Glinda gazed at the covetous expressions of his fellow dwarves, shaking his head as he spoke, "Let me ask you, do you truly have the right to wield such holy-grade weapons? Our Sam Dwarves were slaughtered by humans merely for possessing a few fine-quality weapons and armor. Let me ask again: what do you think will happen when you march into the presence of humans wielding these holy-grade weapons?"
The dwarven warriors, upon hearing this, broke into a cold sweat. They had been careless earlier, thinking that possessing holy-grade weapons would make them invincible warriors, failing to consider one crucial fact: possessing such powerful weapons also meant they had the responsibility and ability to protect them.
Jack Williams nodded slightly in agreement, acknowledging the validity of Glinda's words. "Indeed, you speak the truth, Chief Glinda. These weapons will not provide you safety; they will only invite calamity. So, what do you propose we do?" His gaze turned to Glinda, waiting for his response.
After a moment's contemplation, Glinda spoke slowly, "If the esteemed Guardian God would allow it, we are willing to replicate these weapons. While they may not reach holy-grade, we can still craft excellent or exquisite ones. That would be sufficient for them."
Jack Williams considered this and nodded. "Do as you wish, but I must see their true capabilities first."
Glinda firmly nodded in response. "Though they are not yet true warriors, every male in our dwarven clan is a formidable fighter, never afraid of a challenge. If they cannot win, they have no right to possess replicated weapons." His eyes swept over the fifty warriors, including Abel and Harold, and he nodded affirmatively.
Jack Williams smiled faintly. "Then I shall watch with interest."
Soon, Abel and Harold, leading the other forty-eight warriors, stepped into the circle, their weapons in hand. The fifty skeleton warriors stood outside the circle, awaiting Jack Williams's command.
With a slight motion of his right hand, Jack Williams spoke sharply, "Begin."
Abel and Harold exchanged a glance and simultaneously shouted as they charged towards the two skeleton warriors across from them. Due to their shorter stature, the dwarves had developed remarkable strength and jumping ability through years of training. Both leapt over two meters high, their two-handed swords cutting through the air with a gust of wind as they struck down.
Unexpectedly, the two skeleton warriors responded swiftly, raising their swords to block the incoming blows with impressive speed.
"Ah... such speed!" Abel and Harold were both taken aback, realizing that these skeleton warriors were far more formidable than they had anticipated.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal striking metal rang out as Abel and Harold's swords collided fiercely with the skeleton warriors' blades. Having trained extensively, they were much stronger than most, and the two skeleton warriors staggered backward, unable to fully withstand the impact.
A sense of triumph surged within them, and they saw this as a golden opportunity.
Just as they were about to step forward, however, they saw the skeleton warriors' swords slicing toward their wrists. A step forward would mean losing their hands entirely, forcing them to retreat two steps to avoid the attack, cold sweat now beading on their foreheads.
While the skeleton warriors may not have matched them in raw strength, their combat skills were far superior.
The other dwarven warriors also charged at the skeletons, and the scene quickly devolved into a massive battle, the clash of weapons filling the air with a constant, thrilling sound that mesmerized everyone watching.
Glinda, watching the bravery of the skeleton warriors, swallowed nervously and murmured, "Esteemed Guardian God, are they... really just skeleton warriors?" He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Jack Williams casually replied, "Of course. Too bad..."
"Too bad what?"
Jack Williams shook his head slightly. "They are merely the lowest-tier black skeleton warriors. If they were bronze skeleton warriors, this battle would have ended long ago."
"What? This impressive... and still the lowest tier?" Glinda stared, wide-eyed, before glancing at the other skeletons. He noticed that some were bronze-colored, while others were silver-white. It seemed that the black skeleton warriors were indeed the lowest rank, and his respect for Jack Williams deepened.
Abel and Harold's assault was the fiercest. After abandoning their previous underestimation of the skeleton warriors, they unleashed a relentless barrage, pushing the two skeletons back.
"Ah! We're out!"
Taking advantage of the moment, Abel and Harold charged through the circle, shouting in triumph.
Jack Williams clapped and laughed, "Not bad, not bad. I honestly thought none of you would break through, but two of you did. Seems your strength isn't as weak as I thought. I owe you both an apology." He actually stood up and bowed deeply to them.
Abel and Harold were startled, hurriedly calling out, "Guardian God, please, there is no need for such formalities." They turned around to glance at the others, their faces flushing red. The other forty-eight warriors had been continuously pushed back and could no longer break through the circle.
After waiting for five more minutes and seeing no one else able to break through, Jack Williams waved his hand, and the skeleton warriors moved aside, releasing the remaining dwarven youths. He turned to Abel and Harold and asked, "Now, I have a question for you. If I told you two to lead these forty-eight men against a hundred enemies, what would you do?"
Abel and Harold exchanged a look before answering resolutely, "We would fight the enemies to the death."
"And what if faced with a thousand enemies?" Jack Williams asked.
"We would fight to the death," Abel and Harold answered, their voices unwavering.
Jack Williams chastised them sharply, "That is a foolish course of action."
Abel and Harold glared at Jack Williams in anger, their hands twitching as if they might attack, but they held back out of respect for him as their Guardian God.
Jack Williams pointed at the other dwarven members and declared loudly, "You may fight to the death, but what about them? What is your task? It is to protect every member of the Sam Dwarves. But if you engage enemies who are dozens or hundreds of times stronger than you, it is not courage or bravery. It is recklessness, impulsiveness."
"What do you suggest we do then?" Abel asked, unconvinced.
Jack Williams smiled faintly. "Avoid the enemy's strong points. There is an old saying: 'Keep the green mountains, and you need not fear a lack of firewood.'"
Abel and Harold paused to think. This advice seemed to contradict their warrior creed.
Jack Williams sighed, patting their shoulders. "In terms of strength, how can you match humans? You killed fifty of them, and they will send a hundred more. You kill a hundred, and two hundred will come. Can you keep killing them? Your dwarven numbers are finite. Every time one of you dies, that's one less protector. If you all fall, who will protect the women?"
This time, not only did Abel and Harold lower their heads, but even Glinda and the other dwarves bowed their heads in shame.
Indeed, if they hadn't fought head-on with the Heavenly Blood Mercenary Group back then, their seventy elite warriors wouldn't have been massacred, and they wouldn't have been captured by the enemy.
Glinda sighed deeply. "The Guardian God is absolutely right. We indeed lack the strength to confront humans head-on. I will remember this lesson from now on."