No matter how long the night was, it would eventually pass. After winter came spring, when all living things would recover.
But sometimes, the dawn after a long night would bring despair instead of hope. The world that was covered in snow wasn't always so beautiful. Sometimes, it would even make the corpses that froze to death in the long night seem even more frightening.
When the first glimmer of dawn disappeared, the people who had been fighting in the dark for half the night discovered that this difficult night had come to an end. But those who were able to see the first glimmer of dawn were the lucky ones who were favored by fate.
The beastmen army furiously increased their numbers without caring about their losses. The inner city had already fallen, and all the human defenders had retreated to the third and final line of defense. This was a temporary defensive structure made of sandbags and earthen walls. This was also the city's final lifeline.
The catapults outside the city had already stopped firing. It was impossible for them to accurately shoot from such a long distance. But now that visibility and the snow had stopped, the beastmen's Aerial Knights could once again soar into the blue sky.
It seemed that the beastmen had already secured victory, but the current Beastman King Almont Blood Axe didn't seem happy at all that victory was within his grasp. Instead, his face was filled with fatigue.
"… More than seventy percent of our warriors were killed, and countless more were heavily injured. Only two of the Great Tribe Leaders returned, and both of them were heavily injured. Lord Hamar died in the previous attack on the city. Now, Lord Wen, Wolf King Sostero, and Lord Lund have all died in battle. Lord Kagoma is also missing, and he's probably … "
Bad news after bad news caused Almont to hesitate even more, but nobody could blame him. That was because the bandage on his right arm that had been chopped off at the shoulder was still leaking blood. Almont, who had lost an arm, was also heavily injured.
As the Great Tribe Leader of the Allied Tribes, he didn't have any obligation to avoid battle. The reason why he was able to survive was not only because of his outstanding personal combat strength, but also because he was sufficiently lucky.
No matter what generation it was, cruel coastal battles were always the most fatal and dangerous. Even Legend-rank warriors could suddenly die in chaotic battles. A sudden hidden rock or arrow could cause a Saint-rank mage to collapse. The pitch-black night and the heavy snow made all this chaos even worse.
"We finally made it to daybreak."
Almont sighed, but the survivors nodded in agreement. In a night fight, the unlucky ones would be killed by a stray bullet, while the lucky ones would be able to see their opponent and fall under a flurry of swords.
As for the cunning and scheming Fox Clan Chief Wen, he was a classic example of unlucky people. He had been hit by a stray bullet from his own catapult, and two of his personal guards had died along with him. The scene was too horrible to look at.
In fact, the orcs had unknowingly committed a great taboo in sieging a city, and that was' never force your opponent into a corner '.
The Other World did not have the right to surround the enemy and attack them at the same time. It gave the enemy a chance to escape, and it was also a buffer to prevent himself from being forced to die with the enemy.
That night, the heavy snow and the besieging Orcs blocked all the escape routes. The humans had nowhere to retreat to. They did not even have the chance to escape. Even a cornered dog would jump over a wall. How could those well-trained soldiers just sit back and watch their deaths be meaningless?
"If we can't escape death in the end, then we should at least fall down like a warrior, and at least drag one of our opponents down with us!"
The allied army that had been forced to their limits exploded with astonishing combat strength. The fear of losing their city finally transformed into hatred for their mortal enemy. Their boldness to die together with the beastmen, along with the most important geographical advantage in urban warfare, caused the ratio of casualties on both sides to change. The beastmen suffered heavy losses.
Meanwhile, Amelia's Death Garden continued to create death traps one after another. The human warriors that suddenly attacked from the houses were able to kill at least one of them. Bearman Lund wasn't the first, nor would he be the last.
Meanwhile, the beastmen's reinforcements had long since stopped. Now that the battle had entered the chaotic darkness of the night, their crude siege weapons had become weapons of mass destruction that didn't differentiate between friend and foe. No matter which generation it was, being mistakenly killed by one's own allies would be the most unacceptable way to die.
Large-scale sorcery and tactical magic? With a visibility range of less than ten meters, using these spells would have a fifty-fifty chance of killing both allies and the enemy.
