Levi immediately looked at the Lightforger: "Has there been a similar situation before?"
The Lightforged hurriedly shook his head: "I don't know, because we have never attacked here before. Only the natives have formally attacked Black Castle, but they didn't tell us about this."
Master next to him also echoed: "That's right, Levi. At the beginning, there were a lot of demons on the plains nearby. If it weren't for the indigenous people who kept in touch and led us to encircle and suppress them, we wouldn't have been able to get here at all."
"Is that so? Then maybe they have a countermeasure."
Before Levi finished speaking, he heard a large-scale magic message: "Don't panic, as long as your fire resistance reaches 5, you will be immune to this effect!"
The Lightforged suddenly grinned: "It's easy to say, but ordinary low-level soldiers have no magic resistance at all!"
If it is a small team of ten or twenty people, even if there is such a negative state, it is actually not a big problem and they can always find a way to overcome it.
But in this kind of large-scale battle, each God-chosen hero has hundreds of subordinates under his command. Not to mention whether the magic points are sufficient, there are simply not enough mages who can cast magic so frequently to take good care of all the subordinates!
He also had some doubts. Now, they were still nearly ten miles away from the Black Castle, but they were already in this negative state. If they got really close to the Black Castle, would this effect be intensified?
He had heard long ago that the demons were trying to transform Black Castle into a city that truly belonged to them, with the characteristics of the Abyss!
In comparison, Master's expression next to him was much more relaxed, not only because their Arcane Temple had many mages, but also because the main force of their team were all golems, which were directly immune to this kind of negative effect.
Normally, many of his brothers had complained to him about the weaknesses of the golems, and they had wavered more than once as to whether they should rely so much on the golems to fight, but now he was glad that he had persisted until now.
"Levi, do you want us to help?"
Levi glanced at the Lightforger, and when he saw the other party nod slightly, he smiled and said, "Okay, thank you for your help. We will definitely compensate you afterwards, but I think the natives may have already prepared for this."
He was not too nervous, not only because he had judged this from various signs, but also because he recognized the female voice in the magic communication just now as the wizard Michaela, with whom he had a good relationship.
If she was prepared, then if I took the initiative to go forward, I would probably receive some care.
And after all, the natives brought many God-chosen heroes here to let them participate in the battle, not to let them come for sightseeing. How could they let them retreat easily because of such a small setback?
Master also understood something, and he had witnessed the intimate conversation between Levi and Michaela before, so he asked tentatively: "Then shall we go and meet the natives?"
Levi nodded gently: "That's right, let's cast a spell to protect ourselves first, and then go and see what's going on."
Speculations are speculations, but he still had to see the specific situation with his own eyes. He had already seen where Michaela was before, but because she was commanding the troops with more than a dozen other heroes at the time, he did not go over.
Master nodded and gave the order immediately, and many wizards began to cast spells and filled bottle after bottle of magic potion.
Levi also started casting spells, but his main target was still the ranged troops in the team, because all the Silver Guards had magic resistance, and elite subordinates like Cindy also had more or less equipment that increased magic resistance or fire resistance, so there was no need to worry about being affected.
But the other chosen heroes had their own thoughts, and many of them, under pressure, chose to withdraw on their own initiative.
The natives did not take any action, which made Levi feel very interesting.
The indigenous people definitely need these forces, even if they have to be cannon fodder, but they did not dissuade them. Are they selecting the most reliable people among them, or do they also want to retain some of their manpower?
After casting magic dozens of times and seeing that many of his subordinates were still not taken care of, Levi suddenly laughed. Maybe he didn't need to look for Michaela.
Because he saw some quartermasters rushing over, and from a distance they were already shouting loudly, claiming that they could provide consumable potions and magic scrolls that increase fire resistance, and that these things would only be charged for a certain amount of money after the battle, or directly deducted using military merit points.
The Lightforged couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Damn, what were they doing before? Now half of them have run away!"
“Perhaps, they were not sure whether it was enough before?”
Having said that, they still took the initiative to greet him, and each of them asked for a lot.
Levi took a few looks and found that these potions had similar effects to the fire-retardant potions he had obtained before, except that they lasted much longer.
