Chapter 251: Taking a Risk

“A protective barrier—we need that. We can’t have the city walls right in front of them. After the fire, the walls’ defensive strength has dropped significantly. If we keep letting them attack, we won’t be able to hold out much longer, and problems could arise!” Hearing Emio’s words, Rod frowned deeply and, after hesitating for a long time, said with a bitter smile.
Indeed, the most effective method would be to send troops straight in to attack—that would truly work. But the number of monsters in the army was enormous, and they were all extremely powerful. Such a tactic wouldn’t yield much result!
Even a ten-man assault team composed entirely of imperial and golden warriors would likely be torn to pieces by those beasts after advancing only a short distance. Unless large groups were formed into multiple squads, it might work, but that would undoubtedly be sending those people to their deaths!
So, a surprise attack definitely wouldn’t work against those monsters. For now, the only option was to build something to act as a buffer, allowing the monsters to approach undetected and launch a massive attack.
“A protective barrier? I’ve thought about this too, but… it’s quite difficult to implement. The monsters are right here, giving us no chance to build such a barrier. Moreover, ordinary barriers wouldn’t work against them at all. Do you know how much time, effort, and resources it took to build these city walls? It’s beyond your imagination. Even so, their defensive capabilities remain limited, and they’re still in grave danger facing an army of monsters! What could possibly work?”
With a sigh, Emio looked at Rod and spoke solemnly. It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered this—it was just that he was powerless to do anything.
Rod also frowned at Emio’s words. It was indeed a serious problem. He had heard that Iron Bar Town, known as the continent’s strongest defensive fortress, had spent a full ten years building its city walls. The entire Black Tooth Army, along with the local population, had contributed heavily in terms of finances to complete it, and it still required regular maintenance. As Emio said, even then, its defenses weren’t foolproof! With limited time and insufficient funds, how could they build better protective measures?

“Water, kid, have you forgotten who you are? A defensive river should work—at least it can reduce the strength of the magical beasts’ attacks. Build a pool or moat to effectively prevent their large-scale assaults!” Just as Rod was puzzled, the voice of the Xuanyuan Sword Spirit, which hadn’t been heard for a long time, appeared in his mind.

It was like a flash of insight—as the saying goes, those involved are confused while outsiders see clearly. That was exactly the case here; he hadn’t even thought of this solution.

“A defensive river might work. If we can build one in front of the city, it can hold off the massive attacks of the magical beasts and block those that aren’t good at swimming, thus reducing our defensive pressure!”

Xuanyuan’s words were like thunder out of nowhere, exciting Rod enough to shout at Emio, “A defensive river! We thought about building one a long time ago, but below is Collins Forest. With the constant attacks from magical beasts and Ironbar Town’s unfavorable location—no water sources around, scarce water flow—it’s impossible to construct such a defense! Even if there were a river, getting water would still be a huge problem.”

Hearing Rod’s words, Emio said with a grim face, “If it really worked, would we still not have built it after all these decades? Water is the key factor. Without rivers, where would all that water come from?”

“Besides, even if we solved the water issue, we don’t have the time to carry out such a massive project. We lack the manpower and time!” Even more pressing problems stood in the way, making it impossible to implement this plan.

These words made the atmosphere between the two even more somber. The battle ahead was intense, and both of them furrowed their brows deeply. Finding a solution to this problem was urgent.

Head bowed, taking a deep breath, Rod tried hard to calm his thoughts. He looked around, hoping to find an effective way to solve this dilemma. He couldn’t allow tragedy to happen here. Under no circumstances could Ironbar Town fall—he didn’t want the continent to plunge back into chaos. Looking at the people behind him and the distant empire, though he felt abandoned by this continent now, he had lived here for nearly twenty years, so he still had some feelings for it. As for the demons, he really didn’t feel anything toward them.

Suddenly, Rod’s eyes lit up. The city wall behind him gave him hope. An idea instantly arose in his mind and grew stronger and more complete.

