Karannis appeared behind Raymond with several flashes, dodging the alchemical cannon shells fired from the Restoration Army's position.

He shot a glance at Raymond, his voice dissatisfied, like the hiss of a venomous snake. "Human, this is not what was agreed upon at the beginning."

Raymond used his tower shield to forcefully withstand another powerful, heavy impact from Big Brother Slime. The shield emitted a dull, thunderous boom.

Without turning his head, he issued an unquestionable command. "Shut up! What's the use of saying this now? There's only one path at present: push the battle line back and crush the Restoration Army."

"As long as we crush them and seize back the initiative on the battlefield, there will always be a way to explain things afterwards. You go and launch a surprise attack on the Restoration Army, create chaos, and cooperate with me to defeat this Slime."

Karannis narrowed his eyes. For a chaotic evil being like him who reveled in slaughter, cooperating with humans was already an incredible compromise, let alone being ordered around in such a tone by a human.

An impulse surged within him to plunge his dagger into the back of Raymond's neck. But remembering the soul contract with the Burning Legion, he forcibly suppressed this urge.

He only left behind a cold, whispered sentence.

"Human, remember, if this battle is lost, I will personally execute you."

Having said that, his figure blurred once more, merging into the air. He intended to bypass the Slime blocking the way ahead and directly pounce on the Restoration Army in the rear.

However, Big Brother Slime had long noticed him. Its body stretched violently, like flowing liquid metal, spreading out in the direction Karannis was advancing, forming a golden curtain that sealed off the path he was trying to take.

"Boom! If you want to pass, you must first get through this Slime!" Big Brother Slime declared firmly.

Forced to stop, Karannis shot a look back at Raymond, then without hesitation joined Raymond in launching a coordinated assault against it.

【Earthquake Strike】

Raymond slammed his rock tower shield into the ground. A powerful shockwave spread out from him as the center, attempting to disrupt Big Brother Slime's balance and the stability of its gravity field.

【Backstab】

Karannis struck simultaneously. His figure flashed into existence beside Big Brother Slime. Two daggers, like the fangs of a venomous snake, silently stabbed towards Big Brother Slime.

Facing attacks from two directions, Big Brother Slime displayed astonishing adaptability.

Its body leaped up to avoid the shockwave while simultaneously caving inwards, stretching into a U-shape, just perfectly dodging the daggers' assault.

What a bizarre body.

Karannis frowned.

His pride and joy, the backstab, had its effectiveness drastically reduced against this Slime.

Although he quickly followed up with several more slashes, no liquid flowed from the wounds on Big Brother Slime's body. The wounds wriggled slightly and actually began to close up at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Karannis was secretly alarmed.

This Slime's offensive capabilities might not be top-tier, but its defensive, evasive, and recovery abilities... it was practically a born monster for protracted warfare.

If Chen Yu were here, he would certainly sway his gel body with satisfaction and praise, "Now this is a true fifty-fifty fighter."

"Damn Slime!"

Raymond was inwardly anxious.

Big Brother Slime's tenacity far exceeded expectations. It was like a piece of tough, unbreakable, unflattenable, unsticky chewing gum, firmly holding back both of them.

He could only intensify his offensive, trying to break through Golden Slime's interception as quickly as possible, while anxiously hoping in his heart that the two Extraordinary warriors who had gone to investigate the "orc squad" to the east would hurry back soon.

As long as they returned, they would form an absolute advantage, and the Restoration Army would surely be defeated.

In the sky, Louisa's hair fluttered as she tilted her face to dodge a flying projectile. Simultaneously, she waved her staff, a searing ray forcing the mage to dodge awkwardly. Then her gaze swept over the ground battlefield, taking in everything.

She guessed what was in Raymond's mind at this moment. And what the Restoration Army needed to do was also delay and wait.

The ones disguised as the orc squad were indeed just a group of Slimes skilled in mimicry—soft, with no real power.

But when Leon and the others entered the garrison city, they did not bring the alchemical cannons they carried with them inside; that would have been too conspicuous.

They left the cannons with the Slime Artillery units that had circled around to the rear of the garrison city.

In other words, what awaited Raymond was likely not the return of two Extraordinary warriors, but cannon fire from behind.

On the ground battlefield, Alice seemed to grasp Louisa's intent.

She quickly issued a series of orders. The Restoration Army's formation began to change. The originally neat phalanxes rapidly split into small combat groups, each based on a hundred-man unit.

The heavy alchemical cannons and ballistas were left in place. Most soldiers, with mages as their core, began organized guerrilla warfare and harassment on the battlefield, constantly attacking Raymond and Karannis from the flanks and rear with arrows, javelins, and small-scale magic.

This tactical change indeed caused Raymond considerable trouble. He and Karannis seemed to be caught in a constantly tightening encirclement.

