Chapter 405
An engineer in the city is using a drone to view footage of the artillery fire. By analyzing the extent of ground damage, he is quantifying the specific power of the City Defense Cannon.
But when the smoke cleared, he discovered that a huge landship had appeared out of nowhere at the site of the bombardment.
What, what is that?!
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Chapter 483 A Dead End (4K)
The engineer didn't have Sarkaz horns on his head; his appearance made him look more like a Victorians.
He stared blankly at the screen, spotting an unusual land-based warship at the site of the shelling.
Upon encountering unknown armed forces, the engineer's first reaction was that they were allies. Regardless of which Duke owned the landship, it was still under Victoria's control.
To his surprise, the massive landship appeared for only a few seconds before rapidly advancing forward, quickly disappearing into the blind spot and vanishing from sight.
As a senior engineer, he knew all too well what this meant.
Unlike land vehicles, large ships typically have lower initial speeds when starting up. However, this ship escaped the danger zone in a very short time, indicating that it was a 'secret weapon' developed by a Duke.
It is no exaggeration to say that if such ships could be mass-produced, they could play a crucial role in war.
For example, launching a surprise attack is like a sharp knife piercing through the City Defense Army's defenses from behind.
However, if the Sarkaz discover this in advance and begin to increase their manpower to take precautions, then the high mobility of this special ship will be meaningless.
The engineer broke out in a cold sweat, feeling as if he were deciding the crucial course of a war. If he concealed the truth, he would certainly be implicated if it were discovered later.
He bit his lip, going through a fierce internal struggle. Finally, after looking at the Stone Bracelet on his wrist, woven by his daughter, he made up his mind.
The engineer glanced at the Sarkaz Soldier supervising outside and immediately typed commands on his keyboard.
He captured footage from the drone, deleted the video encoding information and backups, and then destroyed it.
In this way, we can buy as much time as possible.
If the Sarkaz discover something amiss, they could claim it's a drone malfunction. But such a reason is unlikely to convince them. After all, Manfred takes this artillery test very seriously; he might have been observing it through binoculars just now, making it impossible to hide.
In any case, the engineer had done all he could; all that remained was to pray. Pray for the war to end soon, and pray for his family to be reunited.
Meanwhile, Manfred didn't check immediately because he was chatting with Heredrey.
After the smoke and dust cleared, he raised his binoculars to observe Entrance 404. Seeing that the shelling site had been leveled, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Hmm, not bad. This time, only one-tenth of the firepower was used, and it easily melted up sand and other structures. Moreover, this was only the Secondary Cannon. Heredrey, the engineer once assured me that if the Main Cannon could be activated, it could easily penetrate the armor of any high-speed warship."
"An engineer? Is that the officer from the Royal Engineer Corps? I remember he's Victorians. Aren't you afraid of employing a foreigner...?"
Manfred grinned and looked into the distance:
"It's him, but so what? His wife and daughters are in our hands, we treat them well every day. If they try anything underhanded, they'd better think twice."
To obtain more data on the City Defense Cannon, he picked up the Walkie-Talkie and notified the Sarkaz in the Secondary Cannon:
"Gunner, aim at elevator number 11."
With a loud bang, Manfred picked up his binoculars and checked, finding that the target location was several hundred meters off course.
"Unfortunately, the accuracy still needs improvement. However, if it's adjusted in advance and the shelling location is locked near the city entrance, the impact of accuracy can be ignored."
Heredrey nodded, agreeing that it was a good idea.
"Fortunately, Your Highness was not 'welcomed' by these City Defense Cannon when His Highness entered the city. It seems that the corruption in Victoria is far more serious than I imagined."
Manfred smiled, but with a hint of melancholy:
"Yes, such excellent weapons should have played a greater role, rather than being displayed here as decorative items. Since the defeat in Gaul and the fall of Iberia, Victoria has not fought a war for a long time. Your His Highness seized the opportunity and entered the city smoothly under the pretext of purging the court of corrupt officials, without encountering any obstacles."
"Once we control the City Defense Cannon, we control the Entrance/Exit to Londinium. Once we've adjusted all the City Defense Cannon, we'll no longer fear the Duke' armies attacking. Even if we place traps in the most conspicuous locations, people will still come and trigger them."
