Chapter 274 - 162: Creating Chaos
In the heat of battle, time flew by. Soon, it was midnight, with just 24 hours remaining until the end of the second phase.
The outer walls of both fortresses had been breached, but the battle was far from over. Instead, it had only grown more intense.
The paths inside the fortresses were a complex network, and the buildings were made of the same material as the walls, as if cast from a single mold.
Unlike in other territories they’d conquered, the soldiers of the Northern Expedition Legion who stormed the fortresses couldn’t simply demolish the buildings to disable the traps and mechanisms within.
They could only advance step by step under the defenders’ constant attacks, and with every step, countless soldiers of the Northern Expedition fell, never to rise again.
The two warring sides were completely entangled, their battle lines a chaotic mess. The support healers in the rear didn’t even know who to cast their Magic on, and the Northern Expedition Legion’s ranged units struggled to hit the enemy soldiers hiding in the shadows of the buildings.
In the rear command camp of the Northern Expedition Legion, Mei Yuan observed the battle before addressing the lords gathered there. "Everyone," he began, "our army has been attacking for a long time to no avail. The paths inside those two fortresses are a tangled mess, which makes it difficult for our main force to deploy. We can’t leverage our numerical superiority."
"Now, we need your help. I’m asking you all to send your heroes to support the front lines."
"This way, we’ll be able to take these two fortresses quickly."
"Once that’s done, we’ll rest for a bit, and then we can attack the other lords on this plain."
...
Mei Yuan’s words worked to persuade the lords. Since the primary reason they were all here was to earn more points, the prospect of a successful assault tempted them.
However, a few of the lords in the camp grew tense upon hearing Mei Yuan’s words.
[The Big Point Gains Group]
Zhao Tang: "That guy Xiong Da was right!!! Mei Yuan wants us to send our heroes to the battlefield."
Wei Gang: "The Guard I sent out reported back. We can move freely within the main camp, but you definitely need a password to leave the stockade itself."
Zhao Tang: "What do we do? Fight our way out?"
Yan Feng: "And how would we do that? There are so many lords and heroes in this camp. What excuse could we possibly use to start a fight?"
Yan Feng: "Without a legitimate reason, we’d be branded as deserters in the face of the enemy. No one would help us then. In fact, we’d probably get ganged up on by everyone else."
Jia Shu: "We could just tell everyone that Mei Yuan has been parasitized by an Eye Demon. Some of the lords are bound to support us."
Zhao Tang: "It’s no use. I’ve asked around quietly. Everyone’s heard the rumor, but not many people believe it. There’s no precedent in history for something that can parasitize a lord and control both them and their territory."
Wei Gang: "Our only option is to stick together. We’ll send out the heroes who were just promoted to the Exceptional grade, and keep the ones who were already at that grade."
Zhao Tang: "Good idea, but we can’t make it too obvious. We should send a few of our original Exceptional-grade heroes too, but tell them to find a chance to slip back here quietly."
Yan Feng: "I agree!"
...
The lords who had been forewarned by Xiong Da quickly came to an agreement. They sent out the heroes Mei Yuan had promoted to the Exceptional grade, along with a few of their original Exceptional heroes, keeping only their most trusted, original Exceptional-grade heroes by their sides.
At the same time, they quietly shifted their positions, gathering near a corner of the camp. They didn’t sit directly together, but maintained a slight distance from one another, close enough to provide mutual support.
The lords in the camp quickly made their decisions. Every lord sent a portion of their heroes to join the battle, and a few—to Mei Yuan’s delighted surprise—sent out all of them.
The heroes split into two groups and headed for the two fortresses. Once they were a good distance away, the camp fell quiet.
Mei Yuan gazed with satisfaction at the sparse number of heroes remaining in the camp. Many of them, he noted, were his "promoted" (i.e., parasitized) heroes.
’Now, it’s time for the next step of the plan.’
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Mei Yuan clapped his hands, drawing the attention of all the lords in the camp.
"Everyone, I am honored to have gathered with you all this month as part of the great family that is the Northern Expedition Legion!"
...
"Unfortunately, none of you present have enough points to advance to the third phase."
"If you had the chance, I’m sure you would all leap at the opportunity to join the competition in the third phase, am I right?"
"YES~~!" the lords roared in unison, their excitement palpable.
"Now, I can help all of you enter the third phase. You’ll keep your original territories, heroes, and soldiers. All you need to do is go to the tent behind me and sign a contract."
An uproar erupted among the lords in the camp.
’Why had they worked so hard to join the Northern Expedition Legion?’
’Wasn’t it all so that if they failed and returned to Cuiwei Star, they would have enough points to live out the rest of their lives in comfort?’
’If they could enter the third phase, who wouldn’t want to?’
’Entering the third phase meant earning even more points and the chance to take on an Extraordinary profession. Even if they failed to advance to the fourth phase after that, their lives would be significantly better.’
’And if they were lucky enough to reach the fourth phase, that would be better still.’
Even lords like Zhao Tang, who were deeply suspicious of Mei Yuan, found themselves captivated by his offer.
Seeing the reactions of the lords, Mei Yuan smiled with satisfaction.
"Haha, alright then. Since the number of spots is limited, we’ll do this on a first-come, first-served basis. Now, form a line right here. You’ll follow me to the back one by one to sign the contracts."
In an instant, a long line of lords formed in front of Mei Yuan.