Peak Showdown

"Guards, pass down the order for the entire army to prepare for battle."

"Beldens, let's go check it out."

As they were talking, Hudson had already pulled the Young Bear out of its sleep.

Ignoring Bear Beldens's resentful look, he urged Lord Bear to head in the direction the scout had indicated.

Hudson was forced to abandon his main force and personally go to the front lines to conduct reconnaissance.

When encountering elite Beastfolk, ordinary scouts simply lack the ability to conduct close-range reconnaissance.

With a push of its paw, the bear stretched and yawned, and a five-meter-tall giant bear appeared.

Upon seeing this flamboyant scene, Hudson rolled his eyes and leaped up.

Beldens, having picked up this bad habit from who-knows-where, has become increasingly pretentious.

Despite being able to control his size, he still prefers to appear in public as a giant bear.

Just like the gasps of surprise from a crowd, it's a beautiful melody.

The officers and soldiers of the Laite County Legion had seen it all before and had developed an immunity to it.

The other Moxi people in the group were different; they all stared in disbelief, followed by a chorus of exclamations.

The flying bear that seemed to be walking on air dazzled countless people.

Hudson corrected the beetle's flying posture more than once. Unfortunately, Beldens insisted that it was running, not flying.

Before everyone could react, the figures of the man and the bear had already disappeared into the horizon.

In the blink of an eye, they appeared at the place where the Beastfolk army's tracks had been discovered.

The original giant bear shrank back to a miniature version, leaving Hudson's silhouette in the air, as if he were riding the wind.

Anyone who saw this scene without knowing the context would surely exclaim, "Sky Knight!"

Looking down at the Beastfolk army below, Hudson couldn't help but curse Beldens for being unreliable.

What was supposed to be a secret investigation has now turned into a routine patrol.

Hudson glared at the innocent-looking Beldens and could only forcefully suppress his anger.

There's no way around it; bears have different perspectives than humans.

Walking in the air using Beldens' gravity magic is actually a kind of enjoyment.

If it weren't for this accident, Hudson would never have known that the Young Bear's control over Gravity Domain had reached this level.

It can only be said that the heart of a bear is no longer what it used to be.

It turns out that whenever Beldens came up with a new magic trick or a new way to play, he would immediately come to him to show off.

Now, even if Hudson asks, he just gives perfunctory answers.

It's practically saying: I'm a useless bear, don't bother me if you need anything.

To be this lazy and yet become one of the top experts on the continent. This shattered Hudson's jealousy.

He diligently cultivated every day without interruption, yet he was still barely on the threshold of becoming Great Knight.

Don't let your mind wander; we need to focus on the important matters at hand.

He immediately released a mist spell, enveloping the man and the bear.

From a distance, it looks like a dark cloud floating in the sky.

As Hudson surveyed the Beastfolk army, he felt both tense and excited.

The chaotic procession included Minotaur, Catmen, Goblins... a whole host of different races.

It wasn't until a flag bearing the head of a blood-red wolf appeared that Hudson became alert.

Ordinary Wolf Riders are not scary; their combat strength is not much higher than that of humans. What is scary is the Beastfolk royal family— the Silvermoon Wolf Tribe.

The method of judgment is very animalistic; just look at the size.

Ordinary werewolf soldiers are only about 1.5 to 1.6 meters tall; Silvermoon Wolf Tribe, on the other hand, start at 2 meters, and some of the more robust ones can even reach 3 meters.

A comparison of their sizes reveals the power of the Silvermoon Wolf Tribe.

The only saving grace is that the Silvermoon Wolf Tribe is small in number and has a different breeding pattern than ordinary races, evolving from ordinary werewolves.

This kind of awakening is purely a matter of luck; even if both parents are Silvermoon Wolf Tribe, their offspring are mostly ordinary werewolves.

Most of the time, the Silvermoon werewolf appears as a commander, much like the alpha wolf in a pack.

After a rough calculation, Hudson found that the number of Wolf Riders was more than five thousand. He knew that this battle was inevitable.

At this moment, the two armies were less than ten miles apart, and the other side had so many fast Wolf Riders, making it almost impossible to dodge.

The Beastfolk army before them numbered less than 20,000. Even with a small number of elite Beastfolk, the two sides could still put up a fight.

If we were to lead our army to flee now, under the pursuit of the Beastfolk army, it would likely result in a complete rout.

