Chapter 415: Assault on Wintermoon Hill

“Lady Irus, based on the intelligence we’ve gathered, we’ve roughly mapped out the deployment of the Gulos forces.”

Inside the temporary camp.

Sylvia pointed at the map and explained,

“Gulos has occupied all the mountainous regions surrounding Ilz, practically encircling the city completely. Moreover, these mountains are mostly connected in a single range. If we launch an attack, it will definitely set off a chain reaction—plunging us straight into a full-scale decisive battle.”

“Given the current situation, engaging Gulos in an all-out war with only our Federation forces here would put us at a severe disadvantage. We must avoid that at all costs.”

“If we’re not going to attack, then why did we come here in the first place?”

Sandor challenged, his voice laced with skepticism.

Sylvia shot him a silent, sharp glance, then rapped her knuckles firmly on the map and continued,

“That’s exactly what I’m about to explain. Kindly refrain from interrupting, some people.”

“......”

“Everyone, please look here.”

Sylvia pointed to a section of the map marked with a solitary hill.

“This is Wintermoon Hill. Unlike the surrounding mountain ranges, Wintermoon Hill is a standalone formation—unconnected to any other mountain system. It just so happens to be one of the key nodes in Gulos’s defense line.”

“Being an isolated hill, if we attack here, reinforcements from other regions will arrive much later. This makes it undoubtedly their weakest defensive point. If we launch our assault here, we have a high chance of seizing control.”

“What do you think, Lady Irus?”

Irus studied the area Sylvia had marked on the map, then asked,

“Is there any chance of an ambush?”

“According to our reconnaissance, Gulos doesn’t seem to have laid any traps here. Furthermore, the troop density they’ve stationed at Wintermoon Hill is higher than in other areas. Based on a comprehensive analysis, they simply don’t have the extra manpower to weaken their other defenses just to set an ambush at a single node. We have nothing to worry about.”

“Well done.”

Irus praised,

“In such a short time, you’ve accurately analyzed the situation around Ilz and formulated the most rational plan. You truly live up to your reputation.”

“You flatter me, my lady.”

“No need for modesty. Alright—now that Sylvia has finalized the plan, we move out as she’s instructed!”

Some time later.

The Federation Army launched its assault on Wintermoon Hill......

“ROAR——!”

A crimson dragon let out a thunderous roar high in the sky, announcing its arrival.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack......”

Inside the Gulos camp on Wintermoon Hill, urgent alarm bells blared.

Every soldier scrambled into action in a frantic rush.

“Hurry! Command the monster horde to sortie!”

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Under Gulos’s control, a tide of monsters surged down the hillside.

But the Federation Army showed no signs of backing down.

“CHARGE——!”

Sandor led the cavalry corps at the forefront, his voice booming with fury.

“Slay them all! Unleash every ounce of the humiliation we suffered in the last battle upon these damned monsters!”

BOOM!

A single devastating blow crashed down, crushing dozens of monsters into pulp.

“OOH——!”

The cavalry roared in unison, slamming headfirst into the oncoming monster horde.

In an instant, the battlefield transformed into a blood-soaked meat grinder. Countless splatters of blood spilled, quickly staining the earth crimson.

The Federation Cavalry Corps ultimately held the upper hand in strength. The monster vanguard was soon forced into a retreat, their ranks buckling under the relentless assault.

But the monster reinforcements kept coming—seemingly endless, pouring forth from the rear without cease.

“ROAR!”

“ROAR!”

“ROAR......”

They surged forward shoulder to shoulder, layer upon layer. As far as the eye could see, they stretched like a writhing carpet woven from monsters.

Meanwhile, in the rear of the Federation Army lines.

“Mage Corps! Magic Cannon Corps! Prepare for long-range bombardment!”

As Sylvia gave the signal.

Countless magic circles blazed to life atop the hastily constructed fortifications.

“FIRE——!!!”

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH......

