Chapter 280 - 164: Frozen
Behind the Northern Expedition Legion’s encampment, an area that was once an open field was now overgrown with vines.
The vines were tangled together, forming a massive, hemispherical canopy.
Outside the vines, a patrol from the Northern Expedition Legion, about a hundred strong, circled it relentlessly, periodically striking it with their weapons and skills.
These vines were extremely tough, with a layer of a Spiritual Shield on their surface. As they intertwined, their shields stacked on top of one another, leaving the Northern Expedition Legion’s patrol completely helpless against them.
"Captain, we can’t find a weak point. We’ve tried every weapon, but we can’t cut through these vines."
"Fire doesn’t work either. They won’t burn!"
"The Mages with our unit tried using Magic, but they can’t break the vines’ shields."
Beside the mass of vines, a patrolman was reporting to his captain.
The captain looked at the vine dome, which remained motionless under the barrage of attacks, and said helplessly, "Forget it. We’ll just stand guard here. The men we sent back should be reporting the situation now. Reinforcements will be here soon."
...
Before long, the sound of hoofbeats—CLIPPITY-CLOP—rang out. The captain looked toward the main camp in pleasant surprise.
’They’re so fast. It seems the lords take this situation very seriously.’
’Judging by the sound, a lot of them are coming. A high-ranking commander must be leading them.’
The captain straightened his clothes and went forward to greet them.
"You’re here so quickly! Come, we can’t do anything about these vines, you..."
As he spoke, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Even as they drew near, the Cavalry’s charging posture didn’t change. In fact, their speed was increasing.
"Wait—"
SCHLICK—
With a soft sound, the Cavalry galloped right past him. Several sabers slashed across his body. The final blow struck his neck, and with a look of astonishment, his head was sent flying into the air by the powerful force.
The patrol captain suddenly couldn’t feel his body and found himself spinning uncontrollably in the air.
In his final moments, he saw a large group of Cavalry charge into his patrol. Caught completely off guard, many of his men had their heads lopped off with ease before they could even draw their weapons, just like him.
’How can there be enemies here?’
A flash of doubt crossed his mind in his last moment, and then the light faded from his eyes.
...
"Hahaha, Big Brother, these patrols actually thought we were here to help! They were even trying to greet us!" Xiong Er roared with laughter. He had been the first to charge and the first to swing his blade. The instantaneous slaughter excited him. This feeling of mowing down enemies was way more thrilling than any game; after all, no simulator, no matter how realistic, could compare to the real thing.
"Shhh—don’t get carried away. Reign it in," Xiong Da said, pointing at the vines.
"Oh~" Xiong Er quickly fell silent, but his vacant eyes and the irrepressible smirk on his face showed he was still immersed in the thrill of the recent slaughter.
"Everyone, spread out and disguise yourselves as a patrol. Don’t let anyone else come over and disturb their preparations."
After giving the Cavalry their orders, Xiong Da walked over to the vines and curiously tapped them with his weapon. The powerful recoil sent a numbing jolt through his hand.
"Tsk~ So it’s this tough. No wonder those patrols were just standing guard here."
Xiong Da couldn’t help but click his tongue. He moved away from the vines. The lords he had rescued, though curious about the vines and why Xiong Da hadn’t continued the retreat, were smart enough not to ask. They simply found a place to rest, utterly terrified by the ordeal.
...
Ten-odd minutes later, Xiong Da was already considering whether he should lead his Cavalry in for another charge.
A large number of patrols had already surrounded their position. It seemed they had been deceived by the disguised Cavalry, as they neither attacked nor ran toward the vines.
But they didn’t leave either. Instead, their numbers continued to grow.
Seeing this, Xiong Da knew the Northern Expedition Legion’s patrols had realized something was wrong with them.
However, both sides were stalling for time. One side was waiting for reinforcements, the other for the Druids to finish their preparations.
So, by a tacit understanding, neither side attacked, merely settling into a silent standoff.
RUSTLE~
RUSTLE~ RUSTLE~
A dense rustling suddenly erupted as the vines within the protective dome began to move rapidly, creating a cacophony of friction.
The top half of the vine hemisphere swiftly vanished, revealing the Druids in the center.
Within the circle of vines, the once-empty field was now covered in a dense Magic Array. Under the shimmering light of the array’s energy, the Druids, their bodies surging with power, were exceptionally conspicuous.
Seeing this formation, the Northern Expedition Legion patrolmen knew they could wait no longer.
"Attack!!"
The Xiong Family Cavalry reacted just as quickly. Already prepared for a clash on their lord’s warning, they immediately accelerated and charged toward the onrushing patrols.
The cavalryman at the very front raised his saber, about to strike, when a massive green figure suddenly flashed before his eyes. The Northern Expedition Legion patrolman who had been charging him vanished.
"Whoa~"
The Cavalry, startled, quickly reined in their charge. Looking closely, they saw several giant green vines sweeping through the patrol’s ranks.
These were the same vines that had originally encircled the Druids. Now that they were no longer needed for defense, their Demon Race hero-summoner was controlling them to clear out the surrounding grunts.