Chapter 5: Blue Whirlwind

"Exactly! That possibility is entirely plausible, how did I not think of it? Mels, tell me quickly, what's your plan?" Scott suddenly realized.

"Hehe, since I've thought of it, there must be a plan." After a sinister laugh, Mels said seriously, "Today I saw many grain carts entering the fortress. Early tomorrow morning, foster father, you take the five hundred strongest fighters from the fortress, hide in the grain carts to go down the mountain, then head to the small forest to the south and set up an ambush. If the enemy sends a small force to feign a sneak attack while actually attacking the fortress head-on with powerful Summon Warriors, archers, and magic troops, then when you see the signal from the fortress, suddenly strike from behind the enemy. Ignore the other small fry, just focus all your efforts on attacking the enemy's frontline command camp! As long as we can kill their commander in one fell swoop, this battle won't need to continue!

Second Uncle will lead four hundred archers and one hundred Summon Warriors to ambush the enemy's sneak attack force at the back mountain. However, after the battle, don't rush back to the fortress to mobilize troops; instead, stay behind to carefully count the enemy corpses. First, to see how many troops the enemy actually sent for the sneak attack; second, to thoroughly check how many Summon Warriors the enemy has. As for identifying Summon Warriors, just look at their Summoning Gems!

Third Uncle's task is more important. I'll divide the remaining roughly two thousand five hundred brothers into three groups. Third Uncle will lead five hundred to guard the fortress's main passage. Another five hundred, led by Rek and Sol, will serve as the second echelon. If Third Uncle feels the enemy's offensive is too fierce, then deploy the second echelon. Of course, all the mage troops will be assigned to the second echelon! The remaining one thousand five hundred will be entirely composed of cavalry. If the enemy isn't as wise as we imagine, then Second Uncle will immediately lead these cavalry to charge at the enemy's main camp. Then, after joining forces with foster father, attack from both sides and eliminate all the enemies attacking the fortress!"

"Good! Let's do it!" Seeing Scott nodding repeatedly beside him, Sarikat knew Mels's arrangement had gained the approval of the fortress's top strategist, so he clapped his hands loudly in agreement.

"Mels, what are you planning to do?" Kerjes, seeing the tactical discussion end, asked Mels a small question.

"Hehe, this Young Master just returned to the fortress and is already half-dead tired, plus you all used me as a punching bag, so I'll just stay in the fortress headquarters and command!" Mels stretched lazily, yawning as he answered.

"Faint! Boss, you're too cunning! You're making us fight to the death while you enjoy yourself in the fortress? That's not fair!" Sol exclaimed exaggeratedly.

"Hehe, I'm the commander-in-chief now, are you trying to disobey orders?" Mels's greatest skill was wielding authority arbitrarily for personal gain. Now, buttering Sol up, Sol could only admit his bad luck and didn't dare say another word.

Meanwhile, among the many bandit groups and small country military forces gathered west of Skull Ridge, an intense tactical discussion was also taking place. Just as Rek and Sol had scouted, this force attempting to attack Blue Whirlwind came from seven different factions.

"Thunderous Wolf Pack" second-in-command Leoka, leading two thousand one hundred men; "Bloody Bandits" leader Moore, leading one thousand five hundred men; "Wind Valley Knights" leader Snari, leading one thousand two hundred men; "Demon Legion" second-in-command Foster, leading two thousand three hundred men; "Divine Wind Envoys" leader Relesde, leading nine hundred men; "Free Nation" commander General Keluos, leading his cavalry corps of two thousand five hundred men; "Crido Duchy" Crown Prince Bostelan, leading his Royal Knights of one thousand five hundred men. The total force reached over twelve thousand men!

"Your Highness, I think your worries are completely unnecessary! Just the forces under me and Brother Foster alone are one and a half times theirs! Who cares what damn plans they have? If we all just lead our men and charge together, I don't believe they can withstand so many of us!" The foul-mouthed "Thunderous Wolf Pack" second-in-command Leoka, from his words alone, was clearly a brute who only knew killing and looting, with no understanding of military tactics.

"Bullshit! All you know is fighting and killing. If Blue Whirlwind were really that easy to defeat, why would we form an alliance? We could just charge up there directly! If you don't understand, keep your damn mouth shut and let His Highness finish speaking!" The only woman among them, the seductively dressed "Wind Valley Knights" leader Snari, seemed to have a great fondness for the young and handsome "Crido Duchy" Crown Prince Bostelan, her words completely siding with the prince.

