Volume 2: Spreading Wings Chapter 145: The Attack of the Jackals
Just as Levi had speculated, as more and more God's chosen heroes were resurrected after being killed, the sky in the direction of the rocky highlands in the distance became increasingly fiery red. Everyone knew that the situation was somewhat serious, because it was obviously caused by the strong power of fire.
And as we all know, most demons are associated with fire.
However, they did not have to worry for long. Accompanied by a series of noisy and excited dog barking, at least five or six hundred coyotes and hyenas, driven by a large number of jackals, launched an attack on Maple Leaf Village.
At a rough glance, the number of enemies in this wave alone is close to one thousand.
Because Levi had already reminded the other party before, the old village chief did not panic this time. He made a prompt decision and summoned many God-chosen heroes and those unrecruited adventurers in the tavern to fight a defensive battle. He also communicated with the quartermasters and garrison leaders from the town, and they united together to issue a small defense mission.
Although the High Elves' garrison was considered elite, their numbers were not large, with only a squadron of 60 people, and not many were left in the barracks waiting to be recruited.
After all, this regional mission has a limit on the total number of recruits available to the God-chosen heroes. Even the largest number of Tier 2 High Elf Shield Spearmen has a cap of only 1,000, and they are dispersed among many novice villages. After so many days, it would be good if there are only a few dozen left in Maple Leaf Village, so of course they need the strength from the God-chosen heroes.
Levi thought about it and offered to be responsible for defending an area. The number of jackals who died at their hands had already exceeded a thousand. He took a quick look and knew that although these guys were numerous, they did not pose a big threat. It was a good opportunity for Cindy, Zhou Miyin and the new elephant man Bayoru to gain experience points.
As the garrisons withdrew one after another, wooden barricades and fences were set up, and the gates were closed. Levi also asked Donna to lead the long-range troops to seize the advantageous terrain first.
Although this small village does not have a real city wall, it does have some watchtowers, walls, shooting holes and the like. Staying in these places will also improve the shooters' range, accuracy and even damage. Although the increase is not large, some bonus is always good.
As for Levi himself, he was protected by many melee troops. Now there were at least hundreds of people in front and behind him. It was an unprecedented safe moment, and he could cast magic as he pleased.
However, for some consideration, he did not use Ma Youfu's micrometeor.
He was already a well-known figure in several nearby villages, but as his fame grew, more and more people would surely be jealous of him, and he didn't want everyone to know the disadvantages of the long casting time of magic.
In order to keep the secret, he didn't even summon Yakong and the Gaidingtian tribe.
When they formed their formation, one of the gnolls roared first, followed by a series of responses, and hundreds of enemies rushed over like waves.
But at this time, the village had gathered dozens of God-chosen heroes, and there were as many as four to five hundred long-range shooter units alone. When the enemy came into the shooting range, they all chose to attack even without any orders.
All of a sudden, arrows rained down like rain, instantly covering half of the sky. Dozens of enemies at the front fell to the ground and died instantly.
But despite this, the enemies behind showed no fear. They kept charging forward, and with the advantage in numbers, they quickly forced their way out of a bloody path. At one moment, weapons and claws were wielded together, and the village's simple fences and walls became precarious almost in the blink of an eye.
At this time, it was the turn of the melee troops armed with spears, halberds and other weapons to show their power. Since the number of enemies was so large, they didn't even need to aim. It was enough to just keep stabbing forward to ensure that every strike would draw blood from the weapon.
At the same time, many God-chosen heroes from different professions also began to show their power.
At once, the magic of mages and warlocks, the divine arts of priests and paladins, the war songs of bards, etc. appeared one after another, immediately opening the eyes of many indigenous people.
What's more, Levi personally saw a guy throw two thick energy pillars to the ground, and then jump around them like a shaman. The scene looked extremely weird.
But the effect was quite good. Many nearby troops benefited from it. Sparks appeared on their weapons. This turned out to be a large-scale fire enchantment ability.
With the joint efforts of everyone, Jackals were killed every minute and every second. Sometimes, because they died so quickly, even the system did not have time to refresh. The Jackals behind would often step directly on the bodies of their companions and try to cross the low fence.
