A Realistic Mount & Blade Game

But this is not surprising.

The hell devils formed such a dense siege formation, which is a good target for light catapults that can fire buckshot and are designed to strike dense formations of enemies!

This book is first published on the entire network by 𝕥 𝕨 𝕜 𝕒 𝕟 . 𝕔 𝕠 𝕞

A light catapult that can launch twenty or thirty pebbles at a time is the best weapon against these dense siege formations.

“Crackling!”

As Shen Mu watched the hell devils with broken heads and bleeding faces reorganize and advance towards the city wall.

There was not much worry or fear on his face.

Because the two light ballistae above the city gate, as well as the light catapults on the arrow towers on the left and right sides, once again launched their spears and scattered stones.

And the three hundred Vaegir archers once again caused swathes of hell devils to fall.

Especially the archers and the operators of the light ballistae.

They aimed at the lesser devils carrying ladders on their shoulders.

Because everyone knew that as long as they killed these lesser devils carrying ladders, then the ladders on their shoulders would not be able to reach the city wall.

In this way, the city wall would be quite safe.

Those low-level devils wielding scimitars, as well as the more well-armored and taller mid-level devils, would not be able to appear on the city wall out of thin air.

This would slow down the time it takes for the city wall to be breached.

Allowing these ranged archers to kill more of the devil troops.

Perhaps they could even completely kill off most of their living strength before the devils approached the city wall, minimizing the siege pressure on the city wall.

So, under Lezarith's command, the archers on the city wall, the Swadian light infantry, and the Vaegir civilians did just that.

At this time, they all understood that only by doing this could they bring more life to themselves.

Therefore, arrows rained down like a torrential downpour.

In addition, the light ballistae and light catapults continuously bombarded the hell devils.

The hell devil troops, who were originally arranged in a tight formation and trying to get close to the city wall, really suffered more and more losses.

Especially those lesser devils who were carrying ladders and rushing over here first suffered heavy losses.

So much so that the lesser devils behind had to step forward to constantly replace their lesser devil companions who were being shot to death every moment in order to maintain these ladders constantly approaching the city wall.

Only then could these lesser devils complete their mission.

Even if it meant filling the road with their lives, they had to create a path to the city wall for the low-level devil troops behind them.

This was the task that these lesser devils had to do.

Of course, it also included rushing up these ladders first after filling the road to consume the firepower of the defenders on the city wall.

Using their lives to consume the initially quite deadly resistance of those human defenders.

To prevent too many losses to the low-level devils behind them, who numbered just over a thousand.

After all, for the devil race, lesser devils were a lower level of devil than low-level devils.

Because lesser devils were born from insufficient soul fragments and soul worms, they were inherently inadequate and could be said to be malformed premature babies.

To some extent, they were not considered true devils at all.

Because a true devil would definitely be a low-level devil when it was born.

Then it could gradually advance to mid-level devils and high-level devils.

Lesser devils were inherently unqualified defective products.

Even their birth was so defective, shouldn't they be called lesser devils?

Unless these lesser devils could absorb more soul fragments and eat more soul worms, they could become complete and become low-level devils.

Otherwise, it would be better to be consumed on the battlefield and become consumables and cannon fodder.

To be transformed into a pile of soul fragments again, and then transformed into soul worms from the River Styx, with the opportunity to become true low-level devils.

It was just that the number of devils was really small, so these lesser devils were needed to act as cannon fodder.

Otherwise, these lesser devils would not even be comparable to the parasitic monsters created by the devils through special means.

This was how cruel it was in the hierarchy of devils.

Therefore, most of those who died now were lesser devils, but these lesser devils were still being urged forward by the low-level devils and mid-level devils, continuing to use their lives to exchange for advantages on the battlefield.

They didn't consider how many of these lesser devils would survive in the end.

Or rather, letting these lesser devils die more and more, turning into more soul worms that could be born in the River Styx, and then upgrading to low-level devils, was the destiny that these lesser devils should have.

“Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!”

