Time did not slow down in the slightest due to General Ironwall's internal reaction, nor did the enemy's advance pause for even a moment.
The harrowing news of the first and second outposts falling in succession was like a tolling funeral bell, one sounding right after the other.
And as the distance steadily closed, the behemoth that had crushed all obstacles along its path finally poked its hideous claws and fangs out from the thick darkness, revealing its suffocating true face.
Centaur Warriors, vigorous and tall, clad in heavy armor and wielding long spears, lined up like a forest;
Ogres, heavy and sturdy with knotted muscles like moving hills, dragging giant spiked clubs, emitted low, muffled growls;
Gnoll assault teams, their fangs flashing with cold light, moving so fast they left trails of afterimages, weaving and leaping through the shadows;
A black, endless tide of Gnolls, Kobolds, and Lizardfolk armies emitting bloodthirsty hisses.
...
The sheer size and quality of the enemy force completely exceeded the defenders' expectations.
Meanwhile, the dull, thunderous footsteps, the clanging of metal friction, and countless low, oppressive roars converged to form a terrifying wave of sound that shook the earth, assaulting the eardrums and nerves of everyone on the city walls.
"All soldiers! Pull yourselves together! Hold the line! Reinforcements will surely arrive!"
General Ironwall Hamilton puffed out his chest, using a booming voice imbued with the power of the Sacred Oath to forcefully override the clamor of the monsters below the city.
"Magic Crystal Cannon array—charge energy, prepare for alternating covering fire!"
"Alchemy Golem Legion—advance to the ramparts, construct a close-defense line!"
"..."
"Order of the Sacred Oath—take your positions, swear to defend every inch of the city wall with your lives!"
He issued the orders, his composed voice steadying the morale of the troops somewhat.
Military commands fell like iron hammers.
The energy veins on the surface of the city wall glowed like molten gold, and the barbs buzzed and vibrated; the cannon muzzles lit up with piercing blue light, the air humming from the energy overload; the Alchemy Golems stepped onto the ramparts with heavy strides, causing a roar like a giant beast. The Paladins' armor clanged as they stood guard on the wall; they knew what they were facing, but the Oath of the Crown was carved into their marrow—retreat meant death!
"Fire!!"
The Magic Crystal Cannon array let out a deafening roar, the light of the first volley instantly tearing through the silent night sky.
Dozens of bucket-thick beams of light erupted from the muzzles, like spears of judgment cast by the gods, instantly illuminating the wilderness.
Wherever the beams passed, the Orc slave phalanx charging at the very front was like snow thrown into a steel furnace.
The Orcs in the front row couldn't even emit a scream before they were instantly vaporized and evaporated under the extreme heat.
Some of the stronger Barbarians in the back were merely grazed by the edges of the light beams, their thick metal plate armor melting into crimson molten iron, horribly sticking to and carbonizing the flesh beneath.
However, these slave casualties were of no concern to the Molten Iron Tribe.
"For the glory of the King of Molten Iron! Crush them!"
Karu pounded his chest, roaring as he trampled over the charred corpses, crushing the ground like a cannonball as he charged toward the towering city wall.
Responding to him was the second wave of shelling.
Sensing the might of the Dragon-vein Gluttony Ogre, the commander of the Magic Crystal Cannon array dared not be negligent, attempting to kill it.
Beams of light wove into a net, covering the Dragon-vein Gluttony Ogre with no blind spots.
However, facing those unavoidable and dangerous light beams, the Dragon-vein Gluttony Ogre just raised its head and roared, choosing not to dodge and charging directly through with its body.
The light beams landed on its thick body covered in Dragon scales.
The high heat that could vaporize Orc slaves and melt iron armor could only leave some scorched marks on it, unable to cause effective damage.
Having inherited the Red Dragon Bloodline, Karu's fire resistance was not low.
The Molten Iron Legion continued to push forward; those ranged attacks from above indeed caused some trouble, but they could not stop their advance.
Soon, the monster army, like a tide, officially arrived at the city walls.
The flickering light of the artillery fire also clearly illuminated the massive Dragon shadows circling in the low altitude.
The greatest significance of the Vassal Legion to The Dragon Flight lay in diverting the enemy's firepower, preventing the Dragons from being subjected to unbridled focused fire.
As the legion approached, the Dragons could finally let go and unleash their power to their heart's content.
"Tiny insects, turn to dust beneath my Dragon Breath!"
Red Dragon Samantha's roar rolled over the battlefield like thunder.
She was the first to be unable to suppress her seething Battle Intent, tucking her wings and diving toward a section of the wall.
As she approached, the fine Dragon scales on her throat suddenly lit up with complex Alchemy Runes.
This was a reinforced breath she had created by imitating her kin's breath and combining it with her own Spellcaster class abilities.
