The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 611- Revival of the World Tree & Aurelian (10)

Miles behind the frontline.

Inside a command camp, the leaders of each race gathered together to formulate a strategy.

However, judging by the grim looks and the suffocating atmosphere, it didn’t seem like their discussions were going well.

Every eye was exhausted, yet they still stared at the map on the table, attempting to devise any strategy that could halt the enemy’s relentless advance.

"We can’t keep bleeding like this!"

Unable to endure their mounting losses any further, a dwarf encased in impressive armor from head to toe slammed his hands onto the table.

He was Thane Ironmantle, the supreme commander of this coalition army. Do not be deceived by his stature; his bulging muscles, broad frame, and the massive hammer resting beside him were sufficient to convey a warning not to underestimate him.

Furthermore, he commanded the respect of every individual present.

"We must dispatch the other units to reinforce them."

"That's not viable. The western flank crumbled three hours ago. Should Ironreach fall, the Malice Engines will march directly through Ashen Gate."

The individual who spoke was a tall woman with lengthy white hair, intricately braided with iron rings.

She possessed a lean and muscular build, faint, glowing blue war tattoos adorning her skin, and donned heavy, blackened orihalcum armor over thick furs.

Upon her head, she wore a great horned helm featuring two curved horns, resembling those of demons.

She was Skadi Winter, one of the leaders of the allied races and, most significantly, a member of the Ancient Giant race.

"If Ashen Gate falls, then Verdanthold will become vulnerable."

The leaders of the allied races fell into a profound silence.

Verdanthold was not merely a city; it was one of Draconia's three great megacities. If that bastion were breached, the heartland of the dragon kingdom would lie exposed, and all the adjacent cities would inevitably collapse in succession.

This was the dire outcome they desperately sought to avert.

Under any circumstances, they could not allow Ashen Gate to fall. Not only was it a crucial mountain pass, but it also served as an excellent natural barrier capable of impeding armies.

There would be no superior location to impede the advance of the Malice Engines than this very point.

The leaders gathered around the war table gazed at the map with grave expressions. Even the perpetually grumbling Thane Ironmantle found himself speechless.

Just as they were deliberating their next move, dire news arrived.

The tent flap burst open, and a bloodied scout staggered inside.

"Report! The western defense line has completely collapsed. And a Titan Class Malice Engine has been sighted!"

The very instant the leaders heard this report, their countenances turned exceedingly grim. Even though the situation on the western front had not appeared promising, they had still harbored a faint hope that the warriors stationed there could hold out for a duration. After all, an entire legion was deployed there.

As devastating as the news was, it was not the primary focus of their immediate concern. Their attention was far more captivated by what the scout subsequently revealed.

Titan Class Malice Engines, aptly named, were colossal, nightmarish constructs engineered with the sole purpose of annihilating all forms of life.

They were akin to mobile fortresses, destructive machines possessing the capability to level entire cities. It was no wonder an entire legion proved insufficient to maintain the defensive line.

A Titan-Class... this indeed constituted grave tidings.

But as the saying goes, misfortunes rarely arrive alone; they often come in waves.

Immediately thereafter, another scout entered the tent, delivering yet another devastating piece of intelligence.

"Commander! Three more Titan signatures detected! They are all advancing from the west!"

If the command tent had previously succumbed to a heavy silence, it now appeared as though the entire space was frozen solid by an icy dread.

Four Titan Class Malice Engines... this was no longer a mere reconnaissance mission or probing attack. The enemy was demonstrating their full intent this time.

The commander of the allied army, Thane, slammed his fist against the table with such force that it cracked the solid stone.

"Damn it! It appears we gravely underestimated the enemy. Even after our previous endeavors to dismantle many of their Malice Factories, they have still managed to manufacture such a multitude of Malice Engines... and four of the Titan Class, no less."

"Indeed, we never anticipated they could recuperate this swiftly. Nevertheless, our efforts were not entirely in vain. Had our forces not succeeded in destroying those Malice Factories, we might have been confronting dozens instead of just four. While four Titan Class engines are undeniably nightmarish, resisting them is not an impossibility."

Skadi spoke, her hand slowly reaching for the frost axe positioned nearby.

Now that the Titan Class had revealed itself, the dynamics of the battlefield had fundamentally shifted. Ordinary troops were utterly incapable of contending with units of a Titan class.

