Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 284 Hell of Demonic Flames
Carlos Shatteraxe, born into the Shatteraxe tribe, is the chieftain's son.

However, on that day, Titus's battle axe cleaved through his father's helmet, splattering blood everywhere.

Carlos roared and lunged forward, but in the next instant, he was struck by the burning whisper of Fujiwara.

It directly altered the anger in his heart, turning the hatred for his father's death into a stagnant pool.

When he looked up again, his enemy had become his master, and his foe had become his faith.

After that, he followed Titus with renewed loyalty and was personally selected by Titus as one of his rising stars.

But when the military order sent him to the southeast this time, he was filled with disdain.

While the main force was engaged in a bloody battle with the toughest enemies in the north of the empire, he was transferred to attack a remote and desolate place.

The southeastern defense line? In his view, it was nothing more than remote mountains and valleys, and the garrison was a motley crew on the very edge of the empire.

Even with a few knights, they couldn't stop the advance of his five thousand elite troops.

This was not a battle for honor, but a waste of his opportunity to make a contribution on the main battlefield.

His contempt was confirmed during the days he traveled south from Binghai County.

His army crushed the scattered imperial garrisons along the Ice Sea County route as easily as wolves crushing snow rabbits.

The soldiers didn't even have time to sound the horn before they were engulfed in the snow by axes and spears.

The victory was so easy that he found it boring.

When he stood at the entrance of Qingyu Ridge Valley and looked at the towering snow cliffs on both sides, his contempt deepened.

This is a narrow valley nestled between two mountains. The valley entrance is shrouded in the morning mist, as white as a clump of lifeless animal fur.

Carlos reined in his horse and looked up to examine it.

The mountain walls on both sides were silent, without any beacon fires or sentries.

He scoffed, his judgment growing stronger: what a foolish prey, failing to garrison such a prime ambush location.

Once he leads his army into the region, the entire southeastern part of the North will be under his feet.

Little did he know that behind the mountain mist, a pair of indifferent eyes had been waiting for days.

…………

The cold wind of Qingyu Ridge, carrying snowflakes, lashed against my face like invisible blades.

Louis stood on a high point in the canyon, hidden by rock walls and snow, with rows of knights waiting for orders behind him.

The sound of hooves grew louder as a knight rode up the valley entrance, his armor still damp with snow.

He dismounted and knelt on one knee, saying, "Lord Louis, the enemy vanguard has entered the northern canyon!"

Louis's eyes narrowed, and he reached out to take the binoculars from his adjutant, slowly raising them.

A heavy aura pushed aside the distant snow and mist, and the vanguard of the enemy army finally appeared.

The first thing to come into view was a group of heavily armored magical beasts wrapped in vines.

They are enormous, with their backs covered in plant scales that are a mix of gray-green and iron-colored. Moist red mist seeps from the gaps in the scales, rising and falling slowly like breathing.

These giant beasts walk on many legs, each step leaving knee-deep craters in the snow.

The red mist exhaled carried a pungent odor, and wherever the mist passed, the air emitted a low, unnatural rumble.

On the other side of the fog, the figure of the Northern Barbarian Knight emerged.

They rode all sorts of bizarre and mutated mounts, each knight's shoulder helmet bearing the emblem of a ceremonial crown. Their rough, heavy armor gleamed in the crimson mist, and their eyes burned with fanaticism.

Then a muffled thunderous roar came from deep within the snow and fog!
Dozens of frost giants descended from the north slope, each step causing the snow cliffs to tremble slightly.

They wielded massive hammers powerful enough to smash city gates, or dragged chains wrapped with iron hooks.

The exhaled cold air instantly crystallized in the air, turning into fine ice shards that fell down in a soft rustling sound.

The heavy hooves of beasts, the friction of iron chains, and the low growls of strange creatures intertwined, like a torrent about to surge from the earth.

For anyone else, the sheer force of this display would be enough to shake their resolve.

Louis simply put down his binoculars, squinted, and said calmly, "They're here. Get to your positions. Move out as soon as the signal comes."

On the snowy cliff, the ballistae, fuel tanks, and talc traps were already lying in wait, ready to be unleashed.

A cold wind swept through, and the battle line was so quiet that only the soft sound of ice and snow rubbing against each other could be heard. The entire Qingyu Ridge held its breath, waiting for the order to be given.

…………

No one believed that the barbarian vanguard would cross this snow-covered mountain path today.

No one expected that Louis would set up an ambush here, since no one except himself knew about the existence of the Daily Intelligence System.

The crimson fog rolled forward, obscuring the cliffs on both sides. When it reached the middle of the gorge, the snowfield suddenly looked different.

