The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 438 The Great Victory at Jiliu Pass!

In the forest north of Jiliu Pass, shouts of battle and gunshots shook the heavens and the earth, as a fierce and bloody battle began.

On one side were farmers from the Duchy of Campbell, and on the other side were farmers from the Province of Twilight.

Just yesterday evening, the arrival of reinforcements from the Principality of Campbell completely shattered Finnian's attempt to achieve a swift victory.

He knew that on the open plains, even if his peasant army had a numerical advantage, it would be difficult for them to fight head-on against the well-equipped and well-trained regular army of the Duchy of Campbell.

Without any hesitation, he immediately issued the order to retreat, withdrawing all 100,000 Green Forest Army soldiers into the forest north of Jiliu Pass.

This is his home court.

The children of the rushing river are natural hunters, and every farmer in the Twilight Province is as familiar with the forest as the legendary elves!
He had no doubt that as long as he relied on the complex terrain and cleverly deployed an encirclement, he could use wave after wave of bullets and arrows to divide, surround, and devour these lackeys loyal to the nobles!

Just like the two battles they fought before reaching the Rapids Pass!
At that time, he had less than 100,000 soldiers under his command. Facing Earl Greygle, who was superior to him in both military strength and superhuman power, he cleverly used the terrain to make the latter fall into his trap while rushing to his aid!
It must be said that there's actually nothing wrong with this plan.

The Green Forest Army outnumbered the Campbells twice as many, and even deployed Bronze and Steel level superhumans to the 100-man squads. Their specialty was guerrilla warfare.

However, Finnian ultimately underestimated the strength of the "Northern Rescue Army" and slightly overestimated the strength of his own men.

Earl Greygle was merely a tyrant; the peasants under his rule were no different in essence. But the Campbellians before him were different. They were a group of peasants whose very feet were already on the threshold of industrialization—a force a generation ahead of its time!

As Campbell's army advanced into the forest, Finnian's prized ambush finally began!

Bugle calls echoed from all directions through the forest, and thousands of Greenwood soldiers roared as they charged out of the woods, launching the first offensive against the army of the Duchy of Campbell, attempting to overwhelm these uninvited guests who had entered the forest.

Unfortunately, they first encountered the vanguard of the Northern Rescue Army—a hunter force of two hundred grenadiers.

These two hundred young men were tall, strong, and most importantly, fearless!

Faced with the overwhelming shouts of battle and the oncoming rebel army, they showed no fear whatsoever; instead, they erupted in excited shouts.

"Guys! Time to gank!"

"That planner is amazing! What a huge production!"

"Hahahaha! I've been waiting for this damn planner to make his move for so long, I can finally have some fun!"

"Awoooooo! Utterly insane!"

The rebels only saw a tall hunter ignite a grenade filled with black powder in his hand, take a running start, and throw it three or four hundred meters away!
That was clearly no longer the power of Old Farmer Campbell...

This is clearly the power of an extraordinary being!

The exploding grenade burst open in the forest, hitting five or six unsuspecting bandit soldiers.

They soon discovered that the grenade was not an isolated incident.

The grenadiers on the other side all had ridiculously strong arms, and they could throw grenades even farther than the distance they could throw with their bows and arrows!
Finnian watched helplessly as his ambush force ran into a bunch of lunatics who didn't care about casualties.

They charged forward, unleashing a hail of bullets at the Green Forest Army's lines, ignoring the arrows raining down from all directions, completely fearless of death!
This group of fearless madmen instantly tore apart the vanguard of the Green Forest Army's lines, so much so that before Finnian's carefully laid encirclement could close in, they were blown apart by oncoming grenades, nearly utterly routed...

And at this moment——

Their real nightmare has only just begun!
Just as the "big oafs" of the Principality of Campbell were tearing through the defenses with their lives, Campbell's main force launched a general offensive.

"go ahead--!"

As the cannon fire rang out, the company commander drew his sword and led the privates standing in three rows to advance in neat formation.

Not just moving forward—

The moment Campbell's square brought the rebel lines into firing range, the three ranks of soldiers immediately stopped. The first rank fired the first volley, followed by the third rank advancing to the front and firing, then the second rank at the rear... The entire square formation on the battlefield advanced slowly, firing in a gradual manner!
“Bang bang bang——!!!”

