This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 706: The Gray Wolf Who Doesn’t Play by the Rules

Chapter 706: Chapter 706: The Gray Wolf Who Doesn’t Play by the Rules

Fang Chang’s concerns were not unfounded.

The premise of besieging to fight off reinforcements is that the besieged garrison still retains a will to resist.

But as for the nearly three thousand Imperial soldiers trapped in the "Clabber Market," whether they possessed such spirit was clearly a mystery.

However, compared to the simple capture of a prince, he actually had bigger ambitions...

Lowell Camp.

Killer Dagger, who was wearing an exoskeleton, found Laxi, who was sitting on an ammunition box tinkering with an LD-47, and got straight to the point.

"Got work."

Setting aside his new toy that had just arrived, Laxi sprung up from the ammunition box and bowed respectfully.

"Ready for your orders, my lord."

Killer Dagger didn’t beat about the bush and immediately pulled out a tablet and handed it to him, his finger opening a map and a list of battle plans next to it.

"About three thousand remnants have retreated to the Clabber Market, where they’ve requisitioned residential buildings and all available cover in the market and have constructed new defensive lines with the remaining ammunition and personal anti-armor weapons. The good news is that they’ve driven out the civilians in the area, so we can freely use all the support firepower at our disposal. As for the bad news, there isn’t any, for now."

"But even so, you still can’t afford to be careless or underestimate them, I don’t want a pack of desperate dogs suddenly regaining their courage in the midst of battle. You need to do as we’ve agreed, step by step; first surround the market, then from the east, south, west, and north, exert pressure on the trapped troops, forcing them to break out..."

His finger paused on the map, and Killer Dagger continued.

"...We assume they won’t head directly north, as both the east and west sides are decent choices. To minimize uncertainties, we need you to apply greater pressure from the west and carry out some feints as appropriate, to make them choose the east as their main breakout direction as much as possible."

Laxi frowned, looking puzzled at him.

"Why let them escape? I can capture them all for you."

Killer Dagger patiently explained.

"This involves the second step of the plan. We hope to intercept them while they retreat and drive a portion of the fleeing soldiers out of the settlement area and into our ambush position outside. With the support of the ten thousand troops stationed outside, we’ll ’eat’ both the ones who flee to the outskirts and the ten thousand troops lying in wait together."

This was a variation of besieging to fight off reinforcements.

After Arai Yang, stationed outside the settlement area, dispatched a ten thousand troops to the front lines in trenches, he showed no new moves, seemingly intending to let the routed soldiers organize their own forces to break out, while the reinforcements were primarily for cover.

It seemed that General Arai Yang was not planning to sacrifice more soldiers for this foolish attack plan, which further proved that the attack was an accident in itself.

Just like the thousand troops "amphibious landing" at Potato Harbor.

Laxi’s face showed surprise, partly at the audacity of the Alliance brothers’ plan, and partly at their appetite.

That was an entire ten thousand troops!

And the Empire’s most elite at that!

However, there was no fear on his face, only a brief moment of contemplation before he asked a somewhat irrelevant question that he was curious about.

"If you’re planning to let them go, why not just let them head north? Isn’t that closer?"

Killer Dagger was taken aback for a moment, looking at the man with a strange expression, and countered.

"Would you run straight north if it were you?"

Laxi was also taken aback.

Why wouldn’t they?

Regardless of the guy’s bewildered expression, Killer Dagger looked up briefly at the sky and continued to speak in a hurried tone.

"Nightfall is approaching, and we believe they will choose to rest for the night and hold their positions until dawn breaks tomorrow. Generally speaking, that’s the most relaxed moment and the best time to break out... That’s the plan. If there’s any new development, we’ll inform you. Now we need you to act immediately."

A fierce light flickered in Laxi’s eyes as he reached for the rifle resting beside the ammo box and nodded earnestly.

"Leave it to me."

