As before, the moment the enemy appeared in sight, the skeletons in the Farmland District hurried back into Kurd City District.
But this time, the enemy didn't take the bait. The Blood Crow Captain watched the skeletons retreat without pursuing them.
He had come in person, so naturally he wouldn't underestimate his opponent or rush in recklessly.
In his eyes, the master of this necromancer stronghold was a formal mage, not a Necromancer Apprentice. It definitely wasn't Medivh.
He was here to wipe out the necromancer who had occupied the stronghold, not to complete Wester's commissioned task.
"Captain, where should we attack?"
The Blood Crow Mercenary Group circled around to scout and found that the strongholds on all four sides of Kurd City District, as well as the one in the southeast corner, were protected by walls.
If they bypassed the outer strongholds and attacked Kurd City District, they would be caught between two enemies.
"We'll attack from here."
Blood Crow pointed at the wall of the Workshop District.
In terms of terrain, the Workshop District and West Reservoir District were the best targets. They were on the outskirts, with the Farmland District on either side.
They could attack these two districts from three directions at once.
The East Reservoir District, Livestock District, and Graveyard District could only be attacked from two directions.
Blood Crow hadn't chosen to attack the Workshop District by drawing lots. He had picked it after scouting the area.
As for how he had scouted, it was simple: he tossed a scout into the air so the scout could see what was inside the walls.
The walls around these two districts were only eight meters high. With Blood Crow's strength, tossing a lightweight scout that high wasn't a problem.
The West Reservoir District was full of ponds, and the skeletons had retreated to the paths between them. It would be difficult to clear them out.
He didn't want skeletons slipping out of the ponds and attacking them from behind while they were assaulting Kurd City District.
With Medivh defending from within the city, he had a clear view of the surrounding area. The skeletons were watching every move the Blood Crow Mercenary Group made.
As soon as the Blood Crow Mercenary Group approached the Workshop District, Medivh immediately sent a large force there to defend it.
He wasn't worried about the Blood Crow Mercenary Group using hit-and-run tactics. When it came to moving troops, skeletons traveling along the inner route through Kurd City were much more nimble than mercenaries running around the outer route beyond the walls.
The Blood Crow Mercenary Group didn't launch a feint. After making siege ladders, they split into three teams and attacked the Workshop District from the east, west, and north.
"Loose!"
The Skeleton Archers weren't about to give up their range advantage. When the enemy entered the optimal range for their bows, they took positions along the wall and fired.
Shooting down from above gave them a huge advantage. One by one, mercenaries with inadequate defenses fell to the Bone Arrows.
Below the wall, some mercenary archers returned fire, but the Skeleton Archers ignored them completely.
The skeletons weren't made of flesh and blood. The mercenary archers' arrows barely bothered them.
Instead, the mercenary archers gave away their positions and were shot down by the Skeleton Archers.
"Captain, there are too many skeleton archers. We can't get up there!"
The mercenary group wasn't a kingdom's army. It couldn't afford to keep too many people on its payroll.
The Blood Crow Mercenary Group had fewer than a thousand members altogether.
White Crow had already lost a quarter of their people. After excluding the laborers and those left behind to guard their camp, only a little over six hundred Blood Crow mercenaries had come to attack Kurd City.
Kurd's various Skeleton Archers numbered around five hundred.
With the high ground on the walls, it was all too easy for them to suppress the Blood Crow mercenaries as they climbed.
The Skeleton Archers' Bone Arrows were accurate and deadly. Before long, the Blood Crow mercenaries had suffered more than a hundred casualties.
The excitement they'd felt at the sight of Kurd City had faded. Fear set in, and the Blood Crow mercenaries no longer dared to charge.
The Apprentice Knight leading the team couldn't get them up the wall, so a mercenary captain at the Knight level led a charge himself, hoping to reach the top.
But he didn't get his wish. One mercenary captain nearly died to a surprise arrow from the Bone Spirit Ranger.
"This is a real nuisance!"
