Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 292 Inhuman! When a Meteor Falls from the Sky Brings a Flame of Salvation (Bonus Chapter)

"Centurion, I have a plan!"

The centurion stared at the charred entrance to the passage, his beard trembling on his chest.

Upon hearing that one of the dwarves had an idea, he immediately turned his head: "Aren't you going to tell me?"

The clever dwarf leaned close to the centurion and whispered something.

The centurion was taken aback upon hearing the other's words.

He looked at the fortress ahead that he could not conquer, and then back and forth at the tranquil harbor in the distance.

He then wrote a warrant and sent it to his trusted messenger to deliver to the elder.

Soon, the messenger arrived.

"The elder agreed, and even allowed our own people in the temple to assist us!"

"Good!" The centurion nodded happily, then looked at the person who had just suggested the idea. "I'll give you twenty men; go and prepare them!"

"For the sake of my people, I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

Watching the clever dwarf leave, the centurion squinted, looking smugly into the distance. He lit a cigarette, thinking about recent events, and suddenly felt irritated.

The elite troops the elders assigned to him could have easily crushed these sacrifices.

Unfortunately, the result was that they lost most of their men in this meat grinder.

Three noble, heavily armored elite soldiers, whose combat power was enough to tear apart a stubborn defense line, unfortunately appeared too late. After the enemy occupied advantageous terrain, they were repeatedly blown to scrap metal by the powerful alchemical bombs that even they coveted.

Of his 180 dwarf warriors, fewer than 80 remain!

There are quite a few injured among them.

If it weren't for the fact that the sacrificial offerings inside didn't have much ammunition, and that there were too many old and weak people among them, they would have been breached long ago!

"It's all that bastard's fault for impersonating an ancestor! Where did he get so many powerful magical bombs?"

The centurion cursed under his breath.

That guy who called himself Gaizul messed up all their plans, turning the peaceful harbor into a turbulent place.

Before leaving, they even left such a powerful alchemical weapon to these inferior people who were supposed to be sacrificed.

In addition, among these offerings were some wise clan elites, and a group of uncorrupted bronze hammer clan warriors who put up a stubborn resistance, managing to defend this cave that was originally used as a refuge by dwarven nobles.

He no longer has enough troops to launch a direct attack.

He exhaled a smoke ring, signaling the others to be on high alert.

Inside the cave, in a shelter, is an observation area where one can watch the outside world.

Tiat, a young warrior of the Copper Hammer clan, peered warily through the observation hole.

He was a young dwarf warrior who was almost sacrificed, and it was Lin Li who saved him and many of his kin by becoming an ancestor.

When he saw that the corrupted dwarves of the Mithril Clan outside had temporarily stopped their attack and instead began to tighten their encirclement, his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

"Haha, the enemy has retreated!" He turned around and shouted to his anxious companions behind him, his voice trembling slightly.

"But the ammunition our ancestors gave us is running low!"

"Don't worry, if we just hold on for a few more days, we'll definitely get reinforcements."

"Can we contact the outside world now?"

"No! The lines have all been cut off, and those noblemen have nothing to communicate with."

"At least we survived!"

"Yes, they survived!"

"Mommy, I'm so hungry!"

"I'm hungry too!"

In the darkness, the dwarves whispered among themselves, their brief cheers and joy quickly overshadowed by the shadow of hunger.

"What's the point of retreating? There's no food here! We have over seven hundred people; we can't hold out for three days!"

A voice, filled with despair, spoke, causing a stir.

"Shut up! We have an iron will, but it's only three days!"

"But I'm hungry!"

"Stop talking."

In an instant, the joy of victory was over.

Hunger is more terrifying than external enemies.

Looking at the tired and anxious faces, Tiat tried to make his voice sound firm: "Fellow countrymen, our ancestor Gaizul will not abandon us, nor will the nobles of the capital!"

He knew that even he felt a little guilty saying those words.

But we need to have confidence!

The flame of hope was ignited in the hearts of those anxious dwarves.

Everyone quickly encouraged each other.

At this moment, besides their ancestors, only they themselves can help them.

Since the ancestors said that a large number of dwarves of the Mithril Clan have been corrupted, as long as they can buy time and wait for reinforcements from the capital to arrive, victory will eventually belong to them.