What was even worse was the silent and deadly cold. In this kind of damned weather where even a drop of water would turn into ice, the damage to one's clothing would be fatal, not to mention a wound.
The extreme cold numbed the warriors' sense of pain. Small wounds that were easily overlooked in the snow wouldn't become infected, but the loss of blood and stamina would be the most fatal. If these wounds weren't discovered and treated in time, there would be far too many who would suddenly collapse while walking.
While the beastmen had forced the northern human allied army to the brink, the beastmen had also forced themselves to the brink. The long list of the beastmen's dead was incredibly shocking. It could be said that the beastmen had suffered heavy casualties, and every family was in mourning. More than seventy percent of the beastmen tribes would need to reorganize after the war.
Just their current losses were enough to announce that the beastmen's ambition to return to the central plains had failed. Even if they won in the end, they would need a long time to recuperate.
But if Almont and the beastmen were given a choice, even if they knew beforehand that this was an unacceptable loss, they would probably still make the same decision.
"Victory is right before our eyes. Take them down, and we'll become the new masters of the Northlands!"
When the crucial point of victory had appeared, how could the beastmen let it go?
But if this strategic goal of conquering the Northlands was placed three months ago, the beastmen would probably be mocked for their lack of ambition and courage. After all, at that time, the beastmen only wanted to return to their ancestral land and fight their way to San Antonio.
Unknowingly, the harsh reality hit the beastmen in the head. Their current strategic goal was to conquer the entire Northlands.
The beastmen now no longer had the ambition to conquer all the human countries. Just the seemingly weak northern countries and the reinforcements from San Antonio had forced them to this point. They had already lost the courage to challenge the human super empires.
Of course, there were still some discrepancies on this point. After this battle, the other countries would probably reevaluate the combat prowess of the Northern Lands, especially the astonishing combat prowess that the East Mist Communal Country displayed in this battle. Perhaps, even the harshest military critic wouldn't put the label of a weak country on its head.
Knight Princess Renée, the new generation of magical swordsmen called the Four Elemental Swordcasters, the gigantic self-destructing war puppets called Roland Titan, the floating airship Borealis, the battlefield harvester Train King, and so on. All these new concepts and weapons would definitely allow the Mist Kingdom to rise again in the Northlands.
Military strength also represented the right to speak in foreign affairs and politics. With the strength displayed in this battle, it was possible that Roland's Mist Alliance (Mist Alliance) would become a reality.
And on another level, when the news of the veteran leader Emordilork being forced to the brink in his own territory spread, the familiar name of Roland Mist would definitely attract new attention after being silent for more than a hundred years.
Of course, the prerequisite was that they could survive this current crisis.
"The beastmen are here again …"
I exhaled a white mist as I shook my Holy Sword, causing the blood to fall off. This indestructible sword was now clean once more.
For the Northlands' human allied armies, which had already endured a bitter night of battle, neither the sky nor the snow stopping were good news. This meant that the beastmen could reorganize themselves, and those damned aerial cavalry and siege equipment could be reactivated. Perhaps they would be able to take a breather for a period of time, but the final battle would end with the complete annihilation of one side.
Middle-sized catapults that could move were slowly pushed into the city. The bloodied elite soldiers bandaged their wounds and watched everything with high vigilance. Even the wind caused the tattered curtains to flutter, causing these veterans who had survived the bloody night to throw their javelins.
At the same time, the commander of the allied armies, "Black Bear" Ainro, was right behind me. Or perhaps, I should say that he was lying not far behind me.
The beastmen didn't only know how to charge head-on. The cat-human assassin had found the command center, and even though he was rescued in time, he was lucky enough to survive. The one-eyed general was now completely blind. He had been stabbed three times in the right side of his abdomen, and he was so heavily injured that he couldn't even get up.
But fortunately, he didn't need to command anymore. All he had to do was struggle to shout out a single word:
"Defend!"
