Divine Prism (Combined Chapters)

"Kill!"

Bai Xiaowen's human cavalry clashed head-on with a Dark Elves patrol formation.

Intimidation!

An invisible Overawing Presence spread out, and the patrol team composed of ordinary Dark Elves Standard Template soldiers instantly fell into a state of unconsciousness or fear.

Tim, Marco, and Phil, the three knights, lances at the ready, cut through the Dark Elves patrol like an arrow, Assassination the immobilized Dark Elves warriors one by one, carving a bloody path through them before galloping away.

Although the Dark Elves regained their mobility midway through, infantry against cavalry, with their survival depended on a disrupted formation, were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

Fortunately, Bai Xiaowen's army was in a hurry to escape and did not linger in battle; otherwise, these more than one hundred Dark Elves warriors would certainly have been annihilated. They watched helplessly as Bai Xiaowen's cavalry drove away, unable to catch up.

Bai Xiaowen glanced at the cavalrymen beside him.

After nearly a day and a night of Ambush attack, only sixty-odd of the hundred cavalrymen remained, and the rest were covered in Bloodbath and their armor was torn.

With a casualty rate approaching 40%, an ordinary army would likely have already suffered a collapse in morale.

Although the losses were significant, the results were also quite substantial.

"The total number of rear outposts of the Remnant Allied Army you have destroyed is 8/4. Elite Tier side mission: Raid Behind Enemy Lines has been completed, completion rate: Excellent."

"Please meet with Prince Nicholas or Archbishop Arlo to submit the quest and receive the reward."

The mission required the destruction of at least four strongholds, Bai Xiaowen destroyed eight, so it was only natural that he received an excellent completion rating.

"I thought it would be a perfect finish," Li Shuyi said softly, riding alongside her, looking travel-worn.

"A perfect score would probably require taking down at least ten strongholds. Getting an excellent rating is already pretty good," Bai Xiaowen said.

"I think this A-Tier Elite Quest isn't too difficult," Li Shuyi said. "There wasn't much resistance during the surprise attacks on the various strongholds. The only slightly troublesome thing was the rearguard patrols of the Remnant Allied Army, but with your combination of Intimidation skills and Cavalry Assault, they weren't too difficult."

Bai Xiaowen shook his head and said, "This A-Tier Elite Quest hasn't been submitted yet. The real difficulty lies in the journey back! Its difficulty is a flexible mechanism."

"A flexible mechanism?" Li Shuyi repeated.

"That's right, everything is based on how much damage we inflicted on the Remnant Allied Army and the time it took."

Bai Xiaowen explained,

"If we destroy four strongholds and achieve the basic objective before retreating, the losses suffered by the Remnant Allied Army will likely be just enough to force them to withdraw and retake their positions, but they won't harbor too much hatred towards us. Moreover, because we're returning earlier, we'll only encounter some rearguard units during our retreat, not the main force."

"Now we've expanded our gains, destroying eight strongholds in total. The rear of the Remnant Allied Army is engulfed in flames, and they must hate us to the core. Moreover, because we've destroyed twice as many strongholds, we'll be returning later, and we're very likely to run into the main force of the Remnants forces returning to defend... So, the truly difficult moment is yet to come, and we need to be mentally prepared."

Li Shuyi exclaimed in surprise, "The main force of the Remnants? How can we possibly defeat them with only a few dozen of us left?"

"We certainly can't win a direct confrontation, but our movements are relatively secretive, which is a major advantage. The forces of the Remnants can only conduct searches in small groups. Therefore, we are unlikely to encounter any large forces; small elite groups of dozens or hundreds of people are more probable."

Li Shuyi smiled and said, "I understand. The Remnants's Liberation Army is like a large net that has been spread out, and we are the fish... Perhaps, if we are lucky enough, we can slip through the mesh and return to Blackrock Fortress without a fight."

"You'd better not have that kind of wishful thinking. Such oversights are generally rare in A-Tier Elite Quest. It's unrealistic to expect the Spirit Realm Rules to malfunction," Bai Xiaowen said.

After an hour's drive, Bai Xiaowen and his group could already see Blackrock City on the distant horizon.

"We're almost there!" Li Shuyi said happily.

"Hahaha, when I get back, I'll be Hero Tier to mankind!" Kitz laughed heartily, and many White Stone Army cavalrymen raised their weapons and cheered loudly.

