Forests Don't Support Idle Goblins

"Commanding an army is not as easy as you think; it's not as simple as playing various board games," Diana said, gripping the armrests in front of her saddle and straightening her upper body.

She was currently riding on the back of a giant soldier ant's breastplate. This was her first time riding a soldier ant, and it was completely different from riding a horse or a griffin. When horses and griffins run, their backs constantly rise and fall, which requires the rider to exert all their strength to maintain their balance. Keep your core engaged; only then will you avoid being thrown off balance.

However, giant ants have nothing to worry about. Their stable six legs keep their backs level, which reduces the burden on the rider and allows them to allocate more power to combat. More importantly, the mandibles of soldier ants are strong and powerful, capable of directly clamping down on enemies in front of them. Their heads, thoraxes, and leg joints are covered with a hard chitinous shell, which can protect them from weapon piercing.

"Isn't that how it is?" Sharl, sitting on the back of a worker ant, scratched his head. "Spearmen beat cavalry, cavalry beat archers, and archers beat spearmen?"

"It's not that easy," Diana shook her head irritably, then stretched her upper body on the soldier ant's back. "If that's what you're saying, then we should also add that magic beats behemoths, behemoths beat army formations, and army formations beat magic?"

Charles blinked, a hint of doubt showing in his clear eyes.

"The situation on the battlefield can change at any time," Diana had to continue explaining. "If the heavy cavalry are given a magical defense effect in advance, they can charge directly at the mage team. But without this magic resistance, the cavalry can only maneuver around the enemy and try to pull them back. But when it comes to pulling them back, the air force is more useful. They are not only powerful weapons for attacking the ground, but they can also effectively restrain the ground behemoths."

Charles blinked and continued to look at Diana with clear eyes.

"What I mean is, you can position your mage units near the behemoths to defend against enemy air units, or you can send the behemoths out directly to attack the enemy's formation, while the mages serve as a defensive force. The formation needs to be adjusted according to your battle tactics; it's not static."

"I know that," Charles raised an eyebrow. "Therefore, just as water has no constant shape, so too does warfare have no constant tactics. One who can adapt to the enemy's changes and win is called a master strategist."

He translated the sentence into common language and said it directly.

"Sometimes I really want to open your head and see what's inside," Diana sighed. "It was the same last time. You can talk about such exquisite art of command so casually, but when it comes to commanding troops, you're just playing chess."

Duel Chess is a type of board game in this world. I remember playing it many times. It's a bit like a combination of Chinese Chess and Chinese Chess, but with a lot of the magical style of this world.

For example, the game pieces include wizards and behemoths, and the wizard's spells can be determined by the dice roll.

"I'm still learning, after all." Charles smiled mysteriously. What he said was indeed true. What he could say casually now came from the wisdom of his "predecessors," but his real command ability was mostly learned from various games.

"What did the God of War see in this place that made him bestow such a blessing upon it?" Diana muttered to herself, then looked up into the distance. "How far away are those ruins?"

"We're almost there," Charles replied immediately. On the territory map, the team was indeed getting closer and closer.

This time he brought a small squad, including goblins, centaurs, and furoo, and he also brought Diana along so that she could familiarize herself with the tribe's fighting style.

Cao Cao and Chi Mu did not follow. The Forest City was still under construction and required a large number of people. Xia Er had to leave behind a certain amount of security forces to ensure that no unexpected incidents would occur.

"Let's continue talking about tactics. I'd like to know how the different troop types coordinate with each other?" Charles glanced around. The troops were moving normally, and nothing unusual was happening.

"The coordination of unit types depends on your current team composition." Diana, sitting on the back of a soldier ant, surveyed the goblins around her. "And the enemy situation; different situations require different approaches."

"And sometimes, the commander's personal character can also influence the choice of strategy." She thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Like Alexander I, the author of the book you read before, 'The Art of War Command,' he could be described as a rather radical military strategist."

"The founding monarch of Sword and Rose?"

"Yes, his most famous raid on Lohar was when he commanded three thousand elite cavalrymen to penetrate the enemy's defenses and make a long-distance raid to Lohar town. He seized this most important logistical base of the enemy, cutting off the retreat of the enemy coalition. At the same time, he used the enemy's various supplies and magical items to block the retreating enemy for seven days. In the end, he achieved his strategic goal, successfully opened the gate to the heart of the kingdom, and laid the foundation for the final victory."

"I know about this battle," Charles nodded. "This king is indeed a remarkable tactical mastermind."

Although his understanding of world history was limited, there were countless similar battles, such as his predecessors' long march into the Dabie Mountains, which was like a sharp knife piercing the enemy's heart.

"You know, the founding king didn't bring many magicians with him, nor did he have any giant beasts accompanying him," Diana shook her finger. "For an ordinary commander to dare to take such a risk and achieve final victory under those circumstances is very difficult."

Seeing Charles nod heavily, Diana smiled again, "But the situation of Franz I, the founding monarch of the Kingdom of Fran, was completely different. He was an exceptionally steady commander."

"Well, I've heard that the Kingdom of Fran has ten parts of credit, nine of which belong to the White Dragon, and the remaining part to the soldiers," Xia Erle said.

Diana laughed a few times, "That's just people joking. The real situation wasn't like that, but it does reflect the situation at the time."

"Originally, with the help of the mythical creature, the white dragon, the army could have considered more aggressive tactics, but Franz I still adopted a steady and cautious approach, advancing steadily in each battle to ensure the completion of all strategic objectives. This led his enemies to call him 'the youngest son of the white dragon.'"

"Isn't it called 'Dragon Knight'?" Charles raised an eyebrow and said with a smile.

"That was changed later. After all, the golden brocade flowers won the final victory, so it was bound to be beautified."

