Ashen Dragon-Chapter 316 - 239: Unexpected Collision

Chapter 316: Chapter 239: Unexpected Collision

The cold wind howled, sweeping up flurries of snow.

The vast wilderness was gradually being covered in white, and under the veil of the blizzard, the distant mountains could only be seen in vague outlines.

The Anzeta Great Wilderness, known as the “Land of Extreme Cold,” had finally entered its long and brutal winter. During this time, every living creature on this barren land struggled desperately for survival.

The climate of the North was always unpredictable, and soon the snowstorm dissipated, leaving only a blanket of frost.

And there, on the snow-covered road, a thousand-strong army was struggling forward. They were wrapped in not-so-thick cotton clothes, resembling a black river in a white world, leaving a long trail on the thick snow.

“Hurry up! Keep up in the rear!”

...

“Make use of this good weather to press on!”

Viscount Farouk Edson, riding a horse and waving a long whip, shouted loudly at his subordinates.

He was also a noble under the Boske Duchy, and at Duke Leo’s request, he led his family’s private army to the battlefield.

However, he hadn’t brought many knights but rather a motley crew of serfs as cannon fodder. The knights were the foundation of their family, so how could they be easily wasted?

Looking down at the thick snow under his feet, Viscount Farouk couldn’t help but spit and complain:

“Damn weather.”

“I don’t know what Duke Leo is thinking, starting a war at this time.”

Starting a war at the onset of winter was a decision made by the Northern Nobility of the Anti-Red Dragon Alliance after much discussion.

Many troops of the Ashen Kingdom bore the scorching Red Dragon Bloodline, and in Anzeta’s cold climate, their vitality would be greatly reduced, possibly even causing casualties. The resilient Scania people seemed better able to endure the winter, which led Duke Leo to call this the “Winter Offensive.”

Noble armies from all over the North were mobilized, gathering at the borders of the Boske Duchy, Fano Duchy, and the Ashen Kingdom, ready to fight to the death against the evil Red Dragon realm. However, though these nobles claimed to give their all, how much effort they would actually put in was another matter.

Like the Edson family, they sent their less favored second son with a ragtag army.

“What’s that?”

Farouk looked up. There seemed to be a few blurry black dots in the sky.

The escort knight beside him instantly turned pale. He seemed to recall some terrifying rumors.

“My Lord, it might be… the Red Scale Conquerors.”

“How is that possible!”

Farouk was instantly filled with fear, trembling all over.

He just wanted to get some war merits on the battlefield. Reaching the base and putting these cannon fodder on the frontline would be considered a success. Who would have thought he’d encounter such danger!

The infamous Red Scale Conquerors were well-known in the North. It was said they rode on wyverns and came with a dreadful Dragon’s Roar, bringing fire and death to their enemies.

The escort knight reminded him:

“My Lord, they seem to be just scouts.”

“Ah, that must be it. The Red Scale Conquerors are not targeting us.”

Farouk wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile.

The small black dots indeed just passed overhead, only circling in the air. This made him breathe a sigh of relief.

“Whew, lucky.”

“As long as I deliver this cannon fodder to the frontline, my job is done…”

“Almost there.”

Farouk mumbled to himself, with only his own voice audible, continuously praying to the gods in his heart.

Through the pass ahead, they would soon reach their destination. By then, he could stay in the safest tent and completely relax.

However, things often don’t go as hoped.

“Buzz—”

There was a piercing whistle from above.

Farouk looked up in panic, eyes full of fear of the unknown. He saw metal balls falling from the sky.

“What’s that?”

“It’s coming down!”

“Get out of the way, don’t block me!”

“Do you want to die?”

His “army” descended into chaos. These cowardly people crowded and clamored, even causing a stampede. Who knew how many lives were lost in the chaotic crowd.

“Bang!”

Suddenly, with a thunderous roar, the metal balls exploded mid-air.

Clusters of flames fell from the sky, like a divine punishment of “fire rain.”

The fire reflected in Farouk’s pupils, and he muttered:

“Gods…”

After the metal balls hit the ground, the fire devoured everything.

All around were cries and screams of people. The cotton clothes of those soldiers caught fire. Even those who escaped by luck had no more will to fight.

This was the latest creation of the Ashen Kingdom’s armory—incendiary bombs. Though extremely lethal, such inhumane methods were condemned by some scholars domestically.

After a round of incendiary bomb bombing, the soldiers fled in all directions.

Farouk was fortunate; he timely took off and discarded his burning clothes, surviving the “fire rain” from the sky and fled towards the destination on his terrified horse.

“Damn… Damn such an enemy.”

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“I must get out of here!”

However, just as he was about to pass through the pass, a mottled tide and countless pairs of murky eyes appeared before him, accompanied by a dog-like cacophony—that was the kobold army.

“Awooo~~”

The largest kobold, with the highest degree of Dragonification, howled. He was the thirty-third child of Jin Ya, though, considering Jin Ya’s promiscuity, his ranking might be even lower. However, he was obviously not very favored, being assigned as a leader in the Cannon Fodder Legion.

“They’re just kobolds.”

“They can’t catch up with me.”

Facing the menacing kobolds, with a strong will to survive, Farouk yanked the reins and displayed riding skills he usually couldn’t, making a sharp turn.

But the kobolds behind him laughed grimly, raising their worn-out blunderbusses, licking the grease on the ammunition paper packets, and loading them in.

“Bang!”

“Bang! Bang!”

With the chaotic gunfire, puffs of smoke rose from the gun barrels.

These kobolds hadn’t undergone much training, and the precision of these obsolete guns was lacking, often making the bullets fly everywhere.

But there were enough of them. With dozens of blunderbusses firing simultaneously, they hit three or four shots from a hundred meters away, riddling Farouk’s back with bullets and sending him tumbling off the horse, rolling over the ground several times.

Until death, this Viscount couldn’t understand why he was shot dead by a bunch of kobolds from a hundred meters away.

“I killed him!”

One kobold said excitedly.

“Screw you, I killed him. I shot him in the heart!”

Another kobold pushed him aside and cursed.

Just like that, the two kobolds wrestled with each other, barking in anger.

Finally, the tall and strong kobold leader stepped forward, lifted the two kobolds single-handedly, and grimly looked at them.

“Now, do you know who killed this human noble?”

“Of course… it was you.”

The two kobolds curled up and answered weakly.