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Chapter 553.5: Fierce Battle Against the Dragon Beast Army!
The massive Swamp Fortress enclosed both the ruins and a vast stretch of land.
This was the largest gathering place for adventurers in Bay Territory outside of Bay City itself.
Though the ten-meter-high wall was not particularly imposing, its sheer thickness was enough to halt the dragon beasts.
Over 50,000 soldiers were working tirelessly within the fortress, transporting supplies and reinforcing the defenses.
They had no intention of retreating—they were ready to fight a decisive battle here.
For three days.
The soldiers had been entangled in battle with the dragon-blood creature army in the Misty Swamp.
Trenches and temporary camps were littered with the corpses of fallen dragon-blood creatures.
Many adventurers had been organized to collect and sort the corpses.
Some had even returned to Misty Fortress, working on repairing its damaged outer walls.
Out of the original 300,000 dragon-blood creatures, only 150,000 remained.
Most of the smaller dragon-blood creatures had perished, leaving behind the larger, thick-skinned dragon beasts.
Their bodies had undergone deeper dragonification and transformation under the activation of their dragon blood power.
Many newly developed Extraordinary Feats and skills resulting from this transformation made Matthew quite pleased.
Thanks to the assistance of these dragon-blood creatures, Matthew had been able to further refine his collection of feats and skills.
The only regret Matthew had was that these dragon-blood creatures, likely due to the influence of the Mad Dragon Lock, had not developed any form of mental resistance abilities.
Thinking about it, it made sense. If they had such abilities, they wouldn't have fallen under the influence of the Mad Dragon Lock, becoming manipulated beasts.
Aside from the Bay Territory army, more than 50,000 adventurers had also gathered here.
They had their eyes set on the value of these dragon-blood creatures.
The surviving dragon-blood creatures were at least mid-tier magical creatures, further enhanced by their dragon blood power.
Whether it was magical materials or the organs and components from these dragon-blood creatures, they could fetch a high price.
Moreover, Bay Territory had publicized the types and values of all dragon-blood creatures to motivate the adventurers.
Every detail had been marked so they could confidently assess their targets.
As the dragon-blood creatures drew closer, the atmosphere of the impending battle became increasingly intense.
Over a thousand heavy crossbows were positioned along the walls.
Two hundred newly manufactured cannons were undergoing final inspections and adjustments.
Crates filled with various supplies were stacked along the walls and the second defensive line.
For this grand battle, Bay Territory had prepared over five million gold coins' worth of combat supplies, all of them consumables.
Of course, Bay Territory could easily afford this expense thanks to the contributions of the dragon-blood creatures themselves.
The money had been generated from the corpses and battles of previously slain dragon-blood creatures.
Simply put, this was Bay Territory's profit from the ongoing war.
Bay Territory had yet to spend a single gold coin!
Angela gazed calmly at the eight remaining land dragons in the distance, then silently turned to the 800 towering warriors before her.
Each one wore jackets made of dragon leather, carried an array of lethal weapons, and donned bright red bandanas.
Their muscular physiques, sharp eyes, and overwhelming presence were striking.
They were the Catachan Jungle Fighters, recruited from the Catachan Demi-plane by Bay Territory!
In addition to their powerful bodies, they had begun mastering the path of the Professional. Combined with their newly equipped magical weapons and gear, their strength had increased tremendously.
They had been gathered here for one purpose—to eliminate these formidable land dragons!
Their combat prowess was extraordinary. Each of them had participated in the hunts of Catachan Demons and various other supernatural threats.
They fought with impeccable coordination and relished the challenge of high-difficulty opponents!
Not far away, Leon's voice rang out: "Cannons ready!"
As he waved the command flag, explosions of fire erupted.
Black iron cannonballs shot out, covering over a thousand meters before crashing into the dragon-blood creature army.
Even the strongest dragon beasts couldn't withstand such devastating impacts.
Those hit by the blasts suffered severe injuries.
Only eight land dragons emerged from the bombardment, stomping forward with reckless ferocity.
Compared to a few days ago, their appearances had noticeably changed—their head armor had thickened, and their skulls now bore hardened, battering-ram-like structures.
Such peculiar adaptations made the Bay Territory soldiers feel as if these creatures were evolving specifically to breach walls.
This was the unique power of dragon bloodlines.
Their ability to adapt to the environment was incredibly fast, and their transformations were highly specialized.
Facing these formidable monsters, the primed dragon-hunting crossbows unleashed their bolts without hesitation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Massive crossbow bolts pierced into the land dragons, creating showers of blood.
Their bodies were drenched in fresh blood, yet they pressed forward unwaveringly.
Under the rain of attacks, these ferocious beasts slammed into the thick city walls.
The violent impact left even seasoned adventurers speechless.
Sharp-eyed onlookers noticed large chunks of the wall breaking apart from the collisions.
Even the sturdy city walls seemed unable to hold them back.
It wouldn't take long before the land dragons broke through entirely!
Despite this, Angela remained composed, issuing commands in an orderly manner:
"Cannons, open fire at will! Prioritize medium-sized dragon-blood creatures."
"Crossbow volleys, full coverage!"
"Catachan warriors, eliminate these land dragons!"
The waiting soldiers quickly unleashed their full firepower.
The battlefield entered a state of full-blown intensity!
The Catachan warriors were highly experienced in hunting large enemies.
Despite having access to land dragon data, they still took the time to observe their movements and physical structures carefully.
