69novels Page 67
Page 67
Liu Tianyu dodged Count Axel's heavy blow with a flash of movement, then raised the greatsword he was gripping tightly with both hands high and smashed it down hard on Count Axel's head, which was wearing a mithril helmet!
"Oh!"
After the loud noise, a deep crack was slashed into Count Axel's mithril helmet, and the force surged directly into his brain through the crack, causing his head to buzz.
"Ahem!"
Count Axel's face was extremely grim, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the mithril helmet inside, making it difficult for him to breathe, and causing his attacks to slow down.
Strike while the iron is hot! Liu Tianyu showed no mercy, his giant sword attacks becoming increasingly swift, soon as fast as a hurricane.
Under repeated slashes and thrusts, Count Axel's robust body crashed to the ground, his breath barely audible beneath his massive helmet.
At this moment, Count Axel hoped to use the healing spell again to recover some of his strength and continue fighting.
Unfortunately, Liu Tianyu was faster. As the tip of the greatsword pierced his chest, Count Axel finally closed his eyes and lost all life.
"Pfft!"
Soon, Liu Tianyu pulled the greatsword, stained with bright red, from Count Axel's chest and then flicked it with a flourish!
"The Earl of Axel is dead!"
"Count Axel is dead! Surrender now!"
"Your master has been killed by our lord, so surrender now!"
Upon seeing this, the Khergit lancers and veteran Khergit horse archers, who had been circling and shooting on the edge of the battlefield, immediately spurred their horses and shouted at the surrounding area.
The soldiers of Count Axel, who were already struggling to hold on, collapsed in an instant when they saw the Count's corpse being carried by the Khergit lancers.
No one dared to charge the Stormwind Territory's army formation like madmen anymore, nor would anyone continue to fight the Stormwind Territory soldiers one-on-one, disregarding their own lives.
They abandoned their opponents and turned to flee in the opposite direction.
Even if the remaining knights shouted themselves hoarse and even drew their swords to kill the deserters, they could not stop their rout.
In an instant, Count Axel's entire army abandoned the will to fight.
Only one thought remained in their minds!
Run! Run now! Escape this place of trouble! Run back to Axel!
Seeing that the situation was beyond saving, the remaining knights and cavalrymen quickly pulled on the reins and fled for their lives.
As for the infantrymen who only had two legs, they immediately resorted to dirty tricks when they saw that the cavalry had almost disappeared.
After all, there's a saying that goes, "When being chased by a lion, the goal isn't to outrun the lion, but to outrun your own companions!"
Therefore, while running away, he also tripped up those around him, either pushing them down or, more simply, stabbing them with a sword, causing them to fall to the ground and wail in pain.
Anyway, as long as I outrun my companions, the Stormwind soldiers will target those who are slower.
Thus, the rout of Count Axel's army was nothing but chaos.
The deserters desperately fled the battlefield, heading towards Axel, hoping to escape back to their base in time. They believed that once back at their base, with the city walls intact, Viscount Storm would have no chance of breaching Axel.
Now they have only one belief left: to escape back to Axel and survive!
"All men, listen to my command! Charge!"
As Liu Tianyu gave his final order, a series of loud horn calls rang out, and all of Stormwind Territory's troops pressed forward.
Everyone strode forward, frantically chasing after the fleeing Count Axel's routed soldiers.
At this moment, Liu Tianyu stood on a high, protruding hillside, riding Snow Shadow, watching the fleeing soldiers of Count Axel and the Stormbringer soldiers chasing after them.
Liu Tianyu thought to himself:
"From now on, with the elite forces of Axel City gone, it's only a matter of time before Axel City falls into my hands."
"Then I will be able to inherit Count Axel's legacy, possessing Axel's territory and the Stormy Steppes. Finally, I will have a place in this world!"
At this moment, Liu Tianyu looked towards the direction of the northern province. In the distance was the city of Axel, and even further away was the capital of the kingdom, known as the crown of the kingdom!
Defeating Count Axel is by no means the end.
On the contrary, this is merely a trivial beginning.
After all, he was not facing a mere Earl of Axel, but the behemoth that was the kingdom.
No, compared to the threat that the entire continent of Tyrem is about to face, even the kingdom seems insignificant!
As if he had thought of something, Liu Tianyu turned his gaze away from the distance and raised his head high.
The sky above remained a clear blue, and the sun shone warmly and gently, seemingly proclaiming a peaceful and serene world.
But Liu Tianyu seemed to see it: the sky suddenly turned a fel-green color, and one after another, meteorites emitting a ghastly green hue fell from the sky, smashing deep craters into the Storm Plains.
