A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

“So, Ulrich’s ambitions are quite large. If given more time to cultivate his power, he might very well rise to the center of power in Ursus. Who knows, Ursus might produce another Grand Duke of Military Merit, controlling the legions and the government…” Black Serpent’s eyes began to darken, as if he was thinking about something.

"Forget about it. Since he's blocking my path, he's destined for death. Especially now that he commands this 40,000-strong legion, he's already quite powerful. If we let someone like him escape and allow him to control Ursus and command even more troops, it will only hinder our earth-shattering progress," Wang Chong said bluntly. "Don't forget, what Ursus lacks most is time."

"I understand...it's just a bit of a pity," the black snake said slowly.

“It’s dawn.” Wang Chong watched as a wisp of purple light slowly rose on the horizon. He said slowly, “Let’s go back into the black mist. Now I’m going to launch another preemptive strike.”

……

As dawn broke, the Ursus army, exhausted from a night of toil, was somewhat demoralized. If they were given a long, uninterrupted battle, it wouldn't have been so bad, but this constant interruption of sleep was making them feel even worse. With some time still remaining before the official start of the battle, they planned to make the most of this time to catch up on their sleep.

"boom!!!"

Just as some soldiers were beginning to close their eyes, a huge explosion suddenly rang out, followed by the sounds of spells being cast and crossbow bolts flying everywhere.

In an instant, many Ursus soldiers died in their sleep, while those who had been awakened immediately began to take action in response to the situation.

"The enemy has launched another attack! Quickly! Report this to the main camp! This time they're serious! Those damned demons have already reached the front lines and are fighting our shield guards! The vanguard elites can't withstand the demons' onslaught and urgently need the support of crossbowmen and mages!"

The newly appointed commander, after confirming that the demons were indeed fighting alongside his forces, was certain that they weren't using a ruse to deceive him as before. He immediately reported the news.

"They've attacked again? Is this for real?" Inside the camp, Ulrich, having received the news once more, listened to the soldier's report, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What about Patriot? Has he shown up?"

"I didn't see them. The only ones who came to attack were the Sarkaz mercenaries," the soldier said, shaking his head.

“Since the Patriots aren’t here, let the people on the front lines take care of this Sarkaz mercenary group. Why ask for help for something so trivial…” Oleg, the former commander of the 3rd Division, said with some dissatisfaction. However, before he could finish speaking, Ulrich interrupted him: “Fool, don’t you know how powerful those demons are?”

"Even if Patriots hadn't come, that demon army shouldn't be underestimated. I've seen their battle record; they fought against my Empire's elite vanguard, enduring a full morning of hand-to-hand combat without losing a single man. Ordinary swords and Ursus warriors simply couldn't break through the strange black mist defense on their bodies. I'm afraid there's some Originium technology we don't know about at work. Sending those elite vanguards and shield guards to fight them will only result in them constantly wearing down our manpower; they simply won't be able to defeat them."

"Immediately order the elite melee fighters in the camp to escort the mages and heavy artillerymen to the battlefield in conjunction with the heavy infantry! Also, have the logistics department prepare to begin transporting our heavy weapons to the front lines." Ulrich stood up and said, "Since those Sarkaz demons have taken the initiative to charge at us, let's not let this opening they've created go to waste. It's almost dawn, so let's officially begin the war now! Let's use these demons as a sacrifice to cripple that band of mountain bandits!"

"Yes!"

Upon Ulrich's order to formally commence the war, all the high-ranking commanders in the camp began to mobilize, assembling their various corps and advancing along the two routes they had opened up, heading towards the southwest and northwest battlefields respectively.

……

On the northwestern battlefield, Wang Chong stood in the center of the Sarkaz forces, silently observing the camp's situation through the black mist. Seeing the troops begin to move, he relayed the order to Ines: "Ines, have them begin an orderly retreat. The enemy's main force has been lured out."