With the support of the mage corps' spells, Karannis not only couldn't break through Big Brother Slime's interception to attack the Restoration Army, but instead had to constantly dodge everywhere, avoiding those annoying area-of-effect spells and ranger arrows. Sometimes he even had to hide behind Raymond's rock tower shield.

Although as a demon rogue, Karannis's magic resistance was not low, it ultimately couldn't compare to a shield-lance knight like Raymond who specialized in defense.

If he were subjected to concentrated fire from the army, he still risked injury.

This damn canyon, which had trapped the Restoration Army, now also trapped them in the middle.

He began to regret not avoiding this strange Golden Slime from the start, instead of engaging it. He should have used his speed advantage to simply bypass it.

But now, under the organized harassment of the Restoration Army and Big Brother Slime's resistance, he had lost the best opportunity.

However, his and Raymond's coordinated assault was not without effect.

Although Big Brother Slime's will was sufficiently resolute, after prolonged combat, its body was covered in scorch marks from demonic flames, as well as various slashes and holes.

These injuries consumed a great deal of Big Brother Slime's stamina. Its movements began to slow compared to before. The range and intensity of its gravity field also seemed to weaken. Its dodges were no longer as effortless as at the beginning.

It was about to be unable to hold on!

Both Raymond and Karannis saw the dawn of victory and intensified their attacks.

Yet, at this critical moment, flying projectiles and wind blades suddenly shot in from the side, targeting Karannis.

Forced to abandon his attack, Karannis's figure flashed, evading most of the spells, but was still grazed on the arm by a wind blade, leaving a shallow wound.

He looked up to see that Louisa, having somehow already captured Grand Mage Lawrence, was riding a giant eagle in a dive towards the ground battlefield. Magic light once again glowed from the staff in her hand.

Raymond's heart sank. He sensed something was wrong.

Louisa's addition made the already deadlocked battle situation even more complex.

But at the same time, through the vibrations transmitted by the earth beneath his feet, he perceived something approaching from the direction of the garrison city.

Was it Hans and Leonard returning?

Hope rose in Raymond's heart. He quickly turned his head to look back.

However, what met his eyes was a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Three massive shadows, as large as small hills, were constantly undulating, slowly rolling over from the direction of the garrison city's defensive zone, crashing through the ruined defensive zone walls.

Wherever they passed, the ground sank slightly. Scattered rubble and corpses were silently swallowed up. And sandwiched between them was, unmistakably, an alchemical cannon with a dark, gaping muzzle.

It was like a giant artillery emplacement with shadow monsters as its base. Now, lifted by the shadows, the cannon muzzle slowly lowered, aiming at Raymond.

It was Leon, Max, and Elara.

Not only had they not gone far, they had turned back and brought the alchemical cannon and the Slime troops with them.

Many round Slime figures were hidden within the shadows, excitedly bouncing about. Their voices were quite cheerful within the Gel Network.

"Black Slime powerful! Strong!"

"Pushing cannon, fun."

"Aim! Fire!"

The return of the Slime troops also meant that the two Extraordinary warriors who had gone to the east were probably forever left in that river valley.

"Princess, we're back!"

Elara's jubilant voice sounded in the minds of Louisa, Alice, and others via the Gel Network.

"Leon, don't dawdle, fire quickly, let these guys see our power."

"Alright, fire!" Leon gave the final order. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The Slime Artillery hidden inside the tail of the cannon barrel inserted Gray Gravel Crystals into the activation Magic Formation at the rear of the chamber.

Simultaneously, several other Slimes cooperated in the operation, guiding energy into the chamber.

The alchemical cannon's thick barrel began to tremble violently. A low, rumbling roar, like the bellow of a giant beast, came from within.

At the muzzle, a blindingly bright white light, intense enough to sear retinas, suddenly flared up and then rapidly condensed.

Both Raymond and Karannis sensed danger simultaneously. Karannis showed almost no hesitation. His figure instantly transformed into a blurred, dark red afterimage, speeding away in a direction far from the cannon muzzle.

But Raymond wasn't so lucky.

He stood rooted to the earth, but that also meant he couldn't quickly disengage. He could only roar wildly, planting his feet deeper into the ground like tree roots, attempting to withstand this blow.

The alchemical cannon's energy had already accumulated to its peak and erupted with a roar.

There was no deafening explosion. A blazing white light column over five meters in diameter burst forth from the muzzle, like the breath of a Giant Dragon. It grazed the ruined walls, heating the stone bricks red and melting holes in them, before finally striking Raymond's tower shield.

The torrent engulfed Raymond and his shield. In the face of this world-destroying strike, even an Extraordinary Professional seemed as small and insignificant as an ant.

Restoration Army soldiers, including those orc overseers, could only stare blankly, their minds a complete void, leaving only instinctive shock and fear.

In their field of vision, it seemed only that blazing white light column that devoured all light remained, terrifyingly dazzling, making the surrounding environment instantly seem to darken, even the sunlight being overshadowed.

