Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 200 The Advance of the White Shot Cavalry

Then, intelligence personnel provided detailed military intelligence: along the line from Turkmen City to Hongguopo, a force that closely resembled the White Scatter Cavalry was sighted.

Daphne rubbed her temples. She was exhausted after five days of traveling, and she wasn't good at military matters.

To be honest, she didn't concern herself much with political affairs. Daphne was a great scholar, in charge of the kingdom's mining. In recent years, she had been mainly busy with the Green Bridge Hanging River project and had no time for anything else. It was only because the governor of Bubing Province made his routine trip to the capital of the Cold Mountain Kingdom at the end of the year that he temporarily appointed her to take over.

After all, she is a member of the royal family, and her status allows her to maintain control in all aspects. It's just unexpected that winter, which should be a quiet time, would turn into such a turbulent season.

"Tell us your opinions," Daphne said to the group.

This time, neither Price nor Emilio spoke immediately, but instead exchanged glances. Seeing this, the White Scatterback cavalry's intelligence officer, after consulting with his superiors, spoke first.

"A reconnaissance team has already gone to Hongguopo to investigate, and we will have the latest news back tomorrow morning," he reported.

“We’re about a day’s journey from Red Fruit Slope, and another day’s journey back to Bubing City,” Price explained the current situation. “We’re in a position where we can advance or retreat as needed. I plan to make preparations tomorrow morning, wait for the reconnaissance results, and then make a decision!”

This is why Price chose to position his troops there. It allows for timely intervention and evacuation should any situation arise.

Daphne pondered for a moment, then nodded, acknowledging the plan. Emilio didn't say much either; from a tactical perspective, the arrangement was perfectly acceptable.

Soldiers should be used boldly, but not indiscriminately.

Everyone was exhausted, and Daphne adjourned the meeting for a break. Suddenly, Emilio's adjutant rushed in. He held a piece of paper and looked at Emilio with a questioning gaze. The latter waved his hand, indicating that he should report directly.

"There is reliable information that a scholar named Chestnut Owl was discovered in Peacock Valley, arriving in a huge train of white bones."

The group of people were immediately shocked.

"Why is the Chestnut Owl scholar back?!" Daflin's headache worsened. "And is her involvement with Catherine's matter?"

According to recent news, the scholar Chestnut Owl and the traitorous saintess Elisa from the Temple of Light are actually the same person, suggesting that Chestnut Owl used some kind of special shapeshifting technique.

Considering the long-standing grudge between Chestnut Owl and Catherine, especially the fact that Catherine nearly blew Chestnut Owl to pieces at sea, it's highly possible that, given Chestnut Owl's vengeful nature, it would have chased her ashore specifically to pick a fight with Catherine.

Everyone agreed with this hypothesis.

Price began to examine the map; he had personally overseen the pursuit of the Chestnut Owl a year earlier.

“Perhaps she’s looking for something,” Price deduced. “After our battle with them in Hard Rock Canyon, Galio hastily left with Bone Fortress, so he should have left behind quite a few things.”

Afterwards, not only them, but also many adventurers searched diligently, but all to no avail. A nearby remote village saw a surge in visitors and prospered for a short time as a result.

Back then, the Bone Dragon Chestnut Owl fled in a sorry state. But now that she has returned, no one is foolish enough to believe that she can still be controlled in the same way. Especially since her appearance inevitably means that the new ruler, the mysterious Ainz Ooal Gown, is also present.

The fate of the multinational naval forces was still fresh in everyone's mind, and no one present dared to underestimate them.

“Then the chestnut owl is probably here to confront someone, and also to look for something,” Emilio said. He then asked his adjutant, “You said the information is reliable, but what is the source?”

"It was provided by our informant within the Lords' Alliance army," the adjutant replied. "Dimit began emergency mobilization the day before yesterday, heading here."

“What are they doing here?” Emilio frowned. “We’re the ones who’re worried about Catherine’s disappearance. The Chestnut Owls are attacking, and after they take out Catherine, Price will be next.”

