Since they couldn't outrun them, the Magical Creature Legion stopped retreating and began setting up defensive positions on the spot.
"Wah wah wah!!"
The Metal Slime Artillery shook their metallic bodies, infused the Arcane Energy stored within them into the Ripper Artillery Emplacements, adjusted the emplacements' angles, aimed at the knight order charging from behind, and opened fire.
But the accompanying mage corps was well-prepared. They raised their staves high, chanted in unison, and performed coordinated spellcasting, erecting sturdy magic barriers in front of the knight order, blocking the energy torrents from the Rippers, triggering continuous explosions and ripples of energy.
Simultaneously, under Dominic's command, the massive knight order swiftly split into two groups.
The Sixth Legion, led by Samuel Dawson, continued to assault the Magical Creature Legion's position head-on, drawing the main fire.
Dominic himself personally led another part of the elite knights, beginning to flank, attempting to circle around to the side and rear of the Magical Creature Legion.
His intention was very clear—if the Arevalo family knights remained inactive and continued retreating, the Magical Creature Legion would face a desperate situation of being attacked from both sides.
But as long as his old rival, Raven Arevalo, hadn't lost his mind, he would definitely not stand idly by and would surely turn around to defend and intercept this knight order.
As soon as the knight order flanked to the side of the Magical Creature Legion, the Arevalo Knight Team further ahead quickly changed direction, formed a tight formation, and charged head-on towards the knight order led by Dominic.
"Old friend, I know you too well," Dominic said calmly, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
He leaped, jumping directly off the back of his galloping horse, landing on his feet, and then began to run.
At first, his speed wasn't that fast, but with each step he took, the Holy Light on his body grew more intense, and his speed increased accordingly.
Soon, his speed surpassed that of the knights riding beside him. Alone with his sword, he was like a golden lightning bolt, easily cutting down the magical creatures attempting to block his path, and he was the first to charge to the front of the Arevalo Knight Team's formation.
"Holy Sword, please cleanse their sins!"
Dominic shouted low, the radiance of the Holy Sword in his hand suddenly surging. He gripped the sword with both hands and slashed down towards the Arevalo knights standing ready in formation.
[Holy Judgment]
"Dominic!"
A roar came from within the Knight Team. Raven also leaped from his horse's back, raised the Knight's Longsword in his hand high, and frost power instantly erupted with him at the center, freezing the surrounding ground into a patch of frosty soil.
In an instant, Raven's figure appeared before Dominic. He held his sword horizontally with both hands, parrying that heavy, powerful slash of the Holy Sword.
"CLANG!!!"
The two swords collided fiercely, erupting with a deafening roar and dazzling light. The Holy Sword was knocked back by the recoil force. The vast residual waves of Holy Light swept past the front of the Arevalo knights' formation, splitting the ground, tearing through the magical creatures in its path, extending for dozens of meters, forming a shocking scorched black trench.
"Alice, fall back to defend the position! Leave this to me!" Raven faced Dominic, his voice deep as he commanded without looking back.
Alice took a deep breath. Knowing she could hardly intervene in the fight between her father and Dominic, she decisively flicked the reins, leading the knights to immediately charge towards the pursuing knight order.
With no other knights nearby to interfere, the two Extraordinaries could finally unleash their power to their heart's content. Their eyes focused, sharp as blades, and they both stepped forward simultaneously.
"BOOM!"
Ice crystals and Holy Light collided fiercely once more. Raven's figure seemed to glide on ice, each sword strike carrying a bone-chilling cold. Dominic, however, stood firm as a rock. As he swung the Holy Sword with wide, sweeping motions, the Holy Light surged like a tide, purifying the incoming frost.
Ice crystals sprouted, only to be cleaved apart by the scorching Holy Light. One side of the land was leveled by the Holy Light, the other covered in frost.
Their figures intersected and separated at high speed within the domain of ice and light, thrusting, slashing, parrying, deflecting... It seemed like just the most basic swordsmanship, but in their hands, it had reached a transcendent level.
But their strength was evenly matched. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand, and they fell into an intense stalemate.
...
On the main battlefield, the Sixth Legion knight order led by Samuel Dawson had already violently crashed into the Magical Creature Legion's position.
