CHAPTER 865: CHAPTER 865: THIS IS WHO WE ARE

The clouds of war loom over Tiandu, with the bayonets of the Vellante people nearly pressing against the throats of the Poluo people. Not to mention the survivors in the city, even the fish and shrimp in the Everflow River are suffocated.

Yet, at this precarious moment, Tiandu has the rare occurrence of a major event unrelated to the war, bringing a breath of fresh air to the sultry room.

The Poluo State Authority of Education suddenly announced the establishment of Tiandu University, enrolling suitable youths aged 12 to 16 and 16 to 20.

The younger group will enter preparatory courses, while the older one enters undergraduate programs, covering disciplines such as engineering, science, and sociology.

Currently, Tiandu University only has a nameplate, with no teaching buildings or teachers, nor even the most basic textbooks, so these students will temporarily go to Mammoth City’s Mammoth University for education.

This enrollment plans to recruit 500 students, including 300 for preparatory courses and 200 for undergraduate courses.

The Authority of Education will cover all expenses for selected students during their study period, including tuition and living expenses.

Preparatory students, after finishing their course, will decide based on their performance and subsequent changes in the war situation whether to stay at Mammoth City for further studies or return to Tiandu City for undergraduate studies.

As for the latter group, after completing their studies, they will return to Tiandu, serving as professors at Tiandu University, or taking up other specialized jobs introduced by the Poluo authorities.

In short, once you’re admitted, you don’t need to worry about the rest of your life. The leader will handle it for you.

The exams will be held in Tiandu’s Heavenly Palace, with just one requirement besides age: literacy and numeracy.

After all, if you can’t even write your name, even taking the exam would be pointless, wasting paper and everyone’s time.

Although there’s war, doing this seems somewhat untimely, but with Absek’s endorsement, Kaba Committee Member’s reform plan is smoothly proceeding.

Not only have the authorities encountered little resistance, but Tiandu City’s residents are also very enthusiastic about this matter.

Five hundred students will be sent to study in Mammoth City by Absek!

This is big news!

After all, going to Mammoth City means no conscription, and also leaving the dangerous front!

Not only that!

Coming back, Absek will arrange an official position!

Is there really such a good fortune as manna from heaven in this world?!

Once the news spread, the whole Tiandu City was in an uproar!

Even though the announcement didn’t write this, seeing the rubber stamp on it, almost everyone mentally translated the information in their heads.

Afraid of missing this chance to change fate, every literate survivor, regardless of age, rushed to register.

Also, parents were registering their sons and daughters.

This type especially comprised the majority.

Whether educated or not, all the candidates were temporarily cramming for exams, sparking a wave of learning throughout Tiandu.

All books available on the market were snatched up to the point of shortage.

Among those buying books were well-dressed folks, soldiers in uniforms, and old farmers with only a cloth around their waist.

Most weren’t buying for themselves, but mainly for the kids at home.

Later, when the books sold out, even newspapers at stalls became victims.

Almost every item with words was swept clean.

"...Damn, do these NPCs love studying this much?" Looking at the emptied newsstand, Debt Giant Eye expressed with a surprised face.

This was completely different from the scene he saw at Jin Galun Harbor.

The people there were quite keen on learning, and almost every girl he met claimed to be a student, but he had never seen anything like emptying a newsstand.

"Emmm... Nothing to do with us, let’s go back to the camp." The construction site boy with Brick showed a subtle expression.

These Poluo people love going to extremes, just like now.

What they desire isn’t really knowledge or rationale, but the potential power that these might bring.

He couldn’t say if it’s good or bad, but for them who lived in feudal society a few years ago, it surely counts as progression for many.

Though he hadn’t seen what the exam papers looked like, overall it was far more reliable than selecting talents with gladiatorial chess.

The two slowly wandered back to the camp, seeing several young officers standing at the entrance.

One was familiar, seemingly named Yishel, quite noticeable during the West Sail Port incident.

After the event, there was no mention of him in Eagle’s post, only saying he later became a ten thousand leader of the border troops, stationed on the Poluo and West Sail Port border, whereabouts unknown after the outbreak of war.

Unexpectedly, this guy is alive.

Deserving to be amongst the Rat Clan.

Right then, Edge Shoveling also came out from the camp, exchanged a few words with the group of officers, then looked at the ten thousand leader going forward with them.

"So you are Yishel."

"Yishel, third ten-thousand team leader! Awaiting orders from the General!" Yishel stood straight and saluted, his voice booming.

