Chapter 100: Wipe Them Out—and a Technology Crystal

The Channel filled with jeers.

[Anonymous Lord: That sobered him up quickly.]

[Darian Frost: Sell me the Writ, Cassian.]

Cassian smiled at the message.

[Cassian Vale: Get your Domains to Rank VI and build Embassies first.]

[Mira Calder: An Alliance Duel?]

[Darian Frost: Several Black Banner Regions have two Fortune. Form an Alliance, then challenge them. That’s a better use of it.]

[Darian Frost: I’ll pay for the Writ.]

Cassian liked dealing with someone who reached that conclusion so quickly.

[Bren Orwick: You people are vicious.]

Cassian closed the Channel and turned his attention back to the Goblin Domain.

He brought the ground force down to a shallow stretch of riverbank two kilometers from the walls. The Dawnwings descended beside them.

The Goblins detected them almost at once.

Alarms shrilled across the Domain. Tall mechs climbed onto the battlements, their weapons turning toward the riverbank.

A harsh voice rang out from the walls.

"Humans? Dawnwings? Whoever you are, leave the territory of the great Grutu now. In my mercy, I will overlook this intrusion."

Cassian sighed.

"Do they all use the same speech?"

The cannon mounted above the walls could outrange his Dwarf Rocketiers by a considerable distance. He had left the Rocketiers at home for this expedition.

He turned to the twelve Crystal Maidens.

"Crystal Ant form. Get inside."

During the two days of preparation, all twelve had recorded that template from compatible Crystalkin Samples.

"Yes, Lord," Crystal One said.

Their bodies folded into the shapes of oversized Crystal Ants. A few quick movements carried them beneath the ground, and they disappeared from sight.

Cassian waited.

Several minutes later, he raised his hand.

"Attack. Wipe them out."

White wings opened across the riverbank. The Dawnwings rose into the air as the Stormlance and Eclipse Legionnaires rushed forward below them.

Celia stayed beside Cassian, one hand resting on Lifeless Edge.

Inside the walls, the first screams rose. Crystal blades flashed through the Goblin positions, and the neat movement of troops across the battlements broke apart.

"Filthy human!" Grutu roared. "Is an ambush all you’re capable of?"

Cassian’s troops were already entering the defensive perimeter.

The Domain answered with cannon fire.

Shots poured from the walls, the warships, and the ranged mechs stationed between the towers. The air filled with shells of different sizes, their paths crossing over the advancing force.

A defensive weapon could strike far harder than a Hero or troop of the same Level. These belonged to a Rank-X Domain.

Even the Stormlance avoided taking the heavier shots head-on.

An Eclipse Legionnaire raised his shield as the fire closed around him. He had nowhere left to dodge. The first impact drove his shield back, and a blade hurled from one of the Goblin engines cut through him at the waist.

He fell before reaching the wall.

Cassian’s gaze stayed on the advance. Without the Fountain of Life—and without that riverfront site waiting beyond the defenses—he would not have forced an assault like this.

Half a minute later, the attackers reached the walls. Several Legionnaires lay dead behind them.

"Storm Body!"

Lightning wrapped Sigrid from head to foot. Now Level 25, she sprang over the wall and drove her spear through the cockpit of a four-meter Elite Mech.

A gold machine charged her from the side.

"Face me!"

It was only three meters tall, but the collision knocked Sigrid back several steps. She reset her grip on the spear, excitement flashing in her eyes.

"That’s more like it."

[Goblin Slayer | Epic Hero | Level 52]

Its Level advantage was enough to let it trade blows with her. Spear and metal blade struck again, scattering sparks across the battlement.

Overhead, the Arcanists swept through the open air and cast Holy Flame into the Goblin formations. The twelve Vanguards dropped inside the walls, swords already swinging.

The surviving Legionnaires followed the Stormlance up onto the battlements.

More of them fell as the fighting spread, but the Goblins were losing ground everywhere. Their strongest troops were being pinned down or cut apart, and the Crystal Maidens had already broken their positions from within.

Cassian could see where the battle was going.

Then the Lord’s Hall moved.

Metal plates slid apart with a series of heavy clicks. Walls folded inward. Sections of the roof turned and locked into place, and the entire building rose from its foundations.

Within moments, a machine tens of meters tall stood at the center of the Domain.

"A Goblin Guardian."

Cassian opened its record.

[Goblin Guardian]

[Race: Goblin]

[Level: 54]

[Quality: Epic]

[Combat Rating: 1,758 stars]

[Skills: Unknown]

"Only Epic," he said, with a trace of disappointment.

The giant machine raised a sword as long as a building.

"Die, human!"

Grutu’s voice boomed from inside it.

The blade swept down toward Avril as she cut through a group of mechs. Despite its size, the Guardian moved fast. The Vanguard turned in the air and found the huge edge already bearing down on her.

"For the Lord—!"

Steel rang against lightning.

Aurelia hung between Avril and the falling sword. Folded Sky Ward shone around her blade, holding the massive strike away from the Vanguard.

"Your opponent is me."

Thunder Crown flared above her. Compared with the Guardian’s giant weapon, her sword looked absurdly small.

It did not give way.

Avril beat her wings and cleared the strike.

"Thank you, Lady Aurelia!"

The Vanguard pulled away while Aurelia turned fully toward the Guardian. At last, an opponent that could make her work.

Grutu’s voice changed.

"Such a powerful Dawnwing Hero. Why serve a lowly human? Become my wife, and you can be the lady of this Domain."

Disgust crossed Aurelia’s face.

Lightning blazed around her shoulders and ran along the length of her sword.

"Die."

She struck.

The Domain had four Heroes. Each was strong enough to challenge one of the Stormlance, but Cassian had twelve Stormlance, the Crystal Maidens, and both Dawnwing squads.

The Goblins could not hold them all.

Soon the last of Grutu’s other troops fell. Only the Goblin Guardian remained standing against Cassian’s army.

Aurelia glanced at the cleared battlefield.

She was still fighting this thing.

Her mouth tightened. She uncorked a bottle of Life Water and drank it down.

The Fountain’s recovery took hold. Her breathing steadied, and fresh light filled her wings as she raised her sword again.

Before she could attack, the Guardian dropped to its knees.

The impact shook the ground beneath the walls.

"Honored human Lord! I surrender. I will become your vassal!"

Grutu’s army was gone. He had already been looking for a way out, and now the Hero in front of him was recovering instead of wearing down.

"You were offering me a place beside you a moment ago," Aurelia said coldly. "Now you’re on your knees. You sound just like Black Banner."

She held her sword ready, but the decision belonged to Cassian.

His answer came at once.

"Kill him."

Grutu sprang upright and drove the Goblin Guardian toward the river.

The huge machine had barely taken its first strides when the Crystal Maidens raised their hands.

[Crystal Ray]

Rays struck its armored body from every side. Crystal spread over the moving joints, and the Guardian’s next step dragged through the ground.

Above it, a blade of light nearly a hundred meters long took shape.

"No!"

Aurelia brought it down.

[Skyblade Descent]

The Goblin Guardian split in two. Metal melted along the cut, falling in glowing drops that hissed against the ground.

Grutu vanished inside the strike. Nothing remained of the Lord who had just offered Cassian his service.

Cassian reached the wall as the kill report appeared.

[Your Hero Aurelia Dawnwing has killed Goblin Lord Grutu | Epic.]

[Battle Essence +2,160,000]

[Aether +300,000]

[Epic Chest ×1]

[Technology Crystal | Epic ×1]

His eyes stopped on the last reward.

"A Technology Crystal?"