Terror of the third defense line

They don't really seem to be paying attention to the area behind their line of defense. All the remaining adventurers are clustered on the concrete wall making up the third line of defense as they try to figure out what is happening to their allies.

The concrete wall is about four meters wide. Plenty of space to allow a massiv amount of adventurers to man it. Taking this place by force seems impossible.

However, that isn't my job, is it?

I sit at the exit of the tunnel I used to get here, and scan the perimeter. I only created an opening that is large enough to fit my small body so I can always retreat if I am spotted.

My goal, chaos, confusion and a boat load of terror. I can't kill enough adventurers to make an impact. Instead, I have to make them panic.

Their camp, if you can call it that, is a mess. Far more people than intended are currently staying here. Setting fire to a tent or two should create some panic but it won't last long.

Just then, a loud crashing noise attracts my attention. Along the concrete wall are a number of ladders placed at even intervals. One of the ladders was just accidentally tipped over by a soldier. It fell all the way down and the sound attracted quite a bit of attention.

The embarrassed soldier jogs to the next ladder that is a few tens of meters away, climbs down and goes to put the ladder back in place. Using those ladders seems quite inconvenient…

I think I have an idea. Slightly devious but genius nonetheless.

I sneak up to the wall and begin to move away the ladders. These things are freaking heavy!

I carry the ladders into the tunnel one by one. Thankfully, the adventurers are so preoccupied by the increasing number of skull goblins closing in on the wall that they don't pay any attention to me. So long as I don't drop a ladder, they'll never notice a thing.

Why am I doing this? Three reasons.

First, paranoia. If they notice the ladders are gone, someone must have taken them. Once they feel that their backs aren't safe anymore, they will keep checking behind them. Doing so in a fight is distracting to say the least, lethal if we are realistic.

Second, if I give those ladders to the skull goblins, the wall becomes much less of an obstacle.

And third, once I set fire to the tents, people are bound to fall or jump off the wall. With their stats, that won't hurt them much, but getting back up in a hurry won't be as easy.

After all the ladders are in the tunnel, I enter the empty camp. There are a few campfires burning. I grab an unlit torch, light it with a camp fire and set flame to a few tents.

I don't wait for the fire to spread and quickly rush back into the tunnel. Once people notice the flames, this place will be teeming with adventurers. And if I am seen, the amount of terror they feel will drop considerably. For troop morale, an unknown, unseen foe is far worse than a strong one. Because against strength you can rally, prepare, and struggle with all your might. Against that which you can't even see, all you can do is break out in panic and despair. Or let things descend into chaos by trying to find the hidden foe.

I place a few stones to cover the tunnel entrance and begin to move the ladders to the nearest exit on the other side.

By the time I've moved all the ladders, the fire has been noticed and dozens of red dots have left the wall. They are probably trying to put out the fire or at least stop it from spreading.

Going by the large pillar of smoke and the increasing number of red dots leaving the wall, they aren't very successful. Camps do tend to hold many more flammable things than things that can put out fires. Fire extinguishers probably weren't amongst the things the army gunners brought.

Now that they are panicking, we need to mount the pressure. But for that to happen, I need the skull goblins to use these ladders. With their attention being on the adventurers on that wall this will be difficult.

I pensively rub my chin and feel something soft graze against my wrist. It's the purple scarf from Vespasian. It's a bit worse for wear and has some black marks from all the explosions but it's still recognizable.

I take it off and start waving it around while yelling. All the skull goblins in my immediate surroundings immediately look at me and their eyes are glued to the waving cloth. Having gotten the attention of a large enough crowd, I tie the scarf around the uppermost step of a ladder, pick up said ladder and run towards the wall.

My only current worry is that I may get shot by archers before reaching the wall. Carrying a heavy ladder with one of my arms busted isn't easy. However, my worries are largely lifted when four skull goblins run up to the ladder and grab on. With them helping me carry the ladder, our speed increases and the adventurers are to dumbfounded to react in time.

We reach the wall and I direct the skull goblins with blue scarfs to set the ladder against the wall. Then, I begin to climb.

Again, one-armed everything is more difficult and the adventurers aren't completely stupid. I don't even make it halfway up the ladder before a dozen arrows turn me into a green pin cushion. While falling backward and knowing my time with this body is about to end, I see a skull goblin who must have been directly behind me. They are climbing the ladder!

I hit the ground and see that the skull goblins are surging onto the ladder. Then, the ladder is pushed off the wall. Damn, so close.

At the moment, my vision begins to blur. However, I see another ladder with a blue scarf tied to the top most step get set up next to mine that has been tipped over. Ha, they learned! They understood!