As Max's squad stealthily approached the enemy camp, the surrounding silence was so profound it seemed as if time had frozen. Everyone held their breath, moving as quietly as possible to avoid alerting the enemy. In the darkness, only the faint chirping of insects and the rustling of the wind through the trees could be heard.
"Captain, there are enemy sentries ahead," a scout reported in a low voice.
Max nodded, signaling everyone to stop. "We'll split into two groups. One will launch a feint attack from the front to draw their attention; the other will flank them for a surprise attack."
The young recruit, Jack, asked nervously, "What if we get discovered?"
Harold, an experienced veteran, patted Jack on the shoulder and whispered, "Trust the captain, he won't let us waste our time. Stay with the group, we'll be fine."
The team quickly split into two groups: Max led the main force to the flank, while a small team, led by Jack, launched an attack from the front.
Meanwhile, in the village, Sofia and the other warriors were fiercely defending the city walls. The villagers had also taken up arms, ready to join the battle at any moment.
A little girl named Mary stood on the city wall, gazing into the distance. She said to the old man beside her, "Grandpa, won't the uncles and aunts succeed?"
The old man nodded and smiled kindly: "They definitely will. With them here, we can rest assured."
In the distance, Ares' squad was still engaged in fierce combat. The clang of swords clashing echoed continuously. New recruit Kevin, panting heavily, shouted, "How much longer can we hold out?!"
The veteran Ted beside him calmly said, "Keep formation, follow Ares! He'll lead us out!" Then he turned around and shouted, "Brothers, give it your all! Victory is in sight!"
The clamor of the battlefield contrasted sharply with the squad's silent raid. Max's team had approached the enemy's flank camp. Suddenly, a hare darted out of the grass, startling everyone. Max quickly signaled for everyone to hold their ground and carefully observe their surroundings.
"Captain, everything is normal," a scout reported.
Max took a deep breath and gave the order: "Prepare for action!"
Just as the group was about to launch their attack, an unexpected voice broke the silence: "Halt! Who are you?!"
In the darkness, several patrolling enemy soldiers appeared, their spears gleaming coldly.
A cold glint flashed in Max's eyes: "Make your move!"
Before the words were even finished, the team members rushed towards the enemy and subdued them in a few swift movements. It was all done cleanly and efficiently, without making much noise.
"Keep moving forward, the goal is just ahead."
As they stealthily approached the enemy's main tent, they heard discussions coming from inside. Max signaled his men to spread out and prepare to attack from all sides.
Suddenly, a sharp voice came from inside the tent: "General, I suspect there might be an ambush here!"
Immediately afterward, an enemy general's voice responded, "Nonsense! We've already sent scouts; there's no way there could be a trap!"
Max, who was outside, was secretly delighted: His chance had come!
He raised his hand, making the final gesture—
"rush!"
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded again, and a figure rushed into the shadows outside the tent.
"Wait!" the shadow cried urgently. "It's Lina! Leonard sent me with a message: enemy reinforcements are arriving soon! We must evacuate immediately!"
Max looked at Lina in surprise, his brows furrowed: "So fast?!"
Lina nodded, her tone urgent: "Yes! We must retreat immediately and readjust our plans."
The lights inside the tent began to flicker, as if sensing the commotion outside. The situation was urgent, allowing no time for delay.
"Everyone evacuate!" Max decisively ordered. "Retreat quickly according to plan and return to the village!"
At the command, the troops sprang into action. Everyone knew that this retreat was for a more comprehensive counterattack. Max retreated with Lina, his eyes resolute: "We'll be back, but not now."
The lights inside the tent flickered more, and the faint sound of hurried footsteps could be heard.
"Hurry up!" Max urged.
Just as they were retreating rapidly, a young scout looked up ahead and asked softly, "Captain, will we come back again?"
Max smiled slightly, his eyes shining brightly: "Of course we will. We will return, and as victors."
Lina patted the scout on the shoulder: "Don't worry, we'll be back soon."
