Chapter 38: The Night Watch

Survival is an instinct.
That’s why rescuing a drowning person is a dangerous task—if done carelessly, the drowning person could become like the heavy stone used in the drowning punishment, clinging tightly to you. By then, they no longer care about hindering your swimming or rescue efforts; driven only by the instinct to grasp at any lifeline.
Of course, the group rushing towardNeo’s camp wasn’t as dire as described—they were sensible, with a mage serving as the leader of the entire fleeing party. It was thanks to his spell, “Kind Life Tracking,” that they could navigate the pitch-black night without getting lost.
In fact, 1,000 meters isn’t much of a distance in the Hylfanis Ridge area, where the visibility is as good as that of the plains. On a clear day, it’s easy to see even with the naked eye. Moreover, there’s a commonly used skill called “Eagle Eye,” mastered by many spellcasters and fighters. Even if not, carrying two magic scrolls ensures nothing is missed. Baron KluKlu Liu -> KluKlu Liu (Klu Liu)’s group foundNeo’s party this way, and the other two groups near the rift also knew roughly whereNeo and the others were.
The fleeing group abandoned their horses, using them as obstacles to fight off monsters while covering the main force’s escape along the curved ridge path toward the camp.
Meanwhile, Nikola approachedNeo. “Dear Mr. Gusby, my master has decided that everyone on our side will be under your command. This is my deputy, Oleg, and this is the mage, Grot.”
Neo was taken aback. “How suddenly have I earned such an honor?”
“My master believes you’re capable and trustworthy.”
Neo raised his eyebrows, thinking, “What a sloppy attempt at deception.”
“May I ask—your master and the lady…”
“They will never participate in any battle. They must not die.”
Neo nodded seriously. “Hmm, I see. They can’t die—hard to think of a better reason than that.”
Neo’s sarcasm left Nikola somewhat embarrassed, but he simply said, “Please,” before walking away. The three sets of rune scrolls clearly belonged to this loyal dog—no, loyal wolf.
Neo’s gaze shifted from the retreating Nikola to the two men before him. The commander had fled, yet these two seemed completely unbothered, as if it were only natural. What couldNeo say? He could only silently admire Baron KluKlu Liu -> KluKlu Liu (Klu Liu) as a top-tier figure—his subordinates were thoroughly brainwashed! They’d even sell themselves for their master’s profit!
This wasn’t the time for idle thoughts. Both Gusby andNeo themselves possessed the basic qualities of a commander: they weren’t afraid. “Oleg, take a few skilled men to support those people. Grot, organize people to prepare for treating the wounded. Gris, tear open the barrier in the east and assign archers to cover the retreating troops.”

Orders were given, and the entire camp quickly came to life. Adding Angus and Nio’s men, the number of combatants and non-combatants was roughly equal on each side. Though there was dissatisfaction, trouble had already arrived, and hiding was no longer an option—there was only to face it together. Moreover, for the vast majority, the belief that “only by sticking together can we survive” still held true.

Menial tasks like labor and taking care of the wounded naturally fell to the non-combatants. Oleg led over a dozen of the best West Wind Werewolves to provide support. The path was quite narrow, with some sections not even 4 meters wide. Under normal circumstances, two people would be enough to guard it, so having over a dozen was indeed more than sufficient.

Not long after the roadblock at the entrance was removed, the first group of refugees arrived. Their condition was even worse than what had been seen from a distance. If being barefoot was perhaps due to losing their shoes, then being dressed only in underwear with no weapons at all really left Nio speechless. “With such abnormal circumstances today, they still dare to strip down and sleep openly—what kind of resilient nerves do they have?”

The arrival of the refugees also brought chaos to the camp—people calling for doctors, groaning in pain, searching for others, shouting in panic—a variety of sounds filling the air. Fortunately, Nio had previously sent people to oversee the settlement of these people, and things quickly stabilized.