After surveying the surrounding area for dozens of miles and finding no trace of other Beastfolk armies, Hudson returned directly to the camp.

"Your Excellency Hudson, what is the strength of the Beastfolk army ahead?"

Rackel asked nervously.

Having suffered a brutal beating from the Beastfolk, the nobles of the Moxi Duchy were practically frightened birds, turning pale at the mere mention of Beastfolk.

"Don't worry, the Beastfolk army ahead is less than 20,000. The main ones to watch out for are the 5,000 Wolf Riders. The rest of the races' armies are all in disarray."

While some races may have decent individual combat capabilities, their individual strength is not very effective in chaotic battles.

I went to inspect the area, and the fortresses and strongholds at the front had not fallen.

This force must have bypassed the fortress and forced their way in from another area.

Hudson said, trying to sound casual.

The allied forces nominally had 30,000 troops, a clear numerical advantage.

In fact, only his Laite County Legion was truly capable of fighting.

As for the hastily assembled team of the Moxi people, Hudson believed it was merely used to inflate numbers.

These words are fine in theory, but saying them aloud would be incredibly tactless.

Even if our allies are weak, they still have 10,000 men.

If you really can't win and have to run away, they are also excellent meat shields.

His calm demeanor failed to quell the army's unrest. The news of five thousand Wolf Riders, in particular, caused an uproar.

The nobles of Laite County were alright; having seen Beastfolk slaves before, they weren't particularly afraid.

Some nobles from the North have begun to use their extensive combat experience to devise countermeasures.

The second generation of the Moxi Duchy were not up to par.

They were just lazy bums with little ability to begin with, and they all became terrified after hearing about the Beastfolk army.

Seeing this, Hudson's temper flared up, and he immediately reprimanded:

"Quiet down, all of you!"

This is a military camp, not a market. Anyone who keeps making noise, get out!

Since you have no strategy in mind, then just quietly follow orders.

In this battle, the Laite County Legion will be responsible for engaging the enemy. You will lie in ambush a mile away and wait for the signal to come out and attack them from both sides.

Send the order down to all units to find advantageous terrain, form ranks, and await the arrival of the Beastfolk army!

All cavalrymen, assemble and follow me.

Hudson said coldly.

The flat terrain makes it extremely difficult to employ tactics.

In order to prevent the fleeing soldiers from charging into the battle lines, Hudson had no choice but to keep the army of the Moxi Duchy outside the battlefield.

The so-called ambush was purely for psychological comfort.

Without terrain cover, no matter how well tens of thousands of troops hide, they will inevitably be discovered.

Infantry phalanxes can only withstand enemy attacks; to deal with enemy Wolf Riders, cavalry is still needed.

If you gather all the cavalry from both teams together, there are only a little over a thousand men in total.

Facing five thousand Wolf Riders head-on, Hudson had almost no chance of winning, and his mind was racing.

"Chieftain, a large human army is blocking our way ahead, numbering in the tens of thousands."

The enemy was very vigilant; our men had barely approached to scout when we lost more than a dozen of our scouts.

Upon hearing his subordinate's words, the old man instantly flew into a rage.

The soldiers who can serve as scouts are all elite members of the wolf clan.

Losing more than a dozen men and only gaining information about a single lake is a huge loss.

"They're all those damned eagle people. So what if our strategies are different? They won't even provide us with intelligence. They're clearly trying to embarrass my wolf clan."

Just wait, I'll settle this score with them after this battle!

The old man glanced at the group of clansmen who remained motionless and couldn't help but reprimand them:

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and organize the attack!"

Don't forget our mission. We've mobilized so many troops; we can't just abandon it because of a suddenly appearing human army, can we?

The old man had his reasons for being so reckless.

The main force of the Moxi Duchy is mostly concentrated in the fortresses and strongholds on the front lines, with very few elite troops in the rear.

Moreover, given the mobility of Wolf Riders, as long as they are not surrounded, they can escape even if they cannot defeat the enemy.

For an ordinary tribal chief, strategy and tactics are simply too far removed from reality.

Based on past combat experience, the strategy is always to charge straight in.

This rudimentary tactic is effective most of the time. Even in defeat, it allows for an unscathed exit.

There were no accidents, otherwise the old man wouldn't be alive now.

The internal competition within the Orc Empire is far more intense than that between the human nations. The struggle for resources between tribes is almost constant.

