Chapter 952: Behemoths: The Terrorizer and the Destroyer!
Chapter 952: Behemoths: The Terrorizer and the Destroyer!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Abu Muslim said nothing, a few thoughts flitting through his mind as he looked at the two enormous Behemoths. The names of these two Behemoths were known throughout the empire, and they had branded nightmarish impressions into the minds of the people belonging to the countries they had conquered, making them not even dare to rebel.
Any place these two Behemoths passed would lose all sense of prosperity, leaving behind only destruction, death, and countless terrified souls.
“These two Behemoths are the Terrorizer and the Destroyer?”
Abu Muslim’s eyes widened, his expression finally showing a shift.
“That’s right!”
Masil proudly nodded. The names of these two Behemoths were legends in the Arabian Empire that didn’t need much explanation. Just their names alone would make one quiver in fear.
Masil was quite satisfied with Abu Muslim’s reaction.
He turned his head to the rear and gave the order. “Begin!”
With the sharp crack of a whip, the earth began to rumble, and the two stationary Behemoths began to slowly move once more. The tens of thousands of Arab soldiers parted to the sides, opening a path for the monsters.
The two Behemoths, originally very close to each other, began to slowly move away. The scaled hippo began to slowly make its way toward the two defense lines while the scarlet-eyed boar aimed its savage gaze on the lofty walls of Talas.
Buzz!
This minor change immediately attracted the notice of the Tang, throwing the army into turmoil.
“Milord, the Arabs are beginning to move! And Talas itself is one of their targets this time. If the walls of Talas are broken, we will find it very difficult to hold on!”
Xue Qianjun turned to Wang Chong, his expression deeply concerned.
He was not a general who was prone to panic, but these mythical Behemoths’ descent onto the battlefield had already exceeded the bounds of imagination. If the Arabs succeeded in breaking the walls, the Great Tang would have lost their strongest fortification before the decisive battle had even commenced.
Talas contained all the supplies and equipment, and was the place where the craftsmen took shelter during battle. If the city wall fell, these people would suffer terrible casualties. Not only that, the two defense lines would exist only in name, and the Arabs would have yet another angle to attack from.
Moreover, if the Arabs succeeded in breaking the walls on both sides of Talas, they would be able to combine forces with the Turks and Tibetans. Wang Chong’s strategy of using the two defense lines to divide his enemies would face a complete failure.
With the three empires combined, their experts working together, the Great Tang would be doomed!
Gao Xianzhi worriedly spoke up. “Wang Chong, the situation isn’t good! With our abilities, we can’t deal with two of these massive beasts at once!”
Even this War God of the Western Regions seemed a little nervous. The four of them combining the strength of the army to transform into gods had still needed a significant amount of time to kill the rhino-shaped Behemoth, and the army had lost nearly ten thousand soldiers while they were doing so.
Now that there were two Behemoths, the four would have to divide their strength, and the army was bound to suffer even more casualties.
Cheng Qianli also appeared rather anxious. “We can’t take on any more large losses, or else morale will utterly collapse!!”
He had experienced countless bitter battles, but no matter how perilous the situation, he had always been confident in his victory, and he had always managed to stick it out. But in this battle, he did not know what the end would be or if he would be able to last!
“Zhang Shouzhi, what is the status of the giant ballista? How long will it be until it’s ready?” Wang Chong suddenly asked, his mind in a state of turmoil.
“It’s still no good! The giant ballista is still just an idea. We’ve never tested it before, so we can’t tell if it will succeed, much less if it will be useful against these Behemoths. We still need to adjust and modify it, but there’s simply no time!” Zhang Shouzhi called out, his silver-white hair blown about in the wind.
The turbulence over the western battlefield was getting more intense, a sign that the Behemoths were getting ready to charge. Danger hung thick over Talas, and everyone felt their skulls were about to burst, the intense scent of death driving them mad.
Zhang Shouzhi was no less nervous and concerned than Wang Chong, but the giant ballista had always been an untested concept. Many areas were still raw and undeveloped. Right now, he could only do his best, relying on his abilities as the best artisan of the generation, to modify and alter the structure as he set it up.
Near the giant ballista, more than one hundred furnaces spat fire into the sky. Each furnace was surrounded by at least ten busy craftsmen, black smoke pouring into the air as they melted down steel and poured it into the molds.
