A New World, an immersive game experience

In another part of the kingdom, fighting was intensely ongoing. The orcs launched attacks day and night. Yet, the outer walls stood strong thanks to the brave fighting of the soldiers, and the twenty-five cannons that stood with them.

These cannons were not affixed in one location but instead carried to where they could make the biggest difference. Their movement and security were normally ensured by the players responsible for the cannons, but this was not always possible.

However, the problem of ammunition remained the most pressing. The city had used a great portion of its resources, sadly, it was not enough. Their stockpile was near empty, the cannons were nearing uselessness.

At this time the only possible method of entering and exiting the city at this time was teleportation. And they could not use recklessly, each teleportation required a number of mana crystals. All of which will be expended. Thus, they had to carefully calculate when and how to use it.

And so they did, with the rest of the kingdom focused on making more cannons and ammunition, it was sent over through filled dimensional storages or players who acted as carriers. The kingdom preferred the second since after a first trip they could use the temples, negating the mana crystal cost.

While there was a one-day cooldown and thus players would take two days to complete a trip. There was almost a hundred players in the kingdom. While they were not all online at the same time, this was actually ideal. There was always someone able to help where they could. Every day there were some leaving and some arriving.

Truly, the players weren't sure if they should laugh or cry. Having come to Vlisia hoping to help in the great siege, only to end up as donkeys carrying resources to and fro.

Luckily, each trip counted as a quest so they were getting good rewards for doing so. It just wasn't any fun.

"My king." A centaur messenger rushed over, bowing to the king and his entourage. The centaur dared not think that these people would be better served on the walls, helping the fight. Certainly, he wouldn't dare.

This group was on the southern first inner gatehouse. The true city wall standing twice as tall as the outer wall. Like with Kynigo the outer wall was there to protect the city's personal farms from wandering monsters. Its true intention was never to stop a siege.

However, the centaurs could use the land between to continually fall back and retake the walls when the cannons arrived along with a mighty charge. Sending the orcs flying back.

After all, these walls were designed to only be hard to take from the front, having no battlements at the back. Mostly designed to make it too hard for monsters to bother to climb, machicolations allowing easy aim at any trying to scale the five-meter tall wall.

It was precisely this short height that made it non-ideal to be used to fight a siege. The stronger orcs were capable of clearing it with a simple jump. Yet, this also allowed the soldiers to have quickly constructed ramps on the inside. Allowing the centaurs to simply rush onto the walls with ease to where help was needed.

A mighty charge sending the orcs back down to their deaths. If the orcs tried to block the ramp they would simply be blasted by the cannons, which were not using standard ammo. But rather shooting hundred of smaller iron balls. Devastating to closed ranks, a charge devastating to a loose formation.

Behind the king and his entourage was another wall, the second inner standing twelve meters tall. This wall separated the lower and upper classes. However, at this time all the citizens were behind these walls, praying that the city did not fall.

Further back, in the center of the city stood a proud castle towering over all. Once a fort, later modeled into a massive castle. It had two personal magic towers and was the last fallback. However, if it came to it then the city was more or less lost.

"What happened?" Farest, the king of Taurus asked the messenger. Having made an appearance understanding well that if one of the corners of the kingdom fell then disaster would ensue. This would be their last true stand. Previous losses were acceptable, this one they could not accept to lose.

While the capital and duke cities would be safe if it fell, such a small heaven would mean nothing. Drawing back to there was equal to admitting defeat. Turtling and accepting a slow death as the orcs would have them completely surrounded.

Sure, the other three corners would still stand along with the other cities. But it would become increasingly difficult to move help to them if the orcs had Vlisia.

"A force of chieftains had broken through the east gate." The messenger answered. "Lord Sodren has managed to push back the orcs along with the two dukes and the Marquess. They are in the process of retaking the gate, however..."

Unlike the walls, the gates were not meant to be lost and retaken. Each had two permanent cannons installed to ensure that the gates would remain closed.

"Out with it." The king declared, causing the messenger to nod and quickly continue.

"The orcs have managed to take the two cannons."

Crash!

The king slammed the table, causing the pieces depicting the fight to fly into the air. Naturally, each loss of a cannon was a serious blow to their defensive capabilities. This was not the first loss of the cannons, but it was the first time the orcs had managed to take a cannon undamaged.

Their total cannon losses neared ten now, and only five more had been received from the rest of the kingdom. While this was still acceptable, it was placing more and more pressure on the mage force. Who was already running on fumes.

What made this news absolutely horrid was naturally not just the simple loss of two cannons. Having two undamaged cannons meant the orcs would be able to analyze and deconstruct one. Even if they failed to rebuild it after, they could learn almost everything there was to learn about the cannons.

This was likely the true aim of this forced attack. Hearing the orcs' casualties did not improve the king's mood much.

Even if they could not reconstruct the cannons, they could still use the other on the walls. However, luckily, they would be in a similar situation to the city. Lacking ammo. And this was certainly a bright silver lining as while the walls were sturdy, the combined magic and physical prowess of the cannons might just be capable of toppling it.

Of course, if the strongest their army moved the same results would follow. But for now, they were still testing the waters of the other. Acting with care.

Regardless, it was certainly worth trading six weaker chieftains for two cannons. Especially since those six were not part of the Eight Claws. Their loss was not that significant, though it was a great loss regardless.

The Eight Claws was the name given to the secondary leaders of this orc army. Five Tier 8 chieftains and three Tier 9's. If they moved with the intent to fight till death then the king would be forced to reveal his hand.

He hoped that this could be avoided until the warlords themselves moved. For they were his true targets in this siege. He had laid multiple traps and was waiting for them to take the bait.

"I'm afraid at this pace we will only be able to maintain the status quo for a few more days before we will be forced to retreat to the safety of the magic towers." A kitsune of amber color said, looking towards the distance where fierce fighting was taking place. Sighing at all the lives that would be lost today, again.

Yet, it was not in vain. Thanks to the constant updates from Eldrian, they knew the orcs' moves. While they could not win here at the moment and will be forced to concede the outer walls soon, the story was different in the rest of the kingdom.

Eldrian, even while on a mission, was keeping the kingdom updated on the events. He would send Erik an updated situation of Kynigo as well as a summary of the rest of the kingdom. Elizabeth would instead be sent the situation surrounding Vlisia in detail.

This knowledge helped the centaurs use their inherent better mobility as a cavalry race. They were hunting. And as long as the city could hold out, soon the orcs would run out of supplies. After all, thanks to Eldrian the orcs were unable to hide where their supply lines were. And with their main force focused on the city, it could not be protected.

As a result, both sides were under heavy pressure.  It was simply a test of who would be the first to cave.

AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Web, voting for the story, or sharing comments. It is all greatly appreciated.