Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 32 Encounter

After leaving Belgost, the Flamefist Squad continued south along the Coastal Highway under the banner of the Seven Suns Merchant Alliance.

The road to Nashka was destined to be anything but peaceful. It was as if Tamora had used up all her blessings when they crossed the crossroads earlier, and now it was her sister Bensaba's turn to come and help the poor Flame Fist squad.

The sudden attack came from a group of cunning goblins. These beasts were lying in ambush in the jungle on the right side of the road. The dense bushes concealed their tracks well, and because it was not a tall forest, Flame Fist's scouts were a little careless.

The silence of the ranks was shattered by a series of whistling arrows flying past. The arrowheads, colder than the north wind, sliced ​​through the air and instantly traversed the distance from the jungle to the coastal road, plunging headfirst into the bodies of the unfortunate Flame Fist soldiers.

"Enemy attack, right flank!" Despite the sudden attack, the Flame Fist soldiers, being seasoned veterans, did not panic. They quickly halted their advance and formed a defensive array supported by the wagons in the direction of the enemy's attack.

However, this time the attackers were not the same rabble as before. Not to mention the continuous yet distinct waves of arrows, the goblin warriors who launched the charge were able to maintain a rough formation, although not very uniform, which was quite impressive.

"Be careful, these aren't ordinary goblin bandits, they're the Great Goblin War Gang!" Scar quickly warned his teammates after recognizing the enemy.

On the other side, in the Goblin Battle Clan, the Goblin Baroque, as their leader, had just orchestrated a classic sneak attack. The first wave of arrows achieved good results, causing the opposing humans to lose at least 5 combatants. Although the subsequent arrows did not achieve any results, they suppressed the opponent's counterattack.

"These humans reacted so quickly! Are they really just an ordinary caravan?" Baroque wondered.

But seeing his underlings' morale soaring and eager to try, he couldn't help but put aside his concerns. Yes, we are the Great Goblin War Gang.

Unlike his goblin relatives who were like beggars and bandits, the Great Goblin Warband was a true military organization. Their discipline, combat skills, and courage far surpassed those cowardly relatives.

Without further hesitation, Baroque drew his broadsword from his waist: "Charge with me!"

Human warriors are still suffering under a hail of arrows, unable to effectively suppress their own charge. Victory and glory are at hand!

So, what is our Master Zhang doing at this moment?

As soon as the group was attacked, Zhang Yuan skillfully hid on the left side of the carriage, using the vehicle as cover to put on his mage armor.

Then, just as the enraged dwarf Bard and the giant Münster were about to retaliate, they were stopped by this guy.

"I am about to cast a spell; you will guard me."

Without saying much, the group of them developed a tacit understanding along the way.

Under the watchful eyes of both sides, the Auto Chess pieces, in Zhang Yuan's hands, made their first appearance on the continent of Faerûn.

"Facio, Voco, Ferre! (I create, I call, weapons!)"

As the chanting ended, a round, stone figure appeared, accompanied by a crystal-clear flower bud. After the bud fully opened, revealing the tiny creature inside, it vanished like a bubble.

Looking at the little stone he had summoned with his own hands, Zhang Yuan felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, but being on the battlefield, he could only suppress these emotions for the time being.

Bard and Münster weren't too surprised to see the stone golem Bard join their team. After all, mages summoning stone elementals was standard practice, right? The two magic-illiterate individuals naturally didn't understand the significance of it.

Just as the enemy launched their charge and gradually approached their ranks, the Flame Fist mercenaries, wary of the enemy's ranged firepower, could only choose to passively defend. Seeing this, someone suddenly had a wicked idea. He watched the earth goblins' charging steps and began to channel the spell he was about to cast.

"Cupio, Virtus, Licet! (What I desire, I will grant completely.)"

The arcane brilliance vanished in his hands, as if nothing had happened. Just as the two generals responsible for covering him were looking at each other in bewilderment, an invisible force, like an ultrasonic wave, suddenly spread through the charging goblin ranks.

I, Baroque, will lead from the front!

The position of leader of the Goblin Warband is never obtained through any fancy tricks; it can only be achieved through one word: fighting.

Baroque is the strongest and most capable fighter in the entire Warband.

While they understood some basic tactics, advanced strategies such as commanding from the center and strategizing within the command tent, and the commander-in-chief's responsibility to oversee the overall situation and avoid personal danger, were too complex for them.

The leader should take the lead and charge ahead, otherwise how can he command the respect of the masses? He, Baroque, doesn't even know how to spell the word "coward"!
Of course, being illiterate, he couldn't write any other words either.

This is irrelevant. The human caravan on the other side, which can only passively defend, is like a thin-shelled walnut; you can easily crack it open and enjoy the deliciousness inside.

As for what to rob? Food and supplies, of course! What if there's no food? Stupid! Aren't those humans food themselves?

Still lost in his daydream, Baroque easily dodged the few stray arrows flying towards him and was about to accelerate towards the enemy lines when suddenly he felt dizzy, as if he hadn't slept all night and had just walked to the bedside. The intense drowsiness almost numbed his brain.

However, how could Baroque, the most powerful warrior, fall asleep on the battlefield? "Charge! Charge, boys, follow me!"

The expected passionate shouts did not ring out. Surprised, Baroque glanced around and saw that apart from a few close confidants who were still struggling to keep up with him, the rest of his twenty or so subordinates were all lying on the ground, fast asleep.

Baroque was truly astonished. "I led the charge, while you little brats slept soundly?"
Enraged, Baroque disregarded everything else and rushed to the sleeping goblins, kicking them repeatedly in an attempt to wake the lazybones.

The Flame Fist soldiers, who were on high alert and waiting to engage the earth spirits in close combat, were overjoyed.

I thought this would be a tough battle. The opposing goblin warriors didn't look like pushovers at all. When their morale was high, they launched a charge. Even if our defenses didn't collapse, the losses would be devastating.

Unexpectedly, the seemingly well-trained opponents faltered halfway through their charge. A group of goblins, as if overcome by sleepiness, simply lay down on the ground, using the sky as their roof and the earth as their mat.

Seeing the opposing leader stuck halfway through the battle, looking helpless and at a loss, Skater knew the opportunity was fleeting and didn't hesitate any longer, decisively giving the order:
"Flame Fist soldiers, watch out for arrows! Charge!"

Drawing a bow and shooting an arrow is not as simple as in novels and games. After several rounds of concentrated fire, the stamina of the goblin archers was greatly depleted, and the soreness in their wrists no longer allowed them to continue high-intensity fire suppression.

Just then, their own assault team started to slack off on the battlefield, refusing to get up even as the enemy human soldiers were about to attack.

The goblin archers had a million curses in their minds, but it was too late. If they didn't run now, it would be too late. The melee squad, who had been sleeping like dead pigs, had already had their heads chopped off in their sleep and were now asleep forever. The humans were coming towards them.

(End of this chapter)