The dragonborn warrior under the fire dragon naturally possessed fire affinity. The more talented ones among them could launch powerful fireballs. On the other hand, the ordinary dragonborn warrior could only channel the flames onto their weapons and enhance them with some fire damage.
To better hunt their 'rations,' many of the dragonborn had sheathed their metal weapons. They were using their bare hands to crush or smash these harmless murlocs.
They scattered throughout the village, chasing after the terrified and screaming murlocs. They would smash a murloc to the ground whenever they caught one before going on to grab the next one.
It was like an eagle descending upon a flock of chicks. The entire murloc village descended into ear-piercing screams. The dragonborn captain even started a fire around the town to cut off all paths of escape available to the murlocs.
This desolate scene of utter chaos and tragedy was what appeared before Deserra and Dana when they arrived at the edge of the battlefield with the magical machines in tow.
Twelve dragonborn warriors had split up. They were chasing after the groups of murlocs and busy trying to hunt them down.
Only the dragonborn captain had gathered with two of his subordinates. They sealed off the most significant exit of the village and were gleefully slaughtering the unfortunate murlocs that ran into them.
"What's the plan?" Medusa Dana shook her slender waist and propped up her body on her long snake's tail. She took a serious and careful look at the battlefield.
She might be smart and capable, but she was still born as a magical creature. She lacked the sly and sinister nature of the humans when it came to tricks and techniques. That was why she was willing to listen to Deserra's opinion, even though she was more powerful than the human adept.
As expected, Deserra's suggestion was truly sinister.
"We can't go in all at once!" Deserra was a wind adept. Spells like Levitate and Fly were par for the course for him. He hovered three meters above the ground and looked at the battlefield from a distance. He laughed sinisterly as he gave his suggestion, "The geography here is wide and unobstructed. We don't have the power to stop all the dragonborn if they are bent on running.
"So…
"We should hide the magical machines for the moment. The two of us and the two snakefiends you brought with you should go and ambush the dragonborn captain first."
Dana tilted her head and thought for a moment. She still didn't quite understand.
Shouldn't one always charge forward with all the force they had in combat? Whoever had the most numbers and the largest fist would be the one to obtain the final victory. Could they win this battle by leaving half of their forces outside?
Deserra seemed to have seen through Dana's doubts and explained in a little, self-satisfied manner, "Lady Mary didn't send us here just to beat these dragonborn. She wants us to capture or kill every last one of them. As such, it's not difficult to win this battle. It's difficult to keep them all within this battlefield."
"We can take down all the dragonborn if we leave the magical machines behind?"
"We will only appear as four people at first. Moreover, we will be striking at their captain. The dragonborn will assume themselves to have the numerical advantage and won't think of running anymore. Have them stay on the battlefield, slowly grind away their strength and have the magical machines form a perimeter on the outside and prepare to enter the battle at any time. This way, we have a far greater chance to take down all the dragonborn!"
"I have no problem fighting with the dragonborn, but my subordinates…" Medusa Dana wasn't a cold-blooded individual, after all. She took great care of the younger generation of her species.
The two subordinates she had brought with her were excellent individuals amongst the younger generation of the tribe. They had already grown four arms and could simultaneously command multiple weapons. When paired with their fast, wind-like movements, they rained down a storm of blades when they fought with knives.
They could easily bully those unequipped low to mid-grade magical creatures with such strength. However, it was insufficient against powerful beings like the dragonborn.
Four-armed snakefiends were still too weak regarding Strength. Cutting through the thick metal armor and fine scales of the dragonborn was nearly impossible. An awkward situation of being unable to harm the enemy would happen if they were to actually engage in the fight.
That was why Dana was already worried about them before the battle had even started.
Deserra was already muddle-headed when he heard Dana's soft voice and request.
Deserra had been extremely strict with himself ever since he had been an apprentice, all for the sake of his future as an adept. Though it wasn't quite at the level of completely abstaining from women, Deserra was honestly far more disciplined compared to his peers.
He might have acted upon his desires sometimes after becoming an adept, but he was still a resolute and matured individual compared to adepts of the same grade.
Yet, for some reason, Deserra found himself infatuated with Dana after they started to interact more with each other.
That delicate and perfect face and that hot and explosive figure. Though the hair of snakes and Dana's Eyes of Petrification were a little harsh to deal with, didn't that make it all the more exotic?
It was rare that the beauty would ask something of him, so it was natural that he would try and accommodate her.
"Then we will bring along another two Loggers! They will be much safer with two of those meat shields at the front."
A sweet smile immediately appeared on Dana's face. The snakes on her head all started to let out weird hissings as well.
"Well, prepare yourself. We will be going now!"
A simple shout, and the two Crimson adepts, the two snakefiends, and the two rumbling Loggers descended like a whistling whirlwind, swiftly and fiercely lunging towards the dragonborn captain.
Chapter 586 Deadly Battle at the Murloc Village
Thick smoke lingered above the skies of the Murloc village.
