At the eastern border of the Ice Cold Empire, within an outpost of a neighboring Dwarf barrack, flames were illuminating a group of burly men carrying rifles.
These Dwarves had large beards, with an average height between one meter fifty and one meter sixty. Each of them wore a leather cap and carried a Mosin-Nagant Rifle in hand.
The Mosin-Nagant Rifle was a rifle specially designed by the Great Tang Group for Dwarves. The technology was very mature and had become the standard rifle for the armies of seven or eight Dwarf Kingdoms and the Ice Cold Empire.
Next to the fire, a Dwarf was pinching a cup with hot soup steaming inside. Although it was nearing spring, the place was still very cold.
To cope with the cold climate, the Dwarves' winter clothes were very thick, making them look like round balls.
They sat around the fire, their fronts scorched by the flames, while their backs were cooled by the biting cold wind.
"This damned ghostly weather!" a Dwarf complained helplessly after taking a sip of the hot soup. If not for the pervasive crisis along the border, they wouldn't be guarding an absolutely deserted trench in such ghastly weather.
The entire outpost consisted of two trenches and a watchtower, distanced from the trenches, which wouldn't be manned at night since nothing could be seen in the dark anyway.
This tiny defensive position was far from the main road and hardly anyone would come by, so positioning an infantry squad here was more of a symbolic gesture than of any practical significance.
"We're quite fortunate, at least we have some hot soup to drink," the Dwarf squad leader comforted his subordinates while knocking ice off his shoes and breathing warmth into his hands.
They were from a weaker country, living in trepidation since the establishment of the Ice Cold Empire. War could break out at any time, and everyone knew it was just a matter of time.
As soldiers, they could only sincerely fight for their homeland. There was no question that it was their duty and responsibility. But under such circumstances, who wouldn't feel tremendous pressure?
After such a long time of consolidation and development, the Ice Cold Empire had already become a behemoth that was no longer on the same level as their Kingdom.
After launching a sudden attack on Furnace Fortress, a city with historical significance, the Ice Cold Empire seemed to also legally lay claim to the heritage of the Dwarf Empire, naturally placing them a cut above the surrounding Dwarf Kingdoms.
What was even more despairing was that, with the support of humans, the already huge Ice Cold Empire had completed terrifying industrial construction.
The Ice Cold Dwarves built factories and laid a railway from Eternal Winter Port extending to Furnace Fortress. Countless industrial facilities spectacularly transformed Furnace Fortress, leading many Dwarf Kingdoms to even consider bending the knee to the Ice Cold Empire.
With bolstered industrial capabilities, the Ice Cold Empire's military was also very strong. Over the past year, the upper echelons of the Ice Cold Empire had been restless, scheming things that reached beyond their borders.
Everyone knew that war was a good way to solve internal conflicts, so it was clear to all that this war could easily erupt.
"What on earth are the Ice Cold Dwarves thinking? They're already so wealthy, yet still not satisfied... Do they really want to unite all Dwarves under their rule?" an old soldier complained sullenly as he moved his slightly cooled soup closer to the fire.
If it weren't for the great powers expanding their armies and preparing for war, these smaller nations wouldn't have to resort to relentless military build-up. If it weren't for the need to confront the Ice Cold Empire's massive army, they wouldn't have been conscripted and sent to this godforsaken place.
From a distance, their trench was almost completely obscured by ice and snow, with cold icy crystals kicked up by the wind blowing over the smooth snow surfaces.
Although the trenches could block most of the cold winds, in such weather, standing guard in the darkness made everyone miserable.
As he took a hard piece of bread from his own food bag, the old soldier faintly heard some noises, so he slightly adjusted the direction of his ears.
"What's up?" the squad leader asked upon noticing his most experienced subordinate acting strangely.
It should be noted that back when the Ice Cold Empire was still the Ice Cold Kingdom, they had suddenly attacked the Northern Dwarf Empire, quickly ending the war and seizing Furnace Fortress.
Now, everyone feared that the Ice Cold Empire might repeat their old tricks, so they were vigilant. Multiple defensive lines were dug along the border, with a large deployment of forces, forming a continuous and undulating line of trench defenses.
"It's nothing." After carefully listening and detecting no abnormal sounds, the Dwarf old soldier shook his head, discounting his previous suspicion.
Having reassured himself, he secured his food bag and placed the hard bread into his mouth, chewing it thoroughly.
Individual carrying gear developed by the Tang Group was very popular, prompting various nations to work hard on imitating it, creating unique military carrying equipment tailored to each country.
Some countries preferred larger water bottles, some made smaller food bags, some used leather for straps, and others used canvas.
In any case, there was a wide variety, which also increased the recognizability of the troops. After all, if everyone wore identical gear on the battlefield, it would be a farcical situation when a fight broke out. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire
The most convenient way to distinguish between them was the steel helmet, so the helmets of different countries generally had distinctive styles. Because of the cold climate in the region of the Dwarf Kingdoms, most countries were reluctant to use steel helmets and preferred leather caps as their standard equipment.