"Bang!" Hearing Snari's words, Leoka flew into a rage, slamming the table and standing up, saying, "You slut, don't think I'm afraid of you just because you found a lover! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll wipe out your damn organization completely!"

"Come on! I'm waiting for you to kill me!" Snari was no pushover either, drawing her sword, ready to turn against Leoka on the spot!

Seeing the tension in the conference room rising, Crown Prince Bostelan, who had remained silent, suddenly darkened his expression and said, "Enough! Our goal is all for that priceless batch of jewels. We haven't even gotten our hands on the goods yet, and we're already fighting among ourselves? Isn't that just making a joke of ourselves?"

Once the crown prince spoke, Leoka and Snari were immediately silenced. Although both were ruthless, cold-blooded bandits, they still held a measure of awe for the crown prince. Although Crido Duchy's seventy thousand regular army might not amount to much in the eyes of several major countries, to these bandit organizations with only a few thousand men, it was enough to be considered a powerful threat.

Seeing everyone stop arguing, the crown prince softened his tone and said, "Plan before you act is basic military common sense! Although I didn't expect you to come up with any decent battle plans, I still need to tell you my battle plan and require you to act according to it! I'll say the plan once more. General Keluos, I hope you can offer some opinions!" Although the crown prince's tone had softened considerably, his eyes still radiated contempt for the bandits. Though many bandits felt displeased, facing a crown prince of a nation, they could only endure for now.

"The plan is like this! We..." After explaining his plan to everyone, the crown prince looked at them arrogantly and said, "Does anyone have any opinions?" Then he swept his gaze over everyone, focusing on the nearly fifty-year-old General Keluos's face, and said loudly, "General Keluos, when you were in the Relkes Empire, you served as the commander of the Southwest Army. I believe you have deep research in tactics and must think my plan is quite perfect, right?"

"Hmm, Your Highness's plan is very sound. Let's proceed according to Your Highness's wishes!" After a brief moment of thought, General Keluos, catering to the crown prince's meaning, said expressionlessly.

"Haha... That's great then! Tomorrow we'll start acting according to the plan. After capturing the fortress, we'll divide the treasure according to the agreed proportions! Everyone, return to your camps!" The self-willed crown prince laughed and announced the meeting adjourned.

Walking out of the central command tent, General Keluos's adjutant said to him, "General, that self-willed fellow completely disregards you. Can his plan really succeed?"

"Hehe, ever since he demanded we camp here for a day and hold this so-called military conference, he has already lost! Speed is crucial in warfare. When we are strong and the enemy is weak, we should attack the enemy with the fastest speed, giving them no time to think about tactics. But he... hehe, however, whether we win or lose doesn't matter much to us. I just want to know if the leader of Blue Whirlwind is the person I've been searching for these twenty years!" Keluos answered his adjutant's question with great confidence. Then he ordered, "Command the main officers in the corps: in tomorrow's battle, just hold their own positions, no need for unnecessary attacks!"

"Yes, General!" After hearing Keluos's words, the adjutant brought his legs together, saluted Keluos, and strode away. Watching the adjutant leave to deliver the orders, facing the gently blowing breeze and watching the gradually setting sun, Keluos suddenly muttered to himself, "Xiu Ka, I've been looking for you for twenty years. I hope I can see you tomorrow!"

At Blue Whirlwind's headquarters on Skull Ridge, Mels, Rek, and Sol gathered on the largest rock at the highest point of the ridge.

"Boss, do you think we'll win tomorrow? The enemy has over ten thousand people," Sol said with slight concern, sitting cross-legged.

"Haha, I don't know either. But if you weren't so cowardly, we'd probably win!" Mels said half-jokingly.

"Go on! Although I am a bit timid, I'm a mage! Think about it, if Big Guy or you get hit by an arrow or two, I bet it's as common as getting a shot! But if it were me, even a small injury could cost me half my life!" Sol retorted dismissively.

"What? What? What do you mean 'Big Guy getting hit by an arrow or two is like getting a shot'? Let me tell you, getting shot by an arrow can kill people!" Rek, who was eating a midnight snack on the side, immediately put down his food and loudly retorted upon hearing Sol call him "Big Guy" again!

