Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 123  "I NEED THAT!"

The army of Luak stood a few hundred feet away from the walls of Eisenburg, their eyes fixed on the imposing structure looming over them, surpassing even the walls of their own capital. Behind the perfectly stacked stones, the Royal Castle, with its four towers, soared into the sky, serving as a symbol of Stahl's past might and influence. It filled the entire horizon.

"It seems they've been expecting us" - Zuna stated, her gaze fixed on the soldiers atop the walls, who were staring threateningly at them - "What is that?" - she asked, her attention drawn to what seemed to be a giant crossbow aimed at them.

"Those are ballistae" - an old voice responded her, a whisper veiled in surprise and coldness - "It's not enhanced, but I didn't expect to find such weapon in these remote lands. I thought the overlord of the North had monopolized all knowledge and war technologies of these kingdoms."

"Can we deal with that?" - Zuna asked cautiously, feeling those apathetic golden eyes locked onto her. It was like a god judging its believers. A mere error could lead her to being sentenced to torture and death.

The robed man looked at her in a silence that seemed to scream annoyance, which didn't betray his tone - "You primitive woman, just dispatch a few hundred soldiers and give me some time to prepare. I will handle them and pierce through those walls in a second."

Zuna didn't dare to raise her voice to the man that just called her as primitive, her eyes kept glued to the walls, hesitant to cast even a fleeting glance at the owner of those eyes. A word or a gesture for him were able to take control of her body, leaving her like a puppet.

The common soldiers observing from the sidelines keenly sensed the woman's palpable apprehension and fear when near the mysterious man. Yet, they couldn't understand the reason behind it. In their eyes, the king had assigned a trusted servant to supervise the young commander, but they didn't hold the same status.

"You and you!"- Zuna turned her gaze and pointed to two nobles among the eight surviving Fourth Stage Warriors. She was a woman filled with grudges, she picked out those who had sided against her to die - "I want each of you to lead two hundred soldiers and launch an attack from the left and right. There is no need to hurry, advance with caution."

The two nobles, realizing they had been chosen as sacrificial pawns, exchanged anxious glances for a brief second, while the others breathed a sigh of relief for not being chosen. Unlike the common soldiers, they had chanced upon the true identity and power of the man standing behind Zuna. He was the one behind this expedition.

The chosen ones nervously shifted their gazes between the robed man and the threateningly walls of Stahl, which seemed to be welcoming their deaths. They didn't want to go. They were about to complain and fight for their lives, when a mysterious force grabbed their skulls, as if the air around them had transformed into a big hand and kept squeezing them.

They didn't want to do that and were about to complain, when something seemed to grip their skulls, as if the air around them had transformed into a big hand that was squeezing them.

"Don't keep me waiting for too long"- The impatient robed man said -"I have endured these cursed freezing lands for far too long, and my patience is wearing thin. If you don't march, your blood will be used to warm the earth" - The threat hung in the air, emphasizing his hurry.

The duo swallowed hard as the threat hanging over their heads disappeared, allowing them to move.

"Go!" - The robed man said, his golden eyes glowing behind the hood.

-x-

On the walls, Iosif observed as two groups of soldiers separated and approached the left and right flanks, like two arms ready to hug the walls. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"They are not as dumb as I thought" - Iosif muttered - "This might be a way to test our defense and identify which side to attack, identify our weakest flank and exploit it."

The division could be considered strategic from a point of view. This meant he couldn't concentrate all the power in a powerful attack, forcing the general to also divide his troops to protect both sides.

"But…How are they going to attack?" - Iosif thought, pausing for a moment and asking himself - "I don't see any tools or ladders. What is happening?" - The General's eyes scanned again. He couldn't risk being caught in a surprise attack. However, he couldn't find anything.

Soon, the enemies began their march, shields raised to avoid a possible rain of arrows, their steps treading with caution. The only obstacle before them was the imposing stone walls, hundreds of defending troops waiting for them.

"BALLISTAE!" Iosif command echoed, his hand raised in a fist - "HOLD!" - he ordered, looking at the approaching enemy forces, trading through the open space - "HOLD! HOLD! HOLD!"

"LOOSE!" - The order reverberated through the walls, and at that moment, six giant arrows pierced the sky, hurtling towards the oncoming enemies. As the arrows whistled, an expectant grin appeared on Iosif's lips. His other hand holding tightly the small leather bag in his palms.

On the enemy's side, the robed man stood with his eyes closed, hands weaving intricate patterns as he uttered mysterious incantations under his breath. His fingers glowed in red, akin to fire, causing the surrounding cold air to evaporate and briefly form enigmatic patterns. Suddenly, his golden eyes sprang open, shooting an eager and surprised gaze at the giant arrows slicing through the skies, hurtling down towards the hundreds of advancing soldiers.

The man's hands froze midair and the red glow dissipated from his fingertips - "What is that? The mana is pure and too concentrated. But, why is the flow so chaotic?" - He questioned.

He had no time to dive further into his thoughts as a powerful explosion reverberated through the surroundings. The Mana became chaotic and a deafening sound reached them, shattering their balance.

"I NEED THAT!"