Chapter 321 - 169: Tonight’s Action (Part 3)

"It’s nothing. Relax. Just do as I say," Li Ziyu said with a confident grin.

He had no intention of charging into their camp. He just wanted to harass them a little. After all, the members of the Alliance Army were living beings. And since they were living, they needed to rest, to sleep, and to recuperate. If he could keep them from resting properly, he could indirectly reduce their combat effectiveness.

In ancient warfare, night raids were an extremely common tactic. But was the goal of those raids really to achieve victory? Most of the time, it wasn’t. The purpose was to cause chaos, prevent the enemy from resting, and lower their combat effectiveness.

This was exactly what Li Ziyu planned to do. If the enemy was sleep-deprived, he would lose fewer Undead if they launched a full-scale assault the next day. It would allow him to stall for even more time.

The Undead grew weaker during the day, and the Alliance Army would surely attack when they were at their most vulnerable. If Li Ziyu wanted to win, he had to employ delaying tactics. He needed to hold the enemy off and find a way to prolong the battle. Once the sun set and night fell, he could launch his counterattack.

He considered fighting a decisive battle that very night. After all, it was nighttime, and the enemy had just arrived, so they would be exhausted. The odds of victory seemed high.

It sounded tempting, but a little more thought revealed it wasn’t realistic.

The Alliance Army wasn’t stupid; they had intentionally made camp ten kilometers away. The core of Li Ziyu’s forces was his Skeleton Undead. While his other troops were powerful, they were too few in number and could only act as secondary damage dealers or support units.

Given the marching speed of the Skeleton Undead, if they were to mobilize on a large scale, the enemy would be fully prepared by the time they arrived. They could even lay numerous traps and wait for the Undead to walk right into them.

That wouldn’t be a decisive battle; it would be a slaughter.

Especially since this Alliance Army was composed of elites from various races. They had all kinds of units—ranged, melee, Cavalry, Magic-users, and Priests. It was a well-rounded force, nothing like the simpler enemies he had faced before.

Li Ziyu had mulled it over for a long time and concluded that victory lay in one strategy: stalling. He had to wear down the enemy’s morale and exhaust their Warriors. Only then could he achieve the final victory.

Seeing that Li Ziyu’s mind was made up and he couldn’t be persuaded, Zhang Peng relented with a sigh and let Li Ziyu and 100 Elite Heavy Hammer Skeleton Warriors enter the Gopher Fortress.

The interior of the Gopher Fortress was rather cramped. The Elite Heavy Hammer Skeleton Warriors were so large that to be transported, they had to crouch to get inside and then lie flat on the floor.

Once Li Ziyu was also inside, Zhang Peng activated the fortress, and it began moving through the underground tunnels toward the target location.

To maintain contact with the surrounding Tribes, Zhang Peng had never been idle. He had long ago excavated an extensive network of tunnels underground. The one leading to the Alliance Camp had been completed for some time, and it allowed for quick travel.

"Boss, we’re here," Zhang Peng said, approaching Li Ziyu.

"Alright, good. Wait for me here. I’ll be back as soon as I can," Li Ziyu said, patting Zhang Peng on the shoulder.

Zhang Peng’s role in this operation was crucial. If something were to happen to him, Li Ziyu would be finished.

Zhang Peng nodded in acknowledgement.

Ten Elite Heavy Hammer Skeleton Warriors had already exited the Gopher Fortress to scout ahead. As per Li Ziyu’s instructions, the exit was well-hidden behind a large boulder. At night, it was completely obscured by the rock’s shadow and would be impossible to spot without a careful search.

The opening wasn’t large, barely wide enough for two people to pass through side-by-side. When Zhang Peng had first heard this detail, he had been completely baffled. The Elite Heavy Hammer Skeleton Warriors could never fit through such a small opening, and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what Li Ziyu was planning.

Once the exit was confirmed to be clear, Li Ziyu ordered all the Elite Heavy Hammer Skeleton Warriors with him to stand guard. He then headed for the opening himself, climbing up the earthen slope.

He peeked out from the tunnel entrance, scanning the area for a long moment. After confirming there were no Alliance Army scouts nearby, Li Ziyu carefully slipped out. He pressed himself against the boulder, using its shadow for cover. Peering out from behind the rock, he could see the distant glow of campfires. That was the Alliance Camp.