Blood tax

Chapter 559 Battle column versus battle column, the shadow of Homon Watts

A blinding bolt of lightning passed over the Confederate lines. It is very bright, spherical in shape, with a diameter of more than three meters. It is like a whirlpool of arcs and air masses, floating on the ground but giving people a heavy and breathless feeling of oppression.

Wherever the ball lightning struck, soldiers and weapons burned, and ammunition exploded one after another, leaving scorched burn marks on the ground. Several battle infantrymen not far away aimed at it and fired a round. The lead bullets shattered on the thick shield and burned into smoke without landing. Before the battle infantry had time to recharge, a lightning whip struck them and cut them in half.

"Fire support!"

The infantry squadron leader defending here loudly called for cavalry artillery support. As soon as he finished speaking, a huge ball lightning appeared behind him, making a low rustling buzz. This mysterious existence seems to be some kind of plasma or cloud-like substance. It has no fixed form and is always changing dynamically.

A human figure could be seen vaguely in the center of the ball lightning, waving his hands where the electric current gathered, burning the squadron leader into charcoal in the blink of an eye.

There is more than one such magical creature! Their sudden appearance on the ramparts caused great alarm to the Confederate infantry. While the indestructible Paladins and Superman-like Legionnaires were still within the awareness of Confederate soldiers, ball lightning was completely beyond common sense.

The air echoed with dense tearing and shattering sounds. The terror brought by the unknown is unstoppable, and the powerful fear of being crushed into powder at any time tightly strangles the heart.

The Confederate infantry, formed in tight formations for hand-to-hand combat, could not withstand the magical creature. They were repelled, but did not break up. After the ball lightning passed, they filled the front line again and started hand-to-hand combat with the legionnaires who had followed. Even the bravest officers and sergeants spontaneously formed teams to attack the ball lightning with Molotov cocktails and kerosene.

The silver-white lightning ball was annoyed. He raised his hands, condensed a roaring arc of electricity, and threw it down heavily.

"Annihilation, as you wish."

A sharp, slender bolt of lightning plowed through breastworks, trenches, and barracks. The first batch of Confederate soldiers who pounced on the ball lightning were burned to ashes on the spot. The people behind jumped up and threw Molotov cocktails, oil cans and various combustion aids they could find.

The flames burned and the smoke billowed. Magical creatures roared unintelligible syllables and rampaged.

These brave battles successfully contained the magical creatures for a short time. Harandil pulled out a bloody iron arrow from the quiver and attached it to the bowstring. The bloody arrow seemed to be alive, trembling like a heartbeat. Harandil aimed at the most critical direction of the battle line. The veins in his right hand holding the arrow popped out, and his breath and spiritual energy were poured into the arrow.

"cover me."

The covering skirmishers opened fire in all directions. The ball lightning was shot one after another, and the crystal shield also fluctuated. It turned immediately, emitting the terrifying echo of electric arcs penetrating the air, roaring in search of mortals who dared challenge it.

"Hit its shield with magic-breaking arrows!"

The bowstring in Harandil's hand made a loud sound like thunder, and the bloody arrow shot out from the string. The arrow shaft was destroyed in flight, leaving only the bloody arrow trailing the bloody afterimage.

This blow collided with the ball lightning, first tearing apart the outer magic shield, and then hitting the inner wizard armor, sparking a dazzling flash, and shattering something with an astonishing roar.

Pieces of crystal-like fragments scattered like snowflakes.

Harandil saw the ball lightning weaken and become smaller in an instant, and the arrow went straight to the humanoid body inside, hitting the armor-like entity. Suddenly, the ball of light disappeared, and the bright light of the ball lightning disappeared without a trace as if it had evaporated.

This blow actually caused a period of deathly silence in the chaotic battlefield. The ball lightning that was still raging just now disappeared in full view of everyone!

The next second, the legions of the Senate began to boil. Other ball lightnings and powerful Beyonders were looking for enemies who could threaten them. The Confederate infantry discovered that these monsters were not invincible, so they threw themselves into the battle even more bravely.