The effects of those scrolls are slightly weaker, but they can be used on friendly forces in a wide range. With them, you basically don't have to worry about being affected by negative status anymore.
At once everyone's morale was boosted, and they once again followed the natives and marched towards Black Castle.
As they continued to move forward, they began to encounter various attacks along the way. First, the undead suddenly emerged from the soil or magic circles, followed by a large number of Quasser demons, mixed with a small number of Iron Cavalry demons, falling from the sky.
Although the High Elves carried aerial war beasts such as Giant Eagles and Griffins with them, and the Wood Elves also had some Giant Eagles and Giant Eagle mounted archers, their numbers were too small in comparison to be able to intercept them.
But this is when their strengths were revealed.
Priests from many temples took action one after another, and holy light burst out, seeming dazzling even in the daytime.
Next came the mages of various types, especially those of wind and lightning magic. Almost every move of theirs could kill a dozen or even dozens of Quasai demons.
And one thing has to be admitted, that is, the bonuses that many indigenous heroes bring to their respective troops seem to be a bit too powerful.
Even the seemingly ordinary level 2 spearmen (with shields) can fight against level 4 iron cavalry demons. At least from Levi's point of view, the indigenous troops suffered almost no casualties along the way.
In comparison, the average strength is relatively weak, and there are not so many powerful priests and mages' chosen heroes, so losses are inevitable. Even Levi and his men began to suffer casualties.
There was no way. Although they were strong and their troops could complement each other well, no one could be sure where the magic circles that could teleport the undead would appear.
It would be fine if it was on the front, but if it was fired directly into the center area of ​​the long-range troops, it would be bad luck.
Two members of the guild had their ranged units killed on the spot because of this unfortunate incident. This instantly made them feel depressed, because they all knew that even if they could successfully capture the Black Castle this time, it would be difficult for them to make up for their losses.
If the indigenous people fail in the end, they will suffer huge losses.
The only thing to be thankful for was that the demons seemed unable to accurately control the locations of the magic circles, and as they continued to get closer to the black castle, the frequency of the magic circles began to drop sharply, and it seemed that the other side was about to run out of all their means.
However, when looking at the castle with flames rising into the sky from afar, Levi felt that he might need to change its name. That was not a black castle at all, it was clearly a red fire castle!
Compared to Ashridge Town, Blackburg's defense facilities are more complete. In addition to the five- or six-meter-high walls, hundreds of arrow towers, and thousands of demons on full alert, the most conspicuous thing is its five- or six-meter-wide moat, which is filled with boiling magma.
If the high elves launched an attack, they would first have to try to fill up the moat, and then face three huge gates that were red and black in color and radiated magical light.
Then, like a pyramid, there are two layers of shorter but still protective walls. In the center and highest area is the crimson castle.
Ashridge is a town with hundreds of thousands of residents and covers a large area.
The Black Castle is much smaller in area, but it is a solid fortress truly built for war.
Then, in the dense dark clouds in the distance, there were faintly visible spherical objects with a diameter of several hundred meters. Those were the Eye Demon-shaped sky castles that had briefly appeared before.
Although they themselves do not seem to have any aggressiveness, no one knows how many demon armies are inside, waiting to join the battlefield at any time. They and the armies inside them are the core area of ​​the Black Castle.
After seeing all this clearly, the Lightforged Ones and the others made sounds of surprise and admiration, but then they all frowned, because they really couldn't understand how the High Elves were supposed to conquer such a well-defended fortress.
What are these God-chosen heroes here for?
Even if they could deal with the lava, ordinary low-level soldiers couldn't climb up the 6-meter-high wall!
Could it be that he just wants to make use of their long-range troops?
But at least those arrow towers must be demolished first, otherwise any army will be blown to the sky when facing the bombardment of thousands of fireballs.
Even Levi was a little confused about what the natives were up to. Could it be that they went to so much trouble just to force out the hidden power of the undead in disguise?
Is it really necessary to go to so much trouble? And the mission he accepted is still there, which means that the undead's backup has not been completely lured out.
But no matter how many doubts they had in their hearts, the natives had already stayed outside the maximum range of the opponent's arrow tower and began to prepare for battle. For a while, various colored magical lights flashed continuously. They were casting auxiliary magic for the troops.