Looking at this energetic young officer, Edge Shoveling smiled upon hearing.

"I’m not really a General, just an Army leader. By your structure, my military rank might not even be as high as yours."

Technically, players don’t have ranks, instead, a system of contribution points denotes their contribution to the Alliance.

Yishel chuckled loudly.

"What are you saying! You’re the teacher; I’m the student. That’s another kind of hierarchy. No need to be polite; tell me if you see anything unsatisfactory, and I’ll make sure to change it!"

This brother talks quite interestingly.

Edge Shoveling chuckled, teasingly said.

"I was worried about you before, thinking the Grand Leader had sent someone rigid to follow me, but now I see I was overthinking. Not bad! What you need for guerrilla warfare is precisely your sharp wit, I have high hopes for you!"

Yishel grinned as well, a hint of pride between his brows, much like a student who had just been praised.

From his perspective, it was understandable.

After all, the person before him was the Corps Leader of the Death Legion!

It’s said that during the Torch War, this corps from the River Valley Province, as part of the Sticky Community’s allied forces, achieved outstanding feats for the survivor’s camp! They liberated two provinces from the torchbearers!

In comparison, their predecessors—the Rat Soldiers who ventured to the Brocade River Province—merely made a passing appearance on the battlefield, not even qualifying as third-line troops.

Receiving affirmation from the Corps Leader of the Death Legion made him prouder than the medals Absek awarded him.

"May I ask how the general should be addressed?"

Edge Shoveling paused in his expression, awkwardly coughing lightly.

"Uh... just call me Edge, that’s what my brothers call me."

Some online names feel fine when typed, but saying them out loud can be somewhat embarrassing.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who felt this way; Yishel was momentarily taken aback when he heard the name.

Edge.

Quite an unusual name.

But it’s said that Alliance people are like this, especially those residents from the Prosperity Epoch refuges.

Being good at reading people, he immediately noticed the embarrassment on Edge’s face and smiled to change the subject.

"... So, General Edge, when do we head to the front line?"

Edge Shoveling smiled and said.

"It’s up to you guys; we’re ready and can move out anytime."

Yishel: "What a coincidence, so are we!"

Edge Shoveling gently raised his eyebrows, taking a closer look at the friend before him.

"Alright, since you put it that way, let’s do it now!"

...

While the survivors of Tiandu City were busy preparing for exams, a grand army silently marched out of the city.

Led by the Death Legion, nearly two hundred thousand troops once again rushed to the front line.

Besides the third ten thousand troops led by Yishel, which can be considered Absek’s direct line, most other ten thousand troops were led by Udonuo’s former subordinates.

They were the "defeated army" withdrawn from Lion City.

However, despite their recent defeat, their morale was not low—in fact, it was quite high.

Because the brothers of the Alliance stood with them.

They didn’t think of themselves as going to be cannon fodder, quite the opposite.

This was an opportunity for revenge!

They would pay back the humiliation of that day to the Vellante people, showing those big-nosed ones they too have dignity!

They would also prove to Absek and the survivors of Tiandu that they were not cowards!

In this new campaign, they would change the strategy used in the Lion State, deploying half their forces to maintain forward movement, while the remaining half would follow Death Legion officers to infiltrate behind enemy lines.

For example, the third ten thousand troops leading the charge with the Death Legion.

Although most of this unit was made up of new recruits, Yishel didn’t indulge them, keeping them in the rear to pass the time.

The battlefield situation is unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous places might ironically be safer.

Especially if the legion was eager to take Tiandu, the front-line battle might be even more brutal than Absek anticipated, making the distinction between front and rear irrelevant.

Of course, part of the reason for making such a risky decision was also Yishel’s intuition.

His instinct told him that staying closer to the Alliance people would be safer.

And there’s more hope to learn real skills.

Although his boys didn’t get the chance to study at Mammoth Nation, he believed this experience would become a significant mark in their careers.

Just like the West Sail Port incident was for him.

As long as they survive and ultimately win, they’ve passed the test...

The Corps Leader of the Death Legion did not stop them, instead willingly bringing him and this group of brave youngsters along.

Thus, after rushing for three days and nights, the two armies grandly approached the border between Niu State and Lion State, reaching a place called Akale County.

Here is where the Everflow River turns, also a strategic point neither side can ignore.

The river flowing from the western side of the Zobar Mountain Range is like a dense spider web, pouring into the western part of Niu State, winding between the hills and plains like a coiled python.

