Three days later, scouts from the village reported that Gareth was assembling a much larger force about ten miles north of Millhaven. According to the reports, he had at least forty men now, including a group of heavily armed mercenaries who looked like they'd seen real military service.
"Forty men," Elena said, studying the map spread across Ryo's bar. "That's more than enough to overrun the village if they hit us directly. We can't fight them in open battle."
"So we don't fight them in open battle," Ryo replied. "We make them come to us on our terms."
Marcus looked up from the crossbow he was cleaning. "And how exactly do we do that? Gareth's not stupid enough to walk into an obvious trap."
"He will if he thinks he's got us cornered," Elena said. "The question is how we make him believe that."
Ryo had been thinking about this problem for the past two days, and he thought he had an answer. The system had been feeding him tactical knowledge almost as fast as he could absorb it, and one particular strategy kept presenting itself as optimal for their situation.
"We give him what he wants," Ryo said. "Or at least, we make it look like we're giving him what he wants."
"Explain," Elena said.
"Gareth wants me dead and the village under his control. So we stage a scenario where it looks like he's about to get both. We make him think he's caught me alone and vulnerable, somewhere he can attack with overwhelming force. But instead of actually being vulnerable, we turn the whole thing into a kill zone."
Elena studied the map more carefully. "You're talking about using yourself as bait."
"I'm talking about using myself as the appearance of bait," Ryo corrected. "There's a difference."
Marcus set down his crossbow. "This sounds like a really good way to get yourself killed."
"Only if something goes wrong," Ryo said. "And we're going to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Over the next hour, they worked out the details. The plan was complex enough to give them multiple advantages while simple enough that it wouldn't fall apart if someone made a mistake.
The key was the old mine complex beneath Millhaven. Elena had mapped out most of the tunnel system over the years, and she'd identified several locations where the passages formed natural chokepoints. If they could lure Gareth's force into the tunnels, they could eliminate the bandits' numerical advantage while maximizing their own defensive positioning.
"The main entrance is here," Elena said, pointing to a spot on the map about half a mile outside the village. "It's wide enough for maybe four men to enter at once, which means they can't bring their whole force to bear against us simultaneously."
"What about other entrances?" Ryo asked.
"Three smaller ones, but they're all farther away and harder to find. If we position people to watch them, we can make sure Gareth doesn't try to flank us through the back passages."
Marcus traced the tunnel routes with his finger. "So the plan is to get Gareth to chase you into the mines, then bottle him up in the narrow passages where his numbers don't matter?"
"That's part of it," Ryo said. "But we're also going to make sure he brings as many men as possible with him. The more of his force we can eliminate at once, the better our long-term prospects."
"And how do we make sure he commits his whole army to chasing one person?"
Ryo grinned. "We make him really, really angry."
[TACTICAL DECEPTION] - Level 2
[ENEMY MANIPULATION] - Level 1
New skill acquired: [BAIT TACTICS] - Level 1
The next morning, Ryo set the plan in motion. He walked openly to the old mine entrance, making no effort to hide his movements from any watchers Gareth might have posted. Once there, he began what appeared to be an archaeological survey, examining the tunnel walls and taking notes like someone conducting serious research.
To any observer, it would look like he was alone and completely absorbed in his work. The perfect target for someone looking to settle a score.
Elena and Marcus were already in position deeper in the tunnel system, along with six volunteers from the village who'd insisted on helping despite the danger. They'd spent the previous night setting up defensive positions, stockpiling ammunition, and preparing several nasty surprises for anyone who tried to follow Ryo into the mines.
The trap was elegant in its simplicity. Gareth would see an opportunity to catch his enemy alone and vulnerable, and he'd commit everything to making sure Ryo didn't escape. But instead of finding a helpless victim, he'd find himself trapped in a maze of narrow passages with enemies who knew the terrain and had every advantage.
Ryo didn't have to wait long. Around midday, he spotted movement in the treeline—armed men trying to stay hidden while they surrounded the mine entrance. From their positioning, it looked like Gareth had brought at least thirty of his forty men, leaving only a skeleton crew to guard his camp.
[OBSERVATION] has increased to Level 4!
[ENEMY COUNTING] - Level 2
Tactical assessment: Optimal enemy commitment achieved
Perfect. If they could eliminate thirty bandits in one engagement, Gareth's operation would be crippled beyond recovery.
Ryo continued his pretense of archaeological work until he was certain all of Gareth's men were in position. Then he made a show of discovering something interesting deep in the tunnel, gathering up his notes and heading into the mine system with apparent excitement.
"There he is!" someone shouted from the treeline. "He's going into the mines! Move, move, move!"
Gareth's voice carried clearly across the clearing. "I want him alive if possible, but don't take any unnecessary risks. If he fights, kill him. And remember—there might be others with him, so stay alert."
Ryo grinned as he heard the thunder of boots on stone echoing through the tunnel entrance. Gareth had taken the bait completely, and now it was time to spring the trap.
He moved through the tunnels at a pace designed to keep his pursuers interested without letting them catch up too quickly. The route Elena had planned would lead them deeper into the mine complex, past three separate ambush points where hidden defenders could thin their numbers before the final confrontation.
"I can hear him up ahead!" one of the bandits called out. "He's not that far!"
"Keep moving," Gareth ordered. "Don't let him reach whatever bolt-hole he's heading for."
The first ambush came when the pursuing force reached a T-junction about two hundred yards into the mines. Elena had positioned herself in an alcove that gave her a clear shot down both passages, and she put crossbow bolts into two men before they even realized they were under attack.
[AMBUSH COORDINATION] - Level 1
Team experience bonus applied
The second ambush was a rockfall trap that Marcus triggered when the bandits reached a section of tunnel with an unstable ceiling. Three more men went down under falling stone, and the rest had to slow their advance to navigate around the debris.
By the time Gareth's remaining force reached the main chamber where Ryo was waiting, they'd lost almost a third of their numbers and were bunched up in a narrow passage that limited their ability to maneuver.
"Hello, Gareth," Ryo called out cheerfully. "Thanks for accepting my invitation."
The bandit leader emerged from the tunnel with about twenty men behind him, all of them looking considerably less confident than they had an hour earlier. The chamber they found themselves in was large enough for a proper fight, but the only exit was the passage they'd just come through—and Elena had positioned herself to cut off that retreat.
"You set us up," Gareth snarled, drawing his sword. "This whole thing was a fucking trap."
"Give the man a prize," Ryo said, pulling his own weapons. "Though I have to say, you made it easy. Did you really think I'd just wander around alone without backup after you threatened to bring an army?"
"Doesn't matter," Gareth said, gesturing for his men to spread out. "You're still outnumbered twenty to one."
"Actually," Elena's voice echoed from the tunnel entrance, "it's more like twenty to eight. And we're the ones with the better position."
Marcus and the village volunteers emerged from concealed positions around the chamber, crossbows aimed and ready. Suddenly, Gareth's men found themselves caught in a crossfire with no cover and no easy escape route.
"Surrender," Ryo offered. "We'll make it quick and clean."
Gareth looked around the chamber, taking in their hopeless tactical situation, and his face twisted with rage and desperation.
"Fuck that," he said. "If I'm going down, I'm taking as many of you bastards with me as I can."
[INTIMIDATION RESISTANCE] - Level 3
[FINAL BATTLE PREPARATION] - Level 1
Achievement unlocked: Perfect Trap Execution
"Your choice," Ryo said, settling into a combat stance. "But remember—I wanted to do this the easy way."