"Defend … We have no way out! If we want to survive, we have to kill all these beasts! "
"Defend! Behind us are the injured, the widows, the elderly, and the young! "
"Defend! If we lose this battle, our country isn't even ready for war yet, and they will lose their land! Our families will be dragged into the endless flames of war. "
Yes, defend. At this point in the battle, there was no need for any strategies or arrangements. All they needed to do was carry out their will.
"Defend!"
One street was lost? The next street was already prepared with a new defense line.
A temporary defense wall was flattened? The next wall was already built.
An entire squadron was massacred, and a gap appeared in the defense line? The old man and woman, who had just been commoners, picked up the weapons on the ground and silently repaired the gap.
"Perhaps humanity's end and defeat will eventually come, but the beastmen! Do you want to take over this city and open up a path to the northern countries? Let the blood of the brave warriors here run out first. "
The young men with tense expressions didn't say anything else, but they used their actions to tell the arrogant beastmen what the northerners were and what the People of the Mist were.
"Winter is here, but aren't we northerners used to winter long ago? No matter how cold it is, it's not that difficult. We just need to endure it, hug each other for warmth, play with the dogs, and spring will come, right?"
Even though he couldn't see it anymore, Ainro still laughed in disdain. He was referring to the "dogs" when he said "play with the dogs," and judging from the warriors' laughter, it was obvious.
When the sun rose slightly higher, judging from the footsteps and the sound of catapults on the street corner, the final moment had arrived.
At this moment, even I was out of options. All of my chips had been placed on the table. Antoon was too far away, so I couldn't count on him. I had sent Anne's army to stop the Dark Elves, and Xiluo's reinforcements had been out of my control from the very start. I had also used all of my new weapons of war. I had played all of my cards.
"That damned Emdiroc! If it wasn't for him … "
Emdiroc's final attack had indeed hit our vitals. If Red Maple City fell here, I wouldn't be able to turn the situation around.
"Sigh, if only this battle could drag on for another ten days …"
Unfortunately, there were no ifs on the battlefield. Countless famous generals had died on the battlefield because of a single moment's difference. Accidents and misfortune would always accompany the losers. Heaven and Hell were often just a tiny bit apart.
I propped up my holy sword and stood up. Ever since "Renée's" unexpected departure, I had temporarily taken over the position of a mid-level commander. But at this point, I had even used the other two summoning abilities of my holy sword, but there was nothing I could do.
"My diligence and self-control are all dead, damned moon elves! Only their natural control abilities are so disgusting! "
The green-haired witch was in a rather sorry state. Her mana had been completely used up in this battle. Two of the Seven Virtues that she treasured so much (of which there were only three) had died in battle. It would seem that she was at her limits.
The moon elves were originally the elven empire's priestess species. They were skilled at communicating with the Gods and True Gods, borrowing the power of the Gods to use all sorts of powerful Divine Arts.
The original Guardian God of the moon elves was the Guardian God of the Forest. The nature priests who had controlled the divine power of the forest for thousands of years were the most skilled at sowing seeds and controlling the forest. It was their natural duty to eliminate all unnatural and abnormal plants.
That was why Amelia had met her natural enemy when her opponent was a nature priest like Adrian. She was at a great disadvantage.
"Senior Amelia …"
Her usually immaculate hair was now messy, and her eyes were bloodshot and bloodshot. She had become even scarier now that she hadn't slept all night.
"If the beastmen attack again, you can leave. I refuse to believe that you don't have a way to escape."
"Of course, I can leave whenever I want. You? Don't tell me that you're planning on dying together with the city like a foolish Knight. "
"Me? I'm the undying Roland. How could I possibly die here? "
"Hmph, I'm the super willful witch of the Tempest Mood. How could I possibly listen to your commands? Now that my temper has returned, I'm going to go all-out against those beastmen. "
"Heh heh, you think I'm useless just because I don't have a pet? I'll show you what a melee mage is like! "
Looking at it from this angle, Amelia, who had her sleeves rolled up, seemed like a shrewish senior from back in the day. I shook my head. There were some words that I didn't say out loud.
"Eliza?"
