Chapter 870 Steel Sky! (1/2)

A hearty battle has just come to an end. The soldiers on the western front are cleaning the battlefield with pride, but the rear area in the east is in a different situation at this moment.

Central part of Maryland.

A small mountain village with an unprepossessing appearance, sparsely populated, with only some old people and children.

Like Tiandu, this place belongs to the territory of Borneo, and the only difference is that the former is located on the border, so it rarely appears in the public eye.

In contrast, people here know very little about what is happening in the outside world.

The residents of Tiandu are busy preparing for the exam. The residents of Liema City are considering whether to take a boat to Tiandu to take the exam. The locals don't even know what the exam is.

not only that.

Since this place is sandwiched between Mammoth State and Tiger State, and there are remnants of the Gray Wolf Army operating in this area, it is equivalent to three warlord forces fighting each other. Therefore, the Abu Sak authorities' control over it is extremely weak. .

Except for a few gathering places with a population of 100,000,000, most of the other mountain villages were actually neglected areas, and even the landed nobles had fled.

A poor place like this naturally cannot retain young people.

Unless they couldn't leave with their families, most of the young men who still had good legs and feet either went to the city to work hard or defected to nearby warlords.

At least here, there is no way to survive by farming, and it is difficult for the family to have enough to eat.

The old man carrying a basket on his back had just finished working in the fields and was walking home when he was suddenly stopped by a polite young man halfway.

"...Old sir, how can I get to Black Python Mountain?"

The old man stopped and glanced at the young man in front of him. He was carrying a bag and wearing long-sleeved clothes. Although he was dusty, he was fair and clean. He looked like a decent man at first glance.

As the saying goes, it is hard not to be fond of a person who is polite and courteous.

Especially since the old man was used to being looked at with nostrils by the gentlemen, now that a decent man was willing to lean down and talk to him, he was a little flattered for a while.

After touching the back of his head, he grinned happily and said politely.

"Oh, I don't dare to be a gentleman, I'm just a local... Where are you going to Hei? Black Python Mountain, right..."

When he said this, the old man suddenly came back to his senses. The place was called Black Python Mountain, and his expression changed immediately.

Zaid smiled and nodded, speaking in a generous and kind tone.

"I heard General Gopal is around here and wanted to pay him a visit."

"Hey, why are you looking for that evil wolf that eats people without spitting out their bones?"

Without waiting for the young man to explain, the old man glanced nervously to his left and right. Seeing that there was no one else nearby, he continued to persuade him earnestly.

"Young man, please listen to my advice. Those wolf cubs are not good people... they are just a bunch of bandits! There is a war on the front line, and Commander Abu Saik has no time to deal with them. Once the battle is over, , not even one of them can escape!"

Zaid smiled, sighed again and said.

"It seems that these bandits have caused you a lot of trouble."

The old man shook his head and sighed.

"Hey, that's not the case! Because of those guys, whoever has some extra food at home has to be careful to hide it. They come here every now and then to fight the autumn wind, and they almost took off the wall of my house."

"You have suffered," Zaid looked at the old man sympathetically and put his hand on his shoulder, as if he really couldn't bear to see him suffering. "But old man, don't worry, sir! Commander Abu Saik is in charge." I’ll take care of whatever you can’t do! In fact, I’m here to solve your troubles!”

"Solve it?" The old man was stunned for a moment and looked at him suspiciously. "What problem can you, a scholar... be able to solve?"

Zaid laughed after hearing this.

"I'm not much of a scholar... Just tell me how to find him."

Good words can't persuade a damn ghost.

Seeing that he insisted on going, the old man could only sigh and point his hand behind him.

"Climb over the mountain in front. The winding mountain like a giant python is called Black Python Mountain. It takes several days to walk there. You can't go in alone, but his people are in that area. Patrol and guard against the militiamen in nearby cities. When you reach the woods behind the mountain, shout every two steps and they will naturally come to you."

After saying that, the old man gave another kind words of advice.

"That guy is really not a good person... Even if you want to join the army, you might as well go find Lassi or Absek."

The burning of the village is vivid in my mind.

Although he had never experienced it personally, he heard from people who had fled from the north that their village was burned down by the Gray Wolf Army, for some reason.

