Chapter 774 - Prelude to the Attack
The remnants of the machines were a massive obstacle.
To avoid the machinery pieces from affecting their follow-up attacks, the invaders had no choice but to send out large groups of mule animals to drag away the still smoking metal pieces.
Though the battle was still raging in front, and the magical machines couldn’t possibly turn their attention toward these unarmed and unprotected servants, the stray bullets still brought them massive damage.
The metal bullets were the size of pigeon eggs and caused sparks to fly when they hit the volcanic rock walls, leaving small holes and craters on them. When these bullets hit the mules and the humans, they pierced right through and left large wounds behind.
The three days worth of back-and-forth battle had brought about tremendous casualties to both sides of the conflict!
Over two thousand of the noble army soldiers had died since the start of the battle, and as many as three thousand of the servants had died as well. Meanwhile, the Crimson Clan paid the hefty price of seven dozen magical machines.
Such casualties were more than worth it in the eyes of the adepts.
An adept-level magical machine cost a minimum of a thousand magical crystals. Losing seventy magical machines meant that the Crimson Clan had suffered losses of over seventy thousand magical crystals. Comparatively, the dead and wounded among the soldiers and servants appeared insignificant.
Being able to wear away the magical machine reserves of the Crimson Clan with lowly mortals was extremely beneficial to the adepts in various aspects. At the very least, they had managed to significantly reduce the amount of enemy retaliation they would need to endure while sieging the tower.
The attacks of individual magical machines might not have been able to threaten the official adepts, but when they gathered together and focused fire, even a Second Grade adept’s defensive spells had trouble holding strong. That was especially the case if the magical machine army was to work in tandem with the Crimson Clan. They represented a massive threat to the adept’s invasion.
Given that to be the case, the adepts were more than happy to trade the deaths of mortal soldiers for the quick decrease in the number of magical machines. Though the information showed that the Crimson Clan had conquered a Goblin Plane with abundant metal reserves, trying to forge an endless army of magical machines with just this resource alone was no more than a fantasy.
After all, all the core components of higher constructs had to be animated with Construct Awakening. That was not a process that could be undertaken by the un-magical such as mortal craftsmen or goblin technicians. The Alliance adepts were confident in being able to exhaust the Crimson Clan’s magical machines with this ten-thousand strong army. It would pave the way for their attack on the tower itself.
Driven by such a strategy, the reluctant and pale nobles were already shouting and organizing the next attack, even without instructions from the adepts.
Several of the more powerful noble’s armies had already been wiped out during the first few charges. The last few attacks had all been led by mixed groups of elites that the nobles had put together.
Moreover, their coordinated attacks were always be greeted with the apocalyptic retaliation of the tower’s defense system whenever they approached the tower. Several explosive fireballs would shoot out of the tower, dragging behind them a long tail of black smoke as they razed the frontlines of the noble’s army.
The noble’s army rapidly crumbled–surrounded by violent flame shockwaves and deafening explosions–like sandcastles on the beach. It was fortunate that the Crimson Clan adepts didn’t dare to leave the tower to pursue them due to their absolute numerical disadvantage. Otherwise, the army would not have the courage or confidence to assault the tower repeatedly.
Yet, regardless of how intense the frontline fighting had become, and irrespective of how many casualties the soldiers had suffered, the adept leaders remained unmoving in their tents. They were silently waiting for good news from the adept squad they had sent out.
Finally, on the fourth day of the battle, an intense quake came from beneath everyone’s feet.
All the lava wells spread across the Magma Hall simultaneously erupted with boiling lava, and a thunderous boom rang out throughout the cave.
“The volcano’s about to erupt!”
“This place is going to collapse!”
“We have to run!”
The warriors on the battlefield were scared out of their wits and scrambling all over the place. Meanwhile, the Alliance adepts who had been waiting for this moment showed expressions of joy and surprise.
It was finished!
Indeed, it was done.
The lava sea beneath the Magma Hall did not continue to swell as it had in the past and engulf all of the invaders. Instead, it started to tremble and ripple after a period of quakes.
This initially calm and steady sea of magma was like a little girl throwing a tantrum. It started to recklessly unleash its destructive power, causing it to affect Fire Throne’s absorption of fire energy from it.
The main reason Greem had chosen to construct a tower here was that the magma sea was a decent source of energy that could provide the tower with an endless source of powerful fire energy.
However, with the rioting of the magma sea, Fire Throne was not only incapable of drawing out fire energy, it even had to exhaust its own energy reserves to make up for the adverse effects caused by the uprising. It indirectly weakened the offensive and defensive power of the tower!
Adept Yurga, who had been silently waiting for this news, rose from his seat with a broad smile on his face. He looked at the surrounding adepts and proudly said, “Everyone, the fire-adept squad we sent out has successfully destroyed the enemy’s energy source. Now the enemy has lost control over the magma sea, and the one thing we were most worried about can no longer happen. Our attack against the adept’s tower will begin immediately. We cannot give the enemy a chance to breathe and recalibrate.”
