Surrounded by Priest and his twenty imposing Holy Punishment Knights, whose armor was engraved with the Holy Flame Emblem, Lind, Lillens, and Nix left Earl Sutherland's residence and rode swiftly back to Grinburg.
Pris's arrival was like a shot in the arm for the battered Greenburg.
The Holy Tribunal Chief Justice personally oversaw operations at the front lines! This news greatly boosted the morale of the defending troops, and even the craftsmen who had been repairing the city walls for days seemed to have gained extra strength.
The ruthless and efficient demeanor of the Holy Knights, along with the faint aura of holy light emanating from them, reassured the soldiers—this was the absolute power to fight against the corruption of the Shadow Abyss!
Upon returning to the main castle, Lind immediately summoned Astaire and Raymond, who remained behind, to receive a briefing on the defenses over the past period. He then set about integrating the newly arrived Holy Punishment Knights, deploying them at key points on the city walls and as an important mobile reserve force.
Priss, on the other hand, focused on setting up holy light arrays within the castle to purify any lingering shadow aura.
With Priss as the "bright banner" drawing fire, Lind was finally able to free up his hands and begin to plan in detail how to use Greenburg as a "breakthrough point" to completely tear apart the seemingly solid defenses of the Sassians and Orks.
His gaze first fell upon the terrifyingly silent camp of the Orks.
The Sassians, though holed up in defense, were at least still reinforcing their fortifications, while the Orks... were eerily quiet!
Their massive army, like a cold anvil, hung on the flank of Greenburg, waiting for the Sassians, that "hammer," to come crashing down.
This passive and defensive situation must be broken!
Lind's idea was bold and radical: to use the elite forces gathered in Greenburg at this moment (the Holy Knights, Astaire, Nix, and his own newly acquired power), in conjunction with the elite garrison, to launch a thunderous raid on the Orcs' command center or key facilities!
If we can severely damage or even paralyze the Orcs' command system or destroy their logistics nodes, we can not only eliminate a huge threat to our flank, but also deter the Sassians, and may even cause suspicion and chaos within the Orc-Sassian alliance!
He secretly summoned Lillian, Astaire, Nix, and even privately discussed this initial idea with Pris.
Although Pres believed the risks were extremely high, he was ultimately persuaded by Lind's "oracle" status and the argument that "only by taking the initiative can one seize control of the purification process," and thus expressed cautious support.
The specific battle plan was being rapidly deduced and refined in Linde's mind...
However, the enemy did not give him time to make a strategic plan.
On the morning of the third day after Lind returned to Greenburg, an unprecedented and terrifying alarm suddenly sounded from the watchtower!
"Sir! The Ork camp! Something's happened! They're assembling... a huge thing!"
Lind and Priest rushed to the highest watchtower of the main fortress almost simultaneously. Lind's activated vision instantly, while Priest also focused his sharp gaze, enhanced by holy light, and cast it into the depths of the Orc camp in the distance.
In the core area of the Orc camp, countless Orc laborers were busily working like ants.
They are putting the final assembly on a massive, heart-stopping metal skeleton.
The main body of the object was a thick metal tube, more than ten meters long and with a diameter comparable to a battering ram. It had a strange dark purple metallic luster and its surface was covered with complex and twisted runes.
Behind the circular tube is a much larger and more complex base structure, which appears to be made up of huge gears, levers and energy conduits. At some key nodes are embedded pigeon-egg-sized purple crystals that shimmer with an unstable light—these are obviously extremely precious and rare natural crystal fragments!
Although it is far inferior in size and craftsmanship to the legendary Crystal Dragon Breath Cannon that could destroy a city with a single blow, its unique tubular structure, dark purple metallic luster, and the crystals inlaid on it clearly indicate its prototype!
"A replica of the Crystal Skeleton Cannon?!"
Linde's heart sank, and a chilling coldness instantly swept over his body.
His worst fears came true! The Orks, having somehow obtained information, had created a replica of the Crystal Dragon Breath Cannon.
They only have one Crystal Dragon Breath Cannon, the one in the possession of Grand Duke Kree, and it is said that the cannon broke down after the last battle at Fortified City and is still under repair at the academy.
How did they obtain this technology? Lind wondered.
Then, an even more shocking scene unfolded, causing Lind's pupils to constrict.
Teams of Orc mages, dressed in dark blue robes and wielding crystal-encrusted staffs, entered the specific magic circle nodes surrounding the turret base, led by an Orc mage wearing a crown.
They began chanting obscure and difficult incantations in unison, their voices deep and resonant, converging into a heart-pounding tide of energy.
The power within the magic network was frantically seized and gathered, and visible streams of various colored energy surged into the massive turret base like rivers flowing into the sea.
The natural crystals embedded in the base began to emit a blindingly bright light and a humming sound as if they were about to collapse under the strain. Inside the cannon barrel, a chilling dark red light emanated, as if something terrifying was being conceived and roaring within!
"They're forcibly charging their energy using the Mage Corps!"
Lilens's voice was filled with despair.
"Damn it! It's a combined spell cast by the mages! They're manually powering this cannon."
Lind instantly understood the Orcs' intentions and predicament. They had acquired the technology for the Crystal Skeleton Cannon, but they were unable to mass-produce stable artificial crystal skeletons as the core energy source.
Therefore, they chose the most brutal and dangerous method—using the life force and magic power of a large number of magicians as a substitute energy source to forcibly drive this replica weapon!
Although it is inefficient, slow to charge, and extremely taxing on mages, and may even explode... if it can be successfully launched once, its power is enough to completely wipe Greenburg's already battered walls, along with everything inside, off the map!
We can't wait any longer! Even the slightest hesitation could destroy the entire defense line!
Linde turned around abruptly, his gaze like a sharp sword, sweeping over the core members around him—Pris, Astaire, Lillens, and Nix.
His voice was resolute and unwavering, instantly drowning out the energy hum emanating from the distant Ork camp:
"Plan changed! Target the Orc Crystal Skeleton Cannon position! Attack! Now! Destroy it before they finish charging!"
He suddenly drew his longsword from his waist, and golden battle aura erupted, mixed with the power of light veins, casting a holy yet murderous light on the city wall, pointing directly at the behemoth deep within the Oak camp that was accumulating terrifying energy.
"All soldiers of Grinburg who can still fight! Silver Lance Knights! Holy Knights! Follow me—kill!"
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