Chapter 65: The Chaos of War (Part 2)

In the early morning, a large group of griffin riders left the army's camp and flew northeast. Two of the strongest griffins carried two temple knights and flew far ahead of the group. This griffin force had nearly a hundred griffins, which was half of the remaining griffin forces.

Last night, the allied forces were not attacked as the temple knights had feared, but the reconnaissance teams they sent out disappeared without a trace, and not even a single body was found. These reconnaissance soldiers were the elite of the elites, specially trained for night reconnaissance and combat in the wild. However, the outcome of the mission proved that no matter how much training a human receives, they could never match beasts, especially beasts that were as intelligent as humans and had received training. The orcs seemed to have gained air superiority and intended to expand it.

This was the first time the orcs seemed to have gained a seemingly insignificant advantage, but it did not make the allied forces' soldiers any more cautious. Instead, it only fueled their fighting willingness even more. The cautious approach of the Temple Knights had made them feel extremely impatient. This was also one of the reasons why the two Temple Knights decided to take matters into their own hands. Any impulsive energy or fighting willingness, if suppressed for too long, would eventually become a problem.

As the sun rose from the horizon, its golden light spread across the wasteland. Ahead was a large forest, the most thriving part of the wild highlands. Although it wasn't as tall and dense as a tropical rainforest, it was still quite lush. The griffin force had left the main army, and now, in this early morning wasteland, there was no sign of slaughter or bloodshed. However, the two temple knights didn't dare to be careless. They knew that danger could be lurking in the dry air at any moment. Although the wyverns, which had flown all night, should have been the most tired at dawn, the cautious mindset had long taken root in their minds. This wasn't excessive caution—it was necessary.

Sure enough, a sharp sound broke the morning silence, and two massive crossbow bolts suddenly shot from the forest below, targeting the two temple knights at the front.

"From below?" The two temple knights were stunned. With a speed barely visible to the naked eye, Welleskay drew an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, and released it. The arrow collided with the incoming crossbow bolts mid-air, causing them to shatter and fall.

Ederick held a giant spear, about five meters long, that even made the strongest griffin he rode struggle to stay airborne. But in his hands, it seemed as light as a twig. The spear, surprisingly, wasn't used for offense but for defense. He casually flicked his wrist, and the spear's tip deflected the incoming crossbow bolt, causing it to veer off course and fall.

Two wyverns, carrying a flurry of branches and leaves, suddenly shot up from the forest. They had no intention of attacking the two lone griffin riders, instead screeching as they sped eastward.

"They were hiding in the forest all this time? It seems like they didn't act last night, and these wyverns are specifically targeting the griffin riders during the day. So, the ones who killed the reconnaissance teams last night must have been other orcs. It looks like their preparation for this operation was pretty thorough."

"The lizardmen have good eyesight. They must have seen that we're not ordinary griffin riders. And they've probably received orders not to directly engage us." Welleskay sneered, nocked another arrow, and pulled the string back. A white arc of light, sharp and whistling, shot toward the wyverns.

The wyverns were more than a mile away, and their heads were small from that distance. To an ordinary person, they would have seemed almost like sesame seeds. But this arrow, shot in a straight line, struck exactly at one of the wyverns' heads.

Suddenly, a lithe figure leaped up from the wyvern's back, holding a dark shield. The figure blocked the arrow just in time, creating a loud metallic sound as the wyvern continued flying. The arrow had been deflected.

"The lizardmen's reflexes and strength are indeed impressive." Welleskay's eyes twitched, but he remained calm. Without a word, he nocked another arrow, aiming for the wyvern's flapping wing, targeting the wing bone rather than the soft membrane. A wyvern with a broken wing would be as good as dead.

However, once again, the arrow was blocked. Another lizardman grabbed the first one's tail and swung it like a shield, combining their efforts to block the attack.

"Impressive. These are the elite forces even the Pope warned us to be cautious of. Too bad the fools behind can't see that," Ederick remarked, unable to help himself.

