A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

“No, W, you may need to be prepared to go out again later.” However, it was not Wang Chong who answered W, but Hedley instead.

"Hedley, while W is resting, lend him that book. Don't let him look at it all by himself. That book is for all of you to study and understand, not just for you." Wang Chong gave this casual instruction before leading Faust up the mountain, leaving Hedley and W with a brief moment together.

"What the hell is going on?" After Wang Chong left, W seemed to finally no longer need to suppress himself, kicking a nearby stone with his shoe to vent his displeasure.

“You’ll understand once you read this. I’ll continue directing the operation so they can retreat to their lines.” Hadley took out the book, turned to the corresponding page, and handed it to W.

W held the book, but couldn't see it clearly in the dark. So he quickly ran to a trench in the defensive line and, by the dim light of a miner's lamp inside, carefully read through the contents of the book. At first, he frowned, but after reading it, he suddenly understood.

"So that's how it is. The raid on the camp was a ruse; the real purpose was to harass it. No wonder he said that once the other side started moving, they would be being led by the nose. I'm afraid these people won't get a good night's rest," W thought to himself.

"What a brilliant strategy! Enemy encampment and our harassment tactics, constantly eroding the enemy's morale and will. The effects may not be immediately apparent, but over time it will undoubtedly inflict psychological damage on those enemy soldiers. Ultimately, it will subtly weaken their fighting capacity, causing their collapse." W couldn't help but admire the brilliance of this plan, but then his expression darkened. "But why not just state such a simple principle directly? Why go through all this trouble and make me come here to read a book?"

Despite saying that, W inexplicably opened the book and began flipping through some of the tactics inside. He became increasingly interested, especially in the strategies for planting explosives, psychological warfare tactics, and methods requiring special triggers for detonations.

Chapter 178 Cunning

After reading it for a while, W seemed to understand why Hadley was so obsessed with the book. For a self-taught mercenary group like theirs, it was practically a divine book summarizing experience, standardizing practices, and providing education. It was a book that could systematically impart experience and cultivate generation after generation of excellent warriors. In the war-torn land of Kazdel, this book would undoubtedly be the foundation upon which a mercenary group would establish itself as a powerful force.

"He orchestrated this?... Is this the foundation of the new Demon King's successor? No... I haven't even confirmed it yet, how can I be so sure he's His Highness's successor?" W's thoughts were becoming increasingly confused.

Just then, some noises came from ahead; it was Hedley returning with the Sarkaz mercenary group. Seeing this, W waved to Hedley and asked, "How is it? Those Ursus bear cubs haven't come over?"

"Hmm, it seems the commander of the Ursus Legion this time is a cautious man. He hasn't acted rashly," Hedley nodded and said.

“I see… Looks like we’ll be busy tonight. But it’ll be difficult to infiltrate and bomb the camp again. The forest is probably teeming with bear cubs right now, and they’ve deployed Originium Arts for early warning in various locations. Even Faust’s invisibility won’t be enough to avoid them. Getting past their patrols and reaching the camp won’t be easy,” W said.

"Who said we have to get close to the main camp before we can harass them all?" At this moment, a voice rang out from behind W, and Wang Chong once again brought Faust to the front of the defensive line.

"Why aren't we getting close to the main camp?" W asked, puzzled.

“Because I’ve pretty much figured out what the current commander of the Ursus Legion, Ulrich, is thinking,” Wang Chong said with a smile.

……

Meanwhile, back in the Ursus Legion's camp, Ulrich, after hearing the report, finally ordered his soldiers to return to their defensive positions. The soldiers who had gone in pursuit began returning to the camp one after another.

At that moment, Ulrich frowned and tapped his fingers on the table, seemingly lost in thought.

"...Although the three thieves escaped, the Patriot didn't seem to come over, so we've made it through the night safely. General, is there anything else you're worried about?" a commander couldn't help but ask.

“I’m pondering why 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 troops, that guy saw that the luring plan had failed and the risk was too great, so he didn't continue the attack," the commander said, puzzled.

“No… the number of people I’m controlling is actually quite delicate. Although fewer people are going out and the risk is high, it’s not a risk that Captain Patriot, who created the miracle, can’t afford to take! I’m actually more inclined to believe that he will choose to rush over at this time,” Ulrich said.

