Before long, twenty-two suits of fine steel armor stood neatly beneath the gate tower, as still as twenty war gods atop the city wall. They gleamed so brightly in the sunlight that no one could look directly at them.
These were the twenty-three suits of heavy knight's armor that Chambord City's old king had spent his life collecting. Forged from the toughest, repeatedly refined iron mixed with large quantities of steel essence, they looked imposing, were immensely valuable, and offered astonishing protection. Ordinary weapons could not hope to penetrate them. They were absolute war machines.
During his lifetime, the old king had regarded these suits as treasures to be passed down with the kingdom. He kept them in the palace hall, unable to bear taking them out. He often stroked and polished them alone, and had never once used them. He loved them as dearly as his own life.
Yet today, Sun Fei had ordered these "national treasures" brought up onto the wall without the slightest hesitation.
Most of the people on the wall had no idea what young King Alexander intended. They whispered among themselves, watching with curiosity and nervousness.
"Well, my warriors, can you wear heavy armor like this?" Sun Fei asked the big men, pointing at the twenty-two suits of gleaming silver armor.
"Absolutely, Your Majesty!" At the sight of the glittering suits, the men's eyes turned as red as rabbits that had spotted carrots. It was a true warrior's passion for weapons, as it had been since ancient times.
"Good. Hurry up. Each of you pick a suit that fits and put it on as fast as you can. We don't have much time left."
The big men were all straightforward, single-minded fellows. At Sun Fei's command, they set about grabbing and choosing armor amid laughter and chatter, without a word of refusal.
"Pierce, pick a suit too. You're coming down from the wall to kill enemies with me."
"Wonderful!" The white-haired strongman beamed at the news and went to join the scramble for armor.
Though these suits offered astonishing protection, they were forged from refined iron mixed with even more expensive and heavier steel essence. Each weighed at least sixty or seventy jin. That was why Sun Fei had asked Brook to pick strongmen from among the soldiers. An ordinary man wearing one would need someone to carry him just to walk, let alone fight and kill enemies.
These twenty-odd strongmen were the entire force Sun Fei had decided to take on the offensive.
Though none of them knew Dou Qi, every one was a man of immense strength. Clad in the suits of heavy knight's armor, impervious to blades and spears, they would be like twenty-odd tigers let out of their cages. On the narrow stone bridge, if used properly, they could be more effective in battle than Dou Qi experts.
From the beginning, Sun Fei had never planned to take too many men to assault the black-armored soldiers' formation.
His gaze swept over Brook, and he hesitated for a moment.
The captain of the king's guard, a One-Star Warrior, would have been a good choice for the charge. But Sun Fei suddenly remembered that without this commander to plan and direct things on the wall, everything would descend into chaos if an unexpected situation arose. They really could not do without him.
After a moment's thought, Sun Fei decided it would be better to leave this capable commander on the wall to keep the situation stable. Looking past Brook, he saw Warden Oleg standing by the breach in the wall, his expression shifting. An idea occurred to him, and he beckoned the death-fearing Bootlicker over.
"Go pick a suit of armor and put it on." Sun Fei gave the Bootlicker a stern look.
Oleg blinked in confusion. He had been too far away to hear what had led up to this, and did not know why he was being told to pick armor. Thinking His Majesty had taken pity on him and was giving him a suit to protect his life, the Bootlicker beamed and trotted over to put on the suit Pierce and the big men had left behind.
Soon, more soldiers came over carrying several oversized weapons.
These heavy weapons had also been brought out of the king's hall. They were part of the old king's collection, which he had loved as dearly as his life. Sun Fei had taken them out today, and they were just what he needed.
Clang! Clang!
There were twenty-one weapons in all, including giant axes and hammers. Black and fearsome in appearance, they radiated a violent, oppressive presence and a chilling aura. Dropped onto the ground, each one smashed a large pit and cracked the stone paving, a testament to its weight.
"Each of you pick a weapon that suits you."
At the king's command, the strongmen each grabbed a suitable weapon without hesitation. Pierce, the white-haired strongman, chose another pair of enormous, dramatically shaped refined-iron hammers. Drogba chose a long-handled giant axe, its blade as large as a door. A single glance at its chilling edge was enough to make a man's legs cramp with fright.
Only then did Warden Oleg finally sense that something was wrong.
But seeing the stern expression on King Alexander's face, he did not dare ask. He circulated his Dou Qi, picked up a long-handled saber taller than himself, and stood to one side.
Seeing there was no weapon for him, Brook grew anxious. "Your Majesty, I..."
"Stay on the wall and hold Chambord City for me until we return." Sun Fei placed a hand on the black-haired man's shoulder and said gravely, "Here, you're the only one I can trust."
Brook went stiff and stood there, stunned.
