No Choice This Time

Alice was mounted, the bow slung over his back, and Li Ang trotted to the camp entrance.

"Sarah, take the crossbowmen and defend the camp."

"Charge team! Are you ready?!"

But the charge team hadn't finished assembling when Sammer on the watchtower finally seemed to get a clear look and shouted, "Enemy attack! South!"

Then he jumped directly from the watchtower into the charge team's formation, "Gatu people! They're here!"

Kloze and Li Ang turned back sharply.

Lesley slumped weakly at the camp entrance, tears finally rolling down her face.

Since the Gatu people had left the battlefield where they attacked the merchant caravan and arrived here, everyone, including herself, could realize the fate of her caravan and her younger brother.

That shy young man wouldn't be coming back.

Those two Meitengheim people wouldn't be coming back either...

Li Ang looked at Sarah, only to find Sarah looking back at him.

Sarah threw an arm around the grieving Lesley, gently rubbing her chest and patting her back as she retreated into the camp with her.

Then, the incredibly intelligent Vixen asked the question Li Ang also wanted to ask.

"Lesley, you're leaving Long River Town... did something happen in Long River Town too?"

Sarah possessed far greater than normal affinity. Her gentle voice calmed Lesley's grief somewhat.

Lesley wiped her face haphazardly, yet tears immediately welled up again. "Yes... there was a battle in Long River Town, which is why I followed Karn and the others here with the caravan... Lord Li Ang! Please give me a sword!"

Li Ang shook his head. "You should rest, Lesley. Until we fall, it's not your turn to fight."

The words were heroic, but Li Ang felt miserable inside. He knew what was going on.

Besides the Tongtian River west of Long River Town, there were likely Gatu cavalry units in all other directions around Long River Town. Since he and Sarah had encountered Gatu people five hundred miles from the border, it was highly probable that more than just that one century had entered the Long River Town area.

Li Ang and Sarah had both realized this, which was why they had rushed to deliver the warning so urgently.

The Horn Summon Ranger Corps' defense method was dynamic and chain-like – a single move affects the whole system.

This defense system, which relied on horns for summoning and rapid response for rescue, was efficient with few loopholes. The rangers and scouts had always been successful in quickly intercepting foreign enemies in dangerous border areas.

But the problem was, once enemies appeared in the kingdom's heartland, and especially if they were multiple scattered Gatu guerrilla groups from various directions, the Horn Summon Rangers would be tied down around Long River Town, chasing back and forth, exhausted!

Because they had to save any village!

And when horns sounded everywhere, the chain defense would falter, forcing them to dispatch troops for traditional area defense.

That's why Ralph had to ask Li Ang to hold the riverbank camp. This was indeed the entrance for those Gatu centuries to sneak into the Long River Town hinterland, and more Gatu couldn't be allowed in before the stragglers in the hinterland were cleared.

At the same time, to prevent Li Ang's 'prophecy' from coming true, this camp had to fall into the hands of the Horn Summon Ranger Corps and become a ranger outpost, so the people of Long River Town would feel at ease.

The three signal fires from Brave Shield Fortress and the news of the Gatu army gathering compelled Ralph to clear out the internal enemies as quickly as possible. This would allow the rangers stationed in various places to be freed up to reinforce the border.

So, he first had Sarah ask Li Ang to hold the line, instead of bringing his troops over to garrison it directly. This was because Ralph had to send out all his men at that time to pursue and annihilate the stragglers in the hinterland, aiming for a swift victory.

According to Li Ang's original plan, the Horn Summon Rangers, with their large number of rangers and familiarity with the terrain, should have quickly dealt with a few scattered Gatu units after deploying their entire force, and then come to take over the defense of this camp.

After all, there shouldn't be too many Gatu people sneaking into the hinterland to cause trouble.

So he agreed readily. He thought he only needed to hold the Tongtian River bank for a day or two.

He was confident he could delay the enemy across the river for a while.

Judging by Ralph's request, Ralph likely thought the same at the time.

But the problem was...

Neither Li Ang nor Ralph expected that something unexpected would happen within Long River Town.

Lesley said there was a battle in Long River Town. There was only one explanation for this: taking advantage of Ralph sending out all his troops and the Long River Town garrison being empty, someone had launched an attack from within, intending to seize Long River Town!

Who?

Who else could it possibly be...

But this was defying all righteousness! This was blatant looting during a crisis!

Once the Gatu army retreated, the Horn Summon Ranger Corps would surely tear apart whoever seized Long River Town, leaving not even scraps!

But the problem was, what should he do now?

Facing two hundred Gatu cavalry coming from behind, with no defensible position in the camp, how could they fight?

Li Ang drew his sword.

"Bring that guy down to me!"

It seemed he had to charge into battle and risk his life again... This time, there was truly no other choice.

He might have underestimated the Gatu people's tactical execution, and he might have underestimated the schemes of these 'Pendor native nobles'!

Their calculations were far more complex than in the game!

"Lord, should we break through?"

Kloze seemed ready to fight to the death.

"No, I can't let you get into a fight to the death..."

Li Ang didn't act rashly, nor did he lead the charge to break out. Instead, he had everyone retreat into the camp. Almost all his subordinates were infantry now, and they absolutely couldn't outrun the Gatu people's horses.

"Quick, quick! Get inside! Get onto the walls!"

Li Ang waved his hands, telling everyone to hide in the barracks or behind the ramparts. He even led the horses to a corner of the camp and tethered them beneath the 'rampart.'

The space beneath the wooden rampart was hollow and could hide quite a few people.

However, seeing that Li Ang himself hadn't moved, Kloze also stayed put. "Lord, I do not fear death. Charging with a brave captain doesn't count as a fight to the death..."

"Kloze, obey orders and go hide!"

The Gatu people arrived quickly.

Just two minutes later, these cavalrymen trotted over and gradually surrounded the small camp.

Just as Li Ang and Sarah had seen before, these Gatu people also carried all sorts of miscellaneous daily necessities on their horses.

Li Ang even saw a few familiar jars of coconut wine.

These more than two hundred people and horses stood about a hundred meters outside the camp, not rashly charging.

It had been raining continuously, and the Gatu people's nomadic bows would get damp, greatly reducing their effectiveness in mounted archery in this weather.

The ground was incredibly muddy, which was disadvantageous for the charge of the lancer cavalry.

The camp was located by the riverbank, with uneven terrain, and nearby were gentle slopes leading into a valley. Horses were not agile in such an environment.

So, they didn't attack immediately.

Of course, it might also have something to do with Li Ang's current posture...

Li Ang was standing in the middle of the camp, striking a pose, holding the Gatu warlord as a human shield.

He wasn't riding a horse or using a spear. One hand gripped the warlord's neck, and the other held his sword.

Three sides of the camp had no outer walls. The low fences were merely to enclose the area and prevent the horses from running wild; these wooden fences, about a meter high, couldn't stop anyone.

Everything inside was in full view. The empty camp was filled with miscellaneous items everywhere, and no other people could be seen.

The Gatu warlord was clearly a tough guy. He saw his tribesmen and seemed to intend to shout something.

But he could no longer make any meaningful sound, only struggling to emit some fly-like, indistinct noises with muffled grunts.

Li Ang had already covered his mouth.

Although he was still wearing gear similar to that of a Gatu war rider, he definitely couldn't fool the Gatu people this time, nor did he intend to.

Buying time—this was the only result Li Ang wanted to achieve right now.

The Gatu cavalry outside looked at the bizarre scene and seemed to be intimidated. They even dispatched two small squads of about ten men each to search and scout the vicinity.