Chapter 48 Occupation!
The entire Talon City fell into chaos.
Ordinary civilians hurriedly locked their doors and windows, peering fearfully at the army gathering outside. Fortunately, the troops under Torano’s command were disciplined, and none took the opportunity to plunder the civilians.
Rumbling.
The muffled sound of cannon fire startled Knox, and he shouted angrily, “Why is there the sound of cannons? Has Torano breached the armory too?”
“No,” a man stammered. “He must have found a way to bring it from the outside.”
The lord’s guard quickly assembled and soon encountered Torano’s men on the street. Knox merely glanced at them and frowned. The army before him was clearly a ragtag mix of adventurers and mercenaries, nowhere near the level of the Lion family’s elite guards. As he suspected, Torano’s men crumbled at the first touch, only able to clash with the corrupt city defense forces, but were no match for the noble’s personal guard.
However!
Just when Knox thought he could quickly quell the rebellion, a battalion with black flags appeared before him, and upon seeing this army, Knox’s heart sank.
He had been to the battlefield before.
He had seen real armies, and the silent, advancing force before him was undoubtedly a true army.
“Black flags?!”
“The banner of Modo City!”
As if he recalled something, Knox’s expression suddenly turned frightening.
Reality quickly responded to him.
At that moment in Modo City, near the Arcane Tower’s laboratory, a cold mechanical voice just sounded:
“Spatial beacon locked!”
“Target Talon City!… Opening temporary portal No. 1!… Deploying Iron Golem!… ”
“Spatial beacon locked!”
“Target Talon City!… Opening temporary portal No. 2!… Deploying the Third Guard of Modo City!… ”
…
A series of mechanical sounds rang out.
Accompanied by white teleportation light, armies suddenly appeared in Talon City, thousands of miles away, while before Knox stood five heavy Iron Golems.
“Damn it!”
Knox felt things were beyond his control. At this moment, he had no choice but to roar and draw his weapon, charging at the army in front of him. Now, he only hoped that the Goddess of Torment Lavita would appear quickly, for the decayed guards of Talon City could never withstand the elite assault from Modo City.
“First District occupied!”
“Talon City’s south gate occupied!”
“Central Plaza occupied!”
“The Third Guard is attacking the armory!”
“The Fifth Guard is assaulting the lord’s mansion!”
…
The continuous mechanical sounds echoed as the armies of Modo City swept through Talon City’s defenses like a finely tuned machine, steadily advancing and gradually encroaching upon enemy territory.
At this moment, Soren also silently observed all of this.
This was Modo City’s first time using portals for remote siege warfare. Although it stirred up a noble rebellion in secret, when it came to real combat command, many factors still far exceeded the military standards of this era. Fortunately, with the commanding guidance of the Tower Spirit, Modo City’s army steadily advanced.
“Break the city defense forces!”
“Assuming defense responsibility! Prisoners have been secured!”
“The Third District is facing strong resistance!”
“Numerous enemy knights have appeared; request for rear support!”
As a major city, Talon City naturally had a batch of old noble powers, and many knights were trained by their families, posing a significant challenge for Soren to capture Talon City.
He thought for a moment and said, “Deploy Diamond Golems.”
“The giants lead my personal guards into the battlefield!”
Plans always change fundamentally.
Soren initially intended to eliminate Lavita but then discovered the cult of the Goddess of Torment also seemed capable of being absorbed. Next, he found Talon City appeared to be rotting beyond repair; as long as he dispatched a regular army, it was possible to take the city as well.
Then everything in front of him happened.
The move against Lavita’s church turned directly into Soren shelling the entire Talon City’s nobility, preparing to take them all down.
The long-awaited giants could hardly contain their thirst.
As the portal opened, they immediately led the guards rushing inside.
“Thud!”
Heavy footsteps sounded, followed by the screams of his guards being knocked back. Knox looked up and found a towering giant had suddenly appeared before him.
Mud Giant.
He had once adventured on the roads in his youth and knew well the horrifying power such a creature could unleash.
The giant noticed Knox.
His mind may not be sharp, but he was not foolish; he immediately recognized the aristocratic status before him, seemingly belonging to the ruling class of Talon City.
Thus, he grinned and hefted the heavy ship anchor, charging straight at Knox with it. The terrifying force generated a gust of wind, and Knox dared not face it, awkwardly dodging; behind him, a thick wall collapsed under the giant’s attack.
