty.

Although there were numerous large and small landowners, especially shamans who strictly controlled the seeds, they used a kind of magic to prevent the crops in the hands of the people from reproducing, forcing them to buy them from them, thereby exploiting the farmers at every level.

However, Water Chestnut Island has abundant rainfall and heat, and fertile land. The orcs are a hardworking and resilient people, so they can always have basic food and clothing.

The priest suddenly said:

"And now?"

"Are your parents at home eating well?" "Are you yourselves eating well in the military camp?"

"Are your brothers who work in the mines getting enough to eat?"

A moment of silence followed, and the large group of orcs lowered their heads.

They don't know when it started, but their carefree childhood disappeared.

Life turned into hunger and struggle.

The arrival of the great Jormungandr did not bring any good to the lower-class orcs of the Water Chestnut Island.

"Evil gods only deceive people with the promise of escaping disaster and bestowing eternal life."

The priest told everyone.

"But a true God will enable believers to live with increasing dignity."

So please think about it, who exactly is at fault?

"Is it that you orcs have become lazy and useless, or that a false god has usurped the throne, plunging everyone into such misery!"