Chapter 20: Allies
On the walls of Icehoof Fortress, Iceborn soldiers clad in chainmail and iron helmets formed a defensive line. The enemy had appeared too suddenly; the scout troops' message had just arrived when the enemy came into view. Such marching speed was terrifying.
"Hold the line! No one retreats!"
Amid the chaotic battle, a Northern officer roared. On the "Yatade Wall," there were three fortresses in total, with Icehoof Fortress ranking in the middle.
The consecutive victories on the front lines had kept Icehoof Fortress free of enemy sightings for several years. This officer couldn't fathom how the enemy had crossed the entire Northern war zone to reach the front of the Yatade Wall.
In reality, Su Xiao hadn't engaged any armies along the way. With the War Lord's boost, the troops under his command had top-tier marching speed, and the Grey Orcs were renowned for their endurance.
The previous method of advance was: Baha scouted ahead while the main force behind sprinted at full speed. Though it looked like a chaotic mess, they were fast enough.
Whenever enemy troops were spotted ahead, they immediately formed a C-shaped detour. No matter what, they couldn't be bogged down by the enemy, even if it meant sacrificing a few thousand Grey Orcs to intercept—essentially a suicide mission.
What should have been a head-on charge between two armies was turned by Su Xiao into a marathon-style long-distance run. The inspiration came from Bubu Wang's dream the previous night. After Bubu said he'd been running a marathon all night, Su Xiao came up with this strategy.
The orc warriors transformed into long-distance runners. By the end, the orc troops were running in front, with at least 1.3 million allied troops from the Six Races pursuing behind—including forces from Duoyin, Dwarves, Iceborn, and Barbarians.
Now, Su Xiao had reached Icehoof Fortress. If he didn't breach it within an hour, his troops would be caught in a pincer attack, with 1.3 million enemies charging from behind.
Unless they broke through Icehoof Fortress, it would be nearly impossible to enter the Northern territory, especially with hundreds of thousands of troops.
Having hundreds of thousands of orc warriors climb the Yatade Wall was a pipe dream. This nearly 600-meter-high ice wall was almost vertical, and the temperature dropped the higher you went. Near the top, it was cold enough to freeze Grey Orcs solid, causing them to fall off as they climbed.
Hmm~
The war horn sounded. The Grey Orcs charging on the walls had bloodshot eyes, nearly mad with killing intent. But when the next horn blew, they had to retreat.
Icehoof Fortress had a garrison of about 80,000 troops, and since it hadn't seen battle in years, the overall quality was questionable. This was why Su Xiao chose to strike here.
Boom!
A deafening explosion came from inside the fortress. Golden flames surged into the sky—it was an ordinary Apollo detonating.
The rear wall of the fortress was blasted, covered in cracks. Baha circled in midair, with Bubu lying on his back, holding an Apollo in its mouth, ready to throw.
Twenty-odd seconds later, another explosion rang out. The ice on the rear wall melted completely, leaving the wall riddled with cracks. The walls of this world were absurdly sturdy, a result of a thousand years of war. Strong walls were key to defending territory.
Between the buildings inside the fortress, the sounds of battle and roars were incessant. The Iceborn were formidable fighters, only slightly weaker than the Grey Orcs, even with the War Lord's boost.
The extreme cold had tempered the Iceborn's will and bodies. Their morale, still at 92 points after all this war, was proof of that.
Boom, boom, boom...
One by one, war tree-people ignored enemy attacks and charged at the rear wall. Solar flames scorched their bodies, and before long, a dozen of them fell, burned to charcoal.
When the first batch died, the second batch immediately took their place. Every second counted now.
"The enemy has entered the blizzard zone!"
Baha's shout came through. This meant the pursuing 1.3 million enemy troops would reach Icehoof Fortress in 10 minutes.
With a crash, a war tree-person embedded itself into the rear wall. After a few more tree-people slammed into it with full force, a gap dozens of meters wide appeared in the wall.
"Ahhh!!"
A banshee named Tanya screamed in midair. Her scream had the widest range among all banshees, and it was the sharpest, highly recognizable.
Hearing this scream, the orcs fighting inside the fortress split into two groups, forming human walls that charged toward both sides of the fortress. This created a passage between them, leading straight to the hole in the rear wall.
Covered by the suicide squad, the other orc soldiers charged forward. Within minutes, hundreds of thousands of orc troops had rushed through Icehoof Fortress and entered the Northern territory.
When the battle subsided, Icehoof Fortress looked like a violated maiden—corpses everywhere, and nearly all the buildings inside were destroyed.
On a large pile of rubble, nearly 30,000 Iceborn gathered. The deputy commander at their head looked ashen. This battle had stunned him. This Northern high-ranking officer, who had fought on the battlefield for nearly 20 years, was completely bewildered. The enemy had crossed their fortress and charged straight into the Northern territory!
Realizing this, the deputy commander shivered involuntarily. He immediately ordered his adjutant to summon a messenger. Just as he was about to contact "Frost City," the ground began to tremble. Another army was approaching.
Just as the deputy commander was feeling desperate, friendly troops surged forward in a mighty wave. Among them, the elves were panting heavily, having run nearly a full day.
"Where are the War Demon's troops?"
A legion commander from the Duoyin Empire stepped forward. It was clear he was also out of breath, his legs nearly giving out.
"They're..."
The Northern deputy commander hesitated for a long time, unable to speak. Having the enemy break through the fortress—this wasn't just his own disgrace; it was a resounding slap in the face to their Polar Ice Lord.
The Duoyin legion commander stared at the hole in the rear wall, silent for a long time.
"This matter, you Northerners handle it yourselves. We'll station outside Icehoof Fortress."
"Thank you! Sincere thanks!"
The Northern deputy commander didn't know what else to say. This was the last shred of face the allies had given him.
Inside the Northern territory, the orc troops marched at full speed. Su Xiao watched the Yatade Wall gradually disappear from view behind them. To cross this heavenly barrier, he had lost nearly 60,000 orc soldiers—more casualties than in the attack on "Flame Valley Fortress."
Su Xiao had chosen to charge into the Northern territory for a reason. Earlier, just after he arrived at Blackmelt City and before he had taken full control of the orc troops, Beini sent him a message. It said she was in the Northern territory, where a force was already at war with the Polar Ice Lord.
While the enemy of one's enemy could be a friend, it depended on the situation. After Beini negotiated with that force, Su Xiao sent Amu as a diplomatic envoy.
That's right—Amu went to handle diplomacy. It might not work at other times, but in the Northern territory, Amu's ice-based abilities could at least show goodwill, even if they didn't boost favor. It let the other side know Su Xiao's sincerity.
After Amu arrived successfully, the other side's attitude shifted. They expressed willingness to ally, but the specifics of the alliance were still to be discussed.
Su Xiao's ultimate trump card was Bubu Wang. Because the ally he wanted to recruit was the Northern territory's dire wolves.
In Su Xiao's plan, if everything went smoothly, he would gain control of a wolf cavalry legion. If he could then upgrade the War Lord title to a seven-star one, this wolf cavalry legion would become a force that struck fear into the hearts of the Six Races Alliance.
PS: (Recommending a friend's book, title: I'm Really Not an Immortal's Second Generation.)