If you persevere, you will survive.

More than an hour later!

"Weapons, shields, and all sorts of attack methods!"

A dwarven temple priest with bloodshot eyes was speaking to the dwarves below, who were dressed in rags, filthy, and clearly laborers, holding a scepter representing the teachings of the dwarven ancestors' temple.

"Your mission is simple: use what you have to fill in and destroy the places where those rebels, those damned evil heretics, can launch an attack."

"My fellow countrymen, do not fear sacrifice, for after our sacrifice, we too will ascend to the temple, be received by our ancestors and our clan's gods, and enjoy supreme eternity!"

"In the temple, there is a divine spring that flows with milk and honey forever, sixty-six virgins, and a perfect lord!"

The suffering we endure in the mortal realm is rewarded in the temple!

"For our ancestors, for the restoration of the dwarves' glory!"

"Charge!"

After speaking, the priest left, and then these people, with their troops barely able to protect themselves and made up of miscellaneous tools such as iron planks, hammers, carpenter's axes, and even some hoes, headed directly towards the defensive line that Tiat and the others had built.

Tiat soon discovered the dwarves gathered outside.

"What's going on? Those Mithril Clan guys have gathered so many people again?"

The dwarf warrior next to Tiat couldn't help but peek out, but before he could finish speaking, he was pushed away by an old hand.

An old dwarf with a simple strip of cloth hanging from his arm squeezed to the observation hole, and after just one glance, his cloudy pupils suddenly shrank to the tip of a pin.

"By our ancestors—they were not noble soldiers!"

The old dwarf spat out a few words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing against stone: "It's an ant swarm attack! Those corrupt bastards are using innocent brethren as human shields and expendable resources!"

Ants attacking the city?

Tiat's mind went blank.

He had heard the elders of his clan boast about this term; it was a tactic used by dwarves during their Holy Crusade, where they would use slaves or capture enemies of opposing forces to weaken the enemy's defenses.

He found this very distasteful.

I never dreamed that this method, which is only used against other races, would be used against my own people today.

Is this even a dwarf?!

"No, we have to call them to retreat!" Tiat's voice was urgent.

"Shout something?" The old dwarf glanced back at him, looking at him as if he were a fool. "What are you shouting for? To tell them not to come and die so we can live a few more days? It's no use, child. Their minds are already filled with the nonsense of heretical priests and the sweet talk of nobles."

The old dwarf sighed and pointed to the group of ragged soldiers outside, carrying hoes, mallets, and carpenter's axes, who were beginning to assemble.

"Look at them, their eyes are green with hunger. They won't listen to anyone now, their only thought is to rush in, steal our last bit of food, and then cut off our heads over our corpses to collect their reward."

His voice deepened, carrying a chilling undertone.

"Don't be soft-hearted, and don't hesitate. If they rush at us and we don't fire, we'll be the ones who die, along with those children behind us."

The old dwarf paused, as if making an incredibly difficult decision.

"Go, call the women too, and distribute weapons. The most dangerous time has come. Today, there are no men, women, or children here, only soldiers."

"This—" Tiat's throat went dry, but she finally nodded heavily, "Alright!"

The atmosphere inside the cave froze instantly. After a brief commotion, all the dwarves who could move picked up their weapons.

A fierce battle is about to break out!

The shouts of battle outside grew closer and closer. The lowly dwarves, who were being used as cannon fodder, were driven to madness by the temple priests' lies that "after death, you will go to the temple to enjoy milk and honey, and sixty-six virgins," and the nobles' promises that "if you conquer it, you will get a house, women, and gold coins."

For them, rushing in meant survival and a future.

On a distant hillside, the centurion cautiously leaned against a rock, avoiding potential enemy artillery fire, watching hundreds of lowly people surge toward the cave defenses like a tide, a cold smile playing on his lips.

He knew very well that although the alchemical weapons of the offerings in the cave were powerful, they probably didn't have much ammunition left.

Now, let's use the lives of these lowly people to exhaust their last ammunition and strength.

These dwarven cannon fodder were incited to launch attacks in a swarm, or they carried various supplies to block and cover up vulnerable areas to facilitate subsequent operations.

At first, their operation went very smoothly.

However, once their numbers reached a certain point—

Boom!

