"Maintain formation, no noise!"
Galvin's brow was tightly furrowed as he used a low voice to suppress the clamor.
Only after the mercenaries had calmed down did his gaze sweep past the open ground, landing on the conspicuous slime on the city wall's battlement.
Green, round, with a pair of round, beady eyes... It had all the characteristics a slime should have.
Clearly just a low-level magical creature, yet he could see curiosity and intelligence in this slime's eyes. And next to the slime, there were actually several elves standing tall and straight, with pointed ears and slender builds.
Elves? The goblins' intelligence hadn't mentioned this.
Galvin's frown deepened, a strong sense of unease rising within him.
Could it be that the goblins' story about a Death Knight was false, and these elves were the true masterminds behind the scenes?
The situation instantly became more complicated than he had anticipated. But the formation company had consumed enormous funds from the Blacktooth mercenary company to advance this far. The arrow was already on the bowstring;
even if he wanted to retreat now, the mercenaries behind him would never agree.
On the city wall, Chen Yu's round, beady eyes were also looking at the human knight below who was clearly the leader.
Their gazes seemed to collide in the air, already permeated with the smell of gunpowder.
No words were needed;
the tacit understanding for battle had already been reached.
Galvin suddenly drew his knight's sword, its tip pointing directly at the fortress, his voice decisive and firm: "Attack!"
"Kill!!!" The long-suppressed battle intent of the mercenaries erupted with a roar, unleashing an earth-shaking bellow.
Heavy shield warriors took the lead, stepping forward with heavy strides, beginning a steady advance towards the fortress.
Almost at the same time, Chen Yu's orders, transmitted through the Strategist Slime, spread throughout the entire territory: "Hold them off!"
"Bzzzz!!!"
A hair-raisingly dense buzzing sound instantly erupted from the watchtowers on the city wall. In the next moment, hundreds of Poison-stinger Wasps soared into the air like a breached black torrent, converging into a sky-darkening black cloud that swooped down towards the advancing formation company.
"Damn it! It's a swarm! Raise shields for defense!" The experienced mercenaries immediately roared, not daring to underestimate the fearsome Poison-stinger Wasps.
The warriors slammed their tower shields heavily onto the ground, forming a tight shield wall. Mercenaries in the rear frantically unfurled Bloody Scrolls and waved their staves. Crimson magical barriers rapidly rose one after another.
[Blood Thorn Shield]
Clink-clank-clatter...!
Dense poison stingers poured down like a torrential rain onto the magical shields and physical shields, producing a continuous series of impact sounds.
But the poison stingers' penetrating power was average;
they didn't shatter any shields. The first wave of attacks seemed to have been successfully blocked.
However, before the mercenaries could catch their breath, the falling poison stingers suddenly lit up with an ominous red glow.
"Not good! They're going to ex..." A warrior's warning cry wasn't even finished.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
A continuous series of violent explosions detonated in front of the mercenary formation. The crimson barriers flickered violently, instantly torn open in several places by the shockwaves from the explosions.
Scorching heat waves and shrapnel surged in, immediately causing a chorus of screams. Several mercenaries at the front were injured by the blasts, and the formation showed a hint of chaos.
"Hold the line! Quickly, replenish the protective scrolls!" Galvin's voice remained steady, but its pace had quickened considerably.
Expensive magic scrolls were torn open again without hesitation. The glow of new shields lit up, barely managing to block this frenzied wave of suicide attacks from the Self-destructing Wasp Soldiers.
But just from this initial contact, dozens of gold coins were gone.
"Damn it, what the hell kind of monsters are these blasted poisonous wasps?!" Rex cursed furiously while casting a protective buff on himself.
The other mercenaries also had pale faces, echoing his sentiment.
"Don't get distracted!"
Galvin sharply rebuked, his gaze fixed firmly on the top of the city wall. "Watch out for the main artillery mentioned in the intelligence!"
His words had barely fallen when, on the city wall, the talismans on the six "Goblin Rippers" lit up in sequence. Above them, the faint, illusory star chart of the Jelov Ten-Star Silver Seat materialized.
Spiritual energy was frantically drawn in and compressed. Clusters of silvery energy spheres condensed, emitting a destructive aura. Controlled by the Metal Slime artillery, they were all aimed squarely at the formation company below.
"It's a salvo! All mages, unleash your spells! Heavy shield bearers, hold the line at all costs!"
Galvin's pupils contracted. Even as an Elite Professional, being simultaneously targeted by six "Magic Crystal Cannons" of this caliber filled him with immense pressure. It felt like that terrifying moment years ago on the border when he first witnessed a Magic Crystal Cannon salvo.
