Outside Osaka Castle, the sun rose from the east, casting a ghastly red glow over the bloodstains on the city walls.

On the walls, the soldiers of Sakura Country dragged their weary bodies back to their respective posts.

Bowstrings were tightened once more, arrows were hauled up from the warehouse in bundles, and logs and stones were piled behind the battlements.

The soldiers leaned against the base of the walls, gnawing on cold rice balls and drinking leftover water from the previous night, waiting for the next wave of attacks.

A horn sounded from the Orc Army camp, deep and long-drawn, like a giant beast awakening from beneath the earth.

The ground began to tremble—not from an earthquake, but from the footsteps of Mammoth War Elephants.

Ten Mammoth War Elephants slowly emerged from the back of the camp, draped in heavy iron armor, with barbed iron blades strapped to their tusks.

In the wooden arrow towers on their backs, Troll Archers had already drawn their massive bows.

Each step they took left a shallow pit, and the gravel on the ground was crushed into powder beneath their elephant hooves.

Orc Infantry poured out of the tents, forming a green tide that surged toward Osaka Castle like a dark, crushing wave.

siege towers were pushed toward the walls, their iron hooks glinting coldly in the morning light.

The wolf-headed hammer of the battering ram, suspended by thick iron chains, swung slowly to the rhythm of the Orcs' synchronized chants.

Orc Archers were the first to enter range, and the barrage began.

A dark mass of arrows blotted out the sky, raining down upon the city walls.

The defenders of Sakura Country hid behind the battlements, rising to counterattack the moment the rain of arrows subsided.

Arrows rained down from the wall, while logs and stones were poured from the battlements, smashing into the scaling ladders and knocking the climbing Orcs down with them.

Boiling oil was poured from the battlements, scalding the Orcs and tearing their flesh apart.

scaling ladders were set against the ramparts one by one, their iron hooks gripping the battlements as the Orc Infantry began to climb.

On the walls, the samurai of Sakura Country swung their blades to cut down the enemies climbing up, sparks flying as steel clashed with iron axes.

Ninjas wove through the Orc ranks, shuriken piercing throats with precision.

The Awakened frantically cast their skills, fireballs, ice shards, and lightning exploding into bursts of light among the Orcs.

The defenders' health bars fluctuated violently, and the light of Healing Spells flickered on and off across the walls.

The battering ram slammed into the city gate, emitting a dull, thunderous boom.

The defensive runes on the gate flashed violently; with every impact, the brightness of the runes dimmed a fraction.

The pile of Orc corpses beneath the wall and human soldier corpses upon the wall continued to grow, blood flowing down the bricks and seeping into the gaps between the stone slabs.

Yet, no one noticed that the blood—whether the black blood of the Orcs or the red blood of the human soldiers—was slowly and steadily seeping downward, passing through layers of gravel, soil, and rock, converging toward that writhing, dark red light deep within the tunnels.

At eight o'clock in the morning, sunlight slanted in through the window, spreading a layer of pale gold across the floor of the second floor of the Kumamoto County Council Hall.

Lin Feng opened his eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for a moment, only then remembering that he was sleeping on the second floor of the Kumamoto County Council Hall.

He had collapsed into bed immediately after returning from the hot springs last night, barely covering himself with a quilt, his Wildfire Spear leaning against the bedside.

He closed his eyes and used his Lord's authority to sense the surroundings; all his core members were downstairs, not a single one missing.

He reached out to pick up the Wildfire Spear leaning against the bed and pushed the door open to head downstairs. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Before he had even finished walking down the stairs, Tie Dun's booming voice erupted from the hall.

"Great Wall is still too overpowered! Hahaha! After we finished fighting last night and surrounded the three county towns, the Orcs could only stare helplessly—they couldn't get past! But we can go out and attack them whenever we want, and they can't hit us back. What do you call this? What do you call it again?"

"Mechanic suppression," Wang Wu's voice replied, unhurried.

"Right, right, right! Mechanic suppression! Wang Wu, you're the cultured one!" Tie Dun slapped his thigh.

Arrow Eye's voice was very soft: "Only Great Wall could do that; no other wonder would work."

"So, it's still all thanks to Lord Lin!" Tie Dun concluded.

