The villain's journey from the Type-Moon world

"No, W, you may need to prepare to go out again later." However, it was not Wang Chong who answered W, but Hedley.

"Hedley, while W is resting, lend him that book and read it carefully. Don't just read it by yourself for so long. It's for all of you to learn and comprehend. It's not just for you." Wang Chong said this calmly, then led Faust up the mountain, leaving Hedley and W to spend a short time together.

"What the hell is going on?" After seeing Wang Chong leave, W seemed to finally no longer have to suppress himself. He kicked the stone next to him with his shoes to vent his unhappiness.

"You'll understand after reading what's in here. I'll continue directing the battle so they can withdraw to their defense line." Hedley took out the book, turned to the corresponding page and handed it to W.

W held the book, but couldn't see clearly in the darkness. So he quickly ran to a ravine on the defensive line and, using the dim light of a miner's lamp, carefully read the book. At first, he frowned, but after reading it, he suddenly understood.

"So that's how it is. The attack on the camp was fake, but the harassment was real. No wonder he said that as long as the other party followed his actions, they would be led by the nose. I'm afraid these people won't have a good rest tonight." W couldn't help but think to himself.

"What a brilliant strategy! While the enemy is stationed, we're harassing them, constantly wearing down their morale. While there may not be noticeable results in the short term, over time, it will undoubtedly wreak psychological havoc on them. Ultimately, it will subtly weaken their combat effectiveness, leading to their collapse." W couldn't help but marvel at the insightfulness of this strategy, but then his expression soured. "But it's such a simple principle, can't you just state it directly? Why are you beating around the bush and asking me to come over and read a book?"

Despite saying so, W somehow opened the book and flipped through the tactics inside. He was particularly interested in the ideas for deploying explosives, the psychological warfare tactics, and the specific methods required to trigger explosions.

Chapter 178: Scheming

After reading for a while, W seemed to understand why Hedley had been so obsessed with this book. For a mercenary group like theirs, which had come from independent backgrounds, this book was a divine book that summarized experience, standardized their methods, and provided an educational foundation. It was a book that could systematically impart experience and cultivate generations of outstanding warriors. In the war-torn land of Kazdel, this book would undoubtedly be the foundation for a mercenary group's strong foothold.

"Did he come up with this?... Is this the background of the new Demon King's successor? No... I haven't even confirmed it yet, how can you be sure that he is His Highness's successor?" W's thoughts inevitably became a little confused.

At this moment, there was a slight noise coming from the front. It was Hedley returning with the Sarkaz mercenaries. W saw this and waved to Hedley, asking, "How are things? Didn't those Ursus bear cubs come over?"

"Well, it seems that the commander of the Ursus Legion this time is a cautious man. He did not act rashly." Hedley nodded.

"I see... Looks like we still have work to do tonight. But if we want to continue to infiltrate and bomb the camp, it will be difficult, right? I'm afraid that the forest is full of bear cubs coming and going, and they have used Originium skills for early warning in various places. I'm afraid that even with Faust's invisibility, we can't avoid them. It's not so easy to avoid their patrols and get close to the camp." W said.

"Who said we have to get close to the main camp before we can harass all of them?" However, at this time, a voice sounded from behind W, and Wang Chong once again brought Faust to the front of the defense line.

"They're not moving near the main camp? Why is that?" W asked in confusion.

"Because I have almost figured out the thoughts of the current commander of the Ursus Legion, Ulrich." Wang Chong said with a smile.

……

Meanwhile, in the Ursus Legion's main camp, Ulrich, having recently heard the report, finally gave the order for the soldiers to return to their defensive positions. The soldiers who had pursued the enemy also began to return to the camp one after another.

At this moment, Ulrich frowned and drummed his fingers on the table, as if he was stuck in some thought and couldn't get out of it.

"...Although those three thieves escaped. But that patriot didn't seem to rush over, and we have spent the night safely. General, is there anything else you are worried about?" A commander couldn't help but ask.

"I was wondering why the Patriot didn't come. Why did he choose to give up..." Ulrich said in a deep voice.

"This... isn't this exactly what the general expected? Since you controlled the number of people, that person saw that the plan of luring the troops failed and was too risky, so he didn't continue to attack." The commander asked in confusion.

