Chapter 219: The Thousand-Eyed Demon Vine
Leon didn't bother arguing with Soth; he simply shook his head. "Let's wait a bit longer."
"Wait even longer...?" At first, Soth didn't quite understand, but before he could finish his sentence, everything suddenly became clear to him.
Because, as Soth was speaking, another cloud of dust rose beneath the red haze...
"My gods..." Soth drew a sharp breath. The dust storm that rose this time was overwhelming—ten times greater than the commotion caused by those twenty-odd Thunder Elephants before!
"Just how many magical beasts are there?"
"I’d guess there are several hundred..."
"I'll go organize the men." Seth’s expression darkened as well. As the leader of the Silvermoon Mercenary Company, Seth was a battle-hardened veteran. One look at the scale of this beast tide, and he knew that only if all nine major factions sent their main forces could they hope to wipe it out...
"Wait, Captain Seth..." Leon lowered his head in thought for a moment, then called out to stop Seth. "I think we should focus on defense here at the camp and avoid direct confrontation with the beasts as much as possible."
"No, if we do that, the number of magical beasts will only grow..." Seth shook his head reflexively, but then seemed to remember something. "Leon, did you discover something?"
"It's not that I've discovered anything concrete. I just have a feeling that Four Seasons Gorge isn't exactly welcoming us..." Leon spoke as he carefully sensed the changes in the surrounding mana. With more and more magical beasts gathering, Leon could distinctly feel that a strange power was permeating the gorge...
"Four Seasons Gorge isn't welcoming us? What do you mean by that?"
"It's hard to say for sure right now. Here's what I suggest, Captain Seth: none of us here at the camp can do much anyway, so why not have a few people come with me to investigate? Maybe we can figure out why these magical beasts are suddenly in such an uproar."
"Alright." This time, Seth didn't ask anything further—he simply nodded his agreement. Seth knew very well that this young Archmage never acted without confidence. If Leon said he wanted to take people to investigate, even if he didn't know the reason for the beast riot, he surely had some clues.
"Archmage Merlin, let me go with you!" Soth volunteered eagerly.
"Chief Soth, you've run Venomfog Gorge for years—you've got plenty of experience with defense. You should stay here and assist Captain Seth. Salomon, Bardrack, will you come with me?" Soth’s individual strength is still a bit lacking, so Leon called for Salomon and Bardrack—one a ninth-level mage, the other a ninth-rank sharpshooter. With the three of them together, Leon was confident they could handle the beast tide and retreat safely if needed.
"Alright."
"No problem."
Once the two agreed, Leon called for Hubert as well. The four of them left the camp, following a river that cut through Four Seasons Gorge, making their way around to the rear of the beast tide...
"Leon, did you already figure something out?" Salomon wasn’t nearly as polite as the others; as soon as they left the camp, he asked Leon directly.
"Actually, I did notice something..." Leon thought for a moment before continuing, "Have you noticed how the mana in Four Seasons Gorge is a bit too abundant?"
"Yeah, I did get that feeling. But what's the problem with abundant mana?"
"I'm saying it's overly abundant. Normal mana abundance doesn't feel like this. Haven't you sensed that the mana in Four Seasons Gorge is so intense that it rushes toward you even if you don't meditate? It's almost forceful..."
"So what's wrong with that?" Salomon still didn't quite understand.
...Leon could only roll his eyes in exasperation.
Leon had been to places rich in mana before. That camp on the Bone Plane, with the help of the Black Death Rune, gathered endless Soul Fire, nearly liquefying the mana there. But even then, every breath was filled with magical energy—it never felt like now, with mana surging toward you so fiercely you couldn't block it if you tried.
"Also, did you notice that Shadow Wolf earlier...?"
"What about the Shadow Wolf?"
"Its eyes weren't a normal color—they were so red it looked like they could bleed. That's a clear sign of some kind of frenzy. And did you notice how strong its life force was? Even after it died, it was far more powerful than a living Shadow Wolf..."
