Chapter 344 - 337: Ambush and Surprise

Chapter 344: Chapter 337: Ambush and Surprise

In a secluded corner of a cavern, Velin, Kael, and Gideon stood facing each other.

Outside, several Gebei Rangers silently melted into the shadows, standing guard to ensure their secret meeting would not be disturbed by any outsiders.

"We don’t know who the traitor’s original target was, but now they must know about our cooperation." Velin’s finger traced over the area on the map representing Peace Bay. "The most direct way to sabotage this alliance is to assassinate the leadership. Me, or Elias."

Kael stood at his side, the hilt of his shortsword concealed by his cloak.

"We can use this to our advantage," Velin continued. "I will intentionally leak a false operational plan—a reconnaissance plan involving only myself and core members."

Elias, who was wiping a hunting knife with a strip of cloth, paused.

"Baron, this is too risky. Your safety is the priority."

"The higher the risk, the sweeter the bait." Velin took out a blank sheet of parchment. "Tomorrow morning, Gideon and I will personally scout the Wailing Stone Forest. The terrain there is complex. It’s a common supply transit point for pirates, and also a perfect ambush spot."

Wailing Stone Forest.

Kael knew the place. A narrow valley flanked by steep rock walls, easy to enter but difficult to exit.

Velin looked at Gideon. "You are to spread this information, and be careful not to be too obvious. We leave at dawn, and our men will need to clear a safe retreat route for us in advance."

Gideon gave a solemn nod.

"Our main force will lie in ambush an hour ahead of time on the main road on the outskirts of the Wailing Stone Forest." Velin looked to Kael. "Arrest anyone suspicious who tries to approach the Stone Forest. If they resist, kill them on the spot."

"Ola and his Knight Order will remain at the camp." Velin made his final arrangements. "Reinforce the cavern’s defenses. Before I return, no one is to leave without permission."

The plan was set.

Kael’s figure quickly melted into the shadows to carry out his orders.

The atmosphere in the cavern remained unchanged. The refugees were still numb, the patrolling Warriors still vigilant.

A hunt for the shadows had quietly begun in the silence.

...

「The next morning.」

In the dense woods outside the Wailing Stone Forest, Velin crouched behind a thicket of ferns. His team members had already blended into their surroundings, vanishing from sight.

Their target route was a muddy, well-trodden path flanked by tall hardwood trees with gnarled, tangled roots. It was a perfect ambush point; anyone passing through would be completely exposed.

Time ticked by, second by second.

The morning mist in the woods gradually dissipated. Sunlight pierced the canopy, casting mottled patches of light on the ground.

There was no sign of movement.

No scouts, no assassins, not even a passing rabbit.

Kael’s form appeared silently at Velin’s side.

He made a hand signal: All clear.

Velin didn’t respond, his mind racing.

’I went over every single step of the plan.’

’Gideon controlled the leak, and plenty of people knew about it.’

’So, where did it go wrong?’

’Did the enemy see that it was a trap?’

’Or was the woman’s disappearance just a coincidence? Was there no traitor to begin with?’

’No.’

Velin dismissed the idea. ’That psychic ripple was real.’

The forest grew hot and stuffy, the drone of cicadas grating on the nerves.

The kill zone remained eerily silent.

Velin raised his hand, making the signal to cancel the operation.

The plan had failed.

He stood up, brushing the dirt from his military trousers.

Just as he was preparing to lead his team back, the sound of frantic footsteps came from the direction of the camp.

A Namiya Warrior burst out of the woods, stumbling and scrambling as he ran.

"Sir!" Spotting Kael, the man practically lunged at him. "The camp... the camp is under attack!"

Kael steadied him.

"Be clear."

"An assassin! He broke into the medical area... his target is Lord Elias!" the Warrior’s voice was twisted with fear. "Lord Ola and the Knights are holding him off..."

Kael looked to Velin.

Without a word, Velin spun around and sprinted toward the camp. His guards followed close behind, becoming a black blur that streaked through the woods.

When Velin rushed back to the cavern, he was met with the heavy stench of blood.

The scene inside was one of utter chaos.

The bodies of several Namiya Warriors and Knights of the Raging Waves Knight Order were strewn across the ground, most of them killed in a single blow.

And in the center of the medical area lay the assassin’s corpse.

His throat had been crushed by immense force, and his chest was caved in. His face was frozen in an expression of utter disbelief.

Velin’s eyes swept across the scene, finally landing on a figure in the corner.

Elias was standing there, pale but completely unharmed.

He was tending to a wounded Knight, the lingering shock still visible in his eyes.

"What happened?" Velin asked, walking over to Ola. His voice was like ice.

"By my old man’s battle-axe, the guy was a monster." Ola grimaced in pain, but his voice was still a booming roar. "We’d moved our main force to the perimeter, and that bastard slipped in through a fissure in the cavern like a ghost! Son of a bitch only had eyes for the Elias kid; he ignored everyone else!"

"He was fast. Incredibly fast," the Hunter, Leg, added from the side, his face etched with fear. "We couldn’t even follow his movements. If Lord Ola hadn’t blocked that fatal blow with his own body, it’d be Lord Elias on the ground right now."

"Don’t talk about me like I’m dead!" Ola shoved the medic aside and clumsily tied the bandage himself. He then turned to Velin, as if looking for praise.

"My Lord, it took five of us to surround him. He seriously wounded three before I got an opening to smash his chest in with my axe and snap his neck! That son of a bitch was the slipperiest bastard I’ve ever fought!"

Just then, Elias walked over and gave Ola a deep bow.

"Lord Ola, thank you for saving my life."

Ola shot him a look, snorted, and said gruffly, "Listen, kid, your life belongs to the Baron now. I was just protecting the Baron’s property. Be smarter next time!"

Despite his harsh words, he couldn’t stop himself from patting Elias’s shoulder with his uninjured hand.

Just then, Kael, who had been examining the corpse, stood up. He walked over to Velin and presented a dagger.

"My Lord, look at this. A Magic-Devouring Dagger."

Velin took the dagger, raising an eyebrow slightly.

The dagger’s design was peculiar. The blade was engraved with Runes he had never seen before, and its material was neither gold nor iron.

"A Magic-Devouring Dagger?" he asked, looking at Kael and repeating the unfamiliar name.

"Yes, My Lord," Kael confirmed. "It’s a standard-issue weapon for the Ecclesiarchy’s witch hunters, specifically designed to be used against Casters and those with special bloodlines. The Runes on the dagger directly interfere with the target’s energy core and the flow of their blood. For people like that, even a scratch is fatal."

After Kael finished his explanation, a brief silence fell over the cavern.

’So that’s what this is about.’

Velin’s gaze returned to the dagger.

The pieces clicked into place.

’From the spy to the assassin... the target was never me, the visiting Baron. From the very beginning, it was always Elias, the heretical leader of the True Origin Sect.’

Velin looked from the assassin’s cold corpse to the unharmed Elias, and a chill flashed through his wine-red eyes.

’The woman gathered intelligence, and the man was sent to assassinate the heretic.’

’That means the news of my contact with the True Origin Sect must have leaked!’