Kapitel 144: Chapter 144: It's All the Same with the Lights Off

Finally, under the moonlight, a menacing shadow was cast on the ground. A hundred meters ahead was a small ridge running north to south. The Phantom Venomous Serpent panted heavily, glancing at the treacherous peak in front of it. Despair flashed in its eyes as it realized the situation had turned grim. The prolonged chase and the stabbing pain in its left chest only added to its hopelessness.

Its expression flickered with uncertainty before it decided to speak, "Human, spare my life, and I'll tell you an important secret!"

Crossing the dangerous peak ahead would inevitably slow its pace in its current condition. So, while running, it simultaneously pleaded for mercy, clutching its heart with its green left hand.

"Oh? What secret? Go ahead, I'm listening," Rhett replied, his tone laced with curiosity.

However, just as the Phantom Venomous Serpent opened its mouth to speak, three sand wolves appeared above it, their massive claws swiping toward its head.

"Cunning human!" the serpent hissed in fury, feeling the pressure from above. Its triangular eyes flashed with hatred as it suddenly swelled its throat, preparing to spit out a hidden poisonous liquid.

Whoosh!

The black venom blended into the night sky, hurtling toward Rhett.

"Hmph! If we're talking about cunning, your kind, the Phantom Venomous Serpents, are undoubtedly the masters," Rhett sneered in contempt.

Even as he mocked the serpent, he didn't ease his assault. After casting the Sand Wolf Howl, he immediately followed up with a Ground Spike to neutralize the incoming venom.

Just to be safe, Rhett also summoned a layer of armor on his body—a solid, rock-colored armor with a faint earthy glow emanating from it. This was the sixth-tier Earth spell—Rock Armor!

With this impenetrable armor enveloping him, Rhett no longer feared the serpent's venom. In battle, even the slightest mistake could be fatal; without absolute safety, one could still be vulnerable to the venom.

A drill-like spike, glowing with an earthy hue, tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, colliding with the venom. A sizzling sound followed as the venom was neutralized.

"Nonsense! If you spare me, I'll give you all my scales!" The Phantom Venomous Serpent twisted its body, dodging two of the descending sand wolves. However, the discomfort in its chest caused it to fail to evade the third wolf.

The sand wolf's claw struck its shoulder, and the earth element rapidly expanded before exploding.

Boom!

Violent earth energy filled the air, and through the dust, the serpent's twisted figure could be seen.

A sharp, high-pitched wail echoed through the forest.

Rhett seized the opportunity to launch another attack, targeting the serpent's weak spot with Ground Spike and Earth Spear.

Despite appearing unscathed, Rhett knew the Phantom Venomous Serpent was far from unharmed. He had noticed a subtle indentation in its chest, along with faint traces of crimson—evidence of internal injuries.

In an earlier simulation, Rhett had quickly caught up with the serpent, but during their fight, he had narrowly avoided being hit by its venom. The battle hadn't lasted long before the serpent had clutched its heart and died.

Only after examining its corpse did Rhett discover that the serpent had sustained a heavy blow to its chest, severely damaging its internal organs. Its seemingly unblemished exterior had only been a facade.

Now, the serpent, which had been feigning calm, was overcome with panic. Despair filled its eyes as the dust cleared.

The Phantom Venomous Serpent, now kneeling on the ground, was bleeding from its mouth, and its scales were beginning to decay. It was in a pitiful state.

Just as it prepared to beg for mercy, a ground spike pierced through its neck.

"Hmm? Still alive? Not aiming for my vital points?" The serpent's mind raced with these thoughts.

But before it could react further, two more spikes pierced its green hands, and a massive boulder descended from above, knocking the helpless serpent unconscious.

Rhett swiftly approached, confident that his Rock Armor would protect him from any residual venom. He quickly hoisted the barely alive fourth-tier Phantom Venomous Serpent onto his shoulder and began heading back to rejoin his troops.