"No... The number of people I control is actually very delicate. Although the number of people going out is a little smaller, the risk is very high. But for the patriotic captain who created miracles, it is not to the extent that he cannot take a risk! I am actually more inclined to believe that he will choose to rush over at this time." Ulrich said.

"Wait... General, did you hope that the Patriots would rush over? But wouldn't that be too risky? We may not be able to defeat them." The commander asked involuntarily.

"Haha, he wants a decisive battle. I also want to resolve this matter quickly. The only person the entire Reunion Movement needs to worry about is this captain. The others are just chickens and dogs, and will surely die under the iron torrent of Ursus." Ulrich sneered, then continued to explain:

"Besides, I never fight such risky battles. On paper, I did send one-fifth of my troops in pursuit, but in reality, most of those soldiers were simply equipped vanguards and accompanying crossbowmen. Some were mages who had just arrived to provide support, as well as Colonel Nicholas's troops who had suffered a previous defeat. Apart from these, the remaining troops were not only elite, but also had a higher degree of coordination and organization. This allowed them to exert greater combat effectiveness."

"Thus, while the number of troops stationed at our camp may seem reduced, our overall combat effectiveness has actually improved significantly. Everyone, do you still think we can't defeat the Patriots?" Ulrich asked. "And the reason I'm frowning is because I don't understand why the Patriots haven't attacked."

After hearing Ulrich's explanation, everyone suddenly understood. They hadn't expected Ulrich to set up a trap, waiting for the Patriot to fall into it. And now that the Patriot hadn't arrived, it was clear that Ulrich's plan for a quick victory had failed. It was no wonder Ulrich was frowning in thought.

"General, could it be that the patriots have sensed something wrong? Think about it, the commander-in-chief originally announced to the outside world was Oleg, and the enemy's strategy was based on Oleg's character. But now we have not fallen into the trap, but have deliberately controlled the number of people. It is very likely that the patriots have sensed something wrong, and even realized that it is not Oleg who is in control of the Ursus Legion now, so they did not act rashly?" Another commander expressed his opinion.

"No, do you think I haven't considered this possibility? Even if he senses something's wrong, this is the only way to break the deadlock. Judging from the Patriot's past deeds, he's just like that, someone who dares to take risks and reverse the tide of battle with absolute force. He's always been like that. There's no way he wouldn't let it go... unless..." Ulrich's eyes narrowed, and he said, "What you just said reminds me of another possibility. It's the same on the other side... The true commander isn't the Patriot, but someone else."

"Not a patriot?" When these words came out, the other commanders were all shocked.

"That's true... This kind of strategy of luring the enemy and attacking their minds is not like the style of a patriot. Humph, if he really wanted to do that, how could he not protect his family back then... It seems that this group of bandits has another master." Ulrich snorted coldly and said.

"General, since we haven't been able to trick the patriots right now, we can just continue to fight on the battlefield tomorrow to see who's the real deal. Besides, this test wasn't completely fruitless, was it? At least we got some information about the enemy," said the commander.

"Indeed. But we can't let our guard down tonight. Since the guy who controls this gang of bandits is a scheming man, there's no guarantee they won't attack again tonight," Ulrich said. "Perhaps they'll adjust based on the current situation, thinking they failed this time and convinced our army they won't have another surprise attack tonight. Then, after we're all asleep, we can have the Patriots launch a surprise attack, catching us off guard."

"Therefore, those on duty tonight need to make some adjustments. Since everyone is awake, let more people prepare for defense, and the rest continue to rest. Then let the people on the front line pay attention. Once the battle breaks out, especially if the patriots are seen, be sure to notify the entire army immediately. Let everyone prepare for the surprise attack as quickly as possible!" Ulrich gave the order.

"Yes!"

……

"Mr. Wang Chong, are you saying that...that Ursus General Ulrich will firmly believe that Mr. Patriot is about to launch an attack, and even make some plans for it? And once he finds out that he hasn't fallen into the trap, he will know that the Reunion Movement is led by a calculating person, and it is very likely that the Patriot will launch another attack while they are letting their guard down. So they will be in a state of complete vigilance at all times. If there is any disturbance on our side, they will immediately prepare for battle." Hedley asked.

