Chapter 300 - 62: Crushing Battle
Chapter 300: Chapter 62: Crushing Battle
"Hurry! Formations! Faster! Formations!"
Just as the Gnolls were routed, Augus was commanding his army of over a thousand Beastmen to form ranks, using the sparse woods for cover.
If the Gnoll unit successfully misled the humans, it wouldn’t be too late for them to press forward.
If the Gnoll unit failed to mislead the humans, then forming ranks to mount a defense and wait for reinforcements was the best option.
The land below Wayne Mountain was mostly open fields, and the human cavalry also had superior numbers.
Under these circumstances, breaking formation to flee would only lead to a complete rout of the army.
"Augus, we can’t move any faster without torches! It’s the middle of the night; the warriors are completely blind," Gustav shouted to Augus while directing his troops.
To avoid attracting the humans’ attention, the Beastmen had not carried torches or any other sources of light while marching.
After all, while the Beastmen’s night vision could not be called exceptional, it was still possible for them to march at night with the aid of tools like ropes.
Gustav’s troops, in particular, could be considered semi-elite.
But while marching was one thing, forming ranks—an action requiring a high degree of coordination—was much more difficult.
Augus’s expression darkened as he looked at the chaotic Beastman Infantry Corps around him.
Augus knew this, of course, but he had no choice. If they lit torches, their entire army would be exposed.
Just as Augus was about to order the army to continue getting into formation, his expression suddenly changed.
"Damn it, the humans are charging!" Augus exclaimed in shock.
"How long has it been? Did those Gnolls just turn and run?"
SCREECH!
That irritating cry rang out again from the distance. Augus looked toward the sky to see the bird flying rapidly toward him.
The magical beast’s target was clearly Augus himself.
"That thing! It can see us! It’s guiding the human cavalry!" Augus cried out.
Night vision wasn’t particularly rare among magical beasts.
But they were at least a mile or two apart, weren’t they?
Being able to spot them from such a distance in the pitch-black night was terrifying.
"The human cavalry must be on their way!"
"Damn it, those Gnolls dared to screw us over..." Gustav cursed. He was already convinced the Gnolls had deliberately fled.
After all, even the most incompetent troops should have been able to hold the line for a short while, right?
The speed of the humans made Gustav feel as though they had charged straight down the mountain without meeting any resistance at all.
’Those Gnolls must have run away without even putting up a fight.’
"They’re charging?! Forget it! Have the soldiers light torches and get behind the trees!" Augus had no time to worry about stealth now.
"Everyone, light your torches! Backs to the trees!"
"Hurry! Faster, move it!"
Gustav immediately rushed down to command the soldiers.
The vibrations from the ground grew stronger, and Gustav began to feel the same dread the Jackal Wolfman Chief must have felt.
Most of the able-bodied men from his tribe were gathered here.
The vanguard of Prince Odoruo’s army wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Even then, it would be an achievement if they weren’t immediately routed by the human charge...
Once they were allowed to light torches, the Beastman Army’s efficiency improved dramatically. Their discipline and true numbers began to show.
If they could keep this up, the human cavalry wouldn’t pose too great a threat in the coming battle. He would have a much better chance of holding out until Prince Odoruo’s army arrived.
If they managed to drive back the enemy cavalry, they might even be able to proceed with the Prince’s plan.
Just as things were starting to fall into place, another cry echoed from the sky. The strange white bird was now flying directly above the Beastman Army.
The bizarre bird circled once, shrieked, and then dove, spitting a torrent of white fire from its beak directly at Gustav and Augus.
"Damned beast! You’re courting death!"
Augus roared as a blood-red energy erupted from his body, and the aura of Magic surged from his hands.
Augus was a fifth-tier Warlock!
"Damn you, beast!"
With another furious roar, Augus unleashed a bolt of lightning as thick as a small tree, which collided with the white flames erupting from Huang Na.
However, thanks to her contract with Robson, Huang Na had already reached her adolescent stage. In terms of power, she might not be able to defeat a true Gold-tier human...
...but she was far beyond what a mere fifth-tier Warlock like Augus could challenge!
The instant the lightning beam struck the fire, the white flames completely overwhelmed it and continued straight for Augus.
"Watch out!"
Just as the flames were about to engulf Augus, Gustav leaped forward. The fighting spirit of a Silver Sixth Tier Warrior surged from his core, forming a powerful Fighting Spirit Shield in front of them that barely managed to block the attack.
"I’m on fire! Someone help me!"
"What is this fire? It won’t go out!"
"Agh... It’s so hot... *huff, huff*..."
The clash between the Thunder Magic and the silver-white flames scattered sparks everywhere. As the core of the army, Augus and Gustav were surrounded by elite guards.
Two of the Personal Guards were instantly hit.
"Get back! Don’t touch the fire!"
Seeing the other Personal Guards rush to help their comrades, Augus unleashed a beam of dark elemental energy to push them back. The dark energy seemed to resist the flames on the burning guards, but it couldn’t extinguish them.