Chapter 651 - 406: The Course of the War

The next day, everything in Iron Sun City resumed normally, and the relationship between the New Moon City troops and the Wolf Assault Team was unaffected by yesterday’s brawl.

The fight was only among a small group, and the cause was merely due to a verbal spat and some ideological clashes.

At times like these, everyone can distinguish priority despite emotions running high; differences in ideology cannot outweigh the camaraderie forged by fighting side by side.

In the confinement room, Hibell deliberately had Dongdong and Carl locked up in two adjacent cells.

They were actually similar people, with quick tempers that came and went quickly.

At first, they were cursing each other across the space, but then once they calmed down from exhaustion, it was unclear who started the joke first. They began telling each other stories from their pasts, gradually easing into familiarity and eventually reconciling, agreeing to have a proper showdown after the war to determine the victor.

On the other hand, Hibell reiterated the discipline against abusing prisoners in the army, targeting the cause of the brawl.

The core of this Wolf Assault Army consisted of the thugs who once defected with Fenrir, while the main force was composed of soldiers recruited from the warlords in the Land of No Master.

The thugs grew up in the relatively civilized inland, but the people from the Land of No Master were much more savage.

This personnel structure led to a kind of unlawful air in the Wolf Assault Army, mainly manifesting as a weak sense of discipline, a disdain for overt rules, and a preference for brotherly loyalty.

At the same time, they greatly admired strength; "might makes right" was ingrained in their bones.

Someone like Hibell, who was an elder of tremendous strength as an Extraordinary Being, had great influence with their words.

She ordered not to touch the prisoners, and although the men below might grumble and sneer at such discipline, they had no choice but to obediently comply.

At noon, good news arrived from the northern battlefield, as Fenrir led the army personally in a successful counter-offensive, forcing the enemy’s main force to retreat.

From this point, between the northern and southern Wolf Assault armies lay predominantly plains terrain with no enemy heavy military barriers, allowing a lengthy maneuver.

Regarding the upcoming military decision, the group faced differing opinions; their choices would affect the entire war and potentially the direction of the world.

...

At Iron Sun’s temporary command center, Hibell, Su Mo, and key leaders from the Wolf Assault and New Moon City factions gathered together.

On the large screen before them, Fenrir, dressed in black, was remotely connected with everyone.

Three years have passed, and the Wolf King’s face bore traces of hardship, with a few strands of white visible amidst his black hair from the relentless toil that spanned day and night, yet his sharpness had not diminished in the slightest. His dark purple eyes remained imposing.

Fenrir nodded at everyone and calmly said, "Having fought side by side for years, I’ll skip the pleasantries and go straight to the point."

"The Iron Sun battle is crucial; by taking it, we’ve not only secured a complete military production chain but also gained vital battlefield initiative."

"The enemy’s main force has retreated across the ’Inland Sea,’ and the areas east of the Inland Sea are basically under our control. Next, we face two choices."

A strategic map appeared on the screen, with a winding, broad blue area running through the north and south.

Anyone with some geographical knowledge would know that was the ’Inland Sea,’ located in the central area of the World Government Territory, dividing it into east and west blocks.

The previous main battlefield, including Iron Sun and New Moon City, was located east of the Inland Sea.

The map marked several points, and Fenrir’s voice followed: "First choice, pause the year-long offensive, rely on the coastline of Thorny Ridge, Iron Sun City, and Pingling, forming an east-west confrontation with the World Government for the days ahead and waiting for a chance to move east."

Soon after, the strategic map changed, with multiple arrows detailed within the northern and southern armies. Those knowledgeable in military affairs could see that it outlined a very detailed attack plan.

Fenrir: "Second choice, maintain the current offensive, utilize the cross-sea bridges, shoals, and other areas to break the Inland Sea blockade, advance into the World Government’s heartland, seize key strategic cities, and finally..."

"Eliminate them completely."

Upon hearing this, the Wolf Assault leadership led by Hibell supported the second option without hesitation.

The reasoning was simple; with the recent capture of Iron Sun, the army’s morale was soaring, and the enemy’s confidence greatly shattered. If not advancing now, then when?

But soon, Shangguan Li stepped forward: "I disagree with the second choice."

Fenrir: "Reason?"

Shangguan Li: "We can’t afford to fight anymore."

Hibell was somewhat displeased upon hearing this: "What are you talking about? We, the Wolf Assault, have been fighting the enemy tooth and nail for a whole year without a word, and you, having fought for just a few days, say we can’t afford it anymore?"

Shangguan Li said heavily: "I’m not talking about our mercenaries; I’m talking about civilians across the lands."

"Have you seen how the World Government Army has exploited civilians for this war?"

"Numerous civilian factories were converted for military use, routine production severely halted, shortages of supplies, soaring prices. The wealth countless individuals worked half a lifetime accumulating has vanished... Even in a metropolis like New Moon City, a loaf of bread now costs over a hundred moon coins, and some people have already starved to death!"

"The urgent need now is not how to expand war results but to quickly secure the rear, resume production, and prevent more deaths."

Hibell frowned and said sternly: "Captain Shangguan, war is brutal, and people will die in it. There’s no war without sacrifice."