A Sudden Attack

Roar!

The Black Death Forest, a vast expanse with no known end, teemed with thousands of species of trees and living creatures, making it a diverse ecosystem. Because of this, the forest was rich in Auraxis energy, leading to the growth of rare medicinal plants and the emergence of powerful beasts with strange lineages. However, the southern border of the forest was quieter than usual.

The sounds of beasts had disappeared, and the monkeys that usually filled the forest were no longer swinging through the branches, having fled elsewhere. This was due to the arrival of humans, the most dangerous creatures despite their seemingly harmless appearance.

Dozens of soldiers and workers from the Golden Lion Empire had spread across the area, cutting down trees and greedily digging into the earth, building large camps filled with basic comforts and simple defensive fortifications.

In a specific part of their bustling and crowded camp, there was a massive, deep pit with a wide opening. Beside it were piles of soil and shattered rocks, some of which bore ancient, mysterious inscriptions.

Workers hurried in and out of the pit with visible tension, carrying large boxes strapped to their backs filled with rocks and soil to avoid hindering the digging process inside.

In front of the massive pit, standing above ground, was a man in his late thirties with black hair streaked with gray, giving him a strange handsomeness. His eyes were dark and his skin slightly tanned. He had a small, pointed mustache and a very light beard, neatly trimmed in a traditional style. He wore a traditional outfit—a blue silk robe tied at the waist with a dark, slightly wide belt. Under his robe, he wore comfortable white training pants tied with several straps around the legs, which looked slightly mismatched with his noble attire.

The man held a blue fan with a golden scale symbol, fidgeting with it nervously, opening and closing it oddly. He tapped his toes on the dirty, muddy ground as if unable to stand still. After a long period of uneasy standing, he placed the fan over his mouth, furrowed his brow, and turned to a man standing beside him, dressed similarly, asking with clear anxiety, "Has Juror Victor not returned yet?"

The man beside him tensed, swallowing nervously. "No, Sir Juror Sergius."

Sergius moved the fan, showing his anxiety, and said cryptically, "This is a problem. Go and order the escorts to strengthen the defenses. All soldiers must remain alert and ready for battle. Also, provide the workers with some weapons during their break and position them in the rear lines."

Without any surprise or delay, the attendant ran off to relay the orders.

Sergius watched his subordinate's retreating back, scanning his surroundings cautiously for a moment before exhaling heavily. Ever since they heard the three bell tolls from the city, their situation had turned upside down, and fear had gripped their hearts. They didn't know what was happening or who was attacking the city. Because of this, they couldn't retreat from the forest and could only defend, fearing they might fall into a trap set by the unknown enemy forces.

To dispel the uncertainty, the second juror, Victor, had decided to take the risk and head out with some strong escorts to scout the situation a few hours ago. But news of them had ceased, and no one knew their fate, increasing the panic in the camp and leaving Sergius alone in command. However, the workers hadn't stopped digging, as they were close to their goal.

In the Golden Lion Empire, a military court existed in the capital of each province. Overseeing the court was an impartial judge who supervised noble families and high-ranking officials, such as the mayors of each city. Even the governor himself was under the judge's watch. The court was strictly hierarchical, with jurors below the judge and assistants below them. The court also had its own guard force, known as the escorts.

"We've found the gate!"

As Juror Sergius pondered his dilemmas, he heard a loud voice filled with some joy, causing his eyes to widen in astonishment. He quickly ran and descended into the pit, reaching an underground tunnel reinforced with tree trunks and wooden beams to prevent collapse.

Along the sides of the tunnel, which looked like it could collapse at any moment, were several rock markings and even faint traces of human construction. But he paid no attention to the surroundings, running swiftly using light-footed techniques, passing all the workers who were also rushing toward the end of the tunnel. Within seconds, after navigating a long, winding path, he reached a place filled with people gathered under the dim light of lanterns.

Surrounded by earth on all sides, the atmosphere was stifling, yet it couldn't contain the sounds of their happy laughter and joyful words. Even the guards, who usually stood as still as statues, looked at their goal with wide eyes, involuntarily lowering their weapons.

