Chapter 677: Extraordinary Feat — Multi-Lung
A chilly breeze gently blew through the forest.
Waves of cold air continuously drifted through the early morning Dark Forest.
Bright red morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves.
It happened to land on the face of a Catachan soldier, bringing a hint of warmth and comfort.
No need to avoid the poisonous bugs, rats, and ants in the piles of fallen leaves.
No need to be wary of stable-looking trees suddenly extending deadly branches.
No need to constantly dodge the gathering strange miasma.
This patch of morning light and forest was almost too comfortable.
But it was precisely this comfort that made the Catachan soldier feel a bit uneasy.
The Catachan soldier recalled the dangers he'd faced in the Catachan jungle, and an indescribable emotion rose in his heart.
If they had lived in this beautiful world,
Would they have been spared those bitter days?
Dale, walking over, noticed his daze. After a simple question and a moment of hesitation,
He patted the soldier's shoulder and spoke in a calm and firm tone:
"No need to think too much. Without the trials of the Catachan jungle, we wouldn't have our exceptional combat skills."
"Bay Territory may be a great world, but how do you know it doesn't have its own forms of oppression and grievances?"
"Let go of the past and strive forward—that's what we in Bay Territory should be doing."
"As long as life keeps improving, our efforts are worth it."
The surrounding adventurers who heard this couldn't help but show expressions of agreement.
There was truly no need to dwell on it.
These matters were worth everyone's thought and effort, but things were bound to get better.
"Enemy spotted, 12,300 strong—all orcs."
The combat alert from the magic wristwatch reached everyone's ears.
Everyone immediately reacted and began preparing for battle.
Ka! Ka! Ka!
Huge orc scouts cautiously cleared a path ahead, trimming bushes and chopping saplings.
After days of battle and encounters, they had realized the methods and capabilities of Bay Territory's adventurers.
Though still arrogant and reckless, they had grown more cautious and careful in their approach.
As long as they could surround the adventurers, there would be no escape.
But no matter how careful they were,
The prepared adventurers would strike without mercy.
They had seen enough of the tough orcs!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A dense volley of crossbow bolts flew forth, embedding deeply into the orcs amidst their panicked screams.
Almost none of the orc scouts attempted to charge; they only sent out an "enemy attack" signal as quickly as they could.
A large group of wolf cavalry charged in with howls, attempting to encircle and devour the ambushing adventurers from both sides.
These wolf cavalry wore shoulder armor and carried shields—obviously elite among the orc riders.
They intended to devour their prey in one go,
To strike fear into Bay Territory's adventurers and curb their rampage.
Numbering in the hundreds, they were fast and posed a deadly threat to ordinary adventurers.
But this time, things were completely different.
Just as they rounded the bushes, tracking the scent of adventurers,
Spinning cannonballs smashed into them.
The improved cannonballs were entirely different from the old iron spheres.
Modified internally, they triggered a hidden explosive mechanism upon impact.
Boom!
The fireball exploded with a burst of metal shrapnel, instantly blasting through the wolf cavalry.
The jagged black metal shards became deadly weapons, tearing through armor and flesh.
Even the sturdy, ferocious dire wolves couldn't withstand the deadly blast, collapsing with bloody wails.
The sudden attack left the wolf cavalry stunned and dazed.
They had never suffered such brutal and terrifying strikes.
Unsure of the attack's origin, they screamed in panic.
But the adventurers gave them no time to react and kept firing.
Before the wolf cavalry could regroup, they needed to cause as much damage as possible.
One after another, wolf cavalry collapsed with howls.
Naturally, this stirred up even more fury among the orcs.
They scattered under the bombardment, using large trees for cover to continue their assault.
The howls of the wolf cavalry were unending.
The orc troops advanced from the rear.
They displayed a savage and relentless fighting style.
Precise crossbow bolts shot down the wolf cavalry attempting to flank.
They had no way to dodge or escape.
Every single rider had at least three or four adventurers watching them.
And this time, it wasn't just the previous two or three hundred adventurers.
In no time at all,
Over half the wolf cavalry had been wiped out.
Against Bay Territory's ranged weapons, their armor was useless, and they collapsed screaming during the charge.
Fortunately, the main orc force made some progress.
After some losses, they broke through the traps and pushed back the adventurers manning the cannons.
But just when they thought it was time for a direct clash, they punched into thin air.
They only ran into traps left behind—not even catching sight of the adventurers.
Seeing the field littered with corpses and hearing the cries of the wounded,
The orc commander roared in fury:
"You cowards!"
"Fight me!"
His roar echoed far and wide,
Reaching the Catachan soldiers watching from afar, who couldn't help but laugh.
"This must be the impotent rage Lord Matthew spoke of, right?"
"Heh, that's exactly it."
"Once they retreat, we'll get our turn to strike."
"For now, let's keep bleeding them."
"Stay alert and cautious. Don't get careless."
