As the team crossed a mountain ridge, the full view of Blackstone Town finally appeared before their eyes.
The town was not large, surrounded by a crude wall built with thick logs and stones.
At this moment, this fragile line of defense was under fierce attack.
A group of diverse monsters were frantically assaulting the town's wooden gate and walls.
The most numerous were half-human, half-snake creatures, with upper bodies covered in grey-green scales, strong arms wielding rusty scimitars or bone spears, and long, thick snake tails for their lower bodies, slithering across the ground with extreme speed.
These should be the “Magic Snake Claw” mentioned in the intelligence, appearing to be some kind of snake-people.
Besides the snake-people, there were also some massive lizards, resembling wild oxen.
Their skin was dark brown, covered in hard keratin, and green venom constantly dripped from their mouths; each impact made the wooden wall groan under the strain.
These were Poison Marsh Lizards, known for their tough hides and potent venom.
In the sky, several Corrupted-Winged Flying Snakes with wingspans over two meters were circling; their wings resembled rotten leather, and when they found an opportunity, they would swoop down, and with piercing screeches, snatch soldiers or civilians into the air before dropping them.
The town's defenses were clearly insufficient; scattered town militia, armed with spears and bows, stood on the walls, their counterattacks appearing somewhat weak, as people were constantly hit by the snake-people's thrown spears or contaminated by the Poison Marsh Lizards' sprayed venom, screaming as they fell.
The wooden gate had been battered, cracking open with fissures and on the verge of collapse.
Behind the monster horde, a figure wearing a tattered black robe and holding a snake-shaped wooden staff topped with a skull was particularly eye-catching.
He was hunched, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood, only a pair of cold, green glowing eyes visible.
He seemed to be directing the attack, muttering incantations and occasionally waving his staff, shooting out streaks of dark green light, either empowering the monsters to make them more berserk or directly attacking the guards on the wall.
“It's the Shadow Snake Priest!”
A knowledgeable old Great Knight beside Lei Luo exclaimed, “Damn it, these are Hydra's claws! That priest is very troublesome!”
Shadow Snake Priests are known for their cunning, treachery, and mastery of shadow and poison magic.
“Prepare for battle!”
Lei Luo drew the knight's longsword from his waist, its blade glinting coldly in the sunlight.
He could feel the fear and despair of the people in the town, and the chaotic, evil aura emanating from the monsters.
“Lord, we…”
A knight hesitated, the enemy was numerous, and there was a difficult spellcaster.
Lei Luo did not turn back, his voice resolute: “We are the guardians of Blackstone Territory! Now, our people are being slaughtered! Knights, draw your swords, for glory, for the territory, charge with me!”
Before he finished speaking, he had already spurred his horse down the slope, like an arrow released from a bowstring, charging directly towards the flank of the monster horde.
Lei Luo clearly knew that when his own prestige was insufficient, leading the charge was the only way to inspire his subordinates to fight bravely.
Aide drew his sword, following closely behind.
Seeing this, the other knights also drew their swords in unison.
Bolin was also surprised by Lei Luo's bravery; after all, this young lord had not yet broken through to become a true Great Knight.
Drawing his sword and spurring his horse, if this child who hadn't even fully matured wasn't afraid, what did Bolin have to fear?
“Charge!”
Infected by Lei Luo's courage and determination, the knights' blood surged, and they shouted in unison, following closely, forming a sharp wedge formation, rushing towards the chaotic battlefield.
“Meow!”
Moonlight also sensed the aura of battle, letting out an excited roar.
It propelled itself with its four limbs, transforming into a silver-white lightning bolt, leaping into Lei Luo's arms.
The appearance of this reinforcement immediately attracted the attention of both the monsters and the town's defenders.
The militia on the walls were stunned at first, then burst into thunderous cheers: “Reinforcements! Reinforcements are here!”
Slark, the Shadow Snake Priest, also noticed the squad of knights who had suddenly charged out.
A flicker of surprise passed through his green eyes hidden in the shadows, which then became even more sinister.
“A bunch of fools who don't know their place! Kill them!”
He shrieked, waving his snake staff, pointing it at Lei Luo and the others.
A portion of the snake-people and several Poison Marsh Lizards immediately changed direction, heading towards the charging knights.
As the warhorses galloped, Aide had already moved past Lei Luo, loyally fulfilling his duty as personal guard captain, protecting his lord behind him.
“Kill!”
Aide charged at the forefront, swinging his longsword.
Pfft!
The longsword easily tore through a snake-person's scales, bringing forth a spray of dark green blood.
The snake-person didn't even have time to scream before being sent flying by the immense impact.
Aide did not pause for a moment, twisting his wrist, his sword flashing, instantly cutting down two more snake-people who tried to encircle him.
Under the power of a peak Great Knight, these low-level snake-people were almost no match.
The knights who followed closely also collided with the monsters.
Excellent weapons and armor, combined with skilled horsemanship and combat techniques, gave them a clear advantage when dealing with these low-level monsters.
Knightly lances pierced through the relatively soft underbellies of the Poison Marsh Lizards, and greatswords cleaved open the bones of the snake-people.
However, the number of monsters was still vast, and under the spell enhancements of the Shadow Snake Priest, they fought without fear of death, counterattacking frantically.
A Poison Marsh Lizard opened its gaping maw and spat a thick green venom at a knight.
The knight reacted quickly, raising his shield to block; the venom landed on the shield, making a sizzling corrosive sound and emitting wisps of white smoke.
On the other side, several Corrupted-Winged Flying Snakes swooped down from the sky, their sharp claws reaching for the knights' helmets.
The aerial attacks made it difficult for the knights to cope; two knights were dragged off their warhorses by the harassment of the Corrupted-Winged Flying Snakes, and if not for their iron armor, they would have perished by now.
Seeing this, Lei Luo's heart stirred, and he patted Moonlight's small head.
“Moonlight, use your magic, blast those stinky snakes in the sky down.”
Moonlight proudly tilted its small head, let out a soft “Awoo,” and several lightning bolts descended from the sky.
They accurately struck the Corrupted-Winged Flying Snakes; two of them immediately plummeted, while the remaining ones trembled from the shock, quickly flapping their wings and flying away, no longer daring to approach.
The fallen Corrupted-Winged Flying Snakes were easily cut down by the knights; these first-order monsters, being fragile and light-bodied, were no match for armored knights without the advantage of flight.
“Well done, Moonlight!”
Lei Luo praised, his longsword not stopping, as he again cleaved open the head of a charging Poison Marsh Lizard.
And the defenders on the walls, seeing the reinforcements fighting so bravely, were also greatly boosted in morale and began to counterattack with even greater vigor.
Slark, the Shadow Snake Priest, turned extremely grim.
“Useless! A bunch of useless trash!”
Slark furiously pounded the ground with his snake staff, a cunning glint in his eyes.
He knew that this surprise attack would likely not succeed.
If he continued to fight head-on, he might well be trapped here himself.
While continuing to command the remaining monsters to engage the knights regardless of casualties, he quietly retreated, his body gradually merging into the shadows.
The shadow quickly faded, soon disappearing without a trace.