Chapter 401: A Terrifying Opponent!
The sudden news caught everyone off guard.
Just now, Old John, who was excited about the soldiers achieving an astonishing "1000:1" kill ratio, blurted out without thinking:
"That's impossible. According to our latest intelligence, the shortest route for them to reach us takes at least ten days. Could this be a mistake?"
Nearly 100,000 orc coalition troops covering several hundred kilometers in a day!
Unless they could all fly!
Everyone turned to face the calm Lord, hoping he would outright deny the news.
Matthew didn't reply but instead took out a Flowing Shadow Crystal and activated it before everyone's eyes.
A dense swarm of orc soldiers and the fierce beasts they had tamed surged through the Dark Forest.
The numbers seemed endless.
The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly grew heavy.
Even Matthew himself was stunned by the sudden news.
"There was no warning from the power of fate…"
"The orcs' strange maneuver left no trace or forewarning."
The only solace was that Matthew's cautious move of continuously sending adventurers to gather intelligence had paid off richly.
Without hesitation, Matthew addressed everyone:
"The trolls still number 40,000. Although they don't pose a significant threat to Bull Fortress, their sheer numbers and persistence are a real problem."
"The orc coalition's current numbers are unclear, but it's estimated to be around 80,000."
"If the two forces unite, an army of over 100,000 would exceed what we can bear."
"Therefore, we must eliminate all the trolls within two days and delay the arrival of the orc coalition!"
"This mission is critical to the survival of Bay Territory!"
As he spoke, a fierce killing intent burned in Matthew's dark eyes.
Waiting passively would only lead to a disadvantage.
Matthew was determined to strike proactively!
Turning to Alice and the adventurer representatives, he said:
"The task difficulty and rewards have been updated. For every troll or orc killed, adventurers will now receive a reward of 50 gold coins!"
A direct fivefold increase!
The previously worried adventurer leaders immediately lit up with excitement.
Earning 50 gold coins per kill was a reward that could drive anyone mad!
The news quickly spread across the battlefield, sparking discussions and joy among the adventurers.
Many, having just finished their meals, rushed towards the chaotic troll camp, driven by the lure of gold.
Time was of the essence and could not be wasted!
Watching the troll camp descend once more into chaos, explosions and screams echoed as fire engulfed the perimeter.
Even the interior of the camp became unsettled.
"Hiss… Great kills!"
"Damn, those trolls are eating corpses…"
"So the rumors are true…"
"Did you think Bay Territory would ever lie?"
"Does this mean stopping the trolls from resupplying is futile?"
"Fool! Supplies aren't just food. Even if the trolls can survive on corpses, their numbers are still dwindling rapidly."
"That's true. While they're all clustered together, let's hit them hard."
"If we can take out a few trolls, that's hundreds of gold coins…"
"Right, let's act fast before others swoop in."
"…"
The restless adventurers kept creating trouble for the troll camp.
Hiding in a safe corner, the troll shaman, far from his daytime arrogance, glanced nervously around.
He was terrified of death!
As long as he survived, even if all the Gurubashi troll soldiers perished, it wouldn't matter.
However, recalling recent events, a chilling fear crept over him.
"I just need to complete the task. I still have value…"
The troll shaman muttered to himself while casting a cold, sinister gaze at everyone around him.
Even the troll bodyguards who had long been by his side now found his temper unpredictable.
Recently, his mood swings had been extreme. He had killed other troll shamans without reason.
Most of the troll soldiers had been turned into mindless killing machines.
After enduring great hardship to reach this point and suffering heavy losses, now even hunger plagued them.
The most terrifying thing for the troll bodyguards was that the shaman often spoke to himself.
Sometimes he seemed respectful, other times furious.
Now, many of the troll bodyguards had lost all hope in him.
They silently prayed for the shaman to regain his senses and leave this place soon.
From their perspective:
Sending starving, poorly armed troll soldiers to attack a heavily fortified human fortress without preparation was pure suicide!
Fortunately, Matthew didn't know the shaman's location.
If he had known their thoughts, he would have warmly greeted them.
And Matthew would have unleashed a barrage of "Fireball" spells to carpet bomb the area.
He quietly observed the chaotic troll camp, pondering for a while before saying softly:
"It seems these Gurubashi trolls, like the orc army we faced before, are undoubtedly under someone's control."
After searching fruitlessly, Yaya exclaimed upon hearing Matthew's observation:
"Does that mean these trolls are bait sent to lure us, and as soon as we bite, the net will close?"
Matthew nodded in agreement with Yaya's analogy, gazing into the distance with a calm voice:
"But that's fine. If they don't act, there's no way to expose their flaws."
"Now, with all this commotion, their cover has been blown."
Seeing Yaya's puzzled look, Matthew smiled and asked:
"Eliminate all impossibilities, and whatever remains, no matter how absurd, must be the truth."
"For such a massive orc army to instantly cut an eight-day journey short, there's only one way."
"A supermassive group teleportation array!"
Rubbing his temples, Matthew didn't seem pleased with his deduction. Instead, he pondered silently before continuing:
"According to the Magic Goddess Church, only the Netheril Empire and the Cole Elves possess such teleportation capabilities."
"This means the mastermind behind this, seeking to eliminate me, is entrenched in one of these empires and holds a high position."
"It might be just one side, but I suspect both are working together…"
"The scale of the opposition is beyond my imagination."
Reality left Matthew feeling absurd.
There seemed to be no logic involved!
While he aimed to retaliate against the Cole Elf Kingdom and bring down the Netheril Empire,
Little did he know, these two powers had long been conspiring to eliminate him!
Well, it seemed everyone was quite aligned!
Raising his staff, Matthew looked toward the chaotic troll camp and firmly declared:
"Then let's devour this bait first. The net may break, but the fish might not escape!"
Today's fourth update.
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