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墨書 Inktalez
The flag of the Wolf Army collapsed with a thunderous crash, and the sounds of gunfire ceased. Since this was merely a drill, it was meant to be taken lightly; however, if they encountered such a situation on the battlefield, they could not simply back down. Many officers within the Wolf Army were furious, as they were historically the second strongest team, closely rivaling the Crimson Dragon Legion in terms of strength and strategic deployment.
Now, it seemed that in this exercise, they had suffered a defeat, being the first strong team eliminated. Historically second place, with strength nearly matching that of the top ace unit, the Crimson Dragon Army, it appeared that their long-standing reputation as perennial runners-up was firmly established. This year, for some unknown reason, they could not even maintain their position as second.
At the forefront of the Wolf Brigade stood a General who cracked his knuckles and gestured to a group of junior officers for a lecture. Compared to previous years' customary evaluations, this year's address was particularly intense. The few junior officers standing still dared not utter a word. The elderly General took a deep breath, the flush on his face gradually fading. He then softened his tone and said, "I know you all have worked hard. It seems that next time we must reclaim the glory that belongs to our Wolf Army. And where are those who were supposed to guard our banner? Can anyone tell me who their direct leader is? I remember they were recruited at a high price by the Military Department. How could such a thing happen after they were paid? In the past, things always went smoothly; now that this situation has arisen, it shows we have become too reliant on external forces."
At this point, a young man with a slightly hoarse voice spoke up. "The situation is roughly as you described, General. I am their direct leader, and just now I received their applications for discharge. When I went to find them, there was already no trace of them in the entire camp. This indicates that they have made up their minds to leave; we cannot force them to stay. I am willing to bear the main consequences of this strategic failure."
This white-bearded General was one of five key figures in charge of important deployments and was often compared to General Abel Romeo of the Crimson Dragon Army as an unparalleled duo. Their repeated collaborations had saved Noah's Sanctuary multiple times; wars instigated by the Zerg were prime examples of their combined efforts. As long as General Meliev remained, the soldiers' spirits would be rekindled—a true atmosphere befitting a strong team and what should be expected from its second-in-command!
General Meliev possessed such charisma; he took responsibility upon himself and sighed while shaking his head. "No, you need not take responsibility for this. The primary fault lies with me; I trusted those bastards too much. To think they would abandon us at such a critical moment! Had I known they would do so, I should have warned them about maintaining professionalism. Yet I never imagined that even those in our line of work could act so unprincipled. They are not ordinary people; even governmental restraints cannot hold them back."
"The professionals from Dark Realm act recklessly; as long as they are compensated and given tasks, they will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. For them, failure equates to breaching contracts. Given this situation, it is clear they left because they failed; let them go. It's better this way—Wolf Brigade must regroup and prepare for next year's competition. I am increasingly looking forward to future developments; one major defeat will make our Wolf Army even stronger."
"I hereby order that from now on, whether officers or ordinary soldiers in the Wolf Army will restart their strategic deployments for the new year. Work hard to learn while guarding the borders and protecting Noah's Sanctuary; I want you all to learn diligently and rectify past mistakes in the days ahead. Afterward, I will designate new strategic guidelines—these will remain confidential."
After finishing his instructions, Meliev sighed just as a group of people caught his attention from across the room. Their manner of walking was peculiar, especially that of a young man in the center whose chest, back, shoulders, and face were smeared with blood—he looked almost incapable of walking.
"Stop!"
A junior officer suddenly raised his hand to signal a contingent of troops blocking their path. The young man quickly shot a fierce glare at them.
"What are you doing? Get out of my way! We’ve already lost; do we also have to lose our dignity? Is this how I've taught you? Is our Wolf Brigade so incapable of handling defeat? Losing second place is just losing second place; I don't care about being second! That’s merely an empty title—we aim for first place! Let them pass."
Meliev looked at the few troublesome subordinates beside him and shook his head with a bitter smile.
After finishing, the Young Officer finally allowed the troops to clear a path and saluted Meliev.
