Chapter 159: Chapter 158: The Collapsing Military Formation

The words had barely faded when Kase charged out, leading with his Insect Shell Shield.

Colin followed close behind, Giant Sword in hand.

Several Skeleton skirmishers paid them no mind, continuing to attack the Barbarians in the distance.

The two struggled through the snow, finally reaching the logs.

Several skirmishers dropped their Catapults, turned their heads as stiffly as puppets, and drew the Daggers at their sides to face the two intruders.

Aided by his Sword Dance, Colin even surged ahead of Kase. Taking advantage of his weapon’s reach, he sent a Skeleton’s head flying with a single slash.

But just those few steps through the deep snow left him nearly breathless.

Kase, following behind, charged forward with his Shield. He instantly shattered one of the unlucky Skeletons, then raised his Battle Axe and engaged the remaining skirmishers in a tangled melee.

Even though the Half-Orc was trembling, the fragile Skeletons were still no match for him. He could finish one off with just a few swings of his axe, and his Dagger-wielding opponents could barely land a scratch on him.

Colin locked onto his own opponent.

His Giant Sword, wreathed in the [Emerald Flame Sword], precisely stabbed into his opponent’s spine. Before falling apart, the Skeleton futilely flung its Dagger at him.

The artifact-grade Bronze Dagger Blade struck his Plate Armor, leaving behind a white streak before disappearing into a snowdrift.

Seeing that the fire on his blade wasn’t leaping to another target, Colin knew the nearby enemies had all been dealt with.

"Took down three of ’em, Colin!"

Kase’s triumphant voice came from beside him. Colin retorted, "That’s only because I haven’t used Magic yet, Kase."

While the two of them dealt with the skirmishers, the main Skeleton Legion at the front was still locked in combat with the Barbarians.

The situation was now far less optimistic than it had been at the start of the fight.

With their superior numbers, the Skeletons had outflanked their opponents. The shield wall then advanced slowly, compressing the Barbarians together. This made it difficult for them to wield their heavy, two-handed weapons, while the Skeletons’ easy-to-thrust Short Swords were completely unimpeded.

Even in their Frenzy, the Barbarians couldn’t break the dense Skeleton formation. They were pinned down, unable to fight effectively, as their opponents slowly bled them dry.

The battle perfectly illustrated the disadvantage a disorganized mob has against a disciplined military formation.

For a moment, Colin felt as if he were witnessing the Roman Empire using its formations to wipe out the Barbarian Races—even though this was an Otherworld that had nothing to do with either.

Fortunately, the Barbarians had managed to inflict some casualties before being surrounded. The Skeletons’ numbers had been significantly reduced, with only about forty or so estimated to be left.

"We have to help them, and fast," Colin said. "Otherwise, they’re not going to make it."

Just then, Ale stood up from behind the snowy slope.

From a distance, he could see her clutching something in her hand as she chanted a Spell.

The next moment, a pool of grease suddenly appeared at the feet of the Skeletons on the left flank, covering a square area roughly three and a half meters to a side.

The yellow grease spread across the snow, melting it almost instantly and creating a patch of what looked like muddy ground.

Many of the Skeletons in that group began to shudder. It was obvious the slippery ground was forcing them to focus on keeping their balance, and he could even see a few unlucky ones slip and fall.

’Grease?’

Colin had seen this in Donkexes’s Spellbook. The Magic covers an area with grease, causing any creature on it to slip.

Unfortunately, this Magic Grease couldn’t be ignited; otherwise, they might have been able to pull off a combo.

"Don’t go over there!" Ale shouted, then began Casting again.

A moment later, another area affected by [Grease] appeared on the right flank of the Skeleton formation. The Skeletons in both areas began to shift away, instantly relieving the pressure on the Barbarians nearest to them.

The deep snow already made movement difficult, but the addition of the grease made it nearly impossible for the instinct-driven Skeletons to even take a step.

With the enemy’s ranged attacks neutralized, Orelia no longer had to hold back.

She stood up and joined Ale, launching attacks with her Cantrips.

Flashes from their [Scared Flame] and [Flaming Arrow] spells continuously lit up the battlefield.

In Colin’s opinion, Ale’s [Flaming Arrow] was quite powerful, composed of beautiful golden flames. However, its actual effectiveness against the Skeletons couldn’t compare to [Scared Flame].

The brilliant, divine golden light dealt higher Damage to the Skeletons. Nearly every cast of [Scared Flame] left a Skeleton grievously wounded.

Seeing his opportunity, Colin clapped Kase on the shoulder.

Kase understood immediately, raising his Shield and charging forward. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The pair charged toward the rear of the Skeleton Legion.

A few Skeleton spearmen at the rear noticed the intruders behind them. They turned, tapping the Skeletons in front of them with the shafts of their spears to alert them.

Following behind Kase, Colin could hear the war cries of the Barbarians up ahead.

He figured they must have seen him and Kase charging, as they were now fighting back harder to draw the attention of the Square Shield Skeletons.

CLANG! CLANG!

The sound of Bronze Long Spears striking the Insect Shell Shield came from ahead of him. Kase continuously swung his Shield, deflecting the thrusting spearheads.

Drops of the Half-Orc’s blood fell onto the snow.

He was determined not to let his comrade behind him come to any harm, even if it cost him his own blood.

Following behind, Colin could clearly hear the hiss of his own hot breath escaping through the gaps in his Chain Armor.

Wading through knee-deep snow, the two resolutely charged toward the rear of the enemy’s formation.

Five steps left. Three. One...

Thrusting his hands forward, Colin yelled the incantation for [Burning Hand].

Searing flames blossomed from his hands, erupting across the rear of the Skeleton formation.

The Skeletons’ fragile bones instantly crumbled in the searing blast, turning to scattered ash. The resulting vapor then carried the ash into the air, where it vanished into nothing.

Kase charged forward across the melting snow, joining the Barbarian Warriors to cut down the Skeletons that had barely survived the flames. Together, they tore a gap in the enemy’s formation.

’Now we just have to widen this gap.’

’Still, I shouldn’t use too many Tier One Magic spells while we have the upper hand,’ Colin thought. ’It would be a disaster if a leader suddenly showed up, just like with those Sahuagin!’

From his current position, he could clearly see the Skeletons’ formation had descended into chaos.

The unlucky ones at the front, caught in the Grease spell, were trying to push their way out. The Skeletons at the breach were being steadily driven back by the Barbarians. In the end, both groups were stuck, unable to achieve their goals.

Colin steeled himself.

He swung his Elf Greatsword, shattering two Bronze Broken Spears that were thrust at him.

Seeing the Skeleton in front of him reach for the Short Sword at its waist, Colin leaped forward and pierced its skull. At the same time, another Skeleton was incinerated by a blast of [Scared Flame].