Chapter 184. Melee
Woooo—
The low blare of horns echoed over Despair Fortress, piercing through the morning mist.
Below the walls, the soldiers of the First Gold Legion and the Second Gold Legion stood in gleaming armor like two surging golden torrents.
The Two-Headed Wyverns and war wolves of the Monster Legions let out deep growls, their iron armor reflecting a cold gleam.
The red-and-gold banners of the Royal Legion intertwined with the family crests of the Noble Legion. A force of one hundred thousand stood in neat formations, their momentum as immovable as a mountain.
Standing atop the raised platform, William looked down at the sea of troops below, drew his sword, and pointed it eastward.
“Advance!”
The order spread like wildfire. The hundred-thousand-strong army poured out of the fortress and marched toward the Barbarian tribes’ territory.
The Shadow Guard had already scattered like ghosts, clearing out hidden sentries along the army’s route.
Whenever they encountered isolated Orc scouts, they silenced them with poisoned daggers.
Whenever they ran into Barbarians attempting to report the army’s movements, they knocked them unconscious and dragged them into snow trenches, making sure the army’s trail would not be exposed too early.
Across the icefield, only the steady rhythm of marching feet and pounding hooves echoed in the air, while banners snapped sharply in the freezing wind.
William rode on Darwin’s back, flying along the flank of the army. His sharp gaze swept over the surroundings, yet that lingering unease in his heart never truly faded.
Adagu’s reply had come too smoothly, and the “tribal unrest” reported by the Shadow Guard also felt oddly deliberate.
What he did not know was that on the second day after he had sent the Shadow Guard to contact the Savage Wolf Tribe, Chief Adagu had already been bound by his own son—Agula, who had long since defected to the Orcs.
Kalgari, commander of the Orc Alliance, had personally led his guards to the Savage Wolf Tribe. In front of all the Barbarians, he had executed Adagu with a red-hot branding iron and hung his head from the tribe’s banner pole.
For the past several days, the ones contacting the Shadow Guard had been “envoys of the Savage Wolf Tribe” disguised by Orc Shamans all along.
Those seemingly precise defensive maps had been bait deliberately leaked by Kalgari.
Even the hidden sentries the Shadow Guard had “cleared out” had merely been expendable pawns of no importance.
At that very moment, a perfect net had already been laid around the central altar of the Barbarian tribes.
A hundred thousand of the Orcs’ main force lay hidden in the ice valleys on both sides of the altar, while the shamans had arranged Rune Arrays that suppressed magic around it.
Agula, together with the Barbarian tribes that had submitted to the Orcs, was disguised as a welcoming party for the allied army. They stood in formation on the open ground before the altar, bone blades hidden in their hands.
Standing atop the altar, Kalgari looked at the dust rising on the distant horizon and curled his lips into a cruel smile.
He said to Lailan beside him, “The moment William’s legions step into the Rune Arrays, activate them. Let the Gold Legions learn what it means to cry to heaven and earth with no answer.”
Lailan bowed and acknowledged the order, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
On the icefield, William’s army continued to advance, drawing closer and closer to the altar.
The captain of the Shadow Guard rode up beneath Darwin and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, the altar is ten li ahead. According to the agreement, the Savage Wolf Tribe will meet us there.”
William stared at the faint cluster of tents in the distance, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the hilt of his sword.
It was too quiet—so quiet that it felt like a giant maw waiting for prey.
“Pass the order down.”
He suddenly spoke, a trace of gravity in his voice.
“The First Gold Legion and the Second Gold Legion are to separate from the main force at once and deploy to the two sides of the valley. They are to hold the flanks at all costs.”
“The remaining legions will halt in place. No one is to move without orders.”
“Send another noble battalion to make contact with the Savage Wolf Tribe at once and confirm whether their support is truly in place.”
The messengers accepted the orders and galloped off. The army’s formation quickly shifted.
The two Gold Legions shot toward the two sides of the valley like arrows released from the string. The clash of armor and the pounding of boots echoed across the wilderness.
Another noble battalion formed up in neat ranks and advanced toward the Savage Wolf Tribe.
William turned to the Legendary Archmages behind him, his gaze keen.
“Everyone, make ready. The enemy may pretend to cooperate. We must stay on guard in advance.”
The Archmages all nodded. Faint magical halos began to coil around them, and the elemental energy in the air suddenly grew active.
At the top of the altar, Kalgari watched as William’s army, which should have plunged headlong into the trap, suddenly stopped short. His brow twitched involuntarily.
That reaction speed was much faster than he had expected.
But when he saw William’s follow-up deployment, he could not help cursing under his breath.
“Was there really a need to be this damned cautious?”
The Orc legions on both sides of the valley had relied on the terrain to stay hidden. How could they possibly withstand the Gold Legions’ carpet-style sweep?
Gritting his teeth, he raised a hand and fired a crimson signal arrow.
Whoosh—BOOM.
The signal exploded in midair like a fuse being lit.
The Orc legions hidden behind the Rune Arrays immediately marched out in unison.
Their black armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Dense formations instantly filled the valley floor, fully revealing the encirclement before William’s eyes.
William looked at the suddenly exposed legions, and a layer of cold sweat broke out across his back. He tightened his grip on his sword hilt. Fortunately, he had reacted in time and had not let the main force fall into a complete encirclement.
At that very moment, deafening sounds of battle erupted from the valleys on both sides.
The First Gold Legion and the Second Gold Legion were like two red-hot irons driven savagely into the Orc lines. Golden Dou Qi and clashing armor sent dazzling sparks flying everywhere.
Two thousand Gold Mages formed ranks and cast together. The light of Super-Tier Spells rained down like a meteor shower. Ice Spikes and Fireballs wove into a net of destruction, and the roar of explosions echoed endlessly through the valley. Six Orc Legions were actually forced back step by step under the onslaught.
“Now!”
A sharp gleam flashed in William’s eyes as he drew his sword and pointed it straight at the enemy formation ahead.
“The enemy’s Lesser-Dragon Rider Legion isn’t here. The advantage is ours. Kill!”
Behind him, the Royal Legion and the Noble Legion charged forward in answer, their war banners snapping in the wind.
Faced with four Orc Legions and six Barbarian Legions blocking their path, they showed no fear at all. Their shield wall advanced like an iron bulwark, and the forest of spears glittering with cold light harvested lives without pause.
Standing atop the altar, Kalgari watched the torn breach in his lines, his face turning ashen.
He had not expected the Gold Legions’ striking power to be this ferocious, nor had he expected William to recognize the trap and still launch an aggressive assault instead of retreating.
“Send in the shaman reserves!”
He roared at Lailan beside him, “Activate the spare Rune Arrays. I refuse to believe we can’t crush them!”
Lailan was just about to relay the order when he saw William personally leading the Legendary Combatants straight toward the altar. Golden Dou Qi tore across the sky, while Darwin’s dragon breath poured down like a waterfall.
Clearly, William intended to strike at the center directly—capture the leader first, and the rest would fall apart.
The melee beneath the altar grew increasingly savage. The blood of both sides soaked into the icefield, blooming across the snow in one glaring patch of red after another.
William’s battle roar and Kalgari’s furious shouts intertwined. War banners fell and were raised again. This trap, detonated ahead of schedule, had already turned into a merciless battle of annihilation.