Chapter 88

The camp of the expeditionary force was filled with scenes of imperial soldiers battling demons.

Warriors, awakened from their slumber, quickly rushed out of their tents to join the fray.

These demons were very different from the ones they had encountered before. In previous battles, the demons would fight to the death, never retreating until they were slain. However, the demons raiding the camp would turn and flee if they found themselves at a disadvantage.

A demon with a Roman sword impaled in its abdomen, seeing the second squad of warriors approaching, crashed into a tent on the left, trampled it with a kick, and leaped over the top, carrying He Boqiang's Roman sword into the chaotic battlefield.

*My modified Roman sword is still stuck in that demon's body...*

He Boqiang struggled to stand up from Big Beard, watching the demon disappear from sight with a speechless expression.

He picked up the dwarf chain shield and helped Big Beard Cagel, who was sitting on the ground clutching his chest, to his feet.

The second squad of warriors quickly rescued the soldiers trapped under the collapsed tents. Some soldiers were merely entangled in the canvas, unable to free themselves, while others had been stabbed to death by the demons' bayonets, leaving blood everywhere in the tents.

The heavily armored infantry could not withstand the demons charging in from outside the camp. These demons were ruthless, using bayonets, axes, and maces to strike at the most vulnerable points. Sometimes, they would even trade injuries to deliver a fatal blow to the imperial soldiers in front of them.

The demons surged through the breach, quickly advancing to the center of the camp and occupying the northeast corner.

The 57th Heavy Infantry Regiment was stationed in the northwest corner of the camp, forming a pincer with the 58th Heavy Infantry Regiment in the northeast. As the cannon fodder of the expeditionary force, their campsite was relatively remote. When the demons broke through the outer wooden fence, these two heavy infantry regiments were the first to be hit.

At the same time, these two heavy infantry regiments were the first to organize a resistance. A large number of heavily armored infantry emerged from their tents, wearing their armor and wielding weapons and shields to form a human wall, trying to block the demons charging into the camp.

Hundreds of demons formed a wedge formation, like a sharp blade piercing the camp. The heavy infantry's defensive line was breached, and the demons continuously pushed towards the center of the camp. The camp was littered with the bodies of infantry soldiers, with only a few demons falling.

The defensive line of the heavy infantry in the camp crumbled at the first touch.

The warriors of the Fourth Battalion, led by Baron Sidney, were also mixed in the defensive line. Although they were not directly hit by the demons, they were swept back by the retreating infantry.

A group of heavy cavalry gathered on the hillside and advanced along the camp's passage to reinforce. Under the demons' pressure, the retreating tide collided with the advancing heavy cavalry, making it difficult for the cavalry to move forward.

The heavy cavalry, unable to charge, was not much stronger than the heavy infantry. When the demons attacked, the heavy cavalry could only retreat with the tide.

Three-meter-tall demons chased after the retreating tide, with soldiers continuously falling along the way.

Count Monty Goss tried to reorganize a defensive line, but the tide of retreat had already formed. With only a few followers, he could not command the heavy infantry.

He Boqiang and the second squad of warriors were also caught in the tide, but fortunately, they were not separated. They were pushed towards the center of the camp.

Seeing the demons close at hand but unable to charge into battle, Suldak became restless.

At this moment, the second squad of warriors was pushed to a pile of supplies, where military equipment was stacked. Some ballistae, recently transported into the camp, were still wrapped in waterproof tarps.

Seeing the ballistae wrapped in tarps, He Boqiang had a sudden idea. He forcibly pushed aside a warrior beside him, approached the ballista, and pulled out a dagger from his chest.

*Shriek...*

The dagger cut a slit in the tarp, revealing the new ballista inside.

Seeing He Boqiang jump onto the ballista, Suldak immediately called out to the other warriors of the second squad to gather around the supply pile. In the crowded tide, Suldak led the second squad of warriors to remove the tarp from the ballista, revealing a sleek, ominous ballista in the night.

Operating a ballista was a basic training item for the heavy infantry, so this was not unfamiliar to the second squad of warriors.

"Augustus, go get a giant arrow!"

"Cagel, check the bowstring of the ballista."

"Gaspar, Dak, help me adjust the elevation and direction of the ballista, aim at the demons in front..."

Amidst the chaos, Suldak quickly issued a series of commands.

The second squad of warriors quickly responded, surrounding the ballista.

Suldak jumped onto the control platform, swung his longsword, and cut the iron chain. The chain fell with a clank.

Red Socks Gaspar frantically turned the winch, adjusting the ballista's sight to a horizontal angle. He Boqiang helped Gaspar turn the winch, and with the *creak* of the mechanical gears, the ballista slowly came to life.

Some heavily armored infantry, still possessing strong fighting will despite being caught in the retreating tide, followed the example of the second squad and gathered around the ballista.

Baron Sidney, with a few followers, climbed onto the ballista, brandishing his longsword to gather the infantry of the Fourth Battalion, urging them to move towards the supply pile.

Augustus carried a three-meter-long giant arrow from the rack beside the ballista and, together with Suldak, placed it in the arrow slot.

The bowstring was successfully pulled back by the winch, and the entire ballista body hummed with a faint roar. The rune plates embedded in the ballista body lit up.

Suldak's face turned red as he aimed at a demon. The demon was using its bayonet to impale an infantry soldier, who was lifted into the air, screaming in agony, his limbs twisting in a futile struggle.

Suldak pulled the trigger, and the bowstring released with a *bang*. The arrow, emitting a series of sonic booms, turned into a shadow, piercing through the retreating crowd, and shot through the demon's body, carrying it several meters and nailing it to a post in the camp.

The successful shot from the second squad's ballista boosted the morale of the other warriors removing the tarps from the ballistae.

Count Monty Goss, with his followers, quickly gathered a group of heavy infantry, relying on the supply pile to re-deploy a defensive line, trying to block the demons charging into the camp.

The battalion commanders following Count Monty Goss released their *aura*, which appeared as vivid banners on the battlefield, drawing the attention of some demons...

At the same time, the center of the camp echoed with the neighing of warhorses.

A group of construct knights riding black-scaled horses appeared in front of the main tent. These construct knights held black shields and raised their lances, moving in perfect unison.