A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

Chapter 288 Night Raid 2

"Captain, what's the matter?" Little Balbo was very excited and seemed very happy that he could grab such a task.

All I can say is that this man is a complete, mindless martial arts fanatic. He has an innate obsession and attachment to battle. Danger, life and death, are completely unconcerned to him. He only has one thing on his mind: fighting, and more fighting! He uses battle to repeatedly challenge his limits and become stronger.

Even Thomas was really convinced.

No wonder some people say that little Balbo has the potential to become a national protector.

It's not the kind of protection that relies on divine inspiration, but rather the true exploration of one's own potential from within, forcing oneself into a higher level of life. It's similar to the Blasphemous Knight.

In the past, Thomas thought that this was probably just flattery made up by someone who wanted to please his father.

But now I feel that maybe it is true.

What a pity, there are so many people in the Knights Templar, but there is only one talented person like him.

How great would it be if there were eight or ten?!

"Little Knight Balbo, I have something to ask you." Thomas took little Balbo to the church nearby.

There is no one in the church now.

The church had just been completed, and the priest in charge had not yet arrived. Thomas now spearheaded all religious activities of the Order.

Although Thomas is not a professional charlatan, he has seen pigs walk even if he has not eaten pork. He thinks he is doing well in this area.

Of course, no one dared to question it—Thomas was wearing a red robe after all, and was officially a priest.

No one is so blind as to question Thomas's level of sorcery.

By the way, next to the cross in the church, there is the hammer and sickle emblem of the nameless God... oh, no, it is the hammer and sickle emblem of the nameless saint.

This is already an open secret in the church.

Many monasteries and cathedrals did this.

The Vatican neither supports nor opposes this matter, but only maintains a silence that gives rise to endless speculation.

"What's the matter?" Little Balbo was puzzled.

"Will you fight for the Knights Guard?" Thomas asked.

"Of course, I am a member of the Knights Templar... Grand Master, why do you ask?"

"But what if one day there comes a conflict between the Knights and the Republic?"

"Hahaha..." Little Balbo laughed so hard that he fell forward and backward. "If my father is the governor, then it's impossible! If my father is not the governor... then what does the interests of the Republic have to do with me?"

Thomas laughed too.

To be honest, from a certain perspective, little Balboa is a very clear-headed person.

"Have you thought about this operation tonight?"

"Of course I've thought about it!" Little Balboa shrugged. "Just cast some magic on us, especially the 'acceleration spell'... The acceleration spell doesn't last long enough, so let's use the 'slippery' spell. We'll all rush in as fast as we can and finish them off!"

His face was full of excitement and he was looking forward to the future battle.

"Have you ever considered that the enemy would have a large force here? And would also be prepared for anti-magic?"

This was made very clear in the previous battle.

Thomas cast various spells on the Knights, but they were unable to withstand the sudden "dispel magic" from the other side, which swept across the entire battlefield in an instant, destroying the magic on most of the soldiers.

In a battle involving thousands of people, investing in magic is a luxury.

But if it is an army of 200,000, the appearance of magic is normal.

"Of course, for sure!" Little Balbo agreed. "But they can't be prepared all the time. They can't predict when we'll attack. So as long as we're fast enough, everything will be fine!"

"It's just like martial arts. As long as the moves are fast enough, even if the opponent is prepared, they can still break through the enemy's defense and cause serious damage!"

Thomas's mouth twitched.

It’s easy to say, but the question is, can it be done?

It is obvious that the issue of "failure to break through" has never occurred to little Balbo!

Is it really enough as long as the speed is fast enough?

At least, it was impossible in Thomas's eyes. How could such a good thing come from anywhere in the world?

In fact, this battle is to attack the enemy by surprise and catch them off guard.

If the enemy is prepared...

Not to mention completing the mission, it would be a blessing from God if even half of these soldiers who went out to attack could come back!

Of course, it’s not a good idea to pour cold water on someone at this moment.

"Little Balbo, how are your days in the Knights?"

"Not bad, better than I expected... Wait, Grand Commander, why are you asking that all of a sudden?" Little Balbo seemed to have noticed something. "You said that, as if... you were about to say goodbye? You don't think highly of me?"

"No, no, not really...but, I do have to leave."

"Leaving? At this time? Why?"

"You also know about the naval battle that took place in the conference room just now."

"We won, that's all. What? That's a lie?"

"No, I'm not lying, it's true. But it's just a small victory that doesn't mean much." Thomas sighed. "At the meeting just now, the secretary deliberately omitted one thing. The enemy fleet is a mixed force of regular troops and pirates!"

Although it was a small victory, it posed a hidden danger.

Thomas personally experienced the last Battle of Smyrna, and many people in the Knights Templar knew the details of the process.

The most crucial reason for the Byzantines' defeat was not that they failed to capture the city, but the appearance of an unexpected enemy force.

Those pirates!

The Sword of the Crescent Moon briefly gathered the Crescent Moon pirates together through various means to participate in this battle. By taking them by surprise, they dealt a fatal blow to the Byzantines.

Of course, the Byzantines' mishandling was also an important factor, but in the final analysis, it was all because of the Order of the Crescent Sword.

This time, the Star-Moon Sword clearly used the same old trick again and mobilized the pirates once again.

As a result, it was difficult to accurately estimate the strength of the Star-Moon Cult's fleet. No one could say for sure how many ships they had.

The situation on Rhodes Island immediately became serious.

You know, Rhodes Island is now extremely empty. As long as a few thousand people land, it will pose a huge threat.

