Chapter 414: Gogo City
"Ah!"
"Run!"
The serfs in the southern wheat fields screamed.
They fled frantically through the fields, men and women, old and young.
It was as if they had seen some terrifying monster.
The young noble climbed off the peasant woman.
Standing in the field, he looked at the terrified serfs with confusion.
When he glanced toward the southern horizon, his pupils shrank.
A black shadow was sweeping across the golden ocean of wheat.
Though distant, the thunder of hooves grew louder.
The black mass stretched for several kilometers.
It surged toward them.
The young noble's face changed dramatically.
He turned and sprinted toward his horse.
Meanwhile, in the southern fields, the sound of marching echoed.
A massive goblin army was advancing.
Stretching for kilometers, the black tide was endless.
The army numbered no less than thirty thousand.
And this was only the vanguard.
More goblins were advancing in staggered formations behind them.
Staggered marching helped avoid annihilation by enemy god-level magic.
In the sky, floating warships had come within range.
Gogo City lay five kilometers to the north.
"Open fire! Blast those humans to hell!"
On the flagship's deck, a goblin warrior roared.
Thunderous cannon fire filled the air.
"Boom! Boom!" The sounds echoed across the sky.
The floating ships' sides flashed with dense bursts of fire.
Dark magic cannons spewed flames.
Seconds later, explosions rocked the sky over Gogo City.
Fireball-shaped mushroom clouds rose into the air.
The deafening roar shook the land.
The sudden attack made Gogo City's magic barrier appear.
Ripples spread where the bombardment struck.
A pale blue magic shield quickly enveloped the city.
"Damn it, Gogo City's got a turtle shell too!"
The goblin warrior cursed furiously at the sight.
"That's no ordinary magic barrier. It's a crystal barrier!"
The raven on his shoulder explained.
"What should I do then?"
"Keep bombarding it. A single crystal shard can't last long."
The barrage drew the young noble's attention as he galloped along.
He glanced up at the floating ships in confusion.
What were those booming things?
Gogo City even activated its crystal barrier.
Could it be a major invasion?
But by whom?
Inside Gogo City, panic reigned.
The civilians never imagined war would reach their city.
In the Earl's Manor at Gogo City:
"Didn't expect the goblins to come this fast."
A figure in luxurious robes stood at the study window.
His face was grim as he stared at the sky.
Wittes had long received reports about the borderlands.
Although Golan Plains neighbored the borderlands,
Wittes hadn't believed the war would spill into Golan Plains.
But today, goblins were knocking at the door.
"Strange. Why would goblins attack Gogo City?"
It made no sense to him.
Goblins were carnivores.
Targeting grain didn't make sense.
Moreover, the war in the borderlands had just begun.
Pushing this deep into Irisis Principality was extremely risky.
One mistake could lead to their annihilation.
"Also, what kind of weapon is that?"
The flaming mushroom clouds in the sky filled Wittes with dread.
Goblins with floating ships?
Goblins with powerful ship-mounted weapons?
Weapons whose blasts rivaled high-level war magic?
How was this possible?
"Knock knock!"
Urgent knocking interrupted his thoughts.
Wittes took a deep breath and sat back at his desk.
"Come in."
The door opened with a click.
A guard in red armor hurried in.
"My lord, a message from the Grand Duke!"
The guard placed a scroll on the desk.
Wittes opened it and frowned.
The Grand Duke had ordered him to prepare grain for the army.
As the biggest landowner on Golan Plains, he had no choice.
Gogo City was the closest city to the borderlands.
The Grand Duke wanted it as a supply base.
With Gogo City, troops entering the borderlands wouldn't need to worry about logistics.
But the Grand Duke hadn't expected Gogo City itself to become a battlefield.
Wittes quickly penned a letter with a quill.
"Deliver this to the Adventurer Guild for immediate transmission to the Grand Duke!"
The Adventurer Guild could send messages over long distances via magic arrays.
"Yes, my lord!"
The guard took the letter and ran out, closing the door behind him.
"Hope we can hold for a few days..."
Wittes glanced out the window at the sky.
The crystal used for the barrier had been obtained by his father fifty years ago.
He never thought it would actually be needed.
If the barrier fell, Gogo City wouldn't stand against the goblin assault.
The city's peace had lasted too long.
Their military strength was minimal.
Enough for law enforcement,
But not for large-scale warfare.
As the Principality's granary,
Gogo City wasn't expected to maintain strong forces.
None of the lords on Golan Plains were.
The Grand Duke didn't want powerful lords controlling the food supply.
Outside the city, thousands of meters high,
The floating ships continued bombarding the crystal barrier.
The thunder of cannon fire shook the heavens.
"Fire! Fire! Smash their turtle shell!"
