Battle at the City Gates

Prince William's army finally arrived beneath the walls of Konola City. The clang of the enemy warriors' light armor echoed as the disciplined army halted almost in unison. A path opened in the very center of the army, and a burly man clad in heavy armor, clearly enhanced by high-level enchantments, strode out. He dragged a dark red spiked warhammer behind him, and the deep gouges it carved into the solid ground were testament to its immense weight! The man's dark, bald head was crisscrossed with scars, a long one stretching from his forehead to his chin, distorting his already grimace-inducing smile that revealed rows of yellow teeth. An indescribable ferocity radiated from him, and his deliberately released aura clearly marked him as a Formal Level warrior!

"Listen up, you inside! Come out and surrender to me now, and if I'm in a good mood, I might even give you a quick death. Otherwise, I'll smash this pile of rubble, hmph!"

The burly man, seemingly the leader of this army, finished speaking and swung his warhammer down hard onto the ground. A massive cloud of dust billowed out, flying directly over the walls of Konola City. Sand and stones flew everywhere, but a gentle breeze soon dispersed the dust, revealing a half-meter-deep crater in the ground.

Seeing the ordinary soldiers beside him trembling with fear, Punk's optimism for Konola City's defenders plummeted. Setting aside the vast disparity in equipment and numbers, the sheer psychological state of the defenders, already showing fear before the battle even began, was a major disadvantage. Aside from the advantage of the city itself, Konola City was undoubtedly at a disadvantage in every other aspect.

And... was this general, with his bandit-like demeanor more akin to a mountain bandit leader than a military commander, really here to "negotiate surrender"? Didn't he know that his hellish ultimatum, offering no quarter, would only drive everyone to become desperate outlaws?

Or perhaps... he was so supremely confident that he never intended to negotiate surrender at all, and his primary objective was to slaughter everyone in the city. After all, in the brutal Faerun plane, massacres to vent anger were as common as weeds in war!

"When the fighting starts, I need to be sharp and get out of here if things go south," Punk silently raised his vigilance.

The burly man's doomed attempt at persuasion predictably failed. The soldiers and professionals on the city walls showed no reaction beyond a more determined gaze. Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, ready to engage in battle at any moment!

Seeing this, the burly man didn't get angry; instead, he burst into laughter. A crimson battle qi emanated from his body, attaching itself to the armor adorned with mystical patterns. The silver armor instantly turned a pale red, radiating intense heat. At the joints, battle qi resembling flames surged outwards. The burly man's weapon also quickly turned a deep red under the infusion of battle qi, becoming a terrifying warhammer exuding an ominous aura.

"Hah!!!" the burly man suddenly roared, his voice like thunder, making everyone's ears ring. A ring of crimson battle qi exploded at his feet, and simultaneously, a shield of deep red battle qi formed in front of him. Under the acceleration of the battle qi, his figure erupted with a piercing sonic boom, seemingly about to shatter space as he instantly transformed into a streak of light, charging towards the city gate!

"Not good, he's going to smash the city gate."

Punk immediately understood his intention. The high-profile provocation and pointless negotiation earlier were all a prelude to this sudden "battering ram"! Once the city gate was breached, Konola City, having lost its final advantage, would be doomed!

However, Mainesi, standing beside the city gate, wouldn't let him succeed. He pointed his long, slender, emerald green staff towards the city gate. In an instant, with the sound of earth cracking, dozens of thick vines, over five meters tall and shimmering with a faint green glow, erupted from the ground. The intertwined branches perfectly blocked the charging warrior's path and quickly extended over ten meters wide, completely negating the burly man's attempt to change direction!

The burly man roared and crashed into the vines. A large number of green vines were shattered and torn by the red, scorching battle qi shield, but more vines wrapped around him, attempting to bind and crush the burly man who had lost his charging momentum!

However, realizing he couldn't break through in one go, the burly man didn't press his attack. With a nimble retreat that belied his massive frame, he leaped backward, easily evading the vines' pursuit!

Just then, Mainesi's second spell was released. A small, dark green orb filled with terrifying energy streaked through the air, leaving a faint afterimage as it flew towards the burly man's unprotected head. It was precisely when the burly man had retreated into mid-air, his strength depleted from using his battle skill and with no leverage in the air, that the attack arrived.

As Mainesi's attack was about to hit, in a flash, the burly man roared again, flipping in mid-air and smashing the dark green orb fiercely with his warhammer. Punk could sense that the explosive magical structure of the orb was shattered and destroyed by the burly man's battle qi. The remaining magical residue was scattered by the warhammer. The once powerful Formal Level spell could no longer pose a threat to a Formal Level expert.

The originally solid dark green orb shattered under the burly man's heavy hammer strike, splashing into scattered liquid that corroded the solid ground, leaving behind dark, worm-eaten holes.

The burly man spun in the air and landed gracefully on the ground. Mainesi did not follow up with another attack. The two Formal Level powerhouses stared at each other for a while! Although the previous exchange was complex and perilous, it had actually happened within mere seconds. Those without sufficient strength could only see flashes of red and green light erupting in the air. Only Journeyman Level professionals could discern how... spectacular and terrifying the confrontation had been!

"Mainesi, I didn't realize you trash had gotten a bit stronger since I last saw you. But you're still far from matching me. It's not too late to get out of this mess; stay far away from that Nasya. If I'm in a good mood, I'll pretend I didn't see you!" the burly man said, shouldering his warhammer and "advising" Mainesi at the top of his lungs.

"Lunka, your silver tongue has certainly improved since I last saw you. But you're not even fit to carry my shoes. It's not too late for you to die now; go find a cesspool and bury yourself. If I'm in a good mood, I'll scatter a few flowers for you!" Mainesi retorted in a low yet clear tone, his voice cold and tinged with mockery.

"Since that's the case, there's nothing more to say." Lunka, who had been unrestrained since his appearance, now wore a grim expression. He turned around, walked step by step into the army formation, and with a leap, sat on the command platform used by the commander. He lightly waved to a female Knight beside him.

"Begin the assault~" With Lunka's seemingly casual wave, the signal horn for the siege and magically amplified shouts echoed across the entire wilderness!

At the rear of the great army, siege ladders were carried by professionals, rushing towards the city walls at a speed faster than ordinary soldiers' charges. The dense arrow rain shot from the walls couldn't penetrate their battle qi-covered skin, but soon, devastating spells descended from the sky, following the arrow rain.

Balls of magical fire streaked across the sky, and clusters of battle qi flashed on the ground. Amidst the earth-shattering war cries and the clanging of armor, a magnificent battle... had begun!

Signed, happy, where are the votes and recommendations