The momentum of the charge was like a giant wave crashing against the shore.
However, when the Vanguard of the Imperial Coalition reached the foot of the Demon King’s castle, they finally felt the true terror of this dark fortress.
The siege battle at the gates they had imagined did not begin immediately.
The castle walls of the Demon King were smooth as a mirror, rising hundreds of zhang high, without a single crack to climb.
On top of the walls stood countless Demon Race Soldiers of various forms, exuding a dense scent of blood and magic, staring coldly at the approaching human coalition like ants.
“Archers! Prepare to suppress!”
The Commander shouted the order.
Elven Archers drew their bows, and arrows gleaming with Magic Arrows shot toward the walls like rain.
However, just as the arrows were about to strike the walls or the Demon Race Soldiers, dark red Magic Patterns on the wall suddenly flared, forming a massive, semi-transparent Blood Shield.
The arrows struck the shield and vanished without a trace, as if sinking into a sea of mud, leaving only ripples behind.
“Magic attack! Concentrate fire on the wall’s shield!”
The accompanying mages responded instantly.
Various magical elements gathered in the air—fireballs, ice spears, lightning, wind blades…
Powerful spells bombarded the Blood Shield like a meteor shower.
The booming never ceased.
The shield trembled violently, its light flickering, as if it might collapse at any moment.
But it endured.
The glow from the Magic Patterns pulsed like a heartbeat, constantly repairing the shield’s damage.
“Damn! This shield is too strong!”
A great mage panted, his magic power nearly exhausted.
Luo Ling frowned deeply.
He charged to the front of the shield and slashed with his sword.
“Break of Dawn”
With holy power, the blade struck the shield, causing a clash of blinding white and red light.
The shield shuddered violently, a crack appearing—only to be quickly repaired by the Magic Patterns.
“This won’t work! The energy source of the shield must be inside the castle! We need to find the weak point!”
Luo Ling said in a low voice.
At that moment, the massive, tightly shut gates of the Demon King’s castle emitted a grating sound and slowly opened inward.
Everyone froze.
The Demon King actually opened the gates himself?
Was this a trap, or…
Beyond the gate was not the emptiness they had imagined, but a darkness even deeper.
Then, countless Demon Race Soldiers surged out like a tide from within.
They came in all forms—Trolls wielding Giant Axes, Demon Wolf Cavalry swift and sharp-toothed, Demon Sorcerers floating in the air firing Shadow Arrows, and even colossal Abyssal Demons like living mountains.
Their numbers far exceeded the coalition’s estimates!
Moreover, the combat power of these Demon Race Soldiers was even greater than any Demon Race troops they had faced before!
“Do they want to keep us trapped outside and wear us down in a battle of attrition?”
The Grand Marshal of the coalition’s face was grim.
“Pass the order—change formation! Hold the line! Don’t let the enemy break us!”
“Luo Ling, Vanguard, take the elite Knight Battalion and find a chance to break through the enemy lines—head straight for the gate! We must break the shield and enter the castle as quickly as possible!”
“Understood!”
Luo Ling turned his horse, raising “Break of Dawn”.
“First and Second Knight Battalion, follow me!”
“Charge!”
Hundreds of knights in Heavy Armor formed a wedge, following Luo Ling like a sharp blade, plunging into the raging tide of Demon Race.
The sword “Break of Dawn” flashed, every swing taking the lives of several Demon Race Soldiers.
The holy power had a natural suppression effect on the Demon Race.
Luo Ling was like a tiger among sheep, carving a bloody path through the dense ranks of the demon army.
The knights followed close behind, lances like dragons, trampling all that stood in their way.
But there were simply too many Demon Race Soldiers—one fell, and more took its place.
The plain before the gate became a vast slaughterhouse in an instant.
The cries of human soldiers and the roars of Demon Race mingled together, blood staining the earth, severed limbs everywhere.
Luo Ling fought covered in blood, his silver armor dyed red—he couldn’t tell if it was enemy blood or his own.
His breathing grew heavier, his arms ached.
But he could not stop.
He was the Vanguard, the banner—if he retreated, the entire front line would collapse.
He cut down an Abyssal Worm attempting to ambush him, just as he tried to catch his breath, his gaze caught a cold stare from atop the wall.
It was a figure in a black cloak, standing at the highest point of the wall.
The face could not be seen, only an icy pressure that felt solid.
Just being looked at by those eyes, Luo Ling felt his blood begin to freeze.
The Demon King?
At that moment, the black-cloaked figure slowly raised a hand.
No blinding magical light, only an invisible, chilling force gathering in the air.
Luo Ling’s instincts screamed with warning—a sense of danger he had never felt before engulfed him.
He tried to dodge, but it was as if invisible shackles bound his body, leaving him immobile.
“Watch out!”
A comrade cried out behind him.
In the next instant, a thin, nearly invisible black thread—like a reaper’s scythe—shot silently toward Luo Ling’s back!
It moved so fast, there was no time to react!
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