Watching Laxi turn to walk towards the camp’s broadcast station, Killer Dagger suddenly remembered something and called out to him again.

"Wait."

Laxi stopped and turned around.

"Is there something else?"

Killer Dagger pointed at the tablet in his hand.

"There are a few people on there we want alive. And for others, if anyone surrenders, try to take them alive if possible... Remember, a living person is worth more than a dead one."

Laxi nodded slightly.

"Understood."

...

Crab Market.

This was Jin Galun Harbor’s largest marketplace, located right in the center of the northern urban area, consisting of hundreds to thousands of stalls and booths, surrounded by row upon row of uniform square houses.

Normally, these stalls would be filled with colorful food, spices, textiles, small trinkets, and animals tied with ropes, and even some used electronics and mechanical timepieces brought in from other places.

Not only the poor and citizens would frequent here to buy daily necessities, but occasionally some merchants doing big business and nobles in luxurious attire would come here on a whim, searching for rare treasures or to find bargains from those who were not savvy.

It’s no exaggeration to say that if the West Winds Empire had it, whether it be cheap Red Soil or toys from Ideal City, with some time spent, you could find it here.

Usually, this market would bustle from the break of dawn until sunset, and today was no exception.

The only difference was that the bustling crowd had changed from the shouting merchants and discerning customers to a group of fleeing "Grey Wolves"...

"Stop! What are you doing!? This is my house, you can’t—ah, ouch!"

A man around thirty was thrown out the door by a soldier, hustled onto the street along with his disheveled two wives and six kids.

From this family’s attire and appearance, although not of high status, they were certainly not snakes, rats, insects, or birds.

But to a bunch of soldiers who had just suffered defeat, that made no difference.

Not listening to the man’s angry protests, the soldier directly raised the muzzle of his PU-9 submachine gun to the man’s forehead and barked.

"This isn’t your home! Now! Immediately! Leave! If you don’t want trouble!"

The cold touch made his heart feel as if it had plunged into an ice cave, his limbs became cold, and his lips trembled without being able to speak.

In another house not far away,

an old woman clutched at a soldier’s legs and refused to let go, pleading desperately, only to be kicked back inside.

Not long after, a series of gunshots erupted, followed by a squad of soldiers carrying a machine gun stepping over the bloody threshold.

The man was utterly terrified, and warmth streamed down his leg onto the ground.

Glancing at the man who had wet his pants, Dilip didn’t even bother to speak and simply stepped over the threshold into the house.

The guard following behind him reached out, grabbed the man’s collar, and pushed him to the ground with a cold throw of words.

"This is for your own good."

"Get lost!"

The man didn’t dare stay. He scrambled to his feet and, without bothering to dust himself off, hurried away with his family.

The entire market was in chaos; residents, faces smudged with dirt and dust, were rushed out of their homes without even having time to pack their belongings.

A crowd of people, confused and helpless, crowded onto the muddy road two streets away from the Kraba Market, surrounded by unfamiliar streets and at a loss for what to do.

Mothers with faces of shock ran around searching for their lost children, well-dressed men hesitated before knocking on nearby doors to ask if they could be taken in for the night, and some undid buttons for a piece of bread too hard to bite...

Children separated from their loved ones curled up on the ground and wept bitterly, devout believers clasped their hands in prayer, and some sat on the ground and muttered in despair.

"What are we going to do?"

"How long will they stay..." a dirt-smudged man muttered under his breath, "If they never leave, are we supposed to just keep waiting here?"

The old man beside him sighed heavily, his face full of sorrow.

"...We can only wait."

At this moment, everyone’s fate seemed to temporarily become the same, no matter what labels they carried.

Watching the street that was gradually merging into the twilight, some gently hummed with their children in their arms, some sang along, some closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment of tranquility and equality, and in the midst of the noise and confusion, a song was woven...

They were actually somewhat fortunate.

Most of the soldiers here had tasted defeat for the first time and still saw them as citizens of the Empire. If they lost a few more battles, it was hard to say what would happen.

