Chapter 547: The Bay Territory that Fights Stronger and Stronger
At first, it was a flame trailing with a fiery tail.
The dazzling and mesmerizing halo adorned it, making it extremely beautiful.
Then, as it drew closer, it seemed like a grim and twisted red eye.
Its gaze was so terrifying, it felt like a hand extending from the sky, engulfing the entire land.
Such a breathtaking scene once made many players rethink this world.
This is the King Slayer Star!
A comet that approaches the material plane once every few decades or centuries.
Now, Matthew and Yaya silently watched its arrival.
That awe-inspiring impact grew larger before Matthew's eyes.
"Shit!"
Matthew only had time to curse before an indescribable whispering began echoing in his ears.
The voices were faint and intermittent, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes noisy, and sometimes gentle.
Complex and interwoven, they formed a chaotic cacophony that made one dizzy.
Matthew frowned slightly, vaguely sensing an inexplicable irritation slowly surfacing within him.
"So direct?"
Matthew looked at his attribute panel, but there were no displayed data.
It wasn't until a moment later.
Extremely subtle data slowly began to appear.
"Ding, sanity impact detected. Willpower and intelligence check in progress…"
"Check passed…"
Although the check was passed, it didn't make Matthew feel any better.
The omnipresent whispers continued to resound in his ears.
"Sanity impact?"
"A psychic attack weapon? What's the medium?"
Matthew endured the noisy, chaotic sounds, silently pondering.
The blood-red sky added much more color at that moment.
But instead of bringing relief or joy, it brought an indescribable fear and horror.
Even before fully arriving, the King Slayer Star had already displaced hundreds of thousands, even millions. It was about to unleash its full might.
Matthew remembered very clearly, over the next three months.
The "Mad Dragon Lock" would trigger the "Mad Dragon Calamity."
It would escalate, eventually affecting the entire material plane.
Kingdoms and factions that underestimated the "Mad Dragon Calamity" would all suffer great impacts and shocks.
"Ah! They're so noisy!"
Yaya's crisp complaint rang out. She stared at the massive blood-red eye in the sky and said after a soft hum:
"One day, I'm going to tear this damn thing apart!"
To Yaya's "complaint," Matthew only smiled faintly. Making sure the little one's state hadn't been too greatly affected, he exhaled lightly and said:
"Just as well—let's take this opportunity to study how to resist the Mad Dragon Lock's influence."
Nodding quickly, Yaya, with her pouty lips, promptly flipped open a thick spellbook.
This was a gift prepared for her by the Grand Archmage Chronorman.
"Let's start with the energy shield…"
"Hmm…"
Matthew and Yaya began actively studying the Mad Dragon Lock's effects on themselves.
Of course, this was only their projections.
Without absolute certainty, Matthew would never take risks.
In the Bay Territory's operations conference room.
Receiving Matthew's safety report, Angela let out a long sigh of relief.
She quickly shared the news with the group. Everyone immediately felt at ease, focusing entirely on defending the Bay Territory.
December 28.
Bay Territory.
Sunny.
At the edge of the Misty Swamp.
A long train quietly rested at the center of the stronghold.
Soldiers busily worked on the freight cars packed with goods.
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Get everything unloaded!"
A large number of supplies were stacked on the containers.
They had to unload them before switching out the containers.
Under the workers' control, the bulky golems gently lifted the massive containers, placing them in the unloading area.
The emptied containers were loaded with numerous goods, labeled, and listed before being sent back onto the train.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The train's rumbling whistle gradually faded as it accelerated away.
Soldiers carried larger enchanted crossbows, placing them along the walls.
Inside the storage rooms behind the walls, countless supplies were already piled up.
Behind the outer wall, there was an even higher wall.
After the previous earthquake spell incident that destroyed the walls.
All the Bay Territory's defenses were rebuilt with two or even more layers of walls.
More fallback positions meant more tactical options.
Leon was receiving intelligence gathered by the adventurers.
Preparing for the approaching dragon-blooded creatures, he made arrangements and plans.
Trenches were being dug outside, and sentries stood watch atop the towers.
Hundreds of soldiers busily moved about.
"Other territories have so many dragon-blooded creatures that they can only rely on cities and towns for defense."
"When the cities can't be breached, they seem to be drawn by some invisible force, heading our way."
"Preliminary estimates indicate the first wave of dragon-blooded creatures will arrive in two hours."
"There are approximately 20,000 to 25,000, with around half being gnolls, 5,000 lizardmen, 5,000 various dragon beasts, and roughly 3,000 dragonkin…"
"As the outermost defensive line, we must make first contact and record the enemy's strength and combat power."
Chris rubbed his temples, a trace of exhaustion on his face.
To gather this information, he personally led a team on a five-day mission, even facing pursuit from an extraordinary dragon-blooded creature.
Had he not been well-equipped and held out until reinforcements arrived, he might not have made it back.
But he did gain something.
Thousands of gold coins in mission rewards, 8000 points of merit.
After slaying that extraordinary dragon-blooded creature, he also received a piece of extraordinary magical equipment.
Relieved, Chris spent a large portion of his gold and merit on an urgent training session.
With Yaya's help, Chris underwent rigorous training in various specialized skills, achieving the best possible results.
His strength increased significantly, his class level rising to 10 as he searched for a path to becoming an advanced adventurer.
Leon, remaining calm, carefully analyzed the map's situation. He didn't seem overly worried about the numerous enemies.
There were three strongholds positioned to face the first wave of dragon-blooded creatures, with a total of a brigade's worth of troops stationed there.
