Chapter 10: The Clash (Part 1)

At the edge of the Whispering Forest, the mages from the Tooth Tower hesitated.

Most of them had not mentally prepared for a battle. Although many harbored resentment over the injury to Granden, the Tower Master, they had never considered storming in, massacring the elves, and taking what they wanted like bandits.

They had arrived in force, with over a hundred high-ranking mages, intending to intimidate the elves into an apology and force them to hand over the items that could heal their Tower Master. So, when Master Aiden unleashed a legendary-level spell Falling Stars from above, they were stunned.

But what shocked them even more was that the cataclysmic spell—capable of annihilating an army—failed to so much as dislodge a single leaf from the forest. Only a handful of archmages could sense the immense life magic within the forest weakening slightly.

Then, one of Aiden's Thunderclap Bomb finally drew cries of anguish from deep within the forest. Oddly enough, the other orb detonated in a different part of the woods, not far from where the mages were gathered.

"What's happening? Why did Master Aiden act so aggressively? Should we join in?"

"What is he thinking? Starting with a spell like Falling Stars—does he plan to level the entire forest? And what kind of magical shield can block that?"

"Wait, everyone. Don't panic yet." The speaker was an elderly fire mage in red robes. He glanced at the air mages floating above the forest, then back at the trees. "I think we should first try negotiating with the elves. I've never dealt with them myself, but they're supposed to be a peaceful and elegant race…" He stroked his long, white beard and said in the deliberate tone of an elder, "Perhaps we should send someone to—"

With a soft "whoosh," the upper half of the old mage's body suddenly disappeared.

From his waist up, the elder's chest, dignified face, snowy beard, and hand stroking the beard—along with the rest of his words—vanished entirely. Blood and flesh erupted in all directions, splattering onto the nearby mages. The remaining half of his body stood for a moment, blood gushing out, before collapsing.

Behind him, two massive air elementals also had enormous holes blown through them. The damage to their magical structures was so severe that even their natural regenerative properties couldn't repair it. The towering, mist-like giants dissipated on the spot.

"Master Oga!" The surrounding mages cried out in shock, completely stunned by the bizarre scene.

Everyone, be careful. It seems to be an archer." A mage who had cast an advanced Eagle Eye spell noticed the faint green light silently streaking through the forest. Everything in its path shattered instantly. Although it was hard for him to believe that any archer could take down two elemental giants with a single arrow, it was clear that the destruction wasn't caused by magic.

 "Damn these elves! Cast protection spells on yourselves!" A water-element mage swiftly raised his hand and waved it, instantly conjuring a vast, crystalline ice wall in front of all the mages. The ice wall, crafted by this mage specialized in water magic, was not only wide enough to shield everyone but also impressively thick. It seemed impervious not only to arrows but likely even to the heavy strikes of a warrior's warhammer.

The green light shot out from the forest once again, moving at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.

With a sharp, clear sound, a circular hole was punched through the ice wall. The water-element mage who had conjured the wall didn't even have time to utter a sound. A gaping hole appeared in his chest, so large it nearly split his body in two at the torso. With an expression of utter disbelief, he glanced down at his now-missing chest before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Two other mages standing along the same trajectory also fell. One had half of his body obliterated, scattering into fragments like withered leaves. He let out a strange, guttural scream before collapsing onto the ground in a twisted heap. The other mage was slightly luckier; the attack only grazed his shoulder and arm, but it tore away half his shoulder as if bitten off by a ferocious beast. The sheer agony sent him crashing to the ground, his anguished screams sending chills through the remaining mages.

Along the path of the green light, everything—be it flesh or magic—seemed as fragile as smoke. It was clear to all that no protective magic could withstand such an attack.

Fear is most easily transformed into rage. In the next instant, the mages, nearly all of them, roared and cursed furiously as they began chanting incantations and gesturing with their hands toward the direction from which the green light had come. In unison, dozens of high-level attack spells surged forth like a torrent, hurtling toward the forest.

Froststorms, Thunderclap Bombs, Shattering Stone Blossoms, Infernal Firestorms... There were even two Blazing Fireballs and a Chain Lightning spell among the chaos. The frenzied surge of elemental magic engulfed the entire area, its intensity unmatched. These dozens of mages were among the finest elemental spellcasters. White thunderballs tore free from the ground, soared skyward, and detonated in dazzling bursts. Magic-imbued boulders rose into the air before erupting in a cascade of fragments. Blazing fireballs exploded into searing conflagrations, shattering into countless magical ice shards. Scorching beams of light radiated heat that distorted the air itself. The sheer destructive force of these spells resembled a colossal, multicolored tidal wave, crashing relentlessly toward the forest ahead.

