The Natural Empire of the Oceanic Dragon

Audrey Hess blinked her innocent eyes, tilting her head and asking curiously:

"Why do you think it's cruel to just take their food and burn their fields and houses when you've left them with their lives?"

Atlan took out a few golden apples from his dimensional bag, wiped them on his silk clothes, and handed one to Audrey Hess.

"Audrey Hess, how long do you think we Ocean Hydras can go without eating before we starve to death?"

Audrey Hess took a bite of the apple, and her eyes lit up instantly.

"So sweet! And it has a warm energy, like the sun. Why didn't I get to eat this kind of apple when I went to your territory last time?"

These apples with a bit of solar energy are actually failed products of the Vine Woman's golden apple research. In fact, all kinds of apples now widely planted in the forest are by-products of the golden apple experiment.

"Never mind, as long as you'll have plenty to eat in the future. Just tell me, how long can you go without food?"

Audrey Hess thought seriously for a moment.

"If I'm locked in an environment where I can't absorb any energy, I can last up to three years before I starve to death."

"Then do you know how many days humans can go without food?"

Audrey Hess shook her head and said:

"I'm not human, how would I know how many days humans can go without food?"

Atlan smiled slightly.

"I've done a bit of research on humans. If they are people who can often eat their fill, they should be able to go seven days. If they often don't have food, the kind who are sometimes hungry and sometimes full, they'll be too weak to move in three days at most."

"Even if they can find something to eat on the escape route, I'm making sure those farmers survive as much as possible, just so they don't have enough food."

"To survive, the farmers can only ask the lord for a bite to eat. If the lord doesn't give it, who will farm for the lord if these farmers die? If the lord gives it, what will the soldiers guarding the city walls and resisting our army eat?"

Audrey Hess excitedly patted Atlan's shoulder.

"Your plan is so evil, but I like your plan. But you just thought those guys were as stupid as fish, why do you think they can execute your plan well?"

Atlan was stunned by the question.

"You're right."

Atlan quickly waved to the fish-man guard next to him.

"You immediately notify the generals that those races good at running should not set off immediately after they are assembled. I want to train them first."

"They can only set off after they understand what they are going to do and get my permission. Go quickly."

Atlan's tone was a little serious. He was really afraid that these guys with only muscles in their heads would ruin his plan.

"Tell me quickly, what ideas do you have now?"

"Don't worry, take your time. These generals are even more mindless than I expected. Strength is indeed important, but why bring so many soldiers to war? Isn't it because war isn't a one-person game?"

If it were that simple, each side would just send out their strongest warrior to duel, and the losing side would surrender directly. Wouldn't that save so many people from dying?

Soon, a fish-man guard ran back.

"Great General, your war room is ready. The generals have all arrived and are waiting for you in the war room."

Atlan blinked in confusion and asked:

"Why did the generals arrive so quickly? Shouldn't they be with their soldiers?"

The fish-man was stunned for a moment before explaining:

"The generals usually live on an island in the east. When the Dragon Lord wants to attack the human kingdom, he will use magic to summon the generals, and then the generals will gather their soldiers resting on the Eastern Islands."

Atlan frowned at the fish-man guard.

"The soldiers don't usually train?"

The fish-man guard looked at Atlan, who was suppressing his anger, in confusion.

"Train? Does the Great General mean the kind where two soldiers wrestle and fight, and a group of soldiers guess who will win?"

As a fish-man guard stationed in the Crystal Palace, he was a little smarter than ordinary fish-men.

After all, guarding the Crystal Palace requires not only strength, but also a brain, so as not to offend the nobles who come and go.

Atlan waved his hand.

"Forget it, just take me to the war room. I'll find out what's going on first."

Audrey Hess didn't understand military affairs, but her intuition was sharp.

"Atlan, do soldiers have to be trained before they can be sent out to fight?"