Finally, one after another, massive granite hands, burning with fel-evil green flames, crawled out of the deep pit, posing a catastrophic threat...
"breathe……"
Liu Tianyu took a deep breath, closed his eyes again, and then opened them again. The sky was still a clear blue, as if the ghastly green he had just witnessed was merely an illusion.
However, he understood that if he didn't hurry, his so-called fantasy would turn into a real scene, and everything would be burned to ashes by the Burning Legion!
"Hmph, one day, whether it's the Kingdom, the Seven Shields Alliance, or even the Burning Legion, I will trample them all under my feet!"
When the time comes, I will definitely build myself an exquisite bronze coffin and raise nine different giant dragons!
"When I die, I want to see just how impressive the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin really is!"
At this moment, Liu Tianyu looked out over the vast and boundless Stormy Grassland and set a great and far-reaching goal!
[Ding, you have won. Casualties:]
[Our casualties: Nord Royal Guards (8 wounded, 6 dead), Vaegir Guards (9 wounded, 8 dead), Sarranid Guards (6 wounded, 9 dead), Swadian Knights (9 wounded, 9 dead), Vaegir Knights (4 wounded, 13 dead), Sarranid Mamluks (7 wounded, 12 dead), Vaegir Archers (2 wounded, 4 dead), Rhodok Archers (2 wounded, 1 dead), Swadian Snipers (6 wounded, 1 dead), Nord Veteran Soldiers (4 wounded, 10 dead), Vaegir Infantry (3 wounded, 13 dead), Sarranid Infantry (2 wounded, 12 dead).]
Enemy casualties: Kingdom's Death Slayers (6 wounded, 26 dead), Kingdom's Armored Cavalry (10 wounded, 20 dead), Kingdom's Halberdiers (10 wounded, 24 dead), Kingdom's Veteran Archers (14 wounded, 22 dead), Kingdom's Swordsmen (9 wounded, 33 dead), Kingdom's Cavalry (19 wounded, 50 dead), Kingdom's Archers (11 wounded, 31 dead).
[The loot has been automatically added to your inventory. Your inventory is full. Please clear some space!]
Upon hearing the system notification, Liu Tianyu finally turned his attention to the battlefield, which was nothing but a scene of utter carnage!
But for the sake of hegemony, it's all worth it!
Chapter Ninety-Six: Black Dragon Drogon Appears
“Every time I come to the walls of Axel, I feel a surge of pride, but for some reason, this time the feeling is particularly strong!”
The day after cleaning up the battlefield and settling the wounded, Liu Tianyu led all the energetic soldiers toward Axel.
"The city gates of Axel are now closed and the drawbridge is down. Clearly, someone escaped back yesterday and informed the people in the city of the news of Count Axel's defeat!"
Your Excellency, as you can see, the soldiers on the city wall are already on high alert, and any caravan that arrives will be turned away by them.
"We'll probably have no choice but to build our camp first, then construct siege equipment and prepare for a direct assault!"
Akavi arrived at Liu Tianyu's place, immediately analyzed the situation, and then gave his opinion.
"Hehe, no rush, let's go and greet the general guarding the city first!"
Hearing Akavi's words, Liu Tianyu didn't refute them, but simply smiled. He then spurred his horse forward, and once he was outside the maximum range of the crossbows, he shouted loudly:
"Who is the current city manager of Axel?!"
Upon seeing someone dare to charge up alone, there was some commotion on the city wall. Then, quickly, a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothes, exuding an air of nobility, arrived at the edge of the wall and looked down at Liu Tianyu, asking:
"Hello, young man. I am Streetlamp Esserle, heir to the Count of Axel. May I ask what brings you to my city of Axel with your large army?"
Streetlight Esserle spoke quite politely, without the arrogance of a nobleman, but his use of the phrase "young man" had a rather didactic tone.
In fact, the streetlight was also a little nervous, after all, he had already heard the report from the knight who had escaped back in the early hours of the morning.
In the Battle of Storm Steppe, not only did his father annihilate almost all of Axel's elite troops, but he himself also perished.
The 1,100 men remaining in Axel are mostly militia, with only a small number of regular soldiers.
Looking at the troops behind Liu Tianyu, although they were far fewer in number than their own side, their superior equipment and high morale made it clear that they were the elite of the elite.
Therefore, the streetlight decided it would be better to greet Liu Tianyu in a more friendly manner.
Liu Tianyu was delighted to hear the streetlights' greeting.
Although he didn't recognize the streetlights on the city wall, judging from the heavily guarded state of Axel, Liu Tianyu knew that some survivors must have slipped through the net and escaped back to Axel to report the incident.