As the mercenary captain complained, Blood Crow coldly watched the Bone Spirit Ranger on the wall, who kept firing arrows.
Every Bone Arrow that flew meant an elite warrior or an Apprentice Knight squad leader had fallen.
If he didn't deal with them, the Blood Crow mercenaries attacking the walls would be picked off one by one.
"Forget it. I'll handle it myself."
Blood Crow turned around but didn't see Night Crow. That assassin-loving woman had vanished off somewhere again.
With Night Crow gone, and the other mercenary captains at the Knight level beaten back by the Bone Spirit Ranger, he had no choice but to act himself.
The necromancer did have some ability. He had several low-tier First-Rank skeletons under his command.
That made sense. Anyone without a bit of strength couldn't hold their ground in Odyssey. Someone would have seized this stronghold long ago.
Blood Crow didn't retreat just because the attack wasn't going well. He was a Second-Rank Knight. He wasn't about to be scared off by a few low-tier First-Rank skeletons.
If he left today, what would become of his prestige? If word got out, he'd become a laughingstock in Pioneer Territory.
[Well, if it isn't the Blood Crow Captain! I heard the skeletons chased you off. Hahaha!]
He could already picture the mocking faces of the other mercenary group leaders in Pioneer Territory.
"Die!"
Blood Crow charged up the siege ladder as if he were walking on level ground, heading straight for the Bone Spirit Ranger on the wall.
His Battle Qi covered his body. He swung his sword from side to side, knocking away the Bone Arrows flying at him.
With a shout, he leaped onto the wall and brought his sword down in a heavy slash, aiming to split the Bone Spirit Ranger in two.
"Buzz!"
As Blood Crow hung in the air, his mind rang. His eyes turned bloodshot as he whipped around to look at the Skeleton Warrior inside the wall.
On the Skeleton Warrior's back was a Taunt Totem shining with a strange psychic light.
Blood Crow looked as though he'd just seen his father's killer and swung his sword to chase the Skeleton Warrior.
The Skeleton Warrior didn't try to block. Following Medivh's orders, he jumped down from the wall.
"Damn it, a mental spell!"
Blood Crow wasn't taunted for long, but by the time he regained his senses, he had already chased the Skeleton Warrior over the wall.
Below, a group of Skeleton Warriors was waiting for him.
Blood Crow landed in the middle of a ring of thirty-six Minotaur Skeleton Warriors. On the level ground stood all kinds of support totems, including Healing Totems, Earth Totems, and Holy Shield Totems.
"You don't think this is enough to kill me, do you?"
Surrounded by the Skeleton Warriors, Blood Crow wasn't afraid in the slightest. Instead, he laughed scornfully.
He admitted that the necromancer had some strategy. In an instant, he'd put Blood Crow in a situation where he was cut off from help.
But thinking a few dozen low-tier First-Rank skeletons could kill him was pure wishful thinking.
He was a dignified Second-Rank Knight. How could he lose to a few dozen low-tier First-Rank skeletons?
He'd show the necromancer that all schemes were worthless in the face of absolute power.
"Damn it, why are they so tough? Something's wrong with these skeletons!"
In the next moment, Blood Crow's expression changed dramatically.
He'd thought that a sword strike infused with all his Battle Qi would easily tear the Skeleton Warrior apart.
Instead, his blade left only a mark on the Skeleton Warrior's Bone Armor, reinforced by the Earth Totem and Holy Shield Totem.
The mark wasn't deep enough to pierce the Bone Armor. For the Skeleton Warrior, it wasn't even a light injury.
And under the green glow of the Healing Totem, the mark was slowly healing.
His full-strength attack had done little damage. He couldn't seriously injure or kill a Skeleton Warrior.
The Skeleton Warriors swung their Mountain-Splitting Bone Axes and Bone Hammers at him. When he parried, the force left his wrists tingling.
These Skeleton Warriors, with their high attack and high defense, made Blood Crow feel the threat of death.
His sense of superiority vanished. All he wanted was to escape the fight as quickly as possible and get away from these strange skeletons.
Before you continue