Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 377 Breaking the Army
Amidst the deafening sound of horses' hooves, the sand and gravel on the ground began to tremble slightly.

It sounds like the whole world is collapsing.

In the firelight, the cavalrymen on the sand dunes were silhouetted against each other, and the dull rumble of countless horseshoes striking the sand filled Thales's ears, making it almost impossible for him to hear even the nearest voice.

They charged toward the caravan's small camp.

Getting closer.

"No, no, no," the caravan's leader, Tomding, seemed terrified. He glanced at the orcs blocking his path, then at the desperately fleeing Stonebreaker tribe behind him, and finally turned back to look at the Star Riders sweeping across the mountains and plains in his field of vision. He murmured, completely bewildered, "We...we..."

The other merchants were no less alarmed than him, and some even wept in fear.

"Dean, we're stuck in the middle!"

Thales, who was lost in thought, was pulled back to reality by the female captain's words. Looking at the cavalry line charging in the distance in his father's name, with its fierce momentum and chilling killing intent, his face turned pale.

Clearly, this wasn't the perfect moment to smile, wave, and say "Hello, comrades."

After all, he doesn't have four legs.

"They're charging!"

Amidst the clatter of hooves and battle cries, Louisa's expression was urgent, her voice hoarse and strained: "We can't survive!"

The prisoners were in a state of panic.

"By the God of the Desert..." A merchant trembled as he watched the approaching cavalry, too frightened to speak.

“No, no,” Tomding crouched down, his voice trembling as he managed to squeeze out a sob, “We’ll die…we’ll die…and my cargo…”

"You fat bastard, stand up and shut your mouth!" The bald mercenary yanked Tomdin up from the ground, angrily interrupting the caravan owner's impromptu speech about alienating people.

The thunderous sound of hooves shook the ground.

More and more cavalry figures entered the firelight, becoming indistinctly visible.

The twenty-odd orcs blocking their path roared furiously, rubbing their weapons together, ready to fight to the death to intercept them.

"Their target is the orcs..."

Dean's expression had never been so grave. His gaze swept back and forth between the orcs and Star Riders facing each other, his eyes hardening: "As long as we can find cover and avoid their first wave of attacks..."

Old Hammer coughed: "Also, don't forget those orcs who are fleeing for their lives. The Star Army won't let them go. We need to stay away from their pursuit route!"

McGee spat out a bloody tooth and pointed to a secluded sand dune on the left side of the camp: "There!"

"Excellent!" Dean's eyes lit up. He took a step forward and laboriously kicked aside a box blocking his way. "Everyone, follow me! Don't leave any weapons behind!"

The female mercenary captain gritted her teeth and followed closely behind Dean: "Let's go!"

The group of prisoners fled frantically across the sand, using both hands and feet, without any sense of direction.

To their flanks and rear, more than twenty orc interceptors were getting closer and closer to the cavalry.

The prisoners finally took cover under the sand dunes on the side of the battlefield. They crouched down, shielding themselves from the cavalrymen's sight, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thales quickly slid down the dune with the others, then rolled over and climbed up two steps, peeking out half his head like Dean did, watching with tension and awe as the cavalry charged down the dune and filled most of his field of vision.

“At least a hundred riders,” Old Hammer said, his condition not looking good. He leaned against Quick Rope, pale and panting, but his eyes were still sharp as he looked at the battlefield. “And there are almost twenty Crow Whistle Light Cavalry inside, which is not common.”

One hundred cavalrymen?
It felt like a massive army.

Thales clenched his fist and said silently.

In the distance, the war chieftain Kandar, with his more than one hundred men, fled at breakneck speed in the opposite direction from where the cavalry had appeared, getting further and further away from their rearguard companions.

"More than a hundred..." Quick Rope asked in confusion, looking at the fleeing orcs: "But there are also a hundred or two gray bastards. With their strength of one against ten, why are they running away?"

Old Hammer shook his head and didn't say anything.

