Chapter 79: An orc army of over three hundred thousand! The Poison Lizard race!

Roko's gaze lingered on Duke Auston's face for a moment, then withdrew calmly.

The ruler of the Xin Feng Province was radiating even more pressure than he had last time in Prada City.

Clearly, the imminent orc threat had also made the Duke feel an unprecedented burden.

"Roko."

Duke Auston's voice rang out in the somewhat empty tent.

Roko stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"Master Duke."

"Your territory, Vanguard Valley, is located on the border of the Xin Feng Province, facing the Northland Orc Wasteland directly."

"From today on, your troops can scout outward from Vanguard Valley."

Duke Auston's finger traced a new area on the simple military map spread out on the long table.

"You must strengthen patrols and vigilance in this area; any disturbance must be reported immediately."

"If any orc tribe dares to cross the border, annihilate them on the spot without needing to ask for instructions."

"Understood."

Roko's reply remained brief and powerful.

The meeting ended quickly, but the atmosphere became increasingly heavy.

Walking out of the central command tent, the afternoon sun was somewhat blinding, yet it could not dispel the gloom in everyone's hearts.

After returning to his camp, Martina was already waiting with people.

"Roko, what did the Duke say?"

She came up to him, her clear eyes filled with inquiry.

Roko repeated Duke Auston's orders briefly.

Martina's brow furrowed slightly.

"This has almost expanded our vigilance range by dozens of times."

"Moreover, the terrain in that area is complex, with many mountains, forests, and canyons, which is very unfavorable for the deployment of a large army, but extremely easy for small groups of orcs to infiltrate."

She saw the danger in it at a glance.

"I know."

Roko's expression was calm.

"But the order has been given, and we can only execute it."

"Hart."

He turned to the guard captain beside him.

"Yes, Young Master."

Hart replied in a deep voice.

"From now on, send out all our scouts."

Roko's voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

"Patrol the new defensive sector day and night in teams of three."

"Focus on those hidden passages and water sources that might be utilized by the orcs."

"Any abnormal situation must be reported immediately."

"Yes!"

Hart took the order and left.

"Fura."

Roko looked at the cat-kin beside him.

The girl's silver-gray ears twitched slightly, and her heterochromatic eyes, intertwined with deep blue and shattered gold, looked at him.

"Select twenty of the most agile knights to form a rapid response team."

"Once the scouts discover enemy activity, you must be able to arrive and provide support in the shortest possible time."

"Okay."

Fura responded softly, her figure flashed, and she also went to execute the order.

"Martina."

Roko finally looked at the snow fox girl.

"How are the defensive works in Vanguard Valley coming along?"

Martina replied immediately: "Basically, they are almost done."

"However, the progress on those simple earth-made castles outside Vanguard Valley for defending against orcs is slightly slower."

Duke Auston required all nobles to build temporary defensive strongholds within their defensive sectors, relying on favorable terrain.

Although these strongholds were simple, they could play a role in delaying the enemy and providing early warning at critical moments.

"Speed up the progress."

Roko said in a deep voice.

"Especially those points near the Northland Orc Wasteland; they must take shape in the shortest possible time."

"I have a premonition that peaceful days will not last much longer."

"I understand."

Martina nodded, her expression also becoming grave.

Over the next three days, the entire Xin Feng Province was plunged into a state of highly tense busyness.

Countless laborers, driven by noble soldiers, worked day and night to build defensive works.

Convoys transporting grain and supplies were endless.

Patrolling soldiers moved back and forth like shuttles, and the air was filled with a stifling atmosphere of a storm about to break.

Roko's Vanguard Valley troops, in particular, raised their vigilance to the extreme.

The scout teams led by Hart were like a cast fishing net, combing through the newly divided defensive sector again and again.

Fura's rapid response team remained in a state of readiness for battle at all times, ready to strike.

And Roko himself was not idle.

For these three days, besides sitting in the camp and handling various military affairs, he spent most of his time personally leading an elite team.

Wandering along the edge of the Northland Orc Wasteland.

He needed to personally confirm the situation there.

