Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

"As for the transformation and application of knowledge," Matthew looked at the other leaders and continued, "we can't wait until the language is completely cracked before we take action. We must prioritize and proceed in parallel."

"The highest priority 'Hazardous Creatures Handbook'." Matthew picked up the thick handbook. "Team Leader Sun, tonight Will and I will work through the night to translate the contents of this book, including the high-risk creatures related to the Misty Mountains. Tomorrow you can provide unified training to all the soldiers."

"Alright! Then I'll have to trouble you, Comrade Matthew!" Sun Zhengwu nodded and said.

"Report!" A voice suddenly came from the entrance of the council hall, and a scout rushed in, panting. He saluted Sun Zhengwu, "Team Leader Sun, the frontline reconnaissance team has discovered an emergency. The Deep Green Axe Tooth tribe is making unusual movements. About forty goblins, led by two large goblins, are moving towards our Emberstone Ridge. Their motive is judged to be raiding, and they are expected to launch a sneak attack in the middle of the night."

The news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly tensing the atmosphere in the council chamber.

Matthew frowned; what was bound to happen had finally happened.

However, Ember Ridge is now fully prepared, and tonight's battle may be the best proof of their strength.

Sun Zhengwu stood up abruptly, his face showing no sign of panic, only the absolute calm of a soldier facing the enemy.

He strode to the simple map of Jinshi Ridge and its surrounding terrain on the wall, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

"Specific location? Route?" he asked in a deep voice.

"They are stealthily moving along the bushland on the south bank of Teardrop Creek, most likely targeting the breach in our western wall and the newly constructed defensive fortifications!"

Sun Zhengwu's finger traced across the map, finally landing heavily on the newly dug trench and earthen mound area outside the western wall.

"Good! Just in time!" Sun Zhengwu's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He turned around abruptly, his gaze sweeping across the entire area before finally settling on Matthew: "Comrade Matthew, I suggest we attack! And annihilate them completely! Wipe out this enemy force entirely, and show your people our true strength with their corpses!"

"Team Leader Sun, keep the corpses for us; they'll be perfect as fertilizer," Zhao Lanxin suddenly interjected, her tone carrying the pragmatism and a touch of dry humor characteristic of researchers.

"That's right, we've also found a source of oils for making soap," Professor Zhang Hongjian added with a smile.

The tense atmosphere was somewhat eased by their conversation, and a few low laughs echoed in the council chamber, but everyone's eyes quickly regained their focus and sharpness. This was no joke, but rather the impending real battle.

"Haha, no problem!" Sun Zhengwu laughed heartily, then strode out of the council hall with lightning speed, his booming voice echoing across the open space in front of the lord's mansion: "Emergency assembly! All combat personnel, assemble at the western defensive fortifications within five minutes!"

The voices of messengers rang out throughout the territory, and in an instant, the entire territory, like a calm lake tossed with a stone, began to boil.

Whether they were repairing the walls, forging weapons at the blacksmith's forge, or resting and waiting for orders, the soldiers immediately rushed from all directions at top speed toward the pre-arranged defensive positions outside the breach in the western wall upon hearing the sound.

Footsteps, the clanging of metal, and deep shouts blended together, creating a tense yet orderly atmosphere.

Even those who had already packed up and were waiting for their turn to return to Earth to rest, such as Lei Hu, He Rui, Sun Xiaochuan, Zhao Gang, and Li Yuangang, rushed to the assembly point without hesitation.

For them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, how could they let it slip by so easily?

In less than five minutes, nearly a hundred "goblin" warriors had lined up in front of the newly dug trench on the west side.

Although their equipment was rudimentary, the ranks were orderly and silent, with only the torches fluttering in the night wind, illuminating the faces beneath their green skin, which were filled with determination and fighting spirit.

Sun Zhengwu stood on a slightly higher mound of earth, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across the entire area.

He saw Lei Hu and the others in the ranks, nodded slightly, and without asking any questions, began the pre-battle mobilization.

"Comrades!" His voice wasn't loud, but it reached every soldier's ears clearly, carrying a metallic quality, "The moment we've been waiting for has arrived!"

He pointed westward towards the mountains shrouded in night and mist: "Just now, Li Da's reconnaissance team at the front sent back news! The Deep Green Axe Tooth tribe, with over forty goblins led by two large goblins, is rushing towards our Emberstone Ridge. Preliminary assessment suggests they may launch a surprise attack in the dead of night."

