Chapter 115: The Counter Trap

The Dragon Sovereign Guild’s order for an all-out encirclement was like a massive war machine being forced into motion. Its gears began grinding across Ashford City as guild departments rapidly coordinated with one another, sending players out in every direction. The objective was simple: locate the three members of Abyss Squad and prevent them from escaping the city’s surrounding regions.

Led personally by Garrett, the First, Second, and Third Elite Regiments were pulled from dungeon exploration, resource gathering, and routine leveling. Hundreds of players were redirected toward the search, while smaller teams were dispatched to monitor roads, dungeon entrances, leveling zones, and other locations where Abyss Squad might appear.

Ashford City and the surrounding regions immediately went on high alert. Dragon Sovereign members established checkpoints along the major roads and at important intersections, stopping passing players and questioning them about anything suspicious they might have seen. Dungeon entrances were monitored, popular leveling zones were placed under surveillance, and even several resource points were temporarily occupied by guild members.

The sudden mobilization created a tense atmosphere throughout the city. Players who had nothing to do with the conflict were forced to take longer routes or endure questioning simply because they happened to pass through an area controlled by Dragon Sovereign. Rumors about Abyss Squad spread rapidly, with each retelling making the three members sound more dangerous than the last.

Yet at the center of the storm, Aiden remained completely calm.

If anything, there was a faint trace of mockery in his eyes.

The Dark Abyss black market’s intelligence network was finally demonstrating its true value. While Dragon Sovereign’s leadership was consumed by arguments over Damien’s actions and different departments struggled to coordinate the guild’s sudden mobilization, encrypted intelligence reports were quietly flowing into Aiden’s hands.

Information that Dragon Sovereign considered classified was reaching him almost as soon as their commanders finished issuing the orders.

One report had been personally marked HIGH PRIORITY by Phantom Eyes. Judging from the amount of information it contained, even Phantom Eyes considered it particularly important.

"Boss, Garrett is leading the operation himself."

Phantom Eyes’s virtual avatar flickered within the encrypted communication channel. The projection was somewhat distorted by the security measures surrounding the connection, but the woman’s expression remained clear.

"He’s assembled a thirty-man assault squad from the strongest members of the First Elite Regiment. At least five of them are Hunters, Thieves, or Druids with tracking and stealth-detection abilities. They’re clearly trying to prevent us from disappearing once they make contact."

Aiden listened without interrupting.

"They’ve also discovered some traces on the outskirts of the Mist Wetlands, north of the city. They believe those traces belong to us."

A faint amusement entered Phantom Eyes’s voice.

"They do."

Aiden’s lips curled slightly.

Those traces had indeed been left by Abyss Squad three days earlier while they were processing their loot. However, they had not been careless. Aiden had deliberately allowed enough evidence to remain behind for anyone tracking them to discover.

He had wanted Dragon Sovereign to believe they were following the right trail.

"What’s more interesting is that we’ve obtained their current orders."

The holographic projection changed, replacing the previous intelligence report with a detailed topographical map of the surrounding region. Several locations were highlighted in different colors as Phantom Eyes began explaining Dragon Sovereign’s movements.

"Garrett’s squad has been instructed to establish an ambush at Ghost Cry Pass. It’s the main route connecting the Mist Wetlands to Stone Forest Canyon."

Phantom Eyes highlighted the narrow passage on the map.

"They believe we’ll return to hunt the Swamp Witch Doctor."

Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The Swamp Witch Doctor was a rare elite monster that inhabited the deeper regions of the Mist Wetlands. It was dangerous, but it also dropped several valuable materials, making it an attractive target for experienced players.

Phantom Eyes continued with her report. "They analyzed our previous movements and retreat routes and concluded that we’re likely to revisit the area soon. Ghost Cry Pass is apparently the only reliable route back toward the Stone Forest Canyon safe zone, so they’ve decided to wait for us there."

Aiden studied the map in silence.

Ghost Cry Pass was a narrow corridor roughly two hundred meters long, surrounded on both sides by steep, weathered rock walls. At its narrowest point, only four or five people could walk through side by side. The cliffs rose high enough that reaching the top from the ground would be difficult during combat, especially while under fire.

