"Kardinal! Over there! They''re back!"


    Standing high above the ordering walls, Kardinal Yu, his aides, and several others focused on the many men on horseback riding galloping towards them at full speed.


    The scouts were back.


    "Quickly! Open the gate! Let them in!"


    Open it! Open it!


    Word spread like fire, and those on the 3rd floor inside the walls, hastily gripped the handle on the massive mechanism, using all their might to roll the heavy chains up.


    The structure was a tall and thick metal shaft with 4 well-spaced, equally powerful arms sticking out from its upper region.


    Drawing up the chains connected with the gates required the men to rotate the structure in a clockwise movement. And Anticlockwise when releasing the previously thick chains.


    Heave! Ho! Heave! Ho!


    All 16 men had veins popping out their arms as they rotated the structure, with 4 people pushing on each of the structure''s extended arms.


    A soon...


    Brack!


    The sound they were most familiar with.


    The gates were open, and the scouts on horseback flew in like lightning.


    There was no time to waste.


    They dismounted and rushed up the many narrow flights of stairs.


    "Kardinal! Kardinal! Urgent news!"


    Well, what is it, man?


    Many perked their ears, wondering what cmity had fallen upon thend.


    Do you think they''re kind?


    From a distance, they could see strange fires and smoke that went straight to the skies!


    1, 2, 3... They lost count of how many of these fires popped out now and then.


    It was just that they were still too far away, so each stream of smoke and fire they saw was as tiny as their pinky fingers.


    They currently live in the city''s central regions.


    The city was also a massive one, with people taking 2, 3, and sometimes 4 and even 5 hours to get around on horseback.


    Those living in the central regions were better since the time used to travel to other zones was shortened by roughly half.


    Of course, with a modern car, one might take 45~1 hour''s time, depending on if they met traffic or not. Some aces would definitely be traveled in 15 minutes or 20, depending on how close they lived to their destination.


    Back in modern cities on earth, if something goes wrong in per se the downtown region of the city, people living in the upper regions and maybe the outskirts and other regions across the bridges would definitely not see the high-rising smoke.


    So how were they to know of any impending danger without modern Tvs and news?


    The same could be said for those here.


    They really couldn''t see the destruction well, only seeing everything from afar like a blur.


    In truth, if not for the fact the City Lord''s house was built on the highestnd point within the Central regions, they might never have seen the smoke erupting from afar.


    Of course, it was also because they were standing on the estate walls.


    If they got down to ground level, the many towering structures would obscure their vision.


    What''s more, they didn''t hear any explosive noises or cross of their people from here.


    So how can they truly know what was going on all the way over there? Their only hope was the scouts.


    Looking at the distance between the destruction and themselves, it can be seen that these scouts didn''t travel far.


    They probably spotted things from a distance and turned back toy reports.


    And everyone''s guess was correct. But this wasn''t the scouts'' fault. Who made the iron minister travel at an incredible speed so great that they could cover a massive distance in such a short time?


    The scouts nned to go further but already spotted the many streams of iron monsters appearing on the hilly road not too far away.


    F***!


    They watched as the creatures broke want, attacking several buildings, while other ones chose other routes and went in torrent directions.


    No way!


    The scouts already got what they were looking for. And with all their might, they turned around and galloped back.


    They were only fortunate that these iron monsters didn''t chase after them.


    But what they didn''t know was that the ''iron monsters'' had a n to attack the city in a circr formation.


    They nned to attack the other perimeter zones surrounding the city all at once before slowly advancing towards the central regions, leaving no way for these Adonis people to escape.


    Kardinal Yu and the others didn''t know it yet, but they were slowly being surrounded, with no way out.


    Tick-Tock. Tock-Tock.


    The clock was ticking. And by all indications, the main battle at the central will ur in broad daylight.


    It was to be a windy Tornado storm of a battle, far difficult for Kardinal Yu and others to control.


    So what if they had Ballistas? The wind would deviate it from its intended path and might even carry them, on the towering walls, away.


    How do you ride on horseback and charge at the enemy in this situation?


    .


    Kardinal Yu stared at the almost clear skies, having a bold n in mind.


    Iron monsters, ay?


    "Monsters are beasts with as little intelligence as we humans. Their primary ways of battle are all direct. So we can use the heat storms to lead them out."


    Just like a hunterys traps for a hare to fall in, they too will have to do the same because if these metal creatures possess godly killing powers like the scouts described, then they''re a force to be reckoned with.


    Nheless, they wouldn''t rely on the storm alone to take these creatures out.


    "Prepare the Ballistas! Even if we miss our aim due to the storms, we should still be able to get a few."


    What''s more, Kardinal Yu secretly wanted to tame a few.


    It would be a lie to say he wasn''t greedy to possess these strange iron beasts for himself.


    Just think of how high his rank will be once he seeds.


    Hehehhehehe~


    A cruel glint flickered through his eyes.


    He had to send for Thaman Gandof immediately.


    Thamans had the power to convert enemies with their sacred staff.


    He didn''t believe someone as blessed and powerful as him wouldn''t be able to take a few.


    That''s right!


    With the Thaman''s help, they were bound to fall into his hands.


    Kissing his ring, he chanted several mantras in his heart, feeling his body swell with ''divine'' power.


    "Everyone... Fear not; we have Adonis on our side!"


    "Yes, yes, Kardinal Yu is right! For Adonis, we will defeat the enemy."


    "For Adonis!"


    For Adonis, we fight!"


    (/*π*)


    The group raised their swords, eximing loudly.


    They must prepare for the enemy. But they weren''t the only ones filled with relief against these Iron Monsters.


    Artemis looked between Landon and the destruction around, too dumbfounded to speak.


    Who am I? Where am I?


    ... Waiting for answers form above.


    (°w°)