Optimal Combat Combination

"Damn it! After so many days of slaughtering countless magical beasts, why is he now provoking those lightning birds?" Even the Wolf King was enraged by Jack's actions. However, it was clearly not the time to dwell on this; I hastily ordered Lilith to accelerate the helicopter towards the treasure island. If so many lightning birds caught up to us, even if I were ten times more powerful, I would end up scorched to a crisp. The four from Snook's group reacted slightly faster than us, their curses sharper and louder.

The speed of the flying carpet could not match that of the helicopter, making them more anxious about being pursued by the furious flock of lightning birds. Jack, exerting every ounce of his strength, crashed into the helicopter. To prevent him from damaging the instruments, I could only restrain him slightly, dissipating his momentum despite my anger. His filthy appearance suggested he had slaughtered many lightning birds. I could easily guess that he had only targeted the chicks, for his body was not only smeared with bird blood but also covered in the sticky remnants of yolk and egg white.

"The lightning birds are incredibly swift. Everyone prepare for battle; we hope to shake them off over the sea," I instructed quietly. The Wolf King and Hachi both drew their weapons. Jack wiped his back, causing his massive magical wings to vanish instantly. He laughed maniacally, speaking in a language I couldn't comprehend, as if recounting something endlessly.

Just as I was contemplating whether to toss this bastard into the sea, Jack suddenly said to me, "Don't fly too fast. These lightning birds are frenzied; they're our allies in hunting the winged demonic apes." 

Ah! Both Hachi and the Wolf King grasped the situation simultaneously, realizing that Jack's infiltration of the cliffs to kill the chicks and attack the lightning birds' eggs had a purpose. He intended to draw the lightning birds into a conflict with the winged demonic apes, allowing us to profit from the chaos.

"What a madman! This plan is perilous, but if all goes well, we might find the treasure astonishingly quickly." When I relayed Jack's plan to Snook via the communication card, the response was a furious, coarse roar. Yet Snook evidently accepted this reckless scheme, as he had no alternative.

The magical carpet flew erratically below us, while Lilith piloted the Red Spider helicopter at a steady speed. Behind us, a vast horde of lightning birds swirled, their electrifying brilliance almost blinding. Individually, a single lightning bird posed little threat, but the combined assault of thousands was enough to reduce a swamp dragon to mere ash. After casting dozens of spells, my mental energy had dwindled to a critical level. To regain optimal combat condition, I withdrew from the sniping skirmish with the Wolf King and Hachi, immersing myself in meditation.

At this moment, no matter how anxious I felt, I had to entrust everything to my companions. This was the law of the battlefield; no one could defy it, especially those who wished to survive. 

With a distance of several hundred kilometers, our journey would take about an hour and a half. The lightning birds were hardly slower than the Red Spider helicopter, and these massive predators had impressive endurance for long flights. We battled while flying; if not for Lilith's exceptional piloting skills, we would have been pursued into the depths of the sea by the lightning birds long ago.

I had consumed all four alchemical scrolls of the Eternal Wings technique during our flight, having miscast once, resulting in only three magical wings being created. As the small island came into view, I ordered, "Everyone deploy your magical wings and land on the island, using its terrain to fight and retreat. I will lead the way; the treasure lies in a cave where the lightning birds cannot enter."

The Wolf King shouted, "What about the winged demonic apes?" "Leave everything to me." Under these circumstances, Snook and the others had no room to execute their original plan. To them, Milinda and Romi had become liabilities. Romi, the sultry Persian cat, still clung to hopes of a relationship with Snook, while Milinda was already considering her own safety. However, before they could do anything, I had already relayed my action plan through the communication card.

"I'll have Lilith fly the helicopter west; you better get Romi and Milinda up here. They'll only be a burden, and I have no interest in babysitting women." "Hmph, you're so considerate. No problem."

After what seemed like a perilous aerial maneuver, the three women boarded the helicopter, while the six of us men descended onto the nameless island, unfurling our magical wings. Part of the flock of lightning birds had been led away by Lilith and the others, but most descended onto the island, launching a ferocious assault on us unfortunate souls.

For the first time, I realized how ferocious birds could be. Continuously switching between my most familiar combat skills, the Holy Shield and Holy Light Bomb, I found myself unable to employ more advanced techniques against their relentless onslaught. Although the Max Magic was straightforward, I was still a novice and didn't feel confident using it freely.

The Wolf King, Snook, and Bullet showcased their enhanced physical prowess after receiving injections. While their manipulation of spiritual energy wasn't as adept as mine, they were formidable fighters. Hachi commanded his long knife, the Ancient Moon, to slice through the air with swift precision, resorting to the newly acquired Crescent Moon only when the defenses were breached. 

This bone knife wielded immense power; each swing from Hachi sent a dark green blade of energy slicing through the void, often cleaving through three or four lightning birds at once. Jack seemed to have regained some stamina; although he was the weakest among us in combat, he was the most adept at conserving his strength. I suspected he was hiding much of his true power, but under these circumstances, there was no way to verify it.

The wide-ranging Holy Light Bomb was the most lethal spell among us, and against the dense charges of the lightning birds, only a volley of hundreds could effectively disperse them. In this battle, I remained the primary force, inflicting the most casualties among the lightning birds, yet the depletion of my Platinum Honor was alarmingly rapid.