My Players Are So Fierce

Chapter 2340 -781: Star-world Tear? Bah! Outdated Stuff! Let’s Try Something More Exciting Now [14/30]

(Additional update for last month’s votes~)

“Sorry, we tried to rescue them, but…”

At the Winter Wolf positions in Baphomet Canyon, Colonel Fraser, having retreated through the tunnels, was still wearing armor stained with blood. Instead of resting first, he solemnly handed a folded, torn Winter Wolf Banner to Colonel Duke, guarding the area.

The latter felt a foreboding sense of doom when he saw the flag brought back by the Goldenrod people.

After listening to Fraser’s account, Colonel Duke, deeply trusted by General Baldwin, shook his head, staring at the battle flag, and said hoarsely:

“So, all our troops in Shadow Valley are… What about Basomi Yang? Is he dead too?”

“Colonel Basomi Yang isn’t dead, but I think his current condition could not be considered ‘alive’.”

Fraser said softly:

“During our retreat, more than one officer saw Colonel Basomi Yang bravely fighting on the front lines. The Wolf People’s ambush arrow knocked him down, but vampires saved him, using the vampires’ ‘rescue method.’

Moreover, there’s a Nord unit from Ice Bay executing a special mission; they should also be alive, but their retreat direction isn’t towards here in the plan.”

“Damn!”

Colonel Duke cursed fiercely.

This was the worst news.

Even worse than the vanguard being completely wiped out by a surprise underground attack from the Gnolls. It’s unimaginable how desperate that volatile yet devout guy, Basomi Yang, must feel knowing he’s become a vampire. And when Colonel Duke saw that all the troops except the Winter Wolf Army’s vanguard had evacuated the canyon, he couldn’t help but entertain a dark thought he shouldn’t have.

Perhaps his vanguard was used by these guys to…

No!

Now is not the time to dwell on these thoughts amidst the ongoing battle.

Rationally, Colonel Duke threw the dark idea out of his mind and looked beyond Fraser to see soldiers constantly emerging from the tunnels silver dwarves had penetrated a few days ago.

Every one of them carried the fatigue of forced marches, making them quite unsuitable for immediate reinvolvement in battle.

But they brought the much-needed ammunition and various medicine supplies for the Nord positions, along with newly produced Blood Vulture Claw Rifles from the Transia Armament Factory. Crucially, the thousands of evacuees just needed a short rest before they could replenish the not-so-optimistic positions.

Colonel Duke shook his head and said:

“Your soldiers can rest in the rear; the dwarf priests have helped us build bunkers there, and our cooks can offer assistance, but I can only give you a maximum of three days for recuperation.”

“That’s enough.”

Colonel Fraser, holding his helmet, said solemnly:

“Although the Wolf People have just occupied Shadow Valley, the massive counterattack by the Transia People to cover the retreat destroyed their camps. Even if Huggesen is urgent, he can’t immediately send those equally fatigued Wolf People over. We have some time left. May I ask, how’s the situation here?”

“Still holding up.”

Colonel Duke pointed at the positions sculpted into sloped terrain and said:

“Holding Shadow Valley doesn’t mean we’re idle here. Over the past twenty-two days, we’ve repelled at least seventeen Wolf People assaults. They pulled the Gnolls back to Shadow Valley, relieving us of underground threats, but some areas of our position have still fallen, yet the remaining ones have been fortified.

While we’re indeed exhausted, I believe our adversary, the Wolf People, are equally worn out and unable to organize another attack shortly.”

“How many men do you have left?”

Colonel Fraser frowned and asked. Colonel Duke hesitated and then spoke truthfully:

“Around three thousand two hundred men, plus over a thousand injured sent back to the Maginot Line.”

“I remember you started the deployment with 7,500 men.”

The commander from Goldenrod Kingdom exclaimed:

“Your casualties are too severe, perhaps you should retreat to the Maginot Line, leaving this position for us to defend. Your situation is worse than ours.”

“Surrender our positions to the Goldenrod People? No, never!”

Colonel Duke stubbornly retorted:

“General Baldwin’s orders are for us to hold this place until Klim Fortress’s reinforcements and renovations are complete. I haven’t received orders from the General; I won’t retreat, nor will my soldiers!”

This reply was full of the unreasonable stubbornness typical of Northerners.

Colonel Fraser glanced at the gallows behind the position, where the hanging soldiers’ bodies were intact, indicating they weren’t killed in battle.

Perhaps deserters?

Even the usually disciplined Winter Wolf Army had deserters, suggesting that the situation on this front isn’t as optimistic as Colonel Duke claimed.

“Is it to cleanse the shame?”

Fraser asked softly:

“Just because Transia People called you ‘cowards’? No, it shouldn’t be like this! Colonel Duke, you’ve faced the Wolf People’s vanguard head-on, fought them seventeen times, and repelled twenty-two days of attacks. No one can say you’re cowards.

Your army’s morale is about to collapse; you should lead them in retreat to the rear.”