The Final Battle

Lord Wang hurriedly explained the situation, and I took the opportunity to clarify that my parents and relatives were in Border Village, which was why I was especially anxious.

"Border Village has suffered no real damage," Prime Minister Wang stroked his beard and spoke in a steady tone. "Five hundred Wolf Guards and members of two major guilds are stationed there. They had already finished their battle by noon. The war report just arrived—there were no casualties, and only a dozen or so people were injured. It seems that the attack on Border Village by the Orc Clan was merely a feint."

"Thank you, Prime Minister." Upon hearing that the attack on Border Village was just a diversion and that there were barely any injuries, I felt a huge weight lift off my heart. If even the soldiers were unharmed, then the villagers were likely safe as well.

"So, we can now be certain that the North Gate is facing a full-scale assault from the five major Orc tribes. It is their main attack point," Prime Minister Wang continued, his tone growing heavier. "Meanwhile, the Orc Clan that passed through Greatwood Forest only staged a diversionary attack on Border Village, making us believe that the West Gate would be safe. But instead, the West Gate was hit by a surprise attack from a skeleton army." He paused and scanned the room with sharp eyes. "Now that the ambush on the West Gate has been dealt with, the real battle will unfold at the North Gate."

"You still want to borrow my troops?" Prime Minister Wang turned to Lord Wang with some irritation. "I originally came to see if you had any forces left to send to the North Gate tomorrow to help break the enemy's assault. But looking at your losses here, it's better if you focus on organizing the remaining soldiers and holding the West Gate until the five hundred Wolf Guards from Border Village can return to reinforce you."

With that, Prime Minister Wang led a group of Tiger Guards and left. Shortly after, Gu Bing and I also took our leave from Lord Wang. Just before stepping out, I asked him where I should go if I wanted to join the battle at the North Gate tomorrow. He initially tried to persuade us to stay and help defend the West Gate with him, but we were determined to contribute to the fight at the North Gate. In the end, he wrote a letter for us and told us to find Jian Wei, the commander of the Wolf Guard, at the North Gate in the morning.

The next morning, Gu Bing and I suited up in our respective battle gear. Both of us wore matching blue-and-white medium armor and donned bronze helmets that we had picked up from the City Patrol yesterday. They might not look great, but in the chaos of war, you never knew when an enemy might appear from behind. We both understood that having extra protection was always better.

I wore a pair of leather gloves, a black crystal ring on my left hand, a horn ring on my right, and around my neck was a necklace I had scavenged from the King's Tomb—I called it the Devil's Necklace. In my hands, I wielded a Horse-Chopping Saber. Meanwhile, Gu Bing carried his Spirit Wind Longsword, with a pair of large bangles protecting his forearms and wrists. His rings were the same as mine, but his necklace was the Ebony Necklace.

When we arrived at the North Gate of Baiqi City, we asked around and finally found Jian Wei. He had a square-shaped face and a medium build, clad in a full set of silver-gray armor with a matching silver-gray helmet. On his left arm, his armband bore an exquisitely embroidered wolf's head, and at his waist hung a longsword. Although he was not particularly handsome, his presence exuded authority and strength.

After explaining our intentions, Jian Wei stated that they were in dire need of manpower. However, instead of sending us directly into combat, he assigned us to transport supplies such as arrows for the Eagle Guard stationed on the city walls.

Shortly after sunrise, the Orc army launched its first charge. Gu Bing and I had already lost count of how many times we had carried arrows to the walls. Just as we were about to take a breather, we witnessed the battlefield unfold before us.

A massive wave of Orcs, wielding wooden clubs, stormed toward the city walls. Among them, around twenty to thirty squads carried long ladders covered with beast hide. These Orcs, known as the ladder bearers, carried the ladders on one shoulder while holding shields with their other hand to protect themselves.

At the command of the Eagle Guard, a rain of arrows poured down. Many charging Orcs were struck and fell, while the rest continued their advance undeterred. However, the ladder bearers were practically unharmed by the arrow barrage.

Boom!

Just as a few waves of arrows slowed the Orc charge, several massive fireballs suddenly came hurtling toward the city walls. One of them struck the stone walls directly, sending an entire squad of Eagle Guards flying through the air.

It was the enemy catapults—the very ones Gu Bing and I had seen earlier. From atop the walls, we could see five towering catapults positioned at the rear of the Orc forces, with a group of Orcs hurriedly preparing the second round of projectiles. Surrounding the catapults were numerous Orc warriors wielding massive axes or greatswords, clearly stationed to protect these powerful siege weapons.

With the catapults suppressing us, the effectiveness of our archers plummeted. Before long, the vanguard of the Orc army reached the moat. They lowered their ladders onto the water, forming makeshift bridges, and began swarming across.

On the city side of the moat, waiting to meet them head-on, was the Wolf Guard. The brutal close-quarters combat had begun.

The charging Orcs might have lacked high-quality weapons and armor, but they were born with immense strength and incredibly tough hides. Even when slashed multiple times, they could continue fighting almost unaffected. In contrast, our soldiers struggled—if struck by an Orc's wooden club, they would be sent sprawling to the ground, often unable to get up for a long time due to severe internal injuries.

