Henk walked into the hall and respectfully bowed to Marco on the throne. The Rock-born of Skagos Island didn't have the "free thinking" of the wildlings.
The idea of worshipping the strong had been preserved since ancient times. Marco's magic and the unicorn's submission had elevated his prestige in Abyss Fortress to its peak.
Henk said excitedly:
"My Lord! The clan members are ready, we can set off immediately!"
"Yes! Good! You've done well! It's time for Abyss Fortress to change. I want everyone to eat well, live well, and dress well, and then conquer all of Skagos Island!"
"Yes! My Lord! Long live!"
The unicorn and griffin beside Marco also neighed at the right moment, as if responding to Marco's declaration.
And so Marco and his people spent another 6 days before returning to a valley near Griffin Fortress. Because this time they were bringing their families, it took an extra 2 days.
At this moment, Marco was about a kilometer away from Griffin Fortress, so he wasn't in as much of a rush as he had been initially. Instead, he sat comfortably on the back of the Unicorn.
During this time, Marco took the time to claim his battle rewards. However, this battle had only contributed a few dozen experience points, leaving him more than 300 points shy of leveling up.
But because Marco had completed the two quests, taming the Unicorn and taking Abyss Fortress, his resource points had shot up!
Marco opened his interface and calculated his gains this time!
(Excerpt)
Resources: Gold 2700, Wood 25, Ore 45, Crystal 0, Mercury 0, Gem 0, Sulfur 0.
Quest Log: 1. Driftwood Hall…! (Unfinished) Reward (Gold 2000, Wood 30)
2. King's Hall…! (Unfinished) Reward (Gold 2000, 1 Chest)
3. Abyss Fortress...! (Completed) Rewards (Gold 2000, Ore 30)
4. You have discovered information about a wild Unicorn. Try exploring its location or capturing it. (Completed) Rewards (Magic Wand x1)
Marco, riding on the Unicorn, suddenly had a small magic wand appear in his hand. This was the wand for "Magic Arrow," and it could be used five times.
The moment the wand appeared, it turned into strands of flowing light and flew into Marco's mind. He seemed to have guessed this, so he opened his magic book interface again.
At this time, he found that on the page of destructive magic, the "Magic Arrow" option was already listed, but it didn't show any magic consumption, only a display of 5/5.
Marco's series of amazing actions left Henk, who was accompanying him, dumbfounded. In his eyes, Marco's image had been elevated another notch.
But just then, the Griffin in the sky suddenly let out a loud cry, and the animal companions in the tribe also began to growl uneasily.
Marco and Henk exchanged glances, as if they had sensed something. Marco nodded at him, and Henk immediately ordered the main force to stop.
At this moment, the direwolf Fang, leading the way, along with several Skinchangers, had also run back to the middle of the troops. They reported that a unit was stationed on the outskirts of Griffin Fortress. According to the Abyss Fortress warriors' judgment, those guys were most likely the forces of Driftwood Hall.
Marco immediately gathered everyone for a meeting. Clan leader Henk said that their side had many warriors and that they could certainly eliminate the Driftwood Hall troops if they launched an attack now.
But Marco "resolutely" rejected his proposal. He said to the Crowl Clan warriors that they were now his subordinates and were under his protection. He wouldn't sacrifice his people for victory.
After these words were spoken, only a few tribesmen who spoke the Common Tongue were moved. The others all looked at Marco with blank expressions.
Seeing his attempt to look good fail, Marco could only choose to repeat the original words in the ancient language. After listening, all the tribal warriors cheered.
Fighting means death. Although the Crowl Clan of Abyss Fortress had always been fierce and warlike, that didn't mean they all wanted to die.
After agreeing on the plan, Marco signaled everyone to rest and eat. Since they were close to the enemy, he didn't let them make a fire to cook.
Time went on until night.
Erok, the chieftain of the Styrn Clan of Driftwood Hall, was in an extremely excited and happy mood today. Half a month ago, one of his tribal leaders had reported that a castle had suddenly appeared by the sea.
At first, he hadn't paid much attention, because he had been preoccupied with the news brought by the Northerners. Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort had demanded his submission.
The condition was that the Dreadfort would provide them with food and winter clothing. Skagos Island, being close to the north, had a cold climate, making it impossible to cultivate crops on a large scale. They could only barely survive by hunting and fishing.