Just then, a communication came through the Walkie-Talkie:
"General, we have reached the vicinity of Entrance 404 and rescued the remaining members of the Suicide Squad."
However, the number of corpses of the Deep Pool Soldier is not quite right; some may have escaped. Should we send out patrols to search along the city walls?
"There's an old saying in Yan: 'Don't pursue a cornered enemy.' No need to send patrols to search; continue bombarding that entrance. Just this time, increase the intensity, use half the firepower."
The Sarkaz Soldier were bewildered by this:
"Huh? Intensify the attack? But Gate 404 has been blown to pieces; there's no way anyone could have hidden there."
"It doesn't matter. Since we've already started, let's show them just how capable the City Defense Cannon are."
Manfred wanted to give Deep Pool a warning, deliberately showcasing the power of the City Defense Cannon. He wanted them to weigh their options and, if they felt they couldn't withstand the attack, leave as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the continuous cannon fire also served as a reminder to the Dukes stationed outside the city.
Time is running out for them.
Your His Highness's plan has entered its final stage.
If we can hold out for just two or three more days, this protracted war will come to an end.
And Sarkaz will be the ultimate winner.
Ten minutes ago.
After the explosion, dust filled the air.
The instant the City Defense Cannon rained down, Mandela raised a sand and stone wall in front of him, saving some of the Deep Pool Soldier. But their situation was still far from optimistic.
"Oh, sir, my leg is going to break!"
Mandela unleashed a large amount of Originium Arts in a short period of time, leaving her somewhat exhausted.
"Don't move! I'll save you right away. You idiot, why are you grabbing my leg? Are you grabbing Rock Constructs?!"
After several twists and turns, she led more than twenty Deep Pool Soldier out of the pit, panting heavily.
Seeing countless Talulah corpses buried beneath the yellow sand, Mandela's face turned incredibly grim.
"Is this a cannonball? No, it's much more powerful than a regular cannonball, like City Defense Cannon. Damn it, it must be that Manfred guy, that damned Demon Race!"
"Sir, what do we do now?"
Mandela squinted, sensing that Sarkaz reinforcements were approaching, and immediately gave the order:
"Stop standing there, retreat! I'll make these Demon Race pay for this in blood sooner or later!"
Now, only one-tenth of the Deep Pool Forces remain, and of the remaining twenty-odd men, many are wounded.
Mandela knew this was no place to linger and immediately ordered his remaining troops to evacuate quickly. They had to break out of the encirclement before Sarkaz reinforcements arrived.
"Stop dawdling, get out of here!"
Not long after the group left Gate 404, an even more powerful shell landed at the same spot, blasting the originally narrow opening into a fan-shaped area.
Hearing the deafening roar of the cannon, Mandela turned to look. From the bombardment of the City Defense Cannon, she sensed the threat posed by the Sarkaz.
"Damn it, these unruly Demon Race are going too far! I will settle accounts with you for the lives of over four hundred Talulah!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the sound of a bugle call came from ahead:
"Before you settle accounts with the Sarkaz, shouldn't you settle the score between us?"
When Mandela saw the horn that had been imprisoned there, she immediately realized that she had been rescued.
But right now, only Feline is there; the other accomplices are probably lying in ambush nearby and haven't shown themselves yet.
There were more than 30 soldiers stationed in the Temporary Camp, and I had sent an additional 10. To deal with them and rescue the bugle, it would take a team of at least 20 people.
Possessing an armed force of this scale, it could not possibly be the arrogant Sarkaz; it is most likely someone from Victoria's side.
Before Mandela could continue analyzing the situation, a large group of unfamiliar people began to emerge from the shadows.
Only a small portion of these Feline; the majority are alien races such as the Casters, Kuranta, and Sarkaz.
They are both Rhodes Island operator and Outcast's friends. This time, they will avenge their deceased comrade in their own way!
As soon as the first City Defense Cannon shot landed, Shi Lei created Rock Constructs to drag the This Ship away. He then used his Psychic Scan for Mandela and the others, and arrived early to lie in wait.
Given Amiya's prior statement, he had no intention of personally intervening. At most, he would have his subordinates help block them, but he would not deliver the most fatal blow.
