Chapter 15

As the sun was about to set, the quartermaster Dick packed the things Rodi needed into more than ten packages and handed them to him, panting heavily—this time, he did not show any signs of bribery, but instead, his eyes held a trace of unspoken respect.

"The things are all here."

Rodi took the packages, nodded, and then turned to the soldiers behind him, who had already changed into dark black uniforms and equipped blackened long swords, and gave the order—

"Check your equipment!"

The moment of battle had finally arrived, but at this moment, the scouts' faces showed no signs of confusion or tension. A day of training and explanations had brought them to their best mental state—"Orcs are not invincible" had been firmly implanted in their minds by Rodi. The greatest fear, "the unknown," had disappeared, and they now faced an enemy whose weaknesses they understood almost entirely.

Thus, the morale of this team was unprecedentedly high, and everyone had developed a strong confidence in the upcoming battle.

Each equipped with a short bow and carrying six arrows, they also carried the special packages Rodi had requested, with their long swords in place and armor tightened. Fourteen scouts, fully prepared, mounted their horses and set off toward the distance as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.

Before they left, everyone had a hearty meal. When they departed from Noland Village, the villagers seemed to sense the difference in these soldiers. They watched the dust in the distance, silent.

"Can this really work?"

Carter was not entirely convinced that this attack would be as sure as Rodi claimed. Although they had won both encounters with the orcs, he was well aware of their strength. If these young men really faced them, they would likely be massacred. While Rodi had pointed out many weaknesses of the orcs, it was all just theory.

"Why not?"

Rodi, on horseback, looked at the sun gradually disappearing and asked, one hand on the reins, the other caressing the hilt of his curved sword, "Now is not the time to doubt whether we can defeat them. We must believe that we can, and only then can we win this battle."

The last ray of light in the sky vanished.

The thirty-kilometer journey was quickly covered. As night fell, the horses gradually slowed down and, at Rodi's command, all the soldiers dismounted and proceeded on foot.

The wind on the grassland still carried a faint, fresh scent. Crouching low, they crossed a low grassy slope, and the only sound in their ears was the howling wind. Peering ahead, they saw the orc camp, about three hundred meters away, with the light of the campfire flickering.

All the scouts lay flat on the other side of the grassy slope, their faces serious as they gazed at the orc camp. Most of them looked at Rodi, unsure how the temporary commander planned to attack.

Rodi, as the leader, licked his finger, raised it to determine the wind direction, and then led the group slowly to the downwind side. During this time, all the soldiers readied their short bows and arrows, prepared to deal with any sudden situations. Everyone was tense, and no matter how many weaknesses of the orcs Rodi had explained, seeing those two-meter-tall, arm-thick orcs up close made it difficult for most to remain completely calm.

Rodi did not expect them to fight bravely, but his only requirement now was that they make no unnecessary noise. As they slowly approached the orc camp, the young scouts could even hear the orcs' loud conversations.

Rodi led the way, with Ruger in the middle as a support and order relay, and Carter bringing up the rear. The group had a sense of "obeying orders" from the morning's training.

The camp, though simple, had a wooden watchtower. At this moment, a drowsy sentry was on duty. However, due to the dim light and the downwind position, the sentry could not detect the dozen or so human scouts a hundred meters away.

Or rather, he never thought he would be attacked by humans.

Only Rodi knew that the orcs' night vision was much worse than humans'. This was a conclusion he had drawn from countless successful night raids on orcs.

The camp had trenches dug around it to prevent cavalry charges. Due to the scarcity of resources in the orc empire, the limited wood was used to build the watchtower, so they used this simplest method for defense. This created a significant disadvantage: when someone hid in these trenches at night, even the sentry on the watchtower could not detect them.

For Rodi, the key to this battle was not whether the scouts behind him could fight bravely, but whether his plan could be executed smoothly. Confirming that the sentry was looking the other way, Rodi led the scouts quietly into the trenches. After ensuring everyone was in position, he gave the order to "stand by" and then moved silently and swiftly on his own.

