Chapter 516

So Yuki decided to play along. You said you wouldn't leave any survivors? Fine, I'll give you the chance to hunt them down. I'll divide Abyss Fortress into two battlefields, inside and outside, to lure you into splitting your forces.

The biggest fear with this plan is that the commander will abandon the city walls. It's a case of "better to die than to die," but just as they trusted Yuki also firmly believed that these men would fight to the death for their homeland.

Their loved ones and relatives are inside the city. They would fight to the death to stop even one more great demon from entering the city. As long as they fight desperately, the pressure on Yuki will be less.

"We'll coordinate from afar; as long as it's not a single fist that smashes into me, I'll kill as many as come."

The temple leading into the instance is located halfway up the mountain, and looking out from the broken walls, you can see dark clouds shrouding the city walls.

Magic circles, beams of light, and crossbows flew everywhere like festive fireworks, with warriors and Sea Demon landing from time to time. In order to form a defensive line, the war commander took the initiative to lead his men out to attack, and the Sea Demon had to be skinned alive if they tried to sneak into the city.

The steps outside the temple were littered with corpses—civilians, golden-armored warriors, and Sea Demon who had come after hearing the news. Yuki's arrival was decisive; these rabble were no match for him.

"I was right. After the secret passage was opened, the enemy deployed more troops, but they didn't rush to fight to the death. It seemed more like they were forcing Dias to break out as soon as possible."

"Wrong."

A clear voice rang out, and Hathaway, dressed in battle armor, strode over like a female general.

Her blonde hair was stained black with blood; she no longer possessed the gentle beauty she had at first sight, but instead exuded a more heroic air.

"If the secret passage can be opened, why not use it?"

Yuki glanced back. The statue of Tido that he had seen at first sight was gone, and its base had turned into a large gate. Now that it was a fantasy world, they certainly wouldn't be digging tunnels.

Written as a secret passage, read as an underground network, it was originally intended to continue the resistance when Abyss Fortress fell, and both the entrance and exit required the War Commander's personal intervention.

"If, as you say, this secret passage cannot be opened at all because the key is His Tido Titus's blessing," Hathaway said bluntly, showing no mercy when it came to matters of life and death.

"Then tell me, why did the defensive barrier protecting the entire city fail? Wasn't that also a blessing from the Ocean God?" Yuki said calmly, only to see the girl's expression freeze, then she shook her head with a smile.

"You can't answer, can you? I won't blaspheme your faith; I'll only state the bloody facts. Whether the entrance can be opened or not is completely unimportant. Are you willing to gamble with the lives of the entire city?"

Hathaway was speechless for a moment, but she still didn't believe it. This wasn't just a matter of interests; just as no one could explain why Abyss Fortress, a place Sea God's Blessing, would be betrayed, it was also related to faith—faith in the gods.

As the daughter of a war commander, she was not naive, nor would she say nonsense like "you outsiders don't understand anything." Just then, she heard the sound of iron boots hitting the ground, turned her head, and saw that her face was full of hope.

"Mother, how is she?"

Elfi returned, surrounded by female warriors, most likely the women's army that Coles had mentioned. The war commander's wife, also clad in armor, had a grim expression and ignored her daughter.

"Mr. Crown, you guessed right."

Those few words turned everyone Yuki, pale. It wasn't just a matter of having their escape route cut off; it was something truly terrifying to think about.

If you can only go in and not go out, isn't that like a rat trapped in a bellows, being slaughtered inside?

Admittedly, the underground network of tunnels was also a defensive position, but it could not be more fortified than the Twelve Spires, and there was another fatal flaw.

"I forgot to tell you, Mr. Crown, the underground network tunnels are self-destructible; this is the Abyss Fortress's last vestige of glory."

When they ran out of ammunition and food, the city collapsed, crushing the network of defenses along with it, and they perished together with the enemy.

What an honorable death, yet that is precisely what provokes anger.

"Why! Why does Your Majesty desecrate this honor!?"

Who exactly is our enemy?

"I just can't understand it, I really can't understand it."

Ignoring the Roar around him, Yuki only took a deep breath. It seemed he had been too naive; the enemy was far more cunning and ruthless.

They could have simply destroyed the city and then caught the survivors. When Dias, with his loyal and brave soldiers, survived countless battles and discovered that the exit was blocked, the despair he felt was unimaginable.

This is no ordinary god; we must strike hard.

He closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them. "Stop complaining, stop questioning, forget the gods. We are fighting for survival now. Only by surviving can we spread Justice and truth!"

