Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1332 - 1325: One Against a Hundred

Chapter 1332: Chapter 1325: One Against a Hundred

Dongsheng’s non-commissioned officers continuously fell and were ceaselessly replenished to maintain their current formation. However, the situation was much more severe than they had imagined; the shields and armor they were equipped with could not withstand the direct shots from the firearms. Almost as soon as the enemy fired, unless the shot missed, a large number of troops would inevitably fall.

The tremendous and dense gunfire echoed across the battlefield, dealing a blow to the morale of Dongsheng’s troops. And to make matters worse, as the Demon Clan’s army completed the deployment of their mortars in the rear, round after round of artillery bombardment followed.

This time, the Demon Clan’s army was experimenting with fragmentation grenades, with delayed fuses, meaning there was a delay after hitting the ground before they exploded. The grenades were filled with an improved version of black powder, significantly increasing their destructive power.

Soon, fragmentation grenades began to explode amongst the ranks of Dongsheng’s troops. In moments, Dongsheng’s tightly formed ranks were marred with one crater after another, as those caught in the explosions were torn apart, painting a horrifying scene.

Having undergone training and adjustments by instructors from High-peak, the Demon Clan’s army redefined their approach to warfare. They no longer primarily sought to break the enemy’s morale but rather used their powerful weapons to inflict maximum casualties on the living force of the enemy, until the enemy gave up resistance.

This new method of warfare undoubtedly resulted in a far higher number of casualties than previous wars. The Demon Clan’s army had turned into a veritable killing machine, relentlessly devouring the non-commissioned officers of Dongsheng’s army, much like a meat grinder.

After enduring seven or eight volleys of coordinated fire, Dongsheng’s commanders finally realized that the enemy would not confront them head-on and thus issued an order to attack.

Accompanied by the melancholic sound of bugles, the battered troops of Dongsheng began to advance. They moved orderly, the soldiers forming neat ranks and marching forward with spears in hand.

Because what ancient armies needed most was organization. Once soldiers launched a charge, the effect was indeed ideal, but it was difficult to regain control of the soldiers after the battle ended. Getting lost or deserting would inevitably lead to a certain amount of troop loss.

But, as they say, analyze specific issues individually. If at this stage Dongsheng’s army had directly charged, the Demon Clan’s army might not have definitely been their match. However, the commanders of Dongsheng stubbornly opted for a steady advance, which gave the Demon Clan’s army the room to exert their strength.

Faced with the advance of Dongsheng’s army, the Demon Clan’s line infantry did indeed show slight disarray, but were quickly steadied by their supervising officers. They continued to fire methodically at Dongsheng’s troops, while the mortars positioned in the rear ceaselessly drew lines of fire, preventing the enemy advance.

In fact, a small mistake had occurred in the Demon Clan’s army. If the line infantry could have coordinated an advance with the support of field guns, it could have inflicted even more severe casualties on Dongsheng’s troops.

However, the Demon Clan’s generals did not dare to take such a risk, preferring instead to position their cannons in the rear. Without the advantage of terrain, the direct fire artillery deployed in the rear could not support the front line infantry, but it was the mortars that played an unexpectedly significant role.

Under the continuous fire of the Demon Clan’s army, Dongsheng’s army suffered heavy losses. Nearly every two meters advanced, a row of men would fall, and the fragmentation grenades fired by the mortars continued to create vacuums within the crowds.

Yet despite this, Dongsheng’s army did not descend into chaos and kept realigning their formations and advancing, their discipline and organization exceeding the expectations of Luo’er and others.

However, it proved that Dongsheng’s army was close to the threshold of collapse.

Driven by the innate human nature of fearing death, the soldiers of Dongsheng’s army watched as their comrades in the first or even the second rows fell before them, knowing they had to immediately fill the gaps. If not for disciplinary constraints, they would probably turn and run on the spot, unwilling to confront the enemy.

