As the first light of dawn approached the horizon, Avi found sleep elusive. He sat by the campfire with Irean and Resarit, their voices hushed as they deliberated over their next strategic moves.

"The situation is crystal clear: if the next assault maintains this ferocity, defense would be futile," Avi's countenance darkened. Surveying the wreckage of the wooden fortifications and camp gates, he grasped the formidable might of the minotaurs. It was evident that their current forces wouldn't withstand another wave of similar magnitude.

"We've received the casualty reports," Resarit interjected, locking gazes with Avi. "Ten fatalities, thirty-nine wounded, with twenty-six incapacitated and unable to fight again."

"Yes, indeed. That's why I once contemplated withdrawing from this post," Avi responded, meeting Resarit's stare. "Survival must take precedence; I won't condemn our people to senseless deaths."

"You mentioned 'once'," Resarit narrowed his eyes, the fire's orange glow flickering. "Does that mean you've had a change of heart? Care to elaborate?"

"...Because I remain convinced that the main thrust of the horde's attack won't be directed here."

Avi picked up a twig and began sketching on the ground, referencing the map before them. "Here's our encampment, here's the forest, and here's Midenhime. Currently, we're situated between the two."

Pointing the twig at the circle representing their outpost, Avi continued, "The Margrave of Miden tasked us with defending this point, yet neither he nor the provincial army regards us mercenaries, nor you, the outsider, with any importance. So, what does that signify?"

"It signifies insignificance," Resarit smirked. "At least Old Boris doesn't intend to stage the battle here. Given his temperament, he'll target the horde's leader—One-eyed Kazak. Their enmity runs deep."

"Enmity... indeed," Avi glanced at the panel, displaying only one sentence: 'Boris blinded Kazak's eye in battle, and the latter later sought revenge in another skirmish.'

"In essence, you believe this won't be the horde's primary target, which is correct," Resarit's tone turned chillier. "But have you considered that even diverting a fraction of their forces would suffice to overwhelm us here multiple times over?"

"Of course, I have," Avi sighed, outlining a larger circle around the outpost to represent their defensive perimeter. "Hence, I intend to establish this area as an early warning zone, dispatching patrols incessantly day and night. Should we encounter any signs of enemy activity, we'll seize the initiative."

"A shrewd plan, yet somewhat naive. Beastmen excel at finding concealed paths. How can you ensure your scouts will detect them?"

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"In times such as these, beastmen are notoriously difficult to control, especially when consumed by bloodlust and the desire for battle. They often act independently. Hence... what I require isn't information penned on parchment or bark but lives."

"Good, but how will you determine this safe distance?"

"I have my ways. Although we are in the wilderness here, Midenhime is not far away. Boris, despite his strength and bravery, is not foolish. He wouldn't put such an important city as Midenhime in jeopardy. If it's really necessary for us to retreat, there will naturally be people to hold off the horde for us."

Avi finished speaking and waved his left hand to shut off the panel. To the onlookers, this gesture appeared to be merely swatting away insects.

"And if there aren't?"

"There are." Avi pointed in several directions. "Here, here, and here."

"These three positions all had smoke from cooking fires at dusk. I had Airen and a few cavalrymen scout around. They could hear some sounds of people and horses about two to three kilometers away."

"So, these people went out to do this. Well done."

Resarit ran his fingers through his grizzled beard. "Though I don't know how you did it, you seem to have an excellent grasp of the terrain and distances around here—at least you've shown that. So, I'll take a gamble and reintroduce myself: I'm Resarit, an old soldier."

"Avi, the leader of the Blood Hunters Mercenary Group."

"As I mentioned earlier, you can freely deploy me and my riflemen. We both now serve under your command."

Resarit's tone this time was particularly excited, as if he could already foresee himself experiencing a thrilling battle—a battle he had been seeking since coming to Midenhime for many years.

The next morning, Avi, who had not slept all night, stood in the center of the camp and issued his orders: the infantry continued to cut wood and build defensive works around the perimeter, while the sharp-eyed hunters and riflemen kept watch, and the cavalry patrolled the areas he designated.

Everything proceeded in an orderly manner, which further raised Resarit's estimation of Avi and heightened his anticipation for the unfolding situation.

In reality, Avi's ability to make these deductions and predictions wasn't solely due to his own efforts; a large part of it was thanks to the Mount & Blade system—under such conditions, a detailed and clear map with accompanying annotation information was more important than anything else, and the "Lore" skill provided this invaluable tool.

After this period of training and yesterday's intense battle, most of Avi's companions had leveled up, and many had promoted to higher-tier units. Besides the standard attribute bonuses, skill allocation was of utmost importance.

Airen reached level 25, putting all attribute points into Constitution to meet the skill requirements and unlocking and upgrading the "Brute" skill. Rafe reached level 26, distributing attribute points into Agility and skill points into upgrading "Weapon Mastery 5".

Unfortunately, Manid, who had not participated in the battle, regretfully did not level up, but his time spent in merchant work had slightly increased his Intelligence and Charisma.

Avi himself raised his Constitution attribute to 30. As for the skill point, he hesitated between "Brute" and "Lore 3" for a long time but ultimately chose "Lore 3".

It turned out he made the right choice. Almost as soon as the upgrade was completed, a brand new map panel appeared in front of him—like the large 3D maps in Total War or Mount & Blade games, displaying a detailed and realistic 3D map.

This was undoubtedly something every commander had dreamed of.

"Next..."

Avi looked into the distance, feeling somehow that there would be several more fierce battles to come, and they would certainly not back down.

"What will happen next?"