The terrain was naturally suited for an ambush. A force positioned along the high ground could attack anyone below while remaining difficult to reach. If thirty elite players occupied both sides of the pass, established control zones, deployed ranged attacks, and blocked both entrances, they could inflict devastating losses on any team that entered without knowing what was waiting for them.

Garrett might have been hot-tempered, but he was not incompetent when it came to battlefield tactics. The ambush point had been chosen carefully, and under normal circumstances, the strategy would have been extremely troublesome to deal with.

Unfortunately for him, he was dealing with Aiden.

Aiden had complete access to the information being gathered through the Dark Abyss network, and more importantly, he possessed knowledge that made conventional assumptions almost useless against him. What Dragon Sovereign believed was a carefully constructed trap was already an exposed battlefield in Aiden’s eyes.

"Interesting."

A cold curve appeared at the corner of Aiden’s mouth as he continued studying the map.

"Since they’ve gone to so much trouble to prepare the stage, wouldn’t it be rude not to give them a performance?"

Silas immediately grinned. His heavy armor creaked as he shifted his weight, and his large shield rested comfortably against his shoulder.

"Sir Aiden, just tell me how we’re doing it. My shield has been starving for a real fight."

Luna tightened her grip on her staff. A trace of nervousness flashed through her purple eyes, but it disappeared almost immediately, replaced by the trust she had developed in Aiden.

She was no longer the frightened girl who had once hidden in the corner of a church, afraid to involve herself in dangerous battles. She had become a core member of Abyss Squad, a dual-class holder with Legendary-grade equipment and enough combat experience to stand alongside Aiden and Silas without becoming a burden.

"Play along with them."

Aiden’s voice remained calm as he opened the three-dimensional projection of Ghost Cry Pass.

"They want to set a trap and wait for us. So we’ll walk into it."

Luna blinked in surprise.

"Huh?"

"But we aren’t actually going to let ourselves get trapped."

Aiden zoomed in on the terrain and rotated the projection so they could clearly see the entire pass.

"Our objective isn’t to break through their ambush. Our objective is to devour the ambush squad."

His finger moved toward the center of the pass, stopping over a relatively open section of terrain.

"This is where we’ll let them ambush us."

The position was highlighted.

"The moment they see us enter, they’ll reveal themselves, block both exits, and focus all their attention on eliminating us. They’ll assume that trapping us between both forces gives them complete control of the battlefield."

Aiden shifted the map toward the cliffs.

"These recessed platforms and natural caves along the rock walls are where they’ll position their ranged attackers and control classes. Their elevation gives them excellent visibility and clear firing angles, while the terrain will make it difficult for us to reach them from below."

Several positions were marked.

"The problem is that once the battle reaches those positions, the same terrain becomes a trap."

Aiden’s gaze settled on Silas.

"Silas, your role is the most important."

The shield guard immediately straightened.

"When the battle begins, you take the front. You’ll absorb the first and strongest wave of focused fire. Don’t worry about counterattacking. Activate every defensive skill you have and hold the three-meter area in front of us."

Aiden’s expression remained cold and focused.

"We need them to believe we’ve been pinned down and are desperately trying to survive. The longer they believe that, the more aggressively they’ll commit their forces."

He raised one finger.

"Hold for at least fifteen seconds."

Silas struck his fist against his chest with confidence.

"Forget fifteen seconds. I can hold for thirty!"

Aiden gave a small nod before turning toward Luna.

"Luna."

She immediately focused her attention on him.

"During the first three seconds, cast Frost Nova across the first hundred meters of the pass. Add Minor Misfortune to the effect."

Aiden pointed toward the section where Dragon Sovereign’s main assault force would approach.

"The damage isn’t important. I want maximum coverage. Make the slowing and interference effects obvious enough that they’ll believe we’ve been caught in a defensive position."

Luna nodded.

"Understood, Sir Aiden."

Aiden’s expression became more serious.

"Then comes your real assignment."

He pointed toward the largest elevated platform on the left side of the pass.

"Once Silas creates the illusion of a stalemate and draws most of their firepower, immediately lock onto that platform. According to Phantom Eyes’s intelligence, there should be at least three mages and two Hunters positioned there."

Luna studied the location carefully.

"You’ll activate Great Luck and put everything you have into your strongest single-target burst."

