“Kill!”
The sky-ascending killing intent exploded forth.
Beneath the city wall, it was endless, seemingly infinite at first glance, a sea of people charged forward. This was the full force of South Land, the sheer number of soldiers enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
However, the defenders on the city walls were not of the Red Flames’ ilk.
If the Red Flames were here, they would have been trembling at the sight.
But this was Master Lewis’ army, trained to stand against an assault on this scale. They had practiced this scenario many times, preparing for a siege by Kisia.
So, these soldiers were all skilled defenders.
No one had expected this.
Even Master Lewis hadn’t anticipated that his troops would fail to stop Kisia’s siege, but could withstand South Land’s. It didn’t disgrace his soldiers.
“Light the fire,” commanded Lee Berger from the center.
“Yes, sir.”
His deputy went to carry out the order.
Below, many flammable materials had been buried. He had drained all of Mountland’s fuel, even from the vehicles, for this very purpose.
One fire after another was lit.
Below, a raging fire once again ignited, accompanied by scream after scream. The South Land army lost countless men to the flames.
But the South Land forces were just too numerous.
Too many.
The fuel was burned out, but more soldiers came forward, stepping on the charred bodies, carrying more siege ladders, and starting another siege.
It was as if the previous assault had been by something other than humans.
Wave after wave charged again.
And was beaten back.
And charged again.
“Hold the left side, it’s not time for the reserve squad yet. There’s a gap on the right wing, patrol team, fill it,” Lee Berger commanded loudly, his attention fully focused on the battlefield.
Just then, a “whoosh” sound.
An arrow flew from the enemy side, a silver arrow that streaked across the night sky like a shooting star. But everyone knew it wasn’t a star.
It was an arrow from the South Land army’s top archer, Caleb Laydon.
“Clang.”
Lee Berger deflected the arrow with his great sword, but was pushed back several steps. His hand trembled, and a notch was made in his sword.
He wondered if it would shatter if hit again.
Lee Berger said nothing, but was shocked. He knew the enemy had a great archer, and he had prepared this sword to block his arrows.
But he didn’t expect it to be this powerful.
Only one arrow.
One arrow had made his hand tremble.
He wondered if he could withstand another.
And then, another arrow flew, like a silver light streaking across the sky, aimed at Lee Berger. If Lee Berger died, the defensive line would crumble.
“Clang.”
Again, Lee Berger raised his sword to block.
And then, the sword broke.
The arrow aimed for Lee Berger’s head, and in the crucial moment, he dodged, narrowly avoiding a fatal hit but leaving a bloody trail on his face.
A hair’s breadth from death.
“General, you can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous,” his deputy immediately advised.
He had to go back.
“I can’t leave. The whole army can see me here, if I leave, they’ll think we’re retreating. Our morale will plummet. This is the most critical moment, one step back, and it’s an abyss,” Lee Berger roared.
He couldn’t retreat.
As a commander of the defense, he knew the impact on morale if he retreated.
Perhaps, with the next assault, the city would fall.
At this moment, Caleb Laydon drew his bowstring for the third arrow.
“Kill.”
Inspired by Caleb Laydon, the South Land soldiers below began a frenzied attack. Their momentum was overwhelming, seeming to press down on the Kisia soldiers. And then, the third arrow was released.
Another streak of silver light.
Beautiful and deadly.
“He’s done for. Mountland will fall,” all the people on the South Land side thought.
But then, with a “clang,”
The arrow was deflected by a sword, followed by a powerful voice: “Do you really think Kisia has no high-ranking practitioners? I am William Anderson. Dare you fight me?”
A middle-aged man with white hair, holding a cyan sword, stood in front of Lee Berger.
“Robin, let me protect you,” William Anderson said to Lee Berger.
His previous words had stunned everyone present. Although individual strength was not significant in the face of thousands of elite soldiers, his reputation was huge.
The Sword of South Province, an idol to many.
Caleb Laydon looked at the man, furrowing his brows. There was no heroic grandeur in rushing out to duel him just because he was challenged. This wasn’t a game, it was a war.
That was the difference between ordinary people and soldiers.
Even for practitioners, it ultimately couldn’t compete with an organized army.
However, Lee Berger seized this opportunity to stand at a higher place where everyone could see him and shouted, “Brothers, we can’t let anyone climb up here. Behind us are your wives and children.”
“Kill!”
A soldier named Bull hurled a rock down, instantly killing a South Land soldier. But at the same moment, another South Land soldier managed to charge up.
But, Bull lunged forward fiercely, plunging down with him from the city wall.
Just like his namesake.
He was called Bull.
Born and raised in a mountain village in Mountland, his family was poor, but even in poverty, he was happy because he had his mother, older sister, and father.
Even after he had left, he often went back to see them.
But now, these people wanted to break in, these people who would harm his mother, father, and sister. They were the most precious things to Bull, and he would never, absolutely never let anyone hurt them.
“Go to hell.”
As he fell, Bull grabbed a South Land soldier and pulled him down with him.
Then, he crushed him to death.
But, he died too, impaled on countless spears.
Yet he laughed in his final moments, “You little bastards… you’ll die at the hands of my… brothers… Primus will avenge us… avenge us…”
His voice faded away.
“Bull.”
The soldiers above called out his name, tears welling in their eyes.
They were from the same unit. Bull, as his name suggested, was a simple man from a mountain village, always lagging behind in the unit. They often teased him for his slowness.
But at that moment, they all knew Bull wasn’t slow.
Because once the enemy made it up, with the combat capability of the South Land soldiers, Bull wouldn’t stand a chance. If the city wall was breached by South Land soldiers, it would be over. Bull had thrown himself down, killing two, it was a gain for Bull, but everyone still thought Bull was slow.
“Bull, I’ll avenge you!”
Cries rang out one after another.