Morale Boost
In the span of half an hour, for the core command of Murest City, it felt like the dead silence deliberately granted by fate right before a storm of destruction descended—an unbearable, razor-tight tension. The thick stone doors of the meeting hall could not fully block out the boiling chaos outside: on the barracks and plaza, human voices, beastly roars, clashing armor, and neighing warhorses had already woven into a frenzied prelude to bloodshed. The entire city resembled a primordial beast slowly awakening, gathering strength for the coming carnage.
Outside the city gates, Beast King Nuti Ursa stood like an unshakable mountain. His towering frame was clad in heavy war armor forged from the hides of ancient giant beasts and molten obsidian, its surface covered in the war-scarred marks of beastman tribal heritage. The legendary battle-axe "Axe of the Savage Beast"—dreaded by all enemies—rested casually across his broad shoulders. The ancient runes deeply engraved on its blade now flowed with an ominous blood-red glow, as though thirsting for the slaughter to come. Beside him stood the hero mourned by countless beastmen for a decade: Thunder Claw Kael. Kael's very return was the hottest war drum.
Nuti Ursa drew a deep breath; his chest heaved like a bellows. Then came his roar, drowning out all other noise, exploding across the sky like thunder:
"Listen well, my warriors! A hundred thousand of the bravest fighters from every clan stand assembled here! Right now—we march! Destination—Cinder Moon City! Let those twisted mutants of Doomsday Rebirth and their damned undead filth be reduced to ashes in the fury of our Roaring Claws!"
"For the Alliance! For the future of the Muret Continent!"
The answering roar of a hundred thousand warriors fused into a single heaven-splitting tidal wave of sound, shaking the earth. They mounted a myriad of war mounts—massive war wolves, armored earth-cracking oxen, swift land runners, and other ferocious beasts—and surged out of the great gates like a bursting flood, kicking up clouds of dust as they charged westward at full speed. Kayla, Salsa, Yuyuer, Zhamisi, Lin Ya, and Kael rode close beside Beast King Nuti Ursa. Kayla and her father Kael shared a particularly magnificent white war wolf. She gazed at her father's resolute profile; tears of excitement and determination shimmered in her eyes as she whispered:
"Father… when the war is over, we'll go home together!"
Almost simultaneously, at the northern gate of the city, another steel tide poured forth. Dwarf King Secret Forging Titan personally led a hundred thousand elite troops of the Dwarf Alliance. His colossal hammer "Rage of the Earth's Core" rested against his shoulder; molten lava seemed to pulse eternally within the runes on its head, reflecting off his steel-bristle beard and battle-hardened face. Grand Strategist Grian and Iron Law Officer Anrus followed like shadows—one calculating every move of the war with profound eyes, the other enforcing orders with iron discipline.
The Dwarf King's voice boomed like it erupted from the heart of a mountain, ringing with metallic clangor:
"Dwarven warriors! And our staunchest human and elven brothers! The forges of Steelforge City are calling us! That is our home—the land of forging and glory! We will never allow the filth of Doomsday Rebirth to touch even a single brick! Raise your heads! Grip your weapons! Let those tin-can machines and mutant freaks taste what true allied might feels like!"
"Solid as stone! For the heart of the mountains!"
The mixed legions of dwarves, human infantry, and elven rangers roared in perfect unison, their momentum no less thunderous. They marched with heavy, rhythmic steps that made the earth tremble. Among their ranks rolled numerous gear-and-rune-powered mobile artillery platforms and gigantic runic war chariots that rumbled like moving fortresses, showcasing the formidable fusion of technology and magic. Arya, Celestia, Rex, and TISK stood at the forefront of the column, following closely behind Titan King's battle standard.
With the departure of these two massive reinforcement armies, the pressure on Murest City seemed to ease slightly—but the remaining tension in the air was still thick enough to cut. Elf Queen Sylvia gazed toward the distant horizon; Sea Queen Yulena Vortex Tide nervously twirled droplets of water between her fingers; Human King Aldrich frowned deeply; the Xuanjia Elder remained silent as a mountain. They all knew this brief respite would vanish in an instant. Mandras's insidious Blight Vines continued to creep through the shadows, and sea clan warriors still bled along the endless coastlines. The command core immediately sprang into action—precise orders flew out one after another. Every defensive facility in Murest City was brought to maximum readiness, entering the highest state of alert in preparation for the strange battles that might soon come their way.
Steelforge City: Symphony of Iron and Blood
After two full days and nights of forced march without rest, the Dwarf King's reinforcements finally arrived at the outskirts of Steelforge City during a dusk stained crimson by the fires of war.
