A voice rang out from the battle formation, followed by similar commands like “Archers, ready!” and “Crossbowmen, ready!”
Then, Ye Zhongming gave the order to begin.
There were ten rows of various weapons in front of the entire battle formation. The front two rows were giant crossbows from the Posthumous People’s Saint City, slightly raised, with their bolts gleaming coldly. Behind them were four rows of Crystal Cannons, not as massive as the ultimate models but still the mainstay of the city’s defense. Further back were two rows of mortars, similar to those from the pre-apocalypse era but larger and more futuristic in appearance.
These were Battle Contribution weapons, exchanged by Ye Zhongming at great cost, called “Tossed Shaking Cannons.” Each was equipped with twenty specially designed shells.
The last two rows consisted of giant vertical bows, already loaded with ten arrows each, and fully mechanized catapults, with colorful stones piled beside them. Their purposes were unknown.
Due to the terrain, each row was slightly higher than the one in front. After being adjusted by Cloud Peak’s engineers, they formed a staggered attack formation.
Following Ye Zhongming’s command, the catapults with the longest range began to hum. Then, five hundred colorful stone balls flew into the sky.
Yes, each of these ten rows of weapons had at least five hundred units! Due to their size, the vertical bows and Tossed Shaking Cannons had even more, with over seven hundred in each row.
Five hundred massive stones traced parabolic arcs through the air before landing in the monster horde.
The red stones crushed monsters into pulp before exploding into fierce flames, igniting everything around them like hellfire.
The green stones splashed corrosive poison upon impact, eating away at the monsters’ bodies. The yellow stones released toxic fumes that, when inhaled, caused the monsters’ internal organs to rot. The white stones released swarms of insects that burrowed into the monsters’ bodies, driving them into a frenzy and attacking any living thing in sight.
The most annoying were the purple stones. After crushing their targets, they shattered, releasing a sticky purple liquid. Any monster touched by this liquid became stuck, able to move only within a two-meter radius. They would be pulled back after a struggle if they tried to charge forward.
Sharp-eyed evolved noticed that only level seven monsters could break free from this glue-like substance with great effort. Level six monsters were completely trapped unless they were strength-based or had sharp body parts to cut through the adhesive. Some monsters, trying to help their comrades by biting or pulling, also got stuck.
“Great stuff!”
Seeing the effects of these “functional” catapults, many people couldn’t help but think this.
Traditional catapults were used to attack cities, targeting walls, gates, and buildings. These catapults, however, were entirely different.
They were called “Colorful Catapults.”
Not battle contribution weapons, but blueprint-based, created by a smith who had come to Ying City to make a living. He had since joined Cloud Peak’s production department, managed by the logistics division.
Ye Zhongming provided him with ample materials, already processed, so his main task was assembly. With the help of potions to replenish his mental energy, he produced a large number of these catapults in just a few months.
The Colorful Catapults didn’t fire randomly. Each type of stone had its designated area, preventing situations like their own fire burning away their poison gas.
Compared to the ultimate Annihilations, these catapults had lower individual lethality, but their numbers made up for it. With no firing interval, once all the prepared colorful stones were launched, the total damage they caused far exceeded that of the Annihilation cannons.
The death toll wasn’t comparable, but the number of injured and incapacitated monsters was much higher.
Next, the city-defense Crystal Cannons went into action, emitting the characteristic sizzling sound of crystal weapons as they harvested the lives of monsters in their designated areas.
As the monsters continued to charge closer, the ten rows of weapons opened fire, each dominating within its range. Notably, with their rapid-fire and low trajectories, the Tossed Shaking Cannons allowed their shells to land quickly in the enemy ranks.
Their attack method was unique. They didn’t cause traditional shrapnel damage upon explosion but relied entirely on “shock.”
The explosions created powerful shockwaves that, while ineffective against the monsters’ tough skin, caused massive damage to softer parts like eyes, eardrums, and brains. Monsters hit by these cannons were often left deaf, blind, or brain-damaged, rendering them combat-ineffective.
Behind the ten rows of weapon emplacements was a special group of people led by Li Qiang.
Around him were about a thousand individuals.
These were all sharpshooters.
Their weapons were varied—bows, crossbows, guns, cannons—but they were all sharpshooting specialists or had sharpshooting skills. Most carried firearms, with snipers making up the majority.
These individuals were equipped with Cloud Peak’s newly mass-produced micro-engraved bullets.
“Team A, target level six! Team B, target level five and below! Team leaders, target level seven! Free fire!”
After crossing the swamp and gravel ground, the faster, flying monsters threatened Cloud Peak’s battle formation. Li Qiang’s team then began their performance.
Despite their small numbers, which prevented them from forming their own combat unit, their terror was undeniable. Especially with the mass production of micro-engraved bullets, core members had highly sought after them. Since they couldn’t form an independent unit, they were distributed among various combat teams.
These individuals usually belonged to the core members’ units.
They were Cloud Peak’s sniper unit.
In combat, they had the highest degree of freedom. Apart from following orders on when to start attacking, they decided their own timing, frequency, hiding spots, and even targets.
Now, armed with ranged weapons, these individuals seemed to fire randomly. But as they attacked, the fiercely charging flying monsters fell from the sky like dumplings. The once densely packed formation quickly developed large gaps.
The snipers hit their targets with almost every shot, no matter how the monsters tried to evade.
These individuals, aided by their job or skills, practiced shooting fast-moving targets’ vital points as part of their training.
After each sniper fired about five or six shots, the flying monsters, already battered by the catapults and crossbows, were completely wiped out.
At this point, everyone realized that the battle had temporarily stopped. The vanguard of over seventy thousand monsters hadn’t even reached the edge of Cloud Peak’s battle formation but had already been completely annihilated!