Bear School Astartes

Relying on the mobility of the Qilin and the destructive power of Lann, these beastmen and war behemoths have absolutely no chance to strike back.

Indeed, the war behemoths are massive in size and possess impressive strength, able to use their own bodies as the moving bases for catapults.

Though these are small-scale catapults.

In an actual war, large catapults have bases made of wood thick enough to be half-human high. The entire catapult could stand tens of meters tall.

In the Magic Middle Ages, such catapults would receive special configurations by the warlocks.

Nevertheless, the body of the war behemoth is still undeniably powerful.

With the force necessary to hurl a multi-ton stone over a hundred meters, they can brace themselves on all fours to withstand it.

Unfortunately, their powerful bodies are sluggish, incapable of injuring the Qilin or even stopping Lann.

In a ’swish,’ a flash of blue and white lightning, the Qilin once again carried Lann underneath the body of a war behemoth.

Muddy Stream·Destruction was raised above Lann’s head. As they flashed past the war behemoth’s side, the blade was precisely positioned under its throat.

A sharp ”slash” sound accompanied by a gush, as the blade, under the speed and strength, tore open the thick neck of the war behemoth.

The wound deepened, eventually becoming a gaping cut exposing the cervical vertebra from the front of its body.

Black-red blood gushed down from the war behemoth’s neck like a waterfall.

”Plop.”

The Qilin briefly halted its hooves.

In just half a minute, the five war behemoths that had been bombarding River Valley City with stones were all eliminated.

The entire hillside, previously occupied by them, was now littered with foul-smelling blood and scattered limbs.

With the violent suppression of the catapult gone, River Valley City’s walls, though old and worn, still provided defenders with a terrain advantage.

The militia from Long Lake Town now freely shot arrows downward, rapidly piling up more of the beastmen’s corpses and blood beneath the walls.

However, the situation hadn’t improved significantly.

Just as Gandalf feared.

These beastmen had long been biding their time under Sorun’s concealed spells, right under Radagast’s gaze, gathering strength at Dorguldu for unknown durations.

They expanded their numbers, forged weapons, allied with more wargs, and harbored more ogres...

This time their full-scale mobilization left Gandalf uncertain about the size of the force they could muster.

The enemy was numerous, covering the mountains and fields with beastmen in rough black armor.

Misshapen and crude spears, halberds, blades stood erect like a forest of cold steel.

Compared to the beastmen, whether it’s the dwarves with their visually pleasing geometric thick armor, or elves with their streamlined luxurious armor, they resembled mere waves in the black tide.

The whole wasteland was engulfed, and from the distant hills, beastmen continued to emerge ceaselessly.

”Boom!!!”

The mountain rocks collapsed as the ground failed to stop the Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms, whose bodies resembled muscular tubes.

After burrowing through the hills, the four Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms did not simply retreat upon completion.

Their bodies were fixed with several vicious iron wedges, each wedge tethered to two iron chains controlled by beastmen on their backs.

This is the power to dig through hills!

They are ancient creatures that once burrowed through gigantic mountains like earthworms.

Today, even far-off hills in the Lonely Mountain clouds still reveal those cylindrical corridors.

Both dwarves and elves were unprepared on this battlefield with sufficiently powerful weapons to counter such foes.

Without any threat of restraint or being killed, the Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms recklessly tore apart the battlefield, preventing the dwarves and elves, who were already outnumbered, from maintaining coherent positions.

Lann gazed solemnly upon the vast wasteland, where giant worms, like ships on land, were tossing beastmen, dwarves, and elves into the sky.

A rampaging, unstoppable unit on the battlefield is terrifying.

This is true in regard to both the actual battle and the morale.

Having played this role many times himself, Lann understands this very well.

Furthermore, the cylindrical bodies span over ten meters in diameter, and stretch for hundreds of meters in length.

Even male fire dragons from the New Continent only measure in at several tens of meters.

While this world remains calm, it’s truly serene, but when chaos erupts, creatures of every unimaginable form emerge.

It’s no wonder, as this world is still young, the remnants of ancient creatures are surprisingly abundant.

Immediately, Lann prepared to turn his steed around, hoping to closely inspect whether these four Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms can be dealt with.

But suddenly... ”Over there! Look over there, meow!”

Rong Buqiu rose on Lann’s shoulder, urgently pointing toward a segment of the wall at River Valley City.

There was yet another beastmen troop crossing the dry moat from the shallows.

Different from previous squads, leading them was an over five-meter tall ogre.

Covered in filthy, grimy skin, it donned a solid stone helmet like a battering ram on its head!

The ground vibrated as the large ogre lowered its head and began to sprint!

Intending to use its massive weight, charging speed, and helmeted head as a battering ram against the wall!

The militia atop that wall panicked completely.

In a mere instant, Lann assessed the situation and made a decisive and swift decision.

He dismounted, patting the Qilin’s neck.

Mental information was passed through the modified Yakxi Rune.

Immediately, the Qilin, with Rong Buqiu, snorted loudly, followed by a flash of lightning as they sped toward the wall.

