Chapter 94: Keshel’s Plight
Fidia and Abyss’s conversation was unpleasant, but the information she provided wasn’t false.
After Rebecca and all the Druids at the gathering had frantically worked for another day, meaning the plague had mutated eight more times, numerous uninvited guests began appearing around Keshel.
Various animals started converging on Keshel. These animals weren’t of the same species; some should even have been natural enemies, yet they advanced harmoniously towards the Keshel villages. Clearly, these coordinated creatures were Iron Lily members, likely having formed an alliance with Prodo.
The sky’s color was altered by an unknown large-scale magic. It was cloudless, the sun high above, yet the sunlight filtering down was incredibly dim, like a nearly extinguished oil lamp. In this eerie darkness, strange figures shambled towards Keshel. They were numerous low-level undead, yet despite their rank, these undead possessed varying degrees of limb specialization: skeletons with arms transformed into scythes, zombies with fists turned into warhammers, and so on…
Currently, only the Druids of the gathering could mount a defense. These mages had been working non-stop for two days and were utterly exhausted. But to protect Keshel and uphold elven dignity, they stood firm. Rebecca’s anti-fatigue potions helped alleviate their physical exhaustion, but prolonged mental strain and lack of sleep left them in poor condition. A mage’s most important weapon is their mind; their current fatigue effectively weakened them by several levels.
Keshel was completely besieged, and the Iron Lilies and undead launched wave after wave of attacks. They didn’t attack all at once, but the assaults were relentless, quickly overwhelming the Druids.
…
A massive, hairy orangutan, the size of a small hill, roared and charged forward, its huge fists pounding the ground as it ran, leaving fist-shaped craters. Its target was a village warehouse.
This warehouse stored various medicinal herbs ready for sale, the livelihood of the local farmers. The Druids, sworn to protect their homes, wouldn’t let it succeed. Two Druids immediately ran towards it, chanting spells. As their magic flowed, two thick vines erupted from the ground, rapidly wrapping around the orangutan’s ankles and tightening instantly, pulling the charging beast down with a thunderous crash.
“Roar!” The orangutan roared angrily, reaching to tear at the vines binding it.
The Druids wouldn’t let it break free so easily. The two vines, having completed their task, continued to grow, sprouting countless tendrils that quickly formed a net, tightly ensnaring the orangutan, preventing it from reaching its feet.
“Damn elves! I’ll skin you and break your bones!” Human speech, albeit broken Elvish, came from the orangutan’s mouth. Iron Lily members learned some Elvish to better carry out their missions and slaughter elves.
“Die!” the two Druids shouted in unison, beginning another loud incantation. As their spell neared completion, the vines binding the orangutan sprouted numerous thorns, digging deep into its flesh and injecting large amounts of neurotoxin.
“Ugh-AAAAAH!” The orangutan suddenly roared, its body rapidly growing a thick carapace that burst the vines restraining it!
“Not good!” The two Druids were aghast; they hadn’t expected the orangutan’s magical ability to be manifesting a carapace!
The moment it broke free, the orangutan charged the two Druids. The distance was too short; they couldn’t cast another binding spell in time. The massive fists were about to smash them into pulp…
Swoosh! Zing zing zing!
At that moment, a green figure shot forward from behind. It moved so fast the two Druids couldn’t even make out its shape. The green light circled the orangutan’s body at unbelievable speed for several seconds. The orangutan immediately collapsed, twitched a few times, and lay still.
The green figure finally stopped, clearly visible to the two Druids. It was a giant mantis, as long as an adult’s forearm, brandishing its two blade-like forelimbs, flicking off blood.
At the same time, the fallen orangutan’s skin suddenly ruptured, blood pouring out. Its neck, in particular, had been slashed countless times by a sharp weapon; the vertebrae and nerves within were completely severed, leaving no chance of survival. The orangutan died instantly, its body rapidly shrinking back into a human corpse with shredded skin.
“Master Ambrosius!” the two Druids cried out gratefully.
“You did well, holding this monster back,” words came from the mantis’s mouth. The mantis was none other than Ambrosius, the Sage second only to Arcaiste in the Druid gathering.
“Master! The front line is in dire straits! Our energy is depleted. I felt dizzy casting just now; I can’t concentrate properly anymore…” one Druid lamented to Ambrosius.
“Master! Same here. How long do we have to hold out?” the other Druid asked.
Ambrosius sighed heavily. “Alas, do your best. If you can’t take it anymore, switch shifts with someone else… if you can find anyone free. I’m also stretched thin… However, keep faith! Master Arcaiste and Master Belator seem to be preparing a decisive blow. Once their magic is ready, we should be able to turn the tide!” Although Ambrosius was encouraging the two Druids, he himself didn’t show much hope; the elder was also exhausted.
“If that’s really the case, that would be wonderful,” the two Druids remained pessimistic, their voices lacking much excitement.
And just as they spoke, more Iron Lily members, accompanied by numerous low-level undead, launched another wave of attacks towards their position…
…
The battle was deadlocked. The Druids couldn’t push back the enemy, nor dared they retreat. Some villagers remained in the outer areas, unable to move to the central zone. Young Druids carried these unconscious patients, a slow and inefficient process.
As the two sides fought fiercely, a massive figure appeared over a distant mountain, visible to all the Druids.
It was a giant dragon with rotting flesh. Two figures stood upon its neck.
“Abyss Belator! Hand over your Sage’s Blood! Otherwise, we will bathe the entire Druid gathering in blood! Don’t try any tricks! We have the power!” A magically amplified voice echoed throughout Keshel.
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