Fortunately, we were on the defensive. Many of the charging Orcs had already been weakened by the Eagle Guard's archers before reaching our lines. Meanwhile, the Wolf Guard fought in small squads of three to five men, using their superior coordination to swiftly take down individual Orcs.

The brutal assault raged on until nearly noon before finally coming to a halt. The Orc Clan had suffered devastating losses, but our Wolf Guard and Eagle Guard fared no better—even the city walls had been battered with multiple breaches.

"This is just too brutal," Gu Bing sighed.

"Let's head out in the afternoon and take the fight to them," I suggested.

Gu Bing nodded in agreement.

At noon, we hastily gulped down some food before heading out in search of Jian Wei. However, no matter where we looked, we couldn't find him. Instead, we found a squad leader and volunteered to join the battle, offering our aid in defending the city. He was momentarily stunned but quickly accepted. It was only after we joined his squad that we learned nearly half of his men had perished in the morning battle.

"Our squad is stationed at the city gate—the most critical position. As long as we have a single breath left in us, we cannot allow the enemy to take even one step past the gate!" The squad leader gave us a rousing speech to raise morale.

Before long, the second wave of battle commenced in the afternoon.

This time, the attackers weren't just the usual club-wielding Orcs but an overwhelming force of Orc Warriors. It was clear that the morning's battle had been a mere war of attrition meant to wear down our main forces. The real decisive battle was unfolding now.

Compared to the morning horde, these Orc Warriors were fewer in number, but each of them wielded razor-sharp blades instead of wooden clubs. If a Wolf Guard was struck by their weapons, it was often a fatal blow.

"Stay sharp!" I warned, gripping my Horse-Chopping Saber tightly as I watched the enemy charge toward us, their deafening war cries shaking the very air. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Gu Bing, I could sense his tension as well.

"Haah!"

An Orc Warrior lunged at me, swinging his massive battle axe down toward my head. I quickly leaned backward to dodge, my feet sliding forward as I countered with a horizontal slash across his abdomen. At the same moment, Gu Bing's longsword pierced through the Orc Warrior's chest.

The battle had begun.

As we fought, it became clear that all our past experiences had been invaluable. Whether it was personal combat skills, strength, swordsmanship, magical equipment, or even our coordination, Gu Bing and I were far stronger than the average Wolf Guard.

The slaughter continued for nearly two hours. Though neither Gu Bing nor I had sustained any severe injuries, our stamina was almost entirely depleted.

Looking around, the battlefield was a gruesome sight. Countless Orc and Wolf Guard corpses littered the ground, broken chunks of the city walls lay scattered, and blood, shattered armor, and abandoned weapons painted a horrific scene.

Of our original ten-man squad, only Gu Bing and I remained standing at the city gate.

"I'm completely drained," I muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead. My hands, still gripping my saber, trembled from exhaustion.

Gu Bing simply collapsed onto the ground. "I'm done. I have no strength left."

"Move aside!"

Suddenly, the city gate behind us swung open, and a loud voice rang out.

Gu Bing and I quickly stepped aside, making way as large groups of Wolf Guard soldiers surged out from within the city. The drawbridge over the moat had been lowered, allowing them to swiftly cross to the other side.

"Are they countercharging?" I wondered aloud. "Look at their armor and weapons—they're spotless! These troops haven't fought yet. They must have been conserving their energy for this very moment!"

"This must be our last remaining forces," Gu Bing speculated before slumping back against the wall.

As we caught our breath, we chugged some water from our flasks and watched as wave after wave of Wolf Guardsoldiers streamed out of the gate. Once they reached the other side of the moat, they quickly formed five battle formations.

"Toot! Toot!"

A horn sounded.

The Wolf Guard formations surged forward in a massive charge toward the Orc camp. From the direction they were attacking, it was clear that their primary target was the five enemy catapults, the very siege weapons that had been bombarding our walls with massive fireballs.

The results came quickly.

No more fireballs rained down from the sky.

As we watched from the sidelines, one by one, the towering catapults collapsed under the Wolf Guard's assault.

Seeing this, both Gu Bing and I finally allowed ourselves to relax. Though we had recovered a bit of stamina, we were mentally at ease now. Just as we were about to pick up our weapons and head back into the city to rest—

The city gate began closing.

"Hey! Let us in!" I called out, puzzled.

The battle seemed nearly won, and we had clearly gained the upper hand—so why were they shutting the gate now?

Of all times, why now, just as we were about to re-enter?

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The sound of a gong rang out—it was the signal for our troops to retreat.

"Toot! Toot!"

Another horn sounded—this one signaling defensive formation.

"What's going on?" I asked, confused.

From where we stood at the city gate, we couldn't see much of the battlefield. In the morning, when we were positioned on the walls, we had a clear view of the entire fight. But now, at ground level, we had no idea what was happening beyond our immediate surroundings.

"Sounds like they're ordering the Wolf Guard to retreat back to the city gate for defense."

"Let's go check it out."

Gu Bing and I made our way across the moat to the other side. Just as we arrived, the drawbridge was suddenly raised again.

"Shit!" Gu Bing cursed.