"Yes! Front guards, move up! Back row, push back while increasing firepower to suppress them before they can react. The middle ranks, follow the back row, and retreat in an orderly fashion!" Ines issued the order, and the Sarkaz mercenary group began to retreat before the Ursus soldiers could encircle them.

"They want to leave! Vanguard elites, charge! Go around to their rear and cut off their retreat! Keep them here at all costs!" However, the Ursus commander on the other side was clearly no pushover. As he assessed the situation under pressure, he decisively issued the order.

"Sarkaz swordsmen and greatswordsmen, front and back ranks, wipe out anyone trying to block our retreat!" Ines's Originium Arts allowed her to clearly monitor the movement of personnel across the battlefield. When she noticed Ursus beginning to flank and encircle them, she immediately gave the order to break through to the rear.

"kill!!!!"

In an instant, shouts of battle filled the air, swords clashed, and blood splattered across the snow. The Ursus soldiers, already seething with rage, were like madmen, determined to capture the Sarkaz mercenary group. However, relying on their superior strength and the protection of their black mist armor, the Sarkaz mercenaries fought their way out.

Just as Ulrich had predicted, even with the strongest fighting spirit and perseverance of Ursus's vanguard, the difference in strength meant that they could do nothing more than risk their lives to delay the Sarkaz mercenary group's advance.

However, merely delaying their progress is enough...

"!! Have the guards set up the giant shields!" Ines suddenly gave the order.

Just as the Sarkaz mercenary group was about to retreat to the foot of the mountain, a barrage of crossbow bolts and flames rained down on the road leading to the northwestern battlefield. Clearly, Ursus's ballistae and mage squads had arrived at the front lines. Large groups of mages began chanting incantations, preparing to unleash devastating large-scale Originium Arts to annihilate this "delivered" force.

But will all of this really go as Ursus wishes?

Chapter 182 Crossfire

"Boom boom boom boom!"

The continuous magical attacks pounded against the giant shields, causing blood to gush from the hands of the Sarkaz who held them. If it weren't for the skills and corresponding Originium Arts they had learned from the guerrilla shield bearers during this time, coupled with the protection of the black mist and the excellent equipment they had plundered from Ursus, they would probably have been overwhelmed by these powerful magical attacks long ago.

Although they withstood the first wave of attacks, the situation was far from optimistic, as Ursus soldiers still attempted to encircle them. The Sarkaz forces were now encircled in a defensive formation, strong in defense but lacking in offensive capabilities. Furthermore, this defense would become increasingly ineffective as the number of opposing warlocks increased.

"Fire! BOOM!!" But just then, a burst of light appeared on the mountain, followed by a series of cannon shots. Many shells landed in parabolic trajectories at the location of the Ursus troops.

"Boom boom boom!"

A deafening explosion rang out, followed by screams of agony. Shells rained down on the crowd, creating huge sprays of blood, like blooming roses. Most critically, the Usa people who were blocking the Sarkaz forces were not only blown up by the explosions, but those who survived were also riddled with dozens of crossbow bolts that pierced their armor and bodies, falling on the hillside.

"Mortars! Damn it... How did they get these weapons? Did they steal them from Nikolai's troops last time?!" The frontline commander immediately realized what kind of attack they were under, and immediately ordered, "Shieldbearers, provide support! Forget about those demons, cover the surviving soldiers on the front! First Mage Company, launch an attack immediately! Even if you don't annihilate them all, take a piece of their flesh!"

"Om-"

Under orders, the sorcerers had no choice but to temporarily reduce the power of their spells, completing their incantations and unleashing them at a faster pace. Red flames emanated from the sorcerers' raised hands, coalescing into a massive fireball that hurtled straight towards the retreating Sarkaz mercenary group.

"Hmph." At this moment, Wang Chong finally made his move. However, he did not use his black mist power, but instead peeled off the outer layer of black mist armor from all the Sarkaz soldiers, transforming it into a giant black mist fist that directly slammed into the fireball.

"boom!"