On this day, the setting sun was like blood.

Roko rode on his magnificent Storm Colt, stopping on a high ridge.

Behind him were Fura and ten Storm Knights, also riding Storm Colts.

The cold north wind whistled past, blowing the edges of their armor and making a sound.

"Young Master, we have been observing here for nearly an hour."

Hart arrived at Roko's side at some point; he was not riding a horse, his footsteps light and silent.

"Apart from a few blind wasteland wolves, we haven't found any traces of orc activity."

Roko's gaze remained fixed on the distance, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Something's wrong."

He said in a low voice.

"It's too quiet."

"Quiet to the point of being abnormal."

Based on his understanding of orc habits, even in the outermost areas, it couldn't be this dead silent.

Unless...

A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.

Unless a more powerful existence had cleared out this area.

"Fura."

Roko spoke suddenly.

"Meow?"

The cat-kin's figure appeared on his other side like a ghost, her heterochromatic eyes flashing with a wary light in the twilight.

"Did your senses discover anything?"

Fura closed her eyes, her silver-gray ears twitching slightly a few times.

A moment later, she opened her eyes again, a hint of confusion and gravity in them.

"It's very chaotic, and very stifling."

Her voice was somewhat dry.

"It's like something huge is approaching."

"However, it's very blurry."

Roko's heart sank abruptly.

Fura's talent was extremely special; her perception of danger far exceeded that of ordinary people.

If even she felt blurry and stifled, it could only mean that the scale and strength of the opponent had exceeded the range she could clearly perceive.

Just then, a Storm Knight responsible for vigilance suddenly let out a low cry.

"Master! Look over there!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

They saw that on the distant horizon, beneath the gray-black clouds, some imperceptible wriggling black dots seemed to have appeared.

At first, those black dots were very blurry, like dust.

But as time passed, those black dots expanded rapidly, multiplied, and gradually merged into one.

Like a black tide, surging from the depths of the wasteland.

Roko's pupils contracted sharply.

The Storm Colt beneath him seemed to feel some kind of terrifying pressure from ancient times, pawing the ground uneasily and letting out low, deep neighs.

"That is..."

For the first time, a look of horror appeared on Hart's face.

Even from such a great distance, they could feel the suffocating, iron-blooded killing intent rushing toward them.

That was definitely not some small orc tribe.

That was a true army!

A massive, disciplined orc army radiating infinite killing intent!

"Quick!"

Roko's voice was slightly hoarse due to extreme shock.

"Immediately notify all scout teams to close in on me!"

"We must confirm their numbers and movements as soon as possible!"

The Storm Knights did not dare to delay, and one after another, they took out the magic horns from their bosoms and blew the signal for emergency assembly.

The sharp and urgent sound of the horns spread far across the empty wilderness.

Roko's gaze remained fixed on the black torrent that was constantly approaching.

His heart was beating violently in his chest.

Cold sweat seeped from his temples and slid down his cheeks.

He tried to estimate the opponent's numbers, but the dense, boundless formation made it impossible for him to make an accurate judgment.

The only thing that was certain was that the number of this orc army was definitely a terrifying figure beyond imagination.

"At least three hundred thousand."

Roko spat out these words with difficulty.

And this was just the vanguard.

Behind that black torrent, there seemed to be more, even larger shadows wriggling.

"No, the number might be even higher."

Hart's voice also carried a hint of trembling: "Are these orcs crazy?"

Fura silently gripped the long sword in her hand, her petite body tensing slightly.

"Go!"

Roko made a prompt decision.

"We will return to the temporary castle immediately and report this news to the Duke!"

"This is no longer a situation we can deal with alone!"

He pulled the reins sharply, and the Storm Colt beneath him let out a high-pitched neigh, turned around, and galloped away along the path they had come.

The remaining Storm Knights also spurred their horses to follow.

They did not dare to linger for even a moment.

After all, once caught by that terrifying orc army, their small number of people probably wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

At the same time, deep in the distant Northland Orc Wasteland.

Inside a magnificent royal tent built from the skeletons of giant beasts and black rock, the atmosphere was murderous.

