Chapter 64: The Sudden Attack 2 |
Year 13 of the Great Conquest Era of Jandres, Year 1032 of the Heroic Era.
Long Winter, Eastern Sea Port.
This port is situated within the inner bay of the Karugu Gulf. Shielded by high mountains, its climate is not as perpetually cold as other regions of the Karugu Highlands; instead, it is quite scenic and pleasant.
Furthermore, the terrain here slopes from low in the front to high in the back, making it a rare natural harbor capable of accommodating large vessels.
This area once belonged to a band of minotaurs. After Dwarf King Jandres led his army to exterminate the minotaurs here, it took ten years to construct this harbor, transforming it into the economic and trade center of the Dwarven Kingdom.
Although the Eastern Sea Port has just been established, and the merchant ships conducting trade primarily come from the three major duchies in the northern part of the Kingdom of Drentland—the Duchy of Shao Yi, the Principality of Bonaro, and the Duchy of Bosha—all Dwarves believe this place will become the hub of trade in the Northern Frontier. Future patrons will extend from these three duchies to the Kingdom of Drentland and even to other kingdoms!
Moreover, the Eastern Sea Port has also shown an unusually inclusive side.
Many of the weaker clans in the Karugu Highlands have chosen to settle within the Eastern Sea Port, only needing to pay regular taxes to the Dwarven Kingdom. The Eastern Sea Port is gradually taking on the appearance of a town. Given time, it might become the first true city in this desolate land of the Karugu Highlands.
Such a city is incomparable to the underground cities of the Dwarven Kingdom, and this is the first step in Dwarf King Jandres's grand ambition.
However, since the establishment of the Eastern Sea Port, it has never suffered any foreign invasion. The Dwarf guards on the coastal defense towers have gradually become lax, not as dutiful and vigilant as before.
A cold wind carrying the salty, fishy sea mist lashed against Coastal Defense Tower Number Twelve, the outermost tower of the Eastern Sea Port.
On the platform at the top of the tower, several grizzled Dwarf veterans, clad in thick leather coats with beards caked in ice crystals, sat in a circle. Under the dim, yellowish light of a magic stone lamp, they were engrossed in playing their favorite 'Mountain Rock Cards'.
Greasy Dwarf ale mugs lay scattered on the rough stone floor, emitting a strong aroma of alcohol.
"Hah! Three gold mines beat your pile of worthless rocks!"
An old Dwarf with his beard braided into a thick plait triumphantly slapped down several cards, making sharp slapping sounds on the stone, earning a round of laughing curses from his companions.
"Old Hammerhead, your luck is still this hot! When we rotate back to the city in a couple of days, you'll have to treat us to a proper drink at the 'Heart of the Forge' branch!"
Another Dwarf veteran, missing a front tooth, took a swig of ale, grinned, revealing blackish-yellow teeth, his eyes gleaming with longing for the port's taverns and certain... 'entertainments'.
"Right, right! I heard a human brothel opened in the city, got a few human girls from the Northern Frontier, those figures..." A third Dwarf rubbed his hands together, letting out a coarse, grating laugh.
The 17th Dwarf Legion stationed at the Eastern Sea Port was the most comfortable legion.
No need to fight Goblins in the south, nor to battle Dragons in the north.
They were, naturally, the most comfortable Dwarf soldiers.
"Ding-ling-ling..."
Amidst this atmosphere filled with the smell of alcohol and vulgar jokes, the bell hanging on the inner wall of the tower, connected to underwater sensors, suddenly began to ring.
The moment the bell rang, all laughter and card games instantly froze.
"What's going on?"
The old Dwarf with the braided beard, 'Old Hammerhead', was the first to jump up, the drunkenness on his face dissipating in an instant as he looked warily towards the direction of the hanging bell.
The other Dwarves also hastily dropped their cards, scrambling to grab the heavy battle-axes or crossbows leaning against the wall.
"Quick! To the ballista positions! Could be sea monsters, or..."
Old Hammerhead, experienced, immediately rushed towards the massive arcane energy ballista covered with oilcloth at the edge of the tower.
Two other Dwarves hurriedly followed, straining to pull off the oilcloth, revealing the ballista body gleaming with cold metallic luster and complex runes.
Just then, from the highest lookout post on the tower, the young Dwarf sentry responsible for observing the sky—who had clearly been sneaking glances at the card game earlier—suddenly let out a shrill, panicked scream that changed pitch: "Dragons! Dragons in the sky! Two! And ships! So many ships!!"
This shout stunned everyone. They instinctively looked up in the direction the sentry's trembling finger pointed.
Against the gloomy sky, two enormous figures were streaking across at an astonishing speed at low altitude, tearing through the thick mist, racing straight towards the port!
