Several men, clad in dark clothing, were sprinting away from the direction of Cignus, their faces filled with fear and panic. These were the spies sent by Varanasi to observe and escort Guivani and his army detachment, keeping a watchful eye for any signs of betrayal or incompetence on his part. Their mission had taken them deep into the forest of Mineas, where they had encountered the Cignus Provincial escorts, who were heavily armed and wanted to make peaceful contact.
However, Guivani, following the emperor's decree to attack anyone on the forest of Mineas, had ordered his army to attack the Cignus forces without any reasoning or justification. Which ended, with the ragtag medieval army stood no chance against the modern weaponry and tactics of the 21st century. The Cignus forces fought back fiercely, and the spies found themselves caught in the crossfire.
Bullets whizzed past their heads, dozens of supersonic lead being thrown by snipers. The spies were deemed as hostiles by the Cignus Provincial escorts, despite being invisible to the naked eye due to their magic cloaks. They were unable to fool the thermal sights and were pitifully being hunted down like pigs.
The spies ran as fast as they could, their hearts pounding in their chests, their minds racing with fear and uncertainty.
As they ran deeper into the forest, the sounds of pursuit grew louder and closer. The trees whizzed past them in a blur as they ran, their legs aching and their breath coming in ragged gasps. They desperately searched for a place to hide, but the Cignus forces were relentless in their pursuit.
It's been an hour had passed since they had started running, but the sound of bullets whizzing through the air continued to haunt them. The forest was alive with the sound of gunfire, as if it was the only thing that mattered in the world. The group of spies continued to run for their lives, their faces filled with dread and fear.
Suddenly, one of them was hit by a 7.62mm DMR, and he fell to the ground, rolling in agony as blood gushed out of his left thigh. He screamed in pain, his voice echoing through the forest, but his comrades didn't bat an eyelid. They continued to run away from the place as fast as they could, leaving their unfortunate comrade behind.
The injured spy lay on the ground, writhing in pain, as the sound of gunfire grew fainter in the distance. He knew that he had been abandoned by his comrades, and he was now alone in the heart of the forest. His thigh was bleeding profusely, and he could feel his life slipping away.
He tried to call out for help, but his voice was weak, and it seemed as if no one was listening. He lay there, helpless and alone, waiting for the end to come. As the minutes ticked by, his breathing grew shallower, and his vision began to blurring.
Boom!
He suddenly heard a loud explosion that rocked the earth, causing birds and animals to scatter in panic and the trees to sway from the shockwaves. He looked in the direction of his comrades and saw a barrage of streak of light heading their way before another round of powerful overlapping explosions engulfed the area.
At the same time, the spy noticed the bushes began to rustling, but he was too weak to check it or simply shout to ask who they were. He assumed it was either a monster or their enemies who had tracked them down. Before he lost consciousness, he heard someone shouting, "It's still alive! Jam! First aid! Quick!"
A few moments later, he regain some consciousness as he felt someone picking him up and carrying him away from the danger zone. He could hear the sound of footsteps and the rustling of bushes as his rescuers rushed him to safety. He was barely conscious, but he knew he was in good hands.
The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, surrounded by several people who were tending to his wounds. He saw that they were wearing dirty forest fatigues, similar to what barbarians used to wear, and almost identical to the group that the decimated army led by Guivani had encountered earlier while escorting those landships they had discovered. He was surprised that they had come to his rescue, considering that their army had attacked them earlier.
Despite his confusion, he was grateful for their help. He closed his eyes, feeling his body grow weaker, before finally succumbing to unconsciousness. The last thing he heard before everything went dark was the sound of their voices, urging him to hold on and keep fighting.
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After being rescued by the Cignus Provincial escorts, the spy's eyes closed as he succumbed to unconsciousness. When he opened them again, he found himself in an unknown white room, feeling disoriented and confused.
"Where am I? Is this Valhalla?" he muttered, thinking that the white surroundings might be a sign that he had passed on to the afterlife.
As he tried to sit up, he realized that he was restrained by cuffs attached to the railing of a hospital bed. "What!?." Panic set in as he struggled against the restraints, but he quickly calmed down when he realized that he was still alive and not in the afterlife.
He looked around the room and saw that it was equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology. He realized that he must be in a hospital or a medical facility.