In the center of the royal tent, a basin of ghostly green fire burned, illuminating the surroundings with flickering light.

An exceptionally burly figure sat on a throne carved from a single piece of giant black stone.

His entire body was covered in dark blue, hard skin, with ferocious horns on his head, and a pair of eyes burning with crimson fire.

Filled with wisdom and cruel light.

He was the Seventh Prince of the Bloodhoof Kingdom, Kagerosh Bloodhoof.

Below him, dozens of orc tribe leaders with different forms and powerful auras stood respectfully with their heads bowed.

Some were as tall as hills, some were small but as swift as lightning, some had protruding fangs, and some were covered in scales.

But without exception, the gazes they directed at the figure on the throne were filled with awe and fanaticism.

"Your Highness."

A hoarse voice, like metal rubbing against metal, rang out.

The speaker was a relatively short orc with dark green skin and bone spurs growing on his back.

He was the chieftain of the Poison Lizard race, Kaximo.

In the Orc Kingdom, the racial hierarchy was strict.

From the lowest-ranking inferior species, such as kobolds, goblins...

To the lower species, such as poison lizards, chailangren...

Then to the middle species, such as bear people, harpies, lion people...

Then to the upper species, such as behemoths, sub-dragons...

The noblest were the King Species, usually only possessed by the royal bloodlines of major orc kingdoms.

The Poison Lizard race belonged to the lower species among orcs; their status was not high, but their numbers were not small.

If Kaximo wanted to climb up in the strictly hierarchical orc society and obtain higher status and more resources, he had to seize every opportunity to demonstrate his value.

"Scouts from the front have sent news that the human defenses on the border of the Xin Feng Province seem even weaker than we anticipated."

Kaximo's eyes flashed with shrewd light.

"The main force of the Iron Lion Knights has been transferred to the west, and those left behind are just some private armies of pioneer nobles and temporarily conscripted militia."

"Simply vulnerable."

He deliberately raised his voice, trying to attract Prince Kagerosh's attention.

"This subordinate believes that this is the perfect time for us to launch a surprise attack and tear open the human defensive line in one go!"

Prince Kagerosh's crimson eyes turned slightly and fell on Kaximo.

That gaze seemed to be able to pierce through everything.

Kaximo's heart trembled, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Oh?"

Prince Kagerosh let out a light hum of unknown meaning.

"Do you mean you want to lead the vanguard?"

Kaximo was overjoyed and quickly said: "This subordinate is willing to serve Your Highness!"

"As long as Your Highness gives this subordinate a chance, this subordinate will certainly lead the warriors of my Poison Lizard race to open the road to the human hinterland for the main army!"

His tone was filled with confidence and longing.

Most of the other orc leaders in the royal tent showed expressions of disdain upon hearing this.

A mere lower-species poison lizard dares to speak such wild words?

But Prince Kagerosh seemed quite interested in his proposal.

"Very good."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and magnetic.

"Since you have this heart, this Prince will give you this chance."

"This Prince will draw a portion of 'elites' from the major tribes and hand them over to your command."

"Plus the two thousand warriors of your own Poison Lizard race."

"Assemble a total of eight thousand, set off first, and test the reality of the humans."

Kaximo was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly knelt on the ground.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your fulfillment!"

"This subordinate will certainly not fail the mission!"

The so-called "elites drawn from the major tribes" were probably mostly cannon fodder that were not well-regarded, and might even be mixed with some inferior-species slaves.

But even so, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As long as he could achieve a beautiful battle record, he could leave a deep impression in the Prince's heart.

To win a higher status for himself and the Poison Lizard race.

"Remember."

Prince Kagerosh's voice carried a hint of cold warning.

"Your mission is to test, to harass, and to create as much chaos as possible."

"Do not get entangled in battle, and do not expose the true intentions of our main army."

"If you ruin this Prince's big plan..."

He did not continue, but the invisible pressure made Kaximo tremble all over.

"This subordinate understands!"

Kaximo quickly guaranteed.

Two days later.

An orc force of about eight thousand quietly broke away from the main army and galloped toward the border of the Xin Feng Province.