The Flying Artillery Team, which had been hired and carefully protected along the way, began to make intensive adjustments.
Next to them were hundreds of ballistae of the high elves. Although they were not as powerful as artillery, they were more numerous.
At this moment, a black-red light suddenly flashed from the black castle at the top. Levi couldn't help but grin. Since the war started today, every time he saw this special light, it was definitely not a good thing!
Sure enough, a few seconds later, when the light spread to them, the system prompted that the scorching field cast by the demons had been temporarily strengthened, and now at least 10 points of fire resistance were required to ignore the enchantment effects brought by the magic.
Now, except for Levi himself, Donna, Cindy and others, as well as the Silver Guards who were good at magic resistance, all began to lose health.
Although the amount is not high, especially after being cast with the magic scroll, ordinary archers will only lose about 20 points per minute, which is not as much damage as being hit by the enemy.
But now this magic covers tens of thousands of troops, and the damage added up every minute is too terrifying.
The longer the time drags on, the greater the losses will be.
No wonder the High Elves have not been able to recapture the Black Castle for so many days. They have to endure such pressure just by standing outside the Black Castle.
The demons chose to strengthen the effect of the hot field at this time in order to force their own side to make a choice, either to attack as soon as possible or to retreat quickly!
Just as Levi was busy casting new protective magic for his subordinates, the sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out, and he saw several carriages carrying dozens of priests heading straight towards him.
Looking at the various patterns and symbols on their bodies, they clearly came from Lilith and the Moonbow Temple.
He couldn't help laughing immediately. He had roughly understood what the other party meant. They must be worried that their troops could not hold on, so they came to help.
Although their respective gods are very weak, they can still remember themselves when encountering troubles. Just for this reason, they must cooperate more with each other in the future!
As expected, the priests quickly stated that they were there to treat and assist Levi and others.
The amount of incendiary agents prepared by the army was still a little insufficient, and now there were no extra ones to provide to the chosen heroes, so they could only hold on.
Naturally, Levi expressed his gratitude immediately, and then he raised his own question: Does the acting lord have any trump card this time?
Does she really think that the current army is enough to capture Black Castle?
Moreover, the army has already arrived here, but it seems that she and her dragon have not appeared yet?
Unfortunately, the pastors just kept shaking their heads, indicating that they didn't know.
Although the temple is fighting together with the lord's army this time, the two sides are not subordinate to each other. They have absolute freedom to choose who to assist in the battle. Similarly, the acting lord will only tell them a general battle plan instead of telling them all the secrets.
Soon, with the roar of artillery, the Galloper Artillery Team took the lead in launching an attack, followed by many crossbows. As war machines, their range was much longer than that of ordinary archers or the Gogs in the Black Castle's arrow tower.
It's no wonder that they are quite powerful. With just one round of shooting, they were able to completely clear out all the demons on a certain city wall.
For a moment, all the God-chosen heroes who saw this scene couldn't help but have some thoughts, even Levi was no exception.
Although the attack intervals of war machines are very long, but in this special situation, the power they exert is unmatched by ordinary archers. The range alone gives them a huge advantage. Could it be that the natives want to rely on this trick to break through the Black Castle?
Soon it was revealed that the natives did seem to have this idea, because when they carried out the second round of bombing, they actually shifted their target and began to attack the arrow towers. As a result, dozens of arrow towers were blown down, and many Gog and Magog on them were smashed half to death.
After several rounds of bombing, the demons in the black castle finally couldn't sit still anymore. Although there were a lot of demons, they were killed by thousands of mid-level demons within just a few minutes of the battle, and the opponents only lost some ammunition. How could they tolerate this?
And if they don't take some measures, the enemy may be able to demolish all of their arrow towers with just war equipment!
Then, accompanied by a roar and a flash of fire, more than twenty hideous-looking guys appeared together on an open space on the city wall.
After seeing the other person's face clearly, Levi couldn't help but frown slightly.
Although he was unfamiliar with most of the enemies, he happened to know two female demons among them, because one of them was Nameth, who had previously attempted to besiege the Temple of Lilith, and the other was Maris, a demon he had just killed.
