After managing to safety retreat right back to the camp and with the threat of the golems being temporarily dealt with, the adventurers instantly began their recovery and setting up their preparations for the second try.

"…"

"They are not coming." – said Adam as he stared at the forest.

"Nope. I've checked even with my familiars." – replied elderly elf guild master.

"They are nearby, but it doesn't look like they are moving…. If anything, I think they maybe aim to retreat soon."

"By the looks of things, there is clearly something like leader controlling these things."

"They know that in the open, we will have advantage over them…."

"There is also the fact regarding the first wave of enemies…. They were distraction to keep us occupied and make us let our guard down."

"Not only that, but if we add how second and third wave of these fuckers moved, it only solidifies the existence of the leader."

"And intelligent one on top of that as well."

"Their entire tactic completely changed…. They were expecting us to counter the bomb tactic they used before."

"Yea, they did…." – said Adam.

"I was here last time and I can tell, it was much different."

"Not only that, it seems that the dungeon has evolved."

"There were 3 new brand golems types that were not present during the last war."

"One that was straight up walking ballista."

"One resembling a tank role adventurer."

"And one resembling that dog golem, which far more enchanted abilities across the board."

"….Then, after fighting them, tell me this." – said the elderly elf.

"Is it possible?"

"…"

"Yea. It is." – replied Adam.

"These guys just got numbers, but the problem are these new trio of golems. They are clearly much stronger and much more annoying…"

"Yea…. They do make situation problematic for us." – said the guild master.

"…"

(Although I say that, we managed to keep our casualties to minimum.) – said the elderly elf.

(If we haven't come to assist them and if the order to retreat wasn't given in time…. Then we may even had lost half of our people.)

(These golems… It became problematic…. It is now like playing a game of chess.)

(Still, we managed to obtain a lot of information about the enemy.)

(But how can we use it?)

(This guy Adam is saying that they can beat the golems…. But I can clearly see some loses on our side.)

"B rank adventurers will definitely destroy the stronger enemies all on their own… But what about the others?"

"I don't this was all of the golems…. Maybe there was far more still present in the forest."

"And don't forget about bombs." – said Adam.

"They wrecked us during the last attempt…. But now, I'm equally worried about that ballista golem."

"These are not some sort of big crossbows."

"They are straight up proper ballista."

"Each time they shot one, one of our guys straight up died."

"From what we could tell, they cannot fire very often and there was not many of these golem types out there…. But still. One shot not only could break our lines but also kill one person…. Maybe multiple if people stood right behind the defenders."

"There is also the question regarding the bombs and leaders. Why didn't they used them and 'who' is controlling these golems?"

"….Actually, there was that thing." – said guild master.

"A small golem."

"It was suspected to be either a bomb carrier or a leader…. However, it didn't carried a bombs… So, they are maybe the leaders giving the orders from the shadows."

"Either way, taking down these bastards maybe one thing we need to win this war."

"As for the rest…. Well, we need to somehow make sure that these bastards won't surround us again and we should be able to keep it even."

"…."

"Speaking of which…. I see one."

"They are looking at us." – said the guild master, as he saw through his familiar one of the scout golems hiding amongst the tree branches, starting at the camp.

"…"

(Failure.) – thought Thauma.

(I've had thought I would secure far more sacrifices from the first exchange, but most of the enemies managed to get away.)

(How?)

(Their timing was way too weird.)

(The retreat and reinforcements.)

(They were too perfect.)

(Did I missed something?)

(They needed some way of obtaining information….)

"…"

(My scout golems didn't spotted anything….)

(Maybe concealment type skills? Such as [Stealth] was used?)

(When the people entered the forest before, I've lost sight of them out of nowhere at some points…. Hm… This is truly problematic.)

Even though the first attempt at conquering the forest ended up in the failure, the true winners of this exchange were adventurers.

On one hand, most of the invaders managed to escape and even managed to secure good chunk of information about their opponents.

While on the other hand Thauma not only did not secured enough sacrifices, but it was also lacking important bits of information regarding the enemy.

As of right now, both sides knew simple fact.

The adventurers would win in the head on fight.

However, they would definitely suffer some big loses.

And both sides knew that this can't happened if they wish to raid the dungeon itself.

As of right now, the one at the disadvantage is Thauma, but that doesn't mean that the adventurers will just let their guard down…. No. If anything, they are scared.

They know that their opponents aren't just some mindless brute or beast, but instead an intelligent enemy that can strategies and come up strategies.

It was indeed as the guild master thought.

It was like the game of chess between the guild master and Thauma.

Predict the enemy movement and outsmart them.

One wrong move could mean defeat.

And both sides knew it.

However, the one under the greater pressure out of the two was none other than-

Thauma.

(Shit…. This isn't good.) – thought Thauma.

(Even if I came up with some new strategies, the enemy will do the same….)

(The army of golems that I currently have in the forest won't do…. It will be destroyed.)

(….But I don't need to necessary win.)

(I can replenish my numbers unlike the enemy.)

(It is like the last time.)

(I don't need to totally annihilate the enemy to win this fight.)

(I just need to reduce their numbers to the point they won't think about raiding the dungeon.)

(But…. The problem is how do I do it?)

(I also saw some weirdly stronger individuals in the mix as well.)

(I couldn't get a proper look, since somebody was clearly aiming at my scout golems, but I could tell that in some parts of the battlefield, somebody was making their presence known.)

(Is it one or more person though?)

"…"

(And who? What was their rank?)

(The enemy have information while I other hand lack.)

(Should I play it defensively?)

(No.)

(The enemy wants to me gather up in one place.)

(They want to avoid getting surrounded.)

(If I just focus on defending the dungeon entrance, the enemy will have advantage….)

(Leaving the forest and doing surprise attack is out of the picture.)

(The enemy isn't letting down their guard and are probably ready for my forces to come out of the forest at any moment.)

(Should I start setting up traps?)

(No.)

(Enemy posses some means of gathering information, without me even knowing how.)

(Coming up with new golem design is out of question. Since now more advance golems do take bit of time to make... I can quickly make some simple golem design. It won't be the best, but if I personally make those golems, I could make few.)

(But can I make even a new golem design that will turn the situation around?)

(Dungeon is already producing the second generation of the golems…. But these golems will take much longer to be created.)

(I've already filled to the brim dungeon with this new generation of the golems…. So, I barely have time to make the first generation of golems that can manifest much early.)

(This…. This isn't good.)

(The second generation of the golems is the thing I need, but there is no way the first generation will keep the adventurers long enough for the first generation to manifest.)

(Not only that, but if the second generation manifest while the first generation is already destroyed, then the second generation may end up being easily dealt with.)

(This is truly problematic.)

(I don't think I can stall enemy for long…. I straight up have no means.)

(Nor I have any means of reducing their numbers…. If they truly have means of gathering information's without me realizing…. Then the last attempt at trying to reduce the enemy numbers as much as possible, may had been my last.)

"…"

(Yea…. It won't work.)

(I can't beat them.)

(They will get to the dungeon no matter what I will do.)

(….)

(I really didn't wanted to resolve it inside the dungeon, for the safety reasons.)

(But by the looks of things there is no choice.)

(I will have to exterminate them all once they enter the dungeon.)

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