Chapter 321: Starting the Attack
With Matthew's guidance, experienced soldiers and adventurers began their assaults on the orc forces.
Some ambushed, others set traps, and a few specialized in laying pitfalls.
Unlike Bay Territory soldiers and the Inspectorate, most didn't act as boldly.
They would strike once and quickly retreat, regardless of success.
Using these tactics, they launched a flurry of attacks near the Misty Swamp.
With heaps of gold as incentives, more and more orcs were taken down.
This significantly slowed the orcs' advance, providing valuable time for the evacuation of farmers and refugees.
Ten or so remaining castles, bolstered by Bay Territory's support, continued their resistance.
This further hampered the orcs' progress.
Over 120,000 refugees and farmers had been transported to Bay Territory.
Matthew hadn't given up on rescuing the remaining scattered individuals.
Yet he knew this situation couldn't hold much longer.
The mounting losses would make the orcs vigilant, driving them to regroup and refocus on their primary target.
They were headed straight for Bay Territory!
A jolt of destiny's power sharply reminded Matthew.
"Spend 10,000 fate points to activate Destiny's Choice?"
The prompt appeared as Matthew sensed this, a routine occurrence in his data display.
Ten thousand points were trivial—a day's worth of adventurers' contributions.
"Destiny's Choice One: Abandon Misty Fortress. Luck +3."
"Destiny's Choice Two: Defeat the orc vanguard. Destiny -3."
Though the outcomes weren't extreme, it led Matthew into deeper thought.
He wasn't entirely clear on the deeper meaning behind Destiny's Choice.
Still, he didn't dwell on it; as his influence grew, the impact of destiny had diminished.
In simple terms, what could have once posed a fatal threat could no longer shake him or his forces.
This realization sparked a quiet reflection in Matthew: in the future, Destiny's Choice would likely be more effective for individual units, helping them assess danger.
Since the enemy was coming for him, Matthew saw no need to retreat; eliminating these foes was the best answer.
"Notify everyone to prepare for battle!"
"Warn all adventurers to proceed with caution; the orcs are on their way."
Angela relayed the warning to all adventurers at once.
Countless orcs gathered, heading in their direction.
The surviving castles were left standing, and the survivors there sighed in relief as the orcs departed.
They had no idea why or when the orcs had come or left.
But seeing their ravaged lands filled them with deep sorrow.
Decades or even centuries of progress and wealth had been destroyed!
At least they had survived.
Watching the orcs converge toward Misty Swamp, adventurers exchanged glances.
"It's great to be working with Bay Territory!"
"Following orders keeps us out of trouble."
"Thank goodness we followed orders, or we'd have run into those orcs!"
"We took down a lot, but there are still over 60,000 orcs. Can Misty Fortress hold?"
"I'm confident in Bay Territory soldiers' combat skills; they always manage to outnumber their foes!"
"I hope they can hold on…"
"If we can cut off their food supply, the orcs should fail to take Misty Fortress."
"Right, and there's big money involved!"
"…"
A vast wave of orcs surged closer.
They were scattered, their shouting echoing through the area.
Amid them, a towering orc warchief cast a cold glance at a cloaked figure beside him, inwardly roaring:
"Where exactly are you taking us?"
The cloaked figure made no reply, instead gently stroking a Komodo beast and calmly saying:
"We're almost there!"
"Let me go!"
The orc warchief seethed with fury, attempting to resist, but found he had no control over his body.
Helplessly, he watched the fortress draw nearer and, against his will, raised his hand and issued the very command he feared:
"Attack! Tear them apart!"
The orcs dutifully followed their warchief's command, charging toward the towering Misty Fortress.
From the walls, the soldiers looked on in puzzlement, silently wondering:
"Why would these orcs charge head-on?"
"Roar…!"
Piercing roars echoed from the orc forces.
Amid the orc army, terrifying creatures emerged.
With flapping wings, these beasts shrieked and howled, each carrying three or four massive orcs as they soared upward.
Matthew immediately recognized the creatures.
Chimeras!
Ferocious, two-headed wyverns!
Each head was deadly, one breathing fire, the other acid.
They had a challenge rating of 13+!
A formidable airborne menace!
And now, they had been tamed by the orcs as combat mounts.
Besides the chimeras, Matthew also "saw" another two or three dozen invisible beasts!
Shadow Wolves!
Challenge rating 12+!
Another rare, dangerous breed.
With their invisibility, they could eliminate foes without a trace.
The orcs favored them because they possessed another unique ability:
Terrain phasing!
No wall could deter these Shadow Wolves!
The orcs charged, drawing attention.
The chimeras soared, capturing focus.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Wolves would infiltrate, sowing chaos.
Against most unprepared villages or towns, this strategy was devastating.
Unfortunately!
Matthew had "seen" it all.
He relayed the enemy's details to Angela.
The half-elf knight remained calm, issuing commands:
"All crossbows, target the chimeras!"
Angela waited to give the fire order until the hundred chimeras reached optimal range.
"Fire!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At her command, over a thousand bolts shot toward the chimeras.
The unsuspecting chimeras and their orc riders were instantly showered with bolts.
A cacophony of screams filled the air.
The chimeras, turned into pincushions, and the orcs fell from the sky.
Only half of the chimeras survived, frantically flapping their wings to escape.
As they tried to ascend, several fireballs streaked toward them.
Amid the deafening explosions,
Another twenty or so chimeras plummeted, screaming, to the ground.
With his power-amplified fireball spell, Matthew delivered a four-ring-level destructive blow!
This attack made him the focus of every Shadow Wolf.