Less than half a day later, she was resurrected again. Whether it was due to the sacrificial ceremony or other reasons, the information contained in it was too shocking.
At this time, the Lightforger next to him couldn't help but shout: "Levi, look at that guy, it's Hogg!"
Following the direction of his finger, Levi soon discovered a five or six meter tall werewolf covered with muscles and ferocious bone spurs. Compared with ordinary werewolves, it was much stronger.
But despite this, neither Hogg nor the two female demons seemed to be the leaders of these demons. What was really special was a male demon standing alone in the front row.
At first glance, he looked like a gentle, bearded man, and his clothes and appearance were exactly the same as those of a human, except that his skin was a little reddish and he had a pair of devil horns on his forehead.
"Good morning, I am the commander of this place, the demon hero from the 113th floor of the Abyss - Selron."
Even though the artillery and ballista were still firing, he greeted politely like a gentleman, clearly having an upbringing completely different from that of most demons.
But no one thought he was really kind at this time. Soon, a male high elf dressed as a general stepped out from the crowd and said disdainfully, "So, you despicable demon, are you here to surrender?"
Upon hearing this, the Lightforger, Master and others all laughed at the same time. As expected, the High Elves were really good at talking. Even when facing such a powerful demon, they were not honest.
Lisadilan, who was not far away, couldn't help but snorted coldly, and Levi immediately knew that it was most likely this general who had dealt with him before.
In fact, he had already inquired through various channels, and the general might have been a little too harsh in dealing with him, but in normal times, whether internally or externally, this high elf general named Is Dir could definitely be described as wise and decisive.
Moreover, he made great contributions to the development and expansion of the colonies and had no black spots at all.
Faced with such an existence, there was no need to think about any crooked ways. All Lisadilan and himself could do was to climb up step by step, and finally defeat the opponent with fair strength.
Faced with the provocation of General Is Dir, the demon leader named Selron suddenly became angry. He felt that he had been very polite, but he did not expect that these high elves dared to be so provocative!
"Damn elves, if that's the case, then pay the price for your arrogance and stupidity!"
The demon leader Selron roared and began to cast spells at a rapid speed. At the same time, a black and red light lit up inside the black castle in the distance, which significantly increased his spellcasting speed.
So just a few seconds later, he raised his hand and summoned a large red cloud that covered an unknown area of ​​several thousand square meters, and then slowly floated towards the high elf army.
"Haha, come and try my Cloud Burning Technique!"
Although it looked very beautiful, many high elves felt as if they were facing a great enemy. They all shouted angrily and attacked, because the Burning Cloud Spell was a powerful magic of up to level 9. Once it was successfully cast, they would probably lose many, many troops!
Then, for a moment, various magical lights flashed continuously, but the most powerful one came from the legendary hero of the wood elves - the Star of Destruction.
He was seen swinging his spear with a little effort, and dozens of amber-like energy spears flew straight into the sky, forming a series of violent explosions.
After receiving such a heavy blow, coupled with the magic of others, the Cloud Burning Spell was forcibly stopped before it had floated far.
Although he already knew the power of the opponent's semi-artifact spear, when he actually saw this scene, the demon leader still felt so uncomfortable that he wanted to vomit blood.
Although he looked very relaxed, how could he perform such a powerful magic so quickly without any cost?
Seeing that the other party's sight had gradually turned to him, he immediately waved his claws in anger and panic: "Come out, my undead army!"
As he roared, more than two dozen pale white beasts dozens of meters long gradually rose into the sky from the Black Castle. Among them, there were also five or six alien creatures with translucent bodies, which were level 6 bone dragons and level 7 ghost dragons!
Upon seeing their figures, many high elves could not help but be filled with righteous indignation, and they wished they could rush into the city and kill them right away, because these behemoths were transformed after the demons desecrated the dragon cemetery in the Black Castle!
In comparison, the hundreds of vampires following behind them, holding swords, wearing cloaks, with muscular bodies, and their bodies enlarged several times, looking obviously mutated, as well as the even larger number of giant ferocious bats, were no longer so eye-catching.
After all, by now everyone knows that whether they cooperate with each other or are enslaved by powerful forces, the undead have chosen to serve the demons in this battle.
