CHAPTER 1930: CHAPTER 1923: COUNTERATTACK

Cheng Ziang’s words awakened Luo’er like a dreamer, making him suddenly realize.

Yes, I can’t be so obsessed with weighing things anymore. Because I’m no longer the captain of that five-member team, but the supreme commander leading hundreds of thousands of people.

Even the slightest move from a giant beast could cause countless deaths. So I can’t worry about these trivial matters anymore.

Cheng Ziang was right; whether people die in war is not something I should worry about.

Before the war starts, I can do my utmost to avoid casualties. But once the war breaks out, it’s up to the army to perform.

It’s clear to everyone that war causes death.

Passive defense will only put us in a disadvantageous position, possibly causing severe casualties.

No more hesitation, no more hesitation!

Thinking of this, Luo’er slammed the table, stood up abruptly, looked around, and solemnly issued combat orders:

"Lipei Defense Army, go forth and defend our homeland!"

"Understood!"

Upon hearing this order, Cheng Ziang and the others present all showed joyful expressions.

It seems that Cheng Ziang had to step in to resolve such matters; only he could manage the commander.

After the order was issued, Cheng Ziang excitedly ran to the camp outside the city to give a motivational speech.

"Soldiers, comrades. The Aud Army has invaded Lipei’s territory, intending to launch an attack on Lipei’s main city. If they succeed, thousands of innocent lives will be lost..."

"Men will be slaughtered, women and children abused, Elves, Dwarves, Sub-beastmen and their hybrids will again be enslaved..."

"The great progress of Lipei has just begun, and we cannot allow such things to happen again. We absolutely cannot allow humanity and justice to retreat again. So, rise up, soldiers, take the initiative, fight, expel the invaders, protect our lands, protect our people..."

"Lipei is the Tower of Hope, a spiritual aspiration for everyone. Before the red sun rises, we absolutely cannot allow the light of this lighthouse to be dimmed. So, go fight, use flesh and steel guns to build the foundation of our lighthouse!"

...

Cheng Ziang’s words truly set everyone’s blood boiling.

In fact, they had long been tired of this policy of passive defense.

Luo’er probably couldn’t imagine that the grassroots soldiers actually held a negative overall sentiment towards his policies.

Because they felt that Luo’er was too conservative and cowardly, afraid of casualties, thus not daring to take the initiative.

Yet all of these Lipei Defense Army soldiers unanimously wanted to fight the Aud Army. Perhaps it was due to the ignorance of new recruits about war, or the military’s yearning for battle.

In any case, when they found that only the artillery was continuously bombing while they could only huddle in the camp and trenches, the sense of disappointment grew spontaneously.

Now, with the commander’s office deciding to take the initiative, this news made everyone present cheer.

With the attack order issued, the mission of the advance team immediately changed from guiding artillery strikes to reconnoitering enemy conditions.

The few reconnaissance aircraft were also fully deployed, conducting aerial reconnaissance to determine the enemy’s troop deployment and attack direction.

To avoid severe casualties from artillery strikes, the Aud Army had dispersed their formations widely, forming a battle line over ten kilometers long on the ground.

This method of stretching the battle line seemed to avoid concentrated artillery strikes, but it also severely weakened the Aud Army’s defensive capabilities. Once the Lipei Army attacks, any point could be the breakthrough.

Obviously, the Aud Army was betting that the Lipei Army wouldn’t take the initiative; otherwise, despite suffering heavy casualties, they would certainly gather forces and contract their lines.

But their plan was evidently about to be broken, because as they endured endless artillery strikes, the Lipei Army was already assembling and ready to attack.

Based on reconnaissance results from both air and ground, the Lipei Army decided on three points as breakthroughs. Once the lines are breached, they can divide the Aud Army’s battle line and subsequently encircle and annihilate them.

The staff department reported the plan to Luo’er, and after reviewing it, Luo’er agreed to their scheme. A great war was about to unfold.

With the orders issued, Lipei Defense Army’s five regiments began advancing their positions, silently approaching the Aud Army’s frontier.

Their actions were swift; lacking convenient transportation means, they could only rely on their legs to traverse.

Fortunately, they had the assistance of a non-powered exoskeleton to save energy, enabling them to advance within a day and night to a three-kilometer range from the Aud Army, lurking and waiting for the attack signal.

At this time, the Aud Army was still busy extending trenches forward, entirely unaware of the impending crisis.

Of course, even if they realize something is wrong now, it’s already too late. The dispersed battle line is challenging to regroup quickly, leaving their vulnerabilities unmanageable.

The general attack was scheduled for four o’clock in the morning, a time when people were most fatigued.

Don’t think that the Aud Army isn’t adept at night battles; the Lipei Army actually isn’t either. Without reliable night vision equipment, the Lipei Army’s advantage isn’t much higher than that of the Aud Army.

Therefore, they could only choose a time that was both nighttime and ensured some visibility for launching the general attack.

The moon was bright, and time quickly reached the early hours. The tired Aud Army soldiers curled up in their dug trenches, totally unaware that death was about to descend.

At precisely four in the morning, the roar and explosions of artillery broke the original silence, countless signal flares and illumination rounds were fired into the night sky, making the Aud Army’s positions bright as day.

Just as most Aud Army soldiers were still confused about the situation, the Lipei Army launched their general attack on their positions.

The well-trained Lipei Army instantly raided the weak points of the Aud Army’s battle line, occupying these three vulnerable spots, often without firing a shot, and began clearing the enemy along the trenches.

The Aud Army soldiers, completely disadvantaged by information asymmetry, were all at a loss in face of the sudden changes, some didn’t even use guns to resist when enemies were at their doorstep, easily being captured.

The battle extended to noon; the Aud Army’s line completely collapsed, with over two thousand casualties, three thousand captured, and the rest retreating in disarray. Meanwhile, the Lipei Army suffered only light losses, with over one hundred casualties.

Brolan never expected Lipei’s Army to take the initiative; fortunately, he hid in the rear and fled as soon as he sensed something amiss, or he might have been captured himself.

This war ultimately ended with the Aud Army’s complete collapse; with more than ten thousand casualties and captives without accomplishing anything, Brolan couldn’t bear the result, even trying to shoot himself, but was stopped by his subordinates.

This battle dispelled Oklo Laf’s doubts, making him realize that engaging with Lipei’s Army would end poorly, so he was no longer considering cooperating with Brolan to attack Lipei, preferring to watch how things unfold.

As for Lipei, the offensive resulted in over a hundred casualties, although lamentable, it created a kind of broken window effect to some extent.

For Luo’er, since casualties have already occurred, the next time he moves troops, he won’t worry as much but focus more on controlling the situation.

The over three thousand Aud Army captives were sent to the prisoner-of-war camp on the outskirts of Lipei City, trembling with fear but received fair treatment.

The Lipei Army did not abuse or oppress them, instead treating each prisoner with equality, practicing a humane approach to prisoner management.

This novel yet heartwarming method instantly won over many Aud Army soldiers’ hearts, some even wishing to defect immediately to the Lipei Army.

The Aud Army’s retreat allowed the Lipei Army to secure the first stage of victory. However, Luo’er remains cautious, knowing that the Aud Army still possesses offensive capabilities.

For the Aud Army with a million troops, a loss of over ten thousand is entirely bearable. They’ve lost more than this number in battles with the Church Court’s forces.