Legend has it that in the distant prosperous era, the land illuminated by the rays of the sun was once the most fertile place on this continent.
Here, there were once lush foliage, forests covering the hills, farmland as far as the eye can see, and metal slaves working endlessly in the fields. People did not need to work, but could enjoy the glitz of the prosperous age all day long. Everything was born and inexhaustible.
Just one agricultural division in Luoxia Province is enough to feed 90% of the population on this planet.
To this day, even if the glory of the past has been covered with dust, the afterglow of the sunset still shines here, warming the survivors who are lingering in the ruins.
This is still one of the happiest places in this wasteland.
As long as you don't step into the desert, you don't have to worry about mutant creatures. Every inch of cultivated land here is protected by the armies of various kingdoms and "river banks".
Rich and sufficient food allows the people of the Sand Sea Spirit to not have to worry about hunger.
Although this place is feudal, it is united enough. It is not as scattered as the eastern provinces, where a group of plunderers can cause a bloody storm at will. Children who have just left their infancy must not only learn to walk but also learn to shoot in order to survive.
Facts have proved that in the difficult years after the end of the world, it is better for everyone to believe in something than to believe in nothing.
but--
In the view of William Falcon, the prince and marshal of the Falcon Kingdom, this is not enough.
Although the kingdoms are united by faith, there is no trust between countries.
The Spirit of the Sand Sea once taught the kings that brothers and sisters should unite and lend a helping hand to each other in times of difficulty. However, in fact, the kings are suspicious of each other and are always wary of each other using their blood to usurp their titles and enjoy the power given by faith.
, hate their own obligations.
It would be great if the spirit of the sand sea could give its blessings equally to every kingdom in this desert.
But it didn't do this, and even the disasters it caused were not equal.
The first thing to disappear was Oasis No. 1, with yellow sand swallowing up everything there.
Next came Oasis No. 2. The fertile soil of the Falcon Kingdom was shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye, losing more than 20% of its territory in just half a century.
The selfish kings refused to provide help to the Falcon Royal Family. The gods also did not respond to the Falcon Royal Family's prayers. Instead, they continued to bring disasters. They could only seek help from external forces... even the devil in the west.
However, it was precisely thanks to the selfishness and cowardice of the kings that the war progressed as smoothly as ever.
Facing the Falcon Kingdom's lightning-fast offensive, the kings who were suspicious of each other were completely powerless to resist, and until now they have not been able to form effective resistance.
After defeating the most powerful lion, he will immediately send his troops north to capture the Golden Lizard Kingdom. At this point, in the Luoxia Province, except for Falcon, only the southernmost Hump Kingdom is left.
Unable to change the situation, they had no other choice but to surrender.
And by then, this land protected by the glow will be united like never before.
William has had this dream in his heart since he was very young. He dreams of one day unifying this desert, and then relying on his strong dominance to restore this desert to its former glory.
Turning the desert into an oasis may sound unbelievable, but he believes there is a way.
Even if you can't do it now, someone will be able to do it in the future.
After all, the Spirit of the Sand Sea once said that this was originally a world covered by yellow sand.
As for the second half of what believers often say - "The world will eventually be swallowed up by the yellow sand and return to the embrace of the spirit of the sea of sand."
That's just the interpretation of someone who gives up on himself.
In contrast, he is more inclined to interpret the teachings of the Spirit of the Sand Sea as - "This place can finally return to the best era one day" and "Oasis is a gift presented to the gods by humans, rather than a gift from gods to humans.
of giving.”
Since it is a man-made thing.
There must be a way to recreate it.
And what he has to do now is to use his thunderous skills to destroy the corrupt kings!
Become the master of this desert!
"...Operation Thunder has been cancelled. This is General Griffin's order. He asked me to convey it to you."
In the tent.
William, who was staring at the strategic map, heard bad news from the legionary officer who walked into the camp.
He opened his eyes slightly, and after a moment of silence, he lowered his voice and spoke.
"I need a reason."
Five teams of ten thousand people and more than 70,000 kingdom soldiers have assembled on three sides of the "City of Plenty".