As for the fact that demons look down upon the power of ordinary vampires and it is completely understandable that they would give them some slight enhancements that would have greater side effects.
At this moment, contrary to many people's expectations, several dragon roars were heard from the high elves' formation.
As the illusion was shattered, the golden-red dragon that Levi had seen before, along with two slightly smaller copper dragons and three even smaller silver dragons, rose into the sky, roaring angrily at the bone dragons.
Even if they couldn't understand the dragons' language, everyone could see their anger, just like ordinary humans facing the undead skeletons and zombies.
And who else could the female wizard standing on the back of the leading dragon be but the acting lord, Princess Belinda?
There were also hundreds of Sky-Slayer airships towed by giant eagles, carrying crossbows and a dozen elite warriors, as well as forty or fifty cavalrymen riding griffins, approaching rapidly from a distance.
Levi suddenly realized that he had always thought that the acting lord was not accompanying them, but was waiting to appear at a critical moment. But now it seems that she has always been there, but she has used some magic to cover up her existence!
Then, as large areas of illusions were shattered, the appearance of many types of soldiers in the indigenous camp underwent drastic changes.
Even though they couldn't recognize all of their specific arms and classes at once, once they saw their weapons and equipment, which were many times more gorgeous and constantly emitting magical light, everyone could be completely certain that their strength must be extremely powerful!
Master next to him laughed immediately: "Hey, Pure Mane Company, White Lion Guards, Gavin Knights, White Lion Axe Knights, Sky Slasher Airship, Phoenix Guards, Hos Swordmaster, Dragon Prince Cavalry..."
"So many powerful soldiers that are rarely seen in normal times are disguised as the lowest-level spearmen and archers. No wonder they have hardly lost any men along the way. Their true strength is astonishingly strong!"
Just like Levi, he had actually noticed this unusual situation. He originally thought that the various bonuses of those heroic units were too exaggerated, but now it seems that this is not the case at all!
The Lightforger couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, if those guys who have given up see this, they will probably regret it so much that they will vomit blood, right?"
Everyone smiled at each other, and for a moment the air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. They were all glad that they had made the right choice, so they were qualified to laugh at those idiots.
But Levi did not participate in it. He just looked at the Dragon Prince cavalry unit in the distance with great surprise. There were people and horses, all with blue armor, and the shields in their left hands were decorated with giant dragon patterns, as well as the figure in the leader who was not unfamiliar to him.
"Lisa Dillan, you know..."
Before he finished speaking, Lisa Dilan had already shaken his head slightly excitedly: "No, I didn't know Reiner had secretly joined the war!"
That’s right, the leader of this Dragon Prince Cavalry is none other than Reiner, who claims to be fighting on the front line against the greenskins!
For today's battle, the indigenous people had obviously already made many preparations. In order to succeed, they not only deceived the devil, but even concealed the truth from their own people. If they didn't succeed, who else could?
However, I didn't see that strange guy surrounded by green flames...
Thinking of this, Levi suddenly asked: "Lisa Dilan, what are the Dragon Prince Cavalry best at?"
"It's the charge and the strong resistance to fire. The armor they and their mounts wear are forged in volcanoes and strengthened by magic!"
"Is that so? It's clearly a siege, but they sent out so many cavalrymen, and there's also that lava river that serves as a moat..."
Levi felt vaguely that he seemed to have touched something, but for a moment he did not completely break through the last layer of veil. However, he immediately asked his subordinates to prepare for battle.
On the other side, although the enemy was coming in full force, the artillery and crossbows were constantly firing and destroying more arrow towers, but the smile on the demon leader's face became more and more frequent.
"Is this the hidden power you have been accumulating all this time? I have to say, I am so disappointed!"
"Attack, defeat these abominable elves. I will prove to you that I am more than capable of defending the Black Castle. After defeating these seemingly smart high elves, I will be able to occupy a wider area of ​​land!"
Following his loud shout, many bone dragons and ghost dragons first roared silently, and under the protection of a large number of mutant vampires, they took the initiative to charge towards the Dynasty Lord and other dragons.
Then several demon heroes with the ability to fly, along with a large number of Iron Cavalry Demons, mutant vampires and Quasser Demons, took off into the air and launched a charge in the direction of the artillery and crossbows, with a very clear purpose.
