Morning came quietly to Ridgebrook.
Liam stood on the inner wall, watching the village wake. Refugees were already moving, carrying wood, digging trenches, lining up for tools. Soldiers trained in steady lines, slower than before but still disciplined.
The village was alive.
It was also stretched thin.
By the time the council gathered, everyone already understood the problem. Ridgebrook could not fight on every front.
The merchant from Veldoria stood before them, posture respectful, voice calm.
"The bandit's name is Jack," he said. "They call him the One-Eyed Giant. Nearly seven feet tall. Strong enough to break armed men with his hands."
He explained clearly, without exaggeration. Jack controlled a ravine along a major trade route. He commanded around two hundred bandits. They were not well trained, but they followed him out of fear.
"He raids without mercy," the merchant said. "And our forces cannot respond. War has tied them down elsewhere."
Sun Tzu listened closely, then turned to the others.
"Our issue is not only the bandit," he said. "It is manpower. We cannot leave Ridgebrook exposed."
Leonidas nodded. "Sending a large force is not an option."
Leonardo added, "If construction stops, we lose weeks we cannot recover."
Lira looked at the supply records. "If trade stays broken, food will become a serious problem."
Silence followed.
Then Khalid stepped forward.
"I will go," he said.
Everyone looked at him.
"We do not need an army," Khalid continued. "Bandits fall apart when their leader dies. Give me twenty-five Rank 1 soldiers. Twenty-five Rank 0. We move fast. We strike. We leave."
Leonidas frowned slightly, but did not interrupt.
Alexander studied Khalid for a moment, then smiled.
"That takes courage," Alexander said. "But courage needs control."
He stepped forward. "I will join you. I will command the troops. You focus on Jack."
Khalid nodded once in agreement.
Vlad clicked his tongue. "Shame. I wanted the giant."
"Another time," Khalid replied calmly.
Lapu-Lapu spoke next. "Forest paths can hide their approach. I will guide them close."
Rasputin shook his head. "Medical support stays here."
Sun Tzu considered the plan carefully. After a moment, he nodded.
"This minimizes risk," he said. "It is acceptable."
Liam listened to everything. A small force. A precise strike. No room for mistakes.
He turned to the merchant. "We will help. On our terms."
Relief crossed the man's face. He bowed deeply.
Orders followed quickly. Supplies were prepared. Names were chosen. Soldiers accepted their roles without celebration or fear.
That night, Khalid and Alexander stood near the gate, reviewing the route. Twenty-five Rank 1 soldiers waited nearby, weapons ready. Twenty-five Rank 0 stood behind them, nervous but determined.
Liam watched from the wall.
Ridgebrook did not shout its strength.
It sharpened it.
The strike force departed before dawn.
No banners. No horns. Just fifty men moving quietly through the tree line, boots wrapped, weapons oiled. Khalid led from the front without urgency, his pace steady and confident. Alexander walked a few steps behind, eyes constantly moving, reading the ground as much as the men.
They did not speak unless necessary.
Lapu-Lapu guided them off the main paths almost immediately. What little road there was vanished behind thick brush and uneven ground. The forest swallowed them, sound dampened by leaves and soft soil.
By the second night, they saw it.
Smoke.
Not the thin line of a watch fire, but the lazy sprawl of careless burning. The smell carried far—meat, drink, unclean living. Lapu-Lapu raised a fist, and the column froze instantly.
From a ridge overlooking a shallow ravine, the camp revealed itself.
Alexander studied it in silence.
The camp was crude. Wooden barracks thrown together without care. No stone. No trenches. A rough palisade at best. Fires burned openly between structures. Men wandered without armor, laughing, shouting, drinking.
"Basic," Khalid said quietly. "No discipline."
Alexander nodded. "Fear-built camps rot from the inside."
They counted carefully. Groups of bandits clustered around fires. Guards posted more out of habit than awareness. No patrols beyond the ravine. No overlapping watch lines.
"Wood everywhere," one Rank 1 soldier whispered.
"Which means panic spreads fast," Alexander replied.
They withdrew deeper into the trees to plan.
Alexander knelt and drew the camp in the dirt with a stick. Barracks. Fire pits. The largest structure near the center.
"That's where Jack sleeps," Khalid said, pointing without hesitation.
Alexander assigned positions calmly.
"Fire arrows first," he said. "Not to kill. To break order."
The soldiers listened intently.
"When the barracks burn, they will scatter. No formations. No commands. That is when you strike—but only those who block our path."
He looked at Khalid. "You go straight for the center. Do not chase anyone else."
Khalid's expression did not change. "I won't."
"Rank 1s," Alexander continued, "you move in pairs. Stay close. Do not pursue beyond sight."
The Rank 0 soldiers were assigned containment roles—cutting off exits, blocking escape routes with noise and fire, not combat unless forced.
"This is not a battle," Alexander said firmly. "It is slaughter ."
They watched the camp until night deepened. Bandits drank harder. Guards slouched. Laughter echoed freely.
Khalid stood apart, eyes locked on the largest structure.
"When it begins," he said quietly, "I take Jack alone."
Alexander met his gaze. "And when he falls, this ends."
The men prepared their fire arrows carefully. Oil-soaked cloth. Tight bindings. No mistakes.
The forest held its breath.
Fear would do more damage than steel.
For now, they waited patiently.
LEDGER – END OF CHAPTER 120
Population: 1,940
Army Total: 156
- Rank 4: 3 (Leonidas, Vlad, Khalid)
- Rank 3: 4 (Liam, Lapu-Lapu + 2 soldiers)
- Rank 2: 5 (Alexander + 4 soldiers)
- Rank 1: 25
- Rank 0 (trained militia): 119
Deployed Strike Force:
- Khalid (Rank 4)
- Alexander (Rank 2)
- Rank 1 Soldiers: 25
- Rank 0 Soldiers: 25
Casualties:
- Rank 2+ KIA: 0
- Total Soldiers KIA: 0
- Civilians KIA: 0
Construction:
- Phase II – Day 4 / 14
Monster Activity:
- Observation only
- No attack expected for weeks or months
Trade:
- Veldoria bandit request accepted
Summon Cooldown:
- 16 days remaining