"Haha... Alright, alright! We know you're a mage, your physical defense is weak! Don't worry, tomorrow we'll definitely beat them to a pulp, routing them completely!" Mels clenched his fists, his eyes emitting two intimidating gleams, saying with full confidence.

"Hehe, I believe in the boss! But today the boss was really impressive, even thinking of things Second Fortress Master didn't consider!" Sol gave up arguing with Rek, half flattering, half serious.

"Hehe, do you really think Second Uncle didn't think of it? Second Uncle just went along with my words to boost my confidence! Sigh... At first, I thought the same as you, that I could think further than Second Uncle. But later, when I talked about troop deployment, I inadvertently noticed that Second Uncle's gaze always moved to the map position I was about to explain before my finger even pointed there. Sigh... I have to admit, compared to Second Uncle and them, I'm still far behind!" Hearing Mels's tone of reluctance mixed with sincerity, Sol and Rek immediately fell silent.

Noticing their silence, Mels turned and asked, "What's wrong with you two?"

"Boss, I was thinking, what if one day only the three of us are left in the fortress? No matter what we do, the fortress masters have always arranged everything for us beforehand. Except for that last battle with the Sand Worm, we haven't even participated in a real battle! Do you think we can ever become as skilled as them?" Rek asked seriously.

"Idiot! Although we can't compare to them now, think about it: how old are they, and how old are we? We have our advantage—we're younger than them! I believe, as long as we work hard enough, our names will surely become famous across the continent, making everyone envy us!" Mels's words were full of confidence, as if he were already a great figure renowned throughout the land.

Although this was just the boastful talk of an inexperienced youth, for some reason, Sol and Rek believed that as long as they followed the person before them, their future would be bright! Although this was something they had tacitly accepted ten years ago, today their feeling was particularly strong, a feeling they couldn't even describe themselves!

The night was deep, the moon hung high in the clear night sky. Watching the gradually extinguishing lights in the fortress, Mels's mind wandered with thoughts. "Tomorrow we will definitely win! Definitely... definitely!"

The night passed quietly. Whether it was Blue Whirlwind making extensive defensive preparations or the allied forces waiting to attack, everyone had their own different goals and thoughts. When the sun rose again, humanity's ugly ambitions would undoubtedly be exposed. A fierce battle was about to slowly unfold!

Early the next morning around 4 a.m., according to Mels's arrangement, Sarikat secretly led his carefully selected five hundred warriors, hidden among the carts going down the mountain to buy grain, including one hundred elite Summon Warriors!

Actually, according to Sarikat's own thinking, he originally didn't want to take out nearly a quarter of the already scarce Summon Warriors from the fortress. But Scott believed that ambush and assault outside were very dangerous tasks, and having Summon Warriors around provided an extra layer of protection. In the end, Sarikat couldn't argue with Scott and had to obediently comply.

On the other hand, after Sarikat departed, Scott called Mels to his side and said to him earnestly, "This battle is of great importance. Although you've made arrangements, changes on the battlefield happen far faster than human plans. If something unforeseen occurs, then you, stationed in the central army, must take up your responsibility and make favorable judgments and decisions at the first moment! Remember, never underestimate yourself. If you believe your idea is right, then don't have any hesitations, immediately put your ideas into action!"

After seeing Mels nod seriously in agreement, the elder wise man smiled, patted Mels's shoulder, and said, "Actually, we are bound to win. Go ahead boldly with confidence!" After saying this, Scott didn't wait for Mels's reaction, leading his selected four hundred archers and one hundred Summon Warriors, quietly heading towards the dense forest at the back mountain of Skull Ridge.

"Boss, don't worry! Today we will definitely win!" Standing beside Mels, Sol, seeing Mels lost in thought, staring intently at Scott's retreating figure without speaking for a long time, spoke up to encourage him.

"Sol, I don't know why, but I feel there's something more in Second Uncle's words! Is there something I haven't thought of?" Mels turned to face Sol, his brows furrowed.

"Boss, you're overthinking it! Today's battle is crucial. If Second Fortress Master thought of something, he would definitely tell you! I think, given Second Fortress Master's cautious nature, he would never joke with the lives of thousands in the fortress!" Rek also comforted Mels.