She opened her giant mouth and spewed out a Dragon Breath that was condensed like substance, with a color of scorching white tinged with dark red.
The scorching torrent of destruction was like a whip of light wielded by a Heavenly God, lashing fiercely at a Magic Crystal turret that was frantically spewing energy.
However, the defensive Alchemy Runes inscribed on the surface of the wall lit up to their peak the moment the attack hit.
A thick, hard, translucent magic shield condensed in the blink of an eye, clashing head-on with the Red Dragon's breath.
The shield fluctuated violently under the terrible impact of the Dragon Breath, constantly caving inward and cracking with spiderweb-like patterns, but it stubbornly refused to shatter immediately!
Boom!
Samantha used the massive momentum of her dive to slam her head into the area where the shield's cracks were densest.
Her hard skull and the magic shield emitted a teeth-grinding collision sound, forcibly creating a huge gap in the shield.
But before she could continue to tear open the gap and expand her victory, the Spellcaster group behind the wall had already acted.
Many freezing rays precisely hit the Red Dragon's head exposed at the gap; extreme cold energy spread rapidly, instantly freezing her in a giant block of ice.
Samantha shook her Dragon head in a rage, her powerful strength shattering the covering ice crystals, sending ice chunks flying everywhere.
But in this brief delay, more types of attack Spells rained down, and Samantha had to retreat temporarily, pulling her Dragon head out of the gap.
And as soon as she retreated, the gap in the shield healed and repaired itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.
On the other side.
Iron Dragon Solrog, Blue Dragon Heriam, and Red Dragon Cahill encountered similar situations.
They tried to destroy the wall first to open a path for the Molten Iron army on the ground, but this city-protecting shield was very tough and could barely withstand the Dragons' fierce attacks for a short time.
General Ironwall Hamilton's face was as tight as iron, his gaze locked tightly on the four Dragons circling in the air, looking for opportunities.
He was already prepared.
Once any Dragon attacked the shield forcefully again and revealed a flaw, he would spare no cost to order all firepower to focus fire instantly, striving to slay it in one go.
But what made his heart sink was that the four Dragons, after a round of probing attacks, did not continue to recklessly charge the shield but instead spread out slightly to the sides.
That posture was not a retreat.
It was more like they were waiting for something.
The Paladin's heart suddenly jumped, as if it had been gripped by a giant hand!
An even larger Dragon shadow unfolded its wings, which covered the sky, high in the heavens, shielding the already thin moonlight and casting a suffocatingly deep shadow.
The light of the battlefield dimmed.
One by one, the defenders looked up subconsciously, only to find with horror that, in addition to those four Evil Dragons, there was another terrifying Dragon floating in the higher night sky, seemingly touching the stars—a creature rugged, vicious, and strong to the extreme, like the King of Evil Dragons.
In the spotlight of all, the Red-Iron Dragon circled in the sky.
Surging dark red Qi flames poured out from the tips of his wings; his speed began to climb, as if he were about to tear the sky apart, forming a huge pressure void.
Following that, he suddenly changed direction and slightly tucked his wings.
Surpassing sound! Surpassing the limit of visual capture!
His speed was incomparable, transforming into a true meteor from beyond the heavens, fiercely diving toward the target.
The guards on the wall couldn't even react, let alone aim and attack.
It was like a blink of an eye, and the Death Omen Star was already close at hand.
The passage of time seemed to slow down infinitely at this moment.
Under the desperate gaze of all the defenders, the Red-Iron Dragon's incredibly massive body, like the most violent warhammer, slammed into that seemingly impenetrable large shield without any tricks.
Buzz!!
The shield emitted a dense, ear-piercing sound of shattering like a rainstorm, unable to bear the weight.
The originally stable energy structure flickered wildly, dimming and brightening, caving in inch by inch, collapsing and shattering!
Boom!!
The deafening sonic boom finally sounded at this moment, like a thunderclap.
In the next second, the Red-Iron Dragon smashed the shield, and his heavy body fell to the ground, kicking up a sky full of flying rocks and thick dust.
A group of Alchemy Golems, tall as Vicious Beasts and of different models, immediately rushed toward the dust-filled area.
In the dust, a series of teeth-grinding, terrible sounds of metal being forcibly torn and twisted rang out, accompanied by hot, dazzling sparks; a large amount of metal limbs, gears, bearings, and pipeline parts were thrown out like trash.
"Now! Follow me! For the Duchy! For glory!"
General Ironwall Hamilton let out a desperate roar, drawing his greatsword shining with Holy Light.
He led his most elite Paladin honor guard, charging into the chaotic dust area like a sharp knife.
They tried to coordinate with the Alchemy Golems to surround and kill this Dragon leader who seemed to have landed temporarily due to the impact.
