Deep, urgent horns sounded ceaselessly throughout Dorun City.
Lei Lin, Vandix, and the others hovered in midair, arriving directly at the city wall to observe the scene outside.
After more than ten years of mutual attrition and slaughter, the number of dark beasts had visibly dwindled, and according to the latest intelligence, the Beast Sovereigns were all contemplating withdrawal.
Had the Northern Territory incident not occurred, and had the dwarves and goblins not intervened, this war could have ended within a few years.
But now things were different. Perhaps the subterranean humans would face the crisis of total annihilation.
"It really is the Cold Spider Knights! And the most elite division at that!"
Lei Lin gazed into the distance. On the horizon, three knight formations were advancing slowly.
Enormous spider legs bounced and scurried across the ground without making a single sound, while the Dark Elf Knights atop them wore thin armor so exquisite it looked like a work of art, adorned with intricate openwork patterns.
Combined with their handsome faces and lances, they almost made Lei Lin think he had stumbled upon a royal knight procession.
Though their appearance was extraordinarily splendid, even ostentatious, the aura of blood and fire radiating from these knights was unmistakably real.
It was the invincible courage and unshakable conviction of victory that only a battle-hardened elite legion could possess!
"That's the Dark Elf royal knight corps. I can't believe they actually deployed them!" Vandix's expression was grave.
"The strength of elite burrow cold spider knights is comparable to, or even slightly above, our Great Knights. Those with the rank of squad leader and above possess the strength of full-fledged Wizards. Each formation is roughly a thousand strong—that's a full three thousand!" The female Wizard drew a sharp breath.
"They're planning to take Dorun City in a single push!"
Lei Lin sighed softly. "Do we need to intervene?"
"I'm afraid it's come to that!" Vandix gave a bitter smile. "The problem is their Matriarchs will certainly move to intercept us, and we have no confidence in shaking them off. I can already feel the Abyssal power radiating from them through the air..."
Second-rank Wizards served primarily as a deterrent presence, and in the enemy camp there were at least three Matriarch-level beings whose task was to pin down their side's second-rank Wizards.
Otherwise, if three second-rank Wizards unleashed wide-area spellcraft attacks without regard for cost, just a few coordinated volleys could annihilate these knight formations entirely!
"There's no other choice. Use 'that'!"
Lei Lin said suddenly.
"Hmm?" Vandix glanced at him. "That's our trump card—we were saving it for the final battle..."
"This *is* the final battle!" Before Lei Lin could answer, the second-rank female Wizard cut in. "I agree!"
"Fine! I agree too!" Vandix looked once more at the Dark Elf army in the distance and managed a bitter smile. "Now really is the time for a final battle."
With the three Wizards reaching a unanimous decision, special orders were distributed through their arcane imprints, and the soldiers below, led by the Wizards, began carrying peculiar objects up onto the city wall.
They were enormous wooden barrels, like the huge oak kegs used to hold beer in a tavern, reinforced with sturdy iron hoops on both sides. Blood-red Abyss letters were scrawled across their surfaces, marking them as dangerous.
"Now, let's wait and see!"
The three Wizards exchanged a glance and turned their gaze to the battlefield.
"Attack!!!" A signal from the Dark Elves, and another massive wave of Dark Beasts surged forward.
"Activate Defense Protocol Three!"
Fluorescent light erupted along the city wall, revealing solid runic defenses. Vast quantities of energy particles, carrying terrifying destructive power, continuously burst outwards.
Many Dark Beasts, charging halfway, were blown open by various energy particles. Blood and chunks of flesh splattered as they fell to the ground.
A few stronger, more agile Dark Beasts dodged the attacks, clambering up over their comrades' corpses, and finally clashed with the soldiers and Wizards atop the wall.
In an instant, fire and blood reached the sky!
Wizards and Knights on the wall roared, unleashing spells and energy waves. Dark Beasts tumbled from the battlements in droves.
But these beasts, their eyes bloodshot, charged on without fear of death.
Over the past decade or so, this scene had played out here almost every so often, always ending with the Dark Elves making a tactical retreat.
But now, everything seemed different.
*Thump-thump-thump!* A rhythmic tremor sounded. Not far away, the elite Frost Spider Knights had apparently received an order and began their advance.
Though only three thousand strong, their charge together resembled a surging steel torrent.
"Forward!" The Cave Frost Spiders' barbed legs easily latched onto the city wall, and they scaled it with the agility of apes.
The towering wall that seemed an insurmountable chasm to the Dark Beasts was like open road before these Frost Spider Knights.
"Kill!" A Frost Spider Knight spurred his mount onto the wall, sweeping his black spear.
Numerous snow-white spearheads bloomed like pear blossoms. Several soldiers in leather armor were sent flying backward, spattering lines of blood—one even among them was a Knight in heavy armor!
Before the elite Frost Spider Knights, ordinary soldiers and Knights were no match; only a Great Knight still had a chance to put up a desperate fight!