Price glared at him. But it had to be said, given the Chestnut Owl's personality, that was indeed possible.

After discussion, the final decision was to immediately send an elite team to Peacock Valley for investigation, while the rest of the team took the time to rest.

After the meeting ended and everyone dispersed, Daphne was finally able to sleep in her bed after several days.

****
At 4:30 a.m., Su Ming was woken up by his alarm clock. He got up and went to the motorcycle cab, calculating his current position based on gyroscope data and the surrounding terrain.

Hanster also got up from the recliner. "Mr. Su, everything went smoothly this morning. We're almost at the predicted location."

With the Youth Civilization Ship having already routed the third echelon of the noble army, there was no point in the second echelon continuing its march towards Gui Niao Bay. However, Su Ming could not accurately deduce Dimitri's specific arrangements, and the enemy's current possible location range was quite large.

Half an hour later, the Youth Civilization Team passed the critical point. This was the furthest distance the second echelon could reach in the simulation. Su Ming dispatched a drone to scout ahead.

The second echelon carried limited combat supplies, making it impossible for them to conduct large-scale concealment like the third echelon's supply and artillery units. Small-scale concealment was possible, but Dimitri lacked artillery and weaponry, limiting their threat if they launched an ambush.

The first drone failed to locate the target. After Su Ming retrieved it, he dispatched two more drones, one to the left and one to the right, to conduct reconnaissance.

At six o'clock in the morning, Su Ming finally discovered the tracks in the snow. The marching tracks abruptly turned ninety degrees here, leaving the flat road and heading towards the undulating terrain on the side.

Su Ming deduced that Dimitri had led the second echelon to this point and received news of the third echelon's defeat. He then led his troops away from the main road to avoid a possible attack by the Youth Civilization.

Su Ming ordered the Youth Civilization train to slow down and dispatched drones to pursue from the side. Along the way, traces of a large number of people marching in disarray could be seen, with much of their load being constantly abandoned.

Half an hour later, as dawn broke, the drone finally located the enemy. The second echelon reached a point 15 kilometers to the left of the Youth Civilization train's axis of movement and set up camp. These tents were scattered throughout a large forest, haphazardly arranged and completely disorganized, showing no signs of proper combat readiness.

After the drone conducted a SAR scan, it returned with the data. The results, analyzed by the terminal, confirmed that it was indeed an enemy campsite, and the penetration data indicated that there were a large number of people inside the tents, proving it was not a decoy.

With the enemy's movements discovered, Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

Violet woke up and appeared in the locomotive's cab. A new drone had returned to the scene, sending back live footage.

"Is Dimitri going to run away?" Violet asked.

“It should be,” Su Ming replied. “The tents are full of real people; I counted, and there are about two thousand people.”

"Can it be attacked?" Violet asked. "I really want to have a good talk with Dimitri about Master Newman."

Su Ming shook his head. "The terrain they chose is not good, and it's not suitable for the train to get close. The rocket artillery range is sufficient, but the enemy camps are too scattered, so the attack won't be very effective."

Dimitri was clearly aware of what had happened at Bird Bay. The camps were scattered horribly and relied on various obstacles, making it difficult to bomb one area at a time.

Food and other supplies were scattered here and there, in a fragmented manner.

Su Ming calculated that a long-range strike of 15 kilometers would mean that most of the rocket's propellant would be consumed. This would mean that upon impact, the explosion would rely primarily on the warhead's explosive charge, significantly reducing its lethality.

A warning flare suddenly rose, and the enemy sentries spotted the Youth Civilization. Through frequent contact over the past two days, the enemy had also figured out some of their patterns and characteristics, enabling them to conduct reconnaissance and early warning.

"What an annoying opponent," Violet complained.

In the drone's view, the second echelon's camp began an emergency assembly. Everyone was awakened by whistles, the camp's lights were turned on, and officers pulled the soldiers out of the camp, urging them to dress and line up.

Considering that the opposing side had a considerable number of mages, Su Ming chose to withdraw the drone.