A hail of magic projectiles screamed across the sky, traveling several kilometers before slamming mercilessly into the heart of the monster horde.

Then—

BOOM! BOOM......

Infernos erupted among the monsters, incinerating everything in their path.

A single volley decimated the monster ranks, leaving countless dead and wounded in its wake.

“Hurry! Order the monsters to disperse immediately!”

The Gulos commander shouted frantically, scrambling to issue new orders.

But by the time the monster horde began to spread out, they had already suffered catastrophic losses. Even scattering only mitigated the casualties from the long-range bombardment—it did nothing to stop it entirely.

More importantly, as the monster horde’s density decreased, the pressure on the vanguard cavalry lifted dramatically. Their charge picked up speed, tearing through the disorganized enemy lines with ease.

“Quick! Deploy the flying monster unit!”

Panicked orders rang out from the Gulos camp.

A swarm of flying monsters took to the skies, darting toward the cavalry corps at breakneck speed.

But they hadn’t flown far when a voice echoed above them.

“It would be quite the nuisance if you forgot about me.”

Moments later, columns of searing crimson flame rained down from the sky, raging through the flying monster unit.

Dozens of flying monsters were reduced to charred husks, plummeting to the ground.

“ROAR!”

The flying monster unit quickly changed course, determined to eliminate the threat of Ignir first.

But no sooner had they turned around—

HUM! HUM! HUM......

Countless magic circles flared to life in the air above them.

They belonged to the Federation’s elite aerial unit—the Griffin Knight Order—every single knight mounted atop a fierce griffin.

It was one of the most powerful knight orders in the world, ranked alongside the Pasara Empire Wyvern Knight Order, the Lidyall Dragonhawk Knight Order, and the Ravenrim Giant Eagle Knight Order as the Four Great Aerial Knight Orders.

Each knight in the order was a handpicked elite from the army—capable of single-handedly annihilating a squad of C-Rank monsters on their own.

As the Griffin Knight Order unleashed their magic attacks, the flying monster unit descended into chaos in an instant.

“Hmph~. These cat-riding folks aren’t half bad. Still—they’re no match for us dragons.”

Ignir commented with a haughty smirk, looking down at the battlefield from his lofty perch.

Hulim, who was busy casting magic below him, glanced up at the smug crimson dragon and tapped him sharply on the back.

“Quit your gloating and watch the show. The aerial knights are limited in number—every loss is irreplaceable. Try not to let them take too many casualties.”

“Fine, fine—I get it.”

HUM!

A massive magic circle materialized in front of Ignir.

“Let these fools witness the true power of Draconic Magic!”

BOOM——!

A crimson beam of light pierced through the flying monster unit in an instant, slamming into the ground below.

Two seconds later, a towering mushroom cloud billowed upward from the impact site.

“Ignir...... Are you an idiot?! Aim for the flying targets!”

“Ah—my bad. I forgot this spell isn’t exactly suited for dealing with airborne enemies......”

With Hulim and Ignir leading the charge, the Federation’s aerial forces quickly gained the upper hand, suppressing the flying monster unit completely.

Coupled with the ground forces’ relentless advance.

It seemed only a matter of time before Wintermoon Hill fell to the Federation Army.

BOOM——!

Suddenly, an aura of overwhelming, suffocating power surged forth from the distant horizon. A dark purple glow blotted out the sky in the distance.

Hulim and Ignir both snapped their heads toward the source of the aura, their expressions turning grave.

“That presence......”

“Trouble, Hulim! Their S-Rank has shown up! We need to get out of here—now!”

Ignir shouted in alarm, panic evident in his voice.

“......”

BOOM——!

Just then.

An equally formidable aura erupted from within the Federation Army ranks.

Irus ascended rapidly into the sky, her body radiating a brilliant green light that illuminated a swathe of the heavens.

Two S-Rank powerhouses faced off against each other from afar.

Neither made a move.