Chapter 768: Border Blood Lion

Su Xiao is currently in the war front line, while Bubu Wang is in Holy Longcheng, the capital of the Dragon Soaring Empire.

After contacting, Su Xiao learned that the team searching for the World Core consists of fifty people, all Agility-type Qiyuezhe, belonging to the support.

The support team's mission is to find the World Core and bring it to the designated location. As for the subsequent guarding work, it will depend on Su Xiao or the various adventure groups.

But before that, the first priority is to ensure the stability of the war front between the Empire and the tribe. Once the front line is breached, there is no need to search for the World Core. Most Qiyuezhe will die under the tribe's army, and even if they are lucky enough not to die, they will be forcibly executed for mission failure.

Su Xiao marched with the Imperial army. The soldiers near him were silent. The cruelty of cold weapon warfare can be imagined, but these soldiers felt no fear; there was only numbness on their faces—a numbness that comes from seeing life and death as nothing.

Becoming an Imperial soldier, there is a saying among the people: soldiers are noble masters, tiger beasts, and dogs.

Noble masters refers to when soldiers get their military pay, drinking and whoring, living very freely, just like noble masters.

Tiger beasts is what commoners call tigers. Commoners fear soldiers just as they fear tigers, which is why they describe soldiers as tiger beasts.

As for dogs, when war breaks out, a soldier's life is not even worth as much as a dog's. Living today without tomorrow.

Because they were marching on the plains, the over one hundred thousand people formed several square formations, vast and mighty. Wherever they passed, beasts fled in terror, and the ground trembled slightly.

After the army marched for half an hour, Su Xiao vaguely saw a black 'mountain range' appearing ahead. The mountain range cut across the plain, separating the Empire and the tribe, exceptionally spectacular.

When they got closer, Su Xiao discovered that this was no mountain range; it was a war defense line, similar to the Great Wall of the real world.

Seeing this war defense line, Su Xiao cursed inwardly, and the war channel in Reincarnation Paradise also exploded.

Su Xiao was very puzzled: with this geographical advantage, how did the tribe break through this defense line? And occupy this place.

Ahead is the Black Soil Fortress. The entire fortress separates the Black Soil Plain into two sections. If viewed from high altitude, the Black Soil Fortress looks like a winding black river dividing the Black Soil Plain.

The Black Soil Fortress is 176 kilometers long, built entirely of obsidian. The entire fortress is blessed with 6,782 magic imprints, and its sturdiness exceeds metal. Even the 'Storm Knight' siege hammer made by dwarves cannot break through the Black Soil Fortress. The Black Soil Fortress separates the territory of the Empire and the tribe; inside the fortress is Imperial territory, and outside the fortress is tribal territory.

The highest point of the Black Soil Fortress is 60 meters high, with an average height of about 40 meters. Standing below the fortress, it is a wall of heaven. It has stood here for 3,600 years and has been renovated more than 30 times, on average once every hundred years.

"This thing... can it really be stormed?"

A Qiyuezhe closer to Su Xiao looked up at the Black Soil Fortress, with millions of grass-mud horses galloping through his heart.

Not to mention the reaction of the Qiyuezhe, Hou Jue Mark at the rear of the army was also looking up at the Black Soil Fortress. He hadn't been here for nearly 20 years.

"Hou Jue, this is the soldier count statistics and the storage of military rations, weapons, etc. The weapons promised by the Moon Elf race have not been delivered yet. Now many soldiers' weapon blades are severely chipped, and there is not much food, and as for water sources..."

The Deputy Commander of the Iron-Blood Legion knelt on one knee before Hou Jue Mark, who was riding on a horse.

"Got it."

Hou Jue Mark was somewhat impatient. This is a middle-aged to elderly man with a full head of white curly hair, a small mustache on his chin, and a somewhat plump body. He wore a black coat, with gold threads woven into the collar and cuffs.

"But..."

Deputy Commander Carlos looked at Hou Jue Mark in surprise. Carlos is a burly middle-aged man wearing blood-colored armor, and the bloody scent on him is not even weaker than Su Xiao's.

"Carlos, you only need to tell me if you can recapture the Black Soil Fortress before sunset."

Hou Jue Mark, riding on his horse, looked at Deputy Commander Carlos with a complex gaze. He didn't like this person. He would usually hand over tasks with little profit to the other party, such as guarding the border—a bitter job. Although he didn't like the other party much, he needed this person now.

"Wha... what."

Carlos was stunned; he suspected he had misheard.

"The Hou Jue asks you if you can recapture the Black Soil Fortress before dark."

An Imperial official beside Hou Jue Mark spoke. Although his official rank was lower than Carlos's, he looked at Carlos with some disdain because Carlos was the son of a noble and a prostitute.

"Hou Jue, this seems... not very possible."

Carlos lowered his head. He really wanted to pull the dead fatty riding on the horse three meters away down, stomp hard on the face of this waste who inherited the title of Hou Jue through the hereditary system, and let the other party take a good look at what level of war fortification the Black Soil Fortress is.

Not to mention one day, even if he were given a week, Carlos wouldn't dare say he could recapture the Black Soil Fortress. The tribe died nearly 120,000 orcs + dwarves + goblins + trolls to capture this place, fighting tirelessly for half a month. In the end, the corpses were piled up to be level with the Black Soil Fortress, and the tribe side stormed up by stepping on the corpses.

"If the war goes very smoothly, it will take about ten days to recapture the Black Soil Fortress."

Carlos was actually exaggerating a bit. Even if it went smoothly, it would be good to recapture the fortress in half a month. This was based on the premise that the Empire would continue to send reinforcements to the Black Soil Plain and use the same method of piling corpses to recapture the fortress.

"Ten days, too long."

Hou Jue Mark was very dissatisfied.

"Give you a week. If you can't recapture this place, bring your head to see me. Now I have become the laughingstock of Holy Longcheng. If you can't do it, I'll find someone who can to replace you."

"Understood."

Carlos gritted his teeth so hard they clicked. He knew in his heart that no matter what, he could not be replaced—absolutely not. This has nothing to do with status or personal desire. Once he loses the position of Deputy Commander of the Iron-Blood Legion, the Black Soil Fortress is finished. He has been guarding here for twenty years. At that time, he was just a small team leader. He dedicated everything in his life to this place. No one knows the Black Soil Fortress better than him. His achievements are countless, and people call him the Border Blood Lion.

"Hou Jue, I have a request."

After Carlos said this, he took a deep breath. This Deputy Commander, who didn't know how many enemies he had killed, was actually somewhat hesitant.

"Speak."

Hou Jue Mark had already guessed what Carlos was going to say; it was nothing more than asking for a promotion.

"The war on the Black Soil Plain needs more troops."

"Oh?" Hou Jue Mark was somewhat surprised. This was different from what he imagined. He touched the mustache on his chin and said, "How many do you need?"

"At least two hundred thousand."

Carlos clenched his fists. He was already prepared to use human lives to recapture the fortress.

"Impossible, other defense lines of the Empire also need troops. At most fifty thousand."

Hearing Hou Jue Mark's words, Carlos raised his head with a 'whoosh', his armor clashing. Hou Jue Mark felt a chill in his heart from this momentum.

"Carlos, what do you want to do!"

Hou Jue Mark roared with a fierce expression, and hundreds of his personal guards beside him drew the long swords at their waists, surrounding Carlos. ===== CHAPTER 769 =====