Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest
Chapter 185 - 22: The Beach Landing! The Beach Landing!

Chapter 185: Chapter 22: The Beach Landing! The Beach Landing!

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Arrows snapped free of the bowstrings! The light twang of the strings!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The cast iron arrows poured out, shooting from the shore towards the fleet, nailing into the ships’ hulls, shields, sails, and other various parts.

But more arrows disappeared into the water.

The fleet comprised a hundred vessels, large and small, the smallest manned by a dozen men, the largest nearly a hundred.

The scale was immense, the ships densely packed together.

Everyone was in a rush to paddle towards the shore.

The attackers rowed furiously, eventually closing in to little over ten meters from the shore.

During this process, they sustained heavy casualties—over two hundred injured. Although everyone was equipped with shields, some arrows slipped through, striking people’s calves, toes, and arms, causing them to scream nonstop.

Dozens fell on the spot, collapsing into the river, some unfortunate souls even hit by two or three arrows, their blood dyeing the Bro River red.

"Charge! Kill those damned archers!!"

Bald Carter roared from the rear, his eyes red with fury!

They knew the enemy had Riptide in command, so they dared not get too close, and could only urge their soldiers forward.

Such violent shooting couldn’t last forever.

But they still died the moment they showed their heads!

If Roman realized their position, he would cover them with firepower immediately, determined to shoot them down even at the cost of total exhaustion.

Unless the High Rank Conquest Knights dodged in advance or were equipped with strong protective gear, nobody could withstand a hit from that blood-red Large Bow.

And at this moment.

The war had just begun!

...

The battle hadn’t even started, and they had already suffered so many casualties.

This slap had swollen the faces of the six great Nobles!

They could no longer underestimate this remote little town.

They only hoped to burst through with one effort, tear apart the defense line, and then chop off the fingers of those archers!

It was frustrating, and they were burning with rage.

Were they still to be bullied by these people, despite their overwhelming numbers?

Especially the army of Earl Kant.

Before when they didn’t have allies, they couldn’t beat them. Now that they had allies, could they still not win?

The dock area was vast and impossible to defend completely, so Roman positioned his troops in a defensive line spanning two or three hundred meters.

Though compared to the extensive shoreline, it still seemed somewhat insignificant.

But not all shorelines were suitable for a beach assault.

Landing sites and docks were either man-made modifications or had natural advantages.

The majority were the former, with natural harbors being rare.

Firstly, the current couldn’t be too strong, or ships couldn’t stop.

Secondly, the water had to be the right depth.

It couldn’t be too shallow, nor too deep.

Finally, the shore had to be flat.

Most shorelines had a two or three-meter drop from water to land, and were densely vegetated.

Even if you managed to get ashore, you still had to climb up and then make your way through the dense forest. It was difficult for troops to move, even more unsuitable for large-scale landings. Without half an hour, you couldn’t reach the combat zone, and if you rushed over with all your might, would you still have the energy to fight upon arrival?

This dock was the most suitable landing point.

"Heavy Equipment! Form up!" Jet shouted loudly.

All the Heavy Armed Soldiers stepped forward as one, slamming their Heavy Shields down, causing splashes as they submerged their feet in the river.

"Kill them!!"

The marines, weapons in hand, charged at the defense line, nearly a hundred in the first wave.

In the rear, more boats docked, and the soldiers on them hurriedly disembarked, waist-deep in the water, wading forward.

Close combat bloodshed thus erupted!

"Hold the line!!"

Heavy Equipment’s first defense line formed an iron wall, entirely manned by experienced warriors, ensuring the defense line was stable and impenetrable.

The Heavy Equipment’s second defense line was responsible for patching any holes, ready to quickly fill in for fallen comrades at the front, pushing out all incoming enemies.

Beside the second defense line’s Heavy Armed Soldiers stood troops of pikemen.

Special feature pikes were three to four meters long, their sharp points enough to pierce and kill most enemies in leather armor, and even those clad in Lock Armor couldn’t escape their doomed fate.

"Charge!! Kill!!"

The Nobles’ coalition roared!

They were no cowards, as the vanguard, wealth and honor awaited them,

"Hold on! Hold on!"

Arrows flew through the sky like locusts!

Blood scattered upon the flowing river waters!

Bang!

A wild warrior from the Carter Family powerfully knocked down a Heavy Equipment soldier, stepping on the latter’s Large Shield, rendering him unable to rise.

He was about to lead the way through the defense line.

But then, a Thin Sword, fast as lightning, pierced through his eye, so swiftly that no one even saw Jet draw his sword.

The beastly warrior collapsed backwards.

Without hesitation, a Heavy Armed Soldier from the second defense line took his place, while other infantry dragged the fallen Heavy Equipment to the rear.

In this war, the old soldiers were the main force, standing at the front line, preventing the rout of the new troops.

Now, the defense line, under enormous pressure, began to slowly deform from its original state.

Jet, donning a Black Iron mask, bellowed, "One! Two! Push!!"

Every Heavy Armed Soldier exerted their force, wrestling with the enemy. Hearing Jet’s command, they too exploded with a bellow from their throats!

"One!! Two!!"

"Push!!"

The faltering defense line steadied once more, forcing the enemy back a step.

However, their numbers grew and at the end of a brief two-minute skirmish, the riverbank was swarming with people.

Thousands upon thousands from the Nobles’ army surged forward, densely packed.

What is the ever-changing nature of the battlefield?

It’s how a just-stabilized formation is subjected to an even fiercer charge, warping it more and more.

They pressed forward with Heavy Shields, yet the enemy pushed back even harder, forcing the Heavy Armored to retreat.

This was similar to a tug-of-war, sometimes it’s not about your desire to move forward, but the immense pull that forces you.

And this was the prelude to a defense line collapsing.

Regardless of how desperately the pikemen lunged, it was futile as the enemy’s shield bearers and pikemen also pushed forward, leading to continuous casualties on their side.

"We can’t hold on!"

Two Stars Angel Envoy, Squadron Leader Luca, shouted to Jet.

"Middle line, slowly retreat! Lean towards the sides!!"

Upon hearing this, the twisted Heavy Equipment defense line difficultly cracked open from the center, like two doors opening slowly but firmly.

Seeing the gap, the Nobles’ army swelled with joy, instinctively squeezing towards the opening in the center.

"Kill..." a beast warrior from the Carter Family brandished a machete, leading the charge.

Yet before he could finish, he abruptly flew backwards.

The soldiers behind saw a Flying Axe embedded deep into the face of the beast warrior, cleaving into his features, turning them into an indistinct mess.

Shocked, they looked to see another army rushing toward them.

Leading them was a towering warrior over two meters tall, clad in Heavy Armor, clanging as he charged.

"The third Infantry’s men! Follow me to the kill!!"

Nathan raised a hefty axe weighing over ten pounds, leading from the front, guiding the new troops into battle.

Sending new recruits to face the brutal bloodshed and certain death was out of the question.

But the situation had become clear now.

With the geographical advantage, they merely needed to beat the enemy when they’re down.

On the riverbank, countless soldiers tangled in a melee, blood flowing profusely, as though possessed by madness.