The retreating army had managed to finish erecting their defenses before dusk at the Kraba Market, and by this time, gunfire was already coming from all directions.

They found that it wasn’t devils summoned by the Alliance surrounding them, but militia units made up of locals.

And this made these trapped Wolf Nation soldiers filled with indignant rage.

In their eyes, this was undoubtedly treason.

Fortunately, these militias weren’t very strong in combat; although they had tried a few feint attacks under the cover of mortars, they didn’t achieve much effect, so they retreated to a siege, occasionally taking a potshot.

Nevertheless, no one dared to relax.

The memory of the aggressive giant crab left a deep impression, and no one could guarantee that in the next wave of attacks, those crabs wouldn’t join the siege with the local militias...

The sky gradually darkened.

The green background Double Knife Flag still didn’t flutter atop the Governor’s Mansion, but at this point, Prince Dilip trapped in hardship had no time to entertain those unrealistic dreams.

He glanced at the radio operator still adjusting the radio and gestured for the guard to come over with a wave, instructing him.

"I’m hungry, get me something to eat."

The guard quickly nodded and called for a servant to prepare the food.

Before long, a bowl of beige porridge with beans was brought in, accompanied by a small dish of onion sauce and two sesame-sprinkled flatbreads.

The guards inside the room couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, but Prince Dilip frowned.

"Why is it all beans?"

The servant presenting the food spoke with a bitter face.

"My lord, that’s all they have in the kitchen..."

Dilip’s brows twisted into a knot.

The sesame-sprinkled flatbread was still tolerable, fragrant with butter, but those beans were meant for animals, not fit for human consumption.

Hesitating for a long time without taking a bite, Prince Dilip disdainfully pushed the food away.

"Search the other houses, I want to eat meat."

The servant dared not make a sound, while a guard nearby quickly nodded, performing a military salute.

"Yes!"

As Prince Dilip watched the guard leave, he noticed the other guards gulping and ordered the servants to share the food with them.

Watching the guards gobble down the food, the corner of his mouth curled into a sneer.

A bunch of lowly people who knew nothing of dignity.

His defeated sense of superiority seemed to find its way back from elsewhere, and Prince Dilip felt much better.

Just then, the radio was finally repaired, and communication with the rear command was restored.

Overjoyed, Dilip immediately ordered the radio operator to call the rear command, and then he snatched the phone from the operator, not waiting for Arai Yang to speak, he yelled first.

"What the hell are you doing! Why haven’t I seen even a shadow of artillery fire after calling for half a day?"

There was a rustling of static in the earpiece, no response.

Seeing that Arai Yang was intimidated by his momentum, Dilip took a deep breath and continued in a calmer tone.

"Because of your poor support, there’s a bit of a situation at the front now, but it’s not a big problem... Anyway, I need reinforcements, give me five thousand men and twelve cannons, plus more anti-armor weapons and dynamite. The Alliance somehow got a hold of a hunk of iron, damn it, we should borrow some tanks from the Army!"

Arai Yang patiently waited for him to finish explaining everything, then calmly replied with two words.

"Come back."

Dilip was stunned, then his face turned red.

"You’re ordering me!"

There was another long silence on the communication channel.

Seeing no response for a long time, Dilip’s original anger turned into a sudden tinge of fear.

Only at this moment did he truly realize his current situation.

He wasn’t playing a war game with the emperor in the Imperial Palace but was standing on a real battlefield, even surrounded by the enemy!

If this guy just abandoned him—

Dilip’s lips trembled. After waiting a long time, he finally eked out a plea.

"Save me."

There was finally a response from the radio.

"...At five o’clock tomorrow morning, I will try to launch a round of artillery strikes near the Kraba Market to cover your breakout from the siege. There is a ten thousand troop unit outside the city waiting to meet you. Listen, this is your only chance to avoid capture by the Alliance and come back alive."

