Age of Adventure

Chapter 21: CREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

A man is seeing pacing around the war tent while looking at a person sitting on a wooden chair calmly thinking

He is thinking of many things and one could see the nervousness on his face.

This act did not serve to alleviate his worries. He shakes his head and then he said

"This is bad, Aero" Dan was exasperated. Aero is still pondering on some other matters. His mind is thinking and he is calculating things

"This is really bad" Dan repeated, looking accusingly at Aero.

"I know. I know. You don't have to say it twice." Aero raised his voice as his concentration was broken.

He sighed and then he rubbed his forehead. He knew himself the situation is not exactly ideal for his army.

It is clear Aero is also worried. The defending forces of Vanheim are about to run out of arrows and supplies while being besieged by Kyle superior numbers of soldiers.

It is like trying to stop a flood with a bag of sand

There is also the matter of morale.

Many of Vanheim magicians were dead or injured in the recent battles. Thankfully their healer division is still alive and refreshed.

They act as medic in the battlefield. To be deprived of them would really be bad news. .

They have been providing support to the soldiers since the siege began. But considering that there are many injured soldiers sometimes the healer couldn't save everyone.

And Aero was not na?ve enough to think he could hold out in this Fort for a very long time.

To hold out in this Fort with the circumstances he is saddled with it is simply too difficult to do.

And Aero don't fight in a battle he can't win. His eyes are seeing more than just this battlefield.

What people don't understand about warfare, what Kyle doesn't understand about warfare is that one battle rarely affects the result of war.

Especially when it is not yet the crucial battle

And this is just the beginning of the war. In Aero eyes, Kyle did not capitalize exactly the advantage he has been given.

Then Aero mind is back on the magician division flaws in the recent battle.

Vanheim magician's range of attack is not that large. And the enemy knows that. Kyle at least was not entirely stupid.

He also targeted Aero support division.

Cut the supplies and the army will crumble. This is Military tactics 101

The warriors, Knights, heavy infantry, light infantry even the cavalry couldn't play their role effectively because they are in a Fort defending.

Not to mention for the cavalry their playground is the open field not in a fort

Though the warriors and Knights will be useful if the Fort is infiltrated, but their usefulness will be only to delay but not to turn the battle around.

And Vanheim don't have an all-conquering hero like Zeus.

The cavalry and the Knights and warriors will act as their defensive line and support the healer division…at least now that is their role since they have been besieged

And now even Vanheim archers are about to ran out of arrows. The nearest supply center is in Derka state.

That is too far and Derka also need to be reinforced. Aero knew he needed to find a way to solve this problem…and he needs to solve it fast.

The military officials under him were all discussing on how to defend the Fort last night.

Aero is only listening, his eyes is half closed, fanning the feather fan, wind on his face as he is thinking about something else

But even though there were many suggestion Aero knows that their plans is not feasible

Aero speculates that tonight Kyle will begin attacking using his archers troops to sow chaos.

Aero on the other hand don't have any arrows to shoot with.

Aero and his soldiers are literally sitting ducks in this Fort. They have bows, but not enough arrows

If Kyle realizes this situation he will not hesitate to try to charge the Fort. After thinking for a long time, and a lot of tea to calm his nerves, Aero has found a way to remedy the situation.

Thinking about it, this is also a tactic he once read up on. He almost smiles as he thinks about it.

He shares his solution with his commanders and they all agree to implement his plan. Even Dan brightened up

Aero satisfied with his solution, fan himself with his feather fan, his eyes bright and a smile on his face.

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"Collect straws and bring it to the supplies room" Amy ordered the troops that morning. The orders were straight and precise yet it was a weird order.

The troops and the players were confused. Still they followed and obey her orders. They gathered straws from morning to night and were doing it discretely as they were ordered.

Aero and his officers only look at this scene without explaining anything.

Then, that night Aero ordered his men to make straw dummies and to dress them in black uniforms.

Straw dummies is not exactly hard to make by any standards

Quickly the troops began to work. There is much curiosity what will Aero do…but some of those soldiers who have brighter minds have already speculated what the strategist will do

"What is he trying to do?" one player asked the other player who is busy tying the straw

"I don't know, but just do it. He is the leader of the army." Another replied

Many players were perplexed as what Aero was thinking.

That night at Aero order, the dummies were lowered over the city walls by ropes, accompanied by the beat of war drums and gongs.

The drum beats like a thunderous roar in the silent surrounding barricaded by the forest and the sound of insects.