Smoke instantly filled the entire forest!
Faced with the volleys of fire from the Northern Rescue Army, the Green Turbans, attempting to encircle the enemy, were like cavemen. Clutching muskets and crossbows, they were often routed by two or three volleys of merciless bullets before they even reached the enemy!
Campbell's soldiers advanced steadily while firing, and even the many obstacles in the forest could not break their formation.

They had already practiced today's encounter in the Silverpine Forest north of Thunder City.

Many of these soldiers were veterans who had fought against the Demon Lord Dragon, and even many Platinum-level Demon Generals had died at their hands. Dealing with a bunch of rabble was naturally a piece of cake for them!
The continuous volley of gunfire formed an insurmountable wall of fire and blood in the forest north of Jiliu Pass. Wherever it passed, whether living people or tree trunks, they were all torn to pieces, their skin and flesh torn apart!

The commotion wasn't just from the flintlock muskets at the front, but also from the artillery in the rear!

Smoothbore cannons and mortars roared in unison on the plains behind, and the whistling shells flew over the treetops like meteors, carving bloody corridors through the middle of the Green Forest Army!

Although the Green Forest Army's artillery deployed in the hills quickly opened fire in return, they were soon met with counter-fire from Campbell's mortar units!
In just a few volleys, the Green Forest Army's cannon fire ceased, and their positions were reduced to ashes.

Finnian's prized jungle guerrilla tactics proved to be a farce in the face of well-trained soldiers and overwhelming firepower.

This can no longer be called a war.

It was a completely one-sided massacre!

Tens of thousands of Green Turbans were routed by Campbell's well-trained soldiers on the battlefield they were most familiar with.

Everyone is like a drowning person in a flash flood, only able to escape in a smoke-filled maze with no way out.

The hillsides were filled with people who had taken off their headscarves and were running away. Some of them not only threw away their weapons, but even their straw sandals.

Just like when they first gathered together, full of passion, and tied their headscarves around their heads...

"This bunch of trash!"

As Finnian watched the deserters scattering wildly through the forest, his face was filled with anger and terror. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.

Things took a turn for the better than he had anticipated.

He originally intended to use his familiarity with the terrain to deliver a crushing blow to the Duchy's army, but he did not expect that the two sides were more than one order of magnitude apart in terms of both tactics and strategy!
The Campbell soldiers, with high morale, advanced into the depths of the forest with unstoppable momentum, advancing under the cover of organized artillery.

Faced with that overwhelming firepower, individual combat strength below the steel level was completely rendered useless, and in terms of extraordinary power above silver, the well-established Campbell Knight clearly had the upper hand.

Even if the power bestowed by Chaos is more destructive in the real world, the knights who have received the priest's blessing can defeat them one by one through their tacit cooperation.

Finnion's men had only just mastered this power, much like they had just received the weapons bestowed upon them by Chaos.

But war is not like rolling dice while drinking, where whoever rolls the highest number wins.

Besides, no one but the gods can see all the dice.

For now, we can only avoid direct confrontation...

Without further hesitation, Finnian led his personal guards in a breakout to the north. In their path stood both Campbellians and deserters who had removed their turbans.

Regardless of who they were, anyone who dared to block his path was shot dead by his bow and arrows and by his personal guards' crossbows!

Just when he thought he was about to escape, a group of gleaming armored cavalrymen attacked his flank.

Seeing the gleaming lances and the imposing Campbell's banner, the guards gathered around Finnian clearly showed barely suppressed panic.

Theresa pointed her lance at the bandit leader standing in the middle of the formation and shouted sharply.

"It's over! You jungle rat, Finnian, traitor who betrayed your monarch, ruthless killer! Surrender now!"

In the end, the knight was more cultured; the string of titles almost made Finnian forget that they were talking about him.

"My name is Shadow of the Jungle! I can't afford to wear so many hats!"

He chuckled, placed his hand on his bow, looked at the knight on horseback, and retorted without any politeness.

"As for the traitor who betrayed his monarch? I thank you for your praise!"

Theresa, holding the reins, curled a cold smile at the corner of her mouth. The holy incantation made her look like a goddess descended to earth.

The same goes for the knights behind her.

