Upon arriving at the location, out of caution based on battlefield experience, Rhett did not immediately speak. Instead, he surveyed the surroundings, taking in the terrain and positioning. He pointed toward the southeastern and northwestern banks of the blood-colored stream. In the northeastern direction, about ten meters from the shore, lay some boulders on a hillside, hidden in the shadows, with many wide crevices.
He nodded toward the men behind him and assigned Gelei, Roy, and their team to that position. The two of them were delighted, as it was clear that this spot near the riverbank was quite safe, with plenty of hiding spots. They quickly led their men across the stream and began searching the boulders along the hillside.
Next, Rhett deployed six squads, each consisting of ten men, to the top of the slopes on either side of the river. They hid within the resilient shrubs growing on the steep peaks, serving as lookout points.
Three squads remained, two of which were archers. Rhett instructed them:
"Squads 9 and 10, you will patrol the southeastern and northwestern ends of the valley. Stay within a 1.5-kilometer radius of the endpoints and always remain within sight of the lookout points."
"Understood!"
"Squad 1, follow me," Rhett commanded. Squad 1, composed of Rhett's own men and two Tier 3 knights, was the most powerful group, akin to a sharp blade ready to strike at the enemy's heart.
They advanced toward the northeast, traversing the valley and searching the ravines between the ridges but found nothing. Then they moved southwest, crossing the valley's endpoint and continuing their search.
The night was relatively peaceful. After several hours, the sky in the east began to lighten as dawn gradually replaced the stars. As they followed the riverbank further west, they reached a small basin where the blood-colored river branched into a smaller stream about half a meter wide. This stream wound its way down from higher ground, carving a path through the rocks and nourishing the flowers and grasses along its banks. Further along, it even gave rise to a large patch of shrubs, with lush grasslands on either side.
Rhett's gaze followed the stream's flow to a large area of shrubs about a hundred meters away. Narrowing his eyes, he raised his right hand and made a signal—a light grasping motion.
The ten men behind him were suddenly alert—were there nightstalkers ahead?
Rhett then lowered his right hand and raised his left, showing a gesture of six.
The tension eased. Only six nightstalkers wouldn't pose much of a threat.
Rustling sounds emerged as Rhett's group came to a halt, alerting the nightstalkers hidden in the shrubs to their presence.
Before Rhett could approach, two nightstalkers suddenly leaped from the depths of the bushes. Agile and swift, they bounded through the air, lightly touching the tops of the shrubs as they charged toward Rhett's group.
These two nightstalkers, with pitch-black eyes that seemed like voids, were covered in dense black fur. Their waists and limbs were slender, resembling human adults, but their hands and feet each bore five sharp claws with twisted, deadly curves.
"Meow!"
A sharp cry pierced the air, revealing two rows of yellowed fangs. If one looked closely, bits of flesh were still stuck between their teeth.
The nightstalkers were incredibly fast, like specters of the night, their movements unpredictable. But as they landed, they suddenly froze in place, as if caught in a stasis spell.
Beneath their feet, a pool of yellow quicksand had quietly formed, its powerful suction pulling the nightstalkers deeper.
Rhett dashed forward, shouting, "Tucker, these two nightstalkers are yours to handle. The other four are fleeing. Celine, Talos, Kars, you three, come with me."
"Understood!"
The four of them charged into the shrubs. Rhett, using his mental senses, had already determined that the two Tier 3 nightstalkers that had just attacked were decoys. The other four nightstalkers, covered by the distraction, were sneaking away.
As Rhett passed the two trapped nightstalkers, their shrill cries echoed in his ears, filled with frantic rage.
His expression turned cold as he unleashed two precise earth spikes, piercing their throats and silencing them instantly.
A few seconds later, the green shrubs faded from their view as they left them behind. The distant hills were bathed in golden-red light as dawn broke.
A red sun rose steadily over the dark earth's shoulder. To the southwest, the entire world lay still before them, gray and featureless.
Yet Rhett spotted the four nightstalkers fleeing toward the rising sun. To increase their speed, they had reverted to all fours, crawling like animals.
As the night's shadows melted away and the earth awakened with color, the jet-black forms of the nightstalkers became starkly visible against the brightening sky.
"Commander, no need for you to act. We can handle these nightstalkers!" Kars, clad in light armor, said confidently from behind Rhett.
"Very well. I trust in your abilities. Take them down cleanly and bring any survivors to me," Rhett responded calmly.
"Understood!"
Kars and Talos both unleashed their brilliant white light, their holy energy swirling around them. With white dove-like silhouettes appearing at their feet, they shot forward like meteors toward the southwest.
The four nightstalkers, hearing the sonic booms behind them, glanced at each other in terror. In unison, they twisted their bodies and lunged backward, attempting a desperate counterattack.
Kars showed no fear; in fact, he grinned. Wielding a short sword, he moved like a phantom, slashing an arc of sword energy that severed one nightstalker's right arm in a single stroke.
With a swift kick, he sent the nightstalker flying through the air. The creature tumbled for over ten meters before crashing to the ground, its chest caved in with a clearly visible shoe print. Too weak to escape, the nightstalker lay twitching on the ground, blood trickling from its mouth.
Meanwhile, Talos, wielding a massive sword, took a more brutal approach. A shimmering unicorn appeared as he struck, expertly timing his attack to shatter the left and right arms of two nightstalkers simultaneously—an overwhelming display of force!
