Chương 39: Battle (Part 2)

The fact that these Goblins knew how to maintain a battle formation reminded Dragon-Fang of the distant East. The armies there also utilized formations, and disciplined troops were invariably more effective in combat than a chaotic rabble. He decided to send in the auxiliary Kobolds first to test the Goblins' mettle. At his command, the common Kobolds let out a chorus of yelps and began their disorganized ascent toward the Goblin-held high ground, barking incessantly and lacking even a shred of coordination.

From his vantage point in the tree, Li Qinwu saw the enemy launch their assault. He roared down at his troops, "Prepare for combat! The enemy is here! Front line, hold your ground! You'll get your military merit when we get back! Ballistae—load wooden bolts and fire at will!" The Goblins operating the ballistae acted instantly. They slotted wooden bolts—cheap projectiles made of fire-hardened, sharpened wood without iron tips—into the grooves and pulled the triggers.

Li Qinwu had ordered hundreds of these to be carved. Five wooden bolts streaked through the air, traversing several hundred meters before plunging into the dense Kobold ranks. Because the enemy was so tightly packed, all five bolts found their mark, skewering five Kobolds and pinning them to the earth. The five victims howled in agony. None died instantly, but they were fixed to the spot, struggling and screaming.

Seeing this, the other Kobolds were struck with panic, swerving around the fallen like they were avoiding a plague; not a single one stepped forward to help. The Goblins quickly reloaded. Dang-Dang, crouching beside one of the ballistae, treated the massive weapon like a toy, cranking the tension wheel to its limit in seconds. Consequently, his ballista maintained a terrifying rate of fire—one shot every seven or eight seconds—while the other four managed one every two minutes.

A steady stream of thick, long wooden bolts rained down on the Kobolds, pinning them to the ground one by one. Screams and barks accompanied the advancing force, and the Kobold attack grew visibly chaotic. From the tree, Li Qinwu watched the disorder unfold. Seeing the enemy close within 200 meters, he shouted to Gobu-Bow, "Begin volley fire!" Gobu-Bow immediately barked to his men, "Raise crossbows! FIRE!" He personally loosed an arrow, and the crossbow Goblins followed suit.

Over thirty bolts arched through the air, striking the Kobold ranks and toppling several more.

"RELOAD!" Gobu-Bow shouted, though he didn't stop, loosed arrow after arrow in a high arc. The Goblins lowered their crossbows, using their feet to brace the stirrups and their back and shoulder muscles to span the strings. With so many muscle groups involved, even Goblins with the stature of children could reload efficiently. They maintained a rate of one volley every twelve seconds—a formidable density of fire that accelerated the Kobolds' disintegration.

Li Qinwu sensed that the Kobolds' organization was almost gone. Despite their numbers approaching a thousand, they were nothing more than an uncoordinated mob. He leaped down from the tree, fastened his pot-lid helmet, drew the greatsword from his back, and ran to the front of the line. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Everyone, hold the line! Heavy Infantry! CHARGE WITH ME!!" Li Qinwu roared. On his tactical interface, he pressed '1' for Heavy Infantry, 'F1' for Tactics, and 'F2' for "Follow Me." He charged out to meet the Kobolds, followed by the armored Goblins and the humans. He could see the Kobolds were at their breaking point; pushing through the ballista and crossbow fire had cost them everything. One final blow would shatter them.

Reaching the edge of the Kobold swarm, Li Qinwu swung his eight-kilogram greatsword in a devastating arc. The blade cleaved one Kobold clean through the waist, its momentum carrying it halfway through a second. When he ripped it out, a mess of viscera followed. [Two-Handed Weapon proficiency +1] The forty system troops followed his lead, howling as they crashed into the Kobold lines. Shield bashes and axe cleaves dropped dozens of Kobolds in an instant.

Knight Leo raised his axe and bellowed to his fellow humans, "Brothers! For wealth and glory! For our freedom!!" He kicked a Kobold so hard the creature let out a "Wilhelm scream" as it flew into the crowd, knocking over several more. With his hand-axe, he cracked three skulls in rapid succession, wielding the heavy weapon with the elegance of a rapier—clearly a master of martial arts.

He glanced at Li Qinwu fighting at the very front, watching the Goblin spin his greatsword with such savage force that meat and bone flew in every direction. Leo sighed inwardly,"Ugh! That's not how my companions are supposed to be used!" Li Qinwu didn't know someone was critiquing him from behind. He swung his sword like a madman, the system notifications pinging incessantly in his ear. [Ding! Two-Handed Weapon proficiency +1] [Ding! Experience +4] This killing spree caused his experience and proficiency to skyrocket, making him burst into a loud laugh that only quickened his pace. Experience! These cute little doggies are all experience!! Covered in blood and laughing like a lunatic, he looked like a demon god to the Kobolds. Combined with the armored Goblins who were virtually impervious to their claws and teeth, the fight became a slaughter. Finally, one Kobold let out a mournful cry and turned to flee.

The sound was contagious; soon, the rest followed suit, tails tucked as they ran. An army without organization was like this—even if they outnumbered the enemy ten to one, a strike from an elite force would cause an immediate rout. Li Qinwu wiped blood from his face and ordered, "Pursue them! KILL!" He gave chase, cutting down a Kobold from behind. He had to capitalize on the rout. Li Qinwu and his heavy infantry pursued for about 300 meters, killing dozens more, before he called a halt.

The Kobold elites—over a hundred Great Kobolds and four Ogres—were waiting at the forest's edge. Getting surrounded there would be a disaster.

"HALT!!" Li Qinwu ordered the stop. He slammed his greatsword into the ground and leaned against the hilt, panting heavily. After that explosive burst of energy while wearing three layers of armor, he was exhausted.

"Fall back!" The men turned back, also gasping for air as they stepped over the field of Kobold corpses they had left behind. Li Qinwu spat, shouldered his greatsword, and prepared to return to the hill when he noticed a pair of burning eyes fixed on him. He looked toward the bone throne carried by the four Ogres. Atop it sat a Great Kobold with gold-tinted (Battle-Hardened) skin, staring him down. The two aspiring rulers of the Magic Forest locked eyes, each recognizing the extraordinary nature of the other.

"Hmph... my fated rival?" Dragon-Fang rose from his throne, gripping his curved blade of unknown material. He pointed the tip directly at Li Qinwu, intending to deliver a speech about destiny. However, before he could open his mouth, Li Qinwu spat a thick glob of phlegm toward him and pointed a mocking finger, his face twisted into the provocative expression of a street thug looking for a fight.

"What the hell are you looking at?!"