Although they are often pierced through the defenseless chest and abdomen by several weapons at the same time when they just leap up, and then thrown heavily to the side.
But despite this, the jackals did not show any fear. It seemed that they would do anything to kill the enemy in front of them!
The old village chief's face changed instantly. In the past, although some short-sighted guys occasionally ran to the village entrance, they were usually killed by the hunters on the watchtowers or easily killed by the garrisoned high elf troops. This was the first time for him to come into contact with so many enemies at such a close distance.
Although the legendary jackals are savage, cruel, and bloodthirsty, they are not pure brainless beasts. They also know how to make choices and know fear.
But now it seems that they have completely lost their fear and have all turned into mad beasts!
But on the contrary, many God-chosen heroes were extremely excited. Normally, they would take the initiative to find monsters, and the time wasted on the road might be longer than the actual fighting time. But now it was the other way around, and it was a great time to gain experience points!
But they were happy too early, because after fighting for about a quarter of an hour, they had almost wiped out this wave of jackals. Before they had time to clean up the battlefield and pick up the spoils, new wolf howls were heard in the distance. Another wave of jackals had arrived, and their number was still the same!
Although Levi did not try his best, his side had the overall advantage after all. So after fighting for about a quarter of an hour, the second wave of jackals was also eliminated, but many people's faces were not so good.
Because most of the outer barricades, fences, etc. had been destroyed in the first wave of attack, they had lost a lot of terrain advantages and gradually suffered casualties in the second wave of attack.
If they continue like this, it will only be a matter of time before they are completely destroyed. By then, they will completely lose their defensive advantage and will inevitably engage in a bloody and brutal hand-to-hand combat, and their casualty rate will definitely increase greatly.
But the ones who were more worried than them were the old village chief and his companions. It was less than an hour now, and the number of jackals, coyotes and hyenas they had killed was almost two thousand. No one knew how many were left behind. They were just like ants, appearing in endless numbers.
Moreover, Maple Leaf Village is not the closest village to Stoney Highlands, nor is it the only village. If every village is attacked by so many gnolls, the total military strength of Stoney Highlands will be extremely terrifying. Their ambitions must be very big!
But despite their worries, they were powerless to change the status quo, because the attacks of the jackals were endless, and soon the third wave of attacks came again. This made the God-chosen heroes, who were originally very happy, couldn't help but complain and even curse, because they had not had time to take away all the spoils.
But no matter what, they could only retreat back to the village quickly and resist with the remaining fortifications.
However, as time went on, the average strength of the jackals was slowly and steadily improving. In addition, the outer defense facilities were gradually destroyed, and the casualties of both the village and the many chosen heroes began to increase rapidly.
It was only at this time that some people realized the situation and wanted to use their military merit points to recruit subordinates to replenish their troops.
However, they were told that this idea might not work for the time being because everyone was participating in the battle and even the village had no more reserve forces. These troops did not appear out of thin air.
Although many God-chosen heroes were wailing, they were still unable to change the status quo. The only exception was probably Levi and his men, because from beginning to end, only their troops had been standing on the front line and were almost indestructible.
And probably because he and the gnolls had become mortal enemies, many gnolls' eyes turned red when they saw him, and they all tried desperately to run over and give him a couple of claws.
This certainly put the subordinates under greater pressure, but it also brought greater gains. Because they killed too many enemies, not only did half-elves advance one after another, but also Jade Warrior Spearmen and Bee People.
The Jade Warriors have always been fighting on the front lines, so it is normal for them to advance quickly. The Bee People advance quickly because they all have certain combat experience. Moreover, as flying units, they are too comfortable when fighting against the gnolls who have almost no ranged units. It is difficult for them to miss even with their eyes closed.
Of course, this is also inseparable from Janet's command and Levi's logistical supply.
The blowguns and arrow needles obtained from the poisonous lizardmen had very low attack power, so after a brief consideration, Levi went to the village blacksmith shop and ordered a large number of high-quality arrow needles for them, which slightly improved the attack power.
But the best performances should be the newly joined elephant man Bayoru and saber-toothed tiger Laksiri.
