Chapter 356: Chapter 356 Night Attack
And yet, the very person they were speaking of, unaware that she had already become a symbol of courage and hope, was still riding atop Zion’s back, blissfully oblivious to the hearts she had touched.
’After this experience, I realize my current weapon won’t do,’ Addison thought to herself. ’I need to change my approach. I don’t like carrying too many weapons, but I can’t deny that I need both a long-range and a close-range option.’
She frowned slightly, her thoughts growing heavier. ’The ’Slayer Sword’ is too eye-catching. It’s overpowered; if anyone sees it, their greed might eclipse their reason. I could easily become a target because of it... and end up creating more enemies than I already have.’
After wielding the sword, Addison was certain it wasn’t just an ordinary Paladin’s blade. Silas had likely entrusted her with a true treasure, one that others would surely covet if they ever found out.
And so, she resolved to keep it hidden, knowing that secrecy might be the only thing keeping her alive in a world already filled with unseen threats.
’Maybe it’s best if I visit the dwarves...’ Addison thought. ’I could have a weapon custom-made for me. Since I need both a long-range and a close-range option, I might as well ask for their advice; they’re the best when it comes to crafting weapons, after all.’
She gave a small nod to herself at the idea. She couldn’t always rely on shifting into her wolf form, and using only a dagger wouldn’t be enough. With her condition, facing strong opponents like ogres in close combat wasn’t an option; one mistake could mean her death before she even realized it.
And against agile enemies, she needed flexibility, the ability to fight both up close and from afar. But constantly switching between weapons would only slow her down. She needed something versatile, efficient... a weapon that could adapt as fast as she did.
While Addison was lost in thought, her mind occupied with ideas about new weapons, she didn’t notice the subtle changes in her surroundings.
But Zion did. His sharp eyes caught every shift in the air, every movement in the shadows, and seeing Addison so relaxed made a faint warmth stir in his chest.
Perhaps it was because she trusted him, trusted that he would keep her safe, that she could allow herself the luxury of drifting into thought, unguarded and at ease. And that simple trust, more than anything, made Zion quietly happy.
Fortunately, this time their journey went smoothly without interruption. By nightfall, they finally reached the location Addison had chosen as their temporary shelter, a wide clearing with solid terrain, ideal for holding their defense. Zion had only scouted the area earlier, so it was still empty, untouched by human presence.
But there was no time to rest. As soon as they arrived, everyone began working. The elders tended to the children, settling them inside the empty wagons lined with blankets to keep them warm through the night. Meanwhile, others unloaded the magic crates, stacking them neatly at the center of the clearing.
Several warriors set out to cut down trees, working quickly to construct a temporary storage shelter, while the rest began building barricades around the perimeter, simple but sturdy defenses to guard against the elements like monsters or any hostile forces that might come their way.
Addison was busy giving orders, outlining the layout of their temporary shelter, and explaining how she wanted everything to be built. Since they were the first to arrive, it fell on them to construct everything from scratch.
Acting as the one in charge, Addison directed the others on where to erect the barricades, where the guard towers should stand, and how the storage area should be arranged.
Meanwhile, Zion took five warriors with him to scout the perimeter and set up defensive traps around the settlement. As part of their preparations, he strung thin wires connected to tin cans near the entrance and throughout the forest edge.
It was simple, yet it was an effective alarm. If anyone tripped over one of the wires, the rattling cans would alert the camp to any intruders.
To make the system even more efficient, Zion divided the perimeter into four sectors, north, south, east, and west, each with its own set of cans so they could pinpoint the direction of any disturbance.
He also made sure to position the wires at thigh height, preventing smaller forest animals from triggering false alarms that could exhaust the group with needless alerts. Only larger creatures, or something truly dangerous, would set them off.
More than anything, the guards who accompanied Zion marked their territory by urinating at almost every corner of the perimeter, about a hundred meters away from the main settlement.
This was a deliberate move; the scent would serve as a warning to wild animals and predators such as wolves, bears, and pumas. To them, the smell meant that a powerful predator had already claimed the area, and crossing into it could lead to a deadly territorial fight.
Since there were several distinct scents around the perimeter, other predators would understand that a pack occupied the territory and would instinctively avoid it. Even strong solitary hunters like black bears or tigers knew better than to provoke a pack.
Likewise, if other wolves picked up the scent, they would recognize it as belonging to a higher kind of wolf and steer clear. This ensured that only true threats, such as monsters or enemies, would trigger the wire alarms.
Zion and the guards methodically worked their way around the settlement, leaving no gap in the circle. Where the ground allowed, they dug deep pits and drove sharpened stakes into the bottoms, deadly traps for anyone foolish enough to fall in.
Each pit was lightly covered with branches and dried leaves so it would be hard to spot, and the guards knew the scent of blood would quickly alert the patrols if an enemy tried to crawl out.
When the pits were finished, they moved on to other defenses. Rather than strip the nearby forest bare, they used a few trees and logs already cut by the warriors. Zion had the guards saw the logs into sections and sharpen one end like spears.
Then they rigged heavy, meter-long logs high in the trees on simple release mechanisms: if someone tripped the line, the log would come crashing down, slamming into the intruder with enough force to stop them in their tracks.
The whole system was crude but effective, designed to slow or incapacitate, and to give the patrols time to respond.
When Zion surveyed the completed ring of pits and swinging logs, he nodded once, satisfied. The settlement was far from impenetrable, but it would keep them safer through the night.
All of Zion’s traps were crude, even a little primitive, but brutally effective. In the chaos of a night assault, an infiltrator wouldn’t have time to check every nook and cranny of the forest for hidden pits and snares.
To avoid forcing his own people to memorize every trap, Zion and the guards left subtle markings only they could read, simple signs that pointed to safe paths and indicated where a trap lay hidden.
That way, the patrols could run through the perimeter without second-guessing themselves, and, if needed, they could even bait or herd enemies toward a marked trap and let the defenses do the work.
While Addison and Zion were busy setting up the temporary settlement with the first batch of evacuees, the rest of the Golden Hue Pack continued their work back home.
Traveling at night was far too dangerous; the risks doubled once darkness fell, so Alpha Hue knew that Addison and Zion’s group wouldn’t be returning anytime soon. Still, the pack carried on with their duties, maintaining a sense of order amid the unrest.
But as night descended, trouble came knocking. A chorus of howls suddenly echoed from the northeast, sharp and overlapping, a warning that danger was drawing near.
"Alpha, we’re under attack!" one of the remaining warriors shouted as he sprinted toward Alpha Hue. Behind him, the rest of the warriors were already scrambling to take their defensive positions.
"What’s the situation?" Alpha Hue demanded, his brows furrowing deeply.
"We’re lucky the Alphas and the princess’s companions set traps around the borders, especially in the vulnerable areas," the warrior replied, panting heavily. He looked ready to collapse at any moment.
With many of the best fighters gone to escort Addison’s group, their numbers were thin. Only a few were left to patrol the perimeter, since most of the others had been reassigned to help with the harvest.
Alpha Hue’s expression darkened. "And the attackers?"
"Rogues," the warrior said grimly.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from Alpha Hue’s throat, his golden eyes flashing dangerously at the warrior’s report. "The audacity of these rogues!" he snarled, his canines lengthening as fury coursed through him.
He despised rogues; every Alpha did.
Rogues were nothing more than outcasts, criminals, and depraved wolves cast from their packs.