The northernmost point of the IJsselmeer Plain, also at the junction of IJsselmeer and Caterpa, is the Kono Valley.
Hundreds of scout troops are stationed here. They are paying close attention to all the movements of the Ember Empire and are ready to take precautions at any time.
They used to belong to the Kingdom of Thrace, but a few months ago, Wilhelm packed up and enfeoffed the entire North IJssel to Duke Walter, and they became loyal to the famous "Wings of Fadland" ".
They still wear the winged sun holy symbol of the Thracian Kingdom, lead tall horses, and carry long-barreled double-barreled muskets-no doubt imported from the Ember Empire.
In recent years, the wars between the three kingdoms have become increasingly fierce, and the people of Fianso Continent have also realized the advantages of these guns: long distance, high lethality, and extremely low threshold for use.
With the changes in the situation and the impact of the war, people have been buying weapons from the Ember Empire from those greedy Wojin merchants in order to protect themselves. Muskets have become quite popular in Fianso.
These former Fadlanders didn't know that the gold coins in their pockets had flowed into the Claudius Military Industrial Group of the Burning Ember Empire, turning them into funds for the research and development and production of more advanced and lethal weapons.
And it will soon be applied to themselves and become their nightmare.
Piotr McGrath is still the leader of this scouting force that nearly came into conflict with the Ember Empire's advance party years ago.
"Everyone, I'm afraid the situation is getting tense."
This extraordinary warrior raised the silver sword in his hand and pointed the tip of the sword to the north. His expression was extremely solemn.
You see, since the day before yesterday, there have been flying dragons, giant eagles, and ugly beasts that I have never seen hovering over Tahan City.
And there was also a dull sound in the city that I had never heard before, like some kind of terrifying monster roaring.
In recent days, even the ground nearby has been shaking and shaking abnormally, and I always have a bad feeling. ”
The adjutant beside him said with some worry: "Boss, do you think it's their emperor-the red dragon is here?"
Piotr shook his head calmly: "It should not be so fast. The Anzeta Wilderness, the homeland of the Ember Empire, is far away from North IJssel, and there are mountains and hills in between.
If they want to transport all the troops and baggage to Tahan City and complete all combat preparations, it will take at least one to two months.
By that time, the assistance requested by Lord Walter also came from all over the world, including the angels from Heaven Mountain, the mage group from the Capital of All Laws, and it is said that there was an unparalleled powerful person who was respected as the 'Dragon of Dawn'. The golden dragon descended on Colin City. ”
Piotr clenched the scout silver sword in his hand and looked towards the south. His eyes were firm and his tone was steady and strong.
"Lord Walter is one of the few divine nobles who remembers the glory of Fadland and obeys the old emperor's teachings. I believe that the just side will win. No matter how powerful the red dragon is, it will eventually be alone. Thin.”
"Head, boss."
Suddenly, the adjutant next to him raised his head with fear on his face and pointed at the sky tremblingly, as if he had seen something terrible.
"What's wrong?"
Piotr noticed the adjutant's unusual expression and quickly turned his head. Then, he also froze on the spot.
"What is this."
Above Tahan City in the distance, hundreds of dragons, wyverns, and chimeras soared into the sky, flapping their wings chaotically, gathering into tumbling clouds at high altitudes, and casting mottled shadows on the ground.
"Ouch——"
A hoarse, noisy roar sounded, and the monsters in the sky seemed to notice the scouts and began to roar at them.
"Amaunata!"
"They found us!"
The soldiers screamed in panic, and some were in a hurry.
And Piteo got on his horse, raised his silver sword high, and ordered loudly: "We retreat! We must convey the news here to the south!"
After all, he was an experienced soldier, and Piteo's behavior undoubtedly stabilized the morale of the army. The soldiers packed up the necessary equipment, mounted their horses, and galloped on the flat and open plains of IJssel.
The horses' hooves stepped on the ground chaotically, making a crisp and dense sound, and Piteo was at the front controlling the direction of the team.
At this moment, the ground began to tremble, and the war horses neighed in panic. They even lifted their front legs into the air, forced themselves to a stop, and threw off the soldiers whose riding skills were not good enough. The team of scouts suddenly became confused.
"Ah!"
"Help! Stop!"