"Then what kind of battle tactics do you think suit me?" Charles asked.

Read the full text of Chapter 360, "The King of Sneak Attacks," for free. Link: [link missing].

"You?" Diana pursed her lips, then glanced at the surrounding ranks. The goblins were all sitting on the backs of worker ants, and many worker ants were carrying those strange black tubes and the "cannonballs" invented by the Charles. The centaurs walking around the ranks were carrying long lances, which made her frown slightly.

"With your setup and all the items you've used, the best strategy I can think of for you is..." She paused for a few seconds, then sighed softly and squeezed out two words, one after another: "A sneak attack."

"A sneak attack?" Charles was stunned. If that were the case, he would be confirmed as the "despicable goblin" in people's mouths, since being good at sneak attacks was indeed a goblin tradition.

"With your current setup, you can quickly maneuver to the enemy's flanks or rear and inflict rapid losses. However, once the enemy organizes a counterattack," Diana glanced at Charles's gloomy face and continued, "your team will have a hard time holding its ground. We'll have to find another way, a way to retreat."

"The only thing we can do is try to escape." Xia Er sighed softly. He knew the situation of the tribe. There were only two groups that could serve as the mainstay: the tree people and the elephant lords. Unfortunately, the tree people had a limited number of times they could participate in battles, and the elephant lords were unwilling to participate in too many battles.

After thinking for a moment, Charles suddenly said, "What if my party had a mythical creature?"

"A mythical creature?" Diana was clearly surprised. "You actually possess a mythical creature? Why haven't I seen it?"

"Uh," Charles smiled apologetically, "it's a phoenix egg, and we're still trying to hatch it."

"You possess a phoenix egg?"

Diana immediately shouted, drawing the attention of the surrounding troops and making the future commander somewhat embarrassed.

"How did you get a phoenix egg?" She lowered her head slightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement and curiosity.

"It was found in the cave of the Feathered Serpent God." Charles waved his hand with a smile, looking completely nonchalant.

"It's just so illogical, a bunch of goblins having the eggs of a mythical creature," Diana complained awkwardly. "I used to fantasize about being like Franz I, having a giant beast under my command."

"Could this also be a blessing from the God of War?" she muttered to herself.

"What did you say?" Ciel asked immediately, not having heard what the other person said.

"It's nothing." Diana glanced at Charles with annoyance. This goblin seemed so ordinary, so why did he always manage to produce such amazing things? Her fourth uncle was with him, as was the evil god Elephant Lord, and there were even strange magical artifacts and portals. Now he even had mythical creatures.

Do the gods care so much about goblins?

"We're almost at the ruins," Charles said, glancing at the map of the territory.

"I know, King of the Forest," Diana said sullenly, ignoring Charles, then added in a low voice, "King of Sneak Attacks."

…………

This is a very hidden site, its entrance concealed among several large rocks.

The plants and shrubs covering the surface of the boulder, along with the shadows, effectively concealed the entrance to the cave, which was only wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

If it weren't for the hint on the map, Sharl would never have noticed that there was a ruin here, let alone the adventurers walking in the forest.

As he had his men unload the contents of the worker ant cargo compartment, he walked over to Diana and asked, "So, shall we go down and take a look?"

"Of course we have to take a look," Diana said, standing by the boulder and peering down at the entrance that the goblins had cleared. "How did you discover this ruin?"

"You know, we goblins live in the forest, and sometimes we need to hunt and gather..." Sharl immediately started his persuasive mode.

"I'll write it." Diana didn't even glance at the goblin beside her.

"Really, you know, there's everything in the forest. I've even seen a Mind Flayer here."

"Edit." Diana glanced at Charles. She began to seriously doubt whether there was something wrong with her senses, but that familiar feeling was still there. This feeling had been lingering around her ever since she became a member of the Crusaders.

It feels like the God of War's blessing.

If it weren't for her faith, she would have looked up at the sky and shouted, "God, open your eyes! Look at what you've blessed—a lying, sneak-attacking king?"

Yet the feeling was so real, that Diana even felt that the reason she lost to the Charles and the Crusaders lost to the goblins was all the will of the God of War.

What's that saying again? The arrangements of the gods have their own reasons, which ordinary people cannot fathom.

"Are you suggesting that one day your subordinate was chasing prey here, accidentally fell into this hole, and the other goblins had to rush to rescue him, and then, by some twist of fate, discovered the entrance to this ruin?"

"Yes, yes, that's it." Charles nodded repeatedly. He really didn't know how to hide his abilities now. This former president of the Holy Army was just quicker with his hands than with his brain, but he wasn't brainless. Once or twice, you could say that everyone has a little secret, but if a person always has a little secret, then he himself has a big secret.

Where do all these secrets come from? It's not like I'm hiding among the enemy, transported here by a large force, a transmigrated orphan carrying an old man.

"Heh," Diana chuckled, "the plants in the forest grow really fast."

Seeing Charles's awkward smile, she decided not to delve any further. After all, sending her here was probably the God of War's order. Diana prepared to continue exploring.

The goblin promised her he wouldn't break his vow, and if that day ever came, she could either leave or pierce his heart with a sword.

"The centaurs will stand guard outside. This cave entrance is too small for you to go in," Charles instructed once the weeds and bushes had been cleared.

Diana watched as the goblins carried the iron pipes, then thought for a moment, "Take fewer of those 'Api Chickens' (goblins). The situation inside the cave is unknown. If there's a violent explosion, we'll be the ones who suffer."

"Okay." Charles nodded and continued to give instructions to his subordinates.

Soon, the teams were assigned, and all the goblins gathered at the entrance, waiting quietly.

A few minutes later, a body with broken teeth rose from the shadows.

In his hand was a fist-sized, transparent crystal that seemed to have something flowing inside.

"Magic crystals?"