Just behind the infantry, agile shadows moved quickly, imitating the sniper attack just now. Their attire is different from that of ordinary infantry and officers. They are equipped with special bows or rifles. Their rate of fire is lower than that of conventional equipment while enhancing their penetration against large creatures and heavily armored targets. Special arrows can also be strengthened by psychic energy when fired, causing terrifying sniper damage to psychic units.

They are the most elite commandos of the Confederate Army handed over to Harandil. They are mainly composed of half-elf rangers who have served in Canaan and Extraordinaries from the Confederate camp, and even high-level combatants from the Curly Baboon Research Association. Each commando is assisted by dedicated observers and escorts, and can choose tactics and fighters independently.

Roland named this unit "Stalkers", which specialized in hunting down enemy Extraordinary units that broke through the defense line.

……

At the same time that Harandil launched a counterattack, Werner Negri also put in reserve troops on the east side of the fortress!

The bastion could only accommodate a limited number of troops, so part of Roland's reserve army formed an array on the open ground to the east of the fortress and launched a counterattack. The area was dotted with stone manors, villages, and orchards, and the Confederates had fortified the estates in advance, building low walls and digging trenches nearby.

The troops of the 1st Verona Front, led by Werner Negri, spread out into skirmish lines and lines. Lines of infantry, cavalry, and artillery halted among buildings and fruit trees, took up positions, and opened fire on the flanks of the legions attacking the bastion. The skirmishers and part of the line infantry continued to advance.

After discovering this army, the auxiliary corps flanking the Senate army, the battle infantry also armed with flintlock muskets, immediately rushed to seize the Confederate artillery positions. They formed a huge square formation and advanced slowly with artillery support.

The artillery in the hands of Werner Negri was very powerful. The 6-pounders and 12-pounders fired continuously, from a distance of one mile to two hundred paces. The infantrymen hit by the shells were all shattered to pieces, and the splattered flesh and blood were like red flowers blooming in the green grass. Some positions of the phalanx became incomplete, and fallen soldiers remained on the road where the army passed, turning into relics of the battlefield.

The Senate's artillery also responded fiercely, wiping out some of the Confederate lines. The phalanx commanded by Ploson, one of Chalon's best generals, was not chaotic at all. The infantry moved faster and faster to the beat of the drum, and the undulating helmets and gun barrels were like a gloomy ocean.

"Skirmishers attack."

Werner Negri confirmed that the two sides had entered a skirmishing position and issued an attack order. This tactic has long been promoted in the Confederate army. Selected skirmishers serve as a barrier before the main battle, disrupting the opponent's rhythm at a small cost before the two sides engage in battle shooting, and delaying them under their own artillery fire as much as possible.

The advancing auxiliary corps was immediately hit by flexible and accurate fire. Skirmishers specifically targeted officers and sergeants.

The soldiers of the Auxiliary Legion saw the Confederate skirmishers firing almost under their noses, but they could not return fire. After advancing twenty steps, the auxiliary corps had been shot two or three times. Finally, an impatient soldier raised his gun and fired a lead bullet at the skirmisher on the opposite side. As soon as the gunfire rang out, the phalanx suddenly seemed like a pot was boiling, and the fire flashed into one piece, submerging the edge of the phalanx in a sheet of white smoke.

Unable to bear it, the Auxiliary Corps responded with a fierce volley, and dozens of Confederate skirmishers were hit and fell to the ground. Other skirmishers crouched down to avoid the densest fire and continued to shoot.

During the exchange of fire, the phalanx also stopped and suffered continuous artillery bombardment. Soon, the Grand Formation became more and more chaotic, and the shooting became sporadic and wavering.

"Stop shooting!
"Bayonet charge!"

The Senate general commanding the phalanx could no longer bear it and issued the order to charge with a sword.

The auxiliary legion immediately began to attack with passionate drumbeats, the madness in the blood of the soldiers burst out, and howls resounded throughout the earth. The Confederate artillery quickly fired two rounds of fire at the people who rushed towards them, splashing thousands of shotshells into the dense queue. After each shot, the auxiliary regiments fell to pieces, but there was still no way to stop them. The advance of the array.