"Let us fight! For our future and for Draconia, we must hold the enemy at bay right here."

The leaders of the allied races nodded in solemn agreement. They all exchanged glances, their thoughts converging on the same stark reality.

There were no more armies to deploy. No reinforcements were forthcoming.

If the Titan class Malice Engines managed to break through, everything situated behind their current position would perish.

Thane Ironmantle also exhaled deeply and reached for his formidable hammer.

"So be it. All commanders, prepare to enter the battlefield."

There were no objections raised.

Humans. Elves. Dwarves. Cinethropes. Therianthropes. Each a leader of their distinct race and a legend in their own right, they roused their battle spirits.

Marks of prior engagements were visible upon their forms; some still appeared weary, having not yet recovered from their injuries.

Yet, this did not deter them from advancing into the fray once more.

With Thane Ironmantle leading the charge, the war leaders marched resolutely toward the western front.

In the distance, a deafening clamor continued to escalate.

Soon, they reached the mountain's western defense line. From this vantage point, the entirety of the battlefield lay before them.

However, by this juncture, all conflict had ceased. There were no battle cries, no echoes of explosions; only a profound silence prevailed.

Scanning their surroundings, the leaders observed naught but corpses strewn about like discarded refuse, the ground saturated with blood, its color turned a deep red, and fires raging indiscriminately. It was a grim spectacle, making it difficult to ascertain if any survived, yet one truth was undeniably clear.

These individuals, these valiant warriors and soldiers of the allied races, had fought with every last breath in their bodies.

Standing upon the battlefield that had become their tomb, the leaders noted that even at the final moments, not a single weapon had been relinquished. They had fought, fully aware of their impending demise.

The leaders remained silent. Their grip on their weapons merely tightened, hearts swearing vengeance.

Such scenes were all too familiar.

After all, the protracted conflict against the Malice Engines had endured for an immeasurable span, so long that its commencement was lost to memory.

They were all aware that their very ancestors had participated in these wars, meeting their end and passing the torch of the future to them. As leaders of their respective races, they were all prepared to lay down their lives. Should they fall, another would undoubtedly assume their mantle and continue the fight for the future.

Consequently, they could commit themselves entirely, without reservation or fear.

BANG... BANG... BANG...

The thunderous reverberations persisted, continuing to echo. With proximity, the very ground beneath them quivered.

This was no mere thunder; it was the colossal footsteps of approaching doom.

Indeed, these were the sounds of the four Titan-class Malice Engines drawing near.

Each footfall felt like a mountain's collapse, immense and overwhelming. Whether it was the pervasive demonic energy or the engines themselves, facing such an overwhelming power instilled a nascent fear within the hearts of the leaders.

However, they maintained stoic countenances, betraying no hint of their inner turmoil.

Their objective was to halt the enemy's advance at this very location.

At the very least, until one of those lords arrived.

"They are here."

The elven leader spoke, his voice cutting through the oppressive atmosphere.

As a skilled marksman, his eyesight was exceptional. Yet, in this instance, even without his announcement, the leaders could perceive the approaching threat; the enemy was simply too colossal to be missed.

Four colossal forms emerged from the swirling smoke, prodigious plumes of demonic energy erupting from their exhaust ports.

One resembled a towering behemoth, supported by six colossal, pillar-like legs, its form reminiscent of a grotesquely distorted siege engine. Its dorsal aspect was adorned with a series of rotating artillery emplacements, emitting a crimson glow, each humming with apocalyptic power.

Another possessed a serpentine physique. Its body coiled through the air, sustained by anti-gravity rings constructed from jagged metal. The elongated form was segmented, each section opening and closing like a mechanical maw filled with gnashing blades.

The remaining two Malice Engines presented similarly horrifying visages.

One manifested as a hulking titan, its massive appendages akin to colossal war hammers. The other was a nightmarish fusion of beast and machine, four-legged, with a head shaped like a predatory skull.

Each entity appeared more formidable than the last, each a harbinger of utter devastation.

From any perspective, the scene conveyed an overwhelming sense of despair.

Beyond the sheer disparity in size, the sheer magnitude of energy emanating from these Malice Engines offered a chilling glimpse into the terrifying capabilities of these constructs.

Confronted by such overwhelming might, the leaders did not succumb to despair. Instead, they bravely advanced, preparing to engage the monstrous threats.