Chapter 88 Five Thousand Trapped

Chapter 88: 88 Five Thousand Trapped

Five Thousand Trapped

But the numerical difference began to take its toll. One of the Medusas was struck by three spears at the same time, suffering a painful death.

Another fell after receiving an axe blow that separated her head from her body. The serpents in her hair were still writhing as the green light in her eyes slowly faded.

A third had her body pierced by a sword coated in spiritual energy, causing a deep wound that made her internal organs spill out.

"RETREAT!"

Thesira shouted when she saw her side being massacred. Following her orders, the Medusas began to retreat.

But there was no desperation in her command. It was an organized retreat. They continued attacking as they fell back.

One line fired arrows.

Another used their eyes.

The third advanced quickly to retrieve the wounded warriors and pull back those who were still breathing and could be saved.

Even so, many were left behind. The strait began to fill with the corpses of Medusas, Beastmen, and Lizardmen.

Blood flowed between the stones, creating a gruesome scene, with bodies whose limbs and heads had been torn from their bodies.

Varkhan watched the scene and realized something. The Medusas were truly suffering considerable casualties.

They were paying a heavy price.

"Keep advancing!"

He roared.

"They’re giving way!"

Rhaena wiped the blood from her own blade.

"Don’t give them time to reorganize."

"More soldiers!"

The order was passed along.

Three thousand entered, followed by another three thousand five hundred.

Thesira continued fighting with all her strength to reduce the casualties on her side, which were piling up with every passing second.

Her body was wounded, particularly her shoulder, which was bleeding, while the side of her body had been torn open.

Even so, when a group of soldiers attempted to pass her, her sword moved once again, covered in an enormous amount of spiritual energy.

A single strike, and dozens fell. She then breathed heavily.

"Retreat!"

The Medusas obeyed.

Four thousand enemy soldiers were already inside. Varkhan advanced, and Rhaena followed.

Thesira blocked the two of them again, but now her movements were slower.

Varkhan noticed immediately.

"She’s reaching her limit."

Rhaena nodded.

"Then we’ll finish this here."

The two attacked simultaneously. Thesira blocked Varkhan, but Rhaena struck her leg.

She fell onto one knee. Varkhan prepared the finishing blow. Thesira raised her eyes.

And smiled.

It was the smile of someone who knew she had accomplished exactly what she needed.

Varkhan stopped.

"What is it?"

Thesira slowly stood up. Behind her, nearly five thousand soldiers were inside the strait.

She looked at them before looking back at Varkhan.

"You should have stopped."

Rhaena felt spiritual energy emerge from the walls.

Her expression changed.

"Varkhan..."

The stone began to glow, and hidden formations awakened.

The soldiers looked around.

Then an invisible barrier appeared behind them.

BOOM!

The path back disappeared.

At the same time, on the surrounding slopes, other troops attempted to advance and assist the trapped army.

The formations responded as an invisible wall blocked every passage.

Varkhan looked at Thesira, who in turn held her sword with difficulty.

Her body was covered in blood, and dozens of dead Medusas lay around her.

She had lost many of her companions, and she herself was seriously wounded.

But her gaze remained firm.

"Now you can continue advancing."

Thesira raised her sword.

"But you can no longer leave."

The smile disappeared from her face as the barrier finished closing and five thousand enemy soldiers were trapped.

And at that moment, Varkhan finally understood. They had not conquered the strait.

They had been led into it at the cost of nearly five hundred dead Medusas and more than two hundred dead enemies. What cruelty, just to set a trap.

The sound of battle still echoed through the strait.

For several minutes, everything had been a succession of screams, breaking weapons, spiritual techniques exploding against the rocky walls, and bodies falling to the ground.

The five thousand soldiers had advanced believing they were finally breaking through the Medusas’ defenses.

Now, however, something was wrong.

Varkhan was the first to notice.

The enormous Beastman remained in the center of the formation, holding his weapon as he observed the soldiers around him.

His chest rose and fell slowly, but his yellow eyes no longer showed the same confidence as before.

He looked behind him.

Nothing.

He looked again.

The troops were still there, but the passage they were supposed to use to return seemed different.

There was no longer an opening.

The very structure of the mountains seemed to have changed.

"Stop."

His voice crossed part of the battlefield.

Some soldiers continued advancing for several seconds before realizing that the officers had stopped moving.

Rhaena turned her eyes toward the walls of the strait.

She narrowed her eyes.

"No."

Varkhan turned his face.

"What?"

Rhaena walked several steps toward one of the sides, raised her hand, and concentrated spiritual energy in her palm.

A layer of greenish-yellow energy enveloped her fingers before being launched toward the rock.

The technique struck empty space.

The energy simply disappeared.

Rhaena stood motionless.

"Formation."

A nearby commander approached.

"My lady?"

"We’re inside a formation."

The man looked around.

"But the passage is still here."

Rhaena pointed forward.

"No."

Then she pointed backward.

"Nor there."

The commander did not understand. Rhaena took a deep breath.

"The passage still exists to our eyes."

She touched the wall with her fingers.

"But not to our bodies."

Before anyone could respond, a wave of spiritual energy swept through the strait.

The stones began to emit a faint light, and spiritual lines appeared across the ground, the walls, and above them.

Within seconds, an enormous invisible structure became partially visible.

The five thousand soldiers fell silent. A Lizardman ran toward the passage through which they had entered.

He struck the space in front of him with his spear. The weapon collided with an invisible surface.

Clang!

The soldier was thrown backward, his body crashing into three of his companions.

"A barrier!"

The word spread rapidly.

"We’re trapped!"

"We can’t get out!"

"Call the commanders!"

"There’s no way out!"

Panic began to spread through the formation. Varkhan gritted his teeth.

"Silence!"

His voice exploded with spiritual energy, and the pressure was so strong that several nearby soldiers were forced to retreat.

Silence slowly returned. Rhaena continued staring at the walls.

"How long?"

Varkhan did not answer.

She turned toward him.

"How long do you think this formation can remain active?"

"I don’t know."

"Then find out."

"We don’t have time."

Rhaena looked across the battlefield, and that was when she noticed something even worse.

The Medusas had stopped retreating.

The warriors who had fought for so long while slowly abandoning the strait were now standing completely still.