Lord of the Sky City-Chapter 841 - 823 Concern

"Next, the Allied Forces are going to make a big move..."

Standing in front of the sand table, Rocky quickly inserted small flags at the directions of Gulans City and Mamai City.

"Why not include Dawn Light City?"

Sitting behind him, Liliya glanced at the sand table and curiously asked.

Since the Allied Forces had already seized three cities, it was evident they intended to use them as starting points to launch offensives in three separate directions. However, Rocky had only marked Gulans City and Mamai City, completely skipping Dawn Light City, which puzzled Liliya.

"Dawn Light City isn’t for attacking, it’s purely for defense."

Turning his head, Rocky smiled faintly at Liliya and explained, "The location of Dawn Light City is very special; it’s situated at the exit of the Marta Grand Canyon, which is one of the most treacherous and dangerous terrains. If the Allied Forces attack from this direction, it will be a lot of effort for little gain. Even if they succeed, all they’d obtain is an essentially useless canyon."

"Moreover, with the Allied Forces’ troop strength, advancing in three directions simultaneously might overstretch them. So I believe Dawn Light City serves only as a stronghold to defend the canyon’s exit and won’t be used as a point for launching offensives."

With just a few words, Rocky laid out his reasoning, and after hearing his explanation, Liliya nodded repeatedly. She couldn’t help but marvel internally—Rocky truly wasn’t the same anymore.

In the past, he would’ve never said such things because he simply lacked a strategic perspective. But now, even from a thousand miles away, Rocky could clearly discern the Allied Forces’ strategy. This ability alone made him far superior to the person he used to be.

Indeed, after going through so much, Rocky had already grown into an exceptional City Lord with a grand strategic mindset. This was also why he placed a sand table in his study—to seize every opportunity to further hone his strategic thinking.

"It looks like the Allied Forces had a solid start. At this pace, they might reclaim a large portion of land in a short time," Liliya said after glancing at the sand table. free𝑤ebnovel.com

By now, over two months had passed since the war began. The Allied Forces had achieved consecutive victories in two major offensives, lifting morale tremendously on the home front. As for the frontline troops, their confidence in this counteroffensive war could only be even higher.

This was precisely why Rocky judged that the Allied Forces were planning a big move next. The Three Great Alliances would never let go of such a favorable momentum. They’d certainly launch continuous assaults within the shortest time possible to reclaim the entire Marta Region quickly. Only then would this counteroffensive war have a chance of true success.

"Let’s just hope they don’t let victory go to their heads... and pray that the Demons take a bit longer to respond."

Rocky sighed as he looked at the sand table. Although he wasn’t participating directly in this grand war, he still wished for the Allied Forces to win. Even if they couldn’t completely drive the Demons out, reclaiming and holding a steady footing on a part of the land would already be a big step forward for humanity.

But war was never as simple as merely wishing for a favorable outcome, especially a counteroffensive.

The previous two counteroffensive wars had actually started similarly. At first, humanity advanced with unstoppable momentum, reclaiming vast swaths of land in no time. Yet just as people were celebrating and believing victory was within reach, the Demons unleashed their relentless and frenzied counterattacks.

This was why Rocky sighed. He sincerely hoped the Allied Forces wouldn’t let a few ’small’ victories cloud their judgment. The war against the Demons was never something that could be resolved overnight—the real challenges had yet to begin.

"Send word to Karina and Berg. Tell them to exercise extreme caution and that they must not sacrifice themselves on the battlefield out of greed for glory."

There were countless Sky Cities participating in the counteroffensive, but Rocky only worried about Karina and Berg. Their Sky Cities were both small-scale ones; even though they were outfitted with Rune Battleships and Rune Armor he had provided, their limited scale meant they wouldn’t stand a chance against a large-scale counterattack from the Demons. Thus, every time Rocky received updates from the front lines, he made it a point to warn them to stay vigilant and composed.

After issuing the message, Rocky stood up and said to Liliya, "Let’s go. The prototype of the Tank-4 has been completed. Let’s take a look."

With that, he and Liliya left the room and made their way to the Skyport, descending to Backhill Village.

When they climbed atop Backhill Village’s walls, they found Caryus, who had recently been promoted to Tank Division Commander, waiting for them. Just as Rocky had mentioned earlier, the prototype of the new model Tank Armor was ready, and today it would undergo its official testing.

In previous years, such tasks required Rocky to personally oversee them. Even Orton and others had to step in and handle data collection for relatively minor tasks. But now, with Thunderhawk City’s rapid development and the growing pool of talent in various fields, these responsibilities no longer required Rocky’s direct involvement.

Rocky now had specialized testers for Armor trials and dedicated researchers for data collection. So when he and Liliya arrived on Backhill Village’s walls, everything was already in place, waiting for his presence.

Rocky turned to look at the newly manufactured prototype Tank Armor produced a few days ago. The Tank Armor had an increased height of over four meters, designed to maximize visibility without relying on any terrain. As for the Tank Armor’s signature dual-barreled Magic Energy Cannon mounted on its shoulders, this time, it was significantly longer—nearly twice the length of its predecessor. While this design slightly compromised the Tank Armor’s mobility, it greatly enhanced its range and accuracy.

Besides the more noticeable changes, the Tank Armor was reworked extensively inside and out, with major upgrades to its other weaponry as well. Today’s focus was to test the weapon’s range.

"Begin," Rocky said with a nod, indicating the test could commence. Prompted by his command, Caryus gestured to a nearby young soldier, who then climbed into the Tank Armor’s cockpit. The rest of the team put on massive ear protectors.

A deafening explosion echoed as the Magic Energy Cannon on the shoulders of the Tank Armor erupted in brilliant light. The immense recoil caused the towering armor to stagger slightly backward. Moments later, another resounding boom rang out, and over a thousand meters away, an enormous crater was blown into the ground...!

"Not bad," Rocky remarked with a smile, peering through his binoculars.