411: Chapter 398 The Combat Strength of the First Army

Mandy led his squad members to settle in at the First Army's station.

The company commander arranged for a Soldier to guide them to their dormitory. The dormitory conditions were very generous, with eight people to a room; the decor wasn't luxurious but was simple and clean. The floors and walls were swept spotless, all daily necessities were provided, and there was even a row of sliding windows, though they were of little use in "The World," as there was no sun in the sky.

Regarding this point, Mandy had asked the company commander.

The sky above the camp was pitch black, and no streetlights were set up along the internal roads, so where was the surrounding light coming from?

Mandy had noticed shortly after entering that the light inside the camp was very sufficient, making one wonder about the light source.

The company commander didn't answer, only saying, "You will naturally find out after you join the First Army."

Mandy guessed it might be a secret of the First Army. During recruit training, the instructors had emphasized not asking about things they shouldn't know, so he had to suppress his curiosity.

The next morning, Mandy, accustomed to military life, was woken up by his internal biological clock at "dawn."

After getting up and washing, a First Army Soldier pushed open the door and entered, leading them to the cafeteria. He instructed them that all three meals would be handled here at fixed times; if they missed one, they would have to wait for the next.

After finishing breakfast, according to a normal legion's schedule, they should have proceeded to the morning's routine training.

However, the Assault Team was external personnel, and the situation of the First Army was quite special, so they were allowed to move about on their own.

Mandy immediately ran excitedly toward the area where heavy weapons were parked.

When fighting the Allied Forces, there was artillery support from the rear, and he had seen with his own eyes the enemy positions being blown apart. The instructors had also described the appearance of the launchers to him, but he had never actually seen their specific form.

Now that he finally had the chance, he naturally couldn't miss it.

Mandy kept the company commander's warning in mind, standing on the stone path more than ten meters away from the area, peering at the rows of armored vehicles and tanks along with his teammates.

After watching for a while, a teammate muttered, "Captain, is this the thing that fires shells?"

"It should be. I heard the instructor say that weapons that can fire shells are called tanks. Didn't the company commander say yesterday that these are all tanks?" a teammate nearby responded.

"Uh, but there are two different designs here. Are they both tanks?"

"I think so. There are two appearances, but they're just different models. The guns we use are called rifles, but don't they also have several different looks?"

"Makes sense. I agree."

"I still feel like something's not right. Captain, do you know anything?"

The teammates' gazes converged on their captain.

Mandy didn't pay them much mind, rubbing his chin to himself: "The company commander did say these are tanks, it's just... compared to the appearance the instructor described, the difference is a bit large?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah." Mandy walked a few steps closer, hoping to observe the details of the tank's body more closely. "The instructor said there's a thick, large round tube called a barrel."

"There's one on this, isn't there?"

"It's different. That kind of round tube is loaded with shells from the back. Look at this tank, is there a loading port in the back?"

The teammates jostled each other as they moved to the right to see the back of the tank's turret clearly. Staring wide-eyed, they were all somewhat surprised. The armor at the rear of the turret was a single piece, with no gaps indicating that any part could be detached or flipped open.

"Captain, isn't this a shell launcher then?"

"Come to think of it, I've only seen the effect of shells exploding after they land. I've never actually seen what a shell looks like."

"Me neither."

"Me too..." the teammates chimed in one after another.

The captain scratched his head: "This, I'm not sure. Back at the recruit training regiment, the instructor didn't..."

"If you're talking about a shell launcher," the company commander said, arms crossed, as he slowly walked over from further down the stone path, continuing as he reached them, "it is one."

"Company Commander!" Mandy and his teammates snapped into a military salute.

The company commander gestured with his right hand for them to lower their hands, then explained to them:

"According to the principle of secrecy upheld by the Marshal, cutting-edge weapons will not appear in the outside world or be popularized among Soldiers before they are deployed on a large scale. So it's not strange that you find them unfamiliar."

"As for why you're confused about the difference between these tanks and the shell launchers the instructor described, that's a long story."

The members of the Assault Team quickly perked up their ears.

Seeing them like this, a rare trace of a smile appeared on the company commander's stern face, though it was quite stiff and looked awkward: "To understand this question, you first need to understand the concept of a shell."

"In terms of appearance, a shell is just an enlarged version of a bullet."

A teammate raised his hand: "Reporting!"

"Speak."

"How much bigger?"

The company commander used both hands to form a semi-circle, gesturing in front of himself: "A 155 is roughly... this big."

Mandy's mouth dropped open in shock: "Thicker than my arm. No wonder the Allied Forces were blown apart so badly that not even a single complete corpse could be found."

