Chapter 228: Terrain Kill

The First Officer wanted to say more, but seeing Schneider’s resolute gaze, he could only close his mouth reluctantly. The massive Armored Airship began to slowly descend. Its colossal shadow enveloped the street below and drawing closer and closer to the ground. Everyone on the bridge could clearly see the figures of people running in ‘panic’ on the street.

“Throw out the rope ladder!” Schneider commanded again. A few crew members on the bottom deck immediately opened a hatch on the airship’s belly and tossed out a long rope ladder. The ladder swayed in the air, but its end was still two or three meters from the ground. The Armored Airship helmsman was sweating profusely; if the ladder caught on any obstacle, the consequences would be severe.

“Well, we’ve done all we can.” Schneider murmured to himself, looking down at the chaotic street below. “The rest is up to you, Captain Morin.”

Meanwhile, Morin, sprinting down the street amidst the deafening roar of the airship, saw the shadow enveloping the entire street. He looked up and saw the colossal L-29 Armored Airship hovering directly above the street he was about to enter like a miracle. A rope ladder was dangling down from the sky, swaying not far in front of him.

“Holy shit! This service is too good!” Morin instantly understood their intent. Although he didn’t know how the L29 Armored Airship knew to come and extract him, this was the best escape route available. His heart filled with euphoria! he accelerated his pace while simultaneously discarding the MG14 Light Machine Gun that had run out of bullets. Although he had gone to extremes to reduce weight, while on the run, this thing was still a hindrance.

As he ran, Morin pulled a Magic Scroll he had captured at the bridgehead from his chest harness magazine pouch. He unhesitatingly tore it open, reapplying [Mage Armor] and refreshing the Arcane Protection effect.

Around him, Master Albert and Archmage Angus, who had completely outpaced their own infantry and along with three other Highland Mages who had rushed to the area are closed in on the street. The scene was somewhat abstract and comical: two High-level Mages flying low in front, followed by three more Mages sprinting behind them using [Expeditious Retreat]. They looked at the massive airship flying low and practically skimming the rooftops. And below it, they see the Saxon soldier sprinting toward the ladder.

Their faces etched with anger and disbelief.

“What is he trying to do? Does he intend to jump onto the airship?” a young Mage couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Whatever he’s doing, stop him!” Master Albert roared, raising his staff and preparing to cast a spell.

But Morin’s speed was faster than he imagined. Rushing under the rope ladder, Morin suddenly shoved off a nearby abandoned horse-drawn carriage and propelling himself into the air like a cannonball. He extended his arms and accurately grabbing the end of the rope ladder in mid-air! The immense momentum swung him in a semicircle nearly tearing him loose.

“Got it!” Morin gritted his teeth, his arm muscles instantly taut, gripping the cold rope ladder firmly, feeling the huge force pulling his body upward.

“Pull up! Quick! Pull up!” Captain Schneider saw Morin successfully grab the ladder and immediately commanded loudly. The L29 Armored Airship’s engine roared, and it began to climb rapidly.

In the street, the five Highland Mages watched helplessly as Morin was lifted into the sky by the airship. They screaming in fury.

“Don’t think you can escape!” Master Albert raised his staff, immediately attempting to cast a spell to strike Morin down from the sky. But the numerous MG08 Machine Gun Turrets on the bottom deck of the L29 Armored Airship instantly opened fire. These hemispherical turrets could achieve a 180° firing arc, allowing them to sweep targets directly beneath the airship.

A dense rain of bullets poured down onto the pursuing Mages below, immediately disrupting their pursuit rhythm.

“Well done!” Morin swayed on the rope ladder but remembered to give the airship a thumbs up. He looked down at the street at the Mages who were scrambling to cast spells under the airship’s fire suppression, and a cruel smile appeared on his face.

He secured himself to the rope ladder, then pulled the now-dim red crystal from his pocket. The moment his hand touched it, the crystal began to pulse again like an RGB breathing lamp.

“Gentlemen, the cat-and-mouse game is over.” Morin whispered, then unhesitatingly channeled a surge of his remaining magic into the detonator crystal in his hand.

The next second, the red crystal suddenly erupted with a blinding light! Dozens of Magic Crystal Bombs hidden in the buildings on both sides of the street were simultaneously activated!

