Chapter 017: The Beast Horde Approaches

Lei Hang patted his chest and declared boldly, “As a Spirit Phantomist, would I be afraid of those low and mid-tier magical beasts? Just wait here and watch how I slaughter them and extract their magic crystals.”

Magic crystals are the nuclei within magical beasts, essentially energy cores filled with wild elemental power. They serve as excellent alchemical materials. Moreover, phantom beasts can consume magic crystals of matching attributes to advance their own rank, making magic crystals highly sought after in the market; a high-tier beast’s crystal can fetch tens of thousands of gold coins. For mercenaries, one of the greatest gains during a magical beast tide is the slaughter of beasts and extraction of their crystals.

Shen Duo looked at Lei Hang’s confident, flamboyant face, yet felt an inexplicable anxiety deep within.

Near noon, the heart of Kertela Forest began to stir restlessly. Shen Duo stood atop the watchtower, gazing into the distance, and noticed snow falling from the trees. At that moment, a small squad of mercenaries rushed over on unicorn steeds to report the location of the beast horde.

Lei Lie led the mercenary group, calmly instructing his men to make final preparations. In that instant, the mercenaries were poised and ready.

The horde surged swiftly toward the forest’s edge. When they were two hundred meters from the mercenary encampment, the first set of traps was triggered. At the forefront were thousands of Forest Demon Wolves, howling so fiercely their cries threatened to rupture the very eardrums of all nearby. Yet, being only low-tier beasts, most of them wailed as they plunged into the traps once they entered the mercenaries’ ambush zone.

As soon as the vanguard of Forest Demon Wolves was nearly cleared, the second wave of beasts charged forth: Flame Monkeys, Black Demon Steeds, and intermixed among them, mid-tier beasts like the Steel Lions. Their earth-shattering roars flattened the low trees at the forest’s edge, and the beast tide crashed forward like a surging sea.

Shen Duo, standing atop the watchtower, took in this grand spectacle. Even with her usual composure, she couldn’t help but be awed. It was as if a science fiction film were unfolding before her eyes, yet the sensation was utterly unlike watching a movie.

At Lei Bai’s command, the mercenaries readied their specially crafted giant crossbows, aiming at the second wave. In an instant, arrows rained down, piercing the beasts’ bodies. The arrows were coated with a special potion that temporarily paralyzed the beasts, greatly diminishing their aggressiveness.

The mercenary groups had developed a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the beast tides. Some of the veterans had faced these tides more times than their own age. Among the top ten mercenary groups, the Flame Mercenaries, with a century-long history, were especially experienced. Most beast tides could be handled with ease.

Soon, most of the second wave fell as well, but this was only the beginning. From the depths of Kertela Forest came a colossal roar that shook every soul present. The lower-ranked mercenaries clutched their ears, faces twisted in pain.

Shen Duo watched as those around her crouched, hands pressed to their ears, suffering. Yet she herself felt no discomfort. She frowned, that earlier inexplicable anxiety returning. She looked down from the watchtower at Lei Hang, and seeing him still standing strong, she breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps she was simply too nervous.

Standing atop the head of the Rampaging Bear, Lei Lie felt his phantom beast tremble, letting out a low whimper before lowering its head in a shiver. Lei Lie’s heart skipped a beat—his phantom beast was a Seven-Star Sacred Phantom, the highest-ranked in the Flame Mercenaries. High-tier phantom beasts exerted a pressure on lower-tier ones. If his Rampaging Bear was displaying such submission now, then the beast behind this tide must be exceptionally powerful. Perhaps, as rumors said, it was a Divine Beast!

Lei Lie’s thick brows furrowed even tighter. They had never before faced a beast tide triggered by a Divine Beast. The largest tide in the past was caused by a Sacred Phantom, and even then, it taxed their resources. This time… He dared not think further.

Lei Lie immediately ordered Lei An to instruct all squads to remain vigilant, to act according to their own strength, and to retreat decisively if they could not cope. Compared to the mission, the lives of the mercenaries were far more important.

The Lava Mercenaries seemed to sense the extraordinary nature of this beast tide as well; tension gripped every face.

After the roar from the forest’s depths faded, the surging beast horde abruptly halted. The mid-tier beasts at the front howled and retreated, and then, something unbelievable happened: the high-tier beasts that had been behind rushed forward. Their immense bodies and savage visages struck terror in the mercenaries.

At the very front, the Kodo Beasts bared their jaws, spewing fire at the vanguard mercenaries. Landbirds flapped their massive wings, whipping up fierce gales, while Skeletal Warhorses stomped with their venomous hooves.

Suddenly, chaos erupted. According to prior instructions, the vanguard consisted of senior Phantomists tasked with handling low and mid-tier beasts, clearing away fallen or anesthetized bodies. The elite mercenaries—mostly high-ranking Phantomists and Spirit Phantomists—were positioned further back. Yet the beast tide had abruptly changed course.

The vanguard was utterly unable to withstand the ferocious onslaught of these high-tier beasts. In moments, with the high-tier creatures leading the charge, many mercenaries screamed as they were wounded or trampled to death.

Shen Duo watched in horror. The intelligence of the beast orchestrating this tide was surely equal to that of humans. She anxiously saw the beast horde closing in on the mercenary camp. Not only were the Flame Mercenaries overwhelmed, but the Lava Mercenaries, Wind Riders, and several smaller groups were equally caught off guard.

Biting her lip, she withdrew the sword Lei Hang had gifted her from her storage ring and gripped it tightly, eyes fixed on the approaching horde.

Lei Lie, ever the seasoned leader, quickly ordered the squad leaders to withdraw the vanguard and send the elite mercenaries forward.

Well-trained as they were, the mercenaries kept their composure despite the losses. After all, theirs was a profession fraught with peril, and the prospect of choosing life or death was commonplace. They were always prepared for the possibility that the next moment, a comrade might no longer be at their side.

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At last, I managed to update before noon. Apologies for the late update.