Zilvra was reluctant, but she still had to leave the Magic Laboratory. Everyone capable of fighting on the All-Knowing Tower had been gathered. Bows were strung, blades were drawn, and heavy crossbow cannons were pushed to the edge of the tower platform, ominously aiming at the dense army below.
After assembling the last aerial crossbow cannon, the Dwarves were extrely excited, ready to go even before Zilvra ordered the assembly. After years of recuperation and alliances with other Dwarf tribes, the community on the All-Knowing Tower gradually regained its vitality.
However, the dark clouds grew stronger and more terrifying. It's unknown what kind of magic the Witch Doctors of the Snake-man used, but the entire sky beca oppressive and humid with a sultry temperature—perfect for the Snake-man to wage war. A thick layer of sulfurous clouds obscured the sky, with a sharp yet low sound emanating from behind the clouds, constantly ringing in the defenders' ears. Thus, no one could sleep peacefully, with exhaustion and weakness lingering with the heavy psychological pressure, continuously wearing down the morale of the Five Realms Fortress.
And at this ti, the bad news ca. The capital of Pate had been destroyed under the attack of the Snake-man, His Excellency the bishop's whereabouts were unknown, likely perishing in the chaos. Wislin and Kuboert went missing after the city fell, and have not appeared since. The entire Light Temple was completely destroyed, leaving no place in the north for pilgrims to pray to the God of Light.
If not for the Martial Monk Regula's swift reaction in ruthlessly clearing all those who brought the news from the west out of the Five Realms Fortress, the battle against the Snake-man army would have been lost without a fight. anwhile, Deluo's militia returned from the northern plains to the Five Realms Fortress, carrying a significant amount of spoils taken from the Snake-man. The severed heads of the enemy greatly boosted morale.
Yet the threat from the Great Snake lood like a black mountain, oppressive and unbreakable. During the day, the rumbling war drums never ceased, mixed with the eerie sizzling sounds of the Snake-man, constantly testing the patience of the city guards; while at night, standing on the city wall, especially looking northward from the All-Knowing Tower, countless fire dragons were rushing from the east, north, and west. Those are the victorious Snake-man armies, holding torches, relentlessly coming in support. They are determined to utterly break the human will to resist at the Five Realms Fortress.
"We have no hope of victory in this battle," Zilvra said to Deluo and Morgan, "even with the militia and the Dwarf reinforcents, we are still outnumbered."
"Dwarves can take on a hundred at once! There's no reason to retreat!" Morgan's big beard shook with disapproval of any pessimistic talk, "When the ti cos, we will naturally be at the forefront! Those snake bastards, it's ti for them to pay!"
Zilvra frowned but didn't bother to argue with the Dwarves. Normally, she wouldn't allow anyone to speak in this manner. However, Lynch's disappearance left her with no heart for disputes, and instead made her more composed and calm.
"The All-Knowing Tower floats in the sky, thus eliminating most of the threats that the enemy can pose. Additionally, the powerful elental energy surrounding it can cause significant harm to the Snake-man. This is our only advantage," Deluo said, stroking the small beard on his chin, "If we exploit the swift and flexible nature here, we may have a chance to fight."
Zilvra interrupted him, saying, "The Great Snake must have already considered this point. If he is always deploying the Snake-n to battle, then where are the allied races ntioned in the Mage Association's intelligence? Especially my ring's Black Dragon has already sensed its kin's presence, which ans this battle might involve a large amount of aerial cooperation. The Snake-n used strange spells to cover the sky, likely not just to create a suitable climate for their action but possibly also to shield their own forces."
Deluo fell silent. Although almost all the griffin cavalry of the entire Pate Empire had gathered on the All-Knowing Tower, most were those who had fled here after defeat. They had not been uniformly trained, and even their wounds hadn't fully healed, making them insufficiently combative. Only the Dwarves' crossbow cannon unit could form a strong deterrent force, but that was only effective in defense, not in offense.
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