As soon as Sergius arrived, he coughed loudly, infused with energy, causing all the excited workers and barely restrained guards to fall silent and stand still in submission.

A juror wasn't just an honorary title. To reach such a position, one had to at least reach the middle stage of the Path Opening realm and accumulate several merits to rise in rank. The court sending two jurors, a few assistants, and escorts showed how seriously they were taking the treasury matter.

The looks of joy turned to fear, and in terror, the workers and guards cleared a path for the juror, leaving an empty trail in their midst. Calmly, he walked through them to the end of the tunnel, where he found a massive stone wall—or rather, part of a huge stone gate whose true size was unknown due to the dirt covering much of it.

On the stone gate was carved a massive lion with a mane resembling a blazing sun, from which several fiery threads extended along its body, adding to its majestic appearance. The lion's face and mouth were hidden due to the dirt clinging to the gate. Additionally, several ancient words were inscribed, some of which had faded due to time and erosion. But the meaning of the visible sentence was clear:

"The golden eyes watch, and the fiery sun punishes. The roar of tyranny echoes across the plains, saying: Here comes the king of beasts. Oh humans, take my blessings and wield my power. And you, my friend and servant, this is my gift to you in parting. Your memory will not be forgotten, and amidst my wealth and spoils, you shall remain." The text wasn't complete, with some sentences erased by time.

The juror read the inscription carefully before furrowing his brow and saying in surprise, "This is a tomb?" He slowly extended his hand and touched the stone wall, running his fingers lightly over the inscriptions and touching part of the lion carving while deep in thought. Suddenly, the stone gate shook violently, startling everyone.

Sergius involuntarily took a step back, looking at the shaking gate with an expression filled with fear and anticipation. The dirt that had clung to the gate fell away, revealing it in its entirety. Even the lion's face and features became clear. Its mouth, filled with sharp teeth, roared and looked arrogantly at the sky. Suddenly, its eyes glowed with a bright golden light, looking down at the people below with superiority. But that wasn't all—its mane also began to radiate a bright white light, like a distant sun in the midst of space.

"Damn it!" Sergius cursed loudly, realizing things were about to go wrong. Without waiting long, a thick fog surrounded them, its origin unknown.

...

Boom!

Crash!

Screams!

Above the buried treasury, the camps meant for rest were engulfed in raging flames, their smoke rising straight into the sky, forming a column that shot upward. The once-quiet area was now filled with the sounds of bloody screams and the clashing of metal weapons.

The forces of the Cold Sun Empire emerged from the forest around the camp in large numbers, slaughtering any living being in their path. Their attack was swift, powerful, and overwhelming, leaving the soldiers and guards of the Golden Lion Empire no chance to retaliate. They were easily slaughtered after a brief resistance.

Heads and limbs were severed, and the already soaked ground was now drenched in human blood. Even the weak workers weren't spared from this swift massacre.

However, the forces of the Cold Sun Empire looked strange—not just in appearance. Their armor and clothes were torn and full of holes, with marks of large claws and dents. Their skin was covered in fresh scars, and their expressions were distorted and somewhat beastly, unlike what one would expect from elite soldiers of an enemy empire.

Within minutes of their appearance, they had wiped the area clean of any signs of life. Yet, they weren't satisfied. They cut the bodies of the workers and soldiers into small pieces, kicking them savagely and with great anger, covering themselves in red blood and chunks of flesh.

Near the large pit filled with strange fog, stood the commander of the small battalion, Roland Jennings, a prominent leader in the border army of the Cold Sun Empire. Known for his love of cleanliness and strict discipline, he always took pride in his golden armor. But the man standing before the pit was completely different from what was known about him.

There was no trace of cleanliness. His short beard was dirty, and his once-neat hair was a mess, like a patch of weeds. His usually clear face was now dark, with a large scar on his cheek. His beautiful golden armor had turned into a battered piece of junk, full of holes, cuts, and dents, rendering it useless.

