Crisis

But the monsters behind seemed completely oblivious to their companion's death, trampling over the corpses without hesitation and continuing their frenzied charge!

Their empty eyes held only a longing for the "food" behind the city walls, devoid of any fear.

One batch fell, and two more immediately surged in!

They picked up the ladder that had fallen next to their companion's corpse, rushed to the base of the wall without hesitation, and struggled to prop the ladder up the city wall!

"Push it down! Push the ladder down!" Richter roared, leading his spearmen to desperately push away the ladder that was propped up against the crenellations with pitchforks.

The heavy ladder, carrying the monster climbing it, crashed down, smashing into the horde of monsters below, causing chaos and screams.

Deadly bullets and arrows spewed from the protruding arrow towers and firing ports of the fortresses on the sides of the city wall, mercilessly reaping the monsters huddled at the base of the wall from the flanks.

Finally, a few ghouls and goblins managed to climb the ladders to the top of the city wall!

"Kill!" Roland's infantry were already in full battle array, and their sharp spears instantly pierced through and knocked down the monsters that had just appeared!

With a mighty slash, the goblin charging at them was cut in two, weapon and all! A brutal melee erupted on the city wall.

The goblins below the city used their crude short bows to hurl bone arrows or stone arrows upwards, but these attacks, lacking power and accuracy, mostly struck the crenellations or shields with a clang.

Aside from making some noise and occasionally scratching one or two unlucky souls, they posed almost no real threat to the well-equipped defenders.

The battle devolved into a brutal war of attrition, but the monsters were losing lives while the defenders were losing ammunition.

The monsters' attacks were like relentless waves, crashing against the city walls one after another.

The defending troops, relying on their strong fortifications and powerful long-range firepower, put up a tenacious resistance.

"Put down rolling stones!"

"Prepare the Battering Logs!! Release!"

Commanders' orders kept ringing out.

The prepared defensive equipment played a crucial role.

Heavy stones and logs were pushed off the city wall, rumbling down the surface with a deafening roar. Wherever they passed, the sounds of bones shattering and monsters screaming filled the air, instantly clearing a large area.

The spiked Wolf Tooth Rake lowered by the winch and slammed into the dense horde of monsters, instantly piercing and flattening countless enemies before being pulled back, leaving behind a mess of severed limbs.

Although the defensive siege weapons were incredibly powerful and varied, the sheer number of monsters was simply overwhelming, seemingly endless.

Even more terrifying is that these creatures, driven by darkness, know nothing of fear. When their kin in front are crushed and smashed, those behind immediately step on the corpses of their companions, roaring as they continue to climb upwards.

Although the defenders on the city wall have not suffered heavy casualties for the time being thanks to the terrain and their equipment, the continuous and high-intensity fighting, especially for the spearmen and Swordsmen and Shieldbearers who are facing the enemy in the front, is taking a tremendous toll on their physical strength.

These elite defenders were also wearing plate armor weighing dozens of kilograms, making every swing and thrust extremely difficult in the fierce fighting.

To make matters worse, the outer city wall was hastily constructed, and the combat platform on top of the wall was relatively narrow, often only able to accommodate two soldiers fighting side by side.

The cramped space made it difficult for troops to rotate, and soldiers in the front ranks had to remain in the most dangerous positions for long periods of time without a moment's respite.

Under such sustained high-pressure combat, even the bravest warriors began to show signs of fatigue.

Roderick gripped his spear tightly with both hands and mechanically stabbed wildly at the monster heads that kept emerging from outside the ramparts.

His arms were already sore, numb, and swollen, and the blood seeping from the splits between his thumb and forefinger stained the rough spear shaft dark red, but he still gritted his teeth and stubbornly held his position with a tenacious will.

Beside him was a militiaman from Fran City who had recently been recruited from the recruit camp and still had a somewhat youthful face.

The young man was clearly inexperienced. Faced with the monsters' rotting, twisted faces and shrill howls, his eyes were filled with uncontrollable fear, and his movements became stiff and distorted.

Just then, an exceptionally tall ghoul suddenly poked half its body out from the edge of the barricade, opened its blood-red maw filled with fangs, and roared at the recruit! A strong stench of decay assaulted their senses!

"Ah!" The recruit screamed instinctively at the sudden and terrifying sight. The spear, which should have been thrust forward with precision and force, hesitated fatally and deviated, merely stabbing forward haphazardly. It grazed the ghoul's shoulder without causing any effective damage!

This mistake instantly created a dangerous gap in the defense! The ghoul seized the opportunity, swung its claws, and was about to climb up the ramparts!

"Hold on! Stab its throat!" Roderick roared, his voice hoarse.

He didn't have time to think. Almost instinctively, he abandoned the target he was dealing with, suddenly exerted force in his waist and abdomen, twisted his body halfway, and thrust the blood-stained spear in his hand out rapidly from the side!

"Pfft!"

The sharp spear tip pierced the ghoul's neck with pinpoint accuracy, spurting blood! The monster let out a piercing wail and fell off the edge of the battlement.

However, in that extremely brief moment when Roderick was fully engaged in rescuing his companions, his old strength exhausted and no new strength yet generated!

Suddenly! A relatively small but exceptionally agile Kobold silently darted up from the shadows of the barricade!

Taking advantage of Roderick's inability to retract his spear in time to defend, it suddenly stretched out its upper body, and with a pair of sharp claws covered in scales, it grabbed Roderick's spear shaft, which he had not yet fully retracted, with astonishing speed!

Roderick was alarmed and immediately shook the spear shaft violently, trying to throw the goblin away.

But what was terrifying was that this goblin was exceptionally cunning and agile. Instead of being shaken off by the swinging of the spear shaft, it used the momentum of Roderick's counterattack to pounce on Roderick like a nimble monkey, using both its hands and feet!

"Damn it! Get out of my way!" Roderick was both shocked and furious. Instinctively, he swung the spear shaft, along with the goblin hanging on it, violently to the side! But the goblin's claws held on very firmly, and the swing only caused its body to sway slightly, without it slipping out of his grasp.

In that split second, the goblin used the momentum of its swing to suddenly push off, its small body flying up like an arrow, heading straight for Roderick's face!

Fortunately, Karl had listened to the veterans' advice and equipped all front-line soldiers with the best possible full plate armor.

Roderick's heavy plate helmet protected him! The goblin crashed into the sturdy visor with a "thud," but failed to cause any real damage.

But this beast was extremely difficult to deal with! Its long, thin but exceptionally powerful claws clung tightly to Roderick's helmet, its entire body wrapped around his head and neck like an octopus!

Sharp fingernails scratched frantically at the smooth metal nail plate, producing a chilling "squeak" sound!

Although the physical damage was blocked by the armor, the sudden attack, the panic of having his vision completely blocked, and the piercing noise in his ears threw Roderick into a state of utter confusion!

He instinctively threw away the spear and reached out to pull off what was on his head, but he immediately lost his balance and staggered backward.

"Ouch!" Under the goblin's frantic interference, Roderick lost his balance and, along with the goblin on his back, screamed and fell off the edge of the wall behind him!

"Roderick!" the recruit he had just saved cried out in despair, but could only watch helplessly as his comrade's figure disappeared beneath the city walls.