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Chapter 559: The Fall of the Cole Elves
"This is impossible! What happened? How did they breach the gates?"
"Quick, mobilize the reserves! We must stop them!"
"How are they so fast? We can't even react in time!"
"Where are the spellcasters? Why haven't they acted yet?"
"Activate the maze lock now!"
"Be careful of these gray dwarves! Their vanguard is exceptionally strong!"
"Request reinforcements immediately!"
"..."
The panicked voices of the Cole Elves echoed through Black Crow Fortress.
Facing the sudden and brutal assault, many of their contingency plans failed to take effect, forcing them into direct melee combat.
Against the heavily armored gray dwarf warriors, the Cole Elven soldiers, who relied primarily on swift attacks, struggled to inflict fatal damage in a short time.
As a result, when the gray dwarves swarmed into the city, the Cole Elven warriors were quickly forced into close quarters combat.
In an instant, the hammers and battle-axes of the gray dwarves found their mark on Cole Elven bodies.
The clash of blades, the spray of blood and flesh.
The once peaceful and quiet fortress was instantly transformed into a battlefield filled with deafening war cries.
The sheer number of gray dwarves quickly encircled the Cole Elven warriors.
Despite having the terrain advantage, more Cole Elven soldiers fell with every passing moment.
Seeing the heavy casualties among their ranks—
Nearly 7,000 gray dwarves had already stormed into the city.
They were now pushing towards the walls, aiming to capture this critical stronghold.
Realizing the immense danger, the Cole Elven commander decisively issued a full-scale counterattack order.
"Deploy the steel golems! Activate the battle puppets! Strengthen the wall defenses—we must hold the walls and the lord's estate!"
A faint mist began spreading around the city.
A subtle yet overwhelming pressure expanded around the gray dwarven warriors.
Massive steel golems burst through wooden buildings, charging into the ranks of the gray dwarves.
Wielding enormous warhammers and armor-plated weapons, they were towering figures imbued with complex battle algorithms.
The gray dwarves, facing opponents with such size and strength, immediately found themselves at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, the wooden walls rapidly transformed, sprouting animated vines that lashed out at the gray dwarves attempting to climb up.
Fireballs rained down, exploding within the gray dwarf ranks.
The destructive force caused heavy casualties among them.
Hidden within the mist, elven spellcasters relentlessly unleashed their arcane wrath.
The gray dwarves' assault was momentarily hindered—despite their fearlessness, they were unable to secure the walls.
Watching as the animated vines sealed off the broken gate, Second Prince Kreiser, observing from afar, couldn't help but ask:
"The Cole Elves have made their move. Should we deploy the reserves?"
Sera shook her head without hesitation and replied calmly:
"No rush. They are the ones at a disadvantage. We mustn't pressure them too much; otherwise, they might fight desperately."
"We must let them hold onto hope—only to cruelly extinguish it…"
Hearing this, Second Prince Kreiser shivered and, after nodding, remained silent.
He then watched as Sera ordered the soldiers to attack the outer walls.
Thousands of gray dwarf soldiers who had yet to enter the city hurled large quantities of burning oil at the fortress walls.
Splat!
Crash!
The lashing vines struck precisely, displaying remarkable defensive capabilities.
But they only shattered the oil containers—the thick, flammable liquid still coated the walls completely.
Before the Cole Elves could react, the gray dwarves loosed volleys of flaming arrows as they had drilled.
Whoosh!
The fire spread rapidly, like a crimson beast devouring everything in its path.
The animated vines, engulfed in flames, writhed violently before crumbling into ash.
The interior of the fortress glowed with a faint green light, attempting to repair the burned sections.
Clearly, the wooden walls were not as fragile as they appeared.
However, the raging flames made conditions unbearable for the Cole Elves stationed atop the walls.
The scorching heat seared them mercilessly.
Meanwhile, the gray dwarves, already accustomed to such temperatures, pressed forward despite the elven attacks. Led by a group of elite warriors, they relentlessly stormed the walls without concern for casualties.
The unexpected turn of events left the Cole Elven commander in shock.
He observed how the gray dwarves executed their attack with precision.
Heavy-armored dwarves with large shields stood at the forefront, absorbing the blows from the steel golems with their bodies.
Despite taking significant losses, they showed no signs of retreat.
