Chapter 180
Chapter 180 Battlefield of Lava
It was decided that the location for the final battle was would be a valley that was slightly flatter.
Of course this location was not the most ideal place for the final battle. However, this was already the best spot that Greem could find that was located between the witcher-knights and the adepts' base.
Due to the continuous harassment by the vampires and the bug swarm, the witcher-knights had to tighten their formation to avoid exposing any openings to the enemy. This caused their marching speed to be as slow down to a tortoise's speed. But even so, they still arrived at the decided battlefield at midday.
This was a place with sparse vegetation and less mountainous terrain. On both sides were rocky hills and flowing streams. Mountain ranges and steep cliffs were everywhere to be seen. If the witcher-knights wanted to continue north, this was the best location for an army their size.
But now, this place had turned into a place of risk and danger that struck despair into the hearts of the knights.
A frightening volcano stood in the path of the witcher-knights.
This was a volcano created by human means. Even though it might lose to natural volcanoes in terms of might, it still had the terrifying ability to determine the outcome in such a small battlefield.
Two tall, human-shaped forms stood by each other at one end of the valley. Their domineering bodies were completely covered in red and black rocks. Intense red heat radiated from their bodies, scorching the rocks on the surface of their forms and turning them into half-molten lava.
Their legs, thick as flame pillars, were stuck in the lava pool below. There was dark red lava that was slowly flowing in a hundred meter radius around them. The green grass and tall trees around the lava were slowly being lit up by the intense heat. They withered, yellowed, dried out, and slowly tiny sparks of flame started to spread……
With the lava pool at the center, the entire valley had become a piece of scorched earth. The ashes of plants at the edge of the field went all the way up to one's ankle.
Even though they were forced to fight the witcher-knight army head on, Greem chose to pick a battlefield whose geography would be beneficial to himself. The two steep and mountainous slopes on each side prevented the witcher-knights from surrounding and flanking him.
If the witcher-knights dared gather around the lava pool, Greem didn't mind using his overwhelming and terrifying spells to teach them the terror of meeting an elementium adept on the battlefield!
A bizarre battlefield, and a bizarre enemy. The witcher-knights were at a loss, having never been in such a situation before. It wasn't the first time they fought with a heretic, but every time it was the heretics that would be running and hiding from them. It was only when they had been driven to their wit's end that the heretics would turn around and fight back like a mad dog.
But……in a situation like the one before their eyes, the heretic was the one that appeared before them, bearing a dominating aura as if he wanted to exterminate them. This was a completely new and unknown feeling for the knights!
The feeling was a fresh one, but the death trap set by the enemy was also truly terrifying.
The hearts of every witcher-knight were heavy when they looked at the ever-expanding lava pool and the charred trees that had been reduced to charcoal.
If they wanted to charge at an enemy like this, wouldn't they have to ride their colts into the pool of lava, wading through a hundred meters of burning rock to get close to the enemy? It might only take five seconds to cross a hundred meter gap when they drove the colts to the limit, but on that viscous and flowing lava, could the colts even sprint? How many companions’ lives, those who had been with them for years, would need to be sacrificed to pave a bloody path to the opponent?
Countless questions surfaced in everyone’s hearts, instilling a sense of tragedy and grief into each and every one of their actions.
From on top their magic colts,the fourteen spellbreaker knights slowly stood before the battlefield, examining the terrifying territory their enemy had chosen.
This was a new enemy!
This meant that the three heretics had shown their true faces now, if they included the two enemies that appeared previously.
Ninther rode out of the knights' formation and drove his colt two steps forward, coldly looking at the tall silhouette standing in the bubbling pool of lava. Two tall humanoids wreathed in flame. One was the heretic, while the other was an evil golem he had summoned.
Ninther had to admit that the heretic before him was more worthy of his admiration, and even more terrifying, than the two sly and wicked heretics earlier.
Even before they had started the battle, this fellow had successfully used this unique battlefield he had created to weaken the morale of the witcher-knights. Even though all the witcher-knights were fearless and willing to sacrifice themselves, when confronted with the thought of becoming a stepping stone for others to reach the enemy, a sense of grief and tragedy had replaced the passion and vigor they needed for an all-out fight.
It was no longer an impassioned battlecry that rang in the hearts of the knights, but a tragic aria for the sacrifice they would have to make!
When the warriors stepped foot on the battlefield, they weren't thinking of how to fight to their best abilities, of how to forge a brilliant victory with their burning blood, but of how they were to sacrifice themselves. This……this definitely can't be called a high morale!