"So you see, the launchers for shells are all tube-shaped. They can be placed on a four-wheeled flatbed for transport, or they can be mounted on a tank to increase mobility."

Mandy realized: "The kind the instructor mentioned should be the flatbed type?"

"I was just using that as a description; it's not called a flatbed. Its full name is the 155 Cannon Howitzer."

"155 Cannon Howitzer..." Mandy muttered for a while, then suddenly raised his hand, "Reporting!"

"Speak."

"Can I apply to transfer to the artillery?" Mandy looked forward immensely to firing a shell with his own hands, to feel the vibration of the shell rushing out of the bore with the skin of his hands.

In fact, he wasn't the only one yearning to fire a cannon; his teammates were the same, all staring expectantly at the company commander.

The corner of the company commander's mouth twitched: "What is a Soldier's primary duty?"

The contents of the recruit manual, already etched into their minds, instantly surfaced. They instinctively blurted out: "To obey orders."

"Exactly." The company commander seemed to have other matters to attend to and turned to walk away.

Mandy stared blankly for a moment, his shoulders slumping in disappointment.

The teammates also felt bad, but they still comforted him: "It's okay, Captain. There will surely be a chance to become an artilleryman in the future."

Taking a deep breath to collect his mood, Mandy looked up, watching the back of the company commander as he disappeared around the corner of the road: "Yeah."

Seeing this, the teammates laughed and quickly changed the subject: "I'm quite curious now about just how strong the First Army really is."

"They have Lake's most powerful weapons, and they are also the legion that has followed the Marshal in battle for the longest time."

"Speaking of weapons," Mandy recalled the rifles in the hands of the sentries he saw last night, "the ones the First Army uses seem very different from ours..."

"The model?"

"No, it's a fundamental difference."

The teammate who had been with Mandy last night added: "Have you ever seen a rifle whose body can glow?"

"Never."

"Exactly. Last night, the captain and I saw..."

"Ahem!" Mandy emphasized his tone.

The teammate realized and gave a sheepish smile: "Didn't the First Army Soldier say it was fine?"

"Still, it's not allowed."

"Oh."

Mandy and his teammates cut off their conversation and walked around the parking lot, observing the tanks from all angles. Only after they had seen enough did they go to other parts of the camp.

Over the next few days, they maintained the same rhythm.

On a morning half a month later, probably.

Because they didn't carry watches and the sky was always pitch black, they couldn't judge the time by sunrise or sunset. Mandy didn't know exactly what time it was now.

In any case, a First Army Soldier knocked on the door to wake them up, ordering them to organize their gear immediately.

It was coming.

Mandy understood that the operation the company commander had mentioned was about to begin. He moved quickly to check his weapons and ammunition, donned his full gear, and gathered with his teammates on the camp's drill ground.

The First Army had already finished assembling. When Mandy arrived, he did a rough estimation with his eyes—about 5,000 people.

He remembered the company commander mentioning that the First Army had a full complement of over ten thousand men, so only half the force was being deployed this time.

The company commander was also part of this operation, standing at the very front of a certain column.

Directly in front of the formation, an officer with a scar slanting across his face stood with his hands behind his back, his expression solemn.

Mandy looked straight ahead, his peripheral vision catching the epaulet on the officer's shoulder representing his rank—Regiment Commander.

The Regiment Commander didn't give a rousing pre-battle speech; he only silently scanned the formation for a long time before saying: "Depart!"

As the words fell, a light gate opened on the right side of the drill ground, and the Soldiers trotted through the gate in sequence from front to back.

Mandy and the Assault Team members were arranged at the very end.

After a familiar sense of dizziness, Mandy regained his vision and looked around. He was standing in a pitch-black forest at the edge of a mountain range.

He had guessed wrong; it was night.

The company commander walked up to him in full gear: "Listen, for this mission, you are to stay on the periphery and remain on standby. No matter what happens, as long as you haven't received an order, unauthorized action is strictly forbidden. Understood?"

Mandy actually didn't understand.

If the Assault Team was just going to observe the whole time, what was the point of coming along for the mission?

Though his heart was full of doubts, he immediately replied: "Yes!"

The First Army Soldiers checked their weapons one last time, then began to move, advancing silently through the mountain forest toward the river.

After running behind the formation for a while, Mandy watched the performance of the First Army Soldiers, his palms sweating. At the same time, he realized why the Assault Team wasn't allowed to participate in the frontal battle.

Although his view was filled with the backs of the Soldiers, Mandy could sense from their steady steps alone that they had no fear of the powerful enemy they were about to face—not even a trace.

