City of Desire [Kingdom Building] - Chapter 752: At The Gate
Proofread By Thomas F
I rode out of the gate and turned to the undead tide ahead. It is coming toward the city, with numbers that seemed to stretch forever.
I could sense the deep fear from my people, but they didn’t stop. They kept following behind me, without stumbling or stopping.
Soon, I stopped, and a minute later, the army of a hundred thousand stood behind me.
The tide is close; it won’t take long for them, even a minute, to breach the boundary of the second circle.
They are already in the range of some of our cannons, but we didn’t fire them. Against such force, one should use the cannons only in large numbers.
“They breached it,” said Stone beside me, after nearly a minute.
Soon, there will be a decisive movement in the battle. If it succeeds as we want, we will survive through this.
Though this is not the only purpose we have.
The purpose is to crush the undead so that they would think a thousand times before daring to attack Greltheaven.
…
Tamal Wraithhearth
A frown appeared on my face. I felt like there were eyes everywhere watching me.
“You have sensed it as well,” said Lionrian, and I nodded. We are very alert and have fought hundreds of battles. We could feel it when we were being watched.
Veilpiercers Gaze.
I cast a spell, but sensed nothing. No one else was present except those in front of me and the three who had been following us since yesterday.
They are not a threat; they are just watchers.
“I am drawing a blank,” said Lionrian. “It’s likely the merchants have sent someone powerful,” I replied, and he nodded, relieved.
Merchants won’t dare to interfere. The contract is binding, and considering what they are receiving in exchange, they wouldn’t dare to interfere.
As for watching, they could do that.
“Still, we should be careful,” I cautioned, and he nodded as we marched forward.
I could see Silver and his tiny army. I am surprised that he is fighting me outside the city. I was 90% sure that he would fight us from the wall.
“He is not an idiot,” said Lionrian. He is right; Silver is not an idiot, so if he is out, there must be a reason.
Eyes of Serene.
I cast another spell, and immediately, I could see him as if he were standing in front of me.
His mages are trying to stop me from looking, but they are pitiful attempts. They will need someone at my level if they want to stop me from looking.
“Four artifacts,” I said, surprised. Earlier, I wasn’t able to see those two before.
“Really?” asked Yark excitedly. We are already aware of two of them, three if we count one in the legacy, and now we have the third one.
“That seemed like the Belt of Tethered Fang,” said Lionrian, a moment later.
He is excited, and why wouldn’t he be? For him, that is a most suitable artifact. He has a weapon artifact; strengthening it would make him even stronger.
“I didn’t recognise the one on Silver’s hand,” he added, and turned to me.
I shook my head. I had activated the Memory Directory, which contains information on thousands of artifacts, but I cannot find one that shares similarities with the one Silver is wearing.
“Five artifacts and a Grade IV legacy, it’s going to be a great haul!” said Yark. So excited that he could barely contain himself.
He isn’t the only one. I am excited as well.
Five artifacts are a huge deal, and when you add the legacy, it becomes even bigger. It will be a significant contribution; I would exchange them for the artifact I need.
I controlled my emotions. I need to be calm; this is a battle. Silver could create unnecessary trouble; I want to avoid that. It isn’t the only city I have to conquer in this region.
I cast Seismic Whisper, and everything became clear in front of me.
“Look at it,” I said, sharing my findings. It made their eyes widen.
“Fuck, these bloody bastards have created a deathfield in here! Even I would be heavily injured if I walked carelessly,” cursed Yark.
“Dead,” I replied.
“Some of those alchfire orbs could kill even you,” Lionrian replied.
There are thousands of mines covering the area around the city and alchfire orbs. I could see thirty-four of them; placed quite ingeniously, that even I am curious how they did it.
The way they are used and the materials they use to cover it would make it very hard for High-Mages to discover it.
I am not a High-Mage. I am a Great Mage, and nothing could remain hidden from me.
“It’s such a waste to destroy such wealth,” I said with a sigh. These mines are powerful, and alchfire orbs are expensive. They will sell for a substantial amount of money.
He had bought them using a lot of essence. It pains me to destroy such wealth, but I will do it.
Kaldarin’s Wave!
I cast a spell, and immediately, a meter-high earth wave was released. It’s much bigger underground; it will not destroy everything in its path.
“It’s more powerful than last time,” commented Lionrian. “I had been studying, with all the time we had,” I replied.
Casting a non-specialised elemental spell is hard, and they do not reach as powerful as specialised mages of that element, but they are still Grade V spells.
Bang BANG Bang!
Soon, the explosions began to ring out as the mines began to explode, before a deafening explosion tore through the area, with blue-green alchemical fire covering a large area.
The first alchfire orb exploded, followed by another just a second later, and then another.
Within seconds, eleven alchfire orbs exploded, covering the large area in front of us in their powerful alchemical fire.
“A quarter of our horde would have been decimated. If we had been caught in it,” said Lionrian. I could hear the faint fear in his voice.
Even I am a little scared seeing the bright alchemical fire burning in front of me.
I didn’t explode all of them. Just the third of them; the rest are not in our path, and I want them as well as the mines. They will sell for a lot of money.
A minute later, I cast Tempest Curtain. Pushing away, the smoke and dust that had remained in front of us.