And these lesser devils also knew their fate because they were defective products and incomplete devils.

Therefore, they were all willing to die.

Without any fear, they carried the ladders and rushed towards the city wall again quickly.

Finally, they worked hard to meet the torrential rain of arrows and leaned the ladders against the city wall.

“Bang!”

With the sound of the ladder being placed on the city wall.

It also indicated that the ten-meter-long ladder had finally formed a connection between the ground and the top of the city wall.

It also represented the devil troops behind them, who had already suffered heavy losses in the torrential rain.

They could launch an attack!

“Prepare stones and wood!”

At this time, Lezarith on the city wall was loudly reminding the defenders on the city wall.

Then the Swadian light infantry and the Vaegir civilians raised the stones and wood in their hands, looked at the ten or so ladders that were built on the city wall, leaning diagonally between the undulating battlements, and prepared to throw.

Mainly aiming at those lesser devils who had come to the ladders, swarming and climbing quickly.

Throwing them down hard.

Whether it was stones or wood, they directly knocked the devils off the ladders.

Coupled with the Vaegir archers around, who noticed that the battlefield situation was becoming more and more intense, constantly shooting arrows at the devils appearing on the ladders.

For a time, they blocked the hell devils between the city wall and the ladders.

Having ladders was also a good thing.

Whether they were lesser devils or low-level devils, they would start attacking them along the ladders.

At this time, as long as they focused all their attention on the ladders.

Then they could kill the devils in front of them.

The ladders were not only an important passage for the devils to connect to the city wall, but also a bridge of death that needed to be piled up with lives.

Without sufficient deaths.

Wanting to quickly reach the city wall through the ladders.

That was obviously impossible!

In order to prevent the outer city wall from being breached, Shen Mu had deployed all the troops he could deploy.

Therefore, when these devil troops began to snake up the city wall along the ladders, the Vaegir archers, as well as the Swadian light infantry and Vaegir civilians who raised stones and wood.

They made these hell devils taste the bitter price of siege warfare.

For the besiegers, they were inherently at an absolute disadvantage, even if their troop numbers were higher than the defenders, they were still in a weak position.

So, in a short period of time.

Even if the dozen or so siege ladders had been leaned against the battlements of the city wall, providing these hell devils with a passage to climb the city wall.

But there was still no way.

As long as these hell devils came to the ladders, they would be focused on and shot by the Vaegir archers.

Even if some low-level devils came to the position of the ladders near the city wall.

The Swadian light infantry and Vaegir civilians who picked up stones and wood would also mercilessly throw the hell devils who had approached them on the ladders down.

With the heavy stones and wood hitting the ladders heavily.

Although there was no way to directly destroy the ladders, along the direction of the ladders, hitting those hell devils who were approaching them.

The heavy stones and wood would also turn those hell devils, who seemed to be all muscles, into whimpering little lambs who were smashed down.

They didn't have the slightest power to resist.

For these low-level devils, they were still in a battle at the level of alternate history. Facing stones the size of human heads and entire pieces of wood used as pillars, as long as they were smashed down, they would cause fatal injuries to them.

Moreover, even if they came to a siege battle at the low-magic or mid-magic level, these low-level devils would still suffer great injuries if they faced stones the size of human heads and entire pieces of wood.

“Everyone hold on, we must hold on! Don’t be stingy with the stones and wood in your hands, throw them all down!”

Lezarith was still shouting loudly on the city wall, signaling the Swadian light infantry and Vaegir civilians to throw the stones and wood out more quickly.

To resist the hell devils who were still climbing quickly up the ladders below.

To prevent them from entering the city wall in the shortest possible time.

Lezarith also understood that if his Swadian light infantry engaged in hand-to-hand combat with those obviously stronger hell low-level devils, then the ones who would suffer the greatest losses would definitely be his Swadian light infantry.

As for those Vaegir civilians, Lezarith didn't even consider them.

If these civilian units encountered these low-level devils.

I'm afraid that even if they took a sharp pitchfork and stabbed them, it would only cause some minor wounds to these low-level devils, and then they would be easily slaughtered by those devils with scimitars.

