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Chapter 553: Fierce Battle Against the Dragon Beast Army!
"Boom!"
The violent impact made the entire city wall tremble.
A barely noticeable crack made Angela relax slightly.
Even though the land dragons were massive and incredibly strong, surpassing 25 points in power, they were still unable to cause devastating damage to the city wall that had undergone Yaya's strength test.
However, the act of attacking the city wall came at a great cost for the land dragons.
Wounds left by various weapons continued to bleed, and the recoil from their reckless charges made their heads dizzy.
The dragon-hunting crossbows hidden among the weapons pierced through their defenses, making them truly feel pain.
The wounded land dragons roared frantically, took a few steps back, and prepared to charge again.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
A dense volley of crossbow bolts flew over them, covering the dragon-blood creatures behind.
Arnold, noticing this, immediately ordered continued fire on several land dragons.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The highly lethal armor-piercing bolts spun as they embedded themselves into the land dragons' bodies.
The poison and bloodletting grooves on the bolts gradually took effect, making the land dragons even more enraged.
Once again, they fiercely rammed into the city wall, causing a visible tremor throughout.
Fortunately, the wall remained intact, and the soldiers quickly recovered, continuing their attacks with weapons.
Angela forced herself to shift her focus away from the thick-skinned land dragons and paid more attention to the dragon-blood creatures in the distance, which were being bombarded by firepower.
Most of them had already crossed the trenches and were charging forward in a massive wave.
The barrage of cannon fire and crossbow bolts had inflicted heavy casualties on them.
The activation and stimulation of their bloodline power did not fundamentally change their flesh and blood bodies.
Therefore, in the face of high-damage weapons, they remained vulnerable.
The densely packed dragon-blood creatures gradually surrounded Misty Fortress, launching attacks from all directions.
They ferociously clawed and bit at the walls with their sharp claws and teeth.
It looked somewhat absurd, but the effect was real and evident.
Even though the walls were made of magically reinforced stone, poured with steel-reinforced concrete, and further strengthened with anti-magic metals—
When facing the sharp fangs and claws of dragon-blood creatures, they were still being chipped away bit by bit.
The power of dragon bloodline was incredibly formidable and peculiar.
This was also why the Mad Dragon Disaster was so devastating and impactful.
You could never predict which dragon beast possessed the terrifying ability to destroy cities and split mountains.
The soldiers could only do their best to attack them, with dozens of dragon-blood creatures dying every second.
At this moment, the sentry on the watchtower shouted sharply:
"Wyverns spotted, thirty of them!"
A series of piercing screeches came from the sky.
These creatures, similar to wyverns but only four to five meters in size, were advanced magical creatures—pterosaurs!
They had gray-green scales, bat-like membranous wings, and flapped their wings vigorously as they approached.
Their sharp, hideous hind legs could easily rip open a prey's chest and snap their bones.
Their mouths, filled with rows of sharp fangs, housed special acidic glands that could spray highly corrosive acid, capable of melting skin and dissolving bones with ease.
Their average challenge level was 14. Not only were they individually strong, but they were also social creatures.
Encountering these terrifying monsters in the wild would be a death sentence.
Behind these pterosaurs, over a hundred varying-sized flying dragons screamed deafeningly.
Arnold, who had long anticipated this, shouted at the watchtower soldiers:
"Arrow Type-4 ready, aim carefully!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the watchtower emitted a provoking shriek.
Hearing the sound, the pterosaurs immediately charged toward the tower.
The nervous soldiers, watching the approaching pterosaurs, gritted their teeth, waiting for the order to fire.
Though there were specialized weapons to deal with them, the timing of the attack had to be precise.
As the pterosaurs flew closer, the soldiers could even see their gaping mouths, with their crimson, quivering tongues.
"Fire!"
Arnold's loud command sounded like music to the soldiers' ears.
Instinctively, they pulled the triggers, launching the specially designed crossbow bolts.
Just before hitting the pterosaurs, the bolts suddenly expanded into large metal-netted traps, ensnaring most of them.
The tough metal nets prevented them from escaping immediately, and their tangled wings rendered them unable to stay airborne.