Tim and the other knights, with impeccable credentials, seemed still haunted by the guilt of slaughtering the common people and remained silent. However, a hint of relief and relaxation could be seen in their statue-like faces.

"Prepare for battle." Bai Xiaowen suddenly reined in his horse and raised his right hand.

Everyone stopped.

The surroundings were completely silent, with a deathly stillness in the air.

A slightly hesitant voice came from behind the hillside not far away:

"You're an interesting human. Your sense of danger is as sharp as a wild beast's. Now I understand why you were able to get here despite the army's encirclement."

As soon as these words were spoken, a squad of Trolls warriors appeared.

This troll warrior squad, numbering about fifty, was composed entirely of robust physiques and possessed formidable auras; they were a rare elite force.

The most terrifying of all was the leader of the trolls, with red hair tied into thin braids, two twisted fangs, and skin that shimmered with an eerie deep blue. A strange and powerful aura emanated from him.

Bai Xiaowen first offered a Insight.

[Kaerhan (Level 7 Boss Tier) / 78% Undead Transformation]

[Race: Human Species / Trolls]

[Occupation: Deathstalker]

[Attributes: Strength 42, Agility 70, Constitution 31, Spirit 17]

[Skill 1: Shadow Strike: Passive skill. Kaerhan's basic attacks will release an additional shadow energy, dealing extra shadow magic damage to the target.]

[Skill 2: Death Siphon: Kaerhan absorbs the souls of the Plague Undead dead and heals himself. Each Plague Undead creature that dies nearby restores 20% of Kaerhan's maximum Life Value.]

[Skill 3: Bloodspear War Banner (LV2): Passive skill, Kaerhan an additional 400 Life Value points and a 40% immunity to control effects and abnormal statuses.]

[Skill 4:???]

[Skill 5:???]

Bai Xiaowen took a deep breath. Blood Spear Overseer Kelhan! He never expected to encounter him here. Kelhan's strength was probably even greater than that of the Vanguard Commander, Giant Hammer Berserker Kelman!

What Bai Xiaowen was most concerned about was the "78% undead" status on Kaerhan's body. What did that mean?

Bai Xiaowen considered a possibility. He then used his Insight on the troll warriors beside him, only to discover that these troll warriors were actually undead disguised as trolls, and their race was uniformly "Undead Species / Corpse Demonfolk"!

However, for some unknown reason, these troll warriors still retain a considerable degree of intelligence.

Just as Bai Xiaowen was deep in thought, a troll warrior beside Kaerhan burst into laughter. "Boss Tier, this cowardly human is too scared to speak!"

The other troll warriors burst into laughter.

Kaerhan shook his head. "Shut up, all of you. This is a brave warrior who dared to venture deep into enemy territory and launch a surprise attack on our rear. You can kill him, but you can't laugh at him."

The troll warriors fell silent.

The trolls spoke in their Remnant Tongue, which only Bai Xiaowen could understand. However, the other human knights could also see that Kaerhan had stopped the troll warriors from mocking them.

Bai Xiaowen's heart skipped a beat, and he spurred his warhorse forward a few steps. "You are the overseer of the Bloodspear Clan, Kaerhan?"

Kaerhan somewhat surprised, then nodded and said, "I really didn't expect that the Human Allied Forces's intelligence had become so detailed." He hadn't expected Bai Xiaowen to be able to recognize him.

Bai Xiaowen didn't answer his question, but instead made a strange gesture.

He spread his arms, drawing a large arc in the air, then supported his right elbow with his left hand, extended his right arm forward, and gently hooked his index finger, saying, "I, Dio Skellboom, the human lord of White Stone Town, now challenge you! Kaerhan, do you dare to duel me?"

"A one-on-one duel?" Kaerhan smiled knowingly. "You seem quite familiar with the traditions of our Remnants tribes, even your provocative dueling gestures are spot on. If you didn't have a human appearance, I would have suspected you were an Orcs or a troll."

"Enough with the talk! On the honor of our ancestors, do you dare accept the challenge?" Bai Xiaowen shouted in a deep voice, repeating the challenge in the Remnant Tongue.

Kaerhan was taken aback when he heard Bai Xiaowen use the Remnant Tongue.

Seeing Bai Xiaowen's arrogance, the troll warriors could no longer contain themselves. A burly troll guard stepped forward and shouted, "You are not qualified to challenge the Boss Tier! I can tear your head off!"

