The Alliance leaders chose to look past such actions.
After all, they had done such things before, just on a smaller scale and not as conspicuously. At any rate, these souls would disperse and return to the river of souls even if they didn’t collect them.
Rather than that, why not have them contribute a little to their masters in life before thoroughly vanishing?!
“How much energy does the tower still have left?” Third Grade Adept Yurga coldly asked.
A First Grade adept beside him quickly took out a piece of strange equipment and pointed it at the tower. Soon, he obtained an accurate number.
“They have 1,275 pulnars left, sir!”
A pulnar was a unit of measurement that adepts designated for magical energy. One pulnar was equivalent to the magical power of a First Grade fireball. While 1,275 pulnars might sound like a lot, it was extremely little for a tower.
“Very good. Very good,” Yurga laughed coldly and said, “We’ve waited for so long and this moment has finally arrived. I now call for all adepts to enter the battle. We shall attempt to exhaust the enemy’s last dregs of magical energy in two hours and enter the tower itself.
“The first adept to enter the tower will be entitled to the first choice of spoils. The clan that this adept belongs to will also gain an additional three percent of the share of spoils.”
“I hereby declare that this battle for the adept’s tower has officially begun.”
Chapter 781 - Bug Adept Descends
Compared to the high morale of the Alliance, Fire Throne was currently engulfed in an atmosphere of sorrow.
Though no losses had occurred among the Crimson adepts, a cataclysmic danger was approaching the clan with the gradual depletion of the tower’s elementium pool.
Fire Throne no longer had the extra energy to maintain the tower’s defensive system. That gave the invaders a reason to attack the tower’s foundations itself. As the thudding continued, the entire tower trembled and quaked slightly.
The windows had now been sealed off with stone blocks, and all remaining magical energy had been converted into force walls and fire barriers to seal the tower’s gates. Consequently, the tower no longer had the power to cast down lightning and thunder to exterminate the enemies swarming about the tower. Still, with the enemy’s crude machinery, they would need a minimum of half a day to create a passage through the three-meter-thick foundations of the tower.
The greatest threat to the tower now was still those Alliance adepts, not these soldiers who were swarming about like ants.
As all the entrances had been sealed shut, the only way into the tower was the gate.
The Crimson adepts all gathered in the magical hall on the first floor and commanded the last remaining Archers to shoot at the crowd of humans outside through small openings. Pupupu! The dull sound of metal bullets piercing through human bodies rained on. The Alliance soldiers no longer seemed to care about their own lives and continued to slash at the sturdy tower with their weapons fearlessly.
The structure of the tower made of volcanic rock might not be indestructible, but it was stronger than steel and had very high fire resistance. If the tower could inject magic energy into the walls and activate the Hardening Arrays within them, the Alliance soldiers would not even be able to damage the walls with their mortal weapons.
Sadly, now that energy was running low and all the reserves were being used to seal the gates, the enemies could swarm around the tower and attack it with all their strength.
Perhaps because they sensed the problematic situation that Fire Throne was in, they formerly cautious Alliance adepts also started becoming active. They silently snuck close to the tower and started using powerful spells to bombard the unprotected walls.
Volcanic rock might be hard and fire resistant, but it had limits when it came to defending against spells of other attributes. The surface of the tower’s walls started to crumble and break under the impact of the ferocious spells. Dust cascaded down from above like snow.
The tower was in grave danger!
The more dangerous the situation, the easier it was to observe the loyalty of the clan adepts.
Medusa Dana, Manticore Charon, Berserk Witch Sofia, Blood Knights Soros and Windsor, Blood Elves Faely and Talionia, Forest Spirit Eva and Daughter Emelia, as well as Dragonborn Zacha.
Together, they sealed off the entrance to the first-floor hall with all they had, taking turns to charge out and attack the Alliance soldiers trying to enter the tower. Their magic power and stamina were quickly exhausted under the tide of enemies. Most of the adepts bore wounds of varying severity.
If it weren’t for the tower’s protection and the healing from potions, some of the adepts would have already collapsed!
In such a desperate situation, the adepts had to choose between escaping and defending to their last breath.
Sending away all the adepts with the teleportation array while the tower still had the energy to cut off the enemy’s interference was undoubtedly the best method to reduce the clan’s losses. However, just as Gargamel started doubting the idea of defending the tower, Mary stepped in as the temporary leader, dispelling all objections and insisted on the plan to defend.
Her reasoning was simple– Alice had promised her that Fire Throne would not fall!
Mary believed deeply in this prophecy.
Naturally, her bloodkin subordinates would always stand on her side.
As Greem’s soul servant, Dragonborn Zacha showed a spirit of true loyalty and constantly remained at the very frontline when defending the tower. In contrast, Tigule was much more hesitant and started an unfriendly ‘conversation’ with Mary.
However, just as the two of them were engaged in an argument, the teleportation array on the fourth floor mysteriously activated. It seemed as if someone wanted to teleport over to the tower.
Mary, Tigule, and Gargamel couldn’t help but look at each other.
