Chapter 10, Ambush

The patrolling knights were leisurely digesting their breakfast, though the scenery of the forest was rather unimpressive. They were not overly concerned about their safety, as a mid-level mage was secretly protecting them. The rough-and-tumble cavalrymen did not consider the direction of the bait. A few of them began discussing the young village girl they encountered last month during their patrol, recalling her fair and tender skin, her slightly coarse yet strong waist, her enticing screams, and her indescribable struggles, especially the twisting of her waist, with their lewd laughter growing louder.

The great sword knight followed Luns in making two more circles, but the two screams that came from afar made him change his mind. He turned his horse's head, preparing to flee. Suddenly, his horse reared up, and a crossbow bolt struck its hindquarters, throwing the knight off. He remained calm under pressure, rolled to his feet, and found Kate standing in front of him with a bloodied axe spear. Behind him, Aite appeared, wielding a heavy sword. Franco, armed with a crossbow, and Luns, who had just been desperately fleeing, also emerged. The knight's palms were sweaty, and he couldn't help but curse, "Where the hell did that damned mage go?"

The sunlight dappled as it fell among the trees. Even at noon in the height of summer, little remained after passing through the exceptionally lush branches and leaves. In the realm of the enchanted forest, even the edges are perpetually cold and damp.

Rogton was momentarily at a loss, as his spiritual perception could only identify the general location of the opponent, while the true eye that could break invisibility was a level 4 magic spell, which he could not cast at the moment. However, there is always a way. The stout man pondered for a moment, then smiled slyly. Taking advantage of the distance between them and the mage, he quickly conferred with the nearest Aite and, with the unique agility of a magical beast, vanished into the forest.

As a mid-level mage, he still needs to use a talisman to activate this second-level spell, primarily because he must quickly recite the next incantation. In battle, time is the second life of a mage; with the same magical power and the same spell, the one who finishes reciting first will gain the advantage. The time it takes for different individuals to recite spells varies, as accents, language habits, and even one's mood on that day can all influence the effectiveness of the incantation. It is widely acknowledged across the continent that a stutterer cannot become a master of magic. However, reciting spells too quickly is not necessarily better; not to mention that the probability of failure increases with speed, higher-level spell incantations are often longer and more complex. Moreover, many important syllables within spells cannot be shortened, which presents a significant challenge. The syllables that can be shortened are often the greatest secret of a mage, and even the closest disciples may not be taught this.

In the afternoon, the mercenaries estimated that they were less than 70 miles from Cyrus Fortress, approaching the patrol range of the enemy cavalry scouts. At Kate's command, the mercenaries spread out and slowly advanced in a dispersed formation. Four seasoned mercenaries dismounted from their horses and quickly began to search ahead.

Boom! The fierce flames erupted. The black crystal on the handle of Rog's axe emitted a soft hum, and a faintly black shield enveloped Rog. However, this shield could not completely block the wave of fire, and the aroma of roasted meat spread through the forest. As for the magician, having already sustained severe injuries, he could not withstand the power of this fireball spell and was charred to a crisp.

Death always arrives at the most unexpected moments. Suddenly, arrows flew out from deep within the trees like locusts, with twenty short bows and three crossbows all aimed at the three cavalrymen in the lead. These patrolling cavalrymen were quite skilled; they quickly drew their arrows and managed to deflect a small portion of the attack in the midst of the chaos. However, each of the three in front was still struck by several arrows and fell from their horses. The three cavalrymen who were not hit reacted swiftly, charging into the woods and not giving the mercenaries a second chance to shoot.

As dusk approached, the mercenaries rested in the woods after setting up the traps for the night. In the early morning, Kate arranged for new scouts to keep watch at the edge of the forest, while the others continued to rest. The group, with their extremely limited military knowledge, did not actually know how to lay an ambush. Fortunately, among the hired mercenaries, there were a few who were somewhat familiar with this practice. After some arrangements, they managed to create a semblance of a proper setup.

