Va-len-tan-

"Target hit!"

After the observation team reported back, cheers erupted from firing position number five.

Although the dwarven catapult that was perfectly fine here has been turned into this, in such a critical moment of battle, as long as it can fight and exert its power, it is a good thing!

Kang De chuckled and gave the war sorcerer a hard pat on the shoulder. He had just finished enchanting the stone projectiles himself, while the war sorcerer had sent the launching team aside to perform the final calculations and launch.

He exclaimed, "Zhuzi, you fucking did a great job!"

The war sorcerer instinctively gave a restrained, shy smile, then stammered, "Zhuzi? My name is..."

"Stop talking nonsense, Zhuzi, get to the second shot!"

When Kang De saw the loading team bring over the second stone projectile in a trailer, he quickly stepped forward and, under the astonished gazes of the others, picked up the heavy projectile without panting or blushing. He then placed it steadily on the launcher, pressed down with both hands, and began to infuse it with Element. A strangely shaped and mysteriously composed object was being generated.

The alchemist, forgetting all about introducing himself, grew increasingly suspicious and stammered, "This... sir, are you really human?"

Kang De snapped impatiently, "What the hell have you been babbling on about from the beginning? If you keep going, believe me, I'll tie you to this and shoot you out! Now get over there!"

--It's confirmed!

That really is an orc in human skin!

Only a crazy person with a screw loose would tie goblins to a catapult and launch them!

The war sorcerers fell silent, quickly taking their positions. Not long after, with a deafening roar, another enormous cannonball with extremely strange shape and properties shot into the sky, heading towards the elven ranks outside the city.

This time, the elven mages had made extra preparations. The instant the boulder soared into the air, three Blazing Explosion Missile flew through the air, leaving trails of intense flames, and struck the boulder from three different directions.

Blazing Flame roar erupted as the stone projectile shattered, yet still managed to explode into dozens of fragments that rained down, each wreathed in a nauseatingly dense red or green light. These fragments struck the elven ranks, piercing the surface of the wooden golems, releasing a foul and eerie stench. The elves vomited and swayed, and strange moss sprouted from the golems' skins before they decayed and rotted away...

The sentries at the rear of the formation immediately sounded the horn.

Before long, a small herd of deer came rushing over. Some of these spirit beasts carried quivers and Javelin, which the soldiers could call upon to use. Others were strong and knelt down to help the elven soldiers carry the wounded on their backs, and then whirlwind back to their own camp to treat them.

Despite the intense and relentless firepower of Valentan, the elven army continued its advance. Under the cover of wooden golems, the brave Dragonfang infantry fought back against the city walls as they continued their advance. They fought valiantly and fearlessly. In addition to their well-trained and well-equipped soldiers, their well-developed and mature battlefield medical system also gave them boundless confidence and courage.

A third alien shell hurtled through the air.

The deer herd had already returned these special wounded soldiers, and the chief medical officer quickly reached a conclusion, giving the legion commander the information he wanted to know.

The adjutant reported, "It's disgusting voodoo, sir. No race other than the greenskins knows how to use this filthy stuff; even the most skilled alchemists can't extract its active ingredients."

"... Just as I thought."

The legion commander's face was frosty, and his tone was chilling. "With such power, the greenskin mastermind hiding in the city must be extremely powerful. According to the racial characteristics of orcs, the stronger the greenskin, the more mentally unstable and insane their thinking, making them impossible to communicate with. A greenskin like this is the most unpredictable and uncontrollable factor. How can the humans in the city trust him? And how can he fight for humanity?"

The adjutant said softly, "Then, sir, how should we respond?"

"How should we respond?" the legion commander said coldly. "Continue the attack, of course! It's just a catapult. Even if it causes some casualties, how can it affect the overall battle? It's just a greenskin cyborg who knows how to operate a catapult, not an entire orc army. What use can it be in this war?"

The adjutant solemnly agreed, and the bugle sounded again.

The heavens and earth roared, soldiers fought with their lives, arrows rained down, destruction descended from the sky, blood flowed, and life withered rapidly. Under repeated attacks, the first wooden puppet finally collapsed and fell to the ground with a crash.

