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Chapter 450: "Useless" Tactics
"Fire!!"
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A hail of crossbow bolts rained down, covering the slave warriors who had rushed out.
The lightly armored slaves were wiped out in an instant.
A few lucky survivors, escaping amidst the fallen, were instantly scared out of their wits, howling as they fled to the sides.
Ironically, the slaves at the very front were untouched by the attack.
They managed to reach the Bay Territory soldiers' ranks unharmed.
However, as they faced the gleaming metal armor and long spears, their initial courage to kill dissipated with each step closer.
No more! Advancing means death!
But with the short distance left, they didn't have time to figure out a strategy before they were upon the formation.
Fear leads to faster death!
Egged on by a few brainless slave warriors who had no fear of death, the rest charged forward recklessly.
"Kill…!"
"Charge…!"
Their screams, mixed with those of other slaves, seemed to bolster their courage.
Then, they crashed headfirst into the solid defensive line, leaving themselves bloodied and battered.
With modified warriors as anchor points, heavy infantry as pivots, and shield-wielding mid-tier elite warriors defending, these scattered slave warriors stood no chance.
After a few rounds of clashes, once the Bay Territory soldiers gauged the enemy's true strength, they launched a swift counterattack.
The spears hidden behind sturdy shields suddenly transformed from mere defense into rampaging tanks.
Within moments, the slave warriors were defeated, scattering in disarray.
The new wave of slave warriors entering from the rear initially didn't comprehend the brutality of the battle.
As they emerged from the narrow passage, barely catching their breath, they were met with a barrage of crossbow bolts.
Those lucky enough to survive glanced disdainfully at the slaves pretending to be dead on the sides, only to crash headlong into an immovable wall of steel.
Before the frustration in their hearts could be vented, the orderly formation of the Bay Territory soldiers crushed them completely.
They came quickly, and they died even faster.
Matthew continuously scanned with his gaze, searching for any areas emanating magical energy.
However, Matthew overestimated the drow spellcasters and underestimated their fear of death.
Upon seeing the dense rows of crossbows, they entirely abandoned the idea of approaching the front lines.
Commander Lyria, who kept deploying slave warriors in her usual attrition tactics, turned a blind eye to their behavior.
No matter how many slaves died, they could always capture more.
After all, the Underdark's slave population was inexhaustible.
However, the death of a spellcaster would change everything, potentially triggering investigations and repercussions from above.
This simple yet cold-hearted value judgment sealed the fate of the slave warriors in their relentless charges.
Within just half an hour...
Over three thousand slave warriors had fallen on the narrow battlefield.
The ground, littered with corpses and flowing with blood, testified to the battle's ferocity.
From the initial frenzy and bloodthirsty roars…
To the later fear and avoidance, a terror of facing the Bay Territory soldiers emerged.
This imposed immense psychological pressure on the remaining slave warriors.
What terrified them most was that the Bay Territory's solid defensive line, despite the relentless onslaught, showed no signs of faltering.
Even casualties among the soldiers were minimal!
Faced with an unbeatable enemy, how many enslaved warriors could continue fighting?
Naturally, fear and terror set in, leading to hesitation and avoidance.
To make matters worse, the cowardly drow soldiers didn't step up to supervise the battlefield.
Without the threat of death and overwhelmed by fear of the enemy, the choice was simple.
Corpses piled up, and more slave warriors fled mid-battle.
The pressure on the Bay Territory soldiers eased dramatically.
Noticing this, a relieved Angela immediately ordered:
"Distribute the nutrient potions by groups!"
With their stamina restored, the Bay Territory soldiers returned to peak condition.
Facing the weakened slave warriors, they effortlessly dispatched them.
At this moment, one Fireball Spell after another began to streak through the entire passage, blasting the endless stream of slave warriors.
The blazing light and heat caught many creatures accustomed to the cold, dark Underdark off guard.
Counting the number of Fireballs, Commander Lyria's initial relaxed demeanor quickly shifted to cold indifference and horror.
She carefully analyzed the power of the Fireball Spells, confirming that they were all cast by a single Arcanist.
This only deepened her unease.
The enemy had unleashed dozens of powerful Fireball Spells in one go!
Even for a rare Netheril Empire Arcanist, such sustained combat ability was unheard of!
And yet, it was happening!
The continuous Fireball Spells wreaked havoc on the slave warriors entering the passage.
Conventional tactics seemed incapable of breaking the human warriors' defenses!
"Though they're vastly outnumbered, only a tenth of our forces, why are they so formidable?"
"If we had a more open battlefield and could surround them, perhaps we could win..."
Wait!
Suddenly struck by inspiration, Commander Lyria's gaze burned as she focused on the outnumbered Bay Territory soldiers, forming a plan.
"Since they're few in number, let's see how long they can hold out!"
"If they don't yield, we'll wear them down to death..."
"If they retreat, the overwhelming slave army will surround their new base..."
Though Commander Lyria wanted to give this tactic a unique name,
No matter how she thought about it, it was still the same method as before.
This realization left her both frustrated and furious!
"How could these foolish humans seize the initiative? Sera truly deserves to die!"
Habitually deflecting blame, Commander Lyria's gaze fell on the adjacent passages.
Perhaps it was time to open another one!
As the battle ahead remained deadlocked...
Matthew, continuously casting spells, suddenly received a message.
"A large gnoll force is approaching!"
Clearly, the gnolls, the original rulers of this territory, wouldn't miss this opportunity to make their presence known.
Prepared for this, Matthew glanced at Yaya, who raised her eyebrows before cheering softly:
"Ha, I didn't even go looking for them, and they came right to us!"