Chapter 131 - 103: Not First, but Better Than First
Chapter 131: Chapter 103: Not First, but Better Than First
Both sides sustained damage in the first exchange, but there were no fatalities.
After a brief respite, the Holy Archers and Elemental Druids resumed their attacks as before.
The Holy Archers resumed their focused fire. They could see that the Porcupine-man they had previously targeted was now being protected by its comrades, and they knew their attack hadn’t delivered the killing blow they had hoped for.
But what did it matter?
The targeted Porcupine-man had undoubtedly lost its ability to fight for a short time. Seeing it being protected like that, they figured another focused volley would kill it. It was simply a matter of one more attack.
Moreover, they were prepared this time. After firing a volley, they immediately relocated, and the quills reflected by the Steel-backed Porcupines all plunged into the ground.
The Elemental Druids and their Elemental Servants also resumed their assault. Launching Elemental Missiles wasn’t a high-cost spell for them; it could be used as a standard attack.
Besides, they were now under the effect of a "Rejuvenation" buff that provided continuous healing. They had no fear of the reflected damage, as long as they controlled the frequency of their attacks and didn’t go all out.
Arrows and Elemental Missiles crisscrossed in the sky as the melee units on both sides slowly advanced under a hail of ranged attacks from the opposition.
Every so often, a fallen Steel-backed Porcupine would be protected by its comrades. Once its health was mostly restored, it would resume its advance.
The Shield Guards advanced slowly, weighed down by their large shields. Because they hadn’t formed a shield wall, an individual’s shield would break before it could recover when hit with too much damage at once. Furthermore, the defense formed by their shields was not airtight; many Elemental Missiles passed through the gaps and hit them directly.
The Wisdom Priests in the rear had to periodically heal them.
The two sides gradually drew closer. Just as their ranged units were about to enter each other’s attack range, they both halted in unison.
At the same time, the Giant Shield Guards stopped moving. They planted their shields on the ground and activated their "Shield Wall" ability.
A massive golden shield enveloped the Giant Shield Guards and the War Paladins.
After a moment’s thought, Amuti decided to commit his entire army to the attack. ’If we can break through the Giant Shield Guards’ defense, the Golden Corps will lose one of its greatest assets. The rest will depend on the fighting strength of our soldiers.’
"Joint Casting: Wind Element Shield—Ranged Protection!"
"Haste!"
He decided to play one of his trump cards first.
The Wind Elemental Druids among the Elemental Druids immediately used a joint casting technique, conjuring a massive Wind Element Shield above their army. It was a Protective Shield specifically designed to defend against ranged attacks, consuming less energy and thus lasting longer.
Then, they cast a massive, wide-area "Haste" spell, granting all allied units a "Haste" buff.
Under the cover of the Wind Element Shield, they all charged toward the Giant Shield Guards’ position.
The arrows fired by the Holy Archers struck the Wind Element Shield and were all blown aside by its powerful winds.
The Holy Archers were not surprised; this volley was merely a test to determine the properties of the massive shield.
Having found their answer, they immediately changed their attack skill.
"Wind-breaking Arrow, volley!"
The Wind-breaking Arrow was a skill the Holy Archers used specifically for shooting in strong winds, which was perfect for countering the Elemental Corps’ Wind Element Shield.
Sure enough, the arrows of the next volley were not blown away by the Wind Element Shield. They all broke through the gale-force winds that formed the shield, which were as solid as a wall, and pierced into the shield itself.
However, after passing through the Wind Element Shield, the arrows’ damage was greatly reduced. They fell lightly upon the Elemental Corps, inflicting only minor damage.
This gave everyone a start, and the army paused for a moment.
"Elemental Druids, return fire!"
All the Elemental Druids, except for the Wind Elemental Druids, led their Elemental Servants in launching an attack against the distant Holy Archers.
The Holy Archers normally had a longer attack range, but the Elemental Druids’ Elemental Missiles were now augmented by the Wind Element Shield, allowing them to travel far enough to reach the archers.
"Scatter!"
Watching the sky-blotting volley of Elemental Missiles approaching, the Holy Archers expertly scattered in all directions.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Elemental Missiles of all types crashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured the Holy Archers’ vision.
Amuti immediately seized the opportunity to lead his men to the Giant Shield Guards. (They maintained their formation, not just swarming forward chaotically.)
The Steel-backed Porcupines charged straight up to the Shield Wall, pressed their backs against it, and began to channel power, firing their quills into the barrier.
Behind them, the Corruption Spreaders threw globs of their own jelly-like bodies, which slammed into the Shield Wall.
These globs slid down the Shield Wall to the ground, slowly gathering into a puddle of liquid. The liquid then seeped into the soil, passing underneath the Shield Wall to reach the feet of the Giant Shield Guards.
Nearby, the Shadow Reapers also helped attack the Shield Wall. They would periodically slip into the shadows to attack the War Paladins behind the Giant Shield Guards, then use the shadows to retreat behind the Steel-backed Porcupines before the enemy could react.
Of course, some of the less-skilled Shadow Reapers, or those who attacked a particularly tough opponent, were left behind on the other side.
These attacks served as an effective diversion, forcing the War Paladins to constantly watch for movement around them.
Furthermore, the presence of the Shadow Reapers—and the way they bypassed the Shield Wall to attack the War Paladins directly through the shadows—made the Holy Archers in the rear reluctant to use their own stealth. They could only rely on physically running to dodge the Elemental Missiles.