Civilian units were civilian units, wanting to compete with those hell devils who were like professional killers in war.

That was obviously unwise. "But looking at the stupid appearance of these hell devils when they are sieging the city, it seems that as long as I attract the main attention of these hell devils here, then I can hand it over to those two guys, Besthuur and Alaric."

At this time, Lezarith also raised the heavy stone and threw it down hard.

With the heavy stone hitting the already cracked ladder.

Immediately, he tumbled down the wooden rungs of the ladder like a rolling stone, sending four or five lesser devils plummeting down with him, crushing them beneath.

After crushing two more lesser devils to death, he landed on the ground with a thud.

On the ground, another unlucky lesser devil had half its body crushed by the rock.

It let out a series of mournful wails, which gradually faded until there was no sound at all.

It was completely dead.

This wasn't an isolated incident, but a common sight around the dozen or so ladders.

However, not everything was being crushed or knocked down by stones.

Instead, long timbers held horizontally by seven or eight Swadian light infantry and Vaegir peasants were rolled down the slopes of the three or four ladders leaning against the city walls.

This crushed even more devils on the ladders or below.

Just then, Leisarith turned his gaze away.

"The sound of hooves."

Leisarith heard a thunderous rumble in his ears.

Instinctively, he turned his head.

He saw that at the edge of the city wall, the Khergit steppe bandits who had been scattered earlier were now regrouping in small groups of twos and threes, charging forward on horseback.

And they were moving very fast.

They rapidly approached the devils who, believing they had been driven off, had reformed their ranks and focused on the siege.

Those steppe bandits, led by Beshter, all wore expressions of excitement.

There was little sign of the discomfort or fear they had shown when being driven away earlier.

Instead, they raised their nomadic bows, watching the devils who, with shocked and angry expressions, were raising their scimitars and charging towards them, trying to drive them away again.

The excitement on their faces coalesced into a kind of grin and mocking smile.

Then, they raised their nomadic bows, drawn to their full extent, and released their feathered arrows.

‘Swish, swish, swish, swish!’

Immediately, a series of shrill sounds of piercing air rang out.

Then, as the piercing sounds faded, feathered arrows appeared, embedded in the bodies of the lesser or low-ranking devils who had been caught off guard and were trying to drive them away.

The unprepared devils fell to the ground one after another, as if overcome with exhaustion, collapsing and falling asleep.

Meanwhile, Beshter continued to ride past at high speed.

Including the Khergit steppe bandits behind him, they all galloped past, moving at great speed, like a whirlwind skimming the edge of the devil formation.

Like a gust of wind, they brushed past the devil formation.

In that fleeting moment, they raised their nomadic bows and unleashed a barrage of deadly feathered arrows, slaying any devil who dared to appear within their range.

The devils fell in droves.

Even more so than before.

Because the devils had relaxed their vigilance, only wanting to drive off the human cavalry and not wanting them to get too close, they hadn't expected Beshter and his Khergit steppe bandits to unleash such a dense and deadly hail of arrows!

Some Khergit steppe bandits even approached within 10 meters of the devils before drawing their nomadic bows.

‘Swish!’

Then, at such close range, as if performing a precision shot, they struck the devils' heads.

The sharp feathered arrows from their quivers pierced the devils' skulls.

They were instantly headshot.

These lesser and low-ranking devils, who hadn't expected such a close-range attack, fell to the ground one after another.

They had never imagined that these Khergit steppe bandits possessed such accurate shooting skills, and that after shooting, they would shake the reins of their steppe horses, accustomed to the flat grasslands, and quickly retreat from the battlefield.

All that remained were the corpses of devils with arrows in their heads, chests, or necks, lying less than 10 meters away.

This only fueled the devils' anger.

It truly felt like provocation and humiliation.

In the past, these devils had never encountered such a hit-and-run tactic, where they were killed and then the attackers quickly retreated, like kites in the wind.

