“Jason, did you see clearly or not? Did Art really bring reinforcements back? Why is there still no sign of him after so long?” Quartermaster Spencer, who had sworn not to participate in combat again, still unconsciously picked up his weapon at the critical moment of life and death, even if he was only hiding in the arrow tower, occasionally shooting a crossbow bolt at the bandits outside the camp.
“The flag that appeared in the rear of the bandit formation just now was definitely Art’s. Smith, isn’t that right?” Jason, the Archery Squad leader, shot the last arrow from the quiver in front of him.
Smith kicked the last quiver at his feet over to Jason, then replied, “It… it was… Art’s… Art’s standard. But… but it disappeared again.”
Spencer braced the crossbow against the ground, stepped his left foot into the stirrup, used both hands to pull the string onto the catch, then placed a crossbow bolt into the groove and aimed it at a bandit carrying an iron-headed club who was squeezing through the main gate of the camp wall.
Thud!
With a muffled sound, the bandit who had just squeezed through the camp gate was pushed out by the immense force of the crossbow bolt. Then, an arrow flying from outside the camp directly struck the fellow who had just shot the crossbow bolt.
Odo, who was defending the camp gate, looked back at the arrow tower, then turned and chopped off a hand that was reaching through a crack in the camp gate with an axe.
Just as the camp gate was about to be breached, the bandits finally could no longer endure such heavy casualties. A command of “Retreat” came from outside the camp, and the bandits swarming the camp gate and gaps in the camp wall retreated one after another.
This was the fifth time the bandit attack had been repelled. It was estimated that there would not be a seventh time; the sixth attack would determine the fate of all survivors.
Odo used his last bit of strength to drag a bandit corpse to the camp gate to brace it, then wiped the blood-smeared from his eyes, dragged his battle-axe, picked up the chain hammer on the ground, and slowly turned to look at the riddled camp.
The defensive battle of the Boulder Town Camp was basically declared over.
Three gaps in the camp wall were constantly being torn open, and the main gate had been rammed open by the bandits with heavy timber, creating a half-man wide crack. Thirty-odd Soldiers had held out for an entire afternoon in a makeshift camp built with a fence against nearly a hundred fiercely attacking bandits. Now, fewer than twenty people in the Giant Stone Town Garrison Camp were still breathing, and even fewer could lift a weapon to fight.
One mile east of Boulder Town Camp, Angus, with Felix and his two cavalry attendants, reined in their horses to observe the battle situation at Boulder Town Camp.
After separating from Art in the afternoon, Angus, following Art’s orders, took three cavalrymen carrying the Blood-Eyed Howling Wolf standard and rushed ahead to Jushi Town. When they arrived, dozens of bandits were besieging the camp. He clearly saw that three gaps had appeared in the camp, and a large number of bandits were squeezing inside through the gaps.
Angus originally wanted to lead the three cavalrymen to raid the rear of the bandit formation to cause some confusion, but the bandit rear formation had actually set up hidden sentries. As soon as Angus and his men sped up their horses, the alarm sounded from the hidden sentries. Seven or eight bandit archers who were shooting arrows outside the camp all returned to the rear formation and began to volley arrows at Angus and his men to prevent them from approaching. A dozen or so bandits remaining in the rear formation had already lined up.
Angus, whose raid on the rear formation had failed, could only ride around the camp outside the range of the enemy archers, holding up the standard.
This round still had an effect. When the Blood-Eyed Howling Wolf flag appeared in the defenders’ line of sight, a cheer erupted from the camp, and soon after, they repelled another bandit attack.
Seeing the situation ease, Angus led Felix and his two men to try and harass the bandit’s rear from the flank, but unfortunately, there was an expert archer in the bandit’s rear formation. In the open wilderness, the four men on horseback became living targets. One of Felix’s cavalry attendants was shot off his horse on the spot, fortunately not hitting a vital spot.
Unable to harass them, Angus had no choice but to retreat out of the bandits’ sight and circle, waiting for an opportunity.
“Where did this group of Bastards come from? Why are they so difficult to deal with?” Felix covered his right arm, which had been grazed by a stray arrow, with his right hand. Blood had soaked his clothes.
At this moment, Angus was also filled with helplessness. Not far away, multiple gaps had appeared in the camp wall of Boulder Town Camp, and the camp gate had been rammed open with cracks during the recent battle. Although the defenders had once again repelled the bandits, Angus also knew that the defenders inside the camp were at the end of their rope, and their life or death was only a matter of the next moment.
“Sergeant, what should we do? Why hasn’t Art brought the rear reinforcements yet?” Felix also saw that the camp was about to fall with one more attack, and the situation was extremely critical.
Angus turned his head to look north, seeing no sign of reinforcements. He then turned back to stare at Jushi Town, gritting his teeth, and said, “Felix, take your men to the valley to meet Art. I’m afraid they encountered big trouble at the Valley Mouth. If I don’t survive, tell him he owes me another life.”
“Sergeant, what are you going to do?” Felix saw the determination to die in Angus’s eyes.
“There won’t be a next attack. The next attack will be the last. I will give an explanation to the brothers holding out in the camp on behalf of Art.” Angus intended to charge the bandits to his death.