It is the granary of Oasis No. 9 and a strategically important town in the middle of the Lion Kingdom.
The giant dam called "River Embankment" surrounds a circular area with a radius of about ten kilometers.
This towering dam is entirely made of alloy and irrigates thousands of square kilometers of fertile soil inside and outside the "river embankment". No one knows how it works. They only know that it contains inexhaustible fresh water and can remove polluted water.
The water is restored to purity.
Under the protection of the spirit of the sand sea, ordinary weapons cannot harm it at all.
Therefore, the Lion Kingdom deployed a large number of weapons on the circular "river embankment" and sent heavy troops to guard it, turning it into an unbreakable fortress that echoed the royal capital hundreds of kilometers away and formed a strong relationship with each other.
But on the other hand, as long as they can capture this place, the Falcon Kingdom's army will be able to march eastward until they reach the capital of the Lion Kingdom, and there will be no dangers along the way!
The "Thunder" plan was formulated precisely to capture this important town.
They have been preparing for this for a full month, including mobilizing troops and planning an attack plan.
However……
General Griffin, who formulated this plan, actually canceled it with just one sentence?
What a joke!
But soon, the officer's next words made William's mood sink to the bottom.
"Camp 530 was attacked. The tanks, rifles, bullets, artillery shells that were originally going to be sent to the front line... these supplies are now in the hands of the guerrillas, which is enough for them to arm a team of ten thousand people and break away from the supply line.
The situation lasted for two months.”
"Our planes are searching for their traces, but they are very cunning and hid in the hills northeast of Oasis No. 9."
Not all deserts are endless plains. In addition to the rolling sand dunes, there are also desertified hills and valleys near the central part of the valley province.
"Camp 530?! How could it be... aren't your elites stationed there?!" William asked anxiously.
The officer nodded and said simply.
"Yes, but even if it is an elite team, there is only a thousand-man team. At present, it seems that it is people from the enterprise who launched a surprise attack on our camp and even used electromagnetic pulse weapons."
enterprise……
William frowned.
Although he is eager to capture the city of abundance, it does not mean that he is reckless.
In fact, it was precisely because of his careful decision-making that he was able to maintain a record of consecutive victories and capture the entire Honey Badger Kingdom within a week.
If the battle plan has been leaked, and there are suspected activities of corporate troops and guerrillas equipped with legion weapons on the north side of Oasis No. 9, it is indeed not a good idea to rush into a full-scale offensive.
"...I remember there was a tribe of raiders called the Bear Clan there? Is there any way to bribe them?"
The officer shook his head.
"We tried, but those people have been scared out of their wits by the Alliance, and the few remaining people just hide in the mountains and become bandits... I even doubt whether they still have fighting ability."
After Dillon died in battle, all the centurions and ten-capurions under his command had completely turned into deserters. Although some were still willing to return to the legion, those few people could not change anything at all.
There was a trace of solemnity on William's face, and he pondered for a moment and said.
"It is best to resolve this war quickly. If it drags on for too long, there may be changes."
"Of course, Lord Griffin thinks so too."
Reading the expression on the prince's face, the officer smiled lightly and said.
"...So, we quickly prepared a second attack plan. Different from Operation 'Thunder', this time we plan to use some unconventional means."
William frowned, vaguely reading an unusual meaning from the officer's tone.
"Unconventional means?"
The officer didn't say anything, but handed him a piece of paper and made a joke in a teasing tone.
"Burn it after reading it. We can't leak any more secrets this time."
William looked at him suspiciously, took the note and unfolded it.
When he saw the words above, William was stunned for a moment, and then his expression changed.
He looked at the officer, staring intently at those indifferent pupils.
"I oppose this plan! We need a complete city of abundance, not a rotting ruin!"
The officer shrugged expressionlessly.
"Sacrificing a 'farm' in exchange for an entire oasis is definitely worth it in our opinion. If we delay this for a month, formulate a new plan, and redeploy our troops, we may face a situation that is several times the current situation.
Number of enemies."
"In addition, this is also the opinion of the commander of the Eastern Legion."
