Chapter 99

"Master, the dog-headed monsters have reached three li away and are expected to arrive at Wheatfield Town in twenty minutes!"

In the afternoon, a Moxun Hawk landed in the castle’s front courtyard, and a slave archer hurriedly brought Gervas the latest news.

"Spread the word—prepare for battle!"

Gervas did not delay; he immediately gave the order and set off for the town with his knights.

Ding ding ding!

Urgent bell tones rang through the town; all women and children rushed indoors.

Yet compared to past times, the fear among women and children had noticeably lessened.

One hundred guards and one hundred temporarily conscripted serfs stood ready along the walls.

…

"Chief, ahead is that small town of the two-legged sheep!"

"Order the Claw Clan warriors to speed up—I can’t wait to feast!"

"Yes, Chief!"

Roar roar roar!

Amid snarls, over a hundred dog-headed monsters accelerated.

Soon, Wheatfield Town came into clear view.

"Ha! It’s still as poor as ever—just like three years ago! I remember last time we captured over three hundred two-legged sheep here!"

Pago, gazing at the old wooden wall ahead, felt delightfully nostalgic.

It reminded him of the rich spoils his Claw Clan had seized after raiding Wheatfield Town three years prior.

Not only had they captured over three hundred tasty two-legged sheep, but also plenty of wheat and other grain.

"Chief Pago, the number of two-legged sheep on that wooden wall seems larger than before—don’t be careless!"

"Respected Priest Niroda, rest assured—this is merely the weakest of towns, no more than our livestock pen."

"Their combat strength doesn’t even match that of the two-legged sheep encampments out on the wasteland!"

Upon hearing this, Priest Niroda said no more—he had participated in the last raid.

"Priest Niroda, battle preparation is underway—bestow your blessing upon the Claw Clan warriors!"

Priest Niroda nodded, raised his bone staff, and began to chant and wave it.

As he chanted, blood-red sparks appeared around him, slowly absorbed by the surrounding dog-headed monsters.

Roar roar roar!

After absorbing the blood-red sparks, the dog-headed monsters visibly grew more frenzied; their snarls echoed outside the town.

…

"My lord, look—this dog-headed force includes a priest!"

On Wheatfield Town’s wall, Gervas and his men observed every detail of the approaching dog-headed horde.

This was, in fact, Gervas’s first time seeing dog-headed monsters.

He had thought demons were already horrifying enough.

Yet these dog-headed monsters were even more grotesque.

Though they stood upright, that was the only similarity to humans.

Beyond that, their massive dog heads bristled with fangs, and their bodies reached a staggering two and a half meters tall.

No wonder such a mere hundred dog-headed monsters dared raid a baron’s domain.

Gervas turned to his own men.

He saw the guards’ faces pale with fear.

Then, even more astonishingly, Laurent was trembling slightly.

"Captain Laurent?"

Gervas understood the guards’ unease.

But Laurent’s reaction was unlike his usual self.

After all, he had fought in numerous battles.

"My lord, that one-eyed dog-headed monster—I know him. Three years ago, it was his clan that raided Wheatfield Town and killed my father!"

Gervas suddenly understood: Laurent wasn’t afraid—he was consumed by hatred.

He clapped Laurent on the shoulder. "Then this time, I’ll make sure you kill your enemy with your own hands."

"Yes, my lord!"

…

"Pago, the Bloodlust Blessing has been bestowed—the warriors may begin the assault!"

"Yes, respected Priest Niroda!"

Pago felt the surging power within him; his mind now held only the craving for blood.

"Claw Clan warriors! The two-legged sheep are calling to us—smash the wall, storm inside, and capture them all!"

Roar roar roar!

Amid snarls, over a hundred dog-headed monsters launched their attack.

They needed no siege ladders; a five-meter wooden wall meant nothing to their massive frames—they could scale it with just a few leaps and clawed grips.

"Moxun Hawk squad—attack!"

But these dog-headed monsters had clearly picked the wrong target.

For the Stormhold this time was no soft persimmon.

The Moxun Hawks swiftly rose into the air, soaring over the wall.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

To the dog-headed monsters’ shock, arrows began raining down from low altitude.

Plop plop plop!

The archers now rode and shot with precision, unaffected by their mounts’ motion.

Each arrow struck true, piercing the dog-headed monsters’ bodies.

Roar roar roar!

Dog-headed monsters had thick hides and massive frames, allowing them to endure more arrows.

But the pain of the arrows piercing their flesh enraged them; several snarled and bared their fangs upward.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

Plop plop plop!

But the result was obvious—they met even fiercer volleys in return.

"Damn it! Why are there flying demons here?" Pago was stunned by this sudden turn.

In his experience, only powerful nobles or the two-legged sheep kingdom’s armies possessed such terrifying forces.

But the assault had begun—they had no retreat.

"Claw Clan warriors! Charge! Once you breach the town and mix with the two-legged sheep, the arrows won’t matter!"

Roar roar roar!

The dog-headed monsters responded, surging faster toward the wall.

Moments later, they reached the base of the wall, braving the arrowstorm.

With a single leap, one dog-headed monster soared to mid-wall, then used its claws to spring effortlessly onto the wall’s top.

"Stormhold warriors! Under the great leadership of Lord Gervas, we’ve defeated the Demon Serpents and the Scorpion Bandits!"

"Today, our lord will lead us to victory over these damned dog-headed monsters—kill them all!"

"Kill!"

In close combat, soldiers swung swords and raised shields, attacking the dog-headed monsters climbing onto the wall.

"Foolish two-legged sheep—have you forgotten the lesson of three years ago?"

At first, the dog-headed monsters paid no mind.

Three years ago, these two-legged sheep had also held shields on the wall.

But a single powerful swipe of their claws had sent the two-legged sheep flying—shield and all—allowing them to easily scale the wall.

Bang bang bang!

The wall echoed with the dull thuds of shields being struck.

But after striking, the dog-headed monsters froze.

The expected scene—guards flying through the air with their shields—did not occur. The soldiers merely staggered, then steadied themselves.

Why was this different from three years ago?

Shouldn’t these frail two-legged sheep have been flung backward?

In truth, the guards themselves were stunned—they hadn’t expected to remain standing.

"Have I grown this strong?"

Though he’d sensed his strength increasing daily, he never imagined it could now withstand the full force of a massive dog-headed monster’s blow.