A dark, earthenware pot was thrown out from a gap in the cave's defenses, tracing a perfect arc before landing precisely in the dense crowd of the rabble.

The earthenware pot shattered upon hitting a dwarf's head, causing the sticky kerosene and the explosive charge inside to explode instantly.

"ah--!"

A piercing scream, so loud it was inhuman, suddenly erupted.

A dozen or so unlucky souls were instantly engulfed by the flames, turning into writhing, struggling torches, and the air was immediately filled with the stench of burning flesh.

The once-fierce charging force was terrified by the hellish sight, and the dwarves at the back screamed and instinctively turned and ran back.

"Attack! No retreat!"

"A bunch of cowards! Those who retreat, die!"

The centurion suddenly stood up straight, roaring with a livid face, then looked around.

The elite corrupt soldiers acting as military police nearby immediately understood and raised their battle axes to meet the fleeing crowd.

puff!

With a swift swing of the axe, the head of one of the cannon fodder fleeing at the front flew straight into the air.

These malnourished, lowly dwarfs and laborers of all trades were no match for the battle-hardened elite warriors.

In just a dozen breaths, more than thirty heads rolled to the ground, and blood stained the hillside red.

"Charge in! Charge in and kill all the enemies, or none of us will survive!"

"Those who retreat, die! Their souls will fall into purgatory, torn apart by the cold winds for eternity!"

The centurion's roar, like thunder, exploded in the ears of every cannon fodder: "Charge! For the milk and honey of the temple! For the gold coins and women bestowed by the nobles! Attack!"

Ahead lay burning oil and the corpses of their compatriots; behind them lay the cold, ruthless blades of the supervising team.

The mob was so frightened that their legs went weak. Looking ahead at the burning inferno, their instinct for survival was overwhelmed by fear, and they were forced back by the cold axe blade behind them.

They let out another desperate roar, turned around, and charged towards the cave even more frantically.

This time, their eyes no longer held any yearning for the future; only the madness of beasts driven to the brink of despair remained!

An even fiercer battle ensued.

Although these people are not good at combat and rely entirely on their courage, even ants can kill an elephant if there are enough of them!

The defenses inside the cave were in grave danger, and every impact made the fortifications built of rubble and wood tremble.

"Ammunition! I'm out of ammunition!"

A dwarf warrior, desperately patting his empty ammo pouch, had no choice but to pick up the runic battleaxe he had previously captured and charge toward the breach with a roar.

The dwarf channeled his magical energy, causing the runes to glow, and withstood the enemy's blows with his iron pickaxe before beheading the unarmored foe.

He killed one, and another rushed up.

He slashed several times in succession, his breathing becoming rapid. Just as he was about to strike someone, several dwarves rushed over and pinned him down.

"Hold on! They're running out of strength!"

An old dwarf on defense chopped down a charging enemy with his axe, then turned and roared, "Smash the rolling stones down! Don't hold back!"

"Where's the fuel?"

"It's still under production!"

In the midst of the fighting, Tiat caught a glimpse of his cousin being cornered by two enemies, a rusty pickaxe about to smash down on his cousin's head.

"Be careful!"

Tiat had no time to think and raised his hand to activate the Three-Eyed Fire System.

boom!boom!

Two muffled gunshots rang out, and amidst the billowing smoke, the two attacking dwarves fell straight down with two bloody holes blasted in their chests.

"Back off, I'm reloading!" Tiat shouted to his cousin, retreating to the back and reaching for his ammunition pouch.

empty.

His heart sank.

"Damn it! I'm out of ammo!"

Tiat gritted his teeth, abandoned the useless fire weapon, took out the rune battle axe from behind, and charged forward again.

While the fire weapon is powerful, it's not as useful as the rune battle axe once it runs out of ammunition.

He had just chopped down a skinny, mad-looking old dwarf with his axe when a deep, loud noise suddenly came from outside the cave!

The sound was not like thunder, but more like the roar of some kind of giant beast, making the entire cave vibrate.

Immediately afterwards, a heart-wrenching scream came from outside, a scream filled with panic.

"We've lost! We've lost!"

Upon hearing this, the attacking force, which had been charging forward fearlessly, suddenly panicked as if they had seen a ghost, and turned tail and ran away, crying out for their parents.