A suppressed, excited growl and the soft clinking of weapons against shields echoed through the ranks.

The soldiers showed no fear; instead, their eyes burned even brighter.

Having been in this world for so long and having built fortifications for so long, finally a live target has been delivered to our doorstep.

Especially the "spoils of war" that the Thunder Tiger Squad brought back a few days ago, and their boasting about killing goblins during their rest, made many soldiers eager to try it out.

"I know that many of you could have left work on time and gone back to Earth to rest." Sun Zhengwu's gaze lingered for a moment on the faces of Lei Hu, Zhao Gang, and the others. "But you chose to stay. Why?"

"Because we are soldiers!" Lei Hu roared.

"Because this is our position!" Zhao Gang replied in a deep voice.

"Because my arrows are already very thirsty." Sun Xiaochuan's words immediately drew a burst of laughter.

"Well said!" Sun Zhengwu's voice suddenly rose, full of power. "This place, Jinshi Ridge, is our position! The walls and trenches we built with our sweat, the swords and crossbows we forged with our own hands—all serve only one purpose: to ensure that any invaders never return!"

"Roar!" The warriors roared in unison, their fighting spirit surging.

"Now, begin tactical deployment!" Sun Zhengwu cut to the chase, his words quick and clear: "The forward defense group, led by Zhao Gang, will use trenches and earthen ramparts to construct the first line of defense. Your mission is to hold your ground like nails. Use crossbows and spears to inflict maximum casualties and delay the enemy, keeping them firmly at bay. No retreat without orders, but also no unauthorized attacks!"

"Yes! I guarantee they'll crash and bleed!" Zhao Gang pounded his chest in acceptance, his eyes gleaming with ferocity.

"Long-range fire support team, led by Wang Xun, equipped with all crossbows, climb the watchtowers on both sides and the reinforced walls to occupy the high ground, form a crossfire network, and prioritize sniping the large goblin and the goblin leader. Keep your fire accurate!"

"Understood! Team leader! I guarantee it will hit exactly where you point it!" Wang Xun excitedly rubbed the repeating crossbow in his hand, while Sun Xiaochuan next to him was also eager to get started.

"The flank assault team, led by Li Yuangang, will serve as a reserve force, concealed inside the breach in the wall. Upon hearing three short whistles, they will immediately burst out of the breach and launch a deadly attack on the enemy's flank. Coordinating with the frontal defenses, they will achieve a pincer attack and annihilate the enemy."

"Haha, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Li Yuangang's face was full of excitement, and he secretly thought that he must compete with Lei Hu tonight to see who can kill more goblins.

"Reconnaissance and communications team, immediately advance to the south bank of Tears Creek to meet Li Da, maintain contact with the enemy, and report enemy whereabouts in real time."

"Thunder Tiger!"

"Here!" Lei Hu stepped forward.

"You will lead an elite squad as a battlefield firefighting force and last line of defense, positioned at the outskirts of the lord's manor. Be ready to support any direction where a crisis may arise, and ensure the absolute safety of Comrade Matthew and non-combat personnel!"

"Yes! We'll hold the position as long as we're here!" Lei Hu accepted the order in a deep voice, knowing the mission was of great importance.

"The rest of you, take your positions and inspect the weapons and fortifications!"

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

Once the order was given, the entire Ashstone Ridge began to operate efficiently, like a sophisticated war machine.

Zhao Gang led his men, shouting as they charged into the trench, inspecting the sharpened wooden stakes and piled stones.

Wang Xun led Sun Xiaochuan and the crossbowmen nimbly up the arrow tower, adjusting the angle of the crossbow bolts and exchanging firing parameters in hushed tones.

Li Yuangang led his assault team to ambush behind a breach in the wall, conducting final pre-battle checks and mobilization in a heated atmosphere.

Lei Hu then began inspecting the second line of defense, his expression serious.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the lord's manor, Shirin and the black cat were secretly observing everything.

With the help of old Sam and a group of young men, Conrad began to organize all the people to go to the lord's manor for refuge.

Old Sam, with a solemn expression, methodically directed the evacuation of the people; clearly, this was not the first time he had done this.

The little granddaughter Lina held old Sam's hand tightly, her breathing rapid with tension, her little face filled with fear.

The old women prayed in hushed tones, and the atmosphere was rather oppressive and heavy.

After all, they had experienced many goblin attacks and were already like frightened birds. The fear and shadow etched into their bones could not be eliminated in a short time.

