As Adrian contemplated that, he smiled. While the entire mountain bandits were eagerly anticipating a windfall from war, he and his companions would surprise them by going up the mountain."Captain! There are people ahead!" Talan's scout returned.Based on his information, there was a mountain bandit outpost less than two kilometers ahead."Should we stop here or go straight up to them?" Roy asked.Adrian had no time to engage in a protracted struggle with the bandits and ordered decisively, "Change formation. Assault team, move out!""Yes, sir!"After a brief pause, the team set off again. All of them were top-tier eighth-level experts, and they were fast when they moved at their top speed. In less than two minutes, they had crossed the two-kilometer mountain road."Attack!" Roy and Talan shouted simultaneously.Led by Adrian, they swiftly overwhelmed the outpost. In less than ten seconds, only one survivor remained."Lead us to the location of your camp headquarters!" Adrian
The bandit still did not know that he had seriously underestimated Adrian. Since he was injured, he was walking very slowly.Adrian and his group took more than ten minutes to reach the bandit camp located halfway up the mountain."Captain! What do we do next?""We talk to them," Adrian said.Talan and Roy exchanged glances, feeling somewhat speechless as Adrian informed them of his intention to discuss with the bandits after killing more than ten of them. Gradually, they grasped Adrian's underlying meaning.Soon after releasing the previously captured bandits, a swarm of their comrades emerged from the camp, encircling them.Under the unique circumstances, the bandit leader had already anticipated such an occurrence. The swift and coordinated response of the thousand-strong group indicated their thorough preparedness.Unfortunately, their meticulous planning proved futile.As they closed in, Adrian wasted no time, commanding, "Dual Serpents!"In an instant, two sword energies
Adrian's expression turned slightly cold upon hearing that. He could understand their situation but refused to accept it. "If there's nothing you can do about it, then you'll have to die," Adrian said coldly, sending shivers down the bandit leader's spine.His mind raced to find a solution, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Seeing the change in his expression, Adrian smiled. The reason he said the bandit had to die if he could not provide him was to compel him to come up with a way to enter Sandstone. After all, he knew that these bandits were well acquainted with Prosperous Mountain and the surrounding cities."You can kill the people transporting the supplies and impersonate them to enter Sandstone City!" Ashton said.Adrian narrowed his eyes. The route for supplying Sandstone was in the hands of these bandits, and this method was not entirely impractical. "But entering the city at this time will definitely be subject to various inspections." "You can rest assured about that.
"Just like those Celestria Restorationists?""Exactly! The sooner we deal with them, the fewer troubles we'll have in the future!" Adrian said coldly.Unconsciously, he had started to embody the role of the Great Commander of Silverboa and actively do something for the city. He chuckled and continued, "But all that is for the future. The most important thing now is to take down Sandstone City.""Tomorrow happens to be the time for the supply delivery to Sandstone City!" Talan said.It had been a long time since they had fought alongside Adrian. In fact, this was the first time their elite unit had joined a real war with Adrian. After all, even though the Imperial Military Academy permitted fighting, those fights were merely child's play as the academy strictly forbade killing.Therefore, it limited their ability to unleash their full potential. With Adrian leading them into battle this time, they would finally get to experience fighting alongside him.Looking at Talan and his eli
Although Ashton still treated Adrian with reverence, Adrian could see the difference in his attitude toward him compared to yesterday. However, he did not particularly mind. As long as the man could help him accomplish the mission, nothing else mattered."What do you mean by that?" Adrian asked."They had considered taking hidden routes before, but each time they attempted, our insiders detected them. Regardless of the route chosen, interception was inevitable," Ashton explained. "Eventually, they abandoned the notion of concealment and opted to travel directly via the main road. It's the ideal route for deploying their energy cannon."The energy cannon stood as a crucial asset for both Silverboa and Obscura. Similar to ore veins, they were predominantly under government control, inaccessible to the common populace.Moreover, most energy cannons were equipped with self-destruct protocols. Even if one managed to acquire such a cannon, they would lack the necessary expertise to opera
The supply convoy fell swiftly to Adrian and his team. Nearly 20 bodies lay in pools of blood. The mountain bandits, concealed on the hillside, mirrored the horror etched on the faces of their victims. Even after witnessing Adrian's ruthless methods the day before, the sight was still jarring.."If even an ordinary squad from Silverboa has such a destructive power, do we really need to fight this battle?" Ashton murmured in awe."Sir, that's impossible. He said he could speak favorably for us in front of the mayor. This means that his status in Silverboa City isn't low," one of his subordinates quickly responded."Yeah, if you ever become successful, don't forget us!" Another chimed in."Hmph! Even if I die, I won't grovel to the people of Silverboa City!" Another voice echoed. Some glared at the speaker, but upon seeing him, they all withdrew their angry gazes. "Grayson, what do you mean?" Ashton asked."Nothing! They're from Silverboa City, and we're from Obscura City. I hop
The rest of the journey went smoothly as Adrian and his team reached the dedicated supply passage of Sandstone City.This passage was specially opened outside the city's defensive barrier, and entry into Sandstone City could only be granted after thorough inspection.Moreover, after the inspection, they would not be allowed to use the supplies and the energy cannon.Roy was disappointed. When they were outside the Leafall canyon with Adrian, their energy cannon had dealt significant damage to the enemy, which was a rare instance of making a notable contribution while being with Adrian.Roy hoped to use the energy cannon again, believing it could prove useful in future operations. However, the regulations of Sandstone City meant they wouldn't get the chance to use those energy cannons once they entered the city."Captain, what if the mountain bandits deceive us?" Talan asked.Earlier, the mountain bandit leader had informed them that the guards of the supply passage in Sandstone C
Currently, their aim was to assimilate into the fabric of the city, whether as a resident of Obscura City, a native of Sandstone City, a refugee from Leafall, or hailing from elsewhere.Once integrated into the city, they aimed to expand their influence, each assembling a team of over 100 individuals within a week. This meant Adrian would command a force of 5,000 soldiers in just seven days.Such a number would pose a significant threat to the central defense hubs scattered throughout Sandstone City.While Adrian alone couldn't breach four defense formations, it would lead him to exhaustion. That wasn't his intention. Hence, besides rallying troops, Adrian mulled over alternative strategies.As Adrian strolled the lively streets of Sandstone City, a plan formed in his mind. Just like a coin, every city had two sides.Currently, Sandstone lay under the sway of the official forces, personified by Sid. Accepting this reality, Adrian pinned his hopes on the hidden powers lurking in th