The gongs were struck upon like the sky is cracking open and falling down.

The entire forest was woken up alive as the drum and gongs create melody that seems to want to defy the whole forest and the whole world.

It was a valorous melody that incite the bloodlust and courageousness of a person. Just by listening to it make people blood boils with desire to do battle.

Aero ordered the troops to play the drums and hit the gong as loudly as they could and like ordered they play it as loud and as provocative as possible.

Aero was smiling and was even slightly shocked of how domineering the melody that is produce with each strike on the gong with each pounding on the drum.

Seeing this display the troop mainly players troop have finally understood what is Aero trying to do combined with the straw dummies at the top of the fortress.

"So this is what he's trying to do" a player said.

"Brilliant strategy." praised another

"This way we can conserve our strength. It is not wrong to trust his reputation after all" exclaimed another player

The troops in the Fort were waiting to see whether Aero plan will work. That night before the plan was to be enacted, a woman appears. Her face was covered by a translucent silk mask.

In her hands is a stringed instrument. In a way it looks like shamisen or pipa.

She put her fingers on the stringed instrument and the moment she flick the string, a melody sounded in the entire fort.

Then Aero sings

'I sing to the distant sky, beyond the floating clouds afar

Over the sea, across the rainbow

Hoping it will reach you,

The emotion in my heart overflow,

The place of dreams where I will wake up someday

Hoping to always smile for eternity, But I have to leave this dream,

My enemies awaits,

I will stride past on their corpses and protect my dreams'

Even now the winds are blowing

There is tomorrow, there is a future

So, do not give up'

It was a song with melancholic tone in the beginning but raises up into an up-tempo melody and inspiring song.

Aero had a Bard composed the song for him. There is the fact that the song makes them remembers why they are fighting and why they should keep fighting.

If Xiang Yu army could be defeated by a song, why couldn't he Aero inspire his soldiers with song?

At the same time, Kyle who was preparing his archers to attack the Fort was startled when he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from the Fort.

War drums and gong noise filled the Fort and the soldiers in the Fort tighten their fist and grip their weapons tighter

A powerful killing intent surfaces from the Fort like a beast being caged that is about to be unleashed.

Believing Aero is launching a surprise night offensive with the sudden pounding of the drums and the striking of the drums Kyle was shocked and panicked.

The sound was enough to make him panicked as it could rupture one eardrums if one is too close.

And when panicked, one might make stupid decision

He in his panicked state quickly ordered his archers to shower the figures descending the walls with arrows.

"Shoot at the Fort. We are under attack! Shoot them dead!" Kyle shouted.

The other military officials of Vetten seeing their commander giving such orders also order the same to their units.

The soldiers aim their bows and with one order the arrows was released from their bows.

Thousands of arrows were shot. That night it was like the place was raining arrows.

The arrows were like raindrops and the already dark sky was covered by the thousand arrows and the sound of the night beast was overshadowed by the screams of men shouting to shoot arrows.

The arrows covers the moon and it was like huge rain is falling down upon the Fort

The more arrows that were shot towards the Fort the louder the gongs, the louder the drums become, like they were not afraid and will never relent

Song of courage was sung all over the Fort, and the Song sounded like a shouting. It could make a men blood boil with courage.

This somehow instilled fear in the hearts of Vetten soldiers making them shoot more arrows to the figures on top of the Fortress.

In the dark night seeing this scene from the safety of place, Aero smiles.

Using this strategy Vanheim soldiers pulled the straw dummies riddled with arrows and then quickly changed them to new straw dummies collecting thousands of arrows each time.

Once again the dummies were riddled with arrows and once again they were brought down and replaced.

They repeated this routine until almost dawn. Vanheim army is not tired because of the routine but it is their vocal cords are tired.

They even have to pretend like some of them were hit and screams like they were hit by arrows.

That is how the Vanheim troops restored their supply of arrows in one night.

All the troops in the Fort rejoiced after that even though their eyes are bloodshot and their voice is hoarse.

Their commander didn't disappoint them. Dan was watching all of this from night till dawn and he is in amazement.

So does Raina and Amy.

"Once again, huh" Dan said.

"He's pretty good" Amy said nonchalantly, crossing her arms in a sulking gesture. Dan just shakes his head.

"No doubt, the smartest person I've ever met." Raina added

"Didn't I say it would work? That Kyle is impulsive. He didn't even try to confirm whether what he was shooting are truly our troops. Hahaha" Aero laughed an evil laugh as he fans his face with a smug look on his face.

