Chapter 27: The Exclusive Trap

Neo knew there wasn’t much time left for the Swift Wind Team, so the cleanup of the battlefield was carried out at full speed. The team had three tasks: collecting items, draining blood and skinning corpses, and freezing them.

With efficient division of labor, someone specifically gathered the weapons and armor carried by the Red Ghosts. After simple processing, they could arm the migrating group—though in reality, these were spoils assigned to Valentina. Her group lacked resources, so these items would be quite useful.

There were also various small trinkets; gold and silver could serve as pay, while those that were hard to sell or needed appraisal were stored in the communal treasury to be dealt with once they reached a city like Asia.

A few team members with experience in butchering went about draining blood and skinning corpses while they were still warm—standard procedures for slaughtering large animals.

Arnold and a few others strong enough used the prepared snow shovels to freeze the corpses. The pits dug earlier were filled with snow, acting as refrigerators. The corpses were thrown in, then covered with more snow, completing the task.

Thanks to Neo’s life-manipulation skills, the team members remained energetic and efficient. As ordinary people, they were actually better at such tasks than killing.

On the other hand, changes were evident. Neo could tell from their actions that they had become calmer and more confident. Killing had transformed them. The most dangerous period for the new recruits had passed, and mentally, they were rapidly becoming competent soldiers.

“Exceptional overall competence and adaptability—this is humanity’s advantage! And diligence!” Neo thought with slight admiration. Over the years living in human society, his biggest realization was that humans, driven by desire, operated with high efficiency like mechanical engines. In this world, only ants could compare to them in this regard. Others like elves, orcs, and werewolves were lazy due to various factors. Coupled with humans’ superior adaptability, this race, though most individuals worked hard, formed a very powerful group. From a strategic standpoint, unless they could be defeated outright, it was often the humans—who seemed to lack outstanding innate talents—who ended up winning.

“Damn! Can it get any colder?” The extreme cold made Mah even curse. It wasn’t that Mah was being fussy; it was just that while the team members were working and staying warm through activity, he and Neo were by the campfire, eating and resting to regain strength, so the difference was stark.

It was indeed too cold. Although there was little wind in the forest, the chill was much heavier than on the plains. It was the kind of cold that, once felt, seeped deep into the bones. Even if one returned immediately to a warm room by the fireplace, they would still feel chilled and shiver.

Neo’s distracted thoughts were pulled back to reality. He glanced at the campfire and then at the wooden stakes placed across from it as heat reflectors—everything seemed fine. The temperature had dropped significantly, and based on his knowledge of weather, he knew that tonight would likely see a new low temperature since winter began.

“Tony.”
“Here!”
“Go tell Barret that during tonight’s rest, he must keep himself warm, especially the injured—sleeping on the ground is strictly forbidden. Also, once the White Socks return, have them send a team to take all the extra cotton cloth here. Make sure Chebman keeps track of it, and get a signed reply—this isn’t something given for free.”
“Yes!” Tony replied and rushed off to find Barret.
Barret was in charge of overseeing today’s cleanup of the battlefield. The Wind Team’s combat mission for the day was over, but there was still a lot of work to do, mainly maintenance tasks such as repairing armor and sharpening weapons, along with taking care of the injured—none of which was easy.
When Valentina left, she asked Neo whether he wanted to bring the injured back to the Migration Team, where medical conditions were better. If the Wind Team took care of them themselves, it would require dedicated personnel, affecting various aspects.
Neo thought for a while before rejecting Valentina’s suggestion. The environment at the Migration Team was complex. He preferred the Wind Team to take on the task of caring for the injured to strengthen bonds, rather than risk exposure too early. Whether it was the common people or hidden enemies, the mysterious Wind Team remained a powerful deterrent, a fact that still held great significance.
The repeated attacks by dark forces had made Neo cautious. After much consideration, he realized the main reason lay with him—Karonper, the Shaman Chapter of Sengoras. He had ruined the devils’ plans and possessed their desired treasure, so naturally, he was being pursued.
With this in mind, the devils’ actions became much easier to understand.
“To catch me, they’re applying pressure little by little before knowing my exact location, afraid of losing track completely…” Neo admitted that if it weren’t for the help of the Mathuya people led by Valentina, the devils’ plan might have already succeeded.
“It’s not appropriate to leave the Migration Team now. Once the devils realize their prey has escaped, they’ll surely vent their anger on them—then it won’t just be harassment!” After weighing the pros and cons, Neo ordered Boglem to be called. “This time, go personally to deliver supplies and spread a rumor: the Wind Team likes me and wants to recruit me as a member. Also, they’re upset, battles are frequent, pay is low, and the people are staying put—they’re considering giving up. Make sure the rumor isn’t too obvious; just let it slip through. Also, deliver a letter to Dave—he’ll naturally cooperate with you. Burn it after reading it.”
“Understood.” Though Boglem didn’t understand Neo’s intentions, he could guess that the rumor was meant for the hidden enemies in the Migration Team. After further reflection, he figured out some of the clues: the dark forces were targeting Neo, who must have obtained something that mattered to them. His strange abilities probably stemmed from that…