After all, in the heat of battle, in their fights against abyssal demons, it was always a head-on clash.

Even if these devils understood how to withstand the abyssal demons' attacks from the front, and then attack their weakest points from the back or sides, using their high level of organization and discipline to carry out tactical strikes.

But this kind of cunning, individual-based tactical strike was a first for them.

Moreover, whether it was the abyssal demons, or the humans, beastmen, dwarves, elves, or even the barbaric humanoid races they encountered.

None of them used bows and arrows while riding horses, never engaging in direct contact or close combat, simply shooting arrows from a distance.

None of them!

And in the eyes of these devils.

These human cavalry, fighting on horseback with bows and arrows, although their archery skills were excellent and they were very deadly to them.

But as long as they led their troops to charge, even from a distance of three or four meters, the human cavalry would always have the chance to draw their spears and stab them.

These devils discovered that those human cavalry had no intention of using spears to stab them.

Instead, they turned their horses and rode away.

They seemed like a swarm of flies, making the devils extremely uncomfortable, angry, and frustrated.

Then, these devils' emotions were stirred up, and they raised their scimitars and chased after the Khergit steppe bandits.

In the devils' minds, whether they were low-ranking or mid-ranking, they all believed that as long as they charged forward, the human cavalry would flee in terror, never engaging in close combat.

Therefore, as long as they charged forward, the human cavalry would run away in fear.

Just like before.

So, when these devils began to chase after the Khergit steppe bandits, they didn't realize that their formation was becoming increasingly scattered, and the distance they were chasing was getting deeper and deeper.

Many devils had even become separated from the main force.

They were a chaotic mess, like a pack of dark red wolves chasing after pitiful little white sheep.

The devils still thought it was like before, where just two or three of the lowest-ranking lesser devils could chase after seven or eight human cavalry, looking like they were going to kill them all.

It had been a long time since they had seen the Khergit steppe bandits fleeing quickly in front of them, occasionally turning their heads to look back with a hint of laughter and excitement in their eyes.

As if they were watching a group of fools chasing them, and couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed, in the eyes of these Khergit steppe bandits, these devils were no different from fools.

It should be known that on the continent of Calradia, even the most foolish lord or commander would not allow their troops to scatter and chase after these horse archers who grew up on the great plains.

Because everyone knew and understood that once they scattered their infantry formation and allowed their infantry to chaotically chase after these Khergit nomads.

Then, once they stepped into the trap set by these Khergit nomads.

Khergit heavy lancers wearing heavy lamellar armor would appear from behind.

This was a recognized fact by all kingdoms and forces on the continent of Calradia.

And it was a truth that these devils didn't understand at all.

‘Rumble!’

Just then, suddenly, these scattered devils seemed to sense something, and instinctively looked towards the southern city wall.

More precisely, they should be looking at the corner of the southern city wall.

Because there, they suddenly seemed to hear an even denser, rumbling sound in their ears…

The sound of horses' hooves pounding the ground!

The devils realized that something seemed to be wrong.

“The Knights of the Sacred Grove!”

“Charge!”

Just then, at the corner of the city wall, Erlein was the first to charge forward.

He rode a Vaegir warhorse clad in heavy chainmail, holding aloft his knightly sword that gleamed with white light.

Leading the Knights of the Sacred Grove and the Sacred Grove cavalry behind him, all clad in heavy chainmail and plate armor, both man and horse, they thundered around the corner of the city wall.

Then, they formed the classic cavalry wedge formation.

And without hesitation, they charged towards these scattered devils who were in a chaotic mess, with no formation to speak of!

And behind these Knights of the Sacred Grove and the Sacred Grove cavalry, the Khergit steppe bandits who had originally fled put away their nomadic bows and raised their spears.

They began to follow behind the Knights of the Sacred Grove and the Sacred Grove cavalry, launching a charge together.

They were also howling excitedly.

Looking at the devils, who were caught off guard and had expressions of shock and fear on their faces.

They spurred their warhorses to accelerate their charge.

Bringing the speed of the charge…

To the maximum!