The Broodlord struck the dead Raker in front of it and sent the body sliding toward the gate.
Garr braced for the weight and Carlos stepped behind his shield as the corpse hit, its plates scraping across the ground until the Guardian stopped it against the entrance.
"Back from the opening!" Kaia roared. "LET IT PUT ITS HEAD THROUGH!"
Garr moved with the Guardians beside him. The Broodlord’s front hooks struck the stone on the left side of the entrance while its head forced over the dead body. Carlos saw the pale mouthparts working below the heavy upper plate.
He thrust at them. One hook knocked the spear sideways before he reached it.
The impact went through his wrists, making his fingers ache. He kept hold of the shaft and pulled back behind Garr before the other limb came down.
This thing could reach past a shield. Fighting it like the smaller Rakers would put somebody’s head in front of those hooks.
"Nessa, its eyes!" Carlos shouted.
The first arrow struck the plate above one eye. The second forced the head sideways, and Brann hit the exposed forelimb with a normal hammer swing. The joint bent, but the Broodlord dragged it free before he could strike again.
Outside, Crawlers had begun climbing over the bodies to both sides. Kaia sent the reserve Epic Guardian toward Tomas’s position, then told the handler to throw their second tomato into the gathering below the wall.
The burst scattered the thin-bodied enemies and cleared the base long enough for the Archers to finish the climbers.
"One, go for the left gap," Kaia called as a surviving Crawler scrambled through the bodies.
One’s Water Shot struck it while it was lifting a hook over a Militia’s shield. It fell back against the footing, and Tomas pulled his soldier into place before the opening widened. Two stayed near the Gatehouse, firing at the light creatures trying to follow the Broodlord inside.
There was one fruit left in the carrier. Carlos saw the Archer lower the lid and understood why Kaia had made him wait. They had needed room more than another loud burst at the start.
The Broodlord pulled back, dragging Garr’s shield rim with one hook. Garr held on until the creature’s head turned, then wrenched the shield free with both hands.
A deep groove had been cut across its face.
Carlos looked at the open ground immediately outside the gate. The larger enemy could not use both hooks properly while forcing itself through the entrance. If it withdrew far enough, it would strike the stone again or go looking for a weaker part of the wall.
He wanted it here while its front limb was already hurt.
"Kaia, hold the smaller ones. Garr and the three new Guardians with me. Brann, watch the right hook!"
She looked past him at the Broodlord, then adjusted the troops instead of stopping him.
"Quick, I am keeping the gate behind you open."
Carlos went out with the shields.
The Broodlord turned toward the movement, raising both hooks. Carlos stayed close enough to Garr that the Guardian’s shoulder nearly touched his coat. On either side, the Epic Guardians advanced with their shields angled toward the longer limbs.
The creature struck low first. A hook scraped along the ground and caught the lower edge of the left Guardian’s shield. The Guardian bent his knees and held while Garr hit the head from the other side.
Carlos sent the Warden Chain beneath the wounded right forelimb.
It tightened around the joint, and the Broodlord pulled hard enough to drag his arm forward. Carlos planted his feet. He could not stop the whole creature with his own strength, but he only needed the hook held away from Brann for a moment.
"Now!"
Brann stepped inside the limb’s reach. Light gathered around the hammer as Crushing Blow struck the ridge behind the creature’s head and the plate cracked on impact.
Carlos felt the Chain jerk against his wrist when the Broodlord reared. He released its pull before it dragged him underneath, then drove the spear into the split Brann had made.
The point caught on broken shell. Carlos forced it deeper with both hands, turning his shoulder behind it until the shaft began to tremble.
The Broodlord’s head snapped toward him.
Garr met it with his shield. One of the Epic Guardians drove into the wounded forelimb while another hammered the cracked ridge from the side. Carlos pulled his spear free and thrust again into the same opening.
Warm dark fluid ran over the guard and onto his hands.
