Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

"AHH!"

A bloodcurdling shriek, as if from the depths of Hell, rang out. Green flames erupted, roaring through the entire tunnel. The soldiers caught in the blast only had time for a single cry before their black iron armor melted into red liquid and their flesh burned to ash.

The green fire surged out of the tunnel like a tidal wave...

Tess, who had been about to enter the tunnel with Count Winter, heard only faint screams and muffled thuds from within. His heart skipped a beat. The next second, his vision was filled with green.

"It’s wildfire!" he said with a grim smile, just managing to cover his body with Combat Qi.

The two thousand soldiers behind him who hadn’t yet entered the tunnel were utterly helpless.

With a deafening BOOM, the entire tunnel was blown open, and a monstrous wave of fire shot into the sky.

The soldiers who had joined the pursuit were like snowballs thrown into a bonfire; not a single one was spared.

To wash away their shame, the two counts leading the chase had brought their elite troops—three thousand men in total. They had planned to storm the city through the tunnel and claim the honor of the conquest, but now, an unknown number of them had been devoured by the wildfire.

Streams of green fire fell from the sky like rain, carrying a scorching heat. The smell of roasting flesh, mingled with heart-wrenching screams, reached everyone’s ears.

For a moment, no one spoke. The only sounds were the CRACKLE of the flames and the agonizing cries, the atmosphere so heavy it felt as if the air itself had frozen.

Levi watched the scene, speechless.

Marquis Cross of Black Stone Castle was truly worthy of his title as a master strategist.

Before, he had completely looked down on this so-called master strategist. The man had done nothing in the face of the Northern Army’s siege, and his defensive arrangements seemed mediocre at best.

But now, the Lord was utterly and completely convinced.

From Kalia Town onward, every single step they took had been anticipated by the enemy. The Northern Army had been like a wild pheasant, pecking at kernels of corn, about to walk right into a trap.

He used the fall of Kalia Town to incite arrogance in the Northern Army. Then, he had Casters perform blessings on the city walls every day to reinforce the impression, all to cover for the fact that other Casters were busy digging the tunnel.

Finally, he used the Casters’ devastating casualties to enrage the Northern Nobles, prompting them to lead their troops into the tunnel in a fury...

This war was like a grand stage, and they were merely actors from the Far East, playing their parts in his production. If there had been even a single misstep along the way, this current disaster would never have come to pass.

Losing two counts and three thousand soldiers in one fell swoop was a devastating blow to the Northern Army, not to mention the heavy losses suffered by the Casting Corps.

This battle would undoubtedly go down in the history books as the enemy’s proudest achievement, while every last one of the Northern Nobles would also be recorded—as the stars of a dark Chapter in their own history.

This, of course, included Levi. He hadn’t even done anything, yet he was now inexplicably saddled with a dark mark on his own glorious story of rising to power. The Lord was so furious his vision went black, and he nearly choked with rage.

"It’s wildfire..."

Monvert’s voice was hoarse. He was so shocked that his throat felt terrifyingly dry, as if the wildfire had scorched it.

"It’s Liquid Flame, created by Alchemists. Once lit, it won’t stop until everything is burned to cinders. Its power can melt pig iron. It was the absolute nightmare of the Hurricane Haenke Pirates."

"But after the pirates were driven back, it was banned for being too cruel and inhumane. I can’t believe it’s shown up here..."

"This Marquis Cross will be sent to a military tribunal."

Then, the Wolf Island Count added quietly.

"Before that, he’ll probably be torn to shreds by the enraged Northern Nobles."

Levi sighed.

’This master strategist, Cross, probably considered the consequences from the very beginning and was prepared to bear them.’

He couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear. If it had been High Cliff Castle that had charged into the tunnel, no one would have survived—except for him.

The Lord, who had once been so proud of High Cliff Castle’s roster of High Level Soldiers, felt not a single shred of arrogance at this moment.

’System-blessed soldiers are certainly powerful,’ he thought. ’Their advantage against ordinary people is absurdly huge.’

’But that doesn’t make them invincible. There are too many things in this world that can destroy them. This wildfire is just one example.’

The southern campaign’s first assault had ended in failure. The Mastiff Men had been fearless, even managing to fight their way onto the walls and establish a foothold. They had done everything they possibly could.

But while their own Casters were grieving, cradling the bodies of their comrades with faces full of sorrow, and while the officers and soldiers were demoralized by the green fire that had shot skyward and incinerated three thousand men...

...the enemy fought with renewed vigor, as if they had taken a stimulant, their own Casters casting spells with all their might. Therefore, no matter how brave the Mastiff Men were as individuals, they could not change the predetermined outcome of defeat.

Leaving behind a field of corpses and wounded men unable to retreat, the decimated front-line soldiers began to withdraw from the battlefield like a receding tide. They were sent off by the jubilant Black Stone Castle Guard Army and the wildfire still burning on the horizon.

...

In terms of pure strength, the Northern Border Corps should have absolutely crushed Black Stone Castle. The enemy was, in effect, defending a single castle against the entire Northern Territory.

Almost everyone had thought the North would win.

But reality proved once again that wars are not won or lost based on on-paper statistics; otherwise, history wouldn’t be filled with so many classic battles where the few defeated the many.

The reality, however, was absurd. The Northern Nobles had never imagined they would become part of such a battle—and unfortunately, they were the "many."

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