“Adept Gerndt, you will lead the adepts of the Andorra Clan in the first wave of attack.”
“Adept Hymu, you will lead the adepts of the Cenas clan in the second wave.”
“Principal Gilles, you will lead the adepts of Layton Academy in the third wave.”
“Adept Roy,” Yurga’s gaze landed on the somewhat solemn Roy, “Your Magic Forest Hut will be responsible for battlefield protection and rescue. Once the third wave has ended, we of the Kamala Clan will try to launch the main attack and see what remains of their tower’s defensive power.”
“Well then, that is all. Now, everyone, let us start!”
With the infamous title of the Death Heralding Crow above his head, no one dared to question Yurga’s decision. All the Second Grade adepts who were named could only nod and acknowledge his instructions solemnly and hurry to prepare for the attack.
The battle had gone on for so long. The power of the Crimson Clan should be very much exhausted now. Starting another fight while their tower’s energy circulation system had yet to recover from the chaos should disrupt the pace of their defense!
With high confidence in themselves, the Alliance adepts that had been hiding behind the scenes finally set foot upon the battlefield for the first time.
There were two ways of attacking an adept’s tower. Either you struck once and shattered its defensive system with a brutal assault that exceeded its total magical defense, or you prepared for a drawn-out siege to continuously suppress its defensive system with an endless stream of attacks to exhaust its energy.
Both options were proof of the terror of a tower’s power!
If it weren’t for the Alliance having found a way to cut off Fire Throne’s energy source, they would not even have the confidence to assault a fully operational adept’s tower guarded by powerful adepts.
The Andorra Clan responsible for the first wave of attacks did not just send out their clan adepts. They summoned the noble’s armies
subject to their clan and ordered them to launch their most ferocious assault. Meanwhile, the clan adepts hid among the soldiers and looked for opportunities to attack the tower in front of them.
After the multiple rounds of battle, the soldiers of the Andorra Clan had already suffered severe casualties. They had gone from their initial seven thousand men to the current four thousand. However, the Crimson Clan’s magical machine army had also fallen from their peak of a hundred machines to its present thirty.
The two Second Grade adepts of the Andorra Clan placed the priority of their attack on the remaining thirty magical machines. If they were able to sweep away these obstacles with this attack, the next few waves would be able to strike at the tower itself.
Inside the tower.
Crimson Majordomo Gargamel was extremely busy right now.
The alarms from the energy room in the lower levels of the tower had caused him to go into a panic. Before he could figure out the reason behind the elementium altar losing its function, the Alliance adepts had started to move.
Gargamel’s face turned solemn as he looked at the Andorra Clan adepts that were slowly advancing toward the tower alongside the noble’s army.
“Lady Mary, what do you think we should do now?”
Gargamel had no idea what to do and could only seek their current leader’s opinion.
“What is there to be worried about?!” Mary appeared as apathetic as ever before, “You stay in the tower and manage the matter of the energy room. I will bring a few people out with me to fight! We have to conserve the energy in the tower. Don’t use it to attack the enemy actively; just have it bless us with some basic magical defenses.”
Mary waved her hand and called to her side the two blood knights and two blood elves. They prepared to go to combat.
Zacha was indeed a loyal servant. Mary hadn’t named him, and already he was the first to step up.
“Lady Mary, bring me along for this fight!”
Mary thought for a moment and slowly shook her head.
“Don’t be in such a rush to go fight. This attack of the enemy is a siege, and we have to be prepared for a drawn-out conflict. The vampires I’m bringing with me can all rapidly regenerate. They won’t suffer a reduction in their combat power due to drawn-out fights. That’s why you should let us fight the first few rounds. You and Tigule are both made of flesh. It’s best to reserve you two for when the enemy Third Grades join the fray. Otherwise, we don’t have absolute assurance that we can successfully return to the tower when attacked by Third Grades.”
“So keep your eyes on those two Third Grade adepts.”
Having said that, Mary proudly rushed out of the tower doors with her four vampire subordinates and the thirty surviving Archers.
Chapter 775 - The First Wave
The Andorra Clan.
They were a medium-sized clan with a bit of renown–even within Zhentarim–mostly known for their bloodline adepts. Their main bloodline was that of a powerful otherworldly creature known as Bloodmouth.
When they slowly advanced toward the tower among the ranks of the noble’s army, the massive doors of the tower abruptly opened. A large group of metallic machines swarmed out the doors with several odd individuals mixed amongst the machines.
It was Mary and her vampire subordinates!
The leaders that the Andorra Clan had sent were both Second Grades.
Gerndt. A Second Grade bloodline adept.
Gullit. A Second Grade body-refining adept.
There were as many as twenty-one First Grade adepts as well.
When they saw Mary and her vampires enter the fray, the Andorra adepts couldn’t help but become more cautious as they silently waited for the battle between adepts to break out.
The first to start the battle was naturally the outside forces of both parties.
Sixty-three magical machines against the two-thousand strong noble’s army under the Andorra Clan. Both sides engaged in a battle of life and death at the outbreak of contact.
