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Chapter 268: The Interloper
🕑 Added 2024-09-30 08:12:22 +0000 UTCWith a thought, Rhett opened the system.
[Do you wish to initiate a text simulation? Each year simulated will consume 5 Fate Points.]
"Yes, simulate for one year."
[Kinlund Calendar, Year 481, January 16th: Master Essad revisits your territory. After inspecting the Dark-Patterned Eagles on the lone peak, he is quite satisfied and decides to stay in your territory for a month.]
[February 4th: Hernan from the Alchemy Tower advances to the rank of full-fledged alchemist.]
[February 15th: Master Essad departs. During his stay, his meticulous guidance at the Alchemy Tower greatly benefited all the alchemists.]
[March 9th: A band of robbers roams the southwestern border, committing several crimes. You personally lead a team to eliminate the gang of over twenty, led by a Tier 4 Earth Knight.]
[March 15th: Count Nilo visits you to arrange a marriage between Dick and a descendant of his family. You agree.]
[March 29th: A full-fledged blacksmith, drawn by your reputation, joins the Iron Brothers Forge.]
[April 6th: Vides and Daisy hold their wedding.]
[April 19th: A shocking piece of news spreads across the Kinlund Kingdom—the Coldstream Line is ambushed, resulting in the deaths of several Sky Knights and Archmages. Investigations reveal that a Saint-level Dragonkin was responsible. This action enrages the royal family, who decide to launch a massive offensive against the orc encampments along the Coldstream Line!]
[April 24th: You hear news of a victory at the front. Our Saint-level forces have taken action, killing several powerful orc leaders, signaling the complete breakdown of negotiations and the resurgence of war. The kingdom issues a conscription order, and you volunteer to return to the battlefield.]
[May 15th: You lead Tuck, Taylors, Hirin, Macoff, and other subordinates, as well as all the conscripted nobles from the southwestern border, and set out for the Coldstream Line.]
[May 26th: While traversing mountains and rivers, your group is ambushed by three mysterious individuals near Iron Furnace Village, each wielding the power of a Sky Knight. You engage in a fierce battle, managing to kill two of them while allowing one to escape, but you are seriously injured.]
[June 18th: On this leg of the journey, you choose a route through the Thunder Bear Range, where you linger for a month, using your forces to hunt large numbers of magical beasts in the mountains.]
[July 28th: You resume your march toward the Coldstream Line.]
[September 25th: You finally arrive at the Coldstream Line with your troops. You are greeted by your former superior, Ambiru, now a deputy commander of the Coldstream Line, who is amazed at your current strength. Soon, word spreads of your arrival. The deputy commander of the Coldstream Line meets with you and, after some discussion, appoints you as the deputy commander of the Sixth Legion. You learn that Prince Hoggis and the overall commander of the Coldstream Line are deep in the frontlines. After expressing your desire to contact the prince, you are given high hopes by the deputy commander, who assigns you to the Sixth Legion as a deputy commander.]
[You use your authority to assign Taylors to a prison where orc captives are executed.]
[October 1st: The Sixth Legion's commander returns to the camp, injured, and meets with you. You learn that his name is Lajos Gossin. The two of you discuss the battlefield situation at the Coldstream Line. You discover that nearly the entire Dragonkin tribe has gathered at the Coldstream Line, with a relatively smaller number of other royal bloodlines. These Dragonkin fight with a ferocity and tenacity unmatched, battling to the death.]
[October 2nd: Snow Elf Nina awakens. You wait beside Rilai and learn that she has barely advanced to the peak of Tier 3.]
[October 5th: You follow the Sixth Legion into battle on the central front, where you encounter the Third Legion engaged with a Dragonkin force. The Third Legion is clearly at a disadvantage, but with your arrival, the situation quickly improves.]
[October 6th: The battle lasts nearly a full day. The arrival of a Night Prowler unit greatly increases the pressure on your forces. That night, the Third and Sixth Legions suffer a devastating defeat. You narrowly escape, managing to protect only a portion of your subordinates, while many others perish.]