Roland coldly watched the savagery of his men, remembering with anger the twenty days he had spent in the Black Death Forest—or rather, the hell he had faced. Unbeknownst to the intelligence of the Golden Lion Empire, the Cold Sun Empire had made a mad move, sending an entire battalion through the outskirts of the Black Death Forest to ambush them in case their main attack—which involved besieging Red Bell City and distracting the Southern Army stationed nearby—failed.

Initially, Commander Roland Jennings had entered the forest with six thousand men, of which only two thousand five hundred survived. The weak among his men had died early, leaving only the elite who barely maintained their sanity. Their souls had been twisted, and they had become savage. He deeply regretted following orders. Although they had faced hardships that increased the strength of many, it wasn't enough to quell the burning anger of him and his men.

"Hmph!" He snorted coldly before signaling to his men. "We've arrived, men. Twenty days of suffering, loss, and betrayal in the unknown will finally be rewarded. We'll take this treasure and retreat to the forest. To hell with the empire and to hell with honor. We won't let others reap the fruits of our pain."

"Yes!" the soldiers roared loudly, or rather, growled like beasts. After spending so much time in the wild, they had lost a significant part of their humanity. Naturally, this was temporary, and with enough rest, they would return to their senses—their mental strength wasn't that low.

"Follow me!" Roland shouted and jumped into the fog-filled cave. Within moments, hundreds of blood-stained soldiers followed him.

...

Back in Red Bell City, Sollivan looked at the sky above the southern wall and saw dozens of square projectiles flying toward them. He was stunned by the horrifying sight—or rather, the deadly beauty of it. As soon as the projectiles reached or approached the wall, they began to explode one after another, releasing dozens of massive rocks in all directions.

Crash!

The wooden houses in the poor district were destroyed, and some neighborhoods turned to rubble in moments. Even from a distance, he could imagine hearing the screams and wails of the poor who had returned to their homes.

Boom!

Boom!

Some of the projectiles contained highly flammable materials, and as soon as the thunder powder inside them exploded, they ignited, raining fiery flames onto the ground below. They burned everything in their path, setting dry objects ablaze. In moments, the once-peaceful city became a land of wailing.

Everyone on the ground watched in shock. From the commoners to the mayor, no one had expected the enemy to attack so suddenly. But they didn't know what Sollivan knew. Due to his good vantage point and sharp vision, he had seen the distant shapes of the catapults raining hell upon them. Their arrows couldn't reach the distant enemy, nor could their wall-mounted cannons.

"Long-range bombardment catapults. This is really bad." When he realized this, he felt a sharp pain in his head from sheer anger.

The range of medium-range bombardment catapults was about a mile, which the archer towers and defensive cannons could reach, making defenses effective against them. But the long-range catapults had a range of nearly two miles. Due to the toughness of their strings and the strong recoil, anything they launched traveled a great distance. What made the situation worse was the type of explosive ammunition, precisely designed to cover a wide area. Several large rocks were bound together with a sticky, rapidly hardening clay that shattered quickly when heated.

Inside the large square projectile was a medium-sized barrel of compressed thunder powder, highly explosive, tied to a long fuse lit by the gunners before launch. As soon as the projectile reached a certain distance, it exploded, releasing dozens of projectiles in all directions. This was why they were called bombardment catapults.

The gathered crowd on the ground began to scream in fear, quickly dispersing and heading to the safe places they knew. As for the mayor, his shock lasted a few seconds before he regained his composure and began issuing orders to the soldiers around him.

Sollivan silently watched everything unfold. Despite anticipating this, what he was witnessing was still nerve-wracking. He didn't love the city or its people, but he felt sorrow seeing it destroyed. What bothered him the most, however, was that he was stuck in the midst of this chaos.

Sigh!

He let out a long sigh and wanted to return to the library. But suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a distant smoke cloud out of the corner of his eye. He focused all his attention on the distant spot in the middle of the endless forest. 'Isn't that the location of the buried treasury?'

'Hmm, they've executed the plan I thought of in detail. This means we won't be getting any reinforcements.'

He sighed again and left his spot, heading back to the library.