Mages rapidly waved their staves, hurling out protective spells one after another.
Whoosh—BOOM!!!!
Six thick energy beams tore through the air, accompanied by deafening sonic booms, and slammed violently into the combined defenses of the mercenary company.
A world-shaking roar followed. The outermost layer of protection shattered like glass. The energy beams dimmed slightly but were soon blocked again by newly replenished protective barriers.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battery array continued firing. The light from the explosions illuminated the dim swamp as bright as day. Earth flew, shockwaves rolled, and the mercenary formation shook violently like a small boat in a storm.
Protective magic shattered constantly, only to be replaced by the glow of new scrolls being activated.
Most of the artillery energy was weakened layer by layer. Only a small amount of scattered energy broke through into the formation, where it was stubbornly withstood by the heavy shield warriors who were standing ready. But the impact still caused many warriors' blood and energy to churn, with blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
Nevertheless, they had ultimately held.
"We blocked it! We blocked it!"
A surge of exhilaration instantly swept through the mercenary company. They had actually withstood a salvo from six Magic Crystal Cannons head-on.
"Counterattack! Mages and rangers, suppress the city wall!" Galvin seized the moment and roared.
Instantly, countless fireballs, energy rays, and dense arrows shot towards the city wall like an inverted waterfall.
The Poison-stinger Wasp swarm in the air immediately suffered heavy losses. Even with Magic Leaf protection, wasp soldiers continued to be hit and fell from the sky.
On the city wall, Chen Yu, with his little potbelly, looked down upon the formation company like a composed general. His will instantly spread throughout the territory.
"Jet Wasp Soldiers, suppressive fire."
The already-prepared Jet Wasp Soldiers immediately connected their stingers to the magical pea seedlings at the battlements.
[Promote Growth]
The pea seedlings grew, flowered, and bore fruit at a visible, frenzied pace, forming plump, large pea pods.
"Pfft-pfft-pfft-pfft...!"
Countless hard peas shot out like dense hail, pelting the mercenary formation below head-on.
Individually, these peas indeed lacked the power to pierce heavy armor or high-level protection. But their terrifying numbers were their advantage. They struck the shields with a crackling barrage of explosive sounds. Stepping on them could even cause someone to slip. They severely obstructed the mercenaries' vision and advance speed, forcing them to split their attention to maintain their defenses.
Right at this moment, the elves led by Eserin also made their move.
Eserin raised her staff high. Her clear, cold chant seemed to carry the rhythm of moonlight.
[Moonbeam]
Gentle silver rays enveloped several heavy shield warriors charging at the very front.
The silver light seemed to carry the weight of a thousand jun, instantly making their movements extremely sluggish, as if they were stuck in quicksand, and also inflicted a blinding effect.
Simultaneously, the elven rangers behind her fixed their sharp gazes on the scene below, drawing their bows and nocking arrows.
[Precise Shot]
[Armor-piercing Arrow]
Enchanted arrows shot out like venomous snakes, cunningly bypassing the shield blocks to accurately strike the gaps in armor. Two warriors immediately cried out in pain, wounded and falling to the ground.
The other elven mages also displayed their unique skills. [Thorny Grasp] sprouted from the ground, tripping charging enemies. [Nature's Wrath] summoned small whirlwinds, disrupting the mages' concentration.
The battlefield instantly became extremely chaotic and fierce.
Magical brilliance flashed constantly. The sounds of explosions, battle cries, whistling arrows, and the screams of the wounded intertwined, creating a noisy and chaotic cacophony.
The thick smells of blood and scorched material soon began to permeate the air.
Relying on powerful defenses and counterattack firepower, the mercenary company barely maintained their offensive momentum, consuming expensive scrolls one after another.
Finally, after over a dozen consecutive volleys from the six battery arrays on the city wall, the condensed glow gradually dimmed and extinguished.
The pre-loaded Spirit Stone energy was exhausted!
The Metal Slime artillery began busily replacing the backup Gray Gravel Crystals, entering a brief period of firepower vacuum.
The mercenaries, who had been under tremendous pressure, immediately felt a weight lift from their shoulders.
Rex keenly noticed this and shouted with wild joy, "Their Magic Crystal Cannons are out of energy! This is our chance!"
Upon hearing this, the morale of all the mercenaries instantly soared to its peak. With the greatest threat gone, the fortress before them seemed within easy reach.
"All forces, attack! Take the city wall in one push!" Galvin pointed his sword forward and issued the order for the general assault.
Even fiercer spells and arrows poured towards the city wall like a storm.
