Chapter 306: Chapter 267: Hero’s Battle Flag, Dawn’s Early Light
Seeing the Barnacle Cannonballs carrying the terrifying "coral disease" flying towards them, the two could no longer afford to worry about ideological differences.
Sam Leopold of Unbreakable Fortress suddenly brought his hands together, his voice like thunder as he roared, "Defend!"
HUMMM—!
Accompanied by a deep hum, a golden fortress phantom expanded instantly from his body, covering the entire town. The rough log walls of the town were coated with a layer of brilliant golden light, rendering them impregnable. Nearly two thousand anchor chains instantly rose from various parts of the town, anchoring themselves firmly to him.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Sixteen cannonballs fired from the sea smashed one after another onto an invisible barrier, then ricocheted off the sloped surface and scattered. Even as the barnacle larvae splashed in all directions, they failed to invade the town in the slightest.
This was the professional ability of a Third Order Fortress Expert in the Fortress Sequence: [Iron Will]. As long as the place where he stood had the necessary defensive structures, such as city walls, moats, or even simple barricades like chevaux de frise, he could turn it into a fortress under his command. The stronger the physical defensive facilities, and the more people who trusted he would not fall, the more robust this "fortress" would be.
At the same time, the Fortress Expert could also use various auras to bolster the defending troops, uniting them as one entity, no matter how large the fortress. The ability to resist bombardment just demonstrated was one of them, [Protection Against Distant Attacks], also known in ancient times as [Powerful Protection Against Arrows]. Therefore, the defensive capabilities of a fortress with a Fortress Expert and one without were completely incomparable.
"Quick, get to battle stations!"
As Sam Leopold blocked the first wave of attacks, armed personnel from the Lancaster Party surged out from all over the town, entering towers and mounting the log walls.
The biggest problem now was that they had no intention of managing Gornaf Island as a permanent base. Their gaze had always been on the thriving Tayman Archipelago in Catherine’s hands, or even on retaking Jamestown Royal Harbor, which originally belonged to them. Moreover, the town had been established too recently; its defenses were too weak, and they severely lacked heavy weapons capable of suppressing the May Wind. Mere reliance on [Iron Will] to resist bombardment was clearly unsustainable. Everyone felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Meanwhile, the monster warship, having just completed a volley, showed new activity. The water beneath it began to churn. Then, lines of wakes appeared on the sea. Before they could reach the shore, [Preempting the Enemy] Beret Tanya had already ’seen’ their true forms. Their skin was pale, as if soaked in water for a long time, and their exposed bodies were entirely covered with barnacles, corals, scales, and tentacles. Many of these Coral People’s forms had even begun to transform into non-human marine creatures—not a single species, but a chaotic jumble of traits.
It was as if the crabs had two-timed or the corals had had affairs; in short, they were a chaotic mess!
A putrid stench, accompanied by the sea’s dampness, wafted over them.
He immediately ordered, "All units, be alert! Those are the Coral People afflicted with coral disease. Load Scatter Bombs! Wait for them to get close to the walls, then fire. According to intelligence shared by the Lighthouse Union, they are slow on land. Daring to come ashore and attack us is suicide. Just make sure not to engage them in close combat, and the coral disease won’t infect you."
Considering that the Bantaan Archipelago, located in the tropics, experiences frequent rain, its defensive structures were designed with rain shelters. Even the firearms along the open-air defense lines were equipped with rain covers. Although the downpour had an impact, the pressure on them wasn’t too severe; they could still retain at least seventy percent of their firepower.
However, unexpectedly, those parasitized Coral People, upon landing, did not suffer a significant reduction in mobility as the intelligence reports had indicated. While their speed was reduced, it was only slightly slower than in the water. They sprinted over the muddy, slick ground like horses charging at full gallop. Enduring the defensive fire, they took a volley of musket shots, then slammed hard into the wooden gates fortified by [Iron Will], creating thunderous impacts. Only a few fell during the charge. More Coral People even attempted to leap onto the walls but were desperately repelled by the quick-reacting defenders.
Seeing this, Beret Tanya was startled. He then discerned the cause of this unexpected event through the powerful perception of [Breath of All Things] and had an epiphany:
I understand now, it’s the downpour! During this period, the significant reduction in ships at sea means the May Wind’s hunger for hunting can no longer be satisfied. Dry land would greatly weaken both it and the Coral People, but once the rainy season arrives and the land is saturated with water, this problem vanishes. I’m afraid the restriction limiting Coral People activity to within two kilometers of the shore will also disappear. The land can no longer offer us protection. If, as usual, a heavy rain persists for days or even half a month, the coral disease could swell like a snowball, engulfing countless colonial towns! We must repel them and then immediately relocate the camp.
Realizing the critical nature of the situation, he immediately drew his sword, wisps of white vapor swirling from his mouth and nose as he breathed. This Storm Knight had chosen a path entirely different from Byron’s when he ascended to the Second Order, acquiring the core ability [Breath of All Things].