With defensive advantages, the help of intelligence, and ample supplies.
Leon was confident they could hold their ground and achieve victory.
After all, not everyone was qualified to take on the initial offensive task.
That's right, the Bay Territory didn't just think about defense.
Aside from the defending soldiers, the adventurers gathered around the stronghold were also raring to go.
To them, a battle in the Bay Territory meant it was time to "drink and feast."
They could not only claim the Bay Territory's "assist in defense" mission rewards but also earn loot from killing enemies.
They were stationed at a temporary stronghold two kilometers away.
This place was also filled with supplies, though these were prepared by the adventurers themselves.
They too were ready to go all out.
Most elite adventurers were carefully instructing the younger adventurers who lacked experience fighting dragon-blooded creatures.
"These creatures are like beasts. Don't expect them to feel fear…"
"What's most important is to kill them in one blow, but make sure to strike twice…"
"If you can't overpower them, stick to your teammates and focus on cutting and attacking their joints…"
"Don't be reckless. Surviving without injury is the most crucial thing…"
"Remember to follow the signals…"
Adventurers capable of taking battlefield missions were generally at the peak of intermediate levels, with over 2000 contribution points, forming the backbone of the Bay Territory's adventurers.
They were all at a critical juncture, eager to earn more merit and gold coins.
They sought to obtain more magical supplies from the Bay Territory, learn advanced specializations and skills.
To break free from the constraints of being intermediate adventurers and become higher-level professionals, with a significant boost in both strength and status.
Of course, battlefield missions also came with danger, and no one could guarantee survival.
However, the majority of adventurers were happy to follow the path laid out by the Bay Territory.
Because the Bay Territory was the only place willing to let them "grow."
Most other territories were reluctant to see too many powerful adventurers within their borders.
They would typically impose subtle restrictions or simply raise the difficulty of inheritance.
Weaker strength, easier to control.
Smaller numbers, easier to manage.
The rising and falling roars gradually came from the distance.
The galloping cavalry were the first to enter the defenders' sight.
They had been slowing down the dragon-blooded creatures' advance, while also picking off some threatening elite units.
Leon watched as a large swarm of dragon-blooded creatures surged forward. He nodded to Brassbeard and said:
"Let's see their power!"
Brassbeard, brimming with excitement, lit the fuse without hesitation. A sizzling sound crept into the dark, shiny barrel.
Boom!
The cannon's thunderous roar echoed across the walls, accompanied by a spray of fire.
Leon saw the black, round cannonball fly out, tracing a beautiful arc in the air before landing among the lizardmen army.
Thud!
Crack!
The iron sphere, brimming with powerful energy, crushed the unsuspecting lizardman warriors into pieces.
Then, as if it had gone mad, it bounced wildly backward, shredding all the lizardman warriors in its path.
From a distance, the cannonball seemed to carve a bloody, mangled trail through the center of the dragon-blooded creatures.
It killed over ten lizardman warriors in one strike.
The cannon's damage made Brassbeard frown. Scratching his head in frustration, he muttered:
"The impact from the iron sphere alone can only kill about a dozen in one shot before it loses its killing power."
Even as he said this, Brassbeard immediately got to work.
He opened the back of the cannon, cleared out the alchemical powder residue, and poured in a measured amount of pale yellow alchemical powder.
Then he loaded another black iron ball and reloaded the cannon.
The entire process took thirty seconds. Leon found the interval between shots a bit slow.
However, the range of this dwarven cannon left Leon very satisfied.
With another booming roar.
The cannonball traveled roughly 500 meters before landing in the midst of the lizardman army.
The damage was similar to before. Brassbeard adjusted the firing angle again, and Leon nodded in satisfaction.
Though the enchanted crossbows of the Bay Territory were excellent, powerful, and fired rapidly, they had a notable weakness.
Their shooting range was relatively short.
To maintain sufficient power, they could only reach about 300 meters.
Beyond that, the bolts started to stray off target.
Considering the firing interval, precise shots at around 300 meters were more practical.
Meanwhile, the dwarven cannon Brassbeard had developed, despite needing many improvements, could already reach a range of seven to eight hundred meters.
With enough of these cannons, the Bay Territory could launch two or three extra rounds of attacks.
In large-scale battles involving tens of thousands of troops, sustained cannon fire could inflict greater damage and pressure on enemy formations.
The thoughts racing through Leon's mind were mostly war-related.
Over the past year or so, besides improving his personal strength.
Leon had spent most of his time enhancing his leadership and battle command skills.
He keenly sensed that if this weapon continued to develop, it would have tremendous potential in the future.
Boom!
Another cannon blast snapped Leon out of his thoughts. He called out in a clear, cold voice:
"Crossbows… fire!!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of bolts rained down on the incoming lizardmen.
The spinning bolt heads easily tore through their greenish skin, pierced their bodies, and pinned them to the ground.
Thanks to continuous upgrades and enhancements, the enchanted crossbows of the Bay Territory had become a highly efficient killing machine.
Over a thousand crossbows unleashed a single volley, killing or injuring at least 300 lizardmen.
Leon saw that these dragon-blooded creatures had completely lost their sanity, charging blindly through the storm of bolts.
They posed no great threat!
Assessing the overall battle situation in his mind, Leon quickly felt relieved.
He began considering how best to use these dragon-blooded creatures for more training.
Indeed, as Leon had predicted, the beast-like humanoid dragon-blooded creatures were utterly unable to scale the eight-meter-high walls.
There was little they could do, other than take the punishment below the walls.
Despite their numbers, they quickly became corpses under the Bay Territory soldiers' unpressured attacks.