The former swung his large shield in front of him, which was an insurmountable fortress for ordinary jackals, and he wielded his battle axe with great force, and every move drew blood. Once he encountered a jackal who intended to escape, he would throw a flying axe, which could often directly crack the opponent's head, with quite great power.
It is because he has not yet mastered the relevant skills or expertise, so his accuracy is a bit problematic. Within seven steps, he is fast and accurate, but beyond seven steps, it depends on God's will.
However, because the number of the invading jackals this time was large enough and the density was high enough, even if he threw it into the sky, it would hit other jackals when it fell to the ground, so there was no need to worry about wasting it.
As for the saber-toothed tiger Laxili, although this kind of passive defensive battle is not what it likes, nor is it good at, its basic attributes and skills are too excellent, and it shares Donna's enemy ability, which truly adds wings to the tiger when fighting against these werewolves.
Its two-foot-long fangs could leave two huge bloody holes in the body of a gnoll with one thrust;
Once the basin-sized tiger paw lands firmly on the weaker jackals, a series of bone-cracking sounds will often be heard from their bodies, and then they will fly out in a spiral, spitting blood as they fly;
If the enemy is caught by its front paws, it will kick him once or twice at the right time. The whole process is smooth and takes less than half a second to complete. However, the enemy's fate is extremely miserable. Not only will he be disemboweled, Levi even saw an unlucky guy who was kicked in two by it.
Regardless of the amount of damage, the effect alone is enough to make the chosen heroes around you astonished and extremely envious.
As the most famous wild wandering BOSS in the vicinity, few people are unaware of this powerful beast with both good looks and strength. There have even been more than one chosen hero who was easily wiped out by it when trying to encircle and suppress it.
Unexpectedly, it was tamed by Levi now, and it was so powerful in actual fighting, which made some druids and rangers envious to death.
But what makes Levi most satisfied should be his magic pet Xiao Qi. After storing the first-level magic of summoning elements for it many times, its experience value has been rising continuously, and now it has been upgraded to level 1.
It was obvious at first glance that Xiao Qi was a magical pet of the magic system, so like himself, the attribute points after the upgrade were also put into intelligence. Unfortunately, apart from a slight increase in the magic limit and the power of the three-color rainbow light jet, its special abilities remained intact, and it did not seem that it would be easy for it to grow.
But despite this, Levi is already very satisfied. After continuing to grow for a period of time, the magical pet may be able to share its innate power with the magician as its master, and one of Xiaoqi's talents is the ability to fly.
Levi was really curious, how would Xiao Qi share this talent with him? Flying magic was not an ordinary low-level magic.
With the arrival of another wave of enemies, both the indigenous people and the chosen heroes were replaced one after another due to continuous casualties, but only Levi and his men still stood on the front line of the battle.
This time, the way they looked at Levi was obviously different.
If they had only heard about it before, now they have witnessed with their own eyes the strength of Levi's troops, it is true that the reputation is well deserved!
But Levi was not surprised at all. Just kidding, with the protection of soldier bees, Guang Yakong's anti-evil magic ring, his own mage armor and Janet's tree skin magic, with so many auxiliary forces, plus the excellent strength and equipment of his subordinates themselves, what can the low-level werewolves do to them?
At the same time, in this battle, Levi also witnessed the combat characteristics of other professional God-chosen heroes.
How should I put it? He felt that his original choice was very correct, because whether in terms of the role played in actual combat or simply in terms of appearance, professions such as mages and warlocks were the most outstanding.
Although they may not be very aggressive at this stage due to limitations in level, expertise and equipment, they are definitely the most eye-catching presence on the battlefield.
Next are the priests who can fight, resist and heal, the versatile druids and bards, and then the warriors, monks and rangers.
Their actual combat effectiveness may not be low. Levi even witnessed a warrior-type God-chosen hero holding a two-handed greatsword and killing more than a dozen gnolls in succession without suffering any serious injuries. However, in terms of the ability to attract attention, they are not as good as a low-level wizard next to him who can only cast burning hands and magic missiles.
As for the bottom one, it seems to be the thief.
Although Levi noticed that a few guys used some special tricks, such as stun, brick, kick or backstab, but in such a large-scale head-on battle, they didn't have many opportunities to perform. This was determined by their professional expertise.
