Chapter Eighty-Two: Hatred
2015-10-07
Author: Floating Tower (诸生浮屠)
A sharp arrow flew out from the darkness, striking a werewolf among the predators in an instant. With the Elven Captain launching the first attack, the other scattered members of the Elven Patrol also sprang into action, brandishing their longbows and unleashing a devastating barrage of cover fire against the enemy. In a quick skirmish while maintaining distance, the Elven Patrol displayed astonishing combat power, being advanced professionists capable of both close and ranged combat. The leader of the predators was obviously a werewolf, so the arrows aimed at it were the most numerous.
In an instant!
The werewolf was filled with arrows, having been struck seven times in a single volley. Most creatures would have perished by now.
However, it was after all a member of a dark species; as a dark creature similar to a vampire, the werewolf’s life force was incredibly tenacious. Even with so many arrows lodged in its body, it could still transform and launch a surprise attack.
“There are enemies! Damn elves!”
An ogre bellowed angrily, swinging a heavy bone-crushing hammer as it charged forward, followed by two half-orc predators. They were quite shrewd; noticing the enemy’s numbers were somewhat off, they immediately sought to break through from the side.
“Leave not a single one alive!”
The Elven Captain was visibly excited. With such a clear numerical advantage, victory’s scale had almost completely tipped in their favor. As long as they eliminated the leading werewolf, other predators would have little chance of escape.
“Explosive Arrow!”
“Prepare!”
Special arrows crafted through alchemy were drawn forth—these were explosive arrows, each worth twenty Gind. They were weapons of choice for adventurers surmounting high-grade monsters. The value of these was greater than that of an equal weight in gold, which was why even the entire Elven Patrol had fewer than five, making them strategic sniping weapons. The power of explosive arrows equated to that of a small-area fireball explosion, and focused fire could potentially kill high-level professionists in an instant.
Boom!
A muffled explosion sounded. The werewolf took the brunt of the blast, its body flying backward.
Its dark fur was bathed in blood; yet, despite being blown to a near-disfigured state, the werewolf surprisingly did not lose its combat power, and with a low growl, it somehow managed to break through towards the outside.
“Damn it!”
“Don’t let it escape!”
The Elven Captain drew his exquisite dagger. He glanced left and right, and said in a low voice, “Follow me to intercept it!”
Once they entered the forested area, archery would become largely ineffective.
There were too many things obstructing sight, and the werewolf could easily use the trees to evade arrows. It would not be easy to chase it down in the wilderness.
“Ah!”
A piercing scream echoed.
The first predator to die was a werewolf, shot to pieces by more than five times the number of enemies.
The victory in battle already belonged to the Elven Patrol.
However, what they desired was a complete rout. A battle to annihilate the predators entirely, so they began to encircle and disperse, preventing any enemies from escaping the valley. The second to die was a half-orc predator; once escape became impossible, it abruptly entered a berserk state and fought desperately, managing to take down three members of the Elven Guard in the process.
The werewolf was gravely injured, the ogre was severely wounded, and only one half-orc remained.
Just as the Elven Patrol believed none of the predators would escape, suddenly, an arrow shot out from the darkness.
“Ah!”
A member of the Elven Patrol dropped dead instantly.
A second arrow came flying from the darkness, and then another Elven Guard fell, clutching its chest.
“There are more enemies!”
“Is it a trap?”
A bad thought flashed through the Elven Captain’s mind, but he soon realized the enemy’s shooting rate was not fast. This indicated that the reinforcements were few; they could still achieve victory relying on their numerical advantage.
“Over there!”
A cry of surprise came, followed by voices from others: “There’s only one enemy! A few of you come with me to take him down!”
Soren’s figure appeared at the edge of the battlefield.
Upon seeing that there was only Soren, the Elven Vice-Captain immediately led the nearby members of the Guard to rush over.
Now, Soren appeared dressed as a hunter.
In appearance, he was a human, imbued with a fierce and wild aura. Upon noticing someone approaching, he nocked another arrow, aiming directly at the Elven Vice-Captain ahead.
Whoosh!
An arrow shot out with incredible precision.
The human before them possessed astonishing shooting skills; accompanied by a cry of pain, the Elven Vice-Captain fell dead on the spot.
On the other side.
The gravely wounded werewolf was growing weaker, nearly teetering on the brink of death under the assault of three to five Elven warriors.
Upon the arrival of Soren, a glimmer of hope sparked in the werewolf’s eyes as it suddenly charged towards Soren.
At this moment.
Soren once again nocked an arrow; he aimed at the Elven warrior pursuing the werewolf, yet in that split second, a hint of hesitation crossed his expression. Suddenly, he redirected his bow and shot at an Elven guard currently assaulting the ogre.
The werewolf’s final screams echoed.
Soren expressionlessly turned and charged forward, drawing his blade to prepare to save the half-orc and the ogre under attack.
The casualties had reached a significant point.
As the leader of this predator squad, the werewolf had now died. Soren actually had the ability to save it earlier, but having it perish would be more beneficial for his upcoming plans. With two predators remaining, they would be crucial for Soren’s infiltration into the Church of the Hunt, so these two targets absolutely could not die.
Whoosh!
Soren ended the Elven warrior in front of him with a swift strike, then rapidly shot several arrows, hitting a few enemies. Although they were not fatal shots, they pierced through their encirclement.
“Go!”
“Break out that way!”
Soren’s voice was deep, resembling that of a rough barbarian. After rescuing the surviving ogre and half-orc, he quickly nocked another arrow, aiming for the Elven Captain’s figure.
This arrow had the potential to end the opponent’s life!
However, in the end, he merely shot the opponent’s shoulder. With his capability, it would not have been difficult to annihilate these Elven Patrol members, but he harbored no thoughts in that vein.
The reason was simple.
To kill some and let others escape would fuel hatred and anger, exacerbating the conflict between them and the predators!
Soren needed to leverage their hatred to strike at the Church of the Hunt’s power.
………..(To Be Continued ~^~)
