Chapter 620 — Iron and Fire
Blade of Dawn · Page 3 of 4
Mid-channel, three magic-guided warships led by the Pathfinder spread their mana wings; brilliant rune-light blazed above the waves of the Gorgon. Vast energy was gathered, compressed, and channeled. The heavy "Truth-I" magic-crystal rail cannons made minute adjustments to their angles with the aid of mechanical devices, and amid the deafening roar of shells tearing through the air, obelisk-like magic-crystal projectiles shot off the rails and hurtled straight into the sky—
With a shrill shriek, the shells dropped from the heavens onto the earth like fire from the sky, splitting the ground and shattering the mountains. Countless crystal giants wandering aimlessly across the wastelands and wilds were reduced to nothing before they could even react. The strike exceeded the limits of their sight, even the perceptual limits of the strongest among them; amid the ceaseless rain of heavenly fire, mutated limbs and crystal clusters were annihilated, and the vast crystal legion fractured, each fragment fighting on its own in the chaos, searching for enemies hidden who knew where.
On the high ground by the riverbank, steel ranger warriors in black armor climbed onto the observation platforms of their vehicles and opened their tactical eyepieces, watching the crystal monsters surging in from the plains while continuously signaling back to the warships in the channel, guiding round after round of naval cannon bombardment.
After several rounds of naval bombardment, the vehicles began to push forward, clearing the way with tank guns and long-range howitzers from the rear, wheels and treads crushing the already warming earth, advancing step by step toward the regions contaminated by the crystal giants.
Amid this devastating torrent, the "Steel Ambassadors" raised their reinforced shields and drove out ahead of the column. In every Steel Ambassador vehicle, the most alert soldiers watched the images reflected in the observation windows—windows enchanted with the "Detection Distortion" spell effect.
In the observation field tinged red by the spell's effect, the entire land was cloaked in surging magical power, and those crystal giants swaying amid smoke and dust glowed with arcane light as conspicuous as candles in the dark night.
Some individuals among them burned with especially conspicuous candlelight.
The scouts relayed the targets to the howitzer gunners at the first opportunity, while signaling back to the troops behind: "Command individuals observed. Beginning fire direction."
The Steel Ambassadors serving as observation vehicles halted briefly; once their hulls were stabilized, they activated their mounted howitzers—these low-power "main guns" had no great killing force, and were sometimes even intercepted by the shields of exceptionally powerful crystal giants. But as their long-range shells screamed through the air and fell upon the distant earth, the hundreds of "Warhammer-I" main battle tanks in the rear would immediately concentrate their fire in the direction marked by the shells—an attack of that magnitude could not be intercepted by one or two powerful casting units no matter what.
After a brief but devastating bombardment, a considerable portion of the enemy would inevitably fall into disarray.
The tide of crystal giants charged at the enemies that entered their field of vision. Their commanders had died before the charge even began, and the charging giants... in the process, would gradually degenerate into uncontrolled beasts.
It would take them about another hour to weaken completely, but most would not live to see an hour pass.
For they would hurl themselves without organization or order against the line of death woven from cannon fire and burners, neither dodging nor avoiding, until they were reduced to ash.