"Mr. Crown is right, only the living are qualified to talk about Justice." Mrs. Elfi immediately emphasized that such a battle-hardened veteran did not need any reminders, and she herself helped Yuki stabilize the morale of his troops.

Not for gods, but for survival.

These eight words were irrefutable. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Yuki. He had seen through the enemy's plot, and it was time for him to give the order.

Yuki didn't refuse; he had already made up his mind.

"Hathaway, I'll give you two hundred men. Go and gather everyone in the city. Save as many as you can, and send them all into the underground network tunnels."

"Uh, didn't you guess the enemy could destroy the network?"

"It's possible, but the enemy wants to wipe out the entire enemy force. If Abyss Fortress were to self-destruct Earth Collapse, I don't believe this barrier could withstand it. As long as we're still alive, they naturally won't help open an escape route."

"Just do what I tell you to do. Why all the nonsense? Are you as smart as Mr. Crown?" Elfi glared at his daughter, who pursed her lips in grievance.

"Yes, Mother." She turned and walked away with a group of soldiers, but after a few steps she turned back and gave Yuki a chest-thumping salute.

"Yes, Lord Crown!"

The sound of armor clashing faded into the distance. Yuki smiled, looked around, and said, "The Sea Demon will definitely send a detachment to attack here. Because there isn't enough time, besieging us will cause chaos in our ranks. Perhaps the War Commander will get desperate and bring reinforcements."

This is precisely the problem that Yuki is most worried about, because human weakness lies in emotion; sometimes, even knowing something is wrong, we can't help but do it.

"Lady Elfi, will the War General waver?"

Lady Wonderful straightened her chest and exclaimed, "No, that fool is as resolute as steel!"

"That will be a great help. As long as he holds the twelve spires, he can buy us some time and relieve some of the pressure." Yuki breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his voice, "Madam, please go to the exit. A friend of mine will be waiting there."

"Outsider?"

"Yes." Yuki lied. He had already sent his Stand User over and divided the Night Furnace, so he might actually be able to break through to an exit.

"We are filled with unknowns, and the enemy is not sure whether outsiders can break the Sea God's Blessing and open the passage."

Yuki glanced at the top of the wall. Tens of thousands of ferocious Sea Demon had filled the wall. The twelve spires were like twelve lights, separated from each other. Just as they were talking, one of the lights suddenly went out.

"I also need to share some of the burden with him."

The plan was full of surprises and seemed rushed from the start.

Outside the city, Morgas gazed at the top of the wall, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

Upon receiving news from the northern mountains, he had to launch the attack ahead of schedule. However, the Abyss Fortress was more vigilant than expected, turning what was supposed to be a sneak attack into a full-scale assault.

That's not all; the difference in strength between the two sides is too great, enough to force the enemy to retreat and break through through the underground network tunnels, which is the only way out.

But the script went wrong again. The enemy seemed to have lost their minds and prematurely exposed the existence of the secret passage. The defenders on the city wall remained steadfast in their defenses, as if they wanted to cover the civilians' escape first, completely disregarding the fact that the secret passage had been exposed and they would lose their way to survival.

"A strange kind of courage, but this means the simple plan can't be used."

Morgas muttered to himself, "The secret can no longer be kept. Those who escape first will surely discover that the underground tunnels are inaccessible and that Abyss Fortress has become a true death trap."

That wouldn't be so bad; at worst, there would be more casualties, more time wasted, and the city could be wiped out using brute force. But the problem is—

"I don't have enough time. Every second that passes increases the danger."

The dragons are asleep, but it's anyone's guess when they'll awaken. And there's that outsider called 'Flame-Chaser,' who chose to remain silent but didn't join them.

These are all uncertainties. Every second of delay will make the opening of the grand show less perfect. What he wants is for the Sea Demon and dragons to unite and destroy the Abyss Fortress, leaving the Divine Race with no choice but to launch a full-scale war.

"A fortress has fallen!"

Cheers erupted around him, and Morgas finally smiled when he saw one of the twelve 'lights' on the wall go out.

Regardless of how much the opponent knows or what their response is, I have an overwhelming advantage in combat power.

With the twelve spires forming a defensive perimeter, the defensive formation was broken, making the rest easier.

Rationally, I really don't want to take on these tough challenges, and the Sea Demon shouldn't be suffering such heavy losses here, but I don't have time.

Morgas thought to himself, slowly raising his right hand. "Give it your all, breach the city walls, and unleash your fury upon Abyss Fortress Keep."

Roar--

The roars of beasts filled the air as thousands more Sea Demon joined the attack. He then looked at Moresa and the others.

"You all go too, and quickly take the city walls, otherwise we'll have to go around these spires, and the casualties will be too great."

