Under the cover of night, the mountain path twisted and turned like a black serpent coiled between the peaks.
The road was rugged and uneven, with occasional stones gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Only the sound of the wind and the occasional distant beast's roar reached their ears, putting the advancing teams on high alert.
Dillon and his comrades led the way, tasked with clearing the path and scouting for potential dangers ahead.
The lead team kept a sufficient distance from the main force to avoid making too much noise and alerting any dangers lurking in the darkness.
This was a narrow and perilous mountain road, with a dangerous cliff on the left side.
The team remained highly vigilant, their nerves taut at the slightest sound.
Dillon's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, and his ears were attuned to every noise in the vicinity.
The mountain path was treacherous, with loose rocks and weeds occasionally catching his feet, but he moved steadily, carefully avoiding them.
Suddenly, Dillon's steps halted as he sensed an unusual shift in the atmosphere ahead.
There seemed to be a faint scent of blood lingering in the air, so subtle yet enough to arouse his suspicion.
He quickly raised his hand, and the team immediately stopped in their tracks.
Dillon whispered to the soldier beside him, "There's something nearby. Stay alert."
The soldier, holding a short spear, nodded and gripped his weapon tightly, a wary look in his eyes.
The rest of the squad also went into a state of readiness.
A few soldiers quietly drew their bows, nocking arrows and preparing to unleash a deadly volley at any moment.
Dillon and his comrades crept forward, crouching low, doing their best to move silently.
As they approached a bend in the path, a low, guttural growl echoed from afar, reverberating through the mountain valley.
The sound seemed to come from the depths of hell, filled with rage and wild ferocity.
They immediately realized this was the last thing they wanted to encounter.
The group crouched down, and the signaler quickly gave a short, sharp blast of his horn to the rear teams.
This was the prearranged signal, indicating danger ahead.
A few beastly figures were slowly approaching them from not far away.
"Monsters incoming, prepare for battle!"
The squad quickly assumed combat positions, everyone gripping their weapons with tense expressions.
The signaler blew the horn again, and this time, a small unit from behind received the message and rushed forward to support them.
The sound of the beasts' footsteps grew nearer.
Finally, the monsters appeared in the team's line of sight, their massive bodies nearly blocking out the moonlight.
They opened their gaping jaws, their sharp fangs glinting coldly in the moonlight.
They let out deafening roars and charged toward Dillon's squad.
The archers were the first to respond, unleashing a volley of arrows.
The arrows flew through the air in silver arcs, striking the monsters' thick hides with precision.
Several of the beasts howled in pain, trying to claw the arrows out of their flesh.
Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, the soldiers wielding melee weapons rushed forward.
They thrust their swords fiercely into the beasts, and the sound of weapons striking flesh echoed throughout the mountainside.
At that moment, a smaller beast attempted to ambush Dillon.
It leaped forward, extending its front paws toward him.
Dillon swiftly sidestepped, dodging the initial attack, and flipped his warhammer, revealing its sharp end.
The small beast tried to launch another assault, but Dillon gave it no chance.
He extended his arm and stabbed downward with force.
The pointed end of the warhammer sank deeply into the beast's head, and it spasmed briefly before going limp.
Blood splattered across Dillon's face, but he had no time to worry about it.
He continued to lead the way with the squad.
Just then, a larger beast emerged.
Most of its head and body were covered in scales, and its tail lashed about like a whip.
The monster roared furiously and swung its tail, lashing out at the soldiers in the front line.
A few warriors in the formation couldn't dodge in time; they were hit by the tail and sent flying like broken kites, plummeting down the mountainside.
Seeing this, the other soldiers hesitated, not daring to act rashly.
But soon, reinforcements arrived. They threw their long spears at the beast, which tried to shake its body to dodge.
However, the archers gave it no chance.
They quickly shot a volley of arrows.
With several spears and dozens of arrows flying towards it, the beast had no room to maneuver and was forced to withstand the attack.
Although some arrows were deflected by its scales, one arrow struck it directly in the eye.
Immediately, it howled in pain, writhing and wailing on the ground.
Seizing this opportunity, the soldiers swiftly brandished their weapons and slashed the beast to death.
As the forward teams cleared the path with their coordinated efforts, the rest of the troops quickly followed.
The entire legion moved orderly through the mountain pass, and soon they descended from the mountains, drawing ever closer to Celestoria.
The captains immediately sent messengers to report the situation back to the main camp.
"Father, the troops have descended the mountain and are about to reach Celestoria. Your strategy was highly effective!"
An excited officer reported to the priest, forgetting to salute in his enthusiasm.
Just as he remembered to salute, the priest interrupted him.
"Rise, we must prepare to depart quickly as well."
Suddenly, the priest seemed to remember something and asked the officer.
"Are all the preparations I requested in place?"
"Yes, everything is ready, and those women have also been arranged."
The priest nodded with satisfaction.
Back at the main camp, soldiers were busy packing supplies.
Several chests and sacks were carried out by the soldiers and loaded onto a wagon, which was guarded by several young, innocent-looking women standing nearby.
The priest stood with his hands on his hips, watching the scene before him, chuckling inwardly.
"Hahaha, I've been planning this for so long. As long as I make a good impression in this battle, I can..."
As he thought about it, a sly grin crept across his face, and his hands began to rub together in anticipation.
"Come on, everyone, pick up the pace! Time waits for no one!"
The priest shouted at the soldiers in the camp, prompting them to quicken their movements.
Meanwhile, the frontline troops, having descended the mountain, arrived at a dense forest.
Through the gaps in the foliage, they soon saw the outline of Celestoria.
"All right, everyone, take a short rest here and await further instructions from the higher-ups."
The captain called out to the soldiers ahead.
Upon hearing this, the soldiers sheathed their weapons; some took out rations and water flasks for a quick break, while others sat down to rest.
In the rear, a few captains chatted, confident their legion would be the first to arrive. However, they soon realized another force had already beaten them to it.