It continuously struck the surrounding walls, crushing the veterans into powder, causing the fire-breathing demon to turn around and run towards itself, exposing its back weakness, while also giving the few surviving veterans an opportunity to take advantage.
As the petrified demon shattered the humanoid statue on its right eye, it closed its right eye.
At the moment when it smashed the statue and its body became stiff uncontrollably, and the fire-breathing demon was hit by the javelin but had not yet arrived, the petrified demon had not yet opened its right eye.
It was at that moment that the last two surviving veterans with all their limbs rushed forward and stabbed the petrified demon's closed right eye, which was protected by scales and thick eyelids, with their daggers. They used all their strength to stab it.
Two veterans, four daggers, two of the four daggers penetrated the scales, pierced the eyelids, and finally went deep into the right eye of the petrified demon. The veterans used their body weight to stir it left and right and up and down at will.
Purple blood gushed out, and this time, those things did not turn into stone.
“Ahhhhh—”
The petrified demon let out a piercing scream. It kept rolling on the ground, crushing the last two veterans into pieces, and at the same time letting the two daggers completely nail its right eye.
Its petrification ability has been weakened. Not only that, its petrification ability has another large blind spot besides the back.
The petrified demon is now very weak, and the fire-breathing demon that rushed back even at the cost of exposing its back has also become extremely weak due to the javelin attack.
The veterans realized that the high-level demons in the Demon Land might also be facing the same dilemma as Constantinople.
Because it stands to reason that a fire-breathing demon with enough food can't be only ten meters tall - it should be twenty meters tall! It must be more than twenty meters tall!
Not only that, the petrified lizard was too fragile. According to past records, a petrified lizard would not become like this just because one of its eyes was severely injured, and it would not even need the help of its companions to get up from the ground.
Under normal circumstances, a petrified demon would only fall into this state if at least both eyes were severely damaged!
They all seemed too weak.
Too weak...
They are just like the soldiers in Constantinople who are too hungry to fight for a long time...
Is it really true that even though we have a favorable narrow terrain and war machines, we still have to die hundreds of people to kill a high-level demon? !
Demons are also living creatures. Demons without food will in some sense suffer even more than humans!
"I understand! The demons have been suffering from a food shortage for a long time! Even the high-level demons themselves can't get enough to eat!"
shouted Sarkozy, the veteran commander.
"They are just like us, a house that can be knocked down with a push! Hurry! We must seize the opportunity to pursue them and not let these two high-level demons leave here! Come with me - fuck?!"
Accompanied by the old soldier's shout, the weak fire-breathing demon helped the petrified demon to stand up from the ground.
The fire-breathing demon high above roared weakly but excitedly. It tore off a pair of its forelimbs and let its purple blood flow on the ground. Under the influence of gravity, it flowed from high to low, and was finally turned into boiling magma by the special ability of the fire-breathing demon.
The fire-breathing demon seemed to understand its situation. It calmed down and created a large amount of "blood" through self-mutilation. Then it ignited its own blood, turning the low-lying areas of the entire passage into magma, blocking the advance route of the Bayerjans Vanguard Corps and giving the petrified demon a chance to breathe.
They were slowly retreating. But even so, the petrified demon, which had recovered some of its strength, was staring at the army of the Bayerzas Empire with its only remaining left eye.
Although the efficiency of petrification has been much lower, this slower petrification experience, which makes it impossible to get close to the culprit, has become a nightmare for every young soldier who erects a shield wall at the front.
Ahead, the only passage was blocked by lava, and it was a low-to-high path. The lava had formed a small "river" on the ground, and humans had no way of moving forward on the lava.
But if they don't move forward, the petrifying demon's petrifying ability will gradually manifest itself on the young soldiers.
Their shields had begun to slowly turn into stone. If they did not find a way to kill the petrified demons before they completely turned into stone, they would be doomed to be turned into stone statues.
What to do?! How are we going to get to those two retreating demons?! How are we going to kill them before they return to their lair to warn us?! How are we going to have a way forward?!
The young army commander Mallister was thinking anxiously, and at this moment, he saw it.
He saw the statue of the young soldier still intact in the lava.
He understood what to do.
"All young soldiers! Follow me!"
Mallister led the way, holding his shield high, and led the team towards the lava pool ahead amid the exclamations of his old friends.
"Mallister! Mallister?! What are you doing?! Come back here! Don't die for me!"
Sarkozy shouted, trying to get his companions to come back with the boys - they could do nothing about it, but that was precisely why this was not the time to die in vain.
They had to wait for the lava to cool, they had to rest, they had to—
Just when Sarkozy was extremely anxious and even had to risk petrification to lead 190 veterans forward to drag the young soldiers back.
What the veterans saw was that all the young soldiers raised their shields high, and then jumped into the lava pool in an instant when their bodies turned to stone.
