Chapter 411
Chapter 411 Prelude
Inside the tower.
Most of the detection crystals and Magic Eyes placed along the tunnel had been discovered and destroyed by the enemy. Only a few of them continued to transmit the situation outside to the water mirror in the hall.
The apprentices stationed in the tower gulped in fear when they saw the horrifying sight before them. Thousands and thousands of beasts charging through the cave. They were silently reassessing their decision to stay here.
The tunnels in the underground cave extended in every direction. Cracks and valleys led somewhere in almost every single part of the cave. As long as they escaped the tower, ran far away, and found someplace to hide, they might still be able to survive this disaster that they had never asked for.
The difference in power was so disproportionate that even Greem’s pseudo-adept level disciples had lost their confidence in victory. Most of them secretly hoped Greem would give the order to run. A few of them still had a chance at surviving if he did so.
Once the horde surrounded the tower, what were they supposed to use to escape? There was no teleportation array in here!
He didn’t think too highly of them merely because of their numbers and their intimidating looks. If one were to look closely at the birds, they would see that most of them were common animals. Magical creatures like wyverns, thunder rocs, and griffins were a minority after all!
A red light flashed in Greem’s hand. He mumbled under his breath, and an order immediately transmitted to the manticore leader.
A window on the third level of the tower abruptly opened, and nine adept-level manticores stormed out into the cavern. They didn’t engage the flock of birds. Instead, they started circling the adept’s tower.
Greem then gave the order, and the second wave of magma fireballs crashed towards the birds.
Much like the first wave of attacks, the potent spells brought about utter devastation to the birds. It didn’t matter how savage a bird it was. As long as they got a single speck of lava on their body, they instantly burst into a cluster of flames and burned to ashes.
Only a few stragglers had been left alive fluttering in the air when the second wave of fireballs had settled.
The manticore leader took this chance and led the adolescent manticores to strike at the exposed flying magical creatures. The two teenage manticores beat their wings and started a slaughter among the ranks of the ordinary birds.
For a moment, the sharp calls of all sorts of birds mixed with the furious roars of the manticores!
Both parties clashed in the air near the tower, ferociously crashing and tearing at each other. A rain of bird corpses and blood fell towards the ground.
The manticores didn’t dare travel more than a hundred meters away from the tower, regardless of how intense the fight became. This limit was a strict order that Greem had given them. Every time they were surrounded by too many magical creatures, they swiftly retreated into the defensive line of the tower. They would then use their claws to hang upon the walls as they rested for a moment.
If the magical creatures dared to pursue them, they would be greeted with a red-hot fiery magma fireball. Within a hundred meter radius of the tower, only the small and agile flying magical creatures could successfully dodge the fireballs. Massive beasts like wyverns were forced to use their wings to swat the fireballs away.
Naturally, in doing so, they had to use their tough bodies to endure the exploding rain of lava and the ensuing flame shockwave.
When the first wyvern and the first griffin finally fell from the air, the magical flying creatures no longer dared to get close to the tower.
Consequently, the manticores possessed far inferior numbers, but they were still able to wreak havoc with the protection of the tower. The number of flying creatures in the air was quickly plummeting.
Yet, the pestering of the birds had their intended effect. They had bought enough time for the horde to break through the wall of flame. Once again, they surged into the cavern like an unstoppable tide.