Chapter 581

Chapter 581: Ranger Knight

*Thud, thud, thud!*

The great drum at the edge of the battlefield pounded, its reverberating sound striking deep into everyone’s hearts. The two sides’ soldiers engaged in fierce combat in the wide valley pass, about a kilometer wide. The cries of battle echoed to the sky.

Under the leadership of the heavy sword-wielding warrior, the Black Rock Army’s formation surged with high morale, pushing back the lines and forcing the troops stationed here for Clancia to retreat by more than ten meters.

Since the war erupted in the south, most of Nide County’s original garrison had been dispatched to New Vergha. Now, nearly half of the border garrison were new recruits who had joined within the past few months. Despite receiving adequate training, they lacked combat experience. Even though they initiated Extraordinary Resonance, a faint golden light shimmering on their armor, they were still at a disadvantage, though no longer as easily pierced by enemy weapons.

The commander from Clancia behind the lines furrowed his brow, watching the battlefield intently. As a veteran who had experienced numerous battles in the West Wind, he naturally understood the current unfavorable situation.

But wars were like this; one couldn’t always be on top. Even when facing adversity, the fight must continue. Even if one side was completely annihilated, the other must pay a corresponding price.

Sometimes sacrifices were inevitable, but they could not be meaningless.

After calculating the strength and stamina of both sides in his heart, he also had a clear understanding.

“If I die on the battlefield after I go up there, you will take over the command, hold out until reinforcements arrive from the rear. This is a crucial route leading to several towns behind us, we cannot abandon it lightly.”

After saying that, he handed his badge and military orders to the adjutant beside him, drew his longsword from his waist, pointed it towards the sky, and shouted loudly.

“Advance, Clancia!”

As he spurred his horse down the hill, more than ten of his personal guards charged along with him. They raised their shields to block the scattered lead bullets in the air, then slowly lowered their lances, aiming at the gap in the opposing formation, constantly accelerating.

“Sir,” the adjutant beside him stared blankly at the charging figure amidst the arrows and flames.

Hoofbeats trampled the sun-baked dry ground, stirring up sand and dirt. As the high-ranking officer approached, intense magic resonance erupted from him. Although he only possessed the strength of Sequence 6, in the newly established Clancia, he was a rare prodigy.

With the commanding officer leading the charge personally, the morale of the Clancia forces also soared. The soldiers fighting ahead burst forth with an indomitable spirit.

To have such a brave and fearless superior, what regrets or fears could one have? Their weapons swung widely and powerfully, even if it meant being injured or dying, they would give the enemy a fatal blow.

The Clancia formation surged like boiling water, violently churning. Those faces smeared with blood and dust roared ferociously, continuously resisting the attack from the Black Rock Duchy.

Clashing metal, armor collisions, blades piercing flesh, screams of those on the brink of death filled the air.

Suddenly, a heavy, narrow sword blade swept across, making a whistling sound through the battlefield as it shattered a row of spears and shields. Broken spears and shards flew everywhere, causing dense and painful blood blossoms to appear on the bodies of Clancia’s warriors.

This heavy sword warrior from Black Rock was ruthlessly wielding his weapon on the battlefield, tormenting the enemies like breaking porcelain.

Meanwhile, the commanding officer of Clancia continued to accelerate his horse’s pace, and his longsword began to emit flickering glimmers.

Like a charging chariot, he directly collided with the heavy sword warrior Taemula, his longsword carrying the force of impact straight towards the opponent, disregarding defense.

Armor shattered, longsword snapped, the intense recoil nearly dislocated his arm. But unfortunately, the opponent only suffered armor damage and did not sustain any serious injuries. The vast gap between Sequence 7 and Sequence 6, coupled with the fact that the opponent was not alone, meant that this clash still failed to turn the tide.

A thick armored left hand stretched out, grabbing the officer’s neck and lifting him up slowly. Taemula casually swung his heavy sword, cleaving several guards who came to rescue, blood spraying like fountains.

“What a fun sight. Do you know, in my eyes, you’re just like a weak little insect,” Taemula savored the moment of humiliating the enemy, as if this was the greatest pleasure of his life.

In the center of the battlefield, seeing their commanding officer lifted by the enemy, struggling with purple-faced limbs and struggling for breath, the soldiers of Clancia felt a surge of anger and sorrow in their chests.

“Hahaha—just like this. Let me enjoy your pitiful state,” Taemula laughed wildly, venting his recent frustrations. His captive commander’s struggling became weaker and weaker until finally, his limbs hung limp as if dead.

The battle in the valley seemed to be drawing to a close. Although Clancia’s forces continued to resist, the formation gradually collapsed under the mounting casualties.

In this ambush, Black Rock deployed approximately 20,000 elite troops, while Clancia had around 8,000 garrison troops. Despite the similar casualty ratio, maintaining such a record under these adverse conditions was something many generals from other countries would be proud of.

Just as everyone began to lose hope, a sharp whistle sounded behind Black Rock’s lines. A cavalry unit of three hundred emerged from the forest. They wore copper-brown armor, green capes, and shoulder insignias of Clancia’s golden star.

It was unimaginable how they managed to ride horses through the rugged and tree-covered mountain paths, but their appearance caused Black Rock’s offensive to momentarily stall.

Sure enough, led by their captain, these cavalrymen resembling rangers in the mountains began to charge down the slope. They drew their bows, firing arrows in quick succession, cutting down the loosely defended musketeers in the rear.

As the hooves thundered, these skilled riders drew their swords, swinging crescent arcs through the air. Under their blades, hot heads rolled to the ground.

Blood and dust splattered onto robes and horses as the ranger knights, each with Sequence 3 or higher, launched their surprise attack. They were part of Nide County’s patrol knight corps, the Horn of Dawn.

Leading them was a knight clad in full-coverage armor, his dark eyes visible through the visor’s slits. Holding a crimson lance, surging magic swirled around the tip like a vortex. As the lance lowered and sped up, air currents wrapped around it, leaving a long trail and exuding a chilling aura.

This leading knight charged forward like a heavy chariot, smashing through the halberdiers blocking his path and heading straight for the tall swordsman standing in the center.

Taemula threw aside the commander he was holding, gripping his heavy sword with both hands, licking his lips as he watched the knight approaching like a flaming chariot. Bloodlust and excitement gleamed in his eyes.

He pushed off with his foot, rushing forward instead of retreating, gathering all his strength to lift the heavy sword and strike down heavily, as if trying to cleave both man and horse in half.

The knight holding the lance remained calm, unleashing astonishing strength in that brief moment, the lance swirling like a dragon, crossing paths like a startled wild goose.

After a long while—

Limbs and blood fell from the sky, and the heavy sword warrior on the ground was left with only half his body.

(End of Chapter 581)