The bodies that became sculptures became "pillars" in the lava, and the shields that turned into stones in their hands became "bridges" one after another.
Under the horrified gaze of the demons, the young soldiers used their flesh and blood that were about to turn to stone to build a "bridge" in the lava.
Sarkozy was stunned, and so were the veterans.
In the next moment, they saw Mallister and the last few young soldiers who were in a semi-petrified state lying at the junction of the "bridge" and the high ground. At the moment of the last petrification, they heard the last words that Mallister left to the world:
"Hurry up! Sarkozy! What are you still hesitating about?! The "stairs" have appeared! Step on our shields and corpses, and kill the blind and the fire-breathing one before we are melted! Hurry up! Don't let them absorb any nutrients, hurry up!"
After saying this, Mallister leaped forward.
In front of the veterans, a bridge made up of the corpses of the young soldiers appeared.
They roared and stepped onto their comrades, onto the stone bridge that was built with the lives of those children who had not yet grown up and was slowly melting under the influence of the lava.
The fire-breathing demons and petrified demons tried to destroy the stone bridges in fear, but before they, due to their weak bodies, destroyed the "bridges", more and more veterans stepped over the petrified shields and the shoulders of their compatriots and jumped onto the demons.
More and more veterans were crushed into pulp by the demons' struggles or thrown into the lava pool.
The human bodies burned by flames gave off a charming burnt aroma. With the sacrifice of the veterans, the two weak demons were finally killed completely.
The two high-level demons were extremely weak due to hunger, but the vanguard army used powerful tactics and took advantage of the narrow terrain to completely kill them at the cost of 317 people.
This was a bitter victory. Because apart from the petrified demon, the fire-breathing demon itself could only be regarded as a "nobodies" among the high-level demons, and even the petrified demon was the lowest in its own group.
But even so, they still dealt a heavy blow to their side. The fire-breathing demon even barely released its special ability once from beginning to end, and the boiling lava almost caused its mission to fail, and this was just one of the abilities released by the demon.
Demons, terrifying enemies. If they hadn't taken advantage of the fact that their bodies had shrunk due to hunger, perhaps the reconnaissance vanguard would have been wiped out.
If nothing unexpected happens, there should be a few high-level demons in the demon land who have eaten their fill and are recuperating, just like us... They are sharpening their weapons for decisive battle, just like us.
After the demon died, its influence also dissipated. Except for those items that had been completely petrified, most of the other semi-petrified items could still be preserved.
The veterans silently watched the statue of the young army being assimilated into the ground by the cooling lava. Saric, whose arm was burnt by the fire-breathing demon, patted Mallister's petrified shoulder, then continued to move forward with the remaining team without looking back.
The remaining 83 veterans passed through the passage where they had encountered the demons before. They saw many corpses of starved demon larvae and larvae along the way. It seemed that the situation of the demons was even worse than that of Constantinople in some sense.
After all, demons must have food to evolve. Their growth cycle is faster than humans, but on the other hand, they consume more food than humans—
Especially when the "mother" produces more demon larvae, the demons' food reserves will soon be exhausted, and they will end up creating a large number of larvae that waste energy, and then they will have to die of hunger.
Veteran Sarkozy kicked a half-dead larva that happened to pass by.
"They have already sent larvae into battle before, and this time they have even let the less powerful larvae starve to death—
The demons are probably concentrating their efforts on creating more "high-level demons", which is correct...
After all, although the demon larvae and demon larvae are a great threat to us, they are not a decisive force. They need more high-level demons, and they are ready to learn from us and do whatever it takes..."
"But it's too late for them to do this now. It's too late... We have ensured the safety of the main force along the way. Now veterans, here, in this place where we can see the Demon Land, build a position for the main force to advance, and then let us defend this place to the death!"
After saying this, Sarkozy took the last step up the gentle slope in front of him.
What appeared before him was the purple-red lair of the demons in the "Devil's Land" which was only separated from Constantinople by a wall on the left.
There, countless pale and shriveled larvae were chirping in the hope of obtaining food, while those demons that had become larvae due to their outstanding natural appearance were gnawing on the increasingly scarce food of the demons, which was humans themselves, as well as cockroaches and earthworms that could be dug up nearby.
On the right side is the elevator plaza, which is occupied by purple-red granulations extending from the demon's lair, and where the elevator platform is expected to descend.
The elven reinforcements from the surface will descend there - in order to prevent the elves from being attacked from all sides, the main force of Bayerjans must use their lives to build an indestructible shield wall between the Demon Land and the Elevator Square.
But before that, Sarkozy must set up a simple camp at this small pass -
This camp can provide convenience for the large army, ensure the normal transfer of reserve troops in small areas, and prevent the main force from being charged from the back after being broken through the flank by demons at the last moment.
So, we got to work.
Sarkozy ordered his veterans to take action. Now, it is midnight on January 1, 006 in the Roman Empire calendar.