And if Rhodes Island is captured... then Smyrna will be in chaos without even fighting.

"I hadn't anticipated this factor either," Thomas said. "In fact, it's truly incredible, but the Star-Moon Sword actually managed to do it. A second time. Therefore, my original plan to split the fleet was wrong. We must reunite. But there's a problem... We don't have a fleet commander. I'm the only one who can go!"

According to the old rules, the fleet commander is the third-ranking person in the Knights Templar.

Unfortunately, the shadow cast by Ferdinand's betrayal was too great. After Thomas took office, he did not appoint a fleet commander, but only established a squadron commander.

Now this problem arises, the Knights' fleet is scattered.

Of course, more importantly, fleet command these days really didn't require complex skills. Even someone like Thomas, who wasn't familiar with battle formations, could command a fleet without any problems.

Chapter 289 Night Raid 3

"What about Smyrna?" Little Balbo was a little surprised.

"Demetrios will be in charge," Thomas sighed. "I must go to Rhodes to command the fleet... and protect Rhodes."

His power, along with the Wood Golem, was only of limited value in a battle involving 200,000 men, but it could be decisive in a battle involving only a few thousand.

As long as he held Rhodes Island, there would be no problem. Whether it was the navy or the army, as long as Thomas was a bargaining chip, there would be no loss.

Unless the Star-Moon Sword can produce another 100,000-strong army and a matching fleet!

If that were the case, then Thomas's defeat was undeniable. He simply underestimated the enemy and deserved his defeat.

"Of course, let's put this matter aside for now. Little Balbo, what is your ideal?"

"Well, to be honest, I want to become a Protector of the Nation." Speaking of this, Balboa's expression grew dejected. "I can sense that with every battle, especially intense ones, there's a small chance I'll encounter a special state... a state that makes me feel like I'm on the threshold of becoming a Protector of the Nation. Unfortunately, I feel like I'm missing something crucial, preventing me from taking that step. I guess I need to fight more battles to achieve this."

"Little Knight Balbo," Thomas said. "If you return safely this time, perhaps you will be qualified to attempt to access the Knights' deepest secrets."

Little Balbo's eyes lit up.

He knew that the Knights had secrets.

Before, before officially joining the Order, he met three people who might be the Protectors of the Nation.

Afterwards, it turned out that Knight Joseph was not a big deal, as everyone knew he was a close confidant of the Grand Master and sent by the Pope. However, the other two were relatively unknown figures in the Knights Templar.

There is no need for anything else. Just from this point, we know that there must be some secret hidden in the Knights.

"Don't worry!" Little Balbo left confidently.

Thomas looked at the other person leaving, lost in thought.

No, if you want to take your destiny into your own hands and win this battle for the castle, you can't leave everything to luck.

But...what is the appropriate thing to do?

He suddenly saw a ball of fire falling from the sky, breaking into several pieces in mid-air, one of which landed beside the stable in the distance.

The horses in the stable had already been startled and were neighing.

In the battle to defend the city, horses did not play a big role, and we did not keep many horses here, only about one or two hundred.

……

In the darkness of the night, there was a sudden noise in the distance.

Ferdinand in the camp was immediately alarmed.

He hadn't slept at all, but was sitting at the table, reading by candlelight.

After becoming a Protector of the Nation, not only did his life span increase by two or three times, but his sleep requirements also decreased significantly. On the same day, he had several hours more free time than an ordinary person.

So even though he was given command at this moment, he still had free time to read books.

The books he read were mainly ancient myths and legends, or books from ancient civilizations. Although these books had been destroyed by the Star-Moon Religion or Christianity, some of them still survived.

Protecting the nation is the upper limit of a warrior's path. But protecting the nation is not the limit of humanity. Information from multiple sources confirms that a path beyond protecting the nation exists, though it's hidden by some mysterious force, inaccessible to ordinary people. Ferdinand can only try to find a few clues in the ancient texts of these lost civilizations.

There was a noise in the distance, the sound of musketry.

Ferdinand stood up, walked to the door of the tent, and looked towards the distance.

That sound... should have come from a hill.

The Turks built more than one earthen hill to prepare positions for their artillery so that they could fire against the artillery on the city walls on equal terms.

If the conditions were equal, the Turks would definitely win. After all, their artillery far outnumbered the Knights.

This is indeed the case. The Knights are now bombarded by cannons during the day and cannot show their heads.

What was moving at this moment was the earthen hill where the catapult was installed.

The old-fashioned heavy catapults could not compare to artillery in terms of range or power, and their numbers were few and far between. However, they could hurl objects that artillery could not easily launch, such as rotting corpses used to spread plague.

"Sir!" As Ferdinand observed the distance, assessing the situation, a disheveled attendant hurried out of another small tent nearby. "What happened?"

"It seems like the Knights are launching a night attack." Ferdinand looked at the situation in the distance.

The Turkic camp was heavily guarded and well versed in military tactics. Furthermore, it had trenches for protection, so it was not afraid of the Knights' night raids.

But the earthen hill ahead was a different story.

It is close to the city and is easily attacked.

"...Just as you predicted!" The follower was a little excited.

Ferdinand had said not long ago that the Knights would likely launch a night raid in the next few days, but he hadn't expected them to come directly today.

"Well, we've made preparations, but... I don't know how many people will come."

If only a small number of people, say a dozen or so, were to carry out special operations with a "try their luck" mentality, then his arrangements would be in vain.

There are so few of them that it is difficult to eliminate them, and even if they are eliminated, the results will be insignificant.

Although it cannot be said to be useless, it at least did not meet psychological expectations.