novelraw Chapter 328 Evenly matched
Chapter 328 Evenly matched
Chapter 328 Evenly matched
Having fought Ling Chengen before, Chang Tianchen dared not underestimate his opponent. Even though he temporarily changed his weapon, he still chose to fight cautiously.
Ling Chengen is very skilled and possesses the most obvious characteristics of felines: excellent dynamic vision, quick reflexes, and striking power that is no less than that of any large male warrior.
Her racial traits as a giant tiger endowed her with great endurance, coupled with her unpredictable mental attacks.
Warriors who have never fought her often have their arrogance shattered by her at the very first encounter.
It had been more than a year since the two last fought, and Chang Tianchen was unsure of her current strength, so he abandoned his most proficient attack style from the beginning.
The soldiers in the camp were all familiar with his fighting style: a standard, wide-open attack.
However, the warriors watching the battle for a while looked puzzled and asked Lin Quan in confusion, "Why did the clan leader abandon his best fighting style? He's mostly on the defensive. Is he letting the young city lord win?"
Lin Quan smiled, his tone subtle, and said, "Let? You're really overthinking it."
"The clan leader has been very cautious from the beginning. There are very few people who can make him be on high alert right away."
Lin Jing crossed her arms and said with a grin, "You still don't understand our young city lord. In our Northern Wilderness, where the strong are respected, to be able to sit firmly in the position of young city lord as a young female, and even mobilize so many warriors with considerable combat power, you should know that she is not a simple person."
"This kind of thing can't be achieved by simply playing the emotional card."
After all, the Beast Plains are never short of young and beautiful females.
In the past year or so, Ling Chengen has rarely led the team in battle directly, nor has she sparred with the soldiers around her. As a result, the soldiers who have been recruited into the team in the last six months are not very clear about what kind of person she is.
"Just keep reading, after all, battles between the strong are often decided in the blink of an eye."
……
After testing each other for a while, Ling Chengen and Chang Tianchen couldn't help but say in surprise, "It's rare to see such composure in you."
Chang Tianchen charged forward with his straight blade, then swept it horizontally with his backhand before smiling and saying, "You can't be too hasty when fighting you. If you're too impatient, you'll suffer a great loss."
Although his ability level is higher than Ling Chengen's, Ling Chengen's ability is invisible and intangible, and can even directly attack the opponent's brain. In ordinary sparring, she would not use this attack method, but she would use her ability to interfere with his judgment, and sometimes even affect his reaction speed.
However, in terms of physical skills, Ling Chengen is superior in combat.
Chang Tianchen's advantage lies in his thick skin and tough flesh. His physical defense is extremely high, so he often doesn't deliberately avoid attacks that are impossible to break through his defenses.
After suffering several losses, Ling Chengen realized that he was still a tough nut to crack.
Only after figuring out each other's habits, routines, and speed and reaction time did the two begin to truly attack each other's vital points.
On the vast training field, there were only two figures, yet their presence was dazzling.
The soldiers around them were increasingly astonished, and some even hesitated to blink.
Because in the blink of an eye, the positions of the two people can change, and one side can seize the opportunity to immediately reverse the situation.
However, any friendly sparring should be limited to a point.
In the later stages, Ling Chengen's physical strength was greatly depleted, and he gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
After the sparring session, Ling Chengen was covered in sweat. He sat on a bench by the training field, feeling an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.
She wiped her sweat with a towel, looked at the soldiers who had resumed training and were now back in order, and said to Chang Tianchen sitting next to her, "How long will it take for this batch of soldiers to be trained?"
"For ordinary combat, three to four months is enough, but if we need to train coordinated combat capabilities and take into account the combination of superpowers and races in team formation, then it will take longer, at least half a year."
Chang Tianchen rested his arms on the back of the chair behind him. To make training easier, his hair was tied in a high ponytail. At this moment, only a few strands of sweaty hair clung to his cheeks and the back of his neck. He looked lazy and casual, with a relaxed and happy expression in his eyes and a touch of youthful spirit about him.
Ling Chengen leaned back in his chair, gazing at the sun in the sky, slightly lost in thought.
After finishing the water in his cup, Chang Tianchen stood up and said, "I'll go get some more water. Where's your cup?"
