"Alright, it’s almost there. See that small mountain peak over there? Their mountain stronghold is hidden above it." The boss suddenly stopped, pointing at a small mountain in front of them.
If it hadn’t been for the boss’s reminder, Du You wouldn’t have noticed. From such a distance, one must observe carefully to detect some unnatural elements at the top of the mountain, revealing the presence of a structure.
The local residents had perfectly fused the building with the surrounding environment, making it hard to spot any differences at a glance. However, if Xiaozi was conducting reconnaissance from the air, they would easily find it.
"Boss, what’s our strategy? Do we just swoop in ahead?" Lao Er was prepared to fight.
"Hold your horses. About fifty individuals are stationed there year-round in that stronghold, all of them trained soldiers capable of using battle formations. If we charge in recklessly, we’re no match for them. Furthermore, their leader is a Level 4 Heavily Armed Warrior." Having heard this, even Lao Er felt silenced.
Level 4 was no ordinary Awakener level, but the level of intermediate Awakeners. Once reaching Level 4, there will be significant advancements in every respect. They, being only Level 2, are no match.
Hearing that the enemy is Level 4, even Du You felt some pressure. Of course, it was only a trivial amount.
"Then what do we do? We can’t beat them, and we certainly can’t infiltrate them with our current power." None of them were rogue types, so stealth was out of the question.
"I’ve had a plan all along. We’ll use the tactic Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain." The boss evidently came prepared.
"The stronghold is about 500 meters from a watchtower to the north. Once we seize control of it and set it on fire, the people inside the stronghold will naturally check it out. By then, there will be fewer people left in the stronghold. We can seize that opportunity and launch an attack to acquire what we want."
Although their plan can’t eliminate the stronghold, they can still obtain the necessary intelligence. With this information, whether or not the stronghold is taken down is inconsequential.
"Hold on, boss, can you two infiltrate the stronghold? It’s a waste of time to go back and forth . How about I do it? Once I take down the watchtower and attract their attention, you can move directly into the stronghold, spares us some time."
After observing Du You with profound meaning, Liu Jian finally said, "Are you confident? Not only the people within the stronghold will go there, but those hidden nearby might also come to trouble you."
"Don’t worry, I am confident. Even if I can’t beat them, I can escape. Moreover, I am adept at using traps and ambushing, maybe I can wipe them all out." Du You said with confidence.
Maybe he can’t overcome them in a straightforward combat, but ambush and surprise tactics entirely change the game.
"If you’re sure, then go ahead. The two of us will wait here."
"Boss, can Lao San handle it all by himself?" Lao Er shouted in worry.
Nonchalantly Du You replied, "Relax, I’ve reached Level 3. I’m not Level 2 anymore."
Upon hearing this, Lao Er’s eyes widened in surprise. He cannot believe that this usually taciturn man has once again managed to get ahead. He could not possibly guess how such a reticent person could be so powerful.
Having said that, Du You proceeded to sneak away in the northern direction. "But boss, even at Level 3, he may not necessarily succeed?"
The boss casually replied, "It’s alright, everyone has their secrets. Since Lao San is confident, let him do it, I believe in him. We should also hide well, we can’t be discovered."
With that, the boss and Lao Er went into hiding in the direction of the stronghold. Lao Er looked back at the direction Du You had left, a trace of worry clearly present on his face. Nevertheless, biting his teeth Aldn,[assuming that it’s a translation mistake; "aids" → "Alnd"] he followed farther.
The watchtower 500 meters to the north was comparatively easy to find. Soon, Du You arrived at the watchtower.
"Although I don’t know what the elites in the stronghold look like, the people inside this watchtower are obviously not top-notch."
Du You looked at the place which looked much like a run-down village. Because of the tall watchtower, Du You caught sight of the place easily. It looked extremely dilapidated with about twenty people dwelling within.
But from their appearance, they were inherently lazy and sloppy, clearly not aligning with the description of elites and were more akin to refugees. They did not have any decent equipment and were only clad in shabby clothing and armed with rudimentary weapons.
He had no idea how such people could manage to survive in this place. Upon scrutinizing them, he found that most were only Level 1, with only two at Level 2, too despicable to raise any concern.
Others may consider whether or not to assault upon arriving, but Du You thought this power was too poor. "There are fifty people in the stronghold. Here there’s about twenty. So, the ones still concealed nearby would be about thirty more." Du You was calculating silently.
It’s unlikely they are all hiding in the north. They should be all around, or even on other sides. In that case, their distance from here would be farther than from the stronghold, thus, they will take even more time to arrive.
"Hence, this place, which would serve as an inevitable route for the people from the stronghold, would be right to have traps laid."
Du You came up with an idea. He laid down three Mucus Swamps that formed a Y-shaped trap along the path and were hidden in the most secluded shadows. At a casual glance, they could be mistaken for puddles.
"Sprinkle some leaves and straw around, and it’s settled. It’s only 500 meters, one hour should be enough for them to arrive."
One hour is precisely when his Mucus Swamps would dissolve.
Having set the traps, Du You did not waste any time and launched his attack on the watchtower. Before his men arrived, the two birds hiding at that place were the first to attack.
The Cursed Crow King let out a caw, initiating the Curse Aura. Under the Pain Curse, all the people began writhing in agony. Up in the sky, Xiaozi left no room for failure.
Lavender radiance shot past. Xiaozi at the pinnacle of Level 3, instantaneously struck down the two strongest bandits in the watchtower, then launched a massacre all around. Even the Cursed Crow King started to attack.
Feather Arrows, a torrent of energy that looked like black feathers, rained down. The Feather Arrows launched by the Cursed Crow King at the 8-star peak of Level 3 were no longer powerless as before; they held a strong offensive potential. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