The Third Grade blademaster wasn’t a fraud either. Every slash from his long and narrow blade would easily split open the outer armor of the magic energy chariots. However, his fortune was spent when he ran into the ill-tempered Thunder Dragon Arms.
This orc blademaster’s heart was also beating wildly, having suddenly seen a thirty-meter long dragon and experiencing his intimidating aura of might up front. He desperately increased his speed and circled the thunder dragon. He would occasionally take advantage of the thunder dragon’s size and his immobility in the formation of chariots to dodge the dragon’s attacks and close in for a few hasty strikes.
The slashes of the orc blademaster might not have broken through Arms’ scales, but they did manage to make him wince in pain.
Thunder Dragon Arms finally flew into a rage after failing to kill the opponent despite his repeated attempts at attacking. He had even been cut a few times.
The next time the orc avoided his head and charged from the side, Arms quickly activated the wild lightning elementium in his body.
The blinding lightning that emerged from his body instantly flooded his surroundings. The orc blademaster that had just come near him was immediately caught in big trouble.
The blinding lightning storm went away just as fast as it came. The orc blademaster stumbled away from Arms by the time the lightning was gone. Scorch marks left by the lightning covered his entire body, and some parts were even giving off black smoke.
The orc blademaster that had been severely wounded by the thunder dragon ultimately became a prisoner of the adepts. Meanwhile, the thunder dragon quickly transformed into his human form and rushed back into the chariot after obtaining victory. The sweet voices of women could be heard from within. It seemed like he was receiving the praise and adoration of his many concubines.
In all honesty, the concubines that could follow Arms out of Witherwater City should genuinely thank him. If it weren’t for the Third Grade dragon, they would have been left in Witherwater City and become sacrifices for the impending blood ceremony.
When that happened, their fates would look very much different!
…………
Makren City.
It was a small border city located in the southeast area of the great plain.
The orcs in the city were no more than thirty thousand in total. Moreover, at least half of them were centaurs who herded animals in the wild for the Orc Empire.
Naturally, there was a small Beast God temple in the city.
The fate of Witherwater City had reached the orcs of Makren City one day earlier.
Just as the orcs summoned the seven leaders of the subordinate races to discuss the matter of attacking Witherwater City, news of a witch army rapidly approaching Makren from the official road arrived.
The intercepting squads sent out by the orc villages along the way had all been defeated. Even the famous Third Grade Orc Blademaster, Sadin, had been captured alive by the witches.
The council room, previously lively with calls for marching toward the witches, immediately froze upon hearing this news!
The entirety of Makren City put together only had one Third Grade berserker and five Second Grade powerhouses. Moreover, it was said that there was a Third Grade dragon hiding among the ranks of this approaching witch army. If this news was to be trusted, how were to supposed to fight back?
Just this Third Grade dragon alone would be enough to wipe out all the orc elites of Makren City, let alone the terrifying adept who could command this dragon!
If humans were the ones confronted with this situation, then there was no doubt that the higher-ups of Makren City would choose to run or surrender. Unfortunately, these two words had never existed in the orc dictionary. That was why the orcs decided to resist to the very end and swore to lay their lives to defend the temple of the great Beast God, even if they knew they were outmatched.
Half a day later, the magical machine army of the Crimson Clan arrived at Makren.
The orcs might be courageous, but they weren’t simple-minded enough to charge out of the city and engage with the powerful witch army on the plain.
They hastily pulled up the drawbridge, shut the city gates, and drove a large group of centaur spearthrowers up the city walls. With the deep ditch, the tall walls, and the ferocious spear-throwing of the centaurs, they were confident they could keep the enemy outside the city walls. After all, the centaurs could pierce stone and metal with their spears as long as the target was within fifty meters.
Sadly, their enemies were no ordinary opponents. They were a completely mechanized magical machine army!
The orcs holing up behind the walls were just where Greem wanted them.
With Greem’s orders, the three hundred and eighty-nine magical machines moved into formation a hundred meters outside the city gates. Twenty magic energy chariots arranged themselves in a row behind the magical machines. The ear-piercing sound of rumbling metal rang out, and four robotic arms appeared out of both sides of the chariots, pinning them firmly to the ground. Black cannon barrels then emerged from the tops of the chariots.
Magic energy cannons. Each was four to five times more powerful than the magical energy beams shot out from the rifles, with an offensive might of up to 170 to 210 points. That was already at the level of an all-out attack from a First Grade elementium adept.
More importantly, the attack range of the magic energy rifles was only thirty to three hundred meters, while the range of the magic energy cannon was as high as seven hundred meters. Consequently, Greem had never intended to have the magical machine army assault the city directly. Instead, he intended to have some artillery action with the intent of minimizing casualties.
Once the magic energy chariots switched to their long-ranged cannon forms, blinding clusters of red light started to gather inside their cannon barrels. Seven seconds later, the chariots trembled as the fire-magic energy bolts turned into massive fireballs and shot out of the barrels. They cut across the sky with a red streak, flying past the city wall and landing in the city.
