Chapter 1, Tiger Squad, Attack
A snowflake slowly drifted down from the sky, landing precisely on Meng Hu's neck. In an instant, it melted into a drop of snow water, and the bone-chilling cold immediately cleared Meng Hu's hazy mind. He turned around sharply, ... as far as his eyes could see, there were heavy and light infantry of the Glorious Empire, with thick shields stretching like a wall, sharp battle knives glinting coldly, and countless long spears piercing the sky, resembling the fierce fangs of a beast, exuding a chilling aura.
No retreat is allowed; those who disobey the order shall be executed
The fierce passion surges within Meng Hu's chest, who says that light infantry can only be cannon fodder on the battlefield? His troops are certainly not cannon fodder! Although Meng Hu's soldiers may lack sophisticated equipment, they possess the most rigorous training and an indomitable will; they are the masters of the battlefield
Following the crowded throng, Meng Hu also moved forward slowly. Looking around, he saw heads bobbing in every direction, and the sound of footsteps surged like a tide, echoing across the land. Faintly, he could hear the heavy breathing of the new recruits. With a great battle imminent, these fresh soldiers, who had just stepped onto the battlefield, were about to face their first combat experience. If luck were to abandon them, this might very well be their last battle in life.
The north wind is like a knife, and water droplets turn to ice
Several miles away, another army was already on high alert.
Nevertheless, unfortunate light infantrymen continued to be struck by arrows, collapsing in pools of blood and struggling for their lives while emitting cries of despair in their final moments. Meng Hu, however, remained deaf to these sounds and showed no intention of stopping to save anyone. Whether it is killing or being killed, death has always been the central theme of war; in battle, people must die, and there is nothing to be overly astonished about.
Meng Hu took a deep breath of the cold air in the library, gripping the battle knife tightly in his hand. A fervent killing intent ignited in his dark eyes. Meng Hu relished war, the taste of slaughter and blood. For him, war was akin to breathing; without it, he would suffocate and die
With the powerful inertia of a high-altitude fall, sharp arrowheads can easily pierce through solid iron armor
The bright and clear moon, this is the symbol of the Mingyue Empire
The army emerging from the fortress is clad in red battle robes, while the troops arrayed several miles away are dressed entirely in black. From a distance, the desolate wilderness appears to be shrouded in a thick layer of dark clouds, creating an oppressive atmosphere. The central formation of this army also displays a prominent banner, on which a bright full moon is embroidered against a black background.
Arrows fell like rain, and one after another, soldiers were struck down. Despite facing the threat of death, the soldiers of both nations continued to advance steadily, maintaining their orderly pace. They were well aware that quickening their pace could help them traverse this deadly stretch more swiftly, yet they could not do so, for once they increased their speed, it would be difficult to maintain their disciplined formation.
A trace of warmth involuntarily flickered in Meng Hu's eyes. If it were not for Lei Ming, Meng Hu would likely have turned into a pile of bones by now. Last winter, Meng Hu accidentally arrived in this unfamiliar world, severely injured and on the verge of death. Had it not been for Lei Ming's rescue, Meng Hu would have long since perished.
The Radiant Empire and the Moonlight Empire are the two great powers of Middle-earth
The title of General is the dream of every soldier in the Empire, and it is certainly also the fervent aspiration of Lei Ming
Even if saving people is the goal of the operation, it must wait until the end of the conflict. Attempting to save someone amidst fierce fighting between the two armies is likely to result in failure to save the person and the loss of one's own life instead. Meng Hu had witnessed a tragedy where a squad leader, in an effort to treat a soldier who had fallen from an arrow wound, lost his necessary vigilance and was shot through the head by an enemy archer.
The downpour of arrows seemed endless, and it was unclear how long had passed when the two armies finally clashed in close combat
Three miles ahead, the dark and imposing Mingyue army has formed the same formation, with heavy infantry at the front, archers following behind, and light infantry guarding the flanks. Approximately a division of over 20,000 troops is marching in unison, shouting resounding battle cries, converging into a rolling tide of iron, slowly pressing towards the forces of the Glorious Empire.
War has never required mercy; mercy will only lead to a quicker demise
... ...
Maintain proper formation in the back row, do not be disorganized
It has never been stipulated that heavy infantry are the masters of the battlefield, nor has it ever been stated that light infantry can only play a supporting role on the battlefield. Although the training and equipment of light infantry are far inferior to those of heavy infantry, they are not without merit. If tactics are employed appropriately, light infantry can indeed defeat heavy infantry and can fully determine the outcome of a war.
War has always required cold-blooded ruthlessness; only by being sufficiently cold-blooded and ruthless can one survive until the end
The archers of both armies almost simultaneously halted their advance, and under the officer's command, they drew their bows and nocked their arrows. One by one, the sharp arrowheads pointed diagonally towards the sky. At the officer's command, waves of arrows soared into the air in an instant, intertwining to form a dense rain of arrows, which then descended violently from above, accompanied by a shrill scream heralding death.