Bai Xiaowen shouted in the Remnant Tongue: "Then you go first. After I kill you, I'll go kill your Boss Tier!"

"Step back!" Kaerhan Intimidating Shout. The troll warrior dared not disobey and could only retreat dejectedly.

"Human, your strength is less than half mine. Your chances of winning a challenge are virtually zero..." Kaerhan stared at Bai Xiaowen and said slowly, "Why are you doing this?"

Kaerhan didn't give Bai Xiaowen time to answer, and continued, "However, I will not agree. My grandfather taught me that no matter how absurd or advantageous the demands of the enemy may seem, I cannot agree to them. Being greedy for small gains will lead me into the enemy's trap."

After a pause, Kaerhan continued, "Now, my fifty warriors are far stronger than you weary soldiers. In a normal battle, my chances of victory would be much higher... So why should I lower my chances and accept your challenge?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head. "I thought that the Remnants valued honor, but it seems I was wrong."

"A grotesque victory is far better than a thousand glorious defeats," Kaerhan said slowly.

"Then let's fight!" Bai Xiaowen waved his hand. "All troops, charge! Blackrock City is just ahead. Slay these trolls and return as Hero Tier!"

The knights around Bai Xiaowen responded loudly, their will to survive and sense of honor burning brightly, and their morale was rekindled.

"So eager, huh? I wanted to chat with you a bit more before you died. Humans as interesting as you are rare..." Kaerhan said.

"If it weren't for the vengeful forces of the fallen Remnants chasing after me, I would be happy to chat with you a bit more."

Bai Xiaowen saw through Kaerhan's scheme to buy time, and inwardly sighed at the old fox's caution. Despite having a considerable advantage on the field, he was still trying to stall for time, hoping that the other main forces of the pursuing Remnants would catch up and encircle them.

As the cavalry charged, a book suddenly appeared in Bai Xiaowen's right hand, glowing brightly and bearing a comical human face. He pointed it at Kaerhan.

The Whispering Grimoire now grants the skill "Whispering!"

[Whisper: Designate a target (friend or foe), roll the dice, and cast a random spell on the target. The higher the number you roll, the higher the spell's star rating.]

Three transparent six-sided dice appeared, tumbled a few times in mid-air, and landed "on the ground"—four, five, and six.

Spirit Realm Rules Message:

"You rolled 15."

"Whispering skill activated, randomly selecting one spell from four-star spells! Target: Bloodspear Warlord Kaerhan."

"Spell Extraction Result: Divine Prism"

[Divine Prism: Four-star skill. Transforms the target into a prism brimming with divine energy, instantly restoring 30% of their maximum Life Value (maximum 400 points), and also fires divine energy at all targets in the surrounding area, restoring 10% of their maximum Life Value.]

Upon seeing the skill description for [Divine Prism], Bai Xiaowen's face darkened.

There are so many damage-dealing and control skills, how did I end up with a healing skill?! Luckily, the battle has just begun, Kaerhan and his soldiers are at full health. If he used it during a more intense battle, Kaerhan's Life Value would suddenly increase by 30%, which is over 210. How could we possibly fight then?

Bai Xiaowen chose to try his luck right at the start of the battle because he had this in mind—even if he was unlucky and rolled a healing spell, it wouldn't do him any harm; at most, he'd be laughed at as a lunatic...

Of course, there is still some risk in doing this. If you happen to roll a buff-type spell, you might just explode and ascend to heaven. However, considering the proportion of buff spells, the chances are ultimately very small.

These thoughts flashed through Bai Xiaowen's mind for 0.1 seconds, and then, to her surprise, Bai Xiaowen heard a scream.

The divine energy shone upon Kaerhan, illuminating large swaths of deathly white mist! Large patches of Kaerhan's skin were festering, as if scalded with boiling oil—a truly horrifying sight! A massive damage indicator of 107 points suddenly appeared above his head!

Immediately afterwards, the light of holy energy spread out, and dozens of damage values appeared above the heads of the surrounding troll warriors.

"Charge! The Holy Light is with us!"

"Lord Dio is so powerful! Our army will surely win!"

Tim, Marco, Phil, and the other knights were greatly encouraged. They brandished their weapons and charged forward with shouts.

[This... seems like you've made a mistake?]

Bai Xiaowen hesitated for a moment, then swallowed the words back down and said instead, "Yes, the enemy has been Severe Injury. Slaughter them all! Crush their bones!"