Chapter 158: Chapter 157: The Advancing Battle Line

’That does make sense,’ Colin thought.

Besides, the enemy camp was full of those large Square Shields. There was no way to know if they had ranged attackers.

Also, guerrilla tactics are hard to organize without extensive training. The slightest mistake could turn an attack into a rout, and this wasn’t the time to put faith in the Barbarians’ military discipline.

Ale said simply, "You guys decide. I don’t know much about this."

"What are the Barbarians’ tactics like?" Colin asked, looking at Kase.

After Kase gave him a rough overview, Colin came to a conclusion. "We’re not familiar with the Barbarians’ tactics, so charging in with them would just get in everyone’s way. And if no one directs them, the Skeletons’ tactics are very rigid."

"If possible, we should have the Barbarians draw the enemy’s attention. We’ll circle around to the back and take out any potential ranged support troops, then deal with the ones holding Long Spears."

"That’s a good plan," Ale said with a nod.

Kase added, "Assuming those things actually act the way we expect."

"Then let’s wait for them to come to us," Colin said.

He touched the last bottle of Holy Water on his Medicated Bandage.

It was the same bottle that had accompanied him into the illusion, so it hadn’t been used. Against the Undead, it should be quite effective.

"By the way, is there really no way to go around?" Colin asked. "I saw the lake next to us is frozen over."

"That’s Dragon territory," Kase said. "Anyone who gets close, the Dragon will hunt down the poor bastard and kill them, no matter how far it has to chase. If we try to circle around further north, we might run into Giants, which is another huge problem. Our only way through is along the foot of the mountain."

"How big is this Dragon?" Colin asked.

’They say the Dragon Species of this world love to hoard treasure. Maybe that Dragon’s treasury is at the bottom of the lake. If I could get my hands on that, I’d be set for life.’

’Plus, Dragons have plenty of useful materials on them. If I peeled off its hide and gave it to Donkexes, I might even get a suit of Dragon Scale Armor for myself.’

’It’s probably impossible, but a man can dream, can’t he?’

"Let’s see... with its wings spread, probably about forty meters long."

"How long?"

"Forty meters. A lot longer than the mast of the ship we took to get here. You can imagine the rest."

"Then if it just flapped its wings a little, the wind would blow me away," Orelia said worriedly.

"That can’t be right. The books I’ve read say a White Dragon’s maximum wingspan is only about twenty-something meters, which is already huge." Colin tried to conceptualize a forty-meter wingspan. ’Even modern fighter jets rarely have a wingspan over twenty meters, do they? Ten-something seems to be the norm.’

The thought sent a chill down his spine, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the wind or something else.

’In that case, we definitely shouldn’t risk a detour and gamble on not running into the Dragon or a Giant.’ Colin didn’t have much confidence in his squad’s luck.

"At that size, the White Dragon must be over a thousand years old, entering the Ancient Dragon stage."

Ale interjected, "A Giant Dragon of that age often masters a great deal of Magic or other forms of Power. It can no longer be understood by common logic—or to put it simply, such a creature has transcended the mundane."

The group chatted for a few more moments.

During this time, the Barbarian Warriors also gathered.

Leading them was the Barbarian Leader they had just met.

The man gripped a Single-Blade Giant Axe decorated with a Snow Deer Skull, looking incredibly intimidating.

Behind him were twenty equally burly Barbarian Warriors, each over two meters tall. They all wore thick Beast Hide Armor and held either a Single-Blade Giant Axe or a Two-Handed Warhammer decorated with a human skull. Small Axes hung from their waists.

Next to them were six slightly shorter Warriors.

Five of them were laden with Javelins. Their gazes were as Sharp as an eagle’s, marking them as experienced Hunters.

The last one held a Beast Hide Drum and carried no other weapons.

He had seen earlier that the entire tribe only had a hundred-some people. The force gathered here was already a formidable army for them.

The Barbarian Leader walked over and clapped Kase on the shoulder.

