In contrast, taking the initiative while the situation was still under control was undoubtedly a wiser move. If they could capture one or two key figures, it might be possible to extract information from them.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master Anluoke." Priest Aaron pondered carefully for a moment, then respectfully bowed.
"Everything is the Lord's instruction." Anluoke replied effortlessly. Suddenly, as if he sensed something, several brilliant light arrows appeared in the void without any visible movement, pinning four gray crows that were about to take off to the trees in an instant.
Three seconds later, a dazzling fireball shot out from the manor not far away, the explosion illuminating the sky brightly.
Anluoke raised his head, and his vision, enhanced by Divine Arts, pierced through hundreds of meters. Through the open window on the third floor, he saw Lynn and others looking out.
Brown hair, medium build, handsome features...
That was the wizard named Carl who killed Blaine!
"Everyone, advance at full speed!" Anluoke commanded without hesitation.
Since they had been discovered, there was no longer any need to hide. The originally slow-moving guards immediately broke into a run, the clinking of their armor creating a continuous roar, like waves converging towards the central fortress from all directions...
After seven years, the manor gates were violently breached again. Guards, holding swords and shields, formed teams of ten and methodically surrounded the entire castle.
Aaron led the charge, directing several squads toward the direction where Lynn and the others had been previously.
Traversing a long, wide corridor, the front-row guards had just entered the foyer when they retreated in terror.
Unfortunately, they were still a step too slow. Several blazing fireballs fell among them like meteors.
Then came a series of violent explosions. The fireballs expanded rapidly and exploded, transforming the previously orderly formation into a chaotic sea of people.
"Ah—"
Amidst the harrowing screams, blood spattered everywhere, bodies were flung about, and the thick smell of blood filled the air.
Even though the participants in this ambush were elite troops selected from the Nordland Territory's army, each fully armed, they were instantly thrown into disarray when faced with powerful witchcraft.
"Everyone fall back, form up, crossbows ready!" Aaron, the only one remaining calm, raised his staff and shouted loudly.
"Do not panic, "Aila" is with us!"
The chaotic groups immediately calmed down and regained order. Everyone's eyes glowed with a white light, as the emotion of fear gradually dissipated and a mysterious courage filled their minds.
This was the first circle Divine Art—"Fear Removal"!
Under Aaron's command, shield-bearing guards held their sturdy shields horizontally in front, advancing in large strides. Behind them, guards uniformly took out their crossbows.
Long-range volleys had always been the unfailing method to deal with Wizard Apprentices!
The turtle-shell-like shield formation greatly reduced the power of ordinary witchcraft. "Magic Missiles" couldn't penetrate the defense, and even powerful Fireball Techniques couldn't achieve a good effect.
The dense rain of arrows forced the Wizard Apprentices to retreat repeatedly, making them hide behind the walls to avoid them. The slowest to react, Barton, was hit by a crossbow arrow in the back and fell to the ground in a sorry state.
"Barton—!" Buck anxiously called out his brother's name, rushing forward to help Barton up.
Seizing the opportunity, Aaron ordered again, and dozens of crossbows aimed at the two brothers. As the triggers were pulled, a dense barrage of arrows poured down like a meteor shower.
The higher circle magic—"Frost Curtain"
Johnny didn't hesitate to step in front of the two brothers, raising his hand. A transparent water curtain appeared in the void before him, quickly solidifying into an icy crystal wall.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
A series of dense impacts followed, and the icy fragments scattered on the ground. In just two seconds, the continuous rain of arrows pierced through the "Frost Curtain," with three arrows shooting straight toward Johnny!
Having just used "Mage Hand" for a hypercast, Johnny had no time to create a second Frost Curtain, and behind him were Buck and Barton...
"I can't dodge!"
Johnny bit his lip, forcing himself to stop the evasive action, gripping his sword hilt without confidence in blocking all the arrows aimed at him.
At that moment, three Magic Missiles flew from the side, accurately knocking down the arrows.
Johnny was startled for a moment, unable to feel the joy of surviving the ordeal. Then he saw seven more "Magic Missiles" flying past, curiously tracing arcs instead of straight lines, easily bypassing the shield wall and directly targeting the crossbowmen behind it.
The brief confusion caused the continuous rain of arrows to pause momentarily. Johnny, Buck, and Barton took the opportunity to hide behind a low wall, looking in surprise at Lynn and Bai Ge standing nearby. The thought jumped into their minds.
When did Bai Ge become so powerful?
But they quickly realized that it wasn't Bai Ge who acted, because the next moment, twelve "Magic Missiles" condensed in the void, floating beside Lynn.
"Magic—Barrage"!
With a single thought, Lynn sent dozens of missiles crashing into the guards.
Witnessing this bizarre magic, Aaron hastily commanded the shield-bearing guards to gather together, stacking their shields layer upon layer, leaving no gaps, forming a half-ring to protect the crossbowmen.
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, these dozens of missiles all bypassed the stacked shield wall and flew further back.
Did they miss?
Aaron thought to himself, but quickly dismissed the possibility. If only one or two "Magic Missiles" missed, it was possible. If all deviated, it meant the opponent's target was not here from the beginning!
Aaron turned his head sharply. Twelve missiles struck a mottled pillar at the same time, and amidst the smoke and dust, the seven-meter-high pillar fell straight down.
"Disperse, everyone disperse!" Aaron shouted hoarsely, raising his staff high and casting the only protective Divine Art he knew—Holy Shield!
But clearly, this was a futile effort. The white shield had just formed when it was instantly shattered by the massive pillar. Over a dozen shield-bearers and crossbowmen, unable to escape, were buried under the pillar.
When Aaron turned back, Lynn and the others were already gone.
After hesitating for a while and looking at the soldiers trapped under the pillar, bloody and crying for help, Aaron gritted his teeth and said.
"Leave half the men to rescue them! The rest, follow me!"
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