"It's nothing major," Rhett said. "It's just that the area we're about to patrol has seen several ambushes by royal-blooded orcs recently, causing heavy casualties.
So this time, I'd like to ask for your help in a joint operation."
"Leave it to me!" Snoway thumped his chest with the confidence of a hardened warrior, his voice firm and powerful. "I've heard about that place too—teams three and nine lost a lot of men there a few days ago.
You came to the right person. Together, we'll make sure to wipe out those orcs!"
Not long after, Snoway organized his troops, and they set off with Rhett's team.
They advanced southwest, heading toward the pre-designated Area 31 along the Bloodied River.
Three hours passed.
A hill stood starkly against the dark night, surrounded by low, small hills about a few dozen meters high. Around two in the morning, they arrived at the hill—a series of green slopes rose and turned into bare ridges, forming a line extending northward. The soil underfoot was moist, and the grass sparse. Ahead, a strip of the Bloodied River lay between them and the dark, winding reeds and lantern grass.
Both the northern and southern slopes, as well as the plains to the east and west, were trampled and torn up by numerous orc footprints, leaving the grass in disarray.
"The footprints around the reeds and lantern grass are much sparser. But everywhere else, the tracks are so dense, it's clear the orcs have set a trap there," Snoway observed, scanning the area and sneering as if he'd uncovered a clue.
"Wait." Rhett extended his left arm to stop Snoway, who was eager to charge forward.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly. This Snoway was brave, no doubt, but not cautious enough—no wonder he'd fallen into an ambush last time.
"Rhett, the orcs are definitely lying in wait up ahead. We can't miss this chance—we need to charge in and cut them down!" Snoway's eyes burned with battle lust.
"Don't be reckless. I suspect this might be a trap set by the orcs," Rhett said, narrowing his eyes. "The Bloodied River is right in the middle. If they've laid an ambush deeper in the reeds, we could easily find ourselves at a disadvantage."
"Hmm, you're right. I didn't consider that," Snoway said, pausing and growing more serious.
"What's your plan?" Snoway was prepared to follow Rhett's lead for this operation.
"Let's start by poisoning the water. If they've set up a trap in the reeds, they won't be far from the water," Rhett suggested. He then made a gesture resembling the number eight with one hand, while placing his index finger in the center of the other hand.
Seeing this signal, the nearby archers quickly gathered and drew their bows.
"Don't rush. Archers, fall back to the base of the hill. Snoway, take a hundred men and find a place to hide as well," Rhett ordered after a moment's thought.
He also specifically selected a few third-rank knights and mages, instructing them to follow Snoway and find cover at the foot of the hill.
As for himself, Rhett only kept forty knights with him, most of them first-rank, with a few second-rank among them.
"Be careful, Rhett!" Snoway was decisive in his actions. Upon hearing Rhett's orders, he immediately complied, showing no hesitation.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled his soldiers to follow, leading them back the way they came to find cover.
Once the area was mostly cleared, Rhett led his troops along the back of the hill—a bare ridge—advancing in a straight line.
A cold wind swept by, sending ripples across the bloody stream.
In the distance, the reeds and lantern grass swayed gently, as if welcoming Rhett's group.
In the stillness of the night, the surface of the water suddenly splashed as ferocious orc figures emerged from the depths.
There were thick-skinned Minotaurs and Wild Boarmen, nimble Night Cats, and a few Blood Moon Werewolves with distinctive features and blood-red fur.
"Woo~"
"Howl~"
"Moo~"
Strange, inhuman roars echoed through the night, long and guttural, shattering the tranquility.
Rhett quickly assessed the situation. There were over thirty orcs, matching the numbers predicted by the simulation. Among them were four Blood Moon Werewolves.
Though his hundred-plus soldiers outnumbered the orcs, Rhett could tell at a glance that these were formidable foes—a highly skilled unit.
Among the orcs were two fourth-rank warriors: a Blood Moon Werewolf and a Wild Boarman.