This steel fortress—built against a continuous mountain range, famed for its indestructible hexagonal structure and eternally burning forges—had now become a true hell of death and destruction. Everywhere the eye could see lay scorched earth, congealed dark-red blood plasma, shattered armor, and still-burning wreckage. The air was thick with nauseating odors: charred flesh, overheated metal rust, rotting corpses, and strange machine oil all mingled together into an apocalyptic stench.
Of the seven legendary generals that Steelforge Alliance once proudly boasted, only four still fought on the front lines in blood-soaked desperation:
- **Wind Staff Amber**—a female dwarf whose agility completely defied racial stereotypes, her rune-inscribed long staff dancing like the wind, trailing cutting cyan energy through the air.
- **Mad Hammer Stone**—a hulking warrior like a living siege engine, wielding a gigantic warhammer that normally required several men to lift; each strike shook the earth.
- **Flame Fist Mark**—a master of fire-fist techniques; his specially forged gauntlets spewed searing lava streams, turning nearby enemies into living torches.
- **Iron Crossbow Marga**—another ice-cold female dwarf general; her heavily modified heavy mechanical crossbow never missed, precisely eliminating key targets in the enemy ranks.
Blaze General Rolf had already fallen gloriously two days earlier in a brutal outpost battle, sacrificing himself to cover the main force's retreat; his body now rested in the cold mortuary chamber of the citadel. Even more worrying was Iron Wall Graham—renowned for his unbreakable defense—who had been captured two days prior by Wing Seris's bizarre variant winged legions during a failed rescue attempt. His fate remained unknown.
On the vast battlefield outside the city, the remains of Mandras's three-colored Blight Vines lay piled together with corpses of Alliance and Doomsday Rebirth forces, forming small mountains. Crimson fire vines had been charred into twisted black husks by dwarf flamethrowers; ink-green poison vines withered black and oozed foul juices after being doused with powerful neutralizers; ghostly-blue ice vines had been shattered into glittering fragments by rune cannons. The bodies of dwarven, human, and elven warriors lay intermingled with Doomsday Rebirth's sparking mechanical wreckage and grotesquely mutated soldiers. Blood flowed into small streams, snaking across the scorched earth and finally seeping into the cracked soil.
When the Dwarf King's enormous banner—emblazoned with the forge crest—appeared on the horizon, the nearly despairing defenders on the walls erupted into deafening cheers and sobs:
"The King! It's the King! Reinforcements have arrived! We're saved!"
Wind Staff Amber and Mad Hammer Stone were the first to spot the familiar figures at the front of the relief force. Amber swung her rune staff, sending a sweeping gust that neatly cleared debris and obstacles blocking the gate. Her voice cracked with emotion:
"TISK! You gadget-obsessed brat, you didn't die on the road after all! And Arya—and that metal block Rex! Quick! Open the gates and let them in!"
Mad Hammer Stone pounded his dented chestplate with loud thuds and roared with hearty laughter:
"Haha! TISK, perfect timing! See over there? Our forges are still burning—dwarven fighting spirit never dies! Get over here quick! Let those tin cans and monsters taste real dwarven craftsmanship!"
TISK advanced a few steps in his engineering armor, grinning through exhaustion and battle lust. He slapped the newly reinforced "Burning Vine" Earthshaker hammer on his back:
"General Amber! General Stone! I brought some new 'toys' this time—guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. They'll be crying to crawl back to the scrap heap!"
Arya, face streaked with dust and worry, still gave an elegant nod; faint light flowed across her Storm Bow. Rex's electronic eyes rapidly scanned the wall's damage; his cold synthetic voice replied briefly:
"Identification confirmed. Long time no see."
Celestia had already spread her three pairs of dark wings—hovering in midair, ice-blue eyes sharp as blades, instantly locking onto the black specks circling in the distant enemy camp.
The massive, dented gear-driven city gates groaned open with piercing metallic friction. The relief force poured into the blood-soaked fortress in swift, orderly fashion. The Dwarf King wasted no time—he strode directly up to the main wall and joined Flame Fist Mark and Iron Crossbow Marga, who were still directing the defense.
General Mark's hands were blackened, thin wisps of smoke rising from the gaps in his gauntlets. His voice was pained and urgent:
"Your Majesty! You finally came! The fighting has gone on nonstop for two days and nights! We've lost too much… Rolf… he detonated the entire ammunition depot to cover our retreat… died gloriously. Graham was captured by those winged freaks—we tried to rescue him and failed… Damn that traitor Wolf! He gave them our fortress structural weak points! Siste's blood magic has strengthened their soldiers—immense power and no fear of pain. Wing Seris's variant winged legions darken the sky; our crossbow emplacements have been heavily bombarded and severely damaged. We urgently need support!"