At least that's what it looks like to Dan, Amy and Raina. At dawn when the sun shows it face, the look of shock filled the Vetten troops.

They finally realized what they were shooting all night. Then Aero strolled around the highest floor of the tower and yelled to the Vetten troops.

"Thank you Sir, for giving us arrows last night. We were almost out of arrows and did not think you would be so generous to help me replenish my supplies. Really appreciate the help. We will not forget to repay you in kind. HAHAHAHAHA"

He did not forget to fan his face with the feather fan before retreating back

The Vetten army was humiliated and insulted. Kyle is the one most affected especially after he had seen the face of his officers looking at him full of pity and scorn.

It's the type of expression he dislike the most.

Especially with someone with such a high pride like him.

Kyle in his rage ordered attacking the walls again. The Vanheim army now armed with arrows again, used them to kill the Vetten soldiers.

Killing with borrowed arrows.

Thousands of arrows were traded with each other, countless more bodies piled the forest and a new river of blood is formed in the subsequent battle.

The Vetten soldiers that were already weak and deprived of sleep were easily killed by the downpour of arrows and magic attacks.

Kyle lost about twenty five thousand troops trying to attack the walls recklessly. It was more like he was throwing twenty five lives without thinking about it calmly.

Aero did not even step out of his tent. He let his soldiers did all the work while he reaps the EXP.

At the evening, the Vetten troops retreated back to their camp exhausted and frustrated.

Morale was at its lowest as they buried their comrades

"That Aero! He's toying with me!" Kyle said in anger, slamming his hand on the stone table in his war tent

His face was red and he was in bad mood since morning or more specifically since dawn. No one dared to approach him.

"Patience, General Kyle. You should go out and inspire the troops. Their morale is at the lowest." Chris tried to calm down Kyle.

Kyle also noticed that the morale in his camp is low so he decided to go out and talk to his troops.

But before that he needed to eat and drink first. He nodded and said with a gentle tone towards Chris

'You are right. I will repay him later'

He is too angry right now. He also knows it too. He needs to calm himself down. Then when he was about to enter the cafeteria he heard people conversing about something.

A conversation that made his blood boils with rage.

"No wonder that Aero is called a great strategist" this is Carl voice.

A player in the archer division.

"Well, I guess that title was not for nothing" another player remarked

"Kyle is a mercenary. Compared to Aero, what is he? Leading the army is not his style."

Another player offered his opinion

"Did you see when he yelled at Aero? The dude was just like "I'm just waking from my nap, why bother me". That was cool on so many levels" a player said in an excited tone

Another player nodded

"Yeah, and who would thought he would use straw dummies to deceive us. Maybe I am a player in Vetten but I could not help but admire his brilliant strategy. Kyle is just relying on our massive numbers. He could not even recognize that Aero was baiting him to attack" another player added.

Kyle was clenching his fist. Aero has brought him this great humiliation. Even his troops are losing trust in his leadership.

Even though they are his troops they were singing praises of Aero. Then Kyle remembered his early days.

Kyle played this game at first just to enjoy the game.

Then somehow he ended up becoming a mercenary that helps many clans because of his talents in using destructive magic.

But the others players didn't even respect him. Frustrated of his own bad reputation, he tried to change that.

So then he tried do some quests to gain respect from the other players. But people still think of him as just a mercenary.

Why Zeus is respected but not him?

Aero was just a new player but his exploit in Vanheim and the respect he gets in the forum was more than the respect he ever got.

People called him hired hand. Some even called him the servant of clans. Some even called him as clans' dog.

No clans want to accept him. He is regarded as only hired hand, talented as a magician but not someone they can trust in a family of friends and companions.

A clan is built with family and trust, one of the commanders of Leo clan once told him. With this war he wanted to change that perception of him.

He is determined to change the perception that other players have of him.

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That night once again Kyle heard the war drums and the gongs. Kyle was certain that Aero is trying the same trick to get more arrows for his army.

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice--- Does Aero intend to insult my intelligence?!

"Should we attack?" Chris asked.

"No. This is just his trick again. We will just wait until their army exhaust their supply of arrows. Tomorrow we will charge the Fort again." Kyle said.

He believes that if he keep charging at least two more days, Aero troops will exhaust their arrows and that will be his chance.

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"Aero, they did not fire the arrows."

Dan was waiting to store the arrows but Kyle troops did not fire their arrows. Aero did not frown and did not seems disappointed.

