Archer's Adventure Manual

Chapter 168 The Gnoll Attack

Noah's muscles bulged as he powerfully swung his greatsword, making it sharp and clashing with the jackalmen's spears with a sharp clang.

The gnolls on the other side wanted to seize the opportunity to attack, but Lin Wen appeared and took the opportunity to stab the gnolls on this side with his dagger, helping Noah to shift the firepower.

Finita also used Flash at the right moment to briefly blind the three gnolls in front of her.

"Woohoo!~"

The dagger pierced the gnoll's leather armor, and trickles of blood seeped from its body. Unfortunately, the gnoll's overall physical strength was quite formidable, and the attack did not cause much damage.

With just a cry of pain, the gnoll launched a fierce counterattack.

Lin Wen dodged in time, a flash of light appeared, and the jackal was briefly blinded. Lin Wen seized the opportunity and struck again.

The dagger plunged deep into the gnoll's flesh, and Lin Wen slashed hard, leaving a deep wound on the gnoll's back, blood splattering everywhere.

The gnoll, relying on its keen senses, launched a counterattack, lashing out with its claws, but missed its target.

Noah seized the opportunity and used his powerful sword energy to shake off several gnolls in front of him, then retreated, with Finita's fireball following closely behind.

"Boom!" The jackals were hit by the fireball and were instantly subjected to the scorching heat of the fireball.

The magic had an immediate effect on the gnolls, who developed burns of varying sizes on their bodies, and all three gnolls appeared weak and exhausted.

Their ferocity remained undiminished, but a hint of retreat appeared. After exchanging a glance, they chose to leave.

Seeing that the gnolls chose to retreat, Noah and his companions naturally did not linger in the fight and hurriedly retreated towards the small village.

"Goblins... Why do such creatures appear in the Senten region? They are a disaster for the nearby villages."

"There have been many large-scale attacks by gnolls in history. They usually only live in the wilderness and do not often appear in areas with human activity. Only in the lead-up to a major disaster will they appear in large numbers, plunging the world into a more chaotic state."

Noah said with lingering fear.

As adventurers, Lin and Wen had heard about this before, and their expressions were very tense.

They naturally did not hide the fact that such an event could potentially jeopardize the entire Plassen region. After returning to the small town, they quickly contacted the Adventurers' Guild in the Senten area.

Paul happened to be in the Adventurers' Guild as well, and he immediately spotted the group of people who looked nervous.

"Hey, you guys look flustered, yeah."

"We've encountered gnolls."

Paul's expression froze, his head tilting to the side. "A jackal...man?!"

After listening to the descriptions from several people in detail, Paul did not dare to delay. He had to go to Plasson to report on this matter, as it was of great significance.

As for verifying the accuracy of the people's statements, he didn't think there was any need to verify them. The entire region was currently in a period of turmoil, and anything could happen.

Compared to the gnolls, the fates of Rockfall and Clamtown are still fresh in our minds.

Before Paul could take a few more steps, he heard a commotion coming from the north of the small town, and the town's guards went on high alert.

The shouts of battle were deafening.

"Damn it...they're already here!" Paul broke out in a cold sweat. He turned his horse around and headed towards the Elf Messenger Guild. What he needed to do now was to unite all the forces that could be united.

He needs to contain this crisis; this is Plassen's territory, and no monster can cause trouble here!

The people taking statements at the Adventurers' Guild also heard the commotion in the town. The Adventurers' Guild immediately sprang into action, gathering adventurers to organize an effective counterattack.

The recruitment method naturally began with rewards as an incentive, and everyone was very willing to participate in the fight against the enemy.

After discussing it, Lin Wen and the others decided to join the battle. First of all, this was within the territory of Plassen, and reinforcements would arrive quickly, so it would not pose a great threat to their lives.

Secondly, with a battle of this scale, it would be hard for a mysterious Grim Reaper not to show up, right?