“Sergeant, I…” Felix hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
“Felix, you are merely a guest Soldier temporarily with the Legion, and moreover, you are the Baron’s only son. We have no reason to ask you to die for the Legion. You don’t need to feel guilty.” Angus knew that Felix didn’t have the courage to die with him, but this was human nature and perfectly understandable.
After speaking, Angus spurred his horse south, intending to bypass the bandits’ frontal view and launch a surprise attack on the besieging bandits from somewhere in the rear at the most critical moment of the battle.
Outside Jushi Town, in the bandit’s rear formation, a fierce argument was now breaking out.
“No matter what, I’m not fighting anymore! If we keep fighting, all my brothers will die. What are those Bastards inside the wall made of? Twenty or thirty people have blocked five of our attacks!” A bandit leader who was fighting alongside others was exasperated.
During the afternoon’s attack, nearly a hundred bandits had left more than twenty corpses inside and outside the camp. Several groups of bandits who had responded to Jiali’s call for assistance were already on the verge of collapse. If not for the strongest and most powerful Jiali still holding on, the remaining leaders would probably have already taken their men and fled.
“I agree with Scarface Houth. If we keep fighting, there’s no need for that Bastard Patrol Officer to come and clear us out; we’ll all die here.” Another bandit leader also loudly agreed.
The bandit leader named Scarface Houth suffered the most severe losses. This past year, he had finally managed to gather about thirty underlings, planning to gain good experience in Tinietz. Now, he was brought here, and half of his brothers were killed or wounded in battle.
He pointed at the planner of this battle and cursed, “Jiali, you’re a goddamn liar! You said the defenders were few and the camp would fall with one attack. We’ve been attacking for an entire afternoon, and those Bastards are still holding out. Tell me, are you someone sent by that Bastard Patrol Officer?!!!”
A fierce bandit next to Jiali, seeing Scarface Houth’s disrespect towards his leader, raised his saber as if to strike, “If you dare to talk nonsense again, I’ll kill you!”
Scarface Houth was not to be intimidated. He raised the broad axe in his hand and chopped away the saber in the fierce bandit’s hand, saying fiercely, “When leaders are talking, it’s not your place, you little Bastard, to interrupt! If you spout any more nonsense, watch out, I’ll split your dog head open!”
The fierce bandit was about to retort, but Big Boss Jiali stopped the two, saying, “One last round of attack, and the enemy will surely be defeated! After the battle, I’ll give you an extra ten percent.”
“You said the same thing in the last attack. This time, if you want to go, you take your own men. My men need to rest for a moment.” The leader who had just supported Scarface Houth said sarcastically.
As the organizer and planner of the entire battle, Big Boss Jiali also felt somewhat disheartened at this moment. A total of one hundred and fifty to sixty bandits and mountain brigands participated in this battle. His own hundred-odd men were divided into two groups: the majority were led by Second Leader to set up an ambush in the valley to the east to prevent the Black Robed Soldiers’ main force from reinforcing Jushi Town. The remaining thirty to forty elite fellows (mostly fierce bandits) stayed by his side, along with several summoned groups of bandits, to attack the Boulder Town Camp in front of them. Capturing the camp would not only dampen the morale of the bandit-suppression army but, more importantly, would allow them to seize a large amount of weapons, equipment, and food supplies. These things would become the foundation for him to continue to develop and grow stronger.
However, the sturdiness of this makeshift camp exceeded Jiali’s expectations. Ninety-odd bandits fighting against thirty-odd defenders, they had attacked for an entire afternoon and breached several sections of the camp wall, but each time the camp was on the verge of being broken, the defenders erupted with astonishing combat power. Bandits were not army Soldiers; neither their individual combat skills nor their will to fight were as strong as those defenders. Therefore, whenever the battle losses were slightly large, the attacking bandits would immediately retreat. More importantly, the several bandit leaders who came to participate in the battle each had their own selfish motives, and no one wanted to suffer excessive losses.
“A bunch of Bastards!”
Jiali cursed inwardly, then took a breath and said, “Since you all don’t want to fight to the death one last time, then rest for a moment. I’ll go to the front of the camp and try to persuade them to surrender. I guess they can’t hold out much longer either.”
Inside Boulder Town Camp, Odo held the blood-stained Bass, tears of pain glistening in his eyes.
Bass had fallen. At the end of the fifth battle, Bass, with his only two remaining Soldiers, desperately defended the largest gap on the right side of the camp. At that time, the camp gate was about to be breached, and Odo led everyone who could still breathe to defend the front. Bass, without backup, at the last moment, roared and charged directly out of the gap with a heavy hammer, fighting four or five bandits outside the gap. Two fists could not defeat four hands. Bass, covered in wounds, was struck by a bandit’s chain hammer, which crushed his iron helmet, instantly covering his face in blood, and he collapsed with a thud.
“Art, he can’t be saved~” The Quartermaster (medic) responsible for battlefield treatment shook his head helplessly at Odo.
“You dog Bastard, what makes you say Captain Bass can’t be saved? You save him, save him now!” Colin grabbed the Quartermaster’s (medic’s) collar, yelling with a choked voice.
