The Battle of Kolladas

A few minutes later, Duke arrived at his destination. He led the pursuers through the dense jungle, moving slowly and methodically to not expend any additional energy. As the hours passed, the sound of battle grew louder and more chaotic.

Finally, Duke reached the edge of a cliff overlooking a massive flatland, where tens of thousands of human warriors and mages were locked in a gruesome and bloody battle with a large horde of ogres defending a large stronghold.

He stood on a precipice overlooking a battlefield in the distance. The large conflict unfolded like a painting of chaos and desperation. The battlefield was littered with the bodies of the fallen, and the stench of death hung heavy in the air. Ogres flooded the flatland, their monstrous forms casting shadows over the land. The air reverberated with the clash of weapons and the anguished cries of the dying. Duke's heart sank as he bore witness to the gruesome carnage before him, his senses overwhelmed by the scenes of destruction.

Rather than merely feeling a sense of dread, Duke's hands trembled as he gripped The Sun Chasing Bow tighter. The sight of the war between humans and ogres stirred a mix of emotions within him, a cocktail of fear, anger, and determination. The metallic scent of blood reached his nostrils, mingling with the acrid stench of charred flesh, and his stomach churned with revulsion. But he quickly adjusted his mind. His pursuers were only a few minutes behind him; he did not have the time to show weakness. He had asked the Villagers from Tsimikas to use guerrilla tactics to slow them down, but they could only buy him 5 minutes at best.

From his vantage point at a safe distance, Duke's eyes roved over the battlefield, his gaze following the ebb and flow of the conflict. His eyes were like binoculars, taking into account every detail he could. Alice had kept him up to date with everything, allowing him to have a good understanding of the clash. Everything from troop distribution to casualties was presented to him on the map function. Unlike Will, other users had access to the system map at all times. Alice's class Scholar allowed her to directly input information on other people's interfaces so long as she had permission.

, 'Without Alice, we would be in trouble. She has made everything much easier. Do I have a shot with her?' Duke wondered as he gazed at the battlefield.

The clash of swords and the luminous arcs of spells lit up the sky, creating a symphony of violence. The sprawling area, known as The Kolladas Plains, was a grim testament to the long-standing dominance of the ogres. For centuries, they had ruled over this region, their grip on power unyielding.

On the horizon, Duke's attention was drawn to the new force that had emerged from the neighbouring region of Ta Dasi. United with other Villages, they head rallied to challenge the ogres' reign in a bold offensive. It was a desperate stand against the brutality that had plagued their lands for far too long. The Villagers fought valiantly, their weapons glinting in the sunlight while spells crackled through the air like ethereal lightning bolts. The new force, of course, was his Village, Tsimikas.

Duke's eyes fixed on the clashes between warriors, each engagement a microcosm of life and death. The combatants locked in mortal combat, their faces etched with grim determination. Steel clashed against steel, resounding like a symphony of danger, as the warriors danced a deadly ballet of skill and instinct. It was a desperate struggle, a fight for survival that left no room for hesitation.

Amidst the chaos, a powerhouse mage from a local Village soared above the fray, a beacon of arcane power. With a sweeping motion of their hands, torrents of fire engulfed a group of ogre warriors, transforming them into charred husks. Their agonized screams pierced the air, only to be swallowed by the cacophony of battle.

Duke's gaze continued to dart across the battlefield, witnessing the scattered skirmishes that dotted the landscape. The struggle seemed unending, neither side gaining a decisive advantage. Ogres towered over humans, their immense size and raw strength posing a formidable challenge. But the humans pressed on, united by a shared purpose that burned bright within their hearts. The locals especially yearned to rid their lands of the ogre menace, reclaim their freedom and ensure a future for their children.

The ogres were split into two distinct groups: warriors and mages. The warriors charged into battle, swinging their massive weapons with terrifying force and ferocity. The mages hovered in the back, casting powerful spells that rained down destruction on the human army.

Despite their basic tactics, the ogres were a formidable foe, and the human army struggled to fend them off. Duke knew that it was the perfect place to lead his pursuers to their doom.