"Hmm, you're right! Second Uncle wouldn't take such meaningless risks! Let's not think about it. You two get ready too. I think before noon, the enemy forces will start attacking. If the battle drags on until night, they must also understand how much of a threat that would pose to them!" Mels set aside his worries, loudly ordering Rek and Sol.

"Yes!" Like two soldiers, Rek and Sol ran in large strides towards the assembly area in the fortress.

On the other hand, around 6 a.m., the allied forces stationed on the Sena Plain began to advance towards Skull Ridge according to Crown Prince Bostelan of "Crido Duchy"'s plan, each leading different numbers of troops.

Around 9 a.m., Blue Whirlwind's outermost outpost discovered the stealthily advancing allied infantry! When the red warning flare burst in the sky, Mels, who had been closely monitoring the outside movements, softly exclaimed, "They're here!"

Sure enough, less than an hour later, the allied forces totaling seven thousand men, led by General Keluos as commander and several bandit leaders as vanguard, appeared within sight of Skull Ridge.

"Brothers, gold, silver, jewels, women, and slaves are right before you! Everyone, get ready..."

"Wait!" The bandit leader who was loudly "giving a speech" was suddenly interrupted by Keluos's words.

"Wait for what?" The bandit leader retorted loudly to Keluos, clearly very displeased at being interrupted during his "speech."

"Idiot!" Keluos cursed in his heart, but his face showed no expression as he said, "Don't you think the enemy's reaction is too calm? Why is it that when such a large force appears here, apart from releasing warning flares, they haven't even sent out a single scouting party?"

"Haha, Old General, I think you're just too timid! Isn't it obvious? Those cowards, seeing we have overwhelming numbers, are hiding in their turtle shells, how would they dare come out to scout?" After a burst of wild laughter, the bandit leader said contemptuously, then turned to a group of red-clad bandits beside him and said loudly, "Brothers, isn't that right? Haha!"

As the red-clad bandits loudly jeered, the bandit leader's attitude became even more arrogant, while Keluos's expression grew increasingly grave.

After a while, Keluos's adjutant quietly approached him and said, "General, since they want to go to their deaths, let them! Anyway, our troops aren't here! Moreover, our forces are more than double the enemy's. For the time being, the enemy couldn't possibly cause us too much loss. Once these idiots suffer, I believe they'll listen to your command!"

"Hmm, I understand!" Keluos followed his adjutant's advice, softly agreeing, then turned to the bandit leader and said, "Then proceed according to your plan! I'll give you two thousand troops first. Although this isn't many on the plain, on the mountain path that can only accommodate fifty men abreast, these troops are sufficient. You can try attacking first!"

"Haha... Did you hear that, brothers? For gold, silver, and women, charge!" The bandit leader laughed wildly, drew the battle axe from his back, and charged first toward the mountain path leading to Skull Ridge.

Although Keluos looked down on these bandits with no tactical mind, he did admire their fearless fighting spirit. However, the real battle hadn't begun yet; everything was still just surface appearance.

When the bandit leader led his two thousand bandits storming halfway up the mountain path, there was still no response from Skull Ridge. Not even the arrows or magic they had anticipated were encountered. Such an eerie situation couldn't help but make the fierce bandits feel unnerved.

However, just as they slowed their pace and advanced cautiously, a bandit in the front ranks suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet become unstable, and the stone he was stepping on gave way. Just as he sensed something was wrong, a dense hail of arrows suddenly shot out from the crevices between rocks, trees, and piles of weeds on both sides of the mountain path!

"Ah!" The first bandit to be hit screamed and plunged down the mountain. Following that, a series of cries erupted: "Ouch!" "Ah!" "My leg!" "Mommy...!" "Enemy attack!" "They're charging down!" "Mommy, there are thousands of them! Run!" Such was the nature of these bandits—a ragtag mob. When they had the upper hand, they would become fearless, but once the situation turned unfavorable, they would easily descend into chaos.

In fact, the arrows were not loosed by the Blue Whirlwind warriors defending the stronghold. Instead, they were fired from concealed arrow ports installed on both sides of this section of the mountain path, controlled by mechanisms. As soon as anyone stepped on any of the sixteen triggers along the mountain path, the powerful arrows would shoot out from behind them.

