The Villain Saint is my secondary account

The continuous artillery fire sent sand flying everywhere, and man-made sandstorms raged across the sky. Two meteor showers collided and nearly burned the entire western frontier. The intense heat of the explosions and fires turned the battlefield into a furnace of hell in an instant.

The earth and the castle walls were instantly ravaged by the explosions, and the defensive barriers that the mage group had set up on the walls were torn apart like paper under such fierce bombardment.

Countless defenders and the collapsing city walls screamed as they tumbled down from the sky, a single streak of fire capable of blasting even heavily armored soldiers to smithereens.

However, Loren's side was at least protected by city walls and barriers, so this relentless exchange of fire was equally devastating to the duchy's army spread across the land.

The ground was riddled with craters, as if plowed by a meteor shower. The seemingly mighty steam tanks were easily pierced and reduced to scrap metal under the bombardment of magic-powered shells.

Loren has three fortresses with extremely wide artillery lines. The stockpiled shells and magic crystals transported here could easily last for a month in a battle with the duchy.

Therefore, for the Duchy of Tedeh, simply overwhelming the enemy with firepower would not yield much benefit in this battle. The advantages of steam tanks over magic cannons are their greater mobility and crushing performance against traditional infantry, compared to cavalry with heavy firepower, but they do not show any real advantage in a direct confrontation with a fortress.

However, the defensive line established by the three fortresses of Shazhoubao can be said to be the toughest nut to crack in the entire western part of the Loren Empire. Therefore, the Duchy's army must also bet a sufficiently heavy amount to conquer it.

On the top floor of the castle, Ye Xiao and Holman watched the battle side by side. After looking into the distance for a short while with a monocular telescope, he saw that between the rows of steam tanks spread out in the duchy, large vehicles with wheel hubs that looked like sloping roofed huts slowly drove out.

"Battering ram...?"

This made Ye Xiao's eye twitch slightly. "They're going to attack the city directly under these circumstances?"

“I’ve seen these things before; they’re armored battering rams with steel shells, powered by mana ore,”

Holman analyzed, "If we just rely on artillery fire to wear down the Duchy, we won't gain any advantage. Their tanks will be worn out faster than our magic cannons. We have a mage corps, so it won't take long to repair these stone walls. The magic cannons are simple in structure and can be repaired if they are not seriously damaged. But once a steam tank is destroyed, it will be gone. They must push forward with all their might when their firepower is at its strongest."

"Reasonable."

Ye Xiao nodded in agreement, "If the magic energy cannon also has to deal with the battering rams, it will inevitably sparsely suppress the steam tank line... This is forcing us to endure bombing and engage in hand-to-hand combat at the cost of lives."

"Yes, many of the lower-ranking soldiers in the duchy are serfs from vassal states. Although they lack professional training, they are equipped with alchemical drugs to enhance their bodies. They are perfectly suited to be used as cannon fodder in sieges."

"Ah."

Ye Xiao also understood the situation regarding these infantrymen who used alchemical drugs.

He had naturally read Holman's battle report carefully beforehand, and did not ignore the information in this life just because he knew the intelligence from the previous life. Therefore, he also had an understanding of the types of troops and tactics used by the Duchy in the Kingdom of Doum and the Western Frontier.

Such alchemical drugs were naturally not seen in the rebel army in the previous life. Although similar enhancement potions were not uncommon, they were usually expensive consumables used by elite heroes such as adventurers and mercenaries.

The fact that this drug could be distributed to a large number of slave soldiers indicates that the duchy could mass-produce it at extremely low cost, so it must not be the kind of ordinary enhancement drug that Ye Xiao understood.

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Alchemist Legion

"Have the musketeers and crossbowmen suppress the approaching battering rams and try to keep them outside the city walls."

Holman gave orders to his adjutant, and the walls of the three castles immediately began to transmit information using flags and braziers.

But those armored battering rams were as hard as tortoise shells, slowly rolling over the ravaged battlefield despite the hail of bullets and arrows.

Even if the defenders redirected some of their magic cannons to bombard the battering rams, they could only barely repel a small portion of them.

These gleaming little houses, like a steel torrent, gradually approached, and were now less than a mile from the city wall.

At the same time, behind the Principality of Tedeh, on a command platform erected high up.

Commander of the First Detachment, De Solon Cornelius, stood at the front of the stage observing the battle, while Saint Tania and Lady Windsor Thallon, a member of parliament, sat elegantly at a fine dining table, sipping tea.

"How's the battle going?"

Windsor covered her mouth with her hand and yawned.

Although it was at a high altitude and the desert was filled with sandstorms at night, a bright green magical barrier was set up on the command platform, so that the girl's mouth would not be filled with sand as soon as she opened it.

"The first siege force has already approached the city wall by a mile. Those cowards from Loren really don't have the courage to come out of the city to fight."

De Solon spoke calmly, then took down his binoculars.

"Phew~ It's more boring than I imagined. The fireworks in Lionheart City aren't even as pretty as the ones from here."

