As the Hafdans gradually steadied themselves on the city walls, chaos ensued. Gwenis repeatedly called for the push poles, but due to various reasons, his commands were not followed. Under immense pressure and fear, Gwenis' command system almost collapsed, with everyone fighting independently to handle the immediate crisis.
The battlefield was a whirlwind of uncoordinated combat. Some guards clashed sword and shield with the Hafdans, others fired point-blank shots with short bows, and some even ignited oil drums on the wall to create a fire barrier, blocking the enemy's advance. The cries of battle and screams of agony merged indistinguishably.
Faced with such a dire situation, Gwenis steeled his heart and decided to risk everything. He single-handedly blocked a key passage on the wall, becoming the only obstacle for the Hafdans rushing down the stairs. Fortunately, the wall was just one meter wide, flanked by wooden barricades. As long as the person blocking the passageway stood, the Hafdans couldn't expand their advantage and were squeezed near the ladders, unable to take over the entire wall.
Moreover, due to the narrow passageway, even though the Hafdans outnumbered them, they couldn't fully deploy their forces, and Gwenis only had to face one opponent at a time. Wielding the Wintaling Sword, he slew every Hafdan daring enough to challenge him.
However, it must be said that the Hafdans were formidable in combat. Each one was nearly equivalent to the elite Inverness soldiers Gwenis had faced before. But now, he was stronger and more experienced than when he first entered the castle a few months ago.
Gwenis managed to kill every challenging Hafdan within a few moves. In less than a minute, he had already slain more than five Hafdans.
"Ding!"
"Killed five enemies in battle, earning 2500 personal points."
With the points added, including those earned from previous kills on the hillside, his experience bar reached a full 4000/4000. Glancing at the progress bar, Gwenis exerted full force and kicked a Hafdan's shield, repelling him. He swiftly opened his personal panel and proficiently added a point to his strength value.
Confirming the upgrade, Gwenis' strength value displayed 10 with a "MAX" sign appearing next to it, indicating it was fully upgraded. But he couldn't focus on these details as he immediately re-engaged in the battle.
With his strength increased again, Gwenis now had a significant advantage over the Hafdans. Confronting the enemy's block, he lifted the long sword above his head with one hand and brought it down with full force, splitting both the wooden shield and the enemy in two! Blood spurted out like a fountain, drenching the surrounding barricades.
Then, he surged forward, crashing into the enemy, grabbing a Hafdan's neck with one hand, and effortlessly threw him off the wall.
This act stunned the Hafdans nearby. Lifting over a hundred kilograms with one hand and throwing it over a 1.4-meter-high barricade was a rare feat of strength, even among the strength-worshipping, power-respecting Hafdan tribes. It was top-tier even by their standards.
Who would have thought that such a powerful warrior existed in the land of the "plowmen"?
Some Hafdans, unwilling to accept defeat, stepped forward to challenge Gwenis. The next moment, a hand holding a short axe flew off, leaving the one-armed Hafdan no time to scream before being beheaded by Gwenis.
Even the valiant Hafdans hesitated to challenge Gwenis again. Witnessing their reluctance and fear, Gwenis turned and slapped Sedis, who was dizzy and disoriented, to bring him back to his senses.
"Go! Bring up the push poles!" Gwenis roared into Sedis' ear. Sedis, shaking his head to clear it, staggered away to carry out the order.
Gwenis then turned back and re-entered the fray among the Hafdans, causing a bloody carnage on the wall.
Meanwhile, Hafdans broke through the defenses at other locations and ascended the wall. However, facing the narrow passage and the staunch resistance of the guards, they too were momentarily stalled, unable to advance further.
Jervis organized a group of conscripted soldiers, who stood close together, wielding four-meter-long spears. Any Hafdan attempting to breach the defense and rush down the stairs was swiftly impaled and fell, staggering. Despite the Hafdans' fierce combat skills, facing a phalanx of two to three long spears, they found it almost impossible to advance. The saying "an inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch weaker" held true. The Hafdans, adept in combat, found it nearly impossible to close in on the long spears with their short axes and shields.
Jervis, who had just shown a relieved smile upon seeing the Hafdans faltering, suddenly widened his eyes in shock. Unable to break through, the Hafdans, in a swift move, threw their short axes, accurately striking the head of the leading conscripted soldier, who died instantly without a scream.
Seeing the effectiveness of this tactic, other Hafdans followed suit, hurling their axes with deadly accuracy over a few meters. Each axe claimed the life of a conscripted soldier.
Jervis's mouth twitched in frustration. His hard-earned formation of conscripted soldiers was quickly unraveled. Meanwhile, the Hafdans picked up weapons passed to them from behind and charged again.
On the other hand, Gwenis was almost in a frenzy. Outnumbered and at an absolute disadvantage, he pressed forward instead of retreating. His enhanced strength and agility wreaked havoc among the Hafdans, leaving a trail of blood and severed limbs. For a moment, he was unstoppable.
However, in the midst of his fury, the Wintaling Sword in his hands let out a mournful cry. After a heavy blow, Gwenis stepped back, finding his sword bent and twisted. In his unstructured and brute-force style, even the well-crafted Wintaling Sword eventually succumbed to damage.
Moreover, the sword had struck an iron shield this time. The impact immediately deformed the sword, and a large chunk of the blade broke off.
"Finally found you!" Gwenis looked up to see an enormous Hafdan with six fingers on each hand standing before him. "You killed my little brother!" he accused.
"Prepare to die!" he bellowed, and a massive double-handed axe, with an iron handle, came swinging down at Gwenis.