Chapter 302 - 229: As You Exit, I Enter the Stage (Part 2)

Without immediate warmth, they would surely freeze to death.

However, the stalemate didn’t last long. A squad of armored Knights quickly joined the battle, led by one wearing exceptionally fine and heavy full Miliyan Plate Armor that completely concealed even his face.

This type of Plate Armor was forged by the most renowned master Blacksmiths of the Royal Court of Gonda. It was said to be mixed with Orihalcos.

This made the Armor not only indestructible but also capable of perfectly channeling Combat Qi, reducing its consumption to almost nothing.

Rumor had it that a single suit cost as much as two thousand Gold Coins, and even then, it was rarely for sale.

This Knight was most likely one of the attacking Counts.

This Count, a master of Martial Arts with profound Combat Qi, roared as he swung his Two-Handed Greatsword at the gate. A blast of blue Combat Qi shot from the blade, sending wood chips flying and instantly tearing a gash in the wood.

The simple gate let out a final, mournful groan before being smashed open with a BOOM.

The morale of the Northern Soldiers soared. They roared and surged forward. The fully-armored Knights leading the charge gave the hastily assembled Militia of Kalia no chance to resist, and they were slaughtered mercilessly.

The rout began, and they fled in all directions, pissing and shitting themselves in terror.

Regulo was not surprised. He had only conscripted these defending soldiers from the common folk a month ago. Expecting this group of Militia, who didn’t even have Leather Armor, to stand against elite Knights was pure fantasy.

"Our Knights are by no means weaker than theirs."

Beck, who had just arrived after delivering the orders, said with determination, as if trying to bolster his own courage. But no one paid him any mind.

"Is it time for us to make our move?" the old man, Clamo, asked. His gaze was as calm as still water as he watched the slaughter in the distance, as if observing a swarm of scurrying ants.

If Combat Qi Knights were all conceited, possessing the arrogance of ’I am the greatest martial artist alive’, then the vast majority of Mages who had mastered powerful Elemental Power viewed commoners without Magic as little more than insects to be crushed at will.

Pride and arrogance were their defining traits.

Clamo was clearly one of them.

Even Combat Qi Knights were nothing more than slightly stronger ants in his eyes.

Regulo watched the enemy’s movements intently. Only when they entered the alleyway leading to his position, just as predicted, did he allow himself a faint smile. "No, not yet. The birds haven’t all entered the cage. How can we shut the door?"

...

Meanwhile, Count Tisi, having met no resistance, charged into the alley with his men. When soldiers in Fine Leather Armor and wielding high-quality weapons burst from the buildings on both sides, a look of vindication crossed his face.

The Militia outside had obviously been a diversion. The enemy’s real main force was deployed here to ambush them.

"Hahaha! This Baron Regulo probably only knows how to play these petty tricks."

He laughed, his heart finally settling with relief. He brandished his Longsword.

"My Warriors! Slaughter these Southern Territory scum! Show that Lion Hunter Knight the valor of the Northern People!"

ROAR!

The two forces crashed into each other. Unlike the easy slaughter from before, as soon as they clashed, both sides realized they were facing a tough opponent.

Count Tisi maintained a steady advance. Armored infantry with shields pushed forward step by step, while his Archers traded fire with those on the rooftops, each side trying to gain suppressive fire and taking casualties in the process.

He paid no mind to the Arrows that flew toward him; the weak projectiles couldn’t even leave a scratch on his Armor.

The enemy was certainly more elite than the previous Militia, but that was all. They were clearly inferior in both numbers and morale.

The line began to advance as the enemy fell back, unable to halt their push no matter how hard they fought.

As the castle drew nearer, he could almost taste victory, and his mind began to wander.

’All my soldiers are packed into this alley right now. If the enemy had a large Catapult, or a Caster, they could inflict unimaginable damage on us.’

’A pity. But how could a mere Baron possibly have a Caster?’

