Chapter 458: Preparation for the Decisive Battle

6876.2.13, the lads are all working hard, and I led a charge once too. The beasts are resisting, but their struggle is laughable when they have almost lost even their numerical advantage.

His Majesty Sinuoli has stayed at the artillery position from start to finish; this was agreed upon from the beginning. When it comes to dealing with cannon fodder, the efficiency of a hundred cannons firing in unison is something even gods cannot match, and our enemies are well aware of this.

6876.2.14, of the two peaks, Lai'en Yan was the first to be recaptured!

Belegar Ironhammer and his personal guard finally crushed the Greenskin defensive line; this victory is only the beginning! The Little Beards responsible for his previous two waves of attacks all claimed they intentionally left this glory for Belegar, but I have reason to doubt whether they truly possess such a spirit of humility.

We captured some live ones, but the intelligence gained was limited. As always, the rats' plans are known only to the highest level; the mid-to-low-level leaders only receive specific tasks.

As for the Greenskins, this bunch of brainless idiots lacks any sense of secrecy, but they lack strategy even more. Never mind us; even the birds flying over Eight Peaks could hear that murderer Iblit loudly boasting about its "plan"—

Wait until we and the rats fight until both sides are exhausted, then it will swoop in to reap the rewards, completely possess Eight Peaks, and use it as capital to contend for the Badlands and even raise a Waaagh! to assault Black Fire Pass. It looks like something that cannot see the light of day, but its thinking is truly beautiful!

6876.2.15, a few rats provided some interesting news, which earned them a quick end.

It seems Clan Mors has received some powerful aid from the Old World. This is abnormal; shouldn't they be busy fighting endlessly over the ownership of the soon-to-be-vacant seats while secretly sabotaging each other?

His Majesty Sinuoli seems to have some guesses; he doubled the scouts and designated search directions for them.

6876.2.16, troops were concentrated in the direction of Naier Yan; if not for the need to reduce losses, it should have been taken today. At the same time, we began constructing positions at Lai'en Yan to guard against a possible counterattack.

6876.2.18, the rats' reinforcements have appeared. His Majesty Sinuoli decided to deploy the Rune Colossus to avoid long delays. With one slash from the giant war machine, the Greenskins' crude ramparts fell apart; it is a pity that it wasted some effort just tearing down walls during its first formal battle.

After seizing the bridgehead leading into the interior of Eight Peaks, the War Council discussed overnight how to consolidate the results and launch the next phase of the offensive. As the quartermaster, I reported on the current reserves and supply situation of grain and ammunition; this is one of the most critical conditions for formulating combat plans.

Cutting off our supply lines is a staple for these beasts; being safe now does not mean being safe forever. Although there are heavy troops escorting and outposts and patrol cavalry along the way, there is no such thing as a foolproof plan in this world.

The Sons of the Mountains can maintain their combat effectiveness with stone bread and ale, but the human whelps cannot. And the pointy-ears, hmph, I hope they can really survive by drinking dew!

6976.2.21, it took three days to build the positions on the two peaks to a "presentable" level, and the scouts also brought back news. Every word placed before us can be said to be stained with the blood of our kin; as of now, the number of sacrifices in the intelligence sector is higher than on the front lines.

First is the confirmation of the existence of the Black-Robed Clan Eshin; among the rats, they are the most vicious and specialize in underhanded tactics. The appearance of these mercenary-like things was within expectations.

I think it was the scouts' desperate fighting that held them back, providing a side guarantee for the safety of the logistics. May the Ancestor Gods protect the heroic spirits of the warriors!

The number of rats from the Old World is not large, but they must be elites; after all, sending Clanrats and their ilk over serves no purpose other than wasting food and acting as food.

Different scout squads heard some kind of terrifying roar from deep underground, which should come from a monster completely different from a Rat Ogre. Experienced old Rangers believe this roar is the superposition of countless voices; heaven knows what the rats have cooked up again.

Furthermore, Clan Mors is frequently using its Warpstone reserves. They are very vigilant; no one has discovered where the Warpstone is taken from or where it is being sent, only that squads of black-furred rats have been captured carrying them back and forth underground.

His Majesty Sinuoli stated that rats without spellcasting abilities find it difficult to directly utilize Warpstone, so he inferred that grey-furred rats have come from the Old World as reinforcements.

Theoretically, with so many Rune Masters present, they would not dare to appear directly on the battlefield, but this still represents huge uncertainty; the entries about them in the Book of Grudges are all bloody lessons.

6976.2.22, the pointy-ears riding griffons have returned. Heaven knows why noble and brave creatures like griffons are willing to be ridden by those treacherous and lecherous wretches; if you ask me, it must be that they ride the griffons by day and are ridden by the griffons at night.

That leader, well, given His Majesty Sinuoli's strong request, Eltharion, claimed that the Greenskins around Black Rock Fort and Gangtieyan are still in a state of "great chaos" and have no intention of reinforcing the Evil Moon Clan.

6976.2.23, the area of the front plaza of Eight Peaks is limited and insufficient for cavalry to charge back and forth, so the War Council decided that the cavalry should temporarily split into two groups: half to turn back to secure the supply line between the main base and the Dushuihe bridge, and the other half to patrol along the western foothills of the mountains.

Regarding how to fight for Eight Peaks, the clansmen had some differing opinions. Belegar proposed hoping to first launch a main attack on the Evil Moon Goblins in the upper levels of the fortress, which gained the support of some Little Beards.

Their view is that since Iblit wants to wait for us and the Skaven to fight until both sides are exhausted, it will likely resist passively or even withdraw proactively when faced with an attack; it might as well be granted its wish. The army is powerful and can fully rely on the upper fortress to destroy the Skaven below and fight the Greenskins outside.

No matter how flowery the Little Beards' words are, they cannot hide their short-sighted nature. Belegar is so eager he wants to be crowned directly in the hall of Lai'en Yan; if he really wanted to retake the Wa Laya Sheng Dian, who could stop him!

King Kazador and I exchanged a glance and were about to speak when His Majesty Sinuoli directly vetoed his idea. The King of the Southlands firmly believes that Iblit cannot completely withdraw from the fortress complex, as that would be equivalent to abandoning its foundation of rule.

No matter what, it will drive in two or three wedges; to insist on pulling them out is equivalent to a decisive battle, and not pulling them out leaves a lingering mess, requiring constant vigilance against being attacked from both front and rear, making it impossible to fully clear out the Skaven.

But the Skaven are hidden underground after all; unless they can be forced out for a decisive battle, how to wipe them out is a difficult problem. The original Earth Vein Network was already accessible in all directions, and now it is even more impossible to get a handle on.

6976.2.24, His Majesty Sinuoli decided to go find a ruin. For some reason, he did not take his own fellow disciples but chose Master Thorek Ironbrow from Tiefengbao to accompany him, and also brought the great adventurer Brian Bronzebeard and a small guard.

6976.2.25, the rats launched a sneak attack!

6976.2.26, we fought hard for half the night, and it was only by relying on Eltharion riding a griffon into the sky to identify the enemy's path that we were able to block them out. Even so, nearly twenty War Machines were destroyed.

Who on earth leaked the news!