"How is this possible?!" Paul gripped the binoculars tightly and looked across at the other side, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Based on past experience, the maximum range of the orc catapults is no more than two hundred paces, but those projectiles just now flew at least three hundred and fifty paces, and the giant arrows fired by the ballistae even exceeded three hundred paces, directly threatening the Ausser Army's artillery positions!
"It's not safe here!" Schroeder pointed at the guards. "You, quickly protect the Marquis and retreat to a safe distance!"
The guards immediately sprang into action, grabbing the reins of Paul's horse and retreating to the rear.
"Stop! I want to be with my soldiers!" Paul angrily shouted at the guards.
Schroeder's expression turned serious. He abandoned his argument with the lord and whispered to Paul, "The orcs must have made significant improvements to their ranged weapons, otherwise they couldn't possibly have such a long range! We must deal with them first!"
Paul ordered the communications officer beside him: "Quickly relay my order to Bryce: concentrate all Cannon firepower on the Orcs' ranged weapons! Destroy these things before they inflict further casualties!"
"Yes, sir!" The communications soldier immediately turned around and ran towards the artillery position.
Upon receiving the order, Bryce dared not delay for a moment. He immediately ordered the cannons to be adjusted, and roared at the artillerymen, "The targets are the orc catapults and ballistae! Don't try to fire in volleys, aim and fire! Blow these bastards to pieces!"
With his orders, the Ausser Army The cannon roared again, this time the shells no longer flew towards the dense orcish formation, but towards their powerful ranged weapons.
The Ausser Army's initial underestimation has been replaced by complete vigilance.
When the stone projectiles and giant crossbow bolts struck the Ausser Army formation, the orcs suddenly erupted in deafening cheers.
Almost all the orcs brandished their weapons, letting out huge roars that echoed across the grassland, and even the grass under their feet seemed to tremble with this frenzied emotion.
In the past, when fighting against the Ausser Army, they were always overwhelmed by the enemy's cannons. Shells rained down, and their own catapults and ballistae could not even reach the Ausser Army's lines. They could only watch helplessly as their comrades fell in the artillery fire. That sense of powerlessness weighed on the hearts of every orc like a boulder.
At this moment, they were finally able to injure the Ausser Army, and the pent-up anger they had been holding in for so long was finally released in a satisfying way.
Abar stood on the command platform, watching the commotion within the Ausser Army ranks, a hint of smugness flashing in his cloudy eyes.
He raised his hand and patted the general in charge of long-range weapons beside him, his hoarse voice carrying a rare hint of approval: "Well done, these things were worth the effort."
The general grinned, revealing his yellowed fangs, and roared orders at the orcs operating the catapults, instructing them to increase the frequency of their attacks.
Soon, the ranged weapons of both sides entered a fierce exchange of fire. The winches of the orc catapults spun faster, and burning terracotta pots flew one after another toward the Ausser Army. The ballistae also fired continuously, and the giant crossbows drew black trails in the air.
But reality is cruel.
Even after improvements, the performance limits of these old-fashioned weapons could not be broken. The accuracy of catapults depended entirely on the orcs' experience to estimate, and it was considered lucky if one out of ten stone projectiles landed in the Ausser Army's formation. Although the range of the ballista's giant arrows had increased, they were greatly affected by the wind and often missed the target by a great distance.
More importantly, their reloading speed is far slower than that of the Ausser Army. Cannon, often Ausser Army Cannon had already fired several rounds before the orc catapults managed to throw out only one stone.
In contrast, under Bryce's command, every cannon in the Ausser Army artillery was aimed at the orcish ranged weapons. Thanks to their rigorous daily training, the artillerymen could complete the entire process of loading, aiming, and firing in a very short time, and the accuracy of the shells was extremely high.
"Boom!" A cannonball struck the support of a catapult with precision, the wooden support broke instantly, and the stone balls in the ammunition bag rolled to the ground. The orcs operating the catapult were buried by the rubble on the spot. Then another cannonball hit a ballista, instantly turning it into a pile of scrap metal.
One, two, three... catapults and ballistae were destroyed one after another under the Ausser Army's artillery fire.
The jubilation on the orcs' faces gradually faded, replaced by disbelief, shock, and fear.
They watched as their prized countermeasures were destroyed one by one like fragile toys. The hope that had just been ignited was quickly extinguished by the cold reality. They were still no match for the Ausser Army, and the feeling of powerlessness from being unilaterally suppressed once again enveloped the entire army.
Abar's smugness vanished without a trace. He stared intently at the war machines that had just given him a sliver of confidence, now crumbling one after another, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but he was powerless to do anything about it.
The Ausser Army's cannons were still roaring, and splinters of wood mingled with the screams of orcs, drifting towards the rear of the orcish ranks.
Abar, standing on the high platform, watched as his war machines struggled to hold on. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. If this continued, his army would once again be forced into a situation where they could only passively take hits.
Great Chieftain's gaze fell on the Ausser Army's artillery positions; clearly, their long-range fire had been drawn there. A thought instantly formed in Abar's mind: if an attack were launched now, the Ausser Army... The obstacles to Cannon will be greatly reduced!
In past battles against the Ausser Army, Orc Cavalry was often bombarded by the enemy's cannons during assembly and charge, making it difficult to form an effective assault formation. Even if they managed to launch a charge, they would suffer heavy casualties before even reaching the front lines.
But now the Ausser Army Cannon is busy destroying the orc ranged weapons and has no time to attend to other directions, making this the perfect time to charge!
Abar gripped the battle axe at his waist. This was the orcs' only chance to turn the tide of battle, and they couldn't afford to miss it.
"Pass down the order!" Abar abruptly raised his head, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. "All cavalry, form the charge line! Target the Ausser Army line! Charge!"
As soon as he finished speaking, urgent horn calls rang out from the orc ranks. Tens of thousands of Orc Cavalry, already on standby, sprang into action, raising their spears and battleaxes, spurring their horses on with their legs, and letting out deafening roars. The warhorses seemed to sense their masters' fervor, unleashing a torrent of energy as they charged towards the Ausser Army's position.
In an instant, the vast grassland seemed to tremble with the sound of horses' hooves. Tens of thousands of Orc Cavalry formed a dense charging formation, like a black torrent, sweeping towards the Ausser Army's defenses.
The sunlight shone on their animal hide armor and weapons, reflecting a cold luster. The dust kicked up by their horses' hooves blotted out the sky, leaving a long, grayish-yellow trail across the grassland, which from a distance looked like a sandstorm about to engulf everything.