Chapter 204 Trying One's Hands
Five adepts against seven radiant knights, thirty-two spellbreaker knights and a thousand witcher-knights?
Of course this was impossible!
However, even when faced with this army of knights, the adepts kept up their arrogant smiles and looked down upon their enemies with disdain.
There wasn't any reason for this; it was just the natural disdain spellcasting classes had for warrior classes!
If this was a battle in an arena, the five adepts combined wouldn't be enough to beat a single radiant knight. That said, the prowess of the adepts came in the form of their terrifying mobility and strange spells. As long as there was a large enough space to maneuver about, even a single First Grade adept wouldn't fear several radiant knights chasing after him.
The magic colts may have exceptional survival and climbing abilities, but they could not compare to the adepts’ pure speed.
The radiant knights had powerful melee combat prowess, yet they couldn't do anything to keep back these evil adepts that were as annoying as a swarm of vampires. If they drove their horses and charged forward, these adepts would most definitely scatter, while keeping close enough to bait the knights deep into the forest.
Should the knights really dare to continually chase after the adepts, the witcher-knights in the rear would turn into the prey of any other adepts.
It's important to note that most of the witcher-knights' advantages couldn't be displayed in this primal forest, with its complex geography and poor environment. Conversely, it was the nimble adepts, who had no unnecessary attachments or concern for others, that held the home field advantage. They were able to strike at any time, while retreating at the first sign of danger with no need for any hesitation.
The adepts wouldn't even bat an eyelid even if the hordes of voodoo beasts that were spread across the forest were all killed. Moreover, some adepts would intentionally send hundreds of voodoo beasts to their deaths, all in order to create a chance to ambush the knights.
As such, the radiant knights could only look on and harass the adepts as they moved around the army, never daring to actually give chase. Last night’s death of a radiant knight was enough proof that an existence powerful enough to kill a Second Grade knight was hiding amidst the adepts.
Unlike before, the radiant knights could no longer take actions alone while being confident in their safety!
…………
The adepts' faces soured as they looked upon row after row of witcher-knights.
Harassing and ambushing a few witcher-knights was no problem. However, when the enemy had gathered together into an army, the risk they needed to bear when attacking was incalculable.
"Any instructions from the base?" Adept Ferrier, whose body was enveloped in a layer of wind elementium particles and bearing a pair of wind wings behind his back, asked solemnly, "They wouldn't go so far as to make us charge against an enemy formation with radiant knights in there, would they?"
The few adepts nodded their heads in agreement. It was obvious that they were concerned about the upcoming battle as well.
Greem silently took a look at all the adepts present and realized that all the adepts who agreed with Ferrier were adepts of more unconventional professions. Not a single one of them were proficient in combat.
Ferrier was an Esoteric Adept, and most of his research leaned towards synthesizing potions and drugs. If it wasn't for his dabbling in wind spells, an adept like him, who was not proficient at combat, would probably be part of the batch of adepts quickest to die on a planar war’s battlefield.
The remaining adepts were all ones who were focused on illusion or array research. They were the same as Ferrier– not proficient at fighting on the battlefield. Sending them to a battlefield was a complete waste of their talents!
However, the Sarubo clan was sorely lacking in men right now. It was not feasible to conquer the knights' plane in one go with just a handful of combat adepts. Thus, the clan forcefully conscripted these adepts. The Esoteric Adepts that spent their lives hunched over in their labs had no choice but to step onto the battlefield and fight with all their might for the sake of the clan, and for the sake of their own lives!
They may not have killed too many knights earlier in the massive six-month forest battle, but their existence alone kept the witcher-knights' movements in check. Because of them, combat adepts like Greem, Mary, Acteon, and Marionette were able to find opportunities and openings to launch multiple attack and slay the backbone of the knights' army- the spellbreaker knights.
Of the five adepts gathered here, Marionette was undoubtedly the closest to Second-Grade Adept Sir Fügen. Everyone couldn't help but look towards him.
"No need… to engage head on… delay… until nightfall… the base… will act… "
The transformation of Marionette's flesh into wood had evidently affected his throat. Not only was his voice hoarse and dry, his constant stutter also bothered the adepts. However, his words were simple and easy to understand, helping everyone feel relieved.
All these people were adepts with countless tricks up their sleeves. Now that they had a clear way of proceeding with the battle, action plans were quickly surfacing in their minds.
"We cannot let them gather together so easily!" Greem took a step forward and spoke coldly, "You guys cover me for thirty seconds, I'll throw their formation into chaos!"
Once he said that, Greem didn’t wait for a reply and tossed out the crystal core and summoned the Fire Lord. Then, Greem's body started increasing in size as flames erupted all over him, quickly transforming into the Flame Fiend.
The Flame Fiend that Greem transformed into stood side by side with the Fire Lord, loudly chanting and casting a spell. Under their combined channeling, the clear sky was rapidly engulfed by the gathering flame clouds.
