Greece brings evildoers.

Chapter 670 The Damned World of Gods

Before the low ramparts, the surrounding rocks were studded with the remains of arrows and javelins. Every inch of land was covered with charred marks. Some of the large and small pits were filled with blood, bits of flesh, and human and even horse organs. Others were highly carbonized, emitting wisps of smoke, and the pungent smell of burnt flesh permeated the air.

The dead and wounded soldiers, dressed in different clothes and with different appearances, were intertwined and piled up on this land. Some were pushed into deep pits and left to be pecked at by ravens that fell down; others were carried to the gaps and piled up in front of the broken low walls.

The congealed blood clung to the broken corpses, forming a bloody and horrifying wall of human flesh.

puff!

A spear pierced into a still trembling body, twisting it around. The foreign soldier, who had raised his hand to cry for help and longed to live, finally coughed up blood, his pupils dilated, his body gradually stopped convulsing, and his limbs went limp.

Caesar withdrew his spear, drawing out a gush of blood.

The strong smell of blood filled his nostrils, and he frowned in disgust. He picked up a rag from a nearby corpse, wiped the blood off the spear tip, and then climbed onto the wall to look ahead.

At this moment, Alexander was returning from the battlefield with his cavalry companions.

These well-trained knights were all in high spirits, chatting and laughing along the way, as if they had just had a relaxing outing.

But on the Cilician plain behind them lay the corpses of foreign warriors, one after another.

A rough estimate puts at least 5000 casualties.

After Caesar and Alexander reconciled their accounts, the Roman losses were almost negligible.

Because the total number of casualties for cavalry and infantry combined was less than 100, the casualty ratio was an astonishing one to fifty.

Alexander turned to look at the Persian army, which was struggling to regroup its routed soldiers, and the contempt in his eyes deepened.

In his view, this Persian army was a paper tiger, all show and no substance.

Although their numbers outnumbered those of the Romans, they were utterly outmatched by the Romans in both the quality of their soldiers and the competence of their generals.

What's even more ridiculous is that these Persians were completely unaware of this, and dared to rely on their numbers to form a loose and disorganized formation in front of him and Caesar.

Alexander, of course, chose to seize this opportunity, using the Macedonian phalanx to withstand the frontal pressure while his companion cavalry broke through on the flanks, giving the enemy a harsh lesson.

Therefore, with just one charge, he and his thousands of cavalrymen disrupted the Persian army's formation, and then chased after tens of thousands of opponents, slaughtering them indiscriminately.

"We still suffered over a hundred casualties against these useless people. It seems we need to strengthen our training in the future."

Alexander shook his head, clearly not satisfied with the results.

Caesar patted Alexander on the shoulder and offered words of comfort:
"It's already pretty good, after all, the other side isn't all pushovers."

As he spoke, he looked up at the group of black-clad, black-armored soldiers gathered around Darius III in the center of the Persian army, his gaze becoming more solemn.

—The Undying Army!

This renowned royal elite force just now withstood the charge of Alexander and his Companion Cavalry.

This gave the Persian army a chance to regroup their routed troops and regain their formation.

Otherwise, the casualties of this Persian army would probably have been one or two times higher.

"Woo~~!"

Accompanied by the resounding sound of horns, the Persian army, having regrouped, once again charged towards the Roman legion's defensive line.

Having experienced the setback in their first battle, they became much more cautious in their attacks.

Next, it will be time for a head-on confrontation.

Caesar sighed inwardly, while simultaneously urging his Roman soldiers to assemble in formation and observing the enemy's situation through the battlements.

As the ground shook, the Medes were the first to rise up.

The Medes wore narrow sleeves and tight-fitting, knee-length corsets embroidered with exotic oriental patterns. Beneath their magnificent attire were linen or scale armor similar to that of the Greeks.

They carried two or three short spears, each 1.5 to 1.8 meters long, which they could use for both throwing and close combat. They also used Defoe shields with notches on both sides for protection.

