The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 999: Volume 32 Dark Clouds Gather - 17 Fierce Battle

Chapter 999: Volume 32 Dark Clouds Gather Chapter 17 Fierce Battle

The mages from both sides had entered a state of exhaustion following the fever pitch of combat, with several magicians sitting listlessly to one side, their eyes closed and breaths even as they recuperated, clearly too spent from their earlier exertions of magic power to continue any longer. There were still numerous magicians either working alone or in tandem at the front lines of the Battlefield, surrounded by guards wielding Giant Shields and crossbowmen, warding off the Arrow Stone Rain from the City Wall. These magicians, invincible while wielding their magic power, were exceedingly fragile against physical blows; a single arrow could easily claim their lives.

With a blur of elemental patterns in the sky, a Thundercloud Storm accurately struck the City Wall Merlon, which, already sporting Fractures, could no longer hold; a cloud of dust later, half the merlon collapsed with a thunderous crash, prompting the Soldiers below tirelessly pushing their attack to let out an uncontrollable cheer.

However, the counter-attack came swiftly. A clear chanting preceded the piercing howl of wind as a massive wind vortex formed overhead the infantry’s attack formation. The wind blades shot out along the edge of the vortex, and the battle-hardened infantry, evidently experienced in dealing with such Wind System Magic, quickly ducked and huddled, trying their best to shield themselves behind their shields, or they lay flat on the ground, attempting to avoid the whirling wind blades.

Still, many Soldiers, either too inexperienced or slow to react, were struck by the flying wind blades. These deadly wind blades easily tore through their simple armors, mixing blood with their pained screams.

Fumel couldn’t help but sigh at the scene, which had become all too common. Following the major Magic Confrontation of the previous few days, it was apparent that both sides were struggling to maintain their offensive. The excessive consumption of Mana had left the magicians so Weak that they had no spare time at all; aside from eating and fighting, all their time was spent meditating to recover Mana. Meanwhile, auxiliary drugs and Support Spells provided by the Potion masters and the priests had become the most popular commodities among the Magicians.

Even so, the previous intense Magical Confrontation had gradually transformed into the current predominance of small and medium-sized magical attacks and defenses, signifying that both sides’ magical forces had run dry and become mere sideshows. The ultimate outcome of the war would still be decided by a fundamental military comparison—the infantry.

Fumel wasn’t worried that the victory of the war would belong to his side; he worried that the cost of his own side was too great, and that time might not leave him with much. These factors could render his so-called ultimate victory worthless. Without the supportive maneuvers of the Attican folk, the Cretans alone couldn’t withstand the full-force counterattack of the Nicosians.

While Fumel nursed his headache, Dragumo and Newman were equally concerned.

Newman and his band of magicians had only arrived on the third evening of the siege. The Cretan defenses weren’t too stringent, and for the Magicians, simple disguising spells and invisibility spells were enough to render the Army’s patrol ineffective, making the night the perfect time for Newman and his group to infiltrate the Castle.

Their arrival had abruptly saved Dragumo and his companions, who previously had no choice but to use their own bodies to fend off the enemy’s Magic Attacks—a far cry from being sufficient to withstand an authentic battle to the death in a real war.

Newman’s arrival immediately turned the tide. The balance that was leaning towards the Cretans was restored, and the fierce Magic Confrontation was dazzling: Elemental Magic, Light Arcane, Dark Magic, and even Star Magic and Space Magic were unleashed as if both sides wanted to use magic to prove their might. This had made the infantry’s assault seem almost secondary, but the rapid depletion of Magic Power forced the magicians on both sides to downgrade to daily small-scale magical skirmishes.

The only result was a prolonging of the siege, as the magic battle led the Cretans to place more hope in Magic Attacks; however, the reality was otherwise. The war ultimately returned to its origins—if one wanted to win the final victory, it would still rely on the infantry to truly determine the outcome.

Newman and his party were also on their last legs. Komer hadn’t dispatched many magicians, and the Cretans’ magical power far exceeded that of the Nicosians. If it hadn’t been for Newman’s clever use of defensive works and his habit of carrying a good number of Magic Scrolls, the situation could have been worse.

Despite this, Newman was also thoroughly spent. Several mages had already fainted, so drained of Mana that they had become useless, with no hope of casting even a tiny Fireball technique without months of rest and recuperation. Those remaining weren’t faring much better, often requiring several of them to muster a mid-level spell—ridiculous for those whose powers bordered on, or were already at, Archmage Level.

The Cretan onslaught continued at an incredibly high intensity, leaving the Half-Beastmen struggling to cope.

Long-term, high-intensity engagements had even the physically proud Half-Beastmen feeling overwhelmingly fatigued. Holding spears or shields, the Half-Beastmen could snore thunderously just by standing, or fall into dreams with their eyes open. During brief interludes in battle, the Half-Beastmen could fall asleep on the spot within seconds, even with Dry Bread in their mouths, snoring like thunder.

Yet the relentless attacks of the Cretans took a heavy toll on the Half-Beastmen, who were vastly outnumbered. Of the original Three Thousand People, less than half could still fight, nearly all bearing injuries. Without the rallying of the Livonian Folk to assist in the defense, at least two of the three castles would have fallen by now. The situation was such that even Dragumo took immense pride in having withstood assaults from an enemy force more than ten times their number, and the price paid by the Cretans was likewise tenfold higher. (To be continued, for what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com, more Chapters are available, support the author, support Authorized Reading!)