Volume 4 Chapter 169

Volume 4 + Chapter 169: Unable To Laugh Anymore

“These Vampire Clan really are a bunch of stubborn fools. They clearly can’t win, yet they insist on fighting on. So stupid it’s beyond saving.”

Kennedy gazed at the battlefield ahead, where blood flowed like rivers, and sighed with emotion.

“Do they really want to die that badly?”

The battle that had begun at dawn still had not ended even as night fell.

During the daytime, without a doubt, the elves held the advantage. The elven army had believed the battle would end quickly, that they would easily crush the Vampire Clan.

At the outset, that assessment had indeed seemed correct. The Vampire Clan had dispatched garrison forces in an attempt to hold back the elven host, even Oune, the general defending the checkpoint, had personally led troops to the front line.

Under Kennedy’s command, the first engagement ended in an almost overwhelming victory.

Vampire Clan under sunlight were little more than paper—before the surging tide of the elven army, they shattered at a single touch. Even Oune leading personally could not stop them.

Unfortunately, despite suffering defeat in the opening clash, Oune proved far too cunning. The elves failed to seize an opportunity to kill him, instead, he withdrew with the remaining Vampire Clan soldiers back into the checkpoint, seemingly intending to rest, recover, and fight again.

Kennedy had assumed that the Vampire Clan would be utterly incapable of resistance, to be crushed outright by the elven army. Yet an unexpected development occurred.

The Vampire Clan deployed a magical field unlike anything seen before.

Once activated, this magical field continuously expanded outward.

At first, its range was indeed small, but through Oune’s initial resistance, the elven advance was delayed, allowing the magical field to spread across the frontal battlefield.

After that, the Vampire Clan’s combat capabilities suddenly increased.

This special magical field could mitigate the negative effects of sunlight on the Vampire Clan. Though the weakening effect still existed, they were no longer so fragile as to shatter at a touch—and could even begin to fight back.

At this point, both sides were essentially playing with open cards.

The elven army sought to crush the Vampire Clan garrison at the checkpoint as soon as possible, while the Vampire Clan garrison intended to hold at all costs—even if it meant bleeding to the very last drop—until reinforcements arrived.

Night had now fallen. In theory, the Vampire Clan had already passed their weakest phase, yet they had suffered grievous casualties, with massive losses.

Across the battlefield, Vampire Clan corpses lay everywhere.

The elven side had also paid a considerable price, sustaining notable losses of their own.

“General, now that night has fallen, the Vampire Clan soldiers’ abilities have increased, and our losses are continuing to rise,” an elven officer reported to Kennedy.

“War has always been like this,” Kennedy replied calmly as he surveyed the brutal battlefield, as if everything remained firmly within his grasp. “At the start of a war, both attackers and defenders suffer losses. What truly matters is the outcome—which side can endure those losses.”

“The Vampire Clan’s ability to hold out has indeed exceeded my expectations,” Kennedy continued. “But our numbers surpass theirs. With casualties mounting on both sides, it is ultimately the Vampire Clan who will be unable to endure.”

“General, the Vampire Clan suddenly deployed a magical field that weakens sunlight, which is why they’ve been able to hold on this long. In all of recorded history, the Vampire Clan have never used anything like this. This technology simply doesn’t belong to this era,” the elven officer complained.

“If the Vampire Clan hadn’t possessed this technique, the checkpoint would have been trampled flat long ago. How could they possibly have held out until nightfall?”

“Heh, what a pity,” Kennedy chuckled. “Even with such methods, the Vampire Clan still cannot change the final outcome.”

A smile spread across Kennedy’s face.

“They think that by holding on, they can wait for reinforcements? Impossible. Under my design, the arrogant and foolish Dragon Clan are selling their lives for us, blocking the Vampire Clan reinforcements. The fall of this checkpoint is inevitable.”

“Indeed, General—this move of yours is truly brilliant,” the elven officer said admiringly, a hint of disdain on his face. “The Dragon Clan cannot possibly abandon resistance. If they allowed the Vampire Clan reinforcements through, it would mean the collapse of the entire Anti-Vampire Clan Alliance, and the Dragon Clan would give up any chance of defeating the Vampire Clan Progenitor. But honestly…”

“In my view, that childish Silver Dragon Princess probably hasn’t even realized this. Under normal circumstances, the Vampire Clan reinforcements would have already reached the front line by now. Yet we haven’t seen even a single strand of their hair. That can only mean one thing—the Dragon Clan are still foolishly working for us!”

“Victory is already in my hands.”

Kennedy felt the time had come to push the battle toward its final stage.

“All units, launch a new round of assaults against the Vampire Clan forces and press forward further,” Kennedy commanded. “The Vampire Clan army is now like a candle flickering in the wind. Their last remaining strength will soon be drained away. The moment they can no longer withstand the pressure and retreat back into the checkpoint will be our chance to launch the final, all-out attack!”

“Yes, General!”

The elven officer acknowledged the order and immediately relayed it down the chain of command, informing every officer and soldier.

Following Kennedy’s orders, the elven army moved as one, surging forward like a tide and unleashing a new ferocious assault upon the Vampire Clan formation.

Watching this, Kennedy felt that everything was settled. The Vampire Clan had no way to turn the tables, their defeat was assured.

Even if they had held out until now, what meaning did it have?

It was nothing more than an ugly, desperate struggle at death’s door.

Kennedy believed it would only take a little more time before the Vampire Clan collapsed under the elven offensive, the fruits of victory safely falling into his hands, with the checkpoint becoming elven territory.

He seemed to hear the gears of fate turning for his sake.

Victory was guaranteed.

“Hahaha—hahahahahaha!!”

Kennedy could not contain his joy and burst into loud laughter on the spot.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Kennedy felt the air above the battlefield vibrate violently. An invisible shockwave tore open a path through the sky, scattering the layered clouds of the night under fierce winds, cutting straight toward the critical checkpoint.

Sensing the anomaly, the elven officer looked up in shock, his face filled with disbelief as he shouted,

“How is this possible?! Am I seeing things? Why are the Dragon Clan here?! Aren’t they supposed to be behind the battlefield, blocking the Vampire Clan reinforcements for us?!”

The dragons descended over the battlefield, casting vast, oppressive shadows, like sovereigns of the sky—unstoppable in their might.

The elven general’s smile froze instantly, his expression completely stiffening.

At this moment, Kennedy could no longer laugh.

[https://ko-fi.com/golden_dragon]