Approaching them was Freyr and his group. Seeing this scene, they truly felt how fortunate it was for a legion to have such scale and for an officer to possess such a magnanimous heart. However, despite this, the most pressing matter was still to leave this place. Freyr's injuries were not severe, but walking was still somewhat difficult for him. The thought of enduring another bumpy ride made him feel troubled.
"It’s the Crimson Dragon Army! I knew it! You all are soldiers of the Crimson Dragon Army?" At that moment, as Freyr and his companions were about to walk into the path cleared by the soldiers, Meliev's expression seemed to change, especially when he saw the emblem of the Crimson Dragon Army behind them; a fiery light flashed in his eyes.
Although he had once been old teammates with General Romeo of the Crimson Dragon Army, he had always lost to Abel Romeo, that old guy. From their school days, they had been archrivals. Abel Romeo's performance was consistently stable while Meliev possessed exceptional leadership skills but lacked maturity in his mindset. Sometimes, external factors would disrupt his thoughts, leading to moments of loss of control. This was precisely why he could never truly surpass his old rival; he had been second for ages and remained so even now.
Realizing something was amiss, a contingent of troops began to surround them. In this situation, how could he defy his superior's orders? Meliev was the Commander; he knew what he should do and understood that the circumstances for both sides were different. He truly did not want to confront the Crimson Dragon Army or his old comrade, as he always ended up failing in those situations. That was his downfall. His subordinates had always trusted him, yet he could never break through this barrier with the Crimson Dragon Army. Clearly, his abilities were rated higher than Abel Romeo's; clearly, he should be first, not eternally second.
There wasn't so much clarity in reality; it was cruel like that. When he felt he should be first, he became quite self-satisfied and could not calmly regard those around him. This was evidence of failure as an outstanding individual. Abel Romeo exemplified rising from below; he did not have an overly high evaluation but possessed greater charisma and leadership abilities. In comparison, he was more willing to spend time studying tactics and human psychology, utilizing the environment to create advantages for himself.
The difference between a strategist and a genius lay in their approaches: strategists were willing to delve into military tactics and could easily understand and apply them in warfare, gaining significant advantages as a result. In contrast, geniuses would go against the grain; they would think outside conventional wisdom and exploit everything beneficial for their position—considering psychological factors, environmental aspects, cultural influences, etc.—and could summarize human habits in just a few sheets of paper.
Thus, after years of analysis and catching up, perhaps strategists initially held absolute advantages due to their higher starting point. However, they would often be worn down by their own pride and stubbornness until their lofty self-esteem crushed them beneath its weight.
Freyr paused slightly and asked, "General, what do you mean?"
Hearing this young man's question calmed Meliev's emotions immediately; his expression turned indifferent as he took a deep breath. "Young man, let me ask you one thing: how many years have you served in the military? What is your name? Did you really manage to dismantle my Wolf Army's defenses with just this small group? Is Abel Romeo behind this scheme to humiliate me again?"
Upon hearing this from Meliev, Freyr scratched his head and replied with a smile, "No, General. I just joined the army this year. Moreover, it was I who disregarded my superior's wishes and initiated the ambush myself. I didn't expect it would be on the second Wolf Brigade's Base Camp."
However, he quickly retracted his words, knowing that speaking too much could lead to trouble. As a mere rookie with no standing, he had no right to comment on the conflicts between officers; doing so could jeopardize his future military career. For now, it was already a good thing that he had kept his mouth shut. To dare confront the general directly was reckless, even if General Romeo himself were present—there would be no protection for him from the consequences of his actions.
What else could he say? Nothing much, really. Meliev wanted to know the young man's true feelings but quickly bit back his words, smiling vaguely as he said, "Truly impressive for someone so young. That Old Guy must feel lucky to have nurtured such a talented young man. However, I will not be outdone by him, absolutely not. Next time, I will be the one chasing after him. Before that, I hope he doesn't lose to other teams; otherwise, surpassing him would lose its meaning."
"Mm~" Freyr stared at him in a daze. After a while, he felt that the path ahead seemed much wider. Once the commanding officer's orders were understood by the troops, they naturally allowed Freyr and the others to pass through politely.
Once outside the exit, it wasn't long before he encountered Duan Shuai and the others.
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