Although he knew clearly in his heart that the chance of success was pitifully slim, this was the only possible sliver of hope in a desperate situation.
The team of Spellcasters in the rear gave their all, casting layers of divine buffs and protective barriers upon the Paladins, making this already incredibly resilient group of warriors even harder to kill.
On the other side.
The other Dragons were naturally not just sitting around watching.
Red Dragon Samantha let out another excited roar, diving down as her scorching, enhanced Dragon Breath poured onto the eastern section of the wall.
The gunners had barely recovered from the shock of the Dragon leader's descent and had no time to make an effective response.
The steel-cast wall groaned shrilly, and the magic crystal turrets twisted and deformed in the high heat. The gunners' bodies carbonized instantly, leaving only charred handprints seared onto the melting artillery.
Immediately after, Samantha used the momentum of her dive to slam headfirst into the already deformed and fragile wall.
BOOM!!!
A massive gap was violently smashed open, with debris and flames splattering everywhere!
Holy Strike!
A Paladin squad leader charged headlong against the splattering debris and scorching Dragon Breath.
A greatsword shining with brilliant Holy Light, carrying the conviction of a lifetime, struck heavily against Samantha's forelimb.
The holy energy clashed violently with her dragon scales, emitting a sizzling, burning sound as it tore through the scales and left a bleeding wound.
BANG!!!
Samantha felt the pain and, in a fit of rage, swept her claws horizontally, sending the Paladin flying mid-air like a ragdoll.
But she immediately noticed an invisible, chain-like light flash and vanish on the Paladin, connecting him to other soldiers in the rear.
Warding Bond, an effect that links with teammates to jointly reduce and share the damage received.
Although the Paladin who had been sent flying had severely dented armor and was spitting blood, he had not suffered fatal injuries. He struggled to stand up and charged at Samantha again.
At the same time, more Paladins, Knights, and warriors swarmed in from all directions.
A smile curled across the Red Dragon's lips.
She suddenly flapped her wings, and her massive body shot straight into the sky without hesitation.
She chose not to continue the entanglement, but instead relied on the Dragonkin's absolute mobility advantage in the sky to swoop down on other relatively weakly defended areas, continuing her feast of destruction and slaughter.
The anti-air magic arrays deployed throughout the Quenchfire Highlands had long been fully activated, but they failed to pull these terrifying Dragons to the ground.
The Dragons of the Molten Iron Tribe were by no means stupid beasts; each had been equipped with expensive Advanced anti-countermeasure Alchemical Items, capable of largely exempting them from the effects of various anti-air magic arrays.
Iron Dragon Solrog locked his target onto the western wall.
Dense volleys of armor-piercing ballista bolts and magic crystal beams covered his original position, but they only penetrated a gradually dissipating phantom.
His true body had already appeared beneath the wall via short-range psionic teleportation.
A massive dragon claw slammed hard against the base of the wall.
Spell-like Ability—Metal Resonance!
The entire section of the wall acted like a tuning fork struck by a giant hammer. The high-frequency vibration caused the defenders to bleed from their ears and noses, their internal organs shattered, and the spikes and magic runes attached to the wall cracked and crumbled inch by inch.
BANG! The Iron Dragon swung his claws and tail, shattering the western wall.
The Spellcasters who were in the middle of casting Spells suddenly felt a pain in their heads before their Spells were complete. Their concentration wavered slightly, and they were forced to abort their spellcasting, suffering severe backlash in the process.
To some extent, Psions are the bane of Spellcasters.
Unless they were prepared in advance, it was very difficult for ordinary Spellcasters to successfully cast Spells when facing a Psion.
RUMBLE!
On the other side, the sky had long been completely shrouded by rolling dark clouds.
Bolts of lightning, thick as Dragons and blindingly bright, struck down one after another, crashing into the lines of defenders on the wall like divine retribution.
Blue Dragon Heriam circled elegantly within the thunderstorm, each flap of his wings drawing forth violent lightning.
Arcs of electricity flickered around his body as he skillfully controlled the storm, unleashing one wide-area Chain Lightning and Thunderstorm Spell after another onto the most densely packed areas of the defenders.
CRACK—BANG!!!
The young and warlike Red Dragon Cahill, her face full of bloodthirsty excitement, chose the most direct and violent method—she charged straight into the legion of Alchemy Golems.
The Golems' heavy fists, cutting blades, and energy beams rained down on her frantically.
Her hard dragon scales were torn open, and hot dragon blood splattered continuously.
But the injuries and pain only served to fuel her Fury. She let out a deafening roar, her body swelling with rage as she grabbed, tore apart, and cruelly dismantled those heavy steel constructs as if they were children's toys.
