Chapter 3553
The Qualification to Exchange Life for Life
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The fact that the soldier's actions and choices were almost entirely driven by a desire to advance rather than retreat was already evident when he thrust his dagger into the horse's rump.
This practice of artificially injuring horses to gain explosive speed is destined to be unsustainable and will only offer this one chance.
For these lancers, this one opportunity was enough.
Coupled with a lack of awareness on one hand and a lack of awareness on the other, even with the support of the Roman army's momentum, these auxiliary soldiers, who could still be considered elite, fell silent when faced with the charging lancers who showed no fear whatsoever.
But now that things have come to this, there is no room for fear. The lancers, charging forward without choosing to deviate, will show mercy to any obstacle or enemy in their path.
When a legion of lancers charged in, even after being hit by a barrage of arrows, they forced their way into the Roman defensive lines at an extremely high speed, causing wave after wave of chaos.
The Roman defensive line, which had been able to hold on, was completely shattered by this relentless charge.
Faced with such a high-speed charge, the Roman soldiers basically had only a few options and possibilities.
To be struck by a lancer's lance is practically a death sentence; to be struck by a lancer's horse is to suffer a ton-sized blow. Even with excellent skills and a strong will, one might be able to withstand it for a short time, but it would be difficult to survive until the end of the war, not to mention that this kind of impact happens more than once.
Even in the gaps between cavalry charges, scrapes and collisions were inevitable; once one's stance faltered, the outcome was already predetermined.
Even when the Parthian lancers were killed by Roman ranged attacks, their horses, propelled by inertia and the lingering pain of their wounds, continued to charge forward.
Even if someone dies, the spear, which is pre-wrapped around the hand and twisted ring, can still maintain its sharpness.
However, for many Parthians, dying on the charge might still be considered a form of mercy.
For soldiers who actually charged with spears and truly pierced the Romans, the impact of the spear colliding with the shield, and the corresponding reaction force, could, if not handled properly, directly cripple their hands. In some cases, due to the restraints, their hands were even torn off.
The pain caused by a broken or even torn arm severely affects a soldier's will and direction in continuing to fight.
In such a state of continuous suffering, a swift death could be considered an acceptable option.
However, this situation is an acceptable and necessary price for both sides in the war.
This seemingly efficient and quick method of breaking through enemy lines is rarely seen in most wars, because the only requirement from beginning to end is that the soldiers must be prepared to die.
However, soldiers who are willing to give their lives in a war to defend their country are extremely precious to every nation.
However, in the current war environment, it has been used simply and efficiently, deployed in the war, and become a consumable.
The complexity of the situation even caused Sima Yi, who was observing the battle, to fall silent. "Although I subtly suggested this possibility to the enemy, I never imagined that Parthia could actually assemble such a large number of lancers..." Sima Yi looked at the battlefield where an entire lancer legion had been reduced to almost nothing in a single charge, his words filled with extremely complex emotions.
Every country has no shortage of generous and tragic heroes, or loyal and devoted citizens.
"When a nation is heading towards its demise, there will always be a group of people who stand up and do their utmost, even risking their lives, to save the nation from peril..." Xu Huang, who was also able to see this scene, looked at everything projected on the screen with extremely complex emotions.
"In the end, it's just that they weren't strong enough..." Li Jue, standing beside the two, did not belittle the courage of the Parthian cavalry when he saw what they were doing.
They have the corresponding awareness, but lack the corresponding strength, or even the corresponding time to become stronger. They can only use the simplest and most efficient means to seize opportunities and obtain a chance to succeed in the face of the current crisis.
A single lancer legion's charge directly shattered Rome's first line of defense, reducing it to fragments.
Ardashir, having completed his rapid maneuver, continued to wield his scimitar, quickly clearing out the scattered Roman defenders who could not form a dense line, following the gaps created by the lancers. Without losing his momentum, he once again drew his bow and fired arrows at both flanks to outflank the enemy.
As soon as the flanking maneuver began, the Roman soldiers deployed on the second line saw the second Parthian lancer unit charging forward, which was already very close.
"Purely paving the way with their lives?!" Severus's eyes flashed with admiration as he looked at the choices and actions of the Parthians.
Severus would acknowledge any soldier who fought with the courage to die, even if they were his opponent.
“Alessandro!” Despite the praise, when it came to actually taking action, Severus didn’t hesitate for a second.
The best way to respect a worthy opponent or soldier is to send them to their death.
"Your Majesty Emperor Severus!" Upon hearing the call, Alessandro stepped forward and looked at Severus with a serious expression.
“With Parthia’s offensive methods, conventional defenses simply cannot withstand the enemy. Regardless of whether they can kill the enemy or not, their formation will be disrupted by this kind of impact, and they will be quickly wiped out by the enemy’s elite legion. So you need to hold them off!” After briefly explaining the situation, Severus directly pointed the way to Alessandro.
As Rome's First Auxiliary Legion, Alessandro and his First Auxiliary Legion did not participate in battles in most cases, but rather served as ballast for the main legion's operations.
However, now that the war has progressed to this point, Severus looked around and realized that only the First Auxiliary Legion was suitable for this mission.
Even his own Imperial Guards found it difficult to withstand the light cavalry's desperate charge, and also to stop the enemy's footsteps and hooves that disrupted their formation.
Conversely, the First Auxiliary Legion, which has reached the pinnacle of strength, can forcibly break the lances of charging lancers and block their horses, thus slowing them down and reducing their momentum, thanks to its massive tower shields and explosive power.
Without speed and the force to counter their charge, the lancers were nothing more than sitting ducks, not even worthy of trading their lives for each other's. (End of Chapter)