Chapter 444

Chapter 444: Bloodlike Sunset

“Fire!”

With a roar from the officer, the cannons in Sword Pine City burst forth with a brilliant light. The short, intense flames and the deafening sound echoed behind the hills, followed by cannonballs falling into the steel forest outside the city.

Explosions sent dust flying several meters high, iron shards scattering and striking the golems nearby, causing a continuous clanging sound. Then, as the dust settled, many golems continued to advance, their shoulder-mounted nozzles emitting deep blue rays that swept across the city walls, leaving chaotic scorched marks. If any soldier were hit by these rays, they would let out a scream before their iron armor melted, turning them into twisted flames.

“Damn it!”

General Sarge, watching from behind, clenched his fists tightly, slamming them against the parapet in front of him, causing stones to scatter and blood to trickle down his hand.

“What is the result of the bombardment?”

“Reporting to the commander, we have destroyed thirty steel golems, but there are still over sixty left outside the city.”

As these golems approached, the artillery forces in Sword Pine City behind them began firing. These cannons had been acquired during the suppression of West Wind, with varying ages and sizes of ammunition, making resupply difficult. The current supply was not abundant.

On the riverbank and hillside outside Sword Pine City, gray-silver golems kept advancing. Only hitting the precise center of these golems or smashing them into open spaces could cause substantial damage.

Fortunately, these steel golems were only part of the Frost Rose’s main army, relatively weak, and thus could be destroyed by the cannons. However, the Frost Rose was still engaged in a standoff with its most elite golem units on the Cangcui border, guarding against a sudden attack from this vast empire.

Even so, these outdated golems were now challenging for Clancia to resist. Unlike low-ranking Extraordinary Beings with flesh and blood bodies, golems generally had sturdy defensive shells that rendered ordinary attacks ineffective. A human wave tactic did not easily work against these golem legions.

Rocks flew wildly on the city walls, and the muffled impact sounds below resembled the heartbeat of a dragon, causing the earth and buildings to tremble. The original residents inside the city fled in panic toward the rear.

Sarge slowly closed his eyes and then opened them again.

“Count the number of golems outside, and prepare the Cataclysm Knights in the city for the West Wind Rainbow Lances. They should be ready at all times.”

“Yes, General!” A knight saluted, then donned a full-face white helmet, revealing a reddish-bronze sheen from the worn metal edges.

The Cataclysm Knights of Clancia were all veterans from the great battle on the Windy Wilderness. That night, lightning illuminated the sky and stars descended, and many soldiers present broke through, almost all becoming Extraordinary Beings. After years of continued fighting and honing, these battle-hardened warriors became the most elite and proud force of Clancia.

Among them, the strongest were selected into the Cataclysm Knights, each being a Sequence 5 existence.

They wore armor with red borders on white, and red-gold fringed capes, with the red metal on the armor edges like the sunset, weathered yet resilient.

Survivors of the cataclysm, they were now officially known as Cataclysm Knights, and their West Wind Rainbow Lances were immensely heavy, standard golden-grade artifacts, nearly five meters long, with formidable piercing and striking capabilities.

These lances came from the West Wind royal collection, usually awarded only to outstanding West Wind knights. Now, after Clancia’s establishment, this legacy was equipped to the nation’s most elite troops.

West Wind had founded its kingdom on horseback, and knights were its most typical symbol. Although Clancia embraced new concepts, some traditions carried forward with historical culture.

The assault on the city walls continued as steel golems approached, the noise like pile drivers reverberating through the walls, causing intense vibrations that made people feel nauseous.

Cannons behind Sword Pine City still spewed flames, but as ammunition dwindled, so did their firepower.

Sarge descended from the watchtower to the central street behind the gate. At this moment, thirty Cataclysm Knights stood ready. They were fully covered in crimson metal armor, with only T-shaped gaps visible for their faces. Their cylindrical knight lances were bronze-colored, intricately engraved, and under sunlight, emitted a faint rainbow-like glow.

Though only thirty in number, this represented one-tenth of the Cataclysm Knights’ strength; the rest were scattered throughout the capital and provinces, elite soldiers who relied on their Sequence 5 Cataclysm Knight special abilities to resonate with comrades, briefly achieving near Sequence 6 power.

“General Sir,”

A squire brought a heavy West Wind Rainbow Lance, which Sarge casually picked up, mounted his horse, and planted the butt of the lance into the ground, creating a dull small pit. Though powerful, wielding such a lance for long periods exerted immense pressure on the horse.

He looked at these silent yet formidable warriors, recognizing their familiar statures despite their helmets. These were early elite fighters who joined Clancia’s uprising. They once numbered nearly 100,000, but few remained alive today. Yet, those who survived were undoubtedly elite, the backbone of the military. He did not want more losses among them unless absolutely necessary.

But, what choice did they have?

Peace was never achieved through slogans and diplomacy, but through genuine combat.

“Soldiers! Though we share no blood ties, we call each other brothers because we share the same ideals and walk the same path.”

“Now is the time to test our ideals. Are you willing to forge the foundation of our dreams with iron and blood?”

“Yes!” Muffled voices came from beneath the armor.

“Good! Raise your lances, and follow me into the charge!”

Outside the city, steel golems used their blue beams to sweep across the parapets, then climbed the gentle slope, using massive hammers to strike the walls, causing large stones to crumble and gaps to appear.

Just as the mages outside thought they were about to breach the city and end the battle, the gates suddenly opened.

Layered iron grates were lifted by long rolling shutters, and heavy wooden doors fastened with iron were pushed open.

Knights clad in fiery cloaks and plumes emerged one by one, holding ancient bronze cylindrical lances. As they charged and accelerated, the cloaks fluttered like flames, and the engravings on the lances glowed gold, finally making the entire lance look like burning hot iron.

Gales howled, warhorses neighed, and the sunset bled like blood.

Additional chapters seem to be becoming a possibility 0 0

(End of Chapter)