Welleskay said nothing but took a deep breath. His aura of fighting energy flared, and he drew the bow slowly, making sure to gather all his strength. His already muscular arm bulged to an incredible size as the golden bow bent to its limit. Only when it reached a perfect arc did he release the string.

If the previous two arrows had been like lightning, this one was thunder—its deafening roar filled the air as it shot toward the wyvern. The sheer force of the arrow meant that no matter where it hit, it would cause massive damage.

The wyvern let out a horrified scream as its massive body was torn apart in mid-air, sliced nearly in two from tail to head. Its insides, bones, muscles, and blood filled the space around it, causing an explosion of gore. The once mighty creature was shattered by a single arrow.

Cheers and shouts erupted from the griffin riders, amazed by the sheer destructive power that brought down such a massive beast from over a mile away. This level of archery was beyond imagination.

However, Welleskay's expression grew even darker. It wasn't just because he had fired three arrows, with the final one requiring all his strength to bring down a wyvern, but because he saw that just as his arrow was about to hit the wyvern, the orcs on its back had jumped off. This was a correct choice, as no one could have blocked such a devastating arrow. The orcs had made the most rational judgment, knowing they couldn't stop it, and quickly abandoned the wyvern.

The wyvern wasn't flying high, and with the forest below, the lizardmen had no trouble jumping down. Welleskay hesitated for a moment before turning to Ederick, saying, "This can't be just regular orcs. Looks like they've arranged for elite troops. What do you think? Should we chase them down?"

Ederick's voice deepened as he replied, "Do you think, as Jarvis said, that there's a trap waiting for us? The griffin army is behind us, and further back are tens of thousands of troops. Even if it's a trap, we have no reason to retreat. And even if Grutt himself came, I don't believe we can't handle it. And even if we can't defeat him, we can always retreat safely, right?"

Welleskay didn't reply. He simply lifted his golden bow again, nocked an arrow, and aimed at another wyvern flying away.

Once again, his arrow was blocked by the orcs on the wyvern's back, and after he gathered his energy for another full-force shot, he managed to knock the wyvern down. However, the orcs shot a crossbow bolt in retaliation, and one of the griffin riders fell, pierced by the bolt.

After two consecutive full-strength shots, Welleskay felt slightly fatigued. Just then, Ederick suddenly shouted, "Watch out, they're here."

A beam of light, as intense as Welleskay's full-strength shot, came roaring toward him from an angle below. It was a spear surrounded by white energy, tearing through the air as nearby trees and branches exploded in a wave of green ripples. The spear was aimed directly at Welleskay.

With a loud clang, Ederick's massive spear blocked the attack. The spear spun through the air, deflecting off, and the two temple knights felt a slight tremor. Ederick's energy had infused into his weapon, and the impact was neutralized, but the strike left him stunned. "Not Grutt?" he said.

The griffin under Ederick's saddle let out a mournful cry, falling toward the ground. The impact of the attack had taken its toll, but the temple knight was unharmed.

"Squad One and Two follow me, Squad Three and Four provide protection for Welleskay," Ederick shouted, leaping from the faltering griffin and casting a Feather Fall spell to land in the forest. Since it wasn't Grutt, it was time to take the initiative. As long as it wasn't Grutt himself, Ederick was confident that the two temple knights could handle any enemies sent by Orford.

Half of the griffin riders immediately charged toward Ederick's landing spot, while the rest surrounded Welleskay in the air.

Welleskay frowned as he gazed at the forest below, trying to spot the figure who had just thrown the spear. Based on the force and energy of that throw, although he could be certain it wasn't Grutt, it was still the work of a rare and formidable opponent. Seeing the dense foliage below, he suddenly snapped to attention and shouted at the griffin riders surrounding him, "Scatter! Get away from me, maintain at least fifty meters of distance from each other!"

The griffin riders were stunned, but before they could react to the Temple Knight's command, a dazzling white sphere from the forest below shot toward the dense cluster of griffins.

