The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 50 - 50 2 A Head-On Blow

?Chapter 50: Chapter 2: A Head-On Blow Chapter 50: Chapter 2: A Head-On Blow Komer’s arrangements indeed had their effect. Changing their path three times in a row, they managed to irritate the bandits who had to change their ambush positions each time. Originally planning to rest at their leisure before catching them all in one fell swoop, they didn’t expect to be led on a wild goose chase, running back and forth to the point of exhaustion. In the end, they were even thrown off by Komer and his group, but this didn’t mean they were ready to give up on such an opportunity.

Gazing at the billowing dust rising behind them, Komer sighed lightly, knowing that he couldn’t avoid the fight that was inevitable. They were only a little over thirty li from Darman Pass, but these thirty li seemed insurmountable. They had spent the whole journey ducking and dodging, but their efforts were for naught. They still had to fight to solve their problems.

Fran and Baoling reacted instantly upon realizing something was amiss, assembling twelve armed slaves into two attack formations, one on the left and one on the right. The right-wing triangle spike attack formation was slightly ahead, while the left-wing was in a slanting triangle, half-offensive and half-defensive. It provided cover for the right-wing formation while also being able to play a role.

Fran and Baoling, without hesitation, took their positions behind the two formations, ready to cooperate at any time. Ilot, following Fran’s instructions, positioned himself at the junction of the two formations, ready to facilitate communication and support between them.

Komer stood quietly at the side of the horse-drawn carriage, observing the oncoming bandits. It was clear these ruffians came prepared: about a dozen horse bandits accompanied by more than sixty foot bandits. Their approach was measured, and despite their disheveled appearance, their imposing momentum was evident, especially the two leading them—one with long hair over a single eye, and the other with a full beard, both exuding a murderous aura.

The guide leading Komer’s party had already turned pale with fear, trembling all over. It wasn’t until Komer had asked him twice about the origins of their pursuers that the guide managed to stutter out, with tears and snot running down his face, “They are the Double-headed Dragon, the most vicious and brutal bandits in the Leon Region!”

At that moment, he cursed himself for being greedy for the high bounty, which had now resulted in such a dire situation.

Upon hearing the name Double-headed Dragon, Komer knew the matter could no longer be settled amicably. The Double-headed Dragon might not be the most fierce or powerful bandits in the Leon Region, but they were undoubtedly the most ruthless and vile.

They never left any survivors. Even the rare two occasions when they resorted to kidnappings for ransom ended with them killing the hostages after receiving the ransom, thereby destroying any trust in their word.

This resulted in a swift decline in their influence, though it hadn’t yet affected their survival. Without any hesitation, Komer immediately gave the order for Fran to initiate the attack, aiming to weaken the enemies as much as possible.

The charging bandits hadn’t had the chance to steady themselves when they were suddenly met with a barrage from four archers.

Each attack formation contained an archer, and both Fran and Baoling also temporarily took on the roles of archers. The hissing sound of arrows cutting through the air immediately alerted the bandits. They couldn’t fathom how their intel, which reported only a group of armed slaves, failed to mention the sudden appearance of so many archers.

The surprise assault by Fran, Baoling, and the Half-Elf Archer immediately proved effective. In a volley of three arrows each, they hit eight of the enemy warriors on horseback, while the Mortal archer, clearly less adept, managed to injure only one horseman with his three arrows.

The sudden attack nearly threw the bandits into disarray. They had not expected to be ambushed by arrows when they saw themselves in an advantageous position face-to-face with their opponents. Several valued cavalry soldiers fell to the ground, and the two leaders’ eyes filled with rage. Without further thought, they roared and charged headlong towards Komer and his group.

This was exactly what Fran was hoping for. If they had waited for the bandits to form up and forcibly advance, with all his skills, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand the seventy or so bandits. But now, blind with rage, the bandits rushed forward in disarray, providing the perfect opportunity to utilize the triangle spike attack formations he had organized.

The chaotic bandits, charging head-on, were immediately split into two by the two triangle spike formations. The Half-Beastmen, natural-born warriors, even with only basic training, unleashed formidable fighting power. Wielding great swords twice the thickness of a standard blade, they hacked and slashed wildly, even cleaving through armor, flesh, and bones with ease.

Each dull thud represented the end of a life; the splattering blood only further incited the emerging ferocity of the Half-Beastmen. The Long Spear infantrymen, following closely behind the Swordsmen Shield Soldiers, didn’t hesitate to step forward in measured strides and thrust powerfully. Each vicious stab of their three-meter-long spears invariably impaled the enemy from chest to back. They knew that once they were caught in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, they would stand no chance of survival; only by killing their opponent could they create an opportunity to live.

