Eagle Fortress in the Flames

In the wooded hills northeast of Eagle Fortress, Raven rested a hand on his sword hilt and watched in silence.

Behind him, Eric stood with his sword in hand and a grim expression. Thirty-two private soldiers sat together on the ground, worry written across their faces.

The bandits were rampaging through Eagle Town. Their families were very likely the ones under threat!

But no one dared act rashly. Raven had already explained his plan to them—to use Eagle Fortress as bait and catch the bandits in a trap.

For this reason, Raven had given up the fortress's defensive advantage. He had even left its main gate wide open and had not moved the Gold Coins of Angel's Tear from the warehouse. Everything had to look real enough!

Raven had not explained why, but the private soldiers understood perfectly well: they were too weak.

They were so weak that even with Eagle Fortress as a refuge, Raven did not dare trust their fighting ability or believe they could repel the bandits' assault!

A Fire Dragon appeared at the edge of Eagle Town. It then passed through the town and stopped in front of Eagle Fortress.

The private soldiers breathed sighs of relief, but their gratitude and guilt grew even stronger.

Raven was their lord, yet he had sacrificed his own property to protect their families. They were his loyal soldiers, yet they could not protect their territory and could only watch the bandits charge straight in!

"Lord Raven, shall we set out?" Eric asked quietly.

As an upright warrior, he had obeyed Raven's orders, but he still could not bear the thought of the people inside the fortress losing their lives.

Raven calmly shook his head. "Wait a little longer."

Now is not the best time yet!

Having personally trained these private soldiers, Raven knew them very well. They were loyal and brave enough, but in both killing experience and equipment, they were far inferior to their opponents.

Unless the right opportunity appeared, Raven would rather abandon this ambush!

The Eye of Truth was already active. Raven could clearly see that the bandit group contained two First-tier Transcendents, each carrying two excellent-grade items: a weapon and armor!

Ordinary weapons in the hands of ordinary people could do nothing against Enchanted Armor.

He felt fortunate that he had judged the situation correctly. If they had clashed head-on, those two men alone would have been enough to smash through his soldiers' formation. And besides them, there were sixteen heavily armed bandits.

"Donald, you still have a little sense of nobility left in you." Raven muttered to himself.

He now understood why Donald had leased the three territories to two different nobles.

For one thing, it would make it easier for a future heir to reclaim the territories. For another, it gave the weakened Eagle Territory a buffer, allowing it more time to discover the movements of the Bloody Highlands bandits.

The bandit group lingered at the gate for a while. Raven saw someone bend down and pick something up, and his brows relaxed slightly as he secretly let out a breath.

It was the insignia representing the Griffith Family. He had deliberately left it at the gate to dispel the bandits' suspicions.

Sure enough, not long afterward, the bandits entered the fortress in a grand procession, torches in hand.

A faint rustling came from behind him—the sound of spears striking the ground. Raven turned back expressionlessly and swept his gaze across his soldiers, calming their restlessness.

Still not yet.

Several more minutes passed. Lights began coming on one by one in the fortress's main building. The shadows of bandits could vaguely be seen moving inside, and faint, intermittent screams began drifting out.

It's time!

Raven exchanged a glance with Eric, raised his right hand, and swung it forward. He then rose first and raced down the mountain path!

The soldiers followed one after another. Their hearts nearly leaped from their chests, but none dared disobey Raven's order and make a sound. Their faces flushed red, their teeth clenched, and their eyes burned with anger and self-reproach.

Lord Raven was their ruler, yet because he had to accommodate their combat ability, he had been forced to choose such a humiliating strategy—abandoning his own fortress and allowing those damned bandits to burn, kill, and loot inside it!

This was Raven's humiliation, but it was even more so theirs. They had failed to fulfill their duty and responsibility!

Only blood could wash away this humiliation!

Their mouths opened, but no sound came out. Even so, Raven at the front could clearly feel their deafening roar!

