Chapter 1073 - 511: Bait

Even though he had never slacked off, his bodily functions had deteriorated significantly compared to his youth. In truth, rather than explosive power, the real killer was a lack of sustained Physical Strength. Over a short period, the combat power he could maintain might not be inferior to young and robust Adventurers of the same tier. However, if a battle dragged on, his physical energy would be rapidly drained, eventually plummeting to an unsustainable level.

His brow relaxed at the thought, showing relief mingled with a hint of regret. Stroking the mottled city wall, Sir Ferguson spoke with deep emotion.

"When I was young, I had the honor of following the old Baron Valentine here to pioneer this land. The Baron led us in felling trees and building camps, constructing this castle brick by brick on this deserted wasteland. I never expected ninety years to pass by in a flash.

"Please allow me to express my gratitude to you on behalf of the Baron."

Gauss knew he was referring to the old Baron who had passed away many years ago.

Sir Ferguson didn’t prattle on, begging him to defend Warren Castle like the current Baron Valentine had. He knew very well that the will of a powerhouse like Gauss would not be swayed by the words of others. Gauss had only come because of a commission; to him, this was merely a job. His willingness to protect Warren Castle depended entirely on his own mood. Even if the battle turned unfavorable later on and he chose to evacuate his people to preserve their own lives, the Adventurer’s Guild and the kingdom likely wouldn’t fault him for it.

The old knight only hoped that the current Baron, Cedric Valentine, would learn from this incident that a person didn’t become noble simply because of their bloodline. He wanted the young man to start valuing the personal strength and martial training of himself and his descendants, just like the old Baron had.

Unfortunately, at least up until now, Ferguson hadn’t seen any sign of that. Just like today, the Baron had retreated back into the castle, acting like a completely hands-off boss by entrusting his responsibilities and his very life to the young man standing before him. Even if he could rely on this powerful Commander Gauss to survive this disaster, what about the future?

At this thought, the worried old gentleman sighed again. He had long seen through Cedric’s character—he was barely able to maintain his inheritance and lacked any drive to advance. As a local Lord, this personality was harmless enough in times of peace, but in this increasingly turbulent world, his fate was uncertain. Let alone a Baron, hadn’t plenty of Earls, dukes, and even royal families vanished into the ashes of history?

Dusk gradually fell.

By twilight, exactly as Gauss had calculated, the first wave of monsters arrived on the wasteland right on schedule.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

War drums sounded on the city walls, and torches were lit one by one.

"Lord Gauss has ordered! Night shift troops, prepare yourselves! First Squadron, assemble!"

"Second Squadron, assemble!"

"..."

Stationed at the South Gate, Gauss kept his eyes locked on the monsters wandering and circling the wasteland. These monsters came from the Jade Forest, sweeping up many other creatures along the way. Right now, they had set their sights on this human town—the only surviving settlement within dozens of miles.

Unlike the regular troops of the Green Dragon Army, the monsters roaming the wasteland before them were undoubtedly far less organized. Strangers to one another, they clustered around various monster bosses who possessed greater strength. They were bound together purely by profit. Like a pack of wolves prowling outside a sheepfold, they licked their lips, eager to tear down the fences and devour this delicious town. By constantly sieging territories and plundering resources, the monster army would snowball in size, eventually forming a massive, terrifying faction capable of intimidating an entire region.

"Ogres, Eagle-men, goblins, Gleystone People..." Gauss silently tallied the types of monster bosses on the wasteland, quickly sorting out the species, numbers, and other details of the troops each one led.

The monsters gnashed their teeth, desperate to conquer the town. However, to Gauss, he was the Hunter, and the monsters on the wasteland before him were the prey. Though it hadn’t been his original intention, Warren Castle out on the wasteland had become a perfect, mouth-watering bait. It would continuously lure in monsters from the two Borderlands.