Chapter 251 - 152: Probing
That night, the sky was thick with dark clouds, hiding the moon and stars.
At the mountain pass, the encampments of the Sniper Corps and the Northern Expedition Legion were brightly lit. Figures could be seen moving about from time to time.
In the central encampment of the Northern Expedition Legion, under Mei Yuan’s orders, the lords who had also been infested by the Eye Demon led their men and quietly left the camp under the cover of night.
They then split into two groups. One headed for the mountain forest behind them, while the other slipped through the gaps in the encampment and moved toward the enemy camp at the pass.
RUSTLE... RUSTLE...
Carried on the gentle breeze, the sound of their footsteps was nearly imperceptible.
In a dark hollow, a few lords stopped and gave quiet orders to their men.
"In a moment, you’ll sneak over there. See that spot?"
The lords pointed toward the Sniper Corps’ camp. There, between the light cast by the two encampments, lay a long, narrow strip of darkness.
"You’ll infiltrate from there, cause some destruction, and set some fires."
"And take these Scrolls—one for each of you. They’re all Magic Trap Scrolls. Once you’re inside, place them in the enemy’s camp."
"Once you’ve done all that, you can return."
The soldiers nodded grimly in acknowledgment. They then gathered their equipment and, under the cover of darkness, crept forward toward the enemy camp with their bodies low to the ground.
Once they were halfway there and approaching the perimeter watched by the Sniper Corps’ sentries, the soldiers all used their stealth skills, vanishing from sight and rushing toward their target.
...
Wei Peng was a member of the Northern Expedition Legion, an assassin-type soldier skilled in stealth. Tonight, his lord had led them under the cover of night to the grasslands between the two armies’ positions.
According to their lord’s orders, all they had to do was exploit a weak point, infiltrate the enemy camp to use their Magic Scrolls, cause a little chaos, and then their job would be done.
Wei Peng was thrilled to hear this mission. In the previous battles, his Assassin Corps had barely done anything before the enemy was steamrolled. It had been incredibly dull.
Now, their Assassin Corps could finally be of some use.
Besides, he was extremely confident in his own survival skills; he was sure he could wreak some havoc and make it back in one piece.
After covering half the distance, the team captain judged that they were about to enter the enemy’s patrol range. He ordered everyone to use stealth and then charge toward the dark gap in the enemy encampment.
Wei Peng was the first to activate his stealth and the first to charge out.
"Oof!"
As he sprinted forward, Wei Peng felt like he’d run into a wall. A massive rebounding force threw him backward, and he fell to the ground, knocked unconscious...
BUZZ... BUZZ...
Wei Peng awoke from unconsciousness. He shook his head, a splitting pain shooting through it as a ringing filled his ears. He quickly pulled a Healing Potion from his tunic—it was loot he’d gotten from a previous siege, something he’d been carrying around but was reluctant to use. Now was the time.
After downing the Healing Potion, he finally felt a bit better. The ringing in his ears slowly subsided, only to be replaced by the sounds of battle. He looked around in a daze and realized his comrades were fighting another group of black-clad, assassin-type soldiers.
CLANG—
A sharp sword swept toward him. Wei Peng startled, drawing both his daggers to parry the blow. But the immense force of the attack still sent him flying.
THUD!
Wei Peng slammed onto the ground again. Fortunately, the Healing Potion he had just drunk was still in effect. The injury wasn’t serious and was healed almost immediately.
Just then, he saw someone else lying beside him. Judging by the uniform, the man was on his side. He quickly asked, "What happened? Where did all these enemies come from?"
’As assassins, we all have night vision,’ he thought. ’Before we charged with stealth, we all looked. The path to the gap in the other camp was empty except for some wind-blown grass. How did so many people suddenly appear?’
"You don’t know?"
"I think I ran into something and passed out."
"Oh, so you’re the unlucky bastard who collided with the enemy?" the man on the ground said, realization dawning on him.
"The other side sent a squad of assassins, too. They were also charging with stealth, just like us. Then you and one of their guys ran right into each other."
"And after that, well, everyone started fighting."
After hearing the man’s explanation, Wei Peng understood. He glanced around and saw that the enemy soldiers were outnumbered. Gripping his daggers, he said to his companion on the ground, "Alright, buddy. You just lie still. I’m going to kill some enemies."
With that, he charged at the enemy.
’We’re all assassins, and we’ve got more people. What’s there to be afraid of?’
THUD!
Another sound of a body hitting the ground. Wei Peng scrambled up from the dirt, complaining to his companion, "Are you sure they’re assassins? They’re not Berserkers, are they? How are they so strong?"
Wei Peng had sparred with the Berserkers under the other lords of the Northern Expedition Legion before. They had this exact kind of strength, enough to send him flying with ease.
"Heheheh, how should I know? If I knew, I wouldn’t be the one lying on the ground, beaten up. All I know is they came in stealthed."
His companion on the ground cracked a grin. Seeing his mouth full of blood, it was clear he was seriously injured.
Wei Peng thought for a moment, then decided not to overthink it. Ganging up on the enemy was what mattered. He charged forward again, joining his comrades in surrounding a foe.
This time, he was smarter. He carefully dodged the enemy’s attacks, doing his best to avoid a direct confrontation.