Don’t raise unruly people in extreme cold weather

Chapter 874

There was nothing impressive about this war that would determine the future of the desert kingdom that Perfectot found impressive.

The war mode of both sides is still at the stage of transition from cold weapon combat to firearms combat, without much "modernization" element.

When the cavalry of the Desert Kingdom rushed towards the imperial army with yellow sands flying all over the sky, the scene was more like a tragic death than a charge.

Most of these cavalrymen were the last elite soldiers of each tribe. The ribs of the horses under their crotches were protruding due to long-term hunger, but they were still fed by their masters with the last bit of hay.

During the charge, more than a dozen skinny war horses suddenly fell to the ground, throwing their riders heavily onto the sand.

Valken stood on a small mound that served as his headquarters, calmly observing the remnant troops through a telescope.

He noticed that most of the scimitars used by the cavalry were rusty and obviously lacked adequate maintenance, and some even carried their ancestral flintlock rifles.

The cavalry in the front row held tattered flags embroidered with tribal totems, which fluttered in the hot wind - these details confirmed the accuracy of the intelligence: the desert cavalry that once caused headaches for the empire had indeed become decadent.

"Keep your formation and wait until they are within two hundred yards before opening fire." Valken put down the telescope and said to the messenger.

He deliberately stopped the artillery bombardment and only retained a few guns on the flanks for deterrent firing.

This decision made the staff officers look at each other in bewilderment, but no one dared to question the commander-in-chief's order at this time.

When the cavalry reached three hundred yards, a slight commotion began to appear in the Imperial ranks.

The new recruits nervously checked the firing mechanisms of their rifles, while the veterans silently estimated the distance.

The tribal chief who was rushing in the front mistook this restraint for cowardice, raised his scimitar and shouted in victory. This misjudgment made the following cavalry teams urge their horses even more frantically.

"Fire!"

As the command flag was waved, the three infantry phalanxes simultaneously spewed out deadly tongues of fire.

The first round of volleys knocked down nearly a hundred cavalrymen, and the charging front was suddenly distorted as if it had hit an invisible wall.

The surviving cavalry tried to turn to the flank, but fell into the prepared crossfire.

A few brave riders managed to break through to within fifty yards, but were immediately knocked off their horses by the precise puncture shots of the skirmishers in the second echelon.

"Scatter! Everyone scatter!" The old chief slapped his mount's bloody neck with his scimitar, but found that the cavalry on the right wing had already dispersed on their own - the young men from the oasis tribe were desperately trying to rein in their frightened horses, exposing their backs to the third round of volleys.

Valken stood on the mound and turned the telescope, watching the desert cavalry's charge line break like waves hitting rocks.

He specifically instructed the artillery to use shrapnel shells with half the charge, more to create a terrifying sonic boom rather than actual killing.

This was an order from Perfect, asking him to control the casualties and force out as many of the desert chieftains as possible, while also avoiding a huge gap that would allow them to run away directly.

"Let the Fourth Company deliberately leave the gap." He said to the messenger, and caught a glimpse of a column of dust rising three kilometers away - the kings and chiefs' reserve troops were indeed hidden in the folds of the dry river valley.

When the remaining 200 cavalrymen finally broke through the imperial army's vanguard and penetrated deep into the defense line, what was waiting for them were the other two infantry regiments that had deployed a hollow formation to defend against cavalry attacks.

However, the kings and chiefs behind them did not notice this. They only saw the cavalry charging into the imperial army's formation.

When the vanguard cavalry charged into the imperial army's formation, the entire battlefield seemed to be on fire.

When the chiefs saw the vanguard had torn open a gap, they immediately ordered the entire army to press forward in ecstasy - the last 600 camel cavalry gave shrill whistles, the heavy hooves shook the sand, and 3,000 tribal infantrymen brandished scimitars and old-fashioned muskets, rushing towards the imperial army's defense line like a tide.

The dust raised by the charge obscured half the sky, and behind the murky storm, one could vaguely see several looted Imperial six-pound cannons being pushed forward, their black muzzles pointed at the flanks of the Imperial Army.

"Finally you're willing to show your cards." Valken sneered, slowly took out his pocket watch, confirmed the time, and then nodded slightly to the messenger behind him.

A scarlet flare whistled into the sky, exploding into a dazzling firework in the dim sandstorm.

