SSSSS-Rank: Negative Leveling-Chapter 77: Attrition 2.0

The Syndicate didn’t attack the second night, which was somehow worse than if they had, the waiting let exhaustion and paranoia do their work on the defenders. Luthra spent the day walking the walls, watching the enemy camp, noting how they repositioned forces and dug new trenches closer to the settlement.

They were learning, adapting to the trap networks and defensive positions, the next assault would be smarter.

"They’re building siege equipment," Jako reported during the afternoon strategy meeting, the tracker pointing to sketches he made from telescope observations, "catapults, maybe battering rams, they know our walls are reinforced but they’re going to test them anyway."

"Let them," Khorvash said, the dragonkin looked tired but ready, "my fire will melt their siege weapons before they get in range."

"Unless they bring water mages to counter you," Misha said, her administrative mind already working through scenarios, "or earth specialists to repair damage faster than you can create it, they have the resources for a prolonged siege, we don’t."

Luthra studied the map spread across the table, the settlement was marked in red, Syndicate positions in black, coalition allies scattered across the region in blue. "How long until the coalition can send reinforcements?"

"Three days minimum," Misha said, "Thalia’s refugee camp is mobilizing fighters but they’re mostly untrained civilians, Gareth’s compound has experienced hunters but they’re defending their own territory, Finn’s merchant network is supplying intelligence but no troops."

"Three days," Luthra repeated, running the numbers in his head, food supplies, ammunition, defender stamina, "we can hold that long if casualties stay low, but if they breach the walls or we lose key personnel the math changes fast."

Kane leaned back in his chair, the older hunter’s expression thoughtful as he considered the strategic problem. "You’re thinking about this wrong, you’re playing defense when you should be playing offense, make them react to you instead of the other way around."

"We’re outnumbered three to one," Borris pointed out, the former Syndicate enforcer knew their tactics better than anyone, "offensive operations would leave the settlement vulnerable."

"Not if you’re fast enough," Kane said, "hit their supply lines, burn their siege equipment before they finish building it, kill officers and spread chaos, make them pull back forces to defend their own camp instead of attacking yours."

Luthra considered the suggestion, it was risky but Kane was right about the strategic shift, defense was slowly losing, they needed to disrupt the Syndicate’s rhythm. "We’d need a small team, fast and hard hitting, in and out before they could respond."

"I volunteer," Khorvash said immediately.

"Obviously," Luthra said, "Kane, you’re with us, Misha stays to coordinate defense, Borris and Jako hold the walls."

"What about me?" Rebecca asked from the doorway, the girl slipped into the meeting unnoticed, her stealth skills improving daily.

"No," Luthra said without hesitation.

"I killed two people last night," Rebecca’s voice was steady but there was an edge to it, "I’ve earned the right to fight."

"You’ve earned nothing," Luthra said, his tone flat, "killing doesn’t make you ready for a raid behind enemy lines, it makes you someone who’s killed, there’s a difference." He saw her face tighten with anger and frustration, the need to prove herself warring with the knowledge that he was probably right.

"I’m fast, I can use fire magic for distraction, and I’m small enough to slip through gaps your team can’t," Rebecca pressed, listing tactical advantages instead of emotional arguments, smart girl.

Luthra exchanged a glance with Kane, the older hunter shrugged, leaving the decision to him. ’She’s going to sneak after us anyway if I say no, better to have her where I can see her.’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

[Recommendation: Allow participation with restricted role, psychological damage from exclusion after recent combat initiation would be significant, she needs to feel part of the team to process her first kills in healthy context.]

"Fine," Luthra said, watching Rebecca’s eyes widen with surprise that he agreed, "but you follow orders exactly, no heroics, no improvisation, you do what I say when I say it or I will personally drag you back to the settlement and lock you in the safest room we have."

"Understood," Rebecca said quickly, before he could change his mind.

The raid launched two hours after sunset, four figures moving through the wasteland in near-silence, Luthra leading with Khorvash and Kane flanking, Rebecca staying close behind using her size to minimize her profile. The Syndicate camp was organized chaos, soldiers preparing equipment, officers shouting orders, sentries posted but focused outward toward the settlement.

They didn’t expect an attack from this direction.

Luthra’s Corruption Field was suppressed to minimum radius, conserving energy and avoiding detection, they moved between tents and equipment stacks using darkness and distraction, every guard rotation creating brief windows of opportunity. The half-built catapults were their first target, massive wooden frames that would bombard the settlement if they were completed.

"Rebecca, small fires at the base, make it look accidental," Luthra whispered, "Khorvash, wait until she’s done then turn it into an inferno."

Rebecca nodded and crept forward, her fire magic manifesting as tiny sparks that landed on oil-stained wood and dried rope, within seconds smoke was rising, then small flames, then someone was shouting about a fire and soldiers were rushing with water buckets. Khorvash waited until a dozen Syndicate troops were clustered around the catapult trying to save it, then she exhaled, her dragon fire was concentrated into a thin stream that ignited everything it touched, the catapult became a bonfire in seconds, the soldiers scattered screaming as their clothes caught fire.

