Chapter 79: The Power of Magic

The appearance of the elves dramatically uplifted the spirits of the beastfolk.

The long-awaited reinforcements had arrived, turning Wu Qingsong’s words into reality. This glimmer of hope reignited their will to survive, dispelling their exhaustion and infusing them with newfound strength.

The beastfolk swiftly passed long shields overhead to reconstruct their defensive line. The bearmen and pigmen, energized as if infused with new life, roared and swung their war hammers with renewed vigor under the protection of these shields, managing to drive back the antpeople who attempted to assault them.

Outside the city, the antpeople had been thrown into total disarray. A group of horses had now reached the base of the city walls, circling around them.

For the first time, Wu Qingsong got a clear view of the newcomers. The leader was a knight cloaked in shining silver-white armor, brandishing a long halberd. His steed, almost double the size of a normal warhorse and equally armored in silver, resembled a living, breathing tank.

Every antperson that dared stand in the way of this knight and his horse fell easily to his halberd. The weapon whirled ceaselessly, emitting flashes of white light, turning the ant people into mere fragments before him. He even nonchalantly trampled the smaller ant soldiers underfoot, crushing them mercilessly.

Behind him rode two knights in half-armor, armed with weapons that resembled less of a traditional bows and more like altered machine guns. 

Wu Qingsong watched in awe as they rapidly drew their bows, conjuring fire elements onto their bowstrings. These elements transformed into a barrage of fiery arrows, relentlessly striking the ant people around them, leaving a trail of charred remains in their wake.

The real spectacle, however, was the mage they were protecting at the center. Once again, he gathered a significant concentration of fire elements in his wand, but this time, he unleashed a different spell.

Wherever he directed his wand, walls of fire erupted, dividing and encircling the ant people. As he maneuvered his wand, these fiery barriers moved in every direction, incinerating all the ant people within that zone.

The beastfolk erupted in cheers.

Despite enduring oppression, exploitation, and even massacres at the hands of the elves, in this moment, they couldn’t help but feel a sincere thrill at their formidable power.

For now, the elves brought them a chance at survival.

“Mage-warriors, mage-archers, and mages,” Harold murmured quietly.

Wu Qingsong glanced at Ram, noticing her expression had turned exceedingly pale.

Even in the direst moments before, she hadn’t shown such despair, but the elves’ display of power had now plunged her into genuine hopelessness.

The antpeople, numerous though they were, could be strategized against, outmaneuvered, and overcome.

But these elves… How could they possibly be defeated? Especially the mage, with his extraordinary power. Could they, the remnants of a fallen nation, really stand a chance against him?

“Don’t be like this,” Wu Qingsong said to her.

She shook her head firmly, seemingly trying to convey that she was fine. Yet, her complexion was alarmingly pale, her body slightly quivering. In the face of the elves’ overwhelming display, she seemed to have lost all her vibrancy.

Wu Qingsong, though unable to fully grasp her thoughts, understood Ram was now doubting the purpose that had long driven her. Gently taking her hand, he reassured her, “They must have weaknesses we haven’t seen yet. Hope is always there. Trust me, we’ll find a way.”

Ram gave a small nod, but Wu Qingsong’s words couldn’t completely alleviate the shock that had gripped her.

The beastfolk raised their voices again in anticipation.

The antpeople in front of them began to shift toward the city’s edge, seemingly bracing for a confrontation with the new arrivals.

A giant beetle creature, previously uninvolved in the battle, suddenly sped toward the elves’ position. It bulldozed through the ant people in its path, its long, horn-like appendage aimed directly at a swiftly approaching warhorse, charging with the immense force of a high-speed train.

A collective gasp rose from the beastfolk.

But in the next instant, a surge of silver light enveloped the mage-warrior, transforming him into a radiant orb. His halberd morphed into a gigantic sword of light, stretching several meters long, and he ferociously slashed down at the enormous insect.

The beetle’s body was briefly illuminated by a pale green glow, but it was feeble under the overpowering silver light. Within seconds, the creature’s armored shell began to implode and fracture, as if struck by an invisible titanic hammer. The light sword split the beetle in half with overwhelming force, then vanished. At that moment, a transparent magical barrier erupted around the warhorse, forcefully colliding with and piercing through the remains of the insect.

Ram’s face darkened further, but Wu Qingsong tightened his grip on her hand, encouragingly saying, “See, he’s moving back.”

The four warhorses decelerated a bit, allowing the two mage-archers to accelerate and surpass the mage-warrior. Their longbows rained down a continuous barrage of firepower, efficiently claiming the lives of the antpeople. The mage-warrior retreated to the mage’s side, apparently engaging in a conversation.

“He can’t sustain prolonged combat,” Wu Qingsong murmured to Ram. “Such power isn’t limitless, that’s his vulnerability. Think he’s strong? Nina could achieve the same, and sustain it longer. Remember how she toppled a cliff fighting that necromancer? If Nina faced him in a duel, I’m confident she’d win. They are not invincible.”

Ram’s expression softened slightly at this. Meanwhile, more and soldiers and beetle creatures began to amass in the direction of the elves. This time, the elves paused their advance.

It was apparent that the strength of the elven mage-archers did not lie in direct clashes with such powerful foes, at least not for these two. They focused their efforts on the encroaching ants, systematically shooting them down to keep them at bay. Simultaneously, the mage’s wand emitted a brilliant red glow as he prepared to unleash another spell.

A swarm of spider creatures charged rapidly toward the elves. Although many were incinerated by the mage-archers’ barrage, about four or five broke through the defense, getting dangerously close.

Rearing up, they began to spray their venom-laced webs toward the elves, but a magical shield erected near the mage intercepted the strands. In a fit of rage, one of the spiders leaped toward them, only to be cleaved in mid-air by the mage-warrior, who emerged from behind and delivered a precise, deadly blow with his halberd.

The pace of the soldier ants and beetles quickened, their heavy trampling causing the ground to seem as if it were trembling. Despite this, the four elves remained calm, slightly tightening their ranks.

Above the mage’s wand, a fireball was growing at an incredible speed, even larger than the previous one.

The beastfolk were utterly transfixed by the scene. As the massive beetle and ant soldiers were about to clash with the elves, a massive explosion resonated. A towering wall of fire erupted around the elves, like a sudden, explosive burst.

For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still. Then, the wall of fire spread outwards like a cataclysmic tsunami, incinerating everything within hundreds of meters and sending a giant mushroom cloud skyward.

The resulting shockwave, laden with dust and debris, forced those atop the watchtower to duck for cover. When they rose again, they were met with the sight of scorched earth outside the city, littered with smoldering corpses.

The insectoid creatures started fleeing northward, but the elves didn’t pursue them. Instead, they turned their steeds and began a slow march toward Esola City.