"Damn it, the horse's hoof is going to step on me!"
Pieteo tightened the reins and turned his head suddenly. He knew very well that the trembling on the ground was definitely not a movement caused by the horses.
However, he opened his mouth, his expression was dull, and there was even a hint of despair in his eyes, and he muttered: "Amauna Tower, how could it be possible?"
"Boom——"
They saw the ground trembling in the distance, dust flying, and thick smoke blocking the sun. Huge beasts made of steel roared through the smoke and attacked them.
Everything in front of the steel behemoths - rocks, trees, wild beasts and even earth slopes were ruthlessly flattened, unable to act as a barrier in the slightest.
The adjutant looked at the steel behemoths that were gradually approaching and cried out in horror: "Boss! How can there be such a monster!"
"Amaunata!"
"A natural disaster! This is simply a moving natural disaster!"
"Damn it! There was no such monster in Tahan City a few years ago!"
Although the morale of the army was in chaos, Piteo still managed to calm down and calmly observed the situation.
He knew that he must not panic now, otherwise not only his troops would be destroyed, but the entire North IJssel would face a terrible threat.
After a brief thought, Piteo waved the silver sword in his hand and shouted with all his strength amidst the boiling roar: "Retreat at full speed! This is not a monster we can fight against!
He gritted his teeth and roared angrily: "Afar, you lead fifty people to the southwest! Let's split up and make sure to convey the news of the Ember Empire's attack to Lord Walter!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The officer in bright silver armor waved his whip, tightened the reins, turned the horse's head, and rushed to the right with the elite cavalry behind him, preparing to enter the narrower valley in the southwest.
There, although the cavalry's traveling speed will be affected, it will be difficult for those steel behemoths to squeeze in. Even if the entire army was annihilated, Pietro wanted to pass the news on so that Duke Walter could be prepared.
However, at this moment, the steam tank battery quickly turned around, its thick barrel also rotated, and its muzzle was pointed directly at the elite cavalry.
Looking at the black muzzle, Pietro suddenly had a bad premonition - he thought of the artillery produced by the Empire purchased by the Kingdom of Thrace.
"Afar! Get out of the way!"
He quickly stretched out his hand and almost shouted out his throat. However, it was too late by now. The cavalry detachment led by Afar had already entered the valley.
"Boom!"
The giant steel beast let out an earth-shattering roar, and the huge recoil force caused the car body to retreat suddenly, and even the ground trembled. A fierce flame burst out from the muzzle, and then a thick black smoke filled the sky.
"No——"
Piteo galloped madly in that direction, wishing he could risk his life to block the muzzle of the cannon.
But the cannonball had already flown out of the muzzle, emitting a scream that pierced the air. It drew an extremely low arc in mid-air, spanning a distance of several hundred meters, and finally landed accurately on the steep cliff.
"Boom!"
There was another extremely powerful explosion, accompanied by fierce fire, broken stones flying in all directions, and dust and gravel flying all over the sky.
The cliff suddenly collapsed, and the huge broken stones fell down with a loud noise, directly burying the fifty-man elite cavalry in it.
"No, no"
Piteo turned pale and shook his head in despair.
The cavalry team that had pinned their hopes on conveying the message had been completely wiped out, and behind them, the steel behemoths were getting closer and closer.
He could smell the acrid smell of gunpowder smoke, feel the dust they kicked up, and the black smoke and steam enveloped them in the sky.
These giant steel beasts did not use the terrifying cannons just now. They just followed behind the cavalry. Accompanied by the roar of the engines, they approached at a fixed speed, but they seemed so unstoppable.
Their goal is clear - not to waste a single cannonball, and to crush all these fragile human cavalry in a simple and crude way.
"Ah!"
"Boss, help-"
"Gods! It, it's coming!"
The wailing of soldiers and the neighing of war horses sounded one after another, and the sounds of broken flesh and bones were drowned out by the roar of the engine.
Piteo, who was riding on horseback, couldn't help but turn his head and watched helplessly as one of his close men who had been following him for a long time were overtaken by the tank and then crushed into pieces by the hard tracks, including the man and the horse.
In front of the steel behemoth, the cavalry were no different from the stones and vegetation on the roadside, except that their tracks were stained with blood.
