"Hey, call everyone who can hold a weapon to join us," Jake said to Grommok. "That army is too big for us to handle. While that is a problem, it is also a good chance to destroy the core of their forces."
"Everyone?" Grommok asked.
"Yes, everyone," Jake replied. "Everyone will die anyways if we fail, might as well die while holding a weapon."
"Jake… that is a bit too much," Louise said with a complicated expression.
"If you have a better idea, then I am all ears," Jake said.
Louise's complicated expression only worsened since she didn't have any idea of what to do. The kobolds don't use magic, so her bugged skill was essentially useless right at that moment. The girls had bought some potions, but even so, those wouldn't be nearly enough to wipe out only the kobolds armed with crossbows.
"Those who have shields, approach us right now!" Louise shouted. "If you don't have a spear, grab one. Those who aren't strong enough, use bows or crossbows! Divide yourselves in three groups. Lancers, archers and support!"
Without any other choice, Louise had to rely on the basic knowledge she had of battlefield tactics. Fortunately, the NPCs were obedient enough, and she quickly managed to create a small army of three hundred orcs. One hundred of them were armed with shields and spears, and the second group was armed with bows and crossbows. Since the enemy was unorganized, her tactics should be effective to some existence.
"What kind of spells you can use?" Louise asked toward the orcs that supposedly summoned them.
"Only simple ones like Fireball and Ice Arrow," Grommok replied.
"All right… when I give the order, you guys will attack with the archers," Louise said. "Don't try to hold back."
Jake waited patiently for the enemy army to approach while he watched Louise. It seemed that she was planning to cause some damage from a distance and then drop the morale of the enemy. That would work against an organized army since they had several mages on their side, but the enemy wasn't an organized army… Nevertheless, Jake just had to wait and see.
After a couple of minutes, the enemy army finally approached, and even though they had run like mad dogs for a while and used some stamina, they didn't stop to catch their breath. Jake unsheathed his katana, but Louise stopped him again.
"What now?" Jake asked.
"If you dash alone, you will get hit by our attacks," Louise said. "Wait for them to approach a little more. You will be more effective that way. Unless you want to become the target of hundreds of kobolds."
"That seems like something that would be fun," Jake said.
Although he said that, Jake decided to wait. In the end, things would be easier for him if the attention of the enemies were dispersed. A single thrust on their throat was enough to kill them, but getting close enough to do that was a bit complicated.
When the kobolds finally entered their range, the archers and mages stepped forward and bombarded them with their projectiles. Louise also joined the fray, even though she had less mana than the orc summoners. The kobolds began to get hit and fall pretty easily since they were running in straight lines. At that point in time, Jake couldn't help but frown. Even if they are NPCs, why charge so recklessly? A single idea popped inside his head, but he couldn't say if that were the case yet.
Due to the massive barrage of attacks, hundreds of kobolds fell dead. However, several of them managed to approach the village since the bows and crossbows began to run out of ammo. The same could be said about the mages, so Louise gave them the order to retreat, and lancers stepped forward with their shields and spears ready to be used.
The kobolds began to collide against the shields and spears like drops of rain. They sure were fired up for a fight, and that only gave Jake the chance to jump into the fray and then behead several of them with Cyclone Strike.
You obtained 04 coins.
You obtained 04 coins.
You obtained 04 coins.
…
The kobolds in front of Jake focused on him, but the others completely ignored him, even though he was slicing up kobold after kobold. Several of them armed with crossbows pointed their weapons toward him, but Jake raised the body of one of them and then used it as a shield against the first barrage. Once it ended, Jake dashed toward them with all his might and cut their throats like a tornado. He tried to pick up their weapons and throw his allies in a hurry, but several kobolds tried to surround him. Once again, Jake used Cyclone Strike to kill some and knockdown others, but another group took their place… they finally realized that Jake was a serious threat.
"Hey, hey… give me a break," Jake said. "I just need five seconds, can't a guy be a nice team mate around here?"
Despite that, Jake still managed to throw two crossbows at his allies. When the enemies finally got close enough, Jake dashed toward them to escape the encirclement, and while he succeeded, he also pierced the heart of one of the monsters. Before the creature could fall, Jake kicked it, and then the corpse hit another kobold. When that one freed itself from the corpse, Jake had already got close enough to pierce its heart too. Now he just had to worry about four others, but then he saw them agonizing while their faces were covered in poison. Louise covered for him as if she was saying to him to send the remaining crossbows.
"Maybe I should grab some of those and hit the faces of those creatures," Jake muttered. "They don't wear much armor, after all."
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