Everyone strained their eyes to see into the distance, their gazes piercing through the surging black Magical Tides. At the far end of the tide, a faint yet conspicuous glow seemed to be lighting up.
As the Magical Tides continued to spread and draw closer, this glow became increasingly distinct, faintly outlining the contours of a vast and lush group of Treants.
And behind these enormous canopies, flowing with verdant vitality, an equally massive shadow appeared.
The earth transmitted a dull tremor as a Giant Boar, its body the size of a small hill, took heavy, plodding steps, slowly emerging from the ranks of the Treants.
What struck all the defenders as utterly absurd was that atop the back of this seemingly terrifying behemoth, there sat a round, plump Slime.
It gave the impression that this boar was like a Mount.
Even from a distance of over a thousand meters, Dominic could clearly sense that the Slime standing on the boar's back seemed to be looking back at him calmly through the surging tide.
"Incredible..." Dominic murmured involuntarily, his voice filled with shock.
Slimes... in his impressions from thousands of years of military service, they were merely the lowest form of Magical Creatures. Yet, one could actually give rise to a monarch capable of commanding a Magical Creature Legion.
Gazing at the uniformly aligned Treant vanguard, like a moving forest, and the disciplined Poison-stinger Wasp legion blotting out the sky behind, even the normally steady Raven was momentarily stunned. He remained silent for a long time, seemingly lost in deep thought.
They had dealt with the summer Magical Tides for most of their lives, but this was the first time they had seen Magical Creatures display such astonishing discipline.
In previous years, even the most organized social Magical Creatures would become agitated, frenzied, and lose their reason under the influence of the chaotic Mana, only charging the City Wall on instinct.
At this moment, what they faced was nothing like a horde of crazed Magical Creatures. It was more like a well-trained, orderly elite human army.
And in terms of scale, it seemed no less than the Border Corps currently garrisoning Storm Fortress.
It appeared the so-called 'Slime Kingdom' title was not an empty boast.
Snapping back to reality, Dominic immediately issued a stern order: "Once they enter the maximum attack range of the magic towers, immediately commence a magical saturation bombardment."
"Re-deploy the thrown magic traps in front of the City Wall. We cannot let them approach the wall easily."
The messenger beside him had just nodded in acknowledgment and was about to turn and leave busily when his gaze inadvertently swept over the battlefield below the wall. His steps abruptly halted, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.
"D-Dominic, sir. They've stopped!"
His words received no response, for at that moment, the gazes of everyone on the wall had already turned in unison toward the Magical Tides.
They saw the enormous Magical Creature Legion, still a considerable distance from the fortress, had actually halted its advance.
They seemed to have transformed into a massive reef growing within the Magical Tides, abruptly and forcefully splitting the entire surging tide into two halves.
"Damn it!"
Simo from one side slammed a fist onto the Battlement. "These Magical Creatures actually know to avoid the magic towers' attack range."
Dominic's tone became grave. "Quick, prepare the Enchanted ballista bolts!"
The knight adjutant behind him, hearing this, showed a surprised expression. "But... Sir Dominic, our stock of Enchanted ballista bolts isn't large. According to protocol, they are to be saved until the second day of the Magical Tides..."
Before he could finish, Dominic cut him off. "Trust my judgment. If we let this Magical Creature Legion get close to the fortress, we'll be in serious trouble!"
Seeing his resolute attitude, the knight adjutant stopped trying to persuade him. He immediately turned and ran off to make the arrangements.
Amidst the surging Magical Tides, Chen Yu sat upright on Peachy's broad back, using a small telescope to clearly see the tense flurry of activity on the wall.
"It seems they've realized we're not those ordinary Magical Creatures that just stupidly charge headlong into the wall."
"Beet, at this distance, can the Blood Legion's magic reach the wall?"
Beet flew down from the air, respectfully rubbing its forelimbs against Chen Yu's gel body to transmit information back: "The wall is far. The range of blood magic spells is insufficient, but the magic ballistae can."
As soon as it finished speaking, the Slimes within the Magical Creature Legion responsible for operating the heavy equipment ceased hiding their actions. Working together, they pulled back the heavy canvas covering the wagons within the legion.
Over twenty heavy magic ballistae, gleaming with a metallic cold light, were thus blatantly exposed to everyone's view.
These were precisely the defensive weapons captured after seizing Graystone Bulwark. They had been carefully dismantled by Slime Engineers and brought to the front lines by Chen Yu.
