Chapter 24: Captured Alive Again
Black flames rose along the walls surrounding Segona City. Su Xiao controlled the black dragon, Mides, to fly above the city and spew black flames down onto it.
The city gates had been breached. His own soldiers poured into the city, bolstered by the War Lord's blessing, and clashed with the dwarf soldiers inside.
Fire blazed. The crisp clang of cold weapons colliding rang out incessantly. Amidst the chaotic melee, one dwarf stood out, wielding two emerald-green warhammers. The hammers looked carved from green crystal. Any of his own soldiers struck by them were crippled on contact and killed by the wound. This was a Dwarf Holy Soul.
The appearance of a Holy Soul on the battlefield was entirely normal. This Dwarf Holy Soul fought with exceptional ferocity. In just a short time, he had killed dozens of his own soldiers. Judging by his demeanor, he only grew more courageous as the battle raged.
Holy Souls rarely acted so aggressively on the battlefield; they usually kept their abilities somewhat hidden. This Dwarf Holy Soul fought so hard that he soon faced retribution.
Five minutes later, the ground around him was littered with the bodies of his own soldiers. But surrounding him were pairs of blood-red eyes staring intently.
"You monsters..."
Leaving those words behind, the Dwarf Holy Soul was overwhelmed by his own soldiers. A few seconds later, the soldiers nearby dispersed, leaving behind a dwarf corpse riddled with holes.
Just as one of his own soldiers, wielding a double battle-axe, was about to walk away, he noticed the two emerald-green warhammers on the ground. He dropped his own axes and grabbed a handle in each hand.
Crack, crack, crack...
Starting from the soldier's arms, fine cracks appeared. His arms had become wooden, and no blood seeped from the fissures.
After the soldier picked up the hammers, the depths of his eyes turned a dark green, his pupils blood-red. He grinned, revealing teeth that had become somewhat sharp.
The black flames atop the city wall gradually extinguished. This towering wall was originally the dwarves' advantage. They could use the walls and war machines to make enemies pay a heavy price before they even approached Segona City.
But today, all their war machines were destroyed. The giant siege crossbows only fired one volley before turning red-hot and becoming completely useless. As for the barrels of black oil, so far, more dwarf soldiers had been killed by exploding black oil barrels than by the black flames themselves.
With the war machines destroyed and the city gates breached, the surrounding high walls were no longer a defense but a cage. The dwarf soldiers inside Segona City had nowhere to flee. Above them was Su Xiao controlling the black dragon Mides, and ahead of them was a surging tide of enemy soldiers.
In this desperate situation, three high-ranking dwarf officers stepped forward. They rallied the remaining thirty thousand dwarves and began a breakout towards the city gates.
"Warriors, do not fear! Behind us is our home, everything we have! Follow me and slaughter these Sand Flame bastards!"
A dwarf officer roared. A stream of black flame swept past him, causing a large number of dwarf soldiers to scream in agony before turning into charred corpses. Such was war—kill or be killed. When the dwarf forces attacked Rongsha Fortress earlier, they hadn't hesitated to throw black oil barrels into it either.
The soldiers of both sides erupted into a chaotic battle within the city. It had to be said that although this dwarf force wasn't elite, their fighting spirit was incredibly tenacious. They were prepared to fight Su Xiao to the death. Perhaps this was why King Peru had sent this force to defend Segona City: strong combat will and proficiency with war machines.
A brutal melee began. Setting aside the nearly double numerical advantage, his own soldiers had already occupied the surrounding walls. Although the giant crossbows were burned, the metal bolts near them remained. Given the physical condition of his soldiers, they could easily use these five-meter-long metal bolts as spears to hurl down into the city.
The dwarf force was now surrounded. In front were fearless soldiers; to the left, right, and rear were his own soldiers acting as temporary spearmen. The phrase "catching a turtle in a jar" perfectly described the situation.
Just half an hour after the battle began, over half of the thirty thousand dwarf soldiers had fallen. Soon, the remaining dwarves would be completely annihilated.
Among the large group of dwarves, one wearing a bull-horned helmet and possessing a sturdy build looked around. He knew that if they continued fighting, all these soldiers would die. This was no longer a war; it was a one-sided massacre. Continuing to resist was pointless.
After a synchronized clatter of shields being struck, all the dwarf soldiers were momentarily stunned, then realized it was the order to surrender.
The crisp sound of weapons hitting the ground followed one after another. In the war between Sand Flame and Peru, raising a white flag or shouting surrender meant nothing. Only by putting down weapons, clasping hands behind the head, and squatting on the ground signified surrender.
A despairing event occurred for the dwarf soldiers. The enemy soldiers with bloodshot eyes didn't stop. Driven by the effects of the blood-soaked battle, they killed anything that wasn't an ally.
"Roar!"
A dragon's roar came from above. The soldiers, whose eyes were bloodshot from killing, gradually stopped. Su Xiao had temporarily deactivated the enhancement effect of [War Lord]. These prisoners were very useful and would make his subsequent plans go more smoothly.
Large numbers of buildings within Segona City were set ablaze. By the time the fighting stopped, over 30% of the city's structures had been burned. The sky was shrouded in black smoke, like a massive dark cloud.
Capturing Segona City was smoother than expected. After all, Su Xiao had delayed until the last day of the agreed-upon date to attack. He had been accumulating strength, and the results were now evident.
His own soldiers took control of Segona City. Over twelve thousand dwarf soldiers were captured. The first order of business was dealing with these prisoners. They were stripped down to their shorts and divided into four groups, imprisoned in the four corners of Segona City, guarded by more than double the number of his own soldiers.
Among the many prisoners, one dwarf kept his head down, trying to let other dwarf soldiers block him. He clutched a broken blade fragment in his hand.
"Os, look at that dwarf. Doesn't he seem a bit familiar?"
Kaisa, who was tallying the exact number of prisoners, spoke.
"Seems... a bit familiar."
Just as Os was about to step forward, the dwarf squatting in the crowd sighed and reluctantly looked up.
"Oh ho, isn't this Leyton Redbeard."
Kaisa was a bit dumbfounded. Leyton Redbeard's dark red, bushy beard was too conspicuous, especially since he had braided it into beard braids.
Just a few days ago, Su Xiao had used Leyton Redbeard to extort 40 Soul Crystals from King Peru. And today, he had caught the guy again—King Peru's cousin.
Leyton Redbeard stood up from the crowd. He felt targeted. A few days ago, he had led the Hornbreaker unit as the vanguard, ready to launch the first strike of the general offensive. Who would have thought that before they even reached Sand Flame's defense zone, they would be hit head-on and captured.
After being ransomed by King Peru, Leyton Redbeard was still the commander of the Hornbreaker unit. But he was a proud man. After suffering such a humiliating defeat, he had no face left to command this elite force.
Leyton Redbeard petitioned King Peru, asking to be assigned hard labor to repay the king's trust in him.
King Peru felt sorry for his cousin, so he transferred him to Segona City, letting him rest there for a while before leading troops again. Leyton Redbeard had a brilliant record of military achievements; he wouldn't be crushed by a single failure.
Who would have thought that Segona City, which had stood for 67 years and was known as the "Gate of Peru," would be breached today. Leyton Redbeard was captured alive once again.
Leyton Redbeard looked at the two familiar faces before him. A taste he would never forget seemed to return, and his stomach began to churn.
"Redbeard, care for a drink?"
Os spoke. Upon hearing this, Leyton Redbeard nodded heavily. But hidden in his eyes was a trace of worry and anxiety. He hadn't committed suicide because a certain someone was in Segona City. That was why he surrendered, intending to stall Su Xiao.