Tisi shook his head, dismissing the unrealistic thought.

Even he, a Count, had been unable to recruit a powerful Mage.

How could an abandoned Baron manage it?

Yes, in Tisi’s eyes, the Baron had surely been abandoned by Damon. To face a great army marching south with only himself to defend this small border town...

’But doesn’t this play right into my hands? This Baron had better be prepared...’

He looked up at the castle, already fantasizing about the Baron’s treasures and the ransom he would command. But in the next instant, his face contorted in horror, as if he had just seen the Undead.

...

Seeing the majority of the enemy soldiers pour into the alley, completely defenseless, Baron Regulo breathed a sigh of relief. The plan was half-complete. He turned to the member of the Mother Goddess Church Clergy beside him.

"Master Clamo, I leave the rest to you."

"They are merely a group of ordinary people. They will regret ever setting foot in here."

Clamo turned and left with two hooded members of the Clergy, a sinister smile on his face as he departed.

The Magic Stone on his Magic Wand pulsed with a deep, mesmerizing brown light.

It gave Regulo a surge of confidence.

...

"Tsk, tsk. I never thought Count Tisi would have such profound Combat Qi Cultivation."

Levi mused, watching with great interest through a telescope.

’To be honest, I’d thought all these nobles were just useless, pleasure-seeking hedonists.’

"Levi, that’s just your prejudice," Andao explained, leisurely cracking open seeds. "Basically every noble cultivates Combat Qi. The greater their power and influence, the more profound their Combat Qi Cultivation tends to be, though of course, they can’t compare to Guard Knights who specialize in it. Otherwise, on what basis do you think nobles remain nobles?"

"Our own Duke Fulina relied on her extremely profound Combat Qi and astonishing Wisdom to become a Duke in the first place."

Levi gave a noncommittal, perfunctory nod.

’He couldn’t argue that Fulina’s Combat Qi Cultivation was profound, but as for her wisdom... he scoffed at the very idea.’

’If it hadn’t been for him, Lord Li, that woman would have died in the Wilderness long ago.’

Andao tossed the seed husks onto the snow, clapped his hands clean, and rose from a tree stump. "So, have you had your fill of watching? When is it my turn?"

"Patience, patience. Almost time," the Lord said, though he had no intention of lowering the telescope.

Once Tisi’s men entered Kalia, the town walls blocked most of the view, so Levi could only judge the state of the battle by observing the Archers positioned on the rooftops.

But there was no doubt about it: the Archers on the rooftops were being picked off like targets, one by one. Tisi was clearly making a methodical advance.

But just then...

BOOM!

Several massive booms echoed from within Kalia Town. Even from a thousand paces away, they could feel a faint tremor in the ground.

Looking closely, they could see several towering figures appearing inside Kalia Town, their rock-like torsos just visible over the walls.

"Damn it all! It’s like seeing the Undead! Where did they get those Stone Giants?"

Levi slapped the telescope into Count Andao’s hands, his voice so loud it shook the snow from the branches of a nearby pine. Now, even without the telescope, they could see the towering Stone Giants.

The two exchanged a look, their expressions turning grave. The one thing they had hoped would not happen, had.

With the appearance of these Stone Giants of unknown origin, the troops that had stormed Kalia Town were routed in less than a hundred heartbeats, driven out like stray dogs.

"Gus, take your squad and provide support," the Lord had no choice but to order the waiting Centaur squad forward.

He could afford to watch Tisi’s forces get worn down, but he couldn’t let them be pursued and annihilated, causing a full-blown rout that could break his main army’s formation.

Ultimately, the enemy didn’t dare leave the town for a field battle against a numerically superior force. Thanks to this, Tisi and his soldiers only suffered a retreat, not a total rout.

"Son of a bitch! I was set up!"

Count Tisi ripped off his helmet. The chest of his indestructible Miliyan Plate Armor was caved in. He spat out a mouthful of thick blood, gasping for breath and looking utterly wretched.