"Indeed, he only sent a limited number of infantry and crossbowmen to pursue us, and some of them looked familiar to me, namely the Ursus soldiers who escaped during the previous encirclement and suppression campaign. I knew this guy must have fallen for my trick. Ha, he must have thought that they hadn't established their footing, and tonight's surprise attack would be the only chance to break the deadlock. After all, these Ursus generals must have a deep understanding of Mr. Patriot's combat methods." Wang Chong replied with a smile.

"And, I guarantee... he'll do as I planned and be constantly on guard for a Patriot raid tonight. Haha, isn't that saving me some effort? This way, disrupting them will be effortless. As long as I pretend to be a Patriot and lead you in a fake charge, they'll be eager to report back, and then I'll be able to disrupt their sleep effortlessly."

After hearing Wang Chong's explanation, everyone present was shocked. If Ulrich had heard it himself, he would have been utterly horrified. Wang Chong had understood Ulrich's thoughts like a worm in his stomach; he knew them all.

"Is there really such a thing as the ability to see through people's hearts? Oh no... I think there really is. But that only works when we're face to face... This guy is truly terrifying. He's already figured out other people's thoughts without even meeting them face to face. If we were face to face, wouldn't it be... Could he have completely grasped my thoughts as well?"

W couldn't help but wonder, and when she looked at Wang Chong, he happened to be looking in her direction with a smile, as if he could really see through her inner thoughts. This made W shudder.

Chapter 179 Playing

Time slowly slipped into the latter half of the night. The Ursus soldiers, awakened by the sudden attack on their camp, fell back into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, at the Ursus defense line at the edge of the forest, the soldiers tasked with keeping an eye on the hillside yawned. The latter half of the night was often the most tiring time, hence the need for rotating guard duty.

"Damn it... I just expended so much energy chasing those people. Now... I'm yawning... I feel like I'm going to fall asleep if I sit down for a moment." A soldier forced himself to stand and paced back and forth, trying to stay awake and avoid falling asleep.

"After you get through this period, you'll be able to wake up for a while." An experienced veteran patted the young soldier's back vigorously, making him shiver and his sleepiness dissipated a little.

"I hope to get rid of the bandits here as soon as possible. I also want to get gilded so that I can show off to those noble ladies when I return. Maybe I can get the appreciation of one of them and have a big boss in this life. Hehehe." Another Ursus soldier arrived with a wretched look on his face, fantasizing about turning his life around.

"Hehe, it's not time to rest yet, and you've already started having your erotic dreams. First, protect your head on your neck, or you won't get chopped off by the bandits when you fight with them." The soldier who had just yawned rolled his eyes at the other and said.

"(Ursus vulgar language), you keep saying things that spoil the fun. I think you are itching for a beating first." The soldier who was dreaming of a beautiful fantasy shouted angrily.

"Quiet down, both of you! Get down!" But at this moment, the older veteran who was in charge of leading the two soldiers suddenly kicked them to the ground one by one.

"Old Kangtou, what are you doing..."

"call out--"

The two soldiers were about to shout when they suddenly heard the sharp sound of arrows flying past their heads. If they had not been kicked down into the dug tunnel by the veteran, they would have died.

"This! What's going on?" the two said in horror.

"I just felt the ground shaking. It must be the bandits rushing down from the mountain. They might want to break through our defense line." The veteran judged so.

It wasn't just their own defense line; other locations also sensed something was amiss and were attacked by crossbows. Meanwhile, some of the defense lines risked their lives to check the situation on the mountain. Sure enough, they spotted the Sarkaz army charging down the mountain.

"Wait...that's it!" At this moment, a scout with good eyesight saw that behind the legion, there was a tall and burly shadow following the Sarkaz Legion at a very fast speed, charging towards this side.

Looking at its burly figure and then at the shadow shape that resembled a deer's antlers, the scout's mind instantly matched the portrait that he had been specifically reminded of before with the shadow shape in front of him.

"Oh no! It's the Patriots! The Patriots are really charging—ugh!" The scout hadn't finished his words when an arrow pierced his throat and he fell to the ground. However, the very words, cut short by death, only served to further prove their truth.