In the era of cold weapons, the infantry's reliance on formation was beyond imagination. An infantry unit that loses its rigorous formation becomes vulnerable to attack. This illustrates the principle of a single chopstick versus a bundle of chopsticks: a single chopstick can be easily broken, while a bundle of chopsticks is difficult to break.
Meng Hu, holding a battle knife, gazed coldly at the tumultuous battlefield
If one can still be struck by an arrow in such circumstances, one can only blame their own bad luck, what more is there to say
The resounding bugle echoed across the land, as waves of soldiers clad in red battle robes surged forth from the sturdy Sirius Fortress. They arranged themselves in formation on the flat expanse of wilderness in front of the fortress. In the center of the formation, a large flag fluttered in the wind, its bright red surface prominently embroidered with a golden sun symbolizing brilliance.
Meng Hu slowly withdrew his gaze, his cold and piercing eyes sweeping across the wilderness and looking ahead
For hundreds of years, in pursuit of hegemony over the Middle-earth, the two great empires have waged countless battles, yet have never truly determined a victor. At least up to the present, the two empires remain evenly matched, with neither able to gain the upper hand over the other
The two advancing armies collided like two torrents of iron, instantly creating a dazzling spray of blood. The sounds of clashing weapons, the wails of soldiers, the shouts of officers, along with the distant and lingering sound of horns and the passionate and resounding beat of war drums, together composed a melody of death
There is!
Although the two armies have already engaged in close combat, it is only the heavily armored infantry in the center who are truly fighting to the death. The light infantry on the flanks have yet to enter the fray. In this unfamiliar world, the light infantry are merely insignificant support and auxiliary troops. The outcome of war is always determined by the well-trained and well-equipped heavy infantry.
Today, a division-scale border war finally broke out between the two countries, and it is time to repay the life-saving grace of Thunder.
Only when one side's mechanized infantry first defeats the other side will the victorious side's light infantry advance en masse to pursue the victory. For thousands of years, this tactic has become the standard strategy in battles between two armies, and almost all military academies regard this tactic as a classic
Meng Hu suddenly turned around, his sharp gaze slicing through the soldiers standing ready behind him. He shouted sternly: "Brothers, the head of the enemy commander is right ahead, beneath that bright moon flag. Do you have the courage to go and take it with me?"
The horn of attack sounded, and the Glorious Empire's army began to advance slowly forward
At this moment, life is as humble as the wild grass by the roadside
Meng Hu squinted his eyes slightly, coldly gazing at the arrows continuously raining down from the sky. Two sharp arrows even grazed his cheek, the feathers of the arrowheads brushing against his skin, causing a faint sting. With just a hair's breadth of difference, these two arrows could have pierced through his face. Despite the perilous situation, Meng Hu did not even blink.
As a veteran who has crawled out from piles of corpses several times, Meng Hu is well aware that the archers will always prioritize the "care" of the heavily armored infantry in the center, rather than the light infantry on the flanks. The vast majority of arrows will rain down upon the elite infantry positioned in the center of the formation, with only a very few arrows landing on the heads of the light infantry on the wings.
In an instant, Meng Hu's gaze had already crossed the noisy battlefield, fixating on the bright moon flag fluttering in the wind across the way. Although he could not see clearly the situation under the Chu flag, Meng Hu could sense that the commander of the Mingyue Kingdom must be there. As long as he could take his head, the Glorious Empire would surely win this battle, and Lei Ming would be able to rise to the rank of general based on the merits of this victory
Remain calm in the front row, do not retreat
A thunderous roar erupted, and Meng Hu turned his head upon hearing the sound. He saw the battalion commander Lei Ming at the front, raising his arm and calling out, while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of the formation and encouraging the new recruits who were on the battlefield for the first time. This was essential; without the motivation and encouragement from the veterans, these new recruits were highly likely to collapse under pressure.
Slowly raising the battle knife in his hand, the sharp tip pointed towards the bright moon flag fluttering in the wind ahead, Meng Hu let out a long roar to the sky like a fierce tiger: "Tiger Brigade, attack!"
Uncontrollable, a faint cold smile had already appeared at the corner of Meng Hu's mouth
A year has passed, and there has been no outbreak of large-scale war between the two great empires
Before the outcome was determined in the reinstallation of the infantry, the light infantry could do nothing but wait, waiting in restlessness and unease
The three heavy infantry regiments of the Glorious Empire's army have been deployed on the front line. Behind the heavy infantry are the indifferent archers, and on both flanks of the formation, there are two regiments of light infantry, among whom is Meng Hu. Their primary task is to ensure the safety of the flanks of the three heavy infantry regiments.
The golden sun is a symbol of the Glorious Empire
Tactics and military branches are always lifeless; only talent is alive
The two armies advanced towards each other and soon entered the range of the infantry longbows
A whole company of more than 200 soldiers responded with a roar; they were all soldiers of Meng Hu, the troops of the Fierce Tiger Company