Chapter 229 Shatter The Enemies Into Pieces (Part One)

The instant that everyone saw the start signal, both armies sprang into action. Both the White and Black Armies began their maneuvers, implementing all varieties of military strategies and tactics, along with countertactics. The armies began dispatching their respective troops either to launch individual attacks or in teams for stronger assaults. It wasn't long before the entire terrain was filled with the sound of screams and combat.

From the grandstand, Isis watched the contest with the other officials. Her beautiful eyes didn't miss a single action as she observed the ongoings. As she swept her gaze over half of the training grounds, she was surprised to realize that it seemed as though one unit from the Black Army was missing in action and not participating in the fight.

"How odd..." she murmured to herself. "It seems to me that the Black Army is short one unit of men." It was easy to see combat in the wide open spaces of the training ground. The plains and valleys were plainly visible to the spectators at the grandstand. However, in the terrain such as forests and hills, it was difficult to see what was going on.

So when Isis at last realized that one troop from the Black Army was missing, she summoned up her personal bodyguard. "Go and locate the missing troop that hasn't participated in the skirmishes," she commanded. "Find out what that troop is doing right now."

At her orders, the female bodyguard immediately departed on her errand. It wasn't long before she returned, however, with an account of what she had seen.

"Deputy Commander in Chief," the female bodyguard reported. "The missing troop of soldiers of the Black Army that aren't among those in the skirmish have situated themselves in the woods at the southwest end of the training ground. The troop has not appeared to have moved at all. They are all resting in situ, almost as though they're slacking off."

There was a palpable wave of astonishment throughout the whole grandstand at her report. They were seasoned veterans who had watched the Army Flag Contest for years, but it was the first time they had ever heard of troops voluntar

fare and becoming mercenaries for the White Army in an attempt to secure their flags. If they could manage to protect their flags from the White Army all the way to the end of the contest, they could at least retreat with some dignity intact.

The battles and maneuvers between the two armies were transmitted to the grandstand in real time. This allowed everyone, including Isis, to see precisely what was going on. It was clear that there was little to no chance of the Black Army winning, especially with the disadvantage of one absent troop. At the rate things were going, if the White Army were to put all their strength of numbers against the Black Army, the latter's defeat was the only inevitable outcome.

As this went on, Rocky immediately received the information that the Black Army had lost its third troop.

'The Commanders of the Black Army are useless in this game. It hasn't even been half the allotted time for combat and three troops have already been lost. At this rate, I'm afraid I won't be able to profit from this contest.' Rocky couldn't help but mull over to himself. His original plan was to wait until the Black Army and White Army were thoroughly exhausted before taking his healthy, well-rested troop to directly attack the White Army while they were off guard. However, he did not expect the Black Army's troops to be so ineffective that they were getting beaten by the White Army so quickly.