The snakefolk troops didn’t charge en masse. The first wave of about seven or eight hundred formed a skirmish line and slithered toward the walls.
These northern warriors were tall; upright they generally exceeded two meters. Though their racial growth ceiling was similar to humans, at the same level their physical stats surpassed them.
Moreover, this expeditionary force was the snakefolk elite, fresh from the crucible of war, average level noticeably higher than the city’s defenders.
High in the air, a wingfolk cautiously clutched a Puchi and flew forward.
He dared not rush. Flying too recklessly and misjudging distance had already cost one clansman his life: shot down by a mage’s water arrow, barely landing before being hacked apart.
When he felt the distance was right, he hurled the Puchi downward into the snakefolk mass.
The Puchi tumbled through the air, short legs flailing in the wind, about to hit the ground.
BOOM!
A small clearing exploded in the snakefolk ranks. Two snakefolk were blasted away, but their scales protected them from serious injury.
At the same time, on the city wall.
“You idiot! Why detonate early?!”
“I… I thought it was close enough! Any later and it would’ve splatted on the ground!”
Angela cut off her Puchi masters’ argument. “Quiet! Use all the Puchis! All of them!”
This temporary commander wasn’t a Puchi master herself. She only hoped these cheap magical pets could whittle down the enemy as much as possible before proper engagement; even tiring them out was something.
The city now had just over four hundred Puchi masters left, with nearly eight thousand Puchis. They surged out the open gates like a tide.
Predictably, trampling incidents occurred.
The first-time-combat Puchi masters had forgotten all their training tactics, mechanically repeating charge orders to their Puchis.
Fortunately, the round Puchis were light; trampling casualties weren’t too heavy.
At first, seeing the white wave pour from the gates, the snakefolk charge clearly slowed.
The visual impact of a Puchi tide was indeed impressive.
But when they saw what was coming, mocking hisses rose from the snakefolk ranks, and their charge sped up again.
When the first snakefolk soldier met the Puchi line, it happened exactly as expected: a casual spear sweep turned five Puchis into scattered remains.
This made the snakefolk even more contemptuous.
The next moment, black-and-white floods collided.
“Fire! Archers and crossbows, shoot!” another commander shouted.
“But the Puchis are still down—”
“Are you brain-dead?! Forget the Puchis! Shoot!”
Sparse arrow rain mixed with mushroom cannon fire from the wall began indiscriminately striking both sides below.
It had to be said, the eight hundred snakefolk had earned their boldness.
Human arrows either bounced off scales or barely penetrated without fatal injury. Shots that hit Puchis, however, killed instantly.
With double advantages in racial stats and levels, if the snakefolk reached the walls, morale would collapse in no time.
Yet the snakefolk vanguard commander quickly sensed something wrong.
His thick tail suddenly recoiled, barely dodging a steel fork thrusting from the side.
The attacker was one of his own snakefolk soldiers. Seeing the miss, the soldier forced an apologetic smile and pointed at a Puchi that had darted past, indicating he had only been aiming for the little thing…
While the idiot tried to explain, the commander personally witnessed another Puchi dart from behind and hug the soldier’s tail.
The soldier instantly convulsed like he’d been electrocuted, body twisting uncontrollably before crashing to the ground.
He wasn’t dead yet, but paralyzed on a chaotic battlefield was little different.
The commander swiftly speared two approaching Puchis and quickly scanned the field.
Similar scenes were happening everywhere!
When the lines were distinct it hadn’t been obvious, but once fully entangled, he suddenly felt like he was stepping on cockroaches; powerless.
These small mushroom creatures weaved nimbly between the snakefolk’s tall bodies. Everywhere was a path for them.
Every snakefolk swing risked hitting allies. To avoid friendly fire, their movements grew hesitant and restrained; attack frequency plummeted.
Yet they couldn’t ignore the Puchis!
Electric shocks, self-destructs, poison bursts; endless dirty tricks tormented the snakefolk!
They were brave tribal warriors, not omnipotent special forces. Against these endless underhanded tactics, they were completely overwhelmed.
Most unbelievable was the Puchis’ killing power!
A wound on the commander’s tail bled steadily; left when he had whipped a spinning Puchi to death.
Those sharp edges had easily cut through his tough scales, leaving such a deep gash.
He couldn’t understand how humans on the wall, so weak, had pets whose attacks outdid their arrows.
Retreat?
Because of walking mushrooms?
“Cough cough…” While the snakefolk commander struggled internally, he suddenly began coughing violently.
Weakness spread from his chest. Alarmed, he realized his grip on his weapon had weakened by twenty percent.
He jerked his head up, only now noticing the sheer number of dead Puchis. The air was thick with visible spore dust, like a thin mist cloaking the battlefield.
Who knew how many toxins floated in those particles!
He raised a hand to order retreat, but the snakefolk main force behind sounded the retreat hiss first.
Though every snakefolk was wounded, they withdrew in decent order, even carrying their heavily injured comrades.
On the wall, Viscount Knight excitedly wanted to order pursuit, only to be firmly held back by Angela and the other commander.
Many defenders erupted in cheers of survival. They could hardly believe they had repelled the ferocious demon assault just like that!
A headcount: over three thousand Puchis dead, around a hundred snakefolk killed.
Angela wasn’t overjoyed. The snakefolk still had plenty left. One or two more waves and they’d be finished.
…
Meanwhile, the snakefolk leader’s face was grim watching the battered vanguard return.
He had thought this just a small, easily cracked city. Losing over a hundred warriors without even touching the walls!
“Chief, we’re running low on antidotes!”
Most returning snakefolk showed varying degrees of poisoning. They weren’t imperial regulars; logistics weren’t comprehensive.
“Give them to the worst cases. Mildly poisoned… tough it out!”
The vanguard commander was poisoned too but refused precious antidote. He dragged his weary body to the chief. “Boss, do we keep attacking?”
The leader didn’t answer immediately, instead looking to the priest beside him who had been sensing with eyes closed.
After a while, the priest slowly opened his eyes. “A large mass of white creatures still gathered inside the city. Probably all those magical pets.”
Hearing the report, the snakefolk leader decided. “Pass the order. Head west. I remember another town that way.”
Though furious at the losses, since this was confirmed tough prey, he wouldn’t let his tribesmen bleed further here.
This independent operation had been the demons’ reward for their assistance.
Losing men over it would be putting the cart before the horse.
After the troops moved out, the leader specially warned the priest. “Next time we meet those damn walking mushrooms, remind me early. Our tribesmen’s blood shouldn’t be wasted on this!”
(End of Chapter)
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