Page 457

"Hmm? What did you say? A general of the Lion Tribe should have the strength of a Sword Master. Even without using combat energy, a Lion Tribe member of this level can resist basic magic." Chen Xuanfeng, born as a commoner of the wolf tribe in this life, didn’t know much about the secrets of the orc elite, but he was quite familiar with the basic military configurations. The Lion Tribe, known as the strongest among the orcs, always emphasized individual combat prowess. Every Lion Tribe general was a formidable and brave warrior. If each of them could be casually killed, the orcs’ millennia-old reputation would have long become a joke.

Before Antara could respond, Catherine, standing beside him, chimed in with a smile, "There are always exceptions, especially in wartime military settings. This General Aqimu is said to have mediocre talent, only possessing the strength of a novice Sword Hero. Although being a Lion Tribe member allows him to match a human Sword Master, by all logic, he shouldn’t have become a general. However, he was exceptionally ruthless and cunning in suppressing human resistance after the war, successfully slaughtering tens of thousands of Viking Empire rebels. That’s why he was exceptionally promoted to the rank of general. But knowing he had no further potential, he completely slacked off in the past two years, indulging in pleasure within his jurisdiction, which ultimately led to his disgraceful death."

Seeing Chen Xuanfeng nod, Antara continued, "Although it was only a minor general who died, it still concerned the dignity of the orcs. After the incident, the local Lion Tribe immediately mobilized thousands of troops for a retaliatory sweep. Unfortunately, the humans also knew the orcs would act, so the villagers from the affected area and nearby villages fled before the army arrived. In their rage, the Lion Tribe expanded their retaliation, slaughtering dozens of innocent villages within a radius of several dozen kilometers. This further incited human resistance, and eventually, the entire Vela region and its surrounding areas were occupied by rebels, forcing the Orc King Samanda to divert twenty thousand troops from the southern campaign to quell the rebellion. That’s when the 'Blue City Ambush' occurred."

Blue City, originally a key defensive stronghold of the Viking Empire, became an orc military camp after the empire’s fall. The twenty thousand troops sent to quell the rebellion were stationed there, preparing to suppress the rebels. Unexpectedly, on the very night the army arrived, the magic apprentice who had used traps and low-level magic to kill General Aqimu led a small group of humans disguised as a grain transport team into the city. They employed a tactic the orcs had never anticipated—detonating the fortress’s magic shield.

Blue City was once a frontline fortress between the Viking Empire and the Holy Light Kingdom, equipped with an extremely powerful magic shield to counter the Holy Kingdom’s magic and divine arts. However, the disaster of the empire’s fall came from behind. When the Lion Tribe landed from the northwest and fought their way to the southeast, the Viking Empire had already collapsed. The resistance of Blue City became meaningless, and it was eventually taken by the orcs without damage. However, the orcs, lacking mages, left the magic system of the fortress unused, as any mages they had were kept close to the elite.

When the magic system was designed, its strength was unquestionable to withstand the Holy Kingdom’s attacks. The Viking Empire’s mages, though not as ingenious as the Twelve Sages or the elves, compensated by increasing energy input. As a result, the magic system not only accumulated a large number of energy storage arrays and cores but also connected to several nearby ley lines. It continuously stored energy, and once fully charged, it could sustain the city’s magic defense for half a month.

The orcs, due to their lack of magical resources, didn’t even dismantle the system, merely sealing it off. This oversight was exploited by the clever magic apprentice, who sneaked into the poorly guarded magic control center that night. Using his basic magic, he overloaded the fortress’s magic shield and then escaped with his companions through a hidden passage. Soon after, the orc army, awakened by the shield’s glow, found themselves trapped as the overloaded shield sealed their exit. Not long after, the entire fortress exploded violently, flipping the massive three-walled structure almost entirely.

After that night, although the orc army, with their unparalleled survival skills, only lost thirty percent of their troops, all their food supplies and equipment were destroyed. They were then continuously attacked by several human resistance forces. In absolute adversity, these orc warriors lived up to their reputation as the strongest on the continent, fighting their way out. However, only about seven thousand warriors managed to escape.

On the human side, not only did they use this great victory to clear out the orc forces in Vela and its surrounding areas, but with the support of the human rear forces, they also dispatched dozens of guerrilla units, widely infiltrating orc-occupied territories. They mobilized uprisings, providing weapons, food, and military training, not just in the former Viking region but also in the Golden Plains of the former Holy Light Kingdom. The magic apprentice who started it all led the most successful team, reportedly leading uprisings in over a dozen areas, defeating seven or eight orc armies, and even capturing two orc-occupied cities, earning widespread renown.

Now, one-third of the western continent’s former human territories are affected, with the military strength of various orc tribes being drawn into the conflict. The logistics and military mobilization of the entire orc alliance have been disrupted. Although the orc army is strong, their numbers are limited. The western continent originally had a population of over 120 million, and even after the war and mass exodus, about 80 million humans still live in orc-occupied areas. Even if only one-tenth of them rise up, it’s enough to overwhelm the orcs.

The turmoil in the rear not only disrupted Orc King Samanda’s strategic plans but also greatly boosted the morale of the Holy Light Kingdom’s frontline army. Even other factions that had considered withdrawing have changed their strategies, showing signs of mobilizing. This is especially evident with the Desert Mercenary Empire. Through the mediation of the Knight of the Flame Phoenix, Morova, and the Knight of the Waxing Moon, Carol, the Mercenary Empire made significant strategic adjustments, reaching a compromise with the nearly warring Kuta Tribe Alliance. The combined forces of both sides have put additional pressure on the orc alliance’s southeastern front. As a result, Chen Xuanfeng’s troops, originally supposed to be transferred to the Orc King’s command, were instead sent to reinforce the front against the desert forces.