A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

But the Knights clearly gave up this last chance.

From this we can see that Thomas, as the legend said, did not have the ability to command a large army.

After all, they were born into a common family. Who knows where they were picked by the Pope? Even if they were talented, they were not good at marching and deploying troops. Therefore, it was clear that the Knights were doomed to lose this battle. It was just a matter of how they lost.

……

Standing on the highest tower of the bastion, Thomas looked through a telescope at the surging Crescent Moon army.

He felt that the so-called limitless world of human beings and horses was indeed endless.

The crowd seemed to be flooding the entire land, sweeping over, giving people a visual shock.

People, horses, vehicles... formed a billowing cloud of dust.

Although Thomas had made various preparations, he still felt a little insecure when facing this scene.

The Knights had no defensible fortresses or strongholds on the periphery.

Smyrna was practically an isolated city.

Apart from its own defensive capabilities, there is nothing else!

All Christian nations, even the Pope, stood aside and watched the war.

At least in the short term, the Knights will not receive any reinforcements.

On the contrary, the Seljuks had the support of the entire Star-Crescent world.

This also means that although the Knights have fortified their defenses in Smyrna, logistics will probably not be a shortcoming for the Seljuks.

Late summer and early autumn... this was also the time carefully chosen by the Seljuks.

The summer is too hot, which easily leads to large-scale diseases. The winter is too cold, which easily leads to death from freezing and frostbite.

So the timing is perfect, with about three or four months of suitable combat time.

However, the Seljuk army was very organized. Perhaps they were already familiar with the intelligence about this new city, so they lined up outside the city, showing off their strength, but did not launch any reckless attempts.

They lined up the cannons in a row, out of the range of the artillery on the city walls.

Among these cannons were stone-throwing cannons, heavy copper-barreled cannons called "lizard cannons", or some strange cannons such as double-barreled cannons and pot-shaped cannons that Thomas had never seen (which meant they were destined to be eliminated in the future).

In addition to the cannons, there were also a few catapults, but these were rather outdated.

"Tsk, old-fashioned!" Thomas said casually to the others around him. "Dimitrios, the Seljuks still use trebuchets?"

"Grandmaster, this is a very dangerous thing. I've heard that when they encounter a heavily defended castle, they'll use this thing. What they throw in aren't stones, but rotting corpses!"

"That kind of thing... is still a bit threatening!" As a time traveler, Thomas knew that rotting corpses could easily spread disease. And once the disease spread, hundreds or thousands of people would fall ill.

Thomas's damaged divine power can heal all diseases, but the problem is that his reserves of divine power are limited.

This move was something he had not expected before and was a little tricky.

A wave of cheers erupted from the enemy ranks. A small group of soldiers arrived in front of the main army, waving magnificent banners. Clearly, the Sultan himself had arrived.

A cavalryman emerged from the Sultan's entourage and galloped towards the city. Undoubtedly, he was an envoy seeking surrender.

But as he approached, the knight Andria, who had been waiting for him on the wall, threw a javelin with all his might, landing right in front of his horse. The horse, startled, neighed and stopped, refusing to move forward. The knight dismounted, picked up the javelin, and returned to the Sultan's troops.

This was the Knights' reply.

At this point, war is no longer avoidable!

The author says:

Author's words: Thanks to my reader Ye Ye for the many rewards. Today's update will be doubled.

Chapter 279: Siege 1

The first week of the siege was uneventful.

Siege warfare in this era usually involved using cannons to blast through city walls (as Thomas had witnessed). However, when cannons were ineffective for various reasons, a different rhythm would take hold.

Dig trenches!

First, the Seljuk engineers dug a trench roughly parallel to the city wall at the limit of artillery range and installed wooden palisades on the trench to cover the operation. The Knights could not stop this work, so it was completed in two or three days.

Next, they began digging tunnels that extended towards the city wall like a spider web.

It should be noted that there were no professional engineers in this era.

The so-called engineers were simply able-bodied men conscripted by the Seljuks, most of whom were Christians, forced to serve as laborers by the rulers of the Crescent Moon.

The excavation work was unremarkable, yet exceptionally brutal. The engineers dug in the open ground without shelter, facing the attacks of accurate artillery fire from the city walls.

As long as a few more people stand together, shells will fly over and snipe at those who gather.

Besides, work could not be done at night because the defenders would sneak out under cover of darkness and attack these poor people who had no armor, no weapons, and only shovels and mattocks.