Upon reaching Akale County, the flowing river changes to an eastward course, crossing the central plains and emptying into the sea at the eastern end of the Poluo Province.

Due to the floodwaters continuously impacting the riverbed on the western side and the plains, a vast river beach and Shock Plain formed on the relatively lower western side.

On the eastern side of the meandering river is a nearly pristine forest, with dense woods stretching along the undulating hills northward, merging into the Zoba Mountain Range.

After aerial reconnaissance and on-the-ground inspections of the surrounding terrain, the Death Legion decided to camp on the eastern bank and scattered 155mm field artillery and 20mm quadruple anti-aircraft guns throughout the forest.

The Shock Plain on the western bank could effectively limit the mobility of the legion’s forces.

If the opponent wanted to enter Akale County, they couldn’t possibly ignore the thorn they posed across the river unless they planned to discard their supply lines entirely.

After completing the strategic deployment, Edge Shoveling found Yishel and instructed him to have all levels of combat units dig L-shaped tunnels in the forest, large enough to hide one person.

The logistics unit delivers supplies every three days.

If there are no missions during the interim, all units should remain in the tunnels on standby.

This is just part of the preparation work.

Apart from the "Rat Holes" scattered in the forest, they also need to prepare some fixed firepower, such as light machine gun emplacements, to ambush the Vellante people searching deeper into the woods.

Although these new recruits were not very skilled at it, with the help of players from the Death Legion, it wasn’t done too awkwardly.

After spending a full three days, they finally completed the construction of the positions.

Next is the patient waiting...

But given the impatience of the Vellante people, they shouldn’t have to wait for too long.

The day after the positions were completed, the players Edge Shoveling sent for forward reconnaissance quickly reported back——

The Army forces have arrived!

...

Squatting on a hill near the river, Sheep Again Package took out a telescope and glanced at the distant Shock Plain, suddenly blurting out a sentence without warning.

"This place would definitely be good for farming."

Midnight with Umbrella without Knife gave him a surprised look.

"You know about that?"

Sheep Again Package chuckled.

"Of course, Food+3."

Midnight with Umbrella without Knife: "...?"

What the heck?

Before he could figure out what this guy was talking about, Laplace couldn’t hold back and chimed in.

"...What version is this now, not building a grand bathhouse is just garbage, constantly flooding and consuming the population, and the bonus it gives is negligible."

Sheep Again Package: "Ah...I think it’s okay, anyway, if the national park is not within three tiles at the start, I just dive."

Laplace: "Damn, wouldn’t you have to refresh all day?!"

Sheep Again Package: "You have to do something while waiting for the respawn cooldown."

Laplace: "..."

Seeing his good buddy go silent, Sheep Again Package chuckled and suggested.

"Let’s go online when we die later, take the plunge together."

Laplace: "Get lost."

Midnight with Umbrella without Knife looked bewildered at the two.

"Damn, what are you guys talking about?!"

The confusion wasn’t limited to Midnight; Yishel, who happened to overhear their conversation, also looked befuddled.

It wasn’t because of their chat content, but because he couldn’t understand a word they were saying.

"Is your language self-invented?" Yishel looked to Edge and asked curiously.

Edge’s expression was subtle, and he nodded.

"Sort of..."

If it wasn’t self-made, could it have been given by aliens?

Yishel nodded, and although his face showed no change, inside he felt envious.

Having a common language is also a manifestation of cohesion.

Since realizing Awakener Bol couldn’t save Poluo Province, he had been pondering a new path, and now he finally had some inspiration.

If the survivors of Poluo Province want a way out, they really need their own culture...

As he thought this, a billowing dust cloud suddenly appeared on the horizon, clearly kicked up by the tires of a vehicle.

Spotting the situation, Edge Shoveling immediately raised his hand, and everyone quickly hid behind the cover, pressing themselves to the ground tightly, not letting an inch of exposure show.

Yishel did the same, his whole body tense and muscles taut, involuntarily holding his breath.

As the dust cloud appeared on the horizon, a towering steel fortress simultaneously pushed through the thick clouds, revealing its imposing shape in the sky.

"Horn"!

Yishel’s eyes widened, pupils filled with half fear, half hatred, and rage.

He clenched his fists, wishing he could tear that thing apart with his gaze!

That was the thing that bombed Lion City!

He could never forget the blazing flames that consumed the city that day, nor his compatriots desperately fleeing in the fire.

Lying next to the cover, the players with binoculars had none of his emotional turmoil, merely observing the distant vehicles coolly, analyzing the enemy.