Brutal internal struggles were also a major driving force behind the Beastfolk' southward invasion.

In a short time, a simple temporary camp was set up.

While quietly waiting for the enemy to come to them, Hudson also selected soldiers skilled in horsemanship and archery and equipped them with Arrow Feathers.

Hudson had no experience to draw upon regarding how to play mounted archery tactics, so he had to figure it out on his own.

Given the vast disparity in cavalry numbers, a direct confrontation was not an option; they had to find another way.

Wolf Riders are fast, but their defensive capabilities are correspondingly low.

While the Wolf Riders' mounts, the war wolves, are fierce, their waists are their biggest weakness. If they were to be fitted with heavy armor, the war wolves would be worn out before they even entered the battlefield.

When selecting Wolf Riders, not only must they be strong in combat, but there are also requirements regarding the soldiers' physique.

The burly fat man rode on the back of the war wolf, but it wasn't long before the mount collapsed from exhaustion.

Only a few evolved giant wolves are capable of bearing the weight.

This high-end mount is exclusive to the Silvermoon Wolf Tribe, truly a noble among wolves.

"They're here."

Hudson stood up, looking at the Beastfolk army appearing on the horizon, and a strange thought suddenly arose in his mind.

If we lead the cavalry to charge now and scatter that group of orc Beastfolk, will they be scared away?

After a moment's thought, Hudson abandoned the idea.

Elite troops are forged in battle, and this Beastfolk army in front of us is perfect for gaining experience.

Moreover, as a general, he also needs military achievements now.

Showing weakness to the enemy and luring them to their deaths is far more effective than scaring them away.

Seeing the enemy's massive army pressing in, Hudson didn't sit idly by.

He immediately took out his Elf Bow, drew four Arrow Feathers the size of short spears, nocked them, and shot them at the leader of the Beastfolk army.

After a loud bang, four unlucky guys fell to the ground. The Arrow Feathers, however, didn't stop; it continued its charge forward, and then several more unlucky guys met their end.

In the brutal Beastfolk army, for soldiers of vassal races, injury was almost synonymous with death.

The sudden attack caused a brief moment of chaos in the originally murderous Beastfolk army.

Having no time to pay attention to the Beastfolk army's reaction, Hudson nocked four more bows and fired them again.

This happened repeatedly, frightening the orc Beastfolk who were at the forefront, who all became more cautious, fearing that they would be the next unlucky ones.

The impressive victory drew cheers from the soldiers of the Laite County Legion.

Someone started it, and countless soldiers joined in chanting, "Divine Bow Knight!"

The tense atmosphere of war was instantly dissipated, and morale was boosted.

In contrast, the Beastfolk army was shrouded in gloom and despair.

Realizing the danger, the wolf officer immediately ordered, "Divine Archer, counterattack!"

The centaur archers who stepped out of the ranks at the call raised their bows and arrows, then stopped.

This distance exceeds their maximum firing range. A counterattack would be pointless except for wasting precious Arrow Feathers.

In that instant, these exposed archers became Hudson's targets.

Faced with the incoming Arrow Feathers, the crowd was so frightened that they hurriedly fired their own arrows to intercept them.

With a loud "bang," the Arrow Feathers from both sides collided in mid-air.

A clash of titans, but unfortunately the outcome was one-sided.

After breaking through the Arrow Feathers, Hudson's Arrow Feathers still hit its target, and three centaur archers plus one unfortunate fellow fell to the ground.

The previous obstruction was not in vain; the Arrow Feathers's power was greatly weakened, and it did not continue to roam the battlefield after hitting its target.

Hudson was secretly astonished by what he saw. Someone in the Beastfolk army could actually block an arrow with a single shot—a true marksman!

Unfortunately, these centaur archers were unlucky and encountered an enemy with cheat codes.

While feeling sorry for their opponent, they didn't stop working.

The sound of Arrow Feathers the air with a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." became a nightmare for the Beastfolk army.

Before the enemy could even get close, our own men had already suffered heavy losses.

Upon receiving the message, the wolf chieftain, consumed by rage, angrily issued the following order:

"The enemy only has one Divine Archer, and he has already fired so many arrows; he won't last much longer."

"All troops, charge! Tear these human scum to pieces!"

The bugle call to charge sounded, and the officer who was giving the orders inadvertently exposed himself. He had only advanced a few steps with the army when he was taken away by an Arrow Feathers that pierced through the air.