At that moment, a second group arrived, larger this time, numbering over 30 people, about two-thirds of whom were Cavalry Riders. Nio roughly estimated that, including those at the rear, only a few Cavalry Riders had been lost. Relatively speaking, the soldiers here were indeed much stronger than ordinary convoy guards.

“Who is the person in charge here?” someone asked loudly as they strode in from the entrance.

“I am,” Nio replied. He turned his gaze away from the front lines of battle. The dozen or so West Wind Werewolves led by Oleg had already replaced the Cavalry Riders at the rear and were fighting against the monsters. With the light from several concentrated attacks, Nio could faintly make out the appearance of the monsters—some kind of strange creature. Roughly resembling a human in a beastly form, it was evident in the layout of their limbs and behavior. But upon closer consideration, Nio realized these monsters probably had no direct connection to humans—too many similarities were superficial, and they could only be described as human-like. Their individual combat strength seemed average, but their numbers and bravery were truly impressive. Nio could sense that on those dark continental roads, there were likely already 2,000 to 3,000 of them.

“According to the safety regulations of the Hylfanis Domain, all combatants in your group are under my temporary command. All non-combatants are obligated to assist in combat. At the same time, I and the forces under my command will be responsible for the safety of all non-combatants…” The Cavalry Commander, clad in armor splattered with monster blood and wielding a gleaming broadsword, began by reading out the regulations in a very firm tone.

“The regulations do exist,” Nancy reported to Nio.

“The group responsible for blocking them is led by Oleg. The one in charge of settling the people is the sorcerer Grot, and the one handling miscellaneous tasks over there is Gris. You are now the commander.” Neo didn’t waste words and promptly identified the three leaders, handing over command.

“Very good. You will receive a Thistle Medal.”

The Thistle Medal was the lowest rank of bravery award given to civilians by the Alliance. It wasn’t just a matter of reputation or honor; it also came with various benefits, such as various types of privileges. Of course, Neo understood that this patrol officer… He glanced at the man’s shoulders and collar—uh, a non-commissioned officer. This was nothing but empty promises to comfort people, and it was highly likely part of some standardized procedure. Yet, this system also reflected the sophistication of the Alliance’s military structure. Even those without much ability, as long as they followed the procedures, could effectively solve many problems.

Sure enough, the non-commissioned officer took over command very swiftly. With regulations on one hand and glory on the other, he spoke in an authoritative manner, as if following his instructions would make things much easier once the night was over. Although Neo sensed the rigidity of this standardized procedure, he had to admit it didn’t hinder the overall situation. People were indeed impressed by the officer’s decisive actions and quickly accepted him as their leader.

Of course, there were still troublemakers.

“Mr. Gusby, per my master’s initial orders, we will only follow your commands.” As a spellcaster, the sorcerer Grot exuded an air of intelligence, elegance, and gentleness. However, his bright purple eyes seemed too eerie, reflecting the uniqueness of his bloodline. Sorcerers generally had special bloodlines to ensure they could awaken their spellcasting abilities.

“My orders are to obey orders and cooperate with this officer. And you, Oleg…” Neo turned to the werewolf leader who had come along. “I saw a stronger military presence in you and your brothers, and your actions in covering the rear were impressive. Still, I suggest staying calm and giving this officer some trust.”

Neo thought to himself, “Your master must already know what kind of person these patrol officers are. He knows they’ll be taken away by this officer before he can really take control. That’s why he seemingly willingly handed over command to me. If I tried to create trouble now, it would be foolish.”

On the other hand, Gris also came to ask Neo. Neo said, “Tell the others to be smart. Don’t disappear in front of everyone. Use that scroll as a last resort for survival—it’s easier to succeed in chaos.”

“Understood, mine owner.”

Watching Gris leave, Neo’s eyes sparkled. “Whether they obey or not becomes clear at times like these, and naturally, the treatment differs greatly…”

The monsters were trapped on the narrow ridges, allowing the refugees to catch their breath, treat the wounded, and allocate supplies. The fighters took turns fighting. Although it wasn’t easy to hold back, they managed to stabilize their position.

