amaotonovel Chapter 1375 The Attack Ceases Immediately
Chapter 1375 The Attack Ceases Immediately
Shahar continued, "What we need to do next is simple. First, we need to find our soldiers, disguise them as refugees, infiltrate their coalition forces, create chaos, and demoralize them..."
As he spoke, Shahar glanced at Kornev beside him. Before Shahar could ask anything, Kornev nodded and said there was no problem; he had absolutely loyal soldiers on his side...
Shahar nodded in satisfaction, then continued, "Next, regardless of the cost or casualties, we need to advance as quickly as possible, slowing down their advance along the way...thus hindering their progress...and stretching their supply lines..."
“Finally…” Shahalton paused, then his face turned cold as he continued, “There’s one last thing. Aren’t they going to attack? Then let’s lay mines! Use the snow and wind as cover to lay a large number of mines around the fortress and on all the main roads leading here; at the same time, blow up secondary bridges and destroy roads to delay the main force of the Allied forces as much as possible.”
Kornev's eyes lit up even more after hearing this. He was a man who advocated fighting to the death, and this kind of fighting style, which disregarded costs and traded space for time, suited him perfectly.
"Brilliant! Captain Night Owl's plan is brilliant!"
He roared excitedly, "Take the initiative, trade lives for time! Lay mines and destroy the bridge, make them pay a bloody price for every step! This layered attrition will surely wear them down! Seven days... there's hope!"
Although Igor instinctively felt uncomfortable with such a brutal way of attrition, he thought of the real reinforcements in seven days and Shahar's determination to live and die with the fortress!
He gritted his teeth and nodded emphatically: "This old minister... will do his utmost to cooperate! Logistics and supplies will be prioritized for the suicide squad and mine-laying!"
"Time is of the essence! Handa's army could be at the city gates at any moment!" Shahar felt a long-lost sense of control and urgency. "Act immediately!"
He knew that orders alone were not enough, especially after a series of defeats and when morale was at rock bottom. He had to personally ignite the fire, transforming despair into a fervent will to resist.
Then Shahar said to Kornev, "Kornev, I'll go with you to mobilize those soldiers. I'll let them know that I'm always with them..."
Kornev listened intently, nodding emphatically, his face filled with excitement...
Accompanied by Kornev, Shahar first arrived at the crowded and demoralized soldiers' camp inside the fortress.
He put on his old military uniform again, which was stained with gunpowder and deliberately made even more worn, and climbed onto a high platform in the cold wind.
The soldiers perked up a bit when they saw Shahar appear!
"Soldiers! Brave Slavic warriors!"
His voice, transmitted through a simple loudspeaker, tore through the stuffy air in the cold wind and lingered in everyone's ears!
"Look around you! Look at this fortress! This is our last stand! Behind us lies the land of our ancestors, the last refuge for our wives, children, and elderly parents! We have nowhere left to retreat!"
He paused deliberately, letting the heavy reality weigh on the hearts of every soldier.
Then, the voice suddenly rose, filled with the indignation of being driven to a desperate situation:
"East Asians! Xiao Ce! Han Da! What do they want? They not only want to occupy our land, but also enslave our souls! Look at how they treated our captured brothers! Look at how they deceived our compatriots with lies, forcing them to lay down their weapons before mercilessly slaughtering them?!"
He waved his fist, his voice filled with sorrow:
"We have nowhere to retreat! Surrender? That will only bring us a more humiliating death! His Majesty the Tsar is right here!"
He pounded his chest forcefully: "I'm with you! He wasn't afraid to die, so what are you afraid of?!"
He then revealed the core point:
"But! We are not without hope! Real hope has arrived!"
He pointed in the direction where Night Owl and the others were standing!
After hearing Han Da's words, the Night Owl Squad released a momentary, inhuman pressure!
"Do you see that? Those are even more powerful divine messengers! They have brought the promise of our great allies! Seven days! We only need to hold out for seven more days!"
His voice was seductive; he had done the same thing many times before.
So I'm pretty familiar with the place...
"Seven days from now! Our true reinforcements, an invincible army capable of crushing any enemy, will arrive!"
