[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-357":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162123,1504,"Chapter 357: The Players’ Siege Battle","ember-dragon-chapter-357",357,"\u003Cp>Chapter 357: The Players’ Siege Battle\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Horace stood atop the castle tower, his legs trembling as he gazed at a trail of black dots in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re coming...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the Ember Kingdom’s army!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re coming for us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Mitra stood silently by his side, gripping his sword with a resolute expression—ready to die for the lord he served.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are we going to die?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tempus save us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers in the castle were terrified. The Ember Kingdom’s army had become a legend that could quiet crying children at night, a symbol of death, and an invincible force in tales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From afar, powerful, stirring music began to echo, heralding the arrival of a dreadful enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbeknownst to them, it was just a bored player carrying a speaker, singing along to the BGM of \"Victory\".\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere inside Bellon Castle grew deathly still, as everyone held their breath, waiting for the enemy to arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re finally here...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What will the legendary Dragon Legion look like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Mitra murmured, his mind conjuring an oppressive vision—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>countless fearsome, dragon-blooded hobgoblins and ogres appearing on the horizon, roaring ferociously, shaking the earth and terrifying the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t entirely his imagination; it was based on accounts from fleeing soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, what happened next far exceeded their expectations, leaving them feeling—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>utterly baffled?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About a hundred people appeared sparsely on the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had no formation and simply charged forward like a disorderly swarm of headless flies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What in the world...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...are these people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the approaching enemies, the battle-hardened Knight Mitra was utterly perplexed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, well-crafted armor was a mark of a capable army, yet these enemies were dressed in all sorts of garb—some were even completely naked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you kidding me? This rabble supposedly defeated the allied forces?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The legendary Catastrophe Legion—this is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seriously, they look worse than the city guard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers on the ramparts began to relax, even chatting amongst themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellon Castle housed nearly 600 family soldiers. By Northern military standards, a force three times their size would be needed to breach such a stronghold—unless the attackers could fight one against a hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But looking at the players’ disorganized state, no one could associate them with the undefeated \"Dragon Legion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only potential threat was the wyverns in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHAAAAA!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Siege time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Die, Northern scum!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the music reached its climax, the players began cheering loudly, their cries wild and chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers on the walls and towers raised their bows, aiming squarely at the players below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the front, Knight Mitra coldly eyed the \"rabble\" and shouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave this place, outsiders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the Lot family’s domain!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even with the aid of dragon vassals, your kind—mere brigands—cannot breach the unyielding Bellon Castle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the players, one named [Gustav] glared at the knight on the tower and muttered angrily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This NPC sure is cocky. We’re already at their gates, and he’s still spouting nonsense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Likes to talk big, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine, blast him with a cannon!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gustav rolled a cannon into position, carefully calculating the angle before loading a shell—being a member of the Cult of the Machine God, he was well-versed in such devices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous boom echoed across the plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark cannonball traced a graceful arc through the air, heading straight for the tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I, Honor Knight Mitra, advise you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Mitra was speaking passionately, he heard a shrill whistle. Moments later, a massive cannonball landed mere meters from him, detonating violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke and dust billowed into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half the tower crumbled into rubble, stones shattered everywhere, and the entire castle seemed to quake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground was littered with mangled limbs and charred corpses, as dozens of soldiers were blown apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Knight Mitra narrowly survived, shielded by his plate armor and the bodies of his comrades who had unwittingly served as his shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cough, cough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crawling out of the ruins, Mitra surveyed the carnage around him, his body wracked with pain, and his face filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What... what is this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sinking feeling overtook him as he finally realized that he’d been deceived by appearances and understood why the Ember Kingdom’s army was considered \"unbeatable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of weapon is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could it... hit from so far away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh gods, the Ember Kingdom’s army truly is invincible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single probing attack by the players had left every soldier in the castle terrified. The once-secure stronghold now offered no sense of safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Da-da-da-da—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The majestic BGM switched to the \"nuclear explosion anthem,\" \"aLIEz\".\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahhhh—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brothers, get ready to charge!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s heating up! Let’s go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players cheered wildly, racing to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gustav, cigarette in mouth, patted the overheated cannon barrel and muttered angrily, \"Damn it, how the hell did I miss?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t let them get close!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill them all!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the pain wracking his body, Mitra raised his sword and shouted orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quickly! Quickly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire the arrows!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with the yelling, chaotic players, the soldiers atop the walls and towers frantically fired arrows and hurled boulders from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These tactics had been unstoppable in previous defensive battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, they failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the attacking players were veteran beta testers, with combat levels of Professional rank or higher. Ordinary attacks were completely ineffective against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the well-known Monk player [Dawei Tianlong]—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the Monk’s high mobility, he weaved through the rain of arrows from the walls, occasionally reflecting them back with [Deflect Missiles].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wall-Climbing Technique!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sharp cry, Dawei Tianlong effortlessly scaled the walls with a single leap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This monk’s back for another farming session!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrounded by over a dozen armored elite guards, he calmly activated his skills, weaving through their strikes like a specter, downing each with a precise blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Resonating Qi: Strike!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sudden jolt of his hands, Dawei Tianlong unleashed an explosive burst of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Resonating Qi: Detonate!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thunderous blast, the energy inside the soldiers detonated, causing them to bleed from every orifice as they collapsed into lifeless heaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spreading dust cleared to reveal Dawei Tianlong standing alone, grinning with a mouth full of gleaming white teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, another farming session done. Feels so good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the players unleash their various abilities, Mitra was struck by a strange thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were playing.\u003C\u002Fp>",1048,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.952Z","2026-06-03T12:47:07.061Z",1,"novelbin.me","c4b021ee8749bf65faad0428881231bba19220800c199d8522061f2f3a4b0d4d","ember-dragon-chapter-358","ember-dragon-chapter-356",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]