Chapter 544 - 544: The Fall of Ilkand City, Absorbing the Power of the Ocean (2)
The army of the Wasteland Guild, stationed outside the city, had been preparing for a while. The moment they received the news of the city gate being opened, they quickly established contact with Lienhardt’s army and rushed through the city gate into the city.
Although the quality of the Wasteland Guild’s troops was far inferior to the soldiers of the Bass Kingdom, their sheer numbers made up for it. The army of the Wasteland Guild stationed outside Ilkand City numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
Under the Lord’s command, they fearlessly charged ahead. By the time the defenders of Ilkand City fully realized what was happening, over a hundred thousand player armies had already poured into the city and were heading towards the city’s central Lord Manor.
Lienhardt’s grand army also began its assault. Thousands of troops poured out from their camp and advanced towards Ilkand City.
Inside the city.
On the high tower of the mansion, Zunon leaned against the railing, watching as the flames soared high from the Eastern city gate. He excitedly clenched his fist, feeling the weight of worry lift from his heart.
It’s happening!
As long as the city gate was fully breached, their Wasteland Guild’s army, in conjunction with Lienhardt’s forces, would enter the city. The situation would then tilt entirely in their favor. With the city walls no longer protecting Ilkand City, its fall was only a matter of time.
“Guild Master, look at the western city wall!”
The previously silent western city gate had also erupted in towering flames. The deafening sounds of battle echoed, and fire-breathing dragons poured into the city through the gate, heading toward the city center.
Zunon’s expression changed slightly. He remembered that the western city wall was where the Jungle Guild was stationed. Could it be that they also received a task from the Lienhardt Grand Duchy and decided to switch sides, just like them!?
Damn it! If Pando and his group managed to capture the nobles of Ilkand City before them, wouldn’t everything their Wasteland Guild had done be in vain?
He couldn’t accept that!
“Tell our brothers to accelerate the attack, at any cost! We must capture those Bass Kingdom nobles! Our future prosperity depends on this wave!”
With the sudden betrayal of the two major guilds, the smaller guilds and solo players belonging to the Bass Kingdom camp were at a loss, not knowing what to do.
Fighting back might lead to their immediate annihilation, but not fighting back felt like they were betraying the Bass Kingdom.
However, looking at the current situation, they all understood that Ilkand City was definitely on the brink of falling, and its surrender was just a matter of time.
“Damn it, why not just join the rebellion together? Who knows, we might even gain some benefits from it.”
At this moment, someone unexpectedly spoke up, suggesting an alternative course of action.
This proposal garnered agreement from many players. They couldn’t accept fighting alongside the Bass Kingdom to the death. However, there were also some players who refused the suggestion and chose to leave, wanting to avoid getting involved in this situation any further.
As a result, a portion of the players willingly abandoned the commissions given to them by the Bass Kingdom and attempted to join the attacking forces.
The Bass Kingdom soldiers stationed in Ilkand City numbered over a hundred thousand, and when combined with the player armies, defending the city wouldn’t have been a significant challenge, thanks to the sturdy city walls and various fortifications.
However, with the sudden betrayal of the Wasteland Guild and Jungle Guild, and the loss of control over the eastern and western city gates, the defenders of Ilkand City faced over two hundred thousand Lienhardt troops outside the city. The city’s defenders no longer had the means to hold the city.
Inside the Lord Manor, as the sounds of battle echoed throughout the city and flames leaped into the sky, the nobles of Ilkand City could no longer maintain their composure. Fear was evident in their eyes.
At this point, they also understood that the fall of Ilkand City was only a matter of time. All the city gates, both east and west, had been seized, and their remaining forces were insufficient to reclaim them.
The northern city wall was blocked by Lienhardt’s massive army, leaving no escape route there.
Therefore, their only path to survival now lay to the south.
That was the harbor of Ilkand City, which was cleared of the chaos left by the previous Lienhardt fleet attack. The first and second fleets were already on standby. Their only chance of survival was to board these ships.
