The Empire's War of Attrition-Adventurers Arrive

There were still several hundred meters between them!

The voice of the blond-haired man clearly reached the ears of the surrounded members of the Kingdom.

"Was a magical item used? Or some kind of magic?"

Gazef's eyes sharpened and became serious; the four figures stood in stark contrast to the surrounding soldiers.

It's not just a difference in appearance and attire, but more importantly, a difference in presence!

Just as a tiger appearing among a group of cats cannot overshadow the tiger's imposing presence and grandeur, no matter how many cats there are.

"Is that the attire of Four Imperial Knights of the Empire?" Gazef's heart skipped a beat, realizing something. "Miss Lainas?"

Lainas did not respond, but stared intently at the four from the Empire, completely ignoring Gazef's question.

Gazef looked slightly embarrassed and reached up to wipe the tip of his nose.

Although they worked together and were somewhat competitive, Gazef still wanted to get closer to Ms. Lainas.

However, the other party's reaction has always been indifferent.

"Congratulations, Lainas, your facial injuries have fully healed."

The last time we met was at a banquet.

The blond-haired man sighed, but there was no hostility in his voice:

"As you know, His Majesty is a great emperor. He doesn't care about the impact of the extermination of nobles, because the number of nobles eliminated by His Majesty will only be greater."

"The Kingdom Ri Yestize is corrupt and will eventually come to an end, and your guilt is not serious."

"With your abilities, once you return to the Empire, you will surely be given an important mission again. His Majesty has personally promised you this —Leinas Rockbruise!"

This is a persuasive argument that "reasons with them and moves them with emotion."

This caused a brief commotion among the Kingdom's troops. "Hey, hey!"

"Our Kingdom is perfectly fine," Gazef grinned, his face full of displeasure as he roared, "Such provocations won't work on us!"

Amplification methods without magical props.

Gazef's shouts could only be heard by the Kingdom soldiers behind him, and had no effect on the Empire side on the other side.

but.

Gazef's original purpose was to reassure the soldiers behind him, but as he glanced at Lainas beside him out of the corner of his eye, a tension unconsciously rose within him.

Lainas's long, fluffy blonde hair was tied around her waist with a tight black hair tie—a hairband Tang Zheng had given her for the New Year's "Prayer Day."

"Heh~"

Lainas's lips curled into a cold laugh.

It was unclear whether the laughter was mocking the empire, the Kingdom, or both, since she had never been loyal to the Kingdom.

"From left to right, the one with the title ' Lightning Bolt ' is a swordsman whose title comes from the sword he wields."

"The Unassailable" is said to be skilled in a fighting style of punching and charging, and possesses superb defensive capabilities.

Lainas turned her fair face to the side, pausing as she spoke:

"The speaker is Nimble, whose title is unknown. He possesses both Warrior and Divine System magic abilities, and his methods are varied, so we need to be careful. He wasn't among the ' Four Imperial Knights ' before I left."

"The other one I haven't met before, also a newly appointed Four Imperial Knights."

Lainas glanced at Gazef, who was listening intently, and said, "Just a reminder, the selection of the Four Imperial Knights doesn't consider status, personality, or loyalty; it only considers strength."

"Well, although I don't think you'd lose to them with your skills."

"It's an honor to be praised by Miss Lainas." Gazef paused briefly, then raised the Razor Edge with one hand, his eyes serious. "Looks like this is going to be a fierce battle."

Lainas's pupils gradually turned cold as she raised her finger and gently touched the pendant hanging around her neck.

It was a fiery red sideburn pendant, about the thickness of a finger, tightly bound with hemp rope. Its style was quite rugged, and it stood out slightly on Lainas.

Magical Item: "Mane of Fierce Thorns"

The Lionman's sacred artifact is a tool that combines offense and defense, but it wasn't very useful to Tang Zheng, so he gave it to Lainas.

A red light suddenly appeared on the pendant.

"Blazing Sun Beam!"

A crimson beam of light shot out from the pendant, covering hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, heading towards the Four Imperial Knights.

Wherever the high-temperature beam of light passed, the air was ignited, emitting a burnt smell!

Get out of the way!

A roar erupted from the Four Imperial Knights.

