Perhaps this camp had already been attacked by the Barbarian army before, so they had gained some experience in dealing with them. When they saw the Barbarian ships gradually approaching the riverbank, the camp immediately unleashed a large number of arrows at the vessels on the water.
These volleys of arrows were swift and dense, directly blanketing the ships at the front of the Barbarian fleet.
However, the Barbarian river-crossing force was in much better condition than before. The sheepskin rafts had all been placed at the rear, while the front consisted mostly of wooden boats. The camp's craftsmen had installed protective boards on their bows. Several-centimeter-thick fir planks, hard and dense in texture, were enough to stop arrows from penetrating at this distance.
Moreover, many Barbarian soldiers carried cowhide shields. Although they could not block every arrow, with these two layers of protection, the arrow rain did not put nearly as much pressure on them as expected.
Thus, although the Barbarian fleet suffered some casualties, it did not affect their normal crossing and landing.
Seeing this, the defenders inside the camp knew the Barbarians had come prepared. Considering their own disadvantage in numbers, the commander of the camp's defenders did not order his troops to leave the walls and attack the Barbarian forces landing ashore.
All the troops stood ready behind the camp walls, while the ranged units continuously fired arrows at the Barbarian army, trying to wear down the Barbarian soldiers.
During the landing process, these arrows posed a greater threat. Barbarian soldiers had to leave the protection of the bow boards when disembarking, and shields alone could not defend well against arrows. Casualties among the Barbarian army began to rise.
Heshima noticed this as well. Instead of ordering his troops to form up on the spot, he