"The Eightfold Ancient Array?" Kael narrowed his eyes, studying the strange formation in the valley with a mix of awe and concern. He turned to Jett with a frown.
The wandering bandits had arranged themselves in an intricate pattern across the valley, dividing into eight distinct yet interlocking sections. Far more sophisticated than ordinary magic formations, it was a terrifying sight.
Kael could immediately tell this was no ordinary battle formation. Within it, the bandits' strength surged exponentially, allowing them to fight with the ferocity of ten men.
Five ordinary bandits working together could barely hold their own against a peak sixth-rank expert. Ten bandits coordinating could rival a seventh-rank powerhouse.
This formation amplified the wandering bandits' combat prowess to an absurd degree. Kael's brow furrowed tightly—in the blink of an eye, the bandits had effectively gained the equivalent of a hundred peak seventh-rank fighters. No wonder they were so brazen. A force like that was undeniably formidable.
Jett nodded, his expression growing graver. "The Eightfold Ancient Array... I've only heard rumors of it before. There were whispers that the wandering bandits' leader had mastered it, but I dismissed them as tall tales. Yet here it is..."
Amelia interjected softly, "The Eightfold Ancient Array was a grand formation devised during the Undead Cataclysm three thousand years ago. Eight legendary Archmages, known as the Eight Kings, joined forces to create it. When unleashed, it devastated the undead legions. Legends say it could tear the sky asunder and shift the stars themselves..."
Kael was taken aback. He hadn't known such history, but Amelia seemed well-versed in these secrets.
A formation crafted by eight legendary Archmages? No wonder its power was extraordinary. Combined, their strength might truly have dimmed the heavens...
Though the bandits' version was a pale shadow of the original, it was still a force to be reckoned with.
"So I underestimated the Lone Wolf after all," Kael mused. "Their leader actually knows the Eightfold Ancient Array..." His curiosity about the bandit chief grew. Not only was the Lone Wolfshrouded in mystery, but he also possessed knowledge of such an arcane formation.
If only he could be recruited...
Kael's eyes flickered with calculation as he pondered.
...
With the activation of the Eightfold Ancient Array, the bandits' aura transformed entirely. Each of them seemed to surge with newfound power. The Alpha family's caravan, already struggling against the bandits' frenzied assault, now stood no chance.
Led by the long-legged beauty Amanda, the bandits charged like a thunderous tidal wave, their momentum unstoppable. The caravan's defenses crumbled instantly.
The Alpha family had over twenty seventh-rank experts as guards—a formidable force under normal circumstances. But now, they seemed pitifully weak.
Like rain battering withered lotus leaves, the Alpha family's guards were swiftly overwhelmed. As the first man fell, panic spread through the caravan.
"Retreat! Escort the cargo out! Everyone, protect the breakthrough!" The Alpha family's leader barked, rallying the remaining forces around him. These were the family's elite—deadly loyalists guarding the shipment at all costs. Clearly, the cargo was of immense importance.
The Alpha family's elites fought with unyielding resolve. Though no match for the wandering bandits, their desperate resistance briefly held the line, preventing the bandits from advancing further.
Amid the stalemate, the masked man in black sneered. He raised his long blade, and in unison, every bandit's gaze snapped toward him. As if receiving an invisible command, they shifted formation with drilled precision.
The array morphed seamlessly into an impregnable defensive formation. A thousand bandits moved as one, encircling the valley like an iron wall, leaving the Alpha caravan no room to escape.
"Impressive. Truly worthy of the Eightfold Ancient Array," Jett murmured, awestruck. "The Lone Wolf must have mastered it—to adapt so fluidly..." Despite his own years of military experience, he couldn't help but feel outclassed.
Kael's pupils contracted.
It was time.
"Everyone, get ready," Kael commanded decisively.
"Lord Count, so soon? The wandering bandits are at their strongest right now. Shouldn't we wait until they and the caravan have weakened each other...?" Jett asked, puzzled. In his view, the strength of Lefay Territory was still lacking. While they had powerhouses like Kael and Ella, the rest of the garrison was far too weak.
Only by letting the bandits and the caravan exhaust each other could they minimize their own losses. Otherwise, this battle might drain Lefay Territory of its remaining resources.
"Relax. Our Lefay City garrison won't be involved. The others will proceed as planned," Kael said with a faint smile.
"What?" Jett was even more confused. Of course, he didn't understand—because from the start, Kael had never intended to deploy the Lefay garrison. Their mobilization had merely been a ruse to mislead everyone. Besides, even if the entire garrison were sent, they wouldn't be enough to fill the bandits' teeth.
"Follow my orders." Kael had no time to explain. His tone was calm but left no room for debate. Jett gritted his teeth and finally nodded in compliance.
"Move!"
Kael's gaze locked onto the Lone Wolf. Chanting an incantation, his body flickered—vanishing from sight and reappearing at the base of the valley in an instant. Without pause, he recited another spell, "Levitation Flight," and his form became weightless, soaring through the air before diving down like a raptor.
In the blink of an eye, he was above the valley.
"Someone's coming!"
"Intruders!"
The bandits, ever vigilant, reacted immediately—especially the long-legged deputy leader Amanda. Her sharp eyes had been scanning the surroundings, and she was the first to detect Kael's presence.
"Damn it, someone's here!" Amanda's warning snapped everyone to attention. All eyes turned skyward, spotting Kael descending from above. Many pupils constricted in shock.
Flying through the air... Could he be a tenth-rank powerhouse?
After all, only legendary tenth-rank experts were said to possess the ability to soar freely!
Kael's dramatic entrance had stunned the crowd. A tenth-rank expert—that was Saint-level, a realm where both mages and warriors stood among the continent's mightiest. If this man truly was at that level, he could single-handedly annihilate the entire bandit force!
"Stay calm. He's not tenth-rank. This is the lord of Lefay Territory!" The Lone Wolf's gaze sharpened like a blade, coldly assessing Kael. As the bandit leader, he made it his business to know everything about key figures—especially those ruling Lefay City. And this man was its governor.
In a way, Kael and the Lone Wolf had been destined to clash from the very beginning.
"Sharp eyes, Chief," Kael replied with a faint smile.
The moment Kael appeared, the Lone Wolf had subtly signaled his men. The Eightfold Ancient Array shifted again, its formation tightening like a noose meant to trap Kael.
"Bold of you, Governor. Last time, you killed my deputy and crippled my elite forces. Yet you dare come alone into this valley..." The Lone Wolf scoffed, his voice dripping with frost as he locked onto Kael.
Kael shrugged. "Oh, I'm not alone." His smile widened as his contract space suddenly ruptured open, spatial energy rippling violently. In an instant, a stampede of Unicorn Rhinos charged forth, flooding the valley!
Within seconds, over a hundred massive beasts had encircled the area.
Each Unicorn Rhino radiated an aura of at least eighth-rank—oppressive, towering, and terrifying. Their sheer presence sent waves of panic through the crowd.
"Heh heh heh... Finally, our turn!" the rhinos rumbled, their voices thick with glee.
Their leader, Alaric, locked his gaze onto the bandits and boomed: "I, the great Alaric, declare you all my prisoners!"
"We are the Lefay Territory's First Elite Legion—the Tank Legion!" The rhinos blinked and grinned in unison, roaring their self-proclaimed title.
Kael facepalmed internally. Tank Legion? More like the Gluttony Legion...