The wolf was indeed formidable. It twisted its body mid-air, dodging Andrew's internal power attack, and slashed at Andrew's arm as it landed.
A ripping sound was heard, and Andrew grunted as several bloody gashes appeared on his arm. Fortunately, the wound wasn't too severe as the wolf had estimated the threat of his sword and held back.
At that moment, a shout came from a distance—Peter had acted. He grabbed a spear from a nearby soldier and hurled it with great force.
The spear flew like a comet, striking the wolf's back. However, to everyone's surprise, it bounced off with a metallic clink, unable to penetrate the wolf's crystalline hide. Although it withstood the spear attack, the impact caused the wolf to roll over several times, slowing its movements and indicating it had been hurt.
"Ryan, attack!" Andrew shouted, pressing forward with his sword. He swung several times, forcing the wolf to retreat continuously.
The wizard Ryan, hearing the call, raised his hands and swiftly launched several fireballs.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The fireballs flew out, some hitting the ground around the wolf, while three struck the creature directly. The wolf, clearly repulsed by fire magic, let out a howl, its movements becoming more sluggish. Seizing the opportunity, Andrew swung his sword and struck the wolf's tail.
Peter had mentioned earlier that the Stormwind Demon Wolf's weakness was its tail. Andrew had taken it to heart.
Sure enough, after the tail was severed, the wolf howled and collapsed. But then, Andrew noticed a glow emanating from his sword.
In the blink of an eye, not only did the wolf's body disappear in the glow, but the severed tail vanished as well.
Disappear again? What was this trickery?
From a distance, Freyr shouted, "Everyone be careful, it might transform again!"
Andrew's face tensed as he was about to speak...
Suddenly, a deep roar echoed from the sky, sounding like a lion's roar!
The roars grew louder and more numerous, as if a pride of lions was approaching!
Lions? Here on the plains? How could there be so many?
As Andrew listened to the growing roars, a realization dawned on him. His face twisted in horror, and he shouted, "Careful! Everyone, watch out, it's..."
Before he could finish, everyone saw it—a flock of winged creatures swooping down from the sky, blocking out the sun. They had sharp claws, steel-like feathers, and roared like lions.
"Gryphons!! It's a flock of gryphons!!!"
Andrew's face showed utter despair as he remembered the nightmare of facing a gryphon swarm. He had experienced firsthand how terrifying it was.
With so few of them against such a large number of deadly creatures, they were facing almost certain slaughter!
Before Andrew could finish his warning, screams rang out. Two soldiers were already impaled by gryphon claws and flung away.
Amid the chaos, gryphons dove from the sky one after another, tearing through flesh...
Calista's face turned grim. She threw herself on top of Freyr, pushing him to the ground...
### "Hold Your Formation! Don't Panic! Don't Panic!"
Amidst the chaos, Andrew's authoritative voice rang out, bringing some calm to the terrified soldiers. Andrew's armor was damaged, his hair disheveled, and bloodstains marred his body. He grabbed one of his subordinates and forcefully pushed him into position, shouting, "Form up! Protect the master! Retreat in formation! No running!"
From above, gryphons dove down one after another, their piercing cries having a dizzying effect. Several of Russell's men felt their heads buzz and their bodies wobble, unable to even hold onto their swords.
Andrew seized a bow from a fallen archer and swiftly aimed at a descending gryphon. The arrow, charged with internal power, shot out like a streak of light. However, the standard bow couldn't handle the knight's power, and the arrow exploded mid-air, turning into a burst of light. Fortunately, the gryphon was startled, giving Andrew a chance to retreat. He managed to gather a dozen men around him, raising their swords and spears defensively.
More gryphons descended, their sharp claws and beaks causing injuries. Screams echoed as men were snatched up and torn apart mid-air by the vicious creatures. The horrific sight instilled fear in everyone.
Knight Peter's sword was broken in half; he had narrowly escaped a gryphon's attack, but his thigh was bleeding profusely, and he could barely stand. Both Peter and Andrew were not just terrified but utterly shocked. How could such a large number of deadly magical creatures suddenly appear in the empire's southern heartland?
As Andrew shouted, "Protect the master," more of Russell's cavalry gathered around Freyr, forming a protective barrier. The gryphons continued their lethal dives, each attack bringing another death. The ground was soaked with blood, and dismembered bodies lay scattered, many in gruesome conditions. Against these formidable magical creatures, even the dead were left in pieces.
Freyr had narrowly avoided a gryphon's attack, thanks to Calista knocking him to the ground. He heard a loud cry behind him and saw a yellow light flash before his eyes.
"Master, get up, we need to leave immediately," Calista urged, pulling Freyr up and leading him towards a large tree. Around them, more of Russell's guards gathered. Andrew rushed over; despite their fear, Russell's men remained loyal, defending their master without fleeing. Their courage was evident as they grouped together, weapons raised.
"Ryan! Ryan!" Freyr shouted angrily.
"Here," came a response from the ground. Ryan, covered in dirt, struggled to stand. His robe was filthy, and his face smeared with dust. He had dived into the grass at the first gryphon attack.
"What the hell are you doing!" Freyr, furious, grabbed the wizard by the collar. "My men are bleeding! Why aren't you using magic? Now! If you want to live, start attacking!"
Ryan, shaken, nodded quickly and cast several fireballs into the sky. His magical abilities were limited, with basic fireball spells being his only direct attack option. Slowing spells were ineffective against the swarm of gryphons.