Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 145: Ardius Fortress Siege Battle – Dragon Roar Cannons

Several days after the march had begun, the main force finally reached a position where the fortress came into view. The fortress still displayed its imposing appearance, looking as sturdy as ever. It was clear that any attempt to forcefully breach it with sheer strength would likely result in near annihilation for the central front army.

Of course, no one was willing to devise such a wasteful plan that would lead to the unnecessary sacrifice of valuable forces, and no one was willing to take such a big risk either. The army had proper siege weapons in their arsenal.

“Advance, Dragon Roar Cannons.”

In response to the central front commander’s order, more than a hundred weapons clattered forward, their long metal barrels mounted on wheeled bases in a simple yet efficient design.

Each of these weapons, known as Dragon Roar Cannons, had two regular soldiers and five spiritualists accompanying them. It was clear that these were weapons using spiritual power.

“Piercing warheads, Load them! Propel, charge!”

Following the next order issued by the commander, the spiritualists approached the Dragon Roar Cannons. As they touched them, the intricate spiritual circuits engraved on the metal surface came to life, forming metal warheads within the barrels.

Simultaneously, the tips of the barrels detached and floated, emitting a bright white light as they spun in circles. This radiance gradually intensified, and when it reached its peak brilliance, the commander raised his voice.

“Fire!”

Immediately afterward, a deafening roar drowned out the command as high-speed metal warheads shot out from all the barrels. These projectiles struck the fortress directly, with a few bouncing off due to unfavorable angles, but nearly all of them deeply embedded themselves in the fortress’s outer walls.

The nations cooperating at the central front had analyzed captured firearms from the Republic’s army on each front and reproduced their own weapons using their technology. The result of this collaborative effort was the Dragon Roar Cannon.

The principle behind it was quite straightforward: one spiritualist created metal warheads while another rapidly rotated and launched them. However, thanks to the assistance of spiritual circuitry, the process was not only fast but also consistently produced warheads of the same quality.

The sheer force of the sharp, rotating mass impacting its target was astounding. While a single strike couldn’t pierce the outer wall completely, the deep penetration gave hope that eventual destruction could be achieved.

Furthermore, there wasn’t just one type of warhead that could be produced. The one used this time focused on increasing strength and prioritized piercing power, but it seemed they could create several types of warheads, including those that exploded after penetration or fragmented into small needles in mid-air, riddling a wide area with holes. The creator of this weapon could undoubtedly be called a genius.

However, the Dragon Roar Cannon had its flaws. Firstly, it was quite heavy. While the wheeled base allowed for mobility, the lengthy metal barrel alone added considerable weight. Transporting it to the battlefield inevitably slowed down the marching speed.

Secondly, the intricate spiritual circuits were too complex for anyone but skilled spiritualists to handle. Spiritual circuits were originally designed to instantly employ complex spiritual art by simply channeling spiritual power. Thanks to spiritual circuits, I could strengthen my twin swords without the need for meticulous attention to spiritual arts at all.

However, the spiritual circuits etched into the Dragon Roar Cannon were so delicate that only those adept at handling spiritual power could use them. The true purpose of crafting spiritual circuits had been lost. It was nothing short of disappointing.

Another issue related to the second drawback was the requirement for several skilled spiritualists to always accompany it. If they could move freely, they could expand the range in which they supported the frontline warriors… However, it seemed that the necessity to break through the outer wall outweighed the potential for decreasing casualties among the vanguard.

And the final drawback was the inability to fire in rapid succession. While the Dragon Roar Cannon’s fire was incredibly powerful, it apparently required some cooldown time after each shot. Attempting to force a rapid-fire would compromise the barrel’s strength, which would lead to damage.

“Regardless, the Dragon Roar Cannon can demolish the fortress, but that alone won’t make us conquer it! The final say will belong to our mighty warriors! Gahahaha!”

I received details about the Dragon Roar Cannon from master in a location far away from my comrades. I thought the information about the Dragon Roar Cannon was classified, but master confidently asserted, “No one would ever suspect that I told you anyway!” as he went on to explain it in great detail.

In contrast, Lady Altissia appeared to be holding her head as if suffering from a headache. She probably thought that information about the Dragon Roar Cannon would be leaked to the Empire from my mouth. But don’t worry, Altissia; that man had no trust in me whatsoever. There was absolutely no way he would think that I had heard important information from master. She could rest assured.

“…Doesn’t it make you sad when you say that yourself?”

“No, not at all.”

When I conveyed my thoughts to he, Lady Altissia asked me back in amazement, but I felt no sadness at all. My only emotion towards that man was hatred, even if I wasn’t trusted. It didn’t bother me at all.

As originally planned, I prepared with master and Lady Altissia for the arrival of the golden-armored soldier. I positioned myself just behind the Dragon Roar Cannons. If the golden-armored soldier were to come out to destroy the Dragon Roar Cannons, it was our duty to prevent that.