 "A Thunderclap Bomb? Could it be Theodorus?" Welleskay blinked, recognizing the electric aura surrounding the orb. He had expected the attack to be a green fireball containing deathly toxins, not this magical energy.

Welleskay quickly drew a small crystal anti-magic arrow from his quiver and nocked it on his bow. For a temple knight, this high-level magic wasn't much of a threat. The crystal arrow hit the Thunderclap Bomb in mid-air, neutralizing the destructive electric energy. In the next instant, Welleskay pulled another arrow from his quiver, aiming at the location from which the Thunderclap Bomb had come.

This time, the arrow was a fiery-red crystal arrow. It flew into the forest, exploding in a burst of intense flames. Welleskay's eyes were fixed on the magic fire that had erupted in the woods, and he quickly drew another arrow on his golden bow. He didn't yet have a clear sight of the one who had launched the Thunderclap Bomb, but he aimed to force the attacker out by using this explosive fire arrow.

Sure enough, two figures in the fire's aftermath scrambled to flee. Welleskay was momentarily stunned because the figures were not the expected Theodorus, but two young human figures—a man and a woman—both radiating the light of white magic.

Despite his momentary hesitation, Welleskay released his arrow. Whether the attackers were orcs or humans, and regardless of the magic they wielded, anyone who appeared to attack at this moment was an enemy.

Though not as powerful as the earlier shot that shattered the wyvern, this arrow was still swift and forceful, but the young man below drew a long sword to block it. Though the force of the arrow made him lose grip of the sword and sent him flying, he still managed to deflect it.

The battle mages among the griffin riders noticed the two figures as well, and a barrage of fireballs, ice arrows, and lightning bolts rained down upon the pair. The distance and the skill gap between the griffin mages and specialized spellcasters made it difficult to land precise hits, and the two young humans barely managed to dodge the magical attacks, their movements frantic and clumsy.

Welleskay's sharp eyes noticed the white magic aura around the two. He realized that neither of them was powerful enough to cast a high-level spell like Thunderclap Bomb on their own. The Thunderclap Bomb had clearly come from a scroll. With this in mind, he ordered, "Capture them alive."

A squad of griffin riders immediately swooped down, and the battle mages ceased their attacks. Welleskay's gaze swept through the forest below, searching for the one he truly wanted to find. That was the person he had been expecting, the one he really needed to see.

Without realizing it, a faint, unpleasant smell of decay reached his nose. Welleskay suddenly became alert and looked upward. Above him in the sky, a large black spot appeared, releasing countless small black raindrops. As soon as Welleskay noticed the smell, the stench became overwhelming. The black rain covered a wide area, enveloping most of the griffin riders in its midst.

"Cleansing spells, now! Everyone retreat into the forest and avoid getting hit by this necromantic corpse water!" Welleskay shouted to the griffin forces. He could tell from the smell that these black raindrops were something dangerous, and the dark spot above was clearly the source.

It turned out that all the attacks in the forest had been a distraction, a way to draw their attention away from the real threat—allowing someone to rise from another direction and make their move. This was a well-organized trap, one that not only anticipated their counterattack against the wyverns but had even used two wyverns as bait to lead them into this exact location.

While it was still unclear what other traps lay ahead, Welleskay had found an opportunity. The figure high in the sky was essentially a living target, perfectly positioned for him. He raised his bow, roaring, "Go to hell!" A powerful shot, enveloped in his fighting energy, flew toward the black spot in the sky.

As he released the arrow, Welleskay couldn't help but wonder—if the person was up there, then who had thrown the spear from below?

Meanwhile, in the forest below, Ederick, holding his massive battle spear, asked, "Was that your spear earlier?"

"Yes. How was it? My full-strength throw not bad, huh, Temple Knight?" came the reply. But this wasn't a normal person—not in the truest sense. Though his words were smooth, and his expression calm, the wolf's head and massive body made it clear that he wasn't fully human.