Chapter 10: Golem Assault
Front Line Battlefield
Midnight
After the appearance of the five strangely dressed men Sera Hawke already have an inkling on who they were but it wasn’t until they finally strike that her suspicions were cleared, the five Eastern Cultivators charged at the five hundred Skeleton Granite Golems the man leading their small group threw a punch thew blew away a golem cracking its granite sternum.
“huh… its more sturdier than I thought, do not let your guards down! Let’s get it over with and rest for the night!” shouted the bald man in scarlet red armour who led the group
Sera woke up from her daze as she saw the damage to the golem, a single casual punch almost broke the Granite Golem without even being empowered by mana. “such a powerful strike, I will have to break away part of the golems if I want to make a successful night attack”
Sera divided the golems into 2 groups one would be fighting these eastern cultivators and the other will attack one of Lavants camp, two hundred golems remained and created battle formations ass they engaged the the five eastern cultivators while the other three hundred charged at the nearby already prepared encampment, “I suppose after all that commotion they would be woken up no matter how incompetent they are which they were not” Sera thought to herself with a sigh as now she could not make a surprise attack.
The entire camp was abuzz with movements and rallying calls from their respective captains and groups “we are under attack!” they shouted
“defensive positions! We are under attack by golem army, mages front and center!!” screamed another
The Granite Golems wasted no time as they rushed forward attacking soldiers that have yet to be prepared while the other golems kept some of the ready and waiting soldiers from helping others, in the chaos a handful of captains shouting orders where caught unawares and were killed with the Granite Golems with little resistance.
The entire encampment is in chaos torches littered the grass, most tents are already set aflame and the horses where either killed or have already escaped the onslaught, this particular camp was a scouting battalion its objective was to map out the front lines, eventually the mages managed to form an actual semblance of a defensive perimeter and started blasting the golems off the feet but most of them took more that 3 shots before going down, most likely it was because everybody was aiming at the chest hoping to destroy the Skeleton Granite Golems.
Shouts of anger, agony and explosions of magic filled the air as one hundred eighty of the three hundred golems remain the Magic Knights swung their magically empowered blades at the golems severing limbs if not killing them in one strike, as Sera saw this she maneuvered the golems to avoid Magic Knights and made the Skeleton Granite Golems scatter like roaches.
The targets of the golems were the military leaders, mages, and ordinary soldiers. Taking out the backbone of the army without leadership the army could barely be called an army, and without its numbers morale would plummet to rock bottom after all nobody wants to fight in a war in which they are outnumbered especially if they the attackers would be storming a heavily fortified position it has and always will be imperative that the attackers must at least have three times the numbers of the defenders.
As the onslaught and chaos filled the nearby encampment the five Eastern Cultivators fought angrily rather than fiercely as the two hundred Granite Golems kited them instead of fighting head on, the Skeleton Granite Golems picked any weapons they could get their hands on regardless of durability and threw the well aimed projectiles at the five enraged cultivators.
“ugh! Senior brother the encampment has been set aflame we must end this farce now!” said one of the masculine youngster
The bald man replied in anger “ what are you panicking for!? they have an entire battalion! Let them fight their own battles focus on whats in front of you!”
The flustered young man replied stuttering “y-y-yes senior brother!”
As the battle continued each punch would crack the Granite body of the golems, but the golems knew no fear and would instead leap towards their death only to scratch the eastern cultivators this scenario repeated itself for over thirty minutes and the five cultivators were nearing the limits of their patience.
They now started using their sect techniques and charged forward so fast that the golems could not avoid them now each strike would destroy a golem without being able to retaliate, but it was then that banshee appeared out of nowhere and started attacking using sonic waves.
“grahh!!, what is that!? take it down Quick!!” shouted the bald man angrily
Coming from the skies Sera controlled Banshee to come in and out of cloaking to attack, with its relatively high altitude the eastern cultivators could only endure pain not only in their ears but also in body as Banshee tries to find the right frequency that could deliver the killing blow.
One man jumped five hundred meters in the air in hopes to catch Banshee but fell short however just as he was about to fall another man of the cultivators jumped barely reaching five hundred meters to give the first one a boost, the boosted cultivator used a technique to bolster his jump higher and unleashed a powerful fist strike creating a sonic boom followed by a blast of shock wave hurtling towards Banshee.
