Chapter 35: Observing the Formation and Discussing Entrepreneurship

The Ranger Captain nodded; years of living alone had fostered a taciturn nature in him.

"Leave the movements and numbers of the underground Skaven to my Miners to confirm!" Gold Seeker added.

"Hmm, I think it might be better to let the Ironbreakers go! We have plenty of manpower now, so it's better not to take risks before we have a clear picture of the rats." Leading an army for the first time, Sinuoli decided to be cautious.

"Then why not let Jian Dun arrange it? I've heard of his reputation as an Ironbreaker captain before he joined the Anvil Guard! That loud voice of his!" Brother Grom spoke up, and Sinuoli naturally had no objections.

"That's settled, meeting adjourned! Tell the sentries to stay alert, watch out for night raids!" Grom yawned and headed back to his room.

"Youngsters these days have such poor endurance! Back when I was mining with your grandfather, hah, going a day and a night without closing my eyes was just a daily routine!" Gold Seeker grumbled as he left, and the other Dwarfs followed one after another.

Returning to his room and lying on the hard wooden bed, Sinuoli let out a long breath.

"The first battle since my transmigration! I can't embarrass myself after living two lifetimes!" He washed his face, put on his ring, grasped his Warhammer, and drifted into sleep; the hard touch of the weapon brought him a sense of security.

Early the next morning, Sinuoli was awakened by the training chants of the Dwarfs; he got up, stepped off the bed, and stumbled.

The soreness from yesterday's march on foot only fully manifested this morning. Sinuoli sat on the bed and massaged himself for a long time, then found some cloth strips to wrap his legs before walking out the door.

"Valaya be praised! I'd be willing to ride a Boar right now!" He controlled his body as best he could while heading to the mess hall, barely maintaining a smile to return the greetings of every clansman he passed.

Breakfast in the military camp was simple; for a Dwarf leader, not seeking special treatment and enjoying the same food as his subordinates was an important quality.

Sinuoli broke the stone bread and soaked it in the dried meat soup, chewing with effort to swallow it. At this moment, Grom sat down beside him with the same meal.

"Can you get used to it?" his older brother asked while chewing his bread, "It took me quite an effort the first time I ate it!" After receiving Sinuoli's affirmative reply, he nodded.

"Well, if you really can't, I brought some side dishes for you; they can last a while if you ration them. We've sent all the Rangers out to scout for information these past two days, so there's no fresh meat, otherwise it would be better!"

The brothers quickly finished their breakfast and headed together to the watchtower of the outpost. The Dwarf on guard duty saluted them and gave up the best observation spot upon seeing them.

Brother Grom climbed high to look into the distance, stroking the beard on his chest with a rather self-satisfied expression.

"Look!" He pointed, and following the direction of his finger, Sinuoli saw a mountain road winding upward, with some defensive facilities in the middle. At the end of the road was a fortress in the Dwarf style, but it was now stuck with a bunch of crooked totems, and the walls were covered in twisted drawings. From the scale, Sinuoli judged it to be a Greenskin camp.

"That is Mountain Lake Fortress!" Brother Grom said, "Over the years, with the decline of our race's population, the fortress on the mountain was abandoned. The exploration team built a new mining station here; it's close to both the Meteorite Iron Vein and the Earth Vein Network, saving a lot of travel."

"This group of Greenskins must have been influenced by that damn fat Goblin's Waaagh. They crossed the mountains to get here, scattered the miners in the original mining station with a surprise attack, and then stationed themselves in the mountain fortress. Look, see what they've done to a perfectly good castle!"

Brother Grom opened his flask and took a sip: "It's cold out, have a drink to warm up!" Sinuoli drank as instructed.

"Whoa! What kind of liquor is this? It's so strong!" Feeling the spiciness in his throat, Sinuoli asked.

"Bergman No. 1! The strongest work of the legendary brewer!" Grom also took a sip, "Drinking this while the mountain wind blows, I feel like I want to go be a shepherd!"

"Hahahaha! Shepherds can't afford this stuff, my dear brother!" Sinuoli laughed out loud, not expecting a Dwarf to have such thoughts.

"I received word that I was to organize a force under Father's orders and rushed over. I first gathered the scattered miners, retook the outpost with a night raid, killed the two squads of Greenskins left behind, and then I organized the upgrading and reinforcement of the outpost while leading the troops to confront the Greenskins on the mountain!" Grom got back to the point and continued to introduce the situation to Sinuoli.

"The situation wasn't great at first. Those Orcs had a unit of Boar Boys and several squads of Goblin Wolf Riders! They were a mobile force to begin with. The impact of the cavalry charging from a high position was too strong; my team was almost broken by them several times, until we built a batch of Caltrops overnight, and things improved."

Following the direction Grom pointed, Sinuoli saw some fortifications built near the foot of the mountain to resist cavalry.

"As I gradually gained a foothold, the miners began to return to work. Every time the Greenskins tried to rush down to harass us, I would take my brothers and engage them in a tug-of-war!" Recalling those days, the corners of Grom's mouth couldn't help but twitch; Sinuoli could imagine what it was like to face Boars charging down from the mountain!

"But things got better after the mines started producing. Relying on ore trade, I replenished my troops and even got two Ballistae! If it weren't for the fact that it's hard for Cannons to be effective when we're attacking from bottom to top, I should have bought those!" Grom's expression gradually relaxed.

"I have a steady stream of logistics and support from our Everpeak and Jiliuguan, but the Greenskins on the mountain are like water without a source, getting fewer and fewer the more we fight!"

"A while ago, the momentum of offense and defense shifted. I led my brothers to charge up the mountain under the cover of long-range fire, trying to finish them off, but we ran into some trouble..." At this point, Brother Grom hesitated.

"Oh? Was the resistance of the Greenskins too fierce?" Sinuoli guessed.

"That's not it. Ever since that leading Greenskin Warlord had his arm smashed by me in a duel, they haven't really dared to face us head-on."

"Could it be that their long-range firepower is very fierce?" Sinuoli asked again.

"Not that either. The Greenskins just have some lousy archers. Although they have a Goblin Shaman, his Xiao Waaagh Spell only serves as a nuisance. It's harmless."

"Then what's the matter?" Sinuoli was a bit confused.

"Sigh! It's all our own long-range troops' fault! They used to shoot from top to bottom for defense, and they haven't participated in offensive operations for too long; they chose the wrong angle for the parabolic shots!"

"Uh-huh, and then?" Sinuoli asked blankly.

"And then? By Grimnir's beard! More hit our own backsides than hit the Greenskins! I thought we were being ambushed by the enemy from behind, so I scrambled and retreated!"

I got a better recommendation spot this week, continuing to ask for votes, collections, and tips. There will be an extra update tonight.