Chapter 259: The Trolls' Collapse
Boom!
The sound of a violent explosion echoed, accompanied by Yaya's roar.
The vanguard tore a massive gap in the trolls' formation.
Seeing the opportunity to penetrate deeper, Angela swiftly tore open a "Mass Haste" scroll and issued a new command:
"Cavalry, charge!"
The waiting cavalry unit stormed forward at full speed.
They were like a sharp blade, slicing the disordered trolls in half, severing their front from their rear.
The larger trolls, even when facing the fully armored heavy cavalry, couldn't react in time.
They were swept away by their collapsing comrades, retreating backward.
This is the battlefield; personal bravery can't carry incompetent teammates.
Occasionally, elite trolls attempted to resist or rally others, but they were quickly targeted.
Beelzebub, bathed in crimson light, rushed forward like a storm.
He was followed by several equally burly and fierce heavy-armored warriors.
Together, they were like tanks, trampling over the trolls clustered together.
With a 50% damage boost, Beelzebub's terrifying strength and equipment advantage allowed him to take down elite trolls with a single swing.
He was a true human meat grinder!
Elio led the overseers in pursuit.
They didn't focus on inflicting casualties but instead used fear to drive the terrified trolls.
As the stubborn trolls were picked off one by one,
the remaining ones, now utterly terrified, fled in chaos, spreading fear among the rest.
The Bay Territory soldiers kept advancing without retreat.
Most trolls blocking the way were shot down by crossbows.
The scattered few left had no way to deal with the advancing shields and spears.
The trolls in the rear began to panic, not realizing the fallen trolls weren't dead.
Seeing their former comrades falling in droves filled them with inexplicable dread!
Lacking superior weapons and equipment was one thing; trolls had always been poor.
But they never expected their charge route to be blocked by their own panicked comrades.
Dozens or even hundreds of trolls couldn't even get close to the Bay Territory lines, unable to break through the crossbow barrage.
Already weary and fearful, the trolls faced this helpless and desperate situation and fled in a rout.
Realizing things were going wrong, the troll lieutenants and commanders were dumbfounded.
They couldn't believe that in just a few short minutes,
the human soldiers had launched an offensive!
And they had easily broken the trolls' front line.
If the defeated trolls affected the main force, it would lead to a catastrophic defeat!
Losing their slaves and soldiers would mean no chance of rising again.
Rivals who had long seen them as enemies would surely take pleasure in kicking them while they were down.
Realizing the severity, they tried to break away from the battle with Yaya and rush back to command their troops.
But Matthew and Yaya, having worked so hard to lure them, would never let them "leave" so easily.
A few fireballs blasted their path, stopping them in their tracks.
Yaya, hovering at low altitude, landed again, using her body to pin them down.
Want to leave?
No way!
The troll priests closed in, roaring furiously:
"Stop that dragon!"
"Push forward!"
The troll commanders were in a bind; they didn't dare defy the priests' orders.
But they knew how dangerous Yaya was, and the battlefield situation was becoming increasingly dire.
Ultimately, these troll aristocrats abandoned their soldiers to encircle the grounded Yaya.
Their reasoning was simple.
Ordinary trolls and soldiers were expendable; they were just "cannon fodder," useful only when wielded effectively.
However, keeping the troll priests on their side was crucial. As long as they clung to the priests, they could easily recapture and plunder more cannon fodder.
Reputation mattered!
Without a rightful claim, they couldn't command with authority!
For the Gurubashi trolls, the priests were the supreme rulers.
The not-so-bright trolls fully bought into this.
Matthew saw through this, which is why he set such a big trap.
Then, Matthew and Yaya received a real beating.
A literal toxic beating!
The commanders' and lieutenants' weapons were coated in various deadly poisons, causing exaggerated damage and severe debuffs.
Fortunately, Yaya's true dragon bloodline was exceptionally resilient, and her physique and resistance were extraordinary. Despite sustaining some injuries, she could still hold her ground.
Matthew was most impressed by Yaya's improved mastery of temporal power.
As wounds accumulated on her body and the poison's effects intensified, weakening her combat strength,
she cast "Time Rewind" on herself, restoring her battered form to its peak state from thirty minutes prior!
This inherent ability, not yet formalized into a skill, proved incredibly effective!
Of course, this impressive effect was primarily because Yaya used Time Rewind on herself.
With this move, Yaya played a brand-new trump card.
"She can't hold out much longer!"
"Don't hold back anymore!"
"I can hear the god's instructions!"
"Fools, strike now!"
Unlike the excited priests, Hunter and his fellow troll commanders were caught in a dilemma.
The chaotic battlefield far off was no longer visible to them, and they couldn't spare any focus on it.
They could only concentrate on surrounding and killing Yaya and Matthew!
In their view, as long as they could kill Matthew and Yaya, the high-spirited human soldiers would certainly falter.
Then, leading a charge with their elite trolls,
even if they couldn't defeat the human soldiers, they could save most of the panicked and disheartened trolls.
But they were dreaming too big!
Although Yaya appeared increasingly weak, she could always evade their encirclement. Even when covered in wounds, her counterattacks remained sharp.
The troll priests' attack frequency was rapidly declining, having exhausted much of their spell slots in successive battles.
They were merely waiting for Yaya to wear out before delivering the final blow.
They waited as Yaya's injuries worsened, yet she continued to fight back.
Wait a bit longer!
Yaya sustained continuous damage, barely dodging the attacks.
Just a little more!
Yaya flapped her wings, preparing to flee.
They were just about to strike.
When a rain of crossbow bolts came whistling down.
The troll priests' faces twisted, but they finally acted.
Sixth-circle spell—Flesh Puppets ×4!
Dozens of corpses fused under their control, forming a terrifying flesh giant.
They climbed inside the abomination, roaring furiously.
Then they fled!