Chapter 119: War Begins!
Author: Floating Tower
Push forward.
Soren dared to say these two words not only because of his own power but also because the army of Modo City itself was the top-tier force in the material plane. The strength of his army was all earned through battles, with numerous pirate leaders fighting alongside him in many skirmishes before Soren’s investiture. Some core elite units have fought so many battles that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they’ve survived a hundred fights. Although the chances for these units to be deployed have decreased recently, their strength in exterminating the indigenous people has not waned at all.
Across the entire material plane, it’s estimated that only Soren’s army has battles every month, fighting from the beginning of the year until the end.
These pirates cannot be allowed to be idle; when that happens, they love to cause trouble! (Note: Without battles, incidents of groups of people drunkenly brawling in the Modo City tavern would increase by more than tenfold.)
There are too many unruly individuals among the pirates; their compliance towards Soren does not mean they would behave the same with others.
Currently, the army of Modo City is divided into two factions.
One faction is the conservatives, responsible for maintaining order in Modo City and taking over most of the relatively stable duties. The other faction is the warmongers, who prefer an adventurous life over such comfortable days. Thus, these individuals are either sent to deal with the indigenous people or dispatched to various locations for more dangerous tasks. Life for the conservatives is more comfortable, while the rewards for the warmongers are much richer, and their status can rise much faster. (Note: Due to the effects of the Wanderer divine profession, many warriors under Soren also part-time in some Wanderer profession levels.)
As the rules of Modo City gradually improved, everyone found their role in this environment.
Some people started to settle down and lead a relatively calm and busy life, while others could not bear the loneliness and attempted various adventures. The rules of Modo City provided opportunities for both kinds of people to find paths for advancement, and the recently rapidly rising newcomers like Chouhou, Cold Crow, and Little White Shark have attracted much attention. Some have even begun to approach the status of the old-school pirate leaders.
…
The city gates of Leaffall City have now appeared before them.
Soren’s army advanced quickly, closing in on the city gates before the enemy even registered their presence, after all, the teleportation point isn’t very far from Leaffall City.
The sudden appearance of an army threw the defenders of Leaffall City into chaos, and the fluttering black flags in the cold wind felt oppressive!
“Break down the gate!”
Soren’s expression was icy, and his attitude was not very friendly; he wasn’t here to express goodwill to the noble council of Leaffall City. Wasting time bickering with politicians was absolutely not his habit. So, let’s resolve some issues with strength before a war of words begins.
Thud, thud, thud.
The heavy Diamond Golem stepped forward; Modo City’s craftsmanship for creating Diamond Golems has gradually improved. If there is enough money and soul crystals to support it, perhaps two legendary witches could craft nearly ten Diamond Golems when the Saint’s Cataclysm erupts next year, then they would truly have the aura of a golem legion.
Boom!
A loud crashing sound erupted, accompanied by a slight tremor in the city wall. A crack appeared in the strong northern side of Leaffall City.
The construction level of the Diamond Golem is 21, belonging to the legendary level of golem puppets, with all its strength exceeding 35 points. Given its size advantage, it was even more violent than many frenzied legendary barbarians. Soren directly ignored the panicking defenders at the city gate and gave the order for the golem puppets to break it down. Two Diamond Golems began hammering at the gate; it was far superior to any siege weapon, and in no time, the northern gate of Leaffall City collapsed, followed by an ambush by Modo City’s elite troops.
“Secure the gate.”
Soren’s icy gaze swept around. On the other side of the city, another army was gathering, but he wasn’t too concerned. Instead, with a calm expression, he ordered, “Surrender and you won’t be harmed! Do not kill captives indiscriminately! Do not harm civilians!”
“Scarface.”
“Yes?”
“You lead a team to ambush the prison and bring out a man named Ryan.”
“Understood.”
“Sir.”
“Yes?”
“You set up a defensive line here; anyone who approaches will be killed without question!”
“Understood.”
…
A series of orders were given.
Although Soren came to take away the civilians, to save time, he directly occupied one-fourth of Leaffall City. With two months to go before the New Year, the Saint’s Cataclysm would completely erupt in January of next year. By then, the first batch of demon legions breaking through the planar barriers would descend upon the material plane, destroying over twenty towns and killing millions in the boundless flames of war, marking the beginning of a brutal chapter for the Saint’s Cataclysm.
Time was in the final sprint; who knows when these politicians would allow Soren to take away the civilians?
Thus, Soren prepared to accomplish everything with a rather domineering method!
In less than half an hour,
The northern gate of Leaffall City had already fallen, and one-fifth of the city had been occupied by Soren, with the elite pirates taking over various defenses. Part of this success was due to the fact that Modo City’s army was exceptionally elite, with far too many second-tier professionists. Another reason was that the civilians here had long awaited Soren’s arrival and had coordinated actions with the organizations within the city.
“My lord.”
An elder dressed in a gray-white robe appeared before Soren, bowing respectfully as he said, “The matters you instructed have been handled.”
This was the High Priest of the Half-Elf Church.
