"We're finally here, Hog! Send two scouts to check if there are any abnormalities!" Jingle commanded his subordinates.
"There were no anomalies detected by the wolf riders, Jingle. If there were humans around, we would have detected them two kilometers away. Let's camp, our warriors are exhausted from the journey." Hog replied, while sending out the scouts, he walked over tiredly.
"Well then, Hog, it seems like those damn humans didn't follow us. The strongest among us is you and me, who knows what will happen if we encounter them. Tell everyone to rest well, we'll head back to the southern camp in one breath tomorrow!" Looking back at the dispirited and spiritless cavalrymen, Jingle sighed.
More than a hundred exhausted wolf riders, without any particular alertness, walked straight into the ambush set by Star Mark.
"This place once must have been a great city. It seems like it's been destroyed hundreds of years ago." Hog patted his wolf mount, the smart beast along with its pack went out to hunt on the grassland.
"Humans from hundreds of years ago were able to construct such exquisite buildings, it's really..." Jingle, leaning on a stone pillar, was about to say something profound when suddenly he sensed an aura of magic from a dilapidated house nearby.
"Ambush! Ah!" He barely roared out the warning when a green arrow pierced straight through his throat. The deafening blast came soon after from behind. A young human warrior leaped out from the house, and the last thing Hog saw was the towering flames lighting up the space and humans surging from all sides.
The trap set by Selena and Neil was incredibly effective. The orcs, taken by surprise, lost over half their numbers instantly and without command, the scene became chaotic.
"Alan! Neil! Lunsos! Iloti! Block the exits! The wolf-mounts are coming back!" Elliot's long sword stabbed into an orc's chest. Star Mark's individual combat abilities were already formidable. In the middle of all this chaos, they still maintained their four-person groups, cruelly harvesting orc lives.
Thanks to Selena's outstanding attack magic, Evan's group, as always, became the core of the attack. A dozen orcs, roaring savagely, charged towards the wizard being protected by Beryan and Evan. However, their feet were quickly frozen by an ice spell. Avi's green arrows punctured the chests of the last few orcs in line, and Selena ended her chanting, sending a deadly fireball smashing into the crowd. Evan took the chance to finish off the orcs that had been blown unconscious.
In a mere four minutes, Star Mark ended the battle in the ancient city at the fastest speed possible. But there was no time for relaxation, as the battle was far from over. Starting from the moment the battle began, the hunting wolf-mounts would return to support their masters. Neil summoned several alchemic puppets to guard the entrance, but the dilapidated walls couldn't hold against the powerful wolves.
"Anya, cast Frost Spear behind the wall! Everyone hide behind the alchemic puppets and stone pillars!" Elliot commanded anxiously, the charging wolves were less than 500 meters away.
In just a few seconds, the frenzied wolf-mounted bypassed the wall, but the ready Frost Spears pierced through the front rank of wolves instantly. Anya fell limp to the ground, Beryan catching her in his arms.
"Anya! Sir! Anya has exhausted all her magic power!" Beryan shouted in panic.
"Beryan, Pelot protect Anya in place! Avi, back up Evan's team!"
The death of their companions further aggravated the wolf mounts' ferocity. A few strong wolves shattered the ice spears and opened up a gap through which the remaining dozens of wolves rushed into the ruins.
"Neil! Alchemy trap!" Elliot shouted while retreating quickly, a massive pit swallowed the incoming wolves.
"Selena! Detonate!" Without giving the wolves any chance to jump out of the trap, an explosion brighter than the setting sun burst out. The wolves in the pit didn’t even have the chance to scream, they just turned into ashes.
The remaining ten or so wolves outside the ruins retreated, letting out a few long howls before running off toward the east.
After a brief silence, exciting cheers broke out.
"We won! We won!"
"Evan, we won! We took down hundreds of wolf riders!"
"Sir Elliot! We won!" Selena, drained from using all her magic, was supported by Ilotti.
Yet Elliot looked thoughtfully in the direction the wolves had escaped toward, before turning back and saying.
"Everyone! We won!" There was another round of cheering.
When things calmed down, he continued saying."But unfortunately, we must rest as soon as possible, and then set off right away to return to the southern camp!"
"But, having defeated the wolf riders, shouldn't we continue patrolling after settling down here?" Berrian asked somewhat perplexedly, while Niel expressed his worry, "The direction where the wolf riders fled was the shallow river stronghold which we just lost. The wolf riders can reach there in a day and a half on foot, and it's surely much faster for those riding a wolf. Our situation becomes even more dangerous now!"
Upon hearing this, everyone understood what was going on.
"Take a rest for an hour, we shall leave immediately! Make sure Ania and Selena are taken care of. Bandage Allen's and Pelot's wounds. Avi, Niel, keep watch! I will take a look in the direction where the wolf riders fled. I shall be back in half an hour."
Elliott ran out swiftly just after giving orders.
～～
Probably out of everyone's sight, Elliott blew the magic whistle in his pocket, yet it made no sound. It was their prearranged communication method. In less than a minute, Ray appeared in front of him.
"Wow! Amazing performance, Captain Elliott!" Ray continued with a smile, "Now it's time for the second part. But should we downgrade the difficulty a bit? The consumption of Astral Marks is larger than presumed! Two mages have lost their magic powers, leaving four slightly injured."
"Ah, that's exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. Have those wolves been taken care of?"
"Of course, there is not a single trace left. They would never be found. I am a professional."
"Great! Here is their blood when they were just injured, and my personal clothing. That should suffice, right?"
Ray looked at the underwear Elliott pulled out, somehow giving a weird look.
"Actually, you don't have to go through all the trouble. You can just urinate along the road. Without reinforcements, there are at least 7 wolf rider squads nearby, and one with a silver wolf head. It's only a matter of time before they find you. How about that? Do you want to challenge the squad with the silver wolf head? Under the premise of several injuries and the loss of combat power from the mages, to resist the pursuit and annihilate them, wouldn't that be even more exciting?"
Elliott thought for a moment and asked, "Is it safe?"
"Absolutely safe, don’t forget, I am a professional."
"Alright! Decided then! A normal squad tomorrow, and the one with the silver wolf head the day after! I should go back now. Take care, Ray!"
"Here’s to Captain Elliott and the Star Marks. May you gain fame from winning the battle!" Ray waved goodbye, smilingly, watching Elliott's figure disappearing into the distance.
