Chapter 271: Reorganization

Amidst the noise and chaos, night fell gradually. As darkness descended, the magical beasts indeed launched another attack, just as Rod and the others had predicted. Urgent horn blasts came from the defensive walls, signaling the start of battle. The sounds of combat were deafening, and Rod, inside the tent, could hear them clearly.

With the battle resuming, the registration process was hastily concluded, giving Rod and his team a breather. Rod had no intention of participating in tonight’s battle. With a day’s rest, the defenses in Iron Bar Town would be greatly strengthened. A single night wouldn’t make much difference—whether he was there or not made little impact. Rod understood this all too well; he wasn’t arrogant enough to consider himself a god.

Rod planned to use these two days to organize his thoughts, finish what needed to be done, and refine his plans. Of course, there was an even more important task at hand: strengthening his team by selecting members for this expansion effort.

Late at night, amid the distant sounds of fighting, the nearly fifty people remaining in the tent gathered together, including Nightingale. She had now become a key figure in the team, an indispensable general. Her abilities were evident to all, and her careful thinking earned Rod’s respect. Sometimes her suggestions proved highly effective—especially from her analysis of him that afternoon. She was a talented person, not just a decorative figure or an ordinary assassin, which Rod admired in secret.

After intense discussions throughout the night, the matter was finally resolved. By dawn, after fierce debates and discussions, everyone agreed on a detailed plan.

Initial estimates showed a substantial number of applicants—over 1,500 attackers—something that left Rod stunned, far exceeding his expectations. Even after filtering according to his standards, there were still over 400 candidates. Fortunately, this wasn’t entirely unexpected, but the number was still terrifying.

Out of over 1,500 people, more than 400 were selected as warriors of the Gold rank or above—a probability so extreme that it clearly shows Iron Bar Town is filled with talented individuals! The number of 400 was once unimaginable; such a force would stand out anywhere and be highly desirable.

In this plan, Ke Ruode and Skola are set apart to lead their own teams in the future. Their strength is beyond doubt, and their abilities are evident to all. Rod has no doubts about their ability to lead a team well, nor does anyone else have any objections.

Each team is limited to 100 members, a figure chosen for flexibility and tactical training purposes. This number was approved by everyone. As for the number of teams, it has been reduced from Rod’s original plan of five to three. Three teams are the current plan—each person leading one team! After all, given the current circumstances, it’s impossible to select and train more teams; three is already the limit. Three teams are the best choice to achieve the best results in the shortest time, covering defense in the east, center, and west. One team per side is sufficient for now; of course, expansion will be necessary in the future.

The existing members will be assigned to these three teams to facilitate reorganization and help newcomers integrate faster. As for Nightingale, Rod originally planned to let her lead her own team, as she met the requirements in terms of strength and ability. Unfortunately, she declined everyone’s kindness and chose to stay under Rod’s command. Rod was somewhat saddened by this decision. There were indeed personal reasons for wanting her to leave, and after Nightingale learned of his identity, a sense of distance and awkwardness arose between them—consequences of revealing the truth. Yet Nightingale’s determination left Rod helpless.

“Alright, Skora, Brother Kroyd, and Nightingale—let’s wrap this up today. You decide on the selection of personnel; three teams are enough. We can discuss the rest later. Please take care of it. The rest of the members should prepare tents and supplies. Once the teams are assembled, training starts this afternoon! I want to see these teams achieve good results on the battlefield in the shortest time possible!” After finishing the discussions and seeing everyone’s exhausted appearance, Rod pondered for a moment before continuing, “It’s still not time to rest. Right now, time is money and life. Everyone here is a high-level warrior, so although they might be a bit tired, there shouldn’t be any major issues. That’s why Rod mercilessly cut short their rest time! After finishing assigning everything, he headed toward the city walls—first to check the results of last night’s battle, and second to report this to Emio and the others! After all, such matters must be reported. Although it won’t lead to accusations of forming a secret faction to plot rebellion, it’s still better to report it. It’s a necessary measure in times of crisis, and it also serves as a message for them. Coincidentally, Emio had the same intention yesterday. Now that the first step is done, the next step is to reorganize the rest of the army, which depends on Nagran’s ability. How he does it is his concern; he can’t interfere. As long as the three teams are well-managed, that would be enough to be grateful for.”
……
A day of intense activity left everyone exhausted and out of breath. Finally, everything was settled by noon.
Out of the original 417 people on the list, it was discovered that aside from some who were still fighting and couldn’t arrive, and some who died in last night’s fierce battle, only 337 showed up. After selection, only 239 were chosen. Adding his own men, the total came to 282—right within his acceptable range.

With Keroth, Skola, and Nightingale’s flashy moves not being available, these people were divided into three teams. The team led by Rod was called the First Squad of the Reaper Scythe Squad, with 87 members. Following was Skola’s Second Squad, with 100 members, and finally Keroth’s Third Squad, with 95 members! After the three squads were formed, with their joint efforts and the support of Nagrand, they were assigned three vacant tents in the currently unused Camp 19, which became the base of the Reaper Scythe Squad! From that day on, Camp 19’s fate began to change, gradually becoming famous throughout Iron Bar Town and even the entire continent, becoming a topic of conversation for years to come—known as the Reaper Base!

In the afternoon, intense training began. The selected members were divided into three teams, each led by their captain under Rod’s instructions to practice the tactics they had used before, following Rod’s requirements.

The battles outside the city continued. With the addition of vampires and werewolves, the defending forces suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, since the appearance of those vanguard forces, the vampires and werewolves had not shown up in large numbers again, seemingly hiding away. Despite the heavy casualties, the defenders managed to hold their ground.

It seemed that the vampires and werewolves were also scared after that battle, acting cautiously. Each time they fought, they retreated like partisans, avoiding engagement and deep penetration, which gave the defenders ample space and opportunities to defend.

This situation provided Rod and his team with great opportunities and extra time.

For three full days, they stayed inside Camp 19, undergoing intensive training without leaving. From that day on, the empty skies above Camp 19 were filled with roars and shouts of training!

Through three days of relentless training, with less than six hours of rest per day, they achieved significant results. Their formations had been refined to a considerable extent and could now be used, though not yet perfectly. There was no more time for further refinement, so they had to keep improving through battle.

The coordination among the comrades also improved greatly, showing a huge difference from when they first formed. Everyone could sense the significant progress.

Starting from the fourth day, under Rod’s orders, the three newly trained teams finally set off from Camp 19 toward the protective wall. As the moon hung high in the sky, casting everything in silver light, and blood flowed like rivers around the wall, they embarked on their first battle since formation. Several days of fighting once again left the city walls in a state of utter chaos with blood flowing everywhere. Watching the countless casualties, hearing the sounds of battle, and smelling the pervasive stench of blood, Rod frowned deeply. Standing at the forefront of the three teams with the Dark Dragon raised high, he said to everyone, “True men go to battle, and great warriors die fighting. Today, we are reborn. Today, we return to the battlefield—for our countless compatriots, for our loved ones and friends, for a peaceful life! We will fight to the end. So what if our blood stains the ground? Let us dye the sands red with our blood, sacrifice our lives, and fight to the very end! Unleash your strength, show your prowess as death knights, and demonstrate the power of our Death Scythe Squad—sweep through the enemy ranks with our swords!” With a solemn expression, Rod spoke loudly.