Of course, the only people who would know the coordinates of the teleportation array would be an ally. However, to think that there would be an adept who would come to Fire Throne while it was in such dire straits was unimaginable!
White light flashed within the array, and a familiar yet foreign person in black robes appeared before their silent gaze.
“Bi…llis,” Gargamel’s mouth opened wider and wider, his tongue even tripping when trying to call out the name of the newcomer, “Lord…Billis.”
Gargamel stuttered, but he finally managed to sputter out the word ‘Lord’ after some difficulty.
Once upon a time, this apprentice adept named Billis was a downtrodden fellow working under him. If it weren’t for Gargamel introducing him to the clan leader, this little guy would probably still be living a difficult life amongst the apprentices.
Still, it had only been so long. A former apprentice had now grown to a level where even he had to respectfully refer to them as Lord. A strange sense of a vanquished dream crept up in Gargamel’s heart. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had chosen the wrong path to walk down.
“Not bad. As expected of someone I had high hopes of; you managed to become a Second Grade.” Mary looked up and down and assessed Billis in his black robes. Though he had covered his body very well, the close distance still allowed the others to sense his grade vaguely.
“My greetings, Lady Mary!” Perhaps because Mary had brutally beaten him during his apprentice years, Billis still felt fear when seeing Mary in front of himself.
Moreover, an insect master like himself was most afraid of agility-type assassins. Billis had confidence in exterminating adepts of other classes with his shockingly large swarm and newly evolved insect generals, but these tricks were useless against Mary alone.
Mary’s abnormal speed was something that even the evolved Voidreavers couldn’t match. Moreover, if they were to compare subordinates, Mary’s four Second Grade vampires were not that far behind Billis’ own. As long as her subordinates could stall the five Voidreavers for a
moment, Mary could easily pluck off Billis’ head.
Billis’ technique of dissolving into the swarm and avoiding the enemy’s attacks was also useless before Mary.
After all, ever since Billis assimilated with the Queen Bug, his soul brand had been in Greem’s control. Even if he were to turn himself into tens of thousands of separate pieces, Greem could still easily find the medium of his soul in the mess of insects. Meanwhile, as Greem’s concubine, Mary also seemed to have been given certain privileges over the soul brand.
That was the main reason why Billis was always scared of Mary!
“You came just in time. We can’t hold for much longer, but the reinforcements that Alice promised still haven’t arrived. We need you to stall the enemies outside the tower for a while. You don’t have any objections, do you?” Mary asked with a smile on her face, but not a trace of begging or request between her eyebrows.
“I have none…no objections at all,” Billis instantly shrieked, “The clan has invested so much in me, it is only natural that I need to contribute in a moment of crisis like this.”
Billis strode out of the teleportation room and walked toward the magical hall.
Billis’ body under the robe started shedding something as he walked, like dumplings falling into water. Balls of black beetles fell to the ground along the way. These black beetles were all the size of fists; they had hard shells, sharp fangs, and two pairs of wings on their backs, one large and one small.
It was almost as if a portal had opened under Billis’ black robe. Swarms of black beetles surged out from within, gathering into groups and taking to the skies as they stormed down the spiral staircases.
The screams of female adepts and the roars of male adepts abruptly rang out from the magical hall. Fortunately, they promptly received a magical message from Mary. That was why they refrained from striking this swarm of insects that was brushing past their clothes and their hair.
“It’s Lord Billis.”
“He has advanced to Second Grade.”
Some adepts who were privy to the situation immediately figured out what had happened.
To think that a powerful Second Grade adept had emerged in this moment of danger. It was a blessing worth celebrating!
The insect swarm circled in the air of the hall before turning into a black arrow and shooting toward the crowd gathered outside the light barrier of the gate.
The Alliance soldiers that had been attacking the force wall with full force were immediately trapped in a black flood. They started to stumble backward, swinging the blades in their hand helplessly as they did so.
The black beetles did not fear conventional weapons at all. Even greatswords could only create sparks when slashing their shells. The beetles would spin about a little, recalibrate themselves before rejoining the swarm and attacking the enemies.
The tens of thousands of black beetles gathered into a flood as if they were a plague of locusts and swept across the crowd. The crunching sound of snapping jaws didn’t cease wherever they went. When the black flood swept past the masses, the only things they left behind were broken bones and shattered armor.
There was only a single swarm initially. However, as more and more beetles surged out of the tower, the hive began to split off.
For a moment, a dozen swarms weaved between the crowd like black ribbons of death, biting and tearing, spreading fear across every corner of the battlefield.
The Alliance army had finally fallen apart!
Chapter 782 - The Death Heralding Crow
At this point, the existence of the Alliance army was no longer necessary!
From start to end, the ten thousand Alliance soldiers had been no more than cannon fodder that the adepts used to exhaust the tower’s defensive power. Now that Fire Throne was on its last legs, the remaining adepts were more than enough to finish the job.
Thus, the Alliance adepts mixed in with the army immediately rushed out in response to the Crimson adept’s retaliation.
