Turn the Tables
"Oliver!" Roderick, who was running ahead, turned around sharply at the sound and saw his companion fall to the ground. His eyes widened in horror!
Without a second thought, he immediately turned back, braving the stray arrows flying from behind, and rushed to Oliver's side.
"Hold on!" Roderick roared, hoisting the groaning Oliver onto his broad back and sprinting towards the tunnel entrance that was now within reach!
"Cover them!" Brendan, who had a clear view from the city wall, urgently gave the order.
The defenders intensified their firepower, suppressing the Sauron tried to emerge.
Andre and Roland immediately turned around, flanking Roderick on either side, fighting as they retreated.
Sauron arrows kept flying in from behind, striking the surrounding ground and stones with a thud, creating a perilous situation.
But with their tenacious will and tacit cooperation, and with the support of the city wall's firepower, the three finally managed to break into the shadows of the tunnel and escape the threat of the Sauron's direct fire.
"Quick! Raise the drawbridge!" Brendan gave the order immediately after seeing that the five men had successfully retreated.
The heavy suspension bridge slowly rose, separating the inside from the outside.
Inside the passageway, the five people, still shaken, slumped to the ground, breathing heavily.
Roderick carefully set Oliver down and examined his injuries. The arrow was deeply embedded in his knee, and blood was gushing out; the situation was dire.
Andre leaned on his sword, looking around at the four remaining people beside him: Roland, Oliver, Roderick, Mark, and himself.
At this moment, Karl also quickly walked down from the city wall.
Upon seeing this, Andre, Roland, Roderick, and Mark quickly mustered their strength and struggled to bow to him.
Master Andrei's face showed deep exhaustion and a hint of guilt. His voice was low and somber. "My Lord, I'm sorry. We failed to destroy the arrow tower and lost Oliver. We have let you down..."
Karl quickly stepped forward to return the greeting.
His gaze swept over the four men, their bodies covered in blood, their equipment tattered, and their weariness barely concealed. His tone was sincere and comforting. "No, you've done more than enough! I saw it clearly from the city walls. The Sauron had planned this all along. That sorcerer had been lying in ambush for a long time, and the reinforcements arrived incredibly quickly... This is absolutely not your fault."
"To have managed to evacuate everyone under such perilous circumstances and severely damage the arrow tower is already a great achievement! Please, no need for such formalities."
He paused, his gaze falling on Oliver on the stretcher and the slightly weakened Mark, his tone turning concerned. "The most urgent thing is to treat your injuries and rest, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Master Andrei, who was standing in front of Karl, suddenly swayed, his face turning ashen. He tried to support himself with his sword, but his arms trembled uncontrollably. Then, he closed his eyes and fell straight forward!
"Master!"
"Team leader!"
Karl and Roderick, who were closest, reacted quickly, rushing forward to support Andre's limp body, one on each side.
Upon touching him, one could only feel his icy body and weak breath.
The guards beside him immediately stepped forward and together they laid Andre flat on the ground.
"Konrad! Quick! Come quick!" Karl called out urgently.
Konrad, who had been watching the situation from a short distance away, immediately strode over, squatted down, placed his fingers on Andre's wrist, and let a faint wisp of Magic Power enter his body. After a moment, his brows furrowed tightly, and his expression became solemn.
"How is it?" Karl asked anxiously, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Konrad withdrew his hand and sighed heavily, "Just as I thought... He took the full force of that sorcerer's attack to cover his teammates. Although he withstood it with his profound Battle Qi and willpower, the energy of the dark curse has already invaded his meridians and internal organs, constantly eroding his life force."
"I was only holding on by sheer willpower just now, but now that I've let my guard down, the curse has completely erupted."
"Is there any way to treat this?" Karl asked anxiously.
Konrad shook his head regretfully, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Karl, I'm just a Rune mage, specializing in construction, enchanting, and energy channeling, not a priest or cleric who specializes in healing."
"This dark curse, so deeply ingrained in the marrow and soul, requires extremely high-level spells like ' Divine Purification ' or ' Hymn of Life ' to eradicate... I am powerless to help."
He saw the light in Karl's eyes dim instantly, and changed the subject, adding, "However, when I worked at the Royal Capital Magic Academy in my early years, I audited a few advanced healing courses out of interest, and also taught a few basic courses, learning some methods to suppress negative status effects and stabilize injuries."
"While it cannot be cured completely, it may temporarily suppress the further spread of the curse and buy him some time."
"Alright! I'll leave it to you then! Do everything you can to stabilize his condition!" Karl said immediately.
Konrad nodded. "There's no time to lose; we need to cast the spell immediately. This place isn't suitable; we need a quiet environment with stable energy."
"Quickly! Take it to my castle!" Karl ordered immediately.
The guards carefully lifted the unconscious Andre, with Konrad following closely behind.
Roland, Roderick, and Mark struggled to follow, but Karl stopped them. "You're all injured too. Go see the medic immediately, then rest! That's an order!"
Seeing Karl's resolute gaze, the three could only nod in agreement and leave with the help of their auxiliary soldiers.
Karl stood there, watching Andre's retreating figure being carried away, then glanced at the still brightly lit Sauron camp in the distance, where construction noises could be heard, and felt a mix of emotions.
Although the night raid achieved some success, thwarting the Sauron' plan to quickly build arrow towers, it also exposed their own tactical intentions and resulted in the heavy cost of Andre and Roland being seriously wounded.
Both of them are indispensable core combat forces for Carnford. Now that they are both seriously injured, the strength of the defending army will be greatly reduced in the upcoming defense of the city walls.
I definitely lost this round.
Harald was clearly prepared; his opponent had obviously anticipated his possible initiative and set a deadly trap. The cunning mage was the killing move he had laid.
The successive victories unknowingly led him to misjudge and underestimate the leader who had single-handedly transformed the Sauron Tribe from the remote mountains and rivers into a powerful force.
Many renowned generals of the Broomflower Clan had fallen to him, leading to the fall of the Northern Territory. How could he possibly expect to defeat such a seasoned and ruthless warrior with mere tricks?
Having learned this lesson, the Sauron will undoubtedly be much more vigilant in their flank defenses, making it virtually impossible for them to launch a similar surprise attack again.
This means that in the coming days, Carnford will likely have to resort to a truly passive defensive approach.
They could only watch helplessly as the Sauron, outside the range of their Cannon, calmly built taller and sturdier arrow towers, and might even have created more powerful siege weapons.
A heavy sense of powerlessness weighed on Karl's heart.
The dawn was breaking, but the sky over Carnford seemed even more gloomy.