NOVGO.NET Chapter 180: Holy shit, this place has turned into a magical hell.
Chapter 180: Holy shit, this place has turned into a magical hell.
Besides the small garrison force of mercenaries, there was something else that concerned me even more: the overall strength of the outlaw acolytes responsible for defending Mine Number Seven.
According to the most common standard among outlaw acolytes, a team of six acolytes should have at least two or three Pseudo-Mages, while the rest would normally be newly advanced Level 3 acolytes or Consolidated Level 3 acolytes.
However, that situation was strange.
Of the six outlaw acolytes present at the mine, there was only one Pseudo-Mage.
That was very strange, after all, the circumstances of outlaw acolytes were completely different from those found in the orthodox Kar-Dur Tower, on the surface.
At the Tower, the cultivation structure functioned practically like a pyramid.
To cultivate a single Pseudo-Mage, at least five to ten Level 3 Apprentices were needed to serve as a support base.
In the same way, each Level 3 Apprentice normally needed five to ten Level 2 Apprentices below them.
And the same principle continued down the hierarchy.
It was an extremely resource-intensive system.
But it was also efficient.
The Tower possessed a huge number of acolytes and used a resource distribution method that favored those who demonstrated the greatest potential.
The most talented individuals received more resources.
The most promising ones received better techniques, better potions, better training environments, and greater opportunities.
In this way, among hundreds or even thousands of acolytes, some true monsters eventually emerged.
These were the so-called elite acolytes.
They possessed extraordinary innate talent and enough potential to continue advancing.
In the Subterranean World, however, things were completely different.
In the territories belonging to outlaw Mages, there were almost no Level 2 Apprentices or newly advanced Level 3 Apprentices.
To those Mages, individuals without sufficient talent simply weren’t worth the resources required to cultivate them.
It was a cruel policy.
But extremely efficient.
They concentrated all available resources on the Apprentices who demonstrated potential.
The others were eliminated.
Just like that.
It was the true law of the jungle.
Because of this, the proportion of Pseudo-Mages among outlaw Apprentices was frighteningly high.
In some camps, it could reach the extreme of having one outlaw Pseudo-Mage for every Level 3 acolyte!
That was precisely one of the biggest headaches for elite acolytes coming from the training camps on the surface.
When the two sides met, it was still possible to fight if the number of Pseudo-Mages was similar.
But if the surface Pseudo-Mages were at a disadvantage...
The battle became completely different.
An outlaw Pseudo-Mage who wasn’t being restrained by another Pseudo-Mage was like a wolf released among a flock of sheep.
The Level 3 Apprentices from the surface might possess excellent equipment.
Even so, when that wolf lunged at them, many simply wouldn’t be able to resist.
That was why the situation at Mine Number Seven was quite peculiar.
Of the six acolytes responsible for the defense, only one was a Pseudo-Mage.
Meanwhile, Rustil’s team had two Pseudo-Mages among its six members.
The others were fully Consolidated Level 3 Apprentices.
In terms of overall strength...
The advantage was clearly in Rustil’s hands.
Even I could recognize that.
The area where the two groups finally met was a gigantic natural cave.
Its size was impressive.
It was almost equivalent to three football fields.
When I entered that place, the first thing I felt was the heavy atmosphere.
That cave had already witnessed many battles.
At the two ends of the cave, the two groups began organizing their formations.
The distance between them was approximately two hundred meters.
On one side were the outlaw acolytes.
And in front of them were the mercenaries.
Most of the mercenaries didn’t even wear full armor.
Some wore only old and worn-out clothes.
Three were Chameleon Demi-Human assassins.
Two were Rat-Men specialized in beast taming.
One was an archer Hunter.
And the remaining eleven were Satyrs.
My attention naturally focused on only four individuals from that pitiful group.
The three Chameleon Demi-Humans.
And the archer.
They were the only ones who truly required some caution.
Then I observed the only outlaw Pseudo-Mage present in that formation.
He was an elderly, thin man with extremely pale skin.
He remained behind the formation.
His face was relatively calm.
But his eyes...
His eyes betrayed his anxiety.
When he realized that there were two surface Pseudo-Mages among the enemies, his expression immediately became cold and gloomy.