My comrades were on the front lines of the infantry unit deployed between the Dragon Roar Cannon and the fortress. If they had to send the infantry charging, my squad would be the vanguard. Even if I wasn’t there, I believed that the three of them would take command skillfully. I have to focus on surviving against the golden-armored soldier.

“Oh, they’re firing back!”

“They’re blocking everything with a spiritual barrier.”

“That’s to be expected. The users of such spiritual arts are of my own kind, after all.”

From the fortress, counterattacks were launched in the form of heavy fire and spiritual arts, but all of it was blocked by a barrier made of spiritual arts. It might have been at the very edge of its range, but even considering that, the unwavering strength of the barrier showcased the skill of the casters.

The casters appeared to be of the same race as Lady Altissia, that is to say, the Eru race. They might have had lesser spiritual abilities as spiritualists compared to her, but as Master had mentioned before, the Eru people seemed to have a significant number of talented spiritualists.

“Adjust the angle from the impact point of the first shot! Prepare for the next round; reload quickly… huh!?”

In accordance with the commander’s orders, the accompanying soldiers adjusted the firing angle, and the spiritualists began the reloading process. The commander had been waiting for it to finish, but it was no wonder he was surprised. The damage to the outer wall caused by the Dragon Roar Cannon was slowly, yet clearly visible to the naked eye, healing.

However, the repair wasn’t flawless. The outer wall had numerous irregularities along the scars, making it quite unsightly. It resembled my exoskeleton, marred by the attacks of the golden-armored soldier.

Furthermore, it appeared that the walls” strength had decreased compared to the initial impact. Even from here, it was clear that when the next round that was quickly fired from the Dragon Roar Cannon struck the repaired area, it pierced deeper than when the first shot hit. In terms of reduced strength, the fortress walls were different from my exoskeleton.

“…”

Unconsciously, I extended my fingers to the scars left by the golden-armored soldier. While scars remained on my body, fortunately, the strength of the scarred areas hadn’t diminished when I covered my skin in an exoskeleton. In fact, it felt like the overall strength had increased.

Perhaps being on the brink of death helped strengthen my body. Regardless, it was fortunate that the scars weren’t a weaknesses. Instead, during combat, I could use them to mislead the enemy’s thinking, making them believe that a certain part of my body was a weakness of mine.

However, I wasn’t grateful for having been scarred. I didn’t feel any pain since I had severed my sense of pain, but the fact remained that I had been almost killed. I had no intention of obsessing over killing that one, but I secretly wished to repay the debt if the opportunity ever arose.

“The enemy is repairing the outer wall, but it’s just a makeshift fix! We’ll keep shaking the outer wall with the piercing warheads!”

While I was lost in thoughts unrelated to the current battlefield, the Central Front and the Republican Army continued their fierce exchange of heavy fire. The Central Front’s Dragon Roar cannons pierced the outer wall, and despite the Republic’s attempts to counterattack while hastily patching it up in some way, they were thwarted by the barrier made of spiritual arts.

The Republican forces observed the gradual deterioration of the outer wall, with occasional impacts hitting the upper part of the wall, toppling both defensive weapons and enemy soldiers. In contrast, the Central Front seemed relatively unharmed at this point, with the spiritualists showing signs of fatigue as the only apparent damage. It would be safe to say that this exchange was in favor of the Central Front.

Bububububububub!

Perhaps sensing that they were gradually being cornered by the Central Front, there was new activity within the fortress. From inside the fortress, accompanied by an annoying noise, numerous small objects took flight.

Anyone present here knew what those were. They were the troublesome weapons that had plagued all fronts—drones. That swarm was approaching, and their target was clearly the Dragon Roar cannons.

“Don’t let them get too close to the Dragon Roar cannons! Shoot them down!”

“Don’t rush it; bring them in as close as possible before shooting. Make sure you hit them!”

“They’ll self-destruct once destroyed! Defend yourself!”

The infantry in the vanguard were suddenly thrown into a state of turmoil as the drones drew closer. Archers and spiritualists prepared for interception, while other infantry soldiers adopted defensive stances, wary of the self-destructing drones. Each of my comrades also stood ready with their respective weapons, poised to move at a moment’s notice.

Of the archers and spiritualists, it was the former who first caught the drones within their firing range. A volley of arrows pierced through numerous drones, causing them to explode in mid-air or upon impact with the ground. The simultaneous self-destruction was expected. No one was taken aback, as they had all been prepared to defend against explosions occurring in their vicinity.

Following the archers, the spiritualists were on standby. Flames that could engulf a wide area and countless wind blades annihilated the remaining drones. Thanks to their efforts, not a single drone managed to reach the Dragon Roar cannons.

Once the drone threat had been dealt with, the bombardment from the Dragon Roar cannons resumed. However, from within the fortress, new drones took flight. The initial battle of the Ardius Fortress siege bore the semblance of a relentless exchange of heavy fire between both sides.