Ten Arcane Ancient Trees stood like moving fortresses at the very front of the position. They swung their thick branches like the arms of giants, sweeping through, hurling large numbers of charging soldiers and warhorses into the sky, smashing them to the ground, causing widespread chaos.
But soon, that knight gleaming all over with golden light, "Golden Dawson" knight Samuel Dawson, personally came to the front line!
"Move aside!" Samuel roared low, raising the enchanted vambrace on his right arm, which was inlaid with a large sapphire.
The runes on the vambrace suddenly lit up. He smashed his fist down towards the ground ahead with force.
"BOOM!"
The soil ahead churned violently as if lifted by an invisible giant hand. The two nearest Arcane Ancient Trees were forcibly shaken by this power, collapsing with a crash, exposing the position behind.
Immediately after, Samuel's gaze fell on the nearby "Kingdom's Shield" barrier. Ignoring the energy torrents fired by the Rippers, he reached to the side of his saddle and took down a heavy lance shimmering with the glow of triple enchantments.
The muscles in his arm bulged and swelled as he frantically poured power into the lance. The three enchantment patterns on the lance—Armor-Piercing, Acceleration, and Energy Burst—all lit up to their maximum intensity simultaneously.
"Go!"
Samuel used all his strength to hurl this enchanted lance, comparable to a small battering ram, towards the Kingdom's Shield.
"BANG!!!"
The moment the lance made contact with the barrier, a blinding explosion illuminated half the sky. The Kingdom's Shield shattered before this full-force strike, transforming into a sky full of drifting points of light.
The lance's momentum decreased slightly, but it still carried terrifying kinetic energy as it shot towards Chen Yu, who was on Peachy's back.
[Blood Frenzy]
[Blood Molding]
[Mana Explosion]
Chen Yu's green, gel body instantly lit up with a rich blood-red glow. A dark red blood orb, several times larger than his own body, rapidly condensed into shape in front of him, then drifted leisurely towards the incoming lance.
"BOOM!!!"
The blood orb and the lance collided mid-air. The immense blood energy exploded instantly, dyeing a small half of the sky a dark red. The shockwave from the explosion sent the surrounding magical creatures and dust flying.
The enchantment glow on the lance rapidly dimmed under the strong corrosion of the blood energy, eventually losing all power and falling down.
Chen Yu opened his "Abyssal Big Belly" and swallowed it whole.
[HP Max +300]
"Good equipment!" Chen Yu's small eyes lit up slightly, his gaze involuntarily falling on Samuel's full set of enchanted gear.
"Damn it!" Samuel's eyelids twitched violently, a strong sense of foreboding rising in his heart. The power of that blood orb explosion, and the opponent's bizarre ability to devour his lance, both made him feel troubled.
"Vampire clan magic?!" Academician Vincent, floating in mid-air, was even more stunned, finding it unbelievable.
A slime using vampire clan magic?
This completely defied his understanding of magic.
[Explosive Fireball]
Vincent canceled the ineffective Anti-Magic Barrier. With a wave of his staff, he condensed a huge, blazingly bright fireball and hurled it towards Chen Yu.
But before the fireball could descend, a series of arcane missiles shimmering with starlight whistled in from the side, accurately striking the fireball and detonating it prematurely.
Princess Louisa held her staff. Although her face was somewhat pale, her gaze remained calm as she stared at Vincent, seemingly saying that as long as she was here, he shouldn't think of interfering.
Chen Yu spread his gel wings, leaped up from Peachy's back, and pounced towards Samuel on the ground.
His gel body contracted slightly in mid-air, then began frantically absorbing the chaotic mana around him.
Ellen, hidden in the shadows, was greatly alarmed. He immediately emerged from the darkness and shouted a warning to Samuel, "Be careful, it's going to get bigger!"
"What?" Samuel hadn't fully processed it yet.
The slime in the sky had already inflated like a blown-up balloon, instantly expanding. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a mountainous behemoth. Its huge shadow completely enveloped Samuel, then it crashed down.
"Damn it! What the hell kind of slime is this?!"
"Dominic, you didn't tell me it could do this either!!"
Samuel screamed in terror, wanting to flee, but it was already too late.
"THUD!!"
Chen Yu's massive body landed squarely on the spot where Samuel was. The entire ground caved in, forming a huge crater, and dust shot into the sky.
