Knight: Becoming King of the World

Chapter 156: Chapter 135: Tenacious Lizardmen

The three men quickly summoned their officers and began to formulate a battle plan.

"My lord, I know a good place."

Henry looked over at Salim, who was leading a camel by his side, and asked, "What place?"

"There’s a sand dune nearby that will give your archers the high ground to shoot from, and also allow your Cavalry to charge out from the flanks."

Salim had proven his capabilities along the way, so Henry and the others had come to trust him.

With Salim’s help, they chose a suitable location: an area encircled by sand dunes. This would allow them to maximize the advantages of their archers and Cavalry, while also hiding a large number of infantry and wagons behind the dunes.

They decided to use the desert terrain to set a trap, luring the Lizardmen into their ambush.

Henry’s troops had just finished helping the soldiers don their armor and were about to send a troop of Cavalry to bait the Lizardmen when they spotted a Lizardman squad approaching their army.

’Huh? What’s going on?’

"Bain, bring me that Grassland Warrior from before."

Soon, the Scout who had previously delivered the message arrived before Henry.

"My Lord."

"Were you discovered by the Lizardmen?"

The Grassland Warrior closed his eyes and thought for a few seconds before answering with certainty, "Definitely not. We were very far away. The moment we saw a group of things moving in the distance, we dismounted and took cover."

"Henry, is it possible they’re here to destroy the villages and supply lines around Hobia?" Fass asked from the side.

Henry nodded. That was indeed very likely.

Henry and the others climbed a sand dune to watch the Lizardmen draw closer, observing their movements.

"These are the dim-witted and rather brutish Lizardmen, the most common type in their army. See? Just standing upright, they’re already taller than us Imperials."

Everyone looked at Salim. Boman asked curiously, "How do you know so much?"

Salim flashed his big white teeth again and said, a little proudly, "I have led my people in driving back a Lizardman army, and my grandfather even communicated with them."

"Your grandfather understood the Lizardman tongue? That’s impossible. If that were true, the Empire would have taken him to the capital to become a teacher, and you would be a citizen of the capital by now."

In response to Boman’s questioning, Salim sighed. "My grandfather was killed by desert bandits."

After a moment of silence, the group changed the subject.

Salim explained that these Lizardmen were physically powerful, with scales that could deflect attacks.

The Lizardmen’s weakness was their dull minds, which prevented them from mastering more complex weapons.

Weapons like bows and crossbows were beyond them, so they mostly used simple armaments.

The special weapons wielded by the Lizardmen were called Obsidian by the Bedouins, who were the first to encounter them.

Spears with Obsidian Spearheads and clubs made from stone possessed a lethality nearly equal to that of iron weapons—something the Bedouins could not comprehend.

Henry and the others retreated from the dune and commanded the soldiers to form square formations in preparation for battle.

Henry walked over to the only wagon in the convoy drawn by two horses. It carried only two items.

A moment later, when he reappeared, he had donned his iconic suit of black armor and helmet, and was carrying an oversized great axe.

Boman and Fass were both left dumbfounded by the sight of Henry in this attire.

Boman’s mouth hung open. He stammered, "Gods, Henry, you look like... I don’t even know how to describe it."

Fass, on the other hand, stared intently at the great axe in Henry’s hand. ’Just how strong is he?’

Henry smiled, adjusted his helmet, and said, "Alright, let’s go greet our guests. Today, we’re going to show these Lizardmen who the true masters of this continent are. Caladia is invincible!"

Boman and Fass exchanged a smile. The sight of Henry in his armor, great axe in hand, greatly eased the pressure they felt.

At the trio’s command, the archers and Crossbowmen ascended the dunes swiftly and in an orderly fashion.

The archers carried longbows and quivers of arrows, while Boman and Fass’s Crossbowmen were armed with crossbows. Though slower to reload, these weapons were immensely powerful, capable of piercing enemy armor from a great distance.

The crossbow was a weapon all nobles of the Empire were forbidden to use in internal conflicts—it was reserved for defense against Alien Races and could not even be used on bandits. That was why Henry hadn’t equipped his army with them on a large scale.

The three commanders selected over five hundred archers and Crossbowmen to line the crest of the dunes. They now held the best firing positions, waiting only for the enemy to draw near to deliver a fatal strike.

Behind them, fully-armed elite Warriors stood in formation. They wielded spears, swords, battle-axes, warhammers, and shields, ready to engage in melee combat should the enemy draw close.

If the enemy could make it through the storm of arrows, that is.

The Grassland Warriors and their riders were assigned to the flanks of the dunes. Their mission was rapid movement and flanking attacks, enabling them to quickly adapt their tactics on the battlefield and sow chaos among the enemy.