Twenty magic energy chariots, twenty fire magic energy blasts; giant fireballs devoured the entirety of Makren City in an instant.
The Crimson adepts emerged from their chariots one by one and observed the city from behind the formation. They could only see clusters of large fires erupt all over the city, shaking the stone buildings and lighting up the sky.
The entire city was instantly plunged into a sea of fire!
The orc commander crouching on the city wall and peeking down from behind a parapet felt a chill run down his entire body. Even his heart felt the cold.
What was it that the witches had brought with them? How had they managed to shoot fireballs from such a great distance?
Just as he intended to give the order to attack, he regretfully realized that even the closest metal giant was a hundred meters away from the wall. The centaurs would have a tough time hitting the enemy from such a distance, even with their arm strength.
Even as the orc commander hesitated, an even more shocking and horrifying incident occurred.
Chapter 828 - The Fall of Makren City
Under the orders of a strange five-meter metal giant, all the magic energy chariots slowly adjusted their cannon fire and targeted the centaur forces on the wall, along with all the parapets and bastions.
“Hurry and dodge!”
The orc commander had to shout at full volume to be heard, but his voice was still drowned out by the deafening cannon fire.
The entire four hundred meter stretch of the wall was engulfed in exploding fireballs.
The limbs and organs of countless centaurs and orcs flew into the air. One after another, the watchtowers and bastions crumbled in flashes of fire, the terrified screams of orcs coming from within.
“Attack…attack! All-out attack!”
The orc commander shouted out his last order with a hoarse and cracking voice as he witnessed the apocalyptic sight before him. His towering bo
dy was then blown to pieces in an exploding blast of flame.
Staying on the walls and defending the city was no longer possible. All the orcs would be blasted to death before they even touched the enemy if they didn’t find a way to charge forward now.
Countless lithe and agile silhouettes took to the skies from the blazing walls.
They had strange bodies and brownish-gray wings. They held wooden spears in their hands and flew at tremendous speeds.
Harpies. It was the harpies!
Greem had already prepared for this only air force of the orcs.
The harpies had just taken to the skies and had not even gotten into formation to prepare to dive at the enemy. Just then, a hundred eyeball combat machines whistled through the air and charged at them. What accompanied the eyeball machines was a dense storm of Scalding Rays.
The harpies could not be considered as having strong bodies amongst the orc forces. Moreover, to lighten their flight weight, they were not equipped with metal armor. Their only weapons were five short throwing spears and a single wooden spear. Their typical method of combat was to fly above the enemy before raining down spears from above. Once they had exhausted all of their spears, they would then wield their three-meter long wooden spears and dive at the ground.
Such a combat tactic might be effective against enemies without air forces, but it was no more than a suicidal move against the magical machine army.
When the frail bodies of the harpies ran into the volley of Scalding Rays, it was a sad sight that one couldn’t even bear looking at. Several valiant harpy warriors continued to climb even higher but were immediately intercepted by eyeball machines.
Red Scalding Rays landed in the ranks of the harpies. Almost every single attack could ground one of the harpy warriors. The pitifully crashing harpy warriors slammed down heavily upon the hard dirt, like sacks of potatoes. Their internal organs ruptured instantly as they spat out blood on the ground, while the rows of Archers harvested what was left of their lives.
The towering drawbridge fell with a thud. The half-meter thick wooden gates were pushed apart, and a swarm of orcs stormed out of the city.
Greem had a complete grasp of the enemy’s movements, and he had already made preparations for the situation. Ten of the magic energy chariots continued to bombard the city walls, while the other ten turned their cannon fire toward the city gates. Ten giant fireballs exploded in the ranks of the horde of orcs before they could even cross the drawbridge.
Blood everywhere, limbs all across the place…
The valiant orcs were met with a painful blow the moment they exited the city and before they could reach their enemies. Those who managed to make it across the drawbridge despite the cannon fire were immediately greeted with a barrage of hundreds of energy beams.
The orcs, with their wide-open eyes and warhammers in hand, were riddled with holes after just a few steps. They stumbled forward, blood continuing to pour forth from all the holes in their bodies.
Finally, they fell to their knees and their chests, but continued climbing forward with all their remaining strength.
A second volley of energy beams swept across the field, and the grim battlefield fell silent once more!
When the might of two opposing parties were on entirely different levels, personal courage and bravery could no longer affect the development of the battle.
Hordes of orcs charged out of the city, one after another, and one after another they fell to the ground.
Again and again, bloody and cruel!
However, regardless of how the orcs charged, they could not make it across that invisible line. They could not touch that row of mighty metal giants. The enemy’s cannon fire was simply too ferocious; so ferocious that their bodies of flesh and blood could not stand it.
Finally, after leaving thousands of corpses in front of the city gates, the orcs retreated into the city, wailing in pain and sorrow. The magical machine army took the opportunity to extend the range of their cannon fire and bombarded the tall structures that remained in Makren City.