This section of the mountain path was designed by Skete. According to his calculations, the triggering mechanisms were installed halfway up the mountain, while all the arrows were placed below the halfway point. This way, once the enemy massed and advanced to the halfway point, the mechanisms would activate, inflicting maximum casualties on the enemy. This trap was a well-kept secret. Even in the largest battles before, Skete had never used it. This time, it was the perfect opportunity to let these arrogant bandits get a taste of it.

"Fools! Don't run! These are just traps! No one is coming down!" After using two nearby bandits as human shields and dodging the dense volley of arrows, the bandit leader swung his battle axe, instantly cutting two fleeing bandits in half. Under this brutal display and with the arrows exhausted, the bandits finally calmed down and turned around to prepare for another ascent.

However, just at that moment, the holes that had stopped firing suddenly shot out another volley, immediately throwing the red-clad attackers into chaos once again. But this time, far fewer people were hit than before, as the attacking bandits quickly learned from their leader's example—using others as human shields!

The slightly more conscientious carried the corpses of fallen bandits to block the arrows, while the ruthless simply grabbed those around them and shoved them in front of themselves as shields. After all, before this attack, the bandit forces had been mixed together, and none of them knew each other. At this moment, the only priority was saving their own lives.

"Haha... Second Brother's design is amazing! They haven't even seen our faces yet, and half of them are already casualties. This is fantastic!" Wearing a mage robe and holding a magic staff in his left hand, Kerjes stood on the stronghold's watchtower, watching the red-clad bandits attacking the mountain fall into disarray under the two volleys of arrows. He couldn't help but shout excitedly.

Mels and the others watching the battle with him were also clearly pleased. After all, they had inflicted significant losses on the enemy without suffering any casualties themselves, which was already a remarkable victory. Moreover, what made Mels happiest was that once the enemy commander witnessed the stronghold's defensive capabilities, he wouldn't dare to commit his full force recklessly. This would greatly increase the chances of successfully defending the stronghold.

"Hehe, Third Uncle, the show's over! The enemy will attack the stronghold again soon, and the rest will be up to you!" Mels tugged at Kerjes's robe and said to the excitedly watching Kerjes.

"Alright! I'll handle the rest! You all be careful too!" With that, Kerjes leaped off the watchtower and ran toward his defensive position.

Truth be told, Mels had often wondered why the hot-headed Kerjes had become a mage instead of a warrior. And how his seemingly rusty brain could contain knowledge and cultural customs from almost the entire continent? It takes all sorts to make a world.

Just as Mels's side was preparing for close combat, a red-clad bandit arrived, seeking reinforcements before Keluos. "Commander, the enemy has set up strange traps halfway up the mountain. As a result, the troops led by the Boss have suffered over fifty percent casualties. They are currently stuck halfway up the mountain and request that you immediately send reinforcements!"

"Hmph! If they knew this would happen, why did they act so recklessly earlier?" Keluos cursed under his breath before saying, "Snali, take seven hundred archers and three hundred mages to support Leoka. Remember, once you approach the enemy stronghold, the mages should attack in groups of one hundred, taking turns to assault the stronghold!"

"Hmph, let that Old Fellow die! You want me to save him? Hahaha..." Snali, who held a grudge against Leoka, sneered a few times and remained motionless where she stood. Her implication was clear: she absolutely would not lead troops to rescue Leoka.

Seeing Snali's reaction, Keluos seethed with anger. He drew his jewel-encrusted sword and said, "I have been appointed by the Crown Prince as the attack commander. Anyone who disobeys orders will be dealt with according to military law!" As soon as he finished speaking, a group of his personal guards immediately drew their swords, as if to cut Snali down on the spot if she continued to disobey.

Looking at Keluos's expression and hearing him invoke the Crown Prince, Snali knew that if she didn't obey the order now, she would definitely face dire consequences. Although she was extremely unwilling, she could only reluctantly say, "Hmph, don't think I'm afraid of you. I'm only doing this out of respect for the Crown Prince!" With that, she strode forward without looking back, her arrogant attitude nearly making the battle-hardened Keluos see red.

Regardless of whether the bandits were genuinely cooperating, once they were on the battlefield, they got along without issue. After all, none of them were participating in battle for the first time. These bandits, who lived by the sword, understood very well that if they hindered each other while facing a powerful enemy, they would only meet their doom. Therefore, when Leoka saw Snali approaching with a thousand reinforcements, he confidently reformed his ranks and launched another assault on Skull Ridge.

