Chapter 351: Muscle Mass

The process barely resembled its earlier regeneration. Before, shattered sections had pulled themselves together within seconds. Now the material appeared almost confused, testing different shapes before settling into the one Brokk’s Hammer had taught it. As Kael watched, a small portion of the original barrel began to form.

"I guess the extreme heat just made it forget."

The metal twitched again.

"It’ll recover after some time."

Kael felt a small measure of relief. He had been prepared to accept that the experiment destroyed the weapon permanently, but knowing the Reclaimer material could eventually recover changed everything.

The cannon could be used again. Not soon and definitely not repeatedly, but it could be used again.

Kael closed his eyes. That was enough for now.

The trolls reached the effective range of the fortress defenses, and the response was immediate.

Ballista bolts descended first. One struck a troll through the shoulder, the iron head disappearing into its flesh without bringing the creature down. It staggered, looked at the shaft protruding from its body, then roared and continued forward. Another bolt struck its chest seconds later, and that one finally dropped it.

Cannons fired next. Explosions tore through the troll formations, breaking legs and throwing enormous bodies sideways.

The upgraded railgun on the western wall completed its charge and fired. Its projectile tore completely through the first troll and removed half the torso of the creature behind it. The shot continued across the battlefield before disappearing into the distant terrain, leaving a narrow passage through everything unfortunate enough to be standing in its path.

The lightning towers joined the assault. Electricity jumped between the trolls’ iron armor, turning their size into an unexpected disadvantage. One strike hit a metal plate strapped across a creature’s shoulder and spread into three more trolls standing nearby. Their bodies convulsed beneath the current. One collapsed, two recovered, and the fourth kept walking despite the smoke rising from its skin.

Archers fired continuously, covering the trolls in so many arrows that some began to resemble massive pincushions. They still advanced.

"Those things are stubborn," one soldier muttered.

Kael continued breathing while the trolls finally reached the walls.

They did not climb, which Kael had expected. Their hands were enormous, their bodies were too heavy, and their movements lacked the agility displayed by goblins and orcs. The seams in the fortress stone offered little purchase for creatures of that size.

Instead, they chose something simpler.

The gates.

The first troll reached the southern entrance and raised an enormous club above its head before swinging.

BOOM.

The entire gatehouse shook, and wood creaked behind the reinforced metal bands. The troll lifted the weapon again.

BOOM.

Another troll arrived carrying a tree trunk. It gripped the enormous piece of wood in both hands and rammed the base directly into the gate, sending an impact echoing throughout the fortress.

More trolls gathered and began attacking together with clubs, tree trunks, stone mallets, and their bare fists. Every blow shook the gate. The repairs Kael had performed earlier held, but cracks gradually began reappearing across the outer panels.

Soldiers poured boiling water from the murder holes, sending it cascading over the trolls. Skin blistered, and one creature’s face disappeared beneath steam as boiling liquid ran across its head and shoulders. The troll continued swinging.

Hot sand followed. The grains entered wounds, armor, and folds of flesh, cooking whatever they touched. The trolls roared, but none retreated. Pain seemed to make them angrier rather than cautious.

On the western wall, the spear wielder leaned over the battlement. "Why aren’t they stopping?"

The burly man looked toward his own gate just as another impact shook it. A crack appeared near the center, and his expression changed.

"Use oil!"

Several soldiers hesitated. Oil had been preserved throughout the earlier waves because it was far more valuable than water or sand and difficult to replace. Once poured, it would also leave sections of the gate approach burning.

The burly man pointed toward the trolls. "USE THE DAMN OIL!"

That ended the debate.

Soldiers rolled heavy vats toward the wall. Working together, the men tipped them over, sending thick oil pouring downward.

It coated the trolls gathered directly in front of the gate, spreading across their heads, shoulders, armor, and clubs before pooling across the ground beneath their feet. Several creatures looked upward.

The torches followed, and flames erupted.

The front of the gate disappeared behind fire as the trolls roared and their bodies ignited almost instantly. Skin blackened, fat burned, and hair vanished in flashes. One troll dropped its club and began striking itself, only succeeding in spreading the burning oil farther across its arms and chest.

Another continued hammering the gate while completely engulfed in flames. Its skin peeled away from its shoulders, revealing muscle beneath, but still the creature swung.

BOOM.

The gate shuddered.

BOOM.

The burning troll raised its weapon again, only for a railgun to fire from the side of the wall. The projectile tore through its upper torso and removed most of what remained above the stomach. Its corpse collapsed into the fire, drawing cheers from the soldiers.

The next troll stepped over it.

Kael briefly opened his eyes and looked toward his own gate. It remained quiet.

The scarred battlefield in front of it had forced most of the trolls into long detours, and the few still attempting to approach were being shredded by the upgraded defenses before they could reach the walls. The other three sections were enduring the pressure instead.

Kael returned to his breathing.

The fortress could hold for now. The gates had been reinforced, the other climbers had recovered enough to fight, and the newly upgraded weapons were firing continuously. Kael’s contribution continued to rise without him lifting a finger.

He needed only a little more time.

With another circulation, more internal energy gathered within his channels. He drew another breath as the distant gates shook, then continued rotating his energy while trolls burned beneath the walls.

The defenders were still holding.

For the moment, that was enough.