Blood tax

Chapter 599 A Last Stand

An endless supply of psychic energy supplies the front line, catalyzing the summoned withered mages.

These monsters, which were the result of the corruption and mutation of elves, half-elves, and humans, became more and more abstract in appearance over time. They grew tentacles and mouthparts like insects, and their skin turned into some kind of shell. Their deformed appearance even frightened the fleeing soldiers of the barbarian mercenaries.

Behind the withered were the half-elf heavy infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Some of the elite infantry and cavalry with armor used long spears, swords, and other blades, while some used firearms.

At the end of the army were the elven rangers, cavalry, and super heavy cavalry, all composed of extraordinary people.

Paulus was alarmed by the sight of such a mixed army with different equipment and mixed races. He had to be careful at all times about the combat effectiveness and morale fluctuations of different units to avoid a sudden collapse somewhere on the vast battlefield.

"Don't be so depressed, Stannis," said Lord Provis, a representative of the Senate, comfortingly. "The withered mages on the front line are still in a relatively stable condition. The withered mages in Canaan City have a more complex structure - petal-like heads, with tentacles growing from their backs and limbs. They gather near the Nebula Temple where Galadilla is, like a sea of ​​flowers under the shadow of a lighthouse."

"..."

This made Paulus even more confused. His adjutants, Artus, Tanya and Flora, also looked solemn.

The Great Republic army on the opposite side was in neat formation, with an endless battle line stretching from the riverbank to the rolling hills in the west. About thirty steps in front of the battle infantry and artillery positions were light infantry with sparse formations. Paulus was very familiar with them. The Bayerland Legion and the Confederate Army had such skirmishers who were flexible in combat and could perform multiple tasks such as reconnaissance, vanguard, cover, and sniping. They fought the enemy before the main formation and covered the advancement of the phalanx. The elves' evaluation of them was far inferior to that of the rangers, but they could not be ignored, and there were a lot of them.

"Cheer up, God's chosen one!"

Provius encouraged everyone enthusiastically. In the name of the Senate, he brought the appointment letter and marshal's baton for Paulus to be promoted to marshal.

"We have gathered all the elite soldiers of Canaan!" (Actually, not really. Yalan and Deedwishi's rangers are not here.)
"We have an endless supply of troops to crush all enemies!" (This is not true either. The lack of troops even drained the patrol forces in the Dark Swamp and the city.)
"The artifact of the Glorious Elves has been activated. It won't be long before the strategic weapon 'Genesis' burns all humans and their positions into glass!"

These words immediately boosted the morale of the command and raised their fighting spirit. Provis was very satisfied and said to Paulus:
“How dare humans leave their castles and fight us on the plain?

"Lord Galile Gato will also be at the frontline. It's time for the humble worm to see the depth of Canaan's two eras of accumulation."

Paulus thought for a moment and said, "The enemy's fortresses and trenches were hastily built and could not withstand our full-strength attack. Then there is the wishing device; but the enemy is numerous and will continue to come. We can use field battles to contain our army."

"That's great," Provis nodded and smiled, "Use the Withered Mage to attack the front and tie down their main force, and then deploy strategic weapons. If they are defeated quickly, we can take advantage of the situation to attack the fortress behind them."

The demigod thought for a moment and added, "Withered magicians are cheap."

……

June 6, 27 a.m.

A swan-like trumpet pierced the sky, and the battle began. Canaan, with 3 withered magicians as the vanguard, launched an all-out attack on the Bayerlan position. Most of them were out-of-control legionnaires and half-elf soldiers, who could maintain basic organization even when they fell into madness. Paulus threw them all into the front.

Smoke and dust billowed, and the mutant army formed a tide several miles wide. Wherever they passed, trees fell and branches were broken, and birds and animals disappeared!

The infantrymen on the battle line saw a gray tide sweeping across the field, their mutated limbs pounding the ground like raindrops, and the thunder-like sound of the charge almost shaking their hearts out of their chests.

The terrifying aura of tens of thousands of twisted inhuman creatures ready to devour everything will fill you with fear from the bottom of your heart just by looking at it!
Roland, who was in the Fortress of the Burning Sun, could also feel the might of the army. Although the infantry formation of the Grand Republic Army was neat, it was still a completely different feeling when facing a monster-like enemy.

The quality of Canaan's troops was terrifyingly high. The impact and lethality of the withered mages were no less than that of human heavy cavalry. The strength of their attack and defense could defeat five or even ten enemies at once. The half-elves were all veteran Canaan soldiers, with strict discipline and skilled combat skills. Their equipment was even better than that of the officers of Bayerlan.