"Wait... General, did you intend for the Patriots to charge in? But wouldn't that be too risky? We might not be able to take them down," the commander couldn't help but ask.

"Heh, he wants to settle things in one battle, and I'd love to resolve this quickly too. The only person the entire Reunion Movement needs to worry about is this captain. Everyone else is just chickens and dogs, destined to die under the steel torrent of Ursus." Ulrich sneered, then continued to explain:

"Moreover, I never fight such risky battles. On the surface, I did send one-fifth of my forces to pursue them, but in reality, most of those soldiers were poorly equipped vanguards and accompanying crossbowmen, as well as some sorcerers who had just come to provide support and Colonel Nikolai's troops who had suffered a defeat before. If you remove these people, the rest are not only elite, but also more well-coordinated and organized. They can actually better exert their combat power."

"In this way, although the number of troops stationed in our camp seems to have decreased, the overall combat quality has actually improved quite a bit. Gentlemen, do you still think we can't defeat Patriots?" Ulrich said. "The reason I frowned was because I didn't understand why Patriots hadn't attacked."

After hearing Ulrich's explanation, everyone finally understood. They hadn't expected Ulrich to have deliberately set up a trap, waiting for Patriot to fall into it. Now that Patriot hadn't shown up, Ulrich's plan for a quick victory had clearly failed, which explained his furrowed brow in deep thought.

“General, could it be that Patriot has sensed something is amiss? Think about it, the publicly declared commander was Oleg, and the enemy's strategy was based on Oleg's personality. But we haven't fallen for their trap, and we've even deliberately controlled our numbers. Patriot may have sensed something is wrong, or even realized that Oleg is no longer in control of the Ursus Legion, which is why he hasn't acted rashly?” Another commander offered his opinion.

“No, do you think I haven’t considered this possibility? Even if he senses something is wrong, this is the only way to break the deadlock. Judging from Patriot’s past deeds, he’s always been like this, daring to take risks and turn the tide of battle with absolute force. He can’t possibly let him go… unless…” Ulrich’s eyes narrowed, and he said, “Your words just now reminded me that there is another possibility, that the other side is the same… that the true commander is not Patriot, but someone else.”

"Not Patriots?" Upon hearing this, the other commanders were all taken aback.

“That makes sense… Such a psychological warfare tactic is not typical of a patriot. Hmph, if he truly had such intentions, how could he have failed to protect his family back then… It seems this band of bandits has someone else in charge.” Ulrich sneered.

“General, since we haven’t managed to trick the Patriots yet, we can simply settle things on the battlefield tomorrow. Besides, this probing wasn’t entirely fruitless, was it? At least we’ve gathered some information about the enemy,” the commander said.

“Indeed. But we cannot let our guard down tonight. Since the one who controls this band of thieves is a cunning man, it’s hard to guarantee that they won’t strike again tonight,” Ulrich said. “Perhaps they will adjust their strategy based on the current situation, thinking that since they failed this time, they will make our army think that there will be no more surprise attacks tonight. Then, when we are all asleep, they will have the Patriots launch a fierce attack and catch us off guard.”

"Therefore, the shifts tonight need to be adjusted. Now that everyone is awake, have more people prepare for deployment, and the rest continue to rest. Then, have those at the front lines be alert that if an attack occurs, especially if the Patriots are spotted, they must notify the entire army immediately. Make sure everyone is ready to respond to a surprise attack as quickly as possible!" Ulrich ordered.

"Yes!"

……

"Mr. Wang Chong, do you mean... that Ursus general Ulrich would firmly believe that Mr. Patriot is going to launch an attack, and even make some plans for it? And once he realizes that he hasn't fallen for the trap, he will know that the Reunion Movement is led by a very shrewd person, and it is very likely that they will take advantage of their relaxed vigilance to launch another attack by Patriot. Therefore, they will be in a state of complete vigilance at all times, and if there is any disturbance on our side, they will be ready for battle immediately?" Hedley couldn't help but ask.