Chaos, exactly what they needed.

While half the camp was focused on the burning siege weapon, Luthra’s team moved to the supply tents, food, water, medical supplies, the logistics that kept an army functional. Kane’s war hammer made short work of support poles, collapsing tents and trapping supplies under canvas, Luthra used his corrupted energy to ruin stored food by accelerating rot and decay, months of preserved rations becoming inedible sludge in minutes.

"Officer tent, northwest corner," Jako said earlier from his telescope observations, marking the location where the Syndicate commanders planned their attacks. Luthra spotted it now, larger than the others, guards posted, light from mana lamps visible inside where someone was still working late into the night.

"That’s our exit message," Luthra said, "Rebecca, you’re lookout, Khorvash and Kane, we’re going in hard and fast."

They crossed the open ground in seconds, too fast for the guards to react effectively, Luthra’s fist caught one guard in the throat before he could shout, dropping him choking, Kane’s hammer crushed the other guard’s knee and followed with a blow to the head that put him down permanently. They burst into the tent to find three officers bent over maps, all B-Rank based on the mana signatures Luthra sensed.

One of them was already reaching for a weapon, the frost sword woman from last night, her face showing recognition and rage combined.

"You," she hissed.

"Me," Luthra agreed, then his Corruption Field expanded to full radius and consumed the mana lamp’s light, plunging the tent into darkness.

The fight was brutal and close quarters, three B-Ranks in an enclosed space with backup seconds away, this wasn’t about winning, it was about making a statement and getting out alive. Luthra focused on the frost sword woman because she was the most dangerous, her blades were already manifesting ice despite her earlier weapon being destroyed, new swords enchanted and ready.

She was fast, faster than last night, angry and focused, her strikes were precise attempts to kill rather than test, Luthra blocked with corrupted energy barriers and countered when he could, each exchange of blows creating shockwaves that tore the tent fabric and scattered maps. Kane was fighting two officers simultaneously, his hammer moving in controlled arcs that kept them defensive, preventing them from coordinating against Luthra.

"Time to go!" Kane called out, the distinct sound of more soldiers approaching from outside making the decision urgent.

Luthra grabbed one of the scattered maps, the movements shown were obviously battle plans, then he punched the frost sword woman hard enough to send her through the tent wall and into the mud outside. "Consider this a warning," he said to the stunned officers, "every night you stay, we’ll come back, every resource you bring, we’ll destroy it, you’re not sieging us, you’re feeding us targets."

Then they were running, Rebecca appeared from her lookout position with eyes wide at the destruction they created, the team sprinted through the camp as alarms sounded and soldiers scrambled to respond, confusion working in their favor as no one was sure if this was a full assault or a raid. Khorvash breathed fire at a supply wagon to create another distraction, the explosion of stored mana crystals lighting up the night sky in brilliant flashes.

They reached the perimeter and kept running, Syndicate pursuit forming but too slow, too disorganized, by the time the enemy coordinated a response Luthra’s team was already a mile away and moving fast across terrain they knew better than their pursuers.

The settlement walls came into view, torches lit and defenders ready in case this was a feint for another attack, Luthra gave the all-clear signal and the gates opened just long enough to let them inside before slamming shut again.

Misha was waiting with a damage report in hand, the settlement took no casualties while they were gone, two Syndicate probing attacks were repelled with minimal ammunition expenditure, the raid was a complete success by every metric.

"They’ll be furious," Misha said, reading the captured map Luthra handed her, "this shows their planned assault for tomorrow night, you just destroyed their siege weapons and supplies they needed to execute it."

"Good," Luthra said, watching the distant Syndicate camp where fires still burned and confusion still reigned, "let them be furious, angry people make mistakes."

Rebecca was sitting on the ground catching her breath, the adrenaline crash hitting her hard now that they were safe, she looked up at Luthra with something between exhaustion and exhilaration. "Did I do okay?"

"You followed orders and didn’t get killed," Luthra said, "that’s the definition of okay in this situation." She smiled at that, taking it as the compliment it was meant to be, he sat down beside her because his legs were tired and the wall was as good a place as any to rest.

"How many more nights of this?" Rebecca asked quietly.

Luthra looked at the map Misha was already marking with defensive adjustments, the Syndicate camp visible in the distance, the coalition reinforcements still days away, and the math that said they could hold if they kept disrupting enemy plans. "As many as it takes," he said, which wasn’t really an answer but was the only honest thing he could say.

The war was just beginning, but tonight they proved something important, the Syndicate wasn’t fighting civilians hiding behind walls, they were fighting people who would strike back, who would make them bleed for every inch of ground, who wouldn’t wait passively for defeat.

Luthra intended to be exactly that dangerous until the Syndicate decided this settlement wasn’t worth the cost.

The eastern sky was beginning to lighten, dawn coming whether anyone was ready for it or not, and somewhere in the Syndicate camp officers were learning a hard lesson about underestimating prey that bites back.