Aiden brought up the spell they had prepared.

[Enhanced Pyroblast]

It was an advanced prototype based on Fireball, developed from Alderton’s notes and refined through Luna’s increasingly powerful Elemental Affinity. The spell’s destructive potential was considerable, but Aiden wasn’t interested in using it as a conventional attack.

"But your target isn’t the players."

He zoomed in on the terrain beneath the platform.

"It’s the fractured section of rock beneath them."

Luna’s eyes widened slightly as she understood his intention.

"You’re trying to trigger a rockslide?"

"Exactly."

Aiden nodded.

"You don’t need to kill anyone. Collapse their footing, disrupt their formation, and force them off the high ground. Once you’ve done that, don’t stay to fight. Move immediately to the extraction point."

Luna nodded firmly.

"And what about you?"

Silas asked.

A cold light flashed through Aiden’s eyes.

"Me? The moment the battle begins, I’ll use Shadow Cloak and the chaos to slip away from the main formation."

His finger traced a path along the right side of the map before moving upward along the cliff.

"I’ll climb the right wall and eliminate the ranged and control classes positioned there. Once they’re dealt with, I’ll attack their formation from behind."

Aiden looked at both of them.

"Remember the two principles of this operation: speed and deception."

He highlighted both sides of the pass.

"Create chaos quickly. Decapitate their key positions quickly. Then withdraw before they can reorganize."

Aiden paused briefly before continuing.

"Once the ranged and control positions are removed, the melee force trapped in the center with Silas will have nowhere to hide."

His eyes narrowed.

"We aren’t trying to annihilate all thirty of them. We’re here to cripple Garrett’s most elite assault squad."

The plan was finalized.

The three immediately began preparing.

Aiden inspected every scroll and potion in his inventory, paying particular attention to the Advanced Swiftness Potion and Invisibility Dust. The latter did not provide true stealth, but it significantly reduced the user’s presence for a short period. Under normal circumstances, the effect might not have been enough to fool an experienced player, but combined with Shadow Cloak and the chaos of a large-scale battle, it would be more than enough to help Aiden disappear from the enemy’s immediate attention.

Silas spent time preparing his equipment as well. He polished his tower shield until its surface gleamed before checking every defensive skill he intended to use during the initial clash. He also prepared several spare light shields to deal with magic arrows and other projectiles capable of slipping through the gaps in his tower shield’s coverage. His role required him to remain exposed, so he had no intention of leaving anything to chance.

Luna’s preparation was quieter. She spent several hours meditating, carefully adjusting her mental state and refining the synchronization between Heavenly Karmic Dice and Elemental Affinity. The combination was powerful, but its effectiveness depended heavily on her concentration. If she lost control even briefly during the operation, the resulting attack could fail to hit the fractured rock exactly where Aiden needed it.

One day later, at dusk, the setting sun stained the sky above Ashford City a deep red.

Ghost Cry Pass was eerily quiet. The wind moved through the cracks in the weathered cliffs, producing a long, mournful sound that resembled distant cries. Shadows stretched across the narrow passage as the last light of day began disappearing behind the surrounding mountains.

It was exactly the kind of environment that made an ambush difficult to detect.

The three members of Abyss appeared at the entrance of the pass.

They looked completely unguarded, as though they had just returned from deep within the Mist Wetlands after spending several hours hunting monsters. Their clothes bore carefully prepared signs of battle, while Luna’s robe had even been stained with a little mud to make their appearance more convincing.

None of them behaved as though they suspected anything.

They spoke quietly among themselves while walking into the pass, maintaining the appearance of a group that had no idea they were being watched.

They had barely advanced fifty meters when their figures became completely exposed to the players waiting on both sides.

The trap had been sprung.

"Kill!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the far end of the pass.

Garrett charged forward at the head of more than a dozen heavily armored Warriors and Retribution Knights. Their armor clattered as they surged into the passage, forming an imposing wall of steel that immediately blocked the route ahead.

Garrett raised his giant axe above his head, his expression filled with the excitement of finally cornering the enemy who had caused him so much trouble.

A ferocious grin spread across his face as his voice echoed through the canyon.

"Reaper!"

He pointed his axe directly at Aiden.

"Let’s see where you can run this time!"