Naturally, given they had the courage to attack Fire Throne, the five clans had already performed a thorough investigation of the Crimson Clan. Of course, they had heard of the name of Bug Adept Billis.
However, a First Grade mutated bloodline adept was not a target they would be wary of!
Six or seven adepts instantly threw out magical fireballs and engulfed massive numbers of black beetles in the explosions.
They believed that one fireball from them would easily turn thousands of these beetles into dust. To their surprise, though the fireballs were exploding in succession, and some charred insect corpses were falling from the skies, the number was far lower than what they had expected.
From the looks of it, a magical fireball with 110 points of power could only cause the death of two dozen beetles, and only those caught at the center of the explosions. Most of the beetles found at the edges of the explosions were only wounded and had not even lost the ability to move.
The sight of this caused all the adepts to pause for a moment.
Elementary resistance?
Could such a massive swarm of insects all possess elementary resistance? How many resources did the bug adept have to consume to achieve this!
While the adepts were stunned, the swarm immediately responded to the assault on them. They started to split and gather like intelligent creatures, quickly forming into six separate armies and lunging back in the direction the spells had come from.
What a terrifying swarm.
The Alliance adepts praised it with wicked smiles on their faces. They then started concentrating several powerful area-of-effect spells and throwing them at the swarm. The spells they chose this time were more potent and engulfed an even larger area. The soldiers who were caught between the two forces could only howl and scatter in every direction. They no longer dared to charge at the enemy ranks.
The speed of the black insect swarm was slightly beyond the Alliance adepts’ expectations. Though plenty of charred corpses were falling from the sky, it did not affect the speed of the swarm in the slightest. Just as the Alliance adepts finished preparing their next spell, the swarm descended upon them.
The six Alliance adepts standing at the very front were immediately confronted with a difficult problem!
Should they dispel the magic in their hands and run away, or should they toss the spell at the insects?
The swarm was so close to them now. If the adepts threw their spells at it, they would be caught in their area of effect as well.
In that one instant they hesitated, the swarm devoured their bodies.
Brilliant and colorful magical barriers immediately popped up in the pile of squirming beetles. The Alliance adepts that had been caught in the horde of insects started slaughtering the insects biting at their shields while calling for help from their companions.
Even from a distance, the only things within sight were those ugly and wicked black beetles; there were simply too many of them. They came wave after wave, like a squirming hill of insects, drowning the six adepts in a black tide.
The spells of the Alliance adepts exploded within the swarm, blowing the black beetles into broken bits and pungent black blood. However, before their spells even vanished, the adepts would be drowned by another wave of insects.
The Alliance adepts trapped within the swarm watched as their magical shields became thinner and thinner, shouting for help as they continued to bombard the horde around them. In the end, two of the Alliance adepts were powerful enough to blast a way through the swarm and escape the flood of insects, their barriers still crawling with beetles.
The swarm broke the remaining four adepts’ shields before help could arrive. Desolate screaming rang out. The four adepts beat their bodies all over frantically, but they still couldn’t stop the beetles from entering their bodies through their eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and even skin.
Dong! Dong!
Two dull explosions later, a good chunk of the swarm had been blown to bits. Two massive craters appea
red in the center of the black insect tide before being instantly filled by insect corpses and blood.
Two adepts who knew their fate was death had self-destructed!
At this moment, there were already seventy-six Alliance adepts in the Magma Hall. Naturally, there was no way they could stand by and watch this terrifying swarm continue slaughtering their companions. A hail of powerful explosive fireballs, chain lightning, acid mist, and ice lance barrages shot toward the swarm.
Just as the beetles started to fall in large numbers, two Alliance adepts who had been blasting away at the swarm froze. The explosive fireballs in their hands suddenly dispersed. Their heads shot up several meters into the air and rolled into the distance.
The cuts to their necks were smooth as if a sharp and quick blade had severed them.
A fountain of blood spurted into the sky, and an insect with a slim body appeared for a momentary flash, vanishing from sight in the very next second.
“There are magical insects. They can hide their presence…”
“They are all Second Grades.”
The Alliance adepts immediately panicked. One by one, they started to cast magical shields on themselves and tried their best to stay with their companions.
Unfortunately, the Alliance adepts were still mostly First Grade. They could only be the target of slaughter in the face of a group of Second Grade magical insects that could hide.
Aaaaaaah!
There was yet another series of tragic cries. Three Alliance adepts who had been standing back to back were ambushed by five Second Grade Voidreavers. As the sharp scythe-limbs slashed at the adepts, their shields shattered, and their bodies were chopped up into uneven pieces that fell upon the ground.
The three adepts all belonged to the Kamala Clan, and this incident instantly incited the fury of Third Grade Adept Yurga.
Yurga let out a strange shriek as his entire body exploded into a cloud of thick, black smoke. This cloud of smoke spread out and dispersed like a living thing. Then, shrill shrieks rang out from the depths of the black smoke while a vast murder of red-eyed crows emerged from within.
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