But the elven commander remained unmoved, and the soldiers continued their advance without hesitation.

The city walls were bustling with activity. The archers had already rested three times. At this distance, even the reserve youth soldiers who had not received archery training were issued bows and arrows. At close range, accuracy was no longer so important.

The most elite, steadfast, and courageous soldiers are already waiting on this section of the city wall.

The city's military forces were being mobilized in an orderly and swift manner, their forces tilting towards this location. From the highest commander down to the ordinary soldiers, everyone watching the approaching elven wooden golems knew what was about to happen... not just the human soldiers, but also the elven warriors.

They all wanted the war to develop in the direction they desired.

Even if it requires offerings.

Even if the sacrifice... might be one's own life.

The towering wooden puppet took its final steps.

Its body was already engulfed in Flame. The human mage attacked with all his might, and rockets rained down. The elven mage eventually had no strength to deal with the fire from all directions, but the artificial core of the wooden golem squeezed out its last bit of Magic Power. The natural energy contained in the ancient wood erupted for the last time. The wooden golem took a step forward, raised the huge branch with roots coiled around its right side, and let out a low roar.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the massive arm slammed down onto the city wall, sending up rubble and crushing three human soldiers who couldn't dodge in time.

And... a bridge was built.

The battlefield froze for a moment—perhaps an illusion, perhaps a real freeze in time and space.

The vast river of time has recorded this moment.

Then time flows on, surging forward.

The wooden golem, having lost all power, withered and stopped, its entire body engulfed in flames. The next moment, the golem's head exploded open, and elves leaped out of the cave. Elven infantrymen who followed grabbed the burning vines, roaring as they struggled to climb upwards along Flame golem's flaming remains!

The elves, hidden among the wooden golems, charged toward the city walls with shouts!

The soldiers guarding the city wall stared blankly at all of this.

Immediately afterward, a young, ordinary-looking soldier at the front roared, "Kill them—"

The next moment, a cold arrow, seemingly shot from nowhere, pierced his throat.

The final cry changed tone. The young soldier released his spear, clutched his throat, and his face contorted in agony. He quickly realized his fate, looked at his comrades around him, and made gurgling, urgent cries from his bleeding mouth: "Va- Valentan-- "

The first elf to rush over had already run halfway.

Under the vast sky, a valiant army attacked a tiny city. The most elite soldiers of the Dragonfang Army stood firmly on thick, solid roots, their indomitable fighting spirit pushing them forward.

"Kill them--"

The city walls erupted in commotion! After a brief moment of shock and panic, soldiers surged in from all directions! Their faces still bore the dust and grime of the spells they had been struck, and their fear and unease had not yet dissipated. But the moment the elves ascended the walls, a powerful will seemed to infuse their souls.

When news of the elven invasion arrived, terrifying rumors of massacre and enslavement spread like wildfire, carried by the wind and the refugees to Valentan. When Valentan became the next target, they were filled with fear and resentment towards the city lord's cold-bloodedness and coercion, resenting his sealing of the city gates and blocking of escape routes. But at this moment, as this moment arrived, they finally understood one thing clearly.

We must defend this city!

It wasn't for Archduke Goth, nor for Mayor Nick, but for themselves, because this was their home too, because their families were here, because everything they had was here!

"Valentine--"

In a flash, in the blink of an eye, the elves leaped high into the air, while the human soldiers charged forward fearlessly. Spears and halberds clashed, and the elves' superior physical strength and equipment determined the outcome of the battle. The first engagement ended in a complete victory for the elves, who easily killed the oncoming human soldiers. But the next moment, a second wave of soldiers roared forward, pushing aside the corpses of their comrades. Their numbers and courage would make up for their disadvantage!

The two sides clashed fiercely, with living and dead falling from the city walls. Bowstrings snapped like a torrential rain, and arrows flew wildly. At such close range, in such a brutal battle, the elves' Arrow-Slaying Technique were useless. They could only risk their lives and gamble with their lives!

"The strong live, the weak die!"

The elven warriors of the Dusk Warband roared their creed and their laws, hacking and stabbing as they fought fiercely across the narrow battlefield, their lives accumulating.

