I Become a Landlady in the Game World
Chapter 217 - 138: The Fall of a Territory, A New Enemy

Zhou Zhengping and his party were helping Abo Duowei Village fend off the sudden onslaught of attackers.

They had never anticipated that as they were preparing to leave Abo Duowei Village, they would encounter unusual weather. And when they heard from the residents about a special Fire-type Demon Beast that appears during high-temperature weather and decided to stay a few more days, they found themselves suddenly engulfed in Abo Duowei Village’s Territory War, thus being forced to participate in the defense battle.

"Tattered and torn!"

"Blazing inferno!"

"Raging floodwaters!"

"Thunderous wrath!"

...

Various Magic Spells resonated across the battlefield; it was clear that a group of Mages was in combat.

In contrast to the enemy’s relentless advance, the Mages of Abo Duowei Village were mostly focusing on defense.

"Impenetrable!"

"Copper walls, iron barricades!"

"Restoration to prime!"

...

Compared to the to-and-fro of this assembly of Mages, Zhou Zhengping’s group seemed distinctly out of place.

Because the Spells they were chanting, though understandable to them, could not be cast by them. This was a revelation since arriving here; they were dazzled to learn that Mages could have such a variety of attacking methods.

Those who were top-ranking Professionals in Hope Village now seemed like novices here; as now, they could only use the most primitive methods for attack and defense.

However, this wasn’t the main issue. The main concern was that Abo Duowei Village was showing signs of collapse in this defensive battle.

This meant that Abo Duowei Village was at risk of losing the Territory War, or even being breached.

Although they had never witnessed what fate befell the residents of a territory after it had been breached, the local residents had mentioned that if taken over by another Race’s territory, the populace would be plundered as slaves, leading to a life of destitution from which they would likely never return to Human Territory. If conquered by another Human’s territory, the value of the individuals would determine their fate; those deemed worthless might also become slaves to the Nobles.

In short, once a territory was breached, the fate of its residents was essentially placed in the hands of others.

They were now in Abo Duowei Village, and they faced the same risks as the other residents.

"Such bad luck! Had I known, I wouldn’t have stayed an extra day!"

"The attacking village is clearly well-prepared."

"They are all equipped with heat-resistant gear."

"Compared to them, the residents of Abo Duowei Village don’t all have heat-resistant gear; the balance of power seems to be tipped in the opposite direction."

"We must consider an exit strategy."

...

In Zhou Zhengping’s ear, several Professionals couldn’t help but speak up, ultimately holding on to the hope that they could all come out of Abo Duowei Village unscathed.

Zhou Zhengping watched with furrowed brows as the Professionals of Abo Duowei Village, unprotected by heat-resistant gear, were constantly being rotated out.

At first, Abo Duowei Village was able to repel the enemy’s attacks, but as time went by, their defense grew weaker.

He believed that before long, Abo Duowei Village would truly be indefensible.

Zhou Zhengping’s mind raced in an instant.

After a moment, he addressed several squad leaders in his team, "We’re in the midst of battle, and the chances of us leaving Abo Duowei Village right now are very slim; only if Abo Duowei Village falls will we have a chance."

"An ambush when it’s breached?" one person suggested.

"Exactly, after the siege, they can only capture people within a limited time. If we present ourselves as ready for an ambush, they might not focus on us," Zhou Zhengping replied.

This was their only chance; the longer they waited, the less likely they would be able to leave safely.

After all, the attacking force was bearing down with momentum, and with ample preparation, they perhaps sought something more profound than he imagined.

To avoid muddling through this messy affair, their actions would have to be swift, precise, and fierce.

This was their slender lifeline.

"Okay," came the unanimous response.

Immediately after, they started to discuss the formation for their retreat, the direction of exit, and other details.

In times of crisis, everyone was prepared to give their all.

While they were discussing, there were others who had taken notice of them.

"Seems like those tourists have also realized?" Lord Richardson of Abo Duowei Village said tiredly after stepping back to rest following the recent wave of attacks.

But even during his rest, he found no peace.