Behind them, gray dwarven crossbowmen wielding powerful enchanted bows unleashed suppressing fire upon the elves.
Even the heavily injured gray dwarves continued fighting with sheer determination.
In just over ten minutes, gray dwarf casualties exceeded a thousand, yet their morale remained unshaken.
Meanwhile, a group of dwarven snipers had targeted the elven spellcasters.
They did not attack recklessly but waited patiently for the elves to lower their guard before launching precise, devastating volleys.
The dwarves' crossbow bolts were lethal—not only fast and nearly impossible to dodge but also enchanted with anti-magic properties.
Two out of every three bolts pierced through magical barriers.
The elven spellcasters who failed to react in time suffered dire consequences.
The Cole Elven commander personally witnessed four spellcasters perish in this manner.
A wave of unease surged in his heart—the gray dwarves' combat tactics and ferocity had caught him completely off guard.
Fortunately, the Cole Elven warriors were indeed elite, managing to hold back the gray dwarves' outward advance, though at great cost.
The elven spellcasters became more cautious, altering their movement patterns as they cast spells.
Meanwhile, the steel golems proved their worth, holding the line and dealing significant damage to the attacking dwarves.
The situation had grown precarious but was still within control.
The Cole Elven commander feared the gray dwarves had further hidden strategies, so he resisted deploying the reserves.
He understood that at this point, expecting Black Crow Fortress to hold on its own was nearly impossible.
The priority now was to endure long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
The commander firmly believed that if he could hold for just three hours, nearby elven cities and towns would send reinforcements.
However, what unsettled him most was the possibility that the hidden legendary spellcaster might be preparing something even more catastrophic.
Soon, the commander sensed something amiss.
To his horror, he realized that the heavily wounded gray dwarves displayed even greater resilience than the elves.
Despite suffering nearly 2,000 casualties, their assault remained as frenzied as ever.
From within the underground passage—
More dwarven reinforcements continued trickling onto the battlefield.
They passed through the flaming gates and joined the brutal melee.
What shocked him most was that even the injured dwarves quickly returned to the fight.
Observing closely, he finally discovered their secret.
Minor wounds were ignored entirely.
But those seriously injured simply drank alchemical potions—
Recovering almost instantly and rejoining the battle as if reborn.
Despite their high casualties, the actual death toll remained below a thousand.
The commander, having miscalculated their numbers, suddenly realized—
The Cole Elven losses had already reached an unsustainable level.
The frontline Cole Elven warriors, each bearing injuries, were being forced to retreat step by step by the Gray Dwarves.
The ground of the walls was littered with the corpses of Cole Elven warriors, a sight that made the Cole Elven commander shudder.
The pressure of direct combat had reached a near-breaking point.
No!
They couldn't keep holding on like this!
The Cole Elven commander gritted his teeth, looking at the burning walls and the severely wounded soldiers, and decisively gave the order:
"Increase the effects of the Mists, suppress their spellcasting abilities, and order the warriors defending the walls to retreat and reinforce the inner keep."
Under the cover of elven spellcasters and the misty lock, the Cole Elven warriors withdrew.
Over a hundred warriors were assigned to hold the rear, engaging in fierce skirmishes with the Gray Dwarves before retreating.
The heavily injured Cole Elven warriors hastily fell back to the inner keep.
At this moment, they no longer looked as graceful and composed as usual. Their hair was disheveled, their armor shattered, and their expressions filled with fear and panic, making them appear quite wretched.
The Cole Elven commander did a headcount and immediately shivered with pain.
Out of the 3,000 Cole Elven warriors, 700 had perished in just half an hour of battle.
Nearly half were wounded, though the inner keep had sufficient resources, and two Druid Masters and four High Priests were present.
They could rapidly heal these wounded warriors, allowing them to rejoin the battle after a brief respite.
However, the loss of over 700 warriors still left the Cole Elven commander in despair.
He knew that even if they held Black Crow Fortress, he would likely face severe punishment from the council.
After thousands of years of recovery, expansion, and growth, the Cole Elven population was no longer as scarce as before.
However, a casualty count of several hundred in one battle was still an unbearable loss for the elven forces.
Even on the intense eastern battlefield, where hundreds of thousands fought, there had never been an instance where over 500 soldiers died in a single engagement.
