13: Shadow of the Fel Orcs

In the eastern wasteland of the Red River Territory, a gentle breeze brushed across the wilderness. Wild grass as tall as a man swayed softly in the wind, and various small animals scurried through the thickets, showcasing the vibrant vitality of the wild.

Ross and Eric were leading the Cavalry Squad on their daily patrol.

Although the captain of the Cavalry Squad was Eric, Ross was the Vice Commander of the Red River Territory Guard Army, so the Cavalry Squad was temporarily under Ross's command.

With Ross, a peak Bronze Knight, overseeing things, Renn felt at ease letting the Cavalry Squad patrol outside.

"Eric, your Douqi has improved again. It seems it won't be long before you can break through to mid-level Bronze Rank."

"Perhaps within five years, you'll have a chance to break through to peak Bronze, and within ten years, you'll have the chance to become a Silver Knight."

Ross and Eric had fought side by side in the Border Defense Army; the two were very familiar with each other and got along harmoniously.

"Big Brother Ross, stop joking. I'm not a genius like you or the Lord. I wouldn't even dare to dream of breaking through to Silver Rank within ten years."

"If I can break through to Silver Rank in this lifetime, that would be plenty. Our family has never produced a Silver Knight until now."

"If I can break through to Silver Rank, the Lord could confer me the title of Knight, which would fulfill my father's dream of knighthood." Eric looked forward to bringing glory to his family.

"Don't worry, I'm certain you can achieve it, and definitely sooner than you imagine."

Ross and Eric chatted casually; the patrol missions over the past few days had been relatively easy.

The area around the Red River Territory had been cleared once by the Border Defense Army. The foreign races in the wilderness had either been killed or had fled into the forest.

During their patrols these past few days, the Cavalry Squad had only discovered a few scattered Goblins and Wild Gnomes.

Goblins and Gnomes were the most numerous foreign races in the wilderness, appearing everywhere. However, their only standout feature was their numbers; their individual strength was very weak.

Most Goblins and Wild Gnomes couldn't even beat an ordinary human Militia member. When the Cavalry Squad encountered them, it was a one-sided slaughter.

"Captain, two more Goblins were found. I've already killed them."

A cavalryman arrived carrying two Goblin heads, interrupting Eric and Ross's conversation.

"More Goblins? How are these pieces of trash starting to return to the area near the territory so quickly?"

"It shouldn't be?" Eric was somewhat puzzled.

"The army just finished its sweep. Logically, these scumbags wouldn't dare to sneak back for at least a month. It's been less than half a month. Could a Goblin tribe have migrated nearby?"

The Cavalry Squad had been finding traces of Goblins since yesterday. Eric had originally thought they were just a few idiots who had lost their way, but encountering them repeatedly suggested a problem.

Gazing at the forest on the distant horizon, Ross considered more possibilities.

"Perhaps the Fel Orcs in the forest have frightened these Goblins, forcing them to leave the forest."

"Fel Orcs?" Eric was startled.

"That might actually be it."

"These Goblin trash are far from being a match for Fel Orcs. It seems there might still be quite a few Fel Orcs in the Black Forest."

With Ross's hint, Eric immediately understood.

"Have the soldiers begin scouting in a fan formation, all the way to the edge of the forest."

"Yes, Vice Commander!" The cavalrymen began to execute Ross's orders.

Eric immediately entered a combat state and began organizing the Cavalry Squad for reconnaissance.

The fifty cavalrymen searched forward in a fan shape, each separated by a distance of about a hundred meters.

Although the nearby terrain was relatively flat, the undeveloped wilderness was full of weeds over a man's height and overgrown shrubs, so visibility was not very good.

Hostile foreign races might be hiding in the wild grass, so Ross and the others did not dare to be the least bit careless.

The longbow in Ross's hand was ready; if there was any movement in any direction, he could provide support immediately.

The Cavalry Squad's search speed was very fast. As elites of the Border Defense Army, they were highly experienced in this. Coming from the same background, they cooperated seamlessly.

The searching party swept through the nearby wilderness like a comb, heading toward the distant forest edge... With the whistle of an arrow, a Goblin's head was blown apart.