"We don't want this war to turn from a local conflict into a full-scale war between the Legion and the Enterprise. Neither we nor they are prepared. Before the Enterprise increases the chips placed here, smash our enemy's defense lines with the force of thunder
and the will to resist is the least costly option.”
Listening to that ruthless voice, William stared at him.
"You have no idea what that means. Destroying the miracle of the Sand Sea Spirit is a blasphemy against the gods!"
However, the officer just smiled faintly.
"Blasphemy? Do you still care about this?"
Looking at the livid prince, the officer continued in a slow tone.
"It will take some time for the weapons to be delivered, so you should prepare them."
As for that objection.
He acted as if he hadn't heard.
After saying these words, the officer turned and left.
Standing next to William, a general of the kingdom swallowed his saliva and asked softly.
"Your Highness...what are the legions planning to do?"
William was silent for a long time without speaking, and seemed to be in a struggle inside.
However, it was only for a moment.
He is not an indecisive person. Those who achieve great things should not stick to trivial matters. As long as they win in the end, Luoxia Province will usher in eternal peace.
No one can say he is wrong.
What's more, even if he feels it's inappropriate, he can't stop the legion's decision.
Passing the note to the oil lamp on the table, William watched a wisp of flames leap from the note, engulfing it bit by bit, crushing it into ashes, and finally falling on the copper plate.
"They plan to release the demon from 200 years ago and blaspheme the favor of the gods... Ha, but what he said makes sense. We have all sold our souls to the demon in exchange for power. Do we still need to care about this?"
With a faint self-deprecation, William left the general with a confused look on his face and walked out of the camp alone.
That expressionless face made it impossible to tell what he was thinking at the moment.
Nuclear bomb.
A cheap and easy to use device.
It is said that just pressing the button of the switch can wipe hundreds of thousands or even millions of people off the map and turn a fertile land into an unsurvivable ruin.
What the disaster of the gods takes half a century to do, it can do in just an instant.
This is not a particularly clever technique.
But it definitely works.
"Mount."
Come to the stables.
William patted the guard beside him on the shoulder, then walked towards his tall horse, turned over and rode on it.
Not all desert people like camels.
The black horse produced in the great desert is the beloved pet of the people of the Falcon Kingdom.
They are as powerful as mutants. Wearing heavy armor, they can charge in a hail of bullets. They are naturally unafraid of the sound of cannons and gunshots, let alone death.
"Where are we going? Your Highness." The guard captain with a beard asked as he rode up to catch up with William, holding the reins.
William squinted and glanced east.
"Go to the front!"
The guard captain had hesitation on his face and said cautiously: "It's too dangerous there. Prince Winter's army always fires at us from time to time. I don't recommend that you go to such a dangerous place."
William laughed and kicked the horse's butt to make it run.
"There is no danger! Those turtles huddled in their shells only have a few good days left, and we will soon be able to step over their bodies."
Before that beautiful castle turned into a pile of twisted steel.
He planned to ride on his beloved war horse and take another look at it.
…
At the same time, in the fertile capital of Oasis No. 9, there were patches of bright yellow farmland floating inside and outside the towering circular "river embankment".
The harvest time is coming.
I don’t know whether the farmer’s sickle or the tank’s track will be the first to harvest them.
On the river bank.
Prince Winter, holding a telescope in his hand, was looking to the west, with a trace of solemnity on his wrinkled face.
The fortress under his feet is not only the granary of the Lion Kingdom, but also the front line of the war.
The towering "river embankment" is a natural fortress. Made entirely of alloy, it is almost impossible to be destroyed by conventional weapons.
The troops stationed here are the elite of the kingdom - the "Scarab" team of ten thousand people!
Together with two 10,000-strong troops composed of more than 22,000 conscripts, the garrison here has exceeded 30,000, and tens of thousands of farmers are in training.
Thousands of 97mm smoothbore cannons were pushed onto the "river embankment", in addition to nearly a hundred 230mm cast iron mortars.
Don't underestimate these antiques.
Although the range is limited, relying on the unbreakable bunker, it can still perform miraculous effects.
As long as the number is sufficient, combined with artillery shells filled with high explosives, it can still pose a considerable threat to the attacking troops.
