OBS Chapter 653 Decision
Chapter 653 Decision
Looking at the Midlanders' camp not far away, Dester stood on the wooden wall and put down his binoculars.
He somewhat regretted accepting the task directly, since it wasn't part of his duties as a military advisor.
He didn't have to go directly to the front lines, but he came anyway to prove he was better than that idiot Adon.
He brought a far smaller army to fight a guerrilla war against the Midlanders, but now he's the one being surrounded.
The messenger has already been sent out, but it's winter now, and the snow is almost up to his boots; he can't say for sure when it will arrive.
Moreover, there's a high probability that that bastard Atton won't send troops, at the very least not until next spring. He knows Atton too well; he's selfish and vengeful. Atton would love for him to die on the front lines, so why would he offer any help?
Many times he wanted to surrender and end it all, but as a soldier of the Kingdom of Heldran, doing so would only bring shame to the country.
But the other Yodas didn't think so. He had heard the soldiers discussing more than once that they should either surrender or break out. No one wanted to freeze or starve to death here, and no one wanted to pay the price for a doomed failure with him.
As food supplies dwindled, the soldiers' complaints grew louder and their emotions became increasingly agitated.
The daily rations have been decreasing, from two hot meals to one cold, hard dry meal, and now even the dry rations are almost unavailable.
Their situation will only get worse, and eventually a mutiny will be inevitable.
The wind outside the camp picked up, whipping snowflakes against the wooden walls with a dull thud. In the distance, the Midlanders' tents were faintly visible in the night, exuding an unsettling silence.
Meanwhile, in the Midlanders' tent not far from the main camp, Griffiths was discussing the next steps with the various captains.
A campfire burned in the tent, its flames flickering and illuminating the serious faces of the inhabitants.
"A direct assault is definitely not going to work. This time we have to outsmart them. Does anyone have any ideas?"
Griffiths set the tone immediately, and the other captains shook their heads after thinking about it.
They had been besieging the enemy camp for a long time and, after multiple reconnaissance missions, were clear about the enemy's defensive deployment. A direct assault would undoubtedly come at a huge cost.
"The opposite camp has a layer of barricades, a layer of moat, a layer of wooden wall, and fixed sentry posts on the wall. We can't assassinate them and then use ladders to get over like we did before."
"That's actually possible."
At this moment, Jiedu spoke up.
“It’s winter now, and the trenches are likely to be filled with snow. The wooden barricades will shrink and become brittle in the low temperature, and can be easily destroyed with an axe. We can take advantage of the wind to move, and the sound of the wind can cover our voices. At the same time, the gaps in the wooden walls will widen due to the low temperature. We can use ropes to hook onto the gaps in the wooden walls and pull ourselves up to climb, and then eliminate the sentries.”
Griffiths pondered for a moment, then looked at Jetto:
"Then I'll leave it to you, Jiedu."
For the next few days, the Midlanders' camp was unusually quiet, with only occasional soldiers venturing out to scout, observe the movements of Yoda's camp, and monitor the weather.
Jiedu and the soldiers who participated in the raid practiced climbing and assassination techniques repeatedly in their tents to ensure that every step was foolproof.
A few days later, late at night, a fierce wind howled across the land, whipping up the accumulated snow.
The wind was so strong that it made the tents sway precariously, and the Yoda soldiers on the wooden walls shivered from the cold.
They hunched their shoulders, wrapped their thin clothes tightly around themselves, their teeth chattering uncontrollably, and their vision blurred by the wind and snow.
The prolonged siege and harsh weather had worn down their vigilance; they simply stood mechanically at their posts, hoping for their shift change to come soon.
Jedo and his men changed into the clothes of the Yoda soldiers they had captured earlier and quietly left the Midlanders' camp.
They moved forward with their backs bent low, almost touching the ground, taking advantage of the double cover of the strong wind and the darkness of night, steadily moving towards the direction of Yoda's camp.
The wind was still howling, and the swirling snowflakes, like tiny ice pellets, stung their faces, but they also masked their footsteps and slightly heavy breathing.
They kept about three steps apart from each other, neither crowded nor distant, their eyes focused intently ahead, their movements quick and steady, each step landing on the thickest part of the snow to avoid slipping and making a sound.
