Chương 90: Capturing Forest Keep

With the second volley of cannon fire, the massive wooden gates of Forest Keep disintegrated. Li Qinwu gave the order: "Charge! Kill anyone who resists!" The musket-wielding Goblins suppressed the ramparts with disciplined fire, picking off any crossbowman brave enough to peek out. Then, the Ogre Dang-Dang, clad in heavy armor, charged like a juggernaut. Each step shook the ground until he slammed into the ruins of the gate, clearing the path. Inside, it wasn't a battle; it was a massacre.

In the tight corridors, the officers' 40mm hand cannons loaded with buckshot tore through rows of human soldiers. Within five minutes, the outer courtyard was secured. The Siege of the Keep: Napalm from the Windows Baron Zoao retreated into the stone main tower, barricading the iron doors with heavy stones. Rather than wasting cannonballs on the walls, Li Qinwu brought up his 10 Incinerator Recruits.

"Target the upper windows. Fireballs. Don't stop until you're drained!" The Goblins hurled their "napalm" fireballs through the narrow slits. The sticky black flames ignited the interior instantly. Faced with a slow death by fire or surrender, the terrified humans inside clawed away the barricades and stumbled out into the waiting shackles of the Alliance. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Spoils of War The System notification flashed: Victory! Kills: 311 | Prisoners: 254 | Experience: 1230 Forest Keep Captured. Choose Action: [Pardon], [Loot], [Raze] Li Qinwu chose [Loot]. His system troops immediately stripped the castle bare. While his relationship with the nobility plummeted to -100, the local peasants' favor actually rose by +5. The Baron had clearly been a hated tyrant. Total Loot Summary: Currency: 12, 800 Denars, ~20kg of gold, and chests of silver/copper.

Supplies: Grain 470, Meat 311 (4 months of rations). Gear: 1 suit of Ornate Plate, 190 Battle Swords, 49 Chainmail shirts. Li Qinwu distributed the swords as rewards, keeping the troops' morale sky-high. The Iron Law: "Fist Punishment" As the army settled in to rest, Gobu-Bow brought forward three bound Goblins. They had abandoned their posts during the heat of battle to satisfy their baser instincts. Li Qinwu's eyes narrowed. The shadow of the rebellious 8th Company still loomed.

"Strip the 8th Company's officers of all merit. Retract all rewards from those involved in the assault. Disband the 8th Squad entirely!" He looked at the three trembling Goblins and delivered the verdict:"Fist Punishment." In this army, discipline was the backbone. If they were allowed to revert to savage monsters now, they would never become the force capable of conquering the world.