The creature tried to rise, but its hurt limb folded beneath it. Brann struck the head once more, and the Broodlord went down so hard that Carlos stumbled with it.
Garr caught his coat before he fell into the hooks, making him remember that other time the same thing happened.
For a moment, Carlos could only hear his own breathing. Then Kaia shouted from the entrance, and he remembered the rest of the raid was still alive around them.
"BACK TOGETHER, EVERYONE!" he called. "DON’T CHASE THEM FURTHER!"
The remaining Rakers struck without the larger creature forcing a way for them. Carlos returned behind the shields while Brann worked beside Garr.
Nessa chose the exposed joints from above, and Tomas kept his smaller troops on their side of the gate instead of rushing out to claim kills.
Carlos pointed Two toward a Crawler climbing over the dead Broodlord. The slime waited until the small body cleared the heavy shell, then knocked it down with a shot. A Militia finished it on the ground.
One had moved back behind the left-hand shields, its core safely covered while it waited for the next target.
The last Crawler reached the wall beside Milan’s old house. An arrow struck it before it could climb beyond the broken roof. It fell into the empty yard and did not get up.
Carlos waited with the spear raised until the System confirmed what his eyes wanted to believe.
--
[Territory Raid completed]
[Integrated raid obligations fulfilled]
[Ironroot remains standing]
--
He lowered the weapon slowly.
"Quick, injured first," Kaia called before anyone began cheering. "Bring them inside and leave the bodies for now."
A Militia had a deep cut beneath his shoulder. Another could not put weight on one leg, and several shields would never sit straight again.
Carlos opened a Troop Recovery Potion for the worst injured soldier while Mira’s helpers brought clean cloth and water.
He counted the people brought in, then checked with Kaia, Cedric and the tower. Everyone had been accounted for. The residents were still behind the inner protection, frightened but alive.
One and Two came back to his feet after the last targets stopped moving. Carlos crouched to check their cores before resting a hand briefly against each cool body. Both the cores were fully intact.
"Good work but stay inside with the others now, alright?"
Both the slimes bobbed their bodies and went away.
He sent a guard with them to the slime barrack before turning back to the injured soldiers.
Cedric came to him with blood on one sleeve that belonged to the wounded Militia.
"I cannot tell if our individual raids would be this strong," he said, looking toward the dead Broodlord. "But I have a feeling if we had stayed alone, we would have been dead this time, Carlos."
Carlos wiped one hand against his coat before putting the potion away.
"Don’t worry about the past or what could have happened. Stay in the present, the raid isn’t over till each one of our territories’ residents is healed. So come help." Carlos spoke but he couldn’t help but keep away his proud smile.
Cedric nodded and went to hold the injured soldier steady for Mira.
Only then did Carlos look toward the other Lords standing inside the gate. Rhea was crying quietly while arguing with a Woodcutter who wanted to go and recover tools. Milan had his Goblin pressed close against his side. Evan was sitting on the ground, too relieved to stand yet.
Brann came back through the entrance with a chipped hammer and an expression Carlos knew very well.
"Good fight."
Carlos laughed once, breathless and tired, before looking at the Guardian’s side.
"You can’t help yourself, huh, always getting injured." Carlos clicked his tongue.
"Scars good for warrior."
"For sure, buddy."
The raid rewards appeared while Brann was deciding whether to argue to the ragebait or go his way.
--
[Territory Raid rewards received]
[Iron x800]
[Copper Coins x2,000]
[Wood x400]
[Stone x600]
[Mana Crystal x10]
[Troop Recovery Potion x2]
[Territory Expansion Token x1]
[Rare Farwatch Tower Blueprint x1]
[Broodlord Carapace Plate x1 — Epic Grade]
[Ironheart Gourd Seeds x3 — Rare Grade]
[Recall Quiver x1 — Rare Grade]
--
Carlos stopped at the Epic plate, then read the entries beneath it. Seeds and a quiver too? He looked toward Rowan’s fields before turning to find Nessa on the wall.
Both of them would want to see what he had just received.