The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 244 - Nine: Competition_2

Chapter 244: Chapter Nine: Competition_2

Balmore was similarly aware of this point; the momentum displayed by the enemy was starkly different from what he had imagined. Spears stood like a forest, shields rose like mountains; the usual disarray was nowhere to be seen. All there was an ominous stillness, as imposing as mountains themselves. The three-fold number of Half-beastman Armaments before him now seemed terrifyingly ferocious. A feeling of plummeting into an endless abyss grew heavier and heavier in Balmore’s heart; he had realized that this battle would bring about unprecedented trouble unlike anything he had ever imagined.

"Your Baron, it seems like something is wrong. How could these Half-beastmen suddenly become so imposing? This is completely different from the army we encountered in Banassia. Should we not rush our attack and instead secure our position and strengthen our defenses, observe the situation a bit longer?" Balmore, realizing the danger, knew that the Baron had never taken his advice before, but as the Deputy General, he couldn’t help but consider the overall interest of the army and fulfill his duty.

Haranto was also hesitating. Although the armor of the dense Half-beast Army appeared quite crude and their weapons were unevenly matched, it was, after all, an army. The fanaticism and persistence they displayed could not be ignored. If his own army couldn’t suppress the enemy’s wild assault with strict discipline, would not the triply numbered Half-beastmen tear his own men to shreds?

"Baron Haranto, do not be scared by the facade these creatures put up. These Half-beastmen are no different from those in Banassia, seemingly strong but inwardly weak. If necessary, we can recreate the scene that took place in Banassia once more. It’s laughable that these ridiculous Half-beastmen don a battered helmet, throw on a few pieces of worn-out leather armor, pick up some wooden sticks and hoe handles, and think they can become soldiers overnight. I believe that once our magic starts in front of them, everything will happen over again. You just need to command your soldiers to be ready to charge, and we will secure a more perfect victory," finally spoke one of the Magicians who had been following behind the Baron. The Magicians were not overly interested in this lopsided battle that lacked suspense. These Half-beastman slaves have probably never seen a Mage casting spells in their lifetime—except for the moment when they would crumble and flee in disarray, a scene somewhat novel to the Magicians; other than that, the combat was dreadfully boring.

Haranto hesitated. These creatures had taken such a solemn stance yet remained motionless, as if awaiting their attack. Looking over them, the Half-beast soldiers in a semicircular defensive formation were incredibly cautious. Large shields covered the front-line soldiers tightly, spears thrust through the gaps in the shields, slanted into the ground, while behind them, more Half-beastmen waited quietly, holding Javelins, hand axes, and even rocks, ready for the moment of explosive combat.

Could it be that these Half-beastmen have developed a way to resist Magic Attacks? Haranto immediately dismissed this thought. Half-beastmen were inherently unable to comprehend magic; introducing them to such intricate and complex arts was torture itself. There had never been any news of a Beastman being a Mage nor even anyone with Half-beastman ancestry; it seemed as if the blood of Half-beastmen made learning magic impossible. They couldn’t possibly have gotten the assistance of Mages. In the land of Leon and even in the entire Homer region, apart from those Mages belonging to the Duke in Cyprus, there were no others.

Seeing the reserved and prideful demeanor of the Magicians, Haranto quickly made up his mind. As long as he dealt with Mandu’s rabble of armed men, the slave uprising in the Leon Region would essentially be quelled. As for Izmir, Haranto believed the outcome there wouldn’t be much different from his own side. It was utterly ridiculous for these foolish Half-beastmen to try to overthrow Mortal rule and fight for freedom in this manner. If such a phenomenon were allowed to persist, wouldn’t that render the whole Continent lawless and without order?

As Baron Haranto’s order was given, three centurions quickly relayed the command to prepare for an attack. The formation of three thousand elite Homer soldiers suddenly changed, forming three dense offensive arrowheads, ready to charge at a moment’s notice toward the silent mob of armed rebels. Of course, the Half-beastmen’s defensive formation was quite thick and steady, and it would certainly take some time to overcome with the current strength of the Homer Army. However, they had a more powerful force in preparation: their combination of Magicians.

As Magicians in deep grey robes appeared at the forefront of the Homer Army, waves of chanting quickly resonated between the front lines of both camps. Without any hesitation, the Magicians brazenly demonstrated their power to communicate with nature right in front of the Half-beastmen’s armed forces.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky; spherical lightning tore through the azure, falling from the clouds and exploding within the Half-beastmen camp, catching the Half-beast soldiers off guard and sending them into panic as they dodged the power from the heavenly realm. On the ground, several Earth Elemental Giants, each three meters tall, slowly drew the power of the mud and formed from the earth. The brownish mud giants, waving their two-meter-long giant hands and with their terrifying, indistinct faces, stepped forward with slow but firm strides toward the Half-beastmen camp, as if intent on absorbing everything in their path. Meanwhile, deep cracks suddenly opened in the ground, bottomless chasms that swallowed unprepared Half-beast soldiers whole. There was a golden fire dragon several meters long that had appeared out of nowhere on the ground, roaring with endless heat as it thrashed its tail and rolled tumultuously toward the Half-beastmen camp, instantly entangling several Half-beast soldiers in its fiery embrace, turning them into struggling figures engulfed in flames.

These events all took shape in just a few short minutes, and when everything was done, the Magicians looked on with satisfaction, ready to rest from their work. They watched the remaining Half-beast soldiers with almost pitiful eyes. In the last Battle of Banassia, they had merely used Thunder Magic and the Earth Elemental Giant to scare the ignorant beastmen into crying for their parents and fleeing in disorder. But this battle, knowing it might be their last performance in the conquest of the Leon region, they were even more eager to showcase their full power on this stage. The Fire Magic’s Flame Dragon and the earth-based Hell Devourer were also unleashed. They hoped to see the Half-beastmen scream and wail in sheer terror before them. This display of superiority in the presence of the weak indeed offered immense psychological satisfaction.

However, to their surprise and disappointment, a different scene unfolded before them. The spherical lightning kept exploding within the Half-beastmen camp, but this time the Half-beast soldiers seemed entirely different from those in the last conflict in Banassia. Although they wore expressions of fright and panic and many fell dead instantly, some discipline seemed to bind the majority of them. Amidst the ongoing chaos, some swiftly began shouting commands, apparently acting according to a predetermined plan. Giant wooden shields quickly rose in the areas where the lightning fell, and the lightning burst upon them, causing casualties to only a few Half-beast soldiers without resulting in the scene the Magicians had wished to see.

Even more astonishing to the Magicians was the fate of the Earth Elemental Giants. As they inched closer to the Half-beastmen camp, preparing to use their formidable strength to crush the pitiful Half-beast Warriors, without any warning, the Earth Elemental Giants disintegrated into a cloud of dust and vanished in front of the Magicians. Aside from a strange distortion in space hinting at the interference of Magic Power, no other extraordinary phenomena were detected.

The Hell Devourer also had its short-lived victory, having swallowed dozens of Half-beast Warriors immediately before it too came to an end. A force, seemingly of the same powerful earth-based nature, forcefully closed the chasms in the ground. Meanwhile, the Flame Dragon, just as it was about to approach the Half-beast soldiers’ camp, vanished into thin air with the arrival of a sudden strong gust of wind.