He hadn't expected them to come in useful so soon.
On the wall, the knights, seeing the magic ballistae appearing among the Magical Creature Legion, all gripped the parapet.
"Damn it, they can use magic ballistae!"
"Quick! Activate the protective Magic Formation!"
"Fire! Stop them!"
The ballistae on the wall roared first with thunderous sounds. Dozens of thick Enchanted ballista bolts shot through the air with shrieking sounds, streaking toward the Magical Creature Legion like meteors.
The arrows lit up with faint Enchanting patterns mid-air, their speed suddenly skyrocketing, just as they passed beyond the Molded Energy Shield that had just risen from the wall.
As the Enchanted bolts pierced through the Gray Mist and were about to rain down upon the Magical Creature Legion, pillars of light suddenly rose from within the legion. A rising barrier actually blocked the Enchanted bolts.
The bolts, plummeting at high speed, exploded one after another. The shrapnel from the blasts pierced through the skin and armor of nearby passing Magical Creatures, directly sending them flying. This demonstrated the terrifying power of the Enchanted bolts and the resilience of the barrier.
"Damn it, it's the composite Magic Formation mentioned in the intelligence."
"Their attack is coming!"
In the legion's position, the Metal Slime Artillery were busy hopping about with "splat-splat" sounds. They quickly swiveled the ballistae, aiming them skyward, then loaded them with Enchanted bolts that gleamed coldly. Together, they cranked the heavy windlasses, drawing the bowstrings to full draw.
"Twang! Twang! Twang!"
Under Beet's calm command, over twenty Enchanted bolts were loosed simultaneously with shrill whistles.
Violent cyan gales swiftly swirled around the arrow shafts, their speed increasing once more. Like a flock of vengeful hawks, they charged toward the distant, towering City Wall.
"Boom! Crash! Crack!"
The Enchanted bolts slammed fiercely into the fortress's Molded Energy Shield, erupting in bursts of dazzling magical radiance. Although they failed to breach the sturdy shield, the violent explosions and ripples sent an extremely ominous signal—
These Magical Creatures truly had the capability to threaten Storm Fortress.
Realizing this, the expressions of many knights on the wall turned rather grim.
High above, Celeste looked down at the standoff below in surprise. "Remarkable. These Slimes actually forced Storm Fortress to actively activate its highest-level protective Magic Formation."
Princess Louisa's gaze lingered on the round, green figure amidst the Magical Tides, her eyes flickering with thoughtful light. "It's strange. I seem to sense a surging vitality emanating from this Slime Majesty."
"Perhaps I need to revise my previous assumption that the Slime Kingdom has no gold-rank Magical Creatures."
She looked down at Celeste. "Dominic won't just sit and wait. They will likely take the initiative to attack, trying to crush the Magical Creature Legion before it can firmly establish its position."
"Celeste, our opportunity has arrived."
Celeste muttered, "Then I'd better keep my distance, so I don't get accidentally caught up in your mess."
Below, the shrieking sounds of ballista fire continued unabated.
The lobbed bolts clashed violently against the magical shields of both sides, scattering showers of magical light fragments.
On the surface, both sides seemed deadlocked. But the Border Corps had far more to face than just the Magical Creature Legion's bolts;
there were also the crazed Magical Creatures of the tide relentlessly assaulting the wall.
The shield was under constant attack, putting considerable pressure on the fortress.
Dominic quickly flipped through the intelligence dossier on the Magical Creature Legion in his hand, his face betraying no expression. "Based on the available intelligence, this Magical Creature Legion has never displayed gold-rank combat power."
He turned to look at the half-dwarf beside him, who was as solid as an iron tower. "Simo, only your Fourth Legion possesses the ability to maneuver through the surging Magical Tides while maintaining formation."
"I and Raven will hold the wall. What happens below is up to you."
Simo flexed his arms, his heavy armor clanging. He said in a deep, muffled voice, "Should have done this ages ago."
"Our Fourth Legion was born to advance battle lines and crush the enemy. Holing up in a fortress on defense isn't the style of us Barnes family."
He spun around abruptly and roared toward the half-dwarf knights behind him, also clad in heavy armor: "Young knights! Mount up with me! Let's charge and smash these damned Magical Creatures to pieces!"
