Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 388 Chaos
On the Tasok River, several kilometers away.

Bathed in the crimson moonlight, the Pritz's hull gleamed with a menacing metallic sheen. Its four 305mm main guns were fully adjusted and aimed at the highest point in all of Backlund—the Sodrak Palace.

In the darkness, the palace, resplendent in gold and brightly lit, was an excellent target.

In fact, it has already been hit once.

On the front of the palace, a wall several meters high had vanished into thin air, along with a large section of the ground. It was as if a giant had roughly dug it away with a spoon, shaving that part off.

At the edge of the trace, a few rubbles remained, all of which had been shattered by the tremor.

"Test shot hit!"

The observer shouted from behind the binoculars, "But the hit was too far forward; we suggest adjusting the firing parameters!"

Cheers erupted from the entire ship, and the artillerymen began adjusting the gun barrels according to the updated data, operating the mechanical dials with all their might. Amidst the creaking and groaning of the machinery, the angle of the main guns was slightly adjusted.

Meanwhile, the main gun that had already fired was still being reloaded.

The artillerymen had a sudden inspiration. The originally very complicated and time-consuming gun-changing operation was carried out quickly with the help of some unseen force, and was completed before the other three main guns were adjusted!
A moment later, the sound stopped, and the artillerymen completed their adjustments.

The fanatical soldiers held their breath in anticipation, their eyes filled with a thirst for victory.

"Fire! All four cannons firing simultaneously!"

Lu Ze said softly, the evil spirit of the "Red Angel" within him exerting its power, and all the soldiers on the ship became his "team," providing him with all the information he needed.

"fire!"

All the soldiers shouted. Overjoyed, overwhelmed with glory.

"boom!"

A deafening roar echoed across the ship, vibrating the air and causing everyone's insides to tremble and their ears to ring. Large bursts of flame briefly erupted from the muzzles of the four main guns, billowing smoke as the gun barrels recoiled. Simultaneously, four shells carrying immense kinetic energy were launched with overwhelming force!
Luze stood on the deck, squinting at the distant Sodrak Palace.

Seconds later, he saw the flames of the explosion ignite on the golden palace that symbolized royalty.

"boom"

A few seconds later, the sound of the palace being hit reached their ears.

Amidst the deafening roar, the front half of a grand hall was razed to the ground, dust billowing everywhere. The famous clock tower, the "Clock of Order," was struck squarely in the middle, its upper half tilting slowly before plummeting at an astounding speed, crashing down upon a cluster of palace buildings. The clock face shattered, the hands scattered!

"Long live!"

Upon seeing the shell hit its target, the soldiers cheered once again.

Strangely, although four shells were fired, only two explosions occurred.
Lu Ze's eyes narrowed.

He saw a figure suddenly rise above the distant palace and rush towards him at high speed!
"Continue loading!"

Lu Ze immediately shouted, "Rapid-fire cannons, 6-pound cannons, machine guns, get ready!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

a few minutes ago.

"boom!"

A violent tremor struck without warning, accompanied by a deafening roar, instantly shattering the previously joyful atmosphere of the dance party. The violent shaking caused many people to fall to the ground. They looked up in fear and saw a surge of air crashing against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the hall, shattering the glass and rushing in.

"Ah! My legs!"

"Earthquake! Was it an earthquake?"

"The Fussacs are attacking!" "Run!"

What's going on here?
Audrey looked around blankly, feeling short of breath and her ears ringing.

She saw that the magnificent hall had become dilapidated in an instant, with dust and smoke rising everywhere and objects scattered about.

The gentlemen and ladies were no longer elegant and noble, but filled with terror. Some were injured by the falling debris, others by broken glass. These pampered nobles had never experienced anything like this before; the ladies' expensive gowns were torn, and the gentlemen were utterly terrified. They were in complete chaos; some cried out, others ran wildly through the dust and smoke.

The palace was attacked?

Audrey guessed that she used her abilities to suppress the panic and fear in her heart, quickly got up from the ground, and searched around for traces of her family.

"Wow!"

The back door of the hall opened, and a squad of guards rushed in, surrounding and protecting the queen.

"what happened!"

The queen was still in shock when one of her maids was hit on the arm by a brick and was bleeding profusely.

"We don't know yet."

The captain of the guard, bewildered and fearful, replied, "Perhaps it's an earthquake."

"No, it's not an earthquake!"

At that moment, an officer stepped forward and shouted, "That sound is from naval guns!"

舰炮
Audrey was momentarily puzzled by this answer. Backlund was far from the coast; how could they possibly allow warships equipped with naval guns to approach undetected?
But a moment later, she suddenly understood something.

As for warships, isn't there one that's already there?
USS Pritz!

Audrey's gaze swept through the crowd, quickly finding the officers and captain who had disembarked from the USS Pritz to attend the party. Their faces were deathly pale, clearly unable to accept the current situation.

Could it be that the soldiers on the ship have collectively mutinied?
Before Audrey could think any further, she heard another dull, massive thud, this time four in a row!
"here we go again!"

Many people's psychological defenses completely collapsed. Crying and screaming, they fled frantically and recklessly in the direction away from the sound of gunfire. They pushed and shoved each other, jostling and scrambling, casting aside all the so-called etiquette of high society!
"mom!"

Audrey found her mother in the crowd, grabbed her hand, and tried to calm her down. "Where's my father?"

Mrs. Hall's expression finally relaxed when she saw her daughter, and she replied:

"Your father is at the palace with His Majesty the King."

"boom!"

An even more deafening roar interrupted their conversation. Through the broken French windows, Audrey witnessed a scene that would forever remain etched in her memory: the magnificent clock tower collapsed, crushing large sections of the building and unleashing a terrifying blast of air and dust!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, at the King's Palace.

"Grove!"

When the first cannon shot rang out, George III was discussing matters with several nobles and representatives of the three major churches. He felt the tremors coming from the palace, frowned, and shouted.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

A man immediately appeared behind him. He had a rectangular face, a mustache, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He wore a cloak over his formal attire, extremely long-toed shoes, and a white wig. His attire was completely out of step with the times.

—Prince Grove Augustus, Sequence 3 "Chaos Hunter", one of the two publicly known demigods of the Augustus royal family!

(End of this chapter)