“I have an idea. Let me ask—has this city wall been destroyed after going through so many waves of beasts?” He quickly looked up at Emioloard and asked anxiously.
At that moment, he thought of a solution. If it worked, he believed their chances of holding off the enemies at Iron Bar Town would increase significantly.
“Twice—once a hundred years ago, once thirty years ago. It was breached twice! But thanks to the inner wall, we managed to hold out until the end and stopped those beasts from succeeding!” Blado replied calmly, puzzled by why Rod suddenly asked such a question.
“Good. Start working inside the city. This wall should give us enough time to fight for a few days. As long as we work together quickly, we can build a defensive structure. We don’t need much water, nor a protective river—just a pool deep enough in front of the wall! Build it between the two walls. It shouldn’t be a problem to mobilize all the soldiers and reinforcements who aren’t needed for combat right away. As for water, water mages can help—have them gather a large number of water elements to create water magic. A little bit each day should suffice. If that doesn’t work, use all the water sources inside the city temporarily! Defense is priority. Oh, isn’t there also a Water God here? With him around, it’ll be even easier. Isn’t there a water magic banishment spell called ‘Great Tsunami’? Use that. If controlled properly, the water created by that spell will be enough to last us for a while!”
Emioloard’s reply gave Rod hope. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he spoke hurriedly.
Abandoning this wall might seem like a last resort, but actually, it wasn’t. Upon closer consideration, it wouldn’t only result in no significant loss but would also give them more time and opportunities! It would also greatly reduce their pressure.
If they managed to build the pool Rod envisioned, then the outer wall would inevitably have to be abandoned at a critical moment, forcing them to retreat to the inner wall. That defensive wall was Iron Bar Town’s second line of defense, built a hundred years ago. Its height, thickness, and defensive strength were no less than those of the current wall. It was kept as a last resort and had saved Iron Bar Town twice before. After numerous enhancements, its defensive power was even greater than that of the current wall—especially after being burned down, it was incomparable to the latter.

With that wall of defense in front, there were large pools of water to prevent magical beasts from approaching easily or in large numbers, and another wall behind to block them as well. Together, these three lines of defense severely restricted the movement and capabilities of the magical beasts, providing greater defensive advantages for the reinforcements!
“Yes, I had forgotten that. Although it’s difficult, we can give it a try. To what extent can you assist me in completing this fortification, and how confident are you that it will achieve the desired results?” Rod’s words clearly piqued Emio’s interest. Grasping Rod’s shoulders with trembling hands, he asked loudly.
“If we can get everyone’s cooperation, it can be completed in five days! The success rate is no less than 80%, and the results will exceed 70% of what we expect!” Rod assured Emio, looking at him firmly.
“I trust you. I’m leaving this task to you. Moro, go with Brother Brado to complete this. Use whatever means necessary to help them finish it. Holding out for five days shouldn’t be a problem. Finish it as soon as possible! This is my token—use it to mobilize all soldiers of the Black Tooth Legion! Also, since you’re already in charge of the reinforcements, you can mobilize them to help as well. I want to see that defensive barrier in five days! And I want to see results!” Rod’s assurances reassured Emio. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, he turned to the last deputy commander of the Black Tooth Legion beside him and gave him strict orders. At that moment, his words showed that he had made an unprecedented and major decision—he decided to take a risky gamble.
“Alright, leave this to me. General, rest assured. We’ll start working on it today and guarantee completion within five days!”
Moro, who had listened quietly throughout, spoke with full confidence. At this moment, he was filled with enthusiasm, like a patient condemned to death who suddenly saw a chance to survive. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he wouldn’t give up!
“I’m leaving this task to you two. Please go. Leave this to me—I won’t disappoint you. Don’t worry! Just go and do your job. We’ll be waiting at the front line for good news from you! News for our fallen brothers and their spirits wandering between heaven and earth!” Patting Rod’s shoulder and taking a deep breath, Emio said solemnly.

This time he really went all in, betting everything on this Brado before him, placing all his hopes on him and choosing to take a huge risk—success or death.
“Wait for good news from me!” With no extra words, the trust shown by the other party filled Rod with enthusiasm. More words were unnecessary; actual performance was the best form of reward! After saying that, he turned with Moro and headed toward the city.
Watching the two figures walk away, a faint wry smile and concern appeared on his lips. It was only now that Emio realized clearly why he had placed such great trust and expectations in a man he had only met three times and knew nothing about. Why give him such power? Why place his hopes on him? At least he hadn’t yet reached such a desperate situation! He didn’t understand what kind of quality about that young man was attracting him to act in such a decisive manner for the first time in decades.