Chapter 519: Massacre
"Boom!"
"Hahaha! This is exhilarating! I've never fired like this before!"
"Battle! Exciting!"
At the artillery positions behind the defensive line, the First Artillery Corps commander, the ogre Big Head, laughed uproariously, his massive belly shaking.
"Boom! Boom!"
The artillery crews were in a frenzy, hundreds of heavy cannons firing continuously, raining shells upon the surging demon tide, shaking the very earth.
And in this war, there were over a dozen such artillery corps, each assigned bombardment zones to ensure full firepower coverage.
Big Head deftly loaded several hundred-kilogram shells into a specially designed cannon, launching them with thunderous roars.
Through his binoculars, he saw massive mushroom clouds rise, consuming hundreds of Dretches and Quasits in fiery explosions.
"These demons are born to be target practice!"
The ogre bellowed to the rest of the heavy artillery corps, "Where are those experimental shells from the Science Division? Bring them over!
Haha, I was wondering when we'd get to use them! Let's have these demons personally verify their effectiveness!"
"Boom!"
Another shell detonated midair above the demon army, releasing a cloud of white smoke.
Upon contact with the Dretches, their exposed skin ignited, their decayed flesh melting down to the bone!
"Aagh!"
"Roar—"
Hundreds of demons writhed and howled in agony, rolling on the ground until they were reduced to ashes.
That was white phosphorus.
A brutal weapon, condemned by scholars within the empire, yet perfectly suited for annihilating demons.
"Boom!"
Another shell exploded in the air, releasing not just shrapnel but blinding lightning, instantly knocking down all demons within a hundred-meter radius.
—It was the latest elemental shell developed by the Imperial Science Division, capable of unleashing devastating elemental energy.
Next, shells inscribed with various runes detonated among the demon ranks, erupting in flames, radiant light, force fields, lightning, and even frost, each wreaking havoc on the abyssal horde.
For the demons flying overhead, the empire had even crueler measures—airburst shells that released thousands of razor-sharp fragments, instantly shredding hundreds of flying demons.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The bombardment continued relentlessly, drastically slowing the demon advance.
The sky was crisscrossed with shell trajectories, forming a lethal web over the plains.
The artillery fire became an invisible wall of blood and fire, mercilessly shredding any demon attempting to break through.
Smoke choked the battlefield, the entire wasteland quaking under the bombardment. Craters riddled the most heavily shelled areas, and even hills were flattened.
But the demons were simply too many—even this level of bombardment couldn't stop them completely.
"Advance!"
"Their attacks are meaningless! Move forward! Do you want Lord Jezal Slak to destroy you all?!"
Leo roared amid the shellfire, riding atop his Abyssal Dragon-Beast, his whip cracking in the air.
Dretches feared total annihilation far more than mere battlefield death.
More importantly, they feared higher-ranking demons even more than death itself.
Under Leo's threats, the Dretches charged forward through the relentless bombardment, trampling over their fallen kin.
Another round of explosions erupted, incinerating thousands of demons in an instant.
"Too slow, too slow…
Lord Jezal Slak will not be pleased."
Leo watched the relentless yet steadily dying demon army, deep in thought.
He had long adapted to Abyssal hierarchy, where the weak were disposable—no different from the serfs of the North, mere resources to be expended.
But Dretches were slow and mindless, useless in efficient combat, only good for overwhelming enemies through sheer numbers.
"Pathetic wretches."
Leo gritted his teeth as he watched the artillery carve through the demon ranks like a scythe through weeds.
He knew he had to change the situation to make his revenge possible.
"Berserker Demon Corps, charge!"
He raised his flaming sword and commanded the toad-like Berserker Demons.
Their scaly, armor-like skin oozed filth, and they reeked of corruption.
Berserker Demons were the Abyssal infantry—massive, durable, but dim-witted, easily manipulated by stronger demons into suicidal combat.
"Roar—"
"Crush the humans!"
The Berserker Demon leader raised its fist and led the charge, dozens of its kin following into the artillery barrage.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
Shells rained down, but the Berserker Demons barely flinched, continuing their advance.
Their armored skin and innate fire resistance rendered them nearly impervious to explosions unless directly hit at close range.
Their desires were simple—satisfaction from devouring flesh, and the thrill of smashing beautiful things with their massive fists.
"Hahaha! Their attacks are weak! Charge!"
The Berserker Demon leader laughed maniacally, weaving through the shellfire toward the Empire's defenses.
"Eat these mortals alive! Destroy their empire!"
"Click!"
As the demon charged, a sharp clicking sound came from beneath its feet, accompanied by an unusual sensation.
It glanced down, scratching its head in confusion, before resuming its charge.
The moment it lifted its foot—
"Boom!"
A massive explosion erupted, sending flames skyward, forming a towering mushroom cloud. At this range, even a Berserker Demon suffered grievous injuries.
"Damn you!"
"You worm-spawned cowards! You despicable humans!"
Its once-mighty legs were now charred stumps, and it writhed on the ground, cursing toward the Empire's Wall.
"Click."
Another sharp sound.
The demon turned in disbelief, only to see a flashing red light beneath its crushed torso.
"Boom!"
Another mushroom cloud erupted, this time tearing the demon's body apart, leaving no chance for survival.
The same fate befell dozens of Berserker Demons and thousands of Dretches who had broken through the artillery barrage.
This was the Empire's second gift to the Abyssal invaders—minefields.
Across a thousand-kilometer stretch, two kilometers deep, the Empire had buried over 300,000 mines, a stockpile accumulated over years.
Some were even magically enhanced, capable of instantly killing mid-tier demons.