Chapter 119 Chapter 119-Crisis and Response
"Let's get to Mordun Wasteland first, and then we can discuss these matters."
Wales didn't bother stepping out of the carriage, speaking directly, "Right now, with so many eyes and ears around, even if I find a new path for you, it would be discovered."
Upon hearing this, Athena's brows arched slightly in confusion, "Are you implying that there is a spy within my team?"
Without waiting for Wales to respond, Athena chuckled, "I've been aware of that possibility for quite some time. After all, those mercenaries live on the edge of a knife, valuing money over loyalty. There's no credibility to speak of. If someone offers them a hefty sum, it's only natural for them to betray me. I've never allowed that group of mercenaries to get too close to me."
"As long as they don't turn their backs on me before we reach Mordun Wasteland, and can fend off some attacks for me, I'll be satisfied."
Hearing this, Howard couldn't help but curl his lips.
The girl's nickname might sound noble, but her heart was filled with all kinds of schemes and cunning.
Being young and yet to step into society, Howard was unaware that to survive in a world ruled by the law of the jungle, one must have various plans and precautions in place.
Otherwise, you might not even know how you died.
Not having the heart to harm others does not mean others won't harm you.
"I'm not talking about those mercenaries," Wales shook his head, "A path that has been traversed by many will inevitably leave traces, making it easy to discover. As for the mercenaries, as long as you haven't reached the brink of defeat and as long as the allure of money is there, they won't easily betray you, unless someone really offers an extremely high price."
"However, having precautions in place ahead of time is excellent."
Upon hearing these words, Athena revealed a smile, bowed gracefully again, and spoke, "I thank Lord Ravenous Wolf for your advice. Once we reach Mordun Wasteland, I plan to streamline the caravan's personnel, using some as a decoy while we quietly make our departure."
"With that, I shall take my leave, and I hope both of you rest well."
With these words, Athena left the carriage, and the caravan once again set in motion, moving towards the distant horizon.
Inside the carriage, Wales turned to Howard and spoke softly, "Once you leave the academy, never trust anyone completely. Just like this Athena, she has hired these people herself yet doesn't trust any of them!"
"I understand," Howard nodded, taking this advice to heart.
Howard wasn't foolish; he disdained people like Athena who were overly calculating, but he also knew that being cautious was necessary.
To survive, sometimes you must become the very thing you despise, and it is an unavoidable part of life.
"By the way," Howard, regaining his composure, asked with curiosity, "How were those magi able to cast the same magic just now?"
Howard, after all, was just an orphan with limited exposure to the world and was unaware of the existence of Linking Magic.
The mentors at the primary academy had only taught about elemental properties of magic and its basic types.
"Oh, I forgot that you come from a small town," Wales explained with a light chuckle, "Linking Magic is a special kind of skill that requires at least ten people to cast."
"The strength of Linking Magic depends on the number of casters. However, even the weakest Linking Magic possesses power comparable to an S-level skill. Some Linking Magic, cast by hundreds or even thousands of people, can even reach the level of Forbidden Incantation, far surpassing SSS-level skills!"
"..."
Hearing Wales' explanation, a thought struck Howard.
Unfortunately, Linking Magic required a group of people to cast, and moreover, it required a prolonged period of practice to achieve sufficient coordination.
If even one person made a mistake, the skill would be interrupted and they would have to start over from scratch.
Furthermore, Linking Magic required a rather lengthy preparation time, necessitating protection for the casters.
Otherwise, if an enemy got close, the magi in the preparation stage would be utterly defenseless and could be easily killed.
Noticing such glaring weaknesses in the Linking Skill, Howard lost interest in learning more about it.
He simply closed his eyes, deciding to rest well and prepare for the challenges of the coming day.
From the conversation between Wales and Athena, Howard could tell that the real danger had not yet arrived.
At present, although battles erupted from time to time and the men in black continued their sneak attacks and assaults, they were still within the territories of the Alliance.
Many of their strategies could not be employed, and they were far from breaking through the veteran mercenaries' defense line.
Not to mention, Athena had selected people of various professions.
