Chapter 597: Fighting Is All About Throwing Gold Coins
The Cole Elven army, in a somewhat dejected atmosphere, slowly began to retreat.
Thousands filled the city, tens of thousands filled the fields.
The hundreds of thousands of troops covered a vast, uncountable expanse.
Even after the retreat order was given, it was impossible to organize quickly.
Not to mention that after the meteor rain and the chaos just now, the Cole Elven army was still shaken and heavily disorganized.
Fortunately, their usual rigorous training and rich combat experience prevented a total rout.
Even so, by the time the first retreating squad began to move,
Thirty minutes had already passed since the retreat order.
Seeing this scene, the Bay Territory soldiers immediately realized the importance of regular formation and assault drills.
With this extra half-hour,
They were already fully prepared for battle.
They had organized field supplies.
They had confirmed each combat squad's missions.
They had even conducted some quick verbal rehearsals.
Moreover, unit commanders helped them recall the various situations they would encounter against the Cole Elves and the corresponding countermeasures.
More importantly, they used the short time to have the engineering teams dig trenches and fortifications.
It wasn't just the newly built medical logistics system that would be tested!
The Bay Territory army did not hide their movements, acting blatantly, almost writing in Elvish in front of the positions:
"Come and hit me!"
The elf vanguard troops had very ugly expressions.
The Bay Territory trenches and defenses, although not blocking their retreat route,
Were built in a much sneakier spot.
On the slopes on either side of the road.
The rising earth walls greatly enhanced their protection.
The temporarily built walls were lined with magical crossbows and dragon-slaying ballistae that left a deep impression on many Cole Elves.
Even so, the vanguard still had confidence that they could break through with acceptable casualties.
But when they cautiously approached the defenses and trenches, they saw heavily armored shield infantry.
Heavy shield infantry + spearmen + crossbowmen, this shameless battle setup deeply disappointed the elves.
Without spell attacks or weapons like catapults or magic cannons, ranger units found it hard to break through.
The scouting Cole Elves immediately reported the situation to Tigris.
Tigris's face changed drastically as he quickly deployed the remaining few griffon riders to scout the retreat route.
The result shocked all the Cole Elven commanders.
Along the road back to the Cole Elf Kingdom, dozens of blocking forces of about a thousand soldiers each were being set up.
Like the Bay Territory soldiers before them, they were digging trenches, building bunkers and walls, and setting up blockades to swallow them whole.
Many Cole Elven commanders felt deeply humiliated and roared:
"Just a few people dare to block us? Since they want to die, let's vent our anger!"
"Exactly! Who do they think they are? I request to lead a unit to crush them!"
"I request to fight! Just fifty Extraordinary elites are enough to take them down!"
"We can't let them run wild. Fight as we retreat!"
"Form an elite force and wipe them out in one go!"
"If we kill these Bay Territory warriors, we might still have a chance to capture Icewind Fortress!"
"We'll return to the fortresses and defensive lines, wait for reinforcements, and prepare for the next battle."
"It's just a small setback; we still have hope of victory!"
"..."
The morale of the Cole Elven commanders was high, showing strong fighting spirit.
Failing to take Icewind Fortress was a deep shame for all Cole Elven commanders.
It meant a rare defeat for the Cole Elf Kingdom would be recorded under their names.
But they quickly realized the crucial point.
If they could destroy these tens of thousands of Bay Territory forces,
After regrouping at nearby fortresses and defensive lines, gathering supplies, and retraining, they still had a great chance to capture the poorly defended Icewind Fortress!
They had that determination and perseverance!
However, Tigris's thinking was entirely different from the commanders.
He had just learned from Councilor Kaledor about the Bay Territory and Matthew's combat style, realizing they would definitely have a backup plan.
Still, he knew they absolutely could not allow the Bay Territory to build defensive lines along the retreat.
If there were more large-scale legendary spell attacks,
The already low-morale Cole Elven army could face complete annihilation.
Without hesitation, Tigris gave the attack order:
"Form three vanguard units of ten thousand each, and break their defenses as fast as possible..."
"Prepare the Fourth and Sixth Cavalry Corps to attack the Bay Territory reinforcements ahead of time..."
"Deploy battle mages to assist in destroying enemy walls and terrain..."
"Assign all remaining golems and war puppets to the vanguards. After breaking through the first line, advance immediately..."
"Prioritize logistics supplies for the vanguards..."
"..."
Under Tigris's orders, the previously demoralized Cole Elves prepared for battle again.
They were ready to crush the enemies blocking their path and take revenge on the Bay Territory.
Watching the Cole Elves' preparations, Matthew smiled and looked back at the magic array emitting golden light.
The burning meteor slowly crumbled under the golden light.
Matthew could vaguely "see" a distorted red light fiercely resisting the golden light.
However, facing the endless golden light, it couldn't hold on for long and scattered.
A dazzling mass of golden light split into three parts: one large and two small.
The two smaller portions fell onto Matthew and Yaya.