The rapid-fire artillery positions that had been ambushed on the flanks immediately began to adjust their elevations. The gunners loaded and aimed skillfully, waiting for the order to turn the battlefield into purgatory.

Perfect on the airship overlooked all this with an expression of indifference that bordered on boredom.

In her eyes, this battle was a foregone conclusion.

Although the Imperial Army's strength was not huge, Valken had twelve infantry regiments and two artillery regiments under his command, plus four thousand vassal troops provided by the desert tribes that defected to the Empire.

If they really let go, they would be able to crush the mob of kings and chiefs within a few hours.

However, if it was just to wipe out these remnants, Perfect would not have to go to so much trouble.

Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the observation window of the airship, and her cold eyes reflected the gradually boiling battlefield below.

The reason why she personally took charge of the airship and even deployed twenty steam knights as a backup was because she learned a key piece of information from the surrendered tribal chieftain - those ancient tribes occupying the hot springs have been worshipping a certain "god" for generations and hold a trump card that can reverse the situation of the war.

The bloody sacrifices held deep in the oasis, the giant skeletons that were deliberately buried, and the strange whispers coming from the depths of the sand sea on the full moon night all hint at some kind of power beyond mortal understanding.

"Let them struggle for a while." Perfect whispered to himself, his eyes sweeping across the battlefield.

The corners of her mouth curled up in an almost invisible arc, as if she was enjoying a carefully choreographed opera.

Even if these kings and chiefs had hidden ambushes or even some extraordinary means, they would be nothing more than a dying struggle in front of the twenty steam knights on standby.

These powerful iron knights are currently lurking in bunkers on the flanks of the battlefield, with their steam cores running at minimum power, waiting for the order to transform into the most deadly killing machines.

What's more, Perfecto also brought the God-killing Armor. Even if the legendary desert gods were really summoned, they would be crushed under the power of the God-killing Armor.

Perfect was looking forward to studying the differences between the gods of the desert kingdom and those she had slaughtered before.

You know, according to the records of the mythological era, the gods she had met before and the gods of the desert kingdom belonged to two completely different mythological systems. She was very curious about the relationship between the two - were they different incarnations of the same existence? Or two completely independent species?
At this moment, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed drastically.

Surrounded by the imperial vassal army, Wang Qiu's troops began to fall apart.

Just as Valken was about to order a general attack, the oldest chieftain suddenly tore open his robe, revealing a golden scarab emblem on his chest.

He screamed in the ancient language of the desert kingdom: "In the name of Sekhmet, the time of reckoning has come!"

The desert suddenly began to boil.

Countless golden sand particles floated in the air, forming a huge female silhouette. When the figure made of yellow sand was fully revealed, Perficot's monitoring equipment instantly sounded a series of alarms - this was a complete goddess of war, Sekhmet with a lion's head and a human body. The flaming sword in her hand was enough to distort the air with just a swing.

What's even more terrifying is that all the tribal warriors who came into contact with the goddess' light began to mutate.

Their skin took on a metallic sheen, their eyes turned into the vertical pupils of a cat, and their nails lengthened into sharp claws.

These fanatical followers let out inhuman howls and pounced on the imperial army at a speed beyond common sense.

"It's finally here." Perfect showed an excited look, and then ordered: "Start the God Killing Protocol, release the Judge and the Heavenly Punishment."

Her voice remained calm, but her eyes betrayed her inner anticipation.

The bottom hatch of the airship slowly opened, and the hydraulic system made a dull roar.

Two huge god-killing armors slowly descended under the blue halo of the anti-gravity field. Their huge bodies cast suffocating shadows in the setting sun.

As they lowered in altitude, a dark red light emanated from under the huge heat sinks on their armor, as if they were breathing, or as if they were responding to the goddess' provocation.

As the two armored vehicles were landing, ice crystals condensed on the surface of their outer armor continued to peel off, reflecting a cold light under the pale sunlight.

As the altitude decreased, the heat seeping from the joints of the armor came into contact with the extremely cold air, forming fleeting white mist.

When the first armored vehicle's steel feet stepped into the frozen soil, the dull sound of impact was particularly clear in the silent desert.

The frozen sand surface shattered under the heavy pressure, and fine cracks spread in all directions like a spider web.

The visual sensor glowed a dim red light, locking onto the floating figure among the dancing ice crystals.

