Knight Lords: Infinite Simulation and the Path of Light

Chapter 232 The Collision of Iron and Blood

Woo~woo~woo~~
As the massive, deep horn of the orcs resounded, the orc army, which had been silent for over a month outside the Amar Line, finally rose to its feet and began to move.

The dry, cold weather from the North felt even more intense on this clear winter day, and the biting wind felt like tiny blades on one's face.

As the orc army slowly approached from dozens of miles away, the soldiers standing on the city wall couldn't help but gasp. For these veterans who had served on the Amar defense line for a long time, although they had experienced such a scene at least once before, they still couldn't help but gasp when faced with this group of ferocious orcs again.

Kevin Hylan's face was ashen as he calmly watched the orc army surge forward like a tide. As an opponent he had fought for many years, Kevin knew the orcs all too well. He thought that their initial attacks were usually just probing.

A thin layer of white frost had condensed on his short, needle-like beard, and the breath he exhaled quickly condensed into ice crystals on his eyebrows and hair.

"It's coming! I thought they would have to wait a few more days."

Marquis Hailan stood alone on the high platform, quietly watching the somewhat noisy guards below.

This wasn't a full-scale attack; everyone could sense it. There was no overwhelming barrage of catapults, no iconic figures of Behemoths or the half-dragon legions, and certainly no fearsome elite totem banners of the five royal families.

At the beginning of each battle, the Orc Empire would send out a large number of cannon fodder legions to probe the defenses. On the one hand, this was to deplete the supplies in the defenses, and on the other hand, it was to try to gain an opportunity. After all, the Orc Empire's resources could not support so many orcs. Since these cannon fodder orcs were destined to die, they might as well die in a more meaningful way by probing the defenses for any loopholes.

With a whoosh

Kevin Hylan, dressed in the White Lion Glory Construct Armor with enchanted patterns, jumped down from the platform and walked toward Quinn, the senior advisor who had been waiting there.

"Lord Kevin, the orcs have come after all~~~"

Quinn's cheeks were red from the cold, but his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

“Yes, Quinn, but this is not surprising. Orcs don’t like playing feints. For them, war is war.”

"My lord, the vanguard consists of wolf riders and warboars, a phalanx of jackals, their numbers... it's hard to estimate precisely, but at least fifty thousand in total. The central force is a mix of tiger-men and lion-men heavy infantry, and... those things!"

Following Quinn's pointing finger, Kevin looked over and saw, amidst the surging beast tide, some enormous and ferocious silhouettes appearing and disappearing. They were not Behemoths, but rather a more rugged and primitive form of massive siege weaponry.

The siege tower was made of thick logs and animal hides, and its body was covered with wet, hardened mud, obviously for fire prevention.

Even more chilling were the catapults, resembling the skeletons of colossal beasts, their winches whirred by burly minotaur warriors, exuding a savage power.

However, these findings do indeed confirm the traces that the reconnaissance team discovered in Elman Hill a few days ago. It's just a pity that they only had time to rescue the trapped team members. Now it seems that what they found was heavy equipment being transported by the orcs.

"Order! All sections of the city wall to enter maximum combat readiness! Construct Knights reserve force to assemble and stand by! Mage Tower energy core to preheat!"

Kevin's voice instantly spread throughout the entire defensive line via the magical communication device.

"Ballistas, catapults, mark the enemy's heavy equipment! Destroy them first! Archers, prepare for swarm fire! Let these beasts see that the Amar Line will always be a nightmare hanging over their heads!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

Quinn, who had been waiting nearby, also walked towards the operations room after the Marquis finished giving his orders. In order to ensure that the defense line would operate smoothly in the future, Quinn had to be present in person to prevent any minor problems from causing the battle to run sluggishly.

Woo——!
The response to the orcs' horns came from the equally powerful and resonant Imperial war horns on the Arma Line!
In an instant, the once silent steel barrier seemed to come alive. The heavy metal gate crashed down with a winch, locking the last passage.

Behind the battlements, rows of crossbows and spears, gleaming with a cold light, were tightened, and the heavy counterweights of the catapults were pulled high, emitting a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

Archers, clad in thick, warm fur coats lined with chainmail or studded leather armor, placed their quivers within easy reach, the cold metal arrowheads gleaming with a deathly light in the snow.