Dilip carefully memorized every word from the radio, nodding shakily.

"Yes,"

Arai Yang’s words paused briefly before continuing.

"Additionally, we can’t rule out the possibility that our enemy is intentionally leaving a path open to lure you away from your positions and then ensnaring you all in one fell swoop. Remember, before setting off, send some men to launch feigned attacks a few times to test the strength of their firepower; don’t take the path that seems easiest."

As his voice faded, the communication was cut off.

Prince Dilip sat down on the chair, feeling his back soaked with sweat and his whole body devoid of strength.

Looking at the last sliver of evening glow sinking behind the rooftops outside the window, he stared as though he was watching hope itself about to be swallowed by darkness, his eyes filled with despair.

Hoping to last through the night.

Hoping...

At the same time, at the command post some ten kilometers away, Arai Yang angrily slammed the phone down onto the table, then sat down in the chair, clutching his forehead in pain.

The surrounding officers remained in silent solitude; no one spoke.

Managing to bring back that fool Dilip was already the best possible outcome. If it really came down to it, it wouldn’t be bad if he died on the way during the breakout.

At least he shouldn’t be captured by the Alliance.

Otherwise, the enemy would gain another bargaining chip.

As for the nearly three thousand Grey Wolf warriors remaining...

They were left to the mercy of fate.

...

The long night finally passed, and a pale light was imprinted on the docks of Jin Galun Harbor.

But the sound that tore the last shred of night’s tranquility was not the first light of morning falling on this land; it was the deafening thunder of cannon fire.

"Fire!"

The Grey Wolf artillery positions echoed with roars as 100mm shells rose into the sky and plummeted toward the urban areas near the Kraba Market.

General Arai Yang had proven that he had some skill.

All yestarday, he had been testing the limits of the Alliance artillery range and, after completing the trials, had dispersed his artillery outside the effective range of the harbor artillery positions.

However, the downside was that, for the Empire’s 100mm howitzers, this distance was also close to the limit of their range.

"Brown motion shells" scattered across the urban area, with only two-fifths landing near Kraba Market, and even one-fifth falling right into the midst of the market.

As for the remaining two-fifths, no one knew where they would land.

"Damn... these guys really don’t see the survivors here as their own."

Standing atop the enclosing wall of Lowell Camp, Killer Dagger looked in surprise at the billowing smoke rising from the distant urban area.

If it weren’t for the fact that the City of Dawn didn’t look like this, he almost forgot where the fight was happening.

"It seems like there is someone at Kraba Market that they’re desperate to retrieve at any cost." Looking down at the survivors who crowded the entryway so densely that not a drop could penetrate, the Kidney Fighter helplessly said, "Speaking of which, who’s going to go explain to them that against this kind of indirect fire... this damn wall isn’t much use. Crowding together like this is actually more dangerous."

Speaking cruelly, if a shell hit the roof, it’s almost certain death for that household, but most of the shrapnel and shock waves would be buried by the walls.

From the perspective of minimizing casualties, the safest place at this time would be inside one’s home, rather than swarming the streets.

Especially since Lowell Camp was, after all, a strategic location, even if it wasn’t the main focus of the Grey Wolf Army’s attack today, who knew what might happen tomorrow.

Killer Dagger sighed.

"I’ll give it a try."

Although he felt it was meaningless...

At the same time as the Grey Wolf Army artillery began bombarding the northern urban area of Jin Galun Harbor, nearly three thousand trapped soldiers at Krabba Market also started their breakout.

Armed with rifles, soldiers of the Grey Wolf Army gathered along the edge of buildings, and in units of a hundred, they launched a fierce attack from the east, south, west, and north, towards the militia outside Krabba Market.

The gunfire that echoed inside and outside the market was incessant, like firecrackers popping non-stop, while bullets whizzed around like a sudden downpour of rain.

Wooden stalls were knocked over in the street to serve as cover for shooting, and soon were riddled with bullet holes.