The structural components of the drones were replaced with skeletons, and the proportion of materials was small; the loss of ordinary drones wouldn't matter much. But the drones being sent out now were reconnaissance models equipped with advanced chips, and Su Ming couldn't bear to waste them.

Due to the scarcity of rare metals, Su Ming prioritizes using chips manufactured with mature processes when it comes to electronic products. However, some applications require higher-performance chips, especially power components for communication modules and radar, where their use is unavoidable.

****
"Leave quickly," Su Ming ordered.

Since the decision was made not to fire, the Youth Civilization Train should proceed. The train quickly started moving, and Fuyin continuously increased the valve pressure and adjusted the cylinder's working stroke and frequency.

We are currently going downhill at 30 per thousand, and the Youth Civilization Train, with full speed ahead, will soon reach a speed of nearly 30 kilometers per hour.

The gospel even started singing happily, "Beautiful mountains, beautiful waters, beautiful place~, every road is wide and spacious~." Its voice was so loud that it even traveled from the second locomotive to the front, overpowering the roar of the steam engine.

"He is indeed a promising talent who can complement sound-based spells," Su Ming said.

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” Hanster agreed.

In just half an hour, the Youth Civilization Team had covered more than ten kilometers. Ahead, the road began to narrow gradually due to the terrain.

"Slow down, watch out for landmines," Su Ming commanded.

The train is currently on a path that is several kilometers wide enough for trains to pass, and there are multiple routes to choose from. The second echelon did not carry specialized mines and could not effectively block such a wide road. Su Ming also deliberately ensured that Fuyin did not follow the tracks left by the previous trains.

But once the road narrows, it will be necessary to send out skeleton soldiers to scout ahead.

Fuyin obeyed the command to reduce speed. There was a raised snowdrift on the left in front of the radar. Fuyin veered slightly to the right and chose the optimized curved route.

The next moment, a flash of light appeared, followed by a deafening explosion, and orange-red flames instantly engulfed the leading No. 2 steam locomotive.

The entire locomotive was struck as if by a giant hammer, its wheels shattering into countless twisted metal fragments and bone debris. Within the expanding fireball, a massive shockwave lifted the nearly 100-ton locomotive, emitting a teeth-grinding cracking sound.

The train's own Netherworld Shield was activated, blocking most of the impact. Violet also unleashed her full power, using the shockwave to protect Su Ming and Hanster beside her. Then, she picked them up, one in each hand, and flew them out of the driver's cab.

The front of the car slammed heavily back into the ground, its metal frame embedded deep in the soil, leaving large black marks on the ground, and it leaned to one side.

****
The superhuman reaction speed of the Gospel saved everything. The moment the explosion and flames appeared, it disconnected from the lead locomotive and pulled all the brakes. When the lead locomotive was blown away, it even maneuvered the following parts of the Youth Civilization train to make an evasive maneuver, watching the lead locomotive roll on the ground and veer to the left.

The rolling locomotive hadn't even stopped when another loud bang was heard. The boiler cracked open, and a large plume of white steam suddenly spread across the snowfield, creating a huge white mushroom cloud. After cooling, it slowly settled and crystallized.

Violet, carrying the two, landed amidst falling ice crystals in front of the destroyed motorcycle. Beside her, the remaining parts of the Youth Civilization, under the control of Evangelism, kicked up two rows of snowflakes and came to an abrupt stop. Su Ming coughed a few times before looking at the destroyed lead motorcycle. Although protected by shields, the main structure still suffered extensive twisting and cracks, with residual steam gushing out with a shrill sound.

"It can't be fixed in a short time," Su Ming quickly concluded.

Next came the analysis of the battlefield situation. The main force of the second echelon was at the encampment, so only small groups of enemies could ambush them. Su Ming immediately drew his thorny whip and, together with Zi Jin, floated into the air to search for the enemy.

"Hansit, get back on the train and try to restore mobility!"

"Okay!" The old man coughed a few times before agreeing. He wasn't injured; he had only been wearing a thin layer of clothing when he suddenly entered a minus thirty-degree environment and was exposed to the cold wind.