There are many old ministers of the empire who do not treat people as human beings.

"I understand. Just relax. Just leave this matter to me."

Zaid smiled and patted the old man on the shoulder, and then walked in the direction that the old man pointed before without looking back.

Good people...

Looking at the dark forest, a faint smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.

If that guy were a good person, he wouldn't come to this damn place...

Leaving the mountain village and heading north.

The further we walked into the forest, the fewer people there were, and we could still hear a few faint howls of wolves.

Didn't bring any followers.

Zaid picked up a wooden stick and used it as a walking stick, and walked forward alone, like a determined pilgrim.

After a long journey, after passing through dense woods and bushes covered with thorns, he finally saw the mountains that were entangled on the earth like giant pythons.

Ahead is Black Python Mountain!

The remnants of the Gray Wolf Army are hiding there!

A smile appeared on Zaid's face. Just as he was about to shout as the old man said to attract the attention of the nearby patrol, a black gun suddenly pointed at him.

"do not move."

The cold voice seemed to be coming from hell, and it was as gloomy as a cave that had not seen light for a long time.

And that's exactly where snakes like to hide.

Zaid could feel that there were at least ten guns pointed at him, and the eyes of those pairs were full of alertness and hostility.

Throwing away the crutch in his hand, he simply raised his hands and said with his back to the black hole of the gun.

"My name is Zaid, and I am entrusted by Commander Abu Saik to come here to negotiate with you... Please also let me meet your commander."

There were bursts of laughter all around.

Gopal, holding the rifle, grinned.

Unexpectedly, when I came out to relax out of boredom, I bumped into such a big fish.

"I am the commander here, a former staff officer of the Gray Wolf Army, and now the general of the Gray Wolf Army. Commander Absek, tsk tsk... You rebellious officials and traitors really dare to come here."

Raising his hands above his head, Zaid smiled lightly and said.

"Why don't you dare? These days, everyone with some ability has raised an army and rebelled. I am a rebellious minister, so why are you not? If you are not, you should go to Akbar instead of staying here. ”

Gopal's eyes narrowed slightly, and the eyes of the surrounding people also became unkind.

The atmosphere at the scene gradually turned cold.

But at this moment, Gopal's brows suddenly relaxed and he said with a sneer.

"Interesting, then I would like to hear what your master wants you to bring me."

Zaid glanced around and saw hatred deep in his bones from those eyes.

They were once the proudest warriors of the empire and heroes respected by thousands of people, but now they are abandoned here to die like wild dogs.

Wu Tuo never trusted these guys until his death, but he knew clearly that these guys were the most loyal people in the empire.

When everyone had abandoned the empire, even the old farmers recognized Absek as the "new king", but they had never abandoned the old master to whom they had once been loyal.

Alaya is so.

The same goes for his subordinates.

It is precisely because of this that they hate Absek, their former comrade.

That's the guy who turned their loyalty into a joke and became a clown in people's eyes.

It was precisely because of this that Zaid knew very well that he would be dead if he took out the letter of appointment.

That's not how that thing is used.

"...Let's open the window and speak frankly," Zaid looked at Gopal intently, "I have never regarded Abu Saik as my master, and that kind of duplicitous and indecisive guy is not worthy of being my master."

Gopal suddenly laughed.

"What do you want to say?"

"I can help restore General Alaya's reputation, as well as you, and your families," Zaid glanced around, then looked at Gopal, "More than that, I can also help you get revenge."

The surrounding atmosphere became quiet, and both eyes were filled with disbelief.

Help General Alaya recover his reputation?

Just because of this unknown person?

Gopal's pupils shrank slightly, and he was obviously a little moved.

But that was only for a moment.

He quickly realized that this guy was testing him, and then he sneered and moved the muzzle of the gun an inch closer.

"Do I need it?"

Although he concealed his emotions very carefully, the man standing in front of him still captured the change in his expression at that moment.

Having received the affirmative answer, Zaid looked at General Gopal without changing his expression, without even looking at the muzzle of the gun that was about to poke his nostril, and spoke softly.

"...If you don't need it, why don't you go to Lashi or go to Absak directly, instead of leading your men to be bandits here. You know that this is a dead end. When the Borneo Kingdom finishes cleaning up the Southern Army, The first thing they do when they come back is to deal with you.”