"...I think your brain has been completely ruined by the shit that was poured into it by chaos. You can't even distinguish between praise and insults."

The attack of that statement was so weak that Finnian felt no anger at all, and even felt a little amused.

"Chaos? I think you are the ones who have sold your souls to Chaos! Just like those nobles hiding in their castles! Where were you when we were starving? What about the oath not to let your people perish from hunger and cold? You only ever remember what is beneficial to you!"

Theresa looked at him indifferently and said coldly.

"And what about your people? Are they in your oil cauldrons? Or on the drying racks? You don't look like you're starving; you're more well-fed than the garrison in the castle."

The right way to elevate one's soul level is to practice the teachings of Saint Sis, to build a legend with the truth in one's hands, to be worshipped by people, and to receive miracles bestowed by the gods.

Besides this route, there are also some shortcuts to take.

For example, killing many, many people, or pleasing evil spirits in chaos through rituals.

She didn't know what this guy had done, but it was clearly impossible that he had moved the gods and improved his cultivation by accumulating good deeds.

Even if we're going to be moved, it's probably the gods in the chaos who will be moved.

Finnian laughed heartily at the knight's accusation.

"Don't try to pin your filth on me! Besides, I'm not a king, so I don't have any subjects!"

Theresa's lips curled into a cold smile.

"To become the de facto king, yet not to act as one, is that it? What a brilliant trick. I must commend you; you've shirked even the last remaining obligations."

Having seen through her bluffing and stalling tactics, Finnian grew tired of communicating with her and drew back the bowstring in his hand.

"A mere knight dares to speak so arrogantly before me. It seems you don't know what true power is."

"Oh? Then tell me, what is true power?"

A majestic voice came from not far away. Finnian subconsciously looked over and saw a knight riding his horse through the chaotic battlefield.

Her dazzling blonde hair was coiled into a circle at the back of her head, and her fair and delicate face resembled a marble sculpture in front of a church. Beneath her slender eyebrows were eyes as sharp as swords.

He almost thought she was a spirit that had come from the River Run... Every Ryan in the Dusk Province had heard the legends about her, though no one had ever seen her in person.

However, Finnian quickly came to his senses and realized that the people opposite him were Campbellians, and it was impossible for him to receive the blessing of the river spirits.

Upon seeing Princess Eileen approaching from behind, Theresa took the reins with one hand and respectfully withdrew to return to the cavalry ranks.

She is no longer the girl who needed her protection a few years ago. Even when facing the Demon King in the labyrinth, she can fight back without being at a disadvantage.

Finnian narrowed his eyes, glanced at the sword at the knight's waist, and suddenly seemed to understand something, and laughed again.

"I never expected that Grand Duke Campbell would be a little girl. Hey, how old are you? Are you fully grown yet? I'm only interested in ripe fruit."

Eileen remained unmoved by the flippant remarks, simply smiling faintly.

"I am the Grand Duke's sister, so you don't need to worry about my age."

"Why didn't he come?"

“There’s no need for my brother to take action against someone like you.”

"Oh? It seems your older brother didn't teach you not to treat adults' weapons as toys."

Finnian's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes gradually turned dangerous, a glint of wild joy and greed flashing deep within them. How much strength could a mere, callow brat possibly possess? If they could take her hostage, perhaps this battle could still turn around!

A ruthless glint flashed in Finnian's eyes, and he no longer held back, unleashing his formidable Platinum-level strength in an instant!

The immense chaotic power converged on the longbow in his hand, transforming into a dark green arrow, which was nocked onto the string.

Then, with lightning speed, he released the bowstring!
"go to hell--!"

This arrow was aimed at her horse!
Having anticipated the rat's sneak attack, Eileen remained calm in the face of the sudden, thunderous blow, simply placing her hand expressionlessly on the "Utawarerumono" at her waist.

Long before she arrived here, she had already completed the preparations for the descent of her ancestral spirit. She wouldn't let this impudent fellow escape like some damned little devil in Silverpine Forest!
The instant her right hand touched the hilt of the sword, golden light burst forth from her body, condensing into a majestic and ancient knight phantom that completely enveloped her!
This time, she called upon none other than her father, Aaron Campbell—the former king of the duchy who slew the demon king Reggie Dragon!

