A Journey That Changed The World

Chapter 1450: Bombardment

Archer watched as his monsters destroyed the Alliance forces with ease. The Mutants didn’t stand a chance against the Nightmare Ants and Broodmaw swarms. After this, he glanced at Elara and nodded.

The Dragon woman shouted to the Dragonfire Company commanders. ’’Show the Darkthorne Empire what we can do! Fire at will!’’

Seconds later, a thunderous barrage erupted from the line of cannons, their muzzles flaring with blinding light. One after another, the massive guns roared to life, sending a swarm of Mana Shells arcing through the sky toward the enemy.

The shells trailed shimmering tendrils of chaotic mana that illuminated the battlefield below. Archer narrowed his eyes as he tracked their trajectory, his sharp gaze catching sight of a barrier appearing over the fortress.

He watched as a shield flared to life just in time, deflecting the onslaught in an explosion of sparks and fractured mana, causing him to think. ’Looks like they have powerful mages, time to use the Oathkeepers.’

Everyone felt the ground quake violently under the sheer force of the bombardment, each impact sending tremors through the earth that rattled bones and stirred clouds of dust as his soldiers took cover behind constructed defences just outside the fortress.

Moments later, Chaos erupted in the wake of the assault, the air thick with the acrid scent of scorched stone. Archer could sense the Demons’ fear and confusion at being caught off guard by the ferocity of the attack.

The enemy soldiers scrambled in disarray, their frantic shouts barely audible over the deafening echoes of the bombardment. The overwhelming display of power sent a ripple of shock through their ranks.

Archer could hear the commander’s shaky voice thanks to his ears and instantly sensed their confidence shaken as the very foundations of their fortress groaned under the relentless pressure of the siege.

No sooner had the echoes of the first barrage faded than a second, even more ferocious wave of Mana Shells slammed into the fortress. It was like the end of the world as the Demon shield barely held up.

Archer and the waiting soldiers brace for the shockwave rippling across the battlefield, the air itself seeming to fracture under the attack. The fortress’s shield flickered violently, cracks of blinding light spiderwebbing across its surface as it struggled to hold.

Elara flinched at the deafening roar, her hand instinctively gripping the hilt of her sword. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Legions were shaken by the power of the attack, snapped into action with discipline.

Their shields clattered into place, forming an impenetrable wall of steel and magic that gleamed under the flickering light of the bombardment. Archer, standing on the wall with a roguish grin, let out a hearty laugh at the sight of the legions’ response.

He turned to the beautiful Dragonkin, her fiery red hair catching the glow of distant explosions, and leaned in with a glint in his eye. ’’Thank Liv for that one,’’ he said. ’’The 1st Fleet’s finally in range, barely a few meters from the fortress.’’

***

(Twenty minutes before the bombardment began)

Miles away, three of Draconia’s best fleets: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Commanded by the Empress Olivia Wyldheart. The mature beauty was sitting in her command seat as the combined amarda headed toward the eastern part of Avidia.

’Arch asked me to sail here after reaching Emberport, but changed his mind,’ she thought as the dark clouds covered the sky, causing the sky to become rough.

While sitting there, her second in command, Daniella, appeared and informed. ’’Admiral, the cannons and missile launchers are ready. Is the emperor certain of these orders? We could be ambushed?’’

She pointed to the two fleets flanking them, grinning. ’’It’s why he gave me command over the 2nd and 3rd. If this goes well, I can get the 4th and 5th, making me the strongest leader in the Draconian Navy.’’

Daniella looked confused, and Olivia noticed, prompting her to explain. ’’High Command is encouraging us, Admirals, to compete with each other, and whenever we do something good for the empire, we get rewarded.’’

’’And you’re included? As the empress, you should be able to get as many fleets as you wish,’’ the younger woman questioned.

She nodded, answering. ’’Why wouldn’t I be? Remember Draconia runs on merit, not position, just like the other women who have earned the right to run his companies, administrate the empire, or command his legions.’’

Olivia glanced toward a nearby Mana Radar, and a few blips appeared on it, prompting the sailor to alert them. ’’Admiral! The Alliance is heading toward us from the west, we should order an attack.’’

’’Hold your fire,’’ she commanded, her tone laced with anticipation. ’’Let them draw nearer. We’ll unleash our volley when they’re too close to slip away.’’

