Free Web NovelChapter 416: Chapter 413: Detection
Richard locked onto a frontline commander leading a column toward his position on the high ground. The man was waving his sword, clearly distinguishing himself from the common soldiers.
’How do I attack and still get away safely...?’ Just as Richard was reviewing his Magic and checking if there were any Casters near the commander, a gunshot suddenly rang out. The target in his Telescope crumpled to the ground!
’Did the Hunter next to me just fire?’ Richard whipped his head around in astonishment. He found the Hunter acting as if he were hunting in the mountain forests; he hadn’t used a Telescope, but had simply squinted one eye to aim and fire.
Richard also noticed that very little smoke rose from the rifle’s barrel.
"What are you spacing out for? Let’s go. One shot, one new spot. Don’t you know the rules?" The Hunter brushed the damp leaves off his clothes, preparing to leave the high ground.
Before leaving, he glanced back at the enemy troops. The column had broken apart after losing its commander, but its soldiers were still moving toward the Empire Army.
"Just as I figured. Taking out a low-level commander is useless," the Hunter muttered.
Richard, having had his kill stolen, was intrigued. "Why?"
"The Kingdom Army now is a bit like our Hunter Corps. They spread out their forces and don’t bother with formations; they just charge. Killing a soldier isn’t much different from killing a squad leader. The small units can make their own decisions."
The National Guard infantry, having shifted from columns into a skirmisher line, continued their charge. The Empire’s cavalry wove through them only to be met with a hail of bullets. In the original plan, the Empire Army’s infantry and cavalry were meant to be the "anvil" and "hammer." But now, the "hammer" was striking loose "cotton." It wasn’t completely ineffective, but its impact was severely diminished.
Soon, the Kingdom’s cavalry arrived to provide support. They were elite cavalry grenadiers, each clad in Plate Armor. They cut off the Empire cavalry’s line of retreat, making it seem as if the hammer had fallen, only to find it could not be lifted again.
"Damn this rain!" Facing the advancing enemy, the front ranks of the Empire Army began to curse the weather.
Despite using flintlocks, the rain caused the Empire Army’s misfire rate to skyrocket, giving the skirmishers more room to charge. These National Guard greenhorns had received little training, but one simple, brutal principle had been drilled into their minds: in the twenty seconds it took the enemy to reload, they had to advance at least fifty-five paces.
The agile skirmishers charged forward. When the gunfire ahead intensified, they would find cover or dive straight into the mud. The moment the enemy’s fire weakened, they would scramble up and sprint for their lives. Misfires didn’t matter. As long as they reached the Empireists, their cheap bayonets would do the talking.
In the mud and rain, a brutal, graceless melee began. Blue and gray uniforms tumbled in the muck, blood splattering onto the churned-up earth. The army of Valois advanced; the Empire Army retreated.
As the battle line fell back, the Empire Army’s artillery positions were exposed to the range of the Valois field guns. Under repeated, precise strikes, the Empire’s cannons fell silent. The remaining artillery pieces were being dragged away in an attempt to withdraw from the field.
The Empire’s general and his staff watched as their front line continuously crumbled. They had done nothing wrong, commanding the battle by the book just as they always had. But the enemy had changed. They had become strange... and strong.
The general remained relatively composed. "Where are our Casters? The enemy cut off our cavalry and targeted our artillery positions with precision. They clearly have Mages assisting them. Can we deploy the secret weapon?"
A Military Mage at his side shook his head. "Since the last major battle, we’ve been re-evaluating how to deploy the Forbidden Magic Device. To prevent the technology from falling into enemy hands, you won’t be seeing it today, or for the next few days."
"Then what about our Casters? Can’t they do something?"
"In truth, there’s no sign of Mages from either side committing to the battle. Judging from the last engagement, the first one to reveal themselves gets focused down. No one wants to be the first to stick their neck out."
Having Military Mages shed their distinctive uniforms and blend in with the regular troops was only the first experimental reform. The Mages themselves now realized that in battles involving Magic, an information disparity was the decisive factor. When both sides were dispersed and hidden among the ranks, the first Mage to reveal their position would be at a disadvantage, targeted by enemy countermeasures and concentrated attacks. Therefore, the Military Mages, just like Richard, had begun to act with caution and stealth.