There were ten third-rank orcs and over twenty second-rank orcs—no first-rank orcs at all.
If they engaged head-on, even with his numerical advantage, Rhett knew the casualties would be alarmingly high.
"Follow my command—tactical retreat!" Rhett ordered, his expression grim as he raised his right arm decisively.
"Ulululululu…" An eerie roar echoed—this time from the fourth-rank Wild Boarman.
Rhett recognized the orc language, understanding it as an order not to let the human soldiers escape.
Before the words had even finished, a fierce wind howled as the Blood Moon Werewolf, leading the Night Cats, charged forward.
At the forefront was the fourth-rank Blood Moon Werewolf, its eyes gleaming with bloodlust as it rushed straight toward Rhett.
Rhett's gaze turned icy as he quickly cast an Earth Armor spell, surrounding himself in a protective layer of yellowish light.
The Blood Moon Werewolf hesitated for a moment upon seeing this.
It wasn't ignorant of human magic—Earth Armor was a proper sixth-rank spell. But seeing it cast by a fourth-rank human mage seemed out of place.
Being a royal-blooded orc, it knew more than the average orc and quickly deduced that Rhett must have taken a bloodline potion, making him a powerful adversary.
With this realization, the Blood Moon Werewolf's killing intent intensified—this mage had to die!
But just then, a sudden Earth Spike shot up from the ground beneath its feet!
Startled, the Blood Moon Werewolf reacted quickly, its superior reflexes allowing it to leap effortlessly into the air.
Simultaneously, three sand wolves materialized in the sky, glowing with a yellowish light. They formed a triangular formation, closing in on the fourth-rank Blood Moon Werewolf with raised claws.
"Humph!" The Blood Moon Werewolf sneered, swinging a massive red claw that left a bloody arc in its wake.
Rhett was prepared, focusing intently. Just as the Blood Moon Werewolf was about to strike the sand wolves, he detonated them.
He couldn't help but admire the Blood Moon Werewolf's speed and strength—it had almost shattered the sand wolves before he could react.
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
Three explosions echoed in the air, yellow light bursting like fireworks.
"Human, did you really think such a trivial trick could threaten me? Hahaha, too naive!" the Blood Moon Werewolf laughed maniacally, though its body showed signs of injury from the explosion.
But Rhett felt no satisfaction—he knew these were merely superficial wounds.
His actions had only bought him time to retreat.
By now, he had reached the hilltop and was ready to cross over!
Just then—
"Aaah!" A piercing scream rang out.
One of the slower soldiers had been caught by the Blood Moon Werewolf, who grabbed him like a hawk snatching a chick. With a single bite to the neck, its fangs pierced deep, draining the soldier's blood.
In moments, the soldier's body shriveled like dried meat, while the Blood Moon Werewolf's wounds rapidly healed, nearly restoring it to full strength.
Rhett's eyes grew cold as he clenched his fists, deeply pained by the loss of his soldier.
But on the battlefield, death was inevitable. He couldn't afford to act impulsively, risking everything to save one man—the bigger picture had to take precedence.
Silently, he vowed to kill this Blood Moon Werewolf, then turned and disappeared over the hill.
"You can't escape…" the Blood Moon Werewolf licked its lips, the thrill of devouring blood fueling its rage. All reason had nearly fled, leaving only a desire to kill.
Right now, it only wanted to feast on that tantalizing 'blood bag.'
"A bloodline-enhanced mage… I've never tasted one before."
From the top of the hill, Rhett scanned the area below but couldn't spot where Snoway's men were hidden. He had to rely on his spiritual sense to detect the faint human presences in their concealed positions.
"Everyone, follow my lead. Prepare to counterattack with the main force!" he ordered quietly.
Thud, thud, thud.
The sound of orc footsteps grew louder, the weight of their bodies making the ground tremble.
