Chapter 323: Sneak Attack on Supplies
Gray-black waves of orcs.
They surged forward in wave after wave.
The vast momentum was a formidable sight, striking fear into the heart.
Unfortunately, no matter how the orcs charged, they couldn't shake the defenses of Misty Fortress.
Countless bolts nearly blanketed the hillside, sticking out from every inch.
Piles of corpses layered the ground, one on top of another.
With each assault, the orcs left behind a trail of bodies and then retreated in disarray.
On Misty Fortress's walls, the traces of blood and battle scars increased.
But the defense remained strong; no matter how many orcs made it up, they vanished silently.
Even the fearless orcs felt a faint sense of dread.
Yet, the orc commander's relentless orders forced them to charge again and again.
From morning till dusk.
Only then did the orcs' attack relent.
Even the orc commander couldn't force his soldiers to continue charging under the crimson moon's light.
The fierce sounds of battle finally fell silent.
Freshly rotated guards swiftly cleared the battlefield, moved bodies, and scrubbed away the blood.
Angela reported the battle situation to Matthew:
"We killed about 4,500 orc soldiers, with 6 of our own dead and 272 wounded."
"The wounded have received treatment and are out of life-threatening danger; 45 are disabled and are currently being counseled."
She was well aware of Matthew's experiments and cautiously avoided specific details.
Despite the impressive kill ratio, Matthew still felt a twinge of pain.
Each soldier, influenced and strengthened by the first wave of mana tides, now had high-level potential.
But reality remained harsh; no matter how well-prepared, surprises could still arise.
Matthew looked at his accumulated 3 million points of fate power and decided to use them without hesitation!
Better to grow stronger now!
"Spend 100,000 fate power to increase Advanced Feat - Long-Range Casting LV0 to LV1!"
"Spend 200,000 fate power to increase Advanced Feat - Long-Range Casting LV1 to LV2!"
"Spend 300,000 fate power..."
"Spend 400,000..."
"Spend 500,000..."
Advanced Feat - Long-Range Casting LV5.
Increases casting range of any spell by 500 meters, spell travel speed by 100%, accuracy +10!
"Spend 100,000 fate power to increase Advanced Feat - Spell Amplification LV0 to LV1!"
"Spend 200,000 fate power to increase Advanced Feat - Spell Amplification LV1 to LV2!"
"Spend 300,000 fate power..."
"Spend 400,000..."
"Spend 500,000..."
Advanced Feat - Spell Amplification LV5.
When activated, raises spell effect by one tier, increases mana consumption by 50%!
Two simple yet highly practical advanced feats, obtained from a "trade" with Anne, the Lord.
Matthew had paid a third of the war puppet parts for them.
It was a profitable exchange, with the prospect of even more gains.
As a high-level Arcanist, Anne was preparing to break through to the extraordinary tier; otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed the orcs to be so rampant.
Glancing at the bonfire burning corpses, Matthew silently watched the densely packed bodies below.
"Aren't they going to clear the corpses?"
343 asked curiously, glancing up at the crimson moon hanging in the sky.
Matthew shook his head quietly, observing the unusual behavior of the orc vanguard, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a blaze erupted in the distance.
From the orc camp came a burst of roaring and clamor.
Turning instinctively, 343 saw the scene with her glowing red eyes and said excitedly:
"It looks like the orcs' supply depot is on fire. I'm not sure how much is burning..."
"But judging by the flames, they must've taken a heavy hit!"
Matthew glanced at his display panel, noticing a prompt:
"Your follower Alice has incinerated 123 orcs, gaining 21,340 fate power."
So it was Alice's team?
Likely teamed up with other adventurers!
Interesting indeed!
"High rewards breed bravery; I offered 50,000 gold for the orc's supply depots, and it seems the temptation was strong enough."
Hearing Matthew's explanation, 343 nodded in understanding, watching the adventurers disperse with amusement.
Observing how agile they remained under the crimson moon, she asked curiously:
"I didn't expect these adventurers to be this formidable."
Matthew nodded in silent agreement. He wouldn't tell 343 that these adventurers' competence was a result of carefully guided steps.
Armed with the right tools, the desire to kill naturally arises!
With their growing power and equipment, adventurers inevitably developed more ambition, desires, and goals.
"I'll go rest," Matthew said to 343, turning to leave.
The destruction of the orc supply depot was good news, but it would make the orcs even more desperate. The next days would be more intense.
Now he needed to recover his strength to face the impending, tougher battles.
And the orcs' refusal to retrieve their dead would come back to haunt them in a brutal way.
On the hillside below Misty Fortress, under the crimson moonlight, the corpses began to undergo a horrific transformation.
The next day.
Just before dawn, even before the sun had risen.
Intense sounds of battle echoed across the open plains.
But the defenders of Misty Fortress were not involved.
The fight was against the terrifying creatures resurrected by the crimson moon!
Matthew watched as these corpses, staggering awkwardly at first, evolved rapidly to become deadly foes.
Mutated creatures!
The corpses had indeed been corrupted!
With more than five to six thousand mutated orc corpses, even the orc army was troubled.
Unfortunately, under the orc commander's orders to attack, the orcs clashed with the mutated creatures.
Orc soldiers outnumbered the mutants, yet the latter were incredibly resilient.
The two sides collided, with casualties on both sides.
After two hours of struggle, the larger orc army emerged victorious.
Every mutated orc was finished off with a blow to the head.
The corpses, along with newly fallen orcs, were burned together.
Before the Misty Fortress defenders even engaged, the orc army had lost nearly 2,000.
Their morale dipped slightly—a costly lesson.
From an initial force of over 70,000 sweeping across Carl's Plains, they were down to about 50,000 soldiers.
As Matthew put it: "Worth 5 million fate power!"