Chapter 286: The Barbarians' All-Out Assault
The battle entered its third day.
The sentries of Bloodmoon City had already detected the movements of the barbarians.
Using their superior numbers and equipment, they managed to suppress the enemy sentries.
It was under these circumstances that they discovered the barbarians' movements.
They initially thought the barbarians would scatter across the vast plains, much like the barbarian wanderers distributed across various territories.
But the outcome was far beyond their expectations!
The main barbarian force continued pushing downward, heading directly towards Harley's camp.
Harley breathed a sigh of relief but also felt deeply frustrated.
"What are these barbarians after? Do they have a grudge against us?"
Hearing Harley's muttered words, 343, who was marking information on the map, smiled and turned her head:
"This is a good thing; it's better to deal with them all at once than to have them spread across the plains, becoming a lingering threat and nuisance that Bloodmoon City would struggle to eliminate!"
Harley Knight lightly shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and continued:
"I'm not worried about these barbarians; judging by their movements, dealing with them won't be difficult."
"But in the future, more and more barbarians might enter from the northeast, which would severely strain our forces. The eastern coast is not secure…"
A hint of red light flashed in 343's eyes, as if she had already envisioned that scenario.
She suddenly chuckled and pointed at the map.
It was the east coast camp and bridgehead fort built by Matthew!
Not just a military strategist, Harley vaguely understood what 343 meant, and he mused aloud:
"I seem to remember that this area is unclaimed territory."
"If a lord develops and establishes towns here, it could be claimed…"
"Are you suggesting the Bay Territory take over?"
"Can they hold it?"
The faint red glow slowly faded from 343's eyes as she gazed deeply in the direction of Bloodmoon City:
"Yes, Lord Matthew has that potential and capability."
"The most important thing is that Lord Matthew and the Bay Territory are very wealthy; they can absorb the increasing number of adventurers from Bloodmoon City."
Harley knew that 343 hadn't fully explained her reasoning.
But he didn't press further; he wasn't truly concerned whether Matthew could hold the line, merely offering a gentle reminder:
"Coordinate with the Bay Territory. If they can plug this gap, it would allow more people to flow in."
A bright smile spread across 343's face. Knowing Matthew's attitude towards population, she snapped her fingers:
"No problem, I'm 80% sure I can convince Lord Matthew."
"But let me warn those fools not to provoke the Bay Territory…"
Nodding silently, Harley considered the troublesome ways of their city lord and found it surprisingly agreeable.
Having the Bay Territory's help wouldn't be so bad; it would keep things patched up.
Three days later.
The wandering barbarian main force finally arrived at the camp in Zone Two.
Observing their overwhelming numbers, Harley Knight sneered:
"Let's see how long you can hold out!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a blaring horn echoed from the other side.
Under everyone's stunned gaze, a vast number of barbarian soldiers charged toward the camp.
Harley blinked in surprise and, under the watchful eyes of all, waved his hand and said:
"Prepare for battle!"
A brutal fight ensued.
The soldiers of Bloodmoon City held the advantage of the terrain.
The barbarian soldiers, however, had the upper hand in individual combat strength.
The two sides battled fiercely around the camp's low walls.
Matthew glanced at the battlefield below, where both sides suffered casualties, and decisively chose not to intervene.
He wasn't foolish.
Not getting involved meant it had nothing to do with him.
If he intervened and had to withdraw or suffered heavy losses among his allies, he'd inevitably shoulder some responsibility.
Given the current state of both sides, the battle would likely drag on for quite some time; it would take days to reach a conclusion.
Of course, Matthew had no intention of simply sitting on the sidelines.
He returned with Yaya to the rear of the barbarian army.
The Bay Territory's inspection team was already roaming the area.
Using their long-range advantage, they constantly pressured the barbarian sentries.
Seizing any opportunity, they struck without mercy.
In just half a day, the patrol range of the barbarian sentries had been squeezed into a very narrow area.
Under such pressure, they found themselves increasingly constrained.
Elio watched the relentless barbarian assault, filled with confusion:
"What are they trying to achieve?"
Beelzebub, who was maintaining his weapon, slowly shook his head. He couldn't quite understand the current behavior of these barbarian soldiers:
"I'm not sure. They have strong combat abilities, but their equipment is very poor; both sides are in a back-and-forth battle."
Matthew vaguely sensed something but didn't voice it.
It wasn't that he didn't want to join the fight; his forces just hadn't arrived yet!
On the first day of battle.
The barbarian elites suffered heavy losses, with over 3,000 casualties.
The losses were staggering, and most lacked medical care.
Once injured, they could only wait for death.
The Bloodmoon City defenders didn't fare much better, with 3,500 casualties.
Fortunately, most of Bloodmoon's injured were merely wounded.
With healing potions and group recovery spells, the majority could recover.
In terms of sustained combat ability, Bloodmoon's soldiers were clearly stronger.
Having witnessed the barbarians' might, the nobles leading Bloodmoon's forces became much more "obedient."
After securing absolute control, Harley Knight found his job even easier.
He ordered the reserve troops who hadn't yet fought to continue strengthening the defenses.
He also swiftly mobilized other reserve units.
Meanwhile, he was well aware that Matthew had reached the rear.
In his view, the barbarians were already trapped in a snare.
Still, the enemy's reckless advance puzzled Harley Knight.
What was the purpose behind such actions?
Harley didn't know, but he decided to eliminate the barbarians sooner rather than later, to avoid unexpected complications.
On the second day of battle.
Harley's hopes were dashed.
Despite their losses on the first day, the barbarians launched another all-out assault on the second day, determined not to stop until they achieved their goal.
The soldiers of Bloodmoon were once again pummeled, with each noble commander suffering heavy losses.
They were deeply pained and also felt an inexplicable fear toward these barbarians.
Where had these barbarians come from?
Why were they attacking us?
If Matthew knew their thoughts, he would surely smile and say:
"Don't bother asking; you can't communicate anyway!"
The Bay Territory, silently assembling its forces, had already blocked all escape routes for the barbarian soldiers.
They were just waiting to wrap things up!