Chapter 709: War Quest: August

When the beam fired from "Oblivion’s Maw" struck the outer layer of the barrier, there was no explosion—only a crisp, glass-shattering tremor.

August’s proud "Divine Coating"—a golden membrane conjured by dozens of angelblooded and over a thousand solar priests praying day and night—fractured like a shattered eggshell, crumbling and disintegrating.

Then the internal structure of the barrier was relentlessly torn apart by the beam. At the point of impact, space wrinkled and folded like crumpled parchment.

At last, even the sky wailed. The barrier ripped apart under the magic rail cannon’s assault, leaving a breach nearly a hundred meters wide.

"Amanata above..."

"W-what kind of weapon is that? How can it be this powerful? Did they invoke the gods?"

Inside August, officers and soldiers were aghast. It was the first time in a century they had seen the sacred shield breached.

But there was no time for shock—the Empire’s next wave was about to hit.

"All units, charge!"

"For the Empire!"

"For His Majesty Cassius!"

The horn of the Azure-Footed Serpent sounded, and cheers from the Empire’s ranks thundered into the sky, breaking apart the clouds.

"Vrrrmmm—"

With engine roars, the Ember Empire’s armored legions charged like a tide of steel, surging toward the breach.

Imperial infantry followed closely behind, rifles gleaming in their hands. Blazing muzzle flashes burst forward, and a storm of bullets swept out like a hurricane.

"Screee—"

A hundred wyverns equipped with "Heavenfire" armor dove into the breach, each carrying brutal payloads—white phosphorus bombs, napalm, and more.

"Boom! Boom!"

Without the barrier’s protection, bombs streaked through the night sky and rained down, unleashing relentless explosions that rocked the walls and turned Thracian defenses into a hellscape of phosphorus and gasoline.

Steel railings melted into red slurry, and the adhesive fire clung to soldiers, crawling across their bodies like living things. Deadly white smoke engulfed the walls.

"N-no—!"

"O Great Lord of Eternal Radiance, please save me!"

Thracian soldiers screamed and struggled in the inferno, praying to their god in desperation—but it was all in vain.

Noble officers hid in towers and fortresses, waving ornate sabers and shouting, "Cowards! Counterattack! Drive them back! Don’t let them breach the walls!"

Sun God ballistae on the walls fired glowing bolts that brought down wyverns midair—but they too were soon annihilated without the shield’s protection.

Several shells engraved with tracking arrays screamed in, obliterating the ballistae and their crews in one go.

On the ground, giant armor units smashed the iron golems guarding the breach into scrap. Steam tanks followed, rampaging across the land and shelling the walls.

Armor-piercing rounds tore black holes through August’s defenses. Stones crumbled, the once-proud wall riddled with wounds and on the verge of collapse.

Imperial gunners sat atop armored cars, aiming at the wall, roaring as they pulled their triggers.

"Ratatatat—"

Streams of fire erupted from the barrels. Bullets rained down upon the defenders, cutting them down in waves.

The Thracian foot soldiers, clutching outdated double-barreled rifles imported from the Empire, struggled to reload—most didn’t get to fire before being gunned down.

"Boom—"

Under officer command, the iron gates lifted once again. The Thracian Kingdom’s elite heavy infantry poured out—five to six thousand strong.

They bore heavy shields embossed with the Sun God’s emblem in one hand and silver spears nearly ten meters long in the other. Their steps were as one.

Their golden armor gleamed under the Eternal Sun Tower’s light—like a fortress of gold on the march.

This was the famed Radiant Legion—renowned for past victories, even against the northern giants. Experts in fighting large foes.

Their noble leader raised his spear and the Thracian banner—sun and wings emblazoned upon it—and bellowed, "For Thrace! For the Lord of Eternal Radiance!"

"For Thrace!"

Their battle cry rang through the sky—only to be drowned by louder booms and cannon fire.

Steam tanks encircled them, turrets rotating swiftly, all aimed at the Radiant Legion—then unleashed simultaneous fire.

"Boom!"

In an instant, over a hundred shells, trailing thick smoke, screamed toward the Radiant Legion.

The noble raised his golden shield and shouted hoarsely, "In the name of the Sun God’s faithful—hold the line!"

The shield’s runes flared, and barriers of light shimmered into the air like magical walls, intercepting the shells.

But this was only a test. With another barrage, the tanks fired armor-piercing shells crafted specifically to penetrate divine and radiant magic.

"Boom!"

The shells tore through the barriers and blasted into the formation. Explosions hurled soldiers skyward—armor shards, broken spears, charred remains flying through the air.

A noble officer blocked one shell with his shield, roaring, "Hold the formation! We can’t let them breach August—"

But most of the Radiant Legion were stunned or deafened by the blasts. Their formation shattered.

Smoke engulfed their lines, blinding them to friend and foe alike.

No time to regroup—steam tanks roared forward like beasts, charging into the chaotic formation.

Radiant Legionaries stabbed blindly into the smoke, trying to resist the iron tide.

"Boom—"

Engines roared, cannons screamed. Tanks burst through the haze, treads crushing soldiers into paste.

"We can’t stop them!"

"They’re invincible!"

Hundreds of tanks carved up the battlefield, sweeping through the Radiant Legion like a flood, leaving corpses and shattered armor behind.

"Victory!"

"Crush these southern weaklings! They’re no match at all!"