The panicked pterosaurs screamed as they spiraled downward.
Thud!
Most of them crashed onto the dragon-blood creatures below.
Both sides suffered severe injuries instantly—bones broke, bodies twisted unnaturally, and they died within moments.
The once ferocious monsters perished in an instant due to losing their ability to fly.
The successful soldiers cheered, but Arnold remained serious.
Seven remaining pterosaurs had already reached the tower and were about to attack.
He waved his hand, ordering the archers who had not fired earlier to launch a full aerial assault.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The whistling armor-piercing bolts demonstrated their deadly power.
They instantly penetrated the pterosaurs, ripping through their wings and bodies.
Many other incoming flying dragon beasts were also shot down.
The sharp cries of the flying dragon beasts vanished.
Arnold ordered the soldiers to remain alert for more aerial threats.
He observed the land dragons continually assaulting the walls, then turned to Angela.
"Shall we attack them?"
Angela silently shook her head. She knew very well that Bay Territory's enemies were not just these dragon-blood creatures but also the hidden mastermind behind them.
Arnold nodded slightly and continued patiently commanding the soldiers, coordinating with Leon to defend the walls.
Half an hour later.
The land dragons' assaults had proven effective. The once-sturdy wall now had concave pits two to three meters deep, and each impact caused increasingly severe tremors.
Exposed rebar and concrete debris revealed their immense destructive power.
Despite being riddled with dozens of armor-piercing bolts, the land dragons showed no signs of stopping—instead, they became even more aggressive.
Angela no longer hesitated and decisively ordered a retreat:
"Enter the teleportation array!"
The soldiers swiftly packed their crossbows and supplies, retreating in an orderly fashion from the city walls.
In just ten minutes, all 5,000 defense troops had entered the teleportation array.
The once-sturdy fortress was now an empty city.
With the land dragons' furious roars, the six-meter-thick wall was finally breached.
The mighty dragon beasts swarmed in!
Stepping out of the teleportation array, Angela exhaled deeply, suppressing her emotions.
She quickly adjusted herself and strode toward the nearby war room.
Soldiers proceeded to their designated battle positions as trained.
The entire process was quiet, with only occasional commands and reports breaking the silence.
As soon as Angela entered the war room, she saw that all the military commanders had already gathered. Feeling slightly relieved, she walked to the highest position and activated the magical map projection.
The map not only displayed a detailed layout of Bay Territory but also marked the positions and attack range of the dragon-blood creatures.
The battle results and data were being reported, quickly compiling before everyone's eyes.
"Phase 1 of the battle plan has been successfully completed. The first line of defense held off the dragon-blood creatures for 45 minutes, killing a total of 35,000. Currently, 265,000 remain."
"It is estimated that in one hour, the dragon-blood creatures will reach the second line of defense. We need to hold this position for an hour and aim to eliminate at least 50,000 more!"
Angela's voice echoed throughout the war room.
The other commanders provided insights and suggestions based on different situations encountered during the battle.
Everyone discussed these refinements thoroughly, ensuring there were no negative consequences before agreeing to implement some of them.
Time was limited, and the soldiers' stamina was finite. Full-scale implementation carried risks, so gradual attempts were the best approach.
Udala took out the bread she had prepared earlier and happily took a few bites.
Despite her small stature, she had a big appetite, eating four meals a day.
Fortunately, Bay Territory could fully meet Udala's needs, which was one of the things she liked most about the region.
"Don't eat too much, or it'll affect your combat performance later."
Rika reminded her carefully. She no longer wore the hooded cloak that had once concealed her head and appearance when she first arrived in Bay Territory.
Her silver-white ears twitched slightly from time to time, always alert to any movement around her.
Rika was, unmistakably, a tiefling!
The surrounding soldiers did not cast curious glances at her, which made her feel the most at ease.
Seeing Udala nod contentedly, Rika wasn't sure if she had actually listened, so she carefully inspected her crossbow.
After finishing the fist-sized bread, Udala took a gulp of cold tea, sighed in satisfaction, and confidently said:
"Don't worry! The more I eat, the better I perform."