The leading one, its scales showing a dark, molten rock-like reddish hue under the thin daylight, its wingbeats stirring scorching air currents and a faint scent of sulfur, was none other than the fiery-tempered, arrogant Red Dragon, Tyrone!
Tyrone's massive form radiated oppressive force, like a burning meteor crashing towards the earth.
Following closely was a slightly smaller dragon, but one covered entirely in pale white scales—the White Dragon, Disos!
Disos's cold, slit-pupiled eyes swept over the tiny coastal defense tower below, the frosty breath exhaled from its mouth condensing into white mist in the air.
And below them, a dozen or so crude but sail-bearing wooden ships were cleaving through the waves, charging towards the port with equally menacing momentum!
The shadowy forms of the ships carried a savage, ferocious aura.
"Gods above! It's a dragon attack!"
Old Hammerhead's heart almost leapt out of his throat. He immediately roared at his companions: "Quick! Charge the arcane ballista! Aim at that Red Dragon! Sound the alarm! Highest-level alarm! Notify the por—"
His command wasn't finished before being roughly cut off by the equally experienced veteran beside him, the small squad leader of the coastal defense tower.
"Wrong!! Hammerhead! The bell! The underwater bell rang first!"
The squad leader's face was deathly pale, his voice sharp: "Underwater! Something's coming from underwater! Not those in the sky! Look at the water!!"
As if to confirm his words, the Dwarf missing a front tooth now had half his body leaning over the battlement, staring fixedly at the sea surface below: "Below... it's all green-skinned Frogmen! Packed together! Like a school of fish! They're swimming over!!"
Under the immense shadow of panic cast by the red and white dragons, amidst the spray churned up by those crude warships, countless agile, sleek-scaled, dark green figures were darting through the turbid seawater like phantoms, silent and swift!
They wielded sharp harpoons or short blades, their hands and feet webbed, moving as fluidly as real fish, rapidly closing in on the Eastern Sea Port's shore base and the anchored ships!
Their numbers were so vast it was enough to make one's scalp crawl!
"Quick, light the beacon fire, notify the port!"
The squad leader's courage shattered. He turned and lunged towards the prepared furnace inside the tower.
However, everything was already too late.
"BOOM!!!"
At the very moment the Dwarf sentry spotted the Frogman army and the squad leader lunged for the furnace, a deep, thunderous roar powerful enough to shatter internal organs erupted from the base of the coastal defense tower!
The entire sturdy black stone tower shook violently and began to tilt as if struck by an invisible giant hammer.
The coastal defense tower swayed, dislodging rolling stones. The Dwarves at the top tumbled like gourds, unable to keep their footing, falling one after another. The arcane ballista's support frame emitted a piercing screech of twisting metal.
"ROAR!"
Accompanied by a long, wild, and powerful roar, a massive pale blue figure surged up from the seawater beside the tower's base like a deep-sea leviathan!
This was the Sea-Dwelling Dragon, Tina!
Her enormous body, covered in streamlined pale blue scales and carrying the weight of seawater, slammed fiercely into the tower's foundation!
The massive stones of the tower base instantly shattered under the brute force of the dragon's impact!
The tower began to topple at a despairing angle.
The Dwarves' terrified screams were drowned out by the roar of collapsing structure.
And amidst this apocalyptic chaos, an even swifter, more deadly black shadow shot out from the churning waves where Tina had struck!
Saga, like an arrow of death shot from the abyss, precisely pounced on the arcane ballista at the tower's peak, which was tilting but still roughly maintaining its orientation. He extended a dragon claw and, with a shriek that seemed to tear through space, slashed down viciously!
"CRASH!"
This expensive coastal defense weapon, meant to guard the port, along with the last vestige of resistance atop the tower, was utterly annihilated under Saga's single strike.
Dust billowed; rubble fell like rain.
Coastal Defense Tower Number Twelve, the outermost sentinel of the Eastern Sea Port, without even issuing a single effective alarm, collapsed with the terrified, despairing shadows of the Dwarves inside, crashing down and sinking into the icy, bone-chilling waters of the bay.
And deep beneath the sea, Xia'er silently observed all of this, not revealing her presence immediately.
This time, it was an all-out assault.
Over a thousand lizardmen, young and old alike, all armed with blades.
Of the more than three thousand Frogmen, only a few hundred remained on Starlight Dew Island; the rest were all mobilized.
This operation could only succeed; failure was absolutely not an option.
After effortlessly destroying this coastal defense tower, Xia'er had essentially confirmed the accuracy of the intelligence. She immediately continued issuing commands: "Press the advantage, strike straight to the Eastern Sea Port!"
"Declare to the Dwarves that the era of the Dragons has arrived in the Karugu Highlands!"