"Heloise's preparations are complete, but she wanted me to tell you something: 'Don't use that unless it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, all your hard work will be in vain.'"
I still had my final trump card prepared. And right now, the only thing that could turn the tables in such a hopeless situation was the ultimate forbidden spell of undead magic — Undead Calamity!
However, as long as I used this ultimate forbidden spell, which was forbidden by every country in the continent, all the corpses in the area would transform into mindless low-level undead. This was completely different from when I summoned the undead back in the day. Back then, the undead that responded to my summons were the undead who were unwilling to remain silent, while the ones controlled by Undead Calamity were the mindless undead who were permanently bloodthirsty.
This was a forceful and permanent enslavement, as well as a blasphemy against the corpses of the warriors. Perhaps the warriors by my side would immediately turn their weapons against me, an evil undead mage.
If I used Undead Calamity, the saying that "undead don't represent evil" would instantly become useless. It was likely that the Mist Alliance's plan would be completely ruined, and the Donglan Principality would likely be viewed as a new axis of evil, which would cause them to be isolated from the outside world.
At that time, we would be the ones to win the war and lose all the benefits.
"Anything is better than being completely destroyed. It'll be hopeless if this little bit of flesh and blood is destroyed."
However, Eliza adjusted her eyeglasses upon hearing my words. She didn't say anything, but judging from her lowered eyelids, she seemed rather displeased and listless.
"What's the matter?"
"Why didn't you ask me if I could escape? Why didn't you try to persuade me to escape? "
Alright then, Eliza indignantly spat out her resentment. She was quite cute when she was angry. Of course, she didn't want to escape by herself. She was just unhappy that she didn't receive the care that she deserved. At the very least, in name, Roland was still Eliza's boyfriend.
I shook my head. Based on my understanding of Eliza, she didn't need to say such useless things to begin with.
"What's there to ask? Didn't you say that you would always follow me, no matter if it was in the River Styx or Hell? What, are you going back on your word?"
Right after I said that, the dark clouds transformed into a clear sky. She smiled very sweetly.
"No way, I'll never regret it. Then let's fight to the death together. I'll go find you in the River Styx. "
Such a strange conversation didn't seem logical at all, but it was highly likely that it was going to happen. Perhaps the love lives of undying individuals were just so strange.
I secretly broke into a cold sweat as I watched the gloomy sky turn bright again.
I glanced at Amelia, who had suddenly become displeased, and felt Elisa's gaze on my back. I suddenly realized that my luck was finally turning for the better? Did I really say something like I was a winner in life? But …
"Why is it that every time I'm about to die, I'll suddenly turn for the better? Am I the type of unlucky person who's destined to shout 'After this battle, I'll go home and get married' or 'After I leave the battlefield, I'll say goodbye to XX' before I die? "
"Hey, hey, hey, I don't want to die at my own funeral. That's why beautiful women are tearing up and confessing to me — 'Actually, I like you …' "
However, the familiar sound of footsteps not far away interrupted my thoughts. The final battle had finally arrived.
Surprisingly, the person leading the group wasn't a beastman, but rather a familiar figure. His slender figure and light footsteps could only belong to an elf.
"Atrion!"
That's right. Even though he had transformed into a grayblood elf, even though time had left its mark on his body, I would never forget his familiar face. After all, the person who had dealt me a fatal blow back in the day was this arrogant elven racist.
But right now, this disciple of mine didn't seem to be in a good state. Two axe-wielding beastmen were dragging him forward, constantly nagging as if they wanted to do something.
"Persuade him to surrender? Is there any point in saying such things at a time like this? "
Atrion's guesses seemed reasonable, but there would only be one ruler in the Northlands. Since there was already a deep grudge, the only way to cleanse it would be with the blood of the enemy. Persuading him to surrender would be impossible from the very start.
However, judging from how Atrion's mouth was slowly moving, I was astonished.
"Hurry, kill him!"
Pitch-black divine light had already descended from the sky. That forbidden ritual had directly entered its final phase.
The beastmen were saying, "Prove your worth, elf."
Only two words came out of Adrian's mouth.
"God's Descent!"
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