Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The June rain carried gusts of wind and thunder, gradually turning the soft earth into a mire. The farmlands near the river grew lush, and the river's level slowly rose. However, on the western bank of the Adobe River, in the once-thriving territory of Golden Bay, skirmishes and small-scale fights frequently erupted around various villages. Blood bloomed, buried under dust and mud, injecting vitality into the jungle farmlands, while more fertilizer was buried beneath the riverside cornfields.

"Ha! The current situation is like a group of monkeys gathered, wielding stones, clinging to trees as they fend off the wolves... The battle of Golden Bay City is indeed not one to be rushed!"

Black Wolf Torc was fully armed, wielding a bronze axe, leading over a thousand elite Canine Descendants along a narrow dirt road. The July seaside was scorching hot, and even with just leather armor, Black Wolf was sweating profusely. However, he pressed forward, lips tightly sealed, quietly contemplating the recent battles.

More than ten days ago, he led thousands of his main forces, rapidly heading south, and established a logistical camp in the vicinity of Snake Lake Village. Subsequently, he personally led his troops, probing the defenses of Golden Bay City, executing an unexpected ambush that severely damaged the forces from Lake Sacrifice City. From prisoners, he learned about the Totonac East-West Allied Forces in detail.

When Black Wolf rushed south, he even personally scouted in skirmishes. Yet upon obtaining detailed intelligence on the enemy, he became more cautious.

"The East and West Totonac divisions have thirty thousand warriors and militia with ample supplies, whereas the legion coming south has only four thousand from the Guajili Legion, a thousand from the Artillery Camp, two thousand from the Mistec Vanguard Camp, and sixty-five hundred Totonac defectors... approximately fourteen thousand in total!"

Considering the comparative strengths of both sides, Black Wolf couldn't help but frown and sighed softly.

"The number of Kingdom's Warriors from my main forces is still too small! In the past half month, I've pulled in two thousand from the Guajili Legion from both Five Mountains City and the newly conquered Snake City. The remaining four thousand of my main forces are required to suppress defectors from various tribes, controlling the two hundred li between Five Mountains City and Snake City has been stretched to the limit, with no further reinforcements possible... It seems I must write to His Highness, requesting additional support from the legion!"

At this moment, if Black Wolf had fourteen thousand troops from the Lake Corps, he would have the confidence to attack Golden Bay City directly and engage the thirty thousand Totonac Allied Forces in battle! But currently, he only had four thousand of his main forces, two thousand from allied backgrounds, and the rest were mostly unreliable Totonac defectors.

"Five or six thousand local defectors might be capable of playing to their strengths in a battle with favorable odds, or in a siege under the supervision of Kingdom's Warriors, without morale issues! But leading them against the numerically superior Totonac Allied Forces in a decisive battle would probably result in a direct collapse, dragging down the Kingdom's Warriors with them!"

Being a seasoned warrior, Black Wolf had no trust in recently surrendered tribal defectors. In large-scale battle formations, those defectors with low morale would not last long without sufficient numerical advantage. Once defectors fled, the entire army would be shaken, and even the core elite troops would suffer a severe drop in morale. In a decisive battle, even with just six thousand main and allied troops against the threefold Allied Forces, it equates to a higher victory likelihood than with unreliable allies.

"The Totonac Allied Forces have walls to rely on for defense, making an open-field battle by the city difficult to completely disrupt. Moreover, if they muster courage, rushing from the city to engage in battles outside the city, or turn into confusion fights near the jungle..."

The thought of such a scenario sent shivers down Black Wolf's spine, making him even more cautious and vigilant.

Should it turn into a chaotic battle in the woods, the Kingdom's Warriors would be unable to leverage their advantage in formation battles and might be overwhelmed by the jungle-adept Totonac Allied Forces. Taking this possibility into account, Black Wolf withdrew the forces outside Golden Bay City to consolidate at Snake Lake Village, distancing from dense contacts around Golden Bay City. He then separated a secondary force, led by Tupa, supported by the Artillery Camp, to attack the southeast's outer fort, Brown Forest Fort, of Golden Bay City.

"Southeast deep... the forest village... the Adobe Great River... Golden Bay City's logistics..."

While contemplating, Black Wolf looked forward, towards the forest dirt road leading southeast. This road was only two to three meters wide, flanked by palm trees and freshly cut thorns and branches. On the middle of the dirt road, there were footprints of marching troops and deep wheel marks.

"Chief Divine protect! In the jungle, marching thousands of troops requires reliance on well-trodden dirt roads laid by villagers over centuries. A large army departing from these roads, without access to village connections or stable water sources, delving into dense jungle, is almost certain death! Even the villagers' repaired dirt roads are mostly ramshackle and narrow, still a hard path for marching a grand army!..."

Since leading east from Five Mountains City to the lowland seaside, Black Wolf slowly realized that marching through the lowland jungles was markedly different from the highland valley march!

The Mexican Plateau was generally open; between City-States lay plains or sparse mountain forests that allowed easy passage for armies. Thus, legions could move quickly and respond flexibly. But upon entering the Totonac lowlands, jungles obstructed passage, with City-States, villages, and military forts often only connected by fixed narrow dirt paths. These simple roads became the fixed logistical lines for a grand army. Consequently, major battles centered around roads and villages.

"Certainly, in this Totonac coast jungle lowland, the better means of moving large armies are the river and sea routes!"

Black Wolf paused, twisting his head to gaze into the distance. By now, the direction towards Golden Bay City had changed from due east to northeast, roughly thirty li away, where a plain lay on a river-sea confluence. To the north of Golden Bay City stretched a coast running east-west, and its east side hosted the north-south flowing Adobe Great River.

"The coast connects east and west, the Great River links north and south. The troop reinforcements and food supplies from all Totonac divisions can easily converge on Golden Bay City. Yet, our Alliance's Naval Forces lack enough advantage to sever Golden Bay City's river and sea routes..."

Upon reaching this thought, Black Wolf squinted, further affirming his plan.

"We cannot directly engage in Golden Bay City... Instead, lure out these chaotic Seaside Tribes one by one, resolving them outside! Let's see whether, when a secondary force advances stealthily threatening their rear, exposing opportunities to take advantage... the Totonac Allied Forces divisions remain calm."

"Besides dividing the Allied Forces and luring them into defeat, there's a more crucial objective... Striving to cut off the rear of Golden Bay City, controlling the Adobe Great River... regardless of how difficult or how many lives it may cost...

Black Wolf clarified his thoughts, his resolve hardened. He said nothing but hastened his pace. The elite Canine Descendants around him similarly sped up, unrelenting in their march.

In less than half an hour, an intense black smoke was rising from the forest ahead, indicating the presence of battle's blood and fire. Soon, traces of blood, corpses, and broken stone spears appeared near the dirt road, all signs of the ruthless battlefield nearby.

Moments later, the wind carried a harsh smoky scent, mingling the remains of lingering gunpowder smoke with the heavy stench of blood. The sparse palms beside the dirt road suddenly thinned; daylight brightened, opening to a broader view.

Black Wolf's spirit lifted as he stepped out of the jungle's fringe. A small lake, reflecting the adjoining hills and the encampment on the hills, unfolded before his eyes.

"Good! Very good! Praise the Chief Divine! Brown Forest Fort, finally arrived!"