Chapter 65: Advang by Retreating

  Crack! Crack! Crack!

  Angry axes furiously chopped at the scorched tree trunk.

  Wood chips flew, and brarembled.

  Hall, still perched oree, ale as he gnced down at the enraged gnolls, muttering through ched teeth:

  "You won't catch me!"

  Just then, the tree shook violently. The massive trunk began to tilt, slowly colpsing.

  Seeing the snarling gnolls drawing closer, Hall prepared to lift his dagger to his throat for a quid.

  Whoosh!

  A sharp sound pierced the air, apanied by a shrill screech. Hall instinctively looked up just in time to see a twisted ray of energy sm into his chest.

  "What the—"

  Boom! The thick trunk crashed to the ground, snapping delicate branches instantly.

  The gnolls swarmed in, but to their fusion, Hall was o be found.

  Yet, they could still smell him—he was nearby!

  Meanwhile, Yaya silently circled overhead, sneaking back to her previous position.

  firming that his "capable" subordinate Hall was safe for now, Matthew quickly made up his mind and turo Ange:

  "A rge number of gnolls are approag. Have the soldiers retreat to the lumberyard. We'll fortify our defehere."

  "We o gather all our forces..."

  As he spoke, Matthew took out a unication scroll, briefly expihe situation, and then tore it open, releasing the spell.

  Any spell scroll wasn’t cheap.

  Although unication was only a 1st-circle spell, its plex spell model made it rare as a scroll, and this one had atthew 100 gold s.

  But with the urgency of the situation, Matthew would have gdly spent 1,000 gold if necessary.

  However, as the azure glow of the spell faded, a thought suddenly crossed Matthew's mind:

  "Wait, I don’t think the Are unicator has been ied yet!"

  Matthew vividly remembered that the magical "Are Phone," called the Are unicator, was inally created by a pyer and an arist.

  That arist quickly amassed a fortuhrough the product, ter being a grand arist!

  tless pyers, spellcasters, and adventurers alike couldn’t resist buying these incredibly ve devices.

  That grand arist had earhe niame "Master of unication" from many pyers!

  Matthew, too, had produced and sold Are unicators told s and was quite familiar with their produ process and updates.

  "Looks like I should jot down the information and teiques in my head. They might e in handy someday..."

  The soldiers, without hesitation, quickly formed ranks and begareating back toward the lumberyard.

  The retly subdued kobolds were initially fused,

  But uhe urging and whipping of the stronger kobolds, they quickly fell in line.

  They obediently abaheir junk and gathered up the kobold eggs Matthew had instructed them to carry, retreating together.

  However, the gnolls were fast. Upon notig the retreat, they howled and chased after them.

  What greeted them were fireballs, flying from the dark ers!

  Boom!

  The first dozen gnolls at the front were instantly charred, and the shockwave threw their ranks into disarray.

  "Ding, you killed a level 3 gnoll warrior and gained 30 experience points!"

  "Ding, you killed a level 2 gnoll warrior and gained 20 experience points and 1 skill point."

  "Ding, you killed..."

  "..."

  The flurry of kill notifications underscored the devastating power of the fireball spell.

  "230 mana points left..."

  Calg in his mind, Matthew g the scrambling gnolls, then swiftly mounted his horse and tinued retreating.

  Close by, Old Vilge Chief Field turned, nocked an arrow, and drew his bow.

  With a "twang," the b vibrated, and a gnoll hunter on the right fnk crumpled to the ground with an arrow through its chest.

  Ign the kill notifications, Matthew took up a position at the ambush point with the prote of Goldtooth, Silvertail, and Old John, waiting for the gnoll pursuers.

  Yaya circled above, with Matthew ensuring she didn’t engage—she only o provide vision.

  Angered by the ambush, the gnolls relentlessly pursued Old Chief Field’s st!

  If they had a ahey wouldn’t have been so reckless and crude.

  But with most of their leaders and chieftains goheir rage took over, redug them to mindless, savage beasts.

  Mier.

  Another fireball exploded among the gnolls. The shattering of rades’ bodies and the ensuing screams

  Brought some momentary crity to the mad gnolls. They slowed down, spreading out to avoid being wiped out by a siack.

  Matthew seemed to anticipate their move.

  Old Chief Field, hidden well, suddenly emerged, tauntingly nog another arrow and killing an injured gnoll warrior.

  Roars of fury echoed through the gnoll ranks.

  Their already bloodshot eyes grew even redder, and they charged after Field with wild abandon.

  As Field "fled" in panic, he alternated between feigning being ered and shooting back at the gnolls, holding their attention.

  Just as the gnoll hunters were about to catch up to Field,

  Another bzing fireball erupted in their midst!

  This time, it was Silvertail, his mana replenished, who had struck.

  Though he hadn’t triggered multiple spell casts, the unprepared gnolls in their trated formation were easily wiped out, with over 20 falling i.

  The mana ed by the fireball was quickly replenished!

  After successive fireball attacks, even the de gnolls finally got cautious.

  They scattered, unwilling to cluster together again, drastically redug their immediate threat.

  Though a few gnoll hunters mao close in on Field, they quickly fell to his arrows.

  Yet the relentless and tenacious gnolls didn’t halt their pursuit despite the deaths of their rades.

  Their howls e reverberated through the air, as they relentlessly drained Field’s mount’s stamina.

  Faster gnoll assassins had begun closing in from the fnks, ready to plete their encirclement of Field.

  all this, Matthew couldn’t help but admire the gnolls’ ing and tactics.

  Gnolls had clearly earheir p this dangerous world, dispyiain strengths worthy nition.

  But Matthew had no use for these ibalistic creatures!

  Up ahead, the lumberyard came into view!

  FAL