[October 17th: Fueled by a deep hatred for the Dragonkin, you join the legion commander in launching a surprise attack, targeting a Night Prowler squad. The operation is successful, and the entire unit is eliminated.]
[December 9th: You receive intelligence that the orcs are reinforcing the Coldstream Line with nearly a thousand Shadow Tiger troops, increasing the pressure on your forces.]
[January 7th: You lead your forces in an encounter with a Shadow Tiger unit. The battle ends in a stalemate, forcing a strategic retreat. While resting at a stronghold, you receive a scout's report that the orcs have gathered five Saints and launched a direct assault on the overall commander, leaving him severely injured. Another Saint perishes in the battle.]
[Text simulation complete. Would you like to continue?]
"No."
The light from the screen gradually faded.
Rhett was left in shock after reading the simulation. The orcs had completely disregarded the usual rules of warfare, deploying multiple Saints to the battlefield in violation of the established order.
"The situation is dire. If the Kinlund Kingdom's Saints suffer heavy losses, it will undoubtedly crush the morale of the army," Rhett thought, his eyes narrowing in concern.
However, after a moment of reflection, he realized that this event was set to occur a year from now. The orcs would have to secretly redeploy their Saints from other fronts, a risky move that could backfire if detected. Rhett wasn't overly worried, knowing he had plenty of time and opportunities to respond. If he could alert the royal family in advance, it could even earn him significant merit once again!
Rhett exhaled slowly, stepping down from the bed and standing by the desk to gaze out the window.
Before heading to the battlefield, he could still work on improving his strength, which could have a positive impact on the war. Just like during his time at the Gorge Line, the war would also be a period of growth for him.
So he wasn't concerned that the situation at the Coldstream Line would deteriorate beyond repair—he would intervene! Rhett was confident that he could save the entire battlefield. Even if his strength wasn't enough, he could still use his foresight from the future to devise targeted strategies.
What puzzled him most, however, was the ambush by those three Sky Knights during the march. The whole incident seemed suspicious...
Recalling the memory, Rhett couldn't help but think of the traitor from Windmill Town. The mastermind behind that betrayal had never been identified, remaining hidden deep in the shadows. It was hard not to connect the dots between the previous incident and this recent attack.
A cold glint flashed in Rhett's eyes as he muttered to himself, "It seems that hidden interloper can no longer stay in the shadows…"
Now that he had stepped into the realm of the Archmage, he was no longer the weak novice he once was. He was beginning to take his place on the stage, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to remain uninvolved. He needed to increase his strength as quickly as possible!
Turning around, Rhett left the room.
"What? Father, you want to take me for magic training?"
At the Alchemy Tower, Taylors looked surprised. He had just finished his alchemy experiment for the day and was about to return to his room to read Coiling Dragon for a second time when he encountered Rhett.
"That's right. I also want to see how effective the training with Rilai has been over the past six months." Rhett nodded slightly. "Since you’ve moved back to the Alchemy Tower, it shows that you’re confident in your progress. I need to assess that."
Hearing this, Taylors' face lit up with excitement, and he eagerly said, "Then let’s go! My magic skills are now on par with Rilai’s!"
"Is that so?" Rhett smiled faintly. "I hope so!"
The two left the Alchemy Tower and, riding Firebird, quickly arrived at the Dark-Patterned Eagle Range.
They stopped at a spring in the middle of the forest, where clear water bubbled up from the earth.
Pointing to the spring, Taylors said, "Over the past six months, I've been able to accurately strike moving stones in the water, just as well as Rilai!"
Rhett stroked his chin, recalling that the practice of striking stones in the water was a modification of the spellcasting training he had taught Rilai. He glanced sideways at Taylors and said, "Training alone isn’t enough. The ultimate goal of training is to improve combat effectiveness. Have you tested your skills in actual combat?"
"Of course!" Taylors replied without hesitation, but under his father’s scrutinizing gaze, he hesitated, his eyes darting left and right before he sheepishly scratched his head. "Okay, I admit, my combat experience isn’t that great. I lied!"
