Chapter 257: Enemies Meet
The sun was slightly slanted westward, and the midday heat had just dissipated.
The once-quiet Dark Forest was now bustling with activity.
Galloping cavalry charged at the scattered and fleeing trolls.
Horses sped like the wind, blades swung like molten iron.
In just a few dozen breaths, the trolls, who were completely unable to resist, were cut down into a disordered mess.
The cavalry, who were prepared for a tough battle, were completely surprised.
These trolls turned out to be so vulnerable.
"Drive away their prey, don't allow any others to get close."
"Everyone is strictly forbidden from pursuing; if these trolls want to run back, then let them!"
Angela, who had returned via a small teleportation array, issued orders to everyone with a simple intent:
"Ensure that every soldier doesn't act impulsively or out of greed, causing unnecessary sacrifices."
With growing combat experience and increasing responsibilities, Angela had gradually come to understand.
Loyal elite soldiers dedicated to the Lord and the territory were their greatest assets for survival in this dangerous region.
Newly conquered castles could be abandoned, and even Troll Valley could be temporarily given up, but these elite soldiers must not suffer heavy losses.
Of course, everything revolved around the Lord's orders and the interests of the territory!
Watching the besieged troll camp, Angela led the cavalry towards another direction.
There was another hunting party recently dispatched by the troll camp!
And, of course, there were Yaya and the Lord blatantly hovering in the air.
The excited Yaya was circling above the troll camp, diving down occasionally, creating a bloody storm.
Her purpose was to lure the troll priests into action; once this was achieved, she would decisively pull back, waiting for her wounds to heal quickly.
If the troll priests held back, Yaya would attack the trolls gathered together, diving wherever the numbers were greatest.
Matthew, aiming to gather Fate Points for his upcoming "learning" journey, did not hesitate to strike.
Over the past few days, he and the soldiers had taken down over 2,500 trolls.
Combined with the spoils from capturing the troll castle, he had already accumulated 1.2 million Fate Points!
While the number seemed large, each upgrade in high-tier talents, levels, specializations, and legacy levels required units of 100,000.
Raising a high-tier ability to level 5 would cost at least 1.5 million Fate Points.
As Matthew deepened his understanding of Fate Points and their uses,
He finally understood why Taiji hadn't opened up certain abilities for advancement and why some upgrades were so easy.
Because those easier abilities were the ones Taiji mastered and understood, the ones he could easily manipulate.
After all, if Taiji were to take over his body, it wouldn't make sense to relearn everything; having someone else do the groundwork was ideal...
With about 7,500 trolls remaining, Matthew's strategy was to stall them, waiting for all forces to gather and then crush them in one blow.
That time was only an hour away!
Matthew and Yaya's audacity stemmed from having grasped the troll priests' trump cards.
Even if the priests tried to ambush them, without the help of the troll soldiers and with their own hidden agendas, it was nearly impossible for them to capture Matthew and Yaya.
Moreover, even if the troll priests had aces up their sleeves, they wouldn't dare to use them all.
Matthew had already seen through the relationship between the troll priests and the trolls: a simple cult-like hierarchy of nobles and slaves.
If the troll priests exhausted their resources, exposing their weakened state before the trolls,
Matthew was confident he could incite a rebellion among the trolls:
"Kill the priests, and you may live!"
Matthew and Yaya would endure minor injuries at most, suffering a bit to keep inflicting damage on the trolls.
It was a deal too good to pass up.
Seeing that the troll priests were unwilling to "get to work," allowing Matthew and Yaya to wreak havoc in the camp,
The troll overseers and centurions, who assisted the priests in controlling the trolls, couldn't stay idle.
They secretly gathered, preparing to ambush Matthew and Yaya the moment they landed, aiming to severely wound Yaya.
"Hmm, their plan is quite good."
"Even the troll centurions have the combat prowess of high-tier professionals, and the overseers are among the elite of high-tier professionals."
"If they ambush us, there's a real risk of things going awry..."
Matthew continued analyzing with Yaya, discussing which threats and obstacles remained.
Using a "draw the target first, then shoot" approach, Matthew taught Yaya how to identify the most dangerous foes.
Avoid their positions, and target the weakest.
First, unleash a Dragon's Intimidation to test the waters; those trolls who respond slowly are the most dangerous.
Weapons and equipment also signify strength. Ordinary trolls with poor gear are less threatening, while those well-armored are certainly more formidable.
Matthew's strategies quickly transformed Yaya's experiences into practical actions.
She continuously absorbed combat experience from these unlucky trolls.
In this ongoing battle of wits and bravery, Yaya's combat abilities and keen instincts received further refinement.
By the time the soldiers reached the area near the troll camp,
They were greeted with the "spectacular" sight of the Lord and Yaya effortlessly suppressing nearly eight thousand trolls.
The rhythmic sound of marching footsteps echoed loudly, aimed directly at the troll camp.
The troll scouts in the treetops relayed the news, causing a mix of excitement and worry among the trolls:
"Their numbers are few, only about 2,000, but their weapons and equipment are excellent. They're likely very powerful!"
For the troll soldiers, the constant harassment and attacks had left them on edge.
And this was still before they reached their destination…
Now, the previously distant enemies were suddenly right before them, closing in fast.
Could the trolls endure this?
Certainly not!
Receiving the news with excitement, the troll priests, using controlled birds, barely glimpsed the approaching human soldiers and were immediately enraged:
"What arrogance and disdain! Just a mere group of humans, and they dare to look down on us!"
"Gather, charge out, and kill them!"
Enemies meeting face to face, eyes burning with rage!