Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

Chapter 678: Chapter 678: Formidable Opponent

“Quicker than I expected. The objective has been achieved; there’s no need to linger any longer. Gather our forces and prepare to retreat.”

Kui Yi conveyed his thoughts to the other squadron leaders through telepathy.

The number of Luo Ze Elites who launched the surprise raid on the Beastman encampment wasn’t large, around one hundred and seventy, formed by four different elite squads of Luo Ze, strategically “following the rules.”

They had no trouble dealing with the Beastman Army stationed at the camp, but they certainly lacked the clout to stir up trouble against a ten-thousand-strong force.

Of all the thirty-six stratagems, retreat is superior.

Just as Kui Yi was about to lead his troops out, a Long Spear thrust forward.

The attacker was none other than General Wu Zi who had stayed behind. He and his troops had also sensed the approach of the main forces, and his desperate defense received a response.

Now General Wu Zi had no intention of letting these Luo Ze Elites, who had caused chaos here, slip away. He aimed to hold them back until the main forces could capture all these troublemakers and make them pay for their actions.

A streak of light flashed again, and Aslit’s sharp blade met General Wu Zi’s disproportionately long spear, parrying the strike for Kui Yi.

Even though Aslit deeply loathed Kui Yi, they were, after all, part of Luo Ze’s troops, united in their task. Minimizing casualties was crucial to completing the mission.

“Eleven and Twelve failed again, didn’t they? Their coordination should have been seamless, at least enough to tie you down. Did that incident from last time affect them?”

The mere thought of what had transpired in the Long Boots Region made Kui Yi’s heart ache.

It should have been a successful operation, but it turned into a nightmare for Kui Yi because of that guy’s arrival.

Other Luo Ze Elites gained considerable advantages on other fronts with minimal casualties, while the unit led by him suffered deaths in double digits.

Because of this, he had been severely reprimanded by his superiors.

Following the last fight, Kui Yi’s mindset had gradually shifted.

In the past, Kui Yi might have just scolded Aslit a few times, not pressuring him like he just had.

Now, he could no longer afford to be as naively self-indulgent as before.

“No… to say that would be to underestimate you. Being a general of Wansheng Country, you must possess exceptional skills. It’s noteworthy that you could shake off those two, but… you still can’t stop us from leaving.

Aslit Doreen, didn’t you say it was rather boring? Well, if you truly have the strength, then fend off this general by yourself and cover the retreat of all squads.”

Having said that, Kui Yi turned and found his squad, ready to withdraw.

“Are you underestimating me? Someone like him is no match for me!”

Aslit sneered disdainfully, his blade deflecting General Wu Zi’s spearstroke, and he sheathed his sword.

“Multiple Piercing!”

The Long Spear in General Wu Zi’s hands seemed to multiply, transforming into several shafts, launching an almost inescapable assault.

Aslit slightly bent his body, having no intention of evading. He grasped the hilt of his sword, and along with the sheath, he rotated it ninety degrees,

“Broken Wind Style. Secret Technique. Wuxiang.”

The sword’s blade flashed out, and before you knew it, the sword was sheathed again.

General Wu Zi’s spear was split into several parts, and the fierce impact tore through his chest, with an outpouring of blood.

The “Broken Wind Style. Secret Technique. Wuxiang” was akin to Japan’s Iaido Slash, both fast sword-drawing and sheathing techniques, deemed “Wuxiang” for their speed was too great to see clearly.

With this technique, Aslit’s swordsmanship was unmatched among her peers, but she was well aware it was still not enough. Her younger sister had mastered it seven years ago.

How much stronger was she after seven years?

Regardless, as the elder sister, if she couldn’t surpass her sister, the quest for rebirth was out of the question.

In the moment Aslit sheathed her sword, several Beastmen surged forward.

“Overestimating themselves.”

Invisible blades danced in the air once again as Aslit drew her sword in a swift motion, cleaving a path for herself.

Bathed in the glow of the flames, she took steady steps, walking out of the camp, alone.

…

Leading the main force in an emergency retreat, Ajiket still arrived a step too late.

The blazing camp no longer bore any sign of the enemy; the creaking sounds surrounding them seemed to mock their incompetence.

The smell of blood and burnt flesh stung the nerves of every Wansheng Country soldier.

Ajiket dismounted to help the injured General Wu Zi, who, with his bloodied hand, seized Ajiket, spitting out a mouthful of blood,

“Great General, I’m sorry I couldn’t fulfill the task you entrusted to me… I failed to protect the supplies, even though there weren’t many of them.”

Ajiket shook his head, “You’ve done well enough. It’s just that… humans are simply too cunning. You are gravely injured, don’t speak. The Elf Priest will be here soon…”

“Yes.”

General Wu Zi responded but didn’t stop there and continued,

“Their goal is to halt our offensive and end this war. They will surely find ways to reduce our combat strength.

The defensive forces we dispatched might encounter sabotage. Remind them to be wary of that oddly-dressed female Swordsman.”

With those words, General Wu Zi collapsed, powerless, losing consciousness.

Yang Yu and Dongmu’s troops slowly arrived.

A great opportunity lay before him, yet Ajiket chose to forgo it, and even then, Yang Yu had a bad premonition.

Sure enough, the Luo Ze Empire played a clever trick, delivering quite the “surprise.”

Pulling up the panel, Yang Yu reviewed the task of capturing Benliang City. The special condition of seizing it within two days, which he had thought would be easily achieved, now seemed to slip away.

Over an hour later, the Strategy Army managed to extinguish the flames on the tents.

More than half of the logistical supplies were burned. The remaining half was barely saved by the Wansheng Country soldiers who risked their lives to smother the flames on the scrolls with their bodies.

Using these supplies to capture Benliang City and then reclaim the remaining cities on the Sailuomen Plain had become impossible.

Scouting the surroundings, Ajiket discovered a Teleportation Array that humans had used to arrive and depart, clearly a trap that had been well hidden.

Teleportation Magic had always been an extremely difficult skill to master.

To teleport required setting a destination in advance, which meant that those human elites couldn’t have gone far and were probably hiding in one of the nearby cities occupied by the Luo Ze Empire.

After such an incident, caution was imperative.

Ajiket pulled people from the army to form a support troop and also notified nearby forces to be wary of the Luo Ze Elites, asking them to shrink the distance to the main force for a long-term planning.

But before Ajiket’s orders were fully conveyed to all the defensive forces, Duoshi reported,

“Grand General! Just as you predicted, the human troops are acting strangely! They have actually initiated an attack on us!”

“Understood, I’m on my way to dispatch troops…”

Before Ajiket could finish, other units also sent the same report – the human forces were once again encircling the Strategy Army.