Chapter 616 — Breakout and Fire Support
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Before the first ray of dawn appeared, the steel ranger unit led by Suo Jilin struck camp and set out, beginning their redeployment toward the Gorgon River.
This force had already drawn too close to the dangerous contaminated zone—it had even crossed the edge of the Greatwood Pass. This so-called "pass" was no true crossroads, but a vast expanse on the eastern side of the Holy Spirit Plain encompassing Boulder City, the Slantwood River Valley, Mount Artear, and a great deal more. In this region the steel ranger warriors had repeatedly clashed with crystal giants and had discovered several villages and towns wholly occupied by crystal legions. Add to that the royal stragglers they had chanced to rescue, and this task force had long since exceeded its reconnaissance mission. It was time to withdraw.
A proper artillery saturation should be left to the main force that followed.
Mitchell, a knight of the royal capital, crowded together with his soldiers inside the armored infantry vehicle, feeling the low growl and tremor of that steel brute driven by magic and machinery. A sense of immense power radiated from the turning of gears and connecting rods, filling them with inexpressible awe and, strangely, a peculiar sense of security. Though they could not understand how the Cecilians had built these incredible magical devices, reassurance still poured from them without cease.
They were protected—by a sturdy frame, steel plates, and a thick magical shield. The Cecilians had cleverly combined these ordinary materials with ordinary spells, and with mysterious rune-craft had given the machines souls, enabling this steel to run on its own without a mage to sustain it. Sitting here was like being inside a moving fortress, utterly safe.
Some kind of magical soul must drive this war machine; of that there was no doubt.
A machine spirit, perhaps.
Knight Mitchell let his thoughts wander, trying to comprehend the Cecilians' creation through "common sense," and at last found it incomprehensible. So he turned his head and gazed out through the crystal block set into the cabin's armor at the scenery outside. The wilderness was receding steadily, at a speed a carriage could not match by a hundredfold.
"Are we heading straight for the Gorgon River?" asked one of the royal soldiers beside him, watching the Cecil warrior across the cabin clad head to toe in black armor with some unease. "Will someone be there to meet us?"
The mage-warrior in black light armor replied offhandedly, "We go south first, then turn west toward the riverbank."
Knight Mitchell nodded slightly. He considered this a sound decision.
Heading straight west toward the Gorgon would of course be the shortest route, but mired as they were in the contaminated zone, a reckless lateral move might well run them into the crystal giants' main force. The safest course was to move south first, clear the most dangerous area, and then adjust their heading. Besides, word had it that the warship coming to meet them was still steaming north along the river, so moving the convoy south would also bring them to the rendezvous sooner…
Only, this manner of meeting demanded flawless coordination between convoy and warship—arriving at the exact place at the exact time. Unless a time and place had been agreed in advance, it would be very hard to pull off… Yet judging by the Cecilians' calm demeanor, they clearly did not worry about it. How they managed it, he had no idea… Could some of those black-armored soldiers use communication spells?
Knight Mitchell was still puzzling over it when a violent jolt of the vehicle cut his thoughts short—the lurch of sudden acceleration—and then he heard a sharp keening from outside, followed a moment later by a distant explosion from the rear.