"At that time, every drop of blood we shed today, every bit of humiliation we suffer, will be returned to those East Asians a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"
"We will make them taste the pain they have inflicted upon us! We will drive them out of our homeland completely!"
"Now is the time to prove your loyalty and courage! General Kornev needs the most fearless warriors to form a suicide squad!"
"You will be like sharp daggers, piercing the enemy's heart! Your names will be forever engraved on the monument of Slavic revival!"
Tell me, are you willing?!
"Ula!!!"
Shahar's highly persuasive and hopeful speech, coupled with Kornev's leading roar!
The invisible deterrent effect of the Night Owl Squad temporarily suppressed the soldiers' fear, replacing it with an ignited fighting spirit filled with despair and madness.
Many soldiers excitedly shouted "Hurrah!" and volunteered to join the suicide squad.
Seeing this, Shahar and Kornev immediately went to the fortress and the nearby civilian settlements.
The crowd was filled with fear, anxiety, and emaciated people, some of whom had fled from the capital of a Slavic country!
Shahar's tone softened somewhat. He had already heard from some of the refugees that Handa had tried to persuade them to surrender and had killed the extremists.
Shahar, of course, wouldn't let such a good way to attack them pass by...
"Slavic people! The Federation's army is a demon! They will not let anyone go! Look at those in the capital who were released and then secretly murdered!"
"Surrender means certain death! Pick up any weapons you can find: shovels, axes, sharpened clubs! Help our army!"
"Of course, we won't let you use such dilapidated weapons. We will distribute you with the same weapons as our soldiers!"
"We must create countless traps for the enemy on this land!"
"We will make every inch of ice and snow their grave! Dig holes! Bury things that can shatter them! Blow up the bridges they must cross! Destroy the roads they can travel on! Make them unable to move an inch in this icy wasteland, bleeding endlessly!"
"This is for yourselves! So that your children can live!"
"So that our reinforcements will arrive in seven days and completely annihilate these invaders! Every effort you make paves the way for final victory! His Majesty the Tsar is with you! Glory to the Slavs!"
Under Shahar's instigation, the soldiers' encouragement, and driven by the instinct for survival, some civilians, especially young adults, were also drawn into this "nationwide conscription" of destruction and defense preparations.
After Shahar's persuasive words, everyone got busy with their own affairs.
Kornev personally selected, equipped, and quickly deployed elite suicide squads. Carrying explosives, Molotov cocktails, and rudimentary weapons, they used their familiarity with the terrain to quietly leave the fortress and lie in ambush along the routes the Allied forces might take, preparing to carry out suicide attacks and ambushes.
Large numbers of soldiers and conscripted civilians, under the command of officers and technicians, mainly engineers skilled in demolition, braved the biting wind and snow to frantically dig across the ice fields, valleys, forest edges, and all roads, large and small, leading to the fortress outside the Everwinter Wall.
They buried various types of landmines—including stockpiled ones, tripwire mines, pressure-activated mines, and even makeshift explosive charges—in the frozen ground, carefully camouflaging them and using snow to cover their tracks.
Ironically, these landmines all bear the mark of the Xiao Kingdom's Tianji Academy!
The wind and snow provided them with excellent cover, but also made their work exceptionally difficult and dangerous.
Led by engineers, the demolition team proceeded to secondary bridges and key road sections.
As the muffled explosions echoed through the snowstorm, stone and wooden bridges were blown apart and plunged into the icy river.
The already rugged roads were further complicated by huge craters from blasting or by collapsed snowdrifts and rocks, greatly increasing the difficulty of passage.
The fortress's defenses were reinforced to the highest level by Kornev under the cold gaze and occasional concise commands of the Night Owl Squad.
Every crenellation and every firing port was repeatedly inspected, and the stockpiled logs, stones, and kerosene were moved to the city wall, with the soldiers ready to fight at any moment.
The entire Everwinter Fortress, both inside and out, presented a scene of morbid fervor.
Despair was temporarily suppressed by the illusion that salvation would come in seven days and the hatred incited by Shahar, which transformed into a frenzied act of destruction and resistance at all costs.
The howling wind and snow masked the sounds of digging and blasting, as well as the bone-chilling cold and fear.
