Chapter 372: Chapter 271: Even 50 People Won’t Work!
Ailin kept spinning in mid-air, her mind racing with potential strategies. More than once, she had wanted to look to Long Yi for guidance or even just some encouragement. But in the end, Ailin resisted.
I need to be a support for Brother Long, not a burden! I can’t always rely on Brother Long! Ailin made up her mind with such determination.
Long Yi had once taught Ailin: in a battle, how can one win?
The answer seemed simple: first, accurately judge the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Then, constantly exploit your strengths to attack the enemy’s weaknesses. In this way, victory will naturally belong to you.
However, it’s easier said than done. You can identify the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, your opponent can surely do the same. They will surely hide their weaknesses and try to attack our weaknesses with their strengths.
At this point, it’s all about execution. Whoever can consistently carry out this strategy in battle will win. Once someone makes a mistake and gives the opponent an opportunity, they’re done for.
Ailin glided in the sky, looking at each person before her, and took a deep breath.
Calm down, Ailin; don’t be anxious. You have plenty of time to make the right judgment.
What are my strengths?
Speed! Lethality! Small target!
What are their strengths?
Number! Sophisticated cooperation! The massive body of the Dragon Clan provides their defense!
What are my weaknesses?
Low defense! Rapid physical exhaustion! No one to cooperate with!
What are their weaknesses?
The giant dragons aren’t agile in the air! Varying abilities among them, some are weak! Dragon Knights that can be instantly killed!
Although the enemy has a large number of people, not every Dragon Knight possesses the same strength. Furthermore, not everyone can achieve perfect cooperation.
Clearly, the enemy understands this too. Thus, some of their weaker Dragon Knights are either hidden or located furthest from Ailin.
Yet, even so, the Dragon Knights confronting Ailin head-on aren’t invincible!
Must use speed to seize opportunities!
The runes on Ailin’s wings were flashing, and she started to fly at high speed in the air.
Just as Ailin expected, those Dragon Knights found it difficult to keep up with her speed. Every Dragon Knight targeted by Ailin, the Dragon Knight killer, felt uneasy in their heart.
This unease provided Ailin with opportunities!
Long Yi didn’t doubt the fact that Ailin is a genius. Even though there are fifty of them, she was still able to determine instantly who her primary target was. Of course, it wasn’t as precise as Wesley’s Observation Technique, but it was enough for Ailin to gain the upper hand on the battlefield.
Now! It’s you!
With a sharp yell, Ailin suddenly changed direction midway and rushed towards another Dragon Knight on a different diagonal!
"Damn it!"
There was a loud bang, and a Dragon Knight was blown off his dragon. Vincent’s Mount Dragon dashed forward to catch him.
"Finally, I’ve caught you!"
Ailin looked excitedly at her fist, scanning everyone in the sky!
Accelerate! Accelerate more! Use speed to find the most suitable position!
It’s your turn!
Boom!
In a split second, another Dragon Knight was hit.
The ones Ailin chose were not the weakest among them, but those with the poorest protection.
That’s right, in a traditional team, a powerful Dragon Knight will surely protect a weaker one. However, this is only a limited perception of strength and weakness. The real strength and weakness have to be considered in the context of the overall situation!
"We’ve won," said Long Yi.
He knew Ailin had correctly assessed the situation. They’d won this round.
In fact, it’s easier said than done to identify an opportunity and seize it. Those are two different concepts. If it were Wesley, he could analyze a dozen different ways to fight. But if you make him fight directly, he’d probably be beaten down right away.
Before long, the fight ended.
Ailin slowly descended from the sky, worn out. She didn’t say anything; just gave Long Yi a smile. The two now understood each other so well that they did not need many words to express their intents.
The fifty Dragon Knights each hung their heads in defeat. They had never imagined that they wouldn’t be able to defeat even one of their opponents!
Yes, although we could say this wasn’t a real battlefield, and no one had employed their most lethal maneuvers. Yet, Miss Ailin didn’t use her most lethal spells either! What is she? She’s a Fairy Dragon! If a Fairy Dragon truly goes all out, even their Mount Dragons might not be able to effectively resist!
Captain Sweel laughed. He slowly walked forward to the group of Dragon Knights, studying each of their faces, and asked, "Brothers, do you accept your defeat?"
The crowd lifted their heads, a few scattered voices saying, "Accepted..."
Apparently, they weren’t accepting it at all.
Captain Sweel nodded, saying, "Actually, I feel like you don’t."
Hearing Captain Sweel say this, almost everyone lifted their heads.