Banshee managed to dodge but due to Sera’s surprise she almost failed to do so. “ these eastern immortals sure fight differently first they can destroy granite golems barehanded like its nobodies business and now they are shooting shock waves from their fists without as much as any indication of using magic”
Sera has read through historic records that the eastern immortals indeed uses magic differently from the central continent, the eastern cultivators channeled mana towards their bodies forging their bones, blood and muscles on the other hand the central continent has used mana to shape the world around them like the Wizards do and the Magic Knights who would coat and cover their bodies and weapons with magic enhancing their strength.
“fascinating!… two continents using the same source of energy in two very different ways, it would seem that eastern continent should be on my vacation list once I have really build up my forces” she excitedly told herself
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Meanwhile as she was reveling in her recent discoveries the eastern cultivators were still being peppered by projectiles which intensified as two cultivators made the five hundred meter jump, both of the cultivators who jumped up were annoyed that the flying puppet not only managed to escape the fist strike but also disappeared from sight.
They then used another technique of their sect “Descending Meteor Kick!” they shouted as they almost instantly speeding downwards at break back speed and creating an explosive crater on their descent destroying the Skeleton Granite Golems slow enough to escape.
They channeled their anger towards the granite golems as they ran out of their way like shy virgin maidens being chased around by drunkards, now only ninety eight golems remain as they continued their ranged attack some of which would get the cultivators unaware and be hit by a head sized granite from the fallen golems, despite being only a so called mortal material it is still quite a solid piece of rock making them bleed after getting hit for so many times.
“HOU!!” the eastern cultivators shouted while simultaneously punching towards the direction of the most clumped up golems releasing a shock wave in unison as they used one of their sect’s combination moves as they destroyed dozens of the golems.
Banshee’s constant cloak, flight and usage of sonic attacks had drained its energy to very low levels and Sera has ordered Banshee to maintain distance and only observe the battle from now on, after being released from the constant painful and agonizing sonic attacks the cultivators shouted akin to someone being relieved of burdens “HAH!”
With their new found strength and morale they hunted down the remaining golems as they desperately kited away using hit and run tactics from the cultivators whom are now drenched in blood and sweat full of hundreds of scratches and bruises, as it turns out even with a strong body being hit repeatedly by head size granite rocks and shrapnel of broken weapons would do just that.
The eastern cultivators although victorious could not enjoy themselves after looking at the battlefield and themselves bleeding, bruised and battered by a pile of moving rocks, they are currently in a situation that if other cultivators found out what had happened here they would be a laughing stock. They sat down cross legged as they recuperate their body all while ignoring the deafening screams and the battle raging on the nearby encampment which they were supposed to oversee.
As the military encampment is buried in chaos some of the Skeleton Granite Golems took the surviving horses and looted the surroundings and placed them on horse driven wagons while most of the food has been destroyed of have been trampled to the ground, the Lavant soldiers fought valiantly of the five thousand soldiers less than four thousand remain, with just the force of five hundred lightweight Skeleton Granite Golems this night raid could be considered a success.
In just one hour the battle on the camp is just about to be concluded and Sera ordered the remaining 20 golems to take the loot filled wagons while fighting viciously at the defenders congregating at their location, for one last time Banshee unleashed a massive area sonic attack that hindered the Lavant soldiers allowing the wagons to trample at the discombobulated soldiers to their death.
While the dust settles as the golems fought their way out of the encampment the surrounding area is littered with corpses and broken equipment not a single tent is standing properly either it is burning or have been trampled, the surviving officials of the camp are left flabbergasted as the saw their ruined camp.
Unfortunately for Sera’s golem army only 18 managed to escape not to mention that with such pitiful number of force she has left the Skeleton Granite Golems would now have to return home with their spoils of war despite just arriving that same night, she sighed heavily and said to herself “well… at least most if not everything of their supplies and horses are now dead or gone, not to mention dead and severely injured soldiers… hopefully that destroys their morale” as she ordered the remainder of her golem army to return home and deliver the spoils of war.
Kaladia City State
Underground Laboratory
Construction of Skeleton Granite Golems still continue to increase as Sera prepares for the worst case scenario and that the City falls, an army that belongs only to her would be ready and waiting to serve and protect her at all cost.
As the remainder of the first batch of golem army was ordered to return Sera is now ready to roll out the second batch and this time she is sending one thousand Skeleton Granite Golems, ten of the newly upgraded Knight Golems and finally they are to be led by Ashura.
Sera took a deep breath and thought to herself “last battle an initial level Magic Knight managed to chop three of Ashura’s arms now that the Skeleton Granite Golems has been tested in battle this would be the perfect time to test the Knight Golems and Ashura against real Magic Knights and maybe even abduct an Eastern Immortal dead or alive.