It was the tremor of their synchronized footsteps and the determination that had brought their breathing into the same rhythm!

The one-kilometer mountain path should have taken at least ten minutes to cross. But under Raven's lead, the soldiers bounded along like flying birds and reached Eagle Fortress's gate in only five minutes.

The instant he crossed the drawbridge, Raven drew his sword and roared, "Kill!"

Behind him, the thirty-two soldiers roared at the same time, their voices rumbling like thunder. "Kill!"

The noise startled Anderson, who had been waiting in the hall. He spun around and looked through the open gate, meeting Raven's eyes and seeing the killing intent that seemed ready to swallow him whole!

Without needing anyone to identify him, Anderson was certain this man was Raven!

"Form up!" Anderson roared. He drew the saber at his waist, and a dark, viscous layer of battle qi wrapped around it. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it at Raven!

The saber cut an arc through the air, flying straight for Raven's face like a meteor. Raven neither dodged nor retreated. Just as the saber was about to split him in two, a broad Hand-and-a-Half Sword thrust out from the side.

With a deafening clang, the saber was knocked into the air before plunging into the ground with a sharp whistling sound.

A broad, steady figure stood in front of Raven.

It was Eric!

The thirty-two soldiers charged forward in perfect formation. Their eyes blazed with anger and killing intent, and that killing intent actually made Anderson feel a trace of fear!

He made his decision instantly. He lunged forward and slammed the gate shut with a boom, then raised the crossbar and locked it firmly.

By then, the bandits had heard the order and gathered in the hall. Anderson frowned and asked, "Where's Belly?"

The bandits looked at one another. "Chief, we haven't seen Deputy Chief Belly!"

"Forget it. Don't bother with him!" Anderson snorted. "This Raven has a little cleverness after all. He actually used the fortress as bait. Unfortunately, the fortress has more than one exit!"

"He wants to trap us inside? Fine! We'll go around the walls and stab them in the back!"

Eagle Fortress was a war fortress. The first and second floors of the main structure had passages leading to the walls on both sides. Among his bandits were plenty of skilled archers. From the high ground, they could make Raven learn what happened when cleverness outsmarted itself!

"Giving up the fortress was your greatest mistake!"

Boom—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four violent explosions rang out almost simultaneously. Before Anderson could understand what had happened, one of his men cried out in panic, "Fire! It's on fire!"

Anderson hurried over, his expression immediately turning grave.

At the end of the corridor, where the passage connected to the walls, transparent flames had ignited. They raced along the walls, turning a blazing orange-yellow in the blink of an eye!

Anderson did not know that these flames had been produced by burning Glycerin.

It was not only happening in front of him. The same thing was happening behind him!

"Damn it, we've been tricked!" Anderson gritted his teeth and rushed to the second floor. He kicked aside a corpse on the ground and saw the exact same scene there!

Damn it!

He had already guessed Raven's plan, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

What vicious methods! What ruthless resolve! What meticulous planning!

Raven had used the insignia at the gate to dispel his first wave of suspicion. The relatives and servants left inside the fortress had likewise been used to numb his vigilance!

The passages from the first and second floors to the walls must have been prepared with flammable materials in advance. Raven had also left his trusted men behind, waiting for the moment he returned for a counterattack before setting the fires and trapping the bandits inside the fortress!

"How is this possible..." Anderson clenched his teeth, unable to believe that he had fallen into someone else's trap—and that the trap had been set by a Sand Rat nicknamed "Little Bee"!

In only two months, Raven had actually gained a group of loyal confidants!

The danger of remaining inside the fortress was far greater than leaving with Raven. Once discovered, their best possible ending would be a swift and painless death!

Boom—

Another explosion rang out, followed by a scream that sounded nothing like a human voice.

Anderson rushed back to the first floor and saw Rotten Tooth rolling and howling in the corridor, his entire body wrapped in flames!

His brows twitched as he shouted, "What happened?!"

"Chief, Rotten Tooth just tried to escape through the window of the room beside him..." one bandit said.

