Ashen Dragon

However, it was far from the end; for the dwarf garrison along the Path of Tempering, this was merely the beginning of their nightmare.

With the detailed intelligence provided by Cassius, the military engineers of the Ashen Empire fully understood the internal structure of the fortress and devised targeted tactics.

For the Empire now, as long as accurate intelligence could be obtained, victory in war was virtually assured.

"Boom——"

The roar of engines, the billowing steam, the low growls of steel behemoths crushing the surface of the Path of Tempering.

The traps set by the dwarves—tripwires and hidden spikes—were relentlessly crushed beneath the unyielding treads of the tanks, as if they were mere jokes.

Even the triggered traps—poisoned arrows, burning rocks, and iron spikes dropping from above—were entirely incapable of penetrating the robust armor of the steam tanks.

In past wars, the dwarves had inflicted massive casualties on the Beastman Army using various methods and accumulated considerable experience. Yet, these tactics proved utterly ineffective against the Imperial Army.

Instead, the Empire's bullets swept through, causing disastrous losses to the dwarves hiding in the shadows.

"Kode, get to Chamber Three!"

"Quick, activate the Rolling Stones!"

"We need to smash these iron lumps; otherwise, there's no way to stop them!"

"Damn it, how on earth are they moving such massive steel constructs? What *are* these things?"

Dwarf warriors rushed back and forth through the tunnels, anxiously communicating and employing their specialties, but were powerless against these terrifying "iron lumps."

Amid the thunderous gunfire and mountains of fallen dwarven bodies, Kode's legs trembled. Yet, urged by his comrades, he begrudgingly headed to the chamber to activate the mechanism.

From the observation post atop the valley, Kode muttered to himself, "It has to work. Against my Rolling Stones, even the strongest Beast Giants were crushed into paste. These iron lumps *have to* be..."

With a crisp sound, the lever was pulled, and the mechanism sprang into action.

"Crack!"

A series of cleverly linked sequences triggered the release of massive boulders, each weighing hundreds of tons. From the top of the Path of Tempering, they rolled down in succession, sending dust flying, debris scattering, and the ground trembling with thunderous rumbles.

"Boom——"

The towering boulders roared as they barreled toward the steam tanks, and with no room to maneuver in the narrow valley, evasion was impossible.

Watching the approaching boulders, brimming with destructive power, Kode's heart pounded violently as he whispered, "Come on, crush them, drive these Imperial people out of the High Mountain Kingdom..."

In previous wars, Kode's Rolling Stones had inflicted devastating casualties on the Beastmen.

Even the strongest Beast Giants couldn't resist the force of these hundred-ton boulders; after all, they were mere flesh and blood.

A single boulder could result in the deaths of hundreds of enemies, flattening scores of Beastmen into pulp.

But just then, a sudden shift occurred as the steam tanks calmly rotated their primary turrets, the dark barrel of the main gun locking onto the descending boulders. A flash of fiery light erupted.

"Boom!"

With an ear-splitting explosion, the incoming boulder was struck by the shell and instantly shattered into countless fragments, transforming into debris before the stunned eyes of the dwarves.

The valley quaked violently from the blast; even the tops of the hidden passageways shed fragments and dust.

Within one tank's cockpit, a goblin sat at the gunner's seat, shouting excitedly, "Boss, we hit it!"

"Hey, watch it!"

From behind, Bill, the tank commander and a Dragon Vein Goblin, smacked him hard over the head, yelling furiously, "Didn't I tell you not to fire the cannon inside the valley? Are you trying to bury us all alive?!"

Rubbing the back of his head, the goblin shrugged, while the tank observer called out from the side, "Boss, another wave is coming!"

With irritation, Bill commanded, "Activate collision defenses!"

The remaining boulders continued to roll down one after another, and as the vanguard steam tank, Bill's crew bore the brunt of the defense.

Just as the boulders were about to collide with the tank's frontal armor, rows of steel spikes like sharp fangs suddenly extended, their gleaming tips radiating a magical Aurora—the Constant Dismantling Technique.

"Clang——"

The instant the boulders made contact with the spikes, tightly packed cracks spread across their surface, and the stones shattered, disintegrating into dust mid-air.

"What in the name of... Moradin above, oh god of craftsmanship above, how could there be such things..."

From the observation post atop the valley, Kode gasped sharply. These impervious iron lumps had completely exceeded his expectations.

He had heard of the terrifying Steel Golems from the Empire of Fadlan, but even Fadlan wouldn't deploy hundreds at once.

—But the Empire's steam tanks were different. At this very moment, they were tearing through the Path of Tempering one after another, brutally shredding apart the dwarves' defenses.

And at the end of the Path of Tempering stood the Dwarf Heavy Infantry, wielding Giant Shields like castle walls. But could they withstand the Empire's Steel Torrent assault?

Images of the horrific scene in the cavern flashed through Kode's mind—dwarven corpses piled on the ground, riddled with bullet holes, the stench of blood and acrid gunpowder choking the air.

Kode's heart sank to the depths of despair, an overwhelming hopelessness consuming him.

Could such an army ever be resisted?