“Indeed, from the fact that he only sent a limited number of infantry and crossbowmen to pursue them, and especially since some of them looked familiar to me—the Ursus soldiers who escaped during the last siege—I knew he had fallen for my trap. Ha, he must think they haven't established a firm foothold, and tonight's surprise attack will be the only chance to break the deadlock. After all, these Ursus generals must have a deep understanding of Mr. Patriot's fighting style,” Wang Chong replied with a smile.

"Moreover, I can guarantee... he will do exactly as I expect, remaining vigilant against the Patriots' surprise attack tonight. Heh, don't you think he's saving me a lot of trouble? This way, interfering with them will be effortless for me. As long as I pretend to be a Patriot and lead you in a feigned charge, those people will be eager to bring the news back, and then I can easily disrupt their sleep."

After listening to Wang Chong's explanation, everyone present was shocked. Especially if Ulrich had heard it with his own ears, he would probably have been utterly shocked to the point of trembling. Wang Chong was like a mind reader to Ulrich, understanding his thoughts perfectly.

"Is there really such a thing as the ability to see through people's hearts? Oh wait... it seems there is. But that only works face-to-face... This guy is truly terrifying. He can already figure out other people's thoughts so well without even being face-to-face. If we were face-to-face, wouldn't... could it be that he has completely grasped some of my thoughts as well...?"

W couldn't help but think to herself, and just as she looked at Wang Chong, he happened to be looking in her direction with a slight smile, as if he truly saw through her thoughts. This sent a chill down W's spine.

Chapter 179 Playing Tricks

Time slowly passed into the latter half of the night. The Ursus soldiers, who had been awakened by the sudden attack on their camp, fell into a deep sleep once again. At the edge of the forest, at the defensive line built by Ursus, the soldiers responsible for keeping watch on the mountain were yawning. The latter half of the night is often when people are most tired, which is why they need to take turns on duty.

"Damn it... I used up so much energy chasing those guys. Now... yawn... I feel like I'll doze off as soon as I sit down." A soldier struggled to stay upright, pacing back and forth. He tried to stay awake so he wouldn't fall asleep lying down.

"Just get through this, and you'll be more alert for a while." An experienced veteran patted the young soldier hard on the back, making him shudder and dispelling some of his drowsiness.

"I hope we can get rid of these bandits soon. I want to get some prestige so I can show off to those noble ladies. Maybe I'll gain their favor and become their crony. Hehehe." Another Ursus soldier arrived, looking lewd, fantasizing about turning his life around.

"Heh, it's not time to rest yet, and you're already having your erotic daydreams. You'd better protect your head while it's still on your neck, lest you get your head chopped off when you fight the bandits." The soldier who had just yawned rolled his eyes at the other man and said.

"(Ursusian profanity), you're just spouting nonsense. I think you're itching for a beating first," the soldier who was indulging in his fantasy roared.

"You two shut up! Get down on your knees!" But at that moment, the older veteran who was in charge of leading the two young soldiers suddenly kicked them both to the ground.

"Old Kang, what are you doing...?"

"call out--"

The two soldiers were about to shout when they suddenly heard the sharp sound of arrows whistling overhead. Had they not been kicked down into the dug trench by the veteran, they would likely have been dead long ago.

"What! What's going on?" the two exclaimed in fear.

"I just felt something like the ground was shaking. It must be those bandits coming down the mountain. They're probably trying to break through our defenses," the veteran concluded.

It wasn't just their defensive line; other lines also sensed something amiss and were attacked by crossbows. Meanwhile, some lines risked their lives to investigate the situation on the mountain. Sure enough, they discovered the Sarkaz army rushing down the mountain.

"Wait...that's..." Just then, a scout with good eyesight spotted a tall, imposing figure charging towards them at great speed behind the Sarkaz legion.

Looking at its imposing figure and then at the shadow shape that resembled deer antlers, the scout instantly matched the image he had been specifically instructed to describe with the shadow shape before him.

"Oh no! It's the Patriots! The Patriots are really charging—uh!" Before the scout could finish speaking, an arrow pierced his throat, and he collapsed to the ground. However, it was precisely this abrupt end due to death that further confirmed the veracity of his words.