The general was displeased but knew better than to lash out at a Mage. "Hmph. You can all keep waiting, then. Wait until the enemy is at the gates of our command post!"
"But you are right about one thing, sir. The enemy’s movements today have been incredibly swift. Though their infantry is using a loose formation, their commands are being relayed with surprising speed and precision, making them exceptionally flexible. For instance, a moment ago, when our first and second infantry lines were breached, all other enemy infantry units immediately converged on the opening."
Military Mages who served as staff officers had to have military expertise in addition to keeping an eye on other Mages. He had keenly observed that the reason for the Empire Army’s failure in today’s battle seemed to be a deficit in command efficiency. There was a clear disparity in the speed and accuracy of troop deployment between the two armies.
This defied all logic. The enemy was supposedly a Rebel Army composed of troops with minimal training. But looking at the battlefield now, who could tell which side was the professional army?
"Is it Magic? It must be Magic!"
"Perhaps. I will look into it."
"Finding out what’s happening isn’t enough! The important thing is to eliminate them! Solve this problem, or it will be the death of us all!" The general slammed his hand down on the map. The last time he’d slammed a table in anger was when he had kicked out "Turtle Richard."
...
Richard was attempting to break through to the enemy’s rear when he locked onto a new target. The Caster noticed an enemy frontline officer standing with a private, who was carrying a strange, large pack on his back.
The private took off the pack. Judging by his movements, it was very heavy. A thin metal rod protruded from the top, and there was a hand crank on the side. The officer’s mouth moved as he gave orders. The soldier worked the crank with one hand while manipulating something else with the other, which seemed to be connected to the device by a soft wire.
The Hunter had decided to stick with Richard, reasoning that anyone who chose the same piece of high ground must have a good eye for terrain. Now, the Hunter was squinting, looking at the same enemy officer and private.
"Go get that thing," the Hunter said suddenly, his tone that of a superior officer addressing Colonel Richard.
Seeing Richard remain motionless, he grew more urgent. "Aren’t you a Mage? That thing has to be important. Go on, get it."
"You know I’m a Mage?"
"Isn’t it obvious? And look at that box—it’s definitely something you people cooked up. Two rules I learned in my legion: first, there’s no such thing as a useless item on the battlefield; second, the weirder it looks, the more powerful it is. I can’t be wrong."
’Does the Bayern Legion really have that many strange things?’ Richard didn’t know where the Hunter got his ideas, but he had to admit the man’s experience-based logic was sound.
His form immediately began to blur. He couldn’t become completely invisible, but on this chaotic battlefield, it would be enough. After casting [Spirit Armor Skill], Richard broke into a dead sprint.
One last step: He used [Arcane Vision] to confirm there were no Magic Supplies near the officer or the private, not even on the strange box itself. That wouldn’t stop him, however. A thick, poisonous smoke instantly enveloped his targets. Richard slapped a hand on the pack and absorbed it into his Storage Ring.
Meanwhile, in the Empire Army’s rear, three Mages were preparing a ritual. In this rainy weather, they had opted for the same strategy the Kingdom Mages used in the capital of the Kongdi Region: they would attempt to summon the Thunder from the storm clouds to inflict massive casualties on the enemy.
The Mage leading the ritual was an expert in meteorology and Thunder Spells. He was sensing the "field" between the earth and sky as a great net, woven from the Magic Power of all three Mages, spread out as far as possible, transforming into a fine web of electrical currents.
If he detected a patch of sky with a dense electrical charge, he could begin to draw down the lightning from there. The "Magic Sensing Grid" would then constrict into a series of cylindrical forms, which would emit current ring by ring. This would create a narrow leader channel—a weak point in the air—enticing the charge to arc through and form a bolt of lightning.
He possessed no Legendary Magical Artifact, nor was he a Great Mage. This Mage relied on knowledge, using his own insignificant power to leverage the fury of nature.
However, this "Magic Sensing Grid" had just picked up a rhythmic signal.
