Chapter 320: The Okraglar Battle (Part Two)
However, at the rear of the kingdom's army, Marshal Dolo looked at the players recklessly charging forward in the distance, let out a cold laugh, and ordered indifferently:
"Fire the cannons."
"Fools who do not know their place."
The kingdom's army had fully embraced Napoleonic tactics. To summarize it simply: "Fire the cannons first, charge with the cavalry, and finish with the infantry."
Upon receiving the order, the ogre artillery commander, Big Head, shouted loudly: "Aim at the enemies on the opposite bank and blow them to pieces!"
Immediately, ogres, who had received mathematical training, began calculating parabolic trajectories. Using their massive bodies as gun carriages, they continuously adjusted the angles, while veteran gunners even relied on pure instinct.
Three to four ogres operated a single heavy cannon together. Trained and methodical, they moved with calm precision.
The ominous black muzzle of the cannons bore carvings of dragon's gaping jaws, exuding an imposing and solemn aura.
"Fire!"
"Fire at will!"
As Big Head raised the battle flag and let out a resounding roar.
The heavy cannons erupted with thunderous roars, echoing across the snowy plains of Okraglar.
The kingdom's years of research in the Armaments Division bore fruit—the Dragon Roar Cannons, a fusion of magical craftsmanship and industrial mechanics, made their debut on the Anzeta Wasteland with a majestic display.
Shells, gleaming with metallic luster and weighing hundreds of pounds each, traced graceful arcs through the sky.
Piercing whistles filled the air.
Excitedly charging towards the bridge, the player [Teutonic Knight] raised his head, staring at the massive shells descending upon them, utterly dumbfounded.
After a moment of silence, he muttered:
"Oh, crap."
"You call this medieval warfare?"
Before his words even fully escaped, the black shell landed nearby, exploding with a terrifying boom that flung the Teutonic Knight dozens of meters into the air.
Blood and shrapnel splattered everywhere; his shattered body nearly reached the opposite bank, almost fulfilling his last wish.
Poor Teutonic Knight—before he could savor medieval warfare, he was obliterated by the artillery bombardment.
"Is this Trisolarans beating cavemen?"
"What the hell is this?"
"Why do they have cannons over there?!"
"I'm reporting the kingdom for using cheats!"
"With cheats like that, how are we supposed to play? I'm defecting!"
The players in the coalition's ranks were blown apart, scattering and wailing. Each shell claimed the lives of dozens.
The players' charge, under the relentless cannon fire from the kingdom's forces, looked utterly absurd.
"By the gods!"
"What are those things?"
"How do they have such weapons? Is this divine punishment?"
The soldiers in the coalition army murmured among themselves, their faces painted with fear.
The ground bore massive craters, pockmarked by the relentless shelling. The once-flat snowy plains were now scarred and desolate. To ordinary soldiers and even minor nobles unfamiliar with such weaponry, this destruction seemed nothing short of divine wrath.
Duke Leo stood solemnly, gripping his sword tightly.
"I'm familiar with those weapons. Cannons."
"Indeed, but their power has grown even more terrifying," Treliska replied worriedly.
"But we're not without counters."
The bombardment continued. Shells rained down, reaching deep into the coalition's ranks and causing significant casualties. Should the ogre artillery units perfect their targeting, these shells, weighing hundreds of pounds, could wreak havoc on the densely packed coalition lines.
Under the cover of artillery fire, the kingdom's dragon cavalry and Crimson Scaled Conquerors launched their charge, crossing the river and preparing to assault the coalition's defensive lines.
Bridges spanned the river one after another.
Following orders from the exalted Asmo, celestial beings ascended into the skies. Righteous angels wielded shining silver swords, casting luminous barriers over the coalition's forces, effectively shielding them from the devastating shells. Golden ripples shimmered in the air.
They even counterattacked. Pen-feathered angels flapped their wings, sending holy-powered feathers hurtling across the river, piercing the hearts of evil creatures.
"Do not fear!"
"Remember, we are the righteous!"
"Those monsters are all show and no substance!"
Treliska rode through the ranks, rallying the soldiers with his cries.
The miraculous actions of the celestial host reinvigorated the coalition's morale, reigniting hope in their hearts.
Wyverns and chimeras let out roars, spewing torrents of flames as they soared toward the coalition's positions, clashing with celestial beings in a chaotic aerial battle of red and white torrents. The skies became a maelstrom of destruction.
Numerically, the disorganized mass of winged wyverns and chimeras that darkened the skies held the upper hand. However, the celestial beings, raised in the gods' radiant glory, possessed overwhelming individual strength.
Mantou and Flying Noodle unleashed deafening dragon roars, initiating a dive to launch an aerial strike against the coalition forces below. This move had been their go-to tactic for a long time.
"Noodle!"
However, as soon as they began their descent, still far from their attack altitude, a barrage of magical homing arrows shot skyward, riddling them with holes. Glowing feathers followed, attacking from all directions.
"Oh crap, I'm going down!"
"What can I say?"
Riddled like pincushions, Mantou let out a lamenting cry before crashing to the ground alongside his wyvern, instantly blacking out and respawning in the game's revival interface.
With Mantou's demise, a fast-paced remix of "See You Again" played ironically. Although somewhat overused, it made for a decent video montage.
"Mantou, out!"
A fellow Crimson Scaled Conqueror exclaimed enthusiastically.
An atavistic wyvern spewed scorching flames, reducing a pen-feathered angel to ashes.
Yet the next moment, a cloud giant's fist struck its back, and a righteous angel's silver sword pierced its fiery, still-beating heart.
"Aargh—"
A wretched wail echoed through the skies, just one fragment of the aerial battlefield's chaos.
Amidst dazzling bursts of magical light, blood, dismembered limbs, charred feathers, and scorched bodies rained down from the skies. Occasionally, they landed on unlucky mortals below. The ferocity of the aerial combat terrified ground troops, leaving them trembling.
However, their battle had only just begun.
Ogre shield-bearers and land dragon cavalry pushed across the river. Their massive shields and armor withstood waves of arrows, forming an impenetrable moving steel wall that advanced steadily and resolutely.
The coalition soldiers, facing these monstrous foes, were crushed like insects against a mountain.
"Evil scum!"
"I am your unyielding shield, the bastion of justice and order!"
Fortunately, the imposing shield guardians stepped forward. Clad in heavy armor, they raised glowing holy shields to arduously resist the kingdom's relentless advance.
"Boom!"
The clashing sounds of metal and the heavy thuds of impact resounded.
Armor-clad warriors wielding massive swords over four meters long cleaved through ogre shields, cutting through thick dragon-scaled hide and felling ogre soldiers with a single swing.
"Argh—"
A towering ogre let out a furious roar before crashing to the ground.
In a battle of this scale, human lives were as fragile as grass. Death loomed constantly, piling corpses into trenches and staining the snowy plains crimson with blood.