https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-695-The-Bronze-Fortress-of-Avernus/13677573/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-697-Easily-Armor-Classifiable-Victory/13677575/
Chapter 696: The Omen Before Battle
Empire of Ashen – Southeastern Anzeta Great Wasteland, Hector City – known as “Ironforge City”
At 4 a.m., the rhythmic clack-clack of the Assembly Line’s Teleportation Belt echoed through the factory, like the gnashing of colossal iron beasts devouring steel. The massive machines chewed up the workers’ breath, reducing it to the steady pulse of Unification.
“Two hundred twenty-seven… two hundred twenty-eight…”
Ailin counted the 230th brass casing slipping through her palm. Copper shavings embedded in her nail beds glittered faintly under the gas lamps. As she sucked her cracked thumb into her mouth, she tasted the bitter tang of bullet lubricant mixed with the rust of Bloodshot Eyes. She knew her fingers were bleeding, but she couldn’t stop—not for a single second.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Over the thunderous boom of the Steam Hammer, the factory foreman bellowed, “We must meet the quota before dawn! Remember—this is for the Empire’s Contribution Points! The more bullets we produce, the more land our frontline soldiers will seize. The Empire of Ashen moves closer to the Emperor’s Grand Blueprint!”
“For the Empire!”
A few young workers raised their hands, their voices hoarse but fervent. In their weary eyes burned an unmistakable euphoria.
The foreman nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Keep it clean. The factory is a battlefield. You are fighting for the Empire!”
Ailin wanted to raise her hand too—wanted to feel recognized, to earn the foreman’s approval. But she was too exhausted. The Assembly Line had consumed every ounce of her mind, leaving her numb, mechanically repeating the same motions. Most workers were like her—soulless cogs in a machine.
Steam pipes wove above like a spider’s web, a prison of iron. Condensed water mixed with machine coolant dripped down the nape of her back, staining her work uniform a moldy blue-black around the collar.
Every five seconds, a 7.92mm rifle round slid into the pine crate at the belt’s end. The lid bore a bold black stencil: Southern Realm Special Supply.
The Southern Realm—land to the south of the Anzeta Great Wasteland—was whispered to be a land of milk and honey, a fertile paradise overflowing with wealth and endless possibility. Merchants could amass fortunes trading there, flipping goods across borders. Soldiers could earn glory, rise to noble rank, and claim Dragon-Blooded supremacy.
But Ailin was just a woman with little means, no capital, no strength to fight. Years ago, her husband had died in the Abyssal War. Though he earned no battlefield merit, she received a generous War Widow’s Compensation. With no work, she still managed to support her two children.
But the peace didn’t last. The war in Northern Aether intensified. Troops, grain, and gear were drained southward. Prices skyrocketed. Her life grew desperate, barely sustainable.
To feed her children, she answered the Empire’s call. Now she was a proud female worker, earning five Silver Coins a month—meager, but enough.
“Three hundred seven… three hundred eight…”
Ailin whispered the count, staring at the bullets gliding along the belt. She knew—the Empire was preparing for war again.
As a factory worker, she sensed it. Emergency orders at the ammunition plant were always omens.
Living in Hector City, she read the news, listened to broadcasts. She heard of the Empire’s conquests—Northern Aether, the Shield Dwarf Highlands, the Ugo Great Plain. As an Empire citizen, she once puffed her chest with pride, heart swelling with joy. But sometimes, a quiet doubt crept in: When will this war end?
Since King Kai Xiusu led his domain south in search of the “Sunlit Lands,” wars had raged like the endless northern winds of Anzeta—unstoppable, unceasing.
“Ailin! What in the name of the Emperor are you doing?! You let deformed bullets out of the crate!”
The Overseer’s sharp voice cut through her daze. Cold sweat prickled her spine. She stammered, “Sorry, sir…”
The Overseer picked up a misshapen bullet from the crate. “You don’t owe me an apology. You owe the entire factory. Don’t you know the Military Equipment Quality Inspection is coming? If I hadn’t caught this early, the whole Thirteenth Factory would’ve been punished. The Great Home would’ve been disgraced!”
“I’m sorry…”
Her fingers trembled as she sorted the bullets. The Overseer glanced at her, tone softening slightly. “Fine. Focus. No more daydreaming. This time, you lose one Silver Ginnar from your wage. Next time—no mercy.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ailin bowed her head, voice hollow.
One Silver Ginnar—small in value, but it meant days of grueling labor to earn back. Next month… another month of cutting corners.
“Damned useless Teleportation Belt is jammed again!”
Martha from Station 37 shrieked. Ailin watched as half-finished bullet heads piled up at the belt’s seam, like a bronze avalanche burying Martha’s rubber boots in seconds.
The Overseer’s boots thundered down the iron stairs. Instantly, every worker’s neck tensed. Sweat trickled down their backs.
“Damn fools!”
The Overseer roared.
A new girl, Sophia, sat beside Ailin, her work pants pocket peeking with a forbidden book. “The machines can’t detect dud shells,” she whispered. “But hungry women can.”
Ailin stared at the bruise on the girl’s wrist. Said nothing.
Clang—
A deep, resonant bell rang from afar. The sound cut through the factory like a blade, snapping the workers awake. The air buzzed with sudden noise.
“What’s happening?”
“That’s the bronze gong in the plaza—it only rings on Coronation Day… Christmas…”
“But it’s not a holiday!”
“Then… something big’s coming. Could it be—?”
Ailin already had a sinking feeling. She remembered sorrowful memories.
The last time the bell rang outside festival season… was two years ago. King Kai Xiusu himself had appeared in the sky above the city as a colossal magical image, declaring war on the Deep Abyss Demons.
