The following day.

  Bright Town lived in constant anxiety.

  The Amethyst Dragon Mother appeared unpredictably, harassing the town and keeping everyone’s nerves on edge—no one dared to relax, even for a moment.

  “It’s been so long… they should’ve been back by now, right?”

  Inside the tavern, the War Roar squad members drank and discussed among themselves.

  They remained on standby, ready to leap into action at any moment, while the Sword Saint watched over them from the tallest clock tower, as still as a statue.

  She couldn’t afford another mistake. If anything happened to Bright Town again, she would no longer be worthy of her title.

  The title of “Holy Sword Guardian.”

  Protector of the kingdom’s people.

  The townsfolk were touched by her dedication. They often tried to persuade her to rest, offering money, food—anything they could. She refused everything.

  Several more days passed.

  At last, the War Roar squad accepted the truth: Kasimov had also perished in the corrupted forest.

  “Damn it, what kind of goblin tribe is this? One after another, everyone’s dying!”

  “I’m starting to think we’ve walked right into an obvious trap.”

  “An obvious trap? Hiss... If that’s true, that’s terrifying. No way, it can’t be.”

  As they debated, the Sword Saint walked in.

  She spoke directly:

  “All of you—leave this place immediately. Go back to the capital and request reinforcements. That’s the only option left. We’re in an extremely unfavorable position.”

  One side was held at bay by dragons, the other threatened by goblins.

  They needed reinforcements—enough to eliminate both threats at once.

  “And if we leave those goblins unchecked, they might leave this area. Once they grow stronger, the threat will be enormous.”

  The Sword Saint added.

  The corrupted forest was nearly empty—almost all monsters and animals had vanished.

  It was obvious the goblins had hunted everything for food. Once supplies ran out, they would likely move on.

  They hadn’t even avenged themselves yet—how could they let the goblins escape?

  The War Roar squad members exchanged glances. Her words made sense.

  But the War Roar Captain wasn’t happy.

  “If we do that, doesn’t it make us deserters? We’ve always been the first to charge in! You all go for reinforcements—I’ll deal with those goblins myself! I refuse to believe we can’t handle a bunch of low-tier beasts!”

  To everyone, goblins were always the weakest—just cannon fodder you could kill without a second thought.

  He couldn’t accept that a few Hero-tier or Greater variants could change the situation so completely.

  The others just rolled their eyes—they’d heard this rant too many times before.

  They grabbed him and started dragging him toward the door.

  “Come on, Captain! Time’s running out—we’ve got to get to the capital!”

  With no other choice, the War Roar Captain finally relented.

  But on the road back to the capital, he kept muttering curses under his breath.

  …

  Outside Bright Town, Tian sat astride his wyvern on a small mountain, hidden among the trees as he observed the scene below.

  When he saw the War Roar squad depart, he couldn’t help but smirk with satisfaction.

  “Heh heh... Looks like these fools are dumb enough to walk into my trap one after another.”

  Tian mocked them quietly and prepared to head back first.

  But something felt off. They weren’t heading for the corrupted forest—they were following the main road.

  He understood immediately.

  “Going for reinforcements? No way—I can’t let them get away!”

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  “Quick, get ahead of them!”

  Tian urged the wyvern forward, circling around to intercept them from the front.

  Soon he spotted it—a wooden bridge spanning a cliff. The perfect chokepoint.

  I’ll cut off their escape route!

  Hovering above the bridge, Tian drew his Elemental Crossbow and loaded a fire arrow.

  With a single shot,

  the entire bridge burst into flames.

  Below was a bottomless abyss. They would have to turn back or rebuild the bridge.

  “Kekeke... Looks like luck is on my side. This is the perfect opportunity.”

  A wicked idea flashed through Tian’s mind, and a grin spread across his face.

  This time, he wasn’t just after their lives—he wanted Bright Town itself!

  Seizing this rare opportunity, he immediately turned back toward the Tian Kuang Tribe to rally the goblins.

  …

  Far off on the dirt road, the sound of urgent hoofbeats echoed.

  The War Roar squad galloped at full speed.

  Their mounts were Tier 1 magical beasts—Carnivorous Horses. They resembled ordinary horses, but with sharp teeth and a taste for meat.

  Once trained, their endurance was incredible—they could run hundreds of kilometers in a single day.

  Ordinary horses would collapse after just a few dozen.

  They were among the best mounts in this world.

  “Wait! Stop!”

  Suddenly, the War Roar Captain shouted. Everyone yanked their reins, bringing the galloping beasts to an abrupt halt.

  Ahead, the wooden bridge spanning the cliff was now a heap of charred ruins.

  It seemed a single touch would send the whole thing tumbling into the abyss below.

  “Who the hell set this fire? Damn it all!”

  “You bastard—who’s shameless enough to do this? Come out! I’ll cut you down right now!”

  “Show yourself, you coward! You dare do it but won’t admit it?!”

  Everyone roared in fury, but only the valley echoed back. No one stepped forward.

  The bridge was gone. Their faces twisted in frustration and rage.

  How much time would this cost them?

  The War Roar Captain didn’t hesitate.

