Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 805

805. Melee in the Jungle (11)

The punitive force’s bombardment systematically and relentlessly shattered the Mexica army’s camp.

The reason such a bombardment was possible was that the artillery unit within the punitive force was directly under the Imperial Army’s command.

In this campaign, the artillery unit, a core force, and the special operations unit, the Black Assassins, were not part of the punitive force’s regular troops but were instead regular Imperial Army soldiers.

They were Imperial artillerymen who had received rigorous training and had become masters through numerous battles, both large and small.

Because of this, they were able to deliver frighteningly accurate bombardments using only the information provided by Bigu.

As an aside, a scholar who witnessed this scene while traveling with the punitive force recorded it in his travelogue:

-The Imperial artillery’s bombardment was nothing short of divine.

Of course, one could argue against calling a bombardment, a ruthless act that takes the lives of countless people, art. However, that ruthless act saved countless lives of our allies.

How can one not praise it as divine?

As the scholar said, the Imperial artillery’s bombardment approached divine levels of effectiveness.

The shells fired by the Imperial artillerymen pulverized the Mexica army’s camp right in front of the punitive force’s vanguard.

However, the bombardment was carefully calibrated to ensure that the advancing punitive force’s vanguard did not enter the “danger close” range [the minimum safe distance for friendly forces during artillery fire].

Having fragmented the foremost part of the Mexica army’s camp in this way, the Imperial Army artillerymen gradually moved the barrage forward.

The punitive force began to grind the fragmented Mexica army into dust with this systematic and relentless bombardment.

The Mexica warriors, whose camps and command structures were collapsing due to the bombardment, and who were disoriented by the explosions and impacts, were helplessly falling to the punitive force’s gunfire and thrown explosives.

* * *

In a battle that resembled annihilation or a massacre, the most effective weapons were the rapid-fire guns and thrown explosives.

“Enemies ahead!”

As soon as he heard his comrade’s shout, the rapid-fire gunner pulled the trigger towards the Mexica warriors in front of him.

Tatatatatat!

“Reload!”

Tang! Tang! Tatatatat!

While the rapid-fire gunner, who had emptied his magazine in an instant, was replacing it, his comrades around him fired their standard-issue rifles.

In a single exchange of fire, the 30 or so Mexica warriors who had gathered in front of a single squad of the punitive force were wiped out.

“Advance!”

The squad leader, having confirmed that the enemies in front of him were eliminated, led his men forward.

In this battle of repeated charges and advances, the rapid-fire gun was the best support weapon.

Although the manual stated 30 rounds, the operational practice of the rapid-fire gun, learned through battles in the jungle, was to load only 28 rounds for smoother operation.

Compared to the standard-issue cart gun, which used a 200-round ammunition box as standard, it was a weapon that was somewhat lacking due to the small number of rounds and the inconvenience of emptying and replacing a magazine quickly with a single pull of the trigger.

However, it was the most reliable weapon because it could move with them and create a wall of bullets when needed.

The punitive force’s rapid-fire gun and rifle combination, having fully mastered the optimal tactics written in the manual through battles in the jungle, worked like well-oiled gears.

If the rapid-fire gun was a saw that tore through the enemies, the thrown explosives were hammers that smashed them.

The biggest advantages of the thrown explosives were the shockwave and fragments.

If the sound of the rapid-fire gun and rifles made the ears ring, the shockwave of the thrown explosives completely paralyzed hearing. And the fragments of the thrown explosives turned the Mexica warriors’ bodies into shredded rags.

* * *

The punitive force, trained by Yi Jing-ok and the commanders and honed by actual combat in the jungle, was turning the Mexica army’s anvil [the main defensive force] into powder.

“This can’t be…”

The Mexica army commander, Attru-Kut, looked at the battlefield with an incredulous expression.

When he first reassured Akon, he had been confident.

Although he had suffered considerable losses due to the curse that had struck the Empire, the warriors he led were veteran warriors who boasted of their invincibility.

He didn’t just trust the soldiers.

Attru-Kut was also preparing and waiting for the enemy.

First, he gathered the warriors who had survived the battle in Tenochtitlan and listened carefully to what weapons the enemies used and how they had slaughtered the warriors.

“‘It made flames and loud noises and killed the warriors nearby’… Hmm…”

After listening to the warriors, he spaced the warriors forming the line a little wider than usual.

After finishing the warriors’ formation, Attru-Kut called the survivors of Tenochtitlan and showed them the formation.

“How is it?”

The survivors, recalling their past memories and comparing them, nodded.

“It looks good enough.”

“I see.”

Attru-Kut, hearing the survivors’ words, glared at the jungle with a confident face. Imagining the punitive force that was slowly approaching, he strengthened his will to fight.

“We were caught off guard in Tenochtitlan, but it will be different this time.”

However, there was something he did not expect.

The Imperial heavy weapons that had terrified the Mexica warriors in Tenochtitlan at the time were all standard-issue cart guns and flying thunder crash bombs [early grenades], and even the number of them was the minimum number for self-defense.

On the other hand, the punitive force that was now approaching was a fully equipped unit.

As befitting the Imperial Army, which was regarded by the Ming and the Wa [historical names for China and Japan, respectively] as ‘crazy about cannons’ and ‘cannon perverts,’ the punitive force also had sufficient artillery power.