Gopal said with a sneer.

"You're talking like they've already won."

"How did they lose? Or rather, how did the Southern Army win?" Zaid smiled lightly, "Since you are the staff officer of the Gray Wolf Army, I believe your vision will not be inferior to mine."

Zaid continued without waiting for Gopal to answer.

"They all misunderstood you and did not take you seriously, but only I know that you and your former generals are true loyal ministers... You should not lie in the grave carrying shame, you should be welcomed by the entire Borneo Province. Love and respect from all survivors.”

Gopal suddenly laughed out loud, and the sound was so loud that it even frightened the birds in the forest.

He lowered the muzzle of the gun in his hand.

"Interesting...this is the second time I feel this way."

Looking at the lowered muzzle of the gun, Zaid showed a happy smile on his face.

"What's your answer?"

"I'm very interested in the fact that you can help General Alaya restore his reputation and help me take revenge... But I have to tell you, I hate not just Lacy, but everyone."

Zaid: "Everyone?"

"That's right..." Gopal stared at him pitifully and said word by word, "All those who abandoned us and betrayed us... they will all have to pay the price."

I see.

Zaid showed a startled expression and looked at this guy who was even more twisted than himself with interest, especially the look in his eyes that looked like a hungry wolf after studying it for a while.

No wonder even the old man who farmed the land thought this guy was not a good guy.

He had hatred written all over his face.

And the object of that hatred turned out to be all the Born people.

"...Then you have found the right person." Zaid suddenly laughed and stretched out his right hand, "In this world...I am afraid that I am the only one who can fulfill your wish."

Gopal grinned and took his right hand.

"That's not necessarily true...but I believe that as long as I wait, I will definitely wait for a guy like you."

You are the one!

That expression seemed to say so.

With a bright smile on his face, Zaid held his hand back and shook it vigorously.

"Then I wish us a happy cooperation."

There will probably never be an open and honest dialogue like today.

From the moment he leads the gray wolf out of this forest, a wise and holy warrior will be born in the Snake State.

The survivors of Borneo will remember this moment, but no one will remember what exactly they said that day.

In order to facilitate the writing of his memoirs in the future, he deliberately did not bring his students with him.

After convincing Gopal, Zaid took out the letter of appointment and stated the plan in his mind.

He has passed the first "impossible test" of Absaek, and the second is next.

Snake State is currently under the command of General Commissioner Shah Rukh, and there will definitely be no room for him, a nobody, to seize power.

Even if he holds this letter of appointment as "Commander-in-Chief of the Snake State Theater", it will be useless.

If he really went there in a daze, his situation would only be more dangerous than today when he entered the wolf's den alone.

Shah Rukh will definitely rack his brains to find a way to make him disappear, and it will be as easy as squeezing an ant to death. After all, although it is his hometown, it is Shah Rukh's territory.

However, the premise for all this to be true will only happen when he seizes power.

What if he wasn't there to seize power?

Or……

The person who really seizes power is not himself.

Zaid told Gopal what he planned to do in a very soft voice, and the latter was stunned for a moment, and then showed an expression of admiration.

Such a cruel idea...

He really found the right person.

The two guys, who had their own thoughts, showed sinister smiles on their faces.

Near the end, looking at Zaid who put away the letter of appointment, Gopal suddenly spoke.

"By the way, how did you know that General Alaya was wrongly accused?"

Zaid said without thinking.

"What are you talking about?"

"The embankment of the Tasang River," Gopal shrugged, "at first they said it was bombed by the city defense army, but later they changed their story and said it was bombed by us who ordered the city defense army, indirectly killing 100,000 people... In fact Not that many people died, and it has nothing to do with us.”

Zaid raised his hand and interrupted him impatiently.

"Is that kind of thing important? Could it be that the villagers on the border between Mazhou and Mammoth were the result of the Yue tribe's resistance army?"

He had never been there, but he could tell from a glance at the map that Lacy had no benefit from doing this.

As for the dam, maybe it was Lashi who did it, but it wasn't because the map showed any flaws, but because the guy had a guilty conscience and built another one.

If it were him, he wouldn't have done such a stupid thing. Since ancient times, how could a king admit his mistakes?

Incompetence is not incompetence, admitting mistakes is.