Although the magical attack was sudden and extremely fast, the two sides were several hundred meters apart, giving the Four Imperial Knights enough time to react.

Four figures simultaneously left their original positions!

The crimson beam of light then struck the soldiers behind them, easily piercing through the bodies of more than a dozen men.

Then came an explosion with flames!

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Painful screams rang out as more than 30 soldiers died instantly, and over 50 others suffered burns of varying degrees.

This is the attack level of Fifth-Tier fire magic spell!

If the distance hadn't been so great, the number of casualties would have been even higher.

Did you dodge it?

Lainas's beautiful eyes flickered; she wasn't particularly surprised by the result.

This item can unleash a defensive and offensive attack at the level of Fifth-Tier Magic once each; it's a bit of a waste to use it right away.

She continued to do so primarily to dispel any wariness that Gazef and his soldiers might have developed towards her due to Nimble's instigation.

The Kingdom's soldiers were stunned by what they saw, then burst into cheers, their fear of being surrounded by the enemy dissipating considerably.

The power of the Fifth-Tier Magic shocked everyone present!

"This woman—I'm going to kill her!"

The Corrosive Wolf's eyes glowed with an unnatural red, its expression twisted, and it growled with murderous intent.

The remaining three of the Four Imperial Knights had grim and cold expressions, and a hint of lingering fear flashed through their hearts.

With the power of that spell, if someone were hit, they would be severely injured even if they didn't die.

"Lord Lightning Bolt and I stopped Gazef."

"That woman, Lainas, will be dealt with by Lords Corrosive Wolf and the Unassailable," said Fierce Gale Calmness.

"His Majesty's orders to us are very clear: kill Lainas, no matter the cost!"

"Heheha!"

The emaciated Werewolf's body was slightly hunched, his shoulders trembling slightly. "Battlefield combat? That's much more interesting than the Imperial Arena!"

"Don't underestimate that woman." His expression the Unassailable serious. "Her attack methods are unusual; once she's injured, ordinary Healing Magic and potions won't be effective."

"Furthermore, this woman possesses the ability to destroy low-level items, so be careful during the battle!"

The Corrosive Wolf narrowed its eyes, a hint of seriousness creeping into its previously confident expression.

Just as the Four Imperial Knights were about to make their move!

"You four, wait a moment!" A gentle yet authoritative voice came from behind.

A warhorse clad in armor carried a man dressed in light armor, with a gentle face and an air of noble lineage.

This is a young general who is no more than 30 years old.

"General Lei Yi?" Fierce Gale frowned.

This person is one of the empire's eight generals, and the youngest of them all. The fact that he was able to assume the position of general at such a young age demonstrates his talent and the Blood Emperor's high regard for him.

This is also an ambitious guy!

but.

The "Four Imperial Knights" are directly commanded by the Blood Emperor and are not part of the same system as the army. General Lei Yi, who is standing in front of him, has no right to command them.

"Gentlemen, reckless actions on the battlefield are fatal; this is not a personal duel between soldiers."

General Lei Yi spoke in a gentle tone, but his words had a slightly harsh quality:

"His Majesty has arranged for the Royal Aerial Guard Corps and also assigned you, the ' Four Imperial Knights,' to personally lead the troops on the battlefield. This is not merely to eliminate a traitor to the Empire."

Look far into the distance!

General Lei Yi looked at the Kingdom's elite troops, now completely surrounded, a hidden fervor flashing in his eyes, and said seriously and earnestly:

"We must utterly destroy any hope of the Kingdom's rise!"

"Archer, prepare!"

Splash!

Imperial soldiers from all directions raised their bows and arrows, nocking and drawing the strings, the resounding clang echoing across the battlefield.

"Shoot!"

Swoosh-swoosh-

A sky full of arrows transformed into a rain of arrows, their cold light shimmering, enveloping the sky.

"Defensive formation!"

"Protect the shield!"

Lainas and Gazef's expressions changed slightly, and they immediately issued instructions.

Such an attack was easily withstood by their strength, but for the soldiers, it posed a serious threat. "The Four Imperial Knights didn't even charge!"

Lainas felt a bad premonition. Her original plan was to provoke the Four Imperial Knights so that she and Gazef could directly confront them.

