Chapter 70: This...this was built in such a short time? |
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"Be wary of ambushes and traps along the road. Now that we've arrived here, we must advance slowly. Ensure absolute safety," Deswen addressed his troops. Though he had made bold promises before Deslar, having witnessed Jonas's ruthlessness and methods, he knew this would be no easy opponent.
Moreover, when they had departed previously, they had seen Thunderkeep's soldiers openly setting up traps under the guise of constructing walls throughout these mountains. This mountain range likely wouldn't be as easy to traverse as imagined.
"Yes, my lord."
Many Destiny Army soldiers looked around at the surrounding mountains, voicing their concerns: "My lord, with terrain like these mountains, if we enter, we could easily be trapped by enemy forces!"
Deswen waved his hand dismissively: "Rest assured...with their troop numbers, at most they can only set traps or turtle behind their walls. As for encircling us in reverse? How could their few thousand troops surround our tens of thousands?! This is between Giant Spirit City and the Destiny stronghold - the Empire's forces can't reach here yet. We have more than enough to deal with them."
His subordinate nodded. "As you say, my lord."
"Let's thoroughly clean out this faction. They've lived long enough."
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Staring at this massive wall suddenly erected here, even Deswen was stunned, gaping in disbelief.
This...when did such a towering wall appear here? He remembered this place clearly from his previous reconnaissance - back then it was just a few small hills! How much time had passed since then? This...this wall just sprang up? What kind of magic was this?
No, this couldn't even be called magic anymore - this was practically divine miracle.
His trusted aide, who had accompanied him on that reconnaissance mission, now stood with mouth agape. They had assumed Jonas was using wall construction as cover to set up ambushes throughout these mountains. Turns out he was actually building a genuine wall!
But these were mountains! The difficulty of constructing walls here was unimaginable. How could this be completed in such short time? Moreover, this wall's height could rival even Giant Spirit City's - and Giant Spirit City was famous precisely for its towering walls!
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Furthermore, the defending forces atop the wall appeared extremely excited upon seeing the approaching Destiny Army. Deswen's lips twitched - excited? What nonsense was this? They had fought through numerous noble territories where most defenders showed fear and tension. This was the first time they'd encountered enemies who seemed thrilled at their approach.
On the walls, the former lords - reassigned by Jonas according to their abilities into various military units as minor commanders - watched the menacing Destiny forces approach with immense relief. How fortunate they had pledged allegiance to Jonas early. Facing such an army, their original territories would have been utterly destroyed. As former lords or nobles captured by these native Destiny forces, their fates would have been unthinkable.
In the past, seeing such well-equipped Destiny troops would have made them flee immediately. But now, not only did they not retreat, they felt exhilarated. Because they knew better than anyone the sheer sturdiness of these walls. Moreover, Jonas had established generous rewards for eliminating Destiny forces and capturing slaves and resources - they might even obtain magic crystals. And they knew this lord never broke his promises.
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The forces manning the walls consisted not just of former territorial soldiers, but more prominently of slaves recruited by Jonas. These slaves had undergone systematic military training under Jonas and Liliana, displaying exceptional discipline and absolute obedience.
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These slaves also felt profound gratitude toward Jonas. He had given them jobs and wages - military pay far exceeded other work. Many slaves couldn't even enlist despite wanting to.
Lureld had once been a slave. Now he served as an honored warrior of Thunderkeep Territory, drawing generous pay while his daughter had joined the mage corps, becoming one of those elevated mages. Lureld still found it all surreal, fearing he might wake to discover it was all a dream. But each morning he awoke to his sturdy cement house.
Under the Empire's oppressive turmoil, he had lost all hope for the future. But now, he eagerly anticipated each new day. Under Lord Jonas's leadership, everything flourished. He was their true savior. As for Destiny - who claimed to save slaves and lowly races from suffering - and the brutal Empire's forces? They were worthless. If they dared attack Lord Jonas's territory and disrupt their lives, he wouldn't hesitate to make them taste his blade.
Many slaves with similar experiences stood on those walls. After the reforms, they had become Lord Jonas's most loyal soldiers.
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Deswen frowned. He had intended to swiftly eliminate Thunderkeep, yet encountered such obstacles immediately. Gritting his teeth, he ordered: "Wall construction requires step-by-step foundation work. What use is this hastily built wall? Mage corps forward, erect towers. Other regiments establish protective barriers. Blast a massive hole through that wall's center."
Now Deswen felt profoundly grateful - grateful he hadn't been overconfident and brought two mage corps.
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Yet when countless dazzling magical energies carrying tremendous destructive power slammed into the wall, Deswen realized his mistake. The wall's surface rippled with faint green waves as revealed runes actually absorbed the magic.
"What? They even engraved runes? How?!"
Most crucially, even with runes, such terrifying bombardment should have shaken the wall's foundations through sheer vibration. Yet this newly built wall showed not the slightest tremor. Its sturdiness rivaled Giant Spirit City's?!
Deswen's lips twitched uncontrollably. "This...this was built in such a short time?"
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