Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 806

806. Skirmish in the Jungle (12)

Aturkurt and his warriors’ suicidal charge ended in annihilation under the expeditionary force’s volley.

The surviving Mexica warriors continued their desperate retreat, dying from the expeditionary force’s artillery fire and gunshots.

The Mexica warriors, fleeing in a frenzy, were consumed by fear and had lost all reason.

Wounded comrades, fallen on the ground, reached out their hands for help. However, the terrified Mexica warriors violently shook off these hands, desperately fleeing from the expeditionary force.

Their destination was Tenochtitlan.

* * *

As the Mexica warriors continued their retreat, the command led by Yi Jing-ok arrived at the jungle entrance, assessing the situation.

“Shall we pursue the fleeing enemies?”

Yi Jing-ok shook his head at the question from his aide, who had identified the fleeing Mexica warriors through his monocle.

“No, there’s no need to chase them now. It’s better to let them go for now.”

“Sir?”

Seeing the aide’s questioning look, Yi Jing-ok continued.

“Those running away now must be terrified, right?”

“Judging from their disorderly retreat, they are definitely terrified.”

“When they meet us again later, do you think those bastards will be able to fight properly?”

“No, they won’t.”

“And what do you think will happen to the others who see their state [referring to their terrified condition]?”

After pondering Yi Jing-ok’s question for a moment, the aide’s face lit up.

“They will be intimidated and shrink back! It will be the ‘battle won without fighting’ that Sun Tzu spoke of as the greatest victory!”

Yi Jing-ok chuckled and shook his head at the aide’s words.

“We still have to fight. Why do you think we came all the way here? Wasn’t it to wipe out those human-eating bastards who aren’t even human? If we just accept their surrender, we’ll lose our justification. Letting those bastards run away now is so we can wipe them out more easily later. They’ll either be swept away while running around in fear, or they’ll rush at us like cornered rats and die. Either way, it will reduce our effort. We’re on an expedition to a place with no proper roads. Minimizing our effort is the best option. So….”

Yi Jing-ok paused, turned his head towards the jungle, and continued.

“For now, wiping out those bastards who are just watching from inside the jungle is the priority. There seems to be someone among them who is actually thinking. The most troublesome opponent in war is someone who can think.”

“Understood. The preparation of the carts is almost complete, so I will have them depart as soon as possible.”

“Tell them to hurry.”

“Yes, General!”

Soon after, carts carrying the Byeongshik Hwachas [Korean multiple rocket launcher] and soldiers began to move along the jungle’s edge.

Thanks to the Bigu [a type of mythical bird] in the sky, who was informing them of the location of the Mexica warriors led by Akon, the expeditionary force was able to save time.

At the same time, the soldiers defending the flanks of the expeditionary force’s camp left the camp and began to enter the jungle.

Thanks to the help of the Bigu and the Amgyeokdae [special forces/scouts], the expeditionary force advanced quickly towards the Mexica warriors even in the jungle.

* * *

“The thunder is fading. Is it already over?”

Akon’s expression darkened as the artillery fire and gunshots from beyond the jungle subsided.

“I thought they would last longer… incompetent fool!”

After cursing Aturkurt, Akon ordered his subordinates.

“Immediately leave the jungle and retreat to Tenochtitlan!”

“Without even fighting?”

At his subordinate’s question, Akon pointed towards the expeditionary force with his chin and retorted.

“Do you think we can win if we charge in after what happened to Aturkurt?”

“…No, we can’t.”

“If Aturkurt had fought properly, the thunder wouldn’t have faded already. That incompetent fool ruined everything. In this situation, retreat is the best option.”

However, the subordinate continued to point out.

“Isn’t it possible that Aturkurt’s unit defeated the enemies?”

“If that were the case, we would have heard the drums and trumpets of our allies. Do you hear them?”

“…No, I don’t. But if we retreat, you might face humiliation, Akon.”

At his subordinate’s words, who was concerned about him, Akon replied with a solemn expression and voice.

“I can endure that. Right now, it’s about saving as many of my warriors as possible and returning to Tenochtitlan. The Daehan warriors [referring to the Korean expeditionary force] will definitely target Tenochtitlan. We must stop them. Compared to the danger that Tenochtitlan will face, the disgrace I might suffer is nothing.”

“Akon….”

Not only the subordinate who had raised the issue but also all the warriors around him looked at Akon with expressions full of respect.

Just then, the scouts who had been sent to the expeditionary force’s camp returned breathlessly, delivering urgent news.

“The Daehan warriors we were targeting have left the camp and are moving!”

“Where are they going?”

“They are coming straight towards us!”

At the scout’s answer, Akon urgently ordered his subordinates.

“Retreat immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

At Akon’s command, the subordinates quickly returned to their units to prepare for retreat.

“Our location has already been exposed! There’s no need to move stealthily! Retreat as quickly as possible!”

“Yes, sir!”

At Akon’s command, the Mexica warriors began to retreat as quickly as possible.

As he ran through the jungle following his subordinates, Akon continued to analyze the situation.

‘The enemy commander seems very capable. Usually, when someone leads such a strong army, they become intoxicated with their power and neglect to observe their surroundings. But the biggest problem is….’