They relied on their judgment to pinpoint weaknesses.
Before long, the Catachan warriors reached a consensus.
They swiftly gathered and held a concise discussion.
Then, they sprang into action!
160 Catachan warriors used various ranged weapons to target the land dragons' eyes.
They did not expect to blind them outright but aimed to provide cover for their teammates.
Instead of remaining on the walls, the bold Catachan warriors moved behind the fortifications, preparing their countermeasures.
Ten minutes later.
Enraged land dragons, covered in blood, forcibly broke through meters-thick sections of the city wall, creating a massive breach.
These relentless creatures took turns crashing into the gap, further widening the opening.
Stones shattered, and the reinforced steel structures began to crumble under their relentless assaults.
The overwhelming power of their dragon blood had granted them terrifying destructive capabilities.
As they were about to breach the wall and storm inside—
Angela finally deployed Bay Territory's specialized anti-large creature war machines.
The Dragon Cavalry Unit-1 Golems, renowned for their battlefield prowess in the Underworld, made their dramatic entrance, leaping from the walls.
Boom!
Thud!
A massive spiked maul came crashing down on an unguarded land dragon's head.
Sparks flew, and the giant beast staggered backward from the sheer force of the blow.
Rising from the dust, the Dragon Cavalry Golems did not merely hold their ground.
Twenty of them surged forward aggressively.
Some wielded heavy spiked maces, others carried enormous battle axes, their metallic bodies gleaming as they moved with astonishing agility.
Their impressive appearance and formidable combat presence immediately drew everyone's attention.
Bang!
The Dragon Cavalry Unit-1 Golems did not engage the rampaging land dragons head-on.
They deftly maneuvered around the sides, swinging their weapons and hammering into the land dragons' underbellies.
Their strength was immense, and their destructive power formidable. Even the thick, sturdy scales of the land dragons were battered with deep wounds.
However, compared to the land dragons, their size was still too small.
They could only entangle the land dragons but were unable to directly stop their charge.
Crack!
One Dragon Cavalry Unit-1 Golem failed to dodge in time and was struck head-on by a land dragon.
Its chest caved in as its metal body was knocked to the ground.
Fortunately, the Dragon Cavalry Golems felt no pain.
It immediately launched a fierce counterattack, smashing its hammer into the land dragon's leg.
"Roar...!"
The enraged and pained land dragon bellowed loudly, opening its maw to bite at the golem.
Realizing it could not evade, the golem retaliated without hesitation.
A swirling mass of black mist erupted from its chest.
The land dragon, unable to dodge, was hit directly. The black substance was highly corrosive, and as soon as it touched flesh, it burned through, leaving gaping holes.
Yet, the beast disregarded the pain, enduring the corrosion and piercing agony, biting directly onto the golem's head.
Crunch!
Clatter!
The land dragon's powerful, steel-like fangs tore through the golem's armor, destroying its core structure.
The first Dragon Cavalry Unit-1 Golem was destroyed!
The golem, which had cost 50,000 gold coins to construct, was reduced to scrap metal.
Yet the other Dragon Cavalry Golems remained fearless. Seizing the moment when the land dragon was weakened by the poison, they surrounded it.
They specifically targeted the land dragon's weaker areas—thighs, underbelly, neck, and rear.
Even with its thick hide and immense pain tolerance, the land dragon couldn't withstand such relentless attacks.
The other land dragons quickly rushed to aid their companion, escalating the fight into a chaotic melee.
One by one, Dragon Cavalry Golems were destroyed.
Though they were powerful, they were ultimately just advanced golems.
They lacked the capability to pose a lethal threat to supernatural-tier land dragons.
Angela waited in silence.
Watching the destruction of these Dragon Cavalry Golems pained her, but she remained composed.
It wasn't until the eighth Dragon Cavalry Unit-1 Golem was bitten in half and heroically destroyed—
That it delivered a final counterstrike, landing a solid blow on the besieged land dragon's belly.
A massive gash was torn open!
The land dragon lost its ability to fight.
Only then did Angela issue a new combat order.
"Advance forward! Attack the incoming dragon-blood creatures."
As the troublesome iron constructs departed, the normally vengeful land dragons seemed to forget their hatred.
They immediately turned and launched a ferocious charge at the breach in the wall.
Boom!
With a violent tremor, several land dragons working together finally broke through the wall.
Even though they were covered in blood and riddled with wounds—
When they burst through the dust and mist, forcing their way inside the city walls, the sight was utterly shocking.
The sheer might of flesh and blood had reached such an extreme level!
The land dragons had finally breached the wall, making every adventurer tense up.
Land dragons were naturally terrifying, with immense destructive power, formidable defense, and an exceptionally high health pool.
Most ordinary adventurers lacked the courage to even stand before them.
While many hesitated, there were those who did not!
The long-waiting Catachan warriors decisively launched their ambush attack.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Dozens of massive crossbow bolts, empowered by dragon-hunting crossbows, shot out, piercing straight into the first land dragon.
The bolts were attached to thick iron chains and barbed hooks. As the land dragon struggled, the chains went taut.
Pain!
"Roar...!"
No matter how violently the land dragon thrashed, the massive crossbow bolts held firm within its body.
The colossal beast was unable to break free, restrained in place.
It turned its head and bit down with a crunch, snapping one of the iron chains.
However, it failed to notice a stealthy figure had already leaped down from the city wall—
Landing directly behind it!