The archers, hidden at the rear of the formation, had noticeably slowed their firing, but their long-range strikes often proved to be deadly, especially that of the Half-Elf Archer. Each arrow he shot always managed to check the enemy’s fiercest assaults at just the right moment, which to Komer watching from the side, was astonishing, the breadth of his vision surprising.

Fran and Baoling were completely embroiled in a hard fight. Although they had the formation to fall back on, the enemy forces, outnumbering them several times over, still pressed them hard enough to leave them gasping for air.

Ilot had pushed his swordsmanship to its peak; the faint surge of Inner Qi in his veins elevated his blade art to another level. However, in the chaos of the mêlée, even superior sword skills could not turn the tide. The one-eyed man and the bearded man, who had quickly realized their mistake, made a decisive change in their attack strategy.

The cavalry did not join the frontal assault but instead switched to a flank charge. The two men took the lead in pinning down the most ferocious Fran and Baoling, while each slashing blow from the Half-beastmen bandits’ great axes filled Komer with terror. Such blows were something his own men simply couldn’t withstand for long. If he did not intervene soon, he feared all would be lost and their bodies abandoned to the wilderness.

Biting his lip, Komer stealthily slipped behind the steadily retreating defensive line. After whispering a spell, a wall of fire slowly came into being in front of him.

Amidst the panicked stares of the Half-beastmen bandits, Komer crossed his arms, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He suddenly let out a fierce roar, and the towering wall of fire churned and rose high into the air, swiftly transforming into a fiery barrier over ten meters long and more than two meters wide. The raging flames spat out tongues of fire that seemed to seek out lives to consume, and occasionally, strange purple-blue luminous flames flickered mysteriously within the fire’s light.

Before the sluggish Half-beastmen bandits could react, the floating, rolling wall of fire, manipulated by Komer’s hand gestures, descended upon them like a devouring force. Even the Half-beastmen slaves hastily trying to defend against it felt the scorching heat sweeping overhead. The oncoming fire engulfed over a dozen of the most aggressively charging bandits with their great axes.

The piercing screams that emerged from the wall of fire were heart-wrenching, enough to terrify any normal person to the core, and the intense smell of burning flesh instantly filled the Battlefield, like being in the midst of a wintry cremation ground in hell. Almost everyone, regardless of side they belonged to, was stunned by this sudden calamity.

However, Komer was not satisfied with this outcome. While successfully casting the “Hell Soul Training” spell, a high-level large-scale Fire Magic, his other hand was already forming a circle as he unlocked horror’s gate with energy that became the key of spells.

A thick Fire Dragon swiftly formed overhead Komer, resembling a golden serpent that swallowed air and swelled. In a brief time, it turned into a colossal ring-shaped fire circle measuring dozens of meters in length and over a meter in diameter. Slowly rising into the air, the blazing flames seemed to absorb all the fire elements within tens of miles, enveloping the entire Battlefield under the attack of this vast Fire Ring.

Komer’s execution of “Golden Snake Dance” was even more adept than when he used it against the Gray Wolf last time, and his control over the fire element was significantly stronger. The fire ring eventually shattered in midair, becoming a massive Fire Dragon that swept with endless roasting heat towards the dispirited bandits.

In fact, as soon as Komer unleashed the “Hell Soul Training,” the two leaders of the Double-headed Dragon realized their fate. Their bandit group, though not large, could no longer contend with an opponent that possessed a Mage. The level of just this one Mage was enough to ensure the annihilation of their kind of troop. A few more such high-level, large-scale magic attacks and they could declare the fight over.

With no time left to consider their options, a sharp whistle suddenly cut through the air, and dozens of bandits from the group immediately scattered in different directions, fleeing for their lives. The roaring Fire Dragon in pursuit shattered into several fire columns in the air, chasing after them in different directions. After traveling a distance, the columns of fire unexpectedly burst once more without warning, transforming into numerous blue fireballs of varying sizes that scattered in all directions.

Bandits struck by the fireballs were instantly engulfed by the soul-burning Hellfire, their agonizing screams filling the entire field. If any outsider were to witness this scene, no one would believe it was the work of an unknown young man whose name had never made it into the chronicles. Even great Mages could not typically control their released magic attacks with such ease, yet this young man achieved just that. Of course, he did not do so without paying a price.