Chapter 1351 - 891: Command_2

Chapter 1351: Chapter 891: Command_2

Another human warrior roared, his axe splitting the crystallized joint of an Infected Rock Armor Beast.

Anger, curses, excitement, greed, all sorts of emotions intertwined in the thick atmosphere of corruption, transforming into a driving force forward.

The heavy armor divisions of the Night Watchers advanced steadily, like a moving steel fortress crushing everything in their way.

The adventurers, akin to flexible shoals of piranhas, circled the main force, biting and slicing, tearing the desperately shrinking defense line of the Void Creatures to shreds.

The situation for the main force was overwhelmingly favorable.

Just as the main force zealously compressed the core area of the Void Rift, the side flank that had briefly repelled the swamp’s native beast horde, driven by chaos and violent instincts, keenly sensed the change in the situation.

Those terrifying purple-skinned crystalline cluster monsters seemed to be failing, and the suppressed frenzy exploded once more.

"Wooaahh—!"

"Hisssss—!"

Deafening roars mixed with sharp hisses, the foul green crocodile horde, toxic fog-spitting Thorn Beasts, massive burrowing beetles, and bone-eroding armadillos surged like a flood, engulfing the swamps and forests of the flanks with mud, toxic gas, and an absolute will to destroy.

The Night Watchers and adventurers responsible for covering the flanks and preventing these chaotic beasts from interfering with the main attack direction stared with some boredom at their advancing comrades, finding it hard to hide their frustration and restlessness.

"Damn, look how fiercely they’re hacking! Are we just going to sit here and watch?" A mercenary carrying a long spear impatiently thumped the ground with its shaft.

"Why rush, what if..."

His words were cut off by the earth-shattering roar from the flank!

"Here they come! They’re here!" The lookout’s shout carried a hint of... joy?

Instantly, the morale of the flank detachment ignited like a powder keg.

"Damn it! Finally, they’ve arrived!"

"Hahaha! I was just itching for a fight. Here come the accolades delivered to our door."

"Brothers! Let’s show these mindless mud creatures what’s what."

"For the peace of my land, kill them all!"

Robust, jubilant roars echoed in unison.

Unlike the battles against Void Creatures, which were mixed with solemnity and mental stress, fighting these purely physical chaotic beasts, the Night Watchers and adventurers seemed to handle themselves with ease, even with a touch of relieved lightheartedness.

"Shield formation! Hold steady! Spearmen—thrust!" The Night Watcher officer’s orders were calm and powerful.

"Boom!"

The line of Tower Shields firmly withstood the impact of the crocodile horde.

"Squelch! Squelch!"

The enchanted long spears, gleaming coldly, struck out like snakes from between the shields, piercing fiercely into the softer underbelly and throats of the crocodiles, bringing out gouts of filthy blood.

"Mage Corps! Flame Storm over the Thorn Beasts!"

On the other side, several elf mages swung their magic staffs in harmony, and the scorching waves of fire instantly ignited the vast areas of twisted, poison-spewing plants, burning them into towering torches.

"Haha! What a thrill!"

Daniel, originally fighting in the core area, was also drawn by the commotion at the flank, and after slashing down an enemy, he grinned towards that direction.

"Those big idiots finally get to stretch their muscles! Lia, give the brothers on the flank a boost!"

Lia nodded understandingly, directing her staff towards the densest part of the beast swarm on the flank, a massive lava fireball howling down, triggering a violent explosion and shockwave, instantly clearing a small area.

The battle on the flank heated up instantly, with the glint of blades and swords, magic thundering, beasts’ wails, and warriors’ roars mixed together, forming another wave of frenzy.

Without the strange mental corruption and rule erosion of the void, the purely physical skirmish left these battle-hardened veterans fighting with great gusto, their morale soaring.

In the solemn and efficient atmosphere of the Order Pyramid’s control room, high above the battlefield.

