Chapter 615: Breakthrough and Fire Support
Before the first light of dawn, the Steel Rangers led by Solderin broke camp and set off, beginning their movement toward the Gorgon River.
Their unit had ventured too close to the hazardous contamination zone—so close, in fact, that they had crossed the edge of the Greatwood Pass. This so-called “pass” wasn’t a true crossroads but rather a vast expanse on the eastern side of the Holy Spirit Plains, encompassing the Stonehold City, the Slantwood Valley, the Artel Mountains, and other regions. In this area, the Steel Rangers had clashed repeatedly with the Crystal Cluster Giants and discovered several villages and towns completely overrun by the crystalline enemy. Along the way, they had also rescued scattered remnants of the kingdom’s army. Their reconnaissance mission was more than complete—it was time to withdraw.
The real artillery bombardment was meant for the main forces following behind.
Knight Mitchell of the royal capital and his soldiers were cramped inside an armored infantry vehicle, feeling the low growl and vibrations of the steel behemoth powered by a blend of magic and machinery. The relentless turning of gears and connecting rods conveyed a tremendous sense of power, inspiring both awe and an odd sense of security. Though none of them truly understood how the people of Cecile had crafted such incredible magical machines, a steady stream of reassurance flowed through them.
They were protected—encased within a sturdy frame of steel plates and thick magical shields. The Cecilians had ingeniously combined common materials and spells, imbuing their machines with a soul through mysterious runic technology. These steel beasts could operate independently, without constant mage maintenance. Sitting inside felt like being inside a mobile fortress.
There was no doubt: the vehicle was driven by some kind of magical spirit.
Perhaps even a machine soul.
Knight Mitchell’s mind wandered, trying to grasp the Cecilian creations with his “common sense,” only to find it futile. He turned his gaze to the crystal blocks embedded in the vehicle’s armor, peering out at the rapidly receding wilderness. The landscape was retreating far faster than any horse-drawn carriage could manage.
“Are we heading straight for the Gorgon River?” a kingdom soldier sitting beside him asked nervously, glancing at the black-armored Cecilian warrior across the cabin. “Is someone waiting for us there?”
The black-clad magic soldier replied casually, “We’ll head south first, then turn west to approach the riverbank.”
Mitchell nodded slightly, thinking it a wise choice.
A direct westward route to the Gorgon River would be the shortest, but since they were deep in the contamination zone, moving laterally risked running into large groups of Crystal Cluster Giants. The safest path was to move south first, get out of the most dangerous area, then adjust course. Besides, the warships sent to meet them were reportedly still sailing north along the river, so heading south was the quickest way to the rendezvous point.
However, this kind of meeting required perfect coordination—arriving at the exact place at the exact time. Without prior arrangements, it would be nearly impossible. Yet the Cecilians seemed unfazed. How did they manage that? Did any of those black-armored soldiers know communication spells?
Mitchell wondered, but suddenly the vehicle jolted violently, snapping him out of his thoughts. The car surged forward abruptly, and a sharp whistle pierced the air outside, followed moments later by a distant explosion behind them.
He recognized the sound—when he and his last soldiers had been nearly overwhelmed by the Crystal Cluster Giants, it was this kind of explosion that rained down from above, intercepting the giants’ reinforcements and saving them all.
It was the dreaded “howitzer” cannon. The transport vehicle he was in wasn’t equipped with one, but the two “multi-purpose warcars” accompanying them each had a turret, and their firepower was impressive.
Two black-armored Cecilian soldiers inside the cabin reacted instantly. One rose to check through the observation port, while the other climbed a ladder to the turret on the roof, readying the ray gun to join the fight. After a brief moment of shock, Mitchell also sprang into action, lunging toward another observation port and glimpsing the terrifying scene outside—
Countless Crystal Cluster Giants were swarming in from all directions, their arcane lightning arcs licking the ground nearby.
The sense of security from steel and shields evaporated instantly. Mitchell forced himself to stay calm, but several kingdom soldiers had already begun praying in fear.
He couldn’t blame them—they had just endured a brutal defeat, multiple desperate retreats, and had barely escaped that hellish place.
At that moment, another violent jolt shook the vehicle, accompanied by a deafening blast nearby. Several soldiers turned pale—the sound of powerful arcane lightning striking the shield.
The monsters were closing in fast.
Suddenly, the iron door separating the front and rear compartments of the vehicle swung open. A tall ranger with golden hair bent down and leaned inside.
“We seem to have run into an ambush,” he said. “But the enemy isn’t quite used to our speed—they haven’t fully closed the trap.”
An ambush!
Mitchell sucked in a breath, speaking rapidly, “Can we break out?”
“Not easily. There are too many of them, and they’re relentless,” the ranger said with a calm, almost casual tone that sharply contrasted with the tense, fearful kingdom soldiers. “With their stamina, speed, and morale, we probably can’t shake them off anytime soon.”
