Chapter 544.5: Thunder, Strike!
Click! Click! Click! Click!
Six-armed golems transformed into combat mode as their bodies rotated during deployment.
Each of their six arms held sharp, long-bladed weapons, their heavy tracked lower bodies moving solidly into position at the front of the formation.
Ten, twenty, thirty…
Over 500 six-armed golems lined up silently.
Ahead of them, 20 gleaming silver Dragoon-1 golems already had their heavy swords raised.
This was the Bay Army's golem corps!
Before the enemy could approach, the golem corps initiated a charge!
The nimble Dragoon-1 golems advanced with strong, agile steps, cutting down ogres under terrified stares.
Clang!
Crack!
Squelch!
The hundreds-of-pounds heavy swords smashed through weapons and shields, sliced through armor and defenses, cutting through torsos as well.
Their overwhelming lethality tore open a gap in the enemy's formation.
Swinging their heavy swords with wide, devastating arcs, the Dragoon-1 units left the elite slave warriors no chance at all.
The improved Dragoon-1 units, with a challenge level as high as 15+, stood at the peak of the advanced tier.
With their massive forms and magic-enhanced power, only a well-coordinated team of high-tier adventurers could hope to stop them.
Otherwise, nothing could halt their advance.
Following the breach they created, the six-armed golems displayed their new combat style.
While their lower bodies remained steady, the six arms gripped their weapons firmly. Their upper bodies, connected to their tracked bases, began spinning rapidly.
The spinning speed increased, whipping up gusts of wind.
What seemed like a clumsy imitation of a blade storm turned these units into deadly meat grinders, advancing in precise formation.
Crunch!
Splat!
Any slave warriors in their path were torn to shreds.
Flesh was no match for machines—not these slave warriors.
The term "meat grinder" was no exaggeration!
In an instant, over a thousand slave warriors were taken down.
The battlefield's frontlines transformed into a twisted, blood-soaked hell.
Even the bravest slave warriors dared not stand in front of these monstrous golems.
Facing one of these was already dangerous enough.
Facing hundreds was a nightmare!
Seeing that a frontal breakthrough was impossible, the drow commanders ordered their slave warriors to flank the golems.
Golems, after all, were just machines—once the Bay Army was defeated, there would be ways to deal with them.
However, Angela had anticipated this move long ago.
Archers from the less-pressured front line were reassigned to the more heavily targeted flanks.
As the slave warriors began to move around, they were met with a relentless barrage of crossbow bolts.
For a short time, the slave warriors couldn't break through the crossbow's overwhelming coverage.
The deadly firepower made these slave warriors hesitate.
Seeing this, Shetril roared in anger:
"You fools! If you don't take them down and offer sacrifices to our master, do you really think you'll survive?"
Hearing this, the drow elves in the ranks shuddered. Gritting their teeth, they launched a desperate attack.
Under the threat of death, they used every trick at their disposal.
Some drow warriors led the charge, raising shields and pushing through the crossbow fire.
Others used items and scrolls to help the slave warriors bypass the bolts.
The Underdark was severely lacking in food and other supplies, but magical materials were plentiful.
As the apex predators of the ecosystem, the drow elves didn't hesitate to use all kinds of magic items and scrolls to stay alive.
Watching the thousands of slave warriors advancing, Angela shouted coldly:
"Thunder, strike!"
Clang!
Boom!
Raging lightning leaped and flickered on Ashes' raised warhammer.
He leaped up, crashing down along with the thunder into the midst of the slave warriors.
Arcs of blue lightning leapt in every direction, weaving a deadly net of destruction that instantly engulfed all surrounding enemies.
Before the slave warriors could retaliate,
one figure after another, shrouded in thunder, shot into their formation like projectiles.
The armor they wore surged with lightning, lashing out in every direction and immediately striking down swathes of enemies.
Wielding war hammers, they swung with lightning accompanying every strike.
Their thunder-enveloped armor not only offered exceptional protection but also amplified their lightning power.
Specially crafted boots made them as agile as the very thunder they wielded.
As their speed increased, they moved like living lightning storms.
Wherever they went, all fell before them!
Unleashing their "thunderous" might, they mercilessly claimed the lives of their enemies in ways the opposition could never have anticipated.
Hundreds of slave warriors fell, and even more thunder warriors charged in, crackling with electricity.
They were unstoppable, with no one able to hinder their advance.
Even the strongest slave warriors couldn't withstand the leaping lightning.
Their metallic armor, meant to protect, turned into a curse.
Those who narrowly escaped the flashing bolts couldn't withstand the crushing blows of the heavy war hammers.
They dove into the ranks of the drow hidden among the slave warriors, and once they found them,
the leaping lightning would form a deadly electric snare, trapping them.
And then, a hammer would smash into their heads!
Ordinary drow warriors were no match for the thunder warriors, quickly suffering heavy losses.
The now leaderless slave warriors, terrified, watched the flickering arcs of electricity and the glowing light.
Most of them had never even seen storm clouds, let alone lightning.
The first appearance of thunder brought nothing but unstoppable death.
This unknown force struck terror into the slave warriors.
In the end, under the dual blows of fear and disorganization,
just over a hundred thunder warriors routed thousands of slave warriors within moments.
Having achieved their objective, the thunder warriors didn't return to the defensive line.
Instead, they drove the slave warriors before them, spreading fear and chaos through the ranks.
