Chapter 25: Departure
At the border of the Hess Kingdom, over eight hundred thousand troops had gathered. Across a vast, desolate land, military camps stretched like mountain ranges, their end unseen. This massive army was arrayed in orderly ranks, dense and organized.
Before the camps lay an open, uninhabited area.
"Hey, Uncle Lante, if the magic beast army attacks, can we hold them off?" a young soldier of sixteen or seventeen, clad in armor, whispered.
Next to him, a burly, bearded man took a small swig from a flask he’d pulled from his coat, then chuckled. "Don't worry. Not only did Hess Kingdom's elite units come this time, but the Church of Light even sent the Sacred Knights. And there are many great mages... You can relax. The magic of the great mages is truly formidable."
"Mm." This was the youth's first time on a battlefield. Hearing the old soldier's words, he felt somewhat reassured.
But the burly man beside him secretly sighed, for he had truly witnessed the might of magic beasts. When tens of thousands charged, humanity's resistance was merely throwing bodies at them to buy time.
"Roooar~~~"
Suddenly, a deep, rumbling sound echoed from an immense distance.
"Uncle Lante, I think I heard something?" the youth said nervously.
"It's nothing," Lante said dismissively. But then his eyes widened as he stared south. At the far edge of the bleak, barren land, countless tiny specks had appeared, growing denser by the second.
"Magic beasts! A beast horde!"
From another part of the camp, a shrill cry erupted, and instantly the entire camp stirred. From the highest commanders down to the lowest-ranking soldiers, everyone went on high alert.
In truth, this eight-hundred-thousand-strong army was always prepared for battle.
"So... so many!" Many human soldiers gasped at the sight of the beasts in the distance. They saw rows upon rows of 'Bloodthirsty Iron Bulls', their muscles bulging, charging towards the human lines at tremendous speed.
There were over ten thousand of them.
"Rumble~~~~" The thunderous stampede made the very earth tremble. Every bull's eyes glowed red, and flames erupted from their bodies. At a glance, it looked like an ocean of fire.
The earth quaked. The sea of fire was boundless.
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"...
Suddenly, javelins of a translucent emerald green sliced through the sky, raining down upon the herd of Bloodthirsty Iron Bulls.
"It's the great mages!" Many soldiers rejoiced.
"Squelch!" Each javelin packed tremendous power. As ice magic, a branch of the Water System, it was most effective against these Fire System beasts.
Javelins pierced the earth, or sank deep into the bulls' bodies. "Squelch!" Some ice javelins bored straight through the beasts' vitals. The impaled bulls roared, staggered a few steps, then crashed to the ground.
One bull after another fell, yet the vast majority continued their charge, even with minor wounds only making them madder.
In moments, blood stained the earth crimson.
"Buzz~~" The Bloodthirsty Iron Bulls bellowed in frenzy.
"Archers, ready—loose!" officers bellowed.
A storm of arrows arced into the sky, then countless shafts blotted out the sun, raining down in a dense, deadly shower.
Sharp arrows plunged from above, striking the Iron Bulls. But the bulls' bulging, tightly knotted muscles easily deflected the arrows. Tactics that worked against human armies were useless here.
"Heavy spearmen, form up!"
Towering warriors in thick, heavy armor emerged, each wielding a long steel spear. They formed up in a tight formation, bracing themselves to receive the charge.
"Roar~~" The Bloodthirsty Iron Bulls charged, eyes blazing.
Countless steel spears met the onslaught. The bulls lowered their heads and roared as they surged forward, crashing into the spears like a dam breaking.
"Squelch!" A bull was instantly skewered clean through by a steel spear.
To qualify as a heavy spearman, one had to be at least a third-level warrior. Each soldier relied on the interlocking formation, lending strength to one another.
The first wave of bulls failed to break the defensive formation, yet more bulls from behind kept coming, charging desperately.
The battle between the magic beast army and the human army was brutal. The beast horde included not only the Bloodthirsty Iron Bulls, but packs of Wind Wolves, and the even more terrifying elite Fire Lion clan, as well as Earthdrakes, Rapid Dragons, and others...
But the human army was no less formidable.
Beyond the ordinary infantry, many powerful mages hadn't yet made a real move. The Church of Light had dispatched seventh-level, eighth-level, and even several ninth-level mages. And there was an elite corps of Sacred Knights...
The battle was savage. The magic beast army and the human army clashed for three brutal days before the human forces were finally forced to retreat. In just three days, the human army suffered over three hundred thousand casualties, with countless more wounded.
The magic beast army had also taken significant losses.
Yet, whether beast horde or human army, both tacitly refrained from using their Saint Realm powerhouses. The Saints watched from afar but did not intervene.
The city of Hess descended into chaos.
Following the border battle, the human army retreated a hundred li in one go. They were now dangerously close to Hess, and many in the city began to decide to flee northward once more.
Hess City, at the quiet estate where Lin Lei resided.
"Yeru, we're leaving immediately. Hurry, don't waste time!" Menlo Dawson ordered sharply. "I estimate the human army can't hold out for many more days. The flames of war will soon reach Hess City."
Yeru nodded. "I know, Father."
"But, Third Brother..." Yeru was still preoccupied with Lin Lei. Rein and George beside him were equally anxious.
Menlo Dawson's brow furrowed. "This is what you'll do: go try to persuade him again. Regardless, we are departing tonight." With that, Menlo Dawson turned and left.
Yeru, Rein, and George exchanged glances.