Chapter 40: The Backline Massacre

But he was already too late.

I hurled my axe with everything I had, and the spinning weapon slammed into his chest before the spell could take shape.

The mana dispersed instantly as the impact launched him backward, his body crashing straight through the wooden wall behind him.

One of the archers saw this and yelled, his voice cracking in panic:

"The mages!.... The mages are dead!"

That got the attention of the rest of them.

"Where did the enemy go?"

"What was that?"

"I only saw a shadow!"

"It was a goblin!"

"A goblin did that?"

Their voices overlapped as confusion spread through the formation, every soldier searching the smoke for an enemy they couldn’t see.

I didn’t give them the chance to find me.

Wrenching my axe free from the mage’s chest, I slipped back into the haze with [Camouflage], the thick smoke swallowing me whole before anyone could lock eyes on me.

But an arrow suddenly sliced through the smoke, aimed directly at me.

I leaned to the side, and it missed my cheek by mere inches before disappearing into the burning village behind me.

Some of them can actually see me. That’s not good.

My gaze immediately locked onto the shooter through the haze.

[Archer Level 9]

He stood atop a tall wooden platform overlooking the battlefield, using the height to pick off targets below.

The other archers weren’t much stronger, either.

Most were around the same level, with only one among them standing out.

[Archer Level 15]

That one might be tough.

Without wasting another second, I broke into a sprint.

My strengthened legs drove me forward before launching me into the air, carrying me nearly halfway up the platform’s support beams in a single leap.

I sprinted forward before launching myself into the air, my strengthened legs carrying me nearly halfway up the platform’s support beams.

The moment my hands touched the wood, [Sticky Grip] kicked in, anchoring me to the surface as though gravity had suddenly lost its hold on me.

I climbed like a giant lizard, racing straight up the vertical beams.

The archer tracked my movement, his bow already rising as he prepared to fire.

"Drako!" I called out, and the little lemur shot off my shoulder without hesitation, landing squarely on the man’s face.

He shrieked as tiny claws raked across his eyes, his aim ruined in an instant.

"Aaagh! My eyes!"

His bow slipped from his grasp and clattered onto the platform below.

Another archer instinctively turned to help yank Drako off his ally’s face, but I was already on him.

My shoulder crashed into the distracted man with enough force to send both him and the archer he’d been trying to help tumbling over the railing.

Without slowing down, I caught the edge with [Sticky Grip], swung myself back onto the platform in one smooth motion, and spared a glance below.

Both archers had slammed into the ground, their bodies twisted unnaturally among the shattered planks, the sickening crack of broken bones echoing through the chaos.

I barely had time to breathe before three arrows whistled toward me.

Instinct took over.

I twisted sideways, the first slicing harmlessly past my face while the second grazed my shoulder, leaving a burning line across my skin.

The third buried itself deep into the wooden floor where I’d been standing a heartbeat earlier.

My eyes snapped toward the shooters. Three archers were already reaching for another volley.

I wasn’t going to let them.

I lowered my center of gravity and rushed them.

Before they could loose another volley, I was already on them.

One of the archers instinctively abandoned his bow and reached for the dagger at his waist.

I used [Blade Dance].

My body surged forward in a seamless flurry of motion as one swing flowed effortlessly into the next.

My axe blurred through the air with terrifying speed.

The first archer barely had time to react before his bow was sent flying from his hands.

The second cried out as the blade tore through his arm, severing it cleanly.

The third managed to raise his bow in a desperate attempt to defend himself, but he was far too slow, as my axe split through his chest, dropping him before he could even release the string.

The effects of [Blade Dance] faded, and almost immediately, three bodies collapsed in succession, their lifeless forms hitting the wooden platform with dull thuds.

The remaining two archers panicked at the sight, abandoning any thought of fighting as they turned to flee.

One of them threw himself toward the edge, hoping to escape by jumping onto the next building, but I caught the back of his armor before he could.

Planting my feet, I swung with everything I had and hurled him off the platform.

His body crashed straight into the soldiers beneath, knocking two spearmen off balance.

They stumbled from the impact but recovered almost instantly.

I didn’t give the archer the same opportunity.

Pushing off the railing, I landed directly in front of him, cutting off his escape.

His face drained of color as he stumbled backward, raising both trembling hands.

"P-please..."

I didn’t hesitate.

The axe flashed once through the air before the familiar notification appeared in front of me, announcing another level up.

At the same time, Drako bounded back onto my shoulder, chittering proudly as though demanding recognition for his part in the fight.

"Good work," I said, reaching up to give his tiny head a quick scratch.

The little lemur puffed out his chest proudly before settling back into place.

I turned my attention to the battlefield once more.

The mages and archers were gone.

That only left the warriors, who had gotten into a tight defensive formation.

Their shields were locked together, their spears covered every approach, and every pair of eyes was on me.

From the look on their faces, I could tell they were cautious.

They knew I was a threat that couldn’t be underestimated.

That sucked.

It would make it much harder to defeat them. But something about being feared made me feel good.

As tempting as it was to rush in, charging at warriors in a prepared formation would be suicide, especially with their leader standing right in front of them.

My gaze landed on him, and surprisingly, our eyes were at the same level.

[Thors - Level 30 Berserker]

Now this...this one was a problem.