But no matter what, the fighting continued, and although not every battle was as intense as the beginning, it lasted longer than anyone could imagine.
It was not until the sun set in the west that the jackals in front of them finally became sparse, and then after a rain of arrows, they all turned around and fled. It seemed that this large-scale attack was completely over.
Seeing this situation, almost everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Many people showed expressions of surviving a disaster, even many of the God-chosen heroes were no exception.
If at the beginning, they were delighted to have such a great opportunity to gain experience points, but later, as the battle continued and the casualties of the troops gradually increased, this joy turned into irritation and even numbness, because they had almost no way to retreat and could only passively face the gnolls' wave after wave of attacks like a tide.
Although these jackals look brainless, they possess greater combat intelligence than wild beasts. They will not use the tactic of adding fuel to the fire. They will come in at least several hundred pieces at a time, and bring with them even more coyotes as cannon fodder.
And sometimes, the second wave of jackals comes before the previous wave has been killed, making it difficult for everyone to find a suitable opportunity to rest.
After the old village chief distributed the mission rewards such as reputation, military merit points, experience points, gold coins, etc., many of the chosen heroes didn't even have the mind to exchange for military merit or replenish supplies. They just wanted to log off as soon as possible and have a good sleep. Their bodies might not have reached their limits, but they couldn't bear it mentally.
Not everyone is as obsessed with this world as Levi. Most people still regard it as a place for leisure, entertainment and passing time.
But many indigenous people could not be like them, because although the gnolls left, they left behind a devastated village.
Although Levi and his men worked very hard and performed extremely well, they were unable to take care of the entire area, which resulted in large areas of the village's outer defense facilities and even some houses being destroyed.
So they now need to clean up the ruins as quickly as possible and rebuild their defenses, because no one can be sure when the next attack of the werewolves will come.
Even those who are in the know, such as the old village chief, are more worried, because once night falls, the fighting power of the jackals will be enhanced, and the chosen heroes will no longer be a help to the village!
At the same time, the village defenders also suffered heavy losses. Even though the troops from the high elves were considered elite, the biggest weakness of their squadron was that they did not have any mages or priests.
It may not be obvious at ordinary times, but when in such a long battle, this weakness will be magnified countless times.
Although Levi felt pity, he didn't have much to do. All he could do was probably kill as many jackals as possible to reduce the threat they faced.
Moreover, his subordinates were also very excellent. Although there were bound to be some casualties in the low-level troops, after only half a day of fierce fighting, nearly ten subordinates were advanced. This frequency could be said to be quite high, and another war goose had also successfully advanced to a royal war goose.
Even Levi had accumulated enough experience points to increase his combat level, so he chose to upgrade directly.
Then he found that he didn't know whether it was because his level had increased or because he was already a formal wizard, the 0th-order magic in the random list disappeared directly, and the quality of other magic had also improved significantly. There was even the first time that 3rd-order magic appeared, and there was more than one!
"The current random magic list is:
Level 1 magic: Heart Arrow, Fright, Death Face.
Level 2 magic: elemental darts, fins into toes, and ghoul rune barrier.
Level 3 magic: Undead Lieutenant, Stinking Cloud."
Ignoring several level 1 magic spells, Levi was a little hesitant about levels 2 and 3.
Abyss Ghouls have already appeared in the Stoney Highlands, so it seems only natural to choose a rune barrier specifically to fight them.
But the Undead Lieutenant in the 3rd level magic, judging from the name, might be a magic that strengthens the undead, or summons the undead. If I choose it, combined with the many summoning magics I have already mastered, maybe I can really declare myself a summoner.
As for the last one, the Stinking Cloud Technique, it seemed to be a relatively rare magic, because he had not seen any related information so far.
Generally speaking, when this happens, it is either very weak and unpopular, or it is very powerful but is deliberately hidden by many magicians. If you don't have enough information, choosing it is basically equivalent to gambling on luck.
After thinking about it, Levi decided to consult his companions and other God-chosen heroes around him. One person's shortcomings are better than two people's.
