Even though Henwell still lacks Fighting Spirit, his physical prowess is incredibly formidable. At this point, Henwell's strength surpasses that of Knight Mark when he's not using his Fighting Spirit. His endurance is even more astonishing; Henwell can fight at full power for an hour without showing signs of fatigue.
Henwell has co to realize that he might never develop Fighting Spirit due to so unique condition in his body. It seems he can continue to grow stronger indefinitely, with no end in sight. At the current rate of improvent, even without the aid of knightly body-strengthening potions, Henwell's physical capabilities will reach an unimaginable level by the ti he turns eighteen.
Now, Henwell wields his battle spear, mowing down the elite bandits around him like grass. With his imnse strength, the spear blade easily pierces through their defenses—whether leather armor, tal plate, or simple shields. Against Henwell's attacks, they all crumble like paper.
In the dim light, everyone sees Henwell charging through the crowd, unstoppable and unmatched. His fierce display leads everyone to believe he's using Fighting Spirit. After Henwell's relentless slaughter, the bandits are once again reminded of the fear knights instilled in them on the battlefield.
Following another ruthless pursuit, the remaining bandit leaders, along with a dozen defeated soldiers, flee down the hill once more.
Henwell returns to the formation with his spear, choosing not to explain the admiring looks from the surrounding warriors. Knight Mark finally feels at ease, convinced that Henwell possesses the rank of a knight. This assurance ans that no matter how dire the situation becos, the two of them can break through any encirclent.
In truth, heavy weapons like war hamrs would be most suitable for Henwell. With his strength and endurance, he could easily crush opponents with a single blow.
However, Henwell doesn't favor war hamrs and hasn't trained with them systematically. Moreover, wielding a heavy war hamr and wreaking havoc doesn't quite fit Henwell's current persona. He aims to portray a talented young man, not a fierce young warrior!
After this round of attacks, the bandits are unable to organize a decent offensive for quite so ti. No one wants to rush up just to et their demise, yet the longer they delay, the worse it becos for them.
Typically, after exhausting their Fighting Spirit, a knight needs five to six hours to recover. It's been nearly three hours since Knight Mark's burst of power, aning his Fighting Spirit is about halfway restored. Based on this calculation, the other "knight" should have recovered to so extent as well.
Charging again now would certainly result in another devastating loss. No one wants to take that risk, but the longer they wait, the more unfavorable the situation becos for the bandits. The bandits are well aware that their operation has already failed, yet no one dares to suggest retreating.
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On one hand, they don't want to be seen as cowards. If soone suggests retreating first, even if the others agree, they'll likely be labeled as the one who chickened out. In the bandit world, where ruthlessness is the norm, showing fear can end one's career.
On the other hand, the bandits are afraid to retreat. After over ten hours of fighting, they've lost half their n. With hundreds of casualties, their power has been severely diminished. During a retreat, they not only have to worry about being scapegoated and blocking Peace Haven's forces but also about fellow bandits turning on them to seize their territory and manpower.
These combined factors make it difficult for the bandits to make a decision. They're too scared to fight, yet too afraid to run.
Finally, the bandit leader who previously suggested forming an alliance gathers all the bandit chiefs again.
"I'm not leaving without a fight. I'm going to charge once more. I, Scar Tiger, will lead the way myself. If you've got any guts, follow ; if you're too scared, stay back and watch. If we don't succeed, we'll retreat together, and no one should play any tricks on the way. When we retreat with strength in numbers, even Peace Haven's soldiers won't dare to chase us..."
An hour later, Scar Tiger leads all the bandit chiefs and their trusted followers in another assault on the hill. Henwell realizes the bandits are at the end of their rope. He and Knight Mark step forward, defending one direction fiercely against the bandits. Henwell's spear strikes out with precision, piercing a bandit's throat each ti.
Within a minute, Henwell stands atop a pile of bodies. His armor is peppered with arrows, the result of sneak attacks from the bandits' hand crossbows.
This battle lasts only about ten minutes, but it's exceptionally brutal. Two guards fall, and the rest suffer various injuries. After leaving behind over a hundred corpses, the bandits start to crumble. It's not just Henwell's ferocity; more importantly, a visible flare rises in the distance. It's a signal that reinforcents have arrived, asking for Henwell's location.
When a guard sets off the signal, fireworks rise into the sky, forming a silver wolf claw pattern. The bandits know it's ti to make a run for it. Scar Tiger, his left arm rendered useless by Henwell, struggles to rally the bandits, urging them to regroup and not scatter as they flee.
In just over ten minutes, more than three hundred bandits abandon their injured comrades who can't move on their own and flee directly southwest. Soon after, a fiery dragon appears on the distant ground—it's the reinforcents arriving. As these hundreds of reinforcents, aided by torches and moonlight, witness the hill covered in bodies, they're left speechless with shock.
The reinforcents number over seven hundred, all arriving on horseback. More infantry and militia are trailing behind, set to arrive with Officer Chloe at dawn. However, not all of these mounted troops are cavalry; the majority are foot soldiers on borrowed horses, many taken from rchant caravans.
Among the three hundred true cavalry, one hundred are elite private troops dispatched by the baron. The rest comprise Peace Haven's defense forces and patrols from the trade routes.
The baron's private army is led by Knight Umo, while the defense forces are under the direct command of Defense Officer Monroe. Both of them arrive at the hilltop and are startled to see Henwell, with several arrows embedded in his armor. They rush over to Henwell, who is leaning against a pile of corpses. Just as they approach, Henwell suddenly rises, causing both of them to pause in surprise.
Knight Umo asks, "Arius, are you alright?"
Monroe apologizes, "Sorry, young master, we arrived late!"
Henwell reassures them, "It's good that you're here! How many people do we have?"
After receiving the report, Henwell grips his spear, "The bandits haven't gotten far. Organize all the cavalry; we can't let them escape!"
"This must not happen!"
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