With the Gnomes drawing them in, more than a hundred bloodthirsty Ogres charged toward Yang Ling. Their three-meter-tall frames, rippling muscles, and those giant clubs… Even Yang Ling was feeling nervous. The cowardly Gnomes almost wet themselves in fear.
“Quick, charge up to the top of the hill, quick!”
Seeing the Ogres still fiercely chasing after them despite being struck by the poisonous stingers of the Horned Bee Beasts, the Gnome Elder’s face went pale. He had witnessed the power of the poisonous stingers. An ordinary person would not even be able to lift their fingers. To think that these Ogres could run this fast even after being hit. It was incredible!
Amidst the roars of the Ogres, facing the threat of death just before them, the Gnomes rushed forward frantically, using all of their strength. The ambushing troops behind the shrubs on the hill were their only hope for survival!
Forty steps, thirty-nine steps, thirty-eight steps…
The Gnome Elder leading a few brave warriors at the back of the group could faintly see the Evil Eye army behind the shrubs, but at the same time, he could also smell the heavy breath of the Ogres behind him.
Am I going to die here?
Turning his body to avoid an attack from the Ogres, the Gnome Elder clenched his teeth and charged forward with the last of his strength, his mind a complete blank. The heavy footsteps of the Ogres tugged tightly on his nerves, every sound like a hammer slamming on his brain. His heart beat with every powerful footstep, as if it would soon jump out of his chest.
“Sir, do it! It will be too late if you don’t attack now!” Seeing the Ogres approaching them, Argus swallowed with difficulty.
The Ogres were a powerful race in the Ladak Mountain Range, and they were very dangerous when it came to close combat. Even the violent Earth Bears were often not a match for them, much less an average person. The outcome would be disastrous if the Ogres managed to engage Yang Ling’s troops in close combat.
War is the best way to train a soldier!
The barbarians were breathing heavily, and the elf archers were holding their weapons rigidly. Yang Ling shook his head. These soldiers would not be able to become true elites without war as a rite of passage.
The ambushing Magical Beast army was different. Even the naturally lazy Evil Eyes were composed, much less the unnerving Horned Bee Beasts and Gargoyles. After undergoing several bitter battles and evolutions, they had gradually changed from mere Magical Beasts to cold-blooded warriors, ready to strike.
“Compose yourself and wait a little longer!”
Seeing that there were still many Ogres swarming out of the cave, Yang Ling clenched his teeth. The Ogres wouldn’t be able to retreat once they entered the radius of his embattlement.
The Ogres surged after the Gnomes despite being poisoned. In their eyes, the skinny Gnomes were not only a group of enemies, they were also a hearty serving of tasty food. Seeing the fearful Gnomes, they could practically smell the scent of fresh brain matter!
In their carelessness, they hadn’t noticed that there were a few dozen more trees, nor did they notice the few small holes near the top of the hill. In the blink of an eye, almost three hundred Ogres had charged into the radius of Yang Ling’s trap.
Twenty-eight steps, twenty-seven steps, twenty-six steps…
Just as the Ogres were prepared to tear the tired Gnomes in two, something unexpected happened!
A dozen shrubs turned into ten-meter-tall giants, their joints covered in sharp spines, their rippling muscles akin to hardy slabs of rock.
Looking at the Withered Tree Warriors closing on them with large steps, even the ferocious Ogres could not help but swallow with difficulty. It was the first time they understood what fear was.
The Ogres were surprised, to say the least.
Rubbing their eyes, they did not understand how the common shrubs had somehow turned into giants. But seeing the bloodthirsty Withered Tree Warriors, they knew that the situation was disadvantageous to them no matter how dumb they were.
In the instant when the Ogres were dazed, the prepared Magical Beast army attacked!
Under the command of the Evil Eye Tyrant, the Evil Eyes shot out blinding light. The Ogres felt an intense light flash before their eyes, then their eyes became filled with pain. That feeling was as if their eyes had been filled with thick smoke, or as if Ladakma Bees had stung their eyes.
In order to capture the Ogres alive, Yang Ling had changed his plan at the last minute.
The Evil Eye army immediately stopped attacking and retreated under the commands of the Evil Eye Tyrant, forming a second line of defense. The barbarians stood their ground, protecting the elf archers and the Evil Eye army behind them.
The Withered Tree Warriors were responsible for disrupting the Ogres’ formation, while the Gargoyles supported them from the side. The spider army that laid in ambush was responsible for blockading the path of retreat and clearing the caves after most of the Ogres had come out.