Not to mention they also prepared a large number of gas can rockets.
In addition to these antiques, the Lion Kingdom also purchased a certain number of 100mm howitzers and handed thirty of them to Prince Winter.
These modern light artillery can have a range of up to 20 kilometers, but they lack ammunition, so their deterrent significance is greater than its practical significance.
However, the defenders stationed here are not worried about the troops outside, and they are all waiting with high morale and solemnity.
No matter how powerful the legion's tanks are, they cannot climb over the "river embankment" made of alloy.
The City of Fertility has sufficient supplies, and they can stay here until the next century!
As long as the city of abundance remains, the capital will remain, and the kingdom will remain!
It will be like a stubborn nail, nailed in the direction of the Falcon Kingdom's troops. Anyone who tries to pull it out is destined to have blood on their hands.
Everyone is ready to live or die with this fortress.
"...Falcon Kingdom's troops are digging trenches within 5 kilometers of us."
Passing the telescope in his hand to the adjutant on the side, Prince Winter looked at the messenger on the side expressionlessly.
"Let the 1st Artillery Squadron prepare and give our enemy a little color!"
"Yes!" The ordering soldier stood at attention, gave a military salute, and then trotted towards the radio station not far away.
Soon after the coordinates of the shelling were reported, more than ten explosions were heard.
Streams of white smoke drew parabolic trajectories in the air, fell on the enemy's position, and exploded into clouds of white smoke.
The range of the 230mm cast iron mortar is similar to that of the light mortar, but its power is much better. It will quickly knock down those digging the trenches.
However, looking at the group of engineers who suffered heavy casualties, Prince Winter frowned.
The adjutant on the side also noticed the abnormality, a trace of shock appeared in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and said.
"Sir...the engineers and soldiers digging the trenches seem to be us -"
"It's the enemy," Winter said without any expression, interrupting him without hesitation, "Keep firing!"
The adjutant nodded silently, picked up the telescope again, and looked at the position in the distance.
His eyes flashed with hatred and anger.
These shameless guys...
They actually used prisoners as cannon fodder!
This despicable method is not only a blasphemy against the ancient covenant, but also a betrayal of faith!
He swore.
He will definitely get it back from those people!
After turning around and leaving the front line, Prince Winter took the elevator back to the fortress.
At this time, a messenger trotted over, stopped in front of him, stood still and marched.
"Report! Urgent from the palace!"
Taking the letter from the messenger's hand, Winter opened it and took a look at it, and his frown finally relaxed.
Seeing the change in expression on his face, the staff officer following him couldn't help but ask.
"Is it good news?"
The only piece of good news in this month is probably that their allies finally plan to send troops.
Although I heard that it is only half the size of a thousand-man team...
Winter nodded and handed the letter in his hand to the staff officer on the side, with a rare hint of relaxation and joy in his tone.
"Our allies have successfully destroyed the Legion's supply hub in the north. The Legion's 'Thunder' plan has been thwarted. Our north will probably be safe for a while, and we can concentrate on dealing with the group of bugs outside."
I have to admit that the alliance's intelligence network is terrifyingly strong.
He had just learned the code name of the entire operation, and the alliance thousands of miles away had already killed the entire huge and well-planned plan in the cradle.
All signs indicate that the Alliance's penetration into the desert has reached a level that cannot be ignored.
But the Lion Kingdom has almost no understanding of them.
Thinking of this, Winter couldn't help but secretly make up his mind while feeling fearful.
If the Lion Kingdom can successfully survive this crisis, he will definitely persuade His Majesty the King to increase the budget for intelligence work.
or……
You can also do this work yourself.
"Fifty Conqueror tanks...including self-propelled artillery and trucks, as well as enough supplies to arm a 10,000-person troop. It's a shame they were able to defeat such an important military base!"
The staff officer's expression changed slightly.
Suddenly, he thought of something, looked at Prince Winter eagerly and asked.
"Where's the equipment?"
Prince Winter smiled lightly.
"Eighty percent of it was handed over to the Nationalist Army led by Yad... Don't think about it, they won't give it to us."
