https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-707-The-Opening-Act-of-Lanchi-s-Imperial-Legend/12585136/
Chapter 706: Lanchi's Sorrowful Battle
Chapter 706: Lanchi's Sorrowful Battle
The second week of September in the solar calendar year 1798 was dubbed by newspapers across the lands as the darkest seven days for the Alliance.
Within that fateful week, under the targeted encirclement and suppression campaigns of the Twelve War Gods, the Kingdom United Congress Alliance suffered an unimaginable loss—nine of their Eighth Ranks had fallen.
The Crexin Empire, in a show of ruthless strategy, sacrificed their troops to assist the War Gods in suicide-style attacks, forcing the Alliance to dispatch reinforcements to critical areas. And whenever an Eighth Rank found themselves alone during these transfers, three or seven of the War Gods would strike together, ensuring a precise and deadly kill.
Facing at least one strong controller, one strong attacker, and one healer among the War Gods, none of the Eighth Ranks stood a chance.
Even the High Priest Loren was among those whose demise was announced.
Meanwhile, the War Gods remained in perfect condition, and none of the Eighth Rank experts on the Alliance's side were able to inflict any significant harm on them before perishing.
...
In the western reaches of the Southern Continent sprawled the lands of a superpower known as the Kingdom of Cambela.
Not only was it a leader among the many kingdoms of the Southern Continent in terms of comprehensive national strength, but it had also gained renown far and wide for being a linchpin of peace and stability over the years.
The headquarters of both the Southern Continent Shadow World Management Association and the Card Maker's Association were established here, and its domain spanned far wider than that of the Kingdom of Hutton, the furthest kingdom to the east.
In the capital of Cambela, known as Slovenini, lay the Supreme Council Hall of the Kingdom United Congress.
Its architecture was a majestic spectacle, seemingly challenging the very heavens. The pure white walls were adorned with intricate hollow patterns, and the sunlight filtering through these delicate apertures wove countless golden threads that intertwined to form awe-inspiring divine tapestries within the hall.
Deep within this Supreme Council Hall was a secluded space, sealed off by barriers and metal gates.
At this moment, several figures sat around a round table, their expressions solemn.
Embedded in the smooth, mirror-like surface of the round table at its center was a chessboard with pieces scattered across it, reflecting every ray of light in the room.
"The Twelve War Gods have but one objective—to hunt down the Eighth Ranks."
Someone broke the silence.
Every previous engagement of the War Gods had been a mere facade; laying siege to cities and conquering territories was not their true purpose nor their greatest threat.
The Eighth Rank guardians were irreplaceable peak combatants for any faction, and only time could slowly replenish such losses.
Or, to put it bluntly, the War Gods' brazen and precise encirclement and suppression campaigns against the Eighth Ranks were a form of open scheming.
But who had leaked the Eighth Ranks' whereabouts?
Anyone could see that there was a problem within the higher echelons of the Kingdom United Congress.
The Crexin Empire wanted the Alliance to know this.
Now, everyone within the Alliance was on edge.
The residents of the allied nations had lost their trust in the central leadership of the Congress.
The allied kingdoms would no longer be willing to adopt high-risk strategies; instead, they would inevitably opt for the safest possible approaches to preserve their nations' peak combatants and refrain from heeding the Congress' orders to support other nations, risking falling into traps.
Consequently, as the Alliance's conservative strategic strategy was anticipated by the Crexin Empire, the level of support among the kingdoms diminished, and the battle lines began to officially crumble.
A heavy atmosphere permeated the Supreme Council Hall, and the figures present wore serious, focused, and even tense expressions.
"Could it be that, aside from the leaks on our side, the enemy also has a super-spec diviner?"
One of the figures spoke, worry lacing their words.
The more they investigated internally, the more fearful they became, as if for every traitor they uncovered, there seemed to be another lurking in the shadows.
"Regardless, the Crexin Empire has achieved its goal. Once a trust crisis is born, it can never be truly mended."
Another figure added.
The legislators' gazes shifted among themselves, silently communicating their positions and thoughts.
"The Crexin Empire's strategy of only attacking and never defending, coupled with their indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, is actually a form of coercion," Speaker Steven, seated at the head of the table, said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, seeking the opinions of the other legislators. "It forces us to strengthen our defensive countermeasures and increase the frequency of reinforcements and deployments.
And once we start sending reinforcements, we must station our top powerhouses at critical strongholds; otherwise, we can only retreat our battle lines, cede land, and allow for the deaths of countless civilians to ensure the safety of our core combat forces."
As singular powerhouses, the Eighth Ranks moved far faster than entire legions.
In a full-scale war, they were akin to rapidly deployable, large-scale legion units.
The territories of the Kingdom United Congress Alliance were vast, and the Twelve War Gods moved stealthily across the battlefields, often with members of the Crexin Empire disguising themselves as fake War Gods to divert attention and allow the real War Gods to strike elsewhere.
Now, the War Gods were sparing no effort to take down the Eighth Ranks of the Alliance.