Ling Chengen handed him the empty cup that was next to him, looking lazy and unwilling to move.
Having spent a lot of time in the military camp during this period, Ling Chengen became quite familiar with Chang Tianchen, and the distance between them was no longer as deep as before. Ling Chengen was also more casual and at ease when facing him.
"Warm water, not too hot."
Chang Tianchen, holding the cup, said speechlessly, "You have quite a lot of demands."
"Wasn't that just something you did casually?"
Chang Tianchen shook his head helplessly, went to fetch water, and after returning, asked, "Do you want to start a war?"
“It’s not about wanting.” Ling Chengen looked up at his chin, then shifted her gaze from his face to a spot just above his shoulder, where light shone down to her feet, seemingly carrying a strange power. “It’s a plan.”
Chang Tianchen stood with one hand on his hip, his eyes lowered in thought: "Which side do you want to move?"
Ling Chengen tilted his head and said, "Is there even a need to think about this?"
"South, Ujah?" Chang Tianchen raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I think we should move on to the east first."
"Let them keep jumping around for a while longer."
Chang Tianchen calmly analyzed with her: "The eastern part of the Northern Wilderness is rich in resources and has a relatively warm climate. The southeast is mountainous, so we can put that aside for now. But we can consider taking over the land that faces the Mulan Plain across the Yehelan River first."
"After all, the more abundant the natural resources, the more confident we are when a war breaks out."
"If we start a war with Uga first, Daxing, who has long coveted the City of Ten Thousand Beasts, and Cruma, whose intentions are still unclear, will either join forces with us or provide support to Uga, and we will be dragged into a protracted war."
"A protracted war is a war of attrition."
"It will consume a large amount of manpower, financial resources, and material resources..."
"Moreover, we are located to their north. If we encounter a large tide of inferior beasts, we will be caught in a predicament of being attacked from both sides. If the enemy seizes the opportunity to counterattack, there might really be big trouble."
Ling Chengen nodded and said, "Go on."
She was indeed annoyed by Uja, mainly because they had a previous feud. After fighting with Futong at Zhaoshi Mountain, she was ambushed by Uja warriors during her retreat, so she wanted to deal with them. Otherwise, they would definitely continue to cause trouble for her in other places.
Seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Chang Tianchen shared his own thoughts with her.
Although they had been dealing with other tribes in the central region recently, there weren't many opportunities for actual combat. Most of the battles were probing attacks, and after engaging in combat, they found that the difference in strength was too great, so the other side quickly chose to surrender or abandon their territory and leave.
Most of the time they were on standby, so when he had nothing to do, he would think about where the army might be transferred next.
He also had a map, which he had copied from Ling Chengen. Because he was initially interested in maps that recorded the topography of the Northern Wilderness, he spent most of his spare time studying the map. Combined with some information he had, he analyzed the map and found many different things.
Rather than attacking Ujah, conquering the vast lands in the east would be the better option for them.
In the central part of the Xuemu River region, the Wujia tribe dared not easily cross the border.
But downstream, that's another story.
They'll inevitably clash with Uga sooner or later. Rather than pitting the battlefield against their own doorstep, it's better to set it up further away, so as not to affect the farmland on the Mulan Plain. After all, the war in the Beast World brings more than just bloodshed and sacrifice; it also alters the surrounding landscape, because the number of superhuman warriors is indeed quite large.
The farmland was created by the beastmen with a lot of time and effort. In order to ensure the food supply during the cold season, even the elderly and children in the beast city would often go to the fields to weed and drive away insects, and try to compost to ensure the fertility of the land.
If the battlefield were on their own doorstep, all the hard work they had put in throughout the year would vanish in an instant.
Ling Chengen listened carefully to his analysis and suggestions, and realized that he had indeed considered everything comprehensively.
Although the battlefield is too far away and it is inconvenient to command, as long as there is a smart commander at the front, the problem can be solved.
Setting up the battlefield on your doorstep is definitely more harmful than beneficial.
Moreover, the Great Khanate, the Cruma, and other larger tribes are no pushovers.
We must be wary of the possibility that when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman will benefit.
I will give your suggestion a good consideration.
Ling Chengen picked up his cup, got up, and left without drinking any water.
