Chapter 726 Battle at the foot of the mountain
After long hours trekking through the irradiated wastelands, Erik and June crested arrived close enough to see the upper part of the city's fortifications.
"So this is the great northern city." Erik and June gazed at the imposing sight, their mouth agape.
Caelora's outer walls loomed before them, ancient stone and metal rising like sheer cliffs to pierce the sky.
Colossal ramparts, wider than ten men, ringed the entire city, weathered by countless seasons yet still standing tall and strong.
Along the parapets, artillery emplacements jutted out like the spines of some great beast, each one manned by squads of vigilant mercenaries.
Erik noted the well-oiled gears and thick metal plating that shielded each emplacement, signs of readiness against attack. It looked like the metal used was Prenstal ore, weaker than Aclaitrium but stronger than Eshalt, but Erik wasn't really sure about that because of the paint.
However, it was clear the city was rich enough to be able to afford to reinforce its walls with such material. Normal ores like iron, steel or gold were not mana conductive, so the ore that had this property got sold for a lot of money.
Beyond the main walls, watchtowers and redoubts formed a sprawling network of defenses, guarding every approach and hill that might overlook the city.
Each tower was surrounded by rings of spiked barricades and trenches, forcing any attackers into deadly bottlenecks easy for defenders to control.
Erik and June could hardly believe the scale of the fortifications. Even New Alexandria, the capital of their homeland Frant, paled compared to Caelora's might.
"Look at the size of those walls," Erik said. "They make the ramparts of Alexandria seem like a child's toy."
June nodded, craning his neck to take in the towering heights. "I've never seen fortifications so vast. No wonder Caelora can be placed here at the base of the mountains."
The walls of Alexandria seemed so imposing to Erik and June. Yet these ramparts dwarfed even those grand barriers.
Now they understood how Caelora had endured every trial thrown against it and why the city was so famous. The sheer magnitude of its defenses was like nothing they had ever seen.
Though Erik knew true strength lay not just in the might of weapons and defenses, Caelora's fortifications left no doubt this city was prepared for any war.
Its walls and watchtowers stood vigilant, ready to weather another thousand years of battle.
Though, it was since they started seeing the city that they heard something. It was like a battle was going on, but they weren't close enough to see it.
As soon as they arrived in front of the clearing, despite being awed by the place, as Erik and June drew nearer to Caelora, they noticed the commotion in front of the city gates. A big horde of Thaids swarmed the outer defenses, besieging the city.
Among the mercenaries, Erik spotted some marked by mismatched armor. These sell swords fought with reckless abandon, throwing themselves into the thickest parts of the Thaid horde.
A towering man swung a massive war hammer in great arcs, crushing beasts two at a time.
Nearby, a lithe swords woman ducked and wove between the monsters, her blade flickering in elegant strokes that left dismembered Thaids in her wake.
An armored man bellowed curses as he stomped and gored with a massive glaive.
Erik watched as the mercenaries carved their way through the horde. Their skill and ferocity was beyond anything he had witnessed before by the average Joe.
Each fought with the power of ten common men. Erik made a mental note to seek these veterans later - such warriors would be invaluable for his guild, but he doubted they would join.
There were many more people there, though, Caelora's mercenaries manned the ramparts, raining down mana powered arrows, brain crystals' attacks and artillery fire upon the twisted beasts.
However, that wasn't what really surprised both him and June, but the weapons some were using.
Rifles and cannons tearing through the Thaid ranks with uncanny accuracy. In his homeland of Frant, such ballistic weapons proved useless against the monsters' thick hides and swiftness.
Yet here, every thunderous volley found its mark. The beasts fell in droves under the withering hail of gunfire and laser.
"How is this possible? No simple firearm should wreak such havoc upon a Thaid."
June pointed to the cannons belching smoke along the parapets. "Look there - do you see the faint glow of mana within the barrels?"
Peering closer, Erik saw an unearthly azure radiance emanating from inside each cannon and rifle. Suddenly, realization dawned.