Mandy remembered when he was executing pathfinding missions; even when the enemy's morale was low and their equipment crude, his heartbeat would still involuntarily quicken.

This was understandable, after all, on the battlefield, a single oversight meant death.

However, everything suffered in comparison. He already knew the information about the First Army's enemy this time: it was the Bauhinia Legion from the Gangnuo Empire. The Soldiers were all composed of Professionals, and the Legion Commander was even at the Saint level.

"Are they... really not afraid?" Mandy said in a voice that only he could hear.

The First Army Soldier in front of him seemed to have heard, however. He turned his head, glared at him with fierce eyes, and then made a hand gesture—Silence!

Mandy quickly shut his mouth and returned the gesture—Sorry, understood!

The legion advanced silently. In the dark forest, there were only the faint rustling sounds of footsteps and the occasional roar of a magical beast in the distance.

After marching for about an hour, Mandy followed the First Army to the edge of the forest.

Through the gaps between the sparse trees, he could see a vast camp standing quietly in the night by the river on the grassland outside.

Most legions on the Saul Continent were powerful in combat, but in reality, their military discipline was not very strict. Many times, they didn't even arrange for routine patrols, only sending a few High-tier Professionals to guard against enemy attacks. Furthermore, with Legion Commanders having no heart for military study, the defenses of camps established outside were simply full of holes.

However, the Bauhinia Legion was different.

The main camp was situated on the highest point of the surrounding terrain, ensuring that the enemy could not use visual blind spots to approach the camp covertly. The interior was also brightly lit, with hundreds of lamp posts erected everywhere, the magical crystals at the top emitting a dazzling light that made the vicinity almost as bright as day.

The fence on the periphery of the camp was covered with white cloth. The figures of patrolling Soldiers moving about were projected onto the white cloth, their steps forceful.

There was a night breeze, and the flags attached to the gateposts on both sides of the main gate flapped loudly.

Before they had even engaged, a sense of pressure already weighed down through various details.

Mandy didn't have to join the attack, which meant he didn't have to face the enemy directly, but his tensed body simply wouldn't relax. The sound of the flags fluttering was like a fierce beast, casting an incredibly malevolent gaze toward him.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He snapped out of it and turned to look. It was the company commander.

The company commander showed his usual awkward smile and raised his hand to make a gesture—Don't, be nervous.

Mandy intended to respond with a gesture, but his fingers, trembling out of control, couldn't even respond to the instructions of his mind.

So he nodded.

The company commander patted his shoulder again, turned, and left. Arriving before his own subordinates, he raised his hand.

According to, original plan, act, vanguard team, depart!

The company commander suddenly clenched his fist and swung it toward the camp.

...

Main Camp.

Legion Commander Sadou sat behind a low table in the tent, his chin resting on his hand, his back slightly hunched, his gaze fixed on the magical lamp on the table in deep thought.

After an unknown amount of time, the door curtain was lifted, and the Vice Legion Commander, wearing armor, strode in.

"Lord Legion Commander, no enemy activity."

"We are already close to the combat zone. Do not stop the patrols every half hour."

"As you command!" After replying with a serious attitude, the Vice Legion Commander relaxed. "Legion Commander, we just arrived at the Allied border, and Lake has only just fought into the Allied heartland. How could they possibly cross half a territory to attack us?"

"Besides, this half of the territory is still controlled by the Allied Forces."

"Heh, the Allied Forces?" The Legion Commander gave an inscrutable sneer and sat up straight. "I don't know what Lake's purpose is, but if Lake really wanted to eliminate the Allied Forces, they could do it in a month at most."

"Uh..."

"Doubting my judgment?"

"I wouldn't dare!"

"Forget it." Sadou watched as the Vice Legion Commander lowered his head to avoid his direct gaze, and waved his hand listlessly.

The Vice Legion Commander was feeling some doubt in his heart right now.

After Legion Commander Sadou and Lord Gods Blessing returned from leaving the legion for a period of time, it was as if he had become a different person.

The confidence in his eyes was gone, replaced by anxiety and even a bit of fear. His once firm tone was now always full of hesitation.

During that short time... what exactly had happened?

Only the two people involved could clear up the confusion, but unfortunately, he didn't dare ask either of them.

How to put it, it was very uncomfortable.

The Vice Legion Commander felt as if ants were crawling all over him, and he unconsciously twisted about.

Sadou saw this and looked puzzled: "What's wrong with you?"

"No, it's nothing, Lord Legion Commander."

"Are you..."

"Enemy attack!"

A shout rang out from outside the tent. Sadou stood up in surprise, thought for a moment, and then sat back down on the wooden stool: "Go see."

"As you command!"