Chapter 102: All-Out Offensive

When both sides are not truly fighting for real, the referee in the middle is under considerable pressure. During a close contest or even when the underdog manages an upset, the losing side will always find numerous excuses, claiming what would have happened in real combat, and so on. In truth, the winning side also finds numerous excuses, though theirs are more numerous and sharper. When two groups of people argue, it is hard to say that one group ever truly argues the other into silence; they just reach a point where everything becomes unintelligible, and eventually, they resort to violence.

At this point, no matter who the directorate judges as the winner, the other side is bound to be dissatisfied. To be honest, the directorate is composed of humans, and their judgments are inevitably biased to some extent. Furthermore, military exercises are meant for training, and it is not just the Red Army that needs it; the Blue Army requires training as well.

Giving the Blue Army numerous powerful settings is indeed intended to test the Red Army’s counter-attack capabilities under extreme conditions, but the Blue Army also needs practice. The role of the directorate, besides acting as referees, is to keep the strength of both sides as balanced as possible so that the exercise can continue, allowing for long-term and effective training of the troops.

Once one side shows a clear advantage in strength, the judgment tends to favor the other side. Thus, the ruling that Kevin wiped out a regiment with a bucket of acid was not just because the Blue Army commander was acting dishonorably, but also carried this underlying meaning.

The Red Army also had instances where they stepped out of bounds, only to be "eliminated" by the "Creator God." This, too, is flexible; if the Red Army’s strength is very weak, or if the directorate is in a particularly good mood, they might send the "Creator God" to persuade them to return. Unfortunately, this balanced judgment leaves both the Red and Blue sides feeling unsatisfied, to the point where both armies feel that their true enemy in this exercise is not each other, but the directorate.

Regardless, once the news that Kevin had taken out a regiment reached Red Army headquarters, the room fell silent. All the regimental commanders sat there as if stunned, unable to collect their thoughts for a long while. How much acid did Kevin throw? Was there a ton of it?

"Tell me the specific situation at the time!" The commanders were very curious, and in their hearts, they found it hard to believe.

"That's enough; that is not the issue," Orson interrupted in time. The clever ones present had already guessed that it might have been the work of the directorate, but once said aloud, it would lose its air of mystery. Do not underestimate this sense of mystery; Kevin was recommended by Orson, and Kevin’s powerful record made Orson look like he had an eye for talent. In normal times, this would at most be fodder for bragging after a meal, but at this moment, it was an effective means of establishing his authority.

"In that case, I think Kevin’s ability is beyond doubt, isn't it? Who else could take out a whole regiment by themselves? That is likely only possible for a Sword Saint," Orson continued. "It is our army’s fortune to have such talent. Now, I propose that all Dragon-Eagle troops take to the skies!"

The expressions of the commanders present changed immediately, and one sneered, "We still don't know for sure if he was the one who wiped out that regiment; giving him the credit so soon is too hasty."

"We have all been sitting here, and the army closest to the incident was over 30 kilometers away," Orson pointed out calmly. "If he didn't wipe them out, then the regiment committed mass suicide in front of him. Either way, it is his skill."

"That doesn't mean we have to immediately follow his arrangements, does it?" someone mocked. Indeed, letting the air combat troops take off and duel with the Blue Army was Kevin’s idea, but it hadn't been adopted at the time.

"True," someone agreed. "The General set a 'no-contact' strategy for the air before he left. As the commander-in-chief, how can you change the plan just because of a junior lieutenant’s words?" The implication was already questioning Orson’s command ability.

Orson sneered, "When the General was here, the enemy’s Pegasus Knight Fiola was also present, and she is a Sword Saint. We truly had no chance of winning in an aerial dogfight against her. But now that she and the General have perished together, even if we are not a match for the remaining Pegasus Knight units, we at least won't be completely helpless."

General Orson spread his hands: "The General told us to wait for the thunder, but day after day passed, and there was no thunder. Our front-line legions don't have much food left. Are we just supposed to wait for death if the heavens don't thunder?"

A commander said disdainfully, "What if the thunder is about to strike?"

Orson sneered, "You commanders are important members of the Dragon-Eagle troops; do you really have so little confidence in yourselves?" It was a clear jab at their passive resistance, implying they didn't want to go out and throw their lives away.

The other side did not back down: "Dragon-Eagles are inherently inferior to Pegasi. There are gaps in speed, agility, and flight altitude. Although the Pegasus Knights are all women, they are one-in-a-million experts. There is almost a full grade difference between us, and if they are set as Dragon Knights, that’s a two-grade difference."

Someone on the side added: "As everyone knows, a one-grade difference is a father beating a son, and two grades is a grandfather beating a grandson. If we go up there, we are the grandsons; how can we fight?"