Watching from behind, Rhett recognized the technique—a holy skill called Unicorn's Wrath. He remembered Gelei using this technique during their battle against the Fire Feathered Eagle, though it seemed Talos was more skilled in its execution.
The chase ended with Rhett's side victorious, as expected.
Kars and Talos returned, each dragging two nightstalkers behind them, their expressions triumphant.
"Mission accomplished, Commander! All four nightstalkers are alive!" Kars reported proudly.
"Well done. Excellent work!" Rhett praised them without hesitation.
Rhett smiled as he examined the four young nightstalkers. Three were Tier 1, and one was Tier 2. Their strength was too low to provide Destiny Points if killed, so he decided to take them back for interrogation. Even if they revealed nothing, they could still be handed over to Tyles.
This was maximizing the benefits!
"Let's head back. Staying too far from the team can always lead to unexpected dangers," Rhett said, gesturing toward the four nightstalkers.
Capturing the nightstalkers was merely a small incident during that night's patrol. After a brief interrogation, Rhett found no valuable information.
The rest of the night passed without incident.
In the following days, routine patrols continued without any significant events, just as Rhett had anticipated. Occasionally, they encountered lone orcs, who were easily captured.
For Rhett, these peaceful days were pleasant. Watching his Destiny Points accumulate daily felt like watching a stock or fund rise steadily.
This calm period lasted for half a month.
Then, on August 3rd.
Rhett sat meditating in his room. Over the past two weeks, between the orcs Tyles had executed and his own battlefield victories, he had accumulated over 300 Destiny Points.
He used them all in one go.
Like waves crashing relentlessly against a dam, even the sturdiest rocks would eventually erode after countless strikes.
After finishing more than 300 simulations, Rhett opened his eyes, savoring the sensation. The bottleneck that had been blocking him had worn down slightly, and he smiled with satisfaction.
He then walked to the window, standing silently as the sky grew darker. The sun turned hazy, eventually resembling a white pearl hanging in the pale sky before vanishing to the west.
Dusk arrived early, followed by a starless night, darker than usual.
It felt like the night within the night, as if an extra layer of black had draped over the earth.
Rhett looked out the window at the withering willows, their shadows cast on the gray walls. A gust of wind made the branches sway like ghostly tendrils.
"It's about time..." Rhett muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Tucker, Rylei, Macoff. You three go on ahead and rejoin the squad. I'll stop by the Central War Castle and catch up with you shortly."
Once the three had left the barracks, Rhett recalled the news he had heard a few days ago about Viscount Gaspar slaying three Bloodmoon Werewolves, confirming that reality had followed its expected course—Gaspar had indeed colluded with the orcs, and tonight, there would be a plan against him!
Rhett lightly tapped the window with his right hand, took one last look at the moon, and then left the room, heading toward the Central War Castle to report the situation to Commander Ambiru.
He arrived in front of the troops, planning to conduct a routine inspection and check on the soldiers.
But within two minutes, Ambiru, clad in red armor and with a solemn expression, appeared in the night and walked straight to Rhett's side.
"Tonight, there's a joint operation that will require you to collaborate with Snowey's unit," Ambiru said as he handed Rhett a rolled-up scroll. "The details of the mission are all recorded here."
"Understood!" Rhett responded, though a trace of hesitation flickered across his face. "Commander Ambiru, I have something to report!"
As he spoke, Rhett glanced around and discreetly handed a crumpled piece of paper to Ambiru.
Ambiru's eyes flashed with surprise.
Nonetheless, he turned away, quickly unrolled the paper, and scanned the wrinkled text. His pupils suddenly contracted.
When he turned back around, his voice had grown cold. "Rhett, is this information accurate?"
"It's absolutely true. I'm willing to stake my military career on it!" Rhett's gaze became serious.
"There's no need for that." Ambiru shook his head, clearly trusting Rhett. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and shielded his mouth with his hand to prevent anyone from reading his lips. He whispered a few words.
Once he finished speaking, Ambiru turned and left without looking back.
At this point, a hint of joy appeared in Rhett's eyes. He knew that a significant achievement was within reach!
What Ambiru had just told him was that they would follow the troops later to verify the intelligence!
"Everyone, remain on standby. Tonight, we will be conducting a joint mission with the Second Squad!" Rhett announced, standing still.
Ten minutes later.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the distance, growing louder as they approached.
In Rhett's line of sight, Snowey led his troops around a castle, swiftly advancing toward them.
When Rhett first saw Snowey's unit, his heart sank. The troops behind Snowey appeared to be severely wounded, with many of their armor bearing scratches and damage. Some soldiers' wounds seemed to have only recently scabbed over.
The most troubling fact was that Snowey's unit had only about fifty soldiers remaining, half of their original hundred-man strength!
Snowey, clad in black armor, finally reached them. He saluted and said, "Second Squad Captain, Snowey!"
"Temporary Squad Captain, Rhett," Rhett replied.
Snowey glanced at Rhett, who was unscathed, and at the nearly full complement of soldiers behind him. His eyes showed a flicker of surprise, and he smiled. "It seems I was right before—one day, you and I would fight side by side!"
Rhett smiled back.
"Did you just go through a tough battle?" Rhett deliberately looked at the troops behind Snowey and said, "Your unit doesn't look in great shape."
"Sigh..." Snowey sighed deeply, his expression gloomy. "Just yesterday, we were conducting a surprise attack in Zone 7, but we fell into an orc ambush. The orcs' numbers were double what our intelligence indicated, and we were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses."
At that moment.
In the third row behind Snowey, hidden among the soldiers, Gaspar couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
...