Furthermore, the warriors stationed at Black Crow Fortress were elite troops, individuals with exceptional talent, selected as future commanding officers.
His failure to detect the hidden danger within the passageway had allowed the Gray Dwarves to launch a large-scale invasion, resulting in such catastrophic losses.
This would be a devastating blow to his career.
More importantly, these fallen elven warriors came from prestigious backgrounds, mostly scions of noble elven families. Just thinking about their connections made the Cole Elven commander's headache intensify.
Even now, he was still worrying about his own future and career.
Completely unaware that the real danger was approaching Black Crow Fortress.
The Gray Dwarves, after paying a heavy toll, had finally seized the outer walls.
They poured wildfire oil onto the walls, setting fire to the constantly regenerating vines, securing their control over the stronghold.
Unexpectedly, instead of immediately launching an attack on the inner keep, the Gray Dwarves turned their focus on eliminating the remaining Steel Golems.
The ten or so Steel Golems, though formidable, could not withstand the relentless onslaught of the Gray Dwarf elite warriors. Within minutes, they were dismantled.
Without the suppression of the Cole Elven warriors, the Gray Dwarves could now fully exploit their numerical advantage without restraint.
Yet, instead of attacking the inner keep, the Gray Dwarves did something completely unexpected.
They began dismantling the elven wooden houses in front of the fortress, clearing out a large open space under the bewildered gaze of the elven warriors.
Then, one after another, massive siege weapons were pulled from storage spaces by the Gray Dwarves.
Towering siege machines, hidden Gray Dwarf snipers, and ranks of crossbowmen formed a disciplined assault formation, exerting significant pressure on the Cole Elven warriors.
Even though the elves still had confidence, they couldn't shake an ominous feeling.
The Cole Elven commander stared at this organized and disciplined Gray Dwarven army, his mind filled with questions and disbelief.
Where had these Gray Dwarves come from?
Why were their combat abilities so refined?
How had the barren underground world, devoid of plants, provided the materials to construct battering rams, siege towers, catapults, and trebuchets?
Was it possible they had cultivated these materials through magical means?
If that were the case, then the amount of resources they had invested in this invasion was staggering!
As he watched the siege engines being assembled, the Cole Elven commander felt an overwhelming headache.
How was he supposed to deal with these?
Should he resort to his last resort?
While he hesitated, the ranks of Gray Dwarf crossbowmen had already pulled their triggers.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The volley of crossbow bolts rained down, forcing the Cole Elven warriors on the walls to duck for cover, having no intention of taking the attack head-on.
They had already witnessed the devastating power of the Gray Dwarven crossbows earlier in the battle.
Avoidance was the only option!
Crack!
Boom!
The spinning enchanted bolts embedded themselves deep into the stone walls, sending shards of rock flying in all directions. The Cole Elven commander's pupils constricted.
He reached out and pulled one of the bolts from the wall, inspecting it closely before muttering in frustration:
"Even their crossbow bolts are enchanted. These are no ordinary Gray Dwarves!"
Realizing this only added to his mental strain, while the cries of wounded elves filled the air, further agitating his nerves.
What should he do?
The secret weapon he had been holding back was his last hope to turn the tide.
If he used it now and the enemy had another countermeasure, the inner keep could be in grave danger.
Regret filled his heart. Had he known things would escalate like this, he should have ordered a full retreat into the inner keep the moment the gate was breached.
That way, they could have preserved their forces, prevented the loss of spellcasters, and had more preparation time against these siege engines.
Looking back now, the Cole Elven commander was filled with dread—his every decision had played right into the enemy's hands.
The only small comfort was that thanks to the elves' resistance and delaying tactics, all non-combatants had successfully evacuated into the inner keep.
This was the only reason why his soldiers, despite suffering heavy casualties, did not resent him.
Outside the walls, the Second Prince, Kreiser, observed the battle with flickering shock in his eyes.
He had never imagined that their forces could fight in such a way, maximizing enemy casualties while maintaining superior command.
He turned his gaze to Sera, now filled with anticipation and excitement.
"Perhaps… the Gray Dwarves really can secure a place in the Material Plane…"
Despite his internal conflict, Kreiser knew one thing for certain.
Taking Black Crow Fortress was the most critical step in the plan. Only then could they consider their future and destiny.