"So bright."
As his eyes adjusted to the bright lights, he saw a figure enter the room. It was a doctor, dressed in a white lab coat, who approached his bedside and checked his vitals.
"Welcome back to the land of the living," the doctor said with a smile. "You've been through quite an ordeal."
The spy tried to speak, but his throat was dry and scratchy. The doctor handed him a glass of water, which he gratefully drank.
"Where am I?" he managed to ask.
"You're in a top-secret medical facility," the doctor replied. "You were brought here for treatment after being injured in a firefight. You're lucky to be alive."
The spy nodded, still feeling disoriented and confused. He couldn't remember much about what had happened after he was rescued by the Cignus Provincial escorts.
"Is my team okay?" he asked.
The doctor hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'm afraid I don't have that information. Also, you still have wounds that require time and rest to heal, so please rest for a moment first."
The spy sighed. He was probably the sole survivor of his team. He obediently lay back on the bed and returned to rest so he could find out more about what had happened to his team later. For now, he focused on recovering and getting back on his feet.
Lake Illu, Mineas Forest
The soldiers from the 4th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division, remnants of Legrand Army stranded in another world with Cignus, have set up camp near the river Illu and fortified it. The location was strategically ideal for their artillery emplacement such as mortar and howitzer firebase, as the several hills with flat tops provided excellent vantage points and high elevation. The entire area has been fortified with several foxholes, sandbags, and machine gun nests, making it the forefront of Cignus' defense against the ongoing advance of Varanasi's genocidal army, 70 kilometers away.
However, it wasn't just the soldiers of Cignus who were staying there. On the other side, Demi-humans and elves were crammed into hastily established tents, seeking shelter from the brutal attacks of Varanasi's army. The elves, guided by hunters from Renvo and other allied villages, were being escorted before being sent off deeper into the eastern end of the forest to detour the mountainous region. Afterward, they proceeded south to enter the effectively controlled territories of Cignus protection.
The demi-humans, on the other hand, were guided and persuaded by harpies, lamias, and arachne, who were the first to establish contact with Oliver, the Governor, and acting commander-in-chief of the Cignus National Guards and all of the remnants of Legrand Armed Forces inside the province. They were initially skeptical, but they had no choice but to seek refuge here for two reasons. Firstly, due to an incident that occurred on the same day as the confrontation between Cignus and Guivani, much of their air support was diverted and unable to show force against the knights. This incident is still ongoing, and Oliver is scratching his head trying to figure out how to deal with it. Secondly, the north was flooded and haunted by Varanasi's army, leaving them backed into a corner. Once they contacted the Cignus forces, things went relatively smoothly, and they were allowed to enter their territory and receive protection.
Despite the influx of refugees seeking shelter, the soldiers remained professional in carrying out their orders given by Oliver, who acted out of pity for the people being oppressed and randomly killed by Varanasi's army. While there may have been some high-ranking officials, including military and provincial, who had an interest in the welfare of the refugees, they were overwhelmingly in the minority. If it were not for Oliver's softness, which led him to clearly emphasize the protection of everyone, these elves, much less demi-humans, would likely not be protected by them. Using unreasonable orders, soldiers deployed on the frontline did not have the time, resources, or facilities to cater to the fleeing refugees and accept everyone, and somehow managed to jungles up things in motion. Commendable, more or less, because the soldiers did their best to secure a large area while also accommodating a large number of refugees and protecting those seeking refuge on the other side, making it a safe haven and shelter against the ongoing advance of the Valurian expeditionary army.
Lt. Col. Ramick, an old man with a white beard and receding hairline, stood on a hill overlooking the river Illu. His aide, Captain Reyes, stood beside him, studying the map in his hands.
"So, Captain, what's the situation?" Ramick asked, turning his attention to Reyes.
"Sir, our position is highly defensible. The hills surrounding us provide excellent vantage points for our artillery emplacements, and the river Illu acts as a natural barrier on one side," Reyes replied, pointing to the map. "Additionally, the dense jungle and rugged terrain of the area make it difficult for the enemy to maneuver their forces."
"Good. And the enemy?" Ramick asked, his eyes scanning the horizon.
"The Valurian army is currently about 70 kilometers away from us, sir. They're barely within the range of our RAP-Extended range from our M triple 7 howitzer," Reyes reported.
