C21 Defeated

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Amidst the crisp sounds of bolts slicing through the air, massive three-meter-long projectiles streaked like lightning, striking the elite warriors of the Whirlwind Raiders. They pierced the bodies of the elite warriors, causing blood to splatter as the warriors fell lifelessly from their horses, turning into cold corpses.

In just a moment, over ten massive bolts had slain more than thirty Whirlwind Raiders, halting the charge of their elite warriors.

"Damn it! Oakenbreak actually has a crossbow!"

"Isn't Oakenbreak just a regular small town? How could they possess such a formidable siege weapon like the crossbow?"

"A crossbow is a fearsome weapon capable of piercing an Innate warrior's vital force shield. We stand no chance against it. Our only hope is divine protection to avoid being struck!"

"..."

Witnessing the swift demise of over thirty of their comrades, the elite warriors of the Whirlwind Raiders' faces turned pale as they involuntarily cried out in alarm, their eyes wide with shock, disbelief, and a hint of fear.

Despite the strength of the Whirlwind Raiders, with each member being a warrior, they were ultimately undisciplined bandits. They were adept at winning easy battles and bullying defenseless towns, slaughtering powerless civilians, but when faced with the risk of charging at walls defended by crossbows, they began to cower.

"The crossbow fires slowly and is cumbersome to reload. If we charge the city walls swiftly, the crossbows of Oakenbreak will become useless. So, let's not be afraid. Follow me in a charge and let's break into Oakenbreak!"

Seeing his men intimidated by the crossbow's might, the vice-captain of the Whirlwind Raiders, Zhao Ming, his expression stern, rallied his internal energy and bellowed a command. Spurring his horse forward, he led the charge toward Oakenbreak.

"Brothers, we're only a thousand meters from the walls of Oakenbreak. A single charge and we'll be under the city's protection, out of reach of their crossbows. So, fear not! Follow me, and let's storm Oakenbreak!"

"Brothers, the captain has given the order: once we break into Oakenbreak, all the women and riches are ours to divide!"

"Brothers, let's charge into Oakenbreak and seize their wealth and women!"

"..."

Zhao Ming's orders barely ceased before the Whirlwind Raiders' leaders, filled with vital force, let out a mighty shout and spurred their horses towards Oakenbreak's walls.

With Zhao Ming and the other leaders at the forefront, the elite warriors of the Whirlwind Raiders cast aside any lingering fears. Brandishing their stainless steel weapons, they charged toward the walls of Oakenbreak.

Once they reached the base of the walls, rendering the crossbows useless, they could easily invade the town and claim all the women and wealth for themselves.

"Fire the arrows!"

Watching the Whirlwind Raiders' elite warriors approach, Zhao Wei, the captain of the Yang family's guard unit, looked on in alarm and ordered his men to attack.

The Yang family guards swiftly notched and loosed their arrows at the approaching raiders.

Yet, the majority of these guards were low to mid-level warriors, with only a handful at an advanced level, and not a single one was a warrior of note. Their arrows lacked the strength to harm the Whirlwind Raiders. As the arrows neared the raiders, they were effortlessly sliced through by the raiders' stainless steel weapons.

In no time, the Whirlwind Raiders' elite force closed in to within a hundred meters of Oakenbreak's walls. With just a bit more ground to cover, the first-rate warriors among them could unleash their long-range attacks, like sword, blade, and spear beams, to cut down the Yang family guards and storm into Oakenbreak.

"Release the Shattering Bolt formation!"

At that moment, Yang Ann, accompanied by three hundred elite Yang family guards, took his position atop the city walls of Oakenbreak. As he watched the elite warriors of the Whirlwind Raiders nearing the city's perimeter, a glint of ferocity flashed in his eyes, and he bellowed the command.

Instantly, the Yang family guards swiftly raised their Shattering Bolts and aimed at the oncoming elite warriors of the Whirlwind Raiders. With ruthless efficiency, they pulled the triggers, unleashing a torrent of bolts upon the raiders.

The Shattering Bolts were not only capable of piercing armor but could also penetrate the bodies of first-rate warriors. Moreover, they were designed to fire ten bolts in rapid succession, creating a lethal barrage.

In mere seconds, the three hundred elite guards of the Yang family fired a staggering three thousand armor-piercing bolts, forming an overwhelming rain that shrouded the Whirlwind Raiders.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The air was filled with the sharp clang of metal as the bolts, designed to penetrate armor, tore through the leather and flesh of the Whirlwind Raiders' elite warriors, causing blood to spray and their immediate demise.

In the blink of an eye, the dense volley had decimated over half of the Whirlwind Raiders, leaving only a hundred warriors behind, their faces etched with shock and terror as they stared at their fallen comrades, bodies bristling with bolts.

"Damn it! How does Oakenbreak have so many Shattering Bolts?!"

Witnessing the decimation of his elite forces under the relentless volley of the Shattering Bolts, Wang Shuo, the leader of the Whirlwind Raiders, was struck with disbelief and horror, crying out involuntarily.

Had he known that Oakenbreak was armed not just with crossbows but also with three hundred Shattering Bolts, Wang Shuo would never have led the Whirlwind Raiders in such a bold assault against the town. He certainly wouldn't have ordered a charge that was tantamount to a death sentence!

Without a doubt, Wang Shuo would have leveraged the superior individual strength of the Whirlwind Raiders to infiltrate Oakenbreak stealthily, seizing control from within and rendering the town's formidable crossbows and Shattering Bolts useless.

Regrettably, it's all too late now!

The Whirlwind Raiders had lost more than half of their elite warriors, and the remaining hundred or so were terrified. Restoring their former glory would require Wang Shuo to invest considerable time, energy, and resources into training new warriors.

"Crossbows ready! Fire!"

As Wang Shuo and the elite Whirlwind Raiders stood in shock, the ten crossbows atop the walls of Oakenbreak were loaded and ready. At Zhao Wei's command, they unleashed a volley at the elite warriors.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The air split with sharp whistles as over ten massive, three-meter-long bolts flew like lightning, their terrifying force and lethal edges easily penetrating the Whirlwind Raiders' warriors, striking them down into lifeless bodies.

"Run for it!"

"Save yourselves!"

"Retreat!"

"..."

Snapped out of their stupor by the crossbows' fearsome assault, the elite Whirlwind Raiders screamed in terror and turned their horses, fleeing in the opposite direction, no longer daring to assault Oakenbreak.

The Yang family's elite guards on the walls could only watch the bandits flee, not daring to pursue the Whirlwind Raiders' elite warriors.

Indeed, with the exception of Yang Ann, the Yang family guards were all warriors, and to chase after the elite warriors of the Whirlwind Raiders would have been a death wish.