As the last rays of dawn shone on the mountain path, the team disappeared into the depths of the jungle, leaving only a wisp of smoke, a harbinger of both hope and challenge ahead...
**(End of dialogue, suspense to be continued)**
Max led his men on a frantic run, traversing dense forests and creeks, until they were safely out of the enemy's sight. The sun began to peek over the horizon, casting a golden glow upon the earth. In this moment of tranquility, the warriors' breathing gradually returned to normal.
In a relatively secluded mountain hollow, Max ordered a short rest. Jack plopped down on the grass, panting heavily. "I didn't expect the enemy to have reinforcements so quickly. Luckily, we spotted them in time."
Harold dusted himself off and smiled at the young man. "This is the battlefield," he said, "unexpected situations always arise. The important thing is that we can react in time." Then he turned to his captain and asked, "Max, what do we do now?"
Max stood up, looked into the distance, and said with a determined look in his eyes, "Once we get back to the village, we need to meet up with Ares and the others immediately to discuss a new battle plan. The information Lina brought is invaluable; we must make good use of it."
Just then, a few whispers came from not far away. It turned out that several villagers who were gathering wild berries nearby had discovered them. One of the older women came over, carrying freshly picked berries in her hands. "Brave soldiers! Have you returned to protect us?" she asked, her eyes filled with heroic awe.
“Yes, that’s right.” Max replied gently, pointing in the direction of Sophia and the others who were standing to the side. “We have more comrades waiting for us to go back and discuss the next steps.”
The villagers were overjoyed upon hearing the news. "That's wonderful!" a little boy exclaimed excitedly. "Uncle, you must win this battle! When I grow up, I want to be a warrior like you!"
Hearing these encouraging words, even a weary soul, exhausted from the intense battle, felt a touch of warmth. "Don't worry, little one, we will do our utmost to bring peace back to this land," Harold comforted with a smile.
Just as the atmosphere began to ease, a sudden gust of wind swept through, bringing an ominous premonition. "Look over there!" the scout pointed to the sky, where several crows flew south in panic. "This is bad; a larger enemy force may be approaching!"
Everyone immediately became alert. Max quickly gathered everyone to prepare to return to the village to report this new discovery. Before leaving, he told the villagers who came to visit them, "Please be sure to tell everyone in the village to be on high alert. But don't be afraid, believe that we will get through this together."
As the group quickly approached the village border, the old man guarding the city wall recognized the familiar faces and hurriedly waved, "Come in and take a look! We just received intelligence from the outpost that there might be a large-scale attack tomorrow morning!"
Hearing this, everyone felt a heavy weight in their hearts, but it also strengthened their resolve to defeat the enemy. "Thank you for the news, Grandpa. Please tell all the villagers to prepare thoroughly; we will discuss all night how to meet the upcoming challenge," Max replied solemnly.
Upon entering the castle, they saw Sofia standing on a high point, observing the changing situation. Seeing Max return with the group, a complex expression of joy mixed with tension crossed her face. "You've come. The situation is even more critical now. We don't have much time to waste..." she said hastily as she approached Max.
Faced with this situation, Max showed no sign of panic; instead, he became even calmer: "Don't worry, Sophia. No matter what happens tomorrow, we must unite to win the final victory."
At that very moment, an invisible yet incredibly powerful cohesive force seemed to fill the air...
"Now let's make proper preparations. No matter what, we will never let those enemies invade us again!" Max declared loudly, his voice filled with strength and confidence, stirring boundless courage in the hearts of everyone present.
At this very moment, the council chamber inside the castle was brightly lit. Ares's troops and representatives from various other groups had gathered there, beginning a heated discussion. How should the troops be allocated? How could existing resources be fully utilized for effective defense? Each question was discussed repeatedly until the most reasonable solution was reached…
But just then, footsteps sounded again outside the door—
"Wait a minute, please hear me out!" A slightly flustered yet confident voice came from outside the door, instantly silencing the entire hall. Everyone's eyes turned towards the doorway, eager to know what was happening…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com