On the surface above the elevator square that Sarkozy was looking at, Yang Hao was directing the coalition forces to make final preparations.
The rear has prepared supplies for the Bayerzans Empire for at least the next six months. These supplies can be transported to the rising position of Constantinople at any time, but the prerequisite is that we must win the next war with the ancient demons.
After this period of emergency production, Yang Hao had ten machine gun golems to assist him.
Not only that, all the elves going on the expedition were equipped with the Gappa 1404 rifle due to the overloaded production of the elven craftsmen.
This time, all gun-carrying units, including the machine gun golems, received support from more than one hundred enchanted bullets. These bullets that could easily penetrate armor and magic barriers would surely give the demons a big surprise.
Not only that, the half-elves were also mobilized. Although they were not as talented as the pure elves, they had a strong sense of identity with the Bayerzans Empire to which their fathers or mothers belonged.
Finn gave all the half-elves a choice. They could choose to continue living in Caparia after the Byrds Empire reappeared on the earth, or become citizens of Byrds.
Under such circumstances, almost all half-elves who were willing to become citizens of Bayerjans chose to enlist in the army.
They are also equipped with Gappa 1404 rifles. Although they may not be able to cause as much damage to the enemy as regular troops, with their numerical advantage, they should be able to cause some casualties to the demons.
In addition, there are also elf wizards accompanying them, and even an ancient elf tree...
Fen was willing to let the edge of the Elf Forest shrink further in order to support her Brotherhood. Her actions moved Yang Hao deeply, but also made him realize how difficult the future would be.
He had been busy all day and all night, but he still had no sleepiness at all.
He checked the troop formation on the cleared elevator platform one last time, confirming that no matter what the situation, the golems would be the first to engage the demons.
With bloodshot eyes, he entered a tent.
There, Finn and Theresa, who was wearing purple, were staring at each other in silence. When they saw Yang Hao coming in, they greeted him and then continued to remain silent.
They seemed to have a small debate while they were working. Yang Hao looked at the half-drunk fruit tea on the table and thought about it. Then he grabbed Theresa's cup full of fruit tea and drank it all. He sighed:
"All we have to do now is wait for the Bayerjans to send us a signal."
Yang Hao and Gaparia have done almost everything they can. The rest can only be done by the Bayerjans.
The three of them were speechless. After a while, Theresa said she hoped Fen could go out for a walk - she had something to say to Yang Hao.
The elf shrugged and used teleportation magic to leave. Yang Hao looked helplessly at the place where she disappeared:
"In order to avoid my departure affecting the morale of the troops, I have no choice but to teleport...? What kind of petty temper is this?"
"Because she just had a fight with me." Teresa lowered her head, "Because I said... this may be your last two chances to make me return to normal... Because once I press that button, I will no longer be the "Mother Teresa" you know."
"No, you are my Theresa."
"But this is different! Yang Hao, you know better than me... When I wasn't Barcelissa, I could support you wholeheartedly without any conspiracy, and love you without any thoughts based on my own feelings... But now that I've become Barcelissa, the queen of Bayerjans, I... can no longer love you simply..."
"So what, Theresa?"
Yang Hao touched Theresa's hair as she lowered her head.
So what
They had come all this way, would he give up on her
it's out of the question.
"Uh..." He chose to reject this opportunity for Theresa to become "Mother Theresa" again.
Since Theresa wants to save Bayer Zhans and become the queen of Bayer Zhans... then Yang Hao will naturally be willing to go through fire and water for her.
She would always be his Theresa. He knew that fact.
And that was when Yang Hao and Princess Purple were in silence.
Saraqi's veterans were also wiped out.
Before being submerged by the sea-like wave of demon larvae, they left behind simple tools hidden underground for the main force in the rear that could be used simply by pulling them up. They also attracted the demons' attention from the elevator square to the other side of the demon land, buying more time for strategic deployment for the upcoming decisive battle.
When Saraqi was dragged back to the demon land by the hideous and tall demon, he looked at the tall demon shadow in the distance and knew that his guess was correct.
The demons, especially the high-level demons, reserved the most important food for the most powerful ones.
As long as we can kill those demons...
"This war... will end with our victory..."
He murmured, and finally his consciousness faded due to excessive blood loss.
On the other side, an army of 100,000 was assembled outside Constantinople - these were the last young and middle-aged labor force that could be found in the entire Constantinople, and there were even many patients who were corrupted and contaminated joining them.
Even if they win this battle, even if the Bayerjans Empire can rise to the surface, it will take more than ten years for the empire to recover its vitality to the point where it will not die. Once they lose this battle, the Bayerjans Empire will completely become a thing of the past.
Archmage Archimedes is the last spellcaster in this army besides the elves and Naruga.
There were no speeches, no masses or worships. Everyone turned around the moment the archmage struck his staff and, led by the eagle flag of the First Eagle Flag Legion, slowly walked towards the necessary path.