Cataclysm King.

Chapter 541 Shadowfang Fortress

"Why did you pinch my face again?"

"Ah, sorry, sorry. It's easy."

"It doesn't matter. It's just that my mother said before that when I inherit the position of high priest, I won't be able to laugh and laugh all day long. The high priest represents the majesty of the royal family. He must show enough stability and calmness in front of outsiders, so that he can be recognized. People are convinced”

"Well, I also think Aunt Nan is right! From now on, we can talk about our own affairs. If there are outsiders around, you are the priest of Nanda. In private, we are still the same as before, okay."

"Uh-oh."

"."

The clown's occupational disease has returned again, and he always makes his audience unhappy.

Not to mention a friend who has passed away.

Ji Xun didn't want to see Nan Jing trapped in the depressed mood of a loved one's death.

Clowns can always make people happy with their funny performances and some jokes.

The ball-headed lady was also the most supportive of the audience. She seemed to become cheerful all of a sudden, and a smile appeared on her face again.

But in fact, Ji Xun knew that Nanjing had changed.

From the moment she accepted the inheritance, she grew into a true Grand Priest of the South.

Just like friends when they were young, playing games together was the happiest thing in the world; but when they grow up, the same games can no longer give them the joy they did in childhood.

This is even more true for extraordinary people.

As our understanding of the world improves, it becomes increasingly difficult for human emotions to affect reason.

Happiness is hard to come by, but sadness is ever more profound.

Miss Wan Zitou is still willing to play the previous games with Ji Xun because the two are good friends.

There is also the familiar joy that both of them can find in it.

Without trains, Warcraft is still the best means of transportation for long-distance travel.

On this day, the northeastern region of the Central Continent.

Several giant pterosaurs with wingspans of hundreds of meters swooped down and landed in a huge temporary camp with flapping wings.

When the flying dragon stopped, the mercenaries came down from the wooden tower on the dragon's back. At the same time, the shirtless slaves on the ground also used simple wooden tower cranes to carry down a large amount of supplies.

Along with the mercenary team, there were three inconspicuous newly registered mercenaries.

It was Ji Xun, Chujiu and Nanjing in disguise.

They came from the Imperial Tomb in the Rune Highlands because the Alliance Army encountered some trouble here.

I happened to be going to Donghuang, so I came over to take a look.

Nowadays, nobles from the Southern Continent are opening up wasteland everywhere in the Central Continent. The advantage is that transportation is much more convenient.

Roads in many dangerous areas have been opened, and almost everyone between territories can be reached by flying dragons.

Otherwise, even the ninth level would not dare to fly around so blatantly in the unexplored Talun ruins.

The three of them casually assumed the identities of mercenaries and followed the dragon.

After going back and forth several times, it took ten days to complete the journey that previously took several months.

We arrived at the place marked "Shadowfang Fortress" on the Talon-era map.

There are a large number of ancient war relics here.

The places where the Talon Empire could build cities three thousand years ago were basically places rich in resources and suitable for large-scale human settlement.

Not only do these ruins contain a large number of ready-made basic urban facilities, but there are also a large number of mineral deposits, treasures and extra-dimensional spaces nearby.

Those nobles from the Southern Continent who want to establish new territories give priority to these ruined cities.

There is a high-quality iron ore vein near Shadowfang Fortress.

The lord who currently occupies the fortress is Archduke Simon, the independent Duke of the Southern Continent.

Coincidentally, when Ji Xun was at the Royal Academy, Duke Simon was the archenemy of the Langdon Principality where his clone worked.

Now that the Southern Continent is integrated, these independent dukes have no restraint, and all of them have gone to the Central Continent to open up wasteland.

The fortress has begun to take shape, the broken walls have been rebuilt, and stone houses have been built on the ruins.

The city was a prosperous and lively scene with many people.

However, there are almost no ordinary residents in the city. Most of them are noble legions and mercenaries responsible for developing territories, as well as slaves and craftsmen responsible for city construction.

Feilong Inn was noisy.

"The newly arrived mercenaries of the Two-tailed Scorpions should go to the military camp to report and collect their money. I praise Duke Simon for his generosity. Now you guys can collect your money first and then work."

"Oh **** slaves, please carry it carefully. Those are the materials for building the magic tower. Don't damage them!"

"Captain Ten, arrange for someone to put the magic cannon on the city wall!"

