Chapter 45 44-Devastating Defeat



Samuel Jenkins' warnings seemed to fall on deaf ears. 

Only Michael Anderson managed to gather his troops around him. 

William Wilson's and David Sanders' men had slowly strayed from the formation, hacking their way towards the goblins.

The goblins were lined up, fearlessly charging at the team. 

Those heroes who had left the formation had taken down more than a hundred goblins. 

Samuel Jenkins observed from the side that the number of goblins appearing was very stable, as if someone was deliberately controlling it. 

It was neither too many nor too few.

At this point, he sensed something was off. 

Based on previous experiences with the Dark Lord, if goblins were his main force, he wouldn't let them continue to be slaughtered here.

The only explanation left was that these goblins might just be summons. 

Their numbers were consistently stable because they weren't actually the Dark Lord's real minions.

The goblins the team was now encountering were merely there to drain their energy, or perhaps they were just traps set by the Dark Lord! 

By the time their energy was completely depleted, that's when he would strike. 

And by then, the team would be too exhausted to resist.

Thinking of this, Samuel Jenkins directed to his team: "Everyone, move closer to those who have strayed from the formation!"

At this point, Baymax was still circling around the team, adding great psychological pressure. 

Samuel Jenkins' marching pace couldn't keep up.

The strayed members were like bloodthirsty beasts, continuously moving towards where the goblins were. 

To them, Samuel Jenkins' words were merely hindrances to their victory. 

This was something they absolutely could not accept.

Glory and riches were right in front of them; all they had to do was keep killing...

Ethan, observing from afar, saw the strayed few with a smile on his face. 

He commanded the goblins to retreat back to the base. 

Those caught up in the heat of the moment couldn't possibly pass up this golden opportunity, so they followed the goblins into the depths of the dungeon.

The goblins retreated behind the divine dragon warrior, and the few heroes who had strayed from the group saw the towering figure of the divine dragon warriors, instantly snapping back to reality. 

They were shivering uncontrollably as Ethan gave the order, and the few heroes were killed on the spot by the divine dragon warriors. 

Their dying screams echoed through the dungeon depths.

[Ding, a hero has been killed, you've obtained Hero's SoulX1!] 

[Ding, a hero has been killed, you've obtained Hero's SoulX1!] 

[Ding, a hero has been killed, you've obtained Hero's SoulX1!]

Ethan nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the remaining heroes in the middle of the dungeon. 

He ordered Baymax, "Begin your attack, focus on the one at the very front of the formation."

"Yes, Master!"

Baymax suddenly halted, spreading his enormous wings, which immediately took the team's breath away. 

Only Samuel Jenkins responded in time, shouting, "Watch out for the gust!" 

He then plunged his sword into the ground, clutching the hilt with both hands.

The rest of the team, catching on, desperately tried to brace themselves against the onslaught. 

Baymax inhaled deeply, unleashing a terrifying gust of wind that swept through the dungeon. 

Dust and small stones, accelerated to lethal speeds, became weapons in their own right, marking the heroes with bloody scratches. 

Their torches extinguished, plunging them into darkness.

Cries of pain echoed in the dim gloom. 

Samuel Jenkins squinted through the swirling dust, shouting, "Keep your heads down, protect your vital areas!"

For a full minute, the gust raged on. 

When Baymax finally ceased its wind assault, the team heaved sighs of relief. 

The powerful pressure had made it nearly impossible to breathe. 

Covered in dust and blood, their wounds were mostly superficial scratches. 

A member rekindled their torch, shedding flickering light onto their haggard faces.

With wary eyes, he scanned the surrounding area, noticing that the dust still hadn't settled and that their avian assailant was nowhere to be found. 

Suddenly, a shout echoed from the rear of their formation, "There's something in the smoke!"

Samuel Jenkins swallowed hard, whispering, "Everyone, stay alert."

As time ticked on, the entire team tensed up. 

Just as Baymax was about to attack, Ethan's voice echoed in his mind. 

