Failed Ambush

Behind the three pairs of terrified eyes stood Old Nob and two slaves from Rising Light Island.

Ever since leaving Hegland, Old Nob had gradually lost his standing at Roland's side, which left him deeply worried and uneasy.

But after arriving on Rising Light Island and being appointed as an overseer by Roland, he suddenly found meaning in life again.

So every day, he rose earlier than anyone else and slept later than anyone else, determined to fulfill his duties as an overseer for Roland.

The reason he was here today was to inspect the progress of the land clearing on Rising Light Island. Not only did he monitor the work of the slaves and mercenaries during the day, but every night, he also had to inspect the results of the slaves' labor.

Once he discovered that the day's work had failed to meet expectations, he would immediately report it to Roland and punish the slaves who had failed to complete their tasks.

It was precisely because of this that he happened to discover this sinister ambush.

When Old Nob saw three double-sailed warships suddenly appear on the sea, he instinctively held his breath. As over a hundred fully armed soldiers prepared to land on the island, his face turned pale. He immediately slipped quietly out of the bushes and fled madly toward the settlement with the two slaves.

At the same time, when Neil Bergman saw that Rising Light Island was completely unprepared and that his men had landed so easily, a savage smile appeared on his face.

Since establishing his territory, he had personally destroyed two Pioneer Knights and one small pirate crew. Those battles had brought him enormous benefits. Otherwise, he could not possibly own so many slaves now, much less support a guard force of over a hundred men.

The rich spoils of war had made it impossible for him to stop walking the path of war. So even though Roland had the protection of the Black Knight Pirates, Neil Bergman had still brought his men here.

"Everyone, stay quiet. Follow Mas and Nair," Deeds ordered in a low voice as soon as they landed.

The guard force of over a hundred men was clearly extremely familiar with this kind of small-scale battle. They formed a single column and quietly made their way toward the eastern plain behind the two warriors who had previously reported Rising Light Island's situation to Neil Bergman.

In just half an hour, under the two men's guidance, they found the small settlement on Rising Light Island.

Seeing the settlement shrouded in darkness, excitement flashed through the eyes of the hundred-odd warriors. They gripped their swords and spears, ready to give the soundly sleeping lord of Rising Light Island a surprise.

Neil Bergman and Deeds also revealed delighted expressions. After exchanging a glance, they immediately prepared to attack.

"Remember, when you find their lord, leave him alive. Don't kill him," Neil Bergman sternly instructed the warriors beside him.

It was not that he had suddenly become kindhearted. A living Pioneer Knight might have a family behind him willing to ransom him back, allowing Neil Bergman to gain even greater profit.

"Attack." After receiving quiet responses from the surrounding warriors, Neil Bergman could no longer hold back. He waved his hand and gave the order to attack.

Upon receiving their lord's command, the hundred-odd warriors immediately rushed forward. Facing an utterly unprepared enemy, they felt no fear at all. They only wanted to be the first to charge into the settlement and loot it madly.

Even Deeds, the captain of the guard force, lost the reason he should have possessed in that moment. Relying on his strength as a Level 7 Warrior, he charged bravely at the very front.

But his bravery was clearly misplaced. The moment he crossed the earthen wall surrounding the settlement, countless torches suddenly flared to life throughout the entire settlement, illuminating the area as bright as day.

At that moment, dozens of sharp arrows sliced through the air with shrill whistles, shooting toward Deeds.

How could Deeds, who had been preparing to launch a sneak attack, have expected this? He did not even have time to release his protective battle qi before several arrows struck him.

However, he was indeed battle-hardened. The instant he realized he had fallen into an ambush, he immediately used the force of the arrows to send himself flying backward, preserving his own life first.

With the powerful physique of an Advanced Warrior, arrows fired by ordinary warriors could not seriously injure him. Though he looked miserable now, it was only superficial. The arrows lodged in his body had not penetrated deeply before being caught by his powerful muscles.

Given just a moment, he could recover and charge back into battle.

But Roland obviously had no intention of giving him that chance. After receiving Old Nob's warning, Roland immediately gathered O'Neal and Artur and set up an ambush here.

He had even disregarded the danger and personally joined the battle, because he understood very clearly that when facing magical beasts, he could still flee if he could not win. But when facing other people, once he was defeated, there would be no redemption for him.

So when Deeds launched his charge, Roland had already begun chanting and gathering magic power.

Finally, just as Deeds was sent flying backward, Roland finished his chant. Five blazing fireballs, carrying a violent aura, shot rapidly toward Deeds.