  “Everyone—start cutting trees! Build a new bridge! We can’t afford any delays!”

  The squad immediately dismounted and got to work.

  But building a hundred-meter bridge was no easy feat.

  They could cross on their own, but without their horses, walking all the way to the capital would be impossible. By the time they returned, Bright Town might already be lost.

  The squad got to work—chopping trees, cutting planks, and sketching rough plans for the bridge.

  They even sent one man racing back to fetch ropes and iron chains.

  Estimated time to complete: one full day.

  At that moment,

  Within the Tian Kuang Tribe, Tian gathered all the goblins once more.

  “We’re about to make a big move! We’ll split into two groups. Do well, and you’ll be rewarded. Mess up, and everyone pays!”

  “Boss, what’s the plan?”

  asked Gob Tian, scratching his head in confusion.

  Tian explained.

  “Gob Tian—you take fifty goblins and sneak into the forest outside Bright Town. Stay as far back as you can. Just observe from a distance—don’t get spotted.

  The moment you see a woman in platinum armor leave Bright Town, lead all the goblins in. Capture every woman you find—but don’t leave any trace behind.”

  “Understood, Boss! What about you?”

  Gob Tian replied, still a bit nervous about leading others on his own.

  Tian turned to Gob Kuang.

  “The rest of you—follow me. We’re going to intercept that bald-headed knight squad. This time... I’m putting everything on the line!”

  Nearby, the bound Rodel listened in stunned silence.

  But this time he didn’t roar in anger. Instead, he let out a low, sinister chuckle.

  “Heh heh heh... Good. I really admire your cunning. You’re a terrifying, powerful enemy. Go ahead—take Bright Town! That filthy woman should’ve died long ago!”

  “Oh? Playing the jaded nihilist now? That’s not like you. Given up on your master coming to save you?”

  Tian taunted.

  Of course, he knew exactly why.

  Step by step, he was breaking their spirits—driving them to the brink of collapse.

  Eveleya had broken quickly.

  Rodel sneered.

  “Save me? Am I dead? I don’t feel pain anymore! I’m better than ever!”

  “They’re the ones who deserve to die! That woman in platinum armor deserves to die! Die! Die! Die!”

  Rodel’s face twisted into a grotesque mask once more.

  He kept muttering “die” under his breath, body twitching violently.

  He looked truly deranged.

  It was a disturbing sight.

  Tian realized the man’s condition was worse than he’d expected. He didn’t bother replying.

  “Moon, the tribe is in your hands while I’m gone, as always. Got it?”

  “Mm-hm, Boss! Don’t worry—I’ll keep an eye on everything.”

  Moon nodded vigorously, her small head bobbing.

  Then Tian mounted his wyvern, and the goblins set off.

  The War Roar squad was racing against time—and so was Tian.

  But he deliberately slowed his wyvern’s flight. Most goblins—except the Assassins—couldn’t keep pace with Greater variants.

  After about half a day, they reached a dense forest about ten kilometers from Bright Town.

  Tian gave the order.

  “Now we split up. Gob Tian—move forward quietly until you can see Bright Town. Remember my instructions.”

  “No problem, Boss!”

  Gob Tian replied firmly.

  With Hero-tier intelligence, he was reliable enough—he wasn’t likely to mess up.

  The rest of the goblins, along with Gob Kuang and Gob Bene, followed Tian.

  At this distance, even flying low with the wyvern shouldn’t alert the Sword Saint.

  Soon they reached a small mountain overlooking the ruined bridge and the cliff.

  From a distance, they could see the War Roar squad hard at work at the edge of the cliff.

  “They’re moving that fast? Already building a bridge?!”

  Tian was genuinely surprised.

  He watched as the War Roar Captain hurled a rope across the chasm, looping it around a massive boulder on the far side.

  They tied the bridge frame to long iron chains.

  First, they dragged the chains across with the rope, inch by inch.

  The rest crawled over one by one.

  One man stayed behind to secure it.

  Then everyone pulled with all their strength—veins bulging, muscles straining so hard you could almost hear them creak!

  The bridge must have weighed thousands—maybe tens of thousands—of pounds!

  Ordinary people couldn’t have budged it, but these Level 40–50 fighters had strength far beyond normal.

  “Phew… If Lady Sword Saint were here, she could probably pull this across by herself. Damn, this is exhausting.”

  One squad member sighed, wiping sweat from his brow.

  The War Roar Captain snorted.

  “Give me another ten years—I won’t lose to Lady Sword Saint, you hear me? Why does everyone look down on me?”

  “Ten years? By then, Lady Sword Saint will probably be at some unimaginable level.”

  “Hahaha!”

  They joked as they headed back to mount up.

  “Let’s go—time’s running out!”

  As they carefully led their horses onto the newly repaired bridge—

  The sky suddenly darkened, as if the sun itself had been blotted out.

  But it lasted only a moment.

  The War Roar Captain’s expression changed instantly.

  “Shit!”

  Looking ahead, they saw a massive wyvern, its enormous wings whipping up a powerful gale!

  It slowly descended onto the far side of the bridge.

  It was Tian!

  The wyvern’s sheer size and draconic aura rooted them all to the spot.