Crossover Anime: I Became Invincible Starting as an Ajin

Chapter 157 Ambush and Retreat

The team quickly set off, heading swiftly towards the valley to the northwest.

The atmosphere was tense, and everyone gripped their weapons tightly.

Wang Bai felt a vague unease; the direction and timing of this rout seemed somewhat deliberate.

But he had no evidence, so he could only remain vigilant and instruct Guts to stay close to him and be ready to use "Dark Wings" at any time.

They soon discovered traces of the enemy in the valley: scattered equipment and the embers of a recently extinguished campfire. Everything indicated that the enemy had just left and seemed quite flustered.

"Chase them! Don't let them get away!"

Gambino, captivated by the "victory" before him, led the way into the depths of the valley.

However, as they ventured deeper into the valley and were about to catch up with the "rout army," the terrain ahead suddenly opened up, and the outline of a fortified town appeared in the distance!

Meanwhile, the "defeated army" was fleeing in panic through the wide-open city gates!

"Damn it! They've entered the city!" a mercenary cursed.

Gambino reined in his horse, his face grim.

Attacking a well-prepared town with his limited manpower would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

He made a quick decision and ordered the rear column to become the front column, preparing to return along the same route.

But it was too late.

The moment they turned around, countless flags suddenly appeared on the previously silent hillsides on both sides of the valley!

The sound of the bowstring vibrating was like the whisper of death, and a dense rain of arrows poured down from both sides!

"There's an ambush!!"

"We've fallen for their trap!"

A scream rang out instantly!

Lacking heavy armor protection, the mercenaries fell in droves under the rain of arrows.

Gambino's eyes were bloodshot as he brandished his longsword to deflect the arrows, roaring as he tried to regain his footing.

"Form ranks! Break through to the valley entrance!"

However, the enemy was far better prepared than they had imagined.

From the direction of the valley entrance came the heavy sound of horses' hooves and the scraping of metal—the enemy's heavy infantry and cavalry had blocked the way.

Their escape route!

This is a meticulously planned trap!

The Gambino mercenary group was clearly a pawn thrown in by their employer to test the depth of the trap!

"Raka!"

Guts cried out in alarm amidst the chaos as a stray arrow grazed his cheek, leaving a trail of blood.

He instinctively tried to rush forward, but Wang Bai grabbed him.

"Don't move! Stay close to me!"

Wang Bai's voice was cold and composed.

His body was directly enhanced using magic, and Wang Bai's senses were amplified several times over.

The trajectory of the arrows, the enemy's position, and the chaos on his side were imprinted in his mind like a clear map.

He shoved Guts behind a huge rock and picked up a tattered shield left behind by a dead mercenary.

Gus watched Wang Bai protecting himself, anxiously wondering what to do.

He suddenly remembered that just now, his brother Laka had given him something.

"Wings of Darkness!"

Gus realized what was happening and mentally communicated with the "Dark Wings" in his arms.

Three eerie flying insects silently disappeared into the shadows, heading towards the direction where the archers were most concentrated on the hillsides on both sides.

The next moment, a few brief exclamations and commotions came from the hillside.

Although the visual interference ability of the Dark Wings was weak, it disrupted the aim of some archers at a crucial moment, giving the mercenaries who were struggling below a brief respite.

But this level of interference is far from enough.

The enemy infantry phalanx began to advance steadily, while the cavalry patrolled the flanks, looking for an opportunity to charge.

The mercenary group's formation was on the verge of being completely broken.

Just then, Wang Bai made a move.

He's no longer hiding it!

That six-year-old body, enhanced by magic, unleashed astonishing power and speed!

The tattered shield in his hand seemed to come alive, accurately deflecting incoming arrows, and his figure moved through the crowd like a ghost!

The martial arts skills he learned in the world of Wandering Swordsman were now being used to their fullest potential by Wang Bai.

He would sometimes strike enemy infantrymen's knees with the edge of his shield, accompanied by a sickening cracking sound.

Sometimes he would crouch down and lunge forward, precisely stabbing the gaps in the enemy's armor with a short sword he had picked up;

He could even use the terrain to leap up briefly like an ape and attack the cavalryman's horse's legs!

His movements were concise, efficient, and ruthless, without any unnecessary frills.

Every strike is aimed straight for the vital points, like a precision machine born for killing!

"That—that's Raka?!"

"Good heavens! What kind of monster is he?!"

