Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Chapter 1355 Saturation Attack

Those weapons were beyond their understanding of warfare; they weren't the crossbows or bronze cannons commonly used by the Slavs, but rather silent beams of energy capable of instantly melting gold and severing iron...

They had actually heard some rumors about the legendary Iron Man...

Now, what haunts them is fear... boundless fear...

Inside Han Da's central command tent, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Wei Wuji, Batur, several high-ranking generals from the Turkic side, and several military technicians from the Tianji Academy sat in a circle.

Behind the central command tent, the light from the oil lamps cast flickering shadows on everyone's faces, highlighting their furrowed brows.

"The loss statistics are in!"

Wei Wuji's voice was hoarse and tinged with pain. This defeat, though not major, had still taken them by surprise...

"Two hang gliders crashed, one pilot killed and the other seriously injured. Four armored vehicles were destroyed and completely scrapped beyond repair. On the infantry side, seven officers were killed, forty-three soldiers were killed, and sixty-seven were seriously injured. All of them were... killed or seriously injured instantly by those beam weapons, with almost no time to react."

Wei Wuji asked, "Marshal, has the army that the Prince described appeared?"

Batur slammed his fist on the table, the wooden surface groaning dully.

"Damn it! What the hell is that thing? It's faster than Prince Xiao's mecha cannons! Our soldiers fell down before they could even see where the enemy was!"

“They shouldn’t be human!” A technician from the Heavenly Mystery Institute said, his face pale but his tone certain.

"Based on the vague descriptions from frontline soldiers and the analysis of the wounds on the armored vehicles, the attackers were extremely fast, their movements were stiff and precise, and there was no obvious flash or smoke when they attacked with their weapons, only a slight distortion of the air and a burning sensation when the energy was released... This is very consistent with the characteristics of those 'simulated humans' that the prince had shown us before."

"It must be a secret signal from the Prince to our Tianji Academy! Those people must be reinforcements sent by the Creation Base, and they are elite units equipped with high-energy weapons."

"A lifelike human..."

Han Da repeated the word in a low voice, his eyes sharp as an eagle: "The prince mentioned this before going to the Hidden Dragon Armory, but they have gradually moved up the dates the prince mentioned!"

"It seems Shahar has finally received his reinforcements. How many?"

"I wonder if this is good news!"

"Judging from the density, frequency, and coverage of the attacks, the number is not too large."

Wei Wuji pondered, “They only appeared at key moments, their attacks were precise and effective, but their coverage was limited. If our forces had been more dispersed, or if they had been more numerous, our losses would have been far greater. They were more like elite acupoint troops than a large-scale troop force.”

"General Wei is right."

Another Turkic general chimed in: “Although the enemy has advanced weaponry, they are clearly outnumbered. If they had enough of these reinforcements, they should have pursued us while we retreated, and even launched a counterattack to crush us in one fell swoop.”

"But they didn't. What does that mean? It means they are either limited in number, or their energy consumption is too great to sustain continuous combat, or... they are waiting for something, or they are just used to hold the fortress and buy time!"

This news is one of the few pieces of good news...

Upon hearing this news, Han Da's eyes suddenly lit up.

"That's right!"

Handa suddenly stood up, walked to the simple map hanging on the wall, and pointed heavily at the location of the Ustj Fortress!

"Shahar's previous army was already exhausted and fled here in panic. He has very few of his true Slavic elites left, and their morale is low. Even the soldiers who came to reinforce him later are very wary at this time, which is why they are holding their ground there!"

"His only reliance is the few reinforcements sent by the creation base! These simulated humans are just a few iron spikes stuck in his muddy mess to keep him in check!"

He looked around at his generals, his voice steady and powerful: "We were stunned by this sudden new weapon, we lost our brothers, and our morale was dampened, that's undeniable."

"However, gentlemen! This precisely exposes the enemy's outward strength but inner weakness! They dare not come out, but can only cower in their fortresses, relying on their limited 'trump cards' to hold on! What does this show? It shows that they are afraid of us! Afraid of our army! Afraid of our determination!"

