The Warriors Don't Charge, the Priests Go First

Chapter 89 The Warriors Don't Charge, the Priests Go First

What exactly is justice? Marcus sees a contradictory combination in Victor.

The priest is absolutely fanatical, and he cannot tolerate the slightest blemish in his pursuit of the snake-man. His integrity is so blatant that it raises suspicions. He must prove his unwavering belief in justice in order to be a priest who practices the way of Tyre.

But in the tavern, his debate with Kuran and Roca revealed a calm and thoughtful attitude that differed from his fanaticism.

He didn't understand the meaning of doing this, but he did it without hesitation and remained committed to it until his death.

With this thought in mind, he followed the slippery, cold aura emanating from the rainforest and successfully found a snake people's stronghold hidden in a valley.

It was a dilapidated ruin, with moss-covered walls crawling with mosquitoes. Snake-men, each carrying a guandao (a type of halberd), stood guard at corners and intersections, watching for any threats that might appear in the unfamiliar rainforest.

"Looks like those four-armed snake people aren't cannon fodder after all—" Marcus lay prone on the ground, covered with a layer of lichen and moss that could shield him from body heat.

The feathered serpent helmet, which transformed into a tattoo, granted him the ability to see in the dark. He could see objects clearly in the night, not by relying on temperature to capture outlines, but by recognizing their dim colors in the darkness.

He muttered to himself, observing the activity within the decaying ruins from a distance of three hundred meters.

Hidden in the center by the labyrinthine high walls, faint, ethereal light emanates—it must be a teleportation array! The snake people arrived at the Nileca River through this very place.

"Hmm—I can't see anything." Bading stood straight, like a stone, and no one would notice him.

After roughly observing the outline of the high wall, Viktor said, "The left side should be the weak point—"

"Alright, get ready to work." Marcus interrupted the priest, ripped off his moss-covered ghillie suit, stood up, and shouted at the snake-men, "Hey, you bastards, you're not allowed to leave without my permission!"

Viktor glanced around instinctively. The dwarves and drow were loading arrows into their crossbows, clearly anticipating Marcus's reckless actions, and showed no surprise on their faces.

"You'll have to get used to the tough guy approach, Vicator."

"Call me Waldo, dwarf master."

"Okay, wahado."

A visible displeasure flashed across the priest's face, but he quickly suppressed it. He also tore off his cumbersome lichen cloak, stared directly at the astonished snake-man, raised his longsword high, and roared in a highly recognizable, shrill voice: "In the name of Tyr, I will judge you!"

The sword in their hands transformed into a blazing sun, its intense light illuminating the dark canyon, and a halo of power and courage enveloped everyone.

"We will never retreat, we will never waver, victory will surely be ours!"

Viktor shouted and slid into the slope, his boots scraping through the gravel and mud, leaving two trails of smoke. He rushed to a snake-man guard, his sword flashing like the dawn, the power of the disc dispelling the darkness, and sparks flew from the snake-man's head as it flew out.

The serpent guards, mocked by the priest, directed their icy rage at him, but these soft, cold-blooded creatures couldn't even break through the golden shield encasing his armor.

Swords clashed, blood splattered, and Victor, who was fighting fiercely, saw the snake man being shot through the throat by a crossbow bolt. He thought to himself that dwarves were indeed the most reliable. Suddenly, he saw a short and stocky man, as short as a shadow, burrow into the battle line like a wild boar.

Ah!

Aren't dwarves supposed to be rangers?! And what about Marcus?! How come he's slower than a dwarf when he charges?! Victor dodged the halberd swinging towards his shoulder, plunged his sword into the snake-man's throat, pulled it out, and glanced back.

Marcus, sword and shield in hand, glided slowly down the gentle slope, while the one providing long-range arrow support was Drow!

"Marcus Norfitz, I order you to charge immediately! I need your reliable arm!"

"Okay, sir, I'm almost there!"

Victor turned his attention back to the front lines. He keenly sensed a strange flow of magic, and a large, muddy black object suddenly appeared beneath his feet.

"Damn it, witchcraft! But no witchcraft can triumph over justice!"

The burning fire of anger, coupled with an unwavering determination, kept Viktor's feet firmly bound in the mud, yet his resolve remained as firm as iron.

Each attack by the snake-man only strengthened his faith, and the flames of his sword illuminated the dark ruins.

He glanced back and saw that Marcus had made it downhill smoothly, but his pace was still as slow as a snail's.

"Marcus!"

"It'll be soon, it'll be soon."

Bardin laughed and advised the priest not to waste his energy: "The tough guy has a strange habit; he won't charge even when facing goblins. He's as eccentric as Riverside Town."

"A warrior who doesn't charge is not worthy of being called—" Before Victor could finish speaking, Marcus, who had just arrived on the battlefield, roared "Grandson!" drawing all the snake people's attention to him.

He used his shield to block the charge of several snake-men guards, and his longsword, Blood Oath, swept across, tearing three snake-men apart with a single strike.

The warrior plunged his sword into the head of a snake-man warrior, his free right hand gripping the slippery throat of another monster, a cruel smile spreading across his face: "You've got yourselves into big trouble, snake-man brats."

He grabbed the snake-man by the throat, his powerful arm swinging like a spicy snack, pressing the snake-man's head against the blood oath embedded in the "ground." The incomparably sharp magical blade sliced ​​open the snake-man's skull, and with a pull, half a blood-soaked corpse appeared in his hand.

The warrior waved half a "spicy strip" in front of the now-fearful snake-man, demonstrating a ruthless fighting style.

Having witnessed this scene firsthand, Victor retracted what he was about to say. Although Marcus wouldn't charge, his strength and ruthless methods were enough to deter evil, making him a good helper for a righteous person.

The three stood side by side on the same front. Marcus, always looking for the toughest opponent, mocked them with a sharp tongue: "You, you, a fool hiding in the back and spouting nonsense. Your eyesight isn't much better than a goblin's. Instead of giving blind orders, you should come out and try!"

Victor and Bardin's first collaboration was also excellent, turning into an impenetrable wall of meat grinders.

They successfully made up for the lack of rye beer brutes; one was tall and thin, the other short and stocky, and both were equally strong with their weapons.

With Marcus covering for them, the priest and the ranger plunged into the enemy ranks without any worries. Victor cleaved the snake-man who was trying to sneak up on the dwarf's head with a single sword strike, and Bardin turned around and swung his axe to take out the enemy that Victor had missed.

An arrow pierced through the gap between the two men and plunged into the throat of the snake-man commander.

Trissy, crossbow in hand, silently approached the outer perimeter of the ruins: "You've scared the snake people away. Don't forget why you came here."

"Yes! Don't forget the objective!" Marcus had abandoned the conservative warrior who used a round shield, wielding a sword in his left hand and a club in his right, smashing the snake-man's head with a single blow, thick blood splattering across his face.

He seemed to have fallen into a frenzied state, shouting passionately, "Fight! Kill! In the name of Kukulkan, the Water Queen, or Smoke Mirror, whatever the hell, slaughter them all!"

Trish rolled her beautiful eyes, somewhat exasperated by the reckless man's heated argument: "There's a magic circle in the ruins; that's the core."