Orcs and trolls were dying but were being replaced quicker than they died. Archer made his way towards the frontlines. He saw it buckling under the relentless attacks. A troll was at the back, ordering the rest to strike different points.
Archer turned around to check on Sarah's progress. When he saw a group of orcs approaching them, he quickly cast Blink to intercept them. He appeared in front of the orcs with a smile before he started rhyming.
''This little piggy went to market.''
Rushing forward, he started slicing the orc's legs, slowing them down. After killing the closest orcs, he Blinked to kill another.
''This little piggy stayed home.
This little piggy had roast beef.''
Archer started a slaughter fest as he didn't stop killing. Pointing at a group of orcs, he fired an eldritch blast directly at them. An orc ran up to him and took a swing, but he dodged it as a knight impaled it.
''This little piggy had none.
This little piggy went.''
More and more kept coming. He may be small, but his dragon bloodline strengthened him. Spells flew in his direction, but he tilted his body to the side. Dodging the attack, Archer Blinked to appear in front of the shaman and quickly stabbed it.
''Wee, wee, wee.
All the way home!''
Looking around, he saw the adventurers, soldiers, and knights getting pushed back. Archer overheard a commander tell another man that there were ten thousand troops at the start, but only a few thousand men were left.
The bigger cave trolls took out some knights before returning to the frontline. In the beginning, there were five hundred knights; after the cave trolls attacked, only two hundred haggard knights remained.
The army was being pushed back to the river as the orcs kept charging at the lines after firing more spells into the crowd of beasts. Archer turned to see Sarah's group safely cross the bridge. He noticed she was looking at him, and he smiled as he raised his hand.
He shot the purple missiles at the bridge; they flew through the air, hitting it.
BOOM!~
The blast's force knocked over everyone standing close; river beasts flew out of the water, all torn to shreds. When he checked the bridge, he saw it on fire; it stopped the orcs from crossing. Archer's breath quickened as he figured out the best way to escape the situation.
He watched them prepare to attack as they got closer, but he cast Thunder Wave as soon as they got in range. The shockwave radiated outward from his body, throwing the orcs back with incredible force.
They tumbled backward, some falling over each other, desperately trying to stay on their feet. The spell had given him the much-needed time to catch his breath and prepare for the next onslaught.
He readied his swords as the beasts seemed to sense his confidence and strength. They hesitated momentarily before charging towards him again. Archer deflected some attacks and blocked others with Cosmic Shield, but it was still too much for him; he was only thirteen.
Archer's regeneration skills were working overtime to keep up, but his attacks were becoming slow, and the human army was numbering no more than one hundred men left. They were standing back to back as they died defending their brothers.
Everyone saw the white-haired boy trying to defend them but was regularly overrun. Archer's mana was low, and he was tired. Looking towards the bridge, he saw Sarah's group, who stood across the river firing spells at the incoming horde.
"I'm glad to have fought beside you, boy. You're a real warrior. Now leave us; we are dead, but you can still live."
He turned around to see an older man kneeling, blood pouring from a wound on his chest. ''Live boy!''
Smiling as he dropped to the ground dead, Archer just stared at the man who bought enough time for the civilians to escape at the cost of his own life.
He looked around and saw the other soldiers getting overrun, so he started running. A massive orc king stepped in Archer's path, quickly stopping as he saw it. Eight feet tall, muscular, and angry-looking, he looked behind the beast and saw Sarah staring at him with tears.
Turning his attention back to the orc king, he charged toward it as the orc got ready to swing his massive club. It swung as Archer got closer. Using Blink to dodge and appear by the beast's right leg, slicing its muscles, he made the leg buckle, but the beast still managed to stay standing.
The orc swung his right hand to slap Archer, but he quickly ducked down. His senses kicked into overdrive as he cast Cosmic Shield just in time to stop the acid blast that was heading toward him.
But this distraction gave the orc king enough time to kick him, sending Archer flying. He flew across the battlefield, slamming into a tent and getting all tangled up until he cut himself out.
Looking around, all he saw was chaos, flames everywhere, bodies of men and beasts scattered all over; he walked out of the tent he crashed into.
Archer looked towards the city and saw goblins climbing the walls. He could hear the screams of the people who couldn't make it out. He made his way to the destroyed bridge, gathering troll and orc bodies along the way.
As he was running, a spell came out of nowhere and slammed into him. But he felt the incoming attack and raised his arms just in time to defend himself, but was sent flying. With determination, Archer swiftly landed on his feet and summoned his Cosmic Sword.
He charged towards the king and the group of shamans. The formidable orc leader also advanced, and their clash occurred in the middle of the battlefield, where their fate would be determined.
Archer dodged the beast's attack and shot a fireball into its chest, causing it to stumble backward. This gave him enough time to get out of the thing's reach. He steadied himself as he got ready to attack. He sprinted towards the beast.
A random blade swung at him from his left as he charged towards the orc king. Archer couldn't dodge, so he raised both swords, blocking the attack. When the Orc General's attack connected with his blades, they shattered into pieces but deflected a killing blow.
However the blade cut straight through his left horn as he deflected it causing him extreme pain, the orc king then ran up and kicked the boy. He flew back like a rocket, bouncing until he landed in the Eventide River, getting swept away while unconscious.
Sarah and the others saw all this from the opposite side of the river, but they couldn't do anything as spells were fired at them. They retreated to the Avalon empire as Archer was swept south on a new adventure.
Passing through mountains, grasslands, deserts, and jungles as day turned to night, unconscious. Archer's body was slowly repairing itself, and his left horn was cut off and growing back.
Many days of floating lifeless down the Eventide River stretched from the far north of Pluoria to the southern tip. As he floated down the river, unconscious, he drifted through several different and varied environments.
The first environment he passed through was a lush tropical rainforest. Brightly colored birds swooped through the canopy above, their calls mingling with the sounds of the river rushing around him.
The air was thick with humidity, and the scent of blooming flowers filled his lungs. Archer continued to float downstream, the environment changed to a densely forested area, filled with tall trees draped in vines and moss.
The sound of rushing water grew fainter as the river slowed, and the environment became quieter. The only sounds were the occasional bird cawing or the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind.
Next, he drifted into a rocky canyon, where the river flowed between tall cliffs. The water became choppier here, and he bumped against several rocks as the current pushed him along.
Archer continued his journey down the river, the landscape changing around him. The once barren and harsh terrain gradually transformed into a more welcoming environment. He floated through beautiful woodlands where grazing animals observed the peculiar sight of his passage.
The scent he emitted seemed to discourage any bloodthirsty beasts from approaching. Archer ventured into a mountainous region and traversed a desolate desert landscape as the river meandered through the plains.
The sweltering, dry air and relentless sun bore down on him as he drifted along. The river narrowed, revealing glimpses of sand ripples beneath the water's surface.
Despite the harsh environment, he floated down the river peacefully, letting the current carry him forward until he washed up on a beach.
Archer began to stir, feeling a cool breeze hit his body. Slowly opening his eyes, all he saw was the blue sky. That's when he realized that he wasn't in the north anymore as he stood up.