Chapter 147: Dividing Forces

Chapter 147: Splitting the Forces

The meeting on the following day yielded no constructive results, but it was evident that General Lefevre’s demeanor had grown stern. He even lost his temper right there in the conference room, leaving the other officers exchanging awkward glances. Xia Zheng noticed that General Ying Fan seemed to wear a subtle, mysterious smile that he didn’t bother to hide.

Over the two days since Xia Zheng’s return, the blood-clan monsters within the barrier had begun making successive charges outward, exerting mounting pressure on the garrison forces outside. When some high-ranking leader monsters burst through, the army suffered certain casualties, causing an inevitable decline in overall morale.

"Benson, dragging things out like this is not a solution. Why don’t you and I go see the commander-in-chief together? We still need to send out the troops," Luo Bing murmured, lying in Xia Zheng’s arms after a passionate encounter. Over the past two days, the two of them had become inseparable, seizing a rare opportunity for intimacy.

Xia Zheng shook his head and replied, "We cannot go. If we do, we’ll end up taking the blame later. Besides, I believe that by tomorrow at the latest, there will definitely be a final decision regarding whether to deploy the troops."

"What makes you say that?" Luo Bing propped herself up, paying no mind to the alluring scenery her plump body displayed. After Xia Zheng indulged himself with a fond touch, he continued, "If the commander continues to stall, once he misses the strategic window, he will bear the ultimate responsibility and likely lose his position. Eternal Night City represents half of the Federation’s territory; we cannot simply stand by and watch it be occupied by the blood clan. With over two hundred thousand elite troops stationed right outside, a battle is inevitable."

"Then by that time..." Luo Bing pressed her cheek against Xia Zheng’s chest while her fingers traced circles on it.

Xia Zheng patted her upturned hips and said, "My deduction is that the commander will split the forces. Strictly speaking, this is the safest measure. If the entire army presses forward and suffers annihilation, it would spell total doom, and the commander would be hard-pressed to answer for it. Therefore, he won’t do that unless the Federation faces an existential crisis. After splitting the forces, even if they suffer heavy losses, the commander will still have an explanation to offer the Military Department and the Federation."

"What about you? Are you going?" Luo Bing climbed onto his lap and asked.

Xia Zheng nodded and said, "Regardless of whether the commander splits the forces or not, I will definitely go. It’s not that I’m too arrogant and think things can’t be done without me. Currently, I am the one most familiar with the blood clan. If I can fight alongside everyone, perhaps I can play a significant role."

Luo Bing gave a soft murmur, offered another passionate kiss, and once again reignited the flames of war between them.

Xia Zheng understood that there was no way for him to avoid this. This was not the real world; the dungeon plotline had to be advanced, and he certainly could not remain a bystander. The only question was whether he could "survive" this great battle against the blood clan or if his journey would end right here. If the latter, he would only gain a partial understanding of the fall of Eternal Night City, which would leave him with lasting regrets.

The dungeon made no mention of resurrection after being killed in action, so Xia Zheng had to assume that perishing within the dungeon likely meant a direct expulsion. Therefore, he would strive hard to survive.

The next day, during the supreme military council inside the command tent, General Lefevre finally made his decision: he would split off an army of eighty thousand to attack the blood clan and retake the Eternal District, while the remaining forces would pack their gear and stand by, ready to provide reinforcement at any moment.

This order to divide the forces still sparked considerable controversy within the army, but it finally managed to calm the previously turbulent morale.

The quota of eighty thousand combat troops was divided into two parts. One part was directly assigned by superiors—for instance, Star-Rank Martial Artists like Luo Bing, along with high-tier and mid-tier genetic martial artists, all fell within the scope of mandatory conscription, followed by select ace combat units from among the ordinary elite soldiers. The other part was filled through voluntary applications, accounting for about fifty thousand slots.

Many understood that the dangers facing this operation were extremely high, as they would be penetrating deep into the lair of the blood clan, even though the Eternal District had been human territory until recently.

Xia Zheng had originally thought this voluntary sign-up method wouldn’t receive much response, given that it was essentially a suicide mission. To his surprise, however, the enthusiasm for enlistment was remarkably high, with nearly all units applying to participate in the desperate expedition.