If this were anywhere else, the smoke would have been visible from dozens of kilometers away.
Sadly, this was the Swamp of Sorrows!
The excessively dense fog was like a massive barrier of water that trapped the swamp beneath it and cloaked it in dim daylight.
The battle in the murloc village was still underway, and the slaughtering was only getting more brutal.
Adept Deserra flew twenty meters high in the air, his body radiating intense wind elementium aura. He was also loudly chanting spells and using wind blades to slash at the dragonborn warriors beneath him, wounding them while throwing them into disarray.
However, being in the air didn't mean absolute safety. Several large and ferocious whirling metal axes were hurled into the air. Deserra would be severely wounded if he couldn't dodge these axes. Usually, he could use Tornado Vortex to redirect ranged physical attacks like these.
However, the metal axes of the dragonborn were far too large. They were far beyond the likes of small long-ranged weapons. No wind barriers or Tornado Vortexes could completely shield Deserra against these ferociously spinning weapons.
If Deserra was already in such danger in the skies, it was only natural that Dana and her two snakefiends were having more trouble on the ground.
Two massive Loggers stood in the front, enduring attacks and strikes from multiple dragonborn. The large chainsaws in their arms would rumble and shriek every time they clashed with the axes of the dragonborn, and blinding sparks flew everywhere.
The reinforced metal bodies of the Loggers were heavily dented and scratched. Many of the violent strikes had already broken through their outer metal shells, revealing the interconnected and spinning metal components within.
Dana and her two four-armed snakefiend subordinates were taking turns attacking the dragonborn with the Loggers holding the line at the front. They were continually wounding the dragonborn around them.
The snakefiends were like rattlesnakes in front of honey badgers when they fought with the fully-armored dragonborn. The thin knives in their hands sent sparks flying when they struck the armor and scales of dragonborn.
Dana was shouldering all the pressure of the battle alone.
She slithered with her long snake's tail and rapidly weaved between the thick limbs of the dragonborn, dodging their axes while having her snake arrows pierce into the gaps between their scales.
Dana even climbed up some of the particularly ferocious dragonborn. She would use the tiny instant where they locked eyes with her to open her snake eyes and inject her petrification powers into the enemy. In that short instant when Dana paused to look, all the snakes on her head immediately erupted into action. They lashed out their forked tongue and hissed in unison.
A Halo of Fear radiated outward, affecting all enemies within a dozen meters.
Any ordinary creature would have been utterly terrified when engulfed in the Halo of Fear. They would have dropped their weapons and started running. However, the dragonborn were powerful life forms with the bloodline of dragons. They were only scared a few steps backward before breaking out of the fear.
The dragonborn were also all equipped with armor and didn't need to worry about friendly fire.
Thus, the surrounding dragonborn warriors instantly threw their weapons at Medusa Dana while she was wrapped around one of their companions.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Dana frantically dodged left and right amidst the metallic clangings. She weaved rapidly but was still unavoidably hit by the axes that were flying everywhere.
Dana might be wearing a wind-indurium armor on the upper half of her body that helped her mitigate much of the damage, but her lower half was only covered with scales.
A brilliant light shone from her dusty-yellow eyes as she moaned in pain. Several nearby dragonborn were instantly petrified and turned into statues with wicked and ferocious expressions. Dana then dragged her bloody tail and made a wild attempt to escape. One could even see the bone of her tail exposed.
Four of the six dragonborn around her were petrified. The remaining two were still relentlessly pursuing after Dana, waving their glowing red metal axes and slashing at the medusa.
Petrifying Gaze!
Halo of Fear!
Poison Snake Arrow!
A chain of spells and powers blasted the dragonborn and wounded them so badly that they were coughing up blood. Yet, Dana still couldn't defend against all of their brutal attacks. The wind barrier around her was on the verge of breaking. She could be severely wounded by the death throes of the dragonborn warriors at any time. Just then, a violent Tornado Vortex descended from the skies, crashing at the feet of the dragonborn like a speeding meteor.
The ferocious hurricane instantly exploded and turned into hundreds and thousands of thin and powerful wind blades. These wind blades quickly engulfed the two dragonborn warriors.
The storm faded as quickly as it had appeared.
When the violent whirlwind finally disappeared, the two dragonborn looked as if they had been thrown into a meat grinder. Their whole bodies were covered in painful wounds of various sizes. The blood that flowed from their cuts completely stained their bodies.
They stumbled two more steps toward Dana before crashing with a loud thud. The metal axes in their hands even left deep craters in the ground when they landed.
The explosion of such power had exhausted all the wind elementium left in Deserra's body. His body trembled as he slowly floated down from the sky.
Just then, the sound of cracking stone came from the four dragonborn statues that Dana had forcibly petrified. The dragonborn warriors had used their powerful Physique to resist the powers of petrification and were quickly breaking free of their petrified state.