"Brain crystals!" he said. "They've somehow implemented Etrium's special technology into modern weapons to amplify their power!"
June nodded. "A ruthless innovation. Yet devastatingly effective. It would be wise to get our hands on this technology."
"Ye—"
A deafening roar drew their attention back to the unfolding battle. The Thaids surged forward in a frenzy, clambering over mounds of their own dead to reach the walls.
Monstrous Thaids battered the gates with colossal fists. Rhinoceros-like beasts charged the barricades with horns lowered. Overhead, flocks of winged monsters circled, strafing the defenders with sprays of acid.
The mercenaries of Caelora stood firm, disciplined volleys scything through the endless tides of beasts.
Artillery thundered, every shell infused with mana to maximize the damage inflicted. The Thaids came on undaunted, insane with bloodlust.
A thunderous crack split the din of battle as one of the outer watchtowers shuddered and collapsed.
From the rubble, a monstrous Yevyagìt, rippling with muscle, appeared. The beast's roar was audible even over the raging battle.
Razor-sharp fangs jutted from the beast's mouth as it rampaged through the breached tower, swatting soldiers aside with massive fists.
Arrows and Brain Crystal attacks glanced off its thick hide. As it stomped toward the city gates, the defending troops fell back in dismay.
Suddenly, a band of mercenaries charged forth to intercept the beast. At their lead ran a fierce woman in spiked armor, hefting a double-bladed axe.
With a fearsome cry, she launched herself at the Yevyagìt, her axe carving a deep gash across its thigh. The monster stumbled, roaring in rage.
Exploiting the opening, a hulking mercenary with a great sword leaped onto the creature's back, hacking wildly at its shoulders even as the Yevyagìt thrashed about.
Meanwhile, two roguish mercenaries darted around the beast, slashing at its ankles and hamstrings.
Enraged, the wounded Yevyagìt swiped and bit at its tormentors. Yet the mercenaries were too quick, rolling clear of each attack before darting back in to strike.
Their coordinated assault left the mighty beast confused and bleeding, and Erik and June were in awe. The coordination they were showing was remarkable.
"Whoa. When New Alexandria was attacked by the same beast, they got a lot of problems repelling it."
"Yeah. I remember you reading about it. I wonder why New Alexandria, a capital city, was weaker than a place like this. It isn't normal."
"Corruption, June. The city is rotten to the core. The strongest people were employed by privates, and that weakened the city's defenses," Erik said.
In the meantime, with a final desperate bellow, the Yevyagìt charged straight for the gates, seeking escape.
But the ax-wielding woman stood firm, bracing herself for the impact. At the last second, she sprang aside, burying her axe deep into the monster's knee as it barreled past.
With a roar of agony that echoed through the place like thunder during a tempest, the mighty Yevyagìt toppled, its massive body crashing to the ground with a thud that shook the earth.
It skidded across the rugged terrain, carving a path through the underbrush, dark blood gushing from its wounds and pooling beneath its hulking form like a macabre painting.
The mercenaries, with eyes as cold as steel, wasted no time in descending upon their fallen foe.
Their blades rose and fell in a brutal rhythm. Each strike was precise and ruthless, a dance of death aimed to bring to death the monstrous beast in front of them.
They continued their grim task, unrelenting, until the once fearsome beast lay utterly still, its life extinguished.
Erik stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the scene before him. He watched as the mercenaries, their armor stained with the dark hues of battle and sweat, regrouped with an air of disciplined urgency. The battle was not done yet.
They exchanged brief, curt nods, their faces etched with determination and resolve. Without a moment's hesitation, they plunged back into the maelstrom of battle.
Swords and shields in hand, they moved as one, a seamless unit cutting through the chaos.
Truly, Caelora was blessed to have such warriors defending its walls.
"How much do you think we have to wait?" June asked.
"Half an hour at best before they kill the last monster, then we have to wait for them to resume allowing people in. I would say an hour."
"Understood. Should we eat something while waiting?"
"Yeah. Take a little of the meat in my backpack. All this trekking made me hungry."
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