novelraw Chapter 358 - 299: Power of Runes
Chapter 358 - 299: Power of Runes
The tail flame of the alchemy cannonball tore through the night, casting flickering light, the explosion roar mingling with the heavy footsteps of steel golems, weaving a prelude of destruction.
The armies of both sides, like two torrents engulfed with death and steel, inevitably collided fiercely in this nameless land south of Scale Earth Rift!
The moment the melee began.
This once quiet and barren land instantly turned into a bloody grinder that devours life.
The heavy armor infantry of the Albert Family, with the tacit understanding forged through years of blood and fire, instantly formed an indestructible dense shield wall, resisting the first wave of frenzied attacks from the monster tide. The fine steel scimitars wielded by Jackal Wolfman Warriors clashed on the giant tower shields reinforced through multiple alchemical enhancements, only to burst forth a string of futile sparks, promptly followed by the precise thrust of spears piercing serpent-like through shield gaps, penetrating their throats.
A raging Ogre Warrior let out a deafening roar.
He strode forward, brandishing a giant wolf fang club studded with spikes, slashing through the air with a fierce gust, hammering down instantaneously, sending a heavy armored soldier and his shield flying like a rag doll.
The fallen heavy armor warrior had no time to struggle to rise.
He was instantly drowned by waves of bloodthirsty and frenzied lower-tier monsters, managing only a brief scream before being torn to pieces.
This Ogre, having just scored a triumph, was grinningly searching for the next prey when a thunderous sound of Ironhoof emerged suddenly from the flank.
An elite lancer charged forth like lightning, the tip of his lance converging concentrated magical energy, precisely piercing the crevice of the Ogre’s helmet.
Thud! Scorching blood gushed out like a fountain.
Meanwhile, Centaur Knights were similarly charging furiously, their heavy giant swords and sharp spears mercilessly reaping the lives of elite human soldiers.
And those steel golems akin to moving fortresses.
With each swing of their heavy iron fists or giant blades, a storm of blood and gore was guaranteed to ensue.
Whenever these steel giants from opposing factions violently collided, they emitted a cacophony of twisted and torn metal that was spine-chilling and tooth-gnashing.
"Storm... converge!"
The Evil Wolf General, Luo De, let out a low growl, as the ancient engravings on his rune giant sword suddenly lit up with a blinding blue and white glow.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom——!!!
Arm-thick, excessively ferocious bolts of lightning seemed to respond to this summon, descending from the sky, exploding precisely in the densest areas of monsters.
Among them, the low-level monsters were instantly obliterated, leaving only scorched remains.
Subsequently, the Rune Knight leaped up, his giant sword buzzing incessantly, the wind runes on his boots flashing swiftly. His shadow was as swift as an autumn wind sweeping away leaves, precisely slaying the powerful monster leaders stricken by the lightning, who were still paralyzed and in pain!
Thud!
Luo De’s heavy sword effortlessly ripped through the stomach of the nearest Ogre Warrior, spilling intestines mixed with blood.
Without pause, he spun and slammed his shield, the edge of the heavy shield akin to a warhammer, ruthlessly smashing the skull of a Jackal-Wolf Folk leader to the side.
And simultaneously.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luo De keenly noticed three particularly savage figures had already torn through the frontline formation.
Roar!!!
The ferocious White Tiger leapt forth, its figure quick like silver lightning tearing through the battlefield.
Where the giant tiger claws swept, it wasn’t wind they caused, but a death storm mixed with fragments of armor and thick blood mist.
Three heavy cavalry soldiers attempting interception, along with their mounts, were cut in half at the waist in an instant. The dying moans of the warhorses hadn’t ceased yet when the steel-whip-like tiger tail swept horizontally, sending a few soldiers attempting a rear sneaking attack flying like broken kites, with audible sounds of bones snapping.
Neigh—!
The Ice Deer Lord let out an ethereal and deadly shriek, its crystalline giant antlers pierced the ground, and freezing tidal magic energy burst through the cracks, spreading furiously.
Soldiers within twenty paces transformed into ice sculptures of various poses, even their eyelashes caked with melancholy frost.
The Ice Deer Lord then raised its bowl-sized iron hooves to charge, effortlessly trampling and smashing the ice sculptures into swirling, sparkling ice dust!
Hisssssss——!
The Giant Snake Lord slithered forward, its hard scales scraping the ground, leaving corrosive venomous ditches like molten asphalt.
Raising its hideous snake head, it spewed a thick, indissoluble purplish-black poisonous fog.
The omnipresent toxins penetrated gaps in the fine armor like the strongest acid splashed on flesh, causing surrounding human warriors to emit agonizing cries as their skin and muscles rapidly putrefied and dissolved.
However, the human side had its formidable fighters too.
Sienna, surrounded by tangible, lightning-like magical energy belonging to an alchemist.
The precise components glistening with metallic cold light surged from her space items, clattering in the magical energy’s whirlwind, rapidly spinning and assembling, instantly hovering behind her, forming dozens of alchemy guns and cannons of various shapes and calibre.
These were the means of a special branch among alchemists, the gun masters.
Boom boom boom boom boom——!!!
As Sienna’s icy gaze locked onto her targets like a hawk, a death storm composed of metal, flames, ice, and energy rained upon the three Wild Monster Lords.
Solid armor-piercing bullets, scorching high-temperature fireballs, ice rays that froze the air.
Each attack targeted precisely at their relatively weak eyes, joints, and old wounds.
