Chapter 120 Chapter 120-Countermeasure
Feeling that terrifying pressure, Howard couldn't help but adopt a solemn expression.
Clearly, Athena's control over the convoy stemmed not just from her intellect and status, but also from her formidable strength!
Even the usually calm Wales twitched at the corner of his mouth, whispering, "This girl's strength is not inferior to mentor Daniel's. She's second only to the Academy Head and Rick Suleiman among the people I've encountered."
Hearing this, Howard was immediately taken aback.
The levels of Rick Suleiman and the Holy Abyss Academy's head surpassed LV90, ranking them among the top entities in the entire Alliance.
Athena being only slightly weaker than them, didn't that mean she was also a powerhouse around LV90?
"It looks like this escort mission won't end in failure."
Wales revealed a smile. "This is good. With such a powerhouse with us, our safety is assured. As long as we can find a suitable route, we should be able to complete the mission with ease."
Howard did not respond to Wales, his gaze fixed intently on the battlefield.
As the phoenix, formed from flames, descended and made contact with the men in black, the fire infiltrated their bodies like venomous snakes.
"Ah!"
Screams resounded one after another, filling the space, as the bodies of the men in black swelled up like balloons and then exploded with a bang.
Flames soared into the sky, flesh and blood scattered in all directions, falling to the ground, even emitting a burnt smell.
The phoenix, formed of flames, let out another fierce cry before its figure vanished away.
Athena hovered in the air, her gaze sharp and piercing as she swept across her surroundings, her voice cold as she declared, "If there's anyone else not afraid of death, feel free to come at us."
Her words fell, and a hush descended.
With a cold huff, Athena slowly descended, and the long sword in her hand vanished along with the dissipation of the flames.
Immediately, mercenaries stepped forward to clear the battlefield, kicking the charred bodies to one side.
It seemed as though Athena had truly intimidated them.
For a time, no men in black appeared.
Athena breathed a sigh of relief internally, directly ordering the mercenaries and warriors to rest in shifts.
After a while, the men in black launched another attack.
However, thanks to the flaws Athena had intentionally revealed earlier, even though the black-clothed men saw that the defenses seemed difficult to hold.
And that a full-force attack could potentially break through, none dared to charge in.
They merely harassed the convoy from a distance.
Unfortunately for them, their fear of launching a full-scale attack meant they couldn't affect those who were resting.
As the night passed, the convoy suffered no significant losses; only three individuals sustained serious injuries, but they were quickly tended to and on the road to recovery under the care of the priests.
Wales, having experienced many battles, had slept soundly through the night.
On the other hand, Howard, who found it hard to sleep amidst the cries of battle, was overwhelmed by drowsiness and yawned incessantly as daylight broke.
Despite this, due to the relentless attacks, the convoy moved at a slower pace and had yet to reach Mordun Wasteland.
However, as they distanced themselves from Adia City, the surrounding environment began to change.
The trees grew denser, and the road became more rugged.
Thankfully, Athena and her crew had the foresight to procure warhorses, which proved steadfast in these trying conditions.
Yet, the journey was proving to be a grueling ordeal for the people.
This was especially true for the warriors clad in full armor.
Their movements, already cumbersome, were further impeded by the need to navigate through treacherous terrains, significantly slowing down their progress.
Nonetheless, they dared not shed their armors.
In case of another ambush, lacking the protection of their armor, survival was anything but guaranteed.
With their armor on, they boasted an impressive defense value.
Except for being vulnerable to magical attacks, they could practically ignore all other forms of physical assaults.
Fortunately, Athena was a competent leader.
Noticing the dipping morale, she immediately took to boosting their spirits, promising even richer rewards upon the successful completion of their mission.
In an instant, everyone's eyes lit up with renewed fervor, their spirits ablaze with determination, as if they were ready to carry Athena back to Crimson Dragon City themselves.
However, what they didn't realize was that by the time they would return to Crimson Dragon City, the number of survivors would likely be slim.
They had barely left Adia City when they were subjected to a night-long pursuit.
Now, having left the urban areas far behind and venturing deep into the wilderness, the battles to come would only increase, not decrease.
As expected, before Howard had a chance to rest properly, he was once again startled awake by the chaotic sounds of battle.
"Awrooo!"
The piercing howl of a wolf rang out, causing Howard to rub his eyes and pull back the curtain.