In some areas, the snow is thin and hard, and it shines with an unusual luster underfoot, as if it had been poured with hot water and then frozen into a brittle ice shell.

Occasionally, hollow "thump-thump" sounds came from under the hooves, as if stepping on a buried cavity.

But the sounds of war drums and beast roars echoed through the crimson fog, drowned out by the clamor, and almost no one paid them any attention.

The giant beast in the front row twitched its nostrils slightly, catching a faint, oily scent.

However, they were shrouded in the anger and red fog instilled before the battle, and the warnings of their sense of smell were quickly masked, becoming faint illusions that no one paid attention to.

Snow fog, red fog, the sound of war drums.

In Carlos's view, this was simply an overwhelming advance.

…………

As part of the barbarian army entered the canyon, Louis stood on a hidden high point at the entrance of Qingyu Ridge. He flicked his finger lightly, and the crisp snapping sound was quickly swallowed by the snow mist, yet it was transmitted precisely.

A knight on standby raised his horn to his lips, its hoarse, deep sound piercing through the crimson mist and snow, like a summons from the abyss.

The long-planned ambush has now begun.

…………

Carlos was riding on a huge magical beast, his gaze sweeping back and forth through the crimson mist and snow shadows.

"Woo——"

Suddenly, an unfamiliar battle horn sounded, and his brows furrowed sharply, as if his heart had been pierced by an ice needle.

Before the order could be given, a low, chilling groan came from the ground beneath their feet.

Suddenly, the ground cracked open with fine fissures, and intense light burst forth from beneath the snow.

The burning oil barricades ignited, transforming into raging fire serpents that surged along the pre-dug trenches, slicing the already chaotic barbarian army into several pieces.

The flames were not caused by oil alone, but by a purgatory flame mixed with fire scale ointment and flint marrow oil.

Thick, greedy, and impossible to extinguish.

The heavily armored monster was the first to be hit. Its plant scales on its back were as if they were being doused with boiling water under the high temperature, and the juices rolled out and turned into a pungent white mist that rose up.

The thorny tendrils between the scales were forced to crack and burst by the heat wave.

"Oh!"

The overflowing, thick liquid was immediately ignited, producing a short, sharp sizzle.

These vines and plant scales have extremely strong heat resistance, and ordinary flames pose no threat to them.

However, Louis's specially made fire scale ointment and flint oil have an adhesion far stronger than common incendiary agents. Once ignited, they stick firmly to the armor plates and vines, and no matter how the monster rolls and thrashes, the flames bite like greedy venomous snakes.

The temperature is high enough to cause the air to distort and tremble.

Those already strangely resilient vines were powerless against the intense heat, their bark quickly drying out and curling up.

The flames climbed up the vines, then exploded with a "pop," splashing boiling green liquid that instantly turned into sizzling ignition points upon landing.

The fat buried behind the vines is forced to swell and burst under the high temperature.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Each burst was accompanied by a short, sharp bang, turning the seams of the monster's armor plates into fiery cracks.

A giant beast howled in agony as half its head was blasted into blood, flesh, and charred bones by the exploding oil and fire. The shattered jawbone slammed into the arms of the cavalry behind it with a thud.

The intense heat and flames splattered onto the barbarian warriors' faces and armor, instantly igniting their fur and clothing.

The knight let out a shrill scream, his voice swallowed by the roar of war drums, crimson mist, and flames, like a wail from the depths of hell.

More than one; some low-intelligence monsters had been driven mad by the firelight, their eyes filled with despair.

They retreated uncontrollably, rampaging and emitting low, broken roars, mixed with shrill screams, as if begging the earth for mercy.

Its massive body charged wildly, knocking down and crushing the cavalry and mounts that followed.

Carlos was protected by his fighting spirit, so the flames couldn't harm him, but his breath was choked by the scorching and choking air, and his chest felt as if it were filled with flames.

"Aaaaah!" He suddenly raised his battle axe and roared hoarsely.

However, all that responded to him was the booming heat echoing through the canyon, and the hellish curtain of red mist and flames.

"How could there be an ambush?!" Carlos felt a surge of anger and unease. "Was it an intelligence leak? No, impossible! No one could possibly know!"

But his remaining rationality and battlefield intuition led him to make a choice: "All troops advance!"

However, just as the vanguard stepped into the open space that was glowing red from the firelight...

"BOOM!!! -- Rumble!!!"

The muffled explosion of the magic mine was triggered deep underground, the sound of which was like a giant beast roaring in the canyon, bringing with it a shockwave like a raging wave.

