"Is there really no way? What about forcefully destroying the main structure?"
"Sir Lothar, magic is actually a very rigorous discipline. The permanent nature of the large-scale portal my Teacher built, capable of traversing 'worlds,' speaks volumes about its durability. Perhaps we could destroy a part of it, but I don't think that would be very meaningful, as the true core is absolutely not something we can easily destroy."
Khadgar's words once again dampened the atmosphere on the hill, and Lancer on the other side was also somewhat disappointed.
Although Lancer could use Runes to gain the ability to control ice, he mainly used it. He was far from truly understanding it, so he had no solutions for the Portal. But not understanding did not mean he had no ideas. His original plan was to strap dozens or even hundreds of kilograms of high-explosive ordnance onto the Dark Portal...
That's right, Lancer 'shop' didn't have game-breaking items, but consumables like 'bullets,' 'firearms,' and 'explosives' were available. However, because Lancer himself was not proficient in shooting or using gunpowder weapons, they had been left unused. He thought he finally had a chance to use them this time, what a pity.
Lancer, who had just felt a moment of regret, suddenly remembered something...
"Sir Lothar, do you think we could first rescue those captives?"
"?"
Lothar seemed a little confused by Lancer leap in logic. After all, during the infiltration of the camp, although Lancer didn't say it, he was clearly against rescuing the non-soldier captives. Specifically, he was against rescuing any captives before they officially took the Dark Portal, as premature rescue would only arouse the Orcs' vigilance, which would be detrimental to the overall plan.
"Actually, the biggest problem with rescuing these captives is that once we act, the enemy will definitely guard the other cages and wait for us to fall into their trap, and weapons and equipment are also an issue. However ——————"
Here, Lancer showed a confident expression.
"I have a way to solve these problems, but I need your help."
——————
On the second night, Lancer and the others infiltrated the Orc camp again. The situation hadn't improved much; they still couldn't enter the interior, but the goal this time was not to go inside.
The two quietly installed remote-controlled explosives on the pillars of every cage, and Lancer was very confident about this. After all, unlike the modern era, in the modern era, any normal person who sees a blinking little light and hears a 'tick-tock' sound would first think of a bomb, having watched too many movies. But in this world?
Just like some captured soldiers who accidentally discovered what Lancer and Lothar were doing and looked utterly confused, they had no idea what these things were.
After installing the explosives on most of the accessible cages on the periphery, Lancer took Lothar's 'map,' a personal letter, and a token, and left the team without hesitation.
Time slowly passed like this. On the fourth day after they arrived near the Dark Portal, Lothar, who was resting on a tree branch, suddenly opened his eyes alertly.
Khadgar and Garona were spending almost every day on top of the Dark Portal, researching how to stop or even destroy it, while Lothar used this time to install the remaining explosives on the cages. But today, he was preparing to rest during the daytime, but the commotion in the Orc camp woke him up. He saw countless Orcs seemingly gathering.
His eyesight was not the same as Lancer 'Eagle Eye,' and he wouldn't have even noticed the gathering if the large groups of green-skinned Orcs acting together weren't so conspicuous.
After much hesitation, he decided to approach for reconnaissance, but when he got close enough, his eyes widened. He saw that those Orcs were all wearing strange outfits and holding weapons. A person who seemed to be their leader was surrounded by the crowd and speaking.
'Could it be that those green-skinned Orcs couldn't wait any longer?'
Lothar had previously assumed the Orc population was only in the hundreds or thousands, as the largest Orc force they had encountered until then was only three hundred. But after coming to this camp, he realized he had underestimated these guys. The number of Orcs in the camp was easily in the thousands, a number already comparable to the elite force he had commanded earlier. Even adding transport and local forces, the number would not be twice that of the Orcs, and considering the previous battle losses...
'Once these Orcs launch a general attack, I don't know how long the defense line I set up can hold.'
While looking grim, Lothar was also contemplating one thing ——————
'Should I act early?'
With over ten outposts plus the soldiers captured in subsequent skirmishes, there were hundreds of captured soldiers, plus those strange races they didn't recognize. There were nearly a thousand captives in the Orc camp. Once freed, they could definitely become a significant force, but without weapons and equipment, how much impact could they have against the physically stronger Orcs?
He glanced at the 'secret weapon' Lancer left him —————— a red button protected by a transparent material.
But just then, Lothar suddenly heard the sound of tree branches being pulled apart behind him, and then he saw Lancer riding on a Forest Wolf.
Lancer immediately spotted the marker he and Lothar had agreed upon. When his eyes met Lothar's in the tree, he couldn't help but smile.
"Looks like I'm not too late."
"Yes, the timing is perfect!"
Lothar had previously worried whether Lancer would take the items and run, but later he chose to trust Lancer. After all, Lancer had fought Medivh alongside him. The two were not just comrades; they were comrades who could trust each other with their backs.
"Did you bring everything?"
"No problem! I checked beforehand. Everything is normal. Absolutely no problem!"
"Very good!"
Lothar felt his blood boil at the thought of what he was about to do.
"Those green-skinned Orcs seem to be preparing for a general attack. They are all gathered in that clearing now. This might be the best opportunity!"
"Looks like our luck is pretty good this time!"
Lancer also rarely showed a smile. Although he had been using 'Riding' to switch between various wild beasts for travel these past few days, the journey still left his face looking somewhat windswept and tired.
This time, Lancer and Lothar were not wearing their bodysuits but had changed into their respective armor. Lothar, bearing the Great Royal Sword and holding Medivh's collectible shield, took a deep breath after putting on his helmet. Lancer, standing beside him, gripped his lance and stared straight at the distant Orc camp.
"Lancer, it is an honor to fight alongside you."
"Sir..."
"Call me Lothar. I prefer it when friends call me that."
"Alright, Lothar. It is my great honor to fight alongside you too!"
"Clang~!"
As Lancer voice faded, he decisively lowered his faceguard and raised his long spear ——————
"CHARGE!!!"