Chapter 50 – Forest Battlefield

Chapter Fifty: Woodland Battlefield

Under Punk’s control, the high-pressure spell sphere brimming with azure-white energy shot straight toward the battlefield’s center. Mid-air, the crystalline energy sphere that had been gathered into a single mass suddenly split into several pale blue ribbon-like strands. These energy-dotted ribbons instantly vanished into the woodland’s age-old mire. Nearly all enemy combatants on the battlefield could sense the turbulent energy brewing beneath the mud at their feet, yet those already struggling against the warriors’ assaults could only reinforce their defenses at the last moment, even as they detected the violent energy about to erupt.

In their haste, neither the enemy warriors nor mages could mount an effective response—they had ultimately underestimated what they dismissively regarded as a “mere Apprentice Rank spell.”

Experience teaches that the cost of underestimating an enemy is invariably severe.

Less than a second after the dazzling energy ribbons disappeared into the mud, the entire bog began heaving like a storm-tossed ocean. Wave after wave of thick muck surged with perfect timing toward enemy formations. The decaying vegetation had fermented into mud with astonishing adhesiveness, and when propelled by such tremendous force, it didn’t scatter into sporadic droplets but instead rolled in continuous waves due to subterranean churning. The enemy found it impossible to maintain footing amid such violent undulations, with several weaker Apprentice Rank combatants being tossed high into the air. For a moment, enemy spellcasting was almost completely disrupted—creating an ideal opportunity for allied warriors to Charge and slaughter.

“Surging Tides” remained, after all, an Apprentice-Level spell. While possessing notable advantages in range and power—enough to easily envelop the entire dispersed enemy pursuit squad—its duration left much to be desired.

The violent mud surges churned violently beneath the bog for just two cycles before subsiding. Yet in this guerrilla warfare context, this short-lived turbulence wasn’t a drawback but rather an excellent feature for coordinated operations.

As the enemy tumbled about in disarray across the ground, the Surging Tides gradually dissipated. The Princess Guard, who’d been restraining their boiling bloodlust upon witnessing such a “prime opportunity,” now charged forward like rutting gorillas with wild howls. While a few quick-witted enemy warriors reacted promptly, most combatants were still dazed when the blood-crazed “muscle brutes” decapitated them or split them open. Many mages didn’t even manage to activate their trump cards before greatswords came crashing down upon their skulls!Seeing the situation gradually stabilize, Punk couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Though he had maintained an air of nonchalance, inwardly he had been worried about enemy reinforcements arriving. After all, the pursuers were all professionals whose speed and stamina couldn’t be underestimated. Fortunately, he knew a couple of “perfectly timed” spells that allowed him to nearly flawlessly fulfill the role of a control mage in this battle—unlike that disgraceful Old Mage beside him, who only knew a few Fireballs and didn’t even manage to hit a single enemy!

On the other hand, his teammates proved fearless, each eagerly stepping up as dangerous meat shields for taunting. This combination of factors led to their current complete victory, leaving almost no enemy stragglers.

Meanwhile, Punk seriously reflected on the battle’s lessons. He had to admit that having a melee class to absorb damage upfront greatly facilitated unleashing a mage’s powerful crowd control abilities. Moreover, with a flexible tank restraining multiple enemies, it became easier to employ divide-and-conquer tactics against them.

Inspired by this realization, Punk resolved to focus on alchemical constructs and summoned creatures in the future, at least paying more attention to related knowledge and magical items. However, this tank must absolutely contain no unstable elements—he’d rather choose dull-witted alchemical constructs over cunning, deceitful contracted servants.

Now that the battle had concluded, Punk had become a “valiant warrior” with considerable merits. The fighters in the team showed due respect to this previously unknown mage, while our little princess Nasya had reached the point of blushing merely at the sight of Punk. Any experienced romantic would recognize the signs of her unrequited crush, though this first love was destined to remain fruitless. The current Punk had no intention of dealing with the troublesome princess, believing emotions like love were “superfluous” distractions from pursuing power and knowledge. He held zero interest in such “reproduction-driven instincts,” considering even the soldiers’ respect as nothing but annoying “harassment”!

Though the Princess Guard appeared to achieve a great victory in this battle, they still suffered inevitable casualties, further reducing their already limited numbers. Most importantly, such dangerous “encounters” would recur frequently during their journey ahead. If they failed to achieve similarly “swift resolutions” even once… the consequences would be unimaginable!

This uneasy atmosphere couldn’t be dispelled by mere words. Pressed for time, the warriors couldn’t even spare a moment to dig simple graves for fallen comrades. With powerful enemies in pursuit, they had no choice but to immediately resume their journey through “mud-filled paths”!Punk felt no pointless “sorrow for fallen comrades” over the dead soldiers. There was truth to that old Earth saying: “Choosing to become a fighter means accepting you may kill or be killed.” Still, he privately felt relieved he hadn’t journeyed alone – that would have been a truly hopeless predicament with no escape. As for whether this group could traverse the sizable Woodland of Old Nike… Punk subtly shifted his gaze, dark eyes fixed on Mainaixi’s position.

“So, how much longer can you last – you who’ve sacrificed nearly everything for this meaningless princess?”

(End of Chapter)