Each time, when they mobilized a large force, like an iron clamp, to try to encircle that cunning reconnaissance team that had ventured deep into the shallows.
The opponent always manages to slip away like an eel at the most crucial moment, through the weakest or most difficult-to-pass places in their defenses.
They're always a step behind, always just a little short!
Those damned humans seemed to have supernatural vision, perfectly avoiding all their pre-set traps.
This frustration made the proud orc warrior feel an unprecedented sense of humiliation!
The first time, they set up an ambush on the high ground east of the shallows, hoping to use the swamp crocodiles to drive the enemy into a pre-set mud trap.
However, the opponent inexplicably turned to the west into a waterway full of hidden currents, causing the orcs to miss their target.
The second time, they mobilized lizard cavalry, who were skilled in swamp warfare, in an attempt to quickly encircle them from the marshland.
As a result, the enemy turned to the northeast in advance to a dry and hard area full of jagged rocks, rendering the cavalry useless.
The third time was yesterday evening, when they had almost cornered the other side in a deadly area with an extremely high concentration of undead, and were about to trap them like turtles in a jar.
However, at the last moment, the opponent managed to squeeze through the edge of a seemingly impassable muddy area filled with poisonous thorns and disappeared into the twilight fog once again.
Every precise evasion was like a slap in the face to the orc commander!
They couldn't understand how a small human reconnaissance team, deep in enemy territory and unfamiliar with the area, could repeatedly uncover the intentions behind the movements of their massive army.
Is the other side possessing a legendary prophet?
Or... is there a mole hidden within the team who is extremely familiar with orc tactics?
Or perhaps the Holy Light Church's intelligence capabilities have become terrifyingly powerful?
This feeling of being manipulated ignited a burning rage in the orc warriors' hearts, almost bursting out of their chests!
Their pride in their strength and bravery was humiliated in this damned swamp by a small force that used agile "hide-and-seek" tactics!
The rhythm of the war drums grew more and more ferocious, and the roars of the warriors became more and more ferocious. They desperately needed a bloody massacre to wash away their shame!
And now, this slippery team has finally been tracked down!
Although the enemy once again cleverly began their escape, this time, they would not fail again!
Like a raging tide, the orc army, determined to crush everything, pursued the trail of footprints in the swamp that was being rapidly covered by the murky mud, launching a full-scale attack!
The heavy, thunderous footsteps and war drums, along with the violent roars, like the death knell of the Grim Reaper, approached rapidly from afar with a terrifying momentum that seemed poised to flatten the entire Blackwater Shore!
————
Four days ago, when the last piece of polluted dead land in the southwest of the Lor Swamp turned to ashes under Alfonso Lin's holy flame torrent, a familiar figure tore through the ripples of space and appeared before him.
Ellen Ben patted her cloak, which was damp from the swamp, a smile that was a mixture of laziness and slyness on her face.
Without saying much, she tossed a storage ring that emitted faint spatial fluctuations to Alfonso.
"Here you go, everything you wanted—the names, the chain of evidence—is all in there, and it's all up-to-date."
Ellen's voice was clear and crisp, carrying a hint of relief after completing her mission.
"As an added bonus—over in the Orcish Royal Court, several major tribes' elite warbands are being mobilized on a large scale, and judging from the direction, they seem to be gathering towards the Blackwater Shores. It's quite a commotion; they're probably up to something."
Alfonso took the ring, his powerful mental energy instantly scanning its interior.
A massive amount of information.
The magical imprints of secret communications, fragments of financial records, and the movements of key figures surged into his consciousness like a cold tide.
Eileen's efficiency was as high as ever, and the evidence was conclusive and irrefutable.
His resolute face showed no surprise, but the sharpness in the depths of his eyes was even more compelling.
"Hmm," he replied in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on the perpetual miasma deep within the swamp, as if piercing through space to land on the distant, dark waters.
"It was expected that the orcs would move."
He certainly knew why the orcs were acting.
Back when he placed Mark's squad and Kyle into the "Grey Falcon," he had already handed over the incredibly valuable "Heart of Bloodvine" to his adjutant.
He also issued a secret order known only to his adjutant and recorder, Elliott.
This item is to be kept by Elliott.
The Heart of Bloodvine, a key item for orcs to reach the Mythical realm, became a unique treasure after the fall of the Withered Wood Tribe.
Its fall into the hands of the Church of the Holy Light is a deeper shame and a more profound pain for the orcs than the loss of territory.
As long as this thing remains in the Lohr Swamp and within the "sight" of the Church of Holy Light, the orcs will never stand idly by and allow it to be taken back to the Holy City for purification.
No matter how much the Beastmaster restrained himself, he could not suppress the anger of the Horde shamans and the roar of the warriors.
The eldest prince, Gebele, fled back in disarray, further confirming the news that the Bloodvine Heart had been stolen, adding fuel to the fire of the orcs' actions.
Alfonso knew the nature of the orcs very well.
They are brave, fierce, and vengeful, but they are also easily blinded by anger and fall into scheming.
His handing the Heart of Bloodvine to Elliott was a precise bait.
The orcs fixed their gazes on the Grey Falcon Squad, or rather, on Elliott.
And Elliott... Alfonso had absolute faith in him.
This taciturn recorder is a rare profession in the church: the recorder of holy light.
His combat prowess might not rank among the top in the Knights.
However, the abilities his profession endowed him with—his exceptional insight into the environment, his ability to instantly record and analyze information, and his precise judgment and deduction of paths and trajectories—were unmatched by anyone in the entire Thirteenth Knights.
He is like a walking precision instrument, able to find a glimmer of hope in the most chaotic battlefield or the most treacherous place.
With him around, as long as those unruly troublemakers in the Grey Falcon Squad don't foolishly hold them back, it will be incredibly difficult for the orcs to capture this squad.
"You've got a good eye for things." Eileen saw through Alfonso's scheme, her red lips curving into a slight smirk. "Using your own people as bait, aren't you afraid of messing things up?"
"Elliott is not bait, he is the guarantee."
Alfonso's voice was resolute and full of trust in his subordinates.
"The orcs will only be led by the nose if they try to hunt him down. The more furious they are, the bigger their openings will be." He paused, his gaze falling on Elaine. "The evidence you sent back gives the High Council just enough reason for us to legitimately 'investigate' and 'protect' the Rotten Vine Alliance stronghold that might be targeted by orc retaliation."
He deliberately emphasized the word "protect," his tone carrying a hint of cold sarcasm.
The chain of evidence brought by Elaine points directly to a high-ranking mole within the Holy Light Church colluding with the Rotten Vine Alliance and secretly funding the latter through the Black Street stronghold to create the "legitimacy" of the Holy Knights' long-term garrison in the Lor Swamp.
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