"Crack—Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Countless cracking and exploding sounds followed, the air was completely torn apart, and the shock wave, like an invisible tidal wave, instantly ripped apart the rattan armor and scales of the heavily armored monsters and cavalry.

The minced meat and armor pieces were charred black by the high temperature and shot back to the rear army with a shriek in the shockwave.

It splashed onto the snow, creating plumes of white mist and a pungent, acrid smell.

A frost giant growled and leaned forward, trying to avoid the fire, but the blast came like an avalanche, making it stagger.

The protective vines and ice cracked and peeled away under the impact of the high temperature, revealing the grayish-blue flesh and blood underneath, covered with cracks.

The dark blue blood of the giant was forced out, gushing out from the cracked flesh like scalding ink.

It splashed onto the snow with a sharp "hiss" sound, instantly turning into a pungent white mist.

The enormous body lost its balance amidst the blast and flames, and crashed to the ground.

The weight of several tons crushed the monsters and knights behind them like falling rocks and collapsing cliffs.

The armor was crushed to pieces, and the bones cracked under the pressure. Blood flowed down the snow-covered gullies, turning red in the firelight.

…………

High above, Louis gazed at this hellish scene through the billowing red mist, a slight smile playing on his lips, but no pity in his eyes.

“It’s like the gates of hell have opened…” he murmured softly, as if he were enjoying a grand feast.

Immediately afterward, he abruptly raised his hand and ordered, "Long-range firepower, suppress!"

"Buzz—whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

The ballista high above emitted a dull, low twang, and the bow arm trembled slightly with each rebound.

Thick, armor-piercing crossbow bolts, trailing blazing flames, hurtled down like a meteor shower tearing through a blood-red sky.

The firelight left trails of blazing white light in the crimson mist before disappearing into the enemy ranks in an instant.

"Oh!"

The first magic-exploding crossbow bolt pierced the heavily armored monster's forehead, exploding in flames behind its head, splattering bone fragments and blood everywhere.

The crossbow bolts that followed rained down, embedding themselves in armor seams, piercing chest cavities, and tearing the enemy ranks to shreds.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several magic bombs fell one after another, and the shockwaves swept across the snow-covered ground, causing it to churn like a sea.

Flames and rubble mingled with shrill shockwaves as they slammed into the enemy's faceplates, making their eardrums ache.

The soldier at the blast point was thrown into the air and landed as a charred, mangled limb.

The nearby monster was blasted off its feet, its heavy body spinning in the air before crashing into the blood-and-snow-covered swamp.

Explosions, screams, and the sound of metal shattering mingled together, echoing like a hellish melody in the canyon, annihilating the cavalry and monsters attempting to break through in flames.

If everything goes according to Louis's plan, these heavily armored monsters will perish in this valley amidst flames and crossbow bolts.

However, an unexpected incident occurred.

The first fallen monster brought about changes that shouldn't have happened.

Its massive body was engulfed by the raging fire, its scales and vines carbonized and peeled off, and it should have remained still in the charred smoke.

However, from the cracked wound, a strange cluster of red flowers suddenly spewed out. The flames had the texture of flesh and blood, and were scarlet and moist.

The next instant, the red flower burst open, spewing out billowing red mist.

The fog was so thick it looked like it had been boiled with blood, carrying a sweet, rotten smell, and instantly enveloped the surrounding barbarian soldiers.

A heart-wrenching roar echoed through the fog.

Several barbarian soldiers, riddled with arrows and swaying precariously, suddenly straightened up.

Their muscles swelled up like they were being inflated, their blood vessels writhed like earthworms, and vines grew wildly from their wounds and crevices, wrapping around their entire bodies and transforming into a second layer of living armor.

The battlefield began to grow.

Each corpse became a seedbed; the charred body split open, blooming into blood-red flowers, from which more vines and red mist spewed forth.

The crimson light and mist intertwined to form a rolling curtain of sky, transforming the entire valley entrance into a pulsating, living abyss.

Those barbarian knights, stained with the red mist, not only stood upright in the flames, but also seemed to have been infused with some kind of crazy power.

Flames leaped across their armor and vines, neither burning them out nor deterring them.

Their eyes were empty yet burning, their breaths were laced with the growls of wild beasts, and their figures moved so fast they were almost indistinct.

They began to climb and approach along the gap in the fire line and the shadows of the valley wall. Their target was the concealed gunners on the higher ground.

The light of the flames only highlighted their sinister grins.

On the high ground, Louis felt the chill through his binoculars, but it wasn't coming from the wind and snow.

This is not a group of warriors; it is a group of hunting beasts fed on rage and death.

(End of this chapter)