Translator: Cinder Translations
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The deep forest was quiet, with sunlight filtering through the dense leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Leicester remained motionless, crouched behind a bush, his eyes occasionally darting to survey the road not far away.
The road was flat and straight, cutting through the forest all the way to the distant East.
He was not alone, as over fifty other men lay in ambush on either side of the road.
These warriors were highly skilled, well-versed in various combat techniques, and part of the elite knights of the royal city.
The surroundings were peaceful, interrupted only by the occasional birdcall. Time passed slowly—one hour, then two…
Suddenly, a faint clatter of hooves came from a distance, gradually growing louder.
Someone was riding at full speed.
Leicester gripped his crossbow tightly, his palms sweaty, and his heart began to race.
A flock of birds took flight as two riders suddenly appeared, rounding a bend from the far end of the road.
"The decoys are back!"
The riders were shaking their reins desperately, breathing heavily. It was clear that they were being pursued.
One rider had an arrow lodged in his shoulder, with blood staining his clothes and surrounding area, a sight both shocking and gruesome.
The other rider raised one hand, making various gestures in the air.
"Thirty… cavalry… light armor…"
Leicester murmured as he deciphered the signal.
The tension in his chest eased considerably.
They had the advantage in numbers.
The two knights did not stop but galloped westward, their figures quickly swallowed by the dense forest.
About ten minutes later, the sound of hooves grew louder, now much more numerous than before.
The orcs were coming!
Massive bodies, protruding canine teeth, thick fur, and eyes glowing with a greenish hue.
They were often perceived as brutal and fearsome creatures.
And now, a group of them was chasing the two human riders.
The squad leader rode ahead of his companions, galloping toward the forest where the humans had disappeared.
He suddenly reined in his horse, forcing it to stop with an irritated whinny.
"Urge, why did you stop?"
"Have you never heard the human saying, 'Do not enter a forest lightly'?"
"Hahaha!" One of his subordinates mocked him. "Are you going to let them escape because of your cowardice?"
Urge snorted. "We may be proud children of the grasslands, but we must still be cautious in unfamiliar forests!"
His subordinate retorted, "A powerful orc fears no terrain. Admit it, Urge, you're scared!"
Crack! A whip lashed across the insubordinate orc's face.
"You!" The struck orc glared in anger.
Urge raised his whip. "Don't forget I won the Warrior's Tournament and became your commander. Win next time and you can lecture me."
The orc did not dare respond.
Urge quickly ordered, "Change of plans—continue the chase! Go!"
He whipped his horse, and it surged forward into the depths of the forest.
The others followed, pushing their steeds to catch up.
The orcs galloped for several hundred meters through the forest, with trees surrounding them, obscuring the view of the outside world.
"We should spread out more instead of crowding the narrow path!"
As Urge thought this, a black rope suddenly sprang up from the ground.
Danger!
His warhorse didn't react in time and stumbled, its front hooves caught in the rope.
It let out a terrified whinny as its massive body toppled sideways.
Urge lost control and was thrown from his saddle, hitting the ground with a hard thud.
At that moment, the sound of arrows slicing through the air filled the forest.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Pain shot through Urge's arms as arrows embedded deep into his flesh.
"Ah!" The orc who had been tumbling on the ground screamed. "An ambush!"
Black arrows rained down from the trees, striking both orcs and their steeds, causing anguished cries to echo in the forest.
Clang!
The orcs quickly drew their weapons, raising their light shields to deflect the arrows.
Since they were in the forest, the orcs dismounted to fight on foot, using their horses as cover.
The arrow fire momentarily ceased, and figures suddenly sprang from the dense woods on either side, charging toward the orc cavalry.
"Despicable humans!"
Realizing they had walked into a trap, the orcs charged forward, undeterred by their situation.
The battle was fierce, shouts of war ringing through the forest.
As the leader of the orc squad, Urge sensed the dire situation. He realized his forces were outnumbered by the enemy.
Having quickly regained his footing, Urge grit his teeth and yanked the arrow from his arm.
The pain was excruciating as flesh and blood were torn away.
The danger was closing in!
Clang!
The clash of metal rang out as an orc blocked a lethal blow with his knife.
Urge turned to face his attacker, his eyes blazing with fury as they locked with a young human knight's gaze.
Leicester held his ground, pushing against the force of the orc's blade, his heart pounding in shock.
This orc was massive, yet despite being wounded by arrows, he still had the strength to fight.
"Hah!"
Leicester sensed the immense aura of rage emanating from the orc, whose face contorted in anger.
With his massive frame and ferocious expression, any ordinary human soldier would have been overcome by fear.
But Leicester was a knight, trained in martial skills since childhood, and one of the best among his peers.
He remained calm, wielding his sword expertly to parry each furious strike from the orc.
This human could fight?
Urge had grown accustomed to seeing the fear in the eyes of the smaller Aldorian tribespeople, but facing someone who dared to ambush him only fueled his rage, causing him to lose his temper.
As Leicester dodged, Urge saw an opportunity and raised his greatsword to strike.
"Die!"
But the imagined scene of splitting Leicester in half did not come to pass.
Instead, Leicester nimbly spun around, driving his sword into Urge's side.
"Ugh..."
The orc's massive body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Leicester panted heavily, scanning his surroundings.
The battle was nearing its end, and their side had won through sheer numbers.
When the last orc fell, their losses amounted to several human casualties.
(End of the Chapter)
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