The surviving mercenaries could hardly believe their eyes as they watched Wang Bai stir up a small ripple in the enemy ranks.

This usually quiet child displayed martial arts skills and bravery that far surpassed those of these experienced veterans!

It even far exceeded the fighting power that a mercenary could muster, giving the impression of a war god in the mortal realm.

Gambino also saw Wang Bai's performance, and his eyes were filled with shock and complexity.

But he had no time to think, as the pressure from the enemy was mounting.

"Move towards Raqqa! Break through!"

Gambino gave the order in a hoarse voice, and the gap that Wang Bai had inadvertently opened became their only hope.

The group charged towards Wang Bai with all their might.

Wang Bai fought and retreated, always protecting the flanks of Ges and the main breakout direction.

Wang Bai's superior martial prowess and exceptional killing efficiency instilled fear in his enemies.

Even some people who were blinded by rage, upon seeing the heads flying up and the corpses falling around Wang Bai, instantly calmed their feverish minds.

No one expected that this child would actually turn this desperate situation around.

However, just as they were about to break through the valley and see a glimmer of hope, "BOOM!!!"

A deafening roar came from the side and behind!

Flames appeared, and thick smoke billowed!

It's artillery!

The enemy even prepared artillery!

Although it was just an old, small field gun, its power was still terrifying at such close range!

Some mercenaries nearby were unfortunately caught in the artillery's range, and with just a scream, they fell from their horses.

One of the shells landed near Gambino!

Although he reacted extremely quickly and dove to the side, the blast wave and flying shrapnel still sent him flying!

"Father!"

Gus exclaimed.

Wang Bai's pupils contracted, and he immediately rushed over.

Gambino lay on the ground, covered in blood. His left leg below the knee was a blur, with white bone fragments mixed with flesh and blood exposed to the air, and blood gushing out like a fountain.

His face was deathly pale, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, but he gritted his teeth and did not faint.

Seeing Gus instinctively rush to save Gambino, Wang Bai had no choice but to grit his teeth and go to his aid.

The two children each took one arm and supported Gambino's body, placing him on the horse.

Wang Bai tore off a piece of his own clothing and quickly tied it tightly around Gambino's thigh to temporarily stop the surging bleeding.

However, after such a delay, the breach that had been created was now blocked by the ambush.

Wang Biao looked at the few trusted mercenaries around him who were still able to move.

"That gap has only just closed; it's still a weak point, so we still have a chance."

Wang Bai tried his best to boost morale.

Wang Bai, who has been reborn in a disguised form, is now actually six years old. Excessive use of enhancement magic would be too much of a burden on this body.

The only option was to get everyone to follow him and charge at the weakest point in the encirclement.

He had already made up his mind that if all else failed, he would have no choice but to run away with Gus alone.

"Carry him over! Charge with me! Anyone who doesn't want to die here, follow me!"

His voice carried an unquestionable authority.

The surviving mercenaries looked at their heavily wounded leader and the child who seemed to be possessed by a god of war.

Driven by the instinct for survival, they lifted the Gambino and, following behind Wang Bai, launched a final charge towards the valley entrance.

锋。

Wang Bai took the lead, channeling his power into his limbs. The broken shield and short sword in his hands danced like a storm of death, tearing a bloody path through the enemy's encirclement!

When they finally broke out of the valley, shook off their pursuers, and fled into the dense forest, the mercenary group, which originally numbered nearly a hundred, was reduced to less than twenty men, all of them wounded and in a sorry state.

The group stopped at a relatively safe stream.

Gambino was in a semi-comatose state due to excessive blood loss and excruciating pain. The herbalist accompanying the group looked at his gruesome severed leg.

shook his head.

"It must be amputated—otherwise, if it gets infected, it will surely die—"

There was no anesthetic, and no proper tools.

In an extremely rudimentary and painful process, Gambino's left leg was sawed off at the knee.

He let out a beast-like scream before finally losing consciousness.

Wang Bai stood aside, silently watching all of this.

He also had a few wounds, but compared to others, he was much better off.

Even with these few wounds, Wang Bai can recover completely in no time.

Gus stayed close to him, watching the unconscious Gambino and the dejected mercenaries around him. His small hands were clenched into fists, his eyes filled with lingering fear, anger, and an indescribable thirst for power.

This time, it was Laka who saved him and everyone else.

Wang Bai stared at the faint outline of a town in the distance, his eyes cold.

