The garrison of the second great city breached by Godspawn was larger than that of the first, and the alchemical patterns on its walls were denser.
The defenders had received news of the fall of the front lines in advance and had ample time to reinforce the city's defenses. Three new transmutation arrays had been added inside the walls, and more energy crystals had been stockpiled.
When Godspawn's army appeared on the horizon, the city walls were already packed with people—soldiers and alchemists alike.
The alchemists stood in formation, their palms pressed against the runes carved into the wall.
Composite alchemical arrays had also been laid across the plains beyond the city, three layers of formations overlapping to cover the entire open expanse.
The whole plain resembled an enormous trap, every inch of ground saturated with the alchemists' will and energy.
Once the battle began, the defenders did indeed hold out longer than the first city had.
Their composite alchemical arrays effectively halted the goblin troops' advance in the early stages.
Whenever shells struck the patterns, the runes flashed briefly before returning to normal. The activated traps significantly slowed the vanguard's advance.
But the goblin troops pressed on without regard for losses. To their hardened artillery, there was no fortress that could not be breached. The bombardment continued for a full two hours!
The patterns' recovery speed gradually failed to keep up.
The alchemists inside the walls also began to show signs of fatigue and could only take turns supplying energy in shifts.
Some kept both hands pressed against the runes, continuously pouring out energy, while others leaned against the walls for brief rests.
The high-ranking alchemist atop the wall continued directing the spellcasting. His gaze remained fixed on the horizon, waiting for a certain moment.
The distress signal had