Duan'er and the main Werewolf force, hidden on the slope, couldn't see the prison and were therefore unaware of the events occurring near it. However, since they had come to rescue the captured Werewolves, they naturally needed to find out exactly where the Steel Fang Wolf Pack was being held.
Thus, Duan'er dispatched Scouts in other directions toward the human camp to determine the Steel Fang Wolf Pack's location and then devise a rescue plan.
However, Duan'er never expected the message brought back by the Scouts: the Steel Fang Wolf Pack had defected to the human Lord.
Duan'er was unwilling to believe his loyal warriors would betray him, but the Werewolf patrol he had just seen inside the human camp told him it was very likely true.
"Traitors! We must capture them all and tear them to pieces on the Red Mud Wetland. Let the piranhas eat their flesh and gnaw their bones!"
Feeling betrayed, Duan'er walked to the top of the slope, his eyes blazing with rage as he stared at the Werewolves patrolling inside the camp below.
He tilted his head back and let out a long howl.
The Werewolves hidden behind the slope joined in, their pack howl rising under the full moon.
Their voices shattered the night's tranquility, penetrating Yan Xing's territory.
All the farmers at work panicked; some dropped their tools and fled toward the protective walls.
Olaf and his warriors halted their patrol, turning to face the direction of the howls.
It was a signal of intimidation from their own tribe, and also a call.
If he responded with the same howl, it would prove he hadn't betrayed the tribe. Duan'er would then immediately lead the pack in an attack on this territory, swiftly conquering it by striking from both inside and out.
Olaf did not hesitate long. He led his pack in an answering howl.
It was the pack's warning howl, telling invaders not to enter their territory.
"Damned traitors!"
Duan'er, his suspicion of the Steel Fang Wolf Pack's betrayal confirmed, grew even more furious. He wanted to launch an immediate attack on the human camp, to unleash his fury through slaughter.
But reason stopped him from acting impulsively.
The defenses of the human camp before him were peculiar, and now an elite Wolf Pack had defected to them. Furthermore, the limited visibility at night was not conducive to an attack. Duan'er also needed to understand the surrounding situation. After all, humans held vast power on the Wildwind Highlands, and he had to confirm there were no other human camps or ambushes nearby.
He decided to wait until dawn for the scouts he had dispatched to return before deciding how to attack the human camp.
Duan'er stood on the hilltop, taking one last look at the human camp encircled by wire mesh fences. Then, he descended the slope and said to his pack, "Our position here has been exposed. We must move immediately! You, go back to the Red Mud Wetland at once. Bring fifty Werewolf Warriors as reinforcements."
The Werewolf he addressed exclaimed in shock, "Clan Leader! If we summon another fifty warriors, our defenses at the Red Mud Wetland will be dangerously thin. The surrounding Werewolf Tribes will definitely attack us once they discover our elite warriors are not in our territory."
Duan'er had already brought sixty Werewolf Warriors with him this time, leaving their territory's defenses vulnerable. If another fifty warriors were summoned for support, only She-Werewolves and cubs would remain.
Of course, Duan'er was aware of the risks.
But the human camp was too tempting; he had to leverage the full strength of his clan to secure victory with minimal losses and as swiftly as possible.
As long as they could plunder the farmers, iron, and supplies within the camp, his clan could secure a dominant position around the Red Mud Wetland and proceed to absorb the neighboring Werewolf Tribes.
Since it was a high-stakes gamble, he naturally had to wager all his chips to increase his chances of winning this war.
"I am the Clan Leader! My words cannot be defied!"
At Duan'er's tone, the addressed werewolf immediately turned and dashed off into the night.
Under Duan'er's command, the pack quickly relocated, leaving their now-exposed encampment.
From within the protective walls, Yan Xing listened to the howling outside cease abruptly and observed the reactions of the human farmers and Werewolf warriors to the sudden event.
On the battlefield, one really couldn't hold overly high expectations for farmers, nor should one make excessive demands on them. Farmers were ultimately not combat units. To safeguard this territory, it was essential to upgrade the territory and construct the humans' Second Order recruitment buildings as soon as possible.
Within his domain, Gao Sipa was overseeing more than twenty farmers in the urgent construction of the village-level Council Hall, the pivotal building for the territory's development, which was entering its final roofing stage.
If they worked overtime tonight, the village-level Council Hall would be fully constructed by tomorrow morning.
With the establishment of the village-level Council Hall and the farmers' huts, the militia barracks and the militia training ground would be unlocked.
The militia barracks would enable the recruitment of a certain number of human militiamen each week. Militiamen were the humans' Second Order combat unit and the foundational soldiers of the human army. Some farmers who met the promotion standards could be upgraded to militiamen in the militia barracks at the cost of a certain amount of God-given gold coins.
The militia training ground allowed for basic combat training for farmers. Farmers who met the promotion standards could advance to militiamen in the militia barracks.
One could tell from the name "militiamen" that they weren't particularly powerful fighters. But, being Second Order combat units, they were surely stronger than farmers and could probably contend with First Order Werewolves. If the territory was to become strong, he couldn't rely on just nine Werewolves.
After the howling ceased and no attack from the pack materialized, Yan Xing started planning the construction sites for the militia barracks and the militia training ground.
Housing for the farmers also needed to be built. People couldn't live in tents forever, and sturdy buildings would also serve as good defensive structures.
All night long, Yan Xing's territory bustled with efforts to reinforce its newly formed defensive system.
At dawn, Olaf guided all the farmers working outside back behind the protective walls.
After everyone had eaten, they rested in shifts, conserving energy for any possible attacks.
Yan Xing, accompanied by Gao Sipa, entered the newly completed village-level Council Hall.
It couldn't yet be called a village-level Council Hall. Without recognition from the territory system, it was merely an ordinary hall with three-meter-high walls. Since it was newly constructed, the brick walls were bare, the cement used as adhesive hadn't dried thoroughly, and the floor was just packed earth.
Gao Sipa was very pleased with the building and said excitedly to Yan Xing, "My Lord, the bricks and cement you provided for building work are really convenient! If we had to use stone and wood, just the shaping process would take more than a day. Now, with the materials you've provided, not only is construction fast, but the buildings are also sturdy and look good.
"With the experience from building this hall, we can be even faster in the future."
Right now, Yan Xing didn't care about the speed at which the farmers could build houses in the future; his only concern was whether this hall could gain the territory system's approval.
He opened the territory system and selected "village-level Council Hall construction."
[A building that meets the standards of a village-level Council Hall has been found. Would you like to designate it as the village-level Council Hall? Note: Once designated, the village-level Council Hall cannot be changed.]
Seeing the prompt, Yan Xing's worries finally eased.
He chose "Yes."