"Of course. Let's report this. The commanders need our info for the next steps."
The swift adventurers withdrew two to three kilometers according to plan.
They immediately began rebuilding their defenses.
The focus was on repositioning cannons and heavy crossbows.
Those who had traps ready,
Followed Dale's orders and rushed to the rear battlefield to reset new traps.
It took only about ten minutes for the adventurers to fall back those two to three kilometers.
But for the orc army, advancing again wasn't so simple.
Even deciding how to send scouts became a headache.
Rushing forward blindly would only mean more losses.
But the adventurers didn't care about the orcs' troubles.
While resting and organizing, they chatted excitedly among themselves.
"Honestly! Fighting large-scale orc forces isn't that big a deal."
"Exactly! Stick to the plan, strike, then move fast to avoid enemy retaliation."
"Easy for you to say. Could you actually do it on your own?"
"Heh, just blowing hot air. Without Bay Territory's command, I wouldn't dare even with two extra guts!"
"It'd be great if things were always this easy. Missions done nice and smooth."
"So glad we came north to Bay Territory instead of heading south."
"Turns out what the Bay Territory papers said was true—not a bit exaggerated."
"People didn't believe it before. But now Bay Territory's switching things up, recruiting adventurers to bring in talent."
"Five gold coins for each Professional recruited. That's serious money."
"Good thing we came early..."
"..."
The adventurers were thrilled that the battle had played out almost exactly like their training and planning.
No improvised heroics, no suicidal charges.
They earned their money safely and easily—it felt amazing.
This smooth operation greatly boosted their morale.
Maybe this time, they could actually defeat the orc army.
If they really pulled it off,
Never mind the extra rewards,
Just the boost to their self-worth and future prospects would be immense.
With combat prowess like this,
They had what it took to join the army or lead other adventurers.
They had the confidence and experience now.
That was growth, too!
Dale continued analyzing the battle while checking on the adventurers.
He was extremely satisfied with their earlier performance.
When Bay Territory's battle system kicked in and was paired with a variety of weapons,
The results were surprisingly effective!
Deeply moved, Lockfa continued compiling scout reports and carefully adjusting tactics, all while speaking confidently:
"This is the system Lord Matthew has always promoted."
"Our combat experience and battle systems are still growing. We'll only get stronger."
Accumulated experience and mature tactics would forge even better teams and commanders.
Before they could discuss further, the orc army's second assault came roaring in.
The orc commander stopped waiting and launched a direct, reckless charge.
If battle meant casualties anyway, why be held back?
But in the adventurers' eyes, this move was a gift.
They were charging straight into the trap!
The orc warriors surged in with howls and raised weapons.
Each one strong and armored, shield raised, elites of the orc army.
They were ambitious, fearlessly charging forward.
Even under heavy crossbow fire, they pressed on.
But this time, it was magical artillery that answered with a roar.
Huge fireballs screamed in, blasting the battlefield apart.
Explosions rained down on the elite orcs.
Furious magical flames greedily burned their flesh.
What enraged the orc commander most was
The enemy had deliberately focused all firepower on the heavily armored elite orcs, letting the others circle around.
How could he stand that?
Orcs on both flanks charged under arrow fire, snarling with twisted faces.
They finally saw the adventurers of Bay Territory—the ones who'd been attacking them.
The labyrinth of traps tormented them, making them gnash their teeth.
Burning with fury, they charged forward.
Ashes put down his crossbow, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.
Watching the oncoming orcs, the electric light danced on his custom thunder armor.
The fierce gray dwarf warrior raised his crackling warhammer and charged without hesitation.
Members of the Alice Adventurer Party didn't even look, continuing to fire.
Simply put, their crossbows couldn't harm Ashes, so there was no need to hold back.
Crack!
A surge of lightning suddenly fell.
Like a silver snake gone mad, it leapt among the orc scouts.
Those struck trembled, turned charred, or collapsed on the spot.
Before they could react, the 1.8-meter-tall Ashes charged in savagely.
Charging like a madman, Ashes smashed through the wolf cavalry with ease.
Two orc warriors leapt at him—he split them in half with a single swing.
The howling cavalry couldn't match him and surrounded him in fury.
But their weapons couldn't even get close—they couldn't match his speed or movement.
Ashes pushed forward with berserk momentum, crashing into their ranks.
His thunder-charged hammer smashed down on the wolf cavalry.
Lightning danced, crackling across the orc monsters.
Furious orcs instinctively surrounded him.
But they fell right into the adventurers' crossfire.
In a blink, swaths of orcs collapsed.
They had completely forgotten the danger of arrows, eyes locked on Ashes.
Letting this metal monster wreak havoc among them was worse than death.
The charging scouts all aimed to kill Ashes.
But their attacks were useless!
Ashes wasn't clumsy—he was fast.
Weaving through small gaps, he skillfully hammered down orcs one by one.
"Kill him!"
"Rip him apart!"
"Eat him!"