Another bandit continued, "But the moment he opened the door, a Fire Arrow shot inside and ignited something in the room. Then... this happened..."

Boom—

Another explosion rang out, followed by even more blasts.

Anderson swept his gaze across the area and saw the doors of the rooms lining the first-floor corridor explode one after another. The wooden doors flew apart amid transparent flames before turning orange-red.

Except for the hall, the entire corridor had been engulfed in flames!

Anderson's brows twitched furiously. Dark-red blood showed through the scar on his lips. "Hmph. What a clever scheme... He wants to trap us inside!"

"But he forgot one thing. We're bandits from the Bloody Highlands, remorseless killers, the wind of the wasteland, and wolves of the grasslands!"

"And the men Raven leads are nothing more than farmers who have only just put down their hoes!"

"Men, remove the crossbar and charge out with me. Kill them all!"

The continuous explosions reached the third floor as well.

Amid the sound of tearing cloth, Belly held a shredded piece of fabric beneath his nose and inhaled deeply. An intoxicated smile spread across his face. "As expected of a baroness. You're different from every woman I've ever had."

He released the cloth, and it fluttered to the ground like a butterfly. He looked smugly at the beauty before him, who was almost naked.

Her thin nightclothes could no longer conceal her body. Large areas of smooth, jade-like skin were exposed to the stuffy air, rippling seductively with her fear and tension.

Although her undergarments still covered her, her full figure was ready to burst free. Her breasts escaped the cover of her arms, and the purple lace beneath them made her look even more alluring.

The thin fabric clung tightly to her waist, making it easy to imagine the hot, captivating curves hidden beneath it.

Belly took one step forward, and Denise took one step back. Her bare feet caught on the tangled bedsheets. With a cry, she fell against the wall.

"Don't come any closer!"

Denise's weak scream held none of her usual composure or arrogance. Only panic and fear remained. Tears pooled in her damp eyes, her full lips trembled, and her ample chest rose and fell rapidly. Her soft black hair clung to her face and neck, making her even more likely to awaken a man's primal bestiality.

"Cry, cry. I like beauties like you best..." Belly removed his helmet and placed it on the bed. He crouched down and seized Denise by the hair. "What beautiful lips!"

He slowly brought his face closer, his eyes full of the amusement of a cat playing with a mouse.

As a bandit, Belly had played with many women. No matter how chaste they were, once he had them by the hair, few could resist. Physical pain could destroy any will to fight back.

But a sharp glint suddenly flashed through Denise's eyes. She thrust her head forward despite the tearing pain in her scalp and bit down hard on Belly's lips!

"Ah!" Although he was a First-tier Transcendent, he had not yet reached the point of being impervious to blades. Denise's teeth were like sharp knives, sinking viciously into his flesh!

"Let go!" Belly yanked at Denise's hair, but that only made the pain in his face worse.

"I said let go!"

Smack—

Denise was still only a woman. Under Belly's furious blow, she was knocked against the wall, and blood gurgled from her ear.

"Bitch—bitch!" Belly still held a lock of black hair streaked with blood, but it did nothing to ease his rage. Denise had raised her head and was glaring at him provocatively. Then she opened her mouth and spat out a piece of chewed flesh.

It was his upper lip!

"You're asking for death!" Belly roared. "You were going to be my personal spoils, but I've changed my mind. I'll show you what kind of torment a woman can suffer!"

Denise's face was filled with contempt. "Fine. I'll wait."

Despite her words, she had already given up hope of survival. Her gaze fell on the shattered wine bottle on the floor. When Belly dragged her outside, she would use it to end her own life.

Just as Belly was about to step forward, the tightly closed window suddenly shattered with a crash, and a figure dropped into the room.

"Whew, fortunately I made it in time." Raven wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Denise. "Aunt, you don't seem quite as calm as I imagined."

Denise glared at him resentfully, but relief quietly filled her heart.

Belly drew the sword at his waist and took two steps back. "Who are you?"