"."

Ji Xun and the other three mingled in the crowd and followed the temporarily recruited mercenary group to the military camp.

Duke Simon's Palace has devoted almost all its efforts to clearing wasteland and building a new city. It is said that there are eighth-level dragon-born masters in the city.

After some observation, the city's defense force was very strong.

The strength of an independent duke who can stand in the southern continent for hundreds of years should not be underestimated.

Not to mention the endless stream of mercenaries, the number of noble knights wearing fine armor in the military camp exceeds 100,000.

As Ji Xun walked, he introduced Chujiu and Nan Jing beside him: "This flag points to Grand Duke Simon, a green dragon descendant who is good at toxins. It is currently known that there are at least three eighth-level powerhouses in the Duke's Palace, and they have also hired Two large mercenary groups. Behind the Simon family is said to be a ninth-level pure-blooded green dragon, but it has not been seen for hundreds of years. It should still be sleeping in a cave in the southern continent."

The team in this city alone was enough to easily destroy Donghuang a few years ago.

It also poses a fatal threat to today's Alliance Army.

What others don't know is that the headquarters of the Alliance Army is located a hundred miles north of the fortress.

The three of them walked and talked, and other people on the street were also whispering.

Most of these were mercenaries recently recruited from the Southern Continent, and they were full of expectations for this old continent that was "full of gold."

"Haha, there are indeed many opportunities in the newly developed territory. I received one hundred gold coins as soon as I arrived. By the way, leader, what is our mission? Is it the land reclamation ruins?"

"I heard that they are the natives who fight against the Eastern Wasteland. There is a guerrilla team here. The lord wants to establish a territory, so they must be wiped out."

"The natives of the Eastern Wasteland? Is that the small country whose strongest is said to be only the sixth level?"

"Don't underestimate those natives. This battle is not as easy to fight as you think. I heard that those guys in the Eastern Wasteland are now part of the mechanical legion, and all kinds of magic machines are very powerful. Especially the kind of combat power that is comparable to the seventh level The card master's 'Hunter Armor' also appeared, and it had destroyed several medium-sized mercenary groups before."

"What are you afraid of! I'm just afraid that those armors won't come. If you really dare to show up, the top card masters of the Duke's Palace have been waiting for a long time."

"That's right. If you haven't gone to the prisoner camp, those 'mechanics' are just a bunch of first- and second-level guys. They are as soft as the girls in the tavern. Without those mechanical armors, we can only do it with Longwei It scared the **** out of those guys."

"."

Donghuang has cut off ties with the Old Continent ever since it blew up the Nugget Pier.

Later, the Iris Legion of the Red Dragon Royal Family blocked it.

Therefore, most people in the southern continent are lagging behind in intelligence.

They don't even know that the strength of the Eastern Wild Orchid Royal Court is not weak now.

It even has the strength to counterattack the Old Continent.

Ji Xun and the other three also followed the team to receive the money.

They were not in a hurry to leave.

If you spend a little time investigating the military intelligence here, the Alliance Army will have better arrangements for the future.

Most of the city is a military camp, with all kinds of gaudy mercenary flags fluttering in the wind.

There are not only "new recruits" like Ji Xun in the city, but also a large number of veterans.

After a few hours, Ji Xun figured out the basic situation of the Shadow Fang Fortress.

In a shanty, Ji Xun and three others were sitting on the ground, eating dry food and chatting.

"Now it seems that even if the Alliance Army is confident, they don't dare to eat people like Duke Simon."

"Yes, once eaten, it will definitely attract stronger enemies. Maybe it will also attract the ninth-level green dragon behind Duke Simon's Mansion to cause trouble. Today's hunting **** armor cannot stop the eighth-level giant. The dragon's breath, let alone the ninth level."

"It would be troublesome to drag it on like this. There is a rich vein of magical green copper and magical black iron over there, and the Alliance army will not give up. If they really want to continue to open up wasteland to the north, sooner or later there will be a fierce collision between the two sides."

"Yeah. It's really troublesome."

"."

The three of them already had a rough idea of ​​what was going on.

The Old Continent is large enough, and there are not many nobles from the Southern Continent who came before, and the pace of land reclamation is not fast. The Alliance army could grow steadily as long as they avoided it.

But things are different now. A large number of nobles are pouring in to open up wasteland, and the space for the Alliance army to survive is getting smaller and smaller.