The rampaging Dragons caused the walls to collapse and shatter, losing their defensive capability.
The torrent of monsters from the Molten Iron Legion surged inside through countless gaps like a burst dam.
The Iron Hooves of the Centaurs ruthlessly crushed the chests of their enemies, the sharp claws of the Werewolves precisely gouged out beating hearts, and the Ogres swung their giant maces, smashing soldiers who couldn't dodge in time into pulp...
The defenders of the Quenchfire Highlands were completely unable to organize effective resistance. The scales of war had tipped completely, presenting a one-sided trend.
RIP!
A blood-soaked Knight Captain swung his greatsword with all his might, decapitating a Werewolf that lunged at him.
He gasped for air, glancing out of the corner of his eye toward the very center of the stronghold—the area shrouded in thick dust.
He could only vaguely see a glimpse of that Crimson Iron Giant Dragon, see the tragic silhouettes of the Paladins waving their swords in a desperate final charge, and faintly hear the heart-wrenching roars, bellows, and sounds of tearing metal coming from within.
The Knight Captain prayed silently in his heart, praying that General Ironwall could create a miracle and lead the most elite Paladins to slay that Dragon leader.
If that happened, there might still be a glimmer of hope for this battle.
BANG!!!
Just then, a dull, thunderous sound erupted from the center of the dust.
Immediately after, a figure was sent flying backward, smashing heavily into a pile of ruins.
His armor was completely twisted and deformed, and he was covered in blood. A massive gash had been torn open in his chest by a terrifying force, and one could even see his faintly beating heart through his broken ribs.
The Knight Captain's pupils contracted sharply, and his movements froze abruptly.
He saw it clearly.
That figure was none other than General Ironwall, the Paladin Hamilton, in whom he had placed his final hope.
WHOOSH—!
A sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out from his side! The Knight Captain instinctively raised his sword to block, but a heavy lance several meters long had already pierced through the gap in his defense.
The lance pierced his breastplate without resistance, running through his body.
A robust Centaur Warrior with bulging muscles flicked his long lance indifferently, tossing the corpse away before charging toward the next enemy without stopping.
"Cough... cough, cough..."
General Ironwall Hamilton lay in the ruins, coughing up mouthfuls of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.
He let out an unwilling roar, the remaining Sacred Oath energy within his body surging wildly, forming a phantom of a crown that washed over and healed his near-fatal wounds.
He struggled, grabbing the greatsword that had fallen beside him, and continued to charge toward the dust-shrouded area.
The Red-Iron Dragon's massive tail swept across like a battle-axe. Three Alchemy Golems attempting to block him were cut in half at the waist; their internal gears and pipelines spilled out like a rainstorm, and the black oil that splattered was ignited by the high heat, bursting into raging flames.
General Ironwall leaped high, a blade of Holy Light extending over ten meters flickering on his greatsword as he slashed toward the Red-Iron Dragon's neck.
The Red-Iron Dragon had just crossed his claws, smashing two Paladins who were attempting to restrain him into pulp.
Facing General Ironwall's attack, he didn't even turn his head; he simply raised one dragon wing and swiped backward quickly and fiercely, as if swatting a fly.
BANG!
General Ironwall was sent flying backward several times faster than he had come. The Sacred Oath crown he had just manifested shattered into pieces, and nearly all the bones in his body broke under the impact. He crashed heavily to the ground once more, embedding himself deep into the ruins.
But unlike before.
This time, he could not get up; he had completely breathed his last and died in battle.
Holy Strike!
Another blood-soaked Paladin poured his final energy into his sword, delivering a vicious slash that landed on the Red-Iron Dragon's hind leg.
However, this strike, which had condensed his life and faith, left only a shallow white mark on the thick dragon scales.
The power was so weak that it was as if the Dragon before him was some kind of being belonging to the Good alignment.
The Red-Iron Dragon lifted his hind foot and stomped down, crushing the Paladin who had ambushed him to death.
In just a few breaths.
The Red-Iron Dragon flapped his wings, whipping up a gale that blew away all the dust and smoke lingering around, completely revealing his robust, ferocious, and war-forged body, along with the scattered, broken corpses, twisted Golem debris, and burning ruins all around.
The morale of the last defenders making a desperate stand dropped completely to freezing point, and they collapsed.
The remaining soldiers began to flee in disarray, or despairingly threw down their weapons and knelt in surrender. The few stubborn ones still roaring and fighting were quickly overwhelmed and swallowed by the surging tide of monsters.
As time passed, the earth-shaking sounds of slaughter, explosions, and roars on the battlefield... gradually faded and subsided.
This battle of Quenchfire Highlands, aimed at recovering lost territory and proclaiming the return of the Molten Iron Tribe, finally came to an end as the last wisp of smoke dissipated.