Chapter 274: One Shot to Decide the Outcome

They were mutated creatures unlike any he had ever seen— even in the wastelands of Gondor seven hundred years ago, high lord Gawain Cecil had never encountered such abominations. There were four of them, each nearly two to three times the size of a typical mutant. Their limbs were grotesquely swollen, and from most of their joints sprouted bone-like spikes. These spikes pulsed with ominous black-and-red arcs of electricity, especially along their backs. The bone spurs growing from their ribs even formed parallel rail-like structures. As the four colossal beasts unleashed guttural, chaotic roars from deep within, the electric arcs on their spines suddenly intensified—and in the next instant, four massive bolts of lightning shot toward the city walls!

An attack form never before seen, with a range far beyond expectations.

Gawain was taken aback, but his body reacted instinctively. He poured his mana into his longsword; the Sword of the Pioneer burst into a blinding white light. With a series of swift swings, two shockwaves surged forth, intercepting two of the black-red lightning bolts. Not far from the middle of the wall, a flash of arcane lightning erupted with a thunderous crack, shattering the third attack—this was Kamiel’s position.

The fourth bolt veered off, striking the base of the wall with a loud explosion, sending up clouds of dust and debris.

After unleashing this sudden strike, the four mutated giants did not continue firing lightning—likely because such an attack drained a great deal of energy, preventing them from using it repeatedly. The electric glow on their spines dimmed slightly. Then, the monsters straightened up, their faceless heads turning toward the wall. Deep, guttural howls rumbled from their bodies. Behind them, the horde of mutants seemed to be stirred by some unseen stimulus; suddenly, they surged forward with terrifying momentum.

Just as the report had mentioned, the mutants near these aberrations experienced an unexplained “enhancement.” Their aggression and speed increased dramatically!

“Keep the catapults firing!” Knight Byron shouted. “Grenadiers, keep throwing! Focus on those giant monsters!”

Explosions began to erupt throughout the mutant ranks. The soldiers throwing crystalline grenades were selected from various squads for their exceptional strength, but even so, it was difficult to lob grenades close enough to those distant behemoths. Only the catapults had the range—but after one volley, Gawain frowned.

The accuracy was terrible, and the rate of fire too slow.

Dozens of bombs detonated across the battlefield. Though aimed at the four mutated giants, the catapults’ poor precision meant every explosion landed far from the monsters. After the attack, many ordinary mutants were shredded, but the real threats remained unscathed, still charging across the field.

“Keep firing!”

The catapult crews quickly tightened the winches and reloaded, knowing their weapons’ fatal flaws—not only poor accuracy and slow firing, but also a nearly fixed range. Even adjusting the winch and arm could only roughly change the distance; they couldn’t target enemies too close. And those mutants—their speed was increasing under the influence of the giant aberrations, soon pushing beyond the catapults’ effective range.

During the second volley, finally, a crystalline bomb struck true. One of the mutated giants was hit squarely. The explosion was tremendous, scattering filthy flesh and shattered bones across the battlefield. Yet more monsters pressed closer to the walls.

The catapults ceased fire; at this range, they were useless. The crews swiftly retreated from the outer towers back onto the walls, disengaging the safety on their thermal ray guns and preparing alongside the marksmen to repel the mutants attempting to scale the battlements.

By now, the number of monsters was dwindling. With the soldiers’ thermal ray guns and plasma swords, they could handle the remaining mutants—if not for the three remaining giant aberrations.

These creatures possessed intelligence, or at least rudimentary reasoning—an astonishing conclusion Gawain reached after brief observation.

Ordinary mutants reacted almost reflexively to mana or the presence of living beings, charging wildly like feral beasts. Humans could counter them with tactics and traps. But these giants—just the fact that they didn’t charge alongside the others was shocking enough.

More importantly, they seemed to exert some control over the cannon-fodder mutants. Because of these four giants, the mutant attack came in two waves; the second wave was dragged out by the giants’ influence.