The collision of the two energies unleashed a massive shockwave, instantly knocking down some Ursus soldiers who were still attempting to charge. Even the Sarkaz troops nearby were tripped by the energy impact. Fortunately, the shield-bearing heavy guards held off the pressure, preventing the energy fluctuations from hitting the Sarkaz soldiers inside.

"So you guys have a caster team, huh! Casters, unleash your fury on them!" On the hilltop, W commanded the rested Sarkaz caster team to begin chanting an ancient spell. In front of them was an Originium crystal, which, under the effect of the spell, shattered into dust and dissipated at a visible speed.

At the same time, a dark, malevolent aura began to emanate from the sorcerers, rising from their bodies. They gathered this power and then pushed it out together, sending a dark pillar of Originium energy hurtling directly towards the sorcerers opposite them.

"Shieldbearers, move up! Protect the mage!" Due to the distance, only the mage could attack the mage, so the shieldbearers had to defend first. The dark energy struck the shieldbearers' shields, but was forcefully intercepted by the Ursus shieldbearers.

However, because of this delay, it became very difficult for the sorcerers to strike the retreating Sarkaz forces again. They could only watch helplessly as the enemy retreated back to their defensive lines once more.

"Damn it, they still got away!" The commander gritted his teeth in frustration, but was helpless. These Sarkaz troops were just too difficult to take down. Ordinary soldiers couldn't do anything to them, and ranged units needed to concentrate their firepower for a considerable period of time to completely defeat them. If anything went wrong, these guys would slip away.

"Don't worry, they won't be arrogant for long! Even if they're invulnerable, I don't believe they can fight tirelessly without eating or drinking! Besides, our trump card hasn't even been used yet!" Another commander patted him on the shoulder, comforting him.

"What's the situation now?"

Just then, a cold voice rang out. The two commanders immediately turned around, clasped their hands, and knelt down, saying, "General!"

"Judging from your appearance, it's clear that the Sarkaz force wasn't left behind," Ulrich said calmly.

“General, even if we couldn’t annihilate them completely, we could at least destroy half of them. The mages had already constructed large-scale Originium spells for war, but… but none of us expected that the unit would suddenly summon a giant black mist fist that actually withstood our Originium spells. Otherwise, we could have at least inflicted heavy losses on that Sarkaz unit.” A commander reported the situation that had just occurred.

"Oh? Black mist? A fist? Tell me more... don't miss any details." Ulrich asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The commander then explained everything that had just happened in detail. When Ulrich asked if there were any changes in the Sarkaz when the giant fist appeared, the frontline commander thought carefully and then said, "That's right! General, the Sarkaz originally had black mist swirling around them, but after using that move, the black mist disappeared and didn't recover for a long time."

"It seems this is the Originium Arts technique used by these Sarkaz. Previous battle reports also recorded that the layer of black mist armor required an attack force exceeding a certain threshold to break through the defense, so only spells and heavy ballistae could be used to break through the armor. And now, this black mist can actually be gathered into an attack method... However, the price is also obvious. After using it, the layer of black mist on their bodies will disappear, and they will no longer be invulnerable to blades and spears. Even if the vanguard elites fight them in close combat, they can still behead them."

Based on the preceding and following statements, Ulrich roughly determined the situation and began to speak.

"This reveals another weakness of these demons. These weapons are exactly what we need to deal with them. They stole the mortars, didn't they? Let them see what real national treasures are all about."

"All troops, listen up! Prepare to attack the mountain! When it is completely light, the artillery battalion will launch the attack first! Crush those mountain bandits' supposedly well-prepared defenses!"

"Also, notify the special forces in the southwest battlefield to prepare to attack the mountain at the same time."

Ulrich issued a series of orders, and the entire legion began its formal operation. Simultaneously, a massive Ursus army marched along the widened forest road. At the center of their encirclement, numerous large siege machines were slowly pushed onto the battlefield. Powered by Originium crystals and controlled by Originium Arts, these were Ursus's national treasures, powerful weapons comparable to war mages.