The soldiers of the 1st Verona Front, who were waiting in full formation, gave the rushing auxiliary corps a round of fire, and then immediately began a bloody hand-to-hand battle. The Extraordinaries mixed in with the infantry were the first to break through the fortifications, and the infantry behind them continued to come up. Along the manor and the low wall under the fruit trees, bright bayonets were coming and going in clusters. The casualties on both sides began to surge, and corpses instantly filled the trenches.

"Has Xia Long also drugged these auxiliary troops?!" Negri, who was commanding the battle, became more and more frightened. He was commanding the best troops of the Confederacy that Roland specially prepared for Griffith, as well as a defensive line to support them. Along the way, the auxiliary legions of the Senate were subjected to artillery fire, sniper fire and rounds of gunfire, but they were still able to continue their offensive!

The beautiful manor house was reduced to rubble. Both sides shouted to kill Zhentian, and the auxiliary legions continued to break through the defense line, and then were driven back by the resolute counterattacks of the soldiers on the first side of Verona.

After the fierce infantry battle began, Negri suddenly discovered that a powerful cavalry unit appeared behind the Senate Square. The legionary cavalry entered the river and the sea, and squadrons were assembled one after another.

The legionary cavalry of the Senate gathered and attacked like a storm. Some Confederate infantry who were about to be charged by cavalry immediately transformed into a hollow square formation.

However, Negri, who had seen it before, felt that the cavalry of the legion in front of him was even more fierce than before - the cavalry group could engage the enemy in a dense cavalry formation at a distance of more than 500 meters, and launch a fierce attack in the final stage.

Amidst the rumble of iron hoofs, three thousand armored cavalry, hussars, and dragoons rolled up smoke and dust and rushed toward the Confederate flanks, causing the ground to shake.

……

"Heavy rains often follow fierce battles."

Ophelia stood in front of the window, lightning flashed in the thick clouds, and bursts of thunder came. It was still daytime, but it was already as dark as midnight outside.

"But we are in Homemonworth, not on the front line." Midianmaiya poured two glasses of wine on the table in the lounge and leaned comfortably on the sofa looking at the back of his friend. "Roland and Sharon's armies each have their own Advantage, it’s hard to predict the outcome. Want a bottle?”

"Where did you get the wine?" The blonde girl turned around and asked in surprise, "Isn't there a curfew in the college?"

"It's from the Xiaoyu Dried Wine Store~ He hasn't been here lately, so I checked for him to make sure it's not broken." Midianmaiya took a small sip, "Well, it's not broken~ You can try it too, My own opinion may not be accurate.”

Ophelia was too preoccupied to be in the mood for a drink. She turned around, and with the sound of violent thunder, sparse raindrops hit the glass, silver snakes danced wildly in the darkness, gray rain curtains enveloped the world, and the sound of rain made each other's voices grow louder. Can't hear clearly.

Ophelia returned to the sofa and sat down, stroking her blond hair, her eyes of different colors lost in thought:

"It would be great if we were by Griffith's side. Commodus is not easy to deal with. Their battle is also of strategic significance..."

"No way," Midenmeier put down his wine glass and sat up straight, "Let's just talk about this. Whether it's the battle of Sebasto or Griffith's decisive battle against the Kingslayer, they are all thousands of miles away from us. remote.

"However, sensitive extraordinary people can detect an indescribable ominous premonition."

"What could it be?" Ophelia asked. "Rana must know something, but won't tell me. It feels so bad."

The thunder gradually became distant, the rain became heavier and heavier, and people and objects outside the window could no longer be seen clearly. Ophelia couldn't let go after all, so she got up, put on her equipment, wrapped herself in a cloak, and walked outside.

"Where are you going?"

"Go on a patrol at the outpost."

"I'm with you," Midianmaia said quickly, "I can't stay alone in the girls' dormitory."

"No, you must stay here, keep Sonia and Fiona safe, and call the police if there is anything unusual." Ophelia shook her golden ponytail and closed the door. Suddenly she remembered something and asked loudly outside, " Who is guarding the Whispering Forest?"

"Forest rangers and preparatory students," Midian Maier replied, "the closest to them are Desai's patrols, patrolling the edges of the forest and the cemetery!"