Chapter 282 - 50: The Chaotic Legion
Chapter 282: Chapter 50: The Chaotic Legion
As the Centaur legion advanced, the distance between them and the humans steadily closed. Finally, a sharp-eyed warrior spotted the human ambush ahead.
"I know!" Dosa’s face was grim, but he didn’t seem concerned.
’Even if there are over a thousand enemy troops, I, Dosa, am no pushover!’
"It’s just as I always say: one human, one lamb!
For the Empire! For the Chieftain!" Dosa roared, raising his battle-ax high with both hands and quickening his pace.
"For the Chieftain! For the Empire!" The other Centaur Warriors all raised their twin axes and charged furiously toward the enemy.
Whether it was Dosa’s words that had truly stirred the Centaurs’ emotions or not, a faint red mist began to envelop the entire Centaur legion.
’A war-cry!’ Dosa’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the scene unfold.
In the Beastman Empire, aside from the lowliest goblins and Kobolds, most creatures that managed to get by had some sort of strange skill—some even had more than one.
Legend had it that these skills were gifts from the gods in ancient times.
The war-cry was one such unique battlefield skill possessed by the Centaur clans. Its incessant roar could strike fear into the hearts of men, producing an effect similar to that of the Beastmen’s Kodo Beasts.
However, this war-cry was clearly an incomplete version. To put it another way, Dosa had not received the proper training to use a true war-cry.
But just being able to produce a similar effect was enough to fill Dosa with unexpected joy. This was, after all, a skill that only the Centaur nobility could master.
"For the Empire! Charge!"
This put Chieftain Dosa even more at ease. In his eyes, humans were nothing to be feared. As a member of Castro’s Personal Guard, he had personally fought in the two decisive battles of the war beyond the borderlands. Faced with a veritable sea of Centaurs, even the vaunted human Knights were but a passing mist, to say nothing of these common Soldiers.
As Chieftain Dosa charged furiously across the battlefield, Robson stood on the other side, his eyes narrowed as he watched the field and calculated the enemy’s speed of approach.
"Sir, the enemy is less than eight hundred paces from us," Ais said, looking at Robson.
Robson glanced at Ais in surprise, not having expected him to learn so quickly. He was already capable of calmly analyzing the distance to the enemy on the battlefield.
These were the telltale signs of a commander ready to lead an army on their own. It was precisely because Bo Yang had reached this level that Robson had dared to send him out for independent experience.
"To be precise, it’s just over six hundred paces," Robson nodded. As an Extraordinary, his perception was naturally more refined.
"When do we attack?" Ais asked Robson, confused. The range of Robson’s Bow and Crossbowmen was about eight hundred paces—thanks to, of course, the Magic Crossbows from Marquis Oscillate.
"No rush," Robson said, shaking his head. "At this range, the enemy would still have time to react..."
Hearing this, Ais fell silent and simply waited quietly for Robson’s command.
Robson focused his gaze on the battlefield, carefully mulling over the timing.
In truth, they could have opened fire at six hundred paces, but the Centaurs at the rear of the formation would have been missed. So, Robson ultimately chose a more cautious approach.
Five hundred paces, four hundred paces...
"Alright, fire," Robson commanded. The enemy was now at roughly four hundred paces. By the time his men were done loading, the Centaurs would be at about three hundred and fifty. At that range, escape would be nearly impossible.
"Bow and Crossbowmen! Fire! Fire!" Ais shouted, turning to the troops behind him after hearing the command.
Robson had miscalculated slightly. By the time all the crossbows were ready, the enemy had advanced only a dozen more paces. It was an insignificant error, however.
The instant Ais gave the order, a dense swarm of arrows erupted from the woods. They rose into the sky in unison, forming what looked like a shifting black cloud.
"What!" Dosa was utterly horrified as he watched the scene before him.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t anticipated an archery defense—that was basic common sense, and Dosa knew it well. He even had Archers in his own contingent.
What Dosa hadn’t expected was that the enemy could fire their arrows from such a distance.
Moreover, each arrow faintly glowed with a blue light. This glow wouldn’t have been noticeable on its own, but the sheer number of arrows was overwhelming.
A black cloud, shimmering with a fluorescent blue light, rose from the edge of the woods and flew straight toward Dosa’s position.
What terrified Dosa the most was that this black cloud seemed to be perpetually regenerating.
The first volley of arrows from the forest had yet to land when another wave was launched from the woods ahead.
"Shields up! Shields up!" Dosa roared in terror. Realizing he had led his men into a catastrophe, he immediately whipped his head around and bellowed at the Soldiers behind him.
Then, Dosa ignited his own fighting aura.
"Chieftain, we left in a hurry! You never said to bring shields!"
"That’s right! We don’t have shields! What are we going to do?!"
Dosa had given the command easily enough, but the Soldiers behind him were filled with resentment and fear.
Hearing his Soldiers’ cries, Dosa’s mind jolted. It was only then that he remembered: Centaurs, by default, didn’t carry shields into battle.
They usually weren’t necessary, and more importantly, they severely hindered a Centaur’s ability to use a battle-ax, thus reducing their damage output.
’This is a disaster!’
"It’s an ambush! Retreat! Retreat!"