BXBX NOVEL Chapter 61: Conquest { XXI }
It wasn\'t the darkest hour of the night yet, as the moon hung up in the sky and provided the earth with its crescent glow as usual.
Unfortunately, as the sky turned dark, so did the expressions of Winterseed\'s soldiers, as fear quickly gripped their hearts.
Roland and a group of one hundred young soldiers moved cautiously through the forest. Unlike the clear path cutting through to Glenwood, the path inside the forest was rough, filled with vines and thorns that made moving difficult.
Rowan held his sword and chopped down as much vine as he could while the young soldiers walked behind him. He couldn\'t help but notice their slowed movements. They had all become inactive, unlike their active selves in the daytime. They no longer chatted amongst themselves, afraid of drawing the attention of monsters.
Roland turned to look at the soldiers behind him, who were shivering in fear as they took cautious steps forward.
"Walk faster, all of you. You\'re soldiers. Fear is a natural reaction, but you\'re not its bitch! Get a hold over fear and make it your bitch. Only then will you become great soldiers!" He tried to motivate them.
The soldiers nodded their heads, but the fear in their minds remained. They kept thinking of the negative possibilities while neglecting all the positives--this was the work of fear. Their minds only considered the negatives, like: Will a monster attack? What if we get attacked by hobgoblins? What if a group of ratax attacks like the other day? Will they be able to survive?
With these negative thoughts running through their minds, they gradually forgot about the freedom and victory awaiting them.
Roland could only sigh and continue forward, swinging his sword to clear off the bushes blocking his path while also creating one for the others.
Roland was currently leading the first hundred men in front as they took the left side of the forest. Far behind him and his men, Bruce could be seen leading fifty soldiers.
On the right side, Bryce and Josh led one group of fifty soldiers.
The formation inside the forest was pretty simple. The first group in front had the job of scouting and informing the others of the presence of Glenwood soldiers. Once the Glenwood soldiers arrived, they would send a signal to the group behind them and also to Rowan\'s group.
This was a formation they hadn\'t experienced before, so it was kind of new. Nevertheless, they trusted in the wisdom of their Lord Rowan.
In the clear and wide path, Rowan led his one hundred men. Riding beside him were Ren and Liara. Since he couldn\'t send them to Winterseed alone, he decided to bring them to war.
When he made the suggestion, he expected Liara to refuse, but shockingly, she agreed. In fact, she was joyous about experiencing the war, excited to see the expressions on the faces of the people who tormented her after losing to Rowan.
As Rowan rode forward, his eyes were fixed in front. Thanks to his night vision, he was able to see clearly in the dark. This alone was a major advantage on his side.
Nevertheless, the current skill rank wasn\'t good enough, as it could only cover a short distance, so Rowan decided to upgrade it.
He called out his system and began upgrading the skill, spending five hundred thousand evolution points in the process.
[Skill (FF-rank Night Vision) has been upgraded to (B-rank Night Vision) | A new effect has been added.]
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Night Vision (B): Passive Skill granting clear daylight vision at night.
- Effect: Attack perception +50%.
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Rowan couldn\'t help but smile, seeing the new effect of the skill. He didn\'t waste time and immediately tested the improvement in his night vision, and the result was amazing. The distance he could see clearly had increased, and his vision became as clear as though it were still the bright hours of the morning.
With the improved effect of the skill, his advantage grew.
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Several hours passed, and their journey continued. It was already the mid and darkest hours of the night. The sound of owls and other nocturnal creatures could be heard across the forest.
Aside from the sounds of the nocturnal creatures, the forest was mostly quiet during these hours, except for the current sounds of soldiers marching.
Rowan\'s eyes squinted as he heard the noise of the Glenwood army arriving.
\'It is about to begin,\' Rowan thought with a sigh.
He turned to his back and gave a nod to his soldiers, causing them to halt in their steps.
Immediately as they halted, the sound of the Glenwood soldiers approaching became even louder. The chattering of the soldiers, the neighs and galloping of the numerous horses all became clearer at that moment.
However, they still hadn\'t seen each other because of the curve in the path ahead, which blocked their view.
After a few minutes, the fiery glows from the torches began to illuminate the curved path, signifying the closeness of the Glenwood army.
The soldiers\' hands clenched tightly around their swords, their eyes brightened with battle readiness, and their minds sharpened!
Liara and Ren tightened their grips on their horses\' reins. The battle they had been anticipating was about to begin. In this battle, the victor and the loser would be decided, the conqueror and the conquered would emerge, and the dynamics of the two villages would drastically change, no matter the outcome.
Rowan turned to his left. With his improved night vision, he could see Bruce and his soldiers moving forward and taking formation.
He turned to his right and saw that Bryce and Josh had already taken their positions as well.
A smirk crept onto his face, and he returned his gaze to the front.
The Glenwood army was now appearing out of the curved path blocking them, the soldiers riding in front held torches that lit up their paths. Riding among the soldiers was a fatso whom Rowan recognized simply with his size.
As Glenwood soldiers stepped out more, they came to a halt as they set eyes on the small army standing on their path, shocked expressions appearing on their faces.