So a few minutes later, he directly chose the Stinking Cloud Technique, because the barrier needed to be drawn in advance and was a passive defensive technique. Although it was very effective against zombies and could slow down or even paralyze the opponent in a short period of time, it was rarely used in actual combat.
The Undead Lieutenant is the favorite of the Necromancers. It is used to enhance the combat effectiveness of low-level undead creatures. It would be a waste if he chose it.
No one knows the relevant information about the final Stinking Cloud Technique, but even if you open a blind box, it is stronger than choosing other magic. At least judging from the name, it should be a range magic.
Stink Cloud, level 3, active skill, consumes 40 magic points to create a foul-smelling, nauseating fog. The area of the fog is 5 times your intelligence (square meters), and the duration is the sum of your level and intelligence (seconds).
Creatures in the fog will have a chance to enter a special nausea and vomiting state based on their level and physical attributes. Any action they make may become slow or interrupted, the chance of spellcaster failure is greatly increased, and this state will continue for several seconds even if they leave the area covered by the fog.
Note 1: Wind or other similar skills can blow away the fog, but unless it is continued, the fog will gather again after 10 seconds.
Note 2: The power of fire or thunder may dispel stinking clouds, but it may also strengthen them.
Note 3: The mist of Stink Cloud is similar to the effect of poison, but it will not cause any direct harm. Creatures that do not need to breathe or do not have breathing organs, as well as other special creatures such as elementals, undead or mechanical creatures, will not be affected by this magic unless they are willing.
Wow, after reading this introduction, Levi was immediately glad that he had made the right choice, but at the same time he was a little wary. Isn’t this the nemesis of the spellcaster?
If I were to be cast with the Stinking Cloud Technique, even with my expertise in focused casting, I'm afraid the failure rate of my spellcasting would be greatly increased, right? With my small body and that little physical fitness, I still couldn't expect to be able to withstand it.
It seems that I have to take some preventive measures, such as blocking my nose and breathing through my mouth? I don't know if this will work, and how much it will help.
But the system describes it so seriously, I don’t know how bad it stinks, or what kind of stench it smells like…
After making the decision secretly, his attention immediately turned to the scene where the previous battle had been fierce, and where both sides had suffered the most casualties.
Although the system has an automatic refresh function, the color of the land there has changed permanently.
Although Levi did not feel any special magical power, the fact that the color had changed from the original earth-gray to the current purple-black color full of filth and ominousness, and even some broken bones had not been refreshed, was enough to explain something.
Is it because the blood of the werewolves is too filthy, or is it that the strong smell of death has even begun to permanently change the condition of the ground beneath their feet?
Would this lead to a greater disaster? After all, he remembered very clearly that the name of this plain was the Plain of Bones.
The Undead have been making unusual moves recently. If they seize this opportunity, and the Kobolds and the Black Dragon behind them get involved...
Although he is still scaring himself, Levi still feels a headache just thinking about it.
Normally, the High Elves rely on their superior military forces to conquer the south and the north, and occupy large areas with relatively abundant resources. But once they fall into trouble and lose the legendary lord Dragon Prince, they are likely to be attacked by enemies from all directions!
At this moment, there was a soft cry in the sky, and a giant eagle that looked about the same size as the Flame War Goose appeared in everyone's sight, temporarily interrupting his thoughts.
Without even landing, the giant eagle circled in the air for a few weeks. The knight on its back spoke a few words to the old village chief at a rapid speed, then threw a letter over and left.
Judging from the direction he was flying, it should be another novice village.
Because there was still some distance, Levi didn't hear the specific content clearly, but when he saw the drastic change in the old village chief's expression, he knew that this was definitely not a good thing.
As expected, the next moment the old village chief came straight to Levi and said, "Lord Levi, the three villages of Delga, Shaqui and Embry have all been breached. All the guards were killed in the battle and innocent people were slaughtered. The enemy is not only gnolls, but also real demons!"
Hearing this, the people around couldn't help but be shocked. Maple Leaf Village is considered to be a relatively prosperous village in the vicinity with relatively strong overall strength, but it is not the village closest to the Rocky Highlands. Those three villages are.