A look of pity appeared on the staff officer's face.
That is equipment that can arm an army of ten thousand people...
"It would have been nice if we had sent troops there."
"Who should we send?" Prince Winter didn't feel it was a pity. "We can't even protect ourselves now, so how can we have any extra troops to send to the north."
After hearing this, the staff officer was silent for a while, sighed and said, "What you said makes sense... I hope there will be news from Andre soon."
"I'm tired of seeing it." Prince Winter replied casually, without any expectations.
If the Golden Lizard Kingdom really had the idea of sending troops, they should have sent their troops here when they sent the declaration of war, instead of sitting quietly on the border like now.
The faith of the Sand Sea Spirit has never been so weak in this land. Those oaths made in front of the Sand Sea Spirit are like water poured into the sand and cannot be counted at all.
perhaps……
Those things are really outdated.
No matter how this war ends, they will all enter an era of intrigue...
At this time, another messenger came running from a distance.
In his hand was an urgent letter, the second of the same day.
"Why is there another one?"
Two urgent letters were delivered at the same time, and Winter couldn't help but have a bad feeling in his heart.
Good news he's already seen it.
Logically speaking, the probability that the second letter is still good news is too low...
However, he couldn't avoid what was coming, so he finally opened it.
There was only one short line in the letter, but it made his face turn pale.
[A nuclear bomb with a yield of one million tons is being sent across the desert to the Falcon Kingdom.]
million tons!
For a moment, he felt that even his heartbeat had disappeared...
…
A month and a half has passed since that fireworks-filled celebration.
In the past month and a half, the biggest change in the north of Shuguang City is probably the road to the north.
With the help of Ideal Group, this 169-kilometer concrete road, which cost 16.9 million Cr and runs directly from the northern suburbs of Qingquan City to Luoxia Province, was finally completed.
Previously, even a forced march from Qingquan City to Ruigu City would take a day or two.
But now, there is a smooth direct highway, and you can get there in less than three hours.
As the manager of the alliance, Chu Guang participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the highway.
Although before he cut the ribbon, there were already trucks running on it.
"After all, this road is for emergency use. If you want to use it for a long time, you still need to pay attention to road maintenance. If it is properly maintained, it should be fine for 10 to 20 years." Looking at the straight concrete road in front of him, Li Changkong's face was filled with emotion.
He said proudly and with a sense of accomplishment.
Chu Guang, who was standing next to him, also had a smile on his face, held his hand and shook it.
“Thank you so much!”
Li Changkong said with a smile.
"You're welcome!"
not far away.
The alliance's chief engineer remained silent and still squatted beside the road, looking at the concrete blocks on the ground and muttering.
"How can it be……"
I happened to be passing by and glanced at him. Seeing that he was still squatting there thinking about this broken road, I couldn't help but say.
"Damn...you haven't given up yet. Have you figured out anything?"
To his surprise, Dao Xia Liuren actually nodded.
I saw this guy stretched out his index finger, touched the side of the road, pinched it with his thumb and rubbed it.
"This road is not just cement, it also has a fixed structure similar to steel rods... but it is not made of steel."
I was stunned for a while after quitting smoking.
"What is it used for?"
"Carbon... may also be some isomer of silicon carbide," Dao Xia Liuren clapped his hands, stood up from the ground, and said with twinkling eyes, "I don't know what it is, but its tensile strength
, all physical properties such as yield strength are higher than those of steel.”
"Oh..." Quit smoking and touched his chin, "It's interesting."
Seeing this extremely perfunctory expression, Knife Xia Liuren couldn't help but say.
"Don't you think it's strange?"
Quit giving this guy a confused look.
"Is this weird? There is a space elevator in the desert... Materials with higher tensile strength, isn't this thing basic?"
Keep someone under the knife: "..."
That makes sense.
For a moment, he didn't know how to refute.
In the distance, the ribbon-cutting ceremony ends.
Just when Chu Guang was thinking about where to repair the idle equipment, Xiao Qi's voice suddenly came to his ears.
"Master! Prince Kaliman wants to see you. He says he has important things to discuss with you. Do you want to meet him?"