With a thunderous "Boom!" the cannon unleashed its fury, the sound echoing menacingly across the landscape. For its brief moment of hesitation, the red swiftly bore the brunt—a cannonball struck its hindquarters, leaving a scorched mark on its once pristine hide.
"Curse you!" The red exclaimed, its voice a blend of pain and indignation, as it swore under its breath.
"Fire at will," commanded Ethan, his eyes burning with a gambler's desperate intensity from within the sanctum of the temple. The indomitable spirit of the red before him posed an unforeseen challenge; should it remain unvanquished, Ethan dreaded to contemplate the aftermath.
Another "Boom!" resonated as a cannonball found its mark once again on the pig's rear, this time sending it tumbling in a clumsy arc.
"You'll pay for this!" it yelled, its words laced with venom as it fled. Even in the heat of escape, it hurled threats and curses back at its assailant.
"Continue the onslaught," Ethan ordered, a semblance of calm reclaiming him. The resilience of the red was astonishing; despite sustaining direct hits, it merely suffered superficial burns.
"If two rounds aren't sufficient, then let it be three, four," he resolved, convinced of the pig's vulnerability. With the cannons' range now extended to thirty miles, time was a luxury he could afford.
As the temple's domain was rocked by continuous "Rumbles," a peculiar chase unfolded—a red , scorched yet spirited, dashed ahead with cannonballs relentlessly pursuing its trail, each detonation marking its flesh yet failing to halt its charge.
"Aargh..." Amidst agony and fury, the red 's countenance contorted, a testament to the physical toll exacted by the barrage.
"To hell with this!" it bellowed, desperation fueling its legs, as it sought to distance itself from this place of torment.
With a weary "Phew," Ethan exhaled within the temple, a mixed sense of relief and frustration washing over him. Though the red had eluded death, the cannons had proven their mettle as a formidable deterrent.
His worry now shifted towards the potential vengeance the pig might seek against his vampire allies, prompting a concerned frown. Promptly, he dispatched a warning to the vampires, instructing them to flee at the first sight of the red and immediately alert him.
"Sister, do you think the Count is being overly cautious? Is a red truly that dreadful?" inquired Vampire No. 2, her eyes sparkling with a playful curiosity.
"The Count's commands are not without reason. Should we encounter it, fleeing is our top priority!" Her faith in the Count's wisdom was unwavering, trusting in the depth of his foresight...
Within the hallowed confines of the temple, Ethan's thoughts were adrift in the sea of future possibilities when the system's chime, melodious and unexpected, broke the silence. "Ding! The Flying Temple has ascended to the prestigious rank of Black Iron five-star. From this day forth, the host is bestowed the power to summon four units daily." "Four units?" Ethan's heart leapt with anticipation. Could it be that he was now able to call forth four units today itself?
He approached the mystical circle, the summoning wand gripped firmly in his right hand, and summoned the interface with a practiced ease. His finger danced to the rhythm of his heartbeat, pressing the summon button. "Swoosh!" A gentle yet piercing sound filled the air, accompanied by a flash of light so intense it could blind. Upon the magic circle, four skeleton warriors materialized, kneeling in solemn order.
"Lord of the Netherworld, we stand ready to serve at your behest," they declared, the flickering soul fire within their eye sockets a testament to their undying loyalty. Ethan, unfazed and experienced in such matters, casually pressed the replacement button. "No!" came the horrified shriek from the skeleton warriors, their plea echoing in vain.
But it was too late. The magic circle sprang to life, and like stars at dawn, they faded from existence, their presence dwindling into nothingness. Ethan, feigning innocence, lightly touched his chin in contemplation. These warriors, long bound to the chains of the Netherworld, had scarcely glimpsed the realm of mortals before being unceremoniously dismissed; their despair was almost tangible.
As for their destination post-replacement, that remained a mystery to Ethan. "Noble chieftain, allow us the honor of serving you," intoned the newly appeared goblins within the circle, pulling Ethan's thoughts back from the abyss. Attributes. Without a moment's delay, Ethan scrutinized the attributes of the goblins. [Goblin][Strength: 15][Agility: 18][Intelligence: 25][Skills: Weapon forging, Alchemy] Ethan sighed, his expectations dashed. The attributes of the goblins fell short of his needs, their touted skills no more than trivial novelties to him.
Thus, he opted for replacement once again. "Swoosh!" The magic circle burst forth with light anew, the goblins vanishing without a trace, their places taken by four imposing werewolves. Standing roughly two meters tall, with the heads of wolves atop human bodies and draped in shadows of armor, they were a sight to behold. Remarkably, among them, two boasted the strength of Black Iron seven-stars, while the others remained at the nascent stage of Black Iron one-star.
"What is this enigma?" Ethan mused, his brow creased in bewilderment. Had he not been led to believe that all summoned units would begin at Black Iron one-star? How then, did two among them achieve the vaunted rank of Black Iron seven-star? "Lord Wolf King," they greeted him with a deference that was almost palpable.
"And how, pray tell, did you two ascend to Black Iron seven-star?" Ethan inquired, his curiosity piqued. Upon his questioning, the two werewolves exchanged a glance, a spark of reverence in their eyes, before replying with utmost respect, "It was by the grace of the previous Wolf King that our strength was enhanced."
Ethan stood in awe. "The previous Wolf King!"
In the final polishing stage, we aim to enrich the narrative with vivid language and emotional depth, making the story more engaging and enjoyable for English-speaking readers. Here's the polished version:
Ethan, caught in a whirlwind of strategy and speculation, wondered if the units he was swapping for were being spirited away from their previous masters. Driven by curiosity, he initiated a series of tests, each experiment echoing the last with its revelation. With a triumphant laugh, Ethan reveled in the discovery. This meant he could potentially elevate his army's strength without lifting a finger, simply by playing the game of swaps. "Brilliant! Brilliant!" he exclaimed, his enthusiasm leaving the elves in his presence a tad bewildered.
Without hesitation, Ethan plunged back into the art of exchange. "Swoosh! Swoosh!" The air vibrated with the sound of transitions, a symphony of gains and losses played out in rapid succession. It was a dance of strategy, where sesame seeds were forsaken for watermelons, and then watermelons discarded for sesame seeds once more. At the end of this dance, Ethan found satisfaction in a new set of units—Lava Giants. These towering beings, three meters tall and made of rock and magma, were fortresses unto themselves. Their rank? Black Iron nine-star.
Eagerly, Ethan delved into the attributes of the Lava Giants: [Lava Giant][Strength: 189][Agility: 103][Intelligence: 78][Skill 1: Rock Armor, a formidable defense conjured from their sheer will, capable of deflecting the onslaughts of ordinary Bronze-level foes][Skill 2: Corrosive Magma, a devastating ability to spew magma that dissolves the lesser beings in their path.] A chill ran down Ethan's spine as he contemplated their might. The Lava Giants, with their innate fortitude supplemented by Rock Armor, appeared nearly indomitable. Not even the mighty cannons of the Flying Temple could guarantee a swift victory against such behemoths—a testament to their Bronze-level defense.
However, their Achilles' heel was evident: their ponderous speed. Yet, Ethan accepted this flaw with grace, knowing perfection in a unit was a rare jewel. "Perhaps they're best suited to bolster Celia and the others," he mused. With the red pig's threat looming large in his mind, the addition of the Lava Giants to his allies' ranks promised a newfound hope. If battle was to come, these giants would surely tip the scales in their favor.