The elf troops were even more powerful. In a one-on-one battle, the human Sequence 7 Beyonders could only barely hold their own.

Roland was very skeptical about whether the battle line infantry could hold their positions on their own. The amazing strength of the psychic corps in the previous Jin Ge battle even made him less confident about the bastion.

However, the first wave of attacks must be faced. The Grand Republic Army infantry must buy time for the construction of a large number of fortifications, and must push the front line forward to gain defensive depth for the spectacle being prepared! Only when the entire army forms fortifications that run through the battlefield will Canaan's army formation be broken, and then it will be time for Griffith to decisively defeat the elves and magic.

The gray withered mage was getting closer and closer to the infantry line, and its abstract tentacles and shapes filled the field of vision. Roland, a Sequence 5, stared at it intently, and his hand holding the telescope was covered with sweat.

"Artillery fire!"

The flashes of fire were connected, and thousands of puffs of smoke rose into the sky. The rockets and shells from the artillery positions swept across the line of troops and fell on the vast plain, splashing clumps of soil, and then dazzling balls of fire exploded in some places.

The field guns spewed flames one after another, white smoke rose from the vents, and the guns retreated. Just as they stopped, the gunners began to reload the second round. The well-trained artillerymen fired at a rate of three rounds per minute, and the 12-pound guns and 6-pound guns fired cross-fire from both wings. The depth of Canaan's array was very shallow, and the power of frontal shooting was greatly weakened. Oblique shooting could kill more targets.

The rockets also aimed at the key position of the Withered Mage's assault, and their tail flames were like a swarm of buzzing bees, leaving crooked marks in the air.

Heavy firepower continued to hit the withered, and many of their ranks were penetrated. These monsters without emotion and mercy advanced mechanically, with no intention of retreating.

Immediately, Canaan's long-range firepower also began to return fire. The half-elf artillery teams around the White Tower fired volleys of fire that cut through the air, leaving behind a hissing sound in the air, and the faint white trails became increasingly dense, and finally formed almost a straight line.

The white smoke almost covered the artillery of both sides, and the dazzling flames flickered in patches, making the vision blurred.

Suddenly, the withered rushed through the arc of artillery fire. In front of them were rows of makeshift breastworks, behind which stood rows of red musketeers. The infantry had formed a hollow square with four sides facing the ground, with the soldiers in the front half-kneeling on the ground and the soldiers in the back raising their guns forward. The withered who rushed out of the smoke first let out a strange cry and ran around the dense bayonet bushes in the hollow square, trying to attack them from behind.

Previous combat experience has made the army realize that battle-line infantry and a layer of breastwork cannot stop the melee troops enhanced by psychic energy. The tight battle line can easily be penetrated by multiple points, and the disciplined infantry will be attacked from several directions. Officers and soldiers unanimously believe that the formation for anti-cavalry combat is more stable, and it would be better if there are breastworks in front, behind, left and right. Even if the psychic creatures cannot be killed, they can hold the defense line and wait for heavy firepower support from the rear.

But the withered were not timid war horses after all, and no one knew whether they would keep circling. As soon as the two sides came into contact, the hollow square fired at the same time from three sides facing the impact, and the light four-pound guns of each squadron fired with canister.

Dense rain of bullets swept through the gaps in the square formation, like strong winds blowing through. Groups of withered mages around the square formation fell to the ground like dead leaves being blown off, and some even stood there in a daze.

More withered mages poured into the gaps between the square formations, and rows of sharp bayonets flashed coldly. They immediately split into several groups under the hedgehog-like bayonets and poured down to the left and right wings.

There were also some half-elf cavalry mixed in with the withered magicians. Their task was to guide and supervise these monsters, but the first actual combat was completely different from what they had imagined. The half-elf cavalry immediately lost control of the army after the battle. They could neither command nor gather the withered magicians, and could only let them run everywhere. They themselves rode their horses outside the hollow magic circle like the horse archers of the classical era. Some relied on their superb riding skills to quickly shoot light arrows with their horse bows, and some jumped off their horses and attacked the Bayerlan infantry with lances and hatchets.

Some withered magicians also joined the attack on the other side, using their hard armor and sharp claws to tear at the battle line, killing the battle line infantry and making them scream. However, soon, Bayerlan's musketeers, under the command of officers and sergeants, aimed at them.

Dense lead bullets fell like heavy rain, and the most threatening half-elves and withered mages outside the hollow square fell to the ground on the spot.

After three rounds of volleys, the Bayerland infantry began to fire freely. The densely packed enemies outside the square made the shooting accuracy astonishingly high, and the piled up corpses almost exceeded the breastwork.

