novelraw Chapter 667: Weakness
Chapter 667: Weakness
The female assassin moved nimbly, attempting to maneuver with her speed. However, several Sand Servants formed a simple encirclement, their heavy attacks sealing off all avenues of evasion. She barely parried a few heavy blows, her arms fracturing, before being struck in the waist and abdomen by a sweeping Sand Hammer, collapsing helplessly to the ground.
The female Mage fared even worse. Without the protection of the Warrior and the cover of her companions, her hastily conjured Moonlight Shield shattered like paper under the assault of the Sand Servants. A Sand Servant grabbed her with its gigantic hand as if she were a mere chick, leaving her unable to move.
Only one Night Elf on the left and a Natural Priest on the right, acting swiftly upon hearing the leader’s whistle and as the Sand Servants began their encirclement, dashed desperately in different directions, using the shadows of the forest and the complex terrain to flee the battlefield.
In less than a minute, out of the six Night Elves in the assault team, two were dead, two captured, and two escaped.
Only their leader, the Level 2 Elf Warrior, remained, struggling under the combined assault of Master Ted’s Iron Golem and the interference of Una and Hal.
The Elf Warrior’s eyes were filled with grief and despair, knowing the situation was hopeless.
If this continued, he would inevitably die once those terrifying metal golems finished with his comrades and encircled him.
"Roar——!!"
He let out an indignant roar, fiercely biting through his tongue and spraying blood infused with his essence moonlight on his fists.
In an instant, his arms gleamed with silver light, his strength surging as he struck the Iron Golem’s chest with a series of punches, forcing it to stagger back with cracks appearing on its stone chest.
Taking this opportunity, his entire body flickered with intense moonlight, transforming into a twisted silver streamer. Instead of fleeing in a straight line, he took a bizarre zigzag trajectory, plunging into the densest shadows of a nearby bush, where he disappeared. Even Master Ted’s tracking magic lost its target.
The battle abruptly ceased.
The forest returned to its thick silence, with only the lingering scents of blood, char, and residual Elemental Energy stirring the memory of the fierce clash that just occurred.
Duke slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his face visibly paling and beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
His body swayed slightly, seeming unsteady.
With a thought, the eleven Sand Servants, emanating a powerful oppressive presence, and their weapons crumbled swiftly like weathered stone, reverting to countless dark golden grains of sand that silently merged back into the slightly undulating sand field beneath Duke’s feet, vanishing entirely as if they had never existed.
Throughout the process, Duke appeared strained and exerted, even panting slightly.
"Duke, are you okay?" Una’s concern was the first to reach him, her eyes filled with surprise and admiration, but also a hint of understanding.
Summoning and controlling such formidable golems on a vast and intense scale surely required immense effort.
Ivan’s face was full of fear and relief as he looked at Duke as if he were a monster: "Brother Duke, you... you’re way too strong! Those Sand Giants... are incredible! But looking at you, it must have taken a lot out of you."
Hal wiped the blood off his face, casting a complex glance at Duke, then at the corpses and captives of the Night Elves, saying nothing but was evidently shocked by the trump card Duke displayed.
The Shadow Raven remained silent, merely retrieving his pitch-black dagger and letting his gaze linger briefly on Duke’s somewhat weary face before looking away.
Master Ted, controlling the slightly damaged Iron Golem, returned. After cautiously inspecting the surroundings and confirming no other ambushes, he looked at Duke.
On his usually stern and serious face, a rare hint of approval and gravity appeared: "Well done, Duke. Those summons of yours... they’re very unique and powerful. Achieving victory from defeat this time is largely thanks to you. However, summoning on such a scale must have taxed you heavily. Rest and recover your Magic Power."
Everyone immediately sprang into action.
Duke weakly nodded, stepped aside, took out a Magic Potion, and began restoring his Magic Power while remaining secretly vigilant of the surroundings.
In reality, his Spiritual Power and Magic Power weren’t as depleted as they appeared, but feigning weakness was necessary, especially among these temporary allies.
Even the strength he displayed was enough to impose a certain level of deterrence on others, sparing him from some troubles.
However, Duke portrayed a suitable amount of weakness, making his strength appear formidable yet not overly monstrous.
The dark red glow of Shar’s Moon shone coldly through the gaps in the branches onto the ravaged battlefield, reflecting on Duke’s seemingly tired profile.
The battle ended swiftly and brutally, and under Master Ted’s command, they immediately began cleaning up the battlefield.
The bodies of the two deceased Night Elves were carefully retrieved from the trees, and the Natural Priest’s body was dragged back from the roots.
Their equipment—elegantly crafted moonlight shortbows, priest staves inset with crescent crystals, and some small bottles of what seemed to be concentrated Moon Well essence and Magic Materials they carried—were quickly stripped away.
The corpses themselves also held research value, especially regarding the body structure of Night Elves and their adaptation to moonlight energy.
The two captives, the heavily injured and unconscious female Mage and the female assassin knocked out, were tightly bound by Una and Hal with specially made, paralyzing Potion-soaked sinew ropes and gagged with cloth.
Master Ted urged, "Quickly leave! The smell of blood and battle fluctuations may attract other things, and Shar’s Moon will soon dominate completely!"
Not daring to delay, everyone quickly retreated along the route toward Darkmoon Town.
By now, the scene in the sky was entirely different from when they first entered the forest.
The soft, pale purple glow of Eilistraee had nearly faded away, replaced by a deep, oppressive, crimson hue that seemed to swallow all light.
Shar’s Moon, a dark red moon like congealed blood, hanging high in the sky, had become the sole ruler of the heavens.
The forest environment subsequently transformed.
What were once distinguishable paths and tree trunk outlines under Eilistraee’s moonlight now blurred as if shrouded in a thick dark red veil.
The light-emitting plants were the only light source, but under Shar’s moonlight, their glow became twisted and bizarre.
The silver-white and pale green glowing moss’s light significantly dimmed, flickering weakly like candles in the wind, and their coverage shrunk considerably.