Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

Chapter 109 White River Valley Tribe

Upon returning to Emberstone Ridge, Matthew immediately convened an emergency meeting with the military team, logistics team, and think tank.

He recounted the latest intelligence he had obtained and the preliminary plan he had formulated.

The plan was not complicated: assist the White River Valley tribe in repelling or even defeating the Giant God tribe, and in return, use this as leverage to obtain long-term mining rights in the wind-eroded highlands and establish a stable trade and mutual assistance relationship with the White River Valley.

"We and the White River Valley tribe may not be a match for the Giant God tribe, but if we cooperate, we will be a powerful alliance, and we will have the ability to turn the tide and achieve unexpected victories." Matthew's voice was firm and confident.

"No matter how fast the Giant God Tribe's wolf riders charge, they can't outrun the landmines and explosives we've planted. No matter how thick their leather armor is, it can't withstand bombs falling from the sky. Baru can transform into a three-meter giant, impervious to swords and spears, so let him taste the art of explosion. Our steel-armed crossbows can pick off their centurions and wolf riders from beyond the range of their arrows." Matthew knew very well that although their Ashstone Ridge didn't have a thousand troops to support the White River Valley tribe, their gunpowder was enough to help White River Valley turn the tide.

Moreover, he also has goblin summoning units, a group of fearless and repeatedly deployable surprise troops.

It can carry out various high-risk reconnaissance, harassment, suicide bombing missions, and missions that exchange "life" for key battlefield information or important enemy "units".

These are their bargaining chips.

"Moreover, Sharna can control many falcons at the same time. They are her eyes and her pride. But those falcons don't actually have much combat power. If we let these falcons carry our bombs and throw them into their horse stables, grain piles, or even the top of Balu's tent, the effect will be completely different."

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A burst of excited chatter filled the meeting room.

Because this is not a pipe dream. With the existing conditions, it is entirely possible to operate. Combining extraordinary eagle eyes and shamanic control with explosives that transcend the times and precise long-range strikes will generate revolutionary tactical imagination.

Even if the opponent was a group of exceptionally powerful giant wolf cavalry, or a barbarian leader with the blood of hill giants, they would still be unable to withstand it.

"So what we're giving Sharna isn't an empty promise, but something tangible that can immediately shift the balance of the war," Matthew said firmly.

This is one of the reasons why he was confident that the White River Valley tribe would definitely reach a cooperation agreement with them.

They, the Ashstone Ridge, had a choice, while the White River Valley did not. If Ashstone Ridge failed, it would only lose a coal mine, but the White River Valley would lose its home, its very survival, and the lives of everyone there.

After listening, Sun Zhengwu was the first to speak, his serious face showing a hint of excitement and enthusiasm: "That's right, we're not going to fill in the lines directly, but rather to create a force multiplier and a scalpel."

He stood up and summarized and expanded on Matthew's words: "Our advantage over the barbarian tribes lies in the tactical gap brought about by the information gap. The Colossus tribe, including White River Valley, still thinks about war in terms of cavalry charges and warrior duels."

We, on the other hand, have a systematic approach to firearms application, fortification defense, mine warfare, and beyond-visual-range strikes. This is a crushing superiority in terms of mindset.

"Secondly, we have special combat units that are not afraid of attrition; they are the best scouts, demolition experts, and suicide squads. They can use an unlimited number of deaths" to figure out the Giant God Tribe's deployment patterns, the characteristics of the wolf rider tactics, and even use suicide attacks to exchange for Balu's important subordinates. This is a casualty ratio that is unimaginable in conventional warfare."

"Finally, there's our real trump card—asymmetric equipment. This is also the key point we need to show to the White River Valley tribe on this trip. Although our most powerful weapon right now is the Flying Thunder Cannon, it's too bulky and not suitable for carrying. Also, we need to keep some trump cards up our sleeves. So I suggest we mainly showcase three types of equipment this time."

"First and foremost are precision-guided weapons for individual soldiers, such as the improved steel-armed crossbow, whose range, accuracy, and armor-piercing capabilities must be so impressive that they can shock the enemy on the spot. This is the foundation."

"Secondly, we will demonstrate area-of-effect damage and obstacle-breaching capabilities, such as hand grenades, showcasing their close-quarters defense and assault capabilities. Additionally, we will highlight our portable explosive charge launcher."

The portable explosive charge launching device mentioned by Sun Zhengwu is a large slingshot base with reinforced structure. With a special support and torsion mechanism, it can launch an explosive charge weighing several kilograms to a distance of 150 to 200 paces.

"This thing is much lighter than the Flying Thunder Cannon; two people can carry and operate it. It's incredibly effective against dense formations, simple fortifications, and even rallies of wolf riders. We'll use it for the demonstration."

"Finally—and most imaginatively—air-to-ground strike adaptation." Sun Zhengwu's eyes lit up at this point. "We've specially designed incendiary and explosive vehicles for Sharna's Hawk, ensuring they're safe, portable, and reliably triggered. We want her to see firsthand how her Hawk transforms from a mere eyepiece and harasser into a true bomber!"

"Very good," Matthew summarized. "The demonstration should be concise, impactful, and hit the nail on the head. First, the crossbow, demonstrating accuracy; then the grenades, demonstrating close-range destruction; next, the explosive charges, demonstrating medium-range area damage; finally, introduce the concept of eagle-borne airdrops, integrating her core capabilities into our system. Let her understand that cooperating with us isn't just about getting a few more reinforcements, but about getting a completely new way of fighting—a way of fighting that can target every weakness of the Colossus!"