"Yunier, are you online?" Su Ming asked.

A quick reply came through the earpiece, "Yes."

The massive explosion woke Yuni, who was sleeping. She was carrying her baby and had already rushed from the living area to the motorcycles.

"Check the equipment and make sure the power generation system is working properly!" Su Ming said.

"Ok!"

The fact that the power generation system is functioning normally means that the weapons of the Youth Civilization Team can also be used normally, so there is nothing to fear in the current situation.

Violet carefully searched the surroundings, but found no enemies within the search area.

"They didn't even attack after we were hit. Is Dimitri just venting his anger?" she wondered, utterly perplexed. If a group of spellcasters suddenly appeared and attacked, it would be very troublesome. Violet would probably have to use her full power in her Elisa form.

Su Ming adjusted the drone's trajectory and continued to probe outwards. Skeleton warriors were dispatched from the containment vehicle to clear minefields in the surrounding area, but found nothing further.

Dimitri only planted this one mine, and judging from the situation, he used all the explosives he had at his disposal.

"Why were we hit so accurately by the bomb?" Zijin asked.

The road here is two kilometers wide, and the width of the Youth Civilization Team is 2.4 meters. The accuracy of the enemy's ambush was simply too high.

In the faint morning light, Su Ming looked back at the two tire tracks of the Youth Civilization Team that stretched from afar to this point, and a sudden realization flashed through his mind.

“It was my oversight,” he said. “The driving habits of the Gospel have been analyzed by the enemy.”

This wouldn't normally happen, but since it's artificial intelligence, it selects the best path and optimizes the driving route based on fixed weights. In certain terrains, it's easier for it to make fixed choices. Dimitri utilized this to precisely detonate landmines over wide areas.

It must be said that the commander of the noble army was indeed quite capable. Dimitri must have been carefully observing the wheel tracks along the way.

Su Ming also began to dislike this opponent, raising his vigilance to the highest level.

When facing such an enemy, a temporary victory does not mean that we can be careless!

****
Hanster and Gospel completed the test. With only one steam locomotive left, the young civilization was still able to move downhill, albeit at a significantly reduced speed.

Yunier reported that the power generation system was functioning normally and could be increased at any time to power the weapon systems.

With a weight lifted from his heart, Su Ming raised his hand and dismantled the skeletal parts of the motorcycle on the ground, causing the metal parts to clatter and scatter on the spot.

"Disassemble them and load them into an empty truck," he instructed Hansster.

The skeleton minions and zombies got to work and quickly finished moving the items.

The skeleton soldiers had already explored a large area of ​​safe routes. Su Ming discussed it with Zi Jin and decided to let the Youth Civilization ship leave. Just as he was about to give the order, he saw a pure white snow eagle fly over.

The snow eagle was engraved with magic. As it approached, its eyes gleamed, and a human voice came from its beak, "Bone King, Chestnut Owl, how have you been!"

[Dimitri's voice.] Violet transmitted.

"Who is it? Please state your name." Su Ming said calmly.

“I won’t mention the name,” Dimit said. “I lost this battle fair and square. It’s a pity that the credit can only go to the White Scattering Cavalry of the Cold Mountain Kingdom.”

But Su Ming deliberately ignored him and didn't respond.

"How far can this spell travel?" he asked Zijin.

[Normally, it's within a few kilometers.]

Su Ming took out his tablet, activated the drone's SAR pod, and began scanning the surrounding area.

Su Ming lowered the scanning accuracy of the SAR drone, allowing the data to be sent back to the control console on the train in real time for processing.

Su Ming's disregard embarrassed Dimitri, so he continued, "I'll take one last look at you before I leave. When the White Scattered Cavalry arrives, they won't be as easy to deal with as our noble army."

The surveillance drone suddenly issued a warning message, and Su Ming quickly checked and found movement on the right.

Violet used her binoculars with Eagle Eye technology and flew higher to observe. "There are many people, they are cavalry, and they are more than ten kilometers away!"

From Snow Eagle's direction came Dimit's loud laughter, "The White Scatter Riders have arrived, you'd better prepare to die!"

