Chapter 425: The Orcs Won

"Hurry, climb up!"

At their captains' orders, these orcs silently emerged from the tunnel.

As more and more arrived, the courtyard soon had no space left, so the orcs slipped quietly outside.

Of course, unlike Bokacheng,

the kingdom's army was large enough that most surrounding courtyards were occupied by soldiers.

Once the orcs noticed, they simply slipped silently into these courtyards and infiltrated the rooms where soldiers slept.

Then came the merciless slaughter.

No weapons needed—just twist the necks of these two-legged sheep while they slept, and they were done for.

With crisp snaps, one after another human soldier was killed in their sleep by the orcs.

Fortunately, as the commotion grew, a few more alert soldiers half-awoke with bleary eyes.

When they saw, with those drowsy eyes, the most horrifying scene of their lives:

Several towering orcs were methodically snapping the necks of their comrades.

They couldn't help but scream.

"Orcs… orcs! Aah! There are orcs!"

Like thunder splitting the sky, the soldier's cry rang out piercingly in the night, instantly waking soldiers in nearby courtyards.

Puff.

Of course, the soldier's fate was predictable—a great blade slashed straight through his neck.

Thud-thud. The sound of heavy bodies hitting the ground silenced his scream.

"Damn it! There are orcs! Everyone up! Orcs are inside the city!"

But his warning allowed others to spot the orcs earlier.

Though it didn't change the outcome much, it at least triggered the explosives the orcs had carefully planted throughout the city.

Ding-dong-dong!

Roar-roar-roar!

"Orc warriors, no more hiding! Move out! Follow the plan—first open the city gates, then kill every last two-legged sheep!"

"Roar! Kill all the two-legged sheep!"

Amid the roars, the orcs dropped all pretense and surged forward swiftly along the alleys.

Along the way, any human who stood in their path was cut down without hesitation.

Gradually, more and more orcs gathered in the surrounding alleys.

By the time they reached the main road, their numbers had reached three thousand.

Don't think that's small.

These three thousand orcs were at least as formidable as ten thousand elite soldiers.

Moreover, they launched their surprise attack at midnight, so their impact was even greater than that of ten thousand troops.

"Hurry, stop them!" Along the way, many noble soldiers and legion troops tried to block them.

But against the orcs' charge, they collapsed instantly—no one could stand against them for a single clash.

…

Meanwhile, in the temporary meeting hall of the Civil Affairs Office at the rear, the Commander-in-Chief heard the sudden cries of battle.

"What's happening?"

The battle cries sounded clearly not from outside the city.

This sent a dread chill through the Commander-in-Chief and Duke Hernad and the others.

And indeed, moments later, several soldiers rushed into the meeting hall.

"Commander-in-Chief, disaster! Enemy attack! The Moxunying and griffin riders report—there are many orcs inside the city!"

Just moments ago, the Commander-in-Chief had been certain orcs could never replicate their earlier operation in Bokacheng.

But now, it seemed they'd been slapped hard across the face.

"How did these orcs appear? What's their current movement?" Duke Hernad asked sharply, face grim.

"Your Grace, we can't yet determine how the orcs appeared, because they've surfaced in the East, South, and West Quarters."

"And they emerged scattered—appearing from individual courtyards before gathering together!"

"Three districts?! Then it can't be tunnels—but that doesn't matter anymore, because their surprise plan has succeeded!"

"Are the orcs heading for the city gates?"

"Yes, Your Grace. Except for a small group in the East Quarter, all other orcs are advancing along the main street toward the main city gate!"

"Damn it!" Hearing this, the Commander-in-Chief cursed again, "Their target is the gate! Send reinforcements immediately! No matter what, stop them!"

"This… Commander-in-Chief, because the orcs appeared so suddenly, the legion troops can't form large units!"

"And small groups, when they encounter the orcs, are crushed instantly…"

"We're finished!" Hearing his subordinate's report, the Commander-in-Chief slumped helplessly into his chair.

He didn't need his subordinates to tell him—he could foresee this outcome.

If they'd known of the orc ambush beforehand, they could've assembled a large force to hold them off.

But under this sudden assault, the orcs wouldn't give them time to gather.

Small squads charging forward were just like delivering meat to the slaughter.

One single charge from the orcs would shatter any resistance.

And without resistance, opening the gates was merely a matter of time.

If the gates opened, the kingdom's army was finished.

Completely and utterly finished.

"Commander-in-Chief, Marquis Aosiding has arrived!"

At that moment, a subordinate's report came from outside the hall.

Of course, no one cared about Marquis Aosiding now.

But Aosiding sensed the unusual atmosphere in the hall and, without waiting for the Commander-in-Chief's permission, walked in on his own.

"Though it seems irreparable, we can't just watch the orcs succeed!"

"Commander-in-Chief, this isn't the time to lose heart—we must still mobilize forces for defense, even if there's only a one-in-a-thousand chance!" Duke Hernad reminded him.

Though hope was vanishingly slim, they couldn't simply give up.

As long as the final moment hadn't come, they couldn't admit defeat.

The Commander-in-Chief knew this well, though his despair was plain on his face.

Still, he quickly ordered: "Hear me! Order everyone—spare no cost to stop the orcs from opening the gates!"

"Also, summon all nobles—have them prepare for battle!"

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"

The Jimingkongzhongqibing who had come to report quickly departed.

Now, only they could deliver orders fastest.

"Duke Hernad, I'll become a traitor to the kingdom!"

After the subordinates left, the Commander-in-Chief's face was hollow, his eyes filled with bitterness.

"Commander-in-Chief, war has victories and defeats. Even if we lose this time, we can win it back later!" Duke Hernad couldn't help but comfort him.

But the Commander-in-Chief wasn't the kind of man who could be soothed by a few words.

He knew clearly: failure was failure.

He had no chance of ever winning it back.

After all, if Lindongcheng truly fell, the losses would be catastrophic.

"Duke Hernad, don't comfort me!"

"Besides, if the orcs break into the city, I'll hold the rear—you lead the other noble armies to retreat!"

"Preserve as much strength as you can; then my guilt will be lighter, and the orcs won't sweep straight through!"

Duke Hernad opened his mouth to speak, then stopped—the orcs had planned everything; they wouldn't easily let them escape.

But it wasn't over yet, so he chose not to voice this grim truth.

"Commander-in-Chief, the orcs won't get into the city!"

At that moment, a firm voice reached Duke Hernad's ear.

Duke Hernad froze, turned, and saw it was Marquis Aosiding.

And the Commander-in-Chief was also staring at Marquis Aosiding!