allonlinenovel Chapter 327 Opening the Gate
Chapter 327 Opening the Gate
The rain soaked everything in the Midland camp. The muddy ground and the low wooden house swayed slightly in the storm. The fire inside the house flickered with a weak light, reflecting the tense faces. John, Earl Hawes and other Midland generals sat in the middle of the wooden house. Thick smoke filled the air, and the air exuded the smell of dampness and wood.
The storm outside seemed to be setting the backdrop for the plan they were about to execute. The sound of fierce rain and roaring thunder intertwined, as if responding to their discussion.
John looked solemn as he pointed to a map and elaborated on the plan in detail: "The dam is the key to our attack on Logronia. Once the gates are opened, the flood will instantly sweep in and enter the city through the drainage outlet of Logronia, turning the entire city into a water city."
Earl Hawes listened carefully and after a moment's silence, he nodded in agreement:
"Once successful, the enemy will devote all their energy to flooding, and they will also lose a lot of food and gunpowder due to the damp warehouses."
"I think that's a good idea. We should try to attack the city directly after the flood recedes."
"It just so happened that they didn't have the energy to fight at that time."
Other generals expressed their opinions one after another, emotions gradually became more heated, and the rain howled outside the house, as if adding a sense of urgency to the atmosphere of this exciting discussion.
Finally, all the generals agreed to carry out this risky plan, taking advantage of the flood to destroy the defense line of Logronia.
"Since everyone agrees, let's proceed without further delay. Let's take advantage of the rain and capture the dam directly to trap the entire Rogronia garrison in the flood. Earl Hoss, in order to prevent the troops in the camp from being affected by the flood, I need you to lead the remaining troops back north."
……
In the city of Logronia, Schneider looked at the heavy rain outside the window and felt uneasy.
Just as he was lost in thought, there was a sudden knock on the door. Schneider's heart skipped a beat, realizing that there might be important information. After some hesitation, he slowly said, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and a wet Rana officer hurried in. His clothes were soaked by the rain, his hair stuck to his forehead, but his expression was still firm. He saluted respectfully, and water drops slid down his cheeks and fell on the floor, which was particularly clear in the quiet room.
"General, the Midland army is marching westward!" The officer's voice sounded particularly urgent against the background of the rain, with a sense of urgency that could not be ignored. He continued eagerly:
"Our reconnaissance troops discovered that they were marching westward in the rain. It looked like they were planning to take some action."
When General Schneider heard the word "westward", his heart suddenly shook, as if he had been electrocuted, and he realized some key information. His mind instantly became clear, as if a flash of lightning had passed through his mind. He realized that the movement of the Midland army was not accidental, but had a far-reaching strategic intention.
He then walked towards his desk and pulled out a spread-out map. The map detailed the buildings, resources, and terrain of various places in the Lana Kingdom. He quickly scanned the map, secretly calculating various possibilities in his mind.
Schneider's finger traced the moat in front of Logronia on the map, and as his gaze moved westward, villages and towns were dotted on both sides of the river like stars.
Suddenly, a black dot caught his attention - it was a sign in the middle of the river, and next to it was a steep canyon, like a knife blade piercing the sky.
"Sure enough, their target is the dam!" Schneider thought to himself, his expression becoming more serious. If the Midlanders took control of the dam, once the sluice gates were opened, the river water that originally nourished both banks would turn into a torrential flood under the help of heavy rain, and then flow into the city along the moat, and the entire Rogronia would be engulfed by the flood.
"About how many of them are there?"
General Schneider then asked:
"It was raining so hard that I couldn't see clearly, but the line wasn't very long. There should be about a thousand people."
"Call the officers of the standing army immediately! Mobilize the whole army and march towards the dam!" Schneider's voice was firm and powerful. Time passed like a rainstorm, and if he didn't act now, he would never be able to stop the Midlanders from advancing towards Leon.
……
Under the cover of the storm, John personally commanded his soldiers to advance slowly towards the dam. The rain and mud provided them with a natural barrier, which lowered the enemy's vigilance and gave John's army an excellent opportunity.
It was not until they were less than fifty meters away from the dam that the defenders discovered that the area below the dam was already filled with soldiers, and the flags fluttering in the heavy rain proved to them that these were not the army of the Rana Kingdom.