The wooden barricades were arranged in an interlocking pattern, with horizontal and vertical beams intertwined to form a tight barrier.
The wood, which was originally hard and durable, has become extremely fragile under the onslaught of low temperatures over the past few days, and even fine cracks can be seen on its surface.
Jiedu took the axe off his back, its blade gleaming coldly in the dim light. He gestured to the two soldiers beside him to cooperate.
The three men formed a group, each targeting a different barricade. They gripped the axe handles tightly with both hands, their arm muscles taut, and chopped forcefully at the joints of the barricades.
With a crisp "crack," the first crossbeam of the chevaux-de-frise snapped, the sound completely drowned out by the howling wind.
Without any hesitation, the soldiers gently supported the broken timber and slowly laid it down on the snow to avoid making a sound that would alert the enemy inside the camp.
In less than fifteen minutes, they had cleared a narrow passage through the dense barricades, just wide enough for one person to pass sideways. The barricades on both sides of the passage remained unchanged, and from a distance, they looked perfectly normal.
After passing through the barricade, we arrived at the foot of the wooden wall of Yoda's camp. The wooden wall was more than two people high, with a rough and uneven surface. Due to the continuous low temperature, the gaps between the wooden planks had widened considerably compared to usual, and the widest part was big enough to fit a finger, which was more than enough for the iron hooks on the rope to catch.
Jiedu stopped again, looked up slightly, and quickly observed the position and spacing of the sentry posts on the wooden wall to confirm that there were enough blind spots between each post.
He took the rope off his back, the iron hook at one end of which was sharpened to a point. He aimed at a large gap, and with a sudden burst of strength, the iron hook and rope drew a short arc in the air, accurately hooking onto the crossbeam inside the wooden wall.
Jiedu pulled hard on the rope, felt the stability of the crossbeam, and after confirming that it wouldn't fall, he grabbed the rope with both hands alternately, while pushing off the wooden planks of the wall with both feet, and began to climb upwards.
The surface of the wooden wall was slippery due to the ice that formed overnight. With each step he took upwards, he had to firmly grip the gaps in the planks or the protruding knots with his toes to avoid slipping.
He quickly climbed to the top of the wooden wall, leaned forward slightly, and looked down at the sentry post on the inside.
The Yoda soldier was hunched over against the wall, his hands tucked into his chest for warmth, his head nodding off, his eyelids so heavy he could barely keep them open. Clearly, he had lost his vigilance due to the cold and exhaustion of the past few days.
Jiedu held his breath, pressed his body against the beam at the top of the wooden wall, and then suddenly flipped over the wall, landing lightly on his toes to cushion the impact.
The sound of his landing was so soft that it was almost completely masked by the wind, and it did not wake the drowsy soldier.
Jiedu approached stealthily, his steps extremely slow, each step landing on the snow-covered ground with a soft "rustling" sound, which was quickly swallowed up by the gale.
He stopped three steps behind the soldier, took a deep breath, and then suddenly stretched out his left hand and covered the man's mouth with all his might to prevent him from making any noise.
With his right hand gripping the short knife tightly, the blade pressed against the soldier's neck, he slashed horizontally without hesitation.
The blade was exceptionally sharp, instantly slicing through the soldier's throat. Warm blood gushed out, but Jiedu blocked it tightly with his body, preventing it from splashing onto the surrounding ground or wooden walls and leaving any marks.
The soldier's body convulsed violently, his legs kicked the ground, and he quickly lost his strength and collapsed limply to the ground.
Jiedu bent down, grabbed the soldier's arms with both hands, and dragged him into the shadows at the base of the wooden wall, where the planks of the planks made it difficult for patrolling soldiers to spot him.
After taking care of the first sentry post, Jiedu made a safe gesture downwards, pressing his palm down to indicate that it was safe to proceed.
The other soldiers immediately sprang into action, throwing their ropes at the wooden wall. The iron hooks drew arcs in the air, accurately catching the inner crossbeams.
Their movements were as swift and decisive as Jiedu's, without the slightest hesitation. One by one, they quickly climbed up the ropes, scaled the wooden wall, and landed gently. Once on the ground, they immediately dispersed and headed towards their assigned posts according to their pre-assigned targets.