The Ursus soldiers on the front immediately spread the news. The commander of the defense immediately followed General Ulrich's instructions and ordered the heavily armored shield guards to construct a defensive line capable of delaying the enemy's advance. They then immediately reported the news to the main camp.

Inside the camp, news of the Patriots' attack instantly spread throughout the camp. Everyone immediately jumped out of their beds and assembled as quickly as possible. After all, this was General Ulrich's first order, and no one dared to neglect it.

Because of this, Ulrich immediately took command of the command room again, methodically deploying personnel and preparing for a tough battle. "General, you're indeed foresighted. That man, thinking we'd let our guard down, attacked again in the middle of the night! Now we're ready, we'll make sure he doesn't return!" a commander remarked.

"Don't let your guard down. Even if we are sure of victory, we can't ruin the good situation because of momentary pride and carelessness. Also, let the people on the front line hold out for a while and then pretend that they can't resist, leaving a gap for them to rush in." Ulrich said.

"Haha, General, this is giving them some hope. Only in this way can they completely advance alone and become trapped. Then they will be completely trapped." The commander immediately understood Ulrich's meaning and immediately conveyed the order to the front line.

Just when all the Ursus commanders present thought that capturing the patriot was a sure thing this time, they did not know that the battle situation on the front line had already completely stunned those Ursus soldiers.

At the front line of the northwest battlefield, when the Sarkaz mercenaries were about to rush down the hillside and onto the plains, ready to attack the heavily armored soldiers slowly emerging from the forest with large shields raised, they suddenly stopped in their tracks. The people in front also held their shields, as if waiting for something.

At this time, the huge deer-headed shadow was still moving forward, but the Sarkaz in front of it began to retreat to the sides on their own, making way for the huge deer-headed shadow. The huge deer-headed shadow came right in front of all the Sarkaz and continued to move forward.

A man's reputation is like a tree's shadow. The Patriot's presence directly placed immense pressure on these heavily armored soldiers. Even as they slowly approached, they could already feel the pressure gripping their necks. Just as the enemy drew closer and closer, the pressure on everyone was mounting, and just as they were about to reach their limit, a discordant voice suddenly rang out: "Huh? Why is it wood?"

Wood? Everyone was stunned when they heard the word. At this moment, because the shadow of the deer head had come close enough, even in the dim night, they could already see its full appearance clearly.

A wooden figure, made from various wooden planks, resembling a human body with a deer's head and holding a shield, appeared before them. There was no trace of a patriot in the figure; it was clearly a fake, deliberately designed to deceive the public under the cover of night.

All the Ursus soldiers were stunned, and then they heard a lot of laughing voices coming from the opposite mountain.

"Hahahaha... Look at them! Just by pushing out a mannequin made of wood, they've been frightened into such a state. These cowardly Ursus people have the nerve to attack us? Go home and drink milk! Hahahahaha!"

"Hahahaha! Look at these idiots. They were scared to death by a broken wooden man! They're probably worse than their own women!"

"This is the elite force that Ursus is so proud of? I think they are just urine bags! They are afraid of even a wooden sculpture, they might as well go back to suckling milk!"

It was seen that the Sarkaz Legion had already taken advantage of the time when the attention of these Ursus soldiers was distracted and had already retreated secretly. Now they had opened up a distance where the enemy could launch long-range fire attacks, so there was no need to worry about these Ursus soldiers becoming angry and attacking after being scolded.

Faced with the insults from the Sarkaz mercenaries, the Ursus soldiers could only clench their weapons, their faces flushed, but they could do nothing. Their superiors had just reported the situation to headquarters, and without receiving orders from headquarters, they could not act rashly.

Those insults were truly damning. With their tempers, the Ursus naturally wouldn't indulge the Sarkaz. Since they couldn't fight, they simply resorted to verbal abuse. Suddenly, a war that was about to begin turned into a farcical scene of a shrew swearing in the street.

"What did you say! The person who came here is not a patriot at all! He's a fake?!"

Inside the camp, Ulrich, having just learned the news from the front, was filled with disbelief. He had thought he had already guessed the enemy's plan, but now the sudden news was like a slap in the face, a resounding blow.

