Chapter 15 - 15

The sky had turned dark already when the First Xin Infantry Battalion finished cleaning up the battlefield; they killed over 3000 of the Galuks but they suffered 42 loses because of the Galuk shamans.

Staring at the lined up bodies of his men, Xiao Chen can't help but feel bad for them. He was blaming himself for their deaths. 'If I have acted quicker and prepared more, this wouldn't have happened, ' he thought as he blankly stared at the fallen orcs. There were also twenty-four more heavily wounded among his men that are no longer capable of combat, some had limbs missing, others had suffered too much burns and others had paralyzed parts of their bodies.

The First Xin Infantry Battalion was still on high alert, ready to form up quickly with just the sound of the war drums.

"We'll grant them a Warrior's Rite of Departure"

Xiao Chen said as he joined his men in arranging the bodies of their fallen comrades. In the past, he had also done such things for his fallen comrades.

*/

Xiao Chen was a young and fresh lieutenant from the Military Academy of Huaxia, eager to prove his worth. A week after graduating, they finally assigned him to his unit, Strike Force Alpha of the Huaxia Army 21st Brigade, Special Operations Division. His direct officer Captain Xu Zhuo knew of his special talent for strategy and planning, that's why the veteran captain requested Xiao Chen to be assigned to his unit. Strike Force Alpha was compromised of twenty-three soldiers, all highly trained for jungle warfare, everyone have their own field of expertise like explosives and demolition, electronics and hacking, tracking and surveillance and many other fields of specializations.

Captain Zhuo assigned Xiao Chen as the strategist and overall commander of the unit and only answers to him, but Xiao Chen must consult him first and seek his approval for his plans and strategies.

His first ever mission was named Operation: 'Morning Glory' wherein they must assault a hidden terrorist base hiding at Hindu Kush, they were armed with nuclear missiles that might be launched at Huaxia's cities.

Their main objective was to plant explosives to create a chain explosion to trigger the nuclear missiles and have them explode within the enemy base. They must act stealthily and swiftly, for the enemy base was heavily guarded, they were armed with multiple anti-air, radar, anti-tank entrenchment and they even had tanks at their disposal. It was much like a military base; they were well and heavily equipped to be just normal terrorist group.

Xiao Chen was nervous about devising a plan to assault the place. This was already reality. His slightest miscalculation would cause the life of somebody or worst all their lives, unlike the simulation battles that they have been using back at the academy.

Spending a night without sleep meticulously planning for every possible mishap. He had created multiple back up plans for every likely scenario that might come up.

Entering the briefing room, Captain Zhuo stared at the still busy Xiao Chen drawing up plans. He saw stacks of sheets of paper on one side. Captain Zhuo cleared his throat and spoke.

"Ahmm... don't be so nervous... your comrades are expert survivors of many missions... they know how to respond properly even without receiving orders"

Captain Zhuo said as he started going through the plans that Xiao Chen had created. The captain was shocked; the plans were all in significant details, the terrain, the possible placing of the enemies, the potential entry points and many other details. Xiao Chen's quick thinking amazed Captain Zhuo. The Intelligence Division has investigated the enemies in every possible way. Satellites and reconnaissance drones were applied. They have monitored the enemy for months until the Central Command deemed them a threat to the safety of the Huaxia people when they spotted nuclear missiles at the ready pointed towards Huaxia and other neighboring countries.

"Get some rest... we might need your quick thinking once we're inside enemy territory"

Captain Zhuo advised Xiao Chen as he yawned, then went out of the briefing room. It was already two in the morning and it was still too early, even for him.

*/

They took the bodies of the fallen orcs back to the campsite while their enemies, buried in a massive ditch to avoid the creation and spread of a plague. Piled up dried tree branches, trunks and twigs were created. There were as many piles as the number of their fallen brethren.

There was a sorrowful atmosphere permeating around the campsite. They lay the bodies of the fallen orcs upon the wooden piles with a fine soft hide as matting for the bodies.

Standing beside the most forefront body, Xiao Chen stared at his surviving soldiers, still armed with their shields and spears.

"Today we have loss some of our brothers... fallen asleep to never rise again... but fret not... they are now with the god of war Thug'mukhen... joining him in his never ending feast of victory... accompanied by the women of Xanadu... lucky bastards... they can enjoy the company of the women of Xanadu earlier than us."

Xiao Chen bellowed in-order for him to be heard clearly and his voice was clear and serious but at the end of his words he chuckled softly to which the other orcs also chuckled.

"Now let's send these bastards to the embrace of the Xanadu women... pray that they make them regret dying earlier"

Xiao Chen continued as he set alight the bodies one by one. He gave them all the honor to be sent off by their chieftain; they are his first trained soldiers and he'll give them that honor.

"Tonight we rest!!! for tomorrow we kill!!!"

Gur'kan bellowed as Xiao Chen set alight to the last pile of wood with a body of an orc warrior.

"Awooh!!! awooh!!! awooh!!!"

The First Xin Infantry Battalion passionately replied, they were all in high spirits despite saying farewell to their fallen brothers. It filled their eyes with vengeance and surely the next day, the Galuks wouldn't have it easy on the battlefield.

*****

After the Rite of Departure of his fallen soldiers, Xiao Chen confined himself within his tent, he had to find a way to counter the shamans permanently, including the human mages. They are like artilleries in the modern era where they could cause massive and devastating damage if left alone. Scrolling along the system store, looking for something to deter or counter the magic wielding enemies.

He soon found something that deters any magic wielding creature, the spell of Magic Desolation.

Magic Desolation Field: creates a powerful vortex that will absorb all the magical and spiritual elements in a ten kilometer radius, destroying any spell being channeled, banish any summoned creature to their origins, nullify every form of magic.

It was such a powerful spell that totally makes any magic wielding creature useless in the battlefield, friend or foe alike, but it had a very expensive price of 89000 points.

Xiao Chen decided he will buy this spell once he had enough points. He had great trust in his training methods, strategies, maneuvers and other things related to battle. With his guidance, he can make his army triumph against any other enemy army without the aid of magic.

Orcs were stronger, tougher, and bulkier than most creatures that Xiao Chen has encountered.. Only the golems, ogres and other few giant creatures can outmatch them in physical capabilities.