On the way back, Rhett occasionally noticed notifications about his destiny points increasing. He didn't need to think twice to know that it was likely from Tuck and Riley finishing off the wounded orcs.

With a faint smile on his lips, Rhett quickened his pace.

When he returned to the forest clearing, the sounds of battle had mostly died down. Only three human corpses lay on the ground, while the faces of many more lifeless orcs were contorted in death.

A few orcs were still struggling, caught between escape and futile resistance, knowing they would meet their end either way.

Mackov was calmly dealing with the last group of orcs, coordinating with the archers behind him. As he concentrated, a green wind wall suddenly formed in front of him.

Whoosh—whoosh—

The strong wind extinguished the campfire, and even the torches flickered and flew in the opposite direction, casting the area into darkness.

Twenty or so knights skilled in archery pulled back their bows and released their arrows. The sound of the bowstrings snapped simultaneously, sending arrows whizzing through the wind wall, their speed doubling as they pierced the bodies of the orcs who could barely move.

These orcs, known for their resilience, began to succumb as the poison-tipped arrows embedded in their bodies took effect. Their wide, enraged eyes soon dulled as their bodies went limp and collapsed to the ground.

The arrows had been laced with poison—not just any poison, but a potent one specifically designed for this purpose. In a direct confrontation, orcs with thick hides, like boar-headed and bull-headed beasts, were tough to kill with arrows unless one could hit a critical spot like the eyes or mouth.

The poison known as "Black Raven's Bane" was the perfect solution for lower-tier knights. Once the arrow breached the orcs' defenses, the poison quickly spread through their bodies, draining their life force.

As the orcs' life force rapidly faded, their angry, wide-open eyes gradually closed.

Tuck, remembering his father's orders, skillfully finished off the incapacitated orcs with a swift blow to the head.

Only then did he take a moment to examine the dead boar-headed and bull-headed orcs, his eyes filled with awe.

Earlier, he had fought these creatures and could now attest to their legendary strength. Even with his naturally powerful physique, he couldn't match the sheer brute force of these orcs, who relied solely on their bodies to unleash devastating attacks.

Each clash left his hands numb, and their thick hides meant his sword strikes barely pierced their flesh.

He had no choice but to rely on Phantom Rewind to avoid a direct confrontation.

The boar-headed orcs had tough, red skin resembling that of raw sausages. Their pig-like heads bore two short but sturdy tusks on either side of their noses.

The bull-headed orcs, on the other hand, had massive brass-colored horns, sharp and deadly in a charge. Their limbs, particularly their wrists and hooves, were deceptively slender, but their explosive power and straight-line speed were terrifying.

The three dead soldiers had been unable to escape the bull-headed orcs' charges in time.

As Tuck inspected the corpses of the orcs, Kurs strolled over and muttered as he gazed at the dark, lifeless body of a Night Catman, "These Night Catmen are so black, you'd never see anything with the lights off."

"Ha! And you said you weren't interested in Night Catmen," Tadder, covered in blood, couldn't resist teasing. He immediately perked up at Kurs's comment and exaggeratedly added, "What does it matter if they're black? Planning to bring one to your room? Oh, heavens, your tastes are wild!"

The battle had barely ended, and these two friends had already started bickering again, prompting Rhett, who had just arrived and observed for a few minutes, to smile helplessly.

"Tadder, Kurs, if you want to bring a few female orcs back with you, make sure you perform well. Once the war is over, I might trade some merits for a few to take home," Rhett's calm and steady voice echoed from a nearby thicket.

Rustle, rustle—the bushes parted, revealing Rhett's figure to the others.

"Are you serious?" Kurs hurried over, his steps quickening.

"Yes, but let me warn you in advance: there's no future between humans and orcs, so you'd better not entertain any... 'bring them to your room' ideas," Rhett replied with a smirk and a shrug.

