chsdbacks Chapter 28 Rangers
Chapter 28 Rangers
Another day of chaos and turmoil.
Although the various clans agreed to provide manpower, the lack of discipline among the savages remained a cause for despair.
Mans had done his best, but he still couldn't guarantee that a ten-man squad could advance or retreat in an orderly line at the same time.
So when he faced tens of thousands of people who were loose and disorganized, even the king of the frontier, who always presented himself as confident and composed, had to show his unease.
He deeply regretted taking this job for himself.
"Free citizens can go wherever they want."
Whenever someone arrogantly utters this classic savage saying, even Mans can't say much.
He could command the savage leaders because they had witnessed Mans's power. The lower-ranking clansmen didn't care about that, and many didn't even know him.
In addition, their weaponry is equally appalling.
Most people didn't even have well-made leather armor, and their weapons were a motley collection, but mainly made of wood, bone, and stone.
The limited metal weapons they possessed were all in terrible condition, almost comparable to the ghouls Lynn and his companions had encountered before; it was unclear where they had pulled them from.
Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that the savages had very low productivity.
So when Lynn saw this situation, he finally understood why Mans always emphasized that those in leather jackets couldn't beat those in iron jackets—it was a complete lag in both organizational and productivity capabilities.
No wonder that all the kings of the northern frontier who went south ended up with their armies wiped out, and the Thron people would rather increase the difficulty of promotion than lead foreigners into battle.
So he abandoned his fantasy of gathering tens of thousands of troops with a single call to arms, and decisively disbanded the troops he had painstakingly assembled, sending them back to await further instructions. At the same time, he rescued the exhausted Mans.
"Let them fight alongside the Thane as families or clans, and abolish the individual merit system in favor of group merit."
After listening to Mans's explanation, Lynn was also at a loss and could only come up with this solution.
"Give them corresponding titles based on their number of employees and set different standards for calculating their merits."
Mans was already familiar with the corresponding system, so Lynn let him set the standards himself, and the more elite raider groups followed the same example.
But Mans refused to let Lynn leave, so the two discussed until late at night before finalizing the new group military merit system.
The core principle of the new system is to allow for free-range operations, issuing only instructions to clan leaders or family deputies, and determining rewards and punishments based on the situation after each battle.
Just as the two of them breathed a sigh of relief, a sharp eagle cry suddenly rang out.
"Six-Form Man" Valamir quickly entered the tent.
"It's Oriel, something's happened to them!"
Oriel's eagle perched on his shoulder, flapping its wings and emitting sharp cries. Lynn could sense intense human emotion in its cries.
This is a sign that a part of the "soul" of a shapeshifter remains in the animal's body after death.
"Can you control his eagle?"
Mans asked immediately.
"I need to know what happened."
Valamir shook his head, but it was clear that he desperately wanted the eagle.
"A horse with a saddle can be ridden by anyone, and a beast that has been mated with a human can be infiltrated by any shapeshifter."
He said softly:
"But not yet. The union is a two-way street. Oriel is consumed by the intense hatred brought on by death; to rashly enter the eagle's clutches would be to be influenced by his emotions, and that would be dangerous."¹
"We must wait until he slowly withers away in the eagle's feathers before we can receive it."
But before Valamir could finish speaking, Oriel's eagle quieted down and gently flapped its wings, landing on the table in front of Lynn.
Lynn's milky-white eyes were open, indicating that he had entered the eagle's body.
There were rumors that Lynn was a sheep spirit shapeshifter, but most people had never seen him.
In terms of shapeshifting abilities, Valamir is exceptionally gifted, and the number of beasts he can control is undoubtedly the largest known. Lynn's shapeshifting ability comes from the Three-Eyed Raven, and his control and proficiency with animals far surpasses Valamir's.
After taking a dozen or so breaths, Lynn withdrew from the eagle's body.
"There were two attackers at the entrance on the other side of Windwhisper Gorge. Oriel said they were crows who jumped down from a higher position to ambush them."
"One of them was named Jon Snow, the bastard son of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell. They captured a spearwoman named Ygritte as a prisoner."
After Lynn finished speaking, he looked at Valamir.
"Oriel agrees to let you receive his eagle, but you must swear before me that you will not drive him away before he dies of his own accord."
Lynn's words shocked Valamir.
His previous statement that he could not yet mate with an eagle was based on his years of experience taking other shapeshifting animals.
If you rush to seize it, you will be affected by the deceased shapeshifter, and this effect is all-encompassing. You must patiently wait for the original owner's will to die out.
But when Lynn entered Oriel's eagle, the whole process seemed too casual.
He could also accurately describe what Oriel saw and thought, which was completely different from Valamir's previous experiences and even seemed somewhat mysterious—Varamir usually could only sense the strong emotions of the deceased.
If Valamir's previous support and following of Lynn was influenced by the legend of the Long Night and the dragon, then now he genuinely feels fear and respect.
Given Lynn's powerful shapeshifting abilities, he could have easily taken the precious falcon for himself, but he chose not to, and instead chose to be generous.
But what Valamir didn't expect was that Lynn was actually just a bit of a germaphobe, both physically and mentally.
And he already has a dragon.
"As you wish, 'Child of the Stars'."
He then solemnly swore that he would never drive away Oriel's remaining spirit when entering the eagle.
After he finished making the oath, Mans immediately summoned Quinn.
"Notify all raiders to get moving. The Ravens have already reached Windwhisper Gorge. We must not let them return alive. Every day we are delayed in exposing this place increases our chances of winning the attack on the Great Wall."
After Mans finished speaking, he glanced at Valamir.
"Take Eagle... Oriel with you and make sure to intercept and kill these rangers."
"Six-type Man"—no, now we should say "Seven-type Man"—Varamir received his orders and prepared to leave, but Lynn called him back.
"If you have the chance, try to capture them alive. Tell the raiders that capturing a live ranger will earn them double the merit."
Valamir hesitated for a moment, then nodded and left, leaving Mans somewhat puzzled.
"Lynn, the Freemen and the Ravens are sworn enemies, and their hatred for the Rangers runs even deeper. It will be very difficult to get them to capture you alive."
"That was before."
Lynn said with a smile:
"These days, crows represent double the military merit. Isn't that what the raiders risked their lives to cross the Great Wall and sneak into Seal Bay for?"
Mans thought it made a lot of sense, but still had some doubts.
"But what's the point of capturing them alive? Only elite rangers can penetrate deep into Frostfang; they're unlikely to surrender or reveal any information."