The massive Noxian Plaza saddle, forged from black stone, created a somber and oppressive atmosphere. The sound of iron hooves echoed on the stone ground. Beyond this main road lay the Walcutt Mountains —a vast mountain range that separated Valoran from the ocean, stretching across Valoran from western Demacia to the eastern Noxus territory.
"Retas!"
On a massive warhorse clad in heavy iron armor, Viscount Kirill, wearing a steel helmet that revealed only his eyes, and dressed in black and white heavy armor, with a red shawl tied around his left arm that swayed in the wind, pulled on the reins of his double-edged greatsword, stopped his horse, and turned to look at the large army following behind.
"Speak, Viscount Kirill." Retas, dressed in armor and wearing a helmet that exposed his face, rode up to Viscount Kirill and spoke.
Retas was born into a good merchant family in Noxus, but he was also an excellent horseman. He quickly reached Viscount Kirill's side, his expression calm.
Once he joined the army, Kirill became his superior, and he had to obey all of Kirill's orders.
In Noxus, military power is not everything; in Noxus, ability does not simply represent strength.
Therefore, although Retas had no title, his status was not much different from Kirill's. However, once he joined the army, Retas had to obey Kirill's orders.
"Organize the entire army to reorganize, and at the same time dispatch cavalry to urge the infantry regiments to speed up their march!" Viscount Kirill said in a deep voice.
Valoran is a vast plain, but where Noxian Plaza was built, there will be no muddy ground, but rather a flat, paved road.
This is due to the Noxians custom; after conquering a place, they would often build Noxian Plaza, a symbol of imperial power and glory.
Therefore, seeing this thing means you have entered Noxus territory.
Therefore, on the constructed roads, the Noxus infantry would not move slowly. Coupled with the Noxians' formidable physical prowess, covering a hundred kilometers in a day and night was not a difficult task for them.
It's important to understand that the legion led by Viscount Kirill was not a ragtag army; his legion was not cannon fodder on the battlefield, and the old, weak, sick, and disabled would not appear in his army.
"Yes." Retas nodded, then went to relay Viscount Kirill's orders.
Every now and then, two warhorses would break away from the rear of the cavalry regiment and charge off in the opposite direction.
"Issue my order: the entire army shall rest and recuperate!"
"Remove the horses' armor, tie them up, and feed them. We'll spend the night here!" Viscount Kirill squinted at the Walcutt Mountains, and after much deliberation, decided against going any further.
Upon hearing this, Retas was somewhat surprised. He stepped forward and whispered in a voice only he and Kirill could hear, "General, aren't we going into the Walcutt Mountains?"
"No." Kirill shook his head. "I understand what you mean, Retas. You want to get to Piltover tonight, then rest under their noses and put pressure on them, right?"
"Piltover is weak. Although their development speed in recent years has exceeded our expectations, and they have also united with Zaun, I don't think they can resist us. According to intelligence, Piltover's defense force is only a few hundred men, and they are all ordinary people who have never been on the battlefield and are weak and incompetent. One charge from our cavalry regiment will wipe out their entire defense force," Retas said seriously.
He paused, then continued, "And their prized technology, those rifles, are nothing but children's toys in the face of our heavy cavalry's armor."
"That's true, but Ambessa has suffered a defeat in this city-state," Kirill said calmly, removing his helmet.
"The Iron-Blooded Wolf Mother?" Retas said with some disdain upon hearing this, "Medarda was indeed powerful, but that was in the past. Now she's just an old woman who lost in the power struggle and was forced to flee Noxus in search of a way to survive. How many people did she take with her when she left Noxus?"
"Furthermore, I do not believe that the retainers of the Medarda family are comparable to your army," Retas said.
Kirill smiled and shook his head. "So you businessmen, you people who play mind games, you don't understand anything."
"No matter how down on her luck Ambessa is now, she was once a great general under Swain, LeBlanc, and Gorton. She conquered a quarter of this land."
"That's right, but she lost to Piltover." Retas stroked his chin and said with a smile, "She's old now, no longer the general who killed countless enemies on the battlefield and led from the front."
"She brought so many men, yet she couldn't take this city-state. If it were me, I think I could easily take it with just fifty men, let alone the general. We have fifteen hundred men now," Retas said.
Kirill shook his head again, though he agreed with Retas's assessment that Ambessa was old and no longer useful.