Looking back, he saw that the battle had escalated to an intense level. A group of magus had gathered together, preparing to perform Linking Magic.
The warriors, clad in armor, held the front line, constantly using their armor to fend off various weapon strikes and arrows.
Their armor twisted and deformed under the immense pressure, clearly showing the enormity of the strain they were under.
However, the Linking Magic proved to be incredibly powerful.
As the battle reached a stalemate, the icy blue chill of the Linking Magic surged forth the moment it was cast, instantly freezing all the invading enemies in their tracks.
Those awakened who were fortunate enough to be outside the range of the spell quickly retreated, bringing the battle to a close.
"Tsk, Linking Magic is indeed formidable. It's a pity, though, that it requires so much preparation time," Howard remarked.
"I calculated it. From the moment they began casting the Linking Magic to the moment it successfully unleashed, it took a full 73 seconds. Without protection, those magus could have died twice over in that time."
Hearing this, Wales nodded in agreement, "You're right. Additionally, Linking Magic consumes a high amount of spirit and MP. Haven't you noticed? Apart from casting Linking Magic, this group of magus doesn't participate in the battles at all."
Pausing for a moment, Wales continued, "Those hiding in the shadows are smart as well. They are like cats playing with mice, slowly draining Athena and her team's strength. They are just waiting for the magus' spirit to be completely depleted before launching their assault."
Howard's eyes flickered as he asked in a low voice, "Mentor, what do you plan to do?"
"Do nothing," Wales responded. "I'm only here to clear the path for them; I am under no obligation to protect them. Besides, Athena is stronger than I am in battle. If she can't hold them off, what chance would I have? Even if I did make a move, it would only result in one more corpse."
Hearing this, Howard also recalled Athena's terrifying strength.
In fact, Athena was well aware of this too, but she did not give any orders, letting the battle proceed as it was.
If they were attacked, she would stop and let the mercenaries fight. If there was no attack, she would continue to lead the group forward.
Even though the people were allowed to rest in shifts, the continuous days of battle gradually exhausted their spirits and bodies.
It was only because almost all the awakened Athena had recruited were above level 60 and had strong physiques that they were able to hold on.
Time slowly passed.
Just as the caravan was about to enter the entrance of the Mordun Wasteland, Howard suddenly felt a movement in his heart and quickly looked towards the central carriage.
In that moment, Howard sensed that the magical aura on the carriage had disappeared!
Just as Howard became curious and wanted to take a closer look, another magical aura emitted from it, giving him a different feeling.
However, seeing that Wales remained calm and unbothered, Howard chose not to ask any questions.
Before long, footsteps approached, and Athena's voice followed, "Gentlemen, may I have the honor of joining you in the carriage for a chat?"
"Of course, you may."
Wales did not refuse. After all, no matter what, Athena was his employer.
Upon receiving permission, the curtains of the carriage were lifted, and Athena, hiking up her battle skirt, stepped onto the carriage, her snow-white thighs directly catching the eyes of Howard and Wales.
However, neither Howard nor Wales were the type of men to be carried away by lust, paying it no mind and focusing solely on Athena.
Giving a slight bow to Wales, Athena spoke softly, "I have heard that Lord Ravenous Wolf possesses a group Stealth Skill. I wonder, could it be effective on the carriage as well?"
"It cannot," Wales shook his head, "My skill only works on living beings."
"How many people can it affect at most?" Athena quickly pressed.
Wales hesitated for a moment before answering, "It depends on how long it needs to last. If it's for half an hour, it can affect at most ten people. If it only needs to last for a quarter of an hour, then it can affect more people."
"A quarter of an hour will suffice," Athena finally showed a smile, speaking softly, "In a while, I will activate an Illusion, projecting the images of myself and the group of magus amidst the crowd to confuse those in the shadows. We will then turn around and take another route into the Mordun Wasteland."
"What do you think of this plan?"
Hearing this, Howard couldn't help but feel his pupils constrict as he finally understood why Athena, with such a clear view of the situation, had not reacted much.
So, Athena had been pretending to fall into the enemy's trap, only to turn the tables on them!
His eyes moving rapidly, Howard's mind suddenly cleared, and he even figured out the change in the magical aura inside the carriage from earlier.
He guessed that Athena must have already transferred the treasures; the carriage now was merely bait!
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