Chang Tianchen held the cup, watching her hurried departure, shook his head helplessly, and then tilted his head back to gulp down another mouthful of water.
It has to be said that he hadn't had such a satisfying battle in a long time.
On the battlefield, efficiency is key to defeating the enemy. There's no intention to prolong the engagement, nor is there time to ponder one's shortcomings in combat.
It is also difficult to encounter an equally matched opponent.
Therefore, such exhilarating battles are extremely rare.
After finishing the water in his cup, Chang Tianchen turned around and went to the military's public bathroom to shower. Then he changed into more formal clothes and began to call a meeting with his subordinates.
Ling Chengen has already expressed her intentions, which means... the time when she decides to take action is not far off.
Most of the soldiers trained in the past two years have been assigned to the garrisons in the four subordinate urban areas.
These newly recruited soldiers are not yet qualified, so the military needs to train them as quickly as possible.
……
After the meeting, high-ranking military officers left the conference room one after another. Chang Tianchen also got up and stretched his shoulders and neck, casually closed the documents on the table, and tossed them to Lin Quan, who was standing next to him.
Lin Quan, standing beside him, noticed the rare look of pleasure on his face and asked, "Is the clan leader in a good mood?"
"You're only just realizing it?"
Chang Tianchen stood in the corridor, feeling the heat of the setting sun. He didn't even glance at Lin Quan, but simply pulled on his tie with one hand, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into his pocket.
The standardization of the Beast City army was only a year ago.
Ling Chengen proposed a uniform system, with the army receiving uniforms quarterly and also establishing military ranks.
It's the dry season now, and the soldiers have been issued four sets of clothes this season: two sets of summer formal uniforms and two sets of combat training uniforms.
The armor worn in battle is made from the hides of giant snakes and lizards in the Misty Swamp. After three months of enlistment, a set will be issued according to each person's size.
The outer armor will not be replaced unless it is damaged.
Even if a replacement is issued, the old leather armor must be returned before a new one will be issued.
Because the giant beasts in the Misty Swamp are extremely difficult to hunt, the number of these highly defensive armors is limited and they will not be distributed easily.
After the soldiers were issued uniforms, dress requirements for different occasions were subsequently introduced.
Among them, the requirement to wear formal attire on formal occasions is placed first.
In addition, clothing must be worn in areas other than training areas and public bathrooms outside of dormitories.
Yes.
This was added by Ling Chengen just last month.
When she entered the military camp at the end of last month, she saw several soldiers who had taken off their clothes because they were afraid of the heat.
The key point is that underwear is not yet widespread in the Beast City, and the military training grounds are mainly places for training humanoid combat capabilities, so most male orcs are still in a state of being untrained.
The scene was quite dramatic, as was her expression.
Although the customs of the Beast World are open, and many beastmen often expose their bodies when switching between human and beast forms, it is not a big deal. But seeing so many people walking their genitals together, she still felt like she was going to get a sty.
That's why this rule was made.
At the same time, the feasibility of popularizing the skill of clothing transformation is also being considered.
Because she had also gone through this rather awkward phase.
Long ago, she began to wonder if she could change her clothes as well when switching between human and beast forms.
She had only ever seen this ability in Yuheng.
Yuheng possessed a relatively complete lineage, and the Fuqing clan itself was a very ancient race, so Yuheng truly answered her questions.
During the Age of the Beast Gods, a thousand years ago, orcs could actually transform their fur into clothing.
However, this ability requires learning.
With the end of the Beast God era and the separation of the Southern Plains and the Northern Wilderness, many ancient abilities and traditions were lost. Later generations of beastmen could only rely on bloodline atavism to trigger fragments of memories about their ancestors and learn some ancient abilities and skills from those fragmented memories.
The ability to transform fur is a relatively complex acquired skill.
This skill has nothing to do with superpowers; it is only related to self-control.
By sensing changes in the body, the consciousness must precisely control the changes in every part of the body at the moment of switching between beast form and human form.
Ling Chengen was initially confused, but he later pondered it privately for a long time and tried it many times.
She succeeded by chance.
It was because of this success that she realized... controlling the transformation of fur might be closely related to mental power.
She even had a very bold guess.
On this land, the era of the Beast God, which countless orcs yearned for and worshipped, likely saw each orc possess remarkable spiritual power.