The composition of this force was indeed as Kaximo had expected, a mixed bag.

Apart from the two thousand Poison Lizard warriors of his own race, who could be considered elites.

The remaining six thousand orcs were mostly miscellaneous troops with simple equipment and low morale.

There were even nearly two thousand inferior-species kobolds captured at will mixed in.

These poor kobolds were less like warriors and more like mobile rations.

But Kaximo did not care about these things.

His eyes flashed with excitement, and the poison-patterned long spear in his hand pointed to the south.

There lay the rich land of the humans.

And also the hope for him to make contributions and rise to prominence.

"Master! Urgent military intelligence!"

Inside the council hall of the Vanguard Valley temporary castle, a scout knight rushed in, kneeling on the ground, his face filled with lingering fear.

Roko was discussing defense with Martina and Hart, and his brow arched upon hearing this.

"Speak!"

"Reporting to Master!"

The scout knight panted heavily and said urgently.

"In the direction my unit is responsible for patrolling, about five hundred miles away, a large orc force was discovered!"

"The number is at least eight thousand!"

"What? Coming so fast?!"

Martina and Hart exclaimed at the same time.

Roko's face also became grave instantly.

Although he knew before that at least three hundred thousand elite orc troops were coming, no one expected them to arrive so quickly. "Did you see clearly which tribe the orcs belong to?"

He asked in a deep voice.

"The distance was too far, and it wasn't very clear."

The scout knight replied.

"But it seems, it seems there are a large number of Poison Lizard people!"

"And some strange-looking orcs, this subordinate cannot distinguish them."

Poison Lizard people?

Roko's heart stirred.

It seems this was just the vanguard of that elite orc army.

If that was the case, it seemed it wasn't entirely impossible to contend with them.

"Pass on the order immediately!"

Roko made a prompt decision.

"All units patrolling outside are to immediately withdraw to the temporary castle!"

"The castle is to enter the highest state of alert!"

"At the same time, send someone to rush to the central command and report this intelligence to Duke Auston!"

"Yes!"

The messenger took the order and left.

The atmosphere in the council hall became tense instantly.

"Eight thousand orcs..."

Martina's face was somewhat pale.

"And, judging by the scout's description, they don't seem to be ordinary miscellaneous soldiers."

"This force is already enough to pose a serious threat to us."

Hart nodded, his expression grave.

"Young Master, what should we do now?"

"Should we hold firm and wait for reinforcements, or take the initiative to attack and delay them?"

Roko's gaze fell on the simple map hanging on the wall.

His finger moved slowly between the temporary castle and the location where the orcs appeared.

"Holding firm and waiting for reinforcements is the safest choice."

He said slowly.

"But we cannot just watch them drive straight in."

"Duke Auston gave this defensive sector to us, which means we must block the first wave of the orc offensive."

"If we can't even do this, how can we stand before the Duke, how can we stand in the Xin Feng Province in the future?"

"Moreover..."

A hint of imperceptible glint flashed in Roko's eyes.

"This might also be an opportunity."

An opportunity to figure out the reality of this orc force, and even eat them up.

Of course, this idea was too risky, and he did not say it out loud.

Soon, Duke Auston's order was passed back.

The Duke's reaction was even more rapid and decisive than Roko had expected.

He immediately dispatched two Barons and three capable Pioneer Nobles to lead their troops and rush to Roko's defensive sector for reinforcements.

Added to the five thousand scouts under Roko's command, a mixed force totaling ten thousand was quickly assembled.

Duke Auston's order to them was simple: at all costs, drag this orc force of eight thousand along the border of the Xin Feng Province.

To buy precious time for the subsequent deployment of the main force and the perfection of defensive works.

One day later.

When the two Barons and three Pioneer Nobles arrived at the temporary castle built outside Vanguard Valley with their troops, dusty and tired.

The orc army of eight thousand led by Kaximo had also advanced to an area less than two hundred miles from the castle.

A great battle was imminent.

Outside Vanguard Valley, inside the council hall of the temporary castle, the lights were bright.

