Chapter 166: Annihilation (Part 2)
Chapter 166: Annihilation (Part 2)
Boom!
A war hammer struck the ground, sending ice and snow flying from the hard surface. A flash of lightning lit up the area, and warm blood splattered across the earth, followed by a body falling to the ground.
Su Lun’s figure did not pause. In a flash of lightning, he appeared elsewhere the next second. As bolts of lightning streaked through the air, one after another, behind each flash were the corpses of orc warriors, gnolls, and other monsters.
Every kill was made with a single strike of his blade, and many were decapitated outright. Large amounts of blood stained the ground red. No enemy survived more than a second against him—even the orc warriors fell in a single blow.
The morale of the human soldiers soared on the battlefield. The orc alliance, whose attack rhythm was completely disrupted by Su Lun, retreated step by step under the human assault.
Su Lun’s figure swept across the battlefield. In just a few breaths, he slaughtered over a hundred orc warriors. The human battle line, once on the verge of collapse, quickly stabilized.
Cheers erupted.
Thump, thump, thump!
The deep sound of war drums echoed from the rear of the orc alliance. Several orc warriors beat the drums loudly. Saron, breathing heavily, glared fiercely at Su Lun.
Roar!
A mighty roar resounded as the previously repelled orc army surged with renewed fury. Saron looked at the orc warriors around him and bellowed, “We have no way back! Since we left the Firesword Tribe, we won’t get a single grain of food. Our tribe has no food left!”
“If we want to live, if we want the name of the Firesword Tribe to resound across the entire Northern Wasteland, then kill those humans!”
“Only by killing them will we get enough food to last through the winter. Only by killing those humans will we gain a territory that stays warm even in the coldest months. Only by killing those humans can our tribe survive!”
“For the tribe! For our descendants! Fight!!!”
Saron brandished his war blade. The sharp edge of the blade cut through the air with a fierce whistle. Then he pointed toward a nearby hill. The surrounding orc warriors roared loudly, gripping their weapons tightly and pounding their chests with their free hands.
Their already blood-red eyes seemed to burn with fire at that moment.
“Saron! Firesword! Survival! Saron! Firesword! Survival!”
The orcs shouted frantically.
Cold, hunger, war, death.
These were the constant challenges faced by the orcs of the Firesword Tribe from birth. Ever since the orcs were driven out by humans in the previous era, they had to fight against nature for survival, contend with magical beasts for living space, and battle other tribes for territory. The shadows of cold, hunger, war, and death loomed over them endlessly.
But they never gave up.
The orcs were not defeated. The harsh environment only made their will stronger, because if they showed weakness, they faced total annihilation.
They had no room for retreat, because retreat meant death. As the war drums sounded, the surviving orcs gripped their weapons once more.
Su Lun watched as the orc alliance closed in again. His eyes fixed on a figure among the orc warriors—an orc warrior of at least the fourth level of transcendence. He was likely the leader of this orc alliance. It seemed that only by killing him would this army be completely broken.
The battle began again. The orc warriors who charged forward fearlessly faced an opponent far too powerful for them. Su Lun swung his long halberd, and countless bolts of lightning flashed. One by one, the orc warriors were effortlessly slain.
Trying to overwhelm a legendary-level professional with sheer numbers was nearly impossible, because if that legend chose to leave, no amount of troops could stop them.
Su Lun moved, charging straight toward the orc army. Bolts of lightning flickered around his body. Wherever he passed, every orc warrior was electrocuted into charred remains.
Wreathed in lightning, Su Lun seemed to enter a frenzied state. If this orc horde succeeded in capturing Zhenbei City, all the territory, reputation, and authority he had built over this period would vanish into thin air. Those drow elves, who had little loyalty to begin with, would betray him at the first opportunity.
Even if he were to start over, no one would follow him again. His dreams of pioneering territory, becoming a noble with real power, or even establishing an empire would all become impossible fantasies.
He would never allow such a thing to happen!
Never!
Su Lun’s form transformed into a dazzling flash of lightning. The ground beneath him cracked in multiple places as countless bolts of lightning enveloped the area. He was determined to completely shatter the will of these orcs, to display his true power, and to show all the surrounding forces that he was invincible.
At the same time, he wanted the drow elves to recognize the power he possessed and submit to him completely.
Boom!
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, blocking out the sun. Bolts of lightning flickered within the clouds, accompanied by rumbles of thunder. The rare winter thunder echoed continuously.
Crash!
A brilliant bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, as thick as a bucket, and struck directly onto the Purple Dragon Halberd. The halberd, already wrapped in electricity, transformed into a thunder dragon in that instant.