Without much hesitation, these nobles, who had once boasted of honor and courage but had gradually grown decadent in their opulent lives, now abandoned the hundred-thousand-strong army still fighting and rushed onto the warships with their families and personal guards to escape to the safer heartland of the kingdom.
Only a small number of nobles, who still held onto a glimmer of courage, chose to stay behind and face the city’s fate.
The battle continued throughout the night.
As the sky began to brighten with the orange hues of dawn, the sun’s rays illuminated the smoky Ilkand City.
With the exception of a few scattered Bass Kingdom soldiers who persisted in resisting within the city, the majority of the territory had come under the rule of the Lienhardt army.
The city’s dominion, represented by the Lord Manor, now bore the flag of Lienhardt, signifying the shift in power within the city.
Ilkand City had fallen.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in a remote sea area, a towering gateway still stood above the surface of the sea. The colossal sea creature that loomed in front of the gate seemed to sense something amiss and emitted sharp, urgent cries.
Its thick, powerful tentacles thrashed about on the sea’s surface, its massive body rolling beneath the waves, creating surging tsunamis.
In its house-sized head, crimson eyes revealed a deep-seated anger.
The power of the ocean… had disappeared.
It was those… thieves, those thieves who had stolen its power of the ocean!
They… must pay!!
Anina reverted from her whale form to her human form, her complexion slightly pale. She watched as the defense line, which had been cleared just moments ago, was now being overrun by even more aquatic deviant ghosts. She clenched her silver teeth in frustration.
These aquatic deviant ghosts seemed endless. For every one they killed, more came pouring in, filling every inch of their vision.
Facing these aquatic deviant ghosts, who were just as fearless, their army suffered increasingly heavy casualties. The once-solid defense line now resembled a sieve, and the deviant ghosts frequently broke through, wreaking havoc among the rearranged units. Over two-thirds of their forces were now dead, and the remaining soldiers were wounded to varying degrees.
To make matters worse, they had no choice but to stand their ground here; any retreat, even a slight one, would disrupt Lord Ji Chen’s process of absorbing power.
After a brief respite, Anina once again joined the battle, wielding her greatsword.
“You’ve all worked hard,” a familiar voice suddenly sounded in their ears, causing the heroes to tremble with joy.
They wore expressions of happiness on their faces.
“My Lord!”
Ji Chen smiled and nodded. A glint of focus shone in his eyes as he clenched his fist slightly, feeling the immense power coursing through his body. His mood was incredibly joyful.
If he were a slightly turbulent river before, he now resembled a vast and mighty sea.
Deeper and more majestic.
With every movement.
As long as he wished, it seemed like he could unleash earth-shattering, mountain-moving power.
His perception, which used to be limited to nearby surroundings, now spread infinitely into the distance. Every drop of seawater felt like an extension of his body.
He could easily notice the subtle shifts in the water’s movement, the ripples created by things moving within it, and the various elements and energies that filled the surroundings.
And the changes brought by the ocean power contained in the divine weapon were not limited to just that.
Looking at the significant changes happening on his personal panel, Ji Chen revealed a satisfied smile.
This journey was indeed right on the mark. His strength had grown several times more than before, almost undergoing a transformation!
Watching the countless Aquatic Deviant Ghosts rushing towards him, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes.
With a slight thought.
The formidable magic power erupted like a volcanic eruption.
All the Aquatic Deviant Ghosts within a radius of two hundred meters were crushed as if by a hydraulic press, instantly turned into mush by the surrounding seawater.
Just one strike obliterated tens of thousands.
Seeing this gruesome scene, even the craziest Deviant Ghosts couldn’t help but be stunned. They remained frozen until another wave of their kind turned into mush, and only then did they react in a panic, scrambling to crawl away on all fours. However, in just a short moment, they disappeared from the sight of everyone..