The goblins on deck were boiling with excitement.
They wanted to see explosions among human crowds.
Captains barked orders to keep up the bombardment.
"Gobupao, cease fire!"
A familiar voice startled the goblin captain on the flagship.
He looked toward the ship's prow.
There he saw a familiar figure.
A human—the King himself!
The King leaned on the railing, gazing toward Gogo City.
"Cease fire! Cease fire!"
Gobupao quickly relayed the command.
Urgent horns blared from the flagship's lookout tower.
The floating fleet gradually stopped its bombardment.
"My king, why have you come?"
Gobupao ran up, fawning.
"The main event hasn't arrived yet. You wanna waste all the ammo already?"
Li Meng glanced at the unusually large Gobupao.
Gobupao shrank his neck and chuckled awkwardly.
"My king, those human turtle shells are so annoying. I... I lost control!"
Li Meng turned back toward Gogo City.
He focused on the pale blue barrier.
He could sense the crystal's power within the city,
But it was weak, likely from a large crystal shard.
"Still, we shouldn't do nothing. Fire a few shots each day."
"Yes, my king!"
---
Irisis Principality.
Twilight Valley, Cross Fortress.
Located at the Principality's center,
Twilight Valley's mountain range connected many territories.
It was the Principality's most vital transportation hub.
By afternoon, Cross Fortress was bustling.
The fortress and its surroundings were packed with troops.
Even the valleys outside were filled with tents.
"What? The goblin army invaded Golan Plains?"
In the fortress hall, a middle-aged armored man exclaimed.
The letter in his hand made Douglas's face darken.
He paced back and forth before his seat.
His expression kept changing.
The Principality's army was gathering,
Ready to march to the borderlands.
No one expected the goblins to bypass the borderlands and strike Golan Plains.
It had only been a month!
Their speed was terrifying.
"Where did goblins get so many floating ships?"
That was what baffled Douglas the most.
The reason for their sudden deep strike wasn't hard to guess.
Clearly, they used floating ships to quickly deploy.
But where did goblins get them?
"We can't wait anymore. Summon all the lords to the war council!"
If Gogo City fell,
Supplying the army would become much harder.
"Yes, sir!"
A messenger hurried off.
Within an hour, the lords gathered in the hall.
"Goblins are besieging Gogo City. The army must march immediately to its aid. Golan Plains is our granary. We cannot lose it. These goblins are not what you imagine—they are smarter, more organized, and have many elites. They even have floating ships. I don't know if someone is behind them, but we must win this war."
The news stunned the lords.
What were the borderland lords doing?
How could they let goblins invade Golan Plains?
"Are these even goblins?"
Among the crowd stood two young adventurers, around twenty.
Lily whispered behind Kain.
Her words made the other members of the hero squad uneasy.
The goblins they knew couldn't do this.
They couldn't imagine stone axe-wielding goblins achieving this.
"Maybe goblins in Goblin Forest were tamed by barbarians?" Marina speculated.
Goblins alone couldn't manage this.
Even legendary goblin kings weren't major threats.
Kain, clad in silver armor, scanned the powerful figures across the room.
They wore heavy armor or mage robes, radiating strength.
"Cavalry will ride by land, following the river. I have ordered supply towns along the way. Infantry will travel by water. The army will assemble at Wells Farm on Golan Plains. Count Kalend, stay at Cross Fortress and guide reinforcements."
Douglas issued orders smoothly.
"Everyone, war is upon us. To battle! March!"
Douglas raised his hand.
The army assembled at Cross Fortress set out.
By afternoon, dust filled the valleys as tens of thousands marched to River Valley Town.
There they would board ships to Golan Plains.
The lords' cavalry units departed separately,
Riding along the Great River to Golan Plains.
"Has the dragon knight corps arrived yet?"
As sunset approached,
Douglas stood atop the fortress wall with another man.
Both wore heavy armor.
Kalend looked up at the blood moon.
By day, one could faintly see the blood moon was a giant magic array.
"They've entered the Principality. They should reach us in three days."
"Douglas, what do you think that is?"
Douglas glanced up at the blood moon.
"I don't know. Since it appeared, the dead leave no bodies. The world feels like a labyrinth, and humans like dungeon monsters—killed and turned to dust."
Both men looked lost.
The changes in the world were one thing.
The being behind the blood moon was truly terrifying.
Only gods could change the world itself.
"Could it be related to the demons?"
Kalend remembered the demons.
The blood moon had appeared after their invasion.
It was suspicious.
"No. If it were the demons, they would've conquered the world by now."
Douglas's answer made sense.
If the blood moon was a demon weapon,
The demons wouldn't still be stuck on their continent.
But could it all just be coincidence?