To defeat these near-divine Eighth Rank powerhouses, one had to either pit Eighth Ranks against each other or rely on massive military forces and large-scale military fortress facilities, such as Phantom Shockwave Towers, Magebreak Skyburst Cannons, and the Azure Shield Formation, all of which could inflict substantial damage on Eighth Rank experts.
A difficult choice had to be made.
The Eighth Ranks were irreplaceable heroic combat forces that also determined tactical flexibility.
If the Eighth Ranks of the Kingdom United Congress Alliance were wiped out, the odds of victory in this war would become exceedingly slim.
"If we continue to compress, it will be safer, but what about the residents who can't escape? Are we just going to hand over most of our land to the Crexin Empire?"
Silence reigned in the Supreme Council Hall for a long while, until finally, a figure angrily slammed his fist on the table and asked.
"What else can we do?"
"Let's take a risk and concentrate all our advantages to launch an offensive against the Crexin Empire!"
"The Crexin Empire's tactics seem to indicate that they don't care whether we counter-attack or not. They're determined to tell us that if we dare to come, they'll dare to retaliate."
"But we have to be prepared for total loss. If we fight like this, it will be over quickly, and if we're flanked from both front and back, we'll be in the worst possible situation."
The Crexin Empire's mad dog strategy of only attacking and not defending made it clear that they didn't care about civilians, and correspondingly, they believed that the Kingdom United Congress Alliance valued their civilians.
"Moreover, even if we really intend to take a gamble, can we convince all the kingdoms to cooperate and participate in this plan?"
It was only after this question was raised that the Supreme Council Hall fell silent once more.
Trust had been broken, and it was impossible for all the kingdoms to agree to such a risky gamble. And if not all the kingdoms united in their efforts, such a gamble would be meaningless.
After a lengthy discussion...
Finally...
The Kingdom United Congress could only make a bitter decision.
For the sake of safety...
The kingdoms would proactively shrink their defensive lines and could no longer afford to have their forces scattered and stationed across various locations.
Only by ceding land could they increase the density of their military and defensive forces, while also ensuring the safety of their Eighth-Rank hero units and enabling multiple Eighth-Ranks to work together in coordination.
To retain the land but lose the people was to lose both land and people. To save the people, even at the cost of land, was to save both.
Even so...
This decision doomed the Kingdom United Congress to gradually relinquish their territories in the coming days, and tens of millions of square kilometers of land would be marked by the largest-scale refugee migration in history...
...
Several days later...
The Kingdom of Posen...
Pary District, on the south bank of Pari...
Along the banks of the Serena River, Lusen Park basked in the afternoon sun at 4 p.m. The gentle autumn sun shimmered on the river's surface, as if laying a thin golden veil upon it, and the breeze gently blew, clearing the mist.
Regardless of the external war situation, the capital, located deep within Posen, was still considered a relatively safe place.
A slender young man sat motionless on a bench by the river, as if lost in thought.
After an unknown period of time, another person finally sat down beside him and unfolded a newspaper in his hands.
"It's nice to meet by the Serena River. Quite a pleasant idea."
Nigel muttered to himself as he glanced at the newspaper.
He had found Lanchi and was now dressed in casual clothes, blending in with the ordinary residents of Pari.
Ever since the decision to help Lanchi infiltrate the Crexin Empire was made, he would no longer interact with Lanchi as Lieutenant General Nigel.
"It's a rare sunny day."
Lanchi turned his gaze from the river to Nigel, offering a helpless smile.
"It's been nothing but rain and fog lately. I feel like my heart is about to rust."
Nigel sighed, his eyes revealing his fatigue.
The waves of the Serena River continued to lap gently.
"It won't always be like this."
Lanchi looked back at the river and murmured.
"I've taken care of everything. Starting tomorrow, you will set off for the Crexin Empire alone."
Nigel flipped through the newspaper as he spoke.
A small cat poked its head out from Lanchi's shadow, curious, and jumped onto Lanchi's lap.
"So soon, meow?"
It asked Nigel in surprise.
Reasonably, Nigel had promised to help within a month.
"It's not too soon. I requested to expedite my departure to the Crexin Empire because I have important matters to attend to."
Lanchi stroked the cat's head and replied.
His identity might be a bit more forced, with larger discrepancies in age and profession than he had anticipated, but he could get to the Crexin Empire faster this way.
Even one day earlier could save countless lives.
"If you want to come back, you can publish one of your paintings in the 'Crexin Central Daily'. Someone will contact you and arrange for your return to the Alliance."
Nigel handed the newspaper to Lanchi.
Although it was just an ordinary newspaper, it contained the method for Lanchi to meet with the intelligence personnel of the Posen Kingdom in the Crexin Empire.
He believed that Lanchi would be able to memorize it at a glance.
"I understand."
Lanchi took the newspaper.
"I look forward to the day when we can call each other comrades again."
Nigel stood up, put his hat back on, and said to Lanchi.
"Take care."
With these parting words, he turned and left without looking back.
In this war, every meeting could be the last.
In their line of work, when the situation demanded it, even their lives did not belong to them. Facing the aggressors, death was not frightening—what was frightening was dying without purpose.
"Take care."
