Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 372: Pursuit and Request for Assistance

The "elite special forces" that Duke Ralph had deployed in Frostflower County in advance were vulnerable to the surprise attack of the Northern Army.

In order to cross the Divine Ridge Mountains as quickly as possible, these elite knights and bloodline warriors from Fengyuan City launched a surprise attack on Harvey's pioneering territory at the foot of the mountain, even abandoning their war horses and all siege equipment.

Who would have known that as soon as they set foot on the wasteland in the severe cold and heavy snow, they were immediately ambushed by the Northern Army that had been lying in ambush at the foot of the mountain.

More than 500 soldiers from the First Battalion of the Northern Army, led by Vaughn, and a special operations force composed of 50 bloodline warriors, completely defeated the enemy in just one head-on firefight. They left countless bodies of the dead on the vast snowfield and fled back to the direction of the Divine Ridge Mountain.

The subsequent sporadic battles were more often than not actually one-sided pursuits by Bloodline Warriors who were good at running attacks, accompanied by Wolf Spider Alchemists with super tracking abilities.

"Damn it! Aren't these guys Duke Ralph's elite knights? Why are they so vulnerable!" Duff angrily pulled his feet out of the knee-deep snow and cursed while changing the bullets in his revolver.

The adjutant came forward and said with a bitter face, "Ordinary knights are indeed vulnerable, but those bloodline knights and spellcasters are different. Although they seem to have no tactical training at all, they have caused us a lot of trouble in one-on-one battles..."

The adjutant's words came completely from the heart. After all, he had just recently withstood a fireball that a low-level spellcaster had fired at his chest, stabbing the opponent through with his scorching sword. He had survived with the unique magic resistance talent of a bloodline warrior, leaving only a burned and festering wound on his chest.

Vaughn shook off the snowflakes on his body and asked coldly, "Were there any other people injured in the previous encounter?"

"Two unlucky guys had their arms chopped off, and one idiot didn't notice the enemy hiding in a tree, so he was stabbed through the shoulder and into the abdomen. Fortunately, his bloodline talent can stimulate potential and suppress injuries. He should be able to be saved if he is carried to the camp at the foot of the mountain."

Vaughn frowned and said, "Although these Bloodline Knights and low-level spellcasters can't directly withstand the volleys of magic spears, after they disperse and flee into the mountains and forests, they still pose a considerable threat to our soldiers responsible for the search and capture."

It was also a scattered search and small-scale pursuit encounter. After being forced into a desperate situation, the enemy's bloodline knights and spellcasters burst into a posture of fighting to the death, causing the Northern Army, which rarely suffered losses in battle, to suffer rare casualties, including even the bloodline warriors of the special forces team.

After a day and night of pursuit, although they successfully forced this small group of enemies into the ravine on the mountainside, and completely killed them, the Northern Army also paid the price of more than 20 ordinary soldiers' lives, and seven or eight bloodline warriors were injured.

Dave said bitterly, "If only the artillery battalion could be brought up the mountain and fire a few rounds at the cliff face of this ravine. Ideally, it would trigger a mountain avalanche and bury them right there."

"Unfortunately, the mountain is rugged and the snow is too deep. Even if we had the alchemy beasts carry it, it would be difficult to get such a heavy artillery cart up..." Vaughn looked up at the sky and helplessly found that the snow was getting heavier. "Seal off the exit of the ravine and arrange for the soldiers to set up camp... We will launch an encirclement and suppression against the enemy tomorrow morning."

……

In just half an hour, it was completely dark, and several huge bonfires were lit in the camp located at the mouth of the ravine.

"Why do we have to wait until daybreak to encircle and suppress them?" Dave stretched out his black fingers to scrape the last remaining grease from the can of beef, frowned and complained to Vaughn, "Before we set out, you boasted to Commander Pierce that we could successfully complete the combat mission in three days." "Let the soldiers rush up and die together with the spellcasters' fireballs, ice blades, and those flying arcane magic bullets that can directly blast a bloody hole in the chest if they touch them?" Vaughn added a few firewood to the campfire and answered with a cold face.

Duff was immediately choked and dared not talk back. He also knew that if he wanted to quickly eliminate this group of enemies, it would be nothing more than a matter of rushing in and firing a few rounds of volleys, but the enemy's desperate counterattack would also cause the Northern Army to suffer at least a dozen casualties.

If it were in the refugee tribes in the wilderness in the past, more than these people would have frozen to death every winter even if there was only one night of heavy snow. They had long been accustomed to indifferent treatment. But since they came to the frontier territory, they grew up together with these colleagues and comrades who were as close as brothers, and experienced life and death battles together. How could they bear to watch them suffer unnecessary casualties?

"We wait until dawn to wait for Master Duncan to come." After a long silence, Vaughn explained in a low voice.

Dave was stunned for a moment, then mumbled, "In the end, I still have to ask the spellcaster for help..."

Of course, Vaughn didn't want to do that. The lord once said that a qualified people's army should never rely on the individual strength of extraordinary people, but should learn to use the technical support brought by this extraordinary power to complete combat missions through tactical coordination and unity and cooperation.

If the arrogant Commander Pierce had come in person, he probably would not care too much about the casualties of the soldiers and would have given an absolutely cold order to quickly eliminate the enemy.

But Vaughn did not think that his behavior was a sign of weakness. After all, Lord Harvey also said that every time a combat order was issued, an officer must be responsible for the lives of his soldiers. Only such an officer can be a qualified commander.

……

Unexpectedly, not long after the call for help was released, the high-level spellcaster Duncan arrived early at midnight with two magic apprentices.

This master of illusion, like his students Mr. Eye of Illusion and Ms. Astrologer, has the same approachable and gentle personality, without any of the superior attitude of the extraordinary people.

"I heard that you have blocked a group of spellcasters and bloodline knights in the valley ahead?" the gray-haired Duncan asked in a gentle voice.

Vaughn nodded awkwardly and briefly explained the current difficulties and predicament.

"There are several low- and mid-level spellcasters, and the rest are Bloodline Knights." Vaughn briefly described the terrain of the valley in the snow beneath his feet. "It's a dead end inside, but they're relying on the boulders and mountain walls, making it impossible for us to effectively kill them with gunfire. Don't those spellcasters have enough magic power? From yesterday until now, every time the special forces soldiers get inside, they're met with a barrage of magical attacks..."

Duncan chuckled upon hearing this. "Young man, it seems that although you pledge allegiance to a spellcaster lord, you truly don't understand spellcasters... They should all carry a considerable amount of magic stones, allowing them to replenish their mana at any time. Furthermore, we can also draw mana from the magic web through meditation. This is unlike your magic guns, which, once the bullets are exhausted, become useless iron rods..."

(End of this chapter)