"Magical formations."
"Some of the strongest yet brittle formations in the world."
"Stopped by the simplest of methods."
"Yet their strength is so strong that even now kingdoms and empires still practice some even if limited."
"Their age, however, has passed."
"For the age of martial prowess has come."
Reginald Coulan, creator and head of House Aurellion in Dynasties Online.
....
While heading towards their target Lucius had some questions for Leon, as Reginald playing Lucius had experienced and found out quite a lot about Dynasties Online during the in-game day that he had played despite less than 2 hours in real-life passing due to the 12/1 ratio of in-game time passage compared to the passage of time in real life.
"Leon, what is that Projectile Protection Array that the knights did earlier? Is it some magical formation?"
Lucius asked in a quiet voice as if worried that the rest of the army would hear his question.
"My lord, are you sure you did not hit your head when you fell off your horse? All knights and generals of our armies know what it is! It is even an essential course in the military academy! Even though you did not go to the military academy to become a general using your years of experience and intelligence to attain the position, you have to know this sort of information to get any command position in the Chavarian military in the first place."
"First talk of this baseball or whatever you called it, and now no knowing something as common as this, are you sure you're, ok my lord?"
"Yep, I'm fine. It's just that I've forgotten a few things. Do you think that you could fill me in on these formations? Also, ensure this does not leak to the soldiers! We don't need them questioning the chain of command!"
"Of course, my lord. What is it that you wish to know."
"How are these magical formations formed, and what is their history?"
"These formations are made by many people bringing their mana together to form a powerful magical spell. This can be a one-way shield like in our case, where many small magic shields come together to create a powerful magic shield which protects us from most ranged attacks though there are limitations."
"Those being?"
Lucius asked, intrigued more and more about this as mastering the use of these formations could be the difference between victory and defeat as the Chavarians would have taken far more casualties from the ambush that had just happened if the knights were not so quick to get in formation and cast the magic shield and even turned the tide of the battle in their favour.
"First is artillery like balisters, catapults and trebuchets, which have strong physical or piercing power can break the formation and second would be a powerful magician, who, using a powerful spell, could break the shield. This also includes things like a strong offensive magical formation which may have the ability to break through ours."
"Since ancient times, these formations have been used to create countries and empires. It is rumoured by our merchants lucky enough to trade with the northern part of the world that one of the empires there has a culture and lifespan as long as an oak tree and was built upon formations such as these."
"But now countries only have 1 or 2 formations like these, and only their most elite soldiers like our Chavarian knights are taught these anymore due to the large amount of training, talent and resources that it requires for one of these formations to manifest."
Leon said, sighing slightly.
"Why? We have seen just how effectively they can turn the tide of battle!"
"Because of the rise of anti-magic crystals."
"Anti-magic crystals?"
"Yes, anti-magic crystals are very common in this world as many rocks and minerals in this world are exposed to mana, especially in places like forests and places near the elven kingdoms, as elves are the most magically gifted race in the world mana-resistant plants and minerals are much more prevalent there when combined with magic these magic resistant crystals and minerals can be used to drain mana from large areas like battlefields."
"As soon as everyone realised the importance of magical formations for battle, the less magically gifted races, like the Gnomes, worked with orcs and others to find materials or a way of stopping magical formations which gave more magically gifted races an advantage in war."
"Eventually, they found anti-magic crystals, which, when activated with a small amount of mana, absorb and prevent any magic spells from materialising, so magical formations are very rarely used in wars these days as everyone has anti-magic crystals, so more physical ways of fighting, like swordsmanship, archery and martial arts became more important as these cannot be stopped by anti-magic crystals."
"This is also why when we were skirmishing with the enemy this afternoon that we could not use magic. However, normally, when there is no battle, the anti-magic crystals are deactivated, for it allows for magical healing, which is far more effective than non-magical healing, as I am sure you have found out, my lord when that orc captain injured you."
"This is why we can use our magic now but won't be able to on the main battlefield."
'Bloody system not giving me a manual or at least have some sort of tutorial; just how many little traps have you set up for players to fall in.'
As he thought this, a system notification came up telling him that he had a message from the system, which he went and read.
"Please do not curse the system as you did not ask the system for that information, so why would I give it to you? Also, before you entered the game, I made it clear that it is like a second world. It's not my fault if you do not treat it as such!"
