Chapter 457: Beneath Eight Peaks

"How much further, Your Majesty Sinuoli?"

"Almost there, almost there, little brother. That is the eighth time you have asked! You know the situation with the towed Artillery; it is inevitable that we are slower when the road is poor."

Belegar Ironhammer stood on his Oath Stone, pacing back and forth, constantly gazing toward the south. Lord Borok and his wife were both fully armored, flanking their anxious brother-in-law.

"The land of my ancestors is right before my eyes; how can I remain calm!"

The vanguard had arrived at the foot of Eight Peaks a day earlier than the main force led by Sinuoli, reaching it yesterday evening. Belegar suppressed the throbbing in his heart to secure the camp; almost no Dwarf rested that night, as they stood silently before their tents, gazing at Eight Peaks by the starlight.

"Spectacular, truly spectacular! It is worthy of being a vital node of the Earth Vein Network, a place of such natural beauty! It is a pity I imposed a prohibition on alcohol myself, otherwise I would have had a drink or two!"

Amidst the clouds, Sinuoli sat behind Eltharion, praising the view as he watched. The members of the Ta'er-Gawo Knightly Orders could contend with an adult Dragon in pairs; now, with nine Yvresse Griffons including the Storm Wings, even an ancient Dragon would find no advantage here. With them providing escort, the Dwarf Demigod could safely circle Eight Peaks.

"How shall we strike?"

Eltharion was a man of few words, but he could not help but ask for Sinuoli's thoughts. The repeated attempts by the Angrund Clan had provided long-standing amusement for the Elf nobles of Ulthuan, but it had also made every pointed-ear aware of just how sturdy Eight Peaks was.

"Step by step, advancing steadily. I have a hundred heavy Artillery pieces and two Colossi; it is those beasts who should be worried."

Sinuoli did not mind explaining a thing or two to Eltharion. After all, the combat resolve of him and his legion depended largely on whether his battle plan was reasonable. If he were to arrange for them to carry explosive satchels into battle, he believed Eltharion would retreat without hesitation, even with the Mist Goddess's decree.

"Let us descend. We cannot be careless in these last few miles. The rats are extremely cunning; who knows if there are any rat-hearted cowards hiding inside."

Having received no response from Eltharion for half a day, Sinuoli curled his lip, feeling bored. This "The Grim" had no interest in anything other than Greenskins; he probably needed to see a psychologist urgently.

"Let, let that obese fellow retreat, retreat! He has, he has returned!"

In a burrow beneath a hill not far from the slowly advancing artillery column, Ikit Claw, clad in the exoskeleton he named "Steel Framework" with a power pack on his back, threw down the instrument in his hand and slowly retreated into the tunnel.

Not to mention the Skaven, even the Greenskins knew how terrifying the Dwarf War Machines were. Sinuoli kept a tight guard, never giving them the possibility of a surprise attack by small groups. As for launching a large-scale field battle, Iblit did not intend to create opportunities for them.

"You have finally arrived! Please give the order, let me lead the brothers in a charge first!"

Seeing Sinuoli's banner from afar, Belegar could not help but rush out of the camp gate. In terms of numbers alone, this army was larger than the two largest scales organized by the Angrund Clan in history combined, and the quality was not even worth comparing. This clan that had lost its home had never fought such a wealthy war before.

"I am just as anxious as you, my friend. Eight Peaks is the place most favored by the Ancestor Goddess. But a grudge of thousands of years will not change in two or three days. Let us observe before making a decision."

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6975.2.2, the main force arrived at the foot of Eight Peaks. We are deep in the Badlands here. To fully cope with possible variables, we did not immediately lay siege but first set up a ten-mile camp.

May the clan ancestors forgive me; one day I would actually have to plan a stationing area for the pointed-ears. Fortunately, they are from the island and not the forest; there have been no new grudges in recent years, otherwise, I would be destined to be a Slayer after the war.

I should throw them near the public toilet area; that is a good idea!

6975.2.4, today we took a Helicopter to observe the situation of Eight Peaks from the air to formulate the final battle plan. For the past thousand years, the Angrund Clan had always infiltrated the fortress in small groups through secret passages left behind, and they lacked experience in frontal assaults.

Although the exterior is already filthy, the north-south structure of the fortress itself has not changed. We cannot see the north-south Earth Vein Network from the air; all we can observe is the Silver Abyss and the Guowang Dadao in front of the main gate of the fortress.

The Guowang Dadao points west from the main gate of the fortress to the foot of the mountain. In the Golden Age, it was only used when the armies of Eight Peaks campaigned in the Badlands. It is wide enough for twenty carriages to travel side-by-side; the road, carved by leveling a mountain peak, was once the pride of the southern fortresses.

6975.2.7, the Ironbreaker squads sent out to survey the Earth Vein Network brought back news. The good part is that three of the secret passages sealed during the evacuation remain; the bad part is that the main network connecting north and south has been severely damaged.

These beasts are truly damnable! The grand Earth Vein Network hub is more than just a transportation facility; it is a true work of art! How could they bear to destroy it? This crime is one they can never atone for, even with a hundred deaths!

Given this situation, the War Council unanimously decided to use the Guowang Dadao as the main direction of attack. A large number of Artillery and Rune Colossi would likely struggle to fully display their power in the dilapidated tunnels.

6975.2.8, flanking the Guowang Dadao are Lai'en Yan and Naier Yan, two of the eight peaks. We have begun to survey the enemy's defensive strength on these two peaks; only by capturing them can we effectively control the road leading to the main gate of the fortress.

6975.2.9, the War Council has offered a reward. Belegar Ironhammer has promised that the warrior who brings back the most valuable intelligence will be appointed as the Ranger Captain of Eight Peaks. For a time, there were countless applicants.

6875.2.11, the enemy forces occupying the two peaks must have received orders from above. They neither retreat nor take the initiative to seek contact, seemingly wanting us to make the first move so they can counter it.

His Majesty Sinuoli believes that our campaign objective is too clear—to retake Eight Peaks, with no room for maneuver. The enemy also wants to use this gateway to the fortress to test our strength.

Then let it be as they wish. We will take Lai'en Yan and Naier Yan and transport the War Machines from the Guowang Dadao to the main gate. Compared to the gate where the Ancestor Goddess once carved Runes with her own hands, what the Greenskins use now is at best a drafty wooden board. The Rune Colossus forged by the god Kelage will make them regret their shoddy engineering.

6875.2.12, the attack began. The artillery fire from the foot of the mountain pressed the Greenskins' pathetic Shooting Boys so they could not lift their heads, while the warriors advanced both above and below ground. Belegar took the vanguard without hesitation.

As the pressure increased, an interesting situation arose between the two enemy factions. Not only did they fail to coordinate, but they seemed to be sabotaging each other, trying to make the other side suffer greater losses.

Is an army of fifty thousand not enough to make the Greenskins and the rats unite against a common enemy? A foolish race deserves to be wiped out!