chsdbacks Chapter 491 Battlefield Changes
Chapter 491 Battlefield Changes
Chapter 491 Battlefield Changes
As soon as he arrived at the edge of the Norren Workshop defense line, the magic network terminal on Jemin's wrist vibrated slightly.
Jemin glanced at it; it was an emergency order: [All perimeter reconnaissance personnel return to the fortress complex immediately and cease all external operations].
He paused slightly, then continued walking.
Soon, the scene of the camp ahead came into view.
The scene outside the defensive line was completely different from when they left. Black smoke rose everywhere, elemental fluctuations showed unnatural distortions, and the air still smelled of burning energy.
Even more shocking is that several huge, overlapping pits have appeared out of nowhere on the originally flat wasteland.
Each pit has a diameter ranging from tens to hundreds of kilometers, and the lava at the edges has not yet completely solidified, with a dark red light slowly pulsating at the bottom.
The large detection arrays and outposts that were previously built to extend beyond the defensive line have now been reduced to ruins, with only twisted metal frames and wisps of smoke remaining.
"This scale of destruction..." Jemin's eyes were grave.
The level of destruction this has caused is far beyond what the harassing attacks of the past few days could achieve.
Clearly, during the time he was away on reconnaissance, a highly intense conflict had occurred on the main battlefield.
He displayed the magic network terminal code to the identification array on the outer layer of the defense line, and the pale gold shield silently opened an entrance.
Passing through layers of energy barriers, the closer one gets to the center of the fortress complex, the more obvious the signs of war become: armor plates being repaired, wizards hurrying about, and the strange smell of potions mixed with energy permeating the air.
As they approached the central command camp, a familiar figure emerged from the camp gate.
"Junior?" Viola stopped, her silver-gray eyes falling on Jemin as she looked him up and down. "You're back? You're not missing any limbs, lucky you."
She looked more tired than before, with fresh tears on the cuffs of her robe and ash still clinging to the ends of her hair.
But the suppressed excitement deep in her eyes was still there, clearly indicating that she had been having a great time these past few days.
"Senior," Jemin nodded in greeting, pointing to the giant craters in the distance, "the command center suddenly recalled all reconnaissance personnel, and considering the traces outside..."
"Just as you expected, the enemy has intensified their offensive," Viola said succinctly. "Just two standard hours ago, the Chaos Cult and the Tower of Annihilation launched a high-intensity surprise attack. More than three hundred level six wizards, along with a large number of high-level cannon fodder units, suddenly launched an attack far exceeding their previous harassment efforts."
She paused, her tone calm yet tinged with coldness: "Although we repelled them, all the outposts and magic arrays that were expanded on the perimeter were destroyed. At the same time, command detected that the enemy's behavior patterns in the perimeter reconnaissance battle have changed."
"It's changed?"
"From reconnaissance to hunting." A sharp glint flashed in Viola's eyes. "In the past few days, their squads have mainly focused on gathering intelligence and probing our defenses. But starting today, all enemy reconnaissance squads we encounter are displaying extremely high aggression, with the primary objective of annihilating our personnel."
A thought struck Jemin.
This information perfectly matches the two battles he encountered before returning.
Whether it was the thirteen-person hunting team or the later assassination attempt by the crystal wizard, the other party had no intention of reconnaissance; they were purely there to kill.
"It seems... the other side has realized our intentions too," he said in a low voice.
Viola raised an eyebrow: "Looks like you've guessed quite a bit. Tell me about it."
"The workshop's orders are too obvious. It's clear what they want to do. Anyone who isn't an idiot can see it, right?"
Despite saying that, Jemin still sighed and honestly gave his analysis:
"So the Allied forces initially sent reconnaissance teams to find the locations of our 'missing' high-ranking wizards, while we tried our best to intercept and annihilate their reconnaissance personnel, delaying the time it took for them to find their targets."
Jemin quickly analyzed, "This was originally a race against time. But now, the enemy has chosen to hunt down our reconnaissance forces instead—this not only reduces our manpower but also forces us to make a choice."
"We either need to consolidate our forces, abandon control of the perimeter, and let them investigate; or we need to continue sending personnel out, but the losses will rise sharply under their targeted hunting... It's a very troublesome situation."
Viola nodded approvingly: "Indeed, they're using an open strategy. But there's a gap in overall strength between the two sides, so no matter what we choose, we won't be comfortable in this situation."
She looked at the still-smoking ruins outside the defensive line: "Those huge craters you saw when you came back are the result of that surprise attack. The other side is clearly trying to apply pressure on two fronts—intensifying their offensive on the front to divert our attention, while switching to a hunting mode on the perimeter."
The two remained silent for a moment.
"What countermeasures do the higher-ups have?" Jemin asked.
"We're discussing it." Viola gestured with her chin, indicating she was in charge of the camp. "Fortunately, the top-level seventh-rank wizards are keeping each other in check, and the number of sixth-rank wizards who can move freely is limited, so the intensity of the subsequent war won't get out of control... at least not before the final battle between the two sides. But for those of us who still need to go out..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear: this would drastically increase the danger for those of them who were out on reconnaissance missions.
Just then, the magic network terminals on both of their wrists vibrated simultaneously.
A brief message appeared from Clark: [Come to command center.]
The command center is located deep underground in the central fortress. It is a spacious room with walls made of translucent crystal material, on which real-time battlefield data flows.
A three-dimensional holographic projection of the war zone floats in the center, and dozens of high-level wizards are talking in hushed tones around the projection, creating a solemn atmosphere.