From the moment he heard the scout’s report, Akon had a problem he couldn’t solve.

‘How did they accurately pinpoint our location?’

While Akon was struggling to find an answer to the unsolved problem, the Bigu in the sky was diligently transmitting information through light signals.

As Akon’s unit gave up moving stealthily, the Bigu was able to detect the movements of the Mexica warriors even more clearly.

The movement of tens of thousands of warriors at full speed could not be concealed even by the dense trees of the jungle.

Thanks to this, the expeditionary force pursuing the Mexica warriors was able to track the enemies more easily.

* * *

Even while running frantically through the jungle, Akon did not forget to send out scouts.

The problem was that the news the scout brought was not good at all.

“The Daehan warriors are blockading the jungle.”

“Already? How? Are you sure?”

Seeing Akon’s disbelieving expression, the scout replied once again.

“I’m sure.”

“How?”

“They used the strange vehicles and beasts they rode when they came to Tenochtitlan.”

“Damn….”

At the scout’s answer, Akon bit his lip.

* * *

When the Daehan warriors first visited Tenochtitlan, they came riding in vehicles pulled by beasts that they had never seen before.

Ironically, there was a decent road network between Mexica and the surrounding cities, but there were no carts.

There was also a lack of the concept, but it was because there were no large, strong beasts to pull the carts.

After the Daehan warriors’ contact, there were attempts to make carts. However, they continued to fail.

* * *

At the scout’s answer, Akon looked up at the sky with a serious face.

Looking at the sky through the dense trees, Akon asked his subordinates.

“How far behind us are the Daehan warriors who are following us?”

“They will catch up by nightfall.”

“Damn….”

Akon, with a troubled face, lamented inwardly.

‘A night raid would also be a problem…’

After pondering for a moment, Akon jumped up.

“I need to see it myself.”

Akon, who had secretly approached the jungle entrance blockaded by the expeditionary force’s flanking unit, hid in the shadows and assessed the situation.

The expeditionary force was using the carts they were riding as a base to establish a blockade line.

Akon, who had been observing the expeditionary force’s movements, returned to the main camp and summoned his subordinates.

“The Daehan troops are creating a blockade line, but it is not yet complete. However, judging from the fact that the carts are still coming, the blockade line will become stronger as time passes. We will break through this blockade line now.”

“Now? The warriors are exhausted.”

At his subordinate’s words, Akon shook his head with a helpless expression.

“There is no other chance. When I first heard the scout’s report, I was thinking of a night raid, but considering the guys chasing us, a night raid is impossible. We’ll be the ones who get caught.”

“Ah….”

At Akon’s explanation, the subordinates sighed with despair.

Looking at those subordinates, Akon continued.

“I wanted to avoid fighting as much as possible, but now there’s no choice. We will break through them with all our might and retreat. Fortunately, the blockade line is not yet complete. We will pass through the gaps that are not yet blocked with all our strength.”

“…Understood.”

“Prepare yourselves.”

“Yes, sir.”

After hearing Akon’s orders, the subordinates returned to their units to prepare for the breakthrough.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yi Jing-ok, who learned about the Mexica warriors’ movements through the Bigu, nodded.

“They are preparing to break through, as expected.”

“That’s right. They don’t seem to know it’s a trap.”

“Even if they knew, there would be no other option.”

-Based on past experience, close combat is inevitable when a battle takes place in the jungle.

-If close combat turns into a melee, we can suffer greater losses than expected.

-Also, even if a night battle occurs, it will also be a problem.

-In any case, the final battle must be fought in their capital.

-Then, the more frightened enemies there are, like the soldiers who fled from the battle two days ago, the better.

What was created at the end of this deliberation were the gaps in the blockade line.

The gaps in the seemingly incomplete blockade line were the result of meticulous calculations.

The enemies approaching to pass through those gaps would have to endure the expeditionary force’s crossfire.

If any enemies survived and passed through those gaps, they would certainly have a strong fear of the expeditionary force.

And through those who returned, fear would spread even more widely and quickly.

This was Yi Jing-ok’s calculation.

After confirming that Akon’s unit was moving according to his plan, Yi Jing-ok ordered his aide.

“Tell the pursuit unit to put more pressure on the enemies. I know it’s difficult, but tell them to put in a little more effort.”

“Yes, General.”

* * *

The expeditionary force’s pursuit unit, which received Yi Jing-ok’s orders through the Bigu and the Amgyeokdae, increased its moving speed a little more.

Akon, who received a report through a scout, gritted his teeth.

“I wanted to start after replenishing my strength a little more…. There’s no choice!”

Akon, who had made up his mind, shouted to his subordinates.

“Break through!”

At Akon’s cry, the subordinates shouted to the warriors.

“Break through!”

“Just run forward!”

“Uwaaaaa!”

The Mexica warriors, hearing the order, shouted and ran out of the jungle.

The warriors running out of the jungle were holding only a macuahuitl [a wooden club with obsidian blades] in their hands.

Since their shields were useless baggage against their weapons, they had abandoned them. The food pouches were also discarded because they were cumbersome.

The only thing needed was a macuahuitl.