The first half of the trolls that rushed in had barely had the time to discern their surroundings before they were enveloped by crossbow bolts flying at them from every direction.
In that instant, about a hundred trolls fell.
Those remaining were pierced by arrows as well.
They tried to dodge to the side, only to find in horror that behind the city gates, a stone wall three to four meters high had been erected at some point.
Thousands of crossbows were pointed at them, as if holding them at gunpoint.
"Second row, step forward, fire!"
The soldiers took turns advancing, mounting their crossbows, and firing.
The trolls that had charged in headlong, unprepared and with nowhere to hide, were blanketed by a rain of arrows and toppled to the ground one after another.
Only three to four hundred trolls managed to brake at the gates, staring in panic as a large number of their comrades fell in an instant; they then turned and fled in chaos.