Just like Darkwill, in the past, no one in Noxus Darkwill to disobey his orders. Wherever his orders reached, the Noxians would rush forward without hesitation, putting death aside and sacrificing their lives to fight for the empire.
But what about now?
Darkwill is incompetent and corrupt; as far as Kirill knows, more than half of the army is already outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant towards him.
Even so, this wouldn't change Kirill's mind, because that's his fighting style.
When facing the enemy, they show no mercy and kill them in one fell swoop. This is the style of Noxus soldiers. They will not give the enemy a chance to breathe. If they want to surrender or pledge allegiance, they will have to wait until the war is over and they have been stabbed!
He reached out and patted Retas on the shoulder, a fierce glint in his eyes. He said softly, "The battlefield is not child's play. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. This is a principle Swain taught me. And remember who you are, Retas."
"."
"I see."
Retas lowered his head, shut his mouth, and remained silent.
As evening approached, Kirill's infantry regiment finally appeared, transforming from a black dot into a black line as it slowly approached the rest area.
Warhorses pulled wagons loaded with grain and goods, with smaller carts pushed by people behind them, also carrying various war supplies.
Sword, spear, bow and arrow
"Ignition!"
Kirill gave the order, and soon the soldiers gathered in small groups around the hanging pot, and Kirill's army began to eat.
After tonight
He intended to trample Piltover, seize the city, and present it to Lincton as a reward for his advancement in the Noxus army.
Wealth is important, but in Noxus, power is more important.
Darkwill's rule is clearly coming to an end. By offering Piltover to General Lincton, he can help Kirill become a warlord in a fragmented Noxus, rather than a pawn.
With his eyes half-closed, Kirill sipped the hot, savory meat soup in his bowl, dreaming about his future, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
At the same time, in Piltover, standing before the Hex Gate, Li Ke looked at the gleaming crystal magic orb with a strange expression.
This was the first time he'd seen the control mechanism for Hex Gate, and to be honest Li Ke thought it was pretty overpowered.
The Hex Airship passes through a portal and arrives directly on the other side of the world. During this process, there is no human operator, meaning it is fully automated. Therefore, this device is the control center of the Hex Airship's "intelligence".
"The anchor point has been determined. The Hex Gate can be used at any time. Reduce speed to ensure that the Enforcer can accurately hit the enemy when firing from the airship."
"The law enforcement officers have all boarded the Hex Airship and are on standby. The Crystal Cannon have been installed and there is an ample supply of ammunition."
Jayce placed his large hand on the crystal sphere and spoke.
"Alright, we're ready to go anytime." He turned to look at Li Ke.
Jinx, her eyes shining, clung to Li Ke's arm and said, "I want to go too!"
She didn't want to see fireworks, nor did she want to see Noxians screaming in agony from the explosions. She wasn't into gory scenes of flying limbs; Jinx wasn't that crazy!
She was going because she wanted to ride Hex Airship; she had wanted to ride one since she was little, but had never had the chance.
And now, this is a great opportunity!
Li Ke nodded and said with a smile, "Let's go, everyone, let's go see our results."
As Li Ke's voice faded, the group, including Jayce, the pilot, walked out the door and arrived at the airship landing point.
A massive, azure-blue airship was hovering outside, with dozens of law enforcement officers standing on it—a mix of Zaun and Piltover Enforcer —standing ready and waiting.
Then, all the congressmen boarded the same airship. Kiramman clung to the railing, but in reality, she didn't need to do that at all.
The airship's speed is astonishing, thanks to a protective barrier; otherwise, at its speed of reaching Freljord in an hour, even Kiramman's desperate attempts to escape would have resulted in him being flung away.
Li Ke, on the other hand, looked curiously at the Crystal Cannon on the airship.
The craftsmanship of the people of the two cities was superb. It was not simply placed on the airship, but rather embedded in the airship's equipment. After the safety lock was fastened, the Hextech Cannon was firmly fixed to the airship. The law enforcement officer stood behind the cannon and could adjust the firing position left, right, up, and down.
Looking at the law enforcement officer operating the Hextech Cannon, Li Ke couldn't help but admire him; this intelligent person was truly remarkable.
It's really that you give them an idea, and they can follow that idea to come up with several different but correct paths.
Why don't I have that kind of brain?
Li Ke lowered his head in thought.
In the Walcutt Mountains, Kirill sipped his soup, and his soldiers smiled broadly, some even playing drinking games.