Sun Fei said nothing more. He took the forty-six animal-hide waterskins, already filled with clean water, from the soldiers beside him, gave an order, then turned and entered the stone house out of everyone's sight.
With a thought, he took a bottle of [Healing Potion] and a bottle of [Stamina Potion] from his barbarian's belt. He put a few drops into each waterskin and shook them to dilute the potions evenly. After putting the two bottles away, he called the twenty-two [iron men] clad head to toe in steel armor into the stone house and gave each of them two waterskins.
"His Highness the War God has bestowed glory and blessed us. One sip of the water in the blue waterskin will remove fatigue. One sip of the water in the red waterskin will ease pain and heal wounds... Once you charge into the enemy ranks, take care to protect yourselves. If you're hurt or tired, drink the water immediately."
Pierce and the strongmen were overjoyed to hear Sun Fei's words.
Though they were all naturally strong, wearing sixty or seventy jin of equipment would inevitably tire them out in a long fight. With the two waterskins of mysteriously magical water His Majesty Alexander had described, they no longer had to worry and could charge into battle to their hearts' content.
Warden Oleg finally understood why he had been told to put on armor. His face went deathly pale, cold sweat poured down his body, and his mind went blank. Trembling, he could barely get his words out. "Your Majesty, I... I..."
Sun Fei glanced at him, his gaze turning cold.
Oleg's heart pounded and cold sweat poured down his face. He swallowed the rest of his words, not daring to say them no matter what.
"Everyone, take a sip from the blue waterskin first, then prepare to descend the wall."
As he spoke, Sun Fei put on the suit of heavy knight's armor he had taken off earlier in the stone house.
Gulp, gulp.
Pierce and the other twenty-odd men tilted their heads back and drank from their blue waterskins.
The moment the water entered their mouths, cries of surprise rang out across the stone house.
Shock appeared on every face.
They could all feel it clearly: an incredible, miraculous power flowed with the water into every part of their bodies in an instant. In the blink of an eye, they were filled from head to toe with inexhaustible strength.
The armor's weight vanished in an instant, as though they were wearing nothing more than thin cloth. They could not only run, but even jump. The enormous weapons in their hands, weighing forty or fifty jin, felt as light as straws.
It had all happened so suddenly that it seemed like a beautiful illusion.
But seeing the same astonishment in their companions' eyes, they finally confirmed that what they felt was no illusion. It was a real magical effect, as though a mage had cast a Weightlessness Spell on each of them.
It was truly miraculous.
"Once we're down, everyone must obey my orders without the slightest defiance, or you'll be killed on the spot..." Sun Fei looked at the warriors he had chosen, murderous intent radiating from him. He flicked up the dark giant axe he had first used with his toe and caught it in his right hand. Tucking his helmet under his left arm, he turned and led the way out of the stone house-
"Move out!"
The group marched out of the stone house, their bearing proud and spirited.
Following Sun Fei's orders, the soldiers had already prepared twenty thick, heavy ropes and thrown them down from the top of the wall. Pierce went first. He pulled his metal helmet over his head and waved his giant hammers at the soldiers in the distance in farewell. Though he could not know whether he would live or die, Pierce paid it no mind. Laughing, he grabbed a rope and leaped straight off the wall...
The Stamina Potion diluted in the water had raised Pierce's endurance to an astonishing level. Despite his heavy armor, his body remained remarkably agile. Like a raging giant ape, he loosened and tightened his grip on the rope a few times and slid effortlessly to the foot of the wall.
Boom!
The moment his feet hit the ground, he left a deep footprint, sending dust flying.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The other twenty-odd strongmen slid down the ropes and landed almost at the same time. Like twenty-odd steel giants descending from the sky to the foot of the wall, they made the earth tremble. They quickly gathered around Pierce and formed a V-shaped wedge.
On the wall, Sun Fei looked back at Brook and Lampard. Just as he was about to put on his helmet and slide down a rope, a cry came from the distance.
"Alexander, you can't leave the city..."
The beautiful girl came running down the distant stone steps, lifting the hem of her skirt. Her voice was thick with tears as she tried to stop Alexander from leaving the city and risking his life. Even from afar, the panic on her exquisitely beautiful face was clear to see...
"Angela..."
Sun Fei looked at her intently, committing her face to memory. Without another word, he put on his helmet and grabbed the rope, only his eyes visible through the slits in his faceplate. He cast a reluctant glance toward the approaching Angela, paused briefly, then turned and slid down the rope.
Once the operation began, it had to be carried out with lightning speed. Even the slightest delay would alert the enemy.
Sun Fei had no time to say even a single word to Angela.
I recommend "The Dead Reborn," a new work by a new Zongheng author. The writing is quite good; everyone can go take a look.
The real climax is about to begin.
Brothers, send those votes flying. Please add this to your collections and give it red votes.