Thunder rumbled in the sky, and the heavy rain gradually subsided, but the dark clouds over the Golden Coast grew thicker.
Muffled thunder, capable of shaking the entire world, boomed across the sky, and countless huge, tree-branch-like lightning bolts flashed blindingly in the darkening sky, connecting the entire sea and sky, shimmering and crisscrossing, wildly tearing and dancing.
An incredibly strong True Dragon's might permeated the night sky, and occasionally, the massive silhouette of a Blue Dragon would emerge from the dark clouds.
Below this terrifying figure, beyond the wide harbor, giant ships were arrayed in an arc on the sea, their sails flapping and flags billowing.
Rows of dark cannon barrels and huge True Dragon -hunting crossbows were aimed at the shore in a line.
"Aim at the castle's windows and watchtowers! Sides, aim at the cliffs! Fire!"
Orc commanders on each main ship roared, relaying their orders to messengers and flag bearers.
These messengers and flag bearers shouted orders loudly, signaling an attack with flags, transmitting them to every ship involved in the assault.
Amidst the flag-waving and roaring of countless Orcs on the ships, the cannons and giant crossbows let out a roar more terrifying than the thunder in the sky; the strong vibrations even shook the massive hulls, and some two-masted gunboats were even pushed backward by the recoil of the artillery.
Cannon barrels burst into scorching flames, merging with the sharp shriek of the giant crossbows, striking the tall castle.
Boom!
Countless cannon fire bombarded the castle, specifically built for the True Dragon, blasting holes in its sturdy walls, and Dragon -hunting crossbow bolts directly pierced into the hard fortress body, their enormous force causing the tails of these thick, long bolts to still hum and vibrate.
Several precisely aimed Dragon -hunting crossbow bolts directly pierced and exploded the entire bodies of archers who dared to show themselves in the castle's windows and watchtowers, continuing their momentum to embed themselves into the dark castle.
However, this castle, which bore the brunt of the attack and was built on an island reef extending into the sea, was constructed for the free movement of the True Dragon.
Therefore, even though the sturdy fortress body was riddled with holes, and some areas even exposed magic runestones, its defenses could not be destroyed in just half a day.
After dodging this barrage of cannon fire and giant crossbows, many heads reappeared from the windows and watchtowers of the dark castle.
Elf archers and mixed gunners took their positions; the Elf archers did not require any training or command, as they were naturally excellent archers.
Rows of Elf archers raised their longbows, forming a high trajectory for volleys, then drew their bowstrings full; countless sharp iron arrows, accompanied by a fierce whistling wind, rained down like a sudden downpour over the ships.
The strength of these Elves, combined with improved longbows, allowed them to easily pierce refined leather armor within five hundred meters; if shot flat, even slightly thinner iron armor could be penetrated.
"Pay attention to defense and dodge!" the Orc captain on the two-masted gunboat roared loudly, as his guards raised their shields high, protecting the Orc captain's body.
Arrows shrieked down like rain, felling Orc warriors on the small gunboats. Many arrows were also blocked by the shields raised by the Orc warriors, sticking into their shields.
These Elf archers targeted small and medium-sized ships that lacked sufficient defensive power; large ships and main ships had magic runes and spellcaster protection, making it difficult to cause effective damage.
At the same time, the gunners positioned at the castle's French windows and watchtowers had already loaded their cannons, firing a volley that echoed with thunderous bombardment.
Cannon fire exploded scattered across the sea and ship decks, with iron nails and caltrops bursting outwards, penetrating the unprotected limbs of Orc warriors; several unlucky Orcs writhed on the ground, wailing.
Boom! Thunder roared, and wild lightning struck through the humid air, tearing apart the fragile mast of a two-masted gunboat.
The residual power splashed, striking down two Orcs who were transporting cannon fire and crossbow bolts and passing under the mast; they lay twitching on the ship's deck, a smell of scorching and charring emanating from their bodies.
Under the cover of dark clouds, fire suddenly lit up on the cliffs on both sides of the dim harbor, and cannon barrels and modified dragon killer-Crossbows retaliated against the ships on the sea under the blazing fire.
Even for these warriors with excellent arm strength, the Dragon killerCrossbows, which required twenty strong warriors to operate, were imbued with magical light.
The whistling giant crossbow bolts pierced through the bursting air, directly penetrating the magical barrier raised by the spellcasters on the large gunboats protecting the main attacking ships, directly impaling several spellcasters who were standing close together.
"Descend and pass through, prepare to aim and throw!" Bartoli, riding the massive Swift Shadow, raised her right hand and waved it down.
Before the other spellcasters could react, the Batwing Wyverns emerged from the clouds, and the Wyvern Knights dropped explosive Bang Bangs.
Although these Wyverns flew very high to avoid the fleet's firepower, causing their accuracy to be greatly reduced, out of hundreds of Bang Bangs, many would inevitably fall onto the large ships, unleashing deadly iron flames, sending iron nails and caltrops penetrating into the bodies of these Orcs.