Kirill didn't stop them, after all, he shared the same thought as the soldiers—what trouble could there be in taking down Piltover?
Yes, there's Zaun too, but isn't Zaun even worse than Piltover? Not a single War Masons sent to Piltover wanted to go to Zaun, which shows that Zaun is poor, chaotic, and incompetent. What difference does it make if we include it?
They're just two pieces of trash.
Thinking about it, Kirill chuckled.
But at that moment, the place where Kirill was suddenly shrouded in shadow.
Did it get dark so quickly today?
As summer approaches, the days in Valoran become longer, and it usually doesn't get completely dark until after 7 PM. And right now, it's only evening!
Thinking about it, Kirill raised his head.
Then, his pupils contracted instantly, because the sky was filled with enormous "monsters," each with a massive body tens of meters long, far exceeding the size of Demacia's dragon bird legion.
"Enemy—" Realizing what was happening, Kirill sprang to his feet, grabbed the helmet beside him, and was about to put it on when he shouted.
But the next moment, accompanied by a deafening roar from the sky—"Boom!"
A bright blue crystal sphere pierced the air, hurtling from a height of a hundred meters toward Kirill's position.
The crystal sphere wasn't large, about the size of Noxians helmet. Upon seeing it, Kirill looked puzzled, but instinctively picked up the massive greatsword and, with superhuman reflexes, leaped high into the air, wielding the greatsword with both hands to slash at the crystal sphere.
At that moment, Kirill finally saw what it was. It was indeed a spherical object, but it wasn't a crystal sphere. Instead, it was a gray-black sphere with a skull and crossbones symbol on it. Kirill had mistaken it for a crystal sphere because the burning blue flames had misled him.
Looking at the gray sphere, Kirill burst into laughter:
"You bunch of Piltover are fucking insane! Do you think I can't do anything to you just by throwing stones down from a height?!"
"Is this piece of junk even remotely useful?!"
Kirill swung his greatsword with all his might and roared, "Break—!!!"
With a sound, Kirill's greatsword struck the iron ball; his speed was truly fast, and his strength was truly immense.
After all, the fact that he could leap nearly three meters while wearing heavy armor was nothing short of monstrous. You have to understand that even the law enforcement officers of the two cities had a hard time moving around while wearing that heavy armor!
But Kirill suddenly swung his heavy sword, which weighed over a hundred pounds, and faced the iron ball head-on, striking it with a single blow.
His bravery also helped the Noxians were initially panicked by the appearance of countless "monsters," quickly regain their composure. The soldiers quickly donned their armor, picked up their weapons, and some even drew their bows, ready to shoot down the Noxus.
But in the air at this moment.
A hundred meters above the clouds, on an airship, Jinx gripped the railing with one hand and held binoculars in the other, leaning out to look down and yelling, "Wow, Li Ke, look! There's an idiot!"
Hearing Jinx's voice, Silco covered her face with her hands.
He genuinely doesn't remember raising Jinx to be like this.
Vander glared angrily at Silco, believing that Silco this.
The Piltover councilors also had strange expressions, but they all inexplicably believed that the blue-haired madman was right.
Because that guy really is an idiot.
Not only did he not dodge, but he also actively used his sword to cut the bomb. Seriously, is he that brave?
Li Ke was watching too, and he chuckled at Kirill's actions. Indeed, this guy's physical abilities might surpass his own when he first entered Soul Blossom and fought Sevika after meeting Jinx. But... facing cannon fire head-on?
Even Vander wasn't that brave!
It's important to know that Zaun's weapons have undergone several updates and iterations. The Chemtech Bomb created under Jinx's research are many times more powerful than previous generations of bombs!
If this thing explodes, half of Vander's body will be blown to pieces, leaving him lying on the ground, waiting for his body to heal.
So.
"Li Ke, are these idiots always this brave?" Jinx turned to look at Li Ke, put down her binoculars, and said excitedly.
Just as Li Ke was about to answer, a violent explosion rang out from below.
The shockwave even shook the Hex Airship was hundreds of meters high.
Boom!!!
In an instant, light appeared on the pitch-black plain, violent sparks engulfed and rose, and a chorus of wails rose from below.
"No!"
"What's this!"
