Chapter 327: Ice Barrier
"No, my Lionheart Knights!"
"Damn the Ember Kingdom!"
Grand Duke Leo stared at the distant inferno, his expression twisted in fury, completely losing his usual composure and calm.
The Lionheart Knights were the Bosque familyâs legacy, the most powerful army in the Northlands, and the key force enabling the Duchy of Bosque to wage war and command respect across nations.
With the destruction of this army, even if they won this war, the Duchy of Bosqueâs position would no longer be as secure as before.
Initially, he had deployed the Lionheart Knights to stabilize the frontlines and slow the enemyâs advance. But he hadnât expected the Ember Kingdomâs army to be so formidable. Even the seemingly invincible Lionheart Knights, who excelled in defensive warfare, couldnât withstand the fiery and disciplined advance of the Dragon-Oath Paladins.
"They... theyâre coming!"
"This is not an enemy we can fight!"
"Quick, run!"
"What do we do? Thereâs fire everywhere!"
Staring at the retreating allied forces, the advancing Ember army, and the scarred ground.
Listening to the howling gunfire, deafening battle cries, and chaotic wails.
Grand Duke Leo raised his head to the dense, white clouds above and murmured softly:
"Lord Oszedro."
He knew that with the Silver Dragonâs mysterious power, his call would be heard, no matter how faint.
Sure enough, a deep voice echoedâit was Oszedro Melward.
"This is a war among mortals. I will not intervene lightly. Over my long life, Iâve learned that lesson many times."
"That dragon of destruction and the red dragon disrupting human order... have not yet appeared."
Leo Bosqueâs body trembled slightly as he slowly knelt on one knee. His bearded lips moved gently.
"I beg you to act, in the name of the supreme ruler of the Northlands."
"Our nation is at a critical juncture. The evil dragon has granted his vassals boundless wicked power that we mortals cannot resist."
His demeanor was almost groveling.
For the first time, the elderly duke felt utterly powerless.
Before such overwhelming entities, his army and nation seemed as insignificant as ants, and even nature itself could be easily altered.
Yet, preserving his position and the Bosque familyâs millennia-long rule was worth any cost.
"Mortal, Iâve witnessed countless dynastic changes. To my eyes, nothing about you is hidden. Someone like you, if not for the sake of order and balance, wouldnât even warrant a single word from me."
"Donât you understand yet?"
"I have already done my utmost. The gap between you and your enemies extends far beyond the power bestowed by that red dragon."
As the retreat intensified around him, Grand Duke Leo abandoned his noble dignity, falling to his knees and pressing his forehead into the icy ground, forming a shallow pit in the snow.
"Lord Oszedro, I only seek to preserve the Northlandâs order! I beg you, whether itâs power or wealth, whatever you desire, we will..."
"Enough."
"Tsk, I canât resist meddling, can I?"
A long sigh echoed from the skies.
Grand Duke Leo immediately looked up, his face filled with relief and delight.
A prolonged draconic chant resounded within the clouds, reverberating across the shattered icy plain.
The ground trembled uncontrollably, and frigid winds howled, leaving everyone on the battlefield shivering.
"Boom!"
Accompanied by a deafening sound and a surge of magical energy, an ice wall stretching for miles and reaching the clouds suddenly rose from the ground, encasing most of the allied soldiers.
The ice wall was thin, less than an inch thick, yet impossibly sturdy, exuding a bone-chilling cold. Even the ogresâ heavy cannons couldnât shatter it, and mere contact would cause frostbite.
[Advanced Ice Barrier]
For a moment, the entire Ember Kingdomâs army was stalled by the spell. Despite their best efforts, they couldnât breach this barrier.
"Damn it, what is this thing?"
"We were about to annihilate the enemyâs main force, and this thing shows up!"
"Where are the ogre heavy cannon squads? Are they just standing around?"
"Stop advancing! Donât get frostbitten!"
On the high slopes of the northern riverbank behind the Ember Kingdomâs formation.
The ogre archmage, Langpu, gazed at the pristine ice wall in the distance, gripping his toothpick-sized staff tightly, his ugly face etched with seriousness.
"Such quality magic..."
"It must be the work of a legendary mage. The silver dragon intervened! Or they have hidden spellcasters, far beyond what the local Anzeta mages could produce!"
Langpu raised his staff, pointing it across the river.
As he chanted, an intensely scorching fireball roared towards the ice wallâa highly modified advanced fireball spell.
"Boom!"
Despite the massive explosion, the fireball left only charred marks. The ice wall remained unscathed.
This was the power of a legendary mageâs high-circle spell. Even the powerful Ember army couldnât break it easily, and Langpu was helpless against it.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
One by one, massive metal shells struck the ice wall, creating continuous explosions that shook the ground. Yet the seemingly fragile barrier shimmered untouched in the sunlight.
Watching the impressive explosions, Viscount Luton, standing among the Northland nobles, felt a chill of fear. He patted his chest, trying to calm his rapid breathing.
"Huff, huff... thank goodness."
"Thank goodness for Lord Oszedro."
"The Ember Kingdomâs army is terrifying, like a natural disaster."
Still shaken by the Ember Kingdomâs overwhelming assault, Viscount Luton trembled.
He had personally witnessed celestial beings falling from the sky and the once-invincible Lionheart Knights reduced to ashes.
âIt seemed nothing could withstand the Ember Kingdomâs advance. Everything in their path was utterly destroyed.
"Thank goodness."
"We have Lord Oszedro."
He repeated his earlier words.
Suddenly, a piercing screech followed by a series of explosions shook the wasteland again.
"Wait, what is that?"
Viscount Lutonâs expression changed as he instinctively looked up, a terrifying premonition surfacing in his mind.
In the distant sky, a dazzling light pierced through the blue expanse.
Moments later, a blazing figure streaked across the heavens, leaving a brilliant red trail as if splitting the sky in two.
It fell like a meteor!
The sky was violently torn apart!
As its approach grew louder, Northland nobles and allied soldiers alike raised their heads. The figure became increasingly massive in their terrified eyes.
"Noâ"
"Itâs him! Heâs here!"
Viscount Luton cried out in alarm as the nightmare that had haunted him for years resurfaced.
"The Hellish calamity!"
He shouted the name, his trembling legs suddenly wetting the snow beneath him, leaving faint yellow patches in the ice.