This attack was extremely brutal because the Knights had to end the battle as quickly as possible to prevent enemy reinforcements from arriving.

Not to mention night, not even dawn.

The Knights would most likely leave the city at night, lie in wait for the attack in the early morning, and then retreat back to the city as quickly as possible.

……

In the morning, Ferdinand followed several generals to a battlefield.

The blood on the battlefield had barely dried. Hundreds of engineers and a dozen or so overseers had been slaughtered. There were no survivors, no wounded, no prisoners; all had been slain by the Knights.

"Those pagans!" A general's face was full of anger.

"Sir Ferdinand, what do you think?" Someone looked at Ferdinand.

Although Ferdinand did not have many men under his command, as an envoy sent by the Order of the Crescent Sword, he still had a certain say in the Seljuk army.

And he was once a member of the Knights.

Although this identity made him somewhat embarrassed and prone to hostility, from another perspective, it increased his prestige and voice.

"You underestimate the Knights!" Ferdinand said directly.

"The Knights Templar are a tightly organized group of elite soldiers with a strong sense of mission. They are all European nobles, but they have sworn a lifelong oath of poverty, chastity, and obedience to the Pope. Their primary mission is to fight the infidels relentlessly. Don't equate them with ordinary armies. Even if they are trapped in an isolated city, it doesn't mean they are powerless to fight back!"

"Fight back?" Another Seljuk general laughed. "This little loss is insignificant to us—we have plenty of men! Besides, we've already found the weak point!"

Ferdinand chose to keep his mouth shut.

There was no point in arguing with the arrogant Turks, because he was sure that if the Turks wanted to capture the castle, the price they wanted to pay would definitely not be just a few laborers!

In the afternoon, he brought a few of his men to the distant sea cliffs.

This place was far enough away and high enough to overlook the entire battlefield. In fact, because the new city walls were lower, the view from the cliffs was even better. You could see more of the city.

Ferdinand was on a high place, staring through the telescope for a long time.

"The Knights remain in perfect order!" he concluded. If the Turks try to cut corners, they'll likely suffer a great loss.

"My Lord, what do you think? The Knights are not in disarray at all?"

"This ability, in the East, is called 'air reading,' but it's actually just a matter of experience," Ferdinand explained. "You'll naturally understand it after participating in a few battles. The soldiers remain calm, and the movement of people in the city is orderly and without panic. I know the morale of the Knights remains high."

"But the real battle hasn't even begun yet," the attendant said, puzzled. The current fighting was merely a prelude to the main battle; the real action hadn't even begun. "Besides, I heard that the Knights' failure to take advantage of our vanguard's initial arrival proved a lack of confidence. They're scared! Thomas is scared too!"

"No, you don't understand," Ferdinand said. "You should know that in the years since Grand Master Thomas took office, he has led his army across the eastern Mediterranean, engaging in over ten battles and winning every one of them. How could such a man lack courage? You know, when he first took office, the Knights had practically nothing, yet he still dared to take the initiative!"

"It's just because he relies on the magic weapon!" The follower disagreed with this judgment.

"But he still has the artifact now," Ferdinand smiled. "I haven't heard that the Pope has taken it back."

"Well, sir, what do you say it is?"

"Thomas lacks confidence in his own methods of marching and deploying troops. After all, he came from a humble background and received no instruction in this area. His last attack on Smyrna relied entirely on the power of divine artifacts. But the power of divine artifacts is limited. When the army is numbered in the thousands, the artifacts are at their most potent. But when the force reaches over ten thousand, the value of the two artifacts on the battlefield diminishes."

What's more, the magic weapon is not invincible, there are ways to counter it!

"But you just said that the movement of personnel in the city was orderly, without any panic. The morale of the Knights remains high," the attendant said. "Isn't this a reflection of a commander's ability?"

"It's the Knights, not the Grand Master, who are powerful. Thomas doesn't need to do anything, doesn't need to command anything, he just needs to approve his subordinates' action plans one by one. In this situation, the power of the Knights is demonstrated, not Thomas's command skills."

"Thomas is a very clever man. He knows that his knights are well-versed in warfare and have accumulated extensive experience in defensive battles. Therefore, he delegates tasks that he is not good at to those who are. In fact, I am certain that this is a backup plan he has long prepared to deal with any possible threats."

"Possible threat?"

"Well, if someone takes advantage of this opportunity to attack Rhodes Island!"

