Laedros nodded, understanding Locke's refusal, and said, "Well, that's alright. We have a good relationship with the Fourth Legion. If they encounter any trouble in the future, we can provide more support. Losing Locke won't have a significant impact."
"Have there been any issues while I was away?" Rhett asked. "You don't seem to be in a good mood. Did the orcs attack our soldiers?"
Laedros shook his head and replied, "No, that's not it. According to our patrols and scouts over the past few days, it seems that the number of orcs in this area, all the way to the middle of the battlefield, has suddenly decreased. This is something that rarely happens over the past year, and such an unusual situation makes me suspect that they might have a new plan."
On the surface, Rhett remained silent, but internally, he was stirred. It appeared that this was a prelude to the orcs sending their Saint-level warriors for a surprise attack. If the battlefield below Saint-level combat is considered conventional warfare, then the addition of Saint-level combatants is akin to throwing nuclear weapons, causing devastating destruction that can easily harm both allies and enemies alike. And this time, with several of them coming, it's clear they're preparing for a significant battle, so withdrawing some of their troops in advance is understandable.
Laedros looked at Rhett and asked, "What do you think the orcs are plotting? Could they be planning to concentrate their forces and launch an all-out attack on us?"
"That possibility can't be ruled out, but now that we've increased our forces at the Coldstream Defense Line, and even have Saint-level guardians, if the orcs really make a large-scale move, we'll easily detect it in advance," Rhett replied. "So there's no need to worry too much. My suggestion is to respond to changes with consistency."
"No, that's not going to work." Laedros frowned, staring at the central battlefield area, and gestured from left to right with his hand. "If we wait until that time to concentrate our forces, it might be too late, especially... the lower-level transcendents might not be able to keep up with the speed."
"So what do you suggest we do?"
"I'll return to the Coldstream camp, report the situation, and at the same time, bring some soldiers to the central area, so they can be ready to support any point at a moment's notice!" Laedros said resolutely.
Rhett fell silent, contemplating for a moment, before suddenly agreeing, "That makes sense. Then I'll leave it to you. Bring the lower-level soldiers and settle them in advance. I think the area around coordinates (23,38) would be quite suitable. Although it's not geographically central, the surrounding terrain is flat and easy to defend."
Laedros glanced at the map and nodded, "Not bad, that's what I had in mind too. So I'll leave this place to you for the next few days."
"Don't worry, I've got it covered!"
"Good."
With that, Laedros and his entourage swiftly departed, leaving Rhett alone. He looked at the map, deep in thought: "Although the simulation showed that after the Saint-level battle ends, the war will continue, with our side not launching a large-scale counteroffensive, it wouldn't hurt to change the trajectory a bit. After the orc Saints are all killed, if we launch a counteroffensive, perhaps I can harvest a significant amount of Destiny Points..."
"So letting Laedros bring the message back and arrange the forces in advance might be helpful."
"It would be best if I also spoke with Locke and Freya to gather forces and propose this to the commander..."
With this thought, Rhett's mood shifted slightly. If this plan succeeds, it would be a big step towards harvesting enough Destiny Points, possibly even fulfilling the requirement directly.
Thus, he decided to run a simulation to verify whether the plan was feasible. After all, a plan like this is not to be taken lightly.
So, he activated the system.
"Do you want to start a text simulation? Each year of simulation costs 5 Destiny Points."
"Yes, simulate for one year."
[Year 481 of the Golden Calendar, December 29th: After several days of patrols, no signs of orcs were found, confirming your suspicion that the orcs might be sending their Saint-level warriors.]
[Year 482 of the Golden Calendar, January 7th: You received intelligence from scouts that the orcs had gathered five Saint-level warriors, while your side had assembled twelve, including three kings and several key members, to launch a counteroffensive. All five orc Saints were killed on the spot. That night, while at the Coldstream Defense Line, you found the deputy commander and Prince Hoggus and proposed a counteroffensive against the orcs! The two mentioned they would report to Lord Ancus and await his orders.]