"Yes!" The heavy-armored knights responded with a roar like crashing waves. They gripped their heavy warhammers or halberds tightly, following Simo's lead as they quickly rushed down the wall, dashed into the stables, and then charged back out on horseback.
Soon, the three hundred heavy-armored knights of the Fourth Legion assembled beneath the city gate. Firelight and shadows interwove on their polished heavy armor, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
The robust horses beneath them were clad in heavy barding. They stamped their white-furred hooves, snorted thick plumes of breath, and were ready for the expedition.
These were Northern Draft Horses. Compared to the delicate steeds from the pastures of the Golden Tassel Plain, these massive beasts hailed from the even colder Northern Territory.
Originally used for transporting supplies and pulling Artillery Emplacements and supply wagons, they had become the partners of the Fourth Legion's charging knights.
The cold had forged their robust physiques and stout limbs, enabling them to carry heavy-armored knights and run steadily across muddy battlefields. They might not be the fastest, but they were certainly the steadiest.
With a "rumbling" roar, the city gate slowly swung open to both sides, revealing the churning Magical Tides outside.
Leading the charge, Simo raised his long-hafted heavy hammer, which was as large as a door panel, with one hand. His gaze swept over the resolute faces of every knight behind him as he bellowed:
"Young knights! Grip your weapons tight! Remember the glory and courage of your ancestors! Let the Magical Tides bear witness to our strength! Charge with me!"
"For the Legion! For glory!"
The knights erupted with a sky-shaking battle cry, the sound waves seemingly powerful enough to scatter the clouds above.
"Thunderous rumble!!!"
The sound of hooves exploded like rolling thunder. The three hundred heavy-armored knights, like an unstoppable torrent of steel, violently surged out from the fortress's protection, crashing head-on into the onrushing Magical Tides.
"Crunch! Splurt!"
In an instant, flesh and blood flew everywhere. The Magical Creatures blocking the very front were ground into paste by this terrifying steel torrent.
Merely at the moment of impact, the Knight Team had forcibly torn a breach in the Magical Tides.
Their advance was not fast, but it was remarkably steady. Even under the assault of countless Magical Creatures throwing themselves forward one after another, the formation of the entire Knight Team showed no signs of scattering.
Instead, like a wedge, they drove steadfastly toward the core position of the Magical Creature Legion.
What was even more shocking was Simo at the head of the formation. He fully unleashed the terrifying power befitting his The Extraordinary rank.
That seemingly plain and unadorned giant hammer bore no flashy magical glow. He simply swung it forward with what looked like a casual strike.
"Thud!!"
A silver-rank burrower insect blocking the path didn't even have time to chirp before its entire body, as if detonated by an invisible immense force from within, went "splurt" and exploded into a mist of blood.
And centered on the burrower insect's corpse, a terrifying shockwave rapidly expanded forward in a fan shape.
All Magical Creatures within a hundred-meter radius, regardless of size or species, fell flat in unison, like wheat being scythed down.
Their exteriors appeared intact, but in reality, all their internal organs and bones had been completely pulverized into fine powder by the residual waves of this pure force.
Relying on his own strength alone, Simo had forcibly cleared a vast swath of obstacles directly in front of the Knight Team.
"This is a true The Extraordinary."
In the distance, Chen Yu, on Peachy's back, felt the residual waves that still made his heart palpitate even from this far away.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This was far more fearsome than someone like Dunlan, who relied on external means.
To deal with the charging Knight Team, within the Magical Creature Legion's position, the Slimes immediately leveled the ballistae and cranked the Winches. The Enchanted bolts shrieked as they shot toward the steadily advancing Knight Team.
"Scram!!"
Simo let out a battle cry. A visible sonic wave spread outwards from him as the center.
Magical Creatures close by were directly shaken until they bled from their bodies and died on the spot by this terrifying sound wave. Those further away were also stunned and stiffened in place, their movements frozen.
Even the rapidly shooting Enchanted bolts visibly slowed upon entering the range of the battle cry. The Enchanting patterns flashing on the arrow shafts flickered violently, then rapidly dimmed, losing all power before dropping weakly from mid-air.
These heavy siege bolts couldn't even get close to him.
Witnessing this scene, the morale of the defenders on Storm Fortress's wall soared instantly. Cheers and shouts of encouragement resounded across the battlements.
Yet beneath this clamor, undercurrents were still swirling.
Alice's eyes met Raven's gaze from ahead.
Simo had already left the wall.
Now was the best opportunity to deal with Dominic.