As long as they could hold off the attackers and buy time for the archers and magi to cast their skills, the battle would soon be over.
The strengths of archers and magi lay in their extensive attack range and high damage output, while their drawback was the relatively long casting time required for their skills.
Unable to breach the defense, the men in black could not harm the archers or magi but were instead forced to bear the brunt of their attacks.
Defeat was inevitable for them.
At first, Howard thought the men in black were simply wasting their energy, until he was constantly woken up and disturbed, unable to rest at all.
That's when he finally grasped their intention -- harassment!
With the convoy's limited manpower, every attack meant a halt in their journey.
Whether it was those travelling or resting in the carriage, all were startled awake.
Even though there were priests casting skills to maintain everyone's mental state, the interruption of skills only intensified the feeling of exhaustion.
Just like Abby and Judy, they fell into a deep sleep as soon as the buffing skills ended, not even the high-speed movement in mid-air could wake them up.
If the convoy's personnel also fell into such a state, they would be like lambs to the slaughter by the time the attacks escalated.
However, they couldn't afford to rest in shifts.
If the men in black sensed any opportunity, they could switch from feigning attacks to a full onslaught.
With fewer numbers, their defensive line would be directly shattered, leading them down a path of certain death.
If Howard could think of this, Athena certainly understood the dilemma. At this moment, she was indeed in quite a bind.
With no other option since the enemy was hidden and they were completely in the dark, they could only defend passively.
However, despite her youth, Athena, capable of commanding the entire convoy, surely wouldn't be easily stumped by this situation.
With decisive leadership, Athena quickly issued orders.
Soon after, the guards of the convoy were divided into two batches: one resting on the carriage, while the other remained vigilant in guarding.
In less than half an hour, the men in black hidden in the shadows launched another assault.
Since half of the guards were resting on the carriage, this time, the attackers successfully breached the defense line.
"They've really gone to rest, attack with all you've got!"
"Kill them, as long as we get the goods, we'll receive rewards so substantial that we won't be able to spend them in our lifetime!"
Roars of fury resounded, and as the strength of the guards dwindled, even more men in black emerged, numbering in the hundreds.
Mostly warriors and assassins, they surged through the broken line, not bothering to attack people but instead heading straight for the most securely wrapped carriage.
Their goal was clear: to seize the contents of the carriage!
Witnessing this scene, Howard couldn't help but furrow his brows.
If he hadn't seen Wales remaining as calm as ever, he might have thought about making a move himself; after all, the situation was far from favorable.
The shield bearers stationed on the periphery were undoubtedly slower in movement speed compared to the warriors and assassins.
In such a circumstance, they could barely protect themselves, let alone have the capacity to give chase.
In just a short span of a dozen breaths, the group of men in black had already reached the carriage draped in cloth.
However, before they could wield their weapons to slash through the fabric, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted, making everyone tremble.
Even Howard jumped in surprise.
Looking up, he saw purple lightning flashing, as numerous bolts of thunder converged together, rapidly forming a giant net.
In the next moment, the net of thunder fell, actually binding all the men in black who were close to the carriage.
The lightning continued to burst forth, resembling venomous snakes as they crawled over the bodies of the men in black, unleashing a terrifying power and inflicting damage upon them.
"Ahh!"
Screams echoed one after another as the men in black convulsed violently, their hair and body hair standing on end.
Blood-red numbers representing damage continually appeared above them.
It should be noted that attacks of the lightning attribute not only had a paralyzing effect but also dealt extremely high damage!
The HP of the men in black was plummeting rapidly.
However, this was only the beginning.
Athena's figure appeared, and after leaping high into the air, she somehow managed to float in the space, brandishing her longsword.
Under the moonlight, the blade actually emitted a red glow.
"Rage!"
Suddenly, a crisp and resounding call of rage echoed, and the red glow instantly transformed into a phoenix engulfed in flames.
Spreading its wings and enveloped in a sky full of flames, it dove towards the crowd of men in black with a speed so fast that it was almost impossible to react in time.
Witnessing this scene, Howard's pupils couldn't help but contract violently.
Even though he was a considerable distance away from the carriage, he could still feel the scorching temperature!
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