Chapter 79: The Great Battle of the Iron Furnace

Chapter 79: The Great Battle of the Iron Furnace

But even so, the threat posed by the Dwarf Legion was still the greatest.

The nations of Machia and Georgia acted as the center, drawing the Dwarves’ firepower and holding their own against the Dwarven onslaught.

They aimed to flank from the sides; as long as the center could withstand the Dwarven attack, the Dwarves were almost certainly doomed in the overall battle.

Surrounded Dwarves would find it difficult to maintain both their front and rear.

Not to mention, Humanity’s ultimate goal was to encircle the Dwarves from all sides.

Speaking of tactics, the Dwarves suffered greatly from having their firearms rendered useless and being outnumbered by humans.

The Dwarves, lined up in a single row, could only concentrate their forces to attack the Human Soldiers at the center.

If they chose to assault the weaker left or right wings of humanity, it would inevitably leave one side unable to join the battlefield in time.

That would get them thinned out by the advancing Human center and subsequently divided and encircled.

This would make the Dwarves’ situation even worse.

Even if the Dwarves managed to take down one of the Human wings, one of their own would surely fall.

Note, one might be able to, while one would definitely fall!

The two possibilities were not comparable at all.

Thus, facing the humane advance, the Dwarves had no choice but to concentrate their forces to charge.

If they could break through the Human center, then the encirclement from the left and right would naturally disappear.

Although at that point, the Dwarves’ situation wouldn’t be much better, it would still be worth a desperate attempt.

This demonstrated just how great the pressure on Arthur was.

As time went on, the Dwarf troops on the left and right wings felt the center joining the fray.

The ordinary soldiers were not much of a concern, but the crucial factor was those high-level warriors and elite fighters.

Their participation made the center’s lines precariously unstable.

Even Sal’s elite troops from Machia showed signs of collapsing.

After observing the whole battlefield situation, Arthur’s gaze shifted towards Cain.

Even though Dwarves were sending reinforcements, the Humans, aided by Cain, had successfully taken down dozens of Dwarf warriors, along with several reinforcements that tried to rush in.

In this initial skirmish, the Dwarves suffered a complete loss, both in men and morale.

The victorious spoils hadn’t been around for long before they were snatched back by Humanity, while also adding more casualties.

In comparison, Human losses were practically negligible.

Next, Cain led nearby soldiers to launch a counterattack against the Dwarf warriors.

However, the Dwarves had summoned a fresh support, with one Dwarf warrior stepping up to block Cain.

Unlike those average Dwarf warriors, this one wielded an axe that was quite large even by Dwarven standards.

Though small in stature, his robust physique clearly marked him as a powerhouse.

Coupled with excellent armor, this guy was just perfect for slaughtering on the battlefield.

Yet, Cain specialized in speed, making it difficult for him to display his prowess amid the chaotic fray.

The battlefield was just too messy; at any moment, a blocking foe could appear right ahead of him.

Even if he managed to dodge in the nick of time, the opposing Dwarf warrior would seize the opportunity and exploit his weakness.

What happens when a speed-type warrior gets caught off-guard by a strength-type warrior? You can guess the outcome!

Though he wouldn’t be completely taken out in one hit, his combat ability would be significantly impacted, putting him in a more disadvantaged position in subsequent battles.

Arthur watched this scene unfold but found himself unable to assist Cain in overcoming his current predicament.

The hero-tier warriors available in the army had dwindled down to just him, and he couldn’t join the battle just yet.

Every other hero-tier warrior, like Cain, was preoccupied with their own opponents.

It was helpless; after the Dwarves concentrated their forces on the wings, Humanity’s center couldn’t launch an offensive and could only endure the Dwarves’ attacks.

Understanding this, Arthur felt no panic at all; he organized the soldiers below to focus on defense rather than attack.

The instructed Human soldiers became much more conservative, no longer recklessly throwing themselves at the enemy but instead showing much smarter tactics.

After making arrangements, he smiled at the Dwarves desperately attacking the Human center.

Everything was going just as predicted.

The center’s initial assault was to draw the Dwarves to concentrate their fire on the Human middle.

Then the troops from the Human left and right flanks could better encircle the Dwarves.

With this thought, Arthur gazed towards the far back of the Dwarf formation.

There, Dwarf King Soron and his companions had yet to join the battle.

Observing the changes in the situation, the Dwarf King felt surprisingly composed.

Even though the Humans’ left and right wings were rapidly closing in, preparing to surround the Dwarves alongside the center, he had confidence in his Dwarf warriors.

They absolutely had the ability to break through the Human center.

While Humanity’s center had greater numbers, it wasn’t impregnable against the concentrated might of the Dwarves.

Once the Human center fell, the current state of affairs would crumble too.

You could say this was a gamble, a high-stakes bet.

It was all about whether the Human center could withstand the Dwarven assault before being enveloped by the flanks.

The battle raged on, with countless soldiers from both sides already laid to rest on this land.

However, the fallen soldiers varied slightly in how they fell.

The Dwarven soldiers were thoroughly dead.

Their helmets stripped away, their vital necks pierced by sharp weapons.

Such attacks rendered them hopeless for survival.

This was also how Human soldiers effectively slaughtered Dwarven warriors.

If possible, they would even try to stab a few more times, fearing the Dwarves might not die outright.

In contrast, Dwarves couldn’t be so meticulous about killing Humans.

The number of Dwarf soldiers was less than that of the Humans.

After taking down a Human soldier, they rarely had a chance to strike again.

During those opportunities, they would face interruptions.

Those Human soldiers would absolutely risk it all to charge in and seize a share of the glory.

In such circumstances, many soldiers lay down simply incapacitated for the time being, not dead yet.

Of course, some might be pretending.

As for those faking death, no one had the time to bother with them.

The fighting continued for a while longer, and with the support from the left and right wings, the Dwarves started pushing back the Human center.

However, under Arthur’s command, especially the soldiers from Machia maintained their ground; even if their morale crumbled temporarily, they would quickly be organized and reinvested into the fray.

Thus, the Dwarven advance could hardly be framed as victory.

They had to pay a bloody price without making a single step forward.

Gradually, those in higher ranks among the Dwarves started to grow a bit anxious.

After all, humanity had not only the center but also the left and right flanks.