“Who cares about all that?” Merchant Tomding interrupted Quick Rope, who was about to ask a question, and patted his chest, still unsettled. “Anyway, those bastards got away…that’s a good thing.”

Just now.

"Cruery!"

The roars of the alien bloodline warriors echoed from the other side of the battlefield, resounding among the fleeing ranks!

The prisoners all turned their heads and looked to their right, towards the fleeing Lieshi tribe.

Telston's eyes narrowed instantly.

"Thump... thump..."

On the other side of the battlefield, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed in the shadows beyond the reach of the firelight, followed by countless shouts of battle.

“My God, that’s…” McGee’s eyes widened in disbelief.

One by one, unfamiliar and swift figures appeared before the crowd, their horses' hooves pounding through the darkness, their armor gleaming coldly.

cavalry.

The second cavalry force.

They were like deadly assassins who had been waiting for a long time and suddenly appeared from the shadows, rushing towards the fugitives with unstoppable force!

"You bastards!"

A cold voice rang out from the newly arrived cavalry: "Do you like surprises?"

Faced with the sudden arrival of the enemy, the roar of the Khandal Warchief grew more and more urgent, forcing the fleeing orcs to slow down and regroup.

Old Hammer looked at this surprise force with a serious expression.

These newly emerged cavalrymen galloped at full speed, their hooves making a louder and deeper sound than those of the Clomar family's cavalry. They were also more uniformly equipped and exuded a chilling aura of killing intent.

"outflank!"

Old Hammer frowned: "This is a trap."

“The Clomar family’s cavalry are just long poles for chasing rabbits, responsible for driving the enemy into the trap, while the cavalry that circle around to this side are the real bear traps,” sighed the veteran of Starfall. “The One-Winged Raven… they must have planned their tactics and formations in advance.”

“It’s different,” Dean suddenly said.

Seeing the others' confusion, Dean pointed to the newly appeared cavalry: "Look at the flags."

Thales narrowed his eyes in confusion, activated his Hell Senses, and saw the battle flags fluttering among the cavalry.

really.

That's not a one-winged raven.

Instead, it was a flag that Thales did not recognize: the pattern on the flag, when viewed from a distance, looked like a few bright stars, hazily shrouded in a cloud of misty dust.

"Stardust Banner!"

Old Hammer exclaimed in surprise, "It's the Stardust Guard!"

Upon hearing this, many people were taken aback.

"The Stardust Guard at Baki Camp?" Louisa asked, frowning.

Thales looked at the others, puzzled.

Old Hammer nodded.

“Look closely, their warhorses are different from those of the Clomar family. They are not the ponies native to the Western Wilderness. They are taller, bigger, and heavier,” the veteran observed the new cavalry carefully. “They are a hybrid of northern horses and plains horses, with greater impact and explosive power.”

"This group of cavalry is a standing army stationed on the western front, directly under the command of the royal family."

"Baron Williams' Stardust Guard".

Royal standing army?
Thales' eyes lit up.

That means these people are trustworthy... right?

"Thank you, Desert God; thank you, Sunset; thank you, Bright Moon; thank you, Dark Night; thank you, all the kings of the Star Kingdom..." Tomding patted his chest, tears welling in his eyes. "I knew it! Ever since my great-grandfather served the 'Wise King,' our family has been loyal to the Star Kingdom for generations. Fate wouldn't let us die here..."

Everyone pursed their lips and didn't answer.

But Old Hammer frowned slightly.

"Unbelievable, the Baron's Stardust Guard and the Clomar family's conscripted army..."

"This is definitely a big operation... This is the first time I've seen these two groups of guys who can't stand each other go on an expedition together since the Desert Wars..." Old Hammer muttered.

Thales frowned slightly.

"But those are orcs! Indestructible grey bastards!"

Quickly counting the number of people, he asked in surprise, "I counted, this group of newcomers... what kind of Star Guard, there are only a few dozen people in total. Do they really think they can gain an advantage by rushing in like this?"