This was already a clumsy, forceful method. He smashed the tortoise shell layer by layer, and seeing that several demons had left to carry out their orders, he did not insist on the rest.

Thousands of years of brainwashing will eventually take some time to reverse; after all, he has plenty of pawns at his disposal.

"Did no great sea demon leave its tribe to contact the Snow Demon?" He asked the coral-like Sea Demon a question completely unrelated to the battlefield.

Because of the erosion, the Sea Demon reacted slowly and shook its head.

"That's strange, how could there be...?"

"No, we were sleeping after we got tired from fighting the dragons, and we didn't know who would leave," the Sea Demon finally replied.

Morgas was choked by the retort, but he didn't bother to scold the fool who was talking so loudly. His expression changed slightly, he frowned, and suddenly looked into the city.

Was it that outsider with spatial abilities? When did he come in?

As if listening intently, a few seconds later, his entire face turned somber.

"Launch a general offensive! Split into two groups: one to surround the spire, and the other to proceed immediately to the Ocean Temple!"

His sudden change of mind left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment. Hadn't they agreed to proceed cautiously, first destroying the spire and then trapping the enemy like turtles in a jar?

The defenses haven't collapsed yet; trying to break through would come at a great cost.

"Don't question me, just do as I say!" Morgas didn't waste any more words this time. With a low growl, the impatient Sea Demon surged out like a burst dam.

The black tide surged continuously from the spatial gate, overflowing the high walls and rushing into the city. The eleven spires remained as immovable as reefs in the waves, constantly tearing pieces of flesh from the passing Sea Demon.

Casualties surged, and the battlefield descended into chaos. Morgas stared coldly, his eyes burning like flames.

The script has gone awry again; a second outsider has appeared, trying to crack the exit of the underground network.

Poseidon did not respond. Theoretically, no one could open the exit, but he dared not gamble, because the outsider's power was another layer of system. If it were to be broken through, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

"Damn it, when did he figure it out?"

They've arrived.

Yuki opened his eyes to a magnificent scene that defied description.

The massive wall, hundreds of meters high, was flooded by a black tide, filled with grotesque, dark demons. Their sheer number was enough to make one's scalp crawl. Fortunately, the city's defenses had not been breached. The tide crashed against the Ishigami and shattered with a deafening roar.

They fought fiercely with the defenders, their defensive shields trembling under the impact. Most of the shields were blocked, and the trapped waters trickled in through the gaps, eventually overflowing the inner sea and covering parts of the city.

The flames died down, the fleeing humans were swallowed up, and then surged up the long street toward the mountaintop.

Thousands upon thousands, endless and overwhelming, their presence even more terrifying than Global Insect Calamity, Yuki stood in the plaza before the temple, surrounded by thousands of guards.

There were elite troops brought by Yuki, as well as the city's garrison and female soldiers. More than two thousand people held their breath, and there was a deathly silence. Their eyes under their helmets kept scanning their surroundings.

Lady Elfi stood in the middle of the formation, calming the restless Pegasus.

"Raise the shield."

Boom--Clang--

A unified sound rang out, and a thick shield was placed on the ground, while a massive magic circle unfolded beneath their feet.

Divine Art: Ocean Battle Formation

Each soldier is like a wave, and thousands of them seem to merge into one.

Stamina recovery, strength boost, fear dispel, super-fast repair...

Various lights flashed, countless buffs stacked, and even a huge phantom gathered above their heads. It had a fish head and a human body and was none other than Tido, God of the Sea.

"Raise your spear!"

Zheng.

Yuki suddenly saw a golden forest of spears appear before his eyes, all the regular army soldiers moving in perfect unison, making it look particularly spectacular.

This battle formation is quite impressive; it's no wonder this is a high-magic world. It seems I underestimated the Demon-Hunting Army.

Yuki turned his gaze to the beautiful blonde woman, who stood side by side with several generals, like the eye of the formation. A tremendous power surged from her body, making the hundred-meter-tall phantom of the deity come to life.

This was a cumulative amplification, with the woman's long hair burning with golden flames, as if it were a control center. She gripped her spear and leaned back, and just like a copy-paste, two thousand people made the same movement.

"Great Tido, let the waves protect your people, let the golden thunder unleash your wrath."

"A miracle. Ocean Tide."

As the prayers were being offered, the phantom of the deity seemed to come alive, leaning back with a trident in hand, mirroring the movements of the two thousand-plus people.

Is this a miracle? Unlike divine magic, it directly borrows the power of the chief god. Strange, Tido sold the Abyss Fortress, how can he still use miracles?