Chapter 226: Chapter 220: If Ranged Attacks Fail, Strike at the Heart
Once the gears of war begin to turn, they are not easily stopped.
Two years ago, Allen had established two outposts at strategic choke points in his territory.
To the west, he used the terrain to establish the Black Stone Sentry Post, specifically to monitor the thick-hided Rock Armor Earth Dragons of the Black Stone Gobi.
To the north, a steel fortress rose from the ground. Named the "Spiderweb Sentry Post," it was used to monitor the activities of the Dream-Weaving Demon Spiders.
Over time, driven by Allen’s near-obsessive "firepower deficiency phobia," these two once-simple outposts were expanded into a pair of military bases armed to the teeth.
Today, they serve as the respective garrisons for the Third and Second Golem Legions.
In the early morning, dark red sunlight spilled across the metal walls of the Spiderweb Sentry Post, reflecting a chilling glint of light.
"Commander, the Second Golem Legion has finished assembling."
Jarvis’s voice sounded, calm and steady.
Allen stood on the bridge of the Odyssey, gazing down at the battlefield below through a viewport.
Before his eyes was a wonder covering roughly three thousand square kilometers—the Crystalized Forest.
In this barren, desolate plane, where plants were scarcer than Gold, such a vast forest should have been a hymn to life.
And yet, there wasn’t a single trace of green.
Every tree, every blade of grass, had been utterly crystalized over countless years by some unknown force. They retained the postures they held in life, yet had become hard, cold, and translucent objects—lifeless and inert.
"What a colossal waste."
Allen couldn’t help but remark as he watched the forest glitter with an eerie light, "If these plants were alive, they’d be the most sought-after commodity on the entire plane."
This "shining forest" was not to be trifled with.
According to long-term observation, this dead forest was home to only three or four species, and at the top of the food chain stood Allen’s opponent for the day: the Dream-Weaving Demon Spider.
"Begin," Allen commanded.
As the command was transmitted, the gates of the Spiderweb Sentry Post thundered open.
One hundred "Spider Slayer II" units unfolded their menacing, articulated legs and surged forth, forming a black torrent of steel.
Behind them, twenty "Inferno" missile launch platforms continuously adjusted their firing angles.
In the sky, twelve "Storm Falcon" combat Golems streaked past at low altitude in a standard triangular formation, their wings slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.
Higher up and farther away, three enormous mechs, far larger than the Storm Falcons, hovered silently.
Those were the Freedom Gundams, the most elite single-unit combatants under Allen’s command.
Allen watched the real-time feed transmitted back from Demon Eye 8.
On the immense tactical map, the blue arrows representing the Second Golem Legion had now reached the edge of the Crystalized Forest.
"Commander, all units have reached their designated attack positions," Jarvis’s voice announced.
Allen’s gaze fell upon the magnificent yet deathly silent forest.
Giant trees, seventy to eighty meters tall, were crystalline from top to bottom, as if carved from the purest crystal.
Sunlight filtered through the overlapping crystalline branches, refracting into a myriad of colorful rays and casting a mesmerizing play of light and shadow throughout the woods. Grayish-white spiderwebs hung from the boughs like sheer veils, swaying gently in the wind.
Beautiful, yet it concealed a deadly threat.
Even the eighteen-meter-tall Freedom Gundam seemed somewhat small before this forest.
As for the Spider Slayers, which were only half a meter tall, they looked like a swarm of insignificant fleas before the enormous crystal trees.
’This terrain...’ Allen’s brow furrowed. ’It’s highly unfavorable for us.’
But he had no intention of sending his troops plunging into the forest from the start.
"Since this is a war, we’ll start with a proper greeting," Allen said, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. "Jarvis, let’s make some noise."
"Understood. The Inferno Magic Missile platforms are in position. The Storm Falcon formations are on their attack runs."
The edge of the Crystalized Forest immediately erupted with the roar of cannon fire.
Twelve Storm Falcons circled in the sky, Magic Power beams and bombs raining down to detonate in blinding flashes of light amidst the translucent trees.
On the ground, twenty Inferno Magic Missile platforms were arranged in neat rows. Their Rune Circuits flickered as missile after alchemical missile shrieked into the depths of the forest.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions blended into a continuous roar. Shockwaves sent clouds of crystal shards into the air. The giant, seventy-to-eighty-meter-tall crystalized trees were riddled with cracks from the bombardment. Branches snapped and fell, but the main trunks remained standing.
Just then, a piercing shriek suddenly echoed from deep within the forest.
The sound cut through the roar of the explosions, carrying a distinct note of fury.