Just as the battle on the front of Skull Ridge was raging, a sneak attack and ambush were unfolding on the narrow winding path at the rear of Skull Ridge.

"Second Fortress Master, they're sneaking up! There are about five hundred of them! The ones in front are Summon Warriors. We didn't get a clear look at the ones behind, as we were afraid of being discovered!" A Blue Whirlwind member quietly approached Skete, who was hiding in the dense forest, and reported to him.

"Well done! Tell all units to pay attention. When I fire the signal arrow, everyone should attack together!" Skete whispered the command to the bandit.

"Yes!" The bandit acknowledged in a low voice, then turned and quietly made his way back, using flag signals to relay the command to the five hundred bandits hidden in the treetops, behind rocks, and in the grass.

The ambush force led by Skete consisted of three hundred archers, one hundred mages, and one hundred Summon Warriors. The archers and mages had already been distributed to various high points and advantageous positions for attack, while the one hundred Summon Warriors remained with Skete. In truth, the success of this battle depended on the combat capabilities of these Summon Warriors, as only they could withstand the enemy's Summon Warriors. Otherwise, even if they managed to eliminate part of the enemy, they would pay a heavy price themselves.

Waiting always tends to breed anxiety, especially when waiting in the midst of a battle! If it were ordinary bandits, they might have already felt restless and impatient by now. But the Blue Whirlwind members were trained by Sarikat and others according to the training methods of the Relkes Empire's army. Therefore, although they were tense, they remained very composed. To avoid the reflection of sunlight off their arrows, the archers hadn't even taken their arrows out of their quivers.

About ten minutes later, the first bandit dressed in green cautiously emerged from around the bend in the mountain path. After carefully observing his surroundings and concluding there was no threat, he waved for the others to follow. Immediately, several fierce low-level magical beasts—physical attack-type White Tigers and low-level undead magic attack-type Necromancers—crossed the bend, followed by a large force of over a hundred people advancing forward.

Seeing the long-awaited prey appear before them, the ambushing Blue Whirlwind members felt an inexplicable excitement. Mages quietly gathered magical energy, archers gently drew arrows from the quivers on their backs, and everyone waited for Skete's command. However, Skete still hadn't given the order to attack.

Slowly, the sneak attack force moved into the center of the ambush circle. The warriors wondered why Skete hadn't given the order yet, while Skete himself was struggling internally. A dangerous gamble was brewing in his mind...

If he attacked now, of course, he could annihilate the enemy force! But what if this was just the enemy's vanguard? Once their position was fully exposed, would they still be able to withstand the enemy's assault? If they didn't attack now, wouldn't the rear of the stronghold be exposed to the enemy? Would Mels be able to guess his thoughts? Would he be able to arrange personnel in advance to hold off these five hundred men?

As Skete wrestled with these thoughts, the enemy troops finally moved out of the ambush circle he had set up. Watching the enemy slowly move away, Skete knew that the moment the gamble was revealed would be when the battle at the stronghold began! On the other hand, Mels, who had been waiting for the outcome of the ambush at the rear mountain, grew increasingly uneasy as time passed without any sign of activity from the rear. Anxious, Mels left the front position of the stronghold and entered the main hall at the center of the stronghold. He once again carefully studied the map, trying to find the source of his doubts. However, this was a futile effort. After a while, he finally gave up on this idea and walked out of the hall to observe the battle at the front.

Just then, a withered yellow leaf suddenly flew near his feet. Having enjoyed stepping on dry leaves since childhood, Mels subconsciously lifted his foot and stomped on the already dried leaf.

"Crunch!" The leaf made a crisp sound, bringing a slight smile to Mels's face. But in the next instant, he suddenly froze. As his foot stepped on the first leaf, another leaf right behind it, blocked by the wind, suddenly fell to the ground. Then, caught in a gust of wind, it floated up onto the back of his foot.

Staring blankly at the two leaves, Mels suddenly realized something. He then abruptly looked up and dashed like the wind back into the hall. Grabbing the map again, he studied it for a moment before exclaiming, "I understand! I understand! Rek! Sol!" Like a whirlwind, Mels rushed out of the hall and charged toward the front mountain position, shouting frantically at the dense crowd preparing for battle, "Rek! Sol! Come here immediately!"