"Do you all want to hear me say that?" Captain Sweel’s smile grew bolder as they all turned to look at him. "No, I will not say that. I just want to say — you asked for it."
Sweel looked at each of their faces, noting the anger seething underneath.
"Look at you, Dragon Knights, heroes of the front line. And I’m just a stationed manager, merely an Earth Dragon Knight. Yet here I am, brazenly mocking you, the Flying Dragon Knights. I bet some of you want to pound me into the dirt for it. But I’m just speaking the truth. Ever since your rotation here, I’ve seen increasingly lax training, drunkards brought in from the city taverns, and fools not paying their courtesans — oh, of course, that idiot’s already been sacked. What I’m saying is, do any of you think that the White Dragon Empire’s victory over the Black Dragon Empire was your achievement? Just take a look at our hero, Long Yi, who’s still a student at the Dragon Knight Academy. Even though it’s summer break, he’s here persistently training during his official holiday. But what about you? You participated in a handful of support operations during the war, yet now you’ve already turned slack."
"So, beyond ’you asked for it,’ what else can I say?"
Sweel’s words were harsh, and those Dragon Knights who had initially clenched their jaws now lowered their heads in shame. They had hung their heads before out of regret for their defeat, but now, they were thoroughly ashamed.
Indeed, since stationing here, almost everyone, due to the victory in the war, relaxed and there were many behaviors that did not comply with the Dragon Knight’s code. What Captain Sweel said was just the tip of the iceberg; there were even more embarrassing incidents hidden beneath the surface.
The Dragon Knights of the Imperial City used a rotation system, and being stationed here doesn’t mean they are on holiday. They are still on combat duty. According to the rules, even if some Dragon Knights have houses in the Imperial City, they must stay in the barracks. However, hardly anyone abides by this rule.
Lack of ability, that could be excused. But if the attitude isn’t there, that’s a problem.
So Captain Sweel wanted to take the opportunity to teach these Dragon Knights a lesson. Their contributions to the victory in the war were insignificant at best.
Just then, another team of black-pressing Dragon Knights flew in from the sky.
These were Dragon Knights who went out on patrol early in the morning.
Neatly, also fifty people.
The first thing the fifty saw when they returned was a group of their dejected brothers. Then the honest-looking Long Yi, and last but not least, the most striking, was naturally Ailin, who sat there resting.
"What happened?"
One of them asked. He was the officer of this stationed squad, Fitch.
"Nothing much, they lost. That’s all," Captain Sweel said.
"Who were they defeated by?" Fitch asked.
"Miss Ailin," Sweel replied.
Ailin?
To the Dragon Knights, this name was well-known. Fairy Dragon Ailin, granddaughter of the Iron Blood General, the genius Magic Fighter. Who wouldn’t know about her?
If the Fairy Dragon was Ailin, then that big bulky guy must be Long Yi.
"Fifty of them, all lost?" Fitch still found it hard to believe. He knew the Fairy Dragon was strong, but it couldn’t be so strong that she could take down fifty people by herself, could it?
"Yes, one versus fifty," Sweel answered.
Fitch involuntarily drew a breath. Wasn’t this a bit too formidable? Ailin sat there with a tired, yet satisfied look. Considering the amount of people present, Captain Sweel couldn’t possibly be lying. So, if they lost, they lost.
But why do these warriors look so dejected and ashamed? It’s not as if they hadn’t lost before?
"Newcomer?" Long Yi came over.
"Yes, come, Long Yi, let me introduce you. This is Fitch, the sergeant of these Dragon Knights. Fitch, this is Long Yi. I don’t think I need to introduce him much, do I?"
"Hello, Sergeant Fitch!" Long Yi extended his hand.
"Long Yi! A true Hero! Your name precedes you!" Fitch also grasped Long Yi’s hand.
The two shook hands, then quickly let go, both with smiles on their faces. However, Fitch’s hand was slightly red.
This brute is incredibly strong!
In the various tales about Long Yi, his strength is a constant. Everyone knows that Long Yi is very strong, with extraordinary brute strength. Of course, some people doubt it. Fitch was one of them. He had always placed great importance on strength training and considered himself unmatched in the army. In fact, this was true. In the entire team, no one had a stronger grip than him.
So, he instinctively wanted to test Long Yi and see how accurate the legends were, how much strength this renowned Long Yi truly had.
Then, reality proved that Long Yi was even stronger than in the legends. Fitch felt as if he was gripping a block of iron. The minute Long Yi applied a bit of pressure, Fitch immediately felt overwhelmed.
