The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 625: Volume 16: Mists and Illusions, - 18: Devastating Blow

Chapter 625: Volume 16: Mists and Illusions, Chapter 18: Devastating Blow

Carl Libukneisi was seized by an inexplicable restlessness. In fact, the moment he stepped onto the Greenland Forest Plank Road, he had a foreboding feeling, but under the mockery of Knight Leader Bronin and Chief Magician of the Mage Corps Clarence, Carl was forced to suppress the dread deep within him. This sensation peaked when the magicians and knights decided to venture near the Ice Lake in the heart of the Greenland Forest. Carl was firmly against this noble-style diversion that was unrelated to pressing matters, but his attitude couldn’t change the minds of Bronin and Clarence. Although Bronin didn’t join this adventurous hunt, he had provided seven excellent knights to accompany the magicians. That damn Bronin clearly wanted a slice of the magicians’ adventurous action.

Two days had passed, and there was no word from the magicians and knights, which even started to alarm Bronin. However, Carl couldn’t figure out what could have possibly happened to them. An adventure group of eight high-level magicians and seven knights of considerable skill should be more than capable of handling any exploration. Although Greenland Forest was a paradise for magical beasts, no extraordinary creatures were known to be there, and even if there were, such a powerful group could even face a dragon’s challenge.

Carl dared not slow down the pace of the troop’s march. Everything would have to wait until their arrival at Bruce Fortress. Without the help of the magicians, the Knights regiment was also weakened, and Carl’s internal worries seemed to be turning into reality, step by step.

Komer watched coldly with his arms folded, gazing into the distance. From here, he couldn’t see the soldiers of the Storm Infantry Corps marching in an orderly line, but Komer could feel the pulse of the army. This was the last and best ambush spot. It seemed the leader of the infantry had some level, as he, disregarding fatigue, had adopted a defensive posture along this winding stretch and was taking a segmented approach to pass quickly. Did this guy become suspicious due to the disappearance of the magicians, or was he naturally this cautious? However, this wouldn’t change the outcome of the battle; such unconventional combat couldn’t be countered by mere defense.

Xerob and his comrades were already in position, with Uma’s eyes revealing a bloodthirsty gleam. Vladimir Koff and Solonberg were waiting eagerly for the final strike. Rebry and Mihailovich had successfully stirred the wrath of the Gray Wolf Pack, skillfully guiding the enraged wolves to sprint toward this direction. Everything was ready; the show was about to begin.

Mejernov was in a terrible mood. As a newly-promoted practitioner of Light Magic, he resented being asked to accompany the army while his companions were hunting. He always thought that Clarence was biased against him, but Burqin, the cowardly fellow, didn’t dare to object. It was because of weaklings like him that the leadership of the Homer Magic Team fell into the hands of those outside the Church of Light. However, with no news from his friends for two days, he also became afraid. He even considered suggesting to Bronin and Carl to temporarily retreat from Greenland Forest, though they were only a day’s distance from Bruce Fortress. In Mejernov’s view, only the Busen Plain was the safest place, while Bruce Fortress, located on the edge of the Greenland Forest and adjacent to the desolate Leon, also faced many dangers.

However, neither Bronin nor Carl would accept his suggestion. Mejernov didn’t want to expose his fearfulness, so he could only hope silently that Clarence and Burqin would return sooner. Casting a dubious glance around, Mejernov thought he heard some strange sounds. He looked alertly ahead and then behind. Everything was normal—the long procession of marching troops was tightly maintained, and officers were carefully commanding the rear. Greenland Forest was a paradise for magical beasts, but a marching army of such size would not attract the beasts’ attention.

An intense unease made Mejernov stop in his tracks. Cries as if from ancient depths were captured by his sensitive ears. What was howling? The look of surprise and uncertainty on Mejernov’s face alerted Bronin; in the entire army, there was only one magic practitioner left. Although his most capable assistants had not yet returned, the Knights’ main force was still present, but they were not experts in magic, only commanding some of the crudest and simplest defensive spells. The magician’s expression unsettled him as well.

"What’s wrong, Mr. Mejernov?" Bronin reined in his horse.

"It seems something’s not right. Do you feel it, Mr. Bronin? It’s too quiet around here, no sounds of birds or beasts. Just now I thought I heard a strange howling," Mejernov’s face went somewhat pale. The atmosphere was getting more saturated with magic power—damn it, that was the aura of magical beasts. What kind of beasts were they? Fumbled clumsily for his newly finished magic wand, the inexperienced Mejernov stuttered in alarm, "There are magical beasts around, Mr. Bronin; order your knights to be on guard! Messenger, quickly alert the soldiers to be vigilant!"

