After the explosion struck the center of the tide of creatures, panic spread among them. They scattered in all directions, fleeing from the encroaching flames. Many were burned; others went mad, running wildly as the fire consumed them.
But this "little fire" was not enough to deter over five thousand creatures.
Rakahn knew this, which was why he had ordered the elves to form groups of seven mages to cast spells simultaneously in all directions, preventing any of the monsters from escaping.
"Fire and wind groups, attack!" Rakahn commanded. "Earth and water groups, conjure walls on the right and left flanks of the clearing!"
Without waiting for a response, the mages sprang into action; there was no time to waste.
Of course, it wasn't just the elven mages doing the work. The other soldiers matched their efforts. With his magic, Rakahn conjured a massive wall over seven meters high, enabling the archer soldiers to dominate the battlefield completely.
Creatures fell one by one beneath their arrows, their cries echoing like a cacophony of unpleasant sounds.
But that wasn't what truly instilled fear.
No, it was the other soldiers equipped with melee weapons, charging fearlessly while the fire spells danced overhead. Led by the three officers—Dahlia, Renald, and Yadha—the legionnaires attacked relentlessly with spears, swords, and a variety of weapons specific to their respective clans, slaughtering everything in their path.
They divided the battlefield into three sections: the right wing, the left wing, and the center, each led by an officer.
The right wing was commanded by Renald, the lycanthrope. This half-wolf man, with his brown hair and large axe infused with his aura, effortlessly cleaved through the monsters that surged toward him. His movements were nearly incomprehensible; the way he wielded his axe was unique to him.
In the center, Dahlia dominated the battlefield. Recently awakened, she wielded her long, heavy halberd, mowing down every creature unfortunate enough to cross her path. The halberd featured two wide, sharp blades; it was so heavy that each vertical strike shattered bones with ease.
Her incredible strength, amplified by her awakening, allowed her to exert more physical force than any other variant monster could hope to rival. Her short, silvery-white hair swayed with her movements, and her striking beauty became marred with the blood of the vile creatures. Yet, this brought her neither pleasure nor pride.
What she felt was disdain.
These vile creatures were wasting her time—precious time that she could have spent with her master. For that, they deserved to die swiftly.
On the right flank, a massacre unfolded. Of all the sections commanded by the officers, this was the one the creatures feared most. A scantily clad woman with brown skin and long black hair tied in a ponytail single-handedly fended off a swarm of creatures with a metal staff, its ends adorned with several menacing spikes.
Yadha had been appointed an officer by Cliff after making a soul pact with him. This bond had amplified her abilities, and after absorbing a mana gem, her essence stone had grown strong enough to rival that of a variant monster, even though she had not yet awakened.
It was said that the Dakhat clan, with their two horns, were descended from variant ogres, commonly referred to as "two-horned ogres." They were physically stronger and possessed two innate abilities: "body strengthening" and "mass control."
Body strengthening enhanced her physical resilience and power, making her muscles far stronger. Mass control allowed her to manipulate weight, lightening or weighing down any body at will. Combined, these abilities made her a formidable opponent for the vile creatures driven by insatiable hunger.
Her movements were not guided by technique or finesse.
They were pure violence.
She cared little that her body was smeared with blood, nor did she mind how the liquid stuck to her skin as she fought.
All that mattered was the number of enemies she could bring down.
She wanted to prove her worth; serving the master was tantamount to serving herself, for he had promised her a chance to participate in the subjugation of the ogre village.
Yadha paused, glancing at the pile of corpses she had already amassed on the left flank. There weren't enough to saturate her constant essence stone, but as she scanned the tide of monsters, she noted that barely half had fallen.
With a growl, she allowed a devilish smile to creep across her face.
"So, it's still not enough!"