In addition, some people carried short swords at their waists. These soldiers generally wore headscarves that only exposed their faces, indicating that their equipment was inferior. Some of the wealthier Mede soldiers would wear semi-circular helmets in the style of steppes under their headdresses to make up for the lack of head protection.

The Scythians, following closely behind, wore pointed hats with ear and cheek guards. Some nobles were equipped with helmets purchased or captured from Greece, and wore studded leather armor, tight-fitting clothes, and scale armor. They carried battle axes at their waists and leather quivers sewn from the scalps of their enemies, appearing fierce and ruthless.

Among the victims were, of course, the subjects of the Roman Empire.

What an uncivilized bunch of beasts.

Caesar frowned in disgust, but still restrained his men, forbidding them from launching an attack prematurely.

Tsk tsk tsk!

Meanwhile, the attacking Persian army could no longer contain themselves, and the accompanying archers drew their bows and unleashed a volley of long-range shots.

Meanwhile, the scattered Medes and Saka on the front lines also coordinated their bows and released a dense rain of arrows, creating a continuous barrage of firepower.

"Raise your shields! Defend!"

As Caesar gave the order to his messenger, the Roman heavy infantry inside the ramparts skillfully formed a shield wall to deal with the dense barrage of arrows.

After several rounds of attacks, the arrow rain had little effect on heavy infantry, but the arrows that landed on the shields still increased their weight, or pierced the arms and legs of a few unfortunate men through the gaps, bringing bursts of blood and screams, and putting considerable psychological pressure on the shield bearers.

By the time the wounded were dragged to the rear for treatment, the enemy forces were already close to the front lines.

The Medes and Saka, who had begun close combat, put away their powerful bows and advanced rapidly. Their ranks were unknowingly stretched out by the narrow mountain path, preventing them from utilizing their numerical advantage, and their formation became scattered. At medium range, they habitually hurled several volleys of short spears before engaging in melee combat with another.

As a result, these Persian vassal armies severely underestimated the Romans' level of metallurgy and technology.

While most soldiers were still wearing lighter linen armor or scale breastplates, the Romans had already equipped themselves with magical weapons in large quantities, thanks to the advanced technology left behind by the Mechanoid race.

They wore bell-shaped bronze breastplates, each holding a large bronze shield with inlaid borders in their left hand and a spear raised in their right, aiming downwards at the Persians' eyes or necks not protected by their helmets. While the first rank of soldiers fought with the enemy, the two ranks of well-trained Roman soldiers behind them would seize the opportunity to thrust their spears into the gaps in the Persians' shield wall, ruthlessly finishing them off.

Even when a few swords and spears fell on the Romans' bronze armor, the activated intricate incantations and the resulting defensive spells caused the opponents to go numb and stagger to the ground.

Are they all alchemical armor?
The Medes and Saka who were clearing the way were stunned. In a moment of confusion, wave after wave of soldiers were taken away.

Having made advance preparations, the Romans chose a strategically important location, impregnable by a single man, and deployed their renowned Macedonian phalanx.

A wall of shields, composed of wide shields, was impenetrable, with spears thrusting out one after another between them.

The small shields and short spears of the Thracians and Medians in the Persian army were no match for this spinning killing machine, and hordes of soldiers fell before the shields of the Greek phalanx.

"No mercy! No prisoners!"

Seeing that the time was ripe, Caesar, who was in charge of commanding the infantry, gave a cold order, and the well-equipped Roman soldiers behind him raised their spears and pierced through the Persian auxiliary troops in front of them.

As the Persian soldiers at the front were stabbed to death as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, the Roman soldiers in the second rank used the spikes at the bottom of their spears to finish off the fallen enemies.

As casualties mounted, the Persian auxiliary troops ordered to attack began to retreat, while the Roman army, maintaining their phalanx formation, advanced slowly, roaring as they scaled the ramparts.
"No mercy! No prisoners!"

The sounds of blades piercing flesh were incessant, and the ground was littered with the remains and weapons of the enemy.