At 5:30 p.m., as dusk deepened, the Gale Team finished their work. After packing up, they returned to the campsite with some of their loot. The Werewolf Transport Team led by White Socks would head straight back to the Gale Team’s camp after helping Valentina transport the shares back to the Migration Camp. That would be the time when Boglem set off with the second batch of supplies.

Neo and Mah didn’t leave. After learning of Mah’s strength, Neo was confident he could lead her through the jungle to escape the pursuit of the numerous Red Ghosts. But just to be safe, they still wore compression suits—keeping their presence hidden as long as possible was better, but nothing was more important than their survival.

Just after 6 p.m., the main force of Red Ghosts appeared—nearly a thousand of them, along with banners. Neo had read in books that, based on the habits of humans and beasts, this meant there were prominent figures such as chiefs, elders, and tribal leaders among them.

“It’s really you guys…” The scale of the Red Ghosts’ force confirmed to Neo that these were the same tribe that Valentina had ambushed twice before. It was quite interesting—Valentina had done the same thing back then: first, her scouts were wiped out, then an entire squadron was killed, resulting in nearly 300 deaths in total. With old grudges and new offenses, the Red Ghosts’ leader must be furious right now.

Indeed, as Neo had guessed, the Red Ghosts were furious from top to bottom. “Despicable knights! I’ll torture you to death!” Sarug, the Red Ghosts’ leader and future chief heir, crushed the head of a human female slave serving him before even finishing listening to the report from the messenger.

“Honorable Lord Sarug, according to the intelligence, this female knight is likely Valentina-Srod from the Marchia of Mathuya.”

Sarug glanced at the human messenger who spoke. The messenger walked over to a huge oak table, circled a spot on the map, and said, “My lord, this is the Marchia of Mathuya’s knight domain!”

“That’s right—she is it!” roared one of the Red Ghost centurions standing around the table.

Sarug nodded. “Nato, it’s time to avenge your brother. Be my vanguard officer.”

“My honor, Sarug-bi,” said the tall, thin Red Ghost centurion. After bowing to Sarug, he tilted his head back with a proud expression.

Sarug selected nine more centurions and ordered them to go and gather their subordinates. “Assemble as quickly as possible! We’re going to avenge our losses!”

“Right away!” The selected centurions rushed out full of enthusiasm, while those left behind looked dejected. According to the tribe’s unwritten rules, only warriors could go into battle frequently; the weak would stay behind to defend the home.

“Next time, you’ll be the first to attack!” Sarug still had some simple command skills—just one sentence improved the mood of the remaining centurions significantly.

Picking up a large wooden cup, Sarug downed it in one gulp and then exhaled deeply. He turned to the human messenger and asked about the population and combat strength of the Marchia of Mathuya.

The human messenger dismissed the Marchia’s population and combat strength with disdain. “Including the old, weak, sick, and disabled, there are barely over a thousand people. As for their combat strength? Hmph, just a bunch of unarmored militia who don’t even have enough weapons. They can only intimidate petty thieves and bandits thanks to their rigorous daily training. As for Valentina, she’s definitely no higher than level 7.”

