Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 778 Waiting for the rabbit
Given the current combat strength of the Northern Army, if they want to deal with the noble forces within the human race, they only need to systematically use firepower to suppress them and push forward.

However, considering that a large proportion of the newly formed independent battle group consisted of new recruits who had not experienced actual combat, Commander Vaughn decided to implement some tactical arrangements to allow the soldiers to gain sufficient experience in combat, while also fostering a certain level of tacit understanding among the various combat units.

His intended training ground was naturally Wind Erosion Ridge, a place rich in metal deposits... Almost all the fiefdom nobles in southeastern Eisengard had some mining industry here, with dozens of mines of all sizes, nearly a thousand private soldiers protecting the mines, and a huge number of laborers and mine slaves working in the mines all day long.

Despite the news of the invasion by northern barbarians and the complete fall of the capital, which prompted many noble mine owners to temporarily close their mines, the area's unique geographical environment meant that there were few underground rivers deep within the earth's crust that allowed the Lizardmen to navigate. As a result, the enemy rarely ventured into the area, and the entire mining region suffered almost no disturbance.

Therefore, in order to ensure that the mining revenue does not run out, several mining farms continue to operate to this day, relying on their large number of mining protection teams to control the situation in the area.

……

Concealing the tracks of a large army on a vast, flat grassland is no easy task.

All the soldiers in Hick's battalion were dressed in uniform optical camouflage cloaks, and even their standard magic guns were thoughtfully covered with a layer of camouflage.

Their orders were to lie in ambush near a major mountain pass leading to the outside world from the Wind-Eroded Ridge, and to intercept any remaining enemy troops fleeing out after the main force launched its offensive.

To avoid alerting the enemy, they did not even arrive by military vehicle, but instead marched on foot from a temporary camp more than ten miles away, successfully completing a grueling field training exercise before the battle began.

"Will those guys really flee to the place where we set up an ambush?" The comrade lying next to Hick quietly looked up and muttered to himself.

Hick frowned and said in a low voice, "There's only one road south. If they don't want to run headlong into the demon lizardmen if they try to escape north, they should take this route..."

What he was really worried about was what would happen if those damned noble private soldiers took innocent civilians with them and fled.
Although he had never actually experienced combat, Hick had served in the Royal Capital Defense Force for a long time and naturally knew the truth that soldiers must obey orders and be strictly disciplined.

If his superior gave the order to open fire, he would probably pull the trigger without hesitation, even if the target was an unarmed civilian.

Now that things have come to this, Hick could only silently pray that such a tragedy would not happen.

Time ticked by, until the first shell finally rang out from the distant mountains.

The sharp whistling of shells streaking across the sky faintly echoed in the air, and then a huge burst of flames suddenly rose from a cluster of mining buildings at the bottom.

The operation to clear out the mine has been fully launched...

After several rounds of continuous shelling, a large number of people poured out of the chaotic mine. Those who were dressed in rags and scrambling to escape were clearly hired laborers and mine slaves. Once they escaped the mine, they were out of the range of the artillery fire.

Meanwhile, those still lingering in the mining area, busily assembling their troops or frantically searching for targets to attack... were naturally the mining guards under the command of noble mine owners. Among these men were cavalrymen who could quickly mount their horses, and their experience in fighting was significantly better than that of ordinary mercenaries. They soon discovered the traces of artillery units located high on the hills above the mine.

Unfortunately, being in a low position made it difficult to launch an attack on the enemy on the high slope. Although the mine protection team managed to gather more than a hundred cavalrymen, they were still unable to organize an effective counterattack. Although the shelling had temporarily stopped, the mine was still a scene of chaos with men and horses falling over.

Another series of bugle calls sounded, and two battalions of Northern Army soldiers appeared on the gentle slopes on either side of the artillery unit, advancing slowly towards the mine in neat formations...

The knights of the mine protection team, having finally found their target, immediately turned their horses around and charged towards them.

The horses, pulled along on flat ground, weren't fast enough. The cavalry only ran a hundred meters from the army's ranks before being met with a perfectly synchronized volley of gunfire. Bang! Bang! Bang!

After the gunshots, bursts of blood suddenly erupted from the enemy ranks, followed by a mass of people falling from their horses like wheat being harvested.

The cavalrymen who fell behind the charging column managed to rein in their horses and fled in panic without any hesitation.

The direction they fled in was indeed the road that Hick's battalion had laid an ambush on!
……

The approaching hoofbeats stirred a slight tremor in the earth, and Hick felt as if his heart was beating in unison.

He tried his best to quickly adjust his breathing according to the method taught by the instructors during training.

huh-huh-

My palms were sweaty, and the posture of crouching in the grass for a long time had made my body a little stiff.

"All units, stand at attention! Target 300 meters, prepare for engagement!"

Crouching, aiming, preparing to fire... Heathcliff completed a series of prescribed movements almost as if by muscle memory, and his finger instantly rested on the trigger of the rifle.

"Target 150 meters, aim and prepare!"

"Fire!"

Gunfire erupted in his ears. Heath felt a rush of blood to his head. He raised his gun only half an inch before locking onto an enemy mounted on horseback and decisively pulled the trigger.

Almost half a second later, a burst of scarlet blood exploded on the shoulder of his target. His galloping figure suddenly stopped, and he fell backward off his horse. Before he could struggle, another companion following closely behind trampled over him on horseback, and he was instantly silenced.

He successfully killed an enemy!
The first kill did not frighten or disgust Hick. The feeling of easily destroying the enemy with a single shot even stirred a faint sense of fanaticism in him, making him almost subconsciously turn his gun around and lock onto the next target rushing forward.

……

A battalion headquarters consisted of 500 fully armed soldiers, equipped with automatic magic-powered rifles and two magic-powered machine guns.

Facing a noble cavalry force of only two hundred men protecting the mines, the outcome of the battle was self-evident.

A novice like Hick had barely emptied two magazines when, looking ahead, there wasn't a single enemy still standing... The entire battle lasted less than fifteen minutes, leaving him feeling either unsatisfied or disappointed.

The battalion commander surveyed the area with a strange expression, muttering under his breath, "What a bunch of useless trash... I was originally planning to have the soldiers try bayonet fighting to gain some experience in close combat!"

(End of this chapter)