A flicker of terror crossed Finnian's eyes, and an expression of disbelief crossed his face, which was contorted with madness.

Within that golden light, a power far beyond his comprehension was flashing!

"Diamond grade?!"

"No—! This is impossible!"

Erin Campbell may not have diamond-level strength, but that doesn't stop her from wielding this power that surpasses her own in the name of Utawarerumono!
this moment--

She was not fighting alone, but standing with her ancestors who had once protected the people of the Principality of Campbell!
The dazzling light, like a sacred iron hammer, slammed into the dark green arrow shadow that exuded a sinister and vicious aura!
There was no explosion.

There wasn't even a sound!
The power of chaos melted away in that dazzling light, like an icicle falling into lava.

Finnian didn't even have time to let out a scream, nor did he have time to fire a second arrow, nor did he have time to summon his supernatural power to resist.

Everything he had was burned to ashes in that scorching light, whether it was his corpse or his ambition and desires!
"...Those who are not recognized by the 'Ancestors' cannot wield the Light of Echoes, even if they have Campbell's blood flowing through their veins. You really should learn more about your neighbor's epic."

Sheathed the Blade of Praise, Eileen looked expressionlessly at the group of Green Forest soldiers behind Finnian.

"What about you? Would you like to give it a try too?"

Nobody wants to try.

Even among the servants of Chaos, not all have attained Platinum-level power.

Seeing the powerful figure who had killed "Lin Ying" Finnian with a single sword strike, the guards turned ashen-faced, dropped their weapons, and knelt on the ground in surrender.

Eileen nodded to Theresa, handing over the task of capturing prisoners to her and her men, and then rode back to the army without a moment's hesitation.

Watching that departing figure, every knight of the duchy had a look of heartfelt respect in his eyes.

Only Eileen herself noticed the sweat rolling down her pale forehead onto her armor... the victory she had won with overwhelming force was not as easy as it had appeared.

There is a price to pay for wielding power that doesn't belong to you. The only saving grace is that she is still young and won't burn out as easily as her father did...

……

With Fenian's death, the Green Forest Army began to suffer organized defeats, and the battle north of Jiliu Pass finally came to an end.

Under Erin Campbell's leadership, the Northern Rescue Army lifted the siege of Rapids Pass with fewer than a thousand casualties.

They not only annihilated a rebel army ten times their size, but also killed "Forest Shadow" Finnian, one of the twelve leaders of the Green Forest Army, in a single battle!

For the soldiers who followed Princess Eileen Campbell north, this was undoubtedly a resounding victory!

The soldiers cleaning up the battlefield were either whistling, chatting and laughing, or excitedly counting the captured weapons and supplies.

Although these poor folks had few copper coins on them and the captured equipment wouldn't fetch much money, that wasn't their purpose in coming here.

"I don't know how much land this battle will bring to my son."

"Hehe, I think that area next to Jiliu Pass is pretty good! And since there's no one around, it would be a shame not to plant something there!"

"Don't think about these things, let's wait until we survive..."

"Ha, if this is the kind of trash waiting for us later, I think it's not a problem to start thinking about this now!"

"Indeed, these guys are far too weak. They're no match for the Demon King of Thunder County. I really don't know how they managed to defeat their own lord!"

"I think King Ryan is nothing special!"

The entire military camp was filled with a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Not only the "normal soldiers" were like this, but the group of tall, burly "idiots" were too, their faces beaming with joy.

Perhaps the Green Forest Army was too weak in combat, because most of those who charged at the front actually survived.

Right now, they're chattering away, loudly boasting about their recent achievements, even complaining that the battle ended too quickly and they haven't had enough fun throwing.

"Hopefully I'll encounter some decent opponents in the next match." [One punch, one whiny guy] couldn't help but click his tongue, his face showing that he was still not satisfied.

[Master Wang, the hairdresser at the village entrance] scratched his head, staring blankly at the player interface that only he could see, "Wait, why didn't I get any contribution points?"

A professional nuclear submarine repairman said, "They probably gave it to us as land."

Wang, the hairdresser at the village entrance, asked: "Where's the land?"

A professional nuclear submarine repairman said, "As is customary, the settlement is made all at once after the event."

Lumberjack: "...Damn, why is this so complicated?"

