Dozens of miles away, Carl, the "Blood Wolf," who had just finished plundering a village and was about to enjoy the spoils, received news that his camp had been attacked and the men left behind were completely wiped out.
He violently crushed the wine cup in his hand. Crimson liquid dripped through his fingers like blood.
Carl's expression was terrifyingly grim, and a cold glint, like that of a viper, flickered in his eyes.
'He hadn't expected that seemingly young noble lord to be so decisive and ruthless!'
'Not only did he dare to execute my messenger, but he also dared to launch a night raid on my camp!'
'This is no longer a provocation; it's a blatant declaration of war!'
He had underestimated this opponent.
Beneath Black Stone Town's seemingly frail exterior lurked a man-eating tiger.
Attacking a relatively well-defended town head-on without infantry support would inevitably lead to heavy losses. Moreover, his precious Knights couldn't be easily sacrificed against the town's solid fortifications.
Now that his rear camp had been destroyed and a significant amount of supplies and provisions were lost, continuing the siege and plunder had become meaningless. Instead, the enemy might seize the opportunity to launch another counterattack.
Carl took a deep breath, suppressing the fury in his heart.
He had built the Blood Wolf Corps from scratch to become a hegemon of the Black Stone Mountain Range; he was no idiot who relied on brute force alone.
"Pass on my orders."
Carl's voice was ice-cold.
"For now, we retreat. Leave Black Stone Territory."
His confidant beside him was stunned. "Boss, we're just letting it go?"
"Let it go?"
Carl sneered, a glint of cruelty and calculation flashing in his eyes.
"Someone paid me to deal with this little Lord, but now it seems the price they offered was too low!"
"When I get back, I'll renegotiate the price with that pale-faced noble. Then I'll come back to pay a visit to this new Lord of Black Stone Territory."
The bandit cavalry quietly retreated to their lair in the Black Stone Mountain Range under the cover of night.
But even with his Earth Knight cultivation and keen senses, Carl failed to notice a ghostly white shadow silently falling in behind them.
「The next morning.」
Sunlight shone on Black Stone Town, allowing the town that had just escaped danger to feel warmth once more.
Raylo was eating breakfast and browsing the newly refreshed intelligence for the day.
[Daily Intelligence Refresh]
[1: A small herd of scattered Demon-Horned Horses has arrived in Black Stone Territory. They will remain here for several days.]
[2: The "Poison Fang" Mercenary Corps, active around the Black Stone Mountain Range, has been frequently active recently. They are suspected of accepting a high-value commission, and the target may be related to Black Stone Territory.]
[3: The water level of the normally calm Black Water River has risen abnormally, flooding farmland. Fishermen report the appearance of a massive Aquatic Magical Beast in the river, which is extremely aggressive.]
[4: The wreckage of a suspected merchant ship attack has been discovered upstream on the Black Water River. Dispatching troops to search may yield some supplies from the wreckage.]
[5: In a patch of low woods south of the Black Stone Mountain Range and fifty kilometers northwest of Black Stone Town, an injured Giant Dragon briefly stopped. Tainted by the Giant Dragon's aura, a large patch of Earth Dragon Grass has grown there.]
[6: ...]
[7: ...]
[8: A squad of Demon Serpent's Fangs has left the Jade Swamp and entered the Black Stone Territory boundary. The squad's Claw Leader is none other than the Demon Serpent Priest, Slack, who escaped last time. For the sake of revenge, he has brought a tamed Tier Three Magical Beast, a Mire Giant Crocodile.]
[9: Tomorrow, a large-scale Slave Capture Team will return with their spoils from the Northwest Wilderness, passing through Black Stone Territory for a short resupply. Among the Barbarian slaves captured by this team is a Barbarian youth named Thor, who possesses the rich Earth Bear Bloodline of the Wild Bear Tribe, one of the Barbarian Thirteen Tribes. One with this bloodline is guaranteed to become a Tier Four Sky Knight, with a small probability of breaking through to become a Tier Five Domain Knight.]