At that moment, Deeds also saw the fireballs hurtling toward him at high speed. His face changed drastically, but suspended in midair, he had no possibility of changing direction.

He immediately unleashed all his battle qi and gathered it before him, intending to block the fireballs' attack. But even as an Advanced Warrior, it was impossible for him to take a Level 5 spell head-on without injury—especially Fire-elemental Magic, the most destructive type of magic.

In an instant, the five dazzling fireballs struck Deeds one after another, erupting with deafening booms. The immense impact smashed him hard into the solid ground, leaving behind a large crater.

After the smoke cleared, his armor had already been twisted and mangled by the five fireballs, reduced to a ruined state. The skin exposed beyond the armor was a bloody mess, giving off a pungent smell of scorched flesh.

Even so, Deeds showed no signs of dying. He was merely gravely wounded and had temporarily lost his ability to fight.

"An Intermediate Fire-elemental Mage?" Neil Bergman cried out in shock.

Clearly, he had never expected there to be a mage on this island. Losing an Advanced Warrior's fighting strength at the very start of the battle was a result he found impossible to accept.

But while he was still stunned, Roland waved his hand. Over a hundred fully armed warriors instantly emerged from the settlement and charged toward Neil Bergman's guard force under the leadership of O'Neal and Artur.

Having seen the enemy's Advanced Warrior severely wounded in a single strike, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's squad were greatly emboldened. In contrast, Neil Bergman's guard force suffered a massive blow to their morale after failing in their ambush and falling into one themselves.

Most importantly, they had lost their commander, Deeds. Their formation fell into chaos, and the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's squad drove them back again and again.

Even though several Intermediate Warriors stepped forward to organize them, they still could not conceal their impending collapse.

Watching his guard force lose more than a dozen men in the blink of an eye, Neil Bergman's heart ached. They were the foundation of his survival in the Chaotic Sea Domain.

So he no longer had time to remain shocked. Drawing the short sword at his waist, he erupted with azure battle qi and charged from the rear straight to the front line.

"O'Neal, stop him," Roland, who had been watching the situation, immediately ordered.

O'Neal did not hesitate. With a casual swing, he sent a guard flying, then turned to meet the charging Neil Bergman.

Bang.

The clash between two Advanced Warriors contained no tricks. It was a contest of the quality of their battle qi, their strength, and their physiques.

But when facing Neil Bergman, who was a level higher than him, O'Neal was still at a slight disadvantage.

However, as the leader of the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group, O'Neal's true specialty was not offense at all, but defense. It was for this very reason that the entire Loyal Lion Mercenary Group could unleash greater strength in group battles.

So even though O'Neal was somewhat weaker than Neil Bergman, he still held him firmly in place.

And after Neil Bergman joined the battle, Roland did not remain idle either. He waved his staff again, and several spells immediately crashed toward Neil Bergman, forcing him to retreat again and again.

As a result, he had no chance of defeating O'Neal in a short time. And with Deeds already out of combat, if he were severely wounded by Roland as well, this battle would certainly end in defeat.

This made his movements somewhat restrained. He did not dare to go all out, so under the combined assault of O'Neal and Roland, the Level 8 Warrior gradually fell into a disadvantage instead.

However, with him holding back O'Neal and Roland, the guards were greatly encouraged. They gradually stabilized their formation and traded blows with the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's squad, slowly bringing the battlefield into a stalemate.

The battle raged on. Under the night sky on the eastern plain of Rising Light Island, more than two hundred warriors fought in a chaotic melee.

All kinds of dazzling battle qi lights intertwined and flickered. Blood sprayed continuously through the air, staining the earth crimson. Severed limbs flew everywhere, and torn flesh and broken arms lay scattered across the ground, releasing a thick stench of blood that made people nauseous. Yet the warriors caught in the battle noticed none of it.

The primal slaughter had already turned their eyes red. Every one of them seemed to have become a bloodthirsty beast, tirelessly attacking the enemies around them.

With Neil Bergman joining the battle, his guard force displayed tenacious fighting spirit. And in terms of overall strength, his guards were stronger than the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's squad.

Not only did they possess an Advanced Warrior, but they also had as many as fifteen Intermediate Warriors, while half of the remaining warriors were professionals as well.

Had they not carelessly fallen into Roland's ambush, they might have been able to take Rising Light Island through sheer strength alone.

But they had first fallen into an ambush, then suffered the severe injury of Deeds. As a result, they took heavy losses as soon as the battle began, leaving the situation locked in a stalemate where neither side could break through.