Munitions Empire-Chapter 1196 - 1116 must be different

"This is ultimately not our home, child." An old Orc patted Shan Lu’s shoulder and said wistfully, "They have deceived us too many times, so I no longer wish to trust them."

"This time is different. Back then, they deceived us... Now, they only feel pity for us." Shan Lu watched groups of Orc warriors disembarking and spoke to the elder.

This elder was a chieftain of their tribe, a stubborn man who firmly believed that no humans were good.

Of course, later his opinion underwent a slight change when he came to the Great Tang, where he saw many well-fed and warmly dressed Orc slaves.

It was his first time seeing slaves being treated so well. Here, the heads of slave labor even lived better than some of the Orc elites in the Orc Empire.

This had somewhat altered his perception of humans, yet he still didn’t believe they would provide the Orcs with an untouched paradise, a place that could sustain millions of his kind.

The island before them, though it wasn’t home to the Orcs, was said to be a much larger island with a decent port and vast arable land!

For the Orcs, that place was truly heaven. But unfortunately, given humans’ past conduct, it was impossible for them to give such a good place to the Orcs.

The elder was taken aback, highly surprised by Shan Lu’s words. He looked at Shan Lu and spoke with confusion, "Why would you say that?"

Shan Lu recalled everything he had personally witnessed before. At that time, the battles on the beach were not yet over. For the Orcs, such a level of combat was beyond imagination.

The enemy’s firepower density was ten times stronger than the Qin Country border’s defenses, and the sound of machine guns never ceased. The tanks and armored vehicles of the Great Tang Empire drove straight from the sea onto the beach, and the warship’s massive cannons roared deafeningly.

No one could survive in such an environment—this was Shan Lu’s belief. Yet the mighty Tang Army braved enemy machine guns and artillery fire, seized the beach, and rapidly launched an inland offensive.

By the time Shan Lu arrived at the beach, all that remained were mangled limbs and spilled blood. The sand was scattered with the corpses of Tang Army soldiers and the shattered ruins of bunkers torn apart by Tang Country’s artillery.

To be honest, if Orc soldiers had launched an attack on the defenses of Mirage Country, Shan Lu was certain his troops would have been pushed back into the sea. Even with heavy artillery support from the Tang Army, the enormous casualty rate would have caused his corps to collapse.

Yet the Tang Army did not retreat. They pressed forward resolutely, employing meticulous tactics. With precise artillery strikes and advanced weaponry, they quickly broke through the Mirage Country defenses stationed on the beach!

To the Orcs, this was nothing short of a miracle! As an elite commander, Shan Lu’s fear of Tang Country’s power had rooted itself deeply in his bones.

The squads of Stukas in the sky seemed invincible to him. Those planes, roaring like dragons, were celestial beasts soaring through the heavens! They were unbeatable! And they truly were unbeatable!

When Shan Lu’s brief recollection ended, he spoke with conviction to the Orc elder, "I personally witnessed the bloody scenes of the Tang People’s assault here. Before their strength, you and I are insignificant."

"Are they truly that powerful?" The chieftain was incredulous. Standing on the beach, he saw the remnants of Mirage Country’s defensive infrastructure but couldn’t imagine the full scope of what Shan Lu had seen.

Witnessing a battlefield firsthand and seeing the remains of one are two vastly different experiences: while the elder was indeed awed by the massive bunkers, he could not comprehend Shan Lu’s emotions.

No one could truly imagine what a 380mm-caliber shell flying overhead felt like—the air trembling, the earth quaking! At that moment, being alive was torment, and death a form of escape.

Want to know what it feels like when a tank passes nearby? Look at your own bedroom and imagine something equally large rolling by—terrifying beyond words.

"They are stronger than ever. They possess wisdom we lack—a brilliance that outshines gemstones." Shan Lu felt it was time to have a serious conversation with this wise elder, for if the Orcs dared to waver in their loyalty to the Great Tang Empire, they could lose far more than just land.

The elder’s response gave Shan Lu a mild sense of relief, as at least this tribal elder still had reason: "Indeed, during my time in the Great Tang, I saw something called hope. That was something we didn’t have—neither humans, nor Elves, nor Dwarves possessed it. But now humans have it, or rather... the Tang People have it."