"It's from the airforce?" Ramick inquired.
"Yes, because we deemed it too risky to deploy our scouts forward near the enemy. Thus, the airforce is the only one currently providing us with 24/7 surveillance updates on enemy movements. We won't miss a thing if they start moving aggressively towards us," Reyes said confidently.
Ramick nodded in approval. "What about the refugees flooding in from the east?" he asked, motioning towards the demi-humans and elves crammed in hastily established tents.
Reyes hesitated for a moment before replying, "The demi-humans are causing some concern, sir. Some of them look dangerous, like snakes and spiders. But the elves look like humans, so there's not much prejudice against them."
Ramick frowned at the mention of prejudice. "They're all refugees seeking our protection, the governor already stated it, regardless of their appearance. We must treat them with the same respect and care as our own soldiers," he said sternly.
"Yes, sir. Understood," Reyes said, nodding.
Ramick looked out at the river and the dense jungle beyond, contemplating their advantage. "We must use this terrain to our advantage. We'll hold this position until further notice from the province," he paused and then continued, "but still, it appears they are not taking our warnings seriously. They won't back down, don't they realize they are heading to doom?."
Despite their limited resources, Ramick, let alone Oliver who are clueless about how actually military works, and everyone else in his circle still understood that Cignus was superior. The capabilities of the remnants of Legrand's armed forces here were simply impressive, and they were confident in their ability to decimate any inferior medieval civilization within a week, even without support from their motherland. Furthermore, Cignus had already demonstrated its air capabilities with fighters flying overhead and dropping leaflets against the ragtag army commissioned by Varanasi himself. Despite negotiations on the leaflets and rendezvous instructions for that prospects, the enemy refused to withdraw or less alone appears to following the instructions. However, the enemy have stagnated since their advance a few days ago, probably shocked by the existence of supersonic aircrafts.
Yurken, Cignus
Inside the rather suffocating room filled with silence, I faced my subordinates, cabinet members, and high-ranking military officials who were presently under constant pressure about what to do with the current situation. The first reason for our problem was the Valur empire. Bordering Mineas is rather a pain in the ass if someone asked me.
What's wrong with these guys? Attacking my army out of nowhere? C'mon at least talk civilly, even though I got tanks covering the ass of my troops that should be a good sign of warning for them, still resulted in armed confrontation. While I lost no one, I gotta admit I'm pretty pissed because I got some of my men wounded due to my soft policy against these invaders. Thus, at the moment while no one is following my request or responding on my negotiation attempt on the enemy's side, any movements pertaining to hostilities will face extreme measures from me. They hold no value for negotiations if they attack us once more, and I'm already prepared for it. I will not hesitate to pass an order for their annihilation, which will likely result in more bloodshed on these lands.
Then, my mind was reeling with the unexpected second reason for our current predicament. The Valur empire had already been a pain in the ass, attacking my army out of nowhere, but now, the corpses of those killed in their genocidal campaign seemed to be reanimated by extreme hatred of the dead, turning into undead monsters that were spreading like wildfire throughout the forest.
I had never expected such a thing to exist in this world, and it was unclear whether it was a natural occurrence, induced by some external force, or simply a result of the chaos unfolding around us.
Upon hearing the initial reports of their appearance, I had immediately ordered their annihilation through a culling operation involving airstrikes and artillery bombardment. However, this proved to be a daunting task as the monsters, tentatively referred to as zombies by my men, seemed to multiply faster than we could kill them. It was frustrating to waste precious supplies and ammunition on these bizarre magical creatures, and I couldn't help but wonder how many people these pieces of shit killed in the process?
As I looked around the room, I could see the worry and fear etched on the faces of those present. We were in uncharted territory, facing an enemy we had never encountered before, with another bunch of idiots going on a random killing spree.
"Any updates on the frontline?" I asked about the individuals who were attacking the forest.
My trusted secretary, responded, he is quite particular about the group of morons who had been attacking the forest.
Nathan replied, "There's no visible movements, however, we already detected several cases of them, engaging combat against these so-called zombies." I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the thought of the zombies getting their revenge on the attackers. Ha! Karma is real; let the zombies teach them a lesson.
