Chapter 25: The Tide of Battle

"Sir, there's red smoke rising from the hill."*

A soldier reported to Forde, who observed it and then raised his hand.  

"Brothers, that’s the young master's signal. Charge with me! Kill!"  

"Kill!"  

More than a hundred men suddenly sprang from the grass like savages, their bodies covered in weeds and black soot smeared across their cheeks as they rushed up the hill. The hill wasn’t very tall, so it didn’t take long for the Golden Lion Guards to reach the Iron Blood Clan’s camp.  

"Enemy attack!"  

Chaos erupted inside the camp. Some men grabbed spears without wearing armor, while others, holding bowls of rice, scrambled with arrows in hand. Truly, they were ruthless, even attacking during a meal.  

"Hold your ground! Everyone, stay calm! Archers to the rear, shield soldiers to the front!"  

The captain, a tall and burly swordsman, brandished a great sword as he gave orders to the panicked men below. By this time, the Golden Lion Guards had already reached the camp's gate. The Iron Blood Clan hadn’t even had time to form a proper defense when Forde shouted,  

"Archers, fire!"  

Dozens of arrows flew into the camp, followed by anguished screams. The leading swordsmen were unlucky, with several falling to the arrows, some dying on the spot. Seeing this, the captain yelled,  

"Archers, return fire!"  

But he quickly realized that their arrows couldn’t reach the enemy. Archers were a special class, and their arrows were enhanced not only with fighting spirit but also with increased range and accuracy. The fact that their arrows couldn’t reach the enemy meant that the enemy’s strength far exceeded his own forces.  

"Kill!"  

The Golden Lion Guards charged into the camp like tigers among sheep, slaughtering their foes with ease. This was nothing short of a massacre. One had to understand that the weakest member of the Golden Lion Guards was at least a Grand Fighter, equivalent to the captain. Meanwhile, the Iron Blood Clan’s members were merely Fighters. Moreover, their numbers were nearly five times fewer.  

Witnessing the slaughter, the captain hurried to find Zeko. Only a mage could turn the tide. But when he rushed into the room, all he could smell was a foul stench coming from the bathroom. There lay the great mage, sprawled helplessly over the toilet. This was Franz’s doing. He had spiked the mage’s soup with a strong laxative, originally intended to deal with Desmond. But this time, it had conveniently been used against the old mage instead.  

Knowing the battle was lost, the captain turned to flee, but when he reached the door, a young man with black hair and a strange mask had already appeared. If there had been someone from Earth, they would have recognized it as a gas mask. Franz wasn’t wearing it to hide his face, but because the smell from the bathroom was unbearable. He spoke calmly,  

"Surrender."  

"You brat! You want to die!"  

The captain roared and charged at Franz. Franz let out a cold laugh as the captain’s sword slashed through his body.  

"Poof!"  

Franz's figure disintegrated into dust. Sensing something was wrong, the captain looked up to see Franz hovering above him, with Cloudfall in hand, aiming straight for his head. The captain, experienced in battle, quickly rolled to the side to dodge. Franz chuckled.

 "I knew you’d do that. Hidden strike!"  

As his feet touched the ground, Franz somersaulted in mid-air, and Cloudfall pierced straight into the captain’s shoulder.  

"Ding! Hidden strike successful!"  

The captain tried to counterattack but realized he couldn’t move. His fighting spirit had been sealed, as if frozen. This was the combined effect of Franz’s hidden strike and the poison on Cloudfall. Without hesitation, Franz kicked the captain in the chest, sending him flying. By this time, the battle outside had ended. The Golden Lion Guards quickly captured and tied up the captain. Suddenly, the system rang out with a notification,  

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the hidden rescue mission. Reward granted..."