Mythical Three Kingdoms

At the moment the Parthian flank encountered a night raid, the Han army had already been on alert, with Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and others immediately waking up to lead their trusted aides in sealing off the camp.

By the time Ardashir charged out, the Han army had already determined that Rome’s objective today wasn’t just a hit-and-run raid; it’s highly likely the Romans aimed to launch a counterattack.

Judging from Zhuge Liang and others’ observation of Benito’s performance, if chaos really ensued, Benito has over an eighty percent chance of attacking amidst the chaos, and in that scenario, both sides would undoubtedly enter a battle-deciding state.

"Everyone be prepared, should the Parthian Central Army’s front camp be breached, proceed directly to assist," Zhuge Liang commanded immediately after regrouping the troops.

Soon, just as Zhuge Liang had anticipated, the Parthian Central Army’s front camp also encountered an attack; however, since the flank’s attack began, Parthia’s central army had already heightened their vigilance, making the camp as bright as daylight with numerous torches and fire pits.

But even so, for the Fifth Legion soldiers ambushed by Palmyro in front of Parthia’s central army earlier, it only slightly increased the difficulty.

After all, their first talent was to distort light; although the previous flank attack was quite loud, it was only a feint—it’s been aimed at the central army from the start, and hence their preparation for the central army far surpassed that for the flank.

The Fifth Legion relied on their elite talent to swiftly remove obstacles hindering their charge, and then used the removed caltrops to create an illusion on the spot.

It’s clear that the Fifth Legion isn’t the type to engage in head-on combat. If the army doesn’t fall into chaos, the mere three thousand men arranged by Palmyro at Parthia’s central army can hardly accomplish anything, but should chaos arise, they become the best killers.

Currently, they’re embellishing their killing grounds, and soon a muffled sound of galloping hooves echoed from in front of the Parthian central army, a sound all soldiers with battlefield experience recognize as that of a cavalry corps charging en masse.

More importantly, this muffled sound further indicates that the charging cavalry ahead are undoubtedly armored cavalry, with genuine decisive battle capabilities.

The Ninth Spanish Legion had been dormant for so long, and with a command from Tacitus, they openly charged at the Parthian central camp, starkly different from the Fifth Legion’s nocturnal assassin-like approach; they are a genuinely strong assault-type legion.

Armored cavalry, heavy infantry assault legion, first talent defense, second talent short-range instant charge—meaning the legion could be stationary one moment and then instantly collide at maximum speed.

Similarly, the Ninth Legion has no fear of encirclement, as their second talent, short-range instant charge, allows them to launch charges even in an ambush, breaking through encirclements with powerful impact force paired with steel-like defensive power.

However, the drawback is that this legion can only advance, not retreat. If cavalry attack with sufficient power from the rear, this legion could easily be cornered; as for frontal assaults, the direct assault ability of armored cavalry hardly needs mentioning.

The soldiers themselves are at dual talent levels, and being an armored cavalry legion, their frontal destructive power closely rivals that of the Military Spirit Legion.

Therefore, upon Fifth Legion removing the obstacles to charge, Tacitus roared as he led his mixed infantry and cavalry corps in a fierce attack against the Parthians, and the leading armored cavalry almost immediately charged from the central army’s front camp all the way to the central camp.

All Parthians hoping to stop them from the front were crushed into smithereens, and meanwhile, Antioch’s gates suddenly opened, as Zhuge Liang anticipated, Benito—a general adept at exploiting opportunities—would undoubtedly launch a simultaneous attack amidst the chaos of the Parthian army.

"Your Majesty, please swiftly retreat to the rear camp, I will lead the soldiers to resist here!" At this moment, Sassanid Fars was also somewhat alarmed; the Roman attack was exceptionally intense, accurately speaking, it’s not a sneak attack but rather a decisive battle.

"I will stay here; as the Parthian Emperor, if I cower from battle due to a Roman general, how could others fight against Rome? All soldiers hear my order: a reward of three gold coins for killing a Roman! Promotion by three ranks for defeating a Roman general! Attain the rank of Commander-in-chief for seizing a Roman Eagle Banner!" Vologases V ordered angrily.

"Parthia has never lacked warriors; do a few Roman legions think they can defeat us? Counterattack!" Vologases V stood on the platform, the firelight illuminating his resolute and merciless face, intensely watching the Parthian and Roman forces battling at the front of the central camp; he issued military orders, then personally mounted a horse to boost morale!

For a moment, the Parthian army, like madmen, launched an assault against the Romans.

Even though the Ninth Legion has an instant charge, under such frantic blocking, it’s hard to break through.

Attacked simultaneously from all angles, arrows, javelins, scimitars, direct thrusts, various types of attacks, the Parthians frantically tried to halt the advance of their opponents.

