Chapter 141 – Short Siege.

“Don’t let them through! Use the oil!”

The order rang out like a thunderclap across the battered battlements. Several adventurers sprang into action, dragging barrels toward the edge of the wall. Thick, dark liquid sloshed violently as they pried the lids open. The sharp scent of tar and pitch filled the air.

Rusty was caught off guard by the strange, viscous substance. Unfamiliar with city defense tactics, he had no idea what to expect. But he was about to learn that there was more to city defense than he could have imagined.

“Archers, get your flame arrows ready! On my mark!”

‘Oh?’

Earlier, a different set of arrows had been prepared. There weren’t many, and each had been soaked in a sticky raisin-like mixture. Rusty didn’t need to do anything as before he could react, the young adventurer who had been shielding him stepped forward, handed him one of the arrows, and lit its soaked tip with one of the torches that were mounted on the wall. It burst into flame almost instantly and burned close to the intensity of a lower-grade magical spell.

Below, the orcs charged forward, screaming as they brought the battering ram closer to the eastern gate. The metallic skull at the front gleamed wickedly in the firelight, clearly created to intimidate its foes. The wooden palisades around the gate were now weakened and the monsters were able to surge through. If the monsters managed to get their ram in place, the gate would not last for long.

Finally, when the moment came, the defenders tipped the barrels. Thick globs of boiling oil spilled from the walls, cascading down like a waterfall of sizzling darkness. The liquid splashed over the orcs at the front, hissing as it met their flesh. Screams tore through the air, terrible and raw. The creatures writhed in pain, flailing wildly as they caught fire or were scalded by the heat.

“Now!”

Flaming arrows were launched into the sky. Rusty nocked his on the string and let it fly. It soared in a graceful arc before landing true. The instant it struck the oil-soaked grass, flames erupted. A wall of fire roared to life with a violent whoosh, turning the battlefield into a raging inferno. More arrows followed, sparking fires along the winding trail of oil that had spread unpredictably across the uneven slope.

The Orcs closest to the gate screamed as they burned, their flesh blackening. Some tried to stop, but momentum pushed others forward. Those carrying the battering ram stumbled, one tripping into the fire and dragging the rest with him. The ram crashed to the earth, half in the flames, catching fire as the wood hissed and cracked under the heat.

“YES! That’s it, keep the fire going!”

Their leader shouted as they watched the monsters burn. Panic had given way to hope, but the fight was far from over. These weren’t humans. They were monsters, and their thick, leathery hides could withstand more punishment than any soldier could expect.

Some of the front-line orcs had fallen, their bodies mangled and charred, turned into grotesque pin cushions filled with arrows. Yet more kept coming. For every one that died, another stepped forward to take its place. The battering log was lifted again and again, each time with renewed force, as fresh orcs surged forward to carry the assault.

‘This is… not that great…’

Rusty kept firing arrows at the oncoming orcs, but a nagging realization began to creep in. Something was off. Despite the chaos and the number of monsters falling, he wasn’t gaining much experience. These were supposed to be E-rank creatures, but the experience points he received felt more like what he’d get from F-ranks.

It didn’t take long for the reason to become clear. Too many people were attacking the same targets, and the experience had to be split among them, and with Gleam as well. This was the first time he was fighting in a large group and this was quite a downside.

He had assumed this battlefield would be a goldmine for leveling up, but now he saw the truth. If he wanted real progress, the dungeon might be a better option. Out here, unless he fought monsters alone, there wouldn’t be much growth.

He scanned the battlefield again. The oil-fire wall was holding… for now. But the orcs were adapting. The ones in the back had begun tossing charred bodies aside, creating a crude path over the flames. A few even began digging with clawed hands, trying to redirect the burning oil or smother it with dirt and debris.

Their arrows were being deflected by the Orc’s massive tower shields, which, even while burning, still managed to protect the shield-bearers. To make matters worse, a strange-looking orc had appeared among their ranks. He wore different garb from the others and had a talisman made of small skulls. He chanted continuously while other orcs surrounded him in a tight formation.

He was not the leader, but his presence was clearly important. Magic radiated from him, and with every chant, some of the flames faded while nearby orcs began to heal. He resembled the support priests used by humanoid forces. If he stayed in the fight, defeating the orcs would become much more difficult.

‘Can I get him from here…?’

Rusty glanced around. Everyone was focused on the front lines. No one would notice if he pulled an arrow made of twilight steel, and they certainly would not see him wrapping it in darkness. With a few ordinary arrows in hand to hide his movements, he activated his storage and retrieved the special arrow. Calmly, he nocked it and aimed toward the orc who was likely a shaman. The creature was still chanting, completely unaware.

Once Rusty was certain no one was watching, he let the arrow fly. It moved silently, cloaked in a darkened aura that absorbed the torchlight and kept it hidden from view. While his darkness element did not add much raw damage to the projectile, it had other properties. One of them was the ability to inflict a weakness status effect, but more importantly, it had an interaction Rusty had recently learned about.

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As he had studied elemental magic with Aburdon, he discovered that darkness carried a secondary trait: the ability to unravel basic mana. Rusty had hoped the shaman would use a mana barrier, and sure enough, as the arrow approached, the creature raised one in defense.

The arrow, shrouded in shadowy mist, collided with the barrier and tore through it with ease. The mana dissolved on contact, unable to hold its form. A moment later, the arrow embedded itself deep in the shaman’s neck, hitting its mark with deadly precision.

‘Ha, now that’s way better!’

It was a lucky critical hit that pierced through the monster’s neck. Rusty had aimed for its head, but the orc shifted slightly at the last moment. Fortunately, the arrow still struck true. Boosted by his Power Shot skill, the attack was enough to instantly take down the only support monster among the orcs.