Chapter 331: Chapter 331 Fighting The Ogres 3

The ogres, too focused on Zion to consider her a threat, never even registered her presence, neither did Zion himself, until the moment she struck, gambling everything on a single, daring attack.

And so, she dashed forward. When she was at the perfect distance, she leapt into the air and hurled her dagger straight at the second ogre’s right eye. No one saw it coming as the blade struck straight, embedding itself deep.

In the same motion, Addison swung back on the rope, using the momentum to put distance between them. She gave a sharp tug, yanking the dagger free, then rolled across the ground and darted away again, executing a flawless hit-and-run strike.

Zion was left speechless.

Addison’s single strike had done what all his earlier, stamina-draining attacks could not. While his blows had only chipped away at the ogre with negligible effect, Addison had effectively blinded it in one eye.

That one move changed everything. The ogre’s vision was now limited, leaving blind spots ripe for attack. More importantly, the creature would grow flustered, lashing out wildly, making it easier for Zion and the warriors to bait its attention to one side while others struck from the opening Addison had created.

’Such a genius idea!’ Zion exclaimed inwardly, staring at Addison with renewed reverence and amazement. Once again, his understanding of her was rewritten, and pride bloomed in his chest.

He wanted the whole world to know that this incredible woman was his.

’Fuck! She’s so damn hot. Just seeing that valiant act of hers makes me so damn hard!’ His pulse quickened as his gaze followed Addison’s darting silhouette, slipping away to find cover.

But instead of feeling used, Zion felt invigorated. If Addison was relying on him to be her shield, then so be it. That only meant she trusted him enough to stand strong for her, and nothing could make him feel more alive.

After all, Addison still couldn’t control her wolf. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried; actually, she had. She tried to recall the exact sensation from when she first shifted into her black wolf form back in the Tigren territory, but no matter how hard she pushed, her wolf refused to respond.

Maybe her rage hadn’t reached the same breaking point to force the transformation, or perhaps she was wrong all along in believing that anger was what triggered her wolf in the first place.

Since her wolf refused to come out, Addison had no choice but to help in the only ways she could. But that also meant she couldn’t afford to take the same risks as the warriors on the battlefield.

Unlike them, who could rely on their wolves to heal their wounds, she had no such safety net; if she got hurt, she’d have to carry those injuries until the end. Avoiding damage was her only option.

That was why she decided on a hit-and-run strategy. It gave her the element of surprise, let her strike when least expected, and allowed her to redirect the ogres’ attention onto Zion when things became too dangerous.

Among all the warriors, Zion had the highest chance of surviving the monsters’ rage and attacks; his body was stronger, his agility sharper.

If she let the others tank the damage, they’d be crushed in a single blow. Even now, many of those already knocked back were still groaning on the ground, their healing was too slow and nowhere near Shura’s level.

Given all this, Addison’s decision wasn’t just cautious; it was the most precise, rational move she could make.

After grasping Addison’s tactic, Zion gave a firm nod before letting out a taunting howl that echoed across the battlefield. It rang not just as a challenge but as a cry of triumph, his head thrown back proudly toward the sky. The remaining warriors, battered but unbroken, instinctively joined in, their howls weaving together in defiance.

The ogres, enraged at the sight of one of their own injured, answered with guttural growls. The second ogre, still reeling from the dagger that struck its eye, staggered unsteadily, its balance and focus thrown into disarray.

“Rawwwr!!!”

The first ogre bellowed, its rage boiling over as it hurled the massive tree it had been clutching straight at Zion and the others. Zion cut off his howl the instant he spotted the incoming trunk.

Steam flared hot from his nostrils as he let out a guttural growl of his own, then he lunged aside, narrowly dodging the deadly projectile. Without pause, he surged forward in a blur of motion, fangs bared, making it clear he was about to strike.

It was a calculated move; drawing the ogre’s fury back onto himself was a way to give Addison the precious cover she needed to remain hidden and wait for her moment to strike.

As simple-minded as they were, the moment the ogres saw Zion charge, their fury locked onto him. The ground quaked as two of them thundered forward, leaving everyone else forgotten.

The first ogre swung its massive hand to catch him, but Zion darted aside with swift precision.

From the flank, the third ogre struck, its club sweeping to smash him into the dirt. Anticipating the move, Zion leapt, his paw landing briefly atop the weapon. Using it as a springboard, he hurled himself forward, jaws wide open, aiming for the ogre’s face.

But the monster’s left hand came clawing toward him, forcing Zion to twist midair. His attack veered off course, yet his fangs still tore a bloody chunk from the creature’s shoulder.

“Graaaah!” the third ogre bellowed, thrashing its club wildly from side to side before locking its blazing red eyes on Zion. With a sudden lunge, it hurled its massive body forward, slamming into him and sending him flying.

The impact was brutally strong; Zion felt as though his organs had been violently shaken out of place, every bone and muscle screaming in protest. The strike carried the crushing weight of a thousand pounds. Yet, even in midair, he twisted his body, forcing himself to flip several times to avoid a humiliating crash.

By sheer grit, he landed on all fours, but his legs quivered beneath him, struggling to hold his weight. Staggering, he realized just how punishing that blow had truly been.

’I can do this. Addison is counting on me. They’re just monsters, what kind of man would I be if I can’t even take their aggro?’

Zion steeled himself, though the metallic tang of blood coated his tongue and bile burned the back of his throat. He didn’t need to probe to know that his insides were damaged. Still, he forced his body to obey, crushing the weakness he felt under sheer willpower.

He couldn’t afford to falter now. If the ogres sensed he was close to collapsing, they would dismiss him as no longer a threat. And if that happened, their fury might turn on the other warriors… or worse, on Addison.

Zion didn’t dare glance directly at Addison; if the ogres, simple-minded as they were, caught his gaze, they might follow it straight to her, and that would be disastrous. Instead, he relied on his peripheral vision, catching fleeting glimpses of her silhouette darting from tree to tree as she circled around for another sneak attack.

The smartest move now was to blind the monsters; once their sight was crippled, even their wild, sweeping attacks would leave exploitable gaps. Then, he and the others could finally seize the opening to strike back.

Fortunately, Zion’s relentless assault and his role as the main tank had bought the others precious time. Many of the fallen warriors had already healed enough to stand again, and they quickly encircled the second ogre.

With the first and third ogres fixated on Zion, their fury wholly directed at him, the second ogre was left behind on its own.

This meant that Zion had successfully drawn the aggro.

Seizing the chance, the recovering warriors swarmed the wounded second ogre. They positioned themselves in its blind spot, blood still oozing from its damaged eye, and some clamped their jaws onto its limbs to hold it in place.

Catching Zion’s signal, the warriors seized the chance; they knew this was the moment to strike hard at the injured one. But despite their coordinated assault, the creature’s hide proved maddeningly tough, their blows barely breaking through.

Its skin was like rubber, resistant and unyielding, and even their fangs struggled to pierce it because it was hard as if they are biting into stone.

Again and again, they tried, forcing their wolves to push beyond their limits, knowing that if they failed, Zion wouldn’t last much longer. Gritting their teeth, they pushed their bodies to the brink until at last their fangs sank deep into the tendons of its ankle and arm.

Yet even half-blinded, the ogre’s strength was terrifying. It thrashed and roared, nearly dragging them off, but this time the warriors had the numbers. With the other two distracted by Zion, they pressed the advantage, piling onto the monster and clamping down wherever they could, using sheer force of will and unity to hold it in place.

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