Her words hung in the tense air, prompting the crew into action. The sailors sprang to their stations with practiced precision. Below deck, gunners checked their cannons, ensuring each was primed and loaded.

’This should be fun,’ she thought, grinning. ’The Dragon Cannons Dellah designed recently will tear them apart.’

The three enemy fleets advanced in a disciplined formation, unaware of the trap awaiting them. Her strategy hinged on timing, striking only when the foe was so entangled in their approach that retreat would be impossible.

Olivia’s lips twitched into a predatory grin. ’Let’s see how their pride holds when the dragons roar,’ she thought, her fingers brushing the armrests.

’’Hold steady,’’ she called, her tone cutting through the creak of the metal hull and the murmurs of her crew. ’’Fire on my command, no sooner.’’

Her lieutenants relayed the order, and the Draconian ships stood poised like coiled serpents. The Alliance Fleets pressed closer, numbering over a thousand, their lead ships now less than a league away, smoke rising, blocking out the skyline.

When seeing the number of enemy ships, her heart pounded, not with fear but with excitement. She could see the enemy’s banners now, gold and azure, fluttering with the sigils of their noble houses.

’Fools,’ she thought. ’You’ve sailed into your grave.’

Moments later, Olivia spotted the Alliance’s formation tighten as they entered the strait where the battle would happen, ships nearly hull-to-hull, no room to turn or scatter as they closed in on Avidia.

Her pulse quickened, turning to her serious self as the battle was about to start. ’’Ready the Dragon Cannons,’’ she ordered.

Below, gunners rushed around and prepared the new weapons that had been added recently. The dwarf sailors ignited the Mana Fuses, and a faint hum came from the weapons, as if dragons carved into their barrels were stirring to life.

Olivia shook her head and continued firmly. ’’Missile crews, arm the racks. Conventional batteries, stand by.’’

Just then, the deck vibrated with the clank of machinery as missile pods swiveled into position and secondary cannons locked onto their targets. Seconds later, the Alliance’s lead ship, a hulking galleon with gilded figureheads, crossed the invisible line.

’’Now!’’ Her hand shot up, then slashed downward as she roared. ’’Fire!’’

The Dragon Cannons erupted first, their deafening bellows shaking the very sea. From each barrel spewed a torrent of Mana Projectiles, glowing like miniature suns as they arced toward the Alliance ships.

Olivia jumped up as the lead galleon took the brunt, a fiery lance punched through its bow, igniting its Mana Shell stores in a deafening explosion that sent flaming timbers skyward. The shockwave rippled across the enemy fleet, sailors screaming as shrapnel rained down.

Another Dragon Cannon volley followed, tearing into a frigate’s midsection; the ship split apart, its crew swallowed by the frothing waves. ’’Missiles, loose!’’ she shouted.

From hundreds of decks, racks hissed as volleys of missiles streaked into the sky, their trails weaving a trail of smoke. They struck with surgical precision, some burrowed into hulls before detonating, others burst midair, showering the enemy with incendiary shards.

An Alliance warship erupted in a fireball, turning the metal into a charred wreck. The straits became hell on Thrylos, the Alliance’s formation dissolving into a panicked tangle of burning ships and floundering crews.

’’Everything, fire at will!’’ Her voice sounded above the noise.

The Draconian ships unleashed a relentless barrage from their secondary cannons. The Archer’s Wrath shuddered with each broadside, its guns belching smoke as they pounded an Alliance cruiser.

Olivia paced the deck, her pink eyes alight with joy, barking orders to adjust targeting and reload. ’’Keep the pressure on! No quarter!’’

The enemies fought back, their surviving ships returning fire with desperate salvos. Mana Shells slammed harmlessly against the shields that blocked most attacks, and the ones that got through did minimal damage.

She realized this place was now a graveyard, the sea stained with chaotic mana and blood, the air thick with the stench of mana and burning metal. After the battle, she stepped onto the balcony, cradling her stomach.

’I’m glad he didn’t stop me sailing before this little gremlin is born,’ she thought warmly.

Olivia watched as the enemy rear ships tried to flee, but the area’s narrow mouth offered no escape. ’’Target the stragglers,’’ she commanded.

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