Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

"The fields the villagers cultivate and the livestock they raise... those are completely irrelevant."

Lin Miao yawned as he watched the enemy troops galloping towards them on horseback.

The vast farmland that the double agent reported to the enemy was actually cultivated on Attila's orders to allow farmers to plant crops recently brought from the game world.

The livestock were simply some animals selected from those kept in the game world that could be used immediately.

In other words, what they wanted to burn and loot were just things of little value.

How disheartening it would be to know the truth.

If they couldn't even breach a walled outpost, they absolutely couldn't get past the village's defensive walls.

"I need to give you advance notice."

However, since she was going to inform them that the situation was approaching, Lin Miao officially began moving the mouse.

First, grab an awake sentry and drag him to the view closest to the enemy.

The sentry panicked after seeing the enemy, but after confirming the situation, Lin Miao carried him back to the village.

The sentry naturally reported the matter to his superiors.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Miao saw that Lillie, who was waiting in the village, not only fully armed herself but also mobilized other soldiers to prepare for battle.

It was early morning, just as the sun was fully up.

The enemy troops are still advancing and will reach the village today.

Fortunately, they didn't form a long, serpentine formation.

The fact that the enemy forces are gathered in one frame means that Lin Miaoneng has more screen time to move around.

Lin Miao had already used the mouse to drag Attila and the base soldiers, who were ready, into the air as much as possible.

This is for a surprise attack from the rear; with his involvement, the movement speed will be much faster.

Moving thousands of people silently with a mouse must have been a real pain for my wrist.

However, thanks to these efforts, the enemy is gradually approaching the trap set by our army.

Inside the village, where war clouds loomed, Lin Miao waited for the enemy to arrive while watching Lillie, fully armed, perform a final check of her sword.

With a stern face, she fastened her sword, mounted her horse, and swung it up.

Although Lin Miao was not worried because he knew her strength well, the serious attitude of the person in question made him inexplicably nervous.

"After all, they're a different type of enemy than malfunctioning entities or monsters."

The simplistic comparison of believing someone is invincible simply because they defeat a boss monster, or thinking someone is stronger just because they eliminate a glitch, only holds true in games.

Real-world battles are always full of unpredictable changes.

A person dies when they are killed.

Lin Miao reminded herself that she must never forget this point.

After all, who knows, one day I might have to step onto the battlefield again.

This is Lillie, his mentor.

Although she regarded Lin Miao as a greater being, the relationship between the two was never one-sided, but rather one of mutual achievement.

"Right there, it really is the city wall..."

"Unbelievable, it's that high."

The expeditionary force sent by Luke.

They even triumphed over Theodore, possessing a military force stronger than any other tribe in the region.

But that wasn't enough. Following intelligence provided by spies, they marched rapidly and finally arrived at Aurora's headquarters.

At the same time, they were amazed by the towering city walls.

Even though I already knew, I was still shocked.

"Wow, such a well-maintained city wall? It's comparable to the border fortresses of our kingdom..."

Paul, the magician who assisted the expeditionary force, was equally surprised.

Although I had heard about the city wall, based on the spy's clumsy description, I thought it was just an ordinary stone wall, but that was not the case.

The massive city wall, reaching a height of 10 meters, was so smooth and uniform that it was unbelievable how it was constructed.

"Don't stare at the city walls! Look over there. Those houses and farmland they built are right there; just destroy those!"

As the soldiers were overwhelmed by the oppressive feeling of the high walls, Gilron's roar brought them back to their senses.

At the same time, he pointed his sword at the villages and farmlands unfolding ahead and ordered them to be trampled flat.

The villages were temporary settlements built by the gathered refugees, and the farmland was newly cultivated by the farmers using special techniques, but the expeditionary force, unaware of this, flocked there.

"Look at those idiots. They brought tens of thousands of troops here, and this is all they know how to do?"

"Cough cough..."

The people on the city wall, from the Zhen Dan, coldly observed the actions of the expeditionary force.

The dwarf who joined the group sneered at the sight, and those around him immediately coughed to remind him.

In reality, the expeditionary force was simply strictly adhering to the established tactics.

If a nomadic tribe were to attack a city, they would most likely do this first.

"Anyway, we're proceeding according to plan. Let's make things as difficult for them as possible. Look! The defensive tower is activated!"

The residents on the city walls immediately launched a counterattack against the expeditionary force that began to level the land outside the city.

The archers drew their longbows to their fullest extent, and the magicians began chanting spells.

The most lethal weapon is the city wall defense tower. Towers upgraded to at least level three can fire giant arrows with a range and power far exceeding those of ordinary towers.

"They're firing giant crossbow bolts!"

