Chapter 36 Part 1 of 2 (Patreon)

Marco and the other master teachers half ducked in the command tent.

“Come down here and fight damn cowards!” Onam yelled up covering for his embarrassment.

“Since we started attacking their aerial forces, they have increased their height to the point where it is hard to see them and when their attacks land they are already gone. The roads are covered in spell traps and hidden traps. The forces moving down the east and west roads have had more issues than us,” Hae Woo-Sung the mustachioed Willful Institute teacher turned commander.

“Have a force remain where they are. The rest of them are to teleport over and catch up with us.” Marco said.

“What about the forces in the south?”

“They have been moving slower, there are less of our people among their ranks. With word sent back of how far we are I’m sure they’ll speed up,” Feng Dan said, her armor had remained untouched through all of the fighting.

Bombs went off one after another, making them able to see through the tent as the mana barriers fought to hold on.

People who weren’t covered with a mana barrier screamed out.

The group waited for the noise and light to die down.

Only the screams and sounds of freshly burning wood were left behind.

“We will push ahead to Vuzgal until we reach the city. Then we will lay down teleportation formations to move up our forces in mass. Teacher Medina, do you think that you and your students will be able to move faster if I set you free?”

Everyone turned to look at the covered man standing at the rear of the room. Their hands moved closer to their weapons in unease.

“We can reach Vuzgal by tomorrow afternoon and place down teleportation formations.”

“Take anything you need,” Marco bowed his head to teacher Medina, maybe a little lower than the others.

Out of them all he is the strongest. He doesn’t rely on just his own strength to kill the enemy. He’ll use anything he can to win. With the formations we can jump our people ahead and establish a base to attack Vuzgal from.

“I believe that the enemy already knows where we are. I do not think that all of my students will evade detection.”

“I understand, teacher, but this is the best option. We will use the teleportation formations to shift our forces forward, that should focus their attention.” Marco said

“I do not mind their deaths. I just have to remind you the cost it takes to train someone to their level. I hope you don’t waste it.”

Teacher Medina turned without creating a ripple in the air and left the tent.

“Knows where we are, they would have to be casting searching spells all the time,” Onam, the muscled shorter man said.

“Crafting,” Marco said, “Teacher Hae Woo-Sung I hope you can split up your mages among the other groups, they are our only effective way of engaging the aerial beasts and their riders.”

“If we were to have casting wagons we would be more effective.”

“Though it would make you a greater target. I agree with Teacher Medina, the enemy must know our every move.”

“Wait a minute lad, what do you mean by crafting?”

“Vuzgal is a city of crafters, it has the crafting dungeon, the Vuzgal academy and one of the largest and advanced crafting districts in the Fourth Realm. Most cities in the Fifth Realm can’t meet their abilities. The whistling spells, the formation carved metal barrels, they are all crafting items. With tens of expert crafters backing them their crafting is unrivaled in the Fourth Realm. Spells would certainly exhaust them. We know that the people of Vuzgal, while capable, are not high in level.

“Instead they use crafting to make up for their weaknesses. There are sensing formations and they have shown a high capability in formations in the past and tonight.”

Explosions could be heard rumbling in the distance as another group was being attacked.

“You think that they seeded the valley with sensing formations?” Eva Marino asked, her hands resting on her waist, just above her whips.

“I think that they covered the entire valley and we must assume that they can see our every move.”

“That would take a massive amount of resources and time,” Teacher Feng Dan’s brows pinched together.

“They have been here for several years and while building might have stalled within their walls, their defensive boxy structures only multiplied. Their watch towers were constantly upgraded as were their military bases. If the battle arena is as strong as reported, how much stronger must their military training facilities be? They never once slowed on defense, or on advancing their own people’s training.”

“You make it seem like you admire them,” Onam said.

Marco shook his head and let out a frustrated breath.

“Boy,” Onam warned.