The soldiers of the White Lion Legion, especially the elites who had just been fitted with the new magic-patterned armor, stood tall, gripped their spears or battle axes, and stared intently at the approaching black tide, awaiting the order to launch a counter-charge against the orc army below.

As the two sides drew closer, the air was thick with the mingled scents of resin, rust, gunpowder, and... the impending stench of blood.

The biting wind, sharp as a knife, seemed to be subdued by the grim atmosphere, and subsided temporarily. However, this brief calm was more likely the deathly stillness before the storm.

The orc vanguard, primarily composed of bloodthirsty gnolls and ferocious warboars, had entered the furthest range of the arrows. They let out incomprehensible war cries and howls, pounding their crude weapons against their makeshift shields, and suddenly accelerated, charging towards the city walls like a flood bursting its banks!

"Archers! Elevation 45 degrees! Covert fire!"

"Let go~~~~"

The commander's hoarse roar echoed across the city wall.

Om-!
Thousands of powerful bows trembled simultaneously, the vibrations of the bowstrings converging into a deep, rumbling sound.

The next moment, a dark cloud of death composed of steel arrows rose into the sky, whistling sharply as it cut across the gray sky, and slammed into the charging orc vanguard like a torrential downpour!

puff! puff! puff! puff!
The sounds of flesh being pierced and screams of agony instantly replaced the battle cries. The gnolls at the forefront were swept away as if by an invisible scythe; the tattered leather shields they held were of no use, and blood quickly stained the pristine white snow a glaring reddish-brown.

The war pigmen, clad in simple leather armor, were tough and thick-skinned, but sharp, armor-piercing arrows could still easily tear through their defenses, kicking up clouds of blood mist. Their charge was momentarily halted, and the snowfield seemed to instantly bloom into a flowerbed of severed limbs and agonizing cries.

However, the orcs were far more ferocious than imagined. Death and bloodshed did not deter them; instead, they fueled their madness!
“Waaagh!!!”

The deafening primal war cry erupted once more, drowning out the cries of the wounded.

The orcs that followed trampled over the corpses and blood of their comrades, their eyes turning bloodshot, and continued their charge with even greater speed and frenzy!
The gnolls, now roaming the outer perimeter under the exclusive control of the wolf riders, braved a hail of arrows, using makeshift wooden shields or even their bare bodies to withstand the attacks, all in an effort to get closer to the city walls as quickly as possible.

"Ballistas, prepare! Aim at the siege engines! Fire freely!"

Kevin looked down at the orc corpses, three or four layers of which were already dead, and his calm voice rang out in the command channel. *Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The massive ballistae peering out from the windows in the middle of the city wall emitted a dull, deadly roar!

Heavy crossbow bolts, as thick as a bowl and nearly three meters long, were wrapped in a faint magical glow. Like the javelin of death, they tore through the air, emitting a shrill whistle, and shot fiercely at the dozen or so slowly moving siege towers and the huge catapults in the orc formation!
Boom! Click!
A siege tower made of giant logs was hit by several heavy crossbow bolts at the same time!
Wood chips mixed with bits of flesh and blood from the orc controllers flew everywhere! The heavy tower groaned, tilted violently, and finally crashed to the ground, crushing a group of orc infantry who couldn't get out of the way.

A catapult that was loading boulders was also precisely hit in the crucial winch structure, instantly collapsing. The heavy counterweights crashed down, crushing seven or eight minotaur warriors around it into mincemeat!
The orcs' probing attack clearly anticipated the fierce firepower of the defenders. Just as the ballistae unleashed their power, a sharp whistle suddenly rang out from within the orc ranks.

-

-

The sky suddenly darkened! Not with dark clouds, but with thousands of gargoyles!

These flying monsters, powered by rough rocks and dark magic, flapped their stone wings and emitted chilling screechs as they rose like locusts from the rear of the orcs, swarming towards the walls of the Arma Line in a dark mass.

As a product of the combination of black magic and orcish sorcery, they appeared on the battlefield with the purpose of interfering with the defending forces, especially those deadly long-range firing positions, and attempting to directly attack the soldiers on the city walls!
"Griffin Knights! Take off! Stop those stone monsters!"

