Chapter 452 - Iron Edge Castle
Chapter 452: Iron Edge Castle
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Yang Ling built an armored Magical Beast Army with the weapons and armor the Magical Beast Military Factory had rushed to produce.
The mutated Flying Spiders were equipped with a set of armor that was at least two inches thick, greatly boosting their originally weaker defensive capabilities, therefore increasing their battle prowess. The Twin-legged Flying Dragons were already fast, but after putting on a set of armor that was etched with a Wind Element Acceleration Spell Formation, not only did their defensive capabilities improve, their speed was also taken a notch higher. The two hundred Ancient Siva Apes were even greater. All of them were equipped from head to toe, becoming as impenetrable as a robot!
Because of the sheer number of low-level Magical Beasts like the Horned Bee Beasts and Evil Eyes Yang Ling possessed, the facility had been unable to build a set of armor for each of them fast enough. However, Master Aaron innovated and produced a batch of toys. The Horned Bee Beasts were equipped with a sharp spike on their lone horn, boosting their penetrative ability. They could now instantly pierce through the heavy armor most soldiers wore. The Evil Eyes put on leather armor etched with a Wind Element Acceleration Spell Formation. Their defense did not improve by much, but their mobility increased greatly, turning them into mobile cannons…
Since Yang Ling had decided to take action, he was going to go all out!
In order to topple the heavily guarded Iron Edge Castle of the Church, Yang Ling mobilized three thousand Bullmen, Medusas, and Barbarians from the territory, all of them elites among the elites, with Ashnamov as the overall commander. They were all equipped with heavy armor as well as lethal weapons such as the Magic Crystal Cannon, Dragonbone Battle Carriage, and the improved Pear Blossom Crossbow. After going through practical demonstrations, the power of combined attacks of the elites and the armored Magical Beast Army was startling!
The Iron Edge Castle was situated tens of thousands of miles away, and the army would take too long to reach the place if they walked over. Thus, in order to launch a surprise attack on the Iron Edge Castle as soon as possible while not compromising on their strength, Elder Klive instructed the high-level Spellcasters of the Dark Association to build a few large-scale Magical Teleportation Formations along the way. Compared to the Teleportation Formations made by Master Aaron and the Gnome Elder, these formations could teleport even more people at one go but required an alarming amount of materials and much more time to build. The formations could be used to transport manpower on a large scale, but it was impossible to build it on the battlefield at a whim as Yang Ling did.
Ten days passed in a flash!
Under the guidance of one of Elder Klive’s guards, Yang Ling set out with his army deep within the night, sneakily leaving the Magical Beast Territory through the Magical Teleportation Formation. After passing through several Teleportation Formations, they soon met up with the army of the Dark Association. After secretly killing off a few of the Church’s hidden scouts, they got closer to the Iron Edge Castle, hailed as the sturdiest castle in the entire continent, under the hazy moonlight. They hid in the forest nearby.
The Iron Edge Castle was situated in a small plain, with mountains behind and a lake to its side. It had a massive area, not much smaller than Jaboli after its expansion. The castle walls were ten meters tall, and all made using the sturdy granite before being lacquered with a layer of tree sap, making it extremely glossy. Even a monkey would find it impossible to scale the walls barehanded, much less a human.
The back of the castle was facing a mountain, and thus, the castle only had three gates, all made using heavy obsidian. According to the records, the Church had spent the greater half of a year just to build these castle gates, almost emptying an entire mine. Over the millennia, the Dark Association had sacrificed many elites in order to break through these large, heavy gates.
According to their intelligence, even though the Church had mobilized a large number of elites to guard the Space Cracks found throughout the continent, there was still an army of at least fifty thousand able men within the Iron Edge Castle. However, that was not the most troublesome part. What was terrifying was that there was a Magical Tower every few hundred steps away on the castle walls. Under the control of the Spellcasters, these giant Magical Towers formed a magical barrier with a shocking radius, enveloping the castle like a fiery red cloud. Not only was its defensive capabilities shocking, but it could also shoot out a large number of fireballs, icicles, or wind daggers to the approaching enemies, making it extremely powerful!
“Elder Klive, how do you guys intend to attack the castle?” Yang Ling creased his brow as he looked at the majestic Iron Edge Castle.
The magical barrier formed by the many Magical Towers on the castle walls was extremely strange, greatly suppressing the radius of his Divine Knowledge. Originally, Yang Ling had been prepared to use his Earth Evasion Technique to teleport into the castle and quickly set up a Teleportation Formation so that he could transport the entire army in, attacking the castle from the inside. Now it looks like it was not as easy as he thought it would be!
He might be able to teleport into the castle in a short range if he took the risk and charged closer to the castle. However, how would the heavy defenses of the Church allow him to approach it easily?
“There’s no other way around it other than a strong offensive!” Elder Klive clenched his teeth as he looked at the detestable Iron Edge Castle, waving his hands as he ordered the first wave of attacks.
This time, in order to save the Chief Elder of the Dark Association, the Chief Priest, and the commander of the knights, he had gone all out, mobilizing nearly all of the elites. If they were unable to complete the mission even after paying a heavy price, the Dark Association might crumble even without the bloody payback of the Church.
There was no room for defeat in this battle!