Instead a smirk is forming around the edges of his mouth. And Dan knew that Kyle is in a world of hurt.

'You are thinking of something bad aren't you Aero?' Dan asked. Aero did not deny, only a smile on his face.

"He is Even better that I thought….Hahahaha. He truly did not disappoint me. People truly are like moving patterns. The probability remains the same. So predictable" Aero then laughed.

Clearly Aero has something else planned. After confirming that Kyle did not attack even though the gongs and drums is being pounded, Aero went out form his tent

Then Aero picked about six hundred elite troops consisting of warriors, fighters, Knights, Heavy infantry, and spearman to accompany him.

He rides his horse in front of them and then address them

"Do you know why I picked you all?" He asked as he look at the people he recruited.

"No. Why?" a player asked

"We're going to give Kyle's troops a surprise. We will raid their camp." Aero said while grinning.

The players was eager as they have seen the feats this player called Aero has achieved.

They trusted Aero strategy. After explaining the situation, the players laughed and are eager to enter into battle.

Unsheathing their weapons they rides outside.

BOMM, BOOM, BOOM

Accompanied with war drums they opened the gates and rode to Vetten war camps with their fastest speed they travel like the wind and they intend to strike like lightning, swift and destructive.

"Let's show them our strength!!!" A knight yelled

"YEAH. Let us bathe with the blood of our enemies tonight!!" the other replied.

When they arrived, like a trampling Titan they rode in and slaughtered wreaking havocs like a madman that is high on blood and gore.

Their warhorses stomp the bodies of the people who were lying down, their maces shatters heads and skulls, their spears stabs and pierces while their swords slashes and cut.

Blood red was the grass, shrieking sound fills the verdant forest as the avengers of death reaps souls

They totally caught the Vetten troops by surprise. Unprepared, and unguarded, many Vetten troops died that night in terrifying and painful ways.

Aero also joined in the fun.

"Let's find Kyle and let see whose head will be on the spike!" Aero roared on the battlefield.

Aero started charging in and fighting the enemy troops. Seeing this other players were also motivated.

Aero then was greeted with a status window.

Because of your intense fighting morale increased by 20 %

+ Troops attack increased by 20

+ Troops speed increased by 15

+ Endurance increased by 10

Aero roar motivated the other soldiers and they fought like they were crazy. Some cut of a head and then use that head top bash other people head.

Some were shot in the eye. That soldier pull the arrow from his eye, his eyeball stuck at the edge of the arrow. He took his eyeballs and eats it and continue fighting.

For players if they are about to die, the most important thing is how they die. No one wanted to be remembered as a coward player.

They could afford to do so since not all players have powerful items.

The Cavalry and the Knights used their horses to stampede the retreating soldiers.

Combined with their speed and slashing around from horseback it was a great way to break the enemy spirits.

The cavalry also tossed out explosives and torches to tents and camps destroying important supplies for the Vetten troops.

They also intended to burn the camp. Now that they are unprepared, it was the perfect chance to recreate that fire attack again.

On the other hand, the heavy infantry moved in a uniform formation and stabbed the Vetten troops that were defending the camp in a slow march.

The defending troops didn't even stand a chance. The Fighter class type players were jumping around killing people barehanded.

Their agility and precise attack is used perfectly in this battle. The cavalry archers were also using this chance to shoot the Vetten troops from horseback.

All those types of different classes worked flawlessly in this raid.

Like a Viking raiders of the ancient past, they were in ecstasy from battle like they were asking Odin to bring them to Valhalla and dine with them.

They did not even fear death at this point so much so that even the NPCs soldiers were influenced.

Aero could not be prouder. And he too was in ecstasy.

The sound of screaming turns into music to his ears and the wailing turns into a melody and the more the music sounded and the more vibrant the melody the faster he became, slashing heads and ending lives

All the players that Aero brought were enthusiastic about this raid because they have been stuck in that Fort for days now.

While the archers were busy racking contribution points, the other types of players like warrior type and strength based classes could not do anything.

This is the time for them to release their pent up feelings and rack up achievement.

All throughout that night, all around the forest fierce battles ensued. With fire as their background it was truly a magnificent battle

Aero was wondering if he should give this video to ETV3 to broadcast it so many players will watch it.

I mean this is not normal. Aero heart was beating so fast he thought it's going to explode. This is it! Excitement! This is what people want!

Then he continued to wade in the battlefield and killing Vetten troops alongside his soldiers.

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