As a unique flying unit of the Ingis Empire, griffins, which are very suitable for aerial combat, also exist in many units on the Ammar Line. However, due to the presence of half-dragons and the Skyhawk royal family on the Orc side, Kevin only has one standard regiment of griffin knights, which he is reluctant to use on a daily basis, merely as a guard for the airspace of the Ammar Line.

"Roar--!"

A resounding roar of a griffin echoed across the sky. The Imperial Griffin Knights, who had been waiting for a long time, rode their lightly armored companions with sharp claws and teeth, soaring into the sky from the takeoff platform behind the city wall. The enchanted lances in the knights' hands gleamed coldly, and the griffins' sharp eyes locked onto their targets.

The sky instantly transformed into another battlefield! Golden griffins clashed violently with gray gargoyles! Claws tore, beaks pecked, and lances thrust! Stone chips flew, feathers fell, and mournful cries and roars mingled!

Gargoyles were constantly being torn apart and falling by the griffins' claws, while valiant griffin riders were surrounded by several gargoyles, falling from the sky with their mounts screaming in agony.

The aerial battle was fierce and brutal, temporarily halting the gargoyle horde's direct assault on the city walls, but also greatly diverting the defenders' attention from air defense.

The ground battle entered an even bloodier and more brutal phase. Despite heavy casualties, the first wave of orc infantry, having sacrificed countless lives, finally breached the barricades and traps and reached the foot of the city walls!

"Prepare kerosene!!"

Thick black oil, mixed with fuel and other alchemical materials, cascaded down the ramparts like a waterfall. When the archers on the city wall fired their flaming arrows straight down, the oil was instantly ignited.

"what--!!!"

The area beneath the city walls instantly transformed into a living hell! Scalding oil was poured onto the orcs' exposed skin and crude leather armor, sizzling and burning, accompanied by inhuman screams!

Countless orcs howled and writhed, dying in excruciating pain. Their corpses quickly piled up beneath the city walls, forming a terrifying slope.

However, there were simply too many orcs! The following orcs stepped over the scalded and poisoned corpses of their comrades, and even used the corpses as ladders to struggle up the city walls with crude ladders and grappling hooks! The cannon fodder orcs had completed their mission, successfully making progress on the first line of defense of the Arma Line with their own lives.

Some strong tiger-men and bear-men warriors, who had been hiding behind the cannon fodder orcs, climbed upwards with their bare hands like agile apes, thanks to their amazing jumping and climbing abilities!
"Spearmen! Hold on! Pierce them down!"

"Axemen! Cut down the ladders! Cut the ropes!"

"Roll logs and boulders! Throw them at me!"

The defenders on the city wall erupted in a deafening roar! The sounds of steel clashing with flesh and blood, the dull thud of blades piercing bone, the screams of the dying, the howls of berserkers... all these sounds mingled together, playing the most primal and brutal symphony of war!

Relying on the sturdy battlements, they used their shields to deflect the stray bone arrows and hurled stones from below, fighting fiercely.

Spears shot out like a forest, piercing through orcs halfway up the ladder, sending them screaming as they fell. Heavy logs crashed down the ladder, smashing orcs in droves, breaking bones and tendons. Sharp battle axes cleaved down, severing thick ropes and wooden ladders, sending orcs crashing to the ground along with them.

"My lord! The third section of the city wall on the left flank of the first defensive line is under immense pressure! The war pigmen are launching a concentrated assault on that section!"

"They're really tough. They managed to climb up despite the attacks. Send the battle mage squad over and pin them down."

"Yes!"

The messenger turned and ran off.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
Boom!

A loud explosion came from the direction of the first line of defense, followed by a plume of smoke. Marquis Kevin, standing on the high platform, saw it clearly; the orcs seemed to have detonated something over there.

"This is???"

As the smoke cleared, Kevin gradually saw what had happened on the first line of defense.

The messenger had just mentioned that a four- or five-meter-wide breach had been blasted into the third section of the left flank wall. Although he didn't know how the orcs had managed to do it, Kevin decided to investigate the matter later, seeing the orcs pouring out of the breach.

"White Lion!!! Ready!!!"

At Kevin's command, the soldiers of the White Lion Construct Knights, who had been waiting in position, mounted their warhorses.

"Destroy those orcs!"

Following the direction Kevin's sword pointed, three hundred White Lion Knights unleashed an astonishing momentum and charged toward the first line of defense.

(End of this chapter)