Chapter 154 : Chapter 154
Chapter 154. Eternal Shadow (3)
The main officers of the new recruit unit, which was at least battalion-sized in scale, were as follows:
New Recruit Unit Commander: Terne (3-star)
New Recruit Deputy Unit Commander: Zailo (3-star)
New Recruit Infantry Commander: Antonio (2-star)
New Recruit Archery Commander: Hugo (2-star)
New Recruit Cavalry Commander: Manolo (2-star)
As could be inferred from the familiar names, all the officer positions of the new recruit unit were drafted from the Special Task Force Infantry Platoon.
Originally, he intended to draft other personnel, but the overall stage of the applicants was too low.
Everyone wanted to remain in the Main Battalion and follow Roden closely.
Roden had no choice but to personally select the officers to send to the new recruit unit.
So the ones he selected were the soldiers of the Special Task Force Infantry Platoon.
Because this side had many soldiers who had low stages yet held relatively low positions.
Terne, Zailo, and Hugo originally held squad leader positions, and Antonio and Manolo didn't even hold any positions at all.
So for Roden, it was regrettable to just leave these skilled personnel as they were.
Sending the five people as officers of the new recruit unit at this opportunity was also due to this reason.
Above all, in the case of the Special Task Force Infantry Platoon, there were many outstandingly skilled people so that there would be almost no blow even if these five were missing.
It was natural since the unit consisted of people who had followed Roden the longest and adapted to the new training methods early on.
However, the new recruit unit was still just barely equipped, and the individual skills or experiences were still very lacking.
This was why Roden enchanted and supplied new equipment and told Michael to conduct large-scale battle training.
“Waaaaah!”
“Defeat the enemy!”
Although it was only a week, the momentum of the new recruit unit currently charging following Roden was different from before.
Confidence was definitely felt.
And now was the time to show this confidence with skill.
***
Deniz, who was watching the siege warfare from a place close to Velia Castle, was startled by the appearance of the new recruit unit.
It was unavoidable because the person leading the new recruit unit and charging at the forefront was none other than Roden.
‘Oh no! He didn't return to Velia Castle after killing Prokle that day!’
Deniz thought Roden naturally returned to Velia Castle.
Because he thought a single point breakthrough was the only way to escape Velia Castle.
But to think he appeared with the new recruit unit.
It was something Deniz couldn't even imagine.
Because Deniz thought of the new recruit unit only as a special unit carrying out small-scale guerrilla operations until now.
But to think they could play the role of a relief unit because their scale was battalion-level.
He was bound to be shocked.
To make matters worse.
After confirming the appearance of the new recruit unit, the movement of the Main Battalion changed.
From focusing on defense moderately, they started taking the offensive.
‘Do they intend to drive us out together with the relief unit? No. This movement is closer to attempting a single point breakthrough to escape Velia Castle while the relief unit draws attention.’
Deniz read Roden's thoughts without difficulty.
But reading thoughts didn't mean a response was possible.
The proof was that Roden and the new recruit unit had already reached the Imperial Army right in front of their noses.
“Form ranks and respond to the Allied Forces' attack!”
Before Deniz could even say anything, the Imperial Army commander had already raised his voice, but it was useless.
The Imperial Army, flustered by the sudden appearance of the new recruit unit, couldn't move swiftly.
It was a regrettable point that the number of commanders had become insufficient due to losing Prokle and high-ranking nobles not long ago.
Eventually, the Imperial Army had no choice but to face the charge of the new recruit unit with all their battle lines collapsed.
“Kkeuaaak!”
“No!”
It was very fortunate for the new recruit unit.
Because it was a situation where it would be difficult for the new recruit unit to get good results absolutely if the battle lines were well-formed.
Like that, the new recruit unit, which dealt with the Imperial Army not badly in the first clash, continued to drive the attack.
Especially, Roden and Michael's performance was dazzling.
There was no one who could possibly stop the two people who were 7-star and 6-star knights respectively.
Deniz gritted his teeth seeing this and hurriedly ran towards where the new recruit unit appeared.
At that time, the castle gate opened suddenly and the Main Battalion started pouring out of Velia Castle.
Responding without missing the opportunity.
Since the Main Battalion looked superior to the new recruit unit in terms of overall strength, Deniz had no choice but to be indecisive about where to block first.
And even in the meantime, the numbers of the Imperial Army decreased rapidly.
‘At this rate, the situation won't end simply with the Main Battalion escaping, but we might lose altogether.’
Deniz, feeling a sense of crisis, pondered and then ran towards the new recruit unit.
Then,
Kaang!
He shouted while deflecting the sword of Michael who was fighting relatively close.
“Deal with the relief unit quickly first! This side is weaker!”
Certainly, concentrating strength to clean up the weaker side first was the basic of tactics.
Because only then could they face the strong side head-on quickly.
Thanks to Deniz setting the line and blocking Michael, the Imperial Army's battle lines gradually became stable.