"Yes... yes, General. It was a fake one made of wood. Because the light was dim and the enemy was coming at us aggressively, we made a wrong judgment." The soldier who delivered the information said tremblingly, fearing that the general's anger would be vented on him.

"Fake... How could it be fake?" However, Ulrich was clearly not a tyrannical man like Colonel Nikolai. He simply sat back down, slammed his fist on the table, and began to brood.

For a moment, all the commanders present dared not say anything, fearing that their inappropriate remarks might incur Ulrich's displeasure. However, time waited for no one, and the front lines were still awaiting orders. Unable to understand the reason, Ulrich could only temporarily instruct all soldiers to remain in place.

Chapter 180: Inès, have you really betrayed me?

"What... is going on? Shouldn't the attack be at night? Could it be that the other party is doing this just to slap us... to slap us in the face?" A commander couldn't help but glance at Ulrich, then changed his words.

"Impossible? We went to such great lengths, raiding the camp and charging again in the second half of the night, but in the end, apart from the trouble, our army didn't suffer much loss the whole night. We were simply fooled by them. But doing this will only make our soldiers more angry, and our morale will be even higher when the battle starts in the morning. It's a complete thankless task." Another commander asked doubtfully.

"If you ask me, I'm afraid we're overestimating these bandits. They just want to humiliate us and make us unable to sleep well." A commander with a simpler mind cursed directly.

"Look down on us? Do you think those who were able to defeat Nicholas's legion with a smaller force would do something that has no benefit and is only intended to disturb our sleep?" another commander scolded.

"Enough, stop it all. What's the point of arguing here!" Ulrich gave an order, and the commanders who still wanted to argue all fell silent.

"I can't guess what the enemy's plan is for now. But one thing is certain: the soldiers are exhausted after this night's ordeal. No matter how high their morale is due to anger, once that spirit fades, they will be left with immense fatigue. This will undoubtedly become a hidden danger during daytime battles. This may be one of their goals, to create a loophole for our army."

Ulrich said in a deep voice, "You know, the rotation of the front lines requires strict discipline and a high degree of organization. If you lack concentration, the switching process will inevitably lead to mistakes, revealing fatal flaws. It seems that the battle during the day will not be so easy."

"Did the other party guess that we would use such means to deal with them? So they did this tonight? Is the purpose to break our method of fighting in rotations?" the commander asked doubtfully.

"Oh, so what if it's broken? Even if they find a flaw, the loss will only be one or two thousand men." Ulrich said coldly, "That's why I said this is just one of the purposes. They must have some other tricks up their sleeves that we don't know about. It's a pity that this is all we can do tonight. Daybreak is almost here. Let's see if we can let the soldiers rest well and prepare for tomorrow's attack on the mountain!"

"Report--" At this time, the soldier who delivered the message came again.

"What happened again? What new moves did those bandits make?" Ulrich frowned. Could it be that the other party's back-up plan came so soon?

"No... no, it's because those Sarkaz used wooden planks to deceive the soldiers on the front line and insulted us. Some soldiers were furious, and seeing that the Sarkaz had gradually retreated to their defensive positions on the mountain, unable to attack them, they bravely took the wooden planks and demolished them, trampling on them to vent their anger... But... they never expected that the wooden planks had been tampered with for some reason. After many people surrounded them, they suddenly exploded, killing more than a dozen people and injuring more than a dozen to varying degrees..."

The soldier who delivered the message didn't dare to say anything more because he found that Ulrich's face had turned completely dark.

"A bunch of idiots!" Ulrich cursed. "I gave the order to hold still. Who allowed them to rush forward and destroy the planks? Who's the commander in charge of the front line? If you can't even manage your own men, then you don't deserve this job! Get out of here! And forget about those dozen or so wounded men! Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed!"

"...Yes!" the soldier quickly relayed the order. For a moment, a gloomy atmosphere permeated the entire camp. While this clash with the Reunion Movement had inflicted no substantial losses, it had been a profound psychological humiliation. This left every soldier in the Ursus Legion secretly simmering with anger, eager to vent their anger on the bandits at dawn, to wash away the humiliation of the night.

……

"Hahaha, these idiots were so angry that they smashed the traps I set. Now they will all be blown back to see their grandmothers." W laughed out loud, admiring his own "artistic masterpiece".

