Chapter 130: The Forefather of Underhanded Tactics

"Charge!"

"This is all reputation points, boys! Don't leave a single one alive, cut them all down!"

"For the experience! For the victory! Charge!"

The air was filled with deafening battle cries. Compared to the desperate, death-defying charge of the Murlocs, the slogans of the players sounded a bit like a game, but that did not dampen their enthusiasm for slaughtering monsters.

While the battle on the front lines raged in full swing, Lu Kuan led his small squad on a detour to the rear of Clear Creek Village, hurrying toward a patch of quiet woods.

In his previous life, Clear Creek Village had failed to hold off the Murloc onslaught and was brutally breached, with the village and all its inhabitants completely wiped out. The reason for this was twofold: Uncle Tao was in poor condition and lacked a strong leader, and more importantly, the rear of the village was breached, leaving the defenders caught in a pincer attack. The players and guards had collapsed shortly thereafter.

Not far behind them, blinding light erupted again, and seconds later, the tremors of the earth and the sound of explosions reached them. Lu Kuan couldn't help but smile, thinking that old man Uncle Tao must have been holding back for a long time; he was finally letting out his frustration on these Murlocs.

The journey was silent, and the five-member team soon arrived at the back gate of Clear Creek Village, lying in ambush within the pitch-black woods.

"Old Lu, are you sure someone is going to sneak up on us here?" Akui asked in the party channel. Ever since they heard Dai Guang call Lu Kuan "Old Lu," the three girls had followed suit. After a few days, it had become quite natural.

Dai Guang added, "Yeah, if we were killing monsters at the front, we could have earned so much reputation by now!"

"Don't worry, trust me," Lu Kuan said while observing the situation in the distance. "For a large-scale quest like this, the final rewards are definitely based on individual contribution values. Intercepting this flanking squad will definitely yield higher contribution points than killing fodder on the front lines."

Hearing the confidence in Lu Kuan's tone, the others relaxed. Following this guy’s lead was always the right choice.

However, after a while, the shouting from the front of the village grew louder. It sounded as if the battle had reached the interior of Clear Creek Village. Dai Guang and the others grew restless, but Lu Kuan remained calm, his eyes fixed steadily ahead.

"Attention!"

Suddenly, Lu Kuan spoke in a low voice on the party channel, drawing everyone's focus. "Fatty, go notify the hidden guards to prepare for battle. You three, fall back ten meters and get ready to support me."

Their nerves tightened immediately as they moved according to Lu Kuan's instructions. The surrounding woods were pitch black, and with no moonlight filtering through, they could see nothing at all. Lu Kuan had already stood up, using a large tree for cover, drawing his bow and aiming into the inky darkness ahead.

*Thwip... Thud!*

"Wurrrgh..."

As Lu Kuan’s arrow vanished into the dark, a shrill, piercing scream erupted from the front, followed by a brief commotion.

"-13!"

Seeing the damage, Lu Kuan couldn't help but gasp. "The damage is so low... What level are these monsters? Could Yuka have sent all his elite units here?"

Seeing the enemy trying to play dead, Lu Kuan hardened his resolve and fired several more bone-shattering arrows. The shafts traced white streaks through the darkness like lightning, pinning several shadows to the ground.

The enemy could no longer hide. With a low, guttural roar, the woods erupted in noise as over twenty tall Murlocs lunged from the bushes, weapons raised, charging straight at Lu Kuan.

"Oh, mother! Run!"

Lu Kuan turned and bolted, diving deep into the woods without looking back.

"Akui, use Fireball! Blast them to hell!"

Lu Kuan shouted at the top of his lungs, but even before he finished, orange-red flames flickered in the woods. As he finished his call, a streak of red light vanished into the dark.

*BOOM!*

A massive fireball soared into the air, sending the lead Murlocs flying. The shockwave made the trees rustle loudly; while the damage was limited, it bought Lu Kuan precious time.

Ten seconds later, after a wild sprint, both sides reached the vicinity of the back gate. Just then, the area lit up as twenty Clear Creek guards appeared with torches, forming a solid perimeter around the Murlocs.

"Kill!"

The guards were clad in heavy armor and wielding heavy steel swords, all of them above level 20. With the support of the two priests, Dai Guang and Bai Keke, the Murlocs stood no chance.

*Clang! Clang!*

*Splatter!*

In the torchlight, the flash of blades was dizzying, followed by the gruesome sight of flying blood and flesh. The three girls present turned away, unable to stomach the scene. Soon, only five Murlocs were left breathing, held firmly in the center by the guards.

"Please, go get Old Blind-Eye," Lu Kuan said to one of the guards with a smile. "Tell him I have something important to discuss."

"Yes!" The guard bowed slightly and left to carry out the order.

Uncle Tao had given orders that once the battle began, everyone except the frontline combatants was to follow Lu Kuan's commands. Soon, Old Blind-Eye arrived. Because of his injuries, he had been recuperating in the infirmary, helping to tend to the wounded guards.

"Yuka's elite guards?" Old Blind-Eye looked at the Murlocs in the center, his expression grim. "That cunning Yuka. He sent his main force here, intending to launch a surprise attack from the rear."

Lu Kuan smiled. "Master, don't worry. I have a favor to ask. Please translate for me—if any of these Murlocs are willing to reveal the enemy's strategic plans and troop numbers, we will spare their lives."

"These are Yuka's most fanatical warriors. I'm afraid the chances are slim," Old Blind-Eye shook his head.

"You never know until you try." Lu Kuan grinned, looking into the distance. "If not this wave, maybe the next one will."

...

An hour passed, and the battle at the front reached a fever pitch. The walls on three sides of the village had been breached, and the fighting shifted into the village itself—streets, alleys, rooftops, and walls had all become battlefields.

By this point, the players had long forgotten what tension or fear felt like; it was pure, unadulterated slaughter. The number of Murlocs was far greater than anyone had imagined. Even though Lu Kuan had warned the leaders of the various guilds and parties before the fight began, the sheer volume of the Murloc horde still exceeded everyone's expectations.

In a corner of Clear Creek Village, a group of players was surrounded by a swarm of Murlocs, trapped in a dead end with nowhere to run.