The Second Ore War Begins

At that moment, in the Mithril Ore camp, Velin immediately began deploying his troops after receiving the news, preparing for battle.

According to the plan, Brian led his forces out of the camp and circled around to a position three kilometers off the flank, where he waited for the signal.

The sun hung high in the sky as the approaching enemy army entered their field of vision and slowly advanced toward them.

Mounted on horseback, Velin looked at the Three-Bow Ballistae hidden behind the soldiers and felt fully confident about this battle.

Riding a tall warhorse, Violet observed the formation across from him as he advanced.

As an earth mage, Cesley used his specialty to cast a scouting spell, probing the wilderness ahead to prevent the other side from setting an ambush and repeating the trap Brandon had encountered.

"Cesley, how is it? Are there any traps?" Violet turned his head and shouted. His rough voice made Cesley feel as though his ears were protesting.

"No traps. The path ahead is clear." Cesley opened his eyes and answered.

"Hahaha, good. One charge, and I'll wipe out this force of a few hundred men." Having received a definite answer, Violet began directing his troops, ordering the knights and knight squires to assemble at the front and prepare to swallow the enemy in a single charge.

Barry, standing nearby, turned to look at Brandon, who was still two kilometers behind them. "Brandon is still in the rear. Should we wait a little longer?"

"Heh, that coward has probably been scared out of his wits by that brat."

Violet dismissed the suggestion.

Seeing this, Cesley also nodded, a rare occurrence.

At that point, Barry said nothing more. The enemy had only a little over three hundred men. The battle's outcome was already beyond doubt; Brandon's presence would not change anything.

On the other side, Velin watched the enemy cavalry gather. They had clearly abandoned conventional tactics and intended to launch a direct cavalry charge to crush his troops.

"Any who flee the battlefield will be executed without mercy!"

Velin rode along the front of the formation, roaring at the terrified Slave Soldiers.

Feeling the sharp blades behind them, the Slave Soldiers at the very front steadied their trembling legs, swallowed hard, and prayed to the gods that they would survive.

In an instant, the earth began to tremble as the enemy started their charge.

"Open the formation!"

Hearing the order, the Slave Soldiers in the front ranks split apart according to their training, revealing twenty hidden Three-Bow Ballistae.

"Prepare!"

The two soldiers stationed at each Three-Bow Ballista worked the crankshaft, winding the rear wheel to draw the bowstring.

Once the strings had been pulled taut, the soldiers behind them took out Spears and placed them atop the Three-Bow Ballistae.

Velin raised his right hand and calculated the distance. When the enemy closed to eight hundred meters, he lowered it and shouted, "Fire!"

The soldiers holding iron hammers struck the triggers upon hearing the command.

With a sharp whoosh, the Spears forged with Mithril shot forth.

"Pfft—"

A Mid-Bronze Tier Knight charging at the very front felt pain pierce his body. He slowly lowered his head and saw a hole the size of a bowl in his chest before falling from his horse.

The twenty Mithril-infused Spears pierced through the iron and leather armor of knights and knight squires as easily as if it were paper.

Violet watched more than thirty men running ahead of him fall, then roared furiously, "Ah! I'll kill you!"

They were all his subordinates. A full third of them had vanished just like that, wiping out ten years of accumulated strength.

Soon, the second volley arrived as scheduled.

Dozens more men fell from their horses, their fates unknown.

"Charge! Charge them and tear them apart!"

Violet's eyes were bloodshot as he gripped his lance tightly. In his eyes, there was only Velin, that wretch.

After the third volley ended, the enemy was less than four hundred meters from the front line. The soldiers lifted the Three-Bow Ballistae and quickly retreated.

"Close the formation!"

From the rear of the formation, Velin coldly issued the order for the two hundred Slave Soldiers to close ranks and prepare to receive the first impact.

These were the two hundred expendables he had selected a week ago, all for this very moment.

Thanks to their hellish training and the pressure of the knights behind them, the two hundred Slave Soldiers formed four ranks once more, raising four-meter Spears to meet the knights' charge.

Violet, whose reason had long been consumed by rage, drew upon the Battle Qi within his body and repeatedly gave the order, "Charge them and tear them apart!"

In an instant, more than a dozen Slave Soldiers in the foremost row were smashed directly into chunks of flesh, while dozens behind them were hurled into the air by the impact.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Having plunged into the crowd, Violet discarded his lance and swung his Knight Longsword, cutting down Slave Soldiers as he steadily approached the hill where Velin stood.

"Send the signal."

"Yes, my lord."

Belder took out a magic signal flare and fired it into the sky.

Three kilometers away, the fully prepared Brian saw the red magical glow and shouted, "Charge with me!"

Fifty Bronze Knights and two hundred knight squires spurred their horses onward, following behind their liege lord.

Beside them, the Magic Knight Adrian commanded six hundred elite warriors to follow behind the force and handle the cleanup.

At the same time, Brandon, far behind the battlefield, saw the signal and felt alarm bells ring in his heart. He loudly ordered, "Everyone, stop advancing and retreat immediately!"

The knights within the formation were deeply puzzled, but they chose to obey their liege lord's command.

The five-hundred-man force turned its rear into its front and retraced its path.

At the same time, Velin began fighting the crazed Violet, and the two were locked in a fierce battle.

As a large force of peasant soldiers arrived on the battlefield, the situation began tilting toward the enemy. Velin's knights and soldiers struggled bitterly to hold on as they waited for reinforcements.

At the edge of the battlefield, Barry recalled the signal flare from earlier. Coupled with Brandon's sudden withdrawal, he felt that something was terribly wrong.

"Barry, there are people to the south." Cesley, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide. Fear appeared on his face as he spoke to his companion.

"What?"

Barry turned to look and saw Brian appear on the horizon against the setting sun, charging toward their position.

"Not good, it's an ambush!"

He hurriedly mobilized the infantry and formed a human wall to block the cavalry charge.

Cesley did not remain idle either. He raised his staff and gathered his magic power, forming a low wall one hundred meters long and one and a half meters high before the infantry.

That single spell drained Cesley's magic power dry, causing him to collapse onto the ground.

The two Mage Apprentices beside him stepped forward, supported their teacher, and took out a precious mana recovery potion for him to drink.

Barry could not spare attention for them for the moment. He had only three hundred warriors at his side, and merely twenty of them had reached Bronze Rank. Stopping the enemy's attack would be extremely difficult.

"Hold them back! Defend the honor of the Barks Family to the death!"

Upon hearing their liege lord's words, the hundred soldiers holding great shields stared resolutely at the charging knights, drawing upon every last bit of Battle Qi in their bodies as they prepared for a desperate fight.