Chapter 159: Co-ordinated Attack
In the heart of a dense Jungle, where the shadows cast by long trees seemed to stretch endlessly, a group of 120 eager souls had gathered in front of the village with a single purpose in their mind... To remove their existence from this dungeon.
Among these newly so-called warriors, some really experienced ones were also present. Their duty was to oversee the battle and make sure that the newbies learned how to fight, and that nobody died.
Dhruv looked at the warrior in front of him and bellowed,
"Listen up, everyone!"
The moment his voice rang through the jungle, all the chatter stopped, and now he became the sole attention of everybody.
"Today, we are going to face the goblin horde. They are vicious, hideous, numerous, and more importantly, unhinged. Today, you are up against such monsters." Dhruv took a breath to let them digest the words before continuing.
"Although we are here to look for you, keep in mind that we are only ten, while you are in the hundreds, so nobody could stop mishaps from happening..."
As he said these words, Dhruv could clearly see a hint of worry on their faces. Before they got too demoralized, he quickly added:
"... But remember that you have strength in numbers and, most importantly, determination. Follow orders from the seniors, stay vigilant, and watch your comrades’ backs, and you will see tomorrow’s sun."
The 120 recruits nodded in earnest agreement; their faces bore expressions of resolve and fear.
"Too direct but true nonetheless," Thala thought inwardly as he listened to Dhruv’s speech. He knew it was his time to lead them, so he quickly organized his thoughts and began to walk forward.
Looking at the warriors in front of him, Thala shouted,
"Archers, take the front!"
When this was done, Thala ordered once again,
"Mages, stay behind and be ready to cast spells. Melee fighters, you’ll be in the middle. Stay in formation, and ’do not break ranks’."
With the formation set, the group began their march towards the Goblin village. They didn’t directly enter the goblin’s village and stopped tens of meters before the main gate.
This was done so the goblins only had a narrow space from which they could attack. The group wasn’t concealing their steps, resulting in goblins instantly hearing these loud sounds and began to come out of their huts.
A horde of green-skinned creatures brandishing wooden clubs began to run towards the group of warriors.
Looking at the monsters charging their way, the warriors’ initial reaction was to charge forward recklessly, but Thala had already anticipated this move and quickly intervened.
"Stay your ground!" he cried. "Hold the line and let the archers take their shots."
The warriors quickly came back to their senses. The forefront of the group swiftly nocked arrows onto their bows, extending them toward the running goblins, and pulled back the bowstring to its absolute limit.
It took a second for them to aim at their targets before releasing the arrows. Within a second, tens of arrows began to fly, striking down goblins from a distance.
Since the goblins didn’t have any rangers on their side, the mages didn’t need to do anything to protect the archers.
The mages and the melee fighters remained in formation, awaiting further orders.
Due to the low number of archers, the goblins were about to reach the edge of their main gate. Only one wave of arrows could be rained down on them before the archers would be put at risk.
Looking at the situation, Thala quickly ordered, "Archers, fall back quickly, keep the formation, and let the melee fighters fight. Mages, give them support."
Although the order was very clear, during the retreat, some archers panicked and broke the formation.
Observing this, Alaric quickly appeared before the men and said, "Young one, return to the formation. Disturbing the formation will only get you and your comrades killed."
The recruit hesitated but then retreated to the formation as instructed.
Meanwhile, Thala continued to shout orders to maintain discipline. "We need to focus on breaking their lines and pushing them back," he called out. "Melee fighters, advance in formation!"
Everyone did as they were told and things were going smoothly. But instantly one of Thala’s companions quickly found an abnormality as well and said,
"You there, in the center!" he yelled, pointing to a cluster of fighters who were struggling to maintain their formation. "You need to work together! Stay close, and watch each other’s backs!"
While the bodyguards were watching the warriors, Dhruv was observing the mages.
Dhruv soon spotted a group of mages who were wasting their spells in a haphazard manner. He approached them with urgency in his voice.
"Young mages, you must conserve your energy," he advised as he looked at the young mage in front of him.
"Coordinate your spells with precision. It’s not about throwing fire and lightning everywhere; it’s about timing and targeting. Focus on the goblins who pose the most immediate threat," he advised before moving towards the others.
The mages nodded, taking Dhruv’s advice to heart, and focused on making their spells more effective in dealing with the goblin threats.
Throughout the battle, the supervising leaders guided the recruits, pointing out errors and offering encouragement. They were a steady hand in the midst of chaos, preventing the inexperienced attackers from making rash decisions.
Thala approached another recruit who was swinging wildly, wasting precious energy. "You must conserve your strength," he advised. "Focus on your strikes, and remember, every blow counts."
Unable to convey his message solely through words, Thala showed how it should be done.
Looking in front of him, the newbie warrior nodded and adjusted his approach, making his swings more deliberate and efficient.
Slowly but surely, the attackers gained the upper hand, pushing the goblins back into their village. The goblins, now disheartened and outnumbered, began to attack chaotically.
But at this time, the warriors were already out of their fear...
Thala raised his sword high. "Hold your ground! We will not let them escape!"
The recruits, inspired by Thala’s guidance and their newfound sense of unity, pressed on. They cornered the goblins and killed them all.
Looking at the corpses in front of them, everyone cried out in shouts of happiness...
Amidst their shouting, they suddenly heard someone else shout as well...
Roooaaaarr!
The boss of the village had been awakened.
