As the Bloodfall army marched through the territory controlled by the Hazelgroove Empire, Max became acutely aware of their strategic prowess.
Their reinforcement camps and supply lines were expertly arranged at critical locations, enabling the empire to penetrate deeply into dark faction territory.
Now over 2 months into the war, the central line that once divided the light and dark faction territories had begun to grow blurred.
With both sides gaining and losing land, the central line became a hazy contour on the map, dotted with disputed regions.
Among all the light faction advancements, the Hazelgroove Empire's position was the most impressive. Their firm hold deep within enemy lines was a testament to Emperor Cervantez's strategic acumen and that of his lieutenants.
Max was able to march freely through perilous terrain, thanks to Hazelgroove's control of the territory. They had advanced so far into enemy territory that Max could access the region controlled by Ferox directly.
If not for the Hazelgroove Empire, he would have had to face countless foes just to get to Ferox by which point his army would have been bruised and tired.
Thankfully, with the Hazelgroove Empire's blessing, Max established his camp near the border of their controlled region.
From this position, he sent his most daring and outstanding scout to assess the strength and weaknesses of the enemy forces.
*********
( Sebastian and Severus's POV )
Sebastian's face was set in a deep frown. As usual he had been selected for the dangerous task of scouting, paired with Severus.
As soon as the topic of scouting had come up in the Bloodfall council, he had tried to make himself inconspicuous, tucking his small frame behind DarkSorrow in a futile attempt to avoid this mission. However, as always, he was the first to be chosen.
Sometimes, Sebastian wondered if his reliability and competence were the reason behind his downfall.
He briefly considered botching the mission deliberately to stain his impeccable reputation and make himself a less obvious choice for future assignments. But he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing that any misinformation he provided could lead to the deaths of thousands.
Thankfully, he was not alone in this mission. Severus, with his unbelievably acute sense of hearing, was there to detect any dangers to their life.
Their journey for the first hour or so had been quiet, they covered about 15 kilometres cautiously and were very near to the vantage point from where they could scout Ferox's camp.
The eerie silence of their journey only broken by the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind until suddenly, Severus halted in his tracks and raised a finger in warning.
"Sebastian," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "We have company."
Sebastian, a devout follower of the 'Way of the Cowards', visibly paled at the warning. He fumbled for his necromancer's ring, his normally sharp eyes wide with terror.
"Right then, summoning a thousand undead should suffice." Sebastian said, reverting his old formula of 1v1000.I think you should take a look at
Severus swiftly grabbed Sebastian's arm, halting the summoning spell midway. "Let's not abandon reason, Sebastian my dwarf friend, We're supposed to be stealthy, remember?"
Sebastian shot him a look that clearly conveyed his absolute fear. "Of course, you're right! Why summon a thousand when I can summon two thousand!"
Sighing, Severus shook his head at his companion's extreme measures as he said " No, let's act like we haven't detected him at all. He's only tier4 and we can take him easily if we play our cards right "
Sebastian was clearly unhappy with this plan, but before he could register his protest Severus glared at him with wide eyes with a finger to his lips as he warned him against making any noise that could alert the enemy.
Dissatisfied, Sebastian could only go with Severus's plan now, but internally he planned to summon his entire undead army if he felt like Severus's plan was failing even for a second.
The company they had wasn't a casual traveller, but a well-trained scout from the dark faction. He moved with the stealth of a predator, his eyes fixed on the unsuspecting duo of Sebastian and Severus. His orders were clear: intercept and eliminate any scouts sent from the Bloodfall clan as he was supposed to guard the vantage point that Sebastian and Severus were aiming for.
His weapon, a finely honed dagger, was gripped tightly in his hand, its sharp edge glistening in the faint moonlight. He was confident that his approach had gone unnoticed. However, the reality was starkly different.
Severus and Sebastian, aware of the scout's intentions deliberately allowed him to believe he held the upper hand. They continued in their seemingly unguarded manner, their actions masking the undercurrent of readiness that thrummed between them.
They could feel the encroaching presence drawing closer, the scout inching towards them with a practised ease that spoke volumes of his lethal intent.
But just as the scout lunged from the shadows, his aim - to slit Sebastian's throat - Severus acted. In a swift movement, almost a blur to the human eye, he drew his sweeping broom and blocked the deadly blow aimed at his companion.
The wooden clang of the broom echoed through the silent night, yet it oddly sounded just like the sound of a twig snapping which was nothing unusual in a forest.
The scout's eyes widened in surprise, his confident smirk faltering at the unexpected resistance.
Sebastian wasted no time in exploiting this moment of distraction. He wielded his sword with the expertise of a seasoned warrior and with a swift, powerful blow, he struck the scout down, his face an odd mixture of fear and determination.
Sebastian swung his sword so hard, he split the poor enemy's body in half from the waist, yet even after the enemy was clearly lifeless, Sebastian didn't cease his onslaught. He mercilessly battered the corpse, turning it into an unrecognisable mess.
" Woah woah woah, I think we got the system notification that he's dead 30 seconds ago, you're doing too much " Severus said as he reminded Sebastian that his caution was unnecessary.
Yet faced with Severus's criticism, Sebastian merely shrugged and cited, "Turtle Hermit Way lesson number two: 'Never assume that your opponent is dead, even when the system tells you that it is'."
As Severus looked on, a mix of exasperation and amusement on his face, he couldn't help but marvel at the eccentricities of his companion.
He knew Sebastian was a thorough coward, but it was only at moments like these that Severus understood just how big of a coward he really was.
Chuckling, Severus said a quote he had heard Max and Sebastian often share " May the cowardice be with you "
Sebastian brightened up at the quote as he clapped his hands together, bowed 20 degrees and said " And may the cowardice be with you as well, amen "