"Send out the scouts. I want a full report on the situation nearby."
"Night Tiger, Night Wolf—take two teams of a thousand men each. Wipe out all the goblins in the surrounding area."
Although the recent victory had been overwhelming, Ye Zhan remained cautious despite his growing disdain for the goblins' fighting ability. He didn't launch an immediate pursuit with a large army. Instead, he ordered the construction of a defensive camp right where they stood.
This operation had been entrusted entirely to Ye Zhan. Su Xingyu, the strongest commander of the Ye tribe, had not come along. Aside from Su Xingyu himself, Ye Zhan was the most powerful leader within the tribe, and he had no trouble commanding tens of thousands.
The portal had already been sealed. Anyone who wished to leave now could only hope for divine intervention.
But Ye Zhan had no intention of praying to the gods—not before exterminating the enemies in front of him. To leave now would be to admit defeat.
The King might be merciful, forgiving even in failure, but as a devout believer, Ye Zhan could never accept that for himself.
While the soldiers worked through the night to build fortifications, the two centurions—Night Tiger and Night Wolf—encountered goblins just outside the perimeter.
"Ah Hu, are those goblins too? They look different from the ones we fought earlier," Night Wolf asked, eyes narrowing at the figures in the distance. These goblins were noticeably larger, with darker skin, and gave off a more dangerous aura.
"You're asking me? If even you don't know, what makes you think I would?" Ye Hu rolled his eyes, shooting a sideways glance at his brother as if to say, Have you lost your mind?
Night Wolf and Night Tiger were brothers, each commanding a cavalry unit of one thousand men. Both were seasoned generals, well-suited for battles in the dark.
Ye Hu, the elder, was a towering man nearly two meters tall, one of the rare fourth-level extraordinary warriors in the Ye tribe. Yelang, the younger, was leaner and slightly weaker in rank as a third-level extraordinary, but he was quicker and more astute.
Despite Ye Hu's greater strength, it was usually Yelang who made tactical decisions due to his sharper mind and keen judgment.
"There aren't that many of them. What do you say we rush over and test their strength? The general's orders were clear—we're to eliminate them all," Ye Hu said, his voice brimming with eagerness. His thirst for combat burned hot. Outside of eating and sleeping, he lived for battle and training.
Yelang nodded after a brief pause, agreeing with the suggestion. He had already estimated their numbers—about five thousand goblins, poorly equipped and primitively armed. Even if they were stronger than usual, they posed no real threat.
Besides, as cavalry, they could easily retreat if things went south. As long as they didn't charge too deeply, there was little risk of being surrounded.
Still, Night Wolf warned, "Keep it tight. Don't go too deep."
"Yeah, yeah..." Ye Hu grumbled, clearly displeased, but under his brother's stern gaze, he reluctantly nodded. "Fine, I'll just take a little stroll around them."
Then, sword raised high, he charged forward. "Brothers, with me! Let's wipe these green bastards out!"
"Kill!""Charge!"
Fueled by their commander's spirit, the cavalry roared to life. Like Ye Hu, many of his warriors relished close combat and favored bold, direct strikes.
On the other side, the goblins had already noticed the approaching cavalry. Unlike their predecessors, these goblins didn't charge recklessly. Instead, they gathered into a crude defensive formation.
"Gaaaahhh!"
The goblins in the front row shrieked in fear as the cavalry surged toward them, hooves thundering across the ground.
The distance between the two forces rapidly disappeared.
Right before impact, Ye Hu and his warriors pulled out the crossbows slung across their saddles. Raising his right hand slightly, Ye Hu shouted, "Fire!"
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
The volley of arrows wasn't large in number, but the sharp, whistling sound struck terror into the enemy ranks.
Caught off guard, the goblins had no way to dodge. The bolts slammed into the front lines, mowing them down like stalks of grain. Goblins in the rear were showered with the blood of their fallen comrades, screaming in terror and confusion.
The cavalry dropped their crossbows and drew long swords as they plunged into the enemy.
Warhorses barreled through the goblin ranks, trampling those in their path. The cavalry struck with momentum and steel, slicing down enemies with a single sweep.
These goblins were bulkier and stronger than the earlier ones, but to the warriors of the Night Tribe, it made no difference. Whether the enemy's strength was one or two made little impact—the result was the same. One strike, one kill.
The initial plan was to test the enemy's strength before committing to full elimination.
But once the battle began, Ye Hu forgot his brother's caution. He led his personal guard straight into the thick of the fight.
Seeing their commander charge so fiercely, the rest of the soldiers followed without hesitation.
Night Wolf cursed under his breath. "Damn it, I knew this would happen." He kicked his horse into motion. "With me! Slaughter every last one of them!"
The rest of his unit erupted into cheers and followed. They had been itching to fight from the start. Now that permission had been given, they charged with renewed fervor.
"Hahaha! Die!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The long swords flashed through the air. Goblins fell in droves, cut down or crushed beneath the cavalry's hooves.
The battlefield became a frenzy of blood and steel.
Many of the cavalrymen were once barbarian warriors, brought into the Night Tribe and subjected to strict training. Their past pride often clashed with the disciplined coordination demanded of them, creating a lingering resentment.
Now, given a chance to vent their frustration, they fought with ferocious abandon.
Though there were nearly five thousand goblins, they might as well have been lambs to the slaughter.
Cavalry had a natural advantage over infantry, especially disorganized foot soldiers like these. The goblins, lacking any real formation or tactics, couldn't even be called soldiers.
Ye Hu led the charge through their lines, his sword soaked in green blood.
Then came a roar.
"ROAR!!!"
A towering goblin, nearly three meters tall and wielding a massive mace, let out a bestial scream and rushed toward Ye Hu.
The beast plowed through its own kind, smashing aside allies in a blind fury as it beelined for its target. At least ten goblins died under its feet before it reached Ye Hu.
"Finally," Ye Hu muttered, his eyes lighting up. The giant's massive body stood out on the chaotic battlefield, impossible to miss. Ye Hu had noticed it earlier but held back, wanting to break through the goblin lines first.
Now that it had come to him, he welcomed the fight.
Spurring his horse forward, Ye Hu surged ahead. Fighting energy radiated from his body, surrounding his blade with a blood-red glow.
The goblin raised its mace high and brought it crashing down, aiming to obliterate Ye Hu and his mount in one blow.
But Ye Hu was faster.
He ducked low and suddenly accelerated, swinging his sword upward with explosive power.
Clang!
The clash of weapons rang out like thunder. The goblin staggered backward several paces, nearly losing its grip on the mace.
Without wasting a second, Ye Hu leapt from his horse, raising his sword high with both hands.
"Die!"
The goblin scrambled to block with its weapon, but the blood-red blade sliced clean through it.
Crash!
The goblin's mace shattered, and Ye Hu's sword continued its deadly arc, cleaving straight through the monster from head to toe.
The giant fell, split in two.
And the slaughter continued.