Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

Chapter 112 A Fatal Blow to the Giant Tribe

Sharna hesitated almost without the slightest hesitation.

In her view, exchanging a piece of land that had never belonged to her and was occupied by the enemy, along with an equal and powerful ally, for the survival of her tribe and the hope of defeating the powerful enemy and returning to her homeland in the future, was not a transaction at all, but a blessing from heaven.

"I, Sharna, swear in the name of my ancestors!" She drew her short sword sharply from her waist, slashing her left palm without hesitation, then extended her bloodied hand towards Matthew. Her voice was resolute, echoing throughout the camp: "The White River Valley tribe accepts all the conditions of Emberstone Ridge and pledges a blood oath with them! Your enemies are the mortal enemies of our entire tribe! You gave us the flame of new life, and I will repay you with unwavering loyalty! From this day forward, until Balu is beheaded and the Giant God Tribe is annihilated, our warriors will fight side by side with the warriors of Emberstone Ridge, sharing life and death! After the war, the Northwest lands are yours to command! The tents of White River Valley will forever be open to our allies! This oath is witnessed by heaven and earth; those who break it will be condemned to eternal damnation!"

None of the leaders and elders behind her raised any objections. Instead, they all showed expressions of relief and determination, placing their hands on their chests and bowing their heads in respect.

"Fighting side by side! Sharing life and death!!"

Countless people raised their weapons, even just wooden sticks, and shouted with tears in their eyes.

The children were lifted high by their mother, and they followed along, shouting in a daze.

The pent-up grief, despair, and yearning for survival were ignited at this moment by the deafening "thunder" and the leader's resounding oath, transforming into a thunderous roar.

The despairing aura of death was swept away from the entire White River Valley encampment, replaced by a tragic, stirring, and reborn spirit full of boundless hope and fighting will.

Without hesitation, Matthew drew his dagger, made a slash in his palm, and then tightly grasped Sharna's blood-stained hand.

The warm blood mingled together, as if some unknown force had truly intertwined, allowing Matthew to feel Sharna's heartbeat, breath, body temperature, and even some intangible belief and emotion in that instant.

The feeling was strange, as if for a moment, my soul possessed the other person's body, or the other person's soul merged with mine.

Although it was only a fleeting feeling, it truly forged an unbreakable bond between Matthew and Sharna.

"Fight side by side, share life and death." Matthew responded in a deep voice, not loud, but it seemed to contain the power of a thousand troops.

With the blood oath formed, the dark clouds hanging over the hearts of everyone in White River Valley seemed to be suddenly torn apart by a pair of invisible giant hands, and the long-lost vitality and hustle and bustle returned to this dilapidated camp.

A fierce fighting spirit ignited in the soldiers' eyes. They spontaneously gathered together, wiping their remaining weapons and talking loudly about the thunderous roar and the "divine fire" dropped by the giant eagle.

Women and children emerged from the rock crevices and huts where they had been hiding, their faces filled with unbelievable joy, and began to gather firewood and set up a large pot.

Sharna ordered her men to retrieve the last few bags of coarse wheat and dried meat from the tribe's treasure trove, and also instructed the hunters to process the few sand foxes and ground squirrels they had luckily caught that day.

Soon, a campfire was lit in the center of the camp, and a simple but steaming pot of meat broth mixed with wheat porridge was boiling in the large pot. This was probably the most "sumptuous" meal in White River Valley in months. The air was filled with the rough aroma of food and a celebratory atmosphere as if they had survived a disaster.

However, the atmosphere was completely different inside the largest tent in the center.

There was no noise here, only suppressed excitement and focused solemnity.

On a simple sand table were small stones and pieces of wood representing the opposing forces. Matthew, Wu Ronghui, Sharna, and several of White River Valley's most trusted hunter leaders sat around it.

Eleanor sat quietly to the side, still reeling from the shock she had just experienced. The strength and depth displayed by Matthew, or rather, by Emberstone Ridge, had truly astonished her.

Of course, besides being shocked, I also felt genuine admiration and joy.

She became even more certain that she had made the right bet on Lord Matthew.

"Baru's main force of the Giant God Tribe is currently stationed south of our lost iron mine, in this sheltered Black Rock Pass. They have about three thousand troops there, all of them the core elite." Sharna tapped a spot on the sand table with a thin wooden stick. Her pale golden eyes appeared exceptionally sharp in the flickering firelight. "There is a water source there, the terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it's close to our old pastures and iron mine. The force he sent to occupy our iron and coal mines was only a small detachment, its purpose being to cut off our last hope of obtaining fuel and forging weapons. At the same time, it was also a test to see if we would be lured out of Stone Forest Cliff and annihilated in open battle."

"A very safe, but also arrogant tactic." Wu Ronghui crossed his arms and stared at the sand table. "He is convinced that you will not dare to leave this last barrier, and that you have no power to fight back. So the main force is stationed here with peace of mind, waiting for you to run out of food or for internal changes to occur."

