However, XiXi overlooked one problem: the magic didn't end once the person was frozen. Of course, it's also possible that she genuinely couldn't maintain the magic any longer.

After Xixi fell, the overjoyed mercenaries discovered that the giants, who had been frozen in place, began to move slowly. At this moment, the hard frost acted like a layer of armor, blocking the crossbow bolts they fired at the giants. And they had not prepared any spears or similar weapons.

However, frozen giants move much slower. Although their lethality is greatly reduced, their defense remains strong, or even stronger.

"Retreat, retreat! Retreat behind the bridge and use the terrain to block them."

The soldiers picked up Hee-hee and quickly retreated behind the bridge, standing ready for battle. They no longer sought to kill the giants, but only to protect themselves.

The other soldiers were in a more awkward situation. They were trapped on the other side and had lost all possibility of returning.

The giants, regaining their senses, looked at the soldiers on the other side of the bridge and charged forward menacingly. Whether out of rage or forgetting what they had done, one of them quickly fell into the large hole. Then, the giants behind him, not paying attention, crashed into it with a thud, and several of them ended up blocking the huge archway of the bridge, pressed together.

This is a rare opportunity. After all, these Aruru mercenaries have gone through several wars with Yun Zhe. It would be too much to just stand by and watch under these circumstances.

A barrage of crossbow bolts flew, quickly piercing the giants' heads.

The soldiers finally resolved the immediate crisis. But on Yun Zhe's side, the soldiers could only pray.

Yun Zhe wasn't as bad as they imagined. Once inside the forest, the giants' massive size advantage vanished. Yun Zhe used this to his advantage, constantly kiting them. However, the giants were tough and resilient, and even after the magic was unleashed, Yun Zhe had only managed to take down one of them.

Although magic was far removed from them, the giants' innate fear of it made them abandon their pursuit of Yun Zhe and instead observe the fate of the others struck by the magic. Upon seeing the giants frozen into white icicles, they did not seek revenge but instead scattered and fled.

Yun Zhe did not act immediately. He was relieved that today's encounter had been narrowly safe, and began to carefully observe the giant he had killed.

Yun Zhe was most concerned about two things: whether there was a leader around and whether the giant also had the cage tattoo. However, Yun Zhe ran around but did not see anyone else. It was also too difficult to strip a giant of his armor. After trying several times, Yun Zhe finally gave up and walked out of the forest dejectedly.

The battle on the other side of the bridge had obviously ended, but the scene of its conclusion seemed somewhat different from what Yun Zhe had imagined.

Fortunately, this wave of attacks was thwarted, but how many more such dangers will there be on the road to Fort Donic?

Three mercenaries have already sacrificed their lives, and the dangers ahead will only increase. How many more will perish along the way? Yun Zhe couldn't help but think about what he needed to do now, and how many more would he have to sacrifice along the way to stick to his beliefs?

Fighting to the end might not sound difficult, and understanding the stakes is easy, but humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? How many people will this decision save, and how many will it take away?

Yun Zhe looked at the busy soldiers and thought, "Even if I understand, how much can they understand?"

Things got complicated. Yun Zhe cleared his throat and signaled everyone to stop what they were doing.

"Everyone, our journey to Donic is destined to be fraught with danger. Attacks like this will continue to occur, so you must be prepared."

“Sir, what are you saying? We are your protectors. No matter where you go, we will protect your safety. Whoever threatens your safety, we will eliminate them,” one of the captains hurriedly said.

Yun Zhe looked at him; a young Aruru man with a sunny smile and decent looks.

"Good, it's good that you have this awareness." Yun Zhe ultimately didn't say everything he wanted to say. In the end, he gave up explaining everything. After all, sometimes, knowing less isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Yun Zhe and his group continued onward, but Xi Xi, who was completely exhausted, lay sprawled on her horse, severely slowing down the overall pace of their journey.

"It's all your fault. If I had rested well last night, I could have taken them down with a single spell, and I wouldn't be so exhausted now."

Yun Zhe walked beside Xi Xi, listening to her complaints without saying a word.

"Yun Zhe, although I hate you, I know you've always done things for Miss's good. But this time, can Miss really win?" Xi Xi raised her head, looked at Yun Zhe with complicated eyes, and asked softly.

"There are two pieces of good news. First, we found out early enough. Second, they are starting to get anxious. Although I still can't figure out exactly where the problem is, getting anxious makes it easier to make mistakes. I think this might be our opportunity."

"So that means we have a better chance of winning?"

Yun Zhe glanced at Xi Xi, not wanting to spoil her good mood. In Yun Zhe's opinion, their chances of winning had only increased from 10% to 1.1%, which was not a substantial improvement.

“Our chances of winning have indeed increased somewhat, but it’s clearly not enough,” Yun Zhe said calmly. “Besides, I’m actually not sure whether Serena should resist or not.”

“Miss will definitely not compromise,” Xixi said softly. “Not only will she not compromise, she will also strengthen herself and wait for an opportunity to take revenge. After all, she has finally found her enemy.”

Yun Zhe nodded, his heart filled with complex emotions. In Yun Zhe's view, deliberately waging war against a certain race was genocide, something that would never be allowed in his world. It was also forbidden by the education he had received since childhood, and something that the Afrika Academy could not operate under.

Yun Zhe couldn't guess what the mastermind was after, nor did he want to know. Throughout history, there have always been madmen who sought to enrich themselves under the guise of reforming society. This mastermind was clearly one of them.

If Yun Zhe hadn't known these things, he could have easily gone with the flow and ended up getting caught up in the war against the elves. But now that he had a clear understanding of the situation, how could he stand idly by and remain uninvolved?

"Any action we take toward the world should be based on our understanding and exploration of it, rather than on our definition and transformation."

This is not only the motto of Avery University, but also Yun Zhe's worldview.