"That is just paper analysis," Orson countered. "In actual combat, I am not asking you to fight to the death with them, but harassment and containment should be sustainable for quite some time."

"Ha, the enemy is strong; if we die the moment we go up, don't blame us." The commanders sat firmly, staring at the ceiling.

Orson gritted his teeth in frustration, but he was helpless. Who wants to be a sacrificial pawn? If the Dragon-Eagles took off to fight, they would be wiped out as soon as they appeared, becoming the enemy's achievement and their own disgrace. They certainly wouldn't do something they knew was impossible. If he used military orders to force them, they would just go up and die; besides, eating roasted meat was the same regardless of whether they died sooner or later.

Ultimately, it was a lack of authority. If the General were still here, this situation would never have occurred.

However, Orson was not completely out of ideas. After thinking for a moment, he stood up and issued an order: "How about this? No matter how big the grade gap is, you can at least manage normal patrols, right? 111th Regiment, listen up: order your Dragon-Eagle troops to split into groups of three. How many can you form?"

The commander of the 111th Regiment rolled his eyes and calculated: "About 60 groups?"

"Order those 60 groups to divide into six large squads, ten groups each. The first squad flies along this line, crosses the middle river, and heads straight toward the enemy's territory. The second squad goes along the map boundary, along the right side, circling the entire map, and be careful not to go out of bounds..." Orson drew lines directly on the sand table.

"The six large squads will patrol according to the lines. Each large squad is divided into ten small groups, and the distance between small groups should be kept as wide as possible, at least 30 kilometers," Orson detailed the orders. "If you encounter the enemy, don't fight; just run! The main goal is to detect the enemy's ground forces!"

"116th Regiment!" Orson called out again. "Same for you. How many groups can your regiment split into?"

The commanders’ faces were gloomy, but there was nothing they could do. Strictly speaking, the details of how to group troops should have been their task, but now the commander-in-chief had taken over all the details, essentially bypassing them to command directly. Yet, they had no choice but to obey.

"All groups carry a parrot; once you discover Blue Army ground forces, report back immediately!" Orson ordered.

"I'm afraid we don't have that many parrots." The communications unit spoke up first.

"Mobilize as many as you can," Orson waved his hand. "Those without parrots, once you spot them, fire a signal arrow directly toward the Blue Army."

"Giant staff units, get ready. Listen for my command and be prepared to set up for an attack at any time," Orson said methodically. "Commanders, we cannot just sit around waiting for thunder; opportunities must be created by ourselves. I have decided to launch the general offensive early to catch them off guard."

"Yes." At this point, the Dragon-Eagle regiment commanders could no longer object, and the other commanders were full of fighting spirit; after sitting idle for so long, they were finally starting a real battle.

From the issuance of tactics to implementation, it took only a moment. The Dragon-Eagle troops took off from the frozen rear, in groups of three, each patrolling their designated route. After waiting a moment, the first group flew far away, the second group took off, following the first group's route and continuing forward...

Orson designed a total of twenty-six routes, high or low, straight or winding, ensuring that the entire map was covered by a patrol network, while ensuring they were not too close to each other to be wiped out in one go. This high level of command was worthy of the Red Army’s commander-in-chief.

As the Dragon-Eagles took flight, the Blue Army’s Pegasi discovered them immediately and reported back to Blue Army headquarters, requesting instructions. Richard, however, seemed completely unsurprised and remained expressionless: "Do not panic. Focus on defense. If you happen to be close to them, take them out; if they are far away, do not pursue."

Someone on the side questioned: "The enemy's air combat troops finally couldn't hold back, and everyone knows the strength disparity. Why don't we take the opportunity to pursue and kill them? We could wipe out all their air combat troops and take absolute control of the air."

"Although our Pegasus Knights are stronger than theirs, there are few of us. If the enemy scatters and flees, chasing them will be a waste of time," Richard replied. "The enemy’s actions are nothing more than a desperate attempt because they can't hold on any longer. Truth be told, if our air combat troops are tied down, and their ground forces launch an all-out assault, they might indeed have a glimmer of hope."

"We certainly cannot let the enemy achieve their hope," Richard closed his eyes. "If I am not mistaken, the enemy's Dragon-Eagles are split into routes, scattering across the entire map. We don't need to pay too much attention; let the Pegasi circle our positions for defense. If they come, take them out. If they don't, ignore them."

"That is true," the commanders agreed, nodding. "Their logistics are already failing; I'm afraid it won't be long before they collapse without a fight."

With the tactics set, both sides immediately took tense action. One side went all out, attempting to gamble with their lives, while the other began to hunker down and defend.

