The curved blades of the rangers spun from front to back, unleashing a dazzling blade light, marking the start of the rangers' core skill—Dance of Blades.
The brilliant light illuminated the dim sky, and the terrified face of the orc could be seen clearly reflected on the glinting blades.
Thud thud~ Over a hundred bodies plummeted from the sky, the very orcs that had just ascended the city walls.
"Ah!"
"Ugh~"
"Ugh…"
The anguished screams of the dying orcs echoed across the battlements, and the raining corpses crushed the morale of the orc army, causing their assault to falter.
"Damn it! Those cowardly elves! They're huddled in the city like pitiful insects!" Azog roared in fury, clearly taken aback by the elves' resistance. Their tenacity moved him.
After all, they were a contingent of elves who had participated in the Last Alliance War!
The glory of their ancestors burned brightly in their hearts, reigniting the once-cooled blood within them.
They were warriors who had faced the Black Gate! They were brave fighters who had charged into Mordor! They were the Singray Star Elves! They were the children of the stars!
"Why haven't they exhausted themselves yet?" Azog watched as the lively, agile elven rangers mowed down the emerging orcs like a whack-a-mole game, the only difference being they were slicing with knives…
If Rynar were here, he would surely scoff at Azog. The orc didn't understand the underhanded tactics of the elven army, having never fought alongside them.
(During the first battle at the Lonely Mountain and the skirmishes against the woodland elves, the elves entered the Vale without the time to ascend the walls, so Azog had the fortune of not witnessing their dirty tricks.)
Once the elven army had formed their ranks, their attacking method became predictable. First, they would use their extremely long-range arrows to wear down the enemy.
If the elves were fatigued or the enemy closed in, their spear-wielders and rangers would quickly take up positions for close combat.
But here's the catch! Fatigue doesn't mean their fighting spirit or magic is depleted!
Many times, the rangers and druids would be exhausted from shooting, but their fighting spirit or magical energy would still be brimming…
If you thought they were fish on a chopping block… then you'd see the dazzling elven Dance of Blades and druid transformations.
After all, skills don't require physical energy to unleash. This elven strategy is simple yet incredibly effective.
Having played games for so long, Rynar had never seen many who could fare well against a well-prepared elven battle formation unless your knight brigade or sky knights could crush them, but obviously, Azog didn't have that.
Watching the blades swirling with radiant energy dance across the flesh of orc soldiers, Azog's heart was bleeding!
The first batch of attackers were solid second-tier orc warriors! And they were being chopped down like vegetables…
"Send in the cannon fodder to wear them out!" Azog commanded, for he could not afford the loss of so many professionals! This would undermine his authority and intimidation.
Thus, the elite orc professionals retreated, and ordinary orc cannon fodder surged forward…
"Tsk! They're getting smarter!" Elenthor's expression changed.
It was known that cutting down professionals and ordinary orcs yielded similar results, but the elves were clearly at a blood loss! Their precious fighting spirit would be wasted on ordinary orc scraps.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~" The ogres, carrying siege wood, rushed toward the city gate at a rapid pace.
"Shoot it!" The resting elven archers, seeing these moving meat mountains, sprang up as if invigorated, and without hesitation, drew their bows!
"Boom!" Dozens of heavy bodies crashed to the ground, dragging deep scratches in the earth several hundred meters from the city gate. The ogres, now under the aim of hundreds of bows, quickly became giant pincushions.
"Deploy the catapults!" Azog waved his hand again, issuing another command.
"Boom!" Dozens of ogres, each carrying small catapults, slammed their fists into the ground, stopping a kilometer away from Loshanier City, while several orcs began loading stones.
"Idiot!" Elenthor's lip twitched. Did he look down on the range of elven archers? Azog's embarrassment was palpable, and Elenthor felt secondhand embarrassment for him.
Without Elenthor needing to direct them, the keen-eyed archers spotted the stationary targets…
"Explosive arrows! Fire!" Under the command of various squad leaders, a rain of skill-infused arrows poured toward them.
The elven archers, after releasing their arrows, didn't even feel the need to shoot again.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The sounds of explosions echoed as arrows struck flesh, and when everything quieted down, only the large footprints on the ground told of the ogres that had once stood there…
"Roar!" Azog raged impotently!
Alas! The poor orc king thought everyone lived in the Vale! Could those archers under Bard compare to the elves? Who gave him the confidence to stand before the elves as a target…
"Surround them!" Azog finally let out a furious cry! He no longer wished to consider whether that damn knight brigade would suddenly emerge, as he had just received a piece of news…
"Woo~woo~wooooo~!" The unique horn of the orcs sounded from the west!
