Chapter 779: The Five Forts

The last Shryke let out a desperate roar of rage, its eyes seeming to hold a human-like emotion.

It watched helplessly as its kinsmen were slaughtered, its eyes clearly conveying its anger.

It spread its wings and let out a sharp shriek, pouncing towards the general among the human cavalry.

But before it could reach him, a sharp spear pierced through its chest.

Splat—

The Golden Empire general then pulled out the spear in his hand. The Shryke's corpse fell to the ground. He wiped the blood off the spearhead with the sole of his boot, then lifted his head and spoke.

"Behead them and claim your reward!"

"Move out! Back to the city!"

"Open the gate!"

"Open the gate!"

The patrolling cavalry returned to camp. The sound of horns rang out from the towering city walls. Then the gates of the Golden City opened wide, welcoming the return of these cavalry who had earned the merit of beheading the enemy.

The Five Forts stood in the northeast of the Golden Empire. The five military fortresses were respectively called the Five Cities of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. From north to southeast, the five cities were the Fire City, Earth City, Metal City, Water City, and Wood City.

This patrol of soldiers came from the Metal City, which was also the foremost fortress on the frontier of the empire. Located at the center of the Five Forts, it occupied a key strategic position. The other four cities had to coordinate with the Metal City to defend against monster invasions and protect the central lands from being invaded by monsters.

"Colonel."

"Colonel Xu."

"Well done."

The black-bearded middle-aged "general" who had just led the hundred-rider patrol to behead eighteen Shrykes and earned merit was quickly walking towards the general's residence in the Metal City after dismounting.

"Hmm."

This "general" surnamed Xu only nodded in response to the greetings from those beside him, brushing them off, but his pace did not slow down in the slightest.

His full name was Xu Zining, and in fact, Xu Zining was not the "general" addressed by his subordinates.

In the Golden Empire, general was a very high military rank, often held by high-ranking commanders who guarded a region or were qualified to lead an army independently. The "general" addressed by subordinates was just a way for lower-ranking military officers to address their superiors, either as flattery or by convention.

The imperial army did not have particularly strict laws prohibiting the casual use of "general," so everyone just called it that way.

Xu Ying was actually a colonel in the Metal City. The rank of colonel was neither high nor low, second only to general. He could independently lead a certain type of troops under a general, such as infantry or cavalry. He was the scout colonel of the Metal City.

Because his martial arts were exceptional, his horsemanship was superb, and his spearmanship was astonishing, he could single-handedly ride deep into the Land of the Shrykes or even the Grey Waste to hunt these monsters and return unscathed.

Therefore, this Colonel Xu had a high prestige among the soldiers of the Metal City and was respected and beloved by the soldiers.

"Colonel Xu."

However, when Xu Zining arrived at the general's residence, he found that the general of the Metal City was not in his mansion.

"Where did the general go?"

The black-bearded middle-aged colonel frowned slightly, then asked in a stern voice.

The guards on duty at the general's residence did not conceal anything and respectfully replied.

"Colonel Xu, the general went to the brothel."

"The brothel?"

The brothel was a house of pleasure.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged colonel's brow furrowed even more, his expression clearly showing some displeasure.

As a commander, with the long night descending and a great battle looming, how could he indulge in such.

"Colonel, would you like me to take you to find the general?" the soldier on duty at the general's residence asked.

"No need, thank you."

"I'll go find him myself."

In the end, the middle-aged colonel loosened his brow. The general of the Metal City was the commander of the entire Metal City, appointed by the emperor. Although he was somewhat dissatisfied, he could only be angry but not dare to speak out.

The Five Forts were five giant military fortresses and also five cities. Each of these cities was built on a very large scale.

Each city could house over ten thousand imperial soldiers who could fight on the battlefield. There were also many ordinary residents in the cities. Although they were military fortresses for defending against monster invasions, they were also five cities of the empire.

And since they were cities with ordinary residents, it was unavoidable for them to have many non-military facilities, such as brothels.

However, the main task of the Five Forts was still to defend against monster invasions, so they bristled with spikes like a hedgehog baring its teeth and claws.

The Five Forts also had granaries, armories, and other facilities underground, where large quantities of grain and military supplies such as swords, bows, and crossbows were stored, enough to sustain the Five Forts under siege for over ten years without falling from within.

Because from the start of their construction, the Five Forts, like the Wall at World's End on the other side of the world, were built to defend against legendary enemies.

On the Westeros side, it was the White Walkers, while on the Golden Empire side, it was the demons under the Lion of Night.

However, the difference was that on the Westeros side, there were numerous countries. From the Age of Heroes to the present, hundreds of countries had emerged, big and small. Westeros had not been unified since before Aegon's Conquest, so people gradually became immersed in internal strife, forgetting the true enemy from the north.

The Golden Empire of Yi was born after the long night eight thousand years ago, when the declining Dawn Empire collapsed during the long night.

But the Five Forts, ordered to be built by the Pearl Emperor, were built thousands of years before the long night descended. The construction of the Five Forts was much earlier than the Wall at World's End in Westeros, and the terrifying monsters they defended against were different from the White Walkers.

However, tens of thousands of years had passed, yet the people of Yi had never forgotten their true enemy.

Because although from the Dawn Empire to the establishment of the Golden Empire, the empire had already gone through eleven dynasties, it had always maintained a unified stance, dividing when united for too long and uniting when divided for too long.

The current Azure Dynasty was even more fragmented. The emperor's orders did not leave the Yi capital. Princes and nobles were everywhere, and the vassal kings were fighting among themselves.

In the north of the empire, there was even a general who commanded his own troops, even donning the yellow robe and proclaiming himself the "Founder of the Orange Dynasty." He confronted the current emperor, Pu Hai.

General Bo Xiong, because of his bravery, familiarity with military texts and strategies, and repeated campaigns deep into the grasslands to strike at the restless neighbors to the north, was even called the "Hammer of the Jogos Nhai" by the people and soldiers of northern Yi.

However, even though the Azure Dynasty was now fragmented, the overall framework of the country remained unchanged. The elite imperial garrison stationed at the Five Forts listened to the orders from the emperor in the Yi capital but did not obey his decrees.

Because their mission was to guard the borders of the empire and repel the demons under the legendary Lion of Night and the monsters from the Grey Waste, not to quell rebellions.

If troops were withdrawn, the Five Forts would inevitably be left empty. If the demons from the northeast broke through the Five Forts, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, throughout the dynasties, the garrison of the Five Forts had always had this attitude towards the emperor's orders.

The Five Forts had never fallen since their establishment tens of thousands of years ago.