For High-Rank Transcendent, the Desolation City was actually not very large, so the group quickly arrived at the ' Dragon Tree Small War Zone'.
Lancelot leaped a hundred meters into the air, landing atop an anti-aircraft tower. Military facilities suitable for gathering had already been prepared there; the sophisticated setup clearly indicated the work of an experienced individual.
Since that was the case, Lancelot did not change the existing sniper position. He took out a metal card, gave it a light shake, and with a click-clack of metal, a 1.7-meter-long, aesthetically pleasing yet menacingly designed sniper rifle appeared in his hand.
This is the Shadow Lady, a purely technological weapon that uses an internal circulation energy system, combined with multiple matrices and ultra-precise components to form a deadly assassination tool.
Given the Alliance's technological level, even at the level of weapons that can be considered highly sophisticated, they would utilize Matter Folding Technology for ease of transport.
The recoil of the Shadow Lady is not considered high among guns of the same quality, but to ensure sniping stability, Lancelot still equipped it with a bipod and an aiming assist system.
He wasn't Logo, that humanoid supercomputer. While his brain's processing speed far surpassed that of ordinary people, it was primarily used for combat. In terms of observation and insight, it wasn't sufficient to unleash the full potential of the Legend three-star sniper rifle.
After installing Shadow Lady, Lancelot took out the metal card formed from the compressed Flame Tyrant. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to activate it, but to place it aside as a trump card.
After all, this thing is too big and easy for the enemy to detect, which can easily attract concentrated fire. Moreover Flame Tyrant's defense is not high and it is not very durable. This means that it is best to take the enemy by surprise to get the greatest benefit.
With everything prepared, Lancelot closed his eyes and meditated, a habit he had developed through countless battles, which helped him to calm his mind and focus.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the attic.
Bishop Bolai, dressed in a black and gold robe, was conversing with two other Legendary who had been hidden away.
Bishop Bolai's life rank is only Tier Nine, but his status is very high because he is one of the most steadfast believers in Sebawen Faith, and is even favored by the God of Dawn. Of course, this is Sebawen Faith's official statement, and whether it is self-aggrandizement is a matter of Sage.
"Bishop Bolai, is your information reliable?" one of the Legendary asked. She was a forest elf, wearing a wreath of flowers, with an exquisitely beautiful face and a cold, aloof demeanor—an absolute goddess.
"Your Excellency Aifuna, please rest assured, the influence of my Sebawen Faith extends to every corner of the Dawn Empire, and our people are the most reliable." Bishop Bolai raised his chin slightly, making a signature gesture of the Geya People, full of arrogance.
"That's great! We can teach these scum of the Holy See a lesson! Hahahaha!!" A deep, drum-like rumble rang out. The speaker was another Legendary, an orc, rough and bold, with undisguised hostility towards the Dawn Holy See.
This is not surprising. Once upon a time, orcs were also a race living on the Dawn Continent, but they were driven out with the rise of the Dawn Empire. Later, after a hard-fought struggle, they finally established the Winter Empire together with the goblins in the far north.
For this reason, the orcs have always been at the forefront of the resistance against the Dawn Empire, and when it comes to holding grudges, these furry creatures are among the most vengeful on the entire Planet Oklo.
Upon hearing the Holy See's insults, Bishop Bolai's face twitched, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes. However, he dared not say anything more. Most orcs were hotheads, and if he really angered this guy, he might just slap him to death. Moreover, the Sebawen Faith would be powerless to do anything about it afterward, since they were the ones asking for help and had no say in their weak position.
So Bishop Bolai maintained his smile, pandering to the orc Legendary. His rhetoric was so skillful that he managed to put the latter in a very good mood.
A deep, secluded canyon.
Darkness enveloped the area, the air was noticeably damp, and a lifeless column stood there listlessly, like inanimate objects.
Suddenly, some sounds came from the churning darkness ahead.
"Has that spy been dealt with?"
"No, Commander, you're afraid of alerting the enemy."
"Ha, Sebawen Faith would never have imagined that the pawns they planted were actually under our surveillance all along, would they?" What should have been a sarcastic remark was delivered as if devoid of emotion, like cold iron filings rubbing against each other, sending shivers down one's spine.
After that, no more sounds were heard. In the darkness, the procession moved on in silence, on their way to judge the sins brought by heretics.
Boom!