Dana's face turned. She let out a battle cry, and the short bow in her hands snapped several times in succession. Two snake hair arrows accurately found their way to the throats of two of the dragonborn warriors who had broken free.
That was the only place on the dragonborn's body that was not protected by scales!
The snake arrows entered their bodies, and the poison took effect.
The faces of the dragonborn warriors immediately turned purple and black as they were poisoned to death.
The two snakefiends that Dana had brought with her took the opportunity and rushed forward. They waved the four knives in their hands and wildly slashed at the two half-petrified dragonborn warriors. The strength of the snakefiends was very much inferior to the dragonborn. They had to cut their enemies' exposed throats and necks to be able to behead them.
The knives flashed and danced about as sparks flew here and there.
Finally, a firm slash from the knives caused two dragonborn heads to roll to the ground just as they had almost broken free from their petrification. A fountain of blood poured out of their necks.
Twelve of the fifteen dragonborn warriors had been executed. Only the dragonborn captain and two ordinary warriors were left.
Deserra and Dana had already ambushed and wounded the captain severely when the battle started. They then intentionally let his companions save him.
They then took the chance of the dragonborn being split up to protect their captain to wear away at their numbers.
Now that all the other dragonborn warriors had fallen, the other two survivors could no longer remain calm. They picked up their captain upon their shoulders and attempted to flee. Sadly, the moment they turned their bodies, they found themselves staring at another nightmare. Eight towering and mighty magical machines were slowly walking toward them with steady steps from the distant fog. The three machines that stood at the very front were the same model as those terrifying machines they had just fought. Five more slender machines stood in a row behind them. Black gun barrels extended from the front of their bodies, their shoulders, and even their arms.
The five Archers at the back immediately let out a blinding red light when they reached the optimum fifty-meter attacking distance. Metal bullets the size of pigeon's eggs were propelled by violent magic energy and ravaged the two surviving dragonborn warriors like a ferocious storm.
Most of the metal bullets were deflected by the metal armor or simply crushed to pieces. Only white spots were left upon the armor. Yet, when the metal bullets hit the scales of the dragonborn, they managed to leave shallow dents in them.
Only individual bullets managed to pass through the gap between the scales and dug into the flesh of the dragonborn warriors. The dragonborn felt the pain in their bodies and grunted in agony.
The two dragonborn could only endure the beating without any hope of retaliation. It infuriated them, and they roared in anger.
Their requisitioning party was about to be captured entirely now that they had been flanked. They needed to think of a way to break through the enemy's perimeter. The two dragonborn warriors could only prop up their captain and continue running ahead while braving the barrage of the Archers.
The captain saw how desperate the situation was and summoned the last surge of strength within his body. He pushed away from the two dragonborn, picked up a war axe, and immediately charged at the three Loggers.
"The two of you, run out the flanks. Hurry up and report the situation here to Lord Will…"
The dragonborn captain let out a primal roar and used his charging momentum to drive the axe into the black earth beneath him furiously.
The massive and wild blow shook the earth, sending tremendous shockwaves toward the three Loggers.
The magical machines couldn't stand still. They stumbled about and lost the best timing to intercept the enemy.
The captain then leaped high into the air and smashed the massive axe in his hand into the metal chainsaw of one of the Loggers. The unbridled strength was unmatched by the Logger, and the machine went stumbling backward. The chainsaw in its arm had been badly deformed and had even been forcefully driven into its own body.
A muffled but loud boom rang out.
The Logger's mechanical body split apart. Countless metal shards, components, and magic energy parts scattered in every direction like snowflakes in winter.
This unfortunate magical machine struggled for a bit longer before powerlessly collapsing to the ground. It no longer moved after that.
This series of violent attacks had also taken the last wind out of the dragonborn captain.
He leaned against his axe and panted in exhaustion. He looked around, but all he saw were the tragic, hacked corpses of his dragonborn subordinates. The two dragonborn warriors trying to escape were also intercepted by the flying Deserra and the slithering Medusa Dana.
It was over. His party was completely done for.
The dragonborn captain felt his vision go black as his will to battle faded from him. He fell unconscious.
Chapter 587 A Brewing Battle
Dragonborn Camp.
The pesky kobolds had been completely dealt with.
The kobold blood had been scattered all across the camp, and the stinging smell of blood had obscured the stench of the place.
The smell of blood wasn't unpleasant to the dragonborn who had always lived on the edge of battle. In fact, it made them feel at ease and relaxed.
The dragonborn had traveled far to get here and had indeed prepared food of their own. However, given the unpredictability of war, it wasn't a bad idea to prep more food ahead of time. That was why Commander Will had sent out the food requisitioning party to find trouble with the local natives.
The dragonborn warriors gathered into their squads to start campfires and put on their pots. Soon, the pleasant fragrance of cooked ribs started to fill the camp.
Several dragonborn warriors had even taken off their armor and were wrestling bare-handed with the free time they had before dinner.
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