126. The Metal-Stone Empire in Crisis

Kane’s proactive strike had only severely crippled one wing of the enemy forces. The other detachment, which had split off earlier, had been advancing like a hot knife through butter and was now less than half a day’s march from the capital of the Jinshi Empire. The Emperor of the Jinshi Empire, unable to withdraw even if he wanted to, had no choice but to dispatch messengers to the Death Empire pleading for help while tightening his control over the city. The Berserker captain in charge of the defense had never seen such cowardly people; the capital was in utter chaos before the enemy had even arrived. Had he not deployed troops to suppress the panic, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Upon receiving the urgent missive from the Jinshi Empire via Mo Fei, Kane was furious. His priority was not to rush toward the Jinshi capital, but to find a way to completely annihilate the enemy wing he had already battered. Otherwise, who knew if they might recover and strike at his rear once he had departed?

In an instant, Kane’s scouts swarmed out in all directions toward their designated targets. They had only two days to determine the enemy’s troop configuration and movements following the previous assault. This was to ensure that Kane’s next strike would be decisive, rendering this enemy force incapable of further combat and securing his rear before the main army marched west.

Having just broken contact with the enemy, the elite Elven scouts quickly ascertained the situation. To their great satisfaction, the battered enemy troops had merely reinforced their camp defenses without receiving any fresh reinforcements. They had, however, sent out many messengers—all of whom were sent to the afterlife by the scouts before they could deliver their reports.

When the scouts relayed the enemy’s movements to Kane, he immediately decided to launch another strike to permanently end the combat capabilities of this force. As for the logistical unit of nearly a hundred thousand troops that the scouts had spotted, that would be easy enough to handle on the way. It would take at most five days, and the Jinshi capital could surely hold out for a fortnight—especially since the Death Empire had already stationed seventy-five thousand troops there. Though they were infantry, they were supported by twenty thousand Elven crossbowmen, a combination in which Huo absolutely trusted.

As dusk approached, Kane led his army out. This time, he divided the thirty-five thousand Elven light cavalry into one main unit and three smaller squads, integrated into the Berserker cavalry divisions. He selected several Elves to command these squads, treating it as an opportunity to cultivate new leadership.

The enemy, already spooked by the previous strike, was now like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. Their patrol squads dared not venture more than a hundred paces from the camp, retreating at the slightest hint of movement. This left Desi incredibly frustrated; several times he had nearly reached them, only for the "rabbits" to scurry away at the last moment. Ever since Kane had devastated their camp two days ago, they hadn't ventured out, leaving Desi with nothing to do.

However, he soon sensed Kane’s army quietly closing in. His innate Elven alertness allowed him to detect the main force early, and upon recognizing his own side, he brought his squad to meet Kane.

"Good lad, you've done well. The Young Master is watching you—how have things been these past few days?" Kane was well aware of Desi's activities, especially since two of the squads under his command had been directly assigned by Kane himself.

"Hehe," Desi grinned sheepishly. "The General gave them such a beating the other day that they don’t dare step a hundred paces from camp. I haven’t had a decent fight in three days."

"Haha!" Kane couldn't help but laugh. "You lad, the Young Master told you to form a special unit to harass the enemy, not to sit here waiting. Besides, you haven't reported anything back to me since you 'swallowed' my two squads. Why are you still here? The other enemy wing is at the gates of the Jinshi capital—why not head that way instead of trying to snatch my meals? Look at you, you’re not even as tall as my mount; be careful not to get trampled, because I won’t pay for the damage."

"I wouldn't dare compete with the General for food. I was just keeping an eye on them. I hadn't thought about the other wing yet. I figured there was still action to be had here, so I wasn't in a hurry. But thank you, General. Please put in a good word for me with the Young Master, and ask him to give me more men..."

"Lad, still not satisfied?" Kane laughed; he liked this kind of spirit. "No need to go through the Young Master. How many do you want? I'll give them to you."

"That would be wonderful! Thank you, General!" Desi’s eyes lit up. "I don't need many, just two hundred men."

"Dream on." Kane couldn't help but chuckle, and the other Berserker generals joined in. "Is your appetite really that small? Seems you aren't much after all."

"General..." Desi grew anxious.

"What’s the rush? You get nothing for now. The Young Master wants to see what you can achieve with these few dozen brothers. If he gave you more men now, he would have dragged you back already—how foolish! You have few men, so you should use your strengths: stealth, picking off small groups, and hit-and-run tactics. Haven’t you been doing that well? My previous assault succeeded largely thanks to your harassment. Remember, there is a way to fight with many, and a way to fight with few. I built my reputation at the City of Death with just one small squad. Go. If you accomplish something great, you can use these brothers as your core, and I’ll have no problem giving you a full army."

"Thank you, General! We will not disappoint the Young Master or you!" Desi finally realized this was a test and was visibly thrilled.

"Brothers, you heard him! The Young Master is watching us! Let’s go, we’re done here. We’re going to hit their rear supply lines. Move out!"

Kane nodded as he watched them go. The lad had drive but was also meticulous—knowing to target the enemy’s logistics when outnumbered was a good sign.

The main army began its advance. Seeing that the enemy had even deployed half their force to guard their mealtime proved they had truly been rattled by Kane’s thunderous strike.

"Not bad. To be this cautious shows their commander has some ability. But I don't understand why they’ve abandoned their outer perimeter. Do they really think I won't come back for another stomp?"

"Boss, I suspect they haven't sent anyone out because they're terrified of that brat Desi. Also, seeing how many messengers they've sent since the battle, it’s likely their commander has strict orders to hold this position, which is why they couldn't retreat in time."

"That sounds about right. Orders are rigid. You all must remember: unless you are in a life-or-death situation, you must be adaptable. Whether it's me or anyone else in the Empire giving you orders, if you are told to return for reinforcements, you must charge back even if it means annihilation. If you are told to strike a target, remember that dead men cannot complete missions. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" the commanders responded in unison.

"Good. Go and prepare. We launch soon. Remember, our goal this time is not just harassment, but total destruction. Charge through their camp in formation and inflict as much damage as possible. Leave no one standing if you can. Don't worry about sparing anyone. Go!" Kane laughed. He believed his brothers, who had been campaigning for nearly a decade, would achieve this goal. The status of the Berserkers would reach new heights after this defense against the invasion.

To strike fear into the enemy’s hearts, Kane did not choose a stealthy approach. The army emerged slowly from the forest and formed ranks. To Kane's dismay, he realized the enemy still hadn't noticed them. He was so frustrated he nearly fell from his mount. What Kane hadn't realized was that his previous raid had completely shattered the camp’s organization, and the exhausted troops had been unable to spare anyone for sentry duty.

Kane waved his hand.

"Wind! Wind! Wind!..." The roar of over a hundred thousand Berserkers was terrifying.

As the shout subsided, massive crossbows were angled upward, and countless bolts arced through the air in perfect parabolas, raining down into the enemy camp. Shrieks of agony erupted from within. Kane thought to himself: *That must be their alarm*, yet they hadn't noticed his army until they were this close?

After one volley, the army charged. The massive force surged forward like mercury spilling across the ground. After their iron boots passed, the survivors would never forget this night.