Yan Xing and the Werewolves were weaving lamellar armor together. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes, and self-preservation was paramount.
At the same time, while weaving these armors, Yan Xing finally learned from the Werewolves about the opponent he would soon face.
These Werewolves came from a Werewolf Tribe called the Red Mud Wetland. Their Clan Leader was named Duan'er, and the tribe had about two hundred Werewolves.
The Red Mud Wetland was located on the edge of Thunderous Swamp, its resources scarce. The small patch of wetland could barely support the Duan'er Tribe, not to mention other Werewolf Tribes periodically crossing borders to steal food.
They even slowly encroached upon the Duan'er Tribe's territory.
Hunger had always plagued the Duan'er Tribe; in fact, most Werewolf Tribes were starving.
The most fertile parts of the swamp were all dominated by the Lizardmen. As natural swamp dwellers, Lizardmen were not only better adapted to the swamp environment than Werewolves, but their physical constitution was also stronger.
An adult Lizardman was a Third Order creature, capable of advancing to a Fourth Order Blood Crown Lizardman.
As a race that had migrated into the swamp, Werewolves had always been marginalized by the Lizardmen. This inherent racial disadvantage also made it difficult for Werewolves to compete with Lizardmen for control of the swamp.
Thus, the Werewolves fell into severe internal strife.
As a result, some Werewolf Tribes had no choice but to venture beyond the swamp to find food.
The Steel Fang Werewolf patrol team was also tasked with hunting prey on the plains.
Instead, they accidentally discovered this peasant recruitment building—the Hut.
But in the end, they caught no prey, failed to defend the Hut, and Yan Xing's scheme led to the entire pack's capture.
For a tribe of only two hundred, the disappearance of ten Werewolves—all strong, adult warriors—was an enormous loss.
This was not combat power that could be easily replenished.
The Duan'er Tribe would undoubtedly try everything to rescue these Werewolves.
And then there was this peasant Hut...
According to Olaf, their territory contained a Werewolf recruitment building: an elite Wolf Den. This Den produced eight Werewolves for recruitment each week and could upgrade First Order Werewolves into Second Order Great Werewolves.
However, the territory produced very few God-given gold coins, not enough to recruit Werewolves from the Wolf Den. Consequently, each week's recruitment quota was wasted.
Now, a peasant Hut had suddenly appeared here.
Human peasants had low combat abilities, but they could pay one God-given gold coin in taxes each week.
If they controlled this peasant Hut, they could accumulate God-given gold coins to recruit Werewolves from the Wolf Den, thereby rapidly strengthening the tribe.
Then, the Duan'er Tribe could not only take complete control of the Red Mud Wetland but also seize more territory.
Whether for rescuing the captured Werewolves or seizing the peasant Hut, Duan'er was determined to take Yan Xing's territory. This issue couldn't be easily resolved through negotiation.
Olaf's tone inevitably changed when he spoke of Duan'er.
And Duan'er also had the power to recruit Werewolves at the Wolf Den. Yan Xing asked, "Is your Clan Leader Duan'er a hero?"
"My Lord," Olaf replied, "our Clan Leader is a Beast Tamer. He has tamed five Poison Flies that guard our Red Mud Wetland."
Like Human Knights, the Beast Tamer is a hero class for the Swamp Tribe.
In the swamp lived a wide variety of magical beasts. Some were weak, serving as food for Werewolves and Lizardmen; others, powerful, could be tamed by Beast Tamers.
The Human, Elf, and Orc Races competed for control over Wildwind Highlands, fighting for every inch of it. Yet, they all steered clear of Thunderous Swamp. This wasn't because they feared the "uncivilized" Werewolves and Lizardmen, but rather the magical beasts those races had tamed.
The Poison Flies Olaf spoke of were one such tamed magical beast, their power reaching up to Fifth Order.
Poison Flies had slender bodies with tails similar to dragonflies. Adult individuals could grow to over a meter in length. Poison Flies were swift and highly agile fliers, making their attacks difficult to defend against.
The offensive power of Poison Flies wasn't great, but they could release paralytic toxins. These toxins caused poisoned targets to lose significant combat power for a period.
The Swamp Tribe's tactics largely revolved around the Poison Flies. First, they would let the easily concealed Poison Flies lie in ambush. Then, at an opportune moment and location, the Flies would launch a surprise attack, using their flight and mobility to break through enemy lines. Once inside the enemy formation, the Poison Flies spread toxins everywhere, throwing the enemy into disarray. At this point, the other military forces of the Swamp Tribe would press the attack, taking advantage of the chaos.
In one fell swoop, the enemy would be routed.
Upon learning that Duan'er was a hero unit—a Swamp Tribe Beast Tamer—and about the Poison Flies, Yan Xing suddenly felt relieved he hadn't wasted his time on this group of Werewolves.
He wasn't afraid of a tribe with only two hundred Werewolves.
The Duan'er Tribe also needed to defend their territory, the Red Mud Wetland, so they couldn't possibly bring the entire tribe to attack him here.
Furthermore, due to the peasant Hut and Duan'er's desire for God-given gold coins, it was unlikely he would seek assistance from other Werewolf Tribes.
A hundred Werewolves lurking nearby was Yan Xing's highest estimate.
With trench lines and defensive walls for protection, a mere hundred Werewolves couldn't break through.
But Duan'er, the hero, and the five Poison Flies he controlled were the biggest variables in Yan Xing's territorial defense system.
His newly built territory was secure on the ground but vulnerable from the air, effectively an unguarded zone for the Poison Flies. If he couldn't suppress the Poison Flies' aerial attacks, defending the territory would be out of the question.
Then there was Duan'er. He's a hero... but how strong is he?
Even Olaf didn't know, only that an entire Werewolf patrol was no match for Duan'er.
Could I take on an entire Werewolf patrol alone? Yan Xing wondered. Definitely not.
This meant that in terms of top combat power, Yan Xing's side was at a disadvantage.
In fact, they were at a disadvantage in all aspects. If not for the hastily constructed defensive system, it wouldn't have been as simple as one missing peasant; the wolf pack would have attacked them before nightfall.
Finally, when the armors were ready and nine fully armed Werewolves stood before Yan Xing, he asked Olaf, "If our tribes must go to war, would you be willing to kill your kin for me?"
Yan Xing's question immediately quieted the Werewolves, who had been excited about donning their new armor. The atmosphere grew heavy.
After a while, Olaf looked up at Yan Xing and said, "Master, I beg you, let me go and talk to Duan'er. I don't want to wield my flail against my own people, nor do I want to see Clan Leader Duan'er destroy your territory..."
Yan Xing asked, "How confident are you that you can persuade Duan'er to withdraw his troops?"
Facing Yan Xing's scrutinizing gaze, Olaf couldn't help but lower his head. "I... I'm not confident," he said in a low voice.
Yan Xing chuckled. "Not only are you not confident about persuading Duan'er to withdraw, but you're also not sure you'd make it back alive, right?"
Olaf, his head still lowered, replied, "Yes... I killed Steel Fang. I betrayed the tribe. Clan Leader Duan'er will definitely kill me... But... but I don't know how to resolve this conflict."