Quickly, a group of soldiers wrapped up bricks and dirt shattered by the artillery with bedsheets and stacked them onto two-wheeled carts to create makeshift barricades.

One person pushed the cart filled with obstacles forward in a charge, and nine others followed behind, firing and desperately rushing forward.

Occasionally someone was shot and fell, but they were quickly replaced by another.

Driven by the will to survive, the soldiers of the Grey Wolf Army, like hyenas backed into a corner, burst forth with astonishing combat power, momentarily overpowering the militia numbers that were multiple times their own.

Seeing the hope of escape, Prince Dilip, who was hiding on the second floor of a civilian home, excitedly poked his head out of the window and, with a hoarse voice, bellowed down to the soldiers in the market.

"Charge through! The way home is ahead of you! Those in your way are nothing but a bunch of Cannon Fodder, hopeless trash, cowards who betrayed the Empire! Use the rifles in your hands to tell them who the real warriors are—!"

Luckily for him, the continuous gunfire and artillery drowned out his shouts, so the soldiers crouched by the cover couldn’t hear him. Otherwise, it was questionable whether someone would’ve been able to resist shooting him.

Chief Satish, who was commanding nearby, happened to hear him and his eyebrows twitched furiously, yet he could only suppress his anger and pretend as if he hadn’t heard.

Dammit!

Who the hell got them trapped here?

As he cursed under his breath, new information arrived from the front line.

A hundred-man team had successfully broken through the enemy’s defenses on the eastern flank, opening a path to retreat outside the settlement.

Hearing the good news reported by the frontline officer over the radio, Chief Satish took a deep breath and returned to the building where Prince Dilip was, shouting up at the second-floor window.

"... Your Highness, our soldiers have opened a gap in the east! Come down quickly, we will cover your retreat!"

Just when Prince Dilip was about to respond, he suddenly remembered General Arai Yang’s warning and hastily swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"No! I will not go that way! That’s an Alliance trap! Have you forgotten how fierce their firepower was yesterday? How could they possibly let us go that easily! It’s definitely their scheme, they are deliberately letting us out from the east, then they are going to wipe us out in a net!"

Hearing this capricious statement nearly made Satish spew out a mouthful of blood in frustration.

To be fair, this analysis wasn’t entirely without merit.

If he were the commander on the other side, he would consider the tactic of "encircle three, leave one opening." But shouldn’t this have been discussed before beginning the breakout?!

The defense line was already breached, and everyone could see the hope of escape, and now you’re saying not to go this way?!

What a joke!

Did this guy really think of his own men as mere pieces on a strategy board?!

"We already have no choice!" Holding back his anger, Satish yelled at him, "It cost us the lives of over five hundred brothers to open this defense line, and even if it’s a trap, now we can only take the gamble and charge through! It’s the only chance! They can’t capture everyone!"

"Chief Satish, I’m telling you again! This is an order! The soldiers who have breached the defense line will continue forward, the rest will break out... break out to the north! If you refuse to obey the order, be prepared to answer to the Emperor!" Prince Dilip shouted with a pale face that exuded panic and madness.

To be honest, he didn’t know what to do.

Playing out moves on a sand table didn’t come with bullets and artillery flying everywhere, where each wrong decision could cost him his life.

Perhaps the only thing he did better than an amateur was knowing that doing anything was better than doing nothing at all.

Just do what Arai Yang said.

If he lost, he could always blame that guy.

He was filled with regret now, wishing he had never asked Arai Yang for those five thousand troops to attack the Governor’s Mansion.

But it was too late for regrets now.

From the beginning, the plan had never gone the way he imagined, and each unexpected order only made the situation worse.

If only the enemy would allow him to hit pause to think things through...

It would be even better if he could take another look at his hand.

Satish watched the prince standing on the second floor, stumbling back two steps in desperation, lips trembling for a long time before he finally snatched the phone from the messenger and bellowed in despair.

