Chapter 224: Impact

After Milanra and his group returned to the camp, they waited for the other two to come back.

But by dawn, the two were still missing.

Lucio sighed, “They probably won’t be coming back.”

Parado stood by a tree, placing his right hand over his heart, closing his eyes, seemingly mourning his tribesmen.

The two missing elves were from his tribe.

Parado didn’t blame Milanra’s group, understanding the situation inside was uncontrollable.

Having four return was already an achievement; expecting more was unreasonable.

“There are many altars in the Lim Mountains, each guarded by wizards. The mountains are also filled with various creatures, in great numbers,” Milanra reported his findings.

Lucio nodded, “Yes, destroying even one altar is a significant achievement. Fewer altars mean fewer creatures over time.”

They stayed up all night discussing their next steps.

Just then, a soldier rushed into the tent, panicked, “Commander, it’s not… not good!”

Tyron frowned, “What’s got you so worked up?”

Already burdened with numerous issues, Tyron was under immense pressure and frustration.

Seeing his soldier so flustered, he became irritated.

The soldier, ignoring this, hurriedly said, “The creatures have mobilized! The creatures from the Lim Mountains are coming out!”

“What!” Tyron shot up from his seat.

Lucio quickly turned, asking, “Did you say the creatures from the Lim Mountains are coming out? How many?”

“At least ten thousand! There’s no end in sight!” the soldier replied, his voice trembling.

Having never seen a single creature before, the sight of an overwhelming creature army had left him terrified.

Lucio was also taken aback.

They hadn’t expected the wizards to act so soon, assuming they’d summon as many creatures as possible.

If they hadn’t disrupted the summoning, the wizards would have quietly built their forces.

The sudden mobilization of creatures from the Lim Mountains was unexpected, leaving them momentarily at a loss.

Tyron was the first to react, saying, “Signal the troops, prepare for battle! Bring all weapons forward; we must win this fight! Behind us is Oberstein, the Norn Kingdom!”

The signal officer quickly relayed the orders, and the fifty-thousand-strong border army began organizing their defenses.

Lucio said, “We must join the battle too, to minimize soldier casualties. Otherwise, we can’t hold the line alone.”

The elves were too few; the main defense relied on the border army.

Lucio and his group deployed, over sixty elves spread across the defensive line.

Their mission was twofold: kill the incoming creatures and minimize soldier casualties, preserving as many lives as possible.

Between the border camp and the Lim Mountains lay an open plain, with few obstacles aside from small groves.

As the creature army charged, countless soldiers prepared for battle.

“Release arrows!”

The commander ordered as the creatures entered range.

Waves of arrows soared, tracing graceful arcs before descending.

Countless arrows rained on the creature army, quickly striking many creatures.

Some creatures, injured, lost balance and fell.

Before they could rise, they were trampled by the oncoming horde.

Soon, the ground was littered with mangled remains.

Some creatures, with arrows lodged in non-vital areas, continued charging despite injuries.

The arrow barrage persisted, continually striking creatures.

Yet, the creature army’s advance remained largely unimpeded, rapidly nearing the border defenses.

By now, some flying creatures had reached the front lines.

Bat-like creatures spat green slime from a distance.

The slime corroded soldiers’ armor, emitting white smoke.

Armor couldn’t cover every inch, leaving gaps and seams vulnerable.

The slime seeped through these gaps, contacting soldiers’ skin.

Upon contact, soldiers fell, writhing in agony.

They clawed at the corroded areas, desperate to alleviate the itching, burning pain.

In their frenzy, they tore at their own flesh, exposing greenish fluids and intensifying the pain.

Quick-thinking soldiers used shields to block the slime.

The shields smoked, corroded with large pits.

Archers quickly targeted the flying creatures, unleashing dense volleys.

Despite their speed, the creatures couldn’t evade the thick arrow rain.

Some were struck down, falling to the ground.

As they landed, swords and blades descended, reducing them to pulp.

Seeing the creatures could be killed eased some soldiers’ fears.

Soon, the creature army was upon them.

A massive clash ensued as creatures engaged the border troops.

Frontline soldiers wielded swords against the creatures.

The creatures were stronger than expected, each possessing knight-level strength.

Their speed, power, and resilience surpassed most soldiers.

The soldiers’ only advantage was their armor.

But the creatures were fearless, attacking relentlessly even when mortally wounded.

Each creature fought to the death, focusing solely on offense.

Most soldiers lacked such resolve.

In the initial clash, soldiers suffered heavy casualties.

The creatures also took heavy losses, the front ranks falling quickly.

The air filled with the stench of blood, permeating the battlefield with a nauseating odor.