Hiding behind a large rock, Snoway listened to the increasingly close and heavy footsteps. Peering through the grass, he saw the Blood Moon Werewolf reach the hilltop first, silhouetted against the full, yellow moon as it let out a long howl.
"Awooo…"
The howl was the signal for the orc charge!
More than thirty orcs surged forward, crossing the hill in pursuit of Rhett's retreating troops.
Now.
Rhett decided the time was right.
Rhett extended both hands, quickly signaling a series of hand gestures.
Then he commanded the troops beside him, "Turn around and start the counterattack!"
At his command, the soldiers hidden in the dark began to move according to Snoway's plan. They advanced from the east, west, southeast, and southwest directions, surrounding the oncoming orcs.
Gradually, they formed a fan-shaped encirclement, which slowly tightened.
Holding their swords and shields, their expressions resolute, the soldiers shouted loudly, their battle cries overwhelming the orcs' morale.
"Ossagu, what should we do? The humans have set an ambush!" the fourth-rank Wild Boarman growled in a deep, resonant voice.
"What else can we do? Hmph, they only have two fourth-rank warriors, and the rest of their hundred-plus men are just cannon fodder. The final victory will surely be ours!" the leading Blood Moon Werewolf, Ossagu, replied coldly.
"Snoway, you handle the Wild Boarman. I'll take on this fourth-rank Blood Moon Werewolf!" Rhett said, his expression deadly serious.
"Be careful!" Snoway's eyes showed a hint of worry, but at this point, there was no turning back—they had to fight to the end. Fortunately, he had already set up the ambush, and by his calculations, the archers should be circling back soon!
Sand Wolf Roar!
Three sand wolves, glowing with a yellowish light, materialized from the high ground. They immediately charged toward two third-rank Night Cats, who were targeting Rhett's weaker soldiers.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With three heavy slashes, the sand wolves crushed the Night Cats' heads, splattering red and white brain matter.
The battlefield is the ultimate test of a person.
In this intense environment, every battle heightens the senses and pushes one's potential. Rhett's mastery of the Sand Wolf Roar spell had been steadily improving with each skirmish!
"Courting death!" Ossagu saw through Rhett's intention to clear the weaker enemies first. Furious, he leaped from the hilltop, soaring tens of meters through the air.
To Rhett, still at the foot of the hill, it felt as if the Blood Moon Werewolf was descending from the heavens.
A fierce wind howled as the blood-red figure in the sky drew closer. Despite his Earth Armor, Rhett didn't dare be careless and quickly retreated.
At the same time, a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he scanned the battlefield with a wide view.
Meanwhile, Snoway led the majority of the soldiers in a concentrated attack against the massive, thick-skinned Wild Boarman.
Swords and shields clashed in flashes of light, but attacks below the fourth rank barely left more than shallow scratches on the Wild Boarman's tough hide.
However, clever soldiers knew not to waste their efforts on non-lethal strikes. They targeted weak spots like the Wild Boarman's backside and groin, making it vulnerable to a combined assault.
Seizing the opportunity, Rhett cast Falling Rock.
A massive boulder, over ten meters wide and glowing with yellow light, fell from the sky, crashing down on three Minotaurs charging toward Taro and Kas.
The Minotaurs felt the heavy pressure, panicking as they tried to change direction, but Taro and Kas, seeing this, steeled themselves and hurled their shields at the Minotaurs.
Thud, thud.
The shields struck the Minotaurs' chests with a heavy thud.
Faced with the massive boulder above, the Minotaurs, already struggling to dodge, were further disrupted by the shields. Despair surged within them.
"Courting death!" a rough voice bellowed.
Boom!
Suddenly, there was a loud crash as a blood-red figure shot up from the ground, kicking the massive boulder aside.
The three third-rank Minotaurs looked up and gratefully exclaimed, "Thank you, Lord Ossagu!"
"Hmph, he can't save them!" Rhett sneered coldly. The Blood Moon Werewolf's actions had been within his calculations all along.