Six reconnaissance cavalrymen slowly approached along the path. The cavalrymen were all clad in leather armor, wielding knightly swords, casually patrolling, chatting and laughing, seemingly having not encountered any incidents for several days. The emblem that had once been painted on the chest of the patrol's leather armor appeared to have been scraped off. The rogue in the tree suddenly felt a pang of anxiety, as if a venomous snake in the shadows had set its sights on him. The stout man immediately retracted the Wizard's Eye, closed his eyes, and concentrated fully on sensing the magical fluctuations around him. The rogue in the tree suddenly felt a pang of anxiety, as if a venomous snake in the shadows had set its sights on him. The stout man immediately retracted the Wizard's Eye, closed his eyes, and concentrated fully on sensing the magical fluctuations around him. The stout man, with exceptional mental acuity, immediately sensed a faint source of magical energy two miles away, approaching this way. From the earlier observation with the Wizard's Eye, he had felt nothing, indicating that this magician had cast an invisibility spell on himself, suggesting he was at least a mid-level mage.

Last night, Roger and others held discussions throughout the night and concluded that this patrol team might not be so simple; otherwise, the two skilled individuals sent out would not have gone missing. However, after much deliberation, aside from strengthening precautions, no other conclusions could be reached.

Rogge shook his head vigorously, as if shattering a mirror, and the flat world fragmented. Sounds and colors returned to this world. "Rogge! What’s wrong with you?" Kate shook him forcefully. "I’m fine, is something wrong?" Rogge felt as exhausted as if he had just fought ten women. Kate stared at him for a moment before saying, "We’ve discovered the whereabouts of the enemy patrol. I think it’s best for us to lie in ambush here and capture a few people to ask some questions."

Kate discovered that the patrol team's location is only 10 miles from the edge of the forest, with clear hoof prints that are a mix of old and new. Judging by the quantity, it appears to be a group of about 7 or 8 people. These traces indicate that a team of similar size frequently passes along this path, suggesting that this forest trail may have been created by the patrol team itself

A clear and crisp bird song came from the edge of the forest, causing the mercenaries sitting on the ground to jump up and take their positions in ambush. The mercenaries' horses had long been left more than 5 miles away, as cavalry could not exert much influence in the forest. As the sound of calm hoofbeats gradually became clearer, the palms of the noble scoundrels began to sweat. This was different from the usual brawls; this was serious. Rog remained still, continuously observing his surroundings through the Wizard's Eye. Of course, this was predicated on him comfortably positioning himself in a lush, leafy tree.

The black tiger returned to its domain, while Fengyue also returned to another world due to Rog's severe injuries. Rog, emitting an enticing fragrance, struggled to rise but fell again. Before losing consciousness, he vowed never to let a drowning dog escape again

After a night of rest, Rog's energy was fully restored. He gently caressed a green ring on his hand and softly chanted an activation spell. A small, inconspicuous sphere of light slowly formed and gradually ascended into the sky. Rog directed a portion of his mental energy into the sphere, and it seemed as if a new field of vision opened before him. As the sphere slowly rose, it stabilized at about ten meters in the air. This Wizard's Eye spell was not very advanced, and it had a long duration, making it a convenient reconnaissance magic. However, its drawbacks were equally prominent. The wizard needed to continuously focus their attention, which meant that during combat, wizards could not maintain this spell. Another drawback was that the fluctuations of this magic could easily be detected by another wizard, often exposing the wizard's location. This was often a fatal threat to the wizard.

The knight struggled to rise once more, as the second lightning bolt streaked across the sky, striking him again. However, this time the knight did not fall; instead, he turned around, revealing only a skull beneath the helmet, with pale flames flickering occasionally in the deep eye sockets, fixed intently on the wizard. The wizard stared in horror at this sight, as the skeleton seemed to smile at him. He felt a dryness in his mouth and sweat in his palms; the instincts honed from years of battle prompted him to quickly activate the protective amulet he wore. A white beam of light rose from beneath his feet and then vanished. The wizard was horrified by the scene, as the skeleton appeared to smile at him again. He felt a dryness in his mouth and sweat in his palms; the instincts honed from years of battle prompted him to quickly activate the protective amulet he wore. A white beam of light rose from beneath his feet and then vanished. Yet, the invisible magical force field had already enveloped the wizard. The second-tier spell "Magical Armor" is economical, practical, and easy to learn, making it an essential protective measure for wizards when traveling.

