#563 - Chapter 563: Hotter than ever
Elbaf, the homeland of the giants, was now engulfed in the flames of war.
The sky was dyed a fiery red by the explosions of artillery fire, and the air was filled with the sound of gunpowder smoke and clashing steel.
Yet, the entire battlefield seemed remarkably orderly.
The giant warriors of Elbaf, seemingly born for war, dismantled every enemy attack with calm and precise movements.
Their massive figures stood on the battlefield like immovable barriers.
“Boom!!!”
A giant warrior swung his giant axe, leaping down from a hillside, his figure like a falling star crashing heavily into the enemy formation.
Amidst a deafening roar, the surrounding enemy ships were instantly overturned, their hulls twisted and broken, escape pods spewing out like scattered pieces of wood.
The giant warrior stood up, his eyes like torches, scanning the surroundings, roaring:
“Elbaf shall not be violated! Return to your scrap heaps!”
The enemy attempted to suppress the giants with firepower, but this proved meaningless in the giants' home territory.
Elbaf's rugged terrain and towering rock walls provided natural cover for the giant warriors.
They moved nimbly through these terrains, using the geographical advantage to divide the enemy fleet into isolated battlefields.
In the distance, the New Navy's fleet was also operating intensely.
Although not as large as the World Government's, their assistance was perfectly timed.
The various weapons carried by the warships spewed forth, accurately striking the enemy's key points, creating a great deal of combat space for the giants.
“The left-wing enemy ship has been destroyed!”
A New Navy commander stood in the command cabin, his eyes quickly scanning the entire battlefield, “Concentrate fire to suppress the right wing! The giant warriors are advancing!”
“Understood!”
A unified response came from the communication channel.
On the ground, at another defense line in Elbaf, a giant elder was calmly watching the battle.
His silver hair fluttered in the wind, and in his hand, he held an ancient war hammer, with ancient runes engraved on its surface, faintly shimmering.
Despite the raging war, his expression remained calm, his tone carrying a steady strength:
“Maintain formation, don't let them break through this valley! Their fleet is just here to die.”
The young giant warriors beside him nodded vigorously, quickly throwing themselves into battle.
They used rocks, giant trees, and pure strength to drive the enemy ships into desperation.
An enemy ship commander was trying to organize a counterattack when he was suddenly enveloped by a huge shadow.
“What's going on......”
The moment he looked up, he only saw a huge rock smashing down on him.
“Rumble!!!”
Along with a deafening explosion, the entire ship was smashed into the valley, turning into a pile of scrap metal.
Elbaf's momentum was unshakable, but even so, the warriors' expressions still revealed a hint of worry.
“How dare the enemy risk so much to attack here?”
A young giant warrior panted heavily, swinging his giant hammer to repel the enemy in front of him, then quickly retreated back to cover.
A trace of unease flashed in his eyes,
“They can't have sent just this many people.”
“They are testing us.”
The elder's voice was still calm, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's,
“This is a diversionary tactic.
They know we are strong, but they also know that we will not easily mobilize our main force.”
“So, are other places in danger?”
The young giant gripped the handle of his hammer tightly, his eyes cast into the distance.
The elder did not answer, but silently glanced at the depths of the battlefield.
Although the enemy's offensive was strong, it seemed feeble in the face of Elbaf's powerful defense.
However, his intuition told him that this was far from over.
“Hold the line.”
The elder spoke slowly, his voice particularly clear amidst the flames of war,
“Victory belongs to Elbaf, but we cannot slacken. Be ready to meet the next wave of attack at any time.”
In the distance, above the valley, the giant warriors' flag was still fluttering in the wind, the symbol of unyielding strength proclaiming the determination of this land: Elbaf shall not be violated.
The first wave of battle gradually subsided, the smoke had not yet cleared, and the air was still filled with the smell of burning metal and scorched earth.
On the battlefield of Elbaf, the surviving World Government warships were scattered and broken under the giants' offensive, like prey struggling in the claws of a beast.
But careful observation would reveal that this World Government army was completely different from the past.
In the past, the government fleet, once personally led by the former Five Elders, was known for its strict discipline and fierce offensive, and every attack made the enemy feel as if they were facing a great enemy.
But this time, this force seemed disorganized.
The soldiers' formations were messy, they scrambled to retreat, and even showed obvious timidity in battle.
Standing on a high ground, a giant warrior gripped his giant axe, coldly watching the enemy's embarrassment.
The warriors behind him also looked puzzled, and some whispered:
“Is this the main force of the World Government? It's outrageous, no different from those driven bandits.”
Another warrior frowned, and retorted in a low voice:
“They look like the main force, but these soldiers' movements and reactions are nothing like true elites. Haven't you noticed? They are not even familiar with each other's cooperation.”
“Yes,”
The giant warrior on the high ground spoke slowly, his tone with a hint of coldness,
“These people are not the elite soldiers we faced in the past. These... are just cannon fodder.”
“Cannon fodder?”
The surrounding warriors looked surprised.
“That's right.”
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the other end of the battlefield, to those soldiers who were struggling for their lives.
Their armor did not have any high-level World Government markings, and although their weapons and equipment were uniform, they were obviously not as sophisticated as before.
He sneered,
“These people are clearly a motley crew pieced together from the World Government's member states. Their mission is not to conquer, but to probe our strength.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone's faces became serious.
“Probe our strength...”
An elderly giant warrior said slowly, his voice as deep as thunder,
“That is to say, this is just an appetizer. The real offensive is yet to come.”
A look of unease appeared on the faces of the young warriors.
They were not afraid of battle, but they understood that the enemies they would face next would be a completely different threat.
Compared to these hastily assembled soldiers, the World Government's true elites were the opponents to worry about.
“This group of new Five Elders is really cunning.”
A warrior said angrily, slamming the war hammer in his hand heavily on the ground, making a muffled sound,
“They sent these rabble to sacrifice, just to see through our Elbaf's trump cards!”
“The enemy will not give us too much time to breathe.”
The warrior on the high ground had a gaze as steady as a rock, carrying his giant axe, and said in a low voice,
“We must be prepared. This war has just begun.”
On the other side, the elder stood on a natural stone platform, quietly overlooking the battlefield.
His eyes were like a hawk's, keenly capturing every detail.
He did not feel relaxed about the defeat of these rabble, but instead frowned slightly, muttering to himself:
“These new Five Elders... what a good plan.
They sent the soldiers of the member states to test our strength, forcing us to expose the focus of our defense.”
The young warrior beside him couldn't help but ask when he heard this:
“Elder, then how should we respond? Should we continue to defend the valley and wait for them to send more people?”
The elder's eyes were like torches, and he said in a deep voice:
“The next wave of attack will never be as simple as this time. They may mobilize more resources, or even the real main fleet. And our task is to firmly defend Elbaf, no matter who they send.”
He raised his hand and pointed to the center of the battlefield, where the shattered fragments of the destroyed enemy ships were gradually sinking into the sea.
Although his voice was low, it revealed an unquestionable majesty:
“Elbaf has never been a chessboard for others to probe. Let them come, next time, we will let them truly understand what is called an unshakable force.”
The wind howled through the valley, stirring up the dust on the ground.
The giants' eyes were cast into the distance, where a greater storm might be brewing, but their fighting spirit was more fervent than ever.