"Ding, you/Yaya gained 1 point of divine power."
Matthew and Yaya exchanged a delighted glance, pleased with their harvest.
"The goddess is really generous!"
Only taking a 50% "commission"—how generous!
Without the goddess's help, the divine power containing the Scarlet Moon's properties would be deadly poison to most creatures.
Moreover, lifeforms instinctively absorb high-quality energy almost irresistibly.
Even semi-divine beings like Matthew and Yaya would need a long time and effort to digest and absorb it.
The goddess had removed all dangers and shared half with Matthew and Yaya.
Her attitude was very clear.
Annie, who had mostly recovered, looked at the distant Cole Elven army and asked doubtfully:
"Aren't you worried?"
Matthew raised his eyebrows and replied firmly:
"When facing strong enemies, we always go all out."
"They are prepared to concentrate their forces and decide the battle in one blow, still immersed in their previous victories."
"Unconsciously, they've lost trust in their ordinary soldiers—the foundation of their strength."
Annie blinked in realization, recalling what she learned in the Bay Territory, and happily answered:
"I understand! Soldiers are the cornerstone of an army. Their capabilities set the lower limit of the force."
Matthew nodded but still held back some words.
For most conventional armies, this principle was true.
Even extraordinary units couldn't do everything.
They also needed others to share the burden so they could focus on their strengths.
The Cole Elves' over-reliance on elite troops made them vulnerable to extremes.
Once their attack was blocked, they had no backup plan!
Of course, Matthew had anticipated the Cole Elves' reaction and wouldn't let the Bay Territory soldiers die in vain.
In front of the first blockade line,
Hundreds of Extraordinary Elven Rangers gave up riding uphill and agilely approached on foot.
They didn't rashly close in, still haunted by their previous losses against the Bay Territory.
More importantly, they sensed danger ahead; moving closer could cost their lives.
Some Extraordinary Rangers tried to bypass the flanks and reach the mountaintop for a vantage point attack.
"Your defense is strong. I'll just avoid you."
The defending soldiers noticed them but didn't attack recklessly.
Every soldier had heard about the Cole Elves' Extraordinary Rangers' prowess.
"They possess outstanding comprehensive combat ability, a ranged attack range of 300 meters, and an attack speed of 1.5 times per second."
"They are agile in close combat; never engage them in a chase."
"They excel at traps, beast control, and mid-level spells."
"In narrow terrain, at least two heavy shield defenders and eight enchanted crossbow archers are needed."
"In the wild, gather for defense; less than 50 people must avoid battle."
Because ordinary soldiers had a basic understanding of them, they didn't panic and could judge the battlefield situation.
The unknown enemy was the scariest!
The same could be said for the hesitant Extraordinary Rangers.
They sensed danger but couldn't identify its source or method.
After much thought, the scout leader decided to hold position.
He only sent a 20-man elite team to continue climbing.
The rest spread out along the blockade line, seeking its weaknesses.
However, just as they climbed into the sparse mid-mountain forest, they encountered terrifying foes.
Over a dozen armor-piercing bolts shot toward the Extraordinary Rangers.
Highly alert, the Rangers dodged easily.
At the same time, they counterattacked, firing arrows at the source.
Faint groans and the sudden scent of blood in the air made them smug.
The enemy were fools to fight Rangers in the forest.
In such terrain, the skilled and powerful Rangers were the deadliest foes.
They were confident they could defeat anyone here.
Led by the Ranger captain, they quickly reached the site of the ambush.
But seeing the blood on the ground, the captain's expression changed; he quickly dodged and shouted:
"The blood is wrong!"
Before the others could react—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of gunshots rang out, and three outermost Rangers screamed and were blown away.
Even though they sensed the danger and tried to dodge, they were caught off guard.
Their bodies were immediately covered in blood.
"Enemy attack! Right side!"
The Ranger captain instinctively shot toward the sound.
Other Rangers showed great skill, three quickly covering the injured while others suppressed the attackers.
They fought hard to rescue the wounded comrades, but what they saw chilled their hearts.
The three injured Rangers, after reaching cover, collapsed again due to severe wounds.
Their bright green armor was riddled with six or seven bloody holes.
Scorch marks from flames.
Armor shards embedded in their bodies.
Gaping wounds exposing internal organs.
Everything pointed to a terrifying foe with magic muskets.
Magic muskets were deadly.
They were the only weapons that could quickly kill Extraordinary Rangers.
Since their battlefield debut, data on magic muskets had reached the Rangers.
Their damage was equivalent to a full-power arrow shot.
But they had short range.
Barely over 100 meters.
Rangers could cross that distance in a few breaths.
Their reload time was very long.
A single musket shot gave time for five Ranger arrows.
With this information, the Rangers had lost much fear of muskets.
Unless trapped in narrow spaces and surrounded by musket-wielders,
They could dodge and counterattack easily.
Yet they never imagined enemies would hide so close in their forest home turf!
And not just one, but at least twenty or thirty!