Chapter 219: Wealth Delivered to Your Doorstep
Most of the adventurers were so terrified they retreated continuously.
The noble youths who had been secretly rejoicing turned around and ran.
However, the adventurers they brought along didn't immediately flee. Instead, they waited in place.
These adventurers were elites; they wouldn't be easily scared off.
But if the situation got worse, they'd leave without hesitation.
Matthew calmly stood up and signaled Angela to attack.
Angela, who had been waiting, pointed at the Sky-Splitting Lizard climbing up the walls and issued a clear command:
"Everyone, prepare to attack!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The dense sound of arrows slicing through the air filled the sky.
Arrows shot down from the slightly slanted walls.
The first row of Sky-Splitting Lizard, climbing the fastest, was instantly pierced by the rain of arrows, falling down with shrieks.
The soldiers in the first row efficiently stepped back.
The second row of soldiers stepped forward and pulled their triggers.
The crossbows hummed as the arrows flew out.
The powerful bolts easily penetrated the thick scales of the Sky-Splitting Lizard, embedding deep into their bodies.
These hideous creatures didn't even have time to struggle before they toppled down.
The soldiers who had retreated to reload quickly reset their crossbows, prepared to step forward again.
After the second row fired, they stepped back for the first row to move forward again.
Arrow after arrow rained down relentlessly.
The climbing speed of the Sky-Splitting Lizard slowed significantly.
Many lizards, riddled with arrows, rolled off the rock walls.
Numerous Sky-Splitting Lizard were killed by arrows that pierced through their heads.
Some were stuck hanging on the walls, their claws still embedded in the stone.
"Ding, your soldiers killed Rift Lizard ×1, gaining 300 Destiny Points."
"Ding, your soldiers killed..."
"..."
A string of pleasant kill notifications echoed in Matthew's mind.
In just three or four minutes, Matthew gained over 10,000 Destiny Points!
This windfall made Matthew's lips curl slightly.
However, the sheer number of Sky-Splitting Lizard was overwhelming.
These creatures weren't just fast climbers; they were also incredibly tough.
Even with the powerful crossbows, it took a headshot to kill them instantly.
Arrows to other parts of their bodies required at least three or four shots to be effective.
As a result, the roaring and snarling creatures climbed closer to the top of the walls.
Looking down, the walls were covered in their dark bodies—just a glance was enough to sap anyone's will to fight.
As the pressure on the defending soldiers grew, the previously calm adventurers began to feel uneasy.
Matthew knew the moment had come!
Time for your lord to make his move!
Without hesitation, Matthew stepped forward, standing at the edge of the wall as countless adventurers looked on. He raised his staff and aimed below:
Second-Tier Spell - Web!
A giant web spread over half the wall, ensnaring over 200 Sky-Splitting Lizard.
The soldiers, their morale boosted, adjusted their aim, shooting more precisely at the immobilized lizards.
After four volleys of arrows, over 120 Sky-Splitting Lizard were killed.
Matthew steadily cast one web after another, increasing the soldiers' kill efficiency.
Whoosh!
The seventh web dropped, trapping the highest wave of Sky-Splitting Lizard and turning them into easy targets for the soldiers.
However, Matthew had already used up nearly half of his mana.
Yet, the stream of Sky-Splitting Lizard showed no sign of stopping.
They kept crawling out of the ruin's entrance, putting more pressure on the soldiers.
Angela, fully prepared, gave the order without hesitation:
"Third and fourth squads, onto the wall, rotate fire!"
The soldiers, who had been waiting, climbed onto the wall but didn't immediately replace the current fighters. They observed their attack patterns first.
After watching two volleys, they didn't replace the others all at once.
Angela had them replace a quarter of the soldiers at a time, joining the attacks for two volleys.
Once the soldiers had adapted, she replaced another quarter.
This process repeated until all soldiers were swapped out.
The soldiers who were replaced drank mana-restoring potions.
They stretched and relaxed, trying to recover faster.
They carefully inspected and maintained their crossbows to ensure they wouldn't malfunction during battle.
Matthew watched the continuously climbing Sky-Splitting Lizard, lost in thought:
"In about half an hour, we've killed around 400 Sky-Splitting Lizard."
"From their persistent attacks, it's clear that 400 isn't even a third of their total numbers."
"It seems there are more Sky-Splitting Lizard than I remembered."
"Looks like it's time to wrap this up."
Matthew stopped casting Web, and instead, a spinning fireball shot toward the middle of the Sky-Splitting Lizard.
Boom!
The expanding fireball didn't kill many Sky-Splitting Lizard directly.
But its explosive shockwave sent a wave of energy through the cylindrical walls.
The Sky-Splitting Lizard, caught off guard, were swept away like leaves in the wind.
The middle section of the wall, once packed with Sky-Splitting Lizard, was instantly cleared by the fireball's force.
Before the Sky-Splitting Lizard could react, another fireball shot toward the base of the wall.
With another loud explosion, no more Sky-Splitting Lizard emerged from the base.
Waves of heat flowed out from the top of the wall, carrying the faint stench of burning flesh.
Although Matthew relied on the fireball's shockwave for its main effect,
The spell's enhancement from his 30 Intelligence and the Candle Dragon's body made two fireballs still manage to kill 7–8 Sky-Splitting Lizard.
Destiny Points +2000!
Mana restored: +40!
Remaining mana: 100 points!
Watching the Sky-Splitting Lizard crawling out again, Matthew didn't immediately attack.
He waited until the Sky-Splitting Lizard endured another round of crossbow fire, climbing halfway up the wall before hitting them with two more fireballs.
This time, he only recovered 30 mana points.
His mana was down to just 70 points.
Matthew instinctively frowned; Mana Drain Level 2 was still too low.
Glancing at the now mostly empty walls, Matthew casually walked back into the resting area amid the soldiers' cheers.
He closed his eyes, and this illusionary clone vanished without a sound as his consciousness returned to his main body.