Chapter 121: Tearing Through
"When you are trying to look for weak spots to lead your army through, don't necessarily look for the area where you see that the monsters are most thinly spread.
If you try to lead your army through the area that looks the most thinly spread then they will face the risk of being encircled by surrounding enemies and heckled non-stop.
You will lose a lot of your men and your charge forward will be fast but unsafe.
Instead, charge through areas adjacent to sparsely populated areas as you will run a lesser risk of being surrounded" Ravan instructed as he guided Rocky through the safest possible patches to charge through.
Although they were fighting a high stakes, high speed battle where Rocky had to constantly kill one monster after another without having the time to think about anything else or take a moment to think and regroup.
By following Ravan and absorbing his teachings, Rocky grew at an unprecedented pace and gained invaluable practical war knowledge.
"The other thing you need to focus on while being on a charge is breaking enemy shape and formation.
The undead fight in a tight formation and usually that makes running straight through them difficult.
However, if you cut through them diagonally in a zig-zag pattern, you can open up gaps in their ranks and help your army cut through them.
Of course this won't work for all types of formations and you need to study the different types of war formations and how to counter them to adopt the best possible strategy, however, the general idea is the same.
When on charge - Disrupt their shape and exploit the gaps that appear" Ravan instructed as he made cutting through tight undead formations seem so easy that it made Rocky wonder if charging through enemy lines was actually difficult at all?
Behind him, Pope Cole and Neatwit covered his rear and sides as although they said nothing to Rocky and let him set the pace on the front, they understood the terrifying job he was doing, without him having to explain anything.
While a common soldier would be unable to understand how masterfully Rocky was leading their arrowhead formation to make way through enemy ranks unharmed, Neatwit and Pope Cole did.
They weren't sure if they themselves could have done a better job, as the way Rocky led the army made them feel as if they were following a veteran war god rather than a newbie.
A silent smile spread on their lips as both men enjoyed the way their rescue mission was progressing so far.
What shocked Neatwit in particular was how Rocky was handling opponents much stronger than his level.
He was cutting off the legs of undead horsemen and slicing the heads off their riders in two fluent moves that looked nothing like the swordsmanship of a newbie.
Even when he let out a sword slash which was a move that no swordsman under floor 20 should be able to master, he did it with such perfection that there wasn't a single sound of his blade cutting through the air as he seemed to be able to transfer 100% of his energy behind each strike to the manifesting sword projection without wasting any energy to air resistance.
Such pure swordsmanship talent was not something Neatwit had witnessed ever in his lifetime as the more he observed Rocky the more he felt as if the kid was beyond special as slowly but surely he became a believer in his potential as a future figure that would shake up the entire tower.
'Not only Karna…. I must protect this kid at all costs. He's the future of our planet….' Neatwit thought, as although he wasn't a religious fanatic like Pope Cole, at this moment he also felt like even if he had to trade his life for Rocky's it would be a worthy trade, as Rocky was much more important to the future of Earth than an old dog like him.
"My lord…. We are soon going to reach the mud bridge that the Lich has made, crossing it will be dangerous as it's being defended by countless Durahals.
Please let this old man take the lead now and let him open a path-" Pope Cole said as they crossed the mine-field zone and reached the ditch area, where the only way to cross towards the main tower zone where Karna and Cassius were fighting, was the large mud bridge that the Lich had made for his army to cross.
It was a highly protected zone with an army of strong Durahals protecting it and hence Pope Cole requested Rocky to take the lead here as he felt like carving open a path now would be beyond Rocky's capabilities even if he was a genius.
"Ho…. He's underestimating me… Since when can't the god of war open up a bridge guarded by some puny Durahals" Ravan said, as he felt an intense itch to continue, however, as he threw a glance towards the panting Rocky behind him, who seemed to be at his limit, he begrudgingly relented.
"Alright, let him do his best…." Ravan said, as Rocky gestured for Pope Cole to take the lead.
[ Hidden Move - Destructive Dragon Slash ]
Pope Cole said as he concentrated a large amount of mana within his sword and let out a powerful sword strike that took the form of a wingless dragon upon unleashing.
It tore through at least a dozen Durahals before fading, as although it achieved a good result it failed in carving open a path.
"Huh, so weak Pope Cole, let me show you how it's done-" Neatwit said as he rushed into the opening that Pope Cole had created and unleashed a powerful attack of his own.
[ Dark Move - Black Death ]
Unleashing a powerful sword strike that covered a 270° area, Neatwit blasted aside all the Durahals in the area, reducing a few to ashes while pushing the others off the edge of the bridge and into the ditch below.
"See…. That…. Pope…. Cole…. *Pant* *Pant* *Pant*, that's how…. It's done" Neatwit said, putting on a brave face although he wobbled around with his footing.
It was obvious that the previous attack took out a lot from him, however, it succeeded in its objective of clearing a path for the army to charge through.
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/// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///