"But... the Knights' navy..."

"The Knights' navy may seem powerful, but in reality, it's still insufficient!" Ferdinand said. "They currently have one fleet stationed in Smyrna. Another fleet is on patrol and on guard, and a smaller fleet is needed to prevent enemy reinforcements from arriving by sea. In short, they're busy everywhere, and when things get busy, there are bound to be loopholes!"

"Rhodes Island's defenses are now extremely weak. Our spies report that at least 3,000 of the island's city defenses have been transferred to Smyrna. This means that right now, even a medium-sized fleet, if they could find a gap in the Knights' navy and land within a day, could directly strike the Knights' lair. They don't need a large force; just 5,000 would be enough to pose a significant threat!"

"Awesome!" The follower's eyes lit up. He knew very well how great the consequences of this sudden and decisive blow would be.

Although Rhodes Island is the home of the Knights Templar, it is well known that without sufficient garrison troops, even the strongest castle is useless!

"And if that happens..." Ferdinand laughed. "The Knights can't withdraw troops from the besieged Smyrna, so Grand Master Thomas has only one choice... to personally bring the artifact to reinforce Rhodes Island!"

"Is Thomas the reinforcement?"

"Because he is no longer of much value to Smyrna's defense. On the other hand, if he returns to Rhodes Island, with the two artifacts in hand, he can immediately ensure that this sneak attack is futile!"

"And this... gives me an opportunity!" At this point, Ferdinand laughed out loud, and his laughter echoed above the sea cliff.

Chapter 280: Siege 2

The autumn night is silent.

The murderous aura from both sides of the war seemed to drive away all the insects and birds in the fields and countryside, leaving the night devoid of autumn vitality and filled with silence.

It seemed as if all living things in the world were watching this battle in silence.

The real battle has not yet begun - although there have been many casualties.

For the Seljuk generals, this level of casualties was insignificant, as they had plenty of cannon fodder.

The constant influx of manpower allowed trench digging to progress at a rapid pace. In just over ten days since the start of the war, the engineers had already dug several artillery positions at suitable locations and distances.

Earth mounds had already begun to be built on these artillery positions, and judging by the size of these mounds, they were likely to be taller than the city walls, or at least not shorter.

Once the mound was complete, cannons would be pushed onto it. Then, cannons would blast each other. This kind of battle was a fair, boring game of head-swapping. Losses on both sides were a near-50/50 split.

The Knights would never make such an exchange. The disparity in military strength between the two sides was enormous!

Once an advantage is gained in artillery battles, a second set of mounds or fences will be built at a closer distance for archers armed with muskets and crossbows to guard.

At this point, the fire suppression from the city walls no longer had any advantage. With the fire support of friendly forces, the engineers could fill the trenches relatively safely, clearing a path for the engineering equipment.

These are all open conspiracies, and both the attackers and defenders can easily see through them.

But it's no use seeing that.

Because there's no way to change this.

When the clerk Demetrios fell asleep, he was troubled.

He was not in his own mansion in the city, but at a temporary resting point on the tower. During this period, the Knights always kept a senior member on the first line of the city wall to take charge of the battle.

Although he was a high-ranking member of the Knights Templar, with the Grand Master leading the way, his life was basically no different from that of an ordinary knight. Demetrios, as usual, lay down in the cramped tower lounge to rest.

Although everyone understood that the enemy could not attack the city wall before filling the trench, the more than ten days of fighting still made people feel heavy in their hearts.

The feeling of watching the enemy slowly approaching and being unable to stop them no matter how hard you try is an unspoken pressure on everyone.

Although the Grand Master appeared confident, Demetrios knew the Knights still had many hidden cards to play. Even so, the situation was still far from reassuring.

But as a clerk after all, Demetrios had some privileges. So, although his resting place was cramped, he had a room all to himself.

It was nearly midnight, and moonlight streamed into the room through the narrow window.

There seemed to be some noise or movement in the distance.

Demetrios was awakened by the sound, he got up from the bed and walked out of the room.

The snoring of soldiers could be clearly heard outside - although it was not a fierce battle, being on guard all day was still physically and mentally exhausting.

He didn't know why, but he walked up to the city wall as if possessed by a ghost.

There should only be a few sentries on the city wall now, stationed at the tops of distant watchtowers to prevent enemy surprise attacks.

"Ah, Demetrios!" a voice rang out.