Chapter 245: The Defenders’ Counterattack

“Clang! Clang! Clang!” The sound came from the flying warhammers crashing into the Demons.

Besides the sound of hitting the tough keratin layer on the Demons’ skin, the remaining four Balors blocked the whirling flying hammers with their beheading swords. The holy energy on the flying hammers clashed with the profane power surrounding the Demons, leaving burn-like marks on the Demons’ bodies.

The Iron-armored Warriors on the second wall held out their hands loosely. The warhammers that had been knocked away or dropped instantly flew back and returned to their hands in a flash. This was not a magical effect attached to the hammers, but a special ability of Mithral’s Hammer. It was as if the warhammers were extensions of their own arms.

However, even these warhammers made from sanctified Adamantine could not cause much damage to the Demons. They only slightly slowed the enemy down, a pause that lasted no more than a blink of an eye.

At this moment, the best combat Priests in the Temple did not activate their other ability—the “Chaos Shredder.” It could use the order power of many Planes to fight against the naturally chaotic Demons.

At the same time, light exploded from the defenders on and below the two walls. The Dwarf and Gnome warriors were surrounded by warm, bright light. Although the light faded quickly, some of it remained on their weapons.

This was a blessing from the Priests to themselves and their partners, giving their melee and ranged attacks extra holy damage equal to a Scimitar slash. More importantly, the weapons wrapped in holiness were treated as Good weapons when piercing damage reduction was considered. This would play a crucial role in fighting Demons. Without this enhancement, fighting Demons protected by Lower Plane powers would be extremely difficult.

With the help of this 4th Level spell called “Blessing of Justice,” the ordinary soldiers in the first line of defense were no longer completely helpless against the enemy’s attacks.

Now their weapons could leave obvious marks on their enemies. The Nalfeshnee, who could previously tear apart the entire defense line single-handedly without a scratch, finally bled their sulfur-scented blood under the blessed Dwarf Greatswords and battle axes.

Demons are chaotic. Especially in battle, they do not know how to cooperate effectively with each other. Perhaps high-level Demon Lords understand some battlefield tactics. But the lower Demons, under the pressure of their superiors, can only barely avoid hitting their own kind. This is an important reason why they have failed to gain the upper hand in battles against their deadly enemies, the Devils, for tens of thousands of years.

So, the Dark Elf warriors who had already reached the top of the wall also turned into a pile of flesh paste due to the previous artillery fire and the Demons’ indiscriminate fighting style. The male Black Skin warriors who had not yet reached the wall refused to launch another attack, even under the drive of Lolth’s Priestess’s snake-headed whips.

These true leaders of the Dark Elf army probably did consider that their own troops might be attacked by the Demons too. But to succeed in one blow, they hid this danger from the frontline warriors. Even the act of summoning Demons was probably not known to those male warriors they considered inferior beforehand.

Of course, this might also be for reasons of secrecy. This tactic needs to strike unexpectedly to be most effective. If the enemy prepared a specific defense, the effect would be greatly reduced. Although betrayal is common among Dark Elves, no one wants to fight alongside those indiscriminate creatures, no matter the reason.

Besides the hesitant male Dark Elf warriors, the combat power of the siege force—the Minotaurs and Ogres—could not pass through the Force Field Siege Ladders normally. So for a moment, the only creatures the Dwarves on the wall had to face were the Nalfeshnee who had been running wild before.

But now the Nalfeshnee no longer looked so relaxed. Under the Dwarves’ death-defying charges, they finally tasted the feeling of many ants killing an elephant.

Taking advantage of their small size and sturdy armor, the Dwarves and Gnomes moved through the Nalfeshnee’s web of blades. Even if they were beheaded, they would leave a mark on their enemies. Because now they fought to protect their home. Behind them was the home where their ancestors had lived for generations. Here lived their friends and family, and their memories of laughter, tears, warmth, and sorrow over the years.

Some low-level Paladins rushed from the secret tunnels, mixing with the crowd and quickly chanting holy words. Their weapons began to glow with a short blue-white light.

Blessed Weapon is a Divine Arts spell. Although it does not grant extra holy damage like the previous spell, this change allows the weapon to strike Evil enemies accurately. The weapon becomes a Good weapon. At the same time, it is treated as a 1st Level Magic weapon when overcoming damage reduction of Evil creatures and attacking Evil incorporeal creatures. Also, when fighting Evil enemies, it becomes sharper, able to cut through the enemy’s defense and hit their vital points more easily.

These creatures that are natural enemies of Evil mixed in with the Dwarf warriors to charge. But even without the earlier area-wide weapon blessing, just the glowing weapons made them stand out like a crane among chickens. “Smite Evil,” the Paladin’s sharp tool against Evil creatures, now showed its proper power. Huge damage from holy energy poured into the Nalfeshnee’s bodies at this very moment.