Now Maple Leaf Village has survived, but the other three villages have all been breached. Considering the hatred that the gnolls have for all other intelligent creatures, as well as the years of hatred between them and the high elves, it is unlikely that there will be many survivors in those villages.
During the seven-day regional mission, the chosen heroes slaughtered tens of thousands of gnolls, but if the gnolls counterattacked today, there would be at least thousands of victims in the three villages combined.
And everyone knows that this is probably just the beginning.
Several God-chosen heroes even wailed on the spot, because they were from those villages and just happened to stop in Maple Leaf Village today. After hearing the old village chief's words, they finally understood the matter, and they were immediately furious.
"Fuck, what the hell is going on?"
"I've finally gotten to Respect, but now I can't even find the village on the system panel!"
"I haven't even left the Novice Village yet, but the Novice Village is gone first?"
Although he felt somewhat sympathetic, Levi was not particularly surprised. If he had not been in Maple Leaf Village, the village would probably have suffered heavy damage today. Those villages that were the first to be hit but were weaker found it difficult to resist the attacks of the jackals.
"So, what else does the letter say?"
"The acting lord told us not to hold on. She asked us to organize the villagers and the nearest village to gather forces and retreat towards the town together if the situation permits."
Levi narrowed his eyes immediately: "Town? The nearest town, Ashridge, is hundreds of miles away from here. Not to mention the sporadic monsters in the wild, there are also undead blocking the road in the east. How can you guarantee your safety?"
If the journey was not so long and difficult to march, many of the chosen heroes would have already gone to the town. Apart from anything else, at least in terms of equipment, supplies, and recruitment of soldiers, the town is much better than the village.
But because it was difficult to travel, even the former traveling merchant Tros could only go there once every few years, and he basically followed the regular army and asked them to help clear the way ahead.
But if the entire village were to relocate, the danger would increase many times, because ordinary villagers did not even have a class. They were much more vulnerable than the militia. Any poisonous snake or wild dog could take their lives.
Moreover, once they gave up voluntarily, the village would definitely become a ruin under the invasion of gnolls and demons, which meant that all the years of hard work of the high elves and half-elves would be burned to ashes. It would probably take at least a dozen years or even decades to reoccupy the village and rebuild it to its current appearance.
However, she was able to make such a decision in such a short time. Although this acting lord is a woman, she should not be underestimated.
The old village chief gritted his teeth and said, "The acting lord did not make any mandatory demands. She is trying to reach a truce with those greenskins. If we can hold out for three days, perhaps reinforcements will arrive. She has also asked for help from many surrounding temples."
Levi shrugged his shoulders. It would be fine to ask for help from various temples. The demons from the abyss could be said to be the enemy of most intelligent races and gods in the entire main world. Since the gods still expected their people to believe in them, they would certainly not allow them to be killed by the demons.
But a truce with the greenskins? You really dare to think about it.
As one of the two major berserker races along with the demons, the greenskins will only sneak away if they are subdued or frightened. They will not dare to harass you for a short period of time until they regroup and feel they can do it, then they will attack again.
But how could the greenskins stop fighting just because the enemy asked for peace?
"So, you came to see me for?"
The old village chief gritted his teeth again and said, "If you can find out the true situation of the Stoney Highlands and report it to the Acting Lord, it may be more helpful for her to make a decision, and our reinforcements may arrive earlier!"
It can be seen that he really doesn't want to leave his hometown unless it is absolutely necessary.
Levi thought about it seriously and felt that it was feasible. Even without the other party's request, he wanted to go to the Rocky Highlands again.
Whether it was because of the old wizard Tess, the witch Tiwa and the end-time Chen Cone, or the other fly demons and Yeenoghu fangs that might exist there, they were all attracting him.
"Okay, I can promise you, but you should know how much risk this involves."
Levi rubbed his fingers together, making a gesture common to almost all races.
Sympathy is sympathy, but the rewards that should be given should not be reduced.
Of course, if the other party is too stingy, Levi will still go to the Rocky Highlands, and there will be no need to follow the other party's rules.
The old village chief was immediately cheered up: "Thank you, Lord Levi, don't worry, I will not let you down, because this is not only my own wish, but also the wish of the whole village and even the acting lord!"