The Ursus soldiers at the front immediately spread the news. The commander in charge of the defense line immediately ordered the heavy shield guards to begin constructing a defensive line that could delay the enemy's advance, as General Ulrich had previously requested, and then promptly reported the news to the main camp.

News of the Patriots' attack spread like wildfire throughout the camp. Everyone awoke instantly from their beds and assembled at top speed. After all, this was General Ulrich's immediate order, and no one dared to delay in the slightest.

For this reason, Ulrich himself immediately returned to the command center and began to systematically deploy personnel, preparing for a tough battle. "The general is indeed prescient. That man really thought we had let our guard down in the middle of the night and attacked again! Now we are prepared and will make sure he doesn't return alive!" a commander said.

“We must not let our guard down. Even if we have victory in our grasp, we cannot squander this excellent situation due to momentary pride and carelessness. In addition, after letting the people at the front hold out for a while, we should pretend to be unable to resist and open an opening for them to break in,” Ulrich said.

"Hehe, General, this is giving them some hope. Only in this way can they penetrate deep into enemy territory completely alone, and then they will be completely trapped." The commander immediately understood Ulrich's meaning and immediately relayed the order to the front line.

Just when all the Ursus commanders present thought that capturing Patriot was a sure thing, they were unaware that the battle situation on the front lines had already completely dumbfounded the Ursus soldiers.

On the front lines of the northwestern battlefield, just as the Sarkaz mercenary group was about to charge down the hillside and onto the plain, preparing to attack the heavily armored soldiers with large shields slowly emerging from the forest, the Sarkaz mercenaries suddenly stopped. Those in front also held their shields, seemingly waiting for something.

Meanwhile, the enormous stag-headed shadow continued its advance, but the Sarkaz in front of it began to retreat to the sides, making way for it. The enormous stag-headed shadow thus came to a stop directly in front of all the Sarkaz and continued to move forward.

A person's name, a tree's shadow. The patriot's figure exerted immense pressure on these heavily armed soldiers; even his slow approach conveyed a choking force. Just as the enemy drew closer, and the pressure on everyone intensified, nearing their limit, a discordant voice suddenly rang out: "Huh? What's that Wood?"

Wood? When everyone heard this word, they were taken aback. At that moment, as the shadow of the deer head got close enough, even in the dim night, its entire appearance could be seen.

Before them appeared a wooden figure, pieced together from various planks, resembling a deer-headed human holding a shield. There was no trace of a patriot; it was clearly a fake, deliberately used to deceive the public under the cover of night.

The Ursus soldiers were all stunned for a moment, and then they heard a lot of laughter coming from the opposite mountain.

"Hahaha... Look, just by showing them a wooden dummy, they're scared like this. These cowardly Ursus people dare to come and attack us? Go home and drink your grandma's milk! Hahahaha!"

"Hahaha! Look at these stupid donkeys, they actually wet their pants because of a broken wooden figure! They're probably not even as good as their own women!"

"This is the elite force that Ursus is so proud of? I think they're just diapers! They're afraid of even a wooden carving, they might as well go back to breastfeeding!"

The Sarkaz legions had already taken advantage of the Ursus soldiers' distraction to sneak away and retreat. They had now created distance that allowed the enemy to launch long-range attacks, so there was no need to worry about the Ursus soldiers becoming enraged and attacking them.

Faced with the Sarkaz mercenary group's insults, the Ursus soldiers could only grip their weapons, their faces flushed, but they were powerless to do anything. Their superiors had just reported the situation to command, and they could not act rashly without orders from headquarters.

Those insults were truly despicable. Given the Ursus people's temperament, they naturally wouldn't tolerate the Sarkaz. Since they couldn't fight, they resorted to insults. In an instant, a perfectly good war that was about to unfold turned into a farcical scene of shrewish shouting.

"What did you say! This isn't a Patriot at all! It's a fake!!"

Back in the main camp, Ulrich, who had just received news from the front lines, stared in disbelief. He thought he had correctly guessed the enemy's plans, but this sudden news felt like a slap in the face.

"Yes...yes, General. It was a fake made of wood. Because of the dim lighting and the aggressive approach of the enemy, we made a mistake." The soldier delivering the message said tremblingly, fearing that the general's anger would be vented on him.

