Chapter 348: Chapter 249: The Whole Army Attacks_1
Two teams marched in silence. This was an order and discipline that perhaps only the fanatical Order of Knights of the Church in the entire Empire could achieve. Yet now, it was present in a dilapidated territory.
The Old Ancestor might have been a genius in other respects, but he was absolutely clueless about military affairs. That is to say, the Old Ancestor, who revered Supernatural Power, simply disdained any sort of military action.
This was evident from the fact that the camp’s surroundings hadn’t been cleared of weeds and bushes, nor had any traps been set. The people in the camp remained oblivious until the encirclement was complete, still preoccupied with their own affairs.
Today, let’s give those fellows a bit of military shock!
Lance no longer hid himself but stood up straight from the bushes, aiming his long-barreled musket at the most fanatical of the Heretics in training.
"BANG!"
The dull sound of gunfire rose in the wilderness. The sturdy Heretic, still training vigorously, collapsed, his head lolling to one side. It seemed as if his fervent faith had not made him impervious to swords and muskets.
But this gunshot acted like a signal, startling the Heretics in the camp and simultaneously heralding the start of the battle.
"Enemy!"
"What has happened?"
"..."
Even with some training, when faced with a sudden attack, the entire camp instantly fell into chaos. It was clear they hadn’t received proper emergency training; their development was haphazard, and their organization chaotic.
However, some of the more senior Heretics responsible for their training stepped forward, screaming wildly in the direction of the gunshot.
"Kill him and prove your courage to God! Don’t you want to escape that life and achieve Ascension?"
That shout was like a stimulant to the Heretics. They had been brainwashed, and most were former refugees. None of them wanted to return to their past lives; they desired Ascension, they craved paradise.
"Aaah!!!"
Instantly, those individuals entered a state of extreme agitation, charging towards Lance like madmen.
Setting aside whether these small fries could harm him or not, if he wasn’t worried about them scattering, Lance alone with his dog could have soloed the camp.
But it wasn’t time for him to act yet.
"All forces, charge!"
Reynard, clad in full armor, stood up from where he hid, lifting the Champion’s Proof in his hand towards the camp.
"Prepare—"
As he spoke, the soldiers rose. The camp was a mere eighty meters away. At the Commander’s order, the pikemen lowered their pikes and advanced. The Musketeers mixed in with them also raised their muskets, aiming at the Heretics’ fanatical faces.
This scene momentarily stunned the Heretics.
Wasn’t there just one enemy? How could so many just suddenly appear?
But the soldiers weren’t playing games. To them, the densely packed Heretics were merely targets.
"Fire!"
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
Continuous gunfire shattered the camp’s tranquility, proving against the Heretics’ massed bodies that ordinary Flesh and blood could not withstand bullets.
As the Lead Bullets tore into the dense crowd, they instantly pierced, shredded, and even blew off limbs.
That’s right, the large-caliber Lead Bullets of a muzzle-loader were just that uncompromising.
The Heretics were already bewildered. Now, this bloody scene was like a bucket of cold water poured over their fervent beliefs, sobering them instantly.
They had only been in training at the camp for ten to fifteen days. They weren’t true Fanatics, nor did they possess the conviction to die for their god; they were just ordinary people who wanted to live.
At that moment, it seemed they finally remembered who they were and began to crumble, turning around to flee the bloody battlefield.
However, the true Fanatics wouldn’t let the situation collapse. They brandished their weapons, striking down any Heretics who dared retreat.
The Supervision Team showed no hesitation, even though just moments before, they had all been comrades.
"Charge!"
"Death is not something to fear. We will return to God’s side and achieve Ascension."
"Ascend in Flesh and blood!"
It had some effect. The faltering line held. Even those senior Heretics, yelling strange exhortations, charged towards the soldiers’ formation.
If these were ordinary soldiers facing crazed Heretics, they might have fired a single volley and considered their duty to their Commander fulfilled.
But Lance’s soldiers had faced truly formidable monsters and confronted raging beast tides. Even now, they calmly reloaded and fired again.
Another volley of gunfire erupted, like a scythe cutting through wheat. A dozen more Heretics at the forefront instantly fell.
They were right; death itself wasn’t terrifying. But the sight of their severely injured companions, falling and screaming in agony, delivered a tremendous shock to the remaining Heretics, instantly shattering their faith.
Conversely, the soldiers calmly reloaded their muskets for a third volley, seemingly unfazed by the carnage unfolding before them.
"Ah!!!"
"Run for it!"
"Don’t kill me!"
One or two fleeing could be controlled, but when hundreds broke and ran, the situation spiraled out of control.
The few core Heretics in charge were also stunned. They desperately tried to salvage the situation. However, after they cut down two or three deserters, not only did they fail to regain control, but they incited even greater panic.
The scattering Heretics quickly discovered that lines of bristling spears blocked them on both sides. Lacking the courage to charge the spear formation, they turned, trying to flee through the camp and escape to the rear.