The siege engines, which suffered a series of malfunctions, could not be repaired in time. The Dwarves dismantled the siege iron pillars from the engines and transported them to the front lines by manpower to be used as battering rams. Although manpower is not as powerful as mechanical power, it is at least more stable.
Bael'Gar's powerful leaping ability put immense pressure on the guards at the gate, and with the support of the suicide squad that had infiltrated the enemy ranks, the second gate was breached within an hour.
Behind the gate was a huge plaza, which the Dark Iron Dwarves called the Lecture Hall, a place for training the Ironrage Army reinforcements. It was deserted at the moment, and at the far end of the plaza, the King's Council Hall was clearly visible.
Rendaen led his troops forward without stopping and soon arrived at the Council Hall, where the remaining Ironrage Army had established another defensive line.
Among the enemy ranks, some soldiers wearing different uniforms stood out; they were Iron Fury's reinforcements.
Having suffered two consecutive breaches of their defenses, the Ironrage Army has lost more than half its strength and its morale is low. Now, even new recruits are being pulled into the fray, and it seems they have reached a dead end.
These loyal guards of Thaurissan were difficult to persuade to surrender. For the first time, Rendaen felt so close to the throne. He was excited and, not wanting to waste any time, immediately ordered a general offensive.
This was almost the final battle. Although Rendaen suffered considerable losses, his forces outnumbered the enemy by several times. According to his and his men's estimation, this was the last of Thaurissan's troops.
Unas was also prepared; he would rush in and arrest people as soon as the Council Hall was breached. The portrait of the arms dealer Fran had already been circulated among his subordinates, and he believed that everyone would recognize him when they saw him.
As soon as the two sides engaged in battle, the enemy showed signs of weakness. In this almost hopeless situation, sending in new recruits would be tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.
The panicked and confused newcomers will only hinder the veterans' operations, and the Council Hall lacks the defensive structures of the first two gates, so it will soon be unable to hold out.
Rendaen shouted excitedly, "Kill! Whoever takes Thaurissan's head, I will share the king's treasury with him!"
It's a cunning promise; it only mentions sharing but doesn't specify how much to share—one gold or ten thousand gold? In the end, it's up to him to decide.
But the bloodthirsty soldiers didn't consider this issue. The words "the king's treasury" gave them a stimulant boost, and they charged forward with Charge.
The enemy, who held out until the very end, finally collapsed and was instantly submerged in the tidal wave unleashed by Rendaen.
The Council Hall was empty; soldiers poured out through a side door and headed straight for Thaurissan's Bedchamber.
Rendaen strode into the Council Hall, glanced at the high throne, and, recalling the memory of Thaurissan reprimanding him from above, burst into a delighted laugh.
Just as he was about to sit down and experience the king's view, a new situation appeared ahead. "My lord, Fire Dwarves, so many Fire Dwarves!"
The so-called Fire Dwarves are Dwarves who have been transformed into half-elemental beings. Thaurissan started doing this a long time ago, which is one of the important reasons why Rendaen decided to rebel against him.
Thaurissan touted this transformation as a way to greatly enhance the Dwarves ' strength, magic, and lifespan, and to evolve all Dark Iron Dwarves into a superior race.
In reality, the technology was not mature. The first few Twilight Fanatics who were converted did indeed gain a great increase in strength and the ability to use fire, but their lives only lasted for a few days, their sanity also declined significantly, and they turned into ashes without any warning.
Thaurissan forcibly concealed this fact, secretly refining the transformation ritual, dreaming that one day he could gain immense power and eternal life through it.
His current act of forcibly transforming palace servants, guards, and anyone he deems useless into Fire Dwarves is clearly a desperate measure that will only provide temporary relief.
Rendaen was both pleased and angered. He could certainly retreat and wait for the Fire Dwarves to destroy themselves, but the longer he dragged it out, the greater the uncertainty. Taking down the enemy in one fell swoop was the only right thing to do. "Continue the attack! We must find Thaurissan as soon as possible!"
Cutting off the enemy's roots was more important, so he urgently dispatched several of his Dark Iron Mages to scout out the location of the ritual.
Once the Council Hall was breached, Unas burst in through a side door. The layout of the king's Bedchamber was a secret, so they hadn't obtained a map beforehand and had to expand their search area.
The three Paladins each led a team to search in three different directions, and soon they all encountered the Fire Dwarves.
These monsters were much taller than ordinary Dwarves, their bodies were cracked and extremely ugly, and fiery red light emanated from the gaps in their bodies, as if they were about to collapse at any moment. They had also lost the ability to speak and could only howl and fight wildly.
Once engaged in combat, its advantages become apparent: it is fearless, possesses immense strength, has a tough body with high defense, and its attacks are imbued with fire attributes. Even with its low intelligence, it is a tough nut to crack.
Unas had already gained a lot of experience and was on the verge of leveling up, so he didn't take any shortcuts.
Even the Fire Dwarf, who posed a significant threat to ordinary soldiers, could only accept his fate of being destroyed by the heavy hammer when faced with his relentless attacks.
The king's Bedchamber had many rooms, and no one knew where Thaurissan, his important ministers, and the slave owners seeking refuge were hiding; they could only search by chance.
Unas led his team forward at breakneck speed, eliminating more than thirty Fire Dwarves and passing through five rooms, only to find a few elderly servants. An urgent interrogation yielded no useful information.
He could only proceed in the direction of the Fire Dwarves, as the source of the enemy's appearance was likely their hiding place.
Unas's team advanced smoothly without encountering any allies along the way, perhaps because they were at the very front. However, the scene in the next room forced Unas to stop.
The room was filled with Fire Dwarves, a scale never seen before. Unas was not surprised but delighted, for this meant he had finally found a key location heavily guarded by the enemy.
He leaped into the enemy ranks, a golden energy storm immediately spreading around him. He held his two Warhammers horizontally to the left and right, mimicking the Warrior's ultimate move, "Bladestorm," and Unas himself began to spin rapidly.
He deliberately turned in the opposite direction of the Divine Storm, and the enemies swept up by the storm collided violently with the Silver Hammer. The double destructive force instantly knocked all the enemies within the attack range to the ground. If these were ordinary Dwarves, most of them would have been dead or wounded, but the thick-skinned Fire Dwarves had few casualties, and most of them were getting back up.
Unas then unleashed a "Hammer of Righteousness," its power quadrupled, smashing half of the swaying man's body. But what fell wasn't internal organs; instead, it was a black, spark-streaked mass. It seemed the Fire Dwarf could no longer be called a "human."
At this moment, his subordinates rushed in and fought fiercely with the remaining enemies in the space he created. Unas added "Crusader Strike" to every attack, which was very effective. The small amount of energy consumption was exchanged for a 75% damage bonus, making it the most cost-effective skill at present.