Miss Windsor waved her hand listlessly, "Hurry up and get it done. I remember you said you could take Sandbar Castle in one night."

"...Yes, that is indeed the Legion Commander's deduction, but that is based on the premise that the witch Loren did not come to our aid."

Desolon paused, "But based on current assessments, since it is the last line of defense in the west before advancing into Valond, the possibility of that witch taking action is still quite high."

"ha--?"

Miss Windsor rested her chin on her hand, drawing out a drawn-out, somewhat impatient tone, "So when are you going to stop fighting?"

DeSorron was at a loss for words and gave a helpless smirk.

"That's why I said before that you should just wait in Strømsgodset, Windsor. The front lines aren't as interesting as you might think."

Saintess Tania chuckled softly, "Or if you really want to see it, you can watch it from the airship. Coming down here, there's sand and wind, and most of the view is blocked."

"I just wanted to spend more time with our lovely Holy Maiden."

Miss Windsor smiled and affectionately stroked Tanya's hand resting on the table. "What could be more interesting than seeing our Tanya's heroic figure up close?"

"Pfft, how did it become 'your home'?"

Tanya covered her mouth and giggled, "But don't think too highly of me. I can handle opponents at the human level, but if Ella Hevie comes out, she's still not someone I can deal with."

As she spoke, Tanya glanced at a group of military tents enclosed on a hill in the distance.

The military tents were about five or six miles away from the command post. They were completely covered up, but the central part was particularly high, making it seem more like they were used to cover or seal something up than to live in.

"Tsk tsk, is that witch really that scary?"

Miss Windsor followed Tanya's gaze and said, "It's about time we had to use Him."

"Since it was your father who made this arrangement, it is quite possible."

Tanya smiled.

"That sounds pretty dangerous,"

Miss Windsor stuck out her tongue. "Maybe I should go back to Strøms first."

“You shouldn’t have been here in the first place. If your father finds out that I sent you to the front lines, he will definitely blame me.”

Tanya shrugged.

"Don't worry, I'll tell him that I begged and pleaded with you, and I'm going back anyway... Phew~ I'm starting to get sleepy at night. After all that wind and sand, I'll have to put some face cream on when I get back."

Miss Windsor yawned again, then stood up and waved goodbye to Tanya.

"I hope that when I wake up, I'll hear the news of your triumphant return."

"Alright, alright, I'll take this as your blessing."

Tanya watched as Miss Windsor, escorted by her family guards, rode away in a steam locomotive. The smile on her lips vanished, replaced by an arrogant and cold expression as she looked back at the battlefield.

"DeSorron, how's the situation now?"

"Forehead……"

De Solon, holding up his binoculars, swallowed hard. "The siege forces have encountered some trouble."

In his field of vision, a mile away below the walls of Shazhoubao, armored siege engines were engulfed in explosions and flames, scattering and emitting blue smoke in the craters.

However, upon closer inspection, this was not the result of the magic cannons bombarding the area, but rather the ground that collapsed and exploded after being run over by these battering rams.

Landmines, although Loren's alchemical technology, even with theoretical guidance from engineers recruited from among the players, couldn't immediately produce complex machines like steam tanks, these simple explosive devices could still be quickly manufactured.

"No wonder there was intelligence that people had been digging for something in front of Loren's castle these past few days; it turns out they were setting a trap."

Desoron snorted coldly, "But rest assured, Your Grace, these petty tricks cannot hinder the advance of our legion."

On the other side, atop Sandbar Fortress, Holman's gaze grew serious as he watched a large number of siege engines withstand the damage from exploding traps and wade through the sea of ​​fire, steadily approaching.

Ye Xiao also rubbed his chin, watching the enemy advance to the last half mile.

"If these things break through the foundation of the city wall, it will be troublesome. We can't afford to lose the line of defense set up by the magic cannons. Raise the city gates and go out to meet the enemy."

Half a minute later, a loud horn sounded, and the city gate below Shazhou Fort slowly rose, with squads of heavily armored infantry filing out.

Seeing this, the Duchy's troops, who were covering the advance of the siege rams, also emerged from behind the rams, took down the muskets hanging on their backs, and used the rams as cover to fire at the Loren infantry rushing out of the city gate.

The Loren infantry slowly deployed their formation, erecting rows of sturdy shields like walls, and advancing forward to face the bullets.

The troops on both sides gradually approached each other like merging waves, three hundred meters, two hundred meters, one hundred meters... Endless artillery fire exploded one after another on the battlefield, and the stray bullets and flying arrows became more and more dense than locusts.

Until the two sides clashed in close combat on the battlefield, rows of Lorenb soldiers raised their large shields and, led by their sergeants, roared and ran, launching a final charge against the battering ram.

Behind the battering ram, a heavily armored knight with dyed red hair walked to the front of the formation, wielding a double-handed axe, and shouted loudly.

"Monkeys of Loren, I am Atocron, the Knight Commander of the Duchy!"