"Holy crap!" Aranthor, entangled in battle with human soldiers, saw the black tide and orc totem rising on the western horizon and felt a chill in his heart.
"By the Dragon God!" Caslow, dodging the ground attacks from the dragon-slaying crossbows while holding off the orcs, felt his hands and feet go cold as he looked at the rolling tide of orc troops!
"Have the woodland elves been wiped out? How are they protecting the west?" Elenthor, who had also heard the commotion, cursed at the sight of the black tide.
After more than a month, the orc army led by Bard had successfully bypassed the Woodland Realm! They had arrived at the heart of the battlefield.
All the orcs ceased their attacks and methodically retreated to a safe area, and as they slowly formed a semi-circle around Loshanier City, a shadow fell over the hearts of Elenthor, Aranthor, and everyone on the battlements.
Why hadn't Azog surrounded the city before? Because he feared Rynar's holy knights, always thinking that this knight brigade was hiding in the city, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
With around twenty thousand troops, Azog didn't dare to encircle the city from all sides, but the arrival of the Bolg army shifted that balance! Azog now had the confidence to confront the knight brigade.
"Annihilate them! Tear them apart! The age of the orcs is about to arrive!" Azog screamed frantically, waving his remaining arm, excitement radiating from him.
…
Having crossed the frozen river, Rynar led his army and the holy knights to the west bank of theRiver Running.
At that moment, they were behind a hill several dozen meters high, having heard the earlier commotion.
Calmly, Lance immediately advised Rynar to halt the march. They climbed the hill to get a look.
Due to the thick ice on the river, they had traveled north for over ten kilometers, where the ice was even thicker, allowing heavily loaded warhorses to tread upon it.
From their vantage point, they could just see the orc army surging in from the west.
"...What the hell, the Woodland Realm is gone?" Rynar finally blurted out after a long pause.
"The biggest joke of the year… The dwarves have become prophets…" Rynar stared blankly, suddenly recalling what Thorin had told him… he didn't trust the woodland elves…
"It seems the orcs really did breach the woodland elves' defenses! I hope it's not what I'm thinking… that the elves just stood by and watched…" Rynar's expression turned grave.
"Your Majesty…" Lance hesitated to speak.
"Let's retreat…" The knightly spirit-practicing Reynod was the first to suggest retreat.
"We can't put you in danger…" Radir said seriously.
This battle was different from the first battle at the Lonely Mountain; the vast disparity in strength left Reynod unable to even entertain the thought of resistance.
This wasn't just about abandoning allies! This was about self-preservation!
"Buddy… is this your so-called easy fight?" The sharp-eyed Vanervi clearly saw the well-equipped orc warriors.
"No! We still have a chance!" Rynar rejected everyone's suggestions.
"Don't forget! The star elves have dragon knights, and dragon knights represent… at least one forbidden spell!" A smile appeared on Rynar's face.
Instantly, the expressions of the others shifted from gloomy to bright. Yes! Dragon knights! The nuclear bombs of Middle-earth, alongside the sages?
If these orcs were positioned tightly, one forbidden spell could wipe them clean…
"Roar!" A clear and stirring dragon's roar echoed through the sky! A magnificent blue dragon, sparkling with starlight, roared upwards from the city!
Elenthor no longer dared to hide. Originally just playing around, but Azog wasn't playing fair! He was doubling down! If he was ready to show his cards, then they'd have to make their final stand…
"Fire!" A chorus of commands resonated across the walls.
The remaining orc army had yet to recover from the sudden change in their surroundings.
The cannon fodder charged from both sides while the more capable orc warriors sought safety in the thick foliage, ignoring the incoming arrows from above.
Then…
Boom! The explosive arrows fired in volleys ignited the battlefield, mixing red flames with the air, illuminating the entire battlefield.
"Rumble!" The orcs who had finally regrouped roared fiercely in anger as the elf rangers poured fire down from the ramparts.
This was just the beginning! The elven rangers had indeed been waiting for this moment!
Rynar's deep voice boomed forth, "Sons of the stars! Gather the courage of your forefathers! Dance for the stars!"
The rangers unleashed their remaining magic, illuminating the area and instilling hope in the hearts of the elven warriors!
The Dragon Knights took flight.
"Charge! Charge! Charge!" The holy knights who had been silent for days leaped into action, rallying alongside the remaining elves.
"Stop them! Don't let them reach the edge!" Azog roared, only now realizing that the battlefield had shifted again.
"Bring me the sorceress!" The orc king was furious, "How dare those elves play this trick on me!"
An entire brigade of orc warriors rushed toward Loshanier City, aiming to crush the warriors in their way…
"The end is near!"
With a heart-wrenching shout, the swift rivers had turned into a rolling tide, setting forth a storm of chaos and change across the horizon.
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