Chapter 422 - 290: The Mysterious Dragon Knight

In any other army, the commander’s lone departure in a situation like this would have undoubtedly sparked turmoil and shattered morale.

But no one from High Cliff Castle suspected that Levi’s departure was an act of desertion. It was a testament to their unspoken trust in him.

But they didn’t have time to dwell on it, for the Six-armed Snake Demon Warriors were upon them.

A volley of arrows that filled the sky was the first to greet them. The most remarkable was an arrow from Gus, crackling with the condensed power of the Thunder Element. This Centaur Leader had undergone several Attribute enhancements, and his strength was now on a completely different level.

The Six-armed Snake Demon Warrior that met the arrow head-on convulsed as if struck by a thunderbolt. The scent of seared flesh immediately filled the air. Though its exterior showed no visible change, its internal organs were already cooked to a crisp.

Its massive body swayed for a moment before collapsing with a thunderous crash.

An ordinary Demon taking one of Gus’s arrows would be instantly incinerated into a charred husk by the Thunder Element. The fact that these Six-armed Snake Demon Warriors only had their most vulnerable organs roasted through was a true testament to their formidable power.

The next bloody phase of the battle began. The forces of High Cliff Castle were a reef in the middle of the ocean, remaining unshaken no matter how the storm raged.

Everyone had prepared to fight and die alone. But just then, the thunderous din of a fierce battle erupted from the darkness to their left, followed by the distinct, furious roars of the Six-armed Snake Demon Warriors.

"Lord, is that you?" Fujero’s bellow somehow cut through the cacophony of the battlefield.

"Uncle Fujero, it’s us!" Mier, who had been directing the battle from the eaves of a roof, immediately grabbed a nearby torch. The yolk-yellow flame illuminated his young but resolute face in the darkness.

Unfortunately, perhaps because the sounds of battle were too intense, there was no reply.

"Fight our way to them!" Leiden immediately ordered a contingent of his men to break through.

The Lionels at the vanguard raised their lances, while those behind them drew massive, gleaming cleavers from their backs. They gave the blades a flourish, sending cold glints of light through the night air.

The entire Centaur brigade thundered to the left in a storm of hooves and a shower of gore. Like a hot knife through butter, they crashed into the enemy. The front rank of Six-armed Snake Demon Warriors were instantly run clean through by fine steel lances as long as a Quadruple Blade, skewered where they stood.

The survivors had no time to celebrate before massive cleavers, each the size of a torso, came crashing down upon them.

Heather and her companions had been preparing to support the Centaurs, but they quickly redirected their Magic to bombard the main front instead.

The Centaurs’ charge was like a razor-sharp Bone-Carving Knife, instantly tearing a gash in the enemy formation.

If they weren’t fighting inside the city but out on the open plains, they could have kited these Six-armed Snake Demons to death.

These Centaur Warriors were fierce beyond belief, every bit as formidable as the Beastman Warriors.

Fujero and his men stormed into the vacant encampment like a whirlwind.

After issuing his orders, Mier leaped down from the roof to greet them. A quick scan revealed that Fujero had brought only a few hundred men.

But they were all Knights, clad in fine Plate Armor and trained in Combat Qi. Some were the last elites of the Thorn Corps, while others were apprentice knights who had pledged their loyalty after Fujero became a Baron.

"Uncle Fujero, what are you doing here?"

"I waited for you at the city gate for a while. When you didn’t show, I heard the fighting break out and knew you must be trapped, so I brought some men to help."

At some point, Fujero had donned a suit of Cavalry Armor. It was ill-fitting and a bit too large for him. His Armor was spattered with bloodstains of two different shades—it was clear he had already fought his way through another skirmish to get here.

"Regular soldiers would be of little use here, so I had the rest hold the city gate. I only brought the three hundred Knights who can use Combat Qi."

Among those three hundred Knights were many apprentice knights who were still clumsy in their use of Combat Qi, but they were truly the finest force Fujero could assemble on such short notice.

"Where is Lord Levi?" Fujero suddenly realized he hadn’t seen any sign of Levi since arriving.

Normally, in a battle like this, Levi would have been at the very front, wildly hacking and slashing his way through the enemy.

"My brother-in-law had some business to attend to and has temporarily left."

Mier replied casually.

Fujero desperately wanted to know what could possibly have called Levi away at a time like this, but he could tell Mier was reluctant to elaborate, so he didn’t press the issue. Instead, his voice turned grim. "There were more and more Demons on my way here. If we abandon the Auxiliary Soldiers and the cooks, we can still break out. Otherwise, we’re all going to be trapped here and die."

In truth, the only reason they had made it to the city gate so quickly was because they had abandoned their own stragglers.

It wasn’t something he wanted to do, but he was a commander. In situations like this, he had to weigh the pros and cons—sacrificing a group of cooks to ensure a group of elite warriors survived.

Any other commander in his position would have done the same.

The essence of war, in the end, was a simple calculation.

But when he finished speaking, he found that no one was paying him any mind. The Goat-men and Rabbit People didn’t even bother to look up, simply continuing to reinforce the defensive works on their own.

If the front line fell, this would become the last line of defense for the High Cliff Castle forces.

"Uncle Fujero," Mier said, his voice ringing with conviction, "High Cliff Castle doesn’t abandon its companions!"

Fujero fell silent.

For the life of him, he couldn’t understand how a group of Goat-men and Rabbit People who could barely lift a sword could possibly be worth as much as those unbelievably fierce Beastman Warriors and Centaur Clan Warriors.

If it were him, forget these Goat-man Vassals; if forced to choose between a hundred regular soldiers and a single Beastman Warrior from the High Cliff Castle forces, he would choose the Beastman Warrior in a heartbeat.