[10: The continuous threats have left your Knights mentally exhausted. Due to your recent actions, the young Lord has won the support of his people. Recruit a group of Knight's Attendants from among your subjects. Granting the young men a chance to become Knights and jump up in social class will earn you the heartfelt gratitude and support of your people.]
The Demon Serpent's Fangs were invading again.
Slack, and a Tier Three Magical Beast, the Mire Giant Crocodile.
Raylo was no stranger to that name.
'A Tier Three Magical Beast...'
Black Stone Town's current defensive force was centered around Ed, an Earth Knight, plus a dozen or so well-trained Knights. This was sufficient to deal with ordinary bandits or Low Tier Magical Beasts, but a head-on confrontation with a thick-skinned, powerful Tier Three Mire Giant Crocodile—plus the cunning Demon Serpent Priest and his Fangs—would result in heavy losses, even if they defended from behind the town's wooden walls.
'A direct confrontation is the worst option.'
Raylo stood up and walked to the window. He watched as two half-grown Armored Rhinoceros calves chased each other playfully on a distant hillside.
Since being captured and brought back, the two little ones had completely adapted to life in Black Stone Town, even becoming familiar with some of the braver townspeople.
A bold idea gradually took shape in Raylo's mind.
"Ed," Raylo called out.
"Lord!"
Ed's burly figure soon appeared at the door. He had just finished training; beads of sweat were still on his forehead, and his breathing was steady and powerful.
"The Demon Serpent's Fangs from the swamp have appeared again," Raylo said. "This time, there's a Tier Three Magical Beast, a Mire Giant Crocodile, with them."
"A Mire Giant Crocodile?" Ed frowned. "That won't be easy to deal with. Even though I'm an Earth Knight, I can't match a giant Magical Beast like that in a direct confrontation of Power."
"Moreover, with that Mire Giant Crocodile around, our wooden walls will be easily destroyed."
Raylo nodded and said, "That's why we can't let the Mire Giant Crocodile get near Black Stone Town."
"My Lord, what do you have in mind?" Ed asked.
"We take the initiative. We'll annihilate the enemy outside the town," Raylo said, his tone firm.
Ed knew his Lord must already have a plan. "My Lord, you must have an excellent strategy!"
"I wouldn't call it an excellent strategy, and it will require Captain Ed to take a risk..."
"Just give the order, my Lord!" Ed said.
"Ed, do you remember that Iron Armor Rhino Mother Beast we encountered last time?" Raylo suddenly asked.
Ed was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "I remember. That thing is not to be trifled with. If it goes on a rampage, even I, as I am now, would have to steer clear of it."
"What if... we could get that Iron Armor Rhino Mother Beast to fight the Mire Giant Crocodile?" A smile played on Raylo's lips.
Ed's eyes shot wide open. He seemed to understand, but found it hard to believe. "My Lord, you mean... lure the mother beast? But, that's too dangerous! Although its territory isn't far from us, luring it to a specific location and then getting it to fight the Mire Giant Crocodile..."
"I know it's risky, but it's the method with the fewest potential casualties right now."
Raylo cut off Ed's doubts.
"The Armored Rhinoceros is a Tier Three Magical Beast. Its Power is definitely not inferior to the Mire Giant Crocodile's. It's also thick-skinned and tough. Moreover, once enraged—especially when its calves are involved—its ferocity should absolutely not be underestimated. The Mire Giant Crocodile is amphibious, while the Armored Rhinoceros is a pure land-based hegemon. On land, the Armored Rhinoceros even has a certain advantage."
Raylo's plan was simple, yet extremely perilous.
He would use the Iron Armor Rhino Mother Beast's protectiveness over its calves to lure it to a pre-set battlefield, then find a way to enrage it and direct its fury toward the equally colossal Mire Giant Crocodile.
In the afternoon, a Knight who had been sent out returned with an urgent report.
"My Lord! We've found traces of the Demon Serpent's Fangs! There are about thirty of them, led by a Priest, and they have a huge crocodile-like Magical Beast! They are moving upstream along the west shore of the Black Water River and are expected to enter our pre-set ambush zone in about two hours!"
"They're here!"
Raylo said gravely to Ed beside him, "Proceed as planned!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
Ed accepted the order and departed.