Eric lowered his longbow, his furrowed brows not relaxing just because he had killed a target.

Night was gradually falling. After searching for most of the day, the Cavalry Squad was gradually approaching the boundary between the wasteland and the forest.

Looking at the fading light, Eric lightly pulled the horse's reins, turned around, and came to Ross's side.

"Vice Commander, it's getting dark. Should we stop and let the brothers set up camp, then continue exploring tomorrow?"

Ross nodded.

"Let's leave it at that for today. It's getting dark, so let's stop, set up camp to rest, and continue tomorrow."

A crisp whistle echoed across the fields, and the cavalry scattered around began to return and assemble one after another.

"Everyone, set up camp and rest."

Soon, the Cavalry Squad cleared out a simple camp on the spot, and a campfire rose, illuminating the nearby wilderness.

"Big Brother Ross, the closer we get to the Black Forest, the more foreign races we encounter. In just one afternoon, we've killed nearly a hundred Goblins and Wild Gnomes."

"It looks like something has definitely happened in the Black Forest."

The number of foreign races killed during the afternoon's exploration was several times the total from the previous few days; the problem was already very obvious.

"Yes, our previous guess should be correct. There might be movement among the Fel Orcs in the Black Forest. Perhaps they are slaughtering these weak foreign races, or perhaps they are intentionally driving them out."

Since it involved Fel Orcs, they definitely had to investigate clearly, which was why Ross had not led the Cavalry Squad back to the Red River Fortress.

"If it's the former, it's fine. If it's the latter, then it's a bit troublesome."

Fel Orcs were bloodthirsty and cruel; all life was a target for their slaughter, and the foreign races in the wilderness were no exception.

If Ross's first guess was correct, it meant the Fel Orcs were merely acting on instinct and were not a major concern. If it was the latter, it meant there were high-level units among the Fel Orcs.

Only high-level Evil Beastman units had the intelligence and strength to command low-level Fel Orcs to restrain their murderous instincts.

"If they are being driven out intentionally, then the trouble is great."

As a veteran, Eric naturally understood the reasons behind this.

"Dean, who was sent to report to the Lord, should have already returned to the Red River Fortress. Regardless of the situation in the Black Forest, we'll just focus on our reconnaissance for now."

Ross looked at the flickering campfire and skillfully picked up a piece of dried fish to throw into the iron pot over the fire.

"The main force of the Fel Orcs has been annihilated. Even if there are high-level units among the remaining remnants, the strongest is likely only Bronze Rank. With the Lord here, we do not fear them."

"Eat and drink your fill, get a good rest tonight, and we'll be able to search to the edge of the forest tomorrow. We'll see the specific situation then."

"Mhm!" Eric had no objections to this.

"You take the first watch, I'll take the second half of the night. Let the brothers rest well."

"Alright!"

After the Cavalry Squad finished eating, the sun had completely disappeared, and a full moon shone over the empty wilderness.

The camp soon fell silent, with the snoring of soldiers and the crackling of burning wood sounding from time to time.

Ross sat before the campfire, his eyes on the flames but his attention on the surroundings. The watch during the second half of the night was very important; foreign races in the wilderness attracted by campfires loved to attack camps late at night, and Ross did not dare to relax for a moment.

At this moment, several hundred meters away, figures flickered continuously within the thick wild grass.

Under the cover of night, a pair of blood-colored eyes looked toward the direction of the firelight.

A suppressed low growl sounded, and then those figures quickened their pace.

In front of the campfire, Ross suddenly stood up and looked into the distant night.

"Everyone wake up, something's happening!"

"Prepare for battle!"

Just now, Ross had heard a strange noise from the distance—a sound he was very familiar with.

Just from the sound, Ross immediately judged who the enemy hiding in the grass was.

After everyone woke up, they quickly made battle preparations. Eric came to Ross's side.

"Big Brother Ross, what's wrong?"

Ross said with a grave expression, "The Fel Orcs are here!"

That simple answer caused everyone in the Cavalry Squad to unconsciously tighten their grip on their weapons.