For the next three days, the joint army swept across the Valen Empire.
The empire's army and many residents of the Valen Empire were forced to retreat to the capital to defend it.
Fortunately, the capital was filled with buildings, and a single skyscraper could accommodate tens of thousands of people.
Based on its pre-apocalypse scale, the city could house nearly ten million people. Now, housing a few million was more than enough.
At this point, the entire, vast Valen Empire had fallen.
The joint army madly plundered the captured cities, hoarding supplies and burning anything they couldn't take.
Thick plumes of black smoke billowed everywhere across the land.
The soldiers, witnessing their former homes being plundered like this, clenched their fists, their faces filled with indignation.
"The next phase is a siege. There's no strategy involved anymore; it all depends on the city and the bravery of our warriors!"
The媚精灵女王 (Mèijīnglíng Nǚwáng - Charm Elf Queen) stood on the city walls with the狐尾族族长 (Húwěizú Zúzhǎng - Fox-tailed Clan Chief), watching the enemy forces, which converged like a thousand rivers flowing into the sea. They were arrayed in neat formations, slowly gathering at the enemy camp ten kilometers outside the city.
The enemy's tents stretched as far as the eye could see, as if there were no end.
"Judging by the situation, the enemy has at least a million troops, and that's not including the forces still mobilizing."
"With the reinforcements from the south filling in the gaps, the enemy's encircling army could reach over two million!"
"And our available forces within the city are thirty thousand imperial soldiers, five thousand guards, seventy thousand allied beast-eared tribes, and one hundred thousand believers of the True God Cult."
"Two hundred thousand against ten times their numbers, and the enemy's reinforcements are still pouring in... If all the ancient gods were present, this battle would be much easier, but now..."
"It's likely to be very difficult!"
"Moreover, the enemy's trump card, the experts of the Black-tailed Swallow Legion, haven't appeared yet. Those are monsters capable of destroying a city single-handedly. I don't know if the city walls can withstand them," the Fox-tailed Clan Chief said with a worried expression.
"Let's hold them off as long as possible. As long as we can last until the True God returns, we can counterattack!" the Charm Elf Queen squinted her eyes, looking towards the endless beast-infested forestland on the other side.
"Even if the True God returns... with so many enemies, can we really do it?" the Fox-tailed Clan Chief asked doubtfully.
She believed in the True God's strength and that these enemies couldn't harm him.
However, expecting the True God to protect a city with millions of inhabitants seemed like too much to ask.
She feared the outcome would be the True God eliminating the enemy, but the followers would be decimated.
While it was true that believing in the True God required absolute faith, what was the point of faith if all the followers were dead?
Did anyone who worshipped a deity have no selfish desires?!
"I firmly believe the True God will return at the critical moment. What we need to do is our best to hold on until victory arrives!"
"Therefore, from now on, divide the army into five teams, each with forty thousand soldiers, to defend the city in rotation."
"This will minimize fatigue and prevent the enemy's attrition tactics!"
"After all, the enemy's two million troops cannot all be thrown into the siege battle at once. An attrition warfare strategy is inevitable."
"We must prepare for a long-term engagement," the Charm Elf Queen commanded.
"Yes. The soldiers of the Valen Empire and the believers of the True God Cult have just withdrawn from the front lines. Let them rest!"
"I will have the allied beast-eared tribes defend the city first," the Fox-tailed Clan Chief said.
"Mm, let's do that!" The Charm Elf Queen nodded, her gaze fixed on the dense enemy camps outside the city, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
A brutal defensive battle was about to begin, and among these comrades and friends beside her, who could tell who would survive this arduous fight and see the end?
Meanwhile, within the joint army camp.
One-eyed, along with the official members of the Black-tailed Swallow Legion and dozens of reserve members, had all arrived.
The leaders and generals of various countries gathered in the main camp, discussing countermeasures.