Chapter 1644 Chapter 1462:Dual Strategy
Chapter 1644 Chapter 1462:Dual Strategy
The trio's coordination was flawless. It took less than 10 seconds from the moment Alex initiated the attack to the knight delivering the final blow with his holy strike. Before the unfortunate guards could even react, they were swiftly dispatched. On the other side, the remaining guards met a similar fate. They were encircled by the rest of the group and fell to the ground without uttering a sound.
As the steel skeleton guards collapsed, a mage dressed in a pitch-black robe snarled and extended his arm. Almost immediately, an emerald brilliance emanated from his fingertips, shrouding the enemy corpses. The moment the brilliance enveloped them, the corpses disintegrated into powder and vanished from sight.
"Phew..."
As the pitch-black enchanted field dispersed, the wind resumed its howling. Alex raised his head and glanced at the lead scout. The young woman subtly shook her head in response. Understanding her message, Alex gestured for silence.
The once bustling street now lay empty. At first glance, it appeared as though nothing had occurred.
With the patrols eliminated, the group reached the northern gate of the Dali Kingdom Palace. Along the way, Alex confirmed that the peculiar steel skeleton guards were not connected. He even attempted to take out another team of patrols across the street, but they remained completely unresponsive. It seemed that despite their twisted nature, influenced by Chaos, they were incapable of exhibiting the same discipline as the forces of Light (Order).
This is the spot.
Alex stared in silence at the securely locked metal door. According to the information gathered from the thieves, this was the location where one of the Chaos Lords had been detected. If Alex remembered correctly, the back of the Dali Kingdom Palace's northern gate was a vast garden and plaza, not suitable for hiding. Even with the Camp Reversal Badge to conceal their presence, there was no telling what the Chaos Lord would do. For the sake of safety, it was crucial to eliminate the Chaos Lord. However, this place was the lowest level of the Darkness Palace, and any conflict would surely attract the attention of the other two Chaos Lords. The best strategy was to attack all three Chaos Lords simultaneously. The party that managed to eliminate their Chaos Lord first would then aid the other parties until all threats were eliminated. They would then set up the Plane Destruction Bomb and make a swift exit...
It sounded simple, but executing it was a completely different story. Even though Alex had successfully wiped out the patrols of the Dali Kingdom Capital, this place had already been tainted by Chaos. If Chaos desired, summoning more Chaos creatures wouldn't be difficult. Thus, when the battle commenced, Alex's group would not only have to face a Chaos Lord but also deal with Chaos creatures. Under such relentless aggression, eradicating the Chaos Lord and planting the Plane Destruction Bomb was far from easy. Moreover, Bahamut's clone would undoubtedly realize the situation and bring his armies back once Alex launched an official attack on the Capital. It would be a one-way journey. Once the attack began, there was no turning back, and time would become their greatest adversary.
"Well, it seems I have no other choice now."
With this thought in mind, Alex furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, and let out a sigh.
"Scarlet, Mart, split up and send half of your mages and Healers."
"...Understood, Leader. We will take care of it immediately."
Upon hearing Alex's order, a firm voice responded instantly. Scarlet remained silent for a few moments before speaking up.
"Alex, are you planning to encircle the entire palace with a Light enchanted field?"
"Given the circumstances, it is the best approach. We can make the most of our time and ensure the operation proceeds without any hindrance."
"But our damage output will be compromised... Besides, we didn't bring many spell casters with us this time. The Dali Kingdom Palace is massive as well. If we send out half of our spell casters to maintain the enchanted field... What about the BOSS's side?"
"I will take on the role of the main attacker on the BOSS's side. You all will be responsible for containment. Just be cautious; as long as you're alive, everything will be fine. I'll defeat the Chaos Lord as quickly as possible and rendezvous with you."
"Alright then..."
Upon hearing Alex's response, Scarlet nodded in agreement. Alex took a deep breath, raised his head, and observed the dark palace enveloped in fog.