Of course, these were just what he was saying, and he wouldn't even say it to Savoie, who was closest to him.

Gopal was at a loss for words and could not answer the question.

In terms of the number of kills alone, Alaya must have killed more than Lassi, and his subjective will was also stronger.

Zaid patted him on the shoulder and didn't explain, just said it lightly.

"When we win, it will be all their fault."

…

Saipan Harbor, Governor's Palace.

General Gulion, who was sitting in the governor's office, looked livid after reading the battle report in his hand.

After a long time, he stood up from the chair angrily, threw the battle report on the table, and cursed.

"A bunch of trash!"

Two teams of 10,000 mechas!

One group was beaten into disability, another group was taken as prisoners of the establishment, and even the captain of ten thousand men was captured.

And that’s even under the cover of an airship!

These pigs are just a waste of food, so they might as well kill themselves!

The officer standing at the door did not dare to take a breath, and could only stare out the window intently.

The staff officer on the side looked solemn and lowered his voice.

"...Our frontline troops underestimated the enemy too much, which is a big problem. This time our opponents are not only the countries of Borneo, but also volunteers from the alliance."

"The biggest problem is this stupid pig Wolf!" General Gulion scolded angrily, "Let him go to Akale County to explore the road. He would be better off driving the troops into the river to fish for shrimps and forcefully put an end to the situation. The local friction turned into a battle, which not only cost me money, but also dragged down the 370,000th team!”

The staff officer said with a wry smile.

"That's what I want to say... These guys treat people like walking medals. If things go on like this, they will definitely suffer big losses!"

General Gulion shook his head angrily, reached for the phone, and was about to scold Captain Ryan, who was in charge of the Eastern Front. However, before the call was made, another call came in.

The call came from the General Staff.

Gulion's heart suddenly thumped, but he still pressed the button to connect.

Not long after, the voice of the Chief of General Staff came over the phone.

This person is the second-in-command of the Southern Army and the person who communicates directly with him.

"How is the situation in the war zone?"

Not daring to neglect, Gulion reported immediately.

"The situation in the war zone is excellent. Three teams of ten thousand people led by Captain Otley have successfully entered the Dog State! We will start the second phase of the offensive soon!"

After hearing his report, the chief of staff just said "hmm" and then continued to ask.

"What about the Eastern Front?"

Guion's expression was a little stiff, but in the face of the chief of staff's questioning, he could only continue speaking.

"...We have captured the Lion City. The entire Lion State is currently under our control. It won't take long to capture Tiandu. By then, the entire Borneo Province will be under our control -"

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a voice from the other end of the phone.

"I've heard about the 360,000th team."

The governor's office fell silent instantly, as if you could clearly hear a pin drop.

Unexpectedly, this scandal had already reached the General Staff Headquarters. Gulion's Adam's apple moved and he spoke in a difficult tone.

"Wulf's incident... was an accident. It was due to the terrain and the weather. Of course, the most important thing was the alliance's sneak attack."

Although he had cursed Woolf before, now he had to put in a good word for the idiot.

After all, the stupidity of his subordinates cannot excuse his mistakes. On the contrary, it will make him appear to be an even stupider idiot for entrusting that guy with a heavy responsibility.

In terms of accountability mechanisms, the Legion and the Empire are completely different, even completely opposite.

After patiently listening to Gulion's explanation, the Chief of General Staff spoke in a very soft voice.

"No matter what the reason is, this is a shame for the entire Southern Army... I don't care whether you use negotiation or other methods to get those prisoners back."

Gu Leon said seriously as if facing a powerful enemy.

"yes!"

Seemingly satisfied with his attitude, the chief of general staff on the other end of the phone did not criticize him too harshly, but continued after a pause.

"Also, don't be too eager for quick success. Since a quick victory won't solve the problem, let's consolidate every position steadily... After all, our opponents are likely to be more than just the Alliance."

Guion replied forcefully.

"yes!"

Without wasting too much time on meaningless things, the chief of general staff asked some more questions and then hung up the phone.

Looking at the hung up phone, Gulion let out a sigh of relief, unaware that his back was soaked with sweat.

But what surprised him was that the chief of general staff did not reprimand him...

