When the dust settled, only a massive, smoking crater remained in front of the main gate. That arrogant Siege Beast lay beside the pit, horn broken, body twisted, like a thoroughly totaled bulldozer.
And Brad was nowhere to be found.
Maybe buried under the rubble, maybe...
I dared not think about that "maybe."
"Empty! It's all empty!"
Goblin Chief Sarak slammed her big wrench on the ground, screaming in despair. "No more rebar! No more scrap iron! My launcher is just a pile of firewood now! Unless you want me to stuff those stupid bears into the barrel and shoot them out!"
On the other side, Kaelas's tearful voice came through the radio: "No oil... not a drop left..."
On the system interface, red warning boxes popped up like death warrants:
It was like driving at 120 mph on a highway, only to find the gas tank empty, brakes failed, steering wheel detached, and a dead end ahead.
The Wolves didn't retreat because one Siege Beast fell. Instead, the smell of kin's blood stimulated their nerves.
Through the telescope, I saw two pristine Siege Beasts beside Garza, and four thousand warriors in a frenzied state. They were reforming ranks, preparing for the final, deadliest charge.
"They are regrouping."
Zayla stood beside me, wiping blood from her broken blade with a rag. Her hand was steady, unnaturally steady. "The next charge is the endgame."
"We can't stop it." I pushed up my glasses, tone stating a failed autopsy report. "No ammo, no Brad, and the wall is collapsing."
I looked up, gaze sweeping aimlessly and despairingly across the surrounding canyon.
I was looking for a variable.
Any variable that could change this formula of certain death.
Suddenly, my gaze stopped on a massive rock formation high on the east side of the canyon.
It was a protruding overhang, like a Sword of Damocles hanging overhead. After the acid rain corrosion and the vibration from the Siege Beast impact, the base of that rock was full of cracks, looking precarious.
[Structural Scan]
My pupils constricted sharply.
A crazy plan, only a desperate engineer could conceive, formed in my brain.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Gravity," I muttered.
I turned abruptly, grabbing the last barrel of high-concentration "Black Fire Oil" crude from Kaelas, and scraped all the black powder from Sarak.
"What are you doing?" Zayla frowned at my manic actions. "Are you going to blow yourself up?"
"No. I'm doing renovations."
I quickly strapped these dangerous goods together, making a crude but powerful Demolition Charge.
"Look up there." I pointed at the teetering overhang. "There are fifty thousand tons of rock. Just detonate this charge at that red structural fracture point, and the whole mountain comes down."
"It will fill the canyon, burying everything below—whether werewolves or rhinos."
"But..." Zayla looked up at the cliff over a hundred meters high. "Too far. Your nail gun range isn't enough. Even if it was, this simple explosive has no remote fuse; it must be lit manually."
"I know."
I took a deep breath.
"So I have to climb up."
Just then, a pale but strong hand reached out and snatched the heavy explosive pack.
"You're right, Architect."
Zayla strapped the explosives to her back, securing it expertly with belts.
"You can't climb up. Your legs aren't made for rock climbing."
"Zayla?" I froze. "Put that down."
"I am Cat-kin. I am a Daughter of the Night."
Zayla ignored my order, adjusting her gear, eyes calm as a bottomless lake. "That cliff is just a garden step to me."
"And," she pointed to her broken blade. "I am a [Shadowblade]. I have the skill [Shadow Step]. Only I can sneak up under the Wolves' noses."
"No."
I subconsciously grabbed her wrist, gripping hard. "That's Black Fire Oil; the fuse is only ten seconds. You can't outrun it."
"Ten seconds? Enough for a Shadowblade to dance with death." Zayla told a clumsy lie, but the corners of her mouth held a smile.
She gently shook off my hand. Her strength was great, or maybe I was too weak.
"Alex."
For the first time, she didn't call me "Architect" or "Human."
"You handle the calculations. You handle the layout. You handle keeping this damn wall standing."
"And I," Zayla took a step back, her figure beginning to merge into the surrounding shadows like a drop of ink in the night. "I handle pulling the trigger."
"This is a division of labor. This is the 'Industrial Process' you taught me, right?"
"Zayla!" I wanted to rush over, but her figure had blurred.
"Don't let that idiot Brad die for nothing."
Only her last words remained in the air, carrying a faint scent of blood and determination:
"Watch closely, Alex. I'm going to set off the biggest firework for you."
WHOOSH.
She vanished. As if she never existed.
I stood there.
I felt an unprecedented emptiness and panic. This wasn't in my calculations.
"Damn... Damn it!"
I punched the rough battlement hard.
But I had no time for grief. If I broke down now, her sacrifice would be meaningless.
I grabbed the central brass funnel.
"Everyone, listen up!" I roared into the mouthpiece.
"Abandon the outer wall! Retreat entirely into the inner bastion!"
"Open the gates! Remove all defenses!"
"Since we're gambling..." I looked at the hanging rock overhead, eyes bloodshot. "Then we push all the chips onto the table."
"We're luring the enemy in. We're going to invite all four thousand wolves... right under the shadow of that rock."
Below.
Through the telescope, I saw Wolf King Garza looking at the suddenly opened gates and the retreating defenders, revealing a cruel smile.
"Collapsed? Finally gave up?"
He waved his scepter.
"Full assault! Leave no one alive!"
The black tide flooded into the canyon.
They didn't know that high up on the cliff, a lonely shadow carrying Death's gift was sprinting up the vertical rock face.
Everything would end in the next second.
Zayla is climbing to heaven (or hell). Alex is opening the gates.
Question of the Day: What are the odds of survival here?
(Click to calculate the risk)
?? A) 0%
Result: The Logical Conclusion. By all laws of physics and magic, this is a TPK (Total Party Kill). Good thing we stopped following the laws three chapters ago.
?? B) 1% (Protagonist Buff)
Result: The Han Solo Rule. "Never tell me the odds." In a chaotic system, 1% is just 100% that hasn't happened yet. Hope: Non-Zero.
?? C) Negative.
Result: Integer Underflow. The danger level is so high it broke the calculator. We are in debt to Death, and Alex is about to default on the loan. Mode: YOLO.
Follow and Rate. The grand finale of the siege arc begins!