But people like Neo and Oleg knew well that the current stability was only temporary. There were over 200 victims left at the camp near the fissure, along with those horses driven westward—enough to keep those monsters fed for a while, but still not enough to satisfy their hunger. Their numbers were simply too large. According to those who escaped from the fissure, soon after the bats and swallows dived into the fissure from which light burst forth—simultaneously with the blood-red sky—those monsters kept emerging from the red light. If they were indeed bats transformed by dark corrupt energy, their numbers were utterly despairing.

Neo wasn’t just thinking about numbers. Nancy had said that blood food could evolve lower-tier chaos monsters. Once those monsters consumed that blood food, stronger ones might emerge. Currently, these monsters had combat strength roughly equivalent to level 3 fighters. Evolved ones might surpass level 5, and even if they reached level 4, scaling cliffs quickly would become possible. This place would turn into an island submerged by a sea of monsters—that would be the real crisis.

What was even more frustrating was that Neo didn’t have to worry about this possibility not coming true. He had carefully observed the battles on the narrow ridges. The killed monsters were dragged away by their peers and seemingly eaten as well. He asked Nancy about this, and she told him that this kind of consumption involved demonic elements, representing another path of evolution. Compared to eating blood food, this would likely increase the growth ceiling, meaning a leader might emerge as a result…

The demons had no strict discipline to restrain them, and the cruelty of their survival system was terrifying—they were the epitome of those who would stop at nothing. Neo believed Nancy’s relatively conservative conclusions were reasonable. So, according to this theory, these monsters would likely grow stronger with each battle. On the other hand, even if their numbers decreased, their side wouldn’t benefit accordingly. For them, the enemy numbers would always remain at a saturated level.

“Sir, I think we need to limit the use of combat energy. External combat energy attacks should be stopped. I know it sounds easy, but there are still 2 hours until midnight. Besides, holding out until dawn doesn’t guarantee victory. Are these things really afraid of the sun? I doubt it.”

The officer remained solemn and didn’t give a direct answer. He had also observed the battles on the front line closely. Though not as deeply as Neo understood them, he had a vague sense that these monsters devouring blood food and their own kind was no good path. As someone who had tried to break through, he naturally had more insight than Neo. To be honest, they had originally planned to break through directly, but the continental road seemed already filled with monsters. As far as the eye could see, it was all monsters. The cost of advancing was unbearable, so they had no choice but to ride horses and hold a defensive position waiting for reinforcements.

Of course, the most regrettable part was their location—close to Rock Sentinel Valley but far from Funnel Valley. Expecting rescue tonight was unrealistic. Moreover, with such a large number of monsters, not even one or two squadrons could handle them.