On the mountain, Wang Chong gazed at the vast, imposing Ursus army, his expression unchanged, utterly unfazed by their overwhelming power. In Wang Chong's eyes, these were merely warriors slightly stronger than mortals, far inferior to the mighty army of Iskandar he had previously witnessed. The only notable figures were the sorcerers and a few elite warriors.

“It looks like they plan to use heavy weapons to bombard the area and completely destroy the defenses we’ve dug. W, Ines, Hedley, prepare to have the Sarkaz gradually withdraw from the defenses through the secret passages. The terrain and defenses here can’t hold; they can’t withstand the bombardment of those lined-up heavy weapons,” Wang Chong said directly.

"Yes!" The three obeyed Wang Chong's orders without resistance and began to silently evacuate Sarkaz up the mountain through the secret passage they had dug over the past few days. Of course, in order to avoid alerting the enemy, they left a group of men near the entrance of the secret passage to fire on any scouts who approached, to prove that the defense line was still being held.

Chapter 183 Attacking the Mountain

The rising sun pierced through the clouds, casting a rust-colored halo across the vast snowfield. The heavy Originium artillery array of the Ursus artillery battalion was still spewing embers, the dark red barrels radiating distorted heat waves in the minus twenty degree Celsius cold, the chrome plating showing molten ripples from the continuous salvos.

Wearing frost-proof gloves, the artillerymen were using shovels to fill the liquid cooling pipes with snow. The moment the metal components came into contact with the ice and snow, they emitted a piercing screech. The billowing white air columns, like hundreds of silver snakes awakening from hibernation, intertwined into an eerie curtain above the artillery position.

The telescope's view slowly swept across the hillside a hundred meters away. Major General Ulrich's knuckles unconsciously tapped the brass telescope tube. The densely packed circular fortifications among the folds of the mountain had now transformed into a hellish landscape—the churning permafrost at the edges of the craters displayed jagged crystalline layers, melting snow mixed with coke into a murky, asphalt-like flow, and the remaining barbed wire trembled in the morning breeze like a dying spider.

Suddenly, Ulrich waved his hand, and the messenger who understood the gesture immediately ordered the artillery at the front to cease fire. The deafening roar of the cannons finally stopped.

What alarmed Ulrich, however, was the unusual silence: there were no cries of agony piercing the smoke, nor any metallic reflections moving among the ruins; only the fragments of the military flag, torn apart by the shockwave, fluttered on the broken wood.

"Order scouts to conduct a close reconnaissance," Ulrich's voice was like an undercurrent beneath the ice. "Focus on searching for any traces of those bandits, even severed limbs or pieces of flesh, find them all."

The messenger swiftly obeyed and departed, his agile figure disappearing into the morning mist. Soon after, dozens of elite Ursus scouts stealthily crept forward, like nimble cats, cautiously making their way up the hillside.

"General, have you noticed anything unusual?" the adjutant asked, puzzled.

"It's too quiet... Although I don't think their defenses will remain intact after the artillery barrage and will inevitably be destroyed, apart from the first few shots that repelled our scouts, the entire hillside seems to be passively taking hits. We can't see any means of resistance from the other side, as if there's no one stationed on the defensive hill at all," Ulrich analyzed. "Once the scouts return, we'll probably have a better understanding."

After a while, the intelligence officer brought the scout's findings to Ulrich: "General! According to the scouts, the enemy's defenses have collapsed entirely within the artillery fire range. But strangely, our scouts found no flesh or severed limbs."

"Hmph, these bandits are indeed cunning." Ulrich sneered. "They must have dug a secret escape route behind the hillside when they were building their fortifications. They're quite sensible, knowing they can't withstand our firepower advantage head-on."

"General, in this way, our army has taken over the first line of defense of these bandits without lifting a finger. I remember in the previous battle report, Nikolai and his men spent the whole morning trying to break through and lost a lot of men inside. It seems that these bandits are not as powerful as we thought."

