Roderick's First Battle
The smoke had not completely dissipated, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and the strong stench of blood.
Just as the second volley of arrows from the Sauron landed, a few suppressed groans and curses came from within the Broomflower Formation, but they did not cause much chaos.
"Musketeers! Reload and retreat! Pikemen! Move forward and block the way!" Old Brendan's steady, mountain-like roar rang out again, piercing through the clamor of the battlefield.
The pikemen, who had been waiting in full battle array, immediately moved at the order.
The young soldier Roderick, standing in the ranks, took a deep breath and gripped the spear in his hand, which was much taller than him.
He watched as Otto and other officers led the Musketeers in a rapid and orderly retreat through the pre-prepared passages to both sides. The silent muzzles of their guns temporarily extinguished their flames. He knew that next, it would be their turn to face the Sauron's frenzied onslaught!
"Quick! Push up! Seal the breach!" The Sergeant Major's roar exploded in my ears.
Roderick and his comrades immediately roared and surged forward, using their shoulders to brace against the backs of their companions in front of them, thrusting and raising the dense array of spears they held through the gap in the breastwork!
In an instant, the passage originally intended for musket fire was transformed into a gleaming, awe-inspiring forest of steel guns!
The archers on the wall fired several more volleys of arrows, the sharp arrowheads whistling through the air, successfully piercing the simple Wooden Shield and thin leather armor of many of the Sauron light infantry.
The soldiers who were hit by arrows let out painful screams and collapsed to the ground one after another.
However, the following Sauron infantrymen, expressionless and without hesitation, stepped over the corpses of their comrades and the still-groaning wounded, getting closer and closer to the breastwork.
Under the officer's orders, they also quickly retreated, leaving the front line entirely to the pike formation.
"For Sauron! Smash them!" The Sauron Army roared like a beast's howl.
The Sauron light infantry at the very front had roared and charged to the breastwork and trench!
They ignored the corpses of their comrades at their feet and the cries of the wounded, their eyes filled only with bloodlust and a thirst for breaking through the lines!
The battle instantly escalated into its most brutal and bloody phase of hand-to-hand combat!
"Kill--!"
The massive Battle Axe slammed down on the wooden stakes of the breastwork, sending splinters of wood flying!
The heavy chain hammer slammed down on the densely packed gun barrels, producing a terrifying cracking sound!
Sauron soldier tried to deflect the spears with their weapons or force their way into the gap using their shields!
"Hold on! Pierce!" the officers and soldiers of the Broomflower shouted hoarsely.
Roderick felt his heart pounding in his throat, his adrenaline surging through his body.
He gripped his spear tightly, and through the gaps in the hail of bullets, he could clearly see the faces of the Sauron soldier opposite him, faces twisted with madness and carnage. He could even smell the strong stench of sweat and blood emanating from them!
"Thud!" Not far from him, a comrade let out a short scream as a Sauron spear, which had been treacherously thrust out from under the shield, pierced his leather armor precisely and pinned him to the ground!
Roderick was terrified, but his survival instinct and the pressure from his companions behind him prevented him from retreating!
Almost instinctively, he let out a roar that even he found unfamiliar, and forcefully thrust his spear towards a Sauron soldier was trying to chop down the shaft with his sword!
"Ugh!" The tip of the spear seemed to break through some kind of obstacle, followed by a dull thud as it pierced flesh.
The Sauron soldier froze, staring incredulously at the spearhead protruding from his chest. Blood quickly stained his leather armor. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Roderick abruptly pulled back his spear, spraying out a shower of warm blood.
This was the first time he had killed an enemy with his own hands on the battlefield. Instead of the excitement or fear he had imagined, his mind went blank, leaving only the mechanical repetition of actions.
Thrust out, retract, then thrust out again!
At every gap in the breastwork, the same fierce and crowded fighting unfolded.
Although the Sauron had an overall numerical advantage, the Broomflower ' pikemen, relying on the cover of fortifications and their dense formations, managed to gain a numerical advantage in certain areas.
Long spears kept thrusting out from the gap, knocking down the Sauron soldier who tried to approach.
Although the Sauron were individually brave and outnumbered, they could not make use of their numerical advantage on the narrow front. Instead, they had to constantly face deadly spearheads thrusting out from behind their fortifications from different directions.
Screams, the clanging of weapons, the groans of the dying, and the frantic shouts of soldiers from both sides mingled together, creating a hellish symphony.
Roderick was completely bloodthirsty; his arms were sore, numb, and swollen from the constant thrusting, but he dared not stop.
He only knew how to mechanically thrust forward, knocking down any figure dressed in Sauron clothing who tried to approach the gap.
Blood splattered all over his armor and face, and the ground beneath his feet was soaked in blood and turned into a muddy mess.
Just then, he noticed a young Sauron light infantryman opposite him. Watching his comrades fall one after another, and looking at the impenetrable forest of bullets before him, the madness on his face was gradually replaced by fear.
He screamed, dropped his weapon, and turned to run away!
Although the deserter was quickly cut down by the Sauron Army who was supervising the battle, this small sign, like a pebble thrown into a lake, stirred a ripple in Roderick's heart.
These seemingly invincible Sauron Barbarians also feel fear and will flee!
However, this brief moment of hesitation was quickly overwhelmed by a greater fear.
"Heavy infantry! Their heavy infantry is coming!" came a panicked shout from ahead.
Roderick looked up and saw that after being worn down and delayed by the light infantry, the Berserker behind the Sauron Army, who were truly like steel fortresses, finally crossed the trench with heavy steps and approached the breastwork!
They were exceptionally burly, their entire bodies encased in heavy plate armor, with only their cold, bloodthirsty eyes visible beneath their helmets.
They wielded massive Battle Axe, long-handled spiked clubs, and armor-piercing hammers that required two hands to swing, their weapons covered in jagged spikes and sharp edges.
Ordinary spears and lances, when thrusting into their heavy armor, would often only produce a string of sparks, hardly causing any effective damage.
The appearance of these Berserker instantly brought a suffocating sense of oppression.
Their armor was thick, their weapons menacing, and their eyes fierce; they were like a group of war beasts that had stepped out of mythology, determined to crush all obstacles in their path with the most primitive and violent means!
The balance of power at the gap changed instantly!
They rammed their massive shields into the hail of bullets and slammed them down with terrifying heavy weapons!
The spears of the Broomflower soldiers were constantly being smashed, the soldiers holding spears were shaken so badly that their hands were split open, and some were even smashed by heavy hammers that came through the gaps, breaking their bones and tendons!
The pressure on the defensive line suddenly increased dramatically! The breach was beginning to become extremely precarious!
Roderick watched as a Sauron heavy infantryman wielded a terrifying double-bladed Battle Axe, cleaving two spears thrusting side by side in two with a single blow, and charged forward, seemingly about to break through!
He felt a chill run down his spine, but he gritted his teeth and, together with his comrades, desperately thrust more spears at that terrifying figure!