Clap clap clap……
Ninther extended his gauntleted hands and started clapping in awe of the opponent's unpredictable psychological tactics.
The sound of clanking metal had a ring of arrogance and determination to it, driving away the pointless worries of the witcher-knights. All the knights raised their heads and looked at their great leader, who had led them from one victory to another. Slowly, the grief and sorrow in their eyes faded, replaced with the coolness and determination unique to the noble knights.
Even if they were fated to die today, they would die with the pride, grandeur, and dignity of a witcher-knight! After all, the one leading them was the pride of all witcher-knights—Spellbreaker Knight Ninther!
Seeing that he had managed to raise the morale of his companions, Ninther solemnly instructed, "Alvar, bring one squad with you and cover the left……Anthony, you cover the right with two squads……be cautious, be careful of sneak attacks from the two other heretics that have yet to show themselves. Prioritise defending and guarding. Do not recklessly chase after the enemy!"
"Understood!" The two spellbreaker knights bowed and accepted their orders.
"Benson, bring 3 or 4 squads with you. Cut some trees to make a path immediately. Be swift……”
"Understood, I'll be on my way!" A spellbreaker knight with a mean face, and an especially large body, replied loudly. He got down from his horse and immediately led a group of witcher-knights towards the closest patch of trees.
"Edward, when the opportunity of an attack presents itself later, you, Daniel, and Joseph will each lead your own troops and guard the rear. I'll lead the charge with the rest of the spellbreaker knights and kill this overconfident heretic in one blow."
"No, Ninther, let me lead the charge! The army needs your instructions. It's better for me to lead the attack!" Edward widened his eyes and rebutted immediately.
One after another, the remaining spellbreaker knights offered to lead the charge!
"No, it must be me who leads the charge!" Ninther extended his hands and stopped the knights, "Once the battle starts, not much instructions will be needed. The enemy's plan is simple. The heretic wants to throw us into chaos before him, forcing us to go around or split up our forces. It's only then that the other two heretics have a chance to ambush us!
“Thus, it is the man standing before us that is their leader, as well as the shield on their side. What we need to do is use our most powerful and savage attacks to shatter their shield and cause their plan of obstructing us to fail.
“Then, the two heretics hiding in the darkness will lose the element of surprise and be forced to enter the battlefield in order to salvage the losing fight. That is the moment you will surround and attack them with all your might!
“So I beg of you, allow me to take on the burden of leading the charge!"
Everyone looked at each other after having heard Ninther's explanation, and could only nod in agreement.
Indeed, they had to use their strongest and sharpest squad of witcher-knights to break the opponent with brute force. WIthin the witcher-knights, it was definitely Ninther who was the swiftest and greatest knight. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been the leader of this knight army at such a young age.
The witcher-knights in front of the lava pool immediately regained their discipline and order under the Ninther’s instructions. The ones in charge of covering the rear went to cover the rear; the ones in charge of cutting down trees to pave a road, went to cut trees. Most of the remaining witcher-knights patrolled the battlefield, wary of the movements of the tall burning humanoid in the sea of flames.
The nine spellbreaker knights, with Ninther as the leader, had gathered at the front of the lava pool. They held their breaths and concentrated as they waited, looking as if they were about to enter a death charge.
But their battle plans were merely something they came up on their side only; the unpredictability and chaos of the battlefield was far above their expectations. With Greem's powerful abilities, he would never let them destroy the advantageous battlefield he had crafted with such care!
As the group of witcher-knights, who had removed their heavy armor, moved heavy logs and large boulders to the edge of the lava pool, both Greem and the Fire Lord raised their up hands high and jointly cast a fire spell—Meteor Shower.
Under their will, large swathes of rolling flame clouds gathered in the skies of the valley. Then, one after another, fiery meteors plummeted from the sky, dragging with them a thick black tail. Their target was the witcher-knights who had removed their armor, and whose defense had been greatly reduced.
"Defend, everybody defend……" A spellbreaker knight with a loud voice shouted.
More witcher-knights made it to the front of the formation. The runic bows in their hands had been drawn to a full moon, and one after another, flame arrows were shot out to intercept the blazing meteors crashing down.
Most of the flame meteors were shot by the arrows and exploded into fireworks before hitting the ground. The shattered flames spread out to form an even greater burning sea, but the terrifying physical impact of the flame meteors had been mitigated.
Resisting the low temperature of the sea of flames was no problem for the witcher-knights, even without their heavy armor!