Chapter 105: The Final Battle
Perhaps no one had noticed something, which was that at some point, Rocky had become the leader of this mission.
At the beginning of the mission, everything related to it was determined by Lin Feng and Liliya, with Rocky more of a bystander. But now, both Liliya and Lin Feng had begun to follow his commands unconsciously.
Liliya might be understandable, but it was quite abnormal for Lin Feng, because in terms of strength, experience, and even capabilities Lin Feng should have been far superior to Rocky. Yet, Lin Feng kept asking Rocky what to do, as he was doing now.
And when the speech had ended, everyone immediately frowned, because the implication was clear, they were planning to give up using the Skyship to harass the demons, and instead let the demons attack proactively!?
"Commander Rocky, are you planning to defend with all your might?"
Lin Feng, with his vast experience, instantly understood Rocky's intention, understanding that he planned to use all their strength to defend against the next demonic attack.
But...could they hold?
True, the high wall at the entrance of the village could serve as a barrier against the demons, but anyone could tell from the growing number of demons that their next attack would be on an unprecedented scale! Against such a huge number of demons, the high wall would be utterly useless.
And if even the high wall couldn't stop the demons, how could the troops of Backhill Village and Rocky's Guard Corps withstand them with their mere flesh and blood?
The answer seemed glaringly obvious—it was impossible to hold!
"I think we can."
However, in face of the doubts of Lin Feng and others, Rocky seemed very confident, "I think we can hold. At least, I am confident we can hold the next attack."
"Why?"
His confidence was not only incomprehensible to Lin Feng but even Liliya was somewhat puzzled.
"Because the number of demons won't be that many, at least not as many as you all imagine."
After saying this, he glanced at Felly, "Felly, according to the latest intelligence, how many demons have you found?"
"This... about fifty or so."
"Hmm, that's right."
Hearing this response, Rocky nodded his head and then said to everyone, "According to the current situation, it is true that the demons are being organized and brought together, but their numbers are limited."
"Captain Lin Feng, I remember you said that the demons around Break-Sky Mountain are actually very rare, right?"
"Yes..."
Lin Feng could only nod in response to this question, because it was true that there weren't many demons around Break-Sky Mountain.
After Lin Feng had nodded, Rocky continued, "Everyone, think about it. Since the demons around Break-Sky Mountain are few, even if they are organized and brought together, their number must have a limit, right?"
This assumption left no room for rebuttal from the crowd.
Seeing no one contest his point, Rocky then said:
"Now, let's consider this. From the beginning of the mission to now, how many demons have we eliminated? If I remember correctly, counting the achievements of the Skyship these past two days, we've killed at least a hundred demons. With this in mind, how many can be left surrounding Backhill Village?"
"I'm sure there can't be that many left."
"So, I believe that although the demons' next attack will surely be huge in number, it definitely won't be astronomical, at most around a hundred. That should be all the demons that can be gathered from around Break-Sky Mountain in the short term."
"Facing around a hundred demons, we have the advantage of the high wall, the soldiers, and the bombardment from ten Skyships; there's no reason we can't withstand the next attack."
Having said this, he paused for a moment, scanned the room, then continued:
"However, if we continue to send Skyships to harass them, the situation will be completely different, and even become much worse."
"The harassment from the skyships can indeed delay the demonic assault, but this delay is also very beneficial for the demons, because the longer it drags on, the more demons will arrive from all around. By then, we won't just be facing the demons from around Break-Sky Mountain; even demons from the surrounding areas may be gathered."
"By that time, not only will there be over a hundred demons, but there might even be over a thousand!"
"Captain Lin Feng, facing over a thousand demons, do you have confidence in defending against their attack?"
After saying this, Commander Rocky threw the final question at Lin Feng.
At this last question, Lin Feng opened his mouth several times but said nothing...
Could Backhill Village withstand an attack from over a thousand demons?
Was this even a question?
Facing an attack from over a thousand demons, not to mention Backhill Village, even a city would be leveled to the ground, wouldn't it?
So then Rocky continued, "Captain Lin Feng, let's prepare for defense next. For our Thunderhawk Mercenary Group, this will likely be the last battle of this mission. I and my troops will not shrink from this battle, rest assured on that account. It's just the matter afterwards..."
Rocky stopped talking there because he was right. Considering the timeline of the mission, the next battle indeed should be the last one for him and the Guard Corps in Backhill Village. Once this battle was over, the mission period would also be nearly up. However, once he led his troops away, Backhill Village would...
Have to fend for themselves...
Of course, Backhill Village still had one way out, and that was to leave with Rocky, but at this moment Rocky had not yet expressed this idea, because he could see that the people of Backhill Village were not yet desperate enough. Only when they were utterly desperate, with no way out, would Rocky put forth his suggestion.
After the conversation, Felly was the first to leave the tent. He went to recall all the skyships outside to prepare for the final battle of this mission.
Lin Feng also left with the people of Backhill Village, his face filled with worry. It was unclear whether he was worried about the next battle or the future of Backhill Village, but their expressions were one more unsightly than the next.
Once all the outsiders had left the tent, Rocky shared his plan with Liliya and Monte.
"Good idea!"
After hearing his thoughts, Liliya was the first to agree. If they could absorb all the people from Backhill Village into Thunderhawk City, the city's strength would immediately double. It was undoubtedly a situation where there were only benefits and no drawbacks.
At the same time, Liliya started to see Rocky in a new light. During this mission, Rocky's growth rate was astonishingly fast; he was becoming more and more like a true City Lord, just like his father.
At this point, it was decided what everyone should do next: prepare for battle with all their might!
So, when dawn broke, the troops from Backhill Village and Rocky's Guard Corps were completely integrated, with Liliya and Lin Feng discussing and taking responsibility for the command.
The skyships that had been dispatched earlier also returned that day, but instead of docking at Break-Sky Mountain, they stopped outside the high walls. Additionally, a skyship patrolled outside the village every day, constantly observing the demons' movements. Should there be any sign of a demonic attack, all the skyships outside the high wall would take to the skies.
In the midst of these intense preparations, a day quickly passed, followed by another day.
When the sun rose on the third day, the skyship that was patrolling around the village suddenly returned, bringing back news that everyone had anticipated: the demons had arrived!
"What's happening?"
As he hurried out of the tent, Rocky's first sight was Felly, to whom he posed the question.
"Sir, the scouting skyship has spotted a large number of demons heading towards Backhill Village."
"How far away are they?"
"Two kilometers."
"How many are there?"
Looking at Rocky, Felly swallowed hard before laboriously saying, "At least... at least more than a hundred...!"