They had previously fought against Demon Clan troops equipped with firearms, but at that time, the efficiency of the Demon Clan’s firearms was extremely low, with scattered shooting that posed even less of a threat than crossbows and bows.

But this time, the Demon Clan’s army opened their eyes wide. The effect of a simultaneous volley from a thousand troops deeply shocked every Dongsheng soldier. Nearly all of them braced themselves and moved forward; in their view, standing in the front row meant certain death.

When they advanced to about ten meters from the Demon Clan’s army, the front rank of Dongsheng’s pikemen had almost completely changed over; the previous batch had all fallen on the path of advance.

"Cease fire, change formation!" Seeing that Dongsheng’s troops had closed in, the Demon Clan commander placed his command saber on his shoulder and bellowed loudly.

With his order, the sound of drums and bugles rang out again. The first row of Demon Clan soldiers immediately crouched, pointing their firearms forward, while the second row stood behind the first, also aiming their guns ahead.

The third row was still reloading bullets, and after the formation change, they continued to do so, then stuck their firearms through the gaps between the second row of troops.

Upon receiving the order, the rear rank of pikemen promptly lifted their upright spears over their heads, holding them horizontally with the spear points aimed at the oncoming Dongsheng army.

"Ready!" The Demon Clan commander raised his command saber once again.

This was to be the final volley, with all three ranks firing simultaneously. After Dongsheng’s troops came close enough to charge, the Demon Clan army would fire a volley from all three ranks and then directly launch a charge.

The Demon Clan army’s cessation of firing gave Dongsheng’s troops a chance to catch their breath, looking rather disheveled as they adjusted their ranks and advanced steadily. Although there were still mortars firing from behind the Demon Clan’s lines, this seemed less terrifying compared to the immediate danger of the firearms.

They held their spears horizontally and slowly approached the Demon Clan army. It was only when they were close enough to see the expressions on the Demon Clan soldiers’ faces that they noticed the shiny bayonets hanging atop the muzzles of the firearms in their hands.

The bayonet was a suggestion from a visitor from the Western Continent; Abisien’s main accomplishment this past month, aside from drilling the troops and modifying the firearms, was to manufacture bayonets to standard specifications.

These bayonets were not sharpened but were exceptionally pointed, mainly designed for piercing. Because in both Ancient Times and modern warfare, piercing has always been more lethal than slashing. The Demon Clan’s army had fixed the bayonets onto the muzzles of their firearms before the battle began, removing them only when marching.

When Dongsheng’s troops advanced to the point where their spears were about to reach the Demon Clan soldiers, the Demon Clan commander finally swung down his command saber forcefully and shouted, "Fire!"

Over three thousand firearms discharged simultaneously, the sound echoing across the whole battlefield, the intimidation factor far exceeding the sum of its parts.

Suddenly, the battlefield was shrouded in white smoke, and the front rank of Dongsheng soldiers fell in unison. Following the thunderous sound, screams and groans filled the air. The atmosphere was heavy with the scent of gunpowder and the pungent smell of blood, all of which exhilarated the Demon Clan soldiers.

"Charge!" Capitalizing on the catastrophic blow dealt to Dongsheng’s troops, with the front ranks nearly annihilated and the rear unable to ready their spears in time, the Demon Clan commander called for a charge, the sound of drums and bugles instantly becoming more vigorous.

Following the commander’s order and the invigorating drum and bugle sounds, the morale of all the Demon Clan soldiers peaked, and they all surged through the thick fog, launching a tidal charge at the opposing Dongsheng army.

The Demon Clan commander, leading from the front, used his command saber to cut down a Dongsheng soldier caught off guard, further inspiring his troops.

By contrast, Dongsheng’s forces had already reached the brink of collapse. After the volley and subsequent charge, Dongsheng’s army finally broke in morale, offering only symbolic resistance before the entire force was routed.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Dongsheng’s commander immediately sounded the retreat, escaping into the city first. At this point, the soldiers, no longer coherent as a unit, scrambled towards the city gates in a frenzied swarm.

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