A Narrow Escape

The Kobolds did not keep Karl and his men waiting long.

Less than ten minutes after Karl gave the order to prepare for battle, a shrill, bizarre howl rang out from above the canyon!

Immediately after, a piercing whistling sound tore through the air!

More than a dozen crude bone arrows and iron-tipped arrows shot out from the shadows of the forests on both sides!

"Enemy attack! Raise shields!" Karl roared himself hoarse as he ducked his head sharply.

Thud! Thud!

The arrows fell, instantly provoking a chorus of screams.

The poorly protected guards and laborers of the transport convoy bore the brunt of it. Four or five were struck by arrows and fell on the spot, crying out in agony.

One unlucky auxiliary had his shoulder shot through and nearly passed out from the pain.

Clang!

With a sharp ring, Karl felt his helmet jolt violently. An arrow scraped past the edge of his Butterfly Helmet and bounced away, leaving his ears buzzing.

That was close!

The travel horse he had ridden earlier was struck in the rump. It let out a mournful neigh, reared up violently, broke free from the auxiliary holding its reins, and charged madly forward!

Yet the disaster had only just begun.

Almost at the same moment, a thunderous rumble came from the heights ahead in the canyon!

Several massive boulders and thick rolling logs were pushed down, crashing toward the road below with overwhelming force!

Boom! Crack!

Dust filled the air, and splintered wood flew everywhere! The road ahead was instantly blocked completely by fallen rocks and logs, forming an impassable barrier.

The panicked horse happened to charge into the impact zone. Before it could even cry out, a huge boulder smashed into its head, and its corpse collapsed limply to the ground.

Their retreat remained open, but the path ahead had been cut off!

And now, the true attack finally began.

Amid even denser, wilder howls, dozens of figures surged out from behind the relatively gentle slopes on both sides of the canyon.

They waved rusty swords, axes, Wooden Clubs, and even crude slings as they charged like a tide toward the transport convoy and Karl's small force trapped in the middle.

Karl finally got a clear look at the so-called "Kobolds."

They indeed had humanoid torsos and limbs, but their heads were grotesquely distorted. Their snouts jutted forward, covered in coarse fur; their fangs protruded; their cloudy eyes gleamed with savage ferocity. Their faces looked as though dog heads had been crudely stitched onto human bodies, carrying an unsettling, blasphemous air.

They moved swiftly and strangely. On all fours, they ran like beasts; when standing, they hunched slightly.

This is seriously draining my sanity... Karl suppressed the nausea in his stomach and cursed inwardly, but this was no time to study monsterology.

"Musketeers! The gentle slope ahead! Volley fire!" Karl raised his already loaded Matchlock Rifle first, aimed at an especially powerful Kobold leader charging at the front while swinging a Battle Axe, and pulled the trigger!

Bang!

The deafening shot echoed through the narrow canyon. Smoke billowed, and a bloody burst exploded from the Kobold leader's chest. It looked down in disbelief before staggering and collapsing to the ground.

That shot greatly lifted their morale!

The other auxiliaries carrying firearms barely managed to suppress their fear and pulled their triggers at the charging Kobolds.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Several more shots rang out. Though their aim was dreadful, the chaotic fire still brought down three or four Kobolds, temporarily checking their charge.

"Drop the guns! Form up!" Karl threw aside the scorching Matchlock Rifle, drew the longsword at his waist, and shouted himself hoarse. "Sword and shield in front! Spearmen in the center! Musketeers and archers, fire at will! Hold them back!"

Their brief training proved useful at last.

Under the shouts of Karl, Roland, and several relatively calm Veteran Soldiers, the terrified auxiliaries and surviving convoy guards instinctively began closing in toward the center, attempting to form the formation they had drilled countless times.

The convoy guards tremblingly raised shields and curved swords, trying to build a defensive line. Karl's auxiliaries served as Spearmen, extending their spears through gaps in the shields to create a sparse but intimidating thicket of spearpoints.

The Musketeers and the few guards with bows hid behind them, frantically reloading or firing.

The Kobolds had already reached them!

The battle instantly entered its fiercest stage!

The Kobolds attacked without any order, but they were exceedingly ferocious and fearless of death.

Using their numerical advantage, they lunged in from every direction, tearing with claws, biting with teeth, and hacking wildly with crude weapons.

A convoy guard screamed as his shield was split open by a rusty axe. Another Kobold immediately pounced on him and bit into his neck, spraying blood everywhere!

A gap instantly opened in the defensive line!

"Fill it! Roland! Left side!" Karl swung his sword aside to deflect a hacking blade, then thrust backward and pierced a Kobold trying to leap at an auxiliary from the side. Warm blood splashed across his face.

Roland roared, his knight's sword gleaming with a faint light of Battle Qi. He was only a First-tier Knight, and his Battle Qi was weak, but one sweeping strike forced back two Kobolds and temporarily stabilized the left flank.

But the situation remained dire. There were far more than fifty Kobolds—perhaps sixty or seventy!

They slammed madly against the teetering defensive line. The auxiliaries had trained for far too little time, and casualties quickly began mounting in the bloody melee. Screams rang out without end.

The formation was being compressed smaller and smaller, nearly swallowed whole.

Karl's arm had gone numb with exhaustion. Several new scratches marked his Chain Mail, and his Butterfly Helmet had been battered full of dents.

Anxiety burned in his heart. Damn it, did I screw this up? Why hasn't the main force arrived yet? We can't hold on much longer!

Just as the defensive line was about to collapse.

Heavy, orderly, dense footsteps suddenly sounded from the rear of the canyon! They were accompanied by the clatter of metal armor plates and a thunderous roar:

"For Fran City! Kill!"

"For Lord Karl!"

Brendan and Richter led a full fifty-four well-rested, well-equipped soldiers charging fiercely down the canyon passage like a torrent of steel!

Their timing could not have been better. Every Kobold's attention was focused on besieging the transport convoy, leaving their flanks and rear completely exposed!

The Veteran Soldiers thrust their spears out in unison, instantly turning the rearmost Kobolds into sieves! Swords flashed as they harvested the caught-off-guard monsters like chopping vegetables!

Karl's spirits soared. With all his strength, he howled, "The Reinforcements are here! Counterattack! Kill every last one of these bastards!"

The defenders, who had been on the brink of collapse, immediately erupted with their last reserves of courage. They pushed forward with all their might, attacking in coordination with the Reinforcements!

The Kobolds fell into utter chaos and panic. Their simple minds could not understand why so many enemies had suddenly appeared behind them.

Their offensive collapsed at once, and they began shrieking as they tried to scatter and flee.

But the canyon terrain now became their grave. They were blocked in front and behind, with steep slopes on both sides. There was nowhere to escape!

The battle quickly turned into a one-sided slaughter.