On the fourth daesh, we passed the [Third Danger Zone] with ease. The danger zone itself was a vast grassland with lake and jungle. But, the land itself still slowly recovers from barren state to normal state. Also, on there we encountered [Serielim Birds], [Yakalt Wolves] and [Lingel Tigers].
[Serielim Bird] is a demonic bird that often mimics a Mothman or Vampire's appearance when hunting to intimidate their preys. It's often used its voice to confuse its prey or traveler, so they will be lost in the jungle and died from starvation or dehydration. After that, this bird will be preying onto the victim's dead body and they used the victim's bones to build their nest. Normally, this bird hunts at night.
[Yakalt Wolves] are wolves with a flat face. They don't have a snout on their body, which makes their face flat. They have sharp teeth and long ears that allow them to hear from far distance. Their body is white like snow and they can use camouflage to fool their victims or predators. Meanwhile, [Lingel Tigers] are just Tiger with slender body and triangle head. They can run as fast as the wind and can use of both [Wind] and [Lightning] Magic to speed up their body and disable their preys. Those beasts are often found in wide grassland near water source such as lake or river but they aren't a challenge for us because they only have E++ danger threat rank.
As, we reached the [Fourth Danger Zone] on the same daesh, once again we encountered them but we get rid of them easily. I was surprised by the shape of land that more awful. The land also releasing an awful smell that really becomes a hinder and problem to Mammal Demi-Human's nose. Yes, Eleza keeps complaining on the broadcast whenever she can until made Arnold upset with her complaints. I also glimpsed piles of bones and rotten corpses that scattering around the land when Jack pointed out his hand to a dead forest west from us.
"This is [North Wind of Liberation] Party's Leader Zack Elderick von Tavaniris to all party leaders outside of guild's carriage. Shortly after this, we will reach [Fifth Danger Zone] and the weather there is really bad." Zack's words suddenly came into my head, and dispersed my thoughts.
Zack is the [North Wind of Liberation] Party's Leader. He is an Ignish Elf noble from Vulcaniar Kingdom and if I remember correctly, his nobility rank is [Count]. He came to Northlandia to become a warrior by studying in the knight academy, like his family members did. After he graduated and returned home, his father won't accept him unless he creates and leads a big mercenary band or adventurer party to prove himself that he is "strong", "respectable" and has become a full-fledged warrior, or so is what he said to me. For the party that he created, they are the strongest and biggest party in Elven Alliance, with 683 members that spread out through the entire world. I also heard he has Human party members from another kingdom as well. However, I still don't understand why he isn't upgrading his party rank to [Clan], which gives more merits to his party, rather than sticking with only [Party] Rank that only gives you limited freedom and few merits.
"Confirmed, this is [White Falcon] Leader's Ishizaki Haruhisa von Alexandria, how bad is the weather there?"
"It's a rainstorm out there. I can't recommend the Archers except Magic Archers or Arcane Archers to participate in the defense any further."
A rainstorm? Well, that's bad news for Jack and his squad, really. Just imagine you can't fire off your arrow in a rainstorm with strong wind and heavy rain, when you are in danger. But, it also good news for Undine, Tempest, Sylph and Dark Elves because they can recharge their [Natural Mana] without consuming the potions, just count it as blessing from The Maker.
"This is [Easghervel] Party's Leader Naval Helsith von Dervionne on behalf of [Istheris Sunaria], [Holy Reighern] and [CST] Party's Leader to Zack Elderick. Did the guild tell you the information of what monsters is there via [Divination] Magic?"
Oh, another voice came into my head. If I'm not mistaken, this is Naval's voice. He is a noble Undine Elf that came from [The Crescent Moon Land], a fertile and beautiful land near North Africanae. He is the son of Count Dervionne's that studied abroad to Northlandia to deepen his family spearmanship. But after he graduated, he prefers to become an adventurer instead and leaves his position as family heir to his little sister. At the moment, his party is the second strongest adventurer party in Elven Alliance, with 591 members in total.
"Report stated of huge flying monsters, three or five packs of them."
Naval sighed, "Is that so? Then it's bad for the riders."
