Chapter 599.5: The "Gluttonous" Deity
Unexpectedly, the Bay Territory warriors did not immediately retreat but continued bombarding the helpless retreating army below.
Such blatant disregard infuriated the Cole Elf scouts.
They swarmed into the woods, preparing to surround the Bay Territory warriors.
Only to run headlong into the long-prepared Katachan warriors.
Fine, poisonous barbed spikes.
Concealed and deadly cunning traps.
Lethal arrows fired from the shadows.
Instantly slaughtered the first wave of Cole Elf scouts.
The jungle-combat-expert Katachan warriors were not in a hurry to collect trophies or kill the surviving scouts.
Instead, they secretly laid new death traps beside them.
Any Cole Elf reinforcements would suffer heavy casualties immediately.
The Katachan warriors combined deadly jungle warfare techniques with the combat skills they had recently learned as Professionals.
Using this real battle to complete a crucial transformation.
The Cole Elf scouts, outnumbering them by more than ten times, were no match.
However many charged in, that many fell in short order.
The seemingly sparse forest became a death zone that terrified the Cole Elf scouts.
After losing several hundred scouts.
They hesitated.
Completely abandoning the idea of surrounding the Bay Territory warriors, they started flanking from both sides instead.
The Bay Territory warriors were in no rush for direct confrontation, retreating into the forest before the scouts reached 2000 in number.
The Cole Elf scouts achieved their goal, protecting the retreating army from cannon bombardment.
However, they paid a hefty price, losing hundreds of men.
The Bay Territory warriors soon turned their fire on them, using the forest cover to launch continuous attacks.
The Cole Elf scouts retreated downhill but did not go far.
As the main Cole Elf army pressed into the second defensive line, the Bay Territory warriors decisively withdrew.
Tigris and others breathed a sigh of relief and vigorously dismantled Bay Territory's fortifications and trenches.
The main army sped up its retreat.
Boom boom boom!
Two kilometers ahead, the third interception line greeted them with cannon fire.
Behind it, the fourth, fifth, and sixth defensive lines were rapidly being reinforced.
Some elite Katachan jungle warriors even proactively launched raids against the retreating army.
They specifically lured patrolling Cole Elf scouts into the woods before switching targets to hunt them down.
Some mobile artillery units also used the long range of the magic cannons to harass the Cole Elf army.
By the time the Cole Elf patrols arrived, the Bay Territory warriors were long gone.
Sometimes, they even left deadly traps behind for the furious or pursuing Cole Elves to stumble into.
All the way along.
The Cole Elf army was constantly attacked, with more and more casualties.
The furious Tigris even cast spells multiple times to destroy Bay Territory defenses.
However, when Yaya in the sky launched a sudden assault, tanking a hail of attacks to chase them.
As her HP dropped to two-thirds, Yaya decisively took to the air, giving up the pursuit.
Before the eyes of all the Cole Elves, she feasted atop a distant mountain, rapidly recovering her dense wounds.
In just half an hour, Yaya fully restored herself.
As revenge for the interrupted pursuit, Yaya unleashed a flaming channel dozens of meters long through the middle of the Cole Elf army.
Hundreds of elves unable to dodge were burned to charcoal.
After suffering this huge setback, Tigris and others no longer dared to stir up trouble.
Enduring heavy losses among clearing and scouting units, they gritted their teeth and retreated amid constant attacks.
After a grueling day of marching.
The Cole Elf army retreated one-third of the way, crossing eight defensive lines.
But unknowingly, they had lost over 20,000 Cole Elf warriors.
Nearly 30,000 wounded Cole Elves were agonizingly waiting for treatment due to lack of medicine.
What terrified the Cole Elves even more was.
As night fell and the blood-red moonlight spilled over their cloaks.
The Bay Territory warriors hiding in the dark continued their attacks.
As the Cole Elves retreated in large strides.
Sometimes, a companion would fall to an arrow without warning.
Sometimes, a fist-sized cannonball would punch a hole as big as a bowl.
More often, falling rocks from the sky would crush their fragile nerves into deep despair.
Pale-faced, Tigris stared at the compiled data with bloodshot eyes, speaking in a hoarse, bitter voice:
"Abandon all severely wounded, everyone accelerate forward!"
Amid wails and curses.
All Cole Elf warriors lowered their faces and fled at the fastest speed.
The many wounded Cole Elves left behind showed expressions of utter despair.
At that moment, cannon fire roared from the surrounding mountain slopes.
The wounded Cole Elves closed their eyes in hopelessness, awaiting death.
But contrary to their expectations, death did not come.
A gray-white mist with an intense paralyzing effect engulfed them, plunging them into deep sleep.
Annie glared at the comatose Cole Elf wounded with hatred.
She adjusted her breathing before ordering the soldiers to quickly clean the battlefield.
"Don't worry, the bloodstained Cole Elves will be sent to the laboratories."
"The rest, after interrogation and selection, will be sent to the New Continent or the Underworld..."
Old John shrugged, calmly explaining the Cole Elves' fates.
Everyone must pay the price for their past choices.
Retribution had come!
Annie had no objections to this arrangement; she had long made peace with it.
It was never the common people who started wars and invasions, but the rulers high above.
"Sooner or later, all of you will fall into my hands!"
Annie, adjusting her breathing, began rapidly selecting targets.