The canyon defenses allowed soldiers to exchange military merits for orcs to take back home, but the requirements were strict. Only the weakest orcs could be traded—those with even slightly better talent or strength were off-limits, let alone any of royal blood.

"Sir, you've got it all wrong! I just want one to wake me up in the morning," Tadder brazenly quipped.

"Heavens! Leave it to you to come up with such ridiculous excuses!" Kurs retorted with a mocking tone.

Riley, seeing his father return safely, felt a weight lift from his heart. He walked up to greet him with joy, "Commander, I'm so relieved you're back safe!"

"Indeed, your safe return is the best news!" Gaile, holding a longsword, also stepped forward to meet Rhett, his gaze full of admiration as he looked at the Phantom Venomous Serpent corpse Rhett had brought back.

Once again, he was astonished by Rhett's power. His father had once told him that Phantom Venomous Serpents were as fearsome as Bloodmoon Werewolves, holding a considerable advantage in battles against those of equal strength.

Rhett, meeting the admiring gazes of his comrades, nodded with a smile. He then called out, "Good work, everyone. Rest here for a while, and then we'll celebrate with beast wine!"

There were no deafening cheers—noise discipline was essential on the battlefield.

Rhett then glanced around and noticed some orcs still clinging to life. He turned to Tuck and said, "Finish off the ones still breathing. Make it quick, and aim for their weak spots."

"No problem!" Tuck confidently strode over to the severely injured, unconscious orcs.

As Rhett saw the notifications about destiny points appear, his mood improved.

A few minutes later, when the notifications stopped, Rhett made a rough calculation. Tonight's battle had earned him 36 destiny points.

Adding the ten or so points he gained daily from Telles executing orcs, Rhett checked his system interface.

"At this rate, it won't be long before I hit a thousand," he thought to himself.

Back at the forest clearing, a new bonfire was lit, casting its glow on the faces of the soldiers.

The scene grew quiet, with only the crackling of burning wood breaking the silence.

Instead of rushing to celebrate, Rhett first approached the bodies of the three fallen soldiers. Their chests were mangled, and they lay slumped against a tree, clearly having been struck by the bull-headed orcs with no time to evade.

"Let us mourn our brave fallen soldiers..." Rhett bowed his head slightly in respect.

In truth, the casualties from this battle were remarkably low. Rhett had personally dealt with the two severely injured fourth-tier royal-blooded orcs and most of the wounded third-tier orcs. Although there were many orcs left, their weakened state meant the soldiers easily overcame them.

The surviving soldiers gathered behind Rhett, bowing their heads in mourning.

As they paid their respects, many of them began to realize that their new commander was exceptionally capable.

Before this mission, most of them had been reassigned from other units and knew little about their new leader.

But after this battle, they witnessed firsthand Rhett's prowess as a fourth-tier Archmage, utilizing his abilities to their full potential on the battlefield. His command of the troops, his attention to the nuances of combat, and his strategic timing were all executed flawlessly.

With his keen sense of the bigger picture, Rhett had ensured a smooth and successful battle for his soldiers.

From that moment on, they fully respected and trusted their commander.

Even Gaile and Roy were completely convinced of Rhett's capabilities. They could only marvel at how his experience as a retired warlord had seamlessly complemented his new powers as a fourth-tier Archmage, allowing him to display his full potential.

Ten minutes later.

After the mourning period, Rhett walked over to the Bloodmoon Werewolf's body, stepping on its fearsome head. He called out loudly, "Brothers, let's drink beast wine!"

He then beckoned Mackov over with a smile, "You've always wanted to try this, haven't you? Now's your chance. Drink to your heart's content!"

Mackov mumbled as he approached Rhett and asked, "How do we get the beast wine?"

"The best part, of course, is the heart's blood," Rhett replied with a grin. He then pulled out a dagger, expertly slicing open the Bloodmoon Werewolf's chest. Within moments, he skillfully cut through the arteries and lifted out a heart the size of a basketball.