“Fake…how could it be fake?” However, Ulrich was clearly not the kind of tyrant like Colonel Nikolai. He simply sat back down, slammed his fist on the table, and began to ponder.

For a moment, none of the commanders present dared to say anything, fearing that their inappropriate remarks might displease Ulrich. However, time was of the essence, and the front lines were awaiting orders. Unable to understand the reason for this, Ulrich could only temporarily instruct all his soldiers to remain inactive.

Chapter 180 Ines, have you really betrayed me?

"What... what exactly is going on? Shouldn't the attack be at night? Could it be that the other side pulled this stunt just to... slap us in the face?" A commander glanced at Ulrich and then changed his tune.

"Impossible! After all that effort—raiding the camp and then charging again in the middle of the night—our army suffered few losses all night, except for the exhaustion. We were just played around. This will only make our soldiers angrier and their morale even higher when we start fighting in the morning. It's a complete waste of effort," another commander said, puzzled.

"If you ask me, I'm afraid we're overestimating these bandits. He just wants to humiliate us and make sure we can't even sleep properly," a simple-minded commander muttered.

"Overestimating them? Do you think those who could defeat Nikolai's army with fewer troops would do something so pointless, something that only aims to disturb our sleep?" another commander rebuked.

"Enough! All of you, stop! What kind of talk is this, arguing like this!" Ulrich gave the order, and all the commanders who were about to argue fell silent.

"I can't quite guess what the enemy is planning. But one thing is certain: the soldiers are exhausted after a night of turmoil. No matter how high their morale is due to anger, once that initial surge of energy wears off, they will be utterly worn out. This will undoubtedly become a hidden danger during the daytime battle. This may be one of the enemy's objectives, to create a weakness in our army through this method."

Ulrich said in a deep voice, "You must understand that rotating formations at the front requires strict discipline and a high degree of organization. If concentration is not high enough, the formation rotation process will inevitably have flaws, thus exposing fatal weaknesses. It seems that the daytime battle will not be so easy."

"Did they anticipate we would use such methods against them? Is that why they did this tonight? Is their aim to break our strategy of rotating attacks?" the commander wondered.

"Ha, so what if they break through? Even if they seize the opportunity, the loss will only be one or two thousand-man regiments," Ulrich said coldly. "That's why I said this is only one objective. The enemy definitely has some other tricks up their sleeve that we don't know about. It's a pity that tonight's efforts will probably have to end here. Dawn is approaching. Let's take this time to see if we can let the soldiers get a good rest in preparation for tomorrow's attack on the mountain!"

"Report—" At this moment, the soldier who delivered the message arrived again.

"What's wrong now? Have those bandits made any new moves?" Ulrich frowned. Could it be that their backup plan has arrived so quickly?

"No...no, it's because those Sarkaz used wooden planks to deceive the soldiers at the front and insulted us. Some soldiers, outraged and seeing that the Sarkaz had gradually retreated to their mountain defenses and were out of their reach, mustered their courage and decided to take the planks to dismantle and trample on them to vent their anger...but...unexpectedly, the planks were somehow tampered with, and after many people surrounded them, they suddenly exploded, killing more than a dozen people and injuring more than a dozen others to varying degrees..."

The soldier who delivered the message dared not continue, for he noticed that Ulrich's face had turned completely dark.

"A bunch of idiots!" Ulrich roared. "I gave the order to hold back, who gave them permission to rush forward and break the planks? Who is the commander in charge of the front lines? If they can't even manage their own men, they shouldn't wear this hat! Get out of here! As for the other dozen or so wounded men, forget about them! Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed!"

"...Yes!" The soldier quickly relayed the order. A gloomy atmosphere filled the entire camp. This clash with the Reunion Movement, though without any substantial losses, had been a severe blow to their morale. All the Ursus Legion soldiers were secretly seething with anger, wishing they could unleash their fury on those bandits at dawn and wash away the shame of the night.

……

"Hahaha, these idiots actually got so angry that they went and destroyed the trap I specially set. Now they'll all be blown to bits and sent back to see their grandmothers." W laughed loudly, admiring his "masterpiece".