“Silver Dragon’s Reverse Scale Spear!”
Su Lun swung the Purple Dragon Halberd. Blue-purple lightning gathered, and the silhouette of a dragon appeared mid-air. The dragon roared at the sky, then soared straight through the orc army. Wherever the dragon passed, all the gnolls, hobgoblins, bugbears, and orc warriors were reduced to charred remains without the ability to resist.
A path was carved straight through the orc army, splitting it in two. When the cold wind blew, all the charred remains turned to ashes and vanished.
Saron’s eyes widened in fury, bloodshot and filled with rage. With a furious roar, he charged recklessly toward Su Lun.
Seeing the orc warrior charging at him, Su Lun tapped his toes lightly. His body transformed into lightning as he shot forward.
Bang, bang, bang!
A series of collision sounds rang out. Saron was forced back step by step, his body wreathed in electric sparks. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and veins bulged across his body. A large amount of blood spurted from his wounds. After retreating seven steps, Saron finally steadied himself.
But by then, his entire body was soaked in blood, his blood vessels ruptured. If one were to cut him open, they would find that all his internal organs had been shattered.
Su Lun watched the orc calmly, making no further move. A gust of cold wind swept by, and Saron’s body collapsed heavily to the ground.
Saron’s death became the final straw that broke the orc alliance. The orc warriors, who had been fighting fearlessly, now completely collapsed.
Seeing this, Heatherway summoned a large fireball and hurled it into the midst of the orc alliance. The other human troops began their counterattack.
Countless monsters surged toward the opposite bank of the Red Sand River. But Su Lun had no intention of letting them escape. Such a large number of slaves would be valuable labor for building his territory.
With a light wave of his hand, a wave of energy rapidly spread out. As the energy diffused, flames suddenly erupted from the ground.
“Crimson Flame!”
The flames roared upward. The ice on the Red Sand River began to melt, and the fire oil previously hidden within the ice layer provided ample fuel. In an instant, the Red Sand River turned into a sea of fire.
Heatherway, Chris, and Carina all cast fireball spells, attacking the ice. Under the barrage of spells, the ice layer of the over two-hundred-meter-wide river shattered. Orc soldiers attempting to cross the fiery river found the ice beneath them breaking apart. They plunged helplessly into the frigid water.
After the fierce battle earlier, the orc alliance had already lost more than half its forces. Now, hundreds more perished, and the survivors were trapped at the riverbank.
Demoralized and exhausted, the orc alliance could no longer hold on. They dropped their weapons and surrendered.
With the battle over, Su Lun directed some troops to clean up the battlefield while others guarded the prisoners. These captives, completely broken in spirit, moved like lifeless husks, accepting their fate without resistance.
Su Lun sent Heatherway to assess the casualties. All severely wounded soldiers were brought to him. The spearmen suffered the highest casualties, while the archers had almost none. The barbarian warriors also took losses, and many were seriously injured. Su Lun used Body Healing Art on all the severely wounded, turning their critical injuries into minor ones. He then arranged for the collection of the fallen soldiers’ bodies.
Su Lun planned to build a martyr’s cemetery in Northguard Keep, where all the soldiers who died in battle would be laid to rest. This would bring many benefits, the most obvious being a boost in troop morale and combat effectiveness.
After handling these matters, Su Lun began to tally his gains from the battle.
“Ding. The battle has ended. Calculating the results.”
“Red Sand River Blockade: Victory. Casualties: 36. Enemies Eliminated: 4167.”
“Congratulations, host. Under your leadership, Zhenbei City has achieved another glorious victory. You and your army have earned a measure of renown.”
“Congratulations, host. You have defeated the orc alliance. You gained 35,628 experience points. You obtained a golden treasure chest.”
“Congratulations, host. You protected your territory and completed the ‘Guard the Territory’ mission. You received a golden treasure chest.”
“Congratulations, host. Your level has increased. Current level: 23. You gained 2 free attribute points and 2 skill points. You obtained a golden treasure chest.”
“Congratulations, host. You defeated the orcs of the Firesword Tribe. Your fame has spread further across the wilderness. The orcs regard you with greater hostility. Your relationship with the Firesword Tribe is now [Mortal Enemies]. You have gained favor with the centaur tribes.”
“Red Sand River Blockade: Moonlight Calendar year 1687, late January. The new year had just passed, and the land was still covered in ice and snow. You defeated the orc alliance of the Firesword Tribe at the Red Sand River. Under your command, you achieved a brilliant victory, annihilating all invading enemies.”