Lanchi murmured to himself as he slowly shifted his attention to the newspaper in his hands, flipping through the pages.
Upon seeing Loren's posthumous photo in the newspaper, Lanchi's heart suddenly stirred with emotion.
After a moment, Lanchi finally stood up and walked to the riverbank, standing beside the stone pillar to which the iron chain was attached.
He whispered the password and casually tore the crucial page from the newspaper, letting the scraps fall into the river.
Closing his eyes, he heard the sound of a ship's whistle in the distance.
The broadcast from the ship gradually became clearer—
"1798, September 17, Posen Time, 4:30 p.m. This is an emergency broadcast interruption from the South Asia Quidan Territory Free Broadcast."
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just received a battle report from the front lines. The Second Chris Magic-guided Armored Division encountered an attack by the enemy's 11th Heavy Cavalry Corps in the southeast Harry Castle. After a day and night of fierce fighting, our army suffered heavy casualties, losing about 60% of our warriors and magic-guided weaponry. Currently, the battle line has been forced to retreat to 30 kilometers west of the Yise River. Meanwhile, on Mount Brown, our 55th Infantry Division is also surrounded by the enemy's 7th Mountain Division and 1st Air Raid Special Forces, in danger of being annihilated."
"According to the Supreme Command's battle report, in the past 24 hours, more than 25,000 troops from the Kingdom Federation Alliance Army have been killed or missing. The enemy's advance is unstoppable, starting from Holsen in the south, and our army has been retreating all the way. In the north, the enemy's 4th Army Group has also broken through the blockade near Ellis Province, heading straight for Austin Port."
"This morning, General Albion, the Supreme Commander of the Southern Territory, made a speech calling on all the people of Posen to unite and resolutely resist the aggressors. He emphasized that although we are in a difficult situation now, as long as we persist in resistance, the dawn of victory will eventually arrive. Let us stand shoulder to shoulder and await the final dawn!"
The broadcaster's voice was choked with sorrow, unable to restrain the anger in his heart.
The broadcast then played the inspiring "Glorious Song"—
"March forward, brave warriors!"
"Hoist the banner of justice and truth."
"With our blood and lives, let us compose an immortal heroic ode."
"Death requires courage."
Lowering his head, Lanchi stood there for a while before returning to the dock.
Without uttering a word, he sat alone on a bench, silent and motionless, facing the sunrise and the sea breeze.
The sunset's glow bathed the gently flowing river in a golden hue, and the clouds on the horizon were tinged with scarlet, reminiscent of the colors of dawn.
Lanchi sat alone on a bench, dressed in a simple white shirt, his face etched with sadness and grief, tears welling in his eyes as he gazed longingly into the distance, reminiscing about the time spent in Ikelite.
The music from the church behind him was gentle and distant, like groping alone in the darkness, yet it continued on without a word, moving forward, unsure of how far away the light was.
The surroundings fell into an even deeper silence due to Lanchi's quietness, with only the occasional chirping of birds and the distant sounds of children breaking the stillness.
By the river at sunset, Lanchi remained motionless on the bench as the breeze played with his hair and the hem of his shirt.
"Lanchi..."
Cat Boss anxiously lifted his paw and gently patted Lanchi to comfort him.
This was the first time it had seen Lanchi in such a state.
However, Lanchi shook his head to indicate that he was alright.
He picked up the kitten and gazed into the distance.
"Think positively, Lanchi. Loren might still be alive. After all, he's so strong, and who knows, he might have found a way to escape. Moreover, the Crexin Empire might have publicized Loren's death to demoralize the Allied forces, and also..."
Cat Boss didn't know how else to comfort Lanchi.
It could only take out the [Fake Stone Tablet-Wind] and place it in Lanchi's hand, hoping it would provide some solace.
Although the bodies of those killed by the Twelve War Gods were never left behind, one couldn't insist that Loren was still alive just because they hadn't seen his corpse.
Holding on to such hope might only lead to further despair if one were to witness a War God from the Crexin Empire using the [Original Stone Tablet-Wind] in the future.
Lanchi looked at the [Fake Stone Tablet-Wind] and gradually clenched it in his fist, then lifted his head.
"I'm going to Crexin, don't worry."
Lanchi's emerald eyes reflected the sunset, the river's waves, and the opposite bank,
"I will persevere."
"As long as we're on the same path, we will meet again."
"When the day of victory comes, I will come to see you."
He whispered resolutely to himself.
"I will carry on Loren's name and fulfill his will in the Crexin Empire."
It was unclear who he was speaking to—perhaps to himself, perhaps to the Kingdom of Hutton, or perhaps to the Goddess of Fate.
"... "
Cat Boss looked at Lanchi, deep in thought.
It was common knowledge that there were two Lorens in this world.
When the outer Loren disappeared, the inner Loren would have to step up and take action.
"Wait, Lanchi. What if he's still alive..."
Cat Boss suddenly felt a twinge of worry.
He feared that even if Loren was truly alive, if Lanchi carried on his name and acted too aggressively in the Crexin Empire, Loren might not dare to reveal himself.
(End of Chapter)
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