Chapter 103: The Sneak Attack (Part 2)

“Ambrose!” 

“Lord Ambrose?”

The attackers, following closely and expecting a swift triumph, prepared to jubilantly announce this game-changing victory. However, the scene before them completely shattered their expectations.

Ambrose, the half-elf famed for his skillful swordplay, had been instantly killed.

A mastiffman, fueled by rage, roared and lunged at Wu Qingsong with a forceful slash of his sword, bending Wu’s body with the impact. Enduring the pain, Wu thrust his sword forward, only to be deflected by the mastiff.

“You!” the mastiffman exclaimed in shock.

His sword, powerful enough to cleave through stone, had only caused Wu Qingsong to bend at the waist. How was that possible?

Though perplexed, the mastiffman’s battle-honed instincts drove him to strike again at Wu Qingsong. This time, Wu’s left hand reached the mastiffman’s body.

“Campbell?!” 

The confined corridor couldn’t fit two large mastiffmen side by side. The one behind watched as his comrade suddenly stiffened and collapsed in pain.

There stood Wu Qingsong, clad in a simple tunic and wielding an unremarkable shortsword. Yet, in such a brief encounter, two skilled foes lay defeated by his hand, instilling a sudden sense of fear in the remaining mastiff.

How had he achieved this?

In their state of panic, the attackers hastily began reloading their crossbows, while Wu Qingsong sprinted towards them with remarkable speed.

At such a close distance, these seasoned warriors should have easily hit their target. However, bafflingly, Wu Qingsong’s body only tilted slightly backward, as if to offset the arrow’s impact, and then he relentlessly continued his charge.

The warrior at the forefront fiercely threw his crossbow directly at Wu, hitting him squarely. But within a few seconds, Wu lunged at him again, engaging the warrior in a fierce struggle.

In an incredibly brief confrontation, the mastiffman warrior collapsed.

“Monster! Monster!” the remaining attackers shouted, their fighting spirit thoroughly shattered. At that moment, Angus and the others, armed to the teeth, charged into the fray.

“My Lord!” they cried out as they launched a ferocious attack on the intruders from behind, while Wu Qingsong rushed into the room where Ling and Liuli were taking cover.

“Wu!”

Both women were crouched in the corner, each gripping a crossbow. Recognizing Wu, they simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m here now, don’t be afraid,” he assured them.

From their vantage point, they could see fires raging outside, and the air was filled with incessant screams and roars, igniting Wu Qingsong’s fury.

“Liuli.” 

He placed his hand on the catgirl’s chest.

“Meow~?” A few seconds later, a lazy meow sounded.

“Please, take out all the intruders,” Wu implored.

“Meow~ Really? Can I kill all of them?” the catwoman asked with excitement. “I’ll handle it!”

She quickly disappeared through the door. Soon after, the corridor echoed with screams, followed by the sound of liquid splashing against the walls. In just a few seconds, even Angus and his companions were crying out in alarm.

“Hey~ if you’re not helping, at least don’t get in the way,” Liuli’s voice, filled with irritation, called out before she rapidly moved away.

“We need to go out too,” Wu Qingsong said to Ling, who nodded emphatically.

Wu Qingsong then activated Ling’s ability. A mass of silver substance floated in front of them, dividing into two sections and transforming into semi-circular discs that began to orbit slowly around Ling.

“Remember, your first priority is to protect yourself,” Wu Qingsong instructed.

In the corridor, they passed bodies decapitated by Liuli. Angus and the others, seemingly pushed aside during the chaos, were just picking themselves up, apparently uninjured.

Upon seeing Wu Qingsong, they all looked down, overwhelmed with shame.

“Lord… we…”

“Enough hesitating. Beck, take two people and guard Harold,” Wu Qingsong ordered. “Everyone else, follow me!”

The houndmen immediately mobilized. Exiting the city lord’s residence, they were met with a fiery landscape. Every watchtower was in flames, forcing the sentinels to jump down, only to face ambush from the attackers.

“Quickly, go and assist them,” Wu Qingsong commanded.

“Lord!” Angus responded, hesitating for a moment.

“I don’t need protection. Go now,” Wu Qingsong shouted urgently.

From the right, the sound of excited meowing was heard as Liuli appeared, her fur soaked in blood. Her paws, dripping wet, gripped a corpse that she hurled at an enemy warrior, causing him to scream and fall, rendered completely incapacitated. Another hyenaman, in a desperate attempt to flee, was swiftly overpowered by Liuli and lay motionless after her frenzied attack.

In another area, a section of the city wall seemed to come to life. Massive logs swiftly formed into a towering treant. 

A mastiffman, who moments ago had been mercilessly slaughtering deerpeople, cried out in despair and shock, watching helplessly as the enormous foot of the treant descended, crushing him into oblivion. A hyenaman attempting to escape was caught and flung high into the air, sent flying beyond the city walls by the treant.

“Stay organized! Try to regroup!” Wu Qingsong commanded loudly.

A crossbow bolt aimed at him from an unseen location was repelled by a silver disc.

“It’s Tagraedi! Kill him!” yelled a half-elf and a hyenaman as they charged toward him. 

Wu Qingsong gripped his shortsword, bracing for battle. Ling, however, stepped protectively in front of him.

In an instant, the two discs behind her transformed into a dense cloud of flying needles, enveloping the attackers. Before they could even swing their weapons, they were surrounded by the relentless barrage of sharp needles, leaving no chance for escape.

“I… I can’t move…” 

The attackers’ movements abruptly ceased, and they remained frozen in an unnatural posture, too terrified to make any movement, their eyes reflecting utter despair.

How many monsters were lurking in this wooden city?

“Tagraedi!” the half-elf cried out hopelessly.

“Spare no one,” Wu Qingsong, witnessing the burning city and the bodies strewn on the ground, spoke through clenched teeth.

The flying needles swiftly contracted, resembling a strange, floating creature. Blood burst forth, but the silver array of needles blocked it, preventing any from spilling out. The only blood that flowed trickled slowly down the legs of the two lifeless bodies.

“Ling…” Wu Qingsong noticed Ling’s slight shudder. 

Was such a gruesome sight too much for her to bear?

He embraced her from behind, apologizing, “I’m sorry… that you have to face this.”

“It’s alright,” Ling quickly regained her composure. “Although I’ve always been hesitant to accept it, I am a warrior’s daughter, after all.” 

She gently nuzzled Wu Qingsong’s hand with her face, “Wu, now that I have the power to help, let me fight for your cause.”

Wu Qingsong turned her to face him, looking intently into her eyes, and nodded in agreement, “Alright! I’m counting on you.”

The flying needles dispersed, and the two bodies, now riddled with countless wounds, collapsed to the ground.

“We should hurry and help the others,” Wu Qingsong urged.

Ling nodded with determination.