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Chapter 296: Desperate Straits
🕑 Added 2024-10-06 05:12:33 +0000 UTCRhett, lost in thought about the alchemy workshop's predicament, was suddenly interrupted by Ledros.
"Rhett? You seem distracted again. That's not a habit a commander should have..."
"Oh, no, I was just considering the feasibility of our plan," Rhett quickly responded, coughing lightly. "I agree with this plan. In fact, I think we can depart immediately."
"Haha, excellent! I like your straightforward attitude!" Ledros had only been joking earlier. He slapped the edge of the map table and said boldly, "In that case, let's rally our forces and prepare to move out!"
Freya interjected, "Wait a moment. Before we set off, I think we should map out our route. We need to pinpoint a few key checkpoints along the way. Tactics can be flexible, but the route needs to be carefully planned!"
"That makes sense. I actually just came up with a few routes. Take a look and see what you think," Rhett said as he used his mental power to manipulate the sand table, drawing a slightly curved route that passed through White Frost Forest, Iceband Creek, and Kava Ravine.
Freya examined the route and offered her suggestion, "I think we should replace Iceband Creek with Brownsoil Hills. The area around Iceband Creek is wide open, completely exposed. If the beastmen scouts spot us, it will compromise our operation. Unless we have a specific tactical reason, it’s too risky to take a large force through there."
"No problem, that's something I overlooked. Let's replace Iceband Creek with Brownsoil Hills," Rhett agreed readily. The Brownsoil Hills were actually closer to Kava Ravine, and though the terrain was rougher, the difference in marching time would be minimal.
The three of them continued to discuss the tactical details before leaving the hall to organize their forces in the training grounds.
The heavy sound of a horn echoed through every corner, summoning thousands of troops to the training grounds. After Ledros and Freya took turns addressing the soldiers, assigning tactics, and organizing the teams, the three of them led several hundred transcendent beings out of the Sixth Legion's outpost.
Ten Days Later, Kava Ravine.
Blood soaked every rock and filled the air with the stench of battle. Amid the roars of fury and the thunderous stomps of beastmen, the space for the human fighters was steadily shrinking.
"Storm Slash!"
"Fire Serpent Dance!"
"Die, beastmen!"
A knight clad in armor, his body drenched in blood, struggled to fend off the fierce assault of a massive claw. His sword gleamed with a green light, and a howling wind scattered the blood mist, forcing a minotaur back several meters. He turned and shouted, "Tich, take the scouts and get out of here! Guzas, cover them!"
The knight's body radiated a powerful battle aura, marking him as someone of significant rank. But no sooner had he spoken than shouts of defiance erupted from the ranks:
"Vice Commander, we won't abandon our comrades! If we leave, we leave together. Fighting and dying together is the Ninth Legion's honor!"
"Yes, fight the beastmen to the end!"
"Don't try to persuade us..."
"Silence! I am your commanding officer, and this is an order! You must obey!" The blood-soaked knight roared. "Tich, Guzas, carry out my command immediately!"
"Hmph, foolish humans. At this point, you still can't see the reality of your situation. Do you think anyone can escape? You'll all die here!" A deep, chilling voice snarled in broken common tongue.
The next moment, a Shadow Tiger leapt from the murky river at the bottom of the ravine, its black and purple fur shedding gray droplets of water. Its claws gleamed in the light, slashing through the air as it aimed for the Vice Commander's head.
"You don't understand our resolve. Even if we die today, we’ll take down you royal beastmen with us!" The Vice Commander grinned menacingly, blood dripping onto the ground. His eyes were cold and unblinking, like a demon ready to fight to the death, hoping only to give the scouts a chance to escape and deliver the crucial intelligence.
"Your commander couldn't do it. What makes you think you can? Foolish delusions!" The Shadow Tiger roared as its massive claw closed in on the Vice Commander's head.
The Vice Commander raised his sword to block, the blade glowing with wind-based battle energy. A brilliant green light erupted outward, creating a powerful repelling force!
Clang!
The sharp sound of metal clashing against claw rang out, and the impact generated a shockwave that sent the surrounding fighters—both humans and beastmen—stumbling back several meters.
This brief respite created a small window for the human forces to attempt an escape.
"Foolish beastmen..." The Ninth Legion's Vice Commander sneered, his sword once again glowing as he thrust it toward the Shadow Tiger.
"Vice Commander, I'm coming to help you!" A booming voice called from behind. A knight, as thick as a tree trunk and wrapped in earth-colored battle energy, charged like a boulder toward the Shadow Tiger. Seeing that it was only a level-six Earth Knight, the Shadow Tiger scoffed, ready to counterattack. But just as it prepared to strike, a flurry of green points—sharp as stars—shot toward it from the Vice Commander, forcing the beast to dodge.
As the Shadow Tiger shifted to avoid the incoming blades, the Earth Knight's tackle connected with its chest, sending it off balance.
"Now’s my chance!" The Vice Commander's eyes lit up as he charged, pushing his wind-based battle energy to the limit. His body became a blur of motion, like a machine running at full throttle, and he launched himself at the Shadow Tiger like an arrow.
The Earth Knight, seeing the high-ranking Shadow Tiger in trouble, felt a surge of hope and fought with renewed vigor.
But suddenly—
Splash, splash, splash, splash!
Huge waves erupted from the murky river, and a towering silver beastman, standing over four meters tall, burst out of the water. With a roar of laughter, it descended upon the battlefield, smashing the Earth Knight to the ground with a single blow.
The Earth Knight, who had just started to smile, didn’t even have time to react before the light faded from his eyes, and he crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
At the same time, the silver Draconian hurled a metal ball, predicting the Vice Commander's path with deadly accuracy. The projectile whistled through the air, forcing the Vice Commander to halt his charge.