Even if a Roman soldier fell due to exhaustion or being shot by an arrow, soldiers in the rear would immediately step forward to fill the gap, and other members would step over their fallen comrades to be treated by the medical team that followed.

Just a few dozen breaths later, this counter-attack caused the Persian vanguard, which had stretched its lines, to lose thousands of men and was forced to retreat urgently to regroup.

Having repelled the enemy's second offensive, Caesar decided to call it a day, ordering his soldiers to clear the battlefield, strip the enemy of their armor, collect the spoils, and then retreat back to their defensive lines.

Another victory! The Roman soldiers roared with deafening cheers, their spirits lifting higher and higher.

However, Alexander and Caesar, who were looking out from the top of the ramparts, couldn't help but furrow their brows and their pupils showed deep worry.

This is just the beginning; a few victories are not enough to change the overall situation.

Moreover, this world contains many powerful individuals such as heroes, spellcasters, and gods.

Their appearance could very well shake up the entire course of the war.

Even with tactics and military strategy, the gap in life level cannot be bridged.

At this moment, Caesar and Alexander, who were observing the enemy's situation from a high vantage point, were startled to discover that there seemed to be some changes within the Persian army.

On a high platform built of nine layers of square bricks, piled with fragrant wood, firewood, and animal fat, the corpses of the fallen warriors were thrown into the blazing sacred fire. In the purification of the flames of light, their sins were washed away, their bodies turned to ashes, and their spirits returned to the embrace of the true god Ahura.

“ashem vohu…yata ahu…”

Thousands of Zoroastrian priests in white robes crossed their arms over their chests, while nearby female attendants threw spices into the flames and writhed in a wild and flamboyant dance.

"What are they talking about?"

Alexander frowned slightly, looking somewhat puzzled.

"The Zoroastrian Prayer!"

Caesar's pupils contracted sharply, his face froze, and he uttered the answer in a dry voice.

"There's only one possibility for this situation... The Persians are about to get serious!"

At the same time, as if to confirm his words, one after another, the Undead Army, with silver masks on their faces, holding curved swords and round shields, and dressed in black armor, stepped out in neat rows. Under the influence of the war dance and the light of the holy fire, their bloodlust and madness rose steadily, as if they were evil spirits crawling out of hell. Like a tangible tide of red and black magic, like rolling blood-red smoke rising into the sky, they crushed down with overwhelming force, almost suffocating people.

Moo~ Moo~
Before these black-armored soldiers, war elephants with intricate incantations engraved on their skin, carrying dozens of mystical mages wielding magic lamps, rolled forward with heavy steps.

Boom boom boom!

A barrage of arrows and spells rained down on the narrow position in front of the low wall, causing violent tremors. The surrounding rocks crumbled and shattered, sending boulders flying through the air with a sharp, mournful sound, and then crashing against the shields erected along the line.

Some powerful shards even pierced through gaps in the wooden shields or formations, embedding themselves in human bodies, bringing out clouds of blood mist and falling limbs, followed by screams and muffled groans.

Seeing that things were going badly, Caesar quickly drew his sword and roared:
"The mage chants one to three verses of a divine incantation; five hundred meters ahead, unleash a barrage of spell bullets!"

On the hilltop, a group of accompanying mages chanted the name of the chief god, cooperating with the priests to offer up magical power and cast a large-scale ritual incantation.

"Great God of all gods, Father of all fathers Bacchus (the god of wine), flames are your true form, lightning is your roar! Rise, divine might! May your enemies be destroyed!"

Rumble…

The sky was covered with dark clouds, a strong wind was blowing, and dense, continuous bolts of lightning, resembling tree branches, tore through the clouds, with hundreds of dazzling blue-white arcs of light striking outwards.

In the blink of an eye, Persian war elephants and numerous Persian spellcasters were pierced by lightning.

They didn't even have time to scream before they were all reduced to ashes.

But soon, the Persian spellcaster in mid-air realized what was happening.

They raised their specially made magic lamps and chanted divine incantations at high speed, launching a counterattack:
"Our Lord of Light, Mithras, the Father of Flames, fire is light. With this spirit of fire, we dispel darkness and purify impurity!"

