https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-287-The-Astonishing-Number-of-Horses/13031132/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-289-Slaying-the-Gale-Raider-Leader/13031135/
Chapter 288: Gale Raiders
Chapter 288: Gale Raiders
After dealing with the small and medium-sized raider camps, Lu HaiKong set his sights on the final large raider camp.
Whether it was due to the sheer size of the Black Gale Legion, originally an elite raider force, or some other reason, seven days had passed, and the Black Gale Legion still hadn't advanced.
However, after seven days and conquering over sixty raider camps, the Black Gale Legion's experience had reached a peak. Taking down this large raider camp would likely result in their advancement.
The Black Gale Legion, already an elite force, was on the verge of becoming an exceptional troop type like the Royal Guard, potentially leading to a significant boost in combat strength. This was undoubtedly excellent news for Lu HaiKong.
Considering the respawn rate of the raider camps, Lu HaiKong realized that it would take at least half a year to replicate this troop advancement.
Lu HaiKong wasn't aware of the cycle required to produce a thousand-strong exceptional troop, but if he did, he would likely curse its slowness. However, if other lord-type outsiders knew about it, they might consider eliminating Lu HaiKong.
To conquer the large raider camp, Lu HaiKong once again ordered the mountain camp to provide crossbow supplies. For this period, the blacksmith and carpenter camps focused solely on producing crossbows for the Black Gale Legion, and fortunately, this situation would come to an end today.
After replenishing their crossbow supplies, the Black Gale Legion, led by Lu HaiKong, marched towards the large raider camp.
Lu HaiKong had previously sent scouts to this large raider camp, estimating a conservative number of at least eight thousand raiders, including some of the intermediate-level troops.
In this world, troop types were classified into a relatively complex and vague hierarchy, divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
For instance, ordinary mountain bandits, bandit archers, bandit swordsmen, and even horse bandits were considered beginner troops, while bandit elites and wild wolf guards were intermediate troops.
The system didn't explicitly state the criteria for beginner, intermediate, or advanced troop types. Instead, it defined three tiers: elite, exceptional, and possibly legendary. This system seemed somewhat overcomplicated.
In simpler terms, the beginner and intermediate classifications were based on the troops' innate attributes, which were challenging to alter. Elite, exceptional, and legendary troops could improve through combat experience.
Currently, in Lu HaiKong's mountain camp, there were only two types of intermediate troops: bandit elites and wild wolf guards. Technically, the Black Gale Legion was still a beginner-level troop, but as Lu HaiKong's first legion, the system granted them a significant boost.
Combined with the attribute advantage, the Black Gale Legion, despite being a beginner-level elite troop, far surpassed the Royal Guard, an intermediate-level exceptional troop, in terms of strength and combat power.
The focus wasn't on these details, but on the potential presence of intermediate-level raider troops in the large raider camp, which would be formidable.
Even if they were ordinary raiders, intermediate-level raider troops had a strength of at least 25, possibly reaching 30. If there were a large number of these troops among the eight thousand raiders, Lu HaiKong and his forces would face some challenges, though they were still manageable.
By the time Lu HaiKong and the Black Gale Legion arrived, the large raider camp had already assembled its forces, forming an impressive formation with nearly ten thousand troops.
Lu HaiKong noticed a small group of unique raiders at the forefront of the enemy formation. These raiders wore leather armor and carried long spears, with bows slung on their backs.
Their full set of equipment alone was enough to set them apart. From a distance of several hundred meters, Lu HaiKong used his Appraisal Skill to identify them.
Gale Raiders
Strength: 25
Unit Trait: Beginner Cavalry Archery
These raiders had simple attributes, but their additional unit trait of beginner cavalry archery was concerning to Lu HaiKong. He didn't want the enemy to have long-range attack capabilities, as it meant they could kite his forces without fear of retaliation.
However, now that they were already on the battlefield, Lu HaiKong wasn't about to back down.
What surprised Lu HaiKong was that, for the first time, the enemy took the initiative and launched a preemptive attack.
The Gale Raiders charged forward, drew their bows, and aimed at Lu HaiKong's forces, ready to utilize their beginner cavalry archery expertise.
"Naive fellows, it's just beginner cavalry archery. Do you really think you can match the Black Gale Legion?"
In the 1619 Bookworm version!
At the same time, under Zhao Gang's command, the Black Gale Legion sprang into action. After the initial volley of crossbow arrows, they immediately began a skilled retreat, regardless of the outcome. The battle between a thousand and eight thousand troops had officially begun.
In terms of cavalry archery, the Black Gale Legion still held the advantage. The Light Cloud Crossbow, being a crossbow, had a range that wasn't necessarily much greater than the Gale Raiders' bows. However, it was more stable, easier to aim, and convenient to fire, requiring only simple aiming.
During the battle, the Black Gale Legion could casually turn and fire, without any extra movements. Even if they ran out of crossbow arrows, they could rely on their speed advantage to create distance and reload calmly.
In contrast, the Gale Raiders seemed to have a harder time. Their cavalry archery was only at the beginner level, with limited range and skill. Despite their enthusiastic charge, they couldn't reach the Black Gale Legion.
However, they had their strengths. The Gale Raiders' leather armor was quite resilient, and the Black Gale Legion, to avoid being within range of the Gale Raiders' bows, attacked from a distance. As a result, the Black Gale Legion's crossbow arrows didn't inflict much damage on the Gale Raiders, and several volleys didn't kill many of them.
Nevertheless, the Black Gale Legion still held the advantage. They just needed to create distance and lure the Gale Raiders to a suitable location, where they could use their speed advantage to bypass the Gale Raiders and engage the regular raiders.
However, before Zhao Gang could fully implement this tactic, the Gale Raiders suddenly increased their speed and closed in.
Chapter end
Report