This was also why some tribes still retained the cannibalistic customs, as they were simply too impoverished. Erok, the chieftain of the Styrn Clan of Driftwood Hall, was a man of vision.
Ever since he took office, he had built a small port beside the clan fortress, trading timber, meat, and furs with merchants or whaling ship hunters. He also learned a lot of advanced knowledge that he couldn't learn on Skagos Island.
It could be said that Erok was the most "civilized" person on the entire Skagos Island. Of course, all of his changes in thinking were due to his Northern mother.
Since Erok was born, this poor woman who had been taken by force had devoted all her energy to her son.
And Erok had not disappointed her expectations. He used his strength and intelligence to successfully become the chieftain, allowing his mother to live a good life.
He'd always wondered why his mother could read, but whenever he asked, she would say nothing, just look west and silently cry, which troubled Erok greatly.
Since confirming the news, Erok had been gathering information about the castle, though he only received vague, mystical accounts.
However, he did hear one very useful piece of information: there were only around 500 people in the castle, with an estimated 200 or fewer warriors.
Therefore, he led more than 1,300 warriors from his tribe here. He had only just arrived today. After a simple reconnaissance, Erok decided to attack the castle. He spent the rest of the time urging his warriors to build ladders.
From the start, he planned to use a human wave tactic to take the castle. His tribal warriors built over 100 ladders. The Styrn Clan of Driftwood Hall had always been known for shipbuilding, so building these things was very easy for them.
As the sky darkened, the warriors of Driftwood Hall all hid in their tents. The nights on Skagos Island were bitterly cold, and many people didn't want to stay outside.
"Charge!"...
A wave of shouts suddenly shattered the silence of the night. Since most of the tribal warriors had no sense of direction, Marco told them to set fires everywhere in the enemy's encampment.
Afterward, they gathered in the direction of the rising moon. The warriors of Abyss Fortress set fires and hacked their way forward, reaching the moat of Griffin Fortress.
Marco, having ridden a griffin back to the castle in advance, led over a hundred warriors to join those at the base of the walls as the drawbridge lowered.
At this point, the warriors, each carrying a torch, advanced slowly towards the Styrn Clan's encampment in two rows.
The scene was chaotic, with fires everywhere, preventing the Styrn Clan warriors from mounting any effective resistance.
Whenever any warriors gathered, Marco's soldiers would swarm them, scattering them. Many Styrn Clan warriors were either killed or captured.
Erok rushed out of his tent the moment he heard the shouts of battle, but the warriors were in disarray, and he only managed to gather a little over two hundred men.
As the battle wore on, he realized that he had unknowingly been surrounded by the enemy.
Before he could react and prepare to break out, he saw the soldiers around him screaming in agony and falling to the ground.
By the dim firelight, he saw that these soldiers seemed to have had their feet pierced by something. Before he could ask, another scream rang out.
This time, he clearly saw a dozen of his front-line warriors being impaled through their feet by stone spikes rising from the ground. Just like that, Erok suddenly lost his protective force and faced the enemies closing in.
Marco walked out from among the soldiers and said to Erok:
"Erok, Chieftain of the Styrn Clan of Driftwood Hall! Your warriors have all been defeated by me. Surrender! I..."
Before he could finish, he pointed his longsword at Erok's back. A prismatic energy beam shot towards a warrior who was aiming a bow at him.
That warrior, who was preparing to ambush, was instantly shot in the head by a Magic Arrow, blood and flesh splattering everywhere, covering the stunned Erok's face.
Henk, the Chieftain of the Crowl Clan, who was standing beside Marco, swallowed nervously. Thinking back now, he was filled with lingering fear. If Marco had used such a move on him at the beginning, the consequences were unimaginable!
Seeing this, Erok didn't care about the blood covering his face, threw aside his weapon, and knelt on the ground. The surrounding soldiers followed suit, kneeling on the ground as well.
The cleanup after the battle continued until dawn. Taking advantage of this victory, Marco dispatched a force of around 500 men to raid Driftwood Hall.
Led by the archer captain Lauren Hawk-eye and Henk from Abyss Fortress, Marco gave Henk specific instructions before they left, telling him not to engage in any acts of burning, killing, or looting.
He informed him that all the people of the tribes on Skagos Island were his, Marco Belerris's, private property, and no one was allowed to harm them.
Driftwood Hall was only about three days away from Griffin Fortress, and the roads were clear. If it weren't for the approaching winter, everyone would be preparing for the cold season.