The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth.

Chapter 492 Please close your eyes when it gets dark

"Huff huff huff... My lord! Let's take a rest!" Olaf said breathlessly, leaning on his halberd.

“We’ve been running all day!” Olaf gasped for breath.

“Idiot, we haven’t shaken off the werewolves yet!” Apophis Breo said angrily.

“But the infantry can’t keep up!” another infantry officer stepped forward.

“Yes, sir! The soldiers’ stamina has reached its limit!” The captains of the Valiant Warriors gathered around and complained to Apophis Breo.

"My lord, the infantry need to rest; they can't keep up with the cavalry!" The Grand Knight shook his head at Apophis Breo. Sharpening the axe before chopping wood is never too late. It's already late afternoon, and it will be dark in a few hours. Rather than rushing now, it's better to conserve energy and set off earlier tomorrow.

“We estimate it will take us about two months to reach our destination. The baggage train and heavy infantry are slowing us down too much. So there’s no point in rushing us!” the Grand Knight advised.

"...Alright, we need to find a high ground to camp!" Apophis Breo sighed. Although he was extremely anxious, that was the reality. The infantry's marching speed was incredibly slow, and Apophis Breo didn't have any group buff skills. Expecting these pseudo-iron cans of Valiant Warriors to carry out a Central Plains version of the Long March was less desirable than giving them all horses to become mounted infantry.

"Make sure to set up the camp properly. I have a feeling those werewolves are still tracking us," Apophis Breo said with a headache. Werewolves are very vengeful, and what's even more terrifying is their patience. They will never let any outsider who invades their territory escape. There's not much to say about these creatures of the chaotic and evil faction. Unlike nature druids who can transform with magic, werewolves' transformation is innate in their bloodline. In essence, werewolves are also members of the orc race.

“Okay!” Olaf and the other infantry commanders nodded, dragging their tired bodies as they directed everyone to set up the camp.

Apophis Breo and his knights tethered all the horses and tended to their precious draft. Apophis Breo couldn't imagine that without the supplies these horses were pulling, they would probably have trouble even getting by after reaching the Old Pass.

"After leaving the Darkwood, we need to travel south along the Anduin River to find the territory of the Beorn. It is said that there is a town there, which should be able to replenish our supplies and baggage."

“Kalok!” The high knight pointed to the territory of the bear-skinned family, a city founded by the Beorn people. It was located on the upper reaches of the Anduin River, where nature druids had always protected it. The powerful druids used magic and shapeshifting to keep the orcs away. In fact, it was one of the few sanctuaries in the entire northern region.

“It will take us a few more days to get there, but we need to figure out how to get rid of the werewolves behind us.” Apophis Breo shook his head slightly.

“Werewolves are not easy to deal with. We don’t have air power, and it’s difficult for us to locate them in the dense forest!” Olaf shook his head.

“Then let’s wait for them to come looking for us!” Apophis Breo’s eyes turned cold.

Olaf and the other officers exchanged glances and then went down to prepare.

……

That night, the entire camp was unusually quiet. Apart from the simple watchtower in the center of the camp, everyone else was resting in their tents. Only the campfires around the camp illuminated the dark night, bringing a glimmer of light to this gloomy area.

"Crack~" The sound of fine, withered leaves shattering rang out, unusually jarring in the still night, but the entire camp remained completely silent, like a gaping maw of an abyss swallowing everything in its path. "Shh~" Fine footsteps sounded all around.

A slight creaking sound did not alert the werewolf.

As a gentle breeze swept by, the clouds in the sky dispersed, revealing the moon, and one by one, ferocious wolf heads split open their blood-red maws.

"Awooooo!" Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out.

"Crash!" A wooden plank suddenly flew off the ground, and before the werewolf in front could react, a sharp spear pierced his skull.

"Pfft!" As the throat was cut open by the sword, the howling werewolf instantly fell silent, leaving only the heavy breathing from the trachea and the snoring sound of arterial blood seeping through the trachea.

"Kill!" Apophis Breo lifted the cover from the underground tunnel and slashed out with his sword, slicing off half of the wolf's mouth. The werewolf, now mouthless, writhed in agony on the ground.

The valiant warriors who caught up then swung their halberds, but it stopped moving after only a few swings!

"Kill!" Torches were raised, and the valiant warriors, led by the King's Landing knights, suddenly attacked. The werewolves, still in shock, had no time to react before they were cut down by the King's Landing knights, who moved like a whirlwind of fire. The valiant warriors who followed up then unleashed a frenzied barrage of blows.

"It's dark, close your eyes! When it's time to sleep, you should sleep properly!" Apophis Breo said coldly, slashing down a werewolf with his sword.

"Always making a racket at night! Can't a person get any sleep?!" Apophis Breo chopped off a head.

"My lord, you really have a way!" Olaf gave a thumbs up. They had spent the entire afternoon shoveling dirt and playing like groundhogs, and the result was that everyone was hiding underground. They dug a trench-like ditch, just big enough for them to lie down in, roll up a linen cloth, cover their heads with a wooden plank, and fell asleep. When the werewolves saw that they were unguarded and thought they had let their guard down and sneaked in, the creaking sound of the werewolves stepping on the planks covered with loose dirt would give them away. The werewolves, who were waiting in ambush, would then rush out from underground and the werewolves, caught off guard, would be hacked to pieces on the spot. In just a few minutes, the werewolves had left dozens of corpses behind. The remaining werewolves, who were lucky enough to survive, were terrified and hurriedly disappeared into the dark forest.

"Stop the pursuit!" Apophis Breo roared. This was exactly the situation he was referring to. The complex darkness was fair to both sides. Humans could ambush in the camp, and there was no reason why werewolves wouldn't ambush in the forest.

"What bad luck! Check the damage!" Apophis Breo kicked the corpse in front of him—a genuine werewolf!

……

"The summary is in. Overall, there were no major losses, but the werewolves' hasty counterattack still resulted in some casualties. Many brothers were scratched by the werewolves, but they've all been treated with medicine, so as long as it doesn't get infected, there shouldn't be any problems!" A moment later, the Great Knight returned carrying his sword.

"Dispose of those corpses, don't pile them up in the camp... they smell bad!" Apophis Breo nodded. In fact, he was prepared for casualties, but the fact that some of his men were injured made him feel lucky. After all, the werewolves with maxed-out melee abilities were able to hurt the ambushing humans in a hurry, so you can imagine how strong they really were.
"Don't worry, I've already had them hang the barricades outside to deter other troublemakers." Olaf gave Apophis Breo a thumbs up. Hanging a single werewolf corpse was a provocation to the werewolf community, but hanging a group of corpses was a deterrent to other groups with ulterior motives. It was like telling others that if they wanted to cause trouble, they should first look at those corpses, lest they end up with a mouthful of broken teeth. We are not to be trifled with.

(End of this chapter)