It was also stated that those in the third division could only bring whatever they could carry on their bodies for the invasion.
But all in all, he thinks that these conditions are still better than the situation of the slaves who are given the barest minimum to preserve their lives or to make them effective cannon fodder.
Sometimes, the slaves are not given anything at all. They are just used as meat shields to buy time for others.
This and many more were in the military codex. He spent most of his time reading it and the other bubbles containing information about the Lignum world.
Days passed quickly as he soaked up knowledge. The only times he stopped was to reply to messages from his subordinates.
He didn't need to eat anymore, and while he likes to eat for the taste of the food, the taste of food is not enough for him to stop reading. He didn't stop to have his bath or exercise either.
He was completely dedicated to acquiring all the knowledge he needs to be a good soldier. But he did stop to watch the open war between the villains and heroes on TV.
His future as a soldier is the most important thing for him, but his present as a villain running a villainous organization is also important. He stopped to watch the match because its outcome will affect the success of his cabal.
Wrath was also interested in the open war, so they watched it together.
He wasn't surprised when he saw that few villains showed up for the war. The heroes, on the other hand, appeared in larger numbers. So the villains were outnumbered.
He groaned, "Oof. It seems the villains are going to lose this battle. There goes the expansion of my cabal."
Wrath said, "Don't be so pessimistic."
He was taken aback by what she said. He asked, "They are outnumbered at least five to one. Do you really think the villains can win?"
She was silent for a while. Then she said, "It is possible. Besides, the outcome of a battle is not only dependent on the size of the troops. Quality is also very important. A single person can turn the tides just like Thunderhead."
He shook his head and said, "I know that. But don't the heroes know that too? Isn't that why they sent for powerful omegas to come and participate in the war? Even if the villains have someone like Thunderhead, the villains have a five times chance of having someone like Thunderhead too."
She shrugged. "I am just saying that anything can happen. We won't know for sure which side is stronger until after the end of the battle."
"Alright. Let us wait and see."
He had little faith in the villains while Wrath was rather optimistic for them. But as he watched the heroes form into coordinated teams while the villains were in scattered groups, he couldn't help but feel confident in his expectation for the battle.
He paused briefly to consider if it was a good thing for him to be happy that the villains would lose. After all, the heroes will gain too much power if they lose and will become very difficult to deal with.
But his considerations were sidelined when the battle officially started. One hundred heroes clashed against one hundred villains.
The heroes were coordinated. In fact, it looked like they had practiced together. They had a hierarchy and a line of command. Most importantly, they actually listened to orders.
On the other side, the villains were chaotic. There were many leaders, not one. Each leader worked with their own group within the team of a hundred.
Any kind of coordination in the team of villains was at the group level. It couldn't compare with the team-wide level of cooperation exhibited by the heroes.
On one part of the sidelines were about five thousand more heroes. On the opposite part of the sidelines were at most one thousand villains. These people and the ones already on the battlefield are the total troops for the battle.
He smiled as he watched the two teams clash. The heroes were coordinated and had too much of a momentum. They crashed into the villains and forced them to give way.
But as he watched, his smile turned into a frown. It is because what had appeared to be a successful maneuver by the heroes was a deliberate concession by the villains.
The villains had given way so that each group could concentrate their power. Each group became a knife that cut into the formation of heroes. These knives went straight for the leaders of the heroes or any powerful hero on the battlefield.
He put his palm on his face as he watched the formation of the heroes get broken apart. His face was burning with shame and disappointment. It didn't help that Wrath was smirking.
But things only got worse. Their formation failed to recover after being scattered. The heroes also couldn't fight on their own as well as the villains after being separated.
The heroes felt alone and surrounded. Their fears spiked when they saw many heroes killed quickly. In order to preserve their lives, they surrendered.
Many heroes ran out of the battlefield, which caused the formation of heroes to fall even faster. More heroes were sent to replenish those who had given up, but the heroes had already lost the initiative on the battlefield.
It is true that they have the advantage in numbers, but they couldn't make use of that advantage since both teams were limited to a hundred troops each. With the villains rampaging as a group, it was nearly impossible for the separated heroes to stand against them.
The rest of the battle continued like that. The heroes were scared of losing their lives. Their performance was subpar so as not to draw attention to themselves, and they surrendered early at the slightest hint of danger. It seemed that their motto was "be quick to surrender."