Chapter 425: Orcs Shouldn

"Hurry, climb up!"

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

As their numbers grew, the courtyard soon had no more space, so the orcs slipped out into the streets beyond.

Of course, unlike Bokacheng,

the kingdom's army was large enough that most surrounding courtyards housed soldiers.

Upon noticing this, the orcs simply slipped quietly into these courtyards and infiltrated the rooms where soldiers slept.

Then came the merciless slaughter.

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

With crisp snaps, one human soldier after another 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 opened those drowsy eyes and saw the most horrifying sight of their lives,

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

They couldn't help but scream.

"Orc… orcs! Aah! There are orcs!"

Like a thunderclap, 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 the scream.

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

Yet his warning allowed others to detect 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-ding-ding!

Roar-roar-roar!

"Orc warriors, no more hiding—move out! Follow the plan: open the city gates first, 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 alleyways.

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 had combat power equal to at least ten thousand elite soldiers.

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

"Hurry, stop them!" Along the way, many noble and legion soldiers 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 conference 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 foreboding through the Commander-in-Chief and Duke Hernad's hearts.

Indeed, moments later, several soldiers rushed into the conference hall.

"My lord, disaster! Enemy attack! The wyvern and griffon riders report—there are many orcs inside the city!"

"How could this happen? How could orcs suddenly appear inside the city?" Just moments ago, the Commander-in-Chief had been certain the orcs couldn't replicate their earlier attack on Bokacheng.

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

"How did these orcs appear, and what is their current movement?" Duke Hernad's face filled with solemnity as he demanded answers.

"My lord, we cannot yet determine how the orcs appeared, as they emerged across the East, South, and West Quarters."

"And they appeared scattered—emerging from individual courtyards before gathering together!"

"Three quarters?! Then it can't be tunnels—but that no longer matters, because their surprise plan has succeeded!"

"Are the orcs heading toward the city gates?"

"Yes, my lord. Except for a small group in the East Quarter, all other orcs have moved 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, hold them back!"

"This… my lord, because the orcs appeared so suddenly, the legion soldiers haven't been able to form large units!"

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

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

In truth, he didn't need their answer—he could have predicted this.

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

But under this sudden assault, the orcs gave them no time to gather.

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

The orcs needed only one charge to shatter any blocking force.

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

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

And it's completely, utterly finished.

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

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

Of course, no one cared about Hou Jue Marquis Marquis Aosiding now.

Goodness, Marquis Marquis Aosiding sensed the unusual atmosphere inside the chamber and, without waiting for the Commander-in-Chief's permission, walked in on his own.

"Though it seems irreparable, we cannot stand idly by and let the orcs succeed!"

"Commander-in-Chief, this is no time to lose heart—we must immediately mobilize forces for defense, even if there's only a one-in-a-thousand chance!" At that moment, Duke Hernade reminded the Commander-in-Chief.

Though hope was truly slim, they could not simply give up.

But as long as the final moment had not come, they could not admit defeat.

The Commander-in-Chief knew this truth, though his despair could no longer be concealed.

Still, he swiftly ordered: "Did you hear? Spread the word—stop the orcs from breaching the city gates at all costs!"

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

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"

Several aerial cavalrymen who had come to report quickly departed.

Now, only they could deliver the orders fastest.

"Duke Hernade, I'm going to become a traitor to the kingdom!"

After the subordinates left, the Commander-in-Chief's face was bleak, 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 Hernade couldn't help but comfort him.

But the Commander-in-Chief was no ordinary man—he couldn't be cheered up by a few words.

He knew very well: failure was failure.

He had no chance of ever winning it back.

After all, if Winter's End City truly fell, the losses would be too great.

"Duke Hernade, stop comforting me!"

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

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

Duke Hernade opened his mouth but fell silent—the orcs had planned everything; they would never easily let them escape.

Still, it wasn't over yet, so he had no intention of uttering such a defeatist remark.

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

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

Duke Hernade froze, turned his head, and saw it was Hou Jue Marquis Marquis Aosiding.

And the Commander-in-Chief was also staring at Hou Jue Marquis Marquis Aosiding at that moment!