A flame cloud nearly one square kilometer wide roiled and rumbled in the skies, painting the entire world a dark, dim red. One after another, red-hot lava bubbles the size of wash basins expanded within the flame cloud. As the fire and earth elements that gathered slowly increased, the flame cloud could no longer bear the weight of the lava.
And just like that, in only twenty-three seconds, a large Meteor Shower had already formed.
As the first bubble popped, a Magma Fireball the size of a human head, filled with concentrated fire elementium, crashed down towards the area the witcher-knights were gathering at, dragging a long black tail of smoke.
Then the second fireball, and the third…
Repeatedly, the black and crimson fireballs crashed downwards, leaving marks of their burning flames in the sky that very slowly dissipated.
"Dammit. These evil adepts!" The white haired radiant knight shouted his orders, "Meusel, you lead the army away. Get them into formation as you move. Do not let the formation be swept apart by the enemies' voodoo beasts! Collier, Aneos, the two of you follow me. We will slay that reckless adept brat."
As the orders were quickly sent out, the knights' army gathered here finally moved. The leader was Knight Meusel, who was raising the witcher-knights' army flag high in the sky.
Just then, the first wave of meteors reached the tree canopy.
"Fire… "
One after another, runic arrow shot out and hit the meteors above the canopy. Even if there were occasional meteors that were able to break through the rain of arrows, a spellbreaker knight would hurry over and strike out with his large blade, generating a terrifying flame blade that would slash forth and split the flaming meteor in half.
The meteors that exploded in the skies would rain down fire and lava that melted the skin. Fortunately for the knights, without the meteor’s powerful physical impact, the remaining flame shockwave could not harm the safety of the witcher-knights. The witcher-knights raised their left hands, using their energy shields to deflect the flames that rained down on them, while slapping their colts and hurrying out of the area.
Under the lead of temporary leader Charles, two radiant knights drove their magic colts forward as fast as possible, charging like an arrow towards the Flame Demon, who was still channeling his spell.
A distance of 750 kilometers was only dozens of seconds away for knights as powerful as themselves.
The remaining adepts were reluctant when they saw the three radiant knights charging towards them, but they had no choice but grit their teeth and stop them.
Marionette was the first to act.
His silhouette flashed, and already his stiff and dull body had appeared beside the three radiant knights. Without uttering even a single word, his hand extended from beneath his black robe. Countless spider-thin threads extended from the tips of his strange, wood-patterned hands.
It was delusional to ambush the radiant knights with the strength of his attacks. The target of the threads were not the radiant knights on their horses, but the magic colts beneath them.
Tens of thousands of wooden threads were cast into the sky. They seemed weak and easy to break, but if they ever came into contact with a human body, it would easily break through with no regard for the armor the victim was wearing.
Knight Charles, who was standing at the front, let out an angered snort. The runic longsword in his hand shone brilliantly, and a Crescent Moon Slash so wide and large that it struck fear into his enemies slashed forth, its sharp edge pointed towards Marionette’s chest.
The angered blow of a Second Grade knight was naturally far beyond the limit of a First Grade adept’s defense.
The Crescent Moon Slash had just left the longsword, but Marionette was shocked when he looked down and found a white mark appearing on his chest. The white mark gave him an immense sense of danger. Already, it was tearing his skin and working its way inside.
Marionette felt as if his soul had been locked on by the opponent and the Crescent Moon Slash would most definitely hit him.
This was only a feeling, but Marionette believed this to be true!
"Dammit! This is the power of faith!"
The energies surging into the wooden threads became even more violent. More energy threads started to emerge from his fingers, speeding towards the three magic colts. Marionette quickly retreated as he did so, stepping into a tall tree and instantly vanishing from the spot.
Most of the energy threads were dispelled by the force radiated by the three radiant knights, but some still managed to find their way into the magic colts. The three colts let out pained cries, and their sprinting bodies quickly slowed down.
The terrifying Crescent Moon Slash turned mid air rapidly cutting in half the tree Marionette was hiding in. The force it radiated then reduced the tree to wooden splinters.
Marionette coughed intensely as he tumbled out of a tall tree a hundred meters away. Countless fine cracks had appeared all over his body. Even the slightest of movements would cause splinters to fall from his body. Marionette leaned against the tree and straightened his body with difficulty. He raised his head and looked upon the radiant knight with hatred in his eyes.
Green streaks of blood were slowly dripping out from his eyes, ears, nose, and his mouth. It seemed like he was severely injured.
To stop a Second-Grade Radiant Knight with the power of a First Grade adept, and getting away only severely injured, was already a magnificent show of prowess on the part of Marionette! If it had been the other adepts in his position, they would probably never have had the chance to escape.
Seeing the poor condition Marionette was in the other adepts, who had been raring to go at the knights, regained their cautiousness.