'You mean I could have asked you, and you would have told me?'
Reginald asked the system in his mind, his once calm emotions raging like a stormy night at sea.
"Yep, as this is information that your character would know, all you need to do is ask me, and I will give you what your in-game character knows about the world, though, as it is 30 years' worth of knowledge and experience in this world, I do not recommend just asking me to give it for you all to read as it would take weeks if not a month to read."
The system warned coldly before going back about its business managing the millions of players who are also going through the Dynasty History System.
….
As Lucius and the Chavarian raiding party were getting closer and closer to their target in the darkness around them, silent cries of death were lost in the wind and rain as the scouts of the Chavarian and Plurian armies clashed.
Archtorius dismounted from his horse, seeing a singular crushed brown decaying leaf being the only evidence that anyone had ever come this way as he looked suspiciously around for any other indication of the whereabouts of the Plurian crossbows who had ambushed them previously. A few sparse trees grow on the steppe leading to a few leaves being scattered across the steppe and providing a small amount of wood for the inhabitants of the steppe. However, the Chavarians cut down many in the area for their camp and to deny these resources from being used by their enemies.
For the past 5 minutes, the young man had been searching unsuccessfully for any sign of the Plurian ambush force getting increasingly worried and suspicious by the minute as a sense of unease filled the man, his well-trained senses finally picking up something. A few rotten brown crushed leaves show the passing of a force of about 8,000, which seemed to be about the size of the force which he had been searching for.
Getting off his horse, the Raven helmeted man looked around, not surprised anymore at the incredible skill that the Plurians seemed to have in covering their tracks which, with the rain washing away signs of passage, significantly increased the difficulty of the task.
'I'm facing a professional!'
Archtorius thought to himself, becoming increasingly cautious as he closed his eyes, listening to the cries of the crows and other birds as the rain beat down on his metal armour, the clear drops falling off it to the saturated ground. Then he heard something which he had been searching for.
Horse hooves!
The Thundering sound of horse hooves came from their northeast. In the saturated muddy ground, Archtorius could feel the faint vibrations of the incoming enemy through the ground as they slowly got closer.
'Finally found them!'
Archtorius, initially puzzled by the direction of the incoming horse, hooves quickly came to his senses and began walking towards his horse as he called out to his lightly armoured scouts.
"Watch out, enemies incoming from the northeast!"
He alerted his men, quickly running back to mount his horse and grabbed the shining runed bow in his saddle bag, which pulsed with magical power; however, when the familiar wood touched the young man's pristine and well-cared-for hands, the magical power disappeared suddenly as if sucked out, the magical power being forcefully suppressed.
'So they have finally decided to activate the anti-magic crystals this will make our life harder.'
The young man thought as the hair of his neck rose as his sense of danger blared out in alarm and, by pure body-infused instinct, narrowly dodged a steel arrow which gleamed slightly as it passed him and gazed through the dark night in search of his black-clad assailants.
Around him, Archtorius could hear the grunts of deaths and thumps of bodies falling into the muddy ground, white feathered arrows filling their chests, the scout's dark blue armour hiding the corpses which fell to the ground though for the sensitive Archtorius each cry was like a shout pounding into his eardrums. Though his men quickly fought back, their vice general's cry of warning led to them being alert. Some dodged the incoming arrows and used the trajectory and sound of horse hooves to retaliate, leading to casualties on both sides.
Like a night-visioned sniper, Archtorius fired his ornate bow with his eyes locked shut, using his hearing and other senses, which he had meticulously trained for situations like these, to guide his arrows. Each of which would find its mark downing Plurian scout after Plurian scout his great skill and accuracy in the bow, even when ambushed and surrounded by darkness, surprising even Allvar, who had just fired an arrow into a Chavarian scout's neck, the blood being washed away in the rainy night.
Seeing the skilled bowmen cutting down his men like wheat, the Archtorius' bow acting like a scythe as it reaped life after life, each with a well-placed shot in the heart, chest or neck, Allvar moved slowly towards the man, silently drawing his own curved bow and fired on the unsuspecting vice general activating two skills his eagle eyes looked on Archtorius like he was prey waiting to be slaughtered.
