Free Web NovelChapter 137: Chapter 108: Raid on the Camp (2)
Under Panok’s command, the Headhunter Clan People recovered from the shock of the Undead’s surprise attack. They regrouped to resist the Undead. Though they were getting run through by arrows one after another, they were still faring much better than the goblins, who were running around in chaos and being casually dispatched.
The goblins were in complete disarray. The vast majority were paralyzed by fear. Only a small fraction managed to rally at the shouts of their respective leaders. Realizing it was safer with the Headhunter Race, they began flocking toward the regrouped Headhunter Clan People.
Panok didn’t refuse them. More Power meant a greater chance of survival. ’These goblins will serve as perfect cannon fodder for our breakout!’
After gathering all the forces he could, Panok wasted no more time. He pointed in a pre-selected direction and shouted to the goblin leaders beside him, "Charge that way! There are fewer Undead over there! Charge! We’ll cover the rear!"
The terrified and panicked goblin leaders now saw Panok as their lifeline. Seeing him point out a path to survival and even offer to cover their rear, they didn’t think twice. Gritting their teeth, they led their subordinates charging forward in a swarm, completely oblivious to the savage grin that had appeared on Panok’s face behind them.
The direction he pointed to did indeed have fewer Undead than elsewhere, but it wasn’t a path one could break through so easily. If it were that simple, why would he have given the opportunity to the goblins? His offer to cover the rear was merely a ploy to make the goblins charge ahead to clash with and entangle the Undead, creating a better opening for his own people.
The short goblins bounded forward, letting out bizarre shrieks as they met the Skeleton Undead head-on. Surprisingly, it was quite effective. When these creatures went berserk, they were no easy opponents. After all, they were more agile than the Undead, leaping and dodging while striking at every opportunity. Since they already knew the Undead’s weakness, they actually managed to take down a considerable number of them.
Seeing this, Panok was overjoyed. Brandishing his Bone Rod, he charged forward behind the goblins, bellowing, "Charge!"
The sound of the Beast Horn Trumpet rang out once more, but this time, it wasn’t a call to gather—it was the signal to Charge!
The Headhunter Clan People understood their leader’s intent perfectly. They only attacked the Undead threatening to encircle them from behind, while not a single one of them rushed ahead of the goblins. ’Let the goblins handle the dying; we’ll focus on escaping.’
A deployment of ten thousand Skeleton Undead was, it seemed, still too few. They couldn’t withstand the goblins’ desperate breakout and allowed them to carve a path out, though a great number of corpses were left behind.
The goblins who had escaped to freedom fled for their lives. But the Headhunter Race, who had been following them, suddenly accelerated once they were clear of the encirclement. They surpassed the goblins, dashing ahead with even greater Speed, leaving the goblin leaders completely stunned.
’What the hell?’
’Weren’t you supposed to be covering our rear?’
’How did we become the rearguard the moment we broke free of the encirclement?!’
Fortunately, the Undead’s Speed wasn’t high, and they couldn’t catch them. Aside from a few who were killed by arrows, most of the goblins who followed their leaders managed to escape with their lives, closely tailing the retreating Headhunter Race.
The Undead only chased for a short distance before turning back toward the camp. Rather than pursuing the enemies who had escaped, it was better to mop up the goblins still running about in chaos within the camp.
After running for nearly an hour, even Panok was gasping for breath when they finally stopped. Looking back, he saw there were no pursuers in sight—only a scattering of goblins who had managed to keep up.
"Stop! Let’s regroup. Whew... how many of our people are left?" Panok asked, leaning on his Bone Rod and panting heavily.
One of the men went to count the clan members who had followed them and returned with a grim expression. He reported to Panok, "Leader, we only have about five hundred people left."
"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Where did those Undead even come from? Why didn’t the watch report anything? How did we just let them storm the camp like that?!" A savage light flared in Panok’s eyes. The fight had barely begun, and he had already lost nearly half of his Warriors. He was overcome with rage.
The clansman who had reported lowered his head and didn’t reply.
Panok stared at the clansman, then grabbed him by the neck and yanked him face-to-face. "Why aren’t you answering me?" he demanded fiercely. "I asked you a question!"
"L-Leader... we didn’t post anyone on watch..." the clansman choked out, his face turning red as he struggled to speak.
"What?! We made camp to rest! How could we not have a watch?!" Panok released the clansman, staring at him in disbelief.
"You said the Undead wouldn’t show up at this time, so no one was assigned to watch," the clansman replied, clutching his throat and coughing twice, a pained look on his face.
Panok’s eyes turned red. He panted raggedly, then suddenly let out a crazed roar and began swinging his Bone Rod around wildly. After venting his impotent fury for a moment, he calmed down a little.
He hadn’t imagined that the root cause of the Undead’s successful ambush lay with him, that it was all due to his own carelessness.
’If this had been anyone else’s fault, even one of my own clansmen, I would have had them flayed and deboned. But the person at fault was me. So what could I do? I’d just have to forgive myself, I suppose.’
Grabbing the waterskin from his waist, he tilted his head back and took several large gulps. He then looked at the clansman again. "Go. See how many goblins are left."
’At a time like this, the goblins are also a Power that cannot be underestimated. We have to band together.’
The clansman hurried off in the direction of the goblin leaders. Goblins were still straggling in; their stamina was no match for the Headhunter Race, and the continuous hour-long flight had caused many of them to fall behind.