The essence of a "Ranger" lies in their strength when acting alone—possessing stealth abilities similar to an assassin and powerful long-range killing capabilities. In "Rift," rangers often played a more significant and active role in complex terrain than assassins.

How much could a level 2 Rodi accomplish? For someone who had beaten countless games on the highest difficulty without taking a single hit, this was his first active test in this world.

His figure moved silently through the shadows. When he reached the edge of a tent just fifteen meters from the watchtower, Rodi could clearly see the orc on top. At this moment, he seemed to blend into the grass, his arm guards and weapons blackened to avoid reflection, lying motionless like a stone.

So... now.

The sentry on the watchtower yawned, and Rodi immediately took advantage of the brief few seconds to flash under the watchtower. This distance was hard for the sentry to detect, but it also meant that the orcs in the camp could easily notice the intruder. However, everything remained quiet. The orcs walking around the camp were completely unaware, and Rodi's figure was entirely hidden in the shadows of the tents and the watchtower. The only light source was the campfire in the center, allowing him to easily observe the entire camp structure without being noticed.

Tents, animal pens, and a simple watchtower—these were the only three structures in the camp. After reassessing the number of orcs, Rodi estimated there were about twenty-five in the camp. It took about five minutes to memorize the layout, patrol routes, and troop distribution. After completing this preparation, he quickly returned to the nearby trench without making a sound.

"Know your enemy, know yourself, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles." This saying had been repeated for many years, but Rodi clearly understood its importance. After this risky reconnaissance, he had formulated a suitable plan for the upcoming battle.

When Rodi reappeared beside the scouts, his silent and swift movements startled the young men, and Ruger was amazed. He understood what Rodi's skills meant, which also made him more at ease—Rodi's greater abilities increased the chances of success in this battle.

"Take out the packages."

Rodi made a silent gesture, and Ruger was the first to react. Carter and the remaining soldiers followed, opening the packages. They found arrowheads soaked in fuel, and almost everyone received a set of flint and tinder for lighting fires.

"Second team, follow me. First team, stand by."

Rodi whispered. He missed the days when he and his comrades could communicate with just tactical gestures, but clearly, these people lacked such tactical discipline. Calling over the first team's leader, Ruger, he added, "Have each member of the first team prepare three flaming arrows. Once you hear screams from the camp, light them and shoot at the tents on the west side. After that, move sixty meters west along the trench and wait for my signal from the watchtower to charge into the camp. Understood?"

Ruger immediately understood Rodi's tactical intent and nodded seriously, accepting the order.

"Carter, take the second team and follow me."

Rodi looked up at the not-so-bright moonlight, gripped his horn bow, and stepped along the trench toward the east side.

When the seven scouts of the second team followed Rodi to the east side of the camp, everything was still quiet. However, the soldiers' rapidly beating hearts made their foreheads sweat slightly, and their palms holding the short bows were a bit slippery. The adrenaline rush caused their fingertips to tremble slightly—these phenomena were unavoidable, and Rodi did not say much about it. Even he had been the same during his first ambush on orcs.

Calling all the scouts of the second team to him, Rodi quietly arranged the next task— "There are three regular patrols in the camp, plus one on the watchtower, making four in total. We need to take them out with a concentrated shot, then immediately climb the watchtower to draw their fire and shoot as many as possible. Ruger will support us, and when they charge into the camp, follow my command."

His gaze swept over the young men and Carter beside him, then pointed to the small round shields they had carried as backup equipment, "When you climb the watchtower, one person covers while the other shoots. Don't become a target for the enemy. That's all I have to say. Understood?"

In the darkness, their bright eyes were slightly tense and hopeful. Seeing everyone nod, Rodi picked up his horn bow and signaled everyone to nock their arrows. The patrolling orcs would pass by the trench in a few minutes, and their task was to wait and deliver the fatal blow.