Crude coordination, but coordination nonetheless—a nascent form of tactics.

Gawain raised his longsword slightly, eyes fixed on the three remaining mutated giants, ready to personally take them down.

This wave of attack was defensible. Despite some surprises, the forces of the Cecil Battle Legion still held the monsters firmly. The mutants at the wall’s base were being cut down en masse by crystalline grenades and thermal rays, not a single one managing to climb the walls. The soldiers hadn’t even needed to draw their plasma swords.

But those mutated creatures with apparent thinking ability were deeply unsettling—they had to be eliminated quickly.

Just as Gawain prepared to strike, the three mutated giants moved. Shielded by the cannon fodder mutants, they closed in near the wall. Suddenly, they bent low, and the bone spurs on their backs flickered with dense black-red electric arcs once more.

Kamiel, guarding the middle section of the wall, immediately erected a magical barrier to protect the wall beneath him and began channeling a powerful arcane spell. But before he could release it, he sensed a shift in the surrounding mana field, causing him to halt in surprise.

The magical field enveloping the wall, sustained by the Mana Obelisk, suddenly accelerated its flow. A massive surge of mana was converging in one direction. Following the sensation, Kamiel’s gaze landed on a stubborn little girl climbing to the highest tower, raising her staff high.

Above her, a fireball nearly as large as the city gate was rapidly forming—and growing.

Even Gawain sensed the staggering mana flow. He turned in horror, sweat pouring down his face—what on earth was Rebecca conjuring?!

The enormous fireball had solidified, glowing brighter as mana filled it. Its color shifted from deep red to yellow-white. Rebecca’s face was alight with excitement. Wrapped around her waist was a strange metallic belt, its plates radiating magical light. Her staff blazed like a burning sun torch. Noticing she had conjured the largest fireball in her life, Rebecca shouted like a mischievous child about to be scolded by ancestors and aunts, “Ancestors! Look what I made!!”

Gawain’s voice thundered across the field: “Throw it now!”

“Got it!” Rebecca yelled, summoning all her strength to swing her staff. The fireball, though massive, was weightless. Yet the turbulent mana field made her staff feel magnetically stuck, making it agonizing to move. A normal mage would have despaired—weak ones would be crushed by the backlash of such an overloaded spell. But was Rebecca a normal mage?

After a failed push, she relaxed and summoned the strength she’d used to kill wolves with three punches during her family trials. With a shout, the city-gate-sized fireball floated shakily toward the battlefield amid gasps of fear.

Even low-intelligence monsters could sense the terror radiating from the fireball. The three mutated giants, who had been preparing a lightning strike to breach the wall, abruptly withdrew their half-formed attack. Then, in a move unheard of among ordinary mutants—

They turned and fled.

Gawain was now certain: these mutated giants possessed thinking ability.

At that moment, Rebecca’s colossal fireball landed on the battlefield—right behind the fleeing giants. For the first second, it fell calmly, melting the ground beneath like a red-hot iron ball on cheese, vaporizing nearby mutants. Then, the unstable magical energy inside detonated.

With a deafening roar, a small mushroom cloud slowly rose before the southern walls of Cecil.

Almost all remaining monsters on the battlefield were obliterated by this strike.

Watching the rising cloud, a genuine smile spread across Rebecca’s face. She suddenly felt that her “Way of the Fireball” might indeed be a promising path.

A well-formed fireball could protect everyone and bring miracles—

Then, utterly drained of spirit, the girl collapsed straight down.

On the walls, most soldiers were still stunned by the earth-shaking explosion.

Gawain saw Rebecca fall, but a shadow swiftly ascended the tower beside him—it was Amber. With Amber watching over her, he relaxed and turned his gaze back to the battlefield.

Near the wall’s edge, a grotesque, clawed hand suddenly appeared. Under many eyes, the last surviving mutant finally climbed over the wall.

Though no one knew how it had survived, Gawain knew it had been hacked to death by at least twenty men.

(End of chapter)