Han Da's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the hearts of the generals. Their dejected mood began to be replaced by a fierce determination to never give up.

"The Marshal means..." Batur's eyes rekindled with fighting spirit.

"It means that their few iron spikes can't stop our steel torrent from crushing them!"

Han Da said decisively, "If one attack fails, we'll try again! Aren't they good at acupressure? We'll make their whole body numb! Aren't they outnumbered and unable to defend one area at a time?"

"We'll leave them vulnerable on all sides! I'm going to launch a true saturation attack! From the air and on the ground, from all directions, we'll launch the fiercest attack simultaneously, giving them no chance to breathe or focus their defenses! With overwhelming numbers and firepower, we'll crush their defensive nodes and tear their lines apart! We'll grind their few iron spikes completely flat in the ruins of their fortress!"

"Saturation attack?"

Wei Wuji pondered: "Should we launch a simultaneous, high-intensity assault on the broadest possible front, using all our air power, ground heavy firepower, and infantry forces? That way, those ten androids will be too busy to attend to everything?"

"exactly!"

Han Da slammed his fist on the map. "Air Force! Commander Wei, how many usable glider bombers do you have left?"

"Aside from the two lost, there are still eighteen left! In addition, there are twenty light reconnaissance and attack gliders that can carry small bombs and machine guns," Wei Wuji replied immediately.

"All units take off! Target: all exposed sections of the wall, towers, suspected firing positions, and barracks assembly areas of the Ustj Fortress! Precise, pinpoint elimination is not required! That would be easily intercepted by the enemy's androids. I need coverage! High-explosive shells and incendiary bombs, plow the entire fortress! Create chaos, suppress the defenders, and draw the androids' anti-aircraft fire!"

Han Da immediately came up with a solution and issued the order!

"As for the ground!" Handa turned to Batur and the other infantry and armored commanders and said, "Concentrate all mortars and form a dense artillery barrage to bombard the fortress front, the city gate area, and the interior of the fortress without interruption!"

"Let's move our heavy machine gun positions forward, create a crossfire network, and suppress any defenders who dare to peek out from the city walls!"

"The armored battalion will be divided into several assault detachments, coordinating with the main force of the infantry division, to launch a simultaneous assault from the east, south, and west of the fortress! Don't be afraid of losses, use armored vehicles and infantry in a concentrated charge to keep the dummy's attention firmly pinned on the front and flanks!"

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and ordered the generals beside him, "At the same time, select the most elite assault teams, carrying explosive charges, flamethrowers, and assault equipment, to find the weakest point in the fortress's defenses!"

"For example, the shady, relatively low stone wall on the north side, or the sewer entrance! Once the saturation attack on the front and flanks has drawn most of the firepower, especially the attention of those androids, this assault team should break through! Blast open a breach as quickly as possible and rush in! Disrupt their defensive core!"

"Marshal is wise!" The generals responded loudly upon hearing Han Da's order!

The previous dejection vanished, replaced by a resolute determination to burn one's bridges.

A saturation attack is an attack that uses the greater casualties one's own side may suffer in exchange for the opportunity to completely crush the enemy's limited elite forces!

This requires determination, and even more so, it requires soldiers to carry it out with their blood and flesh!

"All units must immediately reorganize their troops, replenish ammunition, and inspect equipment! At dawn, we will crush Ust-on-Thi, avenge our fallen brothers, and utterly shatter Shahar's last illusions! Tell everyone not to be afraid of death; after they die, we will provide them with generous pensions and treat their children well!"

Han Da said sternly!

Everyone nodded.

Unlike the solemn atmosphere on Handa's side, inside the Slavusti fortress at this moment...

There was a palpable atmosphere of euphoria, as if the victims had survived a catastrophe.

On the crumbling city walls, Slavic soldiers brandished their rudimentary weapons and cheered hysterically.

They witnessed firsthand the once-invincible East Asian Allied Forces retreat in disarray before the "Divine Messenger's" invincible beam weaponry, leaving behind burning wreckage and corpses.

This stark contrast instantly gave these previously demoralized and defeated soldiers a sense of purpose and leadership.

