Chapter 388: The Battle at the Orc Fortresses
Eighteen formidable military fortresses stood as the backbone of the Orc Empire. Each of these massive fortresses had the capacity to house 80000 to 100000 soldiers within their walls. Rising 50 meters high, their walls were studded with countless sharp barbs, making it impossible for any assailants on siege ladders to climb or fall without being impaled, leaving them no chance of survival.
However, these towering walls were merely a deterrent for Intermediate Level and lower-ranking combatants. High-level and Grandmaster Level Professionals had to rely on heavy crossbows and magical firearms to assail these formidable defenses, for there was no other way.
In Dawn City, there were 18 death legions, each comprising 100000 Chosen Ones. Regardless of whether one was William, the War Watcher of The Blue Frost Empire, or a prince or military commander from the Elf family, they all couldn't help but wonder about William's intentions.
The city of Dawn, despite its rumored achievements and its status as the victor of the Dark Invasion, still left others questioning its true strength until they could see it for themselves.
However, what perplexed them the most was the absence of Dawn City's regular legions. The 100000 Dawn Legions were currently concealed within the Frost Forest, preparing for battle in secrecy. There were also two formidable Griffin Legions, six cavalry legions that moved like razor blades, three of which were the White Thunder War Horse Legions and three the Black Dragon Blood War Horse Legions. Additionally, there was a Dragon Blood Legion teeming with boundless fighting spirit.
This particular 3500–strong Dragon Blood Legion was outfitted with dragon scale armor, covering every inch of their bodies with scales of their corresponding dragon attribute, ice, wood, water, fire, earth, and darkness. These Dragon's Blood Warriors, who had various attribute affinities, were led by Dragon Speakers, a peculiar fact that caught the attention of many.
This anomaly raised questions about how Dawn City had achieved this. After all, Dragon Whisperers could only be created by the dragon clan using Dragon Language Magic. What was the secret behind Dawn City's actions?
Many speculated about the number of dragons William had killed to form such a formidable Dragon Blood Legion. Not everyone possessed a Mexis to enhance their Dragon's Blood Warriors through Dragon Crystals. These Dawn soldiers, standing amidst the chilling winds and heavy snow, carried the aura of seasoned warriors, which was why William commanded such respect.
"Is it just me, or do these Chosen Ones seem somewhat unrefined?"
"They seem to lack discipline altogether. Compare them to Dawn City's regular army or the Dawn Mercenary Corps, and the disparity is astonishing!"
"Dawn City boasts over 2 million Chosen Ones, but I feel they're being wasted."
"Indeed, it's a tremendous waste. Originally, the Empire had plans to recruit Chosen Ones, but if they're all like this, it's futile. Are they just meant to deplete resources?"
These conversations among the onlookers revealed their doubts about the worth of the Chosen Ones.
As the players' army approached within 5000 meters of the military fortresses, they displayed remarkable cooperation in showcasing their apparent "ineptitude."
The Orc army responded with a barrage of attacks, launching their artillery, enchanted heavy crossbows, and catapults in the first wave. Deafening explosions echoed across the battlefield as the artillery shells made their way to the center of the conflict.
The resounding gunfire continued relentlessly. The players' army suffered devastating blows, with nearly every shell capable of launching eight or nine players into the air. The battlefield, once pristine, was now strewn with countless remnants of players.
It resembled a meteor shower of falling stones as players struggled to avoid the devastating attacks. Many chose not to evade, knowing that their fate was sealed by the deadly barrage of projectiles.
The heavy crossbows and arrows proved equally lethal, each arrow piercing players like sugar gourds.
Within the first 30 minutes of the battle, one million players, out of ten armies, were decimated. Roughly one-third of them were killed, and the remaining 300000 players had to return to the central flag for resurrection.
The gruesome spectacle of the battle unfolded before the eyes of all, and the players were left contemplating when they might receive equipment to withstand such a relentless assault.
Amidst the carnage, a formidable Black Leaf Elf Warrior, Haldir, approached William. As one of the deputy commanders of the war, he patted William on the shoulder and spoke in a solemn tone, "Your Highness, would you like to consider halting the attack for now?"
William shook his head firmly and replied, "No, the role of the Chosen Ones is to face death head-on."
Unperturbed, he waved the command flag once more, instructing the players to launch a second wave of attacks without respite.
Observing this, Haldir sighed and withdrew. He understood that, as the Prince of the Black Leaf Elves, William bore the responsibility and obligation to oversee Dawn City's battles. Yet, as the Lord of Dawn, William Blackleaf City, William had taken on the task of leading the vanguard army, and no one could dictate how he chose to wield his power, even if it meant leading his troops to face inevitable death.
As for the Chosen Ones, the spectators couldn't help but wonder about their purpose in the battle. After all, one million players had perished, and their combat effectiveness decreased with each death. According to rumors, after six deaths, Chosen Ones would vanish only to reappear the following day.
One-third of the Chosen Ones army had fallen in battle without even scaling the city walls. Many observers had given up hope for Dawn City's vanguard force.
Nonetheless, several spectators remained, hoping to witness the participation of Dawn City's regular army, even though the likelihood seemed slim. It was widely understood that, unless William were a madman, he would not commit his ace army to such a grueling battle.
