The iron blood mercenary core annihilated with not a single survivor left behind.

The air was thick with a stench of blood, extinguishing the appetite of the weary and famished.

Fongha, accompanied by his bloodied comrades, stroed directly towards Tavic s territory.

The guards of Tavic trembled, their hands clutching their weapons on high alert for these harbingers of death.

And Mister Fonho, what brings you here? Tavic stammered.

Tavic, do you trust me? I trust you.

You save my daughter, he replied, albeit hesitantly.

Good.

The Iron Blood Mercenary Corps has allied with a band of mountain bandits.

I do not know their names, but their leader is a woman known as Grizzly Bear.

They will attack in 10 minutes.

Hand over your men to my subordinates for command, Fongo relayed swiftly.

Huh? Oh, Grizzly Bear.

Tavic quickly regained his composure, his expression darkening further at the mention of the name.

Is it true, Mr.

Fong Hao? The leader of the bandits is named Grizzly Bear.

Tavoc inquired urgently.

Grizzly Bear, a woman, and their lair lies to the east.

We must leave this place at once, Tavic commanded, preparing to depart immediately.

Do you think you can flee with the cargo? Hand your forces over to my command, and we shall survive, ensuring the safety of goods, Fong How interjected, halting Tavic's panic.

Ah, very well.

Everyone will now follow Mr.

Fong How unified command.

Tavic declared, realizing he had no other choice.

Should Fonggha wish to eliminate him, Tavik and his men would stand no chance.

Everyone obey Dimitika's orders.

Anyone who dares to disobey will face the consequences.

Fonhao proclaimed loudly.

Dimatika stepped forward, removing his helmet and wiping away the blood stains.

He began outlining the enemy's likely routes of attack and the forthcoming arrangements.

20 minutes passed.

The night deepened.

Grizzly Bear, accompanied by her followers, followed the mercenaries towards the location where the caravan was encamped.

The bandits traversed through the woods, silencing the once lively chirping of insects.

Tavoc, a renowned cloth merchant in this region, was known for his discreet trade.

The movements of his caravans were notoriously elusive.

Silk, often referred to as soft gold, yielded immense profits, even with a mere 30% margin.

Thus, despite the recent malaise afflicting the grizzly bear upon hearing news of the Iron Blood mercenary corps, he consented to join.

Who could resist such a tempting offer? The group approached the edge of the forest where mere dash would reveal the merchant camp.

"Stop!" Suddenly, the grizzly bear halted, commanding the team to cease their advance.

"What is it, Boss Grizzly?" one mercenary inquired, abruptly breaking in curiosity.

Furrowing his brow, the grizzly bear asked, "Is there a corpse?" "What corpse?" "During the battle, the commander will demand Tavik's head.

" "One that can be recognized," replied the mercenary.

"No, many have just perished.

There is a strong scent of blood ahead.

" "Hush.

" The others inhaled sharply.

"There is nothing.

Something is definitely a miss.

Proceed with caution," the grizzly bear warned coldly.

understood.

As they intended to move forward, another voice broke the silence with uncertainty.

Hey, why is there such thick fog? Dense mist suddenly rose on both sides, swiftly enveloping everyone in a shroud of obscurity.

Chapter 228.

The Lady of the City, Lord.

Suddenly, a vast expanse of mist enveloped the sides of the dense forest.

As Gray Bear and his companions furrowed their brows in contemplation, the fog had already shrouded their entire group.

The forest was a labyrinth of gnarled roots and towering canopies, and the deep night compounded by the mist drastically reduced the visibility for the mountain bandits, rendering them capable of discerning only the objects a meter ahead.

Boss, the situation does not bode well.

One of the bandits murmured softly.

Gray Bear was acutely aware of the precariousness of their situation.

He sees the mercenary beside him, demanding, "What is going on?" "The mercenary," hold and jostled by Gray Bear, staggered slightly, clutching his helmet as he replied, "Grey Bear, could it merely be an ordinary fog?" Our iron blood mercenary core harbors no ulterior motives.

He too was in the dark about the unfolding events.

After all, it was not uncommon for mist to rise within the woods.

However, scarcely had he finished speaking when a rustling sound emanated from the flanks of their formation.

It appeared that something was lunging out from the thicket.

Ah, enemies are upon us.

Cries of alarm erupted around the group, swiftly followed by the cacophony of battle and the anguished screams of the bandits.

Gray Bear's expression darkened.

He realized they had been ambushed.

"Follow me," he commanded, rushing toward the source of the commotion.

Yet after only a few paces, the cries of his own men rang out from behind, revealing that their formation had been completely surrounded and was under siege.

"Everyone gather around me.

" Quickly, Gray Bear bellowed.

The individuals surrounding him converged towards his voice.

Simultaneously, Domiga and Anja grasp the position of their leader.

Dmitiga and Fongo simultaneously conjured their mists.

Within this windless forest, their powers manifested beyond imagination.

Domiga's mist canopy obscured visibility while bestowing magical resistance and a 25 stamina recovery to allies within the fog.

Meanwhile, Fongo's cloudy veil diminished the morale of the enemies by 15 upon enveloping them.

The combination of these two spells threw the mountain bandits into disarray.

As the mist engulfed the entire battlefield, Domiga led a contingent of nearly a hundred through the dense underbrush, charging directly at the belleaguered bandits on the periphery.

Like phantoms in the forest, they made no sound, striking at the enemies with the precision of a lance.

The mountain bandits howled in despair and called for aid.

Yet the fog obscured their vision, instilling paralyzing fear in the remaining bandits, who dared not flee blindly.

Only upon hearing their leader, Graybear s voice did they regain their bearings and begin to converge toward him.

The den of battle grew increasingly intense.

Domiga shook the blood from his long sword, his icy vertical pupils fixating on gray bear s location within the mist.

Everything has been cleared.

Anjhao approached with her group from another direction.

joining forces with Domiga.

They had swiftly eliminated the foes surrounding their ranks, drastically reducing the enemy numbers.

"Prepare for the final confrontation," Domiga whispered.

Everyone meticulously reorganized their equipment, gripping their weapons tightly.

"Kill!" Domigga raised his long sword and led the charge into the depths of the fog towards the gathering place of the grave bears and their companions.

"Kill! Kill!" The team followed closely behind, roaring in unison.

The two sides collided fiercely, engaging in battle amidst the mist.

The gray bear defended with her shield while wielding her battle axe.

Now acutely aware of her adversary, but still at a disadvantage.

As the fight dragged on, the gray bears dwindled in number, now reduced to just over 20, desperately holding their ground.