Unaffected by the blast, Retas covered his ears with both hands. Despite the ringing and dizziness, he forced back his nausea and saw Kirill's body fly out. He noticed a horrifying dent in the middle of Kirill's heavy armor, his helmet was charred black, and his exposed hands and feet had completely disappeared!
"Viscount Kirill? Viscount Kirill!"
Retas shouted loudly, but Kirill, lying in the distance, did not answer him.
"Bang!"
"Boom!"
A series of sounds rang out, Retas looked up in a daze, only to see countless crystal spheres falling from the sky, each carrying a blue flame, crashing to the ground.
One of them, Kirill, and his personal guards, were left in a state of uncertainty, their fates unknown.
And now, dozens of them are falling at the same time?
Retas's eyes were filled with terror!
"Boom!"
Each crystal sphere that landed on the ground caused a massive explosion with a diameter of several meters, sending countless soldiers flying and leaving their fates unknown.
Retas was among them; he was hit by a shell and his body flew backward for more than ten meters before landing on the ground. Before losing consciousness, he saw his limbs twisted from the impact.
The armor did protect him, but his body couldn't withstand such a terrifying impact.
Even now, Retas still can't understand what kind of weapon it is.
Is it a shell?
But aren't cannonballs iron balls? Noxus also has cannons, mounted on their warships, but those contain huge iron balls used to sink other ships. So why do their cannonballs explode?
And why did so many appear at once?
Does loading shells take time? Doesn't the gun barrel need cooling?
Those "monsters," are they Hex Airship?
But when did Piltover install these weapons on its airships?
Retas had many questions to ask.
However, a crystal ball struck a spot a meter behind him.
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, the Noxians scattered and fled.
This is a natural disaster.
It's a natural disaster!
This is simply beyond human capability to handle!
Run! Yes, run fast!
We can't stop!
The frightened horses either died or ran away, leaving them to flee on foot across the plains.
Meanwhile, aboard the Hex Airship, Marcus, the leader of this operation, coldly issued orders upon seeing the situation.
"Enforcer!"
"Ship number three, bombard the north in succession!"
"Ship number two, fire forward and create a barrage!"
"Ship number six, head northeast!"
"Squeeze out the Noxians' escape routes and surround them!"
"Start the boat! Pursue! Fire!"
"Kill all the invaders, leave no one alive!"
Marcus stood in front of the microphone, full of pride, waving his hand and speaking loudly.
This guy
Looking at Marcus in the control room, Li Ke stroked his chin, and suddenly an idea popped into his head.
Twin Cities has many talented people from various fields, but it truly lacks battlefield commanders and generals.
Because neither city has a regular army yet, even though Zaun has started to build an army, population remains a problem. Therefore, Vander currently has fewer people under his command than Vi, the chief of law enforcement.
Therefore, is it possible to cultivate Marcus?
Human potential is limitless. Sometimes, whether you can do it or not, you only know by doing it.
Now, the spirited Marcus clearly has the talent in this area!
Jayce looked excitedly at the ground being bombarded repeatedly, just like the councilors from both cities.
Mel looked on with a mixture of relief and unease, thinking how fortunate it was that this weapon was in the hands of the Twin Cities; if it had fallen into the hands of the Noxians, Mel was certain they would have been able to fly their airships to Great City of Demacia and plant bombs that very day!
When air force attacks infantry, even the most skilled cavalry are no match for them, let alone under widespread bombing!
Once the horse is startled, it's completely out of control!
Member of Parliament Kiramman, on the other hand, had a rosy complexion and seemed to be delighted.
Representative Hoskall had a protruding belly and a ruddy complexion.
Saro let out a series of strange cries, venting the anger he had suffered from being bullied by the Noxians in the past.
Silco smiled, while Vander was somewhat annoyed. He felt that under such a barrage of artillery fire, individual bravery was utterly meaningless. Didn't Jinx mention that idiot, the guy who looked like Noxus general? He got blown up by the bombs, didn't he?
Science and technology
They can truly do things that ordinary people can't even imagine!
Previously, Vander didn't care about this, believing that no matter how advanced technology became, human strength would always prevail. But now, seeing the Noxians routed and fleeing, the enforcers were simply lined up on airships with bombs in their hands, while two other enforcers, one responsible for pointing the cannons and the other for pressing the fire button, were causing the Noxians to crumble and flee.
From this day forward, another chapter will be added to the history of war in Valoran.
This chapter is destined to be written by the Twin Cities.
Zaun and Piltover changed the course of the war!