Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 731 Life-or-Death Rescue
The convoy followed closely behind the war vehicles and crashed into the chaotic makeshift stronghold.

Just as Wood and Holmes pulled the brake lever, the metal door was pounded on loudly. "Hurry! Get out! Unload the cargo and load the people! We can't stay here any longer!"

Just as Wood was about to open the door and jump out of the driver's seat, Holmes suddenly grabbed him and pulled out a military iron helmet from somewhere, then put it on his head.

"Be alert... keep an eye on those guys in the sky!"

The reinforcements who had just arrived at the stronghold had already quickly assembled and dispersed to set up firing positions. One after another, the assembled magic-powered machine guns and single-shot beam weapons were raised and aimed at the targets in the air.

This was the first time Wood had ever seen these Saint Valenians attacking with the legendary magical weapons... He had long heard that those strange-looking things, which looked no different from thick iron rods, could shoot lightning and fire from extremely long distances, accurately blasting the enemies they had locked onto into pieces.

When he finally faced this scene head-on, he couldn't help but feel shocked. How did these soldiers, who were just like him and came from common backgrounds, become so adept at controlling magical creations? And how were they trained to be so brave, fearless, and obedient?
No wonder even those terrifying northern tribes were no match for them...

The real fighting was not something Wood and his unofficial crew could get involved in. The unloading area of ​​the convoy was also kept as far away from the firefight zone as possible, and the hoisting equipment was quickly set up in coordination with the soldiers who came to receive the supplies.

"The temporary outpost isn't even equipped with any working alchemical beasts, and these ammunition and cannon barrels are incredibly heavy..." Holmes muttered a complaint under his breath, only to be met with the sudden roar of artillery fire from ahead.

The enormous rumble caused the ground to tremble slightly. Wood's legs went weak and he quickly leaned against the side of the wheelchair, his back pressed against the cold body of the vehicle. Only then did he realize that his clothes were already soaked with sweat.

"Don't worry... that's the artillery position firing into the distance, which means the enemy's ground forces are at least a mile away. By the time close-range firefight breaks out, we should have already evacuated."

Holmes, carrying an ammunition box on his shoulder, struggled to free one hand to tug at Wood, making him feel a little embarrassed.

"Have you experienced this kind of... situation before?"

"Of course! Our army in Goris can fight against both the Papacy and the Lizardmen at the same time, burying them both with the power of thunder, and also leveling the Holy City to the ground."

Holmes clearly had no intention of giving a long speech about his experiences at this crucial moment. He simply said a few words and then carried the supply box away, leaving Wood standing there in a daze.

Another deafening roar erupted, sending up a cloud of yellowish dust from the artillery positions ahead. The last few winged beings circling low in the sky attempted to approach and interfere, but were immediately shot down by beam weapons that had locked onto their targets, turning into a shower of bloody fragments that fell to the ground.

Soldiers continuously transported the supplies unloaded from the convoy to the front, disassembled them, and quickly reassembled them. Portable cannons and single-beam weapons were soon in place, along with the heavy cannons and dozens of magic-powered machine guns already set up at the stronghold... A complete defensive line was formed in an instant.

However, the troops from the two battalions will remain here to buy enough time for the refugees in the stronghold to evacuate.

……

"Car number three! Can car number three still fit? I have two children here!"

"Forget about all these belongings, throw them all away! Don't take anything! The carts can't even hold this many people!"

"Squeeze in...squeeze in even more! Let the elderly and children stay at the very back!"

Wood felt his throat was on fire; every time he opened his mouth, a tearing pain shot through it. He and Holmes carried a roll of khaki tarpaulin to cover the open cargo bed of the wagon. The wagon bed lacked a hard metal roof; covering it with tarpaulin, the color of the yellow sand of the grassland, maximized camouflage, preventing the winged beings hovering in the sky from spotting it. The open cargo bed, which normally barely held thirty people, was now crammed with a record-breaking fifty, packed like sardines. There wasn't even room for them to sit cross-legged; they could only stand stiffly.

As artillery and machine guns roared to life, the fully equipped transport convoy finally completed its mission and drove out of the camp in a grand procession.

"Buzz—buzz—stay close to the lead car! Keep full speed!"

"Don't fall behind! Watch out for obstacles! *Buzz—buzz—*"

The alchemical communicator in the driver's cab continuously transmitted instructions from the team leader. All the drivers were fully focused, their hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, staring intently at the rear of the vehicle in front through the gaps in the steel partitions of the windows.

A fierce sandstorm swept across the grassland, lashing against the vehicle with a hissing sound. The tarpaulin in the rear compartment also shook violently, causing Wood, sitting in the passenger seat, to keep turning around to look.

"Hold on tight to the handrails! Watch out for bumps! Protect the children and the elderly!"

A woman, squeezed into the very back of the carriage, clutched her weak child tightly and pleaded cautiously with Wood through the rear window of the driver's cab, "Sir... could you please give the child a drink of water? We were told to discard everything when we boarded..."

Without the slightest hesitation, Wood took the water bottle from his waist and was about to hand it over...

The cart suddenly braked sharply, the wheels screeching on the sandy grass. The refugees in the back of the cart screamed, and the kettle rolled into the gap between the driver's cab and the rear of the cart with a thud.

what happened……

Wood looked back at Holmes and saw him frowning and sharply turning the steering wheel to the right... The car almost fishtailed, cutting an arc at full speed to avoid the obstacle in front of it.

Upon closer inspection... it turned out to be a small military vehicle that had overturned on the ground and was responsible for guiding the convoy forward!

Two soldiers from Saint Valen climbed out of the vehicle and, without hesitation, began firing their guns overhead under the cover of the military vehicle.

Almost simultaneously, the communicator in the cockpit crackled to life—"Buzz—Buzz—Attention all! A small group of enemy winged beings is closing in! Maintain formation and continue advancing!"

Those alien monsters... they really came to chase after them!
Ignoring everything else, Wood put his helmet back on and leaned out of the car window. Several military vehicles were speeding toward the spot where the car had overturned, and several soldiers jumped out of the vehicles to begin the rescue.

Dozens of dark shadows in the distance were approaching at a visible speed, rushing towards the convoy... A thick, long red beam shot down from the sky, crashing onto the grass and kicking up a huge column of dust.

Alien races also have the means to attack humans from a distance. That military vehicle was probably attacked in this way, which is why it suddenly overturned while traveling at high speed.

After a few gunshots, several monsters that had been shot down fell from the sky, but the enemy was not attracted at all. Without stopping, they bypassed the group of soldiers and headed straight for the convoy.

They were after the refugees on the convoy!

(End of this chapter)