Severus and Sebastian very smartly circled around the Blackfang camp only to find a sprawling Mercenary camp of over 500,000 strong, just a few kilometres from the Blackfang camp.
" I knew it, my cowardly instincts told me there was something wrong " Sebastian said as he clicked his tongue
Severus who was still very angry with the scene he had witnessed moments ago now felt relieved he did not let his emotions get the best of himself and completed the scouting mission with sincerity.
If he did not wait to check this area out, his clan would have been in big trouble during the fight.
" Let's go, we need to inform Max about all this " Severus said as Sebastian and him quietly left the vantage point and started making their way back to the Bloodfall camp.
**********
( A few hours later )
Sebastian and Severus returned from their scouting mission and a council meeting was scheduled to discuss their findings.
The old man who was the recent main player of these council meetings was notably absent from this particular iteration of the meeting and this raised concerns for Max.
" Did anyone find the old man? " Max asked as he had already delayed the council meeting for an hour and had sent multiple soldiers to find the old man, but everyone returned empty handed.
" Could he be kidnapped? " Anna asked, worried that it could be the enemy's ploy, however Max shook his head.
" The old man is so strong that he can't be dragged away by god's much less be kidnapped by tier4-5 warriors.
While I can't be 100% sure, my senses have not detected any intrusion into the core perimeter of the camp.
Wherever he's gone, he has gone by his own free will knowing full well we would need his services today " Max said as he evaluated the situation from a stable headed point of view.
He was not thrilled by the old man's decision today. He had started to trust and respect the old man a lot which was why his absence from today's meeting felt like a betrayal.
For a moment everyone was silent, unsure if they should wait or start the meeting until Max decided that enough was enough and that they would proceed without the old man.
" Sebastian, what's the enemy strength like? " Max asked as Sebastian began drawing on the battlefield map explaining all the nuances to Max.
The basic Blackfang forces consisted of about 200k soldiers and Ferox personally resided in this camp.
The area surrounding their camp was wired with traps and minefields, which would cause the frontlines of the Bloodfall clan to lose proper shape and create gaps in their assault.
The back-up consisted of Mercenary troops about 500K strong, yet there was no god leading them.
They should be lent to Ferox by the Mercenary King for this very war against the promise of victory.
Sebastian reported everything in great detail, after which Max began thinking about the plan of attack himself.I think you should take a look at
Without the old man present, everyone talked candidly expressing the pros and cons of every approach as the effect of Rudra on their planning style could clearly be seen.
Although Rudra had only been around them for a short while, everyone seemed to have picked some or the other form of critical thinking as their suggestions had remarkably improved from before the time they met Rudra.
Hence after a heavy discussion that lasted for a full 40 minutes, Max came up with the final attack strategy.
" I go in with Commander Max Rajput, Zippo and commander Sebastian alone for the first wave of assault.
While Sebastian keeps the 200k of them busy with the 150k undead of his, Me and commander Max try kill Ferox.
When the Mercenaries out-flank us, DarkSorrow leads the first and second legion to intercept them from the left while Anna leads the third and newly rebuilt fourth legion to intercept them from the right.
We avoid the minefield all-together and once me and commander Max finish off Ferox, we branch and join the two Mercenary fight fronts as we route the enemy out and destroy their orb " Max said as he presented the final plan.
It was a fundamentally sound plan that prevented newfronts of battle opening mid-engagement with the enemy, yet it was a relatively simple plan that got the Bloodfall troops into a dogfight on two fronts.
Max was sure the old man could do better but he was nowhere to be found at the hour that the clan needed him the most.
" Rest well tonight guys, we attack tomorrow " Max declared as he concluded the meeting.
*********
( Meanwhile Ferox )
Ferox had the same game plan that Max did with the only difference being that he genuinely believed he could take on both Max Rajput and Ravan Bloodfall alone.
This confidence of his was not without any foundation. It was a confidence he had because he possessed a secret card that could potentially overturn any unfavourable battle.
Through sheer luck, he had found the ' Maya- Astra ' ( The weapon of illusion ) before the dimensional war broke out as he was now in possession of the tier9 weapon.
Since he was a dark faction warrior where his own sovereign would not think twice before killing him for that weapon, he kept it within his inventory at all times and only brought it out for very short time intervals when he absolutely needed to.
With the weapon he could make his enemies hallucinate realities that did not exist and use those moments to deal the critical blow.
He believed Max and Ravan would be the same.
They would be the next on his list of victims and while a lot of blood will be spilled both on his camp and the Mercenary end to achieve this victory. He believed that with the death of Ravan and Max, his legacy within the dark faction would be established in stone.
He would gain more fame and fortune with more troops willing to swear fealty to him and would also get into the good books of monarch Avans by helping him complete his revenge.
It was surely going to be a big win! And he was excited to make it happen.