Yang Ling was a little hesitant facing the Iron Edge Castle, which was easy to defend yet hard to attack. However, being the old rival of the Church, Elder Klive knew that there was no other way around it, other than to launch a strong offensive. The magical barrier formed by the many Magical Tower on the castle walls was just too powerful, and they could not teleport into the castle even if they used premium Teleportation Scrolls. If they wanted to topple the Iron Edge Castle, they would either have to charge toward the castle walls with no regard for the casualties, or pay any price in order to push open the heavy doors!
Under the instructions of Elder Klive, the many Dark Spellcasters muttered an incantation, summoning hordes of undead creatures like zombies and skeletons, as well as cast magical shields and acceleration spells on the soldiers. Soon, the Dark Association launched its first wave of powerful attacks. The undead creatures took the front, while the soldiers of the Dark Association who were unafraid of death raised ladders and pushed turrets behind them. They formed a black mass, maniacally charging toward the Iron Edge Castle!
There was nothing within a few hundred step radius around the Iron Edge Castle. Patrolling soldiers paced back and forth on the castle walls while holding torches. Wanting to silently approach the castle walls or castle gates under such a situation was impossible. Feeling the pressure, Elder Klive had no other choice but to order a strong offensive, hoping that the army in the Iron Edge Castle would be unable to defend against the fierce attacks of the Dark Association after the Church mobilized a large number of elites away.
“Brothers, charge!”
“Go, climb up the castle wall, bust open the castle gate, quick!”
…
Under the leadership of the commander, the soldiers of the Dark Association and the undead creatures like zombies and skeletons charged fiercely forward. In order to infiltrate the Iron Edge Castle, Elder Klive had already threatened them with death. Those who tried to run without battling would be killed without consideration! If they were going to die whether they stayed where they were or charged forward, there might be a chance of survival if they charged forward, even if they had to face the terrifying attacks of the soldiers guarding the Iron Edge Castle!
A piercing call of a horn suddenly burst forth in the sky!
“Surprise attack, quick!”
“Archers, at the ready, Spellcasters, at the ready, quick!”
…
The Undead Army had just charged out of the forest when the Church’s knights patrolling on the castle walls noticed their movement. With the horn as an alarm, a team of soldiers equipped with heavy silver armor raised their sharp crossbows. Under the control of the Spellcasters, the Magical Towers quickly accumulated energy, soon releasing ice-cold icicles or sharp Wind Daggers.
Under the command of a Red-robed Cardinal, the massive creature that was the Iron Edge Castle showed its fangs and teeth. Sharp arrows rained on the army of the Dark Association, fortified by the endless stream of icicles, fireballs, and Wind Daggers released by the Magical Towers. Under the sharp, concentrated double attacks, the Undead Army made up of zombies and skeletons toppled in droves. The soldiers of the Dark Association carrying ladders and turrets behind them were no exception.
Bryant was a soldier, a soldier who had just been an ordinary hunter not long ago. Throughout his life, he had never left his hometown at the southern sea regions, which had a summery climate all year round, his ancestors all making a living by hunting and fishing. They would get healed by the Dark Priest in town if they got injured or fell sick. Those who had money would pay a few Black Crystal Coins, while those who did not would give him fish that they caught or a small wild beast from the mountains. Their lives were quaint, yet peaceful.
However, one day, the hundred-year-old priest in town gathered all of the people and told them an alarming piece of news. The merciless Church had not only imprisoned the Chief Elder, Chief Priest, and commander of the knights of the Dark Association, they were also mobilizing their army and charging toward them, wanting to unleash a massacre. They wanted to kill all of the people who believed in the cause of the Dark Association, under the name of massacring cultists.
The people took the news with a pinch of salt at the start, but more and more of the news soon spread, and each one worse than the last. More and more refugees flooded into the town, the simply-dressed refugees tearing as they described how merciless and brutal the Church was. Many people from the south of the Delar Empire had been killed by the Church, with even more families destroyed.
In order to defend the faith they had kept for millennia, in order to protect their families, Bryant and many other young men answered Elder Klive’s call, joining the gloried army of Dark Knights. They followed the army to the Iron Edge Castle after training for about a month and were responsible for advancing together with several dozen other soldiers while pushing a turret, in an attempt to break open the large gates of the castle.
“Brothers, quick, charge forward, break open their city gates, quick!”
…
Under the command of their leader, Bryant roared as he pushed the tarp-covered turret forward with the other soldiers. Three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred steps… They were getting closer to the pitch-black, heavy obsidian doors. Another soldier would immediately take his place when a soldier fell, and they rapidly advanced while making use of the Undead Army as cover.
Even though they were equipped with heavy armor, more and more of the soldiers fell under the fierce attacks of the Church. Bryant personally witnessed his friend Livenston get burnt to a crisp by a descending exploding fireball, as well as Rebraca, someone he grew up with, get turned into a porcupine by a concentrated rain of arrows…Death was everywhere!
Bryant did not want to die!
Thinking about his father, who was rendered immobile after losing his left leg to a giant falling rock during a mudslide, thinking about his benevolent old mother, then thinking about the young lady Casey who was waiting for him to marry her when he returned, Bryant did not want to die. He definitely did not want to die in this foreign place. However, in order to save the imprisoned Chief Elder, Chief Priest, and commander of the knights of the Dark Association, in order to defend his faith and ensure the safety of his family, he had no other choice but to steel his nerves and charge forward!