The black sun hangs high

Chapter 166 Times have changed
In the time leading up to the battle, Hugh had been trying to absorb and digest the memories he had taken from the Dark Abyss Spawn.

This time, he specifically selected a considerable portion of the memories of the soldiers of the Kingdom of Delan for in-depth study. The key content he absorbed included, but was not limited to, the combat habits and experiences of the Delan soldiers, several different Delan local languages, and some knowledge related to the Black Forest Town.

He even mentally simulated and imagined several offensive and defensive scenarios using his knowledge of the Voltel and Delan armies, but when the battle officially began, Hugh still felt an unprecedented shock and impact.

There is always a huge difference between what we know about war through images, words, and memories, and what we experience after personally stepping onto the battlefield.

In the Kingdom of Votel, every military force has a traceable history and origin. From the very beginning, they were given different functions, missions and responsibilities. As a result, when they take action, they will exhibit their own unique temperament and style.

The Hunter Corps may not be the ace unit in the Kingdom of Walter today, but without a doubt, they are the elite that best embodies the "falcon" spirit.

Soaring high in the sky, searching for prey, waiting for the right opportunity.

When the time is right, he transforms into a cold-blooded and ruthless hunter, delivering a fatal blow to his prey.

For the new recruits who had just joined the Hunter Regiment and had not yet experienced real combat, such a temperament was still very distant. However, at this moment, the veterans in the Fifth Hunter Regiment set the most vivid and perfect example for their juniors.

The moment they received the order to attack, they began to meticulously execute every step of the plan.

Leave the woods where you are hiding, head towards the designated location along the riverbank, aim at your target, and fire without hesitation.

The first wave of attackers had a simple objective: to control the riverbanks ahead, provide sustained fire support to the enemy, cover the mages as they constructed temporary magical fortifications, and lay the groundwork for subsequent offensive operations.

As one of the most outstanding Stream-level mages in the current Fifth Hunter Regiment, Shug naturally joined this offensive echelon, which is both dangerous and glorious.

However, unlike the spellcasters who moved slowly behind the soldiers, Hugh was holding a standard revolver rifle, and his rifle's cylinder was filled with specially made full-power crystal bullets.

Having witnessed firsthand Hugh's veteran-level shooting skills and accuracy, the mage Klaus specifically requested three portions of crystal ammunition for him. This gave him a crucial responsibility: to locate key targets on the opposite bank's defenses during the journey and give them "the warmest greetings."

With his magical perception fully extended, the figures and movements of the spellcasters from the Law Committee in the distance were as dazzling as candlelight in the night. He quickly located his first target and immediately pulled the trigger of his revolver.

"boom!"

Faced with such powerful crystalline ammunition, all soundproofing rituals became meaningless. A terrifying roar echoed at the edge of the woods, and the bullet, powerful enough to damage the weapon itself, flew directly toward the Dharma Committee mage who was busy performing a protective ritual.

This mage clearly had some battlefield experience. Before casting the protective ritual for the position, he had already set up two layers of magical barriers on himself. However, he did not expect to suffer such treatment at the very first moment after the start of the battle.

In the magical explosion triggered by the crystallized ammunition, the two magical barriers shattered like glass on the spot, while bullets from other soldiers easily penetrated the mage's body, extinguishing the spellcaster's life and breath along with the protective ritual that was about to be completed.

"First."

Hughes read it softly.

As the revolver's cylinder spun, a large amount of magical steam was released, followed by the firing of a second bullet. This time, Hugh's target changed to the bunker located on the right side of the bridge, where the firing ports were firing deadly crystal bullets at the advancing mercenary soldiers.

The chaotic light and the narrow windows of the bunker did nothing to hinder Hugh's shooting. With a second boom, a violent magical explosion erupted inside the bunker, and large amounts of blood mist even drifted out from the firing windows. The extent of the carnage was self-evident.

However, the Black Forest Infantry Regiment's counterattack came extremely quickly.

Although the crystal guns they used could not provide high-frequency fire, there were magic crystal cannons already set up behind the position. Soon, cannonballs landed among the advancing hunter soldiers. In the magical explosions and shockwaves they created, individual courage and perseverance seemed insignificant. Hugh even saw a soldier being directly blown into the air, his body even disintegrating in the magical explosions and scattering everywhere.

A river and six bridges spanning it form this unique Black Forest battlefront. Deaths occur constantly on both sides of the river, yet the demise of individuals cannot stop the conflict between the two sides.

At this moment, the entire Fifth Hunter Regiment had completely ended its magical silence. As a lake-level magic scholar, Vilin finally had the opportunity to fully demonstrate her magical abilities. Under her leadership, a special rifle squad composed of mage apprentices followed closely behind the first echelon and appeared in the sight of the Delan people. The complex magic runes that had been prepared in advance were completed in an instant. Under the cover of a large-scale magical protective ritual, these mage apprentices who were new to the battlefield crawled on the ground as required by their training.

The revolver rifles they carried differed from those used by the other soldiers—they were longer and had additional bipods.

The mage apprentices, who had already mastered the "magical arrow" trick, immediately began similar operations upon receiving Virin's order. Amidst the dense gunfire and deafening explosions, they gritted their teeth, molded their limited magic power into long, narrow magical bullets, and tremblingly loaded them into the revolving magazine.

"Calm down, don't overthink it... You're safe."