“Although sturdy they are not truly immortal their cultivation techniques could help me finally fix this damned body” telling herself as she reviewed the recordings from Banshee
This time rather than a staff the control method for over a thousand golems were actually a humanoid shaped carved mana stone with its head being control crystal, Sera called this a soul statue in a sense she will be using this soul statue as an extension of herself to bolster the relay command range, it would be safely stashed inside Ashura as if it would a human.
Currently the Soul Statue’s purpose in only to extend and increase control of the golems even in long distances though Sera has already planned to load spell models in the future her current objective is just to send more golems at distant places while have more control over them.
It was late morning when over a thousand golem slowly marched towards the gate without inconveniencing the people going about their work, if five hundred golems marching on the streets was a shock to the people, over a thousand golems has made the entire City buzzing with gossip.
It has indeed been too long since the last time a wizard took command of an army of golems to war that they are almost only mentioned in legends but now seeing things with their own eyes makes for a shock and awe as another golem army marched towards the gates and go onwards the battle lines.
It did not take long for the rumors and spies of both friendly and enemies alike to spread the information about another golem army marching towards the front line, as the people gave way to the golem army there would be several messages that would arrive at Sera Hawke’s tower all coming from high ranking members of society starting from military generals residing in Kaladia City to High Nobles of different Kingdoms.
“what is this? Tell them I’m busy and no time for guests… tell them politely” she said to Lydia as she clearly expressed her annoyance
“how can these people not prepare for war there is war going on just by the borders if Kaladia falls the resources of Lavant would increase significantly making them a continental superpower backed by the Eastern Immortals” she added with her furrowed brows
Front Line Battlefield
It did not take a day for the news about a unknown golem army to ransack the scouting battalion in a night raid, although no longer swelling the five cultivators who were supposed to guard the battalion face punishments by their sect for humiliating themselves and by extension their sect.
As the report traveled more and more people are asking question on which faction fielded the Golem Army, it did not take long for Sera Hawke’s name to finally come up on the world stage unbeknownst to her many factions have now begun collecting her information.
And one particular group of eastern cultivators are extremely intrigued by the news… the disciples of Mystic Puppet Sect who although slightly different basically uses the same method as Sera “senior brother what do you think?”
“leave it for now. Sect master told us not to participate as much as possible our goal here is to scout the area without risk to our forces. I don’t like the local puppeteer if the news are anywhere near the truth then they could certainly field a larger and better puppets, without a doubt the initial five hundred golem puppets are just a probing assault and will likely escalate let’s not trouble ourselves with a troublesome opponent” said the leader of the chosen of inner sect disciples of the Mystic Puppet Sect.
The rest of his junior sect disciples bowed in acknowledgement, each of them move about their tasks for the day followed by puppets made of unknown materials most of them are animal design and very few are humanoid.
The man sighed and said to himself “for us to continue our way of life some will have to end…. such a cruel world we live in tsk tsk tsk” as he shook his head
Not too far from the main camp the fortified castle held strong despite the combined assault of the Eastern Cultivators and the Lavant army, which again surprised not only the Lavant army but also the members of the alliance on the Eastern Continent.
One of them said “could the mortals have grown so strong in just five hundred years that they could resist this long!?”
“hmp! You fool! While you play around with women the mortals you disdain so much has improved throughout the generations despite having short lives, clearly not only we have underestimated their strength and resolve but we also stagnated in our understanding of the world!”
Although the mortals of the Continental Isle did grew strong it was not that much in comparison to the fact that shared and publicized knowledge about magic in schools and institutions allowed and increased the numbers of individual Wizards and Magic Knight who have no close ties and relations with other Kingdoms.
This led to several thousands of Wizards and Magic Knights hoping to prove themselves or to simply assist their friends, family or homeland from the aggressive expansion of the Lavant Kingdom along with the invasion of the Eastern Immortals.
Giant contraptions copied from the Dwarves 800 years ago hurled bolts of enchanted arrows in a stream impaling those unfortunate enough to think that a barrier spell could protect them, while the Wizards threw fireballs and lightning strikes in a straight line scorching the area.
The walls of the castle despite repeatedly being hit remained strong. The Lavant army has been told to keep pressure until the main force of the Eastern Immortals arrive here, it would be a long and gruesome battle but in the eyes of the cultivators it is a necessary sacrifice to continue their path to true immortality.
Some of the sect disciples already knew the situation of the Dragon Veins being unstable and with it their path to cultivation, the rest on the other hand simply obeyed their superiors blindly as they were told what to do.