Shahar stood on the terrace of the main castle, looking down at the excited soldiers below, his pale face flushed with a sickly red from excitement.

He straightened his back, which had become hunched from his escape, and his tattered mink cloak seemed to regain its luster.

"Behold! My loyal Slavic warriors!" Shahar's voice echoed through every corner of the fortress via messengers!

"Do you see that? This is the power bestowed upon us by the divine messenger! It is the response of the Slavic gods to our indomitable will! The iron birds and chariots of the East Asians are nothing but fragile toys before them! Their soldiers are nothing but lambs to the slaughter!"

He pointed to the faint lights of the allied camp outside the fortress and said in an increasingly impassioned tone, "Handa, that lackey of Xiao Ce, does he think that capturing Iron Wall Fortress will make us submit? Does he think his new weapons are invincible?"

"dream!"

"Before the true divine might of the Divine Envoy, they are utterly powerless! Today is the best proof of that!"

"They were hurt! They were terrified! They ran back like stray dogs with their tails between their legs!"

After Shahar finished speaking, even more frenzied roars and the sound of weapons clashing against shields erupted from inside the fortress, echoing Shahar's words!

"However, everyone must remember, they will definitely come back! They certainly won't be satisfied!"

Shahar abruptly changed the subject, shouting confidently, "These people from Xiao Kingdom, from the East Asian Federation! They will not accept defeat!"

"but!"

"My warriors, do you have anything to fear?"

"No!"

“That’s absolutely not necessary!”

"We have the divine messenger protecting us! We have this fortified fortress! No matter how many times Handa comes, no matter what method he uses to attack, the outcome will be the same!!!"

"That means they will be battered and bruised, suffering heavy casualties, before the invincible divine power of the Divine Envoy! Every attack they launch will be just like the one before! They will all be futile struggles, stepping stones to bring us glory!"

He looked at the lifelike figures standing motionless in several key positions inside the fortress, radiating a cold metallic luster, and felt an unprecedented sense of security.

"Divine messengers!"

Shahar bowed slightly to them: "The safety of the fortress, the fate of the Slavs, rests entirely on your shoulders! Please, as before, ensure that those East Asians who dare to invade never return! Let their blood and cries forge your immortal fame!"

The lifelike human nodded slightly.

The robots merely blinked their electronic eyes slightly, indicating that they had received instructions.

To the Shahar and Slavic soldiers, this silent standing was a symbol of strength and reliability.

"Everyone!"

Shahar, raising his arms in a final shout to everyone in the fortress, yelled: "Return to your posts! Fortify the defenses! Prepare rolling logs, stones, and molten oil! Let us wait in comfort, and with our best spirits, meet the next foolish charge of the East Asians!!"

"Victory will surely belong to us! Glory belongs to the great Slavic Empire! Hurrah!"

"Ula!!!"

The thunderous shouts echoed throughout the Ust-Isti fortress, and the soldiers seemed to see the dawn of victory.

Shahar walked down the terrace with a smug look on his face. He even began to fantasize about whether, with the help of the divine messenger, he could launch a desperate counterattack starting from Ustiya, or even... reclaim the lost territory.

It must be possible. Listen to what these divine messengers are saying; they are just the first, and there will be others to follow.

Even the main force, annihilating them is only a matter of time...

He even imagined that if the main force arrived, they could then open the Hidden Dragon Armory behind their rear...

They will have a brand new chapter...

Seeing that the other side wouldn't launch an attack anytime soon, he went to rest for a while...

The Slavic fervor did not last long.

As the eastern sky began to lighten with a pale, fish-belly white, in the coldest hour before dawn, the sharp, piercing alarm shattered the false tranquility of the Ustí fortress.

"Enemy attack! The East Asians are here again!!"

"Iron birds! So many iron birds!!"

The soldiers guarding the city looked up at the sky in terror.

This time, it wasn't just a few tentative aircraft, but a massive, dark mass!

More than thirty glider bombers and attack aircraft, with a deathly roar, swooped down on the Ustj fortress from different altitudes and directions!