Chapter 161 Retreat

Baldwin’s command thundered across the battlefield.

For a moment, confusion spread amidst the Deres soldiers and knights.

Even Baron Aldric turned his head in disbelief in the middle of his fight.

’’BALDWIN!’’ he roared angrily. ’’WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!’’

But Baldwin completely ignored him.

Seeing Arthur rapidly approaching, Baldwin immediately kicked off the ground and rushed toward Barressa.

By the time he reached Barressa, the man had already collapsed.

’’Shit!’’ he muttered. ’’Stay with me now.’’

Baldwin quickly knelt beside him and lifted him off the ground.

His expression immediately darkened.

Barressa’s face had turned deathly pale, and his breathing was barely noticeable.

Worse, blood continued pouring from his missing arm.

’Damn it all!’

Without immediate treatment, the man would undoubtedly die.

For a split second, Baldwin’s gaze shifted toward Harris, who lay unconscious only a short distance away.

’’Tsk!’’

He clicked his tongue in frustration.

Arthur’s footsteps were getting closer behind him, leaving him without time.

Quickly turning around, he began sprinting toward the edge of the wall.

’’ALDRIC!’’ he shouted, his voice amplified. ’’RETREAT NOW!’’

Without waiting for a response, Baldwin leaped off the castle wall, Barressa still in his arms.

Aldric’s face turned a deep red color.

’’BASTARD!’’ he roared furiously.

CLANG!

He blocked George’s greatsword and immediately knocked it aside.

Aldric’s eyes were bloodshot as he turned toward Roderic.

’’THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, DEVIL!’’

BOOM!

Aura exploded around his body as he lunged forward.

Aldric completely bypassed both Henry’s and George’s swords, heading straight for Roderic.

Roderic’s eyes widened slightly.

’Uh-oh,’ he thought. ’Not good.’

Seeing a massive amount of aura gather around Aldric’s sword, he knew exactly which attack was coming next.

Without another thought, Roderic dropped both his azure blades.

’System!’ he shouted internally. ’Big shield! Buy Big shield!’

His heart raced as Aldric swung his sword down.

A massive wave of aura tore through the top of the wall as it raced toward him.

[600 Throne Coins deducted]

[Congratulations! Host has purchased an Earth-rank Tower Shield!]

Before his weapons had even hit the ground, a massive rectangular shield, nearly as tall as Roderic himself, appeared out of thin air.

Roderic immediately grabbed it and poured in all his remaining aura.

’COME ON!’

BOOOOOOM!!!

The massive wave of aura slammed into the aura-covered tower shield.

Roderic’s arms trembled violently as an overwhelming force crashed against him.

His feet scraped across the floor, leaving two deep trails behind.

’’DAMN IT!’’ he shouted, glancing behind.

The edge of the wall was already right there!

Only a split second later... the solid ground disappeared beneath his feet.

’Oh, for fuck’s sake!’

WHOOOSH!

Still clutching the shield, Roderic went flying off the wall.

Only a few seconds later did his body finally crash into a building several dozen meters away.

...

Staring into the distance, Aldric’s expression only grew worse.

’’FUCKING BASTARD!’’

The devil’s spawn had still managed to survive!

Aldric’s gaze shifted toward Henry and George.

For a brief moment, he considered taking out his anger on them.

’Now that he’s gone,’ he thought, ’I can at least take you both out!’

But just as he prepared himself to lunge forward, a loud scream came from below.

Aldric glanced back for a split second.

His expression immediately darkened.

The Deres soldiers were desperately retreating, but the Whitemane forces weren’t letting them go so easily.

Soldiers were being cut down left and right, while the knights desperately tried to maintain some semblance of order.

’’DAMN. IT. ALL!!!’’

Aldric clenched his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.

He wanted nothing more than to tear everything related to the Whitemanes apart!

But he couldn’t let this continue.

’’You’ll pay for this!’’ he hissed, pointing his longsword at Henry and George. ’’I’ll make sure of it!’’

Without another word, he leapt off the wall.

BOOM!

Landing amongst the fighting soldiers, he immediately began swinging his sword.

A wave of aura swept through the approaching Whitemane forces, killing a dozen soldiers while forcing the rest to retreat.

’’ALL FORCES, WITHDRAW!’’ he commanded.

The Deres soldiers looked behind with wide eyes.

Then they sprinted back toward their camp at their fastest speeds.

Aldric stood his ground, cutting down anyone who came close.

But unbeknownst to him... John had just finished reloading the ballista.

’Got you!’ he thought, adjusting the aim slightly.

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

THWOOOOOM!

The massive bolt tore through the air, soaring above all the Whitemane soldiers’ heads.

Aldric’s expression changed as his instincts warned him.

’That is...’

Barely a fraction of a second passed before he realized what was coming for him.

He immediately raised his sword toward the incoming projectile, aura surging around it.

’’BRING IT ON!!!’’ he roared angrily.

Without hesitation, he swung his sword with all his might.

CLAAAAANG!

The massive bolt collided with his sword.

BOOOOM!

A powerful shockwave erupted from the collision, sending nearby soldiers stumbling backward.

Aldric’s feet slid across the ground, but his sword didn’t budge.

’’HAAAA!’’

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Countless fractures began spreading across the bolt.

Within barely a second, the entire bolt shattered into pieces.

Aldric lowered his sword, his gaze locking onto the ballista turret far in the distance.

’So that’s the damn thing responsible for all this.’

’But how the hell did they get their hands on something this powerful?!’

That thought only lasted a single second.

A familiar face immediately popped up in his mind.

’It has to be that devil!’ he thought, his breathing growing heavier. ’There is no other way.’

The scene of his last attack flashed through his mind.

A shield had appeared out of thin air!

’No, no, no. This won’t do. He needs to be investigated by the Inquisition! Either he is the devil himself, or he’s secretly a mage.’

He clenched his fists, glancing at his retreating army.

’’Either way,’’ he muttered, ’’someone will put an end to this.’’

...

Meanwhile, several dozen meters away...

’’Ugh...’’

Roderic slowly crawled out of the collapsed building.

His clothes were torn, his body covered in cuts and bruises, and several pieces of wood were stuck in his hair.

’That fucking hurt.’

Spitting out a mouthful of dust, he looked toward the chaotic battlefield.

The Deres army was already retreating!

’Thank God,’ he thought, letting out a relieved sigh. ’I almost thought everything I’d worked for was fucked when they came charging in.’

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

’Luckily... that wasn’t the case.’