Rong Buqiu got off the Qilin’s back midway, because although it was light, it couldn’t withstand the force once the Qilin truly accelerated.

The Three-Floral Kitten leapt off the mount, landing on all fours, and nimbly bounded towards River Valley City.

And the unbridled Qilin...

[A Flash of Lightning]!

”Sizzle!”

Despite losing its azure horn and being unable to control thunder as efficiently as before, after this short dash, when the Qilin stopped, the ground under its four hooves still charred from the high temperature of the lightning.

There were even reflective vitrified marks.

Just moments ago, the Qilin was watching the ogre start speeding up from a hillside across the moat.

But in the next instant, it was already standing by the city wall in front of the ogre!

At the same time, the Qilin lowered its head, instinctively scratching the ground backward with its hooves.

”Whinny!”

’Who the hell are you trying to run into!’

The ogre, with its head lowered and wearing a stone helmet, didn’t even see the towering, elegant steed that had suddenly appeared in front of it.

Until the moment it kicked its legs, sending its entire body straightforward like a battering ram crashing forward.

Yet the Qilin, despite temporarily losing its azure horn, also thrust forward in an instant!

The Qilin’s body frame had much in common with that of a horse, and such attack modes were already sparse for this physique.

Furthermore, the azure horn on its head could pierce even the toughest muscles of the Golden Lion’s mightiest fists, making this forward thrust the Qilin’s strongest melee attack.

The adaptability and evolution speed of creatures from the New Continent were undoubtedly impressive.

And the Qilin specialized its skull’s stability and neck muscles to disperse the impact for this head-butting attack method...

This ancient dragon’s body might not be perfect yet, but it was continually growing and moving towards even greater strength.

So in this head-on collision... ”Boom!!!”

A thunderous explosion echoed!

At the point of contact between the ogre’s head and the Qilin’s, a spreading circle of airwave exploded!

The solid stone hammer-like helmet on the ogre’s head couldn’t withstand the hardiness of the Qilin’s skull, shattering into pieces instantly.

The debris accompanied the expanding circle of airwave, scattering outward.

Not only did the stone lose to the Qilin’s head, but even the ogre’s strength and added momentum couldn’t match the Qilin’s fierce charge!

The already deformed ogre’s head got directly pushed into its chest cavity in the confrontation with the Qilin! Its entire cervical spine shattered completely!

The uncontrollable body slumped like a pile of mush, while the Qilin snorted, casually shaking off the stone dust and bloody mashed flesh from its head.

”Amazing, meow!”

At this moment, the approaching Rong Buqiu loudly praised the Qilin, while tossing a bomb into the crowd of orcs below.

After the explosion, the little cat stood firmly on the Qilin’s back, drawing its Thunder Cat Sword from behind with full momentum, raising it high.

”Let’s hold this city together, meow!”

”Whinny!”

-----------------

River Valley City was ultimately not the main battlefield. Although its geographical location was relatively important, the intensity of the battle was limited.

Because the real killing blow, and the main Beastman Group, were all pressed by Azog to the frontline battlefield, at the yellow-brown wasteland in front of the gates of the Lonely Mountain Kingdom.

But up to now, the beastmen’s black blood and black armor had almost replaced the yellow-brown, becoming the main tone of this land.

”Clang!!!”

A sound like the evening bell, mournful and distant, echoed across the battlefield.

After this unique sound, a group of beastmen were tossed into the air like rag dolls, bodies, limbs, blood... all flying straight up.

Even the vicious and wild aura made the orcs, who revel in slaughter and cruelty, feel a chill in their hearts.

The previously engrossed expressions on their deformed faces suddenly stiffened.

”My heavens.”

Gandalf swallowed, looking at this scene not far away.

At this moment, his face was also splattered with beastman blood, and he was wielding a magic staff in one hand and a longsword in the other, twirling like a spiraling blade among the enemy.

Where he passed, the beastmen were either smashed in the head by the head of the magic staff or had their limbs sliced off by the blade of Glamdring.

A display of Sword Saint demeanor.

Yet, he was still somewhat bewildered in the bloody storm Lann had stirred up.

After all, this scene was somewhat reminiscent of the Last Alliance of Men and Elves facing Sorun.

Back then, Gandalf had not yet arrived in Middle-earth Continent, but there were plenty of records related to it, and Gandalf knew them like the back of his hand.

”What? Gandalf, what are you seeing?”

Billbo, being too short, anxiously and fearfully looked up at Gandalf to ask.

Previously, he was also part of the crew escorting gold out of the Lonely Mountain, and last night he drank a bit too much, as it symbolized a hope for his good friend Sorlin to regain normalcy, and he was very happy.

But also because of this, he missed the Dwarf team returning to the Lonely Mountain. Just now, he followed the footsteps of the elves out of the city, only to encounter the beastmen starting their attack right after stepping out.

It should be said that hobbits are naturally adept thieves; silent and nimble, and with a small stature, since the battle broke out, Billbo followed Gandalf, managing to wander with minimal trouble.

”Found you, Gandalf!”

No longer did Billbo need to ask, the owner of the voice had already appeared before them.