Chapter 703: Chapter 448: Asking the Gentleman into the Urn

Chen Lun stood quietly on the banks of the Benavides River, his eyes reflecting the ripples of water.

He slowly lowered his hand and thought to himself,

‘The most critical element in the Battle of the Hercules Bridgehead Fortress was the explosives the Anlong United Kingdom had buried in advance… Indeed, according to the feedback from Decay’s Desire, there were a significant amount of explosives, but now they were in a ‘decayed state’, unable to detonate.’

Chen Lun let out a deep breath and turned to leave.

However, at that moment, his mind involuntarily conjured a thought of compassion for humanity:

‘Why do humans slaughter their own kind? Why research various weapons and tools for the sake of killing… like flintlock guns, cannons, and the explosives buried under the bridgehead fortress? Is the massacre of one’s own species really the only way for human progress?’

A silent sorrow flashed through Chen Lun’s eyes.

He then thought of his own role as a member of the clergy accompanying the military expedition, set to participate in the slaughter and battle, and he couldn’t help but shed tears.

‘For such a foolish purpose, I climbed to a high position in the Generous Council and participated so zealously in the war. This is truly unforgivable…’

Chen Lun looked at his hands, as if seeing endless blood and wailing, and even felt a desire to end his sinful life right there.

But soon, his strong Mysterious Resistance and powerful will made him realize something was wrong.

‘It’s a side effect of the Mysterious Objects… My desire has decayed.’

A thought flashed through Chen Lun’s mind, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He gently wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes, his gaze lowered.

The next second, a violent smile spread across his face, and the Balag Necklace on his chest began to writhe, “growing” strands of rusted iron wire that wound around his chest and neck.

‘You think you can corrode my will and desire?’

Chen Lun lifted his left hand and chuckled coldly at his moldy glove.

The murderous intent within him was like the molten lava of a volcanic eruption, uncontrollable.

‘I don’t care about the outcome of the Battle of the Hercules Bridgehead Fortress, nor do I care if the Imperial Army is blown to ashes… What I want is for everything to proceed according to my script. No one can stop me from killing; only slaughter can quickly accumulate Experience Points, satisfy the conditions for promotion, and break free from the damn control of Destiny!’

He clenched his fists forcefully, gripping the gloves so tightly that they squeaked an “anguish,” then took out Wake of Insects and released that vigorous Life Force in circles of age rings that climbed up Decay’s Desire. The glove itself seemed to move consciously, as if frightened, dodging the spread of the rings.

“Behave yourself, or you’ll completely rot if you dare to affect me again,”

Chen Lun murmured fiercely, withdrawing his power.

This time, the moldy glove made no further motion.

He took it off and shoved it into his pocket, then turned and left the spot.

*

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Whoo–

The charge of the horn sounded over the Benavides River, reaching straight to the heavens.

Thunderous cannonfire and the dense rattle of gunfire followed closely behind.

“Kill!”

“Charge! Charge!”

“For the Empire!”

“Long live Tresor!”

The Imperial Army quickly shattered the blockade of the Hercules Bridge, orderly overturning broken iron fences and various obstacles, and then began their charge across the bridge, aiming straight for the bridgehead fortress at the end.

Bullets rained down like showers, fired from the high walls of the bridgehead fortress, and as evening light dimmed, the flashes of gunfire seemed quite dazzling, like golden blossoms flickering on red satin.

The Imperial Army faced the first round of fire suppression.

However, as had happened before in the skirmishes across the Kelpin Plains, the Imperial Army quickly reacted, taking countermeasures. From afar, Chen Lun saw that under the command of their officers, they took metal blocks from their backpacks.

With each soldier operating a metal block, they unfolded in moments into half-man-high rectangular shields within a few breaths.

The incessant ding-ding sound filled the air as bullets struck the shields, sparking bright flashes, while the Imperial Army withstood the barrage, undeterred in their charge.

Swoosh–

Boom!!

Finally, the cannons atop the walls of Hercules Bridgehead Fortress began firing concentrated rounds, with heavy weapons more intimidating than bullets starting the second round of suppression.

Amidst flames and smoke, rubble flew in all directions; some Imperial Army soldiers were blown to pieces by the shells, leaving blackened craters dotted with flesh and blood on the bridge.

The enemy seemed not to care if the Hercules Bridge would collapse in the bombardment, aiming only to inflict maximum casualties on the Imperial Army. The cannons fired nonstop, covering the Benavides River in gunsmoke, and the sounds of gunfire composed a cruel symphony of war.

Chen Lun slowly approached the entrance of the bridge and found it already occupied by the Imperial Army, who had built temporary defensive fortifications with sandbags, stakes, and rocks. Numerous regrouped troops were ascending the bridge and starting to charge.

The command tent was a bit further back, yet General Vance sat on a folding chair at the entrance, constantly observing the situation through his binoculars. Moon Church and Hailing Group clergy sat nearby, but there was little interaction between them.