If they succeeded in cleaning up the new recruit unit like this, the one who would eventually win would still be the Imperial Army with numerical superiority.
However,
“Now! Everyone cast what you prepared!”
Roden, who was watching the war situation change, shouted, and accordingly, the new recruit unit soldiers recited one by one.
“Poison.”
“Poison!”
Like that, the new recruit unit soldiers' swords took on a strange green light.
The Imperial Army felt ominous at such a change and hesitated for a moment, but since nothing happened immediately, they just immersed themselves in the fight.
As a result,
“Ugh! What is this?’
“Damn it……. What did they do?”
Such mutterings flowed from the mouths of the Imperial Army soldiers.
Because the more they crossed swords with the new recruit unit, the dizzier their heads became, the heavier their bodies felt, and the blurrier their vision became.
One of the Imperial Army commanders grasped the reason for this change belatedly.
“Don't tell me... did they apply poison to the swords?”
To be precise, it wasn't applying poison, but giving an effect like applying poison.
Because Roden enchanted the 4th-circle magic Poison Touch on the new recruit unit's swords.
The poisoning effect of Poison Touch wasn't very big.
Even, unless one received a direct wound from the sword, the effect wasn't exerted.
However, during battle, no matter how high the stage was, receiving one or two sword wounds was unavoidable.
Also, even if one didn't die at once, it was the basic principle of the battlefield that the possibility of losing one's life increased immensely if one's posture was disturbed by a slight poisoning effect.
What Roden dug into was this blind spot.
“Everyone be careful not to get wounded by the swords!”
Although the Imperial Army commander shouted like this belatedly, it was already too late.
There were already too many people poisoned by Poison Touch.
Chaeaeng! Chaeng! Chaeaeeng!
Deniz ordered while pushing Michael in a one-on-one duel.
“Don't spare the recovery-type crystal orbs and use them!”
However, recovery-type crystal orbs only healed wounds and had no detoxification effect.
For that reason, even after using recovery-type crystal orbs, the Imperial Army soldiers still staggered on the spot.
Eventually, the momentum of the Imperial Army, which seemed like it would annihilate the new recruit unit at once, was dampened.
And without missing this gap, the Main Battalion started clearing a path with a single point breakthrough from the rear.
A situation where the Main Battalion would succeed in escaping Velia Castle as Roden aimed in a little while.
Deniz felt frustrated and overexerted himself.
“Eit!”
Raising his aura at once to cut down Michael.
However,
Kaang!
Someone blocked Deniz's front and at the same time, Deniz's pupils dilated.
Because the person who blocked Deniz's sword was Roden.
“Uaaak! This bastard until the end!”
Enraged Deniz raised his momentum and attacked Roden.
Various flashy secret techniques poured from Deniz's hands, splitting the ground, whipping up winds, and soaring flames.
However, Roden calmly received all these attacks.
He didn't just receive them, but Roden also pressured Deniz utilizing secret techniques.
Especially when the secret technique of Soler Swordsmanship, Sea Parting Strike, unfolded from Roden's hands, even Deniz had no choice but to be startled.
If Deniz didn't have a secret technique specialized in defense, the Imperial Army would have lost the big star called the head of the Bazar family.
Like this, Roden and Deniz engaged in a back-and-forth offensive and defensive battle.
Accordingly, Deniz's impatience reached its peak.
‘Should I try using even an explosive crystal orb? No. If I use it for no reason, only the damage to our allies will grow larger.’
Since the new recruit unit also had defensive magic enchanted on their shields, they could easily block explosive crystal orbs.
Even, it was possible to create a situation where they bounced off explosive crystal orbs with defensive magic and damaged the Imperial Army.
What Deniz was worried about was such a scene.
‘Eventually, do I have no choice but to watch with my hands off? While the Allied Forces escape alive?’
It was then.
A huge energy approached right in front of Deniz's nose, who had many thoughts.
Surprised by this, Deniz came to his senses and saw black sword energy flying towards him.
It was Decisive Killing Gate, one of the secret techniques of Glockner Swordsmanship.
‘……This is?’
Deniz instinctively tried to use a secret technique specialized in defense to block Decisive Killing Gate by raising his sword.
However,
Uuuung!
Before the black sword energy covered him.
Deniz's figure disappeared somewhere in that posture.
Judging that blocking Decisive Killing Gate was impossible, he used a mobility-type crystal orb.
Certainly, the use of the secret technique specialized in defense was much later than Decisive Killing Gate.
So it was impossible for Deniz to block Decisive Killing Gate.
Therefore, choosing evasion using a mobility-type crystal orb wasn't a bad choice.
However,
Pishushushushut!
Due to this choice, other soldiers of the Imperial Army had to lose their lives.
“Uaaak!”
“My leg!”
The Imperial Army soldiers who were in the straight direction of the black sword energy screamed while dying or receiving fatal wounds.
And with this scene as the end, the Main Battalion succeeded in a single point breakthrough and could leisurely escape the battlefield.