[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha":3,"chapter-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-176":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Marked By The Mad King Alpha",{"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},1732057,2214,"Chapter 176 Loss Forged In Claw","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-176",176,"\u003Cp>Phoebe’s POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Augustus wasn’t thrilled about backing down, but he had no choice. Continuing to hassle me would only make him look worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a dismissive wave, he signaled for one of the senior warriors to brief me on the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news hit like a punch to the gut. A massive force of Valerium warriors had infiltrated our territory and were now marching straight for the capital. Our scouts had spotted them and sent word back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, the fighting had probably already started.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real problem? We were stretched thin. Most of our warriors were tied up in the southern battle, and reinforcements from nearby packs wouldn’t arrive for at least half a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly scribbled my assessment: [So we need to hold them off for half a day until backup arrives.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pretty much, yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wrote another note: How long can our current forces hold the line outside the city?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their surprise at how fast I grasped the situation was almost insulting. This wasn’t rocket science – it was the most obvious question to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either I was sharper than I realized, or these people had seriously underestimated me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still had more questions before I could work out a plan. Those strategy sessions with Perry before he left were paying off now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the senior warrior was much more eager to fill me in completely. He wanted me to understand every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could tell the elders had given them the wrong impression of me. They didn’t mind my written communication – everyone wanted a solution, and a little inconvenience was nothing compared to what they’d already endured in this war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Four hours, maybe six at most.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shifted closer to get a better view of the map spread across the massive table. The warriors stepped back to give me room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pointed to the mountain beside the fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s Mountain Den,\" the senior warrior explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wrote quickly: [I have an idea.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry’s POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed through the barricades with my warriors, tearing through Sunstone Creek and freeing the prisoners the Valerium forces had captured. Their alpha was already dead – beheaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something felt off about this whole situation. My gut was screaming that the enemy had an ace up their sleeve, though I couldn’t pin down what yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Timothy’s voice crackled through the mindlink: [Found where they escaped yet?] He shared my suspicions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[There are secret tunnels leading out of the pack. Some of our men followed them, but we don’t know where they lead.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Get someone from this pack – anyone who knows about these passages. Find out where they go.] I barked the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[On it,] Timothy replied, still mopping up the remaining enemies. His mind was working slower as he focused on tying up prisoners for execution later. I could practically feel his frustration – he wanted to just kill them all and save time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was still puzzling over the weird situation too. Unlike me, he couldn’t juggle multiple problems at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five minutes later, we dragged over an elder from the Sunstone Creek pack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All the passages lead outside the territory,\" he gasped out. \"They end at different spots in the mountains.\" He gave us the details – five exit points total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We moved fast. Even if we couldn’t catch the Valerium warriors and their accomplices, we wouldn’t fall too far behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Split into five groups, hit every exit point,\" I commanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They executed the order in under two minutes. Five teams of a hundred warriors each, led by senior fighters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their mission was simple: identify which path the enemy took, but don’t engage. Wait for backup before attacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before we could get too deep into the mountains, a massive explosion rocked the area. The sound was so loud it left our ears ringing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell was that?!\" Timothy tried reaching everyone through the mindlink, but he could only sense the warriors in his group heading to one of the exit points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still alive – he’d know if something happened to me. The loyalty bond worked both ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Find out what happened,\" I ordered one of my warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He peeled off to investigate while the rest of us pressed on. He could track us by scent later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, he caught up with devastating news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was a bomb, Your Majesty. They blew the passages. The warriors who went in... they’re buried under the rubble.\" His face was raw with grief – these were his brothers-in-arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Survivors?\" I asked, though I already knew the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"None found yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn cowards!\" The rage burned hot in my chest. We’d lost good men to this backstabbing move.\u003C\u002Fp>",786,"2026-06-06T16:11:22.572Z",1,"novelbin.me","f97b684169493c61660dd1d743bb79fd49eb883b4e938cf5b753794a768d644f","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-177","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-175",302,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmarked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-cover.jpg"]