"They shouted a couple of times and then their attack just stopped so inexplicably?"

"What happened?"

Tiat was startled and wanted to rush out and launch a counterattack.

But reason told him that going out meant certain death, and his survival instinct left him no time to think. He immediately yelled at his still-standing companions, "Don't just stand there! Quick, gather weapons and ammunition! Drag the wounded back!"

He then roughly tore off ammunition pouches and gunpowder canisters from the bodies of the recently deceased enemy and stuffed them into his clothes.

He felt somewhat relieved after receiving a replenishment of ammunition.

The chaotic battlefield fell silent for a moment. Taking advantage of the moment, Tiat retreated to the rear of the fortifications, panting heavily, his chest burning with pain.

He caught a glimpse of several companions crowding around an observation post, pointing excitedly outwards, and he immediately joined them.

Looking through the observation hole, several kilometers away above the Tranquil Harbor military base, a huge azure shield had risen at some point and enveloped the entire mountain fortress.

The shield's surface shimmered with iridescent light, and the magical energy fluctuations were visible to the naked eye.

"It's the magical energy defenses of Tranquil Harbor!" An old dwarf with a white beard trembled with excitement, his voice trembling. "Tranquil Harbor has been attacked! It seems our reinforcements have arrived! Our ancestors have appeared!"

Reinforcements?

Tiat's heart skipped a beat, and ecstasy instantly overwhelmed his physical exhaustion.

They're saved! They're saved!

He stared intently at the azure light screen, the light seeming like a divine gift of hope, causing his parched throat to produce saliva again.

But at that moment, his pupils suddenly contracted.

At the horizon, streaks of meteors appeared, trailing long white contrails. They pierced through the clouds with unparalleled momentum, heading straight for the magical shield that symbolized hope.

"What is that?" Tiat had barely cried out when the meteors came hurtling towards them.

The first meteor struck the shield, and the seemingly indestructible magical shield rippled violently like the surface of water.

Then, the second one, the third one—

A dense meteor shower followed, and the ripples on the shield became increasingly rapid and dense.

Finally, amidst a tooth-grinding cracking sound, the enormous azure light shield shattered like an eggshell being smashed by a hammer!

The dissipated magical energy transformed into a dazzling rain of light, scattering across the sky in a breathtakingly beautiful spectacle.

"The shield has been destroyed?"

"So strong!"

"What kind of attack method is that?"

"The legendary self-locking alchemical bomb?"

Before they could even recover from this huge turn of events, more meteors rained down from the sky, this time targeting not the shield, but the entire Tranquil Harbor military base!

Clusters of orange-red fireballs exploded on the hillside. The cave entrances, supply warehouses, and fortifications built by the dwarves were as fragile as sandcastles in the face of those meteors falling from the sky.

Even from several kilometers away, the violent tremors were clearly felt, and the mountains beneath our feet were buzzing, like the mournful cry of a dying beast.

"This attack—" the old dwarf muttered to himself, his face then filled with joy.

Tiat's mind went blank.

How come the reinforcements are so strong?

This is definitely not any dwarf army!

He had never heard of such an attack method before!

In the midst of this deathly silence, a childish voice excitedly shouted, "Look! So many birds!"

A child, who had secretly crawled to the side of an adult's legs to watch the commotion, was pointing at the sky.

Tiat instinctively looked up and followed the direction the child was pointing. Sure enough, in the sky, which was stained grayish-yellow by the smoke of gunpowder, a large patch of dense black dots appeared.

"No, that's not a bird," Tiat retorted almost instinctively, his voice dry and hoarse.

"It's a bird!" the child stomped his foot in protest.

"Birds don't fly in such neat formations!" Tiat was so agitated that she started arguing with a child.

He stared intently at the approaching black dots, lined up in neat rows, without the flapping of wings, yet hurtling through the air at a steady high speed. Occasionally, a cold metallic glint could be seen in the sunlight.

That's not flesh and blood at all!

After more than ten breaths, a dull, heavy, and seemingly bone-deep buzzing sound came from afar, overwhelming all other sounds on the battlefield.

"It looks dangerous! Retreat! Retreat!"

Tiat pulled the child behind him, while he pressed himself tightly against the observation port, his heart pounding in his throat.

