Chapter 566 - 461: Fairy Dragon: The Mystery of the True Identity

"Lord City Lord!" Just then, a voice sounded from behind the White-faced King, and a short figure slowly emerged from a corner.

"My mind is made up. Don’t try to change it," the White-faced King said, frowning at the emerging figure and waving his hand.

"Even if you won’t think of yourself, Lord City Lord, you must think of our Ice and Snow Race." The short figure stepped forward, his blue eyes fixed on the White-faced King.

"That is precisely what I am doing—thinking of my race."

"I have a plan!"

The White-faced King’s gaze sharpened, but he eventually nodded. "Speak!"

"We have no reinforcements for this battle; defeat is certain," the short figure said again. "Since defeat is inevitable, our only option is to protect the supplies!"

"Do you think I don’t know that?" The White-faced King sat down.

"If our priority is the supplies, then your task, Lord City Lord, shouldn’t be defending the city, but transporting them!" The short figure took a step forward.

"Easier said than done," the White-faced King sighed. "If I simply leave, the city guard will break at the first sign of attack. Once the Human Alliance takes the city, they’ll surely send troops after us. How can the supplies be moved to safety then?"

"Have you heard of the decoy stratagem, Lord City Lord?"

"Hmm?"

"If you agree, Lord City Lord, I’m willing to impersonate you and defend the city gates. As long as the guards see ’you’, they’ll follow orders and defend the city with all their might. Meanwhile, you can take on my appearance and escape through the back gate."

"Absolutely not! I can’t let you die in my place. I am only one year away from rebirth. Even if I die in this battle, I have a fifty-percent chance of getting away, and I can be reborn in a year. But you? You’re only Rank Eight. If they discover you, you’ll have almost no chance of escape!"

"Please, hear me out, Lord City Lord. The humans will never let us move all the supplies out. Our only chance is to have you carry the most valuable ’materials.’ Only someone with your power can break through their encirclement and make it back to the Royal City!"

The White-faced King fell silent.

"It’s the only way. Our Ice and Snow Race has already lost one king; we cannot afford to lose another. When we lose this battle and the city falls, the other races will seize the opportunity to demand reparations. If we lose the supplies on top of that, the Ice and Snow Race is truly done for!"

"But, this way..."

"Losing the ordinary supplies is one thing; we can explain that away. But if the most valuable ’materials’ are lost as well, how could the Ice and Snow Race possibly afford to compensate for them? Please, Lord City Lord, don’t hesitate any longer! Take all the precious materials and leave at once. Leave Ice City to me!" The short figure fell to his knees with a THUD.

"Lan Ming..."

"Please, Lord City Lord, leave at once!"

The White-faced King’s fists clenched.

Time.

It passed quickly.

One minute.

Two minutes.

"Reporting... Reporting, Lord City Lord!" Another non-human rushed in.

"Speak," the White-faced King said, looking at the non-human who had just burst in.

"The human army is at the gates! The front and sides of Ice City are completely surrounded. The only way out is the rear gate," the non-human reported.

"Lord City Lord!" The small figure, Lan Ming, slammed his head on the floor again. "Please, make your decision, Lord City Lord!"

"Take me to the supply transport team immediately!" The White-faced King gritted his teeth.

"Yes." The non-human immediately led the way.

The White-faced King strode forward.

When he reached the doorway, he paused for a moment.

Without looking at the kneeling Lan Ming, he took a deep breath and said, "I’m leaving Ice City in your hands!"

"Thank you for granting my request, Lord City Lord!" Lan Ming immediately kowtowed his thanks.

...

「Ice City.」

The wind howled through the driving snow.

A vanguard of seventy thousand troops had the city surrounded on three sides.

Thirty thousand at the main gate, with twenty thousand on each flank. With high-ranking officers overseeing the operation, a breakout from any of these three gates was virtually impossible for the non-humans.

Gao Neng stepped out of the command vehicle.

Before him stood a great city, its walls towering over eighty feet high.

A century ago, this was a major human metropolis in the north, filled with all kinds of modern architecture. But for the last hundred years, it had been occupied by non-humans.

Now, this metropolis was finally about to return to human hands.

What a glorious day!

"One hundred years," Zou Jianfei said, his eyes filled with emotion as he gazed at the city before them. "After one hundred years, we humans are finally taking back what was once ours!"

"Yeah! Let’s hurry up and start the assault!" Fang Tangtang said, buzzing with excitement.

"Agreed. Time is everything." Qin Jianfei nodded. When it came to warfare, he was always decisive, never one for hesitation.

If there was going to be a fight...

Then they had to show they were ready for one.

Who cared how many troops were in the city, or what defenses were in place? Just fire a few volleys and see what happens!

"Order all forces—front, left, and right—to open fire! Forget everything else, just start by hitting them with ten tons of artillery shells!" Qin Jianfei ordered without hesitation.

"Yes, sir!"

"Open fire!"

"Open fire!"

"Fire!"

...

BOOM!

A single cannon blast shattered the silence.

It was followed by a sky full of artillery, a rain of shells arcing toward the gates of Ice City from three directions. Each impact sent a shower of sparks and shattered stone into the air.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM...

...

The cannons roared.

This was the opening salvo of humanity’s official counteroffensive.

Gao Neng watched as Ice City was instantly engulfed in flames. It was the first time he had ever witnessed the grand spectacle of a human army storming a city.