The adjutant couldn't help but feel a little contemptuous when he saw that the first line of defense set up by the Reunion Movement had been taken down in less than an hour, just as dawn was breaking.

"Heh, the reason we were able to take down this first line of defense in such a short time is certainly because our firearms are sharp enough, but it is also because Nikolai's defeat gave us a lot of information about this bandit group, which is why we were able to confidently and boldly deploy these weapons to attack them."

After Ulrich finished speaking, he paused, then continued, "Don't forget, the enemy has decisively retreated. Although we captured their defensive line, we didn't inflict any significant losses on these bandits. Don't underestimate them now. Should we send you to the front lines for the first hand-to-hand combat after we get up the mountain to test their mettle?"

"General, I know I was wrong! I was rash..." Upon hearing this, the commander broke out in a cold sweat. Realizing his mistake, he quickly knelt on the ground and apologized.

"Only when you have the last laugh do you have the right to despise your opponent. Pass down the order: proceed according to the original plan. Send the first and second mixed regiments as the vanguard to scout ahead. These direct-fire artillery pieces will not be needed until we reach the top of the mountain. If we want to launch a fire strike later, we will need the Imperial Artillery Vanguard drones to assist in positioning so that our projectile artillery can accurately hit the target."

As Ulrich turned, his overcoat billowed sharply in the wind, the double-headed eagle emblem on his collar reflecting a chilling light.

……

On the other side, after climbing the first hillside, they arrived at the second line of defense set up by the Reunion Movement—the winding mountain road. The terrain here was relatively flat, but the road was winding and circuitous. This was why it had provided the Reunion Movement with the environment to infiltrate.

This time, however, Wang Chong didn't plan to rush into using this kind of rotation tactic against the enemy. Since these Ursus people believed that they could be wiped out with only 3 or 4000 troops, they should be prepared to pay the price.

On the cliff face to the left of the mountain path, numerous dark holes reflected faint light. They were easily missed without close inspection. These were fortifications already constructed, designed to launch a flanking attack on the enemy, catching them completely off guard.

It had already made its debut in Colonel Nikolai's last operation. Using an impenetrable cliff as a defensive barrier, even magic couldn't harm the Reunion Movement members inside.

Moreover, the Sarkaz mercenaries are not the only force guarding the second line of defense. The Reunion Movement's strongest elite force, besides its special forces, a guerrilla unit led by Patriot, is stationed here awaiting the arrival of Ursus's forces.

"Captain, I can hear them coming up." The shield guard next to Patriot noticed the slight movement in the ground and said.

“…War.” A red light flashed in the Patriot’s eyes as he spoke.

"Yes, Your will!" The shield guards exhaled a puff of white mist, ready for battle. The messenger relayed the order to the front, where the guerrilla crossbowmen and guerrilla mages stationed on the defensive line were prepared to unleash their firepower, waiting only for the moment the enemy emerged from the hillside.

At the forefront, the Shield Guards and the Sarkaz mercenaries had already joined forces, with Wang Chong personally overseeing the front lines. Beside Wang Chong, besides W, Ines, and Hedley, was a dragon girl—Albion—clinging to his back and munching on a large loaf of bread.

"This guy is really too leisurely. It's one thing to be commanding on the front lines, but he also has a child with him." W glanced at the white-haired dragon girl whose face still had a childish look and couldn't help but think to himself.

"However, since he's so relaxed, I'm afraid this battle won't be much of a problem. Tsk, he could have easily solved it with a single slap, but he insists on making us, his subordinates, do it." W thought to herself, but the confidence Wang Chong gave her allowed her to go all out on the battlefield this time without any worries.

"The main attacking force of the guards will be in front, with archers and crossbowmen supporting the flanks." Wang Chong used the black mist to transmit his voice to everyone's ears. "And the shield guards are responsible for withstanding the enemy's ranged magic attacks and eliminating as many enemy personnel as possible."