"Hold on, let's test their strength first." Ethan directed his divine dragon spearmen, "You three, aim in this direction and launch your spears simultaneously. Make sure it's together."

The spearmen nodded, and with a swing of their arms, three spears pierced through the dust cloud, shooting straight towards the hero team. 

The piercing sound of their flight cut through the silence of the dungeon, catching Samuel Jenkins off guard. 

Screams erupted as the defense-oriented Heroes were impaled.

[Ding. You have killed a Hero. Received Hero's Soul X1! ]

[Ding. You have killed a Hero. Received Hero's Soul X1!]

Another two Heroes were down. 

The last spear was blocked by Michael Anderson. 

Panic washed over the team. 

Seeing the situation unfold, William Wilson discreetly moved to the back of the group. 

"Go die if you want to, we've already lost five people, and we haven't even seen the Dark Lord yet. What a bad luck! I knew I shouldn't have come," he muttered.

As an elder of the Bounty Guild, he still had a bright future ahead. 

He couldn't afford to die here! 

However, Ethan had noticed William's suspicious behavior through the mini-map. 

He ordered Baymax, "Don't let anyone escape."

"Yes, Master."

Baymax spread its wings, blocking the dungeon entrance. 

The dumbfounded William Wilson stared at the bird before him. 

How did it get here? 

That was the last thought he had...

In a swift motion, Baymax snapped William Wilson in half. 

The remaining half of William Wilson fell to the ground, screaming in terror. 

"Help! Someone saves me!"

Dragging his half-body, he scrambled towards the team, leaving a trail of blood and entrails. 

The team members at the back, witnessing the horrifying scene, immediately tried to push their way to the center.

Samuel Jenkins at the forefront dared not move forward as their torches had long been extinguished. 

All this back and forth quickly left their formation bloated and disordered.

As the jostling intensified, someone cried out, "Who keeps pushing! We've dropped the torch!"

David Sanders, wedged in the middle of the team, was clueless about what had happened at the rear. 

He pulled someone over and roared, "I am Samuel Jenkins! What's happening at the back?"

The man stuttered, "I don't know the specifics either. I heard there's something terrifying back there. They described it as looking like a devil!" 

Samuel Jenkins felt chills down his spine. 

Could the troops of the Dark Lord actually be devils?

Samuel Jenkins felt a sense of dread. 

Judging from the team's reaction, there were indeed many enemies at the rear. 

They were surrounded, caught in a pincer attack. 

It was a dire situation. 

"If we're caught between a rock and a hard place, we may as well go all out!" 

He clenched his teeth and bellowed, "Everyone, follow me and fight!"

At this point, their formation was utterly disorganized, and Ethan understood it was now or never. 

He dispatched orc warriors and divine dragon warriors to harass the Hero team. 

Their goal wasn't to kill, but to stir further chaos.

Samuel Jenkins took the lead, charging ahead, which alleviated the congestion somewhat. 

The dungeon echoed with curses and shouts from the team. 

He shook his head, forcing those sounds out of his mind, staring hard at the shadow before him. 

He wanted to say something, but it all came out as a battle cry!

With a single stroke, he severely injured a divine dragon warrior.

However, his Blizzard got stuck in the bone and couldn't be pulled out. 

The remaining divine dragon warriors rushed to their companion's aid. 

Samuel Jenkins had to let go of the blade, stepping back, pulling out two daggers from his leg, keeping his eyes fixed on the surrounding enemies.

Just as the divine dragon knights wanted to attack, they suddenly halted their movement. 

They lifted the injured divine dragon warriors and retreated to their base. 

The orc warriors bypassed Samuel Jenkins and charged into the team.

Samuel Jenkins looked around, baffled. 

Suddenly, a voice came from behind. 

"You're quite impressive, but in this team, you're not able to demonstrate your full potential."

He turned around and saw Ethan hovering in mid-air, golden dragon scales clinking in the breeze, vertical pupils shining like guiding beacons in the dark.

"Who are you?"