Rika naturally didn't believe her nonsense and fixed her with a stare until Udala shrank her neck and quickly began her inspection. Only then did Rika continue her warning:
"The influence of the Mad Dragon Disaster is intensifying. We must gain higher authority as soon as possible."
"When the time comes, I'll use all my gold coins and military merits to hire adventurers to help me!"
Udala blinked curiously and asked:
"How many military merits have you accumulated?"
Just as Rika was about to answer, a commanding voice came from not far away:
"Company 3, prepare to move with me to Outpost 42!"
Hearing this, both Rika and Udala immediately stood up, following the squad leader and quickly forming ranks.
Soon, they boarded a magical transport ship capable of traversing the swamp, sailing as if on water.
Udala curiously watched the constantly spinning propeller at the back, feeling the immense power within it, and couldn't help but exclaim:
"The number of magical constructs in the territory seems to be increasing..."
Rika nodded naturally. After a period of study, she spoke with eager anticipation:
"That's right. The major research institutes strongly encourage invention and innovation. Whatever the territory needs, they will work to create. Naturally, the number of magical constructs will keep increasing."
Feeling the cold, slightly foul-smelling wind against her face, Udala nervously asked:
"How many enemies will we be facing this time?"
Rika slowly shook her head, gazing at the desolate swamp around them as a thought of expectation surfaced in her mind:
"Perhaps a difficult mission awaits us."
As it turned out, she was somewhat overthinking.
Bay Territory's approach to missions was focused more on stability and assured victory.
If no special orders were given, it meant there was nothing unexpected.
On the road connecting Misty Fortress and Bay Territory, the dragon-blood creatures had formed a long column, struggling to advance through the swamp.
Unlike the comfortable plains, the soft, muddy terrain of the swamp was far from friendly.
Only the specially widened, hardened paths allowed massive creatures like land dragons to stride forward.
The surrounding swamp, like grasping hands, constantly dragged at the other dragon-blood creatures.
It was as if the land itself wanted to slow them down and absorb them into the marsh.
Despite the difficulty, they remained resolute, continuing toward Bay Territory's location.
Their persistence was met with enthusiastic resistance from the defending soldiers along the route.
Large trenches, each at least ten meters wide, blocked the central road.
These were filled with foul, sticky mud, waiting for the creatures to charge in.
On both sides of the road, several magical ships manned by soldiers armed with crossbows continuously fired, luring the creatures forward.
Gradually, the massive number of dragon-blood creatures was led deeper into the swamp.
The waiting soldiers watched their approach and then unleashed their pre-arranged weapons in a devastating assault.
Any entity that attacked the territory would face the most lethal counterattack!
The three leading land dragons, already weakened from continuous bleeding and poisoning, had grown exhausted.
When the next wave of attacks struck, they could no longer hold out and collapsed before the defensive line.
Their immense vitality kept them from dying immediately,
But they no longer had the strength to fight.
The dragon-blood creatures behind them climbed over their fallen bodies and charged at the Bay Territory defenses.
A storm of attacks howled through the air, and more dragon-blood creatures fell into pools of blood.
So far, they had yet to inflict any real casualties on the Bay Territory soldiers.
However, in the central ranks of the massive force, over ten powerful land dragons were rapidly closing in on the defenses.
They were about to reach the battlefield, prepared to crush any obstacle in their way!
Meanwhile, to deal with the ordinary dragon-blood creatures, the Bay Territory soldiers stationed at the central encampment continued their relentless assault.
"Kill!!!"
The shrill cries of battle echoed through the swamp, as a dense volley of crossbow bolts rained down upon the dragon-blood creatures.
One by one, the dragon beasts collapsed.
Some struggled to rise, attempting to continue their attack.
Others were forcefully shoved down by their own kin, trampled into the soft mud, never to rise again.
Hoo-hah!
The dragon beasts panted heavily, their eyes filled with hunger and rage.
If not for the whispers guiding them, they would have already turned their fangs on their own kind.
Now, however, those voices were growing weaker, as if their energy had been drained.
Yet, driven by instinct, they continued forward.
Their thoughts, carried by their physical forms, seemed as if they could be rewritten like a painting altered at will.
Before them, a towering wall blocked their path.