"So, if we're going to fight, we can't just take out the few people at the mine. That will only enrage him and make him bring his main force to launch a full-scale attack on Stone Forest Cliff." Sharna's voice was icy. "If we're going to fight, we need to strike at his Achilles' heel. We need to be quick, ruthless, and break his spine in one blow, leaving him no chance to retaliate!"

"Agreed." Matthew nodded. "A frontal assault on Blackrock Pass, even with our weapons, would result in heavy losses. Moreover, Balu's mountain giant bloodline is a huge variable. We need an unequal war, to destroy him when he least expects it, in a way he can't understand."

"The fire of Emberstone Ridge, combined with the eagles and speed of White River Valley." Sharna looked at Matthew, her eyes gleaming with wisdom and wildness. "My eagle eyes can see every tent, every patrol in Blackrock Pass. My warriors know every trail here, moving like the wind through the darkness and among the rocks. And you—you have fires that can burn through camps, mines that can bury charges, and—"

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the four goblin warriors quietly waiting in the corner of the tent, "and the fearless pioneers."

"Yes, we must make full use of each other's strengths, join forces, and destroy the main force of the Giant God Tribe in one fell swoop, giving them absolutely no room to breathe." Matthew's voice was resolute.

The group quickly began to discuss strategies, and Wu Ronghui ultimately formulated a comprehensive battle plan based on the results of the discussion.

The entire operation was divided into four phases, launched almost simultaneously, leaving Balu unable to attend to both ends and causing his collapse in an instant.

Phase 1: A mixed squad consisting of the Goblin Suicide Squad of Ember Ridge and the most elite hunters of White River Valley will infiltrate under cover of night before the general offensive to eliminate fixed and mobile sentries and mark safe passages and important targets for subsequent troops.

Phase Two: Sharna pilots a flock of eagles carrying specially made incendiary bombs and large explosive charges, launching the first wave of bombing from high altitude under the cover of night.

Prioritize attacks on suspected leader camps, supply depots, and areas where horses and dire wolves gather.

The objective is to create maximum chaos, panic, and initial casualties, and to destroy the command system and mobile forces.

Phase 3: While the eagles attack, the projectile teams, who have been infiltrated to the optimal range, conduct a barrage of artillery fire on the camp exits, open areas, and areas where routs are gathered, as marked by the eagle eyes.

Riders and fast-moving warriors patrolled the outskirts of White River Valley, using crossbows to shoot stragglers who had fled the camp and driving the fleeing soldiers toward the pre-designated death zone.

"Finally, pre-determine the death zones!" Wu Ronghui pointed to several exits of Black Stone Pass on the sand table, "This is also the fourth stage."

"Before the final assault, we will spare no expense to secretly lay massive amounts of landmines and remotely detonated explosive charges at the main exits of the Balu camp and along the possible escape routes to other strongholds. When the fleeing soldiers, especially the panicked cavalry and wolf packs, flood into these areas—it will be a massacre. We can even set up a second line of crossbows behind the minefields to clean up any stragglers. That will be the time for you White River Valley hunters to reap the rewards."

The tent was completely silent, except for the crackling of the burning torches.

This plan was meticulously crafted and extremely ruthless, making full use of the strengths of both sides while avoiding a direct confrontation with the main force. It focused on attacking the enemy's weakest points: a night of relaxation, being caught off guard by an air attack, and the chaos during a rout.

"Baru—he will die," an old hunter from White River Valley murmured, his voice tinged with excitement and a hint of coldness. "Even if he can transform into a giant, be struck by heavenly fire in his sleep, or step on a landmine while fleeing for his life, he still won't survive—"

“We don’t need to assume he will die somewhere,” Matthew said calmly. “We need to make sure that no matter how brave he is personally, his tribe as an organized force will cease to exist before dawn.”

An army without command, without supplies, without mounts, and with its elite troops perishing in fires and minefields, is nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

Listening to Matthew and Wu Ronghui's words, Sharna took a deep breath, her chest heaving.

The boldness and precision of the plan thrilled her.

She could almost see Black Stone Pass engulfed in flames, the shadow of a giant eagle sweeping across the firelight, and the arrogant Balu and his wolf riders howling in agony amidst the explosions and rain of arrows.

"Then, the details." She looked intently at Matthew and Wu Ronghui, "The delivery of weapons, the training of personnel, the infiltration route, the timing coordination, the signal agreement—we need to hone this Thunderfire Sword to its sharpest edge in the shortest possible time."

The discussion inside the tent that followed was lively and efficient.

Matthew and Wu Ronghui finalized the initial weapons delivery list and training plan.

Sharna, drawing upon her understanding of falconry abilities and her shamanic keen senses, planned the optimal takeoff position, attack altitude, and bombing sequence for the renowned flock of eagles. Meanwhile, the hunter leaders of White River Valley began selecting elites to participate in the first and third phases, and drew more detailed infiltration route maps from memory.

[Thanks to Super Big Bun for the 100 Qidian Coins reward, and thank you everyone for your monthly tickets!]

>