The black sun hangs high

Chapter 407 Dirty Things

We should do everything possible to combine forces from different fields and make the most of limited resources within a limited timeframe.

A solid foundation, reliable technology, strong support from the government and military systems... plus a few novel ideas in the field of weapons.

This is the main reason why Walter's weapons craftsmen and experts have always been able to make achievements in this field.

Ever since Walter's soldiers began to be wary of their former northern allies, these master craftsmen have received a new order—they need to help Walter's army develop a new defensive strategy that is both stealthy, flexible, and practical in the border regions.

Over time, the railway tracks laid out in the plateau region and the heavy steam armored trains that could be quickly mobilized by them became the focus of these craftsmen's attention.

In fact, the Saint Steel army had already set an example in previous wars.

In order to make the heavy crystal cannons, which could only be placed in fixed locations in the past, play a greater role in offensive operations, the people of Saint Steel pioneered the installation of them on heavy steam trains, and in the early stages of the war, they did indeed play an extremely amazing role.

This transformation was further developed under the tutelage of the artisans and mages of Walter.

In addition to using trains and rails to give those heavy creatures more flexible movement and transfer capabilities, the Water people also specially constructed a variety of new rituals for concealment and protection for these trains.

Under the protection of these magical spells, an artillery position that can be mobilized at any time and arrive at different locations to launch attacks is perfectly concealed. Under normal circumstances, it can be hidden in any location with railway tracks, and when a situation arises, it can enter combat status at the fastest speed and carry out its mission.

Now, this ferocious steel behemoth finally has the opportunity to unleash its power.

Several mages from the Water Council, who had already settled on the armored train, entered their designated ceremonial positions. Based on the precise locations and coordinates provided from the rear, they rigorously calibrated and guided the heavy weapons mounted on the armored train.

Unlike other new crystal cannons used by the Votel army, these behemoths mounted on armored trains are actually closer to traditional heavy crystal cannons, and they were originally prepared for the previous war.

Because of the interruption of the war, their anger was ultimately unable to be vented on the land of the Plains Kingdom.

Fortunately, they have finally gotten the chance to shine.

After sacrificing its original advantages such as flexibility, lightness, and low cost, these heavy crystal cannons have gained unprecedented and exaggerated advantages in other areas, namely range and power. According to the precise calculations of the council mages, the bombardment of these heavy crystal cannons can reach multiple defensive lines and some positions of the Northern Saint Steel army!

Of course, none of them were the targets of this round of shelling.

A series of complex tasks were completed swiftly within fifteen minutes. Finally, accompanied by a series of violent magical shocks, these ferocious, metallic beasts roared deafeningly towards the distant sky. Large, incredibly powerful cannonballs flew into the distance with the expulsion of massive amounts of steam. Intricate magic and rigorous rituals would guide them toward their destination.

"..."

A young artilleryman looked nervously at the council mage beside him and asked cautiously, "Are we... are we declaring war on the Black Sun Society?"

The council mage examined the magical path in the sky and replied softly, "Of course not. After all, they declared war on the entire Vaan from the very beginning. We have long been in a state of war, but many people have been unwilling to admit it."

With that, the mage took two steps forward and stepped once again into the ritual area used to calibrate and guide the giant cannon.

A moment later, the new round of corrections and guidance was completed, and the council mage left the ceremony site. He sat wearily on the ammunition box next to him and said with a gloomy expression, "Every move of Saint Steel, or rather the Black Sun Society, is constantly testing our endurance. They will not back down, nor will they eliminate their hostility towards us... As soldiers, we have no chance to be neighbors with such a terrifying existence."

"Therefore, I fully support the decision made above... Rather than waiting for the monsters summoned by the Black Sun Society to descend upon us, it's better to blast them into mincemeat before they do any of these things."

……

"Boom! Boom!"

One after another, booming sounds echoed in the central square of Watchtower City.

The source of these explosions was not cannonballs, but rather bursts of magical energy generated by Hugh during his battles with his opponents.

Various destructive spells supported by normal magic and countless strange rituals derived from those ancient traces are constantly colliding. Blazing flames burn and die out, and gloomy mists sometimes thicken and sometimes thin.

The stench of blood in the air grew stronger, and mixed in with it was a horrible odor that was difficult to describe in normal language.

It was a projection cast from the dark abyss behind the black sun, a filthy paint mixed with countless desperate and distorted emotions.

"Boom!"

The double-barreled crystal gun that Hugh had casually picked up finally reached the end of its lifespan.

After Hugh fired several high-powered magic bullets in succession, the immense burden finally caused the crystal gun to shatter. However, Hugh no longer needed it at that moment.

Countless Karljun Touches were released by Hugh, and the swarm of rats, commanded by the will of the Ernst family, began to appear around them under the cover of the Fate Roots.

The Black Sun Society members who had previously tried to retreat to the edge of the square to free up the central battlefield are now completely tied down. Under the combined interference of the rat swarm and the Root Illusion, they have had to abandon their support for the mutated Society members and instead deal with these annoying adversaries who directly threaten their own safety.

However, Hugh's situation did not improve much as a result.

Kuzlov himself didn't seem to intend to directly participate in the battle against Hugh. He simply quietly manipulated the Black Sun Ritual, continuously injecting dense Dark Abyss magic into the bodies of the Society members who had arrived at the scene and received the Dark Abyss's "blessing." These bizarre, extremely ferocious enemies, possessing both physical and magical advantages, put immense pressure on Hugh.