"I still don't get it..."
"Alright, I'll just say it straight—I'm starting to suspect that Four Seasons Gorge is being influenced by some mysterious force. This power is controlling everything here: the mana, the Shadow Wolves, and the beast tide..."
"So you're suggesting we look for the source of that power?"
"Exactly. If we don't find the source, the beast tide won't stop. Right now, it's just twenty Thunder Elephants, thousands of Fire Ravens, and hundreds of other magical beasts. If we go all out, we could wipe them out—but then what? What if another wave comes, even bigger? Say, double the Thunder Elephants, tens of thousands of Fire Ravens... If we can't find the source, we might as well pack up and head back to Thousand Sails City."
"Do you have any idea where the source might be...?"
"If my guess is right, it should be behind the beast tide."
"Guess?" Salomon sounded uneasy.
"Of course it's just a guess..."
"Then why not guess somewhere else?"
"Salomon, do you know how to ride a horse?"
"Obviously!"
Leon gave Salomon a strange look. "So, when you ride a horse, where do you use the whip?"
"Of course—" Salomon began to answer instinctively, then suddenly stopped. He stared at Leon for a long moment before his face lit up with realization. "You mean that force... that force is driving the magical beasts?"
"I never said that. It's just a guess..."
...
The four of them carefully skirted the main force of the beast tide, sneaking in from the rear. As they brushed past the tide, even Leon felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead—it was terrifying. Overhead, Fire Ravens blotted out the sky, their heat radiating so fiercely it felt as if the heavens themselves were burning. The ground beneath their feet was scorched and soft, and hundreds of magical beasts surged together like a raging river, flowing toward the camp...
"I wonder if Seth can hold out..." Even Salomon was starting to worry now.
"It should be fine for now, but..."
Leon shook his head and didn't elaborate, but both Salomon and Bardrack understood what the young Archmage meant: if another wave of magical beasts erupted after this, not even the combined forces of Thousand Sails City could withstand it.
While they spoke, the four had already entered a patch of forest. Salomon gave a timely warning: "Everyone, be careful. The plants here are—"
"Help!" Salomon hadn’t even finished his sentence when a cry rang out behind them. The three spun around in shock to see a vine as thick as an arm, tightly coiled around the Dragonblood Orc, dragging him desperately toward the depths of the forest...
Without hesitation, Leon fired off two Wind Blades. With two sharp whooshes, the blades crossed midair and sliced the vine as thick as an arm clean through. Hubert, who had been struggling wildly, tumbled to the ground with a thud...
"Damn it, where did that cursed vine come from..." The Dragonblood Orc scrambled up, wiping cold sweat from his brow and cursing nonstop.
"Shut up and be careful..."
Unfortunately, Leon had barely finished his warning when a rustling swept through the area. Suddenly, several dark shapes shot out—like giant pythons slithering from the undergrowth—and in an instant, they had wrapped around the Dragonblood Orc again.
"Help! Master, help!" This time, it was four vines, each as thick as a thigh. As they coiled around Hubert, their sharp thorns instantly pierced his body. Blood streamed down the spikes, and Hubert's dark red face twisted in agony.
"I told you to be careful!" Leon snapped, casting an acceleration spell. He shot forward like an arrow, chasing after the four retreating vines. All the while, he chanted—Slow, Wither, Weakness—hurling a series of negative spells at the vines...
"Merlin, watch out—that's a Thousand-Eyed Demon Vine!" Salomon shouted, casting two Ice Walls to block its retreat.
But the Ice Walls were far too fragile for the Thousand-Eyed Demon Vine. Almost as soon as Salomon conjured them, a vine as thick as a thigh burst from the undergrowth. With a thunderous crash, it punched through both walls, then whipped fiercely, shattering the supposedly impenetrable barriers with a single blow...
At the same time, the four vines holding the Dragonblood Orc recoiled and vanished into the dense forest...