After hearing the messenger’s words, Sarug became even more convinced and asked further, “So, as long as we capture Valentina, we can get over a thousand flesh slaves again?”
“As long as they’re alive, we can extract any information you desire. I guarantee it with my honor,” the human messenger said, a clear lustful glint in his eyes. A female knight on horseback—me riding the female knight—strong, healthy, with elastic flesh, by no means as soft as ordinary women, and on top of that, a noblewoman with an excellent appearance. Tsk tsk! Delightful!
There are certain expressions common to all male animals in the world; even across races and cultures, they’re easily understood. Seeing the human messenger’s lust, Sarug burst into laughter. Human women were far too weak for him, and besides, the humans and beasts had no interest in mating with lowly flesh slaves. But Sarug preferred to watch, as humans invented many ways of indulging in such activities…
With their combat forces gathered, led by Nato’s hundred riders as vanguard, Sarug led his massive army straight to the site of the incident.
“It’s really cold tonight!”
Nato heard more than one of his subordinates complaining in a low voice. Frowning, he spoke up, “You weaklings! After living in human houses for a few days, you’ve forgotten what cold is like! Run faster! Run with all your might! That way, the cold will be driven out of your bodies!”
Nato himself had combat abilities to protect himself, and his great strength made the cold less of a problem for him. Yet this also led to his inability to understand his subordinates’ feelings.
This phenomenon wasn’t limited to Nato’s vanguard but was widespread throughout the Red Ghosts’ forces. The young leader Sarug, driven by enthusiasm and lacking knowledge, failed to grasp the severity of the cold. After hearing the complaints from below, he issued orders similar to Nato’s. Theoretically, exercising to generate heat and resist the cold wasn’t wrong, but how long could a being keep moving nonstop? Even creatures that lived in polar regions and were accustomed to extreme cold still held great respect for it, knowing to hibernate during the coldest times. In comparison, Sarug’s orders were far too reckless…
Before the Red Ghosts arrived, there was a small incident at the makeshift camp.
“Miss Srod, why have you come back?” Neo asked in surprise, looking at Valentina, whose face was pale from the cold.
“It’s too cold! The operation is canceled. I came to see if there’s any loot left to divide,” Valentina said, sniffing as she stepped closer to the fire to warm up.
“If that’s the case, you’ll have to temporarily set aside your identity and follow my commands. Is that okay?” With Mah here, Neo still had to go through the formalities.
“Fine,” Valentina replied readily, her acting skills being rather mediocre.
Mah didn’t even look over; he continued to roast meat with his dagger, secretly amused. At that moment, Valentina really resembled an infatuated young girl who couldn’t resist sneaking away to see her lover.
As for maintaining dignity and face, that ended there. Neo led Valentina inside and said, “Take off all your armor, soldier.”
“Huh?” Valentina thought she heard wrong.

Nio pointed at the frost on the inside of the tent wall. “In weather like this, our main enemy is the cold. By the time we realize its dangers, it’s often too late.”
Valentina reluctantly removed her armor—it was her first set, a birthday gift from Old Sayer on the year she graduated from the Knights’ Academy.
“There are extra pits outside where you can store your armor,” Nio said, trying to comfort her.
But once Valentina had taken off all her armor, Nio frowned and said in a low voice, “Are you wearing that little?”
Valentina pouted, too upset to speak.
Mach wiped the blade of her dagger on her pant leg and stood up. “Captain, I’ll check the alarm bells. Those Red Demons should be arriving soon.”
“Hmm.”
Mach wisely left. Only then did Valentina mutter softly, “The armor’s a bit small…”
Nio glanced at Valentina’s figure. Yes, she indeed had graceful curves, and the innocence of youth had mostly faded from her. He handed her ointment. “Apply the ointment evenly on your skin, and keep warming yourself by the fire while doing it.”
Valentina took the ointment and slowly walked over to the fire, slowly rolling up her pant legs…
“Now you realize you’re a woman?”
Provoked by Nio, Valentina’s competitive spirit flared. She quickly stripped off her clothes, leaving only a bustier and underwear, and applied the ointment by the fire. The firelight illuminated her delicate figure, making her look extremely alluring. As she applied the ointment, she glanced at Nio, who was busy searching for makeshift insulation materials, looking serious. She felt a hint of resentment.
“Is this enough?”
Nio walked over to the campfire and looked at her smooth, slender, and elastic legs. He touched her ankles and calves. “It’s almost there. Keep warming by the fire.”
“Oh…”
After a while, “I can’t reach my back. Help me.”
Nio stepped forward to help her apply the ointment. Valentina had well-proportioned limbs and supple skin, giving him a great feeling. Nio had to struggle to control his thoughts.
After finishing, Valentina applied the ointment to her upper body, taking the chance to steal glances at Nio. Seeing the obvious embarrassment on his face, she thought to herself, “Hmph! Let’s see how well you can sleep these days…”
To keep Valentina warm, Nio cut his leather coat and used leather straps to wrap her tightly. He also used rubber to protect her feet, ankles, knees, and other areas prone to injury during movement. Valentina enjoyed letting Nio take care of her, her gaze toward him especially tender.
“Move around a bit. See if anything feels uncomfortable.”
“Here, the bend of my left leg.”
“Hmm, let me check.” Nio squatted down to examine her carefully. At that moment, Valentina wanted to touch Nio’s hair, but she stopped halfway, remembering Millien’s slightly melancholic, endearing appearance, and her heart grew sad.
“Try again.”
“It’s fine now.” Valentina sounded a bit weak.

