Chapter 213: Trespassers

The imps suddenly let out a collective shriek and charged toward the expedition.

"Here they come!" William shouted. "Engage!"

The knights immediately advanced, their weapons cutting through the first wave of creatures. Jooquin’s pirates followed, while the mages unleashed spells from behind their respective formations.

At first, the battle seemed almost effortless.

The imps were small and relatively weak. Their movements were crude, and their attacks appeared easy to anticipate.

"HAHAHA! Is this supposed to be a threat?!" one pirate laughed as he cleaved an imp in half.

However, his laughter quickly faded.

The imp’s severed body began twitching. Dark energy gathered around its wounds, and within moments, its two halves started reconnecting.

"What the hell?!"

Before the pirate could react, the imp lunged at him again.

Similar scenes unfolded throughout the battlefield.

The creatures regenerated from devastating injuries, even recovering from wounds that should have been fatal. Some knights found their efforts completely wasted as the imps repeatedly stood back up.

Then, the black horns on their heads began glowing.

"KEEEEE!"

Several imps opened their mouths and fired black energy projectiles.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The attacks struck the expedition’s formation, sending several pirates and knights tumbling backward.

"Ugh! What are those things?!"

"Watch out! They’re firing something!"

The black projectiles struck with surprising force, leaving some victims unable to get back up.

William’s expression became grim.

’Their regeneration is ridiculous... and those energy attacks are far stronger than expected.’

Jooquin’s grin disappeared as he watched several of his subordinates fall.

"Oi! You damn little monsters!"

He charged into the horde, his curved sword flashing through the air.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

Imps were cut apart in rapid succession, their bodies falling across the ground. But even Jooquin’s powerful attacks weren’t enough to keep them down.

The creatures continued regenerating, crawling back toward him with their shrill cries.

"Tch! Why won’t you stay dead?!"

Luna, who had been observing the battlefield from behind the mages, suddenly noticed something.

"Wait!"

Her eyes focused on the black horns protruding from the imps’ heads.

"Those horns... It seems their regeneration is connected to them!"

She quickly raised her voice.

"Destroy their horns! If I’m right, that should stop their regeneration!"

William immediately understood.

"Everyone, aim for their horns! Don’t waste your attacks on their bodies!"

The knights adjusted their tactics.

Instead of simply cutting down the imps, they began targeting their horns. A knight drove his sword through one creature’s head, shattering its black horn.

The imp’s body immediately stopped regenerating.

It twitched briefly before collapsing into a lifeless heap.

"Confirmed!" the knight shouted. "Destroying the horn kills them!"

The discovery dramatically changed the battle.

William’s knights moved with remarkable discipline, coordinating their attacks and targeting the horns with precision. Their formation remained intact despite the overwhelming numbers.

Jooquin, on the other hand, simply charged through the horde like a wild beast.

"BWAHAHAHA! NOW YOU’RE FINALLY DYING!"

His curved sword swept through the imps, shattering their horns one after another. Although his fighting style was brutal and reckless, his skill was undeniable.

The mages supported the front line with lightning, wind, and fire spells, preventing the imps from overwhelming the expedition.

Luna watched the battlefield for a moment before raising her staff.

"Everyone, move aside!"

Mana gathered around her, growing so intense that the surrounding air began to heat up.

"Fire magic: Inferno!"

A massive wave of fire erupted from her staff, sweeping across the battlefield.

The flames engulfed a large group of imps, burning their bodies and black horns to ashes. Their shrill cries quickly disappeared beneath the roaring fire.

When the flames finally subsided, the ground was littered with charred remains.

The expedition members stared at Luna in awe.

"That was incredible!"

"Lady Luna truly is a Fifth Circle mage!"

Jooquin laughed loudly.

"HAHAHA! That’s what I’m talking about! You really know how to make an entrance!"

Luna simply adjusted her staff with a proud expression.

"Of course. Did you expect anything less?"

Despite their victory, the expedition had suffered casualties and exhausted considerable amounts of mana. Several knights were wounded, and many pirates were struggling to catch their breath.

Jooquin sheathed his curved sword and glanced toward the forest.

"Alright, we’ve dealt with those annoying little monsters. Let’s keep moving! The longer we stay here, the more time we’re wasting!"

William immediately stepped forward.

"Wait. We should rest first."

Jooquin turned toward him with an irritated expression.

"Rest? What for? We’re perfectly capable of continuing!"

"Capable?" William pointed toward the exhausted expedition members. "We just fought that enormous sea serpent out at sea, and now we’ve dealt with a horde of mutated imps. Our men have been fighting continuously. Some are injured, and many have already exhausted their mana."

Jooquin clicked his tongue.

"Tch. You’re making it sound worse than it is."

"Whether you like it or not, pushing forward now would be reckless. We don’t know what other creatures inhabit this place. If we encounter another powerful enemy while everyone is exhausted, the consequences could be disastrous."

Jooquin opened his mouth to argue, but then he glanced toward his own crew.

Several pirates were sitting against nearby trees, breathing heavily. Others were tending to their wounds, while a few looked barely capable of standing.

His expression gradually changed.

’...Damn. They really are exhausted.’

Although he hated admitting it, William’s reasoning wasn’t entirely wrong. They had already encountered two formidable threats before even beginning their exploration.

’There’s no point in rushing blindly into another fight.’

Jooquin rubbed the back of his head before finally letting out a sigh.

"Fine. We’ll rest for a while."

William nodded.

"Good. We’ll establish a perimeter and take turns keeping watch."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don’t make us stay here all day, Knight."

Jooquin turned toward his crew and raised his voice.

"Oi! Take a break! Eat something, patch up your wounds, and get some rest! We’ll continue once everyone’s ready!"

His pirates responded with relieved cheers.

William, meanwhile, began organizing the knights and assigning watch duties.

For the time being, the expedition would remain at the edge of the forest, recovering from the battles they had endured.