However, these attacks drew even fiercer retaliation; the roaring sound from the ships, arrayed like mountains and walls on the sea, was louder than the thunder in the sky, and rows of heavy cannons and True Dragon -hunting crossbows delivered overwhelming blows to the enemies who dared to attack.
Boom!
Rocks on both sides of the cliffs were shattered, large chunks of rock collapsed, and several green-skinned gunners screamed as they and their cannons fell into the sea.
Several Dragon -hunting crossbow bolts directly pierced the Troll crossbowmen who were unable to dodge nearby, and continued into the forest with undiminished force.
Countless corpses and ship debris already floated on the sea, and several two-masted gunboats were on the verge of sinking, with seawater pouring into the ships through cracks in their hulls; dozens of surviving Orc soldiers desperately jumped into the sea, but quickly became floating corpses.
Among these corpses were various races, some were True Dragon soldiers, but more were Fishmen.
While the massive fleet on the surface was striking the coastal defense system, battles were also occurring simultaneously beneath the surface.
Countless sunken ships blocked the harbor's landing entrance, and Fishmen, driving sharks, dove to the bottom of the sea, tying tough ropes to the ramming prows and sturdy railings of the sunken ships, then tying the other end to giant shark sea monsters.
Many strong Fishmen warriors, under the Baron's command, also grasped the ropes, slowly pulling these sunken ships to be processed in the deep sea outside the harbor.
But in the dark depths of the harbor, among the shadowy sunken ships, a fifteen-meter-long Young White Dragon emerged, its ferocious fangs gleaming with cold light, its long tail swaying, bursting out from the sunken ships and biting several Fishmen in half with one bite.
The clear seawater was stained red with blood, and several body parts floated to the surface, and as other Fishmen furiously tried to encircle this hateful White True Dragon, the Young White Dragon shook its head and dove back into the dense sunken ship wreckage, dodging the True Dragon -hunting crossbow fire from the ships on the sea that were covering these Fishmen.
"Damn it, these hateful white worms! Go up, go up, a few more guys!"
The Fishmen Baron waved his four arms, telling the remaining Murlocs to reinforce.
These Murlocs initially pursued the White Dragon into the sunken ship wreckage, but there was more than one Young White Dragon in the wreckage; there was also a Juvenile White Dragon and two Young White True Dragons.
Although these True Dragons, even under Blue Dragon Akzi's enslavement contract, dared not confront the massive fleet head-on, they were capable of ambushing Murlocs from within the underwater wreckage.
While White Dragons are the weakest among the Chromatic Dragons, they are also the most excellent hunters.
The battlefield not far away appeared even more intense; although this stubborn castle caused little damage to the fleet, it was slowly eroding the Orcs' firepower and morale.
Furthermore, to cover the Murlocs underwater, the massive fleet had to move closer to the coast, thus suffering strikes from the coastal defense system.
Countless Murlocs, riding sharks, pushed through the waves to assault the sturdy castle; Fishmen leaped out from under the sea, attempting to climb onto the castle's first-floor windowsills, but Gnoll warriors guarding the first floor waited with glowing green eyes for the Murlocs.
These increasingly numerous Gnoll warriors were strong and bloodthirsty; they were loyal to the True Dragon and called themselves 'Kogmora's Fangs'.
Unlike the Centaur Warriors, who called themselves 'Kogmora's Spears' and were warlike but did not like to actively provoke war, these Gnolls were more eager to please their master with blood.
For these Fishmen, who lacked even armor, the Gnoll warriors, clad in armor and wielding sharp long knives, were like invincible war gods.
The Fishmen were just strange-looking lumps of flesh, torn in half by a flash of blade light as soon as they jumped into the castle.
The Fishmen hadn't even had time to issue a warning or an excited roar when ugly heads rolled onto the first floor of the castle hall, and foul-smelling blood gradually accumulated and flowed.
"Go around, go around, go around to the bay behind the castle, attack from the castle's main gate!"
The Fishmen Baron's roar echoed over the sea; he commanded countless Murlocs to circle the castle's reefs from underwater, intending to break through the castle's main entrance.
But when these Fishmen poked their heads out from under the sea, they were met by the True Dragon's ferocious head and scorching Dragonfire.
Whoosh... Boom!
Red Dragon Kediluos, hiding in the bay behind the castle, climbed onto the castle with all four limbs, his head down, his hooked claws on his wings firmly gripping the fortress body; scorching Dragonfire ignited in his chest and abdomen, erupting from his throat.
The destructive Dragonfire, as the Young Red Dragon shook and swung his head, incinerated the entire sea surface; many Fishmen were burned into charred lumps by the Red Dragon's True Dragon breath before they could even scream.
The surface seawater was also heated to a boil by the Young Red Dragon's Dragonfire, and Fishmen corpses floated to the surface, bobbing with the waves.
"Oh, you scoundrels, how dare you offend the True Dragon's majesty! I will turn all of you to ashes!"
