Chapter Seventy-Two: The Garrison Soldiers Attack

"Tina, have you rested well?"

"Gene, why are you still... Oh my god! It's been hours, I thought with Perrin around you’d...”

“It looks like this will last a full twelve hours!” Ja Zhengjin said with frustration. “I’ll never dare eat anything recklessly again.”

“Where’s Perrin?” Tina’s voice trembled.

“She collapsed from exhaustion…” Ja Zhengjin replied gloomily, “She’s like a doll, her expression never changes. You’re much better!”

“But… but I can’t take it anymore…” Tina said fearfully, “You’re terrifying like this!”

“Well, we can’t just leave things as they are, can we? Perrin definitely needs to rest for a while, so please help me! Once she’s recovered, we’ll switch back!”

“Oh heavens! I haven’t rested enough yet…”

“Well, maybe we could try another place…”

“Ah~~”

Wolf returned inside the city walls, immediately hearing those melodious sounds drifting from above. He glanced up at the residential tower with the curtains drawn and grinned.

“Master Gene is truly impressive! Hours and hours…” Amber walked over, marveling.

“Of course the master is impressive!” Wolf laughed, though inwardly he wondered: normally, the master only did this at night, and never for so long! What on earth happened today?

“Sir Wolf, could you teach me some combat skills?” Amber looked up at the werewolf, eyes full of anticipation. “Maybe we should move farther away.”

“You’re right, but my combat skills wouldn’t be much use to you,” Wolf replied. “You’re not a werewolf, after all.”

“It doesn’t matter! As long as you’re willing to teach me how to fight, I’ll learn anything!” Amber’s eyes shone with hope.

Listening to the relentless cries echoing in his ears, Wolf thought it best to find a quiet place, away from all that noise. He considered for a moment and said, “If you’re determined to learn, I’ll teach you some basic, universal techniques.”

“Thank you, Sir Wolf!” Amber was instantly overjoyed.

Meanwhile, Ja Zhengjin was busy in the residential tower with Tina and Perrin, seeking ways to break free from the overpowering desire. Tina’s parents, Amber’s family, and Wolf’s subordinates all prudently kept their distance. At the same time, Alex, having received reinforcements from the town guards, hurried back to the village, intent on settling scores with those villagers whom the werewolves had returned.

These villagers had believed Alex and his men had been captured by foreigners, thinking at last their village would be safe. But reality proved cruel: the arrival of the town guards threw them into panic, and Alex’s return pushed them to the brink of despair!

They hadn’t even had time to hold funerals for the fallen or comfort grieving families before Alex forced them back into service.

“You useless wretches! You provided no help, and got me captured!” Alex shouted at the villagers. “But I’m magnanimous, so I’ll let it go this once! Everyone, arm yourselves again and march back into the forest! If anyone dares to run, their families will pay with their lives!”

The elderly and children shivered in terror at the town guards’ intimidating presence. The men, finally returned home, now faced utter hopelessness.

No one dared oppose Alex; a single town guard could slaughter all the villagers, and here there were over a hundred!

To Brent, the lives of common folk meant nothing. This village wasn’t his concern, and Alex was his favored successor. Even if Alex wiped out the entire village, Brent would not object.

To the rulers of the Empire of Valor, villagers in their domains were mere private property. Alex’s father had been chief, and upon his death, the position naturally passed to Alex. The villagers were, in principle, Alex’s personal assets, and the authorities wouldn’t care what he did to them. Otherwise, the old chief wouldn’t have dared act so wantonly after his wife’s death, without anyone daring to protest!

“This time, with the powerful town guard unit supporting us, victory is assured!” Alex raised his left hand high. “March! We must storm the fortress and capture the foreign spy and traitors!”

The army surged forth again, the five hundred recently returned villagers at the vanguard, followed closely by over a hundred town guards.

This time, the path posed no obstacles; during the first incursion and when the werewolves escorted villagers home, all dangerous creatures in the area had been cleared, and none would reappear soon.

“Captain, it’s over there!” Alex pointed toward the city walls, a flicker of anguish in his eyes. Perrin must have been suffering at the hands of that foreigner for some time now.

“A secret base, just as I suspected!” Brent’s eyes lit up.

“Exactly, Captain! That foreigner wants to use this place as a springboard, building a secret city for foreign forces to garrison, gathering strength to invade our empire!” Alex gritted his teeth. “If we can break into this secret base and capture that foreigner, our military achievement will surely earn the king’s recognition! We might even be promoted from town guards to city guards, or even be selected as royal guards to serve at His Majesty’s side!”

“Well said!” Brent nodded. “Uncovering the empire’s plot ahead of time and preventing a potentially catastrophic war—this is every citizen’s duty! Pass the order, full assault!”

“Full assault!” Alex shouted.

“Attack!” The villagers, resigned, could only raise their wooden spears and bows and charge toward the city gates.

The town guards followed, over a hundred men charging on horseback, their momentum formidable!

“Awooo~~” The kobold patrols were first to spot the disturbance, immediately sounding the alarm.

Ja Zhengjin, flustered, appeared on the balcony wrapped in a blanket. “Wolf!”

“Yes!” Wolf, who had rushed over at the alarm, looked up at him.

“What’s happening?”

“Enemy attack! This time they seem even stronger!” Wolf replied.

The news of an enemy assault vexed Ja Zhengjin; he was in no state for battle. “Wolf, can our current forces hold them off?”

“It might be a bit tough!” Wolf answered. “If we could double the kobold troops, I’d have confidence that none of the enemy would escape!”

“There’s raw meat in the cold cellar. Take it to the nest and recruit more kobold soldiers! There are spare, inferior crossbows in the warehouse—arm the troops immediately!” Ja Zhengjin shouted. “I can’t come down right now, so everything’s in your hands!”

“Rest assured, Master!” Wolf flashed a confident smile. “With these preparations, not even a fly will get through!”

“Charge!” With the town guards pressing behind, the villagers reluctantly advanced as the vanguard, rushing toward the city gates.

“Thwack, thwack, thwack!” A multitude of kobold crossbowmen appeared atop the walls, bolts raining down like a storm.