[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-519":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},1162641,1504,"Chapter 519: Massacre","ember-dragon-chapter-519",519,"\u003Cp>Chapter 519: Massacre\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha! This is exhilarating! I’ve never fired like this before!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Battle! Exciting!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the artillery positions behind the defensive line, the First Artillery Corps commander, the ogre Big Head, laughed uproariously, his massive belly shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The artillery crews were in a frenzy, hundreds of heavy cannons firing continuously, raining shells upon the surging demon tide, shaking the very earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in this war, there were over a dozen such artillery corps, each assigned bombardment zones to ensure full firepower coverage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big Head deftly loaded several hundred-kilogram shells into a specially designed cannon, launching them with thunderous roars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through his binoculars, he saw massive mushroom clouds rise, consuming hundreds of Dretches and Quasits in fiery explosions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These demons are born to be target practice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ogre bellowed to the rest of the heavy artillery corps, \"Where are those experimental shells from the Science Division? Bring them over!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haha, I was wondering when we’d get to use them! Let’s have these demons personally verify their effectiveness!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another shell detonated midair above the demon army, releasing a cloud of white smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon contact with the Dretches, their exposed skin ignited, their decayed flesh melting down to the bone!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aagh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of demons writhed and howled in agony, rolling on the ground until they were reduced to ashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was white phosphorus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brutal weapon, condemned by scholars within the empire, yet perfectly suited for annihilating demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another shell exploded in the air, releasing not just shrapnel but blinding lightning, instantly knocking down all demons within a hundred-meter radius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—It was the latest elemental shell developed by the Imperial Science Division, capable of unleashing devastating elemental energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, shells inscribed with various runes detonated among the demon ranks, erupting in flames, radiant light, force fields, lightning, and even frost, each wreaking havoc on the abyssal horde.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the demons flying overhead, the empire had even crueler measures—airburst shells that released thousands of razor-sharp fragments, instantly shredding hundreds of flying demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom! Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bombardment continued relentlessly, drastically slowing the demon advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky was crisscrossed with shell trajectories, forming a lethal web over the plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The artillery fire became an invisible wall of blood and fire, mercilessly shredding any demon attempting to break through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke choked the battlefield, the entire wasteland quaking under the bombardment. Craters riddled the most heavily shelled areas, and even hills were flattened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the demons were simply too many—even this level of bombardment couldn’t stop them completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Advance!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Their attacks are meaningless! Move forward! Do you want Lord Jezal Slak to destroy you all?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo roared amid the shellfire, riding atop his Abyssal Dragon-Beast, his whip cracking in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dretches feared total annihilation far more than mere battlefield death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, they feared higher-ranking demons even more than death itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Leo’s threats, the Dretches charged forward through the relentless bombardment, trampling over their fallen kin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another round of explosions erupted, incinerating thousands of demons in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too slow, too slow...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Jezal Slak will not be pleased.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo watched the relentless yet steadily dying demon army, deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long adapted to Abyssal hierarchy, where the weak were disposable—no different from the serfs of the North, mere resources to be expended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Dretches were slow and mindless, useless in efficient combat, only good for overwhelming enemies through sheer numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pathetic wretches.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo gritted his teeth as he watched the artillery carve through the demon ranks like a scythe through weeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew he had to change the situation to make his revenge possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Berserker Demon Corps, charge!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his flaming sword and commanded the toad-like Berserker Demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their scaly, armor-like skin oozed filth, and they reeked of corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Berserker Demons were the Abyssal infantry—massive, durable, but dim-witted, easily manipulated by stronger demons into suicidal combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Crush the humans!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Berserker Demon leader raised its fist and led the charge, dozens of its kin following into the artillery barrage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shells rained down, but the Berserker Demons barely flinched, continuing their advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their armored skin and innate fire resistance rendered them nearly impervious to explosions unless directly hit at close range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their desires were simple—satisfaction from devouring flesh, and the thrill of smashing beautiful things with their massive fists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha! Their attacks are weak! Charge!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Berserker Demon leader laughed maniacally, weaving through the shellfire toward the Empire’s defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eat these mortals alive! Destroy their empire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Click!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the demon charged, a sharp clicking sound came from beneath its feet, accompanied by an unusual sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It glanced down, scratching its head in confusion, before resuming its charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment it lifted its foot—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive explosion erupted, sending flames skyward, forming a towering mushroom cloud. At this range, even a Berserker Demon suffered grievous injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You worm-spawned cowards! You despicable humans!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its once-mighty legs were now charred stumps, and it writhed on the ground, cursing toward the Empire’s Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Click.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another sharp sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon turned in disbelief, only to see a flashing red light beneath its crushed torso.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another mushroom cloud erupted, this time tearing the demon’s body apart, leaving no chance for survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same fate befell dozens of Berserker Demons and thousands of Dretches who had broken through the artillery barrage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the Empire’s second gift to the Abyssal invaders—minefields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across a thousand-kilometer stretch, two kilometers deep, the Empire had buried over 300,000 mines, a stockpile accumulated over years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were even magically enhanced, capable of instantly killing mid-tier demons.\u003C\u002Fp>",928,"2026-06-03T12:47:13.304Z","2026-06-03T12:47:20.796Z",1,"novelbin.me","ea52f62d2e5e078b0bfe56041a3ed6044b19f26e35fc5a01cb629c01309dcf4d","ember-dragon-chapter-520","ember-dragon-chapter-518",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]