CH532 Foiled Ambush
***
The Gnoll Shaman ordered a full assault the mont the Ice Wall ca down.
The gnolls obeyed, charging the Rock Monkeys in a frenzy. Though they had lost most of their elent of surprise, they were not deterred.
The Rock Monkeys were still reeling from the sudden turn of events.
ROAAR!!!
The largest goril—no, Rock Monkey—roared, trying to seize back control of the chaos.
It ordered the weaker, younger, and elderly mbers of the tribe to retreat toward the gorge’s rocky walls while it led the remaining combat-capable warriors to hold the line.
The leader of the Rock Monkeys—silently nicknad Kong by Alex—charged forward to et the gnolls.
Kong moved like a massive silverback. It raised both arms and smashed them down upon a group of gnolls, crushing their skulls like a sledgehamr against waterlons.
ROAR!
It followed with an intimidating bellow that caused the charging gnolls to freeze—if only for a mont.
That mont was enough.
The other Rock Monkeys regrouped and slamd into the enemy.
They fought bravely, even though they were outnumbered.
Worse still, unlike the Rock Monkeys who were capped at peak Class 2, the gnolls had several Class 3 fighters... and, behind them, the Class 4 Gnoll Shaman.
Seeing more resistance than expected, the shaman gestured with its staff, signalling the Class 3 gnolls to move.
The ferocious monsters surged forward.
They struck with ruthless precision, nearly killing the strongest Rock Monkeys in a single exchange.
[Iron Body]! [Defence Boost]!!
Buffs descended one after another, fortifying the Rock Monkeys just enough to keep them alive.
[Bull Power]!
Kong had not noticed the earlier defensive enhancents, but it absolutely felt the sudden surge of strength flooding its limbs.
Its mind couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
All it knew was simple.
Protect the clan!
So it shoved the strange sensation aside and focused on the enemies in front of it.
The other Rock Monkeys did the sa.
While they hamred the lower-ranked gnolls—sending bodies flying and turning others into pulp—the expedition party concentrated their fire on the Class 3 threats.
Arrows and spells rained down with precision, pinning the stronger gnolls in place and preventing them from wreaking havoc among the Rock Monkey defenders.
The Gnoll Shaman finally noticed the pesky humans positioned high above on the cliff.
"!@#$%^&*(!"
It jumped and screeched incomprehensible words at them, but no one in the party understood a thing.
"What do you think it’s saying?" Kavakan grinned, clearly amused.
"It’s probably telling us not to interfere in their battle," Mogal replied seriously.
"No, it’s probably saying how unchivalrous we are, shooting from above," Lopota added.
"What? Do you want to go down there and fight an honourable duel?" Havel teased.
Lopota glanced toward the Gnoll Shaman, sensing its Class 4—Veteran or Great Mage level—pressure.
He subtly swallowed before turning back to the ronin.
"This is war. There is no place for chivalry in the forge of battle and flas of war," he declared.
Havel blinked.
"Wait... did you just make a subtle joke?"
The orcs and barbarians had already crossed the cliffside and re-entered the subterranean path that would lead them to the other end of the gorge, leaving Alex and his core team on overwatch.
Alex almost rolled his eyes at the casual banter.
Then again, there wasn’t much the lee fighters could do from this distance.
Silver and the crossbown, however, maintained relentless pressure on the gnolls. Their shots forced the Class 3 fighters to stay under cover or waste effort deflecting arrows and bolts.
Every now and then, a careless gnoll that exposed itself was promptly executed.
Alex had no complaints.
He shifted his gaze back to the Gnoll Shaman, who was still shrieking furiously at them.
Zora began forming a powerful spell.
Alex reached out and held her hand, stopping her with a small shake of his head.
"Not yet. Save it for later," he said.
"Later?" Zora shot him a sideways look.
Alex only smiled.
Then he turned to Eleanore.
"Buff for a fire spell."
"Alright," she replied.
[Spell Enhancent]!
The amplification settled over Alex.
[Delayed Spell: Quadruple Fireball]!
With Eleanore’s boost and OmniRune’s support, Alex expanded the delayed cast into four simultaneous spells.
The four fireballs streaked toward the Gnoll Shaman in a crossing formation, intent on trapping it at the centre.
Alas, the shaman was cunning in its own right.
It grabbed an unfortunate kin and hurled the screaming gnoll into the incoming spells.
[Rock Ball]!
For good asure, it followed up with its own magic, conjuring a massive boulder that slamd into the converging fireballs and triggered a premature detonation.
BOOM!!!!
The explosion thundered through the gorge, shaking the walls and threatening a collapse.
Fortunately, the sun-baked rock—dry and stripped of moisture—held firm against the blast.
Unfortunately, that was terrible news for everything inside.
The sturdy stone trapped the heat within, turning the gorge into a kiln that threatened to roast them alive.
The rock monkeys reacted first. They retreated into the mountain walls, escaping the worst of the scorching air.
The gnolls, on the other hand, threw themselves to the ground and scrambled for the nearest exits.
Most fled back toward the Wildlands’ core. A few, however, bolted toward the Dragonstone side.
Alex watched them run.
He considered intervening... but ultimately did nothing.
"Boss, should I order the barbarians and orcs to chase the escaping gnolls?" Kavakan asked.
"Huh? Why would you do that?" Alex replied calmly. "You’d only make the prey scatter. Instead, we let them gather up nicely... then reel them in with one sweep."
"Boss, you an..." Kavakan’s eyes lit with savage understanding.
Alex turned to Silver with a small smile.
"We’ll handle it," she said before he even spoke.
"Good."
Skree!!!
High above, Senu cried out, confirming receipt of the order.
The party cleared the path and erged on the far side of the gorge.
Alex gave Silver and the scout team a nod.
They imdiately peeled away, racing ahead of the main force.
***
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