In the street below, Master Albert was preparing to cast a more powerful spell when he suddenly felt a terrifying magical fluctuation that made his soul tremble erupting from the buildings on both sides of the street. He turned around in horror, his pupils instantly shrinking to pinpoints.

“No… it’s a trap!” This was the last thought that flashed through his mind before he instinctively tore open a Magic Scroll.

The next second, an earth-shattering explosion occurred.

“RUMBLE——!!!”

A deafening roar instantly swallowed all sound in the world.

The simultaneous detonation of dozens of High-Energy Magic Crystal Bombs and military explosives generated unimaginable power. A blinding white light, like the sun falling to the earth, instantly pulverized the entire street and everything on it.

A massive mushroom cloud mixed with black smoke and fire shot into the sky. The violent shockwave like an invisible giant wave, swept outward in all directions. Buildings on both sides of the street were torn to shreds and leveled instantly. Bricks, wood, and metal fragments were flung high into the air, then rained down like a storm.

“A real man never looks back…!” Morin, hanging onto the rope ladder in mid-air, felt like a small boat in a raging storm. The terrifying shockwave from below slammed into him, nearly tearing him off the ladder. The shockwave even caused damage, the protective value of his [Mage Armor] began to drop.

“Cough, cough, cough… that was incredibly intense.” Morin’s vision swam, but he gritted his teeth and held on.

On the L29 Armored Airship’s bridge, everything was a mess. The massive shockwave rocked the War Behemoth, which was flying at a low altitude, making it shake violently. Many crew members who weren’t holding on fell to the floor. Alarms sounded in every compartment.

“Steady! Helmsman, you must hold it steady!” Captain Schneider yelled at the crew on the bridge, gripping the handrail tightly. He looked down at the smoldering crater below, which had clearly been reduced to rubble with look of shock on his face.

“This… this was that lunatic’s plan?” he muttered to himself. “He actually succeeded…”

At the railway bridgehead, Klaus, Kleist, Manstein, and all the soldiers of the Instruction Assault Battalion stared dumbfounded at the mushroom cloud rising in the distance and the scene of utter devastation.

“The Battalion… the Battalion Commander…” Kleist’s voice trembled slightly.

“He succeeded…” Manstein’s eyes sparkled with a strange light. “He used himself as bait and wiped out the pursuing Britannian Mages in one blow.”

“But what about the Battalion Commander himself? If the Armored Airship hadn’t retrieved him from that terrifying explosion…” Kleist dared not continue.

“The Battalion Commander is the commander of the Imperial Guards First Instruction Assault Battalion; he is no ordinary person. We must have faith in him,” Manstein said calmly, as if already anticipating Morin’s triumphant return.

Everyone was deeply shaken by Morin’s mad, daring plan and the horrifying result it achieved.

A long while later, as the shockwaves subsided and the L29 Armored Airship finally stabilized, several crew members frantically pulled the exhausted Morin from the ladder into the airship’s cabin. Morin collapsed onto the cold floor, gasping heavily. His entire body ached. But looking down at the ruined city block below, a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

It was worth it! Trading his own risk for the elimination of multiple enemy Highland Mages—it was a bargain that paid off immensely!

Soon, Captain Schneider also rushed from the bridge. He looked at the young Captain before him, covered in soot and blood, disheveled, yet smiling like a madman, unsure what to say. He looked Morin up and down, then extended his hand.

“Captain Friedrich Morin?”

“That’s me.” Morin shook his hand.

“Erich Schneider, Captain of the L29 Armored Airship.” Schneider’s expression was complex, showing admiration, shock, and a hint of reverence. “I must say, Captain,” he paused, then spoke in an extremely serious tone: “You are absolutely the craziest person I have ever met.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Morin grinned, which pulled at a cut on his lip, making him wince. “Other people say that often, including the Captain of the L28 Armored Airship.”

Schneider laughed at his behavior, shaking his head. “Alright, enough joking for now… Wait, Captain Morin, your waist is bleeding! Medic! Quickly! Treat his wound!”

Morin looked down and saw a gash had been cut in his uniform near his waist. Dark red blood was continuously welling up from the wound.

(End of this Chapter)

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