Chương 89: Shelling Forest Keep

Legend has it that in the beginning, the world was chaos until four gods from beyond—Life, Light, War, and Trade—created the races in their images. Their chosen hero, Donovan, founded the four human kingdoms, including Thassos. After forty-five days of marching, the Punishment Army reached the borders. To Li Qinwu's surprise, they were ambushed not by soldiers, but by draft-dodging peasants. The death of Brave Leon had destabilized the human realms, sparking internal wars and forced conscription.

Li Qinwu set a strict rule:"Ignore the civilians." His target was the high nobility; there was no profit in slaughtering peasants who had nothing to steal. Objective: Poloia and Forest Keep The army entered the Province of Halyun. The governor, Earl Kali Taylor, commanded 150, 000 people from his seat in Poloia. Li Qinwu marked his primary target, but first, he needed a bridgehead: Forest Keep, a fortification 80 kilometers away. As the army marched, the discipline of the Punishment Army terrified the locals.

"What is discipline!" Li Qinwu roared.

"To do what the commander orders, and avoid what he forbids!" a thousand monsters bellowed back in unison. Farmers along the road initially mistook them for a lord's elite guard. When they realized the "soldiers" were Goblins, Kobolds, and Giant Spiders, their screams of "Monster army!" spread panic across Halyun like wildfire. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

The Lord's "Mercy" Baron Zoao, lord of Forest Keep, reacted to the news of the approaching "horde" by slamming the gates shut. Hundreds of serfs from the surrounding villages begged for entry, but the Baron remained cold. When the desperate peasants tried to force the gates, Zoao ordered his men to fire. A dozen corpses later, the "filthy serfs" backed away, huddled in terror outside the walls. When Li Qinwu arrived, he nearly ordered a volley of musket fire, mistaking the crowd for an opposing army.

"Sir, those are just serfs being denied entry," Sir Leo, the turncoat knight, explained. He knelt to kiss Li Qinwu's armored boot.

"Allow me to disperse them. Please, show mercy." Li Qinwu yanked his foot back in disgust.

"Get it done! If you dawdle, I'm opening fire!" Leo ran forward, shouting the traditional wartime decree: "This is a war between Lords! Get back to your homes, you lot!" The peasants, realizing they weren't the targets, scattered into the woods. Thunder! The Debut of the Type-1 Field Gun On the ramparts, Baron Zoao mocked the Goblins.

"Look at them! They don't even have six times our numbers. We have 500 men and high walls. We can hold out until the Earl sends reinforcements!" But his laughter was cut short. Li Qinwu signaled the 10th Company. Four Type-1 Field Guns were rolled into position. Load, aim, fire.

"BOOM—!!!" Four earth-shattering roars tore through the air. The 93mm solid shots slammed into the massive wooden gates of Forest Keep like hammers through parchment, exploding into a cloud of splinters. The infantrymen stationed behind the gate were instantly vaporized into a red mist. Baron Zoao fell onto his backside, his helmet clattering down the stone steps.

"What happened?! What kind of magic is this?!" he shrieked. Below, a cry of pure terror finished what the cannons started:"THE GATE IS BREACHED! THE GATE IS BREACHED—!!"