At the same time.

The temporary camp was bustling with activity.

Elise and Sulfur Vine were busy treating the wounded, while the Giant Blade Squad, along with Reya, Laisa, and others who didn’t quite have the chance to join in the battle earlier, were helping set up traps and warnings.

The uninjured Royal Guards were responsible for the perimeter watch, while Henry, Gregory, and Baron Olsen, among others, were discussing strategies.

"Have all the Griffins been dispatched? I refuse to believe they’ll block us this time!"

Henry looked grim. Just when he was about to return to the Royal Capital with the Necromancy Crystal, they were suddenly stopped. The feeling was terrible.

It was worse than when, a few years ago, he was with a noble lady and her husband burst in unexpectedly.

"I’ve contacted them. They are on their way," Gregory nodded, "However, should we wait here, or retreat towards Mill Town while waiting for the Griffins?"

Hearing this question, everyone fell into deep thought.

Waiting would allow them to set up early warnings, making it somewhat safer, but it seemed a bit passive.

If they chose to retreat towards Mill Town, there was no guarantee the other side wouldn’t launch a second attack on the way.

At this moment, Baron Olsen suddenly asked, "Do you think the opposing side knows that we can summon the Griffins again, so why do they still prioritize killing them first?"

"In just about ten minutes, the second group of Griffins should arrive."

"Exactly! Which means they’ll launch the second attack ten minutes later, just as the second group of Griffins arrives?" 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Wait, isn’t it..." Henry suddenly thought of something and said.

But before he could finish,

Suddenly!

"Enemy attack!!" a loud shout came from a Royal Guard outside.

Everyone’s expressions changed as they turned their heads.

Not far from the west side of the temporary camp, "Shield of Winter" Olaf was smiling as he pulled his long sword out of a Royal Guard’s abdomen and then charged rapidly towards them.

The opponent audaciously launched a second attack just like that!

"Quick! Stop him!"

The other Royal Guards rushed forward to block, while the Giant Blade Squad, Laisa, Reya, and others tried to attack with bows, crossbows, and throwing weapons.

"Damn it!" Henry’s face grew dark with anger. He didn’t expect the opposition to launch a second attack so quickly. He said to Gregory, "Commodore Gregory, hold them off as much as possible!"

"Cret Squad, focus fire on Olaf! I refuse to believe we can’t take him down!"

"Yes!"

As both sides engaged in their second clash.

In the sky to the north, unnoticed by anyone present, a figure holding a hammer and shield flew at high speed.

Upon seeing the battle breaking out, the figure accelerated, seemingly intending to join in, but quickly sensed something and instead landed swiftly in the snow, vanishing immediately thereafter.

Seconds later.

Just as Olaf had drawn most of the attention within the camp, on the offensive side, which was the west side of the camp, the previously invisible Secret Master Salno suddenly appeared.

He was already chanting and casting, targeting the position where Elise and Sulfur Vine were.

But just at that moment,

Suddenly!

Salno’s heart rang with alarm!

The sudden sense of danger felt like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head, causing him to stop the casting of the Fifth Level Spell ’Death Cloud Spell’ without hesitation, and his figure instantly transformed into mist, disappearing from the spot.

In the next instant, his figure appeared more than ten meters away from his original position.

Salno turned around sharply.

What met his eyes was a young man dressed in linen undergarment, wielding a hammer and shield, bringing down a silver warhammer heavily on his original position.

"Buzz!"

The opponent’s warhammer, wielded with ease and precision, did not continue to smash down after seeing Salno instantly evacuate, but the gust stirred up by the warhammer swept the snow on the ground clear.

"Who are you?"

Salno hesitated as he sized up the young man who attacked him, his mind racing.

The strike from just now revealed a profound mastery of the warhammer, suggesting the person was a Warrior skilled with the weapon, yet his attire seemed odd.

If he were a Warrior or Paladin, he would typically be clad in plate or chain armor, yet this person was only wearing a simple linen outfit.

Moreover, his sudden appearance at Salno’s back seemed to have employed some special stealth spell?

A monk?

In contrast to the cautious uncertainty in Salno’s eyes, as soon as Raine landed, he tapped his toes on the ground and immediately used Barbaric Charge, rushing towards Salno.

Raine knew well that though Secret Master Salno was a Transcendent, like Olaf, Mages were by far the most difficult Transcendents to kill.

Not only did they have numerous survival methods, but some of the spells they mastered were not only powerful but also strange and peculiar.

But one thing he could be certain of was that mages at any level would avoid close-range combat at all costs.

Seeing Raine’s Barbaric Charge, Salno naturally regarded it as the common combat skill ’Charge’ seen in combat professionals, and immediately felt relieved.

’So he’s just a Warrior, then there’s nothing to worry about.’

’The stealth he used just now must have been due to a scroll.’

Salno thought to himself.

"Fog Spell!"

With a point of his staff, a large dense fog with a diameter of about twenty meters appeared before him.

Then he cast a Shield Spell on himself, with a faint black-shimmering shield rapidly encircling him.