And shortly after, her husband vanished—never to return. She learned later he had fallen to the demons’ jaws.
She grieved. But she also felt deep pride. Her husband had died in battle, a hero sacrificing himself for the Guardianship of the Imperial People.
Footsteps echoed—sharp, decisive.
The foreman strode into the factory, clapping his hands. “Alright! Stop work! Today, there’s a major announcement. Everyone gets a half-day off—head to the municipal plaza!”
“Yay!”
“Ten full days straight! Finally some rest!”
The workers erupted in joy. Ailin felt it too. Since the rush order weeks ago, she hadn’t stopped.
As she stepped outside, the thick smoke of the city wrapped around her like a shroud. The sun, hazy and distant, seemed unreal—like she’d just escaped another world.
She boarded a Rail Transport, heading toward the heart of Hector City. Over a year ago, she’d used her husband’s pension to buy a small home here, where she and her children lived.
Under the weight of endless labor, she hadn’t taken the kids out in ages. This break was perfect.
At the Municipal Plaza, by the fountain, Ailin touched the silver cross medal her husband had left behind, gripping her eldest son, Young Daniel’s hand.
Young Daniel stared at the sea of people, wide-eyed. “Mother, why is everyone here?”
“Because the Empire is about to announce something important.”
“What?”
Ailin smiled gently. “I don’t know… but I think it’s war.”
Young Daniel lowered his head, whispering, “Then Father… won’t come back, will he? You said he was a great hero—always fighting for the Empire.”
Ailin sighed, stroking his hair. “Yes… your father is probably preparing for war right now. We shouldn’t disturb him.”
Young Daniel’s voice cracked. “Then… when will we see him again?”
“Maybe after the war ends. When he becomes a famous general… then he’ll come home.”
“When will the war end?”
Ailin shook her head, unable to meet his expectant gaze. Her eyes drifted toward the horizon. “I don’t know, child…”
Maybe the Empire’s war would never end.
She knew her husband never would.
“Look!”
“Steam Tanks!”
“Move! Get out of the way!”
The crowd surged, splitting like waves. The city guard shouted curses.
A whistle pierced the air. Twelve Steam Tanks rolled into view—slow, deliberate, their treads grinding over the pavement like thunder.
Each Iron Beast stood over four meters tall, nearly ten meters long—like moving hills. The polished alloy armor gleamed under the sun, oppressive and majestic.
“Those are the heavy tanks from Toco City!”
“Only Ironforge City can build such monsters!”
The people murmured in awe. Pride swelled in their chests.
Two kilometers away, in a slum, eight-year-old Thomas peered through a single-eyed telescope from his father’s old kit, watching the spectacle from a window marked with a Misha saint’s image.
“Look at that… I want to be a Tank soldier when I grow up!”
“Let me see!”
“Hmph! You’re just a little bean sprout. I’m gonna be a Dragon Rider!”
The kids bickered, wrestling for the telescope, desperate to feast their eyes on the parade.
“Look!”
“What’s that?!”
“An Empire Dragon Rider? No… wait—there’s a Great Home with them!”
A deafening ripping sound split the sky. Everyone looked up.
Wyverns clad in armor beat their wings, soaring into the clouds.
Then—something more staggering.
Giant shapes plunged through the clouds like whales in a sea of mist. Their shadows swallowed the plaza. Beneath their bellies, jagged, armored forms bore thick barrels. Above, enormous balloons bore the vertical pupil and flame emblem of the Empire.
“By Kai Xiusu! Even Great Homes can fly now!”
“Airships! The Empire’s Airship Cluster! I’ve seen them in the military brochures!”
Even Ailin gasped. Her mind raced—what would happen when these titans dropped bombs, poured artillery fire? How much destruction would they bring?
Young Daniel clung to her, trembling in fear before the sheer majesty of these killing machines.
Ailin felt his terror. She pulled him close. “Don’t be afraid, child. These are our Empire’s weapons—tools to protect us. They’re your father’s comrades.”
Young Daniel pointed at the sky. “Mother… you said you worked in the military factory. So… did you make these?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No, not me. Everyone has their role. I just craft bullets.”
“Oh…” Young Daniel thought, then looked up again. “Then I’ll be like Father—become a hero! A soldier in the papers!”
Ailin’s smile froze. She thought of her husband—gone.
She whispered, “Child… it’s too dangerous. Joining the military requires strict trials. Not everyone can become a soldier.”
“Hmm…” Young Daniel frowned, then brightened. “Then I’ll be like you! I’ll make powerful weapons—so Father can fight better on the frontlines!”
…
Ailin stood frozen. Her heart twisted.
She knew what she made—weapons that could shatter a man’s skull in an instant, rip his insides to pulp.
Her work was grim—endless, repetitive labor in darkness, until her body collapsed. Less than ten hours of rest a day.
Was her child meant to walk this path too?
Clang—
At the plaza’s center, five hundred probationary officers drew their swords in unison. Half-Dragon General Hohenzollern tapped his cane on the review stand.
“Soldiers! Citizens of Toco City! Today, we stand at a sacred, glorious moment—the Supreme King Kai Xiusu will deliver his Watch Speech!”
“Long Live the Empire!”
“Long Live Emperor Kai Xiusu!”
The crowd’s fervent cheers erupted like a storm. Those who weren’t swept up in the euphoria felt alien. Ailin joined in, voice rising with the masses.
Even Young Daniel, caught in the wave, waved his tiny fist, shouting in childish delight:
“Long Live Emperor Kai Xiusu—!”
(End of Chapter)
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