Neo stood up and took a look. “Hmm, almost there. What else? Right, the head. Forty percent of the body’s heat is emitted from the head.”… After some adjustments, although Valentina couldn’t be called bulky, her good figure was definitely no longer visible.
“How do you feel?”
“Hot.”
“Good. If the Red Ghosts hear you say that, they’ll be green with envy.”
Valentina was amused again…
The Red Ghosts arrived outside the forest and easily spotted the plumes of the Red Ghost centurions hanging from stakes in the clearing—a provocation they understood.
With a furious roar from Sarug, the sweat-glistening Red Ghosts joined in with their own howls, causing snow from the tree branches to fall. They weren’t cold at all now, and their morale was high. At Sarug’s command, they surged into the forest like a wave.
“How can these guys be so sure we’ll just wait here for them?” Valentina wondered, puzzled by the Red Ghosts’ lack of tactics.
“Sure? No, they’re just taking the hundredth step. But they’ll soon realize they didn’t come for nothing.”
A new round of battle began. With Neo setting up traps at the center, Mah released arrows, and Valentina was also asked by Neo to use a bow instead of using her not yet fully restored combat energy too early.
Mah quickly realized that after Neo’s adjustments, the traps this time were rather crude—triggered frequently but with a very low chance of causing death. The vanguard of the Red Ghosts had already reached the fake camp, with only one dying from a trap, purely by bad luck; the rest were merely injured.
The forest was pitch dark at night, with snow constantly falling from the branches, creating patches of white mist that severely impaired visibility. Valentina relied on her sensitive senses to detect enemies, while Mah used sound to locate them. With so many Red Ghosts around, there was always a target to pursue.
Of the three, Neo was the most crucial. Besides operating the traps, he also led the way, even warning them about obstacles ahead. Under his guidance, the three hardly stopped, always moving at a brisk pace or jogging. Yet despite this, the Red Ghosts couldn’t catch up. Even when centurions cleared paths with their blades, it was often just barely, and after a few detours, the pursuing centurions would fall behind due to obstruction by other Red Ghosts.
“Amazing maneuvering!” Mah and Valentina marveled in secret, beginning to believe the rumor: Don’t try to fight shadow wolves in the jungle.
In fact, Neo was now far more amazing than an ordinary shadow wolf. Three key factors influenced his movements in the jungle, especially in the dark night jungle. First was the power of the Tree of Construction, which made Neo feel utterly at home in any jungle, as if returning home. Second was his shamanic profession. Third was Spine’s help. The combination of these three created a quasi-innate ability second only to the “Heart of Nature.” Coupled with his ability to multitask, Neo could plan ten steps ahead.

In contrast, the Red Ghosts pursued their elusive targets in extremely harsh terrains. Although they used tactics of luring the enemy head-on while encircling them from the sides once they detected them, their opponents were far more cunning than they expected—avoiding direct contact and constantly moving, forcing the Red Ghosts to repeatedly expand their encirclement in hopes of completely trapping their targets. Of course, this also led to a situation where they couldn’t deal with the targets in a short time.