However, not using combat energy externally meant engaging in close combat. These monsters were fast and their claws could pierce armor. Though they were of the lowest rank, they posed a significant threat, not to mention their venom. If it injured the main combat forces at level 5 or above, it would be counterproductive.
Nio could somewhat guess the main reason why the officer found it hard to decide. He also knew well that these cavalry were, after all, mounted warriors—light cavalry, belonging to the second line of defense. The West Wind Werewolves, though skilled in ground combat, were also berserkers, and their armor was not as good as that of the cavalry in leather armor. As for those monsters, a ridge 4 or 5 meters wide could host an attack density of 10 of them—truly using flesh and blood as a shield. With no healers on their side, only two physicians, and no powerful long-range attack capabilities, engaging in close combat was nothing short of suicidal.
“Then please have Grot destroy the ridge road so we can advance to the next stage early,” said Nio.
Consuming resources and delaying time naturally prolonged the struggle. With various options at hand, they didn’t rush to use them all at once but would resort to them only when things got tough, to catch their breath and boost morale. While destroying the ridge could temporarily block the path, it also accelerated the monsters’ movements. In Nio’s view, their own combat strength still had room for improvement, so acting now was somewhat premature.
The officer pondered for a while longer before saying to his adjutant, “Go call Grot.” …
Grot was a geothermal elemental mage. One of his ancestors had once been an ‘Elemental Being,’ and his bloodline power awakened at the age of 12, guided and protected by others. He faced no major setbacks during his growth until his power fully awakened at 18. Magic was a spellcasting profession that relied on ‘comprehension,’ a typical career that required extensive experience. Grot was 26 years old this year, with 8 years of travel experience. As a level 7 professional, he was quite young and promising. His spellcasting process was neither strange nor cumbersome. With powerful shouts, molten rock coalesced in the air before being hurled fiercely at the ridge.
Nio watched clearly from the side. This was no meteor or celestial weapon—no such height, speed, or power. It was merely a geothermal mixture condensed into something resembling a molten rock bomb.
Boom! Molten rock sprayed, fire clouds rolled, and black smoke rose. Dozens of monsters were killed or blown away, and a relatively large area was illuminated, allowing the people on the island-like ridge to see the countless enemies on the continental road.
Nio didn’t need to look to know the number of monsters had multiplied. He could no longer estimate their count using his ears or sense of smell—clearly, in just this short time, their numbers had increased several times over.
While Grot was throwing molten rock bombs, Nio took out his Blood-Raging Ring and unleashed the Multifaceted Blood Guards. Although he still had Blood Rock Puppets and a giant Melted Slag Blood Puppet, they were all consumable and relatively fragile. The main soul of the Blood Guards was that mutated Howl Beast, which hadn’t been fully tamed yet but could already be deployed in battle. When it came to killing and absorbing energy, these two weren’t much different from those monsters.

Nio was also well aware that the various monsters and blood guards were far from enough to influence the course of battle—they could only take advantage of the situation, feeding on the monsters at the edge of the group. By now, the third lava bomb had been used, creating a massive gap nearly 10 meters deep and over 7 meters wide on the ridge road. The road was essentially cut off. The monsters tried to leap across several times; they could make it over, but those on the defensive side, calm and prepared, made it impossible for them to move sideways in the air. It was like forcing them to walk straight into the blades of swords and spears. A few minutes later, realizing they couldn’t succeed, they stopped attacking.

“Go and tear down all the cloth-walled barriers. Use whatever resources we have to make some crude wooden spears,” Nio ordered, as there were many non-combatants in the camp. The first to carry out this task were the slaves bought by Gusby, and later, with the help of the officers, more people joined in. The wooden posts of the barriers were cut lengthwise, one end burned, and with further carving and cutting, the makeshift spears were created. They weren’t ideal—rough wood wasn’t the best material for spear shafts, but their thickness allowed them to be used as makeshift weapons. After shaping and wrapping them in cloth, they could be held firmly. Flexibility wasn’t a concern; having such weapons was better than fighting bare-handed.

There were no fools in the camp. With so many temporary spears made, everyone understood they weren’t meant for throwing but for use in emergencies when everyone capable of fighting had to participate. Although the casualties so far weren’t severe, no one was happy. The camp was filled with gloom. A few wounded people moaned weakly, and two children under 10 were crying loudly for the third time, which was extremely annoying. After much thought, Nio spent some effort creating six more scrolls of “corpse dust” runes. The situation wasn’t optimistic at all, and he no longer expected to save all of Gusby’s thugs.

Peace was broken 20 minutes before midnight. It was completely dark, with not a single star visible in the sky. It was unclear whether it was due to dark clouds or something else, but the bright light from the ground fissures remained visible, only adding to people’s anxiety. The cold night wind howled, and in the darkness, at least two thousand pairs of orange-yellow glows appeared—those were the eyes of the evolved monsters.

A new wave of attacks began. The ordinary monsters still tried to attack through the ridge road, fearless, while the evolved monsters rushed down the cliffs and started climbing up from both sides of the ridge road. This move surprised everyone. When the officers tried to recall the troops guarding the gap to avoid being surrounded, Nio proposed a different strategy: abandon the platform and defend using the narrow passage.