The Half-Orc quickly explained the battle plan. The Barbarian Leader argued with Kase for a moment, then glanced at Colin before finally nodding in agreement.

"It’s settled. They’ll launch a frontal assault, and we’ll hit them from the rear!" Kase said, walking over to grab his Battle Axe and Insect Shell Shield.

"What were you arguing about just now?" Colin asked.

"He wanted me to take the lead and make the plan, so I told him you have a better head on your shoulders and that we should use your plan," Kase said with a grin. "Then I said, look how small he is, he must’ve survived this long by using his brain. And he agreed."

"Alright, alright, we get it. You’re the great ’Bear Hunter’," Colin retorted sarcastically.

Kase clapped him on the shoulder. "Then let’s get ready."

After that, the warriors of the Barbarian Tribe gathered and began walking toward the Skeleton camp below. The Scouts with Javelins on their backs stood by, ready.

Their movements weren’t fast. They looked completely different from the Barbarian Races in movies who charge forward while screaming wildly. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

But this was perfectly reasonable. Launching a charge through knee-deep snow would be a terrible idea.

Seeing the enemy approach, the Skeletons quickly assembled.

As if they remembered their past lives, they silently formed ranks and began to advance on the uninvited guests.

Just as Ale had said, most of the Skeletons in Bronze Breastplates stood in the front rank with Square Shields and Short Swords. Behind them were Light Armor Skeletons holding Long Spears, and five skirmishers holding Catapults stood behind some logs.

Seeing this, Colin and his group carefully crept down the snowy slope, moving toward the skirmishers’ position.

As he moved, Colin observed the battlefield.

Once the Barbarians and Skeletons were within range, both sides drew and hurled their Javelins or Throwing Axes. Splintered wood and splatters of blood filled the air.

Led by their leader, the Barbarians spread their formation slightly and pressed firmly toward their enemy.

Just as the lines met.

The Barbarian at the very back with the Beast Hide Drum began to beat it while singing loudly, his voice erupting into a stirring, war-filled song.

The Barbarian Warriors at the front let out a collective, deep roar.

Their bronze skin visibly began to turn red, and their bodies swelled, making them even taller and more terrifying.

’This must be the Barbarians’ [Frenzy] ability,’ Colin thought.

’The good news is, Kase’s condition the last few times looked a lot like this. Maybe the Half-Orc really can suppress his Curse and regain his Power later on?’

CRACK! CRACK!

While Colin was lost in thought, the Barbarians swung their heavy two-handed weapons in wide arcs, smashing them against the Skeletons’ Square Shields.

These shields were practically antiques, barely usable. If not for their Bronze trim, they probably would have fallen apart long ago. They shattered after just a couple of hits from the Barbarians.

As for the Skeletons hiding behind the shields, their fate was obvious.

Without the buffer of flesh and muscle, they couldn’t withstand more than a few blows from the hammers.

However, the Short Swords and Long Spears behind the Square Shields hadn’t lost much of their effectiveness. And since the Barbarians’ Armor was just leather, a few spear thrusts were usually enough to draw blood.

The Barbarian skirmishers had also circled to the flanks and begun attacking with their thrown weapons. From the Skeleton skirmishers’ position, the whooshing sound of swinging Catapults could be heard.

Back and forth, the two sides were evenly matched.

"Ready?" Kase, at the front, stopped in his tracks.

"Let’s make this quick. Ale, just use your experience and attack however you see fit." Colin gently stroked the Elf Giant Sword in his hand, and with a thought, entered his Sword Dance state.

Beside him, Orelia placed a hand on his shoulder and began chanting a prayer.

A [Devout Shield] covered Colin’s body, providing him with protection.

A few more steps and they would be out of cover. Although the Skeleton Legion was locked in fierce combat with the Barbarians, there was still a risk. They had to eliminate the spearmen and skirmishers before the Shield Guards had a chance to turn around.

"Three, two, one..." Colin began to count down.