Not only managing Soren’s church, but he was also the former High Priest of the God of Half-Elves and Wanderers. Now that Soren had become the God of Half-Elves, he naturally shifted allegiances. However, due to the reorganization of the church, though he retained the position of High Priest, the actual power had been delegated to the High Priest Butterfly and other young priests. The old faction of priests was focused on nurturing new successors, especially those with exceptional talents, such as Soren’s young female elect.
“Very well.”
Soren nodded slightly and then said, “You will be responsible for negotiating with them; we must take these civilians away tomorrow.”
As a deity, there are naturally guidelines for divine action.
As time passed, Soren gradually began to adapt to the perspective of a deity. The Saint’s Cataclysm provided him with a buffer, preventing him from abruptly shifting from a mortal mindset to a divine one, allowing for a gradual adaptation and change.
The elder bowed his head and said, “Understood. I will handle it right away.”
At this moment,
A clamoring of footsteps began to sound from the other side of Leaffall City. It had taken half an hour to assemble the army; the speed wasn’t particularly fast, but it wasn’t too slow either. One could only say that the army of Leaffall City was transitioning towards being an elite force after facing the half-orc war.
“Form ranks!”
“Prepare for battle!”
The giant licked the blade with his tongue, a bloodthirsty expression surfacing on his face. His massive and sturdy form, along with his ferocious appearance, pressured many; nearby people hesitated to approach, fearing they would be accidentally killed. As he was about to breakthrough the legendary domain, the giant’s bloodline underwent some mutation, and the increased strength could easily lead to accidents due to his low agility and balance. Recently, he often crushed drinking glasses accidentally, and just a light tap on someone could break their bones, so everyone was cautious around him lately.
To be honest, the giant was eager to fight the enemies in front of him; he just didn’t know if they dared to confront the army of Modo City. Lord Soren’s orders were to occupy the northern gate of Leaffall City and not to initiate combat with the Half-Elf army. However, if they dared to attack first, they could counterattack directly. Honestly, the giant found this a bit troublesome. It would be better to teleport more troops over to seize Leaffall City directly, then they could empty the city or occupy it as they wished.
The giant didn’t know the thoughts of Lord Soren, but Soren must have deeper intentions behind this.
Perhaps Lord Soren didn’t want to waste strength fighting against half-orcs.
Boom!
A violent explosion occurred near the Leaffall City prison, followed by a chaotic battle noise, and soon Scarface was seen rushing this way, carrying a man covered in blood and flesh.
“Lord!”
Scarface cautiously set the man down; he was careful because the man was badly injured. He feared that he might accidentally kill him.
At this moment, he was covered in blood, although not his own, but from the man he carried.
“Damn it!”
Scarface glanced at the bloodied man on the ground and murmured, “These guys are ruthless! Such methods are probably only possible for seasoned pirates.”
“Cough, cough.”
Perhaps feeling something, the man Scarface had just laid down slowly opened his eyes. His breathing was extremely weak. His back was covered in whip marks, and there was hardly a piece of intact skin visible. His chest bore the scars of over a dozen branding irons, with the skin nearly all burned away. His face bore the marks of severe beatings, swollen to the point where his original features were nearly unrecognizable. His legs and arms had clear fractures, and most alarming of all, his hands were mutilated, with fingers cut off from the little finger to the index finger. Only four fingers remained. An ordinary person would have long since succumbed to such injuries, but he had managed to hold on until now through sheer willpower and vitality.
“Cough, cough!”
A trickle of blood oozed from Ryan’s mouth. He struggled to open his eyes and gazed at Soren, murmuring, “M-my… lord!… you finally… arrived…”
Soren’s face turned ashen.
An icy coldness emanated from his body, causing even Scarface beside him to shudder and step back a few paces.
Lord Soren rarely got this angry.
As a pirate leader who had long followed Soren into battle, he understood all too well what would happen when Soren showed such an expression.
Someone was going to die!
…
Soren was very, very angry!
However, his expression remained very calm; the temperature around him suddenly dropped significantly, making the nearby pirate leaders shiver.
Ryan had clearly undergone extremely brutal torture!
Since Soren agreed to accept the civilians of Leaffall City, this young warrior had already borne the mark of the Half-Elf Church, essentially serving as a believer for Soren. He represented Soren in restructuring these civilian believers, then leading them close to the sea, ultimately coordinating others to send ships to Modo City.
In other words, he was Soren’s envoy sent to Leaffall City.
—“Limb Regeneration!”
—“Greater Restoration!”
A holy radiance appeared in the palm of Soren’s hand. As a deity, he possessed the abilities equivalent to a level 20 cleric, though casting divine spells consumed some of his divine power value.
Ryan’s injuries gradually healed, but his spirit remained quite weak from the brutal torture.
Soren gazed at the young warrior, nodded gently, and said, “Rest well.”
When Soren turned around,
A clear killing intent surfaced in his eyes, alongside a hidden fury!
Divine grace like the sea! Divine might like a prison!
… (To be continued ~^~)