"Of course, soldiers must be able to understand orders and know what to do on the battlefield. On the battlefield, soldiers will be divided into many parts, some to resist the enemy's attack, some to attack the enemy, some to go around to the side to sneak attack, some to defend against enemy sneak attacks, some as reserves, waiting for the enemy to reveal weaknesses before attacking, instead of rushing chaotically into the enemy's camp."

Audrey Hess nodded as if she understood.

"I thought the only thing generals needed to do was wave their weapons and say 'Follow me!' before the battle. I didn't know there were so many things to do."

Atlan's mouth twitched. When he arrived at the entrance of the war room, he heard a chaotic noise inside before he even entered. They were all scolding the two generals on duty.

They were saying that it was because their strength was too poor that Atlan thought all of them generals were useless.

Atlan kicked the door open directly.

After everyone quieted down, he walked to his Great General's seat and sat down.

"I ask you, which generals' troops are the enemy most afraid of?"

A minotaur more than three meters tall, covered in explosive muscles and scars, a naga with eight hands holding knives, and a four-armed fish-man raised his hand.

The minotaur flexed his muscles and said confidently:

"Of course it's us! Every time we attack, the enemy's lines are broken by us."

Atlan nodded.

"Then after you break the lines, do you completely defeat the enemy?"

The naga's hoarse voice sounded.

"We have broken their lines again and again, but they can always gather people together to form new lines, or they will shrink on the city walls and never come out again."

"But every time, we kill many enemies. If we do it a few more times, they will not have the strength to continue fighting us."

Atlan understood. They could win, but they didn't know how to seize the opportunity to eliminate the enemy. As expected, they were just fools with strength.

"Your losses are not low either, right?"

The four-armed fish-man said confidently:

"As long as there is enough food, the fish-men can quickly grow a batch of qualified warriors!"

At first, Atlan thought so too, but now he found that if he wanted to get high-quality fish-men, then the fish-men's incubation time and growth time would also be extended accordingly.

Either they exchange lifespan for power, where a merman who could originally live for sixty years is left with only thirty, or even twenty years of life. However, these mermen are usually thrown onto the battlefield after reaching adulthood at the age of five.

Even with good luck, they won't live past ten years old before dying, so naturally, no merman lord cares about their short natural lifespan.

These stupid fellows will never know how much the survival rate of young mermen could be improved if they could receive the experience of the old guys.

"Forget it, the task for you three this time is to lead your most elite soldiers, and gather some members of various races who are not good at fighting to head to the Allied Forces' controlled area with great fanfare."

"Of course, your task isn't to really start a war with them. Remember to move slowly. When you're about to clash with them, retreat."

Upon hearing that they didn't have to actually fight, the three generals breathed a sigh of relief, but they were unwilling to retreat.

"General, isn't this just making us run around for nothing, wasting so much food? Could it be that you intend for us to exhaust those who can't fight?"

"After the humans are tired of killing, we'll charge up with our elites?"

Although they weren't clear on the specific consumption, they knew that once the soldiers left their homes to fight, the consumption of food would definitely increase.

Attilan laughed in anger.

He retracted his previous words. These guys aren't just stupid, they're stupid and evil!

Charge out after they're tired of killing? You're really something!

Next time, I'll make you a suicide squad.

"Have you prepared the rapid assault troops I asked for?"

More than ten generals looked at each other. A black centaur tentatively said:

"General, the fastest should be our centaurs, werewolves, and boarmen, but we have enough food. Why should we rob the enemy's food?"

Looking at his expression, Attilan knew that this guy was worried about being used as cannon fodder.

"I ask you, if a human force charges into our territory and burns the food of our farmers, will we still have enough food?"

"We have enough."

Looking at their matter-of-course expressions, Attilan really wanted to slap each of them.

"Not only do we have enough, but we can also have a group of angry soldiers. They may not be strong enough, but anger can enhance their power. This way, humans will be tired of killing faster, and their weapons will no longer be sharp."

"General, if there really is such a group of humans, maybe we can really win this time!"

