Timely Reinforcements
Inside the central command tent, Hermod was also awakened by the noise outside. He hurriedly pulled open the tent flap to check, not even having time to put on his outer robe properly.
As soon as he stepped out of the tent, he saw several fierce-looking Goldfinch Cavalry who had broken through the weak outer defenses and were charging toward his location!
The lead knight, his lance gleaming coldly, thrust straight toward his chest!
The shadow of death instantly loomed over Hermod!
He watched helplessly as the deadly gun tip rapidly enlarged in his pupils, his mind went blank, his body stiffened, and he was completely unable to make any effective dodge maneuvers!
"Be careful, sir!"
At the critical moment, one of his loyal bodyguards suddenly pounced on him and shoved him aside with his body!
Pfft!
The heavy lance pierced the guard's chest without any resistance, lifting him up!
The guard let out a short, shrill scream, and blood gushed out!
Without stopping, the Goldfinch Cavalry charged forward for more than ten steps, still holding the twitching body of the guard hanging from the tip of his spear, before suddenly flinging the body away!
Hermod was knocked to the ground, looking utterly disheveled.
He stared in shock at the bloody scene before him, at the devastation and flames engulfing the camp, his heart filled with disbelief and terror!
"How is this possible... how could there be so many cavalry?" he muttered to himself, nearly collapsing.
Intelligence clearly indicates that Carnford only has a few dozen cavalry remnants!
But the overwhelming, rampaging torrent of cavalry before him, and the immense destruction it caused, was definitely no less than a hundred riders! This was completely beyond his expectations!
At that moment, the instinct to survive overwhelmed everything!
Hermod scrambled back into the relatively sturdy central command tent, abandoning all pretense of being a commander.
Inside the tent, Unag and the Sorcerer Thor had also woken up, both pale-faced and panicked.
"Commander! What's happening outside...?" Unag asked, his voice trembling.
Hermod, panting heavily, tried to remain calm and said, "Don't panic! The guards... the guards will be here to protect us soon!"
Sure enough, despite the chaos in the camp, the Sauron army, as a battle-hardened elite force, began to demonstrate its strong grassroots command system and resilience.
Some officers, realizing what was happening, began to spontaneously gather their routed troops and retreat while fighting, moving towards the central command tent.
Soon, more and more soldiers gathered around, forming a chaotic but numerous defensive circle around the central command tent, protecting Hermod and the others.
Lyon and Thorsten's cavalry was still too few; they tried several times to charge the increasingly thick wall of men, but were repelled by the dense barrage of spears and arrows.
The cavalry's advantage lies in its mobility and striking power. However, once it gets into a stationary melee, facing infantry that fights against numbers several times over, its casualties will increase dramatically.
The goal of capturing enemy generals and seizing their flags is clearly out of reach.
Lyon was filled with anxiety as he watched the enemy formation become increasingly solid and their camp gradually regain order.
He knew that the effects of the surprise attack were fading rapidly. If the delay continued, once the Sauron fully realized what was happening and organized an effective counterattack, his hundred-odd riders would likely be surrounded and wiped out!
He gritted his teeth, reached for the flintlock pistol slung at his waist, and prepared to fire a signal to order a full retreat.
However, just as he raised his arm, his finger about to pull the trigger...
Boom!
A blazing orange-red fireball streaked across the dimly lit sky like a meteor, whistling sharply as it struck the most densely packed area of Sauron's central army tent with pinpoint accuracy!
The fireball didn't explode upon landing; instead, it burst open like a water sac rupturing, turning into a viscous liquid flame that sprayed in all directions!
"Ah!!!"
"Fire! It's fire!"
"Help! It's on fire!"
Screams erupted immediately!
The Sauron soldier who were touched by this strange flame, whether they were wearing leather armor or chainmail, had the flames cling to them like solidified gasoline and burn wildly!
They frantically pounded on the ground, rolled around, and even jumped into a makeshift water pit nearby, but the flames did not go out at all; instead, they burned even brighter!
In an instant, more than a dozen soldiers turned into human torches with shrill screams, terrifying their comrades and throwing their formation into chaos!
The canvas of the central command tent was also ignited by the flying sparks and quickly burst into flames.
Upon seeing the flames, the Sorcerer Thor inside the tent exclaimed in shock, his grey pupils contracting sharply. "It's ' Enchanted Flames '! Fireball Spell! The opponent has a fully-fledged mage! And a highly skilled one at that!"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three more blazing fireballs of the same size came hurtling in from the same direction, as if they had eyes, and struck several other soldier gathering points near the central command tent!
The same tragedy has happened again!
Thick, magical flames flew everywhere, causing even greater panic and chaos!
The defensive formation, which had been barely maintained under the officers' control, completely collapsed under the precise strike from this supernatural force!
The soldiers cried out and scattered in panic, fearing that they would be touched by the unquenchable flames.
Even some of the Goldfinch Cavalry charged too far ahead were accidentally splashed with flames onto their clothes or saddles!
Having witnessed the horrific state of the Sauron firsthand, they reacted swiftly, unhesitatingly wielding their swords to cut the burning Cloth Strip or leather belts. Some even jumped off their horses and removed their armor, narrowly escaping death, but still breaking out in a cold sweat.
Lyon was also stunned by the sudden magical support, but as an experienced commander, he instantly realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The opportunity is fleeting; we must seize it immediately!
"The enemy's formation is in disarray! Warriors! Charge with me! Target the central command tent! Slay the enemy general!" Lyon made a decisive move, abandoning any thought of retreat, raising his lance high, and roaring with all his might to attack!
"Kill!!!"
The morale of the Goldfinch Cavalry soared. The impatience caused by the prolonged siege vanished, replaced by a fervent fighting spirit ignited by magic!
They rallied once more, like tigers descending a mountain, and launched a desperate charge towards the area plunged into extreme chaos by magical flames!
Hermod had just escaped from the burning tent under the protection of his personal guards when he saw his own defensive line crumble under the attack of the mysterious fireball, and the ferocious Goldfinch Cavalry charging toward him with unstoppable force!
He was terrified, his face drained of color, and he was almost in despair!