The air was filled with the deafening sounds of explosions, piercing impacts, shattering blasts, and the roar of flames surging upward. Within moments, the hundred-meter radius of the forest was transformed into a magical inferno—a raging ocean of destructive chaos. Countless elemental forces of destruction tore through the space, leaving it utterly devastated. The once-mighty trees, thick and sturdy, were obliterated—blasted apart, pierced through, scorched by lightning, and reduced to splinters.

Kaylin clutched her jet-black longbow as she stumbled and scrambled to flee, rolling and crawling to escape the magical inferno behind her—a raging hell that could shred hundreds of her into the tiniest fragments. She was extraordinarily lucky; had it not been for the shockwave from a Thunderclap Bomb propelling her forward, she would have been incinerated by the searing heat of a Blazing Fireball that detonated right after. Even so, half of her hair was scorched, and her clothes were nearly set ablaze. Her once-proud and valiant figure now resembled that of a beggar who had barely escaped from a blazing inferno, her face and hair covered in ash and soot.

Two arrows—she had only managed to shoot two arrows before retreating. That was the limit of her fighting spirit. But in those two shots, she had eliminated over three high-ranking mages. Her tactical instincts—striking first and targeting leaders—had served her well, and her escape had been equally timely.

After sprinting a few more steps into the depths of the forest, Kaylin caught sight of the other elven archers waiting ahead. Without hesitation, she began directing them to spread out and climb onto the gathered Deadwood Guards nearby.

"Be careful, everyone," she warned. "These opponents are all highly skilled mages. Don't approach them recklessly. Use the Deadwood Guards as cover and fire your arrows whenever you get the chance. Our priority is to delay their advance and give the Sunwell more time to regain its strength."

Seconds later, the magical storm subsided, leaving the battlefield completely unrecognizable. The area within a hundred meters had been reduced to barren wasteland. Even fragments of wood had been eradicated. The destructive power of dozens of elite mages had rivaled that of forbidden magic.

"These damned elves, they will pay in blood for this!" The sight of the mutilated bodies of the three grand magicians left the rest of the mages seething with rage. These individuals were not only highly respected in the Tooth Tower, but they were also among the most elite elemental mages across the continent. Yet here, without even seeing their enemies, they had been mysteriously turned into corpses.

Various elemental shields began to shimmer on the mages, and with the chanting of powerful spells, massive giants of fire, earth, water, and other elements were summoned. These elemental giants formed a tight circle of protection around the mages as they marched toward the forest with overwhelming force.

Having witnessed the green light that even shattered ice walls, no one believed that flying through the air on air elementals was a viable option anymore. The elemental mages were confident that the giants they summoned would be more than enough to level the forest.

Sitting cross-legged atop an air elemental, Master Aiden tilted his head back and drank from a bottle of extremely precious magic-restoring potion. He closed his eyes and meditated briefly, recovering some of the immense magical energy he had expended. Looking down at the magic bombardment below, he smiled with satisfaction, realizing that the war he had anticipated would take some effort to ignite had already flared up so quickly.

The elves of Turaleone, already reeling from attacks by necromancers and the church, were like frightened birds. They were bound to retaliate when provoked. Now that the battle had begun, it would be impossible to extinguish the fire.

Suddenly, the sound of neighing horses echoed through the air, and from below, dozens of white winged horses soared out from the forest. These rare creatures spread their massive white wings, each several meters long, and ascended into the sky. On each winged horse, there were one or two elves riding.

 "Fools," Aiden sneered, his expression sharp as a blade. Turning to the air mages nearby, he said, "Deal with them. I'll lead the next Falling Stars. This time, we'll flatten everything below."

On the ground, a massive explosion erupted from a certain point in the forest, with flames and heat waves shooting skyward. Once again, a nearly hundred-meter-wide area of the forest was reduced to ashes by the ravages of magic. The combined power of these dozen or so high-ranking magicians was certainly not something the withered wood guardians could withstand.

What rose into the air was not just explosions and fire, but also the wild and violent magical elements. Even from dozens of miles away, the intensity of the magic could still be clearly felt.