Chapter 94: First Wave 1
Zarian remembered times in the barracks when one Marine would set up nights for drinking and watching epic fantasy movies. There was a lot of booze, of course, and hours spent marathoning Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, the Chronicles of Narnia, and so on.
In those movies, he remembered how the heroes were cornered, their backs pressed against the wall, while the enemy forces seemed too big and scary and ruthless for anyone to fight.
He’d even felt dread for some of his favorite characters even though he knew the heroes usually made it out in the end, or he thought he knew. There were a few surprises here and there, which was why those big budgeted and chaotic battles were some of his favorites.
The suspense had always sucked him in deep. And even if he’d already watched the movie and seen the epic battle, he’d go back online to re-watch it just so he could catch anything he’d missed the first time.
The first battle of the Wolf Dragon Invasion, a Mythical Regional Event, was both exhilarating and anticlimactic at the same time. Most of the exhilaration came from Zarian living vicariously through the actions and reactions of the young soldiers and acolytes.
The young men and women were panicking, mumbling the first thoughts that came to mind, or praying aloud to their gods as they stood on the ramparts facing the horde of kobolds. Their hands shook wildly, making it a struggle to keep hold of the uncommon bows and arrows the dungeon had given them.
Each armament had their own minor enchantments for easier shooting and more penetration. That should give the acolytes some confidence in using bows and arrows even if they were still novices.
But their confidence, even after having tasted the hot chocolate, was washing away with the heavy rain as the kobolds drew ever closer. Since the kobolds weren’t in range just yet, the young soldiers and acolytes had to wait, and as they waited, the fear compounded.
One acolyte nearly broke away from formation.