"Units that have broken through the line, keep moving forward! All other troops, attack toward the north side of the market! At all costs, break through!"

Now, nothing he did made any sense.

At least by offering his loyalty to His Majesty he could ensure the safety of his family.

At this point, he could only let things fall apart...

...

On the east side of Krabat Market.

The relentless gunfire suddenly fell silent, without warning, as if snuffed by a gentle breeze.

The remnants of the Grey Wolf Army, who had managed to create a gap in the encirclement, suddenly gave up their vigorous offensive.

It was as if they were only tearing at the line to open it, with no intention of actually breaking through.

Without support from backup firepower, the hundred-man team that broke free was quickly captured, with guns pointed at the back of their heads, they sat dejected and disheveled on the ground.

And the defensive line on the east side of the market, which had already been breached, was hesitantly closed again by the militiamen.

This bizarre turn of events caught everyone by surprise.

If it weren’t for standing on the front line, Laxi wouldn’t dare believe it was true.

Even as an eyewitness, when he heard the report from his subordinates over the walkie-talkie, he was still taken aback.

"...They’re really heading north?"

"Yes... they’ve concentrated all their forces to break out to the north! Damn it, these guys are crazy!" The frenetic gunfire and ragged breathing came through the speaker, indicating the desperate state of the battle.

Laxi immediately inquired.

"How are you doing? Can you hold on?!"

Front-line officer: "The problem... shouldn’t be big! Although there are many of them, most are already exhausted... Should we let them go?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Laxi pondered for a moment, then gave a decisive order.

"Hold position! Hold at all costs! The brothers from the Alliance want the Empire’s dogs to roll east, not a single one should head north!"

The frontline officer replied with unwavering determination.

"Yes!"

Communications ended.

Laxi then instructed his subordinates, who filled the breach on the east side of the market, to fall back.

He was very aware of from whom he derived his power and knew all too well that if he wanted the Alliance’s continuous support, he must demonstrate his worth. To achieve this, fulfilling orders was even more critical than victory itself.

He was eager to prove himself.

Even if it took his last drop of blood, he was determined to twist the necks of those hyenas back from the north!

He refused to believe it.

These guys would really rather die than head east!

But—

Although "the master’s order" was more important than victory itself, Laxi couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Looking at the wide-open entrance to the market nearby, he fell into a long silence before murmuring to himself in a voice only he could hear.

"I told you they would retreat north..."

Meanwhile, on the enclosing wall of Lowell Camp, Killer Dagger looked over the battlefield through a quadcopter drone with a bewildered expression.

He had seen the trapped remnants of the Grey Wolf Army eventually breach the eastern side of the market.

But before he could signal the nearby 3rd and 4th thousand teams to intercept, he watched those "Grey Wolves" suddenly abandon their breakout and attack the north side of the market.

What kind of move was this?!

"This makes no sense..."

He muttered repeatedly, his eyes full of incomprehension.

However, as he was about to report this abnormal situation to the temporary command post and request further instructions, there was a new development in the situation through the drone’s camera.

Appearing unable to withstand the ongoing casualties any longer, the remaining Grey Wolf Army soldiers gathered all their strength for a final onslaught against the market’s northern defensive line.

That last intense volley of gunfire had a sense of desperate brilliance, and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

However, the defending militiamen still managed to hold the line.

After several attempts to break out failed to make any headway, the remaining thousand or so "Grey Wolves" finally fell apart and scattered aimlessly against the solid defense.

Yet still, they chose not to retreat through the eastern side of the market, even though the surrounding militia had left that route open to them.

They dropped their weapons, raised their hands high in despair, and walked out from cover, with orders from their superiors unable to stop them...

Even their commanders, upon realizing that shouting was futile, raised their hands and followed suit.

Not only was Killer Dagger silent, but even Fang Chang and Old White at the temporary command post were stunned by the news from the front lines.

This ace unit, on which they had placed such "high hopes"...

Actually surrendered?!