"Mr. Mejernov, what kind of magical beasts is it?" Bronin’s heart tightened, and his Knight Spear floated up with a faint glow in no time, while his restless warhorse beneath him also sensed the approaching danger.

"Wait a second, ah, it’s Gray Wolves! It’s the Gray Wolf Pack! What’s going on, why would the Gray Wolf Pack migrate during this season?! Mr. Bronin, we’re dreadfully unlucky to encounter the migration of the Gray Wolf Pack!" Mejernov cried out in dismay, still unaware of the exact number in this group of Gray Wolves. The frenzied Gray Wolves would tear apart anything that dared to block their path, and these unintelligent creatures wouldn’t care whether you were a real enemy or not.

The howling started from a distance and quickly swelled into a surge of sound waves that swept closer. Carl cursed their bad luck under his breath. He had seen Gray Wolves before, and although they were not particularly fierce among Magical Beasts, they were sociable creatures and even more irritable and aggressive during migration. It seemed his worries had turned into reality, a bad omen for their start.

It was like a replay of the story with Komer and his encounters, except this time he was the instigator. Thousands of Gray Wolves chased after the swiftly darting figures of Rebry and Mihailovich. Several Purple-maned Gray Wolves, constantly fooled and irate, kept spewing cold breath in an attempt to attack Rebry and Mihailovich but always fell just short. Meanwhile, the Gray Wolf Pack, split into two large groups, launched an attack from front and rear towards the long procession of the marching army.

The icy breath enveloped the air above the Forest Trail, and the several thousand kilometers of the marching army were attacked simultaneously by the two oncoming waves of the Gray Wolf Pack, forming two vast zones of assault that swept in like a flood.

Though he cursed internally, the battle-hardened Carl didn’t lose his composure. Although the Gray Wolves were fierce, they weren’t purely out to attack them but would burst into fury only if they felt threatened. The swift orders dispatched by the messengers had the soldiers form defensive circles on the spot, constructing a series of barriers with certain distances between each, so the blindly running Gray Wolf Pack could pass through the road without impediment.

It must be said that Carl’s decisiveness and intelligence played a significant role. The wolves, sweeping over the hills like a tide, aimed their frenzied attacks at the Storm Infantry Corps soldiers, who were ready for combat. The thick fog of ice spread throughout the Forest Trail, and many soldiers with lesser stamina were frozen stiff, becoming venting tools under the claws of the wolves.

However, this army’s level had significantly improved since last time. The soldiers did not collapse due to the Grey Wolves’ attack. The defensive circles resisted the wolves effectively, though at a great cost. The frenzied Gray Wolves launched violent assaults on the humans who had blocked their path. Combat with Magical Beasts clearly took some getting used to, especially in the early stages when they suffered heavy losses, until they gradually adapted to the wolves’ attack methods and the environmental climate, ultimately stabilizing their footing.

Solonberg and Vladimir Koff finally made a quiet appearance. The two Dark Knights, radiating an aura of Darkness, donned the same attire as the Homer Soldiers, blending into the chaos unnoticed. As soon as they appeared, they targeted the knights of the Knights regiments and the officers in the army who played pivotal roles in resisting the Grey Wolves’ attacks. Bearing a wild Dark aura, nearly every thrust of their spears was lethal. The Homer Soldiers even thought their own had gone mad from the immense stress, but the Light Knights who realized what was happening too late, had no chance to open their mouths before they were slain.

Hidden in the forest, the Dark Mages constantly cast boosting spells on the two Dark Knights, driving their Fighting Qi to the highest realm. Eventually, the Dark Mages directly used Dark Magic against the Light Knights, and those caught off guard by such a sudden attack lost their defensive capabilities almost instantly, getting torn to shreds by the encircling Grey Wolves.

Bronin, like a tiger gone mad, brandished his Knight Spear wildly. Three Gray Wolves were cut to pieces under the violent outburst of the glowing blade, their agonizing screams igniting an even more ferocious retaliation from the wolves. He couldn’t understand how his knights seemed to suddenly lose their fighting spirit and fall under the claws of the Gray Wolves. Although the wolves were fierce, his knights were fully capable of slaying them, not even the Purple-maned Gray Wolves could cause substantial harm. Yet, there he was, watching helplessly as his knights were reduced to pieces by the attacking wolves in the distance.

(To be continued. If you wish to find out what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. More Chapters are available, support the author, support authorized reading!)