Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V3C23

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Chapter 23: Expansion, Part 4

listened to the faint rustling of birds flapping their wings in the distant forest, a chill running down her spine.

Beside her, stood silent. The two women—tall and small—were momentarily frozen atop the wooden wall, bathed in the cold light of the moon.

Who could say what dangers lurked in the shadows? Antietta imagined the bounding through the forest, their heavy footsteps snapping dry pine branches with sharp cracks. Soon, they would emerge from the dark woods, encircling the .

The first wave of cave dwellers came from the direction of —about thirty in total, identical to those seen earlier that afternoon. The scouts Yuta had sent were no match for them, but fortunately, she’d dispatched cavalry instead. At least they could retreat back to the mill.

The cave dwellers pursued the retreating horsemen closely, knowing they would return to the lumber mill. If the humans inside opened the gates to let their comrades in, the cave dwellers planned to seize the chaos as an opportunity to storm the compound.

But Yuta wasn’t so naive. She immediately ordered stationed on the outer wooden fortifications to unleash a rain of arrows, while simultaneously signaling for the gates to be opened for the cavalry’s escape.

The crossbowmen released their strings, and a row of white lines shot out from the wooden bastions.

The synchronized volley struck the cave dwellers like an invisible whip, scattering their ranks. Yet the true damage was questionable. Antietta watched as several fallen cave dwellers rose again; only five or six remained motionless on the ground.

She drew a sharp breath. Though she’d fought these creatures from earlier that day, she’d been at a distance with , far removed from the grim reality now unfolding before her.

Still, finding no opening, the cave dwellers quickly retreated, leaving behind five or six corpses.

“Scouts,” Yuta confirmed, her gaze fixed on the forest where the cave dwellers disappeared.

“So this is the first group since the afternoon?” Antietta murmured. “If they haven’t regrouped, these might be from the nearest lumber mill. But it seems they didn’t wait to rally their numbers.”

“How do you know?” Yuta turned, surprised by how quickly the girl had reached her own conclusions after asking questions moments ago.

“The guide from briefly described the situation in the surrounding areas,” Antietta explained matter-of-factly. “Clearly, those cave dwellers weren’t moving as fast as horses.”

“Vanguard,” Yuta replied.

“They probably realized we’re not numerous,” Antietta added. “After letting so many escape this afternoon, hiding our strength isn’t possible.”

Neither dwelled on the topic further. It was obvious they hadn’t had the chance to stop the cave dwellers earlier, and without ’s tactics, victory itself would have been improbable.

Their conversation soon ceased.

For as the scouts withdrew, the main force emerged from another side of the forest—a hundred cave dwellers advancing along the riverbank, maintaining a parallel course with the mill’s outer wooden walls.

“What are they doing?”

A face suddenly appeared between them. Roma’s wide eyes sparkled like black gemstones as she leaned over the parapet, curiously watching the long line of cave dwellers outside.

“Surrounding us,” Antietta frowned. “It seems they plan to wait here for reinforcements from other lumber mills.”

“They underestimate us?” Yuta muttered, eyeing the single-file formation of cave dwellers along the riverbank. Impulsively, she suggested, “Shall I send to charge them?”

Opening the gates for a counterattack now would surely yield significant advantage.

But Antietta, though visibly tense as the cave dwellers slowly turned the mill into an isolated island, remained composed. After a moment’s reflection, she shook her head. “No need.”

“Hmm?”

“If they’re setting up a perimeter, it means they won’t attack immediately. Isn’t that precisely what we wanted?”

“Weakening their numbers slightly would ease our defense later,” Yuta remarked, giving Antietta another glance. The young noblewoman’s composure left an impression—but the mercenary leader quickly dismissed the thought. “Though you’re right. We’ll likely face a thousand or more of these creatures soon. A hundred fewer won’t make much difference—and even with this number, we can’t guarantee wiping them out…”

She seemed to be convincing herself as much as stating facts.

Antietta didn’t respond but inwardly shook her head. A thousand? Brandon had informed her there were at least three thousand cave dwellers active in this region.

Yet larger numbers meant slower assembly. By the time they launched their assault later that night, Antietta estimated well over half their forces would surround the mill. As for the rest, she hoped Brandon’s assessment was correct—that these creatures weren’t adept at surface sieges.

Her nervousness betrayed her, yet Brandon had never exaggerated.

The silver moon climbed higher above the hills.

As moonlight bathed the valley, Brandon finally spotted his target. Narrowing his eyes, he identified a gaunt cave dweller witch doctor flanked by towering . Though the figure vanished amidst the throng within moments, Brandon committed its general location to memory.

It was now past midnight.

He reset the ‘Roshar's Market’ card, placing it horizontally once more. Six wealth points flowed into his treasury. With preparations complete, he lowered his gaze to survey the assembled horde below—a staggering multitude divided into three groups. He guessed at least half the region’s cave dwellers were stationed beneath this very lumber mill.

Gazing at the dense array of spears, Brandon furrowed his brow.

The bad news was that both he and would have to locate their target amidst this army. Even with Gold-Rank strength, navigating through hundreds of iron-rank creatures felt daunting.

The good news? It was still easier than navigating the labyrinthine tunnels carved by cave dwellers underground. Brandon recalled his days in games, charging recklessly into such mazes alongside companions like Cinnabar. Back then, no one stopped them—but predictably, they ended up lost for nearly a week.

Standing, he beckoned to Cinnabar, who sat idly nearby.

“Follow me.”

“Now?” The red-haired girl blinked.

Brandon nodded.

They slid silently down the slope, dense chestnut trees shielding their descent—though it hardly mattered. Cave dwellers relied less on sight and more on acute hearing, capable of detecting human footsteps from hundreds of meters away.

That was for ordinary humans, however.

When Brandon and Cinnabar emerged from the forest, the first to notice them were several bear goblins patrolling the outskirts. The hulking brutes wielding flails stared in shock, unused to such encounters. For a brief moment, their limited minds struggled to process the situation before emitting low, guttural roars.

The roar spread across the valley like wildfire.

Clang—

Brandon deflected a flying morning star with a swift slash, splitting it cleanly in two. Tilting his head, he allowed the severed halves to pass harmlessly by.

Raising his head again, he observed the commotion among the cave dwellers and bear goblins. Panic rippled through their ranks, spreading like contagion. Information traveled slowly, and reactions took even longer.

But Brandon had already calculated the distance to the witch doctor. Flicking his middle finger against the blade, he leveled his sword and swept it horizontally, releasing a crescent-shaped gust of wind.

The pressure cleaved through the bear goblins first, cutting them down like wheat before a scythe. Their massive forms crumpled in unison, bisected at the waist, blood spraying outward. Behind them, a swath of cave dwellers fell too.

This display terrified the subterranean creatures. Though classifications of power differed between Yhaggoroth and the surface world, Gold-Rank strength commanded universal awe. The cave dwellers shrieked in terror—discordant noise to Brandon’s ears—and scrambled backward, retreating like a receding tide.

The effect was more dramatic than any game mechanic could simulate.

Though morale systems existed in games, none approached this level of exaggeration. Even Brandon was taken aback by the impact of his strike. But it was advantageous. Seizing the moment, he plunged into the retreating mass.

Cinnabar followed closely behind.

Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, the finally identified the source of the disturbance. Shaking his oversized head, he seethed with anger and frustration. How could mere humans disrupt his painstakingly assembled forces?

But realization dawned swiftly. Those humans were heading straight for him—and fast. Through the echoes of sound waves, he sensed them closing the gap by dozens of meters in mere seconds.

This was not a good sign.

Tagib grew frantic.

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