Once more, I could see that Silver’s expressions had become unreadable. I would have been angry, too, and helpless, if the one thing I am counting on had failed.
“They are not attacking,” said Yark with a frown.
We have entered the range of many of their cannons, but not a single one has been fired.
“They are waiting for us to come within range of all their cannons and even spells before launching a large attack. It’s the only way they could do any real damage to us,” replied Lionrian.
“No, I feel like it’s something different,” replied Yark, shaking his head.
“I do not like this feeling,” he added.
He isn’t the only one getting that nagging feeling. I am feeling it too for the past few minutes. I had activated many spells, and I wasn’t able to sense anything from my spells and artifacts.
“Stay alert,” I cautioned, and sent it to other powerhouses as well.
A few minutes passed, and we had finally stopped. Now, there is a kilometre of distance between our forces.
“Silver, surrender, and I promise to spare you and those close to you,” I offered with my voice spreading through the whole army and city behind him.
I am surprised that he didn’t make any attempt to stop my communication.
He didn’t reply for a moment before opening his mouth.
“I will give you the same offer, Wraithearth. Surrender and you will be spared, fight and I and my forces will bring my wrath on you and your horde,” he replied.
Many of my people started laughing when they heard it. I wanted to laugh as well. Instead, I got this sinking feeling.
I had only gotten a few times, and all those times, I had fought the most dangerous battles of my life.
Garilor Domain.
I activated the spell, but I didn’t sense anything that could be a threat to me, but this sinking feeling didn’t disappear. Instead, it becomes even deeper.
“You are feeling it as well, right?” I asked. “Yes,” replied Lionrion.
‘Use your full strength, hidden spells, and skills. Don’t hold back anything against this enemy,’ I ordered, surprising many of them.
It is the opposite of what I had ordered earlier. I had asked to conserve their strength for powerful enemies.
“Think about it, one more time, Silver, because once I move. I will not stop until I destroy you and everything you hold dear,” I offered one more time, hoping he would accept.
“Don’t hold back anything,” he replied with the grin of a predator.
It made me angry, but I controlled my emotions. There is something, I am sure of it. I need to be as calm as possible to deal with it.
“Attack!” I ordered and moved toward Silver.
My staff lit up in spells, so are the spells of my mages. Our cannons pointed and strings of bows pulled as we moved toward Silver with everything we had.
I will not hold back till I destroy him.
My instincts are telling me that I should finish him as soon as possible, and I am going to do that.
A single second passed. My horse took its first step—then the danger sense erupted, sharper and louder than ever before. It screamed of blades—coming from all sides, all directions,
At that exact moment, I saw and felt the attack. It made my eyes widen in horror.
“Fuck!” I heard Lionrian cursing as his skills roared to life along with his aura in full power. Quickly, I activated my spells, my aura, and I brought out everything, including the prepared defensive spells in my staff.
I would need to use everything and more if I want my horde to survive this.
…
A few seconds before.
“Think about it, one more time, Silver, because once I move. I will not stop until I destroy you and everything you hold dear,” he offered once more.
It is an offer I cannot accept, despite how tempting it is. My city belongs to my people and no one else.
I turned to my people and saw their eyes. They were scared, seeing the great horde which seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.
The show of power earlier, where they destroyed mines and a third of the alchfire orbs, had scared many, but they did not retreat.
They stood their ground, with resolve burning in their hearts despite knowing that only death awaits in fighting them.
I turned to the enemy.
Necromancer Wraithhearth is clad in a violet-black mage robe and wearing a black, horned mask.
In his hand is a staff, with a black metal stick, on which a pale violet crystal is burning with a pale violet globe covering it. That is Lanternroot Staff, a death elemental artifact.
The information said he is a necromancer with a level between Lv. 43 to Lv. 45; a great mage.
Beside him is a fully armored man. It is dark green armor that is perfectly carved in beautiful designs, with the emblem of his order in the middle.
The armor is a mighty half-artifact. It’s a hereditary armor that has been passed down in the order.
He is Knight Banmir Lionrian of the Order of Wailing Cascade. One of the most powerful Knight Orders on the island
The Kalgha dominion has provided us with a lot of information about this man. Including that blue-blade he is holding.
The Weilrender; it is also one of the artifacts of the order.
He is at Lv. 42 to Lv. 44 and is powerful. Which is no surprise, the Knight is a powerful class, and the Knights that reach such levels are extremely powerful.
I turned to Yark last. He had survived and even levelled up. He is wearing blue half-artifact armor and that half-artifact spear in his hand.
He is likely Lv. 40 or Lv. 41. We had information on his former skills. At least half of which would have upgraded with the level-up.
They were already dangerous skills, and now they have become even more potent with the level-up.
These three are the most powerful. We will have to deal directly with them if we want to win the war.
Only a second passed, and I turned back to the Necromancer.
“Don’t hold back anything,” I replied, to the shock of my men. One shouldn’t make a powerful enemy angry, but I want him angry.
“Attack!” Necromancer roared in reply, and a massive horde moved with him, with spells and skills roaring to life.
The sheer magic signature they have provided is massive. It won’t help them.
“My people, it’s time we show the undead the grave mistake they have made by attacking us,” I said, and brought down my wrath on the horde.
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