"Hahahaha! Your commander was nothing special either. If you ask me, your legion must be ranked by name only because you're all so weak!"
The Draconian's tail slammed into the ground with a thud, and it laughed maniacally as it stared at the Vice Commander, licking its lips with a murderous gleam in its eyes.
Recognizing the high-ranking Draconian from before the war, with its now slightly damaged scales, the Vice Commander's eyes turned red with rage. He roared, "What did you do to the Commander?"
"What did I do? I killed him, of course. That fool was resilient, though. I was planning to break him and toss him to the female Draconians for fun, but he chose to die rather than surrender. What a pity..."
The Draconian's face twisted with mock regret, leaving the Vice Commander frozen in place.
Though he had suspected that their Commander might sacrifice himself to cover their retreat, hearing the confirmation hit him hard. The pain in his heart was unbearable, and as the Draconian spoke its last words, an indescribable emotion began to boil within him...
Splash, splash, splash!
More waves broke as a dozen Draconians leapt ashore, their presence drawing the attention of the Vice Commander. Several of the female Draconians eyed him with lustful, predatory gazes, their forked tongues flicking out hungrily as they openly displayed their desire.
"Kumi, we agreed to follow you to the Cold Stream Front. You better let us have this Sky Knight."
"We've never tasted a Sky Knight before. I wonder if they’re any different from the others..."
"This is going to be so exciting..."
The Vice Commander’s knights, struggling to protect the scouts, trembled in anger and humiliation as they heard the Draconians’ lewd remarks. Though they were under orders, some couldn't help but glance back, their eyes burning with hatred as they etched the faces of the Draconians into their memories.
"Hmm?"
The high-ranking Draconian was sensitive to the hostile stares and turned to see the retreating soldiers. Around five hundred remained. The Draconian frowned and said to the Shadow Tiger, "Dazmi, don't let them escape. Continue the chase. We'll handle this Sky Knight. There's no way he can slip through my grasp!"
As soon as the words left the Draconian’s mouth, its companions moved forward, surrounding the Vice Commander.
The high-ranking Shadow Tiger, Dazmi, squinted, made a signal of agreement, and immediately roared a command to its troops before leading the charge.
But as the Shadow Tigers began their pursuit, something snapped within the Vice Commander. The news of his Commander's death jolted him out of his daze, and he suddenly sprang into action, ignoring the Draconians around him as he dashed toward the fleeing Shadow Tigers.
Thanks to his wind-based abilities, he was fast enough to compete with them. His sword, glowing with battle energy, formed a crescent arc aimed directly at the Shadow Tiger’s vulnerable spot!
The Shadow Tiger, who had just sprinted a few steps past the Vice Commander, suddenly felt a sense of danger, especially aimed at a particularly sensitive spot. A flash of anger surged through its mind as it instinctively bent its elbow, preparing to turn and teach its attacker a lesson.
But when it turned and met the Vice Commander’s gaze, its heart skipped a beat. The look in the man's eyes was disturbingly strange—like a chilling, deathly stare that seemed to come from someone on the brink of death itself. Just one glance filled the Shadow Tiger with an overwhelming sense of dread.
However, the Shadow Tiger was a seasoned warrior, not easily frightened. Its hesitation was almost imperceptible before it swung its claws with a piercing sonic boom.
Squish, squish.
Two sharp sounds of blades piercing flesh rang out, followed by a spray of crimson and purplish blood. The Vice Commander’s face was splattered with the purplish-red fluid, while the Shadow Tiger’s fur turned bright red in an instant.
“You’re insane!” Dazmi cursed as it retreated, clutching its wounded chest and glaring at the Vice Commander. It wasn’t that Dazmi was afraid, but it recognized that they already had the upper hand. It assumed the Vice Commander’s reckless actions were a desperate attempt at mutual destruction, aiming to take down a royal beastman before dying. After calming down slightly, Dazmi decided not to let the Vice Commander succeed. If it had continued the fight, it might have been able to kill him quickly, but now it preferred to play it safe.
At that moment, an impatient voice came from one of the Draconians: “Dazmi, this one’s mine. Don’t interfere. Go deal with those transcendent beings, then come back to finish off this human knight. He’s no match for us!”
As soon as the words were spoken, the ground rumbled with heavy footsteps. Over a dozen Draconians leaped into the air, surrounding the Vice Commander from all sides.
Dazmi shot a cold glance at the Vice Commander, snorted dismissively, and then chased after the retreating soldiers without looking back. It had complete confidence in the Draconians—this ordinary Sky Knight posed no real threat.
Meanwhile, the Vice Commander, standing still with his chest armor torn apart, exposed bloody gashes that didn’t hit any vital organs but were still deep and painful. He watched as the Shadow Tiger, without a backward glance, pursued his soldiers. His cold, deathly gaze flickered, and without regard for the Draconians closing in on him, he charged straight ahead, as if nothing else in the world existed.
“Hmph, you’ve got a death wish. Do you think your speed can stop a Shadow Tiger in its shadow form? How naïve and laughable!”
The Draconian sneered, its massive claw already descending heavily. The claws of a Draconian were quite different from those of a Shadow Tiger. While the Shadow Tiger's claws were covered in fur except for the deadly sharp tips, the Draconian’s claws were fully armored in scales, designed for both attack and defense. The scales were covered in tiny, razor-sharp barbs, and the sheer size of the Draconian’s claws, three times larger than those of the Shadow Tiger, could easily crush a person’s skull. In a head-on clash, the Draconian had a clear advantage.
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