"You see, individual strength does not determine victory in battle," Roland was overjoyed, "wisdom and organization do!"

"Oh~" the staff officers and adjutants echoed in a drawn-out tone.

The withered magician's panel was indeed powerful, at least stronger than Bayerlan's psychic army during the Jin Ge Battle. However, frenzy devoured their sanity, and loss of control destroyed their organization. In an organized battle, the withered magician couldn't even do the most basic assembly and gathering.

However, the battle has just begun. Everyone knows that the Withered are just cannon fodder. The biggest threat comes from the Canaan Beyonders and the hidden strong ones. The mythical creatures and sealed objects with overwhelming power have not yet appeared.

The paramedics in the hollow square formations on the front lines were busy dragging the wounded soldiers back to the safe position in the center. The seemingly thin square formations were like rocks standing in the tide, spewing flames non-stop.

Suddenly, there were some strange noises in the wind. Five black cocoons suddenly appeared on the battlefield filled with steel, fire, and withered magicians, and exploded in the blink of an eye. In the cocoons, there appeared more than a dozen gray-white fang-like giant thorns and swollen pieces of flesh.

The flesh was surging, and the cracks were like the abyss, echoing deeply, as if a terrifying beast was buried underground, sticking its mouth out of the ground to try to breathe. These strange and clear body outlines made those who had seen some amazing things in Verona and Bayerland shudder, and just a quick glance made them feel cold from the bottom of their hearts.

As soon as this thing appeared, the Withered Mages rushed into the cracks in droves like lemmings thrown into the sea!
"Where's Griffith!?"

Roland shouted, he had to ask every half an hour, this would be more urgent. The lieutenants could only tell him that the lord had returned and was gathering troops and assembling the artifact.

The strange objects that appeared on the battlefield devoured hundreds of withered mages in the blink of an eye. A mysterious and deep light film began to emerge from their shells, and the surface turned a thick dark black, just like a black hole in the boundless universe, from which no sight could escape.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the surface of the black light film, and a huge object emerged.

Eight spider-like tentacles support the huge body, and the ends of the octopus-like curled tentacles have a cold light like metal blades.

This is a hybrid. There is even a layer of psychic shield outside the twisted and deformed body to protect the solid chitin armor and strong flesh. Their movements are like thunder, and their petal-like mouthparts are blooming and screaming, stirring up indescribable mutterings in people's hearts.

There are actually five such monsters!

As soon as they appeared, they immediately crushed the withered magicians in front of them and rushed towards the hollow square. The huge tentacles swept in all directions, rolling up the three or four meter high earth wall. The earth wall exploded and shot, and the trench collapsed and filled. The first few squares that were hit disappeared in an instant. The violent chain explosions were deafening, and the ground was shaking in the thick smoke and flames.

At this moment, Provis on the White Tower raised the scepter in his hand, and a scornful smile appeared on the corner of his cold mouth:

"Bug, witness the power of magic.

"Mixed-Origins, Behemoths, Destroyers, Plunderers, Dominators, Punishers, line up in the front row."

This scepter inlaid with a huge gem was lit up, and the dazzling light was like a burning fire.

Under his urging, the magic mist condensed in the air, connecting the White Tower and the five Primordials. The largest and most armored Primordials suddenly opened twelve pairs of eyes, and the strange vertical pupils flashed red. It was stronger than Behemoth and had huge horns, like the Minotaur in mythology. As the huge mouth sucked in the air, the body was immediately wrapped in flames.

The flames in the right hand of the Mixed-Origin beast condensed into a long sword, and the left hand wielded a long whip of fire. The next second, all the withered mages blocking the Mixed-Origin beast made way for it at the same time. The Mixed-Origin beast moved its lower limbs, and the huge body burned by the blazing flames began to sprint from slow to fast.

A hundred thousand or two hundred thousand troops were nothing to it. Its huge hooves stomped on the ground, exploding violently like a volcanic eruption, and a huge column of fire shot up into the sky. It was like a battleship with its whistle blown, rushing madly towards the fortress! Any creature that stood in its way was turned to ashes, and even if it was a hundred meters away, it would be irresistibly afraid of "if you get close, you will die"!

“Kill it!

"Artillery, fire!" The command center on the Bayerlan Sun Fortress immediately issued an interception order, "Transcendent, don't let it get close!"

Roland's eyes changed. Even if he were to deal with such a giant beast, it would be dangerous. What was worse was that behind the giant beast, the withered mages on the battlefield gathered densely as if attracted by a huge magnet, and rushed up madly along the path of fire trampled by it.

This strike will break through Bayerlan's defense!