Chapter 130: The Battle Begins
Matthew saw Adam Smith's seriousness and, as someone who enjoyed nurturing his own talent, he was willing to give this shrewd and capable businessman a ce.
Adam Smith truly exhibited intelligence!
In this world, strength and ability may not represent everything, but they are the foundation of everything.
Adam Smith's talent was not particurly outstanding.
Acc to normal development, even if he ied a siderable amount of funds and resources, there was only a small ce that he could break through to bee a high-tier professional.
However, Matthew was quite clear.
In a few years, when the wave of magic surges appears, almost everyone will have the talent to bee a professional.
The only things that limit them will be iand resources.
Therefore, Matthew valued the abilities of talent more!
Relying solely on fighting and killing would, at best, only make ohug!
Most barbarian soldiers, once equipped with enough resources and fine gear, could perform this task well.
Indepealent, however, was what Matthew valued most!
Talent like Steward Ralph, who could methodically hahe eerritory's development and internal affairs.
Or like Ange, who could train soldiers, and battles, defend the territory, and solve military problems.
If Adam Smith could develop a certain level of and ability, he wouldn’t ize far and wide.
He only o and properly and hahe defense.
The enemies approag from afar were a suitable test for him.
They had a certain level of discipline, and their coordination was fairly well-practiced.
Although over 1,000 of them attacked dozens of adventurers and didn’t mao capture a single one, which was embarrassing.
Matthew still believed that these murder-hardehugs had siderable bat power.
"To have gathered such a strong group of bandits? This battle is going to be tough!"
Horal, who roag on foot from a distance, shared this thought.
He was supposed to be the spearhead pushing to surround the adventurers.
He should have led the charge, torn apart the adventurers' scattered defenses, and surrouhe dozen or so adventurers, swallowing them whole.
After that, having adventurer captives in hand would give them many more options.
Whether to use psychological tactics to quickly lower the enemy's defensive morale,
Or to inflict torture and intimidation, wearing down their will to fight, either way, it would have provided great venience for the battle.
But what happened?
The long wait, the exhaustion from the journey, greatly draiheir energy.
Furthermore, they had looked down on these adventurers recruited by the Thorn Chamber of erce from the beginning, so they hadn't given their full effort.
But the tter showed araordinary level of vigince.
They used a "Silent Spell" scroll for a surprise attack, and when they approached within about 30 meters, they were detected.
Horal had thought.
These adventurers, after disc them, would have the same wishful thinking as others, or issue a warning, thereby losing their st ce to escape.
But reality gave him a cold sp in the face.
As soon as the adventurers saw them, they not only turned and ran, but they ran incredibly fast.
Horal even saw with his own eyes.
The leading adventurer didn’t hesitate to tear open a magic scroll, summoning a gust of wind that accelerated them, helping a dozen adventurers escape from their death trap!
"You fools, I told you not to uimate the enemy, and now they've escaped!"
"Now, prepare for an assault!"
"Everyone, rest for 30 minutes and grab your round shields!"
"We only o block five rounds of arrows at most, and then we rush forward!"
"Don’t tell me you’ve run out of strength to climb a wooden fence!"
The ander's roar was clearly heard by everyone, and every bandit’s face showed anger.
Because they khe enemy wasn't simple, and people were going to die in the battle!
Horal stopped his pursuit, quickly took stock of his men, ahem to sit down cross-legged, pulling out dried meat from his pad slowly chewing it.
The rest time passed quickly.
"They only have a little over 500 professionals, and not a single high-tier professional among them. We will definitely win!"
"Kill everyone who dares to resist, we’ll make at least tens of thousands of gold s on this trip!"
"Building a row of wooden fehinking it could stop our Bck Bandit Group? What a joke!"
"Everyone, charge with me!"
The loud battle cries rang in every bandit’s ears.
A tall and burly high-tier warrior, raising his greatsword, led the charge.
"Kill!!"
"Charge!!"
The bandits, eager to vent their frustration and bloodlust, raised their shields and howled as they followed.
Their vast bat experience, and their absolute trust in their leader’s strength and judgment, vihem that they would win once again!
As the bandits drew closer and closer, the cart pushers standing on the walls felt uneasy and afraid.
After all, they had only received a little over 10 days of training, and apart from the professionals, the others had never even seen blood.
Fag the deafening battle cries of over a thousand bandits, the fact that they hadn’t turned and fled was already a result of Adam Smith’s earlier rallying cry.
Knowing that morale was about to colpse, Adam Smith decisively ordered:
"Load the crossbows, fire!"
The taut bs ripped through the air with a sharp "bang."
Every bolt, costing more than 10 silver s and imbued with "hope," flew out with a sharp whizz.
With a pierg shriek, they shot toward the charging bandits.
The 400-meter distance was covered in the blink of an eye!
Seven ht bandits fell on the spot, the crossbow bolts tearing through their bodies like they were puncturing part.
Three bandits were killed instantly.
They were the lucky ones.
Several other bandits had their limbs shattered and y on the ground, rolling and wailing in agony.
Their wooden round shields had been pletely useless!
Touch them and you’re crippled, collide with them and you’re dead!
The terrifyiructive power of the crossbows was fully unleashed!
Horal's heart trembled mid-charge, uo bear the sight of his rades' gruesome fates, he sprinted forward recklessly.
Adam Smith was overjoyed and shouted excitedly:
"Just like that, reload quickly."
"Ready! Fire!"
The bandits, who had advanced about 70 or 80 meters, once again faced a shower of crossbow bolts.
Even though they had deliberately spread out, the dirt path was only so wide for fast movement.
Another five or six bandits fell to the ground, screaming!
Even though the crossbow volleys could only tinue for four or five rounds, they had already put immense psychological pressure on the bandits.
Dying without being able to fight back was a stifling, maddening experience for them.
At the same time, watg the bandits charge and fall, the cart pushers, who had been shaken earlier, suddenly felt something different in their hearts:
"So, these fierce bandits are just flesh and blood too!"
Seeing the ge in the cart pushers' expressions, Adam Smith, pleased, shouted with renewed vigor:
"Do you hear their screams?"
"They bleed just like us, they get hurt just like us. If you don't want to die, you have to kill them!"
"First row of archers, ready, fire!!!"
The arrows flew out sporadically and unevenly!
FAL