“This is the first day of fighting and so far they haven’t shown any of their trump cards. What do you think will happen when they do? How much do we truly know about them? Some surface information at best? It’s not like we will learn anything else. All of our spies and informants stopped reporting to us yesterday night. Vuzgal purged their city and plucked out all the eyes and ears within it. Do you know just how hard it is to find out all of a sect’s sources? They did it to every  informant in their walls. That very fact should make you respect them, should make you brace for what is to come and understand just why I have asked my elder brother to descend.”

“Gather all of the earth alteration spell scrolls among your ranks. Once the sun rises, we will use those spell scrolls to create a path forward. We won’t be able to miss the traps that are buried deep, but it should remove the threat of the traps that are being dropped from the sky.”

Marco nodded to the teachers and left the tent. The forest had been torn apart, trees were cleaved apart with fighting techniques, stomped into submission by the hundreds of feet that passed over them. The wooded landscaped had been scoured of life as thousands of fighters passed.

Marco jumped up onto his waiting mount and headed off towards his clan’s army.

The moonless night didn’t give them any indication of where the aerial beasts were as their silent bombs arrived suddenly.

If it is this bad out here in the forests, just how many traps have they prepared in front of the city?

***

Captain Wazny woke with a start, taking in a deep breath as he sat up on his ‘bed’.

He looked around the ward feeling one hundred percent rested. Damn I need to take a piss.

He got off of the bed, the formations underneath and carved into the frame dimmed. Stamina regeneration, healing, increased mana density. No wonder I feel like a million mana stones.

He headed out of the hyper-recovery ward, checking the time.

Only been an hour.

He exited, heading for the closest teleportation hub.

The under city was lit up, the factories and crafting workshops were a hub of activity. Crafters passed him, rushing back to work. Others, like zombies, shuffled to the hyper recovery ward, their eyes dull and arms limp from overuse.

Just how hard have they been overworking themselves to be like that? They’re journeyman crafters with body and mana cultivation.

Wazny grit his teeth and jogged towards the teleportation hub.

Materials continued to come in and be transported out. As well as fresh bodies going out.

Wazny stepped on a teleportation formation with several supply carts and other air force personnel.

We have been resting up and preparing this entire time. But the crafters have been working throughout, non-stop,creating the supplies and gear we need. While we’ve been recovering and resting in place. I wasn’t close to my limit but I was put on rest to keep me at one hundred percent.

Wazny balled his fists as light covered those on the teleportation formation.

They’re doing so much for us. I have to do more.

He and the rest of the air force personnel left the teleportation hub running. He rushed towards his squadron’s hangars.

Sparrows were resting on their perches, formations all around them were lit up, increasing their recovery rate.

“Wazny!” Major Sullivan waved him over to a group of pilots.

Wazny nodded to them, seeing familiar faces.

“They’re fresh in from the first. I need someone to take them out, just show them the ropes.”

“Anything change?”

“Altitude increase, they got smart about using ranged spells. Started using wind and thermal spells. Out of range for the repeaters but not the bombs. They are using some of their own aerial beasts in the air now. Make sure you’re scanning for them. Wing Eleven got hit.”

“Bad?” Wazny felt his chest tighten, familiar faces flashing by.

“Four wounded, one dead. Aida.”

Wazny and the other pilots winced. Their unit was a small one, they had just been training together in the last few months.

Sullivan nodded, there was nothing else he could offer.

“Get them prepped for flight, head up with them, once they’re good to go, report back. Either your people will be in the air or you’ll pick them up here.”

“You got it boss.”

Sullivan walked away, leaving them to it.

“What you heard?” Wazny asked.

“Two eyes on the ground and four on the sky.” Captain Vesik, leader of the Sparrow wing said.

“Go in hyper redundant. Two listen to comms, the commanders will guide us in, two watch the ground, the rest watch the sky. Stay as high as you can, then dive down to bombing level. Drop your load and back up into the heavens.”