One had to admit that the Andorra Clan’s noble’s army was elite and powerful. Their confidence and courage had not been shattered by the impenetrable wall of magical machines and the storm of metal beating against their bodies. In fact, they had reached their peak amidst their screams and battlecries.
The first groups to clash with each other were naturally the spider-shaped golems and the heavy infantry.
The seven robotic golems were like metal monsters that only knew slaughter. They charged into the tight formation of the nobles as the wild whirring of metal chainsaws rang out.
Two giant claw-shaped chainsaws turned along with the bodies of the golems, drawing crimson arcs through the tough shields and flesh. The heavy infantry surrounding these metal monsters were shocked to find thin, neat cuts appear on their thick steel armors.
A short moment later, red blood seeped out from the cuts before breaking into an unstoppable fountain.
Hualala! A dozen shield warriors instantly crumbled into minced meat beneath the wild, charged, and sweeping strikes of the golems. The steel armor on their bodies had already been twisted beyond recognition by the fearsome force of the monsters.
Their retaliation, be it from sharp swords or heavy battleaxes, could only cause sparks and uneven scratches when they clashed against the shiny, smooth body of the robotic golems. These scratches were dense and looked severe, but they could not stop the machines from continuing their slaughter.
Slashing and piercing attacks were the type of assaults that these all-metal golems were least afraid of!
A low horn rang out from behind the ranks of the noble’s army.
The shield warriors surrounding the robotic golems tightened the formation with all they had, trying their best to limit the movement space available to the golems with their hardy wooden shields and tough metal armor. Some strong men equipped with clubs and flails rushed forward and used all their strength to smash the golems’ metal bodies.
The elegant mechanical constructs could not endure such powerful strikes and impacts!
After a few rounds of rushing and smashing, several of the golems started to let out odd, ear-piercing sounds of grinding metal. A short moment later, thick black smoke came out of various parts of their structures as they finally collapsed amidst the clanging sounds of hammering blunt weapons.
The process of destroying one robotic golem often demanded a bloody price of two hundred lives on the part of the nobles.
Moreover, while the robotic golems were pushing back against the army, the Archers fired away without any intervention. The rain of metal bullets repeatedly and continuously exterminated the soldiers.
After all, the soldiers who were fully equipped in armor were a minority in the army. Most of them were still ordinary fighters in half-plate or leather armor. A force like this cold unleash decent fighting power in a battle between nobles, but they could only serve as cheap cannon fodder in a war of adepts like this one.
The fifty-six Archers maintained a relatively loose formation and took up an area in front of the tower, where they used their dense storm of metal bullets to send the army packing and scrambling in every direction. The massive metal bullets would create a hole when they hit the wooden shields and sparks when they struck the rock walls. When they hit a human body, they would penetrate the bodies of multiple warriors and leave countless howling and crying casualties on the ground.
“Do away with the tough ones in the front, then have these warriors charge at the magical machines at the back.” Adept Gerndt, who was hiding in the crowd, quickly communicated with the other Second Grade, Adept Gullit.
Gullit nodded and became the first to unleash his full force!
As a Second Grade body-refining adept, Gullit did not depend on powerful spells like the elementium adepts. Instead, he chose to strengthen himself with his Spirit and spells. He wore golden armor and drew the long and narrow blade from his back in a single motion. The adept then strode toward the closest robotic
golem.
The robotic golem seemed to have recognized this threat as well, as it forced back the surrounding shield warriors with its metal chainsaws and pressed toward Gullit with its eight metal limbs.
Both parties quickly approached each other.
When there were only five meters between the two of them, the robotic golem raised its head, and a half-meter-thick fire pillar shot out of its large metal mouth. The blast of fire devoured the body of the adept.
Mary, who had been sneaking toward the frontline, stopped moving and hid under the shadow of another robotic golem. She silently started to observe this impromptu battle that had broken out between man and machine.
A large number of alchemical substances had been mixed into the flames of the golems. Their highest temperatures could reach a shocking one thousand and seven hundred degrees. Moreover, the fire had an extremely adhesive trait. Unfortunately, attacks like these were still far too weak for a Second Grade adept!
A low shout rang out from the sea of fire. Gullit’s skinny yet trained body broke through the raging flames and appeared near the golem. His body rose with a blinding blade radiance before the golem’s chainsaws could reach him.
The next second, the golems two claws and head silently slid down toward the ground before everyone’s eyes. The surface of the cut was smooth as a mirror– testament to the sharpness of Gullit’s magical weapon.
The golem had lost all its battlefield sensing and remote control abilities without its head. And without its metal chainsaws, it had lost its primary offensive ability. Only a massive metal shell was left, leaving it to wave its eight sharp limbs and charge around the crowd.
The warriors that had just retreated surged forward once again. They used their wooden shields to defend against the piercing strikes from the golem as they desperately smashed its metal body with heavy hammers and flails. The golem’s body finally let out squeaking and grinding sounds under the constant hammering. It slowly collapsed to the ground from the attacks of the soldiers.
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