Additionally, the low mortality rate meant the Red Ghost leaders failed to realize the approaching danger. The Monstoke Wasteland had made them tough and insensitive; minor injuries were commonplace for them. Some even refused to apply medicine, simply covering their wounds with dirt, preferring to have scars all over their bodies and tattered fur as a symbol of bravery.

“Don’t spare your arrows. Shoot whenever you can, focusing on disrupting their mobility. If we can delay them for just one hour, at least few of the wounded will survive to return to Wurtzburg.”

After Neio’s reminder, Mah and Valentina realized the importance of this, doubling their shooting frequency, and their arrows were quickly used up.

Neio, however, had a plan. He led the two to the northwest corner of the fake camp, where the traps originally set up were still in good condition. But he chose to abandon them instead. After replenishing their arrows, he continued onward toward the northwest.

With the pursuit closing in from ahead and steady progress from behind, Sarug soon reached the fake camp and, without any surprise, found the frozen corpses of Red Ghosts that Neio had intended for him to discover.

“We will never let the strength of the warriors fall into the hands of those despicable humans. Dig these corpses out—they are our food! The strength of the warriors is with us!”

It must be said that Sarug’s grandiose order involved a considerable amount of work. Neio had ordered hot water to be poured over the corpses during freezing to make them freeze solid. Now, those corpses were fused with ice into massive ice blocks trapped in pits. The Red Ghosts lacked the strength to dig them out, and even extracting them was no easy task given their enormous weight.

Following Neio, Valentina and Mah quickly understood why he had abandoned the trap area in the northwest of the fake camp and insisted on moving forward—Red Ghosts had appeared on the southwest side. If they had delayed in that trap area, the Red Ghosts might have completed their encirclement.

“How do you have such a good grasp of the overall situation?” Valentina couldn’t help asking.

“The jungle is my ally, and my ears are sharp. The movements of so many Red Ghosts can’t be hidden,” Neio said as he led the group northward, escaping the encirclement once again without incident, leaving the Red Ghosts furious.

Arrows, again arrows! When ammunition supplies were just right and this happened five times in a row, Mah and Valentina came to believe that despite the large number of Red Ghosts, it was Neio who controlled the course of battle. He wasn’t only leading them around like a puppet but also keeping a tight grip on the rhythm—otherwise, the arrows wouldn’t have run out so quickly and supplies wouldn’t have appeared right after.

Neo once again used the Pearl of Life for the two of them, once on each arm and waist. Drawing a bow was also a very strenuous task. With their frequent shooting, the effect of the Pearl of Life hardly ceased, which was the main reason why both of them could still shoot over a hundred arrows each while remaining full of energy.

The pursuit had already lasted for over 40 minutes. In the eyes of the Red Ghosts, their opponents seemed always within reach, only to suddenly become out of reach again. Finally, they realized they had been tricked, entertained, and taunted.

“Spread out, charge in a straight line, and encircle them completely!” The centurion in charge of frontline operations resolved not to be deceived by the opponents’ tricks anymore. Or rather, he set up a sufficiently large encirclement.

At that moment, the forest was almost at its end. Above it lay high mountain meadows, and at the very top, snow-capped peaks could usually be seen, but now they were entirely snow-covered peaks.

“Amazing!” As soon as they stepped out of the forest, Mah couldn’t help but express her sincere admiration for the weather that night. It hadn’t seemed so obvious while in the forest, but once they reached this half-mountain clearing, they realized how cold it was. A gust of cold wind hit their faces, causing a stinging pain as if scraped by a knife. They quickly pulled up their scarves, and their breath immediately formed frost on the outside.

“Put on your thick gloves, Valentina. Get ready to use Blade Slash a few times,” Neo said loudly while lowering his visor. He took the bow and quiver from Valentina’s hands and handed her Valentina’s Cross Kite Shield, which had previously been carried by Neo.

After emerging from the forest, the Red Ghosts were also shocked by the extreme cold at this mountain slope. Many of them, who had been chasing all the way, were now covered in frost crystals. The terrifying cold made them instinctively realize the approach of a deadly threat.

At that moment, Valentina used Blade Slash three times in a row. One of the attacks was deflected by a Red Ghost centurion, missing its target, while another split a poor unlucky Red Ghost in half from the upper body. The flying blood turned into ice crystals, pattering down into the snow in a horrifying sight.

Bang! Bang!

