Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, both sides engaged in fierce combat. The Millelith thrust their long spears through the gaps in the tower shields, striking at the smaller Hilichurls.
Each time a spear pierced enemy flesh, a faint hissing sound emerged. When withdrawn, it made a soft shushing noise. These sounds were subtle—one wouldn't notice them without listening carefully.
But in the heat of battle, no one had time to focus on such details. If anyone were curious, they could go home and practice stabbing pork.
"Don't stop! Crossbowmen—take down those charging big Hilichurls! And keep your eyes on the Samachurls!" Yan Ning's brow was tightly furrowed. He hadn't expected this many Hilichurls.
He'd assumed the Abyss Mages couldn't have gathered such a large force in such a short time. How unexpected!
Most of these Hilichurls were the small variety. Though agile, they couldn't break through the Millelith's shield wall.
Surrounded by rocky mountains, with the Millelith's tower shields blocking the only exit, unless the Hilichurls could fly, they were stuck.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The crossbowmen followed orders without hesitation, aiming at the larger Hilichurls. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any Mitachurls among them—no need to worry about those.
The other Hilichurls carried wooden shields, but these didn't fully protect them. Gaps were visible—opportunities to exploit.
The Millelith had strategies for dealing with these shields. No cause for concern.
The operation seemed to be going smoothly—but appearances were deceiving. On one side, something predictable was unfolding.
"Kid! Stab already!" a grizzled veteran bellowed.
Before him, a young soldier pressed against the tower shield, tears streaming down his face. Though he maintained his position, his whole body seemed to curl inward.
He clutched his spear tightly, unable to thrust it at the enemy. To put it bluntly, he'd frozen.
He genuinely hadn't expected so many monsters. Through the gaps in the shield wall, he'd seen the chaos outside—the monsters looked terrifying.
Their howls were frightening. If captured, he'd surely be tortured to death!
With so many enemies, how could their small force hold out? Their strength would give out eventually. They were doomed!
"Old Ghost! What's wrong over there?" Yan Ning shouted from another position.
"Nothing!"
The man called "Old Ghost" shouted back. He grabbed the cowering soldier and threw him to the rear.
Then he took the young man's place, thrusting his spear through the gaps.
With each thrust, he cursed the young soldier. Something along the lines of: "Damn it, I've never seen such a cowardly Millelith soldier!" "Shameful!" "If you're this pathetic, go back to farming!"
With every curse, his strikes grew fiercer. Old Ghost was clearly an experienced soldier with a temper.
Though this incident was resolved, similar scenes were playing out elsewhere. The cowards were being thrown to the rear, replaced by experienced soldiers.
Like Old Ghost, these veterans cursed with every thrust. They weren't usually like this—they were men of action, not words.
But these recruits were disgraceful. All talk earlier—now when it counted, they froze. If word got out, they'd be a laughingstock.
The thought of being mocked as weaklings raised the veterans' blood pressure. Fury surged within them.
No soldier wanted to be called a coward—especially not experienced ones.
Yan Ning shook his head inwardly at the cowards. The situation was chaotic—he had no time for those who couldn't get up.
Some recruits were performing well, though. Unlike the cowards, they trembled and moved stiffly, but they could still fight.
With the crossbowmen's support and replacements standing ready, things should hold.
What puzzled him was the Abyss Mages' inaction. They simply floated in the distance, watching silently.
Their masks made their expressions unreadable. The two adepti weren't moving either—probably cautious.
With adepti present, though, he had nothing to worry about.
"Keep stabbing! Anyone running out of steam, switch out now! Hold the line! Crossbowmen, keep firing!"
---
On the other side
Bonanus and Yanfei.
The two watched the Abyss Mages curiously. With the battle at a stalemate, why weren't they acting?
Normally, they'd want to escape quickly. This was puzzling.
They'd already counted the Abyss Mages—six in total, dressed in three distinct colors.
Two blue, two red, two white. Evenly distributed. They stood in perfect formation. To an outsider, it might look like they were playing a matching game.
Their presence felt strangely out of place. The six could pair up like couples while you were stuck watching alone.
Almost pitiful...
Though unsure why they weren't acting, Bonanus and Yanfei could see the mages seemed to be discussing something. Without superhuman hearing, they couldn't make out the words.
"Little Yanfei, think it's a trap?" Bonanus frowned.
As she spoke, she glanced at the battlefield. Everything seemed under control, so she looked back.
"Hard to say. Their masks make their intentions impossible to read. Let's wait." Yanfei rubbed her chin, eyes fixed on the distant mages.
No sooner had she spoken than the six mages moved. Two white ones led another group of Hilichurls toward the east.
Seeing them head east, Yanfei called out softly. They were trying to find another escape route—she wouldn't let them succeed.
"Sister Bonanus, I'm going to support the soldiers on the east side. Stay safe."
With a sharp crack, Yanfei vanished with impossible speed. Bonanus barely had time to react.
"Don't worry—" Bonanus began, but Yanfei was already gone. She swallowed the rest of her words.
Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the remaining four Abyss Mages. They continued directing the remaining Hilichurls to attack.
Suddenly, they struck.
But their attack was futile. Just as their fireballs and water jets were about to hit the Millelith's shield wall, Bonanus acted.
She condensed water into sharp scales again. These scales gathered together, forming a shield of deep blue translucence.
The transparent barrier blocked the Abyss Mages' spells. Then it scattered, the scales drifting in the air like falling petals, beautiful to behold.
This was no time to admire their beauty, though. Enemies were right in front of them. Admiration could wait for another day.
"Time for you to sleep."