Chapter 13: The Clash (Part 4)

The two closest air-element archmages were sliced cleanly in half, their bodies as fragile as paper under the colossal scythes of the mantises. The terrifying power of the blow didn't just claim the lives of the archmages—it also shattered two nearby air elementals. The cloud-like bodies of the elementals were first severed into fragments by the scythes, then dispersed into nothing by the gusts created by the mantises' sweeping movements.

"What are these monsters?" The words escaped the lips of nearly every archmage present, their voices trembling with disbelief. Even Master Aiden, a seasoned mage who had weathered countless battles, stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard by the unprecedented carnage. However, his instincts kicked in quickly, and with a flick of his hand, he summoned a bolt of lightning and hurled it toward one of the mantises.

The lightning struck its mark, engulfing the enormous green body of the mantis in a cascade of electrical sparks. But instead of falling like the winged pegasi that had previously succumbed to similar spells, the giant insect only paused momentarily, its body shimmering faintly with residual static. Then, with an agility and speed that defied its massive size, it launched itself directly at Aiden, its lethal scythes gleaming as they tore through the air.

Faced with the mantis's oncoming assault, Aiden felt a rare chill of genuine fear. For the first time in decades, he questioned his ability to act faster than his adversary. The idea of testing whether his instantaneous Thunderclap Bomb could outrun the mantis's attack was a gamble he dared not take. With his heart pounding, he activated his flight spell and darted away in a sharp, erratic trajectory, like a panicked fly avoiding a swatter.

The mantis's massive scythe missed him by mere inches, but the rushing wind of its swing grazed his face, leaving it stinging with pain. Aiden's enhanced vision caught every detail of the monstrous blade—the intricate ridges, the razor-sharp edge, and the dark stains that suggested countless kills. He shuddered. Even without considering the mantis's primary weapon, the sharp spines on its other legs looked more than capable of skewering him with ease.

As Aiden fled, he couldn't shake the dreadful realization: this was no ordinary creature. It was a nightmare incarnate, a blend of primal strength, insectile precision, and raw, unnatural power that was designed to dominate.

As Master Aiden narrowly avoided the mutated mantis's deadly scythe by mere meters, he instinctively began channeling his mana to cast a Thunderclap Bomb. Yet, just as he prepared to unleash the spell, he noticed something unnerving—the mantis had already pivoted with unnatural speed and was rushing back toward him.

He had no choice but to evade again, weaving erratically to stay out of the creature's path. It wasn't that Aiden lacked the ability to cast the spell in such a short window; he had confidence in his decades of mastery. But he hesitated, because deep down, he knew: even if he managed to land a direct hit and destroy those terrifying scythes, it might not be enough. The monstrous insect's massive body, bristling with angular, chitinous armor, could still strike him with devastating force. If he lingered even a fraction of a second too long after casting, that relentless frame crashing into him would be his end.

As he darted away once more, narrowly evading the mantis's attack, something caught his sharp, magically-enhanced vision. Riding atop the enormous insect was a female elf.

Aiden was able to evade the attack, but that didn't mean that all the other mages could execute their flight magic with the same skill. Two of the mages were slightly slower, and with a scream, they were torn apart under the claws of the other two giant mantises.

In an instant, four of the mages who had been unscathed after dealing with dozens of Pegasus Riders were now dead. The remaining mages roared in fury, either casting spells or commanding air elementals to attack the three massive monsters. However, despite their enormous size, these creatures maintained the swift and agile nature typical of insects. Two powerful Thunderclap Bombs missed entirely, and the few lightning strikes that did hit seemed to have no significant effect on them.

Two more powerful mages screamed as they were sliced into pieces by the mantis's scythe, their air elements also shredded to pieces along with them. The mantis controlled by the female elf relentlessly pursued and harassed Master Aiden, its massive scythes swinging continuously, their sharp, whistling wind preventing him from stopping for even a second. One large and one small, one green and one white, two shadows kept chasing and changing directions in the sky.

The appearance of the three war mantises completely turned the tide of the aerial battle. The elves on the ground finally exhaled a sigh of relief, while the mages who had been advancing toward the Ancient War Tree found themselves gripped by a mix of shock and rage.

Several air archmages screamed as their bodies were sliced into pieces and plummeted from the sky. Some were cleaved cleanly in half, their bodies so neatly severed that they didn't die immediately. One archmage, cut at the waist, still managed to maintain some control over his flight spell, drifting downward like a broken kite. Blood and fragments of his organs spilled along his descent, leaving a grisly trail before his upper half finally crashed onto the ground amidst the mages below.

Lying there, he weakly raised what remained of an arm, as though trying to speak to his comrades. Yet only a few strained groans escaped his lips before he succumbed to his injuries and fell silent.

"Quick, send half our forces up to assist!" shouted one of the air archmages on the ground. Several of them immediately summoned over a dozen air elementals. Twenty or so mages climbed onto the backs of the summoned elementals, activating Hurricane Shields to deflect the rain of arrows as they ascended toward the chaotic aerial battlefield.

The mages on the ground had advanced to within a few hundred meters of the Ancient War Tree. By now, nearly the entire forest's contingent of Deadwood Guards had gathered at this location, encircling the elemental giants and mages in layers so densely packed that they were completely surrounded. Beyond the Deadwood Guards, the ranks of elven archers had grown from hundreds to thousands, their lines forming an impenetrable barrier. Adding to the chaos, over a hundred unicorns were struggling to force their way into the already packed encirclement.

As soon as the twenty archmages left to assist in the aerial battle, the mages' ground advance slowed noticeably. The protective Hurricane Shields had reached their limits, and the rain of arrows was no longer a mere drizzle or scattered shower but a torrential downpour. The sheer number and density of arrows almost blotted out the sky, their weight and volume creating an overwhelming assault. Even if it were just ordinary rain, this deluge alone could soak someone to the point of collapse—let alone a rainstorm made of deadly projectiles.

After a few probing attacks with offensive spells, nearly all the mages had to shift their focus entirely to defense. Fire Shields, Stone Armor, and Water Curtains reinforced with Ice Walls sprang up in rapid succession, desperately holding back the arrow storm that seemed capable of burying everything beneath its crushing weight.

While all the elves' attention was focused on the two intense battles, no one noticed that someone had entered the forest from another direction.

The Holy Warrior's magic eye above his head rotated, and his finger pointed towards the towering war tree. "It's there. The three unusual energy fluctuations are all coming from that direction. One has already waned, one is slowly recovering and affecting the entire forest, which should be the Sunwell His Majesty mentioned. The last one is likely what His Majesty is seeking, but it's currently in the sky."

"In the sky?" Tamik Knight looked up. They had entered the forest, and all they could see was through the thick foliage above.

"It's merging with a strange and powerful magical life form, moving rapidly in circles, seemingly chasing the most powerful mage. Two other similar life forms are engaged in battle with mages."

"We wait." Tamik Knight said lightly. "We wait until only one side remains."

"Hmm." The Holy Warrior suddenly noticed something, and the white magic eye above his head turned sharply to a different direction. "Two individuals are approaching the forest from that side, heading straight towards it... they're neither mages nor elves, but they seem very strong."

Knight Tamik decisively waved his hand, as if cutting off someone's head. "Kill them. No one else should interfere here."

The advantage of a third party, the fisherman's gain, is usually only acquired by someone hiding in the shadows. And in this case, it's certain that there can only be one such party. Especially now, with such obvious targets rushing in, they must be eliminated.