Looking at their eager appearances, Attilan took a deep breath. How could he manage the Sea of Life's army with this group of vermin?

No wonder Cerestis doesn't value them at all. So he really treats them as cannon fodder. Is it true that only those who awaken the dragon bloodline can contribute to his consecration and gain his attention?

"Follow my plan. Gather the centaur, werewolf, and boarmen troops. Tomorrow, set off with me to attack the villages of the Northern Human Kingdom!"

Odetty, who had been silent all along, asked:

"Are you planning to use the Northern Human Kingdom to practice first?"

Attilan nodded.

"If I let them directly attack the Eastern Kingdom, I'm afraid they'll find out about my plan and let the farmers retreat in advance, then the plan won't be realized."

Odetty quickly said:

"Then you go attack the River Valley Kingdom. The king of the River Valley Kingdom actually dared to intercept my caravan. I've wanted to deal with him for a long time. If it weren't for Father not letting me leave the Sea of Life."

"His capital would have become a sea of fire long ago. Now that you're going to the River Valley Kingdom, it's just right to help me collect some interest back!"

Looking at the gnashing Odetty, Attilan couldn't help but sigh that the king of the River Valley Kingdom was really blinded by greed. Although the old thing probably didn't know that the caravan was serving Odetty, this noble sea dragon.

Attilan smiled and said:

"Did you hear that? You three immediately go and gather the troops. Tomorrow, I want to see them at the north gate of the Crystal Palace, understand!"

"Yes!"

The three generals immediately stood up and went out to gather the troops.

A skinny merman stood up and said:

"General, although we Deep Sea Mermen are not good at fighting on land, we can also attack those villages that live by the water. At night, let the priests release water mist, and we can silently kill an entire village."

"No, we can knock them unconscious and steal all their food. General, don't worry, we Deep Sea Mermen can definitely kill the fewest people and steal the most things!"

Attilan's eyes lit up. So there are still smart people.

"Tell me, what kind of work are you Deep Sea Mermen responsible for?"

The skinny merman immediately said:

"General, we are mainly responsible for reconnaissance and assassination. Many human nobles have died in our hands, successfully hindering the human's actions to support the front lines. This is how we successfully captured the human city."

The muscular minotaur excitedly slapped the table.

"Stop trying to take credit for yourself. Even without you, couldn't we have taken that city?"

Attilan's eyes turned into golden dragon eyes, releasing a powerful dragon aura.

"What makes you dare to slap the table in front of me?"

The minotaur immediately lowered his head.

"General, the Deep Sea Mermen are full of lies. That city was already about to be breached by us. If I hadn't severely injured the human general during the day, how could they have successfully assassinated him at night."

"They can only bully some weak nobles in the rear of the humans. It's already a disgrace for us to sit with these powerless guys."

"With the General's strength, leading us to directly charge the human city walls and breaking through the city in one fell swoop is completely no problem. There's no need for such trouble at all."

Attilan coldly said:

"If I have to do everything, then what use are you?"

Just using his brain and mouth is already tiring enough for him. He still wants him to do it himself? This minotaur is ugly and thinks highly of himself.

"Deep Sea General, since you often go deep behind enemy lines, then you must know what place behind enemy lines is most important to the Allied Forces?"

The Deep Sea Merman immediately said:

"Kabul! That's where they gather the food transported from all over. It's just that the defense there is very tight. We have no way to set fire to it."

"Is there any way to send a large army to attack Kabul from the mountain road or waterway?"

The Deep Sea Merman shook his head.

"No, Kabul's defenses are as tight as being wrapped in seaweed, considering all directions, with no loopholes at all."

"Then are there any other cities? Like the human capital. If the surrounding guards are all drawn away, is there a way to send a large army to sneak attack?"

The Deep Sea General hesitated for a moment and then said:

"This... My men have indeed been to the human capital, but I really don't know if we can hide the tracks of a large army and sneak into the human capital."