Chapter 348 252: The Lord Tests His Might

BOOM!

With a tremendous crash, a Thunder Lizard Beast slammed a Cloud Ladder against the city wall. The handlers from the Beast Hall quickly tossed aside their whips and scrambled under the ladder vehicle, dodging the scattered Arrows raining down from above.

They were just farmers responsible for raising Servant Beasts; the scene that followed was no place for small fries like them.

The Wolf Island infantry marched in neat formations, following close behind the ladder vehicle. Their advance was remarkably smooth, meeting almost no meaningful resistance.

This was all thanks to High Cliff Castle's Magic Casting Squad. The moment the enemy dared to peek out to draw their bows, they were immediately met with a wholesale barrage of Magic from the Zor Elf girls.

Fighting such a suffocating battle made the Mercenaries so frustrated they wanted to spit blood.

Outmatched at range and getting hit the moment they showed their faces, all they could do was watch helplessly as the Cloud Ladders were set against the walls and the enemy infantry swarmed up them like ants.

Sensing victory was within their grasp, or perhaps to boost their morale, the Wolf Island infantry began to chant an ancient, evocative poem in unison.

"The ocean gales stir dark clouds over Wolf Island, wind and thunder rage."

"In the fleeting glimpse as Lightning tears open the black curtain."

"Who is it that gazes at the horizon, filled with a sense of loss..."

It was said this song was first sung by the first Minstrel to set foot on Wolf Island. He later settled down there and had children with the Old People.

These descendants are the common folk who live on Wolf Island today.

Under the aegis of this poem, they had weathered countless crises, growing stronger with every trial.

This was the poem that represented the courage of the men of Wolf Island.

Beneath the brilliant, multi-colored Magic, the valiant Warriors of Wolf Island sang their blood-pumping anthem, creating a breathtaking tableau.

It was the first time the country bumpkins of High Cliff Castle had witnessed such a grand scene. They were all so stunned their jaws dropped, unable to hide the envy in their eyes.

This also got the Lord's mind working. He started wondering if High Cliff Castle should also get a grand, impressive military anthem. But then he remembered the Beastman Barbarians' coarse, sandpaper-like howls and shrieks and had to drop the idea.

He had no desire to utterly disgrace himself in front of a bunch of nobles.

"Get ready. It's our turn." The Lord took one last glance at the Wolf Island infantry storming the city, put on his Iron Helmet, and placed his hands on the back of the enormous Siege Vehicle.

This Siege Vehicle had been custom-built to break down Kolon's city gates, which were over ten ren high. The vehicle itself was about eight ren high and shaped like an awning. The difference was that a massive, iron-studded log weighing at least tens of thousands of pounds hung from its center by wrist-thick iron chains. It took a full twelve wheels underneath to support such weight.

A few dozen Barbarians took hold of the handles built into the Siege Vehicle, waiting for the order to push the behemoth toward the distant city gate.

"Infantry, advance with shields up! Archers, covering fire!"

At the command, the Barbarians raised their Steel Shields on either side of the Siege Vehicle, forming up. Behind them, the Feder Archers had already nocked their arrows, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"Forward!"

Levi roared. From his position behind the Siege Vehicle, he summoned his strength and gave a mighty shove. The seemingly ponderous machine shot forward in an instant.

The craftsmen in the distance were collectively dumbstruck. If they hadn't built it piece by piece with their own hands, they would have thought it was made of paper mache at that speed.

But now, a single person was pushing it at a terrifying speed. It was as if they had all been turned to stone by Medusa; they didn't even notice the hammers slipping from their hands and falling to the ground.

The Beastman Barbarians had been preparing to heave with all their might at their chief's command, but in the next instant, they were being dragged forward by the massive Siege Vehicle, their feet leaving two long drag marks on the ground.

They stared in a daze, looking back at the Lord of High Cliff Castle who was busy putting his back into it. Feeling like they'd been manhandled, they yelled, "Chief, slow down, slow down! Let us off!"

...

A moment later, the Lord climbed onto the Siege Vehicle and sat down. Watching the Beastman Barbarians straining to push it from both sides, he sighed. 'Truly, no good deed goes unpunished,' he thought, 'my kindness was completely wasted on them.'

He had kindly helped push the vehicle, only to be scorned by this bunch of brutes.

'What kind of noble helps his grunts push a cart? Only him, the Lord of High Cliff Castle! And yet these Barbarians didn't even appreciate it.'

He stewed in silence, watching the city gate grow ever closer and wondering how they were going to get it open.

He had already closed a good portion of the distance, leaving only a few hundred paces. With the Barbarians now huffing and puffing as they pushed with all their might, it would only take a hundred heartbeats to reach the gate.

Nearby, the Wolf Island infantry had already scaled the city walls. They were all uniformly armed with War Axes and Single-Man Shields, equipment that allowed them to fend off attacks from all directions after climbing the walls, making it ideal for individual combat.

The two sides crashed into each other in an instant. Countless people fell, and countless more took their place. At this moment, life was as cheap as roadside weeds, being consumed at a frantic pace.

Although the Mercenaries had been forced to abandon their ranged tactics by High Cliff Castle's long-distance attacks, they had no fear of close-quarters combat.

The front rank raised their shields to block attacks, while the Mercenaries in the rear, holding Long Spears, looked for opportunities to land a treacherous blow.

Kolon's walls were plenty wide, giving them enough room to form such simple formations.

The two forces were locked in a tangled melee, and for a time, it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.

When the Siege Vehicle reached the base of the wall, the Mercenaries above began to throw all sorts of things down. From a height of twenty-eight ren, even a falling egg could cause a painful welt, to say nothing of rocks or other objects.