Meanwhile, the Death Legion, who had experienced a surge in power with each player death, continued their relentless onslaught. Many players criticized the Chosen Ones for their seeming ineffectiveness, and the orcs reveled in the pleasure of slaughtering their foes, growing stronger with each kill.
The orc commanders noticed this phenomenon, realizing that their soldiers became significantly stronger after slaying the Chosen Ones. Even they themselves felt a surge of power after each kill.
"Could it be that killing the Chosen Ones and absorbing their souls enhances our strength?"
Once this revelation spread among the commanders, they decided to make a bold move and evacuate the town.
After the second wave of players' assaults, the Orcs operating the artillery, heavy crossbows, and catapults unleashed a more ferocious barrage than before.
The players were once again caught in the midst of a deadly onslaught.
Many orcs failed to notice that some players were unarmed, and this oversight would have dire consequences.
As the players lazily carried their siege ladders towards the city walls, the massive steel fortress gates stood wide open. To the shock of the orc commanders, there were no signs of the traps they had feared. In an unexpected turn of events, around forty to fifty thousand orcs clad in black iron armor charged out of the fortresses with deafening roars.
The orc army surged like an unstoppable torrent of iron and steel, overwhelming the densely packed player forces. Even when players fought with all their might, it was a challenging task to defeat a single orc. Only when the orcs rushed recklessly and were surrounded by a dozen or more players did they incur any casualties.
Spectators were left in utter disbelief. Was this the famed "Chosen Ones" army? Their power seemed remarkably lacking. Despite their gleaming weapons, they struggled to inflict meaningful damage on the middle-tier orc warriors.
Death after death, the players charged relentlessly, showing no fear of life or death. They were determined to push forward despite the overwhelming odds.
The second wave of players was wiped out, but the orcs only grew stronger. Their commanders even managed to collect numerous heads, further increasing their strength.
The orcs were hungry for more. They no longer wanted the Chosen Ones to merely keep coming; they desired an endless supply of them, hoping to become even stronger.
With each passing wave of players, the orcs continued to grow more formidable. They longed for the Chosen Ones to keep coming and make their territory even more fertile for strength enhancement.
William, witnessing this spectacle, realized the strategic value of the players' sacrifices. He murmured to himself, "If all goes according to plan, I will capture all ten of these military fortresses today."
"However, we'll need someone else to handle the epic warriors guarding these fortresses," he continued. William sent a message requesting assistance from the Elves, who agreed to lend him some of their epic warriors for a crucial raid on the array and to hold off the local epic defenders.
Since the Elves were aware of the nearly four million heads William had accumulated, they didn't expect much in return. In fact, many Elves who disliked him began to launch attacks against him.
Nonetheless, the assistance of epic warriors was necessary for sweeping the array, a request that couldn't be refused. This operation marked the beginning of Dawn City's general assault.
Thus, as the last messengers departed after delivering their heads, only ten epic warriors remained to sweep the array.
William initiated the general assault, deploying the first one million players and another 800000 players who had never died.
However, amidst the cold, snowy landscape of the far north, a peculiar event transpired. When magicians from various sides used magic to obscure the enemy's line of sight, no one noticed that one million players had collectively changed their attire.
It was during this time that the ten epic warriors sweeping the array began to sense something amiss.
The 800000 fresh troops were preparing to join the fray.
Magic guns, more than 600 of them?
The Orc fortresses employed firearms, but magic guns?
Nevertheless, it was well-known that Dawn City had a thriving black market for illicit goods. So, the use of magic guns wasn't entirely unexpected.
However, it seemed the Chosen Ones of the Dawn Mercenary Corps were arranging themselves in a specific formation. It appeared that they knew the importance of staying dispersed, ensuring they were not vulnerable to artillery, heavy arrows, and stones.
With the player army adopting an entirely different formation and demeanor, the ten epic warriors sweeping the array began to find the upcoming battle intriguing.
The Orcs, upon seeing the player army's new formation, believed they had become wiser. They halted their use of guns, heavy crossbows, and stones, as the inventory of these weapons had been nearly depleted during the previous four waves of defense. They were eagerly awaiting messengers to deliver more supplies.
Additionally, the Orcs couldn't discern how many soldiers Dawn City had added to its ranks. With the scattered formation and a large number of legions, it was impossible for the Orcs to estimate the size of the player army.
More importantly, the Orcs were reveling in the pleasure of combat. They had never engaged with players before, so after eliminating the first four waves, they considered players to be nothing more than easy targets. They believed that a single Orc warrior could effortlessly handle hundreds of players.
So, even if the supplies of artillery, heavy arrows, and catapults were running low, the Orcs had no intention of backing down. They were eager to claim more heads to strengthen themselves further.
As the players initiated another charge, the Orcs assumed that it would be business as usual. They expected to encounter only sporadic arrows as they got closer to the military fortress.
However, when the short soldiers from both sides met on the battlefield, it wasn't the players who fell. Instead, it was the arrogant Orcs who met their doom.
"Retreat, retreat, retreat!" the Orc commanders shouted frantically.
Unfortunately, it was too late. The Orcs, driven by their aggressive instincts and a hint of madness, couldn't believe that the Chosen Ones had grown so powerful. They dismissed it as an illusion, an illusion that cost them dearly.