The wizard was taken by surprise, sidestepped, yet the battle axe still carved a long gash across his shoulder. Rogue then launched a kick, but instead of his favorite low blow, he opted for a sweeping strike. As expected, it felt as if he had kicked a pile of cotton. Nevertheless, the forceful kick still sent the wizard flying

Rogue wiped a cold sweat from his brow and turned with a sinister smile towards the wizard, who was groaning and struggling to rise from the ground, swinging his axe down. Despite the protection of magical armor, the wizard was no match for the brute strength of the Rogue. Soon, blood began to flow from multiple wounds. After several spells were interrupted, the wizard gritted his teeth and hurled a handful of colorful gems at his opponent. This struck at the Rogue's vital point, causing his assault to falter as he hesitated, wondering if he should first pick up some of the gems to assess their quality. Seeing an opportunity, the wizard attempted to escape, rolling and crawling away, but unexpectedly, a branch on the ground suddenly rose up, tripping him and sending him tumbling. Pain surged through all his wounds, and the wizard nearly lost consciousness.

Since entering the Demon Domain Forest, Rog has often found himself in a dazed state. In his eyes, everything around him frequently transforms into flat images, and various strange cries echo in his ears. Rog looks around in confusion, as if standing before a gigantic landscape painting. Several times, he has impulsively wanted to pierce through this layer of canvas with his battle axe to see what lies behind it. He seems to see Kate approaching, loudly saying something to him, yet he feels like a fish in water, only able to see the person's lips moving above the surface, unable to hear the specific words being spoken. Rog looks around in confusion, as if standing before a gigantic landscape painting. Several times, he has impulsively wanted to pierce through this layer of canvas with his battle axe to see what lies behind it. He seems to see Kate approaching, loudly saying something to him, yet he feels like a fish in water, only able to see the person's lips moving above the surface, unable to hear the specific words being spoken.

The third mercenary turned and hid behind a tree. The greatsword knight glanced over and noticed that his armor was much more ornate. He immediately set down the two injured mercenaries and urged his horse to pursue. That mercenary was Luns, and at this critical moment, he displayed agility that rivaled that of a thief, weaving in and out among the trees, while the knight behind could never catch up to him

There are many mountains surrounding Cyrusburg, but they are mostly low hills. Due to its remote location and scarce resources, coupled with the deliberate neglect by Ophirok, Cyrusburg has remained unexamined for half a year since its occupation. This has only caused suffering for the common people in the surrounding areas. However, this information is already outdated; Rog and others ultimately have to rely on the map provided by Ophirok for this reconnaissance.

The wizard's incantation was quickly completed, and a summoning circle appeared on the ground, radiating light as a magical creature slowly took shape. At that moment, Rog quietly approached from behind and swung his axe at the wizard. Just as it seemed the wizard was about to be decapitated, Rog felt as if the axe had suddenly struck a large block of butter, causing it to veer off to the side involuntarily. As a novice who had only been handling an axe for a few days, he still lacked the ability to control his swings.

The other two patrol cavalrymen were not so fortunate or skilled. One was galloping after a mercenary when suddenly two axe spears swung down from the tree above. Startled, he quickly crouched on his horse, squeezing the horse's belly, and the steed leaped more than three meters, narrowly escaping disaster. However, another axe spear silently struck from behind, easily slicing through his leather armor and nearly cleaving him in two. Kate lightly jumped down from the tree, not having time to inspect the corpse, and swiftly made her way toward the sounds of battle, axe spear in hand. The other patrol cavalryman was surrounded by five mercenaries led by Ete. A fierce tiger could not withstand a pack of wolves, and soon he was ambushed from behind by a mercenary who struck his thigh, followed by a flurry of swords that brought him down.

A roar echoed behind Rog, and when he turned around, he saw a black tiger poised to pounce. "Damn it!" Rog cursed his luck. After successfully closing in on the battle, the wizard was already at a disadvantage, but he never expected that his pet would be a rare combat type. After draping the armor over Fengyue, Rog was left with only a cloth shirt on, which certainly did not seem capable of withstanding the tiger's teeth. With a whoosh, a halberd came slicing down from the air towards the black tiger; it was Fengyue, finally arriving while dragging the heavy armor. The black tiger quickly shifted its target and lunged at Fengyue.

The mercenaries abandoned their bows and arrows, drawing their longswords to engage in close combat. The patrolling knights displayed commendable martial skills, particularly one knight wielding a greatsword who stood out. He skillfully maneuvered his horse around two large trees and charged into the midst of three mercenaries who had just drawn their longswords. With a sweeping motion, he knocked one mercenary down, then swiftly thrust at the second. The mercenary raised his sword to parry, but with a resounding clash, his longsword was deflected, leaving him momentarily stunned. In a panic, he raised his left arm, using the knight's steel shield on his arm to protect his chest. The tip of the greatsword and the steel shield sparked as they collided, producing a sharp, grating sound. The curved surface of the shield forced the sword tip to slide aside. The mercenary was propelled backward by the tremendous force, and a crisp sound of a bone fracture echoed from his arm. The greatsword knight let out a sinister laugh, flicking his wrist as the greatsword plunged downward, creating a deep, bone-revealing gash on the mercenary's thigh, which lacked steel armor for protection.