As the bow imbued with power Allvar's arms strained, shaking slightly as he released the shot.
[Snipeing Shot skill activated]
[Silent Shot skill activated]
The arrow travelled like a bolt of lightning streaking through the air silently as a loud thunk resounded through the battlefield, and as the arrow hit Archtorius, light chainmail punching through it like it was a sheet of paper and embedding itself into the young man's chest as he felt a trickle of warm blood flow from the arrow which had now pierced his flesh.
Archtorius let out a small grunt of pain as he brought his horse to a stop, staggered by the blow to his chest as he tightly clutched the dark blue reins of his horse to stabilise himself as he looked for the man who shot him. A sense of fear washed over him as the arrow silently hit him, and all that he could see was a shadowy mounted figure preparing to pick another steel-tipped arrow from his quiver to finish the job started with his first arrow.
"Young master!"
"Protect the young master!
Shouts rang out from the Chavarian scouts as most of these men were sworn to Archtorius' house and were sent by the young man's father to protect his heir if he found himself in danger. Quickly horsebacked riders gathered around with shields to protect their injured young master.
The loudest and most worried shout came from a wrinkled white-haired man in his mid-fifties, a loyal retainer of House Shadowspire who had accompanied Archtorius' father to many battles. Unknown to most in the army, he was a doughty fighter and a veteran of a hundred battles. His hate-filled gaze landed on the shadowy figure who had injured his young master, whom the older man saw as a nephew whom he had seen grow from a little baby to a talented young man leading men in war.
It was like the grim reaper was hidden in the night, ready to reap his soul, but the fires in Archtorius' eyes refused to go out even as he spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground, a small trickle of blood rolling down his bloody lips to his chin before being washed away by the rain, much to the worry of those around him.
Archtorius was unmoved by the pain coursing through his body, his hands roughened by holding the wooden bow used up what little remained of his arm strength to nock a final arrow to his bow, releasing his own skill-imbued arrow at the figure, roaring defiantly as the arrow shot forward at the speed of sound and crashed into a shield the sound of metal cracking the wooden shield before it shattered like broken glass in the hands of Captain Allvar the shrapnel scraped across the man's armour and gauntlets the steel links of chainmail which covered his body protecting him as a few scraped across his neck to draw blood.
[Power Shot skill activated]
[Piercing Shot skill activated]
The arrow bounced off the shield before it shattered, clattering harmlessly to the ground as Allvars eyes widened in surprise at the power of the shot before turning and ordering a retreat making his way back to the Plurian forces.
'Such a talented youngster to be able to make a shot at such a young age, he will become a big threat in the future. It's a shame he has that old man by his side, or I would have finished him.'
'We shouldn't push a lion too far, or you may be bitten. I really didn't expect that young man to have a master by his side. To think he would be able to bring out the power of master archer, three potential masters, and most likely at least one back at their damnable camp too. These Chavarians are truly blessed with a lot of talent shame that young man is still too green.'
Allvar sighed in his heart locked in thought as he briefly looked at the old man before quickly riding at full speed to tell Alden of his discovery.
"Captain, why did we not try to finish off that raven-helmeted man? He seemed to be their leader, and that last shot which shattered your shield was no joke."
A Plurian scout asked his captain curiously as he retreated at the captain's order.
"Did you notice that old man?"
"Yes, captain, I saw. Isn't he a bit old to be on the battlefield?"
"Don't underestimate him from my observation; he is a strong warrior but was suppressing his strength to stay hidden. Honestly, if I did not threaten that young man's life so much that he needed to appear, we would still be in the dark about the true strength of the Chavarian army."
Allvar said as he suddenly felt cold at the prospect of a master like that being so free and only restricted by a duty to protect.
After releasing the arrow, Archtorius fell unconscious, his strength failing him as his body thudded on the ground. The old retainer quickly dismounted from his horse before hoisting his unconscious young master onto it and, with the remaining Chavarian scouts, rode back towards the raiding force putting the safety of his young master before revenge.
'I swear I will kill the bastard who did this!'
The old man cursed, ruffling his hands affectionately through the wet matted hair of his young master who lay over his horse and promising cruel revenge on the man who did this.
'Don't worry young master while this old man is alive you will always have a protector by your side.'