Along the banks of the Blackwater River, a wide sandy beach stretched toward dense thickets of shrubs.
Borin had clearly chosen this battlefield with care. At this moment, he was orchestrating a textbook maneuver to lure the enemy deep into a trap.
A squad of ten Blackstone knights charged straight for the riverbank. They galloped back and forth on the sand about a hundred meters from the water, shouting provocations.
In the river, the murky waves churned as dozens of green-skinned, tusked Mermen poked their heads out. Their wet scales glinted with a dull light under the sun. The Merman leader, a head taller and bulkier than its kin, gripped a bone trident fashioned from the massive spine of some sea beast. It let out several guttural, incoherent gurgles before waving the trident toward the knights on the shore.
Over twenty Merman warriors screeched as they leaped from the water. Armed with crude wooden clubs, stone axes, and even sharpened fish bones, they wobbled and dashed toward the knights. These Mermen were clumsy on land; their speed was severely hampered as their feet sank into the soft sand with every step.
Leylo recognized several of the ten knights acting as bait; they were veterans of the Blackstone Knight Order, possessing the strength of at least Tier 2 Great Knights. Facing the charging Mermen, there wasn't a hint of panic on their faces.
As the Mermen drew near, the lead knight gave a low shout. The ten men accelerated simultaneously, their polished longswords tracing cold arcs through the air.
Squelch!
Crack!
Sword light flashed, and flesh flew. Against these disciplined and well-equipped Tier 2 Great Knights, the Merman warriors were utterly defenseless. The knights didn't even need to use their Combat Qi; relying solely on superb horsemanship and swordsmanship, they cut through the twenty-plus Mermen like a hot knife through butter.
Blood stained the sand red, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere. The entire process took less than two minutes—so fast it left the Merman leader in the water momentarily stunned.
"Gwa! Gwa-ga!"
Enraged by the sudden and humiliating defeat, the Merman leader bulged its protruding fish-eyes and let out a furious roar. It raised its bone trident high, pointing at the triumphant knights, and then swung it forward violently.
This time, it was no longer a probe.
A black mass of Mermen swarmed out from the river, numbering over two hundred. They let out sky-shaking screeches as they trampled over the corpses of their comrades, charging desperately onto the beach.
Seeing the swarm, the ten bait knights showed no desire to linger. They immediately wheeled their horses and galloped back the way they came, appearing as though they had been "terrified" by the Merman numbers. The Merman leader, seeing the enemies "fleeing," was overcome with pride, roaring and urging its subordinates to accelerate the pursuit. The dense crowd of Mermen rushed three hundred meters deep into the beach, chasing the dust of the knight squad.
Just then!
"KILL!"
An explosion of a shout rang out like a clap of thunder.
From behind the previously calm thickets and scattered giant boulders, a large force of Blackstone Knights burst forth. They were clad in uniform steel armor, their formation grim and orderly. The knight apprentices followed closely behind, shields and swords in hand, their eyes shimmering with a mix of excitement and nervous energy.
Borin led the charge, leaping from his hiding place and plunging straight into the Mermen's flank.
"FOR BLACKSTONE!"
The knights let out a thunderous roar as they flanked from both sides like a rising tide, instantly cutting the Merman force in half and forming a complete encirclement.
The Mermen who had pursued too deep were plunged into instant chaos. They were a rabble to begin with; surrounded by an ambush, their formation shattered. They could only wave their weapons aimlessly, letting out panicked shrieks.
The bait squad also wheeled their horses, coordinating with the main force to launch a counter-charge. A fierce slaughter ensued.
The Blackstone Knights, seasoned and perfectly coordinated, fought in groups of three and five like a precision-engineered war machine, efficiently harvesting Merman lives. Though the apprentices were green, they followed the lead of the veterans, summoning their courage to strike at isolated Mermen. Their movements might have been stiff, but every swing of their swords carried the raw ferocity of youth.
Combat Qi flashed across the battlefield. Though the Mermen were numerous, their equipment, training, morale, and individual strength were far inferior to the Blackstone army. Total collapse was only a matter of time.
The battle lasted about fifteen minutes. The beach was now carpeted with Merman corpses, and the remnants were squeezed into a tiny pocket, making a desperate last stand. Though the Merman leader was brave, it had sustained several deep, bone-chilling wounds. Blood flowed freely, staining its dark green scales. It let out a final, desperate roar, attempting to organize a counterattack, but it was futile.
The battle ended at the cost of a dozen light injuries and two seriously wounded apprentices. Seeing the situation was hopeless, the Merman leader let out a sorrowful cry, turned abruptly, and fled toward the river with the remaining dozen Mermen. Borin did not order a pursuit; once they hit the water, they would be like fish in the sea, nearly impossible to catch. Besides, the objective of the battle had been achieved.
High in the sky, Leylo took it all in and nodded secretly. Borin, the oldest Earth Knight in the territory and now commander of the Blackstone Knight Order, had indeed developed a sophisticated grasp of warfare. From battlefield selection to the bait strategy and the timing of the ambush, everything was handled perfectly.
In the future, if I lead the army to the border for the war with the Sun Kingdom, I can rest easy leaving the defense of Blackstone in his hands, Leylo thought.
Seeing that the cleanup had begun, Leylo lingered no longer. He patted Tempest's neck, signaling for a turn.
"Let's go, Tempest. Let's head south along the Blackwater."
Screee!
Tempest let out a clear cry and unfurled his wings, adjusting his course to fly south along the river. As they went further, the river widened from hundreds of meters to thousands. The flow became slower and deeper, the water taking on the hue of dark jade. The terrain shifted as well—the primitive forest grew denser, and massive magical beasts could be seen lurking in the woods or by the riverbanks.
Aside from inspecting the Merman situation, Leylo had another goal: to find traces of the legendary Eternal Turtle. He didn't dare provoke a Tier 5 beast that could rival the Nine-Headed Hydra just yet, but the prospect of catching a glimpse of the spells left on its shell by a Magic Sovereign was too tempting to ignore.