In front of Terra City, Roland and Robert stood with their men, welcoming their allies. Before them, 500 tall Lamias in plate armor formed a square formation, facing Roland's diplomatic team.
Leading the Lamia troops was Zhu Xin Ci, flanked by two giant snake-head women who rested their giant halberds on their shoulders and looked down on the city's residents.
Roland took a deep breath and stepped forward, taking on the role of negotiator. "Ladies, thank you for coming to our aid and defeating the Turo House for us. Without you, our town would have—"
Zhu Xin Ci grinned widely and snapped her fingers. "Cut the formality. Open the gate and let our troops in."
Robert and Roland frowned, exchanging glances before turning to gesture to the soldiers on the wall, preparing for the worst-case scenario. Roland faced the pink Lamia, attempting to buy time.
"…Unfortunately, that is not according to our agreements. Our messenger clearly stated that we would share our water sources with you, not let you in."
"How racist of you. We simply wish to let our troops get a proper rest after a long trip."
Roland gave Zhu Xin Ci a meaningful look. "Aren't you ladies residents of the Black Forest? I never heard that you need to rest in a city."
"Of course, we do live anywhere we want. However, our girls want to have fun with some men, you see?" Zhu Xin Ci turned around and slapped the breastplate of a bodyguard behind her. She giggled. "Can you let my girls have fun in the city?"
Roland shook his head. "You people are infamous for your stamina and libido. If your subordinates entered my city, I fear half of my population would lose their sanity or die from exhaustion. Moreover, there is this 'Ritual' you people use to torture men. Your kind is a threat to our city's order—"
"This is annoying." The pink Lamia cut him off again. This time, she created a water blade from her fingertip and pointed it at Roland's face. "I'm tired of playing with you. I'll be direct. Do you think Lamias who are naturally gifted in water magic would need a water source to survive? If you value your life, give us your city...
and your population."
Robert smacked his lips and patted his father's shoulder. The men behind him drew their swords, ready to fight. Archers on the wall nocked arrows and aimed at the monster girls, awaiting Robert and Roland's signal.
"I'm so sorry, Father. I miscalculated. I shouldn't have invited monsters to our fight. We should have surrendered to the Swan House instead of asking these snakes."
Roland sighed deeply and raised the staff in his hand, knocking the bottom on the ground.
*RUMBLE*
A giant earth wall rose from the ground, separating Zhu Xin Ci and her two bodyguards from their soldiers.
Roland glared at the three Lamias. "Indeed. Snakes are untrustworthy! Unfortunately, you can't possibly match our intelligence! ARCHERS, FIRE AT WILL!"
As soon as the order came, archers unleashed their arrows at the three Lamias. Zhu Xin Ci stood still, crossing her arms with a sneer. The bodyguards behind her didn't move.
*TINK*
*TINK*
Arrows bounced away when they collided with the Lamias' skin. A dozen arrowheads hit Zhu Xin Ci's face, but they did nothing.
Roland and Robert had not expected the arrows to be effective. Calmly, they retreated into the city. Soldiers on the wall pulled a lever, lowering the bronze portcullis gate and shutting the north entrance. Men behind the metal doors pushed them closed and barred them with a log.
Meanwhile, soldiers near the archers brought out prototype weapons they had received from Felix, aiming at Zhu Xin Ci. For the first time, they used the weapons against live targets.
*BANG*
*BANG*
The thunderous gunshots stunned both the soldiers and the Lamias. A dozen bullets hit Zhu Xin Ci and her bodyguards, striking their chests.i
The bodyguards staggered from the powerful impact. Zhu Xin Ci flinched as the bullets broke her armor and bit into her skin but failed to penetrate her chest muscle.
"Ah?" Zhu Xin Ci raised her eyebrows, amused. "Is this a new trend among humans? So that mage earlier was using a similar weapon? Mei, how was it?"
One of the bodyguards, Mei, stepped forward and removed her chestplate, throwing it away. She peeled the hot bulletheads off her skin in frustration.
"These metals are softer than that man's weapon. I think his weapon is better than these men's," Mei calmly analyzed. "Fortunately, they used the weapons against us. Had they used them against our soldiers, we would have suffered heavy casualties."
"Indeed," Zhu Xin Ci agreed. "They made a mistake. Instead of isolating us and shooting us, they should have aimed for our soldiers. Anyway, thanks to their blunder, we learn their little secrets."
