Chapter 282: Imperial Ranking War: Another Trap

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The elimination of the Berserk Mountain God Empire had happened only yesterday.

For most people, that would have been enough.

One team had been completely erased from the Imperial Ranking War, and the remaining four teams had already been forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about the Heavenly Bronze Empire. After six months of survival, the confrontation had only just begun, and already one of the five Imperial Teams was gone.

For Ren, however, it was only the beginning.

He had never intended to stop after eliminating one team. The objective was simple from the beginning: eliminate every competitor as quickly as possible. The sooner the other teams were gone, the sooner the Heavenly Bronze Empire could stop worrying about being surrounded, stop wasting resources on constant vigilance, and ultimately secure the Imperial Ranking War without having to spend another several months fighting.

He had never hidden that intention from Lily.

She had never questioned it either.

So, when Ren gathered another fifteen people the following morning and informed them that they would be hunting the next Imperial Team, Lily simply listened and prepared herself.

Their target was the Free Heavenly Paradise Empire.

They were now the fourth-ranked team, the lowest-ranked Imperial Team remaining after the elimination of the Berserk Mountain God Empire. They were also considerably farther away from the Rock than their previous target, meaning the fifteen-person squad would have to travel much farther before they could even begin the actual operation.

Diana stood at the front of the group, already dressed for battle.

She hardly looked like the martial artist that some people might have expected from the Imperial Ranking War. Her heavy armor covered most of her body, reinforced plates protecting her shoulders, arms, torso, and legs while leaving enough freedom for her to move without restriction. A sword rested at her side, while a large shield was held in her left hand.

With her tall figure, silver hair flowing behind her, and amethyst eyes carrying an unmistakable authority, she looked less like a wandering martial artist and more like a Kingsguard personally tasked with protecting an emperor.

There was something valiant about her appearance.

Something commanding.

And combined with her natural beauty, she almost looked like a valkyrie preparing to descend onto a battlefield.

Lily stood beside her.

Unlike Diana, she wore lighter equipment suited to her fighting style. Her rapier-like needle sword was already secured at her waist, while her cherry-pink hair was tied into its usual high ponytail so that it wouldn’t interfere with her movements. She wasn’t as heavily armored as Diana, but nobody in the squad mistook that for weakness.

She was the vice captain.

And Diana trusted her enough to put her at the front of the operation.

Before they left the Rock, Ren spent a considerable amount of time briefing them.

He didn’t simply point in the general direction of their target and tell them to kill whoever they found. That would have been careless, especially when the enemy was another Imperial Team consisting of roughly fifty representatives.

Instead, Ren gave them everything he had.

He showed them the general location of the Free Heavenly Paradise Team, their current movement, their likely direction, and the terrain they would eventually have to cross. He explained the routes they were most likely to use and identified several possible locations where they could be intercepted.

"You’re going to be traveling a long distance, so don’t waste your strength fighting monsters unless you absolutely have to," Ren told them while pointing toward the map laid out before them. "I’ve already marked the areas where monster activity is unusually high. Avoid them. If you can’t, don’t engage more than necessary."

His finger moved across the map.

"They’ve been moving carefully since yesterday. They know what happened to the Berserk Mountain God Team, so don’t expect them to behave like the people you fought before. They know they’re being hunted now."

Diana nodded.

"Which means they’ll probably avoid open areas."

"Correct," Ren replied. "That’s why I’ve marked three likely routes. They can take the northern path, the western path, or cut through this valley. The northern path is the safest, but it’s also the longest. The western path is faster but has several dangerous monster territories. The valley is the shortest route, but there are only two practical passages through it."

He looked directly at Diana.

"I’ve prepared positions for all three."

That was the part that made the operation feel almost unfair.

Ren wasn’t guessing.

He had already accounted for the possible decisions of the enemy.

Diana studied the map carefully before asking, "Which route do you expect them to take?"

"The valley."

Lily looked toward Ren.

"Because it’s the shortest?"

"Partly. More importantly, they know we’re coming. They’ll want to reduce the amount of time they’re exposed while moving. The valley gives them the fastest route while also providing natural cover. They might think that’s safer."

Ren’s expression remained calm.

"They’ll probably be wrong."

Diana understood immediately.

"Then we’ll prepare there."

Ren nodded.

"Exactly. But don’t commit yourselves until you’re certain. If they don’t take the valley, move to the secondary position. I’ve marked the signals for each location. Once you’re close enough, I’ll continue feeding you information."