"You're as awful as ever, W." A cold voice rang out, and Inès appeared before W. At this moment, Inès replaced Hedley in the management of the Sarkaz Mercenaries. She and Hedley took turns resting, Hedley in charge of the first half of the night, and she in charge of the second half.

"Hmph, so what. Ideas are constantly popping up in my mind, and I can't wait to try them out one by one. Those bear cubs are just stupidly wondering... Sniff, what's that smelly thing on you?" Suddenly, W frowned, moved his nose slightly, and said.

"......!! You...it's your illusion. Instead of worrying about these trivial things all day long, you might as well focus on killing the enemy as you just said." Inès quickly turned around, pretending to be annoyed by W's words, and left in a hurry after saying a few words.

"Hey! Where's the boss? Wasn't he with you just now? What's wrong with this guy? He's getting more and more weird." W frowned slightly. She not only smelled the smell just now, but also saw a strange hair hanging from the corner of Ines' mouth. It didn't look like Ines' own thin hair.

W wasn't completely clueless. On the contrary, she had already begun to harbor serious suspicions about Inès. Initially, she'd been mindful of Inès's reputation, waiting for her to reveal herself. But now, she felt as if Inès was enjoying it.

"Inès... have you really betrayed me completely?" W placed one hand on her hip, a cold glint in her eyes. There were things she didn't want Hedley to know. She knew very well that once Hedley knew these things, he would definitely do anything. Despite Hedley's usual cautious demeanor, W knew that once this man crossed a line and decided to do something, he would go crazy just as hard as she did.

She had originally wondered if she could find an opportunity to help Inès out of her predicament. At worst, she could take over the position herself and help the two old friends. But now it seemed... she had misjudged Inès.

"After all, you are not a Sarkaz... You have been deceiving yourself in the past, and now you are doing the same with your own feelings. You will keep deceiving yourself for the rest of your life." W kicked a stone in annoyance, but suddenly, she stopped kicking and did not put her foot down, because she noticed that the soles of her shoes were still covered with a layer of light black mist that had not dissipated.

"Heh... After all this time, I'm the same. I accept the benefits for myself but pretend not to see them." W put his feet down, put his hands in his pockets, and walked into the tunnel used for rest.

"How disgusting..." W thought.

Meanwhile, at the highest point of the defense line, Wang Chong, gazing at the forest below, couldn't help but remark, "After a busy night, it feels like it's almost done... It's time to officially kick off this."

Chapter 181 The war officially begins

"Ulrich... was known for his cautiousness. While he didn't have any particularly outstanding military achievements, and was even often defeated, he always managed to preserve the majority of his troops' manpower. His victories were often relatively insignificant, like suppressing bandits or picking off small-scale troops. As a result, many generals of equal rank and even lower rank looked down on him, believing him unworthy of his position."

At this moment, a small wisp of black air appeared on Wang Chong's shoulder, forming the shape of a black snake, and slowly told Wang Chong information about Ulrich in his ear.

"Haha, but on the contrary, there should be many higher-level guys who appreciate such talents, right?" Wang Chong said with a smile.

"Indeed, Ulrich has always had smooth sailing in politics due to his personality," Black Snake nodded. "He may not be an outstanding general, but he is a rare talent in politics, knowing how to win over and manage those in power. This is perhaps why he was chosen by the representatives of the old nobles to lead the army against the Reunion Movement this time."

"You're wrong about one thing, Black Snake. He's not only a talented politician, but also an excellent general," Wang Chong said. "There's an old saying in my hometown: 'Those who are good at fighting don't have to boast about their achievements.' Those who truly understand war will first make themselves invincible, waiting for the opportunity to defeat the enemy. They never pursue so-called miracles or bravery. They don't care about short-term victories, but only consider the overall situation. Even failure is for the sake of ultimate victory."

"Judging from the fact that he manages to preserve the vitality of his troops despite every failure... it's easy to see how good this guy is. He even uses his unique political wisdom to leave the lion's share for his superiors, while picking up the small bits and pieces for himself. While concealing his own shortcomings, he also pleases his superiors. Haha, it's no wonder that he is so valued by your old aristocratic faction in Ursus." Wang Chong said, crossing his arms.