"Enemy attack, come out quickly, there are only Midlanders outside!"
Hearing the shouts from above, John knew that there was no time to lose, so he immediately ordered:
"Crossbowmen, prepare to shoot!"
Dozens of crossbowmen were scattered in the rain, holding their weapons tightly and adjusting their aim.
"emission!"
With an order, arrows shot out like raindrops, flying towards the Lana defenders on the dam. Several defenders were hit by the fierce crossbow arrows, and several screams were heard amid the heavy rain.
"Now, onto the dam!"
John shouted the order, his voice was particularly loud in the wind and rain. The soldiers rushed forward like a tide, with firm steps, and attacked the dam. Although the heavy rain made the ground slippery, they did not retreat and quickly ran towards the stairs of the dam.
The dam was not a military stronghold, so it lacked defensive facilities like city walls, leaving only a few crude fences. The heavily armored soldiers raised their weapons and climbed up the stairs without hesitation. In an instant, the Rana army and John's soldiers engaged in close combat on the dam, and the sound of blades clashing became clearer in the heavy rain.
With the protection of heavy armor, John's army appeared extremely powerful in the rain and melee, and quickly suppressed the enemy. The soldiers in the front holding two-handed swords continued to reap the lives of Lana soldiers, while the soldiers in the back held spears and stabbed at the Lana people who were parrying the soldiers in the front.
Although the Lana army tried their best to resist, their formation was completely disrupted. John's soldiers relied on decisive attacks and a stable formation to gradually force the enemy into a desperate situation. Soon, blood flowed down from the dam and fell into the river below.
With the last Rana soldier who tried to escape being killed, control of the dam finally fell into John's hands.
"Sir, this is where the sluice gates are opened."
When the noise and fighting at the dam had just subsided, a sergeant hurried over to John and said:
"General, that's where the sluice gates are!"
He pointed to a device wrapped with chains in the middle of the dam. It seemed that the dam used chains to drive the gates up, allowing water to be discharged from under the gates.
"Leave a team to open the sluice gates! Everyone else, follow me and retreat north immediately!"
The sergeants who received the order acted quickly. Two of them led their sergeants to run towards the sluice gate. At the same time, John led the remaining soldiers and quickly retreated to the north.
At this time, General Schneider arrived late with his troops, covered in rain and mud. He stared at the blood-stained dam in front of him, and it was obvious that the dam had been occupied by the Midlanders.
"Soldiers, take back the dam!"
He was about to order his soldiers to retake the dam with all their might, but he saw the gate in the center of the dam slowly opening.
As the gate slowly opened, a rumbling sound of water suddenly rang out, and the flood rushed out like a beast, instantly sweeping around the entire dam.
Schneider's heart instantly alerted, his pupils dilated, and he was shocked by the water flow and the surging momentum in front of him.
"Retreat!" he yelled, his face full of panic. But the surrounding defenders were already in chaos, and faced with the sudden flood, they had no time to react.
The flood surged out like a roaring beast, quickly hitting the Rana soldiers in front of the dam. Suddenly, the soldiers were swept away by the rushing water and fled in panic. Broken equipment and helpless shouts floated on the water, and a tragic scene was instantly staged.
General Schneider stood on a high place, watching the water approaching. At this time, a guard hurriedly pulled him back: "General! The water is too strong, we must retreat!"
Schneider turned his head and looked at the panic on the face of his personal guard, and his heart was shocked. He knew that this was not a simple defeat, but a matter of life and death. The water was approaching like a flash flood, swallowing up hope and living space every second.
Schneider's face gradually became solemn. He took a deep breath, and various thoughts were mixed in his mind. Although he was unwilling to admit it, the current situation was irreversible. He took a last look at the soldiers struggling desperately in the water, and his heart was filled with resentment, but he was powerless to change the situation.
"Okay, retreat!" He hardened his heart, his voice revealing helpless determination.
"Abandon Logronia and retreat south!"
Then, Schneider raised his saber and shouted to the soldiers around him: "Assemble! Retreat! Keep formation and retreat south!"
Following his orders, the Lana soldiers began to retreat southward.
The flood was still roaring and advancing, as if mocking Schneider's decision. Looking at the flood flowing eastward, Schneider was filled with grief and anxiety. He knew that the last fortress guarding Leon was about to fall into the hands of the enemy.