If any dared stop, they immediately smashed their heads with hammers.
Fear brewed, and panic spread.
The gathered thunder warriors easily eliminated any attempts to stop the retreat.
Retreating slave warriors collided with reinforcements rushing forward.
The former roared forward, while the latter fled for their lives.
When they met, a brawl erupted.
Infighting among the slave warriors began.
With the help of the thunder warriors, the fleeing slave warriors broke through the defenses of those in front, creating an even greater wave of retreat.
Moreover, they shouted loudly, causing the advancing elite slave warriors to hesitate and waver.
Unlike the fully brainwashed gnoll slaves, these more valuable elite slave warriors still retained some semblance of reason and thought.
Seeing that the situation was untenable, preserving their own lives became the priority.
Having sown chaos and achieved a significant feat, the thunder warriors showed no sign of stopping.
They regrouped, as if all the electricity gathered together, forming an unstoppable lightning spear.
They pierced through the slave warriors' defenses in an instant, swiftly dispatching the drow hidden within.
They freely spread confusion and created terror.
Their movements were fluid, and the leaping lightning easily paralyzed nearby enemies, carving out a path for them to traverse.
Leading the charge, Sera raised her weapon and shot down a fleeing drow.
She easily identified the hiding spots and habits of the drow and had no qualms about eliminating these heavily influenced individuals.
The whispers grew louder in her ears, but Sera's resolve only hardened.
Controlling her own fate meant never becoming someone else's pawn!
As the golems advanced steadily, they suddenly surged forward when the thunder warriors joined the fray.
The unprepared slave warriors were instantly slaughtered, their screams filling the air.
Sera kept her focus on Shetril's position, but she didn't rush to attack. Instead, she continued hunting the surrounding drow, creating more chaos.
Thunder's true power lay in striking with certainty!
The panicked Shetril watched the advancing thunder warriors in disbelief.
She couldn't fathom how a force of fewer than 200 had defeated thousands of slave warriors.
The gnoll slaves' frontal attack had failed.
The slave warriors on the other side were merely spectators.
The only hope to turn the tide lay with the 30,000 elite slave warriors.
However, before they could showcase their might, they were dazed by the golems.
The imposing alchemical golems inspired a primal fear in ordinary people.
With this last chance blocked and morale steadily declining, Shetril couldn't help but feel a twinge of panic.
She had to find a way to breach the Bay Army's defenses and stage a bloody, twisted sacrifice.
She instinctively gripped her holy emblem. Though reluctant to admit it, the situation was now life or death.
Surging magic power and the divine energy granted by the evil god Lolth were all poured into the holy emblem.
The terrifying, twisted red glow enveloped the surrounding slave and drow warriors, causing them to undergo visible transformations.
Their bodies grew larger, more bloated, resembling miniature Wax-Melting Demons.
Even the drow warriors who were somewhat prepared were affected by the sudden desecration aura.
They quickly regrouped, charging toward the thunder warriors as Shetril's face twisted into a crazed expression.
Their combat prowess was strong, but they lacked ranged attacks and could only engage the thunder warriors in close combat.
What were they thinking?
Or were they simply beyond reasoning?
Sera believed it was the latter!
Facing encirclement, Commander Garter and the other leaders devised a strategy: "No matter how many ways they come, we'll stick to one."
Several thunder warriors unleashed their full power, spreading lightning in all directions in an instant.
The encroaching slave warriors fell in droves.
Some with stronger constitutions survived, but they shivered uncontrollably, unable to move.
As for the approaching drow warriors, the thunder warriors charged straight at them.
Before that, each thunder warrior took out an elemental energy crystal and inserted it into their waist-mounted slots.
The lightning-armored thunder warriors unleashed devastating destruction once more.
The drow warriors, transformed by the desecration aura,
gained tougher vitality,
but lost all reason.
The thunder warriors smashed down more than a dozen of them.
Those still slowly approaching out of instinct had already lost their best chance to stop them.
"You've left me no choice!"
Shetril screamed, watching the advancing thunder warriors, gripping her holy emblem tightly as blood flowed from her palm.
The emblem, having absorbed so much energy, seemed almost alive now.
As Shetril remained focused on her incantations, she didn't notice the increasingly eerie fluctuations emanating from the emblem.
Nor did she notice the twisted shadow behind her.
Shetril planned to summon another Wax-Melting Demon to break through the Bay's defenses while Yaya was occupied.
Crack!
Sera sliced down a mutated drow with two strikes, her heart filled with relief as she watched the fleeing slave warriors scatter.
Fortunately, she had made the right choice!
At that moment, a piercing howl rang out:
"You will all die!"
The voice was both familiar and strange.
Turning her head, Sera saw a gleeful Shetril waving her staff wildly.
She unleashed waves of magical energy, casting a variety of spells.
Neither the slave warriors nor the drow expected her transformation, and many were quickly annihilated by the barrage of spells.
Shetril seemed oblivious to her own unusual state, only feeling a surge of power coursing through her.
She unleashed her energy recklessly, laughing maniacally as she charged at the thunder warriors.
The upper half of her body remained humanoid, but her lower half had already transformed into a grotesque giant spider.
Yet she still hadn't noticed anything amiss.
This nightmarish transformation made many thunder warriors feel a chill down their spines.
Only Sera narrowed her eyes, speaking bitterly and with hatred:
"A drider, huh? Of course it had to be this!"
Divine Punishment!