*BANG*
*BANG*
While they conversed, the gunners on the wall never ceased shooting at the trio. Yellowish light flew and constantly hit their arms, heads, legs, and chests. Despite the hail of bullets raining upon them, they remained unperturbed.
Meanwhile, Roland and Robert arrived on the wall and saw that Zhu Xin Ci and her bodyguards were still alive. The sight of these resilient monsters frustrated the men.
"Keep shooting! Those artifacts are our last hope! As long as their generals die, we can win!" Robert commanded.
Everyone on the walls unleashed everything they had on the three Lamias. Arrows, crossbow bolts, boiling oil, and boulders poured down from the walls. Roland and Robert also cast spells, summoning two five-meter-tall stone golems outside the walls. The golems rose from the ground, towering over the Lamias with eyes glowing red.
Zhu Xin Ci smirked and gestured to her champions. "Get rid of those golems. I'll take care of those mages. Also, when you're done, tell the girls to storm the city. We'll turn every human into our seedbeds today!"
"YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" the two bodyguards shouted and charged toward the golems.
An abrupt war between the Black Forest Lamias and Terra City broke out.
.
.
Meanwhile, Jane sat in Felix's house, sobbing alone.
Earlier that day, Sinnet's men had visited her and told her that Felix had died in the previous day's battle. Although Jane hadn't known Felix for long, she was shocked and devastated. Breaking down, she chased the messengers away and shut herself in the house.
After hours of wailing, her tears dried up. Jane hiccuped and stopped thinking of the man and her sweet memories. She walked to the refrigerator and opened it, grabbing a cold bottle of water. She downed the contents and wiped her mouth and face. Then she picked up a rifle and a handful of bullets that Felix had left behind in the bedroom and rushed out of the house, heading to the mansion.
Jane thought of Valley. She remembered that there was another person she held dear. She still had a sister! Even if Valley was not her real sister, Jane vowed to protect her.
As Jane stepped out of the house, she heard loud noises from the north gate. She turned around and bit her lower lip. "I should at least get Valley out of the city."
Determined, Jane turned around to leave but bumped into something tall and hard. "Ow!"
Jane took two steps back and looked up, only to discover Felix's pet golem. The cement golem, in humanoid form, tilted its head and extended a hand to support Felix's spouse.
"Semen?"
"..."
Jane frowned but accepted the gesture. When she stood up, she thought of something odd and asked the golem, "Hey, perverted golem."
"Semen?"
"Your master died."
The cement golem tilted its head to the other side, then shook its head. "Semen!"
"What?"
The golem paused for a moment, then clapped its hands and sat down, poking its finger on the stone road and drawing something. It drew a stickman with a derp expression, then added pointy hair and power fire around the stickman, imitating a super saiyan.
Jane narrowed her eyes and sat next to the golem to inspect the drawing. She fell into deep thought for several minutes. After ten minutes of contemplation, her eyes brightened. Jane managed to recall one fact about mages and their summons: All familiars usually could not exist without their master's mana. Therefore, as long as their master was alive, the summons could remain active!
If the cement golem was still functioning, Felix might still be alive!
"Is Felix alive?" Jane asked.
The golem nodded repeatedly.
"...Alright." Jane cried a tear of joy, bitterly smiling as she patted the golem's head. "I see you're trying to tell me he's alive and kicking. I understand now."
The golem gave Jane a thumbs up, then pointed at the house.
"What now?"
The golem drew more doodles, creating a stickwoman inside a house surrounded by monsters. A circle dome covered the building while the enemies had "X_X" eyes, failing to enter the house.
Looking at the drawing and the gestures, Jane interpreted, "Do you want me to hide in a house?"
The golem nodded and pointed at Felix's house.
"Hide in that place?"
The golem nodded again.
"Then, what about the enemies? Can they enter the house?" seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The golem shook its head and smacked its chest with a fist.
"Oh, so you'll protect me in your master's stead?"
The golem nodded and puffed its chest.
Seeing its reaction, Jane snickered. She wiped her tears and stood up. "Alright, Felix must have done something to the house, right?"
Once again, the golem nodded.
"I understand. But can you wait for a while longer? I need to go find someone first. I'll bring her back as fast as possible."
The golem gave her a thumbs up.
Jane smiled and turned around, running toward the mansion. However, the golem also started running, following her.
Jane turned around and frowned at the golem. Understanding its protective nature, she faintly smiled and thought of Felix again.
'I guess I'll wait for you a little longer, Felix. Don't make me a widow so soon! Come home alive!'