The first group of Dragon-Eagles had already charged from the middle river toward the enemy positions, and the Pegasus Knights were already visible to the naked eye. With a flap of their wings, they turned and approached, simultaneously drawing bows and firing arrows. Bows and arrows were the most common weapons in air combat. However, the Pegasus bows were more high-end, with wider frames and added magic arrays; as an elite unit, their equipment was all top-tier. They could fire nine arrows at once, spreading out like a flower to maximize the chance of hitting the enemy, though the power was naturally slightly less.

In air combat, balance is extremely important; one only needs to disrupt the opponent's balance, and even if they don't fall to their death, they have to spend a great deal of effort to regain it. That window of vulnerability is enough for the opponent to land seven or eight more arrows. Therefore, they preferred to sacrifice power to increase the hit rate.

With nine arrows fired simultaneously, the lead Dragon-Eagle knight was hit immediately. Of course, the arrows were blunted, so they wouldn't die. A crisp female voice came: "You're dead. Get down!"

Although the other two Dragon-Eagle knights were still two-against-one, they didn't dare to linger. One dove downward, and one flew upward, each fleeing for their lives. The one going up hid in the clouds, but the one going down had nowhere to hide. Knowing their death was certain, they could only stare wide-eyed at the ground, hoping to find at least one Blue Army soldier.

Unfortunately, they found none, and the Pegasi easily caught up from behind, hitting them in the back with an arrow: "Eliminated."

Subsequently, as more Dragon-Eagle troops were deployed, encounters with Pegasus Knights became more frequent. However, the disparity in strength, combined with the tactic of only fleeing and not fighting, doomed them to be continuously whittled down.

Nearly all of the Red Army’s Dragon-Eagle troops had been deployed, totaling over a dozen regiments; some were main air combat regiments, while others were just small squadrons within regiments. But at this moment, regardless, they were temporarily coordinated, with over 1,800 mounts taking to the skies in an orderly fashion.

If these Dragon-Eagles flew at high altitudes, the ground troops would have difficulty seeing them, but in order to scout ground conditions, the Dragon-Eagle troops had to lower their altitude. Consequently, the Pegasus troops also lowered their altitude, and this air battle was presented clearly before the eyes of the ground forces.

Arrows flew in the air, with knights diving, circling, and engaging in maneuvering combat. The result was Dragon-Eagles descending one after another, clearly judged dead and landing on their own. Moreover, the Dragon-Eagles mostly fled and did not fight back; seeing their own troops act so spinelessly, the Red Army’s morale hit rock bottom.

A moment later, the Pegasus Knights ran out of arrows. For the sake of lightness, they couldn't carry too many; firing nine arrows at a time was quite consumption-heavy. But this was not a problem; within the Pegasus flight formation, there were Pegasi specifically tasked with carrying spatial rings.

Spatial rings are expensive, and even the most elite legions cannot guarantee one for everyone. But with ten people in a formation, ensuring one person has one is possible. The rings carried large amounts of combat supplies, even food and drink. Once a Pegasus ran out of arrows, they could request more.

The Pegasus carrying the spatial ring was essentially an aerial supply station; generally, they were prioritized for protection and would not charge into the fray. But if they were discovered and focused on by the enemy, they could easily transfer the spatial ring to someone else, or pretend to transfer it—all part of tactical deception. Ultimately, the country was still poor; if everyone had a spatial ring, there would be no need for such complicated tactics.

The existence of spatial rings gave the Pegasus Knights long-term combat capability; each Pegasus could fight in the sky for about half a day before landing to rest. One batch would land, and the second would take off to replace them, with seamless integration—all part of the Pegasus Knights' routine training.

Seeing that the annihilation of the Dragon-Eagle troops was only a matter of time, the ground troops finally received their orders: "All-out assault!"

Upon hearing this order, the Red Army ground troops were in an uproar. Some felt it was gratifying; after being suppressed for so long, they could finally let loose. Others felt that attacking in broad daylight was just suicide. Regardless, military orders had to be obeyed, and all legions began to advance.

Once the legions moved, they were immediately discovered by the air combat troops. All concealment and deception were now in vain. They no longer had the ability to hide, and there was nowhere left to retreat; this was a true decisive battle!

Blue Army commander Richard remained stone-faced, with no extra emotion on his face, only seriousness: "They have already lost, but at the end of the day, they are our own people. Don't mock them, understand?"

The Blue Army regimental commanders all had smiles on their faces, though they replied, "Yes!"

On the other side, Kevin was still hiding in a tree, worried about being seen by the enemy's air forces in broad daylight, and didn't dare to run around. He had seen the aerial dogfight, and the order for an all-out assault was not a surprise. It had been his idea, but seeing the commander-in-chief actually act on it, he felt completely unsure of the outcome. (To be continued.)