Meanwhile, Marshal Carter’s side.
They discovered that the people on the city walls had all been replaced by individuals from military transport aircraft.
The people emerging from the military transport aircraft were all clad in thick armor, though they seemed bewildered as to why.
“Marshal Carter! Do these people think this is an ancient battlefield, dressing in all this tin-plated steel armor!” Carter’s observer found the comical sight utterly amusing.
However, Marshal Carter, with his many years of combat experience, did not find it funny at all.
As a professional soldier, Marshal Carter certainly wouldn’t believe that people descending from military aircraft would be so frivolous in battle.
If they were frivolous, it wouldn’t be like this.
At this moment, Carter even harbored a sense of unease about who these newcomers might be.
Carter’s artillery was still bombarding the wall facing the Middle Eastern African and Imperial forces of the Carter Group Army.
Yet, the individuals in "medieval armor" standing on the wall showed no signs of wavering.
Carter felt as though nothing could intimidate them; such an army could easily unnerve him.
After all, while the previous harassing forces had been strong, their numbers had been too small. This time, there were at least over ten thousand troops, and their true combat capabilities were certainly not inferior to those of the previous forces.
This was what Carter was contemplating. After all, towards an army he knew nothing about, Carter maintained the demeanor of a leader or a general.
At Carter’s command.
“Halt.”
The Carter Group Army’s artillery fire ceased, and both sides observed each other.
One of Carter’s officers then suggested.
“Shall we attempt a feint attack to gauge their strength?”
Marshal Carter readily adopted this suggestion.
He then directly ordered a contingent of his troops to advance slowly towards the wall where the First Regiment was stationed.
Of course, Marshal Carter was unaware that the armor, manufactured by District 13, could directly withstand the impact of .7.62mm magazine rounds.
This newly developed armor could even resist a full-power strike from an early-stage Houtian realm cultivator.
Therefore, the First Regiment, standing openly on the city wall, was merely a tactic by Chen Fan to intimidate Marshal Carter.
At the very least, it would give Carter’s forces a solid warning to deter the Carter Group Army, and allow time for the Death Knights and District 13’s heavy firepower, with whom Chen Fan had made arrangements, to arrive.
This was to prevent Carter’s heavy artillery from overwhelming them first. Even with his new troops, Chen Fan’s personal experience fighting the Carter Group Army would likely result in mutual destruction. Even a strong individual like Chen Fan, a ‘God-Piercer’ level expert, would not dare to directly confront concentrated fire from multiple heavy weaponry.
Thus, Chen Fan himself also donned the new armor developed by District 13.
At the very least, even if the Middle Eastern African and Imperial forces were breached by the Carter Group Army, Chen Fan would have a chance to escape on his own.
Chen Fan’s Death Knights, along with his own mercenary team remaining in the Middle East, totaling around fifteen thousand men, were also secretly rushing over.
However, their estimated arrival time was generally one to two days.
Therefore, the sole reason Chen Fan ordered the others to dig trenches was to wait.
To wait, with a single word.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan was anxiously directing operations within the city. Suddenly, the voice of the First Regiment commander echoed from the city wall.
Upon hearing that a force of nearly a thousand men was slowly approaching, Chen Fan knew it was the Carter Group Army’s feint attack, intended to test the strength of Chen Fan and his men. They were certainly not bringing any heavy weaponry.
Without a second thought, Chen Fan directly replied to the First Regiment Commander.
“Attack them! Hit them hard! Show them our spirit, and charge out!”
Upon hearing Chen Fan’s response, the First Regiment Commander was instantly exhilarated.
After all, for the First Regiment Commander, this was his first battle.
He immediately organized his troops, preparing to open the gates and meet the enemy head-on.
Seeing the First Regiment Commander’s excitement, Chen Fan quickly reminded him.
“Remember to match their numbers. Only by engaging them with roughly equal numbers can we have a chance of victory.”
“Your current strength is generally too weak, so it’s best not to engage in battles with superior numbers on the enemy’s side.”
Hearing Chen Fan’s words, the First Regiment Commander immediately agreed.
“Understood, Officer.”
With that, the First Regiment Commander led his one thousand warriors, clad in specialized protective suits, and charged out towards the forces dispatched by the Carter Group Army, showing no hesitation as the Carter Group Army’s ranks stood before them.
The Carter Group Army was utterly bewildered.
“What kind of tactic is this?” Carter asked the general beside him.
The general beside Carter took the binoculars, observed the bizarre scene, and shook his head, indicating his ignorance.
He then inquired if Carter wished to use mortars or anti-tank heavy artillery for probing.
Carter, upon hearing this, fell into thought.
And then, as an exceptionally peculiar scene unfolded in Carter’s binoculars, Carter surprisingly refused to order his cannons to fire.
He then instructed the general to take the binoculars and see for himself.
When the general took the binoculars again, his eyes beheld a sight that filled him with extreme dread.
The two sides on the front line had already begun exchanging fire. The First Regiment had a considerable number of martial arts practitioners, their physiques were stronger than ordinary people, and they were wearing specialized protective suits, which provided even greater defense.