In short, the punitive force he was about to face was carrying a lot of cannons with longer range and more destructive power than the flying thunder crash bombs.

* * *

Watching his warriors being torn apart, Attru-Kut screamed.

“This can’t be! This can’t be happening!”

Attru-Kut was vehemently denying his misjudgment.

But even as he was vehemently denying it, the reality was his defeat.

Bang! Kwakwang! Bang!

Tatatatatat! Tang! Tang!

“Kkeuaaak!”

Every time the enemies’ weapons made loud noises, his precious subordinates were turning into mere lumps of meat or falling to the ground with mournful screams.

Eventually, Attru-Kut shouted to his subordinates next to him.

“Retreat! Retreat! Tell them to retreat!”

“Yes!”

The subordinates, hearing the commander’s order, immediately began to relay the retreat order.

Soon, loud drumbeats and conch shell trumpet sounds began to ring out from the Mexica camp.

And this retreat order brought about an even greater disaster.

The Mexica warriors’ camp was already collapsing and crumbling due to the punitive force’s bombardment and gunfire, and the warriors’ morale was at rock bottom.

The retreat signal that was heard in this situation triggered a reckless rout.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

“Run away! Run away!”

The Mexica warriors, who had lost their composure, turned their backs and ran away, even though the enemy was right in front of them.

“Maintain the formation and retreat!”

“It’s not running away, it’s retreating! Keep order!”

The Eagle Warriors [elite Mexica warriors] and officers shouted at the top of their lungs, trying to prevent the collapse of the camp, but once the camp began to collapse, it collapsed uncontrollably.

Bigu, who was floating in the sky and surveying the battlefield, immediately reported the situation using the light communication device.

-Enemy camp collapsing

* * *

“The enemy’s anvil has been broken!”

Yi Jing-ok smiled wryly at his subordinate’s report and looked around.

“It’s a little faster than expected. It seems that those bastards’ anvil was weaker than I thought.”

“That’s right!”

In a relaxed atmosphere, Yi Jing-ok gave an order.

“Order the artillery unit to hit the fleeing bastards even harder as they run.”

“Yes!”

“And have the carts brought out through the secured passage and prepare to move the troops. 1/3 will chase the fleeing enemies, and the remaining 2/3 will load the troops to encircle them. Keep in mind that we need to move faster from now on.”

“Yes, General!”

“Ah! What about the guys who are aiming for our flanks in the jungle?”

“They say they’ve almost stopped.”

“Huh?”

Yi Jing-ok questioned the report that Akon’s unit, which was aiming for the punitive force’s flanks, had almost stopped.

“What’s his scheme?”

* * *

Yi Jing-ok was not the only one questioning Akon’s movements.

Attru-Kut, who was frantically giving orders to prevent the collapse of the front lines, glared at the jungle and shouted.

“Akon! Where is Akon now!”

If he had moved according to the plan he had first told him, Akon’s unit should have been hitting the enemies’ flanks by now.

However, there was no significant change in the enemies’ movements.

This meant that Akon’s unit was not yet engaged in battle with the enemy.

What was even more questionable was that he was constantly sending messengers, but no messengers were returning.

“Where the hell is Akon…”

Kwang!

The moment Attru-Kut was about to vent his anger about Akon once again, a shell landed a short distance away.

Attru-Kut, swept away by the shockwave and rolling on the ground, looked around with a dazed expression.

His subordinates, who had been proud warriors, were not only turning their backs and running away but also throwing away their weapons as they fled.

The warriors who had defended their pride to the end and faced the enemy were covered in blood and collapsing to the ground due to the enemy’s attack.

Attru-Kut, who was blankly watching the scene, turned his head and looked at the jungle.

Seeing the punitive force’s triumphant ranks continuing to pour out of the jungle, Attru-Kut realized what had happened.

“You tricked me! Akon! You tricked me!”

Akon had encountered the punitive force before him. If Akon was smart, he would have realized that they could not face the punitive force with their current strength.

Nevertheless, Akon had come up with a plausible plan to divide the army and face the enemy.

He had fallen for it.

In the end, Akon had planned to sacrifice Attru-Kut and Attru-Kut’s unit so he could run away himself.

“It was a trap…”

Attru-Kut smiled bitterly, realizing Akon’s plan.

By now, Akon would have finished preparing to return to Tenochtitlan with his subordinates, or rather, to run away.

If he returned alive and said it was Akon’s conspiracy, Akon would surely answer like this.

“That guy’s unit collapsed too quickly, so I had no choice but to retreat! It’s all that guy’s responsibility!”

Attru-Kut muttered, using his macuahuitl [a wooden club with obsidian blades] as a cane to get up.

“Either way, I’m a dead man if I go back. Then…. Heueup!”

Attru-Kut took a deep breath and ran forward, shouting.

“Warriors! We are Mexica warriors! Defend your pride! Charge! Follow me!”

Seeing Attru-Kut shouting and running towards the punitive force, a considerable number of warriors turned and charged towards the punitive force.

Half to defend the pride of the warrior, the other half with the resignation that they could not escape anyway.

“Waaaaaaa!”

Seeing the Mexica warriors rushing at them, shouting at the top of their lungs, the punitive force pulled the trigger without saying a word.

Tatatatatat! Tang! Tatang! Tang!