Chapter 386: Face-to-Face Confrontation
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Crossbow bolts filled the sky, flying over Lokfar's head.
He looked up in a daze, clearly seeing the faintly glowing enchanted light on the spinning bolts.
With lingering fear, he turned his head and saw the neatly arranged Bay soldiers charging toward the troll army beyond the flames.
They didn't run but advanced steadily.
Shield-bearers formed the front line, followed closely by those with long spears.
They were well-equipped, armored, their weapons and armor all enchanted.
They advanced shoulder to shoulder, steps firm and synchronized, thousands moving as one.
It gave Lokfar a sense of pressure straight to his head.
Lokfar never expected that these Bay soldiers would be so completely different from the elites he had seen two days ago.
The latter were like an indomitable divine weapon, breaking through defenses and striking the heart!
The former were like a heavy iron hammer, marching forward with unstoppable force.
There was no way to block them, no way to avoid them!
And their opponents?
Scattered groups of trolls.
These howling Gurubashi trolls charged like wild beasts, disorganized, appearing fierce but in reality chaotic.
"Tsk, turning into lunatics at least has one good thing—they're not afraid anymore!"
Batum, his voice a bit dry, wiped ash off his cheek, gripping his large axe tightly, and sat on the ground with a casual sigh:
"If it were us, we'd probably have fled already!"
Batum, who once harbored certain illusions, had to acknowledge a terrifying truth.
The trolls' proud combat abilities were, in front of these Bay soldiers, akin to children just learning how to swing a sword.
Born with brute strength, but merely foolish bravery!
Clenching his fist, Lokfar watched as the battle drew near and muttered in a daze:
"So, Bay Territory doesn't need us in battle. We're nothing but genuine bait."
From Lokfar's tone, Batum could sense his deep resentment, but he kept his gaze fixed on the battlefield ahead.
Words were useless!
Beelzebub stood at the front, with over ten heavily armored elite barbarian soldiers behind him.
As the trolls drew nearer, unlike before, he wasn't nervous; instead, he casually checked his beloved weapons and turned to Elio beside him:
"Later, I'll draw their attention, and you finish them off."
"The Lord has already ordered—leave no Troll Priests alive!"
In combat mode, Elio regained her absolute calmness and cold demeanor, her lips curled into a bright, blood-colored smile, and her eyes seemed to ignite with fiery determination:
"Leave it to me!"
The trolls' battle cries grew closer, plunging the entire Dark Forest into chaos.
Seeing the disordered trolls, a cold glint flashed in Jifan's eyes, accompanied by an inexplicable excitement.
Soldiers are trained for a thousand days, used for just one.
They trained diligently every day, and now it was time to shine.
He watched the dense arrows cover the approaching trolls.
These seemingly fierce trolls fell by nearly a third in an instant.
Though they quickly struggled back up, those in the front grew more scattered.
"Maintain formation, that's the key to survival and victory!"
Jifan remembered the training arrangements and requirements, seeing the frenzied trolls about to clash with their line.
Slightly nervous, Jifan silently counted.
Three, two, one!
"Halt!!"
"Form ranks!!"
Jifan's commands were clear and bright, instantly resounding throughout the formation.
The advancing soldiers halted in unison.
As if time itself had paused in that moment.
The soldiers who had been marching formed a tight formation.
"Raise shields!"
"Set spears!"
Jifan issued the combat orders methodically, his initial nervousness completely transformed into confidence and vigor.
The charging trolls roared as they crashed into them.
Bang!
A battered iron club struck hard against a dull gray shield.
The shield-bearing soldier stepped back, his eyes filled with a calm coldness.
This level of impact was something he'd experienced countless times in training.
Seeing this, Jifan did not hesitate to issue the next command:
"Thrust!"
A line of long spears shot forward.
Swift! Precise! Deadly!
Striking right at the moment after the trolls had exerted themselves!
Squelch!
Sharp spears pierced through troll chests in an instant.
Some spears even emerged from the backs of trolls, impaling another one behind, like skewered candied fruit.
Some spears twisted violently within, retracting with splashes of fresh blood.
Though trolls had remarkable regenerative abilities, taking such a heavy blow left them feeling utterly drained.
Moreover, before the trolls could react, the second row of spears, following Jifan's orders, lunged forth.
Bang!
The towering trolls fell, unable to withstand the swift spears without any armor or protection.
They tried to rise, but the concentrated paralyzing toxin firmly held their movements in check.
Blood loss made resisting the paralysis even harder, and they collapsed to the ground.
The sporadic troll attacks faded after a few hits, vanishing entirely.
Seeing the plight of the trolls, the Bay soldiers' eyes gleamed with excitement.
They had withstood the trolls' assault, not only holding their ground but decisively taking them down.
They realized how strong they had become!
The trolls, blinded by their bloodthirst, paid no attention to their fallen comrades, ramming into the lines heedless of the arrows.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
More and more trolls slammed against the line.
But their strength and weapons were no match for the shield bearers, who injured or even killed the attackers with swift spear thrusts.
Their powerful regenerative abilities were of no use here.
They were nothing more than a group of brainless street thugs fighting on sheer brute force.
With no effective countermeasures, trolls fell one by one.
The defending Bay soldiers grew accustomed to their charge, and Jifan, along with the others directing the fight, was completely reassured.
Annie, observing the battle, was filled with disbelief, watching Bay's steadfast defensive line, her eyes sparkling.
It wasn't that she had never seen phalanx warfare before—in fact, she had seen battles recorded by image spells and personally led small skirmishes more than a dozen times.
But Annie never imagined that, facing a larger enemy force with bigger bodies and greater strength,
Bay's outnumbered forces could not only withstand the attack but also gain the upper hand.
Even though the trolls were numerous, they couldn't pose any significant threat.
The elves following her exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves.
They suddenly realized that they might have underestimated Bay Territory!