Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

After making the decision, Neo and Rosalie returned to the grassland with the remaining ten elven warriors.

The mood was heavy so no one spoke along the way.

As soon as they got to the grassland, Neo and Rosalie reported what they had seen in the marshlands.

“Your Majesty, the goblins have set up camp in the marshlands!” Neo spoke with a grim look. Until now, he still hoped that the ten elven warriors they had left behind would return even though he knew they were most likely dead.

“In the marshlands?” Garandel frowned upon hearing this. He didn’t expect that the goblins would actually build their camp in such a dangerous location.

“So what did you find out? How many goblin warriors are in that camp?” He asked.

Rosalie gestured to Neo, signaling to him that she would answer the question.

She then looked at the elven king and said.

“I probed the goblins’ camp and discovered more than ten thousand goblin warriors. I only observed the outer layer of their camp so there might be more.”

Garandel frowned.

“It seems like we have underestimated the size of the goblin colony. It turns out that they have more warriors hidden in the marshlands.” He muttered.

Everyone waited for his decision.

Garandel thought for a moment before he spoke. “Let’s go back to the kingdom. We need to make some changes in our strategy.”

With Dahon and Aegris in critical condition, their military power was significantly weakened. Not to mention that many of their elite elven warriors had also fallen.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

No one disagreed with the elven king’s decision. They also believed that it was wise to retreat given the losses that they had suffered. Forcing the attack would only lead to even greater casualties.

The army created makeshift wagons using the trees from the nearby forest to transport the wounded soldiers.

After cleaning up the battlefield, they returned to the Greenwood Kingdom with gloomy faces.

They had won two battles, but no one was in the mood to celebrate.

The fear of an even greater foe weighed heavily upon them.

***

Two days later, all the highest-ranking officers had gathered for an urgent meeting in the elven king’s treehouse.

Alaric was also invited to the meeting, but because he was only an Elite Knight, he had no right to participate in the discussion.

Just like the other officers present, his role was only to listen and later inform his subordinates about what the higher-ups would decide.

Alaric had no objections to the arrangements.

“What should we do, Your Majesty?”

“We can’t let our soldiers step into the marshlands!

“Who knows what kind of poisonous plants are there?”

“Sending our warriors there is no different than letting them go to commit suicide!”

There was a fierce discussion between the Transcendent Knights and the 3-Ringed Beast Soul Masters.

Meanwhile, Lucas, Warrick, and Galanar were silent the entire time. They only responded when someone asked them questions, but other than those instances, they didn’t speak a word.

“Silence!” Shouted Garandel, his face looking grim.

He then turned his gaze to Lucas and asked. “Do you have any opinion, Lord Lucas?”

Everyone looked at him with serious faces. Although they had yet to see his power, they didn’t dare take him lightly.

Lucas rubbed his chin.

Strategizing wasn’t his strongest suit, but he still had plenty of experience in large-scale warfare.

With their current situation, initiating the attack was simply a foolish move.

He stood up and pointed at the battle map where the marshlands were located. “Our warriors are more skilled in land warfare and we prefer to fight as a cavalry. However, we cannot utilize our full potential in this location. In addition, your elven warriors are more adept at fighting in the forest with dense vegetation, but we can’t make use of the trees in the marshlands due to the presence of the poisonous plants. In short, attacking the goblin camp will be disastrous for our army.”

Some people agreed with his words, while some contemplated deeply without revealing their emotions.

“Here is what we can do…” Lucas moved his finger to the area next to the marshlands.

It was a dense forest inhabited by numerous wild beasts and monsters.

“We can set up a trap here since this is the only safe exit from the marshlands. Furthermore, the forest is the perfect place for the elven warriors to showcase their abilities…” Lucas told them his suggestion.

Hearing this, Garandel drummed his fingers on the table, seemingly in deep thought.

His suggestion is straightforward, but it is also the best option for us.

He was silent for a moment before he opened his mouth. “Is there anyone else with a better solution?”

He scanned the people gathered, but no one spoke up.

“In that case, we will proceed with Lord Lucas’ suggestion!”

They discussed more about what kind of traps they would use and how they would distribute their forces.

An hour later, the meeting finally concluded.

When Alaric stepped out of the treehouse, he saw Yvanna standing outside with a few elven ladies.

She smiled upon seeing him, while he smiled back in response.

They didn’t say anything to each other, but they felt like they had interacted with their eyes.

“Don’t you want to talk with her?” Lucas’ voice drifted into his ears.

Alaric was taken aback. “What are you talking about, my lord?” He forced a smile.

Lucas gave him a knowing glance and snorted. “Stop acting innocent.”

Alaric could only shake his head with a nervous chuckle. “Let us talk about this when everything is over.”

Lucas no longer pursued the matter and headed to the treehouse arranged for him.

Meanwhile, Alaric also headed to his treehouse.

Now that a more powerful enemy has emerged, I cannot afford to relax anymore. It is time to use that Equipment Upgrade Card!

Thinking about this, a notification appeared in front of him.

[Do you want to use your Equipment Upgrade Card on the selected item?]

[Yes] [No]

Eh? I can actually use it on this…