"Remember my name, and then howl in hell!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the battering rams in front lowered their gates on both sides, and a group of slave soldiers rushed out.

They were exceptionally large, two or three times larger than the average person. They were shirtless, with only a tattered strip of cloth covering their lower bodies. They carried no weapons, and their thick limbs, like mad dogs released from their cages, pounced on the other side.

Chapter Fifty-Six: Each Displays Their Unique Abilities

The mutated slave soldiers clashed with Loren's heavy infantry.

Their grown-up, sharp claws could easily tear through sturdy plate armor, like a mad beast rampaging through a crowd.

But the Empire's infantry were no pushovers either; their spears and axes could also cut down those ferocious slave soldiers.

In an instant, blood stained the yellow sand, corpses littered the fields, and artillery shells exploded nearby, stirring up large clouds of dust and dismembered limbs.

Tens of thousands of soldiers fought valiantly, their ears filled only with the sounds of cannon fire and furious roars, facing an endless stream of enemies until their spears broke and their blood ran dry.

Although the slave soldiers following the siege rams only followed simple commands, their large numbers made them fearless of losses. Even though the Loren infantry held the line with their formation, their casualties were increasing rapidly.

More importantly, the soldiers on the Duchy's side were not entirely slave soldiers. Knight Commander Atocron also led a group of elite troops from the Duchy to charge into Loren's formation, which could create an opening for a breakthrough.

The long-handled axe, weighing over a hundred pounds, spun powerfully in his hands, like a mobile meat grinder, shredding the approaching Loren soldiers to pieces.

From the top of the main castle wall, Ye Xiao spotted the knight commander who had performed exceptionally well on the battlefield and curled his lip, "It seems the duchy has sent quite a few experts."

"Although they haven't shown much on the battlefield yet, their high-level strength is indeed not to be underestimated."

Holman nodded. "The vanguard general should be Atokron. Sixteen years ago, he came to the North and joined forces with the Imperial Royal Knights to fight against the barbarians. He led only three hundred light cavalry and conquered several tribes. He can be considered a highly decorated and valiant figure."

"Well, then we'll have to come up with some solutions on this side as well."

As Ye Xiao spoke, he turned to look at the city wall not far below.

A blonde girl dressed in a white holy arcane robe faced west, holding a scepter in one hand and opening the other, softly chanting a delicate incantation.

"I hereby proclaim the power of evolution to the myriad citizens of the empire: Loyal and valiant warriors, cast aside your fleshly subservience and rise anew."

The girl's hair danced in the gale, her eyes gleamed with golden light, and a magic circle inscribed with complex incantations swirled and expanded above her head, covering the sky for miles around.

Countless delicate golden threads, like fine raindrops, fell down, each one pulling up the Loren soldiers lying on the ground in the sand and dust, as if a huge golden curtain had been drawn along the city wall.

"What the hell is that?"

Atokron couldn't help but raise his head, gazing up at the golden wire barrier that stood before the fortress like a divine miracle, its dazzling light illuminating the dim night. The scene before him was unexpectedly beautiful and magnificent.

The ravaged land was bathed in golden light. Threads fell, binding together the scattered steel and armor pieces on the ground, and then attaching to the Loren soldiers who were being pulled up together.

These heavily armored infantrymen, whose original broken flesh and blood bodies were inlaid with steel and brass parts, suddenly had a surge of tremendous power within their dying bodies.

From the shadows beneath the helmets, piercing eyes snapped open, and countless soldiers who should have been dead rose one by one, brandishing their steam-powered greatswords and charging back onto the battlefield.

"Truly worthy of being called an evil god!"

Covered in blood, Atokron witnessed this extraordinary scene, gripped his long axe tightly, and roared as he charged towards the ever-regenerating evolved soldiers.

But this was not the end. As his heavy axe blow was blocked by several clockwork soldiers working together, he heard another high-pitched shriek in addition to the artillery fire.

Out of the corner of his eye, he looked up and saw two half-bodied, half-brass mechanical scorpion lions with their huge wings spread, swooping down from the sky into the battlefield.

Dozens of siege rams were crushed into pieces like building blocks, and the frenzied slave soldiers were reduced to ants being swept away.

Now, both sides' troop types can be considered to have their own unique abilities.

"Although I had witnessed it once before, I must say that Miss Freya's power is truly miraculous."

Holman sighed.

Although he did not complete his ascension to godhood, the demigod power forged by the unprecedented evolutionary authority was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

However, it shouldn't be used too much, after all, we are still human, and the backlash from the threads of fate caused by divine power is not something to be taken lightly.

Therefore, Ye Xiao had instructed Freya beforehand to only unleash this one evolutionary divine spell to withstand the duchy's first wave of attacks.

On the ground battlefield, both sides were still locked in a fierce struggle. The siege forces did their utmost, sparing no expense to advance by piling up lives. However, thanks to Freya's addition, the heavily armored infantry and manticores, empowered by the evolutionary divine magic, managed to stop the surging army at the last mile before the city walls.