Chapter87: The Monsters' Assault
Tyrosh, South Port Walls
"Rumble... Crack..."
With the drop of the grappling ramps, the massive siege ship's gangplank slammed heavily onto the walls on the right side of Tyrosh's southern port.
"Kill! Kill them all!…"
Amidst earth-shaking battle cries, the heavily armored knights, looking like walking suits of iron, charged toward the Tyroshi guards who had already closed in.
Meanwhile, the engineers on the siege ship continuously threw grappling hooks onto the wall, attempting to firmly anchor the vessel to Tyrosh's black stone walls.
Many castles and cities in this world were extremely difficult to breach. Besides the limited number of participants in most battles, the geographical positioning of fortifications also played a significant role.
But precisely because of these challenges, the maesters and alchemists of the world had constantly studied methods of siegecraft and defense.
Take the siege ship Jon was currently using, for example; in his past life, Jon had never even heard of a warship capable of launching barrels of fire oil.
Of course, this might have been due to his own limited knowledge, but when Jon first stepped onto this massive war machine, he had still been shocked by its design.
The dense network of hemp ropes and iron chains made the entire siege tower resemble a massive cocoon. As more and more grappling hooks secured themselves to the wall, the gangplank became increasingly stable.
"Try this on for size!"
By the time Jon appeared on the wall, the heavily armored warriors had already cleared a section of space.
However, the Tyroshi defenders were using obstacles such as chevaux-de-frise to separate the two forces. Although many of the city guards were little more than militia, they still knew how to use whatever means they had to survive.
Upon discovering this situation, Jon took out his magic stone. Under his summons, the space around him began to distort.
"Awooo…"
Accompanied by deep roars and a foul stench, two enormous cyclopes suddenly appeared upon the black stone wall.
They stood nearly four meters tall, resembling grotesquely enlarged men, their bodies covered in bulging, tumor-like masses that made one's skin crawl at the mere sight.
These two cyclopes carried no weapons, as they were summoned without equipment, but after receiving Jon's command, they quickly seized what they could find.
"Roar… Ah…"
They pushed through their own ranks and charged directly into the Tyroshi formation. Each cyclops grabbed a chevaux-de-frise frame from the ground and wielded it like a crude weapon.
"What are those things?!"
"Help… save me…"
"How are we supposed to fight that?!"
…Seeing the cyclopes advance, the Tyroshi defenders were too terrified to step forward. Many soldiers even began to falter, their will to fight crumbling.
But the cyclopes paid no attention to the "insects" before them. Though similar in appearance, the one on the right seemed slightly larger.
It swung the chevaux-de-frise frame violently, smashing into the Tyroshi ranks.
At that moment, the defenders were like small creatures caught before monstrous predators. Though they struggled to resist, the sheer disparity in size and strength rendered their efforts meaningless.
"Bang… Crack…"
Though the wooden frame was destructive, it soon splintered under repeated blows, forcing the cyclopes to find new "weapons."
Soon enough, the soldiers themselves became those weapons.
As Jon advanced with his troops, he witnessed multiple times the cyclopes grabbing Tyroshi soldiers by their legs and using them as bludgeons against their comrades.
Some of those unfortunate men were still alive when used in this way. When their bodies slammed into others, the sickening sound of bones shattering and flesh tearing echoed across the battlefield.
"I can't fight anymore! Help me…"
"Clang…"
"Run! Run!"
…Under such relentless terror, the Tyroshi ranks began to collapse. Some soldiers threw down their weapons and fled, but the crowded defenses only worsened the chaos.
Sensing this, the latent brutality within the cyclopes grew stronger, and they pressed forward with savage cries.
They crushed, trampled, and hurled aside any who stood in their path. Many soldiers were knocked clean off the walls by their rampage.
Under this monstrous assault, the Tyroshi defenders retreated step by step, all the way back to an arrow tower. If two more such towers fell, the eastern gate would likely be taken by the Allied forces.
Meanwhile, the forces at the eastern and western gates launched their own assaults. Though they lacked siege ships, they possessed a sufficient number of catapults.
Though less powerful than trebuchets, their combined bombardment still posed a serious threat.
"Watch out!"
"Puchi…"
"Awoo…"
Just as Jon was observing the situation ahead, the sharp sounds of bolts piercing flesh rang out.
Moments later, two massive figures collapsed.
The cyclopes had been struck by scorpion bolts fired from the arrow tower, their immense bodies making them easy targets.
Clearly, the defenders had repositioned their scorpions to deal with these monstrous threats. Several heavily armored warriors were also struck by stray bolts.
Due to the narrow space and their size, the cyclopes had no room to evade.
The wounded soldiers were quickly treated by the medics. Serene, the captain of the medical unit, had remained near the frontlines since the battle began.
As for the cyclopes, their forms gradually dissipated after sustaining fatal injuries. They were not creatures of this world, and upon "death," they were banished back into nothingness.
Thanks to their sacrifice, Jon's forces had already advanced to the vicinity of the arrow tower. To block them, the Tyroshi had gathered a large concentration of troops there.
"Boom…"
Just as the defenders began to rejoice at the disappearance of the monsters, thunder erupted within their ranks.
Moments later, soldiers at the front felt a numbing shock, followed by violent explosions.
"Lightning!"
This kind of magic was perfect for breaking defensive formations. Amidst crackling thunder, enemies were struck down one after another, and the shockwaves shattered their ranks.
"Ready! Triple Fireball!"
As Jon broke open their defenses, robed mages stepped forward from the rear. Spellbooks hung at their waists, their cloaks whipping in the sea wind.
At Jon's command, they formed a line, while the heavily armored warriors raised their shields to protect them.
The mages entered a focused state, holding their books in one hand while extending the other forward.
With the activation of their spellbooks, arcane energy gathered, and blazing fireballs formed in their palms.
"Boom… Boom… Boom…"
Three successive volleys erupted.
The fireballs slammed into the Tyroshi defenders like explosive shells.
For a moment, the entrance to the arrow tower was engulfed in smoke and flame, as soldiers fled in panic.
In the confined space, the explosions caused devastating destruction.
"Charge!"
As the mages withdrew, Jon stepped forward, gripping Dark Sister.
Empowered by his monstrous strength, the Valyrian steel blade unleashed terrifying force.
"Ugh… Aaaah…"
Leading the charge into the arrow tower, Jon encountered several Tyroshi soldiers rushing forward with spears.
He swung Dark Sister in a wide arc.
The blade, crackling with energy, cut through the front ranks, while the force of the blow sent those behind them crashing backward.
"Hurrah!"
Jon's overwhelming might—like a warrior sent by the gods—instantly inspired the soldiers of the "Chainbreakers."
They roared and surged forward, cutting down the stunned defenders.
At last, Jon led his forces to the vicinity of the eastern gate, where they collided head-on with the arriving Tyroshi Silver Stag Company.
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