If the iron birds attacked, he would retreat.

The black dots grew larger and clearer.

They really aren't birds!

It was a light gray, bird-like metallic object, very similar to their aircraft.

With a sharp whistling sound, these iron birds pierced the air at a terrifying speed.

They split into several formations, some heading straight for the distant, bomb-ravaged Tranquil Harbor, while others made their way towards key areas of Tranquil Harbor.

Immediately following, a series of explosions, more frequent but less loud than when the meteors fell, rang out in succession.

Fireballs rose and fell across the hillside as the giant hand of death relentlessly destroyed the once-prosperous stronghold of the Mithril Clan.

Of course, most of the attacks were directed at the military base guarding Tranquil Harbor.

Tiat felt a chill run down his spine. This was definitely not a dwarf attack. Without reinforcements, they seemed to be another, more terrifying group of enemies whose identities he did not yet know.

That's it, it's completely over.

Having just escaped one wolf's den, they entered another tiger's mouth.

Just when he was in despair, another flock of iron birds circled around and flew towards their small position!

"Retreat! Take cover!!" Tiat shouted hoarsely.

The dwarves hiding in the cave dwelling area were thrown into chaos and hurriedly retreated to find cover.

They had witnessed the horrific explosion at the military base. They certainly didn't want to be killed in it!

However, the anticipated attack did not fall on them.

Some of the circling iron birds descended directly downwards, while the massive, clumsy ones opened their bellies—

Then!

Whoosh—whoosh whoosh!

Dozens of small meteors trailing white smoke detached from the iron bird's belly, then drew tricky arcs and plunged into the corrupted dwarf army attacking them below!

Boom! Rumble!

The deafening explosion instantly swallowed up the roars of the corrupted dwarves.

The enemy, who had just been so fierce and menacing that they had barely managed to repel them at a heavy cost, was now like an insect thrown into a pot of boiling oil, completely engulfed.

They were blasted to pieces by the flames and shockwaves, with blood, severed limbs, and scalding metal fragments scattering in all directions.

With just one volley, a terrifyingly large empty area was cleared in front of the position!

Everyone was stunned.

Tiat opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Before he could react, several larger iron birds descended, their noses aimed at the remaining enemies below.

"Da da da da da da—!"

A series of rapid, continuous, and strange sounds, like tearing cloth, exploded out.

A stream of crimson fire erupted from beneath the iron bird's belly, sweeping across the ground at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

The corrupted dwarves who were fleeing in disarray below suffered a devastating blow.

Their bodies seemed to be sliced ​​apart by invisible, enormous blades, instantly exploding into clouds of blood mist, flesh and blood flying everywhere, the scene as bloody as a hellish hell.

This time, both the rabble and the corrupt dwarves from before completely collapsed.

They dropped their weapons, cried out, and scattered in all directions. Some even knelt on the ground, frantically kowtowing to the iron birds in the sky, incoherently begging for forgiveness.

The iron bird circled for a while longer until the nearby gunfire ceased!

The battle is over just like that?

"Our ancestors—our ancestors have appeared to us!" A devout dwarf knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face. He bowed in worship to the distant iron bird creation, "This is our ancestors' most elite alchemical iron bird! It has come to save us!"

Long live our ancestors!

"We're saved!"

Some echo insects joined in the shouting.

The ecstasy of surviving the ordeal made the defending dwarves cheer, and many of them were even moved to tears.

Tiat gazed at the iron birds circling in the air, possessing godlike power, and a feeling of utterly relaxed washed over him.

"These guys seem to have spotted us, but they haven't attacked us?"

"So, were they really reinforcements sent by our ancestors?"

At this moment, several large iron birds began to slowly descend, raising huge plumes of dust on the open ground in front of the position.

The hatch opened, and figures filed out one after another.

They wore uniform, standard armor that Tiat had never seen before, and carried uniquely designed weapons, their movements exuding a disciplined and efficient aura.

Tiat strained to open his eyes, trying to make out the face of their savior.

However, when he saw the other person's height, Tiat's smile froze.

That's not a dwarf.

It doesn't have long ears!

That is————

Humanity?

"No, fellow dwarves?"

Tiat's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he stared intently at the figures emerging from the iron bird's belly.

