The Final Battle Was Imminent
Kled knew Darius very well and knew he had made up his mind, so he said no more. ☠👺 🎈🍮
Darius summoned Rappor, and the three of them devised a new battle plan.
I wasn't interested in their plans, so I left the tent with Twisted Fate, who looked worried.
"While the Noxus are formidable, I don't believe they can defeat an enemy like that."
Are you still planning to continue helping?
"To be honest, I'm hesitant. If I continue to help him, I might just waste my time, or even risk my life. But without his help, it will be very difficult for me to find him."
"You said Goddess of Fortune always favors you, why not believe in yourself one more time?"
"Haha, you're quite the talker. Alright, I'll give it a try. But let me make this clear: if things don't go well, I'll be the first to run away."
"You should tell that to Darius, because I'm going to run away too."
We looked at each other and laughed. We really are two unreliable people!
Their meeting went on for a long time, and in the end, Riven and I were called away by Kled, who would be in charge of the elite squad, the one that would directly confront the Bearman.
Twisted Fate remained in charge of gathering intelligence, his Insight Technique and Teleportation proving very useful.
I don't know how Darius and Rappor acted, but they continued to split into two groups.
We were traveling in a small team, which made things easier, and we quickly arrived in the woods.
Spring comes later in Freljord than elsewhere; only occasional grass sprouts can be seen on the ground, the trees are all bare, and the thick fog greatly restricts our vision.
Our elite squad has a total of ninety people, divided into nine teams of ten.
The eight people who came with Riven and me were all her admirers, so naturally, she became our captain.
Each team has someone skilled at sensing auras; they are called "Wind Listener."
Our team's Wind Listener is named Ayaqi. He sensed something unusual as soon as he entered the forest, and other teams must have been on guard as well.
It's quite a coincidence that anyone associated with following trends always manages to inspire me, Ayaqi is no exception.
His Insight Technique is essentially a mastery of the wind; he can sense the energy fluctuations within the oncoming wind.
The extent to which one can perceive depends on individual ability; in his case, he could sense about one-third of the forest.
Inspired and guided by him, I tried to sense it myself and was pleasantly surprised to find that as long as I grasped the principle, I could do it too!
Riven is no exception; we are all inheritors of the Wind Riding Technique, so we are adept at learning this Insight Technique.
After we learned it, our sensing range was even farther Ayaqi's, which made the others admire us even more.
However, while I was pleased, I also realized how strong the enemy was. They were moving south, seemingly actively seeking battle!
We arrived here in the early morning, and Darius's army arrived when the fog thinned a bit at noon.
He was cutting down trees as he marched, and the huge noise was audible without needing to sense it. Soon, our men arrived behind us, a large and imposing Rappor.
Riven broke off three tree branches and handed them to Ayaqi: "Send this to the Flame Legion, as fast as you can!"
"Yes!"
After Ayaqi left, I asked Riven what it meant, and she told me it was the Noxus army's assessment of danger.
When conducting field patrols, if enemy movements are detected, the team leader will determine the danger level and report it back to the army.
There are five danger levels in total. The three tree branches indicate that Riven judges this battle as level three, meaning it's evenly matched!
If the danger level is level four, retreat should be considered; level five is absolutely not a safe battle.
Wouldn't it be more convenient to use language directly?
"Many times, messengers fail to return safely, or they die from severe injuries upon their return. In such cases, the information carried on their bodies becomes crucial."
Riven spoke very seriously; her years of military service had made these habits unforgettable.
Soon after, Ayaqi returned with a command arrow, signifying that the battle would continue.
Not only did Rappor make this judgment, but Darius did as well, because the War Axe Legion had already fired the signal flare for an attack.
"Prepare for battle!" Riven ordered, and we quickly moved south.
When we arrived at the battlefield, the War Axe Legion had already launched their charge. They outnumbered the Winter's Claw by several times, and with the addition of Rappor's men, it was almost a crushing defeat.
However, we all know that their trump card, the Bearman, hasn't been used yet.
After Sejuani marched south, she kept retreating, clearly intending to lure the Noxus army into the forest.
Darius did not pursue rashly, but continued to advance steadily. We provided cover on the flanks, and as soon as we saw the Bearman, we immediately appeared to engage him.
Rappor's movement speed is much faster; he doesn't need to fight head-on, he just needs to coordinate to form an encirclement.
At night, the army ceased its movements. Sejuani was not skilled in night combat, while the Noxus army was more adept at it. However, to be on the safe side, they decided to wait until the next day to take action.
The forest was exceptionally quiet at night; apart from the crackling of the fire, everything was utterly still.
The Noxus army adapted well to this situation, sleeping soundly even on the eve of the battle.
Riven and I didn't sleep. Facing a formidable opponent, we need to stay alert at all times.
"After this battle is over, we should really relax. The trip to the North is liberating, but it's not easy at all."
"As you say, to avoid Darius assigning us any more missions, we'll leave immediately after the battle!"
"Where would be a good place to go? By the way, are you interested in Piltover?" I suddenly remembered the exploration log from Watchpost of the Dead and wanted to go see Ezreal.
"Piltover? I've heard it's a city of technology. I hope they can restore my greatsword."
"It's settled then!"
Aside from meeting Ezreal, I'm filled with curiosity about Piltover and eager to know what the technology of this world is like.
Having advanced transportation would be ideal; while Ironhorn Bull is safe, it's very outdated!
Riven wholeheartedly agreed, often saying that the Ironhorn Bull were too slow, and that she wouldn't have chosen the cumbersome oxcart if it weren't for the sheer amount of stuff she needed to carry while traveling in the North!
We chatted like this, here and there, and before we knew it, a fog had rolled in. We remained cautious and vigilant, and thankfully nothing happened until dawn.
The day of the decisive battle has finally arrived. With the sound of bugles, the army launches a full-scale attack!