Thunder roared and crashed down from above, dark clouds rolled in, accompanied by howling winds, and large raindrops poured down from the sky incessantly, plunging the world into darkness.
"Damn it, what kind of weather is this? It changes so suddenly! Just a moment ago it was clear and sunny, and suddenly there's thunder and lightning." Hadio's complaint came through the earpiece.
"Hadio, you're obviously not a native of the Light-Bathed Sea. This kind of weather is normal here. You haven't seen any weirder weather. That guy..."
Once the quiet atmosphere is broken up with the first person to speak, it will quickly become lively.
The noise in his headset didn't bother Lancelot; on the contrary, he enjoyed the lively atmosphere. However, all of this soon came to an end with the arrival of the enemy.
Another bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, tearing through the darkness amidst the intense blue-white light, revealing a vast army winding its way across the desolate land.
The entire army was clad in black and gold armor, silent as iron, and rode uniform Four-Winged Pegasus. Each knight was accompanied by a varying number of magical puppets. Interspersed throughout the ranks were massive alchemical machines, which, judging from their appearance, were likely high-powered offensive weapons or war machines.
"The Judgment Knights!"
Someone shouted something, and fear spread.
As the most powerful armed force in the Dawn Empire, the Judgment Knights have always been known for their Slaughter, ruthlessness, barbarity, and brutality. Every member of the Knights is a cold-blooded killer.
Although the troops before them were only a tiny fraction of the Judgment Knights, they were still an unbearable burden for the Desolation City.
Of course, that's assuming there's no outside help.
"I never expected the Holy See to think so highly of me, actually sending the Judgment Knights. Jiesili isn't even afraid that his troops will be wiped out here!" Bishop Bolai said in a chilling tone.
The elf Legendary beside him glanced at him, mentally labeling Bishop Bolai as arrogant once more. "Jinsili all the time? Does he even know a nobody like you?"
It's estimated that this Judgment Knights is just a force dispatched by a high-ranking commander. If it really was Jinsili's doing, not only a Desolation City, but the entire Yinniu Continent would be shrouded in the shadow of death.
"Great! It's the Judgment Knights! I've never fought them before. I'm really looking forward to it!" The orc Legendary's eyes blazed, his claws clashing, and his fierce fighting spirit soared. Like the Gendaya People, orcs are also a warrior race, with wild battle blood flowing through their veins.
Seeing the orc Legendary's excited expression, Bishop Bolai quickly said, "Now is not the time to act. To deal with this Judgment Knights, it's best to launch a surprise attack after they've committed all their forces, thus annihilating them beneath the walls of the Desolation City. If we act too soon, once they witness our power, this knightly force may choose to retreat."
While the Judgment Knights may be formidable, it should not be forgotten that they are a military force. Every officer, and even every soldier, possesses the corresponding military skills. Knowing they are outmatched, choosing to retreat is a basic military principle and will not be criticized.
Bishop Bolai's goal this time was to completely annihilate the Judgment Knights, which required first keeping them bound around the Desolation City, so his hidden forces could not be exposed too early.
Under the reassurance and persuasion of Bishop Bolai, the orc Legendary temporarily suppressed his surging fighting spirit, sat down again, and waited silently.
At the same time.
Desolation City, several high-ranking Judgment Knights made almost the same choice as Bishop Bolai.
"Don't go all out at first. After fighting for a while, expose an opening to lure out their hidden mastermind, and then defeat them in one fell swoop." The highest-ranking knight set the tone.
Another Legendary knight added, "After the city falls, slaughter all living beings as a sacrifice to the great Lord of Radiance."
"The flesh and soul of a heretic, my lord will surely delight in."
The top of the tower.
Lancelot observed the Judgment Knights outside the city with a somewhat solemn expression. The undisguised Slaughter intent emanating from them was something only the most elite Department of the Extraordinary could possess.
"Looks like a fierce battle is about to begin."
After the sigh, Lancelot's pupils began to burn, and a point of blue-gold light emerged from the center of his pupils, expanding continuously until it transformed into two miniature suns. Inside the suns, the forces of lightning and life intertwined, decay and revival, Destruction and reshaping, reflecting each other.
War broke out soon after.
"Attack!"
At the command of the Knights' leader, the Colossus Squad was the first to go into battle.
These behemoths, ranging from a minimum of three meters to a maximum of fifteen meters, are all forged from magical metal and covered with runes. They possess not only maximum defense but also considerable offensive power, making them one of the most common cannon fodder units of magical civilizations.