At the same time, the smaller of the three gates of Black Castle unexpectedly opened on its own.
However, despite this, the high elves did not launch an immediate attack, not only because many arrow towers still existed, but also because they could see that there were a large number of demons such as Soul Judges, Evil Kings, and Three-headed Hellhounds in the city.
But what was even more conspicuous were the twenty or so six-armed snake demons, and even more special demons with arms longer than their knees, extremely stout and fat bodies, looking like a hybrid of an orangutan and a turtle.
They are level 4 berserkers. In addition to their extremely high defense and health, they also have a foul aura that can reduce the attacks of enemies within range, making them excellent meat shields.
Of course, the most numerous are the level 3 horned demons. In the stronger demon armies, they usually act as vanguards and cannon fodder. Even if they all die, they can still be recycled and become part of the sacrificial ceremony.
Then other demon heroes also took action. Each of them performed their duties and led a specific type or types of troops to actively advance outward.
Hogg, who had been watched by Levi, the Lightforged and others, was of course one of them.
Faced with such a provocation, the natives naturally refused to be outdone. The acting lord took the lead in shouting, "Devil, remember, the one who will take your life today is Belinda from the Kingdom of Caledor!"
Following her cry, many flying cavalry, monsters and airships rose to higher altitudes and began to prepare to fight the powerful enemy.
Although they were going to fight, they also had to choose a place where they would not be disturbed by arrow towers.
And they were also certain that the enemy would catch up, because if they were not stopped, they could rush straight to the core area of ​​the Black Castle in the distance!
The flying cavalry and monsters were fine, as their fighting style was nothing special except for their great strength, but the airships slightly attracted Levi's attention.
Because they kept firing crossbows and raining arrows while trying their best to keep a distance from the enemy, they soon attracted many enemies away. They were actually like aerial cavalry archers.
Then a slightly excited male voice suddenly rang out: "For the Mother Goddess Aisha, for the Hunting God Kunos, Asrai, attack!"
The legendary hero of the Wood Elves, Star of Destruction, also took the opportunity to brandish his semi-artifact spear and charged at the enemies in the sky.
Although the distance was still far, he had already swung his weapon in succession, launching dozens of amber spears and killing a large number of enemies. For a moment, the power of the legendary hero and the semi-artifact was clearly revealed.
With this shout, hundreds of giant eagles and giant eagle archers soared into the sky.
For a while, an extremely fierce battle took place in the sky. Almost every moment, a large number of giant bats and corpses of mutant vampires fell from the sky, occasionally mixed in with some giant eagles and the knights on their backs.
Although Star of Destruction was extremely powerful, he was unable to protect the safety of all his subordinates.
At the same time, the lords also brought many giant dragons and took the initiative to attack the undead that were several times larger than themselves.
Not to mention, at this moment, the gap between the living and the dead is vividly reflected.
Although bone dragons and ghost dragons are of a high class, their rotten dragon breath and pale bone claws can hardly cause much damage to real dragons.
On the contrary, the dragon breath of both the silver dragon and the copper dragon can cause huge damage to them. Once the acting lord's mount and partner starts breathing, he can almost severely damage a skull dragon with one move.
Coupled with the magical assistance of the acting lord, a fire mage, and her command, although the number of dragons was small, they were able to gain the upper hand for a while.
But Levi didn't have much energy to continue paying attention, because the demons also took the initiative to step out of the gate of the Black Castle.
Although they have not taken the initiative to attack yet, everyone knows that after they continue to accumulate a certain amount of strength, they will definitely dare to give up the cover of the arrow tower and take the initiative to attack their own side.
Looking at the large number of demon heroes, everyone was a little excited, because they all knew that killing a heroic enemy would bring much greater rewards than killing ordinary soldiers.
"Levi, which enemy should we choose? Should we go and take care of Hogg?"
"Yes, Levi, although that guy is difficult to deal with, the reward on his head is not small at all."
But Levi chuckled and shook his head: "I don't think we have much choice, because there are already two female demons targeting me."
Following his line of sight, Lightforger and Master both discovered that the two female demons were preparing for battle. Indeed, the way they looked at Levi was not friendly at all!