Capítulo 1686: Chapter 1603: The Situation Gradually Becomes Clear

The 1st and 9th Corps performed so well on the front line that it left Ying An, the commander of the later-arriving 11th Corps, a bit bewildered.

He thought he was there to provide reinforcements, only to find that he was almost there to reap the benefits. The Tang Army had already gained the upper hand, and the remaining battle was hardly in suspense.

The 11th Armored Division still needed some time to land, but the 11th Infantry Division had already disembarked. The Tang Army had gained an unprecedented strengthening on the Eastern Continent, making the notion of driving the Tang Army into the sea a complete joke.

Troops arriving from afar were disembarking in an orderly manner; most were undergoing adaptive training in the rear. Only a small number of the 11th Corps’ troops had reached the front line to acquaint themselves with the enemy’s situation.

The Great Tang Paratroopers controlled the important Eternal Winter City Port, and the engineers were systematically repairing the damaged docks. Hundreds of warehouses had resumed functionality, and countless materials were stockpiled there.

As days went by, the field airport constructed by the Tang Army outside Eternal Winter City was put into use: this airfield eased the operational pressure of Ben Airport, allowing Tang Army jets to take off from less than 300 kilometers away from the front line, saving a significant amount of fuel.

Despite the terrifying combat range of the Tang Army’s Yinglong fighters, saving some fuel was still a good thing. Planes of the Tang Country, taking off from the field airport at the front line, can cover an intimidatingly large area.

The floating docks in the landing area, far off, were becoming challenging to use; tidal attacks had already caused damage to these temporary structures.

However, the Tang Army no longer depended on these docks for its transportation. After emergency repairs, one of Eternal Winter Port’s docks had been restored to use, and the landing speed of the Tang Army there was much faster than before.

With several airports, the Tang Army’s air transport capability had also markedly increased. The repeatedly failing Allied Forces seemed no longer to believe that the Tang Army was in a logistical supply predicament.

After three days of confirmation, the Ice Cold Empire finally ceased to doubt that their previous frontline commander, Marshal Moss, who had made many meritorious contributions to the Ice Cold Empire, had perished at Eternal Winter Port.

Another embarrassing matter for the Ice Cold Empire was that their Emperor had fallen ill on the way to the front line, turning the royal expedition into a complete joke.

The current frontline command was still a mess; everyone was managing their own affairs, with a lot of coordination efforts, yet unable to produce a counterattack plan.

The Ice Empire’s 8th Corps barely stabilized the right wing, and the Elf 2nd Corps was constructing defensive lines on the left wing. While everyone was defending, the Tang Army was repairing the crucial Eternal Winter Port.

“This can’t go on…” The Elven General Fankelus voiced his opinion as he arrived by car at the Ice Empire’s 8th Corps command post.

His words resonated deeply with Durman, the commander of the Dwarf 8th Corps, who also believed that passive defense was not a good choice.

So he nodded and said, “You’re right, General Fankelus! If we waste more time, the situation might worsen.”

“The Tang people are repairing the port that General Moss damaged… If they succeed, supplies won’t be an issue for them,” Durman said while pointing to the location of Eternal Winter Port on the map with his stout fingers. “We must find a way to recapture Eternal Winter Port.”

Looking at the map, Fankelus sneered internally but said aloud, “Easier said than done, we are almost 300 kilometers away from Eternal Winter Port. Who can penetrate the Tang Army’s defenses and force them to retreat 300 kilometers?”

He wasn’t being argumentative, but in the past decade, the Tang Army never had a record of retreating 300 kilometers: if the Tang Army doesn’t voluntarily withdraw, nobody can drive them out of their positions.

“But we must try; otherwise, failures will only mount,” Durman raised his head to look seriously at Fankelus and said, “If the Tang Army really solidifies their position, once they unleash the potential of Eternal Winter Port, the Ice Empire’s collapse would be when the elves need to worry about their borders.”

“Are you threatening me?” Fankelus inquired in a drawn-out, somewhat displeased tone.

“No, I’m just reminding you. This war is just the beginning, not the end! If the flames of war aren’t extinguished here, they’ll spread to every corner of the Eastern Continent!” Durman didn’t back down, instead looking Fankelus in the eyes as he spoke.

Fankelus was a smart man and certainly knew what Durman was saying was true, yet he still didn’t want to follow Durman’s hint and risk the Elf 2nd Corps.

“Let the 8th Corps launch the counterattack first, attempt to breach the junction between the 1st and 9th Corps of the Tang Army… If we can advance 50 kilometers, then have the Elf troops follow up to protect our flank, how about that?” Seeing no result from the conversation, Durman took a step back and decided that his troops would start the offensive.

He knew that if this wrangling continued, there would never be a resolution, even by the world’s end. This time, he had invited Fankelus primarily to reach an agreement with local forces.

Without a general commander on the frontline and with Binghan the First ill en route, only a plan satisfying everyone could be implemented in such a situation.

Obviously, the Dwarves could not afford further delay; even knowing the possible outcome, they still had to try once more, betting on that elusive probability with a desperate attempt.

Because just hours before, the Dwarves received the latest intelligence: a new designation from the Great Tang Empire had appeared on the frontline.

The Great Tang Empire’s 11th Corps! The appearance of this designation marked an imminent upgrade in the Tang Army’s total strength.

When the Tang Army’s third corps fully arrived, it would be even harder for the Dwarves to launch a counterattack. Thus, now… might be their only chance.

“I still think we should wait… If the Tang Army voluntarily retreats again, how should we respond then? Although we outnumber them, the Tang people are too cunning, and we can’t quite predict their intentions, which puts us at a great disadvantage,” Fankelus remained cautious, very reluctant to take risks.

Once the troops leave the fortifications and enter a field battle state, the Tang Army’s counterattack would become extremely lethal. In the field, the Tang Army’s encircling maneuvers could be most effective, and the Allied Forces had just suffered from this.

After negotiating for over an hour with no result, the Dwarves, having no alternatives, proposed a compromise: let the Dwarves launch the counterattack, and the Elves wait for the outcome…