Chapter 74: Chapter 74: One, Two, Three, Boom!

In the dark night, Bond and Louis crouched behind a high slope shielded by dense forest, below which lay a makeshift ruin.

The knights hid on both sides of the slope, and the archers were already in position.

But at this moment, Bond couldn’t calm his uneasy feelings.

He looked at the silent mountain path and lowered his voice, “Baron, I advise you to withdraw.”

Louis didn’t respond, continuing to survey the terrain, confirming the reports from several scouts.

Bond frowned and continued, “We are not certain if the enemy’s army will pass this mountain path, or when they will come.

Even if they do come, with just these over a hundred knights, can we really fend off the elite eight hundred Snow Swearers, even if the ambush succeeds?

If we lose this battle, not only will our entire force be wiped out, but we’ll also hand over Qingyu Ridge, this critical choke point.”

His tone was gloomy but carried a sense of urgency: “We should retreat to the fortifications, hold the passage, and wait for the reinforcements sent by the Duke.”

“Enough.” Louis finally spoke, his tone light but extremely calm, “I am the commander.”

Bond was stunned.

The tone carried no anger, nor an emphasis on authority, merely stating a fact.

Yet it was irrefutable.

“You…” Bond wanted to say something but ultimately bit his lip and kept silent.

He watched silently at this much younger man, feeling both angry and helpless inside.

“He’s overconfident, a young noble who’s won a few victories and now thinks he can take on eight hundred elites?

He’s going to bury this entire unit here in this wilderness.”

Bond even had the reckless thought of killing him and taking command.

But he quickly dismissed that thought.

These soldiers and knights already regarded Louis as their faith; if he acted rashly, death would be his only outcome.

So Bond could only grit his teeth and stare into the distance below the mountain path, lost in thought.

A barely noticeable sound came from the forest path below.

Then came the continuous clatter of horses’ hooves, the sound of metal clashing, and the rustling of leather armor.

Bond’s entire body jolted, his pupils shrinking.

“They… they really came?”

He suddenly looked at Louis, a mixture of shock and inexplicable chill in his heart.

“Did he foresee this all along?”

He suddenly realized that this young noble might have had a grasp of the entire situation all along.

……

Cold wind swept down from the ridge, raising dust from the ground.

Eight hundred elite Snow Swearers swiftly charged along the rugged mountain path.

Most were wolf cavalry or Snow Oath Knights, intent on reclaiming the Qingyu Ridge stronghold as swiftly as possible.

“Just two hundred knights. Is such a large movement necessary?”

Garrett, riding atop a Black Silver Battle Wolf, wore a slightly weary expression.

He was one of the few veterans among the Snow Swearers, surviving three annihilation campaigns, emerging a warrior from a sea of corpses and blood.

He thought he could finally rest a bit in Snow Eagle City.

Enjoy the company of those fair-skinned noble ladies, a little indulgence.

Yet, as soon as the orders came, he was urgently dispatched to war.

“Tsk, truly unlucky.” He cursed under his breath, pulling the reins slightly, the battle wolf baring its fangs and striding forward quickly.

He wasn’t the only one dissatisfied with the command.

Restlessness spread quickly through the entire vanguard.

The young Snow Oath Knights were all impatient, eager to end the battle quickly and return to Snow Eagle City to enjoy their spoils.

“Just a tiny mountain pass manned by two hundred people, yet it’s like attacking the Imperial Capital.” A knight clicked his tongue and complained.

“Indeed, such a waste of time.”

“Sir, we are almost there.” The aide reminded.

Garrett raised his hand to signal to slow down, his gaze fixed sharply on the end of the valley.

A charred ruin lay quietly in the valley.

Tent frames lay crooked on the ground, battle flags shattered, hardened animal skins frozen in the wind to form ripples.

“That’s the place.” He said softly, a cold smile forming on his lips.

The scene looked like an illusion conjured by the Hidden Mist Mirror.

Garrett had used such things himself many times.

“From afar it looks real, but get within tens of meters, and you can spot the flaws.” He said, squinting, “Do they think they can trick us with this thing?”

He raised his hand with a wave, coldly ordering, “Accelerate! Circle from both sides, catch them before they react, and devour this nest of rats whole!”

“Yes!”

The wolf cavalry roared in unison, their battle wolves leaping forward.

Eight hundred Snow Swearer riders split into two wings, storming towards the campsite ruins like a chilling wave, accompanied by the heavy drum of hooves in the snow.

The vanguard entered the mouth of the valley, the rear wing followed closely, lines spreading into a “semi-encircling” formation.

They believed it would take only a few minutes to consume that ruin in a bloody storm.

They were less than a hundred meters from the ruins.

In the snowstorm, those tattered tents, toppled stakes, charred earth, it was all… too real.

“Something’s wrong!”

Garrett suddenly pulled the reins abruptly, his gaze tightening, his brow wrinkling instantly.

This isn’t an illusion!

This isn’t the hologram of the “Hidden Mist Mirror,” but an actual ruin.

An intentionally laid out, meticulously camouflaged illusionary trap!

They were deceived!

But that instant of realization came too late!

At that moment, standing in the shadows of the cliff, Louis slowly raised his right hand.

“One, two, three.” He gently waved his hand down, “Detonate.”

The next second, the air seemed to be suddenly evacuated.

BOOM——!!!

The explosion roared like a howl from the depths of hell, ripping apart the silence of Qingyu Ridge.

The chain explosion of magic explosive bullets buried in the belly of the mountain unleashed a terrifying storm and raging flames!

The wolf cavalry in the valley hadn’t even had time to react before they were engulfed.

First, a dazzling blue light flashed suddenly!

The extreme cold air swept across like a blade, freezing the air instantly.

Dozens of knights in the front ranks didn’t even have a chance to scream before being frozen in their sprinting stances, knights and battle wolves like twisted ice sculptures, instantly being drawn into the explosion center by the suction!

Followed by the Demon Marrow igniting in an explosion!

The blue frost transformed into flames, torrents of fiery waves surged like tornadoes, engulfing large swaths of warriors.

Scorching flames and explosive shockwaves rampaged in the valley, tearing red-hot fissures across the snow’s surface.

The battle wolves caught fire, knights’ armor cracked and burst, each tumbling, howling, becoming fireballs engulfed by flames.

“Awooo——!!”

The burning battle wolves screamed and fell, limbs fluttering, flesh turning to charcoal in the fire!

The final wave, toxic corrosive mist rose steadily.

The black mist spread silently yet lethally.

The knights who inhaled first convulsed, vomiting blood, collapsing while howling in agony.

“Cough, cough ahhh!!”

The knights rolled on the ground, their skin inside the armor quickly corroded and peeled off, bloodied and raw!

But it wasn’t over yet.

With rumbling, the valley’s structure collapsed, the explosion’s tremor finally triggering a terrain shift!

“Retreat quickly!”

The Snow Swearers who hadn’t approached the center were just about to turn their horses when they saw the slopes on both sides shaking violently, large rocks rolling down like rain!

Rumble——!!

Massive rocks roared down, carrying snow and debris, crashing into the cavalry lines like divine retribution.

A battle wolf was struck directly, its spine snapped, knight and steed flying several meters, crashing heavily into a companion, the sound of bones shattering mixed with wails echoed across the valley.

“Ahhhh! My leg!!”

“Help… help me…!”

Severed limbs flew, horses whinnied, and beasts roared.

The once fierce elite wolf cavalry of the Snowfield were now like ants swallowed by a storm.

Disgraced, miserable, utterly powerless.

Inside and outside the valley, there was nothing but horrifying wailing and the nauseating stench of burning flesh.

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