Linde changed his strategy. He no longer simply passively drove them away or relied on watchtowers for deterrence.
He personally selected a group of elite bronze warriors to form several rapid response squads.
This well-equipped squad, familiar with the terrain, led by Lind or commanded by Astaire and Raymond, acted like a pack of leopards hunting, taking advantage of the complex terrain formed by the newly built fortifications and trenches to launch a proactive "mopping-up" operation.
They no longer confined themselves to the area around the castle, but boldly ventured several miles forward, using the terrain to set ambushes or intercepting lone or overly trespassing Sass scouts at an even faster pace.
"put!"
With a low shout, the crossbowmen, who had been lying in ambush behind the ruins of the abandoned village, pulled the trigger. The powerful bolts whistled through the air, accurately shooting down a Sass scout who was trying to approach and observe the progress of the earthen wall.
"Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"
Raymond roared and led a squad of cavalry out of the woods on the flank, blocking another three-man squad that was trying to retreat on the narrow, ruined road.
"Disarm and you will not be killed!"
Linde's voice carried an undeniable authority. He rode a bronze-light mount, and his gold-level aura pressed down like a tangible force, instantly shattering the will to resist of the last two surrounded scouts. They trembled and dropped their weapons.
For several days in a row, Lind and his squad achieved remarkable results.
Several elite Sassian scout squads were annihilated, and more than a dozen scouts were captured.
These prisoners were quickly taken back to Greenburg, where Astaire personally led a team to conduct separate, rigorous, but effective interrogations.
In the dimly lit cellar, torches flickered, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and fear.
Astaire's methods were direct and efficient, requiring little torture. When the prisoners saw their companions being taken away separately and heard the screams coming from the next cell, their psychological defenses quickly collapsed.
Desperate to survive, they eagerly revealed what they knew, and through mutual corroboration, the truth gradually came to light.
Linde carefully reviewed the interrogation records compiled by Astaire, his brow furrowing and relaxing at times.
The record clearly points to several key pieces of information.
Firstly, the main force of the Sassa team is retreating and reorganizing.
They abandoned some secondary outposts and concentrated their forces on several more fortified strongholds and transportation hubs, clearly licking their wounds and digesting the consequences of the defeat at Grinburg.
Secondly, and most importantly, they were waiting for reinforcements!
All the prisoners' testimonies pointed to the south, and that Orc reinforcements were on their way!
These people, who came from across the ocean and had thoroughly torn apart the Sass Empire many years ago, were one of the reasons why the Sass dared to challenge the Kree.
According to the prisoners, after losing the Shadow Abyss Splinter, the commander of the Sass had urgently requested help from the Orks, asking them to speed up their northward advance.
The Sassians' plan was to avoid a large-scale decisive battle with Count Sutherland's main force before the arrival of the Orc reinforcements.
The frequent reconnaissance of Grinburg was to monitor the movements of Lind's forces and the progress of their defense construction, in preparation for a subsequent counter-offensive.
Linde put down his notes, let out a long sigh of relief, and finally his nerves, which had been tense for many days, were able to relax a little.
He looked at Astaire and Raymond, who were waiting beside him, and said in a deep voice:
"It seems our 'guests' won't be visiting for the time being."
"My lord, you mean..."
Astaire asked.
"The Sassians are waiting for their Orc brothers."
Lind's finger traced the direction of the main force of the Sassians' retreat on the map and the possible route of the northern Orks.
"The loss of Shadow Abyss creations terrified them. Without the fresh blood of the Orks and... the 'new toys' they might bring, they dared not easily try to take on the tough nut of Grinburg again."
Raymond grinned, a hint of cruelty in his expression:
"Let them wait! When their brothers arrive, we can test how strong our newly built fortifications are!"
Linde nodded, but his expression remained serious:
“That’s right, it’s inevitable that the Orks will move south. So, the time we have to fortify Greenburg, stockpile supplies, and rest our troops is the window of opportunity left before the Orks arrive from the north.”
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the faint sounds of construction coming from outside the cellar.
"Pass down the order: the harassment by the Sassians' scouts will be reduced, but patrols and vigilance must not be relaxed in the slightest! All fortification construction must proceed at full speed! We must turn Greenburg into a wall of sighs that those Orks can never cross before they set foot on this scorched earth!"
The pressure hasn't disappeared; it has simply transformed from an imminent crisis into an urgent race against time.
At the construction site in Grinburg, the sounds of hammers and shouts grew more frequent and urgent. Soldiers and laborers alike knew that the temporary calm was merely a respite before the storm.
They had to build a real steel wall with their sweat, mud, and wood before the Oc war drums sounded.
…………
Steel Stone Fortress, a fortress built of steel and massive stones, stands like an insurmountable fortress in the front lines.
It was an important stronghold for the Sass people in this land, guarding the key pass leading to the interior, and became an impregnable defensive line.
Time flies, and even days after the fall of Greenburg and the destruction of the Shadow Abyss Splinter, the atmosphere here remains tense and solemn.
Although the smoke of war has dissipated, the shadow of war still looms over everyone's heart like a ghost.
Deep within the Steel Fortress, not in the command center or officers' quarters, but in a deliberately hidden chamber constructed of thick obsidian.
The air was icy cold, and time seemed to flow exceptionally slowly here.
There were no windows on the walls; the only light came from a few eerie green magic lamps, casting flickering and strange shadows that made the room look like a tomb.
The air was filled with an indescribable, stale aroma, a mixture of musty spices and a deeper, more unsettling scent of decay—the lingering smell of Shadow Abyss power.
A figure draped in a heavy black robe stood silently in the center of the secret chamber.
His hood was pulled down low, covering most of his face, leaving only a hard-lined, bloodless chin visible.
His hands were folded in front of him, his fingers thin and long, and his skin a sickly grayish-white.
He was like part of the chamber itself, a solidified shadow and cold stone.
The heavy stone door of the sealed room slid open silently, breaking the deathly silence.
A slender figure slowly entered, standing out starkly from the oppressive atmosphere.
She wore a well-tailored dark red leather armor that accentuated her stunning curves, loosely draped over a hooded travel cloak.
The hood did not completely cover her face, revealing a stunningly beautiful face that could take any man's breath away—skin as white as snow, lips as red as fire, and a pair of emerald green eyes that shone with a captivating light, like the most precious cat's eye stones.
However, beneath this stunning beauty lurks a venomous chill and deadly cunning. She is Valeria, and in the shadow world and certain upper echelons, she has an even more chilling title—"The Tomb of Blood."
Her smile is a trap, her gentleness is poison, and her mission is death.
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