"Zeus, that bastard, after hearing the results of Fina's divination, actually planned to lure Rohan's main fighting strength toward Grishmó," Aziz said flatly. "I didn't agree with this move, so I broke away from them. Since I ruined their plan, there naturally won't be any reinforcements."

Fang Senyan and Reef both gasped when they heard Aziz's words.

Who was Grishmó? The commander of the entire two-hundred-thousand-strong Orc Legion! Although he possessed the freakish passive ability of a commander: as long as there was a willing soldier within a hundred meters of him—even just one—he would never fall, his life sustained eternally by the power of Sauron and the Nine Ringwraiths!

However, his unique abilities clearly indicated his importance; history was filled with campaigns collapsing because a commander fell! If Grishmó were to perish, it was highly possible the Orc Legion would immediately disintegrate.

In the original storyline, the Orc Legion was indeed an impressively formidable army. In the age of cold steel warfare, they fought on despite suffering casualties exceeding forty percent, refusing to withdraw. But it was only after Grishmó was killed in action that the Orc Legion finally broke, proving Fang Senyan's inference was not made without cause.

To say Zeus and his group deliberately betrayed Grishmó might not be entirely accurate, given the commander's monstrous abilities.

Upon deep reflection, their objective was quite simple and understandable: utilize the powerful guards around Grishmó and the astonishing strength of the remaining Seven Ringwraiths to stall the enemy, forcing a war of attrition. Amidst the chaos, they intended to lure out Rohan's high-ranking generals and kill them piecemeal. This maneuver essentially meant trading their strong assets against the enemy's, yet the 'Radiance Team' stood to gain immense benefit from it.

But Zeus and his cohort were perhaps too confident. Frankly, this was playing with fire, a massive gamble! While calculating against others, they had simultaneously exposed their own most vital core!

One must remember that according to the flow of events, the Witch-king of Angmar, chief of the Ringwraiths, was destined to fall in this very battle—or more precisely, within the next few minutes, at the hands of Princess Éowyn. And Grishmó was quickly slain by the combined might of Théoden's spirit allies, Imrahil, and Aragorn!

For Grishmó and the Witch-king, this was akin to predestined arrangement. As their allied contractors, they should have done everything possible to prevent this from happening. Yet, the Zeus team, driven by selfish motives, were actively pushing the battle's trajectory in that very direction! If exploited by the opposing contractors, the danger would become extreme.

Aziz's motive was now equally clear: since Imrahil and Aragorn had not appeared, he had gone into hiding, waiting for the perfect moment. His sudden, reckless gunshot that wounded Éowyn was an attempt to halt fate, to draw Éowyn away from the battlefield as much as possible and prevent the Witch-king's demise.

However, how much effect his effort would ultimately have was impossible to gauge, and by acting this way, Aziz was staking his own life on the gamble!

After joining the 'Ace Team,' even the well-traveled Aziz was momentarily stunned by the sudden surge in his Health and Mana pools, muttering with chagrin:

"…This is just too unfair. Your Sailors' team bonuses are ridiculously overpowered! No wonder it's so hard to kill any of you!"

Zi, however, scoffed in the team channel, clearly unconvinced:

"I merged the entire Illuminati into the Ace Team; otherwise, how could the team level possibly be this high?"

Fang Senyan smiled but did not reply, as the battlefield was no place for chatting or reminiscing.

At this moment, Théoden's son charged toward them like a roaring golden lion, raising his steel spear high, ready to smash it down! And Reef, without hesitation, raised his shield to meet the assault!

Reef was certainly capable of blocking that blow; Fang Senyan had no doubt about it. But how much damage this strike would inflict on Reef was the critical factor determining whether Fang Senyan and his companion could take down this foe.

Although Fang Senyan and Reef formed a dual-Tank configuration, strictly speaking, for a BOSS with such immense single-target damage, Reef, equipped with a shield, was the more suitable primary Tank to absorb the damage. If even a normal strike from Théoden's son put Reef on the ropes, there was no point in continuing the fight; they should just retreat immediately.

With a massive Clang, dazzling dark-gold light scattered violently. Théoden's son's blow slammed hard into the side of the shield, deflected sideways, and dug deep into the earth.

When blocking, Reef hadn't just held his shield flat to endure the impact; he had simultaneously angled his shield upwards with a counter-force directed at the side of the spear, redirecting the line of force—a move bearing a resemblance to the yielding strategy of Tai Chi, using minimal force to deflect a powerful blow.

After the impact, Reef immediately reported excitedly in the team channel:

"It only drained about one-sixth of my health. We can try to engage."

