Apocalypse Gachapon - Chapter 1755: Night Blood (8)
At the City Lord’s residence—or rather, the royal palace—the earlier relaxed atmosphere had vanished entirely. Standing atop the roof, Ahmad’s expression was grim as he received the urgent plea for reinforcements from West City.
Indeed, the Easterners’ attack had come suddenly, catching him and his subordinates off guard.
But that was no excuse for the gates to be in peril so quickly!
He had poured immense resources into the city’s defenses—every brick practically soaked in evolved blood and magic crystals. Ahmad had never imagined this city could be breached.
Not even under surprise assault.
Yet he knew the West City garrison commander wouldn’t joke about this.
Over 20,000 regular troops, thousands of reserves, plus the 10,000 Royal Guards dispatched earlier—how could 30,000-40,000 soldiers fail to hold for even an hour?
“Pfft—!”
The Thousand Defender suddenly spat blood and collapsed. He’d strained his limits defending, but no amount of recovery potions could sustain him against such relentless bombardment.
Ahmad’s eyes flashed with anger as he gestured for the man to be taken away for treatment.
Without this defensive bulwark, West City’s situation would worsen.
“Order the 4th and 5th Brigades of the 2nd Royal Guard to reinforce them. Also, withdraw 3,000 troops from each of the other three gates to support West City.”
Suhail immediately protested: “Your Majesty… this seems unwise! Even if West City is in danger, sending the Royal Guard should suffice. Why weaken other sectors? If attacks come there too—”
Feints were common in siege warfare. Suhail feared West City’s fierce battle might be a ruse, with the real strike coming elsewhere.
The Holy City couldn’t afford mistakes.
Moreover, while West City’s situation was dire, before the Thousand Defender collapsed, his reports suggested they could hold for at least thirty more minutes. Perhaps partial reinforcements would suffice for now.
Another concern nagged at Suhail: If the enemy had committed so much force to West City, why not concentrate everything there for a decisive breakthrough?
The only explanation? A feint. Either West City was the diversion, or another sector faced equal threat.
“Rouse the Plum Blossom Slave Army. Have them advance to West City’s inner gates and standby.”
Ignoring his advisor, Ahmad continued issuing commands that left the room stunned.
When others tried objecting, he cut them off.
“Light every torch and illumination device in the city. I want the Holy City brighter than daylight!”
Silence fell. The king’s resolve was absolute.
Watching his subordinates scramble to obey, Ahmad smirked.
West City, the main assault? Fine. West City a diversion? Also fine.
But that’s where his counterstrike would fall!
If the Easterners truly aimed to breach there, his forces would stop them. If not… West City would become the Holy City’s launching point for annihilation!
…………………………………………………………
East City Wall.
Defenders here found the situation bizarre. While West City raged, their sector remained eerily quiet.
The only anomaly? A single figure approaching the walls.
Under the lingering glow of flares, the sight was unnerving.
The East City commander took no chances. “The moment he enters siege weapon range, open fire.”
The man was Ye Zhongming.
Almost simultaneously, Cloud Peak forces mobilized at the North and South gates—but differently from here.
BOOM!
A black shadow launched from the East walls—a catapult projectile, but not the primitive kind. This was a wheel-tech weapon with targeting systems. Though complex to build, seven post-apocalyptic years had allowed widespread replication. Among non-magic crystal weapons, these were considered successful innovations.
Yet no matter its power or accuracy, the projectile’s arc moved like molasses to Ye Zhongming.
He dodged effortlessly. Not that he needed to—it would’ve missed anyway.
This seemed to trigger the defenders. As Ye Zhongming advanced, siege engines and evolved unleashed a torrent of ranged attacks.
Distance didn’t matter. Area saturation would ensure hits.
Or so every East wall defender believed.
The barrage lasted two full minutes.
Brief in duration, but the sheer volume of firepower was oceanic!
With tens of thousands of defenders and weapons, they sought an opening victory—even if just one kill.
Then a messenger arrived with Ahmad’s order: Dispatch 3,000 to reinforce West City.
The commander nodded, summoning a mediocre brigade leader for the task.
The captain hesitated until glared into compliance—only for gasps to interrupt them.
Below, the lone figure stood unharmed near the gates, having evaded everything. Those with sharp eyes could now clearly see the Easterner’s features.
The man planted two objects in the ground—magic staffs of some sort. One activated instantly, projecting a massive energy shield. The other’s shaft began lighting up sequentially from base to tip.
One segment. Two. Three—until fully illuminated.
Then—
A colossal beam erupted, crossing the distance instantly to strike the shielded gates.
The captain gaped before finally muttering:
“Commander… still sending reinforcements?”