Piteo's face was also covered with a layer of black ash, but he looked confused and murmured to himself: "Could that rumor be true?
Has His Majesty Amaunata really abandoned us? ”
As an extraordinary warrior, Pieteo also fought for Holy Fadlan and fought against those powerful demons and devils, but these steel giants brought him unprecedented despair.
Piteo admired Duke Walter and supported his idea of rebuilding Fadland's civilization and recalling the glory of the emperor.
——But for some reason, he felt something new from these war machines, something that could truly subvert Holy Fadlan.
To be more precise, it is a new civilization and a new order that is completely different from the former Fadland.
"No, it shouldn't be like this. I, I will never allow such a thing to happen!
I can't just watch my comrades die like this, let alone die cowardly while escaping. This is definitely not what the proud Fadlanders should do! ”
Piteo's face was covered in black and gray, and his expression was ferocious. He suddenly jumped off his horse, turned around, and mustered up the courage to face the giant steel beast.
Just like he had done countless times a few years ago, Piteo pointed his silver sword forward and challenged the oncoming steel behemoth.
At this moment, he was like a knight charging at a windmill, looking brave but ridiculous.
This is the Empire's "Great Red Dragon" class steam tank. It is also the largest and most oppressive model. It is fifteen meters long and four meters high. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a moving hill.
"Boom——"
Before the tanks arrived, a powerful sandstorm hit first, making Piteo's face feel like it was cut by a knife. His vision was blurred, and he could only see a huge black shadow in front of him.
He held the silver sword tightly with both hands, raised it above his head, jumped nearly five meters high, and let out a heart-rending roar: "For the Holy Fadlan——"
Piteo jumped down from mid-air, and the silver sword suddenly swung down with the roaring wind, and extraordinary power exploded instantly.
"Shua——"
A harsh explosion sounded, and Piteo's blade actually cut deeply into the front armor of the steel behemoth!
"You monster! Die!"
He gripped the silver sword inserted into the armor and wanted to continue attacking, looking for the weak point of the giant beast. He had already seen that it was a creature similar to a steel golem and other constructs.
But before Piteo could be overjoyed, a strong repulsive force appeared, and the force field shield suddenly bounced the unprepared extraordinary warrior away, causing him to fall forward.
Piteo was hit hard on the ground. Before he could recover, a black shadow enveloped his whole body. When he raised his head, he could only see the ferocious body of the giant beast crushing towards him.
"No, no"
Immediately afterwards, this hundred-ton "Great Red Dragon" class tank rolled over with the force of a natural disaster. No matter how hard this extraordinary warrior struggled to resist, it had no effect.
This is a crushing battle of size and weight, just like a mortal wrestling with a gigantic dragon. No matter what, he cannot win.
The crunching sound of flesh and bones being crushed was drowned out by the roar of the engine, but the steel behemoth was still galloping wildly on the plains, causing the earth to tremble.
As for crushing these cavalry? It's just a casual thing.
Even the powerful and experienced super warrior Piteo only left a subtle scar on the front armor, which cannot even be noticed without looking carefully.
In the cockpit of the "Great Red Dragon" tank, Steel Frenzy was full of pride and his laughter was particularly rampant.
"Hahahaha, it's so cool to drive a tank! It's still a monster-level tank! With eight pairs of wheels and four legs, isn't this just a crushing game?"
Suddenly, Steel Frenzy looked at his own panel in surprise and whispered: "Wait a minute. When did I kill a mini-boss?"
[You killed [Scout Captain-Pete'o (Challenge Level: 9)] and received 5000xp]
He felt particularly blinded, but also had some unexpected surprises, and it felt like he was getting a snack.
This is a boss with a challenge level of 9. In the previous version, a small team had to be assembled to defeat it, but now he was accidentally crushed to death by the steel frenzy and almost didn't notice it.
"Sir, times have changed!"
Iron Frenzy sighed.
For Ethel's scout troops, this was a terrible disaster comparable to earthquakes and tsunamis, and an absolute disaster.
But to the imperial soldiers driving tanks, this was just an ordinary march, and they just killed a few enemies along the way.
The tanks were galloping across the vast plains, and their real targets were the unprepared cities in North IJssel.
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The "Casius' Secret Treasure" event is in progress, welcome to join the group. (End of this chapter)