Chapter 211: I Cannot Save You for Free
Even though her hand was burned by the strange flames on her husband's body, she did not let go.
Crystal-clear tears streamed down her cheeks.
The tears fell onto her husband's body, evaporating into steam and dissipating.
In that moment, the hour of destruction arrived.
The section of the city wall where the gate was located erupted.
Like a spiderweb, cracks of flame suddenly burst into blazing blood-red fire.
"Ah!"
The human soldiers on the wall who had yet to escape were instantly engulfed by the blood fire.
In mere moments, they were reduced to ashes.
Even the armor on their bodies melted into pools of molten iron.
In that instant, a brilliant flash of fire erupted.
The wall at the city gate exploded suddenly.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion rang out.
The ground shook violently in its wake.
A massive mushroom cloud of fire rose slowly from the city gate's wall.
Nearly a 300-meter section of the wall was blasted into the sky.
The blood fire soared a thousand meters into the air.
Flaming debris rained down from the sky like a celestial cascade of destruction.
The city behind the wall suffered heavily.
Countless flaming debris fell like meteorites, smashing into the city.
Buildings collapsed and ignited.
Amid the rumbling bombardments, screams echoed throughout the city.
Thick smoke billowed from every corner of the city.
Even the demon army outside the city was affected.
The savage tribes fled in panic, dodging the flaming debris falling from the sky.
"It's breached! The wall is breached! Good!"
The sight of flaming rain excited the Ghost Beastmen at the forefront of the demon army.
With the wall breached, it was time for the army to charge.
Douglas's lips curved slightly upward as he raised his hand and pointed forward.
Iron Mask quickly removed the horn from his waist.
Just as he was about to blow it, his expression changed.
As the flames subsided, a massive azure magic barrier appeared at the ravaged breach.
The magic barrier was dome-shaped, resembling an overturned bowl.
Within the barrier, a colossal steel figure emerged.
Standing five meters tall, its entire body was encased in thick iron armor.
It carried a massive iron club on its shoulder.
"It's the Goblin King!"
The familiar steel figure made the Ghost Beastmen's expressions change.
Douglas's brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze turned icy.
Once allies, they were now enemies.
Inside the magic barrier, Sandra stared blankly at the steel giant before her.
Its appearance was so sudden.
It had descended just as the blood flames erupted.
Li Meng's massive head lowered to look at the human woman.
"You're beautiful, woman. Be my Princess!"
Li Meng's muffled voice echoed from within the helmet.
The sudden voice in her mind snapped Sandra out of her daze.
Her face flushed slightly as she looked down at her husband.
"He is my husband!"
Such a massive figure—could it be a Giant?
But the Giants lived on the Central Continent. How could one appear on the Southern Continent?
Besides, its build didn't quite match.
Li Meng glanced at the human man in Sandra's arms.
"He's almost charcoal. Doesn't he burn?"
The man burned, but the woman refused to let go.
Sandra's arms were also being corroded by the strange blood flames.
Sandra shook her head gently.
Instead of letting go, she held him even tighter.
"Looks like I shouldn't have saved you. At least you could've died painlessly."
It was clear that the human woman intended to die with her husband.
Burning away bit by bit would be excruciating.
Li Meng had no habit of tormenting others.
"Guess my effort was wasted. I'll send you on your way then."
With that, Li Meng raised his massive iron club, ready to strike the couple.
The strike would reduce them to pulp instantly and painlessly.
From start to finish, Sandra remained unmoved.
When she heard Li Meng say he would "send them on their way," gratitude flashed in her eyes.
"Master, wait!"
Suddenly, Xiao Bai's voice rang out, stopping Li Meng.
The massive iron club halted above Sandra's head.
A wave of air burst forth, sweeping the surroundings.
"Xiao Bai, why are you stopping me?"
"Master, you can save them."
"We still have a battle to fight. I can't waste too much magic on them."
"Master, this won't consume much of your magic."
"Master, these two hold high positions. If they live, they can lead the humans to retreat from Garrison Fort voluntarily."
"Why let the humans leave?"
"Master, if you want to take Garrison Fort without provoking a frenzied human counterattack, you must let the humans there go."
"Master, you're not yet ready to face all of humanity."
"Even if I let them go, the Crusaders will still come, right?"
"Master, it's different. Humanity is not monolithic. Only the countries near the outer domain are interested in it. The others will only symbolically join the Holy War if the Pope's nation calls. But if humanity sees you as a threat, you'll become a thorn in their side, and the Crusaders will be unstoppable."
"Xiao Bai, how do you know all this?"
"Master, live long enough, and you'll realize some things never change, even after millennia."
"Fine, I won't kill them."
Although he decided not to kill them, he couldn't save them for free.
As Li Meng was about to speak to the human woman, a roar from the Flame Demon Lord echoed in the distance.
Its golden pupils locked onto the massive steel figure within the magic barrier.
Li Meng waved his hand, causing the magic barrier to dissipate.
"What's the rush? Wait a bit!"
Li Meng roared back at the Flame Demon Lord.
The Flame Demon Lord's massive golden pupils contracted.
Its advancing steps halted and retreated slightly.
Seeing the Flame Demon Lord behave, Li Meng turned back to Sandra.
"Sir, the goblins are stalling for time!"
Iron Mask leaned toward Douglas and reminded him.
The noise from the canyon behind them grew louder.
Iron Mask knew the goblin army was approaching from the rear.
Douglas waved his hand slightly.
"No matter. We have plenty of time."
The goblin army, no matter how fast, couldn't arrive immediately.
Even with their stalling, the goblins couldn't hold for long.
Demons, after all, were impatient dimensional beings.
At the breach in the wall—
"I can save your husband!"
Hearing this, Sandra, who had been awaiting death, moved slightly.
She looked up at the steel giant before her.
"But I can't save you for free. I have conditions!"
Sandra lowered her head, staring at her unconscious husband with hazy eyes.
After a while, she raised her head to face the steel giant.
"As long as you can save my husband, I agree to anything."
Inside his helmet, Li Meng grinned.
"After I save your husband, you must lead the humans of Garrison Fort to retreat."