As they spoke, the Stardust Guard cavalrymen, like a sharp dagger, mercilessly pierced the flanking man!

They encountered the enemy and engaged in battle earlier than their colleagues from the Clomar family.

The question about the rope was answered immediately.

Thales saw that the dozen or so orcs at the back had formed a defensive line among the fleeing people. They turned to the side to avoid a collision, while steadily raising their shields and weapons, bulging their strong muscles and tendons, ready to stop the rapidly charging horses.

The cavalry at the forefront arrived in an instant, meeting their blades head-on.

The prince held his breath.

He expected to see cavalry clash head-on with orcs, but he was wrong.

The next second, with a piercing screech, dozens of tiny black figures darted out from among the cavalry and instantly disappeared into the orcs' formation!

"Whoosh—whoosh!"

As the orcs cursed and cried out in pain, two of the dozen or so orcs bent over in agony, and the fleeing group was thrown into chaos!
"Cavalry crossbow!"

Old Hammer exclaimed, "It really is the Stardust Guard! This kind of weapon is only used by elite cavalry to tear through enemy lines..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Stardust Guard cavalrymen threw down their crossbows, stepped onto their stirrups, and roared as they drew their swords and spears!
They clashed with the orcs, but it was still not the head-on confrontation that Thales had imagined.

The first orc swung his great axe with both hands, slashing at the first charging knight.

The axe whistled through the air, but the knight calmly steered his horse in a different direction, thrusting out his lance in an instant.

The flashes of axes and the shadows of spears clashed in the air.

"laugh!"

The horses swept past the orcs at incredible speeds and angles.

The knight rode away, never looking back.

The large axe slammed into the sand.

The orc turned around in disbelief, looking down at his chest: a broken spearhead pierced through his chest cavity from front to back, staining his armor red.

The severely wounded orc roared in grief and rage, its dying strength surging through its body. Enraged, it turned around, wanting to find its next target, but found in despair that the human knights, like a swarm of bees receiving a command, turned around and rushed past it on both sides, like waves crashing against a reef, not bothering to exhaust its strength, and no longer paying attention to its weak cries.

"Thump... thump..."

The horses' hooves rolled past, and the orc's fingers could only weakly brush against the air.

The next moment, it knelt down and its body was permanently buried in the yellow sand.

It's not the only one.

Not far away, an orc, facing a knight charging with a sword, roared as he raised his shield and braced himself with his waist and legs!
"clang!"

Taking advantage of the orc's strength and size, it simply swayed its feet and forcefully withstood the heavy blow!
But before it could retaliate, the second knight swept past the orc on the other side.

A cold glint suddenly flashed.

His saber lightly sliced ​​across the orc's unprotected neck.

"Shh-"

Amidst a deafening roar, the orc's neck blood gushed out, and his shield fell to the ground with a thud.

"Fool." The knight's disdainful voice, mixed with the sound of hooves, finally reached its ears.

Such scenes were commonplace during the cavalry's first charge:

Some orc warriors died from a tricky charge; others were hacked to pieces by the cavalry rushing past, eventually bleeding to death; some skilled orcs parried several knights with great effort and skill, only to have their heads slashed open by the next enemy who always appeared nearby; some orcs swung their axes wildly, full of ferocity, but only made the relentless cavalry wiser to avoid their attacks; and still others, after a round of charges, stood on the spot, covered in wounds, swaying precariously, looking at their fallen comrades and crying out in despair.

More and more orcs were wounded and bleeding, collapsing to the ground after their futile rage.

Wherever the horses' hooves went, only blood remained.

The voice of the Khandal Warchief shook the heavens, but it could not save his men from death.

The prisoners hiding nearby stared in disbelief.

“See? This is the answer,” Old Hammer shook his head and said, “When we’re standing on two feet, we can’t even match one of their little fingers.”

"But when you step into the stirrups, sit in the saddle, and charge forward with your eight-hundred-pound mount, everything changes—your field of vision widens, your weapons lengthen, and the world shrinks."

