Chapter 179 - 164: Will to Fight
Chapter 179: Chapter 164: Will to Fight
"For the King!" Knight Commander Elon ignited his Fighting Qi and charged headfirst into the Beastman Camp.
Subsequently, hundreds of human Extraordinary Knights filed in.
The few dozen Beastman Extraordinary Wolf Cavalry left behind, too slow to react, raised their scimitars in a desperate attempt to resist. But when they tried to burn their Fighting Qi for a final, life-or-death struggle, their exhausted bodies were like dried-up riverbeds. The Fighting Qi they managed to squeeze out was as meager as a few drops of water, making it exceedingly difficult to even protect their vital areas.
"Ah! Warriors! Fight to the death!"
"By the Beast Emperor! Destroy these damned humans!"
Reaching their final moments, those Beastman Extraordinary Wolf Cavalry who could no longer squeeze out any more Fighting Qi simply channeled what was left into their blades. They then turned and charged toward the onrushing Human Extraordinary Cavalry.
Even Valentino’s expression flickered with surprise at the sight. ’So these are the Beastman Wolf Cavalry that made even the battle-hardened veterans of the older generation tremble? Acknowledged as one of the strongest cavalry forces on the continent?’
To be honest, a wave of retrospective fear washed over Valentino, and her approval for Robson’s decision grew even firmer.
’Good thing we chose to settle it all in one decisive battle today, while they were at their absolute weakest.’
’If these Beastman Wolf Cavalry were properly rested and faced my Knight Order head-on—fully armed, brimming with Fighting Qi, and mounted on their Warg Mounts—I estimate that even I wouldn’t last more than a few exchanges.’
Fortunately, however, these Wolf Cavalry were already running on empty, and their charge was nothing more than the final, mad struggle before annihilation.
Even when they focused all the Fighting Qi in their bodies into their blades, they still couldn’t break through the Human Cavalry’s Fighting Qi Body Protection.
Compared to the pitifully small amount of Fighting Qi within the Beastman Wolf Cavalry, the Fighting Qi within the Human Knight Order was as vast as the Endless Sea to the west of the continent—abundant and showing no signs of depletion.
The dozens of charging Extraordinary Wolf Cavalry were either impaled by the lances of the Human Knight Order or crushed into a pulp of purplish-red flesh beneath the thousand-kilogram warhorses.
Watching the scene unfold, General Curry’s heart twisted in agony. Though he rarely showed these Beastman Extraordinary Wolf Cavalry a kind face, they were truly the elite of the elite—veterans who had accompanied him through decades of campaigns, north and south.
And now, they were dying on the battlefield like this, without even leaving behind a complete corpse.
"All Wolf Cavalry! Find your Warg Mounts! Withdraw from the camp!
"Find your Warg Mounts, get out of the camp, and retreat to the northwest!" General Curry shouted at the top of his lungs.
Though his heart was filled with immense grief, he understood that this was not the time for sentimentality. The brave charge of those Wolf Cavalry had bought precious time for the others to find their Warg Mounts.
Their deaths also served as a wake-up call for Curry. The image of his Warriors straining with all their might, yet unable to squeeze out a single drop of Fighting Qi, was burned into his mind. He finally understood the true extent of his army’s exhaustion.
From the siege of O’Neil Castle, they had always been on the front lines. They’d attacked the retreating human forces, laid siege to Devil City, and now, they had made a grueling, long-distance march all the way to Thermopylae, all to buy the Empire time.
But even the Extraordinary were human, and humans get tired. They had reached their limit. At the very least, they could no longer afford to clash head-on with this Human Extraordinary Knight Order.
Moreover, the Human Extraordinary Knight Order’s formation was still perfectly intact. Even if they wanted a head-on confrontation, now was not the time.
The Wolf Cavalry were incredibly efficient. Upon receiving General Curry’s command, hundreds of riders immediately burst from the camp and fled north.
General Curry gathered several dozen of his Silver-rank men, intending to charge forward and buy a little more time for the main force’s retreat.
Sensing the Fighting Qi within his own body, he realized he didn’t have much left. Forget unleashing his Golden Avatar; he could barely even use a martial skill.
A Gold without Fighting Qi is just a glorified Silver.
Even so, General Curry still released his Gold-rank Fighting Qi, covering his entire body in an attempt to slow the Human Cavalry’s advance.
At that moment, Valentino was charging at the very forefront with her lance raised. Seeing Curry ahead, she naturally understood his intentions.
"Hah! Valkyrie’s Descent!"
Valentino let out a great shout, revealing her class skill. In contrast to the straightforward Knights and Mages of the Northern Lands, the southern schools of thought on Fighting Qi were far more intricate, and Valentino had trained in the Way of the Female Warrior.
This was also the main reason the Fengman Clan had sent Valentino to the south for advanced training in the first place.
Following Valentino’s great shout, the numerous Extraordinary Knights in the Human Knight Order unleashed their power in unison. Although the Fengman Clan, based in the Northern Lands, was politically at odds with Marquis Oscillate, they were just like the other northern clans: battle-hardened, with a small war every five years and a great war every decade.
The Fengman Knight Order ranked among the top ten in the entire kingdom.
At this moment, the strength of the Fengman Clan’s Extraordinary Knight Order completely overwhelmed the Beastman Wolf Cavalry.
Seeing this, General Curry knew he could not match them in a direct confrontation.
"Go release the wolf packs! Hurry up and retreat!" General Curry ordered his Personal Guard.
Then, kicking up a cloud of dust, General Curry galloped away, retreating directly to the northwest.
.....
Meanwhile, General Curry’s second-in-command was at the Wolf Cavalry camp, organizing the defense.