Chereads / Thunder Empire / Chapter 13 - Baptism by fire (1).

Chapter 13 - Baptism by fire (1).

After entering the Crimson Knights barracks, Benedict presented them to a young dwarf.

"Alright kids, this guy is Dareldrin Heavybasher. He's the captain of Unit 8, the team you'll be joining from now on."

Benedict presented the dwarf youth to Kaylessa and Ayaka.

Lvl 10|Dareldrin Heavybasher|Dwarf Axeman|Hp: 2,300/2,300|ET: 900/900|

Kaylessa and Ayaka both performed a small bow towards their new leader, Dareldrin, who simply acknowledged their gesture with a nod. 

"Perfect, Dareldrin, I'm leaving these two inexperienced rookies in your hands. I'm heading out now."

After making that statement, Benedict quickly left them in the company of the dwarf as he hurriedly made his way towards the second level of the barracks. 

"Hmph, follow me, lads."

Dareldrin began, giving Kaylessa and Ayaka a tour of the barracks, showcasing the various facilities, including a spacious training center, a cafeteria, shower rooms, and sleeping quarters. 

Kaylessa and Ayaka were placed under general supervision, so Dareldrin decided to give them a room with only two beds instead of the usual four. The room wasn't very spacious, but it did have the essential amenities for them to rest, including a private bathroom with a shower. 

After finishing the introductions at the barracks, Dareldrin, Kaylessa, and Ayaka headed to the training grounds. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed, instantly recognized by those with experience on the frontlines for at least a week. 

The war horns sounded, indicating the approach of the terrifying creatures. In response, numerous soldiers swiftly took their positions, their metallic footsteps echoing alongside the clashing of their armor.

"Come with me, rookies; our destination is at the front wall, in zone F."

With those words, Dareldrin led the way to their assigned area behind the wall. As they ran, Kaylessa and Ayaka could make out a vast multitude of soldiers from various races, accompanied by flying or ground beasts, gathered together in the thousands. 

Benedict and his officers were already up on the wall when one of the officers told him about the approaching swarm and what it was made of.

Lvl 5|---|Nightmare Leader Goblin|Hp:600/600|ET:350/350|x500

Lvl 5|---|Nightmare Imp| Hp:600/600|ET:600/600| x500

Lvl 8|---|Nightmare Orc|Hp:1,800/1,800|ET:4,000/4,000|x10,000

Lvl 10|---|Nightmare Troll|Hp:5,000/5,000|ET:10,000/10,000|x5,000

Lvl 15|---|Nightmare Leader Troll|Hp:15,000/15,000|ET:15,000/15,000|x10

This time, the enemy had 16,000 soldiers with 10 leaders, while the coalition had 20,000 soldiers. The coalition had more soldiers, but the enemy had stronger overall strength. 

After a few minutes, the enemy army came into view, putting them within reach of the tower cannons. The deafening sound of cannon fire echoed in every direction. The towers relentlessly fired at the approaching sea of enemies, with the first ones to reach being the Nightmare Imps. 

Because of their ability to fly, they skillfully evaded the tower cannons, only to be intercepted by the coalition's airborne forces. This led to an intense aerial battle, causing casualties among the imps, flying beasts, and their riders as they showed no mercy towards one another.

Meanwhile, down below, the powerful cannon fire from the towers proved to be highly impactful against the overwhelming enemy forces, resulting in significant casualties among their less resilient units and inflicting some harm on orcs and trolls. As the enemy forces drew nearer to the walls, the long-range unit, consisting of archers and mages with extensive area-of-effect abilities, unleashed a barrage of attacks on the approaching horde all at once. 

The generals could be heard shouting orders from the top of the wall, signaling the imminent melee and potential breach of the wall. 

When the terrifying creatures approached the wall, the orcs began scaling it despite being attacked with arrows. A few orcs were struck down, but the majority made it to the top of the wall. The ensuing battle on the walls was chaotic melee. The orcs' large bodies made them easy targets for the archers providing fire support. 

Unfortunately, the Orcs were not passive targets; armed with large swords and axes, they began to decimate numerous coalition soldiers stationed on the wall, prompting the reserves stationed behind the wall to ascend and fortify it. 

During the coalition army's engagement in the battle at the wall, the trolls sneaked up to the walls and began striking them with their large, spiked black ball hands, causing certain sections to tremble. The breach of the wall seemed inevitable as the trolls continued their relentless attack. 

Kaylessa and Ayaka were feeling anxious from the start of the battle in the sky, and as they heard the noise of rocks crumbling and heavy smashing right next to the wall where they stood, their hearts raced and adrenaline pumped through their veins. Kaylessa clutched her spear tightly, preparing for any sudden movements as the wall continued to be pounded by the smashing sounds. 

Last night, her mother shared the harsh truth about the world and its inhabitants, emphasizing that it was not a battle for power but a desperate fight for existence. Kaylessa's hold on her spear grew stronger.

Without further notice, the wall of Zone F crumbled, killing some of the soldiers and orcs that were on top of it when it crumbled.

"Move the Shield Warriors to the front, the Archers and Wizards to the sides, and the rest stay with me." 

Dareldrin swiftly commanded his unit, which promptly obeyed. As soon as they took control, the black orcs emerged from the dust, targeting the remaining defenders of the crumbling wall before advancing towards the shield wall ahead.