The Young Red Dragon roared amidst the thunder and cannon fire; the destructive outpouring made this Red Dragon exceptionally exhilarated.
Whoosh... whoosh...
From the distant roaring battlefield came the muffled sound of war horns and the clear sound of conch shells; the ships, arrayed like mountains and walls on the sea, began to turn their sails and retreat to the distant sea.
The Fishmen, who had been constantly attacking underwater, also stopped their frenzied actions, riding sharks and receding with the waves, leaving only corpses floating on the surface of the sea.
The distant fleet, still massive and seemingly without much loss, was surrounded by Fishmenfrom under the sea; a three-and-a-half-meter tall Fishmen Prince leaped out of the water, directly jumping onto the deck of the tall flagship.
"Gahn, why retreat at this time?" The grim-faced Murloc Prince kneaded his six arms, his strong body making the deck wet.
He easily pushed aside the burly Orc guards and came before the calm-faced Orc royal, asking with suppressed anger, "We were so close to success! As soon as we clear all the sunken ships from the bottom of the sea, we can directly step onto the shore and break through that fragile city."
"It's almost deep night," the calm Orc replied, "and those timid True Dragon s still haven't shown themselves. Continuing the attack would give those True Dragon s a chance to ambush us, and not all Orc warriors are good at night sea combat."
"Wouldn't that give them a chance to rest?" the Murloc Prince retorted, dissatisfied.
"Our warriors also get to rest, and besides, this harbor's defense relies entirely on the help of those sunken ship wrecks, Rolika, how long can the Shark God incarnation you summoned last?"
Gahn, the Orc legion commander and the supreme commander of the entire fleet, spoke in a calm tone, making it hard to see him as an easily angered and irritable Orc.
"Two quarters of an hour, our spellcasters can only last two quarters of an hour; the tyrannical Shark God is not that easy to control," the Murloc Prince replied, suppressing his anger.
"That's enough," the Orc Gahn's eyes lit up slightly; he appeased the Murloc Prince, smiling as he said, "Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, we will break through this harbor's defenses and enter the Golden City."
The battlefield gradually quieted down, and the thick dark clouds in the sky also began to disperse, restoring tranquility.
The Blue Dragon Akzi descended from high in the sky onto a high platform in the city, landing next to Alina and the Ocean Dragon Nakson, but his heavy body caused Akzi to accidentally break a wooden board.
"You should rest, Akzi. I'll handle things here from now on," the Bronze Dragon said, looking at the Blue Dragon's weary appearance, knowing that this Blue Dragon was already having some difficulty controlling his body as he wished.
"I will. Tomorrow, I will come on time to relieve you, Alina. The upcoming patrols and deployments are up to you."
The Blue Dragon Akzi felt his body had been drained of all magic power; continuously casting the Thundercloud Storm spell was a consumption that even a True Dragon found somewhat unbearable.
"I wonder how Carlit and Ellie are doing," Alina suddenly said. "I'm not very comfortable with them."
"I just had them lead the Wyvern Knights to harass and raid, not to confront those Orc tribes head-on. If they can't even do that, then they don't deserve to be True Dragons."
The Blue Dragon Akzi said coldly. Without waiting for the Bronze Dragon's response, he flapped his wings and flew towards the city's resting place.
"It looks like that castle won't last until the third day," Ocean Dragon Nakson now managed a large portion of personnel deployment, including material and logistical allocation for the war zone near the Goldsea City, which was why he had time to be here.
"Then inform the warriors in the castle to be ready to retreat at any time. There's no need to defend that castle to the death. Let's proceed with the next plan," Alina nodded, agreeing with her companion's suggestion.
The Ocean Dragon Nakson nodded, disappearing step by step into the shadows under the lamplight.
Alina sighed, watching the warriors carrying wounded soldiers from the castle and cliffs into the city, feeling a heaviness in her heart. Although they had withstood the Orcs' attack on the first day, and the losses of the territory's warriors were not many, she knew deep down that the most brutal moment was yet to come.
"I hope fewer warriors die," Alina raised her head, looking at the dim lights in the city, feeling a bit nostalgic for the former territory.
And behind the Goldsea City, countless logistical personnel who had voluntarily responded to the call were building defensive fortifications, watchtowers, and simple barricades along the roads and passes leading to various towns.
Kobold Soldiers wielded hoes and shovels, digging deep trenches in front of these defensive structures, and rows of anti-impact stakes, like cheval de frise, were driven into the ground.
These defensive outposts and facilities were gradually forming a circular defense system, minimizing the impact of enemy attacks.
Farn and some strong adult laborers were assigned to digging trenches; at this moment, he was swinging his shovel, turning the shallow pit in front of him into a deep trench.
"The top needs some brave warriors as reserves, is anyone signing up? Excellent benefits!" a kobold Soldier called out loudly in the camp, beating a small gong.
Many young people threw down their tools and gathered around.
Seeing this, Farn shoveled a few times, deepening the shallow pit, then dropped his shovel, clapped his hands, and also joined the crowd.