Steam tank crews—human and goblin alike—cheered wildly, already dreaming of promotions and titles.

But then, Thrace’s Arcane Legion revealed their true might.

Dozens of mages clad in crimson-gold robes floated above the elemental towers, raising their wands as they chanted incantations. Their voices grew clearer, and the fluctuations of the surrounding Weave intensified.

Legendary mage Aquilis stood atop the city wall, his crimson robe fluttering like raven wings in the wind. He turned his wand, and golden liquid runes shimmered at his knuckles.

As he chanted in ancient Elvish, every rune on the walls of August began to shine. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur.

Aquilis’s eyes snapped open.

"Boom!"

The ground in front of August’s city wall split open with a violent crack. Fissures belched smoke as they devoured over a dozen steam tanks and several giant mechs.

The moment his wand swept downward, scorching magma burst from the chasms, engulfing the entire city of August. Waves of molten rock surged toward the Imperial armored legion like a tsunami.

Even the indestructible steam tanks melted into slag within seconds, leaving not a trace of their crew.

The armor melted like wax, and the crews became grotesque sculptures—flesh embedded in iron.

In just a few seconds, over thirty tanks and more than ten giant mechs were consumed by the lava tide—this was a forbidden-tier spell!

But lava could not distinguish friend from foe. Thracian soldiers still stranded on the wasteland were swallowed whole, their corpses reduced to nothing.

"Aquilis is incredible! Our Arcane Legion is unstoppable!"

"Kill every last one of those Imperials!"

"Counterattack!"

Thracian soldiers atop the walls roared with joy, their voices tinged with the relief of having survived.

The Imperial armored legion quickly organized a retreat, falling back nearly a full kilometer. Their spellcasters cast cold and water-elemental spells to solidify the lava.

In the skies, airships released thick beams of freezing light. Wherever the beams passed, the lava turned to volcanic stone.

Eventually, a flattened volcanic wasteland stretched before August’s city wall, rippling like waves. The wreckage of steam tanks, giant mechs, and Thracian soldiers was buried beneath the crust.

"August will never fall!"

"Damn those Imperial bastards!"

Thracian officers raised their fists, overjoyed to have withstood yet another assault.

Dayev looked at the black wasteland, tearing off his scorched uniform, his heart heavy with doubt.

Was this really something to celebrate?

A country that could bury its own living soldiers in magma at any time... a kingdom that ruled by brutal oppression—was it truly worth following?

The Imperial armored legion had suffered greatly in the previous assault—one-fifth of their tanks were devoured by lava.

This time, after careful deliberation, they didn’t rush forward again. Instead, they sent a ragtag vanguard composed of the Starfallers.

A monolith etched with ancient teleportation arrays appeared in the Imperial camp. From its glowing surface, thousands upon thousands of players emerged, eagerly rushing toward the battlefield.

"Charge, brothers!"

"Move aside! We’ve got a boss to retire!"

"Holy shit, is that noble title reward for first to scale the wall real? That’s insane!!"

The battlefield erupted with noise the moment the players arrived. It felt less like a bloody warzone and more like a theme park full of excitement.

All players saw the same task pop up on their screens:

[Conquer August]

Mission Type: War Mission

Mission Objective: Capture August and kill Wilhelm

Mission Description: With the Sun God’s slumber, Thrace’s era has ended. The remnants of the Sun God deserve only to tremble beneath the Empire’s iron heel!

Use every means, pay any price—capture the once-glorious "City of Sunrise," and welcome the dawn of a new age!

Mission Rewards: Massive gold, faction contribution, and even more gold.

Special Title: [Hero of the Setting Sun]

Players called their friends in droves, creating a snowballing frenzy.

"This quest is lit—hold on, let me grab a buddy!"

"Stop mining, get your ass to the fight!"

"Get rich or die trying—today’s the day!"

Within minutes, spurred by the [War Mission], over a million players flooded the battlefield like a raging tide, surging toward August.

"Awoooo—For the Empire! For Emperor Cassius!"

"Wilhelm, get ready to die!"

A berserker known as Iron Frenzy loaded himself into a catapult, grinning maniacally as he roared, "Make way! Time for a textbook... uh, textbook breakthrough, yeah!"

"Bang!"

Dozens of Dragonscale cultivators soared through the sky in perfect arcs, landing directly atop August’s walls, where they began a brutal massacre.

They swung chainsaw swords and fired explosive bolt guns, unleashing a hurricane of gore.

Atop the Sun God Tower, Wilhelm narrowed his eyes coldly as he stared at the strange invaders flooding August.

"Starfallers."

As Thrace’s ruler, he of course knew of these immortal entities that had emerged years ago. Thrace had recruited quite a few Starfallers too.

But in terms of strength and numbers, his Starfallers paled in comparison to those serving the Empire.

Right now, the Thracian-aligned players were cowering in the crowd, clutching outdated rifles and trembling.

One warrior, in-game name [Royal Knight Commander], looked ready to cry as he muttered, "What the hell... Weren’t there supposed to be three kingdoms? What happened to the Sun God’s blessings?"

"Come on, Thrace! Where’s His Majesty Wilhelm? Please, save us already!" His voice cracked with desperation.

No wonder veteran players always recommended the Empire as a starting faction.

He’d spent months climbing the ranks to become a junior officer in Thrace, and now, just like that, he was about to start from scratch as a POW under the Ember Empire.