Gnoll

There was no need for Ronan to personally hunt; his companions were far more skilled than him. After a simple fire was made for their afternoon meal, Ronan and his group continued their journey. Strangely, ever since Ronan entered the forest, he hadn't encountered any fierce predators, or even any large animals.

Ten days passed like this. Ronan still hadn't encountered the Feral Black Bear, even after the weekly quests refreshed. However, during these ten days, he had encountered a small wolf pack, a giant python, and various beasts like lynx and wild boars. Most of them ended up in Ronan's group's bellies, and their fangs and hides were stored in Ronan's backpack to be sold after leaving the forest.

During these ten days, the recruitment shop hadn't refreshed any powerful troop types. Nevertheless, Ronan still recruited a group of five Veteran Vigia Soldiers to bolster their melee strength, designating them as units Six through Ten. Ronan planned to number future recruits sequentially, with new soldiers filling the slots of any predecessors who fell. For external purposes, he would let them choose their own names.

These five Veteran Vigia Soldiers wore studded leather armor that extended to their legs, iron-bound boots protecting their calves, and iron-studded leather conical helmets. Parts of the helmet extended to protect their cheeks, leaving only a Y-shaped opening at the front for vision. Each soldier wielded a standard Germanic Sword and an iron-bound kite shield.

Two groups of Veteran Vigia Soldiers had been available that day, but considering potential shortages of food and water, Ronan only recruited one group.

Thanks to them, Ronan had emerged unscathed from a prior wolf attack. Ronan also learned that damaged equipment for recruited soldiers could be directly purchased and replenished through the recruitment system.

Ronan had already completed two of the three weekly quests that had refreshed this week, obtaining only some gold, experience, and a bottle of Wound Salve. Now, Ronan was attempting to complete the third weekly quest.

Enemy Gnolls

A small Gnoll tribe lives on your planned route. This area is their territory. Annihilate them for generous rewards. Of course, you can also choose to bypass them.

Reward: 3000 Experience, Starfall Katana (Excellent), Wolf Fang Necklace (Curiosity)

The Dianfu Katana in Ronan's hand had chipped edges and was dull from continuous battles and lack of maintenance. Moreover, Ronan was curious about the effects of this newly appeared Curiosity item.

Therefore, Ronan had already dispatched units Three, Four, and Five to locate the Gnoll camp. Since the quest mentioned it was on his direct path, all they needed to do was explore cautiously. As for the others, Ronan had sent them to hunt and extract oil. Ronan planned to repeat his previous tactic: ignite their dwellings with Fire Arrows at night and lead the Vigia Soldiers in a charge during the ensuing chaos, while the Nordic Archers would provide sniper support from behind.

As dusk deepened, Ronan and his group made their final preparations not far from the Gnoll camp. Ronan sat on a thick, exposed tree root, wiping the Dianfu Katana with a piece of cloth. Looking at its battle-scarred blade, Ronan said:

"After tonight's battle, you'll officially retire. But don't worry, as the weapon that accompanied me through the most difficult times when I first arrived in this world, I won't discard you. I'll keep you in my backpack for safekeeping. When I eventually have my own permanent residence, I'll find a blacksmith to repair you and display you on a shelf at home. This armor will be the same."

After a while, Unit One walked up to Ronan, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

"My Lord, it's time for the planned raid."

Ronan opened his eyes, a chilling killing intent flashing within them.

"Good. Let's move out. We'll slaughter those whelps."

The surrounding soldiers remained silent, merely bowing slightly and striking their chests with their right fists.

In the pitch-black forest, Ronan led his soldiers silently towards the Gnoll camp. In the silent night, only the chirping of insects and the rustling of bushes against their armor could be heard.

Upon reaching their destination, Ronan pushed aside branches and peered into the Gnoll camp. The camp was small, indeed a minor settlement, with about thirty simple thatched huts. Perhaps due to the Gnolls' lack of skill in construction, their dwellings were even more dilapidated than those of the savages Ronan had encountered before. Perhaps they hadn't encountered any creatures daring enough to challenge them for a long time, as the entire camp was deathly quiet, with no Gnolls on guard.

Waving his hand back to signal the soldiers to prepare, accompanied by the faint scraping sound of blades being drawn, the Vigia Soldiers unsheathed their Germanic Swords and unslung their shields, holding them in their hands. The Nordic Archers behind them began to wrap cloth around their arrows and douse them with oil, preparing to ignite them.

At Ronan's command, the Nordic Archers fired several volleys of Fire Arrows, accurately igniting most of the huts. The Gnolls immediately howled and charged out of their dwellings, many of them on fire. Their dry fur acted as excellent fuel. They screamed and rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames, while some of the Gnolls who weren't ignited desperately tried to put out the fires. One particularly tall Gnoll stood out; it was nearly two meters tall, a full head taller than the average 1.7-meter Gnoll. It wore a tattered armor crudely stitched from animal hides and, astonishingly, wielded a rusted Chain Mace with several broken spikes. It was now rallying other Gnolls to arm themselves and search for the enemy.

Seeing that the panicked Gnoll tribe was beginning to stabilize under the organization of the large Gnoll, Ronan knew it was an opportune moment. He drew his katana and charged forward, followed closely by the five Vigia Soldiers. The Nordic Archers continued to hide behind the bushes, providing suppressing fire.

Upon seeing Ronan and his group charge out, the Gnoll leader roared and waved its hand, causing several Gnolls beside it to rush towards Ronan. Aside from the leader, the other Gnolls were more crudely equipped, mostly lacking armor and armed only with Wooden Spears, Stone Axes, and simple Wolf Fang Clubs.

Dodging a thrusting Wooden Spear, Ronan simultaneously pinned the Gnoll's arm holding the spear with his left arm. Using his body's rotation, he propelled the Gnoll into the path of a Stone Axe being swung by another Gnoll. Blood splattered as the Gnoll that had been hit by the axe let out a slightly fearful roar before Ronan pierced its heart. Bending down to pick up the Wooden Spear, he forcefully threw it at the Gnoll leader.

At the same time, the Vigia Soldiers charged forward. They raised their shields in front of them, using the momentum to violently knock over the charging Gnolls before finishing them off with their swords. A Wooden Spear thrust by a Gnoll snapped directly against an iron-bound shield. Only the Gnoll wielding the Wolf Fang Club managed to force the Vigia Soldiers back a few steps.