The gnolls were a large group, numbering at least several hundred at a glance. They swarmed towards the town like locusts. These bizarre creatures, resembling hyenas, had no other desires than destruction!

Although this is just an inconspicuous town in the Morito region, its fighting strength is not weak, and is even greater than that of towns like Rockfall Town.

Several mages arrived at the scene and conjured a huge fireball that crashed down from the sky onto the densely packed area of ​​gnolls.

"Boom!" The scorching sea of ​​flames instantly engulfed the large number of gnolls behind them.

A few scattered mages brandished their staffs, sending spikes flying from the ground that pierced the chests of the gnolls. A sudden, violent bolt of lightning struck, charring the gnolls black.

The warriors' swords and shields gleamed as they unleashed their signature combat skills, slashing at the gnolls in a small area in front of them.

An adventurer wielding a hammer leaped down, the hammer crashing to the ground with a bang, kicking up a cloud of dirt that shot forward, the dirt forming spikes that struck a gnoll and sent him flying, a magic trick created through physical force!

However, the gnolls were no pushovers either; their large size and agile bodies meant they possessed considerable strength and nimbleness.

Often, adventurers would use effective combat techniques, only to have them easily evaded by the gnolls' agile movements. Even if some adventurers wore plate armor, the gnolls' powerful spears could pierce through it!

"Thud!" A gnoll spear pierced through an adventurer, revealing a cruel and bloodthirsty smile.

While a gnoll being hit by a dagger might not be a serious injury, an adventurer hit by a gnoll would likely be beyond saving.

The adventurer's companion was enraged at the sight. He raised his bow and arrow and fired at the gnolls. With the help of rapid fire, several arrows were released in an instant.

The gnoll remained unhurried. It wielded its metal spear, using the shaft to precisely intercept the arrows, and then leaped down, smashing it towards the ranger!

The ranger closed his eyes; with such immense force, he had no chance of survival.

The next moment, a greatsword blocked his way.

"Ding!"

Lin Wen appeared and plunged a small knife into one of the gnoll's eyes. Then, he used the dagger to slash its back, pulling a long and deep, horrifying wound with the downward force.

The wanderer opened his eyes and found a tall and imposing figure blocking his way; this person was none other than Noah.

"Take care of yourself," Noah warned, before wrestling with the gnoll who had lost an eye.

Noah was surprised to find that even though this guy had suffered heavy injuries from Lin Wen and lost an eye, he was still able to fight him to a standstill. This guy's fighting power was still so fierce.

"I'll help you!" A white-haired adventurer did a backflip, conjuring two wind blades in his hands, and slashed at the monster in front of Noah.

The raging wind magic instantly writhed and slashed upon contact with the gnoll's flesh, creating a huge gash in its body.

The intense pain also made the gnoll dazed, and Noah seized the opportunity to strike its head with his sword, killing it completely.

"Well done, buddy, I love your style! Big guy." The white-haired adventurer teased, then deftly used wind magic to launch a sneak attack.

Seeing this, Lin Wen couldn't help but feel a little envious. An assassin who could use magic was indeed different; he could execute a sneak attack so cleanly and efficiently...

The jackals are destined to lose this battle, but they will make the town pay a heavy price.

While mages could certainly use powerful magic to slay these creatures, this method was clearly less effective when gnolls and adventurers were locked in combat, as it would harm other adventurers.

Despite their various concerns, the jackals still managed to disperse and seize opportunities to infiltrate the crowd.

They need to maneuver around stronger adventurers and spend some time dealing with them, but when facing weaker adventurers and ordinary people, it's like wolves entering a sheepfold. The strength and agility of jackals are unmatched by ordinary people.

"Stop him!" The guards chased after a gnoll who had broken into the town. The gnoll, wielding a spear, pursued the civilians and closed the distance, about to bring down its spear!

The guards gasped, already imagining the gruesome scene that was about to unfold, and some could hardly bear to look.