At this moment, the female scholar's words became clearer. Her cold tone, combined with the surging magic, soothed the thoughts and emotions of these magic apprentices who were stepping onto the battlefield for the first time. Then, the large-scale magic that had been used in dense firing arrays in the past began to take effect, and the stable magic circuits connected the magic of all the shooters together.

Thus, everything related to magic in the distance became clearly visible in their field of vision.

The next second, this special mage rifle squad began its firing mission. The crystal cannons, far from the defensive line and constantly putting pressure on the mercenary regiment, became the primary targets of these special shooters. They didn't need to do much; they simply repeated the same few simple actions.

Construct bullets, load them, aim, and fire.

Although these archers were not as accurate as the experienced soldiers, the relatively stable shooting environment and the magical ritual light and shadow that enveloped them and emitted a slight hum gave them great confidence and allowed them to play their true role at this moment.

By this time, Hugh had already reached the riverbank with the first echelon. After barely managing to withstand two crystal bullets fired from the opposite bank using his magical protection and several Karron's Touches, Hugh immediately raised his revolver to retaliate. After firing the last two high-powered bullets from the magazine, he immediately put down the revolver, picked up his spellbook, and began constructing temporary shelters with the other spellcasters who had arrived at the front.

This task sounds complicated, but it's actually quite simple.

Cast three to four different war spells in a pre-calculated order, using the mud and rocks from the riverbank as basic materials to forcibly construct shelters that can be used to avoid bullets and the aftershocks of magical explosions. Afterward, reinforce them with magic multiple times to ensure that these shelters can function for a certain period of time.

Thus, amidst the fierce counterattack of the Delans, a seemingly crude but incredibly important wall was erected on the riverbank. Once the reinforcement process was fully completed, spellcasters specializing in battlefield protection rituals immediately hid behind the low wall to construct layer upon layer of protective rituals to ensure that subsequent soldiers could continue their advance.

At this delicate distance, direct confrontation between the mages became inevitable.

The members of the Law Committee unleashed a variety of lethal magic, displaying absolute confidence in their abilities. Some of these spellcasters even began attempting to dismantle the temporary bunkers built by the Jaeger Corps using complex rituals.

In their view, the actions of these Votel soldiers were foolish; they had paid such a high price just to build some earthen walls that wouldn't last long.
"This is completely meaningless!"

The mages of the Legal Committee thought so, and so did the officers of the Delan Army in the defensive line. So they immediately issued orders to the rear, and soon a special team arrived from the rear into the defensive line where the battle was taking place.

Unlike ordinary Delan soldiers, the members of this team wore dark blue cloaks and were equipped with sturdy armor and two silver swords, one long and one short. In addition, they each carried a new type of crystal gun.

Just as Verine had guessed, the Iris Guard existed in Black Forest Town.

Moreover, this is a special guard force that has already gained the support of Merlinler and has taken a large amount of magic potions. They even carry small portable arcane devices, which gives them the confidence to roam freely in small-scale battlefields and conflicts.

"Don't let them get near the bridge! Destroy their makeshift shelters and eliminate their mages!"

The Iris Guard immediately began to carry out the orders they had received. Before everyone's eyes, these warriors, who had served as the royal guards of the Delan Kingdom and the capital, rushed out of the defensive line with nimble steps. Under the cover of magic, cannonballs, and crystal bullets, they rushed onto the bridge and met the members of the Jaeger Corps who were also trying to cross it.

As a special existence renowned throughout Vaan, these terrifying magic swordsmen immediately displayed their true power. Their presence seemed to declare to everyone present that the age of magic was not over. They were fearless in the face of the firing of revolver rifles and the explosions caused by alchemical bombs. As a result, the hunter assault team that attempted to climb the bridge suffered heavy casualties in the first instance.

Blades forged from sharded silver can easily suppress incoming lethal magic, and can also easily slice through the human body and break through magical defenses.

For a moment, the offensive momentum of the Hunter Corps was forcibly halted by these warriors wielding sharp blades and guns.

"Damn it, how did the era revert back again?"

Hugh cursed under his breath, for he saw that the Iris Guard had split into two groups, and one of them was sweeping directly toward his location. Not far away, a Stream-level mage had become their primary target. Seeing that the council mage's head was about to be severed on the spot, Hugh decisively stood up, Hound's Fang in his hand. With a terrifying roar that chilled the soul, a strange bullet flew directly toward the Iris Guard at the forefront.

The power emanating from the Dark Abyss Palace is ultimately unmatched by ordinary magic.

Before the guard could react, his body and the small grimoire he wore were torn apart by the strange power of the palace hounds, leaving only his two arms and the silver swords they held on the ground.

Such a bizarre and terrifying scene attracted the attention of almost everyone, and Hugh naturally became the primary target of these Iris Guards.

Just as Hugh was ready to expose all his abilities to fight these terrifying mage killers, a sound that made the members of the hunters feel great but left the Delan soldiers completely astonished suddenly came from the direction of the woods.

It was so dense and continuous, like a sudden storm that had descended upon the land, that it enveloped the Iris Guards who were trying to destroy the attacking echelon of the Jaeger Regiment.

That was a rain of bullets.

It was a terrifying scene depicted by countless metals.

Under the barrage of several Karvan heavy machine guns that had already emerged from the woods and begun their bloody work, the Iris Guards, who had rashly advanced onto the Jaeger Regiment's attack route, immediately paid a heavy price for Commander Delan's erroneous decision.

Times have changed after all.

(End of this chapter)