After a member of the Society suddenly appeared with numerous twisted limbs growing from his back and spider eyes appearing on his face, and almost pierced through the defenses constructed by the Touch of Karron, Hugh finally pulled out the "Hound's Fang".

This action also signifies an acceleration of the battle.

As Hugh pulled the trigger of "Hound's Fang," the uniquely styled pistol immediately emitted a roar unlike any other firearm. The instant this sound rang out, all those in the plaza who had received the blessings and favors of the Dark Abyss Court fell into a state of profound stunned silence.

Whether they were spellcasters studying the magic of the Dark Abyss, those grotesque humanoids who had undergone mutations, or the Dark Hounds of the Black Sun Society who arrived later, they all trembled in fear at the roar of the true court hounds.

This brief pause was fatal.

Court hounds are ruthless hunters and predators; they are not knights with noble spirits, nor do they have any habit of fair duels.

Therefore, from the moment it appeared, it revealed its most ferocious and terrifying side.

The target of Hugh's shooting was a Society member whose body had swollen to the point of being enormous, with most of his body growing into the shape of a shadow giant.

Now, its swollen black body has been torn open from the inside by the palace hounds. As it crawls out, the ferocious predator even takes a couple of bites at the dissipating dark abyssal magic and swallows it whole.

Immediately afterwards, the palace hound set its sights on its next target.

That is, the Society member who is standing on the other side of Hugh, who also has the characteristics of the Dark Abyss Spider, and is trying to break through the defense of Karron's Touch by using his twisted limbs.

Just as the crimson eyes of the palace hound began to flash, the incredibly powerful and eerie figure with countless limbs growing from its back suddenly stopped moving. It let out a piercing shriek, then abandoned its previous actions and began to retreat directly backward.

Perhaps because the blessing and power were bestowed upon him by a spider from the Dark Abyss, a dense mist of the Dark Abyss emerged from the body of this member of the society. Under the cover of this mist, his figure became indistinct and almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

However, to the palace hounds, this behavior was utterly meaningless.

In the past, it would have been cautious because of the Dark Abyss Spider characteristics on its target, but after "tasting" the prey, only greed remained in the hound's scarlet eyes.

With a slight twist of its body, it vanished into the shadows. The next instant, the dark mist that had concealed the figures of the society members was violently torn apart, and the agile figure of the court hound emerged from it, its spider-like limbs on its back thrusting out in a certain direction at an extremely fast speed.

After a series of crisp cracking sounds, came the chilling sounds of tearing and chewing.

Along with this came a sense of spiritual satisfaction and pleasure.

Clearly, hunting these prey, which bore the distinct characteristics of creatures from the Dark Abyss, allowed the court hounds, far from their "homeland," to once again experience the brutal pleasure hidden deep within their bodies and instincts.

Just then, an unusually bright magical energy surged from afar, and in the blink of an eye, a gloomy dark green light flashed across the night sky diagonally above.

Hughes reacted extremely quickly. The moment the warning signal sounded in his mind, he began to use the Mirror Messenger's Mist to dodge as far away as possible, and summoned a large number of Karron's Touches to his side, constructing several layers of protective magic on their surfaces.

The next instant, the dark green light slammed down like a giant nail onto the spot where Hugh had been standing. Immediately afterward, a large amount of dark green lightning erupted from the nail, spreading rapidly outward along the ground and easily catching up with Hugh, who was dodging.

Hughes had seen this terrifying color when he first attended a Black Sun Society gathering.

This terrifying magical lightning appears to be a unique type of magic mastered by Krzlov, not only in its bizarre form but also in its astonishing power.

The protective magic attached to the surface of the Karron Touches went into disarray the moment it came into contact with the current. The original stable structure was completely disrupted by the violence, causing them to disintegrate.

Immediately afterwards, these dark green lights touched the Touch of Calron behind them, and the tough black keratin was continuously torn apart under its influence. A considerable portion of the Touch of Calron was even torn into magical fragments on the spot.

Protected by the vast Abyss Mist, Hugh finally managed to escape the pursuit of this magic, but the price he paid was quite severe—the Kalron Touches surrounding him were almost completely destroyed, the Mirror Messenger Mist within his body began to thin, and Hugh himself also suffered injuries.

A horrible, bloody hole appeared on Hugh's shoulder, caused by nothing more than a faint spark of electricity emanating from Kerzlov's magic.

Hugh stopped and looked in the direction where the magical energy had previously surged. He saw that Krzylov, who had been manipulating the Black Sun Rift, was walking towards him. His appearance did not seem to have changed much, but in his eyes, a dense shadow of darkness was constantly rolling.

"That old man did something pretty ruthless, but he's also quite clever."

As an existence closely connected to the Abyss, Theseus immediately noticed Krzlov's current state and earnestly reminded him: "Embracing the Abyss on a physical level will only turn you into another creation of the Abyss, but if you can accept those powers on a spiritual level and maintain their balance, then you can make the most of the court's 'favors'."

Hugh reached up and touched his shoulder, forcibly erasing the destructive magic that remained in his body. He asked himself, "You mean, this guy belongs to the latter?"

"Yes, the answer is correct."

Theseus replied, "Right now, he's actually closer to the Abyss than those weirdos... It's a convergence of spirit and magic. Be careful, if he really wants to fight you to the death, he might break that balance on his own, and that action could very well turn him into some kind of filthy thing that's very difficult to deal with."

(End of this chapter)