The guerrilla crossbowmen and Sarkaz crossbowmen straightened up in the trenches, aiming their crosshairs at the top of the hill ahead, ready to fire as soon as the enemy showed themselves. Meanwhile, the guards at the forefront were sharpening their knives, prepared for hand-to-hand combat.

"Tap..."

The sound reached their ears, and everyone's nerves tensed. Each person stared intently at the battle line ahead, knowing that once the enemy advanced, a full-blown battle would erupt.

"coming!"

The moment the first Ursus soldier emerged, a crossbow bolt struck him squarely in the forehead, instantly felling him to the ground. A bloody battle was thus ignited, with a large number of Ursus Imperial vanguard elites charging forward recklessly, their advance undeterred even by the crossbow bolts.

"Boom boom boom!"

However, a large number of explosions occurred on the land they passed through. These were bombs that W had planted using Originium Arts beforehand, waiting for these people to step on them and be blown to bits.

"Tsk... There are so many people. Aren't these people afraid of dying?" W said while carrying out the explosive projectiles.

"They're just not dead yet, this is nothing," Wang Chong said slowly. "Have the melee soldiers in front prepare for close combat. Mage groups, begin fire! The Ursus shieldbearers are coming up."

"Roger!" The Sarkaz mages began to unleash their Originium Arts, unleashing a barrage of spells that completely annihilated the vanguard elites who were about to charge forward. Just then, as Wang Chong had predicted, the Ursus Shield Guards, clad in heavy armor, began to enter the fray, using their massive shields to block the barrage of crossbow bolts and spells as they slowly advanced.

At the same time, a large number of crossbow bolts were hurled from behind them. Although most of them landed on the road ahead, a small number began to land in the trenches where the Sarkaz guards were located.

However, without the Reunion Movement's shield guards needing to intervene, the Sarkaz Royal Guards relied on their own strength to cleave and shatter these crossbow bolts, thus avoiding any casualties.

However, as time went on, more and more Ursus soldiers climbed the hillside. After all the Originium Arts bombs that W had placed were triggered, there was no longer any attack that could stop the Ursus advance, and a melee was about to break out.

"Come on, you little bears, let's see what you're made of." Two Sarkaz guards and one shieldbearer formed a team, fighting and retreating in the trenches. With this kind of small combat unit, one attacking, one providing cover, and one providing support, the Ursus soldiers who jumped into the trenches to surround and kill them were instead harvested by the close coordination of these combat teams.

They retreated in an orderly fashion along the zigzag trenches, continuously wearing down the enemy's manpower. In an instant, the trenches were filled with the stench of blood and the screams of agony.

Chapter 184 Albion's First Appearance

"Reporting to the General. The First Regiment encountered fierce resistance from the enemy and, after losing nearly one-fifth of its men, is showing signs of collapsing. However, with the arrival of the Second Regiment, morale has been temporarily stabilized, and the battle line has been successfully held at the top of the hill. It's just that the enemy's black mist armor has not been broken, so we cannot inflict effective damage on them."

After half an hour of attack, the intelligence officer reported the situation at the front to Ulrich.

"This Black Mist Armor is truly a troublesome Originium Arts technique... Have you found out where this Originium Arts technique originated? Which mages on the other side used it?" Ulrich asked, frowning slightly.

"According to reports from the frontline command, our sorcerers have not been able to trace the origin of the Originium Arts used on these black mist armors... What's even more strange is that these black mists are completely unresponsive to our detection spells," the intelligence liaison officer said.

"These demons' Originium Arts are ancient and mysterious, so it's normal that our sorcerers can't detect them. But General, if this kind of attrition continues, before we can even implement a war of attrition, we'll probably lose at least two mixed regiments to take the hilltop area. It's really not worth it. I request that you order the use of drones to guide our projectile artillery for fire support," the adjutant suggested.

"...Pass down the order to have the artillery battalion prepare. Initiate target location using the drones. Also, send a contingent of mages to provide support. Completely capture the hilltop area and continue the advance," Ulrich said.

"Yes!"

……