Clark stood to the side of the projection, still dressed in his simple black robe, his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly scanning the constantly updated battle information.
He nodded slightly when he saw Jemin and Viola enter.
"The meeting of the seventh-level wizards just now has reached a conclusion." Clark got straight to the point, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the two of them, "The next strategy consists of two steps."
He raised his hand and tapped the holographic projection in front of him, marking an area in dark red.
"First, deal with those harassing teams outside. They raid regularly every day, which, while not fatal, severely depletes the defenses' strength. Command plans to organize an ambush to concentrate forces and take out several of the main harassing teams, teaching them a lesson. This will also deter their future actions and prevent them from acting so recklessly."
Several scattered blue dots lit up next to the dark red area on the projection.
"Second, form specialized hunting squads." Clark said calmly, "Since the enemy has switched to hunting mode, we will retaliate in kind. The hunting squads will consist of ten to twenty people and will actively search for and eliminate enemy reconnaissance personnel in the outer areas."
He paused for a moment, his gaze falling on Jemin and Viola.
"You can choose the direction of your next task based on your own needs."
Clark raised his hand, and four illusory task lists unfolded in the air:
Option 1: Participate in ambush operations against harassing groups. Requires coordination with large-scale legion operations; suitable for those skilled in positional warfare and group sorcery.
Option Two: Join a hunting squad to actively search for and eliminate enemy scouts. Requires excellent squad coordination and proficiency in skirmishes and rapid elimination.
Option 3: Continue with external reconnaissance and search missions. Extremely high risk, requiring exceptional independent combat and survivability.
Option 4: Retreat back to the defensive line and participate in the reinforcement of the fortress complex and the construction of the defense system.
"Choose," Clark said succinctly.
Jemin and Viola exchanged a glance and fell into deep thought.
The fourth option was the safest, but it was immediately ruled out by both of them.
The intensity of the war has not yet reached the point where we need to retreat and defend; retreating to the rear now would be tantamount to giving up opportunities for growth.
The remaining three options represent progressively higher levels of risk.
Participating in ambush operations, being within one's own main force, offers the highest level of safety, but the combat mode leans towards large-scale coordination, limiting individual room for maneuver.
Joining a hunting squad offers both flexibility and danger, requiring close cooperation with teammates and is suitable for those skilled in team combat.
Solo reconnaissance offers the greatest autonomy, but also carries the highest risk.
Especially in a context where the enemy has also switched to a hunting mode, being alone in the outside world is tantamount to being a moving target.
But for Jemin, this was exactly what he needed.
Although the assassination attempt by the Crystal Wizard had left him shaken, it also made him clearly see his own shortcomings.
In a real life-or-death struggle, every step—reaction, judgment, and response—must be completed in the blink of an eye.
This kind of pressure is difficult to fully simulate in team battles.
"I need to validate my system in real-world scenarios," Jemin realized. "Being in a team would be too restrictive, making it impossible to truly test its limits. Going solo, while dangerous, is the best whetstone."
Viola, standing to the side, had already made her decision.
"I choose the hunting squad." A hint of excitement flashed in her eyes. "Small-scale coordination suits me better. Besides... hunting those who are also hunting us will probably allow me to experience a more 'high-quality' kind of pain."
Clark remained noncommittal and looked at Jemin.
"I choose solo reconnaissance," Jemin said calmly.
Clark glanced at him, didn't ask any questions, and simply raised his hand to tap on the two of their magic network terminals.
Permissions have been updated.
[Viola: Assigned to the "Blood Raven" hunting squad, temporarily granted captain privileges]
[Jemin: Independent reconnaissance privileges are now available; danger zone markers have been synchronized.]
"The mission will officially begin in two days." Clark withdrew his hand. "All external operations will be suspended for the next two days to allow us to rest and recuperate and check our equipment. The war is entering a new phase; there will be no more probing, mild skirmishes."
"Understood," they both replied simultaneously.
Leaving the command center, Jemin and Viola walked side by side in the corridor.
"Solo reconnaissance..." Viola turned to look at Jemin, a hint of amusement in her silver-gray eyes. "Junior, are you truly fearless, or do you think you're strong enough to handle any situation?"
"No, not at all." Jemin shook his head. "I just feel that some things can only be seen clearly when facing death alone."
Viola paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"That's true. In the end, you have to walk your own path as a wizard." She patted Jemin on the shoulder. "Take care, don't die. I don't want to lose a junior I can chat with."
"Senior, too... Although I wanted to say that, don't forget, we both have ways to revive."
Viola's face darkened: "I'd rather die than be burdened with another 10 billion in debt!"
Upon hearing this, Jemin wiped away his cold sweat, but inwardly he somewhat agreed with Viola.
With the resurrection doll around, he really didn't have to worry about dying in this war.
However, correspondingly, once the resurrection doll is used, it means that he will lose 10 billion high-level military merits at once.
The price... is far too high, high enough that it will make Jemin subconsciously do everything in his power to ensure his survival at any time!
After saying goodbye, the two parted ways at the fork in the road.
Jemin walked toward his makeshift rest room, already planning the next steps: the magical artifacts needed to be charged and checked, and the energy storage units of some artifacts had been found to need optimization during the past few days of combat; the reserves of the evil energy and incense poison of the Xuan Gang Red Dust Barrier needed to be replenished...
We also need to analyze those two newly acquired data crystals as soon as possible.
(End of this chapter)