He complained, "I have to practice spellcasting, meditate, make time to absorb the energy of death row prisoners, and conduct alchemical research. There’s just not enough time for fighting!"
"Then for the next few months, let's focus on honing your combat skills. You're already a Tier 2 Mage; you can’t keep avoiding real battle." Rhett spoke with fatherly concern.
Taylors thought it over and realized his father was right. His combat skills could improve significantly in a short time, whereas making a breakthrough in alchemy research would take much longer. Nodding in agreement, he said, "I’ll listen to you, Father. Please guide me!"
After giving some instructions on combat details, Rhett led Taylors north.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a clearing in the woods, where a Tier 2 Earth Fury Bear was hunched over the bloodied carcass of a deer, tearing at the meat with savage claws.
"Roar!" "Roar!" "Roar!"
The bear growled viciously as it feasted, the air thick with the stench of blood and decay.
Sensing the presence of intruders, the Earth Fury Bear stood up, letting out a tremendous roar. Blood stained its muzzle and chest fur, making it look even more terrifying.
In the past, Taylors would have been intimidated by such a scene, but his experiences on the Gorge Line, where he had executed orcs, and his time spent hunting magical beasts with his father, had toughened him. Despite spending much of his time in his alchemy lab, he lacked real combat experience.
At that moment, Rhett had already hidden himself elsewhere, leaving Taylors to face the Earth Fury Bear alone. Taylors focused his mind, drawing on his spiritual power. A dark aura filled the air, forming a thick mist. Within the mist, concentrated dark elements coalesced into a shadowy arrow, hidden in the surrounding darkness, aimed at the charging bear.
"Not bad, you know how to darken the surroundings before casting a dark spell. It seems you’ve mastered the basics of dark magic." Rhett stood quietly on a tree branch, watching and silently evaluating his son's performance.
Without a sound, the shadow arrow pierced the Earth Fury Bear’s chest, tearing through flesh and drawing blood. The pain drove the bear into a frenzy, its roar sending a shockwave that dispelled the dark mist around it. It paused for a moment before charging toward Taylors with renewed fury!
However, Taylors remained calm, a dark ripple surrounding him. The ripple soon coalesced into a shadowy cloak, enveloping his body. Then, with a flash, he vanished from the spot!
The Earth Fury Bear, not known for its intelligence, was left bewildered, turning this way and that, looking like a confused circus bear.
At that moment, another shadow arrow flew from behind, striking the bear in the back.
"Roar!"
The bear let out another pained roar, shaking the forest and scattering birds. It turned around in a rage, but the clearing was empty—no sign of its enemy.
Where is the enemy? Where could they be?
The bear sniffed the air, cautiously moving toward a particular spot, guided by its keen senses...
But then, it suddenly staggered—the scent carried a potent hallucinogenic toxin!
Its sharp instincts kicked in, and it stopped breathing to avoid inhaling more poison. Recovering quickly, the bear had no time to rekindle its anger before a shadow arrow appeared right before its eye. The bear had no chance to roar as blood spurted from its eye socket.
The bear’s blood-curdling roar echoed as it succumbed to the poison, its massive body collapsing to the ground.
As the black mist slowly dissipated, the shadowy veil around Taylors also faded. A smile of satisfaction spread across his face as he called out, "How was that, Father? Not bad, right?"
Rhett leaped down from the tree, landing steadily on the ground before walking over to Taylors. "Not bad. Your performance shows that your training has been effective. You understand how to use your strengths.
You effectively used the concealment of dark magic and the Earth Fury Bear’s recklessness to your advantage, even using poison to disrupt it. That shows a good amount of battle wisdom."
Taylors beamed with pride at his father’s praise.
But then Rhett shook his head. "But it’s still not enough. We’re going to another place next."
"Where to?"
"Just follow me!" Rhett smiled faintly and began walking northeast.
Curious, Taylors followed close behind.
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