The light column lasted about three seconds. When the blazing white light gradually dissipated and finally vanished into the air, only a deathly silence remained on the battlefield.

People's gazes turned towards the center of the battlefield.

The ground was scorched black, the color deepening towards the center, even showing a dark red, molten, lava-like state, emitting waves of intense heat and smoke.

And right in the center, a figure still maintained a shield-raising, blocking posture, standing there like a statue.

It was Raymond Sterling.

But his current appearance was quite miserable.

The tower shield that had taken the cannon blast head-on had shattered, with only a small broken remnant still held in his grasp. The fine plate armor he wore had also mostly melted. Scorched, blackened metal fragments clung to his skin, which was covered in burns and lacerations. In some places, even the charred bone beneath was exposed.

His right arm, which had held the rock lance, was completely gone from the shoulder down, the severed end a charred mess.

His face was covered in burns and bloodstains. The originally resolute features now held only bewilderment.

Without a doubt, he was defeated.

Not defeated by the Restoration Army's frontal assault, but by those followers he had once placed high hopes in, and by the true sacred relic.

He couldn't find words to describe his fear of this power. Now, he even wanted to surrender just like this and seek the Restoration Army's protection.

For a noble knight like Raymond, skilled in calculation, who placed benefit and survival above all else, compared to false glory and slogans, his own life was clearly more important.

With the battle already lost, surrender, negotiation, and seeking a way to survive were his most likely choices at this moment.

With difficulty, he opened his charred lips, as if wanting to say something—perhaps surrender, perhaps plea for mercy, perhaps something else.

But at that moment, a dark red figure appeared by his side.

It was Karannis!

This demon rogue had returned. His dagger swept across Raymond's neck.

Raymond's body stiffened violently. His flying, severed head made eye contact with Karannis, who was now within reach. He saw undisguised mockery in the other's eyes.

"I said, once the battle is lost, I would kill you."

Karannis's whisper echoed in his mind. The light in Raymond's eyes rapidly dimmed.

His head hit the ground. His tall body swayed, then, like rotten wood stripped of all support, collapsed with a crash.

Without Big Brother Slime blocking the way, Karannis's figure blurred once more. With a few flashes, he completely vanished into the ruins and smoke of the battlefield, fleeing far away.

This sudden turn of events, however, left the Restoration Army soldiers present utterly confused.

The Southern Army, these New Sun followers, and that demon... weren't they on the same side?

Why were they killing each other?

The plot developed too quickly, making it hard to understand.

A brief silence fell on the battlefield. Restoration Army soldiers gripped their weapons, warily watching the three remaining, enormous shadows that hadn't left yet.

The two sides stood like this, separated by a distance, silently confronting each other for a moment.

Then, under the gaze of the Restoration Army soldiers, the three massive shadows began to slowly undulate, dragging the alchemical cannon away.

In the distance, only rolling darkness and the heavy sound of crushing remained.

They... just left like that?

So... did we win?

Just as the soldiers were feeling somewhat bewildered, Princess Louisa, riding her giant eagle, slowly landed in front of the Restoration Army formation and confirmed to them,

"Chester Garrison City has been breached. We are victorious!"

These words were like a spark igniting a powder keg. After a brief silence, complete fervor erupted.

"Victorious? We won?!"

"The garrison city is breached! We won!"

"Hooray! Long live the Restoration Army! Long live the Princess!"

Confusion, bewilderment, tension... all these emotions were swept away by this unequivocal declaration of victory.

The soldiers were stunned for a moment, then erupted into deafening cheers.

Although many still didn't fully understand why the enemies had turned on each other, who cared? Winning was a good thing!

They hugged each other, high-fived, laughed and talked loudly, celebrating this hard-won victory, temporarily putting aside their earlier doubts.

The orc overseers stood a bit farther away, watching the jubilant Restoration Army, then looking at the collapsed garrison city walls and Raymond's corpse, exchanging glances among themselves.

They also couldn't understand this complex internal strife drama. But as observers and military supervisors, they were more concerned with the strategic outcome.

With Chester Garrison City breached, the most important land supply route for the Demon Legion from the Southern Territory was cut off.

Moreover, after this battle, the Southern Army's elite forces and command layer suffered heavy losses. They would be unable to organize an effective counterattack in a short time.

The Restoration Army's continued southward advance would be smooth sailing. Reclaiming the Southern Territory was only a matter of time.

Simultaneously, they firmly remembered those bizarrely acting Xirik cultists and the terrifying sacred relic.

"These Xirik cultists are truly madmen."

"We must immediately send this news back to the Palaver, let Lord Karl know, and be wary of these rats hiding in the shadows."

They did not linger. They quickly drafted battle reports and had the Gray Eagle deliver key intelligence—"Garrison City Breached," "Suspected New Sun Church Betrayal of Ally," "Sacred Relic Displays Astonishing Power"—to the north.

And far away in the Royal Capital, the Xirik Church had no idea they were about to be saddled with a huge, black pot.