"I've heard that bandits aren't very bright. It seems the rumors are true." Raven drew his own rapier and faced him. "You came to my fortress, stole my woman, and now you're asking who I am?"

"You're Raven?!" Belly sized him up. "Hmph. The rumors don't seem very reliable. I never imagined a Little Bee could lead an army in a counterattack. Even more surprising, you actually have the courage to face me!"

Raven raised his rapier. "Since I dared to come, I naturally have the confidence to kill you."

"Is that so..." Belly gripped his sword with both hands. A layer of pale-green light wrapped around its three-foot blade. "Then I'll see how you break my Storm Battle Qi!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already moved, charging straight at Raven like lightning!

The distance of only two meters was nothing to a First-tier Storm Swordsman. He could cross it in the blink of an eye!

However, the moment Belly took a step, Raven's left hand, which had been resting at his waist, suddenly rose. A point of cold light flashed, and a tiny crossbow bolt shot straight toward his face!

Belly's brows twitched slightly, but a disdainful sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. As someone who had survived in the Bloody Highlands, he was long accustomed to such underhanded tricks. He raised his blade slightly and knocked the bolt away, then turned the momentum of his sword and thrust it straight at Raven's throat!

At the same time, Raven blocked with his sword and charged forward, his left hand reaching for Belly's chest.

"Fool..." Belly softly spat out the word.

Although both of them wielded Enchanted Weapons, his speed and strength far surpassed Raven's. The instant their swords collided, Raven's arm would be broken by the impact. Whatever Raven held in his left hand would become limp and useless, unable to pierce his Enchanted Chainmail!

Yet at the instant their swords collided, Raven actually released his grip!

The rapier was knocked back by the longsword and slammed into Raven's chest. But Raven's left hand had already pressed against Belly's chest—a gleaming Enchanted Dagger in his grasp!

Belly's heart jolted, then relaxed again. His breastplate had also been enchanted. A tiny dagger could not possibly cut through it!

But the next moment, bone-chilling cold spread through his chest. Amid the intense pain, he felt all the strength drain from his body.

Clang...

The longsword fell to the ground. Belly lowered his head and stared at his chest in disbelief. "No... impossible..."

Dense, warm blood gushed from his mouth.

He remembered now. His Enchanted Chainmail had indeed been repaired.

But he could not understand how Raven had seen its only weak point!

With a thud, he fell to his knees and stared blankly at Raven. "Wh-why...?"

"Go ask the Goddess of Death." Raven kicked him in the chest and pulled out the dagger. Then he felt slightly dizzy and quickly stopped using the Eye of Truth.

While the Eye of Truth was active, Raven could clearly see the traces of transcendent power flowing through things. Naturally, he could also see the weak points in enchanted items.

With the Eye of Truth's help, he had also been able to locate Denise inside the pitch-dark fortress.

To Raven, Belly's breastplate glowed with a faint green light. The spot on his chest that emitted no light was therefore especially conspicuous.

Besides that, Raven could see the signs of battle qi flowing through Belly's body. Belly was a qualified Storm Swordsman, and every movement he made was driven by battle qi. Because of that, there were no secrets in Raven's eyes regarding what techniques he intended to use or what movements he would make.

Still, it seemed that using the Eye of Truth during combat placed a considerable burden on his body. In only a dozen seconds, he was as exhausted as if he had spent the entire night at hard labor.

"Oh, it really is lace."

Raven leaned closer to Denise in the corner, an ambiguous smile appearing on his face. His gaze swept over her curvaceous body, and he swallowed softly.

Perhaps because she had just experienced such a drastic rise and fall, a trace of daze lingered in Denise's alluring eyes. Blood that had not yet dried clung to her lips and chest, giving her a cruel yet fragile beauty.

"This is a life-saving favor. I'm sure you won't begrudge me a small token of gratitude."

Raven's fingertip brushed across her full lips, wiping away the blood. Then he slowly leaned closer...