"Unauthorized divine entity detected, executing purification protocol." The mechanical sound was particularly harsh in the cold wind, and the sound waves shattered the frozen willow branches nearby.

Sekhmet's roar stirred up a whirlwind mixed with ice particles.

The soldiers who were closer couldn't help but curl up their bodies, and the biting sound made their teeth chatter.

A layer of faint blue flame bloomed on the flaming sword in her hand. Just by looking at it, one could tell that this flame emitting a strange aura was very dangerous. When it was swung, it drew a curtain of flames in the air.

Facing the incoming sword, the "Judge" quickly opened the shield in his hand. The shield was covered with a layer of energy field glowing blue. When it collided with the incoming sword blade, dazzling lightning burst out, and the splashing energy blew the surrounding frozen sand into powder.

At the same time, the giant bow of "Heavenly Punishment" was slowly pulled open, and the ice crystals condensed on the bowstring fell down.

An unnatural low temperature vortex surrounded the arrow, and even the falling snowflakes solidified into tiny ice needles a few feet away from the arrow tip.

As the invisible arrow was shot out, it instantly broke through the sound barrier and made a thunder-like sound in the air.

The temperature in the combat zone dropped sharply, and the armor surface was quickly covered with thick white frost.

Every collision stirred up a gust of air mixed with ice chips, and the frozen soil groaned under the heavy pressure.

Perfect turned the focus of the telescope in her hand, and the specially customized telescope clearly presented every detail of the battlefield before her eyes.

Through the lens, she saw the powerful divine energy surrounding Sekhmet, which fascinated her.

"Record all energy readings," she ordered without looking back.

The alchemists around him sprang into action, using special shorthand pens to trace complex energy tracks on the parchment. The liquid metal in the instrument constantly changed its shape as the energy on the battlefield fluctuated.

"Interesting! The gods of the Desert Kingdom are indeed completely different from those we have seen before!" An excited expression appeared on Perfectot's face.

Behind her, more instruments emitted a low hum, and a large number of alchemists were busy, ensuring that all data of the battle could be fully recorded.

The fighting on the battlefield has entered the most critical moment.

The right arm shield of the "Judge" armor was covered with spider-web-like cracks after multiple blocks, and the protective coating on the surface fell off during the movement.

With every swing, tiny sparks would fly out from the joints, which were particularly eye-catching on the dim battlefield.

The situation of "divine punishment" not far away is also not optimistic.

The bowstring of the giant bow in its hand had broken, and it had lost the ability to draw the bow and shoot arrows.

But the armor's intelligent core immediately adjusted its tactics and continued to swing the heavy bow as a weapon, while the other weapons it was equipped with continued to attack Sekhmet.

Sekhmet was also not at an easy time at this time. Although his body was made of sand, it suffered a lot of damage under the attack of the two god-killing armors.

Her roar became intermittent in the biting cold wind, and her movements were no longer as agile as they were at the beginning.

In the brief moment of stiffness after her attack, the Judge seized the opportunity and hit her waist hard with the broken shield.

At the same time, "Heavenly Punishment" approached like lightning, and the broken bowstring was wrapped around her neck like a noose.

The cores of the two armors emitted a dazzling red light at the same time, and the buzzing sound of the overload mode being activated even drowned out the sound of the wind.

Sekhmet's body began to disintegrate under this double blow, first his limbs, then his torso, and finally his entire body turned into countless grains of sand and was swept away by the blizzard, leaving only something that seemed to be the core of divinity falling on the sand.

At the same time, the Steam Knights were clearing the battlefield in an orderly manner.

Their heavy bodies left deep footprints in the frozen soil, and every swing of their steam-powered axes brought terrible killing.

Although those lion-headed warriors who were transformed by the contamination of divinity were ferocious, they were still powerless in front of the powerful Steam Knights.

"Maintain formation! Keep advancing!" The Knight Commander's low command echoed in the communicator.

The knights maintained their formation, and as their axes rose and fell, lion heads rolled onto the frozen sand, and the splattered blood solidified into scarlet ice crystals before it hit the ground.

When the last mutant warrior fell, the battlefield suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

The surviving tribal warriors stood there, their weapons falling one after another.

Some people knelt on the ground, some covered their faces and cried, but more people just stared blankly in the direction where the goddess disappeared, and the light in their eyes went out.

(End of this chapter)