Those fluid tactical movements, that height far exceeding that of dwarves—everything about him told him that this was a human!

But why are there a few dwarves in the group?

They were wearing mithril clan armor, but were carrying fire spears commonly used by dwarves.

Could he be a traitor? One of our own enslaved by humanity?

Tiat's mind was a jumbled mess. His emotions were like being pulled from the depths of despair to the clouds, then suspended in mid-air, unsure whether he would continue soaring or plunge into the abyss next.

While he was lost in thought, the humans had already taken action.

They didn't make a fuss, and all their actions were orderly, as if they had rehearsed it hundreds of times.

Some people quickly dispersed to build a defensive line in front of the position, while others began unloading massive amounts of supplies from those huge iron birds.

A human soldier took a strange metal horn from his back and handed it to a white-bearded dwarf elder.

The dwarf elder Tiat looked familiar, as if—Tiat felt he had seen him before.

"Isn't that Portlin? What's he doing here?"

"How did he end up mixing with humans?"

"At least they didn't attack us. It was like they waved at us; they put their weapons away and didn't attack us?"

While the dwarves inside were completely bewildered, the human troops outside continued their work.

"Reporting to command, our unit has arrived at the rescue point and is ready to establish communication with the survivors," Zhao replied to the communication device, looking at the dwarf entities around him.

"Command received. Establish a defensive line as soon as possible, eliminate the remaining enemy forces, and guard against a counterattack by the corrupted dwarves."

"clear!"

Zhao lowered his hand and nodded to Portlin and another dwarf elder, Northon: "Gentlemen, we can begin. Tell them we are friends."

Botlin nodded, took the megaphone, weighed it in his hand, his expression somewhat complicated, but he still cleared his throat and aimed it at the direction of the cave.

A piercing electrical sound rang out first, startling the dwarves at the cave entrance.

"Hey! Hey! Fellow countrymen in the cave, can you hear me?"

A loud, slightly distorted voice echoed through the valley, "I am Botlin! From the edge of Panguler Fortress—we have not been corrupted! We have come to save you! We have been commanded by our ancestor Gazul, the one who manifested the spirits, to come and save you all! I repeat, we have come to save you! These humans are our allies!"

Ancestor?

They were indeed related to their ancestors.

But—humans are allies?

Tiat and the dwarves behind him looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion.

How could humans possibly be allies?

Ancestors above, what happened today is more bizarre than anything I have ever seen in my life.

Before they could process this astonishing news, a low hum came from the sky.

Dozens of larger unmanned iron birds hovered above the position, their massive mechanical booms steadily placing heavy metal boxes on the ground.

The chest door opened, revealing neatly arranged food, buckets of gleaming water, and a large quantity of medical supplies, all instantly exposed to the dwarves' view.

"Gulp."

Tiat clearly heard a series of swallowing sounds behind him, and his own throat felt dry and tight.

Many young dwarf warriors stared wide-eyed at the food, almost to the point of tears.

They had been hungry and thirsty for far too long.

This unexpected supply is more convincing than any flowery language.

Meanwhile, humanity's defenses have been initially established.

Using the dwarves' existing fortifications, they erected several grotesque metal structures in less than ten minutes. Some resembled multi-tube honeycombs, while others were constantly rotating cubes.

Looking at this well-equipped, disciplined ally who had brought life-saving supplies, Tiat's heart began to tip sharply.

He took a deep breath and followed the respected elder of his clan out of the cave's shadow—

"What is that?" A young dwarf couldn't help but ask after stepping out.

"I don't know, it looks so exquisite!" Another dwarf scratched his head.

The sophisticated gadget they were talking about was an active phased array radar, which looked very similar to the active phased array radar used in civilian defense against wild boars, but was much more powerful.

These radars possess magical anti-jamming capabilities, stable detection signals, are portable, and can be quickly networked!

After several radars work together, a tight near-air defense network has been built, leaving no object flying at high speed with nowhere to hide.

Above the sky, the attack drones, which the dwarves called small iron birds, continued to circle and hunt tirelessly.

Like eagles, they precisely target every corrupted dwarf who tries to escape or hide, sending them to their true ancestors with a torrent of deathly fire.

The battle in the distance continues, but the fighting nearby seems to have ended.