She had to gain power as quickly as possible!
Modification was undoubtedly the fastest method!
The Cole Elf army, now traveling light.
Suffered even more attacks the next day.
Although most attacks were no longer as deadly.
There were more and more wounded without them realizing it.
The battle mages had to allocate more spells and mana to healing.
They had to ensure medical supplies for the clearing and scouting units.
What most Cole Elves didn't know was that the severely wounded they abandoned weren't dead; they had been rescued by the Bay Territory.
Tigris, unclear of the Bay Territory's intentions, could only flee with the remaining army as fast as possible.
The forts and strongholds they had captured were quietly retaken by the Bay Territory warriors.
The stockpiled supplies became the spoils of the Bay Territory.
Suppressing his rage, Tigris made a silent vow.
Once he returned to the council, he would push hard for a plan to suppress and destroy Bay Territory.
The next night.
The Cole Elf army was only half a day's march from exiting the Rocky Mountains.
The expressionless Tigris no longer bothered counting how many soldiers remained.
In his heart, he secretly hoped Matthew and Yaya would launch an attack.
So he could vent his rage in a fierce battle.
Maybe even gather more information for a future hunt against Matthew and Yaya.
The true strength of the Cole Elf Kingdom had never been raw force.
It was their pervasive influence across the Northern Continent and their countless lackeys!
But even as the battered Cole Elf army passed through the Ail Elf's first defensive line.
Abandoning their hard-won Boulder Fortress and returning to the Cole Elves' main base.
Matthew and Yaya never appeared again—their figures seemed to only exist on the battlefield.
The elven guards at the main base stared in disbelief at the Cole Elf warriors who looked like refugees, too shocked to speak.
Most Cole Elf warriors, after enduring days of hellish travel, sat slumped on the ground, weeping silently.
All dignity abandoned, venting in hysteria.
It was then they realized—under the shadow of death, they had lost everything but life itself.
Friendship, love, comradeship, loyalty, courage...
All those precious virtues were utterly gone.
Only deep, bottomless hollows remained in their hearts.
Many Cole Elves roared madly, running aimlessly, some even preparing to charge back into the Rocky Mountains.
They would rather die than relive those agonizing memories.
Pain wracking his face, Tigris trembled as he reviewed the compiled data, before blacking out amid Councilor Kaledor's cries.
Beside him, Aicharn sneered coldly, savoring Matthew and Bay Territory's meticulous strategies and muttering with interest:
"Their tactics are outstanding..."
"Exploiting the tiniest chance to lure enemies into traps unknowingly..."
"Even when absolutely dominant, they still attacked the enemy's weaknesses with their strengths..."
"The development and use of ranged weapons is epoch-making..."
"I never imagined Bay Territory could reach this level..."
Listening to Aicharn's muttering, Eiris drank a mouthful of water, feeling his tension slowly ease, and couldn't help asking:
"Their true strength lies in controlling the rhythm of war, especially in the research and application of new weapons, which far surpasses the Northern Continent's other forces..."
Recalling the overwhelming cannons and crossbows, Eiris sighed and continued:
"We were completely unprepared this time, and by focusing on breaking the Ail Elf lines quickly, abandoned most heavy weapons and gear."
"Otherwise, we wouldn't have been so passive..."
Shaking his head silently, Aicharn glanced at the now-awake Tigris and said firmly:
"A loss is a loss. Summarize the lessons and win next time..."
"But I'm curious, after such a huge loss, will the council finally increase investment in magic cannons and long-range attacks?"
Eiris remained silent. He could imagine the councilors' anger but dared not hope for any real progress...
They were a bunch of stubborn, decaying relics!
They should be swept into history's trash heap!
Boulder Fortress.
Annie, somewhat absent-minded, looked at the Bay Territory soldiers and iron golems patrolling the walls, and suddenly smiled brightly:
"Hey, the Cole Elves suffered a huge loss this time; they won't bother us for quite a while."
But Matthew, busy tallying up the spoils, shook his head gravely and said to the surprised Annie and Yaya:
"Actually, this defeat won't cripple the Cole Elves. It might make them stronger."
Matthew didn't explain the real reason, feeling a chill even in his own analysis.
Not counting the 60,000 Cole Elves killed by the Ail Elves.
A total of 87,642 Cole Elf warriors died at the hands of Bay Territory soldiers and adventurers!
Considering their average challenge level of 12, Matthew should have gained at least 80 million Destiny Points.
Yet he only received about 10 million—the vast majority had mysteriously vanished.
As Destiny Points leveled up, Matthew understood.
Destiny Points tied to souls fluctuate based on the soul's state.
Targets drained by Mana Absorption usually only provide one-third the Destiny Points.
But when most Destiny Points vanish like this, there's only one possibility.
These dead Cole Elves' souls were seized by some terrifying entity.
That's why Matthew changed tactics mid-hunt—to focus more on killing and capturing.
Because Matthew refused to let others reap the rewards!
Even if the thief was a deity!
Especially a deity of the Elven Pantheon!
That's right, Matthew was certain.
The ones seizing the souls were the Elven Gods, who had long laid hidden manipulations!
He even suspected that the war between Cole and Ail Elves was a feast prepared for these gods.
The fallen Cole and Ail Elves had become "food" for them.
Matthew added another note about the gods—"Greedy and insane."
"Damn it, they're all lunatics!"