Iron Crossbow Marga added, her eyes never leaving her sights:
"The enemy's attack waves are very regular. Mechanical units lead to wear us down, enhanced soldiers hit the line, winged troops precision-strike our ranged and support positions. The third wave could begin at any moment. Our arrows and energy cores are nearly depleted."
Upon hearing this, Dwarf King Secret Forging Titan's forehead veins bulged; rage nearly burst from his eyes. He gripped the handle of Rage of the Earth's Core so tightly it creaked, growling:
"Wolf… I swear I'll personally smash that traitor's head into the core furnace! Mark—organize everyone still able to move to reinforce the wall breaches! Marga—prioritize resupplying the crossbow emplacements; reinforcements brought supplies! TISK—take our engineering teams and repair the most critical rune defense arrays, especially the energy conduction systems! Lady Arya and Lady Celestia—the flies in the sky are yours! Rex—analyze those mechanical units and variant winged troops, share the data with the crossbows and all shooters!"
In the distance, at the high-ground command post of the Doomsday Rebirth forces, Shadow Wolf—the former dwarf general—stood cloaked in dark robes, a cold, smug smile on his face as he observed the frantic but orderly movements inside the city through a farscope.
"Oh? Old Titan actually made it… and brought some interesting helpers. Too bad—it's only adding a tiny ripple to an already decided conquest."
He lowered the scope and spoke to his two colleagues:
"Siste, Seris—rest time is over. Launch the third wave. As planned: let Maris's mechanical legions lead and exhaust their defenses to the maximum; Siste—your blood mages follow with the second strengthening wave; let the enhanced variant soldiers launch the mid-phase assault and tear open their lines; Seris—your winged legions strike from above while their attention is fixed on the ground. Precision hits—cripple their remaining crossbows and rune weak points. Before sunset today, we make Steelforge City's banner fall!"
The order was given. The third wave of the Doomsday Rebirth army erupted like a black tsunami crashing toward the walls! Tens of thousands of battle machines controlled by remote signals formed a silver-gray tide of death, marching in eerie unison with earth-shaking booms. Behind them, blood elves in scarlet robes—led by Siste—chanted evil, ancient incantations; crimson energy halos spread outward, enveloping the next wave of variant soldiers preparing to charge. Under the light, their bodies visibly swelled; muscles bulged; eyes turned blood-red; they roared inhumanly as power and frenzy surged.
At the same time, dense tearing sounds filled the sky! Thousands of bio-engineered variant winged troops—sprouting grotesque wings—swooped down like a vast swarm of locusts, blotting out the sun. They dropped high-explosive energy bombs like rain or dove with extreme speed and razor claws to shred siege equipment, their targets clear: completely destroy Steelforge City's long-range counterattack capability!
On the city walls, the defenders' counterattack instantly reached white heat! Flame Fist Mark hammered the battlements; molten lava pillars intertwined into a temporary fire wall, temporarily halting the mechanical vanguard. Iron Crossbow Marga issued calm orders; surviving crossbows adjusted angles and fired covering salvos—special armor-piercing and explosive bolts tore through charging machines in swathes. Wind Staff Amber darted across the wall; her staff summoned razor wind-blade storms that sliced precisely into clusters of variant soldiers, inflicting massive casualties. Mad Hammer Stone roared and leaped straight off the several-meter-high wall; his giant hammer crashed down with mountain-splitting force, instantly reducing several machines to scrap. He whirled like a tornado among the enemy, relieving pressure on the gates.
Human soldiers and elven rangers fought just as fiercely; magic arrows and elemental spells flashed continuously. But the enemy numbers were simply overwhelming; their assault was relentless. After days of saturation bombardment, the walls were already breached in many places—now even larger gaps began to appear. Variant winged bombing runs succeeded; several key crossbow towers collapsed in flames after repeated hits, swallowing nearby crews. More and more machines topped the walls and engaged dwarven warriors in brutal close-quarters combat. Blood-magic-enhanced variant soldiers charged like rabid dogs that felt no pain—even biting with teeth. The protective magic arrays painstakingly maintained by elven mages flickered and wavered under the onslaught, on the verge of collapse.
Arya gripped her Storm Bow tightly; Celestia's six dark wings trembled faintly; machinery hummed beneath Rex's armor; TISK already held his warhammer ready. At the Dwarf King's instruction, they did not immediately throw themselves into the chaotic meat grinder. Instead, they calmly observed the battlefield like hidden blades—waiting for the critical moment that could turn the tide in one strike, or for the true powerhouses of the enemy to reveal themselves.