Chapter 51: The Snowball Gambit

Xiao An was sprinting across the plains, but suddenly halted at a ruin.

“What is it?”

Bai Yu watched Xiao An sniffing around the ruins, seemingly having discovered something.

“Woof! Woof!”

Xiao An lifted her head, gazing at Bai Yu with large, expressive eyes, then nudged her with her nose.

“That way?”

Bai Yu instantly grasped Xiao An’s intention, urging her to sprint wildly in that direction.

Before long, Bai Yu heard the clang of blades striking flesh, mingled with the clamor of human voices.

From afar, she observed a group of armored maidens locked in battle with swarms of Shadow Beasts.

Though Bai Yu yearned to rush in and aid them, reason compelled her to hold back.

Charging in blindly, without knowing the specific rank of these Shadow Beasts, would undoubtedly be a suicidal act.

Mounted on Xiao An, Bai Yu began to circle the perimeter of the army and the Shadow Beast horde, continuously scouting their positions.

Simultaneously, Bai Yu activated [Kin of the Night], and a fivefold amplification immediately manifested upon her.

This also came with a fivefold enhancement to her vision; typically engaged in close combat, Bai Yu had never truly appreciated the utility of this amplification, but now, she realized the terrifying extent of fivefold sight.

Everything seemed to be right before her eyes; even the beads of sweat on Cecilia’s face and her fair complexion were discernible to Bai Yu with startling clarity.

‘No, this was no time for such observations!’

In a flash, Bai Yu realized that Cecilia was positioned at the very forefront, directly confronting the vast Shadow Beast army.

Truly worthy of being the Knight Captain beloved by her people, for only such courage could command the adoration of her soldiers.

Yet, all of this was merely a dream realm; Bai Yu’s true objective was to restore Cecilia’s original memories.

Her fivefold vision also allowed Bai Yu to clearly discern the appearances of the Shadow Beasts; having already slain a considerable number, she was now capable of analyzing their ranks simply by their outward forms.

After a thorough assessment, Bai Yu breathed a sigh of relief; this Shadow Beast assault did not feature an abundance of high-ranking beasts.

Most were merely First-Tier Shadow Beasts, led by a single Fourth-Tier leader.

Under these circumstances, Cecilia could still cope.

She was currently locked in combat with a humanoid Shadow Beast, its entire body appearing to be covered in blades.

The humanoid Shadow Beast possessed a voluptuous female physique, yet its face was devoid of features, a sight that instilled a flicker of fear in Bai Yu.

Despite its feminine form, Bai Yu harbored no interest in it; such a monster was best eliminated swiftly.

Bai Yu meticulously observed the Shadow Beasts’ movements, striving with all her might to find an opportune point of entry.

Indeed, she intended to take a gamble.

After all, her current meager force of Shadow Beasts, even fighting with all their might, could not possibly overcome this overwhelming tide of monsters.

She required an opportunity, a moment when the lower-ranking Shadow Beasts converged.

In such a scenario, she could swiftly cut in, committing all her Shadow Beasts in a desperate, all-or-nothing gambit.

Like a snowball gathering momentum, her forces would rapidly swell.

Her sole advantage lay in her ability to transform defeated Shadow Beasts into her own troops.

While their individual combat strength might be slightly diminished, this capacity for “war-to-sustain-war” was undeniably extraordinary.

Now, she merely needed a single chance to resolve this battle at lightning speed, simultaneously acquiring a significant portion of the enemy’s forces.

It was a win-win situation, too advantageous to ignore.

However, the Shadow Beasts were moving with extreme swiftness, and having no means of communication with Cecilia’s knight order, Bai Yu’s own forces risked being mistaken for hostile attackers.

Bai Yu began to circle Cecilia’s contingent, drawing ever closer to them.

Before long, someone spotted Bai Yu’s presence, though her petite form initially prevented them from identifying her.

“Knight Captain, a small contingent of Shadow Beasts is circling around us.”

A soldier reported anxiously to Cecilia.

“What?”

Cecilia, having just concluded her engagement with the Fourth-Tier Blade Human, bore a minor injury on her arm, which was currently wrapped in bandages, a consequence of simultaneously commanding her troops.

Cecilia glanced around, and indeed, she discerned a contingent of Shadow Beasts.

However, she immediately sensed that something was amiss.

The types of Shadow Beasts within this group were remarkably diverse and generally weak; only the leading Shadow Wolf posed any discernible threat.

Yet, the idea of a mere Third-Tier Shadow Wolf attempting to ambush them felt profoundly wrong.

Could these demonic creatures truly possess the intelligence for such a coordinated sneak attack?

In Cecilia’s perception, the demonic horde was akin to wild beasts, utterly devoid of intellect.

As she hesitated, the diminutive figure atop the Shadow Wolf suddenly captured her attention.

Though the distance was considerable, a profound sense of familiarity washed over her.

“Princess?”

Cecilia could scarcely believe her eyes.

No matter how she pondered the situation, she could not fathom why the Princess would be present here.

Then, a searing headache assailed her, compelling her to press her hands to her temples.

It was as if some deeply buried memory surfaced in her mind, yet everything she had experienced throughout her life seemed to contradict it.

“Princess…”

Cecilia gritted her teeth, then lifted her gaze, meeting Bai Yu’s eyes across the distance.

In that instant, she seemed to comprehend Bai Yu’s objective, as a profound and ethereal understanding blossomed within her heart.

It was as if she grasped everything in a single moment, fully understanding Bai Yu’s intentions.

“Quickly disengage from the demonic forces! Retreat at once!”

Cecilia raised her sword, shouting to the ranks behind her.

“Retreat!”

The soldiers immediately broke away from the skirmish, wheeled about, and charged straight to the rear.

The demonic horde, caught off guard by this sudden maneuver, failed to react in time, their intelligence seemingly not particularly high.

Upon realizing their adversaries were fleeing, they let out roars like a pack of wolves, lions, and tigers combined, immediately giving chase with furious speed.

The entire demonic host surged forward in a desperate scramble, instantly scattering their formation.

Only the Blade Human, their leader, whose intelligence appeared somewhat superior, remained rooted to the spot, not giving chase, yet failing to comprehend Cecilia’s reason for retreat.

Thus, the demonic forces were split apart, presenting Bai Yu with a prime opportunity.

“Now! Xiao An, attack!”

Bai Yu cried out, yet she herself remained motionless upon Xiao An’s back, directing her low-tier Shadow Beasts to charge through the opening.

Before the enemy Shadow Beasts could even register what was happening, Bai Yu’s own Shadow Beast contingent had already surged deep into their ranks, swiftly devouring, integrating, and assimilating the hostile creatures.

In an instant, like a snowball rolling downhill, Bai Yu’s forces swelled exponentially within mere minutes.

Her forces, now like an encroaching tide, relentlessly devoured the enemy Shadow Beasts.

“Roar! Roar! Roar!!”

The Blade Human seemed to sense that something was amiss, and immediately commanded her main contingent to attack what she perceived as rebellious “kin.”

However, it was utterly futile.

Though they struck down their opponents, the enemy seemed to multiply with each blow, appearing endless.

Meanwhile, her own side dwindled rapidly, on the verge of being overwhelmed by a counterattack.

“Roar? Roar? Roar??”

The Blade Human could not comprehend this phenomenon, but instinct screamed at her to flee as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, she would surely perish here!