Neo and Mah also drew their bows and shot arrows, but with thick gloves on, their ability to control the arrows was greatly affected, resulting in wildly inaccurate shots, just to keep up the pretense.

The Red Ghosts were furious, but not stupid enough to ignore the deadly cold on this slope. They hesitated, firing arrows in return while once again seeking instructions from Sarug.

“It’s indeed a bit too cold today!” Sarug, though immune to extreme temperatures, still had senses. He admitted that it was especially cold tonight, but his order was: “Let the warriors hold on a little longer. This peak is steep and icy—those girls can’t escape!”

The messenger recounted to Sarug how Valentina used Blade Slash, which indeed had a significant impact on his decision. It was worth making an effort at this critical moment!

To be fair, Sarug wasn’t misleading his subordinates. The northern mountain was steep, and the towering snow-capped peaks could be clearly seen from the gaps in the forest. Climbing up would definitely be difficult. Those ahead moved slowly, while those behind chased fast, so naturally, they would catch up.

It took almost 10 minutes just to go back and forth. By the time the order was conveyed, Neo and the two others had already started climbing up the snow-capped peak about 3 minutes earlier.
“Be careful to follow in my footprints—try not to make any mistakes!” Neo had reminded them more than once. This made Mach and Valentina feel puzzled—what else could Neo be worried about? Slipping?
Three grasshoppers tied to one rope—this was the true picture of Neo, Mach, and Valentina now. Neo led the way, Mach followed, and Valentina, carrying a shield, was at the back, occasionally blocking arrows. The mountain wind was strong, and the arrows shot up lacked force and accuracy. Of course, their lack of accuracy might still pose a threat by chance, but it wasn’t very difficult for Valentina to defend against them.
Surrounding them was no longer useful. Whether they could capture their target depended mainly on a charge of less than 300 meters. The Red Ghosts gathered and began their final charge.
Interestingly, though they were ordered to charge, they weren’t very enthusiastic. They gathered quickly, as no one wanted to stay at the periphery—inside it was warmer, at least they wouldn’t be blasted by the mountain wind. Of course, despite their lack of enthusiasm, it was still a charge, and compared to the three climbing the steep slope ahead, the Red Ghosts’ speed could be considered rapid.
Closer, even closer! The Red Ghosts at the front could already clearly see Valentina’s face.
Valentina grew worried, followed by Mach. Only Neo remained silent, continuing to lead the two upward.
The Red Ghosts behind them were now less than ten meters away. Valentina no longer had time to worry; she started throwing spears and arrows with all her might. Then Neo said, “We’re here.”
Then, with a loud roar, it came from the top of the mountain. At first, including Valentina and Mach, they were confused—what sound was that? Thunder? After a dozen seconds, they understood. By then, the snow on the mountain top had accumulated to a significant extent, rolling down like waves—a snow avalanche!
For most Red Ghosts, an avalanche was a relatively unfamiliar concept. In the Moustock Wasteland, where they lived, there were no mountains of such high elevation, and the climate was quite different. But that didn’t stop them from fearing this disaster. The growing scale of the avalanche and its thunderous sound made them realize that death was approaching!
“Come on, climb up here, stay close to me!”
Neo’s reminder snapped the two, stunned by the avalanche, out of their daze as they hurriedly climbed up. The snow here was loose, and after a few movements, a distinct depression below the slope surface became visible. Valentina was in front of Neo, Mach behind him, and the three huddled closely together. An iron stake was driven into the frozen soil at the top of the depression, with a rope tightly tied to it—as a safety measure.
“How did you know such a disaster would happen at this time?” Valentina, who also had no concept of avalanches, asked a silly question.
“Because it’s the only trap I set myself,” Neo said, taking Valentina’s shield and placing it diagonally across the three of them’ heads.
Roar! The snow flow was approaching, drowning out all other sounds. The Red Ghosts fled desperately. The forest was undoubtedly safer, but compared to the speed of the avalanche, they were moving like snails.

Leaning against Neo, she could hold him tightly without any worries, while Neo held her close with one arm, his shield above their heads shielding them from the falling snow and concealing the shyness on her face. Though the threat of the avalanche made her instinctively tremble, Valentina found herself surprisingly enjoying this moment. Sharing a crisis together brought excitement and a hint of happiness.