Betrayal, sacrifice, the survival of the fittest—the cruelty of this world was once again displayed before him in the bloodiest way.

Gambino was in a coma, writhing in excruciating pain and high fever, with dark red blood still seeping from the bandages wrapped around his broken leg.

What worried Wang Bai even more was the chatter among the mercenaries around him.

The remaining twenty or so mercenaries sat around the fire, the atmosphere somber and oppressive.

Whispers began to spread among the crowd like a plague.

Even though they were whispering, given Wang Bai's physical abilities, what he said was practically indistinguishable from a whisper.

The relief of surviving the ordeal was quickly replaced by the cruelty of reality. Their leader was seriously injured and on the verge of death, the team had lost more than 80% of its members, most of its weapons and supplies were lost, and, more importantly, they were ruthlessly betrayed by their employer and used as pawns to test enemy traps.

"Boss Gambino—I'm afraid he won't make it?" a mercenary with an arrow wound on his face said hoarsely.

"Even if we pull through, without a leg, can we still be our leaders?"

Another voice chimed in, deep and gruff, with undisguised suspicion in its tone.

"A mercenary group cannot be without a leader—we need to choose a new one."

"I am a relatively older mercenary named Buck," said in a deep voice. He was one of the veterans in the group.

"Who should I choose? You? Or me?"

Some scoffed, "With so few people, can we even call ourselves a mercenary group? We might as well disband and go our separate ways!"

Despair and confusion enveloped everyone.

They were used to taking on missions, fighting, and dividing the spoils under Gambino's leadership, but now that the pillar has collapsed, the road ahead seems shrouded in darkness.

Just then, a calm yet exceptionally clear voice broke through, shattering the suffocating discussion.

"Disperse? And then what?"

Wang Bai walked over at some point, the bloodstains on his body already dried, and his childlike yet excessively deep eyes swept over every mercenary present.

"Be swallowed up by other gangs like stray dogs?"

Or perhaps you could rob a village and then get hanged by the lord?

Or do you think those who betrayed us will let us leave alive and spread the scandal of using allies as bait?

Wang Bai's calm tone shattered everyone's illusions of escaping reality.

The mercenaries fell silent, their gazes fixed on the child before them with complex emotions.

He was just a child, but the sense of oppression he brought was even heavier than that of Gambino.

Especially the words spoken by the other party—this kind of foresight for the future is something only a leader could conceive of.

Furthermore, the mercenaries present all knew that what the other party said was very likely to come true.

"Gambino is not dead yet."

Wang Bai's voice carried an undeniable firmness.

"As long as he's alive, he's the leader of the Gambino Mercenary Group. That's the rule."

"But Raka—" Buck tried to argue, "his leg—"

"Legs gone, but brain still intact!"

Wang Bai interrupted him, raising his voice slightly.

"He led you through so many years of chaos; his experience and his judgment of the situation are unmatched by any of you! Now that he has fallen, instead of thinking about how to shoulder his burden, you're rushing to replace him? Is this what you call loyalty and righteousness?"

His words were forceful and made the mercenaries who had just suggested changing their leader blush and lower their heads.

Wang Bai walked to the center of the campfire. Despite his short stature, the aura he exuded at that moment overwhelmed everyone.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Wang Bai understood that they had taken his words to heart.

So the most crucial thing now is to restore the team's morale and cohesion.

This kind of situation is usually achieved through money and beautiful women.

But now they have nothing left.

However, there is something that can generate even greater cohesion than money and beautiful women.

Hatred, or rather, a common enemy!

"I know what you're afraid of. You're afraid that without Gambino, the mercenary group will be finished, and that we won't be able to survive."

He abruptly changed the subject, a fire igniting in his eyes that was entirely different from their discussion of survival: "But have you ever considered why we must be like rats, used and abandoned, struggling to survive in the mud?"

"That lord who used us as bait must be drinking fine wine in his castle right now, laughing at our foolishness and incompetence. His betrayal not only killed dozens of our brothers, but also trampled on the last vestige of dignity of the Gambino Mercenary Group!"

Wang Bai's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the crowd: "Are you all willing to accept this?"

"So, you just run away like a stray dog, and then rot away in some unknown corner?"

Or perhaps—

He paused, his voice filled with allure and power.

"We'll make him pay! We'll wash away our shame with his blood, and rebuild our mercenary group with his wealth! Let everyone know that the Gambino Mercenary Group is not a pawn to be discarded!"