The blue-white light turned into a flame burning inside the Nalfeshnee, finally spewing out of their seven orifices and turning the whole Nalfeshnee into a pile of ash.

In addition, many strong people from the city joined the battle on the first line of defense. While killing Demons, they also saved the lives of those who were weak. Often, when the Demons pushed forward and the defenders were about to despair, the ground beneath their feet suddenly rose into a stone barrier. Stone Guardian is a loyal sentinel of the Dwarf Territory. It draws power from the ancient rocks of the earth to protect its people. Its massive Earth Elemental companion is its faithful partner. Usually, the Earth Elemental moves slowly, but when it charges from the ground, one of them can create a scene like ten thousand horses galloping. This special ability of the Earth Elemental, called “Push,” allows it to use the power of the earth to launch a rocket-like charge.

Left hook, right hook! The massive Earth Elemental swung its thick arms. The Stone Guardian itself looked petrified, and the one wielding the great hammer looked like a flexible Obsidian construct. After it struck the Nalfeshnee continuously and left without looking back, the previously arrogant Demon was left like a broken stone statue, lying broken on the ground. With its whole body petrified, who knows if it would make a good Loot?

Doing the same thing was a Gnome wearing leather armor and carrying two firearms. He saw him rolling and leaping all the way, lightly jumping onto the narrow body of a Nalfeshnee.

This gunner, like a little Xiao Ge, could always dodge the rotating blade barrier and then press his two firearms close to the Nalfeshnee’s vital points to fire continuously. That clean and neat technique, with no extra movements, was enough to be a model of killing aesthetics. However, the power of the firearms seemed a bit insufficient. Although the Nalfeshnee was hit and blood sprayed everywhere, it remained tenaciously alive.

The name of that beloved firearm in the hand was “Sky Fist Cannon.” This was a 5th Level spell-enhanced pistol. The mother-of-pearl handles on its sides depicted the blue sky, the dawn moon, and the galaxy, while the black barrel forged from cold iron was decorated with the Star of the Dark Night.

Of course, the most important thing about the Sky Fist Cannon is that its magic automatically loads a magical powder and bullet after firing, and it will never misfire. This is the most important part. These are two powerful firearms with infinite ammunition. Their cost was not cheap. The single gun raw material cost of 37,300 Gold Coins made the final value of these two firearms exceed the entire annual fiscal revenue of Bolerum Territory.

Even so, with the Blessing of Justice attached, it was still very hard to deal with the Nalfeshnee. However, this gunner, built with money, successfully held one Nalfeshnee by himself. But compared to the Dwarf who looked so imposing just now, he was far inferior.

Stone Guardian is the choice for Dwarves who failed to advance to Deep Stone Lord. The so-called Deep Stone Lord is a series of classes derived from Dwarves imitating Human Knights. Besides the Deep Stone Lord, there are also the Magma Lord who uses fire power, and the Storm Lord who uses lightning power. As for the Tide Lord, no such strange creature has appeared among the Dwarves who do not like water.

The power of Knights is obvious to all, so other races have started developing similar class lineages. The most successful ones are the Dwarf War Lord and the Elf Eternal Blade.

The Eternal Blade of the Secret Forest once said: “You face three thousand years of combat experience. Perhaps you should take some time to consider your decision again.”

These Eternal Blades were once warriors of Corellon Larethian. They were the guardians of their kin, the protectors of their faith, and the forest wardens of the ancient Elf forests.

Blade Masters, the spirits of the ancient Eternal Blades, act as guides and teachers for the current generation of warriors. They maintain the justice of the Eternal Blades, ensuring their teachings are passed down to every generation and helping to guide them in protecting the Elf race. This is like having an organized grandpa walking with you, which makes the growth of the Eternal Blades far beyond the norm.

For nearly a thousand years, the Eternal Blades have repelled Goblin invasions, potential conquerors, and other threats. From a single person repelling an Ogre threatening a village to a powerful general commanding hundreds of such warriors to enter war, wherever and whenever Evil threatens their kin, the Eternal Blades will rise to fight.

In the past, all Eternal Blades were Elves who learned various special combat techniques under the guidance and help of terrible ancient Elf warriors. At that time, the Eternal Blades had sworn to protect the Elves and fight against Evil.

However, as time passed, they began to fight each other, causing a split whose ripples are still felt today. Some Eternal Blades accepted the responsibilities brought by their training. Others used their talents to benefit themselves.

The Dwarf Lords are not only strong warriors but also veteran Spellcasters. Perhaps it is due to the potential blood relationship between Dwarves and Giants! The converted Lords look more like Giants. They can teleport instantly in front of the enemy, swing their sharp blades, and slaughter the enemy army. They can also use their control over elements, borrowing the power of nature and the Elemental Plane to inflict devastating damage on enemy groups.