"It's Wyvern." I said coldly.
"What?! How do you know, Ishizaki-dono?"
"Haven't you met them once in your adventure, Zack-dono? Look, three or five packs, ganging up against horsemen around canyon and they are huge. It's must be a Draconic Family, specifically Wyvern, since Dragon always hunts alone and attacks on an open area without obstacles like desert or grassland."
"You sure know a lot, Alexandria-dono. You also knew the [Fifth Danger Zone] geographical structure, even before we tell you."
"Well, it just my guess, Naval-dono. I have traveled to these canyons with my party members a few times. At every journey, the Wyverns had always been attacked us. The best way to take them down is to aim at their wings, head, eyes or heart that located on middle left of their chest. Oh, do not forget to loot them. Wyverns have high-quality materials and they will fill your pocket with money until it burst out from your pocket."
Wyvern is a small to medium-sized reptile that can fly on the sky. Its wings attached with its arms, so they can't use their hands to attack. It has Mithril-like scale that can deflect any kind of physical attacks, except if you damage their inner body with blunt weapon or magic. Wyverns are also famous for their speed when flying on the sky and battle tactics. They will be ganging up against horsemen, caravans or group of animals then swooping down from the sky and attack them with their claws or [Wind] Elemental Magic. Normally, they live in canyons, cliffs, mountains or land with high grounds and build their nest there. Meanwhile, Wyverns' threat level differs from their species, but the guild ranked them from B — A++ threat rank.
"Bahahaha…! You are damn right! But, [Auto Loot] eh? That magic is quite handy…"
"…and do not forget that Wyvern has Mithril-like scale, Zack-dono. Good luck." I warned him.
"Alright, thanks for information Alexandria-dono. Oh, by the way, I heard a very loud explosive sound from the back. Did your party used high-rank explosive magic?"
"Combination magic to be exact, I didn't know the impact will be that big. Oh, by the way how do you fare against the Giant Centipede and Scorpion Naval-dono? I heard the battle is quite nasty."
"Yes. We encountered them when they fought each other. We get mixed up when the scorpion threw that centipede right in front of us. To eradicate them we used medium-high rank magic and it sure wasted our time."
"Any causalities?" I asked.
"There are some. But thankfully they are only wounded from the debris and impacts. We also need to tend the injured horses and swapped them with our reserves."
"[CST] Party's Leader, Kenzia Rahealis von Frantoire joining in. First thanks you for your information [White Falcon] Party's Leader Ishizaki Haruhisa von Alexandria. Second, we will reach the [Fifth Danger Zone] momentarily. Guild Master has ordered all leaders to go back to their parties and shift our formation."
A woman voice appeared in my head. Well, this is none other than Kenzia, a noble Sylph Elf from Nilveria Kingdom, inside Niklera Great Forest. Frantoire Family has [Count] nobility rank and they are famous for producing high-quality bows, music instrumentals and arrows. She came to Northlandia as the head manager of her branch company there. But she got bored and created an adventurer group with her employees instead. Now, her party has 309 members and with her hard efforts, she succeeds to raises her party to the third seat of the strongest party in Elven Alliance.
"Ishizaki-dono, Helsith-dono and Rahealis-dono, best regards to all you." Then, Zack cut the [Broadcast] Channel, followed by Naval and Kenzia.
I move fast after acquiring and confirming the threats in front of us with other party's leaders by sharing the information that I got to other party members. Of course, they were surprised very much, not from the materials that we will get from the enemies or the enemies themselves, but the condition and location of the battlefield itself. We will be entering [Fifth Danger Zone] soon, with narrow roads that surrounded with canyon and there would be a rainstorm there. If I can predict correctly, we will have nine problems on there.
