Winter passed quickly.
Outside Rome,
An army of thousands of soldiers in black armor was forming outside the city of Rome, while they pushed dozens of siege towers.
The weather was damp due to the melting snow; as a result, there was mud, making it difficult for the soldiers pushing the siege towers.
The clone army had launched a general attack against the city of Rome. Septimus was not concerned about the difficulties of the cold and damp weather.
Septimus considered the clone army as expendable; during the last few weeks, the clones had expanded to fill the vacuum of the male population left by the previous massacre initiated by Septimus in the region of Campania.
The clones exceeded half a million and were concentrated in the region of Campania and also spread throughout Rome.
The death of thousands of clones would not affect the overall power of Septimus.
The clone legions that were outside Rome launched a general attack without informing Sulla or his generals.
Septimus did not care about losing thousands of soldiers; he could easily replace the lost troops. The clones were expendable, and their deaths would add combat skill and experience.
On the other hand, Sulla and his generals were surprised by the sudden attack of Septimus' army.
Winter had just ended, and the weather was damp due to the melting snow; as a result, the siege would become more difficult and casualties would increase.
"Who ordered the attack?" Sulla shouted at a military tribune.
"It is the legions of General Septimus," said the military tribune seriously.
"Damn it!! It's suicide!! Send a messenger, I want them to stop the attack!!" Sulla shouted angrily.
Sulla intended to repeat his success in Greece; after making peace with the King of Pontus, Sulla had persuaded the Roman army that had come to attack him to surrender without a single battle.
Inside the city of Rome, the neutral faction did not have a strong enmity with Sulla. It would only take a little temptation for the gates to be opened.
If he succeeded, he could add a few more legions to his army and take revenge.
The sudden attack of the clone army disrupted Sulla's plans to conquer the city quickly.
As slaves gathered around Sulla to put on his armor, Sulla's legions also prepared themselves.
The clone soldiers made no noise as they moved; the movement of thousands of clone soldiers marching while pushing dozens of siege towers went unnoticed.
Sulla's sentries only noticed something was wrong due to the movements of the Roman army on the city walls.
The Roman army on the city walls became alert and reinforced all its defenses upon noticing the attack from two sides by the clone army.
The generals of Sulla's army also ordered their soldiers to prepare.
On the other hand, as the clone army approached within 150 meters of the walls, they were met with arrows and spears launched by ballistae.
The clone soldiers advanced in an orderly manner without flinching. The spears launched by the ballistae pierced through the soldiers' shields, pinning them to the ground.
The siege towers were the main target of the Roman attack. The clones had basic carpentry experience in building siege weapons; the towers had good reinforcement at the front and on both sides, managing to avoid significant damage.
With the effort of the clones, the siege towers quickly approached the city of Rome.
The Roman soldiers behind the wall were fully armed, waiting for the tower gates to fall.
When all the siege towers were close to the wall, with a dull thud, the gates fell and formed small bridges.
Dozens of clone soldiers, like an avalanche, crossed the wooden bridges and jumped onto the city wall.
The Roman soldiers were surprised by the almost suicidal attack of the clone soldiers.
Below the siege towers, the clone army formed in an orderly manner while climbing ladders to the top of the towers.
The clone soldiers who jumped onto the walls were like madmen attacking the Roman army.
The Roman soldiers on the wall were caught off guard by the madness of the clone army.
The more experienced Roman centurions began to shout to maintain order in the Roman formation.
The initiative of the Roman army on the walls was slowly being lost. The clone soldiers were simply a group of lunatics who preferred to die rather than fail to kill one or two Roman soldiers.
The fight on top of the wall turned into a battle of attrition.
The Roman army of the city began its first fierce battle.
The messenger sent by Sulla could not find Septimus or the clone generals.
Septimus was in the Decapitator City.
On the other hand, the clone army only pretended to have a military chain of command. The clones wearing the armor of centurions and generals were in the middle of the battle.
The battle for the city wall turned into a meat grinder.
The Roman soldiers had the advantage of position and ease of moving troops.
By contrast, the clones could only send groups of dozens of clone soldiers to inflict real damage.
The clones were experienced fighters, but on the city walls they were surrounded and could only do their best to kill a Roman soldier before dying.
The battle developed rapidly, with both sides making a great effort.
The clone soldiers could only fight to maintain the small initial advantage they had achieved with the surprise attack.
On the other hand, the Roman army faced a great challenge.
Most of the Roman soldiers had been mobilized to the attacked wall.
The Roman generals were nervous about the sudden formation of Sulla's army.
Many nobles within the city were surprised by the iron will of the clone army.
The clone soldiers showed no fear of death, and their will to fight was almost suicidal.
The clone soldiers attacked without regard for their own lives, unlike the Roman army, which maintained a defensive formation.
The Roman army was composed of citizens who had been recruited in the last two years.
Many soldiers in the city of Rome were facing their first battle.
The brutality of the battle on top of the wall also surprised Sulla's messengers.
Sulla's army and Sulla himself were surprised by the sudden battle.
War cries could be heard from a distance. Anyone could deduce that an intense battle was taking place on the other side of the wall.
The legionaries of Sulla's army were also nervous because of the warlike atmosphere created by the clone army.
"General, we have not been able to contact the generals of Septimus' army," reported a messenger on horseback with a nervous expression.
The messenger was nervous because he feared being blamed for failing to complete his mission.
Sulla grew angry at the messenger's report.
"I want a report every hour on the battle situation on Septimus' side," Sulla said seriously.
The sudden attack of the clone army had taken Sulla by surprise; the only response he could give was to prepare. Sulla's dilemma was whether to help by attacking the city of Rome or to remain observing.
Sulla hoped that the casualties of the clone army would not be too heavy.
On the other hand, Septimus rested while enjoying the service of his slave women.
Septimus wanted to end the war as quickly as possible in order to activate trade throughout the region of Campania.
The region of Campania was a source of grain, and Septimus wanted to build grain mills to improve grain processing.
Septimus' ideas for the region of Campania involved a large amount of construction materials.
Septimus' intention was to end the civil war so that he could purchase construction materials and begin large-scale building throughout the region of Campania.
Septimus was like a child with a new toy, eager to try it. The entire region of Campania was considered Septimus' playground.
With the end of the war, Septimus' playground would give rise to a large amount of construction.