Fang Senyan stated calmly:

"Agreed. Let's fall back for now. This guy's legendary sword hasn't been drawn yet, and he hasn't used his cavalry skills. We can't be too optimistic. However, if we want to kill him, we must take out his mount first."

Théoden's son, having missed his target, was also somewhat surprised. His attack combined the force of man and horse, and few could withstand such a downward smash, even an Ogre. As he moved to press the attack, a sudden threat forced him to instinctively block in front of his face. His palm stung, and a bullet struck his gauntlet, exploding in flame and setting his entire hand alight!

In agony, Théoden's son looked up, his single eye turning blood-red. It was that small insect who had first injured his sister and then stolen his left eye. He roared and spurred his horse in pursuit.

However, Aziz had been fighting alone previously, allowing no room for error, and was relentlessly hunted without a moment's respite. Now, with the formidable cover of two Tanks, and knowing that Reef's Divine Grip and Fang Senyan's Awakened Life Sign could offer strong protection, he had ample opportunity to recover, and mistakes could be covered by others. The effectiveness of the retreat was worlds apart.

While executing a tense withdrawal, Fang Senyan messaged in the team channel:

"When I give the order, everyone stop. Only defend passively, no active attacks."

Ronnie, whose killing intent was sharpest, was naturally the most taken aback and immediately asked:

"Why?"

Fang Senyan sneered:

"Remember that Eye-fiend Zi killed? I bet that even amidst this battlefield chaos, someone from the Blue Light Team and that other Maritime Alliance team is keeping an eye on the overall situation. Théoden's son is Rohan's Cavalry Commander; taking him down yields massive rewards. How could those two teams just watch this huge prize?"

A cold glint flashed in Zi's phoenix eyes:

"Are they planning to rush in and ambush Théoden's son?"

Fang Senyan said lightly:

"If I were them, I would too. It doesn't matter; let them have him! The big picture comes first! If they attack Théoden's son, they will inevitably draw the attention of most Rohan cavalry nearby, giving us a chance to go greet Zeus and his crew. Grishmó absolutely cannot be allowed to fall!"

Saying this, a mocking smile touched Fang Senyan's lips:

"More importantly, in the original storyline, Théoden's son survived and was crowned King of Rohan. This guy is already ferocious without even drawing his legendary sword, Herugrim… To survive this meat-grinder of a battlefield, hmph, his true strength is likely far greater than what he's showing. Do those two teams' novice MTs think they can intercept this monster? Dream on! It'll take dozens of lives just to slow him down!"

Fang Senyan's guess was entirely correct. At this moment, both the Blue Light Team and the Maritime Alliance were focused squarely on this area.

"Those two, they are truly strong—no, Reef is strong. He easily weathered Théoden's son's blow, and his timing with Divine Grip to save Aziz was perfect," remarked Periwinkle of the Maritime Alliance. He watched the unfolding scene, his eyes flickering constantly, like the flashing hard drive light when running Crysis 2 on maximum settings across three monitors simultaneously.

"Uh, Boss Lack, do you think we can handle Théoden's son? That's key, and I hope you'll give a conservative assessment."

Laxiri stared intently at the rampaging Théoden's son on the screen, as well as Reef and Fang Senyan, and replied dismissively:

"Of course, I can't."

The color drained from the faces of those around him, but Laxiri sneered:

"But with Heber, it becomes trivially simple. Can I not accomplish what these two clowns can?"

Laxiri was a Beast King MT; he and his pets were intrinsically linked. Periwinkle immediately relaxed with a smile upon hearing this:

"Then it's settled. Since the Ace Team has delivered such a grand gift, we certainly shouldn't pass it up! I've noticed Théoden's son's mount is already formidable, and he clearly cherishes it. He's even taken hits himself multiple times to shield his mount. So, we just need to destroy or severely cripple his mount, and he'll have no choice but to chase us! Although the battlefield is chaotic, isn't this the perfect moment for our Rogue squad to strike?

Meanwhile, Jax of the Blue Light Team gave crisp orders:

"Summon everyone we can spare; we have a big job. Muse, Harry, Doss, Ryman, you four prepare. All potions and items from the team vault will be prioritized for your use. In five minutes, I want you at your peak condition standing before me!"

"I don't expect you to be as powerful as Reef or Sailor, but my demand for you is simple: if we absolutely must take casualties, one person takes the hit, that's all. The four of you will rotate. We have dozens of brothers assisting you in the assault; can you manage that?"

The four individuals named by the Blue Light Team were their specifically cultivated MTs.