Firstly, we can't rely on Jack again, and I must say with heavy feeling that he and his squad must retreat to the carriages. Secondly, we can't maneuver or speed up too much because there is a long and giant chasm on our left and right side. Third, our vision is limited. If I remember the information Zack told me before, our visibility will be three KMe only or lower if the rain becomes heavier. Fourth, we bring many carriages with us, so we can't just focus and protecting on one spot. Fifth, other than carriages, we also must focus on our horsemen and their safety. I also need to reduce the numbers of horsemen. Sixth, we only about that our enemies will be Wyverns, according to the Diviners. We still don't know another enemy other than Wyverns. Seventh, our enemies can fly and swoop down with high speed, which will become a nightmare for us. Eighth, our party members' power balance on each of the carriage isn't same. There are few party members who can't use high-ranked magic or skills against Wyverns in our party. Ninth, we don't have stable footstep, which will become a hinder for our ranged units.
"Shit, we can't fight them while riding. They will hunt us one by one like a mouse if we are on a horse."
"I agree with Abel's. Aerial foes have much more advantage than ground troops. They have much more speed and maneuverability in the sky. We can't outrun them or outmaneuver them. I suggest breaking our carriage's formation and forming an anti-air formation. While at it, we need to store our horses too."
Jack looked at me, "So, Leader, what's your order?"
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes a while. Then, I ordered Jack, and his squad to retreat, followed by Julio and his squad. The Rangers and Paladins don't have any use right now. It's better for them to protect the carriages instead. It also means we can maneuver a bit if we don't have many horsemen with us.
"ALL UNIT, WE WILL NOT STOP. CHANGE OUR RIDING FORMATION. ARCHERS STAY ON TOP OR AROUND OF YOUR CARRIAGES! ROGUES AND WARRIORS MAKE A TWO-LINE FORMATION AND AGGRO THE ENEMIES. MAGES, ENCHANT THE ARCHERS, THE HORSES AND YOURSELF. YOU MAY ATTACK THEM WITH YOUR MEDIUM-HIGH OR HIGH-RANKED MAGIC. WARLOCKS, YOU ARE FREE TO ATTACK, BUT DO NOT ATTACK WITH SPELLS THAT HAVE HIGH AGGRO!"
"ARCHERS AND MAGES AIM FOR THEIR WINGS, ARCANE ARCHERS AIM FOR THE CHEST AS FOR MAGIC ARCHERS SHOOT THEIR HEAD OR USE YOUR POWER HOMING RAPID SHOT EVERY ONE GOT THAT?"
"YES SIR!" Maria and Elizabeth shouted.
"KNIGHTS, KEEP THE AGGRO ON ROGUES OR WARRIORS PERIODICALLY, SYNCHRONIZE YOUR COOLDOWN SO IT WILL NOT OVERLAPPED WITH EACH OTHER. DO NOT USE THE [TAUNT] SKILLS IN THE SAME TIME! ARCANE WARRIORS, USE YOUR ENCHANTED JAVELINS OR SPEARS. BATTLEMAGES MATCH YOUR TARGET WITH ARCANE ARCHERS AND MAGIC ARCHERS. WARLOCKS AND SORCERERS HEAR ME! PRIORITIZE PIERCING [WIND] ELEMENTAL MAGIC OR [LIGHTNING] ELEMENTAL MAGIC. USE HOMING AND FAST MAGIC SPELLS. WITCHES USE YOUR [WITCH ARTS] TO WEAKEN THE TARGET. WIZARD WILL TAKE SEMI-SUPPORT ROLE."
I took a deep breath again, "THERE WILL BE STORM AHEAD. HEAR ME EVERYONE! USE SKILLS OR SPELLS THAT MAY HELP YOU. FOR THE HORSEMEN, DON'T FORGET TO USE [STABLE RIDING] SKILL OR SPELL!"
"YES SIR!" Everyone shouted with high-spirited voice. Thank The Maker…it put my heart at ease.
Mikazuchi is counting down our arrival as we move closer, "Entering [Fifth Danger Zone] in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0…We are entering [New Zone]. Commence the operation, and wait for further instructions. We Enchanters will take Sub-Commands from Main Leader. Please keep focus everyone."
As we arrived, we are welcomed by a very heavy rain and strong wind. Zack was right. It's stormy here. I changed my equipment to a [Rogue Set] as well as other Rogues in my party members. The Warriors and Rogues have followed my order and shift to square formation. The Knights and Rangers are ready and now they are standing on top of carriage with the Mages. Meanwhile, The Mages have balanced the lack of firepower on each of the carriage by divide their squad members equally. Now, I need to focus what lies ahead.