There was no need to explain further.

The fifteen-person squad understood what that meant.

Ren would be watching.

Just as he had watched the Berserk Mountain God Team.

The squad departed shortly afterward.

They moved quickly through the forest, maintaining enough distance from one another to avoid becoming an easy target while remaining close enough to respond immediately if something happened. Diana stayed at the front with Lily nearby, while the remaining members followed in carefully arranged positions.

The mood wasn’t tense.

Not exactly.

There was seriousness, certainly, but there was also confidence.

Yesterday had proven that Ren’s plans worked.

The Berserk Mountain God Team had been completely eliminated with almost no opportunity to resist, and everyone involved understood why. It wasn’t simply because Adrian’s squad was stronger. Their victory had come from preparation, information, equipment, positioning, and coordination.

This mission was being built on the same foundation.

Only this time, the enemy knew they were being hunted.

That made things more complicated.

It also made them more interesting.

The squad continued traveling for several hours, avoiding unnecessary battles whenever possible. When monsters appeared in their path, Diana didn’t immediately order an attack. She assessed whether they could pass without being noticed, and when that wasn’t possible, she chose the quickest method of eliminating them without allowing the fight to become prolonged.

Lily stayed close, observing everything.

She had always possessed excellent comprehension, but what impressed her most wasn’t simply Diana’s strength. It was the way Diana handled responsibility.

She didn’t rush.

She didn’t become reckless because she was the captain.

She considered the position of every member and made decisions with the entire squad in mind.

That was important.

They weren’t here to win a duel.

They were here to assassinate an entire Imperial Team.

Eventually, Ren’s voice reached them through the communication formation.

"They’ve changed direction."

The squad immediately slowed.

Diana raised her hand, and everyone stopped.

Lily looked toward her.

"Where?"

"West," Diana answered after receiving the updated information.

Ren continued.

"They’ve abandoned the northern route. They’re heading toward the valley."

A faint smile appeared on Lily’s face.

"They took the bait."

"Not necessarily," Diana replied. "Ren predicted they might choose this route. That doesn’t mean they know we’re waiting."

She turned toward the squad.

"We’ll assume they don’t know. Keep your movements concealed and don’t attack until I give the order."

The group moved again.

This time, they headed directly toward the valley.

The terrain gradually became narrower as they approached, with tall cliffs rising on either side and thick vegetation covering the lower slopes. It was an excellent location for an ambush. There were only a few practical paths through the area, and anyone traveling through the valley would have limited visibility.

Ren had chosen well.

Diana immediately began arranging her people.

She placed several members along the upper ridges, where they could attack from above. Others were positioned deeper within the vegetation, concealed behind trees and rocks. A smaller group remained behind the valley entrance, ready to cut off any retreat.

Lily took position near Diana.

"How long?"

"Ren says they’re about thirty minutes away."

Diana nodded.

"Then we have time."

She began making small adjustments.

One member was moved farther east.

Another was ordered to conceal his chakra.

Two others were told to prepare formations along the narrowest section of the valley.

Nothing was left to chance.

Even the retreat route had been considered.

If the Free Heavenly Paradise Team somehow detected them before entering the valley, Diana had already prepared a secondary position farther west. If they attempted to turn around, the rear squad would intercept them. If they rushed forward, the people waiting above would begin the attack.

There were several ways the enemy could react.

Diana had an answer for each one.

Lily watched her work without interruption.

This wasn’t simply an ambush.

It was a cage.

The Free Heavenly Paradise Team just hadn’t stepped inside yet.

Diana eventually crouched behind a large rock and looked toward the distant forest.

"Everyone, stay focused."

The squad settled into silence.

No one moved unnecessarily.

No one spoke.

The valley became still.

Somewhere beyond the trees, fifty members of the Free Heavenly Paradise Empire were unknowingly approaching.

They were already walking into the trap.

And unlike yesterday, when the Berserk Mountain God Empire had been caught completely unaware, this time their opponents knew they were being hunted.

It wouldn’t matter.

Ren had already accounted for that.

The fifteen members of the Heavenly Bronze Empire waited patiently, weapons ready, positions secured, escape routes covered, and every possible approach accounted for.

All they needed now was for their prey to arrive.

Diana tightened her grip around her shield.

Beside her, Lily’s hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sword.

The hunt was about to begin.