"They're basically going on a self-destructive path. What a bunch. I'm speechless," I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief while internally sneering on their incompetence. "How about the spread of these zombies on our effective line of control?"
"Almost all of them have been culled, and we've sent several battalions for the sole purpose of hunting down any surviving zombies that may have survived our airstrikes and artillery bombardment," Nathan replied confidently. He then paused before continuing, "The zombies, meanwhile, on the other side of the river, are presently going wild. They seem to be unable to cross the river, which is very convenient for our men."
I frowned at this news. "What do you mean by 'going wild'? Are they multiplying or getting stronger?"
Nathan shook his head. "We're not sure, sir. All we know is that they're attacking anything in their path and seem to be more aggressive than before."
I furrowed my brow, deep in thought. "We need to figure out a way to contain them. We can't risk them crossing the river and spreading to other areas. If we let them roam free, they will proliferate and pose a greater threat to our province. The more they spread, the more ammunition and resources we will have to spend to control them, and that will only weaken us further." Because we don't have the ability to replenish our lost supplies, I had to cut off the discussion right there. Losing ammunition and supplies would leave the province vulnerable, despite our technological advances compared to others in the area. Without the ammunition to load our guns, cannons, and such would leave an easy target for any potential threats. We needed to find a way to conserve our resources and ensure that we had enough to defend ourselves if needed.
Nathan nodded in agreement. "I understand, Governor. We have already deployed several battalions to cull the zombies and prevent them from crossing the river. We are also exploring different strategies to contain them, such as building barriers and traps."
I sighed, feeling a bit relieved. "Good work, Nathan. But we need to keep a close eye on them. We can't let our guard down until we are sure they are no longer a threat."
Nathan nodded again. "Understood, Governor. But there is something else you should know. According to the villagers in Renvo, these zombies have a natural expiration date. If we leave them be, their flesh will eventually run out and they will no longer be able to walk or harm our people."
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? How long would that take?"
Nathan shrugged. "They're not sure, but they estimate it would take a few months at least. Of course, we can't rely on this completely, but it's something to keep in mind as we plan our next moves."
I nodded, deep in thought. As I pondered on how to contain the zombies, before an idea suddenly popped into my head. Wasn't it convenient to let them spread naturally and use them as a meat shield for future aggression from Valur? However, upon further consideration, I realized the idea was foolish and morally wrong.
"Governor, is everything alright?" Nathan asked, noticing my hesitation.
"I was just considering a foolish idea," I replied, shaking my head. "No. Just forget it, it's nothing." I sigh.
I couldn't help but worry about the possible ramifications of the zombies' spread beyond the forest. Although the river seemed to cut off the zombies' advance on our side, they could still spread to the other side and rampage on the territories of Valur. While it might benefit me and the province if the zombies distracted Valur, their random attacks could harm innocent people. I couldn't bear the thought of being responsible for such a tragedy, also, I'm not mentally tough enough to take such excessive actions. I couldn't help but shudder on the thought of me, being such cold-blooded individual who will order such extreme actions, because I'm such a pretentious coward after all.
"Continue to disseminate leaflets to the enemy, and this time, provide them with a definitive ultimatum. Should they fail to comply and withdraw from our territory within a week's time, without sending their negotiators, they will bear witness to the full brunt of our wrath."
As the meeting drew to a close by the ending remark of Oliver, Nathan rose from his seat and called for the meeting to adjourn. "Thank you all for your participation and valuable input," he said. "Let's continue to work together and remain united in our efforts to protect our province."
With Nathan's words echoed through the room, emphasizing the need to prioritize the safety and interests of their people. As the weight of the situation settled in, everyone nodded in agreement, determined to stop playing it soft and take the necessary steps to protect their province.
However, among the crowd, the opposition remained relatively silent and hesitant. They feared that taking a hardline stance would split the province apart and ultimately leave them vulnerable. Yet, they knew they couldn't simply ignore the threat posed by the dangerous civilization on their doorstep.
Despite their reservations, the opposition ultimately decided to support the governor in this matter, at least for the time being. They couldn't risk allowing the situation to escalate any further. Only if Oliver asked for unreasonable orders or showed incompetence, would they be willing to oppose him. However, if Oliver made any unreasonable orders or showed incompetence, they would not hesitate to oppose him and pin the blame on him for any resulting problems because of his judgement.
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