I could hear his muttering.
—Damn...
—Damn...
—Damn!
—This shouldn’t be happening.
—The man gritted his teeth.
—It was that bastard Netalp who said there wouldn’t be any problems even if he was absent for a day or two!
His breathing became heavier.
*—*Then how did this team manage to get through the interception in the upper tunnel and reach this depth?
He was clearly furious.
—Netalp, you bastard!
—If this garrison mission fails, you’ll be the only one responsible for all of this!
Despite the panic growing inside him, the Pseudo-Mage took a deep breath and did not allow his emotions to get out of control.
Then he raised one of his hands.
His cold voice cut through the silence of the cave.
—Prepare yourselves!
.
.
.
.
.
Different colors of elemental energy shields appeared over the bodies of the acolytes scattered across the battlefield.
In the next instant, that enormous cave plunged into a true magical hell.
I could barely keep up with everything happening around me.
Explosions of light, gusts of wind, flames, stones, and countless manifestations of elemental energy crossed the space in every direction.
BOOOOM!
KRAAAASH!
FUUUUSH!
And at that moment, I realized something important: those shields were a luxury reserved for the acolytes.
The mercenaries fighting alongside the enemy did not have that privilege.
For them, there were no sophisticated magical barriers, elemental protection, or any other technique capable of ensuring their survival.
So, while everyone was focused on the main battle, three figures simply disappeared.
The Chameleon Demi-Human assassins had become practically invisible on the battlefield.
On the other side, two Rat-Men raised their arms and began chanting in their strange language.
—Krrr... shaka... vrrak... zhuur!
Their voices overlapped as magical energy accumulated.
Then the ground trembled.
BOOM!
Four enormous Petrifying Rats emerged before them.
Their bodies were muscular, covered in extremely tough skin. Every step caused small rocks to roll across the ground.
TUM... TUM... TUM...
At the same time, eleven Satyr fighters advanced.
Each carried a wooden club in one hand and a wooden shield in the other.
Then they roared.
—AAAAAAARRRGH!
—KILL THEM ALL!
—ADVANCE!
TUM! TUM! TUM!
Their hooves struck the ground as they advanced toward us.
—George, you can deal with this trash!
Rustil’s voice reached me.
I looked at him.
Although he was a Level 3 acolyte specialized in close-quarters combat, he had no intention of getting directly involved at that moment.
After giving me that order, Rustil immediately joined the others.
—Now!
FUUUUSH!
BOOOOM!
CRAAASH!
Dozens of spells were fired.
The spells from both sides met in the air and exploded.
Ruby, on the other hand, did absolutely nothing.
Ever since she had transformed into a Blood Fairy, she seemed to have lost all the spells she had learned when she was still a human acolyte.
Now, she possessed only a few passive and innate abilities from her new species.
Ruby simply looked at the chaos around her.
Then her body began to disappear.
SHUUU...
She dissolved into the darkness.
Within a few seconds, there was no trace of her left.
—Biochip, lock onto those Satyrs!
[Beep!]
[Target locked!]
I quickly raised my arm and summoned my light bow, then pulled the string.
Zosh~~
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The explosion occurred.
The impact struck the advancing group of Satyrs directly.
—AAAAARGH!
—MY ARM!
—RUN!
CRAAASH!
Bodies were sent flying.
Wooden shields exploded.
When the dust began to settle, I realized that less than half of the eleven Satyrs were still standing.
Five had survived.
But even those five were injured.
The expressions on their faces said everything.
They didn’t want to be there. They wanted to flee.
But unfortunately for them, they didn’t even have time to regroup.
TUM!
My golem appeared before them.
Earthen spears emerged from the ground.
BOOM!
Stone spikes exploded upward.
CRAAACK!
The bodies of the Satyrs were pierced before they could even cry for mercy.
Within a few seconds, they were all dead.
It was impressive how those subterranean creatures, despite their frightening appearance, were so fragile before a true spellcaster.
I sat on my Giant King Shark Golem and moved backward.
I carefully observed the formation of the outlaw acolytes.
If I advanced recklessly, all it would take was for several of them to cast their spells at the same time.
My Shark and I could meet a tragic end.
...
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