A shadow fell over Mitchell’s face. He couldn’t fathom how this high-ranking ranger could remain so composed in such a dire situation. “So… we’re probably going to die here…”
Solderin smiled. “Don’t worry. We’re close to the rendezvous point—maybe a dozen kilometers or so.”
At first, Mitchell felt a flicker of relief from that deceptively calm smile. Then he nearly jumped in shock—still that far away?!
And he clearly remembered the convoy wasn’t even heading directly toward the Gorgon River; they were moving south, still quite a distance from the riverbank.
The continuous explosions and the roar of flamethrowers outside, punctuated by the violent blasts of arcane lightning striking the vehicle’s shields, reminded everyone inside: the Crystal Cluster Giants were everywhere, closing in.
Between the convoy and the Gorgon River, the monsters had likely laid ambushes all along the way. How could this small group, so far from the river and the rendezvous, hope to survive?
The knight from the royal capital, with his limited battlefield experience, could find no way to break through the encirclement. Even with the power of these strange warcars, he doubted they could survive the onslaught of the swarming crystalline horde. Yet Solderin offered no further explanation. The high-ranking ranger merely offered a few more words of reassurance, mentioning “excellent fire support,” then turned and left the passenger compartment.
Leaving behind a group of bewildered “passengers,” Solderin quickly returned to the driver’s station at the front of the vehicle. He signaled the soldier controlling the warcar to keep moving toward the riverbank, then swiftly activated the onboard magical network terminal.
It turned out that setting up relay points along the route during their reconnaissance had been a stroke of foresight.
The magical network terminal powered up, projecting a small hologram above the armored vehicle’s dashboard. At its center was a bearded man—Byron—against the backdrop of a bustling warship command deck.
“We’ve spotted your signal flares,” Byron said before Solderin could speak. “You’re about to enter our coverage area. Until then, don’t die—just keep running south!”
Solderin responded quickly, “We’re being pursued. Once we pass Relay Point Temporary-16, open fire. Target near the relay point. It’s okay if you destroy the relay; I’ll come back and fix it later…”
“Playing it safe, huh?” Byron pulled out a pipe, holding it in his mouth unlit, wearing an expression that said, “I’m telling you, be bolder.” “Actually, you could fire another signal flare in ten minutes. I’ll recalibrate based on that. That’s the standard procedure for naval artillery support. It’ll help you get more done…”
A bright arc of arcane lightning struck the warcar’s shield, scattering shards of light. A scorching counterbeam swept across the direction of the attack. Solderin gripped the handrail on the roof, steadying himself amid the violent shaking as he replied to the mercenary knight on the comms, “I’m just worried you might blow up my entire convoy along with the enemy—you’re talking about naval artillery!”
“My gunners have excellent live-fire records, and the Pioneer’s main cannon uses the latest targeting and measurement tech. Give me a puff of smoke, and I guarantee I won’t miss. Seriously—why not give it a try?”
Solderin couldn’t fathom how this reckless fellow had survived so long in the military and earned Gawain’s trust. Still, he chose to believe in the “naval artillery support”—mainly because he trusted the well-trained gunners and the cutting-edge magical warship.
After confirming the fire support plan, Byron on the other end of the comms visibly brightened. Now fleet commander and increasingly fascinated by the new magical warships, the mercenary knight smiled, pipe in hand, and made a manly promise: “If my naval artillery damages even a single bolt on your precious warcars, I’ll shave my head bald and parade through Cecile City twice…”
Unintended as it was,
Solderin took it very seriously.
Veins bulging on his forehead, Solderin ended the communication.
Fueled by a sudden, nameless fury, the breakout convoy surged into gentler terrain, accelerating sharply once more.
From high above, two multi-purpose warcars and two armored transports kicked up clouds of dust as they tore across the wilderness. Countless Crystal Cluster Giants swarmed in from all directions, layers upon layers of pursuers closing in on the small convoy. Arcane lightning and howitzer flashes crisscrossed between the convoy and their hunters. Flames from heavy flamethrowers licked the earth. On this battlefield of explosions and fire, the distance between hunter and hunted stretched and shrank again and again.
The giants ran as fast as the magic-engine-powered vehicles.
The chase seemed destined to last a long time—until suddenly, the roof hatch of one warcar slid open.
A Steel Ranger soldier raised a light launcher skyward and fired three signal flares.
Two red and one white flare soared into the clear sky, bursting with a bang. Their bright smoke and flashes were visible even from the distant Gorgon River.
After firing the signal flares, the four magic-powered vehicles didn’t slow down at all; in fact, they even picked up a slight acceleration, as if desperate to speed away from this perilous spot. Below the slowly descending flares stretched the crystalline legion of the Cult of the End of All Things…
On the Gorgon River, the four main cannons of the cutting-edge magic battleship Pioneer swiftly and subtly adjusted their angles. Moments later, a surge of energy from the power spine was channeled into the acceleration rails.
Heaven’s fire rained down.
(End of chapter)