Chapter 620: Troop Assignment
Everyone present was taken aback by Ling Zhan's bold idea!
A direct night raid on Drak City!
This...
Yet, it must be said.
Ling Zhan's reasoning was undeniably logical.
Slaughtering God launching a sneak attack in the dead of night.
That alone could be explained.
But sending only small fry for the attack?
The possibility of stalling for time was highly likely.
However...
Night operations inherently placed their side at a disadvantage.
Especially with the core ghost nest fortified with arrays enhancing the ghosts and defensive mechanisms, breaking through would be no easy task.
Ling Zhan's request...
For General Li, granting it was a gamble.
But there was no time for deliberation.
In war, a moment's hesitation could lead to dramatic shifts in fortune.
"Alright!! I trust you!"
"Ling Zhan! Select your troops!"
General Li, after only two seconds of consideration, gave a decisive wave, approving Ling Zhan's proposal.
It must be said...
General Li's decisiveness was truly admirable.
Many other commanders might have outright rejected such a request.
This demonstrated that General Li's combat style mirrored Ling Zhan's—leaning towards aggressive offense rather than cautious defense.
With permission granted, Ling Zhan wasted no time in selecting his troops.
"Dragon Kingdom Ninth Squad, Amethyst Empire Fifth Squad, Rhine Duchy Sixth Squad, Orc Empire Fourth Squad, Elven Forest Fifth Squad..."
In one go, he named fifteen squads.
Each squad comprised roughly five hundred members.
All were elite personnel of at least Level 80!
Notably, squads from the Free Federation, Korea, and Fusang Nation were excluded.
"Damn it!"
"That damned non-specialist is so f***ing infuriating!"
"He's keeping us from earning any merit!"
As expected.
Members from these three nations' squads looked sullen, grumbling to themselves.
Relations between these three nations and the Dragon Kingdom were strained.
Their relationship with Ling Zhan was worse.
During the Global Beast War Tournament, Korea's contestants were practically invisible.
The rogue profession, whether in solo or team matches, was simply trash.
As a result, most Korean contestants favoring rogue roles were eliminated in the first round.
They were barely noticeable during the tournament.
They were insignificant.
As for the Free Federation and Fusang Nation, while they had some presence, they ended up being mere stepping stones for Ling Zhan, which was utterly humiliating.
Now...
On the battlefield, they were again under Ling Zhan's thumb, excluded and frustrated.
Indeed...
To them, this non-specialist was deliberately targeting them, denying them opportunities for merit.
In reality...
If Ling Zhan knew their thoughts, he'd swear to the heavens that there was no deliberate targeting.
Moreover...
Truthfully, the past conflicts during the Global Beast War Tournament no longer mattered to him. Defeated opponents did not warrant his attention.
A true strongman only sets their sights on rivals stronger than themselves.
Not those they've already crushed underfoot.
His decision to exclude these three nations' squads was purely because they were subpar.
Over time, Ling Zhan had observed numerous team drills of the various reserve squads.
He'd witnessed plenty of combat training.
Ultimately, he concluded:
Members of the Free Federation were overly steeped in individual heroism. Always aiming to act like lone heroes, they sought to stand out but lacked the strength. They had big egos and held grudges when criticized. Such individuals had no place in his assault team.
Members of Fusang Nation appeared polite and respectful on the surface but harbored deep-seated malice within. A country fixated on petty decorum yet lacking greater virtue—he dared not rely on them.
Korea...
Well, their squad was simply useless—a band of rogues. What could they contribute?
Based on these considerations, Ling Zhan excluded these three nations' squads, favoring more competent and cohesive teams as his allies.
As for allegations of targeting or exclusion...
There was no such thing.
Of course...
Objectively, this was the case.
Privately, Ling Zhan wasn't fond of these three nations either.
At present.
The selected reserve squads wore expressions of excitement.
Led by Ling God!
This was bound to yield great merits!
The Dragon Kingdom Ninth Squad, thanks to Ling Zhan's leadership, now boasted members with respectable rankings on the merit leaderboard's ground tier.
This counterattack mission would surely bring more rewards!
"Depart!"
At Ling Zhan's command.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The chosen reserve squad members, activating the stealth mode of their combat suits, soared into the skies!
The high-tech combat suits, equipped with cloaking and flight capabilities, enabled their wearers to execute high-altitude deployment missions up to ten thousand meters.
For an airborne raid on Drak City, they were perfect.
Watching the silhouettes of these elite warriors disappear into the distance.
General Li smirked faintly before glancing at the Amethyst Empire's General Lost.
This Level 135 general nodded slightly before vanishing into the void.
...
...
Eastern War Zone.
Frost City.
Once a snow-covered, frigid land.
Now, devoid of snow, its ice melted, revealing cracked, barren earth.
From afar, Frost City had transformed into a city of flesh and blood.
Its walls, structures, and buildings...
Were all pulsating, fleshy walls. Horrifying ghost eyes grew upon them, scanning the surroundings ceaselessly.
Within this grotesque city of flesh and blood.
In the once-grand city lord's hall.
Corpses hung upside down, sharp hooks piercing their jaws like macabre fishing trophies, swaying from the rafters like slabs of dried meat.
In the central open space.
Several sinister figures sat.
At the head of the table sat a terrifying ghost general towering three meters tall.
Its entire body radiated a crimson hue, crowned with two sharp upward-curving horns. Eight blood-red eyes adorned its face, and its mouth revealed layers of interlocking teeth like a fiend from the abyss, exuding unparalleled terror.
The aura it emanated was daunting.
Were General Li here, he would immediately recognize this as the enemy's commander for this campaign: Slaughtering God.
Slaughtering God was clad in a purple-gold armor oozing ghostly energy. Beside it, three figures stood.
The Multi-Mouthed Woman.
The Jade Bottle Man.
The Bloodthirsty Child.