****
Four hours ago, at 3 a.m.

Price was suddenly awakened by the guards and learned that the team sent to Peacock Valley for reconnaissance had been ambushed halfway! Except for the captain, who managed to break through the encirclement and escape, all twenty others were killed!

Price was struck dumb upon hearing the news; these were his most elite young men, and his heart was bleeding!

He rushed to the camp, where the scout captain, who had escaped, had fainted again. However, he had already left a message about the enemy: a squad of mages had surrounded them!

Emilio arrived shortly after.

"Damn it! All twenty of my men are gone!" Price roared.

"Calm down, let's analyze the situation first." The military situation was strange, and Emilio didn't argue with Price. "Her Highness is too tired. Let's discuss this quickly and then wake her up."

Price did not object. Although the incident was caused by Emilio's intelligence, being outmaneuvered by the enemy was not a reason to fight with one's own people.

The staff officer standing nearby had already analyzed the information described by the captain using the map. "It's a trap!" he reported.

Price's squad was elite, and they were advancing covertly at night. The fact that they were surrounded so precisely can only mean it was a planned, targeted ambush!
"Who did it?" Price asked.

The staff officer said with a wry smile, "There are too few clues."

“One possibility is that I have a problem with my informant within the Northern Noble Army, and this is a scheme by the Lords' Alliance,” Emilio said frankly. “The second possibility is that Owl and Bone King did it—they really are in Peacock Valley!”

Price remained silent for a moment. The White Scatterers had suffered heavy losses on both sides in their last encounter with the Chestnut Owl. Given the Owl's personality, seeking revenge wouldn't be surprising.

“It’s unlikely that Dimitri did it,” Princess Daphne said as she entered. “We’re far from being at the point where we need to fight, and it’s not in anyone’s interest to go to war!”

The Kingdom of Cold Mountain has been relatively peaceful in recent years. The disputes between the lords of the North and the royal family of Cold Mountain mainly focus on the fulfillment of lords' obligations and the implementation of autonomous regulations; there has been no serious conflict between the two sides.

"your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

The people in the military tent all bowed to Princess Daphne.

Emilio agreed with Daphne's conclusion, "It would be unwise for the Lords' Alliance to start a war against us so easily. Besides, killing only twenty people is inexplicable."

Price was extremely distressed by the small squad of soldiers involved in the power struggle, but it did not affect the overall situation.

“There is also a third possibility,” the staff officer analyzed. “Some other force or organization is doing something in Peacock Valley that they don’t want us to go there.”

Price roared, "I suggest we mobilize the entire army and see what they're made of!"

Fighting spirit is the foundation of an elite force. Even if they suffer losses for no reason, the pride of the White Shot Cavalry will not be compromised!
Emilio did not object to Price's proposal. The situation was not clear, but their own army was well-organized, with eight hundred White Scattered Cavalry and six hundred City Guard Cavalry, the strongest fighting force on the ice plains.

Don't be too timid!
However, tactical precautions could not be overlooked. The people in the military tent discussed the details, arranged the march plan and reconnaissance strategy, and quickly put them into action.

The quiet camp was activated, and the soldiers rose and began organized preparations. Half an hour later, the unit set off into the darkness towards Peacock Valley, searching for the unknown enemy.

****
Su Ming then sent another drone to fly to the right from a high altitude. Soon, the drone showed a snow beast cavalry force of about 800 men scattered across the snowfield, galloping straight toward them.

"This formation is definitely White Scatter Cavalry!" Violet exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the familiar sight. "Weren't they at Red Fruit Slope? How could they have crossed the mountains and caught up with us so quickly!"

"Your intelligence is outdated. The unit at Red Fruit Slope is the newly formed Second White Shot Cavalry Regiment. The one in front of you is the main force First Regiment from Bubing City," Dimit laughed wildly. "This is the strongest elite force in the entire Ice Plains, with 15% of them being mid-level combatants! Hahaha, good luck to you, wear them down!"

(End of this chapter)