The Poison-stinger Wasp swarm fought desperately to protect the wall. They bit open Magic Leaves one after another, instantly deploying shields that barely withstood the dense attacks.
But during this period, due to the enemy's overwhelming firepower, two of the battery arrays were even targeted by concentrated fire from the enemy mages. Their talismans exploded, rendering them completely useless.
Eserin continuously released spells, sweat already beading on her temples. She looked at the still-calm slime beside her and said gravely, "Continuing to passively defend like this isn't a solution. Their firepower is too intense. We must find a way to divert their attention and disrupt their offensive rhythm."
Chen Yu's gel body swayed slightly. His soft, glutinous voice sounded directly in her mind.
"The distance is about right. It's hard for them to retreat from here. My tank should make its entrance."
Tank?
Eserin was taken aback, not yet understanding what this unfamiliar term meant.
Suddenly.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
From deep within the dense forest on the flank and rear of the formation company came the sound of heavy footsteps.
It seemed as if some colossal creature was moving through the woods. Trees shook violently, and even the sound of snapping trunks could be heard.
What is that?!
The mercenary company grew alert, their expressions changing as they all looked back.
BOOM!!!
A powerful, explosive roar erupted from the dense forest on the flank and rear of the formation company.
A silver energy beam tore through the trees, sweeping across like a scythe of death. Several rangers and assassins on the edge of the formation didn't even have time to scream before being blasted away by the terrifying energy, crashing heavily to the ground, their fate unknown.
"What?!"
"Behind us! The enemy is behind us!"
The trees shook violently. Accompanied by a teeth-grating sound of grinding rocks, an enormous figure crashed through several small trees, revealing its terrifying full form from the forest.
It was an Earth Elemental giant constructed of rock, nearly two stories tall.
But what was most shocking was that its rough, rocky body was inlaid and assembled with a large number of metal components.
These metals formed sturdy supports and grooves for channeling energy, seemingly guiding some mysterious power to converge at the giant's chest.
And mounted on the giant's broad right shoulder was the barrel of a "Goblin Ripper." The barrel still bore the residual energy embers from the recent shot and the scorched smell of burnt air.
Looking at this behemoth and the barrel radiating destructive aura, the mercenaries' hearts shook.
"Oh, hell, an Earth Elemental giant carrying a Magic Crystal Cannon?!"
"The intelligence never mentioned this! Damn those goblins, their intel is never reliable!"
"Quick, change formation!"
Compared to the mercenaries' panic, the silent Earth Elemental giant seemed even more terrifying.
But before this terrifying aura could be maintained for long, excited shouts from the little Earth Elementals came from within.
"Hahaha, we hit them! I'm the one who fired!"
"Boss, boss, see how awesome we are?"
"Turn it! Brothers, put your backs into it!"
"Quick, quick, blast them!"
The little Earth Elementals hurriedly adjusted the cannon's aim and seized the chance to fire another shot.
Seeing this scene, the elves on the city wall were momentarily stunned.
Mounting a magic battery array... on a giant?
Even with an elf's long lifespan and broad experience, she had never imagined such a... bizarre combination.
This Slime Lord's way of thinking was truly unfettered.
Then they grew worried. Such a large target would easily attract concentrated fire from the mercenaries. How would this giant escape?
"Damn it, how did such a huge thing sneak up behind us?!"
"What were the rear sentries doing?!"
The mercenary company instantly fell into chaos.
Before they could blame the rear sentries, several screams rang out in succession.
Several mercenary assassins responsible for rear guard suddenly knelt and fell to the ground. On their necks or the backs of their hearts, several wounds oozing venom had appeared at some unknown time.
A few Assassin Wasp Soldiers, almost blending into the shadows, slowly revealed their forms, vibrated their wings, and silently melted back into the environment.
"Poison wasps that can use stealth?!"
"Be careful! Don't get backstabbed!"
"Hold tight to your scrolls."
At the front of the formation, Galvin saw this, his face instantly turning grim as he tried to speak and stabilize the panicking mercenaries.
"Heavy Shield Team One, turn around. Ranged professions, focus fire on the rock giant! Tear it apart for me. Everyone else, maintain suppression on the city wall."
"Yes... Yes, Captain!"
Hearing the command, the mercenaries immediately seemed to find their anchor and began executing the orders.
The formation began to split with difficulty. A portion of the heavy warriors attempted to turn to deal with the Earth Elemental giant causing chaos behind them.
Being attacked from both front and rear, to be honest, the formation company was now in a crisis. Yet, not a trace of panic could be seen on Galvin's face.