If only one of them could be killed.

This would be able to deal a serious blow to the empire.

The battlefield is not a battle for individuals!

Even with the strength of the Hero Realm, who could easily slaughter thousands of soldiers, their physical strength would inevitably be severely depleted.

Lainas and Gazef are top-tier powerhouses; if such people are determined to escape, even an army cannot stop them.

But now both of them are generals of the legions. Unless their legions are completely destroyed, if they abandon their legions and run away, there will be no place for them to survive in the Kingdom!

"The taste of fresh blood is truly wonderful."

General Lei Yi, mounted on his warhorse, let out a sinister laugh.

However!

Unbeknownst to everyone, on the edge of the battlefield, lurking creatures, like rats, emerged from the ground.

He then died silently.

On the corpses of these animals or monsters, bright red flowers burst forth from their bellies, buds stained with blood, ready to bloom.

Red flowers and leaves sway!

A negligible amount of pale yellow pollen was dispersed into the air.

Mid-Fire Month, August 12th.

The adventurer party, led by "Blue Roses" and Enri, finally arrived at the northern depths of the Great Forest of Tob.

Personnel injuries accounted for nearly 10%.

at the same time!

The forces led by Lainas and Gazef were completely entangled with the Imperial forces.

In the past two days, the Empire's forces have suffered more than 3,000 casualties, while the Kingdom's forces have only lost about 100 men.

It's clearly a 30:1 difference!

However, the morale of the Kingdom's side has been severely low.

The empire adopted a strategy of encirclement, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, and even deliberately arranged a tactic of "encircling three sides but leaving one side open".

They continuously forced the Kingdom's troops to move out of the sphere of influence of the border Fortress "Ye-Lantir," thus cutting off their supply lines!

Even with the combined strength of Lainas and her companion, who slaughtered over 3,000 people with overwhelming force, their impact on the overall battle was ultimately limited.

This is not a difference in tactics or strength!

Rather, it's about the degree of importance that the Kingdom and the Empire attach to it. The Kingdom is clearly still viewing the Empire's harassment from the perspective it once did.

Deep in the northern part of the Great Forest of Tob.

A desolate area with withered trees.

Two lush trees stand in the center of this area.

"They're here!"

The Dryad Pinison was filled with panic.

The human adventurer team was too powerful; all the monsters that stood in their way could only slow them down.

what to do?

What to do!

"The Terror Treant is no match for those humans."

The Dryad Pinison huddled within her true form, trembling with despair. "I've already stopped the monsters in the forest from harassing humans."

"Why are humans coming in?!"

Initially, the chaotic monsters were controlled by the Terror Treant, but this was stopped after she took over.

"Only if the Evil Tree awakens, even just a part of it, can I survive—"

The Dryad Pinison seemed to have made up her mind after thinking about this.

On the battlefield of the Katze Plains.

The blooming red flowers are becoming increasingly vibrant.

By this time, the adventurer party had completely entered this desolate area.

"What on earth is going on here?!"

"Have all the trees died?"

A large number of adventurers stared blankly at the abnormal phenomenon before them.

"So, we've reached their lair." Gagaran walked to a dead tree and casually punched it.

With a "crack" sound, the seemingly sturdy dead tree snapped in two!

Whoosh!

A red figure flew in from above, creating a whooshing sound.

"Enemy detected!"

"Three kilometers ahead, there are two unusually normal trees; these should be the unknown plant-type monsters."

Evileye hovered in mid-air, her voice, amplified by magic, reaching the ears of the adventurers below.

"I thought they would hide, but they've completely exposed themselves to us?" an adventurer in the crowd muttered to himself in confusion.

"Everyone!"

Lakyus's gaze hardened. He wiped the dust from his face and addressed the group, "Take a 10-minute break, then we'll eliminate these two monsters one by one!"

"Whoa whoa--!"

"Whoa!" The adventurers shook off their fatigue and shouted excitedly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

However, the crowd's excitement didn't last long before some of the withered trees in front of them suddenly began to shake violently.

The next moment.

Some of the dead trees seemed to come alive, their roots emerging from the ground like human legs, transforming into fierce-looking Treant!