But before anyone knew it, a cold figure had already stood on the street. It was a mysterious and shadowy figure, wearing a black cloak, a black hood, and a bone mask that obscured his face.

The gnoll that had been chasing the civilians froze in place. It was unharmed, but it seemed to have lost its senses, and finally collapsed stiffly to the ground.

The guards gasped at the sight. They had, of course, heard the recent gossip and rumors. Could this be the Grim Reaper himself?!

On the other side, at the main battlefield where the gnolls clashed.

"Hey! Let me smash you all!" A voice, arrogant to the extreme, rang out.

A large white dog with a pair of fleshy wings descended from the sky, instantly knocking a gnoll to the ground and then opening its mouth to violently tear at the gnoll's flesh.

In an instant, the gnoll was torn to shreds, its outer leather armor and even some metal plates were crushed by its ferocious jaws.

Everyone noticed this sudden scene, including Finita and her group.

They were momentarily stunned when they saw the giant, fleshy, winged dog; it seemed quite different from the image of Brian they remembered.

But judging from its expression and overall appearance, they were certain that the dog was indeed Brian!

"Awooo! You bunch of stinking puppies, I haven't even made a move yet and you're already barking. I'll tear you to shreds!" Brian roared and went on a killing spree among the jackals.

The jackals were no pushovers either. They tried to launch an effective counterattack against Brian, only to find that their sharp spears, instead of penetrating his soft fur, bounced back.

It was as if a fierce punch had landed on cotton.

"Roar!" Brian's response was much simpler and more brutal. He opened his mouth wide, and a blazing fireball flew out, instantly engulfing several gnolls in front of him.

This fireball was much larger than what a normal mage could release; it's hard to imagine that a dog could do it.

The large-sized Brian is at least two meters tall. Its arrival makes the war against the gnolls even less suspenseful, as its mouth and claws alone are enough to subdue any gnolls it encounters.

The gnolls' attacks couldn't break through its defenses at all.

"Brian!" Lin Wen excitedly came to Brian and waved to try to get his attention.

Brian did indeed see Lin Wen. With sharp eyes, it charged towards Lin Wen and pounced on him, its bloody mouth wide open.

For a moment, Lin Wen's mind went blank. She had thought that Brian and Loran would become different, but when the moment actually came, she felt a little lost.

"Sister Linwen, get out of the way!" Finita shouted anxiously from the side, and Noah was unable to arrive in time.

Finita's voice echoed in Lin Wen's ears, but she did not react. Even when Brian approached, she could have used Shadow Ambush to enter the Shadow Realm to hide, but she did not do so.

"Splat!" The sharp claws slashed, and blood splattered!

"Boom!" Brian slammed heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Finita's breath caught in her throat. She covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief. She couldn't understand why things had turned out this way. Brian... Brian, why...?

"Linwen!" Noah shouted and rushed into the dust.

But when the dust settled, the scene that unfolded left Finita and Noah stunned. Brian's paws were pressing down on a dying gnoll, its head drooping as Lin Wen stroked it.

Finita blinked, and Noah's arm, which was holding the greatsword, froze in mid-air. The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Brian looked up at the two of them. "Hey! Long time no see! Adventure partners! The Dog Dagger Squad!"

"Brian!" Lin Wen stroked Brian's head, then asked anxiously, "Brian, where's Loran? Why isn't he with you?"

"Oh, he went to the other side, he should be here soon. Look, he's coming!" Brian looked in one direction.

Everyone turned their gazes and discovered that a dark figure had entered the battlefield, ruthlessly reaping the lives of every gnoll present.

With just a gentle swing of the scythe, without any thought of the bloody scene that might have occurred, the gnolls fell to the ground one after another.

The black figure instantly drew everyone's attention; they all realized that this seemed to be the very person from the rumors.

.Lord Death.

Now that the gnolls have appeared, he has actually reappeared.