Looking at the phone in his hand, he, who was still angry just now, suddenly couldn't decide whether to make a call and go to the front line to scold Captain Ryan.

At this time, there was a knock on the door, and soon an officer opened the door and walked in.

"Report to the General that the Rolling Thunder, Giant Axe, Fortress, and Iron Wall airships that came for reinforcements have entered our airspace!"

When Gulion heard this, his face immediately showed joy, and he couldn't help clenching his fists.

"Great... Let the captains come to the military camp for a meeting immediately after arriving!"

The officer standing at the door gave a military salute.

"yes!"

A total of four airships arrived at Xifan Port this time.

They not only brought abundant firepower, but also brought "Prowler" tanks specially designed to deal with Alliance III tanks and anti-tank electromagnetic guns!

He plans to transfer all four airships to the Eastern Front and cooperate with Captain Ryan to capture Tiandu in one fell swoop!

The invigorated Guion stood up from his desk and walked to the window facing the harbor.

Under the thick black clouds, towering steel bows were gradually revealed, like a steel dome covering the sky!

Attracted by the majestic giants in the sky, pedestrians passing by on the street stopped one after another and cast disbelieving glances at the sky.

Some of them are surprised, some are confused, some are surprised, or some are afraid...

That is a real weapon of war.

No one can withstand the rain of fire falling from the sky!

Seeing the scene that caught his eye, General Gulion finally had a relieved smile on his face.

"……Won."

At the same time, downstairs of the Governor's Mansion.

Akbar, the new emperor of Xilan, had a flattering smile on his face and held a banner in his hand.

I saw a line of artistic fonts written majestically on the scarlet pennant.

[Congratulations to General Gulion for his consecutive victories! 】

He wanted to go in and present this banner to General Gulion with his own hands, but what was helpless was that the few servants standing at the door had no eyesight at all and did not take him as the emperor seriously.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get in, so he could only stand at the door and worry.

Just at this moment, an officer came out of the Governor's Mansion.

He happened to recognize that face. It seemed to be the servant next to General Gulion.

Akbar, who seized the opportunity, immediately greeted him with a smile and explained his purpose of coming.

However, after hearing his purpose, the officer had a strange expression on his face, especially staring at the pennant in his hand for a long time.

"...General Gulion will have a meeting soon, and I'm afraid he won't have time to see you."

Akbar's face froze, but in the end he did not have an attack and said the next best thing.

"Then...when will he have time?"

"I haven't had time recently. If you have nothing to do, you'd better not bother him." The officer waved his hand impatiently and took one last look at the pennant in his hand. "I'll send this pennant to you."

General Gulion is very angry right now. If he really sees this banner, he might be very angry.

However, Akbar did not know the inside story. His understanding of the battle situation on the front line was still limited to the fact that the commander of Ruin Wan defeated the 200,000-strong army of Borneo and captured the Lion City in one battle.

He handed the banner to the officer in a daze, and he still kept reminding him.

"I haven't seen General Gulion for a long time... If he is not busy, please recommend him to me."

"knew."

Rolling up the banner and holding it in his hand, the officer replied impatiently and walked outside.

Akbar was about to ask him if he was walking in the opposite direction, but in the end he didn't have the nerve to ask.

At this moment, the roar of the engine suddenly emerged from the clouds and came towards the ground.

Thinking that the Alliance bombers were coming again, Akbar's expression suddenly changed, and he subconsciously wanted to find a bunker. It wasn't until he looked up that he saw that it was not an Alliance plane at all, but a Legion steel airship!

The four majestic ship bows pushed away the heavy dark clouds, revealing their arrogant figures in the sky.

His eyes were dull at first, and then the dullness turned into ecstasy.

"Hahaha! Now there are those grandsons who look good!"

What was different from him was that the old lion man who followed him obediently had a frightened expression on his face and kept mumbling something.

One horn destroyed half the city, but this time four came...

He simply couldn't imagine what could be done against this thing.

Especially when they attack together...

Tiandu seems to have turned into a dead city.

No matter how many partial victories there were, they all seemed too pale in front of that absolute power.

Perhaps, only the miracle itself - only the managers of the alliance can save them...

That wrinkled face was full of despair, and he wasn't the only one who thought so.

"It's over..."

Maybe it's really over this time...