The wizard's situation was also dire. Upon discovering that someone was using the Eye of the Sorcerer, he cast an invisibility spell and cautiously approached the battlefield. At that moment, sounds of fighting erupted in the distance. Fortunately, he spotted a knight in distinctive armor lying in ambush about thirty meters away, looking very much like a commander. The wizard secretly felt pleased with his luck and unleashed a bolt of lightning, striking the target directly. Watching the knight fall, crackling with tiny electric sparks, the now-visible wizard swaggered over. He had great confidence in the power of his spells, especially since he had prepared a second lightning spell as a backup.

More than thirty knights silently traversed the forest, most of whom were clad in fine half-plate armor, wielding gleaming poleaxes, while about half of the knights also had longbows slung over their horses. This group of knights was the "Dragons and Beauties" mercenary company led by Roger. When they were still over 200 miles away from the stronghold of Cyrus, which was occupied by bandits (or mercenaries), the militarily experienced Kate took the lead and plunged into the Demon Realm Forest. After a day of arduous marching through the forest, the mercenaries were now less than 100 miles from their destination. The journey had been smooth, with no encounters with fierce beasts, as the mercenaries were operating only at the edge of the forest.

Most mages, having spent years immersed in magical tomes and exposed to various harmful substances (most parts of magical beasts are somewhat toxic to humans), do not possess great physical strength. Wearing heavy armor is undoubtedly a significant burden for them. Moreover, it has been proven that metal greatly hinders the accumulation of magical power; even a mage standing still in full plate armor has a failure rate of over 50% for their spells. In battle, this can be a matter of life and death. For Rog, neither of these issues poses a problem. His mental strength is exceedingly vast, making it extremely easy for him to control that meager amount of magical power. Additionally, whether due to his body being modified or not, Rog experiences minimal loss of mental strength when it comes to penetrating metal to gather magical power. With his limited magical power, just enough to cast level three spells, he can still unleash magic even if confined within a metal sphere.

In a position slightly towards the rear of the formation, a cavalryman clad in black half-plate armor was none other than Rog. This portly figure, who showed no signs of a mage's enlightenment, was holding a short battle axe. The axe adhered to the splendid style of the "War God's Hammer," featuring elegant lines that even gave it a delicate appearance. Intricate magical runes were engraved on the blade, and a rare black crystal was prominently embedded in the handle. After seeing Rog's appearance for the first time, the sharp-tongued Franco remarked, "I don't find the battle axe mage amusing." The axe adhered to the splendid style of the "War God's Hammer," featuring elegant lines that even gave it a delicate appearance. Intricate magical runes were engraved on the blade, and a rare black crystal was prominently embedded in the handle. After seeing Rog's appearance for the first time, the sharp-tongued Franco remarked, "I don't find the battle axe mage amusing."

Feeling a faint sense of urgency carried by the wind and moonlight, Rogge recalled the situation of the battle over there and turned to look back. In that moment of distraction, a weak incantation sounded from behind him. Rogge immediately turned around and saw a scroll burning in the hands of a grinning sorcerer, a fireball the size of a bowl already before him. With no other choice, Rogge raised his axe to shield his face and crouched down on the ground

Fengyue was at a disadvantage in the battle against the black tiger; the armor was simply too heavy, and the axe and spear were not easy to handle. For a skeleton with limited strength, the knight's equipment was not very suitable. In line with the level of the magician, this black tiger was quite formidable. Unfortunately, its teeth could not penetrate the meticulously crafted steel armor of Rog. Compared to several months ago, Fengyue's skeleton was now well-proportioned and sturdy, with a soft and bright luster; the joints between the bones were dense and smooth, clearly indicating a high-quality skeleton. In the fight against the black tiger, Fengyue only managed to strike the black tiger with an axe, costing him a portion of his exposed leg bone, severing half of its tail. The black tiger, in turn, left several bite marks and cracks on Fengyue's thigh bone.