Unas rushed closer only to realize that the Gnoll incompetence; the giant brown Giant Spiders continuously shot tiny spikes from its entire body in all directions, making it impossible to get close without its tight armor.
He shielded his eyes, ducked, and charged at the Giant Spiders. Despite the protection of his Sacred Shield, his helmet was still being pounded by the poisonous stings with a loud thud. The Orcs Warrior named Cruz used him as a shield and followed closely behind.
The Giant Spiders sensed someone approaching and immediately turned to face the two Charge, shooting a massive, two-finger-thick venomous stinger straight from its mouth.
The Overlord Spider had used a similar tactic before, but Unas was prepared. He ducked to dodge and rolled to the Giant Spiders's side. The Orcs behind him also dodged the attack and flashed to Unas's side like a gust of wind. The two of them blocked the Giant Spiders's two forelegs from the left and right.
The Silver Hammer easily smashed open the Giant Spiders's forelegs. After this period of attribute growth and various buffs, Unas's strength completely surpassed that of the Thorn Spider. Taking advantage of its moment of stiffness, the sword in his right hand pierced into the enemy's mouth with lightning speed. Fire energy was activated, and the beast's brain was instantly burned to charcoal.
Having slain two enemies, Unas's confidence soared, and he immediately led the Orcs Cruz toward their next target.
Wherever the situation was critical, Unas and his Firekiss, burning with golden-red flames, were there. Cruz followed him silently, providing crucial support attacks. The forced mental pressure forced him to fight wholeheartedly for the Warden.
Unas personally killed the nine-headed Giant Spiders, gaining 7%-8% experience from each one. Combined with the team kill experience he received, his entire body radiated golden light, and he went from level 28 with 11% experience to level 29 with 2% experience. His previously tired body was refreshed and full of energy after being swept by the golden light.
His attributes improved further, and he learned "Blessing of Sanctuary" (blesses a friendly target, reducing all types of damage they receive by 3% and increasing their stamina by 10% for 10 minutes). This is a protection paladin's exclusive blessing. He cast it on himself and the Orcs around him and immediately felt stronger.
The battle temporarily subsided. Most of the Giant Spiders had been killed, and the remaining ones, no longer daring to charge forward to their deaths, quickly disappeared from sight.
Unas did not pursue them, as the rear guard was advancing and they could not escape. He quickly cleaned up the battlefield, reorganized the chaotic formation, and let the prisoners rest on the spot. He roughly estimated that the casualties should not exceed thirty, most of Gnolls. The initial victory kept the prisoners' morale in good shape.
Unas arrived at the rear of the group. There was no fighting here. An ice wall and the suppression of the Overlord Spiders kept the spider swarms from attacking from a distance, preventing the group from being attacked from both sides. However, this suppression could not last. The Overlord Spiders were only temporary commanders, not the masters of the spiders. When their desire to attack accumulated to a certain level, they would definitely not be able to resist attacking.
Unas gleaned some information from Rosebayne through the master-servant contract, and the situation was temporarily under control.
Those who had been observing the battle from the rear congratulated him repeatedly. Erigor praised, "Good lad, that was a brilliant victory! You've really gotten stronger."
"Don't get too excited, this is just a probing attack," Unas said, pointing to the ice wall. "And don't just stand there watching; our rear depends entirely on your defense. Don't let them break through this wall."
Korfax rubbed his fist. "It's strange, why didn't they attack us earlier? That would have been a perfect opportunity to attack from both sides. If these beasts are that stupid, they're not so scary."
"It's not that they're stupid, but that they're under my control, do you know the Overlord Spider?" Unas asked deliberately, because he noticed the fear hidden in the eyes of some human soldiers. It was the pressure from the spider swarm that was putting on them, and he needed to boost morale.
The Beautiful Spider was a secret, but the fact that the Warden had controlled two Overlord Spiders could be publicized. He loudly explained the role of the Overlord Spiders to Korfax, boosting the soldiers' confidence in victory.
His words were indeed effective, eliciting cheers and easing the tense atmosphere somewhat. At that moment, Angela stepped forward to report, "Dean Du'an just sent word that they're making good progress and have advanced three kilometers."
This is another important role of mages on the battlefield: they can use spells to communicate quickly over long distances.
"Three kilometers is pretty good, but we can definitely go faster. Tell him to tell Qiaosen to attack at full speed. We've run three kilometers more than planned, and we're quite relaxed now."
The rear guard was handed over to Qiaosen, who was good at defense but not good at offense. He was the most senior centurion and only he could command respect. Unas had to provoke the old man.
With the firepower support of fourteen mages and the reconnaissance and reporting of more than twenty Elf Rangers, the rear army's battle went surprisingly smoothly. Many Giant Spiders that had been dormant during the day were wiped out as soon as they were awakened. The spiders could not form a swarm advantage and were no match for the Argent Dawn.
Advancing three kilometers in just over an hour and eliminating more than twenty Giant Spiders with almost no casualties was a remarkable achievement in Qiaosen's eyes. However, after learning the new Warden's orders from Du'an, he almost cursed out loud.
Was that Executioner Paladin insane or radical? He actually ran to the alternative location eight kilometers away. Qiaosen instantly felt that all his careful coordination of the teams had been in vain, and there were still five kilometers of dangerous road ahead.
But he had to obey orders from his superiors, so he led his troops forward at full speed. The battle along the way had already awakened most of the spiders, and the further they went, the harder it was to catch any lone spiders. Most of the spider hiding places they had previously scouted turned out to be empty, and the spiders must be rapidly gathering ahead.
They advanced, clearing away only a few giant Giant Spiders along the way. This allowed the team to maintain a high speed, and they quickly reached the designated five-kilometer mark. The surroundings were quiet, with no signs of the enemy. Suddenly, Du'an shouted, "News has come from ahead! The spider swarm has launched another attack! The Warden has ordered us to proceed at top speed!"
The original plan was to encircle and annihilate the spider swarm within a five-kilometer radius from both sides, and the same applied to the three-kilometer radius beyond that. With a Qiaosen wave of his hand, the cavalry, led by him, charged towards the battlefield at full speed.
The earth receded rapidly beneath the horses' hooves, and shouts of battle gradually rose from ahead. Emerging from a grove of trees that had obscured their view, they saw a swarm of spiders, an army of alien prisoners, and then an ice wall. Without pausing, Qiaosen roared and launched his spear forward. The added speed of his horse propelled the spear like lightning, piercing the abdomen of a Giant Spiders. The horn of attack had been sounded!