Even a failed Stone Guardian could take advantage of the Underdark’s home-field advantage. In a short time, it could explode with power to eliminate Nalfeshnee whose strength had dropped due to crossing Planes. This shows that the Dwarves’ final trump card has not yet been revealed.

On the second line of defense, facing the Demons rushing head-on, pale yellow feathers were thrown into the air, shining brightly. Then everyone heard a dragon roar that no one else could hear, coming from a distance. Their skin was now covered with a layer of platinum gloss.

This is the “Blessing of Bahamut.” Borrowing the power of the Platinum Dragon God, it gives the defenders a protective ability like ancient dragon scales. This is specifically against the threat of the numerous Berserker and Frostmaw Demons. Because their natural weapons are treated as having “Chaotic” and “Evil” attributes when fighting creatures with damage reduction. However, this has little effect on the magical enhancement needed for dragon scales. At this time, targeted arrangements are naturally needed. As for the powerful Balor, they cannot be pushed back by such a human wave tactic.

Next came the usual group spells: Group Bear’s Toughness, Group Bull’s Strength, Group Cat’s Grace, Group Owl’s Wisdom, Group Eagle’s Majesty, and Group Fox’s Cunning. This series of famous animal spells gave a huge boost to the basic quality of the defenders.

The personnel in the rear were even given the “Blessed Accuracy” spell. This spell allows the Priest to guide and assist their allies in aiming at targets by the blessing of their deity. This spell makes teammates within the spell range much more accurate in ranged attacks.

When those Demons landed on the top of the wall, they fell into a trap set by the Anti-Evil Runes arranged by the Dwarves and Gnomes.

All creatures within the area affected by the spell are protected like by a Protection from Evil spell, and summoned non-Good creatures cannot enter this area. However, the spell must overcome the target creature’s spell resistance to prevent summoned creatures from entering the spell range. But the deflection bonus, saving throw bonus, and protection against mental control provided by the spell are not affected by the target creature’s spell resistance.

More importantly, when casting, one of the two effects of this spell can be chosen. The Anti-Evil Runes can be set to face inward or outward. When the direction of the Anti-Evil Runes is set to inward, this spell can bind a summoned non-Good creature. After being improved, it can even be used to trap Demons, the biggest threat at present.

Of course, using a rune array as a trap is not foolproof. If the ring of silver powder sprinkled during casting is broken, the effect of the rune array will end immediately. The bound creature cannot break the rune array directly or indirectly, but other creatures can. If the summoned creature has spell resistance, it can try to break through the rune array once a day. If you cannot overcome its spell resistance, the creature can escape, and the rune array is destroyed.

Of course, if these creatures can use any form of extra-dimensional teleportation spell, they can easily leave the rune array through these spells.

However, the defenders who set up such a trap would not have failed to consider this point! The Mages guarding near the rune array immediately cast the “Dimensional Anchor” spell. Under the effect of the rune array, the duration of “Dimensional Anchor” is equal to the duration of the rune array, and the bound creature cannot use teleportation abilities. The closed planar figure surrounding the rune array is enhanced with various magical symbols. These are special magical arrays that make the rune array more stable.

In the past, this was considered a dangerous move. Mages in the past would lure a creature from another Plane into a specially prepared trap. The summoned creature would be trapped in the trap unless it agreed to serve the mage once in exchange for freedom. This was an evil and irresponsible form of coercion and gambling.

Mages in the same profession could negotiate with the trapped creature during this time. Until the creature agreed to serve them, or it successfully escaped, or they decided to use other spells to get rid of the creature. The creature would never agree to impossible requests or unreasonable commands. At the same time, the longer the restriction time, the greater the danger. For rune arrays lasting more than 3 days, the creatures inside might escape from the binding and flee or attack the caster.

However, Blindstone City was not planning to do such unreliable things now. They only wanted to reduce the enemy’s combat power. Soon, a Priest began casting the “Dismissal” spell on the creatures in the rune array.

This spell can forcibly send a planar creature back to its native Plane, but the targeted creature can resist to a certain extent with its will. However, if the spell succeeds, the creature is sent away immediately. However, research by Mages shows that there is a 20% chance that the creature will be sent to a Plane other than its native one.

Unfortunately, such a rune array can only restrain the Berserker and Frostmaw. The power of the Balor is too great to be intervened by such spells.

At this time, the warriors needed to hold back these bullies from the Abyss! The high-level Priests in the city used their Divine Arts to awaken the courage of their companions. They extended their arms and swept around, draping a shining magical cloak over their leaders to support their courage.

The Cloak of Greater Courage allows all comrades within a radius of one mile to be immune to fear, while simultaneously igniting their inner fighting instinct. When facing the fear aura that high-level Demons might possess, this is the best choice.