Moreover, as Vologases V rode forward, the Parthian Army seemed almost insane, forcibly pushing the Roman Ninth Legion back to the Front Camp.

As for the three thousand soldiers from the Fifth Legion that Palmyro had ambushed in the Front Camp, hoping to attack amid the chaos, their ability to create chaos was nearly nonexistent under the nearly frantic counterattack of the Parthians, with the emperor personally on the battlefield, though incredibly dangerous, it equally represented unparalleled morale.

Initially, the Parthians relied completely on sacrifices to block firmly, but as this will continued to condense, the scimitar-mounted archers led by Atlatome at the forefront gradually began to break through the defenses of the Roman Ninth Legion. Their scimitars were becoming increasingly sharper, and their momentum continued to climb, the sense of cutting through everything before them with their scimitars was continuously condensing.

"Atlatome, cut him down for me!" Vologases V looked at the frenzied Parthians, at this moment he finally understood why he deeply cherished this position, this support, this willingness of countless people to sacrifice for him made him understand the meaning of this position.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Atlatome swung the scimitar in his hand, abandoning all defense, and the legion behind him, following this command, also abandoned all defense. The dazzling light from their blades directly sliced open the plate armor of the Roman Ninth Legion.

"Charge, for the Majesty!" Atlatome roared as he surged forward on horseback, all the Imperial Guards behind him wielding scimitars, frantically launching an attack on the Ninth Legion. Their attacks were sufficient to slice through the armor of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, abandoning everything they possessed the strongest attack of any legion ever.

The Ninth Legion led by Tacitus and the Parthian Imperial Guard led by Atlatome crashed into each other, both sides’ blood blossomed, Atlatome’s cavalry was actually mounted archers, but now they possessed unmatched melee attacks, the Romans’ heavy armor, and their innate defensive talents were comparable to ordinary leather armor against their scimitars.

Similarly, their defense was comparable for the Romans, the slaughter between both sides had only one road—death.

The frantic slaughter between both sides instead freed the other Parthian elites to begin attacking the Roman heavy infantry, the originally chaotic situation quickly stabilized as Vologases V personally moved to the frontline, and the Romans were steadily being pushed back.

Thousands of elites fell directly on the battlefield, their attacks futile to each other, so the only competition between the two sides was willpower, and it was evident that despite the heavy losses, the expression of Atlatome’s Imperial Guards remained fearless and undaunted.

It was clear that Atlatome was prepared for complete annihilation, and Tacitus touched the wound around his ribs, recognizing the sheer strength of the Parthians facing him; they were so strong that if they were to be annihilated, preparations for total annihilation had to be made.

[Damn, why haven’t our reinforcements arrived yet!] Tacitus thought with a heart full of resentment, staring at the opposite side with eyes as fierce as wolves, feeling an inexplicable urge to retreat.

"Parthian, you’re impressive, you’re entitled to tell me your name." Tacitus finished a wave of attacks, staring at the ice-cold Atlatome on the opposite side and said coldly.

"You don’t need to know." Atlatome sneered, today if the opponent doesn’t retreat, even if it means the total annihilation of the Imperial Guard, they will obliterate them.

"Retreat!" Tacitus took one last glance at Atlatome before coldly turning and saying.

Tacitus’s armored cavalry possessed the ability for an instant charge; if they wanted to run, it was quite easy, and engaged in a slugfest with the opponent was entirely not worth it. The opponent’s strength lay in attack and weakness in defense, any elite legion close enough could easily kill them, continuing to waste elite forces here could be said to be counterproductive.

At Tacitus’s command, he immediately led his armored cavalry out from another direction of the Parthian main formation, and afterwards, the heavy infantry directly blocked, simultaneously intercepting and retreating, Atlatome, enraged, pursued them but was easily stopped by the heavy infantry.

On the other side, the Han Army and Roman reinforcements cautiously observed the other side, the Romans lined up nearly ten Inner Qi Manifestations, a leading Breakthrough level expert, on the opposite side with Ganasis also leading several legions, though only one belonged to the Eagle Banner Legion.

On the Han side, Gao Shun’s Vanguard Camp, Zhang Liao, Chengg Lian, Hao Meng, and the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry matched the opposing side’s momentum perfectly, and the reason neither side took action was due to extreme caution towards each other.

Gao Shun looked at the opposing standout Commander-in-chief, riding at the front of the formation, contemplating their relatively few available forces as they had to intercept the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Legions emerging from Antioch, and a contingent had to remain to defend their camp, so the mobilizable troops were genuinely insufficient.

Ganasis looked in the direction of Gao Shun and somewhat felt the fear as if handling mice; he wasn’t blind, having just returned from England and felt the spirit of the Military Soul Legion, he couldn’t be oblivious to the Han army’s capabilities. Ganasis felt the urge to curse.