Oldwood Fortress

During this period, Aptitude Crystal Balls had begun appearing in batches. As long as one became a citizen of Despair Fortress, one had to undergo testing before being assigned to their respective camps. With instruction tailored to individual aptitude, the overall strength of Despair Fortress had improved remarkably.

By now, the number of Third-Tier Great Swordsmen within Despair Fortress had reached four digits, while Fourth-Tier Swordmasters were nearing three digits. As for Fifth-Tier Heroes, they were not beings Carter had the authority to know about.

Under this tailored instruction, Despair Fortress had also established a three-hundred-man Mage Corps. Most of its members were currently only first- or second-tier, but the level 10 spells they could cast together were still an existence of extreme terror. Even Fifth-Tier Heroes had to avoid their edge.

These were the hardware strengths of Despair Fortress.

Its software strength was equally terrifying. Take the ten Magic Watchtowers in the South District, for example. Each was equipped with four Magic Cannons, and every shot from a Magic Cannon possessed the power of a fourth-tier spell.

Despair Fortress had now begun trying to distribute Magic Cannons among the army. As for weapons and equipment, there was no need to mention them. White-grade equipment was sold off, but who could have imagined that even the worst equipment in Despair Fortress's army was Refined Iron Grade? Those elite units had already begun receiving Silver Grade equipment.

Soldiers of equal strength—if one wore white-grade equipment and the other Silver Grade equipment—unless they struck a vital point, they simply could not break through the defense.

Avilan looked at Mi Yue, his expression turning exceptionally sharp. Killing Intent overflowed as he said coldly, "Mi Yue, I order you to lead the Wild Demonfolk and Catfolk legions tomorrow and attack Oldwood Fortress!"

"This subordinate accepts the order!"

A thread of excitement abruptly flashed through Mi Yue's eyes. It had already been over a month since she had last drunk elven blood, and she had long been unable to hold herself back. The Killing Intent in her eyes suddenly surged, while a bloodthirsty edge burst from her body, cold to the marrow, its red glow dazzling!

This time, she would certainly capture several hundred blood meals alive and raise them for her future feeding.

"Zhou Yu, receive your orders!"

Avilan turned his head toward Zhou Yu and gave the command in a deep voice.

"This subordinate is here!"

Zhou Yu dropped to one knee, her features valiant and imposing as she clasped her fists.

"I order you to establish Satellite Town at the fastest speed. Choose your manpower freely!"

Without hesitation, Avilan stated the plan he had long since considered.

"This subordinate accepts the order!"

Zhou Yu bowed respectfully.

"Lady Mi Yue, Oldwood Fortress lies twenty li ahead!"

Within a stretch of mountain forest, Mi Yue stood quietly with an indifferent gaze. A Catfolk rogue rushed over from afar, dropped to one knee, and reported loudly.

Mi Yue looked ahead. As far as her eyes could see, everything was green—lush grass and trees, dense and flourishing.

This time, she had not chosen the main road, instead taking only narrow paths. Though beast attacks were unavoidable, they had more than two thousand men, all second-tier swordsmen or above, with nearly four hundred Great Swordsman experts among them. They feared nothing.

After all, the alien race legion did not currently have many troops. Launching a frontal assault was truly unwise. Only a surprise attack could settle the battle in one stroke and reduce losses to a minimum!

"Continue onward!"

She shouted, shaking the mountain forest. More than two thousand elite soldiers followed close behind, armored and helmeted, halberds and spears standing like a forest.

Half an hour later, they were only a few li from Oldwood Fortress. Mi Yue stood atop a great tree, her eyes slightly narrowed as her cold gaze aimed directly at Oldwood Fortress's southern gate.

Though separated by a great distance and blocked by towering trees, Mi Yue's gaze was sharp, not the slightest bit inferior to an eagle's in the sky. The scene at Oldwood Fortress's southern gate was clear in every detail.

The city gate stood half-open. Dark Elf soldiers in armor and carrying weapons guarded both sides without letting their eyes stray. Only a narrow path wide enough for a single carriage had been left in the center. Many races stood in winding lines like long dragons, slowly entering the city.

Every alien race member entering the city was questioned carefully. Those whose strength had reached the Great Swordsman level found it even harder to enter, facing especially strict inspection.

Oldwood Fortress stood at the border between the Messiah Great Forest and the Silent Night Forest. It had always been the only trade fortress in the Messiah Great Forest. Alien races from within the Messiah Great Forest often came here to trade, and even the Munk Kingdom, thousands of li away, sent large merchant caravans here at intervals.

Oldwood Fortress's walls stood more than twenty meters high, gleaming with blue-green light. Wood-element spells had clearly been added to them, greatly increasing their defensive power. Ordinary weapons could scarcely pierce them.

Atop the city walls, a Dark Elf soldier stood ramrod straight every ten paces. Their emerald armor was exceptionally splendid, with spears upright in their hands and bows gripped tightly. There were also heavy crossbows crouching silently like savage giant beasts, their sharp glints flashing.

Mi Yue watched coldly, as though she possessed eyes that could see a thousand li, observing everything in extraordinary detail. Yet Oldwood Fortress's defenses were even tighter than she had expected.

The power of heavy crossbows was immense, their speed surpassing the limits of the human body. Among Great Swordsmen below the fourth tier, few could withstand them!

The elves truly deserved to be called the strongest race on the Cliff Continent. Whether in overall strength or weapons and equipment, they swept aside all other races.

From earlier until now, Mi Yue had not seen a single Dark Elf below the second tier. Their equipment was also quite good, with much of it at Refined Iron Grade.

She had originally intended to catch them unprepared and launch a direct assault. With her strength, she could break through the city gate in a short time. But the twenty heavy crossbows atop the walls made her deeply wary. She herself would be unharmed, but the Wild Demonfolk and Catfolk soldiers under her command would find them hard to resist!

Mi Yue muttered to herself, cold light blooming in her eyes. Her hair flew in the wind, Killing Intent spreading through the air, icy to the bone.

"Rest where you are. Do not light fires. At midnight tonight, we breach the city!"

She turned to face the alien race legion's soldiers and shouted her orders, her voice low as Killing Intent rose and fell.

"Aini, make preparations. Enter the city with me tonight and break open the gate!"

She looked at the commander beneath her and issued the command indifferently.

"Yes, Mi Yue!"

Aini nodded and began making arrangements.

Aini was one of the members of the Destruction Secretariat. For now, he was the strongest person beneath Mi Yue, a level 54 Bloodkin.

Dim starlight shone down. The waning moon slanted westward, dark clouds filled the sky, and the night wind swept through, bringing waves of chill in this early spring season.

Mi Yue waved her hand, and a group of people immediately appeared soundlessly at the edge of the mountain forest. They stood quietly, like statues, unmoving as mountains.

"When the city gate is broken, charge out at once and kill your way into Oldwood Fortress! Do you understand?"

She looked at another commander, Miuo, and gave the order coldly.

"Rest assured, Lady Mi Yue!"

Miuo held a longsword, his expression exceptionally resolute. This was the Catfolk's first battle for Despair Fortress; failure was absolutely not allowed.

Mi Yue nodded without saying anything further. She raised her head and looked into the distance. The night was hazy, making it almost impossible to see. Oldwood Fortress lay there like an ancient savage beast, crouching upon the earth.

They were only three li from Oldwood Fortress. This was the end of a forest stretching outward; beyond it lay a broad expanse of open ground without the slightest cover. Many tree stumps still remained on the ground, clearly cleared deliberately by the Dark Elves. Combined with the Dark Elves' night vision, a night raid was almost impossible to carry out.