Chapter 302: Cannon Fodder

Chapter 302: Cannon Fodder

The expedition was not limited to the Huaxia army.

When Chen Jian led his unit away from Base 011, preparing to press toward Baima Town to meet the enemy, the Sacred Legion gathered in Jinling City also stirred.

Yet their direction was the exact opposite of the Huaxia forces.

They were heading to the northern side of Jinling City.

At that moment, Zhang Tao, like Chen Jian, had just finished his pre‑battle address.

Gazing at the massive, impeccably equipped Sacred Legion poised to depart, his eyes—once ablaze with fervor—now carried a shade of worry.

The archbishop beside him sensed his mood and stepped forward, speaking:

“Sir.”

“You need not be overly concerned.”

“Our plan is sound, and the preparations on every front are essentially complete.”

“From Jinling northward, the guardian troops of each city have erected multilayered defenses.”

“They will sap the tide of beasts; by the time the Sacred Legion reaches Xuyi, the scale and impact of the beast tide should have waned considerably.”

“Moreover, we can rely on the natural barrier formed by the waters of Nüshan Lake, Qili Lake, and Hongze Lake to block the beasts’ advance.”

“With the cover of giant cannons and heavy artillery, holding back the beast tide should not be too difficult.”

“Not too difficult?”

A faint, bitter smile crept onto Zhang Tao’s face.

I recall, just a few months ago, when I was still with the Guard Brigade, even a fourth‑rank monster demanded our utmost seriousness.

And a third‑rank monster already felt like a formidable foe.

Yet now we face a tide of beasts numbering in the hundreds, perhaps even two hundred.

And you dare to think that stopping them would be easy.

I do not know whether it is you who has changed, or we all have.

Zhang Tao’s words fell, and the archbishop fell silent in an instant.

Indeed.

Where exactly has the change occurred?

His gaze shifted to the Sacred Legion, fully arrayed for departure; after a brief pause, he spoke:

“Perhaps it is truly that we have all changed.”

“At the very least, the equipment of the Sacred Legion is entirely unlike that of the old Guard Brigade.”

“We have cast aside cumbersome armor, opting for lighter cloth armor and gear.”

“We have swapped weapons, issuing a uniform Type‑75 rifle to them.”

“And the rocket launchers, the grenades, the massive cannons.”

“Perhaps the Huaxia army is right.”

“Only such gear can allow our loyal soldiers to unleash their fullest strength.”

“Indeed.”

Zhang Tao let out a soft sigh.

“Thus the fact is, if we wish to defeat the Huaxia army—no, even if we merely aspire to be as strong as they are—we must align ourselves with their direction.”

“We have become increasingly like them, and that truly worries me.”

“You need not worry.”

The archbishop replied:

“Equipment is merely external; these warriors remain the most faithful lambs of the Sacred Trinity.”

“Their faith has never wavered, nor will it ever waver in the future.”

“Then that is good.”

Zhang Tao’s voice lowered, as if speaking to himself.

Instinctively, he lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the harsh glare, murmuring:

“If only we had ‘aircraft’ as well.”

“Those angels of the Sacred Trinity were meant to grant us greater aid.”

“With aircraft, even relying solely on the Sacred Legion, we could repel the beast tide’s assault.”

“Then we would no longer need to use city after city on the north as a ‘shield’ against the monsters.”

“Indeed.”

The archbishop sighed likewise.

He continued:

“We have no choice now.”

“But I believe we will endure this soon.”

The relic of the Sacred Trinity will eventually return to its rightful hand.

“All we need to do is survive this crisis.”

“I understand.”

Zhang Tao nodded

Zhang Tao nodded his head.

“You need not say more.” “Now, let us turn our gaze to the present.”

“So, do you think we can hold the Xuyi defensive line?”

“We certainly can!”

The archbishop’s tone was resolute.

“As I said, we can use the lakes as a barrier.”

“This tactic has already been validated by the Huaxia army.”

“South of Jiujiang, with fewer than six hundred rag‑tag troops, they halted a beast tide of nearly two hundred monsters.”

“What we command is a thousand‑strong elite force.”

“What they could achieve, we can likewise”

“Even in terms of equipment, we are not far off from them.”

“That is true.”

At this point, Zhang Tao’s

“They are generous with basic weapons, but once it comes to the ‘machine soul’, once it touches the true heritage and treasure of the Sacred Trinity, they become stingy, closed off to the extreme.”

“Once it touches the true heritage and treasure of the Sacred Trinity, yet”

“Yet”

“Yet

“Cunning. Deceitful or wise?”

“Truly, I don’t know how else to describe them.”

Zhang Tao exhaled a long, weary breath.

“Regardless, we must set our feet in motion.”

“Give the order to advance.”

“Our war has begun!”

Meanwhile.

The city of Zhuolu.

Beyond the walls, beacon fires rose, and the silhouettes of monsters flickered faintly in the morning light.

The city had already been encircled by monsters; civilians who could not flee were trapped within, bereft of the courage to dash into the monster‑infested wilderness.

Inside the walls, freshly dug pits and heaps of earth littered the streets, yet they were not intended for burying corpses.

——

In fact, no bodies had yet had the chance to appear.

For the battle itself had not truly begun.

These pits were hastily hewn ‘burrows’.

Desperate souls tried to use them as a means to evade the monsters’ onslaught.

Yet even those who dug with every ounce of strength knew deep down that it was nothing more than self‑comfort.

If merely digging holes could secure salvation, why would humanity have been locked in stalemate with the beasts for over a century?

The purpose was simply to let labor temper their terror a little, and to give themselves something to do.

The lord of Zhuolu and the bishop of the Mechanical Cult did not impede this futile endeavor.

For he knew he no longer possessed the power to save the people there.

If they were not given something to do, the city would likely crumble from internal strife and descend into a tragic carnage before the monsters even arrived.

Let them go.

The lord sighed, and the lone remaining Sanctified Blood‑bearer beside him asked:

“You have managed to contact the Sanctum?”

“Will they send reinforcements to Zhuolu?”

“I must know, for it will decide my stay or departure.”

As the words hung in the air, the lord gave a helpless smile.

“If you can leave, depart now.”

“They will not come to rescue us.”

“And the Holy Legion?”

The Sanctified Blood‑bearer furrowed his brow and asked:

“I have heard the Holy Legion has already been dispatched.”

“Indeed.”

The lord nodded.

“The Holy Legion is moving northward.”

“But, regrettably, they are not coming to us.”

“They will establish a defensive line around Xuyi, to hold back the tide of beasts.”

“Zhuolu has been abandoned.”

“We are not something that must be saved.”

“We are merely cannon‑fodder for the Holy Legion to expend the monsters’ strength.”

(End of Chapter)