Unprepared for the power of the defensive tower, the expeditionary force was instantly riddled with arrows comparable to those from a super crossbow, turning them into bloody messes.

When that spear, powerful enough to pierce through both men and horses, ripped through the sky, all who witnessed it turned pale.

"Hold on! If we retreat before we can even handle this, what will the clan leader say about us!"

Gilga gritted his teeth and used his magic-infused longsword to cleave the arrows fired from the defensive towers, fearing that the soldiers, whose morale had been carefully maintained, would collapse again.

They failed to capture the outpost and massacre the enemy, nor did they manage to loot the castle.

If they can't even completely destroy the outer facilities, their mission will be a complete failure.

"But those cowards at least don't dare to leave the city to fight."

Although their pride has been repeatedly thwarted, they still retain a sliver of arrogance, and the Zhen Dan tribe has yet to dare to cross the city walls to provoke them.

"Report! The enemy has broken through the city walls!"

However, at this moment, even this last vestige of pride is about to be shattered.

"The time has come."

While the enemy was frantically destroying worthless facilities under a hail of arrows, Lillie was already fully armed, riding alongside her soldiers, ready for battle.

The people shooting arrows from the city wall were not actually combatants.

She had anticipated that the enemy would be unable to retaliate, so she deliberately sent the elderly and children—non-combatants—up to pretend to shoot arrows.

Her attire was slightly different from that of the other soldiers.

While everyone else wore armor made from mutant byproducts, she alone wore armor imbued with special powers.

Although the armor was somewhat revealing, she and her companions no longer cared about that.

The armor she wore as a paladin was a sacred relic bestowed by the guardian deity.

"While we were carrying out our sacred mission, those who only cared about filling their stomachs dared to so brazenly invade the Holy Land."

She stared at the assembled soldiers and spoke in a cold voice.

In truth, she was suppressing her anger. Putting aside the terrible memories the raiders had given her, the expeditionary force itself was a villain trying to hinder what she believed in.

"We must not allow these madmen who disregard our sacrifices and strength to continue to run rampant."

She successfully ignited the soldiers' fighting spirit.

Most of the people gathered here have experienced defeat and trauma, but they have also witnessed miracles and redemption.

To protect this sacred land that serves as a place of rest, they dared to fight to the death, even when facing terrifying monsters rather than mere raiders.

"It's all been chiseled open!"

The miners used pickaxes to carve a gap in the city wall just wide enough for passage.

With the city gates tightly shut, soldiers poured out of the breach like a tidal wave, rushing along the city walls towards the expeditionary force.

"Lord Gil...wouldn't it be better to retreat now? Haven't we destroyed everything that could be destroyed?!"

"Shut up! Those arrogant fools provoked us first; what's the difference between retreating and running away now!"

Seeing the Aurora troops charging close to the city wall, Jill gritted her teeth and said.

Although some suggested that since the objective had been achieved, a retreat should be undertaken to avoid further losses, Jill simply ignored this suggestion.

Although personal emotions were involved, this was not an act of sentimentality. More than half of the expeditionary force consisted of Theodore's troops who had been incorporated into the army this time.

If we lead them through this shameful and disgraceful battle, and then run away after accomplishing nothing more than destroying farmland, it will cause major problems for future tribal integration.

Luke initially entrusted these troops to Jill so that they could accumulate destructive achievements to facilitate their incorporation.

"Can we win? They're backed by the city walls."

The magician Paul beside him offered a more objective analysis of the situation.

Lillie deliberately pressed herself against the city wall as she approached them.

To engage in battle, one must withstand unilateral fire from the city walls.

If you leave the castle's attack range, the opponent won't come out to fight at all.

"not to mention……"

Paul swallowed hard.

The soldiers of Cindan were slightly different from those of ordinary steppe tribes, including the expeditionary force, and even quite different from the cavalry of the kingdom army that he was familiar with.

Although they were not wearing metal armor, they were wearing standard armor made of the same materials and techniques.

The armor, made from processed, jet-black leather and snow-white bones, makes one wonder if they belong to this world.

"What's wrong with that woman?"

The woman at the very front of this group of specially armed individuals wore armor of a completely different design.

Her gender was easily discernible from her attire; she drew her sword and charged towards them from the very front of the formation.

"Charge! The enemy numbers only a mere thousand!"

Jill urged the expeditionary force soldiers to charge forward with a stern voice.

Ultimately, they had no choice but to brave the hail of arrows raining down from the city walls and confront the Zhen Dan troops, who outnumbered them several times over.

"Lord Paul!"

"That woman is dangerous."

Paul acted instinctively.

Sensing a certain aura emanating from Lillie, he waved his staff, summoning a blazing spear of flame that shot towards her.