This way, the responsibility for attacking would lie on the Horned Bee Beasts and elf archers.
At Yang Ling’s command, the army of Horned Bee Beasts split into ten teams and unleashed waves of attacks. They were like battle jets, hovering low as they shot out bolts of stingers.
At the same time, the elf archers did not disappoint Yang Ling; their arrows landed accurately on the kneecaps of the Ogres.
Even though Yang Ling had expected the Ogres to be powerful, he was still shocked at their exceptional defensive capabilities and the power of their charge!
At close range, the arrows of the elf archers could pierce through the armor of ordinary cavalry, but it could only pierce a little into the bodies of the Ogres. It looked like it would take a heavy crossbow to penetrate their developed muscles.
Furthermore, an average person would not even be able to move a finger after being hit by the poisonous stinger of a Horned Bee Beast. But the Ogres could still walk at high speeds, only falling to the ground after being hit by the second, third, or even fourth stinger.
Under the heavy attacks of the Withered Tree Warriors, Horned Bee Beasts, and elf archers, the Ogres became crazed, howling as they attacked the Withered Tree Warriors like bulls.
Some of them ignored the sharp thorns and hugged the legs of the Withered Tree Warriors, unwilling to let go even after their heads were bashed in. Some let out loud roars, unleashing frantic attacks with their giant wooden clubs on the lower bodies of the Withered Tree Warriors. Some even charged forward without regard, planning to attack Yang Ling on the top of the hill.
The Ogres were powerful and berserk, but they still fell under the combined attacks of the Withered Tree Warriors, Horned Bee Beasts, and elf archers. In front of absolute power, schemes and courage bore no significance.
With the Ogres falling one by one, Yang Ling turned his gaze to the cave on the other side. But just as he was about to give the spider army the command to attack, a deafening roar came suddenly from the largest cave.
Roar!
The sudden roar was low and powerful. Yang Ling could feel the ground shaking with every roar. The roars became clearer and clearer, more and more powerful, as if some monster was approaching them from underground.
Hearing the frenzied roaring, the helpless, defeated Ogres trembled, all of them struggling to get up. The cowardly Gnomes trembled, and the experienced Gnome Elder no exception. His face was pale, his limbs cold and rigid, as if he had caught a whiff of the scent of death.
“Sir, retreat, retreat quick. That is the sound of a demon, it is the sound released by the undead souls of the Ogres. Let’s leave quick, otherwise it will be too late!” After swallowing hard, the Gnome Elder looked at Yang Ling in fear. He wanted to run as far away from here as possible.
Undead souls?
After hearing the fear-inducing roar, Yang Ling looked at the fearful Gnomes and the uneasy Magical Beast army, then he looked at the Ogres struggling to get up. Yang Ling fell silent as he deliberated on a plan.
The Ogres were adept in both offense and defense, and they had immense strength. They not only made the most optimal laborer, they were also excellent fighters. If he could bring them back and tame them, they would definitely be extremely valuable warriors.
He would not be able to escape too far away with this many captives, but he would feel indignant if he left the Ogres on the ground. It would be like throwing away a piece of meat that he was about to eat.
“Get into formation, quick!”
After a moment’s deliberation, Yang Ling decided to take a gamble. Under the protection of the Magical Beast army, he would be able to ride the Unicorn and retreat if things went south. There were not many Magical Beasts that could catch up to the Unicorn on the Tailun Continent.
The Withered Tree Warriors, Evil Eyes, and barbarians had just gotten into their formations when a massive twin-headed Ogre charged out of the largest cave. Behind him were a large group of bloodthirsty Ogres.
Roar!
Taking a whiff of the thick metallic stench of blood, then looking at Yang Ling and his group on the top of the hill, the ferocious twin-headed Ogre roared into the sky. He was about four meters tall, and his eyes were red. Red hair grew out of his two heads like quills on a porcupine. There was a red lump of flesh between his two heads. It looked like a third head, but also a large tumor, making him look exceptionally ferocious.
“The Twin-headed Ogre King! Oh lord, Sir, retreat, retreat quickly!”
The Gnome Elder trembled, leading his clansmen to hide behind the army, fearful that the Twin-headed Ogre King would suddenly charge toward them. If not for the army and Yang Ling’s incredible abilities, the Gnome Elder would have fled the area together with his clansmen.