"Salute to these soldiers of the Federation." Because of his experiences in the real world, Xia Zheng’s feelings toward the Military Department and its soldiers had always been somewhat complicated. But at this moment, he suddenly understood that when faced with a mortal enemy, Federation soldiers were always ready to sacrifice their lives heroically.

Although the Federation was the most powerful nation on this planet, its overall territory remained negligible compared to the sum of all other nations combined. Yet, because of the indomitable tenacity and fearlessness of the Federation soldiers, no matter how many countries allied against them, the Federation relied on its technology and courage, spilling its hot blood to safeguard its own freedom. This was the Azure Federation.

Xia Zheng had already been together with Luo Bing. In fact, he had been summoned separately by Ying Fan and General Lefevre, who hinted that he could opt out of this operation, but Xia Zheng had politely declined.

During the preparations, Luo Bing paid a certain price to procure ten brand-new, high-quality mental beads for Xia Zheng, whose capacity was double that of the ones he had previously discarded.

After another day of troop reorganization, the eighty thousand brave soldiers officially stepped into the completely decayed barrier, beginning a campaign of life and death.

Amidst dense volleys of gunfire, blood-clan monsters fell continuously, yet these creatures seemed to grow right out of the ground, endlessly crawling up from beneath as if they could never be slain.

In half a day’s time, after paying the price of a thousand casualties, the eighty-thousand-strong force finally cleared the obstacles, passed through the barrier zone, and officially entered the core territory of the blood clan.

Xia Zheng, Luo Bing, and the others took the lead in the vanguard, opening the path alongside the army scouts. Their intelligence would determine the fate of the army following behind them.

"Mr. Wood, there doesn't seem to be any abnormality nearby," a scout approached Xia Zheng and said respectfully.

Although Xia Zheng held no formal military rank, his "Hero of the Nation" medal equated him to the rank of a major general, so these soldiers held him in high esteem and deeply admired his formidable combat prowess.

"Don't lower your guard. Reconnoiter a few more times, and the moment you encounter anything unusual, report back immediately. Do not get dragged into combat," Xia Zheng frowned, sensing that the blood clan seemed to be deliberately relaxing their guard. Could they be plotting something?

"Yes!" The scout immediately departed, not daring to be negligent, and resumed a new round of searching.

Luo Bing handed him a canteen of water. Xia Zheng took a few sips, handed it back, and said, "Luo Bing, do you think the blood clan could have anticipated our move?"

"Possibly. The blood clan aren't fools. Being able to meticulously orchestrate the seizure of the Eternal District means they are definitely no simple foes. In terms of intelligence, they won't lose to humans. In fact, I believe those ugly, terrifying monsters are not to be feared; it is these intelligent blood clansmen who are the true formidable enemies," Luo Bing replied.

Xia Zheng nodded and casually inquired about the progress of the column, finding that the eighty-thousand-strong force had basically penetrated into the territory of the blood clan. However, if they were to retreat right now, there was still time.

Hum...

A wave of mental fluctuation washed over them, faintly inducing a sense of unease in people's hearts. The minds of many soldiers were affected, plunging them into distress.

Luo Bing gritted her teeth, looking extremely uncomfortable. Xia Zheng felt it too; this exact kind of mental fluctuation was the signature attack method of mentalists like himself.

Xia Zheng immediately helped Luo Bing aside and then erected a protective dome, roughly ten meters in radius, designed to isolate mental fluctuations. With the mental waves greatly weakened by the shield, anyone stepping inside would feel much better.

"Let me go and meet this blood-clan mentalist." Xia Zheng materialized a pair of wings and soared into the upper air. Relying on his mental perception, he quickly located the mentalist in question.

It was a young girl wearing a white, semi-transparent, sleeveless dress, with a cascade of shimmering, straight black hair. Her eyes gleamed with an eerie green light as she opened her mouth to chant, releasing wave after wave of sonic vibrations laden with psychic energy.

"Roar!" Xia Zheng let out a long whistle, imbuing the sound with his own divine sense, which instantly emitted ripples of sound that collided head-on with the black-haired, white-robed blood-clan girl's psychic waves.

In an instant, the sonic waves from both sides annihilated each other, and the troops on the ground below immediately recovered.

Splash, splash, splash...

From the soil not far away, rotting arms and skulls continuously thrust upward, and in the blink of an eye, an army of thousands of the undead emerged.