Chapter 13: The FFF Group is the Strongest in the World

Nina was the last to pull back into the warehouse. A torrent of arrows descended upon her like a relentless downpour, yet she emerged unharmed as if shielded by an invisible force.

However, her companions were not as fortunate. The talkative young wolfman had an arrow lodged in his thigh. Thankfully, the arrow had spared both bone and major arteries. Yet, the wolfman in armor was less lucky. An arrow had pierced his right arm, and the bleeding was incessant. Two other wolfmen were also injured, unable to continue the fight.

Given their clandestine mission to infiltrate Rem City, they had opted for minimal armor. The soldiers besieging them were armed not with mere bows, but with military-grade crossbows, making each shot a potential death sentence.

“Forget us!” the wounded wolfmen cried out, almost in chorus. “We’ll draw their fire. Make your escape and avenge us later.”

“I will not abandon you,” Nina declared. As she spoke, her cloak slid off her shoulders, unveiling her silvery-white hair and a complexion as pristine as fresh snow.

To Wu Qingsong’s surprise, she was breathtakingly beautiful, a far cry from the muscular warrior woman he’d imagined. Her tall and elegant frame holding the massive sword created a visual contrast that was both startling and awe-inspiring.

Such beauty would invariably draw stares, and Nina knew it well enough to usually keep herself cloaked.

“Is there a secret passage or a back door?” Wu Qingsong was fully aware of his limited utility in such dire circumstances. While he could perhaps exploit his undead resilience and surprise to take down a single opponent, against a prepared enemy he’d be little more than cannon fodder.

The one leading the charge outside was none other than Kleine. The situation had devolved into a worst-case scenario.

“This is merely a warehouse we’ve temporarily rented, there are no secret passages,” the elder beastman exclaimed. “Your Highness, there’s no time to waste. You must break through their lines now while their numbers are still limited. If they bring in more reinforcements, it’ll be too late to escape!”

Nina shook her head vehemently, unable to fathom the idea of abandoning these wolfmen, her most loyal subordinates, to fend for themselves while she escaped.

In a swift motion, she cleaved a large wooden barrel in front of her into two halves with her sword, instantly creating makeshift shields that could protect against arrows.

“Tear these barrels apart and turn them into shields,” Nina instructed them. “Those who are injured, tend to your wounds quickly! Get ready, everyone, we’re going into battle. No one gives up, not until the last moment! The Silver Moon Wolf Clan has no room for cowards. We don’t falter before the fight even starts. I’ll lead the charge. Follow me!”

Spurred by her words, the wolfmen busied themselves tearing apart the contents of the warehouse to create their own makeshift shields. They prepared themselves for a desperate, do-or-die battle.

In such dire circumstances, Wu Qingsong found himself with no other option but to fight for his own freedom and for Ling’s life, just like everyone else. As he was about to ask for a weapon from the wolfmen, he suddenly smelled something pungent emanating from the split barrels. To his surprise, it wasn’t the smell of alcohol, but something far more pungent

“What were these barrels used for before?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Fire oil for arson,” came the reply.

“Do we still have any of this oil left?” Wu Qingsong quickly asked.

The armored wolfman hesitated, uncertain of Wu Qingsong’s intentions. Another wolfman nodded, “There is about half a barrel left.”

“We can use this!” Wu Qingsong declared.

“Start a fire? We’d be the first ones to burn,” said the talkative young wolfman.

“What if we use these?” Wu Qingsong picked up the jugs of the weak liquor they had been drinking.

Clearly, no one in this world had ever heard of the deadly weapon known as the Molotov cocktail. However, Wu Qingsong had fortuitously read about its recipe and usage in a novel where people were transported back to the era of dinosaurs. While scouring the warehouse, he also discovered some honey and fine flour. These ingredients would significantly amplify the potency of the incendiary jars he planned to create.

The wolfmen looked at him in confusion, but after a slight hesitation, Nina spoke, “Do as he says.”

Soon, all the jugs were filled with a mixture of fire oil and sealed with rags, transforming them into makeshift Molotov cocktails. Although this was Wu Qingsong’s first time crafting and using such a device, he had often seen them deployed on the news by rioters. They were the poor man’s weapon, accessible and devastatingly effective. He was confident in their potential.

“We’ll be struck down by crossbow bolts before we can even ignite these and throw them,” one wolfman pointed out. “Besides, we have no idea where they are positioned.”

“I’ll go out first,” Wu Qingsong declared.

For the others, being captured by Kleine might mean death, but for him, it could entail endless suffering. This grim possibility propelled him to step forward without a second thought.

***

At this very moment, Kleine was also consumed by anxiety, wondering, “Why haven’t they returned yet?”

Capturing Wu Qingsong could mean significant long-term rewards, but there were too many uncertainties about when and how this would pay off. Seizing Nina Lams, however, promised immediate, tangible benefits. He couldn’t help but thank his good luck.

But luck wasn’t enough, he lacked sufficient manpower. Now, he found himself yearning for his original squad.

With them, capturing the dozen or so individuals in that warehouse would’ve been a breeze. A living Nina Lams was worth 300,000 renals, while dead, she would fetch merely 50,000. Anyone with an iota of sense would see which was the right choice.

Unfortunately, he currently had under his command fewer than eighty new recruits, freshly drafted from the slums, as well as over twenty soldiers he had taken charge of along the way while following Wu Qingsong’s scent. This ragtag force was hardly ideal for capturing a prize like Nina Lams, but it was what he had.

Hiding in the shadows to shoot arrows might work, but if he ordered them to storm the warehouse, their weaknesses could be exposed for all to see. Kleine himself didn’t have the confidence to capture Nina Lams with his strength alone.

Left with no other choice, he could only send people to look for Commander Vals and other squad captains to seek reinforcements, but those he had sent hadn’t returned for quite some time.

‘Damn it, with a fire this big, those damn fools can’t still be drunk, can they?’ Kleine thought in frustration.

He was forced to divide his limited forces into two squads, setting them up to watch both the front and rear doors of the warehouse. He also sent people to apprehend nearby civilians to gather information on the warehouse’s layout.

Fortunately, this was his home turf and sooner or later, reinforcements would arrive. As for those wolfmen…

Suddenly, the front door of the warehouse burst open. A figure emerged, holding what looked like half of a wooden barrel in front of him. From his vantage point, Kleine could clearly see the battle-ax in the man’s hand.

‘Trying to break through my lines with this tactic? Do they take me for a fool?’ Kleine thought with a sneer. 

Two more wolfmen, also using barrels as makeshift shields, slowly walked out of the warehouse. A cold smirk crept across Kleine’s face.

“Fire the arrows!” Kleine shouted loudly. 

A dozen crossbows by his side fired in unison, turning the lead barrel into something resembling a hedgehog. The small barrel couldn’t fully cover the person behind it. Arrows clearly pierced his legs, torso, and arms. The half-barrel also fell to the ground. However, he didn’t fall. Instead, he pointed in the direction of the crossbowmen and yelled, “Over there!”

Several fireballs spiraled through the air toward the crossbowmen. Kleine disdainfully drew his rapier and took a step forward, shattering one of the fireballs with a single stroke. What he hadn’t anticipated was the subsequent explosion of flames that erupted from the shattered remnants. Then, to his horror, the flames ignited on him as the liquid splashed onto his body.