Fortunately, at the last moment, Vincent timely cast a magic shield on Samuel. Combined with the defensive power provided by his entire expensive set of enchanted equipment, he managed to struggle and crawl out.
Now he was covered in mud, looking utterly disheveled. Even his gleaming golden armor had dimmed considerably, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Vincent raised his staff again.
[Summon Elemental Creature]
A fissure leading to the elemental plane opened in the air. A Frost Lord, five meters tall, roared as it extended an icy fist from the fissure, smashing down towards Chen Yu's massive gel body.
"THUMP!"
The gel body wobbled elastically, dispersing most of the impact force. The Frost Lord, however, due to using too much force, stumbled and fell to the ground, letting out an angry roar.
Chen Yu had no time to play with this little guy. His gel body suddenly contracted, then forcefully bounced. The huge Frost Lord was directly sent flying, crashing into the surging Magical Tide behind, plowing a long, bloody, gory furrow.
Before it could struggle to its feet, Princess Louisa, enduring the strain on her mental energy, raised her staff again.
[Summon Elemental Creature]
The ground beneath the Frost Lord suddenly boiled, turning into churning magma. An equally tall Fire Lord climbed out of the magma pool, extended a burning giant hand, and grabbed the struggling Frost Lord.
The two behemoths began wrestling with each other, punching each other, ice shards and sparks flying everywhere, showcasing the most primitive collision of elemental forces.
However, casting spells consecutively made Louisa's face turn as pale as paper. Her body swayed slightly, clearly unable to hold on for much longer.
Once she canceled her spell, or was defeated by Vincent, Chen Yu would face the combined assault of three Extraordinaries. This situation was very unfavorable for them.
Samuel and Ellen exchanged a glance. They clearly realized this too.
The two no longer attempted to confront Chen Yu head-on, but began to maneuver and harass.
Samuel used his enchanted equipment for long-range harassment, while Ellen darted through the shadows, occasionally thrusting his dagger, trying to find Chen Yu's weakness.
Once they noticed any sign of Chen Yu counterattacking, they would slip away quickly like slippery eels, not engaging.
This troubled Chen Yu somewhat.
Having a large size indeed meant great strength and high defense, but moving was too cumbersome.
Moreover, the Magical Creature Legion was right behind him, so he didn't dare to jump around randomly, fearing friendly fire. Ordinary long-range talents also couldn't do anything to Samuel with his full set of enchanted gear.
If only the Flying Sword could reach these two guys.
Unfortunately, he hadn't broken through to Foundation Establishment yet, had no divine sense, and the Flying Sword could only leave his body for a few meters, not even as far as he could hop.
While he was stuck in this predicament, the Magical Creature Legion's position also came under fierce assault.
The knight order charged into the position through the gap created by the overturned ancient trees.
Warhorses neighed, leaping over the fallen remains of the ancient trees. The knights drew their lances and sharp swords, facing the various magical creatures standing ready on the position like conquerors.
"Sixth Legion! Charge with me!"
"Neeeigh!!"
The accompanying mage corps continuously cast spells, leveling the land, reinforcing the path. The warhorses galloped down the earthen road shaped by magic. Their target was very clear.
It was those Ripper Artillery Emplacements placed in the center of the position.
"Screech!"
Little Ka flew up from Peachy's back, spewing scorching magma down at the charging knight order, trying to assist the Poison-stinger Wasp swarm in interception.
"There's a subdrake, watch out!" an officer in the knight order shouted a warning.
The mages immediately shifted their target, firing several rays at Little Ka, nearly hitting its agile figure.
Seeing Little Ka attacked, Peachy's eyes instantly turned crimson, and its nostrils snorted out two jets of scorching white steam.
"Peachy, angry!!"
It let out an earth-shaking roar, its legs madly pawing the ground. Its massive body charged towards the knight order like an out-of-control giant chariot. Wherever it passed, the ground instantly froze, leaving a glistening frosty path.
"Watch out, dodge! Ah!!"
The knights and warhorses charging at the very front had no time to dodge and were sent flying by Peachy's terrifying bulk.
Only when a group of heavily armored knights joined forces to block Peachy's path did they barely manage to withstand its charge, but they were still pushed back step by step, their shields covered in frost.
"Wah wah wah!"
"Attack!"