"Three ’Grey Dogs’!"

"It’s a reconnaissance unit of the Vellante people, likely followed by a mechanized infantry brigade..."

"Not sure if it’s the 30th Ten thousand troops, but it’d be nice to encounter them."

"By the way, I remember their reconnaissance team used to always have 10 vehicles, right?"

"Their ’supplier’ isn’t doing too well."

"Or maybe it’s because our ’Laken’ is too effective."

"Haha."

With their eyes fixed on the approaching clouds of dust, a few players lying on the ground chatted and laughed as if they didn’t take their opponents seriously at all.

"Don’t worry, brother."

Noticing Yisher’s tense expression, Edge Shoveling put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, grinning.

"Trust me, there’s nothing to fear from that."

Back when they encountered McCullen, half of their equipment was self-made and the other half was captured. Even lifestyle players went up to fill the line, and in the end, didn’t they take that thing down?

He always believed that human talent was the key to victory.

Yisher’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Hmm... is there anything I can do?"

Edge Shoveling looked back at the dust swirling up ahead, squinting slightly.

"What you need to do is hide well."

"We will teach you how to hide from enemy artillery, teach you how to survive, and then when they think we’re all dead, leap out and give them a head-on blow."

"This war is just beginning, there’s still a lot to come. If there ever comes a day when we’re not here, pass on the things we taught you to other comrades, keep our number alive."

Keep it alive...

Yisher’s eyes were subtly moved.

"...Is this the Death Legion?"

"In a way, yes, that’s us."

As Edge Shoveling finished speaking, the airship that was slowly advancing suddenly lowered its gun barrel, spraying flashing fire toward the eastern bank of the Everflow River!

Watching the incoming barrage, Yisher’s pupils contracted violently.

"Have they found us?!"

Edge Shoveling chuckled.

"No need to find us, anyone could tell we’re here in such an obvious spot... that’s why I told you earlier to spread out and hide, make the dugouts ready first."

Firing while moving instead of anchoring down first indicates they hadn’t actually located their position.

Just as he predicted, the barrage had no accuracy whatsoever, doing a Brownian motion across the sky and then landing in a deserted mountainous area.

The entire mountain area must have had at least three or four dozen peaks, and a hundred or so shells landing felt like toothpicks stuck in bread.

The explosion’s roar accompanied the sound of the artillery overhead, shaking the entire forest.

Edge Shoveling frowned, suddenly catching a whiff of something unusual from the explosion’s dense smoke.

"It’s poison gas bombs," he quickly realized, pulling out a spare gas mask and tossing it onto Yisher’s chest, "put this on."

Yisher didn’t dare hesitate, immediately putting on the mask thrown by his Alliance brother.

But he quickly remembered, those brothers crouched in the dugouts didn’t have them.

"My subordinates..."

"We left them some supply materials with gas masks... my brothers have taught them how to use them." Staring at the airship, Edge Shoveling muttered.

The things weren’t expensive, each of them carried two. Seeing that the third ten thousand troops’ brothers didn’t have them, they shared half with them.

The third ten thousand troops were only around two thousand strong on the front line, while the Death Legion had 5,000 people, so sharing some was more than enough.

What he didn’t expect was that the army actually brought out poison gas bombs.

He initially thought they would just set the mountains on fire, but it seems he overestimated their bottom line.

The yellow-green gas seeped through the forest, with some trees visibly withering.

The density of the gas was clearly heavier than air, so it didn’t dissipate immediately.

If they hadn’t worn the gas masks, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Luckily, a gust of wind blew in at that moment, dispersing some of the poison gas lingering on the mountain peaks.

Perhaps thinking that even if there were people in the mountains, they’d all be dead, the scout car patrolling on the riverbank circled once before reluctantly advancing upon the officer’s order.

Meanwhile, armored troop carriers began approaching from the distance.

The size of that force was not small; by the looks of it, it seemed to be a thousand-strong team, equivalent to one regiment of the Alliance.

Sheep Again Package lowered the binoculars, excitedly turning back to look at Edge Shoveling.

"They seem to be preparing to cross the river!"

"Looks like their commander isn’t very confident in their artillery."

Edge Shoveling chuckled, pressing his hand on the communicator hanging on his shoulder.

"Attention all units, the enemy is preparing to cross the river!"

"Wait until they’ve finished bridging and are on the bank before attacking!"

Responses came back crisply through the communication channel.

"Roger!"