"You're as awful as ever, W." A cold voice rang out, and Ines appeared before W. Ines was currently managing the Sarkaz mercenary group in place of Hedley. She and Hedley took turns resting; Hedley was responsible for the first half of the night, while she was responsible for the second half.

"Hmph, so what? Right now, my mind is overflowing with ideas, and I can't wait to try them all out. Those little bear cubs are just being silly and weird... Sniff, what's that stinky smell on you?" Suddenly, W frowned, his nose twitched, and he said.

"...!! You...you must be imagining things. Instead of worrying about all this nonsense, why don't you put your ideas into killing the enemy, just like you said?" Ines quickly turned around, pretending to be annoyed by W's words as usual, and hurriedly left after saying that.

"Hey! Where did the BOSS go? I just saw him with you. What's wrong with him? He's getting weirder and weirder." W frowned slightly. She had not only smelled the scent, but also noticed a strange hair hanging from the corner of Ines's mouth. It didn't look like Ines's own fine hair.

W wasn't someone who knew nothing; quite the opposite, she had begun to seriously doubt Ines deep down. Initially, she had been considerate of Ines's feelings, waiting for her to open up when she was willing to. But now, she sensed that Ines seemed to be enjoying it.

"Ines... have you really betrayed me completely?" W put one hand on her hip, a cold glint in her eyes. There were some things she also didn't want Hadley to know. Because she knew very well that once Hadley found out, he would do anything. Don't be fooled by Hadley's usual cautious demeanor; W knew that once this man crossed a line and decided to do something, he could be just as ruthless as she was.

She had been hoping to find an opportunity to help Ines out of her predicament. She was even prepared to take her place herself, thus securing a better future for her two old friends. But now it seemed… she had misjudged Ines.

“After all, you’re not a Sarkaz… You’ve been deceiving yourself all along, and you’re doing the same to your feelings for yourself now. Just keep lying to yourself for the rest of your life.” W kicked a pebble in frustration, but suddenly stopped kicking because she noticed that a faint layer of black mist was still clinging to the sole of her shoe.

"Ha... So it turns out I'm the same. I'm just accepting the benefits without paying attention." W put his feet down, put his hands in his pockets, and walked into the tunnel used for resting.

"How disgusting..." W thought to himself.

Meanwhile, at the highest point of the defensive line, Wang Chong, gazing at the forest below, couldn't help but say, "After a busy night, it feels like we're almost done... It's time to officially begin this."

Chapter 181 The War Begins

"Ulrich... was known for his caution and prudence. Although he didn't have any particularly outstanding achievements, and was often a defeated general, he always managed to preserve the majority of his troops' manpower. His victories were mostly unremarkable, such as suppressing bandits or picking off small-scale enemy forces. As a result, many officers of equal or even lower rank looked down on him, believing that he was unworthy of his position."

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

"Hehe, on the contrary, I think many higher-ups would appreciate such talent, right?" Wang Chong said with a smile.

“Indeed, Ulrich has always had a smooth political career due to his personality,” Black Serpent nodded and said. “He may not be an outstanding general, but he is a rare talent in politics, knowing how to win over and cultivate relationships with those above him. This is probably why he was chosen by the representatives of the old aristocracy to be the commander of the army that is now suppressing the Reunification Movement.”

“You’re wrong about one thing, Black Serpent. He’s not only a talented politician, but also an excellent general,” Wang Chong said. “There’s an old saying in my hometown: ‘A skillful strategist doesn’t boast of illustrious achievements.’ Those who truly understand war first ensure their own invincibility, waiting for the opportunity to defeat the enemy. They never pursue so-called miracles or heroism. They don’t care about temporary victories or defeats, but only plan for the overall situation; even defeat is for the sake of ultimate victory.”

"Judging from the fact that he managed to preserve the strength of his troops despite each defeat... it's not hard to see how outstanding this guy is. He even used his unique political wisdom to leave the lion's share to his superiors, while picking up the scraps himself, concealing his shortcomings and tarnishing his own image while also winning the favor of his superiors. Heh, no wonder he's so highly regarded by your old noble faction in Ursus," Wang Chong said, arms crossed.