The flames spewing from the spout formed a golden film of light, which, amidst the blazing fire, covered the advancing Persian army, shielding them from the bombardment of lightning arcs.

Even the Persian sorcerers, now free to do so, had time to cast spells on ordinary Roman soldiers.

Boom boom boom!

Red and black spell bullets and magical beams bombarded the low ramparts relentlessly, blasting the Roman soldiers hiding behind them and the walls into fragments.

As expected, the difference in numbers was too great, and the spellcasters were completely suppressed, so they could hardly be relied upon at the moment.

Caesar watched the approaching Persian elite troops, a shadow of gloom crossing his eyes. He could only give the order again:
"The priest prepares the suppression spell, chants the exorcism prayer, archers line up at a 75-degree angle, javelin throwers prepare their stance. Venus above, may the gods bless you!"

"Apollo of Light, Diana of the Hunt, the two great gods above, grant us protection, and inflict death upon our enemies!"

The accompanying priests chanted blessings to protect the archers.

As the heavy cedar bow was drawn, enchanted rune arrows gleamed with a chilling light.

Tsk tsk tsk!

The bowstring trembled, and hundreds of arrows pierced the air, whistling sharply as they fell towards the Persian elephant troops who posed a significant threat to the defensive line.

In an instant, several soldiers standing on the elephant saddle were pierced through the chest and skull, fell to the ground, and were immediately trampled into a bloody pulp by the elephant's hooves.

However, most of the arrows were blocked by the raised round shields and the sweeping elephant trunks, so the damage caused by a volley of arrows was actually very limited for the Persian army.

"Second round, divine incantation begins, activate inscription, release!"

"Take turns in sequence, don't stop!"

Caesar tried his best to remain calm and give his orders methodically, but his brow furrowed more and more tightly.

At this moment, the advancing war elephants were all riddled with quills, but because of their thick skin and flesh, their movements were not affected at all. The faint pain caused these sluggish monsters to let out angry roars, their eyes bloodshot, and their trunks to pick up stones the size of millstones from the vicinity, which roared and smashed towards the Roman army's defenses.

Boom boom boom!

The massive boulder crashed down with a deafening roar, and archers fell in droves, their flesh and blood mingling with the rocks.

Without the archers' suppression and harassment, the Persian sorcerers and Persian elephant cavalry unleashed a barrage of firepower on the Roman army's positions.

Whistling spells, falling stones, and hurled arrows rained down, and the Roman legions, under heavy pressure, suffered devastating losses.

Seeing that his own lines were on the verge of collapse, Alexander gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and slashed fiercely forward.

"Moo!"

Two thunderous bulls with flying hooves pulled an ancient bronze chariot, which burst out of the magic circle.

"Wedge formation, charge with me!"

Alexander leaped onto the legacy left to him by his dead father Zeus, and using himself as the spearhead, led his cavalry companions into the enemy ranks.

The fierce lightning, imbued with divine power, shot out in all directions, unstoppable.

In an instant, the tough skin of dozens of war elephants was torn apart, and their skulls were pierced. The remaining war elephants were also thrown into chaos by fright, either charging wildly or collapsing to the ground with mournful cries.

The undead soldiers and archers and mages on the elephant saddles nearby, who were using this as cover, were caught off guard and many of them were crushed and trampled into a pile of blood and flesh.

The remaining Persian soldiers were pushed back by the charge of their comrades' cavalry.

With this, the third round of attack and defense ended.

Rome managed to salvage its precarious lines at a near-fatal cost, gaining a brief respite.

Caesar and Alexander, both looking disheveled, exchanged glances, their eyes filled with bitterness.

The Persians had gone through so much tactical maneuvering to gain an advantage, but the gap was instantly closed once their high-end military force entered the fray. No wonder they didn't care much about the casualties of their auxiliary troops and ordinary people, nor did they pay much attention to the training of strategic and tactical personnel.

This damned world of gods!
(End of this chapter)