[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela":3,"chapter-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-61":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Exiled from the Start and Dominating the Wasteland with an Intelligence System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688661,2155,"Chapter 61 : Chapter 61","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-61",61,"\u003Cp>Chapter 61. The Wall of Fire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gather all the principal officers! At once! Right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Estor practically stumbled and rolled as he rushed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than a quarter of an hour, all the key officers hurried into the council hall, their faces dark with tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli stood before the seat of honor without sitting down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone,” he said in a low voice, “my raven has just brought back confirmed news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, and every word struck their hearts like a heavy hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The beast herds in the core region of Nightsong Forest are moving toward the forest’s edge on a large scale, in an organized manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, only part of the herds are coming for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So soon?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heavens…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cries of alarm instantly broke out, mixed with sharp gasps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though they had long been warned, the speed at which the news had come still left everyone deeply shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is no time to panic!” Eli’s voice rose sharply, carrying a force of command that allowed no doubt. “The vanguard of the beast tide could burst out of the forest at any moment! Captain Buck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buck stood as straight as a spear, and the steady bearing of a Gold Tier knight instantly suppressed the surrounding unrest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are to organize all soldiers, Wolf-kin warriors, and knights immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Follow the predetermined defense plan. All soldiers from the new recruit camp are to be added to the defensive line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I want them in their respective defensive positions within seven and a half minutes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s gaze turned to Old John.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old John! You are responsible for organizing all noncombatants—the slaves, the freefolk, the elderly, the women, and the children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They are to abandon all work immediately, take only a small amount of necessities, and withdraw to the preset shelter area deeper in the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All constables are to escort them along the way. Move quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lord!” Buck and Old John answered in unison, their voices loud and clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old John did not hesitate. He turned and charged out of the council hall at once, and his hoarse roar rang out from beyond the door. “Everyone! With me! Move!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vick!” Eli’s gaze locked onto the administrator for slave affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord!” Vick straightened his back, his dark face filled with resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The fire-oil line is our second line of defense. I want it flawless.” Eli’s tone was firm and decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lord! It will be flawless!” Vick slammed a fist against his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The rest of you, do your jobs! Scholar Alva, organize men to prepare to treat the wounded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clark, assemble the reserve force and be ready to reinforce any breach in the wall at any time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Glenn, the mines… abandon them for now! All miners are to join the reserve force!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s gaze swept across the hall, his voice sharp and decisive. “Whether Black Territory lives or dies will be decided in this battle. Dismissed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no extra encouragement, no tragic declaration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone shot out of the council hall like arrows loosed from the string and ran toward their respective posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli did not stop for even a moment. He seized “Silver” at his waist and strode after Buck toward the new recruit camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camp had already taken on the look of a battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shrill blare of horns echoed through the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers moved like a surging black tide of iron, rapidly assembling under the furious shouts of their officers, collecting their weapons, and rushing toward their assigned sectors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old John, together with a large number of overseers and leading freefolk, shouted like shepherds guiding a flock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They directed the panicked slaves, women, and children into a vast human stream that surged toward the deeper reaches of the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buck stood atop the hastily erected mustering platform, his voice rising above all the noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Black Crow Knights! Form ranks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wolf-kin warriors! Form ranks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“New Recruit Squads One through Five! Form ranks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Orders were issued one after another in rapid succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With twenty-five Black Crow Knights at the core, along with the thirteen Wolf-kin warriors led by Wolfgang, and three hundred and fifty reorganized infantry made up of both veterans and recruits— a defensive force of nearly four hundred men completed its assembly with astonishing speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To the wall!” Buck swept his arm forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly four hundred soldiers, like a black tide, surged toward the crude wall that had only just been piled up to a height of three meters and still carried the fresh scent of earth and stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy thunder of footsteps echoed through the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli followed close behind Buck and climbed the wall in long strides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rough, uneven stones lay beneath his feet. Fresh mud plaster could still be seen between the gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wall was not high, and it was not especially thick either, but in this vast valley, it was their only barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers quickly spread out along the battlements. The archers stood in front, the spearmen behind, each of them trying to steady their breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes were fixed on the stretch of forest ahead, that silent edge so ominous it made the heart tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vick and his men were making their final inspection beside the encircling trench roughly a hundred meters in front of the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trench was packed with a thick layer of dry grass and dead branches, all soaked through with fire oil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vick looked up at Eli on the wall and gave a hard nod, signaling that everything was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed second by second in suffocating silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forest’s edge remained still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no birdsong, no beastly howls, only the monotonous rustling of wind passing through the leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons. Their knuckles turned white from the force, and sweat slid down their foreheads, dripping onto the rough battlements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buck stood beside Eli like a statue, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s as it swept across every inch of suspicious movement at the edge of the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD THUD THUD—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of dull, heavy impacts, coming from deep within the forest and drawing nearer by the moment, suddenly rolled in like countless massive hammers striking the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first the sound was still chaotic, but it quickly became orderly and heavy, battering at every person’s ears and heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trees at the forest’s edge began to shake violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re here!” Buck let out a thunderous roar that exploded across the deathly silent wall. “All men, prepare for battle! Get your heads in the fight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers shuddered and were instantly jolted awake from their tense waiting. Adrenaline surged through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrows were nocked, spears were raised, and heavy breathing mixed with the rasp of armor to form a grim symphony before battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the slightest hesitation, Eli immediately closed his eyes. His consciousness sank into his mind, and in an instant he established shared vision with Coalball, the raven circling high overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bird’s-eye view suddenly unfolded before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next moment, the forest’s edge became a black flood bursting through opened gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless beasts of every shape—Nightblade Panthers, Iron-Maned Boars, Rock Deer, forest wolves…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were packed so densely and layered so thickly that they formed a boundless, frenzied beast tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their hooves pounded the earth, kicking up clouds of dust into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sight swept rapidly over the rear of the beast horde… No giant bear! No Thorn Earth Drake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s heart abruptly eased, and almost by instinct he made a rough estimate. There were at least a thousand beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still terrifying, but thankfully, the worst-case scenario had not appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“ROAR—!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth-shaking howls of the beasts merged into a wave of destructive sound that completely shattered the stillness at the forest’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black torrent of the beast tide, carrying an overwhelming, unstoppable force, burst from the forest like floodwaters from a collapsed dike and swept madly toward the wall of Black Territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trap zone Buck had set up instantly showed its worth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beasts charging at the very front plunged into the cleverly disguised pits like dumplings dropping into boiling water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharpened wooden stakes and iron spikes at the bottom pierced straight through them, drawing out shrill cries of agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beasts behind could not stop in time. They crashed into the chevaux-de-frise and were impaled by the sharp wooden stakes, or were sent tumbling by the tripwires, causing even greater chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The huge beast traps snapped shut with vicious force, crushing the beasts’ leg bones and pinning them fast to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vanguard of the beast tide was thrown into utter confusion, and the momentum of its charge immediately faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wails, the crack of breaking bones, and furious roars mixed together, and in the blink of an eye the trap zone became a bloody slaughterhouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burst of restrained cheers erupted from atop the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The traps were working!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the number of beasts in the tide was simply too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beasts behind stepped over the corpses and blood of their own kind, ignoring all casualties as they continued their mad charge forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like black, filthy waves, they rapidly surged across the trap zone and hurled themselves toward the fire-oil trench a hundred meters in front of the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Archers!” Eli shouted sharply. A nearby guard immediately handed him a strong bow and a specially made fire arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held his breath, his gaze sharp as lightning as it locked onto the center of the trench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew the bow into a full moon. The arrowhead was lit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHOOSH—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burning meteor tore through the air with a shrill scream and shot with perfect precision toward the center of the trench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if fire had erupted from the earth itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wall of flame several meters high instantly roared into the sky along the length of the trench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of scorching heat rolled outward in every direction, swallowing the beasts at the very front whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pungent stench of scorched fur, the thick black smoke of burning grease, and the shrill cries of beasts burned alive instantly filled the entire battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wall of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was even fiercer and even more spectacular than anyone had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soaring flames were like a roaring fire dragon, standing firm between the beast tide and the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surging torrent of beasts struck the blazing wall as waves strike a reef and was brought to a sudden halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless beasts were scorched by the flames. Screeching in terror, they retreated or turned aside, and their formation instantly fell into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Burn them alive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long live the Lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deafening cheers exploded across the wall. The soldiers raised their weapons in excitement, and their morale soared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet before the cheering had even faded, Buck’s icy voice smashed down like a hammer. “Don’t celebrate too early! Archers—ready!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s heart sank as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wall of fire was fierce, but its coverage was limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both flanks, and in the areas where the flames burned weaker, there were still beasts that feared no death, or were being shoved forward by those behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke rose from their bodies, and their hides were marked by scorched burns, yet they still came charging through the sea of fire with savage howls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after crossing the wall of flame, there were still at least three to four hundred beasts left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire had completely driven them mad, making them even more ferocious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reeking of charred flesh and wracked by burning pain, they charged toward the low stone wall like demons crawling out of hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Loose!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TWANG—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dense chorus of bowstrings, enough to make the scalp prickle, rang out all at once!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, black arrows rose like a dark cloud of death, blotting out the sky as they rained fiercely down upon the beasts that had crossed the wall of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD! THUD! THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awoooo—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dull thuds of arrows sinking into flesh and the agonized howls of wounded beasts instantly drowned out even the roar of the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foremost beasts fell in swathes like wheat cut down in the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how dense the rain of arrows was, it could not cover everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second volley! Loose!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third volley! Loose!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buck’s cold commands rang out without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three volleys, another large cluster of beasts collapsed, but the remaining beasts had already pushed through the storm of arrows and, like a tide gone mad, gathered beneath the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>",2098,"2026-06-06T13:50:45.844Z",1,"novelbin.me","cf7661229a667bf5b7635114493c6ee60ad204d37e5e7e213c72289edea7d782","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-62","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-60",112,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fexiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-cover.jpg"]