"Even once invincible opponents have inevitably become weaker."

Even orcs.

Quick Rope stared intently, seemingly forgetting to answer.

"Elite, the Stardust Guard is a rare elite force, don't forget that," McKee scoffed, "They're one in a hundred..."

Old Hammer shook his head and coughed heavily: "Don't forget... cough cough... they weren't facing easily defeated sand bandits or self-preserving exiles, but one of the most terrifying forces in the Great Desert, the elite warriors of the Riftstone Tribe under the Dragonbone Throne. They are also elite troops, acting collectively, with discipline no less than the legionary soldiers of the Stars, and their willingness to die is comparable to the heroic warriors of the North."

McGee turned his head away and stopped talking.

Thales listened carefully to their conversation.

And so, the Stardust Guard, charging at high speed with their powerful engines, unstoppably tore through the first line of defense hastily erected by the orcs.

They disregarded whether there were any survivors in the first wave of attacks and charged straight into the ranks of the fleeing people.

Amid the chaos, Kandar's roar echoed once more.

A second line of defense was set up: a dozen or so orcs, each holding a long spear and shield, roared as they stood together, looking out for each other and protecting the flanks of their companions.

As the cavalry approached, the orcs shouted in unison, and at the command of a scarred chieftain, they raised their shields to meet the enemy and thrust out their spears.

Shields form a wall, spears form a forest.

Pointing to the approaching cavalry.

However, the knight leader who charged towards it merely glanced at the enemy's spear formation, frowned, and whistled.

The next second, the cavalrymen turned sideways, pulled on their reins and changed direction. Once again, they split up like water, bypassing the enemy formation from both sides and abandoning any confrontation with the formation.

The scarred orc roared wildly, seemingly indignant at its opponent's escape and cowardice.

But the attack was not over.

The sound of hooves rang out again, but this time the attack did not come from the front: a group of cavalry bypassed the defenses, gathered on both sides, turned, and charged again toward the unprotected flanks and even the rear of the orc formation.

“On the battlefield, every extra leg you have over the enemy,” Old Hammer sighed, watching the Stardust Guard bypass the frontal assault and attack the enemy’s flank, “gives you one more option.”

"Hula—"

The scarred orc roared, deflecting the oncoming cavalry saber and using his immense strength to pull his opponent off his horse.

But then, a sword strike from the side severed its head.

Swords flashed and blood splattered.

The orcs standing with it also met a terrible end: some died from flanking attacks, while others were pierced through the back by cold swords and spears. Those orcs who turned around to face the pincer attack were slit in the throat from the undefended front. Even those who survived often fell helplessly to the ground in the next attack organized by the cavalry.

The second orcish defense line, caught in a pincer attack, immediately collapsed.

Thales watched this scene in disbelief.

He still remembers the scene when the caravan was attacked: amidst screams and fighting, the enemy attacked from all directions with overwhelming force. Sharp weapons tore apart the bodies of their companions, and people fell every moment. Blood and death were ever-present.

He desperately swung his shield and longsword, suppressing his panic and fear as he resisted the orcs' relentless attacks, but could only collapse weakly in despair and pain.

But now, the orcs, those terrifying tribal warriors who still haunted him, were the ones being beaten without any chance to fight back.

Now, it is their turn to be terrified, confused, and panicked, facing the omnipresent blades, experiencing the death of their companions and the power of their enemies in fear and anger.

After this initial charge, the Stardust Guard cavalry slanted through the fleeing ranks and escaped the enemy lines before more orcs could close in.

They galloped some distance, then reined in their horses, turned them around, regrouped, and charged back into the fray.

Charging, attacking, disengaging, turning back, charging again, attacking again—these were the repetitive cycles of the less than one hundred human cavalrymen.

They were like sharp knives, thrusting out, withdrawing, and thrusting out again and again, bringing a new wave of bloodshed and reaping the lives of the beastmen.