The orcs hid on the other side, at the bottom of the wall, wooden shields over their heads. They were enduring the beating bitterly, waiting for the moment the enemies charged into the city. Since they couldn’t make their way out, then they would wait until the enemy entered the city to engage them in urban warfare. With the ferocity and courage of the orcs, they would be able to tear a few pieces of meat off of the opponent in close combat, even if the enemies were made of metal and steel.
Unfortunately, they underestimated Greem’s resolve, as well the terror of the magical machine army with Split-Off Brain Gru behind them.
Gru’s metal body stood in the center of the magical machine army. Beams of blue energy connected himself to the surrounding magical machines at all times. Both the Archers and magic energy chariots could obtain sufficient magical power from the energy ribbons.
The magical machine army had no risk of running out of energy as long as he was around!
Not a single orc or any member of their subordinate races could be seen throughout the large Makren City. Everyone was hiding in the shadows and under the rubble, enduring the repeated bombardment and cleansing of the magic energy cannons.
The eight-meter-tall city wall finally crumpled under the constant bombardment of twenty magic energy cannons, collapsing into rubble and stone. The eyeball machines that had exterminated the harpies formed groups and flew into Makren City. They hovered twenty meters above the ground and quickly searched for all remaining life in the city.
It didn’t matter whether it was the collapsed stone walls or the scorched houses. The eyeball machines could deftly weave through the destruction and use their sizzling Scalding Rays to sweep every dark corner they found.
The surviving orcs used all the tricks they had left against these eyeball machines, throwing their axes, casting their nets, or simply jumping into the air. The numbers of the eyeball machines also started to decrease with this effort.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Earthshaking footsteps echoed throughout the battlefield.
Rows of magical machines entered the city in a loose formation, stepping across the broken stones of the city walls and the burnt beams of the houses. They didn’t spread out or attempt to search those dark and narrow places. Instead, they fired a goblin rocket at whatever life response they detected through the strange gems fitted into their eye sockets.
A dozen energy beams instantly shredded any orcs that charged out of the darkness.
Almost all the buildings in the city had been razed. Even the rare house that remained standing could not endure the attacks of the magical machines. They destroyed everything in their path. Walls collapsed, and houses fell, becoming dust on the wind.
If they ran into orcs that continued to resist by hiding behind tough watchtowers, the magical machines only needed to call for another round of bombardment from the magic energy cannons. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It was completely silent once again!
Nearly a hundred magical machines raised their rifles and arrived at the small Beast God temple. The last remaining two thousand orcs and centaurs of Makren City had fortified themselves here. They formed a human wall with their bodies and faced off against the magical machines in a sad and desperate last stand.
After two hours of constant rifle and cannon fire, there was no longer an unharmed orc and centaur among them. Even the Third Grade orc berserker was covered in blood. The animal hide on his body had been scorched black by the flames. The Second Grade orcs around him also carried various wounds, blood streaming down their faces and their limbs.
At this moment, the orc berserker was standing at the very front of the formation. He carried two giant double-edge war axes on his back while holding a large and rough tribal flag in his hand.
There was no wind in the city, but the flag had wholly unfolded. It showed the image of an orc raising a warhammer and shouting toward the sky.
Greem slowly stepp
ed onto the battlefield with his many Crimson adepts. They stood a hundred meters away and coldly faced off against these orc remnants. The orcs’ eyes were bloodshot, and they stared at each and every adept with eyes of immense hatred.
The Warhammer Tribe based in Makren City was done for!
They had lost their city, their territory, their people, and their warriors. Soon, they would lose the only faith of the orcs that now stood behind them– the Beast God temple.
“Adepts, why do you attack our cities, slaughter our people, and raze our temples? Why?” Perhaps knowing that they were facing a dead end, the orc berserker’s voice was hoarse and filled with sorrow.
“There is no why. The reasons might be many, but I have no need to explain them to you. You and I are only chess pieces with no true agency. Your responsibility is to defend this city, while mine is to destroy this plane. As for a reason? Who really cares about that?” Greem replied coldly.
The orc warrior knew he would not get the answer he wanted from Greem’s mouth. Thus, he waved the flag in his hand and planted the thick post into the ground. He reached behind his back and grabbed his axes before roaring and charging at Greem.
The orc berserker let out an intimidating battlecry as he rushed forward. His originally two-meter-tall body once again swelled in size and became even more muscular. His black feet let out a great sound every time they stepped against the ground. From a distance, it sounded like thundering war drums.
Pupupu!
A series of Scalding Rays hit the orc berserker’s body like burning metal rods. The orc berserker only lifted his axe and protected his face against the attacks. He then jumped forward, allowing the Scalding Rays to crash against his body.
The Scalding Rays that could pierce through walls only left small red dots on the orc berserker’s black body; they could not pierce through his tough skin.
A wicked smile appeared on the berserker’s face. A faint light shone across his axe as he slashed forward quickly. The axe was only two meters long and could not reach the magical machines which were two to three dozen meters away. Yet, as the light left the weapon, a half-meter long ripple instantly passed through the bodies of five Archers.
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