Standing atop the city wall, watching the bustling scene and listening to Igor's report on the progress, Shahar felt the string of hope in his heart tighten to its limit.
Seven days became his sole source of emotional support.
He didn't know if Night Owl's plan would work, nor did he know whether the seven days bought with blood and destruction would ultimately bring them salvation or deeper despair.
He knew very well that in seven days, he could get everything he had lost back.
While Shahar was preparing for war, Handa had rested for a day.
He thought he should seize the opportunity and take advantage of their strength to kill them.
They took advantage of the fact that their forces were at their peak!
Handa stood on the ruined city wall of the Slavic Empire, the biting wind carrying the lingering smell of gunpowder.
He gazed toward the northern ice plains, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.
Behind them was the federal army, which had just been baptized in blood and fire and was resting.
An atmosphere of grim determination permeated the air. Soldiers wiped their weapons, armored vehicle engines roared, and the air was thick with anticipation for the next campaign.
The Everwinter Fortress, the last stronghold of the Shahars, lies deep within that snowy landscape.
Han Da clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force.
He could almost feel the burning gazes of his soldiers, the soaring fighting spirit of those who, after capturing the enemy capital, were determined to completely destroy the remnants of the Slavic Empire.
The time is almost right!
"Pass on the order!" Han Da's voice, carrying an undeniable decisiveness, shattered the solemnity on the city wall. "All troops, prepare for battle! Three hours from now, target! Yongdong Fortress!"
Just as the order was about to be given, a bodyguard rushed up the city wall and handed over a translated letter.
The messenger reached Han Da's ear and whispered, "Marshal, there's an urgent message from the Prince!"
After hearing the messenger's words, Han Da immediately took the coded message from the translator and opened it.
Han Da:
The offensive has been temporarily halted; we will hold our ground and await my arrival.
Furthermore, Wei Wuji's aerial reconnaissance forces, in coordination with Axe Bull's reconnaissance mechs, are ordered to thoroughly investigate the movements of the Everwinter Fortress and the Northern Border. Key areas of focus: enemy troop movements, defensive fortifications, and unusual energy fluctuations, with particular attention to their desperate, cornered actions. It is imperative to ascertain exactly what they are doing. [Xiao Ce]
After reading it, a hint of confusion flashed in Han Da's sharp eyes, but it was quickly replaced by absolute obedience.
However, the prince's meaning must have a deeper significance!
He suppressed the surging fighting spirit within him, took a deep breath of the cold air, and shouted in a deep voice to the messenger awaiting orders:
"Order the entire army: Cancel the attack plan! Deploy according to the A-6 defense and alert plan, remain in place, and strengthen the city's defenses!"
"Yes!" The messenger accepted the order and rushed off.
Han Da then turned to another messenger beside him: "Immediately send General Wei Wuji and Captain Axe Ox!"
A short while later, the two men arrived at the central command tent.
The two men turned directly to Han Da and asked, "Marshal, has the Prince sent a message?"
After hearing what the two men said, Han Da smiled and then said, "Not bad, you're definitely one of us!"
"General Wei, Captain Axe Bull, His Highness has given an order!" Han Da said solemnly, "Suspend the northward offensive. His Highness will be arriving in person. I hereby order your two divisions to immediately launch the highest-level joint reconnaissance!"
His gaze swept over the two men, emphasizing: "Target: Everwinter Fortress and its surrounding area, all the way to the northern ice coastline! General Wei, your high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft are responsible for full coverage. Make sure to lock onto large-scale enemy troop concentrations, unusual marching patterns, especially camouflaged stealth squads, and any signs of large-scale fortification construction!"
A glint flashed in Wei Wuji's eyes, and he solemnly replied, "This subordinate obeys! However, if we raise the altitude, our reconnaissance methods will be limited."
Axe Bull then said to Wei Wuji, "General Wei Wuji, have you forgotten? With my reconnaissance mech..."
After hearing what the two men said, Han Da nodded and then said, "That's right, that's exactly what they meant! Do you two understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Wei Wuji and Axe Niu responded simultaneously, then ran out to give orders to their respective subordinates. Several makeshift airplanes and a few hot air boats, along with several large mechs, took off together...