Mounted on their horses, they stood ready to charge from the flanks and assault the Lizardmen.

The distant Lizardman column halted its advance upon spotting the human army. They began to let out low growls, seemingly communicating with one another.

Henry used his Scout Passive Skill to carefully observe the Lizardmen’s movements.

He noticed a few individuals who looked distinctly different from the other Lizardmen. They appeared to be in discussion, perhaps debating whether to engage the human army.

Henry said to Boman and Fass, "Look over there. Those distinctive-looking Lizardmen could be their officers, or chieftains. Once the battle begins, make them priority targets."

Boman nodded. "Understood. Take out their command, and maybe the Lizardmen will surrender?"

Fass replied while checking his weapon, "It’s hard to say. To date, the Empire has never successfully taken a Lizardman captive. They either fight to the death or flee."

Salim, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. "My lord, the ones with different markings or headdresses are the Lizardman chieftains. You could consider them the officers of their units.

My grandfather told me that these specific Lizardmen are powerful Warriors. A single one of them can take on dozens of our men."

Meanwhile, the Lizardman chieftains’ discussion concluded, and the entire Lizardman force began to move.

They quickly formed a battle line, the taller Lizardmen raising their heavy shields to create a solid defensive wall.

Under the command of their chieftains, the Lizardmen began to advance on the dunes, the desert sand trembling with their approach.

Seeing the Lizardmen begin their attack, Salim quickly ran back to the wagon train. He was just here as a guide; he didn’t dare get involved in the fighting.

’If I die here, my wife will surely remarry, and my two sons will get bullied.’

Henry’s archers were all experienced veterans. They had seen countless battlefields and showed no fear of the bizarre, towering Lizardmen.

They calmly checked their bowstrings and adjusted their arrows, preparing to loose at the optimal moment.

Surrounded by their comrades, Boman and Fass’s Crossbowmen also appeared calm and composed, knowing that keeping a cool head was key to maximizing their combat effectiveness.

As the distance between the Lizardmen and the dunes shrank, their pace quickened.

When the Lizardmen saw the human soldiers drawing their bows and nocking arrows, they let out a deafening hiss—the signal to charge.

The Lizardmen broke into a run, intending to smash through the human defensive line with their powerful bodies and sturdy shields.

Henry stood at the highest point of the dune. ’The key to this battle is inflicting enough damage on the Lizardmen before they can close the distance.

We need to gain as much combat experience against these Alien Races as possible, so my army doesn’t become mere cannon fodder in the future.’

He raised his great axe and roared his command: "Archers, prepare to fire! Crossbowmen, target the chieftains!"

The archers swiftly drew their bowstrings to full, their arrows aimed skyward, awaiting Henry’s command.

The Crossbowmen, meanwhile, aimed their Crossbow Arrows at the conspicuous Lizardman chieftains, their fingers resting lightly on the triggers, ready to fire at any moment.

Just as the Lizardmen charged to within range of the dunes, Henry roared, "Loose!"

At his command, hundreds of arrows rained down on the Lizardman formation.

The Crossbowmen fired their Crossbow Arrows at almost the same instant. These powerful Crossbow Arrows smashed through the Lizardmen’s shields, and some even pierced straight through their bodies.

The Lizardmen’s charge was stalled by the sudden volley. Many were struck by arrows and collapsed onto the desert sand.

But the Lizardmen were unnaturally resilient; even with several arrows sticking out of them, they continued to advance.

The Lizardman chieftains let out furious roars, brandishing their Obsidian Weapons to inspire the Lizardman Warriors to press the charge.

Boman and Fass swallowed hard. The creatures could still move after being struck by several arrows. They were far more formidable than any Half-Beastman.

’They’re this hard to kill?’

"Ready! Loose!"

The archers let loose another quick volley while the Crossbowmen reloaded their Crossbow Arrows.

"Ready! Loose!"

Once the Crossbowmen had reloaded, Henry gave another command, and a sky-blotting volley of arrows and Crossbow Arrows flew toward the Lizardmen.

"Crossbowmen, fall back! Archers, ready... Loose!"

FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

After three quick volleys, the accuracy of the archers and Crossbowmen improved, but the Lizardmen were also drawing ever closer.

He turned to Bain and Philip and commanded, "Get our Grassland Warriors and their riders ready to attack. The moment our infantry engages the Lizardmen, have the Cavalry charge their rear."

Bain and Philip nodded and quickly relayed Henry’s command.

The Grassland Warriors and their riders began to muster on the flanks of the dunes. Their horses were ready; they were only waiting for the command to charge the Lizardmen like a raging storm.

"Infantry, advance!"