Roko sat in the main seat.

Below him were the two Barons with different expressions, and the three Pioneer Nobles who looked slightly nervous.

"Everyone."

Roko's gaze swept slowly over the crowd.

"I presume everyone is already clear about our current situation."

"Eight thousand orcs, coming aggressively, with their target aimed directly at us."

"The Duke's order is for us to drag them down at all costs."

"I wonder what high opinions everyone has?"

The council hall fell into a brief silence.

These two Barons, one named Yujin, was burly with a full beard.

He looked like a brute.

The other, named Feilin, was gaunt and pale, looking like a sick person, but it was said that his archery was superb.

The three Pioneer Nobles had far less strength and foundation than Roko and the two Barons.

At this moment, most of them showed expressions of difficulty, clearly lacking confidence in the upcoming great battle.

"Roko."

Baron Yujin was the first to speak, his voice as loud as a bell.

"The orcs are powerful; although our army has a slight advantage in numbers, the scout units account for nearly half."

"The troops that can truly be committed to the front-line battlefield are no more than five thousand."

"Moreover, the elite level of the soldiers is likely far inferior to those orcs who have been fighting in the wasteland for years."

"In my opinion, holding the castle, relying on solid defensive works, and maneuvering with the enemy is the best strategy."

What he said was indeed realistic.

Among those ten thousand troops, four thousand were scouts temporarily assigned by Duke Auston.

These scouts might be okay at reconnaissance and spying, but if they were to be sent to kill the enemy, they were likely not even as good as ordinary militia.

The only ones who could truly fight were the one thousand elites under Roko, and the private armies totaling about four thousand brought by the two Barons and three Pioneer Nobles.

The pressure of these five thousand people resisting eight thousand, or even more elite orcs, was imaginable.

"Baron Yujin's words are reasonable."

Baron Feilin coughed twice and said slowly.

"However, holding the castle to the death is too passive."

"If the orcs bypass us and strike directly into the hinterland, the trouble will be huge."

"Moreover, the Duke's order is to drag them down, not to let them go."

His words also pointed out the key to the problem.

"Then, according to Baron Feilin's opinion, what should we do?"

Roko looked at him.

Baron Feilin smiled slightly and then said.

"The enemy is many and we are few; hard fighting is naturally unwise."

"But we can use the terrain to set up defenses layer by layer."

"Constantly harass their supply lines and flanks, making them exhausted and unable to attack the city with full force."

"In this way, we can not only complete the Duke's mission but also preserve our strength to the maximum extent."

Upon hearing this, a hint of approval flashed in Roko's eyes.

This Baron Feilin, who looked sick, actually had some strategic vision.

"The opinions of the two Barons are both very reasonable."

Roko nodded.

"My idea is to deploy the main force inside the castle, rely on the city defense, and consume the enemy."

"At the same time, dispatch elite teams, carrying enough dry rations and arrows, to lurk in favorable terrain outside the castle."

"Once the orcs begin to attack the city, these teams will launch a surprise attack from their flanks and rear, disrupting their formation, and cooperate with the defenders inside the city to attack from both inside and outside."

"As for the scout units..."

A meaningful smile curled at the corner of Roko's mouth.

"Although they are not good at head-on combat, harassing and creating chaos are their specialties."

"Let them break into pieces, infiltrate the enemy's rear, burn their grain, and kill scattered orcs; they can toss and turn as much as they want."

"In short, we must make these eight thousand orcs unable to eat or sleep in peace, and unable to move an inch within our defensive sector!"

After hearing Roko's plan, the eyes of everyone in the council hall brightened a bit.

This plan was both steady and proactive, using the limited troops they had on the cutting edge.

"Roko, your method is indeed better!"

Baron Yujin praised, clapping his hands.

Baron Feilin also nodded in agreement.

The three Pioneer Nobles nodded repeatedly, and the look in their eyes toward Roko was filled with a bit more admiration.

With the tactics decided, everyone dispersed to begin nervously mobilizing troops.

The entire temporary castle entered the final preparation stage before the battle. **CHAPTER 80**