Among these four, only Harry possessed the true Tank talent; the others were not professional MTs. This was because excellent MTs were often ambitious and unwilling to serve under someone else. Blue Light Team allowed only Jax's voice to prevail, so his solution was to counter quality with quantity. This way, he didn't need to divert excessive team resources, maintained tight control, and felt no grief if they died, deserted, or betrayed him.

"Now, there's just one remaining issue," Rourke noted. "That brute seems to deeply hate Aziz because he crippled his sister Éowyn's arm and blinded his own eye. So he'll hunt Aziz relentlessly. How do we get Théoden's son to attack us? On this chaotic battlefield, we can't just run over and find them, can we?"

"That's my job," Jax declared proudly. As he spoke, a dark mass materialized behind him, and a ferocious, savage head emerged from the shadow—it was the Ringwraith's mount! A Serpent Hawk! Given the Blue Light Team's strength, they indeed possessed the ability to summon such a monstrous unit!

Rourke expressed concern:

"Won't it be too dangerous for you to go alone?"

Jax responded haughtily:

"If Théoden's son can break through the power of my Legendary equipment, what does it matter if I die by his hand?"

At this moment, Fang Senyan and his two companions appeared to be fleeing in disarray, heading precisely toward the center ground between the defensive positions of the Blue Light Team and the Maritime Alliance! Although the intention behind this maneuver was somewhat obvious, Fang Senyan feared nothing about them seeing through his plan! This was an overt strategy, a naked gambit; even if they knew they were being manipulated, they would act according to his predictions!

With another loud Clang, Reef could not evade and was forced to take the hit again. He was sent flying seven or eight meters by the spear's impact. Rolling up, he spat out mouthfuls of dirt and muttered resentfully:

"Damn it, boss, why haven't they come to relieve us yet?"

Fang Senyan caught an arrow aimed at Aziz mid-flight and, while steadfastly enduring three other arrows, said with certainty:

"They will. The major teams probably need more preparation time. Besides, didn't I prepare a backup plan? If all else fails, I'll go all out. Taking down that brute isn't a bad outcome either."

It was worth noting that King Théoden's cavalry were not just mindless charging beasts. They were a unit falling between light and heavy cavalry, adept at mounted archery, much like Genghis Khan's Kheshig. In the original plot, several massive mammoths had fallen to massed archery. A single arrow was a scratch to a mammoth, but everything has a threshold where quantity turns into quality. Thousands or tens of thousands of arrows saturating a target would eventually overwhelm even a mammoth.

More importantly, Fang Senyan was currently keeping Théoden's son occupied. Previously, Aziz had been focused purely on evasion, weaving through the crowd, making it impossible for most ordinary cavalry to lock onto him. Now, with Fang Senyan and Reef covering him, their speed had slowed down. Thus, any roaming rider who could spare a moment was aiming and firing.

Since Reef was engaged in maneuvering against Théoden's son, Fang Senyan naturally stepped up as the mobile cover. Clearly, for contractors, the long-range damage from arrows was far less threatening than the impact of a speed-boosted cavalry charge. Furthermore, Fang Senyan's innate talent provided a natural counter to this medium-level sustained damage. So, the archers shot with glee, and the one being shot was willing to endure it.

Up to this point, Fang Senyan's progress toward the 'Hedgehog' title had surged dramatically, approaching the benchmark of 2,500—nearly halfway to the full level.

Just then, Fang Senyan felt his vision darken overhead, yet his senses gave no warning. He turned and saw a figure descending atop a Serpent Hawk. This person wore a tight, skin-tight suit like Spider-Man but clutched a trident glowing with dark-gold light, ready to dive down with a furious whistle.

Seeing the trident not only glowed dark-gold but also emitted light so intense it seemed close to solidifying, Fang Senyan realized the weapon was likely a Dark Gold-tier weapon with potential for Legendary upgrade, just like his own Judgment. Although he couldn't discern the person's face, anyone capable of summoning a Serpent Hawk mount at this moment could only be Jax, the leader of the Blue Light Team.

Simultaneously, Aziz suddenly glanced at Fang Senyan. That look was remarkably deep, and instantly, Fang Senyan's attention was drawn to three figures in the noisy, vast crowd.

These three appeared utterly ordinary, even wearing the cumbersome armor of Orcs to conceal their identities. Yet, they moved with incredible speed, passing through the throng as if impervious to dust, bloodstains, or even the air itself—a level of stealth that was breathtakingly superb. Although these three occasionally moved in seemingly opposite directions, Fang Senyan had an unshakable premonition: their destination was here.

It had to be.