Unfortunately for the hive, Overlord had anticipated this move. Before the aerial drones could ascend more than a few meters above the battlefield, the soldiers at the back of the formation—who had remained still until now—sprang into action.
They hadn't been idle out of fear or hesitation; they had been charging their attacks. In the next instant, they unleashed a barrage that covered the sky above the battlefield. Spells of all kinds streaked upward, tearing through the aerial drones and blasting them to pieces.
A sharp glint appeared in the drones' eyes as they recognized the threat. They saw the archers and mages poised and ready, waiting to shoot down anything that took to the air. Rising skyward would only make them easy targets; before they could maneuver or gain sufficient altitude, they would be plucked from the sky. Realizing this, the hive immediately redirected their efforts to the melee clash on the ground, intensifying the pressure on the soldiers.