If Rhodes Island wants to handle this themselves, then let them. At most Shi Lei can provide Jade Shield from a distance to protect the personal safety of these Operator.
The reason they didn't retaliate against the City Defense Cannon was because the employer hadn't yet figured out the details of the commission.
The request to stop the war is too general. Which side to help specifically is up to the employer, the Doctor.
Shi Lei was unwilling to participate in the war because it involved too many things.
Now that Rhodes Island has been forced into this situation, the remaining decisions should be made by them.
Mandela gripped her staff tightly, watching the strangers emerging from the shadows warily, and gave a cold laugh:
"It seems that besides us, other forces also want to get a piece of the pie."
The bugle didn't bother explaining to her; it picked up its thick, large Cannon Barrel and fired an Illumination Grenade!
Mandela instinctively summoned Earth Wall to block it, but the next second blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
The battle with the Sarkaz had already drained a lot of my energy. Then, the bombardment from the City Defense Cannon continued to catalyze my Originium Arts, leaving me completely drained.
Facing so many enemies and with more than twenty wounded soldiers with him, there was no way he could escape alive.
The Deep Pool Soldier noticed her hesitation, picked up his weapon, and held it in front of her, grinning with feigned coolness.
"Sir, you should retreat first. Inform the leader about the Demon Race's betrayal. If it weren't for you, we would have been dead minutes ago. We're staying behind to Rearguard and repay your life; after that, we're even."
"You bastards, what are you saying?!"
"Sir, please stop yelling. We don't have the energy to argue back right now. Although your mouth is usually foul, you're still good to us."
"You, you all..."
Humans are complex beings. Extreme evil and extreme good are rare. They are basically a mixture of good and evil.
Mandela harbored a deep hatred for nobles and Victorians due to her childhood experiences. During the conquest of Deep Pool by Little Hill County, she showed no mercy. However, she was quite kind to her many Talulah subordinates. It's just that her way of speaking was sometimes not very likable.
"Hurry up, sir. I'm feeling a little tired, I really want to lie down and take a nap."
Mandela gripped his staff tightly and sprinted northward with a fierce determination. But he hadn't run far when a Xuanji Screen suddenly blocked his path. Countless jade stones hurtled towards his face, turning into even more jade stones after passing through the barrier.
Texas only intended to force them to retreat, not to kill them outright. Mandela, seeing that the opponent's moves were all bark and no bite, also realized that she was being forced to retreat. After hesitating for a moment, she changed course and broke through to the south.
After running more than 300 meters, Mandela was blocked from retreat by a group of monsters made up of Ink Specter.
Several monkey-like creatures, each the size of a small animal, looked rather intimidating.
Looking at the more than one hundred monsters he had never seen before to the south, Mandela was filled with resentment.
But she ultimately did not choose to force her way through, and instead changed course again, heading east the way she had come from.
As expected, there were also ambushes here.
A White-haired Sarkaz Beauty carries Rock Hammer on her shoulder, with two enormous white Stone Statues standing behind her.
Upon seeing her appearance, Mandela immediately realized that she was the big fish he had been trying to catch in the town.
Unfortunately, the Deep Pool Forces have suffered heavy losses and no longer have the ability to capture the enemy alive.
Furthermore, in addition to a semi-transparent shield, Sarkaz also possesses a brown shield. Such a double shield is an extremely rare sight on this land.
Mandela only needed one glance to know that the two sides were far too mismatched, and was forced to return to the starting point.
Damn it, are they all trying to drive me to my death?
When she returned, the twenty-odd Deep Pool Soldier who remained were either killed in battle or captured. Now, there was no one left to help Rearguard.
Mandela was in dire straits, sweat pouring down her forehead. Her mind raced, and she chose the relatively weakest of the four directions—the north—to attempt a breakout.
After running for more than a hundred meters, Mandela suddenly stepped on a bomb buried in the ground and was forced to retreat.
It turned out that W had come to join the fun, helping Texas set up some potato mines to hinder their escape.
As Horn and his men approached from the west, Mandela was like a trapped beast. Now, he had no way out except to break through to the north.
After all, compared to jade and bombs, the white stone men and a bunch of monsters are much more troublesome.
"Call!"
Lost in thought, a stone with bull horns suddenly fell from the sky and landed near Mandela.