In no time, Rek and Sol appeared before Mels. Rek asked curiously, "Boss, why did you call us?"

"No time to explain! Sol, how many Summon Warriors and mages are there in the second echelon and cavalry here?" Mels asked Sol loudly. Although his question seemed abrupt, Sol answered truthfully, "A total of one hundred thirty-seven Summon Warriors and four hundred fifty mages! Boss, what's going on?"

"Only that many? Never mind! Sol, immediately reorganize the troops! Give me fifty Summon Warriors, one hundred fifty mages, and three hundred archers! The remaining eighty-seven Summon Warriors and three hundred mages should prepare to join the front mountain position! The rest should all be reorganized into cavalry, ready to charge at any moment! Hurry!" Mels commanded loudly.

Although he didn't know what Mels was planning, seeing Mels's unusually serious expression, Sol didn't dare delay and quickly began reorganizing the squads. Meanwhile, Mels had already pulled Rek aside and said to him, "Rek, now I understand why Second Uncle told me to act immediately if I had any ideas! Look!"

Mels unfolded the rear mountain topographic map he carried with him and said to Rek, "Second Uncle hasn't launched the ambush at the rear mountain yet because he wants to find out if the enemy is playing a pincer attack trick! Although we guessed the enemy might launch a sneak attack from the rear mountain, we don't know how many troops they have for the sneak attack! If the enemy first sends a small force to attack the rear mountain, then after we ambush them, their rear force won't continue advancing. Instead, they'll set up an ambush at the mountain pass. This is easy to guess—it's like throwing a stone to test the waters.

If we don't attack after ambushing their vanguard, we definitely won't be able to hold our position. So, the enemy can easily guess that after a successful ambush, we'll send troops to attack their main camp! And their goal is to wait for us to attack, then wipe out our main force in one go!

Therefore, Second Uncle hasn't launched the attack yet. He let the enemy's vanguard pass so that we can engage in a blocking battle, while he remains in place waiting for the enemy's rear force to arrive. This way, as soon as we start fighting here, the enemy's rear force will think we have no defenses at the rear mountain. When they swagger into Second Uncle's ambush circle, he'll give them a lesson they'll never forget.

After dealing with the enemy's main force, Second Uncle will immediately return to join us in wiping out the enemy's vanguard! If everything goes according to plan, when our cavalry charges out, we'll deliver the most devastating blow to the enemy, possibly even annihilating them in one fell swoop!"

"Right! But there's still something I don't understand! Why didn't Second Fortress Master explain things clearly to us beforehand? If you hadn't figured it out, wouldn't our rear have been attacked by the suddenly appearing enemy? That would have been a disaster!" Rek exclaimed in shock.

"...I don't understand that either!" Mels fell silent for a moment before speaking. "But now we can't worry about that. We just have to deal with the upcoming variables! Leave the second echelon at the front to Sol. You and I will immediately lead the troops to ambush the enemy's vanguard at the rear mountain pass! As for why Second Uncle didn't say anything, I guess we'll have to ask him for an explanation after we win!" Mels didn't have time to think too much and could only explain his decision first.

"Right! Then I'll go with you to the rear mountain now!" Rek was straightforward by nature. Once he understood the root of the problem, he immediately prioritized.

Just as their conversation ended, Sol returned with several centurions. Panting heavily, Sol ran up to Mels and said, "Boss, I've taken care of it! Here are the archers and mages you wanted. Now can you explain to me?"

"Well done! But there's no time to explain now! Sol, Rek and I are taking the troops to the rear mountain immediately. Leave the second echelon here to you! Remember, as soon as you see the enemy's mage forces appear, immediately deploy your men! Otherwise, Third Uncle's forces won't be able to withstand the enemy's mage attacks!" After saying this, Mels ignored Sol's shouts behind him and, pulling Rek along with the five hundred archers and mages, jogged toward the rear mountain pass!

As the sun reached its zenith, the great decisive battle of wits and courage between the two sides finally entered its final stage! Whether it was Mels with his sudden inspiration or the battle-hardened Keluos, both sides understood that the real battle that would decide the outcome would be the sneak attack and ambush at the rear mountain! The bloody battle was about to officially begin!