Chapter 957 - 441
At the forefront of the temporary defense line, nearly a hundred heavily armored soldiers were fiercely battling a horde of mutants. Their weapons, armor, and combat styles differed dramatically, and their coordination left much to be desired. This ragtag group composed of everyone from players to NPCs, from rookie adventurers to professional mercenaries, had one thing in common; they were tough nuts to crack.
And by tough nuts, I mean it quite literally...
These warriors, wielding heavy weapons and clad in heavy armour, could stand their ground and let the mutants gnaw at them for quite a while without falling. Compared to those behind them who had to consider the welfare of their mounts, these firmly grounded iron cans were obviously much harder.
Including the signal-carrying mosquito, the entire heavy interception squad was staunchly blockading the front line, dealing heavy blows to the swarming mutants. Thus far, the process had been going smoothly, because up until two minutes ago when the Knight Order charged the battlefield, those who were careful to stay hidden and choose relatively safe positions had not engaged the mutants directly, since even the monsters lagging behind the main group were mostly rushing towards it...
However, after the Knight Order charged from the third enemy contact zone to the mouth of the pass, the situation changed drastically.
A group of healthy, vigorously alive beings naturally had a significant impact on the mutants. Compared to the three squads at the frontline who were close to exhaustion from their intense struggle, the Knight Order, who were in the best condition and not short on numbers, were far more attractive. Despite wiping out nearly a thousand mutants with just one charge, they couldn’t stop the mutants’ ’enthusiasm’ and ’adulation’.
And so, a large swarm of mutants was directly led by the Knight Order back to the mouth of the pass, right in the center of the battle.
The heavy interception squad’s mission was to provide recovery and regrouping time for the Knights who had just completed a charge. This was also why their members comprised heavily armored soldiers and priests.
"Focus on self-preservation and interception! Our task isn’t to annihilate the enemy but to prevent a single monster from breaking through our lines,"
The grand priest Ferman, who should have been staying with the other clergy in the back, somehow made his way to the front. Bellowing loudly, he swung his mace through the air, striking with Heavy Strike, launching the lead mutants into the air and thundering, "Don’t waste your strength! Think about why the Black Vatican Priest urged everyone to minimize their exertion. We still have a long stay ahead of us!"
As a high priest who theoretically shouldn’t excel in hand-to-hand combat, the muscular middle-aged orc was frighteningly fierce. He had pulled back the sleeves of his wide priest robes to his shoulders, revealing two strong, seemingly long-single arms. He used his mace, typically reserved for casting Divine Arts, to smash into the mutant heads with gusto.
"Thanks, brother."
The advanced stage Holy Knight Ger had appeared next to Ferman at some point, chuckled, and said, "I told you before, the path of the knight suits you far better than that of the priest."
Ferman wiped the brain matter from his collar and stepped back slightly behind Ger, shrugging, "I’m just a low-ambition slacker. I prefer worshiping idols and lazing around over daily training, patrols, and fighting. Your path of the knight doesn’t entice me."
Ger raised his hand and brandished a sword light nearly five meters wide, cleaving more than twenty mutants into over forty pieces. He shook his head, "Tell everyone to retreat slightly—I’ll try to take down a few more for you before I leave."
"No problem."
Ferman laughed heartily. While organizing the retreat, he called out to a gnome paladin in front, "But you’ve just initiated Joint Purification, take it easy and don’t overdo it."
"I’m aware. It’s you guys who need to pace yourselves, Ferman. Please try to ensure that as many of these fine lads and lasses survive as possible..."
...
Game Time PM 15:25
After a brief reorganization and recovery, the Knight Order launched their second charge at the temporary defense line at the pass. They passed through the path opened by the heavy interception squad to head back towards the main force stationed in the third enemy contact zone. Ger had almost single-handedly killed more than two hundred mutants before leading the team away, significantly lessening the burden on the remaining warriors. The Knight Order’s first charge had dispersed the horde of monsters in front of the lines in five breaths, greatly relieving the heavy soldiers who continued to hold the line.
Even so, the heavy interception squad, which had now attracted the mutants’ attention, still felt immense pressure after the knights left—the expected colossal pressure.
While the enemy numbers had dwindled, most of the mutants were still amassed in the middle section of the mountain path. Despite this, the heavy interception squad—comprising only two hundred warriors, nearly half of whom were clergy members—were not much at ease. They lacked the Black Vatican Priest’s immediate frontline command, the diverse professional cooperation, any further space to retreat, and any reserve troops to rotate with them.
To make matters worse, according to the initial plan, the nearly a hundred clergy members in the rear could not fully devote their powers to healing and recovery for the squad, because after their third charge, the core fighting force, the Knight Order, would return here, and they would theoretically be in no better condition. Therefore, the priests and other healers within the squad were obliged to retain at least forty percent of their strength.