The other members of the military team nodded in agreement and quickly added details.

For example, the safety setup of the demonstration venue, contingency plans, response scripts for potential questions, selection criteria for the security team, etc.

The meeting was highly efficient; within half an hour, the action framework and preparation list were already clear.

Over the next few days, Jinshiling began preparations at full power.

The scouts kept sending back messages that the coal mine was completely under the control of the Giant God Tribe.

Most of the barbarian troops who attacked the area have left, leaving only a dozen or so to guard the place.

One of the cavalry units approached Jinshi Ridge along the coal transport road, but they only observed it from a distance before leaving.

This made Matthew feel threatened; he was unsure whether the Giant God Tribe would take any action against Emberstone Ridge.

In short, Matthew believed that the giant tribe was definitely a huge threat.

Five days later, Eleanor came to Emberstone Ridge in person, accompanied by a seasoned guide.

Sharna agreed to the meeting, so Emberstone Ridge immediately sprang into action.

Led by Wu Ronghui, a twelve-member escort team carrying weapons and equipment, accompanied by Eleanor and the guide, embarked on their journey to the White River Valley headquarters.

Eleanor's accompaniment surprised Matthew and increased his trust in her. After all, the road to the White River Valley tribe was not safe, and this trip was practically a matter of life and death.

Eleanor chose to go along in order to better promote cooperation between Emberstone Ridge and White River Valley. After all, she and Sharna had some acquaintance, and as an intermediary, she could better help each other build trust.

When Eleanor saw Goblin, the leader of the guard squad, she was shocked. She seemed to have a new understanding of Matthew's abilities and potential, and she was more certain of her initial judgment.

This former king's illegitimate son is indeed quite the enigma.

Before dawn, the group quietly left the city, using familiar paths to avoid any potential spies, and plunged into the desolate hills on the edge of the wind-eroded highlands.

The journey was more difficult than expected; the dry, scorching winds whipped up sand and gravel, the terrain was fragmented, and water sources were hard to find.

Fortunately, Eleanor and her merchant guild had known about safe routes, and with the guide leading the way, they managed to avoid the scattered cavalry of the Titans without any major incidents.

On the afternoon of the third day, they finally met Sharna, the leader of the White River Valley tribe.

Just as Eleanor described, the leader did indeed appear to be only in his early twenties, but his eyes held a composure and depth beyond his years.

Her skin was a wheatish color from years of weathering, she had beautiful features, a fit and voluptuous figure, and was a wild beauty.

Her long, silver-gray hair was braided into several plaits and tied at the back of her head with small bones and colorful pebbles, with a few stray strands falling in front of her forehead.

She wore a badly worn leather vest that seemed to be completely bare, with the full curves of the armholes on both sides barely concealed.

She wore a shawl adorned with indigo feathers from an unknown bird, and a necklace made of animal teeth and colorful pebbles hung around her neck.

What's most striking is her eyes—a rare pale gold color, with tiny specks of light seemingly swirling deep within them. At this moment, she's scrutinizing Matthew and the others with undisguised scrutiny and curiosity.

She didn't wear any fancy headdress, nor did she adopt a haughty posture. She simply sat there with her back straight, like a javelin stuck in a crevice of a rock.

But the other five or six men and women in the tent, who were either standing or sitting and were obviously older, seemed to be centered around her.

These must be the tribe's chieftains and elders; their gazes toward Matthew were filled with suspicion, wariness, and curiosity.

"Lady Eleanor, thank you for remembering White River Valley at this moment. This is the Lord of Emberstone Ridge you mentioned, Baron Matthew?" She used honorifics, but skipped all the empty formalities among nobles, getting straight to the point.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chief Sharna," Matthew replied politely.

"Greetings, Baron Matthew. I apologize for your long journey, but our White River Valley has no wine or music to entertain you, only the struggle for survival." Sharna's face was full of bitterness. "Our situation is very dire, so I'll cut to the chase. I've heard you have a way to help our White River Valley defeat the Giant God Tribe?"

Her directness stripped away all pretense and gave Matthew the best opportunity to make his move.

"Yes, Chief Sharna." Matthew was equally outspoken. He stepped forward and met her pale golden eyes with honesty. "We have brought more advanced weapons and combat methods, a method that will allow the warriors of White River Valley to tear apart the Giant God's wolf rider line at a lower cost, and even bring Balu down from his pedestal."

The tent fell silent.

The chieftains and elders exchanged glances. Although they still had doubts, Matthew's words, such as "method, weapon, less cost," stirred up subtle ripples like pebbles thrown into stagnant water.

They desperately needed "methods" and "weapons," and their head-on battles resulted in repeated defeats, with each loss bringing the tribe one step closer to the abyss.

Sharna paused for a few seconds, her pale golden eyes filled with anticipation: "Could you elaborate, Your Excellency?"

Matthew stepped aside, gesturing towards the outside of the tent: "May the chief step forward and take a look? Words cannot compare to seeing it with one's own eyes."

Sharna and the elders exchanged glances again, and finally, she slowly rose to her feet.

The movement seemed to aggravate an old injury, causing her to frown slightly, but her posture of straightening her back remained unchanged.

"Alright. Let me see the weapon you mentioned."

The group arrived at the open space outside the tent.

Upon receiving the news, the soldiers silently gathered around. Most of them were wounded and ragged, but their eyes were fixed on the strange objects in the center of the field—a bizarrely shaped crossbow, a dark sphere, and a device with a huge wooden frame and leather straps.