Thank you all for your recent votes, we will not be closed this weekend! Added 2 more chapters!
This can barely be considered an explosion (ﾉ__)ﾉ
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While the leaf-cutter ant army and the Angel King army were filling the road separately, the artillery unit behind them finally arrived.
The protagonist asked them to unload these mung bean cannons and millet cannons carried by medium-sized beetles into the middle and arrange an artillery position.
The artillery position was much further forward than usual. Although the temporary swamp in spring blocked our army's way north, it also prevented the enemy from approaching and attacking the artillery position. This was a pros and cons.
When the leaf-cutter ant army took the lead in filling in the road through the swamp, their troops began to advance along the road and began to fight for the beach.
The right army of the red fire ant army also came forward and fought with the leaf-cutting ant army at the bridgehead beside the swamp.
Because of the narrow road, the leafcutter ant warriors had no time to form a formation after passing through the road, so they had to fight with the red fire ant army that was waiting for them. The troops behind them were unable to provide support, and they were at a disadvantage during the battle, making it difficult to open a gap.
If the front cannot break through, it will be even more difficult for the troops behind to enter the battle through the narrow road, and they will all be huddled together.
The leafcutter ant army commander also noticed this and kept driving the soldiers forward, even crawling on other ants.
At the end of the road, many leaf-cutting ant warriors jumped directly into the muddy water and trudged through the mud to attack north. Most of the swamps near the shore are relatively shallow, and the ants can barely pass through. But some leaf-cutter ants soon became trapped in the muddy water that submerged their stomata and died.
Just when the leaf-cutter ant army's offensive was stalled, the protagonist ordered the artillery unit to provide support, and 16 artillery pieces immediately started firing. The first salvo immediately set off a bloody mist in the dense formation of red fire ants.
The artillery of the Angel King's legion did not use the iron bullets they carried. The ammunition they carried with the army was not much, so they had to use it sparingly. It happened that the enemy was just across the swamp not far away, and there was a lot of gravel at the foot of the artillery position. The soldiers used a large amount of gravel as cannonballs and stuffed it into the muzzle of the cannon.
When the dense gravel shot was fired, it was like a black cloud whizzing away towards the enemy formation, and the harsh sound of breaking through the air was like countless migratory locusts passing by. In an instant, the enemy troops were dead, and even a few of the leaf-cutter ant warriors who were close were covered by shells that could not distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, causing some accidental injuries.
The three-digit casualties in an instant shook the formation of the fire ant army, especially the usually timid Japanese black and brown ant warriors, many of whom tried to flee. The red fire ant warriors who supervised the battle killed some deserters before stabilizing the formation.
At this time, the leaf-cutting ant army seized the opportunity and swarmed forward, finally occupying a small bridgehead. A steady stream of troops drove down the temporary road and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
The artillery fire began to extend far away, focusing on the middle and rear of the enemy's troops to avoid accidentally injuring friendly troops fighting in the front.
At this time, the road for the God's Envoy Army was also opened. The elite God's Envoy soldiers crossed the swamp with murderous intent and fought with the left army of the Chinese army on the front line of the Red Fire Ant Army.
Although there was artillery support, in order to facilitate the long-distance march, the Divine Envoy Army only carried 6 mung bean cannons and 6 millet cannons. The firepower density was not enough to destroy the enemy's fighting spirit.
The red fire ant army is indeed tenacious. They braved artillery fire and blocked several bridges, determined not to retreat. Their commanders also realized that once they retreated and lost their geographical advantage, it would no longer be possible to stop the enemy's advance.
On the leaf-cutting ant army's side, the beachhead that was finally obtained was pushed back bit by bit by the counterattacks of the fire ant army. The fire ant soldiers personally formed an elite commando team and went into the counterattack.
On the side of the Divine Envoy King's Army, the results were much better, but they were dragged to the beach by the enemy regardless of casualties. The corpses were piled up in a thick layer, but it was difficult to move forward.
The protagonist decided to throw in tanks to break the deadlock. The stag beetle commando team and the beetle fire support team stepped into the swamp and advanced towards the other side in the mud.
The deepest part of this mire can kill ants, but it cannot trap huge beetles.
These beetles were slowly but surely advancing in the swamp. The fire support team composed of the two-pronged rhinoceros beetles was behind them, firing artillery support as they advanced. The stag beetle commando team was in front, and Tu Hu joined the battle afterward.
The participation of the tank troops in the battle doubled the pressure on the fire ant army, and they were almost defeated by a wave of stag beetle assaults.
However, under the tenacious counterattack of the Red Fire Ant warriors regardless of casualties, and after deploying the reserve team, the battle line was finally stabilized. The tank troops of the God's Envoy Army also suffered casualties.
These red fire ants are fighting for the restoration of the country, and their fighting spirit is extremely tenacious. They even once killed all the accompanying infantry of a tank unit, rushed onto the back of a stag beetle, and killed the beast master and male ant commander on it.
When the fire ant army was put into reserve, the tank offensive was completely disrupted by the enemy's thick formation. In order to avoid unnecessary casualties, the protagonist had no choice but to withdraw his troops.
The tank troops all returned without success, and the ordinary troops of the Leaf Cutter Ant Army and the Divine Envoy King Army were unable to achieve a decisive breakthrough.
The terrain of this swamp is too easy to defend and difficult to attack. When the fire ant army refuses to retreat, even brave and skilled warriors like the God Envoy King can only fall into a stalemate and consume, with no sign of victory in a short time.
The commander of the leaf-cutter ant army sent a messenger to discuss countermeasures with the protagonist. The other party also saw clearly that if this line of defense cannot be broken through as soon as possible, [North Pine City] may not be able to last two days.
Since the day before yesterday, there has been no messenger from [Beisong City] to deliver news, indicating that it has been completely surrounded and is in danger.
If the siege of [Beisong City] cannot be solved, the rapid advance of the leaf-cutting ant army and the Divine Envoy King's army will have no meaning. Once [Beisong City] is lost, the two armies will no longer have a suitable base to rely on in the north, and they will have to retreat all the way, at least to the central area, so that they can have suitable nests as defensive support.
Although the protagonist had previously suggested that the leafcutter ant nation abandon its northern border and set up defenses in the rear, the frontline supplies of the leafcutter ant army are now hoarded in [North Pine City], and the central region is not ready for war at all, so they hastily implemented the protagonist's original plan. It will only lead to death.
So now, the leaf-cutting ant army and the God Envoy King army can only bite the bullet and continue to attack, hoping to break this line of defense as soon as possible.
The protagonist took measures. The tank troops had just withdrawn and were sent to the south without resting for a while. At the same time, there was also a legion of infantry passing through.
The protagonist ordered them to find another suitable location, where the tank troops would help the infantry cross the swamp, and then they would all circle back to the enemy's rear to launch an attack.
However, such a sneak attack is not easy. In addition to the swamp, the red fire ant army is also preparing for attacks from other directions. There are a small number of scouts patrolling the other side of the swamp.