“Colin, stop it!” Odo roared at the squad leader.
Colin released the Quartermaster’s (medic’s) collar and knelt beside Bass, weeping, constantly wiping the blood from Bass’s face.
Odo pulled Colin away, glanced at the almost lifeless Bass, and in a hoarse and unusually calm voice, instructed the Quartermaster (medic), “Carry Captain Bass to the tent, give him a simple bandage and clean-up, and let him pass peacefully~”
Then Odo kicked the squad leader Colin, who was still kneeling on the ground, heartbroken, and fiercely said, “Don’t be a softie! If you’re really sad, pick up his weapon and hold that gap for me!”
Just as he was about to turn around, an alarm came from the arrow tower: “Art, the bandits are coming up again!”
“Everyone, pick up your weapons and prepare to fight!” Odo’s hoarse roar began to sound again.
“Wait, Art, there are only three bandits.” News came again from the arrow tower.
“Three people?” Odo didn’t understand what the bandits were trying to do.
“Guard the entire camp, strictly prevent the bandits from playing tricks!” Then Odo climbed up the arrow tower.
Outside the camp, the bandit Big Boss Jiali, with two fierce bandits, walked to the camp gate and shouted at Jason on the arrow tower, “Hey, fellow, tell your Commander to come out and talk.”
Odo heard this and climbed up the arrow tower. He suddenly felt that the bandit leader outside the camp wall looked familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he had met him. He simply decided not to think about it and loudly demanded, “You bandit Bastard, if you have the guts, come in and fight. What kind of dirty tricks are you playing?”
Like Odo, the bandit leader also felt that the defending Commander on the arrow tower looked familiar, but he also couldn’t remember who he was. “Hey, fellow, I know you can’t hold out much longer. In the next attack, all of you will die. But I admire your fearless courage, and I’ve decided to give you a chance to live. As long as you lay down your weapons and surrender, I guarantee I won’t harm you, and I can even treat your wounded fellows.”
Odo spat at the base of the tower after hearing this, cursing, “Bah! A bunch of wild dogs dare to impersonate wolves! Surrender? If you lay down your weapons and surrender, I might spare your life to be a slave for my Art.”
Jiali was not angered by Odo’s words. He looked at Odo on the arrow tower and laughed, “Your Art? Is that the damn Patrol Officer who was shot away by us just now?”
Jiali pointed to the wilderness to the east and sneered, “He’s already been shot dead by me, and his men have dragged his corpse and fled east. You can’t count on him anymore. And I have even worse news for you: your Black Robed Soldiers’ main force was ambushed by my men in the eastern valley. Now, I estimate their corpses have already filled the Valley Mouth~”
“Damn it!” Before the bandit leader could finish speaking, Odo snatched the crossbow from a nearby crossbowman and raised it, shooting it at the bandit leader outside the camp wall.
Jiali instinctively dodged to the side, and the crossbow bolt pierced the foot of a fierce bandit behind him, causing him to scream repeatedly.
“You will pay a heavy price for your despicable actions!” The bandit leader Jiali roared fiercely, then quickly pulled the wounded Soldier back and retreated.
Odo spat a bloody phlegm at the bandit leader again, then shouted at the Soldiers watching below the tower, “Brothers, we are Legion Soldiers! Even if we die, we will not surrender to bandits! Besides, Art just appeared in the bandits’ rear formation. He must be planning how to annihilate the bandits. Everyone, don’t believe the bandits’ tricks! Although we have suffered heavy casualties, those Bastards aren’t doing much better. As long as we hold out through the next attack, it will be those bandit Bastards who surrender!”
“Art said that at the moment of life and death, it’s all about the last bit of courage.”
Just as Odo was about to reignite the fighting spirit of the remaining forces, an unexpected event occurred.
“Art, let’s surrender!” A voice, like a bolt from the clear sky, came from a corner below the camp wall.
A Soldier with a blood-stained face took off his iron helmet and knelt on the ground, crying out, “We can’t hold out! We can’t withstand the next attack! Open your eyes and see how many of us are still breathing! Do you want all our brothers to die?!”
Odo stood stunned on the arrow tower, momentarily unsure how to respond.
The defending Soldiers were bewildered by the sudden turn of events, and the camp instantly fell into a deathly silence.
Just as the atmosphere was about to drop to freezing point, a squad leader carrying a heavy hammer rushed out of the military tent, kicked the kneeling coward to the ground, then raised his heavy hammer—
“Bang!” He smashed the head of the fellow on the ground with one blow.
The squad leader pointed at the coward on the ground, whose brains were splattered and legs were twitching, then, holding the heavy hammer, he looked up, his bloodshot eyes glaring, and roared, “Who else wants to surrender? Is there anyone else?!!!”
All the Soldiers in the camp who were still breathing stood up, looking at the corpse on the ground, completely stunned.
Just then, an urgent horn sounded from the bandit’s rear formation outside the camp wall. The bandits, under the threat of their enraged leader, began to prepare for their final attack.
“Everyone, prepare to defend against the enemy! Colin, you’re in charge of the right-side gap.” Odo roared, then jumped directly down from the arrow tower.