Monster!
Knox’s heart raced with anxiety. This terrifying power could only be unleashed by non-human creatures; even a Legendary Warrior would struggle to contend with it.
The giant’s attacks seemed slow, but the weight and size of the ship anchor compensated for many issues. Knox realized the enemy’s attack range was simply too vast. Although he could seize the opportunity for a close-range sneak attack, it also meant the next attack would leave him with no escape.
Knox did not know if he could withstand the horrifying strength of the opponent.
He wanted to retreat.
As the lord of Talon City, his life was very valuable. Years of comfortable living had dulled his ambition; he did not want to risk it with a worthless giant.
But.
At this moment, a cold voice rang out: “Giant! Why are you dawdling for so long?”
“We must capture Talon City within three hours.”
“Don’t waste time.”
Chouhou’s figure appeared from the shadows, followed by another alluring female voice exclaiming in delight, “He is Knox, the lord of Talon City! Kill him, and Talon City will be ours!”
The former priestess of the Goddess of Torment appeared in the back.
Hearing this, Chouhou’s eyes lit up, and he immediately drew his dagger and charged forward, murmuring, “The lord, huh?”
“He seems like a worthy opponent!”
…
Breath.
Heavy breathing.
Knox felt his stamina was almost depleted. As a Legendary Warrior, he possessed considerable strength, but over a decade of comfortable noble living had prevented any breakthroughs.
He had sustained three knife wounds to his legs and had two ribs broken by the giant’s immense force.
He knew he was close to death.
The battle in Talon City had nearly ceased. He was still standing solely because of the pride of the Lion family and Legendary Professionists. At that moment, Torano’s figure appeared before him, and Knox’s eyes turned crimson with rage as he shouted, “You shameless traitor!”
“Betrayal?” Torano chuckled, then bowed reverently to a woman in the shadows, saying, “This is called recognizing the times!”
“What is there to fight for Lavita?”
“Don’t think I don’t know why you refuse to surrender! I know all about the despicable things you’ve done with the Church of Torment!”
“Tsk tsk.”
Torano slowly approached, his expression revealing a hint of madness.
“Don’t think that killing me will allow you to control Talon City; you are just a puppet of Modo City!” Knox exclaimed in anger.
Torano seemed unconcerned, slowly proclaiming, “And so what?”
“At least I nominally control Talon City and possess greater power and wealth! Mortals should learn to be content!”
Modo City is far overseas.
Even if secretly controlling Talon City, there must be a puppet standing in the open.
This puppet does not need to be a mere marionette, as Soren does not have the energy to manage Talon City himself. Torano caught Soren’s eye primarily because he was a Half-Elf and also because he was a ruthless character capable of handling many unsavory tasks for Soren.
Soren did not care about moral constraints.
As a deity of the Evil Faction, he was only concerned with the profits he could gain.
Boom!
A loud noise came from afar, originating from the Temple District.
This unrest had not spread to the temples of other deities; the only one attacked was Lavita’s temple.
At this moment, a dazzling light erupted above Lavita’s temple.
One could faintly see the silhouette of a goddess, and Knox suddenly laughed maniacally, exclaiming, “Lavita has descended! You guys are all going to die!”
“Is that so?” Torano chuckled.
Then he slowly said, “My lord has been waiting for him for a long time.”
My lord?
Had Torano already pledged allegiance to the God of Half-Elves?
Almost simultaneously, as a dazzling radiance appeared above Lavita’s temple, a golden figure also materialized above the Grand Temple of Modo City. Following that, Soren, transformed into his saint form, appeared above Talon City.
“Finally forced you out!”
He coldly fixed his gaze on Lavita, a woman with a cruel and beautiful face who held a nine-tailed whip, meeting Soren’s gaze. She had run out of options; if she did not appear soon, the faith of Lavita in the surface world would collapse, and in the face of such heavy losses, the church’s deity dared not confront Soren, meaning the faith in the Underdark would easily be usurped by other gods.
The Spider Queen had long awaited this moment.
If Lavita did not even have the courage to fight Soren head-on, Rose would surely be willing to eliminate her influence in the Underdark completely.
At that time.
Perhaps Lavita could only wait for her doom!
…
(PS: I owe a lot of writing; fortunately, I’ve paid off a customized piece.) (To be continued ~^~)