There are six fixed sentry posts on the wooden wall, evenly distributed in different positions. Each Midland soldier has his own target in mind, moving in a low, stealthy manner to avoid possible line of sight.
"Ugh... why aren't they here yet..."
The soldier at the second post was rubbing his hands together, his breath instantly dissipating in the cold air. He looked up at the swirling snow and muttered curses under his breath about the terrible weather, his voice full of complaints and exhaustion.
Under the cover of the snowstorm, a Midland soldier stealthily approached. Taking advantage of the moment the man turned to spit, the soldier swiftly stepped forward, covered the man's mouth with his left hand, and swiftly sliced the man's neck with his right hand's short knife, ending his life cleanly and decisively.
The soldier swayed and fell to the ground in the snow, where he was dragged to cover by his comrades who arrived shortly afterward.
The soldiers on the sentry post seemed somewhat alert, glancing up from time to time, but their eyes were unfocused and unfocused, mechanically scanning their surroundings.
The Midland soldier waited patiently until the gale whipped up an even larger wave of snow. Taking advantage of the moment when the snowstorm was at its strongest, he quickly moved behind the soldier, covered his mouth, and slit his throat. The whole process took no more than two seconds. The soldier didn't even have time to realize what was happening before he was already dead.
The soldiers at the other outposts were also dealt with silently. In less than half an hour, all six fixed outposts on the wooden wall were eliminated without any alarm or disturbance within the camp.
All the fallen Yoda soldiers were dragged to hidden places, some hidden under wooden walls, others stuffed into the gaps in the wooden planks, leaving no trace whatsoever.
Jiedu gathered everyone together, made a shushing gesture, put his finger to his lips, and then pointed towards the gate.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and then followed Jiedu, keeping their bodies low, and crept towards the door.
There were no patrolling soldiers on the paths within the camp; clearly, everyone was huddled in their tents to avoid the wind and snow, which made their movements much smoother.
Two Yoda soldiers stood on either side of the gate, their bodies stiff from the cold. They leaned against the door frame, almost half-standing, their eyes unfocused and lifeless, barely able to lift their hands.
Prolonged hunger and cold had rendered them incapable of fighting; they mechanically stood guard, fulfilling their final duty, without even bothering to observe their surroundings.
Jiedu stopped and gestured to two soldiers to deal with the two on the left, while he and another person took care of the two on the right, clearly dividing the tasks.
The four of them moved together, slowly approaching their respective targets, their footsteps as light as cats.
A Midland soldier on the left walked up behind the first Yoda soldier, and taking advantage of the moment when Yoda's eyelids drooped, he suddenly reached out and covered Yoda's mouth, and swiftly slashed Yoda's throat with a short knife.
Another soldier acted almost simultaneously, taking down the Yoda soldier next to him; the movements were synchronized and without any hesitation.
On Jiedu's side, taking advantage of the moment a Yoda soldier blinked, he stepped forward, covered the man's mouth tightly with his left hand, and precisely stabbed the man's neck with his right hand, the blade reaching the vital point.
The soldiers next to him quickly dealt with the remaining Yoda soldier in the same way.
The four Yoda soldiers collapsed without making a sound, their bodies limp on the ground.
Jedo and his companions immediately bent down and dragged the four corpses to the shadows behind the gate, where there was a pile of wood that could cover the bodies.
After disposing of the body, Jiedu walked to the inside of the gate and gripped the heavy wooden bolt with both hands.
The wooden latch was made of thick, round wood with a smooth surface. It had become icy cold due to the low temperature, making his palms slightly numb.
He took a deep breath, exerted force with both arms, lifted the wooden latch upwards, and then slowly slid it to one side. The friction between the wooden latch and the door frame produced a slight creaking sound, which was not loud and was quickly drowned out by the howling wind outside, and did not reach the interior of the camp.
He pushed open the door on one side, but the sound of the door hinges turning was also swallowed up by the wind and snow.
In the darkness not far from the gate, Griffith was quietly waiting with his large army. The soldiers held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the direction of the gate.
"opened."
Just then, Griffiths saw the door slowly open, and then a person came out and waved to them.
"Jiedu and his team succeeded! Everyone, charge forward now!"
Upon seeing the gate open, Griffiths immediately waved his hand, giving a powerful swing of his arm to signal the attack, and then led his soldiers into the camp.