The dwarf sage Lurik leaned back in the command chair, his face slightly pale but his eyes sharp as an eagle’s.

A penetrating wound on his chest was thickly wrapped in a bandage that emitted a gentle Holy Light, while a focused Holy Light Priest held their hands above the wound, guiding a gentle yet powerful healing energy to infiltrate and expel the lingering void’s destructive aura.

A bottle of suspended liquid also poured down to assist against the continuous damage caused by the "bleeding" rule.

Though the seepage of dark gold blood had slowed, it hadn’t completely stopped.

The power of the rule always has a lingering effect.

"...Sir, frontline report!"

A straight-postured adjutant wearing tactical goggles stood before the holographic tactical map, quickly reporting.

"The main attacking force’s advance speed is beyond expectations! Within an hour, they have already advanced over ten kilometers into the core area! They are currently making every effort to clear out remaining resistance, and the suppression effect of the Order Pyramid is excellent, the organization of the void creatures has completely collapsed."

Lurik nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the blue arrows on the map rapidly contracting towards the purple-black core area.

The adjutant continued, "Simultaneously, the flank encountered a massive counterattack from the swamp’s native beast horde. The scale is approximately three standard clusters.

"However, our flank forces are relying on preset fortifications and the pyramid’s mental barrier to successfully hold them off, and are launching an effective counterattack, with no risk of being breached at the moment.

"The beast horde seems more inclined to attack the contaminated areas left by the void creatures, but they also persistently pressure our defense line."

Lurik’s gaze moved on the map, finally settling on a terrain node about twenty-five kilometers from the current front line.

There was a relatively flat plateau edge overlooking the void rift area below, and connecting pathways leading deeper inland and to another key pass.

He was silent for a few seconds, watching the blue arrows representing their advance stubbornly extend forward, nearly touching the estimated thirty-kilometer limit.

"Order."

Lurik’s voice was low but carried an undeniable authority as he raised his hand, pointing to the node at twenty-five kilometers on the map.

"All attack units, upon reaching this coordinate line, immediately cease forward pressure and switch to defensive stance."

The adjutant clearly hesitated, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes, "Sir? The estimated termination of Order interference is at least three hours away.

"We’re on a roll now; forward reconnaissance reports show forward resistance has greatly weakened. If we push hard, thirty kilometers or even closer is entirely possible.

"Wouldn’t a smaller encirclement be more beneficial for the subsequent complete sealing of the Rift?"

Lurik slowly shook his head, his gaze profound, "The thirty-kilometer line can indeed tighten the encirclement of the Rift. But look here, "

His sturdy finger pointed to the area behind the twenty-five kilometer line, marked as the "Blackstone Plateau."

"A twenty-five kilometer line forms a larger area, seems looser, but its strategic depth is sufficient to establish a solid forward base here, and by leveraging this plateau, build a permanent defense node."

He paused, his finger tracing an arc on the map, "More importantly, this ’salient’ position. It’s like a wedge, blocking the critical path from the swamp into the inland depths.

"By using this as a base, we can not only firmly lock the Void Rift, but more importantly, it will become an excellent springboard for our expedition army to continue advancing inland, towards the heart of the Tariel Continent.

"The terrain of the plateau is easy to defend and hard to attack, sufficient to establish a large-scale logistical and defensive fortress, pushing our influence forward significantly, completely controlling this area, suppressing, or driving out surrounding chaotic creatures completely.

"While a surround too close to the Rift, only thirty kilometers deep, lacks depth, prone to counter-assault, and can’t support large-scale opening efforts. Stopping here is for going further."

The adjutant followed Lurik’s finger and reasoning, his gaze gradually shifting from confusion to understanding and admiration.

He saw a grander chess game.

Not just the sealing of a Rift, but using it as a node to shift the entire strategic situation of the expedition army, nailing the frontline base directly into the heart of the inland.

"I understand, sir! Strategic significance outweighs tactical distance!"

The adjutant straightened his body, his voice returning to decisiveness.