Mr. Wang, the hairdresser at the village entrance: "I suddenly panicked because I didn't see the event announcement..."

Surely the game developers wouldn't be so foolish as to take even this small amount of virtual reward for free?
Probably not...

Singing triumphant songs, the Northern Rescue Army, led by Erin Campbell, returned to the castle known as Stirred Pass.

However, unlike the soldiers who were in high spirits, Eileen's face did not show much joy; instead, her eyes held a hint of heaviness.

On her way back to the castle, all she saw were burned-down villages, barren farmlands, and empty pastures.

The war had turned everything here into scorched earth, and the ruins had become a paradise for crows. The pungent smell of smoke was mixed with a putrid stench that she didn't want to distinguish, and only aimless spirits wandered among the wreckage.

Some priests showed reluctance on their faces, raised their scepters, silently chanted incantations, and cast holy light to deliver the wandering souls from suffering.

"These scumbags..."

Theresa rode alongside Eileen, glancing at the ruins of a burned-down farmhouse by the roadside, and muttered a curse under her breath.

"These man-eating beasts... they're not rebelling against tyranny, they're just a bunch of animals who revel in destruction and slaughter!"

That's not necessarily true.

Eileen silently gazed at the ruins and the death that roamed among them, not entirely agreeing with Theresa's statement.

The two things are not contradictory.

However, one thing is certain: if the Duchy of Twilight were as prosperous as the Duchy of Campbell, people, even if dissatisfied, would never do such extreme things.

At least that's how it seemed to her.

After a long while, Eileen said in an incredibly firm voice, "Theresa, we will definitely restore order to this land."

Theresa nodded respectfully.

"My sword will always follow you, Your Highness."

Upon arriving at the castle gate, the surviving commander, General Pierce, leaning on his longsword, led his remaining troops of less than a hundred men to greet them at the entrance.

Although these veterans were exhausted, their spines remained straight.

They are also winners.

Facing an enemy a hundred times their size, they fought to the very end with the determination to die, and finally received reinforcements that were uncertain whether they would ever arrive.

“Your Highness Eileen, on behalf of all the garrison of Jirgryph Pass, I thank you for your assistance… I believe you must have received the approval of His Majesty the King or the Governor, so I will not inquire further. I will leave this place to you.” Pierce expressed his gratitude in a hoarse voice, while handing over control of the castle.

Whether or not they have authorization, it is better for the Campbells to occupy the castle than for it to fall into the hands of thugs.

At least they still believed in chivalry.

At least they won't slaughter the villagers hiding in the castle.

“Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Pierce. Please let my chaplain heal your wounds.” Eileen nodded and said solemnly.

"Haha, thanks a lot." Pierce didn't refuse.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed the heavy expression on Eileen's face that seemed out of place with victory, and vaguely guessed what was going on. So he grinned and continued speaking.

"...The Green Forest Army swarms like locusts wherever they go, and what you see now is just the beginning. If your next stop is Twilight City, you will see far more devastating scenes along the way. I can only say, please be prepared, Your Highness."

Eileen remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking.

"General Pierce, I've heard someone say... that the kingdom's nobles were the first to abandon their obligations. Is that true?"

General Pierce was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, seemingly not expecting to hear such a thing, and a complex emotion flashed in his cloudy eyes.

He didn't answer directly, but instead turned around to look at the dilapidated castle behind him, and then at his wounded brothers who had shared life and death with him.

"I don't know who those people are specifically, and I don't want to defend them."

He then looked at Eileen and said, word by word.

"I just want to tell you that I didn't."

As he spoke, he pointed to the soldiers behind him.

"They don't have any either."

Eileen saw the answer in his tired yet incredibly determined eyes, and then bowed to the respectable veteran.

"I understand."

She was about to enter the castle.

However, at that moment, a sentry on horseback galloped towards them, dismounting only when he reached the edge of the castle.

Seeing the solemn expression on the sentry's face, Eileen did not reprimand him for his rudeness, but immediately asked.

"What happened?"

The sentry dared not delay and immediately reported the incident.

"Your Highness! My brothers and I have found the Green Forest Army's artillery position. There were six siege cannons there, which were all destroyed by our mortar unit."

He swallowed hard and continued speaking in a strained voice.

"We found the ratmen's corpses there..."

(End of this chapter)