Axes, Javelin, crossbow bolts, arrows... projectile weapons flew through the air, piercing armor and tearing bodies apart, blood splattering everywhere. This battleground had become a giant vortex, drawing all soldiers, firepower, and death to this place, and the intensity of the battlefield was visibly escalating!

Flame spewed, wind blades flew, and rings of Ring of Frost exploded continuously. Elven mages charged forward fearlessly, casting spells at close range. Human mages fought to the bitter end, and noble spellcasters also came to the front lines of the battlefield, weaving magic with their shields, for the closer the casting distance, the greater the killing advantage!

Then, with a deafening roar, the second wooden puppet approached the city wall and erected a bridge!

The elves cheered and roared, accompanied by the mad shouts of the humans. The second battlefield opened up again. The commander of the Dusk Warband ruthlessly risked the lives of his soldiers, and Nick was ready to fight to the bitter end. The casualties were greater than ever before, but that was war. It was all about who would give up first!

"Ready to launch!"

At position number five, shells soared into the sky. With the observation team's report, tinged with tears and panic, Kang De also learned the current situation on the battlefield. This artillery group was pouring firepower onto the battlefield at an extremely high speed, but it was too late. The wooden puppets were already very close to the city wall, and the catapults could no longer accurately hit these most threatening things. They could only suppress and interfere with the enemy's projectile forces outside the city.

Kang De heard a third resounding boom.

The observation team above shouted, "The third one... the third one is up there too!"

The war sorcerer paused for a moment, then shouted sternly, "Continue reporting positions, continue firing! We can only do what we can... Everyone just needs to do that!"

With his internal Element reserves dwindling, Kang De looked up at the city walls. The shouts of battle grew louder as they approached, but these were not the morale-boosting cries from when they were being attacked from a distance; rather, they were the venting of fear and despair at the brink of death. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Wang Chengzhu, I'm leaving this to you."

This time, the war sorcerer did not protest or refute the strange title, or perhaps he had no interest in such trivial matters. With focused eyes and a calm expression, he was performing extremely rapid mental calculations and precise aiming, before directing his subordinates to begin a new round of support and attack.

Kang De glanced at the busy people, then leaped up the city wall.

He thought of the thin firefighter at the scene of the fire, and the members of these artillery squads—people without power, yet doing their utmost to protect the city.

They are fighting in their own way.

Kang De onto the city wall.

It was nearly noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the armor reflected the sunlight, making the city walls gleam. However, blood and Flame still flew everywhere, and the world was like a furnace. Fierce battles were raging all over the city walls. Looking down at the city from above, squads of soldiers were rushing in frantically, and all that could be heard were shouts of killing and screams of agony.

Watching an atomic bomb explode from a great distance doesn't evoke much of a reaction.

But witnessing a bloody battle involving dozens of people up close can make an ordinary person's legs go weak with fear.

Kang De witnessed everything before him.

The real war, the cruel and terrible war, the war that constantly erodes life, the war that drives people mad, all he heard were howls, no passionate slogans, only savage creatures, intelligent beings degenerated into barbarians, fighting with their most primal instincts, whether noble elves or ordinary humans.

That's all there is to it.

He gazed at everything before him.

He felt neither panic nor nausea, neither excitement nor fervor. He didn't want to back down or run away; at this moment, these weren't the first thoughts that came to his mind.

He was simply pitying these people, pitying these lives that withered away in an instant.

He simply felt that war should not exist.

Then let's end all of this, and... make sure it never happens again!

A sudden burning sensation hit his chest. Kang De instinctively touched it, finding it where the carefully stored Crimson Scroll was. He had no time to pay attention to that, because his keen senses, honed on the Holy Seal Archipelago, told him that he was being watched.

The pupils transformed into golden clock faces, and the hands of time began to move.

The world slowed down, Kang De leaped into the air, dodging the incoming arrows.

Dou Qi Inspiration, muscles exert their power.

They sped and leaped along the inner battlements of the city wall.

Then, he moved swiftly along the ground, dodging and leaping, rushing towards the bridge erected by the third wooden puppet!

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PS1: Ah, update! So writing war scenes is so hard! I really want to write about a cute little sister...