The Wild Monster Lords were instantly ripped and shredded, with blood and meat splattering from them continuously. Faced with the relentless assault aimed at their vulnerabilities, they felt a palpable threat to their lives, compelled to collect their frenzied offensives and turn to defending their own weaknesses.
The chanting of Guardian Mage Sanchez never ceased.
His body exuded an overwhelming and solid protective magic energy, swiftly and effectively chanting spells complemented by occasionally torn magic scrolls, one large-area protective spell after another was rapidly cast onto the warriors.
Protection from sharp weapon slashes! Protection from blunt force trauma! Protection from energy impacts! Protection from physical penetration! Protection from elemental corrosion!
He elevated the warriors’ physical and elemental resistances almost comprehensively, temporarily turning them into nearly indestructible steel bodies.
Bang!
The ferocious White Tiger’s claws fiercely struck a heavy armor warrior, yet failed to tear him apart as before, only using immense power to send him flying away.
The warrior rolled over several times upon landing, quickly struggling to get back up, shook his head, and charged towards the giant tiger again.
The condition faced by the Ice Deer and Giant Snake was no different.
They received special attention from the human strong ones.
Momentarily, the threat posed by three wild monster lords to human troops’ front lines was greatly reduced.
However.
Besides the wild monster lords on the battlefield, three even more terrifying evil dragons were hovering.
White Dragon Trish folded her wings, diving down like a falling ice meteor, frost-white Dragon Breath like an icy waterfall, washing over the fortified human position.
A dozen heavy infantry caught off guard instantly turned into lifelike ice sculptures, their resolute expressions and shield-blocking postures frozen in the frigid mist, the Ice Deer Lord seized the opportunity, raising its front hooves, its crystalline horns gathering penetrating cold light, violently crashing into that group of ice sculptures—boom! The frozen flesh and solid armor shattered together, transforming into pervasive icy crystal dust.
Red Dragon Samantha skimmed low over the battlefield, similarly unleashing destructive Dragon Breath.
The fiery red Breath engulfed places, where soldiers screamed as they were turned into human torches, their agonizing cries exceeding the explosive roar, the air thick with a nauseating stench of scorched meat, completely masking the scent of gunpowder.
Sienna observed and immediately redirected the hovering cluster of alchemy guns and cannons towards the red dragon.
Multiple small guns instantly disassembled into their most basic components, under the pull of magic energy, they reassembled in an instant, transforming into a particularly long, energy circuit-ridden giant sniper cannon, the muzzle firmly locked onto the rampaging red dragon in the air.
Just as her finger was about to pull the trigger.
"Ugh!"
She suddenly felt a searing pain in her head, as if a burning fine iron needle was brutally stabbing in, her concentrated spirit slightly dissipated.
It was Iron Dragon Solrog.
He used a spiritual energy attack to interfere with Sienna’s sniping, meanwhile, his massive dragon claw grabbed an alchemy golem locked in battle with an ogre, flew into the sky, brutally ripped out its core engine, and then swung this heavy wreckage, like a stone throw, towards the Alchemist.
Boom!
The wreckage was eventually intercepted by a timely constructed energy shield by Guardian Mage Sanchez, exploding into a fireball.
The war was exceptionally fierce.
What troubled and surprised the human side commander was.
None of the three evil dragons, without exception, lost their rationality or descended to the ground due to battle frenzy, offering enemies a chance for an encirclement attack.
They cunningly soared and raided in the sky, primarily relying on that dreadful Dragon Breath to remotely demolish human lines, occasionally using their formidable dragon bodies as weapons for a fierce dive strike, immediately re-ascending after a single hit.
They never lingered in battle.
"Seal off the airspace!"
Guardian Mage Sanchez’s face was solemn, forcefully tearing apart a scroll etched with complex arrays.
Buzz——!
The surrounding air instantly seemed to solidify into glue, a potent magic field specifically targeting flying creatures suddenly descended, applying enormous suppressive effects on all flying skills and instincts.
Numerous human soldiers, commanding officers, and those powerful alchemy golems.
All fixed their gazes on those three figures in the sky, ready for the moment they lose flight abilities and crash to the ground, then launch a thunderous assault.
However, contrary to expectations.
The three giant dragons exchanged glances, all simultaneously grinned with mocking smiles.
The alchemy tools they wore in various parts—dragon horns, necks, wing roots—lit up with gentle yet steady glows, neutralizing and dispelling the surrounding imprisonment field, allowing the air to resume normal circulation, flight capabilities barely affected.
Humanity, when considering dragons as great enemies, prepares various sky-locking magic scrolls or barriers.
Many arrogant dragons throughout history have fallen to such measures.
The majority of dragons are too reliant on their innate gifts, holding themselves in high regard, disdainful to prepare for such circumstances.
However, the Ignas Dragon Group, influenced and strictly demanded by Red Iron Dragon Galos over long periods, though each dragon’s individuality remains distinct, all somewhat understand the importance of caution, thus early equipped with corresponding counter-measure alchemy tools.
Defying the sky-sealing magic.
The evil dragons continued to soar and ravage above the humans’ heads, each Dragon Breath spray or dive strike continued to inflict massive damage and panic on the human army lines and morale.
On the other side.
Evil Wolf General Luo De suddenly sidestepped, like eyes grew on his back, evading a long-charging lance thrust from a Centaur Warrior, simultaneously turning to swing his sword, the heavy Rune Giant Sword slicing through the air with a chilling whistle, slicing that robust Centaur Warrior in half.
Monstrous leaders roared continuously, lunging at him.
All swiftly turned into cold corpses under the rapid and vicious counter-attacks of this Rune Knight.