[January 8th: Lord Ancus issued an order to all legions to launch a counteroffensive against the orcs, with the Sixth Legion flanking to support the main attack. You learned that in this operation, only King Milan and Ancus from your side would remain, while the other Saints departed after the counteroffensive against the orcs.]
[January 15th: During the support mission, your team was ambushed by a group of Shadow Tigers, resulting in a fierce battle. You sustained minor injuries, Laedros was severely wounded, and your soldiers suffered significant casualties, but the Shadow Tiger elite force was wiped out.]
[January 17th: Upon reaching the main battlefield, you were shocked to learn that Commander Ancus had been assassinated by the Blood God Cult Leader and died on the spot. Fearing further surprises, King Milan abandoned the counteroffensive. As a result, you retreated with the army back to the Coldstream camp.]
[February 29th: You received shocking news that the canyon defense line was attacked by the Blood God Cult Leader, leaving both human and orc soldiers dead, with blood flowing through the canyon.]
[March 5th: You heard that the human and orc leaders held an emergency meeting and decided to temporarily halt hostilities until the true culprit behind the scenes was found. During this time, the Kingdom of Golden would not use the extinction poison, and the orcs would refrain from any attacks.]
[March 7th: You received news that the Coldstream Defense Line's conscription order was lifted, and nobles who responded were rewarded. Although you performed exceptionally, Prince Hoggus regretfully informed you that despite his recommendation, you were still some distance from being granted a duchy. You felt disappointed but helpless.]
[March 8th: Before parting, you invited Master Asad to your territory. After careful consideration, he agreed to your request but couldn't guarantee he would stay in Dark Eagle City indefinitely. He might return to Frost Fortress when the war resumes.]
[March 19th: On the way back, a beam of light descended from the sky, and you felt a suffocating sensation. The next moment, a violent flame engulfed the light. Then, a gentle water barrier surrounded you, and you saw King Milan and Hypastos appear, attacking a blurry figure. Soon, the figure was melted by the terrifying flames.]
[King Milan explained that this was the result of the negotiations with the orcs. If they agreed to give up the extinction poison, the orcs would reveal a human Saint-level spy they had painstakingly cultivated—Ximan. However, from now on, the recipe and raw materials for the extinction poison would no longer be a secret, and the Dragonkin would find a way to counter it.]
[March 25th: You received news that the royal family issued a bounty for the Blood God Cult Leader, offering rewards ranging from wealth to titles, depending on the value of the information provided.]
[April 20th: You returned to Dark Eagle City without incident.]
[May 3rd: Lawrence broke through to the rank of Earth Knight.]
[June 11th: You heard that Widds' wife was pregnant.]
[September 3rd: Corinna became pregnant with her third child!]
[November 6th: You received a letter from Prince Hoggus, stating that the three alchemists would be sent to you indefinitely and provided you with a possible clue related to the elves—a month ago, most of the magical beasts in the Gray Wolf branch were howling incessantly, but local adventurers found nothing unusual.]
[December 13th: Tucker broke through to the rank of Earth Knight.]
[December 27th: Blackstar arrived at your territory, saying that he heard about a mysterious light appearing on a deserted island in the South Ice Sea two months ago, which seemed to be related to the elves.]
[Text simulation ended. Do you want to simulate again?]
"No!"
Rhett watched as the light screen in front of him dissipated, his brows furrowing slightly.
He wasn't very satisfied with this simulation. The counteroffensive against the orcs had failed, and it seemed that the Blood God Cult Leader had been closely monitoring the situation between the humans and orcs, without showing favoritism towards either side. It appeared that he did not want the war to be decided too quickly. If one side gained a significant advantage, he might even intervene.
Rhett had suspected this before but lacked evidence. Now, seeing that Commander Ancus was assassinated and connecting it to the unique power the Blood God Cult Leader wielded, Rhett was convinced that the Cult Leader, like the orcs, was also a devourer of this world. Whether it was orcs or humans, they were competitors in his eyes, with no room for mutual benefit.