The craftsmen under Zhang Shouzhi were in the middle of constructing and adjusting the giant ballista, casting the pieces right on the spot, trying to realize Wang Chong’s idea as quickly as possible. As for the final result, not even Zhang Shouzhi knew what to expect.
Wang Chong said nothing, but his heart continued to sink. The giant ballista was an idea, a sliver of hope, but not one that he could entrust his own hopes to. He solemnly gazed at the two enormous beings, countless thoughts surging through his mind. Everyone had placed their hopes on him, even Gao Xianzhi.
Only Wang Chong knew just how great this pressure was, but he could not show the slightest hint of strain.
A few moments later, Wang Chong began to issue orders.
“Li Siye, pass on my order. Start moving soldiers into the city.
“Zhang Shouzhi, hasten the work on the giant ballista. In addition, I also need you to cast some conical weapons, one meter in diameter and at least twenty meters long. They don’t need to be made well. Just get them made as quickly as possible!”
In fighting with these Behemoths, Wang Chong’s three-foot Wootz Steel sword and the Stellar Energy vajra pestle were both insufficient. Wang Chong needed a stronger and more substantive weapon.
“Lord Protector-General, is it appropriate to have some of the soldiers withdraw into the city?” Cheng Qianli somewhat uneasily said. “The only reason the Arabs and Tibetans haven’t attacked us yet is that all of our army is outside the city, intimidating them. If we send a part of the army back into the city, we won’t have enough troops, which might cause us to be attacked from both sides.”
Cheng Qianli was not opposing Wang Chong’s decision, but he had to consider the chain reaction this decision might trigger.
“Dalun Ruozan will not attack. He currently doesn’t have the strength. If he does attack, we can break out from the east. Understanding this, Dalun Ruozan won’t move. As for Abu Muslim, your words were correct. He is trying to grind away at our strength. He won’t casually decide to move until this objective is reached. Moreover, if the Arabs order their men to advance while the Behemoths are attacking, they’ll also suffer from the attacks of the Behemoths. As long as we don’t withdraw more than half our soldiers into the city, neither Dalun Ruozan nor Abu Muslim will launch an assault,” Wang Chong slowly explained. No one understood the state of the battlefield more than he did, and his every action and order was the product of deep and careful thought.
“I understand!”
As expected, Wang Chong’s explanation managed to greatly diminish the doubt in Cheng Qianli’s eyes.
Roooar!
As the two were speaking, the bellows of beasts rose from the west, the winds surged, and dust and gravel began to cloud the air of the western battlefield. The two Behemoths had finally completed their adjustments and begun to attack. Boom! The two Behemoths, one on the left and one on the right, suddenly began to shoot toward Talas.
Rumble! The first to charge forward was the boar-shaped Behemoth covered in hard bristles. In the blink of an eye, it had rushed past the hippo-shaped Behemoth, its four hooves moving with such speed that it stirred clouds of dust more than ten meters high.
And while the hippo-shaped Behemoth was not as fast as the boar-shaped Behemoth, it was no slow runner. Not only did it not seem clumsy, it appeared to be extremely agile. The two Behemoths picked up speed as they charged at the steel defense lines and the city of Talas.
“Ready!”
A sharp cry rang out over the defense line. All the soldiers began to get ready, particularly the ballista teams. The black ballista bolts were loaded and aimed at their targets. The ballistae were probably the only weapons in the army that could pose any harm to these mountainous beasts.
“Wang Chong!” Gao Xianzhi nervously called out, watching as the distant sandstorm rapidly closed the distance with Talas. The dreadful momentum of both these Behemoths charging at once far surpassed that of the rhino-shaped Behemoth. After seeing the gruesome damage the rhino could inflict, Gao Xianzhi was well aware of just how terrifying these Behemoths were. They had to be taken care of before they charged the walls. Otherwise, the army was bound to suffer massive casualties. If they were killed within the defense lines, the bodies of the massive Behemoths could still inflict terrible harm on the army.
In order to prevent such enormous losses, the four of them had to deal with them beforehand.
“Leave the scaled Behemoth to me. As for the other one… Lord Gao, Lord Cheng, Father, it’s up to you!”
Time was short, every second precious. Right after saying these words, Wang Chong immediately galloped out of the defense line.
“Li Siye, Kong Zi-an, bring all the Wushang Cavalry and follow me!”
Wang Chong’s thunderous roar echoed over the entire defense line.