Some areas with scarce resources cannot be given up, and conflicts are inevitable.

For example, the rich mines in the north of the fortress produce demon-sucking green copper and demon-falling black iron, both of which are necessary for refining top-level mechanical armor.

If you want to have opportunities in the future, you can't give up.

So there is now a dilemma.

Even if the Alliance army could really pull out this fortress, it would be of no avail.

Apart from exposing your strength and attracting covetousness, it cannot solve any problem at all.

There's nothing wrong with Katarina's tactics, it just gives the enemy the illusion that "I can wipe out these natives" and keeps stalling.

But the staff at Duke Simon's Palace also vaguely discovered a problem.

Since resistance is encountered, there must be factors worth resisting.

Therefore, the "Major Exploration" reward was specifically marked in the task of recruiting mercenaries.

It is estimated that the senior officials of Duke Simon's Palace also guessed that there might be a treasure nearby.

Ji Xun and the other three were also chatting and analyzing the situation. Not to mention the ninth level, even the eighth level pure-blood dragon is coming, which is a big trouble.

Although the strength of the three of them is strong enough, once they kill the snake, they will be in constant trouble.

Nor did they think of a better solution.

While they were chatting, suddenly, the bearded temporary legion commander shouted: "The Nineteenth Twin-tailed Scorpion legion is ready to break camp and set off!"

Now the price is clearly marked in the Duke's Mansion. The "Eastern Wilderness natives" are all walking meritorious deeds. Killing one of them is money.

Mercenaries are here to make money, and there is no point in taking an extra day of rest.

The enemy isn't too strong anyway.

As soon as these guys heard the order, they all excitedly picked up their weapons and were ready to go.

Ji Xun and the others originally wanted to leave after eating, but now that the team was about to go on a trip, they simply followed them out.

Shadowfang Fortress has only been occupied by Duke Simon's people for a month, and land reclamation is in full swing.

Except for the southeast direction, which has been almost explored, there are large areas of unknown areas in other directions.

Moreover, the cave world is not flat, but as intricate as an anthill.

There are a large number of mountain mines near the fortress. Tens of thousands of people could be thrown into them without even a splash, so the progress of land reclamation is not fast.

This is also the most important reason why Duke Simon's Palace recruits a large number of mercenaries.

A team of nearly a thousand mercenaries marched in the mountains and fields, and soon disappeared into the darkness.

The mercenaries were all level 2 card masters and above. They marched very fast, covering more than ten kilometers in an hour.

I met several monsters on the road and killed them casually.

Not long after.

In a mountain col, there is a fork in the road.

The team began to repair.

The second-rate mercenary group "Two-tailed Scorpion Group" is a makeshift team with loose military discipline and no military quality.

From the bottom of their hearts, they did not think highly of the "Eastern Wilderness natives".

So even the sentries were not deployed very far.

Everyone was just sitting around lazily.

The direction they were assigned to explore this time was to the east, while the Alliance Army's headquarters was to the north.

Ji Xun originally thought that he would not encounter anyone from the Alliance Army, so he wanted to leave quietly at this fork in the road.

Unexpectedly, the three of them were attacked before they left the team.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom"

Without warning.

Dozens of rockets landed in the camp, and fragments of magic energy flew around, causing brilliant fire.

The mercenaries fell into chaos instantly.

"Attack the camp! Attack the camp!"

"Damn it! Sentinel, are you a **** dead person? The enemy only found out after they attacked?"

"Stop complaining, brothers, come after me! Kill a native for one thousand gold and an officer for one hundred thousand."

"."

This group of mercenaries did not realize the seriousness of the matter. They rushed into the darkness following the artillery fire in small groups.

Only Ji Xun and the others did not move.

They found a position where they would be least likely to be accidentally injured and waited for the result.

Although Ji Xun didn't see it, he could hear the mechanical "clang" and "clang" friction sounds, and knew that it was the movement of the Hunter God Armor.

The Hunter Armor is currently the top equipment of the Alliance Army.

One can defeat level six, and three can kill level seven.

In other words, the people coming were the main force of the Alliance Army, not some harassing lightly-armed team.

The two sides immediately got into a fight.

The fighting was also very intense.

"Bang", "bang", "bang".

The sounds of bombs exploding intensively sounded, and various demon-breaking flames flickered, illuminating the entire mountain col.