Immediately after, dozens of translucent figures leaped from the canopy, racing toward the forest’s edge.
These Demon Spiders had been calling the shots in this forest for years. The idea that someone would dare to lob explosives at them at the crack of dawn was simply intolerable.
The moment the Demon Spiders emerged from the forest, they charged directly for the Golem Legion’s position.
’So they’re angry? I was waiting for this.’ A slight smile touched the corners of Allen’s lips.
The moment those Demon Spiders rushed out from the forest and left the cover of the canopy, they were immediately engulfed by a dense barrage of fire.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Over a dozen Demon Spiders were blown to smithereens by the Inferno missiles before they could even react.
Seeing things were not in their favor, the remaining Demon Spiders immediately turned tail and fled, their speed astonishingly fast.
"Hm?" Allen’s eyes narrowed. ’Are they really such cowards?’
"Let’s try another round of bombardment."
But having suffered a major loss, the Demon Spiders immediately hunkered down and refused to emerge, not even showing themselves when Allen’s bombardment shook the very earth.
Only a few translucent figures could be seen flashing occasionally in the forest depths. They were the Dream-Weaving Demon Spider scouts, weaving nimbly between tree trunks, sometimes shooting out strands of silk to set traps, other times vanishing abruptly into the shadows of the canopy.
But their main force never reappeared.
"Twenty minutes of fighting, four hundred and eighty Magic Missiles spent, and a total kill count of... just thirty-two," Allen mused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "We got most of them during that one time they charged out on their own."
"Report, Commander. Remote strike efficiency is below expectations. Kill count is insufficient," Jarvis announced.
"The density of the crystalized trees is too high, limiting the missiles’ blast radius. The Dream-Weaving Demon Spiders are highly dispersed and remain within the forest interior, refusing to engage."
"They’re smart," Allen muttered to himself.
’This is an organized, disciplined defense strategy.’
The explosions in the forest continued, but Allen had already identified the problem: these spiders had no intention of coming out for a head-on fight.
"Cease the attack," Allen ordered.
The sound of cannon fire ceased abruptly.
The forest fell silent once more.
Allen stared at the red dots on the display screen rapidly retreating into the forest’s depths, his expression turning thoughtful.
’A probing attack, an immediate retreat at the first sign of trouble, and they even know to disperse and evade...’
He turned to look at the map projected by Jarvis.
"This Spider Queen," he said, "is a bit more difficult to deal with than I imagined."
"Based on behavioral analysis, the Dream-Weaving Demon Spiders are now aware of the threat from our long-range firepower. It is highly unlikely they will voluntarily leave the forest again."
"If we keep this up, we’ll run out of ammunition before we kill a meaningful number of spiders," Allen analyzed calmly.
The forest was too large, an area of eight thousand square kilometers. The crystalized trees, towering seventy to eighty meters high, acted as natural cover, dividing the region into countless complex battlegrounds. In such terrain, the efficiency of long-range fire was indeed pitifully low.
Allen looked through the viewport at the Second Golem Legion waiting on standby below.
One hundred Spider Slayer II units stood silently, their long metal legs glinting coldly in the sun. Five PX-1 Peacemaker units were poised for action.
There were also three Freedom Gundams, their Dragon Cavalry Floating Cannons hovering in mid-air, ready to join the fray at a moment’s notice.
"Looks like we have to change tactics," he mused. He had hoped to lure the Demon Spiders out for a decisive battle, but they hadn’t taken the bait.
’Then we’ll just have to go into the forest and start clearing them out. Unit losses will be unavoidable.’
Allen called up a topographical map of the Crystalized Forest and traced an attack route on the light screen with his finger.
"Jarvis, formulate a new battle plan."
"Objective: Abandon remote-luring tactics. Switch to close-quarters assault."
"Have the Storm Falcons and the Inferno platforms remain on standby outside the forest. Also, transfer five more PX-1A units to the engagement."
"The Spider Slayers will take the vanguard. The Freedom Gundams will coordinate with the PX-1s for the central push. The Demon Eye II aerial fortresses will follow behind to provide fire support."
"We will gradually compress the Dream-Weaving Demon Spiders’ operational space, force them into the core of the forest, and then..."
Allen’s eyes turned to ice.
"...annihilate them all in one fell swoop."
"Commands confirmed. Formulating detailed operational plan..."
On the light screen, the map of the Crystalized Forest was now overlaid with several arrows, indicating the new attack routes and pre-planned engagement zones.
"Begin the advance once the units are assembled. Let’s end this quickly," Allen said softly.