Thanks to the reforms of the Royalist Faction and its own inherent strength, the magical power system of the Dawn Empire has become extremely advanced. Although it is not as advanced as the Tia Empire, a representative in this field, it can be considered the second Planet Oklo. The empire's magic factories can produce tens of thousands of these magical colossus units every day, so there is no need to worry about wear and tear.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the colossus army approached within a certain distance, the Desolation City's defense forces opened fire. Various weapons roared, tearing through the sky. Solid shells and energy beams clashed in the torrential rain, with rainwater swirling around along with fragments of the colossus's remains. Coupled with the occasional lightning bolts ripping through the sky, the scene was truly Epic.
As the dominant force in the surrounding area, the Desolation City's war capabilities are beyond doubt. However, everything has its limitations; without comparison, there is no harm. Once the professional war machine, the Judgment Knights, took action, the seemingly impregnable defense system of the Desolation City quickly developed vulnerabilities.
The leader of the knightly order was clearly a seasoned veteran. He astutely seized upon this weakness and immediately dispatched his troops to concentrate their full force on one point of attack, thereby widening the gap and ultimately breaking through the defenses.
The location of this breach was precisely in the third defense zone where Lancelot was stationed.
"Advance troops, charge!"
Longswords flashed, their Renfeng pointing to the ground. The thunderous sound of hooves echoed as squads of Judgment Knights poured in through the breach like sharp cones. Their warhorses moved with incredible speed, whipping up a whirlwind, covering a hundred meters in a flash. Wherever they passed, sword energy danced, heads rolled, and blood flowed like rivers. The military strength of the Desolation City itself was no match for these professional executioners.
In the central pavilion of the city, Bishop Bolai involuntarily sat up straight, his face grim. Although he understood that he could not contend with the Judgment Knights with his own overt strength, the speed of their attack still took him by surprise.
"As expected of the renowned Judgment Knights, even a small squadron possesses such power. I really want to witness the entire Judgment Knights in action!" The orc Legendary's thought process was completely different. This guy seemed to know nothing of fear, his eyes fixed intently on the scenes reflected in the water mirror before him, rubbing his hands together, eager to go out and fight the Judgment Knights three hundred rounds, leaving Bishop Bolai speechless.
Unsurprisingly, the Forest Legendary, as the largest supplier of food to the Orcs, had a far deeper understanding of these warmongers than the Sebawen Faith.
"Your Excellencies, please prepare yourselves. The Desolation City must not be destroyed. If things become unmanageable, it is better to annihilate fewer Judgment Knights than to preserve the city's integrity as much as possible," Bishop Bolai admonished.
The two Legendary nodded slightly. Although they had a great deal of autonomy, they still had to obey the orders of Bishop Bolai as long as it did not go against the interests of their people, since the latter was the actual commander-in-chief of this battle.
"Dragon Tree, three squads of knights have entered your area of responsibility. Do everything you can to keep them here!"
Nadak's cold voice echoed through the headset; he was the frontline commander of this campaign, responsible for overall coordination.
"Clear!"
Lancelot responded coldly, then raised his Shadow Lady, and the scope automatically locked onto the target: an Tier Eight knight riding a horse.
Click!
Pull the trigger!
With a barely perceptible "poof," the specially designed armor-piercing explosive round shot towards the knight's chest like a streak of light.
However, the Judgment Knights who crawled out of mountains of corpses Blood Sea all possessed extremely sharp senses, especially their subconscious reactions to deadly danger.
Without hesitation, the knight twisted his body, and the bullet finally struck his shoulder, then exploded, tearing his entire arm apart, but ultimately failing to kill him.
In contrast, the Judgment Knight's expression beneath his visor remained as cold and hard as ever, as if he himself were not the one who was injured. Calm as a robot, he formed a defensive formation with his teammates who were catching up from behind, using the interconnected Rune Array engraved on his armor to create a mobile fortress-like advance.
Although its speed was reduced by 80%, its defensive capabilities increased dramatically. What amazed Lancelot even more was that this fortress also had a deceptive function, obscuring his vision and containing a deflecting force field that could alter the trajectory of bullets.
"A formation specifically designed to counter sniper rifles? Interesting!"
Lancelot licked his lips, his blood boiling. These kinds of challenging enemies were the most fun to kill!