Lin Feng walked down the stairs and appeared at the hall entrance.

Tie Dun was the first to see him and sprang up from his chair: "Morning, Lord Lin! Did you sleep well last night?"

Zhao Hu stood up, pressed his right fist to his chest, and nodded.

Jiang Yelan stood up from the head seat on the left, nodded toward him, and said, "Morning, Lord Lin."

Jiang Zhaoyue stood up from the head seat on the right and cupped her fists: "Lord Lin."

Su Yuehua, Feng Qingyan, Feng Qingshuang, and Shi Pojun also stood up one after another, nodding to Lin Feng in greeting.

Lin Feng responded with a smile, walked to the main seat, sat down, and leaned the Wildfire Spear against the side of the chair.

He swept his gaze over everyone, and seeing that they were all in high spirits, the smile on his lips deepened.

"How did you rest last night?"

Tie Dun was the first to answer: "Great! I soaked in the hot springs and slept until broad daylight without even having a dream! That hot spring is truly amazing; I felt so comfortable afterward, like I'd been given a new set of bones. Did you ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ soak in it, Lord Lin?"

Su Yurou said softly: "I fell asleep right after returning from the hot springs, and I feel especially refreshed this morning."

Feng Qingyan leaned out from her chair, her eyes sparkling: "Me too! That hot spring pool was so big; I soaked with my sister and President Su, and I almost fell asleep while soaking. Lord Lin, when can we come back again?"

Tie Dun scratched his head and suddenly asked: "Lord Lin, what's the plan for today? Are we still attacking the Orc county towns?"

Lin Feng didn't answer him but turned to look at Su Yurou: "Yu Rou, last night I asked you to return to Blue Star this morning to check the situation at Osaka Castle. How is it?"

Su Yurou put away her smile and said seriously: "Lord Lin, I just returned from Blue Star. The Orcs over at Osaka Castle haven't reacted at all; they are still fiercely attacking Osaka Castle. Whether it's troop movements or the actions of their high command, there are no signs of them pulling back to reinforce the rear."

She paused. "The Orc Army's rhythm of the siege hasn't changed, and there are no signs of them retreating."

The corners of Lin Feng's mouth slowly curled up.

"Good. Since the Orcs don't care, I won't be polite."

He stood up, pressed both hands on the table, and swept his gaze over everyone, his tone shifting from relaxed to decisive.

"Ye Lan, Lord Jiang, assemble the troops immediately. We set out in half an hour. Our target is Fengzao County, one hundred and eighty li northwest of Kumamoto County."

Jiang Yelan stood up and pressed her right fist to her chest: "Understood."

Jiang Zhaoyue also stood up and cupped her fists: "The Yuehua Legion is ready to depart at any time."

The two walked out of the Council Hall, one to the left and one to the right, their steps hurried yet steady.

Zhao Hu watched their retreating figures and turned to look at Lin Feng: "Lord Lin, how many men should we bring?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "Two thousand Beacon Guards, two thousand County Soldiers. The Elite Soldiers of the Beacon Guards will be the main force, and the County Soldiers will be responsible for clearing out stragglers and maintaining order."

Zhao Hu nodded and turned to go pass on the order.

Soon, only Lin Feng was left in the hall.

He walked to the window and gazed toward the northwest.

One hundred and eighty li away, Fengzao County. Today, another city will fall.

The torches on the walls gradually extinguished in the morning light. On the streets of Kumamoto County, the Beacon Guards and County Soldiers were assembling; the sounds of footsteps, commands, and clashing weapons mingled together like a hurried and orderly pre-battle march.

Half an hour later, outside the west gate of Kumamoto County, two thousand Beacon Guards and two thousand County Soldiers were lined up in four phalanxes, their black armor like iron, their spear tips like a forest.

Lin Feng stood at the very front of the formation, Jiang Yelan stood to his left, and Jiang Zhaoyue stood to his right.

Behind them, Zhao Hu, Tie Dun, and the others lined up in order.

Lin Feng turned around, swept his gaze over everyone's faces, then nodded, turned back around, and pointed his hand forward.

"Move out."

The army set off, galloping toward Fengzao County in the northwest.