Duke noticed his pursuers had finally caught up. He jumped down the cliff and entered the fray. Once he landed, he stumbled forward, pretending to be gravely fatigued, and the pursuers followed, eager to finish him off. They ignored the threat of the ogres until it was too late. Duke took advantage of the chaos and plunged his arrow into the nearest ogre warrior's eye. The ogre roared in pain as it fell to the ground, dead.

'Don't understand an archer's ability to draw aggro.' Duke mused as he quickly hid from the view of the ogres under a pile of corpses. Duke couldn't care less about the blood and gore because right now, he was a hunter, nothing else.

The ogres turned their attention to the newcomers, their eyes gleaming with hunger and rage. The pursuers had to deal with an annoying group of angered ogres and lost sight of Duke, who casually dispatched them from blind spots. Duke took a short break to gather his bearings. He could not help but smirk as he drew his bow and prepared to take down the remaining enemies.

Drawing his bow with practised ease, he stared down the nearest pursuer from across the battlefield, his eyes glinting with defiance. Seizing the opportune chaos of the battle, Duke successfully lured the last of his pursuers into the chaos of battle. Their desperate expressions mirrored his own determination, locked in a contest with no hope of escape. Duke continuously weaved into the chaos and quickly hid, making him hard to follow. Woodsy had hidden herself in the battle and had long been linked, thanks to Alice. Thanks to Woodsy's cloaking skills, Duke could hide from his pursuers with ease.

"So much for catching me easily," he quipped, allowing his arrow to fly.

The pursuers crumpled to the ground, their lives extinguished by Duke's deadly aim. He didn't pause, swiftly turning his attention to the next adversary. Another arrow loosed from his bow, soaring through the air with uncanny precision, finding its mark.

With each enemy brought down, Duke felt an intoxicating mixture of relief and satisfaction. The victory was not just survival; it was a testament to his resilience and indomitable spirit. In this merciless world, he had proven himself a force to be reckoned with, a warrior who refused to be shackled by the odds.

After shooting down one more enemy, Duke casually strutted to a tree within the battlefield. He climbed the tree, and half knelt, acting as if he was using it as a vantage point. A few Tsimikas warriors came and acted as his guards, allowing him to comfortably dispatch ogres. As Duke comfortably dispatched his foes, vein-like lines appeared on the tree branch and connected to the soles of his feet. Duke regained telepathic communication with his companions.

The tree he had chosen was not a random tree. It was actually a tree created by Woodsy to act as a telepathic server. The Treat Warrior Class was a specialist class that allowed one to use qi mixed with mana. It carried with it a wide variety of useful skills. Two Treant Warriors could have completely different paths of growth. Woodsy was a support and attack-based Treant Warrior who specialized in spiritual skills.

Alice had been taught how some telepathic skills by Woodsy and could easily tap into her servers.

"Duke, just in time, Letty is about to make her appearance. Are you ready?" asked a slightly nervous Alice. Now was not the time to catch up. Now was the time to fight. Alice had been in contact with Duke but not in a manner that allowed for open dialogue. All she could do without Woodsy was direct Duke and update him on situations. All Duke could do was respond with short bursts of information. Now, through Woodsy, they were well and truly connected.

Duke's figure was immediately covered by an overgrowth of leaves that made him invisible to the fighters. His presence was small as he did not have much of an impact on the battle. He had changed his appearance so few could recognize him anyway. Thus in the leaves, he comfortably crossed his legs without worry of being attacked. Woodsy was close by and protected his body. There was no better bodyguard to trust his life to. Soul Chan Share made the others lose their capacity to act when activated. In other words, Duke would be unable to move. Alice was not at much of a disadvantage as she did not need to move to battle. She could still function normally and perform her administrative duties even when immobile.

A small complex matrix materialized under Duke as tendrils of energy gathered around the archer's body. Initiating the spell. Duke calmed himself and focused on harmonizing his energies. This was the first time he was doing this after being influenced by the Sun Chasing Legacy; thus, he had no idea how much it would affect Soul Chain Share.

"I'm ready. Let's start a massacre."