The artillery fire was followed by hand-to-hand combat.

In the darkness, tall mechanical armors holding various magic equipment were fighting with the group of dragon-born mercenaries.

A group of beast-turned-dragonborn faced off against the torrent of steel, and the battle was fierce for a while.

Most of the mercenaries have never seen mechanical armor before and are not afraid at all.

After this rush, there was no turning back.

“What a big change”

Ji Xun looked at it and was amazed.

The Southern Continent is a completely primitive magical world. Now seeing the familiar steam machinery appearing, he felt an inexplicable feeling of kindness in his heart.

Moreover, this was the first time he saw the mechanical legion organized by the city legion.

In the field of vision, at least three hundred heavy-duty mechanical battle armors appeared.

There are more than ten hunting **** armors among them.

The number is still one.

The equipment equipped with these mechanical armors also made Ji Xun's eyes light up.

[Balrog Type III Mechanical Lightsaber], [Steam Battering Ram], [Bakli Magic Light Blade Military Version 2.0], [Thor Blaster], [Pterodactyl Steam Powered Gliding Wing], [Invisible Force Field Actuator] ], [Climate Bomb], [Ares Mechanical Shield].

Ji Xun was able to recognize them because he had seen the drawings of these mechanical equipment.

The three of them had previously obtained a large number of mechanical drawings in "Thousands of Army Siege", and later gave them to Song Can's "New World Mechanical City", including the pinnacle mechanical equipment of the Talon period.

Now it seems that it has been mass produced.

Pieces of mechanical equipment with different functions, well-coordinated tactics, and well-trained mechanics

The mercenaries were defeated instantly.

The biggest advantage of mechanical armor is that steel has an absolute advantage over the flesh.

As long as the mecha's defense cannot be broken, it will be a one-sided battle.

The configuration of the mechanical army in front of them can already surround and kill the seventh-level dragon-born army. It is certainly not a problem to deal with a second-rate mercenary group.

Ji Xun and the others didn't intend to go out to help, so they just watched.

In a blink of an eye, the mercenary group was dispersed, most of them died, and a small number escaped.

Sporadic fighting continued, but the outcome was decided.

There are only positions on the battlefield, there is no right or wrong.

Ji Xun didn't look at the corpses lying on the ground, his expression showed no fluctuation.

He looked at the mechanical warriors who stopped in the middle of the battlefield and seemed to be searching for something. He called to Nan Jing and Chujiu and said, "Let's go, we're going out too."

The three of them walked out,

The mechanics captured the three of them in an instant, and hundreds of artillery pieces pointed at them.

But immediately, a woman with blond hair wearing a white military uniform came out.

She looked at Ji Xun and the others and said with a smile, "Long time no see."

The person who came was none other than the Commander-in-Chief of the Alliance Army, Catalina.

Ji Xun looked at the blonde girl in front of him and smiled: "Long time no see."

Katarina walked out of several hunting armors that were guarding her and ignored Ji Xun, a guy she was already very familiar with.

Then she greeted Chujiu and Nanjing: "Your Majesty Chujiu, Priest Nan. Welcome you two."

The language is very official.

Chujiu and Nan Jing also looked at each other, nodded, and responded politely: "Miss Carter."

Although they are not very familiar with each other, they actually know each other.

Ji Xun didn't like this kind of politeness, so he asked casually curiously: "Miss Carter, how did you know we were here?"

Although I contacted him before coming, he didn't say he would arrive today.

What's more, I met him in the wild.

Catalina tossed the ancient gold coin in her hand and said with a faint smile: "The divination told me that a distinguished guest is coming today. It just so happened that the Allies had a plan to lure the enemy, so I came with them."

Ji Xun recognized that this [Golden Coin of Destiny] was given by Old Man Xu.

But so mysterious?

He didn't believe it, so he asked again: "Really?"

Catalina chuckled: "Half true and half false."

As she spoke, she explained directly: "The Allies have spies in the fortress and know about today's exploration plan there. I just felt that you were about to arrive, so I came over to take a look. I didn't expect to bump into them."

Ji Xun suddenly realized when he heard this.

This place is not far from the Shadow Fang Fortress, and a battle has just occurred, so it is not a place to stay for a long time.

Catalina didn't say much and said, "Come on, let's talk somewhere else."

(End of chapter)