"I know you're not soldiers, and I also know that a group of people from the First Army's reserve force and the Second Army are training to drive steam trucks, but time waits for no one." Iron Axe's calm eyes swept over the crowd. "Since you're the first batch of drivers to pass the test and achieve excellent results, it means that you're good enough to take on this task."
"The task is very simple." Roland walked up to the map on the table and moved a chess piece from the Kingdom of Dawn to a black line in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Wolfheart. "This place is about 150 kilometers away from the central checkpoint. All you need to do is to transport the people and supplies in the vehicles here and bring them back after the attack. You'll stay here for about half an hour. If you're lucky, you won't even encounter the enemy. "
At this point, Iron Axe paused.
There was a commotion in the crowd.
After all, the other meaning of this sentence was that if they were unlucky, they would encounter the devil.
After waiting for a while, the commander-in-chief continued, "Of course, the First Army will still be responsible for the battle. You just need to focus on driving. There are a total of ten trucks arriving at Cage Mountain, and according to the plan, four to five trucks will be enough to achieve the mission. Therefore, according to the usual practice of the Administrative Office, we'll recruit people to set off. "
"Every time you complete a transportation task to and fro the front, you'll get an extra bonus of three times the salary. This bonus will be paid by the First Army and has nothing to do with the salary given by the Administrative Office. So … those who are willing to accept the task, please step forward. "
Farina stepped forward without hesitation.
To her slight surprise, all the trucks chose to accept the task. The only difference was the speed at which they made the decision.
She had come to the frontline to see the demons, and she had once served in the Judgement Army, so she had long been accustomed to stepping onto the battlefield. But the others were different — apart from their identities as drivers, most of them were just free citizens of Neverwinter.
There was no doubt that they had full trust in the First Army to make this decision.
Iron Axe quickly picked out five trucks in order, including the second truck that Farina was in.
"I'll leave them to you." The commander-in-chief looked at Van 'er. "The battle will officially begin at dawn tomorrow!"
…
"I can't help but feel a little worried." After all the drivers left the command center, Agatha said in a low voice, "The number of people dispatched is small, but it requires the close cooperation of the entire army. Moreover, there are ordinary citizens among them, and the training time is less than a day. This kind of arrangement is too urgent."
She finally understood what the Pearl of the Northern Region meant by 'lightning speed'. Judging from the plan alone, the plan was indeed highly feasible.
The simple hardened road that was previously repaired for the migration had now become the foundation of their counterattack. Even if its width, thickness, and construction quality were not comparable to the main artery project, it was still much better than gravel or dirt roads. Under the condition of further limiting the load, it was not impossible for the vehicle to run.
Over a distance of two hundred kilometers, the average speed of the Rubik's Cube steam truck was much higher than that of any cavalry. Even if the latter did not care about the horsepower and switched between two riders, it would still take them two days. If it were a truck, they would basically be able to complete the journey in six to eight hours, not to mention the heavy equipment that this counterattack squad could carry.
The only problem was that not only did it include all the soldiers of the First Army, it also included non-combat personnel. It was hard to predict what kind of unexpected situation they would encounter.
"There are certain unexpected factors in this battle, but compared to the benefits, it is almost negligible," Edith said frankly. "The demons may deploy the fortress-like Monstrous Beasts at any time. Instead of waiting for an opportunity, we might as well seize the opportunity now."
"I don't think the enemy would expect us to launch a counterattack on them less than a day after the humans lost the Sedimentation Bay. The most likely outcome of failure is returning with nothing, while success will cause the demons' subsequent actions to be thwarted. It goes without saying which choice to make. Furthermore, war is full of surprises. Sometimes, a seemingly thorough plan can be ruined by a small coincidence. " At this point, she broke into a smile. "So … let's pray that the God of Luck is on our side."
…
The next day, seven o 'clock in the morning. There was a light breeze and light snow.
Under the dusky sky, five steam-powered trucks formed a long line as they slowly drove out of the tranquil camp and headed east.
Unlike when they were transporting goods, gray and white tarpaulins were set up at the back of the carriages, looking like small moving piles of snow from afar. Three of the trucks were dragging 152mm Longsong Cannons, the long black barrels blending into the ruts of the carriages. Only when one got closer would one notice the faint cold light refracted from the hydraulic brake.
Two hours later, twenty-five fully fuelled biplanes took off from Thorn Town's landing strip and rushed to the predetermined battlefield under the lead of 'Seagull'. Unlike their usual battles, the Air Knight Squadron did not choose to fly at a lower altitude where it was easier to identify their direction. Instead, they flew straight into the clouds, flying through the gaps between the clouds.
This meant that they would lose a large portion of their field of vision. Other than the compass, the only thing that could guide them was the faintly discernible body of 'Seagull'. Once they fell behind, it would be almost impossible to find the fleet again. In order to avoid getting lost, everyone was on full alert. Other than the roar of the engines, there was not a single sound of conversation in the cabin.
At the same time, Lightning and Maggie appeared in the airspace of the battlefield and separately searched for any possible Eye Demons.
Two hours and fifteen minutes after the start of the operation, the first accident appeared in the convoy. Due to the quality of the road, the fourth convoy broke down while crossing a pit. After a simple transfer, the convoy resumed its journey, leaving only the malfunctioning crew to repair it.
Half an hour later, the Air Knight Squadron also had an accident. Two planes lost track of the plane in front when they flew over an overlapping cloud layer. They could only turn around and return alone according to the rules before they set off. On the way back, they were not allowed to leave the cloud layer.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly.
Three hours and six minutes later, the steam truck team was the first to arrive at their destination.
"Oh my god, Farina …" Joe leaned forward slightly and murmured.
"Ah, I see it." Farina steadily stopped the car and stared at the side of the driver's seat with a solemn expression. Through the windshield, she saw a bone-like frame standing on the top of a mountain in the distance. At first glance, it looked only one-third the size of a fingertip, but considering the distance, she could imagine how astonishing the behemoth was.
Around the white bone, there was a bright red fog that almost covered the entire mountain, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding snowy scenery.
It was definitely not a human creation.
Just by looking at it, one could feel a cold chill rising from the bottom of one's heart.
Farina involuntarily tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
There was no doubt that the devil had come to the world.
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