The Metal Slimes, riding agile beetle mounts, wielding short swords and small round shields, charged into the knight formation.
Relying on their small, nimble advantage, they quickly weaved between the horses' legs, their short swords madly hacking at the horses' legs.
"Neeeigh!!"
The warhorses let out pained whinnies. With injured legs, they crashed to the ground. The knights on their backs fell off and were immediately surrounded by a group of Metal Slimes, caught in a siege.
Just as a knight tried to raise his sword to parry, the Metal Slime's body surface instantly grew metallic spikes, then began to spin at high speed like a drill, violently rushing into the knight's embrace.
"THUD!"
"ARGH!"
The knight's armor was drilled through, blood spurted out, and the entire person was sent flying by the huge impact force, crashing to the ground, vomiting blood profusely.
"Here we come!"
"Give them a blast!"
Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous corner of the position, the little Earth Elementals quietly gathered, merging and stacking upon each other, rapidly constructing a several-meter-tall Earth Elemental Giant.
Energy gathered in the giant's chest, aimed at the area most densely packed with knights, and fired a thick energy torrent.
"Hmm?" Vincent in mid-air immediately noticed this not-insignificant energy fluctuation. He waved his staff, instantly erecting a magic barrier in front of the knight order.
"BOOM!"
The Earth Elemental Giant's blast slammed into the barrier, erupting with a loud noise, but failed to penetrate it.
"Oh no, we've been spotted!"
"Quick, scatter!"
The little Earth Elementals panicked and scattered in a flurry, quickly burrowing into the soft soil and disappearing.
With the support of Vincent's powerful spells, the knight team, which had suffered heavy casualties, regrouped and once again launched a charge deeper into the position.
Although the slimes' combat strength was formidable, their tiny bodies simply couldn't withstand the iron hooves and lances of the knights charging head-on.
Many Metal Slimes were knocked aside by the warhorses or skewered and tossed away by lances, falling to the ground. Their round bodies bounced a few times, dizzy and unable to get up for a while.
Making matters worse, the Magical Tide on the periphery continued to assault the position, and more and more gargoyles appeared in the sky.
They seemed attracted by the intense battle below, diving down towards the Magical Creature Legion's position in a dark, dense mass.
Louisa, hiding at the rear of the position, wanted to force herself to cast spells to help disperse the gargoyles, but felt a sharp pain in her head. She was supported by Celeste to avoid collapsing.
When Beet saw the gargoyle swarm attacking, it initially wanted to command the wasp swarm to block them. But after receiving a message through the Gel Network, it suddenly froze, issuing a surprising order.
The Poison-stinger Wasp swarm, which had been standing ready, actually scattered to both sides, allowing those gargoyles to charge into the position.
These monsters, as if flown out of a hellish painting, had rough skin like dried rock. Their bat-like massive fleshy wings could blot out a small patch of sky when spread. As they descended, they extended sharp claws and fangs.
The knights had originally intended to keep a low profile and avoid them, or hoped these gargoyles would prioritize attacking those conspicuous magical creatures. But they soon realized something was wrong.
These gargoyles actually ignored the magical creatures right in front of them, instead heading straight for the most densely packed areas of the knight order.
"ROAR!"
A knight accidentally looked up, meeting the burning green-fire eyes of a diving gargoyle.
[Petrification Ray]
"Urgh... ah!"
A gray-white petrification ray hit the knight. The knight only had time to let out a short, sharp scream before his body rapidly turned into gray-white stone visible to the naked eye, finally transforming completely into a stone statue frozen in a posture of terror.
"Not good, they can command the gargoyles!"
"These gargoyles are targeting us!"
"Scatter, avoid the petrification rays!"
The knight order instantly fell into chaos. Faced with this unpredictable attack, even the tightest formation and finest equipment seemed pale and powerless.
The momentum of the charge was completely broken. The knights scattered in panic, trying to evade those deadly gray figures in the sky.
The commotion within the position quickly drew the attention of others on the battlefield.
"Gargoyle Legion?"
Academician Vincent, floating in mid-air, had a slight change in expression.
Gargoyles... acting in large-scale coordinated groups, and showing clear hostility towards the knight order.
This reminded him of that once-feared, formidable Extraordinary from the Dark Realm, renowned decades ago.