The prisoners were so engrossed in watching that they forgot to breathe.

Kandar's roar became more urgent and shrill.

“On the chessboard,” Dean remarked with a touch of melancholy, “the chariot and the knight are often the favorites.”

Everyone else turned to look at him.

Dean slowly shook his head: "Because in the same round, they take the farthest number of steps."

"Look!"

The skeleton man, McKee, who had been staring intently at the battlefield, shouted, "The Chromar family!"

The prisoners all turned their heads.

On the other side of the battlefield, the twenty-odd strong orcs who had been left behind to cover the rear finally encountered the Chromar family and the cavalry charging down from the sand dunes.

Surprisingly, compared to the agility and nimbleness of the Raven Whistle Cavalry and the back-and-forth charges of the Stardust Guard, the Clomar family chose a completely different strategy.

It is unclear when it started, but cavalry like the Raven Whistle Cavalry had long since bypassed the interceptors. The front ranks of the cavalry had been replaced by heavily armored knights with long weapons, their shields and armor adorned with fierce single-winged ravens. They came rolling in, kicking up dust.

Majestic and imposing, with an aura that commands respect.

He faced more than twenty orc warriors, all with similarly muscular builds and clad in armor, clearly born to intercept!
Louisa narrowed her eyes: "No way...they're going to..."

Dean nodded, his expression grave: "Heavy cavalry charge."

"Clearly, the one-winged raven doesn't want to waste time."

Thales' eyes widened.

That's right.

Shock.

A head-on collision, iron against iron, face to face, no dodging, no evasion, no fancy moves!

At a shout, the first rank of heavy cavalrymen all lowered their lances.

The orcs covering the rear roared and turned to the side, bracing their shields with their shoulders and drawing their swords in preparation for a counterattack.

at last.

"boom!"

With a terrifying roar, the heavy cavalry's lances clashed violently with the orc's shields!
The sounds of spears breaking, shields shattering, orcs screaming in pain, and humans cursing erupted into a chaotic cacophony.

Thales' face showed shock. He witnessed once again the unparalleled strength of the orcs: in the middle of the line, an orc with a ferocious face was pushing against his shield with all his might, his muscles and bones bulging. With a desperate roar, he stepped back three steps on the sand. Not only did he withstand the charge of the heavy cavalry, but he also used his waist and abdomen to throw the heavy cavalryman and his horse to the ground!

It roared and howled, and with one axe stroke, it ended the life of the fallen knight.

This power...

The prince realized that there was a reason why Kandar left this elite force to cover the rear.

But their performance ended there.

The next moment, just as the orc who had just flipped his opponent up raised his head to the astonished gaze of the prisoner, the second heavy cavalryman leaped over the horse on the ground and slammed his spear heavily into its shoulder!
"boom!"

With a deafening roar, the orc, exhausted and on its last legs, could no longer endure it. It swayed to the side and watched helplessly as the heavy cavalry roared away.

The third heavy cavalryman charged relentlessly, striking it squarely in the chest.

With a terrifying crash, the orc, who had just unleashed his power to defeat the enemy, was sent flying backward like a punching bag.

It collapsed to the ground, coughing up two mouthfuls of blood in agony, unable to get up.

The orcs will soon have nothing to worry about.

One second later.

"Rumble--"

The fourth, fifth, sixth... countless heavy cavalrymen rolled forward with unstoppable iron hooves.

One hoof after another mercilessly trampled over the fallen orc, crushing its bones, muscles, and internal organs with each chilling thud...

Shatter the orcs' former pride.

The dying orcs didn't even have a chance to stand up before being swallowed up by the endless sea of ​​heavy cavalry.

It was a microcosm of the twenty-odd orc interceptors: the orc warriors, who had just been ready to die and were full of vigor, were swept away by the heavy cavalry, like waves drowning in the ocean, and thrown into the sand of the desert.

Without a trace, without a sound.

Just like the orders given by the Cloma family before their charge:
Leave no one behind.

(End of this chapter)