Furthermore, the failure of the counteroffensive against the orcs seemed to have provoked the Blood God Cult Leader, leading him to preemptively attack the canyon defense line. This, in turn, prompted the humans and orcs to reach a temporary truce, and the war would be suspended for a while...
"No, this trajectory won't work. If the war ends this early, how am I supposed to gather Destiny Points? And the tragedy at the canyon defense line wasn't prevented either. Overall, this simulation was inferior to the previous one in every way."
Rhett shook his head, deciding not to propose a counteroffensive against the orcs and to let events unfold naturally as in the previous simulation...
However, this simulation was not entirely without gain. At least he learned of two pieces of information potentially related to the elves. Next year, he must make arrangements in advance to investigate whether he can secure these...
Thud, thud, thud.
At that moment, footsteps sounded behind him, and Lawrence, clad in sturdy armor, rushed over, saluted as a knight, and reported, "Sir, a scout just sent a message, reporting that a group of Night Cat people was spotted sneaking around the end of the Icy Creek."
Rhett turned and calmly asked, "How many are there?"
"Over one hundred and thirty, with the strongest being a Sixth-level Night Cat."
"Alright, let's move out and take them down!"
A week later.
By the banks of the Icy Creek, a team of about two hundred people ran alongside the gurgling water, their heavy footsteps like drumbeats. The slightly murky water was mixed with inconspicuous winter ice shards.
At the front of the team, Rhett, with his short black hair, scanned his surroundings as if searching for any unusual traces. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, focusing on a patch of barren brown land on the other side of the creek, about a hundred meters ahead.
He halted and waved a hand, bringing the entire team to a stop, standing straight in place.
Lawrence drew his sword and shouted, "Protect the commander!"
As his words fell, three Earth Knights stepped forward, closing the distance between themselves and Rhett.
Rhett, however, shook his head and pointed to the ground across the creek, about a hundred meters away, saying, "The earth elements over there are somewhat unusual. There are traces of unnatural interference in the past few days. Based on the gathering and dispersing of the earth elements, it's likely the Night Cats left those marks to cover their tracks. They may have escaped detection by others, but they can't escape my investigation."
"Sir, should we pursue them?" asked one of the knights behind him.
"No need. It's just a few dozen Night Cats, and it's been two days. It's not worth spending too much time and effort on them," Rhett replied calmly.
The scene quieted as everyone awaited Rhett's orders.
In the next moment, however, there was a faint ripple on the surface of the murky creek, and several dark figures burst out, scattering sparkling water droplets.
"Enemy attack! Counterattack immediately! Knights, protect the mages, and wind knights, harass the enemy!"
Rhett's expression changed slightly, but he quickly issued the command, drawing his wand and immediately casting a spell—Earth Dragon Technique!
He had anticipated that there might be a Shadow Tiger attack during this mission, but he wasn't certain from which direction they would strike. The three Shadow Tigers before him were all high-level orcs, not to be underestimated!
"A high-level mage and a small team of two hundred—this is a rare opportunity indeed!"
One of the Shadow Tigers sneered coldly, exchanged glances with his two comrades mid-air, and then dashed straight at Rhett. The orcs understood the strategy of taking down the leader first, especially the Shadow Tigers, who, with their exceptional mobility, were well-suited to decapitation tactics!
In their eyes, as long as they could take down the Grand Magister, the remaining soldiers, while numerous, would be easier to deal with one by one, avoiding encirclement.
The shadows flickered in the air with incredible speed. The soldiers below felt a heavy weight in their hearts, knowing they were facing high-level orcs, and this would undoubtedly be a tough battle.
The knights guarding Rhett on either side swiftly pulled out a vial from their pouches, dropping a few drops of the liquid onto their swords before coating the entire blade with their battle energy.
A gust of wind swept in, carrying with it the unique scent of blood and stench from the orcs. A dark claw silently extended from above, aiming straight down at Rhett.
However, the expected scenario of a head being pierced didn't occur. The high-level Shadow Tiger only felt as if his claw had plunged into soft quicksand. His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively tried to retreat, but a sudden spike of earth energy shot through Rhett, piercing straight into the Shadow Tiger's skull.