As a result, the street lamp was able to suppress his hatred for his father's murder and talk to him kindly. Liu Tianyu instantly sentenced the street lamp to death in his mind!
"Greetings, Your Excellency the new Earl of Axel. I am Liu Tianyu, Viscount of Stormwind Territory. I am here with a heavy heart to deliver some unfortunate news to you. I hope you can bear it!"
After Liu Tianyu finished speaking, he immediately showed a compassionate expression.
The streetlights, unsure of Liu Tianyu's true intentions, could only continue the conversation by asking further questions:
"Greetings, Your Excellency Viscount Storm. First, I must correct you; I am not yet Earl Axel. Second, please speak freely; I can handle any news you may have!"
"It is like this, Your Excellency Earl Axel. The old Earl Axel originally brought his men to Stormy Plains, hoping to have a hunt with me."
Unfortunately, he was ambushed by orcs on the Storm Plains. Although he was incredibly brave, he was still outnumbered and had to serve the great Earth Goddess.
When I arrived with my army, Count Axel's forces had been completely destroyed, and he himself had been killed by the orcs.
After avenging old Count Axel, I immediately brought his body back to Axel, hoping to return to his homeland!
After Liu Tianyu finished speaking with a heavy expression, he waved his hand behind him, and four Nord royal guards immediately carried a stretcher up. On the stretcher was none other than Count Axel's riddled corpse.
Hearing Liu Tianyu's rambling nonsense, and glancing at his father's naked corpse that hadn't been beautified in any way, the street lamp's originally kind face instantly turned red!
Humiliation! Utter humiliation!
Liu Tianyu not only blatantly spouted nonsense, but also wantonly desecrated his father's corpse, making no attempt to conceal it and displaying it in public...
Aside from humiliating the Axel family and making them irreconcilably enemies, Streetlight couldn't fathom what Liu Tianyu's purpose was in doing this.
"Viscount Storm, don't you think what you've done is a bit too much?"
The streetlight took a few deep breaths to calm the raging anger churning in its chest, and gritted its teeth as it spoke.
“Count Axel, what are you saying? When I found old Count Axel, he was already like this. In order to show respect to my respected elder, I dared not disturb his body, so I could only send him back like this.”
"But Earl Axel, I really don't understand your impassioned tone!"
Liu Tianyu looked at the streetlights on the city wall and said with an innocent expression.
"Hey Liu, stop playing dumb and tell me what you really want?"
Seeing Liu Tianyu pretending to be stupid, the streetlight finally tore off its kind mask and roared angrily.
If Liu Tianyu hadn't brought out Count Axel's corpse, no, even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered. But this brat actually brought out Count Axel's naked corpse!
If he doesn't make any statement, what will his subordinates think of him? Does he have no regard for the dignity of the nobility?
“What you said is true. I just wanted Count Axel to return to his roots. Count Streetlight, you wouldn’t want your father to become a box of ashes, would you?”
Seeing the anger etched on the street lamp's face, Liu Tianyu laughed and immediately laid out his terms, looking exactly like the boss in the movie "Little Days".
"Impossible! Don't even think about it!"
Streetlight rejected Liu Tianyu's suggestion without hesitation. He was joking, because his confidence now lay in the solid city walls and deep moat beneath his feet.
If the drawbridge is lowered and the city gates are opened, the remaining militia and small number of regular troops in Axel will likely collapse at the first touch!
"See? Your Excellency Count Axel, it's not that I don't want you to return to your roots! It's that you, as the heir you've chosen, are preventing you from returning to your roots!"
If you unfortunately become a ghost someday, please don't come looking for me! Go find your filial son instead!
Liu Tianyu shook his head, then walked to Count Axel's corpse and shouted loudly.
"..."
"?!"
Upon hearing Liu Tianyu's words, the soldiers beside the lamp all looked at the lamp with slightly meaningful eyes.
To abandon one's own father's corpse and allow it to be ravaged by the enemy is truly...
"What are you looking at? All of you, stay put and keep to your posts! The Earl has his own reasons!"
In addition to coming himself, the streetlamp also brought the seven remaining knights of Axel. Seeing that these peasants dared to look at the new Earl of Axel with strange eyes, he immediately reprimanded them.
"Let's be frank! Viscount Stormwind, as you and I both know, my father coveted your Stormwind Plains, and now that he has unfortunately died in battle, you must have begun to covet my Axel City as well."
"If you're so capable, come and take it yourself! I will guard this wall until I die of old age!"
After finishing speaking, the street lamp punched the city wall, emanating a powerful aura.