Despite constantly telling themselves that Ember Ridge was no longer what it used to be, they couldn't help feeling tense and fearful.

Soon after, all the people were relocated and settled. Matthew came over to calm everyone down, assuring them that the warriors he had summoned would not allow any goblins to enter.

"My lord!" Old Sam suddenly spoke, his solemn face filled with a resolute determination: "Let me join the fight! This is my home, and I should do my part. Besides... I want revenge for my family!"

"I'm going too, Uncle Sam! I'll go with you!" Karl stood up as well, his gaze equally determined: "Please allow us to join the battle, my lord."

"And me!"

"Count me in!" Eric and several other young men stepped forward, indicating their intention to go to the front lines to join the battle.

Their loved ones had all died in repeated attacks by goblins, and today might be their chance to avenge them; they didn't want to miss it.

Matthew and Conrad exchanged a glance. Seeing the people so enthusiastic, Matthew was naturally very happy. He could understand their feelings and believed that they were not just acting rashly. These people had actually fought goblins many times to survive until now, so their combat experience was definitely not an issue.

"Alright!" Matthew nodded, naturally not wanting to dampen their enthusiasm. "But you must follow orders and not act on your own. Your mission isn't direct combat, but rather to stay on the second line and assist our soldiers in eliminating any remaining foe. Remember, protecting yourselves is the greatest help you can give us, understand?"

"Understood, Lord!" Old Sam and the group of young men replied excitedly. Being allowed to participate in the defense was a great trust and honor for them.

Inside the trenches at the front, Zhao Gang and several comrades were busy preparing for battle while excitedly discussing the upcoming fight.

"Brother Mo, I heard them say that if we die here, we can be resurrected. Is that true?"

"Wow, resurrection? Really?"

"I've heard about it too. Wang Xun from the reconnaissance team said that he sacrificed himself in the Misty Mountains during the day, but his consciousness returned to his body, and then he was summoned back by Comrade Matthew."

"Really? That's amazing!"

"Yes, it's true!" Chen Mo's gaze returned from the distance, his voice steady and powerful. "We are essentially connected to this body by our consciousness. When this body dies, the consciousness will disconnect and return to its original form. This goblin body was created by Comrade Matthew using magic. Theoretically, as long as his magic power is infinite, then we will have infinite bodies that can be resurrected."

"This is awesome! It's like we've got a cheat code, like playing a virtual war game where we can just die and start over."

"Haha, what are we afraid of? We'll just wipe out these green-skinned monkeys and take over their lair under cover of darkness!"

"Yes, the best defense is offense. Since we can't die, we can use sheer numbers to crush those green-skinned monkeys."

"Indeed, our strongest army on Earth, coupled with unlimited resurrections, would be invincible!"

"Stop dreaming. As I just said, our infinite resurrection depends on consuming Comrade Matthew's magic power. His magic power is limited, otherwise he wouldn't have only summoned so few people. So don't make unnecessary sacrifices. If we launch a preemptive attack on the goblin's lair and succeed, that's fine, but if we fail, we're just handing weapons to the enemy. Also, although we won't actually die, the feeling of dying will be very clear and real. Wang Xun said that once you've died once, you'll know you never want to die a second time."

"Brother Mo is right. The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting. If you can solve a problem with minimal cost, why take risks?"

"Haha, I was just joking. Of course, everything is subject to orders."

"However, this is indeed good news. Without fear, we can unleash even greater combat power."

"That's right, we must slaughter them all tonight."

"Gangzi, how about we have a contest to see who kills more enemies later?"

"That must be me."

"Hey, you're really not modest!"

On the other side, Li Yuangang shouted to Sun Xiaochuan on the arrow tower, "Xiaochuan, take it easy with your shots, give us a break, let us have some fun too!"

"Okay, Brother Li," Sun Xiaochuan replied with a smile.

But he also knew that Li Yuangang was just joking. When facing the enemy, each of them would give it their all and would never hold back.

Time slipped away quietly as the soldiers chatted idly.

After a long while, the reconnaissance personnel at the front quickly returned to report the situation.

"The enemy is coming! Prepare for battle!" Sun Zhengwu's calm voice rang out.

In an instant, all the noise disappeared.

The archers silently drew back their bows.

The spearmen placed the tips of their spears on the firing ports of the earthen rampart.

Li Yuangang's assault team gripped their weapons behind the breach in the wall.

……