"Everything is under control here. I wonder how Madeline is faring on her end." Alex couldn't help but wonder about the progress of his strategist, Madeline.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
"Attack! Attack! Attack! Charge! Charge!"
With Bahamut's fierce roars, the Chaos creatures surged forward, determined and undeterred by the relentless artillery fire and magical spells. Flares erupted amidst the chaos, casting dazzling rings of scarlet flames that pierced through the darkness. Anna gripped the edge of the city wall, uncertain, as she watched the battlefield unfold. Smoke and flames engulfed the battleground, obscuring the land and sky. The thick, black smoke seemed to swallow everything, even the moonlight from above. Both sides clashed, unleashing countless powerful area-of-effect spells that transformed the terrain and the skies. Flames, thunder, lightning bolts, and various elemental attacks danced across the field, shattering the ground and leaving it muddy and murky. Amongst the destruction, the corpses of Chaos creatures littered the battlefield.
"It's almost time, huh?" the drowsy Madeline suddenly spoke up. She yawned and lazily flipped through the pages of her thick, ornate tome.
A change occurred in the battle.
Without saying a word, Anna inexplicably sensed that the situation on her side had taken a turn for the worse. The powerful spells that were holding back the Chaos creatures became scarce, and the deadly artillery fireballs ceased. Soon after, the Chaos creatures that were previously suppressed by the artillery attack broke free from their restraints. They surged forward, and in no time, Anna witnessed a black sea of chaotic creatures reaching the base of the steel city walls. In an instant, the dark wave crashed against the formidable walls.
Boom!
The entire city walls trembled under the impact. The artillery cannons retracted and sealed shut behind iron plates to prevent further infiltration, but the Chaos creatures pressed on relentlessly. They continued to pile up, heedless of any offense. Just as Madeline had mentioned, even if the Chaos creatures lacked strategic sense, their endless stream of attacks would lead to only one outcome: destruction.
"Miss Madeline... Is there anything I can do?" Anna asked, seeking guidance.
After a moment of silence, Madeline spoke up.
"There isn't anything you can do. This is the only thing we need right now. Alex's preparations should be complete by now. To prevent the Chaos creatures from sensing our plan and retreating, we must keep them contained here. If we prolong the stalemate, Ion may decide to withdraw his armies and redirect his attack towards Alex instead. Ion has already suffered significant losses in the previous clashes and hasn't made much progress. If he continues to engage with us, there is no benefit for him. However, if he turns back and attacks Alex now, it will be our downfall. That's why we've given Ion an opportunity, one that makes him believe he can easily break through our defenses. This way, even if he suspects something is amiss, he will hesitate, giving Alex enough time to accomplish his mission. All we have to do now is hold back the armies of the dark dragon, preventing them from retreating."
Madeline casually flipped a page in her book and continued.
"So, just stay still and enjoy the show."
Even though Madeline's expression remained calm as usual, Anna could detect a hint of pride in her unwavering tone, a reflection of her unwavering faith in their ultimate victory.
Everything was ready.
As Alex stood before the strong, heavy door, he extended his arm to grip his sword. At that moment, Maggie and her team of Healers and mages were in position. Once Alex gave the command, they would activate the Order barrier, effectively isolating the entire Dali Kingdom Palace from the outside world. This would prevent the Chaos Lord from summoning any Chaos creatures into the battle. However, Alex knew he had to seize the moment. When he had initially chosen his forces, he hadn't anticipated the need for such a massive isolation barrier. Currently, half of the members from the other teams had been deployed to create and maintain the barrier, leaving their damage output insufficient to defeat the Chaos Lord. As a result, Alex's group needed to annihilate their enemy as quickly as possible, to assist the other two parties in defeating the remaining Chaos Lords.
"Scarlet, Mart, are you ready? Confirm your location once more," Alex asked.
"All ready, Alex. We'll act according to the situation," Scarlet replied.
"... My side is ready too, Leader. Don't worry. We'll be fine. Our clerics are positioned in the rear. If anything were to happen, our men could be resurrected. It's not a big deal," Mart assured.