We kept riding on our horse until we arrived at the canyon. We are welcomed by flocks of demonic Harpies. These guys aren't Harpy Demi-Human Familia who has cheerful attitude that you can easily meet near human settlements, but they only want to rape you, kill you, and eat your body, similar to those stupid Goblin, Gremlin, Ogre and Orc. This demonic Harpy has D — C threat rank and they usually hunt in flocks. The most annoying thing about them is their voice, since it can manipulate your mind if you aren't well prepared enough. But since Jack and his squad aren't horse riding again, they can get rid of these noisy birds easily. Although, they need a little help of trajectory manipulation spell to protect their arrows from wind and water.
Shortly after we started engaging them, the packs of Wyvern appeared. Unlike the Harpies who must use their magic to stabilize their flight, the Wyverns won't flinching or they literally do not need to use anything in this storm since they have tougher and bigger body. Maybe, this strong wind only is nothing for them.
"Shit, we are still dealing with Harpies and now the Wyverns have come?!" Toval mumbling to himself while casting sparks of [Lightning] Magic, followed by magic arrows explosion on the Wyverns. Well, I think they just chasing after the Harpies, aren't they?
"MAGIC ARCHERS, ARCANE ARCHERS, ACTIVATE YOUR [PRECISION TARGETING] AND [VITAL SHOT] SKILL TO TAKE THEM DOWN. RANGERS, HANDLE THE HARPIES!"
"ALCHEMISTS, WIZARDS, WITCHES IN SUPPORT TEAM, DIVERT THEIR GAZE FROM US! LASTLY, ALL UNIT, ACTIVATE [MAGIC RESISTANCE] AND [MENTAL DEBUFF IMMUNITY] AND [PHYSICAL DEBUFF IMMUNITY]! CAST IT TO THE HORSES TOO!" I gave them a new order and nearly avoided Harpies and Wyverns dead body as it fell near me. I immediately store them in my storage.
"BE CAREFUL! AVOID THE DEAD BODIES! DON'T LET THE CARRIAGES HIT IT! USE THE CONFUSION AMONG ENEMY RANK TO WIPE THEM OUT!"
They reply enthusiastically as they move to finish off the enemies. Then, I channeled my mana to the javelin in my hand and threw it at the Harpies. But suddenly a Wyvern emerged from below the chasm and flies directly to me. I immediately threw another javelin and it hit the Wyvern's right eye, making it howl in agony. But after that, it went berserk and opened its mouth wide to swallow me. Moreover, it renews its charge at me with even higher speed than before. I avoided the Wyvern by a hairbreadth but doing so forced me to dismount from Nida and stored him in my storage and then clinging to the first carriage side. In this position, I will be done for if the Wyvern attacked again or if I lost my grip from the shaking. Just a few seckina after I think about that, the carriage turned to the right sharply and my hand slipped from the railing of the carriage.
Everyone on the first carriage screamed really loud when they saw me fell to the chasm. Fortunately, I landed on the Wyvern's head that attacked me before but it realized there is something on its head. It tries to shake me off by trashing around and flies faster than before then I passed Zack's caravan. When our eyes met in a mere sec, he saw me with a very surprised face and I just waved my hand to him asking for help but it seems that he doesn't understand what I meant. Ah, what a shame...
I got thrown away from the Wyvern's head and entered freefall for some time before I managed to break my fall on a small rock tower using a mana burst. I quickly activated my [Anti-Gravity] Magic then I'm running and jumping between the rock towers while the Wyvern is chasing me the whole time.
When I run across the wall connecting between towers, I passed the Guild Master caravan below me. He was dumbfounded when saw me passing by. The Wyvern flies directly to me head on while screeching loudly and open its mouth.
I used this chance to jump over it and ride it again. I used teleport to teleport both the Wyvern and myself near my party caravan. My party members were very surprised seeing me appeared from out of nowhere with a Wyvern in tow. Then, I jumped off from the Wyvern and they quickly shot it down with their arrows. That was the craziest moment in my life. It was almost gave me a heart attack.