"Report! A man is charging towards us!" A soldier hurriedly ran up to General Lei and said.
In response to the soldier's report, General Lei remained silent, for he knew that although he was the nominal commander here, the true power lay with the short, sinister mage beside him—Merlin.
"A single man? What audacity," Merlin sneered. "Soldier, send men to stop him." "Yes, Master Merlin."
...
"Stop him!" The soldiers of Arus lined up to block Will's path.
"Move aside! I don't have time to play with you!" Will shouted, continuing to charge into the Arus camp.
Soon, Will arrived before the Arus soldiers, who stood firm, shields raised and weapons drawn, refusing to let him pass.
"Damned fools! It seems a lesson is the only way you'll make way," Will muttered, halting his advance and sheathing his short sword. He then suddenly surged forward, charging straight into the line of soldiers.
With a clenched fist, he struck.
Empowered by the strength of a giant, the soldiers struck by Will were sent flying as if launched by arrows. Yet, the Arus soldiers did not retreat; they pressed on, as though they were death-bound, relentlessly charging at him.
After several minutes of intense combat, despite his immense strength, Will was still just an ordinary man. His stamina was nearly spent, and his movements grew sluggish. As he focused on attacking the enemy in front of him, three soldiers suddenly leapt from behind, aiming their swords at his back.
Just as their blades were about to pierce his flesh, a few dark figures darted forward, knocking the Arus soldiers to the ground. Will turned to see the Paladins arriving.
Meanwhile, not far off, a shout of "Charge!" rang through the air. Will looked over to see the Paladins swiftly advancing toward the Arus forces.
"Mr. Will, leave this to us. Go, and find the one who killed Sir Leon!" a Paladin called out loudly to Will.
Suppressing his excitement, Will nodded to him. He then sprinted toward the direction of the Arus camp.
...
"My, it seems the Paralar forces aren't quite as weak as they appear," Merlin mused, watching with a smug grin as the two armies clashed in the distance.
"Looks like your plan has failed. We should retreat now, or they'll seize our siege and bombardment weapons," General Lei said gravely.
"No, General Lei," Merlin replied with a sinister smile. "Look, they're so caught up in their battle. Their attention is entirely on each other. Now, imagine how magnificent it would be if a meteor were to fall upon them from the sky," Merlin said, his eyes sparkling with excitement at his reckless scheme.
"No, my forces are over there. I won't let you go through with this," General Lei suddenly unsheathed his sword, pointing it at Merlin.
However, Merlin remained unfazed. He fixed his gaze on the chaotic battle before him, his eyes filled with a lust for destruction.
"General Lei, you should know that you cannot harm me," Merlin said, never once glancing at him.
Sighing, General Lei lowered his sword. He knew Merlin was right—he alone could never defeat the mage. Moreover, the fate of his family and his country rested in Merlin's hands, so he dared not act rashly.
"Fine. Watch carefully now, as I eliminate them all," Merlin said, raising his right hand and pointing it toward the battling armies.
General Lei closed his eyes, knowing full well what was to come. He didn't want to witness his soldiers and the Paralar troops perish in the fiery inferno.
As expected, mere seconds later, a fiery red meteor streaked across the dark sky, heading straight toward the battle below, yet the two armies remained oblivious.
Moments later, the meteor loomed dangerously close, its enormous size poised to obliterate the entire battlefield.
"Hehehe," Merlin chuckled darkly, savoring the moment. He relished the thought of these useless soldiers being crushed under the weight of his impending destruction.
But just as the meteor seemed destined to strike, its trajectory suddenly shifted. It veered off course, racing toward the distant forest.
The meteor crashed into the forest, triggering a massive explosion. In an instant, the entire forest ignited in a blazing inferno, casting a red glow that illuminated the night.
"Damn it! My spell was interfered with! There's a mage among the Paralar forces, and a powerful one at that!" Merlin seethed, grinding his teeth.
Hearing this, General Lei opened his eyes, barely able to contain his excitement. He cast a sidelong glance at Merlin, who was now seething with rage. Lei exhaled in relief, knowing that whoever had disrupted Merlin's spell had just saved his troops from an unnecessary massacre.
"I'll find out who dares to interfere with my magic," Merlin muttered furiously, closing his eyes and beginning to meditate, searching for the source of the magical interference.
"Merlin, you must be at your weakest now," General Lei remarked, watching the mage with a sly grin.
"Don't interrupt me, General Lei, or I may accidentally kill you," Merlin snarled, glaring at the general.
"I've found it—behind the Paralar forces!" Merlin suddenly declared, his eyes snapping open.
With a determined look, Merlin scanned the battlefield. Once he pinpointed the source of the magic, he set off at a rapid pace toward the rear of the Paralar forces.
As Merlin carelessly rushed out of the camp, Will suddenly emerged from behind a tent. Without warning, he delivered a powerful punch to Merlin's abdomen.
Merlin lost his balance and flew backward, crashing into the ground.
"At last, I've found you, Merlin!" Will roared, his fist clenched tightly as his pent-up fury surged, the excitement palpable in his voice.