After saying this, the elder added with a tone of unwillingness, "But Shan Lu! Are we truly going to pledge our loyalty?"

Shan Lu pointed to a cemetery by the sea in the distance and said to the elder beside him, "Look at that graveyard over there. They bled for us, so we should repay them in some way."

"Even if they ultimately deceive us?" The elder still doubted if the Great Tang Empire would fulfill its promise to grant the Orcs the Ben Island.

Shan Lu shook his head and replied resolutely, "No, even if they deceive us, for the sake of our race’s survival, we should submit to such immense power! In the past, we resisted because we had the strength to resist. Now we submit because we lack the capital to fight back."

"We too could wield such great power," the elder muttered begrudgingly after a few moments of silence.

Shan Lu nodded and then shared his thoughts, "Indeed. But before we gain such power, we should maintain a humble attitude towards the strong."

"You’re right…" The elder was surprised Shan Lu would agree with his view. He looked at Shan Lu and, for once, nodded in acknowledgment.

In the distance, boatloads of Orcs arrived at the floating docks. Now those interconnected docks were growing less stable.

The tidal forces, like a giant hand, relentlessly tormented the dock pontoons. The moored ships added further strain, and the structures would soon fatigue and ultimately collapse, rendering them useless.

The newly arrived Orcs were in no condition to work immediately. Many started vomiting along the shore. These landlubbers, before coming here, had never even seen the Endless Sea.

Now they had—yet their stomachs churned violently. During their journey, they barely ate, and now they could only crouch and dry heave, spitting up stomach acid.

Before coming here, many had never laid eyes on the ocean. Even for those who had, none could have imagined that seafaring was such a horrifying experience.

Despite the Great Tang’s ships boasting large tonnage and despite efforts to ensure the Orcs’ health with seasickness medication and quality food, seven or eight Orcs still perished from seasickness and other illnesses during the voyage. The remaining Orcs were in poor shape, barely able to walk. free𝑤ebnovel.com

Even the Orc elder was affected. He now leaned on a cane—something he hadn’t needed before. Lucky for him, as an elder, he had traveled in a car prior to this, gaining a slight immunity to seasickness.

Tang Country planned to transport 400,000 Orcs to South Island to assist with foundational construction, before migrating them and the local Goblins to New Island.

Once the Goblin slaves and Orcs completed the construction of New Island, they would be sent to Ben Island for further labor… Finally, Tang Country aimed to occupy Northern Island, relocating all remaining Goblins from Ben Island to the reserve on Northern Island.

The entire process was expected to take two years. All timelines were strict benchmarks, regardless of how many Orcs and Goblins perished in the process.

From this perspective, the Tang People were ruthless. Tang Country favored South Island and New Island, and once those were developed, they had little interest in the lives of the two races on Ben Island and Northern Island.

The Orcs fared slightly better, as the Great Tang Empire promised to provide sustenance for 500,000 Orcs for two years, as well as some weaponry to allow them to establish themselves on Ben Island.

As for whether the Orcs would clash with the Goblins, that was not Tang Country’s concern: the land was given, the weapons provided—if you failed to defend it, then blame yourselves.

General Feng Kezhi’s 9th Group Army was resting. A counterattack from Mirage Country was nearly impossible—they lacked aerial protection and naval superiority, and opposing a landing force was akin to walking into the jaws of death.

Thus, during this period, there were very few battles on South Island. The Great Tang Empire was frantically building airfields, ports, and shipyards here.

Tang Country’s leadership hoped to equip South Island with facilities to repair small-scale ships, unload large vessels, and service all Tang Country aircraft before further offensives were launched northward.

As long as transportation remained unimpeded, the Great Tang Empire’s supplies could flow endlessly to South Island, supporting the 9th Group Army’s northward advance.

"At least we see hope, even if it’s false hope… it’s still hope." The elder gazed at the distant sight of the constantly descending Y-130 transport planes and concluded.

He was already old, and if he could truly witness the Orcs leaving the desert and securing a foothold in the northern Endless Sea, he could rest in peace.

"I believe this time will be different." Shan Lu looked at the exhausted Orc laborers arriving after their long journey and declared resolutely.

He was still young. He believed the Orcs’ future remained firmly in his grasp! The Great Tang Empire’s promises must be unlike those of other humans!