Alfonso has always presented a refined and scholarly appearance, completely lacking the demeanor typical of a military aristocratic family.
This is precisely why many of the old marquis's subordinates actually looked down on him, believing that he had not inherited the family's excellent qualities and was not qualified to lead them, these "elite troops."
But at that very moment, Alfonso finally revealed the true nature hidden beneath his outward appearance.
He was no different from his ancestors, possessing boundless ambition and a thirst for war.
The only difference is that the other members of the Lang Family are the visible beasts, while Alfonso is a venomous snake skilled in disguise.
Riding on the back of the Hoofed Beast, [ with Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] never expected that this important figure, who was protected by many layers, would take the initiative to attack him.
What surprised him even more was that the guy in front of him seemed to be hiding some trump cards that he didn't know about.
In that instant of eye contact, [ the Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] saw Alfonso's eyes—a pair of grey-green vertical pupils, containing endless coldness and murderous intent.
He's also a half-dragon?!
At that moment, the thought suddenly popped into the mind of the Soul Returner.
However, after a few rounds of fighting, he realized his mistake.
The slippery scales perfectly parried his weapon; Alfonso's control over the engagement distance was almost perfect.
While marveling at how deeply the opponent had concealed their strength, [ the Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] felt something prick his leg.
[ Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] is somewhat of an experience-based player. When playing " World of Disorder," he likes to block out most of the pain sensations but raise the tactile sensations even higher.
The instant he felt pressure on his right leg, followed by a chill, he realized that he had ultimately made a mistake.
The tall Saili blocked most of his attacks, perfectly achieving his goal of restraining him.
Alfonso, however, was hiding in the shadows and successfully launched a sneak attack with a single blow.
Feeling his legs getting a little numb, [ with Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] dared not linger and immediately turned his Hoofed Beast around to accelerate again.
For some reason, despite having the opportunity to keep him there, Saili and Alfonso made no move to do so.
Only after the half-dragon man rode his somewhat Dragon Transformation- like Hoofed Beast out of the encirclement did the viscount once again regain his previous refined and courteous demeanor.
The dark green snake scales on his wrists gradually faded, and his vertical pupils also disappeared, returning his human aura.
Watching the departing figure, [ with Lion Hidden in the Eyes ], Alfonso couldn't help but sigh:
"We still don't have enough manpower. If [ Howling Pothos ] were here, we would definitely have won."
As the Viscount's first confidant, Knight Saili was not jealous of the "Northern Mountain People" who might take his place.
On the contrary, as a loyal knight, he wholeheartedly agreed with what Alfonso had just said.
The lord has far too few capable men under his command; if he doesn't find a way to replenish them, he will certainly be unable to accomplish anything.
"Gather the scattered troops, don't let the formation collapse!"
Alfonso gave the order again, then found a chair in the dismantled tent, sat down, and began to wait for the battle to end.
The night raid was not a large-scale attack, and the number of Soul Returner who came to launch the attack was actually far less than what was shown.
So the matter quickly came to an end, and the sky was beginning to lighten with a faint white glow. Looking at the whitening sky, Alfonso knew that the battle was about to end.
Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, another battle had already come to a complete end.
Centurion Atli, who had survived the ordeal, looked back and saw that only three or four soldiers remained behind him.
Upon witnessing this scene, his eyes widened in horror, and tears of blood almost streamed down his face.
As a true scoundrel of the Empire, Atli himself was quite eccentric, but that didn't prevent his intelligence from being... well, at least most of the time.
He knew that to win battles, he needed to cultivate trusted confidants, and to cultivate trusted confidants, besides good wine and meat, he still needed money and good equipment.
Therefore, whenever Atli acquired ill-gotten gains, he would always keep some to train his own elite troops.
And whenever there's something good to be done, he always brings along his best soldiers.
Over time, he did indeed gain some authority within his hundred-man team.
However, years of hard work were wiped out in one fell swoop due to a previous misjudgment, and whenever Atli thought of this, he felt his heart was bleeding.
What else can be done now?
The only way is to return to camp first and then discuss the matter further.
As long as I survive this incident, I will always find a way to make a comeback.
He had accumulated considerable wealth and maintained a fairly good relationship with the other centurions.
Once he got back, he first tried to get himself out of trouble, and then spent all the money to rebuild his hundred-man squad.
Although it's like starting all over again, there's still some hope.
Comforting himself in this way, Atli led his remaining five men (he found another one along the way) and slowly left the desert.
Feeling the ground beneath the Hoofed Beast's feet gradually harden, and the fine sand symbolizing the territory of the Skeleton Alliance turning into gravel little by little, Atli knew he was out of danger.
Those despicable skeletons didn't chase after me, and all I had to do was climb over that hill to get back to the camp!
As a few Hoofed Beast led a few remaining soldiers up the earthen slope, the last glimmer of hope was utterly Shattered at that moment.
What appeared before Atli was a military camp engulfed in flames.
The towering flames and smoke obscured half the sky, and without the mound of earth to block the view, shouts of battle and screams of agony began to reach his ears.
Those sounds that he had previously dismissed as nighttime noises suddenly seemed to take shape, like arms pulling and tearing at his body, telling of their endless pain and injustice.
This wasn't because Atli was overly self-conscious or had suddenly developed a sense of responsibility; rather, it was because he suddenly remembered—
Tonight, it's his 100-man team's turn to be on duty at the camp.
Of the elite scouts who were supposed to be patrolling around the camp, only a few remained behind him.
"Centurion, we..."
One of his trusted aides stepped forward and approached Atli, asking for a solution. His voice betrayed his obvious panic.
"No..."
Atli felt as if something was gripping his throat.
"There are no more centurions..."
He turned to look at his trusted confidants:
"If you're willing, you can come with me. As for where we're going, I don't know."
The people behind him weren't fools either; seeing this, they all understood the situation and fell silent for a moment.
However, just as they were debating whether to stay or leave, a sharp shout suddenly rang out in the pre-dawn night sky:
" Atli! You have ostracized your colleagues, allowed your troops to plunder, neglected your duties, and led to the camp being attacked at night!"
"I have been sent by the viscount, the centurion, to arrest you. Surrender now!"