Chapter 9: Tactical Formations

After the poisonous mist dissipated, the towering Infernal War Boar swiftly cast Berserk and Bloodlust on its subordinates again, driving them to charge straight at Li Bin's main formation.

Despite their frenzied rush, Li Bin noticed from their awkward movements and glowing green eyes that the negative spells they’d been afflicted with earlier, as well as the toxins they inhaled, had not entirely faded. Their ferocity merely suppressed these effects for the time being.

Li Bin quickly delegated the task of casting support spells to Dierdre, who had been following close behind, while he himself directed the undead ballistae to target specific enemies.

According to his orders, the ballistae ignored those Infernal War Boars who were already near death, those shrouded in a green haze, and those running slowly. Instead, they focused fire on the fastest and strongest of the charging beasts.

Within a single volley, more than a dozen of the mightiest Infernal War Boars each received at least three bolts, and without exception, all perished where they stood.

The undead ballistae pressed on relentlessly, cutting down every last Infernal War Boar before any could reach their lines.

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At this point, Li Bin should have felt elated. According to the system’s notifications, in that brief exchange alone, at least fifty level 3 and 4 Infernal War Boars had fallen to his hand. Yet, a lingering sense of unease tugged at him.

He soon understood the source of his disquiet when he saw the massive Infernal War Boar at the temple gates grinning at him. Behind that beast, at some unknown moment, three fresh ranks of troops had assembled.

At the very front stood a squad of Red Boar Steelhammer Soldiers, but their hammers were unlike any ordinary ones—these seemed to have just been pulled from the forge, glowing with searing heat.

Behind them, six Red Boar Flail Warriors brandished not a single spiked ball, but a string of them, marking them as rare ranged attackers among the Infernal War Boars.

Furthest back were four towering Red-Haired Giant Boars, each over three meters tall. Their massive tusks were sheathed in thick iron, and heavy battering rams hung from their bodies. Li Bin had no doubt that with enough momentum, these beasts could shatter a city gate in a single charge.

“Undead, your arrival is poorly timed. These were meant for that group of women, but now, you’ll be the one to enjoy them all,” the Infernal War Boar declared, laughing loudly at the look of surprise on Li Bin’s face.

“And what of it? Do you think your underlings alone can halt my advance?” Li Bin retorted, forced to respond to the boar’s provocation.

“Is that so?” A flicker of admiration flashed in the Infernal War Boar leader’s eyes. “Do you think, after all these years in this valley, these are my only soldiers? Look behind you—you have no way out.”

Li Bin turned and discovered that the camp where they’d stayed the previous night was now swarming with Infernal War Boars. Though only Red Boar Iron Ball and Red Boar Steelhammer soldiers filled their ranks, their overwhelming numbers shattered any certainty of victory.

The only consolation for Li Bin was that Lidas and her followers were nowhere to be seen. The area they’d occupied bore no signs of battle.

There was still a glimmer of hope. Li Bin steeled himself and called out, “Form ranks! Prepare to defend!”

“Form ranks?” The Infernal War Boar leader burst into laughter. “An undead without tactical training dares to shout ‘form ranks’ in the presence of the great War Boar General, Adina Byakridus? How laughable. Allow me to show you what a real battle formation looks like.”

At Adina’s bellow, the Infernal War Boars behind Li Bin swiftly arranged themselves into a triangular formation, with the strongest Red Boar Steelhammer at the apex, and charged at Li Bin’s lines in a frenzied roar.

For the first time, true gravity settled on Li Bin’s face. He’d only ever read about battle formations in the game’s manual, thinking them merely a matter of arranging troops into various shapes.

Now he saw how wrong he’d been. With the triangle formation assembled, the Infernal War Boars’ charge became noticeably swifter. Li Bin suspected this formation at the very least boosted both attack speed and power.

“It seems tactics is a skill I must mark as essential,” he muttered, then ordered, “Dierdre, do whatever you can to hold them back.”

Dierdre nodded solemnly and directed her undead hero, Beek, to deploy three defensive lines at the rear of Li Bin’s formation.

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No sooner had the three lines formed than the Infernal War Boar’s triangle formation crashed into them. The leading Red Boar Steelhammer merely raised his weapon and sent several blocking corpses flying.

The Red Boar Flail Warriors that followed unleashed their full might, sweeping their chained weapons in wide arcs and smashing an undead soldier into a pulp with only a few strikes.

Seeing his troops so effortlessly struck down, Beek, Dierdre’s hero, was stricken with anguish. Gritting his teeth, he shouted commands, and in response, black light shimmered over every standing corpse on the battlefield.

In an instant, the undead soldiers’ defenses soared; they could now withstand several blows from the Red Boar Steelhammers.

Although Li Bin’s focus remained on Adina directly ahead, he was still aware of what was happening nearby. He turned and shouted to Dierdre, “Tell your man to hold the line at all costs. If he can keep the rear from breaking, I’ll grant him the right to recruit Iron Corpses once we return.”

Before Dierdre could reply, Beek was already beside himself with excitement, redoubling his efforts to coordinate the defense and stubbornly holding back the Infernal War Boar assault.

Adina, across from Li Bin, also noticed the situation. He hadn’t expected Li Bin’s minions to withstand the shock of a proper battle formation. With a wave, two more Infernal War Boar units appeared on Li Bin’s flanks.

Li Bin turned to Dierdre with a grave expression. “Choose a side. If your troops are wiped out, retreat. I’ve already summoned Toudina for reinforcements—preserving your life is what matters most.”

“Master…” Dierdre replied, equally somber.

“No need for more words,” Li Bin sighed deeply. “This is my first time facing such a desperate situation. To win this battle, we’d need a miracle.”

No sooner had Li Bin spoken than a bizarre sound echoed from the temple behind Adina. Suddenly, the temple blazed with golden light, and a booming voice resounded: “Hahaha! Three thousand years, and I’m finally free again!”

At that moment, Li Bin received a system notification: “You have obtained the Elder Vine, the artifact needed by the Amazonian chieftain. Amazonian camp quest completed. You have released the sealed Barbarian minor deity, Alastor the Bloodthirsty. Your faction’s relationship with Alastor has become friendly…”